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+--- Thread: The Secondary Saga (/showthread.php?tid=2274)
Re: Secondary Saga - Phase 3 - Zack Fair - 08-17-2015
Quote:Group 1: Christa, Urg, Bucky, Abner
The first sound any of them heard upon arriving in this hallway was the simple sound of a small flint being struck a few times. It took a few seconds, but Abner managed to get his lighter to emit a simple flame, and wasted no time in lighting another cigarette. It wasn't as easy as it could be since he was doing it with just one hand. He was leaning sideways against one of the walls in the hallway he was sharing with this smaller contingent, pushing hard to keep pressure on his arm wound. He stuffed the lighter back in his pocket as he inhaled as much as he could from the cigarette. As he exhaled, Abner closed his eyes for a brief moment. That felt better. A little bit of tobacco made him ready to work on more pressing matters.
Abner slung his rucksack around and pulled his medkit from from it, groaning in pain as he did. That orc had done a major number on his arm, and he knew he needed to get it under control quickly. He fumbled and struggled with the latch on the white container briefly, before he finally got fed up and threw the damn thing to the stone floor, breaking it open like an egg. Slowly, Abner slid down the wall and grabbed the sutures that had spilled out, as well as the threader.
The wound was deep. It hurt like hell and he could feel the throbbing. This ancient wall probably wasn't the most sanitary place to be pressing an open wound, but Abner knew this was a moment where you simply picked your poison. He voted for not bleeding out, so he slightly moved his arm off the wall, just enough that he could attempt to stitch the gash up as best he could. While he did that, he glanced over to see just who else he had with him.
Of course, to no surprise of his, that damn droid was right there by him. He considered the fact that they had both sustained injuries to their arms in this chaos, and the irony wasn't exactly lost on him. The fact that he was feeling some sort of bonding connection with that faulty piece of junk hadn't missed his notice either, and it made him concerned about how much blood he'd actually lost.
Not just Bucky, but that woman from earlier was there as well. For obvious reasons, she was one of the first Abner had noticed from the strange pack he'd fallen into. Though she had seemed a little trigger happy before, Abner couldn't help but think that there were far worse looking people to be trapped in a ruined temple with. For instance, a zombie. Abner groaned again as he noticed that the same zombie he'd seen this woman threaten earlier was there with him as well, although he'd taken on a fair amount of weight in the form of various orc weaponry.
Abner carefully watched as the two made a shaky peace, while he finished knotting off his stitches. Once he removed himself from the wall he wrapped his arm tightly in gauze and some bandages as well, wincing in pain as he did. It wasn't remotely close to being better, but at least he wouldn't collapse from blood loss and could still function, for the most part. Abner haphazardly threw his medical supplies back in the rucksack and slung it on his back again, then stepped away from the large blood stain he'd left on the wall.
He didn't get a chance to move closer to the group, however. In an instant, he and the zombie were both tackled by the blonde girl. As Abner hit the ground, he watched as a blade swung horizontally above them, having come out of a slit in the wall he hadn't even seen. Obviously Christa had seen it, or at least what had set it off. Abner paused for a moment, taking in another drag of his cigarette. It was almost nice, were it not for the zombie. Christa stood up, and used one of the many impaled spears to roughly pull their undead companion to it's feet, while Abner simply stumbled back to his with even less grace.
While Bucky was looking around, trying to figure out what the hell had just happened, Abner looked at the small gap in the wall. He never would have noticed it, with the size of it combined with the darkness. It was only a few inches wide, and was just about at his chest level. It would have been a quick end to this journey had Christa not spotted it. He looked down the hallway and saw many similar openings, at various levels from ankle to neck height on the average person.
"I'll be damned," Abner muttered as he observed the trap. He was almost impressed by it. "Old school."
So, now he knew that the place was booby trapped, he just had to figure out what triggered it. He turned and stepped back towards the others, but as soon as he did he felt the stone under his left foot sink just a little bit. He looked down and saw the pressure plate, and could only close his eyes and groan. Goddammit.
The hallway began to violently shake, and they all looked in one direction to see that the floor was beginning collapse, each stone block falling into nothingness shortly after the one beside it. The collapsing floor was catching up to their location quickly, and they wouldn't have a lot of time.
"Pressure plates!" Abner quickly shouted, putting it all together. "Watch the blades from the walls. Don't know what's at the end of this hall, but it's got to be better than this! Let's go!"
Abner was more than happy to take the lead this time.
Re: Secondary Saga - Phase 3 - Strazio Rockwell - 08-17-2015
Quote:Group 2
The dessicating mist rolled down from the treeline, destroying everything in its wake. Isaac’s heart sank into his gut, he felt an intense sense of vertigo and stumbled back against the stone wall. Anemia mixed with terror formed a potent cocktail of panic within the old man’s heart. His vision blurred and everything sounded so very distant; it was as if he was watching the events unfold from afar. Hand trembling and body cold Isaac was snapped back to reality by Christa’s call for a retreat. Carefully he stumbled into the temple, following the other secondaries.
Darkness and despair awaited the party, cries of pain and fear echoed throughout the large stone atrium. Isaac’s stomach flipped and he found himself leaning against a crumbling column for support. The wall of blood he had conjured earlier had taken a lot from him. Normally when he called upon his macabre power he was able to reclaim most of his blood, but this time he was struck blind and unable to reabsorb the mass of hemoglobin. His mutated blood reproduced at inhuman speeds, but he would still feel the effects of anemia for several hours. Still, in his moment of weakness he worried for the safety of the others.
“Is everyone okay?” he called weakly, unsure of what to expect. However, he was indeed surprised by the blinding flash of light that answered his question. For a moment he could see the rest of the group, but as quickly as they appeared they shortly faded away. The old man fell to his knees, gasping for breath. Due to his twisted mutation he was even able to feel his own heartbeat, and for a moment he could have sworn that it had stopped. Nearby he could hear the crackling of a fire and he looked towards the source of light. A convenient torch sat, waiting for someone to retrieve it from its sconce. Isaac stood slowly and obliged the waiting torch.
He took a moment to catch his bearings. There wasn’t much to see, he was near the center of a crumbling hallway. The walls were lined with strange markings, in a language he was unfamiliar with. A sound echoed down the hallway and he froze in his tracks. Someone called out in pain and Isaac moved as fast as his weakened state would allow him. Illuminating the darkness he came face to face with the injured gentlemen, Mr. Clayton. He muttered a weak hello and introduce himself, hoping to make allies with the dapper fellow.
Several other secondaries crawled out of the stonework and Isaac felt at ease. At least in the dark strange ruin he had companions. His inner soldier found strength in numbers, but Isaac just truly did not want to be alone. The moment of respite was quickly interrupted by a low groan of the crumbling room. It was if by Atlas himself was adjusting the weight of the world a tremor rocked the room. Everyone was cast into the depths below. Isaac hit the ground with a pathetic thud and the impact forced his torch from his hand. A slippery snake coiled itself around Isaac’s amputated arm and he froze stiff.
“Fuck, fuck” he muttered quietly, trying not to provoke the creature. Isaac reached for the flaming torch, his fingers wrapped around the wooden stick and gripped it tightly. With a quick motion he waved the flame at the serpent. With a defeated hiss the cobra released Isaac from its grip and slithered away. Every fiber of Isaac’s being rebelled against him as he forced himself to his feet. Light seemed to frighten the scaly serpents so used to the darkness. Isaac made full use of this fact, waving the torch about to create some breathing space. The others seemed to be fending for themselves and the sound of laser fire signaled a chance at escape.
Isaac followed Roger’s directions and soon came face-to-face with a one-armed man’s worst nightmare -- a ladder. Cursing under his breath he glanced around trying to figure out how he would manage to scale a ladder in his weakened state. The old man looked up and his vision narrowed at the thought of such a treacherous climb.
“Come on, get going!” Krugman shouted, kicking a snake away from his boot.
“Right...” Isaac muttered and looked down at his stump. A small strand of blood flicked from underneath the wrappings. It reached out feebly and grasped his torch, Isaac prayed that he had enough fortitude to carry and torch and his own weight up the ladder. The climb was slow and tiring. It was a dangerous dance of balance and speed, releasing his grip from one rung to snatch onto the next before he fell. Every now and then Isaac was forced to pause and catch his breath, he felt as if he was going to fall apart at the seams. As he reached the crest of the ladder he rested for a moment, gripping the loose stone and peaking over the edge. He began to strain, trying to lift his weight over the edge.. Klaud noticed his plight and offered her hand to help, with a bit of hesitation Isaac swallowed his pride and accepted her offer.
“Thanks, I appreciate it” he wheezed, passing the torch into his good hand.
Klaud nodded and turned around “don’t mention it.”
Re: Secondary Saga - Phase 3 - Ruby Rose - 08-18-2015
Quote:Group 4: IRIS, Richtofen, Grave, Crow, Jan
Thank goodness, a doctor! At least, that's what Grave hoped. When he asked where Alice's poisons wound was, he gently rolled her over in his arms to showcase the round, pulsating stab mark just below her left shoulder blade. He turned her back over in his arms and smiled down at the Vampire, who weakly responded with her own.
The doctor suggested cauterisation. Thankfully, that's something Grave could more than easily manage. After all, he already had to cauterise the spear's entry wound in his side. He suggested binding the area around the wound tightly. When Grave looked down into Alice's eyes, she showed acknowledgement and acceptance. It seemed she didn't mind having her midsection bound. Grab looked back up at the doctor and nodded as he continued on about having her move every so often. That was something easier said than done, but nonetheless accomplishable.
"Well, looks like I'm going to have to give you a ride, Alice," he told the Vampire, and she gave a weak, struggling chuckle. She probably would have burst into laughter if she wasn't paralyzed. Even though the doctor mentioned that it would be a bad idea to take that course of action, Grave simply responded, "I should be fine, Doc. I'm capable of more than you think. You guys'll just have to cover my ass until Alice is all good and well," he explained, and the doctor'a face fell into a 'don't come crying to me if we die' expression.
