Before long Saskue and Doshiki returned with their scans of the surrounding area, which was then loaded in to all of the parties HUD's. Arild began looking over the data, taking the form of a birds eyes map, looking for a likely place.
Yue perched next to Arild, looking over her own mappings, ponderously, lips pursed but silent for a time. "...what are we looking for precisely?" There was an exasperated quality to her voice. "...if we need a place to hold for a last stand, I would say the ideal position would be here..." She transferred the coordinates she saw to Arild - a shallow ravine above a low valley. "...as for likely inhabitance, knowing nothing about the Seelie, I really cant say. How do they live, where, why?" Amusement? Yes, probably amusement. "...how odd that I ask this as we are most assuredly on the verge of a death too horrible to imagine."
"Yue, that's not the best way to think. Our death's, while possible, are not 'assured', and if we keep our wits about us we have every chance of surviving until reinforcements arrive. In any case I'd say we're looking for both. If we can't find the Seelie, we are going to have to find some place to hold up for a while which, by the way, you have selected an excellent location for. And as for finding out what sort of area they live, we are so lucky to have some Seelie with us right now." Arild looked over to the Seelie and having the suit translate his words in to their tongue said, "Would any of you care to help us?"
Yue rolled her eyes. "...Arild, you've known me more than a day, and should know that even though logic tells me we are all going to be brutally massacred, there is no reason to accept logic at any point in life." Seriously, officers could be so thick-skulled at times... had her penchant for pessimism ever held her back before? "...and fatalism can be a most incredible weapon, you know." Playful-sounding, now. "...and Arild, surely they know of specific settlements? But it may not be the best of ideas to lead the Mishhu straight to them. If we are to make contact, make it carefully and quickly."
Thoron looked at the thing. He had not thought before at how odd different people could react to things, and this was clearly one thing he had not expected. He though it was common knowledge among Seelie that they would find the highest ground, but at the same time the flattest. This truly was the most simplistic thing he had ever been asked, and yet this thing still asked it. Another thing that worried Thoron was that his home town, Kanamaru, was only past the forest, and yet they hadn't seen it. Was it even still there? "High ground and flat. Kanamaru is just past the forest. It is the biggest settlement around for miles. I shall lead you...if you require."
Arild mused over the HUD, before talking to Yue over private radio, "Do you think we should go to the largest settlement when that is the area that was most likely attacked by the damn Mishhu?"
"No, Arild, I think we should not." Yue stretched her fingers and laughed, bitterly. "If you want my honest opinion, we should probably not approach any settlement at all, and avoid getting them killed. But since we really haven't been given a terrible amount of choice in the matter, and Kanamaru is our nearest option, it should be our first approach. If the Mishhu overran it, we certainly have too many between us and farther settlements to make the plan viable anyway. If they didnt, we may just get out alive."
Nodding Arild spoke in Seelie, "Alright, if you take us to your home that would be great."
Excellent, Thoron thought, a chance for him to shows himself. He stood up slowly, he didn't want to seem to keen. "Nim follow my lead, we are going to have to show ourselves here if we want to get of this land." This was all done telepathically, no one knew they were speaking. "Yes brother." Nim replied in his normal expressionless tone. "Follow me then."
Thoron took the lead and moved around the side of the slope going the opposite way from the settlement. "There is a reason my brother and I know about where we are heading. I shall not explain it, but these routes are only known among the elders, express routes for which they can get through to other settlements without being seen by people. We know them because of what we are, so that no person should see us without absolute need. We will exit from here into the Elders palace which is where you would most likely want to start first." He moved on, the entrance was not far from here, it was just a little round the mountain. It took them little less than five minutes, and as they came close to it could just be mistaken for art. The entrance was a gate that nobody without the knowledge would know to be but a slab of stone. On this stone where carving of trees, and rivers. The key to the gate was in the bottom left corner, it was a leaf. Thoron pressed this leaf and then moved to the middle where their was a rock, he turned this three times and pushed it in. Slowly the rock split in half and made an entrance into total darkness. Thoron stepped through without a care, him and his brother had been through many times. The path was simple and straight. When they came to the end Thoron did the same movement with the door and it slowly opened. It would seem to people that it was the same carving on both sides. As it opened they came out into a small room which had pots and spices in it. This was the store room of the palace.
Arild ordered the crew to follow the Seelie down the network of tunnels, and Ito and Jara followed too, gathering that they were going back to a Seelie settlement and that was better than staying in a cave. The journey went it relative silence, given that while radio silence had not been ordered no-one had much to say.
Looking around the entrance of the small room and after stepping through, Arild said "I think this might be a little small for all of us to fit in to." He said in Seelie, looking around at all the pots, and outside of whatever window like crevice they were using for illumination.
Thoron heard what the things said and moved out of the tunnel and into the store room. There where a lot of them and there would not be enough room. "Outside these doors there is a very long passage with room branching of at regular intervals. At the very end is the Elders conference room. We should head there if anything." Thoron said this quite quickly as he didn't want to be in the room for long. He moved to the door of the store room and opened it slightly. There was no one in the halls, this was slightly odd, but he didn't think of it as he wanted them to go un-noticed. He opened to door fully and stepped into the corridor staying right next to the wall.
Thoron heard what the things said and moved out of the tunnel and into the store room. There where a lot of them and there would not be enough room. "Outside these doors there is a very long passage with room branching of at regular intervals. At the very end is the Elders conference room. We should head there is anything." Thoron said this quite quickly as he didn't want to be in the room for long. He moved to the door of the store room and opened it slightly. There was no one in the halls, this was slightly odd, but he didn't think of it as he wanted them to go un-noticed. He opened to door fully and stepped into the corridor staying right next to the wall.
