silverdust [M:0:0:][D3v:http://rpgmenagerie.com/index.cgi?board=ci&action=display&thread=314]Mess with the panther, and you get the dagger in your throat.
Post by silverdust on Jan 28, 2012 21:44:39 GMT -5
Kat gritted her teeth against the sharp, persistent sound, and continued to slip on silent feet up the tunnel. Of their own volition, her ears laid back against her skull, cutting down the ice-pick sharpness of the sound, but also blunting her ability to pick up the small sounds around her, except for those behind. She stopped a moment when she heard movement far behind her down the tunnel, but continued swiftly on when she determined it was simply the blind man, Dominic, and a group of others from the camp. Oh, how she wished she could tell them all to be quiet. Surely Mina's captors would hear them coming long before they arrived, with the fuss they were kicking up.
Dominic [M:123:1420:][D3v:http://rpgmenagerie.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=cs&thread=382&page=1#14144][b]Let me tell you a story...[/b][0:No encore today][1:You have my attention]
He was, at his core, terrified. But he hated, more than anything, bullies. He had his reasons for that but the bard would throw himself stupidly against the rocks out of sheer stupid indignation. A hero complex matched to a desire to transcend his limitations didn't help him much in that respect. One day, he often had mused, he'd end up well liked, well respected, well reembered and well and truly dead doing the right thing.
Still, don't let 'em see you sweat, as the saying goes. He carried forward, not turning his head back to the fellows trailing after him, but offering guidance and insight. An idea struck him, knowing the men would be somewhat afraid in the dark, trusting him to warn them. Best to give them some panic recourse that'd be useful. His voice came out as a low, steady whisper.
"Okay, hold up a sec. We're getting closer. Now I'm gonna keep my ears real sharp for anything that might even seem like danger. So if I smack my staff on the ground three times I want you all to bust out whatever light you can. Torches, flares, any light magic you got in you. Keep yourself from getting dazzled but let loose with all the brightness you can. Should give you a few seconds jump on whatever likes the dark. 'Cept me o'course. You can't dazzle me." Flippant remark, that one, but it was all part of the confidence act. The wheel was spinning faster inside him, capable of great power, but liable to go spectacularly wrong if unbalanced.
Love, like Hope, has too few letters for a word so powerful.
The three minions Vayu had entrusted with kidnapping Mina were unhappy. Unhappy might be a mild adjective to use, too. Each one was sure they were first in Vayu's eyes and as such should be the one to present him with the girl. There was quite a bit of argument while they fled down the tunnel, too. When Mina started kicking her feet and throwing wild punches with her fists at the one currently carrying her their cooperation unraveled, and very damn quick.
"Hey! Hey! Calm down girl!"
Mina immediately started shrieking.
The three were not stupid. Vayu would tear them to shreds if his prize escaped. The minion not fending off Mina smashed her in the head with a rock.
"Idiot! If you've damaged her..."
The threat was left hanging when a moan from the girl was heard and they gathered the unconscious Mina back up. She was tossed over a shoulder like a sack of grain and given no more attention.
However. Sound carries. And while the tunnel did harbor an echo, Katerina could easily hear the ruckus from her position. Of course, she could also hear Dominic.
Eternity
“Put some clothes on, you weird, yellow-eyed, table-dancing, werewolf-training, cryptic, stare-me-right-in-the-eyes-and-don't-even-blink wench.”
silverdust [M:0:0:][D3v:http://rpgmenagerie.com/index.cgi?board=ci&action=display&thread=314]Mess with the panther, and you get the dagger in your throat.
Magic, magic... it was always that damned magic. She didn't really have anything against it, except that people seemed to turn to it instead of their own ingenuity and skills of the body.
Following the sounds of the scuffle, Kat knew she had to stay well ahead of Dominic and his group, lest they ruin her cover in their enthusiasm. Her daggers were held ready, and as soon as she caught up with them, these three were as good as dead.
What had begun as an earthen tunnel changed quickly when Katerina turned the next corner. The meadow that seemed so inviting above ground hid hundreds of bodies below the surface. Bones of all descriptions, all races, ages, and either gender were strewn about a large rectangular room, along with what might have been wooden benches several decades ago.
The ground surrounding her was so porous that here and there puddles of brackish water shone in the dim light. It smelled of damp, decay, and some other stench that was not readily identified. The 'ting' on the other hand was suddenly discovered - a consistent drop of water hitting a rusty tin plate. The acoustics of the room must have been superb, the amplification of that sound was astonishing.
But, where did Mina and her captors go? There did not seem to be an obvious exit.
Dominic and his group were not that far behind. Of course, it had taken some time to get organized but there were no side paths. The tunnel he took fed into the same room Katerina stood in. They were sure to collide, it was just a matter of time.
Eternity
“Put some clothes on, you weird, yellow-eyed, table-dancing, werewolf-training, cryptic, stare-me-right-in-the-eyes-and-don't-even-blink wench.”
