The Last War on Kehra

[Sairen]

Nuriel didn't think much to Moradin's comment and shrugged it off. This was a shock to anyone but more to those who's kind had more of a hand at building such things. The stones continued to crumble in an unnatural way, but dark magic had effects like this. The Vetna never really came around such things. He has heard of it but has never seen the extent of it power until now. Dark magic was never a laughing matter and who ever had their hand in this was quite strong at it.

To know such a being existed was unsettling. Moradin found a sewage gate and had Zipper use his strength to open it. A system like this was not something Nuriel was use to. "Well trees don't offer enough space for a system like this." He said as he wrinkled his nose a little at the smell. Just about everything that came out of someone was now a large stew under Mecca. He tried to think about something else, maybe a decaying carcass of an animal just so the sewage wouldn't seem so bad.

Once Deckard made his way to the bottom Nuriel went down. They waited for the Demet and his golem to make it down. "I hope you know a way out of here, Le'avi doesn't really like being underground. Not after that one cave in." He said knowing the poor raven was on edge. At least he wasn't pecking his face when ever the caves were brought up.

 

[Quiet One]

"This sewer leads to a pipe outside the city, if we go straight ahead we should end up outside the North Gate," Moradin explained. Behind him, Zipper gauged the distance and jumped down, splashing the demet in his wake. Moradin sputtered, turning and glaring at his mechanical companion. Zipper lowered his head apologetically. "It's fine. Just don't do it again."

It was a good thing the sewers were large enough for even Zipper to crouch through, otherwise going the whole trip out of Mecca sitting in sewage would take hours. Light and some mercifully fresh air came from the grates above them, but so too came faint screams and the crackle of flames. Sad that in the course of an afternoon the safest place in the safest city on Kehra had turned into the waste rivers below it.

"You're right, Kane," Moradin said from the back. "This is not how I wanted to spend my day." He looked back at Zipper, the magic that brought him to life making his eyes glow a dull violet in the dark. "My friend here and I were going to propose golems for construction. Zipper can be quite handy in a forge and I thought it'd be good to spread that wealth of knowledge and craftsmanship."

He looked to the others. "What of you? What brought you both here this day?"

 

[Silvir]

Deckard nodded while holding his torch up to light the tunnel. "Yeah the design here is clearly from one of my people so it shouldn't be to hard to find our way out again." He looked at the other two decend "This is probably the safest place to be right now" He paused as Moradin spoke up.
"hmm mostly work" Kane muttered in reply as he studied the golem for a moment. "I do some contracts for the military since my family has a history with them" He began to move trough the tunnels expecting the others to follow. "it is impresive work on the golem is he sentient?" He asked "I would love to see how you worked the runes" The Torch burned loudly as he moved it around looking at the walls to see that they where moving trough the right tunnels. Even with the light it was dark and damp around them the splashing water around their feet echoing along the walls alongside the sounds that founds it way down from above.

 

[Quiet One]

"He's sentient," Moradin replied, looking back at Zipper. "But he's only five years old, and often acts like it. That doesn't make him anyone's fool, but there's a lot about the world he still doesn't understand. It's as much a privilege teaching him as it can be a chore."

A scraping sound made him turn back. Zipper had straightened slightly and brushed his metal back against the roof of the sewer tunnel. He looked up through the few vents that brought in sunlight, but there was no indication anyone heard. Moradin sighed. "We should be fine if we just keep going straight. Once at the end you might need Zipper and my help getting the grate open."

The Vetna still hadn't let spill his story. The older Demet nodded to him. "What of you? Another military type?"

 

[Sairen]

The group continued forward, light from above came through the grates they passed by. Moridan and Deckard talked of what brought them here in the first place. At first he didn't really pay them any mind until the question was tossed to him. "Well there isn't much there for me to say. I work as a mercenary but its not unheard of for rangers to ask for our help." He replied honestly.

