[Town ~ Bed and Breakfast (Main Hall)] (Connie, Davey, Amy, Irina, Maya)
Davey smiled back at Irina as he headed for the stairs. "Well that's a good stance to keep, I won't argue that, but it might be that we'll have to resort to some kind of self defense shortly, and if it comes to that," he nodded towards the second floor, in the direction of their room, "I'd like to have something on-hand. To, eh... deter, if nothing else."
He glanced at the door, then at the three girls, only then noticing Samuel's absence. First one on the scene, huh?
Connie was frowning and clicking her teeth together nervously. Her dark eyes kept fluttering around the room, as though danger literally lurked around every corner. When Maya handed her a bat, she took it in both hands and held it tightly, offering a glad nod in return.
When Maya tried handing Davey a pipe, he blinked in confusion at it for a moment before handing it back. "Uh, no thanks Maya, I've got something a little less primitive. Where did that thing come from anyway?" Not waiting for an answer, nor caring terribly about receiving one, he instead intercepted the knife that Irina was handing back to Maya, sheathing it in his belt with a sly smile, "A holdout's not a bad idea though."
With that, he hurried up the stairs and headed straight for the shared room, disappearing for a short while with only distant sounds of rummaging as proof that he hadn't vanished into thin air.
Back downstairs, Connie stared in her seemingly endless confusion at Amy over the latter's latest statement. "Get going? Get going where, exactly? Some- is something taking priority over this? 'Cause, last I checked, we don't even know if the shooter is gone, let alone if they're going to come back, or what they want, or if they're alone, or if they're gonna go Rambo on anyone who sticks their head out the window, or- " she glanced at the door, "...all right, well I guess no one's shot at Sam, but lets not take that as a given white flag, y'know? I don't think now is a good time to go get horses or whatever you're thinking of doing."
Moments later, Davey reemerged from the room, looking down from the second floor banister. He'd put on a ruddy brown hunting jacket that, although it fit him, seemed less carefully tailored to suit his form. The sleeves looked like they had merely been cut off from something originally longer, and the rest hung a little loosely. He'd aslo removed his shoes, fitted himself with a holstered belt, and had something else slung around his small shoulders, hidden beneath the jacket. He looked at Irina and asked with a plain, welcoming smile, "Are you coming?"
edited 31st May '16 1:14:18 PM by Ryuhza
the color today
[Town ~ Railroad and Main] (Col. Von Strauss, Lt. Ross, Jim McGee, "Prisoner", Soldier 1, Soldier 2, Enkar Ziven, Samuel)
"Begin!"
McGee whipped out his revolvers, unloading nine rounds at the colonel in under a second. Von Strauss didn't move as each and every bullet bounced harmlessly off his breastplate. Jim was taken aback slightly, before quickly aiming his right revolver at Abraham's head before firing.
Ping!
The bullet bounced off the curaiss. The colonel frowned at the bewildered man, "My turn."
BOOOM!
McGee's face changed to that of horror, as Abraham bore down on him in an instant, dragging a cloud of dust along with him. The colonel slammed McGee in the chest with the scabbard, sending him flying down Main Street.
BOOOM!
Abraham slid to a stop, intercepting McGee with a strike to the back, sending him spinning in an arc towards the Bed and Breakfast.
BOOOM!
McGee's mind raced, ignoring the pain as he was spiked strait up into the air. He was told that the officers of the Balamar Empire usually were more powerful the higher ranked they were. He just didn't realize how powerful they were. Looking down, he saw the colonel preparing for another attack.
The sword struck him in the stomach this time, sending the mercenary towards the center of the road. Sliding to a stop, Jim stood up, wincing in pain as he breathed. Looking at the colonel, he noticed that the colonel's sword was still in its scabbard. He blinked, realizing Von Strauss was going easy on him. Jim loaded three rounds into his left revolver. "I think I'm gonna have to play one o' my aces for this one... TRIPLE ARCANA!"
Three shots hit Von Strauss square in the chest. The first exploded in blue light, covering the front of the breastplate with ice. The second released a burst of flame, singeing the armor. The last one sparked yellow. The colonel shook as electricity coursed through his body. His eyes went wide as he toppled backwards, dropping his sword.
"Caps?" Lieutenant Ross ran over to were the colonel fell, a look of concern crossing her face. "CAPS!?" She dropped to her knees by his side, tugging at the damaged breastplate. She tore it free from its latching, before putting her head on his chest. "He's not breathing... Caps... Don't die on me Caps..."
She stood up, and turned to face McGee, pulling another chain from her outfit. She lashed her twin chains, tears streaming down her face. "YOU'RE GONNA PAY FOR THIS! PREPARE TO DIE!"
Meanwhile, as the fight began, the two soldiers standing guard failed to notice the prisoner coming to. She sat up, blinking in confusion at all that was going on. Looking around. she noticing a man fall down in the middle of the street to her right. She struggled to stand, hands still bound behind her back. She began stumbling over to where the man had fallen, dragging the chain her shackles were bound to behind her.
This alerted one of the soldiers to the prisoner attempting to get away. "Halt!" The man attempted to grab the girl, but missed as the girl stumbled. The soldier jabbed the bayonet of his rifle into the ground, pinning the chain in place.
At that moment, Lieutenant Ross was shouting at Jim McGee, diverting the soldier's attention from the girl as she yanked the chain. The chain held fast, causing the girl to fall to the ground. Tilting her head, the girl stared with her bright blue eyes at the man on the ground, and uttered a single sound:
"Ni?"
[Bed and Breakfast (Dining Hall)]
Seeing how nervous Connie was, Amy pulled her into a hug.
"Don't worry!" she said cheerfully, "You have a bat, Sam and Maya! And me!" She then gave her a kiss on the forehead, "That's what my grandma does whenever I get nervous! It helps calms me down! I call it 'Forehead kiss of relief!'"
Maya noticed Davey's style change, and gave him a thumbs up. Lookin' good. She then looked out the door, realizing something, Hey...shouldn't Samuel be back by now? Should we go check on him?
"Didn't you say he had a gun and we would be fine?" Amy asked.
Yeah, but that's when I thought he would be back ASAP. She looked at Irina, Uh, I guess we're ready when you are.
It was then that they heard more gunfire, followed by people shouting. It was then that Amy realized just how unsafe it would be to leave at this second. Samuel was still out there, which made both the girls even more concerned.
"Well," she said, "We can't just leave him out there! We need to go get him! He could be in even more danger!"
Maya pulled out her knives again.
edited 31st May '16 12:31:10 PM by Masterofchaos
PAINKILLER
[Town ~ Bed and Breakfast (Main Hall)] (Connie, Davey, Amy, Irina, Maya)
Irina looked up to Davey, who changed in better suited attire for the occasion. She realized then her things were all in a bag up the stairs—and that a wardrobe change wasn't a terrible idea.
She went up the stairs. "I'll just change a bit. Won't be long," she said, passing Davey. She returned on her word of swapping to a sleeveless top, but with a flowing cloth wrapped around her shoulders. She still appeared like a sand-crawler. She had her bag slung over her shoulder.
Then, a round of shots and sounds went off outside. Below, the girls were getting more anxious and troubled.
She began walking back down the steps. She addressed to everyone, "Sam's been through a lot. He's got a lot of luck and guts. But... I want to make sure he's OK. Maybe have a look around too, make sure no one got caught in the crossfire."
She reached the bottom, and said directly to the girls, "I've lived through a lot as well. I can take care of myself—and I'm not saying it like a headstrong teenager. None of you isn't required to check, but if any of you want to..."
[Town - Main Street] (Samuel)
Before Samuel could recover and take his leg back, shots were fired. The gunfight commenced. He kept his head down and kept as still as he could. He covered the back of his neck with his hands.
Commotion calmed down just a bit—giving Samuel the time to roll over to fix his prosthetic. "Of all the goddamn times..." He slipped the prothesis back on, and latched it tight around the remainder of his leg.
But then, he saw the prisoner girl. The two soldiers he failed to notice earlier were attending to her, but even then, were more concerned with the showdown on the Street. She appeared pretty helpless, and the possible prize of the skirmish. Can't stand for that bullshit, he thought.
Samuel rolled over to face her. He wasn't sure if she was addressing him with the sound she made. But still, he said, "Hey, you all right?" He looked to her chains and shackles. Then, an idea. "Hold on, don't move."
