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| In the Lime Light; Tag: Evistus | |
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| Topic Started: Sep 29 2009, 01:46 PM (313 Views) | |
| Malcarez | Sep 29 2009, 01:46 PM Post #1 |
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Commoner
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Malcarez sat in the room he had rented for he and Evistus kept company by the quite shadows he enjoyed so. He kept the windows shuttered and the candles blown, moving the chair to sit directly inside the thickest shade. The room was a simple in room as any. Two straw mattresses, scratchy and bug ridden, a table and a few chairs and a wash basin. The creaky floor boards were a great annoyance to him, but he managed. He had come here with his only companion, Evistus, both in search of a most intriguing rumour. Somewhere in these Southlands lay a place named "The Hall of The Silent Dead" and it was their personal endeavour to locate the place and scourge it of its secrets. Myth and lore spoke of a green flame endlessly burning within the hall, housing the souls of all those who entered and did not leave. if legends were true, any steel tempered in the flame could be thus swung with the power of every soul within. Malcarez wasn't sure of Evistus' search, but he knew it must have some merit as well. His pondering was broken by steps coming towards the room's door. Malcarez bolted from the seat and nimbly made his way to the wall beside the door, hugging it close. The steps came closer and Malcarez pulled free the daggers hanging at his hips. The footsteps ceased before the door, and Malcarez forced his breath to steady and his mind to clear, after a bit of shuffling the door burst open and a body stormed in. "MALCAREZ I'VE FOUND IT!" Burst Evistus' voice. "God dammit Evistus," Said Malcarez as he pushed the door closed behind his friend. "What have I told you about coming in like that." "Don't. But it's fun seeing you worked up." Malcarez scowled as he looked upon his friend. "Tell me then." Edited by Malcarez, Oct 2 2009, 12:25 PM.
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| Evistus | Oct 2 2009, 01:05 PM Post #2 |
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"Wait, why are your hands tied?" asked Malcarez as his eyes shifted towards the thin twine embedded into Evistus' wrists, leaving red blemishes on his pale skin. "I brought some guests who weren't too keen on my, ahem, methods of persuasion," said Evistus, sidling passed Malcarez into their room, two citizen guards taking his place. Both shifted their hands to their swords, shifting in place as Malcarez looked them up and down. Evistus smiled, picking up a bruised, maize apple. A bead of perspiration slid down the side of its skin onto Evistus' teeth as he bit into the succulent fruit. He turned back to face the guards and Malcarez, casually approaching them as he poked and chewed the bolus in his mouth with his tongue. "Enough! For grotesque acts towards your fellow man, we-" as he spoke Evistus firmly cut in. "I'm not a human." The guards mouth hung open, frozen mid sentence. "Just saying. Regain your composure and continue," Evistus instructed the guard, motioning him to continue. The two soldiers looked at one another, then back at the two in their room. The guard continued, "U- Under direct order of Crown Law we must arrest you for grotesque acts against your fellow m-. Against humanity. The other one is under arrest for conspiring with the accused." Keeping his sight set on the guards, he called back to Evistus, "Ok, I'm curious. Grotesque acts towards your fellow man?" "I may or may not have melted that nice fellow behind the counters finger and toenails together before rolling him into the wine cellar. This is purely speculation on my part, mind you, so you can write that off the record," Evistus chirped to the guards. "You can't-... I didn't-... He-... Draw!" As his words rang through the hallways, Malcarez and both guards had equipped themselves. "My hands are tied on this one," said Evistus as he smiled towards Malcarez. "That was aweful." "You love it." Edited by Evistus, Oct 2 2009, 01:33 PM.
