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Post by Richter Abend on Feb 9, 2012 0:32:46 GMT -6
Richter responded negatively, almost immediately, to the brown haired man. His knowing look, his pompous stance, his annoyed demeanor, and particularly they way he glanced at the runesword. It all set the Ilian on edge. From what Richter could gather, it seemed the newcomer knew at least what the sword was capable of to those it was turned upon, if not entirely knowledgeable of what it could do. And that was good; an extra card in Richter's hand, for time being.
Slowly, patiently pulling himself to his feet, Richter brushed some dust off of his elbows, before picking up the jet black zweihander at his feet, again feeling his arm tingle as usual as his flesh touched the metal. He still felt stiff as a tree, but his muscles were slowly readjusting themselves to normal movement. The pain had also subsided, but his vision wasn't quite done fixing itself. His eyes still periodically went out of focus.
"I wouldn't worry about any holes," said Richter coolly, nodding towards the spot the newcomer had gestured to only moments before. "Or that hole, at least. It wasn't made by one of these fiends, or any cousins you can dream up, I can assure you of that." The Ilian commander smirked. He could still remember Aeros smashing through that wall to make way for their escape. That day had been the first, and both he and Clair had come far since then. Whatever these travelers could throw at them, if they tried anything, he'd make sure it wasn't enough.
Then, out of the corner of his eye, the Ilian noticed a dark figure standing atop the ruined battlements of Salvation Point, a ways away from them. It glared at him with the same red eyes he had seen just a couple minutes before, and as it did, a sharp pain darted through Richter's head.
The Ilian winced, his hand instinctively tightening around his sword, but almost just as quickly as he blinked his eyes the figure disappeared. The commander shook his head, before returning his attention to where the thing had just stood, but it was gone. He hadn't even seen it move! Richter gave a low mental growl. Ardus had told him he'd see strange happenings in his hunt for the Emblem, and until now, the younger Abend hadn't been sure exactly what that had meant, but now he was sure of it. The demons, that dread feeling; this old fort needed at least a look over.
"Abends are a tall bunch," said Richter, turning his gaze back to the cloaked man. He had no fear of the use of his name, for if this man did turn that sword against him, he'd cut him down in a second. "It'll take more to go over my head than most." He nudged Clair. "Let's go."
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Post by Nayru Al-Saiduq on Feb 9, 2012 1:40:14 GMT -6
Elly's antics left one very confused dragon trapped in the bone-crushing grip of a sobbing girl, more or less rooted in place while her smaller companion just let it all out. Poor thing. Nayru would have moved one arm around Elly to comfort her - if she had possessed any idea what the hell else to do, that would have been a good time for the information to present itself - had she not realized that her right arm was still drenched to the shoulder in the still-liquid remains of the first gargoyle. It was an unpleasant realization, but Nayru took pride in the fact that she had somehow contrived to stay otherwise spotless, dropping the less-savory arm awkwardly to the side and only slightly less awkwardly resting one arm on Elly's shoulders, a makeshift embrace of sorts - not that the little leech had any trouble hanging on for dear life.
The conversation seemed to be moving on quite nicely without either her or Elly's interference, Aerious and the savage-looking human trading verbal quips, scowling and smirking at each other, and generally failing to in any way communicate meaningfully. She couldn't blame any of them for their responses, though; the nature of the world they lived in made suspicion of armed strangers necessary, though this duo seemed significantly more stand-offish than most. They both looked decidedly military, though, beyond the obvious bit of both being decidedly well armed. Curious. While at least one was definitely Ilian, she was aware of no male pegasus knights, which suggested either a combined-arms task force of some sort - but then why would the two of them be alone? - or...
Fugitives?
Nayru raised an eyebrow, appraising them both. Not an accusatory glance, but she suspected that she was on to something and was curious to see how either would react. That did make things even more problematic, though; fugitives had either done something very wrong or enfuriated someone very powerful, and to still be alive often had to take desperate measures. And Aerious was provoking both of them.
She wasn't worried about being struck down, they didn't seem outright aggressive, but it did suggest that prudence was the better part of valor if for no better reason than to spare Elly the bloodshed - the last thing that Nayru wanted to visit on the girl after the trauma of the last few moments was more senseless killing.
