ROLEPLAY


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#42 Multilingual 

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Alone.

Alone!

Alone!!!

Thoughts fly in his head. With his mind muddled, he stands there, kneeling on the shore, his eyes bulging.

She is dead. Eeri is dead. DEAD! She will never come back. You don't rez here. You're all alone when death strikes. Still clutching Eeri's legs, he cannot bring himself to leave them there. Still warm, bloody, falling to dust...

To dust? Yes, Eeri's legs disintegrate before his eyes. Becoming dust again. Evaporating in the morning breeze...

Disappearing...

[...]

But then ?

[...]

BUT YES !

She is alive! She could rez! Probably near the Zinuakeen! SHE COULD REZ! HAHA...

???

What? She could rez? One needs to have a Marauder crystal to be rez'd at Zinuakeen. And Eeri never told him she had a...


"RAMECH! BITCH MATIS!!!" he yells all of a sudden.


This is why she wasn't afraid of death! "Yes, I fight like it's my last fight. Yes, I've been training. Yes, I'm such a badass and you fatty are a two week old yubo."

Bitch! Bloody degenerate Matissa! She's had a goddamn Maraud' crystal all this time! So yes, she can play the fearless warrior, my ass! Liar! Traitor!

He gets up with a leap, sweeping away the pile of dust that covered his legs with a wave of his hand. Then, talking to himself, he goes towards the mektoubs.

"Oh my dear Eeri, wait until I find you! You are going to know the Fyros fury. You'll see, now I'm going to strike as if it were my last fight. Don't worry about, Maraud': the fat Azazor's going to teach you to hide things like that from him!"

Pulling the two mektoubs without any care, the Fyros takes again the way crossing the cordillera, direction the Marauder campsite. A carnivorous smile to the lips, he is in a hurry, oh yes he is in a hurry to see again the dear red head of his "friend" Eeri. To discuss, exchange, knock and more if affinity.

Last edited by Fyrenor (2 years ago)

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fyros pure sève
akash i orak, talen i rechten!
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#43 Multilingual 

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She was awakened by a bucket of water on her head.

"You're back? You were missing us?

Eeri vomited, then collapsed on her back. The light was burning her eyes, and it took her a moment to make out what was surrounding her and come to her senses.

"You had to take a bad fall," Li-Yon said. "You were lucky you had that crystal."


***


Ever since that talk with Azazor a few days earlier, the Fyrossa had been thinking about the secret she would take with her if she fell off that cliff. The truth? No. Her life was now a huge web of lies, driven by her clumsy attempts to fix her past mistakes. She walked along, fiddling in her pocket with the Marauders Zin crystal she was carrying since the New Lands. What if it worked? Ever since O'Teelo, at the Cloudy Cliff Outpost, had told them about the presence of a teleporter network in the Old Lands, the Fyrossa had felt slightly reassured. Perhaps that was why she had fought those bandits and risked so much. But that was still something she could not tell Azazor about. A stupid imprudence that she disguised under a facade of arrogance. And the luck of having fallen on untrained homins. And if only this crystal worked, she would have to synchronize it with a teleporter first. This was a detail that the homins of the New Lands, accustomed to wandering these regions, no longer thought about.

No more imprudence. Especially not now.

In the end, the descent proved to be less laborious than Eeri had imagined. She threw an "oren fyraï" to Azazor, her voice slightly distorted by her apprehension, which she tried to hide as best she could, then launched herself. The idea of keeping a pickaxe in her right hand, which she stuck into the sawdust to swing from root to root, worked. Without that, she clearly wouldn't have found enough holds. Azazor would have managed too, no doubt, but someone had to guard the mektoubs, who obviously wouldn't have succed in climbing down. However, the apprehension was there, the fear of going down alone, without any help in case something happened.

A flood of memories came back to her mind, as she lay there on the ground. That moment when she had been able to approach the Zinuakeen, while the Marauders had their backs turned. Then the climb back up to Azazor. They had resumed their road, and decided to make this detour, to go and see this legendary immensity of water. After these days spent in the desert, taking a bath was worth one or two more days of walking. The moving and agitated waters of the Wide Puddle, so unlike those of the lake of Fairhaven. Then that night of calm, as if the predators had decided to give them a moment's respite. The next day... Had she not woken up? No more memories, everything was blurred, except for an image that seemed to encrust in her memories, a shell. Was it really a shell? She had never seen one like it before.


***

Eeri vomited a second time, which earned her a second bucket of water on her head.

"Where am I?"
"Back at the Zinuakeen."

Eeri sat up and rubbed her eyes, still feeling groggy. Yes, she knew where she was, there was no doubt about it, but she had asked the question for comfort. Li-Yon, in front of her, was looking at her from behind his black mask, twirling the crystal between his fingers.

"You could have told us you were one of us," the Zorai said after a moment that seemed like an eternity.
"I didn't think it would make much difference," Eeri replied.
"Really?"
"I tought that many of you here hold the Marauders of the New Lands in low regard. And especially their adoration for Akilia."
"And if even that was true, we weren't going to kill you for that."
"But you could do it now because I lied to you?"

Eeri made out a smile behind the Zorai's mask. He gave her back her crystal:

"No. We are only scientists."
"This is the first time I've been brought back since I left. It's been years..."
"Maybe our Zinuakeen aren't as comfortable as the ones where you come from."
"It's probably because we're not used to those here..."

Yes, it had to be lack of practice, thought Eeri, who had never used this crystal before. To say that was no lie.

"You can spend one more night here. I imagine you're looking forward to seeing your companion if he's still of this world. But after what you've just been through, it's best to rest. I must also thank you. Thanks to you, we know that the Zinuakeen is functional. That's lucky for you. So, with everything you've brought back, we can already start looking for where we'll set up the next one. Further north from here.

Eeri didn't answer anything but a nod of thanks, so much she tried to control her nervousness and trembling. She had to face the fact that she had not come far from never coming back. She still didn't understand how all this could have happened. Azazor... Let's hope he's safe. If he had seen her die and her body dematerialize, chances were he would understand where to find her. And she could always tell him she'd picked up a crystal at the camp here. Considering the present state of the truth between them... If not, he had probably come to terms and had go on his way. It would take her days of walking before she could catch up with him, without mektoub.

If only he were still of this world.

Last edited by Eeri (2 years ago) | Reason: Traduction en Anglais par Nilstilar / English Translation by Nilstilar

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Eeri
"Quand on a le nez trop près de la bouteille, on ne voit plus le bar"

#44 Multilingual 

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Azazor was here, sitting. He was waiting, looking at a campfire he hadn't even bothered to light in front of him, a few meters from the two mektoubs. This time, he did not extend his arm to help her, as she came, panting, to the end of her escalation. At the top, she stretched, then went to sit down opposite him, silently. He didn't move, but Eeri knew that he was silently ranting.

"You will excuse me, I had a small hitch," she said.

The Fyros raised his blue eyes towards her. Icy eyes.

"I owe you some explanations. I know I screwed up again. And that I'm very lucky."

She expected him to explode at any moment. But she took advantage of the quiet to continue.

"I'm glad to see you. I didn't know if you were still alive. I didn't think I was coming back either…"

Azazor exploded. He abruptly grabbed his axe as he stood up and threw a blow toward Eeri. With vivacity, she got up to dodge it, and moved back a few steps.

"RAMÈCH MATIS! SCUM OF THE BARK! YOU SLUT!! WHEN DID YOU INTEND TO SAY ME ABOUT YOU HAD BECAME MARAUDER?"

Eeri dodged another blow from the axe. Hitting his chest with his fist, he continued:

"THEN, GO AHEAD, HIT ME ! ME, I DON'T HAVE ANY CRYSTAL. IF I FALL, I FALL. I DIE. AND YOU WILL BE ALONE HERE. TRAITOR!! LIAR!!"

Azazor, enraged, attacked the Fyrossa again, who jumped aside and grabbed his shield hanging on the back of one of the mektoubs.

"KILL ME, YOU WILL SEE THAT I DO NOT HAVE CRYSTAL, ME! I KNOW WHAT IT IS TO FEAR DEATH!"
"And then, what does it change? I have a Marauder crystal, ney, so what? You should be happy to see me.

"WHAT DOES IT CHANGE?" he belched. "WE HAD A DEAL!!! NO MORE LIES!!! I DON'T CARE IF YOU'RE A MARAUDER OR IF YOU FOUND THAT CRYSTAL IN A MEKTOUB'S ASS, BUT YOU LIED TO ME!"

Azazor attacked several times, Eeri tried to dodge his blows as she could. He finally planted his axe in the shield, and the Fyrossa took the opportunity to take a side step and grab the handle of Azazor's axe, in order to immobilize him. She added, a few centimeters from the Fyros' face:

"I am not a Marauder. I just did what was necessary to be able to use their technology. That's all."

Azazor yanked his axe out of the way, using all the strength he could muster, and sent Eeri flying a few feet away.

"I AM A DRAKANI," she shouted, crashing into the sawdust.

Azazor planted his axe in the campfire, exploding it on several meters around.

"Yeah that's for sure, you don't have anything of a Fyrossa anymore ! Lying so much, you became the shame of our race!"

