Smoke Flowers IC
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Smoke Flowers IC
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The heat is intense and the smoke if vile. Zag expects he’ll end up carrying the dryads if they don’t get out of here soon. (Not that carrying the dryads would be that horrible of a fate …). He pulls off the neck-scarf sort of thing that had been part of the clothing and manages to tear it into strips using the dining knife he’d pocketed back at Silk’s place (every intention of returning it, they’d just been heading out in a hurry and with less gear than he’d wanted). Then he wets those with the one bottle of brandy that he’d managed to carry so far and passes them around to breath through
“Alcohol fumes may be a bit rough, but less so than this smoke I think.” After a moment of consideration he takes a slug from the bottle offers a pull to the others, then re-corks what is left and pockets it again. He hopes not to need to help fires spread, but you never know.
“OK Bronwyn, you were the one memorizing the map — you think you can navigate us through all of this?“
-
“yeah null sweat chumbatta” she was reposing in bottom of the boat as though it was a Sunday afternoon pleasure cruise “we will have to hurry, really hurry we have about on hour. I remember this from history, hamburg.”
In her mind she fixed the landing point in her head, she was going to have to use roads alone, the buildings would be unrecognisable. Main roads no back allies
” right listen while you can and that means you too Al. It’s going to be deafening in that, hand signals will be key” she ran through stop, hurry, hide, come close so I can talk and how to say I understand.
“OK, folks let’s get ready.” she turned to the boat man head down river get clear of the city this will be awful, you understand? ”
” My home is that way far side of the observatory, here we are miss, you ladies sure you want to brave that”
“no choice, gotta go rescue someone” -
[Late, Day One, Autumn; Lighter on the Thames, Londinium]
Plunging through the choking smoke wafting across the turgid river the lighter finally bumped up against one of the quays on the southern bank of the Thames. It was a surreal scene, senses almost overwhelmed by the deafening roar of the firestorm taking hold amongst the warehouses and poorly maintained homes of the fae district. The runners had all faced significant mental trials in their time and their jobs provided them with a certain amount of resilience towards violence but this elemental fury was something to behold and they had to steal themselves to enter the apocalyptic war zone…
Wrapping soaked cloths around their mouths (although even modern respirators would have struggled), they dodged falling masonry and burning debris and did their best to ignore the occasional agonised cries that plagued their route back towards the House of Flowers… Londinium would struggle to claim the title of greatest city on urf once this was done with.
When they eventually arrived they could see that their fears were at least partially realised… one wing of the house was an inferno and the structural stability of the rest might be questionable…hopefully they could get to Silk and her family in the basement before the thing collapsed on them…then they just had to navigate way out, hopefully the artefact didn’t need to be placed on a ley line, or similar hocus pocus, to work… there was an awful lot of hopefully…
***
#24
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“come on let’s go” batshit didn’t really break step and she trotted up to what had been the kitchen door
Inside was a mess. Dead bodies and wrecked furniture everywhere
“quick check the side doors we need the cellars”
The team check the door and recesses of the huge room
Al turned with his big grin
“this what your looking for? Ace”
It was indeed the way down. At least it would have been if the stairs above it hadn’t collapsed, fill the space with shattered, splintered wood and more than one dead body.
Zag got on his knees.
“i could get under that bit on the edge there” he pointed “may be shoulder it up enough to get through.
” how do you get through?” batshit asked
” hadn’t got that far”
“maybe something on the other side we can use to get you through”
The burly orc slithered into position. The team all Kitten crawled past the sweating grunting man.
Bronwean found a beam channeling her magic through her body she heaved up wards.
“hurry” she called through gritted teeth.
The movement ahd unbalanced something and an ominous groaning, gratings sound spurred them to move and move fast
The next flight of stairs were stone as they descended in to the gloom of the damp cellar. A teeth rattling crash announced that the way back was closed.
“OK, batshit which way now?”