Also, maybe if they were going to investigate the fort, it might be as good an excuse as any to help purge the accursed structure of anything that moved within. Normally she would have simply stood and listened passively, willing to let them go on their way and depart on her own merry way afterwards, but but on the spur of the moment she interjected herself into the conversation when it seemed to be winding down, at least to the point that she could get a word in edgewise. "Perhaps we might investigate the fort together. The total can be greater than the sum of its parts in a combined arms operation, can it not? The - creatures inside are clearly dangerous; nearby towns and villages will have no real defense against the beasts should they sally forth."
Okay, that was not quite as dazzlingly brilliant and charismatic and convincing as she had imagined it being. "I am a - researcher. Of sorts. Of many things." It was an understatement of some seriousness, but Nayru had the general feeling that mentioning she was an inhuman monster of the race that had supposedly once subjugated humanity, and was now interested in killing the hell out of a bunch of demon monsters, might not go over quite as well. And she did like researching things, so it was far from untrue - merely an understatement, that was all. "My name is Nayru. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."
Given that the male was looking away, she nodded at the blonde woman, hoping that she had made a slightly better impression than her inner pessimist was suggesting. Maybe Elly leaning against her would make her look like less of a mass murderer?
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Elly
Pegasus Knight
Rookie Squirrel!
Posts: 101
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Post by Elly on Feb 9, 2012 3:31:11 GMT -6
Elly sniffled softly, sobbing, warmth spreading through her body as she felt Nayru's arm on her shoulder. The terror that had filled her when faced by the monsters ebbed away with her tears; each hiccup seemed to carry away the tension, the anger, the worry, the pain, and she held on to the older woman softly, drawing comfort from her presence.
She shuddered sharply in place, trying to speak, stumbling over her words, tears filling her eyes once more. She tried to draw a deep breath, turning around as much as she could without breaking contact with Nayru; sobs shook her body once more as the air left her lungs. Her eyes drifted to the side, fear breaking past her fragile emotional stability for an instant when she saw Heather, before she noticed Aerious tending to her wound. Knowing that the filly would be okay relieved her immensely, and she smiled gratefully. "Th...thank you, Aerious." She spoke haltingly, her voice breaking, her tone subdued, much unlike her usual demeanor.
Elly licked her lips, swallowing heavily. "I'm sorry, y'both..." She lowered her eyes. What did they think of her now? Not only had she failed at scouting for the two, she had managed to get Heather hurt in the process. Some knight she was. The thought almost made her break out into tears again. She turned her head, her gaze firmly pointed at the two strangers' footwear. "I, uh, I'd probably be dead without y' both." Her hands shook as she recalled how close it had been, far too many times. "Thank you."
Nayru's words worried her, yet she found herself unable to protest. As much as she wanted to shout out against the idea, it seemed as though her body wouldn't cooperate, incapable of drawing enough energy to speak loudly. She turned to Nayru, her tone soft, yet urgent. "Nayru, I, uh...please don't go, it's gonna be way too dangerous, those things, what if there's more inside? What if they come after y' both?" She held on tightly, resting her head against her friend. Whatever was inside that place, it probably was worse than the nightmares.
Besides, she really didn't want to be alone right now.
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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 9, 2012 4:47:52 GMT -6
Aerious had been about to retort when Nayru interjected. She was right, of course. He was being needlessly hostile because this human actually could pose some small threat. Is this what a human felt whenever they met another? The uncertainty of a foe who may wish them harm, and might be able to do it? Curious. It had been a while since he'd felt that from anything resembling a human.
He nodded, backing off. [red]"You are right Nayru, as usual. Excuse my...blunt mannerisms. I did not intend to start any bad blood between us."[/red] He offered, not expanding upon it any further. [red]"It is clear we do not wish each other any harm. So perhaps a combined effort here would be to both of our benefits. You may call me Aerious if you so desire."[/red] He finished before looking to Elly.
[red]"Hah. Don't be afraid child. Nayru and I are much better fighters then one would imagine. Why, I didn't think it possible for her to get a spear all the way through one of those things, but here we are."[/red] He chuckled lightly. [red]"May want to wear gloves next time though."[/red]
It would also be beneficial for another reason. Elly would likely learn much from the other knight, and that would leave Nayru and himself alone to fight as they knew how. After all, their fighting method would draw some serious attention if anyone saw it.
