Crouching, Halrakka lowered a clawless hand to brush at the layer of dust on the ground. "This is going to make a hell of a noise, Ita."
"Damn right it will. You think reptiles are renowned for their sense of hearing? Or their intelligence, for that matter?" the fallen Vala barked back moments before raising her axe to cleave apart additional vegetation. Kicking the abundance of damp leaves aside, she turned her head behind her, in her son's direction. "This is important. We've lost far too many pivotal men." Ita's last words staggered, but both she and Halrakka chose to ignore it.

A small clearing they had created within the rainforest, a makeshift means to test several rounds of hopeful raiders that had thus far accompanied the core group in their endeavors from Nandgirith to Taurerosa. Halrakka straightened, yawning. "And what do you intend to do to test them? There are no valuable ruin systems in this entire part of Ea, to my knowledge."
"I'm not clearing this place out for fun, you know. We'll test them right here." Ita threw the remnants of a small tree trunk in Halrakka's direction, which he immediately caught and flung haphazardly into the untouched distance, obscured by layers of bright green and lingering morning mist.

The pair continued working, removing every last ounce of vegetation from the makeshift arena through controlled burning and scattering of ashes into a fine gray-black dust. It was only a matter of waiting for the first group to arrive for their testing.

"Halrakka," Ita murmured, grabbing her son's attention, "I've been meaning to ask you something." Holding up Mashaka, the metal in the axe slowly melted and reformed into the form of a bastard sword. With the new point Ita drew a series of symbols into the battlefield dust as best as her memory was capable of recalling. "Do you know what language these are from, if any?" The half-Vala studied them momentarily, but it was painfully obvious to him what they were.

"Aye. These are Ainurin words and phrases." Ita, also looking down at what she wrote, widened her eyes.
"I'm almost surprised you knew that. You must be the only true-immortal whose native language isn't Ainurin," Ita spat, almost as if scolding her son.
"Well, if you have forgotten the language, where did you see these?" Halrakka calmly changed the subject.
"Everywhere."
"Hm. This one means 'valkyrie,' where was that?" The only reply he received from such a sensitive question forced Ita to shoot a stern look at her son; they both knew what it had referred to.

A rustling in the forest soon rang out. "The first ones are here," she snorted, kicking away the symbols and readying Mashaka's long blade.

"Welcome to hell, you miserable little insects," Ita rumbled at the group. "If you'd like me to regard you with slightly more respect than what I would normally give to a clump of dirt, accept my challenge; though in showing up, you already seem eager enough as it is." She slammed the tip of her bastard sword twice into the ground, overconfident and taunting, further accented by the toothy crooked smile that parted her maw.

"Your task is simple. Hit me once." Halrakka, his expression also having hardened, drew his two longswords from their crossed sheathes hanging from his back. Ita, her smile growing, motioned toward the half-Vala. "There is a catch, though. Him. A wall of pure bone, muscle, fur and feather. Surely if you're creative enough to join my ranks, you can easily get past both my son and my own defenses. Good luck."

She had intentionally made it much easier to take her on, however; her characteristic armor had been replaced by loose clothing, and she promised herself she would remain on the defensive. She was confident Halrakka could easily (but non-lethally) fight all of the small group at once, though ideally a few would have some tricks up their sleeves in order to get the job done.

[OOC: This is the second raider tryout topic I have been talking about. If you have received a PM from me to be invited, you may post to your heart's content. Though in-character the way to get into the raiders is to land a single successful hit, however small, on Ita, I am being more lenient out-of-character; all I require is that you participate in the topic, be creative, that kind of thing. Also as a little note, Halrakka is my NPC, and thus you cannot control him! He will be doing most of the dirty work in this topic, so please don't say you landed an attack on him, etc. I will decide that. Happy Raiding! =D]

Rötschreck grunted lowly, chomping his jaws for what Nathaniel estimated to be the fiftieth time. The mighty stallion could barely pass as domesticated, and held a wild desire to roam the free and wild. Unfortunately, the horse had not been aware of the conditions the Taurerosa Rainforest presented before it was too late. It seemed the infernal human had tricked him yet again, and the only way to portray its spite was through biting at swarms of insects that passed them by. The ignorant rider made nothing of it.

