Fantasy ~ FableWood ~

[Jecklyn]

Banba continued to attack bat after bat, digging her claws in and tearing chunks of flesh away. She did her best to avoid whatever magic Nyr was using, purely out of fear of the unknown. A few scales did get singed, though, darkening in colour. She weaved through the crowd of bats, until she gripped one by its wing, tearing the fragile membrane. Dropping the creature a sudden realization came over the shifter, and she watched her fallen foe drop, fluttering madly. The scab along her back throbbed, her mind remembering back to how she had had the same thing happen to her, and was still healing for it. Breath quickened, Banba made her way back to the balloon, landing and rolling onto the deck, hitting the wall on the other side. She squirmed around a bit more, noises escaping her throat, before she stood up, eyes carefully watching the ground.

 

[Flutterby]

Even in her annoyed state, Quincy tried to stay attentive to the events around her. But she failed rather miserably, as she didn't catch anything until the bats attacked. She stood quickly, drawing her bow and nocking an arrow. She shot quickly and precisely, taking down as many enemies as she could without endangering her comrades. She was concerned by the display of power by Nyr; it seemed to be dark and the raven didn't seem to be herself, especially not when she shouted in an unearthly voice. But the kelpie kept defending the balloon, even shooting a few that were trying to tear it.

 

[zCrookedz]

Leo watched as the group fought off the bats valiantly. With arrows flying, energy being blasted through the sky, and people on deck sliding all over the place. Leo was having a hard time keeping up with everyone, and even worse the bats. Suddenly the bats began to screatch and turned away from the ship. Leo watched unsure of what it ment, "We must have killed off to many of their numb....." Leo was cut short as a dark shadow loomed over the ship in the moonlight. Leo turned and looked as a giant bat was swooping down out of the shadows aiming for the balloon. Leo reached for the cord to lower the aircraft and dodge the attack but he was to slow. The bat rammed into the balloon above the ship and tore right through the fabric. The air ship began to drop just as Leo screamed "EVERYONE HANG ON!!!" The edge of the forest passed just underneith them as they plummetted to the earth. Leo looked around the wheel, hoping to see that past mistakes had lead the wizard to develop a way to try and save the ship and its inhabitants. It had! Leo reached for a lever just beside the power lever and pulled it hard. Two large, spring loaded wings ripped off the sides of the ship and stuck out into the nights skys. The ship, still going fairly fast, was now in more of a glide than a plummet. This was all well and good until the reached the tops of the trees. Most broke off when the boats bottom began to run into them, but once they fell below the tops the wings began to become battered until the ripped off completely. Finally after what seemed like a life time of falling the ship was put to rest when it became wedged between two large trees. The jolt sent Leo flying into the wheel of the boat, smacking his head with a loud thunk. Dazed he pulled himself off the floor in pain and looked over the deck of the ship, "Is everyone alright??"


((thats all for me kiddies. @SilverFlight will pick up tomorrow morning. And dont worry, we were suposed to crash ))[/color]

 

[Bea Delaine]

Elena did a good bit of damage. Her swordsmanship was becoming cleaner and stronger and showed in her attacks as she overpowered swarms of bat creatures. Staying close to the ship part of the balloon, down lower, she watched more swarms file in from below. She had her work cut out for her. But just as she prepared to fight them off, they changed their course yet again. Elena leapt from her Gargoyle onto the Ship, feeling safer, watching her creations disappear.


"That wasn't as bad as I thought."


The moment the words left her lips though, the ship was surged downward. It didn't take long to realize what was happening. She found nothing to hold onto but managed to loosely grip the railing. As it glided, Elena's guard lowered again. She was unprepared for the jerk of hitting the trees. Falling overboard and gracelessly hitting and breaking branches, she managed to grab one as she slowed.


The ship landed between two large trees and while Elena pulled herself up to sit on a branch, she lifted a hand and allowed a large bundle of twisted branches to cradle the base of the ship. Another fall could be terrible, assuming this one was not already bad. Ashley was on board so it might be.


