Fantasy Tales of Raeligard

[Thalia_Neko]

Currently: Fuming at Sen
Thinking: "What the hell is wrong with this person? Get out of here."

Location: dry river
Interacting: AnonyMouse RedArmyShogun
Mentions:

"I know." Hyss responded right in turn with Thea claiming they needed as many people as possible. To leave would be foolish. Hyss wouldn't abandon her allies, even if they were all fools themselves.

Hyss glared up at Sen. "I did not abandon anyone yesterday! I was the only one who stuck to the plan! You were the ones who abandoned the plan; Thea and you all were the ones who ran off! I don't know how many times I have to repeat it! What the hell are you talking about? When have I ever shown I wouldn't 'save' my allies?" Her eyes narrowed. "I ONLY think about my allies! Don't presume to know me, outsider. You show up today, inserting yourself into us as if you belong, but you don't. Everyone only tolerates you because they value your strength and experience, and because you outrank them in the guild. I, however, I'm staying for them. I'm risking my life for them. Stop talking about things you do not know, nor understand."

Hyss stared up at the woman. Blinking in utter disbelief. "Yes it's different! As you've already shown, those Kriegslowen of higher rank have more skill, and much more experience! Sending even one more C or B rank, or even a handful of those would be infinitely better than us F ranks! Even E and D ranks would be better! I don't even understand what you're saying. You're a much higher rank than us. Are you claiming your skill is on our level? Everyone knows that's not true." Hyss turned to the others and held up her hands to Sen, face contorted with disbelief, saying 'Are you hearing this'?

Hyss slapped Sen's hand off of her shoulder, and stared right into her eyes. "What on earth are you talking about??? I joined a group like Kriegslowe and these guys because they have skills I do not possess. I trust them to do the job they're given. As they should trust me to do the job I've been given. THAT'S why I didn't leave my post yesterday! My job was to remain hidden to be a surprise attack against the monster. My arguably best feature. If I'm standing out in the open then my attack loses about 70% power. Again. You. Do. Not. Know. Me. I don't know if they can handle it without me, but leaving them to do so when I could help is stupid. We're stronger together. If I wasn't here, I would hope they could handle it, but I would still worry. It would be better to remain with the group."

Hyss cocked her head, now confused. Sen's last statement straight up didn't make sense. "Two... of these things? Esservine? I do not understand. Are you saying I'm an expert on them? Far from it. I was just going by what you just said. If it is so easy to take them out, then why did you exaggerate their threat? Actually, why are you frothing at the mouth to go fight them if they're such a non-issue? No, the truth is, you're a gloryhound, a battle junkie, and an egomaniac. You want to kill monsters even if it threatens others. Like us. Like your baby. Everyone else be damned because you're so damn strong -well not everyone is at your level! There are those of us who are still learning. We're better in a group - where each of our individual strengths can shine. We're better being cautious and taking it slow, not rushing headfirst into danger. I told you, I joined to learn, as I have repeated. To learn, and to gain allies. Though I have no reason to answer you. You just like picking fights, yet can't handle a little pushback. I say one little thing and you go off your rocker. Your strength is physical alone, it's sad."

Hyss had it with this person. Her rank was all that protected her. A bully who abused her power. Unfortunately she had physical strength to back it up. But she actually had a complete shit attitude. All this woman had to do, was actually teach, instead of throw her ego around, thats it, and Hyss would've shut up. But she couldn't see past her own ego. This esservine creature was dangerous, how was Hyss the stupid one for being cautious about it?​

 

[King Crimson]

Current Location: Outside Hein Warehouse #5​

Crack
The moment Cressey heard that sound, she'd closed her eyes, expecting that the next moment would be her and everyone else dying in some unimaginable, horrific explosion.
However, it was not to be, and as she opened her eyes to find that she was still in one piece, she was struck once more by the Syrieth's foot, pushing off of her spear to send him floating away, back to the safety of his sister's side.
"It worked, didn't it?" Cressey wearily chuckled taking some petty vengeance in knowing that she'd knocked that smug grin off his face, and disarmed his magic to boot!
The tides seemed to be finally shifting in their favor, now if they could just stop that bloody song--
"Blessed by the winds of strife, this blade shall be."
A small, brief incantation, and the Syrieth's sword become ensconced in a veil of wind.
"Lucky me. Some of it still works." he triumphantly declared, holding his new, magic imbued weapon aloft.
"Tch..." Cressey clicked her teeth in disappointment, her smile disappearing with the winds.
The atmosphere took a subtle, ill-boding shift as the Syrieth changed his stance, his grim, sunset eyes locking onto her with fervent bloodlust.
Even through the addled haze that clouded her mind, she knew what was happening;
Blade in hand, he was coming in for the kill.
"Come on. Do your worst," she growled at him, planting her feet in defiant challenge at the elf's advance.
It was a clear bluff; her entire body shook with exhaustion, her legs and lungs screamed at her for rest.
Her spear hung low to the ground, almost slipping out of her grip entirely, her arms no longer having the strength to keep it aloft for more than a few seconds.
With each step the elf took, her vision grew hazier. Dark, inky clouds creeping in at the peripherals of her vision. That maddening lullaby panging in her ears, seeming to echo within her brain, consumed her thoughts, and it took all of her focus to keep it from dragging her under.
At the very least, that sickly sweet smell was finally gone, and she was able to take a deep, much needed gulp of crisp, clean air.
She held the refreshing breath in, let it fill her lungs, swim through her veins and into her heart.
With a long, protracted sigh, she let the air go, feeling some of her strength return to her muscles, and her senses sharpening, if only enough to focus on the imminent threat ahead of her.
So, she'd caught her Second Wind, but now what was she to do with it?
The clock was still ticking, and the Syrieith assailant was still virtually unharmed, sans a few meagre cuts and scrapes, and despite Cressey's best efforts, he still had the use of his veracite.
Any attempt to charge him now, and he would simply hop, skip and dance away, as he'd been doing, letting the looming timer ticking above her head fall to zero, leaving her at his mercy.
And if he found himself in a spot of trouble that he couldn't maneuver away from, 'sister dearest' would be there to bail him out.
He wouldn't likely fall for another attempt to parry his attack, and any other attempts for his arcanizer would be rebuked, if not get the lot of them all killed.
It was maddening, boing toyed with by these two and their depraved, underhanded tricks, and all Cressey could do in response is grind her teeth and wrack her overwhelmed brain in futile search for an answer.
But what was there left for her to do?
The Syrieth wasn't planning to give her any opportunity to find out, wasting no time in rushing forward, the wind-scored blade in his hand poised, and ready to attack.
Cressey braced herself as best as she could, hoping that maybe she could read the textbook efficiency of his movements well enough to catch his blow, or dodge out of the way with what remained of her dwindling stamina. Both options seemed almost completely out of reach at this point, her strength all but completely supped dry, her opponent's skill too great.
She needed one last chance, one last opportunity to turn the tables on him.
And it came; the world seeming to slow before her eyes as a long, oblong piece metal sailing through the air from behind her, intercepting the Syrieth's charge, Talio was rushing in behind it, his other sword grinding a deep trail of dirt and gravel in the ground.
Cressey's mind worked in overdrive, propelled solely by instinct as she seized what she knew would be their last chance.
She charged forward in concert with the merchant, lance drawn back behind her, coiled and ready to unleash a decisive, full-bodied thrust.
However, it was yet another feint, as Talio reared his blade upwards, showering the Syrieth in a blinding cloud of dust and dirt.
For a brief moment, Cressey lost sight of the elf's upper body, and he, in turn lost sight of her, as she suddenly banked to his flank, placing him directly in between herself, and his sister.
There would be no interference from her this time, not without him getting in the way.
Before her own feet had even finished touching the ground, she fired a swift, compact stab, aimed to snipe the elf's vulnerable ankle, powered with only a quickly twist of her arm and shoulder.
There was little power committed to the blow, sacrificed in the name of launching the strike as quickly as possible, but if the edge of her lance didn't do it's job of pinning the elf to the ground, the electricity flowing through her blade would.
As the dust cleared away, Cressey disengaged from her enemy, hopping backwards, just out of reach of the Syrieth's sword arm, and just in time to leave him to contend with Talio's vicious last-ditch-effort assault.
She charged back in once more, her eyes focused intently on the male elf as she charged forward, seemingly ready to lock him in a fatal two-pronged attack,
But then, at just the last moment, when it seemed she was just within range to strike at him again, her weight suddenly shifted, and once more she pivoted around the Syrieth, running along his back, just as Talio made a bold lunge to grab for his sword.
As she ran past the male Syrieth, she hoisted her spear up, holding it above her shoulder with one hand in a reverse grip, her other stretched out in front of her, her entire body tightly wound up like a metal spring.
"LUPA!" Cressey shouted, the only warning she could spare to her companion as she used her gathered momentum to plant her feet on the ground, unwind her coiled body, and launch her lightning-charged spear from her grip, sending it hurtling across the battlefield like a massive javelin, aimed at her true target; the female Syrieth currently preoccupied with fending the beastkin off.

