Something I need to keep working on

Chapter 1 – Transience

The cold was a bitter, bitter reminder of home. Even around the fire, a hand held towards it was found to be trembling. Upon further examination, almost everything reminded her of home. With a heavy sigh, a passing thought of requisitioning thicker clothes crossed the young woman’s mind. That is, until she caught a pair of onyx orbs peering in her direction from across the fire.

“Meer, are you nervous?” She could lie, but the feathered man across from her would know otherwise. He could sense her motives. He was dressed much the same as her, all black robes and pale brown accents. They clung to him far better than her, however, his gaunt form visible through the thick cloth.

“Yes, I am, Captain Dan.” She exhaled sharply, her breath materializing in front of her, hovering above the stone before vanishing into the heat of the fire. The diminutive woman looked out, beyond the man across from her, and out of the mouth of the mountainside alcove they'd set up camp in.

“I wasn’t expecting to be assigned to stealth operations when I requested a transfer to field duty.” She reached to her left, softly grasping the haft of a long spear. It was cold, but not horribly so, thanks to the leather that was laced to form a grip. She brought it close, holding it to her chest, as if it were her only source of warmth. The man across from her seemed totally unphased by the cold. In the short time she'd known him, he'd only shown two expressions, a genuine grin, and that veneer of calm he always exhibited in the field.

“You have far more experience than our previous cleric, Honored Battle Mother.” He leaned back, those onyx orbs never moving, his expression not changing whatsoever as he laid one arm upon an upraised knee.

“I really wish you wouldn’t call me that.” She shot back, diverting her gaze from her captain. She wasn’t old enough to be a mother. And she'd rarely seen actual battle. She huffed again, looking back to him, that smile of his returning. It was a little unnerving, but only because he didn’t have eyes. Those stones in place of them were unexpressive, mismatched.

“I know, but that is your rank. You served for two years far behind the battle lines, healing and protecting our injured.” His voice came softly at first, but as he sat back up, his face returned to it's stone like neutral expression. “I chose you for my squad hoping you would do the same for us.”

Meer's breath caught in her throat for a moment. Her heart warmed, and the cold felt far away for a moment. She unintentionally smiled, running his words through her mind a few more times. She moved to speak again, Dan looking and listening intently.

“I can do more than heal though. I can fight.” She gripped her spear more firmly now, to emphasize it's presence. Dan smiled again, winking at her.

“I’ve read your file you know. You've got the physical skills of a skilled martial artist, and the spiritual capacity of a cleric. That's another reason I chose you. Compare yourself to Bree for a moment.” He motioned his hand. Behind himself, towards a young woman, who had bird like features. Meer nodded and one of her mousey ears twitched in the cold as she shifted her view.

“She has no combat experience, but she has all the training to do the job. She sleeps fitfully for her nervousness.” He gestured behind Meer now, to a hulking figure. “Meanwhile, Tyrex sleeps lightly in his anxiety. Your being nervous is perfectly normal, and you will feel better in motion.”  She frowned slightly at his words. She knew very well that he was right about that. Once she worked herself up, it was hard for her to stop.

“Besides, this won't be anymore stressful than your two years in the triage tents.” He put forth the words so casually, but they weren't terribly reassuring. Certainly, she wasn't constantly rushing around, trying to keep people alive or comfortable anymore; but she was now the only person around with serious healing magic. Well, the only friendly one for miles. Sensing her discomfort, he spoke again, looking out of the cave and into what appeared to be worsening weather.

“Another half hour, perhaps. Do not worry Honored Mother. Soon, there will be something to distract yourself with.” She nodded in response. Their operation would begin as the weather got worse. Sentry towers had to be taken out so that an allied force could move into the mountain pass without detection. There were two, according to intelligence. Both of them tucked into the crags above the pass. Messages were sent further towards empire held cities by enchanted birds. They couldn't be sent out during a snowstorm though.

Which is why they awaited the weather kicking up to begin their attack. The last message the people down the line would receive is notice of a snowstorm resulting in delayed messages. Then a fake all clear sent by Dan. If all goes well, the standard forces would be able to take the next city no trouble.

Meer's disc shaped ears folded onto her head, and she threw her hood over her head in an attempt to warm them up, which didn't work wonderfully, but kept them from getting colder. Dan on the opposite side of the fire, brought his long braid of hair to his front, tucking it into his robes, pulling his hood up as well.

