Katheeri

[Arminius H O Fiddywinks]

"Gah," uttered a vexed Elizabeth. Mai sure was a bold one. "Alright, go back, but be careful." She let go of her grip on the coyote.

Bohdan, meanwhile, called Shepherd and Sandor over comms.

"Do not kill the hostile," said Bohdan. "I say again, do not kill the hostile."

"What's he mean?" asked Korben, referring to Caulder's spiel about who Renard is.

~

Sandor had powered up his weapons on his fighter, but was perplexed when Bohdan ordered him and the Cerinian to not kill this new hostile.

[Renardfrost]

Renard sighed and shook his head. " What he's referring to, I'm not anymore.. I've done some horrible things back in Axia when i was a lad. I redeemed myself through my deeds during the last war we had about 5 years ago. But there are sill people set in the old ways.. people that still hold a grudge... sadly my Eldest brother is a living relic from another time."

" You Mean you have a magick or two that doesn't belong in existence. You clam restraint but someday the urge will prove to great."

" You try my patience, Caulder."

" and you try mine.. look at you, still chasing your father's shadow for answers instead of carving your own way... our father is a Hero of unfathomable power and skill, our mother, a sage and queen among her people. All this potential you have, and you waste on a childish quest! that will do no good in the world. you are no good Samaritan, you're a charlatan who can only ride on the coattails of others! You even need help when stripped of your precious magic!"

Renard sensed his brother's hostility rising.

Caulder continued. " Magic? Memories and friends being your power? Bah!, empty bluster!.. Steel, crystal and Might are the answer to true fulfillment." HE spat into the sand.

" Disgraceful.. you have no right to wield Father's old sword."

Renard's grip on the saber tightened. His teeth beginning to grind.
 

[Tiger Carson]

Mai gave a nod to Elizabeth as she made a run for her ship, she quickly jumped up into it like someone doing parkour, and was quickly digging through the cockpit to get first the object necessary to her original mission, which was contained in a black suitcase like container which she affixed to the back of the belt on her jeans.  She then grabbed up her Energy Tomahawk, sliding it into her left pocket. (Deactivated, it can't harm anyone worse than being hit by a baseball bat would do.)  She then grabbed up her quiver of energy arrows, which contained thirty six of them, and slung the strap over her right shoulder.  She grabbed up her bow which was technologically advanced, but still relied on the good old method of a tightly strung string, and affixed it over her left shoulder, criss-crossing the bow with the full quiver, but had the string in front of her for *Ahem* sensitive reasons.  She next grabbed up her tricorder, slipping it into her right pocket, and a few of her other medical supplies she could stuff into her pockets.  She then quickly vacated her craft, and made a run to rejoin Elizabeth.

[Zaphyr Stone]

Antoine, who had been examining the skeleton out of sheer curiosity, was made aware of the situation as he returned to the commotion. Once again, this group seemed to be a magnet for trouble.

"This is why I don't do group work." He grumbled to himself as he slowly and carefully rejoined the group.

----

"Uuuuuuh..." Zefran said between practice launches.

Aura, however, was suddenly fixated on the horizon, violet eyes flickering briefly with a gold shimmer. "We should go back inside the ship."

----

Sitka slowly became aware of himself, groggy from the sedatives leaving his system but recovering quickly. He noticed machines first, the glow of restraints, and then people. He recognized the face of a female dragon first, her face familiar from Macbeth. He tried to speak but only coughed, his throat dry.

Antoine, who had been examining the skeleton out of sheer curiosity, was made aware of the situation as he returned to the commotion. Once again, this group seemed to be a magnet for trouble.

"This is why I don't do group work." He grumbled to himself as he slowly and carefully rejoined the group.

----

"Uuuuuuh..." Zefran said between practice launches.

Aura, however, was suddenly fixated on the horizon, violet eyes flickering briefly with a gold shimmer. "We should go back inside the ship."

----

Sitka slowly became aware of himself, groggy from the sedatives leaving his system but recovering quickly. He noticed machines first, the glow of restraints, and then people. He recognized the face of a female dragon first, her face familiar from Macbeth. He tried to speak but only coughed, his throat dry.

