Amunet-Rah’s Adventures: Sunshine Permanence [Iammelon/Eteru] [Dropped/Recton]

Keme seemed rather surprised by that, "That is quite a lot of time to learn, ma'am! With your ability to view so much time and remember so much, I would have thought that you would have grasped an idea of the butterfly effect rather quickly! I thought long term planning came naturally to long-lives." Chask sighed, shaking his head and giving Keme a sour look, "Please, Brother, cease being so rude! We have the insight of hindsight, and so it may seem natural to us, but we did not live these things. You know as well as I that life is turbulent and confusing. Even those who live long may not be able to put the dots together with much ease. That takes training of the mind. Age alone does not bring wisdom."

Ecla meanwhile chuckled at Amunet's response to the rapidly shifting politics of the Artodeme. The Ialao decided to spare her the maps of the other Artodeme planets, since they were just as bad if not worse in appearance. Instead she simply nodded, "I am sure they are paid very well, likely some of the best work you can have in that society! Everyone needs map makers, and good ones are very important when maps are completely outdated in mere weeks! And I can understand that you would be restricted. A matter of safety for a ruler, but also specifically for a sovereign. After all, your society needs you, and so you can't be away too long without things starting to degrade. All the same, I am glad you are getting this chance now." She nodded again, "Yep! And through that, the Zantine Empire serves a good role. Be it on the wider galaxy, or just on one planet, the Zantine Empire is a bastion of civilization and stability, even in these times of weakness. Now it's our job to help maintain that peace!"

“Oh, I was mostly referring to travel in the Artodeme. Just imagine how complicated the air traffic is. Look at this region here! You could walk through twenty borders in only five miles. And the possible border tax. I don’t want to imagine it but I can’t help bur wonder if there had been many who had been born and died without going beyond the small borders of their home. Entire lives constrained to the area of a cubical cell.” Amunet-Rah was exaggerating with the last bit. It's just how it felt like to her. “Mmm the Zantine Empire has certainly proven itself to be a grand empire. I’ll be watching their involvement in Artodeme with great interest. In the meanwhile I’ll just be working with you in the service of the great tree.”

"Ah yes, that would be quite chaotic! The air traffic is almost certainly complicated, and definitely dangerous. Probably lots of triggerhappy folk. But, well, I think you'd probably not have to worry about border taxes! With how much the borders change, I doubt anybody could actually enforce such taxes for very long! Only places they could do that would be in their major cities and strongholds, the more stable locations. Although I guess bandits are a different sort of border tax." Elca then grew sad, her gaze turning downwards, "Such constraint is quite saddening, and unnatural. Like animals in pens, instead of enjoying their lives on vast plains. Worse so, most Artodeme people are exactly that... They're a slaver culture. It's cracked down on in the Zantine Client States. And while we go to dispute their rashness, the radicals in Delpolympi are some of the only others who fight against slavery, since Delviatu's teachings strictly prohibit slavery! It is not right to enslave fellow people, for we are all one in Delviatu. A shackle on one person is a shackle for us all." She then cheered up, nodding her head, "Yes, I am sure you will be happy with what you see. But I am even happier to have such a partner! Well, I suppose I'm the junior partner in this case, as I'm not a very experienced priest, but I am very eager to learn!" She clapped her hands together, beaming now. Elca had an ability to focus on positive thoughts it seemed.

Magneta eyes darken at the revelation of Artodeme being slave owners. The moral credibility of the Artodeme was diminished from her perspective. Thinking about it more she could begin to grasp an important aspect of Artodeme. “So their economy is heavily reliant on slave labour. In many places that is probably the sole source of wealth they have.” Making any wide scale change all the more difficult. No wonder most seem to just focus on Delviatu. Not many would know where to start in the large scope of things. Letting out a soft sigh she let it pass from her mind to continue speaking to Elca. Giving a smile to her optimism. “It will be a pleasant experience on my end as well. I look forward to working with you.”

