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| Flashing Arrows [FIN]; [P] Nkiruka | |
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| Topic Started: Sat Aug 20, 2011 2:08 am (390 Views) | |
| Tandorus | Sat Aug 20, 2011 2:08 am Post #1 |
 
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Tand frowned, he had been forced to run from a sand worm that seems to have some kind of vendetta against him... but those things couldn't possibly have minds... could they? He looked back as he saw it surface for a second, spitting a jet of acid at Tand, missing by a good foot, at least it was a bad shot. He sighed, this would take forever to out run, he needed to find a rock or a mini-oasis so he can get on solid ground, where it couldn't get to him quickly. He looked to the side trying to find anything that could help him... only to see two more young sand worms bounding after him, he just had the worst luck today. He ran for a few more minutes, looking back, he was tired... and he could see three people in black hooded cloaks riding lizards riding behind the worms, what was this day coming to. He turned, tired of running as he placed an arrow to his bow string, pulling back and firing it, the arrow piercing the mouth of a sandworm that had prepared to shoot acid out of it's mouth, piercing it's brain, killing it instantly, he got a second arrow ready, already preparing to fire it again, once again he just had to wait for it to try and spit acid... then he would do the same as last time, kill it instantly with a perfect shot, he was skilled in archery, why did he run from such weak opponents... then again a jet of acid to the face would ruin his perfectly good looks and his pink jacket. |
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| Nkiruka | Sat Aug 20, 2011 7:25 pm Post #2 |
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"That's them!" Captain Zaman cried up to Nkiruka, who was flying thirty feet over the scene before them. While the guard-captain urged her camel into a full gallop across the sand, Nkiruka flapped her dark brown wings several times, increasing her speed. Sand wurms burst from the ground to surround the soldier's true targets: three members of the Dust-Eater gang that had just pulled off a major raid in a nearby town. Flapping her wings harder, Nkiruka shot after the men in black, weaving between the towering wurms while Zaman flanked them on her camel. An arrow whizzed through the air nearby, piercing the braincase of one of the biggest ones. In order to avoid its collapsing body, Nkiruka banked upward, careening past the entire group. Barely hearing Zaman shout something behind her, Nkiruka emerged from the wall of wurms to see a man in a pink jacket also running from them. "A fourth!" she shouted down to her partner before folding her wings into a streamlined shape. The action caused her entire body to fall into a stoop, barreling down at him. If she timed and positioned everything correctly, she would crash right into the man, tackling him into the sand. "Army of Istan! You're under arrest!" She roared in the man's ear, speaking in the Istani language. The uniform she wore, which was predominantly gold but trimmed with red and white, further asserted her membership in the army. Nkiruka wore her white scarf so that it covered her face from the nose down, but her eyes showed her usual ferocity. "Wait, Nkiruka! He's not-" Zaman interrupted herself to shoot down the remaining young sand wurm with a few well-placed shots from her crossbow. Edited by Nkiruka, Sat Aug 20, 2011 7:30 pm.
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| Tandorus | Sat Aug 20, 2011 7:43 pm Post #3 |
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Tand turned to see something barreling at him... it shouted that he was under arrest by the Istan Military... but that wasn't possible, he was still the acting leader of the Black Bows... even though he rarely did anything with the military anymore. Maybe this person wasn't above the rank of Colonel... that would mean she didn't know who he was, well, might as well help her out. He saw one of the worms rise up, he smirked as he turned around, the only way to save his neck from an oncoming crash would be to say who he was, "Tandorus Elderson! Actin' Leader and Commander of tha' Istan Army, Black Bows!" He shouted with all of his might as he shot two arrows in quick succession, the arrows sinking into the fleshy insides of a sandworm's mouth, though it wasn't fatal, it was disorienting and it had been ready to fire another jet of acid, instead it's mouth closed and the acid met it's teeth, seeping out of the cracks as he dove back into the sand. Tand quickly ran to the side, hoping to dodge the person rushing him if she was still aiming to tackle him, he pulled out another arrow, launching it at an area that had moving sand, he smiled as his arrows turned into a golden light, streaking through the sand, he fired several more times until the sand settled down in that particular area. His arrows magically returning to his quiver as he readied himself for the next worm, but he gave the area quick sweep with his eyes, looking for any threats... like the person who tried to barrel into him. |
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| Nkiruka | Sun Aug 21, 2011 5:38 pm Post #4 |
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A cloud of sand rose up violently around Nkiruka as she landed a few feet to the left of Tandorus, her feet slamming into the ground. When it settled, the soldier took a second to study the man, adjusting her scarf so it once again fit properly over her nose and mouth. "Black Bows?" she asked. The berserker had never heard of them before; it sounded more like a gang than a special unit of the Istan Army. Even so, she was somewhat glad she didn't tackle what could possibly be one of her superiors. She nodded toward the three mounted men in black. Captain Zaman had succeeded in ensnaring them in nets of magical energy, but she would need help properly apprehending them. "Those are fugitives," Nkiruka explained. "You know of the Dust-Eaters? They're a powerful gang around here. Known for being able to command and control the local wildlife." It wasn't a stretch of the imagination to assume those three men were responsible for all these sand wurms. Edited by Nkiruka, Sun Aug 21, 2011 5:40 pm.
