Chronicles of The Omniverse Archived Avenpeak Mountains

as written by barney_fife

The Admiral frowled. "Sir, yes sir." She said, making a salute towards Jason, albeit it was largely in a mocking fashion as she started back towards her spot near the fire and among the crates of supplies.

The first thing she began to do was open up her datapad and start typing. What exactly she was typing was anyone's guess, as any attempts to look at her screen would reveal nothing but Aschen anquietas symbols being entered, and scrolling across the screen.

In reality she was writing a scathing, damning report back to the Empire concerning the expedition. Perhaps the look on her face and the emblem of the Imperial Navy could lend some clues.

The typing continued well into the night, as the sun grew ever so dimmer on the horizon, and darkness filled the outpost, save for a small LED light. Though the typing would have ceased, and Nagala was rummaging through crates.

In one large crate she had pulled out a small case. The case itself was marked 'In case of Emergency' in Anquietas, and was made from a reinforced hard plastic. She opened the case with an audible thunk. Rummaging through, she withdrew a small remote, A Compact Disruptor pistol, and high density survival rations.

"Gods I hope this damn thing works.." She said, starting towards the door, stuffing the weapon into her pants, and opening the door with a creak, and stepping outside into the bitter cold. Swallowing hard she fumbled with the remote, pressing the button and waiting.

After nothing happened, she pointed the remote to the sky, and she pressed the button again. The second time nothing happened, she shouted in frustration, throwing the remote against the stone wall, then she produced a small medallion.

"Lords of Kobol, what have I done to anger you. Why have you forsaken me? What punishment is this? Trapping me on a world with mutants, and incompetent half wits. This Jason; He runs this group like a band of refugees, with no purpose, he knows nothing of tactics or survival. Letting the boy go to the temple could have ensured the boy's death; and yet I am perceived as the bad guy. Lords of Kobol, please deliver me from this situation."

Sliding the figurine into her jacket, she lowered herself onto the ground, sitting cross legged to stare out onto the horizon. She pulled out her datapad, and began to type once more. She stared in confusion; connecting no problem to the Pathfinder, but all outgoing connections off world seemed impossible.
 
as written by Script and barney_fife

The door behind Nagala opened again quietly as she was speaking, and the slight figure of Cináed peered out after her. He hesitated when she began to speak, not wanting to intrude on a private moment, but chose to remain. Once she was finished speaking, he stepped out.

"Nagala..." he began, his voice somewhat uncertain - after all, this was a woman that had threatened to kill him only a few hours ago. But since then, he'd had plenty of time to think - sleep had eluded him all the while Nagala had been writing, and he was determined to try and patch things up. The group of them would fall apart if they couldn't make peace amongst themselves. "I'm sorry to intrude, but I wanted to apologise. For what I said earlier, and for how I've been acting." he sighed, "I know I've been difficult this last week. I've been putting my own problems before everyone else when I shouldn't have. I ... hope that from now on we can work together without any more hostility, despite our differences."

____

The woman continued to type well after she had noticed that she was being watched. It wasn't until Cinaed approached that she stopped typing, looking up from the flickering holographic screen at the young boy.

"Don't worry about it. You're a child, I shouldn't expect the same out of you that I would expect from my soldiers; I shouldn't expect out of anyone here what I would expect out of my soldiers." She said, her slender hands continuing to dance across the glowing keyboard.

"I don't expect to survive whatever this is, either; not so long as Jason runs things. So I'm writing my last will in hopes it will get to the Empire and to what little family I have left." She said, pausing for a moment and setting the dataslate aside. It was then she turned to face the boy directly.

"Listen, I only lashed out like that because I'm out of my element, and that's how I've lost a lot of good men. I can't help but feel that I would be responsible if I didn't speak up and you or someone in this team was hurt or killed." She said, sighing. "I hope when we reach the ship we can figure out what happened to you, and maybe restore whatever it is you lost. The Intrepids are supposed to have a lot of neat stuff we can use."

