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Page name: WoW - The Queen Kateryn 02 [Logged in view] [RSS]

2014-01-07 21:49:07

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The Queen Kateryn

The Queen Kateryn is one of the older Lonetrains that service the route between the Royal City and the city of Ordon. The train is composed of a slightly dated locomotive, completely sealed as it is customary in lonetrains, as to protect the operators from the deathly cold outside. The second and third carts carry coal and wood, necessary for the locomotive to run, as well as some other first necessity implements, such as tools, food and water. The fourth cart is first class, though few aristocrats and wealthy individuals use the Queen Kateryn anymore, most Daguerrians that travel in the train are able to afford that cart. After the dining cart and a few, mostly empty passenger carts comes the cheapest cart, usually reserved for Majai because of its cost and distance from the sensible locomotive. Finally come a couple of cargo and luggage carts to complete the lonetrain. Currently, the Queen Kateryn travels long route from Ordon to the Royal city with little more than a skeleton crew and barely a few passengers, mostly between the first class and Majai carts. Currently and in the middle of the night, the train is 12 hours into its 24 hour journey.

Slowly, the moonlight filtering into the first class, luxury cart of the Queen Kateryn made it easier to see in the darkened train. Though it was still hard to make out objects or see out into the darkness outside, at least now the cart could be navigated, people's eyes still slowly adapting to the darkness. Outside, the screams and gunshots from a few minutes ago seemed like a distant memory, a terrifying bout of absolute calm had fallen over the area surrounding the train. It felt as if it was the deep breath before the plunge, and every now and then, the smallest movement, the crunch of fresh fallen snow or the snapping of a twig could be heard coming from the outside. Where they were right now, the inhabitants of the train were exposed, surrounded by easily breakable windows and isolated in small groups, unsure of what they were facing. Surely, if whatever had attacked the soldiers outside was doing things in its own time, counting on the fact the people inside the train seemed unable or unwilling to take steps to secure their own survival past standing or sitting there, shell-shocked.

"Phst!" let out one of the Daguerrian men up at the front of the cart, the skinny, tall one. He had hit his shin on the edge of one of the booths and fallen down, and was now sitting on the floor, rubbing it. His partner nervously looked around, one of his hands, for some reason, had gone into the inside breast pocket of his jacket. "What we need is not to stay quiet like sitting ducks in here, waiting for whatever is out there to figure out a plan of attack and come for us." he said, clearly not believing, for some reason, that it could be animals outside. Or that the guards were still alive, for that matter. "We need to get out of here! Get the train running and clear the track however we can." he added. The man's face looked furiously red, even in the twilight, apparently upset at how everyone seemed content to just duck and sit around after hearing professional soldiers get killed outside, as if they stood something to gain from giving whatever was outside MORE time.

Zahrah let out a breath and shook her head, ready to pull Thaddeus away from them and closer to Rill. They wanted to go outside and deal with that, more power to them. But the train at least offered some protection. Zahrah wasn't in any way dressed for this weather. She would die in a very short time. Not that the men would probably expect her to do anything really. "We need to find out if anyone else is alive," she said on a breath, extremely quietly, to Thad, who she knew couldn't answer out loud.

Rill, though he kept mostly stationary, pondered about their options. Going outside was out of the question. Whatever had apparently killed the soldiers was still there, and he would not be better at killing than five or more soldiers, or however many of them there had been. If the soldiers had managed to kill it, the surviving ones should inform the passengers, but that didn't seem very likely now that time had passed. What was more likely was that they had managed to wound it, which meant that the longer they waited, the weaker the creature would become. Still, he didn't know and now seemed to be the time to try to find out, especially if he could leave behind the loud businessmen who seemed to just talk for the love of talking. Rill grabbed his backpack. "I'll go toward the locomotive and try to find out what happened," he whispered. "If anyone knows how to be quiet, they could come along as well." He walked quietly and carefully to the front of the car and kept eyeing the windows, in case he could get a better glimpse of what was out there. (Notice) "Anyone?" he whispered, not intending to wait long for a reply.

It was aggravating that Thaddeus couldn't see anything outside, and, although he wasn't in the least bit surprised at that fact, he huffed a small sigh to help alleviate his frustration. He shifted back toward Zahrah and patted the top of her trembling hand in a consolatory manner. The young man agreed that they shouldn't just wait like sitting ducks, and he also agreed that they should see who, if anyone, was still alive. If anything, it would at least bolster their numbers. In reality, unfortunately, he was a weaponless mute of dubious strength who had probably never lifted anything heavier than a ratchet or a monkey wrench; little more than a broke, morphine-addicted dandy who could possibly help get the train running again, but would undoubtedly fail against any sort of physical challenge that might present itself. The memory of Tetra and Dakai momentarily faded into the darkness as they fell silent or hid, and he focused on what the agents of the court, Rill and Zahrah were saying. His usual method of communication was fairly useless with so little light for Thad to write by or for others to read by, so he slid he notepad back into the breast pocket of his jacket and attempted to communicate by gesture in the limited light of the moon. He lifted one hand to tap his chest right over his cravat, paused and glanced past Rill in the direction he said he intended to head, then he looked toward the back of the cart, to the door leading further back on the train. Which way should he go? Finally, he hesitantly swept his hand toward Rill, the buttons on the cuff of his jacket flashing in the cold moonlight, indicating that he would go along, although he cocked his head slightly, wholly unsure of his decision.

"Those are logs on the rails..." muttered Rill and looked inconvenienced. He nodded at Thaddeus and waved at him to come along. He then went ahead, opened the door to the space between the cars and moved on, trying to be quiet and careful about it. (sneak)

After opening the door, a draft of freezing cold air invaded the cart, chilling everything it touched to the bone. No matter how many times one went out into the wild, it was impossible to get used to that first touch of the winter on one's skin. Outside, there seemed to be nothing in particular around. Across from the coupling between carts, a cargo car could be seen, past this one there ought to be a couple of open topped coal cars and finally, the locomotive. Next to the door to the cargo car there was a metal ladder which could lead the group up to the roof of the car. As Rill tried to move out, his ranging clothes seemed to make an uncomfortably loud shuffling noise and the stuff on his backpack buckled against each other.

She did not want to go out there. She did not want to face anything that was out there. But Thad and Rill were moving, and Zahrah flat out refused to be left with the people who were hiding or the loudmouths. She looked from Thad to Rill as the other man began moving and decided that maybe that was her best bet. Her hand slipped from Thaddeus's arm, gripping his sleeve for a moment before she let go and moved to follow Rill, curious herself but still reluctant. Her fear was leading to her keeping her ears open and trying to be as quiet as possible. (Notice, Listen)

Approaching Rill, Zahrah stopped by the entrance of the cart, near the coupling. The cold obviously made an effect on the woman, who was dressed light and provocatively. Once she was by the door, she looked out onto the snow.

