Raptr turned his helmeted head aside, blinking through the billowing clouds. “Would you mind repeating that, Lieutenant?”
Keris winced. He flew east over the seas with a modicum of grace, but it was evident from his tense muscles that the flapping of his wings constantly jostled his injured arm. Nevertheless, he held the sling close to chest and maintained formation with the rest of the Talon.
“She has four separate spirits bound to her essence,” Keris spoke above the whipping winds. “Each with a different name and personality. What's more, they grant her four categories of extra sensory perception.” He gulped beneath his beak. “Magical detection, spatial awareness, empathy, and... a Pinkie sense.”
Starstorm blinked past Windstorm and Seraphimus. “A what sense?”
“A randomly occurring, split-second and remarkably accurate prediction of spontaneous hazards.” Keris took a deep breath, squinting against the high atmosphere over the seven seas. “It's quite the long story, to say the least.”
“And what about the pendant around her neck?” Starstorm asked, gesturing. “Several of the Barge citizens mentioned it.”
“It's an artifact from her home,” Keris said.
“From beyond the Blight, you mean,” Windstorm droned.
“That's right.” Keris nodded. “Rainbow Dash identifies herself as Equestrian. Supposedly—several continents to the west—there lies a kingdom ruled by the 'Elements of Harmony.'”
“Did you say several continents?” Starstorm exhaled, once again flabbergasted.
Keris went on. “The pendant around her neck is supposedly one such Element—chiefly the Element of Loyalty.”
“Heh...” Windburst smirked cynically. “That's rich.”
“On one fateful day, a year and a half ago, Rainbow's friends perished tragically. They were the bearers of the other Elements. Only hers survived, and due to some... cataclysmic exposure to a diabolical source of chaos, she currently needs the Element of Loyalty to sustain her so-called 'Harmonic self.'”
“And what happens if this... 'Element' comes off?” Raptr asked, blinking.
“This...” Keris pointed at his sling. His body hit a turbulent pocket of air, and he grimaced. “Grnnghh... this is what happens.” A shuddering breath. “When the Rainbow Rogue was first captured by Monket, the Slaver of Waves stripped her of the pendant. She mutated into a horrific beast and immediately maimed several of his sea slaves.”
“Verlaxion's sleet...” Raptr murmured.
“Mind your tongue,” Seraphimus calmly chided, then gestured for Keris to continue.
He did: “Days later, Skagra ordered the Rainbow Rogue's pendant removed again so that she would mutate once more and devour me while in a state of chaos. It was the top dredger's plan to hide any and all evidence of my having been in his brig—or the entirety of Red Barge for that matter.”
“And after all you did for the stinkin' bastards too,” Windburst snorted, smirking. “Glad he got what was coming to him.”
“How'd you even survive the encounter?” Starstorm asked.
“It's as I've stated briefly before,” Keris said. “The divine intervention of our Goddess saved my life...” He glanced aside at the Commander. “...through the kind and selfless act of a little foal.”
Seraphimus clenched her beak shut, leading the flock east, slicing through the clouds.
“You make it sound as though the Rainbow Rogue never wanted to rip you apart to begin with,” Starstorm said.
“She can't control herself without the pendant.”
“Even though it makes her a hundred times fiercer and stronger?”
Keris calmly shook his head. “She goes to extreme length to prevent herself from transforming,” he explained. “Even as the mutation took place before my eyes, she urged me to keep my distance—not that it would have helped once. She is... quite ferocious when her chaotic powers are unleashed.”
“What kind of a monster are we talking about?” Windburst asked.
“Larger than the average pony, but incredibly agile... nimble. Like a serpent... or a lizard... or a mountain ram... or... or a lion...”
“That's quite a beak-full of clashing descriptions, Lieutenant.” Raptr's headcrest ruffled under his helmet. “You sure you weren't hallucinating?”
“As sure as my body still aches.”
“It was stronger than you?” Windburst asked.