"I had just finished a job and was looking into a few leads for a new one, but as I traveled I ran into a group of rangers. Lord Ranger Yaturo had requested me here and he usually never sends someone to request me. So I came, I figured it had to be something important. Turns out its actually a emergency." He explained. "Turned out to be an actual emergency." Nuriel couldn't just walk away from something like this. Someone or something was behind this and Mecca was its first attack. Looking at the grounds of the once thriving town he could have this spread into the other neighboring lands. It would be a regret eating away at him if he left this alone.

 

[Mythy the Dragon-Wolf]

< @Decimate @Quiet One @Sairen @Silvir @Boba Fit @Kraveing_Volkf @Heyitsjiwon >

The three in the sewers would keep walking for a while, every once in a while hearing a tortured scream from the grates above, but more often they heard absolutely nothing at all. Eventually they reached the farthest grate, which they could tell by the wall that was the end of the sewer. From there, Zipper would be able to lift the Demet and Veta out, and then climb out himself - though it would be a slightly tight squeeze for him.

At the same time, the soldiers and civilians - advised by Marikoth - walked right by that grate (which was just inside the gate) slowly and carefully. Armakek would be able to sense the closeness of another spirit animal, Le'avi, but soon something more would be coming to their attention. A Caravan of wagons, flanked by soldiers and fight-worthy men was working its way quickly towards the north gate. Caelis and Raython would be leading the wagons, and behind them was a very frightening sight - the very edge of the flood of deamons, which had become the de-fecto name for the beasts.

Vi would wake up in a cold sweat, after having a dream. Or more accurately, a nightmare. She had been looking into a gaping void of black, with two lights of a deathly red staring back at her. She had felt her very soul being torn at by tendrils of black hatred, and seemed to have only waken up by the grace of an ever-changing light that came into the dream. She had before drained herself, it was part of her training, but she had never had a dream like that before. yet eve now she was drained, cut over from her overuse of wind, and little help in a fight at this moment.​

 

[Quiet One]

Viola gasped and held her heart. It was beating like war drums, and she wiped the sweat from her brow, making her surprisingly shiver. She felt the greasy water on her fingertips. Cold. For that matter, her hand looked unusually pale. She shook herself, and could actually feel the blood returning to her skin. That had been quite the blast. And that dream...it felt more like a vision...

She looked over at Kaer, who was laid right beside her on a villager's cart. He seemed awake as well, but like her far too drained to be of use in the fight anymore. But that wouldn't stop her. Vi got up, grunting from a few bruises that were likely caused by her passing out onto a cobblestone street. In the crowd she spotted Marikoth and stumbled towards him. "Marikoth!" she called out. While making her way towards him, she looked around for Reia. Where'd the little pick-pocket ended up?

Just then a series of bangs rang from the street. Three shots that seemed to come from the stone itself. A sewer grate was pulled free by a pair of mechanical hands, then two Demets and a Vetna were lifted out of the grate one at a time, followed by a giant metal man. The golem looked familiar, and Vi was pretty sure she'd seen it earlier that day.

But then something else caught their attention; a wagon and soldiers racing for the gate. And bringing up the rear - a surge of monsters. Vi was still too sore to be of much help. They were outnumbered. She turned to Marikoth. "We have to find a way to close the door behind them or we'll be overrun even outside the city. Maybe those Demets can relock the gate from the outside, trapping those things in here and giving us a chance to get away."

 

[Silvir]

Deckard silently thanked the big golem with a nod and looked at the evacuation taking place around him. It couldn't be taken for anything else. The fear was like a thick smell in the air amongst all these people running for their lives.
The Demet looked around him as he spoted the monsters closing in. Eyeing the gate and the surrouding wall. "hm hey how good is our golem friend at climibing and jumping?"
The gates did not give him much hope. They had to run outside and then close them and those gates where designed to be closed and sealed from the inside, leaving anyone on the outside little to work with especially if they wanted to seal the gates behind them as they fled.
"maybe if we could destroy the gate house behind us" he mutered but then sighed. It would require explosives and it did not seem like they had enough time for that.
Moving towards the gates with the rest, taking for granted the others would again follow. Kane silently wished he had brought his full plate armour even if he was of duty at the time.