Interacting:
Reinhardt (Bandits)
Silver Wolf (Lupa)
TreasureSniper (Talio)

 

[RedArmyShogun]

Thea Schuerer
Location: Oytenrand Greatwood​

As the situation continued out of control bit by bit, Thea attempted a diplomatic response, "I..." only for the pair to exchange more heated words, with Sen moving in to poke the snake girl. "Sen..." Only to have her own failings brought up. "Wha-" Only for Hyss to Jump in and push and prod the woman verbally, letting her know just what she thought. Spiraling the situation and pointing out the difference in power, her insults would for sure enflame the situation even more.

"Thats enough..." A quit whisper, walking forward she placed her armored hands between the pair, pressing against Sen to stop her movements and shoving Hyss back a couple of steps. "ENOUGH!" Glaring at the two she huffed and continued to speak. "While you two prattle the enemy is left to gain strength! Hyss mind your tongue! I may have let you get away with what happened yesterday, but I shall not again!"

Lowering her hands, she continued to speak, first to Sen. "I trust her as about as far as I can throw her. Fortunately, that is far enough. She's a hardheaded jackass in love with Shadows and pretending she is some sort of thief, but she does her Duty. If we give her a task, I expect she will carry it out. Do I like her? Do I trust her, has she been a pain in my ass? No, barely, yes. Yet one body more is one body more to distract and tie up the beast. I will take what I can get. Or do you suggest we send her back alone through that hostile waste?"

Then her attention turned towards Hyss. "And you. You must learn on the battlefield the situation is always in motion and no plan survives the enemy intact. When orders change you must adapt to them. And as to getting higher Ranks, yes, that is ideal but may be too little too late.

A good plan executed now is better than a perfect plan executed next week. We are the first and last line of defense. And the best defense is a good offense! If you wish to make it here or as any type of warrior, then you must learn to adapt to the situation around you with what you have! I'm fucking miserable in all this armor, but I'll continue to grin and bear it! Try that for a change, in place of antagonizing those around you!"

With that she took a step back and stared at them all in turn concluding, "Allies do not have to be friends but their hatred should be reserved for the Enemy."

Interactions: EmperorsChosen Thalia_Neko AnonyMouse Topless

 

[Thalia_Neko]

Currently: Fuming at Sen
Thinking: "What is this amazing plan then?

Location: dry river
Interacting: AnonyMouse RedArmyShogun
Mentions:

Hyss stepped back as Thea pushed between them -- something the hooded girl figured would happen. At least she was able to say her piece. "Do not worry; I am done." The hooded girl said flatly.

Her eyebrow quickly raised. What had she done yesterday? It stung to hear she was not trusted so well. She held out her hands and glanced down at herself. When had she stolen anything?? At least Thea agreed more bodies was only a good thing. How Sen didn't understand this was beyond her.

Hyss hadn't received orders but she dipped her head to Thea. Hyss frowned beneath her mask. It was Sen that antagonized her, Hyss had merely pointed out how foolhardy this was with their current forces. Stating one's concerns was now antagonistic? Great. These people wouldn't last very long. That was a solemn thought that made Hyss's frown deepen.

Hyss didn't hate anyone. In fact, she thought most of them were pretty alright. But now? Too bad this woman had been made an honorary ally today. She would have to stay her growing contempt for the woman. At least for now in her company. "Then what is our 'good plan'? And no, 'go forward and attack the enemy' is not a plan." Hyss asked with a glance over at Lucia who had also demanded a solid plan. -A very solid plan.​

 

[EmperorsChosen]

Location: Oyten, Murder Forest
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~​

Lucia groaned as she could envision the ensuing shitstorm. Bringing a thumb and index finger up to her face, the elf pinched the bridge of her nose lightly as the two went at each other verbally. They must have slept well, as she certainly did not have the energy or patience for this. She waited with an annoyed expression for the two to finish, but they did not. Instead, Thea had to step and chew them both out.

"Hysydice, I say this with the best of intentions, however you are completely ignorant when it comes to talking," Lucia stated with a tired tone of voice as her arms crossed themselves. "And Sen, I do trust her to pull her weight. Believe it or not, she means what she says about caring. Her brash tongue however would lead you to believe otherwise. She means well but has not the slightest inclination on how to express that or properly articulate herself in a way to not aggravate the one she is speaking to."

That wasn't really a defense of either of the women, but it was the younger elf's observation. "Now then, may we move on?"

@Team A

 

[Topless]

Location: Oyten

Sakura sighed out of disbelief that Sen was going at it on Hyss, to which the snake beastkin tried to defend herself of her actions as valiantly as she could. Fortunately, Thea butted in to stop the two from bickering further. "Everyone, seriously?" Sakura thought to herself over the situation. When everything had calmed down, Sakura decided to speak.

"Hysydice, you're not a bad person. I get it, you're only sticking with the plan and I really won't blame you for that. And Sen, forgive me but, please go easy on her. She's...been going through a lot ever since she got into the guild. Even if you're a rank higher than us, at the very least show some understanding. Okay? Let's just focus on the situation at hand."

AnonyMouse Reinhardt RedArmyShogun EmperorsChosen Thalia_Neko
​

 

[AnonyMouse]

Falion "Falco" Cauphix​

Location: Oytenrand Greatwoods​

Falco emitted a long sigh as the argument between Sen and Hyss escalated. Perhaps someday the Syrieth will learn temperence and simply let Hyss's oddities slide, or find a less... umm 'aggressive' way of vocalizing her complaints. Sen's particular brand of verbal diarrhea did nothing to encourage calm discourse. Falco was used to such speech and could read between the lines, but Hyss clearly could not. Perhaps someday the former will learn to see the merits of other's solutions to problems she herself has raised, instead of immediately scoffing at them and becoming confused when the offending party cannot fathom the cause of her dissidence. Today was clearly not the day for either of these people to mature into their better selves.

He slowly shook his head in silent disgust when Hyss accused them all of abandoning the plan yesterday. It seemed her apology at the campfire was gone now, replaced with a firm belief that they had erred, not the other way around. Try telling that to the hunter and his brother, Falco thought, saddened by it all. Even he had to admit that he couldn't trust her to stick with them after she had so readily gone against the grain the day before. On that point, he agreed with Sen, but shouting and swearing in Hyss's face about it was as futile as it was crass. That was not the way to get through to her. Unfortunately, he had no idea how to get through to her. His attempts at doing so had only been met with more insults and erratic behavior, so he had given up on trying.

"Oh, now you wanna hear my plan? The plan of an egomanasomethin', gloryhound? Sen scoffed at Hyss, while throwing up her hands in confusion. "Says we're throwin' our lives away, then says she won't go back to call for help. Well, which is it, godammit..." Sen grumbled under her breath as she paced angrily, looking very much like the embodiment of a former bandit, a true thug spoiling for a fight. "Maybe I should just burn the whole fucking place down and be done with this."

"Or, maybe stop being a fucking psycho, and use that magic to call for help, instead of-" Falco promptly snapped his mouth shut when Sen stopped pacing and the full weight of her ire fell upon him. He had whispered the words to himself and thought them too quiet to be heard, but apparently those pointy ears weren't mere decoration.

Fortunately, Lucia addressed her next, drawing the Syrieth's attention. She was like a raging bull, bouncing to whomever flashed a bit of red cloth. But she seemed to be losing steam. By the time Sakura spoke, the pacing had stopped, though the wild look in her eyes remained. Her gaze ocasionally darted toward Hyss but, after a few seconds, even that ceased.

"She still got a face, don't she? That means I am goin' easy on her! She don't know what I been through, either, so lay off it," Sen said to the fox, before looking to Hyss. While the anger remained, her gaze seemed to be assessing the girl now, as if sizing her up for something. "Other bullshit aside, you made a half-decent point, Idiot, even if ya did back down from it. I guess even a broken clock is right once a day."

"Twice," someone whispered.