"You want the truth, but you are not able to hear it," added Eeri. "Yes, I have a Marauder crystal. And I synchronized it down there, without even knowing it was functional. Do you think I'm proud? I was just lucky we were still in range of the Zinuakeen. I don't even remember what happened at the Wide Puddle…"

Azazor ranted, still clutching the handle of his axe, ruminating that she had lied. She added:

"And then, why did you come back here? Did you come back to whine because I lied to you? To prove to me once again that only your way is right? To blame me for the people I've been with? SO WHAT? IF YOU ARE NOT HAPPY TO SEE ME, GO ON ALONE!

The Fyros didn't answer anything, just looked coldly at the Fyrossa.

"But you have to be completely crazy… What did you think? That I was going to make such a trip without preparing anything? We were going to the Marauders! Do you really think there was any other option?"
"You just don't get it, do you? I don't care about your methods. You prefer manipulation, that's your choice. I'm even willing to admit that having a Maraud crystal was a good idea."

Eeri raised an eyebrow, taken aback.

"But you lied to me. Once again. One lies to enemies, not to friends."
"It's an obsession with you, right?" she said, sarcastically.

The Fyros did not raise and, after a deep breath, said in a surprisingly cold and calm voice:

"You can continue with me if you want. But know one thing, Eeri: I will never trust you again. You are no longer one of us and I no longer owe you the Truth."

Searching for words, he added:

"You are now… only a homina."
"Well… It doesn't change anything, you already didn't trust me. And I wasn't planning on coming back within the Empire, don't worry.

Azazor walked over to the mektoubs and began to pull them eastward. They didn't say another word until nightfall.

Last edited by Eeri (2 years ago) | Reason: English Translation by Nilstilar

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Eeri
"Quand on a le nez trop près de la bouteille, on ne voit plus le bar"

#45 Multilingual 

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On the way to Sentinel, a few days after their altercation, they came across a group of three varinxes intent on making them their next meal. Azazor stopped but did not even take out his axe. He just stood there, placid. Until now, he had said almost nothing, only grunting when he had to communicate with Eeri. But this time, to the astonishment of the Fyrossa, he opened his mouth and said:

"Take care of them, immortal."

Eeri grumbled something in protest, but had no choice but to take out her axe as the varinxes were coming towards her, and managed to get rid of them. Fortunately, they were young males, probably expelled from their pack by the dominant male. Without much hunting experience, they only managed to bite Eeri's armor without hurting her. Once two of them were killed, the last one didn't have to be persuaded to skedaddle.

"You could have helped me," said Eeri.

The Fyros didn't answer and went back on the path to Sentinel, shooting the mektoubs without care.

***

Two days later, one morning, a new dramatic event occurred. Eeri had to go in search of a mektoub that during the night had managed to untie its harness to to go grazing a hundred meters away. Nonchalantly chewing the liketim that was growing thickly that winter, it was looking with a torpid eye at the homina coming towards it. When Eeri started sinking into what was obviously some shifting sawdust, he gave a slight moo and took up his meal where he had left it.

"ramèch!" said the homina, trying as best she could to get out of the sawdust's grip. But the harder she tried, the deeper she sank. The shifting sawdust was up to her waist when she decided to call for help to the fat Fyros who was eating his dried meat as a morning meal in the distance.

"Azaaa! Bloody mek... I'm sinking in shifting sawdust! Come and help me!"

The Fyros got up and approached Eeri, without haste.

"Wait, take the other mektoub with you and give me its tether. He will pull me out."

But the Fyros continued to advance towards the Fyrossa, watching where he put his feet. When he got as close as he could to her without having to put his feet in the shifting sawdust, he ducked down to her level. Eeri was then sunken up to the chest. She had stopped moving not to sink more, having understood that the more she would move, the more she would sink.

"What the hell are you doing? You think you can pull me out without the mektoub?"

He looked at her gravely but did not stretch out his hands towards her. His gaze was fixed on the Fyrossa trapped in the sawdust.

"Oh, okay, we get here? Is it the time you let me snuff it? What do you want? For me to apologize?"

The Fyros didn't move, still staring gravely at the Fyrossa.

"Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I don't have any apologies to offer you. So let me die here if it makes you happy, but don't count on me to beg."

Azazor then took out a Marauder crystal from his armor pocket and showed it to the Fyrossa.

"What... Is it mine? When did you take this from me?"

"Last night. I've always slept with one eye open. And today you'll understand something."

Eeri looked at him defiantly.

"What makes us different is that I know what it is to be afraid of dying. And in that, I know true courage."

"You are crazy! Definitely crazy!"

"oren fyraï, Eeri."

He got back up and turned his back to her. Then he picked up the first mektoub and went to the camp to pick up the second. He took his time to harness them and when he had finished, he took a quick look at the Fyrossa still stuck in the sawdust and went back on the path to Sentinel.

- You're completely crazy!! DETAL!!!

Realizing that she would have to fend for herself, Eeri tried to slowly move her chest closer to the more solid edge. But while her upper body could still move, her legs remained frozen, as if embedded in the wood. Even though her bust movements were as light as possible, they had the effect that she sank a little further. The sawdust now reached almost to the base of her neck and she kept her arms raised above her. She screamed, with difficulty, hoping that some homin would pass by. But this path was not very frequented. She might as well hope that a varinx would come to her aid.

An hour passed without her sinking any deeper, but without managing to get even an inch out of that sawdust. That's it, she was going to end up like that. A head and arms sticking out of the sawdust, waiting to die of thirst or to be eaten by who knows what beastie. Death. The inevitable death was waiting for her. And this time, no more crystal to resurrect her. Anyway, even with one, she wasn't sure being close enough to a Zinuakeen for that.
She didn't think Azazor would do such a thing to her. He was resentful, sure, but enough to want to kill her? Even when he had attacked her with an axe, she had felt it was more an explosion of rage than a real attempt to kill her. But here, using trickery to kill her? He must have been really angry with her. You're not one of us anymore, he'd said. You're just a homina. She should have known better. If she was now nothing more than a homina, he could get rid of her. He had the crystal, he could pretend to be a Marauder. He didn't need her anymore. ramèch, yes, she had screwed up. And she was going to snuff it there, alone, and she didn't even know when...

Suddenly, a rope fell before her eyes and she grabbed it. Looking up at her benefactor, she saw a fat Fyros in Marauder armor and a weathered face. Azazor. He had tied the rope to the two mektoubs and was busy moving them forward to pull her out of the shifting sawdust. Eeri felt as if they were breaking her legs when they pull her along, but finally she managed to get out and found herself gasping for air outside the sawdust. Azazor didn't help her up, didn't ask her how she was doing, or even check to see if she could stand up on her own.
He simply took the mektub's reins and told her docently:

"The moving sawdust obeys, like any fluid, a simple principle. The vertical force directed upwards is equal to the weight of the volume of fluid displaced. You couldn't sink down enturely." 

Then, after a short pause, he added:

"Now you know what it is to be afraid to die.

Before the Fyrossa could say a word, he continued:

"And yes, I am crazy. So beware of me. Because one day I will let you die."

He dropped the Marauder crystal to the ground and pulled the mektoubs towards the east.

Edited 3 times | Last edited by Azazor (2 years ago)

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akash i orak, talen i rechten!
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#46 Multilingual 

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Eeri's logbook

Sentinel is within our reach. We see the lights of a camp a day's walk away. It is a relief and just as terrifying. The situation is tense between Azazor and me. I have a premonition that something is going turn out badly, for one or the other of us.

If I disappear and by chance someone comes to read this journal, it is not the image I want to leave of me and our trip. But I have to admit, I screwed up, big time. Azazor now only talks to me to give me orders, and we've lost trust in each other. He tried to kill me a few days ago. Or to scare me. It worked. He treats me like I'm an orskos. Me!

It's my fault. ney. But I didn't lie, dey! I hid things. Is it a lie not to say anything? He didn't ask me any questions. When he asked me if I was a Trytonist, I said yes. If you ask me, I answer. I don't lie. Yes, let it be known. Give this to the Kuilde and let them come to me, if they dare.
But toub, Azazor, you are as stubborn as I am... Yes, I should have said everything, revealed everything from the beginning. But could you have heard what I had to say? Even before we left, you wanted to do your own thing, you criticized my positions, my friendships. You didn't even bother to listen or to be interested in what I could have given you. And now you have to tell yourself that you bet on the wrong mektoub. But if I disappear and you read this, know that my respect for you is still alive. I wouldn't have gotten this far without you, and you wouldn't have gotten this far without me.
If you had asked the question, "Eeri, do you have a Marauder crystal?" I would have answered yes... Yes, I got a Marauder crystal from Mazé'yum. Without compromising my real name. No, I don't want to join them, especially not those from the New Lands. Even if some of them here have my respect.
Another question you could have asked me, and never did: "Am I the father of Uzykos?" I think the answer is clear enough, and that deep down you already know it. But it's not enough to want the truth, you must be able to accept it. One day you will know it, and you will explode, as you do every time you are interested in something other than your own plans
And dey, I'm not immortal. You forgot, for a crystal to work, you have to be able to activate it. And after ten days of walking, we're just too far away for it to work. If I fall, I die. Just like you. If the distance had nothing to do with it, I could have simply returned to Fairhaven, as if nothing had happened. But this is another truth you don't want to hear. By the time you read this, it will be too late to realize it.

