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Post by Rylux on May 23, 2013 12:13:18 GMT -5
In truth the attack was lacking and doomed from the start. The snake needed to give at least an effort into the assault but death was unavoidable It was a guard to repel wandering humans who got too close, not to fend off Shibusen students. Fangs never got the chance to reach the blond meister before the blade of the scythe caught the fabricated reptile in the neck and made no waste cutting through. At least the poor creature was granted a quick death from the students. A final thrash of its body was all the resistance it could muster before it remained still and the light faded from its eyes. A slight whirring was the only sound the snake gave off after death and that only lasted for a moment before coming to an end. Of course things couldn’t simply end there. After death the snake began to decay at an alarming rate. Firstly it split in half to reveal an inside of a red gooey substance that was easy to tell was not blood. At this the team would feel a wave of weak madness wash over them. Nothing too detrimental but a feeling of unease to go with any fears they may already have. The feeling passed within seconds and the team was once again alone in the catacombs. From further down the hall whatever was watching them decided it was time to depart, it had seen what it needed. Indeed they were a team from Shibusen and they had killed the snake. It even had the good fortune of seeing which one was the weapon and what her weapon form was, even better to report to the master. It vanished into the darkness in silence and left the team alone but they were far from safe. With the remains of the snake sizzling and decaying the team was faced with only one real option, they had to continue further into the catacombs and find the kishin. The defeated snake was clearly metallic and unnatural so what it was doing in the catacombs was a question. At least for the team they would have an uneventful trip down the rest of the catacombs, aside from the patches of skeletons and the sounds of the animals that lived down there. Eventually they would run into an end of the long hallways in the form of a solid door. Large, sturdy, and menacing were all fitting words to describe it. Symbols adorned it like the other door they had encountered and this one was also adorned with iron supports. It certainly looked like a place any sane person would want to avoid but Shibusen students didn’t have that luxury. As sturdy as they looked all it would take was a push from the team to open the doors. They would move slowly and the creak that came from them would echo around them like screaming. In time though the doors could be pushed open to reveal complete darkness that made it impossible to see even a foot in front of them.
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Post by Nathaniel Zsoldos on May 24, 2013 15:37:24 GMT -5
Thankfully, Arlie's scythe blade cut through the metal snake easily, and the snake gave one last twitch before laying still, it's neck split cleanly and leaking a red liquid. Nate leaned in and squinted at it. Whatever it was, it wasn't blood. Feeling a deep sense of sudden unease, Nathaniel took several quick steps back, crouching down to catch his breath. The feeling passed quickly, however, and he pulled himself up.
"That was easy," he said, slightly in disbelief. One hit K.O. This wasn't the end of the line, by a long shot. There would most likely be more of the strange mechanical guards further in, something Nate didn't quite look forward to. Hopefully, they'd all be as easy to defeat as the snake was, but somehow he doubted it. Feeling the back of his neck prickle, he turned to look down the hall. The strange feeling of being watched had subsided. Nate shrugged, chalking it up to his overactive imagination. It was creepy and dark down here in the catacombs, after all, so it was probably just a normal reaction.
Nate began making his way down the hall, stepping carefully over the decaying snake carcass. "I wonder who made that," he said out loud to Arlie. "Whoever we're dealing with is pretty serious about keeping people out." His voice sounded wrong and loud in the eerie quiet of the catacombs, so Nathaniel eventually lapsed into silence as he made his way down the tunnel.
When they came to the door, Nathaniel couldn't help but be impressed. The door was massive. There were familiar symbols on it, ones Nathaniel remembered from the door previous, and iron supports made this door even more imposing. It practically screamed "mini-boss." Nathaniel took a deep breath and exhaled out his nose, putting his hands on the solid door. "I think between the two of us we can push this," he said to Arlie, waiting for her to join him. As the door swung open, it made a terrible creaking sound that hurt his ears. The door was heavy, but eventually they managed to get it open enough for the both of them to slip through.
Inside was dark - darker than he was expecting. He couldn't see an inch in front of his face. Nathaniel mentally underlined "bring a flashlight to every mission," really regretting the lack of any sort of light source. He instinctively reached out to where Arlie was, catching her elbow at first and then finding her hand to hold it, just for comfort, although if it was for him or her he couldn't quite say.
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Arlie Davis
Weapon
Demon Scythe
A dry well teaches us the worth of water.
Posts: 63
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Post by Arlie Davis on Jun 8, 2013 17:11:20 GMT -5
Most of Arlie’s worries were put to rest the instant the snake’s head was detached from its body. The blade of her scythe form cut through it quite nicely. There was least one less threat now, however they did still need to find the actual kishin egg lurking somewhere beneath Paris. Arlie knew it was silly to hope that it would be as easy a kill as the mechanical rattler-cobra construct, but she couldn’t help it. Maybe they would be lucky, but of course that thought was followed by the worry of them being completely and utterly unlucky. Only time would tell, but at the very least they did have a small victory under their belts, and that gave Arlie some much needed reassurance.