I don’t know, I didn’t memorise this house, just the streets “ -
[Late, Day One, Autumn; House Laésal, Londinium]
Mostly be instinct and luck the team wormed their way through the collapsed building down in to the cellars of House Laésal. The gas lamps were still working down here, creating a fitful green tinged glow over the haggard and frightened faces of the few Flowers they found huddling down here, hoping the sky wasn’t going to fall on their heads.
With some muttered directions they somehow finally made their way through the maze to where Silk and her family were likewise waiting out the storm. It was a surreal sight coming upon them sitting around a table in their prim Victorianesque garb as if waiting for high tea to be served. Hunter leapt to his feet with a grin as they entered and pulled a dusty bottle from one of the many racked up behind them. Blowing the residue away he inspected the label and then proffered it to Al
“This was a good year! Careful it’s potent stuff” the heady smell of herbs and aged brandy filled the cellar
“Do you have it?” Silk asked as she rose gracefully from the table “No, of course you have it, I would expect nothing less… may I?” and she held out a hand…
***
#25
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Warning bells went of in Bronweans head. This was not the Silk she had met it was off , just a little too brusque, not quite rude, the moment gracious but not Silk, and taciturn hunter was too talkative and just not hunter
She put her arm out to stop Al drinking. Her finger deftly poking it out of his hand and watching it smash on the floor
“we failed” she shrugged looking at the green steam coming of ‘brandy’ she turned her head to the impostor “and so did you”
“die you fucking elf whore!” screached the thing as her hands extended into claws and her skin wrinkled into a hag.
Bronwean pulled the trigger on her rifle cutting her insult off half way through as the shot removed the back of its head.
Al ducked under the claw swipe of the Hunter-hag.
“bloody hell batshit, Warning?”
-
Beccie Whirled into the fire, a hissing warcry from her lips. she swiftly parried the flurry of claws from the Hunter-hag-thing, finishing the dance by neatly lopping of both hand, then gutted the thing on the up swing of her jeweled blade and romoved the head on the downward recovery. finished she rolled her shoulder to bring her mind back in to balance and order.
Bat shit must have been rubbing off on her as she couldn’t help but wink at Al.
Zag moved to cover the two children but they just crumbled in to dust and detritus.
“how?!” demanded Al “Are you sure? You’d better be right”
“that’s not Hunter, he didn’t … effect me the same way and Silk didn’t make me jealous of the way she always has the right words. its just not. and look at them that isn’t them”
Al was already moving “then where..?” he muttered under his breath.
he began searching the room turning over tables and pulling things of walls.all the while muttering cursed and promises under his breath.
Bronwean took a step back she wasn’t going to try to remonstrate with him now. she took mthe opportunity to take in the room in full, they wanted them looking in one directon while the finished them drawing the field of view her and …away …from… there! the marks on the florr the staines running behind the boxes.
“Al, AL! here help here” she left him to it as he ripped the boxes away fro the wall to find the four of them stuffed in a alcove, Silk and Hunter were seriously injured nearly unconscious and oozing some green goo from there mouths. The children roughly shaven tied up with wire.
Al pulled the two adults out, while he clucked and ministered to their hurts (which were considerable) Batshit pulled the childern free and started to cut them lose
-
Rebbeca fights with her beautiful magical Katana as if entranced. Her revealing outfit somehow holds when she jumps and swings. She is unnaturally fast, but so are the others. When she sabs one of the “things” her sword shines brighter, and it is hard to look at directly.
“Impossible… You can’t hurt me… “cries the young imposter, and he changes into something else, a being of fairytales and horrors. She swings the sword again and cuts the beast again, and again, and again. Rebbeca feels that it is difficult to stop as if the sword has a will of its own.
She raises her sword and looks for other combatants, the room is a mess with robots, and with Silk and hunter nowhere to be seen. “Where the fuck am I?” she thinks, and then she swings the sword again – cutting reality itself into two. Creating a window in it.
