RE: The Hallows Inn


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3/29/2015 16:39:20

Kellehendros
Eternal Wanderer

Marietta watched Sera, blue eyes tracking the bounty hunter impassively as she moved to the bed and sat. The half-elf listened, relieved that Sera was willing to trade favors with her, rather than asking for payment. It was an interesting request. The hunter wasn't exactly an instructor, but she was willing to try, if doing so would gain her Sera’s help.

“We can talk about it after.” Marietta said, referring to the number of lessons Sera would be getting in return. “Come on, Yara is downstairs.” The half-elf turned moved back into the hallway, walking towards the stairs as she did her best to answer the bounty-hunter’s questions. “I asked Yara about how many men Grange had before, she didn't answer. She is the one that you’ll want to talk to though, about how many there are and what they are capable of.”

Continuing down the stairs, the half-elf paused, catching sight of Yara, and Toren and the girl along with her. “Ah, good, Toren is still here.” Marietta glanced at Sera. “These people are Yara’s friends. She doesn’t want them to be hurt if there is no other way.” Moving through the common room, the hunter stopped by the others, looking at Yara. “Sera agreed to help.” Marietta turned her attention to Toren. “I have a favor to ask, a return for what we did for you. A group of… ruffians… intend to dam the river into the town. We’re going to… convince them that it is not in their best interest to do so.” The half-elf glanced at Yara. “I don’t know if they will fight, but I hope not. It would be best if we could convince them that damming the river would just lead to no end of problems with the townsfolk, and that the gang would have more fight on their hands than they could handle if they did it. That’s where you and Sera come in.”

Post #: 176

4/1/2015 19:51:33

Draycos777
Member

Kitsondra chuckled at Istarelle's jest and then stared in anticipation as she used the magic of the Darkward forest to merging with one of the trees, donning a new armor and wielding a spear. Piercing the ground with her spear, Istarelle changing the surrounding tree that weren't effected by Kitsondra's magic, into tiny versions of her own trees. "How cute." Kitsondra commented, looking around, as Istarelle's trees lashed out at her. Kitsondra then smiled at the demon as her own trees blocked the attacks. "They do say that imitation is the highest form of flattery. However, your trees lack one important detail." The trees made from Kitsondra's magic began to pull the arms of Istarelle's trees into their mouths. The crunching and snapping of bark could be heard as the trees vigorously ate away the arms of their half-baked brethren.

"Personally though, I don't mind down-sizing. After all, many small things can come in large quantiles." Raising her hand out towards Istarelle again, Kitsondra called out as many large yellow eyes appeared, responding to her voice. "Denizens of my domain, heed your Queen's order! Fell all those who dare oppose me! Present me the body of Istarelle's Demon and be praised!"

Hissing sounds could be heard as the bodies belonging to the yellow eyes made themselves seen. Many ferret-like rodents, with sharp claws and teeth and scarlet red fur that became black at the edges, ran out from the darkness, intent on swarming the spear-wielding demon.

"So, what do you think? These wonderful pets are residents of the nightmare lands. Theres only a few places in our world where they can pop up, and using my spell in Darkward forest is one of those places. Alone they are quite weak, but in a pack... well lets see just how good you can hold your ground against them." Kitsondra smiled as she used her left hand as a head rest and watched how Istarelle dealt with the new challenge.

As Marcelline dodged the coven witches attacks, Shuyi clung on to Marcelline's shoulder with all her might, so as to not get flung off. As the undead witch and the young girl locked blades, the bat used it's own magic to help the girl. Shuyi moved from the girl's shoulder up to her head. Grasping on to the black and white nun's cap, the bat's eyes glowed slightly red. The dagger that Marcelline used was clocked in a shadowy black flame, magically sharping the blade as well as adding a counter-attacking fire that leaped out to strike at the witch's hands as the dagger blocked it's blade.

However, in this body, Shuyi couldn't keep up the spell forever. It was tiring and she would only be able to last fifteen minutes at most. The bat hoped that the girl would be able to defeat her opponent in that time. Or hopefully Kitsondra will win in that time frame.

< Message edited by Draycos777 -- 4/1/2015 19:52:39 >

AQ	Post #: 177

4/4/2015 11:38:46

TJByrum
Member

Toren scratched his beard and looked down in an inquisitive manner, considering Marietta's words. The individual known as Symphony had begun playing his guitar by the fireplace, distracting him for a moment. It reminded him of home. "Actually, Marietta," he began, "I'd like to head home as quickly as I can." Before the half-elf could respond, he continued, "but... we're heading north anyway, and since these ruffians are apparently on the way, I suppose I could tag along. You helped me, and now I'll help you." Toren smiled and lightly bowed, showing respect to the woman.

But then, Lily tugged on his arm and so Toren bent down so Lily could whisper into his ear. However, he was more than certain the elven hearing of Marietta and Yara would pick it up. "What are you doing? We just got away from the Nazha, and now you're taking me to some bandits? That's not what we're here for!"

"It's alright, Lily girl," Toren consoled her," these men aren't to dangerous. Just a few thugs to be dealt with. Besides it's on our way... and we didn't really give these people much of a choice last night, so we owe them something." Toren's attention quickly reminded him of a special coin in his pocket, one he intended to give to Sera. Out in the wilderness, away from prying eyes, would be the best place to do it anyway. Toren rose back up and looked at Yara, "we're in."

After a brief pause Yara smiled and spoke up, "Well! This is all well and good, so I suppose we should get on our way! Is everyone ready?"

"Hang on Yara," Toren said, raising his hand and looking over at Symphony. "We should see if Symphony wants to come along with us." Toren walked over to the fireplace where Symphony was seated. "Hello, Symphony. The three ladies over there," Toren pointed to Yara, Sera, and Marietta, "have requested my help. You'd be more than welcome to come along with us, if you want. It's just a group of vagabonds that need to be dealt with, north of here, along the Stone River. You in?"

AQW

Post #: 178

4/4/2015 18:35:41

Master K
Member

Istarelle looked at Kitsondra with fury seething from her unnaturally violet eyes.

"What foolishness..." She uttered.

Istarelle began to swat back the unnaturally large rodents with her gnarled wooden spear. The small beasts were easily pushed back by her sweeping motions. However, the rodents did not die as easily as she anticipated, and they simply crawled back up and came back at her, bringing with them more of their kin. Soon enough, Istarelle became overwhelmed. The rodents gnawed away at her, tearing apart her wooden armor bit by bit...Istarelle writhed in agony as they began to tear in to her flesh. The pile of rodents soon completely covered Istarelle, fervently attacking her with all their might. Istarelle seemed to be completely finished...until a few cracks of violet light began to emerge from the pile. The air seemed to tense, and something could be heard building in intensity. Within an instant, a vicious scream pierced the air, and a dark blast of violet exploded from the pile, blasting the rodents to bits, vaporizing a bystanding witch and the one Marcelline fought, and knocked Marcelline back in to a tree.

In the ruins of the blast, Istarelle stood weakly. She was stripped of her wooden armor, her paladin armor bore numerous scratches, and her face was badly roughed up.

"This mortal vessel..." She said ferociously "Is only holding me back. It was nice to gather power with...but it's still flesh and blood...I'm better off...facing you without it!"

With that, Istarelle let off a scream. It was a horrible, monstrous, vicious roar that could probably be heard from Blackwater. It shook the ground and rattled the trees, and probably scared off whatever lurked in the woods. An angry, swirling mass of red and violet poured out of Istarelles eyes and mouth, and in to the air above her. When it finished balling up, Istarelle dropped to the ground, unconscious. The swirling mass began to take the vague shape of a tall humanoid, with prominently glowing white eyes. It's legs were sharpened to a point, as were its overly long arms.

"Pitiful sack of flesh." The demon said arrogantly. "I can do far better without it."