Elena flinched as she tried getting comfortable on the collection of branches she found herself on. Her jacket and shirt were completely tattered but injuries were minimal and ranged from small cuts to minor bruises.


"All good over here!! Leo! How's everyone in the ship?!" She called out, clumsily crawling her way back over to the others via branches.

 

[Lioness075]

Luness' eyes clenched tightly shut when she suddenly felt the sensation of falling. Whining, she opened her eyes for a moment to see that the sensation was true, as they were plummeting through the sky. Crying out in terror, Luness used her claws to get a good grip on the ship's wooden deck. Hearing an odd sound, Luness looked up sharply to see large wings on either side of the ship. The sensation of falling mostly went away, though she could see that they were now gliding down instead of plummeting to certain death. Still terrified, Luness scrambled forward and then dove under the nearest seat that was nailed to the deck of the ship. Holding onto one of the legs for dear life, Luness shut her eyes just as the ship began to hit the trees below. As Luness felt the ship jerk about, she continued to cling onto the seat's legs.


Soon though, there was a jolting and loud crashing sounds around her, and Luness found herself lurching forward and smashing her shoulder into the metal leg of the chair that she'd taken cover under. Hissing at the pain, Luness slowly crawled out from under the chair and then stood up, putting a hand onto her shoulder and wincing at the pain from the touch. Gritting her teeth, Lunes realized that she'd dislocated it. Taking a deep breath, Luness then quickly jammed it back into place and yowled at the ensuing pain from doing so. Catching her breath, Luness then rolled her shoulder experimentally and then looked up at Leo before nervously nodding. In the moment, Luness had no idea where anyone was, as the crash had been so sudden and chaotic.


@zCrookedz

 

[BloodThunder27]

After their fight for survival against giant bats subsided, Ashley felt relieved. Luckily the stress from it didn't send her into labor as she had initially feared. However, the party was faced with another challenge: The High Probability of crashing! After putting away her bow, she could only pray that nothing goes wrong. If anything sharp punctures her belly, then chances are her little one could perish, something that she was deathly terrified of. So if anything, she tried to stay away from metal and anything that could potentially harm her little one. She would end up latching onto one of the chairs and just started praying that it would all be over soon.

 

[Flutterby]

Quincy was crouched on the edge of the ship, shooting at the bats scratching at the balloon. They started to fly away, screeching horribly. She felt a wave of satisfaction, unaware of the approaching giant bat. It came from behind her, and ripped the balloon before she had time to get back inside. The quick drop jarred her, sending her over the side. She gritted her teeth, grabbing the edge just in time. But as they fell, she couldn't get back in. The wings came out, buying her a little more time, but not enough. She was just pulling herself up when the ship dropped into the trees. Branches battered her harshly, cutting into her skin shallowly. She was knocked off the side of the ship when a particularly sturdy one hit her shoulder, and she made her own jolting fall to the ground. Most of the branches she hit simply stung, but a few were too thick to just bend. As the ship came to a halt a few hundred feet away, Quincy hit the ground hard on her back, her breath getting knocked out of her lungs. She lay there, unable to breathe, for what felt like the longest the seconds of her life. Finally the air rushed back in and she picked herself up, bruised and battered with plenty of nicks, but alive. With a disgruntled sigh, the kelpie trekked over to the ship, wiping a droplet of blood above her eyebrow.

 

[BloodThunder27]

During the descent, Ashley found herself being tossed around like a rag-doll, but thankfully she held out onto something. Unfortunately, she was hit by a few branches and thorns when they descended into the trees. Amazingly, her belly wasn't punctured or any of the sort, but she still had bruises on her arms, even though they were not visible, a few cuts, visible due to her clothes being ripped and a cut on her cheek. Suddenly, she hit her head and was knocked out cold. When the ship came to a halt, Ashley slipped out and into a flower patch, which broke her fall. When she woke up, she held her head and her belly. As her vision cleared up, Ashley realized that she was a little out of place. Her back hurt pretty bad too, so every time she moved, it would be a bit irritating. To ensure that she didn't suffer a miscarriage, she checked to make sure she was not bleeding, which she was not. As she felt around her belly, the baby kicked, which told her that her baby girl was okay. She sighed as she got up. That was a terrible ride. "From now on, no more air travel, sweetheart..." She said to her baby. As she took a deep breath, she felt a lot better before joining the Kelpie by the wrecked ship. As Ashley gently caressed her belly to sooth and comfort her offspring as well as relieve some of the pain that she was feeling right now, she looked on with worry, in hopes that her companions were alright.

