THe wounds had healed quickly enough. Her tail and leg still hurt like Hell, and the former took the worst of it. It's healing crooked, though, but that's the least of her worries. Her ability to lead the pack has been faltering. The skill was still there, but there was something else. The notion of her home. Her real home. A place to call her home. That was hers. Her own bed. The warmth of the forge. It was calling her name during every waking hour.
It tugs at her. Home. Restless, she paces when she should be restless - no doubt making that leg take longer to heal. Sleep is elusive, or she wakes with the scent of the fires in her nose. She has to keep the pack fed, but her heart isn't in it.
It's an itch she can't scratch, a longing, and no matter how much meat she gluts with, she's hollow.
At night, she slips away from the sleeping pack, sitting on a big flat rock and watching the alien world.
Morning was a time for waking. Moving and hunting. The day was the time of the hunt and well into the evening. The night was the time of rest, and with it Charlie truly finds privacy. Nearer the waning hours of night when the blood red moon is highest in the sky she can see the facade of this place for what it is. That searing pain - in mind, body, and spirit. This isn't her home. She just has to hunt it the way she hunts down any predator.
It can be done. She knows it can. She's met those that have escaped from their hell. The others, though... She looks towards the sleeping pack, a whine bubbling up in her throat before she swallows it back down. Torn, she shifts on the rock before beginning to pace with her limping gait, pausing to lick the sore place on her foreleg. A shift in the wind and she looks up, remembering the words of the white furgator. Dog.Just a dog. But she isn't. King is, though. No thumbs to work the water or the food dispenser.
Another of those low sounds comes up, escaping this time.
Her pacing takes a new direction, and she angles towards the pack, nipping at flanks to wake them, growling a low, "We hunt."
The feathered wolf is the first to awaken. Growling angrily at first until he sees that it's the alpha. As the beta he starts doing the same until the other remaining eight are still up and about. "What?" Says the scaled cat-bird. "We hunt," growls the wolf. Then one of them, a shelled rodent, asks, "When? What?"
When the others are awake, Charlie drops her lower jaw in a fang lined grin. "We hunt -home-."
"We hunt Awakodan."
Maybe she's gone mad, hunting a Fae in his own land. But she knows the scent of the one that shaped her. Knows which direction he came from when he caught up with her.
-> >> Charlie to Here << <-===========================================
Rolled 5 Successes for an exceptional success.
< 1 1 2 4 4 5 5 7 8 8 8 9 10 >
===========================-> >> Wits + Composure + 5 No Flags << <-
THere's nothing to hear, at least nothing near aside from the pack. Movement can be heard in the distance, but far enough away that they none of them can see the source. The nose knows. Sometimes. Some times. Searching by scent betrays one single fact. A many-faceted fact that's singular in nature. The earth beneath their feet. The high grasses they travel through. The trees. That bloodied sun. The very air they believe. In some odd way, it is all Awakodan.
If they're all 'inside' of Awakodan, then they simply need to find a place that's thin to claw their way through. And where is a beast most vulnerable? The underside. Ears flick back as she thinks, then turns away, finding a pace that pushes her injured leg, but not the others - setting out towards the cave where the alpha-killing spider lived. Out of sight, out of scent, keeping the water as long as she can.
GAME: Charlie recovers from all damage.
Game: Charlie takes 8 Lethal damage.
-> >> Charlie to Here << <-===========================================
Rolled 6 Successes for an exceptional success.
< 1 2 3 5 5 6 6 8 9 10 10 10 10 >
==========================-> >> Wits + Survival + Wyrd 8-Again << <-
-> >> Charlie to Here << <-===========================================
Extended Roll
Rolls: 3
Successes: 10
Exceptional Successes: 1
You succeeded at meeting the Target Number
==========================-> >> Wits + Survival + Wyrd 8-Again << <-
-> >> Charlie to Here << <-===========================================
Extended Roll
Rolls: 3
Successes: 17
Exceptional Successes: 2
You succeeded at meeting the Target Number
==========================-> >> Wits + Survival + Wyrd 8-Again << <-
They started at dawn, and it takes a few hours to find their way back. Her leg wasn't making the process fast, but this was no easy task. They find the mouth of the cave by afternoon. A few were reticent about going back, but one was clearly scared out of her mind of going back into the cave. The scaly bird just shakes her head, and takes off without another word. She wants no part of that cave for whatever reason, and hastily departs. The feathered beta chuffs, and then back to Charlie. "Where?"
