Fantasy The Barren Palace

[Kylesar1]

Are you kidding me?!? All this shit happened, solved in a second by the Queen tapping the vine with a knife. Jane shook her head at the outraged thought. Of course the Queen was that powerful.......... or this was another trap


Jane jumped down off the vine, dispelling the vines and all the magic arrows she used.


She looked around, taking note of the injured and dead. She pulled out another arrow. Arrow #18, Shish-kabob. If the food was eaten, it'd heal minor flesh wounds, but not internal injuries or toxins. She walked around, feeding the food from her arrows to the minor injured. The injuries were high, but the casualties were relatively low............. for an army. Half of her team healed the minor injuries, while the other half went around healing those poisoned with herbs.


The doctor would have to deal with the ones with more major injuries.


Once her team was done doing their work, they prepared to head into the now opened gate


"Those vines must have an origin point based in magic. There's a chance that, if we search along the walls, we may find the magic that makes and supports those vines." She's dealt with a lot of traps in her lifetime, magical and physical. These vines were definitely magic based. There's zero possible denying it. With all those immunities with the high-speed regrowth, either a group of very powerful mages made the trap, or a God. It was probably a group that served the king.


Jane bowed in front of the 2 monarchs. "Let us go in first, my lieges. It may be too dangerous. We know what to expect now within. If there's a trap, we could disarm it." That was assuming, of course, that those traps weren't as powerful as those vines were

 

[DemonAbove]

The king thanked Jane and took his wife's hand. They followed a few people through the gate, slowly. The vines backed off of everyone, keeping the gates nice and open and steady. It truthfully didn't make sense. Killian went through the gates very slowly, glancing around the dark, gloomy area. It looked like it was once a very busy town, seeing old houses that were crumbled and old carts sinking into the soil. It looks like people just put everything down and left, leaving the kingdom to sort it's own things out.


Killian thought it was plain creepy, a shiver going down her spin. There was no skeletons, no bones, no old dry blood, so weapons lying about... it was like a war never taken place in that area so long ago.

 

[Kylesar1]

Jane held up her hand, and the Guerrilla Unit followed her. "Scout ahead. Look for traps, especially ones like those vines, and disarm them." She told them, ".......and keep the noise down. There may be demons in the buildings."


Jane went over to a nearby crumbling building, and quickly climbed up to the roof. She looked around. Absolutely no mobile life here. Not even insects. She went far ahead of the group to scout and to find and disarm traps


She found quite a few, including vine traps, but thankfully none as powerful as those vines from earlier. Her scout training required her to learn to disarm traps, physical or magical.

 

[DemonAbove]

Nothing seemed too harmful that was out of ordinary. It was just a normal town that was just simply falling apart and abandoned. The town was large, the castle being in the centr of the kingdom, was a large distance away with woods, more towns, and who knows what else between.

 

[DemonAbove]

It all seemed creepy, as people slowly filed inside the little town. The queen helped herself to look at everything, examining the insides of a few houses. Everyone was tense, especially Killian.It all looked like it was once such a happy kingdom, but now it was just abandoned? It didn't have an damage to it, besides natural causes of course. The vines mostly backed off, a few little green ones going after a few people but quickly retreated once swatted at. The entire town had no signs of life other than the people invading, not even an fly buzzed around.

 

[Abendrot]

A chill slithered down Sigmar's spine as he walked through the town. The town was barren, completely devoid of life, yet even after many years it remained untouched by nature. The streets and houses were clean as whistles. The food in the vendors' stalls was still fresh and even the candles and torches were lit. It was as if the residents packed up and left just yesterday. There was certainly something very wrong with this town, and Sigmar had no intention of staying to find out. "Come, Your Majesty. It's a hundred leagues to the castle from here. I get the feeling that we mustn't linger here."

