Nemesis Oath (Peregrine x CrookedCanine)

Peregrine

Waiting for Wit
Original poster
FOLKLORE MEMBER
Invitation Status
  1. Looking for partners
Posting Speed
  1. 1-3 posts per day
  2. Multiple posts per week
  3. One post per week
  4. Slow As Molasses
Online Availability
On fairly regularly, every day. I'll notice a PM almost immediately. Replies come randomly.
Writing Levels
  1. Adept
  2. Advanced
Preferred Character Gender
  1. Primarily Prefer Male
  2. No Preferences
Genres
High fantasy is my personal favorite, followed closely by modern fantasy and post-apocalyptic, but I can happily play in any genre if the plot is good enough.
Tagata had to give the tuaega that had settled in the cavern credit; the luko had done a marvelous job transforming what had once been little more than a hole in the ground into something that felt like a village, and a home. She and her vaega had helped scout this location only a couple of moons ago, joining a number of other vaega that had been set out to find a home for the new settlement. Back then, this cave had seemed like nothing more than a dark, damp hole in the ground. However, during these two moons, craft vaega had apparently been sent out en masse, and their effort already showed. The groups of luko craftsmen had transformed the narrow cracks in the earth into spacious hallways and rooms, carving out places for luko to live and work, gather and play.

After that, the luko that had chosen to settle here brought in all the trappings of home. Each luko had decorated her personal living space with strings of beads, fine pelts, and colored tapestries, setting out blankets on top of beds and chairs, filling empty floor space with tables and chairs and woven baskets. Every inch of available floor space had been filled with dense carpet, transforming the ground from hard dirt into a more yielding surface.

Tagata glanced behind her as she walked, quickly surveying the six luko that trailed after her. The members of her vaega all walked with a fluid, professional stride, and Tagata couldn’t help but smile in pride as her team members received looks of admiration from the other luko that had gathered at the edge of the hallway. They all walked tall with pride, luma tucked behind their back with hands curled, making sure neither palms nor claws were exposed to potentially risk offense.

All the same, despite the fact that she could practically feel the satisfaction bubbling off the other members of her vaega, Tagata couldn’t say she was glad to be here. The luko had not really expected to return to this settlement after their initial scouting expedition was done. She and her vaega weren’t craftsmen or home-makers, they were soldiers. Nor were they guards, assigned to remain in one place and see to the safety of the tuaega. No, they were the roaming elite, sent out on missions that required speed, subtlety, and power. Their presence here showed that this young settlement had already found itself in grave danger.

Of course, there was always danger in new settlements. This one, in particular, had stepped firmly into the no man’s land at the edge of luko territory, running right up against the edge of human territory. That was part of the reason that so many vaega had been sent out to find the settlement’s new home. They needed to give it the best chance of survival as possible, in a land fraught with peril.

This cavern had seemed like the closest thing they were going to find to perfection. It was located near a jagged cliff, the ground sloping steeply up to the cave entrance, and mostly cleared of trees to present a clear view of the surrounding hills. The entrances to the cave were also plenty narrow, ensuring that even a few old luko with spears could block invaders from entering, let alone properly trained fighters. The Tama of the other nearby tuaega had all agreed that the humans would have a hard time dislodging them from this foothold, even when they inevitably found the new settlement. All of the luko who settled here were well aware of the risks, but agreed to inhabit the settlement with pride. It would be, after all, another step in the direction of reclaiming their ancestral territory, which had been all but overrun by humans.

Tagata and the rest of her vaega were led deep into the cavern settlement, before finally being asked to wait outside of a room covered by a light curtain. Their escort nodded politely, before ducking behind the curtain. A moment later, a soft voice bid them entrance.

The Tama of this tuaega was an old teine, the traces of black in her fur fading towards grey, short height shrunken further by the burdens of age on her bones. All the same, she stood up from the table where she’d been seated with a fluid grace, a soft smile crossing her face. Tagata had heard many stories about Atamai Tupu o Tele Loto’s great leadership, and she couldn’t help but bow her head, almost reverently, in the teine’s presence.

“Tagata Ola o Ata Lafoia,” Atamai said gently, her luma reaching forward with a closed fist to bump gently against Tagata’s luma knuckles, even as her toma reached forward to gently cradle one of Tagata’s toma hands. “I’m sorry you’ve had to return so soon.”

Tagata’s eyes closed gently, but when they opened again, they were filled with steely determination. “We’re here to help,” she swore, the rest of the luko behind her nodding their heads seriously.

“That’s good,” Atamai acknowledged, before releasing Tagata and turning back to the table, beckoning Tagata along. They stood before a pile of marked papers, covered in Atamai’s spidery script. “The humans have already sent three scouting parties in the past four days. Our guard vaega have managed to chase them away without incident so far, but it is clear they are planning something. We need to figure out what and find a way to…”

“Tama!” Atamai’s words were cut off when a lean brown and grey luko burst through her curtain. “My scout reports a human army is approaching!”

Atamai stiffened, before turning to Tagata, a determined look on her face. “No time for strategies now. You need to find out what they are planning, so we have time to prepare. Our guards will hold them off as long as they can. Go!”

