Adventures in the Far Reaches (for Weiss Ritter)

[Xatarias]

"Focus Orion. You know what you need to do."

Your sweat-slicked hands slip and the depthmaw's jaws close a little further. You can feel its teeth teeth grinding against your skin, held back only by your desperate grip.

"I-I can't! Grandm-"

"I will either embrace you as the man you could be or mourn the boy that was. The power is there, Orion. You just have to reach for it."

Despair fills you as you locks eyes with the dead, unblinking stare of the predator looming over you. You just weren't strong enough- you never had been. Now you were going to die. In a few moments-

Pain wracks your body as a familiar, dreaded sensation boils inside of you. The irony isn't lost on you as your body begins to slacken. The affliction that had plagued you since birth would be your companion in these final moments. You close your eyes as the depthmaw senses your weakness as grinds it's mouth down on your frail body...

*****

"Ry Ry!"

You tumble from your hammock in an undignified heap as a forceful shove upends your cozy slumber. Peeling your face from the cold, rusty floor, you squint up at the beautiful face leaning over you.

"You made a promise, buster. This is the last day before your expedition. I'm not waiting another week for your help in the warrens, so put some clothes on!"

True to form, your best friend lithely slips down the ladder to the family room below before you can even contemplate a snappy retort. The sizzle of a hot pan reaches your ears and a fragrant aroma drips up through the trap door. Well at least you'd be up while breakfast was hot.

 

[Weiss Ritter]

Spoiler

Name: Orion Firevein

Gender: Male

Age: 22

Physical description:

Personality: Outwardly, Orion is a proud and gregarious warrior. His usual demeanor is one of frequent smiles, playful jokes, and an air of reassured ease. While a few might believe that he is overly confident in his (admittedly considerable) capabilities, others may regard him as being endearingly sincere about them. One thing is certain, though: Orion is not one to lord over others with his status as a prodigy one of (if not the) greatest warrior in the tribe. Though he takes great pride in his abilities and will never settle for being second-best in his field of mastery, Orion refuses to devalue and disrespect the accomplishments of others and has precious little tolerance for those who abuse the comparatively weak.

Privately, Orion is aware of and pressured by the expectations a man of his power and renown attracts. Although he takes his duties to the tribe seriously and finds the idea of someone like him bemoaning their place within it almost laughable, the irony of being potentially shackled by his gifts still grates upon him.

This combined with his worldview gives the young man a somewhat hedonistic outlook. He spent most of his life either in pain or fully expecting to die young. Life, even for a warrior of his caliber, is often too short to not try and make every moment you can take as enjoyable as possible. If his pursuit of pleasure allows his comrades to find fulfillment as well, then so much the better.

History: Orion was born into clan Cloudclimber a frail and crippled child. His flesh wasn’t weak but the arcane power that blessed the rest of the clan was a curse to him. It coursed through his body, raw and uncontrollable. Whenever boy tried to exert himself, it ended in bloody coughs and tears. When Orion sat idle, he was wracked with torturous pain. The magic ripping its way through his veins glowed during his most intense episodes. Firevein became the pitiable child’s name and title.

The one thing that prevented Orion’s childhood from being one of utter misery and loneliness was Ilyanna. All children of the clan were expected to go through a rite of passage in the savage wilderness outside of Skyhold. With his condition, it seemed impossible for young Orion to survive the ordeal and few wished to become emotionally invested in the doomed child. Yet whether it was sheer kindness, pity, or the outcast seeing some of herself in Orion, Ilyanna reached out and a powerful bond was swiftly formed.

They were there for each other when no one else was. When Ilyanna took her first steps towards becoming one of the tribe’s technoshamen, Orion tried to follow as much for her company as the desperate home that his mind might be able to accomplish things his body couldn’t. Alas, the practical-minded young man struggled to grasp even the clan’s rudimentary understanding of the ancient machines and rituals that maintained them. What ideas Orion did have for the clan’s tools and magic, he was utterly dependent on others to develop thanks to the often trembling hands his condition gave him. Whatever traps or tools might have been able to save him in the wilds were cruelly just out of his reach.

The day of Orion’s trial came ever closer without any real hope of his success, until his grandmother-a prodigy and living legend-, intervened and offered salvation. As she watched Orion grow and struggle, she came to recognize his condition as a potential wellspring of power and potential rather than a life-destroying curse. The boy just needed someone with the proper knowledge and ruthless, unrelenting determination to see his unstable powers mastered…

With his grandmother’s words in his ears and Ilyanna’s kiss on his lips, Orion left Skyhold with his grandmother. His life had been spared by her intervention, but it was no reprieve. The trials Orion’s mind and body underwent under his grandmother’s tutelage were in many ways far harsher than the usual rite of passage. Yet, once the magic that had once ravaged Orion’s body was finally leashed to his will, he began to surpass all expectations. Testing himself against some of the most dangerous predators and terrain known to clan Cloudclimber, Orion proved to be a true prodigy and not just a man suddenly blessed with raw power.

The young man that returned to Skyhold with armfuls of battle-trophies was almost unrecognizable. His body had been honed to perfection and the magic within channeled properly through elaborate crimson markings. Orion’s crimson eyes were sharper than ever before and his cunning mind bolstered with the experience of many life-or-death hunts. Once he’d been freed of his body’s crippling condition, Orion innate talent and dedication to his craft allowed him to blossom into a warrior with unmatched speed and skill.

Firevein became a title of respect and awe, and Orion has enjoyed the power and prestige his new position has given him. Yet he never forgot Ilyanna’s kindness or just how fragile his own life had been…

Stats:

Strength: 4

Speed: 6

Precision: 2

Fortitude: 4

Intellect: 0

Insight: 3

Charisma: 2

Physical Health: [ ][ ][ ][ ] [ ](3 automatically, +2 from my 4 points into Fortitude)

Mental Health: [ ][ ][ ][ ] (3 automatically, +1 from my 3 points into Insight)

Every muscle in Orion's body tensed and strained as the cruel jaws slowly but surely began to close around his weakening form. The depthmaw's breath stunk of its previous victims. He'd be joining them soon. What strength his body possessed was swiftly evaporating and he could already feel the "power" beginning to stir within him. Ancestors...it'd probably hurt more than anything the depthmaw would do once its jaws locked around his throat.

His arms screamed in agonized protest as the merciless predator pressed closer and closer, it's teeth closing around his flesh with deceptive tenderness.

It wasn't fair. This curse had tortured him his entire life and stopped him from training like the others. Orion thought he was ready to accept that he was just fated to die, but then Grandma offered him hope. He'd dared to believe he might have a chance and gushed all about it to Ilyanna...

Illyanna...!

***
The mighty Orion of clan Cloudclimber made an undignified sound that was rivaled only by the heap his body crumpled into as he smashed against the floor. The only thing hurt was his pride, though. The young man had come so far since he had been the clan cripple.

"Not a request I get often..." Orion mumbled playfully to himself a moment after Ilyanna vanished down the ladder. Life was too short to let even a half-decent line go to waste, even if he was the only one to appreciate it.