"Fuck off, would ya? I'm tryin' to find 'understanding' o'er here, so I don't gotta beat the scales off this bitch," Sen huffed before looking at Hyss again. She spoke slowly and evenly, like speaking to a child: "I'm gonna signal for help. A beacon in the sky. That's what you wanted right? Let's be clear: I still think we can handle this shit, but if we fuck up and die --probably because of you-- it won't be a bad idea for someone to know what's goin' on. Alright? Okay? Good."

The Syrieth removed her shield, letting it fall to the ground. Then, she cupped her hands together, steepling her fingertips as she began the incantation: "Raze the heavens... light the way..." The arcanizer on her bicep began to glow a bright, verdant green, pulsating erratically, like the flickering of a candleflame. A similar glow began to form between her cupped hands, an orb of green light, which she then pinched between her fingertips and drew it back, stretching it like an elastic band or an archer drawing a longbow.

"Shatter... starlight!" Sen said at last as she released the glowing bolt, firing it straight up into the sky. It zipped through the branches and vanished into the forest's canopy, efffortlessly phasing through solid plant matter like a ghostly apparition. For a moemnt, it seemed as if it had merely vanished until, a second or two later, there was what sounded like a crackling thunderclap. While none of them could see it from their position on the ground, a bright green flare now hung in the sky, high above the treetops.

"Done. It should hang up there for a couple of hours, and ought to cut through even Oyten's shitty weather, if I did it right. But it's been a while since I used this spell, so who knows," Sen said with a mild shrug as she retrieved her shield. "You're welcome. Now, let's get down to business. Knight," she snapped her fingers at Thea, "Nice try, but you're still in command. You know your people better'n I do, and at least one of 'em ain't gonna listen to a damn thing I say. With you at the reins, she might at least listen to half. And don't be scared to gimme orders, too. Like I said to Punchy, we're teammates now, in this shit together.

"Basic plan is 'find the heart.' I know it's upstream 'cuz o' how these things eat," Sen explained. "We're lookin' for a pulsating, green mass, like a head of cabbage, about large enough to swallow up an adult person. Sometimes, they're tulip shaped. An esservine draws food into the bulb and clenches up tight, suckin' all their juices out. Can take hours, or days for bigger prey. Then, it tosses away the dried up remains. Saw those floaters near the river, like that deer? Those were leftovers. If that's the biggest thing its eaten, we still got a good shot at this. Based on when the hooktails showed up near Oyten, I doubt it's been here for long... though the amount of ground it's covered is troubling. This thing is spreading too damned fast."

Mmmm, that sounds like a fine way to die, Falco thought, feeling slightly queasy at the mental image of being slowly digested by a plant monster. Of course, that would be after its grabby tendrils broke his legs or snapped his neck before dragging him across the forest floor to be shoved into a giant tulip bulb or cabbage head and slowly sucked to death until he's a dried-up husk. Wonderful. At least Cressey would have a mummified Falco to use as a practice dummy.

"What if it's buried, like Lucy said?" Falco asked, mostly to distract himself from the grim imagery.

"Unlikely. The roots can draw nutrients from the dead, but not enough to live off that alone... unless its killed every damned thing in these woods. Nah, I bet most of the wildlife fled. Animals are smarter than that," she said, slowly shaking her head. "The heart is its primary means of feeding. If it buries that for too long, it starves. And even if it does..." the sinister grin returned as she tapped her hammer, "It can't go very deep and I've got ways to blast the fucker out. If it comes to that, leave it to me.

"We just gotta get there," Sen concluded, looking to each of them in turn. "I suggest we go inland, stay on hard-packed ground, so at least it can't easily burrow under us. Watch your footing," she said, wagging her finger at them for emphasis. "But that's a double-edged sword. Esservine ain't got eyes or ears, obviously. It feels its prey, through vibrations in the ground. Whichever of ya cast that little rock wall earlier, we might be able to use that, in a pinch. Or, I don't know, try to be sneaky or some shit... like a shadow," she quipped, rolling her eyes at Hyss.

So, sneaking up on it is an option? Falco thought. That seemed unlikely and he suspected Sen only said that to begrudgingly throw Hyss a bone. If it truly has spread throughout the forest, a little stealth might work as a means for one or two of them to close the distance while the others draw its attention elsewhere. But that would be extremely risky for whoever is sneaking and heavily relies on them having the teamwork to pull it off. He had coordinated pretty well with Thea, Lucia, and Sakura during their hooktail fight, but Hyss was still a wild card... and after Sen's freak out, he had no idea what state of mind either was in. Which meant Sen was a wild card, too; he had no idea what she would be like in a real fight or how to work around that.

"The vines this far out are thin. They're fast, might try to whip at ya, but ain't super strong. Once we get closer to the source, we'll see thicker ones. Slower, but stronger. We might come across variations along the way: thorny vines, or ones with bark. Myself, Schuerer, and maybe you," Sen said, scowling at Hyss, "will have to deal with those. At least, I hope that thing you're using is sharp enough to cut the sturdier ones. I suggest ya save the fire as a last resort," she said, looking to Lucia next. "But don't hold back if shit gets outta hand."

While she continued speaking, Falco lightly nudged Lucia. "Hey," he said, opening his coat to reveal his assortment of stabby things, ranging from his pair of daggers to various throwing knives... and even a kitchen knife or two. He was slowly upgrading his collection, but still had a few of the old faithfuls in there. "I got you. Look, I'm not saying your mittens ain't nice and all, and this is no royal armory, but... you know. Just in case," he grinned and nodded for her to take one. Or two. Or three. He didn't care.

"Anyway, that's all I got," Sen said at last, clearly growing tired of so much talking and so little hitting things. "This one's different. I've never seen one spread this fast or act this aggressively. It might have other tricks, too," she said, giving Hyss a side eye, as if she knew saying this would only increase the girl's doubts. "Like I said, if we get in over our heads, we pull back, take what we've learned, and try another time. Schuerer, you make that call, because if this brat accuses me of marchin' you guys to your deaths one more fucking time...!" she clenched her fist and took a deep breath, pausing for a moment to collect herself before finishing. "But based on what we know, right now, I still think this is doable. Anyway, that's all I got. Take it or leave it. Any questions?"

Interaction(s): RedArmyShogun (Thea) / EmperorsChosen (Lucia) / Thalia_Neko (Hyss) / Topless (Sakura)

 

[RedArmyShogun]

Thea Schuerer
Location: Oytenrand Greatwood​

Listening to what all Sen had to say, Thea let out a sigh as Hyss seemed content to leave it at that. Then Sakura had to chime in to tell the other she wasn't wrong. No. She was very much wrong, and the fact the two outsiders continued to dispute the words of the common group would only further harm their integration on the norms of the realm. They will not climb far up if they continued this. Still, that was not something she cared to deal with here and now.

Turning her attention back to Sen and took a couple steps away to look at the flare, well what brief bits she could see it. So, would the locals know what it means? Hopefully they didn't come after it immediately. Now with that over, there was what Sen had to say next, leaving command with the Knight. While Thea wasn't trying to throw the responsibility off, she also had not expected the other to listen to her orders. The fact she would, elicited a simple response; "As you wish."

Next came the details of the beast, well plant. It had some interesting habits, but Thea would not be surprised if the bulb was larger than a man, given how far it spread. The question was if something else were behind this or if it were just bizarre nature at work. For her at least, Thea was more interested in the whys than the what. Still, it was nothing worth asking about, if Sen knew the answer, she wouldn't be hiding it. It was a mystery for her as well. She was then left to issue orders and give commands, as well as asking questions.


"I have no questions, it's all straight forward. As to orders or plans, Sen and I shall form the spearhead with the rest radiating out to the sides and rear. Keep close enough to help one another, but far enough to not get cut. That goes doubly when around me. Three feet around me will be where I can do a circular spin to deal with a large number of vines, do not be inside of that."

Looking at Sakura and Lucia, she took note of Falco offering his knives and tapped the short sword at her side. "Should one of you need a blade let me know as well. Also, Sakura I want you in the center to support us with your bow, keep from the trees, if this thing can feel with vibrations, wood is likely the last thing you want to be on. Once questions are done, we shall leave. Fear not, should this be too much I will cover the escape myself if I must, but I have faith we can overcome this foe. Any further orders can wait till we find the Heart."

Interactions: EmperorsChosen Thalia_Neko AnonyMouse Topless

 

[Thalia_Neko]

Currently: Still annoyed but focusing on the mission
Thinking: "Hm.. sneak up on a plant.."

