Strange Bedfellows (Zenke)

Rory was staying in a town he'd often visit when travelling in the freelands, particularly between someplace so dangerous as Karcanak and his home country of Mondolin. The blond had struck something of a loose relationship with the people here. He had gone back to Karcanak for more investigations, and was now on his way back to report. The city got infiltrated, Aline Drexara, who was captured, got rescued, a slave rebellion aided by two Asentari, while two more hit the villa and killed Juresh Enyo. Apparently, it was Kairi Thorne herself who released Aline. There was also some...interesting gossip among the soldiers that there was a cat riding a wyvern...but that was far too unbelievable, though there was a lot of people that claimed to have seen that.

As he was about to strip down and call it a night, bells started ringing. Fire. Luckily, he was already in his armor, so all he had to do was put on his crossbow and get his sword, and he was already out. He had helped three people get out of burning buildings when he saw them. And so did everyone else. Heanta. Drawing his sword, an able bodied man picked up the old woman Rory was helping, and took her away as Rory clashed with the first one. Swiftly cutting off an arm, a leg, and then the head, he started to go after the next closest one...

Screams, dreadful and beautiful. The pain of living in a world where predators lived in houses and threatened to take everything from you in an instant. Umbra Moonfall flittered along the streets of the small village being torn apart by her heanta comrades. Comrades was putting it politely, she had no interest in the people or heanta here, but one must do their part for the glory of the Heantan people. Just because she was forced to raid didn't mean she needed to actually attack anyone. She did pick up a ring she found on the ground. Spoils. Joyful.

A woman and child burst from a door and fell into the street before her. They seen her, white hair, magnificent curled horns and the decorative gold set into her grey skin and froze. Umbra bent low, smiling and helped the child to its feet. "Run along now." She said, as the woman got to her feet, grabbed the child's hand and ran. A heanta came out the door and nearly barreled into Umbra, who sidestepped him. "Out of the way, Moonfall!" He snapped, then tore after the pair. The mother went down, but her child escaped. Umbra walked past, blood splashing across the cobblestones as she passed.

As she emerged into the street, Umbra spotted a young human cut appart a heanta in three strokes. She tilted her head and smiled. "Well now, I must admit, this just got interesting." She said as she walked forward. Another heanta lunged at the boy, but Umbra caught his arm and reefed him away from the human. The heanta spun and surged towards her, "What's the big-" Umbra wrapped her hand around his throat, claws digging into his flesh. "Mine." She practically hissed in his face, her visage distorting into one of rage. He paled and she tossed him aside, and she went back to smiling. "Hello Cutie." Umbra said as she circled him. "I was having such a dull evening, but maybe you'll play with me?"

She wasn't asking. As soon as the heanta had finished talking, she lunged, claws flashing towards the young man's face. A gentle touch, by her standards, aiming for nothing more then light gashes. She swung again in much the same way, aiming for the gut. She was testing the limits, or as some might see it, playing with her food like a cat.

Rory turned to see a Heanta with white hair stop another one from going after him. While he was in his fighting stance, he slowly backed off, keeping an eye on any others. She tossed the one aside. But two more were going around him, fully recognizing that he was taken. As afraid as he was of them, evident by his shaking, he wasn't just going to let them do as they please!

She lunged at him first, making him dodge to the left, circled around her, and swipe at her face. He then had to jump back to avoid the strike at his gut. Rory jumped over her in a dive that also allowed him to strike at her. His sword started to emit frost. The young knight ran after the two that slipped past him, his arm mounted crossbow revealing itself, and him firing it at the closest one, getting it in the shoulder. Not where he initially wanted it, but it works.

Doing a spin slash, he unleashed ten ice whips shaped like rose vines. Blue rose vines. Three went into the one that he got with the arrow's face, stapping him in the eyes and jutting into his mouth. Three went into the other one, the bicep, shoulder, and eye, all on the being's right side. The last four was heading towards his main adversary, aiming to stab her in the shoulders and legs.

The Human dodged her attacks, then flipped over her, striking as he went. The blade cut across her back, deflecting off the gold running down her spin, but leaving a gash on her bare skin. She spun to fight him and he ran after the other heanta, causing her to pout. "That's ruuude!" She whined as he shot one of the heanta in the shoulder, then stabbed him with ice whips. Three more stabbed into the heanta beside him, and four shot towards her. Umbra dodged around them as they came in, one grazing off her leg as she did. She smiled.

"My turn!" She said, as footlong quills burst from her skin from each forearm. Each was tipped with gold, and there was twenty in total, ten on each arm. Umbra pointed an arm towards the Human and five quills shot at him with force and speed similar to his crossbow. She fired two more from the other arm, one into the head of each heanta the Human had attacked, just to make sure they were dead, and there would be no more interruptions. "Oopsie I missed." She said as if that hadn't been on purpose, dashing towards the human.

She closed and swiped at him. "What's your name?" She asked, another slash towards his arm followed her idle banter. "I like your sword." It was a true statement. She didn't use a sword, as her main weapon was her shape changing. She did have two daggers tucked away in her boots, for situations that required such things. "And those ice whips were cool, but you should really focus entirely on me, I don't want to kill you by mistake." She followed this with a third slash and that went into a roll, shooting three more quills towards his legs as she rose.

The female Heanta apparently did not like his leaving her, and she finished off the other two nearby. He didn't do much damage to her. More than likely, the injury would be healed in short order. The blond backtracked swiped his sword with astonishing speed, while also utilizing some footwork to avoid and block the quills.

She was already on him, swiping at him. He spun away and tried to lob off her head, then slashed at the claws that came at his arm. She started idle banter as the blond clenched his teeth. The white haired demon slashed harder at him, sending him a good twenty feet back. Upon his own landing, he was swept off his feet from the force of three quills. They barely punctured his blue leather leggings.

He rolled to the left, using his sword and arm to go into a jump spin to get back on his feet. And immediately went into a dive stab. A mist/fog started to emit from him, covering an area of fifty yards. It was so thick that visual distance for anyone but him was only five feet, and even that was a shadow. Magic sensing was also pretty useless.

