Well, Banjoojoo, what has your good eye seen today?
I have seen some Cadavivva and even some stranger beings!
First, I will tell of the Cadavivva. The commander came by the watchtower on his own. He did not have any soldiers with him. He stood below my position above on the tower. He looked at our defences; the torches lit to give light and threaten with their fire, the scare-dyne strawmen standing ready to be used against any stray Cadavivva, the high palisade walls to stop them entering the stockade. I saw that I could use the flying fox wire to get behind this evil one. I slid down with 'Gentle Giant' in my hand and the hanging cable clasped to my side. I landed well, not like the last time! The commander had not seen me. I chose from my two other blades one to be in my off-hand. I had just sharpened, 'Blue Sunset' so I chose it over, 'Any Last Words?'. Thrayso always complains about my three swords but she has no reason to have a go at me. She's not the one who once was disarmed twice in one duel! Never again...
Thrayso
With 'Blue' and 'Gentle' in hand, I turned to take the commander by surprise. It was me who was surprised. He stood weapons drawn, facing me.
"I am Skuderah. What is your name, lost of the living?", he asked me.
"I am the last life you will know, I am, Banjoojoo, Lifesword of the Jade Fan, Soldier of the Gunsen."
"Skuderah does not fear you, 'One -eye', or your master. When I have slain you, I will lick your dead eye socket. Then when your fleshy corpse grows aroused, you will give me pleasure as payment for bringing you to my side. I have a need for you woman, both in the battles to come and on all fours in my grave-bed."
I was appalled by his voice, no less horrible than his suggestive words.
I ki-aied.
He hissed.
Our blades passed each other by, sliding along each other until hilt met hilt.
"We touch one another but not for the last time. Soon your body will slide on mine just like this. You will find that I am the better master of the 'sword'."
His breath was foul dry-death. I was unnerved. I lost my grip and 'Giant' spun in my hand. I back-side-stepped, while bringing 'Blue' downward in a sweeping arc meant to show my defiance even if I should miss. It didn't miss. 'Blue' turned a sickly Green along its cutting edge. Skuderah's vital fluid coated my sword. "Hah!", I shouted in satisfaction.
Skuderah stepped back and away. He lowered his blade to his off-side. This was a warning. From this two-handed stance he could likely deliver a practiced attack with advantages learned over many trained attempts. I dared not advance.
He said, "Excellent. You did not boast, 'One-eye'. You are what I require. I needed to be sure. Your undyne sisters will welcome you and teach you what I enjoy most from their touch. Come and embrace me, sword to skin." With that he took his gloved hand and caused his wound to seal. I knew that he would be impossible to destroy by my blades.
I needed to tell the sword-mistress that I had learned where our sisters had disappeared to. She would be able to deal this one an immortal blow as I could not. I raised my hand to my eye-patch. I lifted it...
The smoke enveloped me and covered my tracks. I could hear him laughing behind and to my left as I ran for my life and with the information that he had revealed about my lost sister-swords. Now more distant I could hear him calling for his soldiers. They would follow after me until I reached the fort of Shantogo or I was dragged under by their many hands, to be taken to Skuderah. I ran as never before.
At Shantogo Fort, I told the my captain, Edojan of what had happened and those that approached.
Edojan
It was only a few minutes and the well-drilled women of my brigade stood at my side. I felt better within their closed ranks! Now we would see how well these Brochas Cadavivva could do when things were even. I snapped to attention at the sword-mistress's approach. Her name still isn't mine to know. It is said of her that she will only give her name to one who will save her from death. All of us who serve under her, hope never to be that one. Without a name we call her by the title, 'Brightnight'. It's because of how she looks. She carries a sword but none beyond the sister-swords know this until she summons it. 'Direcheer' is its name. When she does not need to use it, Brightnight uses her bow and she is no less dangerous for it.
Sword-mistress 'Brightnight'
We carried torches in one hand, ready to draw with the other. The Cadavivva advanced, saw us and retreated. Skuderah stood by himself on the ridge after his Borchas had gone. I pointed at him with my torch. "There he is! The one who would have any of us for his own amusements."