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Post by Clair Feldsky on Feb 9, 2012 9:34:45 GMT -6
Warning of caution inside the fort was appreciated, but unneeded. The falcoknight couldn't think of a good reason for going inside, except the off chance that if they made it out they may have learned something. If there were more creatures in there though, she wasn't sure she was reluctant to go in with just the two of them. Even if these other people were going in, five against an unnamed number of unknown monsters would require them to be careful in their tactics.... She wasn't surprised at all that Richter wanted to investigate
"Wait a moment, Richter. The fort's not going anywhere, and I'd like to stay here for a bit more." She'd been a bit surprised when he gave away his name so quickly. Of course, it was true that any Etrurians or enemies would recognize him a mile away with his mane of pink hair, and she wouldn't be hard to recognize either these days.
The woman spoke, introducing herself as Nayru, and a researcher of sorts. At least she was pleasant enough. It was a big step up from the man's attitude. And she already knew the little rider's name. At least now that the other two had spoken out a bit, the man had introduced himself as well, and stopped acting so aloof.
She turned to look at Nayru and Elly, sparing a smile for the younger. The blond haired Ilian could still remember her own days before she'd gained the experience needed to truly be comfortable with being on a battlefield. "You did well, Elly. You didn't give up, and you didn't freeze. I've seen full grown men do worse."
"My name is Clair." She gestured toward the black cloaked man! she was traveling with. "This is Richter, and if you are planning to investigate the ruins as well, then I agree. We should work together." At this point, it didn't really matter to Clair who they were. They weren't monsters, and they could fight. For the most part. She did wonder how exactly Nayru had made such a mess on her arm when she didn't even carry a discernible weapon. Perhaps some variation on a type of magic? She couldn't help but eyeing the arm a bit before returning her attention to the group. Once everyone was in agreement, she'd be ready to go.
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Post by Richter Abend on Feb 9, 2012 16:22:24 GMT -6
Richter halted himself as Clair protested their departure. Perhaps he was being a bit hasty, but something about the other man just ticked him off. Turning himself back towards the others, he listened to what the silver haired woman, apparently named Nayru, had to say.
Much more gracious than her male counterpart, Nayru apparently wanted them to go in together. A kind gesture to be sure, but he had no reason to believe her "research" was anything positive. Hell, it was hard to be when the subject of study were beasts of pure darkness, so sticking with his usual paranoia, Richter could just as easily assume she had bad intentions as well as good. Safer to assume the worst.
The Ilian soldier-commander turned his attention back to the brown haired man as Elly, the pink haired pegasus knight, thanked both himself and Clair. He noticed the gesture, and appreciated it to be sure, but he wasn't really in the mood to exchange pleasantries over the subject seeing as he had just swallowed a face-full of hatred and darkness and it was undoubtedly making him a bit irritable. Hopefully the effects wouldn't last too long.
The cloaked man then, to Richter's surprise, apologized for his bluntness and introduced himself as Aerious. A bit begrudged, the Ilian nodded slowly, taking the time to analyze the man as Clair introduced them both. His next few words were interesting, to say the least. "All the way through"? What did he mean by "all the way through"? Her?
A sideways glance reexamined the woman called Nayru. She was spotless save an arm drenched in beast gore. Well, it explained the arm somewhat, but Richter had felt the skin of those monsters first hand. They were tough, much to tough for any woman of such slender build to forcibly ram a lance clean through. No, even if it were a normal man, the concept was far fetched. The Ilian's eyes narrowed as his earlier suspicions were slowly proven correct. Something definitely was fishy about these travelers, and he wasn't about to let whatever that was catch him unawares.
But Nayru and Clair were right. They'd move better as a group, especially so if the fort was further populated by more of those fiends. "I'd prefer to get in there sooner rather than later, if its all the same to you," said Richter, addressing no one in particular.
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Post by Nayru Al-Saiduq on Feb 10, 2012 17:55:01 GMT -6
"N-no, I just..." She trailed off, embarassed by Aerious's response. He was the one who was usually right; she just managed to occasionally come up with something intelligent to say in the midst of a torrent of unnecessary words. Dig long enough and one was bound to find gold - or more dirt, as the case might be. It didn't help that she was having trouble following the flow of the conversation. What the hell was he talking about? "What spear?" It took a moment for her to realize what he must have meant. Right. "Oh, the, ah, javelins." She wasn't one to blush, but Nayru was suddenly very aware that she would prefer to sink inside the earth than explain her actions with the javelins; it just seemed so childish and petty in retrospect.
