Introduction
THIS IS A CLOSED, PRIVATE RP.
Synopsis:
The continent of Elenia was once a peaceful land. The races that inhabit it had their own kingdoms and people, but the land was generally at peace with itself. While the kingdoms may not have been on the best of terms, there was only the occasional border squabble or some such thing. Each land had its own problems that remained within its borders in an unspoken truce. Rumors and stories often floated amongst taverns, but no kingdom made to help their neighbors much. Among the six, Zevlya, the land of the Shadelians, had it the worst. The lands were barren from constant drought, livestock could not feed. But the King, King Desmond Rune, refused to request aid. He was “relieved” of his duty by assassins, and his only son, Drake Rune, took the throne. Drake had a much darker plan for Elenia.
Overnight, the land within the Zevlya began to change. Plants sprouted from the ground and water began to run again. While the people were overjoyed at this, they could not figure out why these things would happen. Drake began to spread lies and rumors of his father using dark magic to kill the land. But it was the opposite; Drake was using a ancient and evil relic to make his lands rich. With the Zevlya now restored, Drake announced his breaking of the truce; he had declared war on the rest of Elenia.
Under normal circumstances, this would not be a problem. Surely the five other kingdoms of Elenia could take one? But this was not the case. Rune had brought about an artifact known as the Chaos Gem, which had been sealed away long ago. How he came to acquire it was a mystery, but his intentions were clear. With his now magically powered army, he would begin his march on Elenia. Pyranous was the first to come to head with the Shadelians, the normally matched military forces clashing. But it’s only a matter of time before Zevlya’s army overtakes them. And then the rest of Elenia will fall.
With the Pyrians occupied with Zevlya, the other four lands, Aquaria, Yarevon, Terramoure, and Tyfonas held a council to attempt to form a unified army against the impending threat, but the council met with many an obstacle, the most prevalent being the lack of a single leader. Each country thought that they were best suited to lead the army, and no-one seemed willing to compromise. This lack of unity was the one thing that would keep the lands from successfully defeating Zevlya. Negotiations degenerated quickly, and continue to degenerate now. Little hope remains for a unified army, and, a rise against Zevlya.
However, there are some within the highest groups of scholars and mages who speak of the Legend of the Gems. They believe that all hope may not be lost. Rumor has it, as the mages tell, that the gems do exist, and that they were indeed specifically meant to combat the Chaos Gem. Some believe it as just that, a myth that only fools speak of as truth. To some, however, it is a beacon of hope as the dark fog continues to roll over Elenia and her people.
---------------------------------
The Legend of the Gems
Long ago, there was a Sorcerer, a wise and revered prodigy of magic by the name of Harran. Harran was hell bent on taming the greatest of magics, but his quest for power corrupted him. He saw the world as a canvas upon which he alone could paint. Summoning demons and other fouls magics, he began his conquest on Elenia. Fearing their annihilation, the six lands called upon their greatest mages to confront the threat. Despite their greatest magics, the mages could not best the man who now answered only to Chaos. Laying wounded and dying, the mage Dalthesor summoned up the essences of his fallen comrades, binding them within six gems, the army of mages embodied in the six gemstones. With dying breath, Dalthesor scattered the gems, hoping that they would be picked up one day and used to defeat Chaos. Years after Chaos’ reign was in full, the gems were picked up once more, by warriors who claimed to have been drawn to them; the first wielders. The wielders, after many trials and one final battle, slew Chaos though not before he too imbued a gemstone, with his demonic aura. Try as they might, the wielders could neither destroy nor dispel the gem. So the sealed it away in a place only they knew about and only they could open. They thought the world was rid of it. But they knew there was always a possibility of the Chaos Gem reemerging to cause havoc once more. So, as their deaths approached, they constructed a tomb, inside which they would sleep eternally, lest the Chaos Gem ever rise again.
---------------------------------
World
The world of Elenia is divided into six countries, in which a different type of race calls home. Each land is divided by terrains that differ from the others. But universally, as the darkness seems to spread over Elenia, plants wither and die, rivers slow or stop flowing altogether, as though the land itself was plagued with a disease, brought about in the miasma that is the coming war.
Zevlya, once made barren by drought, is now lush and well forested. While most of the kingdom sits in the shadow of the mountains to the north, it is flourishing now. It has open access to the seas outside of Elenia, and has some port cities to accommodate its needs. The land in general is a valley, with the west side etched in a low row of mountains, just north of Schivnar.
Pyranous’ burnt and desert landscape makes the land harsh an uninhabitable to people who would survive off of plant life. The Pyrians, however, are able to live mostly off of trade goods, and what food they cannot trade for, they can sell. Livestock that only flourishes within it’s burning borders can be found in almost every town or city, ready to be traded off or eaten to preserve.
Tyfonas is the exact opposite. Filled with expansive jungles and forests, with the occasional grassy plain makes Tyfonas a vastly wondrous place, but also quite dangerous. Hungry predators prowl the forests, and the Sorians live above the floor, in veritable cities atop the trees, made of exotic looking metals and materials. While it is Pyranous’ neighbor, it is split between the two by a vast mountain range, which can either be climbed, which suffers from avalanches, blizzards, rock slides, and other such hazards, or spelunked, with caves inhabited by monsters, highwaymen, and other dangers. Needless to say, travel between the two is scarce.
Aquaria is mostly made of water, with vast cities being build both upon the ocean floors as well as floating on it’s surface. What little of the kingdom is above water is lush enough to support life, but not nearly as lush as Tyfonas. This however, suits its inhabitant’s just fine. Across the islands land are many rivers and lakes, cut into the earth both naturally and by hand.
Terramoure is a rocky and somewhat deserted landscape, but once you head underground or check the cliffs, you will find vast cities that are carves into the landscape itself, making Terramoure the literal home of the Terrans. Rich in both minerals and ores, Terramoure’s main resource is trade of aforementioned materials. That is not to say that the denizens of the caves cannot fend for themselves. Along with wildlife to hunt, there are certain vegetations, such as mushrooms and mosses, that can be eaten quite safely, and often with quite a few delectable flavors.
Lastly and not least is Yarevon. While it’s lands are mostly grasslands, it is dotted with it’s own share of lush forests and lakes, both teaming with life. However, the main resource is farmland. Yarevon specializes in a grand amount of farming, to the point of surplus, giving it plenty to trade for other necessary resources.
Races
Terrans- Residing in the land of Terramoure, they are the race that bonds with the Earth. They are by far the race with the most in brute strength and power. Living at home in the mountains and rocky terrains, they live off of work like mining, blacksmithing, and other hard labor jobs. They stand much taller then the other races, at an average height of 7 feet. They have a low population size.
The Terran armies are trained to endure. They don't have the population of some of the bigger kingdoms such as Zevlya or Yarevon, although that doesn't stop them from holding their own. They are built to withstand on little resources and aim to outlast the other armies assault until they can launch a counter attack. However, the more brutal Kingdoms would be able to take them early on, usually before they really knew it.
Aquarians- Residing in Aquaria, they are the race that bonds with the Sea. They are a race known for their speed in the water and incredible knowledge. Living at home in the shores and river beds, they live off of working in the water, by fishing and sailing. They also are known to have a large library, well known for their vast collection of knowledge. They also have fins along the side of their arms and behind their legs, used for swimming. The race is populated more by females than males. They have an average population size.
The Aquarian armies outmatch nearly everything on and in the water. One on one, any nation would fall to them in a battle on the water. However, their skills lack for the most part on land. They are more support types then front line warriors. Their wisdom is invaluable on the battlefield, for many of them posses a vast amount of knowledge in the fields of medicine. However, without a good front line army for land tactics, if the enemy can infiltrate their Naval defenses and reach dry land, they will most likely be taken apart quickly.
Pyrains- Residing in Pyranous, they are the race that bonds with Flames. They are a race known for their pride and fighting strength, living at home in the desert regions, they live off of military and marketing businesses, as well as being the mercenaries of choice when a mercenary group is needed. A feature they all have though is a high resistance to UV rays as well as high heat. You won't ever see them with a sunburn, and they are affected very little by intense heat. It's the cold that get's them since they aren't used to it. There are more males then females in their race. They have a lower then average population size.
The Pyrians are the most brutal when it comes to military might. Even with their lower population size, they can hold off quite well against any nation for quite a while. They use sneak attacks and gurellia tactics to hit their enemies hard and fast undetected. Enemies must be wary about them, especially when they fight in terrain that they know. The desert land doesn't affect their battle prowess, in fact it helps them by hindering the enemy. Even when straight up fighting, they are brutal. [i]There is no honor in dying a death that could have been avoided.[/i] That is drilled into each Pyrian from early childhood. About 80% of the men are sent straight into the army, while the woman get more of a choice. They can join the army or become a merchant. Either way, unless from a noble home, most Pyrians can fight quite well.
Sorians- Residing in Tyfonas, they are the race that bonds with the Sky. They are a race known for their speed and agility. Living at home in the jungle and forest, they live off of hunting, planting, and natural herbs for medication. A feature their body has is a pair of wings on their backs, just big enough for flying short distances, and fin-like wings on the side of their arms. The have an average population size.
They are masters of aerial combat. A tactic they use is loading a few rocks and boulders into a net and flying it between 5 or 6 of them. Then they fly above the enemy and drop it on them like an airstrike. A somewhat effective technique, but with the invention of catapults and a rise in Bow and Crossbow usage, it becomes more and more riskier.
Shadelians- Residing in Zevla, they are the race that bonds with the darkness. Shadelians have a general dark look to them. Dark hair and dark shaded eyes, along with more tanned skin generally. They have the biggest population size.
The Shadelians are the most strategic of the Kingdoms. Not that the other Kingdoms don't have good tactics playing to their strengths, the Shadelians just have the strategic prowess to see through them. It may take them a while, but one on one the Shadelians have the ability to overtake any kingdom. However, without the chaos gem's power, it would take many, many years to take over any single kingdom, let alone their current goal of them all.
Lethlians- Residing in Yarevon, they are the race that bonds with the light. The opposites of Shadelians, Lethlians have a general bright look to them, bright hair and eyes, as well as vibrant skin. They have an above average population size, the second largest overall.
The Lethlians are the most honor based fighters. The warriors they train usually are knights. Warriors that believe in head on combat, and to die on the battlefield to be the most honorable death. They are the most well rounded fighters, being able to compete with all of the other kingdoms on their terms. However, without bringing in specialists on battling their specific enemy, they may fail overall. Many knights are front line men or woman, but without the proper support they are in for a rough time. However, this kingdom also has the most noble families. Noble Families that specialize in their own teachings, many of them working as mercenaries that aren't trained as the knights are.
Noble Families (more will be added as time goes on, if you'd like to add one specifically for your character, please PM me with the details and we can work something out):
Krovi (restricted, characters cannot be made from this clan):
A noble family of Yarevon. They have been around longer then the Yarevon Kingdom, being one of the founding houses of the nation. To say they were wealthy, would be a vast understatement. However, all isn't right with the Krovi clan. The Krovi clan all posses magic abilities regarding blood in some way shape or form. However the story doesn't end there. About every 125 years a Krovi is born with an extra ability. This ability bestows great power upon the one who possess it, however, it's not easy to activate. The possessor must be covered in blood, either his own or someone he's slain. He can't just cover himself in it either, it has to be done naturally. This ability is known only as Krovian Durability.
About 100 years before the present time, there was an incident. An incident that would disgrace the Krovi name indefinitely. A Krovi man, of about 25 years old, was a noble knight (as many of the Krovi were back then). A noble knight, with the However, on one fateful day, the stories tell of him loosing his mind. He began to slay his own comrades, just to be covered in their blood. In the end the enemies were dead, but at the cost of nearly the entire troop sent. Those who lived, spread the story of his traitorous nature. When asked his side of the story, they say he just stood there with a blank stare. Like a soulless shell of a person.
Soon after the trial process the Krovi man was sentenced to death, and publicly executed by guillotine. The Krovi's stature, despite being a clan who helped found the kingdom, was tarnished. Their good reputation destroyed. They were started to be looked upon as scum of the kingdom. It was also ruled that they could never formally militarize again, as well as a complete ban from the Knighthood. Currently some Krovi's do act as mercenaries, however they work in small groups of Krovi's only. Today, a new heir to Krovian Durability has been born; one hoping to clean the tarnished name of Krovi, and restore the honor the family once had.
Zaion:
A noble family of the Pyranous Kingdom. The Zaions have been around for only 200 years or so. In the world of Elenia, they are a pretty new family. They seemed to sprout up overnight, however all wealthy families seem to become nobles. It is unclear as to where the family obtained such wealth however. It's a well kept secret, that only a few of the Elders of the Zaion's know. Overall they are a very overprotective Clan. The males are taught to fight. Some sent off to join the armies, others staying to protect the clan, and a few even becoming mercenaries or thieves themselves. The females on the other hand, are not allowed to learn more then basic defense (which being Pyrians, is quite a bit of fighting knowledge by most other race's standards). They are meant to stay within the walls and get married, having children to carry on the Zaion name. However, despite the woman being treated that way, times are changing. More and more want to learn to fight, just as many of their Pyrian brethren whom aren't in the family are. It's even common to find woman on the front lines, fighting on par with the men (something the Pyrian's used to believe wasn't plausible). One has to wonder though, how this overprotective clan would react to the clan leaders' daughter being chosen over their son to be a gem host. Old habit and old ways of thinking, are hard to get rid of after all.
Sartagus:
The Sartagus name is not one of extreme wealth, but of power; religious power, to be more exact. The Sartagus ministries have reigned over Tyfonus’ church for many years, and while the family is not incredibly wealthy, it is by no means poor. The current minister of Tyfonus, Bairick Sartagus, is a well known man within the Tyfonus church. The family, when not within the ministry, is one of intellectual pursuits, though this mostly applies to the women of the family. The men, especially the first born of each generation, go into the ministry. That chain, however, was recently broken. Ventaro Sartagus, Bairick’s oldest son, refused to go into the ministry, and instead left to go and explore the wonders of the industrial sweepings of the world. While Bairick’s feelings upon the matter were those of anger, something in the back of his mind tells him that Ven is destined for much greater things than those the ministry can offer.
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Character Sheet
Appearance: (image and description if image isn't enough)
Name:
Age:
Gender:
Race: (look under "races" for details)
Power: (for the Hosts of the Gems)
Skills: (for those non Gem abilities)
Weapon:
Personality:
Bio:
Synopsis:
The continent of Elenia was once a peaceful land. The races that inhabit it had their own kingdoms and people, but the land was generally at peace with itself. While the kingdoms may not have been on the best of terms, there was only the occasional border squabble or some such thing. Each land had its own problems that remained within its borders in an unspoken truce. Rumors and stories often floated amongst taverns, but no kingdom made to help their neighbors much. Among the six, Zevlya, the land of the Shadelians, had it the worst. The lands were barren from constant drought, livestock could not feed. But the King, King Desmond Rune, refused to request aid. He was “relieved” of his duty by assassins, and his only son, Drake Rune, took the throne. Drake had a much darker plan for Elenia.
Overnight, the land within the Zevlya began to change. Plants sprouted from the ground and water began to run again. While the people were overjoyed at this, they could not figure out why these things would happen. Drake began to spread lies and rumors of his father using dark magic to kill the land. But it was the opposite; Drake was using a ancient and evil relic to make his lands rich. With the Zevlya now restored, Drake announced his breaking of the truce; he had declared war on the rest of Elenia.
Under normal circumstances, this would not be a problem. Surely the five other kingdoms of Elenia could take one? But this was not the case. Rune had brought about an artifact known as the Chaos Gem, which had been sealed away long ago. How he came to acquire it was a mystery, but his intentions were clear. With his now magically powered army, he would begin his march on Elenia. Pyranous was the first to come to head with the Shadelians, the normally matched military forces clashing. But it’s only a matter of time before Zevlya’s army overtakes them. And then the rest of Elenia will fall.
With the Pyrians occupied with Zevlya, the other four lands, Aquaria, Yarevon, Terramoure, and Tyfonas held a council to attempt to form a unified army against the impending threat, but the council met with many an obstacle, the most prevalent being the lack of a single leader. Each country thought that they were best suited to lead the army, and no-one seemed willing to compromise. This lack of unity was the one thing that would keep the lands from successfully defeating Zevlya. Negotiations degenerated quickly, and continue to degenerate now. Little hope remains for a unified army, and, a rise against Zevlya.
However, there are some within the highest groups of scholars and mages who speak of the Legend of the Gems. They believe that all hope may not be lost. Rumor has it, as the mages tell, that the gems do exist, and that they were indeed specifically meant to combat the Chaos Gem. Some believe it as just that, a myth that only fools speak of as truth. To some, however, it is a beacon of hope as the dark fog continues to roll over Elenia and her people.
---------------------------------
The Legend of the Gems
Long ago, there was a Sorcerer, a wise and revered prodigy of magic by the name of Harran. Harran was hell bent on taming the greatest of magics, but his quest for power corrupted him. He saw the world as a canvas upon which he alone could paint. Summoning demons and other fouls magics, he began his conquest on Elenia. Fearing their annihilation, the six lands called upon their greatest mages to confront the threat. Despite their greatest magics, the mages could not best the man who now answered only to Chaos. Laying wounded and dying, the mage Dalthesor summoned up the essences of his fallen comrades, binding them within six gems, the army of mages embodied in the six gemstones. With dying breath, Dalthesor scattered the gems, hoping that they would be picked up one day and used to defeat Chaos. Years after Chaos’ reign was in full, the gems were picked up once more, by warriors who claimed to have been drawn to them; the first wielders. The wielders, after many trials and one final battle, slew Chaos though not before he too imbued a gemstone, with his demonic aura. Try as they might, the wielders could neither destroy nor dispel the gem. So the sealed it away in a place only they knew about and only they could open. They thought the world was rid of it. But they knew there was always a possibility of the Chaos Gem reemerging to cause havoc once more. So, as their deaths approached, they constructed a tomb, inside which they would sleep eternally, lest the Chaos Gem ever rise again.
---------------------------------
World
The world of Elenia is divided into six countries, in which a different type of race calls home. Each land is divided by terrains that differ from the others. But universally, as the darkness seems to spread over Elenia, plants wither and die, rivers slow or stop flowing altogether, as though the land itself was plagued with a disease, brought about in the miasma that is the coming war.
Zevlya, once made barren by drought, is now lush and well forested. While most of the kingdom sits in the shadow of the mountains to the north, it is flourishing now. It has open access to the seas outside of Elenia, and has some port cities to accommodate its needs. The land in general is a valley, with the west side etched in a low row of mountains, just north of Schivnar.
Pyranous’ burnt and desert landscape makes the land harsh an uninhabitable to people who would survive off of plant life. The Pyrians, however, are able to live mostly off of trade goods, and what food they cannot trade for, they can sell. Livestock that only flourishes within it’s burning borders can be found in almost every town or city, ready to be traded off or eaten to preserve.
Tyfonas is the exact opposite. Filled with expansive jungles and forests, with the occasional grassy plain makes Tyfonas a vastly wondrous place, but also quite dangerous. Hungry predators prowl the forests, and the Sorians live above the floor, in veritable cities atop the trees, made of exotic looking metals and materials. While it is Pyranous’ neighbor, it is split between the two by a vast mountain range, which can either be climbed, which suffers from avalanches, blizzards, rock slides, and other such hazards, or spelunked, with caves inhabited by monsters, highwaymen, and other dangers. Needless to say, travel between the two is scarce.
Aquaria is mostly made of water, with vast cities being build both upon the ocean floors as well as floating on it’s surface. What little of the kingdom is above water is lush enough to support life, but not nearly as lush as Tyfonas. This however, suits its inhabitant’s just fine. Across the islands land are many rivers and lakes, cut into the earth both naturally and by hand.
Terramoure is a rocky and somewhat deserted landscape, but once you head underground or check the cliffs, you will find vast cities that are carves into the landscape itself, making Terramoure the literal home of the Terrans. Rich in both minerals and ores, Terramoure’s main resource is trade of aforementioned materials. That is not to say that the denizens of the caves cannot fend for themselves. Along with wildlife to hunt, there are certain vegetations, such as mushrooms and mosses, that can be eaten quite safely, and often with quite a few delectable flavors.
Lastly and not least is Yarevon. While it’s lands are mostly grasslands, it is dotted with it’s own share of lush forests and lakes, both teaming with life. However, the main resource is farmland. Yarevon specializes in a grand amount of farming, to the point of surplus, giving it plenty to trade for other necessary resources.
Races
Terrans- Residing in the land of Terramoure, they are the race that bonds with the Earth. They are by far the race with the most in brute strength and power. Living at home in the mountains and rocky terrains, they live off of work like mining, blacksmithing, and other hard labor jobs. They stand much taller then the other races, at an average height of 7 feet. They have a low population size.
The Terran armies are trained to endure. They don't have the population of some of the bigger kingdoms such as Zevlya or Yarevon, although that doesn't stop them from holding their own. They are built to withstand on little resources and aim to outlast the other armies assault until they can launch a counter attack. However, the more brutal Kingdoms would be able to take them early on, usually before they really knew it.
Aquarians- Residing in Aquaria, they are the race that bonds with the Sea. They are a race known for their speed in the water and incredible knowledge. Living at home in the shores and river beds, they live off of working in the water, by fishing and sailing. They also are known to have a large library, well known for their vast collection of knowledge. They also have fins along the side of their arms and behind their legs, used for swimming. The race is populated more by females than males. They have an average population size.
The Aquarian armies outmatch nearly everything on and in the water. One on one, any nation would fall to them in a battle on the water. However, their skills lack for the most part on land. They are more support types then front line warriors. Their wisdom is invaluable on the battlefield, for many of them posses a vast amount of knowledge in the fields of medicine. However, without a good front line army for land tactics, if the enemy can infiltrate their Naval defenses and reach dry land, they will most likely be taken apart quickly.
Pyrains- Residing in Pyranous, they are the race that bonds with Flames. They are a race known for their pride and fighting strength, living at home in the desert regions, they live off of military and marketing businesses, as well as being the mercenaries of choice when a mercenary group is needed. A feature they all have though is a high resistance to UV rays as well as high heat. You won't ever see them with a sunburn, and they are affected very little by intense heat. It's the cold that get's them since they aren't used to it. There are more males then females in their race. They have a lower then average population size.