Tagata stepped away, before crossing her luma over her chest fists still closed, in a sharp salute. The members of her vaega immediately followed suit, before they all turned to race out of the room and down the hallways, towards the front of the cavern.
 
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Kai crouched in waiting, her sturdy longbow in hand. Behind her about two dozen skilled warriors also crouched in waiting, their weapons drawn or close at hand. They were quite heavily armored and equipped, adorned in plate or a mixture of chainmail and hard leather. Most of them held swords and axes and other heavy weapons for such close quarter combat, but their leader preferred her bow. While other leaders might scorn her choice of weapon, they clearly didn’t know how ruthless she was with ranged weapons. Idly, she shifted her grip on the supple wooden handle.

The warriors’ tense muscles implied they were waiting to spring into action, surveying their surroundings for danger and keeping a close watch on their leader, who remained stone still in front of what looked to be a secret passageway nestled in the back of the luko’s reclaimed cave structure. While the passage had previously been sealed off with hard packed mud and stone, small scouting parties had traveled in the dark of night for the past few weeks to chip away at the structure. As it stood now, a good kick would send the barricade in at the appropriate time.

While the group had given the cave entrance a wide berth, a few scouts had been positioned well into the treeline in front of the cave in order to keep an eye on luko activity. As far as the warrior posse knew, no actual luko soldiers were present. They had anticipated only craftsmen and other less dangerous members of the luko race, ones they had witnessed entering and exiting over the past few weeks. It wasn’t until a nervous scout appeared behind the group that they knew something was up. The scout, a lithe young man with pale blonde hair and a smattering of freckles, pushed through the group to report to Kai.

Kai tilted her head to the side enough to peer over her shoulder. “Yes?”she inquired softly, voice gruff.

The scout caught his breath before relaying his message. “Luko soldiers just entered the cave. A whole procession of them.”

Kai turned her head back towards the entryway. “Damn it…”she hissed under her breath.

The other warriors looked concerned, murmuring amongst themselves and shifting their grip on their weapons anxiously. “Do we go through with our plan now that we will face violent opposition?”one asked.

Kai offered a backwards glance, still unmoving. “We’ll wait a moment to see what develops. Hold position.”

And so they did, sinking back into wary silence. The scout retreated with a nod. But no sooner than he left, a rustling emerged from the foliage again and another scout broke through. This time a middle age female, her face contorted into what looked to be excitement.

“Good news, I hope?”Kai asked as the scout closed the gap between herself and the warriors.

“Ehh, that is subjective...General Hugh’s forces are inbound. A whole war party of them, about twice our numbers. They plan on taking the luko cave from the front.”

Kai winced. “Ugh, not happy to hear of his pompous ass…” She tapped her chin with her bow. “But his assault will drive out the luko’s fighters…”

“Which leaves us to do as we wish with the rest of the encampment,”added another warrior.

“Exactly.” Kai’s face lit up into a devilish smile. She dismissed the scout with a curt nod and rose to her feet, facing her faithful men and women.

“We will make our move as the sound of battle rings out. Kill as many as you can, spare the children and elderly if you can help it. No use killing those that aren’t a threat to us,”Kai ordered.

And so when they heard the sound of a human war horn blow and the charge of feet up towards the cave front, Kai moved towards the passageway. With a harsh kick, she sent debris flying forwards into the stony hallway inside. Wasting no time as the dust settled, she rushed in with her warriors right on her heels. They flew into the first cavern where luko were lounging or idly sharing conversation, and began the assault.

Kai released the first arrow. It whistled through the cool air and lodged itself into a teine’s skull with a gross “thunk” and a smattering of gore on the cave wall. The human warriors spread out, striking down the startled luko, sparing only those that looked too young or old to meet their graves. Other humans, such as Hugh’s forces, would have slaughtered the young and elderly alike with vigor, but Kai had some shred of morality, even in war. Although not enough to avoid this carnage. It was imperative to her mission that this camp be cleared out.

As a fafine leapt out of her seat and began to run towards another passageway, Kai took aim, sending an arrow into her calf. A sword finished the deed once she was down. But although Kai’s force was doing a decent job in making sure there were few survivors, some slipped through the cracks. Off to warn their guards, who were certainly preoccupied as is. In the chaos, Kai hardly noticed one of the warriors from her camp, although not this squad, slip into a back room.
 
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Although Tagata and the rest of her vaega had been in the back of the settlement when they’d met with Atamai, they still managed to make it back to the entrance before the off-duty guards were able to finish putting on their armor. Tagata unconsciously found a growl escaping her lips as a sneer crossed her features. She’d always known there was a sharp difference in quality between guard and military vaega, but she’d figured that those guards sent to settlements in the no man’s land would at least have some level of professionalism. Instead, it looked like they’d grown complacent in the last moon of peace, believing the lack of attack would continue into the future.

