Ebasit Ben-Hassrath maraas-toh, tal-eb iss mer-toh ari-van.

[issala]

WHO: Kas, Korrin, Gorse, Taashath + possible eavesdroppers
WHAT: Kas is scared and spreads the fear
WHEN: 4th of Firstfall
WHERE: Skyhold
NOTES: Possibly language, anxiety, 'Bull is an evil spy' hijinks Edit: Unapologetic bandit slaughtering

The teen had tried to keep it a secret for a while, frightened of what would happen if he opened his mouth about it. Even if Krem had tried to calm him by saying the Chargers wouldn't stand for their boss slaughtering the qunari here, Kas knew better. If this 'Iron Bull' got orders, he'd do it, and Krem might not even know about it until they were all dead or missing.

The longer he waited, however, the worse his nightmares were getting, and so where the blackouts where he'd find himself in new areas of the castle with his heart beating painfully in his chest. It had been a while since that had been acting up, so the stress couldn't be good for him at all.

He had to get it off his chest; he had to tell Gorse, and Korrin. Maybe the big Tal-Vashoth guy, too. He couldn't leave them in danger just because he was scared.

...so he finally heads off, grabbing his new daggers and the bow he was still borrowing, and hurries to find them. They had to know. The Ben-Hassrath were here!

Comments

[quietblade]

"So this place is full of bastards, bowing to some Ben-Hassrath spy?" Rage is easy. Rage was what they formed him to be, to break bonds and fight until there was no more blood in his body. To be a berserker.

He swings his head to the side as if he wants to gore someone, nostrils flared and teeth bared. Taashath can feel the heat in his veins, anger rushing through him like wildfire. Some Tal-Vashoth were mad beasts.

Taas used to be one, and it is so, so easy to forget his name.

[gatheringstorm]

Rage is understandable, but Korrin also knows it needs to be channeled constructively. Otherwise, he might do something he later regrets...and even if he doesn't regret it, others will. She knows the stereotypes about the Tal-Vashoth well enough, but she won't see him fall to them now, if it can at all be helped.

"Let's get out of here, Taashath." Yes, using his full name to remind him of what he wants to be. "You need to kill something and so do I. The area around Skyhold isn't going to run out of things that need an axe and a staff to end them."

[quietblade]

He's gritting his teeth audibly, hands yearning to feel his weapon. There was a strange sense of focus in the anger, a weird tunnel view that had the red haze of 'enemy' waiting at the end. Bred as a soldier, conditioned into a berserker, lost in the desire for blood.

And then it felt like his head was put under water, cold and clear and cleansing.

Taashath.

"...yes," he says, focusing his breathing. In through his nose, out through his mouth. "That sounds like a good idea."

[gatheringstorm]

Korrin smiles grimly, giving him that moment to regain some calm. The more he can manage that, the better. Plenty of wildlife is still going to die, though.

"Let's do it, then. If you don't need to snag anything, I'm good to go."

Normally, Korrin would take more with her than just a staff, but it's more important to leave Skyhold and leave it quickly. Besides, she's a mercenary. Roughing it for a short time is nothing to her, not when her mood needs the outlet this badly.

[quietblade]

"I have all I need," the warrior rumbles, already heading for the door to the smithy. "Let's kill something before I decide to crack open someones skull."

Especially someone innocent. The big lug marches off to the gate and out of it, not even making sure she was following or not. Taashath, he tries to remind himself, over and over. Calmness. Gentleness. The eyes of the woman he'd killed back then.

Taashath. All he ever wanted.

"Keep your distance with the spells. I don't want to snap and hurt you." He mutters before he pulls his axe out, feeling the comforting weight in his hands. Karasaad and their weapons. The truest extension of their soul.

[gatheringstorm]

"I can manage that." Knowing this is not the time to stand up for magic and mages, Korrin simply nods as she quickens her pace to keep up wit him. Used to walking with much shorter people now, her average has slowed, but it's not any trouble to adjust back to what is considered normal.

"There'd better be a rift with an assload of demons nearby." Or a great bear or giant. Giants are always challenging, but not quite as a terrible as high dragons. Anything that's a big enough target will deserve his wrath, though Korrin almost feels sorry for them. Almost.

[quietblade]

Demons he could do. Bears, too. A giant could be fun.

Instead they found a group of bandits only after twenty minutes of walking. Not a bad challenge, but humans were easy. Two large qunari coming towards them tended to break their formations with ease.

Swinging his axe, Taas roars and then charges towards the startled bandits. The crunch of his axe cutting flesh and shattering ribs was very satisfying.

[gatheringstorm]

There's no hesitation in Korrin about attacking bandits, of course. They're in the way and if left to their own devices will just made it more difficult for people to reach Skyhold. If they want to be stupid and stick around, then let them pay for it.

Once Taas charges, Korrin casts a Barrier over herself, then puts some distance with Fade Step, forcing the bandits to divide their attention. She's less interested in accruing a high body count for herself, giving Taas the outlet he needs. Nonetheless, as soon as he's far enough away, she'll cast Chain Lightning on those approaching, a smirk on her lips as the lightning arcs to each one.

