Breaking Point (Open)

[Kender Bard]

There was a lot of muttering in the clan lately.

Things had become increasingly strained within Clan Char. It didn't seem obvious, at the first glance, but was there if one looked. The way people held themselves, some tense and others slouched. It was in the way conversations would be held in low whispers and stop abruptly if certain others walked by. It was in the sharp looks folks gave one another.

The tension was thick enough to cut. It hadn't escaped Charii's notice, but she was at a loss of what to do. She was going to be lifted to Elder status soon--her uncle needed the help of another. Her mother had never fully recovered from Alexi's death and the events of the demonic attacks. She did chores and other duties but her ability to lead had fallen away and she barely tried anymore. With Charanth growing older and Alexi dead, there was a sore need for an able and energetic Elder.

But Charii had never seen anything like this in the clan before and so left the problem to her uncle. She could often see Charanth pulling people aside to speak with them, but she didn't know what he was telling them. Whatever it was, it didn't seem to be helping much.

As she combed her hair with a frown, turning the thoughts over in her head, within her hut, Charii heard a loud, angry shout outside. Startled, she put the comb away and hurried outside to see a fairly sizeable crowd had gathered. It was nearly impossible to see what they surrounded so she began to squirm her way by--some people making way for her, others not--while she listened to the argument commencing.

"-strong leadership! Your family's reign was long and great but even the sun must set at the end of the day. It's time for someone new to step up."

Charii's heart suddenly clenched with fear. Were they talking about her family's status? Her uncle's voice rose up, strong and calm as ever. "You aren't even giving my niece a chance to prove herself."

"I think we've all seen how well Charii child of Char is going to be as en Elder," the voice sneered.

Charii stood still, shocked, hurt, and not uncertain if she should have tried to come close to this argument. Would her presence only hurt her uncle's argument? Or did she need to put on a strong front and face the man who was slandering her name so openly? It certainly wasn't an insult to be tolerated... And where was her mother?

A clanmate nearby glanced aside at her, did a double take, and then scowled, grabbing hold of her arm as if she were some unruly child.

"Let go of me," she growled at the older woman.

The woman squeezed a bit tighter. "This is your fault," she hissed.

[Northen Light36]

A nearby scout, Conleth, looked over and sneered. "Let her go," he told the woman quietly. "Let's see if she can dig herself out of the mess she's caused. She's no child to be shielded from reality." His tone spoke volumes of his doubt.

[Kender Bard]

Another scout, and friend of Charii's, Katya, overheard Conleth's comment and moved up to get in his face. "Watch your tone around our true future Elder!"

Charii swallowed and forced herself forward once the woman let go of her arm.

"The clan has had enough foolery from this broken leadership," the accusing man, named Ricardo, snarled at Charanth who stood proudly before the dissenting clan member. Spotting Charii, Ricardo pointed a finger at her. "We are not letting THAT come to elderhood! I challenge her!"

"What!" Charii squeaked in shock.

"No!" Charanth shouted, finally losing his temper. "She's not an elder, damnit, you can't challenge her for her right to lead yet."

"But she is an adult," Ricardo growled. "And I can challenge her for dishonoring our whole clan."

"LIKE HELL!" Charminei shouted. She hadn't been in the center but instead watching from the edges of the group, perched atop a barrel. Now she teleported up and forward. "You fight ME. I will champion my daughter."

"Oh are you still alive?" Ricardo sneered. "I hadn't noticed, you weepy, pathetic excuse for a woman."

Charminei teleported another hop forward and punched Ricardo square in the face, knocking him on his ass from the unexpected blow. Spitting on him while he was down, she backed up fairly quickly so he wouldn't strike her on his way up. "Get your weapon and I'll make you eat those words!"


How did this happen? Charii thought in horror. Behind her, several clanmates began to cheer encouragingly while just as many booed and jeered.

[Northen Light36]

Conleth kept his smile inside himself and eyed Katya. "If she's our future Elder, then it's time she damn well acted like it, rather then like a spoilt child. Everyone's heard about her little performance at the Sun Fest. What sort of Elder throws tantrums?"

