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Post by Richter Abend on Feb 3, 2012 0:21:56 GMT -6
Richter's eyes couldn't help but widen in shock as swarms of the shadowy flying creatures burst from carcass of Salvation Point. He couldn't have expected such a magnitude of creatures living amid the ruined fort, and there was little he could do to deny the chill of trepidation that ran down his spine at the sight. This was becoming all too familiar. It was the same feeling he had felt at the docks outside Delfia, and the same feeling he had felt when the dead had risen in Ostia. In fact, the appearance of these this almost proved what Ardus had said to be true earlier...
But the Ilian fugitive would sort out the meaning of this later. There were more important matters at hand, namely the two winged shadows barreling downward. The adumbration of their black wings and lithe limbs against the Sacaen sun cast a fearful shadow upon the pink haired hero. But Richter stood fast, bracing himself as their foul lances came down upon him. Like a flash, he sidestepped to his left, drawing axe from the holster on his belt he had fashioned for it, and swung the wedged weapon violently at one of the beasts' necks. An unearthly howl erupted from the monster's maw as Richter's cleaver bit through its unsurprisingly tough skin, and with another powerful wrench of his arm, the Ilian pounded the dark thing straight into the dirt.
The second beast shrieked as its polearm went whistling past Richter's right shoulder, missing its intended target and landing on the ground before pivoting on its tail in an attempt to redouble its assault upon the pink haired fighter. But out of the corner of his eye, Richter could see the young pegasus knight from earlier, struggling to keep her winged mount skyborne as another one of the foul creatures continued to assault her. That left little time to act. Ripping his axe from the neck of the squirming beast which it had been lodged in, Richter broke back into a sprint towards Salvation Point.
But the Ilian's unearthly assailant wouldn't have it. Shrieking like a banshee, it began to charge at Richter, flapping its wings for speed with its spear aimed for his back. The shrieking became a roar as it leaped at the Ilian, thrusting off of the ground with sinewy legs and powerful wings in an attempt to skewer Richter. The axe-wielder, however, deftly rolled to the side, allowing the nightmarish creature's lance to plant itself into the ground. Save for the wings, fighting these things wasn't much different from fighting humans. That was a good thing.
Adrenaline shooting through his arms, a window of attack now visible, Richter pivoted on his right leg and grabbed the haft his axe with both hands. He launched himself at his winged attacker, and with a gutteral roar, he brought the iron weapon down upon the creature's back, smashing into what Richter could only assume was its spine. The creature whipped its tail at the Ilian in fitful attempt to defend itself, but Richter would not relent. He continued to batter the foul wretch with his axe until the beast stopped moving, dead.
His breathing now a pant, Richter looked back to the fort. The pegasus knight was now falling to the ground. No time to lose. He ran into the fort, bounding over a fallen pole that marked the boundary of the blackened Eturian garrison, only to see the girl grounded, dismounted and scrambling for her lance. Another one of the snarling beasts was bearing down upon her, unrelenting in its assault. With a low swing of its lance, it swept the brave girl off of her feet. Her small frame fell rear first to the dirt. Richter then saw the beast open its foul black maw, as if preparing to feed on the poor girl, and knew then that he had mere seconds to save her. So the Ilian, heart pumping fast, drew from its sheath the jet black sword he had strapped across his back and aimed it towards the black, winged creature.
"Essen!"
The word echoed from Richter's lips like a thunderclap, causing the golden runes etched in the blade's flat to glow a dark purple. A cold shiver danced up the Ilian's arms, writhing about his muscles like an angry nest of snakes. Then, from out of the now shimmering symbols slithered a number of dark purple tendrils. They weaved once from side to side, before hurling themselves like shadowy harpoons into the lean frame of the unsuspecting beast. The creature was blown off of its feet as the coils pounded into its side, and went limp as it met the ground once again. The tendrils wound themselves around the monster, flashing once, before wrenching themselves out of its frame and retracting back into Richter's sword.
The feeling, however, was not as pleasant as it usually was. In fact, it was everything but pleasant. Instead of sending Richter awash in a bombardment of life-replenishing energy, a dark hand ran up the Ilian's arms. His body ran cold, his blood froze in his veins, and a cry of hatred roared in his head. The world began to spin around him like a deathly miasma.
Falling to his knees, Richter coughed violently as his body began to convulse painfully. His muscles seized as if they had turned into stone. Everything went dark as the light left the Ilian's eyes, and sight became blindness. What...what was happening? It...it felt like he was dying.
