Death has no Shadow [Ended]

Trails woke with a start and a cough. He heard the unmistakable slink of a knife and grunting. Mother fuckers think they can shoot my brahmin, chase me into a fucking spiders nest, and then just waltz up here and pick over the carcass? Fuck that shit. Trails jumped up and ran at the sound of the thief, forgetting he was unarmed and naked.

"Oi, you mother fucking piece of Solar Imperial shit, that is MY saddlebag." Trails ran at the burglar, a gryphon from the silhouette, not noticing that part of his tail was on fire. "I'll stomp you into paste and spread you on my crackers." Trails had to admit his rage fueled threats made no sense, but he intended on keeping them.

(roll for tackle, pin, and punch after the fact.)

The member 'Happy Trails' has done the following action : Chance Roll

'Chance Roll' : 64, 23, 10

"Oi, you mother fucking piece of Solar Imperial shit, that is MY saddlebag."

Cross awoken

It was dark, pitched dark, and he heard tumbling above, ' What in Luna's name is going on up there??! Cross's heart began to skip. This was a combat situation he needed to get his adrenaline flowing.

His horn lit up, shining the basement surprised by what was left in the corner, his eyes grew wide when he realized that Happy's guns were still down here. damn earth pony... he didn't feel responsible, it was that idiot who chose to sleep in a pile of dust.

Cross used his magic to bring the shotgun and pistol to bare, loading each of them. Sighing, he released the light, once more stepping into the darkness.

And with a bright flash, he was no longer there, standing over two figures wrestling on the ground, the one on top appearing to be a very hot-blooded Happy Trails, the stranger trying to keep him at talon's reach...'talon? its those fuckers again' Cross stared at the the tossing and turning before he decided he better help Happy.

(Telekinetic choke on Kes, Magic Skill 90)

The member 'Cross Roads' has done the following action : Chance Roll

'Chance Roll' : 85

At first Kes grunted, being thrown off and onto his back by the tackle from the body-by-the-fire. That was going to be sore in the morning.

The pony who attacked him had tried to launch a few other attacks it would seem. Unfortunately it ended up with him on the ground in a heap next to the big bird. Perfect for a counter attack.

Well it would have been, if Kestrels air supply didn't cut out.

The Gryphon felt his windpipe clench up suddenly, making his body naturally start to cough; attempting to clear whatever was blocking off the trachea. To bad that thing was magic. Way Kes had it figured he had 40 seconds before he blacked out.

'Fucking...horn-heads' Kes mentally cried out clenching his talons, reaching down into his own personal saddle bag. Reaching for what would hopefully be his salvation.

The bird had only on hope, and that was to distract the unicorn long enough to disable the spell. Hopefully he could do that and then subdue the damn pony that attacked he got up. Doubtful, but it would hopefully work.

The distraction as luck would have it came in the form of the weathered 10mm pistol the bird had picked up a few jobs back. It was already loaded, and the safety was permanently off; it had broken a while ago.

With twenty seconds to go before blackout he raised the gun up, and tried to take aim. Eighteen seconds left, he locked onto the white/red blur in the distance. At sixteen, he began to press on the trigger...

(roll to shoot Cross aiming at his body. Guns 55)

The member 'Kestrel' has done the following action : Chance Roll

'Chance Roll' : 2

Trails spun on his back legs and swung towards the attacker. He heard gun shots and saw Cross strangling the life outta the figure, the unlucky gryphon firing wild. Trails chuckled and trotted up to the thief ready to have some fun.

(Roll for disarm and punch)

The member 'Happy Trails' has done the following action : Chance Roll

'Chance Roll' : 24, 98

He may have been firing wildly, he may have even stood a chance at hitting the unicorn in the distance. But the solid blow to the side of his head made short work of any such fantasies.

Kes's arm went limp, along with the rest of him, and the pistol hit the ground.

His vision began to fill with black, the world slowly fading out. and all the big bird could think was this.

'Huh...how 'bout that.'

(rolling to pass out, just for laughs.)

The member 'Kestrel' has done the following action : Chance Roll

'Chance Roll' : 96

The bird went limp. In the darkness Cross could only see his its silhouette , but under his magic, the struggle stopped.

Releasing his telekinetic grip, the feathered foe dropped to the floor with a small thump. Cross gritted his teeth, this asshole was a pathetic thief and nothing more.

Cross walked up to the target, small breaths indicated he was still alive, Cross walked up and spat"How you like getting shot at asshole?!?!"

Cross decided to cast light and check the perpetrators face.

Giving him a heave with his hoof, the bird rolled over.

Cross moved his head in to get a better examination, somewhat perplexed by what he saw, streaks of black and brown feathers reveling in the light.

And the mask, the all so familiar mask.

