Viridos, Chapter 3

[Tegan]

Jetty Slums

With that business completed, there was only one thing left for Eif to do.

Destroy the evidence.

His fingers brushed the scraps of paper on the wall, before withdrawing. There was a voice behind the door.
"...is cooked."

+++​

Chelena and Carus left Z'tir waiting at the favela docks. The address Belphebe had supplied belonged to, what at first appeared to be, an abandoned building. Upon entering the dilapidated structure, it soon became apparent that this was a place where refugees and immigrants from the Red Nation lived in absolute squalor. Carus covered his nose with a handkerchief, making a sound of disdain as they stepped over tree roots and bits of broken masonry. Above them, pieces of the roof were missing, making it necessary for his nocturne companion to keep close to the walls to avoid being burned. Up there, parrots and lemurs shrieked, warring for territory.

Behind closed doors, they heard the muffled sounds of the occupants within: babes crying, old lovers quarrelling, young lovers loving, the laughter of young men.

They passed two old Kaustirans bent over an alien board game. The players paid very little attention to the out of place pair.

At last, they came to a rotting door, layers of different paint colors peeled from the surface. "My last chance. If we don't find anything here, Chelena, my goose is cooked."

+++​

Nama's—no, Rasfien's apartment was a damp, sparsely furnished affair. It was little more than a flophouse, a temporary base of operations. Carus stood in the doorway with Chelena, his eyes wide in wonder.

"By the dead gods." He whispered in awe. For every surface of the wall of the flat was plastered in coded, broken messages, maps of the Aviary, portraits of the social elite—his own was amongst these, diagrams of the Alate, instructions for a strange suit with battish wings, all of them connected with red string. Awe struck, Carus stepped forward to inspect the walls closer. Chelena stayed in the doorway, staring at the red footprints on the floor, their heat signature still fresh.

"Carus, we're not alone—"

There was a cry from Carus, cut short when the strings that twined around his throat suddenly constricted, crushing his airways. The avian was violently jerked from the floor, a sickening snap from his spine accompanied the motion, his feet kicked at the air, his wings hung useless.

"Carus!"

While the avian struggled to free himself, his face turning purple, a yellow-clad figure dropped down from the rafters above. He gave Chelena no time to react, before his sinister strings strung out, tangling around one of her legs. He gave a sudden tug, pulling the thief off her feet, and onto her back. Phospherenes of pain exploded in her vision when the back of her head slammed against stone, stunning her for a moment.

Eif dragged his prey into the room. Neither of them noticed the sun go dark outside.

+++​

Outside in the streets was another matter. Forest kin, half'kin, anima and humans stopped to look up at the darkened sky.

They saw their death approaching from the distance.

 

[Peregrine]

CHELENA-HOSIA, cyan

Even more than the rest of Hosia, this place was flooded with the disgusting colors. It was impossible to escape them, and they left Chelena disoriented. She shook her head from side to side, clinging close to Carus and only leaving his side when she had to dart about some cascading sunlight.

She paused in the doorway as Carus walked into the room, uncertain of the place that they had found. The thief had not been a fool, and she wouldn't have left everything up on the walls for any random passerby to examine. Not without some kind of consequence. So while Carus was quickly distracted by everything covering the walls Chelena was studying everything but the walls.

"Carus, we're not alone-" Between the colors of this hovel and the shades of her own voice, Chelena was barely able to even see the threads that descended to wrap around Carus' neck, and she was certainly too far away to do anything about it. She shouted his name,a part of her already knowing it was far, far too late for her to do anything. If it hadn't been for the color of his robes as they stirred the air in his fall, Chelena would have been as dead as her colleague. Quickly realizing that she was trapped Chelena flung herself upwards with all the force she could muster. The threads that were meant to close around her throat as well spiraled around her leg, and they swept her feet out from underneath her. And, combined with the weight of her own plunge back to earth, there was no way she could stop her head from colliding with the ground. She let out a bellow of pain, reaching out her hands in desperate claws in an attempt to grab something, anything. Whatever it was that was wrapped about her leg might very well wind up ripping something important off, but if she was dragged all the way towards him, the loss of a small appendage would be the least of her worries.

Vethe was coiling around the attacker, but his insubstantial form could do nothing to the man. Their attacker perfectly ignored the snake , and continued to reel the struggling Chelena in towards him. Without another moment's hesitation, knowing that there was no other way for her to get out of this, Chelena triggered her advent. Softly, desperately trying to make her notes as sweet as possible in this putrid environment and around her own whimpers of pain, Chelena began to sing. As soon as the first notes of her song reached his ears, her attacker began to go limp. On the far side of the room the threads holding Carus up went limp, and he dropped to the ground. A small gasp echoed around the room, almost completely muffled by Chelena's song.

The thread was still biting deep into her leg, and there was still a massive amount of tension on the string, but he was no longer pulling her towards him. As long as she maintained the song, she would have one minute to untangle herself from this mess and get a running start out the door. She twisted her foot sideways, bending her ankle unnaturally and slipping her toes between the threads that were in her attacker's hands. Both her head and her leg were throbbing in bright, distracting colors, but she focused all of her attention on her foot and her song. That was all that mattered right now.

