"When we get on our way we need to discuss your anger issues." Vadei commented as we lingered near the edge of a dorm. Her nose moving about excessively as she tried to pick up on the scent of our targets.
"My anger issues?" I repeated as I cleaned brick dust off of my carapace.
"You've done nothing but work yourself up into a fit of rage and breaking things." she elaborated.
"Again, my anger issues? All you did last I checked was make snarky comments and insult people at every turn."
She looked at me, baffled, "I had reason to be like that! I was stuck in a camp relying on the help of the people who enslaved me and someone from the people I was enslaved to!"
"I had no involvement with your employment!" I retorted back with, choosing my last word carefully to annoy her. But, when she snarled at me I just sighed.
"Let's just get back to finding those two..." she grumbled after she had turned away from me. Her face soon rising and facing a particular direction once she had caught something.
"Found them?"
"I can't tell, there's too many people here. Too many smells to deal with."
"Well, give me a sniff then." I said to her, remembering that I had held on to Heiya and she had been on me. Vadei, however, just gave me an agitated look.
"How is that going to help!?"
"Because I had briefly held on to Heiya when I took her up to a rooftop. Maybe her smell lingers on me, you can use that to pick hers out easier, no?"
She looked away with a stretched out face, grumbling all the while, "Fine, get here and let me sniff you..." a small laugh leaving me as a result of that.
"I'm sorry..." I said to her as I calmed down. Her face having also gained a red tint as a result of my recontextualisation of her words.
"Right, I think I might have an idea now. Come on." she ordered as she slipped away from the building. Myself following not far behind as her head turned to face the smell as we walked. Sometimes moving with greater speed whenever she found a pungent spot. Albeit, I couldn't smell any of it.
"Are they or she in here?" I then asked once we came to a stop just before a building. I wasn't sure what building it was but the lack of students near it must have meant that it was not a student building. It must have been a staff building if that was the case. Which I guess would make sense, they were making a transaction here...
"The smell gets stronger in here, so yes. But should we wait? Teachers might be in there!"
"I can't say I care about annoying a few teachers..." I growled as I moved slightly closer to the building with curled up claws.
"I'm not going to be able to convince you to be patient, am I?"
"Not in the slightest..." I tell her as I looked down at her from the small staircase.
"Fine, you go in first and I'll try and keep an ear and nose out for trouble. But, do it quietly, we need to be able to catch them, not spook them!"
"Noted." was all I had to say before I then gently forced the door open. Cautiously looking about before letting Vadei in after me. Closing the door and focusing in on the sound of Heiya's accent. A claw rubbing Vadei's head gently as I passed by her, much to her annoyance.
But, before I moved about, I tested the floor to make sure my bulk did not make much noise. And when I was satisfied with a certain degree of speed, I moved along. Placing myself against the door where those two pieces of shit were just beyond. My chitters becoming slightly louder.
"Did yau heaaar samething, Paps?" Heiya then asked just beyond the door. A question that made me spring into action and charge through it. A loud bang and squeal filling my ears as I grabbed her by the neck and hit the wall with her. And then, a different kind of sound and a bunch of odd feelings on my back.
"That wasn't very smart of you, was it?" I asked Paps as I looked at him and the smoking barrels of his gun. A few large but thin spikes having got stuck in my cloak and bandages. In response, I tightened my grip on Heiya's neck, causing her to squirm about and beat at my arms. Then, all of a sudden, this Paps dropped all his weapons and raised his hands.
"Don't hurt." he pleaded as his eyes focused on the struggling Heiya. His rate of breathing shooting up when I let Heiya's drop to near zero. It seems like that so long as I had Heiya in my grasp I could get him to do whatever I wanted. But, just to test the strain, I let Heiya choke for a few brief moments.
I wanted him to see this little piece of rubbish struggle...
"DON'T HURT!" he then shouted at me just before I let my grip loosen. Heiya's body rising and falling as she took in many panicked breaths. Her eyes watering up as she looked at me with trembling lips.
"Paps..." she whimpered out while looking at him.