Besides, if the little you told me about what happened at the Wide Puddle is true, so far this crystal has only served to keep me from being totally gobbled up by a big fish. Eeri, dead, guzzled and digested by a prakker. I hope my true ending will be a bit more glorious, I still have that Fyros trait at least.

Tomorrow we'll go to the Marauders, to Sentinel. Hopefully they already know we're coming. I have a feeling that these homins are much more ingenious than we might think, and that they have a quicker means of communication than sending a simple messenger. I will let Azazor speak. Anyway, if I open my mouth he'll find something to pick at. And I promised, a few months ago, when we arrived at the Cloudy Cliff Outpost, to let him what he wants. If it goes wrong, I'll try to make it right by taking out my crystal. However, I have the impression that the dice are cast already and that Azazor knows exactly what he is going to do. And that he won't hesitate to abandon me, as soon as he doesn't need me anymore, or as soon as he feels that will save his ass.

We set up our camp high up on a root. It reduces the access in case of a predator attack. There are few of them, but they are much bigger and more tenacious. There is also less game here than in our country, maybe it's related. From here, we have a view of the desert to the north. To the east, we could already make out, in the daytime, the presence of this mountain range that separates us from the desert of the Old Lands. We are so close to our goal and yet nothing has ever been so uncertain. I never expected that we would want to kill each other. Maybe that's the strength of the homins here. The fact that we don't go crazy knowing that whatever one does, it might be the last time. Although, now that they're expanding their Zinuakeen network here too, it must totally change their their view of things.. This fear must probably only be valid for us, who have just never been used to this feeling. It makes us lose our minds.

After writing these lines, in the light of dusk, Eeri closed her journal and put it in her bag. Then she approached one of the mektoubs, and poked around for a while. Azazor paid her no attention, but his head moved, by reflex, when a light "plop" was heard.
He stood there for a few seconds, listening. Eeri swallowed, then approached him with quiet steps. She planted herself in front of him, a vial of essence of ocyx held out towards the Fyros. When he finally looked up at her, she said in an insecure voice:

"Here, take a sip. This is the last one. And it's now or never, maybe."
"It's to poison me, right?"
"It's to make us up. Between the two of us, we have a chance."

The Fyros winced, but took the vial and swallowed a sip, not without a grunt of satisfaction. Then he took a deep breath, as if preparing to announce something, but sighed loudly as he looked away from Eeri, while he gave her back the vial.

Last edited by Eeri (2 years ago) | Reason: English Translation by Nilstilar

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Eeri
"Quand on a le nez trop près de la bouteille, on ne voit plus le bar"

#47 Multilingual 

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Azazor's logbook

I'll keep it short. As soon as we arrived at Sentinel, the Marauders confiscated all our belongings. I am writing this text with a piece of coal on the single leather I managed to hide before arriving here.

We arrived in sight of a kind of giant tower built in a tree also gigantic. It is not like the tower of Fort Beacon in the sense that it is not built in a root but in a real tree of phenomenal dimensions. It's more than a tower in fact, almost a circular city with several floors, with a few dead branches at the top reminding us that we are dealing with, basically, a tree. I have never seen so thick and high a tree. Yet, it seems to be only a part of the original tree. The tree is now probably a dead one because there is no foliage and it looks like it was burned by some ancient fire. Scarce bare branches only remain in addition to the trunk.
So it is inside this huge tree that Sentinel is built. There is a main entrance covered by a canopy and various secondary stairs outside. Halfway up, we can see balconies where homins are stationed, apparently armed with firearms. Above, there are some more floors in what reminded me of the Imperial Palace, a kind of pseudo-dome, there where the top of the tree must have been. 

As we came within sight of the tree, Marauders came up from behind us and made us lower our weapons. They asked us what clan we were from. I told them the truth. That I was a patriot of the Empire in the New Lands, that I had come as a researcher to study the Road of Oflovak and the land of our ancestors, that I owed this Marauder armor to O'Tello, the head of the Cloudy Cliff Diplomatic Outpost, and that we had just returned from a delivery mission to build a Zinuakeen, mission to make us up for the misappropriation of some jerky. In short, the truth, raw and unvarnished. I didn't say anything about Eeri. She didn't even say anything, leaving me to speak all along.

They then separated us and I was questioned by two homins. I repeated what I had said. When they asked me who Eeri was, I told them that she was a Tryker citizen who was accompanying me. They then explicitly asked me if she was a Marauder. I told them I didn't think so. They told me about the Marauder crystal found in her belongings. I explained that I didn't know about this crystal until a month ago and that Eeri had lied to me. She had sworn that the crystal did not mean that she was a Maraud'. I told them that she had probably stolen it from someone or that one of her contacts had given it to her. At their insistence, I gave them the name Mayé'zum or Mazé'yum. I don't remember exactly. A shady guy from the New Lands an I don't know which Maraud' clan. They then took me to a kind of cell where I waited for several hours.

A homin came for me and I was questioned again. This time there was a Fyros of obviously higher rank. I was asked about my intentions. I had to repeat what I was doing here, that I wanted to go to the other side of the ridge. Thinking that I was dealing with the real leader of the Sentinel this time, I added that my goal was also to establish a first contact with the Marauders so that when I returned to the New Lands, we could exchange knowledge. To make my request credible, I had to tell them that I was an akenakos and a student at the Imperial Academy. I also offered them my services as a butcher in order to pay for my stay here, that if they could contact the Diplomatic Outpost, they would learn that I excelled in this art and that they would not regret it. The Fyros noted all this and had me escorted back to the cell where I am waiting without food for a while now. So I take the opportunity to write this. And I don't know where Eeri is. Let her deal with her lies. 

Way covered since Fort Beacon

Last edited by Azazor (2 years ago)

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fyros pure sève
akash i orak, talen i rechten!
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#48 Multilingual 

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Azazor's logbook
Day after my arrival D+1

I finally was allowed to get my stuff back. They went through all my writings and those of Eeri. According to the Fyros, whose name I still don't have, I seem to them quite honest about my intentions. What is not the case of the homina who accompanies me. He wouldn't tell me more and I don't care. They can hang her, it's not my concern anymore.
So the Marauders agree to host me for a week in exchange for a job in the kitchen. I have had my Marauder armor confiscated and my weapons will be returned to me when I leave. So I put back on my Fyros armor. It's not so bad after all, even if I would have liked to bring back a Maraud' armor in the New Lands. The Fyros is waiting for the orders of his superiors to know if he should make me turn back or if they agree to let me continue my way to the Old Lands. 

D+2
I was able to talk to a Maraud' who works in the kitchen with me. He explained to me that The Citadel is not really a city such as one imagines it. It is in fact more of a fractured part of the great root ridge that surrounds the desert of the Old Lands and that forms a kind of maze. There are crevices everywhere that the Marauders travel on a regular basis. You should rather imagine an agglomeration of small temporary camps built and dismantled in response to the kitins moves. The Old Lands are literally teeming with kitins. The strategy for containing them is to let part of them enter the maze and get lost in it, for then kill them or get them out again. Forget about the idea of a big wall that the kitins would crash into. The constant battle of the Marauders against the kitins is mostly hide-and-seek. The Maraud' who told me this can't tell me much more than that, alas. The cult of secrecy is quite prevalent here, and people are suspicious of me. I understand them. We are also very suspicious of them in our land. It's only as a fair return. 

D+5
The Marauders agreed to accompany me to a first Citadel encampment in three days. From there, I will receive further instructions on how to move around The Citadel until I get out. They would not tell me more at this time. I was asked with a smile if I like climbing. I have a feeling I'm not going to like it...

D+6
One of the Marauds who had taken me into the cell on the first day came up to me today and threw a batch of papers on my bunk. He said that I should be interested, that these were Eeri's writings and that I could keep them because they had already made a copy. When I asked him about her fate, he couldn't answer me. But it seems that she won't be coming out any time soon. Too bad for her. All she had to do was listen to me and play it fair.
I started to read, and I have to admit, at least in writing, that I feel a little guilty for having been so tyrannical. The toub is secretive and has a major issue with trust, but her intentions were good. I should finish reading tonight.

D+8 

I joined a small convoy towards The Citadel and we left early this morning. The further we go, the more gigantic the ridge seems. Next to it, the cliffs of Scorched Corridor seem ridiculous. Will I really have to climb all this...? And... I saw Eeri. From a distance. Chained to a toub and well guarded. She is part of our convoy, in the back. Of course, I am forbidden to approach her. According to a Maraud', she is going to meet an important person of The Citadel and I don't have to know where. "Akilia?" I asked. He growled in answer. So not Akilia. And clearly, this one is not in odor of sanctity here either. We are told on and on in the New Lands of Akilia being the leader of the Marauders, but after what O'Tello said, and that growl, I begin to believe that here exist power struggles too, between the pro-Akilia and the others...


