Seeing the bow fall from the tree tops, he smirked, feeling like it could be a rouse to get him off their trail. He looked up and around him before starting climb the tree, gripping harshly at the branches, snapping a few off each, greeted with a growl of frustration. He did take note of feeling heavier but to him, it seemed more like the numbing his two fingers were feeling. 'Arrows...the arrows!' Was all he needed now and all hew knew was that they were on the elf's body weather it was alive or dead. not paying any mind to the comments or even the positions or actions of his comrades.
Deerfield stood under the tree and observed Zalini. As long as he didn't run further, Deerfield wouldn't either.
((OOC: everything else stays the same, just wanted to reaffirm what I wrote according to what Zalini does. No real change to my post before, just to make it clear))
She started dancin' real slow, like she was puttin' on a show.
Wet sweat was pourin' off her skin, her body made me wanna sin.
Right then my buzz was kickin' in, she had a devil's grin.
She looked me in the eye and said: You give me the urge!
To do a little day drinkin'
A little bit of love makin'
A whole lot of world shakin'
'Cause it's never too late to get low down dirty!
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Low Down Dirty
::Zalini and Miroslaw both manage to climb the tree as Deerfield watches on. Up in the branches they find the body of the last elf proped against the trunk of the tree with an arrow in his neck. It is obvious from the wound that it was not instantly fatal, and that most likely the elf bled out as he was lossing his last arrows.
Miroslaw manages to topple the body off its perch and down to the ground with a heavy thud. Deerfield sees the body land before him.
Being in close proximity, Miroslaw can now see to the discoloration spreading up Zalini's neck. Veins bulge and there seems to be a faint glow coming from within them.
The bandages on Zalini now feel tight and confining. Aggrivating. His aggression building to where any percieved slight, real or made up, would cause an outburst like an angry drunk.
Alexander, upon hearing the "All Clear" drops the shadow barrier and lays back on the ground, closing his eye as his hand stays near the bound wound on his leg. He tries to control his breathing to regain focus and rest enough to regain some power. He had expended alot of effort in both finding and killing the other archer and his other magick had left him drained. He would need some time before he was able to work even the minor healing he needed to repair his leg.::
"Search them. They may have something useful.
Are there any left alive?"
::The unconcious elf begins to groan in answer and shift about slightly.::
Last Edit: Feb 22, 2014 12:34:46 GMT -5 by Alexander
My first thought was, he lied in every word, That hoary cripple, with malicious eye Askance to watch the workings of his lie On mine, and mouth scarce able to afford Suppression of the glee, that pursed and scored Its edge, at one more victim gained thereby.
Miroslaw was horrified by the sight of the elf that suffered. IT must have taken some time for it to bleed out and it was Miroslaw's doing. He let out a deep sigh before pulling the arrow from the tree, leaving it lodged in its neck. He didn’t want the elf’s blood on him, so he was careful with it. Finally, he pushed the corpse off the tree.
After dumping the body, Miroslaw looked to see Zalini had joined him the tree. A confused look washed over his face. Then, he caught sight of the strange rash that was forming on Zalini. The confusion transformed to worry as he spoke, "Zalini. We should treat those wounds. Lets make our way back to the path, shall we?"
With that, Miroslaw promptly shimmied down the tree. Zalini appeared more that capable of carrying himself back down the tree, even through the wounds and rash he had. Miroslaw studied the bow more closely while waiting on Zalini to make it down the tree. It it looked useful or to be worth a few coins, he would take it.
If Zalini reached the bottom of the tree, Miroslaw would say with a smile, “You feeling okay, Zalini? Can you make it back to the path?” He hoped Zalini was alright, but didn’t want him to notice the odd discoloration and freak him out. He hoped Alexander would have an idea of how to treat it. Miroslaw grabbed the foot of the deceased elf and began walking, dragging the elf behind him.
Death is no more than turning us over from time to eternity. Whether that eternity is damnation or salvation is determined in the time we have.
Deerfield just waited under the tree for Alucard to come down. Zalini was probably going to look even worse. Therefore, as soon as he came down, Deerfield would try to slam the bottom of his sword's grip on the back of the man's head, trying to make him unconscious. For everybody's sake. Then he would carry/drag him back to the trail.
She started dancin' real slow, like she was puttin' on a show.
Wet sweat was pourin' off her skin, her body made me wanna sin.
Right then my buzz was kickin' in, she had a devil's grin.
She looked me in the eye and said: You give me the urge!
