Caerulean Collision

She had spent her time outside of Kyrias following the trail her dear had left her. He had spent much more time outside of their homeland than she had, and he had given her his notes of the outside world and the settlements he had come across. The one she was interested in was a city of slaves that was constantly in flux. She knew better than to get to close to the city without knowing who they allowed in, and whether they'd consider such a small delicate woman a buyer or a prime slave. She didn't have much room to navigate closer to the town considering the scrub land, only a few trees were scattered about, but those alone where enough to give her some cover to survey the surrounding area some more. While she believed herself ingenious hiding behind a a tree in the middle of scrub land, her cotton candy like hair was a plain give away of her position. The two black horns on the side of her head were also clearly visible in the pink mess. 

"Such interesting creatures. They round each other up regardless of race and sell them to each other. Reminds me of home... almost." Bryn stepped out from behind the tree, inspecting herself, she didn't know better whether she was over or under dressed for an occasion to bargain with slavers she'd never met. She didn't believe she was under powered to handle a few human miscreants, but she never knew if a Heanta was running the ropes or not. She was wearing thigh high boots, and a decent blouse skirt combination with a small floral decoration next to one of her horns. She wore black gloves to hide her hands, though it was obvious she was wearing drak'na, even her boots seemed clunkier than normal shoes with metal out lining them. It was on afternoon days like this, Bryn wasn't sure whether to trust her darling, or continue on her way and discover the world on her own. He had told her to steer clear of this settlement, but slaves and curiosity were her two downfalls after all, at least in a situation like this. Her curiosity of the world and own disdain for most others was overpowered by wanderlust.

Lilian watched the activity surrounding the city of Karem. Men and women with weapons dragged people on bonds to and from the city, buying and selling slaves that would soon end up in someone's household or in Karcenak, the slaver paradise. A dark grey hooded cloak covered her features and the white leather of her light armor beneath. She felt uneasy being so close to Karem, but she'd been instructed to meet an informant by the Knight Captain of the intelligence corps there before heading to Zadartis.

Lilian stepped off the road and headed into the barren foliage towards the meeting spot. She had only gone about fifty feet when she noticed a small group, she counted seven, ahead of her. They spotted her and started to come towards her. She didn't think it was a coincidence, and guessed her presence had been noticed by her informant. She slowed as they approached, all but one with faces revealed. Lilian watched them warily.

The leader stopped a few feet back, and the men around him spread out. "Are you the contact?" He asked her. Lilian studied the stranger, his face hidden in shadow. She had a bad feeling about him, however she simply nodded in response. "I am." She said, and the man nodded. "Come on then, the boss is waiting for you." He said, and started leading her farther from the city. The men fell into step around her, and she glanced around at them. As she did, she noticed the tattoos of the red fang peaking out behind the collar of one of the men.

They hadn't gone far when she noticed the leader make a strange hand gesture, and she heard steel sliding from a sheath behind her. Lilian dived forwards just as one of the men took a swing at her back. She locked eyes with her assailant while also trying to keep an eye on all sides. The Redfang thugs drew their weapons. "Well shit, she figured us out." The leader said. "Your men didn't do a good job of hiding their tattoos." She said. "Where's the real informant?" She demanded, and the leader chuckled. "Right here." He said, uppending a sack one of the grunts handed him. A head bounced across the ground towards her. "The Redfang don't take kindly to rats in Karem. Especially rats who deal with Mondolin Knights. So, what will it be, death or enslavement?" He asked.

Lilian responded by throwing off her cloak and unslinging her crossbow from her should. A quick flick of the lever had the weapon loaded and pointed towards the leader. She fired without hesitation. The leader moved with surprising speed, and grabbed one of his comrades, pulling into the path of the bolt. The thugs charged from all sides, but Lilian was quick, and slipped past the first man to reach her. She fired her crossbow again, putting a bolt through his knee, backing off as they turned towards her. Lilian quickly changed the crossbow cartridge, and activated the weapons rapid fire enchantment, unleashing all five bolts in rapid succession. some found their mark, killing two of the men. but the attack served another purpose, as the others turned and fled, leaving Lilian face to face with the remaining man.

