The Storms take us to our destiny

Yay! Chap 3 Some action for you!


“As I have said over and over, I can not allow you to take my swords.” Sho said crossing his arms. A look of annoyance across his handsome features. As he observed the so far inept Constable.
“Well we could lock him up with his weapons.” Suggested the said constable.
Silence.
While Katrine was amused by the scene of one criminal refusing the orders of a Constable and several of the city's guards. Aramil was rather displeased. Almost to the point of drawing on the Rokuni again. Who was he to order them around? He was the wrong doer here!
Ever the peace maker Katrine, made a suggestion. “What about if you place them in a chest outside of your cell. And we give you the keys to it?”
Sho seemed to consider it for a moment but before he could reply, Dungren Keeper of the Under-City chose to walk in and put in his thoughts. “I like that one. Then we can cut off his head when he is in the cell.” He said smiling. Then the smile vanished as he held up an official looking piece of paper. “However that is not possible.” He eyed the Lion clan member. “Did you warn them that you could not remove your weapons?”
“Repeatedly” Katrine sighed.
He growled at Sho's confirming nod. “He is...” he seamed to force out his next words as if they were unpleasant, “Free to go.”
Aramil was shocked. No. Outraged! So this man was free to go around and kill indiscriminately as he pleased. He looked at the paper still clenched in the Bugbear's sliver claw. As he ordered Sho's restraints removed. This man, Sho must be a vary fucking important person from his country to deserve diplomatic immunity. He would have to keep a close eye on the man.
Dungren the turned to the tall blond woman who had spoken. “And who the hell are you?”
Katrine bowed. “My name is Katrine, I am a follower of Athena. And here on mission from my home land.”
Dungren paused. While Athena worshipers were plenty in the city now a days. He remembered when there was only one. A strong willed girl who gave everything for the country and once shone with the light of the Goddess herself. The woman who had converted a young angry bugbear who only fought for revenge. Lorilai. He nodded to the warrior woman in front of him wishing she were another. “Go on your way then.”
That was that. Aramil stormed from the building eager to get back to his group. Sho followed, knowing that this man was one of the girls traveling companions. He would grab her and go home eager now more than ever to get this mess with his brother and the ninja over with. Katrine went for her own reasons. She was bored and this group may prove to be entertaining.

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Kendrick ran as fast as his legs would carry him. He didn't even register the rest of the group breaking off to cut t their towers. The second tower loomed in his path. He ignored the people that he shoved out of the way. Concentrating only on the tower ahead of him. Only when a man called out to him when he reached the tower, making him pause. “Towers closed sir! You cant go up there.”
The man who called out to Kendrick was startled by the young mans abrupt change in direction to come face to face with him. So much so that he almost dropped the broom in his hand.
“What! Who told you that it was closed?” The red head snarled.
Clenching his broom to him like it was a shield, the elderly man stammered back. “The poor gentleman who just came down. He told me that this tower seamed to be closed when he came back down.” He scratched the wispy hair on his head. “Poor man was covered in bandages, like he was ill or desised.”
As quick as his stop had been, he was just as sudden off and running again. He knew that the guards of the tower had to be dead like ones from the first one. Wasting no time, he headed to the next tower. On second thought, ignoring his normal aversion to the law, he headed to a group of patrolling guards.
Why hadn't anyone thought of this beforehand?

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Roric was sick of this city. All he wanted was to go and get some air and think. His journey to gain knowledge in the dark arts was not going well.
He liked to go to the Roc towers to clear his head and think. Apparently he made the guards nervous, so he had to make sure he didn't go to the same tower to often. He could often hear them talking about his near dead appearance under their breaths. Let the fleshys talk, if he succeeded in his studies he would find away to cheat death and live on while he made their skeletons dance. Besides, the birds didn't give a shit, unless he got to close.
He had just entered the great elevator when another man ran in. The man with the star clad robes barely glanced at him as the floor rose to its destination. Instead, he readied his mace and shield and commented. “Watch yourself it is going to be trouble up there.”
Roric raised a near nonexistent eyebrow at the fool.
No sooner than he had time to wonder what the idiot was talking about, the lift stopped and the door swung open to the most peculiar scene.
One of the guards had just ran the other through. His former allay gaped in confusion as the light left his eyes ad slid to the ground. His falling had reveled a third man. He was wrapped in bandages that vaguely hid the scales on his skin. In his hand was a statue of a snake coiled to strike, its ruby eye were glowing.
Roric didn't even have time to even consider readying a spell before he was shoved out of the lift and to the side as the man with the star robes charged. Briefly he looked behind him, to the door in a vain hope to get the hell out of there. The door slammed shut, and a whirring noise could be heard as it returned to the ground level.
He turned back to the fight to see the scaled man throw something down, and thick vines spring out of the air to coil around the other men. To be damned with going down without a fight. His hands worked to summon a skeleton. Before he could complete the spell, a thick vine wrapped around his hands.
Well shit.