Nathaniel had been here previously. Thrice, in fact. Once in an attempt to wrestle the title of champion from a vicious tournament, a second time in an attempt to hunt down a mysterious monster (that turned out to be nothing more than a tribe of cannibals), and the time he'd received word of dragons in these parts and sought to rid Ea of their hides.

All three times he had hated it. The mud had a knack for getting into pieces of clothing and skin one was unaware they had previously, along with very difficult places to groom properly. The plants thoroughly enjoyed trying to eat the wayward passerby, and the insects were determined to attempt a feast on any they saw. Territorial little monsters.

Knowing that in advance had of course helped the warrior immensely. Nathaniel had made sure, first and foremost, to bring his horse Rötschreck. The war bred horse was gargantuan, and dwarfed many other breeds. It also had wide hooves, helping it hold its weight and crush the skulls of any it trampled over. The thick sludge that made up most of the ground was easily avoided thanks to this horse, who only stumbled once or twice. It also saved the warrior from wasting his energy navigating through the forestry. Rötschreck absolutely despised him for the choice (and didn't think his ankles would ever stop smelling), but was too suffocated in the muggy heat to do much complaining.

Of course, Nathaniel had also sought to avoid being swarmed with insects, who left nasty stings and bites. So, the human had brought along his other companion; a vicious Snow Drake who was thrilled at the chance to devour bugs. As fate would have it the animal also suffered, for like Rötschreck he wasn't used to such stifling heat. Condensation clung to cape and armour on the left of Nathaniel, the reptilian avarian's frost coating running down its silken white plumes and changing simply to water. Only the sturdiest areas of it remained cold, and even then the bird was continually wiping its damp head against its wing in an attempt to dry off.

Yet again, Nathaniel had perceived the problem and prepared for it. A tiny demon fly, no larger than a sparrow, was brought along for the journey. He'd seen the thing hatch, and as odd as it was the thing was also very loyal. Dressed in a helmet made of egg shell and a matching shoulder piece, it took great glee in stabbing at insects with its toothpick and twisting off their heads. Occasionally it gave a few to the snow drake, Jakabok, as well. It was enough for the animal to remain somewhat awake, killing the insects that drew too close to its master. It was by pure luck little Ayre, the demon fly, wasn't ever swallowed by a plant when he moved from the group.

"Whoa boy." The human pulled sharply on the mane of the slow moving horse, the animal giving an irritated snort at the treatment. Tiredly the snow drake looked up, and Ayre buzzed back over to the horse, sitting on its snout and chewing on the head of a mosquito it'd skewered. Before them was a vast... emptyness. No trees were ahead, no thick pools of muck and water. Even the insects seemed to have fled the grounds. And there, ahead, he could see a terribly familiar figure -- even if it was odd not to see her garbed in the hides of fallen prey or sturdy armour. Ita.

The recent raid he'd accompanied the full group on had afforded him brief knowledge of Halrakka as well, even if he hadn't met the creature one on one. The legends about the monster spoke for themself, and Nathaniel wasn't stupid enough to discredit them. The creature looked similar to the lupine it stood near, and to scoff such a thing would be to invite death. Its fur looked shorter than the strands on the self-proclaimed Ita Kemensereg, and twin angelic wings certainly appeared capable of granting the thing flight. Oddly, its muzzle appeared somewhat shorter in length, and the ears were more rounded -- bear liked, even.

Nathaniel almost thought it looked wise, though the inhuman traits couldn't be missed.

More interesting than that was what they'd done to the area (or so he assumed it was them; perhaps Slade had helped?). The trees had all been levelled, giving the area a round berth, and even the simple stumps didn't appear to occupy the area. Even the ground was lightly dusted with ashes, the find powder looking more grey than white. It was certainly a stark contrast to the pair already there. Nathaniel urged the horse forward a bit more, the sound of rustling continue. Clearly he wasn't the only one to have arrived. Quickly he set about dismounting, using a surprisingly long rope to tie Rötschreck to a tree just short of the cleaned arena.

Ayre remained on the stallion's snout, picking his teeth, while the Snow Drake roosted higher up in the tree, where the dark shadows provided some escape from the heat. As for the human, he finished up making sure they were fastened as whoever had made the racket came forth as well. He moved to stand near them, forming an audience, though it was shy of any friendly attitude or attempt to make allies. He had played this game before, back in the training grounds of the Salquedor. Why align yourself with someone who was bound to get injured?