The leader walked forward and pulled back his hood, revealing light grey skin and a pair of curved black horns. "I like you. A human with a bit of bite. You'll make a fine prize." He said. Lilian stared at him in silence. "Oh whats the matter, scared of the big bad heanta?" He asked her. Lilian almost snorted. "Bad, yes. Big? I've met bigger heanta and survived. Your nothing special." She said. He sneered at her, before suddenly looking at something behind her and smiling. "And have you ever faced pff against two heanta alone?" He asked. Lilian spun around, spotting a female heanta with pink hair some distance away. "Hail sister! help me with my prey and I'll share the benefits with you!" The male heanta shouted. Lilian had a bad feeling about this.

While she had been off much further from the ensuing conflict the sound of resulting thwumps and blades skittering across the ground let her know something was amiss. She snuck as quietly as she could towards the commotion, but alas her appearance was all too difficult to suppress. Even as some scared men ran past her she continued to approach, the vision of Korroth standing over this woman bore into her mind, yet this woman held her ground. As the heanta called out to her the vision faded and she saw him for just another male with uninteresting physique. "Bad, yes. Big? I've met bigger heanta and survived. Your nothing special." She raised a brow to the human standing proud with two bodies by her side. She had single handedly scared a group of bandits and their leader. "Hail sister! help me with my prey and I'll share the benefits with you!"


She turned her attention away from the woman, though not her guard, and took in the words the bandit spoke, her face gave off the impression she was giving it much thought, though she had already made up her mind. This woman had claimed her place as free to do as she wished here, and it wasn't her domain to enforce. Although the act would gain her favor in the neighboring city she did ponder for a moment, but the advice she'd been given swayed her mind. "Retreat now welp, your forces were routed and now you stand groveling for assistance from an elite. Your own fate was sealed by your lack of foresight and preparation." With that Brynhildr turned her attention to the woman raising a brow, "Whatever issue you have with this heanta he sacrificed his own pride to grovel for help thinking his pety attempts to save his life from retribution for his deeds against you would go unpunished." She straightened herself, smiling like a child settling an argument between two adults. "Considering you let the others go, I'm sure your kind hearted enough to let this man grovel in his own misery if he runs, but I have no mercy for those that turn to banditry."


Having finished her own little monologue between the two she revealed herself, "Brynhildr Rakoris bids you farewell, lowly heanta." With that her right arm swelled into a large black mass ending in five unique icey blue claws, but the real show was the pillar of ice jutting through the heantas back. More spikes were protruding from the main shaft as it grew thicker through the mans chest. With her attention on the man she looked at the woman and spoke softly. "With this settled, and my name out on the table. Would you like to share words or split ways, I've no need to fight here with travel ahead of me."

Lilian was reaching for the sword at her hip, as the heanta approached. She backed away from the girl, keeping both heanta in view, as they began to talk. She instantly noticed that the female was not impressed by the male. She told the male as much, causing him to growl in anger. "You little bitch! You would side with a human over your own kind?" He snarled. When the female spoke to Lilian, she replied honestly.

"No offense, but I wouldn't trust a heanta to simply slink away with their tail between their legs and let it go so I wouldn't let him walk away alive." When the female spoke to the man again, he didn't seem intimidated, and even went to attack her only to be impaled from behind by ice that pierced through his chest. He screamed in rage and a blast of lightning shot out of his hands towards the female.