Location: dry river
Interacting: AnonyMouse EmperorsChosen Topless
Mentions:

Hyss paused, mouth opening beneath her mask, hanging there agape. She heard their words, and stared at Lucia and Sakura. She felt a tightness in her chest and irritation in her eyes. Which she blinked away.

"Thank you Lucia and Sakura for standing up for me.. And Thea."

Hyss said to the girls, a light pink tinge to her cheeks. Thea was only added because she figured she should, although it seemed Thea was being more pragmatic than actually standing up for Hyss. But it was at least something.

Plan or no, Hyss didn't trust Sen. She could only hope they'd all be okay. The girl's hood fell back a bit as she watched the spell launch upwards through the trees. If Sen had a spell that could alert people like this, then she was forced to wonder why it was suggested she go back to do that very thing. But this wasn't so much a complaint as an observation. One which she kept her mouth shut on.

After hearing all the woman had to say, well.. lets just say, it didn't increase Hyss' doubts. She sort of inferred most of this already. You see, she wasn't brainless like a lot of others (not necessarily those around her here), and tended to consider what enemies could do. Frankly, she figured Sen was downplaying the creature. Not really out of malice, but maybe because Sen didn't think it necessary to raise more alarm, so Hyss left it at that. Again, it didn't increase Hyss' doubts, because she was working with the idea this was an incredibly tough foe to overcome from the beginning. That wasn't to say Hyss would lose confidence or anything. If she did, and screwed up, then she had no reason to argue with Sen. So, time to shut up and act.

Hyss wasn't going to let any of the random insults thrown her way get to her. She was all-mission now. "How does one sneak up on a sightless plant that feels vibrations?" She lifted a foot, glancing down at it. "Actually, maybe I do not make much vibrations? I have soft steps." She told them, setting her foot back down with nary a sound. Hyss had trained to make her footsteps as soft as possible. Though she wasn't satisfied with even that. One day, one day they'd be completely silent. But she hadn't quite mastered silent walking yet.
​

 

[Topless]

Location: Oyten

It may seem that Sen really does have some sort of a soft spot even with all this aggressiveness she possessed. Hyss even thanked Sakura and Lucia for standing up to her. Sakura nodded in acknowledgement just as Sen came up with a battle plan. Because the Esservine feels it's prey, she suggested to sneak up on it and attack on the last moment. Thea told Sakura to stay out of the trees and be at the center of support.

"I have no objections." She said "I doubt my shots could do any good against something that is all plant-like, so I'll leave pretty much the heavy lifting to the more melee-oriented, unless called for."

AnonyMouse Reinhardt RedArmyShogun EmperorsChosen Thalia_Neko
​

 

[EmperorsChosen]

Location: Oyten, Murder Forest
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~​

Lucia listened to Sen's explanation with folded arms, not really turning her gaze till Falco at her side nudged her for her attention. Glancing over to him, he opened hos cloak to reveal a collection of knives underneath. He was offering one on account of her lack of range, and Thea her shortsword. As Sen spoke on, the young elf did take one and strapped it to her thigh.

"Just in case..." She repeated what he said as Sen finished her briefing.

Then Hysydice spoke up, though Lucia didn't think she did anything worth thanks. It wasn't even really a defense. One could easily argue that it was an insult, but Lucia would take it. The beastkin seemed happy about it at any rate.

"No questions," She replied.

@Team A

 

[Reinhardt]

Lieured(?)​

Location: Heine Warehouse 6(?)​

A subtle chuckle left the woman's mouth as the beastfolk designated a strange moniker for her.

The young beastfolk's response took the woman by surprise. Generally, such knowledge isn't one that would be easily acquired, especially if the two parties conversing belong to opposing sides, and yet here was this young lass, telling what could be her worst enemy all about her allies. A strange occurrence, not only in the given circumstance but in the field both of them are in.

The woman listened to the beastfolk's words and assigned a temporary face to the name. Lupa, a beastfolk that resembled a dog or cat, perhaps both. Cressey, the one who was left behind by her team. Talio, a merchant of some sort. And Endy, a boy with a pessimist outlook. Though what the woman was looking for wasn't quite there, what the beastfolk said proved to be enough for her to gauge whether such people would become a problem in the coming moments - and if they were comparably the same skill as the beastfolk that was now blabbering before her, she was quite certain they were either just new to the Kriegslöwe guild or belonged to the bottom ranks.

As time passed, a slight tension filled the air. The woman's expression hadn't changed but it was rather evident that she had noticed something by the way she turned her head to the south. Was it something the beastfolk said? Did the woman's companions arrive? Or did Lori's comrades finally arrive to rescue her?

The woman gazed at the young beastfolk in silence before she decided to rise.

"Stay here. Once we're done here, I'll set you free.", she said, as she tossed a small pouch into Lori's cell, before she left, disappearing into the dark horizon as she walked away. "Snack on that if you get hungry."

Should the beastfolk open, rather, if the beastfolk could open the sack, she would be able to find a small stash of jerky. It had carried a reddish hue on the surface and smelled like a mixture of cow and chicken meat. Not too hard, nor too chewy - seemingly dried to the right degree and seasoned with slightly more spices than average to give a strong flavor, which given time, one could grow into.

Interaction/s: Lori( ERode )

??? & ???​

Location: Outside Heine Warehouse 5​

The male elf's charge was met with the recruits' own moves. Talio threw a blade at the elf, which was very easily swatted away by the elf's sword. The swirling winds that coated his blade proved to have enough force and influence to send the blade flying back in Talio's direction, but was very much off the target, and caused it to flop to the far ground. Talio charged onward to the elf, just as Cressey did. The elf stopped in his tracks and stood ground, poised to face the two as he glanced Lupa rushing toward his sister's location - and left the women to face each other.

When the two came in range, Talio swung his sword upward and created a visual obstruction using the dirt and dust that had accumulated on his weapon as he dragged it while he was approaching. Swiftly reacting to it, the elf swung his blade in the same direction, and with a quick flick of his wrist, a small portion of the wind that coated his sword was expelled, dispelling the dust cloud in the process. Cressey used the distraction to reposition herself, but it was not quite enough to have her movement be unnoticed. Talio started to swing wildly as Cressey tried to jab his ankle from behind with her lance. The former's sluggish strikes proved to be detrimental to Cressey's plan - and allowed the elf to avoid her strike as he easily maneuvered away from Talio's attacks.

Cressey's lance punched the ground near the male elf's foot, its shock absorbed by the earth. Cressey hopped out to avoid the retaliation from the elf's sword swing, just enough to keep every strand of her hair untouched. Talio persisted in his assault and proved to be annoying enough to keep the male elf from chasing after her as she feinted her charge to reposition herself.

In the meantime, Lupa struck at the female elf, rapier in one hand and dagger in the other. While her initial strikes were being deflected by the female elf's defensive movements, Lupa pressed onward, relentlessly keeping her onslaught up. Though the female elf was not struggling to keep up with Lupa, it was clear that she was being pushed back, inch by inch, as the latter pressed on with their attacks, never giving room for a moment to breathe. Amidst all this, the spell persisted, and more importantly, the subtle noises the female elf was emitting, which was now clear to Lupa as incantations for a spell, continued.

Cressey, now in a prime position hoisted her lance up and aimed at the female elf. Taking notice of this, the male elf swung his sword at Talio, which the latter was waiting for. Talio's Manatech arm stretch out and attempted to reach for the male elf's sword arm. Talio used his other hand to strike the elf, and with it, released a small puff of poison using his sword. The male elf blocked the strike, and upon feeling the sting in his eyes, he moved his face away from the small puff cloud of poison. With the male elf already wary of the said arm, he swiftly attempted to pull his strike back, but the distraction of the poison proved its use - Talio's hand got a hold of the bladed edge of the sword, and though it was not quite what he aimed for, his grip tightened regardless. The swirling winds acted as a barrier, but Talio's grip eventually penetrated through it, and in time, his grip broke the male elf's sword.

As the blade split in two, the swirling winds that once coated the blade were released, causing the gathered air to explode. Though not quite harmful, it was powerful enough to send Talio and the male elf flying away in opposing directions from where they clashed. The sudden burst of wind was just enough to displace Cressey's aim as she threw her lance, made her completely miss the mark, and nearly punctured a hole out of Lupa if it weren't for the fact that she was moving with her relentless assault.

