Skill Learnings - Ketucari

Kaily looked over the supplies as they mulled over the plan in their head. Slavers need taking out. Guards during night watch need to be taken out quickly, and quietly. They hopped into the disguised cart and felt the wood groan underneath their claws. They started going through the labeled crates of materials and other needed items. Also need to make sure they won't be getting back up fine, either, without raising suspicion. Maybe the smoke bombs followed by claws? No, the smell would give away our intentions, same for the sound. They shoved a few crates off one stack to dig through the bottom. They pulled out a box lined thickly with wax and cracked the seal. Inside were bags of a thick finely woven, but breathable, fabric. Durable. Expensive. And perfect for what they had planned. Hmmm, I'll need to show them how to use these bags. They put the lid back on and hauled it from the cart. A bright toa, Forge-something, noticed them hauling the box and lifted a brow. They nodded their head at him and as he went to grab a handle his nose wrinkled. To be expected, considering the contents. They directed him towards a flat area with hard dirt. They set the box down carefully. The others helping them with this mission gathered around the clearing. 

"This has the primary way we're getting into that camp undetected. They may not look like much, but they pack quite the punch. Smaller ketucari will be hit harder by these. Now, I need a volunteer to demonstrate how they work, and the best methods for getting them over someone's head quickly and quietly. Wouldn't do to miss and have the guard shout for help before they konk out, or scream. Now, medics, please be on standby," they said, not hiding their grin.

A large Kadin looked at the box hard and asked, "how does it work? Do they kill the guards? How bad will it be on us?"

"Well, these are bags soaked in ether and capsaicin oil. The ether will knock you out, and the longer you breathe it in the longer you're out. It's especially effective on the Akadri and Humans and hits them faster and harder. The capsaicin oil is concentrated, and while they're out will get all over their eyes and eyelids. When they wake up, if they do, their eyes will be on fire. I'm also asking for a volunteer so you can respect how much damage they can do if you're not careful, or you grab the wrong person. Normally you'd need to let a larger ketucari breathe it in longer to knock them out, but this stuff is highly concentrated and special ordered," Kaily explained, carefully holding one of the larger bags on her thumb claw. The others looked at them with a mix of awe and fear. Good.

The same kadin from before, Sorcha, stood up and stepped forward, "I will go. I'm larger than everyone here, and some of the ketucari with the slavers are as big as I am."

Kaily nodded and then pulled out some eye wear for Sorcha. Sorcha looked at them quizzically, but accepted. She carefully fitted them over her eyes and tightened the strap. 

"The oil is highly concentrated, and the new moon is a week away. I don't want anyone dealing with lingering effects on their vision. I have test bags for you all later, with less concentrated capsaicin and less ether. This demonstration is for how quickly it can take effect. Are you still good to go Sorcha?" Kaily asked, making sure that she was still fine with continuing. 

Sorcha nodded.

In an instant Kaily was on her, and looped the bag over her head and tightened the draw string. Within seconds Sorcha stopped fighting, and her body slowly sank to the ground. Just as quickly Kaily loosed the draw string and pulled the bag off Sorcha's head. Medics rushed over on cue with a detergent to get clean the oil and ether off Sorcha's face. 

Kaily turned back around, "Now, at this concentration and inhaled dosage, she won't regain consciousness for at least three hours. That's even with the attention of trained medics. Make sure you get the correct target. Now, let's get to practicing."

And pray that we have enough time before the slavers take their victims to the coast.

***

Forge looked at the bag in his claws and then to his practice partner; a burnt red and blue toa called Kalahari. Kaily was watching them from the other side of the practice grounds, working with the bipedal peoples who were participating in this mission.  Really, Kaily was keeping an eye on everyone. He took a deep breath in and refocused himself to Kalahari in front of him. Morning mist clung heavy to the ground, making everything seem soft, and eerie.

"We should practice sides first, we may not get the luxury of coming up completely behind the guards," Kalahari said, turning his body parallel to Forge's. 

Forge launched himself at Kalahari bag grabbed in his left claws... and completely whiffed getting the bag over Kalahari's face cleanly. It more smeared over his face without going over his muzzle. Kalahari's eyes were squeezed shut and he hissed through his tusks as some oil got into his eyes. Crap, I hope it's not horrible, he thought. True to their word, the oil (and ether) was far less concentrated than the "real deal" as Kaily put it. To the point where when one of the younger kadins asked for goggles like Sorcha, Kaily just chuckled and walked off shouting "good luck!". It stung, and was lingering and unpleasant, but it was bearable. At least that's what Kalahari said. Forge pulled the bag off and helped Kalahari up, but the toa shook his head and said "again." 

It took several tries for Forge to get it over Kalahari's head consistently. It wasn't smooth like Kaily's demonstration, but it was getting there. After he covered Kalahari's face several times in a row without slipping, they swapped. Kalahari was slightly unsteady from breathing in the ether, but insisted he was fine to take his turn. He took the bag from Forge and they settled into their makeshift routine. 

Kalahari bunched his hind legs underneath him and launched himself at Forge's back. The bag slipped over his face, but Kalahari couldn't quite get the drawstring to work. He slid off Forge's back, panting. 