Lilian reacted quickly, and threw up a shield of metal scales around the female, blocking the attack. The male's screaming turned to gurgling, as the spikes grew and split, ice pierced his lungs and throat. Lilian blinked as the female turned and addressed her. "That was not what I expected." She said warily. She wasn't exactly afraid, but it wasn't every day a heanta saved her life."I'm Lilian Toral." She said out of curtesy, though she still kept her distance. "You probably saved my life, but don't be offended if I'm still a little wary. The last time I encountered a heanta, it ended badly. And well, this one's actions weren't exactly freindly either."

As the other heanta called her a bitch her heart felt no pain in her actions, though her eyes did fill with surprise when he raised his hand to release a blast of lightning. The scales of metal that wrapped around her protected her and she turned her attention to the female, "That was not what I expected." She nodded herself, she hadn't been expecting it at all and smiled as the woman introduced herself. 

"I've no reason to assault you now, not only did you fight for your own freedom from these bandits, you also protected me from that attack." She turned her attention back to the dead Heanta, her arm returning to normal as she dug through his pockets. "These will do the dead no good, and we are the living." She paused, knowing her actions probably seemed a little strange. "What was it a human was doing near such a city of filth? At least for myself it was curiosity of what it looked like."

Lilian shrugged as she stepped forward. "Trust me this day is not going the way I expected either." She said. The heanta stated that she had no reason to attack Lilian now, since she had helped her and also checked something in the girls book regarding people and their right to freedom. Lilian didn't necessarily agree that a person must prove their strength to remain free, but she didn't voice it. She knew heanta took slaves, they were the first race to do so and started the trend in the north of the freelands, so picking at this girl's.. Culture.. Was probably ill advised. Instead she explained her actions. "You did help me first, but I would have done it eitherway. Its my duty to protect people, even if they have massive claw hands that shoots ice and don't really need protecting."

Lilian watched as the girl dug through the dead heanta's pocket and extracted some gold and other items. She didn't say anything, but was thankful the girl didn't start munching on the bodies. As far as she knew, heanta weren't cannibals, but there was a few dead humans around. She stopped pilfering the dead and asked Lilian why she was there. "I came to meet him." She pointed at the head on the ground the heanta had been carrying. "I don't think he'll be doing much talking though. I guess thats my mission borked... I'm not going to risk going into the city to find out who had him killed alone..." She said, mostly to herself.

Lilian frowned at her words. She was a heanta, so surely she would know what a city of slaves was like, since Heanta kept slaves too. But Lilian also didn't know much about Av'Eden, she doubted many people had seen the city and lived to tell of it. Maybe the slaves were less noticable. However one thing was for sure, Karem was not a city of slaves. It was a city that profited on slavery, crime, and banditry. "Karem is a slaver city, but there's not that many slaves. You'll mostly find slavers and criminals here. They sell slaves to Karcenak, or anyone who wants to own another person. Karcenak is the place to visit if you want to see a real city built by blood and suffering." She said.

She found slavery very untasteful. There was no slavery in mondolin, or to the south of the freelands. But thanks to Karem, it was still a serious problem. When she was done talking the girl took off sprinting towards the gates. Lilian took off after and caught up with her. "Hold on don't just go running up to the gates. You'll make them suspicious." She said, hoping the girl would stop or atleast slow to a walk so she could go back to concealing her clothing beneath her cloak. "Listen I appreciate the help, but the mission's kind of blown now. Whoever had the informant killed is probably watching us right now, so they will have seen you with me. I'll keep you company in the city, but it's probably better if we don't go looking for trouble." She said. "Also I'm a knight of mondolin, my presense wont be appreciated by the various criminal factions, not just the one who sent those goons. So let's be subtle."

Lilian sighed. "My cover's blown to someone, not to the entire city. Yet." She said. Bryn went on to claim a desire to test the worthiness of the slavers. Her reasoning upset Lilian but she managed not to betray her feelings on the matter. Lilian was already regretting this idea, and Bryn even told her it was ok if she ran away. That actually stung and she frowned at the girl. "I'm not going to run unless your running with me. But I'm also not going to stand by while you beat up slavers. Since your so keen on causing a distraction, I'm going to free any slaves we come across." Maybe something good would come of this atleast.

