[ Quetzalcoatl nods with a serious expression, since while she feels conflicted about what happens with regards to other Shard-Bearers, there’s none of that with the peaceful people that have nothing to do with it. That’s especially true in Alenroux where they’ve managed to eke out a little existence away from all of those problems, so she thinks that’s worth protecting. ]
Yes, I agree! Even if it’s just the fuerza bruta way of beating everything into the ground, I want to look out for them.
[ Which does get her to lean over a little so that she can get a better look at the land they’re soaring over. Their ride is at least taking a leisurely pace since there’s no rush, so it’s not going by quickly underneath them. ]
I haven’t seen them out here myself, though. Have you? What should I be looking for?
I haven’t encountered any yet, myself. I started out by searching during the day, since I thought it would be easier to find traces then without having to contend with monsters from the woods. But there doesn’t seem to be anything left behind.
[Now that they’ve hit a steady altitude, Liem shifts just enough so that he can peer over the side of the pterosaur’s neck, down at the snowy, shadow-streaked landscape below them. He manages to ignore the lurch in his stomach at the dizzying drop almost entirely. The sun is quite low on the horizon now; in not too long at all twilight will be fully upon them, and they’ll be cut off from the other islands until morning.]
But from what I’ve heard, and from what I know of Alenroux at night, I think we should be on the lookout for anything that doesn’t seem to be a normal animal. So, monsters of course… but also people. It’s not usual for anyone aside from the odd patrol to be out after dark, so if you see anyone, we should definitely investigate.
[He thinks for another moment.]
It’ll be harder to tell after sunset, but I’ve heard the shadows things cast might move strangely, as well.
[ Quetzalcoatl nods, since that’s good enough for her. ]
Well, even if it just ends up being a regular monster that’s always here, that’s not really bad either, I guess! Everyone’s done a good job at getting rid of them, but getting rid of more isn’t bad!
[ …Granted, she does know that they’re not total mindless beasts thanks to Ruby, but. Ruby’s designated crew is just special and off-limits in her mind. Anything else has to be culled to protect the people. Sorry, Ruby,,, ]
It’s too bad I can’t just, like, hold my Noble Phantasm! That would cast plenty of light so we could see!
I agree; even if we don’t find anything illuminating, if we can cull some of the ordinary roaming monsters, at least our time won’t have been wasted.
[Sorry Ruby x2… Liem is willing to pardon the mostly-tame monsters she’s corralled into her own part of the woods around Set’s temple, but as far as he’s concerned, any monster that shows an interest in sniffing around Alenroux’s settlements is a threat and a target.]
Can you not see well in the dark, Ma’am?
[The sky is clear tonight, so Liem isn’t that worried about being able to see as long as the moon is out. If it sets before the night is over, though, that could be an issue even for him, at least at the distances they’re trying to see at.]
I can make things glow, so once it gets fully dark we could maybe hang a light around your steed’s neck… but the light that reaches the ground won’t be all that bright, I think. It’ll make us quite visible, too.
Not any better than a normal person! It’s not really my domain, you know? That would be more for Tezcatlipoca…
[ He’s the one with freaky cat eyes or whatever,
But as she looks up to the sky to take a guess at how bright it might be once the sun sets properly, she shrugs a little. ]
No need for light though, no! If we can’t be a spotlight, it’s not worth standing out, right? [ She laughs a little, then looks back at Liem. ] So, if you can see a little better, just point them out to me, okay? We can swoop in, ¡No hay problema!
[Liem is a little concerned that, if they do end up swooping down on anything once it’s full dark, Quetz might not be able to see well enough to fight as well as she otherwise would, but he supposes they can cross that bridge when they come to it. If nothing else, he can always make light when they get down there and put it out when they return to the skies.]
I’ll make sure to do that, then.