Next thing Grave knew, the spherical robot approached and began talking. If only the Nephilim had tech like that. It reminded the group that an antidote could have been near, and Grave nodded, "That would be bloody beautiful... But judging by out situation somewhat unlikely," he half-agreed. The robot introduced itself - or more like himself, she to the masculine voice emitted from the machinery - as IRIS. Grave lost the meaning of the name after 'Intelligent'. Grave stood up with Alice still in his arms, princess style, and he addressed the whole room, "As I said before, my name's Grave. I'm a Nephilim born to kill angels and demons, but all I want to do is kill fricking Omni," he told the ragtag group, one of his eyes hosting a raging flame and the other harbouring a searing glint of light, "So let's help each other out, okay? I only recognise one familiar face from earlier in here, and that's Captain Crow. I'd like to become more acquainted with the rest of you, if possible," he finished before remembering something, "Oh, also, anyone got some rope or something?
Re: Secondary Saga - Phase 3 - Gamzee Makara - 08-18-2015
Quote:GROUP 4
Ach... This is hardly the time for such things, but then again, I suppose we won't get many more moments of peace, and if we are to trust one another, such exercises in futility must be completed. One by one, voices spoke up, and names were introduced, as the automaton suggested. The eye-like robot introduced itself as 'IRIS.' Not quite the acronym I would pick for such a device, but so be it. A strategist could be of use. The technology behind this device...It intrigues me to no end, but there is hardly the time for an examination of this contraption. She (it, really) brings to light that there may be an antidote growing within these dark halls. I am skeptical to believe this, but say nothing for the girl's sake.
It was the pirate that spoke up next. He was sporting a bit of a nasty blow to his stupid kopf. It will likely need addressing once these pleasantries have been exchanged. This fellow's name is Crow, Captain Crow, as it were.
I'm not calling this brash kasper Captain.
He reaches for a flask containing no doubt some gut rot alcoholic swill. I do not blame the man. If this situation did not call for a clear head, I may be reaching for such a flask as well.
Then there is the silver-haired youth. He informs us that his name is Grave and that he is...Nephilim? Myths of old, coming to life. Had I not already been so...so in touch with Agartha, I may find such things hard to believe. The whispers of the Aether, ARGH! They tell me so much. The things I have heard, the things I have seen; they lead me to believe that there are much, much stranger and impossible things in the world than Nephilim. Grave shrugs off my warning and decides he will drag the girl through the dangers of this dungeon single-handedly. I roll my eyes, a sneer upon my face. Perhaps his reanimated corpse would be more compliant.
Eh. Probably not. Just like the rest.
This one may even have more spirit and youthful pride than that of our seafaring friend. He boasts of his power, and his desires to kill the God of this world, Omni. How close minded, how foolish. Such dreams will only result in a gruesome death or worse. The girl in his arms remains quiet. Apparently, we will receive no introduction from her.
And then there was one: a soldier of some military that is unknown to me. His name is Jan Templar, and he has a ficken arrow in his back. Yet another wound for me to hopefully mend correctly.
I do however recall that I have yet to use the healing capabilities of mein staff, but I would prefer to spare the three uses I have for near death situations and emergencies. Besides, so far everyone I've tended to has about a 50/50 chance of not developing into a critical condition. So, that's wunderbar!
There is pain in this man's eyes. They are similar to the Russian's. It is obvious this soldier has been through strife.
"Ah, yes. Me. Myself. My name is Edward Richtoffen, but you may all refer to me as Doctor, Richtoffen, or both. I am a German scientist, and that is all you need to know for now. As unlikely as this alliance may be, I am no stranger to such predicaments. We must move with haste. Needless to say, I say this from experience."
At any rate, there is much to do, so much to do. We must move with haste. Waiting here in this cramped room for something to happen is equivalent to just waiting to die. I quickly go about tending to the most pressing of injuries, stopping the flow of blood in Crow's head wound, and carefully removing the arrow from Sir Templar's back. Crow's wound was simple enough to patch up. However, he may be dealing with a small concussion in the future. The latter was the more difficult of the two, as it was quite painful for the subj- PATIENT. Painful. For the patient. I patched up this soldier as best as our materials allowed. That is to say, the most I could accomplish is stemming the flow of blood. He is as ready as he can be in present circumstances.
There was little I could do for the robot, as I had no way to understand the technology behind it, much less access to the necessary tools to make repairs.
I turn to the 'Captain,' and glaze over him with my eyes. "Well, this should be no different than running a ship. As long as none of us come down with scurvy, I'd say you'd be a fit leader for our endeavor through this temple."
I have nothing against this man, truly, or any of my would-be companions. However, I am cautious of these strange beings. Who would not be?
Quote:Translations:
Kopf = Head
Kasper = Clown/Fool
ficken = Fucking
wunderbar = wonderful/great
Re: Secondary Saga - Phase 3 - Smith - 08-18-2015
Well, fuck you too, temple. Just when I thought I could take a moment to breathe, shit started going down yet again. Ugh… If I weren’t already dead, the stress would be killing me. First, blondie tackles me (and that other guy but who cares about him, anyway?) to the ground. Before I can get pissed at her, a rusted arc of metal swings out from the wall and I’m immediately thankful she kept my head on my shoulders. Then, ol’ dummy decides to set off another trap and now we’re running through this damned hallway, trying not to fall into a pit as the floor behind us tumbled away into a black void. This day just keeps on getting shittier and shittier, I tell ya.
Of course, by run, I mean the other guys were running. I, on the other hand, was shambling along like a dumbass. One good thing about being last in line? Everyone else was setting off those whirling blades and saving me a lot of hassle in trying to avoid them. The bad part? That fall into the depths was catching up to me quick. Fuck! I had to figure out a better way to get this body moving if I wanted to survive. Then it hit me! Yeah, that would work.
Hey! Listen up you piece of shit zombie motherfucker. See that guy up there with the lame-ass hat? I bet there’s something yummy in there, pal. Go get ‘im.
“Uh?” I replied to myself, obviously confused. If I head control over my hand, I’d probably be face-palming right now. Alright, look. Brains. BRAAAAAINS. Ya feel me? Get up there!
“Brains…?” I asked curiously before my dead eyes settled upon Abner. Then it was like I was struck by a lightning bolt. Despite my rather large meal of goblin, the prospect of some juicy brainmatter was just too damn enticing to pass up.
“BRRRRAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIINSSSSS!” I shouted as I took off in a much more hurried manner. I soon caught up to Christa, the blonde chick with the gun fixation and she eyed me askance from my peripherals. I wish I could have told her I wasn’t REALLY gonna eat the guy and that I was just trying to get moving a bit quicker. Instead, I settled for a barely noticeable shrug of the shoulders and a “Uhhnnn…”
Maybe that’d be good enough.
Re: Secondary Saga - Phase 3 - Gildarts - 08-18-2015
The low, rumbling hum of the ground crashing deep into the depths of hell pounded in her ears. Incentive? The threat of death was certainly persuasive to her quickly striding legs.
Unfortunately, the walking dead over there seemed to be having some trouble shuffling his feet, of course, he was just a corpse. Something clicked, maybe his survival instinct, and probably the fact that his priorities shifted to the sinful gluttony had something to do with his needless shout for "BRAAAIINS" and was one she could only classify as 'compensation' on his behalf. This was the least of her worries, as now that brainless had picked up the pace, Abner's life was at risk and there was still that whole Empire droid who dawdled at the rear of their pack.
His rusted joints were slow-moving and probably set on a function that made his aim more accurate but his mechanisms much slower. Choices, morality, and death. She rolled her eyes as the indiscrete judgement haunted her every quaking step and the floor was taken from beneath her.
A weary breath escaped her sighing lips and at the same time resentment seethed in her eyes as she shoved the feeble droid past her and inevitably sacrificed a necessary piece of stone ground. Rock and heavy stone weighed into the darkness as they slid from the soles of her boots. For a moment, there was nothing. Her feet floundered for stability and her arms reached out to the one thing in this cursed temple that she knew would not fall away. The blades.
Irony sliced her palms as she extended her grasp toward the tunnel's wall. There was just enough time for her eyes to approximate the trajectory of her feet before the last of the flickering light fell into the depths.
A rich cut began to soak the side of her shirt and while Christa was thankful it wasn't fatal, it needed to not be strained, and well, the fact that she was hanging by a blade from the wall did not helped the wince of pain from staining her expression, nor the gentle rip of skin as the over-extension of her arm tore at the slice in her side.
Weakness. A combat zone for fear, as she had learned and she hadn't made it any better now that they were all stranded in the dark. From what she could tell, the rumbling had stopped and she heard nothing that sounded like the no-named man's guts being pulled out with a stick. The zombie hadn't eaten him, yet. Christa even affirmed the gentle clicking of gears and mechanisms with a tilted ear as her arms struggled above her, the droid lived. Every time she would try to lift herself up, more pain would trickle down her arms and into her spine.
The woman inhaled a shaky breath to help block out the nagging pain while she felt the grip on the greasy blade become slippery with her own blood. Even if she could hoist herself high and release the strain on her severed abdomen, from what she could tell there was nowhere else to go.
And she didn't have to see in the dark to know.
The sound of her softly muttering, "Fuck." As she kicked the temple wall affirmed to her curious group whether she had survived. But it was only a matter of time, before she met her end, and she wasn't even sure if they knew what sort of heinous predicament she was in. Even if she managed to get out of this one, another would soon befall them. Choices, judgement, death. Shit like that would be the end of her. Inevitably, she blamed her lifelong rival, "Fucking Empire."
Her arms held onto her weight while the crease of pain became more apparent and at the same time, Christa was forced to increase the depth of her injury to avoid falling endlessly down to where her dangling legs seemed weighted to go.
