
((The following events take place parallel to current ongoing RP, specifically the Fate-driven RP Scales in the Sand, not long after a dragon was turned back into a lalafell in the desert. Attached is the word file version, which has better formatting; right here, it's just copy-pasted in.
Enjoy!
Warning: slightly black humor may follow. At least, I was amused.))
~ Sometime, more or less now or recently enough ~
The village – if you could call it one, at a mere fifty souls – of Rock Falls was the symbol of one man’s ambition. Some few turns ago, Fafaraju Gegeraju decided to found a trading post on free lands in the south-and-east-most corner of the Sagolii desert, abutting on the sea. It was his hope, his prediction, that with the flourishing of the Eorzean Alliance and the opening of borders, Gridania farther to the north would come to see the need for a viable ocean route to engage in trade with the rest of the world. That doing so would allow them to bypass Ul’dahn taxes entirely to open trade directly with Limsa Lominsa, if desired, or simply be able to carry precious wares over the waves to any other friendly port. The Horizon of the eastern seabord, he saw Rock Falls becoming.
Oh, there were delays. The Calamity. The war with Garlemald. Leviathan. Even on land; Amal’jaa… zombies… a truly inexplicable mass-migration of coblyns… But Mister Gegeraju was determined, proud, and willing to throw truly prodigious amounts of gil at the problems. Mercenaries were hired, shipwrights imported… and it seemed, at last, his dreams might come true. The war was petering down, the Primals vanquished (repeatedly) and word from Gridania was more open than ever. Any time now, it would all come together. His distant cousin whose spectacular success in what was now Costa Del Sol had proved it could be done. Soon, his too would be a household name! Soon, he too would luxuriate in prosperity, with rich dishes, exotic music, and lovely miqo’te dancing girls to fan him…
~
“It. Is so. Hot! Ugh!â€
The miqo’te girl fanned herself, with a hat much too small for her head (it was a very fancy hat all the same). Sweat glistened alluringly upon her exposed curves and athletic musculature… though with all the blood it was unlikely anyone was about to ask her to dance for them. Especially not Mister Gegeraju, whose head had born it before finding itself in such a state as to no longer require hats.
“Daytime in the desert is hot, sister.â€
The other girl, who could have been her twin sister (and was), wore rather more clothes and less expression (and also a long braid in her snowy, blue-highlighted hair, rather than small dreadlocks), the bright yellow eyes she shared with her sibling alert as she swept the area for survivors.
It was not an arduous task; the building whose rubble they perched upon provided a good view of the rubble of the rest of the former village. Carrion birds were all that moved, now.
“I know it is hot. The desert is stupid. And you are stupid for wearing so much clothing, Vurr. I wish it was night. Scars!†She kicked a piece of timber, sending it crashing and tumbling, dislodging more rocks and sending the birds aloft in noisome protest. Vurr sighed, and straightened, glaring at her sister.
“Slice your tongue, Kirra. Do you think the Nunh would love hearing you mewl like a broken-tail?â€
“X’zarann is not even here,†she grumped, but lowered her tone all the same, looking around and reflexively adjusting her hair. An alluring sight, if you were into spear-wielding half-naked barbarian girls caked in the blood of innocents. They resumed their patrol, padding noiselessly amidst the ruination. “Where is he, anyway! Do you think he saw me kill those little ones?â€
X’vurr poked a limb sticking out from under a boulder with her own spear. Boulders were common around the village; it took its name from the nearby cliff looming not far beyond, though nobody had been accidentally killed by a falling rock in some time. The record remained unbroken, since this was a thrown rock, not a fallen one.
“I believe X’ogun called them lalafell.â€
“Is that what those tall ones call their kittens?â€
“Tall ones?â€
“Yes. With the stupid ears popping out of the sides of their heads. And the stupid long necks. Who lived in the Cursed Lands, with all the trees.â€
“Oh. No. Wait. I don’t know?†X’vurr frowned.