Dakai wasn't the most graceful or stealthy individual and in his mind he would only slow those who were but he wasn't cowardly enough to sit under a table and pray. What ever it was had taken out the soldiers and by themselves they where easy pickings but together at least they could fight and stand a chance. He nodded at Rill's suggestion and followed the group (sneak)to the door but instead of choosing to investigate the logs, he couldn't help but think 'trap', he motioned at Rill by pointing at his eyes then slowly sweeping his hand in the direction of the engine train to indicate he was going to take a look at it for damage and stay in the shadows of the train in order to conceal himself somewhat instead of venturing into the open with them. He stayed close enough to the group to see them though just in case. With a wrench in hand he scanned the outside of the engine for damages (Engineering).

Going past Zahrah and Rill, Dakai made as much noise as the train itself would. He jumped down on the snow and, hugging the side of the train, made his way up towards the locomotive. Quickly enough, he was pretty much out of sight, as the locomotive was nearly 100 feet away from the first class car, past a cargo and two coal cars. "W-where are you all goin?!" said one of the two men on the back, moving forward with his hand in his breast pocket. The other man followed, passing Tetra and Thaddeus and staying inside one of the booths right by the north end of the car, probably thinking they could fortify it if needed. In the meantime, Dakai reached the front of the train and looked up at the locomotive, scanning for damage from outside.

There was still no way Tetra was going to move from her spot; even if the other occupants of the cart took off and left her alone - well, that was their loss for putting their lives on the line. She thought them all idiots if they were seriously thinking about venturing outside, or even out of the cart, to check on whatever it was that apparently murdered the entire train staff and all its soldiers. The girl was perfectly content to stay safe an warm right where she was, and obviously too scared to move.

Thaddeus let a little puff of air through his lips then licked them, and as the others followed behind Rill, he got into his coat and slung his bag cross-ways over his torso. The young man took a last glance around the moonlit interior of the car and those occupants who were yet visible, then likewise followed behind the motley crew of passengers, heading toward the next segment of train as carefully and quietly as possible (Sneak). Thad couldn't very easily sound the alarm from his vantage point, nor would he be particularly good defense should anyone approach from the back end, but he accepted his position in line and proceeded onward.

Much quieter than anyone before him, Thaddeus left his position and passed Tetra, leaving the girl alone in the middle of the train car now as he took position behind Rill and Zahrah. The cold wind much more noticeable up by the dooor.

"There is something out there," Zahrah said on a breath, barely loud enough to be heard. Her eyes were scanning outside while the rest of her body shook with cold and fear. Pulling her shawl tight, not that it did any good, she took a step back, bumping into someone behind her, probably Thaddeus. There was a moment of warmth that she was immensely grateful for, but that didn't last as she moved away again, close to the door so she could continue searching the snow nervously. Not being able to see what was out there was quite possibly worse than anything. With her breath misting in front of her, Zahrah ignored the stinging cold as best she could while attempting to follow after Rill.

Rill looked a little after Dakai and shook his head, but since the boy had already made so much noise, he didn't try to call out to him. It appeared the two businessmen had not listened to him either. "Quiet..." he said to them. He then looked for a window to the next car and tried to peer through it. (Notice) When Zahra spoke, he glanced at her. "Yes, the... what something? Something alive? Where?" he whispered.

The engine was a thing of beauty, engineerring at its current finest. The way the pistons powered the wheels, the cables that ran the length of its body, everything about it was majestic to Dakai. He was enthralled by it, consumed even, as his mind quickly ran over its inner workings, he had seen many diagrams in the school, but never had the chance to be so up close. However something was off. There, along the side, ran a long scrape as if it had been raked by something, it had caused a deal of damage whatever it was. With his fast mind he quickly identified the source of the engines malfunction. Whatever had assaulted the train had sliced one of the cables that supplied the power from the main engine forward, instantly choking off its capacity to transfer electricity. I can get this running again I think, with the proper material... his mind had long been submerged in the machine and forgotten the current situation. For if he had been paying attention to anything else he would have noticed something in the snow, only ten feet away. It was half buried, black, and alive.

Rill observed the insides of the front car and seemed satisfied. However, when he took his eyes away from it to check up on Dakai again, his eyes widened suddenly as he spotted someone crouching behind Dakai. Was it a surviving soldier, or what he thought was the incredibly elusive attacker? He had no idea, but he didn't take too long to dwell on it. "Hey you! There's something behind you!" he called out to Dakai. He hoped things would not get violent, but he couldn't help but think that they probably would, so half his mind was on pulling out his bow.

Reflexively reaching his hands out toward Zahrah as she bumped blindly back into Thaddeus, he found that she had stepped away just as suddenly; the mute man gave the gentlemen asking where there were going a passing glance and simple jerked his chin in the direction they were headed. They were going... out of their current location, that much must have been obvious, but Thaddeus couldn't explain anything past that. He'd been a bit stunned at Dakai's noisy galumph on into the next car(s), and he stood still right before crossing into the next car; he shivered, all but being left in the dust by his companions, but the young man soldiered on and followed obediently behind the others. Thaddeus moved carefully along the aisles, trying to make-up for lost ground, but trying not to make a scene, either. Of course, he moved forward only as much as the person in front of him would allow, picking his way cautiously onward.

Zahrah was going to point, but Rill took off again. She gave a shiver and followed, wincing at the noise that was being made as she attempted to stay silent. (Sneak) Zahrah did, however, stick closer to Thaddeus, making certain the man was behind her. She didn't care if he was useful in the least, anyone else nearby would be helpful. Her eyes went towards where she had heard the noise, and she searched for anything that might be seen, anything against the bright white of the snow. (Notice) She knew that she would freeze quickly, and she just wanted to escape the snow and get back to her comfortable life.

Tetra, as she had planned, had remained hidden away under and between seats, hardly moving and daring not to make a sound. She cold hear the others talking in mumbles, and even a shout or two, perhaps even one that seemed distressed. The young girl still held her ground. However, a sudden, almost unexplainable chill ran up the street rat's spine, and she whipped her head around to face the window of the cart, black as it was both inside and outside the train. Ulysses looked too, his feathers ruffling and his body shaking. Tetra was frozen in fear for a moment, but finally a breath escaped her, and she scrambled out from beneath the seat just enough to senselessly call out, "There's somethin' in the woods!" Grabbing Ulysses by his talons, she pulled him from beneath the seat, and whispered hoarsely to him, "Go!", willing him to fly out into the dark and see what was out there (Persuade).

Ulysses' intelligent eyes stared right into tetras for a second, without struggling when she pulled the large raven towards herself. It was almost as if the bird understood something was wrong, his head tilting sideways and then opening his wings to take flight. In a swift motion, the bird flew off, going through the only aperture into the car and almost hitting Zahrah with a flurry of feathers and wind. Once he was out, it was as if the raven disappeared in the darkness

Dakai was still entranced by the machinery as his gloved hands ran along its surface, tracing the lines and beams as he swept over it. His mind raced as he pictured all the inner workings and steam driven dreams inside the shell. "Hmm?" He barely heard Rill yell out to him, and took a second to process what he was saying. Quizzically, he turned to the direction to where Rill was pointing to see what the matter was(Notice).