He shot a side-long look at Charii, hoping to prompt some sort of a reaction. Surely the young woman had a backbone somewhere in her.

[Kender Bard]

Charii glanced at Conleth with a slight glare before taking a step closer. “Mother.”

Charminei ignored Charii, or perhaps did not hear her. She teleported her spear to her hand as someone ran off to get Ricardo his own spear. Ricardo got back up, rubbing his jaw. “To first wound,” he said.

“To death,” Charminei replied sharply. The clan fell quiet at that in shocked silence. It’d been a very long time since anyone felt a matter necessary to fight to the death over. The few times it had been invoked, the other party had declined.

Ricardo regarded Charminei in the silence that stretched on before giving a curt nod of agreement.

“Mother no!” Charii cried out in horror. Even Charanth looked shocked.

“Be silent!” Charminei snarled at Charii. Charii stumbled back a few steps in horrified silence.

Once Ricardo was armed, the fight began. Charminei lunged forward and Ricardo was quick to dodge her furious thrust, giving one in reply that never found its mark. And so the pair traded blows, and soon Charminei began to rely on her Mind sign to get the upper hand, stabbing Ricardo once in the thigh. It seemed that it would be a short fight after all until Ricardo unleashed all the elemental energy he’d been storing since the duel was announced. The area rapidly filled with smoke, forcing the coughing audience to back up, giving a greater field for the two combatants to work with. Charminei’s teleportation was far less effective when she couldn’t see her opponent. And so she grimly charged into the smoke, fire flaring up soon after. The two traded not only physical blows but elemental as well, but much of the fight was lost to the sight of the audience until the smoke settled.

By the time it did, the odds had shifted. Charminei was partly bent over, a hand pressed against a bloody wound in her hip, her body bearing a few burns and several scores where Ricardo’s spear had managed to strike her a glancing blow. Ricardo was injured as well, but seemed to be bearing his injury better. The two were momentarily locked in deadlock, neither wanting to advance. Abruptly, Charminei teleported, trying to get behind Ricardo to stab. Ricardo suffered a glancing blow on his shoulder as he dropped down and used the shaft of his spear to trip Charminei. Charminei fell backwards, hard, unable to recover well with her hurt hip. In a fluid movement, Ricardo moved back up to a standing position and spun around, stabbing downward and impaling Charminei through the chest.

“MOTHER NO!” Charii screamed, running forward, terror warring with rage.

Charanth darted after her. “Charii, don’t!” he shouted, trying to grab his niece. Charii bodily slammed into Ricardo, forcing him back and away from Charminei, but only by a few steps. Hurt or not, he was a powerful warrior and she was still young. When she tried to check on her mother, he kicked her savagely out of the way.

Charanth brought fire to both hands and attacked Ricardo with two hurled flames.

Attacking the clear winner of a duel was too much, regardless of Charanth’s motivation or status. The clan erupted. Supporters were trying to get to Charanth, to help him, to help their fallen Elder and her daughter as well. Dissenters halted them and soon the clan was erupted in vicious fighting.

Charii had crawled back to her mother’s side and was trying to find signs of life.

Katya narrowly avoided a sudden knife that had appeared out of nowhere, held in the hand of a clansman, and disappeared just as quickly. She kept low, trying to do her best to avoid the fighting and still make progress moving forward. “Conleth!” she called out. Whether to cry for help or to seek him out now that everyone was choosing sides was not clear, however.

[Northen Light36]

Conleth was swearing up a storm as he struggled to fend off an attacking clanmate and make his way to Charanth. Damn it, this had all gone to hell. At Katya's shout, he glanced towards her and took a nasty blow to the side of the head. Dazed for a moment, he was knocked down.

[Kender Bard]

Katya wasn't armed--she hadn't been prepared to go on scout duty anytime soon and had in fact been looking forward to a chance to get caught up on some general maintenance on her hut. But that didn't mean she was helpless. As she saw Conleth go down, she charged (as best as she could) and tackled the clanmate that had struck him, kicking and biting until the clanner had retreated. Given a moment of breathing space, she turned to try and help Conleth up. "Come on, Conleth! We've got to get Charii out of here! Someone's going to kill her at this rate!"