Charlie lingers at the entrance of the cave, counting their numbers after the Scaley Cat left. "Home." she replies, looking to the beta. "Awakodan is..." she fumbles. "We are in him. In his belly." Trying to explain the complicated idea and, perhaps, failing. "Find soft place. Rip it open. Go home." And the softest place she can think of is the guts of a creature. Deep into the flesh of their host. The bowels.
Licking the Beta's ear reassuringly, she starts into the cave.
As of now they number nine after their recent escapades. The last chance at replenishing their numbers comes with the burning pain in her tail, and constant stinging with every step of her hind left leg. The feathered wolf still stands as her beta. Behind him are the others. A rodent with a shell over its torso. Two scaled cats with patterns much more similar to that of a cobra. A rainbow-colored roach of sorts. A glassy bird-like thing that refracts much of the light that hits it. The biggest of the bunch is also the dumbest: a large smilodon-thing covered in spiky scutes. The last two are the smallest: a rabbit with a mouth and head that does not match the size of her body and a hairless beast that's built like a reptile with tight, leathery skin.
The beta chuffs under the attention, and then shakes his feathers. "We are home," he says of the pack. The others remain silent for a time, watching the pair. "Then we go. Maybe feed." He sniffs at the air. "Hungry." All of them are since they haven't eaten in almost two days.
It's an odd group. "Not home." Disagreeing. "Home is.. is apples and bed." Warmth. The forge. That big dopey ass dog with the lumpy head. Home is hiding in the bath to soak off the aches after a long day of working.
"This place is prey. We hunt Awakodan." she insists, laying her ears back. She -really- can't afford a scuffle with her Beta. She's too weak to stand against the pack.
It takes another hour to find their way in the maze of a cave-system. However, it becomes even harder to get down. An hour passes, and there's still no end in sight. Figuratively and literally. Goind down is another measure altogether. The tunnels and caves do go down, but they can hear things. Not the skittering and chittering of bugs and the like. No, they can hear something. It sounds like its something being drug around.
-> >> Charlie to Here << <-===========================================
Rolled 0 Success
< 2 3 5 5 6 6 7 >
================================-> >> Wits + Composure 8-Again << <-
It's not something being drug; it's just Awakodan breathing. It's the air rushing through the thing's lungs. They must be close! Rather than hang back or use caution, she urges them to hasten the pace, pushing herself until her wounds burn and ache enough to make her breaths ragged.
-> >> Raymond to Here << <-===========================================
Rolled 4 Successes
< 1 1 1 2 4 4 4 6 7 7 8 9 10 10 >
=============================================-> >> 12 No Flags << <-
-> >> Charlie to Here << <-===========================================
Rolled 1 Success
< 1 1 2 2 3 7 7 10 >
================================-> >> Wits + Composure 8-Again << <-
-> >> Raymond to Here << <-===========================================
Rolled 4 Successes
< 1 1 2 3 3 3 4 5 5 6 7 7 7 8 9 10 10 >
=============================================-> >> 15 No Flags << <-
She speeds up, and they do too. Down these twisting tunnels they go, seemingly without a worry in the world. That is until the ground beneath them begins to shake for a few moments. Standing still or moving, nothing happens at first. It subsides, and allows them to continue running on. They quickly find the source of the noise. Something that looks large enough to fill the entire tunnel comes from behind them, and that massive, dumb sabertooth gets taken along with it. It's impossible to see down here, but they know that smell. It's all too familiar. The scent of fresh blood in the air as the beast makes a new hole as it departs their presence and makes a brand new tunnel.
Turning to see what the sound is, Charlie stares before barking out a simple command: "Run!" It's too tight to fight in here. Too dark. This was a mistake, but there's no going back with that monstrosity behind them to block the path. Driven forward, she forces her damaged body to go faster.
-> >> Charlie to Here << <-===========================================
Rolled 2 Successes
< 2 3 4 5 6 6 9 10 >
=========================-> >> Wits + Survival + Wyrd No Flags << <-
he spurs them forward, although the gargantuan thing does a decent enough job of that. There indeed is no going back as the way back has caved in on itself, and they can hear that rumbling behind them. Further down and into the tunnels they go. Another hour of running is what it takes. Their journey comes to an end, and they find themselves in a small cavern. Further behind them they can still hear the thing moving around.
