Thus Spake Zarataylor/SpiffyFiction

izzylobo - 12-11-2003

As quickly as it had been engulfed in the fury of battle, the glade returned to silence. Corpses cooled in the evening mist – those that had not long since been rendered chill. No scavengers – two legged or four – appeared to loot the corpses –animals knew better than to approach such a field, and no mortals remained to disgrace the fallen..

Evening conceded to night, and night to early dawn, before a hand seemed to detach itself from the underbrush and flick out a series of commands in battlefield hand signals.

It was as if the underbrush had grown human form and stepped out to take a look around for a moment, as ancient enchantments faded to temporary quiescence. Even after the magics had faded, the figures were indistinct, carefully applied paints further obscuring what outline enchantment could not quite eliminate.

Four figures removed themselves from the underbrush to investigate the battlefield, searching for any information they could glean from the carnage. After several minutes observing, a fifth followed her hand out of the scrub brush she had spent hours hiding motionless in, and shook her body back to full alertness.

The figures moved over the battlefield with a careful, practiced ease – wary, but mindful of their duties, observant, but keeping one eye alert for outside threats. At all times, one kept watch over the field and their surroundings, his powerful bow nocked, as the others investigated.

Finally, their investigations lead them to the clearing’s edge, where a single figure was separated out from the rest of the battle’s remnants. His ending had not been a good one, and rusty blood stained what had once been flawless white jade armor. A grand tetsubo lay scattered near where he lay. The fang’s leader pointed to one member, then to the corpse.

The team’s sorcerer-technician nodded and began to work, seeking out the presence of any maleficent spells on the corpse. Her quick, silent response indicated a vague threat – but not an immediate one. The leader nodded, then indicated she should expand the search. Again, she shrugged. Another nod, and then Terela Windrunner broke silence, as was her right as the unit’s commander, and a Shozei of the Rangers.

“You’re sure no observation?”

“Sure as I can be, under the circumstances. That damn sword of hers is nowhere nearby, at least."

“Okay. So she’s not here, and if not safe, this is at least a secure site for now. Who was she? Or him, for that matter. Reports, people.”

“Mercs were carrying Nexus gear. No badges, no banners – incognito. Good equipment, and they fought better than most – there wasn’t any hesitation, and nobody broke. They might have been friends of Lookshy, chief.” The sniper’s eyes never stopped scanning the surroundings as he spoke.

The sorcerer-technician spoke next. “He was Immaculate” she nodded briefly at the Dragon-Blooded’s corpse “You can disguise the figure, but not the training.” Terela nodded again. “The killer’s Abyssal. No question – a Nemissary would never be able to pull off that trick with the daiklaive. But she’s not in the briefings we got from ID, so either they missed one, or she’s new.”

Terela nodded curtly. Either way meant trouble. And the idea of a lone Immaculate – and a Terrestrial – supported not by a dragon of Realm heavy infantry, but by nearly a wing of hired mercs – and good ones – was also troubling, if only because the Intelligence Directorate hadn’t known – or hadn’t thought that his people needed to know.

“Sorcerer-Technician, summon us exfiltration assets from Marukani Redoubt – something fast and quiet. Lookshy needs to know about this immediately – and the Redoubt has full-time communications with the Manse. Everyone else, get ready to move – we’ll head out for the Redoubt, meet them on the way.”

As she finished, the sun broke over the horizon, and a lone raiton launched itself into the sky, an errant croak nearly the only sign of its departure. In one motion, the team’s sniper spun, aimed, and let fly with a single arrow that plucked the bird out of the heavens in a flurry of greasy black feathers.

We go. Now. Foot. Double time. Terela’s hand flickered as she slung her fire lance. As if with one mind, the five smoothly bounded into a wedge formation as their armor’s enchantments dropped them back to near-invisibility. Within moments, the glade was again silent, the only proof of their having existed a single arrow pinning a foolish spy to the ground.