Chapter 70
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Several hours later the Silverleaf group arrived back at Ravenwood. Ru was draped over Quinn's back, fast asleep. Her long blonde hair had been dyed a dark violet and she wearing blue jeans and sandals.
"Guess I should have fought a few more rounds," Quinn muttered under his breath.
"Thank you Quinn." Yaya was carrying her own bags and half of Ru's. Everyone was smiling and talking excitedly.
"No thanks necessary, aren't we family now?" Quinn lead them back toward the Red Dome tents. "The Nursery could use a dozen or so people, the Songbird also is currently understaffed.
Leah nodded, "I'll make it a priority."
"Give these girls a bit of freedom Yaya. Set a curfew and some common sense rules for the younger ones." Quinn entered the first Dome tent and gently sat Ru down on one of the cots.
"Yes sir." Yaya had changed into some of the new clothes she purchased. As Quinn suspected, she looked stunning. "The group date is okay?"
A handful of Tera Gram's guildmates had shown up while the Silverleaf women were shopping. They had asked for an afternoon outing the next day. Quinn was actually well acquainted with the Inferno guild, they had a very solid reputation among the fodder community. "Yes, but send a few chaperons."
***********
"Damn...not gonna make it Leah." Quinn had told Mojo that they would meet her at the Luxury Cottage at dusk. They were a bit late.
"It's because you were sparring with Crow again," Leah leaned forward and kissed the back of his neck. "You should let your sister win sometimes." Leah was riding in the second seat behind Quinn. She had her arms around his waist.
"We should be able to see the cottage in a few minutes." Quinn didn't want to keep her waiting too long, they had some important matters to discuss.
The cottage had just come into view when suddenly Kawa began to climb.
Quinn reached up and patted the gryphon's neck, "easy there Kawa."
Kawa didn't respond other then to speed up and steepen the climb. Leah had to cling tightly to Quinn.
"What's going on Quinn?" She had to yell to be heard over the rushing wind.
"I don't know, it won't take any commands." Rather then play tug of war with the huge beast, Q bent low over the saddle and hung on.
"Open Com-chat Mora Jol."
A moment later Mojo popped up on his hud, "Quinn'lkah?"
"Kawa is in an uncontrolled climb, I"m unable to bring him down."
"Hang on tight you two!!," Mora Jol ran outside the cottage and scanned the night sky. "Where are you Quinn'lkah?"
"West about 15 minutes."
Mora Jol turned her sharp eyes toward the west. "I don't see you.!"
"Illuminate!" Leah had reached in her bag and grabbed a luminescent ball, and then let it drop. She grabbed a second one. "Illuminate" This one she held on to.
"Smart girl..I see you. Quinn'lkah, abandon the Gryphon !!"
Com-chat cut out and Leah dropped the second luminescent ball.
"Leah! Equip your jetpack and move away. I'm not leaving my Gryphon."
"I wont!"
The climb was so steep, it was all Quinn could do to cling to the saddle. "Leah, do it now!"
Instead she clung to his back fiercely. "I won't.. I won't!!"
High above the clouds Minokawa finally stopped, It screeched loudly three times and a seal appeared in the air before them, a small gate opened inside of it. Without any hesitation it flew through the gate.
Quinn sat upright in the saddle when Kawa finally leveled off, taking a deep breathe as Leah released her death grip on him.
"Where are we?" She couldn't see anything, they were flying through clouds.
"No idea," he felt Kawa bank hard and then the clouds disappeared.
"Damn... now that's really something." Quinn shook his head in wonder.
System Message: You have discovered the ancient city of Ba'Avriel. No experience points may be given at this time.
System Message: Logging off while in Ba'Avriel incurs a 3 day freeze penalty and loss of equipment.
"Not good." Ba'Avriel, the race that his assassin form was a part of. Quinn frowned at Leah, "why didn't you get off?"
"My heart wouldn't let me." She glanced at him, 'don't make such an angry face."
Kawa obviously knew where it was going. It banked twice and then set down lightly on a landing pad. Q stepped off of Kawa's back, refusing to pet it when he nudged him. "You just wait til we get back!!"
He helped Leah down and immediately unsummoned him. "Be prepared for the worst, just in case."
Leah nodded and equipped Pins and Needles.
"Hope you brought a bunch of Ephryn Cartridges." Quinn scanned the surrounding area, there's no way their arrival went unnoticed.
"Yep, Remmy sent me several boxes of them while you were out-world."
The city itself wasn't much larger the Talon, It was longer but kinda narrow, like a ship. "We are in the air Leah, this city is floating."
The city itself was made mostly of white marble, every structure was built like a tower with giant columns, there were platforms near the top of these. The entire city was lit up.
"Notice something strange Leah?"
Leah nodded, "none of the doors are at ground level. "
There was one building that stood out more than the rest, it was a huge white half dome that reminded Q of the old Greek arenas he had read about. 'Damn, Tal would know what that was.'
"Open Mail, Draft letter Jaded Ice"
System Message: You cannot send mail to an outside source at this time.
"Bastard ass.... Open Mail, Draft letter Q. Subject: Anna Li do not miss this mail!!"
"I hope you get this. Leah and I have unexpectedly been taken to the Ba'Avriel Capital. I cannot log-off without incurring a three day freeze penalty and loss of equipment. Even if I could, I'd never leave Leah here. Let everyone know. Back when I can.
Q.
"Send Mail"
System Message: Mail successfully sent.
"Did you just sent yourself mail? Will that work Quinn?"
"No idea."
They came a few minutes later, five of them, from one of the taller towers.
"What kind of mounts are those Quinn?"
"They aren't mounts. They have wings."
Q stared as they approached. They were fair skinned, all of them blonde from what he could tell. Their wings were white and feathered. Their facial features resembled high elves, pointed ears and slender bodies. They were similarly dressed in white leather armor. All of them carried short bows.
"Throw down your weapons, and surrender at once." The one in the middle spoke, he had a black armband with a cross sword insignia on it.
Q glanced at Leah, a small smile on his lips. "I don't think so. Are you going to introduce yourselves? Or must we remain strangers?"
"I am Bol, security commander for the 5th sector," Bol gritted his teeth as he spoke, having been forced into follow protocol.
"I am Q, the presiding seat of Fora, a free nation on the continent below." Q bowed low and then continued. "This is Lieutenant Fintree, my personal guard."