Samuel sat up and had his gun in hand. A bright blue circular sigil appeared over his right hand as he put his finger near the trigger. He aimed for the rifle-bayonet that kept the girl down. He fired a shot, and a blue bolt blazed through the air and struck the bayonet out of its place—effectively freeing her.
Samuel shot to his feet and held out a hand to her, though stepping back so he could make a getaway fast if needed.
Life is hard, that's why no one survives.
Friendly Neighborhood Lich
Desert Trail - Wagon (Zuri, Nemaforte, Iraal, Scents, Wolfe, Teri, Gwion, Katya, Stranger)
The creature didn't even seem to hear Zuri. Instead, it seemed interested in a rock off at the edge of the trail, and was trying to eat it? Well no wonder the creature was starving to death, if he was so delusional that he thought rocks were food. More so in that he refused Wolfe's offer of food - no, he outright ignored it, in the same fashion that he had ignored her own remarks.
A little freaked out by the stranger's odd behaviour, Wolfe turned back to the others and then approached Zuri, asking about Nemaforte and if Zuri could tell what was wrong with her. A bit agitated already, Zuri shot a dark look at the Mad Bastard.
"Lupin's the one who could read auras," she remarked, her voice low and solemn, running a finger over Nemaforte's black shawl. "Honestly I can't tell. She may have just fainted, but what I hope is that she was not trapped in the minotaur's curse as well."
She took a glance at the weird starving bull creature, and noted how unusually sharp his teeth were. Then again, the same was true of some minotaurs of legend. "Anyway, I think I have an idea regarding him..."
She reached back into the little bag of supplies she had taken from Vicky and took out several strips of bacon jerky, along with her parasol just in case the clouds parted. As she approached the stranger, she held one hand out at the ready just in case he would lash out at her or something, now that she was confident that her powers were back. With her eyes on the creature the entire time, she lay the jerky strips out on top of the rock, pressing them in so that they would stick. And then with as much strength as she could muster, she lifted the rock up until it was mere inches away from his mouth.
"Hurry up, this rock is rather heavy..." she muttered while perching the rock on top of her head.
Meanwhile, Nemaforte's nose started to twitch. And although nobody could see them beneath her sunglasses, her eyes slowly slid open. Still a bit in a daze, she quietly rose into a sitting position, her eyes squarely fixed on the stranger... or rather, his bloody footprints. Ignoring her bag for the time being, she crawled toward him, her expression oddly serene.
"Tou-bi fourte da zhumiri la minor morshala-na..." She extended a hand towards the creature's foot, and as she spoke, a bit of drool trickled out the side of her mouth, right beneath her exposed pointed tooth. But before she could touch him, her ears twitched, and she paused, turning around and standing up, clutching the brim of her hat.
"My bag..." She turned her head to gaze at her bag for a moment, then looked back at the creature's foot, then upwards towards his face. And then she took a step backward, as if remembering something. "Oh! There was a..." And then she hesitated, closing her eyes and pressing a hand to her forehead. When she looked up again, she started to feel dizzy. "Oh..." She staggered backward, but luckily she bumped into a larger rock before she could fall. She paused for several moments, wiping the drool off the side of her unearthly flat chin, and then looked around at all the others.
"I seemingly remember," she spoke more clearly. "This person's blood has been... I mean, his aura has been with an odd energy of sort. Taste I can... em, sense I can a powerful curse upon him. My bag... ah, don't know I do if I have anything that will help..."
She gazed back at the stranger, wondering what to do, and as she did, she involuntarily sank to her knees, finding herself once again taking a peculiar interest in the creature's feet.
Northern Desert - Ritual Site (Vicky, Yamiko, Lupin, Kaitlyn, Kris, James, Rip, Hazel)
Yamiko's eyes narrowed when the armed woman introduced herself - she had picked up a different name on her for some weird reason. She was about to say something, but then Kris told them that they were just exploring and James introduced all of them... and then asked the three psychics about why they weren't headed for the mountains.
"It's a long story..." Lupin decided to reply as he rose to his feet and brushed the dirt off his classy black coat, his voice in a low grumble and his face in a not-too-subtle scowl. "Ultimately it boils down to drama, xenophobia, that sort of thing."
"Basically the green-skinned alien we were with turned out to have a technologically advanced heat-radiating stick up her ass," Yamiko remarked, twirling a strand of her crimson hair. Vicky immediately winced and shot a dirty look at the fancily-dressed telepath. "You won't believe the bias they hold against those who believe in magic." Then she turned to face the woman with a typical military-sounding name. "Oh, and actually, my name is Dread Pirate Kelsey." Lupin let out a quiet snicker. "Just kidding. He's right. It's Yamiko. Yamiko Murakage." She pointed a black-nailed thumb at James.
"Wait - so you're a necromancer?" Vicky blurted out excitedly. "For real? I must admit that's kinda creepy, but the three of us are psychics, so... And come to think of it, one of our classmates was interested in studying necromancy, but that's kinda outside our field." She looked around at her classmates a bit. "But yeah, Vicky Greystone here. We're all university students studying psychic phenomena. Plus we get to..." And then she felt Lupin's hand covering her mouth.
"I would not advise trusting Vicky with secrets." Lupin had been eyeing "Yoon" with a peculiar look, for there was something about her aura that was similar to Yamiko's, which he confirmed by looking between the two. "If you do know necromancy, then why are you in the... military?" Lupin faltered a bit mid-speech, as if plagued by a sudden sharp pain. Feeling a little bit light-headed, he decided to sit down on a nearby rock, pulling out his umbrella and unfolding it above him, not for the rain, but for a brief break in the clouds.
Yamiko, meanwhile, noticed an odd thought in the vicinity... and it was coming from this grumpy-looking middle-aged guy leaning against his truck with his arms folded. Apparently he was impatient due to having some important business with the military woman... something involving a strange rock? Yamiko couldn't pick up too many of the details, but she did at least give the man an acknowledging look.
edited 31st May '16 10:21:17 PM by ladytanuki
Come, my child of the devil. Your mother is calling you. Hear my call in Hell's grand hall, where all our dreams come true.
Crazy Kiwi
Northern Desert ~ Ritual Site (Near Truck)
[Rip, Hazel, Lupin, Vicky, Yamiko, Kaitlyn, Kris, James]Kris, with her hearing still "dialled up" to pick up distant sounds, was able to hear what the middle-aged man by the truck had muttered and she turned and shot him a grin. He didn't look particularly happy, leaning against his truck and giving every visible indicator of being closed off, and it was no great stretch of reasoning to figure he wasn't too thrilled with six people gate-crashing whatever it was he had been doing out here.
Something about the way Lupin and Yamiko explained their presence seemed 'off' to James. 'Xenophobia' was one of those modern terms, albeit formed from older, easily understood words, that Wolfe used - usually in reference to Aubrey's discrimination against other races. It was something, James well knew, that made both Teri and Wolfe's blood boil - if it had merely been a case of discrimination against the trio for being "magic users", then Teri and Wolfe would have taken a stand against it.
There must have been something more to it than simple bias.
And then there was the fact that there were only three of the four "magic users" here. It was highly unlikely that the fourth had set out on her own, so she must still be with the rest of the group, despite the alleged irrational prejudice.
No, James decided, the story didn't ring true. It was tempting to get out the two-way radio and check in with Wolfe and Teri - Archibald's concerns be damned, one of these people had a vehicle and the other was carrying an advanced weapon, so surely they wouldn't be fazed by radio - but he decided against it. The truth would come out in the end.
Kris gave him a look and he could tell that she, too, had her doubts about the veracity of the students' explanation.
Kris turned her attention to Vicky when she started to squee about necromancy then to Lupin when he bluntly asked the Lance Corporal why she was in the Military if she was a necromancer. Was I ever that bad when I was that age? She wouldn't be surprised if the Lance Corporal told them to fuck off and mind their own business. Bloody kids these days. She winced inwardly as soon as she thought it. Now I'm sounding like Wolfe.
sorry it's not much, couldn't think of much to contribute beyond reactions to what is happening.
Desert Trail - Wagon
[Zuri, Nemaforte, Iraal, Scents, Wolfe, Teri, Gwion, Katya, Stranger]Wolfe, having raised four children through their teenaged years, was not at all fazed by the look Zuri threw at him or her pointed comment about Lupin. "Actually, I was hoping that this might be something you could work out by observation and comparison with personal knowledge - like normal people do - didn't they teach you anything useful at fucking Hogwarts?"