 

[Kraveing_Volkf]

Reia spotted the wagons and called down letting the others know, before yelling down what was following the wagons. She quickly climbed then dropped down near Marikoth and said, "There is a whole horde coming, we do not have the manpower, or arrows to thin it or halt it." She waved at Vi before looking back at Marikoth, "Those caravans are the last trip out of here. We need to make sure we are on them, and more importantly we need to make sure these doors close and preferably lock after we are out."

 

[Boba Fit]

Marikoth & Armakek

"Do not worry. I have already given the orders to the men. They are holding this line till everyone gets through, providing covering fire as needed. As soon as the last civilian as through the line, the men will fall back through the gate. When they are through the gate, Armakek will cut the rope. The gate will slam shut. That will buy us some time. We need to move at that point to higher ground where we can send out flares to any surviving forces from the other 2 gates." He said to everyone trying to figure out the plan.

"The retreat order is on me. As Soon as the last civilians are through we will fall back. My eagle can cut the rope and fly out. No worries. Just help everyone get out of the gate in time."

The highest ranking officer left was still overseeing his men, as told to by Marikoth earlier. He would make sure the men retreated in an organized fashion.​

 

[Quiet One]

Vi looked down at the mention of the city's other two gates. Clear on the other side of Mecca, it seemed unlikely that anyone seeking safety there was as lucky as they had been. And she didn't count them particularly lucky, what with a roving horde of monsters barreling down on them. She looked up to get a good look at the giant that had crashed into the temple. The burning stone monstrosity had its back to them, likely focused on one of the other two gates. It felt hopeless for any survivors beyond them.

"I'll try to encourage them along," she said to Marikoth and jumped back onto the cart she'd been placed on. With a deep breath she cupped her hands around her mouth and amplified her voice through the wind. "EVERYONE, PLEASE REMAIN CALM! PROCEED OUT IN AN ORDERLY FASHION! YOU THERE, WITH THE OX CART! HOLD AND LET THOSE FAMILIES PASS! OKAY, NOW YOU GO! PLEASE REMAIN TOGETHER AFTER EXITING THE GATES! HEY! NO PUSHING OR I WILL PUT YOU IN THE BACK OF THE LINE!"

~<~>~
​

Moradin loaded his Ironshooter with an extra three shots and turned to Kane. "Jumping he's not too good at, but he's well-built and can handle a climb." He aimed his gun at the horde following behind the last cart and fired, those he shot toppling others over. He looked back at Kane, but he was already on his way to the gates. Moradin recharged his weapon, then looked down at his magic stone, getting an idea. "KANE!"

He jogged after him, Zipper following behind. "The ones who opened this gate no doubt have a plan to close it again, but I can buy us a little more time with my charging stone." He held up the glowing rock. "If I climb down the outside of the gate with Zipper, I can weld the gates shut once they're closed!"​

 

[Silvir]

"Yeah that sound like a plan" Kane pondered it for a moment watching as the people gathered in the area exited trough the gate guarded by remnant soldiers and city watch. "Looks like they are preparing to retreat once people have escaped, we better move into position and inform whomever is in charge" It didn't take long to spot an authoritarian figure in the crowd and Kane pointed towards Marikoth handing out orders. " See him over there? He looks like he is one of the responsible here talk to him about the plan" Loading the crossbow Kane looked at the wall. "Meanwhile im going to find a good location and give our lines some help from above"

 

[Mythy the Dragon-Wolf]

< @Quiet One @Silvir @Kraveing_Volkf @Boba Fit @Sairen >

With Reia in a good vantage point with her bow and arrows, she was soon joined by Kane, though they wouldn't have much chance to interact as they had to keep their eyes on the horde of beasts that were barreling down on them. They had maybe a few minutes before the first ones would slam into their line of soldiers, and even then they wouldn't have long. Thankfully, it seemed that thanks to Marikoth's orders - which were being given out by the sergeant which had seemed to be in charge - and Vi's directing of the refugee traffic, the rest of the civilians were out and making convoy to Manaan in short order.