Rory backed off, disappearing into the fog. He really wanted to run. This Heanta was proving exactly why he should. Especially since she had no regard for her own troops. Shaking, he looked back towards where he came from. And wondered if the townspeople would be alright if he just left. Backing away, he was about to leave when a little voice in his head spoke up. What would Lilian do if she found out he was about to abandon a village? What would she think of him? What would the other Knights think of him? The stinging in his legs was making him tear up while trying to grasp that they would have understood. But every fiber of his being knew that was a lie.

Sucking it up, he spun around and charged, moving around her for a strike at her back. Then back off, and strike from her left side with an upward cut to her waist. He also fired a point blank arrow at her knee. Again going back into the fog, he spoke. "I am Rory Bloomfield, a Knight of Mondolin. And to get to these villagers, you'll have to go through me." He mustered up enough courage and what little confidence that he had to boom his voice and make that vow. Despite knowing that would only encourage the monster before him...

Umbra ducked the swipe to the head, but noticed the counter attack as she swiped. Her hand, from claws to wrist turned gold, and the strike deflected harmlessly but neutralized her own. Her next blow landed, and the quills found their mark in his leg, though they didn't appear to do to much damage. The Human spun back onto his feet and lunged towards her with a dive stab. She sidestepped the attack, but found herself submerged in fog that slowly seeped from his blade. He vanished from sight, as the fog closed around her and limited her view. Umbra crossed her arms, and pouted. "No fair. You better not run away human, I was starting to have fun." The fog did not answer back.

Umbra was starting to think the human had turned tail and fled, but then she heard footsteps in the fog. The attack came from behind, faster than she could react, with such bad vision range, and he slashed at her back. Umbra dodged forward as the blade cut a shallow path across her skin. He vanished back into the fog but she was ready for the next strike, blocking it with her golden hand. She fired a quill from her other hand, deflecting the bolt from his crossbow thanks in equal parts to skill and luck. He vanished again.

She prepared for the counter attack, but instead she heard him speak. He declared his name, and his title. A knight of Mondolin. Umbra smiled, but also hoped no one else had heard him say that. While she was simply playing, the raiding parties' leader would want this one to himself. Roth Vandel would reward anyone who brought him a knight of Mondolin well. Not that Umbra intended on handing Rory over. If she caught him, she was going to keep him all to herself. "Rory. A charming name. I am Umbra Moonfall, first daughter of the Moonfall clan." She said, paying the same curtesy. "I don't want these villagers. Honestly, I didn't want to be here. Raids are so very boring. But that's besides the point. I've already found My Prize." She spun, firing out the last of her quills, 9 in total, in all directions around her.

"Its you, by the way. But don't worry. There are worse fates than being captured by me." Umbra said, listening for the sound of his movement. She wasn't sure how well he could see in this fog of his, but the safest bet was to assume he could see her every move. She would have to rely on countering his attacks, or tracking him with sound. Umbra tapped into her essence of speed, increasing her speed at the cost of her physical strength. She grew slightly, her limbs becoming more slender as lines of gold spread from her shoulders down her arm. curved blades of bone edged with gold burst from her forearms extending back to her elbows and forwards, sharp points coming in line just past her hands.

She lunged towards where his voice had come from, easily matching his blinding speed now. Upon seeing even a faint sight of him she would dash forward, sliding low and spinning to slash at his legs. Rising up she aimed an uppercut with her armblade to maim the wrist of his sword arm. She followed up with a slash from the other blade towards the arm mounted crossbow in an attempt to damage it so he couldn't shoot her at point black. She tried to keep close, but she was sure he'd manage to lose her in the fog.

"Good for you, if you were Korroth, I'd definitely be running." He was brutally honest as he slashed a quill away and charged, even as she changed shape. He ended up having to do a front flip to swipe at her, and then used his crossbow arm to block the uppercut slash, using the blades above the actual crossbow part. He'd back off slightly, moving his crossbow arm away from the next slash and slashed right back. It soon became a flurry of limbs and blade and acrobatics.

It wasn't until a something caught Rory's eye, seeing another heanta with a hammer swing right into his gut. "Stop playing around, Moonfall!" Rory slammed into a cart, his mist disappearing, and the blond puking up blood over his nice blue armor. It helped wonderfully against blades and sometimes arrows and ranged pointed things, but not so much against hammers and maces. His mouth and chin was covered with his blood as his vision swam. He was pretty sure he hit his head on the cart and had it cut open too, as he could feel something warm draining from the back of his neck.

The knight could barely here the two heanta argue about something. The blond had let go of his sword too. The blue boy took another grab at his sword and used it to help himself up. He was in bad shape with just a single hit...and his legs were throbbing from the small quills still stuck in his cloths irritating the wounds they caused. But his chest and stomach was killing him! As soon as he got up, he was out cold again, faceplanting into the dirt after just a single step...

Umbra and the human were trading blows rapidly, when the human was blindsided by a hammer and sent flying into a cart. Umbra turned and snarled at the heanta who had dared to interupt her as he told her to stop messing around. "What did you do? I'm fighting this one." She said, stepping between the heanta and Rory. She was tempted to rip the heanta's head off, but another voice stopped her.

"No, Moonfall, he's Roth Vandels. That's a knight of mondolin." The voice of the raid leader cut through the fog. He stepped up beside his man. "I claim him. I don't care if you're one of the warlord's dogs, he's mine." The heanta, smaller than the one with the hammer but still taller than Umbra, stepped up to her. Second brother of Saivene Marin, Cairn Marin glared down at Umbra. "Fall in line, weakling. This is my show. If I say standdown, standdown. Now get the fuck out of my way."

Umbra glared back, then returned to her normal form. "Really, you're family like's picking fights with the wrong people. Go on then, take him. But this isn't over." She stepped closer. "How's Saivene? still hiding from the Hornless? I guess she really fucked up when she decided to attack Vala. It's gonna be hard for her to protect you from me, Cairn." Umbra laughed, pushing past him, speaking so the heanta around them heard. "I want him in one piece. That human will be mine."


