Raithe Quest

Raithe Quest 5 - Heart-Broken

Luire and Raithe walked ahead of Rashia. The lithe, pale elven woman told them that the guest suit was just down the hall. The last door on the left. Luire tried to keep his breathing steady. He was on alert. He knew that Rashia, with her long elven ears, would be able to hear them whispering. He glanced towards Raithe with just his eyes as he offered in code:
"I bet they prepared this suit specially for us." He wondered if she would pick up on what he was trying to say.

Raithe nodded. "Goblins are exceptional 'host's. They would not take guests without preparing the correct accommodations. They've probably fitted it to all our needs already." She responded calmly.

Luire glanced back over his shoulder subtly. Rashia's black-coloured lips curled up into an attempt at a friendly smile. With her sleek mechanical limbs she had a sort of forced strut. A swaying of her hips and moving of her arms that was so tuned and mechanical that it looked unnaturally attractive. There was also the fact that her heeled boots made a heavy thump with every step she took, showing the real weight of all that equipment. Raithe's response was clear.

'She knows it's a trap. She thinks that if we go along with what they want we'll probably be countered pretty effectively. So we need to act sooner rather than later.' He looked straight ahead, seeing the door at the end of the hall coming into view.
"I'd like to 'eat' sooner rather than later. Rather than the food they bring us, how about we go get something?"

Raithe let out a short, amused breath. "I'm someone who likes to spread out my meals. So I agree. A snack now, and a few more small bites here and there sounds better than a full meal."

Behind them Rashia picked up her pace. Slowly and quietly a blade slid from her palm as she gained on them steadily. Luire's ears twitched at the sound of the blade's machinery clicking and locking into place as she was just a few feet away.
"Let's eat!" He turned and at the same time bounded further away from Rashia. She stood stunned for a moment as in a matter of a second Luire had made distance and loosed an arrow at her. She watched it and just before it was about to collide with her metallic mask it stopped, broken by a barrier with a greenish hue and a hexagonal pattern. Raithe hissed a little at that.

Rashia stepped forward, slowly at first, then with each step her movement came in strides that propelled her forward unnaturally fast.
"Submit!" She shouted.
"You are in violation of the Heart Family's Code of Conduct!"

"What Code?" Luire loosed another arrow. Just as it was about to collide with the barrier he loosed another, pulling back harder. There was a scent of aura about it that Raithe could detect as it flew forward. The first dented the Aura, then the second flew through the first and attacked the dent on a pinpoint, sinking halfway through before the shaft snapped.
"Rats... That's basically all I got."

Raithe analysed the situation. She looked out the window and saw more of the mechanical coven on the move. Her eyes swivelled up observantly to the ring itself that curved around over their heads. She looked down. The grounds were covered in paving and dirt.

'Just how far down does one have to go to get to the actual ring?' Her eyes moved back and forth rapidly as she thought.
'Outside... No. A basement?' She turned to Luire.
"Can you outrun?"

Luire looked at Rashi. "For how long?" As he answered and saw Raith look at him he gritted his teeth.
"You're right... What does it matter? I'll run, you do whatever you need to do." Luire waved
"Hey! Try and catch me you hunk of metal!" Luire taunted, tossing a smoke bomb at her. He kicked out the window. Raithe was already gone. As Luire was about to jump he heard something before he felt it. Click. Click. A dial. One more click. He fell from the window as if gravity had shifted. He landed on his back on the wall opposite the window.
"Shit..." He looked over and saw Rashia holding a dial on a ring built into her forearm. She was grinning widely. The woman was still walking confidently on the floor while he was on the wall. He got up and began running away along the wall. Click. Click. He had prepared himself, however and nimbly landed on his feet as gravity shifted again.