Bohdana Yātrī's Story

"That's right," Bohdana nodded slowly, still extremely wary despite feeling like she were conversing with one of her own, "Look, the Naima aren't exactly our friends so--so take that...whatever it is and I'll be on my merry way. There, you can have it for free even, I don't want any trouble."

Aisha spoke up, "The Naima Clan?" She appeared very late in the conversation, apparently having been mesmerized by her surroundings. "I, I hadn't realized your clan... was around. I..." Aisha had a lot of strong words to say about the Naima clan, but, she couldn't bring herself to say any of them.

"... I, we, the two of us, we were looking for a man... The man that the people outside are looking for. The Wetland 'traitor'. I guess it's in both of our interests to find him. I am Aisha Abdul'la, an acolyte of the Samariamus Clan, and devotee to... to the Creed. Miss, would you possibly have seen this man pass by?"

Elise studied her surroundings, the tent had an air of safety she couldn't describe. Something inside her grew excited by all she saw. The youngest girl and the woman spoke, exchanging an idol that seemed to hold value to the woman. "Wait, you said the Wetlander had that?" She thought for a moment, "He said he found the change, could this...could this be it?" Her eyes grew wide as she dug into her pockets for the remaining coins she had, dumping them into the donation plate. She couldn't help but flash a smile at the Acolyte, "Nothing happens by coincidence, I think we aren't meant to find the Wetlander anymore, we were meant to find her." She nodded to the Nomad woman. "My name is Elise Seaver, I'm from the Samariamus clan's home city of Samria."

Skullivan swallowed, maneuvering through the alleys of Dol-Duna, ducking down with Thessir at Uluru's signals from above. Wetland Soldiers were down every corner, but worse - mercenaries. People hunting him. Still, using Uluru's careful direction they avoided every time a soldier came close. Skullivan and Thessir ducked into doorways, down streets, behind barrel - each time Uluru gave them a signal from the rooftops above.

As a few soldier's passed down their side street Skullivan and Thessir moved out of their cover, maneuvering down the street at Uluru's signal. Skullivan suddenly paused, causing Thessir to ram into his back. "Wait," The large man hissed in a deep voice. Down the street, leading straight to the main-bazaar, a dark-skinned woman with golden eyes and a body-suit sat on a bench and stared at Skullivan and Thessir.

Skullivan wanted to say something, but instead he quickly ducked into another alley at Uluru's command, breaking the woman's line of sight. "We're getting real close to the main street!" Skullivan called up to Uluru hovering on his flying beast in the sky above...

***

The Wetland Commander stood, his soldiers still watching over the bazaar, when suddenly he could smell smoke. He turned to the bar behind him as black smoke began to funnel out. "What the hell is this?" The Commander yelled, signalling for his soldiers to surround the bar. A few dove into the doorway, emerging a moment later with their hands over their mouths. "Dead soldiers here! Bartender's been killed!"

A woman in the bazaar began to cry in shock at the news, her children running to comfort her at the news their father was dead.

"Dead soldiers?" The Commander spat. "I'm sorry, what exactly are you waiting for?"

"Sir, we have their descriptions - the patrons saw them," A soldier said, stepping up to the man. The Commander glared. "Find them."

***

On the street Whisper, Sören, Dustin & Rusten had escaped down they could hear yelling from the main-street. Suddenly a group of Wetland soldiers ran up. "There!" One yelled, pointing down at the four. "That's them," Another began, reloading his rifle. The soldiers began to run after the four, signalling more to join them...

***

"Followers of the Creed?" The Nomad whispered, a glow emanating from her. "In a Nomads tent, that is interesting... my name is Mirova, Mir of the Naima Clan."

The woman, Mirova, then picked up the golden idle once more. "...This leads to the Change? According to a Wetlander?" Mirova frowned, examining it more intensely. "My clan... was the closest to finding it. To piecing the riddles that hid in the sands... we followed the stars but even the stars have limits... if the Wetlanders have proof... hidden in here." Mirova rose an eyebrow, her finger-nail tapping on the idol. "...It would be your duty to go after it... if you can change the world you should."