“Stronger than an elephant,” Keris said. “With unnaturally swift regenerative abilities. I could scarcely slice her mutated flesh without the wounds sealing up right before my eyes.”
“Yeesh...” Raptr grimaced.
“It's a divine miracle indeed that you made it out of Red Barge in one piece,” Starstorm murmured.
“Even still.” Windburst snorted. “The beast can't be entirely invulnerable.”
Keris glanced aside. “Sergeant?”
“Well, its wing was still injured, right?” Windburst's armor rattled as he flew over a gust of wind, maintaining speed with the group. “If this Rogue can regenerate while in its chaotic state, then what explanation do you have for why its wing was still as flightless when leaving the Barges as it was when it left the Quade?”
Keris shuddered, gazing down at the distant waves. “I have none...”
“Well, there you have it.” Windburst gestured with his talon. “If the thing can break, then that means we can shatter it. Snap its spine in two so it won't pray on any children of Verlaxion ever again.”
“Calm thoughts, Sergeant,” Seraphimus insisted. “Our task is to apprehend the Rainbow Rogue and deliver her to the Council of Verlaxion so that she may be judged righteously.”
“You want to bring a beast like that to Frostknife?!” Windburst grimaced. “That pendant of hers is filled with black magic! She'll corrupt the steps to the throne of our Goddess!”
“It could be like the Quade,” Raptr said, gulping. “Or even worse.”
“The tragedy at the Quade stands to happen again if we don't use our Goddess-given talents to restrain the Rogue,” Seraphimus said. “I will not rule out lethal action. But—for the Council's sake—it must remain a last resort.”
“As if we could really do much against that... thing!” Starstorm's voice snarled. “If she can turn into a chaotic abomination at any moment—”
“And I am telling you...” Keris' eyes narrowed. “Rainbow Dash will do anything to keep that from happening.”
“Then it's the Rogue's fault that it's stupid enough to let us wrangle it without contest,” Windburst said.
Keris shook his head. “I don't believe it will be quite that simple, Sergeant.”
“Mmmmmyeahhhh...” Windburst groaned. “It rarely ever friggin' is.”
“Rainbow's companions—albeit invisible—are far from useless,” Keris explained. “I've no doubt that they will sense the Talon's arrival from kilometers away. If worse comes to worst, they will do whatever is in their power to conceal their living friend and make her desperate trip east even stealthier.”
“Why is she so Hell-bent on making her way east, anyways?” Starstorm blinked. “All she'll find is the end of the world!”
“Don't matter how much teeth you put on a beast,” Windburst grunted. “A monster's a monster.”
“And here's an even better question!” Starstorm leaned in while flying. “Does she actually have invisible pony spirits galloping alongside her at all times?”
Before Keris could respond—
“Of course not,” Seraphimus droned. “Any spirits dwelling on this plane would be headed towards perdition, or else granted swift passage to the Spring Havens via the Dead Drifts, by Verlaxion's grace.”
“And we are all in accordance with that, Commander,” Keris said. His beak clenched. “Even still, there is a force at play around Rainbow Dash. Her keen senses are unnaturally gifted. I've witnessed her strategize around an army that she couldn't even see or hear through a suffocating steam fog. Because of her abilities, the two of us were able to overpower all of Skagra's forces with little to not contest.”
“No doubt.” Seraphimus nodded. A charcoal eye darted towards him. “But I can also tell that suffering and malnourishment has had its effect on you.”
“Commander, I—”
“You spent an awful long time sitting and conversing with the company of our target, Lieutenant,” Seraphimus said. “I'm afraid such anguish tainted your judgment with the illusion of trust and companionship. Need I remind you that this same wonder from 'Equestria' performed more atrocious acts with the pendant on than with it off?”
Keris took a deep breath. “No, Commander. You needn't.”