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Post by Clair Feldsky on Feb 3, 2012 13:43:32 GMT -6
Just as Clair finally got her bearings, there was an unhallowed cry which came up from the plains below. She'd spotted Richter, and she could see the other pegasus knight dropping fast, but something else quickly replaced these landmarks in the Falcoknight's mind: More winged monsters were coming out of the fort.
A booming voice echoed across the plains, warning them to get to the ground. Nevermind how the voice was able to project! The ground was a gamble for them at best. While the skies were not a hospitable place when flooded with winged demons, being on the ground as they swept down at you limited your mobility, and gave them full mastery battlefield movement. All in all, it worked out to where you thought you stood the best chance.
The winged creatures split up. Several heading away from them, racing across the plains with the enthusiasm of battlecrazed abominations. At least as many were coming back this way though. Clair took stock of the situation. There were numerous unknown enemies, distant allies, and one threatened pegasus knight. There was no more time to be wasted on looking at the grim trial in front of her though.
She leaned forward, her position in the seat signaling the pegasus that it was time for another dive, and the pair began shedding altitude until they were only several stories above the fields. They dropped like an arrow towards the pink haired rider. The Ilian falcoknight wasn't thr only one in the air anymore though.
To of the things changed course, appearing to be trying to intercept Clair's dive. Just as she was raising her lance and angling a bit off course though, they broke off. Clair pulled out of the dive, using the speed to throw herself into a wide bank and slingshot back towards the downed rider.
She looked up and saw only one of the things, and it was heading straight for her. A flash of movement from the corner of her eye revealed something grotesque rising on black wings from under her pegasus. More on instinct than actual intent, the Falcoknight reangled her iron lance down towards the threat below, and gave a slight tug off to the side with her other hands, to steer away from the threat directly ahead. Unfortunately, the mare she was riding right now wasn't as responsive as her personal steed, Corona. The lance puntured through the membrane of the wing as the monster from below flew at her. It nearly tore the weapon from her grip at the impact, but right before she lost her grip, something else tore. The monster gave a cry of shocked pain and a great flap before it spiraled away, part of its wing flapping wildly. There was no time to breathe in relief though as the creature from the front plowed straight into her.
Clair lost her grip on her lance as the shock of the impact caused her whole body to recoil. There went the thing, soaring on past overhead with its cackling laughter. The wind around her was going the wrong way she realized. She realized that she was falling only a moment before she saw her pegasus diving towards the ground. She ragdolled, loosening all the tension from her body as she waited for inevitable crash into the ground.
And she wasn't disappointed. If she'd had a month to anticipate what hitting the dirt would feel like, she wouldn't have been disappointed. It wasn't a single impact either, but rather a series of skipping bounces across the ground. The trail of grass flattened by the flailing limbs of the Falcoknight stretched a good thirty feet, until she found herself laying on her stomach, looking back through the spaces she had just tumbled through. The world spun wildly, and there was a diagonal stripe of ongoing pain across her upper back that was slow to dissipate. She could feel a trickle of blood beginning to drip down the right side of her face from somewhere in her hairline, and her arms were sluggish as she reflexively tried to push herself up. She was moving though.
She saw she was near Richter first off, and that he was using that accursed sword again. It was a love-hate relatiinship she had with that weapon. It was effective, but so dangerous.... except this time, something seemed to be going wrong. The other rider was in the clear for the moment, thanks to the Ilian Commander's actions, but that couldn't stay for long. The next thing she noticed was her pegasus actually coming back to her on its own for once, and leading a very ugly monster just behind it.
She stood and drew the sword from the scabbard across her back. It may have left some form of injury on her from the crash, but it could earn its keep now. Seeing Clair standing, albeit shakily, the monster changed course and touched down, moving across the field in a sort of mixture of bestial cantering and hopping leaps with its wings. It raised its lance and leapt up into the air one last time before coming bearing down on the Falcoknight with murderous intent. Clair lacked the strength to do anything too fancy just yet, so she settled for simple. She dropped to one knee and swung her sword into the things weapon, guiding it just enough off course to miss her completely. With the sword already there, it was a simple matter to let the creature impale itself on her sword as it raced by.
She let her weapon go, watching as it went sprawling in a manner nearly as impressive as her own impact had been. Taking a few steps to the pegasus still shivering in fear, she pulled her killer lance out of its rigging on the saddle, and made her way to the mess writhing on the ground. It managed to right itself on its feet and draw the sword loose just in time for a killing blow from the Falcoknight's lance to leave its head split open.
Collecting the sword from the ground, she started running towards the other two grounded fighters with her pegasus following. All the while she was keeping an eye on the sky for more of the damnable things.
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Aerious
Manakete
The Foul Destroyer
It takes pressure and time to make diamonds.