He bowed in our manner. He mocked us. I ran with my sister-swords down our ridge and up the one he stood atop. We arrived but he had fled before us, following his soldiers to the west. We followed, close on our mistress as she had the gift of sight and could keep after the Cadavivva. We came to the coast. The Borchas tracks went to sea's edge and went into the waters there. The Cadavivva can walk beneath the seas, we cannot. We had to board a trade ship bound for the west. Lucky for us, it meant only across the bay, a distance of nine days. When we took to the land again we were behind Skuderah's soldiers by only a few hours so we pressed on. No sleep for three days. Food was cold and soft as we walked. Halting only for a few minutes every six hours to relieve ourselves, cover this over, drink some hachama and start again. Thrayso said, " We piss and then we drink. We should skip one and not need to do the other!" She's good to have around.
Two days later, Brightnight told us that the Cadavivvan horde would pass close by the Highsky Daybreak. We made our way across the hardland. As we got closer, to the city, Thrayso nudged me and said, "If we get the chance we will get to Skuderah and you will get your revenge." I said, "You don't understand. He will not fall to a blade, even one as fat as yours." Thrayso doesn't like it when I tell her things she doesn't want to hear. She scolded me, "Yes, when you were alone. Together we will take him apart. You with your 'Words' and I with my 'Graveslab'." I decided to leave it at that. Thrayso can't be argued with when she has the look on her face. The scars from the teeth of the Vranko undyne, on her face turned white as they always do when she is angered. Thrayso had been most beautiful until she had been mauled, "You leave me to do it then, 'Joojoo'. I will deal with this Skuderah." I stayed quiet but I knew I could not talk her out of this and I knew I would not let her do this alone.
Brightnight seemed a little surprised when she realised that the Borchas and Skuderah had entered the city. Highsky held little for these as far as we knew. Skuderah's targets were never the average. He preferred special lives. The Daybreaks held only toughened and sour people, not Skuderh's cup of hachama. We took ourselves to the Stone Gate. The soldiers there were sensible. We are soldiers of the Gunsen. The Highsky soldiers knew his name. They let us through the gate.
Inside, we went after Brightnight who was surer now that the Borchas were close. Then we saw two at the wooden slatted fence nearest us. Brightnight unslung her bow and strung an arrow to its string. I saw that there was a note already attached to the arrow. She had put it there while we were on the ship. She drew back and let fly. It flew true and struck the Borchas high on the strange helm he wore. He looked startled and not necessarily damaged. Brightnight nocked and loosed another arrow. This one struck the other Borchas straight through both eye sockets as it turned to flee. This is of course the best way to deal with them as their strange magicked necklaces are threaded directly through their eyes. It is said that
this gives them their high grade defence. She smiled at us grimly and told us to spread out into the city in threes and to hunt the Borchas until Skuderah showed himself.
Edojan, Thrayso and I went together. We destroyed two that we found squabbling over a caged gracko dog. Edojan freed the animal. Thrayso looked at me and shook her head. Thrayso is a realist. Somebody other than the cadavivva had caged the dog. Edojan had done them no favour in loosing the animal. It seemed happy to be free thoug h I must admit.
We moved past a large tavern. This daybraek keeps its visitors separate from the most important parts of the city. We moved through it freely. Brigands don't stay alive long if they're stupid. The brigands of Highsky are apparently extremely intelligent! Thrayso hacked down a cadavivva chewing through a man's leg. He kept grimly quiet after the thing was dead. I think he was shocked more than brave. I gave him a drink from my hachama flask. Most of it went down his shirt-front. Thrayso told me to hurry up. Edojan nodded at me. I think she approves of my ways.
Five more Borchas. Five more destroyed. Then Edojan thought she saw another six gathering before the large tavern we had passed earlier. She and I went in first. Thrayso circled around to come upon them from the rear. Edojan fought with her 'Branch' and 'Limb'. She likes to distract with the first attack and hit with the second. Sometimes, she even takes a third swing after the first two! She is a wonderful sword-master. I hope to learn how she can manage that.