Taking a deep breath, Chelena tried to scoot herself in towards her attacker, desperate to create a little bit of slack to make it easy for her to finish untangling her foot. But the moment even a touch of slack entered the string the Kaustirian pulled the threads towards him. He was hypnotized, not paralyzed. Instinct still ruled, and every part of his training told him to keep the threads tight.

Twenty seconds in.

Whimpering slightly, but unable to allow herself to succumb to the pain in both leg and head, Chelena pulled on the strings, looking to create even a taste more freedom for herself to work with. She rolled her leg far to the side, straightening her foot as much as possible. One loop released.

Thirty seconds in.

Doggedly, Chelena continued to fight with the thread, dividing her attention between it, her song, and anything else unpredictable that might decide to launch itself at her. If she was caught unaware now, by anything, it would mean her death.

At forty five seconds, she finally freed herself from the mess. Chelena hauled herself to her feet, ignoring the bright colors that wrapped around her leg as she tried to press weight down on it. She didn't have time now. Turning to cast one last look at her fallen comrade, Chelena broke for the door, her singing interrupted. Carus couldn't fight right now. Her best bet for making sure that Carus stayed alive was having the thread master chase her.

It took the Kaustirian less than a second to break free of the hypnosis and throw his threads after her. He was determined to rope his captive back in and finish the job. But, while Chelena was not a fighter, she was an acrobat. And now that she knew what exactly she was fighting, her unique abilities came into perfect play.

Chelena flung herself forward, flipping through the air, rolling once off the floor and then springing up. The threads whistled past her, missing her by an inch. An inch was more than enough.

She paid strictest attention to every color that came from behind her, to the yellow that glowed around the thread master as he raced after Chelena, preparing to throw again. She sprang off of one wall, tumbling through the air, rolling cleanly out of her fall before racing on down the hallway. The Kaustirian was gaining on her, but he still hadn't caught her. All she needed to do was find a way out...

Without the sunlight streaming through them, Chelena almost missed the holes in the ceiling. She ran under the first one without properly understanding the opportunity it presented her. By the second one, the idea was lodged firmly in her head. And by the third one Chelena was prepared for action.

She dropped low, rolling out from under the threads, which were once more being flung at her head. As soon as they had passed Chelena jumped upwards, spring-boarding against the wall, and her fingers closed over the edge of the roof. The rotten wood partially crumbled away under her fingers, but she scrabbled for a better purchase, before hauling herself up.

Just as she was about free, a single loop of the thread closed around her foot. She tugged desperately, whimpering as the wire began to scrape her skin off of her foot, but finally it snapped off the end of her toes. Giving herself no further moment she hauled herself upwards and escaped the building. It was at that moment that she finally understood the lack of sunlight.

"Oh, fu-" But there was no time for swear words. The Kaustirian wasn't about to let her go, and already his threads were flying up through the hole in the roof. She could do nothing to escape the falling city if she was already dead.

With that she took off, hurtling towards the river where she and Carus had left the bull and the tiger. Maybe those damned animals could finally prove their worth.

 

[Seth Bloodmoon]

Valyrin, Hosia, Holding Cells of the Garrison

"So, you won't talk, Captain Belltower?" Vayrin asked in dangerous tones as he stared at the avian captain, his expression cold. One hand rested over the handle of his wakizashi as he resisted the urge to draw the blade and simply start carving stripes of flesh off the bastard. That would likely get him in much trouble with Lady Ironblood, thus he needed to show some restraint.

The avian shifted on the uncomfortable chair he was shacked to and responded by simply spitting on the floor near Valyrin's boots before glaring at him definitely.

"Fair enough, you'll be squawking quite freely in the end. You'll regret your stubbornness..," letting those words trail off, "Rhys, bring me the veritas larvae."

Rhys stepped forward, a gourd held in one hand. After handing a set of fine tongs to Valyrin, he pulled the top off the hollowed out gourd. The half-kin put the tongs into the gourd, fishing around for a moment before carefully catching something held within. What he pulled out was a small, slimy, dark brown larvae. With that done, he turned to face the stubborn avian once more, "Are you sure you don't wish to answer my questions?" arching a curious brow.

Captain Belltower looked a little uncertain at this point, but his resolve held strong as he responded with a derisive snort.

"Very well," was Valyrin's only response as he stepped towards the man who could do little to avoid him due being shackled quite securely. Snapping his free hand out, the half-kin caught a hold of the avian's hair and jerked his head roughly to one side. Belltower started cursing violently and struggled. A moment later the half-kin put the wriggling larvae into his captive's ear.

Almost immediately the vicious little creature squirmed into the avian's ear canal, wriggling deeper inside. It was seeking out its victim's cerebral cortex. Once it reached its destination and settled in, the useful side effect of its presence would kick in. It made its victims much more susceptible to suggestion. Which, in turn, would make getting answers much easier. It wasn't a pleasant process, to be sure, the avian cried out in agony and writhed upon the heavy wooden chair. Rhys turned away from the sight, clearly finding it disturbing.

