Into the Cave

((Lololololololol))

While Ma'at straightened his leg and wrapped the bandage, Caz could not help but groan slightly. When it was done, he attempted again to sit up, this time with a bit more success. The wound on his chest oozed dark violet blood as he did, but he only winced with slight pain. He drug his injured leg towards him carefully, positioning it better so he could get at Ma'at's wound. He held his hand out for the gauze, teeth still gritted, and answered with a simple, "Sure." His face was hard and cold as the stone beneath them- this was the Caz that most of the group had not seen. The Caz who was used to battle, used to blood and injury and pain and death and war, the Caz who did what he needed to do and didn't think about the rightness or wrongness of his actions, only about the necessity. This was a Caz built and hardened by the realities of conflict. This was a Caz that Zyria would not like to see, a Caz that was focused on the mission and self-defense. A Caz that would sacrifice everything to achieve the goal.

This was the Caz that he'd tried to bury for so many years. The Caz he'd tried to bury with all of his dead men, dead friends. The Caz that he never wanted to return to the surface. But now that he was there, he wasn't going to go back away quickly.

((Also, dearest Cat. ChatBox on bottom of main page, plz.))

((I know, but it says it's "disconnected" - Bleh!))

Ma'at rolled his shoulder back experimentally and winced. He was sore all over, but apparently fighting a giant mantis-lizard thing with nothing more than your bare hands did that to a person. He stood up gingerly, offering Caz a hand. "We should probably look for a way out. I don't have anything to climb with and I'm assuming you can't fly, so looking around for a tunnel or something seems like the best option right now."

Ma'at glanced down at Caz's face to judge the Kazequi's reaction. It could have just been his lizardy appearance, but Ma'at swore there was something different about Caz. His face was like stone: cold and unforgiving. Ma'at bent down, instinctively putting a hand on Caz's cheek. "Hey," he asked softly, "You okay?"

((Hit the Log In button, it always helps to actually connect to it. xD ))

((Ohey- it worked. Fail :3 ))

Caz, surprisingly, did not react at all to Ma'at's gesture. He did not even pull away. His face stayed cold, his jaw stayed clenched, and his eyes stayed distant. All he did was use an arm to brace himself against the wall, and rise unsteadily to his feet. "I'm fine. Let's get moving." With that, he started dragging himself further into the darkness along the bottom of the chasm, still leaning against the wall for support.

((Oh, also- Robless, can't you respond to Fels?))

((Right...I'll work on it once I finish watching this movie. Might not get to it 'til tomorrow, but I do enjoy having stuff to write. xD ))

(OFC)

I was hoping that you guys would take the situation and build whatever you wanted to from it. I didn't have a particular plan in mind. Since we seem to be done with the creepy blue bug things, let's move on...! =)

(IC)

The next few minutes passed in a confused jumble of images, as if a toddler had taken a couple hundred snapshots of the hot, intense battle.

... Cassus, reloading a heavy pistol, the blades on his wrists smeared with blood...
... Zyria, plunging an over-sized blue sword through the defenses of a stunned Dal'Maroth...
... A soldier, staring at his severed arm, as another swipe of a greenish blade ends his life...
... Emerik, shakily standing from the neuro-toxin, which was never designed to kill, only to paralyze, and ripping another Dal'Maroth to pieces with his newly-retrieved weapons...
... The sight of the ground rushing toward Arch's face, as he lands from a jump...
... A collage of blueish-purple barriers and warp-fields that Archelaus focused on creating throughout the battle...
... The scurrying of the last few Dal'Maroth retreating into the inky-void from whence they came...
... The heavy breaths of battle-scarred warriors...
... A ragged, but rugged cheer that erupts from the lips of the victors like a wave of healing...

The search for the wounded among the dead, the treating of wounds, the slight shed of tears, and the tightening of weaponry, double-checking armor...

The set faces, as the count came in. 9 dead, 5 missing, 12 wounded.