 

[SkywardSocks]

Fearful, Achyls soared out of the way of the balloon, unwittingly coming into contact with a remaining bat. It sunk its teeth into her leg, causing her to yell in pain. Her hands fizzed with dark energy, and tossed it between the eyes of the beast, immediately causing the fatality of the bat. Relieved, she made her way to the others, just as the balloon went down.


Achyls could only watch as her friends were tossed towards the ground. As soon as they made contact, she dived to reach them, hoping none had sustained serious injury. She remained floating, however, in case touching ground would further harm her leg. She peered over the side of the basket, reviewing the situation. It seemed that they were all mostly unscathed, thankfully.

 

[SilverFlight]

Ward saw the master bat but no arrow would bring it down. It ripped the fragile canvas of the balloon like paper and the craft shuddered. He remembered trying to hold onto something, he heard Leia scream and felt the fall. Seeing Elena on the other side of the craft he tried to reach her as the wings leveled them out. But the steady glide was short-lived as they greeted the canopy with a violent jerk. As they descended Ward was tossed overboard and landed painfully on a branch just above where the ship finally came to rest. The wind left him and he was immobilized for several moments. He saw the bat fall as Achyls attacked it. It came down as well, its wings catching in the sharp branches. It lay still as if dead and Ward slowly tried to gain a footing. Without warning the creature thrashed, breaking the branches that had caught the balloon. The craft slid lower to the ground, further away from the creature, but as Ward struggled he drew its attention. It screeched angrily, raising a claw to strike. Ward couldn't move and watched the claw come down...but it never hit. Instead he recoiled in shock as the creature's head fell past him to the forest floor. There, standing on its empty shoulders was a tiger.


More of a man than a tiger Ward figured as he stood tall like Leo, wearing a simple loin cloth and thick leather gauntlets. His sword was as long as he was tall and made of thick steel. He sheathed it behind his back and leapt to the tree Ward was stuck in, offering him a hand.


"A rare sight indeed." He said, helping the gryphon back to the ship, which was by now low enough for its passengers to climb out safely.


Leia was still shaking, in the past few hours she had lived her worst fear...twice!


"The next person who tells me we're flying again I swear they will get a sword up their nose!" She collapsed on the ground, too weak to stand for now. At least the danger had passed.


She caught sight of the tiger man and stared for longer than she meant to. "Great, we have a lion, now there's a tiger...I guess all we need now are bears."


"I would not wish for that if I were you." The tiger said, checking her for injuries. he moved from person to person, making sure that no serious damage had been done.


"There are no true bears left here, you will find only Kalidahs and they are neither as small, nor as friendly as I, but pray, tell me. What in sweet Oz brought you on this fool's quest over the forest? Everyone left alive knows it is much too dangerous to travel."


The tiger was eloquent, with a voice that was deep, gravely and rich as the forest earth. When he spoke his entire face was animated, his ears moved with each emotion. Long canine teeth protruded just below his lip and they flashed in the moonlight as he asked them questions.


Suddenly he fell silent as he caught sight of Leo. His eyes grew wide. "It cannot be..."


Bounding over a fallen tree with seemingly no effort he came to a stop in front of the lion, his face still struck with surprise. He dropped to one knee, placing a massive clawed hand in the earth and dipping his head low.


"My king! You have returned!"

((Sorry, kept the bat alive for just one more moment to introduce our new supporting character.))

 

[DawnAntalios]

Nyr watched in horror as the giant bat arrived and tore the balloon apart.


