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Nihilistic Mind

Poppins is patched up and ready to go. Finn and Faylinn can see the trail of dust as Rebecca and Kade ride hard toward Cimarron. Finn and Faylinn also realize that the wall of smoke spreads at an alarming rate to close the way to Cimarron and they themselves may have to find another way if it cannot be thwarted.
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sandrayln · Joined: 10 Apr 2008 Posts: 176

Faylinn mounts up and looks in the direction of the smoke with a sigh. "It is always something, is it not?"

Nihilistic Mind · Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2008 6:59 am Post subject:

Thunder echoes from far, far away as if to punctuate her statement.
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Finn · Joined: 10 Apr 2008 Posts: 124

Finn scowled slightly, and held onto Blake. "Mount up." Once she was, on he did as well. "I want to go see who sent the shooters, if anyone at all did, but we may not have time for niceties, especially if their nearly dead." He got them moving towards the nearest cluster of fallen men, patting Blake's neck.

"Fast as you can, Blake, we're short on time!"

sandrayln · Joined: 10 Apr 2008 Posts: 176

Faylinn sends Poppins after them, reaching for her arcane senses to scan ahead. She does keep one careful eye on the mare, though; at this point, she's less worried about the wound giving way than about the smoke and presumed fire ahead...

Nihilistic Mind · Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2008 1:13 am Post subject:

The rock formation from which the first group of shooters sprang is the closest and they head in that direction. There, Finn and Faylinn find one and a half dozen dead men. Three others are alive, their guns rooted to the dry dirt and rock by tendrils and organic outgrowths. One is shot in the gut and left shoulder. The other has been shot in the face, the lower part of his right eye exposed and bloody, he is breathing in gasps and certainly going into shock. The third is on his back, eyes open and breathing, his right hand and arm are shot and bloody.

They look human enough, but their skin is too pale for this shadow, and their eyes are bloodshot and the iris horizontal, like a goat's eyes. To reach the live ones face to face, they must leave the horses at the foot of the rocky outcrop.
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Finn · Joined: 10 Apr 2008 Posts: 124

"Blake, make sure Poppins doesn't run off." He holds out his hand for Fay's reins and loosely loops them around Blake's saddle's horn.

Finn drew out a dagger and put it between his teeth. He rode Blake as close as he could, hooked the rope from the saddle over his shoulder, and then stood in the saddle for extra height, before climbing up. Once at the top, Finn sheathes the dagger. He lowers the rope down for Fay, after securing it, and walks around the outcrop in a crouch. "Stay alert, in case there's any shooters lingering."

He gestures, "I think we'll have to get our answers the hard way." Finn stops, "I'll check One-Eye's mind, you check Gut Shot. Okay?" Finn nods, "Ask the usual; who sent you, why, etceter."

sandrayln · Joined: 10 Apr 2008 Posts: 176

Faylinn swarms up the rope when it's lowered for her with the grace of someone quite used to climbing things in much harder ways than with ropes.

"Be careful," she answers Finn's request. "I would prefer if you spoke to the one on his back and left me to deal with the worst-injured..."

Finn · Joined: 10 Apr 2008 Posts: 124

Finn nods, "You're free to do both. Pick the one expiring more swiftly first." He smiles slightly, grimly. "I had hoped for a live prisoner, but this is more direct, I suppose." He pauses, "Very well, let us hurry, I have the one on his back."

sandrayln · Joined: 10 Apr 2008 Posts: 176

"Of course." And Fay turns to the one missing most of his face first, probing for what coherency might be left in his mind.

Nihilistic Mind · Posted: Thu Jun 26, 2008 2:36 am Post subject:

Pain and despair. The man is afraid for his life and struggles to move away from Faylinn. He pulls out a knife at one point, but she expects it and knocks it out of his hands.
His mind is a flurry of images of traveling, mixed in with pain and the transformation the Black Road has brought him. She feels the physical pain in her eye for a while, but she moves past it, further down the corridor of memories, narrowing things down to a vision: A great knight in dirty armor on the tallest horse the man has ever seen. The knight's helmet is slitted horizontally all around except at either temple and the very back. The knight has antlers and gloved fists the size of a man's head. No name.
The knight offers power to hundreds and hundreds accept his mark.

She can no longer feel the man's pain and her mind escapes his as death comes over him. That was close...

...

Finn approaches the man on his back and he is in pretty good shape it seems. The bloody veins in his eyes are slowly leaving him and Finn realizes that color is coming back to him. It is possible that this man is shapeshifting to appear more human. There's a lot of blood coming from his shoulder and he is definitely hiding something underneath him.
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sandrayln · Joined: 10 Apr 2008 Posts: 176

Faylinn takes a slow, deep breath, gathering herself, and moves to the remaining man.

Finn · Joined: 10 Apr 2008 Posts: 124

Finn draws his pistol with smooth speed, and aims at the fellow on his back. He sticks his boot under his hip, and flips him over roughly. "Do not make this more painful than necessary." He warns. "Shapeshifters, Fay. Be mindful." He drops to one knew by the injured man and checks first for what he was hiding.

sandrayln · Joined: 10 Apr 2008 Posts: 176

"I am," Faylinn answers calmly. "The one I started with is dead, so I do not believe you need concern yourself further with him."

Nihilistic Mind · Posted: Thu Jun 26, 2008 8:54 pm Post subject:

The man's back was concealing a large hunting knife with a wooden handle that he had managed to uproot. His movements are slowed and he doesn't try to fight back. "What did she do to my soldier?" he mutters in a perfect Thari.

Finn also notices a mark on his neck and bloodied exposed shoulder.

...

Faylinn approaches the man with spilling innards and the bloody left shoulder. His right hand is clutching a well-rooted handgun. He tries to move back away from her, his face a grimace showing fear of what she has caused to the other unfortunate. "Please, have mercy! We are fallen! Forgive us, have mercy!" He let go of the handgun, in his fearful state.
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