Chasing the McCanon Gang

[Animael 1500]

 

 

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The clopping of hooves approaching the gates of Celia’nor reached Luciiaels ears and he felt his body turning upon the ball of a foot in an instant long before his mind had even registered the issue. He was back. Not just him, but a gang of crossbow wielding horse riders following the scar eyed Crosslinger himself, Mitch McCanon. Boots thudded against the ground as his body became a blur, doors pushed open and a hand lurched out in advance for the city gates within the skeleton hours of the night when little to no other guards were around. He clipped the lever, and the mechanism jarred. Chains flew and a deafening crash rang out as the gates slammed into the ground with all the force a tonne of metal exerted when unleashed to gravities whim. He finally allowed himself to breathe. Now the city was safe, what next was…

 

Mitch 'Crosslinger' McCanon: “Howdy” he says with a chuckle. “Imsa Lookin' fer one Jarad. That boy round 'ere?”

[🔥] Luciiael Silveira: “We don't negotiate and communicate with criminals in these parts. Lest you're here to turn yourself in.”

Mitch 'Crosslinger' McCanon: “Wells one of yer nobles tolds me to find em.. Called Siyala somethin' or other. Had to help em to hyspia.”

 

Lucy’s skin ran cold. What had they done with Lady Siyala…? His gaze drew to the other woman rushing into the gatehouse behind him, a touch out of breath as she muttered quickly what she knew. As she did so he cast his gaze over the group, taking in their features. All wore stetsons, each more strange in visage than the other, one in bright orange that seemed to cover a suit of plate, a hat attached atop it. Another dressed similar to a priest in some capacity, but with bright red and yellow trousers. And him, as he’d been when he shot down men and women a matter of an few elven days ago from the safety of the rooftops.

 

[Sofie] Siofra Mah'nel Adiler: “Siyala had been attacked earlier….”

[Sofie] Siofra Mah'nel Adiler: “-she only mentioned she had been attacked on the way to Hyspia, she had cuts all over her.”

[Quiet] [Sofie] Siofra Mah'nel Adiler: “The main thing she said… was her horse was shot dead, with arrows, yes anyone can do that but for the likes of that guy?… I wouldn't trust him.”

 

The situation seemed cut and dry. Either this man that had unleashed a flourish of bolts upon Celia’nor’s innocent had turned over a new leaf and miraculously decided to help a woman to extort minas out of her family, or the horse being shot dead with arrows was very much his doing. His gaze narrowed and a hand pressed to the balcony, his muscles tensing. Then… two more riders appeared. But not of the gangs ilk. Moreover, their barbed comments seemed to be intent to fight.Wasting no further time he leapt the railing and had his horse brought through by a Divadri stable boy. Mounting up as a golden sheen flickered about him and armaments of light manifested upon his person, nods between the Hero of Light ‘Lucy’, the muscular plated ker Okar’sil and the freckled plated wood elf Xilvyre were shared. The words of the latter two ringing out as their horses spurred to action.

 

Okar'sil: “Throw a helmet on, I'll ensure you return just fine with the heads of three bandits.”

[🔥] Luciiael Silveira: “Already have it on.” A grin forming on his face, a sheen of golden light flickering about his cranium as his shield formed upon his arm even as he held the reins, and sheets of gold plating swirled in a cascade around his forearm, brimming with arcane potential.

 

And thus the chase began, wind whipping around their faces and gear as they thundered across frigid mountain earth. A whirlwind of steel and leather. Each with visors down, a tight wedge formation to begin with, as the three rode with intent to catch up with the bandits that had shouted to scatter on seeing their approach. The bandits though were formidable, a motley crew of desperado like criminals, their leader quickly gaining notoriety for a reason as the crew did as bidden, scattering like sea spray against the rocks.