The way the snake seem to just deconstruct, though, unnerved the blonde greatly. Peering out from her blade, she watched in silence as it rotted away far too quickly and released a red goo that didn’t look anything like blood if the now dead rat was anything to go by. Arlie felt her heart beat a bit faster and a chill go through her. She was nervous again, but why? She decided to not worry about it too much. There were bigger things to worry about. The boost of confidence at defeating the odd creature still lingered even if she was feeling a bit uneasy. A smile graced her features as she punched out into the darkness surrounding her,
“O’ course it was easy! Shoot, we’re regular ring masters already. We sure showed that critter who’s boss!”
Arlie was trying her best to appear more pumped up than she actually was. In actuality she couldn’t shake the feeling of uneasiness, even with the small victory of killing the snake giving her a bit of a smile. Since the fighting appeared to be over for the moment, the demon scythe took on that same seafoam glow as before as Arlie switched back. Kicking her feet a few times, she then followed after Nate, trying not to look at the snake. The blonde merely shrugged at Nate’s inquiries,
“Maybe this kishin’s some kinda scientist? Do kishin eggs do science? Oh, oh, or maybe it’s some kinda mechanical thing like that snake! Maybe that was just a baby and the big mama’s waitin’ fer us further up!”
Arlie sincerely hoped that wasn’t the case, but she was merely speculating to keep her mind off the chill that gave her goose bumps and made the hair on her arms stand on end. Trailing after Nate, Arlie crossed her arms to attempt to rid herself of the feeling. It didn’t work, so instead she tried to keep focused. Would the kishin just be a bigger version of the snake or just someone who happened to create it? Would they be easy or difficult to defeat? Arlie was leaning towards difficult. If they could manage to set such a trap for any intruders, she figured they had to have at least average intelligence if not above average. As the two came to the door, her thoughts ceased as she gawked at it. Great. Another creeptastic entryway. Inching a bit closer to Nate, she let her eyes drag over the symbols and iron before gulping audibly. Well if this wasn’t ominous and foreboding, then Arlie didn’t know what was. The blonde nodded at her Meister’s words and moved to stand beside him. She laid both hands on the door and pushed along with him, watching them swing open and cringing a bit at the creak that resonated all down the tunnels and right through to her heart.
Darkness. Nothing but dark, not a single scrap of light to be found inside. Arlie was already shaking in her boots. Once again, they’d be traveling through a place where they couldn’t see anything. The blonde felt Nate reaching for her, registering the bump on the elbow first before his hand found hers. She intertwined their fingers and squeezed before looking up and giving him the most encouraging smile she could muster in her nervous state, nodding her head towards the unlit path,
“I’m right here with you, Nate. We’ll go together.”
Giving a gentle tug at his hand, Arlie started forward very slowly. She put one foot out, tested the floor before stepping, and only after feeling the presence of more floor beneath her would she put her weight into the step. It was a slow process, but at least that way they wouldn’t fall down any holes or traps that may lay in with for them.
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Post by Rylux on Jul 8, 2013 20:05:57 GMT -5
As the two entered the room the darkness around them remained a stifling force. Footsteps resounded off a clearly metal sounding floor, a change from the stone of the rest of the catacombs. The air was thick instead of the expected dust or moisture the air was filled with a metallic scent. If they reached out to the side they would be met with a solid wall on either side, the space between enough for maybe three people to fit into. Walking down the tight hallway after a few steps the door behind them would close and leave them in complete darkness.
Walking in the darkness the two would be effectively blind as they moved down the cramped metal hallway. That is until they reached a wall in front of them. Turning to the right there was a gap in the wall that if they could see would be a normal turn in a hallway. A small and dim red light could be seen at the end of the hallway. At the end another turn could be seen and a bright light emanating from the room it led into. Following the only clear path the team would find themselves headed into a large room full of machines and lights.
Once their eyes had adjusted the team could see the room was made of metal and filled with machines of all shapes and sizes. Standing out as one of the few nonmetallic things in the room was the body of the most recent victim. She was contained in a large glass cylinder suspended by two cables wrapped around her wrist, her lifeless body in the shape of a Y with her feet just above the bottom. Her head was slumped down but the long hair matched the description given by the witness. She was stripped of her clothing and her chest was sliced cleanly down the middle, skin pulled back to reveal her ribs and still organs. If Nathaniel tried to use his soul perception he would see her soul was gone.
