IMAGE:Resera
Fugitive:Occupation
Healing Magic, Some Combat Magic, ESP:Powers
Looking for freedom, looking for peace, finding neither

IMAGE:Nihilette
Vethnal's Second-in-Command:Occupation
IMAGE:Weapon
Unnatural Strength, Magic Swordplay, High Agility:Powers
She only wants him to love her, is that so hard?

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The steady rhythm beneath their feet, a steel heartbeat, it had become ignored, as familiar to them as their own hearts, the passengers upon the wayward train, headed cross the plains, even as sunset came and the lights within the cabins crackled to life, none cared to notice save for the few looking for something of interest, some jolting awake as the trains whistle blew, a long, mournful howl, steamed clouds trailing through the air above.
Whispers and chatter amongst the many and the few, all collided in a hubbub of calm laughter, tense words and the general mellow atmosphere as the oncoming night threatened to envelop them, even as the train sped towards the slowly vanishing traces of light, often blotted out by the trees that would pass, water towers sat upon the sides of the tracks.
Amongst the passengers were many a motley crew of unusual characters, no doubt their destinations set for the the grand skyport that they were traveling to on this last stretch of the journey, Yinun Malk. It was one of the many places upon land where airships could dock for repairs, resupply, or wait to be bought, oftentimes prepare to carry travelers from continent to continent, or simply above and across land in ways that trains and horses and carts could not, at least without difficulty, or time that some wished not to waste.

Between the passengers in a more crowded public carriage sat one figure, secretive, quiet, none given the chance to see her hidden face but for pale, exposed lips and a soft nose, wrapped in a black cloak, though silvery hairs hung at the sides of the hood, her eyes remained in darkness, face mostly too shrouded to be seen properly. Attempts to speak to her met with failure, she would only recoil or hide her face, refuse offers of food and simply kept to herself, a lost, lonely little figure of a young woman no doubt beneath those robes, denying herself even food on such a long journey.
She lowered her head a little further.. Raising her hand to it and wishing they would stop.. The whispers.. A simple wishing that they would go away.. Enough concentration and she could make them.. Like building a wall brick by brick around her mind, holding it up strong and firm to drown out the noise.. A little peace, it was all she wanted.. But she couldn't even think straight. Concentration lost to the hunger she supposed she should have been satiating.. A trembling came over her as the hunger made itself known.

One carriage over however, a hawk-eyed, red-lipped woman looked upon the others too close to herself, quite aware of the scar across her forehead, a battle wound demonstrating how close to death she could touch and still live, brown feathered hair hanging around her shoulders as she crossed her legs calmly, arms resting along the back of the seat into which she was sitting in comfortably, a large black box behind her hiding from sight the weapon she carried at all times.
It was quieter in this carriage, though there were still some people she didn't know, and frankly didn't care for how certain girls were staring at the man at her side, a sharp stare at those too close often enough to warn them off. And even if that didn't work she wasn't beyond throwing them from the carriage while the train was still moving.. It would have been satisfying to watch the bodies tumbling into the distance, flailing about like lifeless dummy..
However this stray thought would have a surprising effect..

Back in the first carriage the cloaked figure whimpered softly, holding their head with both hands, aware of the thought, the image, the desire to throw a young girl from the carriage, the very real feeling of satisfaction at such a cruel action.. All for personal desire, possession of a person, their respect and love.. Not an action she could live with..
She had to get used to it.. Soon enough there would be more people, many more when they arrived in he city.. But with luck she'd be able to escape.. To the airships and away, away from this place to another land, free of the fears that continued to haunt her even now. The trembling of hunger was worsened only by her fear, fear for the feeling, fear for that in spite of how much she hated it, she enjoyed it, or at least a darker half within her heart did. A cruel entity, slumbering.. Waiting..
Be.. Still.. she would whisper to herself within her mind, chanting it, using her willpower to suppress that dark urge, Be.. Still..