The Pyrians are the most brutal when it comes to military might. Even with their lower population size, they can hold off quite well against any nation for quite a while. They use sneak attacks and gurellia tactics to hit their enemies hard and fast undetected. Enemies must be wary about them, especially when they fight in terrain that they know. The desert land doesn't affect their battle prowess, in fact it helps them by hindering the enemy. Even when straight up fighting, they are brutal. [i]There is no honor in dying a death that could have been avoided.[/i] That is drilled into each Pyrian from early childhood. About 80% of the men are sent straight into the army, while the woman get more of a choice. They can join the army or become a merchant. Either way, unless from a noble home, most Pyrians can fight quite well.
Sorians- Residing in Tyfonas, they are the race that bonds with the Sky. They are a race known for their speed and agility. Living at home in the jungle and forest, they live off of hunting, planting, and natural herbs for medication. A feature their body has is a pair of wings on their backs, just big enough for flying short distances, and fin-like wings on the side of their arms. The have an average population size.
They are masters of aerial combat. A tactic they use is loading a few rocks and boulders into a net and flying it between 5 or 6 of them. Then they fly above the enemy and drop it on them like an airstrike. A somewhat effective technique, but with the invention of catapults and a rise in Bow and Crossbow usage, it becomes more and more riskier.
Shadelians- Residing in Zevla, they are the race that bonds with the darkness. Shadelians have a general dark look to them. Dark hair and dark shaded eyes, along with more tanned skin generally. They have the biggest population size.
The Shadelians are the most strategic of the Kingdoms. Not that the other Kingdoms don't have good tactics playing to their strengths, the Shadelians just have the strategic prowess to see through them. It may take them a while, but one on one the Shadelians have the ability to overtake any kingdom. However, without the chaos gem's power, it would take many, many years to take over any single kingdom, let alone their current goal of them all.
Lethlians- Residing in Yarevon, they are the race that bonds with the light. The opposites of Shadelians, Lethlians have a general bright look to them, bright hair and eyes, as well as vibrant skin. They have an above average population size, the second largest overall.
The Lethlians are the most honor based fighters. The warriors they train usually are knights. Warriors that believe in head on combat, and to die on the battlefield to be the most honorable death. They are the most well rounded fighters, being able to compete with all of the other kingdoms on their terms. However, without bringing in specialists on battling their specific enemy, they may fail overall. Many knights are front line men or woman, but without the proper support they are in for a rough time. However, this kingdom also has the most noble families. Noble Families that specialize in their own teachings, many of them working as mercenaries that aren't trained as the knights are.
Noble Families (more will be added as time goes on, if you'd like to add one specifically for your character, please PM me with the details and we can work something out):
Krovi (restricted, characters cannot be made from this clan):
A noble family of Yarevon. They have been around longer then the Yarevon Kingdom, being one of the founding houses of the nation. To say they were wealthy, would be a vast understatement. However, all isn't right with the Krovi clan. The Krovi clan all posses magic abilities regarding blood in some way shape or form. However the story doesn't end there. About every 125 years a Krovi is born with an extra ability. This ability bestows great power upon the one who possess it, however, it's not easy to activate. The possessor must be covered in blood, either his own or someone he's slain. He can't just cover himself in it either, it has to be done naturally. This ability is known only as Krovian Durability.
About 100 years before the present time, there was an incident. An incident that would disgrace the Krovi name indefinitely. A Krovi man, of about 25 years old, was a noble knight (as many of the Krovi were back then). A noble knight, with the However, on one fateful day, the stories tell of him loosing his mind. He began to slay his own comrades, just to be covered in their blood. In the end the enemies were dead, but at the cost of nearly the entire troop sent. Those who lived, spread the story of his traitorous nature. When asked his side of the story, they say he just stood there with a blank stare. Like a soulless shell of a person.
Soon after the trial process the Krovi man was sentenced to death, and publicly executed by guillotine. The Krovi's stature, despite being a clan who helped found the kingdom, was tarnished. Their good reputation destroyed. They were started to be looked upon as scum of the kingdom. It was also ruled that they could never formally militarize again, as well as a complete ban from the Knighthood. Currently some Krovi's do act as mercenaries, however they work in small groups of Krovi's only. Today, a new heir to Krovian Durability has been born; one hoping to clean the tarnished name of Krovi, and restore the honor the family once had.
Zaion:
A noble family of the Pyranous Kingdom. The Zaions have been around for only 200 years or so. In the world of Elenia, they are a pretty new family. They seemed to sprout up overnight, however all wealthy families seem to become nobles. It is unclear as to where the family obtained such wealth however. It's a well kept secret, that only a few of the Elders of the Zaion's know. Overall they are a very overprotective Clan. The males are taught to fight. Some sent off to join the armies, others staying to protect the clan, and a few even becoming mercenaries or thieves themselves. The females on the other hand, are not allowed to learn more then basic defense (which being Pyrians, is quite a bit of fighting knowledge by most other race's standards). They are meant to stay within the walls and get married, having children to carry on the Zaion name. However, despite the woman being treated that way, times are changing. More and more want to learn to fight, just as many of their Pyrian brethren whom aren't in the family are. It's even common to find woman on the front lines, fighting on par with the men (something the Pyrian's used to believe wasn't plausible). One has to wonder though, how this overprotective clan would react to the clan leaders' daughter being chosen over their son to be a gem host. Old habit and old ways of thinking, are hard to get rid of after all.
Sartagus:
The Sartagus name is not one of extreme wealth, but of power; religious power, to be more exact. The Sartagus ministries have reigned over Tyfonus’ church for many years, and while the family is not incredibly wealthy, it is by no means poor. The current minister of Tyfonus, Bairick Sartagus, is a well known man within the Tyfonus church. The family, when not within the ministry, is one of intellectual pursuits, though this mostly applies to the women of the family. The men, especially the first born of each generation, go into the ministry. That chain, however, was recently broken. Ventaro Sartagus, Bairick’s oldest son, refused to go into the ministry, and instead left to go and explore the wonders of the industrial sweepings of the world. While Bairick’s feelings upon the matter were those of anger, something in the back of his mind tells him that Ven is destined for much greater things than those the ministry can offer.
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Character Sheet
Appearance: (image and description if image isn't enough)
Name:
Age:
Gender:
Race: (look under "races" for details)
Power: (for the Hosts of the Gems)
Skills: (for those non Gem abilities)
Weapon:
Personality:
Bio:
- 31 posts here • Page 2 of 2 • 1, 2
The Story So Far... Write a Post » as written by 4 authors
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Ari just watched Scarlet's little display, before the younger girl pulled away and stumbled over to the bushes, emptying what little she had to have had in her stomach. When she came back, Ari put her arm around the girl again, though it probably wasn't as comforting as it could have been given that Ari's arm was still coated in her armor. She brought her water skin from her belt and handed it to Scarlet, "Here, drink some of this. You need to keep your fluids up, and the way you are losing them, you are going to dehydrate. Lying about your condition is not good for anything, I thought we just established that." She said with a smile, trying to be supportive without being intrusive, "Are you alright? I don't want to end up carrying you the entire way."
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Kass shook her head, sniffling to herself for a minute before saying, "No, it's not...it's not you. I just...I just remembered this one time, I was in the woods outside my city, and I...I found this bear den, and the bear chased me, like usual. Usually, I just outrun the bears, and they don't like to travel far from their dens and stuff. Well, I was running and I came across this hunter, and I was so scared, and the hunter, he...he killed the bear with his spear, and I was relieved, but...but then these two baby bears came out of the bushes because of the howls the big bear made. And they went up to it and they were nudging it and making such sad noises, and they...it was their mama. Those poor little babies, they lost their mama because of me. if I hadn't been so curious, if I hadn't been exploring, I never would have gotten the bear to chase me and it would still be alive and those babies would still have their mama!" By now, she was crying completely, sniffling and sobbing and just gushing tears. She put her hands to her eyes and just cried into them, no longer walking and letting go of Zet's hand, just crying, "I'm such a terrible person, I killed that poor mama bear...Why do things have to be like that? Why can't the world be nice, and friendly, and...and...and...why do things have to so quick to kill? I don't want to kill things, I don't want to leave babies without their Mama's and Papa's..."
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Ven went ridged as Jet grabbed his wing. Ohmygodwhatthefuckwhy? Ven's face was expressionless as he brushed Jet's hand away, twitching slightly as he did, "Don't do that. Ever. Just...don't." He said. The touching of wings was just...there were just too many contexts for those types of things, and at the moment each time he thought of one, it was worse than the last. Honestly, it was mostly just an unwritten rule that unless you were family or a spouse, you just didn't touch a Sorian's wings. Maybe Jet didn't know that. He guided Jet's hand to his shoulder, "My shoulder will do much more nicely. It looks like everyone is getting ready to go, so we should be moving soon. Good. I don't fancy the idea of running into anyone out in these woods with everyone in such bad condition." He absently put his own hand on the unconscious Pyrian girl's shoulder, "We're all just a big, happy, dysfunctional family, aren't we?" He asked, more to himself than to Jet.
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Kass shook her head, sniffling to herself for a minute before saying, "No, it's not...it's not you. I just...I just remembered this one time, I was in the woods outside my city, and I...I found this bear den, and the bear chased me, like usual. Usually, I just outrun the bears, and they don't like to travel far from their dens and stuff. Well, I was running and I came across this hunter, and I was so scared, and the hunter, he...he killed the bear with his spear, and I was relieved, but...but then these two baby bears came out of the bushes because of the howls the big bear made. And they went up to it and they were nudging it and making such sad noises, and they...it was their mama. Those poor little babies, they lost their mama because of me. if I hadn't been so curious, if I hadn't been exploring, I never would have gotten the bear to chase me and it would still be alive and those babies would still have their mama!" By now, she was crying completely, sniffling and sobbing and just gushing tears. She put her hands to her eyes and just cried into them, no longer walking and letting go of Zet's hand, just crying, "I'm such a terrible person, I killed that poor mama bear...Why do things have to be like that? Why can't the world be nice, and friendly, and...and...and...why do things have to so quick to kill? I don't want to kill things, I don't want to leave babies without their Mama's and Papa's..."
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Ven went ridged as Jet grabbed his wing. Ohmygodwhatthefuckwhy? Ven's face was expressionless as he brushed Jet's hand away, twitching slightly as he did, "Don't do that. Ever. Just...don't." He said. The touching of wings was just...there were just too many contexts for those types of things, and at the moment each time he thought of one, it was worse than the last. Honestly, it was mostly just an unwritten rule that unless you were family or a spouse, you just didn't touch a Sorian's wings. Maybe Jet didn't know that. He guided Jet's hand to his shoulder, "My shoulder will do much more nicely. It looks like everyone is getting ready to go, so we should be moving soon. Good. I don't fancy the idea of running into anyone out in these woods with everyone in such bad condition." He absently put his own hand on the unconscious Pyrian girl's shoulder, "We're all just a big, happy, dysfunctional family, aren't we?" He asked, more to himself than to Jet.
Scarlet tried to smile coyly, but Ari was correct. Still, she didn’t like worrying anyone. “I’m sorry... I just... I don’t want people to think I’m weak... Especially after the shit that ass hole said back in the cave. Insulting me... The gem picked me, so obviously it has better taste then him...” She leaned on Arienna, and crossed her arms in a childish manner. As Ari held out the water, Scar took it, and reluctantly drank a bit. After throwing up so much, she was weary and not wanting anything in her anymore, but Ari was right, so she trusted her judgment. Handing the water back to Ari, she smiled a little. “Thank you for the water... I’m alright, I think. I just may need to lean on you for a while... if that’s okay?”
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Zet froze as she started talking. He honestly wasn’t ready for that at all. What should he say?.... What could he say?.... Guess he’d just have to wing it. “Things happen Kass... Don’t blame yourself. You said it was a hunter that killed it, well what exactly do you think that hunter was out there for? What exactly do you think the bears do for food? It’s basic instinct to kill. To survive... it’s almost a necessity. Kill or be killed. Kill to eat. Kill to protect your loved ones. Kill to protect your people. People... Animals... No matter what race or species, we all kill something. Weather it’s plants, or other creatures, we all kill for our own purposes. Parents lose their children, children lose their parents or their siblings, it’s life. Wipe your tears.” Zet walked over to her, and removed her hands from her eyes, wiping her eyes with his own two hands. “We’re at war Kassidy. We have to kill, or we’ll all die ourselves. If we die, so does the rest of Elenia. It’s the lesser of two evils... Survival of the fittest. You’re a kind and gentle spirit, however you can’t go on and feel bad for everyone we have to kill. If we do our jobs right, then we’ll have to kill many. Otherwise the people that can’t fight for themselves will suffer. Eleina will burn at the hands of Rune’s army. People, animals, all united in one giant massacre. No body wins then, and everyone loses people they love. So dry your tears, for we all need to be tough. For the sake of Elenia.”
Zet looked up at the sky and then back at Kass, before she even could respond. “Hang on a minute, we can continue this as we walk.” Zet stood up, on the elevated hill nearby, and called out to the group. “Everyone we can afford no more time for rest. I can make it to the town in 4 hours by myself, however with the current situation we’re in, we’d be lucky to make it in 7-8. Sundown is in 6 hours. We have to move now, so everyone please follow me. I’ll only walk at a pace that everyone can keep up with.”
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Jet felt a little bad as Ven seemed to have such a negative reaction to him touching his wing. How would he have possibly known though? After all, the other race’s reaction to things weren’t exactly a common thing studied. They had their own lands for a reason. “Me apologies boyo. Yer shoulder will be fine. I suppose we will be a unit like a family. I don’t be havin’ a family meself, so it may be nice. Sounds like we all be needing to get movin’ though, so lead the way. Shadowmere will follow close, and I’ll be holdin’ on to ye.”
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About 3 hours later they all continued on. They had made it almost half way. They’d make it to the town a little after dark at this rate, providing they kept the same pace. Something that seemed more difficult for some then others. Scarlet was still on her own two feet, but without Arienna to lean on, wouldn’t be moving at all. Monroe, though he didn’t show it, was having great difficulty moving forwards. There wasn’t much he couldn’t lift usually, and having his own limbs now being one of them, was quite the difficult task. Jet was moving along fine, holding onto Ven’s shoulder the whole time. Zet, still leading the group, hated moving so slow. Of course at least making sure Kass was okay, made it more tolerable.
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Zet froze as she started talking. He honestly wasn’t ready for that at all. What should he say?.... What could he say?.... Guess he’d just have to wing it. “Things happen Kass... Don’t blame yourself. You said it was a hunter that killed it, well what exactly do you think that hunter was out there for? What exactly do you think the bears do for food? It’s basic instinct to kill. To survive... it’s almost a necessity. Kill or be killed. Kill to eat. Kill to protect your loved ones. Kill to protect your people. People... Animals... No matter what race or species, we all kill something. Weather it’s plants, or other creatures, we all kill for our own purposes. Parents lose their children, children lose their parents or their siblings, it’s life. Wipe your tears.” Zet walked over to her, and removed her hands from her eyes, wiping her eyes with his own two hands. “We’re at war Kassidy. We have to kill, or we’ll all die ourselves. If we die, so does the rest of Elenia. It’s the lesser of two evils... Survival of the fittest. You’re a kind and gentle spirit, however you can’t go on and feel bad for everyone we have to kill. If we do our jobs right, then we’ll have to kill many. Otherwise the people that can’t fight for themselves will suffer. Eleina will burn at the hands of Rune’s army. People, animals, all united in one giant massacre. No body wins then, and everyone loses people they love. So dry your tears, for we all need to be tough. For the sake of Elenia.”
Zet looked up at the sky and then back at Kass, before she even could respond. “Hang on a minute, we can continue this as we walk.” Zet stood up, on the elevated hill nearby, and called out to the group. “Everyone we can afford no more time for rest. I can make it to the town in 4 hours by myself, however with the current situation we’re in, we’d be lucky to make it in 7-8. Sundown is in 6 hours. We have to move now, so everyone please follow me. I’ll only walk at a pace that everyone can keep up with.”
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Jet felt a little bad as Ven seemed to have such a negative reaction to him touching his wing. How would he have possibly known though? After all, the other race’s reaction to things weren’t exactly a common thing studied. They had their own lands for a reason. “Me apologies boyo. Yer shoulder will be fine. I suppose we will be a unit like a family. I don’t be havin’ a family meself, so it may be nice. Sounds like we all be needing to get movin’ though, so lead the way. Shadowmere will follow close, and I’ll be holdin’ on to ye.”
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About 3 hours later they all continued on. They had made it almost half way. They’d make it to the town a little after dark at this rate, providing they kept the same pace. Something that seemed more difficult for some then others. Scarlet was still on her own two feet, but without Arienna to lean on, wouldn’t be moving at all. Monroe, though he didn’t show it, was having great difficulty moving forwards. There wasn’t much he couldn’t lift usually, and having his own limbs now being one of them, was quite the difficult task. Jet was moving along fine, holding onto Ven’s shoulder the whole time. Zet, still leading the group, hated moving so slow. Of course at least making sure Kass was okay, made it more tolerable.
Ari just kept walking. She thought about nothing but keeping her aching body moving. She was tired, she was cold, she was hungry, and she still couldn't shake this depressed feeling about her. She wanted to lay down and sleep, in all honesty, though concentrating on keeping herself, and by extension Scarlet, moving forward, she was able to momentarily forget everything that was plaguing her. Left foot, right foot, left foot, right foot, left, right, left, right, march, march, march...She made sure to, when she thought about it, give Scarlet water. While she needed some as well, she had extra water skins in her pack, as well as some dried sticks of jerked beef. She gave one to Scarlet, making sure that the girl ate it to keep her own energy up. Grudgingly, she also shared what she could with the group after Scarlet insisted on it. She would have rather kept it to her self and Scarlet, but she supposed she didn't want to be responsible for dragging someone else along too. It wasn't much, but it was a bit of strength at least. It helped morale a little too, she supposed. By the half-way mark, Ari was leaning on Scarlet almost as much as Scarlet was leaning on her.
Ven was doing well enough. His legs were a little sore from all the walking, but he dared not complain. When Arienna passed out her jerky sticks, he decided he should contribute as well, giving everyone a small dose of the nutrient salve. It helped as well, though he made sure to give more to the gem hosts than those who looked to be relatively alright. Jet didn't seem to have trouble keeping up with him, which was good, and after a while, Ven began to daydream, forgetting Jet or Nadanna or Shadowmere were even there. He would mumble something about a calculation or a piece of equipment every so often, though he did seem somewhat interested in the wind gem host. The guy kept putting his hands to his ears, as though they were bothering him. Ears operated on the movement of particles, which could be amplified by the direction of wind. It made sense that he could be having problems with sound, in which case, Ven could make something to assist the man, but only once he had enough supplies to build something.
Kass was quiet the entire time they walked, eating silently by simply nibbling at the jerky, and accepting the salve without complaint. Zet's words, though she knew they were supposed to be comforting, were not. They would have to kill...it was the nature of the world. To protect people...Could she take another life? Even if it was someone she knew was evil? Did she really have that kind of...of brutality in her? She had to. Zet said so, the ghost things that had given them the gems said she had to...but why? She didn't want to. But if she didn't, hundreds of people would die. Millions. If she didn't kill the people who would kill everyone, she might as well be killing the people their enemies were killing herself. She cried at various intervals of the trip, and nothing Zet said made it better. She just wanted to wake up in her own room, away from this crazy war and this stupid adventure. She just wanted things to be normal. At least when things were normal, she didn't have to worry about killing anyone.
Ven was doing well enough. His legs were a little sore from all the walking, but he dared not complain. When Arienna passed out her jerky sticks, he decided he should contribute as well, giving everyone a small dose of the nutrient salve. It helped as well, though he made sure to give more to the gem hosts than those who looked to be relatively alright. Jet didn't seem to have trouble keeping up with him, which was good, and after a while, Ven began to daydream, forgetting Jet or Nadanna or Shadowmere were even there. He would mumble something about a calculation or a piece of equipment every so often, though he did seem somewhat interested in the wind gem host. The guy kept putting his hands to his ears, as though they were bothering him. Ears operated on the movement of particles, which could be amplified by the direction of wind. It made sense that he could be having problems with sound, in which case, Ven could make something to assist the man, but only once he had enough supplies to build something.
Kass was quiet the entire time they walked, eating silently by simply nibbling at the jerky, and accepting the salve without complaint. Zet's words, though she knew they were supposed to be comforting, were not. They would have to kill...it was the nature of the world. To protect people...Could she take another life? Even if it was someone she knew was evil? Did she really have that kind of...of brutality in her? She had to. Zet said so, the ghost things that had given them the gems said she had to...but why? She didn't want to. But if she didn't, hundreds of people would die. Millions. If she didn't kill the people who would kill everyone, she might as well be killing the people their enemies were killing herself. She cried at various intervals of the trip, and nothing Zet said made it better. She just wanted to wake up in her own room, away from this crazy war and this stupid adventure. She just wanted things to be normal. At least when things were normal, she didn't have to worry about killing anyone.
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As the panther moved, its back bumping into Nadanna soon made her eyes open, still groggy from lack of sleep. She wondered what the hell was hitting her, but shifting her body only caused her to slip off and hit the dirt head first. Slowly she got up and dusted herself off. All of her equipment had spilled out of her bag, sighing she began to pick up everything and dust them off.
Edwards really did want to try and think about all of this. For now he will just to along with this crap until he could catch a ride back home. He laughed a little when he saw the woman fall off the panther. He quelled his chuckles and began to help her pick up her things. Silently he handed her some of her things but there was still some to pick up.
Edwards really did want to try and think about all of this. For now he will just to along with this crap until he could catch a ride back home. He laughed a little when he saw the woman fall off the panther. He quelled his chuckles and began to help her pick up her things. Silently he handed her some of her things but there was still some to pick up.
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The group continued to walk. Darkness was beginning to fall around them, and it was beginning to make the group nervous, especially those who were trained. They could see the ambush possibilities, they could see the things that could happen. The others were just tired, they wanted to lay down, to sleep, they were so focused on getting to where they were going, they didn't see the hazards that were around them. At least not until the crackling of sticks echoed in the trees around them. Kass was the first of the non-warriors to notice it, and her tired mind associating it with what she was afraid of most. The shape of a bear's silhouette warbled in front of her eyes, and she gave a shriek, scrambling backwards and back the way they had come.
They kept walking for a few hours, but for the past hour or so they were being followed. It was only a few at first, but they kept growing in number. Either way they were slowly gaining people, yet halting their assault. Zet wasn’t entirely sure why, he could only assume they didn’t feel safe taking on a group of their size, with the manpower they had. Zet knew of a clearing up a bit further. He knew he could guard everyone better from that point, rather then being surrounded by the trees the bandits loved to strike from. Plans never really do go perfectly though.
