Zompania Draft - Draftees and Reinforcements, mid-day 4-early 7

[lucetimods]

Who: Draftees and Volunteers
What: The draftees and the reinforcements must hold against the Third Party army until rescue arrives
When: From May 23 through the wee hours of May 26 (days 4-7)
Where: Zompania
Summary: Draftee information and Volunteer information
Rating: Varies on thread, please mark explicit material.

This post is for the rest of the draft, beginning when the volunteer reinforcements arrive. Look up in the sky--your friends are parajumping in! Be sure to use the above info post for any plotting needs you might have. Enjoy!

Be sure to tag this post appropriately: [canon] character name

Comments

Day 6

[corrinesbell]

[Sheena's a newcomer compared to most of the others involved in the fight; when she spotted Raine doing the tireless wear-yourself-out healer thing this morning, she decided a few hours of guard duty would be worth her while. Besides, she'd heard, or seen, or something, bits and pieces about what happened to them all, and what might be up with Raine because of it.

That's how they ended up in the city, pretty far from the safety of the hospital, while Raine searches for the injured and Sheena follows her down the halls of blasted buildings, trying to spot threats before threats spot them.]

We don't have a whole lotta time out here. It's been a while.

[wise_maiden]

Just a little further. We haven't been through here yet.

[ And as far as she was concerned, there was always the chance of finding someone lost in need of help. Though the further away they got, the higher the chances of ambush or wandering enemies rose as well. ]

Are you getting tired?

[corrinesbell]

Are you getting tired?

[As she's walking around with cards already in hand, in case they're necessary, she can't exactly cross her arms and look Raine in the eye about it.]

[wise_maiden]

That's not what I asked.

[ So she's not going to answer, either, instead focusing her attention towards searching again. ] There's definitely been fighting in this area.

[ No bodies, but blood traces. Feathers. ]

[corrinesbell]

Yeah, but how long ago? There's been fighting in every area I've seen so far.

[Or, y'know, they wouldn't be looking in them for survivors.]

[wise_maiden]

There's a trail, here. An injured person, moving ...

[ She looks further ahead, to larger smears of blood and feathers, her arm moving forward to indicate the spot where someone must have fallen or at least lain, in some mild confusion. ] ... But no one's here.

[ Or are they. Raine's too tired to notice, but there's a faint sound of someone deliberately trying to keep their breathing quiet, the sound of something sharp whistling through the air in the direction of where she's standing. ]

[corrinesbell]

[Sheena is not too tired to notice. Her eyes narrow in the direction of the sound of breathing, but she doesn't turn her head toward it. Not yet. She reaches for Raine's wrist, though, giving a tug in the opposite direction.]

Even if there was, we can't be sure it's somebody friendly.

[wise_maiden]

[ She blinks at the tug, though she still seems focused on the 'mystery'. ]

... It's a risk, although... looking at the amount of feathers here, it seems like far too many to come from one of us. Although it doesn't completely discount that one of our allies could be here, either. We're losing too many people.

[corrinesbell]

Really? I don't think we've lost that many, especially considering the way we're stuck fighting. We're not sticking around to lose us, either, I don't like the way it feels in here.

[wise_maiden]

Any amount is too much. Especially --

[ But she stops speaking and turns again, a sound catching her attention. ] There -- someone's here. I have to go check.

[corrinesbell]

[Especially?

Then no, nope, absolutely not, Sheena reaches for Raine's arm again before she can get too far.]

Definitely not by yourself. [Something about her seems very off, floaty, and Sheena doesn't like it.] Actually, I don't even think you're going first. Stick behind me. If it's one of us I promise not to hurt them on accident, I'll get out of your way.

[wise_maiden]

[ She starts to tug her arm away in frustration, until she fully takes in what the ninja's offering, and stops.

There's that sound again ...]

... All -- all right. That seems reasonable.

[corrinesbell]

[Sheena nods, stepping in front of Raine and drawing out one of her fighting knives. Her free hand stays extended, a directive to Raine to stay put, because she advances around that corner as silently as she can.

