1 Cat, 2 Cat, Black Cat, Dead Cat (Open)

[Aegis]

Saun 12, 718

The suns were high over Scalvoris, even at the eighth break of the trial it was blindingly bright, and already oppressively hot. A pair of Land Troops patrolled through Scalvoris Town, already annoyed at the suns. They became even more annoyed when they came around a corner, and saw debris in the road, with the front of a building crumbled. They immediately drew their weapons and rushed over, still on edge after Caz and others had been murdered. And the murderer had never been found, was this another victim?

Arriving at the small building the first thing found was the sign. A Black Cat, made by the local blacksmith, that served as the sign for the Black Cat Mercenaries Recruitment Office. It was twisted and broken. The entire front wall of the building had fallen away, revealing the interior of both floors. Filipa, looked in, her scimitar ready and heard a soft mrow. But it was still dark inside the shadow of the building, dust was just barely settling. They'd just missed what had happened by bits.

"Blow it, one burst."

Maelick brought the former ram's horn to his list and blasted a single boom. This signaled to local land troops to bring back up if able, but that it was not an emergency. Filipa, a short redheaded woman with a normally cheery smile, started to climb over the rubble, while Maelick, her Lotharro partner, tall, dark, and scowling, stayed back, to both relay the situation to new land troops arriving, as well as keep onlookers out. There was the joke in the elements that for every horn blown, you get one soldier and twelve civilians, and not an ounce of help.

"Or! Lookit art dat boryo! Dem pussy carts done gort demserlves knickered."

A human man stepped out of the nearby inn, pointing at the mess caused and talking to his friend behind him. His friend was a large Paltharnum Ithecal. Both were wearing their weapons openly, with no peace ties or cares. The Ithecal was holding a stick with two roast chickens on it, taking massive bites from it as they wandered over. The human man had a smug look on his face as they approached Maelick, "Glard it 'arpened tar dem. Burnch urf furkin' corwards. Blarck carts." He spat on the ground after saying their names, and the Ithecal laughed, only to momentarily choke on his chicken. He swallowed it down.

"Some 'mercenaries' eh? Can't even protect their own building."

The pair both laughed, and Maelick glared at them both. "Don't you fools got nothing better to do?"

"Nar."

"No."

They continued to laugh, and the Lotharro soldier rolled his eyes, going to talk to some more onlookers that had arrived. Anytime someone tried to get too close to the half crumbled building, the soldier hollered at them. And each time he did, the pair of men just continued to be obnoxious in their laughter. It seemed the soldier was on edge, waiting for backup to arrive, and for his partner to come out of the darkness of the building. It had been a rough arc so far, and there was still plenty of time left to go.

!	Message from: Aegis
	Hello Scalvywags! Here's a shiny new open thread for the first Three (3) people to post in it. By posting in here, you agree to a 1 post per week minimum. Outside of it, anything can happen. No need to abide by post order between my posts, and you can post as much as you'd like between them (though maybe ensure that it makes sense yeah?). I look forward to having fun with this one

[Mute]

Likes eyes the pair of suns were overhead. Glaring down at the backs of working me, daring them to make a mistake, urging them to break beneath their gaze. Heat was no good for any man, but least of all for men with ill-intent on their minds and hearts. The heat made bad men do bad things. His home, Almund, was like a rotten fruit in that regard. Overripe. Ready to burst. While not as obvious, Scalvoris Town had its fair share of disease in the bushel too if one knew where to look. I hoped to spot a bit of it while I was here; wasn't often I made. From the shade, of course, beneath the roof that extended overhead. I certainly didn't want the eyes above to see what I was up to.

A horn broke through the din of the crowd that passed my nook, bouncing off the stone and wood of the nearby buildings. It sounded close. I was still getting used to the sound. Almund hadn't known official policing prior to the Pirate Lords' departure and what cries for help you would hear in those days were more desperate, more pain-stricken. The biggest difference, of course, is you never headed in the direction of the screams back then. Now, a whole crowd surged in the direction of the blast, drawn closer by curiosity. Fear didn't stand in the pursuit of knowledge in Scalvoris Town, apparently. It suited me. I fell in with the crowd, hovering near the back and using my height to my advantage. I was able to see the entire scene outside the Black Cats' Office without any difficulty.

