Grayell scowled and stopped, turning around to face the others. The whisper in the woods wasn't fairies of the trees and it had him entirely concerned for his two partners. Serenity especially. He looked side to side, jaw set tight and ears ever attentive. The air didn't smell right either.
If you two would like to return to the village, I will see this through. I don't want to see either of you hurt.
The words were meant for them both but he looked directly at Serenity when he said it.
The corruption has taken sway in the woods here and I fear it's beyond the scope of one creature and it's underlings. Something old, malicious has taken root here and the longer we are here, the greater the risk. I don't want either of you in such peril.
Serenity looked up at Grayell, "Don't worry about me, I accepted this job too, I'm not going to just wait in town while you put yourself in danger. I can still summon the wind, though it will take some effort, and..."
She stomped her right foot and a small mound of dirt erupted next to her, "I can still do that, though to a more lethal degree. I'm not defenseless Grayell."
She was a bit testy with that, she hated being looked down as a helpless maiden, whether Grayell meant to imply that or not. Though her recent events didn't help her case.
Sighing, she rubbed her forehead and looked away into the trees, "I'll be fine, don't worry about me."
Grayell managed a smile then and he slipped a hand onto her shoulder.
Look, I know you can take care of yourself. You saved my ass right? But don't be cross if I just don't want to see you hurt.
After all.... like it or not missy, someone has to keep you out of trouble.
He gave her a grin and a look that was unmistakably playful. Perhaps the quest at hand had him on edge, but Serenity could tear down such pretense too easily.
She didn't return the same smile, a serious, yet somewhat solemn expression lingered there. Shaking her head and brushing her hair with one hand she slowly began to move forward again,
"You've done a lot for me Grayell, let me help you as well."
The trees seem to have gone forever, and it was easy to see why anyone would get lost as the density increased and roots began to take up more floor space than the earth itself.
A little sound rang in Grayell's ears again, and seemed to want to tug him away somewhere, trying to point him in the right direction. Serenity was still slightly ahead of them.
That's when the atmosphere really began to feel abnormal. Suddenly it seemed as if time had gone by quickly and the sun could no longer reach them. A slow taking darkness took hold of the forest floor and then slowly blocked out the canopy. Something felt as if it were crawling all around them, and yet nothing was there to be seen.
It wasn't completely dark, as they could all see each other still, but the sudden change still was reason to panic.
Grayell would be the first to notice their presence, the creatures that had been watching them since they arrived and walked into the forest. They were all at a distance from the group, but they surrounded them.
When Serenity finally noticed them, she backed away slowly to Grayell and Alec again.
Grayell reached out to clutch Serenity's shoulder and walked forward, keeping her guarded behind him. His other hand had slowly drawn his sword from it's sheath and he was lower now, his feet taking careful, intuitive steps across the uneven ground.
His eyes had become steel, cold and un-betraying as he slowly, ever so slowly turned to sweep his sides. They were everywhere. Grayell growled, his body buzzing with anticipation of the chaos about to ensue.
Alec, if you happen to be a light mage; now would be the time.
Alec [M:118:6:][D3v:http://rpgmenagerie.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=cs&thread=412&page=1#1242]"I see," said the blind man to the deaf lady.[0:Wandering the stacks.][1:Present and accounted for.]
Looking around, Alec nods. "You asked if I was capable, Serenity?" Alec settles into a loose combat stance, feet set wide, one slightly in front of the other. "Now seems as good a time as any to show you, rather than tell you." He raises his hands, pulled into loose fists. "I'm afraid I'm not a light mage, though. Perhaps I'll read up on it after this little adventure."
Come in under the shadow of this red rock, and I will show you something different from either your shadow at morning, striding behind you, or your shadow at evening, rising to meet you. I shall show you fear in a handful of dust.
Alright then, Alec you cover the rear... time we got on the move people!