Valyrin, however, watched in cold silence the whole time until Belltower slumped forward in his chair, breathing heavily and sweating profusely. Clasping his hands behind his back, the half-kin waited a couple of minutes, giving the man a chance to recover some from the ordeal he had just been through, then, "Now tell me everything you know about those you work for."

The avian looked up at the half-kin, his eyes seeming unfocused as he began to speak against his will. Valyrin's expression grew grim as he listened and interjected questions. He was unsure just how much time passed when Belltower seemed to run out of useful information. The half-kin captain hungered for even more information. Perhaps the other captain would be able to add to what had already been given. He had names now, amongst other things.

For a moment he pondered simply killing the avian, but resisted the urge. Moments later he exited the small room with Rhys, "Tell the guards to get the bastard a healer to deal with the larvae. I'm going to see if the hishian will be more coope---," his words trailing off.

~Valyrin, something's wrong! The sky isn't right!~ Zephyr's words heard clearly in his mind, the Aux definitely shaken by whatever it had noticed.

"What's wrong, Captain?" a slight frown tugging at the corner's of Rhys' mouth.

"Something's got Zaphyr worked up... Something about the sky...," the half-kin responded, quickening his pace. Questioning the hishian would have to wait.

Moments later the two men stepped outside. Both looked up at the ominously dark sky as Zephyr circled about in a nervous manner. Valyrin managed to murmur, "By Ilium..." as he glimpsed the falling city. A moment later and he started shouting orders to the soldiers that were standing about looking upwards. They had to get people evacuated. Did they even have time for such?

Rhys broke into a dead run, racing out of the garrison and into the city to seek out his family.

 

[Asmodeus]

Hosia

His world was red and burning. Blood behind his eyes and fire in his spine.

Carus kicked as the wires suspended him, catching heels on the parchment-strewn wall. Portraits of himself, his father, his fellow nobles of the First Choir, the maps and renderings of his home. They fell in tatters.

The fragments of his quest.

He choked amid the ruin, and as shadows rolled through the breaches in the roof, he could not guess the final irony. That the Aviary was crashing. That he would die where the city struck - betrayer and betrayed in mutual inferno.

He blacked out. The wires went slack. The Kaustiran agent dashed along the rafters in pursuit of Chelena, and left the avian to his demise.

Carus dropped amid the papers, a crunch as his backbone splintered.

"...father..."

Hosia

Teadoir found a fleck of blood beneath his fingernail. He turned to it with intensity, examining the blemish in the sunlight, selecting a dagger from his boot, turning the blade for the perfect edge, digging under, scraping out the dirt.

He had not answered Medwick for five minutes. Caoimhe and Shardis stood uncertainly, a circle of guards around them, while the water lapped beyond the blood-stained jetty.

"An entertaining proposal," he said at last. "You have travelled far, Pegulians, and I must confess that trade between the Green and Blue nations is still in a..." He drew blood beneath his fingernail. ""...disappointing infancy." He sat back in his chair and took up his teacup. "Your attention to detail is appreciated, Master Medwick. True, the Dreadcove would be a fine alternative to the Avarathi Run, and if you have men in Aldus who are pliable, a detour around the Norsigal Steps would benefit us greatly. Kessel is a busy man, but a chance to deny the Black City its taxes will no doubt clear some space in his diary. You've thought of everything."

He reached a hand across the table. Medwick relaxed a little and did the same.

"Except..." Teadoir frowned to himself while taking the mage's hand, closing tight around his fingers, the teacup in his other hand. "...there is one drawback in the proposal." His eyes met Medwick's. "White Claudia is not grown on the Hosian Delta."

Medwick's heart dropped. His face, losing colour in an instant, stared blankly at Teadoir. His mouth moved, knowing it should respond, and do so quickly, yet no words were forthcoming. He stuttered. He hesitated.

Teadoir flung the teacup forward and doused the mage's face in steaming liquid.

"GALAIN!"

Every instinct in Shardis screamed, and her muscles moved an inch before they froze. Canudos, the furred imp who had led them here, was inches from her leg. The creature's thumbnail had elongated - a curved and razor claw that pushed against her femoral artery. She felt the pressure and knew that if she moved an inch her lifeblood would be shed in gory spray. The anima shook, wide-eyed, unmoving.

Beside her Caoimhe flinched alike and went to react. But her eyeline was filled with metal. Another guard had stepped in front of her, crossbow braced, bolt levelled at her throat. She stared at the man, clutching her backpack, not daring to move. The man's hand was ice-cold on the trigger.

With the two women yielding, another guard moved in and seized Medwick's injured shoulder. Now held by the guard, and by the wrist-lock Teadoir had him in, the mage was hauled from his chair, blinded and burned.

"A sad start indeed to my future." The minister pulled Medwick like a child, the wrist-lock agonizing. The guard took the mage's falchion from its sheath and used it to corral him. Together they moved across the blood-slick planks towards the water's edge. "If dealing with Pegulians is this unsatisfying, it's no wonder you need drugs." With the guard holding Medwick's other side, Teadoir moved his victim to the edge and held him there, facing him to the swirling river. "Now tell me why you're really here."

