Meeting the Dark

[Riyami]

The winds howled as sand whipped across the air, sloping over dunes and casting a dull haze against the desert sky. It had been days since Isis was exiled from the place she once called home and cast into the arid expanse without supplies. Plenty of time for her thoughts to simmer and boil.

She spent her entire life protecting her tribe, doing everything in her power to keep them safe, and this was the reward for her diligence. Complete betrayal.

Isis ground her teeth against the dry air as she staggered, step after step. They were all idiots. Blind fools that couldn't see past their own noses and superstitions. Almost everything about their sheltered, insignificant little lives was a lie and they followed it like sheep. The thought made her almost as frustrated as the fact that until recently, she was just as much of a fool as they were.

Isis grasped the edge of the cloak covering her shoulders, her hand shifting down to the wrapped shard of the spearhead she took with her. On a whim, Isis had taken the piece of her tribe's once treasured artifact in secret. Not that it mattered. It wasn't anything more than an intricate piece of metal now, and likely never was.

Isis felt the tenseness in her body slowly seep away. Nothing mattered now. Not this hunk of metal, not this ugly world of lies, and certainly not her. The only thing left for her now was the empty desert in front of her, and she knew it held neither miracles nor mercy.

[Jammerlee]

A low growl emanated from another figure who stood not far from the path Isis walked. His back turned away from her direction, his tired eyes stared down intently into a device in his mechanical hands. Finitevus huffed, wiping at the drizzling lakes of sweat on his brow. Despite his barren surroundings, it seemed as though this area offered what he had hoped - far below the desert dunes were a series of caves.

[Riyami]

Isis's ear twitched as she stopped dead in her tracks. She quickly turned to look over her shoulder toward the noise. She almost hadn't noticed the shape a person between the sand filled haze and the faint dizziness clinging to her head.

It wasn't until the figure lifted an arm that Isis noticed the glint of metal. Isis's hand immediately reached under her cloak and to her side, gripping the end of the broken spearhead in her hand like a makeshift knife. Isis's eyes narrowed as she watched the figure cautiously. Was it really a person, or just another mirage?

[Jammerlee]

Unaware of the jackal stalking him, Finitevus continued to look down at the device in his hands, mumbling to himself as he took mental notes and walked along the perimeter of the underground caves. There weren't any openings to the cave system that he could see. Holding a hand out, his metallic palm glinting brightly in the desert sun, he gave his wrist a flick. A chunky golden ring appeared suspended in the air and began to expand.

[Riyami]

Isis stayed still as she observed the metallic limbed figure, still unsure of what her blurry vision was showing her. It took Isis a few moments after seeing the floating ring for it to register;

Was it practicing magic??

The hairs along the back of her neck slowly began to bristle, a rapid stream of thoughts echoing through the back of her head as her heart raced along side them. This was too much, even for her. She'd finally begun to resign herself to the desert, but now whatever lingering sentiments still remained fabricated such a ridiculous hallucination just to spit in her face one last time.

"...frustrating..." Isis faintly growled under her breath, clenching her fingers tightly around the warm metal in her hand. Frustrating was an understatement. It was absolutely infuriating.

Without thinking, Isis trudged sharply toward the figure, coming up from behind.

"Enough insults!!" She snarled into the dusty air as she lifted her leg for a swift heeled kick into the blurry mirage.

[Jammerlee]

As her foot connected to something solid, Isis would find this was indeed no mirage. Finitevus yelped at the surprise attack, tumbling forward into the vortex that had formed in the center of his ring. Inside he found himself within a pitch black cavern, the dust on the floor spiraling into the air as he landed.

[Riyami]

Isis flinched, eyes wide and immediatelty drew a few steps back. She stared at the still swirling ring in front of her, peering through into the dark. All of it was real?

Isis grit her teeth, snapping herself back to her wits. She clasped her hand around the wrapped up spearhead again, and brandished it like a blade. She didn't know what was in front of her, but she knew it had to be a threat.

She gave a few glances to her surroundings before she cautiously approached the ring, spearhead at the ready.

[Jammerlee]

Coughing, Finitevus reached and rubbed at his backside as he pulled himself up. He looked back at the ring, his chest heaving with adrenaline in his system. Someone was out there. Someone had attacked him. He hadn't expected to run into anyone in such a desolate location - he hadn't been prepared. Luckily the unknown hadn't tried to follow him in yet. They likely didn't know what his warp ring even has. Exhaling, he waves a mechanical hand at the air next to him, a small ring sparkling into being and opening up. Its inside showed an aerial view of the place he had been standing at outside. A black jackal holding a swear at the ready. With only one arm, he curiously noted.

Interesting. Maybe he could use this.

Standing up and dusting himself off, the pangolin waved the small ring out of existence before opening a much larger ring beside the one he'd come in through. He stepped through it, appearing behind the jackal.

"It's a bit difficult to insult someone you weren't aware was behind you."