Taking a page out of Zahrah's book, Thaddeus did his best to pick his way as silently as possible behind the courtesan, and he kept his senses attuned to anything out of the ordinary-- it was possible that he was following so closely, that he might run into her if she stopped short. He gaze ping-ponged between Rill's direction when the older man yelled to Dakai, and the copse of woods on the other side of the train, since he'd heard something over there, too. If he could, he would have insisted that Zahrah stay in the car with the statesmen and Tetra, but instead he tried to slip past her through the exit first. He grimaced when Tetra made her unnecessary, and possibly foolish, announcement, but still he tried to see what it was that was making the noise (Notice) on the brighter side of the train, where his gaze lingered.

When Dakai took his time to turn, Rill got a little impatient and readied his bow to shoot at whoever was looming behind Dakai, but only if it seemed like it would attack them or Dakai.

Zahrah's shaking hand grabbed at Thaddeus's arm as he passed her. Her eyes were wide and all cold forgotten as the light fabric around her fluttered against her. Her other arm came up and pointed at the shape in the tree line, her eyes not moving away. "Wh-wh-what is that?" she asked, almost silently, her mind not even caring that Thaddeus really had no way of answering. She didn't care if the bird almost hit her or the noise everyone else was making, she was too focused on whatever that thing was. This was like one of the stories they told when she was little to scare everyone, and Zahrah was not happy about this at all. She tried to get her eyes to focus further on the creature, trying her best to make out what it could be, her mind running through possibilities, because no human could move like that. (Memory)

Dakai tried to make out what was laying in the snow behind him as he turned. He froze on instinct trying not to draw attention if it was a threat, but oddly it didn't move. He stood still for what seemed like an enternity before the darkness faded, his eyes adjusting to the dim display. The scene was beyond any horrer Dakai could ever imagine, there before him lay an engineer face down in the snow, died a sickly deep red in his own blood. He couldnt have been any older than Dakai was, but he was dead, right at the foot of the locomotive, his throat ripped to shreds. There werent any tracks besides the mans own as he must have tried to run back to safety. He had to have died quickly, unable to call out as his body gushed all it had from the gaping cavity in his neck. Dakai couldn't help it, he buckled, dropping to his knees as he lost all of the contents of his guts. He never had the stomach for this kind of thing, he was helpless as he convulsed, dry heaving in the snow.

Rill watched and watched as apparently nothing happened for some time. After he saw Dakai throwing up, he started wondering that the figure now in front of the boy probably wouldn't move. Rill had half a mind to just go check up on Dakai right away, but at the last moment he took one more look around, up and down the train and into the forest. He really didn't want any nasty surprises. (Notice)

While Dakai was getting sick on the snow far ahead of the cart, a fluttering of wings was suddenly heard coming straight at it. Once more, Ulysses burst into the cart through the front door, flying dangerously close to Zahrah's head and in between the two Daguerrian officers of the court, who were forced apart as they loudly yelled curses at the bird, before it came to rest on the back of one of the seats, right in front of Tetra's hiding spot. The bird's chest heaved up and down and its head twitch nervously, turning in all directions quickly, clearly nervous.

Rill stared in slight horror into the dim forest, wishing he could see better. He glanced at Zahrah and Thaddeus and spoke quietly. "Keep your eyes on the woods." He gave another, annoyed glance at the bird before turning his attention toward Dakai, though he kept scrutinising the forest, now seeming a little trigger-happy with the bow. "Get up, boy! Look out!" he shouted tightly. "What is his name anyway," he added with a mumble, hoping Zahrah would hear and answer him.

After emptying his stomach of all its contents, Dakai jerked his head to the side Rill shouted at him. He had no idea what it was about only that there was a sense of urgency in his voice. He had no time to look around, instead he did the fastest thing he could and dove under the train for cover. He looked around trying to figure out what was going on (notice).

All Thaddeus could initially muster as he peered into the woods was a sharp, sudden inhale; by his moonlit expression, he was clearly uneasy with what it was he saw in the treeline, what little he could see of it. The young man was brought back to reality as Zahrah clutched at his arm, Ulysses flew by his head for the second time, and as the Daguerrian gentlemen made yet another fuss. He shook his head, his tousled, shaggy hair bouncing a bit with the sudden, stilted movement, trying to place what creature could possibly be prowling in the woods (Memory). Rill didn't have to command him twice, as he was already doing exactly what the older man commanded, even as the bearded fellow bellowed into the distance between the lot of them and Dakai.

The only thought dancing in Zahrah's mind was that whatever that thing in the woods was, it wasn't human. At least not completely. She once again ignored the bird and the other men, sticking close to the one she had managed to latch onto as her shivering intensified into full blown shaking. Zahrah wasn't prepared for something like this. She wasn't even dressed for something like this. Rill's question did jolt her from her thoughts, and she glanced in his direction, wondering if she knew the other man's name. She didn't recall him telling her. Her eyes went back to the creature, and she let out a breath. "We have to stick together," she said so quietly only Thaddeus could really hear her.

Tetra watched with wide, fearful eyes as her pet flew away, out into the darkness, and the girl, shivering, curled her legs up to her chest, hugging herself both in fear and to protect herself from the cold. She waited, impatiently, for her bird to return, trying to ignore the sounds of the others' panicked voices and shouts. Finally, some minutes later, she heard the flutter of wings approaching, and the tiny teen perked up, waiting for the arrival of Ulysses. Finally, he landed noisily at the top of the seat, looking as if he'd seen a ghost, and Tetra stood for a split second to scoop him up in her arms. "It's okay, it's alright," she comforted him as she took her seat again, though her voice was shaky enough that it provided the avian very little reassurance. "What did you see?" she asked, rubbing her face softly against his feathers as she waited to see if she could interpret his thoughts. (Charm).

At Tetra's command, the crow started to loudly squawk and flapping his wings in place, making a terrible ruckus.

Rill watched as Dakai took cover and wondered whether the boy had just made himself that much more vulnerable since he wouldn't be able to move or run easily now. Then again, the speed at which the creature seemed to be moving would probably be too much anyway. Rill wasn't feeling too good about being in the open, so he backed down, shushed lightly at Zahrah and Thaddeus and tried to take cover from the train and hide so that he could surprise the creature if it decided to do something. (Hide)

The machinist had no idea what everyone was focusing on but if it had anything to do with whatever had killed the man in the snow he wanted nothing to do with it. He scampered around under the train a bit until he found a cavity between the axles just big enough to fit in and would provide him some cover and hide him from site. Dakai did his best to wedge his body between them (hide).

<center>Slowly, the moonlight filtering into the Majai cart of the Queen Kateryn made it easier to see in the darkened train. Though it was still hard to make out objects or see out into the darkness outside, at least now the cart could be navigated, people's eyes still slowly adapting to the darkness. Outside, the screams and gunshots from a few minutes ago seemed like a distant memory, a terrifying bout of absolute calm had fallen over the area surrounding the train. It felt as if it was the deep breath before the plunge, and every now and then, the smallest movement, the crunch of fresh fallen snow or the snapping of a twig could be heard coming from the outside. Where they were right now, the inhabitants of the train were exposed, surrounded by easily breakable windows and isolated in small groups, unsure of what they were facing. Surely, if whatever had attacked the soldiers outside was doing things in its own time, counting on the fact the people inside the train seemed unable or unwilling to take steps to secure their own survival past standing or sitting there, shell-shocked.