The warrior rose and combed a hand through his bright blond hair to give it some semblance of order before reaching for a set of pants. The footwraps were next, followed by a few strategically placed leather straps that were sturdy enough to hold weapons and supplemental equipment. The rest of his powerful form and the ornate crimson markings that covered it and helped to regulate the once uncontrollable power within him was left bare. It wasn't a matter of showing off-though that was a nice perk-but practicality. Armor could be in short supply, and when it was available you ran the risk of it weighing you down or getting snared on something in the wilderness at a crucial moment.

Besides, between his skill and curse-turned-blessing, it would have been redundant. Better that what armor the clan had go to someone whose life it might actually save.

Orion's stomach grumbled and his mouth watered as the aroma of freshly cooked food began to waft up from below. Now there was something no amount of speed, skill, or strength would protect a warrior from!

The young man darted down the ladder almost swiftly enough to blur, his movements more akin to a lunging predator than a human being. Then again, what member of clan Cloudwalker didn't move that way when something as urgent as good food was at stake?

 

[Xatarias]

You descend the ladder with easy familiarity. Strength and training aside, you're confident you could navigate your family's apartment bound and blindfolded. A final inheritance from your late father, the bizarre jumbled collection was by no means luxurious, but being close the Skyhold's generator meant you were always warm- and the view was spectacular.

Lunara's shattered visage looms above, dominating the skyline. She and her sister moons recast enough light from the faint and distant sun that it is almost as bright outdoors as it is in the colony's interior. From your vantage countless stories above, you survey the twisted canopy of the jungle and with a practice eye, evaluate the meandering rivers of lava that crawl like glowing serpents. A distant flare tells you that it will be some time before the vents die down, allowing passage for the next expedition. Hopefully the treacherous byways would soon lie dormant- your hunt has been delayed long enough as is...

A pan crackling with scalding fat and heaped with some unidentified starchy foodstuff draws your attention- Illyana must have smuggled one of her experiments back from the greenhouse. You almost manage to snag one of the crunchy medallions, when a spoon raps your knuckles and you are driven back by your mother's stern stare.

"Last to the table doesn't mean first served," she says sternly as Illyanna shoots you a smug grin, cheeks stuffed. The twins meanwhile are engaged in their usual morning clamor, somehow managing to poke and rib one another while simultaneously stuffing their faces.

"Mum said you were being lazy, cuz you were out patronizing all night," Alec explains as if sharing some dark secret.

"Fraternizing," Syndra corrected loftily. "It means he was out with a giiiirl."

"Oh really now?" Illyana asks, leaning in with her co-conspirators.

Oh gods no...

 

[Weiss Ritter]

As familiar as Orion was with his family's home, the view it offered never got old. Even knowing that every moment he spent staring was more time Ilyanna and his siblings had to take first and best pick of the morning meals, the young man couldn't help himself. The wilderness beyond Skyhold was a cruel and merciless place at the best of times, but from here it could be beautiful. The rivers of lava burning scars into the landscape did mar the sight, though, and serve as a potent reminder of what actually living down there meant. He frowned when the signal flare blazed high in the air. Another delay?

The scent of freshly cooked food stopped Orion from working himself into a huff over that. The young man briskly made his way down, stomach growling all the way. The unknown foodstuff Ilyanna had apparently donated earned the techno-shaman a raised, curious brow. Whatever it was, it couldn't have been too dangerous if his mother felt comfortable cooking it. Still, his constitution was the strongest in the family, maybe it would be best if he took a test-

*Thwack!*

Orion's hand retreated out of reflex than pain, though the effect his mother's gaze had upon him every bit as potent as it looked. "Yes, mom..."

For a moment, Orion's expression more closely resembled that of a kicked puppy than an unnaturally mighty crimson-eyed warrior. Illyanna's smug grin ended that facade in an instant. Orion rolled his eyes, unable to completely suppress the grin tugging at his own lips on his way to the remaining spot at the table.

"Lazy? Me?" The blond gave Alec a bemused look. That was akin to saying the sky was purple. Sure, he made no secret of his willingness to enjoy life and joke around, but it wasn't some magical curse-turned-blessing that made Orion's body a temple of fitness and his sheer skill second to none.

Orion looked a lot less bemused when Syndra "helpfully" corrected her twin. His smile was gone and his body went as stiff as if the depthmaw from his nightmares had just risen from the dead before him.

"That's..." The young man squirmed at the sight of Illyana's leaning in. The words were dying in his throat. Just imagining a harsh glance from Illyana was enough to prickle his skin.

"...Some of the other warriors are on edge. The hunt keeps getting delayed, that lava doesn't bode well, and..." Orion paused an instant, his gaze flickering over the twins. Life could be harsh here and death was a fact that needed to be accepted, but he had no desire to cast a shadow over the meal by reminding them of just what going out into that jungle could mean. "...I wanted to lift some spirits before the big day."

 

[Xatarias]

"It's not your place to question the head of the house," Your mother calls over her shoulder just as Illyana is about to needle all of the gritty details from your talkative siblings.

"Glad you had fun," she says instead, the corners of her mouth twitching.

These moments were always strange for you. It had been years since you and Illyana had shared that innocent kiss. She still remained your closest friend... But you couldn't help but feel like having failed some test every time you stared into those glimmering amber eyes. The tension was very real and infuriatingly impossible to resolve. Did she want more from you and if so, why wouldn't she just tell you?

But things soon fall back into easy familiarity, and you enjoy breakfast with your siblings. A novel quantity sitting at the table, they shamelessly compete for Illyana's attention. Alec showcases his new pulse bow while Syndra constantly pesters the shamaness about her intricate- some would say radical - hairstyle.

As Illyana's prodigiously nimble fingers set to work braiding Syndra's blond locks, you soak in the image of her laughing face. For all of the bravado typical of Cloudclimber's greatest hunters, it truly was these sweet moments that fueled a warrior's drive to return safe and whole.

 

[Weiss Ritter]

Orion's mother spared him from the worst of it, but the way Illyana looked at him still almost physically stung. Just what did she want from him, though? This wasn't the first time there had been tension between them over his...morale-boosting. If she wanted more than friendship, she could have asked or acted on his past overtures. Did she want him to just...hold out for her until she decided she was good and ready at some unspecified point in the future?

Ancestors...Illyana was one of the most important people in his life, but he'd spent most of it as the clan cripple few would show more than common courtesy toward. Now, he had elders curious to see just what sort of offspring such a blessed warrior might be able to produce to strengthen the clan. Sometimes it felt like he'd traded one set of shackles for another. He wouldn't be able to say no to becoming a family man forever...did Illyana really want him to squander that time out of indecision or inscrutable designs?

The rest of the meal was much more pleasant, though the thoughts never quite left Orion's mind. He found himself smiling as the twins who'd been so giddy to inform Illyana of their elder brother's latest night time escapade competed for her attention, giving her a much-needed distraction. Alec flaunted his new weapon in a way that made Orion certain he'd pass his own trial when the time came. Syndra managed to wheedle some help from Illyana with her hair. Goodness, how did the shamaness get it into that pattern on her own head? It was tricky even for him to keep track of her dexterous fingers!

