Two Sides of the Warp Token Update

2k words

***

Doubt broiled up inside her. How could she hope to survive so much open ground? Her mind conjured images of flying monstrosities, lurking in the distant haze, ready to pluck her the moment she left the shelter of the trees. Gnawdwell had chosen Skyseeker for her cunning and sneakiness, but stealth and subterfuge wouldn’t be of use in all this bright, empty land. He should have sent an army in her stead, or at the very least a handful of trained stormvermin, what could she alone do what the elite of Clan Mors could not?

She turned back to the forest, her shoulders heavy with guilt. Returning to Skavenblight without the relic would doom her to a fate she’d feared all her life, but at least she would be alive, and she’d be able to live out the rest of her days in the heart of her Clan, underground and safe.

She closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath as she pulled herself together. If one of the other Great Clans took possession of the relic, then she may not have a Clan to go back to. Clan Mors was on the cusp of success, and victory rested in her paws. Her Lord would not have sent her if there was anyone else, was she truly ready to give up his trust in her so easily?

She had come this far, she told herself as she turned back towards the plains, forcing herself down into the dreaded expanse one step at a time. She would not let fear dictate the success of her mission.

-xXx-

She stalked the man-thing until the sun reached its zenith, the plains baking so hard beneath the light she could see the heat rising off the ground, the way the air shimmered as strange as it was intriguing. The grasslands felt like smouldering coals beneath her feet, and the hilts of her knives were hot to the touch, but she pressed on, turning her eyes every now and then towards the man-thing in the distance.

It was hard to tell with his back turned, but it didn’t look like he was fairing much better, the way he would stumble every now and then hinting at his own fatigue. It seemed even a surface-dweller like him wasn’t immune to the elements, that would make tailing him an easier task.

They were moving up the first layer of hills populating the plain, the man-thing stealing a glance back at her as he deviated to the right, Skyseeker seeing a feature through bleary eyes. Rising up from the grasslands was an outcropping of rock, bleached pale-white from the unfiltered sun, the way it sloped out and upwards reminding her of the shape of her weeping daggers. Flowers blooming in healthy shades of red and yellow were nestled in its long shadow, and it was here the man-thing was walking towards, his relief palpable as he collapsed within the rock’s shelter.

Skyseeker scrutinised him from further down the slope, laying on her belly as she watched him produce some kind of flask, sealing his lips across the neck. How pleasant it must feel to be shaded in this hellscape, both from the sun and the creatures that roamed the skies, not that she’d seen any such creatures. She knew they were out there, though, and her intuition hadn’t failed her yet.

Her mouth salivated as she watched clear water drip from the man-thing’s flask, his red face beginning to cool as he splashed it over his cheeks. She craved the coolness of the shade, but getting close to him was the last thing she wanted to do. She tried digging out a burrow right where she lay, just as she had in the marshes, but the ground was too tough and she was too exhausted, clawing at the dirt did little but blunt her nails. She looked for something else she could use as shelter, but the man-thing’s outcrop was the only feature in any direction.

Seeing she had no choice, she crept towards the outcrop, ready to dash away should the man-thing turn his pistol on her. He wouldn’t notice her approach anyway, a dumb surface-dweller like him couldn’t hope to detect a master assassin like herself.

The moment she came into contact with the shade, she threw her head back, forgetting the meaning of subterfuge as she let out the loudest sigh. It was like dipping her body into a pool of icy water, Skyseeker collapsing into a heap, her tail the last thing to leave the sunlight as she curled into a tired ball. She’d positioned herself as far away from the man-thing as possible, but the pool of shade was rather confined, and they were close enough that she could make out the individual strands of fur on the man-thing’s head.

“You’re stubborn, I’ll give you that,” the man-thing said. He was holding his pistol close, but the barrel was pointing between his feet. “thought I was going to have to cross these hills by myself for a moment there.”

“Silence,” she snapped, trying to summon up the strength to sound intimidating. “Not used to climb-scaling. No hills where I come from.”

“You’ll have plenty of time to get acquainted then,” he replied. “The Trantine Hills stretch on for hundreds and hundreds of leagues, this hill is just the first.”

She had no idea what a league was, but given the context it was probably a long distance. That wouldn’t deter Skyseeker, though, the man-thing was very likely lying in order to dissuade her. “Stupid man-thing won’t trick Skyseeker,” she replied. “Scurried all the way from Skavenblight, Tangerine Hills don’t scare me-me.”