[Tiger Carson]

Jeena heard the cough, and turned to look to see Sitka waking up. "Oh, you're awake." She said, "Good for you." She heard the cough as well. "Why the cough though?.." She then activated the comm system. "Tiger, our guest is awake now, I hope I'm not disturbing your rest or anything."
"No no, I'm good." Tiger said, sounding a bit groggy, having finished giving Laika the tour of the Sanctuary Tiger, and showed her the quarters she would be staying in.  He himself went up to the bridge, but had fallen asleep. "I'll be there in a minute as soon as I tell Laika, she'll want to be there for this."
"Alright, I'll see if he needs anything." Jeena replied, a little hint behind her voice as to her plan.
"I know that tone, Jeena, treat him kindly, he's probably scared enough as it is." Tiger ordered, now sounding more awake.
"Party pooper." Jeena said, "Alright, I'll give him food or water if he needs it.  And good food or water."
"Good." Tiger said, "I'll be there soon." He then turned off the comm, and Jeena returned to Sitka.
"So, need anything while our fearless leader makes his way here to Sickbay?" Jeena asked him.

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

Tiger walked to a bridge comm, and opened a line to Laika's room, audio only. "Sorry for waking you up if I did or am interrupting anything, Laika, but he's up." Tiger said, "You asked me to let you know when he did so we both could get answers from him."

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

Mai was now at Elizabeth's side, looking on at what was going on.  She had reflexively pulled an arrow out, and set it up with her bow as she set herself up in a position to take a shot at Caulder if it was needed.

[Arminius H O Fiddywinks]

"Listen here, friend," Bohdan began. "Look at your situation. You are faced with four able-bodied men and two starcraft. You have only that sword to fight with, while we have blasters and laser cannons. You are outnumbered and outgunned. Do you not see the logical conclusion we will come to if you decided to raise your sword in anger against us?"

Korben twirled his machete around his hand, while Elizabeth stood beside Mai, readying her sniper rifle.

~

"Woah, what's wrong?" said a somewhat startled Pawel who noticed Aura's alertness. He stepped out of the jeep and took out both of his shotguns from his back holsters. "Trouble?" He walked to Aura's side, his head swiveling around them to scout for any potential bad guys. His shotguns made a low hum, charged and ready to fire.

[Sylono]

"Kill? You mean to say it'd be that easy?" Shepherd asked, she was confused to say the least. Having witnessed the later end of Renard's fight on Macbeth at a distance, she assumed this new fellow would be no different.

"Noted, Sandor I have to break off and prepare." She informed the wingman as she leveled herself out from the original strafing run and turned off to the side, now beginning to circle overhead. While she could simply go into a hover nearby, Shepherd did not want to find out if this hostile had some back up plan for enemies in ships.

It might be childish, but she saw a holo-vid once and she was now wary of sword wielders in an age of blasters.

"I'll swoop back for a run with a lower charge, try make this guy hesitate." With that the vixen began reallocating power on her ships systems, diverting a portion of her weapon system's power into shields or sensory equipment.

Doing her best not to overclock any of the Small Order's systems, Shepherd tried to formulate a plan.

The few ideas that immediately came to mind were off the table, she either didn't have the accuracy or the risk of killing the swordsman was too high. Ionized bolts were an idea, while the precious little ammo wasn't exactly something she wanted to waste here (the stuff being made to counter shields, not pacify people), the amount of power left in her ship's weapons as of now would surely be enough to stun him if she placed her shots nearby.

Provided she didn't actually hit Renard's brother in the process, or shoot to close to the others and shock them instead.

[Renardfrost]

Renard smiled. He think he had an idea. " Come at me then brother... End my Life.. One Strike is all i need to defeat this "strategy of yours. Normally I'd just give up. But what i want out of father is just too great for me to give up."

Caulder Obliged and charged. it was the desert, and Caulder was still a long way off.

Renard put his sword against Bohdan's Amulet, he knew it was dangerously close to his throat but...

" I need you to trust me as much as i trust you. Start praying.. any prayer will do. Your god's protections don't count as magic and can be used while his sword's vibrating." Renard said.

Renard sighed /Please.. i know i''m not one of your chosen.... or even one of your faithful. But i need help. If my brother does truly intend to kill me, he'll gun for my friends next. Let me protect them./

 

Caulder's grip tightened. Could he really do this? Renard would simply wait until caulder got to him. he'd have plenty of time to make up his mind.

"I have an idea... and an opening, I just need to hit him once. Please, Captain"

[Arminius H O Fiddywinks]

"Wait," said Bohdan, looking down to the sword by his medallion and then to Renard, "what are you planning? Are you... Are you trying to call upon... Him?"