...Part of that may have been because her bright, smiling face kept drawing his eyes away. That was what it all came down to in the end, as far as their relationship-whatever it was. Illyana being happy.

Of course, eventually the meal would finish and Orion would need to get a move on. Something about a trip to warrens while he and Illyana still had the chance?

 

[Xatarias]

Giving your farewells, you follow Illyana out the front door and onto the catwalk beyond. The yawning maw of Skyhold's internals stretch into inky blackness below. Above, the transparent floor of the Reactor Room, pulses with cardiac rhythm. The sights and sounds of your people are all around. Sparks fly as shamans conduct routine repairs. Younglings dangle aloft, suspended from harnesses as their instructors drill in them in the finer mechanics of rappelling. Clanking past are hover carts and their more prehistoric counterparts, transporting various goods to and from the surface.

You are pulled from the scene by the impact of a large pack, bulging with an eclectic array of tools and gadgets.

"A gentleman never hesitates to aid the fairer sex," Illyana says with the air of quotation. "So put those muscles to work. Just wait until you As see what I found, you'll love it."

As you recall, Ilyanna's last "discovery" nearly landed you in the infirmary with third degree burns. But before you can point out that fact, the shamaness has vaulted into space, twining her arms around the harness straps of a squawking youth.

"Oh calm down, Tanith, I tested these rigs with five times the weight," She chides, hitting a button and gracefully descending with her unwilling captive.

"Keep up, Ry Ry!"

 

[Weiss Ritter]

Orion followed Illyana with a mixture of anticipation and wariness. Maybe some more time working together would help get at the root of the tension back in the dining room. It hadn't before, but he could hope. He could also hope that this adventure went better than the last one for him. He may have been the prodigy of clan Cloudclimber, but even he had limits.

"Hm...remember the last time I tried that?" The young warrior watched the younglings at work with a wry, wistful smile. He'd had a good eye for inspecting tools and finding faults, but actually using the former to fix the latter...well, with his condition as a child, he was lucky to have been humored at all. Those trembling hands of his could have done so much more damage even during the practice repairs if they'd gone a few more inches to the side.

Whatever Illyana thought, she hit Orion with an all too familiar pack bulky enough to make even him grunt. "Fairer sex?"

The young man shot the finger-quoting shamaness an incredulous, but not unamused, look. Given who his grandmother was and what she'd subjected him too...

Orion bit back several retorts that sprang to mind in favor of shifting the pack around so he could wear it properly.

"Ancestors, I'm coming!" He shouted back to be heard over the noise of the labor around them and the startled child just a few feet away. Weighed down by a small expedition's worth of gear and unwilling to take advantage of one of the harnessed younglings in the same fashion, even Orion's strength and speed would be pressed to catch up in time to Illyana in time to avoid some other cheeky remark.

"One of these days, I'm going to be the one asking for a favor and you can be the beast of burden..."

 

[Xatarias]

You arrive at the bottom- or top as Illyana constantly reminds you- of the ancient spacewreck. A large ragged arch in the ship's hull reveals the flickering force barrier and the forest beyond. Several crews lounge in waiting for their respective signals to begin their assignments. A long queue has formed with barely a trickle managing to exit. The flows must be worse than you had feared...

In between heaving breaths you look for your taskmaster and find her perplexingly absent. Only after several minutes does Ilyanna descend with a very disgruntled Tanith holding an armful of various trinkets and doo-dads.

"Great work, Orion. I managed to get a bit of work done myself. I think this converter might just match up with that electric engine we salvaged last moon!"

Apparently she had time for some shopping while you slaved to transport her precious- and more importantly, heavy- cargo. The snickers of your nearby compatriots are far too loud for you to pretend not to hear. Admired as you were among the younger hunters, people were always at the very least bemused at how one quirky shamaness had you wrapped around her little finger. Of course it didn't always stop at jokes and unkind laughter.

"I'll understand why you give that gearhead the time of day, Orion!," a lean huntress calls from a nearby cantina. "If you want to spend your last night home working up a sweat, there's always my house."

This leads to more jeers and hooting- mostly at Ilyanna's expense. Well practiced with relative distain hunters carried for mechanics, she makes a decent show of smiling it away... But you know her far too well to mistake that tight expression as purely humorous.

 

[Weiss Ritter]

The size of the queue brought a rare frown to Orion's face. Was the work that backed up? Was a single disaster to blame, or the unrelenting ravages of time gnawing away at the entirety of the great hull that formed much of their home? How much longer would they be able to rely on Skyhold's walls and the shields it produced under the supervision of the shamans?

The young man's crimson gaze flickered about in search of Ilyanna. She wasn't here. How was that possible? Granted, he could move faster than most warrior's eyes could even follow when he wished, but Ilyanna was leaned and muscled monkey of a woman herself when it came to fishing artifacts out of her ruins. Where in the hells-she hadn't gotten caught up in whatever had the maintenance crews worked up?!

No. No, eventually she came down and Orion managed to flash the mechanic a grin that looked more cheeky than relieved. "Hear that, Tanith? All this hard work-"

The young hunter nodded to his pack and the myriad of trinkets the youngling was made to hold. "And the headache she just gave me talking about that stuff was worth it!"

Electricity. The power that flowed through the veins of Skyhold, but wasn't anything like the power the clan channeled through their bodies, apparently? Orion had made a valiant effort to try and learn the technoshamanic secrets back when it seemed becoming Ilyanna's assistant was the best a cripple like he could hope for. It just...never quite stuck with him. Not the parts read from records or lectured by the spirits of their ancestors.

Speaking of less than pleasant memories, the looks and snickers of the other hunters were not lost upon him. Apparently, some of them still had trouble grasping the notion that he might be inclined to repay kindness and loyalty.

"If you need me to explain, I'm not sure if you ever will," Orion's smile remained but something in the way his crimson eyes looked change as he swept his them over the catcalling huntress. What was normally a fun-loving gaze eager to take in all the joy their harsh existence still afforded now resembled something that could have sliced Skyhold to pieces. "I appreciate the invitation, but I'm going to be spending more than enough time already dealing with sweaty animals once the expeditions starts."

However she and her comrades reacted, Orion turned his gaze back to Ilyanna without skipping a beat. "Can we go, Ilyanna? That jog down here was nice, but you're going to have to give me a bit more to do for exercise if I'm going to maintain this amazing body of mine."

 

[Xatarias]

Dismay crosses the huntress's face as your rebuke hits home. Then her expression scrunches up with equal parts confusion and outrage. She casts an angry look Ilyanna's way who returns with a winning smile and wave.

As soon as you open the rusted tunnel entrance into the warrens and slip inside, Ilyanna's facade slips and she turns to you, the confined space putting you so close that your noses nearly bump.

