[Freezair]

"How very sad," Locke mused. He examined a dried apricot amidst the fruit. He took a small bite out of the fruit and chewed it thoughtfully.

"Twenty years ago... Hmm... Seems like a lot of things happened then. I've heard some... interesting stories."

Funding a rebellion, driving out and/or murdering all the members of a small royal family for petty cosmetic reasons, seizing several tons of hoarded treasure and surreptitiously claiming several miles' worth of resource-rich soil--certainly an interesting story, if one was of a morbid mind, Locke thought.

"What did these soldiers look like, persay? I've heard of... groups. They put things together. How, precisely, did you get out? You must have done something very clever and daring to escape them."

Locke had heard things from his first informant, but he knew very few details. His hearing twitched.

Someone else is coming, he thought. Soon. We move soon.

Within his mind, he readied a packet of information for Marisol.

Be ready, he sent.

[8]

[Redd]

Dobarchu nodded his little head. "Yup, I daresay, oi agree. I may 'ave not been chirpy an' livin', but a-plenty of things 'ave 'appened in that time." He said.
Sai rolled his eyes at the Bleeders tongue. He could speak respectfully. He did when he first met Sai. Although, somehow on their travels, he had picked up a strong northerner accent.
"What they looked like?" Sai mused, trying to recall the incident. It was only recently he had gotten his memory back. "Uhm, I think they were like a horde of monsters. All their flesh was rotting off, and their eyes... they were like... undead I guess."
"An' then 'e hightailed it outta there, right?" Dobarchu delcared.
"Ah, not like that." He said, a hint of a smile showing through. "No heroics or anything like that. In the confusion, with people running around trying to defend the town, I fled. Then for nineteen years afterwards, I have no recollection of." He pulled an apologetic face.

[Freezair]

"Ahh! Amnesia! Always tragic. And I presume you have been looking for the past year or so to come back here?"

I see them, went a twinge in his brain.

Locke's face went odd. "Erm, excuse me for a minute," he said. He stood up abruptly and brushed down the front of his coat. "I need to step outside.

He bustled his way out of the building, eyes flicking left and right. Where was she? Where was the other Albie? Were Marisol's eyes beginning to fail her?

He dove behind and old wall, and lept out in Khimera form, creeking but sleak. He clawed up a wall and lept to an unstable old roof, clambering along old roofs as he sought out the others. Where could they be...?

[8]

[Redd]

Sai watched Kei go outside, seemingly in haste. Although something told him that it would be safer for him to stay inside, his insatiable curiosity got the better of him. He walked outside, Dobarchu perched on his shoulder, but the man was nowhere to be seen. He frowned, but continued to look around for him.

Fyte had decided that, no she would not bother looking for Sai. "Alrighty Avir, I think it's best we be off."
The Garudor nodded. "Sure thing. But since we aren't gonna be seeing anyone, can we please use our quad forms to go back. I don't care if some superstitious old hag sees us."
Fyte cracked a smile. "It would be quicker." As she spoke, she shifted down into a smaller, Albie.
Avir followed her example.
They both exited the house. It was time to go. They were unsuccessful in their search.

For whatever Fyte was searching for. Avir thought to himself.
Fyte sniffed the air in a dog-like fashion. "Sai has a few new friends, it seems." She commented dryly.
"And love, I don't think I want to stay around and meet them." Avir cackled.

[Freezair]

Crouching behind a crumbling chimney stack, Locke saw them.

Time to round up the prey, it seems, he thought. Before going in for the kill.

He mailed a standby message to Marisol. He couldn't see her, wherever she was winging up there, but he felt that there was substantial bandwidth left between them.

Now, for the first move.

He tactically let his grip on the roof slip. He slid down the old tiles, metal bits clinking. He rolled off the roof, but he balanced his body carefully--he went into a roll as he hit the ground, softening the blow. A bruise here or there, maybe. But no real damage.

It didn't sound good from afar, though.

"Oooooh," he moaned. Then, a little louder, "Uhhhhggn.... Owww..."