And the sack, the all too familiar stenching sack full of ...ugh... trophies

"Hey...you know what....I think I know this gryphon.....and he might be your hunter" Cross turned to Happy, perplexity ringing through his eyes

"What should we do with Kes here?"

Trails walked up to the bruised and beaten body of the thief and admired his hoofwork. The gryphon was older, scarred from years of life in the wastes. Trails looked them over and picked up their knife, weighing his options. He could see in Cross' eyes that he wanted to murder the bastard, but it wasn't in him. His anger had evaporated once he saw that they were down for the count.

He looked at the gryphon's pack. While they were armed to the teeth the only rifle was a well worn hunting rifle. He dismissed it seeing that it had iron sights and went back to checking his brahmin's saddlebags. The radigator was still there alright, just like it had been for the past few weeks. He was beginning to wonder if he'd ever be able to get rid of it.

"C'mon let's get this fucker in the basement." Trails said walking towards the glinting campfire. "And I'll take my guns back now, thank you kindly."

It was perhaps a lucky thing that Kes was not conscious at the moment. Had he discovered the two prowling through his belongings he would not have been so merciful as to let them go. Quite the opposite really.

It would take some effort to move the scarred Kestrel from his place on the ground. He may have had a sleeker build than most of his fellow gryphons, but he was by no means lightweight. Years spent fighting and wandering the wastes had toned his form, while adding pound after pound of powerful, lean muscle to it.

Again it was lucky that the bird was out cold for now. It meant that he would put up no fight to the change in location; his body hanging limp, like some kind of over sized plush or child's doll.

A possibly fractured skull, from the blow that the earth pony had landed, would at least slow him down and discourage any counter attacks until he could heal himself; or have someone else heal him.

Assuming he woke up and was not in a bad mood that is.

"Hey Kes, you awake??" Cross stared at his black feathered friend. His breating was alright but Happy had really done a number on his face, gashes dripping between the black feathers.

Cross hoped kes was alright, he was one of the few figures in the wastes he found tolerable and efficient. Everypony else eventually got on his nerves.

Kes rarely talked.

Cross found his cold silence and vigilance relaxing means he never talked back meaning he never offends Cross which was always desirable in his companions and yet for some reason, Kes was always the one griffon he ran into in the wasteland more often than not.

He set to try to mend his wounds, passing his hood over his green mane and his brightly lit horn set to work. This wasn't surgery a little magic should attach the flesh right back up...

"You feel better? 'Happy' sure took it a little too far"

(Roll to heal wounds, magic 90/Med 38)

The member 'Cross Roads' has done the following action : Chance Roll

'Chance Roll' : 42

For a while, Kes was silent as always, and still as death. The introduction of magic to his system did not heal all the damage, but it certainly helped nicely. Having a thick skull helped the Gryphon avoid a full fracture, still it would no doubt hurt like a bitch for a few hours.

Unfortunately for Cross it also woke Kes up.

He grunted a bit, growled, and mumbled out something unintelligible. His whole chest seeming to reverberate with the sound. His eyes, still clenched tight, began to twitch. Flicking back and forth as if he were caught in some sort of dream. No...not a dream. A nightmare. The lids violently, the pupils of Kestrel's cold golden eyes contracted to pinpoints.

Then, all hell broke loose.

Acting on instinct alone, the aged wanderer locked his gaze on the first pony he saw. Apparently he was not aware at that particular moment that the pony was Cross, nor was he aware of the fact that the unicorn was helping him. All he knew was that he was alive, and that he was possibly in danger.

His muscles would tense and then, like a wild animal, the gryphon would lash out. His left hand launching out like lightning to try and grasp his 'captors' throat. Should it find purchase, it would tighten like a vice; an attempt to hold the pony no doubt.

This would be followed by another simple, yet effective movement. With only a low rumbling growl the bird would twist his body, flexing his powerful muscles and launching his fist towards their face.as he simultaneously pulling his foe towards him,

Should the blows land they would no doubt be a bit underpowered. Kes was still groggy after all. But that would not really matter at this point, all Kes wanted to do was daze his opponent and then get some distance ASAP. Distance meant safety. Distance meant survival.

(Rolling to grab, pull, and punch. Unarmed 25, Strength 7, Agility 7)

The member 'Kestrel' has done the following action : Chance Roll

'Chance Roll' : 17, 16, 72

Cross saw Kes blink, and he opened his mouth to say something but before an echo could leave his lips Kes had already reached out and tried to grip Cross but the scruff of his cloak. The bird's eyes didn't seem to be registering with his body, his muscles acting on pure training

"Hey....whoa...now hold up no-" *BAM*

"LUNADAMMIT" Cross fell back, blood glistening off his nose, a sneer in his eye caused him to wince and the bird struggled to get in another blow, he knew Kes was jumpy, Oh why or why did everypony he meet have to be jumpy?!?!?