[The way shadows are overtaking the landscape below, it won’t be long until his services are needed—at least, if there’s actually something to see. He wonders if they might not spend most of the night just soaring around, talking to fill the silence. Even if nighttime has become dangerous, he has no idea what kind of density of nighttime monsters they should be expecting.]
[ It’s something that Quetzalcoatl would be perfectly happy with, but that’s no surprise… She’s just happy to be spending time with Liem, and that’s pretty clear since as soon as their conversation hits the tiniest bit of a lull, she starts to hum a tune happily. At least her positive attitude probably makes this whole little mission a more relaxed one than it could be otherwise.
Yet eventually, truly not long after the sun has set, Alenroux starts to come alive in its unique, often troubling way. Liem will likely spot the movement first, but the first thing of note is also some of the island’s more regular, if dangerous creatures. But if he chooses to just let them be by not informing Quetzalcoatl, it’s not much longer after that where some stranger movement stands out in an open expanse of empty fields. ]
[In other circumstances, Liem absolutely would point out the presence of strange creatures below, even if it meant interrupting the pleasantness that seems to settle so easily over them as they ride the air’s currents. The Quetzalcoatlus provides a steady ride, and Quetz’s waist is comforting to hold onto. The dizzying height seems a little less troubling once they’ve been up here for a while… but that’s not what makes Liem wait.
He takes note of where the monsters were, and where they seemed to be heading. If need be, they can circle back in search of them in a little while… but willing though he is to use their outing for some ordinary monster hunting, his primary focus remains on the mysterious shadows. Hoping they might see something new, he waits just a little longer.
And after not too long, his patience is rewarded.]
Ma’am—a little to our right. In those fields.
[Lifting a hand from her waist, Liem points in the direction he means, at shapes that are neither animal nor monstrous beast.]
[ Quetzalcoatl looks in the direction that he points out, but already, their mount banks to the right to head that way. It is harder for her to see than Liem, but she can at least catch the movement, if not a good sense of its shape. ]
I see it, sí.
[ They swoop in closer, but before they would get a chance to land, the shadow gets an impression of them both. Whether it’s a conscious decision or a random one, it’s impossible to know, but it does change its shape as it forms into a person—one that’s familiar to Liem. At least they won’t have to worry about the question of what a shadow Tezcatlipoca could do. ]
[As they swoop lower, Liem reins in his anxieties to take the hands from Quetz’s waist, clinging to the flying lizard’s neck with his legs as he takes the crossbow from beneath his cloak. He doesn’t load it yet; this isn’t just a fighting mission, but an information-gathering one. He wants to see these shadows for himself, and doesn’t attack right out of the gate.
But his fingers tighten on the weapon’s grip when the shadows resolve into the shape of a teenage woman, dark of hair, with a single ice-blue eye peeking from the socket not covered by a leather patch. Her bright smile reflects the moon’s glow as she calls out.
“Liem! Where have you been?”
The resemblance is uncanny enough that, even knowing it to be false, Liem’s mind goes blank for a moment with the strength of his homesick longing.]
[ Quetzalcoat feels Liem shift behind her without having to look, and she leans slightly out of the way in case he decides to fire. The shadow shifts, and Quetzalcoatl is relieved to not see a familiar, annoying face, but it’s short-lived when it calls out to Liem. She glances back towards him and sees that look and how he hesitates, so her expression turns more serious as she looks back ahead.
…She could spare Liem having to do something to someone he clearly knows, but she’s not sure if her solution would be any better. Her fighting style is very brute force.
So, she gives the quetzalcoatlus a pat on the neck, and it flaps its wings as it starts to lower itself to land completely. Even if they choose to stay on his back, it’ll at least be more stable for Liem if he decides to shoot. ]
[Quetz’s question seems to shake Liem a little from his hesitation, drawing his gaze for just a moment back to her when it had been caught previously by Juliana’s spitting image. The shadow creature draws closer moment by moment as they swoop in to land, but he still hasn’t so much as drawn a bolt from his quiver.]