"Just so you know, this city is frequented by the Red Fang. They're a threat, even if they don't appear to be. And I doubt they'll take kindly to a heanta causing trouble, even if some of them are heanta themselves." She said, following Bryn into the city. This was probably a huge mistake, but it was to late now.

Lilian was and wasn't surprised when they reached the gate, and Bryn tried to pass herself off as a slave owner and Lilian as her slave. It made sense, because of how arrogant the girl appeared to be, however what surprised her was that she'd been given no warning. She looked nothing like a slave, in regards to posture and demenour. The guards noticed right away and took a step forward to block Bryn's path. "Hold up. What business?" Lilian thought quickly and stepped infront of Bryn. "You dare block my master's path you vile bag of pus?!" She snalled.

The guard looked at her confused that a supposed slave would speak to him like that. "You stand in the presence of true Heantan Elite! I should cut out your tongue for daring to speak to her! Now get out of my Master's way before you annoy her, less she sends her legion of loyal warriors to crush this pile of filth you call a city!" The guard paled and stepped back. Atleast he was smart enough to know what a heanta elite was and that messing with one would indeed be bad for him.

When they were well enough away from the gate she turned and looked at Bryn. "It was a miracle that worked. I'm sure you've seen a slave before, so you must notice they tend to walk hunched and cowed? Next time you want me to pose as a docile slave, say so first. So I can tell you no." She said. Then she snorted. "I do admit it was kind of funny though. Did you see the look on his face?"

Lilian listened to Bryn's reply and then shrugged. "It's pretty easy to become hostile when you dislike something as much as I dislike slavery." She said. "I just channeled that hostility into something useful." She continued. Then started to walk again, only to have Bryn tug on her cloak. Lilian turned to look at her, and she held out her hand, asking Lilian to hold it an escort her. Looking at her, Lilian thought she seemed almost childlike when she wasn't flaunting around that elite ego of hers.

Lilian took hold with her gloved right hand and smiled. "Sure." She said, waiting so Bryn could catch up and walk beside her. "If we're careful we might be able to free a few people and cause trouble, but getting them out of the city will be hard." Lilian replied. She watched the people around her cautiously as they moved through the streets, until they came to a large square with roads intersecting from several sides. A large platform dominated the middle, with several poles with bindings attached perched up on it. A building behind it held cages, with cowed human forms stowed inside. The burly men dragged men and women and children from the building out to the platform in the middle.

Lilian had dealt with slavers before, but she had never been to Karem, nor had she ever seen anything quite like this place. To say it disgusted her was an understatement. The sight of the innocences in their ragged clothing filled her with rage and hatred, and she was wanted to burn this horrible city to the ground. She realised she was squeezing Bryn's hand a bit to hard and loosened her grip, as logic replaced her fury. Attacking without thinking wouldn't help these people, even as she watched a man step up to the platform and begin to paruse the 'Wares'.

He spoke loud enough for people around to overhear as he started to speak to the slaver overseeing things. "This one here, missing half a leg. Is he cheaper?" He asked the slaver. Lilian's eyes snapped to a crippled boy tied to a pole. His left leg was missing from just below the knee. The burly slaver shook his head as if an injury like that was nothing. "Na, he's still good. Make a decent kitchen slave. Doesn't need to move to much in a kitchen." The man looked him over again and nodded. "I'd agree, but still think he's not worth as much as a full slave." The slaver opened his mouth to reply and Lilian stopped listening. She felt a renewed surge of outrage, looking at the injured boy.

In mondolin, she could have helped him, replaced that leg. Here he was trapped, even more so because he could never run away. She turned to Bryn, her bright eyes stormy. "I've seen enough. You want to challenge some slavers, start with the one up on that platform." Lilian said. "Just do me a fovor, and leave them in as many pieces as you can manage." She said angrily.