Keme spoke up at mention of the slave economy, clearly having something to say and not the sort to be patient for a good point to join, "Incredibly reliant! It's why the borders change so much and so quickly, in fact. Everyone is desperate for more slaves to get ahead of the enemy. Not just in the economy, but soldiers too, since Artodeme Slaves are put in the army. A lot of those border changes are just armies on mad rushes to seize slaves, and claiming the route they used for the rampage as part of their polity's territory! Yet before it can be fortified, their enemies raid again to try and take the slaves back, and other societies try to take advantage of weakness, so more slave taking armies are sent. And so on and so forth. The only places not impacted are the particularly tough fortresses and cities, but they still need to join in since they need slaves to grow food! That is the cycle, a costly one. It's not a wonder that the most successful Artodeme are the ones who broke out of it." Once more, Chask threw his sibling a sour look and interrupted, "Please forgive my brother's interrupting explanation. He spent quite a while preaching on Dorcoth previously, so he's got experience and knowledge, as well as a loose tongue that can't help but chime in. Still, what he says is true. The Slave Economy is one of the main causes of the instability, but also one of the things that benefits from it the most."

Elca meanwhile stayed happy, clapping her hands together, "Great! I am sure we will both learn plenty from all this! But we have some time before we land, and I know a way to spend that time!" She hopped up, going to a large bag which she began to rummage through. She then returned with a deck of cards, most of which had numbers on them ranging from 0 to 9, but some had other symbols on them like a twisting arrow or a big X mark. Each card came in a variety of four colors as well. Ecla placed it down and smiled, "Card games! I think this one is called... Mono? Something like that. I bought it from a Avalantine Merchant who taught me the rules too, he was nice. The rest of you can play too!" She waved for the others to join them for the game as she began to explain the rules, and prepared to play out the game to pass the time on the journey.

As much the subject of slaves was something that needed to be addressed. It was unneeded in this current time. So she kept quiet and chose to focus on more happier things like playing a game! “Hou? I don’t mind paying some rounds of this. Never played it so you can be my teacher here!” She spoke warmly. Joining the group in this game of cards. After a few hours a somber pressure started to weigh on her mind. While it was true that she began to ‘live’ many centuries ago and the rekindling of her love life making the universe seem more vibrant. The sense of guilt still sags within her. Growing old is a privilege denied to many. How many decades, centuries, millennia did she spend wasting away in her grief. Most of her life was spent alone on top of a tall mountain. A cage built by her own hands. While she never acted in the role of a god beside that one dark year. She very much became a machine. A husk of a mare who merely points somewhere and grunts for others to follow. Ah, she truly has much to atone for.

The Priests all enjoyed themselves playing the mysterious Avalantine card game. Elca was the only one who had played it before, so she had to each all four of the others how to play. And while Keme seemed cynical, he eventually got into it as fully as everyone else, allowing for some fun hours to pass the travel time by. But as those hours went, the ships moved, and in time they finally stopped. There was a knock on the doors to the quarters, and the one who opened it soon after was another one of the Prince's Rangian Vanguard. The Taurus stayed in the doorway, simply making his announcement, "We will be arriving on Dorcoth shortly, please pack your bags and gather anything you'll want to have on your person. We shall be handling the movement of major luggage, so please do not worry about that, but grab anything you'll need in the short term as the sleeping accommodations planet-side are being prepared. The shuttles will be leaving as soon as groups are ready." With that, the guard walked off to wake up some poor noble who overslept, and was going to get woken up so as to not make any offense to the prince.

Meanwhile, for the Priests, Elca hopped up and nodded, "Alright! Time to pack and gather our things then! You should do the same with your things, Amunet. We can meet you at the shuttle! First time visiting a non-Iammelonian planet, wee!" Enthusiastically, she began to pack up. The others went at it more calmly than the optimist of the group.

With everyone packing up she went back into her own room to do the same. Getting into a set of clothing that wasn’t anything fancy or regal. Her role was not to be the ruler of a distant, powerful country. But as a humble Hemet-netjer working in union with her brothers and sisters of the cloth. Thus her attire was simple. Linen clothing and white papyrus sandals. Her wings unbound and mane kept straight. Lastly she went over to the end of the bed where a long, rectangular box sat. Unlatching the locks both mundane and arcane, she opened it. Revealing a long, simple staff of pure arcalite. It would have been a beautiful piece of art if it didn’t look so rough and basic. No furnishing, no detail, just a strip of Arcalite that seems to only be hammered into a shape of a staff. The entire length was not even smooth. Most of it was rugged in a way that it could scrape the hand enough till it bled. It was very old and would have been whittled down to a smooth surface from use if it was not saturated in Heka. Every year she had placed layer after layer of Heka solely to preserve and reinforce the staff. She had been doing this annual ritual a little after she first came to that rainforest. The reason was practically engraved in a spiral up her staff. The names of her family in cuneiform. This staff is the sole physical evidence of their names. Even if it is just hearsay. Taking the staff out she went to pack the rest of her things. After that she would make her way to meet up with the group.