She took out three to my one and Thrayso arrived to level the second last. The final one backed away and into the tavern. Thrayso laughed to us and slung 'Graveslab' over her shoulder like a farmer carries a long shovel. She followed the cadavivva, her hips swinging in an exaggerated swagger. Edojan held me back from following immediately behind her. She told me to enter through the side entrance and come after that way in case it would matter. Edojan has seen a lot. I followed her order.
When I came inside I was behind the bar. The workers and some customers were hiding out of sight. The Borchas are strange and unnerving to people who don't fight at the borders of the seeps. Sometimes I forget this. It's good to see what people realise to keep myself centred. I saw that hte undyne was well controlled. Thrayso had found some male allies and none were soldiers! One was a young man in a caster's cloak. His coat was bright blue. I took that as a good sign. Another was a strange man with the head of a cat! He was dressed in a funny looking cloak wit ha stiff collar and a hat that was too small to keep many weapons from hurting him. He did have a second sword in his belt but no main blade. How very odd he looked. Another man, much brawnier than the others, bigger than any man I could remember really, stood a little further back. He was swinging a serving platter with intent when I noticed him. He spun twice around on the spot and hurled the dish straight off the Borchas's head. I decided these odd fellows were worth watching after that so I sat on the bar. That's when I noticed a large cat staring around the edge of the end of the bar toward a table. At that table sat a strangely handsome man. Human or Cleftyck? I couldn't decide. I bit the inside of my cheek in worry looking at him. Thrayso had a thing for the strange beauty of Cleftyck males. He looked back at me and I resisted the urge to look away. He looked away first and I saw a change on his face. The large black and white cat was lowering itself to spring at him for some reason. Before I could do anything the cat exploded from the floor, into the air and landed directly at the man at the table. This caused a surprising reaction from him. His elegant robe and staff were vanished and replaced by a soldier's armour! A special magick to see. The cat did nothing upon landing. How very strange. I imagined that the cat must serve him or one of these other strange fellows.
When I looked back to the Borchas he was struggling with the blue cloaked man, Thrayso and gravity. These three allies had the undyne on its knees. The man struck the cadavivva's chantried necklace from its neck. Thrayso aimed well but struck less than well at the thing's throat. It didn't really matter. It was finished soon after. People who had been hiding all about the place, poked their heads up like frogs on a pond after the crane flies off. I find people who aren't trained amusing. Good thing there are some like these men that learn the arts of fighting.
Thryaso was approached by the large-chested man. He seemed very sure of himself, I must say. I haven't seen so many teeth in one mouth! He said his name was Gerard. A funny name. Then he he spoke of the young man and said he was Tuan Zi, Prefect of the High Sun. An important place though not as beautiful as my home prefecture. With these manners observed, the men and Thrayso, now joined by Edojan, went toward the table where the cat and the Cleftyck/Human were. I didn't bother listening. Talk. I don't need it. I like it when the time for talking is done. Edojan left the table when Brightnight entered the tavern. I have never seen the commander so unnerved. When she bowed to the men, the large-chested man named Gerard showed off his jaw and teeth. He had said something about being in line for a throne earlier. He must be a king of something such is his confidence among his betters! Brightnight didn't seem to be herself. Twice I saw her look out the corner of her eye at him. I have always assumed she was only interested in women as she has never looked hard at a man. Now I know differently! The cat-headed man had been healed by the blue caster named Zi. A prefect who was a caster and carried a sword? Really odd these men. I wanted to see what the one who had summoned his armour from the air could do but he hadn't done anything other than make his armour vanish again. Gerard announced he was leaving and asked the 'armour-vanishing' man to accompnay him for private words. This didn't take long. Gerard seemed a taken aback but smiled anyway at whatever the other said to him and then they went to the tavern's doorstep. Brightnight watched Edojan leave with the cat-headed one, who said he was heading to the top of the city. Apparently there is someone important staying there. Cities don't interest me, too quiet.
I caught Thrayso's eye and she nodded back toward the street. I went out the way I came in. There were Borchas and Skuderah nearby. I don't need anyone to help me other than my sister-swords but these men probably will want to aid us. I look forward to writing down how well they fight.
'til next time.
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