Speaking of soul perception. If Nathan did activate his he would be met with a surprise deeper into the room, two points of interest. One was the average soul of a kishin egg, a soul stained red from corruption. The other was akin to a normal soul but with all the intensity of a small sun. Nearly blinding the source was hidden from normal eyes by the plentiful mechanisms that filled the room. The sound of electricity could be heard and the students could most likely feel static in the air on their skin. Every step was resounded off the metal floor and against the metal walls making stealth nothing but a farfetched dream. Not that they ever had such a chance in the first place, upon entering the room numerous cameras had been trained on them.
”I would have preferred you not finding me but alas. My luck can’t last forever.”
The voice echoed from deeper in the room. It was clearly male but attempting to age it would prove to be more difficult. Along with the strange way it sounded the accent it carried with it was wrong. Decidedly French but it didn’t match with any other accent they had heard I the city. It sounded older and carried with it just the hint of a rasp. After it had spoken the two would hear footsteps and clattering approaching them. In such a large room it was hard to pinpoint the exact location of the noise. Either way something or someone was headed to meet them.
Soon after the noise started the cause revealed itself. Another snake like the one they had met in the catacombs slithered out from behind a machine and hissed at them, next was a spider that had a similar metal look and was about the size of a microwave, following the spider was a bat looking creature that had glowing red eyes and was the size of a cat. The three animals stared at the team but did not move. Joining them shortly after were two more mechanical figures but they were different. One looked like an adult male with a blank expression on his face and wearing a sleeveless sack that reached to his knees, the other was a young girl with the same blank look and basic attire.
The machine looking creatures stared at them for a moment before all five lunged in to attack. Fangs bared and nails extended the creatures all intended to rid their home of the intruders.
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Post by Nathaniel Zsoldos on Jul 16, 2013 19:35:19 GMT -5
The door closed with a soft but ominous thud. Nate couldn't help but feel that the journey was almost over. Whatever was at the other side would be waiting for them, and would be probably attacking them soon. Nate took a deep breath. No turning back now.
Without releasing Arlie's hand so he didn't lose her and extending his right arm out to feel for the wall, the cold smoothness was sudden and very solid under his outstretched hand, and Nate nodded to himself. "This tunnel isn't very large," he said. "We can probably follow the walls all the way through. C'mon." He began walking, one hand pressed against the wall and the other holding on to his weapon partner.
The tunnel was pitch black, but as they moved, he found he could see a little better in the gloom. Were his eyes adjusting? A moment later there was a turn in the hallway, and a faint but obvious light source was at the end of it. It glowed red in a way that made Nathaniel uncomfortable. Grasping Arlie's hand tighter, they kept walking until they were in a well-lit room full of machines.
Nate blinked as his eyes adjusted, but swiftly wish that they hadn't. The body of a woman was suspended in a large glass cylinder, her torso cut cleanly down the middle and her entrails spilling out. Nate could see her ribs. He fought the bile that rose in his stomach. The woman looked like she had been dissected, like a rat in high school biology. Somehow, the comparison made it easier for him to distance himself from the gore, and he took a deep breath and, just to check, activated his soul perception. The woman's soul was gone, unsurprisingly.
But there was a surprise - as Nathaniel turned his gaze further toward the room, he could see two souls. His grip tightened around Arlie's hand in shock and horror. One soul was what they had been looking for - the Kishin Egg. The soul was stained with evil and corruption, but the other...
The other soul looked human, but burned with a fiery intensity that Nate couldn't figure out. But it would have to wait. The Kishin knew they were here.
And he had friends.
From the darkness emerged a metallic snake, a spider, a bat-thing, and two strange metal people. Nate backed up on reflex, but realized he had been almost crushing Arlie's hand in his own. "Sorry," he said, releasing his grip a bit, but didn't let go of her hand.
"ArlieeEE-" he half said, half yelled, desperation and urgency in his voice. He couldn't quite get the words "please transform" out, but he hoped she understood. It was time for them to kill some monsters. They'd need to clear the path before they took down the Kishin.
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Arlie Davis
Weapon
Demon Scythe
A dry well teaches us the worth of water.
Posts: 63
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Post by Arlie Davis on Jul 16, 2013 20:57:58 GMT -5
Arlie held on tight to Nate’s hand. Trusting her Meister to lead the way, she stepped carefully and kept pace with him as not to lose their way. If they became separated in the dark, they would be sitting ducks. Hearing her partner’s voice alongside the echoing reverberations of their footsteps, Arlie nodded initially but then remembered he couldn’t see her,
“Lead on, sugar. I’ll be right here.”