“These... 'invisible friends' of hers are no doubt the disassociative personalities of her psyche that she's ascribed to the separate facets of black magic that the pendant has imbued her with. They are curious anomalies at best—I am convinced—and we should be grateful that she lacks control over the totality of her beastly faculties. It means she has a glaring weakness that we can aim to exploit.”
“Exactly!” Windburst said with a nod. “Hit her where it hurts!” He squinted and cocked an invisible crossbow. “Pow! The Council has their trophy.”
“But let us not assume that a creature as destitute as the Rainbow Rogue won't resort to desperation when the Talon catches up to her,” Seraphimus calmly warned. “Where she's headed, the true foals of Verlaxion lie in wait. So long as this beast is on the loose, she's a threat to all the innocent lives we've sworn to protect. We must not fail in apprehending her, no matter her magical abilities. After all, the Month of Thawing is upon us. There won't be a more key moment in time to honor Verlaxion with our swift might.”
“And you have my sincere support with every step we take in this mission,” Keris said. “But—if I may speak freely, Commander.”
Seraphimus sighed. She smiled tiredly beneath her beak. “When did you ever stop, Lieutenant?”
“I am convinced... truly convinced that there is far more happening here than even our hawkeyes can see,” Keris said. “I insist that we approach this beast with caution.”
“I humbly suggest the opposite,” Windburst uttered bluntly. “Commander, we should strike quickly and strike hard. If it's Verlaxion's will—via the Council—then we must throttle this Rogue and knock her unconscious before she has a chance to employ any of her abominable abilities.”
“We won't get anywhere if we go about this impulsively, Sergeant,” Keris retorted. “Unrighteous or not, Rainbow Dash has gifts... gifts that can and will greatly complicate all efforts to capture her swiftly.”
“I echo the Lieutenant's sentiments,” Seraphimus said. “Insomuch that we musn't make the mistake of underestimating the Rainbow Rogue's wit and tenacity. But mark my words—we can and will subdued this creature, and we will do so quickly, professionally, and without mercy.”
“Commander.” Keris bowed in mid-flight. “Yes, Commander.”
“Today is a very delicate, fragile day for the Six Tribes,” Seraphimus spoke as the barest hint of land rolled over the watery horizon, growing larger, darker. “The blessed continent of Robhredden has become the unwitting host to a parasite of the most versatile kind.” She took a deep breath. “Even without the gift of flight, there's no doubt that our target has reached dry land.”
“Do you think she's already harmed any more citizens like did with the Luminards, Commander?” Raptr asked.
“That is a question that we will all have to live with until we confront the beast,” Seraphimus said. She glared forward, beak muscles clenched. “There's simply no telling what horrible, godless crimes she's committing right now...even as we speak...”
“Mrmmmmfff... nommfff... nommm!” Rainbow Dash nibbled and nibbled on a breaded cluster of rice. “Mmmmm...” Her fuzzy blue muzzle wriggled like a squirrel's as she squat her petite self on the side of the road. “Mmmf! This stuff is...” A burp. She slapped her chest, causing her pendant to rattle. “...pretty dang delicious, actually.”
“I suspect anything is an upgrade from the despicable slop you were forced to consume on the Barge, darling,” Rarity said, floating overhead. “Even... mmmmm... rice.”
“I'm telling you—this stuff is friggin' amazing!” Rainbow Dash said. Several white and brown kernels stuck to her nose. “It's like they spiced it with... with...”
Twilight Sparkle arched an eyebrow. “Spice?”
“How would you know?”
Twilight smirked. “Lucky guess.”
Rainbow took a deep... deep breath, then gobbled up the last of the rice cluster, along with the crumbly bread holding it in place. Swallowing, she sighed, then leaned back against the trunk of a wind-blown lotus tree. Before her, a long, winding road curved east, arching up through a craggy canyon where two mountainous slabs of porous limestone met—draped with moss, vines, and lichen. Slowly lurching caravans of Rohbredden traders—both young and old—trotted the lengths of the path, seemingly ambivalent to the majestic sights of nature lingering on all sides.