Ferrah's words seemed to make absolutely no sense to the young Daguerrian girl, her pale blue eyes open wide as they started to adapt to the dark. "T-thank you." she said, after all, the warrior had come to her aid when she fell. "I seriously think we should try to find other people though..." she said, her voice shaky and weak. "If... it it's animals, they already know we're here and they just killed some soldiers... we're just sitting around and letting them surround us..." she said, almost as if she was feeling guilty for poking holes in Ferrah's logic. "I-if it's soldiers.. why are they so quiet? We.. I.. we heard them scream, right? They would be hurt... they'd be calling for help..." she added. After all, everyone knew no humans lived out in the wastes, so there would be no soldiers anywhere other than the ones who had come on the train with them.

"I'm willing to take advice, when it's sensible," Ferrah whispered, nodding at the Daguerrian woman. She eased her grip on the falx in her hands, ready to use it on any threats. Looking over at the others, she motioned that they should probably make their way to some of the forward carts. "Time to find some allies."

Paki blinked at Ferrah's gesture. "In the front carts?" He said with some awe in his voice. He had never known anyone who could afford to be seated in the front of a train, and just the suggestion of going up front seemed...fantastical to Paki. Even under the circumstances.

Daiyu had thus far remained silent. Her own throat tight after seeing the bodies of the soldiers. "They are dead." She stated in a calm voice as she struggled to maintain her cool exterior even while her heart beat wildly and she felt just a touch of fear about what was happening. "There is safety in numbers. Perhaps those in the other cart are better prepared for such an event." She murmured quietly in agreement with Ferrah as she stood to follow her. What she in fact meant was more people meant smaller chance of her being killed.

"Can... can I come too?" piped up the Daguerrian woman, her voice still a bit quiet, but determination mucn more noticeable in her blue eyes. She seemed to be clutching something in her hand, something which was hung around her neck, before she let it fall inside her shirt. The woman inched closer as the others approached the front door which would lead them to the next cart, "I-.. I don't even know your names." she then added, trying to keep a low profile.

"Everyone is welcome to follow me, if they so wish," Ferrah whispered, mostly towards the strange Daguerrian "but you all keep your voices low and out of the swing of my sword. I am Ferrah Azzal." She moved up to the door leading to the other cars. She pressed herself against the wall next to the door and motioned for the others to move to either side of it.

Daiyu was starting to get annoyed, but she knew Ferrah was the most experienced for now. She could only hope that the next cart held another Shah since really she would prefer her race's superior skills to what she had now. She glanced longly towards the window, she had no fear of the cold, and if she hadn't felt that presence she would've opted for braving the winter instead of wandering the train in the dark with who knows what attacking. Her eyes narrowed as she caught movement from the nervous woman and her eyes narrowed. What was it that this woman was hiding? Come to think of it she'd been nervous since the train stopped... Was she being chased? Daiyu filed the information away for later use.

"Call me Paki." The Kkala grinned at the Daguerrian, keeping his voice low like Ferrah said and moving to the opposite side of the door that Ferrah was flanking. "At your signal." He nodded to Ferrah.

With a nod, the woman grabbed what seemed to be her satchel and, putting it over her shoulder, attempted to scurry next to Ferrah. "Thank you." she said, obviously relieved that the Majai were letting her go with them. Waiting for Daiyu to move to her position, or for Ferrah to open the door, the woman added, "My name is Lena. Lena Rose." sounding a bit unsure.

"With me," Ferrah whispered as she opened the door and, crouched low, moved into the area between carriages. Holding her weapon at the ready, her eyes scanned the interior of the cart for any potential threats (Notice).

Daiyu had opted to take the position behind Paki and moved into place, she still didn't like the rude oaf but she had a better view of Lena. The woman seemed far to relieved... And her suspicions that this might be happening because of her returned.

Paki followed after Ferrah, also crouched low in a defensive position and looking over his shoulder ever so often to make sure Daiyu was right there.

As Ferrah opened the door, a gust of freezing cold wind came into the cart. The cart immediately felt dark and cold, as if the winter had come in in full might once the protective shall of the walls, windows and door had been breached.

The cold hitting her made Ferrah grimace and she immediately moved to the next carriage, opening the door so that she could escape the freezing conditions. As soon as she was in to the next cart, she returned to a defensive stance with her falx at the ready, carefully making her way along towards the second carriage along from theirs. She tried to move without making noise, but the dark and the cold had her feeling clumsy.

Mmmmm... The cold felt amazing on Daiyu's skin and she hung back, reluctant to enter the other cart, instead preferring to stay outside. Unlike the others she didn't walk in a crouch, as the position would make it difficult for her to move due to her longer robes. Instead she was standing upright although she carried her own weapon tight in one hand. She closed her eyes and sent a silent prayer to her goddess for protection.

Paki shivered a little at the cold air, but straightened his posture a little so Daiyu would not be so noticable if anyone saw them. He moved slowly and cautiously, wincing a little at every shudder and groan the wood of the cart created. Was that him? The wind? Perhaps the threat--whatever it is?

Looking back along the line of the carriage at the others, Ferrah whispered down to them. "Is everything alright? We haven't lost anybody yet?" Without waiting for a response, she opened the next door that would lead to the next carriage. "Not far to go," she whispered to herself, trying to take in as much information as she could about their surroundings and the next cart (Notice).

Upon entering the next car, the group found this to be much warmer than the previous one, probably because the door had been closed. In it, the luggage of the soldiers who had been guarding the train seemed to have been stashed. The car itself must have been a passenger cart at some point, but it had been converted into a barracks of sort, with bunk beds and three military back packs pushed up against a corner. A small gas lamp which had been left on sat on the opposite corner. When Ferrah opened the door, another gust of cold air came in, making the gas lamp flicker.

Daiyu could see past Ferrah into the cart and her nose wrinkled in disgust. It wasn't proper for a woman of her breeding to enter a man's bedroom... Especially not the barracks of lowly soldiers. Her father would die of shame for his daughter. Their circumstances was not an excuse and she glanced down at the snow, she was tempted to simply make her own way and stay outside where she was confident she had the advantage in the harsh environment. However, her lack of knowledge in using the weapon she held tensely by her side held held her back... She could not make her way alone. "If the attackers have eliminated the guards outside then surely they are searching the train. Would an open space not be better rather than chance stumbling into an ambush at close quarters?" (persuade) She directed her comment to Ferrah, noting the older woman's leadership and hoping to sway the older woman to travel along the outside of the train instead of walking through the carts blindly.

Listening to the other woman's idea, Ferrah couldn't help but feel that her idea made sense. "Being out in the open may make us harder targets," she admitted, before sheathing her falx, grabbing hold of a ladder next to the forward cart's door, and starting to climb up towards the carriage's roof (Climb).

