Soul's Hate [Kiyeri]

by **Razkar** on March 31st, 2013, 3:58 am

The river was in fact more of a stream, but it was deep enough to require wading, not walking. Razkar's strides became sluggish and strained as he backed across it, hacking and thrusting at everything that came close. The Yukmen were more stymied than him, by the looks of it. Their gait when running was frighteningly fast, but at walking speed or less, they looked like movement was something they'd only just grasped a bell before.

It was his only advantage.

"Move!" Erama howled, blood from a gash to her skull running and mixing with the black, stinking viscera coating the rest of her face. He gladii flashed again and the top half of one Yukmen splashed into the water in three pieces. "They are too many!"

True enough, Razkar thought, but the words were... distant. Sounds were muffled as if heard through water, or a thick shroud. He felt the gladius sing in his hands, vibrating softly as the spirit and rage of departed Elanosa roared in the thigh bone hilt.

But it was a whisper compared to his own.

Razkar's war cries were becoming more like the snarls of those he was killing, and he did not want for enemies. One creature lurched to his right, waist-deep in the rushing water as he was, clumsily reaching for him-

-only for Razkar to sway to his left, out of reach, slashing diagonally backhanded with the blade in his right hand, opening up the monster's chest and painting that patch of shimmering blue with steaming black-

Two of them rushed him at once, water flung through the air as their legs churned madly, not pausing to let the flow stop their momentum. One was bare-handed but the other... was that a sword? Looted from some poor soul, lost and-

Forget that! Death!

"DEATH!"

Razkar barked the word and met the creature's swing, blades clanging above the water. He lased out with a short jab to the creature's head, stunning it, pushing the looted sword up and away at the same time-

-that hammering down with the hilt of his gladius, breaking bones as it connected with it's face-

Only for the second one to tackle him into the water. Razkar opened his mouth to yell but water filled it before any sound could come out. The shock of the cold water made every inch of his exposed flesh cry out for a moment but then the feeling passed, vision blurred, only feel pain and rage as questing, unseen hands roamed-

The Myrian screamed and he heard that, even through the water. Jagged teeth bit into his chest and ground rather than tore, as if biting deeper, harder, looking for something under the skin more suculent-

Razkar snarled, eyes wide despite the water, reached down with his free hand... and plunged a finger knuckle-deep into the monster's eye.

An ungodly screech that vibrated through the flow and the teeth vanished, Yukman rearing back, out of the flow-

-Razkar kicked up at it, staggering it, trying to get to his feet-

-only for the one bearing the sword to hove into sight and slash down at him, barely above water-

-metal met metal a second time, but this time a ripple of agony coursed through him. The staggered creature was on him, too, gripping his arm in that mad strength they all possessed-

-until Razkar growled and spat blood and jerked forward and sunk his teeth into the creature's throat.

Black, stinking effluence that he would never, ever forget filled his mouth. He vomited even as he bit down harder, willing himself, forcing himself-

-felt the second slash on his sword arm. Felt his fingers losing their grip on his weapon even as he tore out a chunk of the Earth Demon's neck and sent it reeling back, blood pumping forth as if from a geyser. The sword-wielder was already raising again, and Razkar knew even as he parried he could not-

Parried, but could not stop the monster behind it, rushing him with fresh strength and ageless hunger.

Skill did not fail him. The Goddess-Queen did not curse him. It was far simpler than that, he realized in those frozen moments before the three of them clashed together one last time.

You just ran out of luck.

His head ripped round. The wounded, hobbled young one called Kiyeri was back with her clan, dragging her from the water, archers still pouring fire into the ranks of Earth Demons throwing themselves into the stream.

He heard one massive, warming bellow from dozens of throats. Not Yukmen. Something far more dangerous, and from the wrong direction. Fresh arrows. New splashes, more cries and yells and calls to the Goddess-Queen.

The War Party had arrived.

Razkar faced the two before him. One wounded and its face even more broken thanks to the blow from his gladius. The dirty light from the canopy lit them haphazardly, the one and the other behind, desperate to overtake the swords...thing and-

-and so desperate it crashed into the wounded Earth Demon with the sword, making it stagger-

Razkar's face split into a feral grin and he seized his moment, throwing himself backwards and away from them, the river bank thudding into his backside. One day, he would die in a battle such as this. He knew it like he knew the sun would set that night.

But not today.