Posts: 496
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Post by Aerious on Feb 3, 2012 14:48:22 GMT -6
Aerious was slightly busy with these...things that had attacked them. He'd take sideways glances now and again, peering up at the sky to see if Elly was still up there, or to the side to see if Nayru was all right. She seemed to be handling herself well, so she could fight after all.
Aerious turned back to his own situation. Three of these monstrosities baring down on him, included one that had discarded it's broken lance. While Nayru fought with some grace and elegance, Aerious had never learned that. He'd always had a brute force fighting style, what one might expect from a drunken brawl. A creature lunged in with a dive, and in a quick motion he brought his two fists down on the back of it's neck. It's claws barely made it far enough to snag on his tunic before they were slammed into the dirt. He'd under estimated his opponent, however, and the second one use his moment of distraction to pounce on him. Grabbing both of his arms, the creature snarled and hissed as it opened it's maw to bite. Hmm, these things were strong. He might not be able to pull himself free quickly enough...and he didn't feel like getting bitten.
Aerious leaned back and then brought his head forward quickly into a devastating headbutt. The crack reverberated in the area, and the creature stood a moment more before crumpling to the dirt. Aerious heard a loud crash next to him, from where Nayru had been, and turned.
The site he saw was quite grotesque. It looked like she had just fallen from a great height, and her foes had paid for it dearly. From the corner of his eye Aerious saw his last opponent taking flight. Gathering reinforcements perhaps? But he never made it far enough.
Aerious grabbed the creatures legs, as it tried to pull both itself and the dragon off of the ground. Aerious' feet dub twin furrows in the ground for a few feet as the creature tried to shake him off, until Aerious roared and spun, twisting the creature with him. With a mighty crash he swung his arms down, a satisfying crunch filling the air as the creature broke on contact with the earth.
He stopped to look around, with no more enemies on their side. He doubted Elly and the other rider were doing that well. [red]"I would say we should go check on them. They may still need help."[/red] He hoped they didn't, but against things like these...
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Post by Nayru Al-Saiduq on Feb 4, 2012 2:14:51 GMT -6
Another javelin impaled the earth a few feet away, the shaft snapping instantly from the sheer force of the impact as the head buried itself a good eight inches into the dirt - something Nayru unconsciously measured with morbid curiosity, using the approximate length of the spearhead. Smaller or no, the craven cur was just as strong as its brethren and possessed of a significantly more dangerous set of weapons; while the javelins were themselves of much poorer quality than the lances of the other two, the range advantage that they offered the flying creature had over her landbound form was immense - and lower quality of weapon or no, the accursed fiend was more than capable of hurling them hard enough that Nayru was willing to accept that she would likely be unable to stop them with just reinforcement.
Unfortunately, the landscape was another point in the damn thing's favor. Flat, even - no large hills to ascend, she didn't have super jumping powers, and Aerious was too busy with his own demons to help out. It seemed almost demeaning to consider transforming just to hunt down one wily monster after she had just killed two in human form, not to mention the inevitable sea of issues it would cause in regards to the new arrival - both pegasus knights, actually, counting Elly.
The manakete had already discovered that she was not exactly made for aveling throwing, both attempts at launching the weapons back at the creature had failed so intensely that she was actually rather glad Aerious had not been paying attention. The remaining gargoyle probably didn't have an endless supply of the damned weapons, but it certainly seemed like it; another impacted the earth in a plume of dust and dirt, a cloud of filth that drifted down shortly over the vicinity, including the first creature she had killed.
Nayru decided to improvise.
With a shouted "KIAI!" and great extertion of effort, the corpse left the earth at a rather higher velocity than it had achieved in life, an ungainly missile that tumbled through the air in a grotesque mockery of flight. Several hundred pounds of concentrated evil slammed into the astonished creature fast enough to leave a shockwave of sound in their wake, sending what was now two corpses screaming to the earth in awkward flight patterns, the bundle of javelins knocked out of the monster's hands in the aftermath. In fairness, she couldn't blame it for not being quite sure how to react; the manakete wasn't exactly sure how she would have in that situation. There was one thing to take care of, though, far more important than the previous events.
Nayru strode over to the pile of javelins, meticulously gathered each of the remaining weapons up, and immediately snapped them over her knee in icy hatred. The crack resounded for an instant, an eruption of sound and fury that was music to her ears. She was still engaged in reducing each individual piece into sawdust when Aerious spoke, apparently having finished his foes in a more expedient manner than she had managed.
Walking over meekly, having left the shattered pile of broken weapons behind in the vain hope that Aerious failed to notice - or at least had the common decency not to enquire about the bloody things - Nayru surved the scene. It seemed that her companion had been significantly more utilitarian than she; the corpses he left behind looked like discarded toys, broken sacks of meat that had simply given way under the titanic force brought to bear on their bodies.