Zet turned to Kass as she shrieked and ran off. “Shit... Everyone stay close together, we’re not alone. I have to get Kassidy.” Before even giving anyone time to respond, he took off after her. He knew it was a bad idea, and the bandits may attack the two alone, but he couldn’t leave her. After all, she was the water host. She was actually moving quite fast, so by the time Zet was near her, they were quite a bit away from the main group. The next moment that passed by was complete instinct. He saw the dagger, headed right for Kassidy, so he dove at her. Wrapping his arm around her, he pulled her to the ground, taking the thrown dagger right into his opposite shoulder. “Stay close” he whispered as he got to his feet. As the bandits dropped from the trees around him, it was a group of about ten, with a few all too familiar faces among them. ‘Well now, long time no see Krovi.’
Meanwhile while the rest of the group was unsure of what was happening completely, more of the bandits decided to strike the main group. The first hit was from a throwing star, lodging itself right into Scarlet’s shin. She screamed a bit out of pain before falling to the ground, tears in her eyes. Bandits began to drop from the trees, surrounding the group, however it was clear that not all of them had decided to drop down and join the fray yet.
Kass was surprised by the arm wrapping around her and forcing her to the ground. She let out another shriek, but the voice in her ear made her blush. When Zet got to his feet, she just stayed low to the ground, looking around with frightened, deer-like eyes. These people knew Zet? Who were they? Maybe they wouldn't attack them? It seemed like a slim hope, by the way the men were looking at her and at Zet. Like he was standing between some very hungry men and a piece of meat. She absolutely did not like that look.
Zet eyed the men standing around him. 6 of them seemed like some nameless illiterates. A bunch of nobody fuck-ups, which was saying something with this group. “Well if it isn’t the Roland family. Didn’t I teach you all a lesson two years ago? Don’t tell me you want me to spank you again in front of all your friends now, do you?”
The oldest of the 4 Roland siblings stepped forward as Zet made his snarky comment. ‘Two years ago you killed our father and oldest brother, leaving us to fend on our own. We couldn’t fight you back then, but today we’re out for blood. We’ve done nothing but train since that day, and now we’re going to kill you, your friends, and even your little girlfriend here. Although, I may take what I want from her first. Seeing as she’s such a fine specimen of woman and whatnot.’
Zet just stared at them, keeping his cool. Although the comment he made about Kass, really started to get his blood boiling for some reason. “You were all too pitiful to waste my time killing back then. Now however though, I’ll be sure not to make the same mistake twice. I’ll kill you, your two brothers, and that sister that likes to whore herself out to draw in targets for you. After all, you’ve made it so easy by all being here together. Then I’ll kill every last bandit you sent against my friends. Do you know why? Because you pissed me off and threatened my friends. You won’t lay a hand on Kassidy, and any of your other friends that lay a hand on any of my other friends, if they don’t kill them first, I’ll make sure to make it a painful death.”
The Roland siblings were clearly unhappy with his response, not that they would have been happy with any response. The surrounded him on all 4 sides, 4 people with them blocking any spaces they had between them, and the last 2 men staying in the tree’s above. Zet had been readying his Kyoketshu-shogei the entire time they spoke, and was confident they’d all be dead from it in a matter of minutes. “Hope you don’t mind if I make the first move.” He said with a smirk, as he ripped the dagger from his shoulder, tossing it into the tree above him. As soon as the man who was pierced by the blade came crashing to the ground, the group’s assault had begun.
Kass began to cry at the bandit's words. What? He wanted to do what to her? She sat back and crawled backwards, bumping into a tree and letting out a squeal. When she realized it was an inanimate object and not a would-be rapist's body, she pulled her legs up to her chest and cried a little. But Zet was surrounded. What could she do to help him? She was a gem host, after all, she had to do something. She put her arms out in front of her and tried to make the gem do...something. Anything. She didn't care what, it just had to do something. But no, nothing happened. Instead, the cold feeling just radiated through her again and she breathed out a cloud, shivering. She was useless. Zet was going to get hurt, or...or worse, and she couldn't do anything about it.
Zet’s weapon fell from his sleeve. As soon as it happened, he began swinging it around him. Normally a wound on the shoulder may lower range of motion a bit, but it’s not like Zet had never felt a pain like it before. All in all, it didn’t affect him all that much. He needed to be the most careful from the man still up in the tree. The rest were fairly easy to watch, and to counter their moves with death blows. He made the first move, but all the other moves after that, was all on the enemies. They had greater numbers, but he had more skill in his right ass cheek then the entire enemy group around him did.
The nameless idiots were the first to act, charging him as a group of four. A tactic that may have worked on someone not trained to counter ambushes. Zet swung the chain at the nearest person, using his ability to ensure clean cuts through the body. He didn’t like using it, but he didn’t have time to fuck around. Upon contact, the man’s arm was cut in two, the blade not stopping there, and ripping clean through the entire body, then straight back into the position it was before Zet even attacked. It was all one fluid motion. One that wouldn’t have been too hard to dodge with any sort of decent training in evasive actions. With a second swing he slit the throats of both the person nearest in front of him, as well as behind him. The 4th got in close, forcing Zet to jump backwards. The damage on his body had already begun, one cut appearing as an X on the back of his hand, the other overlaying further damage to the wound on his shoulder.
As he jumped back, the Roland’s tried to get Zet off guard. The youngest tried to drive a spear into Zet’s back, however he was far too noisy to make a sneak attack viable. Zet heard him back there, quickly jabbing the blade on the end of the chain into a tree and pulling himself up. Flipping backwards, he freed his weapons, jumping down on the shoulders of what some would still consider a child, no older then 15. Zet made good on his promise, gripping the boy’s head with his feet and snapping the child’s neck. William Roland was dead. Using the end of the chain to whip the spear up from the hands of the fresh corpse, into his own hand, he grasped it and tossed it into the final one chasing after him. This left three Roland’s and the man up in the trees.
Seeing her youngest brother die, Tracy Roland, the only female sibling of the bunch, could not contain the urge to yell out from the pain of witnessing it. Knowing exactly where she was from the yell, Zet pulled a throwing knife tossing it at her, while enhancing it with his ability, a cut opening on his forehead as he did. Jeremy Roland tried to jump in the way, to save his sister, however the same blade with the force to cut a tree in two, tore through flesh and bone with relative ease. Just two left now, the nameless thug in the tree above, and the eldest brother, Luke.
Awe stricken by the way his siblings were slaughtered with ease, and now fueled by anger and hatred, he charged in at Zet. Although that played into Zet’s plan perfectly. Spinning the chain, Zet finally sent the blade up into the trees above him. Narrowly dodging the charge of Luke Roland’s blade, Zet jumped to the side, wrapping the chain around his throat a few times. It brought the man acting more like an angry bull to a halt, but it was too late. As the corpse fell from the trees, the blade lodged clean into his skull, the chain started to pull up. Zet jumped on the corpse adding more force to the chain which was still wrapped around Luke’s neck, as well as hanging over a thick branch. Finally, when there was just no more give to the chain, Luke was jolted up into the air, snapping his neck immediately for an instant death. Ripping his blade from the thug’s skull, unwrapping the chain from Luke’s neck, and finally retrieving his throwing knife, he then walked over to Kassidy, wondering how she’d take it all. After all, Luke did want to rape her, and they did just discuss killing a few hours ago. Maybe now she’d see why it was necessary.
Kass could only watch in horror as Zet killed the entire group of bandits in maybe a minute. He was so powerful...so skilled...but so much blood. During the fight, blood had splashed onto her clothes. She didn't notice it until Zet was already walking over to her, but she just looked down at her own hands, her own shirt, with disgust and horror. She feverishly tore the shirt off of her, over her head, and letting her breasts hang loosely in her bra. She didn't even care. All she could think about was the blood on her hands. The blood of now dead men. She brushed futily at her hands, trying to wipe the blood off her. She let out a small shriek and cried, still scrubbing hopelessly at her own hands. Her eyes flickered around the clearing, at the dead amongst them. They were animals, yes, disgusting examples of human kind, but did they truly deserve this? She couldn't say. In her mind, she could see the gore and it made her sick. She leaned over and puked, ejecting everything in her stomach. Beef sticks, water, bile, everything, until nothing was left. She just pulled her knees up to her breasts and cried, holding her arms out and away from herself as though they were snakes.
Zet ran over to Kass as she started freaking out. Of course pausing as she ripped off her shirt. She froze for a minute, knowing he shouldn’t have been looking, but he couldn’t seem to look away for a few moments either. Finally snapping himself out of it, he ran over and placed his hands on her’s. He stared into her eyes, even though he didn’t know if she could see his. “Kassidy, calm down. You’re safe. I won’t let anyone hurt you. The blood is not yours. It’s the enemy’s or at worst mine. I’ve got you now, you’re safe.”
Kass looked up with Zet, and for a moment, that lingering thought of fear flickered over her face. Whether she was afraid of Zet, or of what she had just heard and witnessed, was entirely a mystery. Her shivered calmed a little, but she was still freaking out, “I-I-I-I....they're...they're dead. Blood...on me...I don't...I...get it off. Please, oh gods, please, get it off! Get it off me!” She shrieked, pleadingly and hysterically looking into Zet's face, up under his hood and into his eyes. She had never had blood on her before. Not someone else's blood. This wasn't right. It was already starting to become tacky against her skin. It was disgusting. She wanted to scratch at the skin until she bled herself, until she had taken the blood and skin of her arms off, “I didn't do anything to them, why would they want to hurt me, to-to-to-to-to touch me, to-to...to rape me?! I didn't do anything, and they just, they wanted to hurt me and kill me, and I didn't do anything, and now they're dead! I don't...I don't understand, why, why would they want to hurt me, they aren't even Shadelians, I don't even know them, I don't even...I'm not even a threat to them, but they wanted to kill me. They wanted to kill me.” She spewed, all the while her eyes were frantically looking about the clearing, the carnage and gore, before looking up at Zet again, because honestly, she didn't understand. Why would they want to do that to someone else? Someone they had never met before, someone who they had no idea who they were.
Zet didn’t know what to say, so instead he just took out his water pack and started washing the blood off of Kass. He could replenish his water at the town. It was fine to use it so close to things now, especially if it would help Kass feel better. He didn’t know why Kass specifically, but he felt the need to make sure she was taken care of especially. “Calm down and listen, alright? They are bandits. They live off stealing from others, killing everyone, and yes sometimes raping women they find attractive. It doesn’t make perfect sense why they’d choose that kind of life, but that’s why they wanted to hurt you. It has nothing to do with who you are. They’ll kill man, woman and child, for a few bronze pieces or worthless tokens that have but sentimental value. The wanted to kill me, and you, and all of our friends, just to steal from us... We’ll I guess they did have an extra reason to want me dead... These were not good people though.”
He finished washing the blood off her arms, drying them with a part of her shirt that wasn’t covered in blood. “I told you my abilities were only good for death and destruction. I wasn’t exaggerating. This is what I do for a living. This is all I’m good at. I suppose I’m not a good person either when you look at it... I just have more morals then they do. I kill people when it seems necessary, not for any other reason. I had to kill them to protect you, me, and the others. This world won’t make sense much of the time, that’s human nature. It’s unpredictable, and often impossible to understand. Kass this will not be the first time you see a scene like this. You’ll find it easier to live with, given time. If we all don’t, we’ll end up worse then this, as will all those we love.”
Kass let Zet wash her arms clean, barely listening to what he said. Things would only get worse from here on out. She would have to shed blood on her own. She would have to kill. If she didn't...the world as they all knew it would be gone. When her hands were clean, she put her arms around Zet and cried into his chest, “I don't wanna kill people. I don't wanna hurt anyone. I wanna go home. I wanna go home.” She sobbed, shaking her head, “Please, just let me go home. Just let me go back to my Mom and Dad, and my teachers, and my house, and my peaceful life...I just wanna go home...I'll be good, I won't ever go out exploring ever again, and I'll do exactly what my mom and dad say, and I'll never ever do anything bad ever again. I just wanna go home...” who exactly she was pleading with wasn't entirely clear, but it wasn't Zet. She wanted this all to be a bad dream, to be something she could wake up, laugh off, and never think about again. She wanted to see her parents. Hell, she wanted them to yell at her. She wanted them to punish her for exploring the woods again, lock her away in her room for the rest of her life. But she didn't want this.
Zet didn’t know what else to say, or how to react. Who was she asking to go home? The gem hosts? The universe? Unsure, and since it would probably never be a good time to ask, he just put his arms around her in a friendly embrace to try and make her feel better. He rubbed his hand on her back, even though it was her bare skin. She had very soft skin. “The Gem hosts chose you for a reason... You have a kind and gentle spirit. You will be the one to heal our injuries in the future. You stay close to me, and I’ll do the killing for the two of us. Unless... unless you fear me... or can’t stand me after what I did here. You will find a fighting style that works for you. Even if you avoid killing most of the time. I don’t think going home is an option anymore, Kass... We’ll find a way that works for you though, and if you’ll have it, I’ll protect you from the horrors of this world the best I can.... The best I know how...”
Could she do that? Could she fight without killing? She didn't know if it was possible, but the prospect helped her to calm down a little. He asked her if she was afraid of him. Was she? She didn't think so. No, his arm around her made her feel safe. She just kept hugging him, her crying turning to weak sobs, “Thank you...I just...I don't know anymore...I'm not cut out to do this...I'm not cut out to be strong and fast and tough like you...” She whispered, shaking her head, “Do you promise...? To protect me?” She asked. She felt childish and stupid for saying that, she really did, but to hear that she would always have someone looking out for her would be a godsend...she leaned into him a little more, turning her head and just resting it against her chest, her pigtails draped loosely around her shoulders, “I'm not afraid of you...and I don't hate you...you did what you had to do, just like that hunter did what he had to do...I know you don't enjoy hurting people...but we do what we have to to survive...” she whispered again, though her voice sounded...defeated. She was resigned to having to do this, but she wouldn't like it...
If Zet was perfectly honest with himself, he didn’t know what to do anymore either. He was doing what he felt was right, making the rest up as he went along. He couldn’t help but smile as she said she didn’t hate or fear him. Before answering her though, he took the mantle off his shoulders that she had returned earlier, and draped it around her . She could cover herself well enough with it, and they could get her some new clothes when they got too the town. “As long as I draw breath, I will do what I must to protect you. I don’t say things like that, if I do not intend to make good on them. Wrap that around you until we can get you some new clothing. You may look like a Krovi for a bit, but that’s not a terrible thing in this town, so you’ll be fine.”
A weird thought came to Kass' head when he spoke of looking like a Krovi, but she brushed it aside. Where did it even come from? Envy, probably, “If only I could do more than look like a Krovi...You're strong and fast, and you don't hesitate to kill bad people...but I'm useless...I don't know why the gem hosts picked me, I'm just a stupid little girl. I can't protect anyone. I can't fight off the bad people. I can't even do what I'm supposed to do and heal anyone. I'm not ready for this...” she whispered, looking away from him. His words comforted her, maybe more than they should have, but she didn't really care. She cast one last glance at the gory scene Zet had left behind, before forcing herself to her feet, “I've held us up enough...if it weren't for me, you wouldn't have had to use your power and hurt yourself. Let's just go...”
Zet didn’t make any expressions as she mentioned looking more like a Krovi. “Trust me... it’s not something you want to look like generally. My people are hated. Some order us killed on sight, and we have no choice but to escape without defending ourselves. If we were to defend ourselves, it would just make us look worse to all of Elenia. Please don’t tell yourself that you’re useless. Just because you’re not the best fighter, doesn’t mean you don’t belong with us. A war needs many positions filled. You’ll get the hang of your gem eventually, and then you’ll be stronger then I could ever hope to be. Give yourself some time, and a chance. You’ll be ready when the time calls for it.” As she stood up and began walking, he walked next to her. “Are you sure you’re alright? I can’t even begin to imagine the gem’s affects on the body, let alone the trauma you just witnessed. I can carry you back, if you don’t think you can walk. It would be no trouble. Oh, and don’t blame yourself for my ability. It doesn’t even hurt, and I wanted to get them all done with quickly. I had a backup in case you were attacked and I couldn’t help you though.” Just as he said that Ruby flew out from a nearby tree, perching herself onto Zet’s bad shoulder. He only winced a little as she landed. “This is Ruby. If I couldn’t protect you, she would have.”
Kass was barely listening. To tell the truth, she felt like she was in a haze. Her legs were on auto-pilot, and if she actually stopped to think, she would find she didn't have the strength to stand. Yet she walked. Doing anything else, stopping, thinking, it would make the images come back, make her remember, and she would fall. She wouldn't fall. Zet's encouraging words, simply fell upon deaf ears. She was useless. She was probably the most useless in the group. She couldn't do anything but cry and get into trouble. She would only weigh her new friends down, until she dragged them to their deaths. She wanted to cry, but nothing came out. Maybe she was just too tired to care, too tired to cry. Vaguely, she heard herself mumbled, “I'm fine...I can walk...” before pulling the mantle tight around herself. To be honest...she didn't really feel all that cold anymore. She was drawing on the gem's powers just to stay upright, and she didn't even know it. Maybe it was for the best. Her eyes felt heavy...so heavy... “How long until we get to town...?”
Zet couldn’t actually tell what Kass was thinking, but he could tell that she was barely with him anymore. She was barely even standing. Maybe it was the Gem’s power, maybe she had more will then she thought. Either way, Zet knew exactly what to do. He scooped her up from behind, carrying her in his arms. The wound on his shoulder hurt a bit as he picked her up, but it wasn’t much of a problem. “Not much longer. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to get you and everyone else there in one piece.”
Kass wanted to protest, to say something, but she was just so comfortable in his arms...to be off her feet. But she couldn't sleep just yet. It didn't seem right. A few tears came to her eyes and she shook them away, “I'm sorry I ran away.” She whispered, looking away from him. She gently let her hand touch his face, where blood had begun to bead from the wound on his forehead, “I'm so sorry...”
Zet looked down as she began to speak, but when she touched his face... he didn’t really know how to explain how he felt. Maybe it was because he wasn’t even completely sure himself. “Don’t be sorry you ran away. I understand. It’s been a long day, things are overwhelming, and you got spooked. We’ll get back to the others, make sure they’re all still okay, and then we’ll head to the town so we can all rest for a few days.” He walked a bit further before smiling once more. “For the record you don’t look bad at all in the Krovi colors, not that I can imagine you looking bad in anything... I just... Well they just suit you better then they would others.”
Kass actually felt herself blush a little, “You're a nice guy, Zet...I don't care what anyone else says. You're sweet.” She said, giggling a little. She felt a little better, now. She didn't know why, she just did. Without really thinking about it, she said, “I bet I looked better without the mantle, huh?” She asked, blushing fiercely as she did.
Zet smiled as she said he was a nice guy, but tried to hide the slight blush as she mentioned looking better without the mantle. “As I said before... I don’t think there’s anything that you wouldn’t look good in. Lack of clothing included. You’re a pretty girl.”
Kass blushed and would have said more, but everything just got to her. She mumbled something before finally drifting off to sleep with a small, sheepish smile on her face. No doubt she would have plenty of time to be embarrassed about everything later.
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Ari cursed as the blade found its way into Scarlet's leg. She knelt down, pulling her helmet on over her hair, quickly wrapped a cloth around her wound, and put her hand on Scarlet's shoulder, “Stay down, out of the way.” She said, before standing up and unstrapping her weapon from her back, “Alright. I am tired. I am hungry. Now I am fucking cranky. Which one of you assholes wants to die first!?”
Scarlet nodded to Ari as she said to stay down, but tears began pouring from her eyes. She actually never really did get physically hurt like this before. Emotionally yes, but physically no. The bandits though, self serving as they are, didn’t give a rats ass about her pain. One of them in front of Ari laughed as she threatened them. He threw another dagger, this time at Ari to distract her. “Come and try to kill us. Though I’m pretty sure getting yourself killed won’t help that little skank down there.” He said motioning at Scar, most likely for just how much of her legs were showing in that dress. When Arienna was properly distracted however, a bandit swung down from a tree using some kind of weird grapple hook, grabbing Scarlet and landing out of Ari or anyone else’s attack range. Scar stared at Ari for a moment with fear in her eyes, completely blindsided by what was happening. Less then a moment later, the bandit with Scarlet, as well as the one taunting Arienna earlier, both took off into a different part of the woods.
“I am glad we have a volunteer. I am going to make you really fear a Shadelian soldier.” Ari growled, but the sound of wind rushing behind her caused her to turn her head. By the time she got her bearings on what had happened, both the bandit with Scarlet and the one who had signed his own death warrant were running off into the woods. Ari's teeth grit. Now she was pissed. She wasn't really sure why she was so pissed, but she was. The look of fear in Scarlet's eyes...like she was pleading with her to do something. Why did that bother her so much? Ugh, this stupid friendship nonsense...maybe the noble girl had gotten to her after all. She shook her head and charged down the path after them, without really looking back at the group she was leaving behind. She wasn't even aware of how far she had gotten when she had finally caught up with the bandits, but she kept her weapon at the ready. She didn't even think of the words as they came out of her mouth, “Let my friend go, or I will make you regret the day of your birth.”
As Ari caught up to the bandits, the one holding Scar held a knife to her throat. Standing was not only hard for Scar, but now excruciatingly painful as well. ‘Best be dropping that weapon, unless you want her dead.’ As he finished speaking, about 8 more bandits dropped around them, completely surrounding Arienna. The man holding Scarlet lifted his arm, and ripped Scarlet’s dress, leaving one of her breasts almost hanging out of the now ripped top of the dress. ‘Drop it or not only will I kill this girl, but I’ll make her regret the day of her birth.’ The one that taunted Arienna earlier, removed Scarlet’s earring, checking them out with a smile. Real gold, a very nice thing to find on a target.
Ari glanced around her. This wasn't exactly a favorable situation, especially with Scarlet's life now hanging in the balance of her decisions. She wasn't going to let these fuckers have their sick pleasures, not with her, and not with her friend. The word was weird to her, even now, but it seemed...right. She dropped her glaive and her bag, which still had Whiskers in it. Her billhooks were concealed in the gauntlets of her armor. Before the glaive even hit the ground, the billhook blade was in Ari's hand, caught between two fingers and up over her shoulder. She brought the weapon around, launching it to bury itself right in the bandit's skull, right between the eyes, “You will do no such thing.” She said, the second billhook striking the bandit who had stolen Scarlet's earring right in the middle of his chest. She knew she didn't have time to grab her glaive and get into formation, so she just waited for the blows that she knew were going to come.