“It's different than the seven seas,” Rainbow muttered.
“Heh... in what way?” Twilight gestured. “The complete lack of ocean?”
“The fact that everypony around you isn't suffering or inflicting wanton misery?” Rarity added.
“Just... everypony here is so... slow. I-I mean chillaxed, y'know?” She pointed at a passing caravan. “I mean, just look at them! Unification Day is coming around the bend, and yet they're acting like they can finish their delivery—I dunno—the next decade, from the pace they're trotting at.”
“Don't point, Rainbow,” Twilight muttered. “You'll attract attention to yourself.”
“Pffft. Please,” Rainbow smirked, tilting back the brim of her conical hat. “Like these wrinkly old rice geezers give a darn.”
“Well, somepony gives a darn, Dashie!” Pinkie said.
“Pinkie's right.” Rarity nodded.
“As much as I'd love to sit here with you and the munchies, we've gotta get skedaddlies.” Pinkie smiled. “See? That's in the spirit of—”
“Applejack. Gotcha.” Rainbow rolled her eyes. A sigh, and she folded her foodstuffs back up, sliding them into her saddlebag. “Alright. Intermission's over. Time to hoof it.”
“Awwwwwww...” Fluttershy pouted, ears folding back. “I was starting to enjoy how... peaceful it all was.”
“You can enjoy it on the road.”
“Really?”
“Sure.” Rainbow shrugged. “Why not?”
Pinkie squinted at the steep ravine up ahead. “Just how long does this path go for anyways?”
“There's only one way to find out.” With a grunt, Rainbow fought her injured wing and stood up. “There's always... always a way to find out.” She smiled, her eyes briefly glittering from the orange glow of Yaerfaerda from afar—until the front of the hat fell over her face again. “Augh! Darn it!”
brb going to ram head through desk
pre12.deviantart.net/f6a5/th/pre/i/2015/343/e/c/rainbowrobe2_by_zaponator-d9jmmxq.png
This is still really friggin adorable.
That explanation went about as well as could be expected. Maybe better.
Glad to see Rainbow's enjoying herself, something tells me this is a brief intermission between long arcs of despair.
Who knows what Godless atrocities she's commencing to that poor, defenseless rice! Nom nom nom...
I see this happening again at the next Dramatic Showdown.
Also on an unrelated note, now we're over 1/4 of the way and have a good sample size: Ignoring the anomalies like the 10k chapter and the 120 word one, if the word count average continues, this should be the first story to break 500k.
A very reasonable assumption, as this kind of thing is exactly what real life militaries do when they get back one of their own people from enemy captivity. There is no telling what kind of information and influence even a guy that never used torture could get (torture is for amateurs). She is dedicated, but not irrational, at least not yet
Right now she is doing awful things to my hunger levels (namely increasing them)
ANYTHING tastes good if you are hungry enough. I remember a friend who went through SERE school talking about how the only thing they had to eat in 17 days was a piece of roadkill, they cooked it up and ate it, and found it delicious. As for what the rice Rainbow was eating was spiced with, I am guessing a Cinnamon stick, cardamon pods, cloves, a couple bay-leaves and a few peppercorns (assuming she is eating Indian style Basmati rice).
Everyone underestimates the Dash.
Meanwhile, the only thing getting destroyed is a ball of rice.
6727356 She's... not exactly wrong though. Dash wasn't chaos mode when she did what she did at the Quade. She wasn't a mindless hulking beast deadset on it's next meal and nothing more.
She was herself.A thinking, reasoning mare who made the decision to do what she did.
anyway...
Seraph does seem to have a very "my way or no way" leadership style. Skilled at de-equinizing her target.
So...Keris, if push comes to shove, are you going to side with the talon, or Dash?
-Companions have returned, inner darkness spurned. Utaan.
Neither do we or IC.
6727446
Or stumbling on her by coincidence in a moment of extreme dramatic tension.