While Zuri busied herself trying to entice the strange new arrival with a bacon-flavoured rock, Wolfe watched Nemaforte come to and once again started focusing on the creature. She mentioned her bag, so Wolfe picked it up and brought it to her. She seemed to be staring at the creature's feet and Wolfe recalled that when she had first approached she had seemed to be fixated on the creature's marked feet and legs prior to passing out. "Are the markings the source of the curse?" The question was directed at Nemaforte, but open for anyone to answer.
Gwion remained where he was on the wagon. One thing he had learned early on in his interdimensional travels was that magic out in these worlds was far more "real" than on Earth. Sure, he was a pagan and could sense the presence of the deities that watched over him and he was a lycanthrope - albeit only in the sense of an internal change - but on his Earth, whether or not any of it was "real" was subject to debate with no tangible proof either way. Those who believed would point to things and say, "see, this is supernatural", while those who did not believe - like Wolfe and Teri, evidently - would rationalise it away with mundane explanations.
Here, as in Capital City, there was no doubt: both magic and psychic phenomena were real. And it was outside Gwion's experience - aside from witnessing it in dimensions outside his own, he had no practical experience in this sort of thing.
Consequently, he stayed put and let those who were more experienced with curses and such - Zuri and Nemaforte - deal with it.
He was surprised that Katya - coming as she did from a world where lycanthropes could actually physically change and where there were, he gathered, vampires - didn't have something to do or say about the matter.
edited 1st Jun '16 2:08:00 AM by Wolf1066
[Town ~ Bed and Breakfast (Main Hall)] (Connie, Davey, Amy, Irina, Maya)
Connie managed to pull together a pained sort of smile for Amy's sake, though she couldn't help but think that her grandma's technique in this situation was akin to applying a band-aid to the bloody stump of a missing limb.
"Hey, I'm not nervous for myself," she said, then nodded towards the front entrance, "If someone comes through that door waving a gun at us," she raised her bat, "I'll bean 'em right in the head with this thing, no questions asked. It's just..." she closed her eyes for a moment, sighing in lightly-contained frustration, "I don't know what the hell the colonel is doing out there, or what or who is out there with him- y'know, what he's up against, and... I mean, I know he's a war hero. I guess it just can be hard to trust someone not to do something stupid."
Davey nodded to Irina as she passed by, then moved along the second floor until he stood above the three girls. Then he stuck his head through the railing and said, "We'll find out what's going on out there soon, real soon. For now, try to keep your heads. Whoever is out there has a gun, and a lot of open space that you would have to close just to get within swinging distance. I suppose you could try throwing one of those knives at him, if you've got impeccable aim, but a knife is much slower than a bullet, and a knife can be dodge. And, well, who knows, maybe you'll stay his hand if he sees how young you are—a little less likely if he sees you running at him with a knife or a bat—but that's only if he sees you well enough. Could be that he's crazed and is just shooting at anything that moves."
He pulled his head back out from the banister and stood upright. "My point is, there are a lot of things that could be going on outside right now, but we're not limited in options in how to approach. There's little need—except perhaps for Samuel's sake—to rush out there in a reckless haste. A little reconnaissance never hurt anyone."
It was around then that many more gunshots sounded off, along with the faint grunts, cries and yells of a clear struggle. Connie gripped the bat tighter than ever before and stared at the door. Davey's words had made some sense, though she wondered if he wasn't giving enough sense of urgency to the colonel's situation.
Davey flinched and seized hold of the banister's upper rail to steady himself, gritting his teeth. He let out his breath and looked to Irina, who had returned from changing. He looked back down at the others as Irina made to join them. He waited for her to say her piece, then called down, "Uh, girls, there's a better and safer vantage from up here," he pointed towards the outdoors balcony, "And we can drop down if need be. Vigilance is the word!"
With that, he left the banister and went to the door that led to the balcony overhanging front entrance. It wrapped around the corner of the building too, offering a finer view of main street. Fortunately, the bottom half of the railing at the balcony's edge was a wall of solid wood, providing cover to those who kept low enough, while the top half consisted of shorter wooden bars * . Davey opened the door carefully, not wanting to draw attention to their building before he knew what they might be up against. He left the door open and crept towards the edge of the balcony, keeping his head down and using his somewhat smaller stature to his advantage. Once in place, he glanced back through the doorway to see whether the others were going to join them, or move in their own way.
edited 1st Jun '16 3:34:18 PM by Ryuhza
the color today
[Bed and Breakfast (Dining Hall)-(Balcony)]
Maya nodded. Good call.
Amy lifted a finger, pointing to the sky, "To the balcony!"
They followed Davey carefully. Every once in a while, Amy would look below the balcony, gasping at everything below her. How she missed something like this, she didn't know, but it was an incredible sight to see.
"I didn't know you guys had a balcony!" Amy whispered, her eyes wide, "Wow! I can see the street from here! I would say hi to the people below, but I don't think they're really friendly..."
Nice. Maya signed, But nothing beats a little parkour. Before anyone could ask what she meant, she jumped onto the railing and climbed up to the rooftop, ready to throw her knife down when necessary.
"Show off." Amy scoffed, pouting her lip, "What's the plan? Are we just gonna wait here to Samuel comes back? Would he even know where to find us? We can't just shout his name in all this! We'll get hurt!"
Sorry. This is short. x_x
[Town ~ Main Street] (Col. Von Strauss, Lt. Ross, Jim, "Prisoner", Soldier 1, Soldier 2, Enkar Ziven, Samuel)
Lieutenant Ross swept her chains behind her as she ran towards the man who took down her commander. She swung at him from the left, taking off his hat as he ducked. Three quick lashes from her right chain reduced the hat to shreds, she turned her gaze towards Jim, fury in her eyes. She jumped into the air, spinning around, swinging both chains. Jim narrowly missed being hit, then proceeded to backpedal quickly as Lt. Ross began spinning her right chain over her head.
After missing with a wide swipe with her left chain, Madeline Ross stamped her feet, yanking both chains back, coiling them around each arm. "DIE! CHAIN SPIRAL BARRAGE!" She started throwing punches, the coiled chains spiraling towards Jim.
He dodged each blow, backing further and further away, until noticing something. The lieutenant's current attacks have a limited range. He dashed to the side of her, reloading his revolvers with red tipped bullets. "And now, for my trick..." He fired off a few rounds towards Lt. Ross's head.
The lieutenant noticed out of the corner of her eye her target shooting at her. She stopped her futile attacks, using her chains to intercept the bullets a foot away from her face.
She quickly realized that was a bad idea. The bullets exploded, sending a spray of yellow vapor at her face. There was a momentary pause before... "MY EYES! *cough* YOU *cough* BASTARD!" She rubbed her eyes, dropping one of her chains. Jim decided to make a run for it while the lieutenant was temporarily incapacitated. However, Lt. Ross heard his footsteps, and swung her remaining chain at him.
Jim stumbled as the chain coiled around his left leg, causing him to hit the ground, hard. "Aww, shi-" He was dragged along the ground by his leg, as Lt. Ross hauled him closer to her. She jerked the chain over her shoulder, launching the cowboy over her head before slamming him into the ground. She repeated the process:
WHAM! WHAM! WHAM!
She began swinging him overhead when a stern voice rang out:
"LIEUTENANT!"
"Caps?!" Madeline Ross turned, letting go of the chain. Jim McGee was sent hurtling towards the Bed & Breakfast, where he slammed into a wall.
"Hey, you all right?" The girl looked at the man, before nodding. "Hold on, don't move." She nodded again.
"Mu!" She perked up as the man's gun began glowing blue, before tilting her head with a puzzled-look, as if contemplating something. The gun fired, blue energy rushing towards the embedded rifle. The rifle was dislodged, damaged by the blast. The soldier standing there backed away, hands raised above his head.
The man extended a hand toward her. She awkwardly scrambled to her feet before bumping into the man, as if trying to hug him, though the full action was prevented by the shackles binding her hands behind her back. She took a few steps back, before quickly bowing twice, with an excited "Nii!" each time. The girl then turned, and began running towards the entrance of the Bed & Breakfast.
edited 1st Jun '16 11:48:00 PM by WillDeRegio
[Town ~ Railroad and Main] (Col. Von Strauss, Lt. Ross, Jim McGee, "Prisoner", Soldier 1, Soldier 2, Enkar Ziven, Samuel)
Enkar continued to observe from a comfortable distance, thankful he wasn't in the same direction as the Prisoner's escape route. He slipped almost lazily into cover when things grew too heated. "A one-on-one duel," he muttered. "Atavistic." And as Von Strauss fell, he merely raised an eyebrow.
