"Come Tammy," she said.
Tammy followed Sara. "What are we doing?"
"Do you still have a list?"
"Yes, why?"
Sara didn't respond but continued on to where the Elvin command was. She walked into the building without fear, grabbing Tammy's hand bringing her in too. "Sara we are going to get in trouble..." Tammy protested.
Sara was not stopped by anyone as she walked up a set of stairs to a door labeled 'Sydin' and she knocked twice. Sydin opened the door smiling at her, then looking her over his smile faded. "Come in Sara, I dare say you need something."
She entered with Tammy, who was turning a special shade of green and white. Sara held out her hand to Tammy who gave her a list of supplies. "Sydin, we don't have enough medical supplies, and people are dying."
Sydin looked serious. "Yes I am aware the human leadership has been pig headed about us helping out."
"Yes I am aware of that, but we need help."
"Do you want to go against your command?" he asked her.
Sara beamed, "Well you see, I'm not really under their command now am I?"
Sydin caught on. "That you aren't, you are really under our command but you are in charge of that healing facility."
"Right, which is under the control of the humans but," Sara said "there is no rule that a human healing facility can't use Elvin medicine…just that the Cona staff isn't allowed to ask you for it."
Tammy looked to be catching on as Sydin spoke. "But that doesn't hinder you, does it dear?" he held out his hand. "Let's have a look here," he said taking the list from Sara and reading it over.
"There is an Elvin healing center to the north of town I think you know about, I will have them give you everything you need, mostly it is herbs you need for infection. I will have them give you some other medicines I think you became aquatinted with when you lived in Seeon. The center has two Biologic Ascended, along with a team of other Biologics. I will have a few of them including both Ascended come down to your center and see if they can help with your back log. Does that work?"
Sara felt like a weight had been taken off of her chest. "Sydin, I would hug you if I wasn't covered in blood."
Chapter Seven
Cremo Terra
"Hate is the natural byproduct of life, with it we know love and we find motivation."
-Articles of the Mahann
Cinto moved through the rafters of the building with ease, Kora behind him. He sniffed the air trying to catch the scent of a Twig. He knew that they would be coming, now that Bonta had fallen, he knew that he and Kora didn't have long. They continued moving, stopping when they heard dragon wings hiss in the sky above the building. Cinto felt for the crystal at his belt, he couldn't use magic but he knew what it felt like to have a crystal drain energy from him. There was no pull on him from the crystal.
"They do not know we are here," Kora said softly.
"That they do not, they may not even know any of our kind are left in the city," Cinto said hopeful.
Kora peeked out of a gap in the roof, his silver hair and gray skin hardly showing in the light. "They must know, not everyone came back from Noris now did they?"
That they hadn't. It was a moot point, Cinto and Kora had a mission they were to complete. They continued on, high in the building that held government records. They were above the room that they needed to be in. There was a heart beat inside and soft breathing. To soft for a human, Kora signed to Cinto, Elf. Like a spider Cinto turned himself upside down, crawling along the buildings outer wall, getting purchase on uneven stones. The room they needed to be in had a ceiling, but an adjoining closet did not. It was into that closet that Cinto now went. He looked through a key, hole seeing a room of shelves stacked with papers. With her back to Cinto was a Twig, she pushed back her brown hair behind a tapered ear. She was reading something from one of the shelves, not paying attention to her surroundings. As silent as was possible Cinto drew a knife from his belt, placing his hand on the door knob.
He opened the door which to his great pleasure made no sound. He tip toed his way up to the Elf. He was about to grab her when she spun in shock. Vivid green eyes flashed and she opened her mouth to call for help. Cinto slashed at her with the knife. She backed away but not in time, the knife cut into her. She spluttered unable to cry out, she turned to run. Cinto grabbed one of her hands pulling her back to him. Kora was in the room now rushing up to Cinto.
"If she dies too fast her mate will know," Kora hissed, stopping Cinto from breaking her neck.