"Get the weapons away from them." I ordered Vadei as she finally came in with a snarl of her own. Her hands soon being packed with weapons that she tossed into the corner of the room. Heiya's gun having to be snapped off by me with Vadei then clearing her of any others. So, to let her do all that, I moved away from the wall and dangled Heiya about.
"What want?" I was then asked by Paps as his eyes tracked Heiya's position. My back shaking about until Vadei used a gun to smash those spikes off of my clothes. That gun then being pointed straight at Paps once she was done.
"I want you to take me to Tobaballe. The home you people took me from." I growled out to him. But, much to my annoyance and rage, he just shook his head over and over.
"We no know way."
"LIAR!" I roared at him with my grip tightening up again.
"W-W-We... D-Dan't!" Heiya then struggled out as her little hands tried to pull my grip apart. But, it was pathetic, to say the least. I was not even registering her attempts in any manner! It was like a baby was trying to do it!
"You best start explaining then!" Vadei then said to her as she violently jabbed her gut with the gun's barrel. Her gun's barrel. A gesture from Vadei soon making me loosen up my grip as otherwise, I wouldn't have.
"We anly ga aut ta set lacaaale! Iishaaar Ha meets up with us there!"
"Iishar Ho?" I repeated while looking about with a frown. No, that doesn't make sense, why would she...?
And then, well, I realised it, I figured out what had happened. That display she gave me, the one involving her strange strength. Perhaps even why the goldhands were the way they were. They had been selling out their countrymen for magic givers of some kind...
"So that's why you were with her..." Vadei muttered quietly as she looked at me now with sorrow. A mixture of regret also appearing shortly after before I made her jump with fright. My magic was now bubbling out of me while I was twitching in rage.
"Fine then, you will take us to that place, take me to the Anvil-Peak and then we can go on from there..." I quietly told Heiya as my mouth chittered over and over. Intentionally being loud with them this time until I got a sign of confirmation from her.
"Yes! We do! Let go!" Paps then said as he moved closer slightly. But, I got him to back off with another growl directed at him.
"First, tell me how you plan on taking us there."
"We can fly! We fly!" he said to me while gesturing with his hands. I was going to look out a window, but I could not see any airships nearby. So it was sort of pointless as I could not ask about that one. But, I could ask about what they came in on.
"Can you pilot the airship you two arrived on?"
"Yes..." Paps said with some uncertainty which pretty much meant he was lying.
"You don't sound particularly sure."
"Not many. Too many needed!" he explained somewhat, but, this made sense to me given my old profession. Sometimes one needed a team to use certain tools just to make sure items were out of the way and so on. A few other things too, but it was usually carrying and so on.
"I guess you'll just have to make do with the two of you then." I said with a frown as I just shrugged off concerns. I had a bone to pick with these two so I might as well overwork them in the process.
"Where are we going to find an airship exactly!?" Vadei then asked me with a harsh whisper for some reason.
"One landed by the building I did the lecture in... We should be able to take that one."
"Would they have not brought it in for maintenance, though?"
"I suppose that is fair, guess we'll be stealing a stored away one, then." I grumbled as I began to move out of the room. Looking at Heiya harshly before dropping her. Watching intently as she scurried over to Paps who then embraced the crying girl tightly. His hand stroking her spines carefully for some time.
At least, until I interrupted this oh so sweet reunion with a stamp of my foot, "Stick close or one of you dies." I threatened them with before I let Vadei take the lead. Myself following our captives who were right behind Vadei as she left we left the building. The guns having been left in the room.
If we needed a swift means to kill these two then my claws would do just fine indeed... I had experience in killing things and people casually so doing it with intent would be more than doable. What wasn't doable, however, was finding where the airship might be located. And, well, we ended up getting lost on the way much to mine and Vadei's annoyance.
I even made sure my claws were keeping those two muzzled up just to make sure they didn't call for help. Not that it would matter, I suppose, I was a big scary osibindah. People were going to get involved with any suspicious thing I did regardless. So I guess we just needed to avoid people in general.