Enkar considered his options as the battle raged. Although, in truth, there was only one: the Colonel seemed, his curious sense of honor aside, like a man Enkar could reason with. Perhaps he could offer the man some assistance in retrieving the lost prisoner. Or, if fortune turned to favor him, in keeping the prisoner his. Enkar was also curious about the precise value of a waif who seemed to possess limited linguistic capabilities. He would introduce himself to the Balamar representatives, Enkar decided, when the possibility seemed open.
Perhaps best to ensure he could hasten that conclusion. He pulled out his cellphone, and tapped on a saved contact. His message was simple: "do we have an anti-personnel helicopter prepared for hyperspace delivery?"
"Yes, First Advocate. Shall we initiate delivery at the Zero Point, or will you be opening a portal for delivery?"
"Neither." Enkar appreciated that the threat of a Kykzavi helicopter bristling with more guns than were strictly necessary was more useful than the irksome collateral damage caused by the reality of the same wrecking roads and storefronts. "Do nothing unless you receive my command or this transmission is interrupted without explicit sign-off. In the former case, default to a Zero Point delivery. Shark Protocol. Ensure anti-thaumic munitions are available."
"Affirmative, First Advocate."
edited 1st Jun '16 7:33:34 PM by KillerClowns
Giant alien spiders are no joke.
Northern Desert
[Hazel, Rip, Kaitlyn, Kris, James, Yamiko, Vicky and Lupin]
...Huh. Hazel found it strange and intriguing that all the new people already knew each other. Did Rip also knew them too? Maybe not. He mostly seemed annoyed at the sudden party they had on their hands. After all, they were about to do something before the two groups of six people gatecrashed into their own little party. She sympathized with Rip's irritation, especially since the nature of the rock and his request seemed private to Rip.
Hazel listened them talk among themselves a bit before quickly losing interest in the conversation. Hazel was in a little bit of disbelief in the clothing choices of the newest three that joined them. Wearing all black? Some fancy-shmancy little Victorian-age dress? It just seemed out of place in the middle of the desert. Not enough protection from the sun (not that Hazel had to worry about that). It all looked too hot. Hazel shrugged it off though. Not her place to judge, and they looked fine. Either way, Hazel still listened to the conversation, and snorted in disbelief when Yamiko claimed that she was the Dread Pirate Kelsey.
Vicky seemed nice and chatty, though Hazel didn't have any opening to answer her questions until Lupin shut her up. He then asked her why she was in the military if she knew necromancy.
Hazel sighed a little.
Hazel considered answering Lupin either facetiously or honestly. Hazel felt inclined for the former. After all, she couldn't say no to a chuckle. Honestly, Hazel didn't want to answer because she didn't want to share what was a heavy and personal decision that she stuck with for years. It's hard to concisely put into words for the desire of an intensely personal experience and transformation, the desire to be part of something much bigger than an insular, selfish existence.
She also did not feel like explaining the pain she went through during the corruption process; the feeling of having her soul stripped from her and her heart empty, the awful sickness that left her bedridden for weeks. The feeling of being accessory to some deep, ancient, inconceivable horror. The fact that she consented to it all, because if she did not, and failed to resist the temptation, she would be dead by her 20s.
She felt that Lupin didn't deserve to know the full reason because he didn't care for her story. But she would answer him:
A slight American Military drawl fell into her words. "Well, one day when I was a little girl playin' as a lil' necromancer, I thought to myself, 'I don't wanna be a fuckin' necromancer. I wanna grow up and be a badass.' So I joined the Marine Corps
. End of story."
[Northeastern Desert Trail - Wagon (Teri, Wolfe, Gwion, Nemaforte, Zuri, Iraal, Scents, Katya, "a horned person")]
Iraal would have had more to exclaim, but her social interaction software was flashing warnings at her, and this time she listened. She took several deep breaths, wondering for a moment whether she should take out her vial of orncri, but decided against it. Another idea had suddenly come to her.
Perhaps I should stop thinking of this in terms of people. People are essentially inconsistent and troubling, and that makes me too easily frustrated. Instead, think of it like fieldwork. Be patient and methodical, not angry.
"Are you all right?" she asked Nemaforte. With the brief breathing exercise and her new focus, her tone was clear of her previous frustration. She was still very tired of 'magic' interfering with this expedition, but the orenyan witch was a victim here, not a cause. "And if you cannot treat the curse, is there anything we can do?"
At the back of her head was the thought that Katya might be right after all, but she was not going to mention that yet.
Scents stuck her ears up - then pulled them back - at the mention of a curse. That would explain why the horned being was so much more out of it than even starvation could explain. At least, she'd never heard of anything like this before.
Of course, a curse meant ze was more of a potential danger than they'd thought. She joined Katya and Teri in readying a gun, though she held it very loosely.
PAINKILLER
[Town ~ Bed and Breakfast (Main Hall -> Balcony)] (Connie, Davey, Amy, Irina, Maya)
To Connie, Irina gave her a understanding look, almost to say, Believe me, I've worried a thousand hours about him. In her words, she said, "He escaped death a few times. He lost a part of his leg in his last battle in the war."
After Davey shouted down at them, Irina blushed slightly. Oops. That's what Davey meant. She followed the girls back up the stairs.
Once they entered open air, she realized the stark difference of the calm morning and the now. It was true pandemonium below. Davey was right about the "unsavory" people arriving—seemingly just to have somewhere to fight!
She tried to keep her head down as well, as it was getting hairy. She looked around, searching with her eyes and in her soul for Samuel's whereabouts. She felt him nearby. Irina silently prayed he would come back in one piece. At least he wasn't in the middle of the fight.
[Town—Outside -> Bed & Breakfast] (Samuel, Prisoner)
The girl couldn't take Samuel's hand, but she gave him a bump of gratitude of sorts. She understood him, but couldn't say a word. The girl made a break for the Bed & Breakfast. Well, she's got a good sense of direction, he thought. Before turning to follow, he kept his gun trained on the soldier—he surrendered, but Sam knew better to make sure.
He ran up to follow, then gripped the girl's arm to run with her faster. "Here, try this." He then scooped the girl off her feet, and proceeded to carry her bridal-style. She was pretty light, so he ran her quicker.
Irina spotted Samuel and held up a hand to signal him. The shouts and sounds kept her from hailing him with a yell. Good gods! she thought.
He was carrying a girl in chains. Samuel gave Irina a glance and headed for the entrance.
[Desert (James' Car)] (Daniel, John, James, Rin, Pancake)
"He's more dangerous when he has his friends." Danny hesitated at first, as he caught some uneasiness from John. "He's a gang leader. He's got a gun—but we got wheels." He slapped the side of the car to insinuate it. "I was in war for five years. I think my shot's improved," he said sarcastically.
Daniel leaned back, and crossed his arms behind his head. "This guy—he's called Marlowe. A real asshole. Just as we thought we got 'im, he made a run for it. Me and my partner gave chase... Then we lost him. I'm hoping he's strugglin' out there, in the desert."
He waved a finger at all the occupants. "Equipped or not, I can handle it. Don't worry. Do you guys see trouble like this often?"
edited 2nd Jun '16 6:08:31 PM by electronic-tragedy
Life is hard, that's why no one survives.
[Northern Desert]
Bright light was the first thing she saw. She noted the agonizing pain in her head. She also noted the fact she was laying on her back, coarse sand biting into her exposed skin. "Wut tha blu'y 'ell..." She slowly stood up, clutching her head.
The woman stood at a little over six and a half feet, with shoulder length, bright red hair framing large amber eyes. She wore a sleeveless, white and black faux-cowhide crop top shirt that mostly covered her very ample bosom, leaving a nice view of her cleavage. The shirt cut-off was under her breasts, showing of her well-toned physique. She wore a pair of black denim jeans, with a brown leather belt, upon which two small barrels attached to her left hip, and a gourd attached to a chain on her right hip. On her feet were a pair leather sandals, and on the middle of her upper right arm was a white armband.
She looked around, shielding her eyes from the sun. "Damn... Am Ah in Neva'a again? A' least Oi ain' go' no koa'a this toime aroun'... Or a bucha tanks su'oundin' me..." She reached into her shirt, and pulled out a metal flask of liquor. She took a swig, before recapping the flask and putting it back. "Oi, looks loik thare ar' ovahs o'er thare. May'e Oi shou' go pop by an' say ''ello'..." She grinned, brushing the sand off her back and headed towards the group of people nearby.