"How close," Aisha began to question, "did you believe you were to achieving it? Was it something that was undeniably palpable? Practical? Do you even know what the Change is, beyond a vague supposition? Great Mir, I wish not to offend, for I would imagine your intentions are good at heart, but... Do you not see Clan how much your Clan has suffered? How far you and your kin have fallen from grace? Is all this sacrifice truly worth it? Do you not know when to give up? And here your Clan is again... making us all sick with hope, inciting us all to continue to destroy ourselves... Do you have any idea what sort of consequences your encouragement have wrought upon us all?"

"If you are aware of our Creed, then surely, you realize that our goal is just. Indeed, the duty of all of us is to change the world, but, that can only be accomplished by changing ourselves. We must stop the dreams and turn to reality, and that reality is that... There's no such thing as miracles and easy solutions in real life..." Aisha glanced toward the entrance of the tent, a grim expression on her face. "... The Wetlander whom of which that belongs to... He is the one that is being hunted by his own kin right now. Step outside, and gaze upon another consequence caused by following the false path."

"You despicable dune-heads," Skullivan said, wanting to add something to the performance as Uluru defended him under the guise of turning him in. Skullivan stared at the Cowboy Ninja before them.

Suddenly at the entrance of the alley a figure slid up, a staff drawn. Skullivan's eyes locked with hers - the woman he'd seen before. "Bounty hunter," He hissed to Uluru & Thessir before stepping forward. "Don't come down here, girl! You look very soft and these men are threatening to cut my face off! They're KILLERS. These two have already got me, you don't stand a chance!"

***

Mirova stared at Aisha. "The Change is real... and it is out there. The only reason the clans have not found it is because they think the world is hard and full of rock... they think their neighbours are their enemies, but when you look down from the sky... from the stars..." Mirova's hand pointed to the top of the tent. "You see the desert is united. We are one people, the clans... and the Change... is the only thing hopeful enough to make people see that. It is the only thing that will make our people... one Nomad clan."

Mirova paused at Aisha's next words.

"The Wetlanders?" Mirova's face twisted in a frown, her having listened in slight bemusement to Aisha up until that comment. Taking the idol and wrapping it in a shawl Mirova crawled forward between the three women and opened the tent entrance up. Stretching down at the entrance of the street Wetland soldiers were marching toward. Mirova swallowed. "You three have to leave," She hissed, crawling out into the sunlight and moving to the side her tent.

As the other three excited the Nomad hit one of the metal support polls of the tent, causing the entire thing to begin to collapse in on itself - the jingle of the instruments inside loud as it wrapped itself into a tight backpack of a ball. From her robes Mirova flung a grey hood over her head, grabbing hold of the large ball of tent - the artifacts poking out of the fabric, and swinging it onto her back and under the grey robe. The alluring Nomad of moments ago now appeared as any other filthy desert dweller, the only hint of more being the massive hunch on her back.

"Go," Mirova said, beginning to leave before pausing and turning back to Aisha. "...There's nothing easy about the Change. Simple, yes.... but not easy."

"You four!" The Wetland Soldiers called as they marched down. With a swallow Mirova began to sprint down the alley, the idol in hand, leaving the other three women behind.

***

Suddenly the Wagon stopped. The threesome inside and their guide would notice a young woman being attacked by her boss blocking their path out the village, Wetland soldiers rushing past to break up the fight. "What is this?" One soldier demanded, ripping Davikal off Ka'Wa as they fought in the street.

"Stop fighting. Street's off limits." Another soldier added, before marching up to the Sören, who was escorted the wagon down the street. "That goes to you too." The soldier paused, glancing behind at the Wagon - from ground-level it was hard to get a clear view of what was inside. "What you got back there anyway?"

Bohdana swallowed. It was her time to leave too.

She nodded briskly at Aisha, a sort of unifying nod at their shared information, before backing away from the Wetlanders and dashing through the side streets. It was now more than ever that she had to find Andel. What would he make of this talk of the Change, she wondered, but their first action would be to get out of Dol Duna before they discussed anything.

Boh skittered into the main street, getting lost in the slowly depleting crowds and pushing past people with a feigned "S'cuse me", all the while searching for her uncle. She gazed up at one point and spotted the smoke rising from where the bar used to be. What the hell was happening.