Stepping into the window she reaches the room. Her head aches, and body injured Bronwen is there next to her “Beccie, are you with us?”
“I think so… but I want to go home.” she replies.
-
Bronwean looked at her cousin. She had a far away look in her eyes, she didn’t seem to be in a good place.
“Yes i want to go home” she agreed time to get go before they lost anybody. Penny to a pinch of soot those imposters had friends near by.
“Look” said ZAG “they are like plants inside. That looks like cactus”
“eew, gross, Al? How we doing? Everyone got their Ruby slippers on?”
“they pretty messed up even for old Al trusted mountain medicinal, giveme five kemosabi and we’ll be good to go”
More explosions and groaning from further up the building
“do you think we can carry them Through? I don’t think we got five”
She put the thing on the ground, a stone tablet, rounded and worn. Strangely familiar.
“watch that can you beccie, I’ll watch this end of the tunnel, zag can you get the other end?”
As she got to the corner she felt a hot waft following a crash
“Al hurry”
“geesh, ya think?!” he called back.
“silk honey need to to wake up”
“mother! please get up! ” chimed in her son. He wake more than visibly shaken may be the fear drove him. His sister was curled up silent.
“daddy please daddy” she muttered
Hunter stirred, slowly fighting the pain lancing through his bodyc
“daddy’s here sweet pea, come here and help daddy”
She moved like lightning to his side cry and wailing
“Al we need to go” he said “bring her here”
Taking his wife gently in his lap resting her head on his shoulder. Gently, he stroked her hair, one last time, just incase. Then put his arms around his children and shut his eyes
Al let out an explosive breath
“OK you guys time. To go, zag Batshit time. To git gone”
First beccie then zag. He smiled at Batshit
“go on old man. Age before beauty”
He laughed
Bronwean smiled and shut her eyes.
“oh and where do you think your going my young apprentice” growled a familiar voice
-
Batshit responded to barghest’ invitation with her usual charm and decorum. Her new sense did not take kindly to her attempt to strike him with the butt of her rifle, he proceeded to register his disappointment but chinning her the fuck out.
They had been a week at the shack before people started turning up. Even with the refugees being spread across the country side like a land slip they communicated. Those fae who had fought in the Tir slowly drifted to the rumour of an officer. War was coming; they could not avoid it so they must fight.
The final straw came when a gruff dwarf arrived and told her to get her uniform on an get on with it. Barghest watched in amusement as she struggled with an identity that wasn’t really hers, and a moral code she hand it really registered, Lion pushed her, she couldn’t leave these men
It was two weeks before officialdom got into gear to deal with the fae refugees. By this time the group around Bronwean had grown and more came each day. She worried that the authorities would see them as a threat. Till now they had be just short of hostile and the riots would be fresh in May officers minds. but time were changing. The crown Prince, it was rumored, had turned from zero to hero. The wastrel was now everywhere commanding everything and brooking not arguing.
He arrived at the refugee camp with his ontorage just after breakfast. Ten men and four guards
As the people from the damp slowly gathered he found a box to stand on
“We have be less that kind to you and your peoples, and for that I am sorry, personally. We share a common enemy and we live with the same fear. The frik are coming and we have to fight. I have Come to ask if you will fight with us?”
It was obvious he had not discussed this with the military men who accompanied him as it cause great disquiet
” your highness, this is most…. “
” SILENCE! any man who will follow my command! Hell teeth I have had a belly full of this idiocy so look here enemy of my enemy is my friend so by royal decree this and man who insults a Fae for being a Fae insults me and the punishment applies, I am done with this! We need soldiers to hold the line while we evacuated the country to the new lands. Will you help? “
The gruff dwarf serjeant bellowed” Company get on paaarrad Ha! “
A great shuffle and rush the two hundred odd who had banded together rushed to form ranks. Bronwean sighed and pulled on her coat and hat.
” would your highness care to inspect the company? “
” ‘delighted major… “
” O’ Connor your highness “
” how many soldiers do you think you can gather?”
