The Still Before the Storm [Team Manifest Destiny] [The Silver Apples of the Moon, the Golden Apples

Golden Thunder


The woman slowly looks around, sizing up the fortresses defenses in her mind. "It looks pretty defensible to me. My troops are a few hours behind me, it seems like there's enough room here for all of them... Have you already explored the lower levels at all? If this place dates back to the first age, there might still be some artifacts in the lower levels... Well, that or deadly traps, at least."
 
Rei


"Well, there's maybe one way to find out," says the grinning Southerner. He starts off leisurely for the first interior entrance to strike his fancy, hands folded behind his head, figuring that he'll find some trouble eventually. Sandy lopes to catch up, caught off guard by his companion's impulsiveness, then slinks along next to him with a heavy, predatory ease.


Not the place I've been looking for. Not my first choice of activities. But I'll need allies for anything else, and ensuring interior defense IS important.


"Hey," Rei jests to the big cat, "Maybe we'll find a bound demon or two."


Sandy glares at him and cleans his tongue on his chops, remembering how long it took him to get the taste of the last demon out of his mouth.
 
Marius nods. "Traps seem likely - exploring First Age tombs has claimed the life of more than one Dynast. And even if they are not trapped directly, who knows what malfunctioning wonders are capable of, nor what exactly the Hungry Ghost of a First Age celestial can do."
 
Lotus


Tired of the circling debate, Lotus grinned brightly. "I agree with our enthusiastic young companion. Only one way to find out."


Whistling idly, Lotus followed Rei and his cat.
 
Coral


"I will help secure the surface then. Perhaps we should leave the subterranean passages for when we have more manpower."
 
Rei's steps lead him and Sandy through an elaborately frescoed doorway into a descending stairway, cunningly cut through the stone in a spiral. Burning torches tinge the air with smoke. The sounds of a commotion echo below, followed by the sound of someone charging up the stairs.


The soldier misses crashing into Rei just in time. He pants, out of breath after his run from the lower caverns. "Lord-" he gasps, unwilling to dodge pass what looks like a youth but might as well be a demon with the company his master keeps. His voice strengthens. "Lord Marius! In the tunnels!"


With a grunt, he clutches his side, where the blood is beginning to soak through his doublet...
 
Lotus


Reaching out to catch the man, Lotus speaks gently to him. "Shh, soldier. Relax, sit. You should conserve your strength."


Turning his head as he lowers the man to the ground, Lotus calls out. "Get Lord Marius! And a medic for this man!"
 
Joyous Azure Coral


She was walking amongst the buildings when she heard the call. Instantly she bolted towards the spring. Hopefully, Marius was still there.


"Marius! Marius!" She called out, "there's been a problem underground! There's someone wounded and they need help!"
 
Marius looks up, an expression of concern on his face before it disappears entirely behind his helmet. Taking his sword in hand, he stands, motioning to Coral.


"Show me."
 
Coral takes Marius straight there, through the elaborate doorway. She is rather worried when she arrives. Perhaps there really is something dangerous underground.
 
Tsuki looked at the wounded soldier with a concerned look on her face


"Easy now soldier... tell me, what did this to you ?"


***


Trying to determine what type of wound he has: Per + Medecine I assume ?
 
Ignoring all the commotion, Golden Thunder instead heads to the fortress' gate. As she thought, there are a small group of her armies scouts. She waves them the okay, since they'd be much appreciated to guard the premises. It doesn't seem like any of the Exalts would be hostile.


The Zenith calmly awaits the force of one-thousand heavily armed troops, clad in crimson and golden robes that bear the banner of the Unconquered Sun with the pride the God of Gods deserves.
 
The soldier pants, managing to gasp out a few words about "enemy forces" and "sorcery" before sliding down the wall in a faint. His face is waxen beneath the slighty greenish tinge of a native Easterner, and Marius realizes as soon as he turns the corner that this is Private Ting, one of the newest recruits to his force-in-exile and a promising, if over enthusiastic lad.


Tsuki, on the other hand, recognizes that Private Ting is bleeding from a deep slash to the ribs. His arm also bears a similar wound, presumably from an abortive attempt to block. It doesn't have the distinctive odor of a gut-wound, but he's losing blood fast.
 
Marius growls, his voice dangerous and low. "Do what you can for him - I will see what caused this in the first place." Gatesunder drawn, he proceeds into the passages where the soldier came from.
 