Yue raised a brow, but followed in relative silence, only occasionally commenting to Arild over the private communication channels. "...you know, I really don't like this." A happy-go-lucky edge to her voice. "If this is the largest settlement for miles, it seems to have already been drained of life."
Arild indicated that Thoron might want to go in first. He didn't want to be the one striding in to a possibly populated room in full battle-armour, without any form of introduction.
Thoron moved forward always on his guard, he had his claws extended although he wasn't sure that they would have much effect if the deamons were around. He got the the end of the corridor, him and Nim had been talking on the way down and there did seem to be something very wrong with the situation. There were always Seelie moving around these corridors, but none now. He knocked four times on the door, then a pause with another two to follow. Yet there was no reply. He pushed the door open and moved in. There was no one there all the Elders were gone. "There is no one here. This is very odd." He said to the thing next to him.
Arild readied his sniper rifle in his hands upon that, and came in to the room looking around him, searching for anything out of the ordinary. Or in this circumstance anything ordinary, since that was far more likely to be dangerous.
Yue, seeing Arild and Thoron's somewhat dubious attitude to the situation, hefted her Type 28 to a more comfortable position. Gods, how she loved those guns! Most firearms she didn't care much for, but the Type 28 SMG was a thing of beauty. "...Arild? Recall what I said about likely endings to the Mishhu getting here first?"
"Yes I do." Arild replied over radio, looking out of the nearest window.
"Do you think," Her voice was sugary sweet as she spoke, "Do you think it would be a good time to alert the crew as to the possibility of us not returning?" Yue almost sounded happy at the thought.
"No I don't." Arild said, "No reason to worry them. Think about it: The Mishhu invade and the Seelie are likely to flee from their towns, where they are more likely to be found and captured. An abandoned house is nothing to be overly worried about."
"The Seelie don't seem terribly comfortable either, Arild." Yue laughed. "...but if you think it for the best, I will resign my opinion."
"I have no problem with your opinion Yue, nor your cynicism. Caution is often a good strategy." Arild paused looking out another window, "I don't see any Mishhu, or any signs of violence."
Thoron wasn't sure were to go next. This is where the Elders always were, apart from one place, but that was impossible, they had never used the area. Or should he say, never had needed to use the area. He should have a look though. He moved slowly over to the wall. "This is not normal, all Seelie stay and fight. This is what we are taught from birth. The only time they run is when there is possibility of extinction, and that rule is usually seen as a joke. Yet there is something that we are also taught from birth. If in any case something does happen like that go to the hidden point."
"Well do you have any idea about where they might be?" Arild asked the Seelie.
"Of course." Nim replied as he walked over to the same wall at which Thoron was standing. "It is the same access code used for the paths. However this one does not consist of trees and rivers." When he looked at it this time there was a picture of Seelie all standing in a bunch claws out in there fighting stance. Nim kicked the lower left Seelies head and the panel moved in, then turned the lead Seelie's chest three times and pushed it. The door came open and noise came out, there was laughter and crying as well as talking from all the Seelie within the chamber below. Nim and Thoron stepped back. This was not there sort of social gathering. The path down to where the Seelie were was a stair case winding down. Yet the noise travelled.
"I'm afraid you're going to have to explain this to me." Arild said, holding his head, "Where are you planning on leading us, and why?"
"Sir, I think we should just follow him" Said Karin, tapping him lightly on the shoulder. "I mean, they're friendlies... and this is a safe place, or as close as it gets on this planet."
"No, I don't think so." Arild said, "Although thank you for your opinion." He spoke out loud in Seelie, "Where does this tunnel lead?"
"Is this thing a total idiot? Where does he think it goes, to the other side of the planet." Nim was slightly confused as he spoke to his brother through the one power they both shared. These things where clearly superior to them, but he didn't know the sound of a crying child, or laughter. Where else could this be but the final hiding place. "It's were everyone gathers when all else has failed." Nim said with a slightly puzzled look on his face.
"Hum. A racial gathering place, set back for times of great need in an attempt to survive in the face of adversity" quipped Karin, smiling. "I think it's safe sir... and again: ..." she finished, tapping her armour for emphasis.
Arild nodded, "Alright, you lead us there now if you're willing." He said in Seelie before broadcasting to his crew, "Be on high alert. Try not to be obvious, but be ready for a less than friendly welcome."
Thoron took the lead once more, he stepped into the tunnel. Nim waited so that he could close it up after they had gone through. It was a winding slope, but nothing too hard. He moved down and ended up next to a double door. He knocked four times, and then twice. All went quite.
"So uhm... why isn't the door opening?" Karin asked Arild, glancing at the two Seelie as she dropped a hand to her hip, resting it over her rifle. "I mean, there's got to be someone on the other side... Our pair can't be the first to arrive."
"I honestly have no idea," Arild replied privatley to Karin, "This is getting repetative and if we come to another door I'm having you break it down." Then he spoke to the rest of the crew over radio, "I don't like this, and I don't like the silence. Ready your weapons." He himself readied his Sniper Rifle.
Karin waited for a moment, nodded at Arild and readied her rifle before charging at the door, her heavy armour making short work of the old wood. She dropped, rolled and came up with her rifle up, aiming around carefully and scanning the new area, seeing little more than an elderly Seelie. "Looks safe sir..." She called back, grinning under her helmet.
Arild walked slowly in to the room, looked around to confirm what Karin had told him, and gestured for everyone else to join him, "Hello, we mean you no harm.â€