Scarlet fell to the ground, almost as quick as the corpses that were closest to her. She watched as the remaining bandits all charged in at Ari, with weapons drawn. She tried to pull the billhook from the man’s skull, but to no avail. She couldn’t get over him, to reach the one in the other guys chest either. Looking around her, she had her bag with her claws in it, but those were too small for Ari to wear. What could she do? .... Ari needed a weapon. The dead bandit that was holding her, had a short sword on his waist. Well, it was better then nothing, right? Working the sword from it’s sheath she watched the bandits close in and attack Ari. “Ari, heads up!” She yelled out, though tears still poured from her face from the pain and the fact that not only was she just threatened with death, but rape as well. She tossed the sword to Ari, but it was a first time, so it didn’t exactly fly nicely. It flew through the air, revolving as it did so. Finally, the blade plunged into the back of a bandit, who blocked the blade from hitting Arienna directly. He yelled out in pain, as the force made him turn around, leaving the hilt easy for Arienna to grab and use, before the corpse fell to the ground. Scarlet was left with a look of horror on her face, for both having just killed the first person she ever had, as well as realizing the blade thrown like that could have hurt Ari, or worse, as well.
As the first bandit came close, Ari gave him a wicked hook to the jaw, shattering the bone under the force of the impact, as well as the metal from her gauntlets. She heard Scarlet call out, but she couldn't exactly stop what she was doing. A second came at her and she put her arm up to block the man's blade, only to hear the sound of metal cutting through flesh behind her. Horror swept through her as she was sure one of the bandits had gone after Scarlet. She turned, afraid of what she might see. Instead, a bandit had a sword sticking from his back. She slid the living bandit's blade down her arm, gripping it in the palm of her gauntlet, keeping him from swinging again, while her other hand grabbed the sword Scarlet had thrown. A mace thundered against the side of her armor, just narrowly missing her free left arm, but she yanked the blade free of the dead man, jabbing it into the man whom had attacked her with the sword. She didn't have time to pull it free, so she just wrenched the blade from his dying hands, turning and stabbing the man who had come at her with the mace, before kicking him back. His corpse took the second sword as well as his own mace with it. That was five men remaining, and she was once again weaponless. In the scuffle, her glaive had been kicked to the side, and she was now surrounded once more by the bandits. No problem, she supposed. As one of the bandits charged, she used his momentum to trip and send him into another bandit, making them fall together in a heap. She leaped for her glaive, grabbed it, and rolled to her feet. She smirked a little behind her helmet. Now they were in trouble. Before they could even realize how much trouble their newest charge was putting them in, Ari moved fluidly, like a dancer, swinging the glaive once and cutting through the first man's tunic and chest, slicing the meat. Without stopping, the second head of her glaive came into contact with the next man in line, leaving him without a head, the blade cutting through the fleshy throat and going between the vertebrae, severing the spinal cord and dropping him like a bag of sand. An upward slash of the first glaive head, fluidly strung in chopped off the next man's arm and her next slash with the second head cut diagonally across his body. She stabbed the last man in the chest, the blade sinking in completely. When he fell to the ground, she twisted and yanked the blade free...wait a second...that was only nine. Where did...?
The last bandit decided to go after the easier target, brandishing his blade at Scarlet. As he approached, something moved up Scarlet's back and attached itself to the man's face. Whiskers bit and clawed at the man, who struggled to get the seemingly rabid animal off. When he finally yanked the cat free, Ari stabbed him in the back, “Let my kitty go.” Whiskers dropped to the ground as Ari kicked the corpse off her blade. After a moment of silence, Ari collapsed.
Scarlet looked on, feeling terrified, highly upset, and useless. She couldn’t even move as the last guy came after her, luckily her life was saved by Whisker’s distracting him. As Arienna fell to the ground though, fear ran through Scarlet’s body. She tried to crawl towards her through the pain, and early stages of the panic attack she was having. “A... a.... a... a... a... a... Ar.... Ari..... A... a... a... are y.... you.... are you okay?”
Ari just rolled over onto her back and let out a sigh, tearing her helmet off of her head. She knew she had to get up, knew she had to help the others, but she was just...too tired. All of her energy was gone, and her adrenaline was dried up. She just rolled her head to look at Scar and smiled a little, “We make a good team, you know. You have my thanks for the sword. I would have been in trouble without it.” That was stretching it a little. Would it have been a terribly horrible situation, no. Would it have been a longer fight, more than likely. But Scarlet looked like she could use some encouragement right now, and it was all she could give at the moment. She sighed again and closed her eyes, trying not to fall asleep, “Gods, I am tired...I have a spare tunic in my bag. It will be too big for you, but you...should make yourself decent. Dry your tears, I am fine. Nothing a good rest will no fix.”
Whiskers licked his fur a few times, before trotting over not to his master, but to Scarlet, and rubbing his head against her leg, before looking up at her, “Mreow?”
Scarlet stayed silent as Ari began to speak. She was okay, and alive... that was the best news. However, Scarlet couldn’t stop shaking. She couldn’t stop the tears from flowing from her eyes. Looking over at Whiskers as it looked at her, she picked it up and pet it a few times, before she finally broke down mentally and fell over to the ground, still protectively holding and petting Whiskers. “I..... They want... wanted to ra..... and then ki..... then I almost ki....” Not even able to finish a statement, though it wasn’t hard to finish them for her, she just began to cry uncontrollably.
Ari shook her head a little, sitting up. After a moment, she crawled her heavy body over to Scarlet and laid a hand on her shoulder. She didn't really know what to say at first, but finally, she spoke, “I am sorry...but this is war. This is what we are, now. You...and I...we are the same. We are soldiers. We are fighters. Death will not be unfamiliar to us. The faster you accept that...well...the faster you will be able to sleep easily.” To tell the truth, that was actually the first human Ari had ever killed as well. It had always been training against Everen, or some of the other soldiers whenever she trained. She never had the opportunity to kill. But it didn't bother her in the slightest. She had seen the dead before. Death itself was no stranger. She was a soldier...a fighter...a protector. This was what she had to do. After another moment's rest, she stood up and retrieved her glaive, sticking it onto her back, putting her helmet into her pack, and threaded her arms through the strap. She stuffed a piece of waded up bread into her mouth and chewed it, before going back to Scarlet and kneeling down. She pulled her spare tunic from her pack and put if over Scarlet's head, taking Whiskers for a moment so the girl could thread her arms through the proper holes. When everything was said and done, she handed Whiskers to Scarlet again, before picking her up. She felt an odd sensation run through her, the need to comfort, “Shhh...it is alright...I have you. You are safe now. Do not think about it. Just know that you are safe, and that I have you.” Scarlet wasn't all that heavy. It wasn't easy to carry the girl, but she did it. She didn't really know how, or why, but she did.
Scarlet was shaking, as the tears kept coming. Ari helping her did help, but she was still freaking out on the inside. After the tunic and things were on properly, and she was in Ari’s arms, the tears began to slowly stop. She did hold on tightly to Whiskers though. “They.... wanted to....” Silence fell as she tried her hardest to stop crying and just calm down. “T... Thank you... for saving me...”
Ari shook her head. Her strides were tired, and she hoped to the gods that the other gem hosts and guardians had been able to clear out the bandits without too many problems. She sort of wished she could be more...comforting than she was. She knew her cold, stiff metal skin wasn't exactly the best thing in the world, but it couldn't be helped, “They wanted to, but now they will never do anything to hurt you or anyone else ever again.” When Scarlet thanked her, she simply smiled a little, shifting Scarlet's weight a little, “We are friends, are we not? It is what friends do for each other, right? I will not let anyone hurt you, Scarlet. You are my only friend...and I will keep you safe. I promise.”
Scarlet tried to smile a little, but in truth her psyche was like swiss cheese right now. Every movement made her skin crawl, every sound made her jump a little, every thought was more terrifying then the rest. “That’s not true... You have Whiskers here too...” She tried to smile, but it just couldn’t for,. She pet Whiskers on the head. “Thank you too...” Looking up at Ari, she began to tear up a bit once more. “I.... I almost... stabbed you.... I’m... I’m so... so sorry....”
Ari smiled down at Scarlet, but this blubbering was...well, it was beginning to annoy her. Still, she remained pleasant, “But you did not. You saved me from being attacked from behind. I thought you threw that like that on purpose. And you need not dread, that blade would never have penetrated my armor. For your first fight, you did well.” She said, giving Scarlet a reassuring squeeze. The girl was lucky. And to tell the truth, she had been lucky as well. The blade would not have penetrated her armor, but it could have knocked her off balance, which could have been dangerous. If those bandits had been well trained...or even had better than shitty leather armor...she could have been in trouble.
Scar’s tears began to stop once more, though she was far from happy, or anything but upset. “I... I didn’t throw it like that on purpose... I... I don’t know how to fight... I’m not very good at it... if you weren’t there I would have been... been... I would have been raped and killed... I never killed anyone before... I never... I’ve never been stabbed before... I just....” She was at a loss for words, so instead she moved her head over, leaning on Ari’s chest plate. The suit of armor may have been cold, and not comforting, but strangely Scarlet felt welcome by it. It was inviting and warm to her. Then again with her fever nearing dangerous ranges, maybe the cool metal just felt good on her skin.
Ari nodded a little, “I have never killed before either...” she said. Another secret she didn't want the others to know about, but she felt she could trust Scarlet with it, “I have been wounded grievously before, by someone who was supposed to love me. He did it on purpose, again, and again, and again. To make me strong. To make me a soldier. I do not feel anything for the deaths of those men. They deserved what they received. And when I kill the man who hurt me so many times before, the man who called himself my father, I will feel nothing as well. Does that make me a bad person? Does it make me any better than them? I do not know. Rest assured, though, Scarlet, that you are my friend, and I understand the weight of that word. I will not let anything happen to you. While I cannot promise complete immunity from the dangers that will befall us, I will say this. You will not die. You will not be assaulted as those men wished. Not while you are my friend. As a warrior, and on my honor, I swear it. Alright?” Did she just say that to make Scarlet feel better, as she had intended...or were her words genuine? She didn't know. She didn't care to think about it now. Not while they were still so far from town, and Scarlet's condition only worsened, “We must get you aid for this fever. I can feel the heat through my armor.”
Scarlet was finally able to smile a little as Ari spoke. “I don’t know what he did to you... but I know you’re a good person... and... I know you’ll be there to help me... when I need it...” She paused for a while longer, thinking to herself. “It’s... supposed to be super strong and intense fire magic, right?... It only makes sense that I get a little hot from it... Not that I needed anything to make me hot...” She said joking a little. She couldn’t tell just how high her fever was, but if Ari could feel it through her armor, well it wasn’t the best of situations. “When I get better... will you help me learn to fight?... I don’t want to be useless anymore... I know I’ll never be as good as you are... but maybe a little help so I don’t... endanger my friends anymore...”
Ari tried to quicken her pace a little, to get back to the others. The Sorian or the other Pyrian, they had to have something to quell a fever. She shook her head a little when Scar spoke about her past, “You do not want to know. That much I can assure you. I have never hated someone as much as I hate my father...and...I have never known fear like the fear I have of him.” She said, almost ashamed. She was a warrior, she wasn't supposed to fear anything...but her father... “Everen Intuneric...a name I hesitate to think about, and especially to say. The fear it strikes into me is like nothing I have ever experienced before...but I will make him pay for everything he has done...one day.” She paused for a moment, closing her eyes, “I will make him pay for you, mother. I swear it.”
She kept her eyes closed for another minute before she looked up again, a new resolve in her eyes, “I will teach you to fight. But...I do not know if I know how.” Again, she felt ashamed to admit it, but the only teaching style she knew was her father's, and she could never inflict that on another living creature, “I will do my best...for now, simply rest. You will not get better working yourself up.”
Scarlet watched on ahead of them as they walked. She wasn’t sure if it was leftover sounds ringing in her ears, or fighting off in the distance, but either way it didn’t matter. She was useless and Ari was too exhausted to fight anymore. Scarlet wondered how she even had the strength to continue helping her now. Part of her also wondered why, seeing as she was such a burden. Why continue helping her? Surely even friendship had to have it’s limits. “One day... I hope you feel comfortable enough... to tell me your story... I will hate him with you... I will try and help your fear of him... I’ll... do my best as... as a...” Scarlet yawned a huge yawn, as her eyes began to blur. She couldn’t see straight anymore, from either the fever or exhaustion, or even both. “.. I’ll do my best as a friend...” As she finished her statement, she lost consciousness. Unclear if from just being far passed even over tired for a young noble woman like herself, or from the gem, but either way she was now asleep.
Ari said nothing as Scar spoke. She was wondering the same things. Why did she continue to carry this girl? Why encourage her? Why not let someone else come get her, she could just as easily drop the unconscious girl and let the panther, or even the wind host come get her. She wasn't heavy. Even the inventor could carry her with relative ease. But she didn't. She just kept walking, just kept carrying Scarlet, until she could see the others. The idea of someone else carrying her, it seemed like a betrayal, almost. To Scarlet, and maybe a little to herself. She looked over the group, and even at this distance, she could tell that nobody was dead, save for the bandits. That was good, right? Before she rejoined them, she whispered one thing to Scarlet, “This is my burden to bear. No one else may bear it for me. I pray you never have to experience his cruelty, or his hate.”
----------------------
Nadanna swore under her breath as she readied her sword. She readied her medical supplies for if anyone got injured and prepared herself for the bandits.
Edwards sighed as he took out his shield and mace. He had dealt with low lives before and these guy would be no different. Two-bit cut throats that will do anything for a bit of coin. Their tactics would be disorganized and their forms sloppy; this would be no challenge.
Ven wasn't exactly prepared for this. He looked around as the bandits closed in on them, “Shit...shit, we have a problem.” He muttered, more for Jet's benefit than his own, “Bandits...all around us. Down four people, split into three groups. Suggestions?” He asked, reaching into his jacket and pulling out a small glass vial with luminous liquid inside. He may not have been a very good fighter, but he had ways of dealing with the occasional highwayman that generally didn't require him to lift a finger.
Jet had no idea what was going on until Ven began to speak. Bandits all around, split into three different groups? He heard Zet mention Kassidy, so that meant they were gone. He wasn’t sure who else had left for the other group, but there was little time to consider that now. They had a problem on their hands. “Be a bit of a predicament we be findin’ ourselves in. I can fight without me eyes, but not when allies be around. Tell me where ta be swingin’ and I can be o' some use.”
Monroe stood still, rotating his head around a bit. If he focused, he could use what he had to move one limb at a time, but he’d need to make sure every hit counted. Luckily Terrans had a pretty tough hide at least... “They thinned us out enough. Everyone stay close and don’t let them thin us out more.”
Nadanna held her ground but Edwards sighed and set his mace down. He drew his short sword and just threw it at a bandit, going into his chest. He laughed a little and picked his mace back up.
As if a dam had been opened, Edwards' attack opened the flood gates on the bandits. They surged forward, each targeting a member of the group. Ven cursed and threw the vial at the nearest bandit, which shattered and gave a hissing noise as the bandit's skin seemed to almost fall of his face, looking as though he had been burned in intense heat. Ven cringed a bit at that, but took the opportunity to remove his belt, turning Jet around and moving against him so they were back to back before looping the belt around them and tying it taut, and keeping his wings comfortable and out of Jet's way, “There, we're back to back, and nobody else is around. Can you fight like that, I have to, shit, on your right!” He shouted as a bandit came at Jet. Ven glanced at the others, throwing another vial across the field, hitting a bandit who was coming up on Nadanna from behind.
Jet didn’t exactly like this, and even more so that his movement was restricted to staying back to back as well, though what could he do about it? It wasn’t like he could fight any less restricted with the others around anyway. Although a notice on a weapon would have been nice. Jet pulled out one of his trench knives and swung right, as he heard both Ven’s voice and the sound of the leaves to his right. Luckily that bandit only had a short sword and minimally sliced Jet’s side as he split open the man’s head. Grabbing him by the throat, he pulled him close like a meat shield, and stabbed him in the heart just to be certain he was dead. Holding the corpse close he cleared his throat. “Oi, tell me if they be swingin’ a sword at me.”
Monroe held still and waited for the bandit to come at him. As the one did, he was able to move his arm enough to grasp the blade, and then he mustered up enough strength to grab the bandit by his face. Twisting his body, he slammed the bandit’s head against the nearest tree, falling over after the bandit’s death. This gem was taking it’s toll, even more so then he thought. He couldn’t stand any longer, though after some rest on the ground, he’d be able to walk again most likely.
Shadowmere wasn’t sitting on the sidelines either. She may have been a rather tame animal, but when under attack she wouldn’t hesitate to attack or kill. She did just that. Lunging for the throat wasn’t exactly hard since these bandits weren’t used to fighting one. Panthers came from the other side of the kingdom, so them and any other large cat weren’t a common thing to come across. Within a matter of minutes there were two dead bandits at her feet. One she went straight for the throat, the other had various bites and scratches across their body, before she ripped out the throat. It wasn’t a clean death for any of the bandits, though in fights like this it usually wasn’t.
Edwards didn't have anything else to throw, but he began breaking the bones of whoever came close. One he struck in the chest, knocking him to the ground as blood began to fill his mouth. He kicked him back to his bandit friends and went back on the defense.
Nadanna almost didn't see the bandit that almost took her life. She was stunned, just watching the man fall in front of her, the blade that would have killed her. She looked to Ven with a stunned looked on her face. She swallowed and nodded to him. 'You dumb girl, check everything at all times.' She thought to herself.
Ven kept his hands steady, making sure to check that his new allies were out of the possible splash radius before he threw any more vials. Occasionally he would call out a bandit (and weapon, this time) that would be coming at Jet, but mostly they were kept at bay by himself and the others. As another bandit came at him, he reached into his duster again, only to find that potion tapped out. He cursed again before checking another pocket. While less effective, this potion would work as well. He threw it just in time for the bandit to be half-frozen, the potion freezing almost instantly as it touched the air as the glass shattered against the bandit's chest. Not dead, but definitely not coming at them again any time soon.
Jet took out the bandits as Ven called out, throwing the corpse, and grabbing the new bandit that attacked each time. It was rather said that tied up and blind, and he could still kill these guys only taking a small cut to his side. “Oi, ye best not be droppin’ any o those near us. I can’t be tellin’ what they do boyo, but they don’t sound fun.”
Monroe took a new tactic, this time sitting on the ground. If he could muster his strength into one arm, then he’d still fight. Picking up rocks he started tossing them, like a mini catapult. The accuracy wasn’t the best since he wasn’t in good shape from the gem, but when they hit, they did their job.
As the fight continued, Edwards became a little more bolder, moving away from the group and pushing the attack. As he broke another bandits leg, another jump on his back. Before the bandit even had a chance to stab Edwards, he grunted in pain and threw him off his back and brought his foot down to his neck. He glared as heard the crunch of the bandits neck.
Nadanna rush out and started to pull Edwards back to the group. “You fricken idiot what the hell are you doing?!” She yelled, not noticing the bandit to her side. A clean cut as the sword hit her leg, making her drop to her knee. With a quick jab she gutted the bandit, droped her sword, and grabbed her knee. Edwards looked to her and took one of her arms away from her leg and dragged her back to the group. In pain, Nadanna started to try and stop the bleeding as the battle went on.
Ven was trying to keep up with the bandits, and most of them were dead by now (or frozen, which was good enough for him) but he was quickly running out of potions. Finally, the last was exhausted, and all he could do was stand there. That was when he heard Nadanna shouting about...something. He glanced away and saw her being dragged back by the other Sorian, “Shit. Alright, uhm...I'm gonna cut you loose, alright big guy? Just uh...don't do...something, we've got wounded. Come here kitty, look after your master, okay?” He said, quickly untying the sash from himself, before slathering some salve onto it and tying it around Jet again, covering the man's wound, “Right, that's fixed...kind of.” He was now pretty much useless anyway, when it came to fighting, so at the very least he could keep his fellow guardian from bleeding to death. He stooped by her side as she tried to stop the bleeding, “What can I do to help?”
Jet wasn’t sure what was going on, but apparently he was being ditched by Ven. Not that he really needed that much help at this point if Shadowmere was around. Jet closed his eyes, trying to see if he could hear a difference in footsteps, but it was just too hard to tell who was who. At least until he opened his eyes. His vision was poor, but there was a bit of it. He could see shapes. Outlines of people. Enough of an outline to know if they were one of the people that were in the group or not at least. At least he thought so. "Oi, Shadowmere. Bite me if I attack an ally.” Shadowmere gave a small growl, acknowledging him. At least that’s what he assumed as he charged at the bandits. Shadowmere covered his back as she usually did, and at least many of the bandits charged him rather then him having to guess. It wasn’t exactly hard for him to kill them. He trained himself in speed, and accurate attacks, even if he couldn’t see very well.
Edwards stood firm to defend the girl that pulled him back. She was only trying to help and she got hurt because he was stupid. Nadanna looked at the Sorian. “Just tie this rag around my leg as I block the wound!” She shouted as she grit her teeth in pain. Why did she have to play hero all the time, it never ends will for her.
Ven didn't question, doing as he was told. After all, she was the medic. Once that was done, he looked around. The bandits were now pretty much dead, and by the looks of it, the other two pairs were making their way back as well, with Zet carrying Kass, who looked to be unconscious, with Arienna and Scarlet in a similar situation, though Scarlet's leg was still bleeding. He focused back on Nadanna, though, “Now what?”
Arienna trudged into the camp, only to see the medic and Sorian inventor preoccupied. She sank to her knees and gave a sigh of exhaust. She finally lay Scarlet on the ground and gave a few dry wheezes. Her energy was gone entirely, “After that, I do not...think it is too much to ask for a break, yes?”
After all the bandits were either unconscious or dead, Jet sat on the ground with Shadowmere at his side. “Oi, we all still breathin’?” Jet’s best guess was that they all were, but it wasn’t like he could actually tell. After all, even seeing outlines, he had no clue who sustained what injury.
Zet arrived back with Kass, just moments after Arienna arrived back with Scarlet. Though it seemed they had similar situations, although Scarlet was hurt a bit physically and the bandits were probably a lot less personal with Arienna. Zet held onto Kass. He could carry her for hours if he needed to.
“I’m no medic but it looks like everyone here pulled through. We do have time to rest, but not very much. There’s more then just one group of bandits made up of 50 or so men in these woods. We’re only a half an hour away from town. We’ll be safe soon, the bandits hardly even come much closer than this to it.”
Nadanna continued to slow the bleeding as best she could, but she needed to stitch up the wound. From her bag she got everything ready and looked to the Sorian. “I need you do take the rag off and...arrr...hold the wound close together...” She grunted as she laid her leg flat. As the Sorian did what she asked, she began stitching. She looked up to him and nodded. “Thank you...”