"...I had hoped you hadn't seen that." It came out quieter than usual, her tone more subdued. She felt like a complete fool, her momentary interjection completely shoved aside - she remained quiet as the group responded to her initial words, discussing the plan among themselves before eventually coming to the conclusion that it wasn't a bad idea. That was nice, though Aerious seemed slightly hesitant, or maybe he was just worried about what was inside. It would be really nice to be a mind reader, Nayru decided, or at least be empathic enough to follow along adequately. She opted to focus on Elly instead, looking down on the bedraggled thing with someting approximating a small smile. "Don't worry, Elly, we'll be safe." That the trainee might not want to be left alone didn't even occur to her, courtesy of her lack of empathy and the ever-growing need to purge the fort. "Aerious and I can protect ourselves, and you'll be safe out here taking care of Heather."
Well, lack of empathy or no, at least she meant well. "This is something that we have to do, though, to protect people. Not everyone can defend themselves, nor do they have the strength of will to even try. It's up to us to keep them safe."
Looking back up at the two humans, Nayru simply nodded docilely at the three, accepting their words and the man - Richter's - desire to hurry. She could empathize with that all too well; the damn place was long overdue for some draconian justice. "It is an honor, Clair, Richter, and I would concur with your sentiment. Though-" She paused, realizing only after starting talking that she really should have planned so delicate a subject out much better before starting talking. "-If you will accept my advice, please do not use that weapon against those creatures again. They are animated by some sort of dark magic, I believe, and further exposure could cause serious damage or worse to your body." Purely conjecture, but after realizing the general gist of what had happened she thought caution the better part of valor.
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Elly
Pegasus Knight
Rookie Squirrel!
Posts: 101
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Post by Elly on Feb 12, 2012 18:57:55 GMT -6
"S-safe...out here?" She spoke hesitantly, a slight stutter entering her voice. She looked towards Heather, her vision blurry; the filly stood up slowly, shying away from Aerious, her steps vacillating, fearful, unsure. Conflicting emotions rose up within her, indecision running rampant through her mind. The other four looked about ready to leave. Would they leave her alone here? Aerious and Nayru's comments did little to reassure her.
The empty plains suddenly seemed much more ominous and scary than before. The leaves of a distant, lone tree swayed gently under the breeze. What if a monster was hiding there? She pushed away the thought forcefully, the hazy image of one of the nightmares steadily taking shape in front of her eyes before she shut them abruptly. No, dwelling on them now would only make everything harder.
She sniffled, slowly breaking away from Nayru as she rubbed her eyes. Away from her friend's comfort, the fear that had been nibbling at the edges of her consciousness suddenly intensified. Her shoulders grew stiff, tense, almost as though expecting a confrontation. Her eyes darted back and forth, past Aerious and the two strangers, whose names she hadn't quite caught before, searching for any sign of the dark creatures. Her fingers twitched. Her throat suddenly felt parched, and she nearly shrieked as something wet pressed against her arm. Heather's muzzle moved away as the filly pulled back uneasily.
"No." She half-mumbled the word out, somewhat surprised that she had even said it out loud. "No, I...I don't really wanna...stay out, y'know?" She struggled with herself, half of her wanting nothing more than to rush back to Nayru's side, the rest scared stiff at the idea of walking into the ruins the monsters had come out of. Then again, it wasn't like it was exactly safe outside, either. She hadn't counted them, but it felt as though dozens of the devilish figures had burst forth from the ruins just moments ago. Who knew if they'd do so again? And, if she were alone...Elly shuddered at the thought, wringing her hands together fearfully, her gaze firmly lodged in the ground.
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Post by Clair Feldsky on Feb 12, 2012 20:39:13 GMT -6
Truthfully, there weren't any towns nearby to protect, for which Clair was grateful. The only town in particularly close proximity to Salvation Point had been a town of Sacaens a few hours' flight away from here. It had been destroyed before the fort had even been attacked. By the same mob that had come against Salvation Point, as far as the Falcoknight was concerned. The point was, no one was actually relying on their success, what with the town slaughtered, and the nomadic nature of the people of the land.
"Actually, unless things have changed, I don't think there's anyone near enough to be in any direct danger. I still wouldn't mind cleaning these things out of the fortress though." The place had a personal nature to her, and while she wasn't the sort to risk her life just for her own satisfaction, she would be glad to join in with a group set on purging it. She still wondered about what Nayru and Aerious planned to do though.