 

[Kylesar1]

Jane stuck to the rooftops, disarming roof traps. These were nowhere near as powerful as the vines, meaning that they weren't put down to protect the king. They must have been put down by the townspeople to protect their business. Even so though, they must be disarmed to protect the army


"Keep disarming traps, and let's move fast." Jane called out to her Guerrilla guard team. This place was creepy as hell. Jane just wanted to get to the castle

 

[Sponge]

Conrad was not impressed. It looked like an old abandon town, and didn't even look dangerous. He didn't know why the group had so many guards, either, or why he was there. What am i supposed to do?, he thought to himself, Protect them from a ghost town?. Half of the place looked like it could fall down at any minute, and the other half had already fell. Not impressive at all.

 

[tigereyes]

Andrew waited until the party passed through the town before slinking in behind them. The texts he had studied described in perfect detail what he now saw, and he made his way slowly through the abandoned place until he found the smith's barn. He lifted a panel, and walked in the darkness of a cellar, hoping the temple was still intact. In different times, religious and political authorities had tried to suppress the cult, but it maintained support among the common people. It was the only thing that offered them hope in a world that was set up against them.


He tried to adjust his eyes to the darkness, but it was complicated by what looked like a century of dust floating through the air. He felt no reverence for this place, no spiritual significance. The cult was dead after all, and so were its gods, but the ceremonial artifacts in here were still valuable. He tripped and landed on his hands, slicing his right on what felt like a tray.

 

[Experimenteer]

"Move the injured over there; press down it here, please. Pass me the scissor, my dear. Thank you."


Everything is a sudden and it takes a lot for Valer to understand the situation that is at hand. From what he had heard from the survivors that climbed the vines, and the quick gossipers alike, the person that was responsible for the entrance to be opened was none other than the queen herself. How she manage to do it was simply beyond his simple comprehension, but he hoped that he would have an audience with her in due point of time.


Valer continued to cut the trousers of yet another injured trooper, whose his fate proved severe than the last; he could clearly see the bone that sticks out. He still remain in the outskirts of the town, treating the wounded in the best of his abilities. So far, he has treated a dozen of them, all of them were grateful and sincere for his deed, but a few were still suspicious however due to his masked identity.


While Valer is about to begin his amputation on a patient, he gradually overheard of a commotion with one of the doctors. This cause a series of disdain and anger as the patients soon join in the pack.


"Get the fuck, away from me, you stinking blighter!" Cried out one of the patients. He shifted into a violent rage and many doctors tried to restrain him from further harm.


"Please sir, you need to take this medicine, it would help stop the bleeding and--"


"No, you stay the hell away from me. I know who you are, who you belong to. You're part of that bitch's entourage group! I will not be treated by the likes of you!"


The person who offered the medicine remained neutral and calm. "Please sir, you need to calm down." He repeated. "Let us help you. It's the least we can do for--"


"For what? Huh? Can you bring my little brother, asshole! My brother is dead because of you!" The patient struggled before he crashed into mournful tears. "My little brother...I knew I shouldn't have bring him with me...shouldn't have..." The patients began to gather around, massing in numbers with an uncontrollable rage.


"Get out of here! We don't want you here!"


"Hells to you and that whore."


"Cut his legs off. Let's see how it feels to never walk!"


"Go back to where you come from!"


Valer witnessed the scene that will gradually turn into a full riot. "This isn't good." He said, postponing the operation and head into the heat. The patients who witnessed him made an entrance; a gesture of respect no doubt. He reached into the center and tapped at the crying patient's shoulder. It isn't easy for him to express his emotion, but when he does, he shows how much pain that the patient was going through.


What have been a moment of contemplation, Valer turn his attention at the guerilla, showing a neutral face. "I must ask you to leave, goodsir. You're disturbing the man's moment of peace."


"B-but, we were only..."


Valer slightly nodded of his devotion. "You guys have done more than enough, but your presence here makes it only worse. We shall handle the situation. Return to your leader and leave whatever medicine you can provide..."


@Kylesar1

 

[Kylesar1]

Jane overheard someone addressing her Guerrilla team, telling them to move on. She confronted the masked man. "We're not making anything worse. How about you take off that mask and look around? We have so many cases of poisonings here that you and your squad alone can't treat them all before they become lethal. As we speak, there are soldiers dying from the toxic vines. You have bigger cases to worry about, injuries that we can't treat anyways. You take the big ones, we got the lighter ones."


