((This isn't my main charicter's story, but an intro to a secondary charicter I play and her ingame sister; before their story begins to play out. So anyhow, there it is. Riiyan and Kourin))
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The sand was cool under her as she woke with the suns late in the sky. Glad for the shade of the trees here she looked out across the dunes and streched. It had been a long night of running and her sister was still sound asleep nearby. Collecting her feet under her, the fixer stood and moved to where their few belongings were piled. Pulling a small lap data pad out of the bag she began to sort out a way to get a fix on their location. The crash and subsequent dash through the dunes had left them both disoriented and tired, they woudln't make it out of the desert alive without an idea of which direction they should head.
A dry and tired voice groaned out from behind the fixer, "Riiyan?..ugh... please tell me there is food left." Nodding curtly she tossed what was left of the rations they had stolen from the launcher before they blew it up. Their escape had been risky, but they weren't about to wait around to see what would happen to them when "they" found out what they had done to their former boss... well, see what was left of him that is. The girls knew well they might die out here, but they'd also die knowing he wouldn't touch them again. "Eat it slowly Kourin, there isn't much left and we still have a long run ahead of us if this map is right." Turning on her elbow, Kourin looked at her. "How far do we have to go? That sholder of yours still hasn't mended." "It'll have to be good enough, we'll have to leave at dusk to get to the outpost by daybreak." Riiyan looked up at the sky and then back to her sister, "I'd say... 3 hours from now... maybe 4. There's a camp of Rhinomen with some shacks along the way, but I don't think they'll give us any trouble if we're quiet." Tossing the remaining ration back, Kourin came over to her sister and hugged her gently. This had been the right decision, she knew it, even with no way to tell what would happen to them once they made their way out of this god forsaken desert. "Better pull the plug on that thing, they may have started looking for us, you know", Kourin said grinning at her sister. "I'm being careful, but I guess you're right. Should rest up anyway... we have a long night ahead of us."
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Riiyan woke later screaming with Kourin over her shaking her sore body, every night since it had happened the dream had been the same. In her sleep she relived it... He had called her to his office after one of Kourin and her "little jobs" as they liked to call them. There had been an unexpected casualty and Riiyan had assumed there would be a repremand, afterall, this wasn't the first time they had made an error. The fixer strode purposefully down the hall of the cargo vessel cum pirate ship and paused in front of the captain's door. Clearing her throat and pulling down the corners of her shirt to straighten it she announced, "Riiyan here, reporting as requested." The door slid open with a hiss, and she moved a few feet into the room and it slid back closed. The cabin was dark, but clean and roomy concidering the rest of the ship's disrepair. "Ah, that's a good girl. Now come sit down, and we'll discuss your team's little transgression." She moved to sit, the only sound the crinkle of her well worn leather boots and the hum of the monitor on the desk in front of her, unblinking she waited for the repremand. "I see here," he mumbled reading from the screen "that you reported four deaths. The helmsman, two guards, and your target." He looked up at her and his glasses shone green like an insect reflecting the light of the monitor. "I belive your orders were to get in and get out unnoticed with the information we requested."
A feeling of unease crept over her and she continued to sit at attention, "Yes Sir. There were some complications once we were inside. The scematics we had been given were not accurate, we were forced to improvise." At this he slammed his fist on the desk and knocked a small vase to the floor that she hadn't noticed was there in the low gloom of the cabin. "You are not paid to improvise Miss. Welding, you cost us a good deal of money today," he purred, leering at her. Riiyan swallowed hard and rose to her feet, head bowed slightly in respect hoping he would dismiss her. Hope, she found out quickly enough, was for the weak. Captain Johan Warren, pride of the "fleet" (if you could even call pirates a fleet.) had launched himself over the desk and wrapped his large hand around her throat. He was a big man, and he pressed her to the bulkhead easily as his insect like face glared over her. "I do belive you have a lesson to learn here girl."
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The sisters packed their gear in silence, Riiyan still wasn't up to talking about all that had gone on in the cabin, the wounds were all too fresh. Slinging a pack on and filling up a canteen at the pool of the oasis Kourin watched as Riiyan shoved the last of her things into her bag and stood. "Ready when you are." Riiyan smiled, then flinched as her lips slid over her still loose teeth. "This is going to be one hell of a run, sure your small self can manage it." Short jokes... she must be feeling better thought Kourin and grinned back, "So long as your not too old for the journey." One last check to the straps of their packs and they were off, the sound of the sand and the reflection of the moon enveloping them.