Edwards didn't stop guarding Nadanna and Ven till the all clear was given. This happens every time he goes off on his own when he is in a group, someone got hurt on his fault. He sighed and looked down to Nadanna. “I'm sorry.” He said before walking to a tree and leaning up against it.
The mismatched group, for what else could one call such a group, rested. Each did their own thing, watching over those they thought of as friends, checking those they called allies, and just resting amongst the corpses of the fallen. After about an hour of recuperation, the group began to walk again. Zet carried Kass, Ari carried Scarlet, Ven helped to support Nadanna, and Jet was able to lean on Shadowmere to guide him. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of walking, they came upon the town, which accepted the weary traAvelers after a few moments scrutiny. Each showed their thanks to gods above in their own way, or didn't at all, but all were thankful for the fact that, for the moment, they were safe. Pooling what money they had, they gave the inn owner a fine bit of coin to stay (a few people had taken it upon themselves to gather coins from the fallen bandits, though who had done so was truly a mystery) but in the end, they all ended up in their own rooms, on their own beds. And one by one, they proceeded to pass out.
They kept walking for a few hours, but for the past hour or so they were being followed. It was only a few at first, but they kept growing in number. Either way they were slowly gaining people, yet halting their assault. Zet wasn’t entirely sure why, he could only assume they didn’t feel safe taking on a group of their size, with the manpower they had. Zet knew of a clearing up a bit further. He knew he could guard everyone better from that point, rather then being surrounded by the trees the bandits loved to strike from. Plans never really do go perfectly though.
Zet turned to Kass as she shrieked and ran off. “Shit... Everyone stay close together, we’re not alone. I have to get Kassidy.” Before even giving anyone time to respond, he took off after her. He knew it was a bad idea, and the bandits may attack the two alone, but he couldn’t leave her. After all, she was the water host. She was actually moving quite fast, so by the time Zet was near her, they were quite a bit away from the main group. The next moment that passed by was complete instinct. He saw the dagger, headed right for Kassidy, so he dove at her. Wrapping his arm around her, he pulled her to the ground, taking the thrown dagger right into his opposite shoulder. “Stay close” he whispered as he got to his feet. As the bandits dropped from the trees around him, it was a group of about ten, with a few all too familiar faces among them. ‘Well now, long time no see Krovi.’
Meanwhile while the rest of the group was unsure of what was happening completely, more of the bandits decided to strike the main group. The first hit was from a throwing star, lodging itself right into Scarlet’s shin. She screamed a bit out of pain before falling to the ground, tears in her eyes. Bandits began to drop from the trees, surrounding the group, however it was clear that not all of them had decided to drop down and join the fray yet.
Kass was surprised by the arm wrapping around her and forcing her to the ground. She let out another shriek, but the voice in her ear made her blush. When Zet got to his feet, she just stayed low to the ground, looking around with frightened, deer-like eyes. These people knew Zet? Who were they? Maybe they wouldn't attack them? It seemed like a slim hope, by the way the men were looking at her and at Zet. Like he was standing between some very hungry men and a piece of meat. She absolutely did not like that look.
Zet eyed the men standing around him. 6 of them seemed like some nameless illiterates. A bunch of nobody fuck-ups, which was saying something with this group. “Well if it isn’t the Roland family. Didn’t I teach you all a lesson two years ago? Don’t tell me you want me to spank you again in front of all your friends now, do you?”
The oldest of the 4 Roland siblings stepped forward as Zet made his snarky comment. ‘Two years ago you killed our father and oldest brother, leaving us to fend on our own. We couldn’t fight you back then, but today we’re out for blood. We’ve done nothing but train since that day, and now we’re going to kill you, your friends, and even your little girlfriend here. Although, I may take what I want from her first. Seeing as she’s such a fine specimen of woman and whatnot.’
Zet just stared at them, keeping his cool. Although the comment he made about Kass, really started to get his blood boiling for some reason. “You were all too pitiful to waste my time killing back then. Now however though, I’ll be sure not to make the same mistake twice. I’ll kill you, your two brothers, and that sister that likes to whore herself out to draw in targets for you. After all, you’ve made it so easy by all being here together. Then I’ll kill every last bandit you sent against my friends. Do you know why? Because you pissed me off and threatened my friends. You won’t lay a hand on Kassidy, and any of your other friends that lay a hand on any of my other friends, if they don’t kill them first, I’ll make sure to make it a painful death.”
The Roland siblings were clearly unhappy with his response, not that they would have been happy with any response. The surrounded him on all 4 sides, 4 people with them blocking any spaces they had between them, and the last 2 men staying in the tree’s above. Zet had been readying his Kyoketshu-shogei the entire time they spoke, and was confident they’d all be dead from it in a matter of minutes. “Hope you don’t mind if I make the first move.” He said with a smirk, as he ripped the dagger from his shoulder, tossing it into the tree above him. As soon as the man who was pierced by the blade came crashing to the ground, the group’s assault had begun.
Kass began to cry at the bandit's words. What? He wanted to do what to her? She sat back and crawled backwards, bumping into a tree and letting out a squeal. When she realized it was an inanimate object and not a would-be rapist's body, she pulled her legs up to her chest and cried a little. But Zet was surrounded. What could she do to help him? She was a gem host, after all, she had to do something. She put her arms out in front of her and tried to make the gem do...something. Anything. She didn't care what, it just had to do something. But no, nothing happened. Instead, the cold feeling just radiated through her again and she breathed out a cloud, shivering. She was useless. Zet was going to get hurt, or...or worse, and she couldn't do anything about it.
Zet’s weapon fell from his sleeve. As soon as it happened, he began swinging it around him. Normally a wound on the shoulder may lower range of motion a bit, but it’s not like Zet had never felt a pain like it before. All in all, it didn’t affect him all that much. He needed to be the most careful from the man still up in the tree. The rest were fairly easy to watch, and to counter their moves with death blows. He made the first move, but all the other moves after that, was all on the enemies. They had greater numbers, but he had more skill in his right ass cheek then the entire enemy group around him did.
The nameless idiots were the first to act, charging him as a group of four. A tactic that may have worked on someone not trained to counter ambushes. Zet swung the chain at the nearest person, using his ability to ensure clean cuts through the body. He didn’t like using it, but he didn’t have time to fuck around. Upon contact, the man’s arm was cut in two, the blade not stopping there, and ripping clean through the entire body, then straight back into the position it was before Zet even attacked. It was all one fluid motion. One that wouldn’t have been too hard to dodge with any sort of decent training in evasive actions. With a second swing he slit the throats of both the person nearest in front of him, as well as behind him. The 4th got in close, forcing Zet to jump backwards. The damage on his body had already begun, one cut appearing as an X on the back of his hand, the other overlaying further damage to the wound on his shoulder.
As he jumped back, the Roland’s tried to get Zet off guard. The youngest tried to drive a spear into Zet’s back, however he was far too noisy to make a sneak attack viable. Zet heard him back there, quickly jabbing the blade on the end of the chain into a tree and pulling himself up. Flipping backwards, he freed his weapons, jumping down on the shoulders of what some would still consider a child, no older then 15. Zet made good on his promise, gripping the boy’s head with his feet and snapping the child’s neck. William Roland was dead. Using the end of the chain to whip the spear up from the hands of the fresh corpse, into his own hand, he grasped it and tossed it into the final one chasing after him. This left three Roland’s and the man up in the trees.
Seeing her youngest brother die, Tracy Roland, the only female sibling of the bunch, could not contain the urge to yell out from the pain of witnessing it. Knowing exactly where she was from the yell, Zet pulled a throwing knife tossing it at her, while enhancing it with his ability, a cut opening on his forehead as he did. Jeremy Roland tried to jump in the way, to save his sister, however the same blade with the force to cut a tree in two, tore through flesh and bone with relative ease. Just two left now, the nameless thug in the tree above, and the eldest brother, Luke.
Awe stricken by the way his siblings were slaughtered with ease, and now fueled by anger and hatred, he charged in at Zet. Although that played into Zet’s plan perfectly. Spinning the chain, Zet finally sent the blade up into the trees above him. Narrowly dodging the charge of Luke Roland’s blade, Zet jumped to the side, wrapping the chain around his throat a few times. It brought the man acting more like an angry bull to a halt, but it was too late. As the corpse fell from the trees, the blade lodged clean into his skull, the chain started to pull up. Zet jumped on the corpse adding more force to the chain which was still wrapped around Luke’s neck, as well as hanging over a thick branch. Finally, when there was just no more give to the chain, Luke was jolted up into the air, snapping his neck immediately for an instant death. Ripping his blade from the thug’s skull, unwrapping the chain from Luke’s neck, and finally retrieving his throwing knife, he then walked over to Kassidy, wondering how she’d take it all. After all, Luke did want to rape her, and they did just discuss killing a few hours ago. Maybe now she’d see why it was necessary.
Kass could only watch in horror as Zet killed the entire group of bandits in maybe a minute. He was so powerful...so skilled...but so much blood. During the fight, blood had splashed onto her clothes. She didn't notice it until Zet was already walking over to her, but she just looked down at her own hands, her own shirt, with disgust and horror. She feverishly tore the shirt off of her, over her head, and letting her breasts hang loosely in her bra. She didn't even care. All she could think about was the blood on her hands. The blood of now dead men. She brushed futily at her hands, trying to wipe the blood off her. She let out a small shriek and cried, still scrubbing hopelessly at her own hands. Her eyes flickered around the clearing, at the dead amongst them. They were animals, yes, disgusting examples of human kind, but did they truly deserve this? She couldn't say. In her mind, she could see the gore and it made her sick. She leaned over and puked, ejecting everything in her stomach. Beef sticks, water, bile, everything, until nothing was left. She just pulled her knees up to her breasts and cried, holding her arms out and away from herself as though they were snakes.
Zet ran over to Kass as she started freaking out. Of course pausing as she ripped off her shirt. She froze for a minute, knowing he shouldn’t have been looking, but he couldn’t seem to look away for a few moments either. Finally snapping himself out of it, he ran over and placed his hands on her’s. He stared into her eyes, even though he didn’t know if she could see his. “Kassidy, calm down. You’re safe. I won’t let anyone hurt you. The blood is not yours. It’s the enemy’s or at worst mine. I’ve got you now, you’re safe.”
Kass looked up with Zet, and for a moment, that lingering thought of fear flickered over her face. Whether she was afraid of Zet, or of what she had just heard and witnessed, was entirely a mystery. Her shivered calmed a little, but she was still freaking out, “I-I-I-I....they're...they're dead. Blood...on me...I don't...I...get it off. Please, oh gods, please, get it off! Get it off me!” She shrieked, pleadingly and hysterically looking into Zet's face, up under his hood and into his eyes. She had never had blood on her before. Not someone else's blood. This wasn't right. It was already starting to become tacky against her skin. It was disgusting. She wanted to scratch at the skin until she bled herself, until she had taken the blood and skin of her arms off, “I didn't do anything to them, why would they want to hurt me, to-to-to-to-to touch me, to-to...to rape me?! I didn't do anything, and they just, they wanted to hurt me and kill me, and I didn't do anything, and now they're dead! I don't...I don't understand, why, why would they want to hurt me, they aren't even Shadelians, I don't even know them, I don't even...I'm not even a threat to them, but they wanted to kill me. They wanted to kill me.” She spewed, all the while her eyes were frantically looking about the clearing, the carnage and gore, before looking up at Zet again, because honestly, she didn't understand. Why would they want to do that to someone else? Someone they had never met before, someone who they had no idea who they were.
Zet didn’t know what to say, so instead he just took out his water pack and started washing the blood off of Kass. He could replenish his water at the town. It was fine to use it so close to things now, especially if it would help Kass feel better. He didn’t know why Kass specifically, but he felt the need to make sure she was taken care of especially. “Calm down and listen, alright? They are bandits. They live off stealing from others, killing everyone, and yes sometimes raping women they find attractive. It doesn’t make perfect sense why they’d choose that kind of life, but that’s why they wanted to hurt you. It has nothing to do with who you are. They’ll kill man, woman and child, for a few bronze pieces or worthless tokens that have but sentimental value. The wanted to kill me, and you, and all of our friends, just to steal from us... We’ll I guess they did have an extra reason to want me dead... These were not good people though.”
He finished washing the blood off her arms, drying them with a part of her shirt that wasn’t covered in blood. “I told you my abilities were only good for death and destruction. I wasn’t exaggerating. This is what I do for a living. This is all I’m good at. I suppose I’m not a good person either when you look at it... I just have more morals then they do. I kill people when it seems necessary, not for any other reason. I had to kill them to protect you, me, and the others. This world won’t make sense much of the time, that’s human nature. It’s unpredictable, and often impossible to understand. Kass this will not be the first time you see a scene like this. You’ll find it easier to live with, given time. If we all don’t, we’ll end up worse then this, as will all those we love.”
Kass let Zet wash her arms clean, barely listening to what he said. Things would only get worse from here on out. She would have to shed blood on her own. She would have to kill. If she didn't...the world as they all knew it would be gone. When her hands were clean, she put her arms around Zet and cried into his chest, “I don't wanna kill people. I don't wanna hurt anyone. I wanna go home. I wanna go home.” She sobbed, shaking her head, “Please, just let me go home. Just let me go back to my Mom and Dad, and my teachers, and my house, and my peaceful life...I just wanna go home...I'll be good, I won't ever go out exploring ever again, and I'll do exactly what my mom and dad say, and I'll never ever do anything bad ever again. I just wanna go home...” who exactly she was pleading with wasn't entirely clear, but it wasn't Zet. She wanted this all to be a bad dream, to be something she could wake up, laugh off, and never think about again. She wanted to see her parents. Hell, she wanted them to yell at her. She wanted them to punish her for exploring the woods again, lock her away in her room for the rest of her life. But she didn't want this.
Zet didn’t know what else to say, or how to react. Who was she asking to go home? The gem hosts? The universe? Unsure, and since it would probably never be a good time to ask, he just put his arms around her in a friendly embrace to try and make her feel better. He rubbed his hand on her back, even though it was her bare skin. She had very soft skin. “The Gem hosts chose you for a reason... You have a kind and gentle spirit. You will be the one to heal our injuries in the future. You stay close to me, and I’ll do the killing for the two of us. Unless... unless you fear me... or can’t stand me after what I did here. You will find a fighting style that works for you. Even if you avoid killing most of the time. I don’t think going home is an option anymore, Kass... We’ll find a way that works for you though, and if you’ll have it, I’ll protect you from the horrors of this world the best I can.... The best I know how...”
Could she do that? Could she fight without killing? She didn't know if it was possible, but the prospect helped her to calm down a little. He asked her if she was afraid of him. Was she? She didn't think so. No, his arm around her made her feel safe. She just kept hugging him, her crying turning to weak sobs, “Thank you...I just...I don't know anymore...I'm not cut out to do this...I'm not cut out to be strong and fast and tough like you...” She whispered, shaking her head, “Do you promise...? To protect me?” She asked. She felt childish and stupid for saying that, she really did, but to hear that she would always have someone looking out for her would be a godsend...she leaned into him a little more, turning her head and just resting it against her chest, her pigtails draped loosely around her shoulders, “I'm not afraid of you...and I don't hate you...you did what you had to do, just like that hunter did what he had to do...I know you don't enjoy hurting people...but we do what we have to to survive...” she whispered again, though her voice sounded...defeated. She was resigned to having to do this, but she wouldn't like it...
If Zet was perfectly honest with himself, he didn’t know what to do anymore either. He was doing what he felt was right, making the rest up as he went along. He couldn’t help but smile as she said she didn’t hate or fear him. Before answering her though, he took the mantle off his shoulders that she had returned earlier, and draped it around her . She could cover herself well enough with it, and they could get her some new clothes when they got too the town. “As long as I draw breath, I will do what I must to protect you. I don’t say things like that, if I do not intend to make good on them. Wrap that around you until we can get you some new clothing. You may look like a Krovi for a bit, but that’s not a terrible thing in this town, so you’ll be fine.”
A weird thought came to Kass' head when he spoke of looking like a Krovi, but she brushed it aside. Where did it even come from? Envy, probably, “If only I could do more than look like a Krovi...You're strong and fast, and you don't hesitate to kill bad people...but I'm useless...I don't know why the gem hosts picked me, I'm just a stupid little girl. I can't protect anyone. I can't fight off the bad people. I can't even do what I'm supposed to do and heal anyone. I'm not ready for this...” she whispered, looking away from him. His words comforted her, maybe more than they should have, but she didn't really care. She cast one last glance at the gory scene Zet had left behind, before forcing herself to her feet, “I've held us up enough...if it weren't for me, you wouldn't have had to use your power and hurt yourself. Let's just go...”
Zet didn’t make any expressions as she mentioned looking more like a Krovi. “Trust me... it’s not something you want to look like generally. My people are hated. Some order us killed on sight, and we have no choice but to escape without defending ourselves. If we were to defend ourselves, it would just make us look worse to all of Elenia. Please don’t tell yourself that you’re useless. Just because you’re not the best fighter, doesn’t mean you don’t belong with us. A war needs many positions filled. You’ll get the hang of your gem eventually, and then you’ll be stronger then I could ever hope to be. Give yourself some time, and a chance. You’ll be ready when the time calls for it.” As she stood up and began walking, he walked next to her. “Are you sure you’re alright? I can’t even begin to imagine the gem’s affects on the body, let alone the trauma you just witnessed. I can carry you back, if you don’t think you can walk. It would be no trouble. Oh, and don’t blame yourself for my ability. It doesn’t even hurt, and I wanted to get them all done with quickly. I had a backup in case you were attacked and I couldn’t help you though.” Just as he said that Ruby flew out from a nearby tree, perching herself onto Zet’s bad shoulder. He only winced a little as she landed. “This is Ruby. If I couldn’t protect you, she would have.”
Kass was barely listening. To tell the truth, she felt like she was in a haze. Her legs were on auto-pilot, and if she actually stopped to think, she would find she didn't have the strength to stand. Yet she walked. Doing anything else, stopping, thinking, it would make the images come back, make her remember, and she would fall. She wouldn't fall. Zet's encouraging words, simply fell upon deaf ears. She was useless. She was probably the most useless in the group. She couldn't do anything but cry and get into trouble. She would only weigh her new friends down, until she dragged them to their deaths. She wanted to cry, but nothing came out. Maybe she was just too tired to care, too tired to cry. Vaguely, she heard herself mumbled, “I'm fine...I can walk...” before pulling the mantle tight around herself. To be honest...she didn't really feel all that cold anymore. She was drawing on the gem's powers just to stay upright, and she didn't even know it. Maybe it was for the best. Her eyes felt heavy...so heavy... “How long until we get to town...?”
Zet couldn’t actually tell what Kass was thinking, but he could tell that she was barely with him anymore. She was barely even standing. Maybe it was the Gem’s power, maybe she had more will then she thought. Either way, Zet knew exactly what to do. He scooped her up from behind, carrying her in his arms. The wound on his shoulder hurt a bit as he picked her up, but it wasn’t much of a problem. “Not much longer. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to get you and everyone else there in one piece.”
Kass wanted to protest, to say something, but she was just so comfortable in his arms...to be off her feet. But she couldn't sleep just yet. It didn't seem right. A few tears came to her eyes and she shook them away, “I'm sorry I ran away.” She whispered, looking away from him. She gently let her hand touch his face, where blood had begun to bead from the wound on his forehead, “I'm so sorry...”
Zet looked down as she began to speak, but when she touched his face... he didn’t really know how to explain how he felt. Maybe it was because he wasn’t even completely sure himself. “Don’t be sorry you ran away. I understand. It’s been a long day, things are overwhelming, and you got spooked. We’ll get back to the others, make sure they’re all still okay, and then we’ll head to the town so we can all rest for a few days.” He walked a bit further before smiling once more. “For the record you don’t look bad at all in the Krovi colors, not that I can imagine you looking bad in anything... I just... Well they just suit you better then they would others.”
Kass actually felt herself blush a little, “You're a nice guy, Zet...I don't care what anyone else says. You're sweet.” She said, giggling a little. She felt a little better, now. She didn't know why, she just did. Without really thinking about it, she said, “I bet I looked better without the mantle, huh?” She asked, blushing fiercely as she did.
Zet smiled as she said he was a nice guy, but tried to hide the slight blush as she mentioned looking better without the mantle. “As I said before... I don’t think there’s anything that you wouldn’t look good in. Lack of clothing included. You’re a pretty girl.”
Kass blushed and would have said more, but everything just got to her. She mumbled something before finally drifting off to sleep with a small, sheepish smile on her face. No doubt she would have plenty of time to be embarrassed about everything later.
--------------
Ari cursed as the blade found its way into Scarlet's leg. She knelt down, pulling her helmet on over her hair, quickly wrapped a cloth around her wound, and put her hand on Scarlet's shoulder, “Stay down, out of the way.” She said, before standing up and unstrapping her weapon from her back, “Alright. I am tired. I am hungry. Now I am fucking cranky. Which one of you assholes wants to die first!?”
Scarlet nodded to Ari as she said to stay down, but tears began pouring from her eyes. She actually never really did get physically hurt like this before. Emotionally yes, but physically no. The bandits though, self serving as they are, didn’t give a rats ass about her pain. One of them in front of Ari laughed as she threatened them. He threw another dagger, this time at Ari to distract her. “Come and try to kill us. Though I’m pretty sure getting yourself killed won’t help that little skank down there.” He said motioning at Scar, most likely for just how much of her legs were showing in that dress. When Arienna was properly distracted however, a bandit swung down from a tree using some kind of weird grapple hook, grabbing Scarlet and landing out of Ari or anyone else’s attack range. Scar stared at Ari for a moment with fear in her eyes, completely blindsided by what was happening. Less then a moment later, the bandit with Scarlet, as well as the one taunting Arienna earlier, both took off into a different part of the woods.
“I am glad we have a volunteer. I am going to make you really fear a Shadelian soldier.” Ari growled, but the sound of wind rushing behind her caused her to turn her head. By the time she got her bearings on what had happened, both the bandit with Scarlet and the one who had signed his own death warrant were running off into the woods. Ari's teeth grit. Now she was pissed. She wasn't really sure why she was so pissed, but she was. The look of fear in Scarlet's eyes...like she was pleading with her to do something. Why did that bother her so much? Ugh, this stupid friendship nonsense...maybe the noble girl had gotten to her after all. She shook her head and charged down the path after them, without really looking back at the group she was leaving behind. She wasn't even aware of how far she had gotten when she had finally caught up with the bandits, but she kept her weapon at the ready. She didn't even think of the words as they came out of her mouth, “Let my friend go, or I will make you regret the day of your birth.”