Skullivan swallowed, him and Thessir having narrowly avoided Musa on their way out of the alley. "Great plan," Skullivan said, glaring at his pale companion as they turned. "We have that Cowboy Ninja hunting us, the Wetlanders, that lady! And we still don't know where the hell my idol or the Naima-"

Skullivan paused, his attention turning to the strange cloaked figure running toward them - pale skin and red eyes peeking out of her bobbing hood. Thessir suddenly rose a hand to the woman, trying to get her to stop. In response she shot past the two, smashing between them, and cornering another alley.

"Great plan," Skullivan repeated. Two other women ran forward - one one young with black-hair, and another with greyish blue. They were also chasing after the cloaked, pale lady. Skullivan frowned. He recognized the two from before - they'd try to hand him a religious pamphlet or something while he was locked up. "Oh no, not these two," Skullivan sighed. "GO AWAY!" He yelled as they ran toward Thessir and he. "This alley is very dangerous!"

"There!" A voice suddenly called from behind. Skullivan turned to see a unit of Wetland soldiers running after the two women, electric rifles aimed. "Blast them!" Another yelled.

"GREAT PLAN," Skullivan said again, grabbing Thessir's hand and pulling the shorter man behind him, they following the hooded woman's leave - running down the alley they had just come from. Behind them electric shots began to fire, the sound of surging electric blasts hitting the sand at their feet as they dodged down the alleys. Skullivan glanced back. "Keep up!" He yelled at the two girls." The team of four swung down another street and ran on.

"Uluru, where are you?!" Skullivan questioned as the three ducked into an open entranceway. They flung themselves into a shop, The shop was empty - having been abandoned during the airship's arrival. Skullivan guided them through, jumping out an open window and into another alley. "Thessir, this wa-" Skullivan suddenly smashed into a figure. The Traitor staggered backward at the impact, seeing that he had run straight into the woman from before - the one with the spear and golden eyes.

Skullivan scrambled to his feet and backed away, raising a fist threateningly as he moved toward Thessir, the other two women - Elise and Aisha, catching up breathlessly. The cloaked woman was gone, and instead they were now face to face with what could only be a bounty hunter. "Stay away from me, bounty-hunter. I'll kick you in the knee!" He threatened, his green eyes wild. He glanced up to the rooftops - wondering if Uluru was near...

***

The soldier at the wagon, the captain of his unit, nodded. "We're looking for a man - a Wetland Traitor," The man explained, glancing back as two soldiers grabbed hold of Ka'Wa and Duvikal - pulling them apart and placing magnetic handcuffs on the both of them.

The captain sighed. "But then we found our men murderer, some criminals burnt down the bar," The soldier glared at Sören. "You best pray we find those responsible, son," He added, placing a hand on Sören's wagon. "Otherwise this entire town will pay."

"Sir!" Another soldier called. "In the wagon, I saw movement!"

The captain rose an eyebrow, before raising his electric rifle cautiously at Sören and backing away cautiously. "Check it out!" He ordered, nodding at his soldiers. The black-uniformed men nodded, surrounding the wagon. One of them cautiously stepped forward, climbing up onto one of the wagon's large wheels and looking inside. Whisper, Rusten & Dustin stared up. "It's them!" The soldier cried, leaping off the wagon. "It's the killers!"

"Get out!" The captain screamed, raising his rifle. "With your hands drawn!"

***

In the main square Bohdana ran out, a figure suddenly stepping before her. He wasn't overwhelming tall, but still taller than her. His hairs were smoothed back and on his face was a smug smile. "Hi," The Wetland commander greeted, raising a gloved hand casually. "I'm afraid you'll have to answer some questions on my ship."

"Commander!" A soldier said, running up. "We've found the murderers. They're in a wagon down the street but the soldiers are scared to fight them. They want to bring the others in..."

The Wetland Commander frowned. "Absolutely not. We can handle this without thuggish theatrics," The man grimaced and glanced up at his ship, still blocking out the sun above the town. "Prepare the beam."