Archelaus climbed the mound of stalagmites he had created during the battle and quickly addressed the party by lighting two flares in his hands, and casting them to the ground on either side of himself.

"Yoshklo ternock, (Friends in Battle) We are missing several of the members of our group... I will not leave them to death in this horrific place, lest they become as the "Nazara" (The Forsaken). We will divide into two groups, one to search the ravine in front of us, and another to scour the area above and beyond it.
Do not venture into the realm of the Green, Waxy Croach. Do not become separated from your team, or we will end up with more missing than we might find. We are their only chance of making it out of here alive... Do not go near apparently dead or wounded Dal'Maroth, as they are probably faking. Any live Dal'Maroth are hiding back in their dens by now..."

Archelaus' eyes gleamed a duller shade of jade... then he looked up to the ceiling, and his eyes sparked with fire.

"Cassus, I suggest you lead the team that goes into the ravine. Pick you men. I will lead the second team to the plain directly opposite of this. We will regroup in three hours, and I will expect you to still be alive at no longer than 6. Meet at the edge of the ravine directly in front of us.
We have people to save... Move out."

The sight of a giant glowing Alterian lured Klyde up the cliff-side within the cave. He staggered up it to a wonderful sight, the woman named Zyria running about while the lizards dropped like rocks to the ground, doing little dances on the floor. Induced seizures? Very clever, but i prefer the blade, dear Princess. He rushed over to a small group of people and began helping them attack for the minutes it took to take down the creatures, Klyde dove his blade into ones heart.

He looked around while small fights still occurred around the glowing flare, which appeared to be dimming a bit. Klyde took out one of his own flares and lit it giving them that much more light. Then his eyes shot open "Oh shit, oh shit where are they, the two people an Alterian and, damn I can't remember what the other one was." I saw them fall off the side, followed but then I got separated as well. Which means they are still out there, I suppose I should tell these others, and now is as good of a time as ever to tell them about how I got here.

Klyde approached the group as a limping man came over as well. After looking him over once Klyde noticed the 5 darts in his back and wondered, Well does he know they are there too? The woman named Zyria spoke of the missing people Klyde remembered and it saved him the effort of speech. Now all he had to do was continue following them he supposed.

[Uh, Klyde? What am I doing? Seizures?!]

Fels Tamired hobbled over to the group again as he drove the last of his bug-like targets off. His foot had been stabbed through by one of the Dal'Maroth, so he drug it behind him but rejoined the group. He approached his commander and tried to get his attention once the Alteriian's speech was finished. "Sir, there's something you need to know. Two of the missing are Commander Drel-Caz and Ma'at D'kole. They fell into the trenches, sir..." And still, the five darts were lodged in Fels' skin, between his armor plates. And still, he didn't seem to notice.

((P-p-p-post please.))

[Ooh, I can!]

Zyria is on the outside of the group, looking for Caz, when she hears the officer, Fels. "What?! NO! Down in the ravine, you said?" Zyria peers down into the darkness. "I'm going down there, with or without Cassus' team." Zyria kneels, and begins checking through her bag, making sure she has enough supplies. Satisfied, she stands again, and looks to the group. "While I will be apart of Cassus' group, and will look for all survivors, I'm going to make Caz the priority. I won't tell Cassus how to lead his team, but I'm guessing he'll be looking for all survivors, because we want to save them all, or as many as we can. Any others wanting to help with Caz and the Alteriian, I suggest they keep me in their sights."

[This is just my slightly indirect way of giving the option for volunteers to speak up for whichever group, unless Robless wants Cassus to specifically choose. Basically, if my post messes anybody up too much, I'll change it. I haven't the slightest idea if anyone's planned anything out for this, so I'm just thinking as I type ]

Ma'at gazed after him momentarily. Caz seemed... almost broken somehow. From what he could tell, this wasn't a good sign. Caz was usually full of initiative and, well energy- but now he was a hollowed out husk of himself. He plodded forward slowly, bracing himself on the cave wall for some sort of support. The Kazequi struggled, slipping halfway down to the floor and remaining there, too tired to move.