6727446 I dunno. It seems like ponies in that first little town will recognize Dash from the posters. They'll have at least a starting point for their search. And they know she's going east. That'll narrow it down quite a bit.
i can't wait for them to be proven wrong...
Straw Hat: 2
Rainbow Dash: 0
That poor rice, it deserved better than being consumed by the fuzzy blue muzzle of the unrighteous!
I'm surprised that Seraphimus would call Keris out in front of the rest of The Talon like that. That kind of thing can be pretty harmful to group cohesion, especially since we already have Windburst talking over Keris even though Keris outranks him.
I wonder if dash will bump into theanim along the way. I very much miss the desperadoed right about now..that ended poorly and might never be amended..
Man all we need now are some swords, grey scale,and bad lips syncing and where set for a set.
Wonder if they have black and white movies in Robhredden? How technologically advanced were they again?
See how The Talon, excluding Keris, call her "it", "it's", "monster", "black magic", while Keris calls her, well, "her", "Rainbow Dash", "spirit companions"...
Also, waiting for Bard and Wildcard to show up be like
i.imgur.com/1Cf6EUE.png
That hat is going to turn into the main antagonist soon...I just know it.
For pony's sake, will someone teach her to wear that thing right?
Now to see how long the chase shall be. Taking all bets, folks, talking all bets! Will the Talon catch up to Dash before or after she arrives at the general location of the next beacon?
Uh... Keris, I think you have your facts a bit messed up.
6727814
Well, thats what you get for relying on chineighs whispers.
Im really worried about Seraphim, she is behaving like a mid range fundamentalist, and isnt that far off burning the odd village for information due to frustration, taking her right into Shell country
[Verlax]If you dont burn this village now Seraphim, the whole of Rhobedron burns instead.[/Verlax]
6727814 But will it change anything if the Talon think they're chasing a foreign ruler from a distant continent? Especially since she's the only surviving member of the group that 'ruled' Equestria.
so the Talon thinks the Element of Loyalty runs on dark magic?
6727811
my bets on them arriving at the same time.
I feel Seraphimus is being overly angry at Keris here. She is being quite dismissive of what he has to say and seems to still just want to believe rumors over a first hand account of her own team member. Even though he failed to do completely what she asked of him to me this seems to be very short sighted on her part. Also I really wonder what is going to happen when Keris realizes who Longaze is exactly, and will the Talon actually take what he has to say seriously at that point? I have a feeling they might not and it's going to be sad when that happens. It's going to be quite the revelation for him and I hope he can start putting something pieces into place.
That hat falling over will always be adorable I swear.
I'm still very confused as to why no one is taking into account that the Rainbow Rogue saved Red Barge. Shouldn't this be setting off some yellow flags? Considering that her behavior at the Quade vs the Barge were completely contradictory, how is it that no one is even acknowledging that dichotomy?
The only explanation I can think of is that no one even mentioned to the Talon that Rainbow saved the Barge, which is kind of unbelievable to me. The Talon clearly spent a day or so there. Did they not speak with any of the citizens? Did none of the Bargers mention Rainbow Dash's role in defeating Skagra? Surely it would have been brought up, like, maybe, once or twice, no? Surely Elsaack would have said something to Seraphimus, considering how much he was tripping over himself to thank Rainbow Dash at the end of it all?
It's not like I'm expecting them to have a complete reversal of opinion when it comes to the Rainbow Rogue. Hell, I'm pretty sure Seraphimus would be absolutely defiant and bull-headed about it. But what about the other four? I would've expected some confusion, some debate over her true motives.
I dunno. On top of Keris' insufficient explanation of the situation, this just seems like a gaping plot-hole to me.
6727980 Stubbornness is getting in the way of them seeing that. They want to see the monster they have been told she is and for a few of them are effected by (pardon me) "religious blindness".
6727417 I guess she took the clothes off the back of a con artist, but that rice had it comin'.
6727753 Sure the desperadoes have a bunch of platinum bars, but why not add another 350k bits each to their funds? Bounty hunters will be vying for RD. I think it's a good excuse for Bard and WC to come back into the story.
