Rahuna Kell's Story

Kynala raised an eyebrow, before nodding, "Very real, but perhaps not in the way you think." she said, forming a small smile. "It's biologically a part of me, as opposed to being plantlife."

The CEO kept her eyes on Rahuna, allowing Rida to make his mess of communication without embarrassing him with a stare. "I am of the Ri, specifically. A migrant nation - I'm a member of our Council, but I'm not here politically, but on behalf of my company."

"Is that so? Well, isn't that quite nice? All your people must be just as lovely, then. Are there very many of the Ri, here? I would quite like to meet them, as well. You seem like quite the interesting sort. Perhaps, also, we may do some business in the future. Though you seem busy with Terra, the chances to use your technology in Misrana would seem endless. There is currently a civil war going on our home, unfortunately."

Rida folded his arms, watching as several more parties arrived. Derric, who'd already left, Kvan, Jonathon Lectre, and quite a few others. Unlike Rahuna, he could not memorize a face, name, and other important data from seeing them the first time, so he was at a complete loss.

Kynala watched the Doctor's announcement before responding to Rahuna. She didn't recognise the woman on his arm, but she assumed that she had some significance - or perhaps she was just the man's date. She had no questions herself, but remained silent long enough for any others to ask theirs.

"I look forward to potentially dealing with your planet," Kynala said finally to the Misranan woman, "Though I am sorry to hear of the war troubles. I could potentially lend my aid to the legitimate government in exchange for easing my company's expansion onto your world. But perhaps we ought to discuss that in a board-room, rather than a party. I have shareholders to involve in major discussions such as that."

"And as for other Ri on Terra," she went on, "I am sure enough of my race call here their home. We are a race spread out across the galaxy - since our homeworld became uninhabitable. Our home-fleets hold many, but not all of us."

"Oh, well of course. Forgive me for bringing it up on such an occasion," replied Rahuna. "In any case, it has been quite the pleasure. Thank you, Miss Kynala. I'll be seeking out others of your kind. The conversation will be amazing, I'm sure. From a previously isolationist culture to a nomadic one." She gave one final dashing smile before grabbing Rida and walking on. Pavi Takot, their bodyguard, followed.

"We need to speak to as many important figures as we can find," Rahuna said to Rida. "Who do you see that seems free? Come, Rida, I spend the whole week trying to teach you etiquette and quite important observation skills..."

An ATW maneuvered through the mountains as it was designed to do, with its large, flat paws giving it a perfect balance. It had been modeled after both Misranan and Earthen fauna, so it had a familiar shape, but an alien presence. Flesh, bone, and metal, the Uncia Vey, six feet tall and thrice as long, with a catlike presence, with limbs reinforced with cyborgian technology, made its way up to the temple.

As they made their way to the courtyard, it flicked its tail, which was longer than the body itself, made of metal plates that lined its spine. At its end were barbs. The beast stopped in its tracks as Rynhart came down the steps to meet them. There was a release of pressure, a high hiss, as the cockpit door opened along those plates, lifting to reveal two figures- a lanky, drunken man and a thin woman who was sitting in the pilots seat, expression slightly annoyed.

"Rida, I'm tired of your behavior. Our planet is on the brink of war and you are drunk. In the very least, you could do not to embarrass us as we look for allies to help us!" she hissed quietly, just before carrying her eyes over to Rynhart. She gave him a charming smile.

Rahuna grabbed Rida and pulled him out of the ATW. She landed perfectly, he landed with a stumble.

She gave the man a bow. "Hello, I am Rahuna Kell, from the planet Misrana. I am representing the Rebellion. Are you of the Patronus?"

"There are two warring sides upon Misrana; the Supremacy and the Rebellion. We, of the Rebellion, are trying to free our planet from the Supremacy's oppressive rule. We can't do it alone. We may be somewhat impressive, having not been overwhelmed by their rule, but we still need help. I hear you fight for the just. Was I wrong?"

Rida stood behind Rahuna, watching Rynhard closely. His eyes rolled in his head, and he swayed. Rahuna could smell the alcohol on him from where she stood, but refused to pay attention to him.

"Very well. Thank you." said Rahuna, grabbing the crook of Rida's jacket to drag him inside, following Rynhart. She looked back at the ATW, which began to follow them quietly.

Rida looked behind them just in time to see Terra. In his stupor, he offered her a drunken wave.

Rahuna was amazed. Since she was a child, she had been grown up in the poorer parts of Misrana. She had seen moderately large houses, but this?

She had to fight not to gape. Her eyes swept the halls until they came to the oak table, where both Rahuna and Rida took a seat.

"Well," began Rahuna, "The Calidonan Supremacy has taken rule over Misrana for the past century. More. They put up a planetary cloaking field that hid us away from the rest of the universe. Perhaps you can understand why. A few decades after this, however, a civil war erupted. Just about a year ago, the cloaking fields were taken down by our rebellion agents. While the Supremacy is trying to regain control, kidnapping and brainwashing everyone they can catch, we've managed to take back half of one continent. It's better than nothing, that's for sure. We don't want to be put in the shadows again, no matter the cost."

Rahuna looked toward Terra, then gave her a tight smile. She did not care much about what she heard, really. No one knew about Misrana here.

"It's fine, really," said Rahuna. "But if you really think she should be moving on...I mean, she's a part of everything that went on here, right?"

Rida recognized her from outside, and placed his cheek in his palm, lazily grinning to her.

Rynhart shook his head lightly. "She's just a traveler passing through as far as I know," he explained.

