09-25-2023, 01:11 AM
Xomaxtli Hill
September 21st, 8:02am
Riley Nelson woke suddenly with the conviction that something was very, very wrong. True enough, she was immediately greeted by the sound of a distant explosion. Within 30 seconds, she was up, fully dressed, and armed. She left her room at the exact same time as Nelichē, in the room next door. The pair looked at each other, nodded once, and moved forward as one, watching each other’s backs as they moved to determine exactly what was going on.
Xomaxtli Hill had a few minutes after the rest of Chuaztlapoc to prepare for the attack, but everyone present knew it was happening. The three resident Auroras moved to assist the Shorn Ones and other security with the defence. They expected Golden Blade terrorists, and perhaps further Xiomeran agents and soldiers. And indeed, Xomaxtli Hill would be attacked by the Golden Blade. But it would not be the Golden Blade alone.
While the terrorists had the whole city to attack, there was one squad of hostiles approaching Xomaxtli Hill for whom it was their sole target. Kerlile still had some Auroras loyal to the Council; and the Council very much wanted the Robinson Auroras back. They would use the Golden Blade’s assault as a cover to grab Riley Nelson and Tlālzixiuhxa (and Nelichē if possible, but she was not the priority).
The Council-loyal Auroras also had orders to capture Yauhmi on behalf of the Xiomerans. Unbeknownst to the Council, however, they had no intention of following that order. The one single thing that every faction of Auroras, no matter who they now pledged their loyalty to, agreed upon was that Yauhmi was under their collective protection. Not even Zichitla would harm a hair on Yauhmi’s head.
Nelichē joined the group of Shorn Ones escorting Yauhmi to safety as the Golden Blade attack began. Nelichē allowed the group to go ahead, bringing up the rear as they escorted Yauhmi to the safest exit. A Council-loyal Aurora suddenly saw Nelichē turn a corner from where she was perched, and slipped off after her. The other Aurora did not see who Nelichē was following - if she had, she would not have followed.
Nelichē and a group of Shorn Ones were by an unknown back entrance, not shown on the plans that the Council-loyal Auroras had acquired. Yauhmi was with them. The Council-loyal Aurora turned the corner, gun drawn, pointing right at the group. They collectively froze - even the Aurora herself. She locked eyes with Yauhmi, and the pair stared at each other for a second, before the Aurora whispered “tēmāquīxtihqui”.
Then the Aurora turned and vanished back the way she came. Nelichē gave chase, but the other Aurora had vanished. Nelichē scanned the corridor but there was no sign of the other woman. And then suddenly a cloth was over Nelichē’s mouth and she began to feel woozy. She’d reached around immediately to counter whoever had attacked her, but it was too late; she’d breathed in something that was about to cause her to lose consciousness. She tried to ascertain who’d got her, but she slipped under before she could.
One of the other Council-loyal Auroras was experiencing a fight she had not expected. The masked woman who’d attacked her was clearly not Huenyan, and not one of the target individuals. And, curiously, the masked woman was clearly attempting to incapacitate her rather than kill her. The Aurora spun around, grabbing the other woman and attempting to get her in a chokehold, but as she did so, the masked woman jabbed her with a needle, and the Aurora swiftly lost consciousness.
Riley Nelson and Tlālzixiuhxa were among a group defending the estate from some Golden Blade terrorists, when they were attacked also from behind by a pair of Council-loyal Auroras.
“Nicole,” Tlālzixiuhxa said, recognising one of the women. “So, the Council has decided to throw themselves behind Calhualyana fully,” she spat as she fought her former friend. “Despite everything the Huenyans did for them!”
“Don’t give me that bullshit, Nadia,” laughed Nicole as she slammed Tlālzixiuhxa into a wall, holding her by her neck. “You betrayed Kerlile; you’ve been betraying Kerlile your whole life and you know fine well the penalty you must face.”
Tlālzixiuhxa struggled, trying to get free, or even just to breathe as Nicole choked her. Relief came from an unexpected source - a needle in her arm. And one in Nicole’s. Both women tried to turn to whichever third party had incapacitated the pair, but fell unconscious before they could.
Riley, meanwhile, had lost her fight. She was bleeding from where one of her opponents had slammed her head into the floor, and she was so woozy she could do nothing about the fact that was being dragged along the ground, her hands zip-tied behind her, and her captors slamming her roughly into every obstacle they encountered. She tried to fight but the signals from her brain simply weren’t reaching her limbs. She felt a rush of terror at what would happen to her once she was returned to Kerlile.
Her captors tossed her roughly into the back of a van, jumping in and driving away. Someone tied up her ankles, gagged her, and tossed her in what appeared to be a cage designed for dogs by the size. They locked three padlocks on the top and then sat back, smirking at her. She blinked away the blood from her head wound and tried to identify her captors. Stella, she would have said had she not been gagged. The other Aurora, one year younger than her, saw her staring and spat in her face.
“Traitor scum,” the younger Aurora hissed. “You’re going to wish the Eirians had locked you up for the rest of your life. Their prisons are paradise compared to where you’re going.”
Riley believed her. She closed her eyes, partly to protect against the blood and spit and whatnot, and partly to try and suppress the urge to cry that was suddenly so very, very strong. Goddess, if only I’d let Nelichē kill me, Riley thought. I could do with a merciful death right about now.
And then something landed on the roof of the van, hard enough to make a dent.