Korben was befuddled. What the Hell is going on with those two? He readied himself with his machete as Caulder approached.

[Renardfrost]

Renard Nodded. "Yeah. Your medallions resonate whenever you pray, It produces no aether, but if the stones are similar at all, My sword will resonate and let me channel. It should let me shatter that horrid thing my brother is wielding. Once it's broken, my normal magic and sword can do the rest. though if there is any residual strength left, I can assure you your god's grace will not be wasted."

[Arminius H O Fiddywinks]

Bohdan nodded, hopeful that his deity could bring the group the edge they did not necessarily need, but was very helpful nonetheless. He began praying in the Polan dialect of Ruthenian. At this time, his golden medallion, with a small ruby gem, began to glow, and the gem itself becoming a brighter shade of red as it began to shine.

"What the-" said a baffled Korben, whose scans indicated rapidly elevating energy levels coming from the medallion. He stepped back from Bohdan and Renard.

[Renardfrost]

Renard hummed at the same level and general notation as the prayer. he felt stranged.. a warmth that started in the pit of his gut and soon spread throughout his body. Renard's azure sword seeming to shift into a brilliant crimson. His sword seemed to vibrate against the medallion, the sword resonating to the point that the blade visibly shook, embers playing along the edge of the blade

 

/this... this is fire.. its archetype.. it's very essence... this... this is True Fire./

 

Ren stared at his weapon in momentary awe before nodding to Bohdan, thanking him before charging at his brother, the saber getting brighter and brighter.

Caulder was taken aback. " He's rushing to meet me?" This wasn't like his brother at all.

 

 

[Sylono]

"We should give him an opening..." Shepherd said into the comm-unit, since the man was rushing on ahead of the others, she reverted to the Renard's (not that she was aware of that) suggestion. With a sharp turn, the vixen began a dive.

She only chanced three shots ahead of Renard's armor clad brother before swooping her way upward. She would have to hope Sandor would followup if the magic-less swordsman was prepared and protected his eyes from the sand kicked up from her less powerful shots.

 

{[-~-~-]}

 

As it ran, the synth occasionally glanced back to the trio (With the dragon now detected), but it didn't come to a stop until the dragon stepped out of the vehicle and showed signs of an aggressive posture. Sliding to a halt, the platform crouched low and began observing once again.

'Well now, do you think they spotted you?' The voice questioned a hint of excitement in it's tone. The swam intelligence wasn't sure at this distance, it's optical sensors not quite focused enough yet. Reaching and grasping at it's back, the platform retrieved the weapon it'd need at this range, but didn't ready it quite yet.

As the synth increased optical magnification the light emitted from its "eye" would flicker, a design oversight in the synth's production if there ever was one.

 

[Arminius H O Fiddywinks]

Bohdan, emboldened that his deity now was tangibly aiding them, unsheathed his long bastard sword, twirled it once in his hand, and followed Renard headlong into Caulder. Korben, meanwhile, dashed to the extreme left of the group, in hopes to flank Renard's belligerent brother.

"What in God's name are they doing?" Sandor questioned to nobody in particular. However, he did notice his bronze medallion beginning to glow, the spinel within shimmering. But when Shepherd suddenly fired on the ground near Caulder, he impulsively fired a missile, albeit an unguided one. It struck the sand about a dozen meters behind Caulder. The explosion, nevertheless, was profound.

~

Pawel's golden medallion with a blood red diamond in the center began to glow brightly, rivaling the desert sun. He looked down to find it shining intensely.

"Holy sh-t!" he exclaimed, taking off the medallion and examining it. "What... How's it doing that? I'm not even praying." He was too fixated on his medallion to spot the minute light flicker in the far distance.

[Tiger Carson]

"Men..." Mai said with mild disgust at their impulsiveness, and the dive bombing being done from the ships, still holding her bow and arrow at the ready if it was needed. "Do they always get this impulsive?" She asked Elizabeth.  Mai was also intrigued by the glow from Bohdan's amulet, and Ren's sword which was now on fire. "By the Great Creator..."

[Renardfrost]

"I call upon The thing that is nestled deep within the Core of life!"  Renard's voice carried far, The mage trying his best to manifest the strength he had borrowed using what miniscule amounts of aether he could scrape from the desert, amidst the supression of Caulder's sword.