The metal of the ladder nearly burned from the extreme cold as Ferrah grabbed onto it. Still, the woman managed to climb up effortlessly until she got atop the roof of the cart in front of them. From there, she could see the endless frozen forests surrounding them.

"So we go up?" Paki asked. "Would that be wiser than going out into the snow?" He did not see much difference between being inside the cabins or out if they were just on the roof, but surely the old warrior had more experience in this sort of thing. With that in mind, he began climbing after Ferrah (Climb).

Also rather physically fit, Paki climbed up to the roof of the cart, standing next to Ferrah.

The woman was more dense than she'd imagined. Daiyu thought sourly to herself, but was careful to maintain her serene expression. What was the point of being on the roof? To make themselves easier targets for anyone with a long ranged weapon? She'd been intending going into the snow, to the ground where rocks provided cover and she felt the safest. Even the large oaf saw the flaw in the older woman's plan but he was like a sheep, following without thinking, typical of a lesser race. However, she was a Shah and she would not follow blindly into a situation she did not understand. "A path on the roof will frame our bodies against the sky. A novice could pick us off one by one." She murmured softly, (persuade). "A path in the snow, using rocks for cover may be more useful... As you can see the train and identity where assistance is most needed."

"Wouldn't... wouldn't we be safer inside?" chimed in Lena Rose, following behind the three Majai but not wanting to antagonize anyone. The young woman looked pale enough to be blue in the moonlight and the freezing cold, hugging a wool shawl close to her body as she watched the others climb.

"Quiet!" Ferrah hissed back at the others. Staying low to the roof of the carriage, she turned and addressed Paki, as well as the two women below. "You two can either go on the ground or through the carriage, but be wary. I see movement up ahead, and the train has purposefully been blocked." She motioned for them all to stay low. "Do nothing to draw attention to yourselves," she finished before slowly, and carefully, making her way along the roof towards the next cart.

Daiyu stared up at Ferrah feeling outraged but honestly the older woman's words confirmed her belief. They would be safer away from the train where the attack was targeted. She stole another subtle look at Lena Rose, remembering her scared look from earlier, like a woman hunted. She turned to study the inside of the cart, still unwilling to go inside, when she noticed a broken window. No, she would not enter, goddess only knew what could be lurking in the enclose space and she dropped down to the snow. Ferrah had abandoned them to go along the roof so Daiyu went with the area she felt the most comfort in. She left the timid woman to follow or make her own way through the carts as her sharp eyes continued to scan her surroundings (notice) for any signs of danger as she started walking in a slanted path, following the train but trying to get a distance away at the same time.

Paki took a moment to debate to himself where to go... On one hand, Ferrah seemed quite capable of defending herself, and so obviously did not need his assistance. On the other hand, that younger woman--Daiyu--had such cold eyes... At that thought, Paki followed the older woman along the top of the carts, staying low. If anything happened on the ground, it was just a short jump down anyways, right?

That... What was that? Daiyu thought as she stared in horror at the creature in the train. More frightening than his pale, bare skin was his face. The black pits that took the place of his eyes threatened to swallow her whole and she felt her chest tighten as her legs faltered and threatened to send her to her knees. No. She would not bend to such a creature... Nor would she run. She was a Shah! To run would only show her cowardice and shame her family. She seemed to gain strength from this though and managed to keep her footing. Her hand gripped her fu tao so tightly that her knuckles turned white. She knew that she was woefully inadequate when it came to combat or physical skills and it would be stupid to resign herself to death. Without looking away from the creature (intimidate) she stared into its eyes daring it to jump at her. "Here!" She called out to Ferrah, hoping the older woman would hear her, but unable to force herself to actually ask a majai for help. She didn't have much faith in the woman helping her in time though and she reached out with her mind... The goddess she had been studying lately... This would be a perfect time to receive some help.

At Daiyu's shout, Ferrah looked down at where the Shah woman was in the snow. She frowned down at the other woman before thinking it might be wise to see if the other woman has spotted something (Notice). She held her falx up, ready to use.

Being considerably less wise then Ferrah, Paki lept down from the top of the train at Daiyu's cry in case she needed assistance (Jump).

With an impressive show of strength and physical aptitude, Paki was able to leap down a bit over twice his own height into the snow with little impact on his body. As the Kkala hit the ground, he sunk into the snow and rolled on it to lessen the impact. Out of the corner of his eyes, he noticed some movement, which Daiyu could see as well. Whatever was in the cart had been preparing to leap at the girl, but Paki's sudden appearance startled it and it quickly ducked, hiding inside the cart.

The thing was still hiding in the train. Daiyu's sharp eyes intently stared at the cart as if expecting the creature to burst out at any moment. She barely noticed Paki's jump, although she was inwardly glad he had joined her here. Perhaps, with a larger more threatening opponent, the creature would avoid attacking... Or attack him first. She took a couple of steps back from the train and glanced at Paki as she bowed her head, "I give my thanks for your assistance." She murmured and then looked back at the train, "Did you see that... Thing?" She asked cautiously.

Paki had stood up from where he rolled and was dusting some of the snow off of him when he heard Daiyu. "Ah! You're very welcome!" The Kkala bowed himself with a gap-toothed grin at the woman, forgetting his apprehension towards her, earlier. "Thing? I saw movement...I don't know what it was, though... Was that why you yelled?" He blinked curiously at her, wondering if she had perhaps gotten a better look at it then he did.

"You may consider distancing yourself from the sides of the cart. An attack from behind is deadly." Daiyu warned him. "I believe I saw one of the attackers. A monster with white skin and black pits for eyes, its mouth was down shut with frost." She said considerably colder than she meant, a result of her effort to keep the tremor from her voice. Even thinking of the creature's face brought back the feelings of dread and she glanced around the landscape (notice) to make sure nothing crept towards them.

"A creature?" Ferrah called out. "I will assist!" She held her falx away from her body as she made to leap down from the roof to beside Daiyu and Paki (Jump).

With a careful leap, Ferrah fell squarely on the snow, her knees buckling a bit under her own weight. Luckily for the woman, she was still in good shape and easily caught herself, receiving no injury from the long jump. Right as Ferrah fell, however, a loud banging noise came from inside the cart where Daiyu had seen the creature followed by the sound of hands and feet scurrying along the floor, loud enough for all three to hear.

Ferrah straightened and looked at the cart. "What manner of being is hunting us?" she whispered to herself. She made her way towards the cart's door, where Lena was still stood. "Move away from the door," she ordered the other woman, her face grim and her blade ready.

Daiyu took a few steps back; her heartbeat roared in her ears and it seemed everything within a 100 miles would be able to hear it. Something was very wrong, everything felt wrong and she stared at the cart and flinched as she heard the sound of something scurrying. Her traitorous mind immediately called forth the image of the creature scurrying on his hands and feet in a grotesque manner that made her feel worse. It was like the sound of birds and the muttered curse broke her free from her spell, strange as that sounded. That beggar girl, she had a crow... and guards. Perhaps if they found her they would find more people. She turned to Ferrah, "A search for our fellow passengers would be wise... A crow followed that beggar girl and she was in the company of the guards." She watched the older woman steadily, portraying much more confidence in her own words than she actually felt. "Standing in snow that will hinder our movements while waiting for a creature that calls this place home is... unwise." (persuade) She finished softly as she turned and continued her advance towards the front of the train, allowing them to follow or stay behind as they wished.