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| Tandorus | Sun Aug 21, 2011 7:22 pm Post #5 |
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Tand smiled, he wasn't hit, he saw a person on a camel trapping the riders, and he turned his head to look at the newcomer, that was a mistake he should have never made in a battle field, he felt the sand rumbling and quickly backpedaled, one of the sandworms surfacing where he once was, he took this opportunity to fire a few arrows into it's side as he started to run again, passing the person he said simply, "Help yer partner, I can see 'em with tha' men who are chasing me, help her out, these sandworms aren't anythin' to tha' Black Bowman." He ran a short ways, firing arrows through the sands, watching blood seep out as he ran. He stopped when he saw the sand stop rippling behind him... it was finally over, that's what he thought until a sandworm only raised it's mouth out of the ground, shooting a single stream of acid at Tand's legs, he barely escaped the full attack and instead only his left leg was injured, running wasn't an option anymore as the final worm raised itself from the the ground, rearing back to start eating the now immobile Tand. He took out a single arrow and let it fly, watching it perfectly enter where it's brain is, falling backwards, dead. He felt a familiar weight on his head as he looked up, his pet raven, Nevermore was perched on his head, looking down at him, good. Tand stood up, using his bow as a walking stick as he placed a hand on his leg, "Healing Wind..." A small breeze kicked up and slowly swirled around his leg, healing the burns from the acid and fixing some of the damage, he would need to let it heal and use more magic later... for now he needed to find the people who had helped him. |
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| Nkiruka | Tue Aug 23, 2011 6:08 pm Post #6 |
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Captain Zaman rounded around the three fugitives, casting additional copies of the same spell to tighten her hold on both them and their mounts. Eventually they were pressed very tightly into the sand by the glowing ropes. She dismounted and began locking them in manacles. Nkiruka eventually joined her, helping remove the men from their aggressive lizard mounts and tie them up in a line behind the camel. "Who was that guy?" Zaman asked her. Like a lot of rural Istani, Zaman couldn't speak Common, and the particular dialect of Istani that she spoke was a bit difficult for Nkiruka to understand. The soldier processed the woman's words before responding in the same language. "Tandorus Elderson of the Black Bows," Nkiruka said, looking over at the pink-dressed man as he approached them. Zaman also looked, pulling down the hood of her cloak and her headscarf to see better. "The Black Bows?" Zaman said. "That's odd. I thought..." Nkiruka had already left to greet the man, letting the other woman trail off. "Sorry about that," she told him. "I thought you were one of those Dust-Eaters. That woman back there is Guard-Captain Aisha Zaman of the town Hashem." The soldier kept her distance from him, keeping her arms crossed and pointedly not offering to shake his hand or salute. She still wasn't sure if his claims about belonging to a special unit of the Istan Army were true. "You said you were in the military? I've never heard of the Black Bows." |
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| Tandorus | Tue Aug 23, 2011 9:07 pm Post #7 |
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Tand chuckled, the woman was doubting him, "Ya want identification I take it cutey? Well sorry but all I got is my name, my rank, oh, and tha' fact that tha' Black Bows are tha' covert units of tha' Istani Army, they work as scouts, assassins, and on tha' occasion infiltrators. Oh, I do have some proof... but most of it's jus' a bit confidential... lessee here..." Tand began digging through his pockets, looking for the small piece of paper, he smiled as he sorted through the papers, sticking them back into his pockets once he was done sorting, holding a single small scroll, tossing it to the woman. Tand sighed as he put up his bow, "Those were my last orders from tha' Sultan, kill a cult in Istan City, did that already, and kill a giant sandworm that could do a pretty good dragon imitation to tha' point that it could breathe fire, did that one to. So fer now I'm back on standby until I go back to tha' city fer even more so-called impossible missions. Now as fer you cutey, I don't know who ya are, jus' that yer from tha' Istan Army and that you're probably not even supposed ta' know about me..." He stroked his chin for a while, maybe he'd heard of one of his other aliases... his thoughts were broken as a raven on his head screeched out, "I'm tha' Black Bowman! Tha' Black Bowman! SQAAUWK!" Tand grimaced, stupid bird... maybe the young lady wouldn't believe the bird... it had a stupid loud mouth, maybe he should have gotten a ferret instead. |