Caulder Staggered forward with the blasts, causing him to stumble a bit , but use the explosion to send himself flying towards his brother.

" The unseen,  but ever present spark that glows within all creation! Hail, O flames, of all shades and size, I seek guidance from your source, your being. the one force upon which you align your short existance!"

 The Heat was  impressive, the sword leaving a thin trail of molten sand as it dragged along the ground.

" Oh Grand Ember, the One flame. Though My people are not of your chosen children... Please..."

Caulder stopped as his brother reached striking distance.

"Lend me your Power!" Renard cried as he brandished his sword and swung it down.

In a gout of flame that opened up like a flower before dieing down, Renard's sword had taken on another form.. Not the one he had normally designated for fire, rather than a  Great-axe, in his hands was an  uncanny silver longsword, pressing firmly against the crystal blade bore in opposition to it, It had a wing motif for its hand guard and a clear pommel that seemed to be full of some molten substance.

Caulder Grunted as the heat started to seep through his armor. " Evocation.. You call a god not your own?"

" No.. It's because I'm friends with these people that I am lent this aid. I've told them my intentions from the start, and they've trusted me fully through the short time I've been with them." Renard shook his head. "You claim I ride along on the efforts of others, when i really use what they've taught me to make my way. You and the others may be able to make peace with Father's disappearance, But I really need to know... I know That it won't change anything. but I want to get  a true understanding of where i came from.. so I can look ahead."

The sword in Caulder's hand began to scorch, the screech loudly as it became red hot. HE tried to pull it away, but His younger brother's influx of strength kept him on the spot.

It was then that the real answer To his friends question popped into his head.

" This isn't for revenge.. hell it's not even for answers... I Just want to be able to understand our Father's motives."

The young mage looked behind him. " I Got him! Captain, strike his sword! It'll shatter!"

[Sylono]

"Sandor, did you just-...?!" Shepherd stopped what she was snarling into her communications once she found the target on the ground hadn't been killed in the blast. From now on it looked like the ground team would have to cover things, she felt a tinge of disappointment with that.

"Um, you know what...?" The vixen shook her head as she relaxed in her seat and let out a relieved laugh. "... good job."

 

{[-~-~-]}

 

Once it's magnification was right, it examined the shotgun wielder most of all, the others weren't a threat as they were not armed. The dragon was staring at some sort of light emanating from it's hands, it couldn't make out what it was, or if it was technological in nature.

The best the programs could say for sure, is that is wasn't a motion scanner.

That made it and the dragon a non-issue.

The platform wasn't spotted (either that or it's presence wasn't one to make note of), therefore its own weapons weren't necessary. With that observation made, it set the weapon back in it's place.

'That's disappointing...' The voice spoke up, stating it's "feelings". The programs made a note to try find out just how advanced that the programing behind the voice was, once it reached safety. With a final flicker of light as it returned to it's starting visual state, it turned and crept away.

[Arminius H O Fiddywinks]

Bohdan, in one furious roar, swung and underhand swing with his sword in his right hand, striking Caulder's crystal blade. The ghurium steel met with the crystal of the Axian sword. Korben, meanwhile, dashed to Caulder's flank, and thinly sliced open Caulder's right thigh with his machete. He ran to the side.

"Yeah, go Atya!" said Sandor.

[Renardfrost]

Caulder dropped to his knee and rolled backwards as he felt his red hot blade shatter in his hands, and equally searing pain dropping the now useless handle. His hand Went for his hip and drew another broadsword, this one of rather normal steel. " Cute trick!" He spat.

" I'm not done yet! Renard letting out a rather feral shout as he pressed his attack, His inexorable, whirling assault causing his brother to step back, wearing him down with the gash in his thigh.

Gouts of Flame seemed to shoot out in all directions when the swords met, the two canines becoming lost in a shimmering mirage  as thier blades locked a second time.

" I'll Protect the katheeri, especially if they want to get back home, cause I know what its like To be lost and not really knowing what i'm doing."

Renard struck the sword and shattered it. Caulder drew a second, shorter sword, With a single strike he cleaved the hardened blade in two.

" Give up."

Caulder Grunted with great effort as he drew the knife in his boots, Grabbing it with his gauntlet, He melted it down with an uncanny blue flame emanating from his left hand.

" I warned you... And you didn't really mean to kill me... I've seen you hunt.. I'd be dead by now. Criminal mages deserve neither clemency nor mercy."