[Riyami]

Isis flinched and instinctively planted her heel into the sand, spiraling around and taking a wide swipe at the voice behind her with the broken spear head. As she turned, Isis stomped her other foot into the ground, jumping back a few paces.

She snarled, keeping her weapon raised. Another outsider. Isis's eyes glanced around as she searched the surroundings for any signs of others before she quickly focused back in on the Pale Pangolin. She shifted one foot out across the sand, widening her stance. Isis wasn't sure if she should just leave things to the sands or take one last opportunity to vent her anger.

"rotting outsider..." she growled under her breath, gripping the blade tightly.

[Jammerlee]

Finitevus yelped for what had now been far too many times for his taste, flinching back and buckling into the sand. Glaring at his attacker, he huffed and picked himself up, brushing the sand from his person.

"Rotting indeed, this sun is brutal," he commented. His mechanical hands gleamed in the blistering sun as he held them up as though in a half-hearted attempt to shield himself. "Judging by the look of you I take this to mean there must be some sort of settlement nearby. How quaint."

[Riyami]

Isis paused. She glanced away across the sand as her grimace deepened. Was this outsider there to finish the job? If he was, then what should she care about protecting a place that abandoned her?

Her eyes shifted down to the piece of metal in her hand. She hadn't even broken a sweat, so if the sands were to take her anyways, she might as well vent what frustrations she could.

Isis snapped her icy blue eyes back to the pangolin in front of her, and made a lunge at him with the blade.

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[Jammerlee]

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Fortunately for Zachary, as he pulled away in an attempt to avoid the seasoned warrior, her knife glanced off of the armor-like scales that covered him.

".. Rather violent, aren't you, for someone with only one arm," he breathed, holding a hand over his chest and bringing his tail up to act as a shield between them. He held his other hand outward alongside it. In spite of himself, a smirk that began to curve his lips, "I like that."

[Riyami]

Isis pulled back, righting the blade back to eye level and squared off facing Finitevus again. She didn't humor the pangolin's comment with a reply.

Kicking off against the sand again, Isis charged in. She raised her arm, feinting to one side but then quickly changed direction, spinning the spearhead around in her hand as she twisted herself low and bounded around Zachary's tail, taking a sharp stab at one of his legs as she passed. ww3wYNEA

[Jammerlee]

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"AUGH!" Finitevus cried out, dropping to the sand as the blade cut deep into his leg. Pressing a mechanical hand into the wound, he growled, turning toward Isis and thrusting out his arm.

"ENOUGH--OF--THIS!" he howled as a large golden ring materialized in front if the jackal and engulfed her.

p_·

[Riyami]

Isis had already spun around to charge at the pangolin again when the large ring sprang to life in the air between them, taking her by surprise. She quickly tried to backpedal, kicking up a small bout of sand before disappearing into the dark within the ring.

The next thing she knew, she was falling in complete darkness. The sensation didn't last more than a moment before Isis slammed into a solid surface, bouncing back onto her side against what was now a cool, rocky floor. Isis gave a strained grunt as she quickly pushed herself back onto her feet, her eyes barely able to make out the spinning image of the dimly lit cave.

She staggered a few steps, raising the unsteady blade cautiously and let out a growl between haggard breaths. Whatever those rings were, she had underestimated them.

"..where..." Isis snarled, her eyes darting around the area.

[Jammerlee]

Dropping to one knee with a huff, Finitevus gingerly examined the cut on his leg. It appeared to be worse than it actually was, though he still found himself afraid it would take stitches. Of all the rotten luck... He wanted an area that was remote, and now he had to deal with this. With a wave of his hand, a small ring opened in front of him. Just small enough he was able to peer through it into the cave where he had left Isis.

"Explain to me why I shouldn't drop you into the nearest volcano."

[Riyami]

Isis barely noticed the small glimmer of light opening in the air behind her. She spun around sharp enough to throw herself off balance as she backed away and caught herself against a wall with her elbow.

She panted, the cool air of the cave burned her throat. She glared up toward the small swirling window and bared her teeth with a sneer. Isis pointed her blade toward the ring, tip wavering just slightly from side to side. Even if it weren't for the unsteady pounding in her ears, Isis had no intention of explaining anything to anyone.

"Shut up." She growled back, still keeping a weary eye around her.

[Jammerlee]

The jackal was met with a sardonic chuckle.

"Very well. I suppose I'll just leave you in there to starve, then. Less trouble for me."

[Riyami]

Isis scoffed at Fini's remark. She gave the surrounding cave one more glance over. Unlike before, she was less wary for something and more simply looking at where she was. Despite the indignation that gripped her chest like a vice, Isis felt her limbs slowly go knumb. What was she even doing? What difference would mauling one stranger make? Isis let her shoulders sag and leaned back against the wall. She let the spear tip dangle at her side as she slid down to sit against the cavern floor.

"Do what you will." Isis grumbled under her breath, callously looking away.