LOG: Strange Things In Sukho
Having been trumped by a friend, Felix enjoyed a short conversation with the other before he was pleasantly surprised by seeing Imre-Ulani. "Well hi, Im. Want to come and visit Manai?"
"I've never been to Manai," Imre says, smiling. "I can't be gone too long or they'll start missing me at the hospital, but, yes?"
Felix smiles and nods at this. "I can bring you back easily enough. Let me bring you through." He offers her his hand.
Imre-Ulani extends her hand, smile gaining in strength even as she reaches across the distances.
And then she's pulled through, once more within the realm of Sukho. Felix releases the trump contact once she is through. And there she is greated with beautiful scenery as Felix has been hiding on Manai, a small but fantastic island. And right nearby is a pool with a waterfall. "Welcome to Manai."
Imre-Ulani's booted feet meet sand and she closes her eyes inhaling deeply of the salt air, "Oh." She says softly, biting her lower lip as if to keep back from a showing of further emotion.
Felix grins a bit and reaches out to touch her chin. "Don't hold back," he encourages as he walks past her and over to the pool. There, he stoops down and grabs a bit of the crystal clear liquid and splashes his face with it.
Imre-Ulani opens her eyes, startled as he touches her. But she grins at him. "Thank you," she says gratefully. Then she's promptly sitting down and taking off those boots, relish evident in her expression.
Felix stands once again, his face now somewhat cleaned. At the least he'll keep from making himself look filthy. Turning back to her, he smiles as he watches her move to remove her boots. "I was about to go for a walk when I was trumped. Would you like to see the island?"
Imre-Ulani nods, "Yes! Absolutely, yes. Do you know how far Tseela is from here?" Boots are off and she's standing up to take off that jacket too. Apparently she's decided he can take it, given his own accomodations to the heat and area. She wears a silk camisole beneath.
Felix blinks when she removes her jacket and goes down to a camisole, but he doesn't let his gaze linger too much. "Tseela is.." he looks around a moment, "a ways off in that direction." He points for direction. "It's a decent way from here." He nods and walks past her, motioning for her to follow as he moves along a path.
Imre-Ulani looks where he points and brightens. She scans the horizon for a long moment and then turns to follow him as directed. Those skirts flutter around her as she moves.
"This is where I grew up," Felix says as they walk the path. He offers an ocassional glance over to her, smiling at her happiness. "Manai is a smaller island, but big enough for us and big enough to attract trouble. But, here I'm known as Kereteki and those from here are members of the Tane Tribe."
"So this is Tama's home?" Imre looks over to him, head tilting curiously.
Felix shakes his head. "No. She's from O'ele. That's where her mother is from." He brushes past a bush, holding it aside for her.
Imre-Ulani grins at him and moves past the bush, murmuring a 'thank you'. She continues to look around, drinking in everything about the island.
Felix smiles at this and moves back to her side once she's past the bush. His fingers are pricked from the spines of the bush, but he ignores it. In the distance ahead there's the sound of movement, but it's faint.
"The village?" Imre assumes.
Felix pauses and shakes his head. "No. The village is on the other side of the island," he says as his fingers move to his sword. "Let's check it out." He moves forward a bit more slowly, listening. As they get closer there's the sound of growling, but it comes from a young cat.
Imre-Ulani stays behind Felix, but shows no overt signs of fear. Not yet, anyway. Her brow furrows and she looks around, searching for anything eles that could have been moving.
Felix continues to step forward until they near the source of the movements. He glances briefly to Imre and then parts some bushes to peer through. On the other side of the bushes are a pair of tiger cubs, no older than a week or two. "Well hello, little ones." He's a bit wary, though, as he looks around further. "Where's your mother..."
Imre-Ulani crouches down, "She must still be around, don't you think?"
Felix keeps looking around a moment before he looks to Imre. "Stay here for a moment, alright?" He steps past her and moves into the brush, disappearing from view for a few moments.
"Alright," Imre murmurs. She looks to the cubs and croons softly, but does not touch.
The cubs respond by moving closer to Imre, but not to attack. They appear to be shaken and fearful. Something must have happened.
Imre-Ulani looks concerned now. She looks around for Felix and breifly debates calling after him. Silence wins.
Felix returns moments later with his swords drawn. He's crouched down as he moves. "I found something," he whispers as he gets near to her. "There's a body. It's a Macai. They're from a nearby island. But it's distorted and disfigured. I think it's been infected. I've set it on fire somewhere that it won't burn the forest down."
"They are frightened," Imre says, looking up at Felix, "If their mother is dead or can't return, they'll follow suit very quickly, my lord." She pauses, "Infected? With what?"
Felix looks at the cubs for a moment. "Black Water," he says. "I've been looking into it every time I've come back. Seems to be getting closer to here. I think that, for now, we should let them be and see if we can locate the mother and the other Macai."
Imre-Ulani hesitates and looks to the cubs for a long moment. She then looks around for some sort of shelter to hide them. "I am wearing a really big skirt, my lord. It could carry things very easily with a knot and a shift. Are you sure we can't take them with?"