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| Malcarez | Oct 2 2009, 02:16 PM Post #3 |
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Commoner
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"Ughhh. I'm unimpressed Evistus. Though the finger and toe nail melting... I'll admit it was a nice touch. very clever" Malcarez could almost see the beam as Evistus smiled at his back, and couldn't help but give a sly grin of his own. Re-adjusting his grip on the blades, Malcarez looked back at the guards and couldn't deny the humour he found in their sweat slick foreheads and shifty eyes. The leather grip of the sword was also dark with perspiration. "Clammy hands, first sign of unease." Thought Malcarez. "Is this going to take long Malcarez? Don't have to much fun with them, these bindings are beginning to chafe quite furiously." At the sound of the other voice, the guard's eyes slid to Evistus for the briefest of moments, but a brief moment was all Malcarez needed. He thrusted forward, disarming the first guard with his right hand, while his left surged forward and plunged through the soft, meaty flesh of the second guard's forearms, pinning them together. His right hand flicked up poising the tip of his blade at the guard's Adam's Apple. The second guard groaned and stared with obvious horror at the thin sliver of crimson stained metal pinning his arms together. His eyes moved to his furiously twitching index finger and his mouth trembled with inaudible words. The first guard hyperventilated, crossing his eyes to try to see the tip. "Evistus, how does that apple taste?" "Mmm, It's quite good actually." Returned Evistus between chews. "Would you perhaps enjoy a slice of Adam's Apple?" "Now that sounds delicious, I don't believe I've ever tried said apple!" Quipped Evistus. The guard's eyes met Malcarez's as comprehension set in. "Mercy...Please." "By our standards...this is mercy." The blade slid forward with equal parts ease and grace, splitting the bulge in the man's throat with a spray of fine crimson. His eyes burst open as the blood gurgled in his new orifice, and his hands tried feebly to staunch the torrential bleeding. Malcarez's pulled down with his left arm and brought the second guard to his knees, pulling down till the guard's hands were awkwardly on the floor. Suddenly the room filled with the stench of feces, and Malcarez couldn't help but laugh. he released the blade and left the guard there on his knees. After a moment of savory whimpering, Malcarez raised his foot and brought it down hard on the guard's skull. Cracks and crunches filled the room as bone and cartilage turned to splinter and shrapnel. With a long exhale, Malcarez wiped his feet on the rug and looked over to Evistus who was clapping wildly, though awkwardly, due to his wrist bindings. The sight made Malcarez roar with laughter. "Excellent show! This is mercy, what a line! Now free me, I grow irritated." Applauded Evistus. With a smile still on his lips, Malcarez walked over to Evistus who raised his hands, and pulled free one of his many throwing knives. He pushed it handle first into Evistus' mouth and sat in a chair nearby. "I put on a show for you, now it's time for my entertainment." Evistus looked at him speechless. "Vis ith howible." "You love it." Edited by Malcarez, Oct 2 2009, 02:23 PM.
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| Evistus | Oct 2 2009, 03:10 PM Post #4 |
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After fumbling for a few minutes with the twine, the knife, and chewed apple debris, Evistus was free of his confines. "Now, for the matter...At....Han- Stop laughing!" Evistus pressed his index finger to his thumb, the flesh below the skin beginning to glow brighter and brighter red as he pressed harder, then flicked a spark at Malcarez. With a single motion, Malcarez licked both his index finger and thumb and caught the spark between them, steam sizzling from the crevasse. "Ok, ok," said Malcarez, pausing for a moment before relapsing into a guttural chortle. "Whew, haaaa. Ok. So, the task at hand. What did the innkeeper tell you about the cave? He must have had some juicy information for you to have to torture it out of him." Evistus swung his newly freed left hand by the spine of his grimoire, the book following, bringing it in front of his face. The book hovered above his palm and split precisely down the center, revealing the blank pages housed within. Luminescent blue lines spilled from the heart of the book onto the pages, forming sentences suspended above the pages. "I honestly couldn't bear to listen to him talk, so I couldn't tell you myself. Luckily, my data sphere recorded whatever it is he did say. Alright, let's see." Evistus dragged his finger, line by line, across the floating sentences. "Hall of Silent Dead? Ya, I've heard of it, everyone in these parts has. If you head west for the forest, cross the Barthel River and pass through the Dimonia Foothills, you'll come to a cave. That is the Ha- What are you doin' boy? No, NO. AAAAAAAaaaaa-" Evistus stopped abruptly, snapping the book shut, white and sapphire glitter fading into the air. "That's all we need, right?" asked Evistus looking towards Malcarez, the book gently fluttering back to his side a silk scarf. "So. What I gathered from that was: We could have avoided all of this had you not decided to senselessly attack the innkeeper." "I was sure he insinuated something provocative about my heritage. I had to defend their honour." "You don't have heritage!" "Point taken. Well, no harm, no foul." "How did you come to the conclusion no harm was done? I'd genuinely like to know what strange process of thought brought you to these ends." "We are completely unharmed. My wrists hurt a tad. I guess one point for them." "...Right. The Hall is to the west right? We move out immediately." "Immediately, as in, effective now?" "Yes, immediately effective now!" "Alright, alright. Sheesh." "How I've put up with you until now, I do not know." Edited by Evistus, Oct 2 2009, 03:14 PM.