D+9
That's it, we arrived. During the last hours of walking, I did not dare to look at the top of the ridge, for fear of being nauseous. There, the winds were particularly violent, but we finally managed to sneak in a small notch to finally reach a first rough camp inside the cliff. The Marauders seemed to be used to this trip. According to one of them, most of the camps are troglodyte and temporary. There are a few permanent camps here and there that are extremely well hidden and defended, but almost all of them are shifting, depending on the movement of kitins and the tactics adopted to neutralize them. Again, these cliffs remind me of those of Scorched Corridor. A real maze of caves, canyons and crevasses. But so much bigger... We leave in one hour. The time to write this. 

As a result I know how I'm going to get to the Old Lands. By the top. I was told about climbing, this will be the case. From a place in the Citadel, I will be able to use a set of ropes, ladders and other footbridges to climb up the ridge. Once at the top, I was advised, if I want to join Coriolis, to follow more or less the edge of the cliff, depending on the presence of kitins. They are less numerous at the top, but still present. So, it will probably be necessary to make some detours. But I will have not to go down under any circumstances. They told me that anyway, once I'm up there, I'll understand why. 

Last edited by Azazor (2 years ago)

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fyros pure sève
akash i orak, talen i rechten!
élucubrations
biographie

#49 Multilingual 

Multilingual | [English] | Français
                
Time also seemed to be hanging. Regularly, like a clock that came ostensibly to remind her of the passing of time, a drop of sweat detached itself from her forehead to come to crash a few centimeters lower in the sawdust. The half-light of the place could almost have made the atmosphere bearable, but in addition to the heat that reigned there, the sawdust dust forced the homina to keep her breathing as light and as slow as possible.

So far, they hadn't hit her. At Sentinel, they had left her for several days in a room, deprived of everything but a bowl of water and a kind of unspiced bread that made her bitterly miss Eolinius'. A homin (was he always the same one?) would come and ask her questions. She usually didn't answer, except with a yes or no. She had asked to speak to the leader of the Horizon Surveyors. Sometimes he spoke to her in Marund, a language she didn't know at all, to test her reactions, without much success. "Where does this crystal come from? What Clan are you from?". She had lost track of time. But no matter.

So Azazor had done nothing to help her case. He must have said that Eeri had stolen the crystal, that she was working for some clan… He must have said that she had lied to him. That was enough to make the Marauders suspicious of her.

Then they'd made her walk from Sentinel to The Citadel, tied behind a mektoub, hands and feet chained, not far from a free-handed Azazor who didn't even deny her a glance. It was a much crueler torment. Two days of walking in silence. One of the Marauders had made it clear: "You try to talk to your Fyros, I'll feed you to the varinxes."
She was taken there, in that cell, and they tied her by the feet. The head downwards. To test her nerves, one of the guards had said with a sneer. Eeri let them do it, without struggling. They left her there, in the heat and dust, for several hours, or days, which seemed like an eternity. Everything was already so confused in her mind, and hanging upside down did not help her to think. She now doubted why she was there. Where she came from. Who she was fighting for. The Federation? The Empire? The Trytonists? The Rangers? The Marauders? Or a little of everything? Or just for herself? She didn't know what to answer.

***

"She must be ready."
"If she has not sniff it yet…"

Two guards arrived, and cut the tie that bound her feet. She fell limply on the ground, head first. Then the two homins grabbed her by the shoulders and dragged her out of the cell. They were clad in heavy Maraudeur armor relatively similar to that of the New Lands, except for a few details.

"She's still alive."
"Bring her to me," said a third.

Then, approaching Eeri's ear, he whispered with a thick accent:

"And you'd better answer the questions we're going to ask you, if you don't want to end your trip here… Definitely. Be reasonable."

Last edited by Eeri (2 years ago) | Reason: English Translation by Nilstilar

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Eeri
"Quand on a le nez trop près de la bouteille, on ne voit plus le bar"

#50 Multilingual 

Multilingual | [English] | Français
                
Eeri, still groggy after hours of being suspended, had no choice but to follow the two guards without reacting. She was then dragged through a labyrinth of small, narrow corridors carved into the wood. After about ten minutes of walking, she finally saw daylight at the end of a corridor. An exit to the outside. Just before entering the passageway, one of the guards glanced outside and then beckoned his companion to stop. A few seconds later, a buzzing sound rose up from the canyon. It consisted of a strange, shrill sound that Eeri had never heard before, along with a multitude of clanking and galloping noises, which she knew very well this time were from kitins. The shrill noise increased in intensity and a spindly form passed at full speed in front of the recess in which the three homins were waiting, raising a cloud of dust in the process. A Marauders' craft? Probably. Or from the Karavan? And on its heels, about thirty kitins, each bigger than the next... The two guards waited a good minute for the canyon to to recover its quietness, then pushed the prisoner forward. Eeri could then glimpse some carcasses of kitins, abandoned here and there all along the gigantic canyon. The guards ordered her to move on, while they themselves headed for another recess, on the opposite cliff of the canyon. She followed them without delay: it was definitely not necessary to linger in this place.

The two homins and their prisoner had to walk for another twenty minutes, passing through a few labyrinths of corridors and small rooms, before arriving in a larger and brighter room, lit by a few torches. If up to this point, all the rooms they had passed through seemed to be mere crossing points, this one was slightly decorated. The two guards made her sit on her knees, and positioned themselves behind her. Eeri had barely had time to observe the few pieces of furniture in the room when she noticed a small group of homins on the other side of the room.

"Here is the spy," said one of the guards.
"Has she spoken so far?"
"No, she hasn't."
"Then what do you want me to do with her?"
"Let's interrogate her," said a third voice. "If she persists in saying nothing, then we'll see."

The few homins, all dressed in light, medium and heavy Maraudeur armors, approached Eeri, and positioned themselves in an arc, facing her. The homine who started speaking, in the center, was clad with a large black cloak that hid her face and covered an armor also black. From the muffled sound of her voice and her accent, Eeri could not distinguish if she was a Fyrossa, a Matissa or a Zoraia. But she was definitely too tall to be a Trykera.

"We're listening," she said.
"I am not a spy," Eeri said curtly.
"What else?"
"No matter what I say, Azazor sold me out. He used me to gain your trust. He wants to go on alone. He doesn't need me anymore."
"We listened to him, and his reasons are respectable. But he didn't speak against you. Do you have anything different to tell us about him?"

Eeri shook his head no.

"He spoke the truth. His truth."
"Good. For now, we believe him."
"You can. I'm the one who has been wrong about you Marauders."
"What do you mean, you were wrong?"
"I thought this crystal could help me."

A homin stepped forward to speak, but the homina in black stopped him with an authoritative wave of her hand and went on:

"Here, stealing a crystal is a crime. If you have get it regularly, you must belong to a clan. Which clan?"
"None."
"Then how?"

In front of the silence of Eeri, she says in a threatening tone:

"Lying to us more won't help you. The truth will be much more useful, to avoid we condemn you."
"I am from the Federation. Before that, I fought and learned with the Rangers, and spent my youth in the Desert serving the Fyros Empire. Before undertaking this journey, I joined the Marauders in the New Lands, undercover, to obtain a crystal. But I have never been a Marauder."
"We read your journal, we know all that."
"Then you also know that I am a Seeker of Elias, and that my purpose here is not to infiltrate or harm you."

The homina laughed:

"A Trytonist... Can't you think of something better?"
"Talking like that would cost me my life in the New Lands. I have spent my life hiding my beliefs, even from those closest to me. In here too? You disappoint me."
"Let's admit it. And this Mazé'yum? We've heard a lot about him."
"He gave me the job of delivering some notebooks to his former clan, The Horizon Surveyors."
"We know that."

The homina turned, and a Tryker spoke:

"Yes, we were given these notebooks. A bunch of obscene stories without any interest..."
"Can't you read between the lines," cut off the Fyrossa, snarling? "Years of research..."

The tryker smiled, a bit surprised.

"Of course we can. We're working on it. So you know what these books contain?"
"I did some research with Mazé'Yum. That's gotten me into a lot of trouble already. Yes, I've read and studied these notebooks."
"This Mazé'yum is not one I'm too fond of," continued the Tryker, this time addressing the black Marauder. But he has got talked about recently in the New Lands, and his researches seems all in all noteworthy. Just like the goo bomb we found in his stuff.

At these words, the group became chaotically agitated, each one began to whisper to his neighbor. After a few seconds, the hominid stopped them with a wave of her hand.

"So here we have a scientist in search of the truth. Do you buy that?"
"I don't think Maze'Yum would be foolish enough to entrust her notebooks to just anyone. Especially to a spy from the Ash," said the tryker.
"So your'e not Akilia Ash Storm?" asked Eeri.
"Shut up!" she shouted before making a sign to the group around her to move back a few steps to exchange some whisperings.

"And take her back to her cell. I don't need her anymore."

Edited 2 times | Last edited by Eeri (2 years ago) | Reason: English Translation by Nilstilar

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Eeri
"Quand on a le nez trop près de la bouteille, on ne voit plus le bar"

#51 Multilingual 

Multilingual | [English] | Français
      
"Freedom," said the man in a low voice.