As Ari caught up to the bandits, the one holding Scar held a knife to her throat. Standing was not only hard for Scar, but now excruciatingly painful as well. ‘Best be dropping that weapon, unless you want her dead.’ As he finished speaking, about 8 more bandits dropped around them, completely surrounding Arienna. The man holding Scarlet lifted his arm, and ripped Scarlet’s dress, leaving one of her breasts almost hanging out of the now ripped top of the dress. ‘Drop it or not only will I kill this girl, but I’ll make her regret the day of her birth.’ The one that taunted Arienna earlier, removed Scarlet’s earring, checking them out with a smile. Real gold, a very nice thing to find on a target.
Ari glanced around her. This wasn't exactly a favorable situation, especially with Scarlet's life now hanging in the balance of her decisions. She wasn't going to let these fuckers have their sick pleasures, not with her, and not with her friend. The word was weird to her, even now, but it seemed...right. She dropped her glaive and her bag, which still had Whiskers in it. Her billhooks were concealed in the gauntlets of her armor. Before the glaive even hit the ground, the billhook blade was in Ari's hand, caught between two fingers and up over her shoulder. She brought the weapon around, launching it to bury itself right in the bandit's skull, right between the eyes, “You will do no such thing.” She said, the second billhook striking the bandit who had stolen Scarlet's earring right in the middle of his chest. She knew she didn't have time to grab her glaive and get into formation, so she just waited for the blows that she knew were going to come.
Scarlet fell to the ground, almost as quick as the corpses that were closest to her. She watched as the remaining bandits all charged in at Ari, with weapons drawn. She tried to pull the billhook from the man’s skull, but to no avail. She couldn’t get over him, to reach the one in the other guys chest either. Looking around her, she had her bag with her claws in it, but those were too small for Ari to wear. What could she do? .... Ari needed a weapon. The dead bandit that was holding her, had a short sword on his waist. Well, it was better then nothing, right? Working the sword from it’s sheath she watched the bandits close in and attack Ari. “Ari, heads up!” She yelled out, though tears still poured from her face from the pain and the fact that not only was she just threatened with death, but rape as well. She tossed the sword to Ari, but it was a first time, so it didn’t exactly fly nicely. It flew through the air, revolving as it did so. Finally, the blade plunged into the back of a bandit, who blocked the blade from hitting Arienna directly. He yelled out in pain, as the force made him turn around, leaving the hilt easy for Arienna to grab and use, before the corpse fell to the ground. Scarlet was left with a look of horror on her face, for both having just killed the first person she ever had, as well as realizing the blade thrown like that could have hurt Ari, or worse, as well.
As the first bandit came close, Ari gave him a wicked hook to the jaw, shattering the bone under the force of the impact, as well as the metal from her gauntlets. She heard Scarlet call out, but she couldn't exactly stop what she was doing. A second came at her and she put her arm up to block the man's blade, only to hear the sound of metal cutting through flesh behind her. Horror swept through her as she was sure one of the bandits had gone after Scarlet. She turned, afraid of what she might see. Instead, a bandit had a sword sticking from his back. She slid the living bandit's blade down her arm, gripping it in the palm of her gauntlet, keeping him from swinging again, while her other hand grabbed the sword Scarlet had thrown. A mace thundered against the side of her armor, just narrowly missing her free left arm, but she yanked the blade free of the dead man, jabbing it into the man whom had attacked her with the sword. She didn't have time to pull it free, so she just wrenched the blade from his dying hands, turning and stabbing the man who had come at her with the mace, before kicking him back. His corpse took the second sword as well as his own mace with it. That was five men remaining, and she was once again weaponless. In the scuffle, her glaive had been kicked to the side, and she was now surrounded once more by the bandits. No problem, she supposed. As one of the bandits charged, she used his momentum to trip and send him into another bandit, making them fall together in a heap. She leaped for her glaive, grabbed it, and rolled to her feet. She smirked a little behind her helmet. Now they were in trouble. Before they could even realize how much trouble their newest charge was putting them in, Ari moved fluidly, like a dancer, swinging the glaive once and cutting through the first man's tunic and chest, slicing the meat. Without stopping, the second head of her glaive came into contact with the next man in line, leaving him without a head, the blade cutting through the fleshy throat and going between the vertebrae, severing the spinal cord and dropping him like a bag of sand. An upward slash of the first glaive head, fluidly strung in chopped off the next man's arm and her next slash with the second head cut diagonally across his body. She stabbed the last man in the chest, the blade sinking in completely. When he fell to the ground, she twisted and yanked the blade free...wait a second...that was only nine. Where did...?
The last bandit decided to go after the easier target, brandishing his blade at Scarlet. As he approached, something moved up Scarlet's back and attached itself to the man's face. Whiskers bit and clawed at the man, who struggled to get the seemingly rabid animal off. When he finally yanked the cat free, Ari stabbed him in the back, “Let my kitty go.” Whiskers dropped to the ground as Ari kicked the corpse off her blade. After a moment of silence, Ari collapsed.
Scarlet looked on, feeling terrified, highly upset, and useless. She couldn’t even move as the last guy came after her, luckily her life was saved by Whisker’s distracting him. As Arienna fell to the ground though, fear ran through Scarlet’s body. She tried to crawl towards her through the pain, and early stages of the panic attack she was having. “A... a.... a... a... a... a... Ar.... Ari..... A... a... a... are y.... you.... are you okay?”
Ari just rolled over onto her back and let out a sigh, tearing her helmet off of her head. She knew she had to get up, knew she had to help the others, but she was just...too tired. All of her energy was gone, and her adrenaline was dried up. She just rolled her head to look at Scar and smiled a little, “We make a good team, you know. You have my thanks for the sword. I would have been in trouble without it.” That was stretching it a little. Would it have been a terribly horrible situation, no. Would it have been a longer fight, more than likely. But Scarlet looked like she could use some encouragement right now, and it was all she could give at the moment. She sighed again and closed her eyes, trying not to fall asleep, “Gods, I am tired...I have a spare tunic in my bag. It will be too big for you, but you...should make yourself decent. Dry your tears, I am fine. Nothing a good rest will no fix.”
Whiskers licked his fur a few times, before trotting over not to his master, but to Scarlet, and rubbing his head against her leg, before looking up at her, “Mreow?”
Scarlet stayed silent as Ari began to speak. She was okay, and alive... that was the best news. However, Scarlet couldn’t stop shaking. She couldn’t stop the tears from flowing from her eyes. Looking over at Whiskers as it looked at her, she picked it up and pet it a few times, before she finally broke down mentally and fell over to the ground, still protectively holding and petting Whiskers. “I..... They want... wanted to ra..... and then ki..... then I almost ki....” Not even able to finish a statement, though it wasn’t hard to finish them for her, she just began to cry uncontrollably.
Ari shook her head a little, sitting up. After a moment, she crawled her heavy body over to Scarlet and laid a hand on her shoulder. She didn't really know what to say at first, but finally, she spoke, “I am sorry...but this is war. This is what we are, now. You...and I...we are the same. We are soldiers. We are fighters. Death will not be unfamiliar to us. The faster you accept that...well...the faster you will be able to sleep easily.” To tell the truth, that was actually the first human Ari had ever killed as well. It had always been training against Everen, or some of the other soldiers whenever she trained. She never had the opportunity to kill. But it didn't bother her in the slightest. She had seen the dead before. Death itself was no stranger. She was a soldier...a fighter...a protector. This was what she had to do. After another moment's rest, she stood up and retrieved her glaive, sticking it onto her back, putting her helmet into her pack, and threaded her arms through the strap. She stuffed a piece of waded up bread into her mouth and chewed it, before going back to Scarlet and kneeling down. She pulled her spare tunic from her pack and put if over Scarlet's head, taking Whiskers for a moment so the girl could thread her arms through the proper holes. When everything was said and done, she handed Whiskers to Scarlet again, before picking her up. She felt an odd sensation run through her, the need to comfort, “Shhh...it is alright...I have you. You are safe now. Do not think about it. Just know that you are safe, and that I have you.” Scarlet wasn't all that heavy. It wasn't easy to carry the girl, but she did it. She didn't really know how, or why, but she did.
Scarlet was shaking, as the tears kept coming. Ari helping her did help, but she was still freaking out on the inside. After the tunic and things were on properly, and she was in Ari’s arms, the tears began to slowly stop. She did hold on tightly to Whiskers though. “They.... wanted to....” Silence fell as she tried her hardest to stop crying and just calm down. “T... Thank you... for saving me...”
Ari shook her head. Her strides were tired, and she hoped to the gods that the other gem hosts and guardians had been able to clear out the bandits without too many problems. She sort of wished she could be more...comforting than she was. She knew her cold, stiff metal skin wasn't exactly the best thing in the world, but it couldn't be helped, “They wanted to, but now they will never do anything to hurt you or anyone else ever again.” When Scarlet thanked her, she simply smiled a little, shifting Scarlet's weight a little, “We are friends, are we not? It is what friends do for each other, right? I will not let anyone hurt you, Scarlet. You are my only friend...and I will keep you safe. I promise.”
Scarlet tried to smile a little, but in truth her psyche was like swiss cheese right now. Every movement made her skin crawl, every sound made her jump a little, every thought was more terrifying then the rest. “That’s not true... You have Whiskers here too...” She tried to smile, but it just couldn’t for,. She pet Whiskers on the head. “Thank you too...” Looking up at Ari, she began to tear up a bit once more. “I.... I almost... stabbed you.... I’m... I’m so... so sorry....”
Ari smiled down at Scarlet, but this blubbering was...well, it was beginning to annoy her. Still, she remained pleasant, “But you did not. You saved me from being attacked from behind. I thought you threw that like that on purpose. And you need not dread, that blade would never have penetrated my armor. For your first fight, you did well.” She said, giving Scarlet a reassuring squeeze. The girl was lucky. And to tell the truth, she had been lucky as well. The blade would not have penetrated her armor, but it could have knocked her off balance, which could have been dangerous. If those bandits had been well trained...or even had better than shitty leather armor...she could have been in trouble.
Scar’s tears began to stop once more, though she was far from happy, or anything but upset. “I... I didn’t throw it like that on purpose... I... I don’t know how to fight... I’m not very good at it... if you weren’t there I would have been... been... I would have been raped and killed... I never killed anyone before... I never... I’ve never been stabbed before... I just....” She was at a loss for words, so instead she moved her head over, leaning on Ari’s chest plate. The suit of armor may have been cold, and not comforting, but strangely Scarlet felt welcome by it. It was inviting and warm to her. Then again with her fever nearing dangerous ranges, maybe the cool metal just felt good on her skin.
Ari nodded a little, “I have never killed before either...” she said. Another secret she didn't want the others to know about, but she felt she could trust Scarlet with it, “I have been wounded grievously before, by someone who was supposed to love me. He did it on purpose, again, and again, and again. To make me strong. To make me a soldier. I do not feel anything for the deaths of those men. They deserved what they received. And when I kill the man who hurt me so many times before, the man who called himself my father, I will feel nothing as well. Does that make me a bad person? Does it make me any better than them? I do not know. Rest assured, though, Scarlet, that you are my friend, and I understand the weight of that word. I will not let anything happen to you. While I cannot promise complete immunity from the dangers that will befall us, I will say this. You will not die. You will not be assaulted as those men wished. Not while you are my friend. As a warrior, and on my honor, I swear it. Alright?” Did she just say that to make Scarlet feel better, as she had intended...or were her words genuine? She didn't know. She didn't care to think about it now. Not while they were still so far from town, and Scarlet's condition only worsened, “We must get you aid for this fever. I can feel the heat through my armor.”
Scarlet was finally able to smile a little as Ari spoke. “I don’t know what he did to you... but I know you’re a good person... and... I know you’ll be there to help me... when I need it...” She paused for a while longer, thinking to herself. “It’s... supposed to be super strong and intense fire magic, right?... It only makes sense that I get a little hot from it... Not that I needed anything to make me hot...” She said joking a little. She couldn’t tell just how high her fever was, but if Ari could feel it through her armor, well it wasn’t the best of situations. “When I get better... will you help me learn to fight?... I don’t want to be useless anymore... I know I’ll never be as good as you are... but maybe a little help so I don’t... endanger my friends anymore...”
Ari tried to quicken her pace a little, to get back to the others. The Sorian or the other Pyrian, they had to have something to quell a fever. She shook her head a little when Scar spoke about her past, “You do not want to know. That much I can assure you. I have never hated someone as much as I hate my father...and...I have never known fear like the fear I have of him.” She said, almost ashamed. She was a warrior, she wasn't supposed to fear anything...but her father... “Everen Intuneric...a name I hesitate to think about, and especially to say. The fear it strikes into me is like nothing I have ever experienced before...but I will make him pay for everything he has done...one day.” She paused for a moment, closing her eyes, “I will make him pay for you, mother. I swear it.”
She kept her eyes closed for another minute before she looked up again, a new resolve in her eyes, “I will teach you to fight. But...I do not know if I know how.” Again, she felt ashamed to admit it, but the only teaching style she knew was her father's, and she could never inflict that on another living creature, “I will do my best...for now, simply rest. You will not get better working yourself up.”
Scarlet watched on ahead of them as they walked. She wasn’t sure if it was leftover sounds ringing in her ears, or fighting off in the distance, but either way it didn’t matter. She was useless and Ari was too exhausted to fight anymore. Scarlet wondered how she even had the strength to continue helping her now. Part of her also wondered why, seeing as she was such a burden. Why continue helping her? Surely even friendship had to have it’s limits. “One day... I hope you feel comfortable enough... to tell me your story... I will hate him with you... I will try and help your fear of him... I’ll... do my best as... as a...” Scarlet yawned a huge yawn, as her eyes began to blur. She couldn’t see straight anymore, from either the fever or exhaustion, or even both. “.. I’ll do my best as a friend...” As she finished her statement, she lost consciousness. Unclear if from just being far passed even over tired for a young noble woman like herself, or from the gem, but either way she was now asleep.
Ari said nothing as Scar spoke. She was wondering the same things. Why did she continue to carry this girl? Why encourage her? Why not let someone else come get her, she could just as easily drop the unconscious girl and let the panther, or even the wind host come get her. She wasn't heavy. Even the inventor could carry her with relative ease. But she didn't. She just kept walking, just kept carrying Scarlet, until she could see the others. The idea of someone else carrying her, it seemed like a betrayal, almost. To Scarlet, and maybe a little to herself. She looked over the group, and even at this distance, she could tell that nobody was dead, save for the bandits. That was good, right? Before she rejoined them, she whispered one thing to Scarlet, “This is my burden to bear. No one else may bear it for me. I pray you never have to experience his cruelty, or his hate.”
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Nadanna swore under her breath as she readied her sword. She readied her medical supplies for if anyone got injured and prepared herself for the bandits.
Edwards sighed as he took out his shield and mace. He had dealt with low lives before and these guy would be no different. Two-bit cut throats that will do anything for a bit of coin. Their tactics would be disorganized and their forms sloppy; this would be no challenge.
Ven wasn't exactly prepared for this. He looked around as the bandits closed in on them, “Shit...shit, we have a problem.” He muttered, more for Jet's benefit than his own, “Bandits...all around us. Down four people, split into three groups. Suggestions?” He asked, reaching into his jacket and pulling out a small glass vial with luminous liquid inside. He may not have been a very good fighter, but he had ways of dealing with the occasional highwayman that generally didn't require him to lift a finger.
Jet had no idea what was going on until Ven began to speak. Bandits all around, split into three different groups? He heard Zet mention Kassidy, so that meant they were gone. He wasn’t sure who else had left for the other group, but there was little time to consider that now. They had a problem on their hands. “Be a bit of a predicament we be findin’ ourselves in. I can fight without me eyes, but not when allies be around. Tell me where ta be swingin’ and I can be o' some use.”
Monroe stood still, rotating his head around a bit. If he focused, he could use what he had to move one limb at a time, but he’d need to make sure every hit counted. Luckily Terrans had a pretty tough hide at least... “They thinned us out enough. Everyone stay close and don’t let them thin us out more.”
Nadanna held her ground but Edwards sighed and set his mace down. He drew his short sword and just threw it at a bandit, going into his chest. He laughed a little and picked his mace back up.
As if a dam had been opened, Edwards' attack opened the flood gates on the bandits. They surged forward, each targeting a member of the group. Ven cursed and threw the vial at the nearest bandit, which shattered and gave a hissing noise as the bandit's skin seemed to almost fall of his face, looking as though he had been burned in intense heat. Ven cringed a bit at that, but took the opportunity to remove his belt, turning Jet around and moving against him so they were back to back before looping the belt around them and tying it taut, and keeping his wings comfortable and out of Jet's way, “There, we're back to back, and nobody else is around. Can you fight like that, I have to, shit, on your right!” He shouted as a bandit came at Jet. Ven glanced at the others, throwing another vial across the field, hitting a bandit who was coming up on Nadanna from behind.
Jet didn’t exactly like this, and even more so that his movement was restricted to staying back to back as well, though what could he do about it? It wasn’t like he could fight any less restricted with the others around anyway. Although a notice on a weapon would have been nice. Jet pulled out one of his trench knives and swung right, as he heard both Ven’s voice and the sound of the leaves to his right. Luckily that bandit only had a short sword and minimally sliced Jet’s side as he split open the man’s head. Grabbing him by the throat, he pulled him close like a meat shield, and stabbed him in the heart just to be certain he was dead. Holding the corpse close he cleared his throat. “Oi, tell me if they be swingin’ a sword at me.”
Monroe held still and waited for the bandit to come at him. As the one did, he was able to move his arm enough to grasp the blade, and then he mustered up enough strength to grab the bandit by his face. Twisting his body, he slammed the bandit’s head against the nearest tree, falling over after the bandit’s death. This gem was taking it’s toll, even more so then he thought. He couldn’t stand any longer, though after some rest on the ground, he’d be able to walk again most likely.
Shadowmere wasn’t sitting on the sidelines either. She may have been a rather tame animal, but when under attack she wouldn’t hesitate to attack or kill. She did just that. Lunging for the throat wasn’t exactly hard since these bandits weren’t used to fighting one. Panthers came from the other side of the kingdom, so them and any other large cat weren’t a common thing to come across. Within a matter of minutes there were two dead bandits at her feet. One she went straight for the throat, the other had various bites and scratches across their body, before she ripped out the throat. It wasn’t a clean death for any of the bandits, though in fights like this it usually wasn’t.
Edwards didn't have anything else to throw, but he began breaking the bones of whoever came close. One he struck in the chest, knocking him to the ground as blood began to fill his mouth. He kicked him back to his bandit friends and went back on the defense.
Nadanna almost didn't see the bandit that almost took her life. She was stunned, just watching the man fall in front of her, the blade that would have killed her. She looked to Ven with a stunned looked on her face. She swallowed and nodded to him. 'You dumb girl, check everything at all times.' She thought to herself.
Ven kept his hands steady, making sure to check that his new allies were out of the possible splash radius before he threw any more vials. Occasionally he would call out a bandit (and weapon, this time) that would be coming at Jet, but mostly they were kept at bay by himself and the others. As another bandit came at him, he reached into his duster again, only to find that potion tapped out. He cursed again before checking another pocket. While less effective, this potion would work as well. He threw it just in time for the bandit to be half-frozen, the potion freezing almost instantly as it touched the air as the glass shattered against the bandit's chest. Not dead, but definitely not coming at them again any time soon.
Jet took out the bandits as Ven called out, throwing the corpse, and grabbing the new bandit that attacked each time. It was rather said that tied up and blind, and he could still kill these guys only taking a small cut to his side. “Oi, ye best not be droppin’ any o those near us. I can’t be tellin’ what they do boyo, but they don’t sound fun.”
Monroe took a new tactic, this time sitting on the ground. If he could muster his strength into one arm, then he’d still fight. Picking up rocks he started tossing them, like a mini catapult. The accuracy wasn’t the best since he wasn’t in good shape from the gem, but when they hit, they did their job.
As the fight continued, Edwards became a little more bolder, moving away from the group and pushing the attack. As he broke another bandits leg, another jump on his back. Before the bandit even had a chance to stab Edwards, he grunted in pain and threw him off his back and brought his foot down to his neck. He glared as heard the crunch of the bandits neck.
Nadanna rush out and started to pull Edwards back to the group. “You fricken idiot what the hell are you doing?!” She yelled, not noticing the bandit to her side. A clean cut as the sword hit her leg, making her drop to her knee. With a quick jab she gutted the bandit, droped her sword, and grabbed her knee. Edwards looked to her and took one of her arms away from her leg and dragged her back to the group. In pain, Nadanna started to try and stop the bleeding as the battle went on.
Ven was trying to keep up with the bandits, and most of them were dead by now (or frozen, which was good enough for him) but he was quickly running out of potions. Finally, the last was exhausted, and all he could do was stand there. That was when he heard Nadanna shouting about...something. He glanced away and saw her being dragged back by the other Sorian, “Shit. Alright, uhm...I'm gonna cut you loose, alright big guy? Just uh...don't do...something, we've got wounded. Come here kitty, look after your master, okay?” He said, quickly untying the sash from himself, before slathering some salve onto it and tying it around Jet again, covering the man's wound, “Right, that's fixed...kind of.” He was now pretty much useless anyway, when it came to fighting, so at the very least he could keep his fellow guardian from bleeding to death. He stooped by her side as she tried to stop the bleeding, “What can I do to help?”
Jet wasn’t sure what was going on, but apparently he was being ditched by Ven. Not that he really needed that much help at this point if Shadowmere was around. Jet closed his eyes, trying to see if he could hear a difference in footsteps, but it was just too hard to tell who was who. At least until he opened his eyes. His vision was poor, but there was a bit of it. He could see shapes. Outlines of people. Enough of an outline to know if they were one of the people that were in the group or not at least. At least he thought so. "Oi, Shadowmere. Bite me if I attack an ally.” Shadowmere gave a small growl, acknowledging him. At least that’s what he assumed as he charged at the bandits. Shadowmere covered his back as she usually did, and at least many of the bandits charged him rather then him having to guess. It wasn’t exactly hard for him to kill them. He trained himself in speed, and accurate attacks, even if he couldn’t see very well.
Edwards stood firm to defend the girl that pulled him back. She was only trying to help and she got hurt because he was stupid. Nadanna looked at the Sorian. “Just tie this rag around my leg as I block the wound!” She shouted as she grit her teeth in pain. Why did she have to play hero all the time, it never ends will for her.
Ven didn't question, doing as he was told. After all, she was the medic. Once that was done, he looked around. The bandits were now pretty much dead, and by the looks of it, the other two pairs were making their way back as well, with Zet carrying Kass, who looked to be unconscious, with Arienna and Scarlet in a similar situation, though Scarlet's leg was still bleeding. He focused back on Nadanna, though, “Now what?”
