Mind The Poppy Bushes (Solo/Finished)

[Ravvus Wiseau]

Foxaoss Forest, the wooded expanse only a mile or two outside of Aurnion's gates, it's name was unpleasantly difficult to pronounce. The treeline stretched as far as the eye could see and served as a buffer between Aurnion and the whole of Vinland. It was on the outskirts of this massive forest that the mage found himself accompanied by Emil, Goeke-Morey, Eagle, and Mr. Massey. At some point during the night, a group of thieves had raided the docks and made off with the cargo the Pathfinders had been tasked with protecting. Some of the guilds-men had been wounded during the raid, Erin included among their number. Dahlia and the other medical experts stayed behind to take care of the wounded, while remainder of the company gave chase.

They were upon the entrance to the forest now, where two carts sat abandoned, their cargo containers dismantled and lying on the earth. Goeke-Morey swung a heavy, plated leg, over his horse, dismounting the steed. The leader of the Pathfinders knelt down on an armored knee, surveying the interior of one of the containers. It was a six by six foot long wooden box, capable of storing cargo as large as the heavily armored Pathfinder and his steed combined. The insides of each looked like they had been the confines of a pit fight. Long, parallel gashes decorated each of the six sides of the containers. Goeke-Morey had been less than forthcoming in divulging the nature of the cargo, but whatever the Pathfinders had been tasked with guarding was alive. Most likely some kind of animal. ”Damnit.” Goeke-Morey muttered disdainfully, rising to his feet.

Marshall Goeke-Morey was a sizable man, with more muscle than fat to his body. The sheer bulk of his form rivaled that of Eagle's and was only amplified when he donned his purple, steel-plate armor. Standing at an imposing six foot two, Goeke-Morey couldn't have weighed less than two fifty fully armored. He bore a crew-cut and a pair of sharp, piercing green eyes. He was not the type to smile in the company of his guilds-men. He preferred to frown, or express no emotions at all.

”Thieves made off with the cargo. Terrain is too uneven from here. We'll have to continue on foot. Emil. Watch over the horses, wait until our return.”

"Roger" Emil snapped a salute, as Ravvus and the others dismounted their steeds.

Goeke-Morey knelt to the ground, inspecting a series of footprints leading away from the cargo containers. ”Tracks split off in different directions. Eagle, you and I shall follow one path, while Conway and Ravvus pursue the other.”

”Mr. Massey, thank you commander.” Mr. Massey interrupted.

Goeke-Morey shot him a blank stare. ”Of course. My mistake, Mr. Massey.” He glanced at Eagle and, with a cock of his head, gestured for the tracker to take point. ”Remember to keep an eye out for the poppies.” Goeke-Morey piped up, as the two teams started on their separate paths. ”Dahlia says this island houses an exceptionally strong strain. When consumed or burned, they release a poisonous chemical component, which renders anyone nearby unconscious. If you see bushes filled with pink flowers, avoid them. That also means watch the fire spells Ravvus.”

”Gotcha.” Ravvus grimaced at the order. He'd be practically neutered without his trusty flames.

”We rendezvous back here after retrieving the cargo. Needless to say, kill the thieves when you find them. I won't have anyone thinking they can steal from the Pathfinders and get away with it.”

”As you say commander.” Mr. Massey gleefully complied, and the two teams disappeared into the forest.

[Ravvus Wiseau]

Ravvus couldn't say he was a fan of the Foxaoss Forest. In addition to having all manner of plants he had never seen before, said plants cluttered the landscape. Goeke-Morey hadn't been exaggerating when he warned that the terrain was uneven. ”Damn roots...” The mage muttered, maneuvering his feet so as to avoid tripping over himself. ”-Like a jungle in here. Wish I could just burn a path through all of it.” Ravvus furrowed his brow, frowning, and conjuring a sizable ember within his palm.

Mr. Massey turned back to glance at Ravvus, having felt the warmth of his magic. ”Mr. Wiseau. What were the commander's orders? The very one's he muttered only minutes ago when we were on the outskirts of this forest?

”Yeah, yeah, Conway.” The mage grumbled, allowing the flame in his palm to wither and fizzle.

”Its Mister Massey.” The hunter drew out the 'r' in Mr. as he spoke.