“I can have a thousand by the end of the week” Interrupted the dwarf “I know of a thousand who served, and more but thousand by Friday,”
The Prince turned to one of his guards, ignoring the spluttering protests of the braid covered generals.
“what do you think serjeant major?”
“I know fighter’s when I see ’em sir. Dens fightin’ men. Dey do you a good job, it’ll be fine”
“top hole then, rather grand” I’m guessing you’ll need things, like clothes and weapons, oh and food. GENERAL” he turned blank faced to the red faced general “I want the unit properly supplied tomorrow, done mess with me on this. I want this regiment in my army, you mess it up and I will send you to lead it, do, you, under, stand. Green, dress them in green please and those salletts you rejected for the guards.”
The Prince vaulted on to his horse
” major you Ave been the highlight of the day, thank your men for me” he reached down and passed her a purse c”feed them and the others”
“a sponsor and a nemesis all in one morning, well done sir” growled the dwarf
“fuck off sarjeant and get the troops fed” she replied and stalked back to the shack
“you have your job then?” Barghest growled
“I can’t do this, I’m just a girl. I should be I school. I’m going to”
“do what you were made for! This is what you were made for. Don’t you get it? You are a genetically enginered soldier. That why you attack first, that why its exciting and such a rush when you are in danger. That you expressed at became an adept is just icing on the cake. Bronwean, you can do this and you have to. I don’t know why but you are here for a reason “
” aassrgh wrong answer old man”
“speak to your teacher with respect.. And less of the old”
He rise from his stool
“I am going up north to the pictish kingdoms, I will wait for you there”
“so that it” she demanded “your just going to leave me”
“no” he smiled “I’m going to give you these two books and leave you, study hard my young apprentice”
He picked up his back and left, leaving Bronwean feeling very alone and very disheveled
-
SIX WEEKS LATER, BANKS IF THE MEADWAY RIVER 20 MILES SOUTH OF LONDINIUM
Captain Reese stood in his saddle. He had started the day on the ridge line in front of him as the second in command of the yeomanry detachment. Four frick attacks and four English counter attacks later he was in charge of the bridge guard. They had been push to the far side but his last charge and driven the behemoth and it drug addled janassary companions back cross the bridge.
He could see them massing for their next attack and he knew he had not the force of arms to even break their step. He wiped the stinging sweat from his eyes. He listened to the sounds off the world drinking it up one last time.
“right chaps,we hold them as long as we can. When they break though. we charge when we’re done lieutenant Morris will hold them with the foot line as long as he can, God save the. The king”
Be hind him he heard a fail thrumming sound, strange but not time.
The enemy’s horns shrieked and their whips cracked as they drove the slave units forward.
The captain rode forward to the two companies at the bridge. The remainder of two companies he reminded himself.
Again that thrumming sound again. He had been promised re-enforcements but too late now, as the frick reached the road to the bridge. Ad began to bunch up to cross. It would be a slaughter decided by who the slaves were more afraid of the English or the slave masters if they retreat they would be cruelly decemated. Devil’s choice.
“GIVE FIRE” he shouted and the 200 rifles fire and the troops started the Great fumble to feed fresh cartridges in to breaches. As their second volley laced into the charging mass of slaves a murmur ran through the line
“oh gods the hill their behind us!”
On the sky line a ragged spaced line off armed figures stood, skylines. In its centre two great trolls stood, they unfurled a massive flag.
“the Kings colours! By god their ours lads, Hpld the…”
On the hill Bronwean also wiped sweat from her eyes as they had run the last five miles.
“officers, mages first boys and girls!” she bellowed “regiment will advance bounding fire by platoons . FIRE!” she blew hard on her whistle. “see you on the other side my boys” being at the front of the advance no one saw her as she muttered to herself wiping tears from her eyes.
https://open.spotify.com/track/2ExX3amzlJ0OvDHslQwPdn?si=LbENZSsPRQyJdcV542X0YQ
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