Fantasy Well of Wishes | Main IC | [Closed]

[EldridSmith]

Liam was starting to get frustrated that the ordeal was taking so long, he wanted to hurry back to Jane to make sure she was safe. To make matters worse a majority of the people had stayed behind to help him, while normally he would have appreciated, now he wanted them to keep Jane safe. In his frustration his coils tightened around the dark figure who was the source of his frustration. He felt a distinct crack under his tail, it was a sickening feeling, he wanted to hurl but now was not the time as those little things were coming towards him. He began swinging the iron bar at those that got close, batting them against the walls causing cracked bones, and in more extreme cases distinct splats. Seeing that Daisy was planning on staying, and he knew that dude was a coward who wanted out he called out once more. "RANDOM MAN, ROSE, PLEASE GO PROTECT JANE AND POZOU, DAISY AND I WILL BE FINE!!!" He cried out, perhaps for the first time in a long time without stuttering. With Daisy's ability to manipulate the earth she could use the floor and walls as weapons and protection, she alone would be enough. Come to think of it he had an amulet from somewhere... oh right his fight in the sewer! With no clue as to what it did he slammed it and a glowing shield appeared around him, warding off the jets of acid coming from the small creatures, perfect he would be fine for sure now.

Jet Taigakitt Sarahspn Fred Colon

 

[BriiAngelic]

• Sigurd Stellan Rask || Human Schoolmaster Mage

• 
  
  
  
  Tags:
  Yo, Stone, Hubyr, Dragon ( Taigakitt ) Leone, Luka ( Jet ) Elizabeth, Kiel ( Anne Boolean ) Vaal ( The Regal Rper ) Nezumi ( Lost Echo )
  

  ~ The Underground ~
  Double Dutch || Sigurd's CS File
  
  A tainted one had arrived with their ilk at their mercy. There was only one way to reverse the taint, to purify it’s ilk. Luckily it seemed Tallis thought the same as he sent spires of ice at the beastmaster. He got knocked over by the elder man before he could make the attempt at his magic. He knew the man had suffered a blow. With effort he rose himself from the ground, his armor clanking as the metal scraped against itself.
  
  The cloaked aggressor came running out aiming to strike at the dragon presumably. He took the opportunity to fall back. It seem fates would have it that the woman agreed. She was of a race he’d never quite seen before with her horns and patches of scales. As she threw her arms out he nodded taking a stand behind her. The woman must think highly of her skill if she was ready to face down upon a tainted.
  
  Even so he started up the incantation from his spot behind her. He felt the swirl of the earth below as he moved his grasp of mana to the walls. He forced spikes from the sides aiming to pierce the dragon. He watched as Luka seemed to pass the woman.
  
  “Mages should stay behind. Or were you aiming at dying that quickly!”
  
  He was quick to send up a wave of cover rock for the boy. Luna went to help Tallis heal and then it went south quickly. Before he could even raise a cover to her the dragon turned to Luna and clawed her across her abdomen. He was no healer, he wasn’t even that well versed in field medicine. The students knew better than to come to a Reverend for healing, yet he couldn’t help but worry for her as he heard Tallis scream as both he and the boy ran to her. He started to chant magic as he worked to send more spikes from the sides.
  
  Collapse the Tunnel? That was an idea he could get behind.
  
  Soon the chant became a scream as he funneled more power than finesse into his mana letting Skadi guide his rage into existance.
  

 

[Taigakitt]

The Alive Ones Won
Involved: Jet Sarahspn Fred Colon EldridSmith
​

When Daisy lashed out with her spear at the creatures lunging at Liam, a definite solid body could be felt on the ones she hit, a crunch resounding, before splattering against the wall with white oozing out.

Some of the acid dripping from their mouths did splatter toward Liam, but whatever was protecting him kept him from being injured.

The snake’s body tightened around the figure, and the ribs cracked under the pressure. Maybe an arm too. They kept up their smile, “Good thing our organs don’t work. We’d be having trouble breathing!”

Just then, they felt a piercing in the back of their neck. They turned their head around, all owl-like to see Rose. “You’ve got good instincts, Rose. Maybe we’ll change our mind. For our win, maybe we want you to join us.” They cackled.

The last of the small creatures died as Daisy swept up the last few that aimed to attack Liam.

Turning their head back toward the tunnels, outside of the cells, they hummed, “Oh, guess we’re done playing. Good job! Good fight! Yes, yes.”

“Maybe we will convince you later,” the voice suddenly seemed to be two voices combined, spoken in sync. The guard-like dark figure and a voice from the tunnels met, though their voices were exactly the same.

Out stepped into view was a mostly headless dark figure, white dripping, a hole in their belly, white dripping from their hand, parts of them seemingly burned, but the burn marks were white. Steam came off their upper body. They waved that hand in greeting.

“Oh, looks like we need to go. It was fun playing with all of you!”

Like paste being squeezed out of a tube, the one being squeezed by Liam shifted their body and slipped from the snake man’s grasp from the top.

Upon hopping over Liam, it could be seen that their body was a mangled mess, a spindly, messed-up version of themselves. They were definitely swaying on their crushed legs, white oozing from where the earth spikes had seeped into their body.

They approached the other dark figure and they grabbed hands. With a grandiose bow, they ran off down the tunnel, leaving the group alone for now.

 

[Anne Boolean]

Master Elizabeth​

Elizabeth's eyes widened as the draconic being approached. Like usual, she was far more skeptical than Tallis, even if the truth was right in front of her face. "What sort of illusion is this?! What matter of contraption are you riding on that you've decorated to look like such a monster?!" Certainly this couldn't be an actual dragon. Those were said to have gone extinct many years ago. Some scholars believed they didn't even exist in the first place.

When the beast swiped its claws and struck Tallis, she let out a gasp, finally accepting that this was indeed happening. Her brow furrowed when she saw the wounded state her partner was now in, and rage filled her eyes to a level which was tenfold than what she felt while scolding ne'er-do-wells. What was more concerning was the creature managed to fling Luna aside with its claw and eliciting a scream from the woman. Elizabeth watched as she was flung to the wall and seemingly fell unconscious, or possibly worse. There was no time to check on her state of well-being currently, and the master mage hoped she would be able to hold on until after they defeated this monster... if they could defeat it.

The other master mage seemed to be as sharp in body as he was in mind, and Elizabeth let out a sigh of relief as he rolled into hiding and quickly made a counterattack with the frozen bridge. She most certainly needed to keep fit and not focus so much on her research, she realized, as she hobbled to some cover with her cane. When behind some safety, she pulled out the white orb the Church had bestowed her and from it channeled forth a strong bolt of electricity at the dragon.

The others in the group seemed to take battle stances as well. The shirtless elf used magic to enhance his physical body. The elderly woman held back a scoff. That fool planned on fighting that thing head on? No matter how muscular he got, it would still be able to swallow him whole! What else did she expect from someone brazen enough to try to leave the church at a time like this?

A newcomer rushed in to the situation. The person's appearance didn't look quite human, and with the tail, Elizabeth wondered if they were one of the dragon's minions. From the way they rushed at the large being though, it was evident that they were an adversary. Good. The group would certainly need all the help they could get to defeat this foe. Their luck must have been impeccable today, as more people followed behind them and joined in their attack. Well, that's what she would have thought had some of these newcomers not looked so familiar. If it wasn't for the very real pain it had caused her companions, Elizabeth would have assumed this was some stupid trick played by these adventurers. In Whaleshell Port they seemed incapable and stubborn, but for all their sakes, she hoped she was wrong.

"You idiot!" the old woman called to Luka as the young apprentice verbally taunted their foes and threw not one but two fire balls at them. "Listen to Master Tallis! Get behind cover and make sure you are safe before taking any offensive action!" As happy as she had been to see him care for his master before, Elizabeth didn't want him to throw away his own life in an attempt to protect him. Thankfully, the armored man brought up a wall of rock to protect him. Even if they were at odds with each other, it seemed that he valued human life.

One of the newcomers, the only one who seemed to be fully human, moved over to where Luna lay. Luka rushed over as well and they both urged the blind apprentice to wake up. "You foolish girl..." Elizabeth muttered with a lump in her throat when it was apparent Luna had passed. The same newcomer then attempted to communicate with the man riding the beast. The master mage let out a groan. Of course they knew him. Of course they were involved. She listened as he tried to get the rider to stop, but Luka rightly explained the light-blue-haired man's mind was too far gone. Elizabeth had certainly thought Amad was acting strange during this visit but chalked it up to a young man going through the motions of finding himself. This only gave more evidence to Tallis's speculation that whatever was happening had spread across the whole town.