" No! " she yelled helplessly as she saw the aerial construct plummeting towards the ground. She tried to use the wind to assist them but to no avail: she was too late and the balloon crashed to the ground. Driven by fear and despair she darted after them, hoping to reach her allies in time before the forces of darkness would find them - but it seemed she was too late again. A powerful, menacing tiger stood but few inches from all of them and now Nyr's eyes narrowed again. She used a wind blast to force the creature backwards and fury burning in her eyes she landed between it and her friends.


" If you dare to touch my allies then you shall know my ire! " she bellowed, ready to strike down the creature should it attack.

 

[zCrookedz]

Leo stood, his head spinning from where he had ramed it into the wheel of the boat. He tried to make out the shapes of his comrades the best he could but everything swirled a bit. He closed his eye and istend to each voice so that he could make out who was alright. After a few moments of listening hs could hear a new voice. It was a strange voice to him at first, he feard an enemy had mad their way into their mits and opened his eye. Then he relized he new the voice. It was a voice he had not heard in some time, but it was unmistakable. Through his blurred vision, he saw the dark shape in the moonlight approach him and neal. Leo smiled, "Hello Hungry Tiger, its been some time." Suddenly the tiger shot backwards from Nyr's wind. Leo stood shakly and raised a hand to Nyr "Nyr, it is alright. This is a friend of mine." Leo turned back to the great warrior and gestured to all of them "My friends, my i introduce The Hungry Lion. Regent of the Forest of Wild Beasts."

 

[Bea Delaine]

Elena attempted to hold together what was left of her jacket but found it was too far gone. Losing the tattered fabric and tightening on her leather bag, she stumbled back into the ships wreckage while attempting to catch her breath. Not having seen what was the cause of the blow, Elena was surprised to see the giant bat and even more so to see a Tiger man. She supposed this was a member of Leo's formal group or maybe a relative. The tigers latest remarks proved her theory in a way.


"Thank you for your help.. We are passing through to find the good witch?" She said uneasily. Her eyes went to Leo, curious as to how he gained such a title, but not surprised.

 

[Jecklyn]

Banba gripped the edge of the craft as they went down, drowning out any cries of fear with gleeful laughter, growing higher in pitch the lower the ship dropped. When it slowed and finally stopped, the shifter jumped over the edge, landing heavily just as the bat head rolled by. She stared at the new cat man, then looked to Leo. When he bowed to her friend, she scurried up Leo's arm, sitting on his shoulder as a tiny version of herself, staring distrustfully at the newcomer. When Nyr blasted him back, she barred her teeth, hissing slightly, only to look confused as Leo corrected the dread raven.


"Horses that have three white hoofs should have a fourth." She muttered, still staring at the tiger.

 

[DawnAntalios]

Nyr lowered her arms and stood down just as Leo commanded. She looked at him and then back at the lion then at the tiger, finally bowing apologetically before the latter.


" I am sorry, honorable tiger. " she said with a serious tone " This land is hostile and I am no stranger to deception. We have faced the servants of darkness enough times to know that their nefarious intents can include disguises and tricks. " she paused for a moment " But if Leo trusts you then so will I. "


The dread raven stood back and looked around anxiously. Even though her words were true she still suspected that the tiger had not come for chatting alone - whoever he was she was certain that he will make their lives difficult - one way or another. She however trusted Leo in his decision - after all he knew this land better than any of them and if he thought it to be necessary to follow the striped warrior then she would do just that.

 

[Flutterby]

Quincy returned to the ship with some difficulty, having a hard time getting through the undergrowth. That and she wasnt too pleased with the beating she'd received from the branches. At the sight of the tiger, she raised an eyebrow, a small smile gracing her lips. “Pretty soon the non-feline will be outnumbered." She commented, blotting blood from her eyebrow.

 

[SkywardSocks]

The new creature took her by surprise, causing her to evade contact higher up in the trees. However, the conversation proved he was not a threat. Descending downwards again, she gasped, he truly was a spectacular creature.