It still irked her that she had been so close to being entirely at the second creature's mercy, but her body was both a blessing and a curse; in structuring her essence she had managed to nearly separate the human form from the dragonstone, allowing her to evade detection by even most dragons - but at the cost of many of the things other manaketes took for granted in human form. Strength remained, but the near-total invulnerability, the ability to partially morph and grow wings, the hyperaware senses; she could no more shape her current form without completely restructuring the essence flow than she could throw a javelin with good accuracy.
Nayru decided that she was not especially fond of that metaphor and decided that that particular story did not need to be told. To anyone. Ever. "Yes, of course. Elly took some damage, so she should have landed somewhere on the other side; I suspect that the other pegasus rider is with her. Given that she dispatched one of the creatures, perhaps she managed to hold off the rest."
But one human against six of the damnable things - Nayru was more worried than she tried to let on, already breaking into a loping run in an attempt to reach the scene before it was too late.
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Elly
Pegasus Knight
Rookie Squirrel!
Posts: 101
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Post by Elly on Feb 5, 2012 3:53:19 GMT -6
Elly gasped, her lungs desperately trying to draw air back in. That was funny, she expected lances would be a bit more painful. She opened her eyes fearfully; she felt dizzy, and her headache had only gotten worse. The image she expected to see, however, the nightmarish creature, didn't seem to be quite where she expected it to be. Or, anywhere, for that matter. She relaxed a little, the tension she had felt seconds earlier easing away.
They didn't quite seem like the type to get bored and fly off, but she wasn't about to complain. Score! It was probably that pegasus knight from earlier again; she was so cool. She winced as she tried to stand up, the fiend's earlier blow still tender. She rolled on her side, her left hand casting about for her discarded weapon blindly before finding something. Ew, whatever it was, it felt slimy and...pointy? No, that wasn't quite right. The slimy thing was soft. And squishy. The pointy part seemed detached from it, though. She felt a stab of dismay. Had her weapon been broken? It was her very first lance, too! She turned to look at it.
Elly screamed loudly, scrambling away, her hurting midsection forgotten as she pulled her hand out of the dead thing's mouth. The creature's slimy saliva clung to it; she swallowed heavily, fighting the urge to throw up. She rubbed the hand in the grass at her side incessantly, yet the slime seemed as doggedly stubborn as the creature it belonged to. She shivered, her face full of revulsion, goosebumps running through her skin. Her lance sat innocently next to it, and she hurriedly picked it up with her right hand. The farther away she was from the abomination, the better.
A panicked whinny caught her attention, her head turning to the side in time to see another of the brutes land next to Heather. A wave of revulsion and fear overcame her, tinged with anger at the creatures. How many of them were there? She took a hesitant step towards it. Its back was turned. Maybe it hadn't noticed her? Her left hand rose slowly, taking hold of her weapon as well. She pursed her lips, fearful. Her left leg hurt, she felt as though she had run through one of the commander's harsher training courses, and her hands felt like jelly, unable to bear the weight of the spear.
Heather's second cry spurned her into action. She took a heavy step, then a second; she didn't think she'd be able to bring herself to move again if she stopped, so she launched herself into a run, her heart beating wildly. Her hands closed tightly over her the slim shaft. She swung it overhead like a club with a loud scream, wincing with effort, her entire body dragged forward by the weapon's momentum. The spear rattled ominously in her hands as it bashed against the brute's head with a dull, hollow sound. Its shrill, piercing cry grated against her ears painfully. Had she managed to hurt it?
The monster turned around, its black skin seemingly unharmed, his eyes shining with unbridled fury. She took a step back, a sudden chill running down her spine. What had she been thinking? A short yelp escaped her as the devil lunged at her; her lance was swatted aside, and she ducked to her left hurriedly, the demon's own narrowly missing her. She backpedaled, trying to get away, but the fiend followed her steps relentlessly. She had no idea what to do. The nightmare knocked the spear out of her hands swiftly; without hesitation, it charged forwards, lance at the front, seeking to impale her. She tried to dodge, but was too late; the point seemed to loom ever closer. It reached her shoulder, clipping her right spaulder, miraculously deflected by the light piece of armor; the monster stumbled, losing its balance as its movement carried it forwards.
Elly did the only thing that came to mind.