”Right. Mr. Whatever. Sorry.” Ravvus dismissed with a wave.

The bald man narrowed his eyes in displeasure. ”...I'd think you of all people would know not to start a fire in these woods, Mr. Wiseau. Hasn't Ms. Dahlia lectured you to no end on the poppy bushes of these woods. You are courting her after all, aren't you?”

”Courtship?! What?! No. What? Dahlia and I are just friends.”

”Really? You two certainly act as a pair of lover's in a quarrel.”

Oh. Ravvus scowled, his eyes narrowing into a squint at the remark. Now he knew what the hunter was doing. Mr. Massey was a perceptive man. That much the mage had picked up on in his short time knowing him. His pseudo-questions were a deliberate attempt to get under Ravvus' skin. A precise stabbing with the proverbial knife, and every subsequent question was a twisting of the dagger.

”Mind your own, business... Conway.” A command spoken like a warning.

One of Mr. Massey's eyes twitched visibly. ”Its Misss-terrr. May-seaaa” The hunter spoke with enough diction to blow away a veteran vocal instructor.

Ravvus shook his head in frustration. Mr. Massey's presence was, in general, exhausting. Not only did the man's behavioral habits outright un-nerve Ravvus, but the anima-practicing hunter knew how to push his buttons. Not that that was a particularly difficult task. Mr. Massey was just smarter about it than most. Especially when it came to Dahlia.

What a mess that entire situation was.

In a moment of vulnerability, the mage had kissed Dahlia. And he shouldn't have. He shouldn't have because there was another woman in his life. A woman who he wished to remain faithful to, in spite of failing to do so once already. Minerva was her name. She was a practicing mage, like Ravvus himself, and another woman who he admired greatly. Unlike him, however, Minerva had a penchant for playing the coquette. Something Dahlia had called out, and actively disparaged against, in the past and something which, in truth, Ravvus wasn't entirely found of. He'd been able to placate his insecurities about Minerva's flirtatious tendencies for the most part, but something Dahlia had said a few nights ago had stuck with him. It was a bit along the lines of 'she probably isn't remaining chaste in your absence.' 

'Yeah'. The mage had thought many times after hearing that line. 'Yeah, she probably wasn't'.

[Ravvus Wiseau]

And Ravvus couldn't shake that thought. If he didn't trust Minerva, then why the hell was he being so faithful to her? Why had he denied Dahlia those few nights ago? And why was he avoiding her now? What good was his resolve if it was this easily shattered? The mage let out a heavy, sullen sigh. Thinking about these matters exhausted him.

”Shhh!!” Mr. Massey hissed, grabbing Ravvus' shoulder in a tight grip. As if on beat, the mage clamped down hard on the hunter's wrist, intent on prying it off, only to stop as Mr. Massey glanced back. The hunter placed a finger on his lips, and cocked his head at an area of the forest where the branches clustered and thickened. ”Up ahead, beyond the trees.” He whispered almost inaudibly. ”One of the thieves with our cargo.” The mage tried to peer through the collection of low-hanging branches and leaves, but to no avail. He could see nothing but foliage. ”Let go of me!” Mr. Massey ordered in a slightly more audible voice.

As if the hunter's wrist had suddenly become as hot as molten metal, the mage let go. Mr. Massey gripped his wrist in one hand, twisting it back and forth. He shot Ravvus a threatening glare. ”You planning to cause me any more trouble, Ravvus?!”

”Don't touch me, Conway. Do. Not. Touch me.”

”Mister. Massey.” The gaea-wielding sage hissed back, before carefully maneuvering to where the forest was thickest. Ravvus followed him.

The mage kneeled down next to Mr. Massey as he saw the sage do the same. ”See them better, now?” The hunter asked, his voice now an even quieter tone. Ravvus nodded, peering through the branches. This time he could make out the shape and color of a man. But it wasn't a man. It was some kind of... bird-man, or man-bird, or bird-lio-. No. No, it didn't look like a lion at all. It was a man, of olive skin tone and muscular features, but he had wings. Black wings which sprouted from his back and went all the way down to the back of his heels. The man must have been one of those 'Taguel' native to the island.