Gravity was annoying, but she wouldn't let this forsaken temple be her grave. Though the ease of it all beckoned her below with the soft, pleading, and oh-so-tempting words of "No one has to know," and "You gave it your best," or, "You'll have died this time with at least some honor, it will be quick, faster than bleeding to death as you are right now. You're hanging on the bloody edge. So jump."[/i] The woman's head dipped in agony, because the words thrashed painfully and with them came the climbing sensation of fear that leapt at her throat.
The strain reddened her cheeks –not that anyone could see in the despairing darkness– and she sighed, giving up the haunting of sacrifice. Gooey blood dripped onto her eyes and streamed down her cheeks and nose. She was sure the blade she held with her hands was cutting through more than muscle and had hit bone, and oh, the travail misery was too much like the torture she had once endured. What the fuck was the point anyway? No. She shook her head, and rattled the gaunt face of her deceased sister from her mind. Anyone less stubborn than Christa may have let the darkness take them, however she had found a reason to rise once more.
...
One. Foot. At. A.Time.
She coached herself as the blades coming from the walls became her best friend and most important stepping stone as they lead to her ensured survival. Though the lack of sight posed a very tricky problem.
With a heavy breath, the bite of her lip, and a grip that dug into bone she was able to hoist herself on the large, axe-like blade that had reached out to her and attempted to complete her demise when she ran. Now the same blade was a useful stair in the wall.
With her bloodied hands and the extension of her feet, Christa gave new meaning to the term "extreme rock climbing" and her toes scraped against the rough rocky surface, eventually finding that in increments of every two feet, the nook for a blade once embedded or had swung out, had proven to be her best friend.
Her heart jumped with every "leap of faith" she took, pressing her body against the all as she teetered on the edge of another large yet wobbly blade.
Another jump over the vastness below. Her heart thundered with fear as death treated her as an ally and lead her through the dark. She'd be lying if she said she had survived on instinct alone, and her hips hugged the wall, hoping to hell that physics and God, wouldn't take her today.
After a long, fear-enflamed course, her hands and toes extended, reaching over the nothingness as they stretched for the cliff-like limb of assumably somewhat stable rock.
The steady rocking of a broken hinge cracked the blade below her very step and before she could take the lunge to freedom, a feminine gasp escaped her lips and she released the shock from her lungs that held every once of her fear and dread. The same, aching arms extended above her, reaching for the black heavens, though she could see nothing above. Christa supposed that it was natural for someone falling to reach above them, and a cold wave of relief shivered in her spine as she was reassured by the gentle touch of fate as her frayed flesh caught on stone.
...
Meanwhile, Urg, who used "brains" as an incentive for his legs had now stopped inches from Abner's neck, was lead back to a thicker, sweeter, and more pungent taste of fresh blood as it tricked from Christa's abdomen.
He could taste her growing closer. Almost see her in the dark for he too was a monster that had dwelled godless for so long.
The girl found herself on the edge of the ledge, panting, bleeding, and barely breathing. But she had made it. Urg's nose picked up on her scent of fear, it was one he recognized all too well from his prey, and it was maddening. Within his body, the sensation of hunger stirred once more. Choices, morality, and death. He was forced to ask himself one question, –why should he fight it?
The traps of the temple were no match for the tremendous horrors of man and beast, now blind, the two humans of the group had become to prey, as the daunting creature of the night howled with the eternal hunger that would never quench his own dead flesh.
Christa applied a bloody pressure to her abdomen as Urg crept closer to his next source of food. Senseless and without light, she collapsed to the ground and took a shaky breath into her lungs, paralyzed by the pain that throbbed from every inch of her skin, and clung to the crimson spot of misery in her abdomen. The torch was gone, she had dropped it in exchange for her life, and now the saliva burbled in Urg's mouth as it echoed against the cave's walls.
Whispers of warning hung in the air as death's kiss lingered to remind them, Darkness and terror would soon engulf them all.
Re: Secondary Saga - Phase 3 - Jak Mar - 08-18-2015
Quote:Group 4
Things were going swimmingly for this group. Three of the group were injured including myself. Richthofen, now known as the good doctor of the group had taken it on himself to fix everyone's injuries. First off the bat, the captain was getting his injures tended to. As the doctor finished the task, he headed over to me. Oh, sure I wa enjoying laying on my back with a arrow laying inside my back of all places. But the next few moments hurt like living hell. The doctor had practically ripped the arrow straight from my body and muttered something about me being the subject, which i didn't find that funny.
Thoughts of the Sundown ship and me fighting Radec had just crossed my mind. I don't know why but I shook off those thoughts as the doc had wrapped me up with tight bandages.
Trying to show a bit that I cared, i said out loud "Is everyone going to be fine before we move on..."
I didn't mind following Captain Crow, but the leadership position usually was his idea. I would help everyone if possible but he didn't want to leave anybody behind.
"Thanks for saving myass back there Richthofen.."
I shook off any signs of pain on my face and kept moving "Soldiers or not, this group
is like my men to me. I take care of my men."
Re: Secondary Saga - Phase 3 - Roger Smith - 08-18-2015
Quote: Group 4
Perhaps due to his less than savory experiences with the type of people who had called themselves "doctor's" in Crow's homeworld, the good captain had less than a fond opinion of them. But he had a much less fond opinion of leaving bleeding wounds untreated, and his own medical experience was severely lacking. And so he let the doc patch up the wound in his head, grumbling something or other about a picaroon. In short enough order, the flow of blood had been stemmed, and while Crow's head -- and his everything else, for that matter -- still hurt just as bad, at least they wouldn't get any worse.
Hopefully.
Grasping for his saber, the unsteady captain regained his feet, pushing himself up to stand.
"Right, then...If no one has any objections, I'm not opposed to takin' the good doctor's suggestion and seein' if I can't get us all outta here in more or less one piece." One hand went to the sparse growth of beard on his chin, and a faint grin crossed his lips. "I won't lie, I'd take the open sea any day...but this ain't the first time I've got meself lost in some godforsaken hole like this..."
Looking from one of his allies for the moment to the other, Crow slowly nodded, seeing no immediate objections. The good colonel Templar voiced an important question, to which Crow responded in kind, "Can't speak much fer the long run, lad, but I think we'll all manage for the moment."
With a practiced motion, the good captain returned his saber to its sheath at his hip, turning about to finally take a good look at where they'd ended up. "Place looks like it could start fallin' apart again with another good shake...so what say we try and keep things steady and quiet as we can. I don't fancy dancin' the hempen jig just yet."
"First things first, though..." He turned his gaze to Grave. "No rope to be found 'round here, lad. Many apologies. Here's hopin' ye'll be able to make do without." Strolling along as steadily as he could, he wrestled the torch from its sconce, and turned his eyes to IRIS. "Said yer name was IRIS, aye? Think ye can manage to carry this, give us a bit o' light from a touch more elevation?"
"I believe I can manage that." The floating mechanical gizmo revealed a pair of small arms, and with surprising dexterity grasped the torch and took it from Crow's outstretched hand.
"Aye, good, good..." Crow let a genuine smile curl at one corner of his mouth, before he turned back about. "Right, then, buckoes, best be off. Sittin' around here all the day won't do much aside from get us nowhere fast." He indicated Grave and his companion with one arm. "Reckon it'd be best if ye stayed in the center of our little travelin' company for the moment. No sense lettin' yeh go in front and walk into a trap ye won't be able to get out of with yer..." He paused for a moment, as if to find the word. "...yer incapacitated little passenger, there."
"Good mister Templar. A military man, aye?"
Jan merely nodded in affirmation. "Yes, sir."
"Good. Eyes aft, mate, yer on job to make sure nothin' gets us unawares from behind."
"....understood." Crow could almost swear there was disappointment in Jan's eyes, but there was no sense letting him run into anything this temple might have waiting first and risk further damage from that blasted arrow wound in his back.
"And yerself, dear doctor..." Crow turned an appraising eye on Richtoffen, earning a level stare in return. "...I'll trust ye to make the wisest course for yerself. Ye seem capable enough in that regard."
"Alright, then, lads and lass, let's get a move on. Keep yer deadlights open, and yer ears on high alert."
Re: Secondary Saga - Phase 3 - Yu Kanda - 08-18-2015
Quote:Group 2
Above Klaud the older man was struggling to make it up the stairs. What was he thinking ? Carrying a torch and climbing a stairs with only one hand. Even though the general admired the warrior spirit of the man, there was no need for him to make it any more difficult. Zyra was following Klaud up the stairs, the hunter Clayton behind her. There still was no sign of Roger, who with all his honor provided cover for the rest of the group to escape. Her respect for both Isaac and Roger has grown within this short time span. One can only get to know another person in a time of crisis. That's when her thoughts brought her to Clayton, who impressed her at first when he set the bowl ablaze and provided with a well lit room. Unfortunately he did not think about what kind of reaction his actions could've caused. He basically set off the trap that may or may not have claimed the life of one of their comrades. Even Zyra was in a tight spot for a moment thanks to that trap, surrounded by snakes she would've been seriously hurt if Klaud did not assist her fending the reptiles off. She will have to keep a close eye on the hunter indeed. But even though the hunter might pose a threat she needs him and his skills if they want to make it out of this deathtrap.
Klaud's thoughts were all over the place but then snapped back in the moment, seeing Isaac was still struggling with the torch. With a whispering voice she spoke to him "Isaac, hand me the torch. We cannot afford to take ones pride into consideration when time is of an essence."
“Thanks, I appreciate it” he wheezed, passing the torch into his good hand.
"Klaud nodded and turned around “don’t mention it.”
Once the torch was passed on Isaac picked up speed. For an older fellow he wasn't as helpless as one might think at first glance. Klaud threw another glance below her, checking to see if Zyra and Clayton were still behind her. She saw both faces looking up as they were still climbing, yet still no word from Roger.
