Cutting off the Head [Job/Solo]

Spoiler:

This is ridiculous. Do they really believe that something is controlling these beasts?

Struggling through a sandstorm, Ayero clutches her cloak tighter to her body, trying to shield it the best she could from the wild sands. She’d purchased a dark crimson scarf made of light yet sturdy material in order to better insulate herself against the raging sandstorm she’d knowingly headed into. Despite her efforts to clear the violent packs of roving jackals from Heliohapt’s territory, their numbers seemed to grow and it was almost as if she hadn’t made a dent in the number of incidents. The problem had been slowly getting worse, escalating to the point where the local government promised a good reward to anyone who could put a stop to whatever was causing the jackals to become restless.

They’re wild animals. This is what they do. Why wouldn’t a desert country have problems like this?

Maybe it was the harsh winds that were causing the woman to be irate, but she wasn’t well versed in the lifestyle of the desert jackal. On her way out of the city, she’d conversed with an elderly man who had lived in Heliohapt his entire life. Apparently such problems were rare due to Heliohapt’s guard system, and generally didn’t occur in clusters. Moreover, he informed her that jackals lived deep in the desert and tended to avoid human contact. Generally only travelers passing through the jackal’s territory had encountered them at any rate.

It would appear as if she was blindly groping through the desert, but Ayero actually had some idea of where she was going. The general area of the jackal’s territory had been described to her, prompting her to head east into the desert. Taking slow steps among the thick clouds of sand, the woman strains to remember where she was when she had first encountered the jackal that was attacking Kabu’s nest. But what she could see looked the same as anywhere else she’d been in this godforsaken desert and she gives up trying to find anything familiar…not that she could see anything from the way the sand was obscuring anything more than a foot in front of her. Kabu had surprisingly not retreated into the folds of her cloak as per usual, but was comfortable to remain on her shoulders. Ayero wouldn’t notice through the debris flying about, but a transparent grey film had formed over the snake’s eyes, allowing him to see while protecting his eyes from the sand. Hissing in her ear to get her attention, Kabu notices that they’re approaching some sort of rock formation nestled in the dunes. As they draw closer, Ayero is able to make out what appears to be the mouth of an underground cave. Flicking out his tongue to taste the air, Kabu lets out a low hiss tinged with hostility. The snake had found the scent of his natural enemy, the desert jackal. Figuring she’d happened upon the jackal’s nest, Ayero treks underground, grateful to get out of the raging desert winds even if only for a moment.

[512/1500]

The cave is rather deep to their surprise, its pathway widening out to be about 4 meters wide as they continue underground. After several minutes of walking they hear any other signs of life, a not-too-distant growling coming from in front of them. Squinting in the darkness, the only thing Ayero can see is the glowing red eyes of her serpentine companion. However, it’s not long before 5 more sets of eyes, illuminating yellow with slitted pupils round the corner. A bit wary due to the lack of light, Ayero raises her right foot and slams it into the ground heavily. Her Battle Stomp technique produces a shockwave moving at 15 m/s and heads in all directions. Yelps and yips are heard as the jackals are knocked over and pushed back about 10m deeper into the cave. Following the shockwave in a jog,  Ayero swings wildly into the air in hopes of coming into contact with one of the beasts. Another yelp is heard as her fist slams into the side of a furry body, collapsing the creature. The woman continues to assault the air, aiming punches and kicks as soon as she sees the glow of yellow eyes. One with her right hook, two with kicks to the side, and another with a punch to the throat. When all five of the jackals had been felled, she carefully steps around their broken bodies and makes her way deeper into the cave, curiosity now piqued.

After several more minutes of walking, the cave walls begin to illuminate with the eerie glow of distant light. Squinting as her eyes had gotten used to the darkness, Ayero continues on toward the source of the light. The tunnel of the cave continued to brighten until she finally turned a corner, happening upon a large hollowed out area about 10 m in diameter. Sitting in the middle of the cavern was a young woman leaning against a large white wolf, a small fire crackling in front of the two. The young woman’s head turned sharply, her short brown hair bouncing with the movement.

”Who…who are you?!” The woman demanded, note of both anger and fear in her voice.

”Who am…that’s what I should be asking you!” Ayero stepped forward, fist clenched for emphasis. ”What are you doing down here? Are you the one behind all of these jackal attacks?”