She leapt forward, arms spread over her head, reaching upwards, before latching onto the creature's left wing tightly. Already off balance, it could only flail helplessly for an instant before the two of them tumbled to the ground unceremoniously, pink and black blurring together. A soul-wrenching scream rang out as they impacted the Sacaean soil; Elly rolled away, dizzied, covering her ears against the inhuman sound. Strands of hair fell in front of her face, her braid completely undone. The horror's left wing lay crushed beneath its heavy, muscled body, the fragile appendage unable to withstand its weight. Her eyes widened at the sight of the writhing creature.
Um, lucky!
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Post by Clair Feldsky on Feb 5, 2012 14:01:59 GMT -6
Clair was presented with a choice as she ran. Both of the others were down. She was concerned for Richter. He'd collapsed to his knees, and was practically coughing up his lungs. What if it was that sword weakening him? She'd fight with the same intensity to protect him from harm that he would use to defend her, but how could you fight against something like the runesword? On the other hand, there was a creature still attacking the other knight, and the pink-haired girl didn't look to be the secure in her martial skills.
With a growl at the frustration of needing to be two places at once, Clair tore herself past Richter and ran on to the other young rider and the beast. She saw the pair fall in a tangle of flailing limbs, black wings and pink hair flying. She was surprised when the other girl rolled free though, while the monster let out a pained cry.
Clair sheathed her sword over her shoulder in her best approximation of a graceful maneuver as she came up alongside the pink-haired knight. The blond haired Ilian leveled her lance at the monster as it puhshed itself to its feet awkwardly, suffering from balance issues with its broken wing.
"Keep back, and get your pegasus away from here." Clair said to Elly, gritting her teeth together in anger at the creature. Whatever these were, the Falcoknight saw only one thing they were good for: target practice. They couldn't be left alive. She just hoped the girl would have the sense to run towards Richter, and not closer to the danger.
The monster's gaze shifted back and forth between the pink and blond haired sky knights, leering at them with its jaw agape. Its teeth looked like steak knives, and the jaws looked large enough to take a sizable chunk of flesh off. If it could get close enough. Clair eased another step closer, waiting for the beast to make a move.
Eventually the standoff could wait no longer, and the creature threw itself forward on coiled muscles, powering its way the short distance toward her and throwing a thrust of its lance at her. It was what Clair had been waiting for, but she'd bever expected it to move so fast. She barely managed to intercept its thrust in time to keep the strike aimed for her chest from striking home. It was a calculated balance between waiting and striking. Between prudence and ferocity. And it was a game which Clair had always excelled at. The shriek of spearpoint on white pauldron gave way to a cracking of bones and the death cry of the beast as the razor tip of the falcoknight's lance glided into the monster's collar bone. It tried to follow the Ilian woman as she leapt back and spun, picking up momentum and whipping the lance around into the skull of the winged abomination. The point of her weapon lodged there, and the thing fell to the ground still in its death squirms.
She pulled her weapon free, the tip of the lance giving a slight rattle as it came away. It was a well worn weapon. It made sense that it was starting to fall apart at last. Didn't make her happy though. She backpedaled a few steps, making sure it was really done, before turning in a circle to see what she could see of the plains and taking off at a weak trot to regroup with Richter.
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Post by Richter Abend on Feb 5, 2012 22:50:28 GMT -6
Richter's body once again shuddered violently. He could feel his sight slowly returning to him as his body tried to expel whatever it had absorbed, but he still couldn't see much more than dark shapes and grey and red colors. On his hands and knees, he tried to follow the battle with his ears, if just to keep anything from sneaking up on him. In his current state, he couldn't think of many ways for that to end well.
He heard a scuffling in the dust which sounded scared, like the pegasus knight getting to her feet. Good, at least she was smart enough to get up. Richter coughed again, his chest heaving with the involuntary exhalation. At the edge of his blurred vision he noticed the runesword lying on the ground in front of him. That sword. From what he gathered, and what Ardus had told him, it absorbed the life force of those he killed, so clearly whatever it was that made these monsters tick, it wasn't life. Death sounded more accurate, or at least it felt more accurate.
Richter wasn't sure how many of the monsters were left, and as if to answer his question, there was a scream. Looking up, he could see the silhouette of the younger pegasus knight tangled up with the frame of another of the foul beasts. Richter couldn't help but feel helpless as they leaped up into the air before coming tumbling back down with a loud crunch and an unearthly scream. She wasn't too scared to still fight, it seemed. Hopefully if another one of the fiends tried to get the jump on him, she'd return his favor.
But the Ilian's thoughts were interrupted as a twinge of pain carved through his head, and it felt like the whole world had taken a few seconds to dance on to of his head. Sitting her was pointless. He needed to get his bearings. He needed to get to his feet.