“Well they fought like kittens. Weak and slow! Maybe all the hunters were away. Left the kittens with the big-big ones.â€
“Roegadyn.â€
“Outsiders have stupid names. Rogadodos were more fun though. I hope we find more… killing kittens is bo-o-ring.â€
She kicked a head. Being bereft of a body, it rolled freely for a dozen yalms or so before abruptly coming to a stop under the foot of another miqo’te. Tall, powerfully-built, with two spears holstered in an X upon his back, he could have been the twins’ father (and wasn’t, though only just). His azure-marked ivory hair was pulled back in a tight tail which lent severity to an already-severe face, and the tightly-cropped beard just emphasized a general sense of experience and authority. Silver eyes made it creepy.
He crossed his arms – an impressive gesture, corded as they were – and narrowed his eyes at the pair. “You. Are loud.â€
Kirra yelped, hopping back a step before straightening and raising her chin defiantly.
“Everyone’s dead, uncle X’ogun! All the stupid kittens-“
“Lalafell,†interjected her sister,
“-are bloody splattery bits, and even the big stupid rogadodos-“
“Roegadyn,†corrected the male,
“Stop that! Ugh!†X’kirra hissed at the two and abruptly sat down, ignoring them completely while she cleaned her spear. It still had things stuck to it. The male regarded her a moment longer, before turning his gaze to her sister.
“X’vurr.â€
“Uncle?â€
“Any survivors?â€
“No. Uncle X’ogun, were these the warriors?â€
“Hrm.†He idly scratched his scar, artfully tracking over his left eye. An old shame, yet none dared mention it. “Yes… and no.†He snorted, and spat to the side. “Most outsiders know less of battle than do our kittens. Though… some very few are strong. Strong enough to be considered enemies, and not simply… meat.†The girls looked skeptical; X’kirra even snickered. She had not even taken a cut, let alone a scar. X’ogun merely smirked and shook his head.
“Hah. Find out yourselves then. And remember; though they are slow, and weak, and frail, with poor instincts, and dull ears and noses… though they are easily surprised and slaughtered like dodo chicks… though they are well and truly pathetic, easily slain even by our kittens…†He trailed off, frowning.
“…â€
“Uncle?â€
“No, I was going somewhere with that. Hold on.â€
“…â€
“…â€
He paced, muttering to himself, and the girls edged away. In hushed tones, X’kirra whispered to her sister, “Soooo… do you know where X’zarann is?â€
“Ah… dealing with prisoners, I believe.â€
“What! Without me? I mean us? Why?â€
“The Nunh-“ Both girls jumped, as X’ogun spoke from right next to them, standing arms crossed and looking dramatically off into the distance, “is more than capable of handling himself.â€
He looked at them with all the sternness and paternal authority of one who might have been Nunh himself, who had seen them all born, and seen many die, many at his own hand, over more years than most of their kind lived.
“It is not your place to question the grandeur and subtlety of his vision.â€
~
X’zarann Silverfall Nunh’s vision was slightly clouded by sweat. Not so much from the sun’s heat – he was far too awesome to concern himself with such petty things – but from concentration.
This was harder than it looked. Of the thirteen survivors, neatly arranged in trios (the odd one out, he threw off the cliff, to keep things fair), he was down to the last three.
The first ones he’d brought up too early, he could admit that now, if only to himself. The sun had been in his eyes, really just RIGHT in them, and he’d been squinting, and it just was so awkward that he massacred the three of them before getting halfway through his speech, sweeping their remains off the cliff. The cliff really was too perfect a spot to give up though. Dramatically situated to overlook the town, the ruins, and the sea beyond. So, he decided to wait a bell while the sun moved a little. Had a snack, some of the local flavor.
Unfortunately, the second group began wailing and yelling right away. It took killing two of them to get the third to explain why, and that one had the nerve to accuse him of cannibalism! When he’d even gone to the trouble of eating part of one of the roegadyn, rather than a lalafell like he was trying to speak to! How did these people survive, with such squeamishness?
Obviously X’zarann killed that one too, but he made a mental note not to be seen eating any Outsiders, nor to let his hunters do so, when intending diplomacy. These were the sorts of things a conqueror needed to know, after all. These fat and lazy so-called people kept food stocked and stored away anyroad, which X’zarann put down as yet another reason why they were so pathetic in a fight. How could you expect to fight hunters, when you didn’t even slay your own prey?