"Wonderful," she uttered, inspecting the Tiger with wide eyes. She, for a while, forgot the blood spewing from her leg, baffled by their new comrade. He was much like Leo, but he was different somehow in her eyes.


"To what do we owe such pleasure?" she smirked, dazzled by the iron blade that lay sheathed on his back.


@SilverFlight

 

[SilverFlight]

The tiger grinned at his friend, just before being blown onto the flat of his back by Nyr's wind. He looked up over his chest and laughed heartily.


"Excellent! You've brought such powerful allies to join the fight!" He rose and dusted himself off.


"My name is Tigirius." He said, his rich voice rumbling pleasantly. "I am called 'The Hungry Tiger' and we can get into the 'why' of that when I have you safely to Glinda's palace."


At Banba's remark he grinned. "How curious."


He placed a massive paw on Leo's shoulder, taking care not to put it over the tiny shifter. "This forest is a much darker place than when you last were here my liege." With that he walked up to Nyr and bowed, his expression betraying pure marvel at her power. His tail flicked back and forth with interest. "I am charmed an honored to meet one such as yourself. Please forgive me for starling you."


When he heard the word 'wonderful' being spoken in his direction he turned to meet Achyls eyes. The fur about his neck fluffed as he smiled under her praise. "The pleasure is mine dear lady." He bowed to her also and took her hand in one huge paw pressing it gently to his lips. "I am but a servant to this forest, and all friends that step into it." Then he realized she was bleeding and his expression became serious. He knelt down, "If you would allow me my lady..." His hand began to glow in a faint blue light, he pressed it gently to her cut and it began to close.


Ward removed his coat and draped it over Elena's shoulders. "You are not hurt are you Elena?"


He nodded to Leo as if to say; 'If you trust him then that is good enough for me.'


"Lead on then Tigirius."


Tigirius scented the air cautiously. "This way." He moved to a small trail that if it had not been pointed out would have been completely invisible to Ward. "We need to move quickly. The more curious creatures of the forest will be coming, they are also the largest, and most dangerous."


The tiger disappeared into the underbrush, his striped coat blending perfectly with the forest shadows. Ward could hear his footsteps, but not see him at all.


((*edit I added something for @SkywardSocks ))

 

[zCrookedz]

Leo watched Tigirius. It had been some time since he had seen his such an old friend. He was even more surprised that he still called him 'King'. Leo looked at Banba on his shoulder and gave her a smile, patting the little shifter on the head to calm her. Leo watched as his friend introduced himself to the others. He wondered if it were possible that Tigirius had not heard of the past events. Before Leo could inquire to him, Leo picked up on a noise he recognized. The long and powerful wail of a Werewolf, one that Leo recognized all to well. This was a reunion that he wanted to avoid all together. He looked around at the others, most were capable of moving fast. He walked briskly over to Ashley and bowed down to her level "I do not wish to be rude young mother, but this is a time for great haste. Please forgive me." Leo placed an arm under the pregnant womans legs and scooped her up as he had the first time he found her in his forest. As he jumped over the side of the boat and motioned for the others to follow suit, Leo kept his feline eye trained on Tigirus. He followed behind "Tigirius! Tell me, has Otto been spotted in these parts?"


@Shimakage Thunder @SilverFlight

 

[SkywardSocks]

She couldn't hold back a small blush as his lips connected to her hand, trying to cover it with a sly smirk. As he set off, Achyls followed suit, her bird-like eyesight allowing her to just make out Tigirius' outline. She was limping slightly, her leg seizing up every now and then, though it was nothing more than she could handle. She was too interested in the guide.


"A man of the forest? Well, what should we expect to see in the forest,Tigirius?" she asked, smiling, while still keeping her guard up for any kind of attack.


@SilverFlight

 

[DawnAntalios]

Surprised at the tiger's courtesy Nyr blushed for a moment before she listened to his explanation. She still could scarcely believe that Leo was their king - not because she thought him to be unworthy of such a noble title but because he never really showed any sign of such royal blood - and perhaps with a good reason. When the tiger motioned them to follow she hurried after their guide who blended in the forest really well - she had to strain her eyes to actually see their leader.