Putting a hand to his knee, Richter slowly began to push himself to his feet, but his attempt was met by nothing but pain, and he did all he could to hold in a tortured scream. There was no time for that now. Growling, he tried to push through it, but as he tapped into what was left of himself, he couldn't find the strength. Whatever it was that he had absorbed out of that dark winged monster, it had sapped all of the energy out of his body.
A sharp inhale was all he could muster as he then noticed a dark figure walking towards him, staring at him with dark red eyes. It cackled darkly, and deeply. Another monster? His hand unconsciously grasped at the handle of his sword, and, closing his eyes, Richter again attempted to gather the strength to stand, but when he opened them, the figure was gone. Odd. Must have flown off.
"C-Clair," he stuttered, hoping his assistant commander, or somebody at least, would hear him. "Clair! Help me up!"
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Aerious
Manakete
The Foul Destroyer
It takes pressure and time to make diamonds.
Posts: 496
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Post by Aerious on Feb 5, 2012 23:27:59 GMT -6
Aerious nodded at Nayru's summary. [red]"Right, let's hope she can actually survive long enough to learn anything from this. Damn it, I didn't realize these things had fliers."[/red] He cursed. He started off at a run, giving the fort a wide berth. The last thing he wanted to do was run right through the nest, that would not end well.
As he began to circle the fort he eyed it cautiously. Some of the walls had holes in them...holes that seemed purposely broken. But that couldn't be from the fliers, they wouldn't care about the walls at all. They'd come in from the sky. There was something else in there, something powerful. [red]"We don't know if whoever is on the other side is an enemy or an ally, so keep your guard up."[/red] They'd just finished rounding the ruined fortress when Aerious spied the pegasi in the distance. Didn't seem any foes were up anymore, but only that other rider was here. Had she fought them all off herself?
Aerious pointed her out to Nayru. [red]"If that rider just dispatched all of those monsters by herself...I think we have found a very solid candidate."[/red] He figured that the point would be noticed, and made no effort to hide himself as he continued running towards the others. [red]"Elly! Elly are you ok?"[/red] He called over the plains as they approached the downed Pegasus. It looked like the girl was still alive, that was some small miracle.
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Post by Clair Feldsky on Feb 6, 2012 0:08:13 GMT -6
As Clair made her way back towards Richter, she saw two figures come running up from the spaces around the fort. Presumably, the two specks she'd seen earlier, while still flying. She let them go about their own business, preferring to keep to hers until the crisis was managed. Near as she could tell, the other rider was fine, though her pegasus might require some attention soon.
As she neared the pink-haired swordsman she became more worried. He was shaking from where he was on the ground. She could hear the pain filling his voice as he called out. Her own wrenched muscles and bruised back protesting all the way, she doubled her pace up to a run for the last few steps, planting the butt of her spear into the grassy earth for support as she knelt beside him.
"Oh, Richter.... What in the sky happened?" She grimaced as she saw the sword in his grip. The runesword was a mixed blessing, it seemed. For herself, she'd refused to place her trust in such a dark and cruel device as the vampiric sword. She rested a hand on his arm, hoping to help calm him, or maybe herself, down a bit, and spoke softly.
"Just sit back and rest for a bit. We're safe for now. No more of those monsters are around.... What happened?"
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Post by Nayru Al-Saiduq on Feb 6, 2012 22:45:37 GMT -6
"If they saved Elly, they are allies." It sounded mulish and not eminently reasonable even to her, but the manakete wanted to believe that people would at least throw aside petty differences in the face of such obvious danger - she would have tolerated bandits had they stayed to fight, but there weren't many pegasus bandits so it was more likely a small Ilian border patrol, or something of the sort. While she didn't have the honed senses of Aerious, only a dead man could have missed the sheer weight of the evil force the fort exerted as one grew closer; she had originally hoped to cut around it as close as possible to save time, but decided that safety was the better part of valor, giving it reasonable berth.
It was good to see that Elly was safe, though clearly the worse for wear; her pegasus seemed to be in poor condition, though how bad it was Nayru couldn't tell at a glance, and the girl was shaking like a leaf. She seemed to be alive, though, her pride hurt more than anything else. Given the horrible mess that the unseated pegasus rider looked, though, her hair entirely askew and grass all over, she had at least done her fair share.
Far more, actually, for a trainee. Nayru was proud of her for overcoming her fear and standing to the occasion, even if - to be horribly blunt and pragmatic - she seriously doubted that Elly had exactly left a crimson deluge in her wake as she wrought havoc through the ranks of the damned. The thought of the girl wreaking any sort of havoc that didn't involve tripping over her own feet and accidentally stabbing someone in the face brought a smile to the manakete's face. Didn't hurt that she was just relieved see her new companion was alive, for that matter.