The Earth Demon rounded on the creature that had thrown it off balance, swinging in a savage, unbridled blow and killing it with that single gesture. Then it turned back to the Myrian, one of those fleshing creatures that fought so well and tasted so good, watching with animal fury as it backed up the muddy bank.

It lurched and waded forwards, sword raised-

-saw Razkar grin, some tiny, forgotten, ignored part of its mind wonder why the flesh-thing did not show fear-

-right before two arrows thudded into it's chest. As it sunk down... it looked Razkar in the eyes... saw his lips move...

"Not... today."

The War Party crashed into the horde like a tsunami over a sand castle.

by **Razkar** on April 20th, 2013, 7:26 pm

Yukmen were only truly threatening when they had numbers and surprise on their side. They frequently did, however, and when a tide of them rolled out of the jungle like the wrath of dark gods, it was only by skill and sheer determination that their targets survived.

But that was not the case when Razkar's vision cleared one final time.

Already bloodied and battered by himself, Erama and the arrow-flinging line of Flint Knife warriors, the charge from the Taloba War Party was utterly devastating. Now outnumbers, with a new hail of darts and arrows slamming into them, screaming Myrians closing the gap and hacking at their flank, forcing them to choose between two directions-

-and cutting them apart before they got to a decision.

Part of him wanted to rise from the lukewarm mud he was laying in, rise and add yet more notches to his hilt. But the more pragmatic part of his mind knew that he was spent, and to throw himself into this fight would mean his end. And he had much left to do.

So Razkar contented himself with watching what unfolded... with a smile.

The Yukmen fought to the last, howling and yammering and screeching like the demons they were. They never surrendered; they weren't intelligent enough to comprehend anything like self-preservation. Every last one clashed against the Myrians surrounding them, hacking and biting and clawing until the final Earth Demon was laid low by Rehkuna herself.

Her lips twisted in disgust as she took its head off with one sweep of her gladius, blood flying like pitch ribbons. She wiped her blade clean and turned to the rest of her people.

"Gather them all, behead them all, burn them all. Now."

----------

The healing station was not really one, Razkar quickly understood. It was a rank of wounded Myrians that were being treated as best they could by the healers that had marched with the War Party. Erama was sitting next to him, still glowering and snarling softly as her scalp was stitched up. A couple of others groaned or cursed, slashes and bites in legs and arms making them twitched.

Three would never move again.

"Trying to win a petching medal, boy?" A stern voice above him said, and he squinted at the shadow below the sunlight dripping from the canopy. "Two against a hundred. Yer either a god reborn, or a complete fucking idiot."

Razkar grunted as he recognized the voice, trying and failing to shift into a sitting position. "Iqaz, patch me up and keep yer teeth closed, for the Goddess's sake."

The one-eyed female just chuckled throatily, skilled hands moving salve over the slashes in his arm and leg, the bite marks living and fresh in his chest. She was an old and wise healer, but even her gender did not stop the warriors from picking with her. With a personality like hers, it was pretty much a given.

"Still, you survived," she said grudgingly, tossing her head to someone, "And brought someone with you."

Razkar finally managed to force his body upright and take in his surroundings. It was... surprisingly quiet. The crakling flames from the massive bonfire by the river were louder than all the voices. But even over it he could clearly hear the fussing and tearful scolding from the females clutching onto Keyeri.

Angry. Angry at her but their tears were of sheer, blissful relief. The girl seemed to sense him and looked over, only her eyes visible over her mother's shoulder-

-and her hand snaked around to point.

Razkar frowned, eyes moving down to where she pointed... and found Ayatah's dagger, lying next to him, clean and sparkling and bereft of all that stinking black blood. He smiled back at her and nodded his thanks.

Good luck, little warrior.

Then he hissed and let his head fall back, Erama grunting at him.

"Stop being a baby, male."

"Not exactly in the same league of injuries as me, female."

"Want me to change that?"

"Both of you shut yer traps," Iqaz said around a mouthful of thread, ready to start stitching the male up, "Mewling bores me."

They exchanged looks, eyes were rolled and Razkar rolled back with a hiss as the needle went it... but it ended with a smile. A strange, almost manic smile upwards into the jungle canopy and the slivers of light beyond it.

Not today...

by **Traverse** on April 21st, 2013, 5:44 pm

Not Today

Razkar :

Kiyeri :

Additional Notes :

Questions? Concerns? PM me and we'll get to the bottom of it. Safe Travels!