Eeri opened his eyes wide in the direction of the helmeted figure who had just slipped into the doorway. It was night. The guards had left her tied hand and foot, in a sitting position.

"I am Rapid Arma. You can call me Arid."
"Rebel Ocyx," the fyrette replied, emerging from her half-sleep without much thought.
"We know."
"Freedom," she repeated, incredulous.

The homin undertook to untie Eeri, while she recovered her spirits, still drowsy.

"They want to kill me, right?"
"No, but they're planning to keep you here a long time. It's the same thing. Sometimes we change places in a hurry, and some prisoners may be forgotten."
"And it's that easy to escape?"
"No. But we think there are no other spies in The Citadel at the moment. The guard has relaxed a bit, luckily."
"Spies from whom?"
"Of those who seek to harm Marauders of The Citadel."

The homin, who in the meantime had untied the Fyrossa's bonds, beckoned her to silence and follow him. As he closed the door of the cell, he picked up a bag lying there.

"What's left of your stuff… I'll give you another armor, this one will be too flashy."
" … akep."
"Your companion is free, certainly much more carefully watched than you. He leaves tomorrow for a climb up the ridge."
"I must join him…"
"First, follow me. You need a meal, and sleep."

Eeri followed the homin through a multitude of labyrinthine tunnels, and sometimes paths in the open air. When they heard Marauders nearby, they stopped and waited, wanting to avoid running into them and having to converse. After a good hour of walking, the homin announced that they had arrived. He pushed open a slightly hidden door at the end of a tunnel and the two of them entered a dimly lit room furnished with a table and a bed. The homin laid down the bag containing Eeri's belongings.

"Here you are in one of the lairs of the Seekers of Elias of The Citadel."
"So here too, one must hide?"

The homin took off his helmet and smiled.

"When one has secretly freed a prisoner, one avoids taking her to the tavern."

A Matis. Not very tall, in the prime of life, hair a deep black, piercing gaze. He indicated the table a little further, on which were already some dishes, and invited him to sit down.

"I'll be right back," he said. "I'll get you a drink."

A few minutes later, he returned, a mug of shookie in hand. The incredulous expression of the Fyrossa, when he put the tankard in front of her, provoked a satisfied smile from the Matis.

"I well recall that Ocyx Rebel was a great lover of shookie."
"You… know me?"

Last edited by Eeri (2 years ago) | Reason: English translation by Nilstilar !

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Eeri
"Quand on a le nez trop près de la bouteille, on ne voit plus le bar"

#52 Multilingual 

Multilingual | [English] | Français
               
The Matis took a seat on the other side of the table, pouring himself a glass of something that looked, from a distance, like wine. He took a mouthful and clicked his tongue on the palate.

"Eat, first."

Eeri did not need persuading. She took a large handful of dried meat, which she swallowed as dry as a gulp of shookie. The Matis' gaze rested for a moment on the vault of the cave, then he spoke again.

"I know you, without knowing you. And I owe you some explaining. Trytonists are tolerated here. It all depends on the Clans, we'll say. In any case, we are first and foremost Marauders, but we don't forget our convictions. Many of us come from the New Lands, some of us have always lived here. I knew you when you were just a young recruit. I remember the meeting we had, before we recruited you. You know how it is, the old guys always know who they're recruiting, and the young guys don't know the old guys who recruit them. But I've been gone for about twenty Jena years already."

Eeri listens to the Matis, gaping.

"... after the death of our leader. Scarlet Ocyx."
"Lopy..."
"Lopy, yes... It looked very bad for us then. The Fyros Empire had been chopping off heads, while before the Desert was still a safe place... His death was a sign that the Karavan had found his trail, and dared to act in the Empire's territory."
"Many thought that came from the Kingdom.
"The Kingdom and the Matis subjects are crazy, but not that crazy. They wouldn't have gone to such lengths out of simple revenge. Such a sudden death can only come from one of the Powers. A few of us elders decided to leave the New Lands after joining the Marauders. We thought we would find more answers."

Eeri puts down her tankard and the food she held in hand.

"I'm sorry," continues Arid. You probably didn't expect to hear about this here. I know you knew him well."
"I had a child by him... born after he disappeared... I was afraid, so I hid her. Well... I entrusted her, but the homina who was supposed to take care of her disappeared. I was afraid."
"It has been a major upheval for many of us."

After a few minutes of talking, Arid stood up and put down his glass of wine.

"Now try to eat and rest."
"Is this place safe?" Eeri asked.
"Yes. We have taken up our old habit of making hiding places here. It's also convenient, because of the kitins. There are many caves in The Citadel. If the Regent sends her goon to search for us, it will take them two days to rummage through it all."
"Who is?"
"The Regent. She runs The Citadel and helps the clans organize against the kitins."
"So she's the leader of the Marauders?"
"No, the Marauders have no leaders."
"I thought so, yes. Maybe she's the one who questioned me... Anyway. akep. Really."
"Don't thank me too quickly. I had to knock out and tie up one of the guards to free you. That means they'll be looking for you, as soon as they figure it out. Hopefully once your companion has departed."
"So they're letting him take the road to Coriolis?"
"Yes. Through the top of the ridge."
"They'll no doubt think I won't follow him. We are in angry at each other. But I will follow him."
"If that's what you want, you'll probably have little respite after he leaves. Anyway, in your case, staying at The Citadel would be suicide. Tomorrow morning I'll bring you another suit of armor, so you'll be more inconspicuous. Now I'm to leave you and join my clan, before my absence looks suspicious. Be ready at dawn."

Edited 2 times | Last edited by Eeri (2 years ago)

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Eeri
"Quand on a le nez trop près de la bouteille, on ne voit plus le bar"

#53 Multilingual 

Multilingual | English | [Français]
Azazor finit de traverser le pont de corde qui relie deux falaises de la grande dorsale. Un pont tout ce qu’il y a de plus rudimentaire. Une corde en haut pour se tenir et une en bas pour poser les pieds. Evidemment, impossible de traverser avec un mektoub.

Portant tout son bardage sur le dos depuis son départ de la Citadelle, l’escalade fut un enfer. Entre les escaliers taillés à même l’écorce, les échelles la plupart extrêmement usées, les cordes auxquelles se hisser à la force des bras et des jambes, et maintenant ce pont d’izams comme ils l’appellent, du fait que de nombreux izams aiment s’y percher. Oui, il savait que ça allait être ardu, mais pas à ce point. Il n’en a pas autant bavé depuis la traversée du Continent Verdoyant, quand il fallait escalader de grosses racines avec les mektoubs. Tout cela serait tellement facile maintenant. Ce temps lui paraît si lointain. Il était encore avec Eeri, il avait encore confiance en elle…

Il s’assoit un moment pour reprendre son souffle. Pas de kitins à l’horizon, contrairement à hier où il a du patienter plusieurs heures parce qu’un groupe de kirosta barrait la route. Il en avait d’ailleurs profité pour les étudier au loin. Ceux-ci ne semblaient pas très différents de ceux qu’on peut croiser dans le désert, si ce n’est par leur taille, tous au moins aussi grand que Nymton. Il n’avait donc pas cherché à les affronter comme il aurait pu le faire dans les Nouvelles Terres, ni à les prendre de vitesse. Qui sait à quelle vitesse ils pouvaient courir et surtout quels dégâts leurs coups pouvaient porter. Même leur poison était peut être plus puissant. Il aurait dû demander aux Maraudeurs avant de les quitter. En tout cas, ils ne correspondaient pas à la description qu'on lui avait fait des Flamboyants. Ce devait être somme toute des kitins classiques, juste un peu plus gros et dangereux, comme à peu près tous les animaux ici...

Ouvrant son sac pour en sortir de quoi manger – un reste de viande de varinx séchée – il tombe sur le recueil de notes d’Eeri qu’il a emmené avec lui. Il le feuillette machinalement tout en mastiquant sa viande sans plaisir. Puis il pose le recueil, prend son propre journal et commence à écrire.

Journal d'Azazor
Cela fait des heures que je grimpe. Maintenant que je peux enfin me poser, il faut que je revienne sur cette soirée avec les Maraudeurs, la dernière avant mon escalade. Ce fut un choc, on peut le dire. Le groupe que j’accompagnais jusqu’ici devait se rendre dans l’un de ces campements semi-permanent dont on m’avait parlé. On m’y invitait donc à partager un repas et à y dormir avant mon départ le lendemain.