Lilian stood in the desolate village. She'd seen the flames from miles out, but the flames had turned to smoke as she'd approached. There were bodies everywhere, mostly human, in the centre of town Lilian found several heanta corpses. One bore wounds from a thin blade, While others bore puncture marks. It all clicked into place when she found several crossbow bolts that fit Rory's arm mounted crossbow, along with two strange gold tipped quills. Then she found blood next to the dilapidated cart, along with three more quills.

It was clear that Rory had faced an opponent he couldn't defeat. Given his fear of heanta, it couldn't have been easy. Fear gripped at Lilian's heart, fear that he was dead. But she knew if he was, there would be more blood, and his body would likely be where it fell. The heanta had left the other dead. The only other option was he had been taken. Which was far worse. There was no hope that she could rescue him. She needed Vala. Lilian dug into her pack, and pulled out a small ball of metal with tiny wings that Lucas had created. It could find anyone, so long as the user could imprint an image and name into the little servo, and deliver a message.

Lilian whispered her message, and let the servo go. She just hoped it found Vala in time.


Vala woke from a fitful sleep to a crash. She sprang from her bed as glass sprayed across the floor, and landed, ready to face Knighfall again. But it wasn't Knightfall that had shattered the window to her inn's room, it was a small metal thing that zigg zagged across the room, bouncing off the walls. Vala snatched it from the air as it passed, and took a look at it. It beeped once, then began to speak to her in Lilian's voice.

"Vala, I don't know when this will reach you, or even if it will but I'm desperate. I think Rory's been captured by a heanta Raiding party in the freelands, and taken north. I'm going to try to catch them, but I won't be able to follow them into Kyrias. It'll mean getting captured, or even risk sparking a war. I know he wasn't very welcoming, but he means well. Please, save him."

Vala looked at the strange ball, then nodded. "Tell Lilian I'm on the way, tiny metal creature." Vala said, letting the thing go. It seemed satisfied with her response, and flew out the window. Vala dressed quickly and set out north. She was only a few hours from the Kyrias border. If she was fast she might be able to catch the raiding party before they reached Av'Eden. But freeing Rory wouldn't be that easy.


The sun was rising. The raiding party was moving fast, already in the Kyrias mountains. Umbra had been hovering around the horses carrying the captured humans, keeping an eye on Rory. He hadn't woken up so far, but his wounds had been treated. Back knock to the back of the head, a few broken ribs, but he would live. Umbra was never far from his horse. If he did wake up, He'd find her watching. She wanted to speak to him, to convince him to claim she'd beaten him. It was for his own good. But Cairn had his men watching her.

Just after leaving the mountains and entering the buring wastes, the raiding party's scouts spotted someone following them. They gave chase, and never returned. Cairn ordered them to pick up the pace. Someone wanted the human back. It seemed foolish for humans to follow them into the burning wastes. Only heanta knew how to survive in this desolate place.

The raiding party reached the city, and Cairn tried to escort her prisoner directly to the warlord. Umbra kicked up a fuss, and General Sarkus decided to lock Rory, along with the other captives in the prison until the warlord had time to sort things out, and ordered them out. By his estimation, that wasn't likely to be for several days, and Umbra was left to wait. She did not like to wait.


The door to Rory's cell was kicked open, and a massive heanta with coal black skin and red eyes pushed into the room. "Wake up, prisoner. It's feeding time." He said, throwing a tray of undisclosed food down on the floor. He didn't pay any mind to see if the human was awake or not, as he roughly checked the cuffs were still tight around his wrists and ankles. The heanta left, kicked the food tray over and slammed the jail door.

The prison was deathly quiet, and exceedingly hot. Part of its charm was that, though prisoners were tortured here, it took place so deep in the volcano not a peep made it out. The chilling quiet drove people mad, for fear of what they weren't hearing. The heat came from the fact that the prison was on the far side of the mouth of the active volcano, so close that it was a surprise the walls didn't melt.

Umbra sat in the corner of the cell, waiting for Rory to wake up. Or at least acknowledge her. Once he did, she waited for him to get what ever he needed to out of his system, before speaking. "Hello Rory. So, probably slightly traumatising, being locked away in a heanta prison in the heart of our lands. How are you feeling?"

Rory had been out cold for pretty much the entire time. When he woke up, he was in a ragged shirt and trousers, no shoes, and cuffed by both his hands and feet. He was woozy, and threw up immediately. His wounds were...better. But his ribs were still throbbing something serious. His legs were more or less alright, tingly, but nothing bad. Wiping his mouth, he was able to move himself in a sitting position, tears streaming down his face from the pain. Definitely didn't look like a dignified Knight of Mondolin.

He did see the woman he was fighting earlier. Unlike him, she wasn't chained up. Rory gave her a deadpan look. "Like someone crushed my chest and torso, reinflated it, then did it again." Nausea hit him again, and he buried his head in his knees and arms in an attempt to stop himself from vomiting again. By the gods, he felt awful. Then the full force of the gravity of the situation hit him.

Most he could do was make it appear that he had escaped, but that would only last a moment. Rory started to shake. "Wh-what's gonna happen to me?" He most certainly did not look like a knight, just a scared little boy.

It was odd, walking into her own homeland after so long away. She'd managed to catch up to the war party, getting close enough to spot Rory secured to a horse, before she was noticed and had to run. She was forced to kill the scouts after they caught up to her and seen her face. The less people who knew she was home, the better. Getting caught breaking Rory out would likely end up causing them both allot of trouble. Entering the city a few hours after the raiding party, she asked around about the new slaves, and managed to learn that someone had nearly started a riot over one of them, and they had all ended up in the prison. Which was on the other side of the volcano.

Vala considered returning home to speak to her mother, but chose not to to avoid dragging the whole clan into the mess. Instead she decided to find out who had lead the raid, and ended up tailing none other than Cairn Marin around the city. The first thing she noticed was he kept several guards around him, which was strange because most Elites went where they pleased alone. Whoever had caused the fuss had him worried. Vala was growing impatient, but continued to follow him.

Vala spent the following hours outside his home in the city watching from the rooftops. The following morning he left, and headed towards the prison with his guards. Vala followed, a plan forming as they walked.


