In the evening as the tide was going out C'kayah met Osric on the beach. He walked steadily onto a wooden ramp that led to a little platform where the Hyur waited, wearing his full set of Immortal Flames armor. Osric stood up and walked to meet him, but C'kayah stopped thirty feet away.
"That's far enough, Flame", he called out. The wind plucked at his loose shirt, the red fabric flapping. He wore a sword, sturdy and workmanlike, on his hip.
"What's your plan, Osric?" he said. The Hyur's visor masked his expression, but his consternation was clear in his voice.
"You were supposed to do that"
"I had one", C'kayah replied. "Things changed. I needed my tribe, Osric, but I don't have one anymore. Because of you, I'm being hunted by Lolorito's assassins and you."
"Not my problem!" the Hyur called out. He drew a knife, shifting it in his hands. "So what then? Do you want to die?"
"Not really", C'kayah said, drawing his own sword. "If I did, I wouldn't have poisoned my blade. Come on!"
"You think I'm stupid?"
C'kayah watched him flatly, holding the sword in sixte the way he'd been taught. He advanced towards Osric.
"They're watching", Osric hissed as he came close. "They'll kill everyone I loved. It was them or you."
C'kayah shrugged then, sliding the sword into its scabbard. "Then do it", he said. Osric took a step back. There were Flames who upheld the law, C'kayah knew, and there were Flames who were in it for the violence. Osric, it appeared, was the former. He advanced again, hands held to the side and Osric leapt from the platform into the water. C'kayah turned with a snort.
"You're not going to do a damn thing", the Miqo'te said with a sneer. "It's easy enough to say you'll kill someone. It's something else when they're standing in front of you. You disgust me."
He walked back down off the platform. Behind him he could hear splashing as Osric hurried after him.Â
"Stop!" the Hyur hissed. C'kayah kept walking.
"You'll have to stab me in the back", he said. "I'm an easy mark. Look."
"I said stop!"
C'kayah walked on. As he reached the sand, he felt an arm go around his neck, saw the blade. He struck back with his elbow and felt his blow connect with the Hyur's belly. He spun around and the two faced each other. Osric threw the knife. C'kayah almost managed to sidestep it, the spinning blade gashing his arm. Osric dropped his shoulder and charged him.
C'kayah drew his sword and pivoted out of the way, striking at the Hyur as he ran past. The blade cut into Osric's back, slicing through the leather into flesh. The Hyur screamed.
"Burns, doesn't it?" C'kayah purred. "It'll hurt more, before the end. You kill me now, you don't get the antidote."
"I don't care!" Osric howled, closing in again. He ducked another sword thrust, then threw the Miqo'te. C'kayah rolled in the sand and was up on his feet before Osric could close the distance. The Hyur panted.
"You can feel it, can't you?" C'kayah said. He grinned cruelly at the man, who looked at him with a puzzled expression. C'kayah winked at him, then nodded almost imperceptibly towards the ground. Osric understood - the sword carried no poison, it was an act. He took a step, then stumbled, shaking his head dizzily. C'kayah approached, his sword held cautiously before him.
"I'll make it quick", C'kayah said. Osric snarled in response, hurling a handful of sand into the Miqo'te's face. C'kayah wiped at his eyes, blinded, and felt a knife stab into his leg. He kicked out blindly, connecting with Osric. The two went down in a tangle.
C'kayah seized his sword and half-crawled to the water, splashing himself to clear his eyes. He rose as he heard Osric splash into the water behind him. He rose and turned, grinning ferally at the man.
"Hilt first into my chest", he hissed, then raised his sword for an overhead swing, wildly telegraphed. "Don't forget to report this in Ul'dah…"
Osric advanced, bringing the knife around as C'kayah struck. His hand and the hilt of the sword struck the man's head just as the hilt of the knife slammed into the bag of pig's blood he wore under his shirt. Blood sprayed and both men fell. C'kayah floated on his back, his eyes unfocused, as the receding tide began to carry him out. Osric panted on his hands and knees, waiting for his vision to return after the hit. By the time he regained his feet, the Miqo'te's body had washed out beyond the platform. By the time he'd receded out of sight, a newcomer had joined Osric on the beach.