____

A wave of relief washed over Cináed when Nagala replied as she did. He smiled slightly. "It's alright. I think everyone's on edge, considering what's happened. I appreciate that you're concerned enough to get angry."

His eyes drifted skywards, gazing up at the stars. "I have faith we'll get through this. Jason's a good man, even if he runs things differently to what you're used to. Don't count yourself dead yet."

After a pause, he sighed lightly and looked back to Nagala. "I should probably try and get some sleep. I'm glad we had a chance to talk on less heated terms." he bowed his head, "Good night, Nagala." he said, before turning and going inside to return to his bedding.
 
as written by Tiko

Amethea had taken the final watch of the night, but Jason was awake well before the sun came up. It was in these wee hours of morning that he had finally determined to make a decision regarding the Taiyou captive. His earlier attempts at communicating with the man hadn't proven fruitful, but yesterday the soldier had finally spoken.

Something had changed.

There had been a spark of something that hadn't been there before. A spark of hope?

The Taiyou soldier had been stranded in those mountains for gods only know how long, surviving on gods only knows what. When Jason had tried to communicate with him before he had been met with a man ready to die, but perhaps that had changed. Perhaps the soldier had dared to hope for a chance at another resolution to his fate.

Jason roused him quietly so as to not wake the others before nodding towards the entrance to the outpost. Once had the man's attention he would help pull him to his feet by one arm to head outside.

"I'll be back shortly," Jason told Amethea quietly.

She snorted and threw a decisive glance at the Taiyou but didn't object to the matter as Jason pushed the tarp aside and let the Taiyou man out first. Outside they could converse without waking the others.
 
as written by Vaifal

The days that passed were quicker on Bahamur than the others, he fell deaf to all the others on the night they met and hadn't spoke a word since, maybe he seen the social factors of these beings to be so... Tedious? He circled the skys at night and kept an eye on the rest and watched at they made and resolved conflict.

"That Nagala's a feisty one..." He looked to Nagala as the conversation between her and Cinaed seemed to be somewhat calm, making peace, finally, on the final day before they began walking, all the vast amounts of research he can perform just by watching these beasts. Not that he wasn't a beast but his views on the soldiers were surely how they would see a wild animal.

"At least they show something the animals don't... They have hope in their hearts, maybe something will change yet...." He didn't move over the night, not a wink of sleep, but he rested enough in the previous days, he should be able to stay awake for a good few days now and he should be at his physical peak and his combat ability should be at it's maximum, after all he knew better than most how much he'd need it.

After The morning broke he saw Jason leave the tower with the captive soldier and Bahamurs face turned from a bored look to a smile from ear to ear as he raised an eyebrow, after not being seen for so long he assumed that they all assumed he wasn't here any more, unless if they'd been keeping an eye on him when he circled the perimeter at night.

"This is a social circumstance I haven't seen yet, let's see how this one plays out." He muttered this inside his own head, not a single gasp of air left him. "Alone with your thoughts no more Bahamur..."
 
as written by barney_fife and Tiko

Kazuma quietly followed in the early morning hours with Jason. Not many words were said as he stepped out with Jason except a few.

"If you want to kill me, I welcome an honorable death." He said turning to Jason.

"But I am more value to you arr-ive than dead." He said, his thick accent muddling his words.

____

Jason could scarcely understand a word out of the Taiyou through his thick accent, and once outdoors he drew his utility knife from its sheath and turned the man around to face him.

He studied the Taiyou's face a moment before finally inserting the knife between his hands to cut the twine they had used to restrain him. It had been in place long enough that it had cut into the man's skin and left open wounds as it fell away.

"No weapons," Jason told him bluntly. "Do you understand?"

____

The man looked to his now freed hands, massaging where the twine had dug into his skin, he then turned to look up at Jason.

"You have my word that I will not harm you or friends." He said, casting a brief look to the tower. "Honor and blood, as with bushido." He said, looking down towards his hands.