Combat!

Lena had just started to move out of the cart, making her way down onto the snow and towards Ferrah when a great amount of noise could be heard coming from the front cart. Suddenly the creature Daiyu had seen jumped out from the front door of the cart, right in front of the Shah woman. It looked like a man with pitch black hair and ashen skin. So white it was almost translucent, it looked emaciated, yet its muscles seemed cords of steel wrapped around his arms and legs. The most unsettling things about it, though were its eyes, or lack thereof. Staring at her mere feet away were the same bottomless black pits Daiyu had seen earlier. Each glance at them made anyone's stomach turn, their sweat turn cold and their legs lock up in terror. It would take all their willpower to confront such a creature.

Turns are as following;
1. Han Daiyu (Endurance: 3/3, Stamina: 3/3)
2. Unknown Creature
3. Ferrah Azzal (Endurance: 7/7, Stamina: 9/9)
4. Paki Egwu (Endurance: 9/9, Stamina: 10/10)
5. Lena Rose.

Han's turn! -

Daiyu flinched back, her eyes went wide and her mouth opened to scream but the sound wouldn't come out. The heavy robes she wore seemed to drag her down, clutching at her body like silken ropes as she scrambled for cover.

Unknown Creature's turn! -

Crouching down, the creature looked at Daiyu run away impassively, tilting its head as if tying to understand her actions. Somehow being able to stand without so much as sinking in the snow, the thing reached behind its back and produced a javelin sharpened on both sides. It looked as if it was made out of the white ashen wood of the frozen trees. Lunging back, it hurled the Javelin at full speed towards Ferrah. Luckily for the woman, she had her blade at the ready and was able to deflect the projectile!

Ferrah's turn! -

With a curse, Ferrah advanced towards the creature (Walk). "Foul thing! You'll learn to avoid attacking an Amiri!" She raised her falx up high, and aimed to slice across the thing's pale, grotesque midriff (Strike).

For a second, it was as if Ferrah's arms and legs resisted her commands to move forward, locked in place and feeling as if they had been flash frozen. With all her willpower, she was able to plow forward through the snow and lift her massive Falx. By some massive stroke of luck, the creature seemed surprised someone would dare charge it and did not try to dodge the slow strike until the last second, but it was too late. As if the thing's skin was butter, the massive blade cut through its stomach, slicing the creature in half. Foul smelling black blood stained the pure white snow as the two halves of the monster fell to the ground, this time sinking into the snow.

Combat has ended!

Paki found the creature somewhat disturbing. Was it a man? Was it a beast? Everything about its actions and appearance seemed incredibly unnatural. But as it was cleaved in half and the hideous odor filled the air, the creature's nature was truly the last thing on the Kkala's mind. "Hey! Fe-far...eh...Old lady! That was truly impressive!" Despite his obvious inability to remember Ferrah's name, Paki grinned widely at her. "Could you teach me how to do that?!"

Lena Rose, who seemed quite shocked and terrified from the whole thing that had just unfolded, grabbed onto the banister of the nearby cart to keep from passing out on the snow. Apparently so much as seeing the creature had made quite an effect on her, the pungent smell from the thing's blood, now blackening the snow like tendrils of ink, was sickening. "What..." she managed to let out in a little squeak, barely more than mouthing the words. "What was that thing?..." she said, trying her best to rationalize what she had just seen. Just like before, she clutched something she had under her dress, hanging from her neck by a small gold chain. "Was it.. Was it a robber?" she said, sounding like she didn't believe that explanation herself.

Flicking her blade to dispel the disgusting blood away, Ferrah turned to Paki. "With your muscles, a blow like that wouldn't be too hard for you," she said before covering her mouth and nose with her sleeve. "Whatever that was," she said to Lena, "it was mortal." She motioned to the forward carriages. "We should move on. And beware - there may be more of these creatures about."

Daiyu nodded and straightened her clothing. She was managed to keep her features calm, not revealing the nausea that boiled in her stomach. Ferrah had dispatched the creature with the first blow and her cool eyes seemed drawn to the body in the snow, morbid curiosity and mild distaste coloring her expression.

"Perhaps, but I've never used a weapon..." Paki admitted. His grin evaporated and his nose crinkled as the smell hit him full force. "Ack! So what do we do, now? I guess we've been making a considerable amount of noise... Do you think more of those things are in the train?"

Just as Paki finished speaking, the familiar and loud echo of a gunshot could be heard coming from the front of the train.

Straightening at the sound of gunfire, Ferrah started pushing forwards through the snow - she needed to help anyone in danger, and the thought of felling more of the pale creatures made her grin on grim delight. "This way," she called to the others. "The fight is not over!" She held her falx at the ready and squinted, trying to spot any more like the thing she'd killed (Notice).

Sword in hand, Ferrah moved towards the front of the train!

Daiyu followed Farrah towards the train. Her heart was humming in her chest, excitement and fear a constant thrum in her throat. Hopefully there were more people there!

Shortly after Ferrah, Daiyu made her way towards the front of the train!

"Ah! Come along, Miss!" Paki told Lena Rose before racing after Daiyu and Ferrah. If there was trouble up front, he wanted to be there to help.

With a nod, Lena Rose followed meekly after Paki, struggling with the snow but managing to get across it.

<img300*0:https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11358122/Winter%20of%20Wolves/WoWmap2.jpg>

Combat!

Unfortunately for Dakai, he had been spotted way before he could hide under the train. Almost at once, the group saw two of their assailants step out of the forest. They were clearly human, or human-like. in the distance they looked like men with thing, impossibly pale skin. Thin and emanciated, with dark shadows under their eyes and wild manes of black hair. One of the men, emerging from the trees to the left of the train, carried a bow and wore nothing more than a ragged pair of pants, somehow not freezing on the spot. The other one had a scimitar, a curved majai blade, and wore what seemed to be an extremely archaic leather armor, covered in some cultural motif. This one came out of the woods on the opposite side, close to where Dakai was hiding. Staring at them for too long had a curious effect on the group, no matter how experienced they were. It was like looking into a void, or directly down into a great precipice. To make matters worse, the most unsettling thing of all, the two men seemed to be easily standing atop two feet of snow, leaving not a mark nor a foot print, or even sinking into it.

Turns are as following:
1. Zahrah (Endurance: 3/3, Stamina: 3/3)
2. Ferrah(Endurance: 7/7, Stamina: 8/9)
3. Tetra (Endurance: 4/4, Stamina: 3/3)
4. Daiyu (Endurance: 3/3, Stamina: 3/3)
4. Thaddeus (Endurance: 4/4, Stamina: 4/4)
5. Rill (Endurance: 9/9, Stamina: 9/10)
6. Unknown 3
7. Unknown 4
8. Dakai (Endurance: 5/8, Stamina: 8/8. Injured!)
9. Paki (Endurance: 9/9, Stamina: 9/10)
10. Lena Rose
11. Unknown 1
12. Unknown 2.