The night's travel hadnt gone easily, the Rhinomen didn't care for them being so close to their young at this time of the season and had managed a swipe at Kourin's knee. Half running, and half carring her sister Riiyan struggled the last leg of the trek to the outpost. They hadn't made their daybreak deadline and the heat of the day was taking it's toll on their worn bodies. Forcing them up a dune Riiyan let out a sigh of releaf, the outpost was finally in sight, she nudged Kourin but she didn't move. Stumbling in a panic down the face of the slope to the platform, Riiyan screamed for help. There were several groups of people standing on the platform trading things, but none looked up at her. "Please! She's dying, I need some help here!" , the fixer screamed at the top of her lungs.
She had set Kourin down on the pavement and cradeled her head and kept shouting as two figures materialized from the whampa marked Hope. A tall slender woman, a bit creepy, but with kind eyes; and a strong looking man in an armored skirt, followed by what could only be described as a deamon, turned and looked at her wide eyed. Sweeping into a low bow in front of Riiyan he spoke gently, "What seems to be the trouble?" Astonished, she blinked, then spoke quietly, "We ran all night through the desert. Please, she needs water, and food; I can't let her die." Without her noticing the dark woman had knelt down and was looking over the unconcious Kourin. "Sim? Think you can carry her? She can't be out in this sun much longer." He smiled genuinely and swooped the small fighter into his arms as the woman collected her bags and helped Riiyan to her feet. "This is Simehiri, he's going to carry your sister to Borealis and we'll have you two checked out, is that alright?", the slender woman spoke with a reassuring tone. "Who... are you?", Riiyan whispered, her throat raw. "Katelin Phare, President of Shattered Dreams at your service. You may call me Falikos." The fixer's eyes showed comprehension then rolled back into her head as she lost conciousness, the last thing she heard was the man called Sim saying "....little food, they'll be right as rain."
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The smell of hot food and plum blossom incense filled her senses as Riiyan woke with a jolt and sat bolt upright, her head swimming. Surveying the room she saw a table set with several plates of food and her sister shoveling food into her gullet with both hands. "Now don't eat too fast, your system went through quite a shock yesterday." Came a woman's voice from the kitchen around the corner, it sounded familiar but Riiyan was in too much a fog as she stumbled twoard the table. "Where...?" was all she got out before the woman from yesterday, Falikos, came smoothly around the corner. "Ah, your up, have a seat and eat whatever you like. Simehiri should be here soon with some fresh clothes, he ran down to the market." Speachless and starving Riiyan followed Kourin's lead and began greedily swallowing down as much food as she could. "Kourin, here tells me you two were in a crash and that's how you ended up out in the desert. You're both very lucky to of made it through such an ordeal." Riiyan turned her face twoard the nanomage and nodded stunned, she couldnt know... no way she would know what they'd done. "Yes... yes, ma'am." Smiling with a wink, "Now we'll have none of that, call me Fali, or Falikos, whichever you prefer. You're guests in my home until we can register you for proper accomodations." Kourin grinned sunnily from the other side of the table as the shock sunk in that they had lived, the shadows from "Hope" had saved their lives.
Clearing his throat Simehiri spoke loudly into the room, "Everyone decent in there?". Rolling her eyes and smiling Falikos moved to the door and pressed her hand to the pad and let her friend in. "Alright, I uh.. wasn't sure what you two ladies liked, but if I had daughters.. well.. anyway. These seemed dignified without looking too old." As he spoke he had unwrapped two cloaks, a long black cloak with warm red and orange sewen around the seams and a shining fabric down center front and back; the second was a deep blue, with a swirling waterlike pattern along the sleeves and chest. "I hope these do." He said turning to Falikos. "Just perfect, and you said you had no eye for woman's clothes... even the right sizes from the looks of things. Anyway, when you are both finished the shower is in there and you can try out the cloaks." Neither Kourin or Riiyan had said a word throughout the unveiling of the cloaks, they just stared at eachother in amazement of their good fortune. Gathering her thoughts quickly Kourin stood and bowed as best she could with her knee still healing. "We appreicate all that you two have done for us, anything you ask of us we will do. We owe you our lives and we will repay your kindness." Motioning to the food still left on the table like it was no big deal Falikos spoke softly, "We'll discuss that this afternoon, when you're feeling more yourselves. No need to rush into things, you are not my prisoner." Sliding off the couch and walking down the hall she spoke with Simehiri in quiet tones about other matters, looked as if he was reporting in on something but Riiyan shook her head and returned to the food, who knew when their luck would run out.