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| Malcarez | Oct 3 2009, 04:54 AM Post #5 |
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Commoner
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Malcarez shook his head and began pondering over Evistus' words. "Barthel river... I've forded it before, but the place is infested with bandits and vagabonds... Might prove enjoyable." A sly grin curved his lips. "Good sir, you're still standing in the same place. I said effectivy immediatly." Evistus absent mindedly took to gathering his belongings and stuffing them into a pack with Malcarez following suit. Upon completion, Malcarez leaned against the door and waited for his friend to finish. "Today would be nice." "Hush." "How does it take you so long to pack an orb and a damn book." "Are you kidding?! I have to make sure that every page is in check and none of the words or secrets have spilled. If any of these were ever to escape the book, atrocities nigh on apacolypse would be wrought." "But you'd enjoy that." "Well yes, but when it happens I'd like to be able to take credit for it." Beamed Evistus. Rolling his eyes, Malcarez pulled out a cloth and whetstone and took to sharpening his blades. The edges were severe when Evistus announced his completion. "What're you waiting for? Let's go!" Malcarez could only scowl, not bothering to waste words on such a useless cause. Kicking a guards leg out of the doorway, they stepped through the threshold and closed the door behind him. "So what should we tell the Inn Keep?" "Nothing. We don't have to say anything, fingers and toenails remember?" Malcarez gave a realising chuckle. "Oh right! I was trying to remember why we killed those guys." "It wasn't for the fun of it?" Came Evistus' genuine reply. Malcarez could only continue to laugh. They took the steps two at a time and burst into the lounge area of the inn. The whispers that butchered the silence came to a definitive halt as all eyes turned to gaze upon them. Absently Malcarez noticed a woman faint in the corner of the inn. He looked over to his friend and gave a curt nod. With a thought, Malcarez began to change, dropping his human like features and taking on those of his true heritage. The black began at his eyes and began swimming over his flesh, staining it in pitch. His red eyes shone as his horns broke the skin and grew down to his jaw. He laughed as the people exploded in fear, tripping and tearing at eachother to get out. Malcarez stuck his tongue out down to his chin and flicked it back and forth violently. Evistus stood there in joyfull bliss, much to Malcarez's content. "I love when you do that. The tongue is such a subtle touch." Malcarez nodded and started towards the door due west. "So what're we chasing again?" Edited by Malcarez, Oct 3 2009, 05:03 AM.
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| Evistus | Oct 27 2009, 08:30 AM Post #6 |
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"Let's just step outside for a moment," said Evistus as he plucked Malcarez's flailing tongue from its hypnotic motion and yanked his head down. "We've had our fun for today." Malcarez retracted his tongue into his mouth, massaging his jaw as he returned to his human form. "Alright, alright," shrugged Malcarez, disappointed by the lack of blood on his blades. They left the inn, the door already ajar from the fleeing villagers. "To the west!" Evistus delivered the words with booming vigor, one foot raised up on a large rock, his arm outstretched and his finger pointing to the west. The wind blew through his hair as the sun turned his figure into a silhouette. "I...don't know what to say. Did that really have to be so dramat-" "The Weeeeeeeeest!" Malcarez stared at the statuesque Evistus, a feeling of chagrin and irritation coming over him. "If only I knew you would be like this before we left on a long journey." Malcarez sighed and strode passed Evistus shaking his head. Evistus smiled at the back of Malcarez's head, hopping off of his makeshift pedestal and following closely behind him. As they made their way through the village, they received many strange looks from the civilians, some even fleeing in horror, having been involved in the "Inn-cident" as Evistus had taken to calling it. They reached the huge archway marking the exit. The large limestone monument was veined with vines and mushrooms and other fungi grew from the bases of each of its legs. Almost immediately after the gate was dense forest. "This may be a tad bit harder than first imagined," said Evistus, his chin raised upwards towards the sun as he tried to see the tree tops. "Well, there's only one way to find out," said Malcarez as he bent over, ready to sprint, then took off into the forest. "H-Hey, wait!" said Evistus, stumbling over his feet before breaking into stride" Trees blurred in Evistus' peripheral vision as he chased after Malcarez, hopping fallen logs and along rocks through small tributaries, branches scratching along his face and flicking against his arm-plates. All he could hear was the thud of his feet, the sound of his breath and the beat of his heart as he chased and chased. Even though he was naturally faster and stronger than anyone he knew, he could never catch Malcarez. Before he knew it Evistus and Malcarez had broken through the canopy of trees, emerging onto a small clearing atop a cliff. They walked to the precipice of the cliff, looking onto the sea of green. Near the center was a clear break in the flood of forest. The Barthel river split through the forest like a fresh scar, blood flowing through it. Beyond it the trees grew more and more sparse as the terrain became more uneven. "Over there. Behind one of the hills is a billow of smoke. It looks like we aren't alone," Malcarez said, almost unaware he had just ran full speed through dense forest for almost an hour straight. "That's good to know," said Evistus, his words broken up between gasps of breath. "We'll take up camp here. Get a fire ready, the sun will soon set." Edited by Evistus, Oct 27 2009, 08:37 AM.