There were the other two humans, though, both of them significantly better garbed for battle. The pegasus rider was likely the one she had seen arrive above the battle; the man - Nayru had no idea, having never seen him before, and catching sight of the Runesword, she opted against investigating. Regardless of not knowing what it was, the taint of corruption it exuded was far too similar to the feeling fo the fort itself for her tastes; Aerious might have an idea of how to react to it, but she certainly did not.
Settling for a quiet "Thank you for keeping her safe" while passing the two humans, she reached Elly quickly, albeit long before realizing what exactly to actually say or do. Rushing there had seemed well and good at the time, but coming to find no further threat left her still with far too much energy flowing through her body, having drawn too much power from the dragonstone under the assumption that it would be necessary. The continued existence of the fort proper was more than enough to keep her alert and worried, as well, but Nayru was more interested in how Elly was doing. "Elly, will you be alright? It's over now."
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Elly
Pegasus Knight
Rookie Squirrel!
Posts: 101
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Post by Elly on Feb 7, 2012 1:56:11 GMT -6
Elly nodded fearfully at the older knight's command, bile rising in her throat as her elation died down, snuffed away upon seeing the monster stand up once more. She didn't trust herself enough to open her mouth at the moment, her entire body shuddering involuntarily as she crawled away.
She stood up shakily, wincing, moving to stand next to the filly's side; with a start, she realized her weapon still lay close to where she had fallen, in what was now the battlefield between the creature and her rescuer. While it hadn't been particularly useful so far, it was her only defense against the nightmares. Should she go after it? The lightning fast flurry of blows exchanged between the two gave her pause. The knight had said to stay back; and, as far as she was concerned, the further away she was from the fiend, the better.
She scanned the sky frantically. What if another monster came for her? Her left hand jumped subconsciously; her entire body felt tense, almost quivering, and she turned around, half expecting to see a lance headed straight for her heart. Heather's pained whinnies tugged at her consciousness; she rushed to her partner's side. What was she supposed to do? The hair around the pegasus' wound was dyed scarlet. Tears came unbidden to her eyes once more, mixing in with strands of hair and sweat, and she tore her gaze away.
She had to stop the bleeding, heal poor Heather somehow, and help her up, too, so they could get away, all while keeping watch, and defending herself from those...things, which she couldn't do anymore without her weapon. It was hopeless. She bit her lower lip, struggling to rein in the despair that threatened to overwhelm her. She clung tightly to the last shred of resolve that seemed to remain in her.
Aerious' voice reached her ears, and she turned around, desperate, her eyes locking onto the two swiftly approaching figures, the familiar faces soothing her nerves. Relief flooded her body at Nayru's declaration. Was it really over? She burst into tears, rushing forward to hug the older woman tightly, afraid she'd vanish into thin air if she let her go. Her body shook as she sobbed into her friend, unable to form coherent words as the fear, tension and worry of the last few minutes washed over her, desperate for comfort.
It was over.
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Post by Richter Abend on Feb 8, 2012 2:26:10 GMT -6
Rough coughing ensued as Richter's vision flashed dark again, like a candle forcibly blown out, before returning slowly in a pops and stars. He hoped these fits wouldn't last much longer, or more so that there weren't going to be any long term effects from his admittedly poor decision, but he did realize that the essence of a monster of darkness couldn't be something that would be easily expelled. Then, feeling a hand on his arm, he looked up to see Clair.
"Just sit back and rest for a bit. We're safe for now. No more of those monsters are around.... What happened?"
Nodding his head, with Clair's help Richter slowly leaned himself backwards into a somewhat upright sitting position. Rubbing his brow with an open palm, the pink haired Ilian recounted his undoing.
"It was the runesword," said Richter, speaking slowly and deliberately in an attempt not to cough or stutter. "I used it to take out one of the monsters attacking that young pegasus knight, and it backfired." He shook his head, feeling a bit foolish having to explain himself like this to Clair. "It killed the creature, but what it was ripping out of the damned thing wasn't anything meant to be in human bodies." Richter allowed himself a few short coughs before continuing. "Felt like I was submerged in frigid pitch when it first hit me."
The pink haired Ilian, his head finally done spinning, gently waved Clair off of him with a grunt, before looking up at the newcomers. One was a silvery haired woman dressed in foreign looking clothing, who was currently tending to the tough little pegasus rider that he and Clair had just saved, while the other was a younger looking man with a messy head of brown hair and a scarf thrown round his neck. The man wore a sword-sheath at his belt, but the woman was completely unarmed.... What were they doing here? They might be Etrurian.
"So do the three of you go hunting for unnatural trouble often?" asked Richter, stifling a cough. "Or is this someone's sick idea of a going away present?"