"LEAVE HIM!" Shardis flinched again, but the claw of the furred creature pressed deeper. Her artery was at breaking point.

"The White.. Clau--"

He barely finished the lie when Teadoir twisted his arm and doubled him over, closer to the water. The man hissed with the first glint of anger he had shown thus far. "I am a Minister of government! I smell bullshit; I taste lies. Tell me why you are here."

The river surface broke. The same creature emerged. A writhing horror of spines and tentacles. Its dozen glazed eyes looked up. It reached to stroke the mage's boots. Teadoir's guard probed Medwick's back with his own falchion, keeping him from retreating.

Teadoir laughed. "Look at that - she's still hungry. Greedy bitch."

"No..." It was the only word that escaped Caoimhe as she stood at crossbow point.

"Last chance, Pegulian." Teadoir and his guard forced Medwick closer to the tentacles.

"BROTHER, NO!"

He closed his eyes. Screams, the rushing water, the pounding blood - it gave white noise to his final thoughts. Once again, a psychopath had him dangling over water; and once again he was silent. No more lies would trick this man. And the truth... what would a monster such as Teadoir do with the truth? The Divine Weapon... its nature, its location.... the means to find and wield it. A new age of dominion for Viridos, a power corrupting and absolute. A second Cataclysm, waged by the bloodied hands of Teadoir.

No...

Medwick's body relaxed in the grip of his two killers; his face became serene in the shadows of the sea monster. This was it. He would carry the secret to his grave. He would not betray his people; his friends; his legacy.

For Pegulis... for the Blue Nation... for the country he loved, he would die. And at last, beyond the long plains and icy passes of a savage life, he would be with Shardis's father again. He would be with Remnata, and tell him at last, without any fear, that--


...


Medwick's eyes flickered open. The noise. It was too much. Even in the terror of impending death, it was too loud. He stared into the waters and saw the monster, not reaching up this time, but instead coiling tentacles around the jetty pillars. Trying to hold on. The current had magnified - twice, maybe five times the velocity as before. And the volume was a laden one, a rush of twigs and sediment. The monster flailed for a moment and then was swept away.

A flood? Displacement from some impact?

The hold of Teadoir and the guard loosened. A shadow slipped over them. Medwick straightened, and he, Teadoir and the guard tipped back their heads to peer at the Hosian skies.

Teadoir's eyes went wide as he saw the Aviary plummet through the cloud line. "Oh... my.... Goauwgh!!"

Medwick chopped him straight in the throat.

The soldier flinched, glanced at the falchion, swung it. Medwick spun and caught his hand upon the hilt. They looked at one another. They tensed for a moment. The soldier saw the ring on Medwick's hand.

The shield spell triggered and the soldier was blown clean off the jetty planks and into the water, leaving Medwick holding the falchion.

"RUUUUUUUN!"

The claw of Canudos had lowered slightly as shadows filled the sky. Shardis twisted and lashed her leg out, punting the furry bastard clean across the jetty. Canudos collided with the crossbow man, who fired as he fell, the bolt sailing between the strands of Caoimhe's hair and thudding into the wall.

"Guhkh thah cuhlx!" Teadoir rasped in fury as he stumbled, clutching his bruised throat.

Caoimhe did not hesitate. The wolf-girl vaulted over Canudos and the crossbow man, hurtling towards Medwick. And beside her Shardis rolled under the table, as a lattice of crossbow bolts shattered the tea set. She came up on the other side, aligned herself behind Caoimhe, then rammed both her and Medwick.

The trio soared out into the shadowed air and plunged into the hurtling river, swept away in a tangle of limbs and clothing.


And far above, as Aerie placed the stones to steer the wayward city of avians, she had not the slightest idea that she had just saved the lives of her old friends.

 

[Cerulean]

He had given Carus and his friend a good luck nod as they left to try and find the thief. If they didn't at least get that stone, they would ALL be cooked and crushed under the literal weight of the descending avian city. So The Bull Anima would wait, patiently, for his temporary companions to get a step further in this hunt for the thief/whore. Damn Carus and his probably feathery genitalia. If I see him actually go back into that whore house, to pay for services, he might actually kill him. However, it was good that he was breaking his back just to try and solve this terrible deed.

"Z'tir what was it you said about the--"

He stopped. It was borderline involuntary as the darkness in the sky seemed to clamp his mouth shut. The grave digger was here and looked to bury everyone within the dangerous vicinity. Just as he was in pure awe...

"Khanaan! Z'tir! Give me some help here!"

His head snapped and stared at Chelena making a beeline towards them both. Carus was not gbehind her. It was a new face, that was covered. He snorted and turned to the tiger.

"Go up to the house! Check on Carus. Make sure to get him out of there!"

Z'tir seemed to understand that Khanaan wanted to save him, if need be. But the blacksmith couldn't tell for sure, as he can't read minds. Chelena came whizzing by and he turned one more time and took Hammy out to swing at the chaser's legs. The swing was in vain, as it missed, but it was enough to get him to jump over the swing and slap Khaaan in the back of the head. This angered him greatly, but at least he had the attention of the enemy.

"You will deal with me first."

He goes for another swing, that is again dodged.

