epidemiology | [open] defending the flowerlands

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[open] defending the flowerlands

CHARACTERS: aloy and YOU!
DATE: after youmi's decree, before event: diplomacy
WARNINGS: probs violence, maybe MURDER
SUMMARY: aloy is protecting farms throughout the flowerlands from skirmishes
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[The penalty for attacking the Mountain Clan is death, Empress Youmi had said, but it didn't stop the fights from breaking out between the empires. The Flowerlands bears the brunt of it, of course, situated between them as it is, and the idea of farmers -- not soldiers, not trained in battle -- getting caught up in a conflict that doesn't even concern them stokes an anger inside Aloy.

She's borrowed a horse from a Sea Clan stable and is riding it between each farm, sometimes on the road and sometimes not -- it all depends on what will get her to each point the quickest. She makes a circuit, repeating her patrol methodically to make sure all the farms have equal coverage, but she's only one person. It was only a matter of time before she was too late.

Aloy can see the smoke in the distance, marking another burning farm as the latest casualty between ronin not paying attention to the trajectory of their fire arrows. She pauses on the road before spurring her horse in that direction, and spots someone else nearby -- a guildmate.]

Hey -- let's go! We need to stop this.

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[ Aizawa's been running himself ragged with these people. Seems he can't turn around without running into another farm on fire, or another argument turning to drawn swords and notched arrows. He's on patrol, too, when Aloy catches up to him, about to head in the very same direction she's pointing to. He glances up at her, his eyes lidded, his expression otherwise hidden by the folds of his scarf. ]

Yeah. On it.

[ He doesn't have a horse, though. ]

[Aloy has a moment of hesitation where she thinks that maybe she ought to tell Aizawa to stay put -- he looks like he's about to fall asleep on his feet -- but then again, he always looks like that, so she only twists her mouth in determination and holds out a hand.]

Climb up. He'll be able to carry both of us.

[She assumes?? Anyway. This is the first time she has ridden a horse that isn't a machine.]

[ Has Aizawa ever ridden a horse? Aizawa has never ridden a horse. Nevertheless, he takes her hand, and swings up behind her easily enough. He figures it won't be much of a problem if she's the one doing the driving, so to speak. ]

Hope you know what you're doing with this guy, because I don't.

It's simple enough, [she says over her shoulder, then squeezes the horse's sides -- something she picked up from watching other people, naturally, since machines just kind of... go -- causing it to whinny and surge forward.

Hopefully Aizawa has enough of a mind to grab onto Aloy or he's gonna go flying off the back, probably.]

[ He does, in fact, grab onto her waist--purely so that he doesn't get thrown back down to the ground. The horse is swift, and the rush of wind sends his hair (as well as part of his scarf) flying behind him as they hurry towards the skirmish. Aizawa bows his head; grits his teeth. ]

This is the third fight I've seen today.

[The wind also sends Aloy's hair flying back, so have fun getting hit in the face with a bunch of ginger braids, Aizawa.]

Second. [It's not good. Even when the Shadow Carja fought the Nora, it wasn't like this -- it was war band versus war band, not countless unorganized fights between six or so people, spread throughout miles of neutral land.

Once they get closer to the farm, the air filled with smoke, Aloy has her horse slow down due to the lowered visibility.]

Let's hope they can't see us coming, either.

[ Aizawa jumps down off of the horse as soon as he's able. He lands silently, crouching down, hands in the grass. He has some experience in the stealthy approach.

He glances back at Aloy, even as he's loosening the scarf around his neck. The smoke is thick, and it's making his already aching eyes water. ]

Can't tell how many there are.

[ He hears shouting, the clash of steel, the whistle of arrows. ]

More than a few, though.

[Aloy's got a little more to deal with before she jumps off the horse too, steering it off to the side so it won't go careening into the battlefield. As she leaps off a second after Aizawa, she gives the horse a tap on its rear, sending it off to safety, then lands in a crouch as well.

She's taking her bow off her back as Aizawa... loosens his scarf... ok whatever guy -- and she nods grimly.

Turning to the fray, she touches the Focus at her ear, lighting up a halo that he can see and outlining figures that he can't.]

Eleven... or so. I can't tell who's fighting and who's just trying to get out. [She jerks her head toward the east.] Empty over on this side.

[ There's that useful tech again. Aizawa glances at her for just a second before he heads into the thick of it, a loop of scarf loose in his hands. He heads east, per her direction; from that vantage point he can see about a half dozen people fighting, and the rest just trying to escape. He throws the loop in his hand, which moves so quickly that it's difficult to tell if he's even touching it. The scarf grabs a couple of the sea clan ronin, dragging them back abruptly by the waist, causing one of them to drop her bow.

It's a bit of a dramatic entrance, and it does what he intended it to--the fighting shifts as everyone turns towards this newcomer, unsure now, but no less aggrieved.

That's gonna be Aloy's cue. ]

[Aloy spares a brief moment to marvel at whatever Aizawa's choice in weapon is -- it can't just be clothing, that's impossible -- but there's no time to ask him about it. There's barely even time to gawk at it.