Renard Threw the canteen at Caulders feet and raised a magical ward around himself. The sealed container had been full of water that had been next to a body channeling massive amounts of heat for a good five minutes. Almost as if on cue the thing exploded, sending super-heated steam and shards of the thing everywhere. When the cloud of vapor finally subsided Caulder was lying on the ground, Unmoving, but still breathing. he had been rendered unconscious by the bursting canteen, but his body was also peppered with shards.

Renard shook his head and lifed his sword skywards.

" Primordial Ember. I thank you.. I need your power no more, you may take it back if you wish."

A massive pillar of fire rose to the sky for a brief moment. Once it extinguished itself, Renard's saber was in it's default form, still steaming, but otherwise back to normal.

Renard knelt, using his blade as a crutch. He felt tired.. so tired.. but he still had something to do. His hands began to glow as he gathered some strength.

" Stone... Sea... Sky..."

Renard began to heal his brother with what little aether he could force out of himself or the surroundings, he made a slight motion to beckon Korben. He knew he didn't have the strength to do this himself.

[Arminius H O Fiddywinks]

Korben sheathed his machete and rushed to a collapsed Renard's aid, taking out a syringe of adrenaline from his kit. He impaled Renard's chest with the adrenaline syringe, and injected its contents into the canine mage's heart.

"That'll help," said Korben reassuringly.

Meanwhile, Bohdan placed his bastard sword's blade against Caulder's throat.

"Why are you on this planet?" interrogated Bohdan. Sandor descended in his ship to where he was only meters off the ground, his weapons trained on Caulder in the unlikely event that Renard's brother would assault Bohdan.

~

The tower of fire that touched the sky vanished as quickly as it appeared. Pawel, bemused, stared in awe. When the column left, so too did his medallion's glow. He put it back on, baffled by today's events.

"This is why I work alone," he said to himself.

[Tiger Carson]

When it was all over, Mai let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding with a sigh.  She then put her weapons away, and looked to Elizabeth. "Seriously, do they always do this sort of thing?" She asked the female husky as she finished putting her bow back over her back.

[Renardfrost]

Caulder Slowly came to as his brother healed him, The needle to the heart quickening his energies into overdrive.

"I'm sorry brother.. I don't know where Father is, but i know  where you should look next... Get into the nearest town... Our sister is looking for new stones and ores to work. She should be at the nearest mining facility."

" You've done well.. and yet.. I don't feel you shou-"

" Shut up." renard said with a smile, sweating between his magical strain and the adrenaline Korben just mainlined into him.

" I already forgive you. You did what you felt you had to for your duty."

Caulder turned to the rutheniuan " I was here to take renard down and bring him home.. his efforts are essentially undermining our defense of the katheeri.

he laughed. " But... You just saw how that turned out." he said as Renard finished patching him up.

" Go on, lick your wounds." Renard said.

"Caulder gingerly pushed the blade away from his throat and began walking away. Though he stopped to talk to Bohdan

"If you cant talk him out of his quest, dragon, please at least make sure he finishes it."

 The Elder Canine hobbled off, his Movement being hidden by the shifting desert sands.

[Arminius H O Fiddywinks]

Bohdan casually sheathed his bastard sword, and then turned to Renard.

"Well," started Bohdan, "that was disappointing. I was hoping for something... longer. Anyway, where must we go now?"

Korben stared at Caulder's retreat back into the desert, alert should he decide to reengage.

~

"Only when I'm not around," said Elizabeth, putting down her rifle.

Edited June 16, 2016 by Arminius H O Fiddywinks

[Tiger Carson]

"Damn." Mai said in reply, and she too approached to get some info. "And I thought Tiger had some crazies on his team in the form of Hawk and Jeena." She shook her head a bit to focus on the task at hand. "Nevermind, let's hear what Renard has to say.  Then figure out how to get my ship somewhere for repairs, if the poor thing isn't completely totaled that is."

[Renardfrost]

Renard rose to his feet, taking a bit of water from his canteen and taking a healthy swig, then using  a bit of the remainder to quench his still superheated sword.

" Whew.... How's that for a miracle, eh?" He said with a smile. "Anyway.. We've still got some time fore moving out becomes a necessity.. lets look for a town or outpost where we can get some rest and repairs, and i can start looking for our next lead.. If Caulder's right, I just need to spend enough time in the market. and she'll show up."