A Landen Village in Southern Glacia, Kaeleer [Wednesday Afternoon, Fandom Time]

[glacial_witch]

It was almost time for then to catch their portal home, but Morton had cautiously decided that there was enough time to visit one more landen village before they left. Even Julian didn't have much a problem with this, mollified by the five Blood males (and seven females) that Karla had handwavily, because cons are exhausting offered a place in her

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[glacial_enemies]

The village was silent and deserted as the Coach rolled into the center of town. If there weren't signs of previous activity--laundry hanging on lines, the wheat growing in the fields, the remains of a game of marbles hastily abandoned--one would almost think it a ghost town. Heketah smiled to herself over a goblet of yarbarah. It seemed that her reputation had spread. Even coming so early as she'd done had given the fools enough time to hide in their little houses, like rabbits cowering from a wolf.

If the thrill of the hunt wasn't so much fun, she'd wonder how they could have gotten warning in time.

"Ralt," she said, licking the blood from her lips. "Do go and let the landens know we're here."

[glacial_court]

"Don't you fucking dare," Julian hissed, looking at both of them. "If you were ever hoping for a chance to prove to me that landens can be a full part of Karla's Court, now's the fucking time. Keeping Karla safe isn't just the most important thing right now, it's the only thing. So you keep a lid on your temper and put some steel in your damn spine, because if either of you do a damn thing to jeopardize my Queen, I will gut you both."

He glared, switching his gaze from one male to the other. "Am I fucking clear?"

[glacial_warlord]

"And I'll help." Morton's tone was soft but uncompromising. "We have a duty. First rule of service--we cherish. And by that, I mean we protect."

It certainly wasn't obey, not with the hand he had clamped over a very red-faced Karla's mouth.

[apocalipped]

Jonothon rolled his eyes. Not that anyone would be able to tell, not with the way they were sold red, casting a dim haze of crimson over his features.

"Th'request was a hypothetical," he intoned dryly. "But thank you both for th'reminder."

He hesitated a moment, looked down, and then winced as he saw the reflection of his own eyes, glowing back at him in the muddy water. Jesus. He might as well light twin flares to let everyone know they were down there.

He was closing his eyes tightly shut immediately after. He wasn't going to go flying in to save the day, but the things that twisted inside of him, longing for bloodshed-- he couldn't just shut those off on a whim.

This was going to be a long night.

[I'M SLEEPIN' I PROMISE.]

[glacial_enemies]

Hekatah hadn't paused while Team Well-Hiders bickered amongst themselves. She'd grabbed another handsome young man, dragging him over to her, smirking at the cry that came from a pretty young girl about his age.

"Important to you, is he?" she purred. "Then you should tell me what I want to know, shouldn't you? I can try to take the information directly from his mind, but that will leave his brain ashes inside his skull. You don't want that, do you?"

[kaeleerans]

"Please," the girl sobbed. "Please don't hurt him. We're supposed to be married this summer..."

[glacial_enemies]

"Well, then, you know what to do, don't you?"

Hekatah tittered again, but the girl stayed silent.

"Still quiet? Well then, this is your fault, isn't it?"

And she tore open his throat, bathing her face in his warm blood before drinking him down. "Now tell me where the children are!" she howled, teeth still stained red. "Or I'll open your throat next!"

[glacial_court]

"What do we do if they give us up instead?" Julian hissed. "Save their children by giving that bitch a better prize?"

[apocalipped]

"We deal with it," Jonothon said simply, eyes still tightly shut. "One way or another, we deal with it. But that hasn't happened yet. They could have saved at least a few lives by now already. And it hasn't happened."

There was a faint crackle of energy at the corners of those closed eyes. He swallowed, and then raised his hands to press the heels of his palms against them.

Bite it back. Bite it down. Don't let it out, don't let it show.

[glacial_witch]

"Kaelas can kill her," Karla said in a low voice. "Kaelas can leap through her shields and tear her throat out before anyone else can react. The rest of us can take out her guards and then we can clear the village. Move them all somewhere else. Relocate them where they won't be found. Haven, maybe."

She wanted to eviscerate this 'High Priestess.' But watching Kaelas do it would be enough.

[glacial_warlord]

"No," Julian and Morton said at the same time. Julian looked away and gestured for Morton to go first. "We can't take that risk. If something goes wrong--if they get a lucky shot..."

[glacial_witch]

"I'll stay down here!" Karla persisted. "You won't even have to worry about me! I'll stay here and hidden while the rest of you kill those dog-souled sons of whores!"

[glacial_court]

"No," Julian repeated. "Sure, we might get to save this village, but you don't think another one won't face retaliation? They'll have no idea why, but they'll be punished for it! Assuming you'll be able to convince them all to leave their homes for somewhere else, only on your say so!"

[not_a_parakeet]

"It's too much of a risk," Warren agreed softly, even with his head bowed and his wings trembling behind him. It wasn't what was going on up above that had him so twitchy, though some part of him was well aware that Julian and Morton probably figured that was exactly what was going on. "We can't get involved in that unless we get dragged into it, Karla. If anything happens to her... someone out there will know that it was here that she was destroyed. Landens are toys to their type... if this village doesn't suffer for her death, another will. They're all the same to them, in the end."

Still shaking. But his voice was so, so stubbornly steady.

[glacial_warlord]

"We can't let anything slip to Hobart that you're here," Morton added. "We can't have him know how close you are to coming home. Otherwise, things will be ever more difficult for you."

He nudged Warren with a shoulder. "You okay?" he asked. "It's tough for all of us to hear."

At least he was sympathetic, as opposed to Julian's pursed lips.

[not_a_parakeet]

"I've heard worse," Warren replied, glancing up at Morton and putting in one hell of an effort to not start and spread his wings at the nudge. "I was at Agio, remember. This is just--"

He waved a hand at the walls.

"I'm the only one down here who probably couldn't get out of here on my own if we all needed to, unless there are enough handholds going up." He pulled in a deep breath. "It's... a little tight for anyone who needs a bit more room when they stretch."

Hey, Morton, Julian, Jono. Warren was telling you all that he was claustrophobic. He was trusting you not to be assholes with that newfound knowledge.

"I'll deal with it."