Gritting her teeth, she nocks an arrow and aims near a ronin's head, letting the arrow sink into the tree next to him instead of hitting him. (Not that she has any issue with killing people, but Aizawa seems to be heading nonlethally, so she'll follow suit for as long as she deems it safe.) It has the intended effect, splitting half the group's attention away from Aizawa, though Aloy is still hidden in the grass so they're not really sure where the arrow came from.

This is what she wanted, of course, because it lets her move around through the grass while they're distracted, coming around to the other side so she can ambush a few with her spear, whacking them to the ground.]

[Zari is starting to run ragged in terms of putting down skirmishes, but she's not going to stop until they do, which is why when she hears Aloy's call, she's already on the move.]

We should really employ the buddy system.

[Something no one thought Zari Tomaz would say ever, but these fights are a lot easier to take down when you have someone to help you. But that's about all the commentary she gives before she presses the red jewel in the middle of her amulet and feels the wind starts to pick up around her, ready to follow her command.]

Do we want to separate them or just subdue?

[Aloy isn't certain what the 'buddy system' actually is, but she gets the gist: two is better than one. Although she's used to working solo, she can't deny that it goes faster if she works alongside someone else.

She's already pulling the bow from her back in anticipation, so... "subdue" is probably the more accurate term that's on her mind, but the direct question gives her pause.]

If they'll listen to us, separate. But we should be prepared they won't.

Got it.

[And she'll pause for a moment, taking a second to focus and create a small whirlwind with her hands. Her aim is to wedge it between the two ronin and force them apart, but some of the force just glances off the ronin's armor, and only manages to get them apart just slightly.]

Hey! Stand down.

[Aloy's eyebrows raise at the sudden gust of wind that comes from nowhere -- well, not nowhere; it's obvious it comes from Zari, but the how is a question that's not immediately important -- but she doesn't comment, instead urging her horse to trot closer to the ronin.

Arrow pointed at one of them, she echoes,] Hey! We mean now.

[The ronin take a beat, look at each other and then decide that if they take care of the interlopers first, they can finish their original beef after.

So one of them draws their bow, and the other has a sword and Zari swears.]

Guess they're not standing down!

[Well, they tried.

Aloy doesn't waste any time arguing, instead letting her arrow fly toward the ronin drawing his own bow. She's aiming for his hand, but she can't say she isn't a little disappointed when her aim is true and she misses injuring him further.

That takes care of that, but the one with the sword moves quickly toward Zari; Aloy wheels her horse and calls out,] Watch out!

[Zari hears the call just in time to just dodge the blade, though it grazes against her shoulder. She does throw both her hands up once she slips to the side however, before aiming another gust and blowing that ronin back from her, forcing them a few steps backwards to give Aloy an opening for a shot.

If not, she'll take a swing herself, but she needs a beat to reset her stance.]

[Quickly, Aloy nocks another arrow, waiting for an opening -- and when Zari gives her one, she lets the arrow loose at the second ronin.

This arrow is different from the first, though; instead of having a pointed arrowhead, its tip is dull. But this doesn't reduce the effectiveness of the arrow, and when it impacts, there's an arc of electricity surging around the ronin's body. He yelps and loses his balance, dropping to one knee as the electricity still pulses.

Aloy leaps off her horse and draws another arrow, coming closer.]

What are you two doing? If you have to fight, don't do it near someone's farm!

Seriously.

[Zari runs up to join her, looking annoyed and prepared to release another gust if needed.]

People who destroy property should have to pay to fix it.

[This sort of thing isn't new to Hayame. In a world where soldiers were pressed into service from the field and the workshop, where most were not raised to be true warriors... the torch was the far more effective method to sew chaos and death.

She's already on her way, hooves churning dirt softened by recent rain- something that at least buys them time on the distant burn. Hands grip the harness she has lashed about her equine chest, a brace to keep her human spine steady at a gallop, black main and tail wiping out behind her... when she sees Aloy.

At least she's mounted. She should be able to keep up.

So rather than waste the air to reply, she just nods in acknowledgement... and kicks the pace up a notch, changing direction just slightly to bring her closer to Aloy's horse.]

[It's the first time Aloy's seen Hayame at a gallop, but she doesn't have time to study the way both halves of her move -- instead, she grits her teeth and urges her horse to speed toward the smoke and the fire. Riding an actual organic animal instead of a machine is still something she's getting used to, and she has the habit of pushing the horse too hard, but it's the furthest thing from her mind right now.

It doesn't take too long for the both of them running at a full gallop to reach the farm; the sounds of metal striking metal can be heard even as they ride up, and smoke chokes the area, reducing visibility considerably.]

Damn, [she mutters, wheeling her horse instead of plowing right into the fray without even knowing what's there.] Can you see anything?

[Fire is something that Hayame does not like. It bring out an instinctual, bestial fear in her that she can control, but does not like to feel at all. Still... she is no stranger to it.

And though she aspires to the hero's death, the warrior's sacrifice, she does not relish it in a place like this, for a cause so small. She digs her hooves into the dirt as she pulls up short, unhooking her fingers from her harness and instead smoothly pulling an arrow from her quiver and unhooking her bow, notching it on the string as she glares into the smoke.]