Unless it was vital to the mission, Jane didn't take orders from those who weren't her superiors, especially one who couldn't even establish trust with their patients. Her team wasn't even the problem. "Besides, these injured people are jumping on your team, not mine."


Jane turned to her team member, who was in the heat. "Keep doing what you're doing. Just be sure to stay out of the doctor's way." She turned back to the masked man. "And you be sure to stay out of my team's way. We're trying to accomplish the same task."





She got back to her original task of looking for traps. The castle started to grow bigger as they approached. It wouldn't be long before they finally made it.

 

[Experimenteer]

Valer's face remained neutral and silently sighed by her response; not only she refuse to let her teammates step down, but only escalate the friction between the patients and her guerrillas. He could see the other soldiers that arrive the scene, trying to restore some kind of order. Eventually, the patients dispersed itself, if not being overly bitter by the archer's blunt repliance.


Valer turned his head to one of the doctors that was in effort to relief the crying patient. "I'm afraid you had to let him treat the toxins."


The doctor had a concern look on his face. "B-but won't the patient would try to harm the guerrilla?"


"It cannot be help." Valer replied and resume to his operation. "Have him mend his injuries while he is asleep. Tell the patient that you treated him."


"O-of course..."


There isn't much that Valer could do, except to continue his work; his disapproval with the archer's ability proved heavily wane by the eyes of the soldiers. He cannot tell what would happen if it escalates into a full blow rebellion. A couple of soldiers he passed by he made back to his temporary tent where he was about to amputate was already carried out by one of the doctors.


That was suppose to be his last patient for a tedious morning. With all that said and done, Valer took a moment of relieve and rest upon his chair. What have suppose to be a safe trip has turn into a clinic; all because of the carelessness of that lady archer. He doesn't know what will happen to her; like he even cared in the end.


As Valer emptied his pockets of herbs and vials, he felt something unfamiliar and found that it was a letter. It was strange, even to him, as he didn't recall of anyone giving one. When he opened it, he gradually read the contents of the letter; it made him smile just a bit behind the mask. "It seems I have some favors...how queer..."


@Kylesar1

 

[tigereyes]

Andrew shook his hand, and then reached across the floor in the dim light to gather what he could find. There were a handful of small rings and a knife, dulled down to the point of near uselessness. He threw them in the satchel at his hip, and felt around for more. There were supposed to be jeweled armaments in one of these shrines, reportedly of immense value. He had buyers scattered across several kingdoms, and could pit them against each other for a high price. Relics from the barren kingdom were rare.


He found his way to a rudimentary wooden altar, covered in dust. He felt the depression in the center where oil was set aflame for ceremonies. Two books were still there, which he gathered, but nothing else. He shoved the altar in frustration. He was surprised to feel it wobble. He pushed again, and the decaying structure gave, falling in one large piece to the floor. Its hollow core was filled with a few desiccated scrolls, a handful of weathered bones, and a pair of vembraces. Immediately he gravitated to the braces. They were bronze, with intricate, nearly seamless craftsmanship. He gathered his things and walked closer to the door to admire them in the dim light. They were clearly old. Bronze hadn't been used in armor for centuries. These were built for a very large man, as well.


He climbed up to the main floor and took them out again. He was drawn to them. They were so elegant. After gazing at them for several seconds, he decided to try them on. They still looked like they could be worn into battle. He snapped the left on, and then the right, surprised at how comfortable they felt.


Smiling, he walked towards the door, his guard going up again. The party was likely gone, but there was no guarantee that a rear guard wasn't left behind. As he glanced around the street, he didn't notice the braces begin to shine, at first dim yellow, then gaining intensity. Only the feeling of heat on his forearms alerted him. He looked down to see them shimmering, and gaining heat rapidly. He tried to unbuckle them, but the seam had disappeared. He frantically grabbed, trying to bend the metal, but it was hot to the touch and he could only flail. They began to sear his arms, burning into them with an intense heat. He lost awareness of the danger in his surroundings, and began to scream, calling for help, and wailing from the pain. He fell to his knees and desperately pounded the ground, hoping they would break and fall from his arms, but they began to sear deeper, cauterizing his skin and digging into his flesh. It went on for minutes until finally the heat dissipated, and he looked down to see the braces fused to his arms, the flesh burned and bleeding at their edges.