Not a single breath of air blew, and warm sweat ran down the back of his neck. It was uncomfortable, but he resisted wiping at it. More rustling sounded before a few others arrived, the first 'group', as it were. He felt his palms go clammy, the warrior all but baking in his thick garb. Long sleeves and armour didn't mix well, especially in this horrid place. At least I didn't bring the cape.

"Welcome to hell, you miserable little insects," The boom of her voice startled him out of his thoughts, and the Shadovar member looked to the canine sharply. "If you'd like me to regard you with slightly more respect than what I would normally give to a clump of dirt, accept my challenge; though in showing up, you already seem eager enough as it is." Certainly an encouraging welcome, though it lacked the tongueless thief Phedre had played with at her own try outs.

Thunk! Thunk! Twice the blade was slammed into the ground, and the human's eyes went to it warily. It was large; a beast in its own right. No doubt it would cleave a normal man in two. Or an Uruk Hai. Revealing second thoughts was not why he'd come though, and carefully he looked back to the maw of the supposed Goddess. It was long. Her ears were sharp. A complete lupine; not like the almost-human companion she'd brought along. The lupine looked as wild and crazy as she had when he'd encountered her in the woods (not eating little girls in red, as one might have expected). Yet the gnarled grin and confident air was a far cry from the simpering pup.

"Your task is simple. Hit me once." The winged one drew twin blades, both easily the size of Nathaniel's own. The strength to wield both at once was impressive, but not entirely unheard of. "There is a catch, though. Him. A wall of pure bone, muscle, fur and feather." To say the least. The warrior already ran strategies through his head. If it had to rely on muscle and weaponry, perhaps it wasn't as skilled in magic? But that was to say nothing of Ita's power, who he'd yet to see truly tearing through ranks. Tithdaeron had certainly told stories of her might in the first raid, but the male had been unable to attend.

"Surely if you're creative enough to join my ranks, you can easily get past both my son and my own defenses. Good luck." There was no ringing of a bell, though the fluctation in the last word throbbed dully in his ears. The human knew not that he was safe; that the vala's child would not be seeking blood. Unlike the full lupine, his expression was more concentrated, and less filled with a sadistic anxiety. Rather than draw his own blade and meet the creature head on (or even consult with his 'partners'), he oustretched his hands in Halrakka's direction and proclaimed; "Suffocate!!".

Then, without a moment to spare he lunged forth, following the attack with a second one. With a sweep of his hand a chill wind suddenly raced through the cleared area, and with it the floor of dust residue was thrown in the direction of the two lupine's faces. At best, it would blind them and give him time to strike -- at worst, it would surprise them long enough to charge another one of his spells. Of course, there would be no way to tell if the suffocate spell truly worked -- not with black dust providing a smoke screen.

Rather than attack blindly he fell back, letting the rest of the group carry the momentum and press the attack. Not only was it better for the team, but it would hopefully afford him protection from any retaliation. Getting caught in a solar wind wasn't precisely how he'd hoped to start the day.

Aksinya had begun to dislike Snowy all of a sudden. Join the Raiders of Ita the Reckless. It seemed simple enough, even though Snowy advised it'd likely look like a bloodsport, and a fool one at that. The un-hospitable environs had seen to her being miserable, her skin and leather armor interacting in disgusting ways. She felt as though she'd need to be peeled out after this, which rather annoyed her. Her hair was drenched, and her triangular ears pinned to the side of her head in annoyance, and she kept tugging at various parts of her clothing to get them to unstick from her form. The mutt-rauko would have killed for a skirt on this day. A skirt that fit her, mind you!

She glanced to the lupine striding with her, a stereotypical tower of humanoid muscle. He didn't seem at all annoyed! Then again, Aksinya had no place being annoyed either, as she grew up in the Sanctuary of the Angels. She sighed, adjusted her massive pony tail, and forgot the heat entirely. The rauko had lingering doubts as to whether or not she could complete the mission bidden to her, as the former goddess was in a legendarily bad mood after losing her 'daughter' to the ravages of her dragon. Or at least that's what Snowy was lead to believe. The clan had very few agents within the Raiders.