This lady has faint traces of magic on her, in the form of Glamour.
edited 2nd Jun '16 6:19:41 PM by WillDeRegio
[Northeastern Desert ~ Desert Trail (Wagon)] (Stranger)
The stranger finally ended up back on his feet after a struggle several times longer than any well-abled person would have managed. Even after he managed to get back into a ready position, he just stood there, slightly swaying in place. His eyes continued to stare right through the wagon ahead of him along with anyone who happened to pass across their threshold. After a little while, the stranger turned his head, casting his gaze back the way he came, into the distance above Nemaforte's head. His eyes couldn't seem to keep a focus, pupils constantly dilating and contracting. He closed them, and reached a hand into his hood, rubbing his slightly-sooty palms over them as he turned his head back to face forward, just in time to be greeted by Zuri's jerky-coated rock.
The stranger's face bumped into the rock as he rotated it back. His eyes flew open, and he let out a startled cry, stumbling backwards. His devilish tail made first contact with Nemaforte, and though he attempted to step over her, he was neither fast enough nor strong enough to raise his feet high enough to clear the sudden obstacle behind him. The half-baked attempt only served to expedite the inevitable fall.
So the stranger tripped over Nemaforted and fell onto his back—nearly all the way onto his own horns. He lay there with an odd grimace, eyes squeezed tightly shut. Slowly he raised his head and opened his eyes enough to get a better view of what he had walked into. Once he did, he laid his head back down and murmured, "The desert itself wishes my death." He wheezed out a laugh of sorts. "What marvelous impatience. Marvelous... marvelous..." his voice grew quieter with each word until it had become entirely imperceptible, and he was left staring up at the cloudy sky. Slowly, he closed his eyes again, his strange, muzzled face returning to it's pained grimace.
[Town ~ Bed and Breakfast (Main Hall)] (Connie)
Connie lingered for a moment as the other girls headed up the stairs to join Davey. She half smiled at Irina's... was it reassurance? The look the woman shared with her seemed to say something else.
She began moving away from the main entrance towards the stairs after the others were long ahead of her. However, after only a few steps, she turned back at the sound of footsteps drawing near on the other side of the door. Connie glanced up to the second floor, but Irina and the rest were already outside. So, taking a deep breath and brushing the hair out of her eyes, she took up a position right next to the front door, holding her bat at the ready.
She nearly jumped out of her skin as a thud sounded from somewhere against the building. Her hands began to sweat. She gripped the bat tighter.
[Town ~ Bed and Breakfast (Front Balcony)] (Davey, Amy, Irina, Maya)
Davey was peeking his head over over the railing, observing the battle below with some fascination, though he did not know who it was fought for or by. He gave the teenagers each a cursory nod and Irina a nod and a smile, despite the occasion. He turned his attention back to the fight on the street.
"...is she calling out her attacks?" he murmured to no one in particular. Whatever the deal was, seeing the source of the noise in person filled him all the more with relief that no one—sans Samuel—had jumped to rash action. The people below were brutalizing each other with methods and weapons that were far beyond him.
Davey ducked slightly as one of the combatants was yanked into the air, only to be sent hurtling back into the ground in the same instant. A few more flings later and the same combatant was launched towards the bed and breakfast, causing the building to vibrate ever-so-slightly as he knocked into a wall beneath the balcony.
Hands dancing on the upper railing with nervous excitement, Davey thought quickly about what to do. The other combatant—the one calling out her attacks and who did a lot of the thrashing at the end there—seemed distracted for the time being, leaving a potentially small window through which he might make contact with the combatant who at that point may or may not have been embedded in the wall of their building. Davey hurried around the corner of the building, to the section of the balcony that faced Main Street directly, and came to the spot closest to where the cowboy-looking combatant had been thrown.
He made a series of quick glances at everyone else. Maya was messing about on the roof, Irina was busy signalling—Davey tipped his head to get a better view—oh! It was Samuel! And no worse for wear, it seemed. Connie was nowhere in sight, and Amy was... Amy was fairly nearby.
"Amy," he called to her with a wave of his hand, "I need your assistance." Davey climbed up onto the balcony's railing, and glanced back, looking far more patient than he felt. Once he had her attention, he instructed, "I want you to lower me down over the edge and hold me there; I'm going to see if I can talk to this guy. When I say 'yank', pull me back up as fast as you can, all right? No hesitating, I'll be ready, I just need you to be ready."
He began fiddling with the thing slung around his shoulder that was hidden beneath his jacket, pulling it around into his hands. It was a gun—a shotgun at that. Twin barrels, one over the other, and shortened down to size, probably for easier handling. The handle itself seemed to be filed down a bit too, again probably to help Davey grip it with his somewhat smaller hands* . Weapon at the ready, he glanced back at Amy, looking about as dead serious as a 4-foot tall otter-like creature wearing clothes and wielding a shotgun could look.
"Go ahead," he said, tapping the railing with his tail. Then, after a moment—as if he could make it any clearer—he added, "You've got my express permission."
[Northern Desert ~ Ritual Site (Near Truck)] (Rip, Hazel, James, Kaitlyn, Kris, Lupin, Vicky, Yamiko)
If any words spoken by either party had changed Rip's feelings about the sudden desert gala around his truck, he didn't show it. Quite the opposite in fact: somewhere in all the younglings' talking of necro this and psychic that, Rip quietly opened the door of his truck and got inside. He wasn't planning to ditch the congregation, though he knew what it looked like and had half a mind to do it just for humor's sake. Instead, he scooted over to the passenger's seat and went back into the glove box, turning over papers and moving his revolver around until he came up with a small journal-like book.
It's binding was black and barren but for two things. The word Mythology and an image of what looked like a country on a map. Both were in faint silver-colored print, and the book seemed to be in pretty good condition.
He was about to shuffle his bottom back out of the truck when again his fairly keen eyes caught sight of something. He looked out the passenger-side window with an open-mouthed glower, only offset slightly by his own disbelief. There was yet another random stranger approaching his truck. He began to worry that before long he would have to sit through an honest to god desert shindig before he could get anywhere with his stone.
With a heavy sigh, Rip made his way back over to the driver's side and out of the truck, book in hand. He closed the door behind him, sighed again, then said, "Heads up, we've got a bit more company headed this way." He gestured over to the other side of his vehicle, then put a hand against his head and returned to leaning against the truck.
Shortly after Rip had turned everyone's attention, the rock in Hazel's hand jerked violently upward, as though it was a firework and someone had lit a fire under it's metaphoric ass.
the color today
[Bed and Breakfast (Balcony)]
Amy eyes widened.
"You...trust me with this...?" she asked, "Ok! Don't worry Davey! I won't let you down! Just...come back in once piece, ok?"
After a quick kiss on the cheek, she began to slowly lower him down. The whole time, she made sure she didn't lose her grip on him, especially from this height. Though, the thought of Davey putting himself in the line of fire scared her; she didn't want to lose her new friend, especially like this.
As she lowered him, she suddenly realized something.
"Wait a second," she said, facing Irina, "Where's Connie?"
Maya watched the scene from below, still ready to fight in case things got even more sour.
[Desert (James's Car]
"Well," James said, "There's the occasional homophobes, but other than that, we haven't had anything we couldn't handle."
John nodded.
"So we're dealing with a gang leader, huh?" he said, "Though, with this heat, I don't think he can stay on run much longer. It's hot as hell in the desert. Nearly passed out when I got here."
"If you stayed in the car, that wouldn't have happened!"
John groaned, "I told you! I was getting directions, and the guy led me away from the town!"
James sighed, "I know...I'm sorry I just...you had me worried sick." He looked ahead, "Please don't do that again, love." Realizing that he was getting sappy, he quickly cleared his throat, "SO, uh, do any of you see anything resembling a person yet?"
"Nope." John said, looking out the window, "Just the town out in the distance, and tons of sand."
Pancake flopped over and kneaded the air
edited 2nd Jun '16 8:41:44 PM by Masterofchaos
[Town ~ Main Street] (Col. Von Strauss, Lt. Ross, Jim, Soldier 2, Enkar Ziven)
Lt. Ross gazed towards where the Colonel's voice had come from with bloodshot eyes. "Caps?"
"Lieutenant, stand down. You are in no condition to fight."