(Roll to telekinetically restrict Kes's body to the wall: Magic 90)

"Calm down Kes! its...errgh.... Me! Cross, remember??? get your shit together!!!" Cross pressed his hoof tightly against his nose, forcing pressure on his wound to stop the bleeding 'please Luna, don't let it be broken...

The member 'Cross Roads' has done the following action : Chance Roll

'Chance Roll' : 55

Trail let out a sigh and ran a forehoof through his mane. The water he was washing up with was a sickly shade of green, but a few rads were worth getting the caked on gore off. Trails snatched up a rag from his saddle bags an dried his face with it, groaning with weariness. He walked sluggishly to his rolled up vest, got out a smoke, and lit it with the campfire.

"That's better." He muttered, taking a short puff and blowing a smoke ring.

He walked to the mouth of the apocalypse made cave, absent mindedly fiddling with his worn pistol. The damn thing had gotten dirt in the chamber when Cross had stashed in the basement. He swore to himself with frustration, trying to scrape mud off the firing pin. Good thing Cross didn't fire this when he was playing war pony. Would've lost his face. Who the hell put a gun barrel down? His train of though was interrupted by the sound of a brawl in the cellar.

"Son of a-" Trails yelled, running as fast as he could to the trap door.

In the basement a wide eyed gryphon stood rigid across from Cross. Trails could see the faintest outline of Cross' magic surrounded the gryphon, holding him tight. Trails let out a sigh and jumped down to join them.

"Can't even leave you two alone for ten minutes can I?" he chuckled.

For a few seconds Kestrel's instincts retained control, forcing his body to fight against the magical bonds that held him. However it was not to last, as soon enough the bird regained control of his body and his eyes once more hardened and returned to normal; well, at least Kestrel's version of normal.

His pupils, once smaller than pinpricks, dilated, returning to their usual state after adjusting to the lighting of the dank basement. Next, his muscles relaxed a bit. Not enough to say that he was fully relaxed, but enough that one could say that the bird was 'at ease'. He never completely relaxed anyway, just ask Cross. Kestrel was always tense it would seem. Always alert and ready to strike.

Not like he could do anything while being held hostage by magic though.

After a few moments of glaring silence, in which he gave the newcomer and Cross a rather in-depth glancing over, Kes asked a single simple question. One that was directed primarily at Cross it would seem.

"That you Red?"

His voice was a touch more gravely than usual, no doubt a side effect of being choked, but it still maintained the same frigid calm that Kes was known for.

"yugh ids mea you beeg dig!!!" Cross's blood dripping all over his hooves, glistening off the floor

"Whud da heel Ide dot yoo were suposed too bee a proffessnal??!" Now Cross brought both hooves onto his nose, covering it up and giving him much more heavily nasal tone.

(Roll to fix nose: Med 39)

"ughh, what the fuck?!?! it was Happy that gone done dat to you!!"

The member 'Cross Roads' has done the following action : Chance Roll

'Chance Roll' : 34

Trails fought to stifle a laugh at Cross. The unicorn looked ridiculous fighting the steam of blood flowing from his muzzle. Trails sauntered over to the tough looking bird, giving him a hard look in the eye. Seemed Cross had tried the whol tough talk route and gotten more than his ego bruised ego for it.

"Name's Trails," he began, giving his cigarette a long puff, "I'm the pony you tried to rob just a few minutes ago. I want to know three things: "Trails cleared his throat," who are you, why did you try and rob me, and do you want any radigator?"

Kestrel shifted his gaze from the bemoaning Cross over to the pony that had called himself Trails. The Gryphon's golden eyes seemed to lower the temperature in the room as they scanned every available inch of the equines form.

It was not a gaze of admiration or respect though. No. It almost seemed like Kes was mapping out possible weak points on the ponies body, looking for places to sink his talons into, or place a shot. It was routine for the ol' bird to do this. To turn his frozen, predatory gaze on all who he met and formulate plans to brutally murder them.

Twas a helpful, if slightly morbid, hobby to have out here in the wastes, but one that kept Kes alive.

Only after his 'studying' was done did Kestrel bother offering a reply to Trails. Again the words came out gravelly and cold, though this time the birds voice had recovered a bit and it wasn't as abrasive as before.

"Name's Kes. Collecting m' pay. N' only if its free." he responded before he again tried to move. This time he was not in a state of fight or flight though, so the pressure against the magical field that surrounded him, if it still did, was slow and steady not rapid and jerky.

If he was allowed to move he would stretch himself out a bit. Flexing his wings in broad arcs along with the rest of his body. A quick succession of pops from his joints, and a twist of his neck would symbolize the end of this little stretching session. His wings would once more settle by his side, and he would stand up to his full height once again.