[9]

[Redd]

Thud!
Fyte wheeled around on Avir.
"Did you hear that?" She damanded.
Avir shrugged. "Yep, sounds like a poor bugger fell off something high. Hope it killed him."
"Aivereron!"
"That's ma name."
Fyte groaned and took off towards the noise, paws pounding the ground hard. A rustle of wings behind her, said that Avir was behind her.
She rounded the corner and found a Khimera, lying on the ground.
"Is it dead?" Avir asked hopefully.
Fyte shot him a glare, before carefully approaching it. Fyte and Avir had a morbid fear of the strange biotic creatures, born from the war, where one had taken down both of them, with not much effort at all.
It had groaned, so it was living, but Fyte hung back, fear getting the better of her.

Sai heard it too. But he was far less cautious when it came to seeing what it was. With the Bleeder on his shoulder, he set out to see what it was. Had the stranger, Kei got into trouble, or was this something different?
He rounded the corner too. Something bolted off around another corner, in fear. Sai almost decided to chase it when the Khimera caught his attention. That wasn't here before, yet it smelt... familiar.
"Kei?" He asked.

From her spot on the roof where Locke had fallen, Fyte and Avir watched them, scarcely breathing.
She didn't- couldn't take meeting Sai right now. Not here. Not ever. He had almost caught them.
Almost.

[Freezair]

She was hesitating.

Why was she hesitating?

He could hear them. Feel them. Both so close. Almost close enough to make the strike worthwhile. But not yet. She wasn't coming closer, he was holding back, and neither one of them was helping.--And had he just called him Kei? Wasn't that the alias he'd given? Blast. Perhaps if he simply ignored it... Yes, he was out of it at the time, that was it!

Gah. A little more pity, then.

"Ooooooohg..." He moaned. "My... My leg... Please, sir... Someone, anyone... You..." His eyes flicked toward Sai again. "My leg, it hurts so... Could you...? Is there a doctor around here....?"

His ears chased Fyte's movements. If only she would step closer...

[10]

[Redd]

Sai's eyes flicked around the corner uncertainly. Was it they who ran around the corner do this?
"A doctor?" Sai asked. "No. This is an abandoned town. There are no doctors here..."
He heard something, a rustling. He looked up, and got smacked by something large and feathery in the face.

Avir alighted on the ground, Fyte landed next to him.
"Fyte?"
Fyte turned around to meet Sai, her eyes cold. "No. I am not Fyte."
"We're just innocent bystanders here, 'cuz we know you won't be any help to this poor Khimera." Avir cackled rudely.
"Exactly. Now if you would move aside..." Fyte brushed past him towards the Khimera, fighting the urge to turn tail and flee. She stopped, not too close, in fear of the frightful claws and teeth such a cat possessed. "'Scuse me, what happens to be your name?"
Avir joined her, hunched down next to her, while Sai and Dobarchu hovered behind them.

[Freezair]

"My name...?" he wheezed, hopefully convincingly. "Pad. I was... hack... Looking for a place to stay with my family... This down did seem to be abandoned, so I thought we might... Ah... shelter here in an old house for the night..."

He tried to stand, wobbily, and made a show of falling. "I don't... I don't think my leg... broken... but perhaps a rib... My leg... just sprained. If you... If you both support me, I think I can..."

He extended a paw toward Fyte. "Please, at least help me find a place to rest... Somewhere cozy and small..."

[11]

[Redd]

Fyte inwardly grimaced. Today was like all her nightmares rolled into one, and considering the not-to-cleverly hidden expression on Avir's face, he thought similar.
"Hey you." Avir barked at Sai.
Sai looked up. "Yeah?"
"Are you strong?"
Sai nodded. "Uh, I guess."
"Good, you can help me lift this Khimera somewhere safe." Avir said to him.
"Take him to mine." Fyte offered. "I'll show you where it is."
Almost immediately, Fyte had given the game away. She had let slip to Sai that she knew this place, and soon there would be questions. Right now, however his face was impassive.