A single Element patrolmen stood outside the wrecked entryway to the building interviewing onlookers. He was forced on several occasions to shout the more bold members of the mob to stay away from the building. He seemed stressed. His worry was no doubt acerbated by the pair laughing at the front of the crowd. A man and an Ithecal with weapons untied and visible to all. The crowd gave them a wide berth even if the Element was not alarmed by their presence. Thus, neither was I. I was, however, intrigued. Both by the vandalism of the building and by the two men and their two roasted chickens. I edged closer in the hopes of hearing future developments.

For the moment, I even forgot about the heat and the eyes who watched above.

[Ciara Quinn]

Wine helped. The heat coaxed rivulets of sweat down her and her back, the light cotton shirt she wore doing little more than to wick what moisture it could before it too became saturated. Ciara hoisted the jug of sweetberry wine up to her mouth and tipped it up, toasting to being one chug closer to passing out and getting some uninterrupted rest. Impractical? Maybe. But it was at least repeatable.

She wiped her mouth with her free hand and surveyed the street before her until whatever truth it was that she was looking for saw fit to make itself known. Maybe she'd spot a prime napping spot! Maybe she'd gaze upon a merchant with some fresh fruit. Or maybe she--The horn drowned out the rest of her thoughts. Loud, boom, penetrating, the single blast of the ram's horn seemed to catch some resonant tone with the alleyway. And apparently her head. After the rattle had subsided, the bustle in the street had been replaced with a grimey mixture of curiosity and disdain; what dared bug them on such a hot day?

Down the street, one land troop then two crossed heading somewhere off to her left. They were headed towards the Black Cat offices--a place she knew well from her own misadventures in search of the stray coin--with a 'casual haste' suggesting their presence was demanded but no lives hung in the balance. An oddity for sure although it might happen from Trial to Trial when manpower ran thin.

Jug still at her side, she twisted her belt until her short sword was in something that resembled drawing position. In no hurry to need to use the iron at her side, Ciara couldn't help but cynically bear in mind that where military men seemed to congregate, the odds of swords needing to be drawn often ironically went up before it reached a comfortable enough number to ensure the odds would go down.

Her grip loose and free, threatening to let the jug of precious wine slip right out of her fingers and shattered on the street beneath her, she rounded a corner and came into full view of the chaos before her. The crowd was small, at least so far, but it grew by the minute. She was far from the first curious set of eyes to peek in and she would doubtlessly not be the last. A big fat Ithecal, who was not about to let his chowing down be interrupted my any minor emergency, stood out both figuratively and literally from those who were assembling. So much so that the little lass noticed him before she noticed the wreckage and debris from whatever struck the Black Cat Recruitment Offices. Or burst out from inside. Wouldn't be the first time a troop of mercs shorted someone that finally had enough of their share come back to them in too small a portion. Just, well...it usually ended with choice words. Not explosions.

Usually.

[Amaris]

Amaris Nyme

Was there someting particularly interesting about Scalvoris that drew explosions? It was something the mixed blood had to wonder as they approached the scene. The crumbled building and the gathering onlookers; would they be suspicious of more cult activity like he? He was very quite...done with explosions and cults and violence and murders. The two jeering men seemed pleased with the development of the building - though one had an accent that added an "r" sound of sorts to his words and made him sound almost comical. Amaris had heard a number of dialects and accents in Scalvoris Town with the influx of visitors, but this was one they weren't all too familiar with.

Regardless of that, this was now the scene of a crime and civilians were getting too close - potentially close to hindering whatever investigation might begin. He considered herding people off to one side, but doubted thhey would have much weight in a situation like this. The riot of Ashan came to mind and the idea was discarded. No; perhaps it would be best to wait and watch the situation. The elements would handle whatever this was. And maybe this would garner more public support of them and people would be willing to assist as needed.

With this in mind, he stood back, brushing hair from his face and adjusting his domain bag. He had his med kit and weapon if need be, oh, you'll need it. Amaris swallowed, but kept his eyes trained ahead of him.