"Nin, over there!" Vadei then pointed out as she caught sight of an airship lying about.
"Is anyone near it?" I asked her as I tried to see if anyone was working on it.
"No, it seems to be alone now, those who were doing stuff have walked away."
"Guess we will have to be quick..."
Vadei giggled slightly, "We'd have to be quick anyway, we're stealing an airship." she told me in a clearly excited tone. A slight smile of my own appearing as that was indeed true, but it quickly disappeared so I could focus. This was it, I was finally going to start heading home and all it took was me dying and escaping death row...
"I'll get us four onto the roof of that building, we can plan from there." I then told them as I made sure the two slavers were in my grip. Gesturing for Vadei to get on to my back once we got close to the building.
"Can I have a heads up before you jump? I want my grip to be secure."
"Make sure it is tight then." was what I told her as I crouched down before launching up into the sky. A boom following us before I made a loud bang when I hit the metal roof panels this place had. Slight dents forming as a result of me hitting it at such speeds.
"Okay... Maybe more than a heads up..." Vadei complained as she held and rubbed her ears. A claw of mine staying near her to ensure she did not waddle off of the roof. It going straight back to Paps once she had stopped moving about.
"Right, let's get this over with, then." I told the three of them as I brought two of them closer to the airship. The other one following close behind in a crawling-like manner. Yet, despite her otherwise human shape, Vadei moved about on all fours seamlessly.
"There's nothing out there on the landing pad." Vadei pointed out as she briefly tried to lean over. It being brief because the moment she saw the height she was at, she retreated. It didn't intimidate me, but that was because heights sort of have become dull to me.
"But what about inside the building is the question, if someone catches us then we'd surely not get what we want." I said to her while trying to think of how we could observe the inside of the building. My eyes quickly falling upon our prisoners as I had no qualms about their health and safety. To some extent, them dying because they cracked their skull in a fall would not be helpful.
"He-!" Heiya nearly squealed out when I suddenly tightened my grip around her neck again. Hoisting her over the building edge and holding her there before then dangling Paps by the leg.
"If you want her to live, you'll give me an honest layout as to what is in this building." I told him while choking Heiya more to prove a point. Panicked nods coming from him before I then roughly lowered him down.
"No one there! No one!" he told me, but how could I believe this!? We had just seen people working on this machine. There's no way the building was now empty and devoid of anyone.
So, I tightened my grip on Heiya, "Don't you lie to me now..."
"Not lie!" he nearly yelled out as his head bent up to look at Heiya's face. A face that showed her struggle to breathe very well, even if it was covered in fur.
"Alright, let's see if Heiya here sings the same tune." I grumble before bringing them both back to the roof. Inverting the process and letting Heiya dangle upside down while Paps struggled to breathe.
"It's true! Na ane is in there! It's empty!" she said to me after she got a series of coughs out.
"Down we go then, hold on." I sarcastically told the two slavers before I secured them in my grip. Looking at Vadei first to see how she wanted to get down.
"No, wait, hold on, I can probably get down myself. I'll wave if the place stays clear." Vadei explained before she disappeared down the side of the building. My masked eyes watching her as she slowly went down the building. Her sharp nails serving as little hooks as she went down. And once she was down, she spent a short while watching the inside.
Then, like she said she would, a wave came, "Down we go then." I muttered as I sat down before scooting off the roof. Flinching when my landing made a loud bang and broke some concrete. But, I had no time to waste here, so I just rushed towards the airship alongside Vadei. Both of us hiding against these tracked claws holding on to the airship.
"Are these a part of the airship?" I asked the slavers as I looked at the airship. The one that came in did not have these on it but given magic was a thing, I wanted to take no risks.
"Na, laaanding claaaws! Helps keep them staaable when laaanded!" Heiya clarified to me as I held her up to it.
"Right, can they be taken off from inside the airship?"
"They aaare aaalreaaady aff! Apen!" she explained further, something that made me nod and smile.
"All aboard then." I said to Vadei before we then went up a ramp into the airship. Letting the two slavers guide me to the control room before I did anything else.