The Priests were all set up in the shuttle by the time Amunet arrived, fully dressed in their own travel attire. Which was also quite simple, to similarly suit the idea of being just a peaceful envoy of clothed pious folk, just wearing robes with some religious markings on them, as well as staves. Ecla was actually the most standout in this case, as she wore an ornate necklace, which had a number of gems on it in the shapes of trees, flowers, bushes, and small animals. She smiled as Amunet came, pointing to the Necklace as she happily explained its purpose, "Hey! So, this is the gift we intend to give the Grand Bishop! It's a peace offering, as this necklace belonged to an Ialao Saint, a peacebringer! Saint Growvine helped broker a peace between the Valorians and the Avalantine Republic, and converted a few Valorians in the process. Not enough of them, but it was progress, and convincing Valorians to stop warring earlier than they usually want is a big achievement! I think it's a nice symbolic offering."

While the Priestess was talking about the necklace, the shuttle took off, leaving the Zantine Frigate and heading down towards the surface of Dorcoth. Their destination was a large fortified city, some of which was built with Zantine Architecture but the majority was certainly foreign. The shuttle itself was headed to the more Zantine region of the city however. From up high however Amunet would be able to see that there were a fair few other cities fairly close by, as well as various smaller forts. There weren't very many small settlements around here, but there was much in terms of places like massive farms, large mines, or strangely isolated factories. The flags of Zantine Legions were very present as well around the city they would be landing in, all clearly acting as warnings to potential raiders and enemies. Fortunately right now, no such raid was occurring, and so they could go in for a safe landing.

Amunet slightly tilted her head when she was shown the necklace. “If it’s an offer wouldn’t be better if it were in a case or something? I feel it diminishes the impact if it’s being worn.” She simply noted as they board the shuttle.  Flying down to the surface she leisurely looked about along the distant lands. With how cluttered it is she wonders how easy it is for someone to trespass by accident by how much the border changes. It feels so constrained. Taking a breath she awaits their arrival. Now taking the moment to take the aerial view of the approaching city.

Elca appeared confused at that particular objection, tilting her own head to the side and not seeming to get it, "But it's a saint's relic, one that is worn! It's not a gemstone or a seed, so why would it go in a transport case?" At that moment Raisa, being the only non-Ialao Lifepriest besides Amunet, decided to speak up in order to explain, "It's a bit of Ialao culture, Amunet. They view items such as the clothing or accessories of saints as items to be worn in order to show respect. After all, if it was good enough for a saint, then it is worthwhile to wear for anybody else, lest you disrespect the saint in question. The act of gifting a relic that wear yourself is far more important to them, since you are giving up the prestige of the item for yourself in the name of giving it to another, and by wearing the item you show that it holds value to you as well. They actually see things like cases as diminishing the value of their holy relics by relegating them to mere pieces to gawk at. An odd little thing about forest dwelling spiritual kin, wouldn't you agree? Still, one must love their siblings in the cloth regardless." She smiled at the end of that, although the Ialao present all rolled their eyes.

The city, as they got closer, was closer to a sort of spiral. As expanding outwards was dangerous, it seemed the Artodeme preferred expanding their cities vertically, creating large skyscrapers and spires, and though it could not be seen from here that also included underground sections of the city. And of course, it was immensely cramped as one could expect. The landing site was in one of the nicer areas however, given that it was under Zantine jurisdiction. Nobody was there to greet them, all being rather busy handling the many other things the Zantine Fleet was bringing down. So it was up to Elca to explain their next move, "Alright! So, the Zantines are moving our luggage into our places to rest, which gives me the time to explain how this is gonna go down! So, our destination is the Holy City of Delpolympi, which is not too far away from here. However its location is a bit dangerous to bring in starships or aircraft, so we'll have to go over land. As such, we'll need to prepare transport, and protection for that journey."