On s’était réuni dans une sorte de grotte particulièrement gigantesque à laquelle on accédait après le parcours de nombreux tunnels dans la falaise. L'entrée dans la grotte se faisait par un étroit tunnel après l'escalade d'un tumulus bloquant l'entrée. On m'avait expliqué que jadis l'entrée était beaucoup plus grande mais un éboulement avait été déclenché volontairement pour en bloquer l'entrée lors d'une bataille épique contre les kitins. C'est en me racontant cette bataille que j'entendais pour la seconde fois, après Barmie Dingle, parler des Flamboyants. Contrairement à ce que j'avais cru, il n'y avait pas que les kipestas à porter ce nom de flamboyant. En fait, on donnait ce nom à toute la nouvelle génération de kitins rouges apparus dans le désert, le terme de dragon rouge étant spécifiquement employé pour désigner ces kipestas géants, car leur feu était particulièrement destructeur et leur abdomen hérissé d'épines. Lors de cette bataille, de nombreux Maraudeurs avaient alors péris en tentant de défendre l'entrée de la grotte où s'était réfugié nombre d'entre eux. Depuis, cette grotte était devenu un symbole pour beaucoup. Les Flamboyants avaient continué de proliférer, rendant quasi inaccessible l'accès au désert. Ceux-ci étaient d'ailleurs, d'après les Maraudeurs, traqués et visés en priorité par la Karavan.

A l’intérieur de la grotte était installé un immense campement visiblement bien moins rustique que les précédents. Il y avait une sorte d’infirmerie dans une tente, un coin cuisine avec de quoi cuisiner pour un régiment entier, une étable pleine de mektoubs, des centaines de lits creusés dans les parois et même des sortes de bacs remplis d’eau pour se laver. Ici et là, quelques appareils et outils me rappelèrent que les Maraudeurs maitrisaient une technologie assez évoluée, liées d'une manière ou d'une autre aux Puissances.

En hauteur au niveau des parois, on pouvait voir plusieurs trous reliés entre eux par des passerelles. Il devait donc y avoir d'autres salles derrière les parois et sur plusieurs étages. C’était une véritable petite cité miniature, éclairée à la lumière de gigantesques braseros. L’un des marauds qui nous accompagnaient, probablement un peu trop bavard, m’expliqua qu’il y avait également une armurerie, des laboratoires et une bibliothèque quelque part, cachés dans ce dédale de tunnels menant à la grotte qui, elle, faisait office de hall d'accueil principal.

Mais ce qui m’étonna le plus, ce fut les enfants. J'imaginais jusqu’alors la Citadelle comme un immense champ de bataille, et je trouvais pourtant là des enfants, des vieillards, tout un tas d’homins que je ne m’attendais pas à trouver ici.

Finalement, je compris que cette grotte faisait office de lieux de repos mais aussi de zones de recherche et de points de repli en cas d’attaques massives, comme cela arrivait parfois. Ces rares espaces étaient en réalité les seules zones stationnaires de la Citadelle. Les points névralgiques de cette cité mobile, reconfigurée au grès des défaites et des victoires. Pourtant, rien ne certifiait que les kitins ne réussissent pas à prendre ces endroits, comme cela était déjà arrivé quelques fois. Ainsi, tout était pensé pour pouvoir être déplacé facilement, en témoigneait la forme du mobilier et les nombreux mektoubs équipés comme s'ils étaient sur le départ.

La soirée fut enrichissante, notamment sur le plan culturel. C'est en les voyant rire avec leurs proches, parler de leur dernière journée, s'aider dans les taches quotidiennes, jouer de la musique et danser que je compris définitivement que ces Maraudeurs ne correspondaient pas à l'idée que nous nous en faisons. Leur capacité à se créer des moments de vies, alors qu'a quelques dizaines de kilomètres à l'Est, un essaim gigantesque de kitins menaçaient de fondre sur la Route d'Oflovak, générait en moi des émotions confuses. Du respect, mais aussi un étrange sentiment de fierté. En observant ces Maraudeurs, je me rappelais que les premiers d'entre eux furent des Fyros. Des Fyros qui décidèrent de ne pas fuir face aux kitins, de se battre pour conserver leurs terres, et qui menaient encore aujourd'hui ce combat. J'en arrivais même à éprouver une certaine colère contre l'Empire de l'époque de Cerakos II, ayant abandonné son peuple pour fuir les kitins.

À ma grande surprise, ce soir là, nombreux d'entre eux partagèrent des moments avec moi. Leur convivialité m'étonna. Certes, ils me considéraient comme un étranger, et me firent gentillement comprendre qu'il ne fallait pas insister lorsque je les questionnai sur les liens qui les unissaient aux Puissances et leur demandai si je pouvais consulter la bibliothèque... Pour le reste, ils semblaient heureux de partager cette soirée avec quelqu'un venu d'aussi loin, et me posèrent un certain nombre de questions. Surtout que cette fois-ci, l'étranger n'était pas un Ranger ! J'étais un étranger parmi les étrangers. Je crois aussi qu'ils respectaient beaucoup que j'ai entrepris un voyage aussi dangereux pour mener à bien mes recherches. Comme dans la société fyrosse, le Courage, l'Honneur et la Vérité étaient des concepts forts de la société maraudeur.

Pourtant, plusieurs centaines de kilomètres à l'ouest, Akilia menait une guerre sale contre les nations des Nouvelles Terres, n'hésitant pas à recruter des criminels et à commettre des actes terroristes. Pourquoi tant de différences ? J'osais poser la question à l'un de mes hôtes qui me commanda expressément, à voix basse, de changer de sujet. Un Fyros qui passait près de notre groupe à ce moment là entendit toutefois ma question et se lança dans un monologue vindicatif pour justifier la politique menée par Akilia. Puis, levant la tête vers une passerelle au dessus de lui, il tourna les talons et partit en maugréant. Je levais alors la tête et vit que des gardes s'étaient arrêtés pour nous surveiller. Ainsi, de ce que je pus en voir, à la Citadelle se côtoyaient des pro et des anti Akilia. Probablement même que beaucoup ne prenaient pas partie, à l'image de mes hôtes qui s'empressèrent de changer de sujet, visiblement mal à l'aise.

Un Tryker me dit plus tard, sous le ton de la confidence, que si les pro Akilia étaient présents en minorité à la Citadelle, et mal vus par beaucoup - car soupçonnés de fomenter des complots - ils étaient néanmoins admis en ces lieux. Premièrement, car nombre d'entre eux étaient membres des clans les plus anciens, de l'époque de Melkiar, et faisaient partie des Maraudeurs les plus puissants et craints. Deuxièmement, car les conflits entre les différents clans étaient depuis toujours monnaie courante, et qu'il était implicitement admis qu'aucune dissension ne doive jamais mettre en danger la société maraudeure. Troisièmement, car la Citadelle était le foyer de tous les Maraudeurs, et qu'en être définitivement bannis représentait la peine la plus lourde qui soit... Le Tryker rajouta cependant que le plus important, et ce sur quoi tous se rejoignaient, était le combat pour la survie et contre les kitins. Imaginer que la société maraudeure doive sa cohésion, et donc son existence, à la présence d'un essaim monstrueux aux portes de la Citadelle, me parut tristement ironique...

Finalement, je terminai ma soirée en racontant à des enfants l'Histoire du Culte du Grand Dragon. Ce fut un vrai bonheur que de voir leurs yeux à la fois émerveillés et terrifiés devant les aventures de Liriope. Je ne pensais pas trouver des enfants ici, si près du danger. Je les imaginais tous à Sentinelle, mais c’était une erreur. La Citadelle était le cœur des maraudeurs, là où battait la vie. Et en voyant ces enfants de maraudeurs, je pensai au mien...

Uzykos…

Il lâche son épine d'arma et pose son journal, soudain soucieux.

Ainsi il a un fils. Un fyros. Un roux. Un vrai. Et il est là, à des milliers de kilomètres de lui. Il ne peut pas en vouloir à Eeri de lui avoir caché cette fois-ci. Qu’aurait-il fait s’il l’avait su avant de partir ? Il n’aurait pu se résoudre à l’abandonner, et pourtant… Pourtant… Au moins, l’absence d’information s’était révélée bien pratique. Eeri avait raison sur ce point. Toutes les Vérités ne sont pas bonnes à dire. Du moins à l’instant T aurait-elle pu ajouter.

Il a bien sûr des scrupules à l’avoir laissée aux mains des maraudeurs. Mais que pouvait-il faire ? Elle leur avait menti, elle n’avait pas joué franc jeu. Il ne pouvait rien y faire. Et ce n'était pas faute de l'avoir prévenue.

Son esprit s’évade vers l’horizon. D’où il est, il ne peut percevoir le désert de ses ancêtres. Il lui reste encore de nombreuses falaises à franchir avant de se retrouver tout en haut de la dorsale et espérer voir ce qu'il y a au delà. Mais déjà, il commence à sentir quelque chose. Comme une sorte d’appel lancinant, des voix de fyros s’envolant dans le vent… des voix de plus en plus réelles. Qui l’appelle, lui, Azazor!

Se retournant, il voit Eeri au niveau du pont d’izam, suivie derrière par trois maraudeurs visiblement à sa poursuite.

- Aza, passe moi ta hache !
- Ma hache ? Pourq...