The mysterious young woman stood, the fire reflecting seriousness in her large grey eyes and her lips set into a thin line. ”My name is Umera, and I am a beast tamer. This is Shu, my partner.” The brunette pats the great white wolf’s fur. Said beast stares calmly at Ayero and Kabu. ”I lost my family during the attacks in Heliohapt. My mother, father, my little sister…our animal friends too, they all perished….” Umera’s teeth clench as she struggles to recall the recent events. ”I thought I had nothing left, so Shu and I left for the desert….perhaps to find something, but if we were to fall along the way…” She trails, clenching the fur of the wolf.

[Stamina: 140/160]

[1026/1500]

Spoiler:

Ayero is silent as she speaks, her sharp eyes taking in both the woman and her companion. ”I understand. The events at the slave auction were devastating. I too…” Her tone is blunt, like than of an authority figure who feigns empathy to be polite. But she stops herself, wondering if she had really lost or gained anything. Finding her brother alive lifted a huge weight from her shoulders, but they’d been separated in the chaos. Taking advantage of Ayero’s hesitation, Umera interjects. ”Do you? Do you really understand what it’s like to have everything ripped from you in a matter of hours?” Her voice is hard, dripping with venom as her eyes reflect some sort of newfound distaste for the red headed woman in front of her.

”Why are you telling the jackals to attack caravans and destroy crops? You’re only causing even more damage to a city trying to rebuild itself.”

Umera’s teeth clench and her eyes narrow even further at the Fanalis woman if at all possible. ”Don’t you see? If I can’t have anything, why should they? People…people like you tell me that moving on will help the pain, but spreading it around is what will help soothe my broken soul!” Her voice gradually becomes louder until she’s nearly shouting. With a grace opposite to that of his distraught master, Shu rises and slowly shakes the sand from his fur.

With a frustrated sigh, Ayero addresses the woman. ”Enough of this. I know that you’re upset, but causing others to suffer isn’t going to help anything. Then only thing it’s going to get you is a jail cell.” Resting her right wrist on the hilt of her sword at her hip, she speaks once more. ”If you come with me now, we can avoid doing this the hard way.”

But Umera didn’t seem to agree with Ayero’s idea. In fact, the woman’s words only served to make the young beast tamer angrier. ”Shu, get her!” The barked command resonates off of the cave’s thick walls, and in an instant the beast is barreling towards Ayero. ”Kabu!” Ayero calls to her snake, who hisses in understanding at the charging foe. Readying himself from her shoulder, Kabu rears his head and launches a poison projectile from his mouth, aimed at the great wolf. The beast is struck in the shoulder, letting out a snarl as the pain of the venom sinks into his skin and begins to coarse through his blood, carrying the toxic effects to other parts of his body. With Shu distracted by the pain, Ayero takes the time to draw her sword and remain stationary, gathering the magoi of her body into her right arm and stretching it around her sword. When she feels her as if her talwar has become an extension of her body, she focuses on her target. With a yell, she charges toward the white wolf and delivers a diagonal cross slash across the beast’s chest. Letting out a series of yelps and screeches, the wolf collapses on the floor of the cave.

Letting out a short breath, Ayero turns to Umera. ”Now—kkttt!“ Ayero winces as she narrowly dodges a strike from a whip. Looking up, she sees Umera’s face wrought with rage staring at her from several meters away.

”You…how DARE you do such a thing to Shu?! You are the true beast, not me!” With a cry of rage for her fallen comrade, Umera sends another crack of her whip Ayero’s way. Backed against a wall, Ayero has no choice but to rush forward and hold her arm out, wincing at the sting of the whip but hitting it in such a way that it wraps around her arm. Jerking her arm back as she continues forward, she causes her opponent to lurch in her direction. With her free hand, she strikes the woman in the side, causing her to crumple to the ground. With a ‘tch’, Ayero shakes her arm to free it of the now slackened whip while standing over the fallen women. She was not dead, but unconscious from hitting the ground and maybe have had a broken rib or two. Ayero considered herself lucky that she was unconscious, for she didn’t know how to deal with the obviously distraught and slightly deranged woman who had been dealt a terrible hand by fate. Picking up the Umera’s body, Ayero glances back at the white wolf in the corner. His body was still, gleaming white fur matted and dyed red with blood from her strike. Shivering, she turns around and heads for the exit, making her way back to the surface. It’s not as if she didn’t feel sorry for Umera, perhaps they could have gotten along if the circumstances had been different. But the Fanalis woman had trouble at times acting sympathetic.

Halfway through their trek to the above ground, Kabu’s head swivels backwards, hissing softly as he points his tongue in the direction of the great cavern where the battle had taken place. ”I know.” Ayero grunts curtly. ”But what else was I supposed to do?”

[Exit]

[Stamina: 80/160]

[1500+/1500]

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