Dominic [M:123:1420:][D3v:http://rpgmenagerie.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=cs&thread=382&page=1#14144][b]Let me tell you a story...[/b][0:No encore today][1:You have my attention]
Leading the men closer to the werelight of the chamber ahead, Dominic kept his ears sharp. He wasn't silent like Kat could be, staff clicking softly against the floor, feet shuffling. He liked to think he'd be able to hear Kat, but he'd barely been able to pick her out moving atop a structure he was seated directly by in the middle of a near silent field. That ringing sound was louder now, bouncing and rattling over the walls, but it was a strange thing. He could hear the differences in tone, ears sharp enough to just catch it, musical experience coming to the fore to judge it. It wasn't exact, not nearly, but he was getting a good impression of the size of the tunnel and the chamber beyond it.
"Okay fellas..." he whispered "I thought I heard voices up ahead, and we're about to enter a large chamber. Get ready to go bright, in case they're waiting for us. Oh and..." he grinned, unseen "...don't attack Katerina. She's likely in there too." Onward he moved, hearing the accoustics change. He just had to hope he wouldn't somehow get any of them in trouble, or get in the way himself.
Love, like Hope, has too few letters for a word so powerful.
silverdust [M:0:0:][D3v:http://rpgmenagerie.com/index.cgi?board=ci&action=display&thread=314]Mess with the panther, and you get the dagger in your throat.
Sense of smell was useless amongst such brackish water -- it overrode everything. Gritting her teeth she perked her ears up again, breathing through the sharp stab of pain with each *ping* *ping* *ping* of the water hitting the old tin plate, listening as hard as she count to gain a sense of direction for Mina's captors. She prowled around the room, triangulating every sound, and feeling for the brush of air against her skin to show her the way.
Dominic’s group had made it to the turn in the tunnel. The sound was as terrible to his ears as it had been to Katerina, perhaps even moreso. Dominic relied on his hearing to compensate for his lack of sight. The darkness of the tunnel provided no obstacles for him. On the other hand, the echoing sound as he came closer to the room tore his hearing asunder, if only for a few moments.
His companions were not so thwarted, and they were more than ready to deal out retribution to anyone that stood in their way. They had no intentions of hurting Katerina, of course. She was trying to help. Still, they were young men. Young men who, for the past several weeks, were helpless while those they loved disappeared. They heard Dominic’s words with their ears, but their hearts were still listening to the anguished cries of those left behind.
Dominic’s abrupt stop was enough to convince them they were under attack and they rushed the large room with enough light to power a small city.
Katerina, luckily, was studying the farthest wall. The back of the room held a stone dais several feet higher than the rest of the floor. The plethora of bones below was not matched up here, a few definitely, certainly not the mass littering the wet earth. The ruins of wooden benches toppled into the same wall, too.
Perhaps that is why she had missed the door. That, and the murky shadows which the harsh light had just now shattered.
Eternity
“Put some clothes on, you weird, yellow-eyed, table-dancing, werewolf-training, cryptic, stare-me-right-in-the-eyes-and-don't-even-blink wench.”
Dominic [M:123:1420:][D3v:http://rpgmenagerie.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=cs&thread=382&page=1#14144][b]Let me tell you a story...[/b][0:No encore today][1:You have my attention]
Dom sighed lowly as he heard and felt the men rush past him. Well, looks like the whole 'stealthy approach' thing was right out. Dammit. He waited for the sounds of battle to ensue, but when they didn't he managed to unknot his tensed muscles and lower his staff from the ready position.
"Three taps, fellas." he said simply, shaking his head. "Gotta make sure yer right on top of 'em, or yer just a nicely lit target." He sounded breezy enough, but cold cold dread began to seep into the pit of his stomach. Had the men's rashness tipped off the kidnappers? Had he just doomed that sweet little girl to a grisly end. He certainly hoped not.
Love, like Hope, has too few letters for a word so powerful.
silverdust [M:0:0:][D3v:http://rpgmenagerie.com/index.cgi?board=ci&action=display&thread=314]Mess with the panther, and you get the dagger in your throat.
Kat turned around when they emerged, making an awful noise, into the chamber. She narrowed her eyes at them and, quite without thinking, bared her wickedly sharp and definitely not human teeth in annoyance. She held a finger to her lips, vaulted onto the dais and leapt for the door, grabbing hold of the lintel and flipping into the room to land soft-footed on the other side, the piles of noisy bones safely behind her.
Ramon, well ahead of the rest of his companions, shrank back from the sudden flash of Kat’s teeth and immediately regretted it. Of course, he was also felt chagrined as soon as Dominic spoke and not just for himself.
“Forgive me, Bard. I... We are jumping at shadows.”
Which was true, but for a moment there when he saw Katerina’s teeth he felt a sudden, stunning emotion and that emotion was not fear. Ramon shook his head and pointed at the doorway the catgirl had vaulted past.