"Very well," Bol looked like had been forced to eat something unpleasant. He tossed a small disk on the ground, moments later a seal formed and the seven of them disappeared.
They ported directly into a cluttered looking office, a woman was sitting behind a desk writing, she looked up at the disturbance.
"Foreign Diplomats, they are yours now." Without another word Bol and his group, exited through the door.
"You still have your weapons? That's good, very good." The woman stood and walked around her desk. "I'm Zyrene, a barrister with the diplomatic service."
"I'm Q, this is Leah."
The office was rather large, the walls were lined to the ceiling with bookshelves.
"Please sit, I"m going to need to know everything that led to your arrival." Zyrene motioned them to sit in the two chairs next to her desk.
Twenty minutes later, they had been able to tell Zyrene their story. She had stopped them at regular intervals to ask questions. A few times, she backtracked when she thought of something else. She wrote everything down meticulously.
"I"ll be as forth coming as I can. Please have patience with me. There are normally quite a few charges that are associated with an arrival such as yours."
Quinn frowned. "Charges such as crimes?"
"Yes, however, you were brought here by a Royal Gryphon, that releases you from any wrong doing. They are instinctively bred to enter the City when it approaches."
"Approaches? So this place moves?" Quinn watched her as she spoke. She was quite young, or at least seemed that way. Her wings were furled behind her, hanging over the backless chair on which she sat. Her eyes were pale gold, nearly the same color as her hair.
"Had you given up your weapons or started a fight, most likely you'd be in one of the arena cells by now." Zyrene continued to study her notes. "You're one of the leaders of Fora?"
Quinn nodded, "yes, I'm the presiding seat."
"Your behavior has given you some diplomatic rights."
"I wish to speak to your leadership."
"Let's be clear, you are a prisoner with some diplomatic rights." Zyrene shrugged helplessly. "The wingless had no rights in Ba-Avriel."
Quinn glanced at Leah, she knew not to say anything about his wings.
"Then why are we here?" It was Leah who spoke, "aren't you just wasting your time?"
"I can make things a bit easier for you, by proving diplomatic ties, I can petition for trial by combat. "
Zyrene stood up and unfurled her wings, letting them flap for a moment before furling them against her back.
'That must be like stretching?' Quinn's eyes followed her as she moved around the desk, and leaned on it. "Give me the best case scenario."
"If I can make all of my points valid, then I can get you three fights in the arena." She spoke as if that was a very bad thing.
"And if we win these fights?"
"The first two will be possible, but in the end they will put you up against someone you can't possibly beat." Zyrene shook her head sadly, these two were nice.
"Leave the fighting to us," Quinn bowed his head slightly. "We are in your care Barrister Zy.
Leah smiled as the woman turned apple red, "he likes to give friends nicknames, do you best please." Leah also bowed her head.
Zyrene stood abruptly and walked out the door, she was so rattled she forgot to say goodbye. The door had only closed for a moment before it opened again.
An embarrassed looking Zyrene poked her head in. "I"ll be back as soon as I can, please wait here."
Leah reached out her hand and grabbed Quinn's hand, "Three fights is the best case?"
Quinn nodded, "seems that way. Don't worry.
She scooted her chair closer and leaned on his shoulder while they held hands. "I'm not worried, we are together."
"I want you to hide, "I wish you were me", don't use it until I say." Quinn knew his opponents would have the advantage of seeing them fight, it's best to hold back something.
Leah nodded in agreement, and slid onto his lap, her arms wrapping around his neck. "I won't use it unless you say."
They spent the next half hour like that, talking in low voices, occasionally kissing. Zyrene finally returned, her face instantly turned red when she saw them.
Leah said nothing and moved back to her chair.
"Barrister Zy, how did things go?" Quinn wasn't the slightest bit embarrassed.
"I successfully made all my points," She picked up a piece of paper and read from it.
"You can choose to defend your innocence in this matter and secure your release by winning three rounds in the arena."
System Message: You've been offered a Quest in Ba'Avriel. Do you accept?
Quest: Fight for your Freedom.
Description: Win three rounds
in the arena.
Reward: 3 Gryphon Eggs.
"Yes." Q smiled at her, "that's very good news Zy."
"Oh, thank you." Zyrene shuffled her papers, 'didn't they realize they couldn't win?' "The first round
will be Gnoll Elites.."
Q nodded, "Gnoll Elites? We can handle those. And the second round?"
"We won't know until after the first round is complete, at that time you'll have the option of resting a day or continuing with your trial."
Leah stood up and moved behind Quinn, placing her hands on his shoulders, "How long until the first round?"
"You have one hour."
Three quarters of an hour later, Quinn and Leah were escorted to a holding area, "this can't be worse than Zi"Fendyl."
"I wouldn't know, you didn't take me." Leah had braided her long hair while they had waited, Quinn couldn't help but stare.
"How do you do that without looking?"
"Practice, want to try?" She wrinkled her freckled nose at him.
They had entered the fighting queue about 30 minutes prior. It really was nothing more than a long hallway with multiple gates. With each progression, you would advance to the section in front of you. It was filled with all sorts of people. They were at the second to last gate, and could finally see the arena.
"Where did all these people come from?" Leah was watching the faces of the fighters. Some were angry, some excited, but most of them to be in despair.
Quinn shrugged, "they must do raids in secret to get this many. I doubt these prisoners flew up here on a Royal Gryphon."
Leah placed her hands on the metal bars as she watched the different faces. "I hate this place.. this is monstrous."
Quinn looked out on the arena, opposite of where he was standing was a similar looking gated hall. "That must be where our opponents are. "
"Quinn!" Leah gestured to the group behind them.
It was a group of four fighters and a young girl wrapped in a blanket.
"Their plight is the same as ours Leah, we can't save these people, not in our current circumstance anyway." Quinn watched the group, but hardened his resolve. 'I'll worry about getting Leah out first.'
"Get to the front of the cage you filthy brown wing!" A bald man with missing front teeth and a huge belly yelled at the girl. "You'll be the first to die!" The other members of the group started taunting her and yelling at her.
"Quinn.. she's so small," Leah's green eyes were filled with pity as she watched the scene.
"Focus Leah," Quinn loosened his guns in their holster.