"I can still-"
"You might be able to hit the broadside of a barn, but a novice could dodge any of your attacks in your current state." The Colonel's face reddened slightly, as he gazed down at his left arm. "Sargent Scott," The nervous soldier who stood by the luggage stood at attention, "bring me my bottle of azoteglycerine, immediately."
The soldier turned, going through one of the bags, before coming up with a corked bottle of small blue pills. The man ran over to the Colonel, handing him the bottle. The Colonel uncorked the bottle, dished out two pills, and swallowed them.
"Caps? Are you all right?"
"I will be now." The Colonel turned his head slightly, "Jim McGee, you were able to defeat me." He shot his subordinate an icy glare as she opened her mouth to protest. "By the conditions we agreed up, you are free to take the girl." He glared harder at Lt. Ross. "I'm sure you will find her nearby, since someone failed to stick by her..." Lt. Ross squirmed awkwardly, she feel her commander's gaze on her.
Colonel Von Strauss grabbed his sword, and used it to push himself to his feet. He walked over to Lt. Ross, and grabbing her by the collar of her jacket, dragged her back towards the train station.
Jim slumped to the ground, dazed from being repeatedly slammed into the ground... and then hitting the wall. Through his blurred vision, he noticed the Colonel sitting up nearby. Jim took note of the Colonel's message to him. He breathed a sigh of relief, which he immediately regretted as pain shot through his chest. "Well, mission accomplished, kinda. Ow."
He watched as the Colonel stood up, and dragged Lt. Ross away. He sat for a moment, before looking up. Jim blinked. He couldn't believe his eyes. Before him, being lowered down from above, was a giant, well-dressed otter toting a shotgun. Jim shook his head in disbelief, "Damn, how hard did I hit my head?"
[Town ~ Railroad Street] ("Prisoner", Samuel, Soldier 1)
The girl felt the man grab her arm. She was slightly alarmed at first, before the man spoke. "Here, try this." She was swept up in the mans arms, taking her by surprise, causing her to gasp slightly. She shook her head. She felt a flutter in her chest, confusion crossing her face. She looked at the man, before murmuring, "Leem? Leemwa?" She looked at his bald head and pouted, "No. No Leemwa."
[Northern Desert ~ Ritual Site] (Rip, Hazel, James, Kaitlyn, Kris, Lupin, Vicky, Yamiko, "Boobie Lady")
The woman sensed something, she couldn't tell exactly what, prompting her to start running towards the group. As she grew closer, she noticed one of the individuals was decked out in combat gear, a U.S. Marine. Her grin grew wide, luck was apparently on her side, for at least is some one she could rely on out here in... wherever here is. She called out to the group, waving her left arm rapidly, "Oi! Ovah 'ere! Wait fah me!"
edited 3rd Jun '16 11:36:29 AM by WillDeRegio
[Town ~ Bed and Breakfast (Under the Front Balcony)] (Davey, Jim McGee)
"Just yank when I say yank." Davey reaffirmed, "If you're quick enough and my timing is good, I'll be fine."
He gave a quick, slightly annoyed sigh when Amy pecked him on the cheek, but said nothing more of it. Amy was just a very passionate sort of person. After that, he readied his weapon and tipped over the edge, beginning his short descent, hanging by his tail, which gave him the most 'wiggle room' as it were.
As soon as he caught sight of the downed cowboy-looking combatant and the cowboy, in turn, saw him, Davey raised his shotgun as best as he could when dealing with an inverted sense of gravity. His loose jacket was draping down around him like the petals of an especially sad flower, but he did his best to ignore it.
"All right, no sudden movements there cowboy," he said calmly* , and—in doing so—perhaps making the entire situation seem even stranger. "I have questions, I have this," he pointed his nose towards the gun without taking his eyes off of the cowboy, "and I am cordially demanding answers." His whiskers twitched slightly as he nearly inhaled a bit of dust drifting down from the balcony's underbelly. He smiled, "Do you understand me so far?"
the color today
[Town ~ Main Street —> Train Station]
"Situation clear," Enkar said. "Reduce to Hawk Protocol, standard timetables. Authorization Ka-Ye-Il."
"Acknowledged."
With that, Enkar hung up and headed to the Train Station, intending to intercept Von Strauss, Ross, and the other two soldiers; while he had no way to holster his weapon, he held it in a suitably non-threatening manner; by the barrel in one hand, with his other held up, palm forward and splayed, in a hopefully universal non-threatening signal. "If further medical attention is necessary," he said when they were sufficiently close, "I may be able to assist." He bowed and began the proper introduction: "First Advocate Enkar Ziven of the People's Republic of Zavi, at your humble service. I suspect we may be able to work towards some mutual benefit."
PAINKILLER
[Bed & Breakfast (Balcony) -> (Lobby)]
Irina looked behind her at Amy's question. She was correct. Connie didn't follow them up. "All right," she said, "I'll go meet Sam downstairs. Looks like he has company." She also made note that the skirmish had ended—so they should be safer now.
Irina ran back inside and flew down the stairs. She tapped the other girl's shoulder, and said, "Sam's here, Connie." She went opposite to her, and opened the door.
Once Samuel got to the front of the Bed & Breakfast, he remarked, "Should I know what a 'Leemwa' is? You gotta learn to use your words, kid." He saw the door open.
Samuel stumbled inside. "Here we are. We should be safe here." He let the mysterious girl down on her feet. He now had time to catch a breath.
Irina closed the door. "So, Sam... Who is she?" She raised an eyebrow at the sight of her chains and shackles.
The bald man slipped his gun into his holster. He was glad he hadn't dropped it on his run in. He panted a few times before answering, "I don't know. But I think she's what those guys were fighting over. And she, uh... Doesn't speak our language." He turned to the girl, and asked, "What's your name, huh? You gotta be someone important if they were fightin' over you."
Life is hard, that's why no one survives.
[Town ~ Bed and Breakfast (Main Hall)] (Connie, Irina, "Prisoner", Samuel)
Connie craned her neck slightly, listening as the faint and muffled sound of someone's voice emanated from the other side of the door. She concentrated on the door, staring at it through narrowed eyes, as if she could, by force of will, look straight through it and see who was on the other side.
As it happened, she did find out, but not through x-ray vision. She felt a hand tapping her shoulder and almost swung on reaction, but managed to hold fast and think straight long enough to figure out who it was that was 'getting the drop on her'.
Connie released her clenched teeth and sighed deep relief. "Jesus, I was almost gonna..." she nodded towards her bat, then dropped it to the side with a faint chuckle. Irina spoke of Samuel's return, then opened the door and surely enough, there he was, standing outside the door with some girl in his arms. Connie looked between Samuel and Irina a few times, raising an eyebrow. When Irina asked who the girl was, Connie nodded and added, "What the hell is going on out there anyway?" she paused, then tipped her head, "Was it a high noon duel?"
Samuel mentioned that the girl didn't speak their language, then... proceeded to ask her what her name was, in their language. "Uh, Colonel, didn't you just say..." Connie began. Her words trailed off as she quickly got an idea. She fixed her eyes on the new girl, then pointed to herself. "Connie," she said, then pointed at the two others in turn, "Samuel, Irina." Finally, Connie gestured at the girl herself, giving her the setup and the stage.
the color today
[Bed and Breakfast (Balcony)]
Seeing that the situation was now semi calm, Maya flipped back to the balcony, just in time to see Maya lowering Davey down. She quirked an eyebrow.
What are you doing? she signed.
"Davey wants to talk to the person below!" Amy said, "So wants me to wait here until he gets back! I must not let him down! He needs me!"
He wants to talk to someone that was shooting not too long ago? She shook his head, First getting a drink in the middle of a sandstorm, now this...? I can't tell if this guy is just really bold or just really stupid.
"Maya! Don't say that!"
Hey, you know me; I don't sugar coat stuff; especially stupid shit like this. She looked down, and indeed, Davey was talking to one of the shooters. If he gets killed-
"He won't!" Amy glared, "I won't let him! If something happens, he'll yell yank!"
Maya shook her head and sat on the railing, letting her feet dangle. Well, for the most part, I'm just pissed that these guys interrupted our plans.
Amy blinked, "Well, the good thing is that now we can go back to them! Now everything will be back to normal!"
Amy, that's not how this works-
"And then we get to go to the hot spring! And then we get to go exploring some more! And then we make new friends! Everything will be fine again! All we have to do is wait for Davey to come back up and then everything will be cool again!"