The demon turned to Kitsondra, and laughed. It then flew towards her as an amorphous cloud, attempting to engulf her.

Marcelline stood up slowly. The force of the blast was dizzying, but she could see one witch left. This witch was focused on the demon, holding up its withered hand, and holding a book in front of her with the other. Marcelline dashed over to the witch, and promptly cut in to it with her dagger. The witch gave off a horrible, hollow wail, and crumbled to the ground.

In the pile of ashes that it left, the tome she had been reading was still there. It looked ancient; it was bound in what appeared to be a reddish leather, and had gold decorations on its spine. Marcelline picked up the book carefully, and flipped it open. The page were all written in a bizarre, runic language. Marcelline couldn't pay much attention to it, since she was in the middle of a battlefield, but one page jumped out at her. It's runes had shifted in to actual writing, and it detailed a spell to bind a demon to a person or object. It must have been the page the witch had been reading.

Marcelline, in the heat of the moment, had an idea. She distanced herself from Istarelle and Kitsondra, began to examine the spell carefully. She prepared herself to cast it...

AQW

Epic

Post #: 179

4/4/2015 21:38:11

Bastet
Member

As they played their tunes, Symphony observed the members of the group set out to stop the damming of the Stone. Having a chance to cooperate once again with Blackwater’s defenders interested them, though they hoped that Sera wouldn’t hold anything against them. The spirit had no intention of making an enemy out of the bounty hunter. For the first time, they weren’t startled by Samjet’s sudden decision to engage in a telepathic conversation.

Your tunes are soothing, Symphony. Though I’d prefer to see my sword put to use, I appreciate your musical skills

Symphony smiled, as they didn’t expect the man to compliment them. As they replied, they couldn’t help but notice that Toren’s attention was pointed at them for a brief moment.

Thanks. Either way, don’t worry about your sword remaining in its sheath for too long: it will be a useful tool to intimidate a few.. would-be bandits into changing their plans. I hope our companions won’t be excessively startled by my demonic appearance.

Samjet’s presence retreated again, leaving the bard free to focus again on the world outside of their own mind. Someone familiar enough with magic could probably detect that their body hosted one more being that before, but it would be hard to pinpoint any further details.

Even if they couldn’t understand what they were saying, Symphony found the couple that Lily and Toren formed to be quite endearing. They wondered how it was that such a young girl ended up travelling with a mighty warrior, who seemed to have taken a new, demonic-looking appearance. It was ironic how everyone seemed to be experiencing a demonic overhaul.

The spirit was surprised when they noticed that, after speaking to the girl, Toren headed directly towards them. They expected to have to approach the group themselves. Symphony’s fingers slowly stopped moving on their guitar, bringing their sonata to an end just as the man began talking to them.

"Hello, Symphony. The three ladies over there have requested my help. You'd be more than welcome to come along with us, if you want. It's just a group of vagabonds that need to be dealt with, north of here, along the Stone River. You in?"

The man made his offer as he pointed to the women was talking about. Symphony prepared to reply immediately, but they immediately turned their head towards the forest. Something powerful had just roared. Regardless, Symphony turned back the demonic warrior who stood before them, and stood up.

“I’ll gladly join you in your quest, Toren.”

Post #: 180

4/4/2015 23:33:33

Gingkage
Wolf Rider

Sera listened silently as Marietta requested Toren's aid. She was just as silent when Lilly, given Toren's response to her, protested their aid.

His recent... transformation didn't go unnoticed. Her eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly as she tried to judge just how much had changed beyond his physical appearance. His mannerisms seemed the same as before, and his relationship was the girl was no different. But an unexpected transformation, with no cause she was aware of couldn't have only changed his physical appearance.

With no obvious grounds to mistrust him or his offered aid, she reluctantly decided to let the matter go. If he proved to be a threat, she would respond to it then. For the time being, he seemed unchanged beyond the physical and she was going to have to trust that. She had a job to do and couldn't afford to be distracted. Speaking of her job, she wasn't exactly equipped to go bandit-hunting as she was. That needed amended immediately.

Services arranged, Sera momentarily excused herself from the group and returned to her room. She didn't anticipate there being much trouble, but she wanted to have her armor on just in case. It was always best to be prepared. Years of wearing it had turned the process of donning it into an exact science, and in the space of moments she had grabbed her weapon belt and started heading out of her room.

When she rejoined them, she was finishing strapping her blades onto her. Her bow and arrows she decided to forego for this occasion. She was better with a blade and if intimidation was required, her poor archery skills would do little to persuade anyone of anything. As they stood now, they'd be more likely to amuse them than anything else.

Finding Yara, she approached her, manner all business.

"Yara, I have a few questions that I need answered before we head out. Marietta's told me what she knows, but I need to know how many people there are and how skilled they are at combat."

Post #: 181

4/5/2015 16:55:00

Draycos777
Member

Kitsondra's grin widened, in a mischievous way, when Istarelle's Demon finally showed itself and came after her. As the cloud tried to surround her, Kitsondra stood up, and as she did so the throne she was sitting on reverted back into the stone alter; some of the near-by trees also reverted back to their original form as well. Stretching her four wings to their max length, Kitsondra gathered magic to them and started chanting another spell.

"Element of Wind, let your strength flow through my wings and grant them your destructive force!"

Drawing back her wings, Kitsondra gave a large flap. In response, a small whirlwind formed under the demon. Kitsondra flapped her wings again. Then a third, fourth and fifth time. The whirlwind grew, the force threating to suck the demon in, along with the limp bodies of the little nightmare ferrets that Istarelle had blasted. Kitsondra called out to the demon against the wind.

"I'm quite pleased that your focused so much on me, however, I'm I truly the one you should be paying attention to?"

The blast caught Shuyi off-guard, causing her to drop the spell on the dagger. Thankfully though, the undead witch the girl was fighting had been caught head-first by the blast as well. The only witch left was one that was reading a tome and hadn't notice Marcelline. The girl quickly took care of it and picked up the book. On top of the girl's head, Shuyi could see just what the page was, and seeing the girl's reaction, understood just what is was she was trying to pull off. Yet, doing such a thing at her level...was risky to say the least. Placing a spell of magical knowledge on the girl so that she could read some of the harder words, Shuyi held on to the girl's head tighter as the wind around the Grove became stronger thanks to her master's own spell. Just what would happen next? The bat could only hope that luck was on their side and the girl would be able to pull this stunt off.

AQ	Post #: 182

4/5/2015 22:23:31

Master K
Member

Marcelline desperately scoured through the words. Once the bat attached itself to her, everything became just a little clearer. The book detailed the binding ritual, and it didn't require many materials on her part. It did, however, require a vessel. Fortunately...the vessel could be an inanimate object. There was a special section dedicated to the use of inanimate objects, with steps on enchanting the object. However, in her case, the demon would most likely not enter the object willingly...but Marcelline accounted for that. The demon needed to come in to contact to be bound. So, Marcelline used the only thing she could immediately think of; her own dagger.

Marcelline read through the passage, and prepared to enchant the blade. Chanting to herself the spell, she held the dagger out in front of her with one hand. She took her other hand, and placed her palm down on the blade. Slowly, she dragged her hand across the blade, drawing blood that flowed down across the blade. The blood soon melted in to the blade, and the dagger glowed a sickly pink color. Marcelline took her hand and flicked it slightly, then clenched her fist and channeled some healing magic to close over the wound.

"Eugh, palm bloodletting." Marcelline said, somewhat disgusted. "I heard of this practice...doesn't stop it from being any less unpleasant."

Marcelline stood up, put the tome away, and faced the demon. She had to figure out how to get close enough to it to pull off the transfer...she looked over to the fighting. The demon had broken free of Kitsondras vortex, and was preparing another attack. Marcelline sheathed her dagger, to hide that it was enchanted. She quickly decided the words that the demon needed to hear...