After a long climb upwards the quartet reached the end of the ladder. Isaac immediately sat down against one of the walls, the poor man was exhausted by the climb. Sweat drops were clearly visible even with the limited flickering light provided by the torch. Klaud got up the platform as well, although she tried not to let it show, the climb tired her out. Once the female general got some decent footing she turned to help Zyra get up safely. She extended her hand, which Zyra was glad to accept and got pulled up. After Zyra got up and sat down Klaud reached down for Clayton. The male hunter smiled in a way that made Klaud feel uncomfortable for a moment when he grabbed her hand. His grip on her hand was firm and was actually hurting Klaud. Even with her best attempt to hide it she still winced for a second.
"Thank you, my dear" He said with a specific tone and the same spooky smile on his face. " Lets not sit around too long and find the exit of this place".
Klaud did not like it but he was right. This place was dangerous, both Zyra and Isaac are tired. And even though the creature Zyra kept up a brave face she was struggling. " He is right, we cannot sit here too long. Roger is a fine soldier, i am sure he will catch up. Can you both walk ?"
Isaac provided words of comfort to her ears " Of course I can walk, it takes more than a little climb to stop me from completing this quest." The one armed man got up and dusted himself off a bit.
Zyra seemed inspired by the older man's words and got up as well " Yes I can go on, don't you worry about me." she said confident. Even though Layton did not seem to impressed he refrained from speaking as he looked down the dark hallway that was in front of them.
" Very well, I'll take point. Followed by Zyra and Isaac. Clayton i would like you to take the back and keep an eye out for any sign of Roger's return. Also, everyone keep an eye out for traps. Don't do anything rash."
None of her companions seemed to have anything against her plan and with that order they started to walk through the hallway. Their pace was slow and steady. Klaud did not intent to set up another trap, especially in a hallway like this. She felt a hand on her shoulder stopping her from walking, she turned her head to Zyra who's hand was stopping Klaud. "Careful, look at those stones" Zyra spoke as she nodded towards several stones that did not look like the others, another trap.
"That's a keen eye you got there, thanks. Everyone avoid these brownish stones, it's obviously a trap" Klaud said to the men of the group. Slowly and carefully everyone placed their feet in between the trapped stones. It was a moment of balance instead of speed. Luckily the trap ended after only three meters of those odd stones. They were able to follow the rest of the hallway without any difficulties.
It wasn't long before their next challenge appeared. The hallway led the group into a larger cave. Slowly they entered one by one as the torch lit up the cave. The room was damp and round, moss could be seen on the right side of the room, below it several puddles near the wall. In front of them was the exit. Could it really be this easy ? Klaud slowly approached the other side of the room followed by Zyra. When the duo were halfway across the room Isaac yelled from behind them. "Wait ! Look over there, above the exit." And there it was, a shadow was floating above the exit. Slowly moving up and down against the wall. The creature had its claws out and it's white eyes made it even stranger. Yet, it did nothing, it was just floating there. Zyra slowly started to approach it, Klaud not far behind her. The shadow creature did not move. With only a couple more meters to go a loud noise echoed through the cave.
*BLAM*
Rocks moved in every direction as from the centre of the shadow. Klaud turned her head and saw Clayton with a smoking gun. "There, problem fixed". Clayton's words were quickly followed by a high pitch shriek that emerged from the shadow as it quickly moved across the walls over to the floor towards the group. Klaud prepared herself and took a defensive pose. When the shadow approached her with high speed she saw it's hand emerge from the floor aiming for her feet. The veteran warrior did not wait to see what would happen and dodged it. Zyra had her new ally's back and smashed into the back of the shadow, yet it only cracked the floor as the shadow continued towards Clayton and Isaac.
*BLAM*
Another shot fired , leaving a hole in the floor. The creature was still going strong, shrieked once more and came at them full speed. Both men jumped away as the shadow passed them and went up the wall, coming around for another attack.
"How the bloody hell are we suppose to kill a shadow?" Layton shouted as his eyes followed the shadow moving quickly over the walls. At that same moment the cave started to shake slightly. Klaud noticed a collapsing noise coming from the hallway they original came from. Was that Roger ? did he fell for the trap ? There was no time as the shadow creature turned around for his next approach, this time heading straight for Isaac. This time the man did not intent to run, a small yet sharp blade emerged as he sidestepped the attackers approach and stabbed it into the back of the shadow. It continued to move leaving Isaac with his sword stuck in the floor. He quickly pulled it out and took a fighting stance.
" It's a Shadow ! Kill the light kill the shadow!" A voice shouted from the hallway. There stood Roger, Covered in dust and with his gun in his hand. He survived ! " Don't look at me ! The light, kill the damn light" His words woke up Klaud from her thoughts. She aimed the torch at one of the puddles at the side of the room and threw it towards it. As the torch flew through the sky the creature shrieked once more as it followed the torch as it disappeared within the water, turning the room into total darkness.
Silence followed after the light went out. "That was a brilliant idea, I don't know about you people but I am no nocturnal creature. How do you suggest we get out of this hell?" Clayton's words broke the silence with his sarcasm.
"Everyone meet at me, follow my voice and and walk carefully towards my direction" Klaud said. She started a hum for them to follow. The first hand touched her hip. "Found you."Zyra said. It didn't take too long for everyone to gather at Klaud.
"Everyone take hold of a part of my whip, we will create a train so we won't lose each other. And Roger, glad to have you back Soldier" She rolled out her whip and made sure everyone was holding it with. "Roger, could you provide us with one of those blasts ? We need a flash of light to see the exit"
"I am running low on ammo, i can spare one shot so keep your eyes open."
A single shot was fired and lit up the cave once more but only for a second. That second was enough to see where the exit was. The general started to walk towards that direction with her right hand on the whip and the left hand in front of her. She finally touched the wall.
"Alright, here it is. let's stick close to the wall."
For a while there was nothing but darkness, everyone was silent and uneasy. They could walk right into a trap and not even see it coming. Klaud's left hand moved over the rocks on her left when suddenly the rocks slowly transitioned to more carved stones. She slowed down the pace and moved her hand over the much less rougher exterior. She felt a ditch within the wall and with her touch a dark blue light emerged within the ditch, it moved along the wall and it split into two, into four, into eight. The light was following the ditches that seemed to be going all over the walls. Within seconds an entire hall was lit. The group looked around in awe. It was beautiful, a room with white stones covered in ditches that emitted the light. Just a couple of steps forward there was some sort of mirror facing them. Yet, they did not see themselves. Within the reflection they saw some of their comrades they lost within the temple. Klaud recognized Crow amongst them. It seemed they were fine and alive.
" What do you think these symbols represent? " Roger said standing next to a pillar filled with strange symbols
"I don't know and I don't like it. Just don't touch anything before we search this room. And Clayton do not shoot anything"
What was this room, and why were they able to see the others ? The questions kept piling up.
Re: Secondary Saga - Phase 3 - Gamzee Makara - 08-18-2015
Quote:GROUP 4
Ha. Hahaha.
Ha.
I detect some manner of venom in our extravagant Captain's words. It would seem I am not held in the highest of regards. So be it. it would not be the first time I am forced to work with charlatans. For now, my motives align with his and every other person's in this room.
Not much is said after this little exchange. Without another word, we move into the strangling darkness, the robot's torch our only source of light. The hall in which we travel through is dusty and decrepit. I question how many centuries it's been since someone has set foot in this god forsaken place. My hand falls to the luminous pistol at my hip. I remove her from her holster and admire the warm blue glow Boomhilda emits. I slowly pull the slide back.
*ka-chik*
Crow jumps at the sound, hand already on the hilt of his weapon. When he realizes it is me he rolls his eyes and keeps moving.
We come to a four way intersection. Several thoughts cross my mind.
"I suggest we take the left path. The layout of such ruins are often never as simple as going straight, and I do not think that-"
I hold up a hand in silence.
Ach mein Gott what is that?
Something is moving. Something is being dragged along the stone ground of the temple. The sound it makes - like sandpaper on brick. It is less than unpleasant. Something tells me this something is quite large and inevitably dangerous to our likelihood of survival. I lower my voice to just above a whisper.
"I do not think that any of you wish to meet what calls the right path its home."
Nothing more to be said about that. We take a left, a left that in turn, takes us down a flight of stairs. I was hoping that our path would take us up and out, not down and dead. At any rate, we reach the bottom of the spiraling stairwell. Before us, another straight away. I think I may see a rather large doorway ahead, but the gloom is too much. I cannot tell for certain.
I was genuinely curious as to the lack of traps so far. We had been wandering blindly for a good twenty minutes or so, you would think that the ancients would-
*ka-snip*
Oh dear.
Un blasted tripwire! A rather large axe bursts out of a hidden wall compartment, swinging in such an arch that it clearly seeks to pin me up as a new wall decoration. How quaint. I barely see the blade coming, but that doesn't mean I have time to avoid it. I start to-
OOF!
All the wind is knocked out of my stomach as Colonel Jan Templar tackles me from behind, knocking me out of the reach of death's scythe. The huge axe sinks into the old stone of the wall, making a loud, screeching, crashing racket as it does. Dust shakes from the ceiling at the impact of the blow. We are all silent for a moment. IRIS floats curiously above my head, torch in hand. Crow raises an eyebrow at my prone figure. Jan rises, offering me a hand up as he does so. I nod my thanks. Just as we are about to calmly take our leave, we hear something else.
A sound I have never heard of before, and hope I never will again. Behind us, in the direction of the staircase, a guttural roar consistent of something akin to pain and suffering. And then, a second beastly screech. I assume this one is a death threat.
"Down the hall! Now!"
Jan yells, pointing down the corridor. He does not have to tell me twice. Boomhilda in hand, I make a break for the end of the passageway. As IRIS' light floats forward, I see that there is indeed a large stone doorway at the end. Two statues of archaic creatures border the entrance. Hopefully there are not more of these beasts waiting ahead.We take off at a dead sprint, huffing and puffing like steam engines. Another roar - it's getting closer.