Umbra watched the human as he threw up. When he was steady, he responded to her question. She nodded. "Unsurprising. That brute broke three of your ribs. They were healed, but heanta healing isn't exactly sophisticated. We don't have much use for it." She said. She watched him carefully as he curled up, and the full gravity of the situation dawned on him. He started to shake, his fear evident. He looked very small compared to the human she'd fought only days before. "How old are you, exactly?" She asked in response to his question.

Umbra stood up and picked up the small jug of water the guard had brought in with him. She offered it to Rory, before finally answering. "You're facing torture and execution, most likely." She said bluntly. "Unless I can convince the warlord you're mine by right of victory. If that happens, you'll get to live on my family estate." She said, smiling kindly.

"I know what you must be thinking. I'm a scary heanta, I can't be trusted, I'll probably eat you the moment I get slightly hungry, but trust me, I'm more refined then that. I'll take very good care of you, I promise." She said. "All you have to do, is tell the warlord I beat you in combat. I'll make sure no one can dispute that." She said, eyes flashing. Hammer man had to die. Cairn too, if she could help it.

"Nineteen years old. Still a baby compared to other races..." He listened to her some more. Rory flinched when she answered his question, hearing that she was closer to him now. Looking up, she had a bottle of water. Eyeing wearily, he took it, but set it to the side. She tried to make a case for herself.

"And what use would you have for me? I can barely live on my own. I'm a pampered minor noble who joined the Knights out of tradition. My skillset is primarily spying. I can make it somewhat look like I've escaped by making an image appear around me, and I have my fog ability, which is useless in this situation. Make no mistake, if you were Korroth, I'd have ran away, what little pride as a knight I have be damned. And I refuse to be some sex toy. Surely there's a way to earn back my freedom...I doubt Mondolin would cause a huge stink over some low-leveled spy, noble or not..."

He sighed heavily as he started to draw circles on the stone floor. The blond soon started to imprint an image on it. The city of Karcenak, with the damage it suffered. "Or exchange some information that I got about what happened in Karcenak for my freedom..." He...didn't know how to go about it though. And it wasn't like he had specifics either.

Umbra tilted head. "Old enough to have done you're trial.. Well, if humans did that." She said. He questioned why she would even want him, and she wrinkled her nose slightly at the sex toy part. "Oh please, I'd hardly take you against your will like some common bandit." There was an irony to the statement, considering she intended on keeping him as a pet against his will, but she didn't see that. "Korroth? You've mentioned him before, have you had the misfortune of meeting that beast?" She asked. "As for what use you'd be? I have plenty of pets to cater to me, so you might be right. But you're an exotic creature. How many humans from Mondolin do you think we have here? Not many. If they're not born here they're from the freelands." She said.

She waved her hand as he wondered about how to earn his freedom. "If I can save you from your fate at the hands of the warlord, I could hardly let you go after. I'd look a fool." She said. She watched him as he used his magic to imprint on the floor. "Now that is an interesting skill. See, exotic. You'd be worth keeping around." He offered her information on Karcenak, and Umbra let out a hmm. "I'm not really interested in that.. It's a freeland city, its not really heanta business." It was the warlord's business however. But it wouldn't be worth Rory's freedom. "You could offer it to the warlord, but I doubt he'd be interested in letting you go."


Vala stalked Cairn and his cohort through the city and out to the prison. The heanta played with the handle of a familiar blade the entire trip, even drawing the thin weapon and slashing the air with it. "Such a light weapon. Humans are very weak." He announced as he sheathed the blade. Vala seen her moment to strike, with Cairn distracted. Rushing towards his guards, she dispatched the first with a flying kick to face, using the momentum to flip over Cairn and land on the second guard's shoulders. One solid punch to the temple sent him staggering and Vala lept from his shoulders as Cairn swung at her.

The blade missed, and she barraged his wrist and elbow with rapid strikes, knocking Rory's sword from his grip. Before he could draw another weapon she swept his leg, then pinned him to the ground, claws to his throat. "Hello, Cairn. How's the family? Kain alright? What about your bitch sister? Still breathing?" Cairn stared at her, a dumb look on his face. "Valatrix? What in the name of Na'Kora do you want?" He asked. "Don't worry, I'm not looking for revenge. I want my friend back, and you're going to help me."

Rory nodded at the trials. "Came in at a distant second, so I'm certainly no slouch. But again, my main strength isn't in fighting." Then came the comment about the monster that maimed his friend.

"No. Thank the gods. A friend, however, did have that misfortune. She got lucky, saved as many of her training cadre as she could, trying to stall for time. She lost an arm...lucky that was all she lost. The instructor was killed as well, I believe. She ended up getting depressed, but then bounced back stronger than ever...even getting first in the trails." He smiled a little. Rory was omitting the fact that she built a new arm. Far as he was concerned, this Heanta didn't need to know that.

He snorted at the exotic part. "Sure, if you like art. My looks aren't anything special...just a good looking boy that could potentially have whoever he wants. But I've no interest in that. There's plenty of other good looking guys out there..."

After she spoke, Rory slumped some more. Surely there was another way...the boy suddenly froze as he started thinking. Surely not. He was only an acquaintance. A loose one at that. Heck, he threatened her! Would her mother still help him? What kind of power did the Hornless clan have here?

"I'm...a loose acquaintance of Valatrix the Hornless. Would her mother be able to help me out? Assuming she has any kind of power..." It was his last shot.

Rory told her about his trials, but she wasn't sure they shared the same trials. "It appears humans do have trials. I imagine they are not similar to running trough a volcano gauntlet hoping not to get melted or pushed to your death. Or stabbed in the back, eaten by magma maulers, or worse." She said. The cordial smile vanished for a moment, as her hand drifted to the gold embedded in her neck. Then he told her about Korroth and his friend. "A close call.. I would shake this girl's hand for surviving that. Even among heanta, Korroth is unrivaled in brutality." Umbra responded.

"True, compared to an eldari or some heanta, you're quite plain. But my society doesn't value art like you or I. So keeping you around simply for that would be worth it to me." Umbra replied. Rory slumped down, looking lost. She sort of understood that feeling, and decided to attempt to reassure him. "I promise, I'm not like most heanta here. The moonfall clan have always been fair to our slaves." And then he said something she hadn't expected to hear. Umbra looked at him, a her lips slightly parted.


