The botch
by Okami
Fri, 26 May 2000, at 6:55 a.m. CST

The mercanery had been easy to crack... A empty promise of gold, a little pressure to the throat, and voila, information. Too bad the bastard got away while trying to find the place.
Okami took a deep breath, and let out a sigh... What was that thing about criminal acts? He hauled off and kicked the door open, shattering the lock. He stepped in to see Aeeyia behind some bars, beaten and bruised. Quickly dashing to the bars and whispering her name, she rose, with a look of shock. "okam..?"
Okami simply nodded and reached through the bars, clasping her hand. A small weak smile crossed their faces, and then Okami heard a rumbling sound. Aeeyia held her stomach as though she were in pain, and Okami immediately recognized the problem. He rummaged his pack, but could find no food.He let a small sigh escape his lips, and nodded to Aeeyia. "Ill be right back hon..."
He slipped out into the woods, and headed toward the abbey. Once there he saw Brutus standing over two Emperials, one the merc from that morning. Okami quickly yelled for Brutus, and the First Ranger came to the bank side of the abbey. Okami quickly sorted his bank box, grabbed some jerky, and slammed the lid. He simply looked at Brutus. "C'mon!"
A quick run later, they were back at the house. Okami quickly passed some jerky through the bars, only too see Aeeyia turn green. Idiot, he thought, she doesnt eat meat. Okami frowned, and Brutus handed him some apples and some lettuce. Okami quickly handed it through the bars, and Aeeyia proceeded to munch on the food.
Okami looked at Brutus. "Now we wait."
Seconds turned to minutes, and minutes became hours. Multiple attempts were made to free Aeeyia, but none were successful. Finally realizing Ryan had probably found out his plan from the merc, Okami asked Brutus to go find some other rangers. Brutus quickly nodded and left.
Okami let out a long sigh and took a position in a corner and hid. And again the seconds counted off. Then the minutes. Then the hours. And no sign of Ryan or Brutus. Okami stifled a few yawns, as he hadnt been to sleep for awhile. Not since the ambush at the abbey really. At first he couldnt sleep from the pain, then the worry of realizing something had gone wrong with Aeeyia. And now it was catching up to him...
He quickly slipped out the door, nodding to Aeeyia, and muttering a prayer. He set foot out into the woods to try and find help. No sign of any rangers anywhere, at least on the felucca facet. He finally gave up and returned to the house to find Ryan opening the door. And there was a drow with him. Okami stepped into the clearing, and a few harsh and heated words were exchanged. The drow was the first to attack, and Ryan attempted to back her up with his magics. Okami darted to the north, dodging the drows blade, while getting hammered by one spell after another. He quickly came upon a glade with a tower, but didnt have time to see what it was. He dashed around the corner with the drow in pursuit, and circled around the tower behind Ryan, quickly cutting him twice. The blows were strong and true, and hobbled the man. The drow thn proceeded to attempt a cure on Ryan. Okami raised his blade and cut into Ryans shoulder, delivering the finishing blow. His sword drooped to one side, as he quickly attempted to find the shackle keys.
Okami felt the sword strike his ribs, and he leapt up in pain. The drow had the upper hand, fighting two people had exhausted the ranger. He attempted to flee, but did not have the energy. He turned and stood his ground, and put up a futile fight. Stumbling backwards as his shield was knocked away, the drow shoved the sword through his chest.
The last thought through the ranger's mind was that of yet another failure in crisis, a final botch on the rescue attempt.