“Oh I can understand what you mean and even agree with it. I was merely thinking about the relic collecting dandruff, sweet, and other bodily odor. Not saying she’ll get it dirty. Just noting that it’s very easy to dirty something if worn for an extended period of time. Trust me I know. But I trust she already knows how to be gentle with it.” Compared to her who became rather lax in class when she tied the knot. An energetic rush of learning all the things couples do. One day she wanted to experiment what a ‘quickie’ was and thought it was a good idea to do it right before court. Thankfully with some prestidigitation on her regalia no one will be the wiser that day. Going with the grin that was spreading on her face she responded again with a nod. “Yes, one must love their siblings in the cloth very much.”

Meanwhile to the present the ancient mare looked around her surroundings. Taking it all in she diverted her attention to Elca. “Makes sense. I pray we’ll have a smooth journey there.” She spoke in an upbeat manner. Feeling everything will go alright.

Ecla was of course quite innocent to matters of more intimate love, not being in a relationship herself. So she would indeed keep her relic nice and clean, or at least clean of the sort of stains that Amunet may have sometimes had to worry about. She nodded to Amunet, "I am sure we will, since I think I have a good idea of what transport to take." She moved over towards one of the edges of the landing platform, pointing down towards one of the city gates. Down near the gate a large gathering was starting, a large procession of common folk, merchants, other priests, and of course armed guards, which Ecla quickly began to explain, "There's a pilgrim caravan gathering down there! We can just join up with them, and become part of the crowd. The pilgrims are already rather safe, and naturally have protection from the more armed pilgrims as well as the merchant guards who join along, as merchants also join the caravans for herd safety. Plus, since their destination is the Holy City of Delpolympi, we'll likely have some Delpolympi Power Guard acting as an escort too. They're very protective of their pilgrims due to their zeal, which we can use to our advantage. And it's a great time to start talking to them too! They are who we have to negotiate with after all, so this is a great time to get a better idea of what we're dealing with! Of course, we'll have to get down to the gate... I guess we could take one of the hover-taxis. ...On that note, did anybody bring any money with them? Here, I think they accept Zantine Denars or Iammelonian Monocredit digital transfers. Only physical one they take is the denars, unless anybody happens to have some local Artodeme moneys!" While the last bit was indeed a joke, she was also truthful on the front that she didn't bring any money with her. The other priests similarly had not brought their purses.

Amunet watches the exchanging looks in light amusement. Wondering if the other had brought any money with them. She too did not bring any money with her. “I’m afraid I don’t have any wealth on me either. We should start walking down there if we want to catch up to them. I’m sure we can make it in time.” Showing optimism in the face of their blight she would go see if they can find some sort of elevator. If not at least a staircase will do. She was up for the cardio so she doesn't mind if they have to resort to the latter.

The other priests sighed at this fact, not being the most enthusiastic about exercise, except of course for Ecla, who happily nodded, "A great chance to stretch our legs after that long ride in the ship! Let's go!" With that, she set off, the other Lifepriests following at a more normal pace. Quite fortunately for them, with how this city was constructed there were multiple turbolifts that acted as elevators between the levels, allowing one to go from uphigh to downlow, and even further to the underground sections if they were at the right one. But the Turbolifts didn't always have all the options, and so they would have to sessions of walking in-between the lift rides, just moving to get to the next lift that could bring them down further. In time however, they got to the ground floor, and were able to go to the gates. Fortunately the convoy was rather slow in its setup progress, loading all the supplies for the journey and arranging spots for the pilgrims in the large vehicles meant to carry them. The vehicles were not mere trucks, but rather large, bulky, tracked vehicles, with armored hulls. They resembled military transports more than civilian vehicles, but of course it was understandable when one considered Artodeme priorities. Large bands of pilgrims were very tempting targets for the slavers. Amunet would also be able to see the guards and soldiers accompanying the pilgrims. Many of them were simple folk just carrying weapons, usually simple guns, laser rifles, or the plasma rifles the Zantines preferred. But then there were the far more heavily equipped troops, the Artodeme Power Guard. They wore heavy, full-body suits of power armor, and they carried multiple weapons. Some ranged weapons, but their main arsenal were actually melee weapons, like large powered spears and swords, even carrying hand-held shields to support that.