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Kitairo and Isham waited at the top of the final tower. Weapons and magic at the ready. Oh and the to Roc riding guards were ready too. But thy barely registered on the other twos minds. What if the others had met up with the servant and failed? Could a runaway ninja and a mage apprentice take him down? What was his plan?
The steady hum of the lift alerted them that they would soon have company. Everyone at the top tensed and concentrated on the door. So intent on making the first strike, they almost killed the patrol guards that rushed through the door.
“Isham!” the first one gasped. “Are you Isham?”
Isham lowered his hands and choked back the spell that would have stuck down the man. “Yes?”
“Kendrick sent us. He explained about a “naga” and took the other one of our group to the third tower. He said to tell you the second tower had been taken out.”
Kitairo turned away from the group and scanned the third tower in the distance. Nothing seemed to be happening. Then suddenly a man lept from the tower, quickly followed by another.
“Hes at the third tower.” She called back. “He just jumped down. He may have the children or may know where they are. We will never make it in time.”
Isham looked at the great birds at the same time as one of the riders began to un-hood it. “I think we may have away.”

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Sho, Aramil, and Katrine were walking through the streets trying to find the others. Aramil knew that they were going to investigate the towers. And, to be honest he should have gone with them. Then he wouldn't have thees two tag-alongs with him. The closest tower to the Constable's office was the third. He hoped that the humans hadn't died yet.
As they neared the tower he heard a scream. Looking towards it he saw people pointing at the sky. Upwards he saw a man falling from the tower. Before he could register that he wasn't falling that fast, another form lept out. Faintly but distinctly he heard a newly familiar voice yell out as he plummeted, “Come back heeeerrre!”
So much for not dieing any time soon.

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Kendrick was practically hoping up down as the lift rose. Since it was still working he had to still be up there. He ignored the nervous glance of the guard as he readied his weapons. He was going to get him. Him the skinny brat from Gray Sands who everyone thought would amount to nothing was going to be a fucking hero and make lots of gold doing it. In your face fuckers!
The lift slowed and the door sprang open to vines! He could see Thomas and a guard in the center. The Rocs frantic trying to get away from bound positions. And he could see the servant smiling at him from the opposite edge. His smile faded when he saw Kendrick smile back. “Why does things never go as planed?” The scaled freak asked.
“Your telling me!” Shouted a bound man by the door that he hadn't noticed before.
The servant shrugged as if saying sorry, before throwing something. It was red, and about the size of a marble. But what bothered him was the fact that it stopped about halfway between them and began to pulse.
With a waive the servant jumped up onto the ledge and then stepped off.
“Oh no you didn't.” Kendrick snarled. “Free them and get out of here!” he shouted to the guard who had followed him. He barely registered the man working his way to the Rocs. Before he ran to the other side.
The quick footed thief, dodged his way through the vines. Every time one would touch him he would duck away before it could fully get a hold. His eyes were only on the spot that the servant had vanished from. Reaching the edge, he shot off, ignoring the mere trifle that this could kill him.
He shaped his body like a spear and plummeted after the much slower descending servant. A smile cracking his face ear to ear. “Come back heeeerrre!” He shouted joyfully as the other man and the ground came rushing up to him.
Shock and disappointment ran thought him as he was firmly grabbed in a large claw. Looking back up he could see a Roc with two riders. One of them being the ninja girl. To hell with this. “Leme go!” He yelled as he rolled out of the safety of the claw.
He wasn't\going to let that fucker get away!