"Are you mad?!" Elizabeth asked in shock when Leone suggested collapsing the ceiling. Certainly not all of them would make it out from under the falling rubble. On top of that, there may be people above them currently who would fall into the fissures. Leone then turned to her and Tallis, asking for aid. "I am not your enemy, you fool! I don't have time to waste on your-" This wasn't the time to scold him. He had asked if they would help. If this was Whaleshell Port and this was happening, Elizabeth's answer would be a firm "no". She would figure out another way than to risk having her loved ones crushed and having innocent people fall through the cracks they made. But Tallis was the master mage at Stone's Throw. She turned to the man. "I'll stand behind whatever decision you make," she said, offering a small smile, quite a rare sight. It was just like when they were young.

Interactions: Leone, Luka ( Jet ), Tallis ( BriiAngelic ), Dragon ( Taigakitt )
Mentions: Luna ( Sarahspn ), Vaal ( The Regal Rper ), Yo, Nezumi ( Lost Echo ), Kiel, Hubyr, Stone

 

[Fred Colon]

Daisy froze, the abrupt arrival and subsequent departure had shunted her into a state of confusion. They were just... leaving them alone? They boded ill. She wanted to believe they had scared them off, and perhaps they had, both creatures seemed very badly wounded. But that didn't sound right. Others were fighting these things, though. That was heartening. Maybe others in their band? The other shadow thing seemed to be quite hurt.

"Well. We need to go!" Daisy suddenly barked. She needed to find her things. She needed to find Somber. She couldn't leave here without it. It was all she had left of her family. But she hadn't the faintest idea where it might be. She closed her eyes and tried to sense any presences nearby, but there was nothing new to discern. She grunted. Well. The only thing there was to do was go after poor Pozou and the others. Hopefully they hadn't run afoul of anything particularly nasty, and perhaps they'd find where they hid their things.

"Are you all able to move? If not, take your time. I think this spot will be safe for the moment. But if you can move I think we should move now." She switched her grip on her spear so that her hand was close to the head, tip pointed down. "If any want to come with me, I'm leaving now. Allow me to lead. I'm a geomancer. Below the earth as we are, I can sense things coming for us in any direction. I should be able to give us warning, guide us towards or away movement, as well as locate gaps in the stone that might indicate hidden exits or things like that."

And with that she set out, leaving the prison and heading up the tunnel at a brisk pace, her earth sense stretching out in every direction. She wondered what was happening up above and how close the rest of the group was. She really had no idea what was going on, why they were taken, or how many people were involved in this sinister plot.

EldridSmith Taigakitt Jet Sarahspn

 

[Taigakitt]

Jagged Jester
Involved: Colorless Spectrum Arcanist BriiAngelic Lost Echo Pik Jet Sarahspn Anne Boolean ​

Well, the brave kid didn’t go launching over the edge or clabbering into the armored woman, thanks to the Quetzola woman.

No matter~

In response to Kuma, “That’s why we save those we like! They go into the rift with us, and if they are appropriate, they become like us!”

The small creatures splashed by the Kuma water accumulated sounded like they sizzled upon contact with them. The air was tainted with some salt, thanks to the underground salt lake below them and the minerals surrounding. Soon, all were cut down in the area, leaving just the Jester.

All of a sudden, the Dark Figure found an arrow lodged within their chest, and then in their head, joining Freya’s small handaxe beside it.

Then, an explosive light slammed into their torso, driving Lorrin’s arrow deeper in, piercing a stilled heart, which was made visible thanks to the explosion tearing dark flesh away. Their bones were visible, black, dripping with white, the breaks created by the trident also white. Their organs were deep, iridescent purple, but they did not move.

It wasn’t just the explosive light spell, but the ice shard spell that Ayana cast made contact just a second after, piercing their belly, shards jutting out every which way, piercing their heart again, their lungs receiving some love.

A lightning bolt from the trident pierced their skull.

At this point, they were a downright mess, as if they were undead! Not entirely untrue. Face split, torso torn to shreds, swaying haphazardly. They appeared like they could fall over with a strong gust of wind for how much was just… gone.

They cackled, their tone distorted further than it had, thanks to the lightning bolt thrown at them by Celestine, “We didn’t expect such push back. We wish we could stay and continue playing, or even bring one with me, but we-”

A fire was thrown in their face by Calicus. Their only hand left waved at the flames that licked their cheeks and hat, “-must get going.”

They opened their mouth, their jaw unhinging as they swallowed their arm they carried in one gulp, though the gesture was silly, thanks to their torn up torso. Their arm settled within their ribs, they twitched, and a step backwards. With a wave, they fell back into the hole with a smile that never left, “TIME TO GO~!”

Their giggle faded into nothingness, but a splash or sound of a thud never came. Anyone with dark vision, even if they could look down, would not be able to spot them.

 

[Taigakitt]

Rampaging Dragon and Kiel
Collab With: Anne Boolean , The Regal Rper
Involved: BriiAngelic The Regal Rper Sarahspn Jet Lost Echo ​

The dragon spread her wings as far as she could go as ice shards were thrown from behind them, piercing the thin membrane. A few still slipped through, and she tilted her head back as one shattered just above her eye just as a fire spell found its way to her underjaw, leaving no evidence of a burn.

The dragon rider was able to dodge most of the shards, leaning out of the way as they flew past. A few did manage to nick the sides of his arms though and cut through the fabric of his newly purchased garments.

Elizabeth shot forth a lightning bolt, but she opened her purple-glowing maw to take within. Static rushed across her body in visible, purple arcs just as Vaal’s blades sang across her shadowy scales, cutting into flesh, her scales providing some protection from the sharp metal.

Those she could smell then joined the fray. Good. She wouldn’t have to hunt for them this way.

“Come now, friends!” the light-blue-haired man pleaded with a smile. “There’s no need for this! Join us peacefully and everything will be alright!”

Luka walked past Yo a few paces before throwing a force of energy towards Kiel, something the dragon wasn’t going to be able to stop. Unlike the numerous shards, he managed to completely avoid this attack with one quick lean out of the way.

The Dragon took a step forward, to which she was then met with a blade to the eye and cheek from Leone. She lost sight in the pierced eye, and she slammed her head against the walls beside her to rake the second blade out of her cheek. The tunnel walls shuttered. Hissing sounds then started to softly resound through the area. The motion from the dragon’s head extending to her body, almost throwing Kiel off of her back. Though caught off guard, he did manage to hold on to her neck until the movement was finished.

“Now look what you’ve done! You’ve hurt her!” he exclaimed as a frown formed on his face. “How utterly despicable to cause pain to someone who is only trying to help!” Kiel didn’t have his staff with him nor the sword he purchased earlier in the day, but he wasn’t completely incapable of fighting. Raising his hand towards Leone, a fireball formed in his form and shot forth towards the man.

She felt earth pierce under her belly and through her back legs from Sigurd’s magic. Blood began seeping through these large wounds.

Luna found the prey she injured, using accursed healing energies. No no. She swung another claw, passing over the Dragonfolk woman, quicker than Yo expected, so Yo couldn’t get in the way of the claws.

A satisfying slice raked between her claws as a beautiful scream reached the Dragon’s ears. Luna’s blood that coated her claws as she set her foot back down splattered across the ground.

Thud. Luna’s body hit the tunnel walls and the Dragon hummed her satisfaction. One.

Kiel let out a regretful sigh and shook his head. “If only your friend had not resisted. Such a terrible fate would not have befallen her.” He then looked towards the group once again with pleading eyes. “So please, friends…” He was silent for a moment before he blinked. When his eyes reopened, there was a look of concern on them. “Run!” he called. He forced shaky and resistant hands onto the beast’s neck, attempting to conjure ice or stone or something from his palms to break the scales.

A blade whizzed by the Dragon’s head, narrowly missing Kiel. Curling her body slightly, she swung her large tail at Leone. The stinger needed to go.

Force energy flew past them and up at the ceiling. The Dragon was unconcerned about the potential of a collapse. All the easier to proceed with… other things.

That was when she noticed a piercing behind her neck. She growled and tossed her head, aiming to throw Kiel off now that he turned his attention to her instead of his friends, roaring her displeasure at the betrayal.