"Well, next try, yeah? How're your eyes doing?" he asked, helping Forge get up.

"Not too bad, it stings, but like really salty sea water. I'll live. How about you? I could feel your body quivering," Forge checked in.

Kalahari grinned, "I'll live, now, again!"

***

Sorcha watched from the makeshift shade canopy as the others practiced with the "spicy bags" as Kaily enjoyed calling them. She'd been given chilled water with ice shaved into it. Normally she'd be embarassed being doted on like this, but the lingering effects from the ether warranted it. Her head was still incredibly dizzy, and even with the goggles lingering oil on her fur made its way into her eyes. The burn was enough pain that she couldn't ignore it, but not so bad that she was begging for more of the wet rags to be placed on her eyes. To say nothing of the nausea. Oh, the nausea. She'd been offered a chilled restorative tea, and her body rejected it within minutes of drinking it. So, she watched while she waited for the lingering effects to dissipate. She would need to work extra hard to make up for the missing day of practice. She sighed. If only the cart we were waiting on wasn't held up. We'd have more time to prepare... 

"If only my cart wasn't late, then we could take more time to properly learn how to use these," Kaily said, startling Sorcha. She didn't hear their mission leader walk up next to her, or lay down. 

"Was it that obvious?" she asked.

Kaily nodded their head, "you're watching them so intently I don't think you realized your claws and tail are twitching in time to their practice.

Sorcha's ears pinned back in embarrassment.

"It's alright, I know how hard those bags hit," Kaily said, settling next to her.

"How do you know? ...did someone use them on you?" Sorcha asked.

Kaily laughed, "HAHAHA, oh no! I tested them on myself and had notes from a doctor in one of the outer cities. And a chemist. The doctor used a different one to knock out patients for surgery. The chemist made me aware of a different type of ether that was much stronger, and has stronger side effects, which is why it's not used medically. Neither know why I wanted the information, soooo... I tested it on myself."

"Huh, and no one's put anything together? You know, that it's you doing this," she asked.

"I'm very good at blending in when needed, but I also have contacts in places where I'd stick out too much, be too memorable of a face," Kaily said. 

Sorcha nodded her head, and winced, the vertigo and nausea hit her full force again. She sank her head down to the rolled up blanket.

"Well, I'll let you recover. I need to show these rookies how it's done. Don't laugh too many of your tail feathers off," Kaily grinned and walked off. Sorcha watched everyone practice snap to attention and put more effort into their movements. She couldn't help the chuckle that left her throat.

***

Kalahri gulped the water down. He didn't care that it was warm, his throat was dry. And his eyes burned, but he could only fix one of those things, presently. The water helped soothe his irritated throat. Apparently even handling the bags was enough exposure to the ether to make one sick. It didn't smell bad, either, but he'd never smell melons the same way again. He heard footsteps coming towards him and turned his head, only to be met with a dark snout and piercing green eyes. Sorcha was much closer than he expected. She wrapped her claws around her muzzle, and he nodded his head. There was a practice bag thrown over her shoulders. 

The sun was down, and everyone but the current watch, and Kaily, were getting ready to sleep. Normal idle bed time chatter replaced with soft murmurings and snores. As tired as he was, there was still a spring in his step. Sorcha snuck low to the ground and practically disappeared in the dried grass at the camp's edge.  He followed her lead and they both snuck off where he knew a dried creek bed to be. Unbeknownst to him, a pair of twinkling eyes watched them from their perch.

They made it to the bed, far enough away where their practice wouldn't be heard, but close enough that if something went wrong, or the small chance of an ambush, they would be heard if they yelled. A good spot if he ever saw one. He waited for Sorcha to grab the bag and figure out how best to hold it in her claws. 

She studied the bag in her claws, "so, I saw you guys holding them like this, with one set of claws looped through the draw string, and the other left open to hook your thumb through as you approach them to pull over their face."

"Yeah, the motion is harder if you're coming up from the side. and you need to pounce quick to maintain control of their head. You're practically straddling their shoulders and upper back with your body. If you can sneak up behind, and loop it over their face without needing to pounce, that's better, but from the guard placements the scouts have told us, we may only be able to launch from the side," he said. 

She took a deep breath, and he saw her visibly stead out and look at him. He moved himself to be parallel to her body and behind. She immediately fell into a crouch, steps easily mistaken for the breeze. Without warning she was on him and he let out a wheeze, her weight unexpected and surprising. She fumbled the bag, but still got it over his muzzle, mostly. She got off him and quickly pulled the bag off his face. Ahh, the burning renews, he thought, amused.

"That's good! Your weight alone can buy you time if you lose grip on the bag. Now, let's try again!" he whispered cheerfully.

They called it quits once she was able to slip the bag over his face three times without fumbling. Which was made more difficult by the heavy dose of ether she had that morning. Hell, she managed it sooner than he had been able to get it on cleanly once, and he didn't even have the excuse of being ether drugged! Getting back into camp quietly was harder now that they were so exhausted. His shoulders were sore and tender from her hind claws digging in. He winced as he laid down on his bed mat, Forge chuckling at him. For once his cheerful demeanor eluded him as he huffed, closing his eyes. Forge covered his snicker with a cough. The nerve.