Grayell (who wasn't entirely certain of the terrain layout) swung his blade to a reverse grip and bolted forward, leaping over the mess that had blocked the path in front of them. He wasn't at a full sprint, he wouldn't leave the other two too far from him.
Before chasing after Grayell, she decided to forget her original plan and do something else to protect them for a short while.
"Rise!"
Serenity pulled her arms back and then threw them forward, the earth obeying and erupting a set of walls in front of them, shifting the trees away. The parallel walls of earth moved past Grayell, putting him inside their guarded space and would at least by them all some time as the creatures had an obstacle to climb over now.
Serenity and Alec moved inside the new path, she closing the way behind them so that the monsters would have to attempt to climb over which admittedly would not be difficult. Her makeshift path way would not have gone on long either but it would be a nice start to put the creatures behind them at least.
And so the shadow monsters ran at them now, and like she suspected were climbing over her walls and tried to give chase. At least most of them were behind it seemed.
The walled path ended soon as the party rushed through but they were all still together, Serenity and Alec following after Grayell.
Once they were outside the protection of the path, a certain something pulled Grayell out of the trees and into a large clearing where light shined on them.
Moving toward the middle the creatures followed after them, the light shining through them and making them appear more physical. Their bodies looked a little more skeletal, and less cloudy as they were before.
About 15 of the monsters chased them into the clearing while most others remained in the trees, watching from their barrier.
An upstart among them ran forward at a great speed and took a leap at Grayell.
The GM will determine the outcome of actions in this battle
Grayell hissed as the first fell toward him and his arm swung up, brandishing his sword to block the attack. His knees pulled down and back, tucking him close to the ground. As the attack came home, he moved to slide his sword against the incoming strike and then switched feet, moving a step back. His sword pulled down, opening his guard to invite a lunge...
... and then he spun, his leg hammering out with a back kick to the creatures mid section. A lesser animate would fall apart under such a blow, this creature had not yet been tested.
Alec [M:118:6:][D3v:http://rpgmenagerie.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=cs&thread=412&page=1#1242]"I see," said the blind man to the deaf lady.[0:Wandering the stacks.][1:Present and accounted for.]
Placing one hand over the other, Alec concentrates on the metal studs in his glove for a moment, whispers something in a nearly forgotten language, and raises the top hand. The metal studs raise with it, forming short, sharp spikes on knuckle. He repeats this with his other hand. He drops into a lower fighting stance than before, legs spread wider, knees bent. "Serenity, if you've got a plan, now would be the time to let us know."
Come in under the shadow of this red rock, and I will show you something different from either your shadow at morning, striding behind you, or your shadow at evening, rising to meet you. I shall show you fear in a handful of dust.
Grayell's monster kick nearly threw the shadow off it. Instead the creature flew backwards and landed hard on its back, not moving. These monsters were fast but their stamina seemed to be lacking, especially in the light it seemed. Still, that didn't seem to deter the others.
"I had a plan when we were in the trees...and this was supposed to be the end result regardless. We have fighting space now."
A crowd of five shadow monsters ran after Serenity, one of which tried to perform the same leap feat as the first did on Grayell. Before it made contact the mage had raised an earthen pillar out of the ground and interrupted the monster in the air, forcing it back to the ground. The other three surrounded her while the fourth was getting itself back up.
Sliding one foot across the ground in an ark, she shifted the earth under their feet and forced them to the ground where she then summoned the wind in a twister around her body. The twister dispersed and threw the creatures off the ground and off to the edge of the clearing. Slashing her arm like a sword, she turned to throw a quick, powerful gust at her last creature and threw hard at the trunk of a tree where it made a cringing shattering sound.
Four shadow beasts ran, charged after Grayell at great speed but none faster that he couldn't dictate. One at a time they would make attacks at his body, the first of which simply attempting a running slash with its dark claw, the second doing the same but to his left side, the third attempting to take his legs, and the last to leap and attempt to latch onto Grayell where it would hack and slash at him relentlessly.
The last group of five monsters went for Alec, performing a surrounding formation. They took their space around the book worm, scanned him, and then attacked all at once.