The blonde squeezed his hand gently for reassurance on both their parts and followed along. Keeping as close to Nate as possible, Arlie blinked and stared out at the black that clouded their sight. Her eyes strained but failed to adjust. Huffing, she barely registered the turn in the tunnel. The light, on the other hand, caught her attention. The red glow made her uneasy, and apparently she wasn’t the only one. She returned Nate’s tightened grip as they progressed. Something could be waiting for them and they may not see it. There could be traps up ahead and neither would be wise to them. Shaking her head a bit, Arlie squashed her dismal internal monologue and replaced it as best she could with courage and optimism. Whatever else got thrown their way, they could handle!
Another turn and a far brighter light appeared. As she and Nate reached the room at the end of the tunnel, the blonde was near blinded by the sudden illumination. Blinking, grey eyes scanned the room although she still squinted. Machines, machines, and more machines. Just what was this thing up to? Did they have some kind of corrupted mechanic on their hands? Arlie’s eyes at last landed on the missing woman and her heart dropped down into her stomach, a small shrill sound leaving her before her hand that wasn’t currently gripping Nate’s flew to cover her mouth. The initial shock had her staring at the corpse but eventually Arlie managed to shut her eyes and turn her head towards the ground. They were too late, but then perhaps the idea of finding her alive had been hopeless from the beginning.
After a few deep breaths and a great deal of self-reassurance that Arlie was not in fact about to lose her lunch, she lifted her head and took another look around. For one, she noted the cameras decidedly focused upon them. Someone or more likely something was watching them, but from where? They sure as shit were going to find out. Having seen the victim and been attacked by a bit of this thing’s handiwork, Arlie was more than past being frightened and was bordering now more on frustrated. Where was this varmint hiding?
The voice startled her, nearly causing her to just clear out of her skin. But the blonde composed herself, bid her thundering heart to beat a bit slower, however that wasn’t going to happen anytime soon. Creatures approached them of varying shapes and sizes. Another snake, a spider that had no business being as big as it was, some sort of bat, and what looked too perfect to be two people. More obstacles. Arlie narrowed her eyes, taking in each and every one. Nate’s grip on her hand was vice-like, but he must’ve realized he could crush her and lessened it. Arlie didn’t respond, she was too busy thinking. Looking at each, strategy eluded her in favor of barely managing not to panic. As the five creatures lunged for them, Arlie responded instantly to the sound of her name,
"I gotcha!"
Keeping her one hand grasped tightly around Nate’s, she dashed in front of him and grabbed the other. The seafoam colored glow enveloped her body and the Demon Scythe appeared in her stead. She had moved so that each handle would be present in Nate’s hands and so that the shaft would be there to easily block an attack from the front just in case. Arlie adjusted quickly to the darkness around her and stayed focused. Her face appeared in the reflection of her blade, voicing her main concern to her partner,
“Remember the last one o’ these rapscallions we saw in the catacombs. We can’t know if that red stuff is a constant or not, but whatever yah do, dun git bit!”
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Post by Rylux on Aug 14, 2013 16:46:26 GMT -5
All the creatures began to move toward the team but the humanoid figures stalled shortly after and stopped moving. The more animalistic creatures however did no such thing and continued into a lunge at the team. In the lead was the giant spider with its multitude of legs and fangs. Jumping at the team it aimed for the meister’s waist with two extended legs and two dripping fangs, the red fluid collecting the light around them to take on a glowing appearance. Behind it a metallic rattling could be heard even as the spider took to the air in its lunge.
Joining the spider was the snake that resembled the reptile from earlier. It lunged right after the spider and bared its fangs right at Nate’s chest. These also had the red fluid visible on them and like the spider they caught the light of the room. Both creatures attacked in tandem with their sights set strictly on Nate. A bite or stab would be painful for sure and any injury they could inflict would make the team easier prey for the actual kishin egg. The plan seemed simple and very straight forward with just the two but the bat added some needed complexity.
Starting from the air the bat sped ahead of the others and dived at Nate’s face, using its large body and wings to obscure his view. Instead of attacking however the bat let out a screech and sharply veered up above the team. Using the air to its advantage the bat flew above the team only to join its companions in an attack. The bat however dived and aimed its clawed feet at the back of Nate’s head while the others lunged at the front. It was a three pronged attack with only seconds of delay between the bat’s assault and the others.
As the creatures did this he humanoid creatures watched from a distance, both looking nearly identical with their metallic skin and blank expressions. Bald heads made distinguishing the two all the more difficult as the sack they wore covered from their neck to their knees. One could spot the female only by the slight indication of breast under the sack she wore. Both held arms loosely at their sides and stared with red eyes waiting to see what their animalistic companions were capable of, both their nails slowly extending to claws while waiting.
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Post by Nathaniel Zsoldos on Sept 8, 2013 14:55:42 GMT -5
All three animals lunged at Nate at once, and his reflexes took over.