Maya sighed, then tried her best to smile. Well, just let me know if something happens and have to kick somebody's ass.
edited 3rd Jun '16 7:28:43 PM by Masterofchaos
Friendly Neighborhood Lich
Northern Desert - Ritual Site (Yamiko, Lupin, Vicky, Hazel, Rip, James, Kris, Kaitlyn, Busty Redhead)
When Yamiko and Lupin explained to Kaitlyn and the Mad Bastards about the wagon situation, they seemed to have doubts about it - Yamiko could see it in their facial expressions. She tried to get a read on what exactly they were thinking, squinting as she gazed at them, but she felt fatigued. Apparently the flight here had taken a lot out of her, despite the fact that it was mainly Vicky (as well as Zuri's astral projection) doing all the work. As she continued her gaze, she felt a sensation akin to sleepiness, and she had a hard time focusing on what they might be thinking. And then she heard Hazel's cheeky comment about joining the marines for the purpose of being badass. She didn't want to believe that one either, but due to the psychic fatigue, she just couldn't get a read on it.
Lupin, meanwhile, picked up something peculiar about Hazel's demeanor immediately prior to her remark. Although he had contributed to the effort of keeping the psychic trio afloat on the way here, he admittedly did feel a little out of it, and guilty for not putting in more effort. But the good thing about it was that he still had some energy left for aura reading. And what he saw sent a shiver down his spine. He froze in place as he gazed at her, though his eyes seemed to see right through her. After a while they looked a little watery as well.
He could barely even hear her joking remark, for something about the brief fearful tinge in her aura sparked a similar feeling that he remembered all too well. And when he reflexively blinked the tears out of his eyes, he immediately regretted it. In the fraction of a second that his eyes were closed, he saw a brief vision of a bathtub, lit by the ominous fluorescent lighting of a tiny apartment bathroom, as well as his own feet tied together inside of it. Automatically his mind tried to take in more of the scene, but he wouldn't allow it. When his eyes opened again, he became startled by the sudden bright light caused by a small break in the clouds, and stumbled backward... right into Yamiko.
Realizing what was happening, Yamiko steadied Lupin as he sank to the ground, breathing in shallow gasps, his back propped up in Yamiko's arms. "Whoa, what happened?" Yamiko asked him. "Are you all right?" As a thought, she reached into a pocket of his coat and pulled out a black compact umbrella, holding it over both of their heads. "Hopefully this will help..." Lupin didn't respond, trembling a bit as he averted his gaze downward.
Vicky decided to ignore the lovebirds for a moment and meet Hazel's witty response with a silly remark of her own. "Wow, that's actually pretty neat! Incidentally, I wanted to be awesome too, so I participated in a research project that would let me use psychic powers! Hooray for being in the same boat!"
And then the grumpy man with the truck announced that someone else was coming. Vicky immediately looked around to see who it was, but something else caught her attention: a stone that was in Hazel's hand jerked upward, seemingly on its own accord.
"Whoa, did I do that?"note Vicky wondered. "Sorry about that... what is that stone anyway?"
And then the aforementioned new arrival approached the group. She was a redhead like Yamiko, but taller and... fuller-bodied, and more skimpily dressed, at least on the top half. Yamiko sneered at her as she drew near, especially with that heavy accent she spoke with that sounded kind of Cockney-ish, though Yamiko couldn't tell.
"Well well, seems I'm not the only silly redhead here after all," Yamiko remarked haughtily. "Looking for something?"
Her call got Lupin's attention as well, snapping him out of his panic attack and causing him to turn to look at her. But when he did, his heart sank again. A great sense of envy and resentment welled up in him, and yet he strove to hide that behind his usual stoic gaze. And yet, he couldn't bear to look at her, instead directing his gaze at a rock to the side of her. Her aura was that of profound beauty tinged with lust, clashing with the stoic melancholy that surrounded his very being.
Desert Trail - Wagon (Zuri, Nemaforte, Teri, Wolfe, Gwion, Iraal, Scents, Katya, "Minotaur")
Nemaforte was just about to remove a glove and reach out to the creature's foot when she heard the clinking bottles inside her bag, which Wolfe had set down beside her. Then he asked her if the markings on the creature's legs were a result of the curse he was under. Meanwhile, a surprisingly calm-sounding Iraal asked if she was alright, and if anything could be done about him.
"Possible it is," Nemaforte replied just as calmly. "Often a curse, deftly a strong one, can leave a physical mark, or an aural mark in some cases. It is like a signature of the person who... oof!" She felt something heavy bump into her and then fall right over her, knocking her hat clear off her head.
Covering the rock with jerky seemed to do more harm than good - all it did was cause the bull-like fellow to hit his face on it and stumble backward, tripping over Nemaforte and falling on his back. Immediately Zuri followed him and knelt down beside him, just in time to hear him mutter something about the desert trying to kill him, and something about "marvelous impatience".
"Oh my, if Nemaforte's suppositions are correct, this seems like a curse indeed," she muttered to herself.
Meanwhile, Nemaforte was brushing the dust off her shawl and placing her hat back on her gray-haired head, relieved that at least the creature didn't break any of the bottles in her bag while tripping over her. Turning around, she again met the creatures feet, and before doing anything else, she slipped the glove off her right forearm and moved a pointy-nailed finger towards a bloody gash on one foot. As if by instinct, she ran her finger over it, picking up some of the creature's blood in the process, and held it before her, contemplating it for several moments.
Zuri was more focused on the creature's upper half. After he closed his eyes, she gingerly reached for his neck, feeling for a pulse. Much to her relief, he still had one, though it was very weak. It was odd though, feeling little bits of bovine fur amidst what was clearly human skin, albeit oddly coloured. She pondered for a moment before speaking, casting an aside glance at Wolfe.
"I don't think practical knowledge will be enough in this situation. Given his situation, it seems that only magic can save him now, if this is indeed a result of a curse. I do have some experience with performing rituals and simple healing spells, but they've never had any profound physical effect. Nemaforte, I think I'll need your help with this."
She turned to the pale elfin witch, who was still admiring the stranger's blood on her finger. Her ears perked up, and she turned to face her. "Oh - what? Hmm, maybe there is a way he can be spared. My experience is more with herbology, but maybe work with this I can. I will need..."
Shaking the glove off her left hand, she reached into her bag and felt around a bit, until finally pulling out a little fabric pouch containing a pure white herb with very fuzzy and spiny leaves. Holding her blood-covered right index finger out, she used her other fingers to remove a single leaf, placing the rest back in the pouch and storing it back in her bag.
"Fortenuika. Vampiric bristle," she spoke to the herb.
Then she took out a soft biscuit she had grabbed from the dining hall back in town, wrapped in a napkin. As an afterthought, she held up her blood-covered finger close to her face, where she lightly touched a tiny bit of it with the tip of her tongue. This seemed to calm her immensely, judging by the wide smile she put on for a brief moment afterward.
The last part concerned Zuri. "Um, I don't think that's a good idea..." she told Nemaforte with a hint of caution. "Can't the curse be passed on to you that way? Plus any disease he might have?" Nemaforte didn't respond with words, but did mouth a slight chuckle. It sounded weird to Zuri, but for now she had no choice but to assume Nemaforte knew what she was doing. Perhaps they did this all the time on Orenya or something.
It was Zuri's turn to fumble around in her bag, and what she pulled out was a sheathed dagger, with a silver cross-shaped hilt with spiraling marking that looked tarnished with age. "It's a good thing I brought this - I wasn't sure if I'd need it, but it was a sign from the fates indeed. And... why is the sheath green?" She closely inspected the dagger, whose sheath was clearly a pearly white to everyone else.
Nemaforte uttered a soft chuckle. "Reimari-tabin will make you see green, for it contains the eldamor herb which has that property. And the knife, it is not for stabbing, dai?"
"Oh no - I don't intend on killing him if that is what you're asking. At least not with this anyway. This is an athame. A ritual dagger. It is sharp only in its aura, not meant for cutting or stabbing anything material. Ideally I'd have more specialized tools, but I was not expecting a working so advanced." She did feel a little awkward about the comment about the herb, but it did explain why the sky seemed greenish as well.
Nemaforte grinned. "I think you would be welcome on Orenya. I do sense a definite aura around it. Like a staff, it is, an embodiment of the magician's soul."
Zuri put on a slight smile. For a moment she looked forward to conversing with Nemaforte more regarding the ways of magic, for here was someone who had an understanding of it much deeper than she could ever appreciate. However, a part of her was still a little apprehensive about just the sorts of herbs she had in her possession, especially since many of them seemed to have very weird effects on the mind.