Name: Alister Ravard
Occupation: Retired teacher;
presently captain of the sky cruiser Revenant, a minor transport vessel.
Abilities: Influence over the winds and weather.
'It never fails...our greatest mistakes always return to haunt us.'

Name: Vethnal Dalavain aka the sky pirate Zahar (zay-har)
Occupation: Professional Sky Pirate
Abilities: Influence over matter. Those of a telepathic or clairvoyant nature tend to be unable to read his thoughts.
Weapons: Two large antique silver pistols engraved with vines.
A small string of strange runes run down the middle
of each of the pistol's sides.
'If you never look back, you'll never have to know what you've left behind.'

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"We may play the part of sinners,
we may play the part of saints,
but regardless of the part we play
the record is never truly erased."

They hounded him at every turn, turning a simple life of fashioning tricks to continue his trade into a race toward a finishline that was not yet in view. Was there truly a safe haven to be had with the collegiate breathing down his neck? There hadn't been on to be had for long in years, not after his transgressions and so he'd taken to the sky, never remaining in any one place for any longer than was absolutely necessary.

Ah, but these days, when the head of one Vethnal Dalavain meant a vast reward, how much more fitting could one be than to transform himself into a man that the world itself could hunt without remorse? For the infamous sky pirate Zahar, life was all about the challlenge of the chase. Avoiding capture was his sole purpose for living, the thrill of it fueling him with the energy to go forth and perfect his craft. Two identities one body. Two identities one man, and a man had desires be he marked by the collegiate or marked by the world.

Vethnal could not profess to be all that different from the next man when it came to his own desires. Take for example the man occupying the seat across from him. Oh, Vethnal didn't need to be able to read minds to tell what he was thinking about the lovely little redheaded thing a few seats down. No doubt his own thoughts were mirrored there in the balding man's mind, albeit with less finess, aging having taken robbed the chase of its creativity and the man of his energy to pursue such things. Yes, the difference between them was that the man was content to admire from afar while the young captain preferred to do his admiring from atop his prize.

Letting his eyes wander from the red head to the man and back again, Veth felt the beginnings of a plan forming. One of which his companion was sure to disapprove. But naturally that was half the fun of it these days? The one woman who never left him, despite his numerous attempts to do away with her. The one woman who dared to hound him, for whom he could almost pretend he held more than just base desires. He did his best not to think on what bound her so tightly to his side, ensuring her unfailing loyalty. It was not so much disinterest in her motives as it was a fierce desire not to know. Knowing the mind of women, after all, had never led to anything but complications as far as he was concerned. Damned insane, that's what they were, and he had no desire to play their games or inquire into their maddening thoughts. No, it definitely wasn't something he was willing to risk his peace of mind for.

Gaze lingering once again on the young readheaded woman, it was likely quite clear down which direction his own train of thought was running. A familiar one no doubt.

Turning his attentions suddenly to the gent seated across from him he grinned. "How about we make a little wager, something to pass the time?" he was hardly the perfect picture of innocence and the man appeared taken aback at the very least.

"I..erm...what did you have in mind?"

Veth's gaze slide from the man to the redhead and back again, deliberately taking his time so as to allow the other to trace his gaze and 'catch his dift.' Thanfully the woman appeared blissfully unaware of their intentions. "Interested?"

The man cleared his throat. "Very much so."

Now there's what he liked to hear. "I thought as much." he refrained, of course, from telling the man that it would be an easy wager in his favor, that the man stood about as much of a chance as a snow ball had of surviving the very fires of hell. If he had so much trouble sizing up his opponents or allowed himself to be so caught off guard that he accepted the impossible then, Veth decided, he deserved the nice little ego trimming loss he'd be experiencing in the new few minutes.

"A-and what are we wagering?" The man's stammer denoted recognition, perhaps of his own inferiority at last....No matter.

"Whatever you wish, if makes no difference to me."

And all the while he purposefully ignored his glowering companion.

