Pages | Chapter 17 | It's Not All Regels and Rainbows

[marsgemwrites]

 There's a cave and a little lore. I'm not really selling this chapter am I? It's late, okay?
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This chapter is late because I actually have other work to do and it's stressful! Oh and the next few chapters are a little fillery but probably really great because Skereth! Also coolboynbg_1 beta'd because I took ages and Scara fell asleep. So yeah, without and further ado, the chapter! 



Chapter 17. It's Not All Regels and Rainbows

Several days after arriving in Lynsereen Erin, Vechs and Skereth were off running an errand. Chad had decided to spend some of his in Obrary time to do actual work and was interviewing the people of Lynsereen. This meant Erin and Vechs had nothing better to do than tag along on Skereth's errand.

The brak had agreed to help out an elderly Bajor - a brak shaman as far as Erin could gather. She had asked Skereth to get some kind of healing crystal from a cave that was far too far away for the Bajor to walk.

Over the past few days Erin had learned that Skereth no longer lived in Lynsereen, but a city elsewhere in Obrary. She just happened to be visiting her parents when Erin and co showed up. The woman was surprisingly good company, something Erin hadn't expected when they met. She had seemed quite annoying on their first meeting. First impressions weren't always as they seemed, Erin supposed.

There were two things Erin had noticed about the brak during her time in Lynsereen; 1. Everyone had tattoos, even the youngest children - brak tattoos were apparently done with magic. And 2. All the braks were female.

When Erin had asked about this Meria had explained that tattoos represent various things in brak culture, things like family, love, accomplishments and various other things that mean a lot to each individual brak. As for the all female thing that was just how it was. Braks reproduced asexually. Although, Skereth had said, "Doesn't mean we don't like sex, though," with a worryingly suggestive wink.

Erin shook her head and returned to reality, now realising that they were at the mouth of a large cave.

"Right, you both have swords?" Skereth checked.

Erin nodded, "I'm scared to ask why we need them, though."

Skereth shrugged, "it's a cave, I'm not expecting it to be all regels and rainbows." She said before going into the cave.

Erin saw this as a valid point and followed her in, Vechs taking the rear. As well as a sword, Skereth had a torch hanging from her belt. A literal fire torch. She now pulled this from the rope that tied it in place and a match from her pocket. She struck the match on a wall and lit the torch.

The fire gave the cave an eerie, orange light. The shadows were far too dark for Erin to be even slightly comfortable.

"So, what exactly are we looking for?" Vechs asked, looking around  the cave warily.

"Something called "snowflake obsidian" a client of the Bajor's requested it," Skereth explained, "she didn't tell me anything else, but I trust her, so here we are.

They walked for a while, none of them talking, just listening to the sounds of the cave. It was getting colder and colder as they descended. At one point a bat flew past them and Vechs let out a joyful squeal. This was quickly followed by Vechs saying something about being manly.

The further they got the more the atmosphere changed. Erin felt like something was watching her. Like it wasn't just the three of them. Then, when they walked past a dark opening in one of the walls, in her peripheral vision Erin saw two yellow orbs.

"Uh, Skereth,"

"Yes Erin?" Skereth replied, absentmindedly.

"Would two yellow orbs of light possibly be eyes?" Erin asked slowly.

Skereth paused, "Yes… probably…"

Erin glanced behind them, "and if said yellow orbs had started to follow us would the best course of action be to run?"

"Definitely."

"Then we had better start running!" Erin yelled and the three of them burst into action. They sprinted through the cave, Skereth was frantically looking around for something, Erin wasn't sure what.

The sound of the beast's feet hammered on the floor of the cave, echoing around. Erin could hear her heartbeat in her ears, adrenaline pumped through her. Then Skereth seemed to see what she was looking for.

She leaped up at an alcove in the wall and scrambled inside. She then pulled Erin up and next Vechs. Vechs let out a cry of pain as the beast caught his arm on the way up, but he managed to free himself and climb up, too.

"What the hell is that?" Erin asked, she was shaking with fright.

"Fucking ugly," Vechs spat. He was gripping his injured arm, blood seeped through his fingers.