No, just-

[What she was about to say dies as a figure appears in the smoke, running towards them... and though Hayame immediately aims, almost fires... it's a farmer, running from the attack with valuables clutched to their chest.]

[Aloy's reaction is much the same; she grabs her bow and nocks an arrow swiftly once she sees the figure dart out, but --] Hurry! Get out of here. [So it's probably a good thing they didn't just barrel through. If people are trying to flee...

She calls out to Hayame again.] Avoid the road! We could trample people escaping.

[Instead, she guides her horse to the side, toward the outline of houses she can see through the smoke. She touches the silver device by her ear, which glows in a small halo and lets her see the outlines of organic figures, at least, though that doesn't help Hayame so much.]

Can you get upwind?

[It's difficult to tell from here just where the smoke cuts off north of them, but the wind isn't strong and the smoke shouldn't move suddenly, unexpectedly... so Hayame nods, her knuckles still white on her bow as another farmer runs past them.]

And you?

[Had she a plan?]

[It's an awkward thing to explain, that she can see shapes and information that others can't thanks to literally forbidden technology, and Aloy pauses just out of habit -- but she cuts it short. She knows Hayame well enough by this point to know she wouldn't waste the time asking in this situation.]

I can see who's there. [Simple enough. She starts to strafe to one side, still keeping low.] I'll stay out of your way, don't worry about hitting me. We can hit them from both sides.

[Good call. Hayame has trouble understanding such technological concepts on a good day- let alone the middle of this sort of growing chaos. So despite the strangeness of such a claim...

She nods again.]

Very well. I will meet you within.

[If she said she could stay out of her way, then...

Hayame veers off from Aloy and her mount, keeping it to a canter so that she can keep her hands on her weapons and not need to grip her harness, racing off north along the edge of the smoke.]

[Despite the Focus allowing her to see the shapes of anything moving around in the smoke, Aloy still has to contend with the smoke -- it chokes her, burns her eyes, and as she drives her horse up to the flames, she makes the decision to abandon her mount so she can better stay under the smoke. She won't be as mobile this way, but if she uses the smoke as a cover...

Her horse trots away, happy to be freed of the danger and the smoke, and Aloy crouches low. She can see Hayame's shape in the distance, glowing pink and purple like every other organic thing, and keeps it in her mind to remember where she is.

Once she's close enough to a skirmishing pair of ronin, Aloy swings her bow out like a club to knock them both to the ground. Two down.]

[Hayame's concern for how Aloy planned to do this fades away with each minute, her keen instincts instead focused on locating the enemies. Some might argue that in these situations no one was truly at fault, that the clans both had equal claims and reasons to fear or fight...

But Hayame does not believe such things.

Now, they are enemies. And enemies are to be subdued.

Once she makes it around the growing smoke, avoiding with a wide berth the farmhouse ablaze, she tears into the fray, jumping over a low wall and physically barreling over a ronin trying to switch between a torch and his blade, leaving him hoof-winded on the ground.

An arrow finds its way into a ronin shoulder as she prepares to chase after a panicked farmer.

Another two down.]

[Aloy keeps a sort of halfway focus on Hayame's positioning, just to avoid being hit with an errant arrow, but she also gets an idea of the amount of lethality Hayame is willing to use. She's using her weapons to injure, not just subdue, which Aloy is fine with -- it gives her a cue to how they're doing this, and she follows suit.

As the two ronin Aloy knocked down hit the ground, three more glance her way, pulling swords and a scythe. They're all Mountain Clan, advancing on Aloy since she attacked one of their compatriots; she quickly swaps her bow for the spear at her back and meets them head-on, striking one and dodge-rolling out of the way of the remaining two.

This catches the attention of a Sea Clan ronin, who uses the opportunity to slash at her distracted enemies. She's surprised, of course, when Aloy slams her spear into her as well, mistaking her for a Sea Clan sympathizer.

That's another four down -- and then Aloy catches sight of the burning building beginning to crumble, while a few farmers are trapped nearby. If the building collapses, they'll get caught in the flaming rubble; Hayame is faster, Aloy knows, so she calls out.]

Hayame! The building!

[The building.

Hayame had given it a wide berth, because there was something about fire that awoke instincts in her she has always been taught by the humans who had raised her to ignore, to view as bestial and lesser. It's wild in her eyes when she looks up at the call and jerks her head towards the farmhouse, stomping down on a ronin with hoof to armored helmet until they stopped moving.

A wall cracks, and she curses under her breath before she gallops that way, temporarily abandoning her bow because she needs her arms, jumping over prone bodies and rubble with graceful bounds, mane and tail streaming out behind her in a black arc before hooves churn into the dirt-

Those farmers might not have imagined a centaur would be coming to their rescue, but Hayame certainly doesn't pause to explain, simply throwing her body into slamming up against the fallen beam that is trapping their exit, muscles bulging along her frame as she half rears up to enable them to escape... except for one woman, who seems to be trying to run back towards the building... crying out about a child.]

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[open] defending the flowerlands

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