[Aegis]

Date

As the crowd continued to grow, there was a shout from inside the fallen structure, "Maelick, get them away!" Those with keen eyes would see the short, red-headed woman sprinting out of the darkness, scimitar in hand. Just as she stepped into the sunlight fully, a jagged, bright blue beam shot from the darkness. The beam struck the Element in the back, and the blue enveloped her entire body, freezing her in place. Then she began to shrink and shrink, frozen in the beam. Down and down she shrank until the blue glow subsided, and a tawny red cat was in her place. With a soft mrow, the Element-now-turned-cat darted out through the crowd, racing between legs, and disappearing down the alley behind them.

Three more beams shot out of the darkness all at once.

One whizzed past Mute's left ear, striking a woman behind him directly in the face. She became a blonde colored cat, who stayed frozen in place, scooching closer to Mute's leg, as if to hide from further assault. The second beam struck the cobbled stone right in front of Amaris, and sent a violent spray of stone shards up into his face and upon his person. The third and final beam struck Ciara square in the chest. It was not a normal feeling, for anyone. There was no movement possible, nor was there any pain. In two trills, Ciara was a bright red cat, the same color as Ciara's own hair. Any belongings on her person seemed to be disappeared.

Two more cats streaked out of the building. One ran down the street the Elements had originally patrolled along, while another, leapt its way up the wall of the nearby house, and disappeared over the wooden roof. Maelick didn't hesitate despite what he'd just seen happen. "Everyone get back, get away from the building! And grab those cats! We can't lose them!" He fumbled at the horn on his belt, and it dropped from unsteady hands, hit the stone, and cracked. Until reinforcements arrived or another patrol, if they ever did, they were on their own. And he couldn't leave this situation to go get more, far too dangerous to the public.

Of the pair of men that had been laughing, the human man was now literally on the ground clutching his stomach, laughing so hard it seemed as if he might pass out for lack of breath. The Ithecal finished off his chicken, and slightly turned his head toward Mute's direction, behind him. "If you wanna be a spy, you need to be lighter of breath and foot. Come closer and you'll lose an arm, if you're lucky."

Maelick looked through the crowd as he tried to edge them back, the two men refusing to budge, when he laid eyes on Amaris. "Councilor! Do ya have your horn? We need reinforcements, and to round up these cats! We need more help!"

!

Message from: Aegis

Alright I'm going to allow each of you to ask some questions of me concerning this. I may or may not give the answer based on plot. I do ask if you do receive answers, that you use the information given in your own post. There is no post order. If all 3 of you have posted at least once, you may post more among yourselves. I will post again in a week. Amaris - 2 Questions Mute - 2 Questions Ciara - 5 Questions

[Mute]

"Silence Reigns . . ."

The shouted command from within the Recruitment Office pierced through the din of the growing crowd. An order to disperse the onlookers. I noticed a shadow growing as it drew closer to the doorway, a naked blade drawn. I could barely make out the uniform that marked her as another Land Element trooper before a jagged blue light shot from the darkness, enveloping the woman. We were both frozen, I in shock and she in this unknown force, and I could only watch as the soldier was transformed into a cat. I watched with muted confusion as the feline dashed between the legs of the mob and disappeared down a side alley.

Three more bolts fired into the crowd. One very nearly struck me in the head, just flying by me on the left side and striking a woman who had been standing close to me. She too suffered a similar transformation. She pressed her now quadrupedal body against my shin, but I made no move to comfort or protect her, even when the Element soldier shouted for the cats to be grabbed. I noted three other cats besides the one nestling beside me, one that had been another member of the mob just moments prior and two that had darted out of office building. It seems it was the animals, not the men, that had the right idea. I needed to get out of harm's way.

Amidst the confusion, two men seemed unfazed. And one had picked me out of the crowd. The Ithecal glanced my way over his shoulder and named me a spy. A bad one at that. A warning followed to not come any closer, for the sake of my appendages. I had no desire to part with them this trial, so I made no move towards the two men. I didn't need to. They were close enough for me to observe their Tangles. I noted two emotions dominating the forefront, a rich blue that represented smugness and a vibrant green that stood for satisfaction. Odd emotions to have while standing in the middle of the chaos that had unfolded just now. Unless if they had something to do with the attacks or, at the very least, knew more about it than anyone else in the crowd. Between the Ithecal's calm and the human's mirth, I was inclined to believe that to be true. I was in no position, however, to act on my suspicions. I carried no weapons on me and doubted I could overwhelmed two armed men with my hands alone.