"I not promise I no defend myself from out there... if the need arise." He explained, thick accent still mangling his words.

"My weapon, you need clean, or jam soon." He explained, leaning forward. "Low bullets, need to find more."

"I have extra food, but not much, maybe you already take."
 
as written by Vaifal

Bahamur was still cool watching the turn of events keeping his level state of mind the voice in the back of his head just whispered to him, "Aww that's cute" It wasn't about the negotiations between the males it was at how emotional he saw it to be, his heart was warmed, such forgiveness to place trust in a man who had attacked them, maybe there was hope for him to gain the appreciation of these simple beings yet.

He proceeded to flare his wings out interrupting the moment between them and making his presence in this moment well known but he didn't state anything before turning away from them.

"We should leave soon... When the sun comes up there's something to fear in this world and he doesn't like me to begin with." The hesitant tone in his voice actually shown a shred of fear, an emotion undoubtedly seen by this rabble.

He proceeded to jump down from the heights he was at and turned to Jason and the recently ex-captive. "There will be conflict because of you releasing the prisoner... You should resolve that the moment the others wake up and we should try and get out of here before sunlight... I know he wont wake till the day so hopefully we can slip past him unscathed...."
 
as written by Tiko

Jason sighed inwardly as Bahamur continued to display a complete inability to adhere to basic social protocol, not to mention following in Nagala's footsteps of wanting to change already established plans randomly and abruptly. This whole venture was proving about as productive as herding cats all wanting to go their own way.

"We're not leaving until the sun is up," Jason told Bahmur. "It would be suicide to try and navigate those climbs in the dark, especially for Amethea and Nagala."

The centaur would have enough of a challenge as it is, without clear visibility, and Nagala was still far from a hundred percent.

"Now if you could please go back inside," Jason added.

It would seem he wished to speak with the Taiyou privately.
 
as written by Vaifal

Bahamur let off an unhappy grunt, he turned to the Taiyou and then back at Jason while letting off a sigh. "Back inside? I haven't been in there for a couple of days Jason.... Never the less, fine, you are in charger after all..."

Bahamur stuck true to his word and walked inside the tower and lay down on the ground close to but not obstructing the door, playing with his thumbs and staring through at the ceiling. "How long will it take to understand these people?"
 
as written by Tiko

Come morning, Jason was finishing packing the last of the supplies for their journey, and whatever had transpired between the Taiyou and him had apparently gone well enough that the Taiyou had been given free run of the outpost tower for the time being.

Jason didn't fully trust him and kept an eye on him, but the man had shown more rationality than Nagala at least.

The predawn glow of the sun was just beginning to edge over the horizon outside, and the sky was beginning to lighten enough to make travel possible when Jason tossed a package of rations onto Nagala to wake her, followed by the others that where still sleeping.

"Time to go, eat quickly," he told everyone. "We want to cover as much ground as we can while we have the sunlight."

He kept the Taiyou rifle close at hand, and Nagala's Aschen weapons had been packed away with his own gear. He suspected she had another weapons, but he had purposefully not searched her gear after confiscating her earlier ones. He didn't want to render her dead weight, but he wagered that if she had a backup she wouldn't be inclined to revealing its existence unless it was truly a life or death situation - lest she wanted to find herself disarmed of that one as well for over-reacting.
 
as written by Script

Cinaed yawned, blinking sleep out of his eyes as Jason spoke. He stretched lazily, before sitting upright and glancing out at the dim light. Within a couple of minutes he had roused himself, and stowed away his sleeping gear. Whilst the others were eating, he quickly stepped outside.

The sun was in the process of cresting the horizon, casting the mountains in a colourful glow. He shivered at the chill as a light wind caressed his hair, but tried to set the cold to the back of his mind. It was difficult - he still wasn't used to the frankly alien sensation.