He was too shocked and pained to think, but he was certain he had been heard. Someone from the party would surely investigate.

 

[DemonAbove]

Before some of the party could even think about checking on Andrew, a little creature decided to. It has little wings, a long tail, a scaled body, and two little legs. It was a small little dragon, hopping out from the insides of a barrel. It's nostrils flared as it hopped towards the human on his skinny little legs. The small dragon had beating red eyes and pale green scales shining in the sunlight. It looked curious, forgetting it shouldn't be exposing itself. It just wanted to see if the strange human was okay, as he was screaming a lot. The hatchling let out a squwak, and it was adorable.

 

[tigereyes]

@DemonAbove Andrew looked up through clenched teeth to see a small dragon craning its head to the side and examining him. This took his mind off of the pain for a moment. Like snakes, it was best not to underestimate a juvenile dragon just because of its size. It could be just as lethal if it chose to, and he was in no position to defend himself.


"Hey little guy......how are you? Doing good?" He spread his arms to the side and lowered them to the ground slowly to take a non-threatening posture. Maybe it was just curious.

 

[DemonAbove]

@tigereyes The small dragon froze as Andrew started to move and then talk. It suddenly remembered its training and froze still, not sure what to do. Its nostrils flarred with fear and its eyes twitched. The long slender tail fought not to move and and its tiny wings vibrated. Dont move, dont move, dont move.... it told itself at a rapid pace. The small dragon's tiny heart raced as it was freaking out.

 

[tigereyes]

Andrew sat there, hands on the ground, nervously glancing at the dragon. He could tell it was anxious, and didn't want to provoke it into an attack. Even at this small size, its teeth were sharp enough to tear through his flesh. He rocked back slowly and stood up, and began taking deliberate paces back.


"It's ok.....it's ok. I'm a friend." He said this knowing that he was likely not a friend to any of these people, and worried that when one of them finally arrived, they'd wonder why he was there. His arms still tormented him, but he couldn't tend to them....not with a flying attack dog just a few feet away.

 

[Experimenteer]

Whether the letter was legitimate or some sort of prank, the contents inside proved to pique his interest. It wasn't as if Valer was some sort of importance; he was just a regular man...with a motive to seek. In truth, he wasn't sure what he'll find in an abandon town.


Valer moved his feet from the temporary tent and headed off into the town. Scores upon scores of strangers continue to flock into the gate; there was a mix reaction amongst the populace. Some with eager opportunity and some with great deal of concern. The reason varied as each had some dream or purpose.


In a straight direction, Valer was brought to the slight bustle of the town square. Everyone was in a dreadful hurry in a chance to take the empty spot of residence without the thought to check warily for traps or danger. He slightly glanced a few with the right mind of caution, but the rest were entirely impatient to seize a chance of home.


Minutes had rolled by and Valer continued further deep into the town. He didn't know how long he'd walk, but by the time he'd notice there was no one else except for him. "Hmm...must have doze off," He said and clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Should have pay more attention."


Valer became lost in the urban environment; he tried to retrace his steps, but that only made matters things worse for him. He glanced around the empty streets and write down on his personal journal so that he could remember the area the next time he got lost. He felt a chill by the icy wind and shivered; he write it down to personally note himself for warmer clothes.


"Must get to shelter," Valer said and continued on to his advance. By a glance, Valer quickly spotted a small gray cottage that was overridden with vines; it had a broken red roof that was in need for disrepair. He turned his attention to the cottage and cautiously entered the place.

 

[DemonAbove]

The small dragon took a pouncing stance, his but up high and his head down low. The folds of his wings brushed the ground, and his beating little eyes looked up at Andrew with a curious, crazy look. It's small tail swished back and forth on the ground, and it tried to look fierce.