Cinto stopped what he was doing. It was true. His blade was coated with a drug that would make it difficult for the Elf to talk with her mind, but if she died her husband would too, and in so doing give away Cinto and Kora.
"Fine," Cinto said. With a twist he broke the Elf’s arms which was far more effective then cuffs could ever be. She only gurgled a scream. Kora stabbed her in the liver. The wound would take a little while to kill and the pain would make it impossible for her to move around or focus enough to work past the drug in her system. Cinto tossed the Elf to the corner of the room to let her die. They went to work finding and destroying documents.
* * * * *
Umbra flew over Bonta, pushing soothing emotions to the people. Light rain and fog made the already smoke filled air catch in her lungs making her want to cough; she resisted and searched for anything amiss with mind, eyes, ears and magic. She wasn't finding anything with any of those senses. The city was full of people, limiting her seeking spells to those using large amounts of magic. Even those using just a little were everywhere with Elf and human Venefica using their powers.
She glided by the city’s government sector and in a heartbeat she felt the mind of Sydin.
"Are you finding anything?" he asked.
"No Sir nothing, I am sure that Cona and Impa units are still in Bonta, they just haven't made a scene yet like they did in Noris."
"I agree, keep your eyes peeled for anything out of the norm and let me know if you find anything."
"Yes Sir," Umbra said.
* * * * *
Kora looked over at the dying Twig on the floor, her chest rising and falling in ragged painful breaths. He and Cinto were done with what they needed to do and could go now.
"Should we put it out of its misery?" Cinto asked
Kora looked down at the Twig sneering, "Where is your Everser Vald to save you now? Worthless Twig, do you really think you can win this war?"
Her mouth moved trying to form words; Kora stomped down on one of her broken arms making her moan. "Nothing to say?" He placed his foot on her bleeding abdomen; she coughed up blood this time, still unable to speak around the cut in her throat. "Does that help?"
Her other hand was groping pathetically at her side, Kora saw her trying to pull something out from behind her. He smiled, thinking she was going for her faloon, and then his blood went cold. She freed a tiny crystal from her back, it lit up blue.
"Tracker!" Cinto barked
* * * * *
Umbra jerked in the sky, her mind a buzz with the signal of a tracker. If it had been activated, then the Elf holding it was in trouble. She spun in the sky, heading back towards the government sector, pumping her wings as hard as she could. Her lungs filled with air and she roared, terrifying people below. She yelled out with her mind, "TRACKER!"
* * * * *
Barnin heard a dragon roar and looked around him. A ball of black magic streaked across the sky, stopping above a government building pulsing brightly. Barnin jumped on his horse calling to his men, "MOUNT UP! COME ON, COME ON, COME ON!" He rode through the streets, towards the building, his unit was close. People dove out of the way, a few even getting clipped. "MAKE A HOLE!" he yelled.
Ahead of Barnin and his men he could see five figures moving like blurs at the entrance to a building. He knew they had to be Elves and Iumenta with that speed, and he hoped that there were more Elves. As they drew in he saw more clearly that it was two Iumenta fight three, no two
Elves. He pushed his mount harder as another Elf fell.
"Come on!" he growled.
The Iumenta looked at Barnin and his men as the last Elf died. Barnin let out a war cry that felt as though it ripped the inside of his throat, as he drew his sword. Yellow shot at the Iumenta as Heath tried to take them out before they could use their fenrra. The spell missed and one of the Iumenta grabbed a stone on the ground, hurling it at Heath. Instead of contacting with one of Heath’s wards, the stone struck his horse’s leg, sending the animal tumbling with Heath still on its back.
"HEATH!" Barnin shouted, but he couldn't think of Heath anymore, they were to the Iumenta.
The world moved in slow motion as Barnin targeted an Iumenta. Its raven hair was the most defining thing about it; Barnin's eyes could make out each strand as they flowed in the air like waves. The Iumenta turned to the gray stone wall behind it, taking several steps up like it could defy gravity. It pushed off from the wall high above Barnin, pointing one of its razor fenrra at him. Barnin's vision was blocked by his shield as he raised it instinctively to protect himself.