The first gate opened and the group in front of them exited into the arena. The noise of the crowd was deafening. Quinn grimaced at the smell of stale sweat and blood that suddenly pushed toward them. The first gate closed and they advanced to the front of the line. Only after they moved, did the back of their gate close.
"Leah.. let it go." She was still watching the blanketed girl.
"I said move to the front brown wing!" The fat man kicked the little girl sending her crashing against the gate that had just closed. The blanket slipped off of her shoulders, exposing broken brown wings. "
Quinn sighed heavily, and pulled Leah behind him. "Now... why did you have to go and do something like that for?"
*Blink*
Quinn bent down and swiftly picked up the crying girl, he turned and kicked fatty between the legs as hard as he could.
*Return*
He handed Leah the little girl, "we'll just have to do the best we can."
The wall hud activated while Leah soothed the crying child. It was Zy. "Where did you get the child from?"
"She squeezed through the bars," now that she was with them, Quinn would protect her. "Why is she here and what is a brown wing?"
"Brown wings are considered mutants from a corrupted bloodline. When a brown wing is born, they almost always put to death immediately by their families."
"P-Put to death?" Leah wrapped the blanket around girls shoulders and gently rocked her.
"That ones parent tried to hide her, they were executed and the child was sent here." Zy had a hard time even saying the words, it was obvious she found it hideous.
Her wings are the same color as mine, does that mean she is an assassin class? "How was she injured?"
"Her wings were broken by the guards when she was found."
Quinn glanced at Leah, it was obvious from the way she held the child, she wasn't going to let her go. "Well.. she's with us now. Is that a problem?" Q moved toward the entrance as the gate started to open.
"Absolutely not, if she enters the arena with you. She is part of your case." Zy pursed her lips. "Fight hard."
Case Number 4271 Advance into the Arena!!
Quinn glanced at Leah, "stay on the columns and support me."
Leah held the child in one arm, "the columns?"
"Yeah.. use the grappling hook, should easily be able to support the two of you. Quinn grabbed her hand and they walked out into the arena.
The Gnolls were released and the crowd instantly jumped to there feet. Gnoll Elites were blood thirsty and vicious.
When the Gnolls spotted their opponents they howled and charged.
"Five of them, one of them is a range fighter." Leah said as she followed Quinn until he passed a column.
Tentatively she aimed half way up and released the grappling hook. She retracted it enough to get out of harm's way. "I won't be able to do much like this Quinn."
*Sunburst*
All five Gnolls instantly doubled over holding their eyes.
Quinn targeted the range fighter.
*Blink*
*Backstab* Critical hit 22,750 damage, Bonus 22,750 damage.
*Return*
*Stealth*
*Ba'Avriel*
Leah kept an eye on the blinded Gnolls and took aim at the injured one.
*Pins and Needles* Leah has hit an elite Gnoll for 8,800 damage.
* Critical Hit: Eyes* Target vision is decreased by half.
Quinn equipped his daggers, causing Ba'Avriel form to drop immediately.
*Backstab* Critical hit 23,150 damage, Bonus 23,150 damage.
*Target has been slain*
Quinn ran a circle around the group.
*Quickdraw* Critical hit 54,400, Bonus damage 54,400
*Quickdraw* Critical hit 67,111, Bonus damage 67,111
An Elite Gnoll has been slain.
An Elite Gnoll has been slain.
*Sunburst*
An Elite Gnoll has been blinded.
An Elite Gnoll has been blinded.
*Stealth*
*Ba'Avriel*
Quinn flapped his wings hard to get altitude, then broke into a steep dive. Ten feet before the ground be drew his halberd, causing Ba'Avriel and Stealth to drop.
*Asunder*
Critical hit 95,221, Bonus damage 95,221
An Elite Gnoll has been slain.
Blood splattered the white sands of the arena as the two parts of the Gnoll fell in separate directions. The last Gnoll howled in fear and fled towards his entrance.
*Quickdraw* Critical hit 48,777, Bonus damage 48,777
An Elite Gnoll has been slain.
Quinn stared down his pistol at the Gnoll corpse. "You should have run earlier."
The crowd roared as it watched the three newcomers deal with the five elite Gnolls, the stomping feet of crazed fans shook the arena when the last Gnoll fell.
Leah lowered herself to the arena floor. "Very nicely done Quinn."
System Message: You have won the 1st round in the arena, all experience points have been deferred.
A holo appeared in the middle of the Arena, it was Zy. "Well done! You have the option of continuing the trial or resting up to one day.
Q glanced at Leah who nodded at him. "We'll continue the trial."
Please report us if you find any errors so we can fix it asap!
Several hours later the Silverleaf group arrived back at Ravenwood. Ru was draped over Quinn's back, fast asleep. Her long blonde hair had been dyed a dark violet and she wearing blue jeans and sandals.
"Guess I should have fought a few more rounds," Quinn muttered under his breath.
"Thank you Quinn." Yaya was carrying her own bags and half of Ru's. Everyone was smiling and talking excitedly.
"No thanks necessary, aren't we family now?" Quinn lead them back toward the Red Dome tents. "The Nursery could use a dozen or so people, the Songbird also is currently understaffed.
Leah nodded, "I'll make it a priority."
"Give these girls a bit of freedom Yaya. Set a curfew and some common sense rules for the younger ones." Quinn entered the first Dome tent and gently sat Ru down on one of the cots.
"Yes sir." Yaya had changed into some of the new clothes she purchased. As Quinn suspected, she looked stunning. "The group date is okay?"
A handful of Tera Gram's guildmates had shown up while the Silverleaf women were shopping. They had asked for an afternoon outing the next day. Quinn was actually well acquainted with the Inferno guild, they had a very solid reputation among the fodder community. "Yes, but send a few chaperons."
***********
"Damn...not gonna make it Leah." Quinn had told Mojo that they would meet her at the Luxury Cottage at dusk. They were a bit late.
"It's because you were sparring with Crow again," Leah leaned forward and kissed the back of his neck. "You should let your sister win sometimes." Leah was riding in the second seat behind Quinn. She had her arms around his waist.
"We should be able to see the cottage in a few minutes." Quinn didn't want to keep her waiting too long, they had some important matters to discuss.
The cottage had just come into view when suddenly Kawa began to climb.
Quinn reached up and patted the gryphon's neck, "easy there Kawa."
Kawa didn't respond other then to speed up and steepen the climb. Leah had to cling tightly to Quinn.