"A finesse character hm?"

The chaser shook their head and took up some strings and readied them. Khanaan cracked his knuckles and went for another attempt to kill. He did not get a full swing before the string was around his arm and tightening.

"Oh but this is what I want! Close quarters is my favorite!"

Khanaan grabbed the string with the opposite hand and yanked the enemy forward and the blacksmith landed a solid punch on the supposed noggin. After a stumble and head shake more string were sent out to contain the other hand. The strings dug into his fur and stretched along the skin. It burned.

"Ah!"

He yanked again, but the enemy was ready this time and took a heavy stance so he was not launched to close to the blacksmith. Thinking quickly, string after string was thrown to try and contain the stubborn bull. After trying to fight and fight all his legs looked to be tied within a web of terrible string. For a moment they both stood there, the string tightening and Khanaan losing patience.

"Fine. Let us see if you can swim."

With a roar the bull charged. Easily he was dodged. Of course, he didn't expect to actually hit him. He expected his full weight to pull him into the river. Khanaan took a good breath before tumbling into the water, bringing the attacker with him.

 

[lynzy]

Water ugh! Shardis spat and inhaled as she paddled for her life. The snow leopard anima had never had to swim before but it seemed to be an instinctual trait as she managed to keep her head above the waterline as they were dragged away by the current. Medwick and the wolf-girl were ahead of her for the moment but that seamed to change often as the currents swirled and eddied around them, some tugged at her trying to drag her down but she paddled onward hopping against hope for a branch or a sandbar, rock... anything!

Her wishes were answered by a sudden thud and an "umph!" as she ran into a bolder. Shardis scrambled for her life to get out of the dark muddy waters and stand hunched over for a moment to catch her breath and find her friends. They were doing their best to keep their heads up and grab for anything they could as the water pulled them this way and that. Gathering her reserves Shar leaped from the rock to a branch then climbed toward land and followed them, moving quickly to try to out pace them. She could see Galain was faltering and yelled, "Keep paddling! I am coming for you!" Hoping it would help as she desperately reached out to him from the bolder she had found purchase on.

Their hands met and she was almost dislodged from her perch by the pull and weight of him as she yelled once more, "Hold on! Don't let go!" Caoimhe was a much better swimmer than ether her or her brother as she managed to catch a branch and hold on a little farther down stream. The grip she had on Medwick though was fragile at best, if she pulled now it would dislocate his wrist possibly even rip his hand off. If she didn't, he would dround for sure.

Rearranging her body on the bolder she let go her hold with her other hand and grabbed his arm and began pulling him in slowly at first and then grabbed his waist. Unfortunately it had been his bad arm she had to grab but some things couldn't be helped.

After getting him steady on land she turned to the wolf girl and helped her as best she could then returned to Galain to be greeted by his anger over hurting his shoulder again. With a sigh she accepted his recriminations and smiled, "Well, it's good to see your humor is in tact at least." The jibe hit home and he threw a handful of mud at her as he stood up favoring his arm once more.

"Now, where the hell are we?" The trio looked around them, swiftly running water on one side, forest on the other.

 

[DotCom]

Aerie - The Aviary, darkred

The first part of the descent had gone smoothly.

The pests above had finally shut up, and she could no longer hear those below. Wind buffeted her broken wing, sending dizzying spikes of pain lancing through her back and shoulders, but she was glad for it. Things might have been boring otherwise.

Somehow or another, this eclectic team that stood between the floating metropolis and the death of hundreds or thousands, had come together, yanked heads from asses, and seemed on the verge of an unlikely success. Aerie was even beginning to feel halfway useful, picturing liquor and men and statues built in her honor and liquor. The climbing equipment was unwieldy but reliable. The Valkyrie was only half as useless as she looked. The new crystal was tucked safely some place neither Manic, nor her father would approve of.

Things were going okay, even moving in the right direction.

She snorted to herself. "'Negative energy' my exquisite ass," she muttered.

She was not ten yards from salvation when the Staircase began to crumble.

--

The first lurch was enough to tell them all something was wrong.

Keeva gasped in quiet surprise as Nyashi threw herself over her mother, barreling them both into the dark and away from the staircase. The floor beneath their feet bucked and weft like it hadn't since the early days of the Aviary's descent, throwing Adelita roughly off balance as she peered down the glowing length of the staircase. The girl hardly had a second to scream as she pitched over the edge, flaring her wings to right her fall at the last moment. She was thrown hard against the interior of the staircase, groaning as the counted the stars spinning in her vision…only to realize not all the stars were hallucinated.

"Um…guys? I think -- " Whatever she thought was drowned in the sound of thunder as another stair broke off and tumbled down the shaft.

"Watch out!"
The large flat stone struck a curved wall and rebounded inward as it tumbled down the Staircase, picking up speed as it fell – straight toward Aerie and the giant bee below her.

Aerie had a half an instant to think. "Fucking karma," she muttered to herself, before disengaging herself from the tangle of climbing gear to throw herself free from the path of the crumbling Staircase.

For a moment, she clung, insect-like, to the Staircase's inner wall as the stone tumbled past, her arms and legs trembling with exertion, wings half spread for balance.