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| Malcarez | Oct 27 2009, 11:06 AM Post #7 |
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Malcarez turned and looked to Evistus, doubled over and catching his breath. He smiled thinking to their jog a few moments ago. "You're getting much better. Spending time with me has certainly improved your stamina." He gloated. Evistus raised a hand in thanks, and then a finger in jest, not wasting breath on words. Soon Evistus' breath had returned and a well fueled fire roared before them. They had plenty of dry wood from the forest and took to arranging it as far away from the precipice as they dared, as to not alert any prying eyes from the camp ahead. As was their custom, Malcarez pulled free his whetstone and began running it along the edge of his blade while Evistus looked through his tome. This was their downtime. Over the countless leagues that they had shared, these moments had become sacred to them. The smell of roasting meat and grease filled the air as boar that Malcarez had hunted turned rhythmically on its spit. With the land growing more sparse ahead of them, they had decided it would be best to save their packed provisions for the road ahead. With full bellies and the remains of the beast bound in salt and stowed, the bedrolls were spread out. An utterance of goodnight was said as Malcarez took up the first shift and began his patrol. Standing or sitting in one place would only entice sleep to come. The cracking of the fire and brother night were his companions as he peered into the forest. Boredom set in quickly and Malcarez took to practicing his throw, embedding small blade in trunk over and over until soon the blades were hairbreadths apart. He threw is arm back readying the toss when a crack to the left of his target made him adjust and loose. A dull thud resounded, followed by the patter or hurrying steps on damp ground. Malcarez slid into his true demonic form and granted himself the blessing of night vision that came with his race. What he saw surprised him, a girl possibly in her teens making a pathetic attempt at stealth. She was dressed in leathers and carried a dagger in her hand that glinted in the moonlight. Malcarez could only smile at the disgrace she was making. Using his powers for the first time in a long while, Malcarez opened a portal of shadow before him. He stepped out directly behind the girl and watched her try to peer over the bush for a better look at his camp. He leaned up close to her ear and whispered, "Wrap your feet next time.", before plunging a throwing knife into the back of her hand, effectively pinning it to the tree it rested on. His hand came up quickly, covering her mouth to stifle the scream that erupted from her throat. "You will come along without issue, or I will leave you as food for the crows. She nodded, tears streaming down her face, and Malcarez pulled free the knife. She whimpered as he did, making him smile to himself. He marched her to the bush and found Evistus already up and in a state that looked much like one would call waiting. "Found us a friend have you?" Evistus whispered in a menacing voice."What might your tale be love?" He stood, the light playing off his eyes giving him almost as demonic of a face as Malcarez, whose nose perked up at the sudden smell of ammonia. He realized the girl had made an outhouse of her breeches and laughed aloud. "What shall we do with her do you think?" He thought for a moment. There was no way she followed them along their jog, which could only mean that she was already near to the area when they arrived. He thought about the camp beyond the hills, but judged that this frail child could not have climbed the cliff wall, which suggested an alternate path or another encampment closer that had noticed their fire's smoke. "But why send a child... maybe she was the best they had... in which case their belongings will quite shortly be ours." The thought made Malcarez beam with the prospect of blood. Edited by Malcarez, Oct 27 2009, 11:09 AM.
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| Evistus | Oct 28 2009, 03:17 AM Post #8 |
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Evistus tip-toed closer to the child, his eyes scanning her body. With his thumb and middle finger, he lifted her arm by the wrist and prodded her bicep. "It's just skin and bones, we can't even eat it," Evistus grimaced as the girl's arm smacked into her side as she pulled free from his grasp, whimpering as the motion tugged at the knife pinning her to the tree. "Well that's my two copper, what do you 'spose we do with it?" Evistus' words slowing as he looked back to where Malcarez was, only to find some broken twigs and bent grass in his stead. "Off to the smoke already, huh? Waste of a nap." thought Evistus, putting his hands behind his head and sat down, leaning back on the soft grass and looked up at the black velvet sky now dotted with hundreds of gold stars. Evistus spoke as he turned to look back at the girl, "I guess it's just you and me for now sweet che-" The girl had gone, leaving only a smear of blood dripping through the cracks in the bark of the tree. Evistus leapt up, standing keen, scanning the forest. A bush rustled in the distance and he caught a glimpse of the girl. "Like she can outrun me, even with that much of a head start" Evistus smirked, and took off after her, the ground crushed under his foot as it launched him forward, the fire left spitting and flickering behind him. The girl had already gained a fair bit of distance, having had a significant head start on Evistus, but he quickly closed the gap. He chased her, twisting and turning around trees and over the debris littered on the forests floor. Scratches blemished Evistus' face, the night making it difficult to discern where low branches hung or where roots sprung from the ground. As Evistus neared the girl she turned, her feet skidding across the ground making a canyon of soil and dashed around a tree. Evistus leapt straight at the tree, his left arm outstretched. His gauntlets metal nails dug into the thick wood of its trunk and swung him around, leaving deep wounds in the chest of the tree. As the dust settled Evistus regained his composure. "She's gone..." said Evistus, as he stood in the pitch darkness of the forest, completely isolated. Lost. Edited by Evistus, Oct 28 2009, 03:20 AM.