A short time following was spent in companionable silence. It had been two weeks since her transfer, and she had yet to see Dan out of his uniform. The bird man was a strange sight to those not of his kind. He had the distinguishing features of a crow, one of the lesser mentioned races among beastkin. His mop of oily black hair was long. Long enough to reach his belt line in the tight braid he'd kept it in. A few stray black feathers puffed out of his head, and she noted a few more sprouting from the back of his neck, all swept back. His fingers and feet matched what she'd read of his kind during her schooling, he had talons instead of toes, and his fingers were thin and long, almost entirely bone she'd say. But of course she knew better.

He noticed her examination of his form, his head slowly tilting to the side.

“So, how do I stack up against the monastery spiritualists?” He sat up, flexing and puffing out his chest. Much to Meer's surprise, his muscles popped under his robes an amount she didn't think physically possible. She turned her head away again as quickly as her neck allowed, some amber locks falling across her dull, golden eyes. She held her head down, slowly rolling her head about to face him again.

“Honestly? I’ve never once seen you or anyone like you in action. I've heard others call you ‘Battlemage', but that isn't correct is it?” She popped one eyebrow up, inquisition dripping from her words.

“It's the closest thing to what I am in the common tongue. I'm a Paje. Literally translates to ‘Pusher'.” From his distinct lack of weaponry, and lack of any clanking on his person, she imagined he wasn't wearing armor under his robes either. The onyx orbs in his eye sockets flashed with pale light for a moment.

“I am both like and unlike you. I use martial arts to fight, but sorcery is innate in we of the sky.” He flicked his head up, causing the feathers at the back of his neck to rustle softly. Meer nodded, looking past him to Bree again, who’s plumage was as white as the snow kicking up outside. Her hair was the same soft white, but it was short, coming just down past her ears, elfin in shape as they were.

“Whereas you use two disciplines in tandem, my kind have taken two and made them one.” Meer's face contorted quickly into an expression that made her appear deep in thought. Dan snapped his fingers, drawing her attention.

“You exercise to maintain your body so you can practice your martial arts, right?” She nodded slowly, waiting for him to make his point.

“And you practice your holy tenets to remain in your Goddess' favor. I must exercise and keep my mind sharp for a singular discipline, whereas your exercise and holy practices are for separate ones.” Meer nodded once more, readily understanding. Dan nodded back, turning towards the mouth of the cave, rising to his feet slowly, he gestured to the hulking figure sleeping behind Meer.

“Wake up Tyrex, I will rouse Bree.. Now is the optimal time to begin our operation.” Meer nodded her acknowledgement quickly. As she stood up, she reached behind herself, grabbing at her whip-like tail, wrapping it around her waist, and tucking it into a fold in her robes. Then she turned about to wake up the sleeping man, but she'd barely touched his shoulder before he shot up, his curved horns colliding with the roof of the cave, not that he seemed particularly bothered by it. His visage was fierce, but his expression was calm. As calm as a face can be when it's framed by armor like scales.

He didn't speak, but his eyes implored Meer for an answer.

“Yeah, grab your trident and shield big man. Captain says it's time to roll out.” With a curt nod, he slithered up onto his long, serpentine lower half. He was the only armored member of their squad, though mostly naturally. A pair of pure white avian wings spread out as he stretched the sleep away, bringing to bear a huge, rectangular greatshield, and a trident as long as he was tall. At least twice as tall as Meer.  For a Lazteuq, he was huge, and Meer found his presence strange for an infiltration squad. Though, she had heard impressive things of the Lazteuq hunting and stalking habits. She should just trust that her captain knew what he was doing, because to her knowledge, everyone here was hand picked by him.

A quick whistle drew her attention, and the captain had their young eagle up and about. She still looked nervous, so Meer let out a deep breath and braced herself, like she would every time she saw the field medics dragging in more men.

“Alright Ladies, there are two targets. The first is up the cliff just outside the cave. Tyrex, You and Meer will scale the cliff and attack through the front. Bree and I are going to fly to the top of the tower to assault it. Meer, you have the spell materials you need, correct?” He turned a pointed look to her, and she patted the satchel at her side lightly, before tucking it into her robes, obscuring it from view.

“Good, move out. We meet in the middle to confirm the secure. We have all night to take both towers. Don't get sloppy. Commence operation.” And with that, Bree and Dan stepped out of the cave, and from their backs spread marvelous wings. Bree's were a light brown, while Dan's were as ebony as his eyes. With whispered words and an exaggerated motion from Bree, the wind caught their wings. They were gone before Meer could even think. A loud ‘POOMPH’ caused Meer to turn around quickly, but it was simply Tyrex dousing the fire with a pile of snow. She nodded to him and made her way to the mouth of the cave, looking up.

