Grime and Blood
Emmara sprints through the city of Hydlaa. She pauses at the Laanx temple. She bites her lip in thought and shakes her head. She murmurs outloud to herself, "No if Jaco was injured down in the dungeons then the grendols would have taken her to death realm in which case ATagal will pick her up in death realm"
Emmara tries to think of other cold dark places. Oja had already been ruled out it was an arid city. There were no particular dark cold areas there. The Kran's stone city was also not an option. The young fenki pushed away the overwhelming thought of searching the cavernous tunnels of Bronze Door. "May as well check the sewers while I'm in Hydlaa."
Emmara turned the corner and walked to the sewer access behind Kada El's. The stairs were slick with grime that other people had dragged out on the soles of their boots. As she stood over the hole in the stone floor, she wrinkled her nose at the putrid smell of rat dung, tef urine, and mold. Emmara slapped her helm down on her head and drew a dagger as she used her free paw to descend the ladder.
Emmara jumped down the last few rungs and cringed as she landed in a foul smelling puddle, "This is gonna take a trip to the river after this. Wherever we find Jaco, she's gonna owe me some scented soap. And I don't even use scented soap."
A group of clackers clambered over each other to get at a dark lump in a corner. Emmara tensed her muscles and adjusted her grip on her daggers. With her huntress' grace and skill, she passed the foraging clackers without notice. She descended the ramp; her ears swiveling as she approached an intersection at the bottom of the ramp. Emmara wasn't the only hunter in the sewers. As she slowly rounded the corner she cursed her luck. “Sleeping rats don't make sound.” Emmara back pedals toward the ramp as they wake with anxious squeals and give chase to the promise of fresh food. The ruckus was enough to disturb the foraging clackers who also joined the diminuitive mob. The rats and clackers are distracted by their fallen comrades that came to close to Emmara's retreating figure. Emmara leaves the survivors to clean up their dead; getting a disease from an accidental bite is an unnessary risk at the moment. "Nasty creatures someone needs to throw a fireball down here once in a while."
Emmara shudders as she shakes her walking paw to rid her boot of something unidentifable, "maybe the other way is better." she slides between some broken bars near the ladder she descended. The choices were limited as her head scans left and right down the corridor. She catches a glimpse of a claw in a side corridor; the shuffling sound of a tef reaches her ears. Emmara tilts her head as she thinks she smelled something familiar. The huntress walks a slow circle with her nostrils widened to try and catch the scent again. She moves slowly and purposefully as she catches it again. The invisible trail leads her toward a room with a green hue. Emmara shifts her gaze toward the tefs to make sure they are remaining indifferent to her presence. She walks along the wall opposite of the tef's corridor. “No sense in risky an injury right now,” she murmurs to herself.
The stench becomes stronger but so does Jacobita's scent. A sudden scuffling sound is heard to the right. Emmara braces for the wrathrat as it charges. It lets out a dying screech and falls to its side as Emmara's daggers fall with precision. Emmara keeps a wary eye out for other rats as she follows Jaco's scent into the corner. The soil at the corner seems unnaturally dark, even for the sewers, and the stench of blood is overwhelming. Emmara kneels down next to the edge of the stained ground; she keeps her ears backwards to listen for attackers from behind.
Emmara's shoulder slump as she determines the majority of the scent is Jacobita's. There is another scent mingled with it, an all too familiar scent. She snarls as Jacula's name is matched with the scent. A glint of metal catches Emmara's eye. A metal object is mostly submerged in the blood and grime. With her fingertips Emmara gently pulls the object from the gore. Her eyes close in sadness as she sees it is the metal House Cheshire badge. This was an unfair one sided battle. She looks around at the remains of the battle scene. Emmara catches sight of a faint blood trail leading out of the room.
Did Jacobita survive this attack? Was she laying wounded somewhere else. Emmara dips her fingertips into the blood trail. She raises it to her nose. Her lips curl back away from her fangs in distaste: Jacula. Emmara's muzzle twists slightly into a sardonic smile, “Good for Jaco!! She got at least one good blow in before....” Emmara's eyes glaze over for a second as she admits to herself, Jaco did not survive this encounter. With a snarl of anger and contempt, Emmara grips the badge in her paw and sprints out of the sewers. There was only one hope now. Emmara whispered to herself as she sprinted to Harn's, “Please, Ata, find her in death realm.”
It was a busy day at Harnquist's shop. Many craftsman and adventurers had gathered around the shop to share tales, trade wares, and visit with old friends. Emmara ignored all of it and ducked behind the shop with the expectations of seeing Atagal and Jacobita sitting or laying on the grass recovering from Dakkru's price for using the portal. She scanned the injured and the exhausted. No Atagal. No Jacobita.
Emmara paced nervously for a moment trying to decide whether to ignore her promise to Atagal and to tempt fate by running through death realm to find them.
Emmara's arms fell by her sides as she knew her chances of evading an army of Grendols and Dakkru's notice were slim at best. No, if Atagal couldn't find their missing guildmate than sending herself to death realm to help was a useless gamble. Emmara nervously paces near the trees. She looks up as she hears a familiar voice: Lilura. The fenki walks over to her friend and reaches for the kran's shoulder to ask a favor.
Emmara tells Lilura of the situation with their search and that she has found evidence that proves Jacobita has been murdered, but she purposely leaves the name of the killer out of the story. She will not feed his ego by telling of his despicable crimes. She bites her lip uncertainly before asking if Lilura will go to death realm to tell Atagal to come out if she hasn't found Jacobita yet. Emmara gives an answer to one bold menki's question, “Did he wear a mask?” Annoyed and frustrated she snaps, “I wouldn't know I was not there.” A grateful look and a soft thank you is all the kran needed before she respectfully walks away from the public eye to travel the lone path to death realm. A firestorm of tales and allegations have ignited among the onlookers about the vague crime. Emmara walks away from it all. People already hate him, fear him, and fail to capture him. Let them talk. Atagal and Jacobita's safe return is all that matters at the moment. She waits quietly in the grass watching people tumble out of the portal, most lay exhausted and drained where they fall.
A tender menki paw brushes Emmara's shoulder. A glance to her left reveals an old friend, Laliki. He takes a quiet vigil next to her. Time creeps by before Atagal crosses the portal, Emmara leaps to her paws and runs to her. Atagal sighs with annoyance at the expected weakness and grabs her blades of seduction to compensate for her lost strength and a heavy pack. Emmara shifts from one paw to another anxiously watching the portal. Lilura arrives. Emmara looks to Atagal. Atagal silently shakes her head. Emmara is heartbroken. Jacobita scared and alone in death realm would have been better than no Jacobita anywhere. Emmara takes a breath and shows Atagal the bloody badge, “She was killed in the sewers.” Atagal thinks for a moment, “Then perhaps she is on her way to the guildhouse. She must have come out while I entered and you searched the sewers.”
Emmara pauses only long enough to thank Laliki and Lilura for their support. The two fenkis waste no time leaving Hydlaa. Emmara looks a little guilty as the guards yell at Atagal for carrying bared weapons, and Atagal doesn't even pay them an ounce of attention since the swords are her only means of walking with the curse and a heavy pack. There is no time to waste.....Jacobita is still out there somewhere.
With regret RL always takes priority over write-ups. This and a couple scenes have occurred before enki alliance meeting