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| Malcarez | Oct 28 2009, 05:52 AM Post #9 |
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Malcarez asked the question, but couldn't stand waiting for the answer. He stood there for hours as Evistus examined the girl and quickly lost patience. He creeped back towards the edge of the cliff and nodded his head in a mock "See ya later", before allowing himself to topple back and fall headlong towards the floor. As he was falling he figured he should've found the route that the girl took for Evistus' sake, but base jumping was far too good of a thrill. In the consuming darkness, Malcarez could not tell how close the floor was until he was nearly upon it, opening a shadow portal a heartbeat before impact. The exit portal opened directly beside it and the momentum of the fall sent Malcarez careening skyward. He grabbed the branch of a nearby tree and vaulted himself up to a higher branch. He stood there balancing precariously on the tip of the tree scanning the charcoal sky for any hint of the earlier seen smoke. Letting his night vision focus, Malcarez scanned the horizon and soon caught the last fleeting tendrils of smoke whisping grey against the black night. Malcarez dropped back under the canopy of trees and began sprinting in the direction of the camp. Judging by the distance he estimated that he would be there in minutes and soon after the last licks of flame could be seen through the ever sparser trees. Malcarez slowed and fell into a crouched shuffle forward to minimize chances of being seen, though if these bandits were as green behind the ear as the girl, he had nothing to fear. The encampment was simple. Four tents large enough for 2 side by side, and one larger tent capable of fitting four, that Malcarez assumed housed the head and his harlots. He came up behind the nearest tent and slid a throwing knife through the thin fabric, creating an entrance for himself. Both men sleeping in the tent were left with second sets of lips and Malcarez moved on to the next and the next and the next. Finally the only left standing was the large tent. Malcarez entered the same way as the rest and was greeted by three naked woman sprawled out beneath various furs, each other, and a grisly bare chested man snoring loudly. Malcarez pulled free his blade and put the point to the mans neck releasing a pin prick of blood. "Wake up." The man's eyes flew open and his mouth hung in silent shock. "You're men are dead and so shall you be should you prove to be a nuisance. You will guide my partner and I to the Halls of the Silent Dead." "I only see one of you." The man croaked. "That's your noose." Malcarez allowed the man to dress but kept all his weapons. and told the women to stay by the wall. He seated himself across from the man and looked him in the eye, laying his blade across his lap. "Who was the girl that came to our camp?" "Our best scout... I see she found you then." "Yes and we rid ourselves of her company. Why a child?" "Would that I could believe you... there's more to that child than you see." An unexplainable dread washed over Malcarez in that moment as he thought to Evistus with the child alone. Evistus was more than capable of holding his own, but the thought of potentially losing his only friend unnerved him more than he liked to admit. "Does she know the way to the Hall?" "Better than any else, it is her home." At that Malcarez lunged forward, slitting the man's throat. The women started screaming but Malcarez had already shot out of the tent, racing back to Evistus. They'd come for the plunder later... he hoped. Edited by Malcarez, Oct 28 2009, 05:55 AM.
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| Evistus | Oct 28 2009, 09:25 AM Post #10 |
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"Dang." Evistus' claw slid lazily down the side of the tree, splinters of wood grinding beneath the steel. He turned in place, observing every tree, every direction, every minute detail. Evistus bent over onto one knee and brushed his unarmoured hand along the ground, sifting the dirt through his fingers. "No footprints...It's like she wasn't even here," whispered Evistus as he turned and looked to the full moon shining through a break in the canopy. "It's on sweet che-" before he could finish a knife flew from a bush to is right and ricochetted off his book, leaving a small cut in the cover. "Let me finish my line!" Evistus barked at the bush. Another knife shot out from the bush adjacent it heading straight for Evistus' face. Shifting his weight to the side the knife flew millimeters from his cheek, the cold of the steel raising the fine hairs on his face. As his feet shifted on the ground he swung his weight around towards the bush and sprinted directly for it, reaching it in seconds. Just as he reached the bush he sprung off the ground, vaulting over the bush, keeping his eyes on it through his enter flight. The girl looked up, prepping a third knife. Evistus' eyes flashed orange for a split second as he crossed his arms in front of his chest then swung them out, his hands slicing through the air leaving an arch of fire where they cut. A ball of fire sped towards her, the bright glow of the ember reflecting in her dull eyes. Before the fireball could connected the girl dodged backwards, rolling through the bush into the open, her back bending as if she were yanked by a rope. The molten sphere blasted through the bush, setting it ablaze as Evistus landed, his posture perfectly straight. He stared through the rising flames towards the girl. She rose, her head slumped down. Evistus stared at her for a moment, a small bead of sweat sliding down his temple. A loud crack echoed through the immense forest, sending flocks of birds fleeing from their once safe havens. The girls head snapped upwards as the sound resonated through the clearing, twisting around to face towards the river, her body following suit. "Never turn your back on your enemy," Evistus spit the words as he tore through the flaming brush, sparks dancing off of him in a dazzling array of constellations. The girl took one step and then, as if with renewed strength and speed, was almost out of sight in the thick of the forest. Almost as fast as Malcarez. Evistus pursued. "It seems all I do is chase you little one." Edited by Evistus, Oct 29 2009, 12:47 AM.