The teen faced the sunrise, taking a moment to murmur a short prayer under his breath and greet the rising orb. With that done, he hurried back inside to eat the ration pack Jason had thrown to him. He found himself missing the monastery's plain but wonderfully hot porridge something fierce, especially thinking back to the days when Sister Leah had broken out her stash of honey for a treat. But he voiced no complaint, remaining as mute as he had taken to being of late.

After finishing eating, he set about ensuring he was prepared for the journey ahead.
 
as written by barney_fife

As the sun crested over the horizon, Nagala was already away hard at work packing everything she could carry. She was methodically going through the various supply crates that lined the walls of the outpost, packing food into a Military backpack.

After she finished packing everything, the backpack was hefted onto her back. Everything she could carry in the backpack, from food, to medical supplies and microfusion cells.

Throwing her jacket and backpack on, she started towards the large stone doors, opening them and stepping out into the crisp morning air.

Kazuma also managed to round up everything of his he could find. Packing his own pack full of food and medical supplies, as well as the loose ammunition that he could find for his rifle's magazines, tossing three paper wrapped boxes at Jason's feet.

"These might help, they were in my old camp."

"I trust that when we part ways, all of that will be returned to me. My grandfather made that blade." He said, eying the sheathed Katana in Jason's posession.

Nagala turned to Jason, before she grabbed her binoculars and then she held them to her face, surveying her surroundings.

"While we're on the subject of returning things, I'm useless to you until you give me my weapons back." She said, letting the binoculars hang on it's strap from her neck, having overheard the Taiyou's words. "I promise I won't kill the man even though he shot me, I can't promise I won't have him shot when we get back to Windcrest, though." She added with a huff.
 
as written by Vaifal

Bahamur noticed the rustle of the situation happening around them, everyone was finally ready to leave, he'd been ready for years and he was an asset to the group, all terrain combat is what he excels at, underwater, in the air or on the ground. The lack of a need for oxygen was a great trait, like everyone else he needed it but the fire inside him made him lack the need for too much oxygen seems as he's so used to it being burned away quickly.

"Jason?" He stated the mans name quickly turning to him exhaling a brief sigh of fire. "You have to give Nagala her weapons back but I suggest me and the captive do ride my dragon so we can have an aerial view of the party and warn you of anything that may happen, plus I think it's a good idea to keep tension to a minimum..."

He placed his hand on the hilt of his blade and fell into a couple moments of deep concentration and moments later his dragon landed on the outside of the tower. "Even if you think it's a bad idea for him to come with me I'll still be the aerial support and keep an eye on you all my friend." He looked back at Jason and smiled, with Jason's sense of rationality and sense of reason when it came to these new members to their party, he really meant that he was his friend, and with that his loyalty was entrusted to him. "Treat me as your a sword brother."
 
as written by Tiko

Jason nodded his thanks to the Taiyou as he pocketed the small boxes of ammunition.

As the Taiyou spoke of the sword, Jason looked to the blade briefly. He had studied the weapon over the hearth's flames several times, and though its craftsmanship was impressive, it wasn't of a design he was personally comfortable wielding. He preferred the straight edge of his own blade when his side-arm wasn't an option. Weapons where in short supply though, and it had made it into his supplies for the time being.

Before he could answer the Taiyou though, Bahamur had interjected as well and Jason's scowl briefly returned.

"It's not for that reason that she was relieved of her weapon," Jason reminded Bahamur.

He didn't particularly have the time, nor inclination to explain himself to Bahamur though. But until Nagala ceased being a liability to their own people, then a weapon in her hands made her more of a threat to them than anything that might await them beyond these walls. He didn't need to spend the day wondering which of them she would try to shoot next for a perceived verbal slight.

He did however pause to rummage through his pack before withdrawing the disruptor pistol. After disengaging the fushion cells he offered the now harmless weapon out, not to Nagala, but to Cinaed.

"Don't play with it," he told Cinaed before tossing the fushion cells to Nagala.