The spider was first to lunge, its fangs and front legs pointed at Nate's waist and the same red liquid dripping from its mouth. Nate ignored that, though, and before it got too close his leg struck out and caught the spider in the middle abdomen, kicking it with enough force to send it back toward the strange humans. At that moment, the bat was in his face, and Nate cried out before losing his balance and stepping heavily to the side, falling down and hard on his elbow. Nate couldn't tell if he had gotten any of the red liquid on his shoe or not, but there were two more urgent matters to take care of, so he put that thought to the side.
The snake was right behind the spider, closer than Nate had anticipated. Nate's sudden drop to the ground had put him out of the way of the snake's attack, but it wouldn't be long before the bat dived from the sky and hit him.
A sudden sharpness on the back of his neck sent him sprawling again, and for a moment he laid there, disoriented, before scrambling back to his feet, Arlie held in front of him in a defensive block. He could feel warmth dribble down the back of his neck, and he saw the bat circling above, possibly getting ready for another attack. He had to move faster.
Gripping the handle of the scythe tightly, Nate turned around and dashed, running towards the snake and jumping over the writhing body, his long legs clearing the hurdle easily. As he jumped, he angled the scythe, grabbing the far side of the snake's body with the bottom of the blade and, using his hands as a fulcrum, spun it so that it had nowhere to go but up through the snake's metallic body, catching the bottom skin and slicing straight up as Nate fell. Assuming this snake was the same as the one they had faced earlier, Arlie's scythe blade would easily cut through, leaving them with one less enemy. If not, Nate would be sent flying, the scythe stuck under the snake's body and him sprawled out on the other side of it.
In either case, he'd have to trust that his snap decision was one that would pay off, not only for his sake but for Arlie's.
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Arlie Davis
Weapon
Demon Scythe
A dry well teaches us the worth of water.
Posts: 63
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Post by Arlie Davis on Sept 22, 2013 18:08:37 GMT -5
It was a clusterfuck and they were right in the middle of it all. Arlie was glad that she had shifted the way she did into her Weapon form. With the main shaft of the scythe in front of him, Nate would at least partially be blocked even if he needed a minute to think. Whatever he did, Arlie prayed he did it quickly. They had a whole pack of enemies all headed straight towards them. Arlie peered out at them, watching as she floated in the familiar darkness, but her eyes couldn’t settle. What first? What would work best? Nate was already moving before even she had the time to properly align her thoughts.
The blonde had to gawk at Nate’s reflexes. Spiders as big as the one he sent back with a kick needed to be made illegal. Granted these were obviously something someone had constructed, but that didn’t mean that Arlie wouldn’t still take exception to it. But the bat that dove for Nate’s face was on hi near instantly. Her Meister staggered, fell, but didn’t seem to be hurt. Arlie contemplated changing back just for this part of the fight but resisted and squashed that thought instantly.
That course of action wouldn’t do. She had her partial form, sure, but without her Nate would lack a huge asset. With her in scythe form they could both do more damage. If she changed back then she would be the only one with any real weaponry, and Nate would be stuck with his feet and his fists, and Arlie doubted fighting these things in hand to hand combat was a good idea. Forcing her worries out of her mind, she stayed put and watched. This was something she would need to get used to. All she could do was keep a sharp eye out in case an attack came from an angle that Nate couldn’t or wouldn’t pick up on.
The snake missed him only because of the fall, but as Arlie’s eyes swept the room, he saw the bat dive bomb him from behind,
“Nate, look out!”
Too late. It got him on the back of the neck and sent him back down. Arlie glared, not that the creature or her Meister could see it. She needed to be more alert. They both needed to be more alert and focused. Who knows what that red stuff did, and Arlie was wondering now if they would find out. Swallowing hard, the blond could only hope it wasn’t serious, but then Nate was still standing. She hoped that meant it wasn’t that bad. Arlie felt Nate’s grip on her tighten and watched as he lurched forth towards their enemies.
While Nate took care of the serpent, Arlie was watching the others. The bat was highest on her shit list being sneaky and also capable of flight, but the spider was worrisome as well. However, the humanoid looking things were truly what concerned her most. They had started at them initially; she’d seen them do it. But their sudden stop worried her, her eyes fixated on them. They were creepy as all hell, just staring and silent and absolutely still. Arlie watched them like a hawk. Any movements they made that Nate didn’t pick up on, she would report. She didn’t want to allow for another scratch on him, not on her watch.