Son regard se pose sur sa hache, sa fidèle « Courtoisie », seule arme avec sa hachette « Politesse » qu’il a emmené dans ce voyage insensé. Dans un état second, il prend la grosse hache à deux mains et s’approche du pont d’izam alors qu’Eeri est encore à mi-chemin. L’un des gardes commence à poser un pied sur le pont tandis que les autres hurlent à Eeri de s’arrêter si elle veut vivre. Azazor lève sa hache au dessus de lui, prêt à frapper sitôt qu’Eeri sera à sa portée. Il est si près du but qu’il est hors de question qu’elle gâche tout. Eeri lui lance un regard épouvanté mais continue de se mouvoir sur le pont, se balançant en même temps pour faire tomber le garde qui s’accroche et n’en gueule que de plus belle à la fyros. Arrivée à l’autre bout du pont, elle se jette dans une roulade derrière Azazor. Celui-ci écrase alors sa hache... sur les cordes du pont qui se casse, faisant tomber le garde encore accroché devant les yeux exorbités des deux autres qui attendaient de l’autre côté. Ceux-ci leurs lancent un flot d’insultes en marund que les deux aventuriers ne prennent pas le temps de traduire. Azazor ramasse à la va-vite ses affaires avant de partir en marche rapide vers la suite de l’itinéraire tandis qu'Eeri se relève incrédule et suit le fyros sans broncher.


Après une heure de marche sans dire un mot, c’est Eeri qui se décide à briser le silence.

- akep ! J’ai bien cru que t’allais…
- J’allais le faire. Ne t’avise jamais de croire le contraire.
- Mais tu l’as pas fait.
- dey
- Et t'as coupé les cordes du pont! Pourquoi ?
- J’ai encore besoin de toi, dit-il en grognant.

Il jette alors un de ses deux sacs au sol. Eeri ramasse le sac en souriant. Le grognement d’Azazor est bon signe. Elle a appris à le connaître depuis tout ce temps. C’est quand il ne grogne pas qu’il faut s’inquiéter. Il leur faudra encore quelques jours pour finir leur ascension et parvenir sur le plateau de la dorsale. De là, il partiront à l'est pour rejoindre la bordure et la suivre.

Last edited by Azazor (2 years ago)

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fyros pure sève
akash i orak, talen i rechten!
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#54 Multilingual 

Multilingual | [English] | Français
               
Eeri's logbook

Azazor gave me back my logbook. And saved me.
This isn't the first time I've written this, but I had given up hope of writing here again. And once again, we made it through. You have to believe that something is watching over my old skin. A Power? Or just plain luck. Just like when you spin the wheel of good old Brotherhood of the always more Fortunate Gubani.

So the Marauders gave him back my writings. That is to say that they trusted him. Not like they did with me. And because of me, we find ourselves like fugitives, on top of this mountain.

He no doubt read.

But I'm going to rewrite from the beginning, from when we arrived at Sentinel.
We were stopped by the Marauders, numerous and heavily armed. Separated, deprived of our belongings. It seems to me that they treated Azazor better than me very quickly... And they asked me stupid questions. What clan I belong to. Then I realized that my crystal was a problem. What I am doing here. I thought I could play the smartest with them. But I was not able to get any information about the Horizon Surveyors clan. As a result, they transferred me to The Citadel, tied up, with the convoy that was taking Azazor away. As for him untied and free. When I got over there, they hung me up by my feet in a broom closet. If I'd had an axe at hand, I'd have made you a Marauder's mash... upside down, I don't know how long. A few hours, a few days? They finally took me away to be questioned by several Marauders. Probably high-ranking, maybe even the homina who runs the Citadel, the Regent, as they call her. But I wondered why they were so interested in my case. It seems that the Marauders are spying on each other, and the clans are stabbing each other in the back to gain some power, to make their opinions known. Maybe they thought I was one of those spies. There, with them, I played it straight, and told the whole truth. I will never know if it worked, if they would have released me or killed me. From what I understood later, I would probably have been left in a cell until I starved to death, the Marauders having other kitins to worry about.

And it actually happened what I didn't expect, but then not at all...
I thought maybe Azazor, having arranged things for me, would show up with guards to free me before I set off again. Chained as I was, I saw no other possible way out. But it was Arid who arrived. A helmeted homin, alone. I understood later that he had not acted alone, but I have not had no contact with anyone else. He knocked out a guard, opened the door, freed me. I could have fallen in love, if he was not a Matis, and not so young. But I was not at the end of my surprises. He told me he knew my name, my taste for shookie—he even offered me one. I didn't even have the presence of mind to ask where it came from, but I understood that it was something rather rare in The Citadel. It's quite conceivable that this skill has come back from the New Lands, and that they produce some of it, somewhere in a camp in the Scaterred Desert.

Arid, Rapid Arma, Marauder and Seeker of Elias, exiled in the Old Lands for some twenty Jena years. He showed me his face, something Trytonists normally don't do back in New Lands. He didn't tell me his real name, and I wouldn't have asked anyway. So he knew me when I was a young legionnary who had doubts and had just turned his back on the Kamis. He especially knew Lopyrèch... Icus, my mentor, my friend. The one who made me a seeker of truth, the one who made me open my eyes to so many mysteries, to all that the Powers hide from us... The only other Fyros, with Azazor, to whom I gave myself up... Once, thanks to alcohol. One more thing I didn't tell to almost anyone, here... And ramèch, this is the result. A Fyrossa who abandons her kids and lies like she breathes. Lopy... If you were still alive, you'd slap me a lot worse than Azazor wants to slap me every day. And you'd be right. Or you would just tell me to hide the truth more intelligently... I realize that if it was useful in the New Lands, where the Powers are hunting us down, where we make such a fuss about the insipid power games between nations, it is something totally stupid and useless here, in the absence of the Powers and the political powers. But when I think about what I can answer to a question, only the most improbable and untruthful option comes out of my mouth... I have to change that.

So I owe my freedom to this Matis. He even took the time to get my belongings, and to provide me with another blue Marauder armor. The one I had on when I arrived would have attracted too much attention. He gave me a pike and a shield, in addition to my hatchet and my amplifiers that he had been able to recover. A pike! The only weapon effective against some kitins. I'd broken the last one in I don't know what fight. Food, enough to last a few days. He didn't ask for anything in exchange, I couldn't have offered him much. Except to keep alive the belief of a freed hominity. We left in the early morning from the cache where he had brought me and resumed this game of hide-and-seek with kitins' and Marauders' patrols. I didn't expect this from The Citadel. It's not a city, it's a battlefield, where a constant war with the kitins is going on. The Marauders here are almost like the Rangers back home, minus the "I love everybody" aspect. Here, it's sink or swim, it's the door that holds the next swarming of hell behind the mountains. Well, I shouldn't exaggerate either. He also told me that The Citadel is full of places to live: inns, schools, training facilities, armories... They live here, but everything has been designed over time to be moved around easily and to stay safe from the Kitins. I wasn't offered a tour, I replied, laughing.

Before leaving, he also told me about his journey to get here. About the same as we did, but with a larger group with quite disparate origins. This did not prevent him from seeing several of his companions fall, especially during the crossing of the Sea of Wood. When he arrived, the former Subject of the Kingdom that he was had to serve several years at the Cloudy Cliff Outpost before he could be considered trustworthy and allowed to join their ranks. After that, he was finally able to join The Citadel. Some of his companions are still here, some, especially the older ones at the time, remained on the island of Oflovak.

I also learned something very interesting. I had understood that Marauders use Karavan items, looted from abandoned cruisers for example, to power their own technology. How, that remains to be seen, but the contact I had with them is not going to help me find out more. On the other hand, what I didn't know is that the Karavan is still present in the area, in some way. Not much on the ground, but mostly in the sky. Arid explained to me that sometimes Karavan ships attack the kitins. They call it a "strike" here. Powerful spells, sent from their ships, presumably above the Canopy. Probably when the kitins are too concentrated in one place, sometimes right outside the gates of The Citadel. Or, more often, directed against certain specimens in particular, those famous flaming ones we had heard about.

No Kami in the area, on the other hand, Arid told me. At least, not that he knows of. It is said that in the time of Melkiar, some clan leaders had contact with them, but it has become almost a legend nowadays. Not this surprises me, in fact it confirms a lot of old theories. But that the Karavan, along with the Marauders, is still trying to contain the kitins is astonishing information. He told me that Karavan agents are sometimes seen at The Citadel, during important meetings, usually reserved for clan leaders. No one knows, except for these clan leaders, whether these ambassadors remain permanently at The Citadel. He also let me know, without wanting to say more, that the technology of the Marauders was partly linked to that of the Karavan.

So I asked... If the Karavan wasn't here, would the Marauders be able to hold the kitins back? Do they really work together? It seemed to me that his vision of the Karavan was no longer the one we Seekers of Elias might have in the New Lands. But Arid couldn't really tell me much more than that, as we were already late for be present at Azazor's departure.

Then something probably went wrong. His plan was to follow Azazor's convoy, and give him a few hours head start. As Arid had planned, the guards who had accompanied Azazor to that steep path had stayed there for a while after the Fyros had left, and when he was no longer in sight, they scattered into the crevices of the canyon. After a few seconds, from the watching point where Arid and I were positioned, it was impossible to detect the presence of a single homin. The Matis seemed tense. We waited again, and then he showed me the way, telling me that he was going to follow me at a distance. Being careful not to let anyone see me. "If anything goes wrong for me, hide, and let me handle it. We'll only get through this if I'm not seen with you. If you're spotted...run. I'll see what I can do." I asked him to leave from now, to teleport if he could. He had taken enough risks. He nodded without really saying what he was going to do. I hope he didn't get in trouble. Then after thanking him one last time, I headed off in the direction he had pointed me.