Tagata’s vaega never held any such belief. Even though they’d been traveling for days and were supposed to have a chance to relax now, they showed no signs of complacency. Their armor was tightly fitted, their claws sharp, and their eyes seemed to glow with a readiness for battle. Tagata couldn’t help but feel another small surge of pride, but she didn’t allow that to slow her down one bit. Instead, she quickly began to bark out instructions. “Vai, Tatalo, go find the rear line. Offer them whatever assistance they need.” The only two pale-colored luko in Tagata’s vaega, and the only teine, nodded their heads, quickly splitting off and heading towards the entrance.

“Mata, Tamoe, spread out. Make sure the humans aren’t planning anything else, and pick off any stragglers you find.” The two quickly saluted, luma across chest, and also headed out. Nodding her head, Tagata turned to face the last two remaining luko of her vaega. A harsh smile crossed her lips.

“Osofa, Taun, you’re with me. Let’s go spill some human blood!” She turned away immediately, and the last two in her group stepped in right behind her, as they made their way to the entrance.

Despite the apparently ill prepared guard inside the entrance, the luko on the outside had already set up a rear line a little ways away from the cave entrances, and other luko paced eagerly back and forth, ready to head out to fight the moment the humans broke through the tree line. Glancing around, Tagata caught a glimpse of Vai near a group of other teine who were preparing bandages and poultices for the injured, and thought she spotted some of Tamoe’s dark fur towards one edge of the battle front. She turned away, instead, focusing on the distance where she could hear the sound of heavy human armor approaching. Tagata panted slightly in excitement, her spine stretching and popping as her luma came forward against the ground, switching her from a biped to quadruped position. She tucked her toma in tight against her chest, and readied herself for combat, Osofta and Taun still tight on her sides.

The luko didn’t have long to wait. It only took a moment before the humans arrived. The luko tensed, but didn’t charge out. Instead, as soon as two rows of humans rhad broken through the tree line, a cry went up, and the sky suddenly darkened with spears, which arced through the air towards the approaching human army. The other luko didn’t wait to see how many of the javelins would strike home. As soon as the shout went up, they charged out as well, Tagata leading the race.

She quickly proved why she was the leader of one of the best known battlefront vaegas north of the mountains. Tagata, Osofa, and Taun moved with quick, easy motions, darting in among the humans in a triangle formation, seeming to move as though they were controlled by one mind, moving forward and backwards in synch, each playing to the other’s strengths. Tagata was the quickest, darting through openings that seemed only moments away from closing to cut through an exposed human arm or throat. Taun was the strongest, moving slowly but easily able to bust through armor with the long, sharp claws of her luma. Osofa backed both of them up with quick motions and heavy attacks, while also covering the rear and making sure they didn’t get surrounded. Together, the three luko waded into the front line of humans like a bloody tornado of sharp claws, followed only seconds later by the rest of the guard.

At that point, the battle descended into pure chaos. The quick, ferocious charge of the luko was one of their best known battle techniques, and while it worked poorly against fortified locations, it was devastating against an exposed battlefront. The humans quickly staggered and began to fall back under the relentless charge of the luko.

It was then that the sudden sound of a war horn cut through the battlefield like a sharp knife, causing the luko to momentarily pause. Something had happened to the settlement!

“Keep fighting!” Tagata bellowed, but not quickly enough to protect two of the hesitating luko from being run through with human blades. However, her call seemed to bring the others back to their senses, and the clash resumed with even greater fervor. “We’re falling back,” Tagata said, more quietly. “If something unexpected happened back in the settlement, they’ll need our help.”

The other two luko nodded, and their charge slowed, as they slowly began to slip backwards, although not before taking another few human lives in the process. Only once they’d broken free of the battle did they begin to race back towards the cave entrance. “Osofa!” Tagata called to her second in command, and the black and cream colored luko hesitated. “Go find the captain of the guard. Help him. Taun and I will find out what happened to the settlement.” Osofa nodded and split off, racing towards one of the entrances, where a flag stood. Tagata and Taun didn’t alter their course.

However, before they could make it, Tagata was distracted by the sudden sight of Mata darting around a boulder in front of her and falling in next to Tagata. “This way,’ she panted, before veering off to the side. “The humans blasted a hole into the settlement from a crack in the cliff!”

Mata quickly led them around a boulder, out of sight of the main entrances, towards a dark hole in the side of the cliff. They paused before the entrance, and Tagata nodded her thanks. “Keep watch,” she instructed the cream colored luko, before diving into the crack, followed almost instantly by Taun.

Inside, the stench of blood hit them immediately. The humans had broken into one of the residential caverns, ad the corpses of three luko littered the floor. In one corner, a cowering kupita peered out from behind a basket. Tagata felt her heart break, unable to look at the little shape knowing that her fafine was almost undoubtedly among the fallen, but steeled her heart a moment later, heading deeper into the settlement following the sounds of battle.
 
Once this section of the cave was cleared, Kai surveyed her surroundings, catching her breath. She approached the teine she had struck down first and placed her boot against its limp shoulder, using it as leverage as the pulled her arrow free. Gore dripped from the arrow's sharp obsidian head. Kai flicked it off impassively and slid it back into the quiver strapped to her belt. Seeing that the room was cleared, save for a cowering juvenile, Kai tossed her head in the direction of the next hallway. "Let's move. The longer we stick around, the more likely we are to be sooner discovered by their warrior posse."