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((My apologies for making this a bit on the short side, but I have decided to invite our next character in once they reach their destination, as I can see no plausible reason for the captain of a transport vessel to be aboard a train at the present time.))

(I will do the same, Arthur needs to ferment a bit ;3 )

Name: Sabine 'Loon' Lacroix

(Current Traveling Handle: Lucille Gladu)

Occupation: Ranger (all purpose animal expert), Also doubles as a wordclass thief, part time con artist and cattle rustler.

Abilities: Natural affinity with animals from years of working with them, mastery in the art of 'con', manipulation of psychology, skill
with throwing knives, bilingualism and an especially useful brand of megalomania.

---

"If you take a life, do you know what you'll give?
Odds are, you won't like what it is
When the storm arrives, would you be seen with me?
By the merciless eyes
I've deceived"

Sabine, a woman with skin like baked desert sand, could always feel eyes on her, like an icy cold plume of smoke snaking around her ruffle plagued shoulders and sinking in through her pour. She could almost feel the intensity of it freezing her lungs as she exhaled, chilling her deep down. But like any wise hunter, she had eyes in the back of her head. Well not exactly. But astoundingly
perceptive peripheral vision. She reckoned she was being watched through the windows as people passed. Harmless enough, but something to keep track of.

She didn't know who was watching, she didn't know why, it could've been anyone ranging from a horny bus boy to a Stock Shady Figure of Interest. But the woman had the clarity of mind, and the seedy calm of someone who breathed air like vanilla incense. There was nothing, nothing to implicate or expose her.

The slender woman sat neatly in her corner, blinking long heavily lashed blinks. Her cropped hair was caught snug in a wig that matched her shade exactly, but ran in supple false braids, elegantly laid over her neck and strung in yellow ribbons.

Her strong, straight legs were covered completely by a dress with the framework of an umbrella, and was about as comfortable as one could imagine based on that metaphor. It was paisley too. Deplorable, something seagull shit would no doubt improve. She had selected it for it's sheer grotesqueness. Vanity was simply a fact of life, she knew she was beautiful, and she knew the contrast would be curious.

The silliest thing, she guessed, was her hang bag. It was enormous, with a large round clock set in the middle. Some kind of silly new fashion, that hadn't yet...become a fashion. Sabine Lecroix was known to dress like a savage and a half, but Lucille Gladu was as foppish as you like. Foppish was popular, she noted, on trains (putput choo choos) of this nature.

She twisted her "braid" idilly as she pretended to read a pamphlet about their destination (which, according to the aforementioned text, was the new realization of Shangri La).

It was all copacetice, she could wait as long as she needed. Choosing the right moment was key, afterall, and she was traveling under a handle as ridiculous as the costume jewelry she'd donned before boarding,but she thought the unreliability of everything she professed to be made people more inclined to trust her. It was cute. Everyone wanted to tell their friends about the amusing, dotty woman they'd met on the train, with the yellow eyes and the bag with a clock stuck in it.

Since the most recent stop, Lucille Gladu has been without traveling company, and after hours of traveling, she deigned to somehow remedy that. As a waiter past through the narrow rows past the compartments, Miss Gladu answered the call of her bladder, and began the first of many ministrations in her efforts towards scoping out the loco little locomotive she planned to rob. She of course, wasn't yet aware that the value aboard was far more than a few well bred prized stallions.

Nihilette scowled at his leader a little, grinding her teeth softly, put out by him and his games, even now betting with another man on another woman, but how to foil him today.. She couldn't outright start berating him.. She loved him too much for that, no she'd deal with him privately some other time, but the problem now was the obviously pretty young redhead. However a grin came across her face as she got to her feet, pulling a back of mints from her pocket and popping one guickly into her mouth before she suddenly turned on Vethnal first, grasping his skull and kissing him deeply, passionately, her hips sliding across his lap as she did so, though after a moment broke off, giving him a scrutinizing look before moving down the train a little, picking out another man, a rather handsome young lad, younger than Vethnal no doubt.