Bree and Dan were out of sight. “Damn they get places fast. C'mon big man, we can't fall behind because we're ground bound.” She heard and felt an exaggerated gust of air blow past her, prompting her to turn around and see Tyrex's magnificent ten foot wingspan. She rolled her eyes at his expression. “Okay, because I'm ground bound. Still, I need you to carry me up the cliff side or we're going to lose time.” Tyrex nodded in simple understanding, hooking his shield and his trident into a set of metal rings on his back, hanging from his robes. He then pointed over his back with his thumb, a signal Meer understood as ‘Climb on'.

With a little difficulty, Meer managed to crawl up his back and secure herself just behind his neck. She was standing on the rings that secured his weapons, able to give him orders or cast spells from this position. She pressed herself into his back, hoping to drive away some of the damnable cold. It was relatively effective, as Tyrex was huge, and had a lot of warmth to share. As soon as she was comfortable, she pointed up the cliff, and with speed she hadn't expected, Tyrex began tearing his way up.

“Oh shit!” Meer had to wrap her arms around his neck to stay in place as Tyrex used his serpentine half and his arms in tandem to really give this sheer cliff a run for it's money. She looked down to find that they were probably ascending faster than they would have if he'd tried to fly.

A revelation that came just as Tyrex pulled them both over the top of the cliff, leaving a sight of perpetual white ahead of them. Tyrex pulled his shield from his back and began to slither with incredible speed across the barren white waste until they could make out the figure of the tower ahead. Thanks to good intelligence, they weren't lost in a blizzard.

“Alright big man. Get us in there.” A grunt of affirmation is all that came as he continued tearing his way through the snow, holding his great shield in front of himself to block the snow and wind. Meer held tight to the huge man's neck even now, as the cold wind whipped past her, around his shield and down her back. It was even colder here than back home.

In what seemed like moments though, they were upon the tower entrance. It was even bigger in person. And more open. As in, not at all closed. The howling of the wind even more ominous, as a rank stench emanated from the place. It reminded Meer of the tents.
“Yuck. Alright big man. Hold your breath, we're going in.” another grunt and he slithered up the stairs and into the building at her word. The stench only intensified as they entered. But the room they'd come into was immaculately clean. Tyrex easily turned about and shut the door behind them, locking the cold out. This entry hall wasn't anything special. A few chairs scattered about. Some armor and weapon racks. Training dummies. Meer stopped a moment, and a mousy ear twitched as she listened closely. What she heard was unnerving. Crunching. Not the feet on snow kind either. More like a snapping, tearing noise. Meer shuddered and pointed forward, towards the door that led to the stairwell.

It was in these few moments that the howling of the wind returned, but even inside, her blood turned to ice.

As Tyrex opened the door, the stench rushed into them full force as corpses, several of them had been mauled and strewn about by some unknown assailant. But whoever it was, the almost literally tore these men in half. A platoon of trained men, laid waste. And for some time, these men were dead long before they got here.

Tyrex held his hand over his shoulder, and Meer waited patiently, not understanding. He hissed, and urgently made a grabbing motion with  his hand rapidly.

“My Trident.” His voice was like silky velvet sheets, that deep tone cutting the air like a blade cuts the air. Meer felt both stupid and astounded. He'd never spoken, and she didn't understand why even more now. His voice was gorgeous. Meer did however unhook his trident and pass it to him over his shoulder, maintaining her foothold on the rings on his back.

“Stay ready big man, we don't know what's up those stairs.” He grunted once more. She was really hoping that he'd have actually spoken again. But he did begin to cautiously make his way up the stairs, ready for anything.

But as they crawled further into the miasma ahead, the goal of the wind grew louder and more chilling. And as he rounded the last stair to the bunkhouse of the tower, they knew why. A gargantuan white form was sitting in the middle of the room, entirely covered in snowy fur, with blue skin. It was feasting on the remains of the dead. As it turned about, it's eyes luminesced like little icy pearls. It roared at the intruders to it's lair, and the both of them were chilled to the bone by the roaring wind like howl of the creature.

Tyrex managed to stand his ground, but Meer went limp under the gaze of the horrible creature. Tyrex had to quickly compensate for the now paralyzed cleric on his back. With little issue, he was ready to fight, even if his healer was not…