Re group (Terra)

[Myles Arnnett]

Searing 34, 122nd Year, A.o.S.
12:30 pm

Standing over the mangled mess that had once been monster Myles' chest heaved with the effort. Casting his eyes about the room he frowned at the huddled group of crystalline statues that the monster had been so fixated on. Still unable to hear very well over the voices in his ears which had settled back into a frustrating white noise. There was movement in the room. Something had moved as he approached slinking further into the corner. Stepping around a shattered display rack Myles gasped at what he saw.

A child, with a crystalline mass similar to that of the statues around her sprouting from her head. Her one eye was red with tears and the way she was looking at him told him she feared he was no better than the monster he'd just slain... and considering the violence she'd likely just witnessed the fear was founded. Looking down at himself he shuddered, never in any skirmish that he'd been in before had he been so bloodied, both by his own and the blood of other.. things. Sheathing the remainder of his broken blade Myles opened his hand palms out to the girl. “I'm not here to hurt you, I know it's scary, but I'll get you out of here. Still, she shook her head at him, not budging from her corner and cage of statues. Myles wouldn't be able to get to her himself without going through said statues, not in his armor, without breaking them, and considering that they'd likely once been citizens he was loathe to do so. Kneeling to her Level Myles tried to muster a smile and as reassuring a tone as he could. “I’m gonna get you somewhere safe. So please come out from there.” Without being able to hear her, Myles struggled talk to her without being able to see the child’s face. Their visage hidden by a stuffed bear. Casting his eyes about the shop he spotted a what had once been a bolt of fabric, now half frayed and ruined. Still it would suffice to remove some of the blood from his visage and hopefully make him less gruesome to gaze upon.

Returning to the corner He again held his hand out to the girl. “I.. I don’t know what I can promise you, or tell you, But staying here won’t help you. Or them” poking a thumb at the statues to make his point he continued. “We aren’t going to abandon, them, I’m gonna do everything I can to make everything better. So please let me help you.”

Slowly but surely a little hand reached from the shadows and took his own. Not pulling her but not compromising on his grip he let her crawl out. The more she looked about the more it seemed that she was regretting her decision to ever leave her corner. Still she was out now, and there would be no going back. Leading her to the door Myles moved slowly trying to keep his one bare foot from stepping on any glass. He was down three fourths of his sword a helmet and a greave at this point, and with a child in tow he had little choice but to fall back to the safety of one of the defense core’s many way stations and try to go from there.

Pushing the remainder of the splintered door to the side Myles led them out into the street where the ash was still gently falling. All manner of horrible noises emanated from the rolling clouds of poisonous smog that now rolled out from the epicenter of the blast. He could feel the girl gripping his hand tighter as she panicked she was likely just now realizing what had happened to the shop was everywhere else too. Deciding to expedite their departure Myles scooped the child into his arms. “You should close your eyes, I’ll get us somewhere away from all this.” With that he took off as quick as he could away from the plumes of smoke in the city and towards the gate house on west end of town. He would be able to scout out his family manor as well from there with relative ease.

[Terra]

As the huntress lurched low and forward prowling into the wreckage. Even if the carnage had passed she needed to maintain her stealth, slow and steady her eyes and ears alert for danger. There was rumored monsters and deadly clouds that needed to be avoided at all cost her approach was to move unseen and to avoid direct conflict.

The soldier crinkled her nose in dissatisfaction as she became aware of her surroundings, the smell burning wood and the snap crackling pop of its sap didnt bother her. But it was the rancid stench of death that capriciously lofted in the air that she needed to brace herself for as nausea was not an option.

Smooth bore musket raising as she heard a familiar sound, scanning the apocalyptic terrain down the barrel of her gun. The driving force of fear and adrenaline kicked her senses into overdrive as her focus intensified as her iron sights locked in on her target. She acted like a professional marksman as she kneeled and rested the barrel on a piece of debri making adjustments based on the wind, and the distance and as she did so the sight veered off target like her intention was to shoot just passed the shoulder when the truth of the matter was she intended the wind to catch and place it dead center. She made her calculation as if her life depended on it. Math, go figure it was good for something.

The would be ambusher squinted away as she took a deep nasally breath in then exhaled to calm herself and steady her rattled nerves and aim. She was awful at detection and couldn't determine if the target was friendly, she was used to having a spotter. But there was something familiar about those buns, and that voice. The snipers finger reluctantly eased itself off the trigger. Long gun traded for spy glass now as she tried to observe this phenomenon a little further, she usually used this delicate instrument to scout possible sniper nests. But as she gazed she began stretching the sliding rods to amplify magnification. And something unusual began to unfurl within the lense, was that Myles? Surely she recognized those glutes! Was that a child? She was having difficulty speculating what she was seeing. But a smile crept on her toothy visage as she was happy to see him alive. But a child? He never once mentioned being married, sly dog she thought. But what's more is it seemed the child had a crystal or something for half her face, it was hard to tell as she tried to pick up on the minut details.