And then she fell.

Below her, the Valkyrie followed suit, diving out of the falling wreckage, clearing the path for Kozoul, Bunh, and the Bee.

"Oh, my," said a small voice, just before the bee lurched out of the way. The stone caught a hind leg, sending it and both riders spinning through the narrow chasm of emptiness as more stones spilled from above.

"Guys?!" said Adelita, louder now, as she clearly hadn't been heard the first time. "I think – "

"The Staircase is falling apart. Brilliant observation," Aerie muttered. She clung, pale-faced, to what remained of the thief's climbing gear, having only just managed to catch it as she fell. The tree Aux splayed across her back appeared buffeted by an invisible storm. She promised to make time later to puke up her guts. Now, she held up one wing in semi-protection against the splintering Staircase – it would seem some part of the Aviary had finally struck land, or near enough. Which chopped their time to mere minutes, if that.

"Aerie?" The Valkyrie, having settled Kozoul and Bunh back atop their disoriented and angry looking bee, had flown back up to Aerie, boasting a pair of working wings that made Aerie want to kick her in the chin. She refrained. Mostly because she dared not move any of the limbs wrapped around the thin wire that now dangled in nothingness, a field of green below. "Do you – "

"I'm fine," she snapped. "Get them all out of the way. If this doesn't work, the last place we want to be is BETWEEN THE AVIARY AND THE GROUND."

"But you – "

"Why does getting out of my way require so much talking? Go!"

Faina hesitated a moment before dropping back down to where a trembling Kozoul guided the bee, whose outraged buzzing was drowned out over the sound of wind and falling debris. It fell like rain now, and if the remaining fliers weren't carefully, they'd be brained only just before being crushed.

Aerie alone continued downward, hands burning as she allowed herself to drop feet at a time, cursing herself for ever having decided to come on this journey. Things had been simpler, if more boring in Hosia, even with Belphebe's girls opening their legs everywhere a man opened a purse. Of course, Hosia now trembled in the shadow of a falling city, but still.

Her palms and the insides of her arms and wrists had been flayed clean when at last she came level with the bird cage. The stone column trembled with the force of the wind outside and the falling stones within, and yet the cage did not so much as shiver on its wire spun of enchanted spider's silk. Aerie nearly recoiled. Never had the empty cage seemed so plain. For a moment, she could only regard it in equal parts awe and irritation. Mesmerized, she reached out a hand…

"Aerie!" They waited above her, seven hears poking out over the mouth of the Staircase, rocks tumbling between them. "If you have the crystal, use it! They – "

The Valkyrie's words were lost as the largest piece of the Staircase broke off and tumbled downwards, nearly pitching half the group over the edge with it.

For a moment, there was only silence. There was no room in the Staircase to evade this last stair. Aerie doubted whether there was room even to save the cage.

Dangling against the wire remainder of the climbing gear, her shoulders slumped. She was disappointed. Any statues they built of her after this would loosely resemble a thick and feathery stew.

The rock was falling fast.

"May as well get rid of the thing." The Avian reached down the front of her shirt and shoved the crystal into the cage, as irreverently as she could manage. "At least I can say I -- "

The Staircase lurched again and the falling rock crashed harmlessly through a wall. Still clinging to the hanging wire, Aerie shielded her head from the remaining the debris. Below her, the green was rapidly changing, turning to a dusky brown as the Aviary finally ceased its decent and began drifting northward, leaving Hosia behind.

In the Staircase, the air cleared as the city righted itself at last.

Aerie felt the tension ebb out of her body as she looked up to the seven stricken faces watching from an eerie halo above.

"Does someone wanna drop down a rope of tied sheets? No, that's a joke. I'm tired of climbing. Bee girl, come get me."

 

[Falcon]

[dash=grey]

Hosia - Shekar Ma'alin, saddlebrown

The girl put a crystal down on the counter and Shekar raised an eyebrow, well really a ridge above her eye but the gesture was plain. "You've brought me a rock?" she questioned in a way that made it quite clear she was disappointed in this offering. "A very pretty rock, but it's worthless to me all the same. Try one of the jewelers, girl. They might be able to make use of it"

But then the light changed in the room and Shekar moved to the window, her maw opened in shock. She could see it, barely, the sun blocked out, more rock from the sky beginning to fall.

"Get out!" She snapped, "Get out, everybody out NOW!" She wasted no more time shoving the girl towards the door, chasing those inside of the shop into the open, whipping those with her tail that were too slow. She didn't even give the anima behind the counter time to straighten their clothing as she hauled them out of the space. If what she thought was happening happened, if the water flooded the river's banks enough to reach her shop, they'd all be trapped. Drowning was not a death she wanted to experience.

She grabbed a bag from behind the counter. "Now you're the one wasting time!" Nox snapped.
"We'll need it!" she answered.
She was the last out of the shop. She locked the door. "Like that's going to do anyone any good!" She knew it was stupid given the situation, but some part of her hoped there might be a miracle, that her little shop might survive. She didn't need to lose everything to looters. "GET MOVING!" Nox roared in her ear.

She turned then and saw the chaos.