She glanced over to Elly, as the girl spoke up, realizing just how young the girl still was. Couldn't be more than sixteen years old. Clair herself hadn't been much older than that when she'd encountered her first monster, in Ostia, but she'd had a few months of military duty to toughen her up, and months afterwards to focus on duties to help her deal with the fright.... It had taken awhile for the reality of those creatures to set in for her, but if she let her guard down, the horror was still there.
"Actually, I think it would be safer to bring her along.... Avoiding spreading ourselves too thin should be a priority." She really was thinking that bringing her would keep Elly safer. After all, these flying gargoyles were new. They had virtually no intelligence or knowledge on what they were facing. If Elly was left alone, there was no telling what could happen.
"Could you do that, Elly?"
Clair glanced to the pink haired girl, a look somewhere between encouragement and concern on her face. She hoped they weren't asking too much of the girl. Actually, she knew they were asking too much of the girl. What the blond haired Ilian hoped was that Elly would have it in her to rise to their challenge, and escape unharmed.
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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 13, 2012 23:48:00 GMT -6
[red]"Agreed."[/red] Aerious said to Clair's comment. [red]"If there are no further objections then, I suggest we get moving. We've likely stirred whatever hive is in there, and time is not something we want to give them. They do seem to have some kind of beastial cunning."[/red] He turned towards the fort, but left his sword on his back. He was waiting for the first opportunity to split up into two groups. It would be far easier to fight with Nayru then it would with the others.
Aerious led the path until they arrived at the walls of the ruined fortress, and now that he looked in he had to appreciate the destruction. The place had been completely ravaged, walls smashed, bits of stone and wood lying about, a total mess.
[red]"Could be ambushes hiding anywhere. Keep your eyes open."[/red] He remarked, walking into the ruins cautiously, sniffing the air. The scent of death was overpowering, he wouldn't be able to pinpoint danger in that way while they were here.
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Post by Clair Feldsky on Feb 15, 2012 20:14:19 GMT -6
Clair started by moving to her pegasus, and strapping the killer lance she carried back to it's harness. She really ought to give the beast a name. Even if it wasn't the most reliably trained creature, the two of them had begun forming a bond between them, and she owed it a name at least.
Leaving it to follow at its own pace, she headed straight for the iron lance lodged in the ground nearby, before joining the others. If she had taken the time to stop and wait for her pegasus, the time would have been negligible. It was following close behind the one who led its small "herd of two". The rider was the mare's source of security, and at the moment, wasn't willing to stray far. It was following a bit too closely for comfort, actually, practically breathing down the Ilian's neck. It was just another part of training to deal with such behaviors. Without looking back, the Falcoknight allowed the blunt end of the iron lance to swing back and bounce off the small mare's chest. After a few bumps, it got the idea and backed off a bit.
The sight of the inside of Salvation Point was enough to bring her to a shocked silence. The stables were caving in, and there was nothing but splinters of wood, and dry dirt left of the green space where Corona had been able to take up residence. The ruins of the fort were a bleak sight. As was to be expected, the burned out church building had only worsened as the time had passed. There was more though. The very ground and rock of the fort had been attacked since they left. Pits and sinkholes dominated the scene. Clair wondered if the storage room inside the wall, where she'd set up her lodgings still existed, but couldn't see that far back into the fort yet.
Not quite how I remember leaving it.... Clair couldn't help but be a little angered at whatever had done this to the place. She still felt a connection to the place.
"Well something's made a mess. Looks about like a dragon decided to take the place apart stone by stone for the last three months."
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Post by Nayru Al-Saiduq on Feb 16, 2012 0:17:04 GMT -6
"I need you to be strong, Elly. There is no shame in merely surviving, but you will never learn your limits - and how to break through them - if you do not face your fears." The hypocrisy of her words was not lost on Nayru, but she shoved that minor factoid back into the tenebrous shadows that lurked in the corners of her mind, gamboling and pirouetting about in the shade away from the edges of her consciousness. Down that path lay madness, the demise of her tenuous pose and self-image. Prying Elly off of her carefully, she squatted, dropping to the girl's eye level while leaving one hand on her shoulder. "We will continue onwards. If you choose not to follow, stay near the pegasi. If you do, merely follow the trail of destruction."
...That was supposed to be a joke. Possibly. Nayru wasn't honestly sure. Rising to her full height with a reassuring smile at Elly, she whirled on the spot and strode towards the ruins, after the rest of the group; not held back by a crying girl they had already moved to enter, and she did not intend to fall behind.