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Post by Rylux on Dec 17, 2013 18:48:39 GMT -5
Taking the kick sent the spider back in a disoriented state, lying on the floor to recompose itself after it had stopped moving. Staring down the human shaped figures made no move to intervene but only watch the team as well as the creatures attacking them. After its attack the bat remained aloft in the air so it would have greater mobility in attacking the students. The snake had little time to think about anything after its lunge had missed. Finding a scythe blade against it there was little resistance before it was sliced clean through and fell to the ground, decaying into a puddle of red substance near instantly.
With the snake’s defeat the team would feel a small pull of madness upon them. Attacking their fears and anxieties it washed over them in a short wave before subsiding not even a minute later. In that short time though the other creatures took their chance and went in for another attack, attempting to make the most use out of the snake’s death. The spider leaped again and aimed for Nate’s arm in the hope that it would cripple him or at least disable him temporarily. Fangs and arms barred it wanted to prevent the scythe from swinging and taking out any other enemies.
At the same time the bat swooped in from the air and dived for Nate’s shoulder. Clearly they were both planning on limiting what movements the team could do before facing the true kishin egg. Fangs extended the bat went in to bite Nate’s shoulder; however the tell-tale red was not present on the exposed teeth. From where the voice had come from noises could be heard as machines whirred and a sick sound of something gooey being compressed emanated. The kishin egg was doing something, and by the sounds of it quickly, while the team was busy with the creatures.
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Post by Nathaniel Zsoldos on Dec 27, 2013 16:56:29 GMT -5
Panic overtook Nate. As soon as the snake had been sliced through, he landed heavily on his feet and staggered, breathing heavily. The moment passed, and he felt himself gasping. That must be Madness, he thought, breathing heavily.
But there was no time to think about that.
The spider had leaped at Nate, who responded too slowly - he got the scythe up, but the blade was still faced down. Instead of hitting the spider to kill, instead he slammed the base of the scythe into it's face, hitting it like a baseball, far enough away to give him a moment to breathe. He didn't want to chance getting bitten by fangs covered in the red liquid. He didn't hit it hard enough to cause damage, just to get it away from him for a little bit.
He didn't see the bat swoop in, and he cried out in pain when the fangs dug right into his shoulder. He felt himself stumble, which gave him an idea. As long as the bat was still biting him...
Nate slammed his body into the wall with all his strength, catching the bat between his shoulder and the bricks. He hoped to dislodge it, stun it. The force would definitely be enough to make the bat lose hold, he thought. He reached up and tore the bat off, unable to see if it was still biting down, and threw the bat to the floor with his good arm.
Nate was feeling run down. He didn't want to worry Arlie, but the pain in his shoulder and the back of his neck was causing him a bit of discomfort, and fear was worming its way into his joints, making him slow.
The squelching noises from down the dark passageway further into the room weren't helping.
Focus on what you can do, Nate, he scolded himself, and in a smooth motion he had sent the sharp blade of the scythe through the bat's torso, forcibly separating it into two halves before it could fly away to attack again. It was all Nate could do not to retch.
Two down.
He turned toward the spider, and angling the scythe, crossed over to it and, stomping on its back so that it couldn't move away, cut its head off.
It took him a moment, breathing hard, and he leaned on the scythe heavily. It would probably be his only moment of rest before...
A jolt of fear and adrenaline shot through him.
Before the Kishin Egg.
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Arlie Davis
Weapon
Demon Scythe
A dry well teaches us the worth of water.
Posts: 63
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Post by Arlie Davis on Dec 28, 2013 19:21:45 GMT -5
That red stuff was seriously starting to damage her calm, not that Arlie had much of one to begin with. She watched through a sliver in the dark she drifted in as the snake met its end and dissolved into a pool of the vile stuff. The blonde wrinkled her nose. And she’d thought snakes were gross to begin with. She doubted she would leave the catacombs without hating them, granted she’d technically despised them to begin with.
Something else unnerved her with the snake’s death though. It was dull, sudden, and gone before she could blink, but Arlie felt a very distinct yank on her psyche. Fear rose to the forefront of her mind, sending a terrible chill through her. Her disgust with the catacombs was amplified and her anxiety that she would fail her Meister skyrocketed. And then, as quickly as it had come it was gone. Arlie grimaced. That couldn’t be good. What’s more if that happened every time they offed one of their artificial attackers if they would get that same burst of madness. Worse, what if there was a bigger affect the bigger opponents? Arlie cast a wary gaze at the two more human looking constructs, still standing stock still and staring like dolls. No, she didn’t like this at all.
But they had other things to worry about. The spider and the bat were on the move again, and Arlie didn’t have the attention span to follow both. Hell, she’d been so fixated on the creepy semi-human sidekicks she didn’t even notice until Nate was already moving and in action again. Arlie clapped herself on her cheeks and stared defiantly at the images of their enemies. Vigilant, she must be vigilant! But then that was all she could really do. Watching from her place in the dark, she would have been glad at seeing the spider go flying if not for the bat converging on her Meister post haste from behind,
“Behind you!”