"You shouldn't have said that, Orion. Kat is an excellent provider and her family holds a seat on the council. Risking their disfavor for such a small slight... I'm a big girl, I don't need protecting from them."

Ilyanna's brow is furrowed in that thoughtful manner usually reserved for particularly vexing mechanical problems. She places a hesitant hand on your chest.

"Loyalty is an admirable thing, but being ruled by your emotions makes you easy to manipulate. And with the current state of things... Well, we all might be making more compromises in the future."

Through winding, forgotten corridors, and amidst sparking tangles of wires, you are led through the subterranean remains of Skyhold. So far, you recognize these passageways, having traversed them many times before on numerous other expeditions. Your attempts at conversation don't go very far, leaving you to either stew on Ilyanna's advice or simply stare at her ass for the next hour or two.

Politics was never something that you had made great study of, but being a rising star of the younger generation and your family's legacy made it all but impossible to avoid. Your grandmother currently held the family's seat on the council and it was expected for you to take her place when the time came. That meant making decisions of commerce, expansion, and perhaps even war. Come to think of it, Gran was always telling you that your "hormone-charged chest beating" often made her job harder when it came to securing votes. Maybe she and Ilyanna had a heart-to-heart?... More likely your unrequited love interest was smart enough to stay out of the Firevein matriarch's way.

 

[Weiss Ritter]

Orion made his way into the tunnels in an almost cheerful mood to compliment Ilyanna's winning smile. He doubted one remark would give Kat that much cause for introspection, but at least he'd made his position fairly clear to a good chunk of clan Cloudclimber. Maybe they wouldn't be so quick to taunt Ilyanna or anyone else they thought was unworthy of common courtesy.

The young warrior's pleasant mood dissipated as soon as the shamaness turned to face him, her facade dropped. Orion's body faintly tensed before she even opened her mouth.

"I know better than anyone else that you can take care of yourself. Probably better than all those hunters combined," He frowned and clenched his hands over the pack's straps. "But that doesn't mean it doesn't hurt when they say things like that. I've grown into a fairly tough guy myself, you know, and I didn't do it so I could stand around and do nothing when the people I care about are hurt."

Orion's stance was firm while Ilyanna seemed lost in thought. Did she really think some bruised feelings and abstract pressuring was going to stop him from caring about her feelings in all this?

Only when he felt her hand press against his bared and tattooed flesh did the young man seem to waver. Perhaps Ilyanna could even feel his heart beating a bit faster than it should have given that they were just standing in a corridor. Only then did it really seem to dawn upon him that Ilyanna's lips were scarce inches from his own. One of Orion's hands rose to...even he wasn't quite sure. Rest over Ilyanna's? Caress her cheek? Tilt her head upward and a little closer by the chin? It froze in indecision.

"Well...'we' includes 'them'. And they can start by being polite to you the next time they want something from me..." The moment passed. Orion's hand fell back to his side while his jack clenched and his crimson eyes almost blazed with intensity. "Maybe you're right about being more careful in the future, but life's too short and precious to spend paralyzed and miserable."

For a good chunk of the journey through the tunnels, Orion was brooding. Both over the exchange and the future Ilyanna was so wary of. He still stood by his words, but she wasn't wrong on that point. The young warrior was being groomed to enter a whole new world of politics and decision-making...and he wasn't looking forward to it. Some saw only the height of power and respect when they gazed upon the tribal council, but Orion had had a front row seat to the responsibilities of the post and the restrictions they could weave around even the strongest and wisest of the tribe like chains and shackles.

He wasn't sure if it was a coincidence or not that Gran and Ilyanna sounded pretty similar when he broke down the essence of what they were rebuking him for, but it made him frown just thinking about it either way. It was easy to dismiss and slap down hunters he owed nothing to. Gran was family. More than that, she was the one who saved him. If she disapproved of the way he felt and acted around Ilyanna...

Orion exhaled loud enough that the techno-shaman might have heard it. He tried to just focus on Ilyanna's taut and perfectly sculpted ass for a time, making no real effort to hide it and offering feeble grins any time his best friend looked back at him, but those thoughts wouldn't be so easily excised.

 

[Xatarias]

"It's when you need favors from them that your chivalry will land you into trouble, muscle head," Ilyanna says, giving you a bemused smirk. "You've got a great future ahead of you, Orion. I just... Don't want to hold you back from your full potential. Not after everything you've been through."

The journey progresses quickly as you are occupied with thoughts both lofty and... Well, Ilyanna's ass was worth a sonnet or two, not that you had every had any real artistic talent. As time stretches farther from your disagreement, you find yourself settling into familiar dynamics with Ilyanna, taking turns vaulting gaps in the ancient ship's hull and tossing the pack after. While giving the shaman a boost to a upper level, she neatly slides onto the landing and stretches out a hand for you to grasp.

"You know, if I wanted to be oggled all day, I'd have an easier time at the cantina," She grunts while hoisting you up. "Free drinks too."

You take a moment on the landing to catch your breath. Ilyanna rummages in her magic bag and produces a canteen and a cured razorfowl carcass. She rips off a drumstick and tosses you the rest.

"Seriously though, I know you like to party when you're off assignments. I've been making runs down here by myself for the past few years, so if you'd rather spend your time off not working up a sweat in dark, cramped access tunnels... "

 

[Weiss Ritter]

"We'll see about that," Orion matched Ilyanna's smirk with a smile of his own. "Keep telling me about how amazing I am, and my head just might get too big to fit inside these tunnels. Then where would you be?"

Besides, a great future wasn't always the same as a happy one.

"Don't say that, though. About you holding me back. I'm serious." Orion reached out to grab Ilyanna by her shoulder if she didn't stop and turn on her own. He wasn't smiling anymore. "That's exactly what Kat and more of the tribe than I'd like seem to think. Gran gave me a chance no one else could have, but it wasn't dreams of debating in council chambers that let me push hard enough to survive...all of that."

A slight, wry smile formed on the young warrior's handsome features. "I didn't go through all that just to lose everything I had before, alright?"

Reaching the rougher patches of the journey through the tunnels came as something of a relief for Orion. Simply walking left him with nothing but his thoughts and Ilyanna to occupy himself with. The former he was tiring of and the latter...well, he never tired of that, but the shamaness could probably do something horrible to his food if he kept it up for too long. Vaulting the gaps and helping each other up the landings got the blood and addictive adrenaline rush going just enough for a grin to be etched onto Orion's features.

"Oh...oh yeah?" Orion said between deep breaths while Ilyanna rummaged through her satchel of supplies. "Well, this way you get free labor from one of the strongest warriors ever and the pleasure of my company when I'm not pretending to be a shallow ass. Just don't ask me to sing or make music and we'll call it a bargain."

One hand snapped through the air in a barely visibly blur to catch the meat while the other removed a knife from its sheath. A few more blurred yet frighteningly precise movements saw large slices carved from the razorfowl and impaled on the small blade to be consumed at Orion's leisure. Clearly he was as hungry as he was a show off.