"Beam?" Bohdana frowned, side-stepping on the spot nervously, "Hey what d'you want? Clans wont be happy when they find out Wetlanders have been messing with Sea business," she gazed up at the ship, then back to the Commander, "Look, it seems like you have more important people to capture. I haven't seen that damn Wetlander since they locked him up, so let me and the rest of Dol Duna be. He's probably escaped all the way to Grand Yusil by now. Not very smart you mud-lickers, are ya?"

Uluru glanced down below, looking for any sign of his would be companions. He briefly spotted an odd looking shadow, creeping in an alleyway, but quickly v dismissed it as a loose salamand. Looking further, he overheard a mess if commotion and screaming, meaning the Wetland Traitor and other assorted strange looking people had ran into each other. A lighting down with Yanyan, he leaped off his beast and hit the ground.

"I recognize some of these faces..." Uluru muttered, putting his sword away. "We keep all running into eachother, must be fate..." he muttered, half jokingly.

The Wetlander soldiers glared at Uluru from beneath their dark helms. Skullivan glanced around nervously - the soldiers outnumbered, they couldn't get out of this one. "Fine," The Wetlander nodded. "We'll take you to the Commander."

Uluru nodded, grabbing Skullivan's arm for display and beginning to walk forward - the rest of the group following suit, not wanting to make a scene before the soldiers.

***

The group marched into the now mostly empty market place of the grand-bazaar. The colour of the stands now seemed empty, desaturated with the back-drop of black-uniformed soldiers who stood in formation along the street. Skullivan swallowed as he marched, glancing back at Uluru who held his arm firmly. Behind Uluru Musa marched, Thessir, Aisha, and Elise behind her - and a whole lot of Wetland soldiers behind them.

Uluru's plan, as it was, was to get them onto the airship, steal the Idol that the Wetlanders most likely took, and escape again. A task Skullivan knew was easier said than done. Still, without the Idol, there was no hope. It was all or nothing.

"I hope you know what you're doing..." Skullivan hissed as they came to a stop.

Before them the Wetland Commander stood, his hands behind his back as he looked over them. The chest of gold stood behind his feet on the metal platform. "Welcome back," The commander commented to Skullivan before turning to Uluru. "You and your team did good, I heard you wanted to go to my ship to negotiate?" The commander rose an eyebrow. "As if my gold wasn't enough..." The commander shrugged. "Well listen, none of us are thugs here. We'll happily negotiate." The commander motioned for them to step onto the platform. Hesitantly, the group did.

Beside them soldiers pushed on a few prisoner's with their hands magnetically cuffed behind their backs - Bohdana, Tetra, Ka'Wa, and Davikal among them. "Troublemakers," The commander casually explained. "We'll be leaving shortly. We just have one last bit of business to take care of..."

***

The foursome managed to escape the village, killing or fending off soldiers along the way. Through the north-wall the four exited, out toward the sandy dunes. Freedom. Escape through bloodshed, Sören, Whisper, Dustin & Rusten now found themselves at the town's edge - the sea of sand stretching before them, dyed yellow from the dimming sun.

Behind them, over the town, the massive Leviathan Airship hung - they now able to see it's full size, and the clean, black metal lining it - uniform in a way nothing in the Qafar was. Just as Sören finished speaking however a massive sound ripped across the sky, like electricity mixed with a monster's cry. It bellowed loudly as suddenly light poured out of a chamber a the front of the Leviathan Airship. Light, aimed right at them.

Duneyrr let out a yell as suddenly blinding light engulfed their bodies, electricity sparking through their hairs. Duneyrr, who had began to move, suddenly found it's hoofs off the ground and in the air. Duneyrr was being dragged up by the wagon it was pulling. Sören, Whisper, Dustin & Rustin too found themselves lifting off the ground in the light - their muscles tense as the metals of their weapons, in their armour, in their clothing began to pull them upward. The wagon let out a long creak as it began to rotate in the air. This was the Wetlander's weapon. The electro-magnetic tractor beam.