Things started out better with the third group. He launched into his speech about how they and their lands were his by right, and how he intended to magnanimously spare them so that they could spread word of his people’s invincibility, that soon all would tremble before the Falling Stars… he didn’t expect the three of them to rush him, to try to push him off the cliff, just because his back was turned. He was dramatically surveying his conquered lands, didn’t they get that? You don’t interrupt that! ESPECIALLY not the Nunh! They only had themselves to blame, really, for getting beaten to death.
Here he could admit (again, only to himself) to losing his temper a little. He could have just cut them in half or thrown them off the cliff, but the situation really seemed to call for bludgeoning them to death with each other’s bodies. So he did, alternating a little so they could all get the message.
THOSE bodies X’zarann did not even bother to move, so that when the last three were sent up, he was still standing over them, bare-chested and arms dripping in gore. Sweating a little. Again, concentration, not exertion: these were the last ones. He COULDN’T just kill them, otherwise it ruined the whole point. Their freakishly-large eyes looked even more freakish as they took in the sight of him standing over the ruined corpses of their fellows.
He snatched up his sister’s spear and pointed it at them, before they could begin wailing or what-have-you.
“SHUT UP!†His voice echoed impressively, and the three captives choked, their throats constricting with terror. The radiance was still coming off his skin, a crackling halo of electricity. “BEHOLD, the fate of those who oppose, disrespect or even MILDLY ANNOY ME! I, X’zarann Silverfall Nunh of the Falling Stars Sept CLAIM THESE LANDS! Do I hear any objections?!â€
One of them fainted. One of the others lost control of his bladder, but the third at least had the wherewithal to nod vigorously. Inwardly, X’zarann sighed in relief. Better. He straightened, and planted the butt of the spear on the stone, taking a deep breath and looking down on the three lalafell, imperiously. With the sun’s movement, he now stood in the shade of the nearby peak, which was very good, because the radiance was all the more visible, along with the constellation of Althyk blazing through his skin.
“Good. In celebration of my triumph, and to show mercy, I will allow you to flee with your lives. Take what you need to survive the journey through the sands, and begone. Bring word that the conquest has begun. Soon, more of my people will come, and all these lands will bow to us!†It had been a longer speech initially, but scar it. The point was made. He whipped his spear in an arc, spraying some blood on the trio and making them recoil. “GO!â€
He didn’t turn his back on them, not wanting to tempt THESE ones into stupidity. He needn’t have bothered; the two conscious ones picked up the third, and immediately began scrambling down the mountain trail. He watched them go with satisfaction.
He would keep his word to Anista; he wouldn’t come after her. But she would hear of this. And then, inevitably as the stars themselves, she would come to him.
“This bloodshed is her fault, really. Taking so long to succumb.†He thumbed the spear, the lovely, near-living piece of metal that he had claimed from her. She could summon it to her, he knew. The moment she did, though… it would be the signal, that she had made her choice. To fight him.
And then he could defeat her again. Ultimately. Completely. And claim her as his own, for all time.
He grinned, fiercely, rubbing his cheek against the flat of the blade. Imagining that it was her. Soon, now. Down below, the lalafells were scrambling away… well, time to call the rest of them in. He raised his voice.
“X’ZAM!â€
Regret came not long after, though only briefly. Rage. Yes, definitely rage.
~
It wasn’t that X’zam was stupid. He was just big. When you were big, it took thoughts longer to get from here to there. It just made sense. To make things easier, X’zam did not think that much. That also made sense. He was really big, after all, bigger than anyone else in the Sept, as big as one of those ro… ro… big guys, and weighing twice as much. That was a lot of X’zam for thoughts to go through. It just made sense, to do things without thinking, whenever you could. When you were big like X’zam.
The Nunh was smart. Really smart. Scary smart. He understood things, and knew how to talk to X’zam so he understood too. Small words. That made sense, too. Small words, simple orders. Things like, ‘go’, or ‘kill’, or ‘bring’. And his name, of course. X’zam wasn’t stupid (just big), he understood more than simple words, but when his orders were simple, he could react quicker. And he could figure things out, too. Like how the Nunh brought up the prisoners (three and three and three and three) and killed them all each time. X’zam wasn’t stupid. It was obvious. He didn’t know why the Nunh was doing this, but he didn’t really question things. He knew people were good at what they were good at, and for him, that was not questioning, so he didn’t do that. It just made sense.