"What, and miss a chance for a woman who's not Gran or my mom ordering me around?" He with a bemused grin. "I party as hard as I work and train, but I'm not trading our time together away for anything."

Orion ripped a good a chunk out of the meat collected on his knife, chewing and swallowing it faster than usual. Normally, he liked to really savor the flavor of anything worthwhile he ate. The young man's tone and posture were utterly relaxed, but his eyes never quite seemed to stop scrutinizing Ilyanna...in an inquisitive and platonic manner this time.

"Plus the more you and the rest of the clan say I should be careful about hanging out with you, the more I want to do it. I guess I'm just a stunningly talented ass that way."

 

[Xatarias]

Your last quip earn's you a slug on the shoulder.

"I'm glad I'm here to give you yet another opportunity to rebel against expectations," Ilyanna laughs, leaning in to snatch another portion of the bird.

The conversation is light thereafter, but you detect a certain flush about Ilyanna's dusky complexion. You're not exactly sure what it was, but clearly she liked something that you had said. It might just be your imagination, but her hand seems to linger just a moment longer than necessary when handing you the canteen. The romantic moment is somewhat dispelled when the lithe shaman tears into the razorfowl and licks the grease from her fingers.

"Well, we'd best get a move on," She says, tossing the picked-over carcass into the abyss. Somewhere below, you hear a series of growls and the crunching of bones. "Come on, it's just this way."

You slide after Ilyanna through a jagged hole in the nearby duro-steel. Your breath catches as smooth metal sudden is replaced by empty space and you free fall several meter. Instinct takes over and you simultaneously activate two bands of your pattern- Insight to enter into the Wake and Strength to brace for impact.

Time crawls by lazily as your heart hammers with Adrenalin and the Wake takes over. Many knew of your impressive skill with your strength and speed bands, but this was your most potent weapon. In the Wake, you had the time to consider all angles and how best to apply your considerable abilities. A closely kept secret, the most potent aspect of your Insight band was the first power you managed to isolate and the last you managed to master.

You realize from this height that even Strength wouldn't save your from a broken spine, so you tuck in your limbs and harness the inherent momentum of your body, aligning so your feet would hit the floor just as-

Bang

You land flawlessly and rise from a graceful crouch, even snagging Ilyanna's pack on the way down.

"Nicely done, showoff," Ilyanna calls from her position dangling from the chute. "Care to help a mortal out?"

She swings herself in your direction and lets go. Some might hesitate in such a situation- but Ilyanna knows you aren't most people.

 

[Weiss Ritter]

Orion chuckled at Ilyanna's playful jab to his shoulder. He'd take one of those over a terse rebuke or attempt to shoo him off any day.

"Story of my life, isn't it?" He grinned. From pitied cripple, to minor living legend and prodigy, to...whatever he wound up being once everything was said and done. He'd be remembered...one way or another.

The warrior's grin broadened a bit when he thought he sensed a flush in Ilyanna's features. The lighting and the color of her skin made it tricky to say for certain, but it wasn't often to see her on the backfoot during these sessions of her's. Not that he didn't enjoy the shamness's wit or unflappable airs for anything.

Orion's crimson eyes scanned warily over the abyss Ilyanna hurled their leftovers into. It was definitely safer to fling them as far from their own trail as possible, but one of his hands reflexively hovered near the heavy blade at his side all the same. Experience had jaded him enough to half-expect some horror that was all teeth and claws to come leaping up. Luckily, none did.

Unluckily, something much worse awaited him on the other side of the hole Ilyanna signaled out. Something no weapon or tactic could merely slay.

Nothing.

Shi-!

Orion barely had time to complete the thought before his reflexes, physical and mental, took over. Adrenaline and magic alike flowed freely through Orion's body as the world around him slowed to a crawl.

Ilyanna had jokingly called him a meathead, but if she only knew...the strength and speed he was capable of summoning from the crimson marks that adored his body were renowned with good reason. But before Orion was even capable of building muscle or skill with clan Cloudclimber's armory, his mind was all he could depend on. He might never have understood the machines and rituals that bedeviled Ilyanna, but as a child all he could do was watch, learn, and plan to use what little strength he possessed in the most efficient manner possible.

In that light, it was hardly a surprise that the Wake was first of his gifts to awaken.

The warrior adjusted his pose accordingly in mid-air, landing with all the grace and power of one of the great cats that stalked the jungle. One arm blurred through the air a half-second later, nearly snatching and holding the heavy pack that would have made him stumble before.

His head shot up as soon as Ilyanna called out. Orion's mouth opened, but the shaman was already swinging right towards him. No time for even a snappy remark? Ilyanna was just playing dirty now!

Just as she didn't hesitate, neither did Orion. The pack was dropped as he dashed into the optimum position to catch her, both muscular arms extended. Ideally, Ilyanna would be caught in one position or another, her strong and lithe form pressed against his for a tantalizing moment before he reluctantly sat her down...or maybe he'd collapse beneath her and break her fall because of some flaw in his stance or the young woman's sheer momentum. Orion could think of much, much worse fates than being pinned beneath the dusky beauty that was his childhood friend.

 

[Xatarias]

Ilyanna isn't exactly a lightweight. Her is frame flush with stocky muscle and lean sinew. But the aftereffects of channeling Strength make catching her fairly easy. You hop to meet her in the air, stealing a bit of energy from the fall and allowing you the time to hook your arms under her knees and behind her back. You land with the barest flex of your knees, rising with you beloved in your arms. Now this was the stuff of romance! Just like all of those ancient texts Ilyanna was always raving about. You were the knight in shining armor and Ily-

"You've got something on your face," Ilyanna points out. "Right... There."

You squirm as the techno-shaman licks two fingers and scrubs at your face with all the air of a mother dealing with a belligerent child.

"Gotta stay handsome for all the pretty huntresses, Ry Ry," She taunts with an elegant dismount. "Wouldn't want your reputation as a lady killer to... Deflate."

She leads further into the mystery room, swaying hips and a tantalizing hair flip.

 

[Weiss Ritter]

A jolt of adrenaline and a flush of supernatural might coursed through Orion's body as Ilyanna landed neatly in his outstretched arms. A tell-tale grin was firmly etched in his expression as half a dozen potentially witty things to competed for the honor.

They, and he, were stopped short when the shaman beat him to the punch with something more...utilitarian.

"Yeah...thanks," Ilyanna turned away a moment too late to see the strain creeping into her friend's smile. She'd halfway banished him from the table this morning over a mere reminder of his midnight escapades and now she was...encouraging him? With a sexy sashay in her hips just to further mix messages? "I'm not sure how I or half the tribe would manage to live without it,"

...Ancestors, sometimes he wondered if she just liked to make him squirm. And not in the friendly banter sort of way.

Even so, Orion was quick to pick up the back and take his place back at Ilaynna's side. If anything he was trying to put himself slightly in front of her. She might have forgotten more about these ruins than he could ever hope to learn, but capable as the shaman was, he was going to make sure any lurking predators would need to get through him first.