Vala pulled Cairn to his feet, and stuck Rory's sword through her belt. "Get me into the prison, and we can both pretend this never happened. Try anything, and I'll end you before you blink. I just want my friend." She said. Cairn stared at her, then nodded slowly. "Ok. But there's one problem." He said. "No problems. Shut up, walk." She pulled up her hood, stepping close to him. Cairn started to walk, giving Vala some hope that this might go well. He was the weakest in his family, a failure of sorts. Hopefully he was more scared of than he was stupid.

They reached the prison, the guards outside the front gate stopping them to ask their business. Cairn demanded to see his captives with all the authority of a wet rag. Still, he was a heanta Elite and they knew better than to mess with the pecking order so they permitted them to enter. Another guard waited inside the door, and stopped them. "Who do you want to see." He asked. "The knight." Cairn replied. The guard looked them both over, then shrugged. "Come on, but he has a visitor. And she won't be happy you're interrupting her."


"I wasn't expecting that." Umbra finally said. She pouted slightly.. She knew Vala well, their clans were allied and they shared a mutual friendship with Saivene Marin. Admittedly, Umbra was a bit put off by Saivene's betrayal of Vala, and she guessed Vala probably was too. Vala had always been cold towards her but Umbra had generally overlooked it, her bubbly nature eventually thawing the hornless out a little. "How do you know Vala?" Umbra asked. She didn't like this turn of events. She didn't exactly want to just let Rory go, but at the same time if Vala found out she might not be happy. Admittedly there was little she could do, a slave was a slave, but it wouldn't do well to betray a friend like that. It wasn't really a betrayal though, if she freed Rory she'd probably end up dead for it.

She pouted more, because she didn't like moral dilemmas. She was surprised a heanta could even experience such a thing. "How well do you know Vala? Are you two, you know, lovers?" She asked. "I can try speak to Celaena the Hornless. But I feel that might put you in more danger. If Celaena tries to take you from the warlord, he might kill you to annoy her. Vala's mother is powerful, but The Hornless and the Warlord are at each others throats because she is so powerful, and Vala is not well regarded. Her friendship with the.. Eldari.. Well even to me it seems strange.."

He stared at Umbra in disbelief. Even as a warrior society, that all seemed to be a bit much. But what did he know, he was just a pampered minor noble boy. It was a bit shocking that she did value art though. She was...an interesting Heanta. But even what he said surprised her. "That same friend and colleague that lost an arm to Korroth? Through her. They went on an adventure together, and came back to the capital to rest before Vala was off again." He was neglecting some details, but not knowing their relationship, he didn't want to give too much away.

At the question about them being lovers, despite his reddening face in embarrassment, he kept a deadpan expression. "No. She did offer, but I declined." He did get some interesting information though. If it was true...that could be quite valuable. Either way, he was finding this Heanta to be every bit as strange as Vala.

He was about to say as much when he started to hear footsteps. Multiple of them. Holding up a hand as if to say "quiet," and listened. He had very good hearing, when compared to human standards. "Three people..." He stayed in the fetal position, contemplating if he should risk Caelana the Hornless, or try to escape on his own. He was about to hide himself when he spotted her. He was too in shock to say or do anything, and just sputtered incompressible nonsense. He was so confused...

Umbra laughed at his reddening face. "She offered and you said no? I'm impressed." She said. "And a little suprised. I didn't know she was so forward." Vala was always much colder around heanta. Maybe she was as fake as Umbra, just pretending. She was about to continue when Rory shushed her, and told her there were footsteps coming. Three sets. "I might be planning on helping you out, but don't shush-" The door opened, and the first thing Umbra seen was Cairn standing behind the guard. She surged to her feet, about to demand a few more minutes, when she spotted the second, smaller heanta behind Cairn.

"Umbra?""Vala?" They said at the same time. The guard started to turn. "Vala?" And Cairn tried to run. Vala's fist lashed out, smashing the guard's teeth in and sending him sprawling into the cell, while Umbra dodged around the falling body as her own transformed. She shot down the hall after Cairn, driving a bone blade through his back. Her other hand wrapped around his mouth, stopping him from calling for help. Then she decided to indulge herself slightly, and ripped her claws across his throat, finishing the job. Flicking the blood from her hand, she turned to face Vala.



Umbra shot out the door after Cairn, and Vala looked between her and Rory unsure what exactly was happening until Umbra ripped out the other heanta's throat and shook the blood off like it was nothing. Umbra looked at her, but didn't move to attack, so Vala backed into the cell. Crouching by the guard she grabbed the keys and tossed them to Rory, followed by his weapon. "Are you alright, Rory?" Vala asked. Umbra stepped into the cell, back in her normal form and leaned against the door. "Are you insane?" umbra asked.

"You just ripped out Cairn's throat in a prison, so I think you need to ask yourself that question." Vala replied. Umbra waved the comment away like it was nothing. "Heanta kill each other all the time. It was bound to happen." Umbra responded. "And now there's no dispute over who own's Rory." She said, smiling. "No one owns him, Umbra." Vala snapped. The other heanta pouted, then looked at Rory. "Are you sure you're not lovers? Because this is practically suicide. The warlord will have you're head, Vala. He'll send Korroth." Umbra said.

Vala laughed coldly. "He's already sent Korroth. I sent him back broken." She said. Paraphrasing, she made it sound far easier than it was and didn't include the extra scar next to the one that had nearly claimed her life when she was twelve, curtesy of knightfall. "I'd rather not hurt a friend, so get out of my way." Umbra seemed to hesitate, then stepped aside. "Neither would I..." She looked at Rory again, then frowned. "But what do you plan to do, exactly? Just walk out the front door, run through the heanta infested city and escape into the wastes?"