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| Malcarez | Oct 28 2009, 10:00 AM Post #11 |
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Malcarez was nearly at the top of the cliff wall when the crack resounded all around him. He clung to the face of the cliff for dear life as it shook with the tremor."Earthquake?" Malcarez thought, moments before the glimmer caught his eye. He turned his head to the right and saw a beam of green light erupting from the ground and cleaving a path into the night sky. He clung there in amazement for a moment, wondering what kind of...something.. could create a sound and light so powerful, over so many leagues. A familiar voice broke his thoughts. "I...all I...chase you...one" Malcarez's head looked up to the lip of the cliff and with all the strength he could muster, vaulted himself up. His hand snatched the edge and he pulled himself over the threshold, rolling to his feet. Malcarez crouched surveying the surroundings, which only took a moment since the leaves were still falling from the trees that Evistus and whoever he was chasing had flown through. With his night vision, Malcarez could see their shapes getting smaller and was surprised at the speed. He took a deep breath and burst forward, putting all the power he could spare into his steps, he almost prayed it was enough. Edited by Malcarez, Oct 29 2009, 09:43 AM.
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| Evistus | Oct 29 2009, 10:33 AM Post #12 |
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Evistus chased and chased, the muscles in his legs tightening fervently with each stride. The girl slipped in and out of view, shrinking as she dashed farther from him. Suddenly the ground came to a complete drop. Evistus fell backwards, his feet grinding into the ground stopping him just short of the cliff. Using the force from the sudden stop Evistus popped himself up onto his feet and looked over the edge. There the girl was, running straight down the near vertical hill. "What the..." Evistus stared for a moment in amazement before quickly breaking from his trance. Taking a step back, Evistus ran and dove off the edge of the hill, falling head first towards the ground and closing the distance between himself and the girl. Coming up beside the girl, Evistus tucked his legs into his chest and spun backwards, releasing his limbs only once he faced upright. The girl did not even turn to look at him, all she was focused on was the path ahead of her. Grabbing the girls arm and the side of the hill simultaneously, his claw scraped along the side of the hill before catching, sinking deep into the side. The wall of dirt and grass spit out debris as they slowed before the claw slipped out of its crevasse, sending the two tumbling down the incline. They crashed hard into the ground below, rolling into the Barthel river. "Not even the force of this river can break my grip on your arm now girly," laughed Evistus, triumph rushing through his veins after finally catching this rather large annoyance. Evistus struggled to swim to the shore, but couldn't manage to maneuver properly using only his armoured hand to swim, the other hand clutching to the girl as she flailed wildly with each thrash of the river. As they drifted further and further down the Barthel the water's speed picked up significantly, the crashing sound of water on rock growing ever more prominent. " Could y- a teensy little fav- help me get us ou-" Evistus' words were muffled by the rushing water overflowing his mouth each time he opened it. The water fall drew near. Evistus grit his teeth into each other, his jaw aching from the force. As he felt the water beneath him disappear he looked down at the bowl of stalagmites and maroon water below, pain shooting through his neck as he braced for the fall. The ground didn't draw near, but grew farther away instead. Evistus looked up to see Malcarez standing on a toppled tree laying halfway into the river behind himself. Malcarez pulled him out of the river by the collar of his jacket and dragged him ashore. "I think you've gotten heavier," as Malcarez spoke his eyes looked from Evistus' head slowly down his arm, finally spotting the girl. "You...You actually held onto her?" "I'm not losing this little one. I worked too hard for this!" Evistus exclaimed as he fell onto his back into the wet grass, his hand still firmly tight around his prize. They sat there, catching their breaths and regaining their bearings. "Besides, we must be nearing the Halls," said Evistus, breaking the silence. |
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| Malcarez | Oct 29 2009, 11:19 AM Post #13 |
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Malcarez fell back on his butt and crossed his legs, surprised at the fact that he actually had to catch his breath. Then he looked over to Evistus who was heaving oxygen and didn't feel so bad. The girl whose, wrist Evistus had clamped in his own hand, was twitching and jerking violently, opening and closing her mouth releasing not but an unintelligible garble. "....Is she having a seizure?" Asked Malcarez slightly confused. Evistus looked over to his prize and seemed to notice her convulsions for the first time. "Oh my....Possibly?" He began to chortle. Malcarez began to laugh as well. "What an ironic end." He was about to write her off as dead when the light exploded from her eyes. A green beam erupting from both sockets. Her back arched skyward as the power coursed through her and just as abruptly as it began, it ended, leaving the girl motionless on the ground. Malcarez had jumped up pulling free his blades while Evistus had just sat there with a blank, somewhat distant look on his face. He stayed there for a moment before looking down at his orb, picking it up and placing it in the socket of the tome he carried. Malcarez had learned that that was how the book received and recorded its information. Once that was done, Evistus looked up at Malcarez who was still brandishing his weapons, with the same blank look and asked, "Well...That was random" Evistus quipped with a smile. Figuring that he had not seen the green light shrouded in the forest, Malcarez relayed what he had seen from the cliff side concerning the loud crack and the eruption of light. Evistus nodded at a few points and when the story was done said, "It has to be the Hall. Do you remember the direction?" "Aye, due west." From the look in his eye, Malcarez knew Evistus did not intend to camp that night, so he picked the girl up and slung her over his shoulder, peeling back Evistus' fingers one by one. Evistus himself had began walking nearly immediately afterward, lost in his own ponderings, entirely oblivious of the fact that he was soaking wet. Malcarez could only sigh, shake his head and walk along side his friend. "It's going to be a long night." Edited by Malcarez, Oct 29 2009, 11:29 AM.