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| Nkiruka | Tue Aug 23, 2011 10:34 pm Post #8 |
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Nkiruka's cheeks colored as she took on an odd, vaguely horrified expression due to Tandorus' choice of words. Flustered, she fumbled to catch the scroll he tossed her, the rolled-up piece of paper dancing around her hands before she finally caught it. Zaman chuckled. Nkiruka glared at them, composed herself, and scanned over it while Tandorus explained its purpose. Deciding not to really say anything more, she handed the scroll back to the man, a slight frown on her face. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Elderson," Zaman said, approaching him to give him a firm handshake. The woman paused for a second to stare at the raven on his head, at first bewildered by what it said but quickly laughing it off. "Your bird is quite intelligent," she mentioned. After glancing back at Nkiruka, who watched them both warily, the Guard-Captain continued speaking to explain their purpose out here. "We're going to take these three fugitives back to Hashem. May I ask why you're out here in the middle of the desert, sir? Do you need any supplies? The city is just an hour's walk from here, if you'd like to accompany us back." Edited by Nkiruka, Tue Aug 23, 2011 10:34 pm.
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| Tandorus | Tue Aug 23, 2011 10:56 pm Post #9 |
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Tand shook her hand and smiled, "I am runnin' low on supplies, I just hope tha' city you're talking about isn't Istan City... tha' Sultan might give me more work to do, I don't wanna fight anymore giant sandworm dragon hybrids, half-men half-scorpion beasts, or giant scorpions with male torsos sticking out of 'em... that's jus' creepy." He nodded to Zaman and the woman who still hadn't give her name. He limped a bit forward, "As fer my bird, Nevermore, he can only repeat things he's heard me say. I told some kids in a caravan tha' story of tha' Black Bowman, tha' man who slew thousands of demons an' bandits in tha' desert usin' only his black bow and the glowin' arrows he shot from it, jus' an old fairy tale." He put his hand up and Nevermore sidled onto his hand, down it to the elbow, then up to his shoulder, sqauwking the same line all the while, claiming to be the black bowman. Tand nodded at the woman with wings, "Now, as fer tha' cutey, whats yer name? Oh, yeah, I should tell ya guys about tha' things I don't think tha' problem we'll be havin' here soon. Dunno tha' correct words for'em but there are these little insects runnin' around that follow large sources of magical energy, I just call'em Mana-Eaters, when they're small they tend ta' hide in tha' sands and preferably devour tha' natural mana in tha' air and sands, but they will swarm a person ta' eat their mana and their flesh. As they bet bigger, they become bolder and start ta' run as a pack, I've been tryin' ta hunt them as I wander, but it's just not workin' out. They gotta have a hive or somethin' where they can hide... we should probably talk about this more at tha' city, lead on." He waited for them to move, he had no doubt that teasing the woman with wings would be fun, she got so flustered from little compliments, maybe she was shy, she really was cute. |
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| Nkiruka | Wed Aug 24, 2011 12:52 am Post #10 |
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"No, no, it's just a small town called Hashem," Zaman said, folding her hands calmly in front of her guardsman's tabard. "It's my hometown. A very nice place. My friend here is a patrolman, so she was helping me as she passed through." Tandorus mentioned the story of the Black Bowman, which made the Guard-Captain smile widely. "I was told that story as a child. Apparently he was a real person, albeit he lived a very long time ago." When the man turned his attention to Nkiruka, Zaman left the conversation to attend to the fugitives, a wry smile on her face. Nkiruka narrowed her eyes hesitantly, and spoke with a careful tone of voice. "My name is Nkiruka Bower." She seemed to have recovered from the initial shock of being flirted at, but still looked a little uncomfortable; the soldier was definitely out of her comfort zone. Very few people responded to Nkiruka in a way other than indignation or fear, so it was really confusion and lack of experience more than