I’m not sure if it’s possible, but… I think we should try.
[They’ll learn more about it that way, won’t they? At the very least, they might be able to learn just how slippery these things are—whether they can crawl back into the shadows once they’ve crawled out.
As they settle down to earth, he finally reaches for a quarrel. Juliana’s look-alike waves a hand, beckoning Liem as she starts to withdraw towards the trees.
“Hey, come with me! I found something you’ll want to see.”
He murmurs to Quetz,] I don’t suppose you brought any rope?
Oh… Nope. [ She slips the bag off her shoulder to leave it, but she gives it a pat with a sheepish laugh as she does. ] This is, um, all food, actually!
[ She could explain that it’s a much more literal fuel for her, but it’s Quetzalcoatl, pure of heart, dumb of ass, so. She does not. Liem is just left to assume that she’s a glutton… ]
But I can pin them down, yes. I have plenty of lucha moves for just that purpose.
[Liem’s not sure what to do with the information that Quetz brought an entire big sack of just food with her for their trip, so he opts to just not worry about it. She knows her own needs best; if this is what supplies for the next 24 hours means to her, then that’s just fine. He shrugs the smaller pack from his own shoulder as well, leaping down to land on the carpet of snow below.]
Well… We’ll make it work.
[“Tell your friend to wait here,” the shadow person is saying. She pouts a little, looking put out at having to share Liem’s attention after having been apart for so long. “Just for a little while, Liem. I wanna talk to you!”
Liem paces slowly away from the Quetzalcoatlus, drawing after her towards the trees. He has to remind himself not to call out to it with Juliana’s name.]
I’m not going to do that. [If he shoots her, will she bleed? Rather than consider this unsettling question, he calls on his magic; her movements suddenly seem clearer to him, her expressions more pronounced. Small discrepancies in “her” mannerisms begin to be obvious.] Come here.
[ Quetzalcoatl stays with her mount, since she trusts Liem enough to be able to handle himself. He doesn’t need her hovering over his shoulder, especially since this shadow would rather separate them, apparently. That makes her frown, but she waits patiently. She can be fast if she needs to be with a mana burst, even though she’d prefer to save that for something else if it’s needed…
But as she bolts, Quetzlacoatl makes a noise of affirmation and trots to Liem’s side and gives his shoulder a little squeeze. ]
It’ll be easier to follow on foot for a bit, yes.
[ She’s quick with her words, but assuming Liem seems prepared to do the same, she’ll take off in a sprint… Though she’ll at least match Liem’s pace. It’s a friend of his, so it’s better if he sets the pace of how they handle it too. ]
[If the shadow was hoping to evade them for long on foot, it will be disappointed. Even without the use of magic to enhance his speed, Liem is faster than “Juliana,” and his eyes easily follow her flight through the moonlit night. With a quick nod for Quetzalcoatl, he follows their quarry like a hound chasing a rabbit.
As they near the treeline, he considers slowing to take a shot at her. Injury might hamper her movements; it might tell him something about the extent of the imitation, if the likeness is only skin-deep. But…
As if sensing his intent, Juliana’s head turns back with a frown (he wouldn’t hurt her, would he?), and her lips move in incantation. Where once there was a single woman fleeing across the snowy field, now there are six, moving all in perfect synchrony. He recognizes the mirror image spell immediately.
But somehow, instead of making it easier to shoot at her, perhaps dispelling one of the five copies, the chance of hitting the “real” person makes the prospect even more difficult to stomach, taking him back to every occasion when an enemy had managed to pierce the illusion with blade or claw. Instead, as she slows to cast her spell, he steps through a fold in space to appear in front of her, catching her between him and Quetzalcoatl just as she’s about to reach the forest.
Only, the shadow double doesn’t stop. Instead she races straight for him.]
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no subject
Yes, I agree! Even if it’s just the fuerza bruta way of beating everything into the ground, I want to look out for them.