Unfortunately, Kiel wasn’t able to hold on this time, and found himself being flung off near his three comrades. He groaned slightly as he pulled himself up. Once he was back on his feet, the empty smile returned to his face. Turning to Yo, he put his hands up in front of him, palms facing towards her, and two bolts of lightning shot forth.

With her rider off her back, she shook her body before growling and snapping her jaws towards the rock wall, aiming to break it down as she went to stomp down on Leone, unaware of what Stone was aiming to do. With the other aiming to harm her as well, she went to whip at Vaaltari with her tail. Essentially, she was in tantrum mode.

The instant that tail came flying in his direction, Vaaltari began to grow. He grew till he had returned to the natural state of his people, and by the time he had reached seven foot six, he was ready in stance as the blow came. With a hearty thwap, he stabbed his blades into the tail as he dragged him backwards with the hit. Clenching tightly to the weapons he didn't go flying off from the strike, not with his added weight and size though the blow that had hit him left him winded and unprepared for when the dark dragonness thrashed in her madness. Before he allowed himself to get completely tugged along for a ride, the Matugna stabbed and dragged his blades with as much ferocity as he could into the tail and the second he had balance, his claws and strong feet sank into the earth below.

Yanking hard having caught sight of Stone and then Leone's impending danger- Vaal heaved with all he could to distort balance and provide his feline comrade a greater chance for the death blow.

 

[Taigakitt]

Stroll with the Pirates +1
Collab with: Jet Sarahspn Arcanist ​

• First Stretch
• Fork in the Tunnel
• Onwards

• Jane slowly walked down the dark tunnel, listening to the drips of water echoing around them. As they walked, it seemed to get darker with each step they took. She grimaced as a small chill went down her spine. She began to pick up her pace but her speed was affected by Pozou hanging on her shoulders. His grip on her began to weaken and she looked at him with concern. She met Tammond’s eyes, worried that Pozou would slip into unconsciousness. Thankfully, the Quetzola spoke up and she breathed a small sigh of relief. “I’d be happy to talk to you!” She said, trying to keep up her demeanor of cheerfulness. She thought for a moment as beads of sweat rolled down her face.
  
  “Oh! Let me tell you about the time Rose and I were in Constellation Point. We had tagged along with a crew that was picking up fabrics and jewelry from the island. It took us almost a week to get there and lots of rum to get through it. Once we got there, we separated from the ship’s crew and spent almost a month on the island. We walked every inch of this paradise but my favorite spot was this cliff on the east seaside. The skies were so clear and bright that the stars were reflected on the water. Rose and I were three sheets to the wind and she somehow found herself falling off the cliff!” She laughed, thinking back to the fond memory. “I had to go find her somewhere along the shore and we stumbled all the way back to the islands resort. We ended up finding another group of sailors and almost drank ourselves to death for the next few days.”
  
  Pozou did manage a smile, even through the excruciating pain. He was glad for the story, both to keep him awake, and well, to hear of some of Jane’s experiences too as they walked. He listened as she made mention of Constellation Point, and the Quetzola smiled. He remembered that place. The pirates he had sort of been taken in on good graces by often stopped by there for drinks and...things of much more unsavoury means.
  
  He tried to think if he knew the cliff that Jane had spoken of but he couldn’t seem to recall it. When she had talked about Rose falling from the cliff though, he looked to her with an expression full of concern. “F-fell from the cliff?! It must have been so far up though…” Pozou was about to ask if Rose was okay, though, hearing about them both walking back up to the island resort. He laughed alongside her, especially when he had heard about how the two of them had gotten so blindly drunk over the next few days.
  
  “Sounds like...that was a hoot…” Pozou laughed weakly, “I got really drunk there once...wouldn’t advise it, because of the hangover…” Really, he shouldn’t have been mentioning that. No one knew about his time spent with pirates, after all, but the chaos and the blood loss hadn’t done him so well mentally in that regard.
  
  “Oh, it was. The hangover kept us in our beds for two days. Maybe one day we can all visit again.” Jane said, ending her sentence softly.
  
  Pozou glanced at Jane, smiling softly. “That would be nice…” He murmured. Though, he wondered if he would ever get that opportunity, given his circumstances. Even if they did manage to...no, thinking of such things would only make him want to give up much more easily. He had to continue on, if to get Jane and Tammond out of here.
  
  The fear of never reaching the surface and losing Rose and Pozou found itself at the front of Jane’s mind. Shaking her head a little, she tried to rid herself of the thought. She looked to Tammond with a smile and asked, “Have you ever been to Constellation Point?”
  
  Tammond cocked his head, smirking as memories played through his mind. "Once or twice! These days I sail on the western sea, but in my younger days I moved rum from Acre to Almanor. Me and the crew would stop there before hitting open waters, and let me tell you…" He chuckled below his breath, carefully choosing his words. "The Point has everything you need to keep a crew happy for weeks, but our stays weren't as long as yours, or as memorable!"
  
  “Oh, indeed it does.” Jane said before letting out a small laugh.
  
  Tammond grimaced at Pozou's wound, smile fading. "I know you don't want to leave your friends kid, but I've seen enough men die of blackvain to know you need help. If we reach the docks, we can take my ship south to Blueport. It's a resort town but they have good doctors there."
  
  Pozou didn’t look at the ghastly wound of his. He had been gripping at it with Jane’s fabric for some time now, but he felt the blood seep through, wet against his remaining hand. Tammond even voiced his worries, similar worries to what Pozou had. He saw quite a few suffer from the same thing as Tammond had witnessed. The last thing he needed was his body going into further shock.
  
  But then their comrades...and Kiel. Where did Kiel go? Would he see him again? He loathed to think what those...things had done to him.
  
  “I know…” Pozou murmured, blinking erratically, trying not to let his eyes close for too long. “But...what if we don’t even get there on time? Surely the ship ride would take awhile?” Pessimism had always been Pozou’s speciality. He figured he should have mentioned he was a doctor, but he couldn’t exactly be a doctor to himself in this kind of situation, right? He was more a hindrance than a help to himself.
  
  Tammond frowned, clasping Pozou's shoulder. "We won't know unless we try kid, with favorable winds we could be there faster than you think."
  
  The thought of blackvain hadn’t even crossed Jane’s mind. Looking at Pozou's wound, she grimaced. The offer of a ship to Blueport was gracious. It was a way out of this town and to a doctor to treat Pozou. They just had to get the entire crew and Lucien to agree to going.
  
  As they walked down the tunnel, the continuous drips of water became steadier. Sound of running water filled the air and the smell of salt water became pungent. “I think the ship is the best way out of here.” Jane spoke up, voicing her opinion. “It may be a long journey but if we get out of here fast enough, we can find a medical mage and you’ll be okay. I promise that I’ll save you. Then we’ll be even.” She continued, giving Pozou a small smile.
  
  Pozou, still, wasn’t so sure about the ship trip. Though, it was very much two against one here, and he doubted there were very many medical mages just waiting for an extreme case like him coming in. But even then, Jane’s comforting, and her insistence that she would save him, did strike some relief into him. He smiled, remembering what he had done for her before, and he nodded, “I...I guess that works out well then.”
• The trio soon came to a fork in their path. Water flowed towards the left side as the darkness enveloped the right. Standing betwixt the tunnels was one of the same creatures that attacked them in the cell. Jane hastily stopped, her foot skidding against the ground causing a rock to move. The sound caught the creatures attention and hissed at the group. Taking a step back she heard hisses behind her. Turning her head she caught sight of three more squirrel-like monsters a few meters back. She grabbed her knife with her free hand and gripped it as she pointed towards the enemy in front of her. A deep, purple glow lit up the tunnel and she tightened her grip on Pozou. “Do not let go of me.” She whispered.
  
  Pozou, too, had heard the skittering and the hissing of all too familiar creatures. When Jane had told him not to let go of him, he only held on tighter to her, looking nervously to the creatures in front of him. “I’ll try not to. Be careful.”
  
  Tammond groaned, leaned his head back and released an exasperated sigh. "These fuckers again?" He kneeled and swiped a sharp rock from the ground, sarcastically shrugging. "Well at least I have a weapon this time!" Then he stepped back, squaring up when a crawler screeched, lunged and wrapped its spindly legs around his shin.
  