After a few minutes, just as I was about to cross a relatively uncovered area, a hubbub began to be heard, similar to the one caused by the swarm of kitins I had crossed a few days earlier. I hid as best I could in a crevice of sawdust, and waited a good while, trying not to panic, for the commotion to pass. It lasted, and I got lost in my thoughts... What if my release compromised the safety of the Trytonists of The Citadel? What if, because of me, attention was focused on them, to the point that they were incriminated? When I came out of my thoughts, the noise had stopped.

As I emerged from my hiding place, despite my cautions, I came face to face with a Marauder, alone, and armed with a spear. My clan, what am I doing here? I didn't lie, and told him I was hiding from the kitins, picking up my spear and pretending to put it back on my back. With a quick movement, I stuck it under his helmet, right into his neck. A sharp, fatal blow, for a homin who wasn't expecting it. "With Akilia's regards." I said while striking, without really thinking. His body dematerialized. Toub de toub... At the time, I had found nothing better to divert their attention. If they think that I am a spy of the Ashes Clan, they will perhaps forget about the Trytonists.

It took me several hours of climbing before I could see Azazor from a distance. The damn guy is doing pretty well, I must say. He's in much better shape than at the beginning of our trip. I stayed at a distance, so he wouldn't see me. Not yet. I had to give him a day or two head start. Luckily, he seemed not to look back. When he set up camp for the night, I tried to sleep on the sawdust in a crevice of the cliff, thinking about how to get in front of him.. What could I say to him... To play it down, now that The Citadel was behind us, I thought... "Aza! 'ren pyr, how's the climbing going? Hey, it's invigorating here. Shall we throw down knocks to each other now or save that for later?"

I guess I always succeed in my arrivals. The next day, he took a break after his hazardous crossing on a rope bridge. I waited on the other side until he wanted to resume his walking, again to give him a head start. It was then that I realized, by chance because I was trying to hide from him, that some Marauders, below, were climbing up pursuing me. They had seen me, and were hoping to get to me noiselessly. I had no chance to hide from neither one nor the others. Fighting was not a good idea, so I dashed across the bridge with my stuff on my back. Azazor was surprised, I thought he was going to send me into the chasm. But he waited for me to cross, then gave a great blow with his axe on the bridge ropes to cut it.

He no doubt read.

Last edited by Eeri (2 years ago) | Reason: English Translation by Nilstilar

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Eeri
"Quand on a le nez trop près de la bouteille, on ne voit plus le bar"

#55 Multilingual 

Multilingual | [English] | Français
               
The two adventurers have finally reached the very top of the ridge. As they make their way to the edge of the plateau to the east, Eeri sighs. It bothers her to bring up the matter again, but it's time to clear the air.

"Well, you can confess it to me now, you read my logbook?"

Azazor grunts but finally answers "Yes" in his beard. He hasn't trimmed it since their arrest by the Marauders, giving him the look of a bit enlightened hermit.

"So you know about… Uzykos?"

Eeri takes care to weigh his words, expecting at any moment a fit of anger as the fat Fyros is used to. However, his answer is particularly controlled, which is worrying.

"ney, I know."
"Does this have anything to do with the fact that you cut those damn ropes on the izam bridge?"

The Fyros does not answer, continuing his walk towards the east. Eeri prefers not to insist. She already knows one thing, he has read her notes. And it's not so bad after all.

An hour later, Azazor stops. Eeri thinks that he will finally tell her more. Instead of that, he resumes his walk, but slowly, and ends up freezing after about twenty meters. Eeri rejoins him cautiously, not knowing too much what to expect. The vision which is offered to her is quite simply monstrous. From where they are, they can finally see the ground below. A red and teeming ground. A few more hundred meters, and they are at the edge of the cliff. At the bottom, the soil can hardly be distinguished. It is literally covered with kitins. Some areas are denser with kitins than others, but wherever they look, everything is just a creeping invasion.

Azazor turns his gaze to the Fyrossa. Fear can be read all over his face. Fear but also… excitement. For what they see below is also the land of their ancestors. They have finally arrived. They see for the first time what few homins of the New Lands have ever seen: the ancient land of the Fyros.

They sit there for a good hour, their legs dangling in the void, gazing at the landscape that reminds them of the Imperial Dunes, with a tide of red kitins added. When Azazor finally speaks up.

"Eeri? "

She looks up from the swarming tide of kitins.

"Well, what?"
"Yes, I helped you with the Marauds' who were chasing you because of Uzykos. I don't want him to grow up like me without knowing his mother."

He points a threatening finger at Eeri.

"So you damn well better survive."

The homina smiles and nods.

"Anyway, I warn you, if you don't survive, I'll kill you!"

At these words, he bursts out laughing, followed immediately by Eeri. Down below, the kitins continue to teem, occupying the lands that were once those of the Fyros.

Last edited by Azazor (2 years ago)

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fyros pure sève
akash i orak, talen i rechten!
élucubrations
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#56 Multilingual 

Multilingual | [English] | Français
Eeri sprang up from behind a large piece of bark and threw her pique, which hit its target in the chest. Without waiting, she dashed forward, pulled a dagger from her belt, grabbed the spike with her left hand and swung its handle upward to knock the animal to the ground. She finished off the capryni with a blow from her dagger, wincing a little. Then, grabbing it by its hind legs, she dragged it a hundred meters, towards Azazor.

"Azazor, set up a fire! We're going to gorge ourselves on nosh !"

The Fyros complied at once, with the few wood he could find. He was hungry, it had been quite two days since they had last seen the trace of an animal.
As soon as the fire started to burn, he put his breastplate on it to cook the slices of meat that Eeri was carving. After that, she hung thin meat slices cut from the fatty parts on her pike, and positioned the weapon horizontally near the fire. A rather quick way to dry the meat to be able to keep it for a few days, she hoped. The task would have been easier in natural light, but the area was cool, in the shade of the canopy, and evening was coming.

The two chewed in silence, enjoying the meal. As soon as Eeri finished, she stood up.

"We don't have enough wood to finish drying the meat. I'll go back and try to drill some."

Without waiting, she grabbed her hatchet, the pickaxe Azazor luckily still had, and walked away.

The Fyros sat chewing on the rest of his meal. He watched the canopy above him with a dreamy eye. The vegetation that covered some parts and not others, the way some roots seemed to rest literally on others, as if by their complex entanglements, they helped each other not to collapse. Then his gaze followed the interlacing up to the horizon, hoping to see the places where the bark and the canopy met. At a glance, estimating the size of the various canopies was difficult, even from where he was sitting. He moved a little closer to the fire. If they had suffered from the heat during their ascent and then enjoyed the cool nights, the area they had just passed through was permanently shaded by this large canopy. They were expecting a freezing night.

Going through the top of the ridge was certainly the best way to get to Coriolis. However, they could only carry a small amount of food, as their mektoubs had remained at The Citadel. The altitude and steep path, or rather, the lack of a path and the crevasses, made the likelihood of encountering kitins almost nil. At most, they saw one or two kipestas on the hillside below. But they soon realized that they were also encountering few game. The capryni that Eeri had just hunted was an unexpected miracle. Since their departure, they had only caught one or two rather skinny and dehydrated Yubos.

When Eeri returned with more wood, she began to feed the fire with it and then brought the meat to dry a little closer. Crouching there, near the fire, she looked at Azazor, and smiled. For the first time in days, he seemed rested and relaxed.

"I have to tell you how I got through it."

Azazor, turning his eyes from the canopy to the fire, replied:

"The question I have is how we're going to get back. Going back through The Citadel is out of the question, and I don't think they're going to rebuild that rope bridge any time soon. All the more so since I won't be there well received either..."

Eeri continued, ignoring the words Azazor just grumbled:

"That's thanks to a friend of Lopyrèch. He has known me when I was young.

Azazor shuddered at the name, his jaw slowly stopped chewing and his eyes opened wide. He remained silent for a few seconds, as if to convince himself that he had heard correctly.

"He set you free?"
"ney. He took a lot of risks for that. He's the one who gave me this blue armor, mine was too flashy."
"That didn't stop them from spotting you and chasing you."

Eeri recounted her captivity and escape, only skimming over the subject of her liberator's Trytonist beliefs.

"Are you sure that's all?"

The girl looked at the fire, hesitated for a moment, then continued:

"I wasn't done. I had to kill a Marauder, before I could climb. It was either him or me... He dematerialized and probably raised the alarm. I guess they think I'm a spy from another Marauders clan. They probably think you are too, now."
"I don't think so, but it will make it harder to get back."
"We'll get through it. We always find a way."

Eeri went back to tending to the meat that was drying here, while Azazor softly resumed his grumblings:

"By the way... Do you still have your crystal?"

Edited 2 times | Last edited by Eeri (2 years ago) | Reason: Traduction en Anglais par Nilstilar / English Translation by Nilstilar

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Eeri
"Quand on a le nez trop près de la bouteille, on ne voit plus le bar"
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