Certainly hadn't expected the inside of the fort to be so - ruined. Well, she sort of had, in that on a purely intellectual level she hadn't exactly expected the interior of a nightmare-infested abandoned fortress to be flawlessly clean and well-kempt, but this was easily a step beyond what she had seen coming. "What happened here?" It came out quietly, an open question to the fort itself rather than aimed at anyone in particular. Ruined masonry, shattered beams, the stench of death. The land itself within the fortress was dying, scathed by the horrors it had endured.
The human woman - blonde. Ilian. Clair, was it? For reasons her own, she seemed equally perturbed. She was also apparently familiar with dragons. Nayru attempted to turn her graceless stumble at the Ilian's words into a more controlled dip, reaching down to scoop up some of the dusty earth from its resting place, allowing it to sift through her fingers as she pondered a reply. Asking about dragons directly seemed tactless, even for her; the dragon opted for a more innocent approach. "You are familiar with these ruins, it seems. Is there any relevant information you are willing to share? What happened here?"
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Post by Richter Abend on Feb 16, 2012 1:28:56 GMT -6
"Besides a horde of angry Sacaens, a dragon or two, and my own poorly executed rebellion, not much," muttered Richter, intercepting Nayru's question as he fell in behind the others. Now that he wasn't leading an army across the expanses of Elibe, he rather preferred to pick up the end of the group. Being a good amount taller than the rest of them, his rearward position let him keep an eye on everyone else, particularly Aerious and Nayru, and gave him enough peripheral vision to make sure nothing was sneaking up on their little archaeology group.
As the pink haired Ilian stepped around a rather large sinkhole, he couldn't help but let his eyes drift about the derelict ruins. To his right, he spotted what was ultimately left of his old housing. Like a the carcass of a wooden game animal, it remained a dilapidated reminder of Richter's ties to this horrible place. Really, it was hard to believe, looking at it now, that this burnt hole in the ground had once been full of Etrurian soldiers, and even harder to accept that while many of them still awaited him further south, most of their bodies were buried beneath his feat.
And as that thought washed over Richter, another darker thought took its place. These beasts. He was sure that whatever evil force drove them forth, it was same that had brought the dead to life during Ostia's last hour. So were these winged horrors...his dead soldiers? Quite a stretch, maybe, but it made sense.
Richter had seen the terrors of dark magic first hand, and more than once at that. Hell, he had even been brought back to life from death's door by a sword that despoiled mortal bodies for the sake of its wielder. Considering that, winged corpses mutated by the unrelenting forces for darkness didn't seem to be out of the question.
But either way, the thought still disturbed Richter. Closing his eyes and shaking his head, he tried putting the image of Randolf's dead corpse transforming into one of those vicious creatures out of his head, but as he opened his eyes, the Ilian jerked backwards with a startled shout.
His hand leaped to the axe fastened to his waist, but froze in place as it touched the worn wood. A very real, very cold shiver ran down his spine. Before him stood that black figure again, its form shadowy and ethereal as the night sky, but this time, it was two feet away from him, and it stared at him with those deep red eyes. Richter's mouth twisted into a scowl of both fear and frustration. Those damn, evil red eyes. What was this thing? What did it want with him? "Get!" he shouted, swinging a fist at the specter, but the shadow dissipated into thin air no less than miliseconds within coming into contact with Richter's greave. The pink haired Ilian panted, his pupils dilating in surprise. Was he going mad?
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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 16, 2012 15:26:40 GMT -6
Aerious chuckled at Clair's comment. [red]"Dragons, eh? You sure you haven't been holding onto that dark sword a bit too long?"[/red] He said as he lead the group into the ruins. Seemed pretty far beyond what would happen in the scale of a battle, and these sink holes...what could have made them? He pointed one out.
"Where do you suppose those came from? Something attacked from underground?" He questioned. He hadn't met a monster yet that lived underground, and it didn't seem like something humans would try. Who knew?
And then he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. Most people wouldn't recognize it, but Aerious knew the sound of something moving through the air. Maybe it was just due to his own connection to the air, but he could tell someone had just moved, very quickly. He turned around almost instantly, raising his arms as if expecting a fight...to see Richter punching the air. He relaxed slightly, but watched him oddly.