With the horde closing faster and faster, the sergeant came back up to Marikoth and saluted. "Sir, all the civilans are through, and the soldiers are moving after them." he said, looking at the gatehouse. "We'll need someone to cut the rope so we can hold the monsters back.. I can do it, sir." he said, nodding his head. "It would be an honor to do so."

With the rest of the soldiers moving through the gate, Reia and Kane were told to move as well, to keep the civilians covered as they would begin to convoy. Vi had been offered a ride in the wagon where she had been held, alongside Kaer. As so far, Moradin and Zipper had been left to their own device and given a wide berth by many who didn't understand Zipper. Nuriel had been asked to move up alongside Reia, Kane, and the rest of the soldiers to provide cover for the refugees, though whether or not he would do so was obviously up to him.

It was the final few moments, where the next moves would prove to be the most important in this stretch of the journey...​

 

[Kraveing_Volkf]

Reia would do as best she could keeping the beasts at bay, and once the civilians were out she got onto the wagon with Vi. She would keep her eyes back watching for any beasts that managed to get past the gate somehow. "Darn beasts interrupted our game." She laughed before giving a soft sigh, "So...is your friend okay?" She asked with a timid smile, unsure how to ask about the fire guy.

 

[Silvir]

Kane glanced at the Vetna female next to him on the vantage point. Trying to place if he had seen her earlier she was short for her kind. A youngster?
Perhaps, he thought and turned his focus on what was below. the Vetna did not seem to pay him that much mind either way so he did the same and let lose bolts against those beasts who tried to push trough early. Focusing later on those who gave the defenders in the line trouble or threatned the lines cohesion.
It went well people knew their positions and held firmly for as long as possible. Deckard nodded to him self as he no longer could give support and moved out trough the gates at a request, joining other survivors in the rear of the convoy. He listened with half interested at the Vetna girl talking to a comrade of hers in the wagon as he walked next to it with some other women and men from the guard and the different militaries. Now it was up to the people closing the gate so Moradin and Zipper could seal it. Hopefully the would manage before being overrun. "it's not over yet" he muttered.

 

[Sairen]

After finally getting out of the sewers they were able to meet others. People who were managing an escape and it was good to see a large crowd. Thankfully those who were leading people out of the city already had a plan in place. Mordian and few others went over to help with the soldiers provide cover for the civilians and close the gate.

Nuriel had already started to move forward away from the gates. There was a plan and the plan was executed. They even had a plan for the gatehouse to enclose the daemons inside. Le'avi screeched a little only at Nuriel's terrible behavior, but it was ignored. As of he prioritizing some of his concerns. He could hear families trying to comfort one another and even some questioning what was to come. None of this was over and maybe Le'avi was right this one time. He should be focused on the people in front of him and make sure they make to Manaan. He can think of what to do and where to go after he knows they are safer.

 

[Quiet One]

When Reia hopped onto the cart Viola sighed in relief. So far it looked like everyone was making it out. She plopped down into a seated position, her voice no longer needed to guide the city dwellers out of there. At Reia's question, she looked at Kaer. "He should be fine. Like me, he just used too much power at once. I think he either used more than I did, or he's not as experienced with over-exerting himself. Plan on giving him a 'thank you' peck on the cheek when he wakes up." She paused and curled up on the wagon. "I just hope he didn't have the same dream I did."

~<~>~
​

At the Gates, Zipper's metal fingers gripped at the ornate metal-work decorating the North Doors, using it to haul him and Moradin up. They were almost at the top, ready to hold and follow the swing as the gates closed. The metal lined the edges of both wooden doors, and the stout Demet on Zipper's back was adamant he could weld with minimal damage to the wood. Zipper looked down from where they were and pressed himself against the door, metal lids shutting over his eyes.

"Stop looking down. I don't like being up this high, either," Moradin told him. "Just keep calm and go slow. You got that?"