“Trantine,” he said, his tone implying he was trying to correct her. Her nose twitched as she picked up on a curious scent, watching as the man-thing produced a slice of meat from his many bags, tearing off a chunk with his blunt teeth. His noisy chewing made her jealous, and she snapped her fingers to get his attention.

“Man-thing! Share food now-now.”

“I’m not giving you anything,” he replied over a mouthful. “Go find your own carrion, rodent.”

She moved a hand over the hilt of a weeping dagger. “Man-thing share, or will die-kill very quick!”

“You’re not going to kill me,” he replied, his confidence surprising her. “You’d have made good on that promise long ago, but you haven’t, because you need me. First to steal my horse, and now to lead you south. So save your breath, rodent, you look like you need it, the way you’re panting like a dog.”

Horned Rat damn this stupid surface-dweller, he was more clever than he looked. Sulking, she planted her chin in the dirt in defeat, closing her eyes as she tried to ignore the smelly meat. Perhaps after a quick nap, she could try foraging around, maybe find some more black corn if she was fortunate.

Trying to rest while the man-thing was so close was an effort, especially when she felt his lingering gaze, but she managed to achieve a sort of half-slumber, growling under her breath when the man-thing interrupted her. “How about this,” he began, Skyseeker opening one eye. “I’ll give you a piece of food, but you got to answer a question. What do you say?”

She bounced to her feet in one quick motion, nodding her head vigorously. “Deal-Deal!” she said, holding out her hands. “Gimme!”

“Question first,” he chided, holding a slice of meat out of her reach, Skyseeker rolling her eyes as she leaned back on her haunches, gesturing for him to proceed. “What exactly is your mission you mentioned before? Why do you want to go to southern Tilea?”

“Stupid man-thing ask two questions!” she snarled, holding up three fingers.

“You’ll get two bits of food if you answer them both,” he added. She chewed on a nail as she considered his offer. Should she reveal such crucial information to this creature? Secrecy was her one ally on this quest, but without food she would never succeed. Eventually she decided that a half truth would be the best approach.

“Great Horned One spoke to Council,” she explained. “Say Tilee-place must die-die. Great Lord Gnawdwell send me-me ahead of vermintides to look for man-thing armies.”

“They sent an assassin to scout? If that’s the case, then why were you with that warband we ambushed?” he asked, narrowing his eyes at her.

“Man-thing needs to clean ear-holes!” she snarled. “I am Clan MORS assassin, warband belong to Clan SKRYRE. Clans don’t get along! Needed to sneaky-sneak to scurry through unseen.”

“Suppose that makes sense.” For a moment she thought he was onto her, but he eventually pulled a few strips of meat from his pack, tossing them at her. “Alright, two treats, as promised.”

She snatched the food out of the air, giving one an experimental lick. It was saltier than anything she’d ever tasted, but she found the sensation enjoyable, Skyseeker shoving the odd meat down her throat, too tired to bother chewing.

As she raised the second piece to her mouth, she paused, sparing a glance at the man-thing. “What-What man-thing’s mission?” she began, the creature blinking down at her.

“Mission? Not on a mission,” he replied, but she wasn’t buying it.

“If man-thing tells truth, it can have-take treat back.”

“Seriously?” he asked, Skyseeker nodding her head. “As generousas your offer is,” he said, giving his bag a pat. “I’ve come prepared into these lands, unlike you.”

“Is man-thing scout too?” she pressed, crossing her legs as she sat down. “Your tail fled when Skryre attacked, then scurried wrong way-way. Why man-thing scout own Tilee-lands?”

“I wasn’t part of that mercenary band,” he explained. “not anymore. We had a… falling out, and I make my own path now.”

“Man-thing betray mercy-band?”

“Would you stop calling me that?” he said, dodging the question. “My name is Roderick.”

“Nice to meet you, Rick-rod… NOT!” she added, jabbing a finger at him. “What sneaky secrets does man-thing hide? It is too clever to be simple scout, just like Skyseeker!”

“Ah, so you’re not a scout then?”

Realising she just ousted herself, she held her mouth shut with her hands, but it was too late. “Man-thing not say I couldn’t lie,” she excused, ducking lower to the ground. “Food still mine-mine! Earned it fair-square!”

“I’d be surprised if you did tell the truth, Skaven,” the man-thing replied. “No matter, we’ve all got our secrets, just don’t expect another handout anytime soon.”

She flinched away as he stood up, retreating into the sun and behind the outcrop, peering round the corner once she’d safely drawn her weeping blades. The man thing gave her a quizzical look, then hoisted his pack onto his shoulder.

“You’re so skittish,” he muttered, turning his back on her. “Come on then, Skyseeker, the south awaits.”