So, when X’zam, who was perched like a monstrous gargoyle (with skill and balance that some might have called ‘deceptive’ but he just called ‘good’) over the trail – whereupon the last three tiny prisoners seemed to be escaping – heard the Nunh yell his name…
“X’ZAM!â€
…he knew exactly what to do.
It just made sense.
~
X’ogun and the twins were about fifty yalms from the base of the mountain trail. It was a switchback, and so from the ground they had a remarkably good view of the moment when X’zam intersected the three last survivors of Rock Falls with all the subtlety and restraint of a magitek siege weapon. Body parts flew (one of them not far from the trio). Screams aborted. The air became a roiling mass of stone dust and pink mist. A small avalanche began. Charred bits of hair and clothes drifted in the new breeze.
Moments later, a howl of purest rage was heard.
“Is… is that the Nunh?†X’vurr’s voice was hushed, her ordinarily tan skin pale at the sheer… discomfiture, of the sound.
X’ogun crossed his arms, shaking his head slightly. “It would appear… that the Nunh’s plan to draw X’anista back to him will need to be revised.â€
“WHAT?!†X’kirra gripped his vest, lifting her face up to his. Her yellow eyes flashed with sudden fury, but the male just raised his brows.
“Such was his plan, obviously. Why else allow for survivors?†He looked back up to where X’zarann, glowing visibly, was beginning his storming descent of the mountain. Likely to have… words, with X’zam. Best of luck with that. “Clearly it is still his intent to make of her his mate. He is… fixated upon her.†There was the mildest note of disapproval.
X’kirra wasn’t listening. She’d let go, and was striding away at a rapid pace. X’vurr moved to follow, to intercept her, but her uncle grasped her arm in a grip like iron.
“No. The Nunh still needs to be guarded, yes?†He looked at her, his silvery eyes meeting her yellow. She looked back, conflicted. “The Nunh still needs you.â€
Finally, she looked down. Yes.
If Kirra killed Anista… or Anstarra, as she went these days… he would want another mate.
If she failed… he would need her, Vurr, more than ever.
X’ogun saw it in her face, saw the understanding, and smiled.
“Good girl. This…†he swept his hand over the desolation. Rock Falls, where everybody died.
“…this is only the beginning, after all.â€
Enjoy!
Warning: slightly black humor may follow. At least, I was amused.))
~ Sometime, more or less now or recently enough ~
The village – if you could call it one, at a mere fifty souls – of Rock Falls was the symbol of one man’s ambition. Some few turns ago, Fafaraju Gegeraju decided to found a trading post on free lands in the south-and-east-most corner of the Sagolii desert, abutting on the sea. It was his hope, his prediction, that with the flourishing of the Eorzean Alliance and the opening of borders, Gridania farther to the north would come to see the need for a viable ocean route to engage in trade with the rest of the world. That doing so would allow them to bypass Ul’dahn taxes entirely to open trade directly with Limsa Lominsa, if desired, or simply be able to carry precious wares over the waves to any other friendly port. The Horizon of the eastern seabord, he saw Rock Falls becoming.
Oh, there were delays. The Calamity. The war with Garlemald. Leviathan. Even on land; Amal’jaa… zombies… a truly inexplicable mass-migration of coblyns… But Mister Gegeraju was determined, proud, and willing to throw truly prodigious amounts of gil at the problems. Mercenaries were hired, shipwrights imported… and it seemed, at last, his dreams might come true. The war was petering down, the Primals vanquished (repeatedly) and word from Gridania was more open than ever. Any time now, it would all come together. His distant cousin whose spectacular success in what was now Costa Del Sol had proved it could be done. Soon, his too would be a household name! Soon, he too would luxuriate in prosperity, with rich dishes, exotic music, and lovely miqo’te dancing girls to fan him…
~
“It. Is so. Hot! Ugh!â€
The miqo’te girl fanned herself, with a hat much too small for her head (it was a very fancy hat all the same). Sweat glistened alluringly upon her exposed curves and athletic musculature… though with all the blood it was unlikely anyone was about to ask her to dance for them. Especially not Mister Gegeraju, whose head had born it before finding itself in such a state as to no longer require hats.