"What's going on Quinn?" She had to yell to be heard over the rushing wind.
"I don't know, it won't take any commands." Rather then play tug of war with the huge beast, Q bent low over the saddle and hung on.
"Open Com-chat Mora Jol."
A moment later Mojo popped up on his hud, "Quinn'lkah?"
"Kawa is in an uncontrolled climb, I"m unable to bring him down."
"Hang on tight you two!!," Mora Jol ran outside the cottage and scanned the night sky. "Where are you Quinn'lkah?"
"West about 15 minutes."
Mora Jol turned her sharp eyes toward the west. "I don't see you.!"
"Illuminate!" Leah had reached in her bag and grabbed a luminescent ball, and then let it drop. She grabbed a second one. "Illuminate" This one she held on to.
"Smart girl..I see you. Quinn'lkah, abandon the Gryphon !!"
Com-chat cut out and Leah dropped the second luminescent ball.
"Leah! Equip your jetpack and move away. I'm not leaving my Gryphon."
"I wont!"
The climb was so steep, it was all Quinn could do to cling to the saddle. "Leah, do it now!"
Instead she clung to his back fiercely. "I won't.. I won't!!"
High above the clouds Minokawa finally stopped, It screeched loudly three times and a seal appeared in the air before them, a small gate opened inside of it. Without any hesitation it flew through the gate.
Quinn sat upright in the saddle when Kawa finally leveled off, taking a deep breathe as Leah released her death grip on him.
"Where are we?" She couldn't see anything, they were flying through clouds.
"No idea," he felt Kawa bank hard and then the clouds disappeared.
"Damn... now that's really something." Quinn shook his head in wonder.
System Message: You have discovered the ancient city of Ba'Avriel. No experience points may be given at this time.
System Message: Logging off while in Ba'Avriel incurs a 3 day freeze penalty and loss of equipment.
"Not good." Ba'Avriel, the race that his assassin form was a part of. Quinn frowned at Leah, "why didn't you get off?"
"My heart wouldn't let me." She glanced at him, 'don't make such an angry face."
Kawa obviously knew where it was going. It banked twice and then set down lightly on a landing pad. Q stepped off of Kawa's back, refusing to pet it when he nudged him. "You just wait til we get back!!"
He helped Leah down and immediately unsummoned him. "Be prepared for the worst, just in case."
Leah nodded and equipped Pins and Needles.
"Hope you brought a bunch of Ephryn Cartridges." Quinn scanned the surrounding area, there's no way their arrival went unnoticed.
"Yep, Remmy sent me several boxes of them while you were out-world."
The city itself wasn't much larger the Talon, It was longer but kinda narrow, like a ship. "We are in the air Leah, this city is floating."
The city itself was made mostly of white marble, every structure was built like a tower with giant columns, there were platforms near the top of these. The entire city was lit up.
"Notice something strange Leah?"
Leah nodded, "none of the doors are at ground level. "
There was one building that stood out more than the rest, it was a huge white half dome that reminded Q of the old Greek arenas he had read about. 'Damn, Tal would know what that was.'
"Open Mail, Draft letter Jaded Ice"
System Message: You cannot send mail to an outside source at this time.
"Bastard ass.... Open Mail, Draft letter Q. Subject: Anna Li do not miss this mail!!"
"I hope you get this. Leah and I have unexpectedly been taken to the Ba'Avriel Capital. I cannot log-off without incurring a three day freeze penalty and loss of equipment. Even if I could, I'd never leave Leah here. Let everyone know. Back when I can.
Q.
"Send Mail"
System Message: Mail successfully sent.
"Did you just sent yourself mail? Will that work Quinn?"
"No idea."
They came a few minutes later, five of them, from one of the taller towers.
"What kind of mounts are those Quinn?"
"They aren't mounts. They have wings."
Q stared as they approached. They were fair skinned, all of them blonde from what he could tell. Their wings were white and feathered. Their facial features resembled high elves, pointed ears and slender bodies. They were similarly dressed in white leather armor. All of them carried short bows.
"Throw down your weapons, and surrender at once." The one in the middle spoke, he had a black armband with a cross sword insignia on it.
Q glanced at Leah, a small smile on his lips. "I don't think so. Are you going to introduce yourselves? Or must we remain strangers?"
"I am Bol, security commander for the 5th sector," Bol gritted his teeth as he spoke, having been forced into follow protocol.
"I am Q, the presiding seat of Fora, a free nation on the continent below." Q bowed low and then continued. "This is Lieutenant Fintree, my personal guard."
"Very well," Bol looked like had been forced to eat something unpleasant. He tossed a small disk on the ground, moments later a seal formed and the seven of them disappeared.
They ported directly into a cluttered looking office, a woman was sitting behind a desk writing, she looked up at the disturbance.
"Foreign Diplomats, they are yours now." Without another word Bol and his group, exited through the door.
"You still have your weapons? That's good, very good." The woman stood and walked around her desk. "I'm Zyrene, a barrister with the diplomatic service."
"I'm Q, this is Leah."
The office was rather large, the walls were lined to the ceiling with bookshelves.
"Please sit, I"m going to need to know everything that led to your arrival." Zyrene motioned them to sit in the two chairs next to her desk.
Twenty minutes later, they had been able to tell Zyrene their story. She had stopped them at regular intervals to ask questions. A few times, she backtracked when she thought of something else. She wrote everything down meticulously.
"I"ll be as forth coming as I can. Please have patience with me. There are normally quite a few charges that are associated with an arrival such as yours."
Quinn frowned. "Charges such as crimes?"
"Yes, however, you were brought here by a Royal Gryphon, that releases you from any wrong doing. They are instinctively bred to enter the City when it approaches."
"Approaches? So this place moves?" Quinn watched her as she spoke. She was quite young, or at least seemed that way. Her wings were furled behind her, hanging over the backless chair on which she sat. Her eyes were pale gold, nearly the same color as her hair.
"Had you given up your weapons or started a fight, most likely you'd be in one of the arena cells by now." Zyrene continued to study her notes. "You're one of the leaders of Fora?"
Quinn nodded, "yes, I'm the presiding seat."
"Your behavior has given you some diplomatic rights."
"I wish to speak to your leadership."
"Let's be clear, you are a prisoner with some diplomatic rights." Zyrene shrugged helplessly. "The wingless had no rights in Ba-Avriel."