As they were at the caravan now, and all seemed to resemble pilgrims, nobody really questioned their appearance, although Amunet got some looks, as she was not something they were used to. One of the guards even spoke up to her, "Oi, you! With the wings! Haven't seen one of your types around! Are you one of the former slaves from Osmos? I heard they managed to get their hands on some of those Northern Iammelonian folks, but I haven't seen one. Got out of slavery rather quick too, as that shipment was only a few weeks back! Although I thought only some of you had wings, and only some had horns. Anyways, get aboard, we got room still for the faithful. Might have to be extra careful though if we got some high value former slaves aboard." The Guard then walked off before one could respond to him, going to talk to one of the Power Guard.

Keme quickly tapped Amunet's shoulder to get her attention, and spoke quietly, "Stick with that story. Better that you're an escaped slave gone priest than a ruler on a visit. Better not to tempt any of these folks, especially if they're already worried about slaver raids. You'd probably be quite the target for a big ransom, or worse. Not saying they could actually get to you, but best to not draw extra attention from desperate souls."

Dark and lewd thoughts shamelessly rose to the surface of her thoughts. It was a good thing her estrus cycle was a few weeks ago. Otherwise she would be a bit too excited to play the role of a slave. “Um...I believe I can make the story… tame.” She whispers suggestively to Keme. While she was very much mature, she believed herself to be and felt that several centuries of love making had settled her down. That wasn’t the case in the slightest and she knew it. That dark desire is fueled by unhealthy thoughts. Thoughts that she kept under lock and key. To let the dark sludge out. Was to risk letting out her other negative thoughts to the world. Of resentment, guilt, self-loathing, fear. Such darkness would certainly sow seeds of doubt in people around her. Making them wonder if she is truly a pure sister of the cloth. Yet she shamefully began to have thoughts. Old fantasies that could never be acted out. Her wings begin to droop, trembling ever so slightly. “If possible, I’m going to need a cold shower when we reach the city.” She admits to Keme in a low voice.

Keme showed a degree of disapproval on his face, as he could see that the idea of playing the role of a slave seemed to excite Amunet a bit too much for his tastes. He did not say it, but he clearly understood what she was thinking about there, "I see... Well, I am sure they have such facilities at Delpolympi. It is a well developed place after all, and we should be well received. Just... Please do not go overboard." Raisa however seemed to give a sly wink to show that she gave some approval in that regard, although she didn't speak. They all got aboard the armored transport, as the convoy was preparing to finally set out. Despite the rather heavily protective design, the interior was more similar to that of a bus, with seats in multiple sections as well as poles to hold if you just preferred to stand. It also had small areas to put luggage in case one needed that. The batch of Life Priests and lewd Sovereign would be able to find an area to sit without much issue. The Guards meanwhile moved to their own sections, some moving to little balconies that went outside so they could act as lookouts.

The doors closed, and the windows showed that they were moving, the landscape going past them now. One of the other pilgrims however, a Human, was sitting across from Amunet and seemed curious about her. He spoke up in the generally otherwise quiet vehicle to voice that curiosity, "Hey, pardon me! You must be one of those Osmos slaves that escaped recently! Are you faring well? I know Delpolympi is a safe place for escaped slaves, so you're on the right path if that's what you are headed for."

She gave a swish of her tail. “Don’t worry. I’m not a filly experiencing her first estrus cycle.” Her voice was of assurance and confidence. Closing her wings she returns Raisa’s wink with her own. Grinning all the while. Stepping onto the transport she found a place to sit. Taking her seat it finally dawned on her how fresh everything feels. Or rather not used to be in a place in society far down the social ladder. To ride in a busy transport with other people than going around in luxurious vehicles. A long time since she played the part of a faceless nobody. Not realizing how much she missed it until now. If nothing else this trip was already a worthwhile experience. Now she needs to make sure she didn’t lose her touch. Her ears perked forward when the human spoke to her. Magneta eyes falling on him as she listens. “Ah. I appreciate your sentiment. It’,,, rough. But I’m managing.” Trauma was not something to spill on someone so she tried to make her words short. “Yeah. I heard good things about Delpolympi.” She gave a ghost of a smile in agreement.