6727980 I'm guessing most of the saving is attributed to Kerris and not Dash. But I share the sentiment.
6728025 But no one even brought it up in the first place. They can't be bull-headed about it if there's nothing to be bull-headed about.
In a realistic scenario, someone would have brought it up, and then Seraphimus would have been defiant about it.
But this didn't happen for some reason. It's like no one even told the Talon that Rainbow saved the Barge. There's nothing for them to be disbelieving about.
Only deeds of the pure, unfiltered evil variety
6727856
Perhaps an attempt to avoid complacency. She's heard enough to decide that Rainbow is enough of a force to threaten both the Thawing and the people they strive to protect, including her family (still got my fingers crossed for some harmonic healing later). Any excuse to interpret Rainbow's recent actions as good simply won't cut it for her.
Interestingly, Keris has played the Swab card twice already and her reaction the second time seemed curiously reticent. Possibly the closest she's gotten to mentally questioning her convictions? It seems to be touching on something, at the very least.
6727980
I got halfway through the opening line before I started wondering just that.
Granted, Keris had a much more substantial experience with her than any resident besides Swab. And as a Claw, his report is necessary. But then Seraphimus attempts to dismiss his testimony as weak given the state he was in anyway. As if she's trying very hard to keep her stance on Rainbow as nothing more than an object that needs quashing and that the words of others won't offer anything she doesn't already know. (if the Barge folk even got any words in at all).
6728058 *sees picture* That is devious. I eat cereal with those things.
I'm looking forward to when the Talon catch up to Dash, not just for the fight but to see who Keris sides with.
Keris must be frustrated with how Seraphimus is acting, in fact, I believe it's something to do with her back story which is causing her tunnelvision for Rainbow. Whatever the case may be, for an elite gang of supposedly well connected and tight cooperatives, none of them have sat down and listened to Keris' evidence, nor have they even remotely bothered to aid their injured comerade.
She tell's Keris that he's malnourished, and doesn't offer him food or rehabilitation to 'gather his thoughts.' The way IC has written them is infuriating. 'Elite' my ass, all they can to is fight and kill, no rhyme or reason.
6728058
Which also blows my mind. Rainbow was the one who defeated Skagra, dragged him in front of all the Red Bargers, and pulled that super dramatic stunt with the near-execution-by-steam, just before giving a grandiose speech about how there is a better way and how they can seize their destinies and all that sappy gunk, and it dominates half the entire chapter. Whony and the foals went out of their way to return Rainbow Dash's crap, and Elsaack was super thankful to Rainbow.
So... maybe they were scared to mention that Rainbow had saved them? Elsaack seemed to recognize that Rainbow was an outlaw, and maybe he didn't want to admit to having associated with her or helping her get away. So he kept it to himself and ordered the rest of the Barge to follow suit, pretending that Keris was the sole savior.
I dunno. That seems just a teensy bit contrived. But eh. I guess I can roll with it.
6727778
Hat confirmed for Shell 2.0
I'm just wondering when Bard and Wild Card will make another appearance....hopefully Dash can apologize, she was way too hard on those guys.
6727980 It is because they think his judgement might be compromised. While Rainbow's physical capabilities, intelligence gathering, and the effects her pendant has are all fact based, and thus not up for debate , his opinion of her motivations and how those abilities come about are based what he feels. That can be influenced by the way his opponent treats him, whether that be via torture and starvation OR via kindness and caring. The US military does this when it gets back their POWs, they assume that they have compromised judgement until proven otherwise.
6727980 Rainbow saving the barge would be contrary to what is said to have happened in the Quade. And being that the council has deemed her a monster - by the wisdom of Verlaxion no less - the red barge account must be flawed or manipulated. Because we all know that Verlaxions will is infallible. How could she deem something to be one way if the opposite is the truth?