Lotus


Without a word, Lotus falls in to step beside Marius. With a sudden flick of his wrists he frees the golden typhoon wheels from their hidden wrist-sheaths and down into his hands. This may be a good opportunity to earn the respect of my fellows, thought Lotus, as he walked. Always useful.
 
Tsuki nodded quickly and smirked.


"Don't throw yourself into the fanged mouth of the wolf, 'cause that's usually what it expects you to do. I'll be with you soon, until then, if you're facing something you don't understand, trust Rei with your life."


She turned at Ting slowly faiting and said : "Your boy might live."


Then she turned her full attention to the wounded boy and started to rip of his clothes, and shouted:


"A LITTLE HELP HERE !"


***


Tsuki will get help from people to get him to any room with enough space to give him first aid (stop the blood flow, stabilize his condition) and will take off to catch up with the others using Monkey Leap Technique bouncing like a high speed ball on the walls.
 
Coral looks regretfully at the wounded soldier. She cannot help him, she just doesn't know how. She mutters a prayer to the soldier, praying for his swift and safe recovery. She did not want to go underground today, but it looks like there's no choice anymore. Her fingers go for her fans, and she goes after Marius. She will help in whatever way she can.
 
Lotus


Nodding to Coral as she joins them, Lotus begins idly twirling his typhoon wheels through his fingers like large coins. He doesn't scratch himself once. Speaking in a low voice to the others as they walk down the corridor, he asks "Well, general. Any strategy you wish to take in our approach? I'm capable in a fight, but perhaps best serve a supporting role..."
 
Private Ting's wounds seem to be well within Tsuki's capacities: they're messy but, luckily for the boy, no vital organs seem to be involved. The blood loss was exacerbated by his desperate run up the winding stairs, but it appears that staunching the flow will allow him to live.


As Marius, Lotus, and Coral reach the bottom of the stairs, they discover something like a disturbed ant nest. The tunnels leading from the cavern that the troops had been using as a barracks are blocked with hasty barricades, and the troops themselves have arranged themselves in front of the entrance to one of the smaller passageways. The corpse of a blood ape, skewered by so many broken spears it resembles a hedgehog, is propped against the wooden table across the entrance. A green light glows from the other side, along with the familiar sound of blood-ape roars.


Lieutenant Yao rushes over as soon as he sees his commander, clearly ignoring whatever wound is giving him a pronounced limp. "Sir! Enemies spotted in the deepest north-easter tunnels! We attempted to withdraw and notify you but were followed, sir! Three more blood-apes and confirmed sorcerous activity further down, sir!" It is a sign of Yao's condition that he only salutes twice.
 
Lotus


In a rare sign of genuine emotion, Lotus swore. Taking a moment to regain his composure, he calmed himself. "Are there any sorcerors around? Banishment spells would be... preferable to direct combat with these beasts."
 
Coral


"Demons." She mutters as she readies her fans, "I don't think we have the time to call for any sorcerers if there are any around."
 
Lotus


Grinning bleakly, Lotus nods. "I was afraid you would say that. Very well then. May I suggest I move out and begin providing ranged cover whilst you two close?"
 
A few dozen seconds later, you heard footsteps and the sound of a strong wind blowing through the corridors and Tsuki arrived.


"As promised, your boy will live... blood apes and a possible sorcerer heh ?!" she smiled at Rei "Looks like we will have some work to do here as well my friend."


Turning to Marius she now seemed deadly serious:


"The blood apes always have a leader when they are in pack, find this one for me and I'll use my powers to deport him back to his hellish realm, should create enough confusion. The rest of them we'll have to deal with the old way, but keep your strengths, a sorcerer within the walls always means danger."


She made her neck lean and crack a little then got rid of her civilian clothes in a dramatic throw, to let appear her near perfect body clad in a crimson suit. She then put on her iron mask and closed her eyes for a second taking a deep breath. When she opened them she had become the hunter and her preys would soon realize that she was as merciless as them.


***


1st medic roll: 7xD10: 3 8 8 6 2 10 10 : 6 suxx nice :)


2nd medic roll: 7xD10: 1 4 9 5 7 9 8 : 4 suxx


Yeah he's out of danger.
 
Marius looks deeper into the caves and nods, his expression firm. "Indeed - although I am curious as to what exactly has prompted this. I suppose we'll find out."


Marius advances toward the barricades, his sword drawn.


---


Really need to work out what I'm doing with this 11 bp. Will post tomorrow :)
 
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