[ Which does get her to lean over a little so that she can get a better look at the land they’re soaring over. Their ride is at least taking a leisurely pace since there’s no rush, so it’s not going by quickly underneath them. ]
I haven’t seen them out here myself, though. Have you? What should I be looking for?
no subject
[Now that they’ve hit a steady altitude, Liem shifts just enough so that he can peer over the side of the pterosaur’s neck, down at the snowy, shadow-streaked landscape below them. He manages to ignore the lurch in his stomach at the dizzying drop almost entirely. The sun is quite low on the horizon now; in not too long at all twilight will be fully upon them, and they’ll be cut off from the other islands until morning.]
But from what I’ve heard, and from what I know of Alenroux at night, I think we should be on the lookout for anything that doesn’t seem to be a normal animal. So, monsters of course… but also people. It’s not usual for anyone aside from the odd patrol to be out after dark, so if you see anyone, we should definitely investigate.
[He thinks for another moment.]
It’ll be harder to tell after sunset, but I’ve heard the shadows things cast might move strangely, as well.
no subject
Well, even if it just ends up being a regular monster that’s always here, that’s not really bad either, I guess! Everyone’s done a good job at getting rid of them, but getting rid of more isn’t bad!
[ …Granted, she does know that they’re not total mindless beasts thanks to Ruby, but. Ruby’s designated crew is just special and off-limits in her mind. Anything else has to be culled to protect the people. Sorry, Ruby,,, ]
It’s too bad I can’t just, like, hold my Noble Phantasm! That would cast plenty of light so we could see!
no subject
[Sorry Ruby x2… Liem is willing to pardon the mostly-tame monsters she’s corralled into her own part of the woods around Set’s temple, but as far as he’s concerned, any monster that shows an interest in sniffing around Alenroux’s settlements is a threat and a target.]
Can you not see well in the dark, Ma’am?
[The sky is clear tonight, so Liem isn’t that worried about being able to see as long as the moon is out. If it sets before the night is over, though, that could be an issue even for him, at least at the distances they’re trying to see at.]
I can make things glow, so once it gets fully dark we could maybe hang a light around your steed’s neck… but the light that reaches the ground won’t be all that bright, I think. It’ll make us quite visible, too.
no subject
[ He’s the one with freaky cat eyes or whatever,
But as she looks up to the sky to take a guess at how bright it might be once the sun sets properly, she shrugs a little. ]
No need for light though, no! If we can’t be a spotlight, it’s not worth standing out, right? [ She laughs a little, then looks back at Liem. ] So, if you can see a little better, just point them out to me, okay? We can swoop in, ¡No hay problema!
no subject
I’ll make sure to do that, then.
[The way shadows are overtaking the landscape below, it won’t be long until his services are needed—at least, if there’s actually something to see. He wonders if they might not spend most of the night just soaring around, talking to fill the silence. Even if nighttime has become dangerous, he has no idea what kind of density of nighttime monsters they should be expecting.]
no subject
Yet eventually, truly not long after the sun has set, Alenroux starts to come alive in its unique, often troubling way. Liem will likely spot the movement first, but the first thing of note is also some of the island’s more regular, if dangerous creatures. But if he chooses to just let them be by not informing Quetzalcoatl, it’s not much longer after that where some stranger movement stands out in an open expanse of empty fields. ]
no subject
He takes note of where the monsters were, and where they seemed to be heading. If need be, they can circle back in search of them in a little while… but willing though he is to use their outing for some ordinary monster hunting, his primary focus remains on the mysterious shadows. Hoping they might see something new, he waits just a little longer.
And after not too long, his patience is rewarded.]
Ma’am—a little to our right. In those fields.
[Lifting a hand from her waist, Liem points in the direction he means, at shapes that are neither animal nor monstrous beast.]
Let’s get a closer look.
no subject
I see it, sí.