  "Son of a…" He slammed the crawler once, twice and three times with his rock, cracking the crawler's carapace with a meaty crunch. Then he breathed deep, smirked and slammed the creature once more, shaking his leg until it slid from his shin. "I hate this town. I hope the entire place sinks into the fucking abyss…" He rolled his shoulder and batted away a second lunging crawler, launching the creature into a wall. But the crawler wasn't done. It hissed and sprayed caustic liquid from its mouth, burning Tammond’s hand.
  
  "God damn it!" Tammond winced and wiped his hand on his trousers, grimacing as the patch of skin simmered. "They spit acid? Great! Another reason this whole place should be condemned by the church!"
  
  Watching closely as Tammond battled the creatures, she turned her eyes to the one before her. Flipping the knife around in her hand she reered her aim back, taking aim. She widened her stance as much as she could and threw the knife. The knife stuck itself into the crawler's head and she watched it fall to the ground, multiple legs spazzing as it let out an ear-piercing hiss. She searched for another knife on her body and realized she had just thrown her only weapon. “Shit.” She whispered, adjusting her grip on Pozou. Walking towards the creature she avoided the legs and mouth as she pulled the weapon out of it’s skull. She grimaced as the wiped the blood off on her leg and kicked the crawler into the nearby stream. It let out a stream of pained hisses as the salt water took it down stream, disappearing into the tunnel. Was that sizzling that could be heard?
  
  Now that she was closer to the tunnels, she looked into the darker side and noticed the terrain led upwards. “Hey! I think the right is the way out.” she called back to Tammond. Looking back to him, she saw that a creature still lived and was getting closer to the man. “Watch out!” She yelled, looking between Tammond and Pozou. She didn’t have the time to rush over to him with Pozou still hanging on her shoulder but couldn’t risk setting the Quetzola down.
  
  The creatures were quick to attack, and worse yet, they had quite the venomous tongue to boot. Pozou couldn’t help but feel helpless as some spat at Tammond, and another crawler had snuck up behind them. Of course, Jane had handled it no problem, but even though he was in no condition to fight, Pozou couldn’t help but feel powerless in this situation.
  
  His eyes went to the right path, seeing the way it curved upwards as Jane had mentioned. They just had to make it out of there...hopefully alive. Mind you, there was a threat to Tammond before that could ever be possible. As Jane had called the warning for Tammond to watch out, Pozou paused, before suddenly reaching into the pouch on his belt. Pulling out a spherical and empty glass bottle with his remaining hand, he held it tightly in his hand.
  
  “Tammond! Incoming!” Pozou shouted to their companion before he launched the empty bottle at the crawler’s head. Of course, upon impact, there was a smash, and a squealing. The glass bottle had shattered in the crawler’s face, and worse for it, but great for them, the shards had ended up embedded in its head. Blood spewed from its head. Pozou wasn’t sure if the sudden wooziness was from witnessing that, or his own bloodloss. “We need to get going…” He said, looking to both Jane and Tammond.
  
  Tammond stomped out the wounded crawler and nodded, meeting Pozou's worn eyes. "Amen to that! No time to waste, let's go!" He gestured at the steep path, rubbed his sore hand and marched forward, scraping the sandstone below his feet.
  
  "Thanks for the help back there kid, you got good aim for someone who can barely stand!" He glanced back, flashed an appreciative smile and looked forward, knees creaking as he trudged up uneven ground. "So I never asked you two… what brings you to the piece of paradise that's Stone's Throw?"
  
• 
  Jane looked down to Pozou and smiled, thankful he was able to assist in combat. She nodded at his words of leaving and tightened her grip on the man, preparing to travel uphill. She followed Tammond into the tunnel and darkness enveloped them. It was hard to see where she was going and had to tread lightly to avoid tripping over rocks.
  
  “There’s a large group of us traveling across Centos to find an ancient myth. Rose and I didn’t have any plans and decided to join. Looking back, it was probably a better idea to take a vacation in Almas instead.” She said, laughing a little. “This town was supposed to be a resting spot for the day but we somehow ended up being kidnapped. I do find it quite odd that no one else in our group came to find us except Liam.” She thought back. She wondered for a moment why more people didn’t show up in the cell. She would have at least expected Amalia or Freya to look for them once they discovered they were missing from the lodge.
  
  Pozou had appreciated the smile and thanks from Tammond, though, hadn’t said much more beyond that. His body was beginning to feel much more fatigued before. Apparently throwing a glass bottle wasn’t recommended when you were bleeding out...heh, they do teach you something like that at Stowfort…he could have sworn he heard something sizzling, like good old bacon on a hot stone like the pirates used to do when they docked ship...
  
  “I...hope nothing else happened to the others…” Pozou said quietly, trying his best not to lean all of his weight onto Jane, and at least carry out some of the work himself. But moving up always proved hard work. It took much of his effort not to trip.
  
  If he went down, he was sure he would stay down.
  
  Tammond frowned and released a weary sigh. "The others? Well I guess you wouldn't know… the whole town's nabbing people. I spent two weeks in that cell, and over thirty people came and went. Everyone had a different story too. Hell, one guy got captured by a doctor. Now I hate being the bearer of bad news, but I'd bet your group's been captured too." Tammond slowed his pace and leaned against the crude wall. "I should've done some dungeon workouts."
  
  He breathed deep and started up again, scratching through his hair. "About those myths… as a sailor I have formal training in them. So which one you after? The City of Gold? Wishing Well? Fountain of Youth? Sky City? Well there are two of those I guess… but I've heard rumors about em all."
  
  Pozou frowned, knowing that was the most probable thing that happened to everyone, as much as he didn’t want to believe it. They’d have to find them, one way or another.
  
  As Tammond resumed at a normal pace again, he asked which myth they were running after. Of course, the Well of Wishes was a common one, one that most people had laughed in Pozou’s face when he had asked about it. The City of Gold was one that his crew--or well, the crew he was forced into--had been searching for decades apparently and with no such luck. “The Well of Wishes,” Pozou eventually told him, in amongst his strains to continue uphill.
  
  Was he really beginning to lose all that muscle in his legs? Was it the blood loss getting to him? Was it…?
  
  “Two weeks? Why are they kidnapping people? What do they mean by getting saved? Surely it doesn’t mean escaping this horrid town. I don’t want to believe that everyone has been captured but it does explain why we weren’t found by nightfall.” Jane thought out loud, processing the information Tammond had given them about the dark side of Stone’s Throw.
  
  After a few moments, she stopped walking so she could catch her breath. Pozou had become heavier and she let out a huff. “We’re almost out, please stay strong. You’ll be on the ship soon and I can find Helena or maybe Gwendolyn to help heal you.” She said, leaning against a wall in the tunnel for support.
  
  Pozou looked to her, blinked, before he realised what she had said and nodded. Though, he wasn’t sure how much longer it was until they would almost be out...
  
  “Tammond, do you see anything up ahead? I can try to watch behind us for any more… monsters.” She said, grimacing at the memory of the crawlers they faced.
  
  Up ahead, there was an opening to a cavern. Back where they stood, a soft clatter of what sounded like metal hitting the stone floor could maybe be picked up by the perceptive.
  
  Tammond looked back and shook his head. "I can't see anything, it's too—" but distant clangs interrupted him. "The hell is that?" He clenched his hands as metallic tap tap taps continued, sweat pooling on his forehead.
  
  "I didn't know there were blacksmiths down here." He nervously laughed and pressed his ear against the wall.
  
  "Maybe it's your friends?" His eyes narrowed as he listened close, but the sound was too vague to understand. "Guess there's only one way to find out..." He slowly stepped from the wall and crept forward, heart pounding faster than a racehorse.
  
  Jane tilted her head at the sound of the banging and tried to figure out what exactly it was. It didn’t sound like a blacksmith nor did it sound like it would be one of their group members. She watched closely as Tammond neared the edge of the tunnel and held her breath, expecting the worst
  
  When Pozou had heard that perhaps their friends were the source of that tapping noise, he suddenly had a lot more energy to give. He looked to Jane, taking some of the heavy weight of his limbs off Jane before encouraging her, “Come on. Final push…” He said, moving forward slightly, careful not to just drag Jane along with him.
  
  Jane met Pozou’s eyes and gave him a nod. Pushing herself off the wall, they both dragged themselves towards the exit, closely following Tammond.
  
  Eventually, when they reached the end of the tunnel, they would stumble upon a familiar face: Lucien. There was an unfamiliar Quetzola female standing with him unless they recognized her briefly from their cells.
  