“Daytime in the desert is hot, sister.â€
The other girl, who could have been her twin sister (and was), wore rather more clothes and less expression (and also a long braid in her snowy, blue-highlighted hair, rather than small dreadlocks), the bright yellow eyes she shared with her sibling alert as she swept the area for survivors.
It was not an arduous task; the building whose rubble they perched upon provided a good view of the rubble of the rest of the former village. Carrion birds were all that moved, now.
“I know it is hot. The desert is stupid. And you are stupid for wearing so much clothing, Vurr. I wish it was night. Scars!†She kicked a piece of timber, sending it crashing and tumbling, dislodging more rocks and sending the birds aloft in noisome protest. Vurr sighed, and straightened, glaring at her sister.
“Slice your tongue, Kirra. Do you think the Nunh would love hearing you mewl like a broken-tail?â€
“X’zarann is not even here,†she grumped, but lowered her tone all the same, looking around and reflexively adjusting her hair. An alluring sight, if you were into spear-wielding half-naked barbarian girls caked in the blood of innocents. They resumed their patrol, padding noiselessly amidst the ruination. “Where is he, anyway! Do you think he saw me kill those little ones?â€
X’vurr poked a limb sticking out from under a boulder with her own spear. Boulders were common around the village; it took its name from the nearby cliff looming not far beyond, though nobody had been accidentally killed by a falling rock in some time. The record remained unbroken, since this was a thrown rock, not a fallen one.
“I believe X’ogun called them lalafell.â€
“Is that what those tall ones call their kittens?â€
“Tall ones?â€
“Yes. With the stupid ears popping out of the sides of their heads. And the stupid long necks. Who lived in the Cursed Lands, with all the trees.â€
“Oh. No. Wait. I don’t know?†X’vurr frowned.
“Well they fought like kittens. Weak and slow! Maybe all the hunters were away. Left the kittens with the big-big ones.â€
“Roegadyn.â€
“Outsiders have stupid names. Rogadodos were more fun though. I hope we find more… killing kittens is bo-o-ring.â€
She kicked a head. Being bereft of a body, it rolled freely for a dozen yalms or so before abruptly coming to a stop under the foot of another miqo’te. Tall, powerfully-built, with two spears holstered in an X upon his back, he could have been the twins’ father (and wasn’t, though only just). His azure-marked ivory hair was pulled back in a tight tail which lent severity to an already-severe face, and the tightly-cropped beard just emphasized a general sense of experience and authority. Silver eyes made it creepy.
He crossed his arms – an impressive gesture, corded as they were – and narrowed his eyes at the pair. “You. Are loud.â€
Kirra yelped, hopping back a step before straightening and raising her chin defiantly.
“Everyone’s dead, uncle X’ogun! All the stupid kittens-“
“Lalafell,†interjected her sister,
“-are bloody splattery bits, and even the big stupid rogadodos-“
“Roegadyn,†corrected the male,
“Stop that! Ugh!†X’kirra hissed at the two and abruptly sat down, ignoring them completely while she cleaned her spear. It still had things stuck to it. The male regarded her a moment longer, before turning his gaze to her sister.
“X’vurr.â€
“Uncle?â€
“Any survivors?â€
“No. Uncle X’ogun, were these the warriors?â€
“Hrm.†He idly scratched his scar, artfully tracking over his left eye. An old shame, yet none dared mention it. “Yes… and no.†He snorted, and spat to the side. “Most outsiders know less of battle than do our kittens. Though… some very few are strong. Strong enough to be considered enemies, and not simply… meat.†The girls looked skeptical; X’kirra even snickered. She had not even taken a cut, let alone a scar. X’ogun merely smirked and shook his head.
“Hah. Find out yourselves then. And remember; though they are slow, and weak, and frail, with poor instincts, and dull ears and noses… though they are easily surprised and slaughtered like dodo chicks… though they are well and truly pathetic, easily slain even by our kittens…†He trailed off, frowning.
“…â€
“Uncle?â€
“No, I was going somewhere with that. Hold on.â€
“…â€
“…â€
He paced, muttering to himself, and the girls edged away. In hushed tones, X’kirra whispered to her sister, “Soooo… do you know where X’zarann is?â€
“Ah… dealing with prisoners, I believe.â€
“What! Without me? I mean us? Why?â€
“The Nunh-“ Both girls jumped, as X’ogun spoke from right next to them, standing arms crossed and looking dramatically off into the distance, “is more than capable of handling himself.â€
He looked at them with all the sternness and paternal authority of one who might have been Nunh himself, who had seen them all born, and seen many die, many at his own hand, over more years than most of their kind lived.