[Northen Light36]

Conleth struggled to his feet, blood streaming from his head wound and snatched up a spear someone had dropped. "I know," he growled. "Damn it, I wanted her to stand up for herself, not this. Come on, stick close." He was already thinking of what to do after they'd gotten Charii. "No. You get horses readied, Katya. And supplies. We may need to get her completely clear of the clan until Charanth has this under control again. I'll get Charii."

He didn't say what he was thinking. If Charanth lost this fight, Charii's life wouldn't be worth a leaky waterskin. No new Elder, having taken the clan in this way, would risk leaving any of the original bloodline alive to challenge him.

[Kender Bard]

"Right," Katya agreed, having come to a similar conclusion on what they needed to do. She darted off to where the horses were kept.

Charii was almost not aware of the chaos whirling around er as she crouched over her mother's fallen form. It wasn't until someone had grabbed her that she lashed out, mindless with fury. Her raking fingernails left her assailant bleeding from the eye.

She couldn't see Charanth anymore. He was surrounded. It was unclear how many were there to help him and how many to hurt him. But she did see Conleth coming her way and her hand went to her sign even as she began to back up, ready to fight.

[Devon]

Ryuk regretted not stepping in earlier, he had been sure Charanth would be able to handle the situation. It was never a good idea for clan members to fight each other, but Ryuk had no problem striking someone down to protect Charanth and his family.

Daggers drawn, Ryuk dashed his way into the crowd heading toward Charanth and knocking anyone in his way out of it. "Charanth!" he shouted

[Northen Light36]

Conleth gritted his teeth at the look on Charii's face and he hurried towards her, ready to dodge any attacks even as he grabbed for the hand going to her sign. "On your side, Charii. Wanted you to toughen up, not this. Katya's getting horses. We have to get you out of here."

[Kender Bard]

When Conleth tried to grab her hand, she threw a bit of fire at him, but did not land her mark, even as she continued to dance away. At his words though, she lowered her hands.

"But moth--" she couldn't finish. "--Uncle. I can't just leave him!"

She wasn't given much time to ponder though. Katya had wasted little time and simply grabbed three horses she knew to be reliable and gotten on one while leading the other two. A fast gallop cleared a path quickly and discouraged anyone from getting too close to the pair for a moment. "Hurry!" she called out to the pair.

---

Charanth didn't return Ryuk's shout but many knew precisely where Ryuk's loyalties lay. Two clanners who had been trying to push quickly decided to divert their efforts elsewhere. One threw a punch, hand wreathed in flames, at Ryuk while the other quickly grabbed a handful of dirt and sand and whipped it towards Ryuk's face.

[Devon]

Ryuk lashed out quickly, stabbing his dagger toward the man trying to punch him and throwing his other dagger at the man whipping sand towards him. "Get out of my way!" he shouted to those around him.

[Northen Light36]

"Charanth can look out for himself," Conleth snapped. "Our job is to give him one less thing to worry about." He grabbed for her, determined to drag her to a horse and throw her over it if he had to. "Get on the horse, Charii. You think it'll help Elder Charanth if someone kills you too?"

[Kender Bard]

"Don't touch me," she snarled at him, jerking her arm free. But she did go to the horse after glancing up at Katya and hopped on. The crowd was closing in again and the horses danced nervously.

"Where are we going?" she called out to Katya, watching her flanks for anyone trying to sneak up.

"Anywhere but here!" Katya retorted. As soon as Conleth was mounted, she took off again, planning to just get out of the clan and worry about the rest later. Charii followed after.

---

Another clanner tried to strike Ryuk in the back while he was distracted, but another slid between the two and slashed at the others' throat. "Got your back!" the woman called out to Ryuk.

The one who was stabbed went down, bleeding and screaming, while the one who had thrown the sand dodged the thrown weapon. He snatched it back up and darted at Ryuk, trying to go for a gut stab.