Arienna trudged into the camp, only to see the medic and Sorian inventor preoccupied. She sank to her knees and gave a sigh of exhaust. She finally lay Scarlet on the ground and gave a few dry wheezes. Her energy was gone entirely, “After that, I do not...think it is too much to ask for a break, yes?”
After all the bandits were either unconscious or dead, Jet sat on the ground with Shadowmere at his side. “Oi, we all still breathin’?” Jet’s best guess was that they all were, but it wasn’t like he could actually tell. After all, even seeing outlines, he had no clue who sustained what injury.
Zet arrived back with Kass, just moments after Arienna arrived back with Scarlet. Though it seemed they had similar situations, although Scarlet was hurt a bit physically and the bandits were probably a lot less personal with Arienna. Zet held onto Kass. He could carry her for hours if he needed to.
“I’m no medic but it looks like everyone here pulled through. We do have time to rest, but not very much. There’s more then just one group of bandits made up of 50 or so men in these woods. We’re only a half an hour away from town. We’ll be safe soon, the bandits hardly even come much closer than this to it.”
Nadanna continued to slow the bleeding as best she could, but she needed to stitch up the wound. From her bag she got everything ready and looked to the Sorian. “I need you do take the rag off and...arrr...hold the wound close together...” She grunted as she laid her leg flat. As the Sorian did what she asked, she began stitching. She looked up to him and nodded. “Thank you...”
Edwards didn't stop guarding Nadanna and Ven till the all clear was given. This happens every time he goes off on his own when he is in a group, someone got hurt on his fault. He sighed and looked down to Nadanna. “I'm sorry.” He said before walking to a tree and leaning up against it.
The mismatched group, for what else could one call such a group, rested. Each did their own thing, watching over those they thought of as friends, checking those they called allies, and just resting amongst the corpses of the fallen. After about an hour of recuperation, the group began to walk again. Zet carried Kass, Ari carried Scarlet, Ven helped to support Nadanna, and Jet was able to lean on Shadowmere to guide him. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of walking, they came upon the town, which accepted the weary traAvelers after a few moments scrutiny. Each showed their thanks to gods above in their own way, or didn't at all, but all were thankful for the fact that, for the moment, they were safe. Pooling what money they had, they gave the inn owner a fine bit of coin to stay (a few people had taken it upon themselves to gather coins from the fallen bandits, though who had done so was truly a mystery) but in the end, they all ended up in their own rooms, on their own beds. And one by one, they proceeded to pass out.
Ven sat with his back to the wall, his shoulders hunched and his head staring down at a piece of paper and a few components of random stuff. The tavern was basically empty at this point in time, giving him the perfect work space. He wondered why more people didn’t get up this early…oh well. He hadn’t seen anyone else that morning, though he supposed he could have just missed them. He wasn’t exactly at his most attentive.
Zet had been awake for an hour or so, after all he always did wake up at the crack of dawn, providing he slept at all of course. There were things in his past that haunted him sometimes, things that he rarely ever talked about. Things that would sometimes keep him awake, though his training made up for the lack of sleep. The past hour or so, Zet was walking around the town. He’d been here once before, but the Krovi’s came here much more often. They weren’t seen of as a threat here, being a very well guarded town, as well as many years of dealings with the Krovi’s and seeing no ill will towards the town. Zet felt like he could belong here, which was odd for him. Rarely did he feel that way; however how he felt it was of little importance looking at the grand scheme of things.
Zet entered the Tavern, after all it was where they’d agreed to meet the next day. When he entered and saw the nearly empty place, he noticed the Sorian Guardian doing… something. Surprised to see anyone up at this hour, he walked over to him. Better then sitting alone, right? “Umm… Ven, right? You’re up earlier then I would have expected. What is it you’re working on, if you don’t mind me asking?”
Ven didn’t notice Zet walk into the tavern until he spoke, and even then he didn’t attract Ven’s attention until called by name. He looked up, puzzled, wondering who could be up this early and who would be talking to him by name. Ah, yes, the hooded man. What was his name…Zet? Yes, that sounded right, “It’s quiet early in the morning. Easier to work. As for what I am working on, the wind host is sensitive to sound. I agreed to attempt at making something to help him cope with this side effect.” This was a bit of a lie; he hadn’t necessarily asked him to do it. He pretty much volunteered to do it after he realized he was sound sensitive. After all, those wads of paper he’d given him were primitive and worked, but they didn’t do a great job, “What about you? Why are you up so early, Mr. Zet?”
Zet listened to Ven, just crossing his arms as he did so. Sometimes this helped Zet think. It’s more of a natural reflex that he just did, then actually helping him think though obviously. “I see. Well I suppose a more quiet and uncrowded work place would be more efficient. Sounds like you are pretty handy with these kind of things. I’m more geared for battle myself. Trained for survival in the most harsh of conditions, yet ask me to do something like that and I’m not sure I could do much more then cotton or some kind of cloth earplug. I suppose the old gem hosts knew what they were doing when they picked us.” Zet sat down at Ven’s table, invited or not. Cracking his neck, while still keeping up his hood of course he just laughed a bit. “Mr. Zet? Just Zet is fine, really. I’m always up at this time. I’ve just been walking around town though. Gotta admire such a self sufficient place.”
Ven nodded, his concentration split between what he was doing and Zet, “Indeed. While it lacks the grandeur of the Sorian cities, it’s mere front gates are probably more practical.” It was more than obvious in Ven’s tone that he had no love for the Sorian cities, but he didn’t continue, “As for this, it’s just something I’m good at. Been doing it since I was a kid, never really stopped. My father wanted me to join the priesthood, and to squelch my talent. No thanks. I’d rather roam and tinker than stand at the front of a church and talk to a crowd. Never was good at that. Never really tried. Didn’t like it.”
Zet listened and smiled a bit. “Well seems to me you made the right choice. After all, I don’t see a man of the church among us do you? Can’t see how much use a preacher would be on the battlefield; while we’re in all out war. Helpful things though, well those will be umm, helpful. Of course we are up against the power of a full scale army, and we don’t even have the power of the gems to back us up personally, so if we all end up dead on the battlefield then maybe you did make the wrong choice after all. Either way though, it’s the adventure of a lifetime, and if I die fighting, so be it.”
“You’re a bit of a pessimist, aren’t you?” Ven replied simply, holding a component up to the light before fitting it into its place, “Ha! Finished. This’ll help him no matter what stage of his gem sickness he’s at.” He’d coined the term as they realized that the gem’s side effects wore off over time, “It has an adjustable knob here, that uh…well, you know what, you probably don’t care.” Ven pulled back his coat, showing a collection of glass bottles, one of which was missing. It was the bottle he had thrown the previous day in the fight that had caused the explosion. He pushed the earplugs into one of his many pockets and reminded himself to give it to Edwards later.
Zet just snickered as Ven spoke. It wasn’t that he was funny, it was just different from what Zet was used to. “Pessimist? I’d more say I’m a realist. No use calling your shit green on the off chance you ate too many vegetables, or whatever it is that makes your shit green. My point is, no use on painting this situation great, with the odds so highly stacked against us. Do we stand a chance, depends on if the Gem hosts live up to the legend. If we do die though, we’ll have one hell of a time doing it.” Zet did frown a bit as Ven said he probably didn’t care. “Hey now, don’t go assuming I don’t care just because I can’t make it myself. I’m interested in what you can do, and wondering how it can be applied to my own personal talents.”
It was Ven’s turn to laugh a little, “I’m just surprised that you’d want to know the technical aspect of my work. Most people just want to know that it does work, not how it works.” He said, pointing to the drawing, “That knob controls the amount of air that can get into the ear. The more air, the more sound, obviously. It’s a fairly simply design, it was just finding the pieces that was difficult.” He said, crumpling the paper up before burning it in a nearby candle, “It’s always such a shame to have to do that…but some people will steal anything that isn’t nailed down, right? As for us winning this fight, I figure spooky ghosty gem soul things wouldn’t send us on a quest like this if they didn’t think we would win. I mean, sure, the odds are a little stacked, but it isn’t like we’re supposed to take on the entire army by ourselves, at once.”
Zet listened to what Ven had to say, and it was interesting. Zet thought that he got the jist of it at least, although if anyone asked him to replicate even something similar, they’d get cotton or cloth to shove in their ears. “I usually like to know how things I’m around work, at least somewhat. After all , I’d like to know if something has the chance to blow up, or the capabilities to bring harm to anything or anyone. Not that I think your gadget would fall into either of those categories… It’s more a force of habit. My apologies if I offended.”
Zet watched on as Ven burned the designs of the gadget he made. It was a shame as he said, especially because without it written down, he can’t even pass the knowledge down to an apprentice in the future, or even have the basic drawing to make enhancements too. It was Ven’s business though, and Zet wasn’t about to try and talk him out of doing what he thought was correct. “Hmm… Taking on the whole army by ourselves or not, it’s still a tough mission. The Gem Spirits may have picked us well, and may even have picked the most capable of wielding their power, but no matter what anyone does, the will and drive of each individual just can’t be foreseen. If even one of the hosts don’t live up to expectations, or we fail and let them fall in combat, I fear that the mission is lost and we won’t stand a chance.”
Ven nodded, putting his hand to his chin before shrugging, “Then we don’t. I don’t see much margin for choice, really. It’s as simple as we don’t let them fall in battle.” He said, before sitting back a little, putting his boots up on the table, “As for interest, hell, I’d be happy to share or talk about anything I make with just about anyone. Usually people simply aren’t interested. I find it interesting that someone in your line of work specifically would take interest in it. No offense intended, of course, I just don’t see a lot of assassins or mercenaries interested in machines…then again, I don’t see a lot of assassins, period, so I suppose that could be part of the problem…” he put his hand to his chin for a moment, as if to think, but then shook his head, “But I digress.”
Zet began to laugh a bit. “Well if you did see many assassins, then they wouldn’t be very good assassins, would they? I guess it’s as simple as not letting them fall, eh? I suppose I can’t argue with that.” He thought for a few minutes on why he was so interested. “I’m not a typical assassin. I only kill the wicked, requiring proof before each job. However, I’m very good at what I do. Part of that is because of my abilities and training but another part is because I’m quick to think on my feet. I guess I’m just interested in this stuff so it can benefit us in the future. Also, you never know when the smallest detail about something can be applicable to something else. It’s good for determining strengths, weaknesses, stuff like that... Guess my mind is a bit weird...”
Ven shrugged, “No, it makes perfect sense to me. But then again, I've always been called weird too.” He paused for a minute, shrugging again, “What do you think of our little rag tag group? If you look at strengths and weaknesses and all that, what do you see in our little team?” Ven asked, genuinely interested. Zet hadn't gotten to see them all in the bandit fight yesterday, but initial impressions could be important. He didn't know, but if he could be of any help, he'd make sure he knew about it before he was truly needed.
Zet sighed. In truth he wasn’t all that sure how his impressions on everyone was. “Scarlet and Kassidy don’t seem to be much of an asset on the battlefield yet. I have no doubt after some training, both physically and mentally, that they can be the legendary warriors they’re supposed to be, but they need work. A few of the Gem hosts seem competent and quite skilled, such as Jet and Arienna, but with how volatile the gems have been already, I don’t think we can afford to rely on those fighters yet. Then there’s others that are a complete mystery, like Edwards. While it’s rough to gauge his competence in battle, being a gem host it’s still difficult to rely on them either. That leaves us Guardians. I’m a trained killer, but Stealth is more my specialty. Not that I can’t hold my own in a group fight, it’s just not what I’m used too. Nadanna I’ve yet to see fight, but a Combat Medic for the Pyrian has to be able to hold her own out there. After all, they’re the ones holding the Shadelians back at this point. Not to seem rude to you, but I’m not really sure how or if you can hold your own well enough in a fight either. Inventors usually stray away from combat training and such, don’t they? Then again, I’ve never met many inventors either.”
Ven laughed a little at Zet's closing statements, “Don't underestimate me yet, my friend. Let me show you something.” Ven reached into his duster and pulled out a little glass bottle, roughly the size of an ink well, with glass just as thick, “These are concoctions of my own inventing. Come on, I'll show you what they do.” He said, getting up and stretching, before looking to the door, “The bottles are harder to come by than the chemicals in them, funny enough, but they aren't much of a hassle. Your simple apothecary generally carries everything I need. Sometimes I need to hit up an alchemist, but other than that, I can mostly home brew this stuff.” Once they were out of the town and a little ways into the forest, Ven bounced the little bottle in his hand. After a moment of contemplation, he cranked back and threw the bottle at a rock. The glass shattered and a shimmer green liquid splashed on a rock, dribbling down the sides and making hissing noises as the acid ate away at the rock, “That's just one of my little toys.”
Zet followed Ven out to the woods. He listened to what he said, and watched what he did. While the strategy seemed viable, it wasn’t very practical. The bottles were thick, there’s a chance it wouldn’t break if hitting flesh. Then even if it melted armor, without some kind of weapon, he wouldn’t be that much use either. “Your toys as you put it, are interesting. I still think we should train you with some kind of weapon though. It can’t hurt to have a bit of a backup, in case your toys don’t work too well for some reason. Not that I doubt the abilities of them, I just like to have a backup.”
Ven frowned a little. Zet was right, he knew he was right, but he still didn't like the thought. Sorians weren't exactly famous close quarters fighters, and it wasn't because they weren't strong enough. Even the slightest injury to the wing was excruciating. He sighed a bit, “I really would like to stay away from my enemies. I've tried something like a bow before, but...I just don't have the dexterity for it. Not in a stressful situation, anyway.” Truth was the best policy, wasn't it? He hoped so. After a moment, he smiled at Zet again, “Anyway, that's all I really had to show you. The other ones are a quick freeze solution, a extremely flammable one, and one that causes more of eh...you know...boom. Unfortunately, the ingredients for those are slightly harder to come by, and I couldn't find enough to distill anything worth using.”
Zet shrugged a bit. He didn’t really get all these chemical mixtures and stuff, although they sounded effective. “Sounds like you need to try something like a crossbow, or maybe throwing knives. Of course you could always invent something that could allow you to fight as well. I mean, a weapon doesn’t need to be conventional to be effective, and we are far from conventional. Who knows, maybe you’ll turn the tides of future warfare.” Zet smiled a little and started to walk back towards town. “Come on, I’m sure we’ll find some way for you to have a backup strategy.”
“Crossbow sounds good, I guess. That's basically just point and pull the trigger, right?” Egh...arrows. The bane of pretty much anything with wings. You could never put too much distance between yourself and an arrow, “Alright. So, hey, I have to ask. What exactly is our plan here? I mean, where do we even head? We can't just waltz into Zevlya, we'd need a huge army, right? So...what?”
“More or less. I’ve never been too good at crossbows or bows, but I’m sure we can find someone somewhere to show you the ropes.” Zet sighed as Ven asked what the plan was. To be honest, he only really had one general plan, and it was quite flawed. After all, they were a mix-match of misfits, and they needed an army. Things wouldn’t be easy at all. “Honestly, it only seems like one plan to me. The Gem hosts are supposed to be the group that all races can rally behind, to defeat this evil. So the plan, travel to each kingdom, visit their respective rulers, and do what we can to get their military support. They can provide us an army that we can lead to victory. Without them though, I don’t see a way we can win.”
Ven nodded a little, “Huh...I guess it makes as much sense as anything else. It's not much, but at least it's a plan. So we're heading for this capitol first then. You ever been there before? I mean, you're a Lethalian and all, right? Plus, I imagine you get around with your kind of job.” He was wondering if their little rag tag batch of heroes could even pull something like this off. After all, they'd barely managed to fight off a few bandits only yesterday. What chance did they have against trained soldiers? He sighed and ran his hand through his hair, “Even with an army, do you really think we can do this? I mean...no offense at all to them or anything, but some of the hosts...they don't exactly seem like mythical warrior material or anything, you get what I mean?”
Zet stopped, sighed, and leaned on the nearest tree. “Krovi’s aren’t exactly welcome at the capitol. A clan that’s said to be made of murderous traitors, I guess using that logic I can’t blame them for not wanting one near their king. I’ll be lucky if I make it through the gate with you all. I’ll probably be attacked, locked up, just plain thrown out if I’m lucky. I don’t see much of a better plan though.” Zet wished that he was exaggerating, but unfortunately he wasn’t. Especially in the Lethlian kingdom, Krovi’s were quite hated. Even as a child, they are branded as traitors, as if just having Krovi blood made you willing to kill anyone in sight to fulfill one task. “Honestly, I don’t know. If they can harness their power, and become the heroes of legend, it’s possible. Unfortunately there’s always that chance that no matter how hard we try, we’ll be annihilated. If we do get an army, and no matter how hard we fight, we all die, then Elenia as we know it dies. It’s on us, or we’ll all die. Unfortunately, that’s the cold, hard, truth. Doesn’t really matter if they seem like it now or not. If they don’t live up to the standards set by legend, we’re all dead.”
“Yeah...I guess so...kinda dismal when you really think about it, huh?” He asked, crossing his arms and shaking his head. Everything and everyone depended on them. Finally, he stood straight up and sighed, “Alright, so that's the long term plan. Traipsing through the hills and forests like a merry band of heroes. But what about now. What's our plan for now? You're the only one who seems to know this area by any means, when do you think we ought to leave? Soon as possible, or wait a few days? We don't have nearly the money to buy horses, so we're on foot. How much money do we even have, pooled together?”
“Dismal perhaps, but at least it’s a chance. Better then rolling over.” Zet thought to himself for a few moments. He hadn’t much time to think about things, but Ven raised some good points. “After getting everyone settled in last night I returned to the sites where we killed the bandits to take what they had. Their corpses had no more use for money. They had a decent amount on them, and coupled with what I normally carry it should last us for a week or so in this town. However, that leaves nothing for supplies. We can afford to stay here for about five days, with enough money for supplies to get to our next destination."
Zet cleared his throat and sat on a nearby rock. “About a three day walk away from here, we’ll come across the home of a wealthy noble that owes me a favor. I was about 13, out on a mission with my father and cousin, when I came across some bandits attacking a young woman. I killed the 2 eldest, which left the rest too young to fight back. Ironically, the Roland family, whom I had to finish off last night. Anyway, I returned the young lady home, who just happened to be the daughter of this noble. I guess she was about seven at the time, turns out she was kidnapped from her home. I came upon her trying to escape, naturally failing, and them teaching her a lesson for it so to speak. Long story short, they owe me a favor. They are honorable people, and I believe they will help us financially, being reimbursed by the Krovi’s once I send word. It should hopefully take care of things until we reach the capitol, in which hopefully the King will help us out. If things don’t go that way, we’ll have to improvise. Luckily the land here has streams and animals, allowing us to survive on the land if need be.”
Ven nodded, thinking himself. If they were going to be calling in favors and such, he knew a few people in the area around the capitol. Most only through mail, but he knew a few, “I have a few contacts all over the place. Some in Pyranous, some in Terramoure, some even in Yarevon. All over the place. I have clients everywhere, you wouldn't believe it, and suppliers. I think I can help with calling in favors if we ever need to. Gotta say, Zet, and maybe you aren't used to hearing it, but I'm actually glad we have you with us. We'd all kinda be lost as shit otherwise. Okay, so you can get us through Yarevon, I imagine Monroe can do Terramoure, Kassidy can get Aquaria, Nadanna or Scarlet can get Pyranous, I have Tyfonas, and Arienna can get Zevlya. Sounds easy enough.” He stopped a moment, thinking about something crucial, something that had been bothering him for a little while now, “How long do you think it's going to be before we start seeing other people aside from bandits and shit attacking us? You know...Rune's followers?”
Zet laughed a bit. Glad he was along? That was something he never got, but when you figure the only other Lethlian is currently blind from the Gem, it would make sense. Plus a traveling mercenary knew his way around pretty well. “I guess the Gems do know what they’re doing if they chose everyone to fit a current role. Still, a few more guardians wouldn’t have hurt, although then we’d have to shell out more money I guess. Keep all your contacts in mind, never know when we’re gonna need em.” When Ven asked how long until other people started attacking them, Zet just sighed. “I’d imagine we have until the capitol. After that, rumors will probably spread like wildfires, and we may start seeing enemies before we even make it to Terramoure.”
“Sounds like loads of fun, and I absolutely can't wait.” Ven replied sarcastically, shrugging a little. At least they had a rough plan. Something else was nagging at him too, but it wasn't quite as important. The question made him smile a little, “So, speaking of rumors spreading like wildfires...you ran off pretty quick after Kassidy yesterday. Anything going on there? You two were near inseparable the entire walk.” He asked, snickering a bit as he looked at Zet.
Zet looked at Ven and just shook his head. “She was curious about my family, and I got a bit harsh with her. I felt bad, we started talking, and I said I would protect her. After all, we can’t have a host die already, right? I knew we were being followed, I just didn’t want to cause a panic, not that it helped at all. There’s nothing more then a friendship there. There’s no time to even contemplate anything more. After all, I’m still far too young to think about binding myself down.”
“Binding yourself down, huh? Hey, I don't really think we're in any position to talk about being too young for anything. After all, we could die any day now if we fail. Anyway, I was just curious. I won't pry if you don't wanna talk. I'm not much of a pep-talker or anything, but if you ever just need to talk, I'm a great listener. Just so you know it's out there. After all, we're all friends here, right? Now come on, I don't like being out in these woods when we know bandits are lurking around. Besides, it's been about an hour or so since I woke up, the others are probably waking up too.”
“In Krovi culture, we generally don’t even start looking for a significant other, until at least 30, when we’ve proved ourselves as a serious mercenary or made a name for ourselves. I’ve not made a name for myself, nor am I near old enough to even start thinking of someone in that kind of capacity. I will keep in mind that you are a good listener however.” Zet got up and continued on the way back. “Don’t worry, most bandits aren’t bold enough to attack in the light, and those that are I could handle easily.”
Ven shrugged. As excited as he was to get more blood on his hands, he'd rather just head back to town. Once they reached the town's gates, Ven stopped and looked at Zet, “Alright. Well, I'm going to go and find some books, maybe a map or something and read up on things edible and not edible in the wild. After all, don't want anyone choking on poisonous berries or something stupid like that. It was good to talk to you, Zet, and I hope we can do it again in the future.”
As they reached the gate Zet just nodded to Ven. “That sounds like a plan. Oh and it was good to talk to you too. I may not socialize much, but if you need anything... well don’t be afraid to ask. I may be a Krovi, but I don’t bite.”
