The Dead City of Bel-Aquain

[Lumnos Many-Fur]

Tana blinks in surprise when he hears Rig's reply. but says nothing. He didn't like going into a fight with no plan, he'd seen that end in disaster too many times. Still, that was the nature of such things.

One ear turned back as he heard the sound of hoofbeats on the stone and earth. "We're being followed." Tana said to Rig. The gray fox then turned gracefully, reaching back for an arrow, nocking it, and drawing the bow in a heartbeat and a half.

"What do you seek, stranger?" Tana said, aiming just to one side of the creature's shoulder.

[AlmarRaccoon]

*The horse comes to a stop 5 meters away*
"I have journeyed far from the west and you are the first people I have seen in days. I've come here seeking adventure and I must say I've seen my fair share in the previous months, but I must admit I'm quite lost. And in return I ask; who are you that wanders in the woods at such a late hour, and for what purpose?"

[Aang_Coyote]

Rig looks at Tana and whispers "Should we trust him". Rig thinks to himself, why are so  many people new here? Maybe there is something alluring to our little wasteland. No...Something is bringing them here. Maybe the raccoon is telling the truth and got lost...Doubt it. Rig knows to always be prepared for a fight here.

[Lumnos Many-Fur]

((OOC: AlmarRaccoon, we're in a ruined stone city at the moment, not a forest.))

Seeing that the stranger couldn't be one of the beasts Rig spoke of or a creature looking for a fight, Tana lowered his bow. "To a point." He whispered back to Rig. "Let us watch and see."

"From the west, aye?" Tana said to the stranger. "Do you know the lands of Raydeen to the south? Stonemir and the Burning Sea? White Hart ruled those lands once. I left when his kingdom fell, though not by choice. I wander where I will, this land seems to have no laws or ruler forbidding it. There is danger here though, mad beasts that were once like you and I. We seek to cure thier madness, or kill them if we must."

[AlmarRaccoon]

(Oh, my bad)
*The raccoon dismounts his horse*
"I am familiar with the lands of which you speak. And I may be able to assist you in this task, for I am an alchemist well trained in the art of medicinal healing. However, I do have a feeling that we didn't all end up here by chance... I, too, was driven out of my homeland. A horrible disease ravaged the lands that was hard to detect until it was too late to treat. I tried to find a cure, but I had no such luck."

[Lumnos Many-Fur]

Tana tilts his head slightly, a spark of surprise, perhaps bemusement in his eyes. His lips curled into a slight grim smile. "We have much in common then. My home was overrun by savage unthinking beasts, Rig tells a similar story of a sickness that brought madness to this city. Perhaps there is a connection, I did not know of a sickness in my homeland, but that is not my area of knowledge, nor did I stay long afterward."

---

From one of the few intact rooftops nearby, a pair of wide yellow eyes in a black-furred face watched the creatures below. Hungry, so hungry. But hunger did not drive him entirely, even in madness he disliked the taste of those who shared his fur, if for no other reason than that fish and fowl were sweeter.

It was the sound, the sweet, maddening sounds that came from the throats of those things. They tormented him with pain and lost memories, days when bright sun did not hurt and he felt the caress of a gentle paw. Meaningless things, yet they that hurt worse than wounds and cold, it was a hunger no meat or plant could fill.

He had crept here unseen and in utter silence, and in silence he tensed his muscles, drawing his legs beneath him, and sprang with claws extended for the kill...

[Aang_Coyote]

Rig looked up and saw the beast pounce "LOOK OUT!" and dodges to the side. He takes out his knife and his hands spark with lightning again.

[AlmarRaccoon]

*Almar Jumps backwards and pulls out his spear, taking up a defensive position as his horse rears up in fear.*

[Lumnos Many-Fur]

Tana spun and loosed the arrow as the black form leaped toward them. The creature shrieked and twisted, but couldn't change direction mid-leap, and Tana didn't have time to duck.

It slammed hard into Tana's left shoulder and sent them both rolling head over heels. Tana kicked at the thing, feeling it's claws brush through his fur as he jolted and rolled to one side. Tana got to his feet but didn't have time to reach for an arrow before the creature turned and was almost on him again. Instead he gripped the bow with both paws like a quarterstaff and swing it in a quick arc, landing one blow on the creature's outstretched paw, another on the side of its head.

But then almost faster than Tana's eyes could follow, the creature grabbed his bow and pulled him in close enough to give him a savage kick in the stomach that threw him back aginst the wall.

---

The creature tossed the bow aside and dipped his head, jaws snapping the arrow shaft in his side and spitting it away. He dropped to all fours and gave a worldless howl, the savage joy of the fight overcoming the pain. The horse was too big, he decided. And horses were easy to scare, no threat, they couldn't carry weapons. Instead he charged the standing one that held the bright light in his claws...

[Aang_Coyote]

Held out his claw and zapped the ground right in front of the beast. "WHERE'S RADINA!" he shouted, he shot another electric shock but the thing almost disappeared out of thin air. Rig then falls to the ground, the thing has pounced on him from behind. The beast was about to bite for the kill, but Rig started glowing with sparks and the creature pounced off.
---
That food was fighting back, bad food. Food no do that, food is for me, and will never hurt me. Until now, food will not do that any more... He then goes for the on the big piece of food (Horse)



(OCC Im not sure if im allowed to control the beast thats attacking)

[AlmarRaccoon]

*Almar throws a knife at the creature as it jumps, but narrowly misses. The creature lands heavily on the horse, biting it's neck as Almar Jumps on it's back and puts his spear around it's neck to put it in a choke hold, but the creature vanishes and Almar falls to the ground. He then sits up and looks around."
"What was that? And where did it go?"

[Lumnos Many-Fur]

((OOC: Yes, you're free to control the creature and fight with it same as I do. Also, I PM'd Lots-of-Paws (Radina) a couple days ago, haven't gotten a response. I think we can consider her character missing in action if she doesn't show up soon.))

Tana picked himself up, coughing for breath. He moved forward on three paws to grab his bow, eyes searching all around for thier attacker. But the black furred creature had vanished like a shadow from Almar's grip.

Tana straightened and took an arrow from his quiver. The creature had been long legged, muscular, but slender and quick. He had the uncomfortable feeling that they were up against a Leeska assassin, or what had once been one.

"Leeska. I think. They have magic... like that." Tana said between breaths. He started to turn slowly in place with his bow drawn, looking all around. "I fear it isn't gone for good."

---

The creature hissed in pain as he slithered through the between space and into the physical again. He bit at the arrow shaft, the pain was still there but he couldn't bear to pull it free. Blood. He wanted blood on his fangs that wasn't his own. That would ease the pain.

With another hiss and a pained twist of his body he slipped back into between, an unseen shadow. He drifted over the food-things. The gray one that gave him pain... no, the tricky one, the food-thing that hurt and fought. Food should not rise up, could not!

He slipped out of the between space in the air above the striped one and plummeted toward it with a snarl. He wanted blood!

[AlmarRaccoon]

*Almar gripped his spear in both hands and held it out to hold the creature off as it landed heavily on him, snapping it's jaws just inches from his face.*

[Aang_Coyote]

Rig come up behind it and stabs the beast right in the throat. He cusses under his breath "BET YOU LIKE THAT YOU LITTLE PUNK!".  He then falls unconscious. His energy has been drained. When he wakes up, he realizes it must of been an hour since he was out. He looks to the side of him. He sees that beast, and feels sorrow. He could of cured him or her. He sighs and gets up. "What happened after I was out"

[AlmarRaccoon]

"Not a whole lot. We kept watch, but no more of those tings showed up. Thanks for the help by the way."