Mr. Massey drew his Gaea tome and, without saying a word, summoned a ball of dirt from the earth. ”I'd use something sharper, or more blunt, but I doubt I could maneuver one of the stones in this forest without attracting birdie's attention.” The hunter pointed at his projectile as he spoke. ”I'll condense this into a hard ball of clay and throw it at our thief. Afterwords, I'll need you to secure the cargo. Are you ready?”

Ravvus gave his contemporary a nod. ”Just say when.”

”Ok.” Mr. Massey muttered. ”Be ready to follow up just in case he survives this...” An otherworldly force lifted the ball of dirt into the air. ”And... Go!” The projectile sped forward on a direct course with the winged man. Ravvus followed suit and charged through the cluster of forest between him and the cargo.

[Ravvus Wiseau]

Some hyper-sensitive animal instinct alerted the bird-lionMAN to the incoming attack. Glancing in the direction of Mr. Massey, the taguel bobbed to duck, and avoid the clay ball, but wasn't quick enough. The projectile grazed the winged man's head, exploding into countless edged pieces of earth and penetrating the side of the taguel's head. A trail of blood spurted from the winged-man's fresh wound as he fell gracelessly to the earth.

Ravvus was quick to follow up, Trinity at the ready in case the thief still had some fight left in him. He shielded his face, stampeding through underbrush as the arms of trees clawed and raked at his upperbody. The mage brought both forearms up in vertical blocks, pushing the last of the tree branches aside and charging into the clearing. The wounded bird-man was prone on the ground, gasping for air, and clutching his bleeding head with one hand. The lids of his eyes were closed, scrunched together as if they'd been subjected to a direct flashing of sunlight. Whatever cognizance the taguel had of the world around him was foggy at best. The cargo he had stolen was... in chains... and another taguel.

The mage stared on, eyes wide, gazing at a cat taguel in bondage. The lithe female had a pair of pointed ears, covered with golden fur, and a curly, long, unkempt hair of a tangerine hue. Her legs were well-defined, muscular, like they were made for leaping, and her arms toned, but spindly. From a glance, Ravvus could tell that the legs were far stronger than the arms. A tail, of the same golden fur on her ears, whisked back and forth behind her legs only to stop abruptly as she noticed Ravvus. Her face was of a fair nature, with wide, quivering crystal-blue eyes, a button nose, and a pair of thin, open lips.

”Uhh...” Ravvus stuttered, eyeing the female taguel's iron bonds. Her wrists and ankles were restrained by a pair of metal blocks, connected via chain. The cat taguel looked at her prone companion and then to Ravvus. Quickly sizing up the situation, the cargo turned around, bent at the knees, and leapt a solid fifteen feet in the opposite direction, only to land in a heap. The tangerine-haired cat wasn't used to being so heavily weighed down, or having so little control over her limbs for that matter. Collecting herself, she shook her head and shuffled into the forest. Ravvus followed her at a brisk pace. She wasn't going anywhere.

”Don't let her escape!” Mr. Massey's voice called from behind as the mage exited the clearing. The new section of forest was just as dense as the old one. Ravvus didn't see the taguel cat. She must have been hiding in the underbrush. Weighed down as she was, there was no way she could have gotten more than a few feet into the forest.

”Come out.” Ravvus commanded plainly, his right hand crackling with electricity. ”Come out or I start chucking thunder.” No response. ”Five... four... three... two...” He paused, but still there was no response. ”Your choice. One!” Using his middle and pointer fingers, the mage directed a surge of electricity at a nearby tree. The bolt split the quiet of the forest, igniting a section of bark with flame. He wanted to avoid setting the bushes on fire. One, because the taguel was most likely hiding beneath one and, two, they may well have been poppy nests.

[Ravvus Wiseau]

”I can keep this up all day!” Ravvus bellowed, casting another bolt of lightning. Bark buckled and splintered underneath the spell's crushing force, leaving a blackened, smoldering crater. The acrid stench of burnt wood permeated the air as the mage looked on, surveying the forest with a stern gaze. He slung another bolt into the wood, blackening more of the forest, but the sizzling of bark was all that answered him. His slings of magic had done nothing to draw the Taguel from hiding.

