2021.02.15 Toxic Travels

Toxic Travels
{{{summary}}}
IC Date	2/15/21
Players	Miguel, Leif, and Tawney as ST

Evening, with sixty degree weather and clear skies is fantastic for grappling and training. Not so cold one freezes, but chill enough to keep them cool.

In the midst of their practice time, one of Miguel's kin runs up, looking winded, pale, and a little shaky. "Mirror-Shadow'rhya! Soft-Paws needs you! There's word of trouble." Winded more than anything,b ut there's no denying the urgency in the kinfolk's tone - especially since they're interrupting.

Miguel pauses, all twisted around Leif. If its that important it must be urgent "Where. What has happened?"

Leif was just about to put the finishing moves on Miguel when the kin runs up. His brow arches and he releases the (not great) hold he has on the man. They could do this for HOURS. They're pretty evenly matched, and he waits

"They found one of our cousins, a tiger, trapped in one of those fucking traveling picture nightmares. Hauled around in a semi, type things. You know the sort?" They ask, looking between the two massive males as they speak, wringing their hands. "It's in real bad shape."

Miguel nods as as he straightens up "Let us go quickly then. Is it close enough to run to or does someone have a car that can carry someone my size?" Then he turns to Leif "Apparently there is something I need to see to. The perils of rising in rank."

"IF you'll let me, I'll gladly come and assist. I have a very large pickup truck if we need it." Leif brushes himself off, picking up his belt and threading it through the belt loops, ready, after he patpats his pockets

The location is given as a strip mall on the outskirts of the city, on the sleazy end of things. "I think they're packing up to leave. Guess they only go to a place for a few hours to make cash before they move on. Ought to hurry, Mirror-Shadow'rhya, Wall'rhya." the kin says, wringing their hands before turning to go. Message delivered, it's time to run and tell them that Miguel and his friend are going to take a look.

Miguel nods at Leif and heads over to the indicated truck "Excellent. This will be faster than dodging umbral hazards through the scar to try and fly there."

Leif nods, considering Miguel and himself and it is likely decided that Miguel should sit in the back, just for weight distribution. He drives, pretty well, but in a hurry, but still stopping at lights and all that. He pulls up about a block out. "This is your show, Miguel. Lead the way."

A block away from the stripmall, it's easy to see the semi with the brightly colored trailer. Dark blue with a huge tiger mid-leap running the length of it in bright orange, white, and black. In a banner, it proclaims itself to be 'The Great Traveling Safari'. There's a few people moving things around - big cats and people, cages and the like. The ramp is down on the back of the big rig.

Miguel nods at Leif indicating for Miguel to take point "Too many possible witness to see what's going on. So lets...limit their options and our visibility." And he closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, drawing on the damp of the sea air to shroud the site and a swarm of buzzing and clicking noises start up. He turns to his fellow giant "There, now to find the Tiger kinfolk and get them away from here."

Leif nods, watching this all happened, remembering suddenly that he's kind of a little fish in big pond, but he holds, taking cues from Miguel. "Lead the way."

There's no one in the cab, yet, but those bugs will ensure anyone trying to get in won't stay there for long. The fog makes it harder for Leif to see, but it also impedes everyone else down there in the strip mall parking lot - performing twofold by protecting the Veil and disorienting the workers and bringing their packing progress to a halt, filling the air with shouts and hollers.

Miguel heads into the mists, still staying in homid form for now. Some of his gifts filling him with power and sturdiness as he heads for the truck where the Tiger he's here to rescue must be.

Leif follows along, though several feet away, covering a little more area, scanning left, right, even looking back behind him occasionally to make sure no one sneaks up

From within the back of the truck, a low, bassy growling can be heard. A sound that echoes within the back of the truck and builds to roar, furious. <<WHY HAVE YOU STOPPED?>> It shakes the walls of the trailer, echoing in the tight space. A few other cats within go dead silent, except the squall of a couple of terrified cubs.

One of the workers calls back, voice shaking. "It is a fog. Out of nowhere. We can't see anything. It won't slow us down, Tears-the-Throat'rhya."