It's a dead end. Of course it is. Bleeding, shaking from the pain and favoring her bitten leg, she limps to the wall and snuffles, then rears up and begins to try and dig at the rock, biting and clawing. There has to be a way out. If they live in or on this thing that Keeps them, it has to bleed. And from the inside is the only way, isn't it? They've lost one of their number to the thing behind them, she doesn't even want to look back to see what might be coming for them in the darkness. "Tear it open! Kill Awakodan!" Not the creature to the rear, the but rock, the cavern.
They may not be as hurt as her, but they're damn sure as tired and hungry. They do start digging, and without a shadow of doubt. Their stomachs are rumbling. There shoulders are sagging. Except the threat of destruction at whatever that thing is drives them further still. It takes time to start making headway, but that comes at a price. Noise. They can hear it again. Moving, although its coming in their direction now. However, they eventually breakthrough to something. A pinprick of light that bleeds through the cave where the now exhausted feathered beta digs.
Light! Yes! There's an encouraging yelp from the battered alpha. Trying to bound over, she stumbles and trips, dragging herself to where he is working to add her waning strength to his. "Here! Home is here!" She hopes. Oh how she hopes it's true. A surge of energy, of effort, and she puts everything she has into it - every last ounce of hope and heart, into making that hole big enough for the pack to get through.
That push opens up more and more. Just enough for one of them to stick their heads through. Still not big enough for them to fit through. It's closer now. And its making a beeline straight for them. They just need a few more seconds to make enough room for one of them to get through, but that beast may not give them enough time.
GAME: Charlie spends 1 Willpower
-> >> Charlie to Here << <-===========================================
Rolled 5 Successes for an exceptional success.
< 1 2 2 3 3 3 5 5 5 7 8 8 9 9 10 >
============-> >> Presence + Intimidation + 3 + 3 + 3 No Flags << <-
So close! Pushing away from the hole, Charlie hop-stumbles to put herself between the digging, tired pack and the huge thing coming for them, howling a fierce challenge to the thing, despite her bleeding wounds and the limb-trembling exhaustion in her. It's clear she'll fight to the death, quick as that end might be, to give the others the chance to break that wall down and escape.
-> >> Raymond to Here << <-===========================================
Rolled 12 Successes for an exceptional success.
< 1 1 2 2 3 3 3 3 4 4 5 7 7 8 8 9 9 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 >
=============================================-> >> 17 No Flags << <-
The beast is charging headlong through rock like it's nothing. They can hear it everstill, and they can feel it soon enough. The cave shudders at the creature's approach. Eventually there's enough room for them to squeeze through, and some of them are already pushing their way out like being birthed into a new world. That bit of light gives them something of a brief look at the creature. Reptilian, very long snout, covered in white fur, and very angry.
It's not what she expected. What she thought would come charging up the tunnel.
It's worse.
But she -tries-, posture sagging and tired.
"Home. Apples and bed. Home is there." Where the light is. She hopes.
One beast goes out and then another. It doesn't look like there's enough time for them all to get out. Before she can try scaring off the beast again her beta bites down on her tail, triggering that jolt of pain and painful memory of the fight with the fur-gator. He drags her to the edge of the hole they've made and starts shoving her out. Her head ends up shoved out first, and with it she loves much of her bestial features.
Yelping when bitten, she finds herself shoved through the hole between worlds, scrambling to pull and push herself the rest of the way through so the others can come, if they can come, her body all wrong as the Fae wrought changes to her flesh are stripped away. Flopping and thrashing, she struggles to find her footing, turning to look back the way she came from as she rolls to hands and knees.
The other beast are around her, sitting or standing as she hits the dirt. A quick head count plus herself says that five of the remaining eight got out. She can still see a faint image of the beta, but down. Whatever the fuck happened to gravity and reality is as fucked up here as it was in Awakodan's realm. That brief memory of it she can glimpse with that hole immediately shuts as the sound of a cave-in echoes below them until they're left with nothing more than silence and the wind at their backs.
Five. Six, including herself. And the Beta? Seeing the shape of the feathered wolf before the way back is sealed, Charlie slumps to rest and try to reorient with the new arrangement of limbs and, er, bare skin. After peeing like a Beast for weeks, there isn't much room for shame in a some nudity.