The male elf collided with Lupa, and sent the two crashing onto the dirt near the female elf - just in time for the female elf to finish her chant. The melody faded in an instant as the female loudly voiced the final verses of her long-winded incantation, with the blue glow immediately turning into a brown light. The sleeping spell swiftly left, and in its place, a new one.

"...and still my foes shall be! Earthbind!"

In an instant, rocky, earthen spikes erupted from the ground, and the three recruits would feel the ground beneath their feet tremble. Before they could make any movement, the earth crept up on them and hardened as it enveloped their bodies, leaving only their heads untouched and binding them to their current location. Now in their earthen prisons, the recruits were more vulnerable than ever.

The male elf rose from the ground, with the earth-bound Lupa at his side. He gazed at the broken sword he still held with his sword arm, still retaining some semblance of the wind spell he cast earlier, and looked at his sister, who responded with him in an annoyed tone. "You wasted too much time. Their backup would be here any minute now."

The male elf shook his head in defeat and returned to his sister's side. With one final flick of his sword, the male elf struck the ground, causing a far larger dust cloud than Talio's, which masked the two elves as they left the scene.

At last, they were gone - but was this indeed a victory for the recruits? They were essentially in earthen prisons and would most definitely require aid to be freed, Lori was yet to be found, and Endymion has yet to return with help.

Interaction/s: Cresslinde ( King Crimson ), Lupa ( Silver Wolf ), Talio ( TreasureSniper )

Arien / Zest​

Location: Roadside, Path to Heine Warehouse 5​

Whether it was his patting or the blood that trickled down to the bird's feathers, Endymion was finally able to rouse the bird from its unnatural slumber. The bird, now awakened, shook its body, rustling its feathers as if to whisk away the sweat and blood that had stained its feathers. It tilted its head upon witnessing the expression on Endymion's face. Once it took notice of the wound on Endymion's hand, it would chirp and a faint blue glow would appear on his hand - easing the pain and stopping it from bleeding further, yet the wound remained.

Once Endymion is able to convey the message, more specifically, the group's request for aid to the bird, it would, once again, shake its body and rustle its feathers. With a sound chirp, it would be engulfed in a blue glow as Endymion would hear a faint, somewhat feminine voice speak to his ears - or more accurately, his mind.

"Speak.", the voice said. "Arien...listen."

Interaction/s: Endymion( lunar_moth )

 

[Silver Wolf]

Location: Outside Heine Warehouse 5
Interactions/Party: King Crimson (Cressey), TreasureSniper (Talio), Reinhardt (GM/elves), ERode (Lori), lunar_moth (Endymion)


​

Each strike, her arms screamed in protest, and each step she took weakened her stance a little more, but Lupa pressed on. The clock ticked, and she didn't even bother counting. Whatever happens would happen, and she had no control over the situation. The only thing that was clear was the enemy in front of her, dodging and deflecting without ever taking a strike back, and she felt annoyed by it for some reason. How many years had she trained only for a sleep spell to render her experience and training useless in a heartbeat? Why, why did their opponents have to have magic on top of decent skills, and why a sleep spell of all things? As her mind dwindled, her tunnel vision worsened, she could only focus on the opponent and nothing more. The world around her blurred and darkened with each passing second, until she was tackled and sent to the ground just in time to be imprisoned in the earth. Once her muscles no longer obeyed their commands, she let out a cathartic breath and finally let go of that string she had held onto to keep her intact. Her vision darkened and she closed her eyes, her body and mind exhausted.

When the female admitted their need to retreat, Lupa opened one eye and grinned. It wasn't her usual bright grin, but it glowed dimly compared to the rest of her body. Before they retreated, she took one last deep inhale for speech and yelled at them with her dimmed smile and a lazily opened eye, "Hey! Thanks for not killing us. Oh, and good luck for whatever you're fighting for, I hope it's worth it!"

The dust cloud forced her to cough in response until the dust settled. She simply was where she was now, until someone or something inevitably comes to discover their sorry state. Even if her words seemed sarcastic, it was clear to her that she genuinely meant it. But, for now, she only hoped she had some company.

"Well, so much for an easy first mission, but at least we're alive...for now," she chuckled in a sad pathetic way that seemed contrary to the way her voice carried her optimism. "I'll admit this is a first for me, being bounded by magic and left forgotten on a forest floor. Well, not the first for the latter, but you get the idea. Do you think we'll ever get a chance to see them again?"

She wasn't speaking to anyone in particular, aside from whoever was awake. She really didn't have much brain power left to contribute anything beyond light conversation and would hum to herself, at first in affirmation to whoever might speak, but eventually she did so to stay awake and calm. Somewhere, as the adrenaline left her system, the sleepiness pulled out a long forgotten string of sound her hum eventually turned into. A long forgotten string of melody filled the forest, hopefully to serve as a beacon to whoever might be out there, looking or otherwise. Eventually, she closed her eyes and let her prison constrain her so she could bask in the sweet nostalgia of a melody she had long forgotten the real meaning of.

Words slowly formed, but no one, not even the singer would understand them as Lupa sang a sweet and somber melody that seemed to ring through the forest as leaves and wind gently swayed. If one could recognize even a hint of the linguistics, they would understand the tune and language came from the pagan tribes in the far north of Valgem, but would be able to gauge nothing beyond that. Yet, oddly enough it sounded almost like a lullaby. As Lupa sang she felt her mind slowly drift away, until the exhaustion and lack of adrenaline finally lowered her voice to a whimper and eventually to soft breathing. If one were to look at the beastfolk's face, it would be as though they were looking at a sick child put to sleep by the soft humming of their mother. Asleep she would remain, until she was woken, and the winds seemed to carry her melody like an echo as though the song was an extension of its howling. Whether the wind was an extension of the song would be up to the interpretation of those who listened.

 

[TreasureSniper]

Location: Outside Heine Warehouse 5
Interaction: Reinhardt (Bandits) King Crimson (Cressey) Silver Wolf (Lupa)
​

Talio couldn't help but give a small grin of audacity upon seeing that he was able to grab hold of the bandit's blade, despite the powerful winds that covered it. While it was rather regrettable that he wasn't able to do any permanent damage to this bandit, he would at least take comfort in knowing that a lowly merchant like him was still able to somewhat keep up with this seasoned bandit. Unfortunately for the young merchant, he had no time to celebrate, as the result of his efforts would quite literally blow up in his face, sending both combatants flying towards opposite directions.

Talio flew backward, his body rolling across the ground multiple times before finally stopping. As expected, while Manatech arm went limp, its hand still held onto the broken piece of his opponent's sword. Whatever drowsiness he felt, would be completely replaced by sensations of pain and soreness throughout his entire body. It was quite a familiar feeling for Talio, but then again, that was often the price he had to pay for not running away from confronting bandits. Usually.. such a move would give him a decent turnover, with him being able to loot whatever was useful and valuable after the battle had concluded, whether it be through incapacitation or death of these outlaws. If he was lucky, some of them may even have bounties. Eitherway, he saw this as a much more preferable method than just "running away". However, this encounter has yet to provide him with any substantial returns.

Talio, with his resolve to at least breakeven, forced himself to stand up once more. Unnecessary expenditure aside, the fact that Lori's whereabouts were still unknown. It would be troublesome for him to have to justify how they allowed Lori to wander towards the next warehouse alone. And..well, an innocent girl like her doesn't deserve any trouble to begin with. However, before he could formulate another plan of attack, his body was immediately encased in a layer of earth. Such strong magic...why didn't they open with this?

With his manatech arm overheated and the rest of his body lacking the strength to break from his earthly bonds, he could do nothing but watch these bandits...retreat? Seemingly losing interest in the party and taking their leave without much fanfare. On one hand, he should be thankful these bandits didn't kill them, but on the other, they still had no idea where Lori was. Talio's eyes trailed the male elf, what purpose did this bandit have in sparing them? Some things aren't adding up here, and he felt that the list of unanswered questions on this quest has grown even longer than before. Hearing Lupa essentially thank them for not killing the party was...rather saddening, but the reality was this, they were a lot stronger than them, and if they wanted to, they likely could have handled it a lot differently.

Even if they were enemies, Talio could at least appreciate and acknowledge their professionalism to not spill blood when it wasn't necessary, something he himself could probably work on. They weren't like the other bandits he had faced thus far. They had something the other's lacked, a code of honor. At least that was what he could see. "The bill will come due, bandit." Talio spoke to the male elf right before he disappeared in a whirlwind of dust. If this was the caliber of bandits he would meet in this land these days, then perhaps retreat would become a more favorable option. That, or he would need to acquire better tools to repel them.