There was a sound of screeching metal and time resumed its normal speed. Barnin yelled as the fenrra pierced his shoulder, going through the metal shield like it was butter. His gaze moved to that of cold yellow eyes as the Iumenta's other fenrra was driven into Barnin's back. There was the pressure of something on him and then none at all.
He felt his lungs fill with blood and he coughed it up in a great mouthful. He slumped in his saddle, not even registering the screams of his men as they were killed. His vision swam as he tried to breathe, the world tilted and he felt himself fall, hitting the ground.
* * * * *
Cinto finished killing the last of the Twigs when he noticed a group of human cavalry moving in on them. The lead Ape seemed over confident in its shiny armor, it yelled at the top of its lungs, like that would do anything. The other Apes were following suit. Kora dodged a yellow spell and hurled a stone at the Venefica Ape’s horse, sending it cartwheeling with its rider.
Cinto turned to the wall, taking one fluid step, placing his foot on the wall and running up it, he leaped into the air at the lead ape. It raised its shield, likely thinking it would stop a fenrra, but of course it didn't. Cinto stabbed the Ape’s shoulder with the fenrra in his left hand. This allowed him to come around back of the Ape and stab him through the back with Cinta's other fenrra. He jumped to the next horsemen not waiting to see if he'd killed the commanding animal, it was of no consequence to him, it couldn't fight anymore.
Blood spattered Cinta's face as he decapitated the next one and then again as he killed another. Kora caught his attention, "Ascended!" Cinto listened, hearing its approach.
He swore and they ran into an alleyway. They jumped from one wall to another as they went, freeing them from dodging the people and junk that littered the ground. They couldn't see the Ascended yet but they could hear it roar. They moved quickly, faster than any horse could have in the narrow alley sometimes jumping from window sill to window sill, but never being far away from populated areas. If they moved fast and stayed close to people the Elf dragon wouldn't be able to lock onto them with magic, or at least it couldn't with ease and not without hurting civilians.
They zigged and zagged between buildings, always trying to keep out of view of the dragon. There was a park they were heading to, in it was a tunnel that would lead out of the city, but more important the Ascended wouldn't be able to find them. They were going to have to jump from one of the city’s roofs to make it though.
Cinto saw the red roof and flung himself into the air, Kora behind him. There was a thud of wings but Cinto landed on the roof unscathed, he jumped again for the park just in view. As the wind buffeted him he noticed something in his peripheral vision. It was a Twig archer.
Pain erupted in his calf as he touched down, an arrow sticking out of it. He drew one fenrra but felt another stabbing pain that made him cry out as his kidney was punctured. He spun as his injured leg gave way. From the window he watched as another Twig fired and an arrow buried itself in between Cinto's collar bones.
* * * * *
Umbra passed over the building where the tracker had been activated, seeing both Elf and human bodies as she passed. She could see the Iumenta trying to flee. They kept to the alleys making it hard for her to stay on them. She tried to use magic but was unable to lock on to them and just them; if she used magic she ran a chance of hurting innocent people. She would have to wait until she could get a direct line of sight to use magic or until she could use her claws or teeth.
There was a park that they seemed to be heading for, she told her command, and kept looking for the Iumenta. It wasn't hard to tell where they had been, humans screamed as they saw two Iumenta running along above them. She caught glimpses of them jumping back and forth from wall to wall to keep going. She had to admit they were doing a good job of using the buildings for cover.
Umbra took a chance and assuming they were going for the park, she tried to head them off. She came in close to a building, folding her left wing in, almost brushing its stone side. As she rounded the building, a figure launched into the air and headed for a red roofed building. She opened her mouth as she saw a second silver haired Iumenta jump, its yellow eyes flashed to her in fear as she clamped her mouth shut. The Iumenta's ribcage cracking and snapping almost didn't even register with her, so powerful were her jaws. Salty blood filled her mouth and ran down her chin has the Iumenta's lower half hung out of the left side of her mouth, his head hanging out of the right.