The gesture was a simple one. Nagala could have it back, when the one she had tried to shoot felt safe enough in returning it.

"The Taiyou will remain within my sights," Jason added to Bahamur. "But if one of the others wishes to accompany you, that is their decision."

Of course, flying in the middle of winter might prove an unpleasant ordeal for those unaccustomed to such things. It was cold enough on the ground, let alone up there exposed to the raw wind for any length of time.

"Perhaps Nagala would prefer that to scaling the climbs in her condition," he suggested.

One could only hope. He for one could stand for some peace from the woman, if only for a few hours.

"Now let's get going," he said.

He gave a whistle and his bird dropped from its perch overhead to alight upon his forearm which had been bound in thick leather to pad against its talons. The red-crested warhawk was a resilient species of bird once native to Aelora; though, it had been extinct from these lands for hundreds of years. Its ancestors lived on within the lands of Terra and where popular among the Windcrest militia as hardy scouts, but the genetic link between their lands was likely lost to the ages - as was most of the historical records of early Aelora.

Once outdoors, Jason lifted his arm up for the bird to take flight.
 
as written by Script

Cinaed caught the pistol with a blink of surprise, glancing at Jason with raised eyebrows. By the look on his face, it was clear he hadn't clicked with Jason's intentions. But he didn't question it, simply stowing the weapon away in one of his side-pockets. After his conversation with Nagala the previous night, he wasn't as unnerved by the woman as before, but he didn't want to give the impression of undermining Jason by handing her the pistol there and then.

He stepped outside, pulling his coats tighter around himself - and thank the Dawnflower the others had packed spares - and gazing out across the horizon.
 
as written by Sokka

Ejon stood around a small group of animals, Out of the many pack animals they had only two remained. He loaded them up with the supplies they they had. He was forced to load up his Manka cat with a bit of supplies as well. He checked the beasts saddle was secure before finally turning to ready his own supplies gear. He slung his bow over his shoulder and grabbed a quiver with a dozen arrows from the small pile of gear.

After readying his things he looked up to see his Eagle perched atop a near by tree. He thought for a moment before walking over to Jason and the others. "Alright everything is ready with the animals are we all ready to set out?" He asked.
 
as written by barney_fife

She caught the Microfusion cell with a scowl, before she slid it into a pouch on her belt. She simply gave Jason a look before she shifted her backpack and adjusted the straps.

She had packed everything she could from the Imperial Naval crates scattered inside the outpost. The pack itself was designed to hold five days worth of food, there was a special apparatus to boil water and refill a 2 liter canteen. In addition to spare uniforms and medical supplies.

The Modular nature of the backpack also allowed a collapsible shovel, rope, and first aid kit to be stored. She checked her tactical leg holsters, frowning at the lack of a weapon, but there were ample microfusion cells; for now.

Packing away her Dataslate, she gave her weapon a look as it rested in Cinaed's hands. She knew that without it's microfusion cell it was little more than an expensive paperweight. There was still the rifle, and she had hoped it too was packed.

In her mind the wheels were turning, with every step she started to assess the situation. Scenarios played in her head; if they came under attack she'd run, leaving them to their deaths.

"I'm not getting on that thing." She commented regarding the Dragon.

Once they were moving, Nagala held up her data-slate. She was watching a second icon ping on the grid, a signal from an Aschen IFF Transponder, She smiled somewhat before she turned off the dataslate's screen. She wasn't going to let Jason know there were possible survivors from the ship. Not yet anyway.

The Taiyou followed up the rear once they set out, sticking close to Ejon's animals. The Taiyou man was largely quiet, not saying much of anything.
 
as written by Vaifal

Bahamur let our a sigh, the exhale of air being slow yet dark in it's own right, as if a little bit of repressed depression came through when he completed this small release of air. "Are you sure Nagala? My mother doesn't bite... And I recommend that you choose your words better when talking about her, I wont attack any of you but if you aren't nice, she might..."