Pulling away from the scene she’d descend back into her movement stalking Myles and his bundle of joy as she mentally jested to help alleviate just how badly this whole thing was. The thought swirled in her mind like brandy in a glass. She needed to refocus, they were heading west back to the gate house.

She would follow her friend and comrade at a distance, food sounded good as she felt her stomach growl in anticipation of a lunch.

[Myles Arnnett]

Rounding the corner, child cradled against his chest Myles moved with purpose, he hadn’t the time to think about what to do yet, he still barely understood the situation the that the city was in. Still the roads were intact enough that he could navigate home and that would be enough for the moment. As he moved winced his bare foot pricked many times over by the rubble was bleeding. Thankfully he only had one more block to go. As the building came into view Myles cursed under his breath as he realized the door to it was wide open. Fearing the worst he put the child down and took her hand. Peaking his head into the open building he sighed, it was, intact, it’s “brave” defenders however had fled.

Taking a moment to look around the place he was relived to see the deserters had been so panicked that they had failed to take much with them, stocks of rations and ammunition and more importantly medical supplies and fresh boots. Setting the child up on one of the desks he looked her over, she didn’t how any signs of obvious injuries as far as he could tell, aside from the gleaming gem that had claimed the upper side of her face, in the dim room it glowed slightly. “Are you hurt?” He asked trying to ease his own panic from his voice. She shook her head quickly in ell him she wasn’t so he sat and began to tend to his own wounds. Pouring strong alcohol over his feet Myles gritted his teeth as the burning disinfectant did it’s work. Then bandaging his foot Myles pulled a sock and boot back over it and stood. It didn’t feel great but it would support him. Peering into the armory Myles confirmed the presence of a sword to replace his own and a poorly stashed bottle of Schnappes. Taking a swig from the strong Brew Myles looked back to the child and the maudlin light that filtered in from the twisted sky. What was the world coming too? His ears still rang with voices but slowly he was beginning to hear things over them, it felt as if the air pressure had changed and his ears finally popped returning some small amount of normalcy.

[Terra]

The sniper followed Myles trailing behind keeping a low profile. The whole time she stalked him using the debri as concealment and cover, what was left of an urban jungle.She felt alive, her purpose never before so true as she followed In pursuit until they ended up at the west end.

Terra made a casual entrance, nothing fancy as her boots clacked on wooden boards. Her long gun hanging lazily off her back, she proceeded forward however with careful measure as her hand rested on her flintlock pistol concealed behind the fabric of her cloak.

"Myles you old dog, glad you made it! You never told me you had a kid! What other secrets you got?" She kept it short and sweet with daddy's new little girl, knowing Myles she knew he'd find her candy and treats. It's what the man did, and there was no forgetting coffee and sticky buns.

The smile was genuine but something in those calm blue eyes was conflicted. Perhaps embarrassment from there singlehanded defeat, or maybe it was guilt. Something was hanging on the soldiers conscience as she loomed in the doorway. Despite being elated to know that Myles persevered from the chaos, she was also saddened because she realized why she followed him all this way.

It was to say good bye, to wish him well on his journey.

There was talk amongst her friends, other human scouts just like her that had been rejected from the once fast tracked success of military achievement. She was a deadly shot but not even recognized as an officer. Brennars policies created grievances long before the city went to shit. And now that it was virtually wiped off map all she had to do was locate them. A cohesive tactical squad that broke into two kill teams, they'd make a fortune out there. They'd be laughing all the way to the bank, a regular bunch of laughing devils.

The soldier took a moment to take into account the open armory. The open armory! Everything her and her comrades needed to get started, ammunition, sorcerer sand it was an open buffet that left the gunslinger starry eyed. There was so much that maybe she could get more than anticipated properly outfited. Maybe they even had a clockwork pistol hiding in there. As her ocean blues danced around the eye candy hoping to spot such a luxury.

"I'll wager the paycheck I'm not getting that out of all them guns your going to go for the blade. You know your the only guy I know that brings a sword to a gun fight and actually wins."

She tried to joke around and lighten the mood.

There was a great any things Terra was but there was one thing she wasnt and that was dishonest with her friends. She trusted Myles enough to try and confide in him and tell her side of things. She'd start with feeling the situation out first.

"So things are pretty bad, and a lot of soldiers have fled and some want to go there own way."