She snapped down twice more as she came in to land by the park, seeing the other Iumenta dead. She tossed the limp and slightly masticated body next to its companion. She touched down next to some grass and rubbed her face on it wiping the blood from her chin.
Several Elves were already there. "Do we know anything yet?" she asked.
"No, the Elf who activated the tracker is dead along with three other Elves and about six human soldiers, several that are badly injured," a woman said.
Umbra took back off. "I'll see if I can help."
She made her way back to the government building. When she arrived she stopped the spell that was shining bright above the building. She came down seeing familiar faces. Instantly she felt concern, she found Ankle, "Where are Barnin, Heath and the others?"
Ankle looked shaken and covered in blood, though it didn't look to be his own. "Heath is OK, a horse landed on him, his wards kept him from serious injury; but Barnin is hurt bad, some Elf is trying to keep him alive, can you help?"
Umbra searched the area finding an Elf healer that was tending to a downed Barnin. He was awake, but having a hard time breathing. "Is he going to live?" Umbra asked.
The healer, a man Umbra knew, looked up at her. "Can you help me stop the bleeding so I can heal his cuts? His lung was punctured but nothing else vital."
Barnin's body glowed black as Umbra sent spells that would stop his bleeding. He hacked up more blood, Umbra thought he looked scared, it was the first time she'd seen the emotion on his face. His wound glowed peach and the healer stood up.
"Better?" the healer asked.
Barnin coughed up a bit more blood but not much, "I feel like I can breathe a bit now, thank you. Please help my men."
The healer left to tend to the other hurt men without a word. "What happened?" Umbra asked.
Barnin looked up at her, his face pale form loss of blood. "I forget what it's like when Elves and Iumenta attack humans, ya know? And these guys..." Barnin shook his head, "they were good, I really thought the two of them were going to kill us all," he said.
Umbra was thankful that they hadn't.
Chapter Eight
Aftermath
"The victory of today is always followed by the battle of tomorrow."
-The Exiled Captain (Author Unknown)
Keither took in the field that he was to turn into a refugee camp. He was happy with it; there was a small mountain fed stream
that would keep the people in clean water. The field had access to main roads and there was enough room to accommodate many people. In the weeks preceding the fall of Bonta, the Pawdin Empire had managed to get both cities docks fully functioning, so no longer was Keither and Sara forced to work without supplies. Now the task had turned to one that Keither thrived on, which was how to use those supplies.
Sara came up, leaning on his right side. "It has potential," she said. "I'm a little surprised we were given such a nice plot of land to use," she continued.
"Well, it's not in a good spot for the military, and I'm sure we will be getting far more people than we are planning on, but I'll take it. Do you have your team organized?" he asked looking down at her.
She told him that she did.
Keither spoke to Sara's staff, figuring out everything that they were going to need and then met with his assistants. His people were a collection of carpenters, engineers and smiths; it would be these people that would bring everything together. They were joined by one Elf who would, with the help of ten others of his kind, take care of growing things that might be necessary.
Keither had worked with everyone in the command tent, which was going to make life a lot simpler for him he thought. He addressed the room at large, pointing to a drawing of the field that they had to use. "This is not going to be like it was in the Cornis Mountains. In the peaks it got cold, it doesn't here. We are in a temperate area so we don't need to worry about building cold weather structures, like we did in the peaks. Also, unlike the Cornis Mountains, this camp is for displaced peoples, so they won’t be here for long. Many of them, once we clear out their home lands, will go back to where they came from to rebuild...hopefully.
"The issues that we are going to have are that first, this camp is not permanent; therefore, no fixed structures if we can avoid them. We will have to make do with tents and other temporary buildings. Second, there is going to be a lot of wounded that are coming in, so we need to work around the needs of the healers when laying this camp out. Third, we are going to get a lot of rain in this location, which means we need to consider using stone roads in the camp, I don't want to have to deal with being in a swamp or pit of mud either so we need to look at drainage options."
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