The Human Pilgrim seemed to smile, happy to see that she seemed to be holding up alright, "Well that's good. Life will improve for you quite a bit when you finally get to the Holy City, so don't lose hope just yet! The bishops are good people, many former slaves among their ranks who found the glory of life itself. So, just have some faith it will get better now."

While the Human seemed to try and encourage, another pilgrim spoke up, this time a female Ialao, "What did you do in Osmos? Were you a servant girl, or a soldier? You're pretty tall, look pretty strong. Did you escape while serving as a soldier? Were you the only one to escape?" The questions got an annoyed stare from the Human, who clearly found them insensitive. Meanwhile, out the windows, they seemed to be passing through a large tunnel, moving through the inside of a mountain. They were making good progress, even if there wasn't much scenery outside.

She gave a smile. The exchange felt ever so nostalgic. The barbed question from a second pilgrim while surprising was also flattering. Before the great invasions she lived a more sedentary lifestyle. And it definitely showed. Her body was the ideal image of a fertility goddess. Curves and thickness that had surely caught the heart of many. When her life demanded her to be more active. It burned away a noticeable amount of body fat. More physical demanding activities came in the form of her husband. Having a body that could endure rolling in the hay with the strongest dragon to ever lived was an absolute requirement. Leaving her with a body that falls somewhere between curvy bulky. It can’t be seen given the bagginess of her robe hides it well. Her legs and core are built from the constant use of them. Back muscles were already well defined since she possesses wings. There were defined muscles in her arms but are still fairly slender and soft. “I… had a master. He took care of me. I was his servant girl.” She tries to not express too much. Attempting to give the inclination that she had Stockholm syndrome. “I don’t remember how I escape all that well.” She admits in confusion. “There was a big fire… I hope he’s okay. He’s a good man. I’m sure I’d he had come with me, I could have brought him into Delviatu’s grace.” She mumbles off as her attention float over to the window. Looking out into the dark tunnel.

Her story seemed to impress the pilgrims, as while she didn't give details the idea of escaping during a big fire gave plenty for the imagination to work with. The Ialao nodded her head, "Suppose he was a lucky master to get you as a servant girl, must have cost him. Still, perhaps you are remembering him too fondly, most of them ain't good people. Although I suppose it does not hurt to at least try. Perhaps however during an escape was not the best time, probably would've just tried to catch you and bring you back! Perhaps that fire was a bit of work on Delviatu's part to get you out of that life, and set you on a more holy path. As a reward for that enduring faith! Guessing as a servant girl though you just did things like a maid would? Clean up, wash clothes, that sorta thing?" One of the other pilgrims, a male one, took a look at Amunet and nodded, getting his own ideas of what "servant girl" entailed from somebody such as her.

While the pilgrim kept trying to probe Amunet for more of those juicy details, since they really just wanted a story to tide them over during the ride, the vehicle kept moving. As they exited the tunnel, they emerged into a forested area. It was dark, as the forest cover blocked the light of the sun quite a bit. And as they began to move into the dark area, there was a loud clunk on the hull. Just once, and nothing directly followed it. One of the pilgrims who was initially freaked out sighed a breath of relief, "Ah, just a tree branch falling. Thought we were being shot at for a second there!"

She gazes at the blur of the tunnel wall. A wall of darkness. The current subject lull her mind back to those distant days. Letting out a sigh she rested against her seat. “A divine intervention..” She absent mindlessly parrot those words. From a bleak perspective it was technically correct. It made her wonder how her life would have played out if that night never happened. She doubted she would have been motivated in uniting the land. Preferring to just be a priestess. To let someone else take on that burden. Continuing to be transfixed on the passing tunnel walls she continued with the conversation. This time she was no longer in the mood to indulge in immaturity. She didn’t expect for herself to become sour this quickly. But she didn’t have the energy to truly feel melancholy. Too long had she mourned for what she lost. Shed enough tears to fill a Sea. Now, she’s just tired of feeling sorry for herself. That hole in her chest now nothing more than a dull ache. “I thought I was a good servant. I stuck true to his words. I did everything right. I was a good mare. But… Master wasn’t there during the fire. It was a long night. My sister who had also been captured with me got me out of there. I don’t know of anyone else who had escaped. I ran. I ran a long time. Along the way I became lost. Till I finally found my way out.” As if planned for dramatic effect they came out of the tunnel the moment she ended the last sentence. The thunk did make her wings flinch.