"Nin, are you sure these two will be enough?" Vadei then asked me once we got inside. And she had valid reason to, this room was filled with machines and dozens of chairs. All we had was two slavers so did we have enough to truly pilot this thing? Or were most of these secondary functions we could do without?
"We'll see, you're swifter, Vadei. Go back to the entrance and keep an eye out. If someone tries to stop us, come back and I'll sort it out." I told her to which she nodded before she went off and disappeared. My eyes returning to the slavers as I let them go and gestured for them to get started. But, from here on out I wasn't sure what to do. I was unfamiliar with this machine and I wasn't sure if they'd try something.
Yet, I also did not want them both to leave my sight so I sort of just had to linger about near the centre. Watching them both carefully as they worked a machine I had no idea how to work myself. It was nerve-wracking to say the least, I was likely being watched by the academy somehow... And, well, we also had all this to deal with regarding the machine.
But, to my relief, the only noise I then heard was the purr of this machine. Its engines clearly coming to life as all the machines lit up and began to make noises of their own. A soothing rumble going throughout the airship as two loud clangs also rang out into my ears. That must have been us leaving the grip of those claws.
"VADEI!?" I then shouted down the way I had come aboard to make sure she was on.
"Yeah!?" she called back in a much quieter tone. Her frame coming into view as she rushed into the control room.
"Don't worry, I was just making sure you were on board." I explained to her before I collapsed into what must have been the captain's chair. Or something to that effect, I wasn't sure if airships had captains.
"Slavers, which one of these gives us an idea of what is going on outside?" Vadei then demanded of the pair as she tried to familiarise herself with the equipment. Something I paid attention to as the more familiar I was with it the better we would do.
"The screen with the pictures aaand bright calaurs!" Heiya clarified as she rushed about trying to do all these different things as we went up. Paps was doing pretty much the same until they both slowed down and breathed a sigh of relief. Likely indicating that we had gotten out of the initial part. But, something had caught my attention.
"Strange thing..." I muttered as I stared at these strange controls near the chair I was on. It was a box of some kind that had just risen out of the floor in front of me. Was it a joystick or something? Either way, I did not want to touch it as something was off about it.
"Wait... Something is wrong." Vadei then commented as she looked at the screen she was directed to. My body soon rising to look over her before I then frowned at what I saw.
"Someone is coming after us, something blue." I noted as it was clear someone was chasing after us. But who was chasing after us...? And why were they blue? Was it because of the magic they used...?
No, wait, it couldn't be...
"Where are you going!?" Vadei asked of me as I began to rush off.
"Get them to open the entrance ramp, I want to look at this myself."
"No ramp! Go to open section!" Paps told me as he began to point at a side door which must have led elsewhere. But, I went that way anyway so I could see what it was and I was hit with a sudden breeze when I got outside.
"NIIIIIIIIN! WAIT!!!!" I heard a familiar voice yell. And I was frankly shocked to see that it was Lari. What was she doing here!? How did she know what I was up to!?
Had she been following us since the start!? But, now I wasn't sure what to do... I had no intention of bring Lari into this yet here she was yelling for me. Her face red as she chased after us.
Did I help her or ignore her...? She was my friend, a very good friend and a woman I had greater feelings for. Would it be right of me to leave her here? Or did I just drop her and ignore her?
"No... Gods preserve her..." I then mumbled before I went over the railings of the airship. Nearly sliding off the airship had it not been for me grabbing onto a pipe of some kind.
"NIN!" yelled out Lari once more just before she stumbled.
"YOU NEED TO JUMP!" I yelled down to her as I tried to stretch out my arm as best as I could. Somewhat worried about how I might send myself off as that pipe was creaking. Was I applying too much magic to it!? Wait, of course, my own magic!
And with that suddenly in mind, I began to try and cast a spell. A spell that existed because of Lari and soon it was there. An extension to my grip in the form of a long magical plank for her to grab on to. I tried to bring it out as much as I could, but I wasn't able to get it that far. Yet, thankfully, Lari could jump far enough that what I had was all that I needed.
