Valorian
Sage
[M:-1030]
Where there is life, there is hope.
Posts: 484
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Post by Valorian on Oct 23, 2009 21:16:22 GMT -6
Valorian sensed the fear in her voice, and immediately regretted bringing her with him. What kind of idiot was he to bring a young girl to a place like this, and it was only going to get worse. And he'd done it and brought her to a place such as this...
"I'm sorry, we shouldn't stay here longer then we need to. I didn't consider what it would be like, I guess I forgot...I'm...desensitized to it." At her worried statement he turned to her with a confident smile.
"We'll be ok, trust me. And I trust you too. We'll be fine, you'll see."
As if fate was tempting him, a rustle on the side made him turn and raise his staff, preparing for something. He could see a canine form, like a wolf, prowling behind a house. But a pack of wolves could not have done this.
"Stay on your guard Jya, it looks like the blood attracted some unwelcome guests." But normal wolves wouldn't come to a town, even if they smelled blood...at least they shouldn't. So what was going on here.
It wasn't until he saw the one in front of him step out that he saw the real problem.
It's fur was in patches, it's skin leathery, and it's fangs dripping a corrosive foam. It's eyes gleamed red as it snarled at the pair, but it was at that moment Valorian made a discovery that was even worse then this creature.
Without thinking he wheeled around and ducked to block Jya from the wolf-creature behind them. He knew it would be there, wolves were still wolves. One a distraction, and who knew how many others around here. His actions were quick, and the fangs met only the stiff metal pole of the staff. Valorian fell to the ground, fending off the beasts fangs with the staff before the beast released it and jumped back, beginning to circle the pair with the other from before and one other that had been hiding. Circled by three wolf creatures, not a good place to be.
Valorian got to a knee before they snarled, ready to strike again.
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Post by Jya on Oct 23, 2009 21:48:26 GMT -6
The creatures that caught her by surprise weren't the mildly territorial wolves she was used to. These things were in the shape of wolves, but they had the sort of savageness unlike any animal she had encountered so far. The bizarre features of their very being shook her mental foundation. She stared down a wolf or two, her back against Valorian's. Slowly she reached for her blade, before long one of the creatures leaped, claws outstretched, snarling a diabolical face. Slashing forward, she managed to slice its torso and pushed it back as hard as she could.
“Umm, so...play nice doggies?”
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Valorian
Sage
[M:-1030]
Where there is life, there is hope.
Posts: 484
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Post by Valorian on Oct 24, 2009 11:59:01 GMT -6
Jya would notice that cutting into the dog was like trying to cut through a suit of leather. They had a very thick hide, and it seemed bothered very little by the slash. Valorian had his own hands full on his side, as he was using the staff to ward them off. It seemed effective, as none of them seemed willing to approach him. With a growl, the two in front of him began to pull back, and the one that had dived at Jya joined them. They began to back out, growing and their eyes burning red. Then they turned and ran, for what reason, Valorian had no idea.
But instead he turned to Jya. "I think they're gone. Are you ok?"
He was fully expecting the poor girl to have another fit.
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Post by Jya on Oct 24, 2009 13:30:43 GMT -6
Jya let out a sigh of relief after those creatures had high tailed it out of there. It was odd, they had incredibly tough skin, the fact that they hunted in groups didn't help much. After the initial shock, her adaption skills kicked in, her body stopped shaking and a serene numbness kicked in.
"Yep, I'm fine," she replied in a whistle like tune, ignoring the aching feeling that things are gonna get a lot more worse.
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Valorian
Sage
[M:-1030]
Where there is life, there is hope.
Posts: 484
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Post by Valorian on Oct 24, 2009 13:49:50 GMT -6
Valorian looked left and right before returning her gaze and nodding. "I'm not really sure why they ran, but it could be good or bad. I think we should get out of here as quickly as possible." He pulled his cloak even again, as it had been tossed around in the fight, and tapped his staff into the ground.
"Come on then." For the first time since she had met him, he placed his staff on his back and instead grabbed her hand, walking briskly out of the ruins. Something told him being here was a terrible idea, like the very life was being sucked from the ground. Grass was brown and dead, water fouled and even the air seemed to stop. If Jya was walking of her own accord, or being dragged, was irrelevant. They needed to not be here, and he hadn't been more sure of anything in a very long time.
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Post by Jya on Oct 24, 2009 14:51:06 GMT -6
Being half dragged out of there wasn't so bad, away from this place was the top priority. Than again...whatever did that horrible massacre is still out there. A part of Jya just knew that if left alone, the monster or monsters are probably going to do it again. Yet what could a girl like her do? She couldn't even beat one of those wolves or was it them that caused it. So many unanswered questions mixed with feelings of guilt.
“Hey Val, umm if whatever caused this is still out there, it'll keep killing right? Will it come after us?” she asked finding the thoughts horrifying. She knew that this guy wouldn't know the answer, but asking did help calm her. Looking over her shoulders and such, she searched for any signs of what might await the two of them.
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Valorian
Sage
[M:-1030]
Where there is life, there is hope.