Then they came to a halt, where a clearing awaited them. Her mind came alive. No trees, forest ground she couldn't creep through, Ita's mutt-son, and Ita herself. The goddess spoke, and sent Aksinya's confidence to the bottom of the barrel. She couldn't do this! She was an infiltrations specialist! Then again, she couldn't fail the tribe. Slowly, oh so slowly, she calmed herself. Focused her fear into hate, and felt the rauko blood take over. The rauko pulled a chakram from her back, and checked her own reflection in the image. Wicked bright blue eyes returned the stare, wreathed in red skin. Muscle formed over her slim figure, already vicious canines turned into long fangs, and her fingers became disturbingly sharp claws. From the corner of her perception came a shout, as spells fired off in quick order. She struck.

With a flourish, the chakram was brought horizontal, her palm facing towards the earth, first two fingers and her thumb securing it. Aksinya flicked her wrist, and the bladed disk hurtled into the air. It hummed as it flew, the deadly weapon carving a path through the air straight to Halrakka. It was a weapon that could not be caught, and the speed it was going meant it likely could not be dodged.

But it was not quite over yet. Her other hand had drawn out a six inch throwing knife and sent it hurtling towards Ita. She began to sprint at Halrakka, knowing that her strength was in the shock value of her strikes. Both hands gripped the hilts of the blades on her upper torso, and drew them out. Her sprint became a leap, and she landed next to him with swinging blades. The bright objects came in horizontal arcs across his torso, before she twirled into his shadow. In a heartbeat and an expenditure of mana she had disappeared. If he moved, she'd stay in his shadow. Yet all the while, her mind planned and plotted out how she'd strike at Ita next.

Thindraug was quite pleased with himself. He imagined that his display of skill in the last raid and their following victory had impressed worth upon him in the eyes of his matron goddess, or perhaps a high ranking official. Having seen the senseless infighting from some of the other soldiers, he couldn't imagine everyone had been invited to this private meeting. Whichever the case, an invitation had reached him at the Concordance hall, and he had asked the messenger to orate its contents to him. It had been dull for him in the time preceding the letter carrier's delivery as the hall's seclusion from society kept him from work and play, but all memory of cabin fever was forgotten among the intricate symbols that decorated the parchment at which he gazed. "Tell Her Highness that I will be in attendance," he said with a smile.

Excited, he was quick to pack his belongings and give notice of his absence to his superiors. He had mixed feelings when he learned that at least two other Shadovar had received the same invitation. He had come to know Nathaniel and Aksinya recently, and agreed to himself that they were competent, but he did not like the way the human looked at him. Facial expressions always betrayed more than their wearer would care to know, despite the practiced use of an indifferent or even hospitable mask.

The journey to the rainforest from the hall had taken only a few days. He traveled around the mountains by boat on the Northern sea, then traveled from the shore to the forest on foot. He was swift and hardy, and prided himself on being able to keep up with even those that traveled by steed. Or so went his stories, at any rate. Regardless, he arrived on site punctually and in the presence of his fellow Shadovar.

They were greeted by a personal setting, alone in a clearing with the goddess herself, and a strange lupine mix that he had understood to be her son. He didn't find Halrakka's bear-like features to be very flattering, viewing the winged wolf-bear-man as rather unattractive compared to the average lupine, and even moreso to himself. Ita wasted no time in laying out the task before them, addressing them degradingly. But he chose to perceive her words as though they were a tough façade, a tool to distance herself from them to prove her authority and conceal a secret sense of humor. Though it had little to do with the reality of the situation, his confidence in his own skill made him feel the harsh words were not meant for him. He would obediently jump through the hoops the same as his peers, taking her commands very seriously, but the wisp of imagined favoritism gave him hope somewhere inside the shadows of his mind.

So it was that they were ordered to strike their Lady. The others began an immediate assault without question, teaming up against the pair of deities. It was probably the best decision on their part, it almost gave them the advantage of surprise. But he had something else in mind, choosing not to follow suit. He bowed, stepped back into the tree line behind them, and invoked his abilities of concealment. He disappeared from sight, lingering somewhere in the silent shadows while the group fight unfolded ahead.