Birds of Mirth [Open]

Quinn's eyebrow shot up as Shyvana took off without another word; it seemed like the half-dragon was intent on doing the same, albeit in her own way. She quickly followed. Hopefully Shyvana wouldn't do anything too irrational, though she wondered what exactly she could do to stop a rampaging half-dragon. But that was the least of her worries, for after the initial scream, not another sound had issued. She shook her head and kept her head low, the branches crackling as she pushed past them. Though Quinn was not the kind of person to worry in the midst of it all, she could not help but feel a sense of dread wash over her.

It had only been a few seconds later when Valor's harsh cry echoed back to her as he swooped overhead. Her eyes widened. "Shyvana, stop!" She yelled. Valor had told her of some traps the bandits had laid ahead, and despite the ranger's confidence that the half-dragon could handle herself, she did not want to be caught in the tail end of such ferocity. It was not so much for her companion's benefit than for others. It was a party that had come back from a 'merry' night of raiding, and had decided to take a few spoils of war along with them. It was unusual, but not uncommon.

Without waiting, she darted to the side in an attempt to round the camp without being spotted - if Shyvana got herself caught, it would be better for her. The distraction would do her well to release the prisoners and get out before anything happened. She just hoped that Shyvana would not lose herself.

Quinn had already sped off too far, and so she was not sure if Shyvana had heeded her warning. However, something seemed to be rousing the bandits, some of them lumbering onto the outskirts of their camp while others remained behind to stoke their fires. Valor flapped his way to her outstretched arm, beak snapping as he confirmed what had happened. So the heated half-dragon had gotten herself caught into the trap anyway. This simply meant that she was on a deadline.

A quick glance around showed that the prisoners were tied up on the ground near the fire with a trio of men drinking and eying them lecherously. She could not see their faces shrouded in the shadow, but she had a feeling they were not unfamiliar. "Careful, Valor. They have guns." She said softly, as she flicked her wrist. He seemed to roll his eyes in response, simply speeding out with a loud screech issuing from his royal-blue body.

As easy as that, the bandits were yelling as Valor attempted to wreak as much havoc as possible. Pecking at their faces, tearing at their hands and weapons, claws raking forward to tug at their hats and hair and all the while, swerving and dodging their blind shots. The light the fire provided seemed to work more in his favor than in theirs. As her companion was doing the best he could, Quinn crept forward, making sure that at least one person saw her as she pressed a finger to her lips. She produced a small dagger from her boot and quickly began to cut through the thick rope which bound them.

---

The bearded man continued to leer at the half-dragon caught in the pit with lewd triumph. It was too dark to really tell who they had caught, but it didn't matter. Netting her was going to be a bit of a problem, but one bandit had already done the work of maiming at least one of her legs with his weapon. Perhaps the other one too, just for good measure. He gestured for a gun, and having one presented to him, snatched it up and took aim.

A sudden cry of warning rang through the air, chaotic yelling and screeching forcing his hand as he looked up and back to the camp. "Fuck!" He cursed, tossing the weapon back to one of the other bandits, "You bastards sit here and watch this one. I'll have yer head if she gets away." With that, he took off back to the camp.

---

The work Valor was doing was quickly becoming ineffective. Quinn only needed a little more time. "Once the rope falls, get up and run." She said to the group of five, "Do not turn back." She didn't stop to wait for affirmation as their bonds were finally cut, falling to the ground gracefully. The ranger helped one up, "Go! Into the forest!" The urgency was clear in her voice, and she watched them file past her hurriedly. The last, however, finally glanced up to meet her eyes and Quinn almost bit her own tongue off. But now was not the time for surprise or shock, and she roughly pushed him forward.

The bearded man who had been terrorizing Shyvana previously was speeding towards her. "Valor!" She cried, and the bird was immediately on him, slowing the bandit down with his sharp beak and claws. Quinn would have gone with those who were escaping, but she needed to make sure Shyvana didn't do anything the ranger would regret for not stopping her. The cutlass the mongrel was holding was dropped with a howl of pain as Quinn shot a single bolt through his shoulder, darting right past him to the direction he had appeared from.

---

"Hey girlie," though the bandits had heard the cries of their fellows, they were not so much afraid as drunk and much too obedient to their leader. The one who had spoke knelt to the edge of the pit, peering through the dim light, "How many of your friends did'cha come with?" He chuckled, waving his gun in the air, "'nough for each of us, I hope!" He laughed, spitting into the pit.

Too late was an understatement as Quinn heard Shyvana's infuriated outcry. Through the gap in the trees, she could see a bulk of shadow emerging from the pit and the bandits who had not already fled balking in fear. She saw the maw of the dragon dart down, enfulging the man who had tormented her and Quinn could only watch in slackjawed awe as what was once a man became a corpse, the rest of his body being flung into the far corners of the forest. Though thoughts on the half-dragon's mighty form was certainly rampant in her mind, a single question stood out - did they deserve to die so horrendously?

Even as Shyvana picked up another and threw him into the pit, his screams echoed as any other human being's might. What made her brand of justice different from outright brutality? Quinn bit her lip softly. Shyvana dealt with the inhumane through her means, and she did the same. But what brought about such actions, if not even more violence. Stooping so low meant they had brought themselves to their level. Yet the same could have been said for that assassin... except he was dangerous, and by order, meant to be put down. Quinn shook her head violently, banishing these thoughts and focused on the present.

Upon closer inspection, without the distraction of screams, she could see that the dragon was actually quite large. Whilst she had fought Shyvana on the Fields of Justice, the Institute had clearly downsized her form to a more manageable state. With no restriction, it was a formidable sight to see. Was she scared? Not quite. Was she impressed? Yes. After all, this was the first time she had seen a dragon in the flesh. Quinn barely flinched as a few more trees were toppled over, but she held a short breath when Shyvana stomped her way over.

"I don't know what they did to you," the ranger began. She looked up to see Valor hovering cautiously above them, "But did you really have t--" She stopped as the bushes rustled, and behind her, the bearded man burst into the clearing. He waved his pistol around with his uninjured hand... then stopped. His skin turned even more ashen. "D-d-d..." The gun fell to the ground. "D-dragon!" He screeched, and quickly pivoted on his heel, fleeing back the way he came. "You disgusting court pets," his feeble bleating could be heard even as he made his escape. Of course he would recognize Shyvana as being one of the only dragons even near Demacia. If the only.

Quinn frowned. "Let him go," she threw Shyvana an odd stare. "You have blood on your teeth."

As Shyvana went about digging out the bullets from her flesh, Quinn looked away. "Make sure to get some antidote later," she mentioned. Valor had quietly left the scene to scout the trees, though the sun had already vanished. The moon was not yet bright enough for the eagle to see much - hunting in the nocturne was not his forte, and he quickly came back with a small shake of his head. The ranger sighed, thanking him anyway. Once the half-dragon had bandaged her wounds from a pillaged medical kit, she confirmed Quinn's suspicions. She chose not to say anything, instead trailing her eyes around the darkened forests.

Though she could see no better than Valor in the dark, she trusted her instincts. Her gaze lingered on one spot, where a swarm of colors flickered in and out of her vision. A dash of red - perhaps the gaze of a predator. "Whoever is out there," Quinn called out, though she didn't even know if it was a who. The intruder could have been an it for all she knew. "Show yourself!" Valor ruffled his feathers, tilting his head into the trees. Though she couldn't shake off the feeling that somehow, they wouldn't actually respond, it really was of no concern to her.

"If you want the bandit camp, feel free." Was her next suggestion, though she doubted that was the case.