The sky was dark, the Aviary falling,

Rock broke away and struck the ground, houses, anything and anyone in the way.

Screams filled the air,

The streets filled with running crowds as the river flooded.

Shekar grabbed a running Forest-kin and yanked him in the opposite direction. "No, away from the delta, you fool! Get to the shore above or below Don't run towards it! If the river gets blocked the banks by the debris will flood first followed by those upriver. At least by the sea the water'll have someplace to go! The shore. High ground, Get into the trees. The great ones, the strong ones! You, girl!" here she pointed to the Avian who had been trying to sell her the stone, "Take to the sky while you can!"

And then Shekar left them both behind.

She ran.

[/dash]

 

[Wordsmith]

Z'tir - Rasfien's Apartment, Green

Z'tir stared at the eastern sky while he waited at the mossy shore with Khanaan.

The city seemed to be holding it's breath. A pleasant calm before the storm. The Tiger almost lost his sanity at the sight of people continuing life as if nothing was wrong. The children running around would soon be eaten up by the plummeting city.

"... Grrr... the River will flow with blood..." he murmured.

Premonitions caused Z'tir to adorn his hips with dagger and cutlass. In the end it was a meaningful gesture, but a futile one. Mentally he accepted that death was imminent, though his body would contest until the very end. Z'tir wished only that he could actually help protect the people who lived on the River.

The Aviary finally parted through the clouds, casting a shadow over the city, "...Illium give me courage and strength... Prosperos guide my actions..."

Suddenly Chelena appeared sprinting towards them, pursued by a strange man wearing a mask. The Avian was no where to be found. Showing great confidence, Khanaan hoofed an order for Z'tir to go get Carus. The tiger roared in approval then bolted.

Dropping on all fours, the Anima bounded up the bank towards the ramb-shack apartments as quickly as possible. Cutting a path straight to Rasfien's door, he had to jump over crates and dodge posts to get there in time. The incredible sensation of repetition consumed him; Z'tir had made this same exact sprint before, he didn't even need to think of where to go.

Busting in through the door, the Tiger was greeted by the same desperate scene of his nightmares: Carus lying on the floor dying, a red ring adorned on his slender neck, a room filled with notes, maps, portraits, and red strings. He roared in insanity for he did not know what to do.

Dropping to the floor, Z'tir yelled, "Carus! Wake up!" but there was no response. The roof began to rattle as rocks collided, "Carus, get up!"

A stone broke through the ceiling, crunching right into Carus' wing, "Oh Illium!" Pouncing ontop of the Avian, Z'tir tried to protect the avian's fragile body from being shattered by the hail of debris.

The Tiger's fortitude was put to the test as a barage of blunt-force-trauma battered him. After several blows to the head and body, he started became dizzy and faint. The stones came larger and faster now, ripping the structure apart in a flurry of wood.

"Is it time to die?" Z'tir managed to propose to the gods.

Just then a boulder the size of a small boat collided with the building, literally ripping a portion of the apartment away. The Tiger roared in fear as torrential winds blew across him. Enough was enough though. Hugging Carus, the Tiger crawled to the end of the broken room and dipped off the edge into the river below.

Bruised and splintered, Z'tir placed their destiny in the hands of the Prosperos.

 

[Tegan]

Forty Years Ago

With the human population expanding each passing season, it became clear that the boundaries between humans and forest kin were gradually decreasing. Despite this comingling, tensions were high between the two species who each vied for their place within the forest; neither could or would understand the other, and yet something had to be done in order for them to coexist. The mortals needed representation within the ranks of the Cinnabar Clad.

So a blood oath between the humans and the forest kin was sworn, a contract in flesh, a half'kin child born from one of the Clad and a mortal.

The entirety of her life had been spent within the confines of Ilium's temple, within the borders of Edelon. Under the guidance of monks and scholars, Ironblood had been groomed for her future in the Clad until her fortieth year, when the neophyte was sent from her home to roam the forests of the Green Realm. For five years, the alchemist would commune with all life in Viridos, and learn their ways.

+++​

"Step closer, half'kin, so that I may crush your skull in my jaws."

In the heart of the poisoned forest, the elder trees grew so massive that a dozen men could stand fingertip to tip and still not circle the entire diameter of a single trunk. Roots the size of mounds broke free of the earth, forming moss-slick obstacles to abseil. There was no sun in this place, no beams could penetrate the indigo canopy. Everything was awash in grays, purples, blues and blacks. These were the lands of the unseelie.

Amongst this strange beauty were the corpses of five men, trampled and gored into oblivion.

Ten yards from where she stood, an enormous unicorn was trapped within a cold iron cage. The bars resonated with binding frequencies.

Rage and bile rose in her throat when Ironblood noted the shovels and tindertwigs scattered amongst the gore. They must have been flash farmers trespassing into the deep woods to grow what little they could.

"There is famine in the eastern villages. The black winds have blighted their forests." Her voice like her posture was stiff. Despite his bindings, the alchemist knew better than to take one more step closer. "These humans were trying to feed their families."

"Do not speak to me of blight, girl." Amaltas whinnied, steam billowing from his flared nostrils. Ironblood balked at his disrespect, made to correct him.