It all happened so quickly. First, the two Heanta women said each other's name, then the guard turned, getting a punch to the face, and the one that came with Vala started to run. Only for Umbra to catch him, rip out his throat, and shake the blood off like it was nothing. He was in so much shock that his sword and the keys to his cuffs being tossed to him didn't even register for a solid twenty seconds. He did register the question. "Like my insides got squeezed out, put back inside me again, only to be squeezed out again...what...just...happened?" Eventually looking down at the keys, things registered. He was never going to hear the end of this.

Unlocking his cuffs, and standing up, he nearly doubled over. Poor Rory did throw up a gain...not a lot, but a little bit. Grabbing his sword, he went over to the guard and checked his shoe size. Way too big. "Before we go anywhere, I need some shoes. There's no way my feet will not survive out there. Hell, I already may not survive out there with the heat and cold if we are where I think we are...and I'm not answering that..."

Because what was the point. Although, he did look at Vala with surprise, admiration, and...maybe a little something else. "Hope you broke him a little bit more for Lil..." And everyone else. Upon Umbra's question, Rory looked at Vala. "You lead, I follow. If needed, my fog can help bide some time, and I can disguise us as something else, though you'd have to be pretty close to me. If Vala snuck in, I'd imagine she can sneak out. Right? Again though, shoes first. My armor and crossbow can be remade and rebuilt...just...remind me to ask the Torals to decouple the crossbow from my stash of arrows..." He also checked the other Heanta's shoe size. Again, too damn large. Was his feet more comparable to a woman Heanta's?!

Rory mentioned his injuries and Vala turned to Umbra. "Not me, someone else hit him with a hammer." She said. Vala turned to Rory. "Lilian sent word that you weren't at a meeting place, and there was signs of a heanta raid. She asked me to come get you." Vala said. There was nothing else to say, so she turned to leave, and Rory pointed out that he'd need shoes. "That's a good point. Try Cairn's." She said. She didn't know why, his foot was twice the size or Rory's and the knight had no success. "A more slender foot is needed. Vala?"

"Why don't you give him your's?" Vala asked. "I'm wearing heels." Umbra replied. Vala rolled her eyes, wondering if she should maybe just knock the girl out. "I'm sure we can find a pair around. If not, I'll give you my boots." Vala said. "Yeah, we repayed the favor. I can tell you all about it when we're back in Lilian's drinking some of that tasty fruit juice." If that was possible. "Ooh, can I come?" Umbra asked. "No."

Umbra questioned how they planned to escape, and Rory guessed that if Vala got in, she could get them out. She hoped he was right. "Why not go to you're mother, silly?" Umbra asked. "I don't want to drag her into this. Atleast if we get caught, we'll have a fallback plan." Vala said. Umbra sighed. "That's not really a plan.." She said. "Let me help. I promised I'd do my best to keep you out of harms way, and even if I can't keep you I'll stick to that. I also happen to know where your armor is." Umbra said. "Cairn took your sword so I took your armor. Its in my home. Along with supplies to get you safely through the wastes and the Mountains."

Vala considered Umbra's offer as she looked at Rory. He was right, she was slightly worried about his chances especially dressed as he was. "It's up to you, Rory. I can try and steal something either?" While he decided, Umbra set to dragging Cairn into Rory's cell, then cut the guard's throat for good measure, before locking the cell and pocketing the keys. Whatever his answer, Vala addressed the immediate problem of the shoes, creeping trough the halls. Umbra did not creep, but strutted about as if she owned the place, and distracted a guard long enough for Vala and Rory to slip past. Vala opened a few doors, and eventually got lucky with a room containing confiscated goods. Vala picked up some heanta clothing about Rory's size. "Put this on, hood up, use your magic to change your skin, and eye color." She said.

Unbra considered him for a moment. "Make yourself look female too. You're quite small for a heanta Male." She said. Vala continued. "If anyone questions you, look tough and leave the talking to me Or Umbra. I dont know if you can speak our language, but even if you can you're accent will give you away." Vala said. With that out of the way, she led Rory out of the Room and back trough the halls to the main entrance. They passed a few guards but were ignored. The ones at the entrance would be the tricky ones, because they'd seen Umbra enter alone and Vala enter with Cairn. "Rory can you hide us so we can sneak past the guards at the entrance?" Vala asked. "I can distract them, so just say the word then do what you need to."

He certainly agreed with not allowing Umbra into the capital of Mondolin. He tucked a mental note to pay for Vala's drinks that day too. As well as listen all about their epic showdown. But the issue of clothes became a good focal point. "If it's not too far out of the way, then sure. But if it's out there, forget it. It's expendable...the sword, not so much. Thanks for getting it, by the way. Been in the family for centuries, would hate to be the one to lose it..."

They did manage to get him some actual clothing from the prison. He just wore it all over what he was already wearing. The layers may not help him in the hotter areas much, though may help with direct contact, but in the colder areas, can't have too much. But he did look between the two. "Slow down and hold up! Let's get a breakdown of my skills. First, sneaking around. Second, I can't use my magic to change my skin or eye color. I can make myself look like a large rock, a vase and pedestal, a suit of armor decoration, things like that, but it's also all an illusion, fake, anyone tries to lean on them, they go right on through and potentially fall on top of me and/or Vala, and oh, we also have to be still. Third, I can make myself, and only myself, invisible. Though it has its weaknesses. Including the fact that I need to stand still. Fourth, I am not multi-lingual in Heantan language, to that's a bust. I'm better off just acting like a slave or servant to one or both of you. Perhaps picking me up after doing something...I don't know, illegal for a slave and one or both of you wanted to punish me or something, I can act all meek and scared and subservient...after talking to the 'knight'."

Or they could just knock them all out and run for the hills. But he felt like that would give them less time then.

Vala nodded. "No problem. Cairn had it, but even if he didn't I could have gotten it back later. Getting you out is the most important thing." She said. Umbra hmmed. "It's in the city. We have to go that way anyway. You could lay low there until nightfall." She said. "Lets get out of here first." Vala said, which turned out to be trickier than first though, as Vala and Umbra had completely misunderstood Rory's abilities. "We could just kill the guards?" Umbra suggested after offering to distract them. "The less people who knew I was here, probably the better. Not that I'm worried, everyone assumes I'm a weak coward. I could hardly be involved." Umbra said with a smile.