 

It wasn’t as simple as it appeared however, as one of the bandits broke away from the group, hushed words spoken. Circling back towards the closed gates. Not for Lucy to worry about, but concerning nonetheless. It took him but a fraction of time for him to connect the dots and assume her intent was to lure us in whilst the other three flanked. As his stalwart allies in a time of conflict charged towards her, he took the reins of his horse and veered it off to the side, a steely gaze of determination on his face as he began kicking his steed into a fleeting sprint of motion. As he crested the top of a hedgerow of the winery he saw what he expected. Could almost hear the grinding of teeth as one of the highwaymen lurched off to the side, his own flanking charge disrupted. He wasn’t alone though, and another began to circle off to the side. The one advantage of his translucent helm being his field of vision- he caught the blur of motion. Keeping his shield raised to protect his head from bolts wielded by each as they engaged in a game of cat and mouse. Flanking and outflanking. Driving the group further and further away from the city's gates.

 

His heart hammered. One on one, or two one one he could take them maybe. It wouldn’t be an easy fight. But there were more, and his allies were slipping ahead even if he was doing what he could to cover the rear and keep putting pressure on the highwaymen gunning for their sides. Dense canopy filtered moonlight into a muted mosaic of shadows as they galloped forth. Every now and then a masked face haunted him for a few moments before being driven off, their crossbows at the ready but never being given the clear shot they needed. He heard the whistling of bolts occasionally, but whether it was his magic, luck or positioning, nothing had struck him.

 

This was no straightforward pursuit, the mountainous terrain- a frankly labyrinth of steep inclines and ravines favoured the bandits, their tactics suited to the twisting and turning of the wilderness, a familiarity that granted them more than one boon. Lucy feigned a retreat, then galloped back along the path. He’d lost sight of his ally, but knew the two of them only had to contend with a single other horseman. More than once his horse stumbled over the terrain, despite how sure-footed and agile it had been bred to be, and partitions of his aura flared out, a great bloom of light created to guide its way, and unwittingly ward off an easy shot of him with the lights constant movement in swirling patterns.

 

His heart never stopped thundering in his chest, even as he saw the bandits peel away in the futility of further attempts at taking the fewer in number warriors. Fleeing off towards the realm of Haense. Lucy’s ears twitched, hoof clops and the sound of chuckled laughter still ringing in his ears, unable to determine whether it was them laughing now, or earlier as he worked to calm himself.

 

[🔥] Luciiael Silveira inhales shallowly. “Do you want a reward for helping? I mean at the end of the day even if we didn't get them, you still spared some civilians at these skeleton hours of the night. It'd be out of my own pocket, the Diraar don't exactly hand out minas to vigilante work.”

Okar'sil: “Mm.. My lari'onn here's quite empty of her pockets, so that would ne be so bad.”

[🔥] Luciiael Silveira: “All to her then?”

Xilvyre: “Ne, I'm fine. We did'ne do much.”

[🔥] Luciiael Silveira: “Are you sure? You definitely saved some poor soul just being here miss. You don't have to feel guilty about taking a reward.”

Okar'sil: “Ti, all to her. She's a bit reluctant to be paid.”

 

A smile formed on the young Mali’s face as he tossed the coin pouch up to the woman, not giving her an opportunity to further refuse. A small surge of warmth filled him just at the idea that she’d ultimately helped for no other reason than to help keep strangers safe, something that spurred him to pay out of his own pocket. Besides he’d ridden out there to fight bandits with four hundred minas attached to his hip, it was just goodluck to share it with people that had helped drive them off.

 

[RedResult 573]

*Would look again at the missive with a rather confused look upon his face. "Seems they means to git us pinned.. i aint finna lets that happen." the masked bandit would show the missive to his comrades around him as he chuckles.. seems there might be more ahead in his planning

[KartoffelZieht 32]

Siyala approaches to see the letter, and clenches her fangs "Let the hunt begin..."

[DahStalker 3692]

7 hours ago, RedResult said:

*Would look again at the missive with a rather confused look upon his face. "Seems they means to git us pinned.. i aint finna lets that happen." the masked bandit would show the missive to his comrades around him as he chuckles.. seems there might be more ahead in his planning

Susie "Bow-down" Sadieson twirls a newly stolen pink dagger in their hand, helmet falling to a tilt as their cowboy had glistened in the sky. "Saffron Lure?" She'd muse, unsure about this moniker, but satisfied none the less. "If ye wear a helmet, Mitch. They can't **** up yer nose in the posters."