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[adwarf]

"I am a survivor, because I learned when I was young, more often than not hiding in a hole is a hell of a lot safer than staring down someone who means you harm with a weapon in hand ... Also refrain from calling me champion, I am no such thing."

[Draignean]

    "We are all champions," Kazren said softly, "even if we wished another path for ourselves. Our only choice in this matter is the cause we wish to champion.  More importantly, Champion Fenrik, I call your survival skills into question because you have, quite singlehandedly, alienated yourself from every other champion by informing us of your intent to use us as shields at the nearest opportunity." Kazren would have smiled, had he still lips, but he settled for making his tone warm. "Regardless of your interpersonal skills, Champion Fenrik, know this: I will never leave you to die. Help us, keep to the barest shred of human decency, and I will protect you with my last breath. The same goes for all of you," Kazren added in a louder voice, his tone still warm. "We are Champions of the Gods, it is our duty to carry their will, and to stand together even when our masters cannot stand the sight of one another. If we let our divisions tear us apart, we are nothing more than we were yesterday; individual servants of individual Gods who can barely manage to agree that the wastes are red. If we can stand together, we represent a strength of unity that Elysium has never seen. Together, we are force strong enough to change this world."
   
((Ah, I love characters who love speeches.))

Drive, talk with Seeker about extending his autopilot capabilities as we follow the tracks in the wasteland dust.

[IronyOwl]

"Regardless of your interpersonal skills, Champion Fenrik, know this: I will never leave you to die. Help us, keep to the barest shred of human decency, and I will protect you with my last breath. The same goes for all of you,"

Dust smiled at Kazren's speech, but perhaps for the wrong reasons.

"What if you had to choose between saving me and him?" she asked cheerfully.

[Draignean]

"Regardless of your interpersonal skills, Champion Fenrik, know this: I will never leave you to die. Help us, keep to the barest shred of human decency, and I will protect you with my last breath. The same goes for all of you,"

Dust smiled at Kazren's speech, but perhaps for the wrong reasons.

"What if you had to choose between saving me and him?" she asked cheerfully.

Kazren smiled internally, he enjoyed these games. "Context? Are we to say that I am confronting by some Demon of a forgotten era, and I must sacrifice someone in order to prevent the end of the world?"

[adwarf]

"I told you the truth on the matter, because what we're embarking on now is not the task we were sent to complete. It is a diversion to take care of matters likely more minor then our time need be wasted on, and time is a precious thing."

Fenrik said as his mind raced, indeed time was precious and what if this delay in completing both their main mission, and the one Nilvath granted brought about the anger of the Dark God for Fenrik's delay. It wasn't his fault no, but Nilvath wouldn't care, Fenrik was left to hope they'd finish this before the Dark God grew tired of the delay ...

He was shaken from that thought as he heard Dust speak, narrowing his eyes he glanced in her direction for a moment before choosing to act like he hadn't heard it as he laid his head back and half closed his eyes. She was one of his targets after all, best not to try and create problems lest people suspect something when he killed her ...

[IronyOwl]

Kazren smiled internally, he enjoyed these games. "Context? Are we to say that I am confronting by some Demon of a forgotten era, and I must sacrifice someone in order to prevent the end of the world?"

"Hmmmmm... supposing you are too injured to do more than drag one of us to the safety of the Myrmidon and leave, while we can do little ourselves except scream. An advancing horde of ravening vermin will surely eat the other alive, slowly and painfully, before you can recover and return."

[Draignean]

Kazren cocked his head. "Well, in that instance I would probably leave both of you and run back to the Myrmidon- a feat much more easily accomplished when not encumbered by your flailing bodies. From there, I can either drive back and load you with a great shortening of distance, or I can use the vessel's autocannon to protect you." Kazren chuckled, then shook his head. "However, if we are to assume some fantastical situation in which there is no other choice, then I would face a decision," Kazren continued, his voice growing more solemn. "If I believed that I could defeat enough of the swarm to keep you alive, even at the cost of my own life, I would attack. If I did not hold that belief, then I would drag both of you with all of my might- even if it might mean the death of all three of us. I have no right to decide the fate of your life, and I will not abandon you to die unless you make that choice yourself. There are some of you that I like more than others, but the fate and security of this undertaking cannot be staked on a mutual popularity contest between ourselves. Maintain the basest level of respect for your fellows, and I will protect you even if I come to hate you." Kazren shrugged, his silver wings ruffling. "It is my way."

[Digital Hellhound]

The Road Crew

Talking philosophical with his companions, Kazren drives off the road and starts following the tracks. The going in the Myrmidon gets a little rougher, though the plains are - so far - mostly flat. There's only so much a juggernaut like the Myrmidon can do to avoid rocks and uneven terrain, of course. Most things caught under the wheels are thrown away or crushed into oblivion with the weight of the vehicle pressing down on them.