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| Evistus | Oct 29 2009, 04:35 PM Post #14 |
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Evistus scurried ahead of Malcarez towards the luminescent green, managing to dodge every branch that came his way, even with his nose buried in his grimoire. They walked for hours and not once did the girl wake from her comatose state. The lime light grew brighter with every step they took until they finally reached it. The Hall of Silent Dead. Evistus stopped abruptly, Malcarez nearly bumping into his back. They both looked up at the ancient temple. It was draped in fallen brush and vines climbed the walls, peeking into the cracks between the huge bricks that made up most of the building. The lime light blew out like steam from behind an enormous gold inlaid disc. The doorway to the Halls. Evistus snapped his book shut, the sound of the pages slapping together echoing through the now seemingly empty forest. "Interesting..." Evistus said as he neared the doorway, pressing his hands onto the cold metal plating on it. "Aaaand it begins." Malcarez sighed, shifting the girl from one shoulder to the other. "This picture..." Evistus began as his fingers slid through the grooves in the carvings, "This is definately Mojeyaian artwork. All of the figures are on their sides, none facing directly forward as well as the characteristic feather headdresses some of these characters are wearing." Evistus circled one of these drawings with his finger. The man had long ovals protruding from his head and a large beak like triangle where his mouth would be. Before kneeled ten skeletal people, bowing before this one man. "This must be the their leader. Note the weapon he holds. While it may look like a whip it is actually a sword with four razor wire sharp blades used mainly to get around shields. This was a severe leader, using that in place of whips. Hmmm..." Evistus bit his lip and felt around more towards another scene. The picture was of the sun beaming down onto a star on the ground where a pile of small sphere rested. The only character that remained from the previous scene was the man in the headdress. "Interesting..." Evistus' eyes darted back and forth wildly from one scene to the next. "Ha-" Malcarez couldn't even edge one word in before Evistus cut him off. "This scene is a continuation of the last. Note the number of spheres in the center of the star. There are ten, one for each of the peasants, or should I say one from. This temple was clearly used for sacrifice, and not to any type of so called 'good' God, but to en evil deity, as you can see from the symbolism in this picture." Evistus spoke rapidly, barely taking time to breath between sentences. He looked onto the next scene. This one was dramatically different from the last picture. Hulking men wielding large hatchets were shown spread out throughout ruins and flames. Each wore a headdress much like the man from the first scenes wore. "Now this, this is pure gold." Evistus beamed at the picture, feeling each flame and character. "It is go-" Malcarez was once again cut off by Evistus, scowling at his entranced companion. "These headdress are the ones from the other men. Observe the lines on each giants neck and the circles around their eyes. These are bandits who are donning the garb of an opposing tribe who they have just slaughtered. They are pitting the Mojeya and what I could only extrapolate as being the Hayhonda tribe, the rival to the Mojeya. They are putting them at war with each other while making profit from the treasures within the temple. To think something like this could be planned so long ago, its astound-" Evistus was interrupted by a sword cleaving through the cracks between two of his fingers. He stood frozen, staring at the cracks at each edge of the sword were sunk in the gold. In an instant the crack split through the entire disc, the now two pieces of it rolling off and toppling into the ground, their shear weight causing the ground beneath them to sink. "If I didn't do anything you would have gone on forever," said Malcarez as he walked passed Evistus, eyes wide in shock, sheathing his sword and patting him on the shoulder, a smirk peeling across his lips. He disappeared into the now dark temple, the green lighting having dimmed down to but a faint ambient light in the depths of the Halls. "You coming?" Malcarez called to Evistus. Silence hung in the air before Evistus' arm dropped to his side and his head drooped. "...Please, might I have a moment to grieve for the recently departed?" Evistus sulked, looking at the now soiled beautiful architecture of an ancient people. "... ... ... I'm still wet. Disgusting," Evistus pouted then shook his clothes violently in an attempt to drain some of the water from them, before slowly making his way into the lime light. Edited by Evistus, Oct 30 2009, 03:17 AM.