So far none of the human warriors had fallen, as they hadn't faced any fighter lukos, met only by desperate, unarmed opposition. However, one of Kai's swordsmen had taken a gnarly scratch to his arm, slicing right through his leather. A fafine's claws had caught his flesh in her attempt to protect her young. Kai felt a tug at her heart seeing the quaking baby luko eyeing its deceased mother with watery eyes. But it was a brief thought. She had work to do.

Kai grit her teeth and set off into the next hallway, bow raised and arrow notched. She rounded the bend into a what looked to be a carpenter's work space, finding no luko present. They had most likely retreated at the sound of bloodshed. And so Kai picked up her pace, her warriors following suit, eyes roving the space with scrutiny. They followed the sound of panicked whispers to a darkened wide space full of storage crates. Kai motioned for her soldiers to stop, and they did so nearly immediately. The luko's whispers died down, but Kai had already pinpointed their hiding spots behind the stored goods.

She advanced on silent feet, timing her breaths to avoid giving away her position. She lunged behind the closest crate and sent an arrow between the widened, startled eyes of one of the hidden luko. Their companion beside them snarled and sprung at Kai with its luma outstretched. Kai narrowly dodged the attack, bringing her bow down over her assailant's head as they whizzed by. They collapsed in the open where Kai's second in command, Tonya, was readied with a great axe. It came down in a flash of silver. The luko's head rolled to the side, coming to a rest in a pool of dark blood that was quickly forming. The sight elicited a shriek from one of the hiding luko, revealing their position.

But just as Kai started quickly in her targets' direction, she watched as Edgar, one of her best swordsmen, went flying backwards through the air. His wounded body collided with a stack of crates, sending wood splinters every which way. Kai followed his flight path to two warrior luko looming in entryway. "Fuck," Kai murmured under her breath, assessing the two armored combatants. The hiding luko were allowed to escape, slipping away untouched. Kai's warriors took position facing the two warrior luko instead, weapons at the ready. "Attack!"Kai ordered, sending the battle into motion again. She jumped onto the nearest crate and took aim at the larger of the two lukos, volleying three arrows .
 
It wasn't hard for Tagata and Taun to track the humans through the corridor. Beyond the fact that they left their stink wherever they traveled, this number of people couldn’t hide their passage through the dusty corridors. However, Tagata had quickly come to the realization that their numbers were not as great as she had feared. It was clear that only a small, elite group of humans had entered through this back passageway they had opened, rather than a massive swarm. They were aiming for a tightly controlled critical strike, rather than mass devastation. Tagata couldn’t help but think, albeit somewhat reluctantly, that if their situations were reversed she probably would have chosen a similar action herself. These humans were not led by a novice commander.

Fortunately, their quarry was unable to elude them for long. Tagata slowed for a moment as she caught sight of the side of a human, before she exchanged a brief glance with Taun. In unison they nodded, before lunging forward towards the humans. Taun barreled right through the warrior that stood in their way, while Tagata darted to the side, quickly trying to grasp a sense for the layout of the other soldiers.

There had to be over twotens of humans in the room, all of them with sharp blades drawn and dark eyes turned in their direction. Tagata couldn’t help the growl she found slipping from between her lips. She and Taun were going to have to confront well over ten humans each if they wanted to make it out of this alive and protect the settlement, and all of them would be coming at the same time.

But she didn’t have time to worry over the small details. One of the nearby humans swung at her with a sword, and Tagata sidestepped, twirling to the side. The blade past scant inches away from her shoulder, but her luma lashed out in turn, aiming for his throat. Her claws would have tasted blood, too, if a sudden tingle hadn't run up her spine, causing her to fling herself to the side. She heard the sound of arrows cutting through the air, passing through the space she had occupied only scant instants before.

The human that had just escaped death wasn’t so shocked that he wasn’t able to take advantage of Tagata’s stumble. He and two other humans lunged forward, attempting to trap the luko in a pincer attack. Tagata charged forward instead, barreling her shoulder into the stunned human’s chest, before her luma swung forward, sharp claws ripping through his face and down his neck. He didn’t have a chance to scream.

A couple of other humans in the area were so lucky. Two screamed out almost simultaneously, before one was silenced through a guttural gurgle of blood. Taun was already doing her share of the work. Tagata glanced over just long enough to see Taun’s other blow being interrupted by another quick-flying arrow, which left a deep gash in her leather armor.

Tagata quickly tried to look around, attempting to track down the shooter, but was distracted by another screaming human, charging at her with sword drawn. The luko sidestepped again, dodging out of range of the sword, only to suddenly hear the whistling of another arrow, and feel a sharp flame of pain on her luma forearm. She could feel a trickle of blood running through her fur, and swore quietly.

“Fall back!” Tagata shouted, dodging between two humans and slapping one of them full across the chest with her luma. They were going to get surrounded if they continued to fight in this room, which would spell death for both of them. At least in the corridor, they’d be able to ensure no enemies would be coming up from behind them.

