Awakening to the commanding yet feminine stature of Jen as she issued orders to her comrades and allies brought half of a smile to Zed's lips, upon recovery from Kadlin's electrical strike. Looking around he quickly caught on that the group had relocated to the elven ship's interior, and he wished there was more time to marvel at the beauty of the design and the vastly superior technology the space elves had on display. However, surrounding his own resting place were quite a few who had fallen in the sudden and callous attack: some like the adventurers who would see another day; and others who lay about, to be mourned and missed.

The flames of wrath that seemed to fuel Konall and Cattaras were tempting to embrace and clothe in, but Zed's upbringing quenched the drive; instead, he offered to assist Glyn and anyone else tasked to help out after the arrival of the tornado. The day stretched on, as inhabitants and visitors pooled their strengths and resources to prepare their homes and buildings for shelter from the unprecipitated disaster and later the organization of search-and-rescue efforts, and distribution of household supplies as necessary.

As the day wrapped off with efforts and plans postponed for the start of the following day, Zed decided to pass the location of Kadlin's mushroom crops onto the space elves. Though Jen agreed that the crops were most likely to have been collected before Kadlin instigated her attack, she swore that the fields and any spores in the area would be burned to destroy the fungus.

----

The next day had brought news of the Council's requests for assistance with strange rumors and machines said to lie in the Ninja Village and Forest Village. Although Zed recognized the threat the slavers would pose with a force that never diminished in size or strength, the details of the life machine nestled in the Forest Village were far too striking and echoed some of his own life callings.

Musing around thoughts such as 'would I be affected by the machine's influence to revel in life?'; 'what would happen if I tried to recharge my stores from the machine that seems so align with my casting?', and 'why would the living dead be affected, and drawn to the machine' generated a fire for Zed's curiosity and determination in seeing the mission through. He set a quick pace running cross-country to the village, and took a refreshing breather at its outskirts before venturing closer.

"... <sigh> … Hello, I've heard you out there, and hopefully we're not at odds with each other. Can you come out to introduce yourself? Should I search for you?" Zed called out. There was a slight rustle in the brush as if someone startled, then a figure moved closer. A robed figure appeared. All he could get out of the appearance for now was 'tall' as whoever it was work their hood above their head and had their head bowed, but he soon could tell the owner of the cloak was female, though her voice had a peculiar trill to it, like a cat- a Feline?

She spoke. "I apologize for disturbing your rest, sirra. I am but a pilgrim, set upon the road by my Goddess in search of a place, perhaps you can assist me?"

"Most certainly, my lady. I am not intimately familiar with the area, but I shall endeavour to assist your search. You may call be Shadowrun - I've come to quietly pursue the enigmatic life machine said to be nearby."

"Then I am indeed fortunate, and the Goddess has led me aright." Thin, dark claw tipped fingers reached for the hood to pull it back. For a moment Zed didn't know if she wore gloves or not but the answer was plain when those twin gold eyes blazed at him from the midst of that beautiful Feline face. He remembered catching a fleeting glimpse of her once, when Sir Fumblies had gathered them all together. But before he could muse about what her name was she spoke. "I am Fahari. I too seek this 'life machine' by my Goddess' wishes. To protect if I can, and if I cannot and the Goddess deems it..." She shrugged.

"Your eyes match your voice beauti- oh, ash and grit. My most profuse apologies, Lady Fahari. I am at your service," exclaimed Zed, immediately bowing at the waist while keeping his eyes on hers. "I apologize but I have only recently joined the Blood Clan … I will respect your wishes and state but two things - first, I was told life and death are as thinly separated at points as the sides of a leaf. Shattering the life machine may harm those of us near by, my lady. And second - I believe I hear a horse coming up the road. I don't wish to alarm you, but only Sebastian Dash, and not his counterpart, rides a horse?"

Fahari's ears flicked as she too heard the hoofbeats. She reached for her hood and pulled it around her face again. "We will discuss this later, sirra." She turned and faced the oncoming horse- Zed could hear her as her feet spread, taking on a fighting stance under her robes.

Heeding her precaution, Zed stepped forward diagonally while removing a spear from his pack. He doubted that he could best Zedika Dark's speed this time if it was indeed the darker swordsman, but the flanking opportunity should help Fahari's strike... Fahari seemed to ease up upon seeing the horse, seeming to recognize it. A moment later, she tensed up again.

She started to warn Zed as the horse picked up in speed. "Whoever that is, it isn't.."

The horse drew in faster than anticipated and the dark rider jumped off, landing several feet in front of Fahari and Zed Shinestone. He looked up at Zed with a dark, humorless smile. "So we meet again, my nameless rival."

"You and your terrible ego - you're more like the crap my master would throw at me, to improve my reflexes.." Shadowrun snarked, loosening up for the first strike. <Damn, he's still faster than I expect - hope Fahari can match up> Strangely, however, Zedika Dark's posture relaxed noticeably.

"Always so eager to fight," Dark said, voice cold and condescending. "To try to prove yourselves against your betters."

Zed blinked. "Mr. Psycho, you tried to slice off my limbs and break my bones; and you think I've got a tendency to 'stir the pot'? You could use a cuddle session/ heart-to-heart pronto."

"Instead," Zedika Dark replied, backing up slowly. "I'll use the fool hero's horse to spirit myself into the village and kill it. The dumb beast thinks I'm its master! Though could you blame it? After all, he is my dimensional duplicate."

With that, Zedika threw a handful of smoke bombs, intent on escaping. Zed and Fahari could hear the beating of hooves as the horse vanished into the distance.

Followed by a loud stream of cursing as Zedika yelled for the 'fool horse' to get back to him.

Suppressing a chuckle, Shadowrun nodded at Fahari through squinted eyes and let his spear fly through the smoke. Years of dealing with obscuring sands had refined Zed's technique for observing targets close by, and he was confident that his Feline acquaintance could track the swordsman as aptly.

Which was true, Fahari's ears were straining, but could pick up first on the horseman's shouts, then his mutterings and further still- his very heart beat. Turning in the smoke allowed her to pinpoint her target and she finally lashed out- and was rewarded by the feel of flesh and her target's startled cry.

"You delay me on my Goddess' bidding." Fahari growled. "You will not feel like doing this again." She then took another blind stab- and scored again. Further swipes found nothing, however, although the smoke soon started to clear. She paused, seeing two figures standing in the smoke- one a lapine, the other vulpine...

She didn't have time to get any details as the lapine gestured and she was hit by a stream of hot sauce, knocking her back hard! A baseball to the back of the head dropped Zed Shinestone to his knees. A staff slammed out of the smoke into his chest, pinning him down.

As the smoke cleared up, to no one's surprise, Vixen, Lapine, Runic and Bandit stood along with Zedika Dark. Fahari struggled to get to her feet- but another well placed stream of heat sent her down again.

We'll get back to this story after the next piece, where we jump over to check in on the trio whom Fahari left behind to tend to the other mission- Fumblies, Todd and Wildfall.