[5] Kazren and the shaman follow the tracks up to where the ants turned back. The tracks, only barely visible to the Myrmidon's systems, do indeed start to turn northwards. There's not much difference in the wastes, though the landscape ahead seems more rocky than before, great, scarred boulders and short cliffs rising occasionally. A few dry trees suffer between them. To Arlia's learned eye, they speak of the presence of an oasis somewhere in the area. These trees were no doubt born from seeds carried by the desert wind from that sanctuary.

They manage to follow the tracks onwards. The vehicles were light, no doubt one of the many more or less ramshackle creations of wastelanders. No match for godstech, surely, but some design true and tested through the decades. Whoever drove these vehicles must have some supply of fuel, or atleast raid for it regularly.

A while further - well in rocky ground by now, the Myrmidon smashing into boulders when they can't be avoided - something catches their attention. A dust cloud, in the horizon. They catch glimpses of distant specks inside; at least three vehicles, driving towards the same point as the tracks, kicking off the cloud as they go. The Myrmidon isn't exactly made for stealth, but they could probably stay out of sight by staying in the distance - or just wait for them to pass.

***

[adwarf]

"Might I advise we try and get far enough away that those probably highly friendly brigands don't see us?"

[Draignean]

Hang back, wait for the unknown vehicles to pass, then follow their undoubtedly fresh (and painfully obvious) trail.

(DH: If I go too long without posting, just shoot me in the knee or something to get my attention.))

[IronyOwl]

(DH: If I go too long without posting, just shoot me in the knee or something to get my attention.))

((Sweet, a chance for me to pump my shotgun menacingly every now and then.))

Dust stared with wide-eyed wonder as Kazren gave his answer, like a child discovering a new toy. "What a fascinating answer," she finally said, clearly a little excited. "I think The Weaver would like you. Do you think Rennahn would like me?"


She let out a disappointed sound at Fenrik's suggestion and Kazren's answer. "Aw, can't we just go up and greet them? They can't be stronger than us, and we likely have business with them one way or another."

[Draignean]

   Kazren honestly wasn't entirely sure of Rennahn's feelings for the weaver and her servants. As far as he knew, however, Dust was simply a servant of her own eccentricity, not outright cruelty. "I think that Rennahn would treat you kindly, though she might, if you caught the Goddess on a good day, attempt to teach you a number of interesting philosophies regarding honor, justice, rationality, and the like. She is a Goddess of compromise, and I fully believe that she would enjoy talking with you."
"To the latter matter, I agree that a vehicle of the Gods would most likely overmatch any other craft that we might encounter, but I'd rather not risk losing their trail. If they're friendly, then my caution is misplaced and your plan is the better. If they are unfriendly but do not wish to engage, it's possible that they could play merry hob with the trail or warn greater numbers of our foes. If they are unfriendly and choose to engage, then we risk damage to Seeker, and it's possible we may still lose the trail. This ensures that we can follow their path with ease, and not be forced to rely on the fainter traces."

((And then Draignean realized how little he edited his last dialogue post.))

[Digital Hellhound]

(I forgot you wanted to chat with Seeker, including it here.)

The Band

Kazren decides to stay and wait. The Myrmidon draws to a halt, the engine's rumble becoming a low murmur, and the champions watch the little dots and their dust cloud disappear into the horizon. The Warbreaker questions the voice about its self-control in the near-silence, but Seeker simply repeats the earlier line about 'demonstrations' and 'rapid reaction under specific circumstances only', and claims not to understand further suggestions or questions.

Only after the group are certain the vehicles are gone do they follow. The vehicles did not appear to spot them, though it's impossible to really tell. [5] They rumble away after the new tracks, gouged clear into the dust. Though the Myrmidon's map is quite low-resolution in this area, Dust thinks she can make out a speck of blue and green up ahead. It could be an oasis - an excellent place to make camp for anyone. The land continues to be rocky up to that point, which offers them some cover should they wish to approach on foot. There's no telling if the tracks even stop at the oasis, though, unless they drive within range of sight. There are no dust clouds up ahead, so either the vehicles are no longer moving or are too far to see any sign of that.

***

[Digital Hellhound]

I admit, I'm as lost with this style of updating - short, quick posts instead of walls of text and separate plotlines for every character that take two weeks to write - but you might try posting actions sometimes. Draignean isn't the only one who gets to decide what you're doing, y'know.

Or I've just lost my groove. An old man, bitter and alone, his glory days behind him, unable to keep up with the times. A tragedy.

[Draignean]

((Yee gads, I truly am a terrible person.))

Keep the myrmidon on the tracks, and keep our speed moderate. We don't want to kick up too much of a cloud ourselves, and we don't want to appear overtly threatening.