What will she find?]

[wise_maiden]

[ Two third party members near an open window, one standing in the shadows, with light injuries, armed with a bloodied spear and the other heavily injured -- crippled -- positioned with a stockpile of darts. The source of those odd sounds from before. ]

[corrinesbell]

[Oh damn it.

Sheena takes in a lot of information all at once, visually, and she ducks back around the corner with a really strong hope that they didn't see her looking. They probably did, she and Raine probably don't have a whole lot of time to work with. She tries to get Raine's eye contact, mouthing "Get out!" and shaking her head. There's nothing for them here.]

[wise_maiden]

[ A cold dread fills her as Sheena turns around -- apparently the ninja hadn't attacked, but she had plainly seen... something.

Raine starts to move back in the direction of the way they had come in, though she doesn't want Sheena to leave her line of sight either. Not if something potentially was to start following them. ]

[corrinesbell]

[Sheena will shove her if she has to; the Cultists were listening the whole time, and Sheena's words made it plain she intended to have a look around. She thinks she was seen, always has to assume she was even if not; when a dart zips by her ear, it confirms her suspicion in the worst way.]

Keep going and duck behind stuff. [She can't shake the sense that Raine is vulnerable.] At least one is probably gonna chase us.

[wise_maiden]

[ She moves, the dread fueling adrenaline, ducking behind a nearby stained bookcase, the literature within mostly destroyed or removed.]

I'm not leaving you -- how many are there?

[ The latter she asks in as little words as possible, conveying with motions. ]

[corrinesbell]

Two, but the one shooting stuff at us looked pretty bad. I don't think he's running or flying anywhere.

[The room is considerably smaller than the space Sheena can fill with words; the spear-wielding Cultist is already upon them. Sheena raises a seal paper in her free hand and slams it into his chest, knocking him backward with a burst of fire.]

Get going! [She's coming too, but she wants Raine in front.]

[wise_maiden]

[ She starts to move again, as a dart sticks to the bookcase. Moving closer to the stairwell. Can she time a spell from right here? If she could... that would take away from the energy needed to move. No, not here. She forces herself to keep moving, though looks up over her shoulder up the rail -]

Hurry!

[corrinesbell]

[Staying back to line their escape path with explosive seals, Sheena vaults the rail instead of taking the time to run around to the top of the stairs. Bit of a drop, but not her first drop on this adventure, and she catches the banister with one hand upon landing.]

That'll slow them down.

[Sheena, in turn, forces herself to slow down. Raine can't move as quickly (of course not, she's tired along with whatever else is the problem) and she'd be in danger of leaving her behind otherwise.]

[wise_maiden]

[Explosions.

Raine's still moving forward, even as much as she looks back to make sure Sheena's with her, though it all sounds chaotic all at once as she fights the instinct to freeze up then and there.]

Sheena?!

[She feels her vision blurring, but the ninja comes into view. Behind her, and then... ahead? The room down here is vacant, the front door just in sight.]

[corrinesbell]

Come on!

[They're clear of the stairs, so Sheena grabs at Raine's wrist again - if she catches only sleeve, it will still work - and bolts for the front door. The chance that all her little firebursts will damage the building structure is too great, and she really isn't up for another cave-in with Raine.]

[wise_maiden]

[And Raine isn't in any state to put protection over their heads this time. She feels the tug, and she follows, keeping quiet this time. She can't tell what's louder, Sheena's little trap behind them or her heart pounding in her ears. It's a wonder she hasn't lost the staff, though it's starting to feel heavy in her free hand.

Out of the door and onto the street. Keep moving. They had to keep moving. ]

[corrinesbell]

[Sheena knows of a safe-ish building or two (one is already half-down, making it particularly safe, because who looks inside a building they've already routed?) and she tugs Raine in the appropriate direction. Whether she has the staff doesn't matter, whether all the explosions go off doesn't matter. Are there people chasing them with spears? No. That's the big one.]

Tell me if you see anybody coming!