[ They swoop in closer, but before they would get a chance to land, the shadow gets an impression of them both. Whether it’s a conscious decision or a random one, it’s impossible to know, but it does change its shape as it forms into a person—one that’s familiar to Liem. At least they won’t have to worry about the question of what a shadow Tezcatlipoca could do. ]
no subject
But his fingers tighten on the weapon’s grip when the shadows resolve into the shape of a teenage woman, dark of hair, with a single ice-blue eye peeking from the socket not covered by a leather patch. Her bright smile reflects the moon’s glow as she calls out.
“Liem! Where have you been?”
The resemblance is uncanny enough that, even knowing it to be false, Liem’s mind goes blank for a moment with the strength of his homesick longing.]
no subject
…She could spare Liem having to do something to someone he clearly knows, but she’s not sure if her solution would be any better. Her fighting style is very brute force.
So, she gives the quetzalcoatlus a pat on the neck, and it flaps its wings as it starts to lower itself to land completely. Even if they choose to stay on his back, it’ll at least be more stable for Liem if he decides to shoot. ]
Do you want to try and catch it?
no subject
I’m not sure if it’s possible, but… I think we should try.
[They’ll learn more about it that way, won’t they? At the very least, they might be able to learn just how slippery these things are—whether they can crawl back into the shadows once they’ve crawled out.
As they settle down to earth, he finally reaches for a quarrel. Juliana’s look-alike waves a hand, beckoning Liem as she starts to withdraw towards the trees.
“Hey, come with me! I found something you’ll want to see.”
He murmurs to Quetz,] I don’t suppose you brought any rope?
no subject
[ She could explain that it’s a much more literal fuel for her, but it’s Quetzalcoatl, pure of heart, dumb of ass, so. She does not. Liem is just left to assume that she’s a glutton… ]
But I can pin them down, yes. I have plenty of lucha moves for just that purpose.
[ That’s the same thing, right, ]
no subject
Well… We’ll make it work.
[“Tell your friend to wait here,” the shadow person is saying. She pouts a little, looking put out at having to share Liem’s attention after having been apart for so long. “Just for a little while, Liem. I wanna talk to you!”
Liem paces slowly away from the Quetzalcoatlus, drawing after her towards the trees. He has to remind himself not to call out to it with Juliana’s name.]
I’m not going to do that. [If he shoots her, will she bleed? Rather than consider this unsettling question, he calls on his magic; her movements suddenly seem clearer to him, her expressions more pronounced. Small discrepancies in “her” mannerisms begin to be obvious.] Come here.
[She doesn’t. Instead, laughing, she bolts.]
no subject
But as she bolts, Quetzlacoatl makes a noise of affirmation and trots to Liem’s side and gives his shoulder a little squeeze. ]
It’ll be easier to follow on foot for a bit, yes.
[ She’s quick with her words, but assuming Liem seems prepared to do the same, she’ll take off in a sprint… Though she’ll at least match Liem’s pace. It’s a friend of his, so it’s better if he sets the pace of how they handle it too. ]
no subject
As they near the treeline, he considers slowing to take a shot at her. Injury might hamper her movements; it might tell him something about the extent of the imitation, if the likeness is only skin-deep. But…
As if sensing his intent, Juliana’s head turns back with a frown (he wouldn’t hurt her, would he?), and her lips move in incantation. Where once there was a single woman fleeing across the snowy field, now there are six, moving all in perfect synchrony. He recognizes the mirror image spell immediately.
But somehow, instead of making it easier to shoot at her, perhaps dispelling one of the five copies, the chance of hitting the “real” person makes the prospect even more difficult to stomach, taking him back to every occasion when an enemy had managed to pierce the illusion with blade or claw. Instead, as she slows to cast her spell, he steps through a fold in space to appear in front of her, catching her between him and Quetzalcoatl just as she’s about to reach the forest.
Only, the shadow double doesn’t stop. Instead she races straight for him.]