Aaand again, they weren’t quick enough. Drats! Even so, Nate more than made up for it by slamming the nasty critter into the wall behind him. While the progress made her grin, Arlie was beginning to worry. She could feel Nate’s own anxiety over his wavelength. She couldn’t exactly blame him. He was hurt, but Arlie knew they could do it. They’d taken down a good few of their foes so far, she knew they could keep it up. Gently, Arlie pushed a little with her wavelength, just enough to remind him she was there. I’m here with you. She didn’t say it, she didn’t want to distract him now that they seemed to be on a roll, but it was all she thought of for a split second.
The bat and the spider were down now. Arlie tried not to look at the corpses, just in case they dissolved too. She didn’t know if it was possible to puke while she was in her Weapon form, but she really didn’t want to find out. Her eyes moved to the human figures, her ears honing in on the unsettling noises coming from further down in the dark of the passageway. She swallowed dryly. They weren’t even at the real challenger yet. All at once, that realization hit her like a ton of bricks. Grey eyes widened as she continued to stare, another chill settling in, this one burrowing deep into her bones. This was all a prelude. All this fighting they were doing was a practice run that was tiring them out.
They still had yet to even lay eyes on the Kishin Egg.
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Post by Rylux on Feb 24, 2014 23:10:24 GMT -5
If the spider was capable of showing emotion it would have been rather pissed at being knocked away from the students again. First it was kicked and then it was hit like a baseball by the team but they had yet to finish it off. The least they could do was just kill it with the scythe instead of humiliating it by continuing to knock it away. Getting hit with the scythe was more damaging than just getting kicked and the spider fumbled trying to right itself after the attack. Eight metallic hairy legs scraped against the ground trying to find purchase and stand up.
The bat showed no sympathy to the spider as it swooped in to damage the meister. If only it shared the same traits as its brethren the meister would be in much worse sorts than he was. Sadly that was not the case and in return the bat felt the meister move. Teeth still in his flesh the bat couldn’t escape before Nathaniel slammed into the wall and crushed it. Pain was not something the bat worried about but even so it could tell the blow had broken at least one of its wings. Letting go it held onto the meister best it could before being thrown to the floor. Already injured the bat could do nothing as the blade of the scythe came down and ended its existence, in death another wave of madness would be released from the bat and wash over the team.
While the team handled the bat the spider worked to get back on its legs. It was a difficult but with time it made it up and stood on all its legs. Shortly after it got up Nate’s foot stomped into its back and the scythe decapitated it. Again madness from the defeated creature spilled out over the team joining with the madness that escaped from the bat. Strengthening the effect of the madness the team would have a stronger pull on their fears and anxieties, perhaps even causing hallucinations on them from the stronger wavelength. Both of their bodies dissolved into nothing after the madness left them.
Despite the creatures being defeated the team would not be given a moment to rest after their victory. The humanoid creatures began to move toward the team with their blank expressions, the subtly sound of machinery could be heard when their joints moved. Slowly approaching the team their movements became faster until the two were running at the team. Expressionless the two came at the team raising their arms up and posing them like claws to fight the team. Their nails protruded a few inches to show that they were metallic as well and seemed to be small blades. The two approached the team without fear or any preconceived plan.
The smaller one who looked mostly feminine moved ahead and came at the team with a clawed hand aimed for Nate’s face before suddenly turning to the side and sending a slash toward his waist. At the same time the taller one came straight for the team with a punch aimed at Nate’s chest. Neither of the two changed their faces or showed any signs of emotion, just two deadpan expressions as they attacked. They didn’t seem to derive any enjoyment out of fighting nor did they seem to have a purpose, they just fought because it was the only thing for them to do.
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Post by Nathaniel Zsoldos on Mar 20, 2014 18:16:03 GMT -5
"Ugh-!"
Nate staggered. The madness that oozed out from the creatures was worse now. The bat Nate could have dealt with, but the spider, too...it hit him all at once, and he fell to his knees, his free hand going to his forehead, grabbing at his hair as he felt anxiety and pain envelop him.
You're going to die down here.
"No," he gasped.
You're going to die here. Like us.
His head jolted upright, and Nate could feel his breath catch in his throat.
Two people were standing before him, almost bright against the gloom of the sewers.
His mom and dad.
Not the parents that resided in Death City, home with his sister, but his birth parents, alumni of Shibusen and famous witch fighters. Nate reached his arm out.
Die. Like us.
Before his eyes, Nate watched as his mother crumpled to the ground, oozing apart, bones sticking out of her at terrible angles. His father's face slid off, revealing the muscle beneath. He charged.