Taun began to move backwards as well, slowly yielding one step at a time as they moved towards the entrance of the storage chamber where they’d come through only a few moments before. The humans were happy to press their advantage, trying to circle around to the side to entrap the two luko and pin them on sword or spear point. However, the two fafine continued to push forward, Tagata finally able to make her escape from the encirclement when she swiped at a spear coming towards her, shattering the wood handle, before lunging forward and clawing up the human’s two arms. She dropped to the ground, screaming, white bone peeking through her flesh.

And, like that, they were out in the corridor, leaving behind seven dead and dying humans. However, what followed them out was less than half the number of humans that had remained. Tagata and Taun exchanged a look, knowing that several of them had backed off, heading out the other entrance to kill more of their kind, or perhaps circle around and try and attack the fighters from behind. Either way, both fafine knew that they were going to have to fight quick and fight hard if they didn’t want to see more needless death.

So that’s exactly what they did. They barreled forwards before the humans had a chance to fully brace themselves, punching through the first line of defenders like a wrecking ball. They fought quick and they fought furious, desperate to cut through these invaders to pursue the others who had gone deeper into the settlement, but even they could only do so much when they were confronted five to one. Tagata found herself steadily being pushed back, until she suddenly caught the faint trace of outside air on the breeze. They’d been pushed all the way back to the entrance.

Tagata was about to take another swing at the humans when she suddenly noticed something wooden approaching from the edge of her vision. She ducked, expecting another arrow, only to have the solid wood of the archer’s bow connect with the crown of her head. The fafine staggered, letting out a grunt of pain, before she suddenly saw a boot heading towards her face. She lifted her luma, and felt tremors race up to her shoulder as the boot connected with the meat of her forearm. Growling, she lashed out again, the claws of her other luma slicing through fabric before the leg was able to pull back.

Tagata pushed her way back to her feet with a groan, finally catching sight of the archer that had harried her and Taun from the back rows. She was a small but strong human, with a half-shaved head and massive claw marks running down her face. Tagata growled again, before flinging herself forward. Something inside of her told her that the fight would get a lot easier if she could just take this human out.

Unfortunately, the agile creature ducked under the blow from her luma, darting in with a short sword in hand to stab at Tagata’s torso. Tagata twisted, dodging the short sword, only to feel a boot suddenly connect with her knee, once more causing her to stagger. However, this time Tagata’s stumble was coordinated, and as the woman rushed in to follow up on the luko’s apparent mistake Tagata lashed out, catching the woman across the shoulder with one of her luma, and sending her flying backwards into the open room.

Tagata quickly pushed her way to her feet, suddenly finding herself back-to-back with Taun. The two fafine braced against each other for a moment, preparing to fight again, when everything went wrong. Tagata felt the ground begin to shake underneath her, while explosions echoed through her ears. And then the world began to collapse.
 
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One second Kai was on her feet prepared to land a sword strike on a luko fighter she was toe to toe with, the next she was hurled across the cave. The action didn't look much different than that of a child throwing her doll across the room. However, instead of crumpling into a limp heap, when Kai's back collided with the ground, she hastily rolled onto her stomach and jumped to her feet.

Winded and sore, but in one piece, Kai began to rush back at her target. She ran as quickly as her injured leg permitted, thigh having been slashed by luko claws just moments prior. Once she was close enough, Kai raised her sword. But instead of going in for a stab, she stopped short, blade point hovering a few inches from the Luko's armored ribs. The luko had also paused when they sensed something was amiss.

The ground rumbled beneath their feet and time seemed to slow as reality set in. "Everybody brace!"Kai shouted to her warriors, dropping into a crouch and covering the back of her head. No sooner did the words leave her mouth, the deafening sound of an explosion rippled through the air, shaking the cave as heavy rocks tumbled down. Kai shot a glance to her right just as one of the rocks careened into the spine of her second in command with a sickening crunch. Tonya's armored body disappeared under the debris. Kai released an anguished scream, sending saliva and tears onto the bloodied ground.

Her scream was soon cut short as the ground gave way beneath her, pitching her into the darkness. As she fell, a rock dashed across the side of her head, the impact rendering her unconscious. Then there was only blackness.
 
There was no time for her to think, only time for her to react. Tagata lunged backwards, luma stretching out to wrap around Taun. She didn't have time to think or worry about the potential offense her action might cause, right now all that mattered was getting them somewhere slightly more safe. Tagata ducked into a furrow in the wall, the beginnings of an unformed room that was little more than a hole now. But the nook offered no shelter. Rock after rock pounded against her back and legs. Just as she was certain this was it, she was going to die, Tagata suddenly felt the ground heave out from under her. Tagata didn't have time do do more than gasp before she and Taun were plunging down into the earth, surrounded by rock and falling debris. She struck the ground heavily, the wind knocked out of her in one ferocious blow, before the world went dark to the sound of an earthen rumble.

earth-pagebreak.png

Tagata woke to the feel of an aching pain across her body, and soft fur against her chest. She blinked, desperate to see anything, only for utter blackness to reach her eyes. Feeling a wash of panic, Tagata's toma lifted, stroking across her face in hurried movements, looking for damage. The normal features of her face greeted her frantic probing. She forced herself to take a slow breath, trying to calm down.