Quinn glanced at Leah, she knew not to say anything about his wings.
"Then why are we here?" It was Leah who spoke, "aren't you just wasting your time?"
"I can make things a bit easier for you, by proving diplomatic ties, I can petition for trial by combat. "
Zyrene stood up and unfurled her wings, letting them flap for a moment before furling them against her back.
'That must be like stretching?' Quinn's eyes followed her as she moved around the desk, and leaned on it. "Give me the best case scenario."
"If I can make all of my points valid, then I can get you three fights in the arena." She spoke as if that was a very bad thing.
"And if we win these fights?"
"The first two will be possible, but in the end they will put you up against someone you can't possibly beat." Zyrene shook her head sadly, these two were nice.
"Leave the fighting to us," Quinn bowed his head slightly. "We are in your care Barrister Zy.
Leah smiled as the woman turned apple red, "he likes to give friends nicknames, do you best please." Leah also bowed her head.
Zyrene stood abruptly and walked out the door, she was so rattled she forgot to say goodbye. The door had only closed for a moment before it opened again.
An embarrassed looking Zyrene poked her head in. "I"ll be back as soon as I can, please wait here."
Leah reached out her hand and grabbed Quinn's hand, "Three fights is the best case?"
Quinn nodded, "seems that way. Don't worry.
She scooted her chair closer and leaned on his shoulder while they held hands. "I'm not worried, we are together."
"I want you to hide, "I wish you were me", don't use it until I say." Quinn knew his opponents would have the advantage of seeing them fight, it's best to hold back something.
Leah nodded in agreement, and slid onto his lap, her arms wrapping around his neck. "I won't use it unless you say."
They spent the next half hour like that, talking in low voices, occasionally kissing. Zyrene finally returned, her face instantly turned red when she saw them.
Leah said nothing and moved back to her chair.
"Barrister Zy, how did things go?" Quinn wasn't the slightest bit embarrassed.
"I successfully made all my points," She picked up a piece of paper and read from it.
"You can choose to defend your innocence in this matter and secure your release by winning three rounds in the arena."
System Message: You've been offered a Quest in Ba'Avriel. Do you accept?
Quest: Fight for your Freedom.
Description: Win three rounds
in the arena.
Reward: 3 Gryphon Eggs.
"Yes." Q smiled at her, "that's very good news Zy."
"Oh, thank you." Zyrene shuffled her papers, 'didn't they realize they couldn't win?' "The first round
will be Gnoll Elites.."
Q nodded, "Gnoll Elites? We can handle those. And the second round?"
"We won't know until after the first round is complete, at that time you'll have the option of resting a day or continuing with your trial."
Leah stood up and moved behind Quinn, placing her hands on his shoulders, "How long until the first round?"
"You have one hour."
Three quarters of an hour later, Quinn and Leah were escorted to a holding area, "this can't be worse than Zi"Fendyl."
"I wouldn't know, you didn't take me." Leah had braided her long hair while they had waited, Quinn couldn't help but stare.
"How do you do that without looking?"
"Practice, want to try?" She wrinkled her freckled nose at him.
They had entered the fighting queue about 30 minutes prior. It really was nothing more than a long hallway with multiple gates. With each progression, you would advance to the section in front of you. It was filled with all sorts of people. They were at the second to last gate, and could finally see the arena.
"Where did all these people come from?" Leah was watching the faces of the fighters. Some were angry, some excited, but most of them to be in despair.
Quinn shrugged, "they must do raids in secret to get this many. I doubt these prisoners flew up here on a Royal Gryphon."
Leah placed her hands on the metal bars as she watched the different faces. "I hate this place.. this is monstrous."
Quinn looked out on the arena, opposite of where he was standing was a similar looking gated hall. "That must be where our opponents are. "
"Quinn!" Leah gestured to the group behind them.
It was a group of four fighters and a young girl wrapped in a blanket.
"Their plight is the same as ours Leah, we can't save these people, not in our current circumstance anyway." Quinn watched the group, but hardened his resolve. 'I'll worry about getting Leah out first.'
"Get to the front of the cage you filthy brown wing!" A bald man with missing front teeth and a huge belly yelled at the girl. "You'll be the first to die!" The other members of the group started taunting her and yelling at her.
"Quinn.. she's so small," Leah's green eyes were filled with pity as she watched the scene.
"Focus Leah," Quinn loosened his guns in their holster.
The first gate opened and the group in front of them exited into the arena. The noise of the crowd was deafening. Quinn grimaced at the smell of stale sweat and blood that suddenly pushed toward them. The first gate closed and they advanced to the front of the line. Only after they moved, did the back of their gate close.
"Leah.. let it go." She was still watching the blanketed girl.
"I said move to the front brown wing!" The fat man kicked the little girl sending her crashing against the gate that had just closed. The blanket slipped off of her shoulders, exposing broken brown wings. "
Quinn sighed heavily, and pulled Leah behind him. "Now... why did you have to go and do something like that for?"
*Blink*
Quinn bent down and swiftly picked up the crying girl, he turned and kicked fatty between the legs as hard as he could.
*Return*
He handed Leah the little girl, "we'll just have to do the best we can."
The wall hud activated while Leah soothed the crying child. It was Zy. "Where did you get the child from?"
"She squeezed through the bars," now that she was with them, Quinn would protect her. "Why is she here and what is a brown wing?"
"Brown wings are considered mutants from a corrupted bloodline. When a brown wing is born, they almost always put to death immediately by their families."
"P-Put to death?" Leah wrapped the blanket around girls shoulders and gently rocked her.
"That ones parent tried to hide her, they were executed and the child was sent here." Zy had a hard time even saying the words, it was obvious she found it hideous.
Her wings are the same color as mine, does that mean she is an assassin class? "How was she injured?"
"Her wings were broken by the guards when she was found."
Quinn glanced at Leah, it was obvious from the way she held the child, she wasn't going to let her go. "Well.. she's with us now. Is that a problem?" Q moved toward the entrance as the gate started to open.
"Absolutely not, if she enters the arena with you. She is part of your case." Zy pursed her lips. "Fight hard."
Case Number 4271 Advance into the Arena!!
Quinn glanced at Leah, "stay on the columns and support me."
Leah held the child in one arm, "the columns?"
"Yeah.. use the grappling hook, should easily be able to support the two of you. Quinn grabbed her hand and they walked out into the arena.