"Cease this madness at once!" Marcelline called out. The demon stopped to face her. "Demon. I have considered your offer strongly. Seeing your power, I wish to bear host to you. I have the spell prepared. Kitsondra, do not stop me."

The demon looked upon her. She couldn't tell, but the demon seemed content.

"Excellent, my child..." The demon growled. "I'm glad you can see your true destiny clearly..."

"Indeed, demon." Marcelline said. "Come to me. We shall begin..."

The demon slowly drifted down to meet the ground. It was frighteningly tall...it easily towered over Marcelline. It gracefully walked over to Marcelline, and carefully went down on one knee...or appeared to, as it didn't even have anything resembling knees. The demon's spear-like arms shaped themselves into regular hands, and the demon placed them upon Marcelline's shoulders. The demon's hands felt dense and warm, as if they were burning with dark energy. The demon looked in Marcelline's eyes.

"Witch of Wakefield...are you ready to accept the power that your ancestors died for?" The demon said to her. "And gain the unspeakable magic of demons?"

Marcelline paused. Looking in to the demons endless, incandescent eyes, she felt somewhat dazed and lost. She broke the demons eyes, and looked over to Kitsondra, who watched. Kitsondra's eyes bore a certain twinge of curiosity, wondering what trick Marcelline had up her sleeve. It wasn't up her sleeve, but rather...sheathed at her side. She looked back to the demon, with confidence in her eyes.

"Never."

In the span of time it took the demon to realize what she had just said, the dagger was already thrust in to it. The demons hands dug in to Marcelline furiously. It roared, incredibly so, as the dagger began to suck the very essence of the demon in to it. Light began to erupt from the dagger, as well as where it pierced the demon. After a while of earsplitting shrieking, the demon let loose of Marcelline, and began to dissipate in to the dagger. The dagger's blade twisted and writhed in agony as the demon tried to fight against it. Soon enough, the demon became completely drawn in to the dagger. A blast of light emitted from it as it finished, knocking Marcelline back on to the ground. When she looked up, the demon was completely gone. On the ground, lay the dagger she had used. The blade was completely warped, now curved in an S-like shape. Marcelline carefully crawled over to it, and picked it up. It felt slightly warm to the touch, and filled with evil power...yes, this dagger bore the demon that had controlled Istarelle...and now the demon was trapped, with no hope of escaping. Marcelline looked to Kitsondra.

"We...we did it!" Marcelline said, some joy in her voice. "The demon is contained..."

As she spoke, Istarelle had regained conciousness, and stood up.

"Where...where am I?" She said, sounding frightened. Her eyes were a plain green color. "Is this...Darkwald Forest?"

"Yes, it is." Marcelline said to her. "You've been hosting a demon for quite some time. It's gone now."

"You were right after all..." Istarelle said to Kitsondra. "I feel terrible...what did it do all this time?"

"That's not important." Marcelline said. "Just know that we've banished it. We should really head back to Blackwater."

"I cannot thank you people enough..." Istarelle said. "I think I'll be staying at Blackwater for a while, to recover my bearings in the world."
Marcelline turned to Kitsondra.

"Shall we be off?" Marcelline said, with a slight smile.

With that, the three of them headed back to Blackwater.

AQW

Epic

Post #: 183

4/5/2015 23:45:42

Draycos777
Member

As the group of three headed back towards Blackwater, Kitsondra turned her head towards Shuyi, who was still sitting atop Marcelline's head.

"Thank you for your help, Shu. Go rest a bit and then continue watching over the Northern part of the forest for me, would you?"

In response, the gray bat screeched in acknowledge and flew off into the darkness of the forest. Kitsondra walked with Marcelline and Istarelle in silence until they reached the edge of town. She stopped and retracted her wings with a bit of effort. After she regained her composure, Kitsondra turned towards Marcelline.

"I see you decided to use your own strength instead of my. Like I said before, I accept that. While it's a shame that you didn't choose to become the first of my line, I'm glad that you still chose to still by my side instead of leaving after learning the truth. Thank you, Marcelline."

Kitsondra gave the girl a smile. A genuine smile; one not born from bloodlust or mischievousness, but from gratitude. Kitsondra then spoke to Istarelle.

"You may think that this might be you fault for not listening when I told you about the demon at the start, but what's done is done. And to be honest, if it wasn't for these course of events, I might not have even met Marcelline. Though, if you still wish to atone and there is not talking you out of it...then there is one thing that you can do. Please train the girl's physical endurance. You are a Paladin, so I know that you know a bit about the subject. The girl could become quite the spell-caster, but there's no point if you don't have the strength to fight a prolonged battle, so please train her along side me." Kitsondra walked a few steps into town and then stopped. "Also, welcome back."

As the group returned to the Inn, Kitsondra stopped and noticed the group, as well as a face that she normally doesn't get to see often; an elf named Yara. One reason was because the elf was usually at the edge of the forest outside of town and the other was because Yara was apart on the list of people that tended to avoid Kitsondra if possible. "Hmm? What's happ-"

Kitsondra stopped mid-sentence after looking the spirit's way. "If there is some sort of situation I'd be happy to help, however...I just remembered that I promised to speak with Symphony alone earlier. If you would excuse us."

Kitsondra pushed the spirit towards the back of the Inn and out the backdoor. Closing it behind her, and making sure they were alone, Kitsondra's eyes narrowed and pierced through the spirit. "Come out Sam." Kitsondra crossed her arms as she ordered the other presence within the body before her. "You can't hide from me. After-all, we both hail from the same homeland."

AQ	Post #: 184

4/6/2015 21:18:45

Bastet
Member

Symphony was surprised by how quickly Kitsondra had entered the scene again and poked her way into the newly-formed group. She had left her table so suddendly, left, and caused large amounts of chaos in the forest. Though Symphony’s… intuition suggested to them precisely what had happened, it was easy to guess that Kitsondra was somehow connected to the previous, earth-shaking roar. Yet, no matter how much time she’d been away, she was immediately ready to join the fray again.

The spirit found Kitsondra to be suddendly interested in themselves, sighing when the thought that it could’ve been because they were bringing Samjet alongside them crossed their minds. No matter how concealed some secrets were, the vampire still seemed able to uncover them effortlessly. At that point, it was worth questioning if anything, within Blackwater’s walls, could be kept hidden from Kitsondra.

"If there is some sort of situation I'd be happy to help, however...I just remembered that I promised to speak with Symphony alone earlier. If you would excuse us."

The musician found themselves being pushed around, and away from the Inn’s main area. It wasn’t something they appreciated, as it could’ve exposed them to danger if Kitsondra had harmful intentions. Even if their guitar still occupied their hands, they could’ve replaced it with the crimson blade and left Samjet control if they needed to defend themselves urgently. They valued their life above the integrity of their instrument.

Kitsondra removed every doubt from Symphony’s mind as she called out directly to Samjet while crossing her arms. Samjet immediately pushed to gain enough control over the spirit’s body to be able to talk with their mouth, but Symphony refused. They didn’t owe the vampire anything, and she hadn’t begun their conversation in the nicest of ways.

Stand down. If anything, you’ll talk to her through me. Remember that she might even be a danger to us.

Samjet retreated slightly, actually accepting Symphony’s decision. He still remained ready to intervene if his host needed him to. The bard began tying their guitar to their back, while looking up to the one that had brought them where they were.

“I’m sorry, Kitsondra. You’ll have to talk to me before you talk to him. Why did you feel bringing me here was necessary?”

Post #: 185

4/6/2015 22:10:34

Draycos777
Member

“I’m sorry, Kitsondra. You’ll have to talk to me before you talk to him. Why did you feel bringing me here was necessary?”

As Symphony spoke Kitsondra realized that Samjet hadn't, as she had feared, possessed the spirit but rather...was apart of the spirit? Either way Symphony seemed fine upon a closer inspection.