There was fur next to her.

"Taun," Tagata croaked, her voice hoarse. Even that simple breath sent dust racing down her throat, and her body spasmed in the grasp of a fit of coughing. All the same, as soon as she could breathe again, Tagata pushed against the fur with her toma. "Taun. Are you..."

Taun wasn't moving. Even in the pitch dark that surrounded her, Tagata could tell that. The smell of blood filled the air. She found herself panting in fear, desperately trying not to start coughing again from the dirt in the air. She pushed at Taun's shoulder, a faint whimper breaking from the back of her throat with each desperate gasp.

Her hands traced up, finding an elbow and then a shoulder. She pushed herself to a crounching position, as her toma checked over Taun's chest, searching for any injury. But her armor was intact. Scratched from the fight, but her chest seemed whole. Unconsciously, she found her hands moving up across Taun's back, over her shoulder blades, along her neck, until her fingers abruptly collided with stone. Where Taun's head should have been, she instead found the edge of a massive chunk of what had once been the ceiling.

Tagata lunged backwards, her spine painfully colliding with the low ceiling and sending down another shower of dust, before she found herself pressed against the far wall. She hadn't moved far, the fault of this small room she'd found herself trapped in with Taun's corpse.

Tagata had always prided herself on her calmness and her rationality, her ability to handle anything that the fight might throw at her. But she could swear she could see shapes moving in the darkness, hands waiting to grab her. She could feel Taun's accusing gaze on her, staring in impotent rage at her useless death. If she strained her ears, she could just make out the sound of Taun's voice, whispering her name, over and over and over again.

Tagata. Tagata. Tagata. Taagaaataaa.

"No!" Tagta gasped, buring her face in her toma as her luma protectively curled around her chest. "Taun. Taun. I'm sorry. No. No. Nononono."

In that moment, she found herself wishing that some rock had crushed her to death as well.
 
Kai awoke to a ringing in her ears. She opened her eyes but saw only thick darkness. She released a low groan and closed her eyes again. But she found that when she inhaled, her throat was coated in dust. And so Kai hacked it out, doubling over where she lay on the stone cold ground. As the dust settled and her lungs rattled back into a more normal rhythm, she recalled the events that led her here. She had been fighting with her troop in a luko cave. Seemed like a normal battle... an explosion.

Someone had collapsed the luko cave Kai and her warriors were trying to clear out. Now she had been swallowed up by the earth, surrounded by rockfall, body aching. Chiefly her head. She lifted a shaky hand to the side of her head and it came back slick with blood. Her fingers fumbled around, finding no noticeable cracks or dents in her skull. Which meant she probably had a concussion rather than a fatal blow. She released a big sigh, heaving out some more dust in the process.

"Well shit..."Kai mumbled, letting her hand fall back to the ground. She was probably going to die here. Alone in a tomb of stone.

At least she thought she was alone. A voice reached her ears, a frightened, quiet one. But a voice, nonetheless. Kai slowly eased herself into a sitting position up against the cave wall, wincing as she moved. Even gentle movement sent her head reeling, overcome with dizziness. She let her head rest against the wall, eyes screwed shut. Once she had caught her breath again, she spoke up, voice hoarse, "Hello? Is someone there?"
 
It took several, long moments for Tagata to realize that the sound of another voice wasn’t just in her head. She could actually hear it. Someone was out there.

The realization seemed to snap through her like a lightning bolt, shaking free all vestiges of terror and panic that had clung to her like burrs in her fur only moments before. In that instant, Tagata was a soldier again. There was someone out there that she had to protect. It wasn’t time to be having a breakdown, even if Taun was dead and she was trapped in here with nothing more than a body.

“Hello!” Tagata answered, voice pitched as loud as she could get it with the way it felt like something was clawing at the back of her throat. “Yes! I’m here.”

Instantly, Tagata began to compile a mental checklist of things she needed to ask. It should have been obvious to her before, but most of the settlement’s luko had still been indoors when the explosion had happened, which meant most of them were now buried in a pile of rubble. And, depending on how the fight outside went, they might be trapped here indefinitely, with no one to deliver the message that something had gone wrong. The fact that anyone was still alive was, in some ways, a miracle.

“Are you alright? Are you hurt?” That was the most important thing. If she was okay, then there was a chance they’d be able to find a way out of here. If she was hurt… well, Tagata certainly didn’t have Vai’s skill with medicine, but she had seen enough to know some basic field first aid. Either way, they were both going to need to be able to survive if they hoped to get out of here.

Tagata’s thoughts suddenly flashed to the rest of her vaega, outside the cave. What would they think about the explosion? Tagata was suddenly relieved that she had sent Osofa to find the captain of the guard, instead of bringing her along. The fafine would be able to take control of the team in Tagata’s absence, make sure everyone stayed alive.

What would they do? Surely they’d try and mount some sort of rescue effort, but the front line was now literally trapped with their backs against a wall. It wouldn’t be all that unexpected for them to order a retreat and then…

Then she’d be stuck here, surrounded by humans.

Tagata swallowed, trying to repress the panic building within her again. There was someone else here. She needed to help that luko, keep them from panicking. She focused all her thoughts on that.