“It is not your place to question the grandeur and subtlety of his vision.â€
~
X’zarann Silverfall Nunh’s vision was slightly clouded by sweat. Not so much from the sun’s heat – he was far too awesome to concern himself with such petty things – but from concentration.
This was harder than it looked. Of the thirteen survivors, neatly arranged in trios (the odd one out, he threw off the cliff, to keep things fair), he was down to the last three.
The first ones he’d brought up too early, he could admit that now, if only to himself. The sun had been in his eyes, really just RIGHT in them, and he’d been squinting, and it just was so awkward that he massacred the three of them before getting halfway through his speech, sweeping their remains off the cliff. The cliff really was too perfect a spot to give up though. Dramatically situated to overlook the town, the ruins, and the sea beyond. So, he decided to wait a bell while the sun moved a little. Had a snack, some of the local flavor.
Unfortunately, the second group began wailing and yelling right away. It took killing two of them to get the third to explain why, and that one had the nerve to accuse him of cannibalism! When he’d even gone to the trouble of eating part of one of the roegadyn, rather than a lalafell like he was trying to speak to! How did these people survive, with such squeamishness?
Obviously X’zarann killed that one too, but he made a mental note not to be seen eating any Outsiders, nor to let his hunters do so, when intending diplomacy. These were the sorts of things a conqueror needed to know, after all. These fat and lazy so-called people kept food stocked and stored away anyroad, which X’zarann put down as yet another reason why they were so pathetic in a fight. How could you expect to fight hunters, when you didn’t even slay your own prey?
Things started out better with the third group. He launched into his speech about how they and their lands were his by right, and how he intended to magnanimously spare them so that they could spread word of his people’s invincibility, that soon all would tremble before the Falling Stars… he didn’t expect the three of them to rush him, to try to push him off the cliff, just because his back was turned. He was dramatically surveying his conquered lands, didn’t they get that? You don’t interrupt that! ESPECIALLY not the Nunh! They only had themselves to blame, really, for getting beaten to death.
Here he could admit (again, only to himself) to losing his temper a little. He could have just cut them in half or thrown them off the cliff, but the situation really seemed to call for bludgeoning them to death with each other’s bodies. So he did, alternating a little so they could all get the message.
THOSE bodies X’zarann did not even bother to move, so that when the last three were sent up, he was still standing over them, bare-chested and arms dripping in gore. Sweating a little. Again, concentration, not exertion: these were the last ones. He COULDN’T just kill them, otherwise it ruined the whole point. Their freakishly-large eyes looked even more freakish as they took in the sight of him standing over the ruined corpses of their fellows.
He snatched up his sister’s spear and pointed it at them, before they could begin wailing or what-have-you.
“SHUT UP!†His voice echoed impressively, and the three captives choked, their throats constricting with terror. The radiance was still coming off his skin, a crackling halo of electricity. “BEHOLD, the fate of those who oppose, disrespect or even MILDLY ANNOY ME! I, X’zarann Silverfall Nunh of the Falling Stars Sept CLAIM THESE LANDS! Do I hear any objections?!â€
One of them fainted. One of the others lost control of his bladder, but the third at least had the wherewithal to nod vigorously. Inwardly, X’zarann sighed in relief. Better. He straightened, and planted the butt of the spear on the stone, taking a deep breath and looking down on the three lalafell, imperiously. With the sun’s movement, he now stood in the shade of the nearby peak, which was very good, because the radiance was all the more visible, along with the constellation of Althyk blazing through his skin.
“Good. In celebration of my triumph, and to show mercy, I will allow you to flee with your lives. Take what you need to survive the journey through the sands, and begone. Bring word that the conquest has begun. Soon, more of my people will come, and all these lands will bow to us!†It had been a longer speech initially, but scar it. The point was made. He whipped his spear in an arc, spraying some blood on the trio and making them recoil. “GO!â€
He didn’t turn his back on them, not wanting to tempt THESE ones into stupidity. He needn’t have bothered; the two conscious ones picked up the third, and immediately began scrambling down the mountain trail. He watched them go with satisfaction.