Now that conflict was over, they could focus their effors instead on breaking free from their rocky prison. Hearing Lupa's "optimism" in the matter didnt make the defeat any less bitter, but it was nonetheles comforting to know that she was well enough to crack jokes. "I hope so, who else is gonna pay my inconvience fee." Talio quipped to the beastkin, while waiting his arm to recover. He found it strange that Lupa seemed familiar with a valgemian melody that he has heard in passing during his journey in the homeland.

A few more minutes later, as expected, his armed had recovered. However, even now, ripping through the earthshell would be a risky maneuver, as he could feel based on the vibrations of his arm alone that something wasn't right with it. It is very likely that the last attack he made against his foe did some internal damage. Based on his past experience, forcefully overclocking it in this state would likely cause it to break apart. And so, he instead decided to wait and bide his time. Perhaps if they are fortunate enough, Arien would be here soon.

And so, he waited and waited. And with the passage of time, he could feel the prison of earth growing weak and more brittle, allowing him to use his arm's strength to rip through shell of earth on part of his body before moving on to the other parts of his bodies. Once he had released himself from the bindings of the earth, he placed the broken of the enemie's sword into one of his pouches and made his way to his other party members. He was reluctant to wake her up so soon considering how peaceful she seemed, but they had a job to do. "Lupa, wake up. We still have a task to finish." The merchant spoke, carefully ripping and peeling the shell of her body. Once that was done, he moved on to Cressey, kneeling down to her height to carefully remove the earthen shell. "I must apologize that I couldn't assist you any further in that bout. Even with tools at my disposal, I guess there is not substited for superior swordsmanship.." In the past, he was able to secure victory being just good enough while leaning on his tools and weapons to compensate. A problem he will soon need to remedy if he wanted to continuing in this line of work.

"I hope Endymion and Zest have managed to get in contact with Arien.." There was...a lot going in this supposed simple assignment. Although the battle had been taxing on them, their job has not yet ended. "Let's go the next warehouse, there might be clues there on what happened..." He still felt uneasy about the whole situation, but all the same, they still had to inspect one more warehouse. With or without the others, they would likely still have to proceed. "...Maybe we'll find Lori there too..." These bandits were willing spare them, despite their hostile actions, surely they would spare someone like Lori as well right?

 

[lunar_moth]

Eek! There’s something a little… invasive about having a voice inside his head that isn’t his, but Endymion will be the first to admit that he gets overly squeamish about that sort of thing.

He absently uses his non-dominant thumb to rub quiet circles into his wounded hand. The pain’s mostly stopped by now, along with the bleeding, and the gentle pressure he applies helps to chase away any vestiges of ache.

Endymion takes a shaky breath, trying not to sound too winded after his frantic escape, and verbally spews out:

“Hi! Uh, so— so sorry, Arien, but, well, you see, we didn’t mean for it to go this way, and I’m actually not sure we couldn’t’ve handled it on our own, but I didn’t think it was worth the risk, and anyways, Lori is still missing— er, sorry, I didn’t mention that. Um, let me try again. You see, well, what really happened, I guess, is wegotLorikidnappedandthentwoelvesattackedusandusedasleepspellandIwastheonlyonewhogotawaytocallyouforhelp, uh, because they’re tough fighters and I’m— well, not, and anyways, I’mnotsureiftherestoftheteamisstillaliveormaybethey’vealsobeenkidnapped? What I’m saying is, we’re very sorry, but please can you come help us. If you’re okay with that. And you’re not too busy, of course. Again, sorry.”

Reinhardt

 

[AnonyMouse]

Sen Hyazari​

Location: Oytenrand Greatwoods​

"You take point. I'll cover you," Sen replied, when Thea said they would act as the spearhead. The Syrieth knew she probably moved faster than most of these newbies, so it would be best to let the knight take the lead, to better moderate the pace. Although Sen's experienced tracking abilities made her a natural fit for the lead positon, none of that was necessary to find their target.

An esservine isn't like an animal or beast. It does not stalk its prey or conceal its presence or use crafty tricks, other than the natural camouflage afforded by being a green plant in a sea of other green things. Once it detects them, it will attack. And, once that happens, tracking skills won't be necessary at all, just the ability to survive as they traverse the creature's vines, traps, and roots back to the source. Thea need not be an exceptional hunter to do that. Having her at the head of the party allowed Sen to cover those behind her, if necessary, and better observe her surroundings.

Meanwhile, Hyss appeared to be contemplating how one might sneak up on the plant. With a small sigh, Sen said to her, "Oi, Snake. You ain't gotta be totally silent. You just gotta make less noise than the rest of us." She rolled her eyes, while internally praying the girl understood that when she said 'noise' she meant the vibrations. This one seemed to take things very literally. "I'm pretty sure the only reason the rest of us got away so easily was 'cuz you and Idiot #2 got nabbed."

"Well, you're welcome. I guess that means we saved your lives, took one for the team," Falco proudly declared as he equipped a pair of daggers and readied himself to proceed. "You can thank me later, ladies... and whatever you are," he added, smirking at Sen. "Anyway, I'm ready to move. We got this. And if anybody else needs a blade, I got you," he said, flashing a smile at the fox.

"I'm pretty sure, her claws will serve better than your tableware, boy. but, if it'll make ya feel better..." Sen gave a dismissive flick of ehr wrist. Awfully smug, this one. He either didn't understand the danger they were facing or these trite jokes and goofy optimism were his way of coping. Despite trying to play it cool, even a blind man could see he glowed three shades brighter since giving a knife to the elf. That was the only reason Sen chose not to fire back at his 'whatever you are' comment, despite having ample ammunition locked and loaded.

She swiped her hunting knife on her sleeve and looked to Thea. "That boy's gettin' dumber by the second. Let's get this show on the road, would ya?" she said, gesturing for Thea to lead the way.

Interaction(s): RedArmyShogun (Thea) / EmperorsChosen (Lucia) / Thalia_Neko (Hyss) / Topless (Sakura)

 

[Thalia_Neko]

Currently: Still annoyed but focusing on the mission
Thinking: "Sneaking up on a plant is the same!"

Location: dry river
Interacting: AnonyMouse EmperorsChosen
Mentions:

Just quieter than everyone else? Well, she wondered why it attacked her first then previously, but anyway, that was simple! It was pretty much exactly like sneaking normally!

She glanced over at Falco after Sen once again insulted him. Boy, she really enjoyed insulting peoples' intelligence, while being dumber than others herself. It was a petty thing, now Hyss understood.

Hyss placed her hand on his shoulder. "Don't get nabbed for her this time. Instead just cut her loose; our wonderful guide is the noisiest of us all. She wants to fight this beast, so let her." An underhanded insult, but actually true, so she couldn't draw Sen's ire for that one. Or.. could she? "Just like you did for me, I need to thank you for that. A bit too overzealous, pulling me off my feet, but thank you for help in freeing me from the vines."

She noted some small concealed weapons might be useful for similar situations to this one in the future. If they lived, she'd endeavor to acquire some.

"As for you," Hyss began speaking directly to Sen. "I have realized something. I've become too emotional, and I lashed out. I've let you get me too worked up. It's unprofessional and unbecoming. It shows a lack of maturity. So I will distance myself from you, and not allow it to occur again, and attempt to take a look inwardly on what I can do to grow and develop further. As for right now, you can trust I will be dedicated to the mission. If I do not do my duty, then your words will have meaning, my uselessness shown readily. We likely will die, or I will. So, when I come out alive, I will have shown your insults to lack meaning." With that, Hyss gave Sen a quick bow and walked away.

Right after, she snuck behind Lucia, head down, hood covering a slightly shy face.​

 

[RedArmyShogun]

Thea Schuerer
Location: Oytenrand Greatwood​

With nothing more to be said or to be done, Thea nodded, and partially understood in advance why Sen wanted her upfront. It would be safe to assume she was the slowest, be it mistaken. Moving at a steady pace and with her Zweihander at the ready. Listening in on the rest as they continued, Hyss continued with her oddities, thanking Thea herself for whatever reason, then saying she was sorry for what she said to Sen on the walk only then to say her words had no meaning and that she would distance herself from her, it gave the weight of her apology even less. Honestly, Thea stopped listening part of the way through, as if she said anything then the other barbarian would join in to defend her or say they were wrong somehow.

Either way she was not sorry in the least, picking a fight once more as Thea saw it.