That is the problem with believing that EVERYTHING is the will or "grace" of Verlaxion. If nothing can be contrary to it you are wearing blinders to half the truths of the world.
6728055
try to talk to a fully armored griffon who can kill you in the blink of an eye about how she's totally wrong about the evilness of her prey
6727848 Most of the ponies/catbirds/aquapones/filthymidnighters/dragondivines/shavedpones/leviathans/actualbirds/seafoam/landfoam this side of the Blight act like nothing west of the Blight exists, even when faced with evidence to the contrary. Even Nick and Sinrar had to tune into WLNA, Equestria's favorite talk radio station, before they could really accept that cultures exist outside of Verlaxion's reach. I guess changing one's whole worldview takes more than just evidence... It takes a tectonic shift in the way one -feels-.
6727980 I would also love to hear some of those doubts being tossed about by the Talon. I mean, you're right. They must know that Rainbow saved the barge, I'm just wondering how much it matters to them. I don't think the Talon is charged with thinking their own thoughts in a broad sense. They aren't the Right Frontal Lobe of Verlaxion, after all. Their holy mission in life is to execute the Council's commands, whatever they may be. And I think that's what sets Keris apart from his crew. He thinks. In the military, I think that can be a major crime, using your judgment to justify going against orders.
I mean, if you told your Right Hand to do something like itch your nose, and it didn't, you would, like... You would, I dunno, you'd have MS or something. A neurological disorder, at the very least. All I'm saying is it wouldn't be good. But yeah, in my head the rest of the Talon is just exercising a frustrating amount of intentional blindness, whether by force if habit or by following Seraph's lead.
I don't know if you've realized, Seraphimus, but pretty much the only crimes your "Rainbow Rogue" ever committed were vandalism, and maybe assault. While those are definitely not tiny little things, they're still pretty commonplace in Verlaxion's world. Everything else was just offending your religion, which generally isn't considered a crime in a freespeaking place.
6728827
and therein lies your mistake, assuming this is a free speaking place
6728940 I know, but I really hate how blind Seraphimus is to the suffering of the world as a whole instead of just Verlaxion's foals vs the godless heathens. At least Keris is keeping her from just dismissing the Red Bargers as heathen nonbelievers who brought their suffering upon themselves.
6728827 Vandalism, Of a supremely holy place. If the equivalent happened on earth, you'd most likely get executed. The Vatican, Jerusalem. I can personally think of a large amount of places you'd be shown no mercy for destroying. Heck, even without religion, if you blew up the pyramids, or the Great Wall, you'd get executed.
6729319 True, true.
*nods sagely in agreement*
Like Swan Song, I find it frustrating that Rainbow isn't getting more credit for saving Red Barge. I mean, what she did at the Quade sucked, but the situation is more complex than that, and no one seems to be considering that. And worse, Keris seems to be holding back. I'm really looking forward to the encounter between Rainbow and the Talon, especially now that Rainbow got her awesome back.
Also:
derpicdn.net/img/view/2012/7/12/42062__safe_animated_lily_the+horror.gif
I don't think Keris is really gonna go in this hunt whole hearted, he's seen how Rainbow will go to leangths just so others won't get hurt...
I'm pretty sure Keris told Rainbow as she was leaving whose side he would choose. I suppose that could/would change depending on the circumstance, however.
Right. Roarke tried that once. She was every bit as skilled, had a far superior technological advantage, the element of surprise, and didn't have to face any extrasensory abilities from her opponent.
She lasted four rounds solo before being defeated, humbled, reformed, recruited, outcast, re-recruited, and cuddled, in that order.
How long do you expect to last?
6730623
You know what Roarke didn't have? Backup.
Also, gotta jump on this whole "irritation with religious blindness' train. I mean, there is interpreting the world through your religious frame, because it is you have come to believe is best through drawn out thought, and there is denying LITERALLY everything that could possibly upset that frame. I despise those who refuse to learn because it might upset their held convictions.