"So...what are we looking for this time? Or do you even have something specific in mind?"

 

[Xatarias]

"Never fear, my dear Ry Ry. The work is already done. It took me a week to get the circuitry right and then another two days to figure out how the damn thing even worked. But now..."

You watch as Ilyanna kneels in front of what looks like a wrecked consul. You know from past excursions with the intrepid shamaness that these ancient panels of buttons and touch screen typically corroded beyond use. But with persistence and the right know-how, their wiring could be finagled to coax out a bit of their former functionality. Ilyanna had theorized that these interfaces once connected to some broader "network", but now she was lucky if she could get one to open a door or nullify some security system.

A spark crackles between two wires and the entire cavernous space lights up. Floodlights overhead and even more set into the floor snap on, causing you to wince as your eyes adjust. More than three stories tall and containing more floorspace than the council chambers, this was easily the biggest room you had ever been in. Bizarrely, the far wall has several gaping holes in the hull overflowing with dirt and debris. Normally you would suspect illegal hull-harvesting or tunneling creatures, but even your untrained eyes can see the smooth workmanship of the openings.

"These conduits were designed to carry alot of juice," Ilyanna explains, pointing to several wrist-thick cables arrayed along the ports. "It's just liked the force barrier, but a little smaller. I think these were supposed to keep out space itself."

The question of why the ancients would waste so much power on a glorified window iss soon answered when Ilyanna tugs at your arm towards a shallow work bay. Suspended by a large crane is what looks like one of your clan's precious skimmers... Only bigger. A space ship!?

"Isn't she a beaut?," Ilyanna whispers reverently.

Valuable, perhaps. Historic, certainly. But you can't bring yourself to call the dusty, corroded hulk beautiful. Wires hang haphazardly from its fuselage and one stubby wing is mangled from some forgotten impact. It would take a genius for this thing to get back up and running... And you can guess who Ilyanna has in mind for the task.

 

[Weiss Ritter]

"Nice work, then," Orion said with a sincere smile. He did value his time Ilyanna, but spending hours every day for a week standing in the rust and grim while she toyed with wires and occassionally mumbled...well, that was time spent with machines while he was just along for the boring ride.

The warrior's muscular form tensed as light suddenly flooded the chamber around them from seemingly every direction at once. A grunt was forced from his lips while his eyes stung for the few moments ti took for them to adjust. It was worth it just to see the sheer scope of the chamber Ilyanna had guided him into this time. This place was massive...how many members of the clan could have fit in here? Ilyanna probably had something more tangible in mind, but he did have to wonder if such vast, semi-fortified space on its own could offer something of value once it was fully scouted out and secured. Those oddly precise holes in the wall in particular were a concern.

He almost took a step towards them before Ilyanna commanded his attention once again.

"That's..." Orion blinked and stared at the suspended vessel. It took a moment for the notion to sink in that he wasn't staring at a "mere" upgrade to some of the clan's most valuable possessions. Some of the stories he had read in his spare time hinted at machines like this. Could it...could they really be staring at once of the artifacts the ancients themselves used to stride from one world to another?

"She's..." He was at a loss of words for a moment. But only a moment. The stunned expression Orion wore swiftly gave way to one of his customary grins."Impressive alright, but I know from experience that the most meaningful beauty sometimes comes from within,"

The warrior turned and his crimson eyes glanced over Ilyanna's reaction. The way one of his hands rested atop the pommel of his sheathed blade made it clear he wasn't just being a poetic flirt taking a quick trip down memory lane.

"I don't know much about wiring or reactors, but I am aware that they can be more delicate than the metal that shields them. And she looks like she's taken quite a beating already. Think we can get a look inside between the two of us?"

 

[Xatarias]

"She, huh?," Ilyanna muses staring up the trashed ship. "I suppose it's a man's inclination to feminize anything they have to get inside."

She turns to you with a deadpan expression that lasts a few moments before a mischievous smile shines through.

"Come on, I think I've figured out how to get it down."

She leads you around to the crane mech. The array of hydraulics and gears has long since fell to a rusted ruin and utterly unresponsive to the complex assembly of controls. You're no expert, but it seems a miracle that the ship is still being held aloft by the creaking tangle of cables.

"So if I give this one here a tickle with my plasma torch, it'll snap and the rest will go in sequence. It might be a bumpy, but our fair maiden will be earthbound with little to no damage... So I'll be managing all of the technical do dads, and you'll take care of the ship's residents. Sound like a plan?"

It all makes sense. Sure, you're not positive about all of the physics involved, but Ilyanna wasn't one to fudge numbers. Maybe she wanted you here just in case something went wrong and she was injured down here. Or-

Just as the shaman mentions unwanted boarders on the not-so-vacant space ship, a series of chirps and guttural snarls drifts down. You don't even have to look to identify the creatures. Hexapumas- more than a few. Three-inch claws combined with blazing speed made them something best avoided, but they generally kept to themselves so long as their territory wasn't invaded. Sightings weren't unheard of, but no one had located a den in generations... Well, that was the common wisdom anyway. The scars crisscrossing your spine and ribs told an entirely different story.

Shadowgen, Thunderfalls. These are clans you have heard of but never met. Our history with them is rife with bloodshed and misunderstanding. Make no mistake, the dangers of the jungle are nothing compared to the misery that befalls men at war. To know when to give is as important as when to stand your ground. Find something of yourself in those that surround you, and you will have the wisdom to lead. Strength through understanding, Orion.

It had taken you three weeks of tracking and days grovelling bleeding, thirst stricken, and starving at the foot of a Hexapuma den before the alpha had deigned to sniff your soot-stained face. Never had you felt so grateful as when your mimic of a cub's cry earned a steaming pile of regurgitated meat.

 

[Weiss Ritter]

"Actually, you started it. 'Isn't she a beaut?'," Orion swiveled to face the deadpan shaman with a toothy smirk. "You're not feeling threatened because you're not the only one appreciating all those smooth curves and that butchered wing, are you? I can give the two of you some alone time once we're done here."

His grin clashed against Ilyanna's feigned neutrality before she finally rewarded him with a smile. Then it was back to business.

The warrior nodded at Ilyanna's briefing but spared the floor beneath the ship a wary glance. Jesting aside, the ship was an ancient wreck already. Exploring it while it hung by rusty metal threads wasn't an option, but could it even survive the fall? Ilyanna seemed confident, though, and he couldn't think of any better ideas.

"I think-" The familiar sounds coming from below and echoing across the chamber's broad walls made Orion tense in a way even Ilyanna only rarely saw. For a moment, Orion's bright red eyes grew distant.

Hexapumas...

The memories all came to the forefront of his mind in a great and terrible rush. For a moment, he could feel the claws cutting through his flesh again and the sagely advice Gran offered before sending him to be tested by the cruel jungle yet again. He was certain that lesson was not so much about mere survival as her grooming him for the ravages her position on the council would entail. Acting out of pride or thirst for glory might have made for a driven but unreliable hunter, but those qualities in a council member could spell ruin for the entire clan.