"It's fine, I just needed to know that Samjet hadn't taken you over. I'm sure you know, but he is an exceptionally strong spirit. However, you're fine so I have not reason to worry." Kitsondra softened her eyes but kept her arms folded. After a few seconds she closed her eyes.

"As for why we're out here. I'd rather not have Sam recognize me if he had indeed taken you over. I'd like you have a few people as possible not know about where I hail from. And as for what I want to say to Sam..." Kitsondra's eyes opened once more. "So why now? You've been sealed away for many years but never called out to anyone before. So why now, and what so special about Symphony that they gained you're attention?"

Kitsondra paused and dropped her arms. Looking past Symphony, she stared into the spirit's eyes as if the were a door to see Sam. "Also....I've been away from the Plains much longer then you have. Tell me do you remember it? Are the vivid fields of green still there?"

< Message edited by Draycos777 -- 4/6/2015 22:13:32 >

AQ	Post #: 186

4/7/2015 21:40:42

Bastet
Member

Symphony noticed a sudden shift in Kitsondra’s expression, as if she had realized something after the spirit had spoken. Deep down, the vampire seemed to relax somewhat, though her gaze still scrutinized them.

"It's fine, I just needed to know that Samjet hadn't taken you over. I'm sure you know, but he is an exceptionally strong spirit. However, you're fine so I have not reason to worry."

Good to know someone still recognizes my skill.

Samjet seemed… entertained by Kitsondra’s actions. Or, at the very least, his sarcastic voice seemed to suggest that. Not even Symphony knew what it was that the swordsman was really thinking, but it didn’t stop them from answering in a matching tone.

Don’t begin bragging so soon, wait until we’ve dealt with Kitsondra.

Symphony finished tying their guitar just as Kitsondra closed her eyes. Their hands were now ready to draw the curved blade, but they found it unlikely that the vampire would’ve attacked them then and there. If she truly wanted them dead, she would’ve made a move by then.

"As for why we're out here. I'd rather not have Sam recognize me if he had indeed taken you over. I'd like you have a few people as possible not know about where I hail from. And as for what I want to say to Sam... So why now? You've been sealed away for many years but never called out to anyone before. So why now, and what so special about Symphony that they gained you're attention?"

Kitsondra looked inside Symphony’s glowing eyes, as if she was trying to draw Samjet out once again. While the violet-haired spawn talked again, the spirit decided that they would allow Samjet to speak for himself. They were curious to see how he would handle the situation.

"Also....I've been away from the Plains much longer then you have. Tell me do you remember it? Are the vivid fields of green still there?"

Speak for yourself, Samjet. Be careful.

As they said that, Symphony left place for Samjet to control their actions. The sensation of being a stranger in their own body was every bit as uncomfortable as it was when they experienced it for the first time, but the man communicated to the spirit a feeling of thankfulness.

Symphony, or rather Samjet, moved back to lean against one of the walls of the alley. Even if they retained the spirit’s voice, it was easy to tell that Symphony had left room for the man to act.

“The fields of the Plains remain green and splendid as ever, but the unjust tread them. I can’t know what happened after I was… removed, but I fear for our homeland. Even if a period of prosperity preceded my death, those that put my sword to rest could’ve seized control of the many villages that span the fields of grass. A great purge is the only rightful path, but the limitations imposed by my body being lost impede me from being able to accomplish anything on my own.”

Samjet sighed, gazing at the sky. Existence in his current state frustrated him to no end.

“There are a number of reasons that convinced me that Symphony was the one individual I could trust, but they will be kept a secret between me and them.”

A sarcastic grin formed on Symphony’s mouth.

“Forgive me for this, my fellow countrywoman.”

Post #: 187

4/11/2015 11:21:56

TJByrum
Member

To Toren's relief, Symphony readily agreed and joined in with the group. The two returned to the others and it was then that Sera approached, asking Yara something. "Yara, I have a few questions that I need answered before we head out. Marietta's told me what she knows, but I need to know how many people there are and how skilled they are at combat."

Yara nodded. "There's eight of them in all, including Luke. And they're... alright with their weapons, I suppose. They're experienced, I'll give'em that, and they helped me out quite a bit before."

Toren and Yara then spied Kitsondra enter the inn, who quickly pushed Symphony away from the group and out of sight. "Wonder where they're off too," asked Toren.

"Mm... I don't know," Lily replied. "Maybe they like each other," she said childishly.

Toren shook his head, grinning. "Well, they better hurry it up, or we'll have to leave without them. Yara, you ready?"

Yara nodded once again, eager to get going. She felt like she was finally doing something right again after spending so much time with Luke's gang. "Uh-huh, right this way!" Yara then made her way towards the door, followed by Toren, Lily, and the others. Once Symphony's business was finished with Kitsondra, he would have to catch up.

AQW

Post #: 188

4/11/2015 21:52:34

Draycos777
Member

“The fields of the Plains remain green and splendid as ever, but the unjust tread them. I can’t know what happened after I was… removed, but I fear for our homeland. Even if a period of prosperity preceded my death, those that put my sword to rest could've seized control of the many villages that span the fields of grass. A great purge is the only rightful path, but the limitations imposed by my body being lost impede me from being able to accomplish anything on my own.”

As Samjet sighed, using Symphony's body, and looked up Kitsondra also thought about her past. Those feelings were not unlike the one she herself had when she left her homeland. Even if they were for different reasons.

"I see.." Kitsondra answered in an uncharacteristically soft and low tone.

"A great purge, huh? Easier said than done. Still, I can't deny the truth in Sam's words. Only time will tell if the chance to right the wrongs in our homeland will show itself to us."

“There are a number of reasons that convinced me that Symphony was the one individual I could trust, but they will be kept a secret between me and them. Forgive me for this, my fellow countrywoman.”

Sam's sarcastic remark brought Kitsondra back into their conversation.

"Then I shall respect that and trust that none of those reasons are malicious." Kitsondra reopened the Inn's backdoor and turned a head to Sam. "I'm sure that I've kept the others waiting for a bit to long now. Shall we rejoin them?" With that Kitsondra walked back into the Hallows Inn as the group prepared to leave.

< Message edited by Draycos777 -- 4/11/2015 21:54:19 >

AQ	Post #: 189

4/12/2015 13:12:27

Kellehendros
Eternal Wanderer

Marietta glanced at the girl, considering her in silence. Toren had accepted, which was good, though the girl seemed displeased with the idea. Lily was a mystery. The half-elf wondered who the girl was, what she meant to Toren. They were not related, so far as the hunter could tell. There were no similarities of facial structure, or even mannerisms, that suggested a familial link, even before Toren’s appearance had changed so drastically. It was an odd pair, though Marietta supposed it was really none of her business. If Toren cared to share that information, he would have.

The half-elf drew her mind back into the conversation at hand. Toren said something about recruiting Symphony to help. The name was unfamiliar to the hunter, but she did recognize the woman Toren went to speak with as one of the group Toren had recruited last night against the Nazha. Marietta couldn’t recall seeing the woman fight, and the presence of the stringed instrument was not as reassuring as a sword might have been, but having extra hands along on this venture would be just as important as having fighters. If they could bring enough people with them, Grange and his lackeys might decide it wasn’t worth the effort to fight.

She reminded herself of this a moment later as Kitsondra swept into the Hallows and made a beeline for the group. It wasn’t that Marietta, as a rule, disliked Kitsondra, it was simply that the hunter was not particularly fond of the woman’s habit of prying into the past of everyone she met. The half-elf had spoken to Kitsondra on a few occasions in the past, and generally did what she could to deflect inquiries without resorting to express rudeness. Marietta herself was not without the power of observation, and she knew from what she had seen that Kitsondra had more influence in the town than was initially apparent.