Vala sighed. "I never realized you were so bloodthirsty, Umbra." Vala said. "Alright. Rory save you're invisibility until you think you need it. Umbra, distract the guards. Don't Kill them. We'll sneak out, quick and quiet." Vala said. Umbra nodded. Looking at Rory she smiled. "Don't judge me for what you're about to see." She said, then turned and strutted out of the prison. Vala watched from the door, as Umbra walked up to the guards and started talking to them, batting her eyelids. She got them talking, got them looking at her. Umbra was very attractive, and that bubbly laugh and the subtle touches had the guards practically drooling. She moved from the way of the door, the guards leaving their post to follow, and the coast was clear.

"Coast is clear, lets go." Vala said, leading Rory. She kept an eye on him, simply because of his injuries, and as they got out the gate and past the guards she let him go ahead, looking back to see where Umbra was. The Heanta had her back pressed to a wall, all smiled as one guard leaned against the wall next to her, and the other stood infront. They had the look of predators on their faces, and Umbra appeared innocent. Then, as Vala and Rory vanished behind some rocks, she sighed and pushed off the wall. One of the guards tried to stop her. Umbra's claws lashed out and ended up holding his groin on the ground. The other backed away quickly as she looked at him. Umbra walked off smiling, leaving the guard to help his friend. Vala looked at Rory. "I probably don't need to tell you this, but don't flirt with her." Vala said.

Umbra joined them, and they started the trek around the mouth of the Volcano to the city. While it might have seemed a good idea to run off into the wilderness, this side of the Volcano was treacherous, and they'd likely fall to their death. Going through the city was the safest way down. Vala pointed out a massive black fortress sitting across from them as they walked. "That's the Sanguine fortress. Its the home of the sanguine dominium, not the Warlord. If anything goes wrong, go there, sneak in if you have to and find my mother." She said. Vala pulled a Necklace from around her neck. It was a simple gold leaf with a green gem set into it, not of heanta make. She handed it to Rory. "Show her that, she'll know it. The Eldross who saved my life wore it."

Umbra hummed. "Very touching, lets hope thing's don't go that wrong." She said. "Now follow me. Vala, you're my guard. Hold onto Rory's wrist like he's a bad slave." Umbra said, leading them towards the city.

Rory nodded and followed Vala's lead. He deadpanned looked at Umbra. "Oh, I'm constantly judging people." He watched as the strange Heanta sauntered up to the guards all sexy like. Yup, seduction at its finest. He looked away and waited on Vala's signal. When she did, he followed right behind her, even after a little stumble that should have made a bit of noise, but his quick reaction time and adjusting his footing stopped that. He kept watch as Vala kept an eye for Umbra. "You know I only have one girl on my mind." Despite his little doubts.

They started their trek, and he saw the huge fortress in the distance. His heart was pounding. He...really was in Kyrias. He took the trinket. The blond looked at Vala. She...really was strange. And there was no way in hell that he was going to forget this. Pocketing it, he listened to the plan. Nodding, he held out his wrist and pulled the hood more over himself, putting on the show of a bad slave that didn't just get reamed verbally. The aftereffects of his injuries certainly helped.

For the most part, they were ignored. They got a few looks, but nothing more than a few Heanta smiling at the sight of a disciplined slave, maybe a few nods. It was surprisingly peaceful. They only came across one or two fights, but he could also hear about four others going on. They were more put together than he expected. Once in Umbra's home, she showed him his armor. Lying in her bed. Rory cringed. "Is there a reason it's on your bed and not, I don't know, on a wall or something?" He started to cough right then, but it soon subsided.

Rory reminded Vala that there was no worry of him falling for Umbra because he only had eyes for someone else. "Of course. I sort of forgot that, but in my defense I've been preoccupied. You know, even if she doesn't feel the same she certainly cares for you." Umbra steered them clear of the fights. They were over relatively quickly, with more blood than looked good but no deaths. Vala kept her own hood up.

Her lack of horns was a very big give away to who she was, since there was only two heanta like her in Kyrias. They didn't need the attention. Umbra carried herself like an Elite and not a single heanta dared step in her path. Most simply watched them pass, curious or enjoying the sight of a well disciplined slave. Umbra's house was in the lower city, a walled off Villa with Moonfall guards standing outside the gates. They didn't bat an eye at Umbra's company, mainly because they dared not question her. Fortuneately the house seemed quiet enough, with a few slaves around. None made eye contact with them, but they also didn't cower. They went about their business with a contentment not normal to Kyrias. Umbra's family was far kinder to their slaves than most. Maybe not as kindly as Vala's mother, who paid her slaves and gave them as much freedom as was safe to do so.

Arriving at Umbra's room, she ushered Vala and Rory inside. Vala watched as she stuck her head back out the door. A human probably twice Rory's age gave a bow as Umbra waved him over. "I need you to gather food and warm clothing for two people for a trip out of the city. We're going into the mountains, so pack plenty." She ordered, though her voice was kind. "Right away, Mistress Umbra." The Human said, bowing again before rushing off to do as he was asked. Rory asked Umbra why his armor was in her bed and she turned to look at him. "Oh, I was in a hurry. I didn't really have time to tack it to the wall. Beside, I was going to let you wear it around." She said.

Vala looked at Rory with slight concern, then turned back to Umbra. "No one will think it strange if you plan a trip out of the city, and dont actually go?" She asked The golden eyed Heanta. "Not at all. I'll go as far as the city gates, then come home. I'll say I had a sudden inspiration for a painting." Umbra replied. She sat on her bed and cross her ankles. "I have quiet the piece planned. Its a pity you're leaving Rory, you're a good Muse." She said, smiling sadly.

twenty minutes passed, and there was a knock on the door. Umbra told them to enter, and the Human from before came in carrying the packs. He looked unsure of what to do with them, and ended up handing them to Rory. "Thank you, you may go." Umbra said. The slave bowed, and closed the door. Umbra looked at them as Vala took the second pack and checked the content. There was enough food for three people. Not a varied spread, considering Heanta were carnivorous. Rory's likely contained biscuits and cheese, common food for slaves. There was also a thick coat of fur, and fur boots for the heavy snow. "Alright. You two are set. When do you want to leave?" Umbra asked.