The forest they were in was silent - almost too silent, not even birds dared to sing their songs in this accursed place. Nyr was no stranger to gloomy, dark places but the menacing shadow of the forest still made her uneasy. That, paired with the howl if a werewolf was not something she wanted right now so she hastened her steps, following behind the others.


Looking at Achyls she allowed herself to smile a bit.


" Do not let your guard down, sister. " she whispered to her " Although I understand that our guide is rather handsome we better watch out for the servants of darkness. "


She did not mention her the dark feeling she had but it was not time yet for that anyway, so she continued her stride on the narrow path.

 

[BloodThunder27]

The second Leo picked her up and started making a break for it, Ashley didn't seem to mind. Considering how far along she is now, it wasn't like she'd be able to run despite being athletic, unless she wanted to kill her back. In fact, she felt safe in Leo's arms, not to mention his fur was very fluffy, which she also didn't mind. As he ran with her in his arms, she wrapped her arms around his neck so she wouldn't have to fall off or any of the sort.


@zCrookedz

 

[Bea Delaine]

Elena arrived, looking to the others and inspecting the damage. She followed the tiger man to the trail and watched ward follow. He gave her his coat, which she covered up carefully, minding her now stinging wounds. Nothing too serious, but still irritating. Falling from the ship could have ended much worse.


"I'm alright. Nothing to worry about.. How are you?" She asked, not only talking about the ship crash but also the poison. They had to hurry, if ward could see the witch in time. Elena shivered for a moment, unsure of why and wrapped up tighter in her jacket. An image of everyone's death flashed back into her mind as her worries resurfaced but she quickly pushed it aside to think of the task at hand.


"Everyone alright now?"

 

[SilverFlight]

The trail was long and dark, the moon obscured behind a vast canopy of leaves. Still there was just enough light to see as the tiger lead them deeper into the forest.


"There used to be many grand things in this forest." He answered Achyls softly. "Beautiful wonders that would stretch the imagination. I remember a flower that bloomed only once in every twelve years. It was so magnificent it would move even those with the hardest of hearts to tears for its loveliness. There were also birds coloured like jewels and..." His expression fell and he sighed. "...I have not seen those things in quite some time."


He turned at the howl and bared his fangs.


"Aye my king, he is here. He hunts the forest at night, and rules the dark creatures that continuously plague the forest. That bat you were acquainted with earlier was one of his."


He gave his friend a sorrowful look. "I know he was a close ally...but I cannot find anything of the Otto we knew left in that shell."


With that Tigirius grew quite still. The trees around them changed.


"Be very quiet now. We must not wake them."


"I am fine," he assured Elena. Subtly he checked the pocket where he had hidden the carving he had made, finding it intact he felt relieved. "And I will be fine, I am confident we'll find a cure."


Ward looked about at the forest. The trees were bigger now, their branches often ending in large knots of wood and some of the trunks had...faces.


The gryphon crept up by Tigirius and whispered. "What are those?"


"We're in a place called the fighting forest. None of the evil beasts dare to come here...well, no one comes here."


"And I am guessing why its called 'The Fighting Forest' is the reason for that."


"Hush. As long as the trees remain asleep we are in no danger. This is far better than running into our other options."


One of the trees snorted and Ward and the tiger froze like startled cats.


Tigirius continued and as silently as possible Ward followed.

 

[SkywardSocks]

"A flower that moved the men to tears...beautiful," she uttered to herself, trying to imagine the majesty of such a flower. The colours danced in her mind, destroying any darkness she had drifting around in her brain. She continued to hobble, until she caught sight of the tree. Unlike the others, she stood gawking at the tree, dumbfounded by its size just as much as its 'face'. The snort did frighten her, she knew that for a fact, but it intrigued her more even so.


"What magic is this?" she asked Tigirius, a bashful smile plastered on her lips.