“What’s your name?”
 
Kai snapped to attention at the sound of a verbal response. So she wasn't trapped in the bowels of a luko settlement alone! Perhaps there was still a shred of hope in the darkness. Kai opened her mouth to speak again, but dust crept in, sapping her breath. With a dry hacking cough, she doubled over. The abrupt motion sent a shooting pain through her skull, causing her to clutch her head with a groan.

"My head," she panted. "Received quite the blow from a rock. Nothing major, but gods, it hurts. Probably a bad concussion if anything." Kai leaned back up against the wall, taking shallower breaths to avoid inhaling any more dirt and debris.

Kai suddenly recalled the fate of her second in command. Saw Tonya's crumpled, dead figure before it disappeared under more rocks. God only knows what had become of the rest of her troop. Having been deep in the cave , they had most likely either died in the initial explosion or were trapped and left for dead like Kai herself. Who would have thought that a seemingly simple invasion mission would end in them all being sealed in a rocky tomb? While death was always a possibility in Kai's line of work, she anticipated she would meet it at the claws or blades of her enemies, not a rogue explosion.

And so she steeled herself. There was a hope of survival here now that she wasn't alone and she wasn't about to let it slip through her fingers while she wallowed. She was a soldier, after all, and a pretty damn good one at that. And so when she heard the other survivor speak again, she responded. "My name is Kai."

But names were not her concern. While this individual didn't sound familiar, they were most likely one of warriors from the incoming human force. Kai vaguely remembered some breaking through luko ranks to join the fight at the cave entry just prior to the collapse. And so she was quick to ask, "How about you? Are you injured in any way?"
 
Tagata felt her concern for the other luko growing greater with every word. It was obvious that the other was doing her best to appear strong, but Tagata had to assume that the blow to the head Kai had suffered was much stronger than she was willing to admit, or maybe acknowledge. Why else would she only introduce herself by her common name, and not by her full lineage name?

But Tagata could also feel her attempts to be strong through the tone of her voice. Whatever it was, Kai didn’t want her to worry. It was a remarkably sweet sentiment, coming from a civilian towards a soldier, and Tagata couldn’t help the small smile that flicked across her face. “I’m alright,” Tagata replied, forcing herself to sound calm. Competent. In control. Like she wasn’t sitting almost on top of the dead body of her…

Don’t think about it!

“I took a couple blows on the way down, but it isn’t anything worse than a few bruises.”

After making that statement, Tagata paused, actually stopping long enough to check herself over. Her chest ached, her shoulder burned. She’d probably dislocated or broken something in her luma, cracked a couple ribs. Nothing that wouldn’t heal. Assuming they could get out of here.

“Can you see… anything? A way out, or some way to get someone’s attention?”
 
Kai canted her head to the side, keeping her ear open for the other soldier's response. She was eager to hear an answer so that she could better assess the situation at hand. A bead of blood rolled down the side of Kai's head, disturbed by the position she had placed herself in. She wiped it away with a dusty palm.

The soldier on the other end sounded well, answering that they were in decent shape despite the traumatic fall. Calm and confident. Despite the grim situation, Kai managed to crack a smile, making a mental note to learn more of this soldier if they ever got free. She could make for a good asset among Kai's ranks. Or...whatever was left of them. Kai shivered.

Putting the worrying thoughts behind her, Kai focused on the 'now', which in this case was the question asked of her. "Huh, let me take a better look now that my eyes are starting to adjust to the dark,"she answered, squinting into the murky depths of the cave. Mostly a thick blackness, but it was pierced by a sliver of light. Kai's eyes widened, posture straightening. "I do see something! A bit of light. I'm going to crawl over and investigate," she informed the other soldier.

And so she did just that, easing herself on her hands and knees to avoid hitting the ceiling or disturbing the persistent ache in her skull. What injuries she sustained were ignored in favor of the excitement of her discovery, and so she closed the short distance rather quickly. Up close, she used her hands to examine the rocks, feeling their size and position. "There,"Kai announced, placing both hands on a large rock directly under the small crack of light.

"If this rock can move, the others will surely topple out." She gave it a hearty shove. No budge. Kai gave another push, a stronger one, eliciting hardly any movement. Another attempt yielded no results. Kai fell back into a sitting position on her legs. "Damn it...Too heavy..."she panted. The slight exertion had made her head spin, forcing her to screw her eyes shut. This gave her a moment to think and await any feedback from her partner in captivity.
 
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Tagata felt relief wash over her when she heard that Kai could see a way out. The luko's surroundings were completely dark, and the only way she could tell whether there was a wall or empty air right in front of her nose was to feel around with her luma or toma. If the other could get out of this space, she'd be able to go for help. That would mean that Tagata would also have a chance of getting rescued, and then she could join the rescue effort to help dig out other luko were buried in this space.

However, the little candle of hope that had lit within her went out the moment she heard that Kai wasn't able to move the rock. Tagata felt like swearing herself, but forced herself to stay calm. If she couldn't shift the rock, maybe she could dig her way out. There was obviously a path to the surface right there. All they had to find was a way for her to access it.