anything that left her in such an awkward state. The soldier swallowed hard, trying to push it out of her mind. "I'm interested in helping you find that hive. I... I have some experience with monsters that form in big groups like that." Tandorus beckoned her to lead on, and she nodded and returned to the camel. After a couple hours of walking -- the fugitives had slowed them down -- they arrived within the boundaries of the town Hashem. Zaman handed off the men to the guards and local warden, then approached Nkiruka and Tandorus. "I'm really in your debt for helping with all those sand wurms. There's a nice tavern down the street; we could talk about those mana-eaters you mentioned, and I'll pay for all of our drinks. What do you say?" "Either way, she's going to drag us to the tavern," Nkiruka grumbled. As someone who didn't drink, taverns were both awkward and unnecessary places for her to be. |
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| Tandorus | Wed Aug 24, 2011 1:31 am Post #11 |
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Tand limped through the desert, he was still hurting from the acid burns, it was a welcome break from the desert sands, he nodded at Zaman, "I won't drink anythin', I have ta' keep on tha' move, I know tha' hive is within a day's walk from where we were a while ago... but we can at least talk at tha' tavern and eat some food, just lemme take care of my wound once more. Healin' Winds, heal my wounds." A small breeze immediately kicks up, blowing through town and gathering around Tand, the acid burns slowly disappearing from his leg. He put some pressure on the leg and nodded with satisfaction, it wasn't perfect, but it would heal in a couple of days, he nodded to Zaman and followed her to the tavern. Tand smiled at the atmosphere, it was familiar to him, taverns were always friendly places for him. Tand simply ordered water and some stew, something easy and hardy. He looked at his company, it was probably best to start explaining what he was looking for, "Alright, these Mana-Eaters, they're a big threat ta' mages and people in general since they can even drain mana from people who can't even use magic. They seem ta' be able ta' feel foot steps from a few dozen meters away and camels and horses from miles. If I had ta' guess they've retreated to some hive fer now ta' do some kinda hatching ritual, I know they're about tha' size of a pony fully grown and a dog when they're big enough ta' walk around and kill on their own, I'm not askin' ya ta' help me... but if ya know of any ruins or sink holes or somethin' within' a day's walk from here, I could take them out with my bow, though I wouldn't say no ta' havin' tha' cute Nkiruka join me." He gave her a small smile, he almost thought she would say no, but who was he kidding, he was Tandorus Elderson, the Black Bowman, the greatest Charmer... and it also helped she seemed to volunteer herself out to stop horrible beasts and bandits. |
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| Nkiruka | Wed Aug 24, 2011 2:57 pm Post #12 |
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Zaman, who had bought for herself enough liquor to get four people smashed, still seemed remarkably clear-minded while she listened to Tandorus' description. Nkiruka stared at the mugs on the table in front of her, then back at the Guard-Captain, but otherwise was silent. "Hmm..." Zaman ran her fingers over the closest mug's handle, thinking. "The Korashi Sinkhole is just a days' ride from here. It's odd, though; I always thought nothing lived there, since it's in the middle of a salt flat some mage accidentally made a few decades ago. It's worth a try, though." Nkiruka crossed her legs, folding her hands and resting them on her knee. "I'll help you," she said without any sort of deliberation on her part. This was her job. It also gave her an excuse to stick around in the greater Hashem area before setting out for the long, tedious ride south. "Just make sure to bring back a head or claw or something," Zaman added. "Just something to show you took care of the problem. I need proof for my records." |
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| Tandorus | Wed Aug 24, 2011 3:20 pm Post #13 |