Well if that wasn't ominous. Did she know something Rory didn't? The doubts and inklings started to come back, and he quickly shoved it all back away. Now wasn't the time to be focusing on that.

The blond started to fold up his armor neatly. It wasn't heavy or anything, but he couldn't be wearing it right now. It would be a dead giveaway as to who he was. His crossbow was still nowhere to be found, but that was fine. He'd go without it. Umbra mentioned that he was a good muse for a painting. Rory looked at her strangely. He...really didn't know what to make of her. She was arguably stranger than Valatrix.

The older slave returned with some packs, warm clothes, and supplies. He was going to have to save those warmer clothes for when they started to approach the colder regions. Umbra asked when they wanted to leave. "As soon as possible. Even if we take it slow at first, we need a head start." He had another small coughing fit, but still soldiered on. The faster they were out of there, the better.

Vala nodded in agreement with Rory. "We should get moving. Waiting for nightfall wont help." She said. Umbra nodded and stood up. She grabbed the remaining pack. "Let's go!" She said, opening the door and leading them from the room. Umbra led them down a stairs into the back of the house where she entered the Kennels.  Several large black dogs slept in a pen, and in the middle of the pack Vala spotted a white furry tail. Umbra opened the door. "Nia, come come." Vala looked at Rory and frowned. She hopped he wasn't afraid of Dogs. She looked back to see a white shape arch its back in a yawn, then scuttle across the pack of dogs and out of the cage. Umbra bend down, and the small ferret like creature climbed up her arm, wiggling and nipping at her ear.

"I've missed you too, I hope you kept these mutts in line." She said. One of the dogs looked at Umbra with Amber eyes, blinking slowly. "You know I don't mean that, now go back to sleep you lazy pup." Umbra said, closing the door. She led the back out of the Kennels, and Vala got a better look at her "Ferret." It was a Certal. "Umbra why do you keep a Certal in you're Kennels." Vala asked. Umbra turned to her and Rory and smiled. "I don't keep her there, she likes sleeping with the dogs when I'm away. She followed me home." Umbra said. "Isn't she the cutest? Oh yes she is." Umbra scratched the Certal under the chin. The Certal nipped at her finger playfully, then its curious little eyes turned to Vala and Rory.

"Do you want to pet her?" Umbra asked. The Certal was sniffing in Rory's direction. Vala reached out and gently scratched Nia under the chin. She seemed content until Vala stopped, biting her finger in response and drawing a bit of blood. "How poisonous are they again?" Vala asked. Umbra smiled. "Don't worry, you'd need four or five bites before you start feeling woozy. But she doesn't have enough venom to take a grown adult down. You are small though, so maybe she could." Umbra explained. Vala puffed out her cheeks. "I'm not small." Umbra laughed.

"Come on. Same plan as before, I'll take the lead." Umbra said. She lead them towards the door, the Certal getting comfortable around her scarred and gold shoulders. They moved through the city without incident, drawing no more attention then before. Vala wasn't holding Rory's wrist like before, instead walking behind him. As long as he kept his head down no one would care to much, he was just another slave carrying his mistress's belongings.

They were maybe thirty feet from the gate, when a horn sounded in the distance. Another blast followed it a few seconds later closer to the city. The sound meant something that Vala recognized from a long time ago. Escape. She'd heard it the night and Eldross had died to save her. Vala grabbed Umbra and Rory and turned them into a side street. "And we've been discovered. Umbra, home, now." She said, looking at the heanta. "What? No. I can help." Vala turned on her and looked her in they eyes. "You do not want to be caught with us. Go back, please." Umbra stood her ground, stubborn as they came. "But I promised to help." Vala knew what she could be like and resorted to a low blow. "Are we really worth enduring more torture for? If you think Solomon can save you from the Warlord, you're wrong. He'll make the Strixa seem like amateurs in comparison."

It took a second for her words to sink in, but the change on her face told Vala it worked. Her bright gold eyes darkened with fear, and she tried to make herself look smaller. Vala felt terrible, but her expression did not soften. She couldn't give in to it. "You've helped enough. Right Rory? We're as good as safe already." Umbra didn't answer, just up to the wall. Vala turned away, giving Rory a chance to say goodbye before dragging him from the side street.

The gate was still open, and unguarded but they didn't have long. Heanta didn't post guards at the gate, because no one was stupid enough to walk into Av'Eden and start a fight. There was several watch towers though to sound the Alarm if an army was spotted. The gate's controls were in the closest, and it wouldn't take them long to lock it down. Vala decided that stealth was out the window. "Time to run Rory. As fast as you can. Don't stop for anything." Vala said. She ushered him forward, then took the rear and hoped his Injuries wouldn't slow him too much.

Vala was in agreement. The blond boy followed the two women to the pens, where there were a few dogs sleeping. But they were normal sized, so they didn't bother Rory at all. And they were sleeping. A white ferret looking thing came out of the pile and jumped towards Umbra. It was cute! Vala called it a Certal. He was about to pet the cute thing after Vala when she pulled away and got bitten. Then she asked how poisonous they were again.

Letting out a tiny "eep", he pulled away, looking between the women with wide eyes. Even the small and cute creatures were dangerous around here. Umbra laughed at Vala, and they continued on, using much the same method as before.

When they were just mere feet away from the gate, the alarm sounded. The women started to argue, and just when Rory was about to speak up to tell Umbra she'd done enough, Vala pulled a card that made him frown. He too, was afraid of torture, but the look on Umbra's face made his heart drop. "She's right, Umbra, you've done enough. You never know what the future will bring, we might meet again. Until next time."

He also turned and was about to dash when he got pulled into a side street. It just took a minute for Vala to just usher him forward after a command, one that he was going to do anyways. Speed was his game, even with his injuries, he would still be able to outrun most people. Thirty feet was hardly a long distance, and Rory was going in a dead sprint. The Knight was easily forty feet away and outside the gate when it closed, and he just kept going, even when his lungs were starting to burn.

Since he didn't really know where he was going, he focused on distance, unless told something by Vala. She was his guide through this hellscape.