One of the creatures went to slash at his head from his left side; two attacked from the front and attempted to slash at his chest; an attack at his back; and the last to grasp his neck from his right side.
Alec [M:118:6:][D3v:http://rpgmenagerie.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=cs&thread=412&page=1#1242]"I see," said the blind man to the deaf lady.[0:Wandering the stacks.][1:Present and accounted for.]
Alec crouches and turns, then drives a foot into the knee of the shadow from behind him. From there he pushes backwards, arms out, tripping the two that were in front of him. He jumps on the back of one, and slams a spiked fist into the back of its head. As the other rises he smashes an elbow into its skull. Rising, he spins and plants a metal-plated shin in the abdomen of the one on the left, while shooting both fists into the chest of the other.
Come in under the shadow of this red rock, and I will show you something different from either your shadow at morning, striding behind you, or your shadow at evening, rising to meet you. I shall show you fear in a handful of dust.
Four shadow beasts ran, charged after Grayell at great speed but none faster that he couldn't dictate. One at a time they would make attacks at his body, the first of which simply attempting a running slash with its dark claw, the second doing the same but to his left side, the third attempting to take his legs, and the last to leap and attempt to latch onto Grayell where it would hack and slash at him relentlessly.
Grayell wound his leg back, chambered to his knee before it slid again behind him. His blade wove a lazy arc in the air as he exhaled, eyes cold but working overtime, his senses electric. Both hands now gripped his sword as it came to rest before him, his shoulders sinking as he curled his back, drew breath to increase the tension in his gut. His vision divided by the back of his blade, air hissed through clamped teeth, ceasing as his tongue pressed to the roof of his mouth.
He felt his warrior spirit writhing within him, setting fire to his spine and neck, bringing clarity to his mind as energy flowed to his hands and onto his sword.
None of this was seen and none of it took more than a split second. But in this world he occupied in combat, he had the time he needed with ease. Time spent to restrain and focus the beast that stirred within him, before he unleashed it's hell.
One smooth motion, connecting the dots. His sword folded for the first, covering his torso from hip to shoulder as his wrist folded, the blade cutting air like a scream. It flowed along it's line to his left, where it rotated and slid forward - greeting the second across the gut - then lower to sweep about his own legs in legs in a delicate arc, looking to sever any hope of an attack on his foundation.
It then stopped, was drawn up and back to his right hip where his arms coiled... before thrusting directly forward, seeking the visage of his last attacker.
Grayell's keen sense of battle and knowledge of his own battle finishes the line of the monsters in a single movement, breathless and precise. The creatures fall to the ground and slowly seem to dissipate.
Alec was no slouch himself, crouching down to avoid two simultaneous attacks while countering three at the same time, then finishing off the other two with quick striking, the scholar proved to be an exceptional martial artist.
Serenity couldn't help buy whistle, impressed by the two men, she winked over at them before turning her head back to the tree line where many more were waiting.
Stepping over to the middle of the ground and facing the tree line, Serenity began to take deep, calm, breaths.
"I haven't perfected this just yet, but you both may want to cover your ears."
A little vortex gathered right in front of her face, its eye facing Serenity and the top at the creatures. Finally, releasing her breath, she screamed.
An ear shattering scream that became focused within the vortex of wind that shot out in a stream. Her voice could barely be heard outside the wind current, but inside it, the pierce was loud and dissonant. She sweeped the line, some of her 'shriek cannon' bouncing off the trees, but the creatures that didn't think to hide behind such an easy defense were caught in the vocal vortex and became either disoriented or ran off away from the attack.
The monsters retreated back into the shadows, leaving the group for the moment at least.
Taking the moment to explore their new surroundings, the group would notice a little path at one end of the clearing, slightly elevated, and led into a new clearing within which was a visible front of what is or was a church of some kind.
Last Edit: Aug 14, 2011 2:29:13 GMT -5 by Serenity