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Tand chuckled, "Good, I personally won't bring anythin' back, tha' Sultan usually jus' takes my word fer it, or I send Nevermore here as my messenger... then again sometimes he comes back sayin' tha' oddest things." As if Nevermore was waiting for it he burst out with several swear words, most of them in common so most of the local Istani wouldn't understand it, Tand flicked Nevermore's head, stopping the bird. He wiggled a finger in front of the bird's face, only to have it pecked, a single droplet of blood coming out of the wound. He turned his head, as did Nevermore, both of them looking each other in the eye, "Nevermore, I will head butt ya if ya keep this act going on fer any longer." The bird bobbed it's head, it was almost like it understood, it then smacked it's head against Tand's chin. Tand smirked... only to bust out into laughter, the bird was so blasted ornery and audacious that it was hilarious, "Okay Nevermore... tha's enough, now Nkiruka I'll be leavin' in tha' mornin'. I'll rely on ya ta' lead me to tha' sink hole. Meet ya outside at dawn." He finished his food and drink before walking up to the tavern owner, speaking to him in hushed tones. They both chuckled, and he slipped Tand a key, allowing him to walk into a back room, he had put the bill for the room he was renting on Zaman's tab, she did say she was going to be treating them to food and what not. He slept soundly in the room he rented. Just before dawn he woke up, walking out of his room and to the tavern owner, he spoke with him again, this time paying out of his own pocket for food and supplies for the journey to the sink hole. He was given a haversack with all he asked for, it was mostly water, but it was good enough. He walked outside and sat down, Nevermore still on his shoulder, bobbing his head as if he was listening to music. Tand chuckled, he had the oddest little raven... but he still enjoyed the ornery little ball of feather's company. |
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| Nkiruka | Sat Aug 27, 2011 6:34 pm Post #14 |
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Before meeting up with Tandorus that morning, Nkiruka visited the Hashem Guard's small barracks. Captain Zaman was at her desk in the corner, drafting up reports. "Morning, Nkiruka," she said, not looking up until a few seconds after greeting her. "Thanks again for helping out with those Dust-Eaters. They're gonna rot in jail for the rest of their life, probably." "Do you have the map with directions to the sinkhole?" Nkiruka asked. Zaman reached over and picked up a rolled piece of paper from a pile, handing it to her. "The Korashi Sinkhole is pretty much due north on the road coming out of Hashem, but once you reach the Iron Monolith you'll have to turn offroad, northeast. The sinkhole is at the center of the sand flat that you'll come across. I left you two a couple horses outside." "Thanks," Nkiruka said. "Thank you," responded Zaman, bowing her head with a smile. "I wish I could come, but these Dust-Eaters have been a handful lately. Good luck." Once Nkiruka had bought all her supplies for the trip and loaded them into one of the horse's saddlebags, she led the two animals to the front door of the tavern where Tandorus was staying. The man was sitting outside, waiting for her. She curtly nodded at him in greeting before handing him the reigns of the other horse and mounting her own. "We'll go due north on this road for most of the day. Keep an eye out for bandits." |
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| Tandorus | Mon Aug 29, 2011 12:35 am Post #15 |
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Tand whittled away the time by inspecting his bow and arrows, making sure they were in perfect condition, and like always, they were. He looked up as he heard horses draw near, it was Nkiruka, a bit late, but still good to see that the morning hours wouldn't be wasted. He took the reins and hopped onto the horse's back, sitting on it awkwardly, it had been over three hundred years since he road a horse... even in the Black Bows they just ran and used sand colored cloaks to hide, they were meant for stealth, not charging into combat. Though he did his best, riding through the desert and following his guide and ally, Nkiruka. As they rode through the desert, he decided to ride up next to her, looking over to her, "How long is tha' ride there exactly sweet cheeks? Are we gonna spend tha' night in tha' desert or are we gonna make it before nightfall? Oh yeah, also, I hope ya don't mind me hangin' back and usin' my bow, I'm not one fer melee combat, I'm more of a... strategist and sharp shooter then powerful warrior. What about you, what's yer skills Nkiruka, do ya fight while flyin' around with yer nice set of... wings?" He smiled, but his eyes had a faraway look to them, he was remembering simpler times... times he would never be able to reclaim. There was little doubt that he would stay this way unless he was really needed, he would talk and pay attention to that until it was over, then he would be back in la-la land, dreaming of his once easy existence eight hundred years ago. |
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