“The room is full of dead bodies Dominic. Something horrible happened here and from the looks of it? No one escaped. There is a door along the back wall. That… um… girl who looks like a cat? Sort of? She went right through it.”
Thank Lady Luck that his friends were more interested in the bones on the floor. Ramon was blushing hotly.
Katerina had landed well past the rotting bones and without a sound. Her quick response even sent her into the hallway with enough light to see several feet ahead of her. And there were shadows flowing down the stone walls, shadows that were distorted, wide, and too numerous to be Mina or her captors alone.
Eternity
“Put some clothes on, you weird, yellow-eyed, table-dancing, werewolf-training, cryptic, stare-me-right-in-the-eyes-and-don't-even-blink wench.”
Dominic [M:123:1420:][D3v:http://rpgmenagerie.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=cs&thread=382&page=1#14144][b]Let me tell you a story...[/b][0:No encore today][1:You have my attention]
Dominic had keen ears and an even keener sense of people's emotions. He heard the little quaver in the young man's voice and he knew it wasn't the fear of the rescue that put it there. His reply was genial, a little teasing even, despite the grave situation.
"Well that's good, I can't hear a shadow if it's about to attack me. Fear's no enemy, friend, more like a wild companion that can be as useful as a good blade if controlled. Let's get after her and maybe she'll give you a kiss for the brave backup."
He grinned then, shuffling through the bones as quietly as he could to get to the wall and begin moving toward where they said the entrance was. Inside he was screaming. Dead bodies everywhere? None escaped? What in the name of every divine was he doing down here? But he kept it from his face, from his voice, trying to stay true to his own word and control his fear. The fear made him alert, his reflexes and senses as sharp as they could be. He just hoped he didn't soil himself and ruin the illusion of capability.
Love, like Hope, has too few letters for a word so powerful.
silverdust [M:0:0:][D3v:http://rpgmenagerie.com/index.cgi?board=ci&action=display&thread=314]Mess with the panther, and you get the dagger in your throat.
Kat moved through those shadows like liquid, flowing with them. She itched for the fight, or preferably to find an unprotected back. The animal side of her longed to slide her knife into an unsuspecting kidney or two, to give them what they deserved for their part in what she had just seen revealed in the burning, painful light those noisy boys carried with them.
Past that dripping water, with the live bodies behind her defusing the sharp sound, she lifted her ears once more, listening intently to try and get a picture of what was ahead.
She is alive. Oh, Goddess above and Trickster behind, please let her be alive.
Ramon flushed even more, and with his dark complexion that was saying something. Still, he managed to get his thoughts in a coherent place. He had appointed himself Dominic’s eyes during the descent into this hall of bones. And was organizing all the visual information he could gather. Being distracted by a catgirl, a very hostile catgirl was not part of the agenda.
“Come on, move it you louts. Let the Bard get through the door.”
Ramon pushed, prodded, and moved their companions out of the way to give Dominic room. He walked beside him, too, just in case.
Katerina, meanwhile, gained some space during the confusion. Not to mention some new information. She had come out of the hallway onto a ledge that extended a good six feet out from the stone wall she had seen the shadows portrayed on before ending abruptly. The shadows were gone, now, but there were a least a dozen men beneath her, armed men. They did not have the posture that spoke of a soldier or mercenary, but men with clubs could still knock her out.
She might be able to jump down without alerting them. However, there were several of them and only one of her. They would get her by sheer numbers eventually.
Eternity
“Put some clothes on, you weird, yellow-eyed, table-dancing, werewolf-training, cryptic, stare-me-right-in-the-eyes-and-don't-even-blink wench.”
Dominic [M:123:1420:][D3v:http://rpgmenagerie.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=cs&thread=382&page=1#14144][b]Let me tell you a story...[/b][0:No encore today][1:You have my attention]
Dominic had taken note of all Ramon had told him, that there'd been some light and possible presence ahead. He could hear it now, the hubbub of voices. If only he'd been able to talk to Katerina before she'd stealthed away. They could have formulated a plan. The men could have made a distraction, got the attention of whoever was hostile while the silent feet and swift hands of the girl could have snatched Adamina away from the enemy, quick as a wink. Then have the men take out any light sources and scarper.
As it was he had no real idea of the size or composition of the enemy they faced and while he had some knowledge of battle tactics from story, song and the learning he'd gleaned he had absolutely no experience beyond 'hit them with a stick'. Leading the men to the entrance, trying to stay low and quiet, his mind buzzing to find some way to get everyone out.
"Ramon." he whispered as loud as he dare "Tell me what you see and see if you can't get Kat's attention without getting us noticed." They had the element of surprise, at least. The dazzling lightshow plan would have been perfect for a distraction too. Dammit.
Love, like Hope, has too few letters for a word so powerful.