I was not foolish enough to think that that axe was the only danger in this long stretch of hallway. I simply do not care at this current moment. Adrenaline mounting, our merry band sets off all manner of lethal traps. Spikes jumping out from walls, darts laced with no doubt some ancient poison, another axe or three, and even a verdammt flamethrower! Yes, at the end of the passage, Crow is the first to make it through the door, but not before stepping on a pressure plate that caused flames to erupt from maws of those insipid stone carvings! I cry out, at the last minute executing a dolphin dive over the top of the fire. I slide into my landing. I stand up, only to find that ACH SCHEIßE I AM ON FIRE!
I quickly pat out the flames on my outfit, lucky that none had caught on my skin. I look around, only to find that Crow has positioned himself on a lever. What it does, I cannot even hope to know.
"Come on with it Lads!"
He hurries the others on. IRIS, for all it is worth, simply floats hurriedly through, paying no mind to the flames. Jan dives over the flames similar to the way I did, and our Nephilim friend simply vaults over the fire, strange girl in his arms. He lands in a crouch, very dramatically. Crow pulls the lever, and a large stone slab slams into the ground where the doorway once was. Another monstrous howl that sickens mein stomach.
I think I prefer the undead.
I take a glance at our fearless Captain.
"How did you know that lever would save us?"
"I didn't."
Well there you have it.
I take a moment to glaze over this new room. IRIS' torch illuminates most of it, but not all. We are in a large circular chamber, much like the one that we all first encountered with the main group. However, as our robotic companion floats around, I see...bleachers? What? Was this some sort of stadium? I look around more, and see a raised stone protrusion on the far wall. At the top sits very elaborately carved stone chair. A throne perhaps?
We all take a moment to assess whatever new scars the traps had left us. An axe caught my left shoulder. I have a rather nasty gash to match the bruise on my right. Wunderbar. I also tripped and fell in the initial moments of my sprinting, causing a burning scrape on my right knee.
I begin to check on the status of the others, but am interrupted by more pressing matters. There is a very loud, very admittedly terrifying banging on the stone door. Then, another bloodcurdling roar.
Frantically, we all begin to search for an exit, some way that we can escape having to fight this monstrosity in our current conditions.
Suddenly, un VERDAMMT AXE breaks through the stone door! That bastard has ripped an axe out of the wall and is breaking down the door with it as if it was wood! The search becomes even more frantic, and both Jan and Grave suggest fighting the beast. That is, until I see an option. Our only option.
"IRIS! Go pull that lever!"
I point to a lever sitting atop the wall protrusion, next to the stone throne. IRIS nods that she understands, and quickly flies off to carryout the order. I do not know what it will do, but it is better than-
krakak-chank
Before I know what is happening, the ground gives way beneath my feet, and with the screams of my falling companions, I shout to the robot,
"FALSCHE HEBEL!"
Quote:Translations:
Verdammt = Fucking
Ach mein Gott = Oh my god
Falsche Hebel = Wrong Lever
SCHEIßE = FUCK/SHIT
Wunderbar = wonderful/great
Re: Secondary Saga - Phase 3 - Jak Mar - 08-18-2015
Quote:Group 4
I look to our group and quietly turned to view our party. Seems like IRIS was the first to pick up the torch. I watched our group from the backside when I hear a "ka-chink" noise and it forced me to pay attention. "Shit... who was that- Oh. Perhaps I should do the same.... "
As we make it toward a four way intersection, we stop and a large roar and I follow quickly left to take a turn and then down a spiraling staircase.
Maybe i wanted to mutter something to the German doc but that would have to wait considering he stepped on a TRIPWIRE?!
I jump over and knock Richthofen to the side as a large axe slams right into the wall. I pulled him up and asked if he was alright. So much for being careful around this place...
"FUCK, Everyone DOWN THE HALL NOW!" I screamed in my commanding voice as our group kept running. Our troubles didn't seem to end. After the Doc seemed to put on fire, and everything was fine there but another roar disturbed my thoughts. Our group ran into a ...gym of some sort.. and the lever sent us down a hole.
If I ever said how annoying falling down a hole was, I think I know now. I shouted while falling "SHIIIIIIIIT, Wrong LEVER!"
Where we would fall... I'm not even sure... but I heard the sound of water. I landed in as I caught myself before i hit the water with a "KERSPLASH"
Behind me, I heard Captain Crow land on his feet, the Doc right behind me, Grave and Alice after him and .... IRIS? The robot must have still been near that lever..
I looked at everyone, but i couldn't see too much light. Who knew what would happen now that IRIS was up there with the torch and we were down there where we couldn't see anything.
"Considering our light source is up there, and we are down here. Let's figure out what to do next. We already seem to attract trouble. Is IRIS going to leave us here or is he going with us?"
Re: Secondary Saga - Phase 3 - Demetri Malius - 08-18-2015
I listened to the others as they all introduced themselves. Crow was the pirate, Jan the soldier, the doctor preffered its last name, Richtoffen, and the other was grave, a nephilim, not a vampire like his friend, but I was close, sort of. As Grave picked up his companion I remembered my fusion capabilities, but thought twice about it. I didn't really want a vampire all up in my insides. My HUD continued to flicker. Damn goblin. Carefully looking away from the others, who were being tended to be the doctor, I tried turning on my night vision and increase my light brightness. They would be much more helpful than the stupid torch they were left with. I watched as they quickly switched on and flickered tremendously...
Error. Energy source malfunction.
I hate goblins. I quickly checked around to make sure nobody saw, for the sake of my embarrassment. Luckily, nobody did, and the doctor seemed to finish his rounds. Crow stood up and handed me the torch. I extended my metal arm out, grasping it while my metal fingers dug into the wood. It seemed that we were heading out. Everyone quickly walked down the dark halls as I waved the torch around. fun little thing it was, although it gave very little comfort with its small light. The areas where both my blue hue and the torch light reached showed purple, which was tremendously interesting, until the doctor set off a tripwire.
Danger: Initiating evasive maneuvers.
Easy, I quickly dodged the swinging ax with no effort. I heard a shuffle and looked below me. I had forgotten I had allies. Jan seemed to have just saved the doctors life, but there was no time for thank you. Someone shouted to run as they heard snarls and roars from the stairs behind them. Well, float for me.
We swiftly moved between the next traps, avoiding each one as it wizzed past our sound recognition mechanisms. The doctor managed to catch on fire, but quickly put it out as he continued to follow as, just slightly behind. We came upon a dead end, but pulled a lever, opening a stone door which we quickly wet through as it shut on the creature behind us. We come upon a room with bleachers and a throne. It almost seemed like some kinda of arena. Axes swung from many places, and we frantically searched for another way out. I heard the doctor cal out to me to pull a lever, and I quickly did so, without hesitation.
Screams were heard about the wrong lever from behind me, and I turned to see a gaping hole in the center of the room, with my allies nowhere in sight. and a ferocious creature standing mere meters away from me. I quickly made the decision to make a break for the hole, ignoring my warning mechanisms. Before I can make it, the creature swipes at me, forcing me to drop the torch down the hole as I'm thrown to the bleachers. My vision flickers for a moment before the room lights up in a dark green hue. My night vision came back? I guess all it needed was a little nudge for the electronics. My light did not however, brighten, so some things still needed some obvious tune ups.
I checked my damages in an instant, which seemed to be just some dents in my armor, as I looked at the creature. Nobody was able to get a good glimpse of it while running with a low light giving torch, but once my eyes set on it, I wanted to vomit my gears. What the hell is that? It seemed to some twisted mix between a man, bear, and pig. A manbearpig, if you wish. I quickly floated back up as it snarled and snorted at me. There were still a few active swinging axes around the room. I quickly switched my lasers to single shot mode.
Switching lasers to single shot mode.
The MBP lunged at me, and I quickly dodged to the right, pumping the beast full of shots of red beams as it tore into the seats. It seemed to take no damage. Shit. I quickly made another break for the hole. Only to get lunged at and swiped again. I collided with an ax, which scraped my side as I was slammed against the wall once more. Damn, that thing is fast, and deadly. At least that made my lights come on. Maybe I should get hit more often. My night vision then died out. Or not. There only one way to get it out of my way.
Switching lasers to pulse mode.
I charged straight at the beast, keeping my blue light fixed on it, as my pulse began warming up. The creature gave a look of anger as it charged towards me. It came so close I could see my blue eye in the reflection of its own before I heard my alert.
Charging complete. Firing.
I watched as the beast was propelled backwards, the shockwave forcing it to slam against an ax, tearing into its side. It oinked in pain and anger as I escaped down the hole.
"That was the most disgusting creature I have ever seen." I casually spoke as I reunited with my allies.
Re: Secondary Saga - Phase 3 - Zack Fair - 08-18-2015
Quote:Group 1: Christa,Urg,Bucky,Abner
At the end of the hallway there was a room with significantly more space, even if it was just as poorly lit. Abner was able to slow himself to a jog, and then a stop near the entrance of this room, taking a few deep breaths. Somehow he hadn't lost his cigarette in that chaos, but he was already thinking about how he didn't plan on running like that again, if he didn't have to. Even more importantly, though, he just couldn't express enough how much hell he was going to raise when he got back to Coruscant.
Frustrated beyond belief, he turned around to see Bucky and Urg approaching him and immediately frowned. He didn't see Christa anywhere. What happened wasn't too hard to guess: she was either too slow or hadn't paid attention to the blades. Of this group, she was the only one he could somewhat stand, so he figured it was worth it to make sure. Though Bucky had stopped by now, Urg appeared to still be in full sprint. Abner dismissed it as just the zombie getting away from the traps.
"What happened to the gir-"
Abner's question was cut short by his undead companion slamming into him like a freight train. The stormtrooper was stunned by his supposed ally's sudden turn, not to mention his sheer momentum, and he was very quickly knocked off his feet and onto his back, with the creature right on top of him. Abner was jabbed by the dull end of several of the weapons that were impaled in the creature, which he quickly realized was the best case scenario, here. The zombie's snarling jaws were close to his face, and Abner had to keep his left forearm against Urg's neck just to hold him back from feasting on the only being of flesh in sight.