Posts: 484
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Post by Valorian on Oct 24, 2009 22:35:50 GMT -6
Valorian didn't look back, even as he tugged on her urgently. "You can't do anything if you are dead, and I'm not sure I can handle whatever that was. I need to find out exactly what it was. Yes it will probably keep killing, but I doubt it will come after us again. They had the advantage and fled, but why?"
It was more a rhetorical question then anything. But in all the hustle they had made getting away from the town, which was now a spot on the horizon, Valorian failed to notice something.
"Is it just me?" He asked. "Or is the ground shaking?"
Earthquake? No. Hundreds of thousands of thundering hooves flying across the plains, yes.
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Post by Jya on Oct 24, 2009 22:48:59 GMT -6
As their footsteps pounded the earth, Jya still felt uncomfortable for being unable to deal with whatever creature caused the mess. Valorian's answers were obviously correct, so correct that they actually stung a little. Than the other deduction came and just completely made the situation worse. What exactly was coming towards them?
"Yeah I feel it too...ohhh...great," she replied, quite sarcastically.
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Valorian
Sage
[M:-1030]
Where there is life, there is hope.
Posts: 484
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Post by Valorian on Oct 24, 2009 23:07:32 GMT -6
Valorian stopped in his tracks as he saw the cloud of dust form. He thought about hiding, but they were two people in the middle of the plains, what reason would an army in full ride have to stop for them?
And indeed they didn't. He watched as row after row of mounted soldiers rode by, the dust cloud trailing behind them. They were in a rush, that was for certain, and Valorian couldn't help but smile a little, even though he knew there would be no smiles where they went.
"I finally found them." He sighed and took a step, before realizing he was still holding on to Jya. That seemed to knock him out of his day dream.
"I need to scout." He explained lamely. "I don't intend to get into a fight, but I need to get a closer look at what is happening. If you didn't want to come I wouldn't hold it against you..."
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Post by Jya on Oct 24, 2009 23:23:55 GMT -6
"Oh no, you're not getting rid of me now, I'm coming!" Jya demanded. What more was there for her to do? She could try to get away from the soldiers, but she would probably get caught anyways. Besides, it would be horrible for someone like to simply walk away in such a situation. Sure it has been two days since she met Valorian, but she still felt that he was an important friend.
"I won't get in the way either, a low caliber thief like me can at least be quiet...when I need to be..."
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Valorian
Sage
[M:-1030]
Where there is life, there is hope.
Posts: 484
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Post by Valorian on Oct 24, 2009 23:37:26 GMT -6
Valorian was surprised. She was clearly scared, petrified was more likely. But she refused to back down, was it bravery or stubbornness? In any event she had answered his question, and he would not insult her by asking it again. But then she said something that caught his interest. Of course, she had to live on her own, so she was probably very sneaky.
"Say...how good are you at sneaking around?" He asked, a plan already forming in his mind as they walked after the army, the trail was not hard to follow.
"We might still be able to stop this without having to fight them head on."
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Post by Jya on Oct 24, 2009 23:59:11 GMT -6
"Well, enough to pick into people's houses and takes some stuff that I need...Its not stealing unless you get caught!" she answered, somewhat flabbergasted at the question. Her teacher had given her a complete speech on the definition of stealing, yet that was the only line she could remember from the man. Valorian obviously had a plan in him, so how would someone like her help stop an army?
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Valorian
Sage
[M:-1030]
Where there is life, there is hope.
Posts: 484
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Post by Valorian on Oct 30, 2009 22:32:09 GMT -6
He would have chastised her for theft, but when nothing is given you, one must survive any way they can.
"I was thinking, if we could interrupt the information in their camp, we might be able to cause enough confusion to divide the army. If it's divided, they are more likely to return home then stay in hostile territory. And for something like sabotage, smaller groups are better, as well as nimble fingers."
He looked to the sky as they walked. "If the Erturian's find the Sacaen's, how many people do you think will die? Mothers, fathers, siblings, children. Countless numbers dead for no reason. If risking my life stops that, then I think it's worth it"
He sighed. "People don't understand. Soldiers aren't evil, they are people. They do what they think is best for their nation, they are a sword of their nation. But on the field of battle, all we can see is an enemy, not a person. When I think of all the people that will die because of this foolishness, I can only hope for a way to resolve it quickly."
He shook his head and held out his hand to Jya again. "Well, we can still fix this. A pair can move much faster then an entire army. If we make good time, we might just be able to put an end to all of this."
OOC: In a post or two we'll be moving into the Salvation Point thread. I'd recommend reading it so you are up to speed when we do.
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Post by Jya on Nov 1, 2009 19:05:30 GMT -6
Jya nodded, finding that perhaps the two of them could really pull it off. As for the nimble fingers, she wasn't sure how that would help sabotage information relay. The rest of the plan was simple enough, so all they had to do was get in the people's way and hope the two of them don't get caught. It was simple...but not exactly something that calls for even the tiniest bit of mistake.
"Alright, lets do this!" she exclaimed, ready to burst forward and get all of this over with.
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