To do a little day drinkin'
A little bit of love makin'
A whole lot of world shakin'
'Cause it's never too late to get low down dirty!
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Low Down Dirty
He had noticed the discoloration as the arrow wound from his hand had showed him that. Finding himself smirking as he finally grasped the quiver of arrows and quickly searched the body for any vials or bottles before sliding back down the tree. Seeing Deerfeild near the tree he didn't think anything of it. Once he landed he would attempt to quickly slip the quiver on his torso before Deerfeild attempted to knock him out. If he wasn't knocked out at all, he would angrily spin around, fish only clenching just a split second before impact into Deerfeilds chest. "What is wrong with you!?" He would shout, again only if he wasn't knocked out with the initial hit.
::Zalini would notice a satchel on the elf's body that clinked as it moved. However, before he could investigate, Miroslaw successfully dumped the body from the tree to the ground below.
Miroslaw climbs down and turns his back on the tree to drag the body back towards the trail. The elf's bow is made of carved wood with some type of coating over it. It appears to be much stronger, sturdier, than your typical bow. He passes the unconcious elf as he shifts again and lets out a groan.
When you reach the trail you see Alexander getting to his feet. He still seems to be favoring his leg, but not as bad as it should have been considering the wound.::
"Was anyone injured? Was anyone struck by their arrows?"
::In the excitement of the battle, Alexander had missed Zalini being struck, not once, but twice. And in his bit of recovery, he had taken the time to use his healing Magick to mostly heal the wound in his leg. He counted himself lucky that the arrowhead had gone completely through the flesh. It had prevented the toxin that was on it from gaining as strong of a foothold and was therefore easier to undo. He was still curious about how pale and hard his skin had become around the wound before he had done his work though.::
::Zalini was able to retrieve the quiver before begining his decent. Had he known much about archery, he would have been able to tell the quiver was a bit heavier than it should have been. When you reach the ground, Deerfield is there to greet you.
Deerfield sees Zalini working his way down the tree. His wounded hand and forearm look swollen and mishapen now. As does the shoulder, neck and bicep on the other side. It seems as if his muscles are growing larger. Too large for a normal body, and not yet spread enough to even out. His veins glow from some kind of light flowing within them. Its enough to give you pause as your mind tries to comprehend what you are seeing before you. And that pause is all Zalini needed...
Zalini turns about after reaching the ground just in time to see Deerfield with the pommel of his sword raised high as if to strike. Your fist strikes out and hits Deerfield in the chest. There is a crack heard somewhere within the chest as Deerfield is forced to stumble back several steps from the weight of the impact.
Looking past Miroslaw as Zalini drops from the tree, Alexander is able to answer his own question. He steps forward, using his cane now in ture need instead of just for show. Moving quickly, he pushes past Miroslaw on his way to Zalini and Deerfield.::
My first thought was, he lied in every word, That hoary cripple, with malicious eye Askance to watch the workings of his lie On mine, and mouth scarce able to afford Suppression of the glee, that pursed and scored Its edge, at one more victim gained thereby.
Miroslaw take the bow and placed it on his back. It seemed to have some sort of special qualities that would need some more examining by a profession. He would continue dragging the body to the path, not ignorant of something happening behind him, but assuming Zalini would still follow. He did not know Deerfield was trying to knock him out. To Alexanders question, Miroslaw turns around to see that Zalini didn't follow him. He says, “Yeah. Zalini is poisoned with something.” Miroslaw knew he was of no use in this situation. He knew very little of poisons, much less of magic, and nothing of what was happening to Zalini.
After Alexander pushed past him, Miroslaw continued his own things. He moved the body he was dragging next to the other dead elf that Deerfield slayed. He couldn't resist checking their bodies for loot. It was not desecration, rather making use of their belongings past their expiration. Anything useful, he would not hesitate in taking. After fully looting them, he stood and went to the unconscious elf. He would look around for some nice vine to tie him up with. If he found nothing, he would simply take his weapons and return to the dead deformed elves to began their rite of passage. He would remain oblivious to the events that took place with Zalini for this time.
Last Edit: Mar 1, 2014 15:54:19 GMT -5 by Miroslaw
Death is no more than turning us over from time to eternity. Whether that eternity is damnation or salvation is determined in the time we have.
Deerfield wanted to scream out in pain and curse the mutated man he had been traveling with, but all he could do was cough as he stumbled back. He was a bit perplex and didn't really know what to do. He could think of no solution.