"That didn't take long, you son of a bitch!" the stormtrooper snarled as he struggled against the the zombie, trying to collect his bearings. He could feel blood flowing from his head as a result of his impact with the stone floor.
Abner was furious, yet he immediately knew his own severe disadvantage. Bucky was dismissive, the droid writing off Abner and Urg's interactions as typical human intimacy, although slightly out of place. Abner was on his own this time. He felt the burning of his arm as every nerve in his mutilated limb screamed at the pressure the zombie was placing on it, so shortly after he had roughly patched it up. Luckily, he still had a perfectly functional right arm, which he decided to put to use.
With all the force he could muster, Abner threw punch after punch at the zombie's face, enough that his own fist was starting to badly hurt from the repeated impacts. Urg paused, momentarily ceasing his attempted assault about the same time Abner was deciding he couldn't stand another impact with this thing's skull. The zombie almost looked like it was hesitating and trying to control itself, but Abner wrote it off as the thing being stunned from the repeated strikes to the face. In any case, he knew to act while he had the moment, so he shoved the zombie back and then kicked it in the gut with both legs, which sent it stumbling away.
Urg landed on his feet, and stumbled the opposite direction. Abner, meanwhile, rolled to his stomach and brought himself to his hands and knees, coughing and shaking his head as he did. Abner could only climb to his feet as the zombie appeared to shamble over towards where they had come from.
"Good work, Bucky," Abner groaned, sarcastically. He was so over this assignment. "Solid teamwork."
He couldn't believe what he saw next. Christa was here now, bloodied and battered. How in the hell she had managed to claw her way through those traps after they were deployed was completely beyond him, but she looked like she'd taken a hell of a beating in doing it. More importantly, the zombie had taken the approach of any smart predator, and was going for the easier prey.
Christa was in no condition to stop the zombie from approaching her, having collapsed from her own adventure over the abyss. Urg was nearly on top of her but then, suddenly, he stopped.
Not that it was the undead's choice. His legs continued to move, but his feet simply dragged across the floor and didn't move him anywhere. He looked confused for a second, but a quick glance over his shoulder and he saw the cause.
Abner had grabbed two of the spears protruding from the zombie's back in his hands, and was using all his strength to hold the zombie in place. At the first sound resembling a snarl from Urg, Abner leaned back and spun one hundred eighty degrees, hurling the zombie into the room. He dropped to a kneel, exhausted and drained from the effort it took to try and deal with this thing, but Urg was back on his feet as soon as could be.
Afraid of another inexplicable charge forward, Abner drew his pistol and aimed it at Urg. His sights were lined up and the front bead was right at the creature's center mass. The irony that now he was the one aiming at the zombie wasn't lost on him, but was just thankful that he didn't have twenty people screaming at him to put the gun away at the moment.
Urg, however, appeared to think the opposite. The zombie shambled forward a few steps, but then paused. Despite it's decaying flesh, Abner could see something of a new expression on it's face. It was less aggressive, and though it was still looking at the two humans like they would be a fine snack, it had that same look when it wasn't attacking them.
Abner lifted himself up a bit, staying crouched as he moved back towards Christa. One thing was for certain, she needed help. With the zombie under control for now, Abner figured it would be best to try and get her patched up. He dropped back to his knees beside her.
Slowly, he lowered his sidearm, watching the zombie as he did. He didn't holster it, but instead set it on the ground so that he could quickly have it back in his hands if he needed. Whatever was preventing him from blowing this thing's brains out like so many other mindless drones he'd dealt with in his career was beyond him, but it was powerful at the moment. It was just a zombie, but it had displayed more sentience that he'd ever seen in one of them, which was enough to make him temporarily hesitate. Regardless, his will to live was stronger, and one wrong move would spring him to action.
Abner slung the rucksack around again and carefully pulled the disorganized medical supplies from it. He checked Christa's wounds quickly, noting the severity of them. He wasn't remotely close to being a trained medic, but he could stop the bleeding at minimum. While he got to work on her injuries he kept glancing at the zombie, making sure it wasn't about to lose whatever mind it had again. With any luck, Bucky was keeping an eye on it, too.
"Hang in there, I can help a little bit," Abner said in what passed as his comforting voice. Still, he couldn't help but throw in something a little more reassuring. "One thing about us stormtroopers is we don't leave anyone behind."
Re: Secondary Saga - Phase 3 - The Grey Man - 08-19-2015
Each sprinting step slamming harder against the dark stone than the last, I looked to catch up to my comrades. In the distance, I could see they’d slowed down a bit. From the dim light of our torch a few meters ahead, I could see the group focusing intently on the floor; I wondered if maybe there was something up ahead I’d want to check out as well. They didn’t stop for any of whatever it was, though, so I figured I could just ask them.
Unfortunately, they broke back into a rushed stride, and I saw from watching them that the end of the passageway opened into a large cavern. I wondered what kind of strange architects had made this place, to just have a mostly-unhewn cavern in the middle of their weird pseudo-meso-American temple complex… Ah well. Just another thing to dwell on later. For now, I decided it would be better to pick up the pace. I didn’t much like being apart from the group.
As I approached them, roughly midway down the corridor, I heard Isaac shout something in the distance. I looked and saw something moving in the darkness up ahead. My eyes widened, my heart quickened. I didn’t want to be right about what the thing before me was. Then again, it was a type of trans-dimensional being. It could be anywhere, anytime… And that included ‘right here, right now’.
I picked up the pace; Clayton shot a round towards the thing on the wall. I did the same thing, back when I first encountered an Umbranoid back during our assault on Ceres, so I couldn’t blame him… but unbeknownst to him, all that really does is piss them off—and they’re dangerous enough even without rage burning in their hearts.
It was then, as I sprinted, that I realized why the others had been so slow-moving during their own trek down this way; my foot had activated countless pressure plates before my mind even registered that they were being pressed. I decided it’d be better to try to outrun whatever was about to happen rather than sit around and wait for it. The deafening sounds of crumbling, crashing stone behind me gave me a good idea of what I’d accidentally done, though. The din of the tunnel’s collapse drowned out the sounds of my comrades’ struggle against the Umbranoid—or Living Shadow, as they were more commonly known.
As I emerged from the end of the hallway, the last bits of debris flew outwards, bits of tiny stone and dust covering me. I held in my cough long enough for a shout of advice: “It’s a shadow! Kill the light, kill the shadow!”
Klaud turned and stared at me for a moment; she looked pretty relieved to see me. I appreciated it, really, but this just wasn’t the time. “Don’t look at me!” I barked, knowing full well what these beasts were capable of, “The light! Kill the damn light!”
Reacting without thinking, the whip-wielding lady tossed the torch into a nearby puddle. Darkness consumed the room. I was hoping she’d just, like, drop it and put it out with her foot or something so we could re-light it later, but I didn’t blame her—I already knew that everything else they’d tried was a failure from my own experience back on Ceres. God, I fucking hate Living Shadows.
"That was a brilliant idea,” I heard Clayton remark somewhat sarcastically. “I don't know about you people but I am no nocturnal creature. How do you suggest we get out of this hell?" I tried not to laugh at that; the supposedly cool-headed gentleman showing his frustration for once. “Yeah, we could use some dynamite about now,” I snarked back to him, hoping that maybe some small humor would calm his nerves.
Klaud didn’t acknowledge him at all. Smart move; last thing we needed was to be at each others’ throats. "Everyone meet at me, follow my voice and and walk carefully towards my direction." she said instead, breaking out into a charming little hummed ditty. It didn’t take me long to find my way to her; my hand, extended out from chest level, met with her shoulder… Huh. I didn’t think she was that short. She seemed a lot taller when she was fighting. “Everyone take hold of a part of my whip,” she instructed us. I bumped into what I assumed to be the little alien, Zora, and whispered an apology as we all blindly tried to take hold of the situation.
“And Roger?” she said to me specifically. “Glad to have you back, soldier.”
“Thanks! Glad to be back.”
At her request, I illuminated the pitch-dark cave with my laser pistol. She started walking, and we, like some sad group of dumb animals, were led onwards.
“So, I admit, I’m curious,” Clayton said from behind me, “how do you know that turning the light off actually killed that thing?”
“Well,” I answered honestly, “it didn’t. We just don’t have to deal with it anymore”
“What?”
“That type of creature… I’ve encountered them before. My unit and I. We were taking a small base on the planet Ceres, located just outside our own solar system and… Well, the short version is that they are creatures that can inhabit and move through the spaces between worlds. They manifest as patches of darkness as they move along surfaces in our universe, and can snatch prey into their own plane. It was explained to me much more in-depth, but I never really paid much attention in science class,” I joked.
“I see,” the hunter said, suddenly sounding intrigued. “How much do you think something like that would sell for, if you could bag one?”
“Ha!” I liked that question a lot. Talk about ambition. “Well, you’d be the first to catch one if you managed it. People in my own Verse have tried everything, from particle traps to dimensional anchoring fields. They just don’t stay caught.”
“Ahh…” He sounded quite disappointed with my answer. “That still doesn’t explain how turning off the lights gets rid of them.”
“Oh, right, that.” I chuckled. “Well, again, I’m afraid that I’m no scientist, but it has some kind of something to do with quantum entanglement. Apparently it doesn’t ever actually ‘die’ so much as it stops being able to exist in a particular place and time. ‘Banishment’ would be a better word. We didn’t actually get rid of the thing at all, we just sent it somewhere else in this universe.”
“Hopefully somewhere far away,” Isaac chimed in somewhat dryly. I chuckled. These guys and Klaud seemed pretty cool. The little xenomorphic lifeform hadn’t said much between us, but Klaud seemed pretty attached, so I figured she was alright too.
Our conversation came to an abrupt end, however, as Klaud’s wall-hugging caused some touch-activated lights to activate. They spread all along the area up ahead, sliding through grooves, seeming to infinitely reproduce without stopping as the initial bead of light traveled along its track. I marveled; was this the “magic” of this world that people had long told me about?