DIE!
Nate screamed and swung the scythe up to block, but the face that stared back as they were forced away wasn't the corpse of his father - it was a stranger, deadpan and feminine. As Nate tried to take stock in the situation, the hallucination fading away, he felt a blossom of pain on his chest. He was on the floor.
Someone had knocked him down. Just in time - it was the shock that had fully dissipated the hallucination. Nate felt shivery, cold fear in his hands and feet. Class never prepared us for this, he thought, rubbing his chest and feeling the bruise that would surely be there tomorrow.
That is, if they lived to tomorrow.
Coughing and scrambling to his feet, Nate felt reassured by the fact he was still holding onto the scythe, but less so by the fact that there were two people standing before him. The metallic glinting at their fingers hinted at sharp claws, or something like.
But he was finally thinking clearly.
Nate adjusted his grip on Arlie.
"Sorry about that," he said, tensing. "I'm back." He took a deep breath in, exhaled slowly to calm himself, poised to run at any moment. "Any ideas, Arlie?"
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Arlie Davis
Weapon
Demon Scythe
A dry well teaches us the worth of water.
Posts: 63
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Post by Arlie Davis on Mar 28, 2014 21:32:51 GMT -5
There it was again! Arlie felt it keenly this time as the bat met its end, the madness. It hit her in a wave and made her stomach do somersaults. But it twisted something. For a brief moment, all she felt was a sudden rush of euphoria that had a wide grin spreading across her face and her eyes dancing as she floated alone in the dark. It was gone in a flash, and Arlie felt a chill go through her, shaking her head as she rubbed her arms. “Confound it,” she exclaimed, “I’ve had about enough of those cheap tricks!”
But that wouldn’t be it, of course. The spider would die too, and again it hit her. Washing over her in a sickening warm wave, she felt like sugary bubbles were forming in her stomach, emerging from her lips as soft giggles that she cut off in an instant by slamming her mouth shut. And then it was gone. Letting out a bit of a shaky breath, Arlie tried to keep her focus on her surroundings. With the other critters down, all that remained were the two…well, whatever they were. Arlie was certain they weren’t human, no matter how similar their features. A tentative but determined smile worked its way onto her face, “Two more, we can take ‘em!”
But she received no relevant response from Nate. Only as her Meister dropped to his knees did Arlie realize she could still feel the madness. It was somewhere near, sending warm chills out towards her. Blinking grey eyes peered out at her Meister and watched desperately as he spoke to things she couldn’t see. That’s where it was coming from. Nate was still caught in its throes. “Nate, snap out of it, sugar” she yelled frantically, “it ain’t real!”
The humanoids were coming for them, covering distance quickly. Arlie glared out at them. If they grew too close then she’d do something, but only if it came to that. “Nate,” she pleaded, “they’re comin’ for us, get a hold o’ yerself!”
Arlie would be lying if she said she hadn’t felt a brief moment of fear when Nate screamed and swung her upwards to block from who knows what. Thankfully, that seemed to dissipate it. The chills left, and Nate seemed to come to his senses, albeit just in time to be knocked down. Arlie grimaced. This wasn’t going well. Arlie stared at the light reflecting off the humanoid’s nails, their empty and hollow eyes. Swallowing dryly, she thought hard about transforming back and rushing them with her partial, just to give Nate even a few more moments to get his head in order.
But that wouldn’t be necessary. He quickly got to his feet and adjusted his grip on her, obviously tense but she would trust him. Hearing his apology, Arlie let out a soft breath and grew a relieved smile, though tentative and invisible to him currently. Alone in the dark with the feeling of soft grass beneath her feet, Arlie sent out her wavelength again. Not enough to disrupt the balance, just enough for her to reassure him that she was still there. “S’alright, sugar. We’re both guilty on that front,” she reminded him.
As for ideas, Arlie was fresh out. Taking in the situation, they were definitely not doing as well as she could have hoped. Looking out at the two humanoids, the blonde wracked her brain for something, anything. She was no strategist, she was too rough and tumble for it. Thinking wasn’t her strong suit unless she was actively talking. Wait a minute… Maybe there was something.
“Watch out fer their nails, they’re sharp like rattler fangs.”
Grey flitted over each of the humanoids, finding very little differences. Whether it helped or not, she was going to keep talking. With any luck, maybe she would say something helpful, “Listen to ‘em move, they don’t sound human at all. Their faces ain’t changed once since we got here. On account o’ they might be even slower on the uptake than I am, don’t try to be cute, just keep movin’ since they’ll be doin’ the same. Do what we’ve been doin’ but be quicker about it. Don’t let ‘em hitcha again if you can help it, and slice ‘em up real good for givin’ us so much trouble!”
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