The Gnolls were released and the crowd instantly jumped to there feet. Gnoll Elites were blood thirsty and vicious.
When the Gnolls spotted their opponents they howled and charged.
"Five of them, one of them is a range fighter." Leah said as she followed Quinn until he passed a column.
Tentatively she aimed half way up and released the grappling hook. She retracted it enough to get out of harm's way. "I won't be able to do much like this Quinn."
*Sunburst*
All five Gnolls instantly doubled over holding their eyes.
Quinn targeted the range fighter.
*Blink*
*Backstab* Critical hit 22,750 damage, Bonus 22,750 damage.
*Return*
*Stealth*
*Ba'Avriel*
Leah kept an eye on the blinded Gnolls and took aim at the injured one.
*Pins and Needles* Leah has hit an elite Gnoll for 8,800 damage.
* Critical Hit: Eyes* Target vision is decreased by half.
Quinn equipped his daggers, causing Ba'Avriel form to drop immediately.
*Backstab* Critical hit 23,150 damage, Bonus 23,150 damage.
*Target has been slain*
Quinn ran a circle around the group.
*Quickdraw* Critical hit 54,400, Bonus damage 54,400
*Quickdraw* Critical hit 67,111, Bonus damage 67,111
An Elite Gnoll has been slain.
An Elite Gnoll has been slain.
*Sunburst*
An Elite Gnoll has been blinded.
An Elite Gnoll has been blinded.
*Stealth*
*Ba'Avriel*
Quinn flapped his wings hard to get altitude, then broke into a steep dive. Ten feet before the ground be drew his halberd, causing Ba'Avriel and Stealth to drop.
*Asunder*
Critical hit 95,221, Bonus damage 95,221
An Elite Gnoll has been slain.
Blood splattered the white sands of the arena as the two parts of the Gnoll fell in separate directions. The last Gnoll howled in fear and fled towards his entrance.
*Quickdraw* Critical hit 48,777, Bonus damage 48,777
An Elite Gnoll has been slain.
Quinn stared down his pistol at the Gnoll corpse. "You should have run earlier."
The crowd roared as it watched the three newcomers deal with the five elite Gnolls, the stomping feet of crazed fans shook the arena when the last Gnoll fell.
Leah lowered herself to the arena floor. "Very nicely done Quinn."
System Message: You have won the 1st round in the arena, all experience points have been deferred.
A holo appeared in the middle of the Arena, it was Zy. "Well done! You have the option of continuing the trial or resting up to one day.
Q glanced at Leah who nodded at him. "We'll continue the trial."
Several hours later the Silverleaf group arrived back at Ravenwood. Ru was draped over Quinn's back, fast asleep. Her long blonde hair had been dyed a dark violet and she wearing blue jeans and sandals."Guess I should have fought a few more rounds," Quinn muttered under his breath."Thank you Quinn." Yaya was carrying her own bags and half of Ru's. Everyone was smiling and talking excitedly."No thanks necessary, aren't we family now?" Quinn lead them back toward the Red Dome tents. "The Nursery could use a dozen or so people, the Songbird also is currently understaffed.Leah nodded, "I'll make it a priority.""Give these girls a bit of freedom Yaya. Set a curfew and some common sense rules for the younger ones." Quinn entered the first Dome tent and gently sat Ru down on one of the cots."Yes sir." Yaya had changed into some of the new clothes she purchased. As Quinn suspected, she looked stunning. "The group date is okay?"A handful of Tera Gram's guildmates had shown up while the Silverleaf women were shopping. They had asked for an afternoon outing the next day. Quinn was actually well acquainted with the Inferno guild, they had a very solid reputation among the fodder community. "Yes, but send a few chaperons."***********"Damn...not gonna make it Leah." Quinn had told Mojo that they would meet her at the Luxury Cottage at dusk. They were a bit late."It's because you were sparring with Crow again," Leah leaned forward and kissed the back of his neck. "You should let your sister win sometimes." Leah was riding in the second seat behind Quinn. She had her arms around his waist."We should be able to see the cottage in a few minutes." Quinn didn't want to keep her waiting too long, they had some important matters to discuss.The cottage had just come into view when suddenly Kawa began to climb.Quinn reached up and patted the gryphon's neck, "easy there Kawa."Kawa didn't respond other then to speed up and steepen the climb. Leah had to cling tightly to Quinn."What's going on Quinn?" She had to yell to be heard over the rushing wind."I don't know, it won't take any commands." Rather then play tug of war with the huge beast, Q bent low over the saddle and hung on."Open Com-chat Mora Jol."A moment later Mojo popped up on his hud, "Quinn'lkah?""Kawa is in an uncontrolled climb, I"m unable to bring him down.""Hang on tight you two!!," Mora Jol ran outside the cottage and scanned the night sky. "Where are you Quinn'lkah?""West about 15 minutes."Mora Jol turned her sharp eyes toward the west. "I don't see you.!""Illuminate!" Leah had reached in her bag and grabbed a luminescent ball, and then let it drop. She grabbed a second one. "Illuminate" This one she held on to."Smart girl..I see you. Quinn'lkah, abandon the Gryphon !!"Com-chat cut out and Leah dropped the second luminescent ball."Leah! Equip your jetpack and move away. I'm not leaving my Gryphon.""I wont!"The climb was so steep, it was all Quinn could do to cling to the saddle. "Leah, do it now!"Instead she clung to his back fiercely. "I won't.. I won't!!"High above the clouds Minokawa finally stopped, It screeched loudly three times and a seal appeared in the air before them, a small gate opened inside of it. Without any hesitation it flew through the gate.Quinn sat upright in the saddle when Kawa finally leveled off, taking a deep breathe as Leah released her death grip on him."Where are we?" She couldn't see anything, they were flying through clouds."No idea," he felt Kawa bank hard and then the clouds disappeared."Damn... now that's really something." Quinn shook his head in wonder.System Message: You have discovered the ancient city of Ba'Avriel. No experience points may be given at this time.System Message: Logging off while in Ba'Avriel incurs a 3 day freeze penalty and loss of equipment."Not good." Ba'Avriel, the race that his assassin form was a part of. Quinn frowned at Leah, "why didn't you get off?""My heart wouldn't let me." She glanced at him, 'don't make such an angry face."Kawa obviously knew where it was going. It banked twice and then set down lightly on a landing pad. Q stepped off of Kawa's back, refusing to pet it when he nudged him. "You just wait til we get back!!"He helped Leah down and immediately unsummoned him. "Be prepared for the worst, just in case."Leah nodded and equipped Pins and Needles."Hope you brought a bunch of Ephryn Cartridges." Quinn scanned the surrounding area, there's no way their arrival went unnoticed."Yep, Remmy sent me several boxes of them while you were out-world."The city itself wasn't much larger the Talon, It was longer but kinda narrow, like a ship. "We are in the air Leah, this city is floating."The city itself was made mostly of white marble, every structure was built like a tower with giant columns, there were platforms near the top of these. The entire city was lit up."Notice something strange Leah?"Leah nodded, "none of the doors are at ground level. "There was one building that stood out more than the rest, it was a huge white half dome that reminded Q of the old Greek arenas he had read about. 