Ma'at burst into a quick little jog to catch up, putting Caz's arm over his good shoulder and lifting him up. Maybe we should just stop and rest here... I don't like the look of this place. But, eery or not, this chasm was their only chance for escape. Ma'at nodded to himself for encouragement.

Well, as long as we're stuck together, I might ask him a few questions...

"Hold yourself." Cassus wiped the grease and black scorch marks from his visor to get a closer look. "My God, how are you still living?" Quickly he removed the five poison darts. They were all entirely empty. Two syringes would have been deadly enough, but five should've turned him inside out by now. Discarding the empty doses of poison, Cassus searched for a syringe of potent anti-venom and applied it to Fels.

After about a minute of protest, Cassus finally changed his mind and let Fels join his search group. He couldn't just leave him there and anyways, they would need his memory to help find the other members. Zyria was rushing to leave, eager to see Caz. "Klyde, Emerik, come with us. It would be better if you did, the others are going a farther distance and I don't want you to fatigue yourselves too much. Robless, I trust you will follow the other group? No more questions? Let's go. Drel-Caz and Ma'at are most likely still alive and we have a relative lead on them, so we will make haste, Zyria."

Cassus turned up his high-energy searchlight that he snapped to his modular shoulder pad after the fight; it was only designed for non-combat purposes and could not withstand any decent attack. They stepped off, heading in the general direction that Fels and Klyde last saw the missing survivors.

Fels protested when Cassus tried to apply the antidote- he didn't want to waste their limited supplies on him when he'd already been cured. But there wasn't anything he could say that would explain it to his commander and leaders, so he gave up with relative speed. He thought he might be of use down in the cavern, but... at the same time, he felt the strange need to stay with the rest of the group. He had argued to go down as well, though, and it was a bit too late to argue with his own argument.

((I'll respond with Caz at lunch guise, and so long as the groups meet back up before they find the cure, Fels going down into the chasm should be fine. But he needs to be with the main team just before they reach their goal.))

Caz--the real Caz--would have waited to put his plan in action. He knew he could make it back to safety, and explaining things would not be too hard... he wasn't worried about any sound Ma'at made reaching the group's ears- they were too far down, too far away at the bottom of the chasm... but still, if Caz had been himself he probably would have waited.

But Caz was not himself. Caz was not himself at all.

And so, as Ma'at lifted Caz up, he began the plan... The clear toxic gas leaked from his mouth, or more specifically from glands designed for the task, and began filling the area with its poison. It was a mix of the two gases, actually- the clear gas designed to subdue or knock out, and the dark blue gas designed to kill. The gas that Caz put out was mostly of the first variety, but with a little of the other mixed in- not enough that Ma'at would be able to see it in the pitch darkness, however. Within moments Ma'at began to blink exhaustion from his eyes, and began to sag under both Caz's weight and his own.

It was working.

And then Caz made his strike. He stood upright quickly, slamming his fist into Ma'at's chest, ramming him into the wall. His blow was so fast that it forced the air out of Ma'at's lungs. The Alteriian cried out, then slouched down to the floor, shocked by his sudden action. He formed a blade into his hand, just a small, simple dagger, and knelt down instantly at Ma'at's side, pressing the blade into the man's neck. He drew blood, but only a little at first, not immediately severing the Alteriian's windpipe. His face bore a vicious expression, that of an insane killer, that of someone who had killed countless men and would not think much of just another death.

But Caz--real Caz--hesitated, just slightly. Just enough that he stopped to think before slicing clean through his Neiede's throat. Just enough...