Zahrah's turn!

Zahrah let out the smallest frightened squeak as the figure she had been watching emerged from the trees. She didn't really have anything to fight with, so she dropped quickly to the floor, scooting close to the wall in an attempt to hide. She wasn't a fighter. Using every bit of dexterity she had, she crept close to a window, wanting to see, but not wanting to be out there in the middle of this. (sneak)

Tetra's turn!

Run. Run. Run. That's all Tetra could hear from her pet and closest friend. And run she wanted to, but there was no way she could survive outside in that cold. The girl knew she could probably outrun whatever was out there, but she'd freeze to death before she could escape. Hugging Ulysses close to her chest, Tetra looked around frantically as a creepy silence fell over the train. Her breaths were heavy and she could hear her heart pounding in her chest - she had to get away. The teen looked up, staring at the rafters in the roof of the train for a split second before making her decision. Sending Ulysses up with a push of her hands, Tetra stood, grabbing the back of the train seat in front of her and attempting to quietly scale her way to the upper interior of the cart without being noticed. (Climb)(Sneak)

Rather effortlessly, Tetra jumped up onto the back of one of the benches on the train and then onto the space for luggage between the rafter above and the top of the train, trying to hid out there as quietly as she could.

Thaddeus' turn! -

With a sudden understanding of what it was he might be spying in the line of woods, Thaddeus exhaled a hot, shuddering breath, and it steamed out of his open mouth in vaporous curls. In the sparse moonlight, his gaunt face was a mask of growing dismay, and, following Zahrah and Tetra's leads, he retreated several steps back into the presumed safety of the car, slowly and carefully, hoping that he wouldn't draw undue attention to himself (sneak, blend in). He was unarmed and unable to even call for help, stuck in the middle of nowhere with a trainload of strangers-- what else could he do?

Rill's Turn! -

Rill did not like looking at the strange creatures for the feelings they caused in him. He would have liked to hide and be safe, but that was barely an option since the creatures wouldn't go away if he did that. Once he saw them, he took an arrow and shot at whichever was closer to Dakai, trying to surprise it from his hiding spot. (Attack)
"Does anyone else even have a weapon?!" he barked somewhat quietly after the shot.

Quickly nocking an arrow, Rill aimed at the creature that seemed covered in ancient, rotting leather armor which stood to the right of the train, the same side on which Dakai was hiding. The humanoid had just stepped out of the woods and it was farther away than Rill would've cared for, but he still let the arrow loose. Even considering the increased distance, the arrow zoomed dangerously closed to the thing's shoulder, missing it by a foot or two and striking one of the ghostly white trees behind it.

As if alerted by the arrow flying right past him, the monster turned to Rill, hollow, pitch black holes where its eyes ought to be and let out an unnatural screech as it began to run towards Dakai's hiding spot. Somehow, the monster didn't sink into the snow as it ran, stepping on it as if it was solid ground instead.

On the other side of the train, the other creature pulled out what seemed to be a bow, made from bone, twisted white branches, sinew and other disgusting things. It took a white arrow from some sort of quiver hanging to its side and fired it towards the train, to the spot where Thaddeus was hiding and Zahrah peeked at the window. The arrow went rather off, but still struck the upper corner of the window, shattering it and showering the pair, as well as the two Daguerrian men behind them, with glass. Luckily, no one was cut by the sharp rain.

Dakai's turn! -

The engineer could hear the howls of the creature as it barreled toward his spot. He was the only one around so it had to be coming after him, his hiding spot was useless. Dakai dropped down and rolled out to his feet next to the train. This thing was odd, as if it was a creature who had been rotting for some time before decided to get up and venture after the train. It didn't seem to be friendly and sure didn't want to talk, he had no choice but to engage the thing. "It's armed, I can't go head on with it without a weapon." he thought as quickly as he could, he didn't know how strong it was so taking it fist to fist would be foolish. He stood his ground, back up against the train, deciding to deal with it the same way he did with brutes in the slums. He waited for the creature to charge up to him, planning to jump (jump) out of the way at the last second and throw a (smashing blow) at its jaw as he did, hoping it would smash into the train due to its momentum after it was stunned.

Coming out from under the train, Dakai faced the music, so to speak, and prepared for the incoming attack of the creature currently rushing towards him.

In the meantime, the two Daguerrian men on the cart where the others had taken shelter seemed to be losing it. The tall man had pulled a set of metal knuckles and the short one aimed his handgun out of the shattered window, "You damned beast!" he yelled out, firing the gun and hitting nothing but the snow several dozen feet, "Blazing thing!" he then added, trying to fish for some extra bullets inside his jacket pocket.

"Who fired that gun? Get over here!" shouted Rill.

Zahrah's turn! -

Zahrah ducked her head as the window smashed around her. She didn't wait too long before she was moving again, trying to stay silent and keep her head down as she half crawled, half rolled towards the back of the car, away from the crazy people shooting the gun. (tumble/sneak) Only when she was near the opposite end of the cart did she push herself into a corner, low enough not to be seen out the window.

Zahrah somehow managed to make her way to the opposite end of the cart in order to hide in a corner. Luckily for the young woman, her natural grace helped her keep away from the hundreds of dangerous shards of broken glass littering the floor of the cart. The cold, however, was something else entirely, as now that the window was broken the winter seemed to have come into the previously warm cart with a fury.

Suddenly, from the window at the back of the cart Zahrah noticed a woman making her way towards them through the snow. She carried in her hands a massive blade as she struggled to advance through the cold.

Ferrah's turn! -

With a wild whoop, Ferrah ran towards the creature on her side of the train, it being the only obvious enemy she could see - the humans could also be foes, but 'deal with what you know first' was her focus. The creature was some distance away, but she moved as fast as she could towards it.

Ferrah waded thorugh the snow, sword in hand as she rushed towards Dakai and the creature next to him, as she got closer she saw the monster more clearly. It was just like the one she had killed, only this one was armored and looked bulkier and stronger. Next to it was a young Daguerrian, unarmed and seemingly outmatched!

Tetra's turn!

Tetra was too high up in the train cart to be able to see what was going on, so when she heard gunshots suddenly firing, she jumped, scrambling back against the wall. "Dammit," she cursed as she regained her composure, trying to duck her head to see who was shooting so recklessly. The street rat climbed into a position where she could more safely look down, and upon seeing one of the Daguerrian men digging for bullet in his pocket, she hissed at him, "Hey, egghead, leave the shootin' to someone who can aim, lest you go 'n' get us killed!" She knew if the man kept firing, the things outside - the wolves - would notice them all huddled in the cart and come after them next.

Still flustered, looking angry and scared, the short, fat man turned to Tetra with fire in his eyes and simply yelled back "I can god damn shoot you filthy brat! Bet you'd be real happy if I gave my gun away to someone in the middle of this damn situation!". with his partner close to flying off the handles, the thin, tall man turned to Zahrah and Thaddeus, hiding out in the cart with them, "We're agents of law under the direct command of the Royal School of Engineers!" he let out, his chest almost puffing up at the mention of that. "Our lives are worth more than this train! Go out there and protect us!"