He didn't want to seriously harm Zalini, as tempting as it did seem at the time. Moreover he did not want to collect further injuries. He wasn't sure what had happened inside his own body, but it didn't feel good. Therefore, the only remedy in reach was to put a barrier between them, at least for now. A tree seemed to be able to do the job. He scrambled behind the nearest one in attempt to flee from the newly-grown brute's force.
He kept his sword away from Zalini, even if he remained ready to lash out at those ugly arms should they resort to striking him once more. For some reason, these people reacted severely to weapon-pointing and -raising. Despite the circumstances, he did manage to smile a bit at that thought.
Last Edit: Mar 1, 2014 17:02:01 GMT -5 by Deerfield
She started dancin' real slow, like she was puttin' on a show.
Wet sweat was pourin' off her skin, her body made me wanna sin.
Right then my buzz was kickin' in, she had a devil's grin.
She looked me in the eye and said: You give me the urge!
To do a little day drinkin'
A little bit of love makin'
A whole lot of world shakin'
'Cause it's never too late to get low down dirty!
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Low Down Dirty
His fists still clenched he watches as Deerfeild scurry behind a tree. 'Maybe a broken rib?' He questioned, seeing him real back in pain from his punch. 'This...stuff is, incredible, I didn't mean to break him but...' He continued to think, but came to a stop as just the mere thought of an ally attacking him outright like that made him surge with anger. "What do you think your doing!? I'm your ally! Are you one of them, huh!? Turning on all of us?" He shouted, not really able to think straight or even think of a reason why that made sense. He starts to stomp towards Deefeild, noticing a much greater weight, he stops to look at his wounds again and finally notices the bandages and how he has swollen underneath. This just fueling his anger, he continued to stomp towards Deerfeild, still, he spotted Alexander. "Stay out of this! This is between me and him!" He barked.
::Deerfield manages to find shelter behind a tree. Breathing is painful between his previous injuries and now what felt like at least one broken rib. Even as you watch Zalini, you can see his body changing before your eyes as the toxin picks up speed having reached closer to his heart.
Zalini stomps forward in his rage as all his mind seems to be able to focus on is that these men seem to be turning on him.
Alexander takes a vial of something from a pouch at his waist and drinks it. The refreshing feeling it brings washes over him and his fatigue fades. He continues to approach Zalini with one hand raised, and the other still supporting part of his weight off his wounded leg.::
"I am on your side. I saw what this foul villian tried to do to you. Let me help you."
::Alexander reaches out with his free hand towards Zalini, in the hopes that the man would allow even the briefest of touches.
Miroslaw loots the elves and finds that the blades are built much like the bow. Carved wood covered in a resin that gave them a keen edge and much more strength than wood should have. He also finds a pouch on each that contains a vial of a dark thick liquid and a small carved wooden totem. You would also notice that the thorns seen about their armor and body push out from beneath the skin. Were you to touch near one you would feel something just beneath the surface, like it was growing inside them.
One elf has a cloak that seems interesting, and you think you can piece together enough of the armor from all the elves to come up with an undamaged set that would fit one of the party members.
When you turn to check on the elf that was knocked out, you his pouch that matches the others you found is open and the elf is raising something to his lips with with both hands...:
My first thought was, he lied in every word, That hoary cripple, with malicious eye Askance to watch the workings of his lie On mine, and mouth scarce able to afford Suppression of the glee, that pursed and scored Its edge, at one more victim gained thereby.
Mutt quickly turns, looking Alx straight in the eyes, his own filled with rage as he gauges what the man said. "Help me? YOU want to help me? You'd see me dead before you go out of your way to help me!" He screamed, clenching his fists at him, finding himself a new target. "You're just here to help that wretch turn on the rest of the group, the only other one here who isn't a stinking traitor is Miroslaw!" He shouted again, advancing quickly towards Alx, his enlarged arm already reeling back for a powerful slug aimed right his chest. "Die traitor!" He continued to scream. 'Traitors all of them...they just want to kill us, get rid of us in this twisted forest....they have a deal with the elves no doubt...' He thought to himself, though it was difficult to do so.
Miroslaw shrugs and adds the blades to his collection. They would fetch a bit of gold at the very least. He also adds the totems and Vials of liquid to his collection. The trip may be worth it for him in the end. He takes the cloak and takes note of the fact that armor could be made. It would be perfect for the one person who lacks armor in the group. He smiles, knowing Zalini will be pleased. That is when he notices Zalini yelling in a hateful voice.