Zet had been awake for an hour or so, after all he always did wake up at the crack of dawn, providing he slept at all of course. There were things in his past that haunted him sometimes, things that he rarely ever talked about. Things that would sometimes keep him awake, though his training made up for the lack of sleep. The past hour or so, Zet was walking around the town. He’d been here once before, but the Krovi’s came here much more often. They weren’t seen of as a threat here, being a very well guarded town, as well as many years of dealings with the Krovi’s and seeing no ill will towards the town. Zet felt like he could belong here, which was odd for him. Rarely did he feel that way; however how he felt it was of little importance looking at the grand scheme of things.
Zet entered the Tavern, after all it was where they’d agreed to meet the next day. When he entered and saw the nearly empty place, he noticed the Sorian Guardian doing… something. Surprised to see anyone up at this hour, he walked over to him. Better then sitting alone, right? “Umm… Ven, right? You’re up earlier then I would have expected. What is it you’re working on, if you don’t mind me asking?”
Ven didn’t notice Zet walk into the tavern until he spoke, and even then he didn’t attract Ven’s attention until called by name. He looked up, puzzled, wondering who could be up this early and who would be talking to him by name. Ah, yes, the hooded man. What was his name…Zet? Yes, that sounded right, “It’s quiet early in the morning. Easier to work. As for what I am working on, the wind host is sensitive to sound. I agreed to attempt at making something to help him cope with this side effect.” This was a bit of a lie; he hadn’t necessarily asked him to do it. He pretty much volunteered to do it after he realized he was sound sensitive. After all, those wads of paper he’d given him were primitive and worked, but they didn’t do a great job, “What about you? Why are you up so early, Mr. Zet?”
Zet listened to Ven, just crossing his arms as he did so. Sometimes this helped Zet think. It’s more of a natural reflex that he just did, then actually helping him think though obviously. “I see. Well I suppose a more quiet and uncrowded work place would be more efficient. Sounds like you are pretty handy with these kind of things. I’m more geared for battle myself. Trained for survival in the most harsh of conditions, yet ask me to do something like that and I’m not sure I could do much more then cotton or some kind of cloth earplug. I suppose the old gem hosts knew what they were doing when they picked us.” Zet sat down at Ven’s table, invited or not. Cracking his neck, while still keeping up his hood of course he just laughed a bit. “Mr. Zet? Just Zet is fine, really. I’m always up at this time. I’ve just been walking around town though. Gotta admire such a self sufficient place.”
Ven nodded, his concentration split between what he was doing and Zet, “Indeed. While it lacks the grandeur of the Sorian cities, it’s mere front gates are probably more practical.” It was more than obvious in Ven’s tone that he had no love for the Sorian cities, but he didn’t continue, “As for this, it’s just something I’m good at. Been doing it since I was a kid, never really stopped. My father wanted me to join the priesthood, and to squelch my talent. No thanks. I’d rather roam and tinker than stand at the front of a church and talk to a crowd. Never was good at that. Never really tried. Didn’t like it.”
Zet listened and smiled a bit. “Well seems to me you made the right choice. After all, I don’t see a man of the church among us do you? Can’t see how much use a preacher would be on the battlefield; while we’re in all out war. Helpful things though, well those will be umm, helpful. Of course we are up against the power of a full scale army, and we don’t even have the power of the gems to back us up personally, so if we all end up dead on the battlefield then maybe you did make the wrong choice after all. Either way though, it’s the adventure of a lifetime, and if I die fighting, so be it.”
“You’re a bit of a pessimist, aren’t you?” Ven replied simply, holding a component up to the light before fitting it into its place, “Ha! Finished. This’ll help him no matter what stage of his gem sickness he’s at.” He’d coined the term as they realized that the gem’s side effects wore off over time, “It has an adjustable knob here, that uh…well, you know what, you probably don’t care.” Ven pulled back his coat, showing a collection of glass bottles, one of which was missing. It was the bottle he had thrown the previous day in the fight that had caused the explosion. He pushed the earplugs into one of his many pockets and reminded himself to give it to Edwards later.
Zet just snickered as Ven spoke. It wasn’t that he was funny, it was just different from what Zet was used to. “Pessimist? I’d more say I’m a realist. No use calling your shit green on the off chance you ate too many vegetables, or whatever it is that makes your shit green. My point is, no use on painting this situation great, with the odds so highly stacked against us. Do we stand a chance, depends on if the Gem hosts live up to the legend. If we do die though, we’ll have one hell of a time doing it.” Zet did frown a bit as Ven said he probably didn’t care. “Hey now, don’t go assuming I don’t care just because I can’t make it myself. I’m interested in what you can do, and wondering how it can be applied to my own personal talents.”
It was Ven’s turn to laugh a little, “I’m just surprised that you’d want to know the technical aspect of my work. Most people just want to know that it does work, not how it works.” He said, pointing to the drawing, “That knob controls the amount of air that can get into the ear. The more air, the more sound, obviously. It’s a fairly simply design, it was just finding the pieces that was difficult.” He said, crumpling the paper up before burning it in a nearby candle, “It’s always such a shame to have to do that…but some people will steal anything that isn’t nailed down, right? As for us winning this fight, I figure spooky ghosty gem soul things wouldn’t send us on a quest like this if they didn’t think we would win. I mean, sure, the odds are a little stacked, but it isn’t like we’re supposed to take on the entire army by ourselves, at once.”
Zet listened to what Ven had to say, and it was interesting. Zet thought that he got the jist of it at least, although if anyone asked him to replicate even something similar, they’d get cotton or cloth to shove in their ears. “I usually like to know how things I’m around work, at least somewhat. After all , I’d like to know if something has the chance to blow up, or the capabilities to bring harm to anything or anyone. Not that I think your gadget would fall into either of those categories… It’s more a force of habit. My apologies if I offended.”
Zet watched on as Ven burned the designs of the gadget he made. It was a shame as he said, especially because without it written down, he can’t even pass the knowledge down to an apprentice in the future, or even have the basic drawing to make enhancements too. It was Ven’s business though, and Zet wasn’t about to try and talk him out of doing what he thought was correct. “Hmm… Taking on the whole army by ourselves or not, it’s still a tough mission. The Gem Spirits may have picked us well, and may even have picked the most capable of wielding their power, but no matter what anyone does, the will and drive of each individual just can’t be foreseen. If even one of the hosts don’t live up to expectations, or we fail and let them fall in combat, I fear that the mission is lost and we won’t stand a chance.”
Ven nodded, putting his hand to his chin before shrugging, “Then we don’t. I don’t see much margin for choice, really. It’s as simple as we don’t let them fall in battle.” He said, before sitting back a little, putting his boots up on the table, “As for interest, hell, I’d be happy to share or talk about anything I make with just about anyone. Usually people simply aren’t interested. I find it interesting that someone in your line of work specifically would take interest in it. No offense intended, of course, I just don’t see a lot of assassins or mercenaries interested in machines…then again, I don’t see a lot of assassins, period, so I suppose that could be part of the problem…” he put his hand to his chin for a moment, as if to think, but then shook his head, “But I digress.”
Zet began to laugh a bit. “Well if you did see many assassins, then they wouldn’t be very good assassins, would they? I guess it’s as simple as not letting them fall, eh? I suppose I can’t argue with that.” He thought for a few minutes on why he was so interested. “I’m not a typical assassin. I only kill the wicked, requiring proof before each job. However, I’m very good at what I do. Part of that is because of my abilities and training but another part is because I’m quick to think on my feet. I guess I’m just interested in this stuff so it can benefit us in the future. Also, you never know when the smallest detail about something can be applicable to something else. It’s good for determining strengths, weaknesses, stuff like that... Guess my mind is a bit weird...”
Ven shrugged, “No, it makes perfect sense to me. But then again, I've always been called weird too.” He paused for a minute, shrugging again, “What do you think of our little rag tag group? If you look at strengths and weaknesses and all that, what do you see in our little team?” Ven asked, genuinely interested. Zet hadn't gotten to see them all in the bandit fight yesterday, but initial impressions could be important. He didn't know, but if he could be of any help, he'd make sure he knew about it before he was truly needed.
Zet sighed. In truth he wasn’t all that sure how his impressions on everyone was. “Scarlet and Kassidy don’t seem to be much of an asset on the battlefield yet. I have no doubt after some training, both physically and mentally, that they can be the legendary warriors they’re supposed to be, but they need work. A few of the Gem hosts seem competent and quite skilled, such as Jet and Arienna, but with how volatile the gems have been already, I don’t think we can afford to rely on those fighters yet. Then there’s others that are a complete mystery, like Edwards. While it’s rough to gauge his competence in battle, being a gem host it’s still difficult to rely on them either. That leaves us Guardians. I’m a trained killer, but Stealth is more my specialty. Not that I can’t hold my own in a group fight, it’s just not what I’m used too. Nadanna I’ve yet to see fight, but a Combat Medic for the Pyrian has to be able to hold her own out there. After all, they’re the ones holding the Shadelians back at this point. Not to seem rude to you, but I’m not really sure how or if you can hold your own well enough in a fight either. Inventors usually stray away from combat training and such, don’t they? Then again, I’ve never met many inventors either.”
Ven laughed a little at Zet's closing statements, “Don't underestimate me yet, my friend. Let me show you something.” Ven reached into his duster and pulled out a little glass bottle, roughly the size of an ink well, with glass just as thick, “These are concoctions of my own inventing. Come on, I'll show you what they do.” He said, getting up and stretching, before looking to the door, “The bottles are harder to come by than the chemicals in them, funny enough, but they aren't much of a hassle. Your simple apothecary generally carries everything I need. Sometimes I need to hit up an alchemist, but other than that, I can mostly home brew this stuff.” Once they were out of the town and a little ways into the forest, Ven bounced the little bottle in his hand. After a moment of contemplation, he cranked back and threw the bottle at a rock. The glass shattered and a shimmer green liquid splashed on a rock, dribbling down the sides and making hissing noises as the acid ate away at the rock, “That's just one of my little toys.”
Zet followed Ven out to the woods. He listened to what he said, and watched what he did. While the strategy seemed viable, it wasn’t very practical. The bottles were thick, there’s a chance it wouldn’t break if hitting flesh. Then even if it melted armor, without some kind of weapon, he wouldn’t be that much use either. “Your toys as you put it, are interesting. I still think we should train you with some kind of weapon though. It can’t hurt to have a bit of a backup, in case your toys don’t work too well for some reason. Not that I doubt the abilities of them, I just like to have a backup.”
Ven frowned a little. Zet was right, he knew he was right, but he still didn't like the thought. Sorians weren't exactly famous close quarters fighters, and it wasn't because they weren't strong enough. Even the slightest injury to the wing was excruciating. He sighed a bit, “I really would like to stay away from my enemies. I've tried something like a bow before, but...I just don't have the dexterity for it. Not in a stressful situation, anyway.” Truth was the best policy, wasn't it? He hoped so. After a moment, he smiled at Zet again, “Anyway, that's all I really had to show you. The other ones are a quick freeze solution, a extremely flammable one, and one that causes more of eh...you know...boom. Unfortunately, the ingredients for those are slightly harder to come by, and I couldn't find enough to distill anything worth using.”
Zet shrugged a bit. He didn’t really get all these chemical mixtures and stuff, although they sounded effective. “Sounds like you need to try something like a crossbow, or maybe throwing knives. Of course you could always invent something that could allow you to fight as well. I mean, a weapon doesn’t need to be conventional to be effective, and we are far from conventional. Who knows, maybe you’ll turn the tides of future warfare.” Zet smiled a little and started to walk back towards town. “Come on, I’m sure we’ll find some way for you to have a backup strategy.”
“Crossbow sounds good, I guess. That's basically just point and pull the trigger, right?” Egh...arrows. The bane of pretty much anything with wings. You could never put too much distance between yourself and an arrow, “Alright. So, hey, I have to ask. What exactly is our plan here? I mean, where do we even head? We can't just waltz into Zevlya, we'd need a huge army, right? So...what?”
“More or less. I’ve never been too good at crossbows or bows, but I’m sure we can find someone somewhere to show you the ropes.” Zet sighed as Ven asked what the plan was. To be honest, he only really had one general plan, and it was quite flawed. After all, they were a mix-match of misfits, and they needed an army. Things wouldn’t be easy at all. “Honestly, it only seems like one plan to me. The Gem hosts are supposed to be the group that all races can rally behind, to defeat this evil. So the plan, travel to each kingdom, visit their respective rulers, and do what we can to get their military support. They can provide us an army that we can lead to victory. Without them though, I don’t see a way we can win.”
Ven nodded a little, “Huh...I guess it makes as much sense as anything else. It's not much, but at least it's a plan. So we're heading for this capitol first then. You ever been there before? I mean, you're a Lethalian and all, right? Plus, I imagine you get around with your kind of job.” He was wondering if their little rag tag batch of heroes could even pull something like this off. After all, they'd barely managed to fight off a few bandits only yesterday. What chance did they have against trained soldiers? He sighed and ran his hand through his hair, “Even with an army, do you really think we can do this? I mean...no offense at all to them or anything, but some of the hosts...they don't exactly seem like mythical warrior material or anything, you get what I mean?”
Zet stopped, sighed, and leaned on the nearest tree. “Krovi’s aren’t exactly welcome at the capitol. A clan that’s said to be made of murderous traitors, I guess using that logic I can’t blame them for not wanting one near their king. I’ll be lucky if I make it through the gate with you all. I’ll probably be attacked, locked up, just plain thrown out if I’m lucky. I don’t see much of a better plan though.” Zet wished that he was exaggerating, but unfortunately he wasn’t. Especially in the Lethlian kingdom, Krovi’s were quite hated. Even as a child, they are branded as traitors, as if just having Krovi blood made you willing to kill anyone in sight to fulfill one task. “Honestly, I don’t know. If they can harness their power, and become the heroes of legend, it’s possible. Unfortunately there’s always that chance that no matter how hard we try, we’ll be annihilated. If we do get an army, and no matter how hard we fight, we all die, then Elenia as we know it dies. It’s on us, or we’ll all die. Unfortunately, that’s the cold, hard, truth. Doesn’t really matter if they seem like it now or not. If they don’t live up to the standards set by legend, we’re all dead.”
“Yeah...I guess so...kinda dismal when you really think about it, huh?” He asked, crossing his arms and shaking his head. Everything and everyone depended on them. Finally, he stood straight up and sighed, “Alright, so that's the long term plan. Traipsing through the hills and forests like a merry band of heroes. But what about now. What's our plan for now? You're the only one who seems to know this area by any means, when do you think we ought to leave? Soon as possible, or wait a few days? We don't have nearly the money to buy horses, so we're on foot. How much money do we even have, pooled together?”
“Dismal perhaps, but at least it’s a chance. Better then rolling over.” Zet thought to himself for a few moments. He hadn’t much time to think about things, but Ven raised some good points. “After getting everyone settled in last night I returned to the sites where we killed the bandits to take what they had. Their corpses had no more use for money. They had a decent amount on them, and coupled with what I normally carry it should last us for a week or so in this town. However, that leaves nothing for supplies. We can afford to stay here for about five days, with enough money for supplies to get to our next destination."
Zet cleared his throat and sat on a nearby rock. “About a three day walk away from here, we’ll come across the home of a wealthy noble that owes me a favor. I was about 13, out on a mission with my father and cousin, when I came across some bandits attacking a young woman. I killed the 2 eldest, which left the rest too young to fight back. Ironically, the Roland family, whom I had to finish off last night. Anyway, I returned the young lady home, who just happened to be the daughter of this noble. I guess she was about seven at the time, turns out she was kidnapped from her home. I came upon her trying to escape, naturally failing, and them teaching her a lesson for it so to speak. Long story short, they owe me a favor. They are honorable people, and I believe they will help us financially, being reimbursed by the Krovi’s once I send word. It should hopefully take care of things until we reach the capitol, in which hopefully the King will help us out. If things don’t go that way, we’ll have to improvise. Luckily the land here has streams and animals, allowing us to survive on the land if need be.”
Ven nodded, thinking himself. If they were going to be calling in favors and such, he knew a few people in the area around the capitol. Most only through mail, but he knew a few, “I have a few contacts all over the place. Some in Pyranous, some in Terramoure, some even in Yarevon. All over the place. I have clients everywhere, you wouldn't believe it, and suppliers. I think I can help with calling in favors if we ever need to. Gotta say, Zet, and maybe you aren't used to hearing it, but I'm actually glad we have you with us. We'd all kinda be lost as shit otherwise. Okay, so you can get us through Yarevon, I imagine Monroe can do Terramoure, Kassidy can get Aquaria, Nadanna or Scarlet can get Pyranous, I have Tyfonas, and Arienna can get Zevlya. Sounds easy enough.” He stopped a moment, thinking about something crucial, something that had been bothering him for a little while now, “How long do you think it's going to be before we start seeing other people aside from bandits and shit attacking us? You know...Rune's followers?”
Zet laughed a bit. Glad he was along? That was something he never got, but when you figure the only other Lethlian is currently blind from the Gem, it would make sense. Plus a traveling mercenary knew his way around pretty well. “I guess the Gems do know what they’re doing if they chose everyone to fit a current role. Still, a few more guardians wouldn’t have hurt, although then we’d have to shell out more money I guess. Keep all your contacts in mind, never know when we’re gonna need em.” When Ven asked how long until other people started attacking them, Zet just sighed. “I’d imagine we have until the capitol. After that, rumors will probably spread like wildfires, and we may start seeing enemies before we even make it to Terramoure.”
“Sounds like loads of fun, and I absolutely can't wait.” Ven replied sarcastically, shrugging a little. At least they had a rough plan. Something else was nagging at him too, but it wasn't quite as important. The question made him smile a little, “So, speaking of rumors spreading like wildfires...you ran off pretty quick after Kassidy yesterday. Anything going on there? You two were near inseparable the entire walk.” He asked, snickering a bit as he looked at Zet.
Zet looked at Ven and just shook his head. “She was curious about my family, and I got a bit harsh with her. I felt bad, we started talking, and I said I would protect her. After all, we can’t have a host die already, right? I knew we were being followed, I just didn’t want to cause a panic, not that it helped at all. There’s nothing more then a friendship there. There’s no time to even contemplate anything more. After all, I’m still far too young to think about binding myself down.”
“Binding yourself down, huh? Hey, I don't really think we're in any position to talk about being too young for anything. After all, we could die any day now if we fail. Anyway, I was just curious. I won't pry if you don't wanna talk. I'm not much of a pep-talker or anything, but if you ever just need to talk, I'm a great listener. Just so you know it's out there. After all, we're all friends here, right? Now come on, I don't like being out in these woods when we know bandits are lurking around. Besides, it's been about an hour or so since I woke up, the others are probably waking up too.”
“In Krovi culture, we generally don’t even start looking for a significant other, until at least 30, when we’ve proved ourselves as a serious mercenary or made a name for ourselves. I’ve not made a name for myself, nor am I near old enough to even start thinking of someone in that kind of capacity. I will keep in mind that you are a good listener however.” Zet got up and continued on the way back. “Don’t worry, most bandits aren’t bold enough to attack in the light, and those that are I could handle easily.”
Ven shrugged. As excited as he was to get more blood on his hands, he'd rather just head back to town. Once they reached the town's gates, Ven stopped and looked at Zet, “Alright. Well, I'm going to go and find some books, maybe a map or something and read up on things edible and not edible in the wild. After all, don't want anyone choking on poisonous berries or something stupid like that. It was good to talk to you, Zet, and I hope we can do it again in the future.”
As they reached the gate Zet just nodded to Ven. “That sounds like a plan. Oh and it was good to talk to you too. I may not socialize much, but if you need anything... well don’t be afraid to ask. I may be a Krovi, but I don’t bite.”
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If you let yourself be controlled by your emotions it will only bring you an early death.
Jet Vareli
"Oi, ain't this gonna be a hella'va 'venture?"
Scarlet Zaion
"Sometimes everyone needs to have a good time, ya know?"
Zetisuke Krovi
"My kin are dishonored because of one man. Can I make a difference to reverse that?"
Kassidy Anasiti
"A gem host? Me? How exciting! It's a great opportunity for adventure and...will there be bears?"
Ventaro Sartagus
"Ven Sartagus, roving inventor extraordinaire, at your service."
Arienna Intuneric
"To save the world, must I throw myself into darkness?"
Edwards
"As long as you pay, I don't care what the job is."
Nadanna Ember
"I promise to never let my allies fall to anything, and I will fight the gods to keep my promise."
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Ventaro Sartagus
"Ven Sartagus, roving inventor extraordinaire, at your service."
Arienna Intuneric
"To save the world, must I throw myself into darkness?"
Nadanna Ember
"I promise to never let my allies fall to anything, and I will fight the gods to keep my promise."
Jet Vareli
"Oi, ain't this gonna be a hella'va 'venture?"
Monroe West
If you let yourself be controlled by your emotions it will only bring you an early death.
Edwards
"As long as you pay, I don't care what the job is."
Scarlet Zaion
"Sometimes everyone needs to have a good time, ya know?"
Zetisuke Krovi
"My kin are dishonored because of one man. Can I make a difference to reverse that?"
Kassidy Anasiti
"A gem host? Me? How exciting! It's a great opportunity for adventure and...will there be bears?"
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Kassidy Anasiti
"A gem host? Me? How exciting! It's a great opportunity for adventure and...will there be bears?"
Jet Vareli
"Oi, ain't this gonna be a hella'va 'venture?"
Nadanna Ember
"I promise to never let my allies fall to anything, and I will fight the gods to keep my promise."
Monroe West
If you let yourself be controlled by your emotions it will only bring you an early death.
Arienna Intuneric
"To save the world, must I throw myself into darkness?"
Zetisuke Krovi
"My kin are dishonored because of one man. Can I make a difference to reverse that?"
Ventaro Sartagus
"Ven Sartagus, roving inventor extraordinaire, at your service."
Edwards
"As long as you pay, I don't care what the job is."
Scarlet Zaion
"Sometimes everyone needs to have a good time, ya know?"
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The land of Fire.
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The land of Darkness.
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The land of Wind.
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Aquaria Owner: RolePlayGateway
The land of Water.
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The land of Light.
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Elenia ↪ Terramoure Owner: RolePlayGateway
The land of Earth.
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Elenia: Dark Age
by Aufeis on Wed Mar 14, 2012 10:30 pm
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on Wed Mar 14, 2012 10:30 pm
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Elenia: Dark Age
Most recent OOC posts in Elenia: Dark Age
[OOC] Elenia: Dark Age
This is the auto-generated OOC topic for the roleplay "Elenia: Dark Age"
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You may edit this first post as you see fit.