  Jane let out a sigh of relief once she saw Lucien standing before them with another Quetzola. “Oh, thank the gods! Lucien! We were kidnapped and we think the others were taken too.” She said, taking a step closer to him.
  
  Pozou also let relief wash over him at the sight of a friendly comrade. He also noticed the Quetzola female standing beside him, the one who had been trapped with them in the dungeon cells earlier. He went to greet both Lucien and Amal with Jane as they stepped forward, though, he suddenly felt his legs buckle beneath him, releasing his grip on Jane so he wouldn’t drag her down with him, and dropping to his knees. “Crap...sorry...I…I’m fine...” He groaned, putting his hand out to steady himself and rise onto his feet again.

Mentioned: Mook-LandStrider ​

 

[EldridSmith]

(Full context will be given once the collaberative post between Rose, Liam, Kadar, Daisy is posted) Liam had just woken up after being shocked unconscious for a long time, the reason for which was to save Jane and Rose. After waking up he found they were both in danger again and rushed to save them, which he managed to do, though he was too late to save Pozou. Not to mention having to deal with his inner demon, the stress of the fight, and his social anxiety. Liam was extremely stressed by the time he offered to help Rose, and yet one of the people he risked his life for, twice, yelled at him for something he couldn't understand. Needless to say the stress finally got to him and once out of earshot of the group tears started streaming down his face as he quietly sobbed as he quickly slithered onwards towards Jane and Pozou's scent, relying on that to find his way through the maze of tunnels and passageways. He didn't stop moving or crying until he heard Jane's voice, at which Liam paused to wipe the tears from his eyes and face.

He would normally be self conscious about his appearance, but after a fight and all that stress he just wanted to fulfill a selfish desire that felt natural, he just wanted a hug from Jane. As such he quickly slithered behind Jane as Pozou fell, before moving in front of her to give her a hug. Her touch felt soothing, as if all the knots in his psyche were beginning to unwind slowly. "I-I'm sorry f-for d-doing this w-without asking... b-but p-please l-let me hold on f-for a l-little bit." He timidly implored her as he briefly looked her in the eyes with his now red eyes, but this was not the monsterous red from earlier, instead it was one from crying. He then bashfully looked away, he was nervous, she might say no, she might get angry at him, she might hate him like her sister, and he didn't want her to, but he needed this right now, his mind had been a mess ever since he woke up, and she was one of the few things he could think of to calm down in a short amount of time.
Sarahspn

 

[BriiAngelic]

• Roland Marek || Savanna Elven Street Kid

• 
  
  
  
  Tags:
  Gwen ( Sarahspn ) Ayana, Calc ( Jet ) Lorrin ( Pik ) Celestine, Amalia ( Anne Boolean ) Obsidian, Kuma ( Lost Echo ) Valentine ( Arcanist ) Aedzal ( Colorless Spectrum )
  

  ~ Cave-In Sight ~
  Yonah (Strings) || Roland's CS File
  
  He let go of the trident too late as the jester flung him as he began plummeting to the frozen lake below. The sound of wings flapping cut through his panic. His muscles tensed up expecting to fall to his death before he felt himself yanked. He was dragged into Helena’s chest as soon as his feet hit ground, before his brain had even processed that he was safe now. He tried to pull away but Helena’s hold was strong as ever.
  
  He felt her tug him along and with a jolt he was no longer fading in and out. Kuma was called for but she simply waved them off. No wait, why? He didn’t want to leave her. He felt only a harsher tug as Helena’s expression changed into a pained one as they went on. His mother figure was usually so much better at hiding her emotions. The tears had dried from his face but he was sure that under the cloak he was just as red-eyed as ever.
  
  "Kuma!"
  
  Freya was dead and he’d never even got to share his name with the woman. He wouldn’t let Kuma leave them the same way. He tugged back at Helena’s hold stopping in his place. And that’s when an arrow flew true, followed by an explosion of light, then ice, then lightning. Miss Gwen seemed to collapse on to the floor from the effort. The others made their way into view with every new attack
  
  A strange man called out for them to wait as the beast was nearing its end. Helena’s head flew around as she scanned the area thanks to the light.
  
  “How? Do we actually… Can we end it?”
  
  He looked at the other’s climbing up and his heart sank and his stomach heaved as she was brought up by them. Gwen was by her side. He flung his head away unable to look. As fire lit up the scene again he noticed the thing swallowed its own detached arm and then fell back into the hole the others had come from.
  
  Helena ran forwards to the others quickly looking over the collapsed Gwen for injuries. He followed slower uneasy with the body near her.
  
  “Can you stand? Will you need assistance?”
  
  He himself stared at the elder mage as Helena went to Gwen. He looked around not finding any trace of more of the monsters that attacked them. He lowered himself down reaching to grab one of the dead things.
  
  “What…. are they?”
  
  He kept one in his hand as he rose to his feet again his dress becoming slightly in the way as he wished to bring a few back with him to look into. Still the light wasn’t staying and this place was no good as a place of rest, even if they didn’t count all the death around them.
  

 

[Jet]

​

Lucien greeted the worn group with a narrow smile. "Well then… finally some good news!" He brushed dust from his hands, approached Jane and clapped her shoulder. "It's good to see everyone in one pi— by the saints!" He kneeled as Pozou collapsed, examining the doctor's wound. "Mother of… what the hell happened to you?"

He pawed over the wrappings and winced. The stump reminded him of distant battlefields and screaming men. The stench of decay. Then he stood and stared through Tammond's soul. "And you? Who the hell are you? What business do you have with us?"

Tammond comfortably returned the death stare. "Kiss my ass, I was a prisoner too." He smirked and looked to Jane. "So... what's this guy's problem?"

Lucien blinked several times and prepared an answer. His mouth opened and a savage word began, but Liam's sudden arrival distracted him. "Hey, come quick!" Lucien beckoned the young man, brow raising when Liam hugged Jane and apologized.

Lucien crossed his arms and shook his head. "There'll be time for fraternizing when we're out of this mess. We need to uncover what's happening, develop a plan and get Pozou some help!" He glanced back at Amal, passing a nod. "You can certainly fight… help us and you'll be handsomely rewarded."

Arcanist Sarahspn EldridSmith Mook-LandStrider

 

[BriiAngelic]

• Tallis Sideris || Stone’s Throw Master Mage

• 
  
  
  
  Tags:
  Stone, Yo, Hubyr, Dragon ( Taigakitt ) Elizabeth, Kiel ( Anne Boolean ) Luka, Leone ( Jet ) Nezumi ( Lost Echo ) Vaal ( The Regal Rper )
  

  ~ The Church ~
  Catacombs
  
  He was helped up by Luna and Luka. The boy had such a scream as he went down, he gave him a reassuring smile, because he couldn’t afford to be distracted right now. He could feel the healing magic flowing through his back from Luna’s careful ministrations… and then she was gone. The dragon clawed across her with a sickening crunch as she was tossed across the tunnel. Before he could get to her he already knew it was a futile effort.
  
  “LUNA!”
  
  He shouted as the girl went down his feet hitting the dirt without keeping up with his mind. He reached her too late. He knew it before he reached her. Luka… Luka pleaded with her to wake up, but it was already too late. He’d lost his son to insanity, he’d lost an apprentice to death, he’d lost his city to a sickening alteration of their minds. He’d lose no more. This demon, for it could only be a rift demon with that vile energy it emitted, had stolen his world and he had only bits and pieces left.
  
  He brought his hand forwards as he shaped the magic from around him. He was a healer. He’d always had been. He was most familiar with the reshaping and restructuring of humans but it wasn’t like the same couldn’t be applied to things.
  
  “Luka… Stay very still.”
  
  He took a step back to gather the amount of energy he would need for such an endeavor. The exponential increase in cells would be less effective without his orb, he would certainly try though. With a burst of energy he aimed his blow to the dragon.
  
  “Elizabeth we need to end it! If we collapse the tunnel it’ll just have the entire church to feed off for power!”
  