He the turned to Cinead and wavered his hand slightly, the metal from his clothes went onto the dragon as a muzzle and a pair of reigns so its flight path could be controlled by anyone, not just Bahamur. "Cinead, the fire in your heart may appease my mother if you would like to come with me." He smiled when he said this and stated moments after. "I'll even let you fly her." He then proceeded to wink at the youngling, almost as if he was mocking himself for what he just said.
 
as written by Script

"That fire is little more than a candle in the wind right now." Cinaed replied with a sad smile, "Thank you for the offer, but I'd rather remain on foot for the time being."

If he found it odd, the way that the man referred to his mother, he didn't show it. Another time he might have jumped at the opportunity to soar through the sky on the back of a dragon, but he found himself unable to muster the enthusiasm. His mind instead went to how cold it would be up there. He pulled up the hood of his jacket and set off after the others.
 
as written by Vaifal

"So be it..." Bahamur released the mental power holding these metal reigns together and re-imbued the dust back into his coat and sword. With a clap of his hands his mother left the ground and he laid down on her back staring at the sky before closing his eyes and having a strange ominous blue light shine from under his eye lids, the reason for this being so he could use the dragons vision and scout further than he would normally. The dragon was moving at a hovering pace so she was not too far off the ground but also offered everyone protection from aerial assault. "May we be safe...."
 
as written by Tiko and Script

The first three days of their journey had passed largely uneventfully, if a bit slowly. Between Amethea and Nagala, the group's progress was kept to a crawl. For Amethea, it was simply a matter that centaur where not remotely built for icy rock climbing. Nagala though was still recovering from her injuries, and the physical demand of the journey was an intense one even for those in top shape. The wildlife here seemed plentiful though, a stark contrast from the barren nature of the Icy Peaks of Northern Terra. Food it seemed wouldn't be a concern even if they ran out of supplies before they reached the ship.

Tonight they had taken shelter within a ring of boulders that offered some measure of shelter from the wind. A campfire was stoked to help ward against the cold, but it would be a chilly night.

Cinaed was huddled close to the fire, the heat of the flames licking at his hands and face. The contrast of that heat and the night’s chill was sharp, and bizarre. Where the fire was closest to him, its heat was harsh – something he hadn’t experienced before. Fire had always represented pleasant warmth, never something dangerous that threatened to burn. And where he faced away from the fire, the cold of the wind cut through his layers like a knife. The temperature was a persistent reminder of what he’d lost, and his expression was glum. Even setting his personal discomfort and loss aside, the fact that he was almost less than useless to the others now was something he was keenly aware of. He’d been nothing but a burden on them since the temple.

"Hey," Jason said as he returned to the camp and approached Cinaed. "Have you ever used one of these?" he asked as he held his sheathed sword up in his hand.

Jason's approach startled Cinaed out of his thoughts, and he looked up from the fire. "A sword, yes, but not one like that. The monks taught me to use a scimitar back at the monastery."

"Good," Jason answered. "You'll have the groundwork then. A straight edge sword isn't like wielding a scimitar though. Here, get a feel for its weight," he added as he held the sheath out for Cinaed to take.

After only a moment's hesitation, Cinaed stood, taking the sword as he did so. He wrapped his fingers around the hilt tentatively, before slowly drawing it out of its sheath. The blade glinted in the light of the fire as he turned it experimentally in his hand. "It's heavier."

"It's meant to be wielded with two hands," Jason explained. "You're going to need to relearn some stuff. I'll show you a few things tonight, and then I want you to practice with it every night," Jason told him.

"Oh." Cinaed suppressed a sigh. It was obvious now that the weapon would be too unwieldy in one hand. Brother Caius would have clipped him around the ear for that mistake. "Alright." He readjusted his grip, setting the sheath down so he could hold the weapon with both hands. That definitely felt more natural, though he had a feeling it would take a while to get used to it. He hesitated again for a moment, before looking to Jason with a smile. "Thank you."
 
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