Be that as it may, perhaps it would not be so onerous. There were more than enough people in the group to satisfy Kitsondra’s apparently endless curiosity, and it seemed the woman already had another mark in her sights, for she dragged Symphony off for a chat almost immediately. If Marietta could make it through this without being grilled on her past again, that would be more than fine with her. On reflection, it might not be so bad to have Kitsondra along. What Grange might know about the woman was open to question, but she was undeniably an influential citizen of the town. The prospect of her rousing the villagers against them would be an asset.

These considerations were for later. The half-elf hitched her quiver higher up onto her shoulder, and followed Yara as she led the way outside. Marietta cast a gaze skyward, evaluating the position of the sun in the sky as she sidled up to Yara and spoke quietly. “Yara, how far out is this site they’re planning to build on? Depending on how this goes, we might have to make camp for the night...”

Camping out in the forest was not a wonderful prospect. The hunter had done it many times since moving into the area, but it was not something to undertake lightly, especially with a larger group. In this instance, the danger that might be faced by a solitary hunter was less. One person in a fireless camp was harder to find than six, and there were things in that forest that you did not want to find you after dark.

Post #: 190

4/15/2015 11:56:09

blankmaskara
Member

Eyes cracked open, with light streaming into a space consumed by darkness, creating a landscape with blurry, unfamiliar splotches of black and grey as some streaks of white struck down from above. Meanwhile, pulsing, blood-red lines of a shaky, droplet-like consistency ran through the entire area. The sight was undefinable, yet some air of familiarity pervaded it.

I've seen this place before.. I know, but where exactly i--

"Well, look what the bloody cat dragged in."

The voice carried nothing but sharp-tongued wit and dripped naught but sheer venom with a sinister lisp to accompany it, as if it belonged to something inhumane. To something otherworldly, malevolent, disturbing and wicked. Evil, even.

And Franklin knew all too well to whom this voice belonged.

"You..bastard..Why are you here, and what do you want from me?!"

The owner of the voice came into being just as he said these words, taking the form of a seemingly malnourished humanoid, covered by a skin of ashen gray laden with old, demonic runes. The ashen layer and whatever fat that may have accompanied it did nothing to hide the sharp outlines of the several bones that made up the bodily structure, and instead only highlighted it. Gave it some ominous quality that came through as something all-too disturbing for the human eye. However, this was not the end of it, as besides all of that, what should have been a human head was replaced by the skull of a goat, horns twisted, crooked, and sharpened to a degree befitting that of a carnal beast.

Blood-red eyes flashed to Franklin then, and replied,

"That's no way to greet a friend, now is it? I have a name, after all, and besides, whatever I do want from you.. is already being taken away."

Panic surged through the sorcerer's body. Was already being taken away? How was that possible? How could that even happen?

A laugh echoed throughout the air for all to hear, stinking of sadistic pleasure and pure apathy for the accursed mage, as if the demon found nothing but joy and endless mirth in his situation.

"I know that face. That face full of contorted muscles and questioning, fearful eyes. Besides your utter confusion, you're scared, aren't you? I mean, after all, how could something be taken away from your miserably, worthless, terribly unimportant self when you have nothing left to offer? Well, here's what," The demon's fingers, the shape of an eagle's talons, pulled Franklin's face to level with its bloodshot eyes. "I'm taking away that blasted mind and body you cherish so much, and bit by bit, you'll become my vessel. You will become me."

The demon then backed away, a wicked grin plastered across its features. Fear slowly ebbed away from Franklin's body, replaced by an inner rage, burning, and growing like the smoke of a wildfire. That blasted fiend took away everything, absolutely everything that he had, and yet it still wanted more?! It was going to pay, and it should--no, it shall.

With a deathly stare, he pushed himself off the ground, attempting to get into a standing position. He could see it. The blasted demon, just a few feet away, with that damned grin on its face. He would get his hands on him, and choke that damned feculent stain and bash its head in until there was nothing left but bits and pieces o--

"Oh," the demon said in surprise, "Trying to get up, are you? Can't wait to get your hands on me? To get revenge, payback, or maybe assurance that I won't be able to take away what precious little you have? Well, I certainly can't have that, now can I?"

A snap echoed through the area, then the lines of crimson red suddenly hummed and glowed with a deathly aura. At that very moment, an excruciating pain echoed through Franklin's whole body, filling his nerves with intolerable agony that sent him down once more, writhing and twisting like a helpless little worm.

"Have fun."

Then all went to black.
---

The taste of earthly soil and dirt lingered in his tongue.

What the hell was that?

A cough. A sputter. Palms dusting off dirt. Bleary eyes slowly coming into focus. Color gradually pouring in. The place was slowly coming back into an idea of familiarity. From murky colors of black, grey and white that sent his body into an all-too-familiar panic, wicked spindly branches of old came into view. Crooked trees hung over the ground as leaves of brown, tan, and dark verdant green lay scattered through. It was the same forest he had come from a few days ago, and the very one he entered (supposedly) moments before. It was the Darkwald.

Relieved (was he, really, with his current situation?), Franklin got back up. Stance still a bit shaky from the supposed nightmare, he leaned against a nearby tree, attempting to regain his balance.

That fiend.. I'll get him for this..

Fist shaking, the sorcerer quickly took note of his surroundings, listening for any sudden movements. His hands ached, mind twisting and turning in frustration regarding what had happened to a point that he just wanted something to hurt. To harm. To brutalize, and to kill. There were no speakable words that could ease his fury at his situation, and the helplessness of it all.

However, despite his keen observation, there seemed to be nothing moving in the forest. All was deathly still, and there were no sounds of battle. No swords clanging against each other, no spells being thrown out, nor any of those monstrosities called Nazha letting out their trademark screams. There was no pest to squash, and it seemed he had been out for far too long to escape from despair and drown himself into the heat of battle against the monsters Toren sought aid for.

Biting back his lip, Franklin picked up his staff and headed back for town. With all that happened, he needed a rest before trying to think of--or even do--anything else.

Post #: 191

4/18/2015 14:55:44

TJByrum
Member

Yara rechecked her gathered party. There was Marietta, Sera, Toren, Lily, Symphony, and now Kitsondra. Yara was pleased to see so many answer her plea, though she would have been just fine with only Marietta. Yara knew she could trust Marietta, and through her she knew she could trust Sera. Toren's demonic appearance frightened her to a degree, but given the trust everyone else seemed to have in him she played along. Lily was but a child and so not one to worry much about. Symphony remained a mystery to her. Kitsondra, however, was no stranger. Yara knew of her, and Kitsondra no doubt knew of her. In a way, Yara kind of despised Kitsondra, and in the back of her mind cursed that she was coming along, but pushed those thoughts away.

“Yara, how far out is this site they’re planning to build on? Depending on how this goes, we might have to make camp for the night," Marietta asked.

"I'd expect after the ordeal we may have to make camp, especially with such a large party. All I can say is... be glad we have elf ears, eh? Now come, this way." Yara lead the group of seven out of the Hallows Inn, throwing a friendly wave to Sloan. After exiting the door she took a left and followed the bridge-porch down until she came to the earth and continued her way out of the town. The guards saw the group of misfits, nodded to them, and opened the gates, allowing them passage. Despite there being five women in the group, they all seemed to look at Marietta with hopeful expressions. Ugh, I feel sorry for her, Yara thought to herself.

Once out of the gates the group continued at a brisk pace northward, taking an easy route along the main road. Yara would know where to stray off the path and head for Luke and his men in due time. "So," she began as the seven fellows marched up the road, "I suppose I can recount everything. There's about eight of them in all. Decent fighters, some archers, and Luke's more a scoundrel than anything. But I don't reckon they'll fight us on sight, and I wouldn't want to either. They're decent folk, like I said, so let's try to be calm about this." After finishing, Yara casually asked, "so, anything interesting going on?"