The beams were more pressing than the men at the moment. Though the sample space was small, it appeared to me that the bolts struck the areas visible from the doorway. The fringes of the crowd, as well as the buildings immediately to the left and right of the office, appeared to be safe from any further attacks. At least until the assailant exited the building. Thus, shoving the blonde cat aside at my side with my other foot, I moved away from the open doorway of the office, edging closer to the building on its left while keeping the same distance from the Ithecal and his companion, lest they think my movement hostile. The Element soldier stayed amidst the crowd, questioning an individual who he called Councilor. I waited, watching to observe any further developments in the situation.

[Ciara Quinn]

A strange sensation ebbed and flowed through her with an eerie and electric touch; the hairs on her arms and on the back of her neck stood on end as something, some sort of energy, stirred inside the mercenary company's blown-out building. Part of her, some unquantifiable sense, felt what was gathering in the ether before any more mundane part of her knew what hit it. Three quick flitters through the air and the rest of her caught on to the scheme as well.

Her eyes wide as her perspective changed, the world got bigger! In an instant, a moment barely longer than a trill, she suddenly found herself looking up from the rubble-strewn street with her latest breath still held tight in her chest.

She saw the first bolt hit someone not so very far in front of her. The second bolt being much less well aimed (or much less lucky, depending) carried off somewhere she did not see or connected with someone she could not single out. The others in the crowd...they were so big now. Huge. Gigantic! What was going on?

As the sensation faded and flowed out from her torso and into her limbs and out of her body through her fingers, Ciara's eyes darted around wide and alert; adrenal response to maximum as something deep, something primal, inside of her yearned to warn her for her safety.

Looking inside of herself trying to find that practice fight or flight response that had carried her through nearly a dozen years as a mercenary in her own right, she latched on to the first action that made any amount of sense at all to her racing mind: scramble for cover and reassess.

That tight breath that had made its home lodged in her chest finally had to come out as the young woman screamed out for everyone to get to cover. Well...she wanted to scream that out. If her little vocal chords would have been capable.

With a throaty rumble the words twisted and tripped. The small, bright red cat cut through the commotion with her battlecry. "MRRREEEOOOOOOOWWWW!!!"

'What? What the hell was that? Did that just come from me?'

[Amaris]

Amaris Nyme

He was only a trill slow in the response to protect his face, bits of stone battering his skin. He winced, but it was not much more than that. Amaris' attentions were instead on something else. Like the cats running about, three of whom he was sure had just been people. The beams of light were, for the moment, forgotten as someone was soon calling for him.

Looking down, the element before the mixed blood was urging him to call for reinforcements with his horn. Horn. He squinted, trying to recall if he did have such a thing. Did he use it so little that he had forgotten about it, or had he simply never been given one? Both were plausible, and swallowing, he debated searching through his domain bag. Amaris decided it would always be safe to check, and rifled through his bag with furrowed brows.

"I don't have it." He sighed, shoulders slumping for a moment. "I can, however, help with getting a handle on these cats. I have a few of my own; I might have a few tricks up my sleeve."

[Aegis]

Date

Maelick scoffed. Of course the Councilor wasn't prepared. They were technically considered part of the military and afforded the luxuries of that, but clearly only a select few took it seriously. He'd heard this councilor had chosen to not vote against the abolishing of slaver. A coward. Completely useless and worthless in her position. "Yeah, deal with the cats." He knew there was no help coming, and clearly no help available here.

The soldier entered the darkness of the half collapsed building, and much of the crowd had dispersed, hid, much like Mute had done. The first cat that had exited the building, the cat that was formerly an Element stalked up next to Mute, and looked on with an intelligent gaze, as though after the initial fear of the change, she'd regained her composure. Her tail flicked against Mute's leg, and suddenly an open connection of thoughts burst forth. At first Mute could only hear what she was thinking.

"That idiot! Going in alone like that! He's going to get himself in this damned position I'm in!"

She streaked out from the hiding place, "Always gotta save his stupid face." But at Mute's first thoughts, she stopped cold, hair on end, back arched and on toes as only a startled cat can do. "Who was that? Who is in my head?" She looked around, trying to find the source of the thoughts, but had no way of doing so. "Whoever you are, talk! Come with me into battle! We need help!"