She grasped the boy, first whispering in his ear for one moment but kissing him the next, that same odd passion however it had an effect it didn't on Vethnal as far as she knew, the boys knees shaking with shock and delight. After all, in spite of the scar, which was more endearing than ugly, Nihilette was physically quite desirable. However she broke away and the young man fell to his seat, absolutely stunned.
Nihelette wiped her lips softly with her thumb with a smirk, but simply winked at the boy and carried on further down tot he red head, whom she sat down next to, given space by a polite gent at her side. She placed an arm around the young woman's shoulders, leaning in to whisper something to her, which in turn made the girl give her a stunned look, maybe half-filled with terror at first, however she didn't try to escape, swallowing hard before Nihilette proceeded to kiss the red-head.

Those watching were absolutely stunned, it was, without a doubt, a beautiful kiss, the two wrapping their arms around one another, thought he red head was far more tentative, and it certainly lasted longer before the two broke away, Nihilette whispering into the young woman's ear again and smirking. The redhead nodded, however was now flushed red from top to bottom as Nihilette got to her feet and sauntered back to Vethnal with a smirk, popping into her seat and crossing her legs, arms spread across the back of the seat again,
"So what was the wager, boys..?" She asked, staring at Vethnal, grinning a little, quite pleased with the mischief she could get up to, however her eyes were drawn the the windows, to another train that was beginning to catch up to their own on the opposite tracks.

======================

Target is on board that train bound for Yinun Malk
Prepare boarding operations, target must not escape
No witnesses. The target is too important for this to be public domain.
Do not let the target escape!

The young woman looked up suddenly turning her head to the window as she watched the other train begin to catch up. This was bad.. This was very very bad.. She got up quickly, almost too quickly, becoming a little dizzy as she stumbled into the gangway down the center, bumping into a man, which mad her fall back, her hood falling away to reveal the silver-haired young woman. The man was about to yell at her for being clumsy until he looked at her eyes, caught in the swirling grey clouds that were her irises. He almost immediately started apologizing and helping the young woman up.
A quick, soft kiss to the mans cheek and a thank you were all she could administer before she began moving along the train, pulling her hood up again and making her way along, moving from one car to the next. She had to keep ahead, out of sight or at least get as far as she could so they had further to go, or maybe would only concentrate on where she was. Resera continued to stumble a little uneasily as she moved through the next cart.

Target spotted!
Resera's eyes grew a little wide. So soon?! She broke into a sprint as glass began to shatter, unsteadily running through the car, however there was someone in her way, unfortunately. Sabine was stumbled into by the smaller figure, whom jumped on her, taking her down as gunfire from the opposing train shattered the windows behind her, shots zooming overhead as screams and shouts heard as several people in the same car weren't so lucky.
Cease fire cease fire! Target is wanted alive!
Begin boarding, locate and capture!
"They're coming.. They're coming.." The girl whispered to herself, turning her head as though looking over her shoulder, but then got off the woman, "Apologies.."


She was right, though, the men on the opposite train were climbing onto the roof of their own train, the ones in the cabins throwing grapples across to it. Now that they were at a relatively matched speed they could cross with little difficulty, using the ropes they'd latched on top pull themselves across the gap, they uniforms were certainly all similar but there was no actual government that wore their colors, black, with armored shoulders and body suits, arms exposed for freedom of movement, all wearing helms with goggles through which they could see most things ahead of them, though their peripheral vision would have been a little flawed.
They were armed with what looked like relatively new burst-fire guns, combat knives and had handguns strapped to their sides.
It wasn't long before gunfire and screaming could be heard from several cars.