Tetra grit her teeth together, a low growl coming from her throat and the annoyance this man so graciously provided her with. "Go sit on a dagger, ya half-witted cock," she spat back, sitting up straighter on the rafters, not giving a damn whether or not the two were from the Royal Academy or whatnot. Fuming, she edged over to the side of the train, hugging the inner walls, and began crawling stealthily closer to the front cabin door. From there, she couldn't see the creatures outside, as the cart in front was blocking her view, but the girl figured she didn't want to see them, from the descriptions she had gathered from Ulysses. "Dammit," she swore under her breath, letting out a deep a nervous breath. Glancing back down at the morons who seemed determined to get everyone killed, Tetra decided she would rather try to do something than sit around and wait for her death. Deftly, Tetra moved forward towards the door. She reached a gloved hand out, grabbing for anything should could hold onto on the outside of the train, then gripping a faster, swung her legs through the opening and outside. Swiftly she tried to climb to the top of the train. (Climb)

"You damned guttersnipe!", the fat man screamed back as Tetra managed to to climb out onto the cold. Luckily fro the girl, she was used to being cold and her heavy clothes shielded her from the brunt of it. From atop the roof of the cart, she could see the two creatures that had flanked the group, one of which seemed to be about to have Dakai for dinner.

Daiyu's turn! -

Daiyu realized in dismay that she had walked herself right back into danger and it looked like Ferrah was still the best chance of survival. She was far from confrontational and she ducked close to the train, trying to remain unseen by hiding between the carts.

Thaddeus' turn! -

There was way too much happening in such short succession, so Thaddeus didn't understand or process everything right away, especially since when the creature from the wood's arrow shattered the window where he was standing, he ducked down into as tight a ball as the space between the seats and the front wall of the train car would allow. He protectively clutched his satchel of possessions to his chest as he cowered under the shower of broken glass. Next, there was a gunshot, and when Thad was brave enough to look up, he realized that one of the two pompous government officials had taken the initiative to fire out into the snowy night. The yelling commenced; Tetra at the men and vice versa, then the gun-wielding Daguerrian at he and Zahrah. Perhaps it was safer outside despite the unknown entities coming from the treeline since the two gentlemen appeared to be coming unhinged. Easing his lanky frame up into a half-standing position, the engineer slid himself backwards toward the open door and the train coupling; he crept outside, onto the same side of the train where Rill stood.

Rill's turn! -

Rill was first terrified to see even more combatants join the fight, but his mind eased when he saw that the two new people were humans, probably passengers from the other carts. "Who has a gun? Come here, now!" he called again and took out another arrow. Having done that, he let it loose at the creature threatening Dakai. (Attack) He was also painfully aware that another thing sought to attack them on the other side, but he thought he shouldn't try to shoot both of them at once.

His experience fighting the few wild animals out in the winter gave Rill an edge when it came to surviving combat, focusing first on taking out the creature attacking he notched an arrow and let it loose at the monster. Unfortunately for him, the thing was farther than ideal and the arrow simply zoomed a couple of feet over the monster's head.

In the meantime, the bow equipped creature on the other side of the train noticed Tetra, deftly climbing up on top of the roof of the cart. The young woman's silhouette was clearly outline against the moonlight and made her an enticing target for the beast. With a screech, it notched an arrow but it did not fire yet. Instead, the creature moved forward atop the snow, trying to find a better angle for the shot.

The armored monster attacking Dakai, on the other hand, went straight for the kill. Lifting what seemed to be an ancient scimitar, covered in age old blood stains, it lunged forward in the middle of its charge and struck the man squarely on the chest. The blade, rusted and damaged, still managed to slice through Dakai's clothes and make a deep gash squarely on his chest. For a second, Dakai felt as if his chest was on fire, followed by warmth and pain spreading out towards his stomach!

Dakai's turn! -

Dakai flinched. He couldn't understand what just happened. He was a good fighter in the slums. He had decent reflexes, but what was this monster? It had completely overpowered him. He looked down at himself in disbelief. Blood seeped through his jacket, the gash had gone straight through. "Wha..." He had never been so afraid in his life. The sheltered life he had as a child hadn't prepared him to look death in the face, even in the lower city he was always a step ahead, but this, this was terrifying. He wanted to live through this nothing more. His hand plunged into his bag and pulled out the biggest wrench he owned. His free hand clutched his chest, the blood seeping through his fingers. He knew someone else was nearby, he tried to scamper to them as he used his wrench to (block). The pain was more than any he had known.

Paki's turn! -

Hearing Ferrah's whoop even over the myriad of sounds and exclamations, Paki began racing towards the creature himself. Did he have a weapon? No. Did he even know if this thing could be killed without a blade? Not really. But the only thing on the Kkala's mind was that the strange being was dangerous, and had to be dealt with.

Paki rushed forward through the snow, trying to get to the creature and the young man it seemed to be attacking. This monster looked different from the one Ferrah dispatched earlier. For one, this one's pale flesh was not exposed, but shielded in an old, blood caked leather armor.

In the meantime, the two Daguerrian men attempted to reload their six shooter among nervous and angry scream. Finally they seemed to get a single bullet in but had no time to fire yet.

Zahrah's turn! -

This was getting out of hand. Pulling out her stiletto in a smooth movement, Zahrah cut behind the two Daguerrian men, using every bit of her lightfootedness to avoid being seen. (Sneak) She wanted to get out the door and away from these crazies. Their shouting was going to get them killed, and good riddance. She slipped out the door, the cold hitting her harder than the others, but she tried to ignore it as she followed after Thaddeus.

Zahrah's natural grace was more at home dancing for a wealthy patron than trying to fight for her life among mongrels and monsters. This time, however, her lightness of foot helped her make her way out of the cart, out of the line of sight of the creature firing arrows at them and away from the two Daguerrian men with the gun. Trying to keep her mind of the freezing cold trying to burn at her feet, she positioned herself next to Thaddeus.

Ferrah's turn! -

"Show me your black blood, demon!" Ferrah growled as she advanced on the creature that was attacking Dakai. She pulled her falx back, and with a sudden spin sent the blade at the creature, hoping to take the head off the hideous atrocity (Strike).

Ferrah rushed towards the monster and, holding her long falx with both hands, brought it down in a spin towards the beast's head. Turning just in time to see her, the creature raised its sword arm to block but the frail scimitar in its hand snapped like a twig beneath Ferrah's heavy blade. The sword continued onto the shoulder of the humanoid and Ferrah could hear the crack of bone as the foul smelling blood sprayed on the white snow beneath. Slicing clean upwards, the falx went through the shoulder and nearly cut the thing's head clean off. Gargling on its own blood in a final, chilling screech, the white warrior fell to the side onto the snow, apparently lifeless.

As if sensing the death of its partner, the monster on the other side of the train suddenly lifted up its head, looking around before letting out another blood curdling screech and making for the trees, soon disappearing in the ashen thicket of dead branches.

Combat has ended! Victory!
All party members receive 10 points of free experience.

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