"Okay lad." Avir started, addressing Locke, or Pad. "All you gotta do is try to stand up like you did before, then me and the biolune Albie will swoop down under you and support you."

[Freezair]

And speaking of swooping...

"Thank you," Locke said weakly. He made a wobbly attempt to stand; he fell once for good measure. He rose to his feet again, but he lifted his right back paw gingerly. He was also careful not to put too much weight on his right front.

He sent out his message into the ether. Mumsie, be ready. I have them both nearby. We'll get them soon. But wait until we're not so out in the open. Follow above us.

He waited on the help of the others before wobbling forward.

[12]

[Redd]

"Woah... easy there." Avir said slowly, waving his wings and looking lost. The khimera had fallen, but had regained his feet.
"Now."
He and Sai darted down underneath Pad/Locke and between them, supported his weight. Fyte watched in the background, wavering around uncertainly, the Bleeder hunched over on her shoulder.
"Just take him to mine...There should be a bed there..." She said.
Avir nodded, grunting slightly. Boy this khimera was heavy.
"Okay Albie. You heard the girlie and by any chance, you would even know where we are going." Avir grunted.
"Sure."
"Lets just take this one stride at a time."

Fyte had the sudden feeling that something was horribly wrong, and it had nothing to do with Sai.

[Freezair]

"Thank you," Locke said heavily. This wasn't entirely feigned--he had an Albie pressing up against his chest. "That sounds... delightful. I'm sure it will help me feel better."

He sent a message up to the sky.

Marisol circled above him, looking for the deep red flash of Locke's liquid body.

Her metallic eyes twitched and focus. There--down below. A hint of teal fur and a flash of rusted metal.

She fluttered to the edge of an old chimneystack and settled herself there, folding in her cybernetic wings. Her eyes traced Locke's path as the four creatures helped him limp toward the house.

What a small, pretty house it was. So cozy looking. The inside, she imagined, was warm and cream-colored, with little yellow flowers on the floorboard modeling, and striped wallpaper. In her mind, it smelled of mahogany. What a perfect, pleasant place for cornering prey.

[1, 13]

[Redd]

Heaving, Avir and Sai entered the building carrying their burden. The building was slightly derelict, but still pleasant enough. Fyte's eyes traveled over the interior of the building, taking note of upturned tables, drawers with their contents split over the floor and the slightly guilty look on Sai and the Bleeders face. Just what had that little minx been up to?
And that Bleeder... was it somehow connected to her? How... touching, she smirked to herself.

"Okay fella, that's all we can do for you at the moment." Avir said to the Khimera laying down on the strange looking futon. "I'm sure Fyte can look at that injured rib of yours soon, but I think it will have to wait. We need to talk to this one first." Avir slapped Sai's back with a wing, then ushered him into a back room, obviously a kitchen. Fyte followed him in.

"Alright buddy, we know who you are and what you did." Avir began threateningly. "Now I want you to go, get out of our lives."
"It wasn't my fault!" Sai protested. "I would be happy to tell you the true story, only if you would listen. She would kill me! I knew you would get away. I knew I would somehow get away too!"
"Stop wit that senseless accu'sasion." Dorbarchu said irritably. "You don't know 'alf that story. An' your clouded minds ain't lettin yer see the truth."

[Freezair]

Locke lifted his head as the two Albies walked away, already chatting... erm... pleasantly with one another. His ears swivelled.

From without, he heard the sounds of metal wings creaking.

Is that you, my pet?

Aye, t'be me, aright, she sent back. Where be the sweet li'l bairns?

Here, Mum, he said. Through his bionic eyes, he beamed her the images of the bickering Albies and their hangers-on. They're brought company, he warned her. They may prove hard to pursuade.

Aye, they might, Marisol agreed. But worry not, me luv. I think we can han'le these. I be gettin' into position above the house righ' now. Trackin' ye... Ah, there we are. Move in when you say, luv.

Just a moment, Locke replied. But one moment...

[2, 14]