The cottage Valer entered was like everything else he saw, abandoned, but still warm. Looked like everything was just put down and left not even yesterday. A bowel of fresh fruit sat on the dining table, and a candle in the living room was dead but warm. It looked like it once belonged to a happy family with a hard working father, a mother who cleaned all day, and two angel like children. The floor boards creaked under Valer's feet, and groaned as he lifted his foot from a board. Though a few boards were partially loose.

 

[tigereyes]

He sensed that maybe the dragon was playing, but wasn't certain. He reached slowly into his satchel, and pulled out a piece of salted meat and displayed it to the beast.


"Here, friend. Doesn't this look good? You hungry?"


He tossed it in the air above the small dragon, and stepped back again, hoping he'd guessed right about its mood. Meanwhile, his arms were cooling off, but still in immense pain. He dragged one arm against the side of the satchel when reaching in, and winced in pain. He needed to get away from this dragon, ideally while still alive, and investigate just what had happened.

 

[Experimenteer]

Creak...croak...creak...croak...


The wooden boards below his feet made a loud sound that had lost its wear over the years. Valer had suspect the place to be cold, broken, but the first thing that came to mind was how it was warm enough to keep him away from outside. "Nice place," he said; his eyes quickly spotted the fresh bowl of fruit on the dine table. Cautiously, he picked an apple from the bowl, observed if the fruit was rotten and put away in his bag.


In a period of time, Valer cleaned the messes that was scattered all over the ground; there wasn't much any valuable for him to take except for the bowl of fruits. Assured that the house was clear of any known danger, he soon lit up the candle and placed the bag on the table. He then pulled out the vial of the severed vine and his preserved assortments of potions that he keep for emergencies. It was fortunate that he had a sheet of light iron for just an occasion; it was suppose to preserve organs from contamination.


"There you go," Valer said as he removed the cork and placed it on the iron sheet. With the tools in his hand, he begin a careful step of procession and experiments. He wouldn't be sure if the result would prove any kind of benefits from before, but with time and patience he shall discover the designs and purpose of this unusual plant.


@DemonAbove

 

[tigereyes]

@Kylesar1 @spongedog Andrew decided to take a chance and scream out, "Hello! Hello, anyone! If this is your dragon, I mean no harm. But I need help."

 

[DemonAbove]

The slab of meat hit the ground in front of the small scaled creature and it just starred at it. What is that? The dragon asked itself before it sat up, looking up at Andrew one last time and scampered away on his two little chicken legs. His long tail dragging on the ground behind him. Better ask mom!


The cottage held a firm silence, as if it was afraid to make any noises. That is how the entire town seemed to be... afraid. It was in the air.

 

[tigereyes]

Andrew took the opportunity to flee, running in the opposite direction of the juvenile dragon. He sheltered behind a low stone wall, and collapsed, finally recognizing the pain in his arms. The braces had fused to his arms, and the skin bordering them was blackened and bloody. He noticed it cracking, and a brown hue at the edges. He finally mustered the guts to touch them, and tried to pry one loose, but despite indescribable pain, it didn't budge. He'd have to wait for his arms to heal and find a blacksmith to cut them off. The prospect didn't excite him, but for now, he resolved to leave them alone.


He gingerly dug in his bag, and tore shreds from a weathered cotton shirt he carried. He lined both shreds with hyssop oil, before binding himself. He peered over the wall again, and after seeing no sign of the dragon, began to walk out. He assumed his screams had alerted the party, and it was no sense hiding. He needed to get out in front of their obvious suspicions, and come up with a decent alibi.


"Helloo. Is there anyone there? I'm a friend."

 

[Sponge]

@tigereyes


When Conrad heard yelling the first thought that came to his mind was, Oh great, a bear the second thought Who gave the scream and the third thought I better go and see. after a while of walking through the maze-like town he found a person calling out a second time, and he looked damaged. He walked up to the person, sighed, and said, "How many bloody people have to die getting out a GATE!?". For some reason Conrad was really mad at everyone that for some reason it seemed that no one could walk 5 feet without loosing a limb.