Zipper nodded, and they continued to the top of the gates.​

 

[Mythy the Dragon-Wolf]

< @Quiet One @Silvir @Sairen @Kraveing_Volkf @Boba Fit >

With the final wave of people moving out of the gate, the time had come to get out of there. The monsters were closing in, their weapons dragging on the ground and kicking up dust. Even the towering stone monster in the distance seemed to have turned its attention to the northern gate, though it was still far enough away to not be too much of a threat. With the civilians and soldiers through the gate, Marikoth backed away and then spoke an order to his partner, the eagle Armakek. With screech he to the air and flew into the guardpost, where the wheel that would hold open the gate was located. And with razor-sharp talons he tore through the rope in a mere minute. Too slow to stop the entirety of the horde, but the few that got through were quickly and easily put down with a number of well-placed arrows.

Armakek had to dodge a few swords, but he quickly got out of the post and would return to Marikoth at about the same time that Moradin would finish his own task. And, off in the distance, there seemed to be almost no one, if anyone at all, through the other two gates. Should anyone have escaped, chances are they were already gone. The families and soldiers would be heading towards Menaan, the Tehen capital city, and it would be best for the group to go with them. They had already become symbols in the eyes of some of the survivors.

~~~

A few hours passed. The sun was passed high noon and was beginning to go down the sky, though there was a while before it would disappear behind the mountains far to the west, where no one went. There had been little talking as the caravan built up distance from Mecca, but even with the tension in the air, people had begun to calm down. Perhaps talk amongst one another. Though the heroes themselves seemed to be held in awe of the people, including the soldiers who had seen them arrive.

In one wagon, Kaer had been growing steadily more pale as the time went on, and he had been mumbling strange words. When he finally woke up, he was white as a ghost and in a pale sweat. He shook, blood starting to return to his face as he looked around, both to get his bearings and to find Vi, make sure that she was also alright.​

 

[Kraveing_Volkf]

Reia didn't understand the odd abilities that Vi had though learning that using them too much could mean blacking out she felt like she should come up with some way to help her new friend train. After all she didn't want Vi to black out during a time when it could be dangerous. "Ew no." She squealed when giving the guy a kiss on the cheek was mentioned, "Why would I kiss him thats gross and stuff."

"But…what dream are you talking about? Was it a bad dream? Was it scary?" She noticed the guy looked to be getting better and waking up though so if it was something Vi didn't want this guy to know then she supposed they would be waiting until later to talk about it…if Vi even wants to talk about it.

 

[Quiet One]

"Hold on!" Moradin shouted as the gates swung closed. Zipper hugged the great door as it shut, then his maker gave new orders. "Now down! But go slow! I need time to weld this shut."

Zipper would then slowly begin to crawl down the wall, Moradin sticking his heat stone to the metal between the doors. It was working; he was effectively welding the doors together, despite an uncomfortable shaking from the monsters on the other side trying to force their way out. When they got to the bottom the demet smiled at his handiwork and patted Zipper on the thigh.

~<~>~​

"I meant ME," she giggled back. She looked down at him. "It's just a peck on the cheek. What's wrong? Jealous?" She nudged the girl, smiling to her. Vi was feeling better already. It was like their worries were behind them. Literally right behind them. The mention of the dream, however, reminded her of how close that danger was. "It's hard to explain. I was in the dark and there were two red lights - I think they might have been eyes. I felt something around me, something trying to get to me. I don't know what it was, but it was full of hatred. I always wondered how people identify evil. Whatever that was, I think that's what I saw."

Hours later everyone at last began to feel truly safe. With this safety, grief could set in. Kaer had awoken, and Vi immediately checked on him. He seemed alright, but she was concerned. He'd been out a lot longer than her, and if he'd had the same dream, he was keeping quiet about it. Even after he'd awakened, he still seemed paler than her, but at least he had recovered his powers like she had.

"I hope we stop soon," she confided to her fellow season-borne. "We need answers, and I plan to pray for mine."​