Catfish and Swamp Gas

"It not be much trouble, yeah," Sykino reassured Akaelin. "They no got no leader. Some of thems human, some of thems were, but none cares. They take system that only work with some animals and make it work for themselves. No one gonna give you any forces - individuals gonna choose follow or not, yeah. One could come and all could come, but none could come too."

Akaelin realized that much, but he didn't feel like commenting. Whether they came or not was their own decision to make, not his. He could only present the facts and however they handled it would be up to them. He wouldn't get down on his knees and beg for their assistance, even if they did need all the help they could get. Perhaps it was just another thing that made him unqualified for the position he was in. For the most part, he only ruled through association with Sai. There were a few who actually liked him as a leader and respected his actions, but the vast majority seemed to want their old leader back - now that she had reappeared - even if she didn't want anything to do with them. Akaelin felt like he couldn't relax, with the possible threat of assassination always looming around the corner.

Perhaps if you were a bit less of an asshole, a nagging voice in the back of his mind said. Maybe he'd get to work on fixing that some day. ...Maybe.

Sykino looked up and narrowed her eyes as a swallow flew overhead. She couldn't explain it to herself, but she felt that there was something wrong with it. Though she didn't know of any possible way that their enemies could rig nature to spy on them, the bird was heading in the direction of the desert where they were going. A bird like that had no place in the desert, where it would be extremely hard for it to find food and water.

Flying overhead, Tynan might've made a snap at the bird if he hadn't been so full from his previous meal. Even the thought of that tiny little swallow disgusted him at the moment. The group below had been running for awhile now, which made him wonder exactly when they were going to arrive at the desert town. He wanted to touch down and shift before they got there. He had a habit of scaring the crap out of people sometimes.

((Ish working on Na'vi picture. XD))

((*will probably only get chance to see that movie close to the first of Jan*))

"Into trees, yeah," Sykino changed course in her run to continue under the shelter of the branches. "Make sure bird can't see. I don't know what it is, but swallows no fly toward desert. We gonna be at scrub forest soon, mebbe catch others if they have late start, yeah."

Nathifa followed Sykino's course. If the bird was somehow spying, or a were spying on them, then it would eventually see them when they got to the desert anyway.

Akaelin kept his comments to himself as he followed the hyena into the trees. How certain was she that it was in fact a swallow? There were plenty of small birds in the world, some that did in fact live in the desert. Perhaps it was migrating and winter was near. ...Did swallows migrate? Hell if he knew. Geese did, so...why not?

There was something about Sykino that was starting to piss him off though. He wasn't quite sure what it was and he didn't think too much on it. Most people pissed him off.

---------------------------------------------------------

Tynan looked down to see the group vanish into the trees. Confused, he tried to land, only to find the branches currently too thick. After a few moments, there was a small opening in them where he was able to fit through. Tucking his wings against his back, he hissed in slight agitation as he spotted the few ahead of him. Moving at a lively gait he caught up, but had a bit of a hard time maintaining that pace. Some chimeras were excellent runners, but he had been bred more for long flights than anything else.

"We should soon meet up with other group, yeah," Sykino looked up when Tynan came crashing down through the trees, as if she was expecting something else.

"Why so jumpy?" Nathifa asked the hyena. "I don't see how a bird could possibly be spying for Hel or the Riders. First of all, how would you give it orders? And when Tynan came through, the enemy would be attacking from the ground, not the sky."

"Not Riders I scared of, or that bird is looking for Hel, yeah. I scared of the one thing that might get lots peoples from tribes join. They not gonna wanna help cause need warriors for other things."

Well then... They would just have to find a way to convince these 'tribes' that they needed to join for the...umm...good of the world and...kinship and...junk. Ah hell, it was easier said than done. Still, Akaelin had seen the rebellion pull off some pretty freaky shit before and the wolf could pull a pretty convincing argument out of his ass when he really tried. He just didn't usually see a reason to try.

'You say these tribes are, pagan?' Akaelin asked. 'I can't remember, is pagan worshipping spirits - like animisim? Or do they worship the freaky faerie people and do the funny rituals?' A good way of getting people on your side was knowing their customs. Know the customs, know them. Know them, feign respect. Feign respect, gain trust. Once you gained a persons trust, you were in the clear unless you fucked up royally.

"Is hard to explain in your tongue, yeah," Sykino said. "Them not really worship anything. Them call upon spirits of nature for advice and give thanks to them, but them not actually worship, yeah. Before I say them worship me and my boys, but that not right word. It more like them have high respect for us for being animal and nature. They think that god disrupt right flow of energy, is why them no like gods much, yeah."

"Then, what's the other thing to be scared of here?" Nathifa asked. She noticed that Sykino stayed silent.

"It not good say now. Is better to see, because we will see."

'I don't much care for the cryptic attitude,' Akaelin growled, reffering to Sykinos lack of an explanation. 'If we're getting into something potentially dangerous, than I'd more than like to know exactly what it is.' There were several words and phrases that the wolf couldn't stand to hear. They were, Lycaon - because he had heard the word so much, Hel - he was also tired of hearing about her, and 'We'll see'.

Sykino hesitated before answering, looking to Nathifa first. When the goddess nodded, then she spoke.

"Not just one 'it', yeah," Sykino said. "It a she - three shes," Nathifa's expression changed, letting on that she might know what the hyena was talking about.

"You're not talking about the experiments?" she asked.