'Damn, Tal would know what that was.'"Open Mail, Draft letter Jaded Ice"System Message: You cannot send mail to an outside source at this time."Bastard ass.... Open Mail, Draft letter Q. Subject: Anna Li do not miss this mail!!""I hope you get this. Leah and I have unexpectedly been taken to the Ba'Avriel Capital. I cannot log-off without incurring a three day freeze penalty and loss of equipment. Even if I could, I'd never leave Leah here. Let everyone know. Back when I can.Q."Send Mail"System Message: Mail successfully sent."Did you just sent yourself mail? Will that work Quinn?""No idea."They came a few minutes later, five of them, from one of the taller towers."What kind of mounts are those Quinn?""They aren't mounts. They have wings."Q stared as they approached. They were fair skinned, all of them blonde from what he could tell. Their wings were white and feathered. Their facial features resembled high elves, pointed ears and slender bodies. They were similarly dressed in white leather armor. All of them carried short bows."Throw down your weapons, and surrender at once." The one in the middle spoke, he had a black armband with a cross sword insignia on it.Q glanced at Leah, a small smile on his lips. "I don't think so. Are you going to introduce yourselves? Or must we remain strangers?""I am Bol, security commander for the 5th sector," Bol gritted his teeth as he spoke, having been forced into follow protocol."I am Q, the presiding seat of Fora, a free nation on the continent below." Q bowed low and then continued. "This is Lieutenant Fintree, my personal guard.""Very well," Bol looked like had been forced to eat something unpleasant. He tossed a small disk on the ground, moments later a seal formed and the seven of them disappeared.They ported directly into a cluttered looking office, a woman was sitting behind a desk writing, she looked up at the disturbance."Foreign Diplomats, they are yours now." Without another word Bol and his group, exited through the door."You still have your weapons? That's good, very good." The woman stood and walked around her desk. "I'm Zyrene, a barrister with the diplomatic service.""I'm Q, this is Leah."The office was rather large, the walls were lined to the ceiling with bookshelves."Please sit, I"m going to need to know everything that led to your arrival." Zyrene motioned them to sit in the two chairs next to her desk.Twenty minutes later, they had been able to tell Zyrene their story. She had stopped them at regular intervals to ask questions. A few times, she backtracked when she thought of something else. She wrote everything down meticulously."I"ll be as forth coming as I can. Please have patience with me. There are normally quite a few charges that are associated with an arrival such as yours."Quinn frowned. "Charges such as crimes?""Yes, however, you were brought here by a Royal Gryphon, that releases you from any wrong doing. They are instinctively bred to enter the City when it approaches.""Approaches? So this place moves?" Quinn watched her as she spoke. She was quite young, or at least seemed that way. Her wings were furled behind her, hanging over the backless chair on which she sat. Her eyes were pale gold, nearly the same color as her hair."Had you given up your weapons or started a fight, most likely you'd be in one of the arena cells by now." Zyrene continued to study her notes. "You're one of the leaders of Fora?"Quinn nodded, "yes, I'm the presiding seat.""Your behavior has given you some diplomatic rights.""I wish to speak to your leadership.""Let's be clear, you are a prisoner with some diplomatic rights." Zyrene shrugged helplessly. "The wingless had no rights in Ba-Avriel."Quinn glanced at Leah, she knew not to say anything about his wings."Then why are we here?" It was Leah who spoke, "aren't you just wasting your time?""I can make things a bit easier for you, by proving diplomatic ties, I can petition for trial by combat. "Zyrene stood up and unfurled her wings, letting them flap for a moment before furling them against her back.'That must be like stretching?' Quinn's eyes followed her as she moved around the desk, and leaned on it. "Give me the best case scenario.""If I can make all of my points valid, then I can get you three fights in the arena." She spoke as if that was a very bad thing."And if we win these fights?""The first two will be possible, but in the end they will put you up against someone you can't possibly beat." Zyrene shook her head sadly, these two were nice."Leave the fighting to us," Quinn bowed his head slightly. "We are in your care Barrister Zy.Leah smiled as the woman turned apple red, "he likes to give friends nicknames, do you best please." Leah also bowed her head.Zyrene stood abruptly and walked out the door, she was so rattled she forgot to say goodbye. The door had only closed for a moment before it opened again.An embarrassed looking Zyrene poked her head in. "I"ll be back as soon as I can, please wait here."Leah reached out her hand and grabbed Quinn's hand, "Three fights is the best case?"Quinn nodded, "seems that way. Don't worry.She scooted her chair closer and leaned on his shoulder while they held hands. "I'm not worried, we are together.""I want you to hide, "I wish you were me", don't use it until I say." Quinn knew his opponents would have the advantage of seeing them fight, it's best to hold back something.Leah nodded in agreement, and slid onto his lap, her arms wrapping around his neck. "I won't use it unless you say."They spent the next half hour like that, talking in low voices, occasionally kissing. Zyrene finally returned, her face instantly turned red when she saw them.Leah said nothing and moved back to her chair."Barrister Zy, how did things go?" Quinn wasn't the slightest bit embarrassed."I successfully made all my points," She picked up a piece of paper and read from it."You can choose to defend your innocence in this matter and secure your release by winning three rounds in the arena."System Message: You've been offered a Quest in Ba'Avriel. Do you accept?Quest: Fight for your Freedom.Description: Win three roundsin the arena.Reward: 3 Gryphon Eggs."Yes." Q smiled at her, "that's very good news Zy.""Oh, thank you." Zyrene shuffled her papers, 'didn't they realize they couldn't win?' "The first