  

 

[Arcanist]

Pozou Artith
Mentions: EldridSmith (Liam), Sarahspn (Jane), Mook-LandStrider (Amal), EldridSmith (Liam | Interactions: Jet (Lucien - include Tammond as a mention~)
(credit to @letoyga! for this commission!)​

Pozou heard Lucien's cry as he fell. How he wished he could just close his eyes, let sleep take him, if only for a moment...but he knew the dangers of doing such a thing. He couldn't risk it. He had held his hand out to insist he was only okay...only to remember the one he held out was the stump it was quickly becoming. Pozou did wince at the way Lucien had undone his wrappings and had even wanted to cry at the sight of that horrible wound. "The shadow...he...he cut it off..." Pozou whimpered, sniffing before he willed himself to stay calm. He hated it. He hated what he had let happen. If only he had been more sure of what that creature would have done to him. Maybe he could have prevented it entirely...

He glanced up at the sudden appearance of Liam, who slithered around and wrapped his arms around Jane. He stared for a moment, feeling a pang of hurt in his chest. Was he simply now nothing more than a lost cause, a crippled doctor who had outlived his use? Or, clearly, there were better things for Liam to think upon instead.

Pozou slowly started to rise onto his feet again, trying not to grab onto Lucien to pull himself up. "We were drugged...and...kidnapped..." Pozou tried to explain, the breath practically being sucked out of him with every effort he made to speak. "Something...happened to Kiel too...almost as...if...he was...not him..." He couldn't seem to get the events all in order in his head. He struggled to remember what actually happened during the whole situation.

 

[Colorless Spectrum]

Aedzel Phriln

Aedzel merely gave a court nod to Helena before looking at the child. Roland. What an odd name for a daughter... But that wasn't important right now. They needed to run and as much as she wanted to run her mind went back to Pozou. The only person in the group she actually knew and cared about as he was someone who helped her a lot of times when they were both younger.

The others had come up from below. A momentary relief to see the others are safe after everything that has happened and while the faces are familiar, the one that she wanted to see the most was not there. She sucked in a shaky breath. "Maybe he's with the others..." She said quietly, she wasn't one for optimism but Aedzel actually sees him as somewhat family.

When the others called and said that the Jester was nearing their end, she was in disbelief. They can think that all they want but she won't. Especially so after the last moments of the battle until the Jester disappeared into nothing.

She stood still, the rush of adrenaline faltering as she felt her body started to weaken. The events flashed in her mind and with no more strength to hold herself up she kneeled. The image of the Jester in a mutilated state and still able to laugh, it haunted her. The people around her who thought that they could kill someone like that? Foolish, that's how she thought of them but of course she never said so.

"Ah..." Aedzel couldn't help but take a glance at Freya's body has her shaking and her stomach churning that it left her sweating. She crawled to the nearest rock she could hide at and doubled over before vomiting.

mention: || interaction: Arcanist Anne Boolean Taigakitt BriiAngelic Lost Echo

 

[Pik]

Lorrin Yumi

Taigakitt BriiAngelic Sarahspn Jet Anne Boolean Lost Echo Colorless Spectrum Arcanist

Lorrin looked upon the grotesque sight before him how was this thing still standing with the number of wounds exposed on the creature's body. Had he been in a right state of mind at the time the sight would of likey made him sick but now was not the time for that, its heart is exposed, after all, making for the best possible killing blow if the head wasn't good enough to do that already, drawing his next arrow with the intent on inflecting the killing bow the creature would step back with the intent of getting away. "You think you just get to leave after all of that no it ends here!" letting loose an arrow the jester would fall back into the hole completely dogging it. Lorrin would run over not even a sound was heard let along a splash from the water bellow and he lacked the eyesight to be able to see below. "Gods damit we ne--" Starting back at everyone else it was obavice not everyone was fit to continue on fighting Gwen was lying on the ground exhausted both physically and mentally, Roland, Helena, and Amalia trying to do what they can to help her. Aedzel getting sick over in the corner as well. He let out a grumpy sigh and angrily kicks a rock into the hole even if they did chase after it there was just as likely of a chance of them getting stuck in the hole again and this time with no way out with their staircase likely soon going to disappear. "Let's get up to some fresh air there not much more we can do here." He would gesture for the other's head out.​

 

[Sarahspn]

​

Gwendolyn let out a sigh of relief as her attack hit its target. The spell's light grew brighter until it burst, leaving a hole in the middle of the demon’s chest. The light quickly diminished and Gwen’s breath hitched in her throat. Ayana ran to her side after her own attack hit the demon and she gave the elf a small smile. “I’m okay…” She said quietly, looking back to the enemy. She expected to see its corpse laying on the ground but she was mistaken. The jester still stood, a smile etched into its face. She met its white orbs that imitated eyes and a chill went down her spine. Scanning her gaze towards its chest, she became horrified at the state of its body. She could see its still organs and dark bones covered by stark white blood. Arrows lodged themselves into its body as the others continued to attack them, in hopes of somehow landing the final blow.

Amalia came into her line of sight and she took her hand, pulling herself up with the help of the woman. Giving her a thankful nod, she turned to see that Celestine had found her trident. Wincing at the bright light from the syphids attack, she looked back to the knight. “We must finish this. For Freya.” Gwen said, rejecting the plea. She attempted to gather energy for another spell but nausea hit her like a tidal wave. The feeling made her body sway and she stumbled towards the wall for support. Taking a deep breath, she looked at the jester just in time to see it swallow its own arm and jump into the abyss below. Lowering her head in shame, she held back tears. Her attack landed but failed to destroy the demon and she felt anger and sadness well up inside her. She saw two pairs of feet in front of her and she looked up to see Helena and Ro. “Thank you, but I should be fine to walk.” She said to the cleric, wiping her face as she stood up straight. The room they were in became quiet as everyone began to process the battle. Some better than others as she watched Aedzel run behind a rock to presumably vomit.

Limping towards the stairs to the surface, Gwendolyn climbed up. She took the steps slowly, gripping onto the rope. As they stepped outside she took a deep breath. The smell of salt was slowly fading and she scanned the surrounding area. The town was cast in a twilight, despite it still being daytime and the streets were eerily empty. Buildings were partially collapsed and cracks ran through the stone walkways like veins. The earthquake seemed to have affected the entire town and their group just happened to fall into the openings. She figured people would be in the streets, cleaning up the damage and helping the unlucky ones but not a single person came into view. The chill returned to her spine and she shook it off. She began walking back to the lodge in silence. The streets remained empty and her suspicion started to rise. Thinking back to Leóne, she remembered he had gone to the church. She looked towards the large building and saw that it was intact with not even a shingle out of place. Frowning, she picked up her pace as best she could with her injured leg.

Taigakitt Jet Arcanist BriiAngelic Anne Boolean Pik Lost Echo Colorless Spectrum

 

[Sarahspn]

​

Jane nodded as Lucien grabbed her shoulder. Giving him a small smile she looked to Pozou and gasped as he collapsed. She tried to keep him up but she felt his grip loosen and he fell to his knees. Watching Lucien kneel to his side, she winced as he examined the wound wrapped in her blood-soaked fabric she tied around it. She frowned a little because that was her favorite hip scarf and she would need to get another. Letting out a small sigh, she looked to Lucien and answered his question “A demon of some sort appeared in our cell and began to play a card game that I’ve never heard of. Pozou won and his prize was his hand being sliced off. Daisy broke down the wall as the fight began and I was able to get him out. Had a little trouble on the way but luckily, we found you!”

She looked to Tammond as Lucien confronted him. “This is uh.. Tanning? Oh wait, it’s Tammond! He was in the cell-“ Jane answered before Liam appeared in front of her. “Oh!” She gasped as he wrapped her in a hug. She looked to Pozou and saw his expression filled with pain. Glancing back at Liam she met his tear-stained eyes and frowned. She patted the snake man's back as he held onto her and lifted her head to look at Lucien.

“I agree with Lucien, I’m sorry Liam but we must get Pozou to a medic. Where’s Rose?” She asked, looking towards the direction they had come from. Hopefully Rose will remember that water always flows downward and will pick the correct path. She thought about staying behind but she couldn’t leave Pozou.

Pulling away from Liam, she gave him a small smile before returning to Pozou’s side. She didn’t want to stay still for too long and she put the quetzola’s arm around her shoulder once he stood. She began walking and went past Lucien. “Anyways Tammond, Lucien is the captain of our crew. This is the man who decides if we hop on your ship to Blueport. I personally think it’s the best and quickest way out of this town. The port has amazing doctors that can help Pozou and most likely other crewmates of ours.” She hoped she would help convince Lucien.