The Ialao pilgrim got a bit concerned there, frowning a bit, "Oh goodness, I hope your sister got away fine! A shame you lost track of her. How did you get out? Did you just stumble upon a city? Picked up in the wilderness? Got refuge in a Life-Chapel?" Other pilgrims were now listening intently too, all wanting to hear this daring story. However, unfortunately for them, there was a second thunk a bit later, this one louder. And then, an explosion. Fortunately it was not hitting their vehicle, but a bomb caused a large tree to topple over further on the road, forcing the convoy to stop. Soon after, a second bomb went off, bringing down a second tree behind the convoy. It was a trap.

The sounds of gunfire and frantic shouting then dominated the air. The shouting was from many sources, as the pilgrims screamed in fear and the guards started shouting out orders and requests for information on what was happening. If one looked out the windows, they would be able to see that gunfire was being shot down from the treeline, the shooters masked in the darkness of the woods. Then, somebody emerged from the darkness. A human wearing a full cloak, hood, and mask. In one hand they held a pistol, and in the other a grenade of some sort. They tossed it at the armored carrier, and it went off with a pop, unleashing a wave of blue static. As it hit the transport, the lights went haywire, the vehicle beginning to short out from the effects of the disabling weapon. One thing that did still work however was the doors to the carrier, which were opened by a group of guards and one of the Power Guard as they moved outside, to try and fight off this attack. One of the guards stayed with the pilgrims however, speaking loudly, "Remain calm! Stay in here, we will keep you safe! Don't go out of the vehicle, as that's what they want! Just stay here, and buckle down!"

Amunet-Rah did as she was told and hunkered down with the other pilgrims. Putting her faith in the Power Guards to handle the situation. In the meanwhile she goes around trying to comfort any panicking pilgrim. Making sure to sound worry as well to not sound too composed. Reassuring that they will be alright and giving them personal prayers. Her ears twitch every now and then to the sharp crack of gunfire. She eventually managed to get over to her friends she came with. “How are you all holding up?” She inquires in concern. Since she doubts they have seen much combat scenarios as priests.

The Pilgrims were all rather freaked out, the most worried actually being the ones who were real ex-slaves, since to them this was the terrifying concept of being captured and sent back into slavery. Still, Amunet would be able to keep anybody from getting too panicked, preventing anybody from doing something very stupid in a fearful frenzy. For the batch of Freeforest Priests, they were a bit varied in how they were holding up. Raisa seemed a bit worried, but was overall similar to Amunet in that she trusted the Power Guards to be able to do their jobs and fend off the slavers, and she spoke calmly, "Fine, overall. Although I am concerned for this one." She pointed to Ecla, who was very jittery, burying herself in her cloak with her hood up, not daring to look out just in case something bad was happening. As such, she didn't respond. Keme and Chask were particularly calm however, their eyes locked on the door to the carrier, waiting for anybody uninvited to show themselves. They had had one hand inside their cloaks, and if Amunet looked carefully she would be able to see that the two brothers had their hands on hidden pistols. Chask kept his eyes on the doorway, but spoke back in response to Amunet's question, "Just fine. Don't worry about me and Keme. We were militiamen before we took the Church Vows, and it is not unholy to bear arms in defense of one's self and those less capable of defending themselves. Let us hope it will not come to that."

Meanwhile, outside, the sounds of battle continued to rage on. The Convoy Guardians were having success, for the Power Guard did not have the same limitation as the usual guards in terms of eyesight. Their armor had night-vision modes, allowing them to see through the darkness of this thick forest, eliminating the main method the attackers kept themselves concealed. And in truth, most of them started fleeing as soon as the Power Guard began to charge, as was only sensible when a very angry man in power armor began to run towards you. Still, some were quite intent on not leaving without at least one prize, and as the Power Guard started to pursue into the treelines, a few went around; straight back to the convoy. The sound of gunfire drew closer, and closer, and then... One blast from inside the carrier, the source of which was Keme's plasma pistol. On the ramp, an Artodeme Slaver lay dead, a hole in his heart. Keme grunted, "That one was a straggler, doubt many more had his bravery."