And now, she was hugging on to me tightly after flipping over said magic extension. A smile on my face as I heard her wind-muffled laughter before we slowly went back aboard. Her laughter soon filling the control room before she collapsed into the captain's chair. Heiya in particular reacting with uncertainty once she was in here.
"Why's she here...?" Vadei asked me as she approached us, a small wave coming from her when Lari waved to her.
"She has a point, why are you here...?" I then asked in confusion as I stared at her. Taking careful note of how she was dressed more than she usually was. Not massively so, but it was noticeable as she was like Rose in a way. Preferred loose and open outfits as opposed to what most around her wore.
"I couldn't find you so I followed your magic signature and I felt that you were on here..." she panted out before she wiped her face down. Oddly enough, she tried to hide her face as she did so before she then sprung up.
"Right, are you looking for something...?" I then asked her as she looked about in a panic.
"Shower, bath, anything like that here?"
"With beds." Paps then pointed out as he pointed down the central doorway.
"Thank... You..." Lari said cheerfully at first before she noticed Heiya. But, she did not start an issue, instead, she rushed off down the main hallway.
"Must be desperate for a toilet or something." I mumbled before I then sat down again with a sigh. Gesturing Paps back to the front before staring oddly at Vadei. She had just walked past me and gained a sudden blush. But, she said nothing about it.
Did Lari accidentally pee on me or something...? I couldn't see any slight yellow patches, but, there was some kind of wet patch. But, I guess it didn't matter too much, she was a water witch. She made me wet quite often with her antics.
"I'm going to have a look around, get an idea of where everything is." Vadei then told me before she left. Her tail swooshing about as a slight smile appeared on her face before she disappeared too. I guess she was just happy about finally being on her way to help out her family and such. I know that was on her mind a lot since I met her.
And here I was too, smiling as I was finally on my way home, after all this time. All the pain and suffering I had to go through was finally coming to an end. Familiar trappings would soon be around me and I could try to go back to living a normal life. Yet, now that I had seen Lari again, I wonder...
Would I miss any of them? Would I truly feel worse off because I just abandoned those who looked out for me in my time? I may have had a falling out with them, but both Rose and Vapooliar did a lot for me. To say nothing of Lari's efforts and the progress I had made with Einervaene in my time knowing her.
I just did not know, first I was excited to finally be on my way home but now I was moody. Was this going to be worth it as when I got home I would have no friends... Iishar, who I thought was truly sincere all this time was the reason I was here. Her greed and deceit are why I was now a monster notorious for raping and plundering.
"No, can't expect any of them to stay with me..." I muttered quietly as I stared down the way Vadei and Lari went. Sighing before I returned my attention to the two slavers in front of me. Getting up and moving closer to Heiya and paying close attention to Paps. As he had flinched slightly when I had moved towards Heiya who in turn had jumped a bit.
"Yes...?" the small girl before me asked as she turned away from the machines in front.
"Will there be any more problems from here on out?"
"We shauld be getting cammunicaaatian fram the aaautharities af the mauntaaain-staaate... But nathing is caming thraugh. They likely aaalreaaady knaw this is aaa stalen aaairship!" Heiya pointed out worriedly as she tapped away some more. A clear tremble noticeable in her hands while she also tried to hide her neck.
"Then you two best be prepared to get us away from any pursuers." I told her before walking off. The thoughts on my mind being about a possible boarding action. Would we be forced to make it violent or would we get away just fine? I guess we will have to wait and see.
"We can't! Need more crew!" Paps then exclaimed as he approached me.
"Well, we don't have any, you two will have to do. Now, get back to piloting this thing." I told him before looking over to Heiya. Watching with a slight smirk as he scurried back over towards the machines. A quiet sigh coming from me shortly after. This was... Different.
I may have had an extreme bone to pick with the pair of them, but... This wasn't me, I know I used my body as a means to intimidate semi-often. But, here I was actually threatening to harm and enacting it to leash someone with fear. This just wasn't me and I did not like it.