Ma'at was just opening his mouth to speak when Caz attacked. He was thrown bodily against the hard stone wall with a booming crack that made him feel as if his spine had been bruised in a million places. He blinked a few times regain his bearings. What had just-

And then Caz was holding a knife, pressing it to his throat and digging in. Black blood trickled from the cut as Ma'at's eyes grew wide. His face was a pale blue mask, like a small cloud had skipped in front of the sky. He looked up into Caz's eyes. His attacker's face was mad; eyes wide and teeth bared in a feral expression. But he did not slit the Alteriian's throat- not yet. Caz's grip loosened slightly and the sanity began to return to his eyes, but his face still held that vicious expression.

Seeing his chance, Ma'at tore out of his Neide's grip and rolled away along the wall. His wounded shoulder hit the ground several times before he felt he was a sufficient distance away to stand. "Caz!" he screamed, not so much angry as confused. "What in the name of the Naru are you doing? G-get away from me!"

But the cruel, wild gleam returned to Caz's eye in less than an instant. He was on his feet in a second, hurtling towards Ma'at again, silently cursing himself for not getting it done with and just ending it there. He barreled into the Alteriian, putting extreme force behind the motion, enough to make the huge man stumble. Then Caz took what advantages he had. He grabbed Ma'at's arm and twisted it up behind his Neiede's back, straining the shoulder wound and making it ooze more black blood. He heard Ma'at's breath catch as he winced and gritted his teeth against the pain, and in the short moment between actions Caz again pressed the knife to his opponent's throat, the Alteriian in a position that was almost completely vulnerable and locked in, with no plain escape.

He slammed his foot into the back to Ma'at's knees, toppling him to the ground, held almost in a kneeling state that was even more easily held by Caz. As soon as he had, he half-whispered half-growled six words into Ma'at's ear.

"I'm getting rid of the problem."



((ENTER ZYRIA))

((Ahem, enter Zyria? :3 ))

[Hey peoples, I had a concert tonight, I haven't been able to get on until, well, NOW. I can try posting looking around, but finding y'all immediately would seem too easy. Let me post one of her searching, then Robless post one, maybe of losing sight of Zyria, then we'll meet up. JUST BE SLIGHTLY PATIENT. Besides, Cat can work on her centipede people while you're waiting :3 ]

It's dark. Excruciatingly dark. Darker than it was on the ground level of the cave, somehow. Zyria keeps a tight grip on her sword, the blue liquid lighting her way. The others are further behind, spending more time looking for injured/unconscious comrades. Zyria knows she won't have to look that thoroughly, though, not even considering the Alteriian's size. It doesn't take this to take Caz down. Not a mere fall. Although, he was pretty out of sorts when he entered. Ever since he was taken, Caz has been out of it....

Zyria tries to stay focused, and continues looking, getting further and further away from the group. I know I can find Caz, I know it. I just need to find the right path.....

((Fuff. That means I have to wait for all y'all... well I'll be on later tonight once I make it to my dad's place, I'll be on pretty late since I'm not doing anything tonight.))

Cassus checked to make sure the team stayed together and continued their passive search. "Stay with your search partner, keep comms open, and rendezvous here in five minutes." He had already promised Zyria to help her find Drel-Caz, so he took off for the ravine, searchlight sweeping the walls and lighting his way through the dark, craggy path.

Zyria must have been far away, as the five minutes to meeting up passed quickly, still with no sign of the princess. Cassus checked in via radio and told the others to patrol again, and then resumed following Zyria's probably path. Something clattered on the floor. The powerful search beam glinted off metal. On the ground laid a knife and a dead Dal'Maroth. Signs of struggle were obvious. Running his gloved fingers on the ground, a viscous, dark fluid had dried to the dirt. Sensors told him it was Alteriian blood. Must have been Ma'at, Cassus thought. Damn, things are worse than I thought...

He picked up the pace and ran forward, attempting to follow the path of blood and disturbed sand in a mad rush to find Zyria, Caz, and the Alteriian. Carbine ready, he scanned the area around him for threats while moving quickly. Where are they? These were his people he was responsible for. Good squad leaders always kept track of their team, and he didn't make it to his position on that sort of bad merit. C'mon, c'mon...

(Adds suspense and mystery. )