Felix looks from the cubs to Imre for a moment and then nods. "That might be better. And there's no need to refer to me as a lord. You can call me Felix or Kereteki. I'll answer to both," he says before he looks back to the cubs. "They seem drawn to you. Better that you handle them than me."
Imre-Ulani exhales, gratefully, "It only takes one predator hearing a mewl and, can you cut the fabric right here and in the same place along back, Kereteki?" She holds up the first layer of her skirt for him. A lucky thing there are so many of them. She continues to talk, "And I know that there will be no place for them in Amber and that when we leave they'll likely be left to die anyway if we can't find their mother but... I ..."
Felix moves his blade and smoothly cuts where she asks him to. He's quite proficient with most weapons. He offers her a reassuring smile. "They'll be fine even when we leave, Im. We'll take them to the village. They can be raised there." He stands then and eyes the trail. "There were three more Macai besides the dead one. That one had been mauled."
Imre-Ulani ties a knot and quickly creates a sling. The holster for the Sukhoti yelesi at the small of her back is revealed. The two sticks, much like nunchucks but not attached, look to be rather low quality. But they apparently serve. She quickly scoops them up, gently and with reassurance in her touch. She moves to step by Felix. "Only one of the Macai was tainted though?
"I didn't see the others," Felix answers as Imre starts to move with the two cubs. "But the mother was with them." He moves along then, both blades out and ready. His eyes are on the prowl and he's listening, too. "They seemed to be headed for the beach."
Imre-Ulani blushes as she abruptly understands. "Sorry," she stays behind him so as to not obscure the trail. She nods.
Felix smiles and taps her shoulder with a finger as he moves past her. "You're alright," he assures before he leads the way along the trail. It's not a hugely long trail, and there's signs of disturbance along it every so often. A few smatterings of blood, some tufts of fur which cause the cubs to mewl. They know their mother.
Imre-Ulani flashes Felix a slight smile as he walks by, rolling her eyes in mild self-depreciating humor. She nods again. Imre continues to try and sooth the cubs to silence.
Felix leads her along to where the path widens and then leads her into the brush some as they up to the edge where the jungle meets the beach. He stops them where they can still be out of sigh. Near the shoreline the three Macai, all of whom seem to be disfigured and infected, are struggling with the corpse of the tigeress. There's a large blood spot not far from them and they're moving the corpse towards a canoe. "Damn," he says with a sigh.
Imre-Ulani's brow furrows and her expression darkens. The ocean breeze swishes past them both, ruffling hair and clothing alike.
"I want you to stay here with the cubs. Keep them safe and stay alert," Felix says as his fingers tighten on the swords. "You'll never lose sight of me."
Imre-Ulani nods, eyes wide. "Okay."
Felix nods and offers a smile before he slips from the bushes in a crouch, heading for the three that aren't looking. Unfortunately for them, there were more than three Macai. There were a grand total of five still alive. Two were watching in the trees and one has his sights set on Imre, but doesn't move yet. The other leaps down to follow after Felix, not yet warning his compatriots.
Imre-Ulani straightens up, alarmed as she sees the other jumping down after Felix. She speaks, sending her voice to Felix's ears, "Kereteki! There's another coming up behind you."
Felix turns when Imre's voice hits his ears and finds himself facing the follower. This one, when Felix turns, calls to the other three who start running towards them, dropping the tiger body to the sand. Running towards the follower, Felix parries a strike and proceeds to ram one sword through the followers stomach and the others goes through his chest from the other side as he spins around him.
The one that had been in the trees above Imre suddenly leaps down to land in front of her. He reaches out, intent on capturing her, or, if not, his knife may find her.
Imre-Ulani inhales sharply as the warrior lands. She reaches back and comes up with Sukhoti sticks. "...don't!" She warns or perhaps pleas. She certainly doesn't look like she wants to be fighting, that's for sure. Her eyes are wide, but she falls into a primary stance.
Felix pulls his blades free and turns to the other three. They come at him and there's a shout from the woods. Another one, a big stocky fellow splits off to head for Imre. Felix moves to intercept, but is blocked by the other two. He growls menacingly and the Macai advance towards him. "Imre you have one coming to you!"
The one facing Imre doesn't seem to have any inclination of stopping. He may want her for something more than prey. He advances.
"Please?" Imre repeats. However, he's still stepping in. She inhales, chin raising. And then? Then she's surging forward. The lengths of wood twist, turn. Hitting from left, right, below and then? Slamming for head.
Whirl of blades meeting clubs. Felix and the two that are in front of him are duking it out. "Elites," he mutters under his breath as he narrowly avoids getting his skull bashed in. Blows are traded, but this may be a long fight.
Meanwhile, Imre beats the snot out of the lower level guy she'd been facing. He didn't stand a chance despite Imre's reluctance to fight. Her sticks club him in the head. At the same time, the big guy comes barreling at her from out of nowhere, intent on running her over.
Imre-Ulani bites her lip and turns to look after Felix, concerned. This means that she doesn't see the big guy coming until its too late. She twists, trying to bring her weapons to bear...