The hyena nodded before explaining to Akaelin. "Long time ago, Society had experiments like they do today. But way back experiments more successful than today - it cause none of scientists live past these three. They kill them all. These three started successful, ranks 1, 2, 3, yeah. Then sommat happen on mission and go Aravos. They not like mindless eating beasts that warriors turn into today, these ones smart, real smart. They go away from Society and live in desert, eating when they need to by picking off individuals of tribes. Now them have monthly sacrifice to each one. We kill them three and most if not all tribe warriors follow us."

‘Well they sound fun and perky!’ Akaelin said happily, though he felt anything but. Still, it couldn’t be hard to kill these three experiments. What with the demi-gods and Nathifa, it would be a walk in the park. Nothing was really hard with the her and the hyena pack around. Almost any problem they had was taken care of by a mere snap of the fingers. While it was convenient, it was also another thing on the list of things that annoyed the wolf. It took the challenge and fun out of everything. It was the biggest reason why Sai was so angry with the Rebellion. They had become too dependant on gods to do their work for them, rather than relying on their own skills, they just sat back and watched their problems vanish before their very eyes. Well that wasn't going to fly anymore.

"They do has lots of perks, yeah," Sykino said, not catching Akaelin's sarcasm. "Them engineered to be unaffected by magics of all kind. Also, it very hard know where they are. They always under the sand. One person who actually would be great help in this is enemy. Them hide energy, can't be sensed like that. Them strike quick - you not know they there till you pulled under and it too late."

'Which enemy?' Akaelin asked. 'We have a bunch of enemies.' And it was true. The rebellion had more enemies than they could count on fingers and toes combined. Or at least Akaelin did, though he sort of brought it upon himself.

((sorry for the shortness.))

"Don't know name, but I see hear of her from my boys," Sykino said. "Thems been looking around wide area before we go leave and see towns that riders destroy. One of them no-color girl with long hair. She not see, but she see underground and around her. Quill tell my boys of what she can do. She be able to know where the three are at any time."

Akaelin instantly figured who Sykino was talking about. 'Yeah, but her helping us will be the day I enjoy one of Seffs famous hugs,' he replied with a slight eye roll. ‘We could try and use bait. Throw some little animal out on the sand and wait for one of them to come up.’ It was cruel. There was a big possibility that it wouldn’t work, but hell would freeze over before he ever asked for help from Kamira. Not only was there the issue of pride, but the fact that she’d soon attempt to kill them before help them. No, it was a stupid idea.

"We could try that, yeah," Sykino agreed. The problem was that they would be gone back under before any of them could move to attack them. She saw one way to really lock onto them - to be taken. It had happened once before the tribes had started making sacrifices to them that the pack had ventured into their hunting grounds without knowing it. One of them had taken Rysak before the rest even knew that he was gone. It was lucky that he had the power over earth and was able to stir up the sand enough to confuse her and get away. Taren and the others got him to safety before they could hunt them down again.

((gotta go, homework calls))

Akaelin didn't reply after Sykino spoke. They both seemed to be lost within the depths of their own minds. More than anything, he just wanted to be home right now, or maybe even some place warm with just Nathifa and the kids. The war hadn't even officially started yet and already the wolf was wanting a vacation. Sai had never complained (at least not until the very end of her leadership), but those battles were different. Lycaon was direct, stupid. The threat had just increased ten fold now and Sai no longer felt any reason to deal with it, the skank.

When they would get closer to the desert, Akaelin would find a little rabbit or something to use. Not killing it would be extremely hard for him, but hopefully he would be able to manage.

Nathifa looked down, noticing that the dirt was beginning to get thinner, showing more rock beneath their feet than grass. "How close are we?" she asked.

"We be meeting up with my boys and them rest of group in hour, maybe less." Sykino said. "Thens it smarter go slower as get closer. Mebbe for going meet tribes it best if we take only those go by flight. Walking on the sand tells them new peoples come. They not gonna like we come to kill them, yeah."

Akaelin started to think of the members of the rebellion who could travel by flight. Syn, Sayne, Jetta, Siva, Enthea, Tynan, the two gryphons and...Oh dear god no, not her. 'That's fine,' Akaelin replied. 'Just whatever you do, don't take Seff.' The last thing they needed was her screwing up and getting overly friendly with the tribes. She would probably make them think that the group was made up of a bunch of idiotic assholes.

"We needs leaders, and me and my boys, talk to tribes," Sykino said. "We fly other way too. You can call boat for us, yeah?"

Nathifa nodded. "That would give us your pack, me and Akelin, and a few other people to go there. Well, I probably shouldn't go. Having me there would not help our case."

"As for flitty owl, me and my boys help make sure she quiet, yeah. Even if Rysak need wrap her in rock."

'Rock?' Akaelin echoed. 'I doubt even rock could conceal her voice.' While Seff was small, her voice was high and it carried at an annoying, obnoxious frequency. 'No, it's probably best if she doesn't even know about this.' Otherwise, she would find a way to weasel herself in just to meet the tribes and give them all...hugs or...something.

"If that not work, she learn soon," Sykino said. "Some tribes friendly, would tolerate her. Others not hesitate kill her mebbe. Mebbe they not because is supposed be meeting of peace and council. Still, they may want use her as bait."

((XD wondering when these two threads should just merge))

Akaelin perked up at the mention of using Seff as bait. 'Can we do that? ...I'm being serious, I think that's the best idea you've given thus far,' he said, tail wagging slightly from side to side.

((Short post. I'll start a new thread and merge them tomorrow, since we will more than likely have another cancellation. We're getting like, 4 more ft. of snow tonight on top of what we already have. XD I have to go for tonight.))