That's already fading off, drifting away. Memories growing fuzzy until there's little more than a sense of that bestial nature and fur and feathers left behind. And apples.
"I don't think..." she starts, then stops, inspecting her leg,then others that are there with her, taking in their faces and features.
GAME: Charlie recovers from all damage.
Game: Charlie takes 2 Lethal damage.
The others soon stand. It's damn near freezing, but they're fortunate enough that it isn't raining. The ground is cold, hard stone. To their backs they can see what look like several ravines and canyons cut into the earth. Even further past that she can sniff out something that likely isn't gonna be friendly, and doesn't smell as human as the rest of them. However, she can sense something. A door to the other world seemingly begging for her glamour. That bit of faerie power shaped and changed in her soul and very being.
Sniff. Sniffsniff. She tenses and looks around before forcing her way up, leg still torn, but the pain of a tail that's no longer there is gone. "This way." she whispers, skin goosebumpy in the cold. "Something's coming." she adds, easily falling back into that leadership aspect with the others.
Lured to the door, she brushes her hand over it, letting instinct show her what to do to get it to open for the motley herd of Lost.
GAME: Charlie spends 1 Glamour
The others follow in her stead, even still. They try to cover up themselves with as much modesty as they can, but the cold doesn't help either. The gateway opens up to reveal a forest on what looks like some form of rocky precipice. The thought of going back to the human world or something else spooks the formerly shelled rodent and he turns away. Except he's no longer as agile as he used to be, and ends up quite literally flying off the edge of their current platform. In all it leaves Charlie with some twins if a feline persuasion and a taller female with antennae barely showing up through a mess of red hair.
There is only so much a person can bear before it becomes numb. The loss of the rodent hits that point and Charlie sucks in a breath before stepping through the door, beckoning the others to follow.
One world, to the next, to the next. Do the trees look right? The rocks? Is the sky dark with a moon and stars, or with a sun the right color? She searches for clues, trying to figure out where they are. If it's safe.
-> >> Charlie to Here << <-===========================================
Rolled 4 Successes
< 1 2 4 9 9 9 10 >
================================-> >> Wits + Survival No Flags << <-
This is the real world alright. The place looks relatively familiar, but not by much. She's in the general vicinity of the town at large, but not 100 sure where. Somewhere west. Maybe as far west as she was when she was taken? Maybe closer? It's difficult to say. The worst of it is that there's technically no sign of civilization in sight, they're all without clothes, and the freezing nightfall isn't too far away.
It's too cold to be this exposed for long, but they're on the wrong side of the river. Conflicted, she shivers, wrapping her arms around herself. "This way." she chuffs, pitching her voice low so it won't carry. "I know where we are. Where... do you belong?" she asks, leading the trio towards the safe side, trying to keep them moving and gathering little bits of dried branches and leaves to use for tinder as they go. Fire can come after they're on the right side of the river again.
The twins stick closer together, although both of them do not enjoy the prospects of being butt-ass naked out here. Sandy-haired and maybe in their early twenties. "We, um, live in Fort Brunsett. With our mom and sister." The one that speaks up seems to be the most confident. The other one ducks a bit back, and then stands behind his brother's shoulder. "I'm Jones." Then the confident one speaks, "I'm Casey." The shortest of the bunch was the formerly rainbow cockroach. Now she just sports antennae with eyes that always shift in color. "I'm Rebecca," she chirps. "I'm not really from here. I think. It's kinda foggy, to be honest."
As the group talks Charlie's able to get a bit more of a lay of the land. A cave isn't too far away, and might provide some late night shelter. Which doesn't solve the problem of exposure when they need to move, nor their current lack of food. Despite the months she's been in Awakodan's realm only a few weeks have passed here, and the area is in the cold duldrums of Autumn now.
"Charlie." She supplies, pausing to study some stones and the line of the mountain. "We have a choice. There's a cave we can bunk in, but it's not safe. We have to get to the east side, but it's a ways from here and we'll be half frozen." And there is precious little to scavenge for this time of year. A few roots, or cattails if they find a wet area. But nuts and berries are going to be harder to find this late in the season, if at all.
"Or we push for the town." Clothes are a problem, though. And there's no easy way to reach the people she knows from here.
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