***

Skullivan and the group watched in awe as the light beam began to pull a wagon and a few people through the air, toward an entrance of the airship. "You don't kill a Wetlander and get away with it," The Commander hissed as suddenly the metal platform the group stood on began to raise, the metal ropes at each corner beginning to pull them up mechanically. They rose higher and higher into the sky, the street below them growing further and further away, and above them the air-tight vacuum and lights of the Leviathan airship grew closer.

The platform rose all the way, entering them into a massive hangar of the airship - walkways stretching above them, and metal surrounding them on all sides. Mechanical sounds emanated from every hall, bright electrical flashes accompanying them.

They could see clearly now the subjects of the electro-magnetic beam - a wagon, a strange horse, and then four figures from earlier - Sören, Whisper, Dustin, and Xaverius. They were pulled into an entrance way of the airship and the beam stopped, dropping the figures onto metal ground beside the other's.

Skullivan, Uluru, Thessir, Whisper, Aisha, Elise, Musa, Bohdana, Xaverius, Dustin, Sören, Ka'Wa, Tetra, and Ka'Wa's great boss Davikal all found themselves standing together, in the hangar of the Leviathan Airship, surrounded by waves of black-uniformed soldiers.

The Wetland Commander stared at Uluru. "So, prisoners and... bounty-hunters alike. Half of you I should be thanking for bringing our boy back home," He reached forward, pinching Skullivan's cheek - who ripped away at the motion. "And half of you I should be condemning for murder and general crimes against our good Empire."

The Wetland Commander turned to the treasure chest behind him, pulling out one of the Wetlander gold coins and raising it in the air. "I was going to give you this reward... but unfortunately according to Davikal here you all helped our escapee here. And you know I'm very adamant about law and order on this ship." The commander put his hands behind his back and began to walk away as the soldiers surrounded them. "Law and order, my friends. Law and order..."

The soldiers moved in, magnetic cuffs at the ready as they grabbed Skullivan and pulled him forward. "Great plan!" The Traitor yelled at Uluru as they forced his hands into the bindings...

***

From the ground the Airship began to move, wetland soldiers leaping onto the hanging ladders and beginning to climb up as it began to leave Dol-Duna behind. "You!" A voice called. From around the corner where Avari watched the scene Uncle Andle emerged, grabbing her hand. "My niece is up there - and your clan kin, so come on!" Andle ran forward, leaping onto the bottom of a ladder as it began to be pulled back up into the airship above. He reached out for Avari to take his hand...

Musa had vaulted into the shop while also pulling the skull atop her head down to cover her face. Not only was it a helmet but it was a formidable looking mask aswell. Her weapon was drawn and she listened to Uluru and Skullivan follow behind her, along with everyone else, much to her disapproval. But before she could protest, the whole situation was flipped onto its head.

Now they were standing inside of the Wetlander contraption and its bright lights were making her squint. Unnatural. Her Buffalo skull was back on her head and her staff was locked onto her back once more. Her eyes took in everyone around her, her new found group and the one that was a little distance away from them. They had some sort of large deer and a man with antlers, although smaller, to match. She remembered him from earlier. She remembered all of them from earlier. Her skin crawling and her stomach beginning to churn from the experience of being a first time flyer, she lifts her hands and gently runs them down her twin braids while her golden eyes bronzed over with thought as she reserved herself to watching whomever decided to speak.

Bohdana stayed silent, listening to the others speak with a sort of quiet desperation. She glanced to the Wetland Commander, deciding that if he wouldn't listen to offical speeches and important men, perhaps he would listen to the plea of a young girl trapped in a situation far bigger than she could ever imagine.

"Please! Please listen to them! My uncle--" Boh let out a strangled sob, "My uncle is still down there! Please we're gonna get separated, he's my only family left! You got the wrong idea we--we're clanless!! Peace keepers! I don't want no trouble, I'm begging you to let me down!"

"She's right, she had nothing to do with this. Please, let he go." Xaverius then walked in front of Bohdana, in a form of protecting her.

The Wetlander who was assaulted by the chakram was pulled by an angry looking Wetlander guardswoman. She drew out a trident from her back holster and glared at Aisha, exclaiming, "This will always be a land of dictators!" And smacked her in the back of the head with the flat end of the trident.