AQW

Post #: 192

4/21/2015 22:33:47

Kellehendros
Eternal Wanderer

Marietta followed along with the others, giving the group a once over as they trooped out of the inn and smiling a little at Yara’s words. They were no Sentinels. That thought gave the hunter a moment’s soft laughter, and the comparisons sprang to her mind unbidden. She was herself, naturally…

On consideration, the half-elf supposed Kitsondra would be Falina. This comparison did not sit well with the hunter. Falina had been like a little sister to Marietta, and to equate the elven mage to Blackwater’s information broker was not something Marietta liked to do. Still, the self-proclaimed “Queen of Illusions” was as near to a mage as any of them, so far as Marietta was aware. The prospect of camping overnight in the Darkwald with Kitsondra was not high on the hunter’s list of priorities either, but royalty was hardly likely to be used to roughing it in the woods, so maybe Kitsondra would be too distracted to bother anyone with asking questions.

The half-elf’s eyes passed over Symphony for a moment. The hunter had no idea what the odd woman was able to do, but Toren had asked her to come, so there must be something more to her than met the eye. Marietta wasn’t certain what to make of Symphony, and simply decided it would be best to watch the woman and see what happened.

Marietta’s gaze skipped over to Yara for a moment, and then to Sera. Those two would be the Twins. Neither of the Twins had really been a dab hand with a bow, but the half-elf decided to cast Yara as Sarah, who had always been swifter and more poised; the Sentinels had always called her Grace because of it. Kenneth had been no-nonsense, straightforward, which seemed to fit Sera better. He had also favored blades.

There was the girl, of course, Lily. Personally, Marietta was not enthused about the idea of bringing Lily along with them on this trip. While the outing should not be anywhere near as risky as the action last night, it still was not a good idea to bring the girl. Whatever the relationship was that existed between the sellsword and Lily was another mystery. Perhaps that was part of why Toren wished to bring the girl along. Some unexplained obligation existed there. Toren though… There was only one other Sentinel, and in any event, Toren was closest of the group to -

No.

Marietta pushed the thought away so hard she actually missed a step, stumbling slightly down the last stair from the inn to the street and stutter-stepping to regain her balance. She was not quite able to stop herself from glancing around swiftly to see what the others made of the slight mishap, but turned her attention back to the path and continued to follow Yara.

She made it to the gate without further problems, taking advantage of the shield of the other’s bodies to keep the guards from asking her any questions concerning her second trip out into the forest in only a few hours. Marietta was aware of their eyes; the half-elf could feel the weight of their gazes, and knew that at least one of them was bursting to ask her what was happening. Thankfully the group passed through the gate without being stopped and questioned. Perhaps that had something to do with Toren’s new and more intimidating appearance.

The half-elf drew in a slow, deep breath as she stepped out into the shadow of the Darkwald Forest. Her bow slid into her hands almost of its own volition, and her hand reached up and over her shoulder, drawing an arrow and setting it lightly against the string. Marietta looked up, peering at the position of the sun dimly seen through the canopy as the group started off. She remained silent, leaving it to the others to answer Yara’s question and carry on the conversation. For now, the hunter would content herself with keeping an eye on the forest around them.

Post #: 193

4/24/2015 18:57:59

TJByrum
Member

Three months ago...

"Right there, Birch, op op!" Vaelun pulled back the reigns of his horse and it obeyed, halting in place so the man could remove himself from the saddle. A few paces away was the entrance to a cave, and the entire area was surrounded by a green forest. "Picked a helluva place to hole up, eh birch," he asked his horse, as if it could understand him. Laughing to himself about the ordeal, he began to unfasten a set of straps holding a heavy sack. It was a strong stitching, and parts of it was bloodied, one side in particular. "Here... we... go... whoa!" As the last strap was unfastened the heavy sack fell and into his hands, moving them quickly so as to catch it before falling to the ground. "He was a big one, eh Birch? Sorry 'bout the burden, but we're 'bout to be as rich as a prince!" Laughing once more, Vaelun turned away from his horse and headed off in the direction of the cave, which was not to far away. "Stay there, Birch, I'll be right back, promise."

The cave was dark, obviously, but he could see up ahead, around a bend, a dim light shining. "Toric? Toric, you there?" There was no reply, but something rustled. "Better not be another monster, that'd be a real bummer." Slowly, and cautiously, Vaelun trudged through the cave, heaving the large sack in both arms. At a moment's notice he'd drop the sack and draw the longsword on his back.

Coming around the bend, Vaelun's suspense peaked, but all was fine when he saw his employer - a Varan warrior by the name of 'Toric' - sitting on a large rock, as if it was a stool. In front of him was a larger rock, as if it was some sort of table, and laid across it was a stack of maps - tattered and ripped, some of them in multiple pieces. "Toric," Vaelun called out, relieved to see him. "Toric, I did what you asked." Vaelun was prepared to drop the sack and show him the contents, but the Varan warrior didn't even bother to look up. "Er... Toric? Hello? Hello!?" Still, the warrior didn't acknowledge him. He seemed so deep in his observations that he refused to look away or be disturbed.

A bit annoyed, Vaelun tossed the heavy sack, grunting as he did so, and letting it plop with a 'smack' on the stone table - right on top of Toric's maps. The bloodied end of the sack produced more blood, splattering on the right side of the map and on the rock. Toric sighed and slowly leaned back, finally looking at Vaelun.

"Toric, I did what you asked," Vaelun repeated.

Toric reached for the sack and uncovered it. A bluish-purple talon-like 'finger' was within, about as long as someone's leg, but as thick as a man's body. "Well done," the warrior said in a deep tone. "I don't suppose a monster slayer like yourself had to much trouble, hm?"

"Hah," exclaimed Vaelun, stepping back, "about three thousand coins worth of trouble. Speaking of which, where is it? The coin, I mean. Surely you don't have it stashed away beneath these stones."

"How observant," Toric replied sarcastically, annoyed. "No, it's not here." Vaelun was about to respond with a furious reply, but Toric held his hand up and quickly said "but it is nearby. I'll take you to it - personally. I wasn't about to haul it around in the wilderness. It was moved via convoy along the trade routes, with a well-armed escort. It should have arrived in Val Duin already, eastern Asgeir. But I've still some business here, and I won't be heading back until about a week. You, however, can wait for me there."

Sighing, Vaelun responded with a disappointed and annoyed tone, "fine. I'll be in some inn... or brothel... or whatever it is I'll find there."

"An inn, perhaps, but no brothels. The Varan women do not participate in such demeaning professions."

"Whatever," Vaelun replied, turning to leave.

"Oh, and one more thing." Vaelun stopped, but was not particularly eager to listen to Toric. "You like gold? You slay monsters? You ever heard of a place called the Darkwald?"

Vaelun turned on his heel, looking Toric dead in the eye. "I'm listening..."

AQW

Post #: 194

4/25/2015 0:55:54

Master K
Member

Marcelline and Istarelle walked back to the town from the forest. Istarelle was badly injured from her fight with Kitsondra, but she could manage. The guards showed some concern as they approached, and graciously allowed them to enter Blackwater. As they entered Blackwater, Istarelle glanced around the town, looking somewhat lost. Marcelline decided it would be best to leave Istarelle with the local healer. Marcelline checked around Blackwater, and managed to locate the healer. The healer was appalled by the state of Istarelle, and promptly invited the two of them inside. The healer introduced herself as Eleanor. She was a somewhat older looking woman, wearing simple clothing, and had her graying blonde hair tied neatly in to a bun. Istarelle introduced herself as a paladin, and Marcelline kept up her facade as a travelling nun. The two of them decided it would be best to leave out the demonic business they had encountered before...

"And how did this happen?" Eleanor asked Istarelle.

"I...I wandered the woods alone...I thought I could handle it." Istarelle replied. She gave a look to Marcelline. Eleanor sighed bitterly.