”I see you're content to let me burn this forest down.” The mage paced about, magic in his hand crackling with intensity. ”I thought the Taguel made homes of the wood. Are you really so indifferent to its marring?” Ravvus relaxed, allowing the electricity bounding his hand to flicker and disperse. Glancing down, he flipped through the magic tome until he arrived at a section of fire spells. ”Well, if that's the case-” A tuft of orange hair caught the mage's eye, and he glanced up. Centered in his vision was the cat taguel charging in a clumsy advance. Arms at the hip, she aimed to make a haymaker with her restraints.

Close, but not close enough. Ravvus pivoted on his right foot, evading the Taguel's clumsy swing. Curling his fingers curled into a fist, the mage threw a blow right back, scraping his knuckles against the Taguel's chin. The tangerine-haired cat's head bobbed, following the force of the blow, but she herself refused to go down. She coiled and sprang to the side, throwing the weight of her body into the mage and casting the two to the earth.

Ravvus groaned, gritting his teeth as jagged rocks poked at his back as dirt caked and invaded his hair. He hadn't anticipated this, hadn't expected to do no damage with that blow to the head. The Taguel cast her arms aside, readying another haymaker. There was no room to dodge, no room to maneuver. Slamming her shackled fists into Ravvus' hastily erected forearms, she managed to elicit a pained grunt from him. Rapidly, the Taguel pulled back, preparing another haymaker. Ravvus scrambled, smacking the cat's face with one hand and pursuing her arms with another. His fingers squirmed, seeking purchase on an eye, or whatever orifice would allow entry. The cat flailed, trying to win on every front. Her face pressed against the mage's hand, her maw jutted open to bite a stray finger, her arms swung about, trying to slip through Ravvus' block.

”Unsightly.” A painfully familiar voice intoned. The tangerine-haired Taguel's eyes bugged out as a brown ball of mud collided with her gut and knocked her onto her back. She lay prone, wind knocked out of her and gasping for the air. A pair of two cairns shot out of the earth and clamped shut around the cat's legs, placing all of her limbs in restraints.

Ravvus craned his neck, taking in the sight of Mr. Massey as the sage casually strolled towards the captive Taguel. The bald hunter paid his contemporary little mind, save for a quick glance. His eyes fell upon Ravvus and beheld the mage with dismissive condescension. A twinge of anger shot through Ravvus' system as Mr. Massey literally and figuratively looked down upon him.

[Ravvus Wiseau]

Impotence. That was the best way to describe it. The way he looked at the mage, as though he were just as pitiful as the beaten Taguel. As though he wasn't worth anything more than an indifferent glance of the eyes. Ravvus' fingers curled against the dirt, drawing jagged pebbles into a tight fist.

The mage leaned upward into a hunch, and ran his uncurled hand the length of his hair. He ruffled it a bit, trying to loosen whatever dirt he could, before doing the same for his backside. A few paces away, Mr. Massey gave the prone Taguel a light kick, muttering something along the lines of 'get up', before casting a glance Ravvus' way. The mage closed his eyes, concealing their swelling ire. Uncurled his fist, he came to his feet.

”You may attempt to run again, but I wouldn't advise it. You could barely maneuver yourself with the restraints on your hands. I don't believe you'll have an easier time now that your legs are bound as well.”

The cat Taguel scowled at Mr. Massey, her eyes obscured by tangerine bangs. She looked away and spat upon the ground. Ravvus approached her sage captor, feeling a twinge of sympathy for the prisoner. Taguel were prideful creatures, generally more so than humans, and placed a great deal of self-worth in their physical prowess. She was just as humiliated by being recaptured as Ravvus was by Mr. Massey's intervention.

Of course, this was only a twinge of sympathy and was dwarfed entirely by a swelling anger the mage bore for both her and the sage. Mr Massey's crime had been intervening, but the cat was guilty of something far more heinous: winning. If there was one thing Ravvus hated more than anything else, it was losing a fight.

”There's a bruise on her cheek.” Mr. Massey spoke, examining the cat. ”Goeke-Morey won't like that. You were supposed to restrain her. Not only did you fail to do so, but you managed to scuff up her appearance...” The sage folded his arms, cupping his elbows with his hands. ”You're very fortunate that this wound will have healed by the time she reaches our employer.”

”Yeah, next time we participate in human trafficking you should make note of how to treat the captives beforehand.” Ravvus furrowed his brow, glowering at his contemporary.