Ironically, it was probably one of the easier lessons for him to grasp...setting aside some of the worst days in his entire life that it took to get there. Orion had been a cripple all but marked for death before Gran took him under her wing. What slivers of pride and entitlement he might have had were easy to discard.

"...Is there really no other way?"

The question was practically a rhetorical one. With a grim expression Orion drew the heavy blade at his side. Power coursed through artifact, sending a dull crimson glow down circuit-like etches, as the warrior drew it into a practiced martial stance swiftly enough despite its weight that most would have struggled to even register the movement. His personal was a salvaged treasure used by the ancients themselves. Skyhold's ancestral spirits told him it was a blade meant to cleave through armor and materials even the ancients considered mighty. It had proven to be similarly effective against the tougher wildlife in Orion's experience.

"I'll see what I can do. I'd rather not have to flush out a whole den of Hexapumas. They're better neighbors than most things in that infernal jungle..."

 

[Xatarias]

For once Ilyanna seems to be at a loss.

"I thought... well, that you'd be eager for the challenge. If it makes you feel any better, this thing is bound to fall sooner rather than later. If we don't force them out, then gravity will do the job in a much messier fashion."

Well there was that at least. It was probably too much to hope that these pumas speak the same dialect you learned during your pseudo adoption, but some things were universal. You needed for these creatures to see you as a rival and not prey. You and Ilyanna were taking their den, and that was all there was to it. Given that a full sized pack would be too much for even your impressive abilities, you would have to identify the alpha and either kill her or force her to submit.

You scan the swaying ship for openings and find a sizeable hole in the hull near a mess of cables. The dexterous creatures must scale the crane and leap onto this precarious landing in order to get inside. Well there was your way in.

A low hum directs your attention back to Ilyanna. The shamaness has taken out Artemis, her beloved arc-cannon. Electrical charge courses along the barrel as she adjusts the various knobs and dials. Fingers on the firing mech, she looks like an archer of old with the odd weapon's stabilizing arms fulling extended.

"I'll watch your back. Just give me the timing, and I'll blast the opening."

 

[Weiss Ritter]

"It does." Orion glance back over his shoulder to offer Ilyanna a slight but sincere smile. "Guilt-free challenge it is, then."

A quick scan of the area surrounding the vessel gave him his entrance. Orion tried to take guesses at what the inside may have been like based on the ship's size and shape, but he'd have to be in the heart of the beasts' lair before he could really hope to take advantage of the environment.

"Thanks. I'm hoping that they'll back down if I smack their alpha around, but if the whole pack's hungry or not interested in a fair fight, I'll be counting on you. These things are fast and flanking will come as naturally to them as breathing if I can't find or make a chokepoint."

The warrior took took a breath and flashed Ilyanna one last confident smile before he advanced upon the cables and the hole in the vessel's hull. One hand hefted his sword while the other hovered near his sheathed knife just in case the inside was too cramped.

 

[Xatarias]

You bound up the sloped arm of the crane, sword trailing behind you. You'd have to be careful about handling the large blade. Previous experience made you confident that one errant swipe would easily cut through one of these cables and send you- and possibly a multi-ton space ship- careening to the hangar floor below.

Navigating the corroding cables is tricky business. Some are as taut as the actuating string on a arc-cannon, while others pitch and sway with an ominous thrumming sound. Once you nearly lose your balance and are forced to extend your rune-covered blade towards the ships hull for balance. Ilyanna's muffled moan reaches your ears as a cascade of sparks trails the sizeable gouge you inflict upon the moored vessel.

Muscles aching, you finally reach the ship's opening. If the layout was in anyway similar to a skimmer, the hexapumas seem to have taken residence in the cargo hold. There was no way to be certain, but the space could easily fit half your family's house inside- more than enough space for half a dozen hexapedal cats.

You know better than to invade the interior without a clear look inside- the pumas likely knew of your arrival long before you slid in from the access tunnel above. But the chorus of snarls and musky scent filling your nostrils leaves little doubt as that the creatures are inside... Odd though, you only detected a few distinct tones. As if the cats were posturing greater numbers than they actually possessed. What-

(Precision roll: 11)

"Ry Ry!"

The crackle of a discharge from Ilyanna's arc-cannon wizzes past your ear just as the cables you were crouching on vibrated with the impact of 100 kilos of densely packed muscle. You barely manage to keep your footing.

Four emerald eyes lock with yours as the puma bristles in defiance. Far from the man-dwarfing proportions of a full adult, this juvenile still posed a major threat in your current precarious position. It's luminescent markings flare with aggression as it prowls with practiced ease from one cable to the next, sinuous tail lashing to maintain balance. Poison drips from the spurs extended from its hind joints, indicating that this male was nearing breeding age.

The cat's sudden appearance meant that there must be another opening and this could easily be a distraction for a sudden flanking maneuver. Then again, you didn't have much room to maneuver up here and trying to prepare for some unseen attack might leave you vulnerable to the attacker you could see.

 

[Weiss Ritter]

An ice-cold sensation ran through Orion's veins while his heart pounded in his ears. He'd risked his life far, far too many times to be shaken by it anymore. That was probably another thing he owed his lessons with Gran even after his Ta Moko was stabilized and his success in the usual rite of adulthood ensured.

It didn't make the adrenaline flow any less swiftly through the young warrior as he grappled with the forces of gravity and entropy themselves. The cables made for an unsteady and untrustworthy bridge. At times the weight of his body and his gear were at odds. "Ngh...!"

Orion's grunt echoed in his own mind at the very least when one of the cables gave way more easily than he expected. His body fell forward but a swift jab from his blade managed to pierce just enough of the vessels hold to arrest his fall. Part of him wanted to shoot Ilyanna dull glare for sounding more concerned for the giant piece of salvage than her struggling friend. Now was really not the time for him to be petty. This task was dangerous enough, and while Orion was certainly a competent hunter, being able to move precisely over this sort of terrain like the fearsome jungle cats was not among his many talents.

"Gah...!"Orion grunted when he heard Ilyanna's shouted and felt her arc-cannon's discharge whiz by just as a sudden weigh sent ripples down the entire line of cables. Orion's heart skipped a beat even as his body stumbled and reflexively sank into a crouch, one hand snapping around one of the sturdier cables for support. A swift glance behind him confirmed his fear.

One of the hexapumas was stalking towards, navigating the treacherous cables with practiced ease and inhuman agility. It was "just" a juvenile, but that was scant comfort to Orion. Whether the predator was playing its part in a pack maneuver or being impetuous, the young male held the advantage as long as Orion was stuck on these cables. The Hexapuma didn't need to outfight him on this terrain, just keep its balance better than he could.

His options were poor and limited, but Orion wouldn't have to choose between them blindly. Not with the power of the Wake.

He looked back towards the ship and focused. Time began to stand still for him and the young warrior was free to examine the hull without concern for maintaining his balance or the approaching predator. There had to have been another way of getting in and out that the juvenile hexapuma had used to get the drop on him. It may not have been easier to access than the one he'd spotted before, but it couldn't hurt to at least be aware of the thing if it wasn't.