Miroslaw rises back to his feet in a bit of a hurry. He really should have given more time to Zalini being poisoned. He got a little frustrated when he did not follow, but did not think much of it at the time. He figured Deerfield would handle it. As he is turning to run in the direction of the angry Zalini, he catches sight of the previously unconscious elf. He did not put together the facts, failing to realize it was the same vial of liquid he just pocketed. He quickly pulled a bow from his back. In his haste he ended up pulling the other bow that he looted. He did not hesitate, launching an arrow at the downed elf. He was going for the hands, but he knew he was probably too late and the elf would surely ingest some of the liquid.
Death is no more than turning us over from time to eternity. Whether that eternity is damnation or salvation is determined in the time we have.
Deerfield took advantage of Zalini focusing on Alexander now. "Pfff, those guys can figure this out without me." he thought, still trying to resume a normal breathing pattern. Their leader had a few tricks of his own how to impose his will, the young leather worker had experienced it first-hand.
As he leaned against the tree and stared out into those deep accursed woods. For the first time, he really asked himself what he was doing here, with these people. This place had nothing of interest for him. Nothing was right here, "just something abnormal for those freaks to analyze."
He had had enough and couldn't wait to get out of that place. But he refused to leave somebody behind. In his opinion, time was one of the best remedies. He hoped whatever had infected Zalini would ware off soon.
As far as Deerfield was concerned, all of the elves were dead. He could not imagine that his group had left one or more of them alive. He had done his part and killed his opponent, he expected the same from all the others.
She started dancin' real slow, like she was puttin' on a show.
Wet sweat was pourin' off her skin, her body made me wanna sin.
Right then my buzz was kickin' in, she had a devil's grin.
She looked me in the eye and said: You give me the urge!
To do a little day drinkin'
A little bit of love makin'
A whole lot of world shakin'
'Cause it's never too late to get low down dirty!
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Low Down Dirty
::Alexander stopped in his tracks as Zalini turned to vent his growing rage at him. Honestly, he should not have been surprised. He had not treated the boy well to this point. To be able to push past both that and the effects the toxin must be having on his brain was probably too much to ask. For a fleeting moment the thought crossed his mind that perhaps he should have treated the boy better. A VERY fleeting moment...
His thoughts were more occupied with trying to defend himself. That and the curious glow that was coming from the changes roiling throughout Zalini's body. Was the boy more than he seemed? He tucked the information away for later review as more pressing matters came forward.
He dropped the hand he had extended and instead raised the other, holding the trim of his cloak with it. The cloth created a natural barrier against the bit of light that made it through the treetops and created a shadow along its underside. He focused his will on that shadow as it thickened and hardened into a shield.
He barely got it up in time. Zalini's large powerful fist struck the cloak and the hardened shadow shattered like glass. The pieces flying away and dissapating back into wisps burned away by the sun. However it served its purpose in protecting himself from the blow.
He had noticed Deerfield hiding away behind the tree and called out to him now.::
"YOU!! Stop hiding like a frightened schoolgirl and get out here and help me restrain him! If I can touch him, I can heal what's effecting him. But only if you HURRY!"
::Miroslaw drew the elven bow from his back. As he drew the bow, he could feel it was much more sturdy than your typical bow. Perhaps even hard enough to wield as a weapon itself.
He drew back and loosed his shot at the fumbling hands of the elf on the ground. The shot flies true and soon there is an arrow piercing through one hand and out the other. The vial it had been holding jumps from its hands and rolls arcoss the ground as it spills the final precious drops in the earth. The earth responds by a small flytrap like plant pushing through the ground and flowering. Weeks of growth done in seconds...
The elf begins to laugh. A laugh made more ominous as it deepens and becomes more gutteral. Barely recognizable for what it once was. The elf's body convulses as the effects of such a large dose of the toxin takes hold almost immediately.
His body near doubles in size to something more Ogre than Elf in size. Armor busts from its body as the bonds that once held it in place break under the pressure of the growth. The thorns that pierced its flesh broaden and elonggate to be more spearlike in size. Its flesh a dark motley of greens and reds. It rises from the ground, seemingly uneffected by the wounds it had taken previously and bellows at Miroslaw before throwing a spiked fist at his head.::
((Like a woodland version of Doomsday from Superman. Replace bone spikes with thorn))
My first thought was, he lied in every word, That hoary cripple, with malicious eye Askance to watch the workings of his lie On mine, and mouth scarce able to afford Suppression of the glee, that pursed and scored Its edge, at one more victim gained thereby.