"You're lucky. Most times they don't even come out of the woods in one piece." Eleanor said as she searched a cabinet for her supplies. She then turned slightly to glance at Marcelline. "I assume you found her then, Sister Marcelline?"

"Yes indeed." Marcelline said unfailingly. "I saw her stumble out the woods, in this harsh shape. I tried to heal her the best I could, but I figured she would be better off with a proper healer."

"I'm glad." Eleanor said, laying out her healing supplies on the table. She smiled warmly at Marcelline. "Darkwald needs more pure souls such as yourself. The forest is a cruel and unforgiving place, and I've seen what it can do to people. If it doesn't kill you, it can drive even the strongest of men to raving lunatics. It's difficult to be tasked with a job like this, but I do it as a service to the people."

Marcelline idly inspected her surroundings. Nothing really stood out to her, except for the photos around the household. She noticed scattered family photos, depicting a husband, wife, and a girl. As the girl in the photos aged, she noted a distinct lack of the fathers presence. Eleanor noticed Marcelline's attentiveness, and decided to respond to her before she could even ask anything.

"My husband died many moons ago, out in those very woods." Eleanor said, with a twinge of bitterness. "We never even found the body, not that I'd want to see it...we were devastated, but we dealt with it in time. My daughter Lizia grew in to a beautiful young woman. When she got old enough, she wanted to take off out of Darkwald entirely. She urged me to go with her, abandon this hellhole and start over in a more civilized place. I refused her, though...I have a duty to these people, and couldn't possibly abandon them. She left regardless...she still writes me from time to time."

After a long pause, Istarelle turned to Marcelline.

"Thank you for accompanying me..." Istarelle said gratefully. "You can head back to the inn. I'm in good hands."

Marcelline nodded, and bid her farewells to the two women.

Marcelline arrived back in to the inn. Sloan promptly greeted her as she walked in.

"So how did it work out wit' you and your friend?" He asked.

"Just splendid." Marcelline said automatically. Sloan smiled at her and nodded.

Marcelline sat down to a table, and took out the tome that she had received from the ashen witch. The book puzzled her; it wasn't wrote in any language she could recognize. Even the incantation for the ritual she used to bind the demon to her knife had vanished into a sea of runic letters and bizarre characters. This tome definitely contained powerful secrets...but she couldn't access them at all. Even if she did understand the writing...would she want to have all that knowledge to her disposal?

AQW

Epic

Post #: 195

4/25/2015 14:24:22

TJByrum
Member

Yara's Party

"Just up here guys, here them?" Of course, Yara could hear them, and so could Marietta. The others? There ears may not be as tuned as the elves'. Yara used her hand to push aside a low-hanging branch; droplets of water fell on her arm, sending a shiver through her body. "Just... let me see if I can't talk them out of what they're doing. Try to look... intimidating, I guess. But again - don't kill them."

Yara's group finally came upon a small forest clearing. The overhanging canopy above was still blocking out most of the sunlight, but if one could see through they'd realize the sun was well-past its zenith and now beginning to set. To the left was the Stone River, rushing by rather quickly, always swollen by the rainstorms. Atop a small hill stood a peculiar fellow, with naught but a white cotton shirt, a nicely stitched beige vest, brown pants, and a pair of boots. His brown hair was an inch-long, but nicely kept, the front of it in a 'wave' style. He had shining blue eyes, and his face was perfectly chiseled. Any woman would have found him to be quite a sight. "Luke," Yara whispered, looking at him with contempt. The group had come through and gathered around her.

There were about seven individuals moving about: placing logs, cutting logs, holding logs. The dam they were building would have taken a few hours, maybe even until the next day, but one could tell that the 'schematics' laid out by Luke would have the dam quite formidable. Around the place were stumps where trees once were.

Luke caught side of the band approaching and casually looked them over before landing on Yara and smiling. "Ah, the prodigal daughter returns! And with friends, too! The more the merrier, as they say!" Luke took a moment to laugh to himself and then continued. "Laborers. I love laborers. It makes working that much easier. Just let the laborers do it!"

"Luke, cut it out. We're not here to play games. Me and my friends-"

Luke held up a finger and waved it the air as he cut Yara off, "nah ah ah! My friends and I."

Yara groaned angrily and stepped forward, "Luke, cut it out! If you don't stop what you're doing, things are gonna get real ugly, real fast!"

"Yara, my dear sweet, tell me what I'm doing wrong. I'm providing a service to the people of Blackwater! Without the dam, the river will surely run over and flood the streets of your precious little town. All we require is some... taxes from the locals for upkeep. Dams don't fix themselves."

Lily then whispered to herself, "like a troll under a bridge." By now Luke's men had gathered to him, readying themselves for a brawl if it came to that.

Luke continued: "please Yara - or any of you goons - tell me why I should stop doing what I'm doing. Best hurry, times running out! The sun will be down in no time!"

AQW

Post #: 196

4/25/2015 19:18:30

Gingkage
Wolf Rider

Sera could just make out the sounds of the dam being constructed if she focused. As they got closer, the muffled sounds became more distinct until they were impossible to miss.

"Just... let me see if I can't talk them out of what they're doing. Try to look... intimidating, I guess. But again - don't kill them."

Sera nearly rolled her eyes. Personally, bringing a group of people back alive was usually more trouble than it was worth. But more irritatingly was the restating of that request. She knew the terms she had agreed to and was too much of a professional to break them. Yara wanted them alive, they would stay alive.

She had to remind herself that at this 'Luke's' irritating words. She was not a common laborer to be ordered around like a dog by the likes of him.

"Alive. I agreed to leave them all alive."

Of course, 'alive' was a very loose term. Bruised, battered, broken, and barely in one piece was still, technically, 'alive.' And as Luke kept on talking, the idea of proving that became more and more tempting.

"Easy, Sera," she told herself. "You're just being temperamental. Pretend you're a professional and sit on that temper."

She really should have gotten more sleep than she did. She was always more prone to violence when she was running low on sleep.

"I'll take a nap when this is all said and done," she resolved.

In the meantime, she had a job to do. She couldn't afford to be short-tempered or let her general exhaustion get to her.

Drawing one of her throwing knives, she leaned casually against a tree in with a general air of readiness about her. For good measure, she glanced around at the dam builders, looking them up and down as if trying to decide which one she wanted to stick first, and where she wanted to stick them.

Post #: 197

4/26/2015 9:16:19

Bastet
Member

Symphony’s guitar remained unused as they walked along their allies. Besides possibly annoying their companions, the spirit also preferred to focus on the task at hand. They left their thoughts as Yara asked the group if they could hear Luke’s laborers working on the dam, but Symphony couldn’t. Though they weren’t entirely human, they didn’t possess the extraordinary senses of the elves. Samjet was still distracted by the fact that he could observe areas outside of the cave he was imprisoned in: after so many years, even the Darkwald felt new to him. As they roused Samjet, Symphony borrowed some of his trademark sarcasm.

Wake up, great warrior. We’ve reached our destination, and deployment of your great swordsmanship may soon be required.

The man from the Plains laughed, answering much in the same manner.

As you wish, m’lady. After all, I am in debt.

Symphony placed themselves slightly behind Yara as she exchanged words with Luke. Despite Yara having described the men as good, yet misled folk, Luke didn’t leave Symphony with the best of impressions. As Luke’s men gathered around him, the bard spoke to Samjet once again. They hoped that bloodshed could be avoided, but they weren’t going to let the Stone be dammed.

If you are willing to obey my commands, I’ll allow you to deal with this.

Samjet was left control of Symphony’s body as the spirit took his place, trusting that the warrior could handle any physical attackers. The spirit would have preferred that the situation resolved peacefully, but Luke didn’t seem intent on interrupting his work.

“...please Yara - or any of you goons - tell me why I should stop doing what I'm doing. Best hurry, times running out! The sun will be down in no time!"