[red]"Perhaps that sword is taking more of a toll on you then you thought."[/red] He said, turning back around. [red]"See another dragon or something?"[/red] He asked, looking over the fortress once more. He heard a sound...stone chipping away and falling onto the ground. Could have been just part of the wall crumbling, or it could have been something moving around. Seemed to be coming from a larger building...it looked religious. Problem was, the only entrance was half collapsed, it'd be a squeeze to get through.
He pointed it out to the others. [red]"Something is in there. Nayru and I can squeeze in there, but the mounts can't."[/red] He looked at Richter's physique. [red]"Might be a bit tight for you too."[/red] He said honestly. Richter was well built, broader shoulders then anyone else here. Both him and Nayru were relatively unassuming, so that meant they would fit through easiest.
[red]"Figure we can search in there while you three search out here. You think we can handle that Nayru?"[/red] He said with a grin.
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Elly
Pegasus Knight
Rookie Squirrel!
Posts: 101
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Post by Elly on Feb 17, 2012 1:27:10 GMT -6
Elly nodded slowly, her brow locked into a frown as her eyes remained steadily fixed on the grass at her feet. She took a deep, shuddering breath. Willingly entering the fort was madness. Those things had come out of it, after all. And yet...the slightest thought of being left alone outside sent shivers down her back, filling her with terror. She had been saved at least thrice in what had felt like less than a minute when facing the beasts before, and she knew, with cold, precise certainty, that she wouldn't be standing here if she had been by herself.
She felt relief at Clair's words, even as apprehension rose within her once she realized she really would be walking into the monsters' den. "Yes ma'am." She tried to sound energetic, and yet her voice was closer to a dejected squeak than the steadfast determination she had hoped to project. She quickly looked away, unable to meet the knight's eyes for long, her gaze flickering to the pink-haired man for an instant before falling to rest on Nayru once more.
She swallowed heavily in surprise as the older woman knelt down, the arm on her shoulder mildly comforting, yet it was her words which came as a true shock. Hadn't that been exactly what Nayru had meant that night, when they had talked on the inn's rooftop, watching the sky? She had said...no, promised that she would make a happier world. And, to do that, she had to become a heroine. That was the way it happened in the stories.
She felt her eyes tear up once more, the leathery wings of the demons coming to mind unbidden, their screams still fresh in her ears, her imagination vividly recalling their crimson gaze.
She couldn't do it. Not yet. She couldn't face those nightmares, especially not by herself. She couldn't shake that fear away, couldn't confront it now. But, at the very least, she could follow. Because, even though she wished she'd never see those monsters once more, it was far more terrifying to think of meeting them alone than it was to do so along with the four of them. She felt her cheeks burn with shame as she realized she wouldn't follow out of bravery, out of a desire to improve...but, rather, out of a desire to survive. Was that...really okay? Nayru had said there was no shame in it...and yet, she had never felt more ashamed of herself before.
Still, it wasn't as though she really had a choice.
She looked away from Nayru, mumbling a short affirmation as she turned to pick up her lance, lying discarded on the ground. Someday, she promised herself. Someday, she'd face those fears. But, today...she had to survive. She took a deep breath as she followed the others into the ruins, willing herself to stop crying. She bit back a sob that threatened to escape her, turned by the action into an awkward hiccup. She sped up her pace, struggling to keep up with the blonde-haired knight, holding her weapon tightly in both hands. She jumped, startled by the odd sounds that seemed to fill the dead fortress. A small pebble falling, the wind rushing past the structures' openings, the sound of old wood creaking...they all sounded ominous to her ears, and she almost felt as though monsters were hidden in each and every shadow, waiting to pounce forward.
She screamed as the tall man turned around, shouting, his arm blurring into a fist to strike at the air. Her left hand rose to her chest shakily, and she took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. Panicking wouldn't help her stay alert. A tinge of curiousity seeped into her consciousness at Aerious' mention of a sword. Could it be a magic sword? Those always came up in legends, that'd be so cool!
Her enthusiasm was short lived, however, as the brown-haired man proceeded, announcing his plan. She glanced sideways at Nayru; she didn't want the two of them to go. Their two new companions seemed like good people, but she didn't even know their names yet. Still, she couldn't find the energy to cry out in protest; somehow, it felt as though the earlier events had just sapped her will. She nodded quietly, unsure of whether Aerious had noticed her gesture or not, before moving towards the older knight. She'd do her best to...survive, for now.
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