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Aerious
Manakete
The Foul Destroyer
It takes pressure and time to make diamonds.
Posts: 496
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Post by Aerious on Feb 8, 2012 14:33:13 GMT -6
Aerious let Nayru go over and deal with Elly, that wasn't his strength anyway. He noticed the other man, with pink hair? Now that was unusual. And more to the point, not something you would forget easily. Aerious was certain he'd seen this man before, but he couldn't recall where. He doubted it was anything pleasant, because he already didn't like the way the man addressed him. Was he blaming them for this attack? Cowardly swine.
Before Nayru or Elly could answer, Aerious spoke himself. Directly and to the point. [red]"Our business is our own, much as yours is."[/red] He said, eying the man oddly. And then he saw the sword, and arched an eyebrow, nearly taking a step back. A magic weapon...things like that were not good to deal with. They could cut through these human forms like a hot knife through butter. And they could even injure their true form. This knowledge set him on edge, and he began considering the situation carefully.
[red]"I do thank you for rescuing Elly."[/red] He said in a curt manner. He moved over to Elly's horse, examining the wound. [red]"Hmmm...a deep gash. She'll not be flying for a while."[/red] He remarked as he reached into his bag and spread a bit of Vulnerary along the wound. The horse seemed unnerved by Aerious' presence, but was unable to really get too far away as he applied the medicine. Once finished he looked back towards the fort.
[red]"There are likely many more foes in there. If you intend to proceed I would advise caution."[/red]
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Post by Clair Feldsky on Feb 8, 2012 18:39:46 GMT -6
The runesword.... Clair's face tightened up as she realized the implications of what had happened to Richter. She didn't have a detailed understanding of magic, but she knew enough to make informed decisions about it. Magic like that of a runesword stole the life essence of what it affected, before passing it back to the wielder. The idea of taking in the essence of one of those monsters shook the Falcoknight to the core. Now they had confirmation: these things definitely were not of the same nature as other humans were.
She stood slowly as he waved her off. The other group had approached, and besides the young pegasus rider, likely a squire, there were two others. A man and a woman. The man sported a dusty brown cloak, and a bit of light armor. The woman's garb was far more eyecatcathing though. Dozens of colorful cloths, belts, and jewlery criss crossed her body in a web of intricate workings. Enough of her skin was left showing that Clair would consider staking her lance on a bet that the woman wasn't from Ilia.... And yet, an Ilian was counted in their number.
She was annoyed with the standoffish vibe she was getting from the man, as he spoke. At least he had the decency to thank them for helping their young rider. She was young indeed, to be letting anyone other than herself care for her pegasus' injuries. The poor girl, Elly, still looked scared stiff from the monsters.
"...I'm glad we were able to lend a hand, but your business here does bring on some questions." The blond haired falcoknight paused, catching a glimpse of her iron lance sticking upright in the plains, a short distance away. Good to see she hadn't lost it, because the lance planted in the ground at her side wasn't going to last much longer. She'd be better off leaving it where it in its harness on the saddle and getting it repaired at the next town.
"You've come to the ruins of Salvation Point, which turned out to be monster infested. I'm having a hard time thinking of a productive reason for this. And you think there are more inside?" Clair looked in the direction of the fort, watching the skyline for more of the monsters. Meanwhile, her pegasus nibbled nervously at the grass a short distance behind Richter.
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Aerious
Manakete
The Foul Destroyer
It takes pressure and time to make diamonds.
Posts: 496
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Post by Aerious on Feb 8, 2012 22:22:30 GMT -6
Aerious turned his gaze from the downed man to the uppity women. Probably his mate for how defensive she was, lovely.
[red]"As I said before."[/red] Aerious said, hiding his annoyance less then usual. [red]"I doubt you want us prying into your reasons for being in such a place. So let us just say we both arrived here because fate willed it so."[/red] He said, deciding he wasn't going to argue with the humans. [red]"And I assume there are more varied types inside because of the state of the fort. A flying enemy would have no need to tear holes in walls. Especially when the top of the fort is open."[/red] He gestured to the fort behind him as he said this, still keeping his eyes on Richter and his sword. Throughout the entire conversation he had not spared Clair any more then a passing glance.
He let his mouth split into a rather condescending smirk as he brushed a wayward strand of hair away from his face. [red]"I'd say such a place merits investigation. But I wouldn't want you two to get hurt for getting in over your heads...."[/red] He looked to Nayru.
[red]"I don't think it is wise to take Elly with us. This will likely be more dangerous then she is prepared for."[/red]
Of course, only one of the four present could possibly understand all of what Aerious had said. What fun.
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