September 21st, 8:02am
Riley Nelson woke suddenly with the conviction that something was very, very wrong. True enough, she was immediately greeted by the sound of a distant explosion. Within 30 seconds, she was up, fully dressed, and armed. She left her room at the exact same time as Nelichē, in the room next door. The pair looked at each other, nodded once, and moved forward as one, watching each other’s backs as they moved to determine exactly what was going on.
Xomaxtli Hill had a few minutes after the rest of Chuaztlapoc to prepare for the attack, but everyone present knew it was happening. The three resident Auroras moved to assist the Shorn Ones and other security with the defence. They expected Golden Blade terrorists, and perhaps further Xiomeran agents and soldiers. And indeed, Xomaxtli Hill would be attacked by the Golden Blade. But it would not be the Golden Blade alone.
While the terrorists had the whole city to attack, there was one squad of hostiles approaching Xomaxtli Hill for whom it was their sole target. Kerlile still had some Auroras loyal to the Council; and the Council very much wanted the Robinson Auroras back. They would use the Golden Blade’s assault as a cover to grab Riley Nelson and Tlālzixiuhxa (and Nelichē if possible, but she was not the priority).
The Council-loyal Auroras also had orders to capture Yauhmi on behalf of the Xiomerans. Unbeknownst to the Council, however, they had no intention of following that order. The one single thing that every faction of Auroras, no matter who they now pledged their loyalty to, agreed upon was that Yauhmi was under their collective protection. Not even Zichitla would harm a hair on Yauhmi’s head.
Nelichē joined the group of Shorn Ones escorting Yauhmi to safety as the Golden Blade attack began. Nelichē allowed the group to go ahead, bringing up the rear as they escorted Yauhmi to the safest exit. A Council-loyal Aurora suddenly saw Nelichē turn a corner from where she was perched, and slipped off after her. The other Aurora did not see who Nelichē was following - if she had, she would not have followed.
Nelichē and a group of Shorn Ones were by an unknown back entrance, not shown on the plans that the Council-loyal Auroras had acquired. Yauhmi was with them. The Council-loyal Aurora turned the corner, gun drawn, pointing right at the group. They collectively froze - even the Aurora herself. She locked eyes with Yauhmi, and the pair stared at each other for a second, before the Aurora whispered “tēmāquīxtihqui”.
Then the Aurora turned and vanished back the way she came. Nelichē gave chase, but the other Aurora had vanished. Nelichē scanned the corridor but there was no sign of the other woman. And then suddenly a cloth was over Nelichē’s mouth and she began to feel woozy. She’d reached around immediately to counter whoever had attacked her, but it was too late; she’d breathed in something that was about to cause her to lose consciousness. She tried to ascertain who’d got her, but she slipped under before she could.
One of the other Council-loyal Auroras was experiencing a fight she had not expected. The masked woman who’d attacked her was clearly not Huenyan, and not one of the target individuals. And, curiously, the masked woman was clearly attempting to incapacitate her rather than kill her. The Aurora spun around, grabbing the other woman and attempting to get her in a chokehold, but as she did so, the masked woman jabbed her with a needle, and the Aurora swiftly lost consciousness.
Riley Nelson and Tlālzixiuhxa were among a group defending the estate from some Golden Blade terrorists, when they were attacked also from behind by a pair of Council-loyal Auroras.
“Nicole,” Tlālzixiuhxa said, recognising one of the women. “So, the Council has decided to throw themselves behind Calhualyana fully,” she spat as she fought her former friend. “Despite everything the Huenyans did for them!”
“Don’t give me that bullshit, Nadia,” laughed Nicole as she slammed Tlālzixiuhxa into a wall, holding her by her neck. “You betrayed Kerlile; you’ve been betraying Kerlile your whole life and you know fine well the penalty you must face.”
Tlālzixiuhxa struggled, trying to get free, or even just to breathe as Nicole choked her. Relief came from an unexpected source - a needle in her arm. And one in Nicole’s. Both women tried to turn to whichever third party had incapacitated the pair, but fell unconscious before they could.
Riley, meanwhile, had lost her fight. She was bleeding from where one of her opponents had slammed her head into the floor, and she was so woozy she could do nothing about the fact that was being dragged along the ground, her hands zip-tied behind her, and her captors slamming her roughly into every obstacle they encountered. She tried to fight but the signals from her brain simply weren’t reaching her limbs. She felt a rush of terror at what would happen to her once she was returned to Kerlile.
Her captors tossed her roughly into the back of a van, jumping in and driving away. Someone tied up her ankles, gagged her, and tossed her in what appeared to be a cage designed for dogs by the size. They locked three padlocks on the top and then sat back, smirking at her. She blinked away the blood from her head wound and tried to identify her captors. Stella, she would have said had she not been gagged. The other Aurora, one year younger than her, saw her staring and spat in her face.
“Traitor scum,” the younger Aurora hissed. “You’re going to wish the Eirians had locked you up for the rest of your life. Their prisons are paradise compared to where you’re going.”
Riley believed her. She closed her eyes, partly to protect against the blood and spit and whatnot, and partly to try and suppress the urge to cry that was suddenly so very, very strong. Goddess, if only I’d let Nelichē kill me, Riley thought. I could do with a merciful death right about now.
And then something landed on the roof of the van, hard enough to make a dent.
LIDUN President 2024 | she/her | Puppets: Kerlile, Glanainn, Yesteria, Zongongia, Zargothrax