[quietblade]

It doesn't take Taas long to cleave through his part of the bandits. What he lacks in speed from swinging such a heavy weapon, he makes up for in pure destructive power. Blood splattering his face and earth-bellowing battle roars caused a frightened chaos, and when he's out of things to hit, all he got was a few scratches that sting just right.

Stopping, he heaved a few deep breaths and shook the blood and caked gore off his axe with a deep sigh.

[gatheringstorm]

For her part, Korrin takes advantage of the chaos and damage her spell causes to follow it up with a blast of flame and several more from her staff. She's less interested in bloodlust and more in being efficient, since that Barrier spell only lasts for so long. Which isn't to say that she doesn't take some satisfaction in the last of them falling.

After a moment to catch her breath and check to see that they were truly down, the Vashoth mage uses Fade Step to bring herself close once more. The bandits don't seem to have that much on them, but they didn't come here for the loot anyway. Looking Taashath over, she raises an eyebrow, a silent question. Should they continue?

[quietblade]

There's just one problem - he can't hear her, and thus doesn't notice that she's close again until he sees movement at the corner of his eye. Snarling, he spins around and nearly takes her head off with his axe, but stops himself in the last moment.

Looking slightly startled, he slowly lowers the axe and sighs. "Now you see why I work best alone," the warrior mutters apologetically. "Perhaps I should continue on my own."

As full of adrenaline and anger (though fading) as he was, the last thing he wanted was to possibly hurt her. She might be creepy to him for being a saarebas, but he was starting to like her.

[gatheringstorm]

And Korrin really, really needs to remember not to startle Taas. The snarl has her stepping back, casting Barrier just in case he doesn't snap out of it in time...but he does, and she relaxes. At that comment, Korrin shakes her head, not needing a lot of time or soul-searching.

"No, you don't have to do that. I'll just be more careful and be sure to do that when you can see me first. I told the kid, and I told him to tell Gorse, and I'll tell you; we'll all look out for each other. You're not in this alone."

[quietblade]

The warrior looks haunted, watching her and then the axe. Taas could so easily see it smash into her neck, cutting the tendons and bone. It leaves him with the images of the woman he had killed, and he sighs.

Taashath.

"We're all in this together. Well. I like that thought, at least." There's a hint of a smile as he straightens a bit, lifting the axe over one shoulder again. "Keep those barriers around, Korrin. Then we'll both be safer."

Just in case.

"Let's find a bear. I'll wrestle it."

[gatheringstorm]

The Vashoth mage echoes that hint of a smile, nodding at mention of barriers. They never last as long as she'd like, but in a pinch, when every moment counts, they'll do just fine. And then that image makes her smile widen and she nods encouragingly.

"You do, and I'll buy the drinks afterward and tell everyone ever about it. You'll be a hero to all of us who are sick of the things."

[quietblade]

Yes. Yes, he wants to wrestle a damn bear. He's in that kind of mood, feeling like he wouldn't calm until he killed something bigger than himself... or was knocked out.

Snarling, the huge warrior stalks off with the mage to find a bear.

That doesn't take long at all, and soon there is roaring from both qunari and bear as Taas throws himself over it. The warrior manages to not get gored to death thanks to the vitaar, but he's pretty damn beat up once the bear is dead and dragged across the ground over to Korrin.

"Okay. I... think I'm done."

[gatheringstorm]

It takes some effort for Korrin not to join in and attack the bear as well, wanting to pay it back for all the annoyance its kind inflicted on her in the Hinterlands, but she manages. Taas needs an outlet far more than she does, and hers is mostly satisfied by the bandits. The rest can wait for her next assignment, wherever that might be.

Sparing a faint smirk at the bear corpse, Korrin reaches into her pack to hand over a potion to Taas. "Fine by me. And don't say you don't need it. You never know what we might face on the way back." She'd rather now be down a warrior if those bandits have friends, after all.

[quietblade]

"Yes, ma'am."

Taashath smirks and takes the potion, sniffing it before he downs the content. It takes a bit of the edge off from his cuts, bruises and strained muscles from crushing a bear. Absently, he wipes some blood off his stomach to inspect the scratches there. Not too deep thanks to the vitaar.

Might even scar. A nice bear-wrestling reminder.

Leaning down with a slight 'oof', he then grabs the bear carcass to drag it home. "Now I need a drink... but I don't think I'm going to hurt anyone. I... thank you."

[gatheringstorm]

Korrin nods in approval at the proto-scars, thinking them a decent enough souvenir for his efforts. She moves to walk alongside him, keeping pace and glancing to the bear carcass. His strength isn't in doubt, but she'll still assist if it helps move them along.

Glancing over, she smiles warmly. "Anytime, Taas. I mean it. You need to go out and want backup, just ask. As it is, I need a drink too. Maybe several." Preferably as far away as possible from where that Qunari is located.

[quietblade]

The warrior hesitates a bit before clasping a warm hand on her shoulder in a friendly gesture. Taas still wasn't comfortable with her magic at all and would probably prefer that she at least have an arvaarad around if something went wrong... but he was starting to really like the woman under the magic.

A mage wasn't all she was. That was important to remember.

"I'll give some coin to one of the trainees, and they can go into the tavern and get us a bottle of something strong," he says as they slowly make their way back to Skyhold, bear in tow.

"It's a good day to get drunk off your ass after bleeding."