C'kayah grinned to himself as he dragged himself out of the water. His arm and leg had stopped bleeding, and he would need conjury. Still, he was dead, and that should get Lolorito off of his back for a least a little time.
"That's far enough, Flame", he called out. The wind plucked at his loose shirt, the red fabric flapping. He wore a sword, sturdy and workmanlike, on his hip.
"What's your plan, Osric?" he said. The Hyur's visor masked his expression, but his consternation was clear in his voice.
"You were supposed to do that"
"I had one", C'kayah replied. "Things changed. I needed my tribe, Osric, but I don't have one anymore. Because of you, I'm being hunted by Lolorito's assassins and you."
"Not my problem!" the Hyur called out. He drew a knife, shifting it in his hands. "So what then? Do you want to die?"
"Not really", C'kayah said, drawing his own sword. "If I did, I wouldn't have poisoned my blade. Come on!"
"You think I'm stupid?"
C'kayah watched him flatly, holding the sword in sixte the way he'd been taught. He advanced towards Osric.
"They're watching", Osric hissed as he came close. "They'll kill everyone I loved. It was them or you."
C'kayah shrugged then, sliding the sword into its scabbard. "Then do it", he said. Osric took a step back. There were Flames who upheld the law, C'kayah knew, and there were Flames who were in it for the violence. Osric, it appeared, was the former. He advanced again, hands held to the side and Osric leapt from the platform into the water. C'kayah turned with a snort.
"You're not going to do a damn thing", the Miqo'te said with a sneer. "It's easy enough to say you'll kill someone. It's something else when they're standing in front of you. You disgust me."
He walked back down off the platform. Behind him he could hear splashing as Osric hurried after him.Â
"Stop!" the Hyur hissed. C'kayah kept walking.
"You'll have to stab me in the back", he said. "I'm an easy mark. Look."
"I said stop!"
C'kayah walked on. As he reached the sand, he felt an arm go around his neck, saw the blade. He struck back with his elbow and felt his blow connect with the Hyur's belly. He spun around and the two faced each other. Osric threw the knife. C'kayah almost managed to sidestep it, the spinning blade gashing his arm. Osric dropped his shoulder and charged him.
C'kayah drew his sword and pivoted out of the way, striking at the Hyur as he ran past. The blade cut into Osric's back, slicing through the leather into flesh. The Hyur screamed.
"Burns, doesn't it?" C'kayah purred. "It'll hurt more, before the end. You kill me now, you don't get the antidote."
"I don't care!" Osric howled, closing in again. He ducked another sword thrust, then threw the Miqo'te. C'kayah rolled in the sand and was up on his feet before Osric could close the distance. The Hyur panted.
"You can feel it, can't you?" C'kayah said. He grinned cruelly at the man, who looked at him with a puzzled expression. C'kayah winked at him, then nodded almost imperceptibly towards the ground. Osric understood - the sword carried no poison, it was an act. He took a step, then stumbled, shaking his head dizzily. C'kayah approached, his sword held cautiously before him.
"I'll make it quick", C'kayah said. Osric snarled in response, hurling a handful of sand into the Miqo'te's face. C'kayah wiped at his eyes, blinded, and felt a knife stab into his leg. He kicked out blindly, connecting with Osric. The two went down in a tangle.
C'kayah seized his sword and half-crawled to the water, splashing himself to clear his eyes. He rose as he heard Osric splash into the water behind him. He rose and turned, grinning ferally at the man.
"Hilt first into my chest", he hissed, then raised his sword for an overhead swing, wildly telegraphed. "Don't forget to report this in Ul'dah…"
Osric advanced, bringing the knife around as C'kayah struck. His hand and the hilt of the sword struck the man's head just as the hilt of the knife slammed into the bag of pig's blood he wore under his shirt. Blood sprayed and both men fell. C'kayah floated on his back, his eyes unfocused, as the receding tide began to carry him out. Osric panted on his hands and knees, waiting for his vision to return after the hit. By the time he regained his feet, the Miqo'te's body had washed out beyond the platform. By the time he'd receded out of sight, a newcomer had joined Osric on the beach.
C'kayah grinned to himself as he dragged himself out of the water. His arm and leg had stopped bleeding, and he would need conjury. Still, he was dead, and that should get Lolorito off of his back for a least a little time.
