Re: A World of Dust and Souls

[Flagmauth]

"I mean it's my idea, I better not have a problem with it."

[A Blind Guy]

"Sounds good to me"

[BerrySayRoar]

Nisha moved over and pet Tyson head trying to comfort what she assumed was him being exhausted seeing how fast his head dropped on the controls.

[A Blind Guy]

"Nisha, we can talk about it later, let's move."

[Helsing]

"... thanks," Tyson groans, "I appreciate it."

The flight thankfully went completely silent after that little conversation. Tyson piloted the plane over the designated area, and soon enough, the minimap scanner started to pick up the remains of the town. It was a small thing, utterly dwarfed by most other settlements that were made this far out.

Or at least, everyone hoped that the other settlements were bigger.

The church was in the centre, will the downtown area still holding up despite the time away.

"I've found a clearing, Sienna, if you could."

[Flagmauth]

"Got it." Sienna closed her eyes and concentrated. Below them, the trees around the clearing shifted as if stirred by a breeze. Then their limbs began to bend and twist away from the clearing, opening a hole in the foliage that grew to a large enough size to accommodate the bullhead.

[Helsing]

"This is so cool!" Ruby squees, stars in her eyes.

"Alright, we're ten minutes outside of the town. The bullhead's powered down, but I'm keeping the engines on standby when we need to make a quick getaway."

"Isn't the term if we need to get away?" Weiss asks.

"I know what I said."

"Can we focus?" Blake asks.

"Oh don't worry about it Blaky," Yang said throwing an arm over the other girls shoulder, "It won't be that bad."

"Our last mission involved suddenly fighting a mass murdering psychopath that took Sterling's father and the captain of Mistral's royal guard. It wasn't supposed to be that bad either."

"Oh don't be such a worry wart."

Tyson gave her a look, glancing at Sterling.

"What's the plan, boss?"

[A Blind Guy]

"Well, we first need to know that they're actually here. Given what Sienna has told us about the walls that shouldn't be an issue. We should start by doing recon and learning what their defenses are. "

[Helsing]

"OH OH!" Ruby comes up, "We're really stealthy!" she screams pointing at her and Blake.

Tyson taps a few things on his scroll.

"It says here that you blew up a dock."

"You did that too," Blake points out.

"I did nothing," Tyson argues, "Nisha threw a fan at a psychopath."

"Can we please get back on track?"

"No," they said in unison.

[Flagmauth]

"Well thankfully there's no docks here so we should be fine." Sienna pointed out. "Besides, I'm sure we can find something to blow up if the White Fang are actually here."

[A Blind Guy]

"That's the spirit Sienna, let's move."

[Helsing]

Tyson sighed before flicking a switch and lowering the bullhead doors. The second that they were down, the two teams shot off as fast as aura enhanced fighters could go. Barely five minutes later did they find the walls.

Or, more accurately, the roots.

The brick walls were filled in by several thick tree roots that coiled around the morter, filling it in. In the spots where the tree couldn't fit in, fresh cement was inserted into the whole.

And to make it even worse, there were two White Fang guards looking over the forest.

"Well," Tyson grimaces, "That settles that."

"The white fang really is here," Blake mutters.

"Animals," Weiss grumbles.

[Flagmauth]

"Dunno what they think they're gonna get out of this place," Sienna said. "Tiny wooded town in the middle of nowhere? Figure they're opening a lumber mill?"

[A Blind Guy]

"Whatever they're up to we'll put a stop to it."

[Helsing]

"Now you're talking," Yang says, pounding her fists together.

"Can we not go in guns blazing?" Tyson asks.

"You have any better idea?"

Tyson glances to Sienna and Sterling.

[A Blind Guy]

"I think Sienna should let them know they aren't welcome."

[Flagmauth]

"One eviction notice coming right up." Sienna elected to kill the pair quietly as possible, otherwise what would be the point. At her command, two tree limbs about as big around as her forearm suddenly whipped into motion, striking like snakes. Each one grabbed a guard by the neck, winding around it before tightening sharply. The end result - crushed windpipes (preventing any alarms), shattered vertebrae and severed brain stems for both of the guards. Nearly instantaneous death.

[BerrySayRoar]

Nisha watched as the two guards neck snapped from the tree branches. She then thought to herself how she really wished made modifications to her have attachable silencers for situations like these.

[A Blind Guy]

"okgoodlet'smoveon." Sterling says, gulping silently.

regaining his composure. Sterling looks over the wall. "ok, the coast looks clear, let's move in and make ourselves welcome."

[Helsing]

"So we are busting some skulls?" Yang asks.

"No, we're just going over the wall and taking a lookout." Weiss states.

"We need to get a good idea of the layout of the city itself before-"

The sound faded out, at least, just for Nisha. Blade's lips started moving, but she couldn't hear anything. Something from the shadows shot out and surrounded Nisha. Before anyone could so much as blink, she was gone.

"NIHS-!" Tyson screams, only for Blake to clamp down on his mouth.

"Scatter," Ruby orders.

She disappears in a swirl of rose petals, Weiss summons a glyph under her to reach the trees and Blake forces Tyson with her to the top of the wall.

****

With Nisha

When sense finally returned to Nisha, she found herself slamming face first into the ground. The next thing she knew, she could smell dumplings.

Looking up, she found herself in a kitchen that seemed just recently cleaned out.

And with someone near the stove.



"Oh, perfect timing, they're almost ready."

[Flagmauth]

Sienna with the help of her new murderous tree friends also scaled the wall, landing atop it a short distance from Tyson and Blake. "What the hell was that?!"

[A Blind Guy]

Sterling lands next to her, a sword phasing into the ether as his feet hit the ground. " I have no idea. "

[Helsing]

"Teleporting semblance," Tyson grounds out, pulling out his cannon, "And its user is going to get fucked when I see them."

[Flagmauth]

"Not if I see them first..." Sienna growled. She peered over the inside of the wall to check for any mor White Fang members who were sick of living.

[BerrySayRoar]

The smell of dumplings didn't appease her. She woke up in a stranger's kitchen by a stranger who strangely knew her love for dumplings. Nisha swiftly got her fans out as she dashed towards the person.

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