Meanwhile, Ciara-cat would have the strangest desire within her, one that was clearly foreign and not of her own mind. It was the desire to touch a person. And the longer it was resisted, the stronger it would grow. But should she give into the desire, she'd find a mental link with them established. Additionally, she'd find herself able to "reach out" with her consciousness to the other people-turned-cats, to hear everything that Filipa-cat was thinking, as well as the cat that Mute had left shaking in fear, still sitting where she'd been transformed.

The laughing man and his Ithecal friend finally composed themselves, and began to walk off down the road, no longer entertained by this. As they talked, a lucky gust of wind carried a snippet of conversation to Mute, "...thart wernt sor murch bertter tharn erxpecterd." The pair laughed and laughed, and slowly disappeared.

Just as they'd gone, three more beams shot out of the darkness. None managed to find any targets, striking ground, a shop front, and some of the rubble. Much of the crowd had backed way out of range, and now shuffled nervously further. Ciara could see Maelick inside the darkness, hiding behind a desk, occasionally peering deeper into the obscured darkness. She could hear a slight sound, the softest of a thud, followed by light metallic tinks, from within the darkness. But for now, nothing more happened.

!	Message from: Aegis
	3 questions each. 1 week til I post again. No post order, and you may post as much as you'd like during this time.

[Mute]

"Silence Reigns . . ."

A second cat moved beside me in the shade of the building adjacent to the recruitment office. Did I look like a scratching post or something? Glancing down at the feline, I recognized it as the once-soldier that had been struck by the bolt as she ran out of the building. Unlike the woman from the crowd who cowered against him, the warrior cat had seemed to have overcome her shock. She ignored me for the moment, staring at the building where her comrade had disappeared into, and if not for an accidental brush of her tail against my leg I doubt she would have noticed me at all. Then thoughts began to flood into my head in a voice not my own. A female's voice.

The cat had already bolted from the hiding spot when I made the shocked recognition. 'Element?' I thought in half-disbelief, half-curiosity. The feline stopped in her tracks, frozen in the pose only a startled cat could make. She asked for my identity; it seemed whatever mental connection we shared had not been intentional on her part either. I couldn't quite fathom why it was happening at all. 'The black-haired man. Behind you, in the shadows.' The rush of conflict had seized the cat and she didn't question further. The soldier's loyalty drew her back into that building and she beckoned me to follow and help them both.

'But I'm not a soldier,' I thought. No answer. Neither from the cat nor from my moral compass. I hadn't followed the sound of the horn to assist, only to observe. Yet here I was, pulled into the middle of it all without an excuse good enough to convince the second set of thoughts floating around in my head. Sighing, I looked around.

The Ithecal and his human companion had turned away from the office and were headed away from the crisis, due west; the last thing I heard from them before they disappeared out of sight was an admission of exceeded expectations. It seems my suspicions had some truth to them, indeed. The space was largely empty by now; the mob had seemed to follow my own lead and moved out of range of the beams. I spotted a pair of leather gloves that some craftsmen had left behind in his flight, so I shuffled the few feet into the open space and snatched them up before moving back to my original spot. While I slipped the padded gloves onto my hand, I continued to scan the area for any other object that could be of use. I saw only one: the soldier-turned-cat's scimitar.

'Not like you need it, anyway,' I thought to myself, knowing the cat would hear as well, as I moved over to the rubble right outside the office door where the sword had fallen. The blade was heavy, far larger than any weapon I was ever used to using. It was the first sword I had ever held. He knew he would be little more than useless with it in a real fight, but it was better than swinging his fists around. Giving it a few test swings, I stared at the door to the office for a moment, bracing myself. Fear welled up inside me, dominating my tangle. I took a deep breath, knotting the thread away that was the fear of the building. A calm settled on me for the moment, neither fueled by confidence nor hopelessness.

Three beams had fired out a few trills before, striking no one, and then a lull. Steeling myself as best as he could, I entered the building in a crouch. Gravel crunched underneath my feet, negating any advantage of stealth I might've had. 'Perhaps the Ithecal was right,' I thought as I looked around for the closest bit of cover I could find.