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Message: <blockquote data-quote="talien" data-source="post: 4786657" data-attributes="member: 3285">Chaugnar Faugn: PrologueThe Hutili supplied them with a small boat, which Vlad and Beldin dutifully rowed.  Kham sat in the center, brooding, while Sebastian flew overhead.The icy peaks of the two mountains that Atum translated as “The Demon’s Horns” dominated the skyline. The dark peak of a long extinct volcano cone covered the larger southern isle, easily the biggest in the entire archipelago.  The isle was swathed in thick green vegetation and dank mists. “The Hutili say that the mists can eat through a breastplate in a fortnight,” said Beldin.Kham rolled his eyes.  “I’m sure they see a lot of breastplates, too.”As they rowed closer the bay on the south shore of the Isle of Chaugnar Faugn, their senses were assailed with the stench of rotting vegetation, bittersweet flowers, and slow decay.“So what are we going to tell Quintus?” asked Vlad.Kham looked over his shoulder.  Vlad was rowing behind him.  “Tell him what?”“You don’t think he’s going to want to know about his child?”Kham let out a loud laugh.  “You’re serious?”“What?”“What Kham’s trying to say,” Beldin grunted between strokes of the paddle, “is that he doesn’t think Quintus is the father.”“How can you be sure of that?” asked Vlad.  He looked offended.“I’m not great at numbers, but if the elorii birth cycle is the same as a humans, then it takes nine months from conception to pregnancy.” Kham ticked off nine fingers.   “Atum estimates she’s been pregnant for three months so far. She wasn’t anywhere near Quintus during that time.”“So whose child is it?”“Ilmarė’s,” Beldin said forcefully.  “And that will have to do until she’s ready to tell us.”Sebastian swooped by, his huge bat-like wings holding him aloft.  “There’s a beach nearby.  Follow me.”They rowed after him.  The south beach of the island was a wide expanse of fine black sand.  It was bordered to the north by tall saw grass and finally the dense expanse of jungle beyond.Beldin and Vlad dragged the boat to shore.“That’s okay, we don’t need any help,” said Vlad.Kham shoved his hands into the pockets of his overcoat.  “I knew you could handle it. I didn’t want to be here in the first place, remember?”Sebastian landed on the beach.  He obviously enjoyed the freedom of flight.  “I saw the remnants of a landing craft and the ruins of a campsite from above. I’ll scout around some more.”  The dark-kin launched himself into the air.“So they landed here for sure.” Vlad looked around.  “I wonder who was following Livius?”“Who else has a ship capable of sailing halfway around the world?” Kham kicked a seashell into the sea. There was a deafening explosion in the jungle forest.  A terrible wave of burnt vegetation assaulted their nostrils. Screams of pain followed soon after.Sebastian landed on the beach again and folded his wings. “I saw a castle-like rocky outcropping that way.” He pointed westwards.  “Let’s go.”Kham peered into the forest.  The jungle was too moist to burn for long, but smoke trails plumed upwards. “What the hell happened just now?” “You were about to be ambushed by five tcho-tchos.”“I take it back,” said Kham in awe.  “I really like your wings.”Something big and hungry bellowed in the distance.  Its heavy footsteps vibrated the ground. “I think we just piqued somebody’s attention,” said Sebastian with a brief smile.  “Let’s get out of here before it shows up.”</blockquote>

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