And right now, she had no time, willingness, or the luxury of dealing with that. Bit by bit they went deeper into the forest with tendrils lashing out at the group, with more than a few seeking out the metal thuds and clanks that her armored form sent through the earth, with Sen covering her when and where able and Thea providing a strong defense to herself as the blade coiled and rolled with her arms, creating a spin as it rotated in her hands, it seemed with how well versed she was in it that this was part of the Schuerer's basic training. As they went deeper and the vines became more of a danger from up above, thicker, or even those they were warned about.

Pausing in her steps for a reprieve, Thea turned her attention to Sen and the rest. "Think we are getting close?"

Interactions: EmperorsChosen Thalia_Neko AnonyMouse Topless

 

[King Crimson]

Current Location: Outside Heine Warehouse #5​

Cressey's heart soared, watching as her lance flew through the air, on a direct collision course for it's target.
She'd done it. In but a moment, her lance strike the elf through, and end her damned song.
They would get their strength back, and turn the tables on the other assassin.
They'd won.
But then, she heard the sharp snapping of metal ringing in her ears behind her, and felt a solid wall of wind crash against her back.
A pained gasp of surprise escaped her throat as her body went tumbling forwards, in a brief moment, as she fell to the ground, she saw her lance veering off course, just narrowly missing Lupa's back to embed itself into a tree.
Instinctively, she stuck her arm out to break her fall as she tumbled to her knees.
Stumbling to regain her balance, she tried to scramble back to her feet, but when she tried to pull her arm up, she found the earth beneath her fingers molding, shifting, moving about unnaturally of it's own volition. Before she could move her hand away, the ground surged upwards, ensnaring around her arm.
"No...No!" she cried out in alarm, desperately trying to pull her arm free from it's stone tomb. At the same time, she could feel the ground beneath her knees creep up to envelop her legs, leaving her well and truly trapped, only able to grit her teeth in wrought frustration as she helplessly watched the two Syrieth reconvene.
"I-I'm...not...done!!" she snarled defiantly, still fighting against her bonds in vain, only able to glare helplessly at the two elves with all of the hatred of a trapped animal.
The stone didn't budge so much as an inch for her, and as the male elf raised his sword, she managed only to reach towards them one last time, before he brought the blade downward, kicking up a massive plume of dust that completely blinded her vision, and forced her to pull her hand back to protect her vulnerable eyes from the hail of debris.
When she opened them, the elves were gone, leaving the recruits alone, stuck humiliatingly in the earth.
They had been 'spared,' deemed too much trouble to finish off, left alone to stew in their failure as the elves made their escape.
To Cressey, it was almost worse than being killed.
Anger, shame, and wounded pride welled up in her cheeks, burning feverishly within her as she pulled against her bonds once more.
"D-Dammit! Get back here!! We're not done!!" she barked at the empty expanse before her, trying desperately to pull herself loose.
She tried once more to pull out her arm. Nothing.
She tried to pull out her legs. Nothing.
She pounded at the rock with her free fist. Nothing.
For minutes that seemed to stretch into hours, she tried to break herself free, cycling through every method she could think of.
Eventually, her exhaustion finally caught up with her, her energy completely spent, her breath came out of her in ragged gasps, her voice was hoarse from exertion and violent, rage-filled shouting, hot tears of indignation welled up, threatening to spill down her cheeks as she lied face down in the dirt, beaten.
Defeated.
The warped earth soon softened, letting her, at last, wiggle her toes and fingertips, but she didn't have any more strength left to move, not until Talio came by, having already freed himself, to liberate her from her own earthen prison.
She was barely conscious, pushed well beyond the point of exhaustion, only able to dimly make out the merchant's words amongst the foggy cloud of misery enveloping her mind.
There was only one word Talio said that seemed to rouse her from her stupor; "Lori"
Shakily, she rose back onto her hands and knees, and then unsteadily onto her feet, dragging her heavy, leaden body towards the tree where her lance rested.
"Lori...I can...still save her..." Cressey slurred, stumbling back as she pulled her lance free, only able to right herself by planting her lance in the ground, and leaning against it for support.
Her head hurt, she felt dizzy and nauseous, her throat felt like it was full of gravel, and the ground beneath her seemed to shift and sway.
"I can...can still make it right...I can...still win..." she mumbled incoherently, taking several, unsteady steps in some vague direction down the road, towards where she believed the warehouse to be.
"I-I ju' need...another chance...I just need...--Urk!" she made it only a few more steps before her overtaxed legs finally gave out beneath her, sending back her back onto her hands and knees, coughing and sputtering for breath, which devolved into rueful hiccups and sobs, as the familiar, bitter draught of failure overcame her.

Interacting:
Silver Wolf (Lupa)
TreasureSniper (Talio)

 

[TreasureSniper]

Current location: Outside Heine Warehouse 5
Interaction: King Crimson Silver Wolf​

After busting his teammates out, Talio was just about ready to move on to the next warehouse. Although the strange sound in his arm did worry him, he knew that they needed to press on. However, just as he was about to make his move, he noticed that Cressey was currently in no condition to continue. Whether it was due to an injury from the fight, or perhaps exhaustion was unknown to Talio. Seeing stumble about, Talio took a few steps before she involuntarily fell right into his arms. Despite her size, she was a lot heavier than he thought she would be, possibly due to what little armor she had.

Talio knelt down to get a better look at his senior, carefully inspecting her body for any external injuries. While he was by no means an expert, he has read enough books to know to perform basic first aid since he does sell first aid kits as well. Apart from bruising in a few areas, he couldn't see any injury that would warrant, the way she was acting. Though there is a possibility of an internal injury. That, or she was just tired. "Cressey...can you hear me?" He spoke to the girl while lightly shaking her shoulders. Seeing her becoming unresponsive, Talio would once again make use of the Holzekt bait he had made earlier, using it as a makeshift waking salt. The smell was bad, but it should be that long-lasting. Once she started responding to the smell, Talio would close the vial and return it to his pouch.

Talio gave her another shake, trying his best to wake the girl up while staying composed. They didnt have time for this. "Cressey, wake up! We still have a job to do. It's very unbecoming of a senior to slack off." He spoke to the girl in a much more serious tone while intensifying the shaking. "Lori might still be within our reach. Who else is gonna find her if not us?" In truth, he had no way of knowing Lori's current whereabouts, but he did believe that the best place to start looking was where she said she would be. If the girl was still reluctant to straighten up, he would carry her over the strongarm side of his shoulder. Carrying reasonably sized loads was something he had become rather familiar with while working in his wagon alone.

"Let's get going, Lupa. Before the trail grows cold." For all he knew, evidence and clues could be in the process of being destroyed as they spoke. His focus turned towards the direction of the last warehouse. While walking there, he was also scanning the area for the carriage that was supposed to be nearby.

 

[Silver Wolf]

Location: Outside Heine Warehouse 5
Interactions/Party: TreasureSniper (Talio), King Crimson (Cressey), Reinhardt (GM/Arien-senpai), lunar_moth (Endymion), ERode (Lori)


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A few minutes and then some seemed enough time for Lupa to finally hear her name called just in time for Talio to break her out of her earthen prison which had softened enough to do so during her nap. After she was free she wiggled her weapons out from their new earthen sheathes while he went on to free Cressey. It wasn't until after she freed her weapons did she notice Cressey still had severe tunnel vision. Thankfully, the small adventurer was too weak to continue, and Lupa was relieved because that meant she could tend to her new fresh wound. That would've been fine to happen had Talio not insisted they follow the trail, which in of itself visibly made Lupa's fur bristle at the thought. When Talio called for her assistance, she marched over and grabbed his wrist and stayed, hoping to anchor him to their comrade. She gave him a hard stare which spoke volumes to many things. Her disapproval, her worry, her experience, they all were conveyed into one stare and once she had his attention she moved her head in a way to draw attention to Cressey. Only then did she let go and walk a ways towards the child-sized senior, stopping to lean against a random tree or some other portusion that was available so she could dig into her satchel and pull out her roll of bandages.

"Both of you should take a breather, think carefully about this situation and how your actions will affect it," she said while lifting up her clothing to reveal her stomach which had a few visible slash and stab scars on it. First she used a small wad of bandages to wipe away the fresh blood off the wound before unrolling it and working her way around, wincing a little as she moved her side which clearly hurt her, but she pressed on dressing her wound. "We've sent Endymion to fetch Arien, a B-rank who can handle this situation far better than the three of us could dream of. Besides, running back to confront the enemy now in our weakened and defeated state would only serve to worsen Lori's chances of survival, not to mention our own. That is, if she's even alive to begin with, in which case, our arrival will not matter in the slightest. Walking into a bear den after being wounded by the same bear is a sure-fire way to get all of us killed at this rate."