But she decided to not let that bother her for now, for this creature was in fact dying. And with a smooth upward movement she removed the dagger from its sheath, revealing a smooth and shiny blade that was yet chipped and slighly rusted at the edges. Zuri had to laugh a little here, as the rusty lines looked purplish in her distorted colour vision. For a second she extended the blade skyward, and then she held it out before her, while walking in a clockwise circle around the stranger, as well as Nemaforte. Though it was invisible to everyone else, Nemaforte saw an energy trail left behind by the blade, and it resembled the hue of Zuri's astral projection.
After a while, Zuri re-sheathed the dagger and sat by the stranger again, holding a hand over his face. "I, too, can feel the negative energies surrounding this stranger," she mentioned. "His fate resembles that of the minotaur, a hybrid of human and bull, oft in legend brought about by a curse. Lost he is, weary to the pleasures of the world, foreign to common perception. It is our purpose here to alleviate the suffering he has experienced. Let his soul rest with fate, whether it lies with this world or the next." Her gaze naturally drifted over to Katya for a moment, for a brief thought of the possibility of death came to her mind. And then she glanced in Nemaforte's direction. "Care to take it from here?"
Nemaforte gave a slow nod of her head, slipped off her sunglasses, and approached the stranger, and as she did, she took the leaf of the "vampiric bristle" herb and pressed the blood on her finger into it. The leaf soaked it up like a sponge, now dyed red itself. Then she let the leaf fall, until it landed squarely over the stranger's heart. The very second it landed, she forcefully clasped her palm down over it, though not hard enough to compress his chest. Little ripples could be seen in the air directly above him at this point, and if the stranger could feel anything at this point, it would be intense heat in that areanote .
"Sio nen sundira morshali-ya!" she abruptly shouted, and there was a marked intensity in her flesh-pink eyes that made Zuri shudder a bit when she saw it. The aerial ripples, which to Zuri looked like those seen in very hot air above a road on a hot day, were now all over the stranger's body, and even Zuri felt the warmth that emanated from them. As Nemaforte bent over him, she tossed the biscuit she had been holding to Zuri.
"Put it in their mouth!" Nemaforte called, though her voice sounded strained somewhat. Zuri looked down at the creature's mouth, and recoiled in disgust a bit - she had to reach inside his mouth now? Who knows where that mouth had been? Moreover, when she looked back at Nemaforte, she seemed to be trembling in agony. It almost seemed as if she was feeling the very effects of the curse the stranger was under.
"Nemaforte, get off of there!" Zuri rushed right over to the suffering witch and pushed her off of the stranger's chest. Though she was still trembling a little bit, Nemaforte still seemed pretty lucid when she opened her eyes again. In fact, she gave Zuri a look of displeasure.
"Do not interrupt me!" Visibly flustered now, she swatted Zuri aside, leaving a couple of scratch marks on her forearm. This caused Zuri to drop the biscuit she was holding; Nemaforte snatched it, jumped over to the stranger, and pushed a bite-sized piece of it right into his mouth. Then she turned around and snatched the blood-soaked leaf still sitting on his chest, promptly burying it beneath a nearby rock.
"Zuri..." Nemaforte muttered, an uncharacteristically stern tone to her voice, her gaze turned down at the ground, "...that circle you made... banish it. Then bring me the remaining of your potion."
Zuri was taken aback by Nemaforte's sudden change in demeanor. "...What?"
"You will do it." She looked up at Zuri, staring right into her eyes. Even though her face looked kind of funny to her, a light pistachio green with mauve-coloured eyes, the look in the latter was frightening indeed. Zuri felt an odd foggy sensation overcome her for a brief moment, and when she looked away, she felt oddly calm.
"All right..." She was a bit apprehensive, but felt obligated to comply with Nemaforte's request nevertheless. Without another word, she unsheathed her athame once more, this time walking counter-clockwise around the stranger with it, before putting it back in its sheath and back in her bag again. And then she fetched the little bottle of diluted cosmic potion Nemaforte had prepared for her earlier; it still had quite a bit left in it. When she brought it to Nemaforte, the extraterrestrial herbalist snatched it right out of her hand and downed the entire thing in one gulp. For several moments she sat still with her eyes closed... until she put on a calm smile, reaching for her sunglasses and putting them back on.
"Apologize I do," Nemaforte spoke to Zuri, her tone of voice more blissful and serene now. "But you know it is rude to interrupt a spell. Even more with this, it can have a disasterous effect. Please do be more careful next time... also I feel very hot." It had nothing to do with the weather, as it was quite cool and cloudy now. Nevertheless, Nemaforte was sweating rather profusely, and seemed dizzy from the "heat".
Zuri was shocked, not knowing quite how to respond. So for now, she slinked back into the wagon, needing time to evaluate what just happened.
edited 3rd Jun '16 10:23:20 PM by ladytanuki
Come, my child of the devil. Your mother is calling you. Hear my call in Hell's grand hall, where all our dreams come true.
[Town ~ Bed and Breakfast (Under the Front Balcony)] (Davey, Jim McGee)
There is an upside-down otter with the voice of a grown man talkin' to me. Just roll with it. Jim chuckle a little, and immediately regretted it. The more he sat here, the more he realized at least one of his ribs was broken. "Yeah, I understand, loud and clear."
[Town ~ Bed and Breakfast (Main Hall)] (Connie, Irina, "Prisoner", Samuel)
After being set down, the girl looked around the room, taking note of the three people with her. There was the man who had carried her in, a young woman, and a teenaged girl.
The two ladies began talking to the man, asking questions about who she was, what was going on, and such. The man turned towards her, "What's your name, huh? You gotta be someone important if they were fightin' over you."
The girl paused, while the teenager spoke up, "Uh, Colonel, didn't you just say..." Colonel? The girl shook her head, wondering why that seemed familiar. She noticed that the other girl was looking at her, pointing at her own self, "Connie," She pointed at the man, "Samuel,” the other woman, "Irina." Finally, Connie was pointing at her. She wanted to know her name.
The girl hesitated for a moment, before speaking, "I... I don't know." She stuck her left hand into her jacket pocket, where she felt... a coin? She pulled it out, holding it between her thumb and index finger. She held it up to the light, it was a transparent glass coin, the size of a nickel, and had wheat ears on the bottom and sides, a heraldic kite shield in the middle, and the word 'MINERVA' printed across the top.
[Town ~ Outside the Train Station] (Col. Von Strauss, Lt. Ross, Soldier 1, Sgt. Scott, Enkar Ziven)
The Colonel turned to face Enkar as the man introduced himself. Von Strauss raised an eyebrow, "People's Republic of Zavi, eh? That is not a country known by the Balamar Empire. I am Colonel Abraham von Strauss, and am pleased to make your acquaintance. This... child is Lieutenant Ross." He let go of Lt. Ross, who proceeded to rub her eyes. The Colonel then gestured at the two soldiers, "These two are Sargent Scott and Private Klein- Private Klein, where is your weapon?"
The private saluted, "It was destroyed, sir!"
"Destroyed?"
"Yes, by a man with a magic gun. He made off with the prisoner, sir."
Lt. Ross spoke up, "Shall I go after them, Caps?"
Von Strauss rubbed his chin, "No, that will not be necessary. We will still be able to achieve our objective without her. If the science department wants her, they'll have to go after her themselves." He turned towards Enkar, "I apologize for that." He paused for a moment, "I do not think we need any medical assistance. I should be fine, and my quick-tempered subordinate deserves the pepper spray in her eyes. It might teach her a lesson: do not blindly fight a member of the Djan Alliance."
edited 4th Jun '16 2:09:17 AM by WillDeRegio
[Desert] (James' Car)
Rin smiled politely. "That's very kind of you," she said to Daniel. "But if anything untoward happens to us, I feel I'm best equipped to handle the situation. Assuming, of course, that this man we're after is just a man and not... Well, whatever else might be in a place like this..."
Then she reached over to pet Pancake's fluffy belly.
[Valley of the Dead God] (Mid-air)
"Huh!" said Hoshi. 'Well, that seems to have worked out okay. I hope they're not planning on sticking around and watching, though."
Miyuki said nothing, secretly relieved that her help had not been needed. Those dog-like creatures seemed like they would have been easy enough to deal with, but she still wasn't sure about those birds...
Not entirely dead.