"Damnit.. damnit!" Felix curses as he finds himself facing difficulties. But, when in a hard to win situation, there's one last avenue: cheating. As the two advance, he kicks sand into their eyes and then runs forward, blades slicing and dicing while he avoids flailing clubs.
With one guy beaten, Imre turns to face the other when he nears, but she's too late as the giant of a distorted man runs her over, smashing her backwards towards a tree. He's a solid club, the size of a thick tree limb, which he brings to bear, aiming it for Imre's head as he prepares to swing.
Imre-Ulani yelps as she's smashed into the tree, stunned as her skull meets bark. Her hand falls to her skirt and the mewling of the frightened cubs. She stares at the distorted man and tries to duck down as quickly as she can, club growing ever larger in her gaze.
There's the sound of running feet squishing through sand and then snapping branches. Just as the big guy starts to swing forward, a flash of silver, and a blade suddenly appears through the mans neck. Seconds later, another blade severs the club hand, scattering the weapon away. Felix lands beside the opponent and there are two more corpses on the beach. To ensure the big mans death, he pulls a blade around and stabs it through his heart. Pulling the blades free, the dead body falls to the ground, though it won't stay dead forever unless it's dealt with. Felix sets his blades down and moves to kneel in front of Imre. He reaches a hand out to touch her cheek. "You alright, Im?"
Imre-Ulani has slumped to the ground, face and form painted with the spray of the big man's blood. She stares up at Felix, shivering. "I...yes...I...am fine."
Felix moves his hands to Imre's arms and rubs them gently. "You sure? You're shivering," he says, frowning slightly.
"Are they dead? Did I.. that one that I hit?" Imre asks, and the mewling of the kittens makes her look to her pooled skirts.
Felix rubs her arms a bit more and then looks over towards the smaller one. He shifts away and reaches over to touch the warrior's neck, feeling for a pulse. "He's dead," he says before he looks back to Imre. "You did what you had to. The Macai are vicious as it is. More so when they're infected, no doubt."
"I didn't mean..." Imre says and her eyes well up. She cuts herself off though, and swallows hard. She nods. "Okay."
Felix moves back over to her and reaches out to clasp her shoulders. "Listen, Im. Sometimes it is necessary. And really he can't have been enjoying his life under the Road's control. You only did what you needed to. Don't feel bad about it."
Imre-Ulani nods rapidly, once, twice, three times. "They... need to be burned?"
Felix nods and moves his hands to grab his swords. "I'll do it. Just relax for a few minutes," he says as he stands. Sheathing his swords, he grabs the two bodies and starts dragging them out to the other three.
Imre-Ulani watches for a few minutes and then moves to stand, "I can help." She says and then repeats, stronger. "I can help, Kereteki."
Felix looks back to her and nods. "Alright. Grab that one and bring him over," he says, nodding to the first one that he killed. He drags the other two over to the two elites and then pulls out a couple of stones while walking over to grab a little brush for kindling.
Imre-Ulani takes off the skirt. It's alright, she's got bloomers beneath. This way the kits have something familiar to nest in and, perhaps, it will be easier to drag the dead. She moves to the one Felix has indicated and she moves to start dragging as directed.
Felix settles the kindling and the side opposite from Imre. Kneeling down beside it, he starts hitting the stones together until he can get a spark to catch. When it does, he crouches down to blow on it a little and help it spread to the bodies. When that's done, he settles back from the burn pile and looks over to Imre in her bloomers and camisole. He watches her with the last body, trying to see if she's really alright.
"They weren't always tainted," Imre says quietly, watching the men burn.
Felix shakes his head. "No," he says before he motions back to the cubs. "Bring them over here and sit with me for a bit."
Imre-Ulani obeys. She walks over to take up the cups again, this time simply gathering skirts in her arms to bring them.
Felix waits until she settles down beside him. "You sure you're alright? You seemed as if you were upset when I said the one was dead," he says as he turns to regard her.
"I know that there is no cure for the taint," Imre says quietly and she watches the horizon line, "And I know that sometimes bad things need to die so that good things can live. That doesn't mean that killing is... something that shouldn't...." She falls silent and inhales. She looks over to him and manages a smile. "I'm sorry. Thank you for saving my life."
Felix listens to what she has to say. "Killing is never something to be done lightly. If you can do it without feeling remorse for the ones you've killed then you're nothing but a murderer." He smiles and reaches over to touch her chin once more. "And you're welcome. I can't let you be killed. Frankly I'm a bit angry with myself that I let you get hurt at all."
Imre-Ulani's hand rises to the back of her head as if she'd forgotten the thwap she took. "Oh. It isn't bad. Really."
Felix shakes his head at this. "Doesn't matter. I slacked off too much and should have kept you safe."
"I am safe," Imre assures him. She smiles again and looks down to the kitten gnawing on her skirt. "Do you think... that all of the Macai have been..?"
Felix follows her gaze down to the kittens. "It's possible. Warrants investigating at the least," he says as he moves a hand out to gently touch a couple fingers over one of the kittens heads. If they should decide to nip at him he won't pull away. "There's a lot to do here in Sukho. That's another reason I came back."