Mr. Massey simply smiled an ear-to-ear grin. ”This isn't a human, Mr. Wiseau.” Ravvus had to blink several times, utterly unsure of how to respond. Nothing he could say seemed appropriate before Mr. Massey's eerie dismissal. The two conjurers shared a gaze, and the longer Ravvus looked at Mr. Massey, the more uncomfortable he felt. The sage's eyes and mouth were smiling, but there was a callousness to his visage. An utter lack of empathy, a lack of concern for any notions of ethics. The longer he beheld Mr. Massey's gaze, the stiffer he became, the colder his body felt.

”Mr. Wiseau?” A short exhale escaped Ravvus' lips. Mr. Massey gestured with a hand, motioning for the mage to turn around. ”We'd do well to reconvene with Eagle and Goeke-Morey. If you wouldn't mind taking the lead. Oh... and mind the body up ahead.”

[Ravvus Wiseau]

The three were out of the woods now, milling about the broken cargo containers. Emil was at the forest entrance, but Goeke-Morey and Eagle were nowhere to be found. According to Emil, Mr. Massey, Ravvus, and the captive Taguel had been the only ones to come out of the forest. Goeke-Morey and Eagle were still hunting their quarry.

The tangerine-haired cat stood uncomfortably. Her legs, up to the knees, were entirely immersed within granite. Mr. Massey hadn't cared much for keeping an eye on her so, rather than tasking someone with ensuring that she didn't try to escape, he removed the option of escape entirely.

The sage himself stood apart from Ravvus and Emil, both of whom were mounted on horseback, and stared deep into the forest. Something which Ravvus was more than happy with. His skin was still crawling from that 'not human' comment from earlier. Despite his uneasiness, or perhaps because of it, the mage couldn't tear his eyes from Mr. Massey's bald form. Ravvus was far from virtuous. He stole what he wanted, picked fights for the hell of it, and was known to cause great conflagrations whenever he lost his temper. He didn't consider himself particularly ethical. Hell, he couldn't say he cared much that his guild was embroiling itself within slave trading.

But Mr. Massey's comment, the way he had said it, was deeply disconcerting. Perhaps it was because Mr. Massey was such a particular man. The kind of person who thoroughly considered whatever he said before saying it. The kind of person who meant it when he asked to be referred to by his preferred nomenclature, and would become visibly frustrated when called any name other than 'Mr. Massey'. So when Mr. Massey noted that the Taguel was 'not human', as in he didn't consider the Taguel human, he meant it. And that was an unnerving thought, indeed.

“You look tense.” Emil spoke, his voice breaking through an otherwise silent atmosphere.

”Huh, what?” Ravvus, flustered, glanced at his mounted companion. ”Sorry. I, uh, I was lost in thought.”

A faint smile spread across Emil's lips. ”Was it about Dahlia?”

”What? No! What? Why are you bringing her up?”

”Hey, don't jump down my throat.” The cavalier shot him a queer look. ”I assumed if something, someone, was occupying your thoughts, it would have been her.”

”Mhm. Seems like everyone shares your sentiment.” Ravvus sighed an exasperated sigh, giving him time to collect his thoughts. ”Conway, of all people-”

”Who?'

”The uhm, the uh, over there. Uhm, Mr. Massey”

”Ah. His first name.”

”Yeah. Anyway, he brought Dahlia up while we were in the woods. Prick wanted to get under my skin. Can't say he failed.”

A long pause followed.

”...Is that it?”

The mage glanced at Emil. ”...No.”

”Do you want to talk about it?”

Another long, exaggerated sigh slipped through Ravvus' lips. ”Conway-” He shook his head. ”Conway is a disconcerting person to be around. And I think it's best to leave it at that.”

”Oh. I thought this was supposed to lead back to Dahlia.” It was the mage's turn to shoot his companion a queer look.

Another silence followed.

Emil reached behind his head and scratched at his neck. "Waiting around is f**k**g boring."

”Heh, heh, heh.” Ravvus chuckled lightly.

[Ravvus Wiseau]

Another silence set in, one neither of them felt compelled to break. The two were left to their thoughts. To Ravvus, this meant dwelling on Dahlia.