"As for this matter of your rebellion..." he shook his head. "As was explained, we're a neutral entity. Our primary objective is preserving the safety and peace of Terra." He seemed somewhat aloof through the discussion. Distracted perhaps. "If the situation is as dire as you say it is though," he paused. "We can spare an ambassador. A neutral entity to investigate this matter and to try and help stem the conflict. I cannot send you soldiers though."

Rahuna sighed, shaking her head. "I understand. I am afraid, however, that the matter might be more urgent. We, the Nazuan Rebellion, are at a current stalemate with the Calidonan Supremacy. I do not know how long that will last. In fact, the battled may have already resumed. We do not get news every day from Misrana. We were just sent here to make allies if we could, and in turn help the Terrans."

Before Rynhart could offer a reply one of the Knights of Le'thorian was pushing the door open to enter. He bowed his head in apology at the interruption.

"There's a force of wyrms moving on the temple from the west," he informed Rynhart. "They're almost to the pass."

Rynhart frowned. How had they gotten so close without someone having taken note of them? He rose from the table where he and Rahuna had been engaged in discussion.

"We will need to continue this at a later time," he explained as he excused himself from the room.

"... unfortunate," Rahuna said, getting up from the table with Rynhart. Rida had already been standing, albeit woozily. "What are wyrms?" she asked as she followed him out of the room. Rida followed thoughtlessly. "Is there any way we could possibly help?"

Rida and Rahuna had made their way to the courtyard after discovering Rynhart didn't have time for them. Rahuna was incredibly disappointed, but she had to look forward to the future. There were much more important matters at hand. These Wyrms, for one.

"I'm not sure if we're going to be able to get out of here very easily. It sounds as though there is something dangerous going on. I can't be sure. It really took Mister Rynhart's attention, however. What in the world are we going to do..."

Rida rose a hand and scratched the back of his head with a shrug. Rahuna walked right up to him and firmly slapped him on one cheek, then the other. It wasn't hard, but it was enough to get him out of his daze. "Won't you wake up and try thinking, Rida! You're supposed to be ordering me around! I'm your subordinate, but I've been taking full charge of a position I shouldn't be taking charge of at all!"

Rida pushed her away rudely, holding out a hand. "Don't... fine, just gimmie a moment..."

Rahuna rolled her eyes and continued to walk. "Grow up, Rida. You might not have a lot more time to do s-" Her breath was cut short with a gasp. The many beasts that were crawling up the mountain, charging an avalanche that rushed down to meet them. "Rida! Rida, look!"

As more and more of the temple residents were filling the courtyard, the deep resounding trumpet of a horn echoed through the icy peaks signaling trouble at the mines. Unfortunately the mines were situated down near the base of the mountain and it would take time to reach them - for most.

It was Tahlia who answered the threat as the young mage called out to others.

"Sha Li! Anria!"

Tahlia could only teleport a few people with her without running up a risk of dismembering people, so she kept her passengers to just two individuals. Anyone else seeking to lend aid at the mines would need to find their own way, or make use of the portal room at the top of the temple.

A shadow swept past overhead to draw the gazes of many in the courtyard. Was it some new threat from the wyrm menace trying to reach the temple?

What they were met with was no wyrm though. It was the massive form of a purple dragon, with its amethyst scales looking almost black within the shadows of the evening hours.

It headed towards the pass that led to the temple - the choke point that the wyrms would need to breach before they could reach the temple. As the great behemoth swept past overhead it opened its massive maw and belched out a billowing cloud of purple miasma. The thick smog rolled through the pass and engulfed the horde of wyrms in its noxious fumes that corroded rock and ice, and would serve to decay flesh from bone of any caught within it. Those that inhaled it - should they survive the corrosive nature of the smog - would be subjected to an insanity causing pathogen. For those susceptible to such things, it that would throw its victims into a frenzy and leave them just as likely to tear each other apart as their enemies.

Unfortunately it would seem that the dragon had failed to spot Josh amid the wyrms - a relatively easy mistake to make when there was a lone friendly among a horde of enemies. Given his already dead nature, Josh would be spared the decaying aspect of the miasma as well as the infliction of insanity due to his likely lack of need to breath, but the corrosive touch might still pose a threat if he had physical substance to his undead form.

Meanwhile a dozen Knights of Le'thorian were filtering their way into the courtyard from the temple where they had arrived via the portal room. Shelby was not among them as it had been determined that it would be dangerous to leave Windcrest unprotected so soon after it too had been attacked, but she had sent a handful of reinforcements to aid at the temple should they require it.

The knights were quick to report to the most senior member at hand, who appeared to be Aiedai.

Aiedai's eyes pulsed with ethereal cosmic energy, as she sought out the mind of the leading wyrm, the Great Tyrant. The abominable and twisted chaos of the creature's mind might have driven other psychics to insanity in an instant, but there was more to the girl that stood in the path of the wyrms than her psionic abilities.

The almighty mental might of the star spirits within her came to bear on the mind of the great creature and denied it.

Fall, creature of destruction. Begone from this world.

Rending astral energy tore through the Tyrant, seemingly from its own mind, striking at its very essence as opposed to merely its physical form.

Die.

In the meantime, Anria rushed to Tahlia's side in response to her call, ready to be taken to the mines below.

Sha Li had still been waiting for the hoard to get closer when she heard a faint call for her from below. Grabbing her gear she ran back inside the temple and down the stairs to meet the others in the courtyard.

"Did someone call for me?" She asked looking around, she noticed Anria rushing to Tahlia's side and walked over. "Did I hear my name?" She asked.

------
Kynan had heard the bells and the call for battle. He carried his repeating cross bow and a few cartriges of ammo along with a small short sword and a few of his latest tinkerings. They weren't fancy but it was clear by the fuse that these were some type of rudimentary grenades.