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| Malcarez | Oct 30 2009, 05:58 AM Post #15 |
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Malcarez smiled as his companion fell in behind him. It was darker within then it was outside, due to the lack of star shine and moonlight, but Malcarez had no trouble navigating. The ceiling was vaulted to ridiculous heights and even with his keen night vision, Malcarez could not see it. The walls were lined with ruined tapestries and forgotten paintings, becoming less and less frequent as the ventured further in. The girl on his shoulder would twitch slightly and murmur something in her unconscious state as they walked but was otherwise quiet. The walls started crumbling as they moved on and stains that looked much like dried blood were spattered in various places. An eerie dread tickled at Malcarez's gut and with his free hand, he unsheathed his blade. "Something amiss?" Asked Evistus with a cheery smile. "Just precautions." The air grew colder as they walked through a grand doorway, marbled and crumbling. The entire temple seemed to be made of obsidian stone, fragile to the touch, but menacing to the eye. They stepped past the now rotted and unhinged doors laying on the floor and took to a staircase with only one direction. Down. "Must it always be closer to hell." "You should feel at home then." Malcarez bristled at the backhanded comment but led on regardless. The stairwell continued for millenia getting danker and more foul with every step. The smell of rotted flesh and blood permeated the air with such strength that Malcarez held back gagging. "You're in a sacrificial temple, what did you expect. Man up." "We'll see how slack your jaw is when you're running to me to save you." Evistus winked and nodded forward. The stairwell ended abruptly at a doorway rimmed in cobble stone. All the previous, though decayed, grandeur of the temple above was gone and replaced with nothing but...well.. decay. Placing his hand on the door, Malcarez was about to push it open when a green light caught his eye. he turned his head and saw the girls eyes glowing green. "Shit. I told you." "Ooh, this should be interesting!" The girl began twitching violently on Malcarez's shoulder as he struggled to contain her, growling and snapping with pointed teeth that had been flat moments prior. With a heavy fist, Malcarez came down on the girl's temple instantly knocking her unconscious. He looked over at Evistus who stared back at him with an exceedingly appalled look on his face. "I thought your mother taught you better." Malcarez could only roll his eyes. "They come." The girls voice was like a whisper in Malcarez's ear, freezing him to the spot. He had not felt fear like that in a long time. His eyes crept to Evistus, who for once looked slightly alarmed as well. "There's magic here." "You think?" Malcarez placed his hand on the door and could feel the cold through his gloved hand. Taking a breath in, Malcarez pushed on the door expecting it to creak open. Instead the door tipped back of its hinges and came down with a crash flat on the stone floor. The view before him blew Malcarez's mind. He had seen strange. He had seen creepy. But he had never seen the living dead. Skeletons crawled from catacomb like stands on the wall to the ground, some scurried along on all fours and jumped from one ledge to the next. The sound of the door collapsing froze the skeletal beings in their places and as one solid conscious, turned to look at the duo. Every single one had eye burning with a green ephemeral flame. "Nice job." Malcarez let the girl drop and pulled free his second blade stepping through the threshold. The room was lined with wall mounted crypts and had pews set up much like a church with a ground round altar at the head. "Grab the girl." Malcarez lunged forward, cleaving through the spine of the nearest skeleton. Both halves hit the ground and after a moment of stillness, began moving of individual accord. "Shit. Keep moving." Malcarez charged forward, slicing through outreaching arms and kicking in knees from all who came to close. He stumbled as a lone hand grasped the hem of his breeches, and quickly crushed it under foot. The sound of metal ringing off bone went on for a long time as Malcarez flourished and parried around in a circle, Evistus letting off a wisp of fire here and there. A sudden flash of grey made Malcarez dodge instinctualy as a stone bladed hatchet bore down inches to his left. He spun and raised his aching arms to face a large skeletal being still bearing some clinging flesh. It audibly snarled at him, shaking its head causing the decrepit bells and feathers on its headdress to jangle. Malcarez looked at the dual tomahawks and the loin cloth that somehow remained on the creature and glanced over at Evistus. "Would this be what you were rambling about before?" "Yup." "Anything I should know?" "Kill it good." "Thanks." The creature charged forward slashing at Malcarez's belly. Malcarez pushed his pelvis back, dodging the ferocious blow and thrust his own blade forward, burying it in the being gut. Proud at this quick defeat, Malcarez smiled at the beast looked down to the blade in its side... the hubris was quickly cast aside as the creature roared and lifted a tomahawk high above its head. Malcarez left his blade in the beast, letting go to dodge roll to the right. The beast snarled in frustration and turned to pursue. Malcarez parried and dodged as he was pressed back by the hulking reanimated corpse. His feet found steps and Malcarez climbed them backwards until his thighs made contact with the lip of the round altar. Rolling back Malcarez sprung to his feet on top of the altar and jumped off just in time to hear the skeletons blade crash into the spot he had been standing. He turned to see the creature trying to pry the blade from the table and capitalized on the moment. Malcarez crouched down and placed his hands firmly on the underside of the altar. With all his strength, Malcarez pushed upward to no avail at first. But slowly, as his arms shook, the stone gave way and Malcarez was lifting the table up up, and over as the beast wailed as it was crushed down to dust beneath the tremendous weight. Malcarez stood there panting, watching the sea of halved skeletons and single appendages squirm on the floor when Evistus somehow came up behind him clapping. "Bravo! Good use of my advice!" Malcarez could only scowl. Evistus crouched down and picked up some dust of the ground. "Hmm... i wonder if their dust moves of its own accord as well?!" For an instant Malcarez was afraid to breath. "Can we please just get the hell out of here. Please." |
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4:01 PM Mar 18