Dahlia. The mage's transparent dismissals of any and all subjects regarding the herbalist were no more convincing to him than they were to those who broached the subject of their relationship. Try as he might, he could think of little else than her.

Dahlia. The more he heard that name, the more Ravvus felt compelled to speak with her. Grasping for his arm, he felt a slight swelling pain. The mage hadn't yet the opportunity to inspect the limb, but he suspected that the Taguel's haymaker had left a bruise. She'd swung at him with a metal block after all. Best to be safe, to have it looked at. That would necessitate a visit to the herbalist's quarters.

Although... perhaps examining his arm was a task better suited for a medic? No, preposterous reasoning, Dahlia was the appropriate choice.

The mage would be lying if he said he was entirely comfortable with the idea. He wanted to see Dahlia, but it had been significant time since they'd last spoke. Assuming he really was bold enough to embark upon the insurmountable task of saying 'hi' to her, he wasn't sure how he'd behave. Hell, he didn't know how she'd behave. All he did know was that it would become more difficult the longer he staved it off.

Ravvus let out a belabored sigh. Thinking about such matters was exhausting. Maybe-

”Eyes! Treeline!” Mr. Massey called, timely sundering Ravvus' exhausting thoughts. Emil and the mage perked up, spying a lone figure exiting Foxaoss forest. The figure was large and slow-moving, limping as though it had been wounded. The entity lurched closer, and it's identity was made clear through the color of its' armor. It was Goeke-Morey, shuffling upon a wounded leg, with a face covered in scratches and blood.

Mr. Massey whistled sharply for his mount and called out to the wounded Guild-Master. ”Commander Goeke-Morey!” He mounted his horse and quickly closed the gap between himself and the blond Etrurian. Emil followed closely, leading Goeke-Morey's personal mount by its' reins, and Ravvus was quick to follow him.

The purple-clad Etrurian fell to his knees, breathing heavily and wheezing like a plague victim. ”Guild-master. What happened to you?! Where is the Nabatan, the Taguel prisoner?! We must have your wounds looked to immediately! Mr. Eqler!” The hunter waved for Emil to hasten his pace.

”Da- Damn... Nabatan... scum.” Goeke-Morey wheezed. He lurched forward, head hanging limply. ”Sun burnt coward... betrayed us. Got my leg... my-” The Etrurian's head fell limply, and he spoke no more.

”Guild-master!” Mr. Massey shouted, examining the guild-master's body. ”He's still breathing. Passed out, but won't survive if he doesn't get medical attention. Come on!” The sage waved at Emil, gesturing for the rider to give him a hand. Emil complied, dismounting his steed and rushing to Mr. Massey's side. ”Erh! Damn armor's too heavy... give me your blade.” Emil had little time to respond before the sage wrenched his sword from its' sheath and proceeded to slip it between the straps of Goeke-Morey's armor. The blade bit against the leather, tearing through and dropping the purple armor to the earth with a mighty thud. The sword followed suit as Mr. Massey maneuvered Goeke-Morey's body on top of his horse. ”Take the Taguel back to Aurnion. Ensure that she is not seen entering the city!” Mr. Massey bellowed, snapping his fingers and undoing the Taguel's cairn restraints. Palm wide and open, the sage slapped his steed's hindquarters and spirited off with the wounded guild-master.

[Ravvus Wiseau]

”Not gonna try and escape again, are you?” Ravvus spoke, whilst staring at the retreating Mr. Massey. His head swiveled about, blond hair bouncing lightly as he turned to view the bound Taguel. She glared at him through her tangerine bangs; A defiant stare declaring nothing but opposition. The two were some distance apart, and the beast-woman's glare quickly transitioned into a scowl of fangs. Ravvus wasn't overly fond of the look. ”Conway, the other mage, was pretty mad that I hit you. You remember that, right?” He trotted his horse over to her. ”He said something along the lines of 'you're lucky they heal fast'. Whoever we're delivering you to probably wants you captured for some aesthetic purpose, wants to enjoy looking at you.” He stopped next to her, offering his hand. ”That's what they want. I don't share the sentiment. You're coming with us, but if you try to to harm me during our ride, I won't hesitate to put you down.” A bluff. Ravvus had small taste for murder, but he wouldn't mind harming the Taguel if he had to. ”So I suggest you stop looking at me like that.”