roundwill be Gnoll Elites.."Q nodded, "Gnoll Elites? We can handle those. And the second round?""We won't know until after the first round is complete, at that time you'll have the option of resting a day or continuing with your trial."Leah stood up and moved behind Quinn, placing her hands on his shoulders, "How long until the first round?""You have one hour."Three quarters of an hour later, Quinn and Leah were escorted to a holding area, "this can't be worse than Zi"Fendyl.""I wouldn't know, you didn't take me." Leah had braided her long hair while they had waited, Quinn couldn't help but stare."How do you do that without looking?""Practice, want to try?" She wrinkled her freckled nose at him.They had entered the fighting queue about 30 minutes prior. It really was nothing more than a long hallway with multiple gates. With each progression, you would advance to the section in front of you. It was filled with all sorts of people. They were at the second to last gate, and could finally see the arena."Where did all these people come from?" Leah was watching the faces of the fighters. Some were angry, some excited, but most of them to be in despair.Quinn shrugged, "they must do raids in secret to get this many. I doubt these prisoners flew up here on a Royal Gryphon."Leah placed her hands on the metal bars as she watched the different faces. "I hate this place.. this is monstrous."Quinn looked out on the arena, opposite of where he was standing was a similar looking gated hall. "That must be where our opponents are. ""Quinn!" Leah gestured to the group behind them.It was a group of four fighters and a young girl wrapped in a blanket."Their plight is the same as ours Leah, we can't save these people, not in our current circumstance anyway." Quinn watched the group, but hardened his resolve. 'I'll worry about getting Leah out first.'"Get to the front of the cage you filthy brown wing!" A bald man with missing front teeth and a huge belly yelled at the girl. "You'll be the first to die!" The other members of the group started taunting her and yelling at her."Quinn.. she's so small," Leah's green eyes were filled with pity as she watched the scene."Focus Leah," Quinn loosened his guns in their holster.The first gate opened and the group in front of them exited into the arena. The noise of the crowd was deafening. Quinn grimaced at the smell of stale sweat and blood that suddenly pushed toward them. The first gate closed and they advanced to the front of the line. Only after they moved, did the back of their gate close."Leah.. let it go." She was still watching the blanketed girl."I said move to the front brown wing!" The fat man kicked the little girl sending her crashing against the gate that had just closed. The blanket slipped off of her shoulders, exposing broken brown wings. "Quinn sighed heavily, and pulled Leah behind him. "Now... why did you have to go and do something like that for?"*Blink*Quinn bent down and swiftly picked up the crying girl, he turned and kicked fatty between the legs as hard as he could.*Return*He handed Leah the little girl, "we'll just have to do the best we can."The wall hud activated while Leah soothed the crying child. It was Zy. "Where did you get the child from?""She squeezed through the bars," now that she was with them, Quinn would protect her. "Why is she here and what is a brown wing?""Brown wings are considered mutants from a corrupted bloodline. When a brown wing is born, they almost always put to death immediately by their families.""P-Put to death?" Leah wrapped the blanket around girls shoulders and gently rocked her."That ones parent tried to hide her, they were executed and the child was sent here." Zy had a hard time even saying the words, it was obvious she found it hideous.Her wings are the same color as mine, does that mean she is an assassin class? "How was she injured?""Her wings were broken by the guards when she was found."Quinn glanced at Leah, it was obvious from the way she held the child, she wasn't going to let her go. "Well.. she's with us now. Is that a problem?" Q moved toward the entrance as the gate started to open."Absolutely not, if she enters the arena with you. She is part of your case." Zy pursed her lips. "Fight hard."Case Number 4271 Advance into the Arena!!Quinn glanced at Leah, "stay on the columns and support me."Leah held the child in one arm, "the columns?""Yeah.. use the grappling hook, should easily be able to support the two of you. Quinn grabbed her hand and they walked out into the arena.The Gnolls were released and the crowd instantly jumped to there feet. Gnoll Elites were blood thirsty and vicious.When the Gnolls spotted their opponents they howled and charged."Five of them, one of them is a range fighter." Leah said as she followed Quinn until he passed a column.Tentatively she aimed half way up and released the grappling hook. She retracted it enough to get out of harm's way. "I won't be able to do much like this Quinn."*Sunburst*All five Gnolls instantly doubled over holding their eyes.Quinn targeted the range fighter.*Blink**Backstab* Critical hit 22,750 damage, Bonus 22,750 damage.*Return**Stealth**Ba'Avriel*Leah kept an eye on the blinded Gnolls and took aim at the injured one.*Pins and Needles* Leah has hit an elite Gnoll for 8,800 damage.* Critical Hit: Eyes* Target vision is decreased by half.Quinn equipped his daggers, causing Ba'Avriel form to drop immediately.*Backstab* Critical hit 23,150 damage, Bonus 23,150 damage.*Target has been slain*Quinn ran a circle around the group.*Quickdraw* Critical hit 54,400, Bonus damage 54,400*Quickdraw* Critical hit 67,111, Bonus damage 67,111An Elite Gnoll has been slain.An Elite Gnoll has been slain.*Sunburst*An Elite Gnoll has been blinded.An Elite Gnoll has been blinded.*Stealth**Ba'Avriel*Quinn flapped his wings hard to get altitude, then broke into a steep dive. Ten feet before the ground be drew his halberd, causing Ba'Avriel and Stealth to drop.*Asunder*Critical hit 95,221, Bonus damage 95,221An Elite Gnoll has been slain.Blood splattered the white sands of the arena as the two parts of the Gnoll fell in separate directions. The last Gnoll howled in fear and fled towards his entrance.*Quickdraw* Critical hit 48,777, Bonus damage 48,777An Elite Gnoll has been slain.Quinn stared down his pistol at the Gnoll corpse. "You should have run earlier."The crowd roared as it watched the three newcomers deal with the five elite Gnolls, the stomping feet of crazed fans shook the arena when the last Gnoll fell.Leah lowered herself to the arena floor. "Very nicely done Quinn."System Message: You have won the 1st round in the arena, all experience points have been deferred.A holo appeared in the middle of the Arena, it was Zy. "Well done! You have the option of continuing the trial or resting up to one day.Q glanced at Leah who nodded at him. "We'll continue the trial."