"Barfalda..." an old wetlander in blue robes, with intricate wave patterns odorned on his robes, shook his head. "The interrogation room is the place for this not, the deck..." the elder then looked at Bohdana. "As for you my child...I'm afriad we've made too much headway to turn back into your hovel now. Bring them to the brig," the elder asked the guards.

"Shit, we're moving..." Uluru noted aloud, as the guards pushed them all forward on the airship's deck. Uluru hung back near the end of the long line of prisoners to get a better glance at their surroundings, though the guards warned him to keep moving. warned him to

Looking out the rather large window as he noticed the ship making its way past the clouds. "Damn, we need..." Uluru whispered, looking at the pale an he had met earlier. "You...you had some sort of idea on how to stall this ship...if we can can find some way to get you free and bide you the time for you to do whatever you think you can do?" Uluru pondered for a moment as they passed by another window, and he noticed that all that lay below them were dunes of sand. They were getting further from the city. "I don't see the trade routes either...this contraption is faster than I thought..." he sighed, beginning to think.

He looked behind him and saw the classic Dol-dunan vendor, Davikal behind him. "Sorry, old timer," Uluru shrugged, before unexpectedly throwing the fruit Vendor into the Wetlander in front of Uluru, causing a domino effect as guards and prisoners alike as they all toppled over.

The guards behind him all drew their weapons in an uproar.

Skullivan suddenly turned at the commotion. Skullivan, though his hands were bound, leapt to to the side of the tight, metal hall-walk as the guards fell. "Run!" Skullivan called, swinging forward and beginning to run-along the metal, his hands still tightly bound behind him. "Try to find an open hatch," Skullivan said, his feet moving over several hatches on the ground. "That's how I escaped the first time!"

***

The wind blew in Uncle Andle's hair as he climbed a metal ladder hanging along the bottom of the airship's structure, Avari behind him. "One of these, maybe," Andle muttered, reaching up and opening a hatch.

***

Down the hall from Skullivan a hatch suddenly popped open, day-light from outside pouring in. Uncle Andle climbed up, wide-eyed at the interior of the ship before him and turning to spot the gang from the village running away from guards. Bohdana was among them.

"This way!" Skullivan called, ahead of the group as he sprinted for the open hatch. Skullivan paused, looking down - sandy dunes were flying by below them. "Only one way..." He said, swallow as he leapt down the hatch and plummeted to the sands below...

Xaverius was not sure if this was a trick, but it was worth a shot. He jogged over to the open hatch and jumped in, getting somewhat stuck, though after some pushing he got though yelling to the others "Come on!" as he plumeted to the sands below, landing by Skullivan.

Skullivan lay on the ground, clutching his leg in pain as above him the massive airship flew over. "Ahhh, ok- OK. NO. OK," He hissed in air, cradling his leg - smashed down on the impact with the dune. Suddenly another figure, Xaverius, hit down beside him, sand flying into the air on impact and the man rolling down the side of the dune slightly. From the open hatch the Wetland Traitor watched as more figures lined up to escape.

***

Inside Andle held the hatch open, letting the others dive out as the wetland soldiers chased. "Boh!" He exclaimed, reaching out as his niece ran with the group. "It's gonna be alright, Boh! Hurry now!" An electric blast suddenly smashed against the metal beside him, the guards down the hall taking aim. "Come on, Boh! Get!" The man cried, his heart racing.

Dustin rammed into the nearest guard to throw them off balance and began shouted for Soren and Whisper to follow Xaverius' suit as he dragged the most likely discombobulated priestess with him over to the hatch. Taking a deep breath, the Atzerii steadied himself and took the plunge down into the sands below, landing several feet away from Skullivan and Xaverius.

Bohdana ducked as the blast crashed beside them. She looked up desperately to her uncle, "You come on too!"

The girl swallowed and didn't allow herself time to think before jumping down the hatch after Dustin into the sands below. She landed on her side, beginning to roll down the dune while she got her footing and quickly stood, gazing up at the moving ship, "Come on!!" Boh shouted out to those remaining on the ship, particularly Andle, "Hurry up!!"

Sun blasted down on her face,a stark contrast to the cool darkness of the ship they were just in. Boh prayed desperately for them to all make it out alive.