The warning wasn't entirely successful. The tangerine-haired cat hadn't stopped scowling, but she had begun scowling in a different direction. Ravvus wasn't sure whether he considered that an accomplishment or not. Even so, the Taguel took his hand and the mage proceeded to place her on her abdomen between himself and the horse's neck. With that, he, Emil, and the Taguel rode off for the settlement of Aurnion.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The two Pathfinders rode at full gallop. In the west, the sun was beginning to set. ”H-hey!” Emil spoke. The sound of rushing wind made it harder to hear him. ”What's your name?” He directed the question to the prone Taguel. ”Where were you when they captured you?”

The tangerine-haired Taguel scowled in response. To say she wasn't one for conversation would be a tad generous.

”Emil, what are you doing?” The mage shot his companion a queer look.

”What? I'm curious. Not like I'm gonna hurt her by asking a few questions.”

Ravvus gave an exaggerated roll of his eyes.

”...I'd like to know.”

Nothing but teeth and frowns from the Taguel.

”Ok. Well. You can keep making that scary face at me, but I'm still gonna ask. Uh...” The rider scratched at his head, suddenly confused. ”I, uh, I can't actually think of any more relevant questions.” His eyes darted about, examining the Taguel. ”Your hair is orange!” Not a question, but it managed to placate the rider's own silence.

”Uh, those shackles on your arms must be pretty heavy... Do you usually have to lift stuff that heavy? Uh, how much can you bench?” A short pause. ”Are Taguel familiar with the bench press? Do you exercise in the human form or just the bea-”

”Shut. Up.” Ah, she speaks at last.

Emil complied. Speaking after such a curt, blunt order couldn't have felt less prudent.

”Your friends kidnapped me, took away my stone, and then stuffed me into a cramped, wooden box for two weeks. Your people plan to deliver me as a slave for some, as your friend put it,” She cocked her head towards Ravvus, but did not look him. 'aesthetic purpose'. And your Massey fellow murdered a good friend of mine back in the forest. I do not want to speak with you. I want to dig my claws into your flesh and tear your throat from your neck. I want to crush your bones in my mouth and tear your limbs from your body! I wa-” An open-palmed smack across the back of her head interrupted the Taguel.

”Shut the hell up.”

The tangerine-haired cat's eyes flared with ire. Her head turned slowly, encompassing Ravvus within her vision. Her teeth were grit together so hard it seemed as though they might shatter themselves.

”Hey, Ravvus. Buddy. Don't antagonize her. She, uh, she's got a right to be angry.”

"She was threatening you." The mage didn't break eye contact with the Taguel. He could feel adrenaline coursing through his blood as the tension between the two rose. Ravvus took one hand from the reins, and summoned a small fireball. "You really wanna test me? I'm not gonna tolerate you threatening my friend, here. You think tearing someone's limbs from their body is brutal? Try getting the flesh melted from your bones!!" The Taguel didn't break eye contact. Either she didn't think Ravvus would make good on his threat, or just didn't care. And she was not likely to suffer another blow to her pride. One's pride was important to her people after all.

Ravvus grit his teeth, placing his fiery hand just above the Taguel's face. Visible beads of sweat dripped from her forehead, but her fiery gaze was unfazed.

"Ravvus." Emil called out, forcing Ravvus to break his stare with the Taguel. "Ease up. This isn't helping anybody." The mage stared at his companion, not entirely sure of what to say, or do. "Come on. Just let it go. There's no need to hurt her. Come on, bud. Ease up." The fire in Ravvus' hand began to wither. "Just ease up a little." The flame flickered and faded. "There we go. No one needs to get hurt." Ravvus looked back at the Taguel. Her eyes still burned with rage, but his were placid, calmer.

"Talking wasn't the best call on my part. Let's just... let's just stop talking and try to get to Aurnion in one piece."

"...Yeah." Ravvus grunted.

The Taguel said nothing, but ceased hurling daggers at Ravvus.

A short silence passed.

"I'm sorry about all this. About whats happening to you... and I'm sorry about what happened to your friend too." The Taguel shot Emil a brief glare but did not maintain it for long.

(End Thread)