"Can you get your claws into the gap?" Tagata asked, flexing her luma hands. "You might be able to chip out a larger opening if the rock isn't too hard."
 
Kai's blood ran cold. Claws. She rested her head in her hands with a long sigh. A pit began to form in her stomach. She was going to die here next to the enemy, their stony tombs side by side. This wasn't a human soldier, but a luko one. Suddenly Kai felt betrayed. This mysterious figure had been kind to Kai in the brief time she had been conscious, and the fact that concern had come from such a creature was offensive.

"I don't have any claws like you, luko,"Kai answered through gritted teeth. Despite her lack of claws, she dug her fingers into the crack between the rubble, trying to pry it free. But her dull fingernails were useless at chipping her way to freedom. She sat back with a sigh again, collecting her thoughts to avoid breaking down. She was a soldier trapped in enemy territory, she couldn't afford to show weakness.
 
Silence seemed to echo within the space, and Tagata strained her ears, listening for the sound of claws against rock. No noise greeted her. After a moment of silence, Tagata spoke. "Are.. you alright?" she asked hesitantly, only to suddenly hear a cold voice speaking back to her.

It took her a moment to realize that the words were directed towards her, and another moment after that to realize what they meant. She didn't have claws? But how could she not have...

"Human?" Tagata suddenly gasped, the realization taking her like a punch in the gut. "You're human?"

A soldier's instincts forced her to bury the shock only a moment later, even as she felt the urge to cry or scream building in the back of her throat. It felt like Taun's fur was smothering her face, so hard was it to breathe. Now she was all alone in the dark again, with nothing but a dead friend to keep her company.

"No wonder you couldn't shift the rock. Useless, like the rest of your race."
 
Kai scoffed at the luko's comment. "Useless, huh? You're one to talk, trapped like a rat just as I am,"she quipped, easing back into a sitting position up against the cave wall. Despite her snarky comment, her face conveyed more despair than it did anger. She stared longingly at the crack of light , wondering what would become of her. She'd have to forge on alone now, ignoring the luko trapped beside her. She'd be little help.

And so Kai sat in silence, taking time to rest her eyes to combat the pounding in her head. She watched as the light from the crack ebbed away into darkness, announcing the coming of night. Still, no sign of other life forms outside. Just a bone chilling silence. And a bone chilling cold as well, the damp cave offering little respite form the night's colder temperatures.

Eventually Kai drifted into a restless sleep. She dreamed only of blackness. When her eyes opened again, the sliver of light had returned. Kai coughed hoarsely, clearing dust from her mouth. Her headache returned with her consciousness, but luckily the bleeding had long stopped. The same was true of the shallow gash in her thigh. Kai had seen better days, that was for sure. But she had also bore worst injuries, and so she persevered. However, she found that stewing in silence helped no one.

"If I am to die at your side, luko, may I at least know your name? Keep it short please, I have little patience for your exaggerated lineages."
 
"If I was the one sitting right next to a passage to the surface," Tagata scolded right back without hesitation. "I'd have shifted the rock and gotten out." She waited then, claws of her luma scratching incessantly against the floor, for a response from Kai. However, only silence greeted her ears. Silence, and the sound of her own breath.

Unlike Kai, Tagata's light coat of fur helped keep her reasonably warm, even in the cold of the underground. However, as the hours dragged on in silence and Tagata began to imagine she was seeing faint traces of light out of the corner of her eyes, Tagata began to imagine she'd trade both her fur and her claws to be able to see anything. Luko had good night vision, and even the faint light of starlight had always been more than enough for Tagata to navigate by. However, this... this was absolute darkness. Completely pitch black, leaving her eyes searching for things they couldn't really see.

Desperate for something to do, Tagata began to explore the space by touch, using both toma and luma to trace the confines of her narrow space. As she stared, she began to almost imagine she could see the walls around her, even through the smarting reminders of her shin, shoulder, and head from where she'd bashed herself against an unexpected protrusion.

Unfortunately, if her search had proven her one thing, it was that the rocks around her hole were all solid.

"Rock solid," Tamoe said, trying to stifle her laughter.


Tagata started awake, ears ringing, eyes flitting about through the darkness trying to catch sight of the black and brown fafine who'd found her. But it only took a couple of moments for Tagata to realize that, no matter how good the other fafine might be at stealth, there was no way she'd be able to sneak through the rocks that had all but buried her.

The sound of her own breath echoed around her, and for a moment she also thought she heard Taun breathing. But no, Taun was dead. She was never going to breathe again.

Tagata buried her head in her toma hands, and a faint whimper slipped from between her lips. She was going to die down here.

A moment later, she flinched again. Another voice. But this one wasn't the ghostly whispers of her vaega. In fact, it was quite unfamiliar. Tagata blinked, suddenly remembering the human trapped on the other side of the rock wall. Tagata had almost forgotten about Kai.

"Tagata Ola o Ata Lafoia," she answered, after only a moment's hesitation. She had never imagined that one day she might be cordially offering her name to the enemey. "My vaega calls me Tagata. I suppose you may too, if you have no patience for lineages."