Jet Arcanist EldridSmith

 

[Taigakitt]

Stone, Yo, Sigurd, Hubyr
Collab With: BriiAngelic
Interacting With: Jet The Regal Rper Anne Boolean
In Scene: Lost Echo
​

Luka stepped in front of Yo as she was trying to protect everyone. Judging by his profession, wasn’t he a mage? Yo frowned, reaching out to grab the younger boy and pull him back behind her. It was fruitless as chaos kept ensuing, and she had a dragon’s paw to worry about.

Worrying about Luka, Yo had missed her chance to stop a deadly swipe at the blind elven woman. Too late. Yo shouted. Multiple people shouted. The tunnel rumbled from the combined echoes of devastated shouts and the war cry of the demon.

Tears pricked Yo’s golden eyes, sucking in her lower lip and biting down. The boy Yo was trying to stay away from harm ended up running to the girl that was so easily killed.

Were they out of their league?

Leone shouted about the ceiling. Yo looked up just as he had hit the ceiling with a magic attack, knocking loose some stones and dust from the ceiling.

A blast of attacks were sent toward the dragon, and Yo attempted analyzing just what seemed to be working, and what wasn’t. Fire skittered across it’s scales, it ate the lightning thrown by the old woman Master Mage; however, daggers, spiked earth, those things were working.

Kiel was making no sense. The beast was the one that started swinging without discrimination, not them! A shift in his attitude was brief, and gave Yo hope that he wasn’t completely gone to whatever the church members spoke of.

As the demon threw a tantrum at something Kiel had done, a paw swung in Yo’s direction, the claws definitely skittering across her arm that she threw in front of her boy. The red gem in her necklace flashed, but that didn’t stop Yo from being thrown to the ground, her hand clenching as she felt the force that came with those claws swinging. She was grateful for her necklace, otherwise she may have lost her arm just then. Her magic was able to keep her bones from being shattered. That was still going to leave a bruise.

A thud grabbed Yo’s attention, seeing Kiel was thrown off. She scrambled to her feet, setting her stance once more. She had to focus better to protect those behind her. That wayward claw could have gone somewhere else if she wasn’t there.

“Kiel!” She was trying to get his attention, but when he had turned to face her, he seemed back to that emptiness, the shell that was Kiel. Electricity flew from his hands. She wouldn’t be able to get out of the way in time, and she was expecting to get the full front of Kiel’s attack.

“MA’AM ARE YOU TRYING TO BE THE NEXT DOWN? TAKE COVER”

With his shout Sigurd threw up a formation of earth slabs from the ground as potential cover. The slabs were not that thick and certainly weren’t his best work but he was working under time restraints with far too many people to cover.

Surprised by the earthly wall thrown in front of her face, Yo was at least thankful that it wasn’t electricity coursing through her body. She ducked down, shouting out “I OWE YOU!”

“WE NEED TO TIME OUR ATTACKS KEEP IT’S ATTENTION MOVING.”

He grabbed hold of his lance waiting for another to strike so that he could take the heat off them right after.

Yo heaved a sigh. She wasn’t a fighter. Well, not much of one anyway. She couldn’t effectively handle weapons and only knew simple things with the dagger she held. She also doubted her heart could take hurting Kiel. Best she could do was…

She slinked around the wall and aimed to tackle Kiel to the ground so she could put him in a resistant hold.

Meanwhile, Hubyr was furious. Luna was killed and the fight was chaotic. Having been watching what had been injuring the beast, he realized he didn’t have everything he’d prefer for a proper hunt- a lack of piercing weapons besides a few daggers. When the tail swung towards Vaaltari, Hubyr was ready to get into the fray and dashed past the Dragonfolk woman, helping Vaaltari by grabbing one of the demon’s thumb to keep it from slashing at the Matugna.

Stone allowed his magic to drop, where he could suddenly be seen under the belly of the beast, his spiked knuckles wrapped around his hands, throwing a couple punches up into the softer flesh. It’s blood seeped down his knuckles.

Not wanting to stand in one place for long, especially with Leone saying he was going to attempt collapsing the ceiling, he dashed out from her the demon and hopped onto it’s head, avoiding snapping jaws, and throwing a spiked fist at it’s other eye, all the while keeping his some attention on the ceiling. The location was becoming less stable, and no doubt the tunnel would collapse soon, whether it was from the trashings of the demon, or from someone on their side.

“HOW STABLE ARE THESE TUNNELS?”

Sigurd could feel the earth’s resistance but he was not well enough connected to feel it’s reach all the way to the church. If they collapsed it here would the building above be fine? Would only one part of the tunnel survive so that the dragon could go on to harm the civilians above? He’d never tested a cave-in before, typically he prayed that their dead help them to withstand any collapse of the earth from her rage.

 

[Mook-LandStrider]

Amal

Tunnel Group​

Hearing Lucien’s call Amal turned suddenly and looked in the direction of those behind her. She had been thinking of taking off now that she was free of Dr. Cash, or whatever you could call that creature. Mulling over what Lucien was saying she hadn’t even taken in the mewling form of Pozou. Sniffing the air the scent of decay was strong yet she smelled blood, flesh blood and her eyes finally descended onto Pozou.

Her feeling of self preservation kept her from immediately running over and helping but after some consideration she found herself walking towards him. It then dawned on her what he was, another quetzola. “Oh, I didn’t know you were one of my cousins… or atleast among the same species.” Amal looked over his wound “It is beginning to fester, how long ago did this happen?” Amal said looking up.

“Do you have his hand? Like, do you have the other part of it? I could reattach it now but it wont be usable for a while until it fully stitches itself together. Ontop of that I will have to keep watch over it incase you whack it on something and the mending wound comes undone again.” Amal continued on before looking up at the others “Give me the hand and give me a minute. It won't be instant but it will be better than letting him become septic.”

EldridSmith Jet Sarahspn Fred Colon Arcanist

 

[EldridSmith]

Liam ignored Lucien's comments as his mental energy started to recover some as he hugged Jane, he was like a magician's charging orb that was near empty and had no energy to spare yet. He would address everything once he had recovered enough mentally. However for now he was going to savor every second with Jane as his heart began beating rapidly in his chest and he blushed looking away to see Pozou's eyes on him with a hurt expression. Liam felt sorry for them, but his face betrayed his mental fatigue to the avian doctor, he would console them later, now he wasn't in a situation to.

Liam's began relaxing as she patted his back, he felt his brain recharging and he would have the mental strength to leave the tunnel at least, still he was only at the bare minimum energy to keep going, and he was clearly reluctant to part with Jane as she agreed with Lucian and pulled away. She had to bring up Rose, which had Liam nervous again. "S-S-She's c-coming t-too, i-in the t-tunnels, I-I w-went ahead." He stated nervously before softly explaining why as he wrapped up into a nervous ball with his head alone timidly peeking out of his coils for fear someone might get upset with him. "I-I o-offered t-to help h-her b-because her l-leg i-is injured, b-but s-she got m-mad..." He explained and nervously waited for responses before Amal spoke up.

As he heard Amal asking about getting Pozou's hand to fix it Liam looked at Jane with a mildly hopeful look in his eyes, perhaps they could hug a bit longer as Pozou was getting his hand fixed? Maybe they could even wait for the others giving him time to fully recharge since he sped ahead. "D-Does t-this m-mean w-we're still in a r-rush to go s-since s-she c-can heal Pozou? S-Shouldn't i-it be better t-to wait f-for the others w-while Pozou is t-treated?" He timidly inquired from his curled up state as it comforted him some, though not as much as he would like. He was also glad that Pozou could be healed here as he didn't want them to be hurt any longer than needed, after all he would want the same if he was in their position. Still he shifted nervously under his coils as his mental energy was being drained quicker than he hoped due to the stress of the situation. He could feel the monster inside chuckling at him trying to tempt him to let it take over again, but Liam refused, not in front of Jane.
Jet Arcanist Sarahspn Mook-LandStrider

 

[Anne Boolean]

Amalia Winters && Celestine Oceania​

Well, that was nothing short of a nightmare. The torn up body the figure had towards the end of the altercation made Celestine wish she stayed under the sea. Amalia, despite having seen many gruesome deaths during her time serving, had never seen anything like that. What made it worse was the jester still stood and talked the way it had done so previously. Their tone, now even more distorted, was certainly eerie, but their words brought relief to the two women. It couldn't just retreat peacefully though, and instead went and unhinged its jaw to swallow its dismembered arm. The limb was visible even after being consumed through the hole in the monster's abdomen. And then it gleefully bid them adieu as it fell backwards back into the cavern from which it came.