Lupa gazed at them both with a harsh warning glare before returning to her first aid.

"But, if you want to listen to yourselves more than reason, I'll leave you with this. Once after being injured by an ambush while on patrol, one of my comrades dressed our wounds then ran off to encounter the same bandits we were looking for who had raided a few caravans. We found the survivors of the caravan alive, but our comrade's head was waiting on a pike at the entrance. He listened to his instinct to, I don't know, settle a score, be a hero, his tunnel vision, it didn't matter. It only meant one less man and no shortage of guilt from the survivors who witnessed his beheading. Point is," Lupa paused and gave that harsh warning glare to Talio then Cressey who she hoped was listening. "If you want to run off, possibly to your deaths, and force Lori to carry that burden forever, I can't stop you. So please, do the sensible thing and at least wait for our backup to arrive so we can guarantee Lori's chances returning to us unharmed are at their highest. I don't like it either, but it's the best option. We barely stopped the two caskarieth from carrying out their goal, what makes you think we can save Lori from their clutches if there are more enemies, stronger enemies?"

The former soldier released a cathartic sigh and clicked her tongue as the bandage slipped out of place. She then unraveled it and began trying again. She wasn't standing back up until her own wound was addressed, and she wasn't leaving this spot until someone arrived to look for them. With luck, Arien should be where they are at any minute, unless he was miles away for some ungodly reason, Aurelia forbid.

 

[AnonyMouse]

Sen Hyazari​

Location: Oytenrand Greatwoods​

"How about you look outwardly, for once?" Sen said, scowling at the girl when she remarked that she had become too emotional and would look within herself to grow and develop before, yet again, remarking that they might all die, as if that was a productive thing to say before venturing forth.

Fortunately, the knight began their forward march and Sen shifted her attention to better things, namely keeping everyone alive. Yes, everyone. As their senior, she knew the burden she must bear and was prepared to do so, regardless of how she might feel about some of them.

The esservine's response was immediate. It seeemed they had been just outside of its range for, within minutes of travel, Sen began to spot the telltale green vines, looping around the trunk of various trees and hanging from low branches, like living nooses. As expected, the ground-based roots that had attacked them near the river were gone here. Most attacks came from above or from eye-level. There were spans where they walked for many minutes, with no action, only for a innocuous vine or patch of moss to suddenly lash out at them. As long as they stayed vigilant, and did not allow these peaceful moments to lull them into a false sense of security, they could see these attacks and respond.

Their v-shaped formation became more of a staggered column as they traveled. Thea was at the head, carving a path with her large blade each time the forest came alive. Sen followed behind, sometimes to her left and sometimes to her right, pointing out any vies she spotted. Her natural senses proved superior to the others but, as time went on, the rookies began to know what to look for and even spotted a few before she could call them out. The esservine's growths carried a distinctive appearance. Each vine pulsed green, as if the plant had a heartbeat. Most sprang to life when the adventurers got too near, but if one were to closely inspect one at rest, they could see the these pulses were traveling along the length of the vine, serving as a clear indication which direction the heart was located.

The other adventurers fell into the wake of them both, dealing with any pesky foliage the pair did not cleave. Sen warned the knight not to push too aggressively and told the others to kill any esservine remnants around them. Leave no esservine plant life in their wake. If they allowed themselves to get surrounded here, the fight would become exponentially more difficult. A vine severed from the heart cannot function, thus it is in their best interest to sever them as they press forward.

"Think we are getting close?" The aasked, while taking a brief pause.

"Hard to say," Sen replied. She was unsure how much time had passed. The thick canopy made it impossible to read the sun. However, she didn't feel weary, so she could only assume they hadn't been traveling for long. As she spoke, she swiped more of the green slime from her blade and the edge of her shield.

"They're getting thicker. I'd say we're moving in the right direction," she added as her brows furrowed, "But one thing's buggin' me: this all looks like fresh growth. It's young. These vines are soft as hell. Based on their size, they should be more fibrous. These are fresh. Like, 'no more than a few days old' fresh. But there's no fuckin' way this thing grew that fast. It's unnatural."

Interaction(s): RedArmyShogun (Thea) / EmperorsChosen (Lucia) / Thalia_Neko (Hyss) / Topless (Sakura)

 

[RedArmyShogun]

Thea Schuerer
Location: Oytenrand Greatwood​

With danger out of the way for now, Thea listened to all of what Sen had said and raised her left hand back first to the rest, clenched into a fist. The sign of stop. If they knew it or not, she gave a verbal confirmation as well, "Stop. We rest here for now." Turning to the blade that rested in her right, Thea takes the chance to clean her own blade as Sen was now doing. Hopefully the rest were doing the same, they all had been targets or close to the tendrils, even Hyss. However, what Sen had said did not sit well with the knight as she paused briefly, before starting up again, the two most logical ideas coming to her mind.

In the form of questions at that.

"Is..." A pause, if it was a stupid question then so be it. "...Is it possible that there is more than one of the Essersvine here? Or that this is a special one that was placed here by design only days ago?" Thinking on that last one, it made little sense, but this whole time the whole thing has not made sense. Turning to look at the rest, she wondered if they had naught to say, gazing at her armor it seemed she would need to clean that off some time as well, but it could wait. For now, the sword held priority.

"At least we are doing well away from the river, we cannot be lax, though I must say this has made up for missing my training routine. I think I've not had to spin my blade so much since my father trained me." A forlorn expression briefly touched Thea's face before she banished it as best as she could.

Interactions: EmperorsChosen Thalia_Neko AnonyMouse Topless

 

[Thalia_Neko]

Currently: Still annoyed but focusing on the mission
Thinking: "Can I even sneak up on it at this point?.. It knows we're coming."

Location: forest
Interacting: AnonyMouse EmperorsChosen
Mentions:

Looking outwardly had only made her find anger and rage, and fight with a superior in the guild. 'For once' was nonsense, since Sen had got here, and that's how Hyss had been this whole time; they both knew that to be the case. But Hyss wasn't going to be baited by this woman any longer. Nor did she intend to continue spatting with her. So she opted to think of what that statement could mean instead of what it sounded like on the surface as she followed behind Lucia, maintaining a certain distance to stay within the Caskarieth's shadow.

Wielding Fangflake like a bladed sai-like weapon made it easier to respond -and cut any vines that shot out her way. After the first encounter, where she still felt a bit of ache around her ankles, Hyss was determined to not get snagged again. She also fought hard to not make Sen's words true. Luckily, she didn't have to deal with many, so it wasn't too bad. But still, the vines were persistent and came after her enough to keep the snake busy striking down each one. A couple times she stepped forward to cut vines that attempted to grab Lucia. Hyss had been worried about the Caskarieth since she was primarily a fisticuffs fighter. She didn't doubt the eyepatch'd woman could handle herself, but... Still figured punching vines wasn't the best way of handling them. She hoped Lucia wouldn't be offended when she dashed out and cut a vine or two aimed her way. Lucia seemed to be made of stronger stuff -but if people like a hardheaded superior in the guild could be offended so easily... well, you never know.

They seemed to have a short lull in the action, so Hyss chimed in. "If this is a young one.. Are we safe here? More importantly, can it um, regenerate, for lack of a better word? Grow quick enough to regenerate those lost vines we just cut through? At its heart will its vines grow so unnaturally fast we will have no breathing room?" At her own question, Hyss decided to maintain a careful watch around them. She was a bit tired, but not too tired to not be dutiful.​

 

[Topless]

Location: Oyten

Sakura blushed when Falco smiled at her, though she had to hide it so as not for him to notice. With that out of the way, Thea lead the charge. As expected, the Esservines only attack when they're close. Like Thea and Hyss, Sakura defended herself when the tendrils got close and avoided getting snagged. With her claws, she swiped and cut off the incoming vines. She even had to use her own teeth to bite off some when her claws got caught.

Eventually, they get into some sort of safe zone, if Thea's intuition were to be trusted. Sakura started to spat on the ground to remove any trace of Esservines stuck in her mouth. She also used her claws to pick out some stuck on her teeth. With that all cleared out, Sakura listened in on the discussion about the Esservines, how near they are at the root and how young and fresh the vines are. She stayed quiet.

AnonyMouse Reinhardt RedArmyShogun EmperorsChosen Thalia_Neko
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