Miguel hears the yell of someone that may merit actual violence and he reaches back over his shoulder and draws his mighty hammer from empty air and he snarls as he stalks around the big rig, heading to the ramp at the back.

Leif hears it too and he pulls both of the hatchets out from behind him. THey will PROBABLY be ditched in favor of claws, but right now, he's still protecting the veil. He moves around the opposite side, pacing himself for the same speed Miguel was moving at before.

The crew tries to get organized, the handful of kinfolk working on relaying the last pieces of paneling and the last few coolers and the like into the back of the van. Too afraid of the Tears-the-Throat to waste time doing anything except obeying the snarls form the truck.

Within there's shuffling and a thump, then VERY heavy footfalls that move from the front of the truck towards the back. <<What fucking fog? Do you even know where we are?>> Shouldn't be fog. It's California, not bloody England.

Miguel gives a low snarl and hunting chuff, such as he can in homid form, projecting predatory menace hoping Leif hears also and catches the cue.

Leif does the same, only it's a little deeper, the bass, warning rumble of a wolf instead of a cat, moving to hopefully keep pace with Miguel

There goes the element of surprise. The kinfolk drop what they're doing and scatter into the fog - disappearing to Leif, but visible to Miguel. The footsteps falter, hesitating. Two voices? Cat and wolf. They're met with a snarl of absolute defiance, and a command that forces obedience fom the frightened kin.

<<KILL THEM.>>

Miguel huffs one more time, the call to kill him all he needed to hear to take the safety off. He steps quickly around and hops up onto the ramp, sending the heavy head of his hammer swinging at his foe.

The crinos cat is just inside the door. He's skinny, like staving-to-death thin, his fur patchy and raggedy, ears showing marks of previous fights. Under the tattered pelt of bright orange and black and cream, the marks of the Dance have been burned into his hide with acid, creating unique patterns. No wonder the report was a sick tiger in a cage. The reflection of a hunger that cannot be sated, marked by the urgings of Relshab.

The hammer crushes bone and staggers Tears-the-Throat, slamming him into the side wall of the semi-trailer hard enough to make an outward dent. Lunging forward, he snaps his jaws shut Miguel's shoulder and jerks his head, shredding flesh with gleeful savagery.

But Leif doesn't allow much more than that. As he steps up into the truck, he powerslams into his crinos form, knowing the fog will take care of the veil for him and both massive hands tear into the thing's belly, jerking upward to slice it to ribbons

Entrails pour out over Leif's arms, the light fading from Tears-the-Throat's eyes as he goes lax and those jaws stop digging so deep.

From behind, there's the sharp crack of a pistol, a round hitting Miguel in the back of the thigh without much effect. The poor kin staring, wide-eyed as their tormentor-guardian is slain.

Miguel looks at his shoulder where its a bit lacerated and bleeding, licking at his own blood and glaring over his shoulder at the kin who shot him. Miguel just says "Run."

The Wall glances over at the same time and says the exact same thing as Miguel, at exactly the same time. TWINS! Except Leif's comes out as more of a grunt.

To his credit, he doesn't drop his gun, but he does drop his courage, right there on the ground and leave it behind. The kinfolk tears ass into the fog, disappearing from Leif's view, but not Miguel's.

Within the truck are two shabby, beaten looking adult cats - a cougar and an ancient lion that's had his claws removed and his teeth cut down, blind, or nearly blind. And a smaller cage with a trio of cubs. A tiger, a cheetah, and jaguar.

Miguel sighs and scowls as he looks around the trailer "Once the fog lifts and the insects leave I will call someone to drive the truck to the reserve. We will determine if they belong with us or if they would be better cared for elsewhere."

"I can drive it," Leif says. We'll leave the Durango here. I'll run back for it later or I can have someone pick it up in the morning." He shifts back down, but doesn't get close at all. "Can you heal, Miguel? If not, I have these gourds that Shaderunner gave me."

Miguel nods at Leif and notices he's still bleeding, so he gives another lick "I suppose that's what I get for trying to be clever and subtle. That is how grown up cats are supposed to be. Still, circumventing all their sentries and such worked well I think."