Finally, what Amalia wanted to happen from the beginning came to be. They were able to leave that literal hellhole. Unfortunately, they weren't blessed with the midday sun and beautiful scenery when they stepped out into the open air. Instead, the sky was dim and much of the town was turned to rubble. Like Gwen, the knight assumed people would be out and about trying to clean up, or, in the worst case scenario, the streets would be littered with corpses, but there wasn't a soul in sight.

The syphid princess was reminded of the ruins of an undersea city after a naval battle had taken place above. She would have normally just scoffed at the sight, blaming the land dwellers' quarreling tendencies, but after her experience in the cavern, she knew this wasn't due to any sort of in-fighting of the people who walked on earth. Celestine looked around to see the rest of the group, unsure what to do. Gwen seemed to be making her way to the church, which strangely seemed to be in pristine condition. Her eyes then fell on their old tour guide. Did he have friends or family in this town? Would he experience first hand how her companions felt, how she felt, upon learning what happened to Freya?

With vision back to normal, Amalia had once again donned her helmet. There was no longer any need to bear the discomfort to hide her appearance among this group, yet she instead did it to hide her misty eyes. Her commanders and more experienced comrades always said the loss of life becomes more bearable, that you became numb to it. That hadn't been the case for her. It wasn't just Freya the knight wanted to shed tears for now. She knew the townspeople hadn't all suddenly decided to leave town on a vacation or something.

She and Celestine were thinking the same thing, but Amalia went on to turn to the rest of the group and voice it: "What now?"

Interactions: Gwen ( Sarahspn ), Aedzel ( Colorless Spectrum ), Helena, Roland ( BriiAngelic ), Valentine ( Arcanist ), Kuma, Obsidian ( Lost Echo ), Ayana, Calcius ( Jet ), Lorrin ( Pik )

 

[Jet]

​

Lucien listened close as Jane recounted the card game, recording mental notes with each word. "This is a bloody nightmare," he spoke to himself more than anyone, pacing the narrow tunnel as he processed the news.

"Jane, your story sounds truly unbelievable. Were you a stranger I'd recommend a head examination, but considering what I battled on the way here... I'll take your word for it." He stopped and passed his cube between his hands, then pocketed it and met Tammond's stare. "For my coldness I apologize, well met."

Tammond softened his gaze and chuckled. "You've got a real talent for pissing people off, but I'll give you a pass this time."

Lucien ignored the snappy comment and turned his attention, watching Amal check Pozou's stump. "About the ship, what are we working with? Is it sizeable? "

"Is she ever. She's a grand caravel named Willowix. Get me to her and I'll haul you crazy bastards out of here," the captain said.

"As good a plan as any, but we need to gather everyone before leaving!" Lucien bounced a look between the others. "If anyone has any doubts about the plan, speak now or don't winge later." He paused and met Liam's nervous gaze. "And you need to calm your nerves! You're strong but that strength won't do any good unless you're sharp, savvy? That said you raise a good point. We should give the others a moment to catch up — but only a moment. We have a wounded man to worry about after all."

Sarahspn Arcanist EldridSmith Taigakitt

 

[Arcanist]

Valentine
Mentions: BriiAngelic (Helena/Ro), Lost Echo (Kuma), Anne Boolean (Amalia/Celestine), Jet (Amalia/Calicus), Pik (Lorrin), Sarahspn (Gwen) | Interactions: Colorless Spectrum (Aedzel), Taigakitt (Jester)​

Even as Amalia had heeded Valentine’s encouragement to move it or lose it, she had paused in her escape. They had turned to ask what the hold up was, but a ton more activity erupted at the hole, both figuratively and literally. An arrow flew straight, then came a flurry of ice, an onslaught of light, and a red glow from a vicious flame. Such fury and vengeance, such synchronisation! Valentine had to pull themselves back into reality when they realised they weren’t watching fireworks blooming in the sky after a wonderful performance.

And rather gruesome, with the state that the Jester had been reduced to. Yet, the creature refused to fight back, instead, swallowing their arm, which Valentine let out a disgusted groan at, and fell backwards into the hole. Of course, they had narrowly missed Lorrin’s arrow, a crying shame. They never heard a splash or a thud below, but Valentine couldn’t help but mutter, “Good riddance to you!”

Valentine watched as Freya’s body had been hauled up through the hole with a deep frown, and equally so at seeing another person seemed to be injured in this whole escapade. Truly, they wished this had been some play, but alas, it was a very skewed reality.

The sight of the body hadn’t affected all in the same way. The thespian heard retching and a horrible wet sound hitting the floor. They turned, noticing the tight-winged Aedzel hunched over. They quickly approached, at first, unsure of where to put their hand, but settled for the top of her back, between her wings. “Aedzel, take your time. It’s okay…” Though, even as the vomiting continued, they awkwardly patted her back, grimacing and turning their face away for fear they might imitate the same action.

As Lorrin called for everyone to start heading up, and that injured woman Gwen, and the others had begun to move, he looked back to Aedzel. “I’ll wait for you, okay?” They heard Amalia ask what would come next after they moved out, and Valentine couldn’t help but wonder the same thing.

 

[Arcanist]

Pozou Artith
Mentions: EldridSmith (Liam), Jet (Lucien/Tammond) | Interactions: Sarahspn (Jane), Mook-LandStrider (Amal)
(credit to @letoyga! for this commission!)​

Pozou hadn’t needed to stand unaided for too long as Jane had approached him and slung his arm over her shoulder. He looked to her, trying to give her something of a smile as appreciation, even if it was difficult to do so right now. He had tried to recount all of what happened as Jane had explained to Lucien, but remembering it was such a pain, and it was all such a blur…

Then, she heard the call of another person, and looking up, found Amal had approached, realising he was one of her cousins. Of course, yes…Amal was a cousin as all Quetzola had been likened to call each other. Winged brethren they all were, despite their varying differences. Pozou winced slightly as Amal had taken hold of his arm to look at the stump on his hand. Swallowing back, he managed an answer for her. “Perhaps…twenty minutes ago…or was it thirty?” Forty? He couldn’t have been sure. Time flowed far too fast with too many black spots.

“Y-you could reattach it?” Pozou asked, blinking. Without the proper tools, or a clean environment, or any of the correct protocols? But she was right. The longer any of them left it, the worst the wound would get. And worse yet, he’d perhaps lose his hand outright. He could lose his hand either way, whether it was reattached or not. There was no guarantee that it would operate as smoothly as it once had before.

Despite that, Pozou looked to Jane hopefully. “You still…have it, don’t you?” He asked. Perhaps this moment of time in letting others catch up to them would have been perfect to try and reattach the hand. “It can’t hurt to try it…” One would say he was mad, after all the blood that flowed from his head right out of his hand, but the Quetzola was desperate to try anything at this point.

Pozou looked to Amal, hopeful still. “H-how would you do it though?”

 

[Sarahspn]

​

Jane’s smile grew bigger as Liam spoke of Rose. “Don’t let her attitude get to you. She’s always mad about something. She’s probably still mad at me…” She trailed off, thinking back to the words she said to her sister in the cell. A frown appeared on her face but it didn’t stay long once Amal grabbed her attention. Turning to the woman, she thought for a moment. “I would say about 30 minutes. It was quite a long walk.” She answered, confirming Pozou’s timeframe.

When asked about the detached hand, she patted her hip and found the bloody appendage. Holding it by a finger, she handed it to Amal. She grimaced at the sight of the pale hand and was happy to hand it off. “Take your time, Rose and the others should be here soon.” She said, carefully taking Pozou off of her shoulder. Scanning the group, she saw that Lucien and Tammond seemed to make peace and were talking of the ship. “I know some people went to the church and some went to look at the giant stone. As for other stranglers, I’m not so sure. But, surely it can’t be too hard to find a group of misfits running around.” She said, laughing a little.

She tried to keep up her happy demeanor but fatigue was slowly getting to her. She sat on the ground and rested her head in her hand. If they were about to run around town she needed to conserve her energy. Looking to Liam, she gave him a nod. “Yes, we can wait on them. I don’t like being apart from Rose. It makes me feel… lonely.” She said, turning her gaze towards the ground.

Jet Arcanist EldridSmith Mook-LandStrider