There were pillars with odd looking symbols all around, and just before us was a looking glass, only it didn’t show us… From a different viewing angle, it showed—Crow! The German fellow as well! We gathered around it, wondering what should be done…
My eyes once more wandered over to the symbols on the pillar. Perhaps they were some manner of operating instructions? Maybe they’d allow us to communicate with the other group, or make their journey easier, or… Heck, anything really. It’s magic.
“Hey Klaud,” I called. Her head whipped from the looking glass almost immediately. “What do you think these symbols represent?”
“I don't know and I don't like it,” she said bluntly. “Just don't touch anything before we search this room. And Clayton, do not shoot anything.”
Uh oh. There’s the back-sass. “Hey now, to be fair, ‘shoot it’ is a pretty good way to deal with, I dunno, 99% of dangerous creatures you don’t recognize,” I said, defending the hunter’s reasonable apprehension at the Umbranoid’s refusal to simply die.
“As for these runes, though…” I trailed off. I couldn’t make heads or tails of them. My eyes decided to wander, instead, towards the grooves in the wall that held the little sources of all the room’s light. They appeared to still be replicating, following the grooves off of the walls and onto the roof, headed towards the center of the ceiling now. They met within seconds, stopping at a central point located just above the mirror. I could see bolts of white energy crackling within this sphere.
A low hum—like someone gently flicked a tuning fork—filled the room, issuing from the orb of light directly above the window to our long-lost friends. “Um, Klaud,” I said, pointing to the eldritch catalyst buzzing above us, “I think it’s too late for ‘do not touch’. Look!”
All of our heads craned upwards; the sphere began to shift, to change, and to grow before our eyes. “Oh shit,” I muttered. The mysterious orb grew in size and in the intensity of its luminescence; soon, we could scarcely open our eyes at all for fear of being blinded. The low hum quickly took a crescendo into a maddening, high-pitched whine that drowned out even our own confused screaming.
Then, just as suddenly as it had happened, it stopped. I glanced around; the lights had returned to their former dimness, and the humming had returned to the low monotone that had brought us comfort just moments ago.
The room seemed… Different, now. Bigger, I suppose. I turned and looked around, taking note of everything…
“Wait a minute…” I said, motioning to the area just behind us. “… Wasn’t the door over here a minute ago?”
“What?” Isaac answered me, gazing at where we’d made our entrance, just as confused as I was. “I-it was there just a minute ago!”
“I know,” I said, before turning my gaze back to the looking glass. “But now,” I said, pointing to the iron portcullis that, mere moments ago, had not been there, “now, there’s a door over there.”
“Alright,” Clayton said, rolling his eyes and crossing his arms in a much more obvious show of frustration than a while ago, “no. I refuse to play these little games any longer.” And with that, he stormed over to the portcullis, and, with all of his body, began trying to lift the thing. “Well,” he said, looking hard at the lot of us, “are you going to help me or aren’t you?”
“Yeah, worth a shot,” I said, going over to assist. I had a feeling that the two of us wouldn’t be stronger than whatever mechanism held the gate in place, but on the other hand, the place was pretty old, so you never know with these kinds of things. “So what if we can’t lift it?” I asked him.
“Oh, we’ll lift it,” was his only reply. Fair enough.
With much grunting and heaving, sweat forming upon our brows, we pushed as Isaac studied the mirror. Klaud took a look at Zora’s wounds nearby. “Guys!” Isaac called after just a moment. “Guys, let me help!”
He sounded rather worried about something as he came over, and, with his one arm, started trying with all the might he could muster to lift the gate. The thing still refused to budge. I wished that I could do more as we struggled against it, but with my injuries it was already difficult just to move.
“Oh, this is bad,” Isaac muttered under his breath. “Klaud! Klaud, please! Come help us!” he cried. The stress in his voice was palpable now. I nudged him between attempts. “What’s wrong, Isaac?”
Then I heard it. A harsh, rattling sound, from the center of the room…
From the mirror. As if something had hit it—and hard. The sound rang out a second time. Klaud looked to it, then to me. I quickly motioned for her and Zora to come join us as a third loud bash! echoed through the chamber, this one accompanied by a cracking sound.
The five of us began to lift, with all our might, as the sound of glass crashing could be heard behind us… Our arms and bodies shook feverishly, with the sweat of hard labor coating our bodies. The fucking thing just wouldn’t move! Clayton growled at the damnable contraption, shaking the bars of the portcullis in one final fit of frustration before forcing himself back into composure. Klaud looked to him, then to Isaac, whose eyes were fixed firmly upon the mirror, his breathing ragged and tense. I fell to one knee as my own energy failed me, now out of breath and wheezing, my chest feeling like it was on fire; Zora similarly slumped against the wall, and, looking behind us, the small creature's face lit up with what I really hoped I was just misreading as fear due to her being a different species.
“Oh, I don’t think you’ll get it open like that,” lilted a mocking, yet familiar sounding voice from behind us. I turned my head as best as I could, and sighed heavily. Standing in the room with us, leaning upon the shattered mirror-frame, was... us. All of us, only... different, somehow. Their skin was a ruddy greyish white, and their eyes were pitch black in their entirety. "I think you'll be needing this before that pesky little thing will move for you," the voice--the other Klaud--snarked at us, brandishing a small iron key. I glanced around the frame of the portcullis; the keyhole was just to the left of the arch that the lattice gate was set in. "Of course," I muttered, "how beautifully cliche of whoever built this place..."
I sighed, rolling my neck back and forth and looking into my own clone's eyes.
His hair was way less cool.
Re: Secondary Saga - Phase 3 - Dark Link - 08-19-2015
Quote:Group 3
Battered and bruised, Lyra had initially remained quiet during the exchange between her random companions. This wasn't because it was in her nature to be this way — quite the contrary. But as the panic and rush of recent events finally began to subside, cultural shock set in. Talking horses, wooden boys and iron men....to the Hylian girl, the sheer existence of such beings was simply awe-inspiring. So much so that she failed to register the goblin's presence....or his attempt to swipe some of her belongings.
After Grobdum was caught in the act, Lyra quickly scolded him and prompted the group to get moving. In truth, she wanted to do far worse to the petite mage, but refrained from doing so — she didn't want the others to see her face flushed due to embarrassment. For a thief, there was little more humiliating than to be robbed herself.
Advancing through the empty hallways, their journey came to a rather quick halt when Pinocchio noticed an artificial crevice on one of the walls. Though not quite as optimistic about the chances of it being an exit, the street urchin did suspect it was at least a hidden entrance — and in their predicament, any possibility was worth exploring. Nodding firmly, the blonde girl added: "Assuming we can't open it directly, there must be a switch somewhere nearby. Let's examine the walls!"
The orange robot gave the more straightforward approach a shot and attempted to pry the section open by tugging the ghoulish tongue. As expected, the entrance did not budge, eliciting a sigh from Top Man. The rest examined the nearby walls, Pinocchio holding the torch high so as to make the environment more visible. Their hands and hooves ran across the carvings — images of distant events and long forgotten deities.
Removing one of her gloves, Lyra traced her fingers across the rough surface, sensing even the most minute deviations and inconsistencies in the stone. She knew from experience that well-designed switches were extremely difficult to activate by accident and that it required applying pressure to a very specific point in order to trigger them. They were also quite difficult to locate — to the naked eye, they were practically indistinguishable from the rest of the object they were built into.
But fortune smiled upon her as she felt a section that protruded slightly more than the rest of the wall — a carving, representing a starlit sky. Grinning, Lyra put her glove back on. Placing both of her palms on the center of the image, she mustered all her strength and firmly pressed against it. It worked, the carving moving back under pressure. Her companions were startled when the hidden mechanism began to loudly rumble and the stone entrance slowly opened, revealing a dimly-lit hallway behind it.
Raw Onion did not fail to notice that this was the pointy-eared girl's doing. In her typical upbeat fashion, the pegasus approached her and saluted: "Well done, Lyra!"
"It was no big deal," the teen responded, awkwardly scratching her head and laughing softly at the pony's almost excessive gesture. Having caught this exchange on camera, Top Man noted that the live feed became filled with heart icons and permutations of the words 'cute' and 'adorable', though there were a few angry or vulgar comments thrown in as well. For whatever reason, plenty of fleshies seemed to like small and pretty individuals and objects. The orange Robot Master didn't particularly care — as long as it boosted his views, he was going to focus on whatever his audience desired.
With that obstacle taken care of, the group entered the previously concealed hall. Mysteriously, it was adorned with burning torches...almost as though someone was expecting that the secret hallway would be discovered. Fearing a trap, they proceeded with caution. Not wishing to get stuck in the dark again, both Lyra and Top Man each grabbed a torch of their own as the unlikely companions proceeded towards an intersection.
What awaited them just around a corner was not a snare, though it caught them by surprise all the same. Blocking their path ahead was a woman...or at least something that appeared like a woman. She wore a long red leather jacket and a collar on her neck. Her eyes could not be seen as they were covered by large elliptical steel plates. The locks and strands of her long white hair formed several arms — the appendages extended all around her visage, most of them having orbs of various colours floating within their grasp. What truly shocked the group and the denizens of the Dataverse was the lower half of her body...or, rather, the fact that she did not have a lower half. Though something shined like starlight from within the shadows of her coat, she did not posses legs or even a stomach — her body simply floated in mid-air, like a bust sculpture that had come alive.
Awe-struck and terrified of this being, the group approached with extreme caution. Lyra in particular nervously gripped her weapon as they took steps towards the 'woman'. But the creature didn't show any hostile intentions. She continued to levitate in place, her hair appendages performing circular motions around their respective orbs. As they came near, she smiled in a kindly manner. Parting her lips, she addressed the motley crew, her voice resounding as though it could reach every corner of the cosmos:
"Greetings, travelers. I am Tzitzimitl, mistress of the stars.