He would keep his word to Anista; he wouldn’t come after her. But she would hear of this. And then, inevitably as the stars themselves, she would come to him.
“This bloodshed is her fault, really. Taking so long to succumb.†He thumbed the spear, the lovely, near-living piece of metal that he had claimed from her. She could summon it to her, he knew. The moment she did, though… it would be the signal, that she had made her choice. To fight him.
And then he could defeat her again. Ultimately. Completely. And claim her as his own, for all time.
He grinned, fiercely, rubbing his cheek against the flat of the blade. Imagining that it was her. Soon, now. Down below, the lalafells were scrambling away… well, time to call the rest of them in. He raised his voice.
“X’ZAM!â€
Regret came not long after, though only briefly. Rage. Yes, definitely rage.
~
It wasn’t that X’zam was stupid. He was just big. When you were big, it took thoughts longer to get from here to there. It just made sense. To make things easier, X’zam did not think that much. That also made sense. He was really big, after all, bigger than anyone else in the Sept, as big as one of those ro… ro… big guys, and weighing twice as much. That was a lot of X’zam for thoughts to go through. It just made sense, to do things without thinking, whenever you could. When you were big like X’zam.
The Nunh was smart. Really smart. Scary smart. He understood things, and knew how to talk to X’zam so he understood too. Small words. That made sense, too. Small words, simple orders. Things like, ‘go’, or ‘kill’, or ‘bring’. And his name, of course. X’zam wasn’t stupid (just big), he understood more than simple words, but when his orders were simple, he could react quicker. And he could figure things out, too. Like how the Nunh brought up the prisoners (three and three and three and three) and killed them all each time. X’zam wasn’t stupid. It was obvious. He didn’t know why the Nunh was doing this, but he didn’t really question things. He knew people were good at what they were good at, and for him, that was not questioning, so he didn’t do that. It just made sense.
So, when X’zam, who was perched like a monstrous gargoyle (with skill and balance that some might have called ‘deceptive’ but he just called ‘good’) over the trail – whereupon the last three tiny prisoners seemed to be escaping – heard the Nunh yell his name…
“X’ZAM!â€
…he knew exactly what to do.
It just made sense.
~
X’ogun and the twins were about fifty yalms from the base of the mountain trail. It was a switchback, and so from the ground they had a remarkably good view of the moment when X’zam intersected the three last survivors of Rock Falls with all the subtlety and restraint of a magitek siege weapon. Body parts flew (one of them not far from the trio). Screams aborted. The air became a roiling mass of stone dust and pink mist. A small avalanche began. Charred bits of hair and clothes drifted in the new breeze.
Moments later, a howl of purest rage was heard.
“Is… is that the Nunh?†X’vurr’s voice was hushed, her ordinarily tan skin pale at the sheer… discomfiture, of the sound.
X’ogun crossed his arms, shaking his head slightly. “It would appear… that the Nunh’s plan to draw X’anista back to him will need to be revised.â€
“WHAT?!†X’kirra gripped his vest, lifting her face up to his. Her yellow eyes flashed with sudden fury, but the male just raised his brows.
“Such was his plan, obviously. Why else allow for survivors?†He looked back up to where X’zarann, glowing visibly, was beginning his storming descent of the mountain. Likely to have… words, with X’zam. Best of luck with that. “Clearly it is still his intent to make of her his mate. He is… fixated upon her.†There was the mildest note of disapproval.
X’kirra wasn’t listening. She’d let go, and was striding away at a rapid pace. X’vurr moved to follow, to intercept her, but her uncle grasped her arm in a grip like iron.
“No. The Nunh still needs to be guarded, yes?†He looked at her, his silvery eyes meeting her yellow. She looked back, conflicted. “The Nunh still needs you.â€
Finally, she looked down. Yes.
If Kirra killed Anista… or Anstarra, as she went these days… he would want another mate.
If she failed… he would need her, Vurr, more than ever.
X’ogun saw it in her face, saw the understanding, and smiled.
“Good girl. This…†he swept his hand over the desolation. Rock Falls, where everybody died.
“…this is only the beginning, after all.â€