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Above, Isham's Roc bit through the thick vines freeing the last remain prisoner. The Rocs once freed had gone after the vines like they were their natural enimeys. The three Rocs were now loaded with riders and people in their claws and it was time to go. The ever increasing flashes of that stone was bothering him. It was powerful magic on a delayed charge, he had no idea how long the delay was and he had no intention of sticking around to find out.
Kitairo had gone after Kendrick so the kid should be fine. However as his bird reached them he saw the brat wiggle from the grasp of the bird and plummet again. “Dive down! Catch him!”
His rider angled the bird to go after the diving thief, claws outstretched.”

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Closer. Closer! He was going to catch the bastered mid air and pummel the crap out of him. Another set of talons came up around him. “No! No! No! He is getting away!” With a deft movement he freed himself and lept after his target. “I'll get you now!”
The servant was on the ground and running now. Fucking hell! Speaking of the ground it was coming up awful fast. Oh well, I just land on him, he thought.
In his peripheral he saw a great wing coming up under him. Hadn't they got the idea yet?
Apparently they had. The wing swooped up under him, as he landed, it jerked harshly and threw him in the direction of the running man.
Yes! Yes! Yes! Another bird caught him and swung him further along. He was going to get him!
With one great finally throw, he was slingshoted past the snake man. Dmanit! He rolled himself into a ball and let his momentum carry him. As he slowed and popped back up to his feet, he turned to face him head on. Then two really unexpected things happened.

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Thomas was clinging to the great claw for his dear life. He was tempted to start praying very loudly at the top of his lungs. But in order to do that he had to be able to breathe. Who the hell was driving this bird? They were going way to fast for how close to the ground they were. He saw the Roc catch a laughing Kendrick and throw him. Oh Celestia, please don't let this thing start hurling him around too.
From somewhere above and behind him there came a great explosion. What ever they had left at top to the tower had finally gone off. Was all he had time to think before the pressure in the air propelled the bird and him self towards the ground and the fleeing servant.. “Celestia!”

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None were sure if the sight of the great bird colliding with the bandaged man was comical or awesome. Though once the bird righted itself, dropped the wobbling man it was holding and picked up the days quarry. Brandishing him proudly in its beak as if it had just one an epic game of fetch was an amusing sight. Except to a very displeased Kendrick. Despite the thrill of adrenaline rushing though his veins he had to fight the urge not to pout.
Thomas on the other hand was fighting the urge not to throw up.
The other birds came together on the ground to drop off their passengers. Aramil and the others quickly joined the growing circle around the unconscious enemy.
Kitairo slid from the back of the great bird. Her legs shaking a little. She was tempted to yell at Kendrick for his antics. But she too, was feeling a smaller but still enjoyable adrenaline thrill. She took a shaky breath as she looked at the pathetic servant. Isham was ordering the bird to drop him. It was rather silly, a bird that was big enough to lift a small elephant cringing like a naughty puppy before the mage.
“We need to find a place to question him.” She told Isham.
She startled as a smooth deep voice came from beside her. “It would be best if you found a way to seal his magic before you do.”
Her head whipped around to see Sho standing near enough to touch her. By the Storms he was tall, even compared to the taller people of this land. And with hear heart beating as fast as it was with his black eyes staring down at her, her mind went down a path that she didn't want it to go. He was handsome. Much more than rummer said. Whoa! Bad hormones! “I thought you went to jail?”
He smiled at her. Such nice lips, they look soft. Stop it. “You thought that the lawmakers of this land had sway over me?”
“I hoped.” She mumbled at him. “Stay away from me.” far far away. Before I start blushing.
“Until your business is ended, where you go, I go.”
Dammit.
While the two Rokuni were distracted, the conversation had gone on without them. Someone had found magical restraining shackles. And it had been decided that he would be taken to the Mage school. Where there was a convenient anti magic cage. Having decided on a course, the group began to head that way. Kitairo hurried along eager to put as much distance between her and the Lion.
Sho gave her her superficial distance while he complicated her. She was going to be challenging on so many levels. Especially, when her eyes glinted like that when she was looking at him.

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