Whatever he found, Orion concentrated on whichever entrance was safer for him to reach and moved to enter with as much haste as he could without losing his balance.It would be infinitely easier to force the pack to see him as a rival for their alpha rather than easily-dispatch prey if he wasn't flailing about with each new vibration one of their youngest, smallest packmates this side of a cub sent running down the cables.

 

[Xatarias]

(Lower of Speed/Precision vs. Speed/Precision)

You enter the fold of the Wake and time crawls once more. The power was best suited for examining a single visual frame as even your eyes seemed to move catatonically slow while your mind was thinking this fast. Still... There!

You spy a tangle of wiring splayed behind the ship's uninjured wing. The multicolored, mechanical entrails retained a bit of movement from the juvenile's exit. It would be tight, but you are confident in your ability to make the jump and grasp one of the sturdier conduits on the way down.

The juvenile's haunch's begin to bunch and the following pounce carries it towards you, teeth bared.

You hook your feet on the cable beneath you and drop, swinging like a pendulum while the enormous predator sails above. Using the momentum, you release and sail towards the secret opening. Ilyanna's startled cries were becoming less and less groggy which meant you were pulling out your heightened mental state. You barely manage to keep hold of the wake until your hands grip the targeted conduit.

Time snaps back into measure while you hang below the ship, suspended by one measly length of metal. A creaking groan within the ship's interior reaches your ears and you drop nearly a meter before your lifeline snags on something and halts your descent.

The repeated discharge of Ilyanna's cannon tells you the juvenile hasn't been idle, but you couldn't afford distractions. The lesser pack member would come to heel once his alpha was brought in check.... Hopefully.

Hand over hand, you pull yourself up to the belly of the ship. With a burst of strength, you haul yourself onto the smooth deck... Right under the jaws on the biggest female hexapuma you have ever seen.

 

[Weiss Ritter]

As talented as Orion had become at tactically using the Wake, prolonged use of it always rank the risk of becoming disorienting. The sheer disconnect between his mind and senses coupled with the strain of maintaining it for more than a moment or two was not something almost any brain could endure indefinitely without breaking.

Survival had always been a good motivation for pushing his limits, though.

Orion briskly (to the none-Wake-using world) sheaved his blade in a perfectly calculated maneuver even as he hooked his feet into the tangle of cabled beneath him and plunged over the edge. He tried to ignore Ilyanna's cries and the frequent thumping of his heart even within the Wake as his body swung back and forth to build the momentum he needed. The lone cable hanging out from the secret entrance was a small target and even within the Wake Orion could feel his heart rise to his throat as he flew towards it increasingly swiftly.


Gotcha-SHIT!

Every muscle in Orion's body tensed when the metal lifeline gave beneath his weight. The faintest of grunts and his crimson eyes widening into to saucers were the only outward indication of the adrenaline-fueled fright that gripped him. He may not have been afraid to die, but every natural and subconscious instinct within the young man wasn't quite so eager to join his ancestors. Besides, falling? If he went out like that, Gran would find a way to haunt him.

Mercifully, the cable snagged on something before Orion could even risk slipping into the Wake again. He didn't even waste time exhaling a relieved breath before the young warrior ascended the treacherous slip of metal as swiftly as he could. Shakey cable gave way to solid, metal ground. Finally, he was sa-

Jaws worthy of at least a minor legend awaited him the moment he pulled himself over the threshold. Breath that may have been more or less rancid depending on how well such a mighty specimen had been eating washed over the blond warrior.

Once more, Orion didn't have the luxury of looking surprised.

His reflexes took over and in an instant the young man hurled himself towards the first vaguely secure bit of open space his crimson eyes could identify within the vessel. One hand reached to unsheathe his heavy blade and masterfully raise it into a martial stance the moment Orion landed in a crouch. He glared at the apparent matriarch and bared his teeth as a dangerously low yet husky growl rose from deep within his throat. That roll was the last bit of ground he would willingly surrender to the pack. They may have had their own distinct dialect from the hexapumas that "adopted" him, but some things were universal.

A challenge had been made and he could not offer this pack even the slightest hint of weakness. They needed to believe that even their combined might and cunning would not be enough to spare them terrible lose and pain even if they did overwhelm him in the end. That allowing the alpha to fight in the pack's stead was in their best interest as well as his.

...Was it really so surprising to Ilyanna and perhaps others of the tribe that he might empathize with such creatures?

 

[Xatarias]

The cargo bay is stacked with plastic containers forming thee row that, while lengthy, do not provide a lot of room to maneuver. You spin away from the matriarch, feet scattering bones and other remains of the cats' hunts. You take your battle-ready stance while the pack leader looms some yards away, ears flattening in confusion when you deliver your challenge. You know she understands when the massive beast rears on her hind legs, paws tearing gashes in the ceiling that you would struggle to reach with a jump.

She lands with a shuddering reverberation that causes the ship to sway to and from. The roar that follows makes your already racing heart feel like its being ping-ponged inside of your rib cage. Single combat or no, there was no way you were going to win this in a fair fight.

Sleek muscles bunch and uncoil as the enormous hexapedal bounds towards you, springing off the stacked crates in the last few yards. The alpha's jaws come in from the side, poised to enclose on your puny neck.

 

[Weiss Ritter]

(Special point applied to the Strength roll.)

Orion clenched his grip even more tightly around around his heavy rune-carved blade. Seeing the matriarch in all her primal glory did little to reassure him that the worst of his adventure was behind him. A more superstitious tribe could come to view a predator like this as some sort of demon or spirit of the untameable wild made manifest. Orion would not have been inclined to disagree.

His heart pounded as she roared and shook the entire vessel with her mere landing. Ancestors, how had this pack not already shaken this while thing loose?!

No matter. Orion had more than enough to worry about already as the alpha lunged. There was only a split second to make a decision. His reflexes and instinctive desire to avoid a quick but gruesome death in those massive jaw overrode whatever high-minded ideals he'd entertained before.

Orion's footing rapidly shifted to root his body as firmly as possible while the crimson markings that adored his powerful frame began to glow faintly. A great surge of raw power surged through every fiber of his being in an instant. Every bit of the young warrior's already impressive musculature bulged and strained in fearsome definition even before Orion swung his is blade in an arc even the sharpest eyes of clan Cloudclimber would have strained to even register. The cold, hard edge of his glowing crimson blade was being brought to bear upon the lunging hexapuma's head with not only all the supernatural might the prodigy could muster, but the strength of the matriarch's own momentum if she couldn't evade.

Hopefully, the blow would be damaging enough to put the alpha on the defensive if it connected this early into the battle. If it didn't...well, hopefully evading would force the matriarch to abandon her attack and not send the ship plummeting to the ground long enough for Orion to try and take advantage of the cramped rows of crates. What left him little room to maneuver could be a frustrating bottleneck for a such a massive predator if he exploited them correctly.