Well, that really doesn’t leave me thinking that Luke and his gang will simply surrender. Besides, I don’t like being called a goon… draw your sword and prepare to defend yourself, but don’t attack until they do. These people are Yara’s friends.

Samjet answered immediately, grinning. Symphony’s body could never be efficient in combat as his was, but he yearned to put his sword to use again. Smirking, he tossed Symphony’s hat so that it landed on a low tree branch and assumed a combat stance. With one hand on the sheath and the other on his sword’s handle, he drew the crimson blade partially. This triggered the sword’s demonic enchantment, transforming Symphony’s body as it had before and causing a few crackles. Samjet remained in that pose, observing the movements of Luke’s laborers.

With pleasure.

Post #: 198

4/26/2015 10:42:35

Kellehendros
Eternal Wanderer

The sounds of work filtered through the the forest as the party drew closer to where Grange and his ilk were working on their dam. Glancing towards Yara, Marietta felt a moment of pity as the elf looked at Luke. It was not a happy look, but there was more to it than simple annoyance at the man, or anger. The half-elf did not know Yara well, but she suspected that there was more going on between Yara and Luke than a simple business arrangement. Sighing, the hunter watched the exchange between the two. It seemed, to her, to bear the hallmarks of a lover’s quarrel.

Letting her eyes rove over the area as the two spoke, the hunter took in the work zone and the pilings that Grange and his crew had sunk to begin the dam. Blue eyes flicked back to Luke contemptuously, annoyed by both his attitude and his insinuation that they had come not to stop him but to join him. Perhaps more obnoxiously, the assertion that Yara had brought them along to work at Luke’s direction. Her father had once told her that conceit and stupidity were an unappealing combination. That thought gave Marietta a momentary smile, though she schooled her expression to neutrality a second later. Her gaze returned to Yara, who seemed unable to answer Luke’s query at the moment. Perhaps she was too stunned by what she was seeing, or by the confirmation of the morning’s revelation that Luke was not the man she had thought he was.

Marietta glanced around at the others, waiting for someone to say something. For her part, Sera seemed disinclined to speak, leaning against a tree and casually drawing a dagger. The half-elf had rather expected this. She had, after all, asked the bounty-hunter to accompany the group to assist with a battle, should one break out. There had been no discussion of Sera doing anything other than looking intimidating. The same went for Toren, who the hunter thought probably looked intimidating enough for all of them.

It was with some surprise that Marietta watched Symphony place a hand on the sword at her waist, drawing it slightly and… The half-elf twitched. She couldn’t help it, as the woman’s features shifted, taking a remarkably darker cast. Marietta’s eyes flicked back and forth between Toren and Symphony, wondering if the man had known this would happen. Perhaps that was why he had wanted her to accompany them. In either event, it was more of the same. Symphony’s presence there was an intimidating factor, destined to do more to frighten the gang than reason with them.

The hunter sighed. Kitsondra was holding her peace, for now at least, so it seemed that it was falling to Marietta to try and resolve this peacefully. Rather than speaking immediately, the half-elf drifted away from Yara and the others, pointedly lifting the arrow from her string and returning it to her quiver. Making her away between the two groups, she stopped next to a table laden with tools and Grange’s plans for the dam.

For a moment Marietta was silent, blue eyes shifting between the plan and the dam in progress. The shadow of a smile crossed her face as she whispered words she thought would only be audible to Yara. “Measure twice, cut once,” something else her father had told her. “I will tell you why,” she said, looking up from the plans and raising her voice to a better carrying volume.

“Your plan is flawed.” The hunter tapped the plans with one finger, looking at Luke. “I will defer to Kitsondra, who has been here longer than I have, but the Stone, so far as I know, has never overrun its banks. But even if it has,” she continued, motioning towards the dam and the surrounding area, “you’re missing rather the most important part of the endeavor, besides the dam itself. You haven’t dug a reservoir. Tell me, Grange,” Marietta smiled, “how do you plan to dam the river and blackmail the town for water if you have nowhere to hold the water until the town gives in? There’s more to a dam than putting a bunch of logs in a river. The only thing your dam will do is guarantee that the Stone does overrun its banks here.”

Post #: 199

5/3/2015 20:17:53

Draycos777
Member

As the group walked through the forest, toward the dam site, Kitsondra kept her silence as she mumbled over any information she had about Luke Grange. It wasn't much, but she did remember receiving a report from Shuyi about a failed winery somewhere near the northeast from one of Blackwater's residents. Apparently, the wine had an added substance in it. The owner ran off after having been caught. Interesting enough, the owner's name was Luck Grange as well.

After awhile of walking, Yara's voice cut through Kitsondra's thoughts. "Just up here guys, here them? Just... let me see if I can't talk them out of what they're doing. Try to look... intimidating, I guess. But again - don't kill them."

That's elf hearing for you. Kitsondra couldn't hear anything besides the noises of the forest and she wasn't going to strain herself to try either. For all the heighten senses and magical awareness she gained as a vampire, hearing wasn't one of them. As for not killing the men... well Kitsondra wouldn't attack first, however, if push-came-to-shove she wasn't about to make any promises. The group of seven quickly came to a small clearing next to the stone river where trees where being cut. Yara stopped in front of a young man wearing only a white cotton shirt, a vest, pants and boots. Kitsondra stood at Yara's left as she took a closer look at the man.

"Not much of a looker, but ," Kitsondra whispered her opinion to herself. "as a foreigner I've been told I have weird tastes before."

The conversion between Yara and Luke was little more then pointless back and forth got went nowhere. It wasn't until Marietta stepped up as Kitsondra was beginning to set up her magic in her area. The only magical inclined ones were Toren and Symphony and Kitsondra didn't need to worry about them.

“Your plan is flawed. I will defer to Kitsondra, who has been here longer than I have, but the Stone, so far as I know, has never overrun its banks. But even if it has, you’re missing rather the most important part of the endeavor, besides the dam itself. You haven’t dug a reservoir. Tell me, Grange, how do you plan to dam the river and blackmail the town for water if you have nowhere to hold the water until the town gives in? There’s more to a dam than putting a bunch of logs in a river. The only thing your dam will do is guarantee that the Stone does overrun its banks here.”

Marietta smiled as she revealed a large flaw in Luke's 'Grand Plan'.

Kitsondra laughed and further added to Luke's failure of a scheme. "You can forget the reservoir Marietta. We haven't even entered the stormy season yet. The fool is trying to dam the river with only fresh cut trees. The dam will get smashed and washed away like paper. This is simply another failed 'business venture'... much like you're winery, right Luke?" Kitsondra's scarlet eyes locked with Luke's blue ones as they burrowed into him.

"It's apparent that you haven't been here for much time or spent any real time in town. Otherwise I'm sure we'd know eachother on a much better level." Kitsondra narrowed her eyes at the man in front of her. "Yes, I receive visits from your kind much more often then I'd like. Let me introduce myself. You may have heard about me, either way, my name is Kitsondra Fon. You , however, may call me Ms. Fon. I am Blackwater's Information Broker, and one of the more... 'influential' citizens of the town. So being called a goon or a laborer is slightly irritating and I'm sure you could see why. Though because of your lack of knowledge, been new to this area, I'll let it by."

Kitsondra eye'd the men who had stopped working and came besides Luke, his 'workers', and had begun to take up fighting stances.

"Some of us, myself included, would prefer to settle this without violence. So if you'd be so kind as to call off your men, I'd very much appreciate it, as I can tell by looking at the horrid way they take up stance. This fight won't be in your favor. So which will it be Luke? Would you like to call off your dam scheme." Kitsondra waited for a moment before continuing. "Or shall a tell the guards a wanted man from the Northeast is here and have you on the run once more?"

Kitsondra grinned waiting for the man's answer.

AQ	Post #: 200

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