Skereth glared down at the beast, "That is a myatin. They live in caves around here, hence our swords. I hoped we wouldn't encounter one, but here we are. They can't climb, so we're safe," she glanced down at the myatin again, "for now, anyway." Skereth turned her attention to Vechs, "Let me look at it."

Vechs removed his hand to reveal a lot of blood. His shirt was also soaked red. Skereth grabbed the dagger from Vechs' belt and cut off the sleeve of his shirt. She looked at the wound, concerned.

"That is not an expression I like," Vechs said slowly.

Skereth mopped at the wound with the cleaner part of Vechs' sleeve then turned to Erin, "heal him, you're a caster."

Erin looked at her, eyes wide, "I can't heal him! I don't know how to do that!"

"Sure you can, your mum was powerful and even if you're only half as strong as her you're going to be pretty damn strong."

"What if I accidently sever his arm!?"

Vechs went wide eyed, "You know, I'm actually fine, it's just a bit of blood. I'll live." He said hurriedly.

Skereth shook her head, "Myatins have poison in their claws and teeth. If you get that shit in your blood you're going to turn to stone within the next ten minutes."

"Actually, not having an arm wouldn't be the worst thing!" Vechs squeaked.

"Erin, fix him, I'm going to kill the myatin."

"On your own?" Skereth nodded, drawing her sword, "I'm not letting you." Skereth just shrugged and leaped down. Erin shouted her name, but knew she had to focus on Vechs.

She placed her hands over the wound, trying to ignore Vechs' wince. She closed her eyes and attempted to block out the sounds of Skereth fighting the beast. She thought about things being mended. Things connecting and healing.

When Erin opened her eyes the wound was closed. She'd done it. Albeit messily, there was now an ugly scar on Vechs' arm, but she'd done it. She looked down at Skereth fighting the myatin, "Vechs, stay here, I'm helping her."

"Don't die," Vechs said dryly.

"I'll try not to," Erin replied and jumped down next to Skereth.

"Oh hello, did you heal Vechs?" Skereth said coolly as she slashed her sword at the beast.

"Yep," Erin replied. The myatin was covered in a thick, brown pelt. It looked a little like a strange cross between a lion and a buffalo.

"Right, not to worry you, but the only thing that can kill this is water. So do you think you can stab him and turn your sword to water?"

Erin blinked, "Probably, but I just healed a deep gash in Vechs' arm!"

"Give it a go." Skereth grunted with the effort of slashing at the beast.

Erin inhaled and stabbed the myatin deep in his chest then imagined her sword turning to water. Erin's eyes snapped open at the sound of a blood curling scream from the myatin. Steam hissed from where Erin's sword had been. Suddenly the whole thing erupted into steam. Skereth grabbed Erin and pinned her to the wall, shielding her from the steam with her own body.

Erin barely breathed as she waited for the boiling heat to die down.

Once the heat had subsided Skereth looked down at Erin, "Are you okay?" She breathed.

Erin nodded, "Yes, a little squashed, though."

"Oh yeah," Skereth stepped back. The floor, walls and Skereth were soaking wet, but the myatin was gone.

Vechs poked his head out from the alcove, "So, should we continue?"

Skereth laughed, "Alright, come on down."

Comments

[scara]

Skereth had said, "Doesn't mean we don't like sex, though," with a worryingly suggestive wink.

OMG, laughing so hard at this XD

At one point a bat flew past them and Vechs let out a joyful squeal. This was quickly followed by Vechs saying something about being manly.

Vechs: *squees* Fwapa derp! *coughs and mumbles* Men can enjoy cute things too....

"What if I accidently sever his arm!?"
Vechs went wide eyed, "You know, I'm actually fine, it's just a bit of blood. I'll live." He said hurriedly.
Skereth shook her head, "Myatins have poison in their claws and teeth. If you get that shit in your blood you're going to turn to stone within the next ten minutes."
"Actually, not having an arm wouldn't be the worst thing!" Vechs squeaked.

I love this exchange, another favourite moment of the series :D

[(Anonymous)]

I love everything about this chapter. Especially Vechs and all his lines. (::) (::)
-Observing Anon