"I am the Lady Ironblood of the—"

"I know what you are: orphan breed, goddess fodder." A hot derisive snort. "Tell me, did the Prophet himself guide your sire's cock as he rutted your mother on the astronomer's altar?"

+++​

The first night was spent burying what was left of the five. She chanted their funeral rites, imbibed the sacred and deadly bellastryx caps to grant her visions, so that she could journey with their Aux to the fringe of the material plane.

From his prison, Amaltas watched, silent.

+++​

On the second night, Ironblood had finally worked up the courage to venture closer to the cage. Close enough that she could toss her waterskin between the bars. Then, she sat, legs folded, and moved no further.

It was the unicorn that surprised her with language.

"Fool."

"You only see the good in others. And where none exists, you impose yourself."

It was her time to be silent, to hear what this sidhe had to tell her.

"Those humans were not farmers from the east. They had the stench of Hosia on them."

"They defiled my forest to draw me out. They would butcher me like a common nag and sell my carcass to the merchants."

+++​

On the third night, Ironblood stood before the cage, close enough, that if he desired, Almaltas could impale her upon his spire from between the bars.

The young half'kin's voice quavered a note, before she reigned it in, and addressed the forest guardian without fear.
"If I let you out of that cage, you have to promise that you won't kill anyone else."
Her hands found the lock. She waited for his answer.

"Swear to me, Amaltas."

The silence between them spanned an eternity, before, at last, Amaltas bowed his great head.

Ironblood's pendulum hummed with Advent vibrations until the lock in her hands was reduced to its components: trace elements, minerals, dust.

Bound by the Sivgild Law, Amaltas would never kill again.

Five years later, word of the sidhe army lead by a dread unicorn reached Edelon. What followed were horrifying accounts the torment Amaltas would inflict upon his foes: the slow mutilation of their Crux, before they were transformed into trees.

The Shartan Labyrinth

Dreamily, feverish, Ironblood righted herself and without thinking, scooped up the glowing maggots from her shattered lantern and deposited them onto her wounds, allowing them to feast on the necrotic flesh. Sorry.

Lapin, her protector, her companion, did her best to keep Amaltas from goring the Undertaker, who burned with a hate she had never seen. He was ready to drive his spear deep into Amaltas' heart and twist.

But it was his Aux who betrayed him by begging Ironblood to interfere. His soul, his heart, his deepest self.

Please, do not make me do this.

Weakly, Ironblood hobbled, placing her body between Ash's spear and Amaltas. She glared up at the unicorn, tawny eyes alight with anger.

"Liar."

Then to Lapin and Ash. "He means to twist your emotions. It was he who saved me from the entropist. Please, lower your weapons. Those who serve Ilium do not negotiate at knife point."

Hesitance. Then Ash relaxed his stance. Finally, Lapin released her grip on Amaltas's mane.

The unicorn laughed. "Negotiate? Have you come to save my soul, Iron?"

Ironblood shook her head. No more oathes and curses for him to twist. She had learned that lesson.

"No, Amaltas. It is you who must save mine."

Hosia

The bull's body was strong from years of swinging the hammer, his skin tanned from countless hours slaving over a fiery forge. But assassin and swimmer he was not.

Unfortunately, Eif was both.

Khanaan thrashed beneath the surging waters, his massive hands fighting through the tangled, burning strings to keep hold of Eif, to drag him to the shore and beat the truth from his filthy Kaustirian mouth.

Khanaan was a good blacksmith, a good anima, a good friend. But this was no fairytale where all who get what they deserve. Being good and true and strong was simply not enough in the face of the Red Nation's cunning brutality.

Through the water, the blacksmith felt something sharp slip past the cage of his ribs. Red clouded his vision as Eif slipped free and was carried away by the tide.

+++​

He was beyond the realm of corporeal pain. The severing of his spine left him paralyzed and numb, a mind on fire trapped within a ragdoll body.

The current's strength was more than the tiger anima could handle. The prone Carus was ripped from Z'tir's claws, dragging the avian down into the darkness.

His final thoughts were not of his father, or his falling city, for Carus was not that kind of bird. Instead, Carus lived in the memory of Nama's love. She would always be Name to him. The way she smiled, gasped and sighed. The genuine delight in her eyes when he had given her his mother's ring...

Twenty miles off the coast of Hosia

Two elven women stood upon the deck of a tattered fishing boat, embracing each other as they watched the Aviary's collision into Hosia.

"You found me." Rasfien whispered through tears.
"I told you I would, sister." Nessa chided through tears of her own. Nessa hugged her sister closer. "What happened to you?"

"I was double-crossed, that's what happened. They thought they could simply kill me to tie up loose ends." Rasfien grit from between her teeth, the veins under skin pulsed red and gold. "They will pay."

Nessa nodded. Yes, yes they would.

It was then that they witnessed the miracle.

By some unknown occurrence, the city began to right itself, slowly gaining altitude. Then, the raging storms surrounding it changed course, taking the Aviary Northward.

"It looks like someone has bought them some time."

"It won't do them any good."

"It won't do them any good."

End of Chapter 3​