======================

"Uh Vethnal, I think we've got trouble." Nihilette mentioned, nodding over to the other train as she could see preparations being made, "Theres soldiers in that train and they have boarding equipme-.." She paused, looking up, she could hear footsteps on the roof, the heavy pounding of several pairs of boots, "Screw that, they've boarded.." She added, turning her head as the noise began, what were they doing? were they killing everyone? Not that she cared but that probably meant she and Vethnal were going to be on the list of people about to be killed,
"Oh great.. Here I was hoping we could get on over to Yinun Malk, hole up in a nice little hotel and fuck each-others brains out.." The woman sighed, pulling the case from behind her and breaking it open to grab her sword, this startling the passengers who were already panicking and terrified of what was happening, "But I suppose this'll pass the time.."

The unexpected rush of passion set Veth's blood afire and her kiss was met with a certain degree of savageness. He knew she wouldn't be upon him long and he was damned if he wasn't going to send a warning her way. Of course she'd do whatever she was about to do anyhow.

If there was one thing a man could always expect, it was to find a woman who felt the need to outshine him simply because she could. He was, of course, aware of the stereotypes that still tended to float about proclaiming the relative inferiority of the fairer sex in regard to his own, but it was hard to believe such rubbish with her at his side. Inferior was not a word he could ever imagine using to describe his fiery companion, and while he would feign the same level of discomfort as the balding man across from him upon seeing her display, his smirk was sure to be betray him sooner rather than later.

Veth leaned forward, whispering something to the man across from him as she sauntered away and snatched a youth by his collar in the interest of giving him the same treatment that he had been subjected to moments before, Veth raised an eyebrow in question. There was little doubt that the boy had enjoyed the display, that much was evident from the tent in his trousers, but it was hard to believe that there had been any real meaning or true enjoyment on Nihilette's part, for all its apparent passion. Unless, of course, one counted the enjoyment she got from watching men squirm.

It wasn't something he would put past her, not at this point, and as such, when she pulled the redhead into an equally enthusiastic kiss, he kept one leg carefully crossed over the other (perhaps not something a man of his size should have been doing), but the dull ache of desire blossoming into true pain was just the thing needed to keep from making a fool of himself. The man across from him and the youth that she'd assaulted moments before, on the other hand, seemed content to watch, gape, and let their own enjoyment of the little scenario become public knowledge at a rather appalling rate.

Veth's smirk resurfaced as the two woman broke apart for air and Nihilette sauntered back toward him looking like the cat who'd gotten the cream. "That was quite the little show you just put on," he remarked offhandedly seeming, for all the world, as though such displays were a common enough occurrence as far as he was concerned.

When she mentioned the wager his amusement multiplied tenfold. "Well my dear, I do believe that we wagered two ladies' dignity." At this his smirk turned malicious. Oh yes, two could play at this game and he was nothing if not 'quick on his feet', as the saying went.

"I'd say it's one of the better wagers I've made," he added as she settled back beside him. He could never quite bring himself to afford her an easy victory. It was far more entertaining to pull her unexpectedly toward a draw in the hopes that he might rile her enough to be subjected to what could only be characterized as 'angry sex' when they reached the hotel.

In the end, however, it was rare that either of them budged enough to admit defeat and so they sat in silence...or rather they would have.

The metallic clicking of feet on the roof and the jarring reverberation from bullets ripping through wood and metal began startled Veth out of his stubborn silence. He could feel Nihilette tense at his side, as familiar a weapon as any of his others.

"This is rather...unexpected." If anything, his tone conveyed more annoyance than it did fear.

"Oh great.. Here I was hoping we could get on over to Yinun Malk, hole up in a nice little hotel and fuck each-others brains out." Now that little exclamation had gotten his attention.

The sound of pistols being cocked joined the growing cacophony of sound. "I see no reason why our evening plans should have to be altered."

Trusty pistols in hand, Veth inclined his head toward Nihilette. "Shall we give them the customary welcome?" The gleam in her eyes as he met them was mirrored in his own, and he briefly feared for the men who had unknowingly signed their own death warrants.

"I suppose this'll pass the time.."

Dropping into a crouch he began making his way toward the commotion.

"One can only hope," he called back over his shoulder. He was grinning.

Let the games begin.