By the will of the universe, I have the right to a sacrifice once every 52 years. It is for this reason that I have come down from the skies, ready to claim my lawful prize.
...The place you seek lies ahead and may only be reached through this path. However, I am not willing to let you pass...unless one among you is offered as tribute."
By the will of the universe, I have the right to a sacrifice once every 52 years. It is for this reason that I have come down from the skies, ready to claim my lawful prize.
...The place you seek lies ahead and may only be reached through this path. However, I am not willing to let you pass...unless one among you is offered as tribute."
"T-tribute..." uttered Raw Onion, her nervousness showing in spite of her steadfast nature.
"Hahahaha! Go wiv da wooden grot!" Grobdum exclaimed, pointing a small green finger at Pinocchio. This prompted a few dirty looks from the other companions as well as an anguished expression on the marionette's face.
The wooden boy shook his head and palms in a desperate attempt to avoid a terrible fate: "No, no! I...I wouldn't taste well! At most, I'd make a good toothpick!"
The goblin's statement particularly vexed Lyra — the fact that he seemed so eager and willing to throw one of their own comrades to the wolves struck a nerve. Turning around, anger burning within her blue eyes, she yelled at the shaman: "Are you volunteering, you oversized cucumber?!?!"
This managed to intimidate the green spellcaster into silence, and not just solely because of how forceful her reply was. The statement helped him come to the realisation that it was he who was under threat of ending up on the chopping block. Because of this, Grobdum very quickly became much less gung-ho about the whole prospect.
Their conversation was interrupted by a loud chuckle. It came from Tzitzimitl, though it didn't come off as mocking:
"It pleases me that you are so eager to fulfill my condition. But there is no need for such arguments....yet.
You see, I enjoy a good challenge. For millennia, I have challenged the supremacy of the Sun. My incessant attacks have sometimes even caused its divine rays to fade out during the day.
It is for this reason that I would like to challenge your wits. If you can answer three of my riddles correctly, then all of you may pass. If not, then you will have to deal with the conundrum you currently face. Does that sound agreeable?"
You see, I enjoy a good challenge. For millennia, I have challenged the supremacy of the Sun. My incessant attacks have sometimes even caused its divine rays to fade out during the day.
It is for this reason that I would like to challenge your wits. If you can answer three of my riddles correctly, then all of you may pass. If not, then you will have to deal with the conundrum you currently face. Does that sound agreeable?"
A moment of silence passed as the companions exchanged nervous glances; none of them were truly prepared for something like this. But always an optimist, Raw Onion encouraged her comrades: "Let's do it! If we put our heads together, I'm sure we could solve anything she throws at us!"
"You're right! And it's not like we have anything to lose if we try!" Lyra chimed in.
"Looks like this will be one heck of a game show, folks!," Top Man replied, hoping to get the crowd invested enough to help them with the task at hand.
"Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy..." Pinocchio stated, both anxiety and eagerness fighting for control over his being.
Meanwhile, Grobdum merely grunted under his breath. Considering the alternative, he had little choice but to play along.
Tzitzimitl grinned, her smile once again oddly genial. Once silence fell upon the hallway once more and the motley crew was listening intently, she replied:
"Excellent. Let us proceed. Here is my first riddle...
...What am I?"
Quote:...With clothes of green,
And bark of a dog,
Search me for the goods,
I sleep like a log...
...What am I?"
Everyone began to ponder regarding a possible solution. It seemed like something that should have been easy, but nonetheless, the answer eluded them. Even the Robot Master's subscribers tried their best to help, spamming the comment section with possible suggestions.
Pinocchio sighed — he never considered himself to be much of a 'thunker', so he didn't feel like he could be of much help. His eyes drooped from sadness...and that was when it hit him. The answer to the riddle was right in front of his nose....no, it was his nose!
"T-T-T-Tree! Tree! You are a tree!" the marionette yelled out, waving his arms in the thrill of the moment. His companions gasped at his sudden and determined intervention, but the woman in red merely chuckled:
"Correct. Well done. Keep your wits about you and you'll be fine. Now, onto the second riddle...
...What am I?"
Quote:...I am the black child of a white father,
a wingless bird, flying even to the clouds of heaven.
I give birth to tears of mourning in pupils that meet me,
even though there is no cause for grief,
and at once on my birth I am dissolved into air...
...What am I?"
Once more, a thoughtful silence overcame the group. This one was certainly harder than the last. Once again, the denizens of the Dataverse tried their best to help...but Top Man was no longer paying attention to his live feed. At this point, it was getting spammed so hard as to make trying to gleam any information out of it useless. Even after all this time, the robo-blogger continued to be amazed at the ability of fleshies to produce so much rubbish in such a short amount of time.
Raw Onion thought hard about what the solution could be. Initially, she thought the answer might have been 'onion', but she was quite certain no one would consider that a 'flightless bird'. She took a deep breath. The heavy air that pervaded the hallway wasn't helping their efforts. The smoke coming from the dozen or so torches only exasperated the issue, irritating her eyes and nostrils....and that's when it hit her.
"Smoke! You're smoke!" the pegasus confidently stated. Whereas her companions were flabbergasted by yet another sudden outburst, the white-haired entity chuckled once again:
"Very good. I see that some of you have good heads on your shoulders. You are almost there. Now, for your final riddle..."
Re: Secondary Saga - Phase 3 - Roger Smith - 08-19-2015
It was always the traps in these dusty old temples....always.
Crow was quick on his feet, even with his impeded physical condition and coordination, and by some miracle he'd been the first one to reach the end of the hallway in his mad dash away from the whatever it was bearing down on them. Unfortunately, even he didn't escape entirely unscathed from the trap-filled corridor. An axe had nearly taken off a leg, claiming a large chunk of his cape and many of his knives that had been strapped to it, and leaving behind a bloodied gash on the back of his leg as a further memento. A stumbling step over a pressure plate had sent him careening into a wall full of spikes...and earned him a handful of new puncture wounds.
They were more annoying than properly dangerous, but for the love of all that was decent, they hurt.
And all the collective noise from the traps and the noise their merry little band had made in their flight had left Crow's ears ringing. Silently cursing to himself, he slowly half-limped around the room, taking in the details. Sure looked like some kind of areana or other...which was a wonderfully morbid thought, especially considering what else was down here with them. On a good day, without all the wounds and bruises to contend with, Crow was fairly confident the assembled firepower of their group -- both figurative and literal -- would have been more than able to deal with whatever monstrosity was currently trying its damnedest to break down the door.
But this was most definitely not a good day.
"Normally I'd be all for fightin' off whatever beastie's knocking," he drawled. "But I think we'd best be thinking smart here; none of us are exactly in top shape anymore." At a suggestion from the good doctor, IRIS flies off to go pull a lever he pointed out. A sinking feeling dawns on the god captain, and he barely has the time to mutter, "Ah, sink me..." before the sound of the lever's activation mechanism kicked in, and the ground fell away.
Crow might be named after a bird, but he was definitely much less graceful in the air than one. He flailed about blindly in the rapidly-increasing darkness, before hearing first one splash, then landing with a rough impact himself. He landed mostly on his feet, but there was a distinct thudding crunch, accompanied by a bloody squelching noise, and a muffled howl of anguish, intermingled with a series of curses that indicated the landing wasn't exactly perfect.
Dimly the sounds of the other two -- the good doc and the Grave lad, along with, presmably, his lady friend -- splashed down somewhere nearby. There was a general round of varying indications and agreements that that was a fucking awful experience, and further agreements that not only was the water they'd landed in cold, it was thoroughly unpleasant to the touch -- slimy and disgusting -- and that it stank something awful down here.
"Well, mates...that could've gone better, aye?" He looked around, trying to get a sense of things, but IRIS -- along with their light source -- was still up above, and he couldn't see much of anything. "I'm all for figurin' out what to go abouts doin' next, mister Templar...but I don't rightly fancy doin' that when I can't see me own blasted hand in front o' me face." He wasn't intending to be as scathing as he was, but this entire adventure was beginning to wear on him a great deal. "Give us a minute to get the taste o' bilge outta our gullet and see if we can't get a picture o' where we are, before--"
The distinct sound of a scuffle from back up above, and the steadily-growing light breaks Crow's focus, drawing his attention upward....only to have his eyes lock onto the torch as it sails down the pit. With their generally awkward posture, no one is in any position to intercept it, though there is a collective sense of a mad scramble to grab it before--
plunk
ssshhh
The area is plunged into darkness, and there is a long moment of silence, save for the sounds of confrontation from the room above.
A sharp splash, as someone no doubt punches at the water in frustration, snaps the effectively-blinded group out of their collective daze just in time for another glow of light to wash across the area and IRIS to arrive, casually commenting on the encounter above.
"Well, glad ye could join us again, me bucko," Crow grumbled. "Let's get a look around while we got some light, before that beastie gets the bright idea to hop down and join us, see if we can't find us a way outta this rotten bilge hold."
With a general sense of unvoiced agreement, the group spreads out, poking through what is revealed to be a pit of slimy refuse, and the occasional slime-covered skeleton. Crow discovered, rather morbidly, that there grooved recesses in the floor of the pit containing countless spikes. Nasty, spear-looking things, long since rusted into place by years and watery corrosion, but it certainly explained the bones.
The general sounds of unpleasant discovery told Crow all that he needed to know about what his allies might be finding. But it was the dear doctor once again that came upon the solution. "And what have we here...?" was the only warning that came from the scientist before there was the sound of another mechanism activating.
And all at once, the walls of the chamber started to grind into motion, spinning about -- and nearly taking off the doc's hand, if his reaction was any indication. "Anyone else get the feelin' we really shoulda gone a different way at that intersection back a-ways...?" mused the good captain, keeping his eyes on the moving walls.
"I don't detect any immediate danger from this particular mechanism," IRIS interjected, slowly spinning in place, as if keeping an 'eye' on something in particular behind the wall. "It doesn't appear to be a trap this--"
"Belay that!" Crow barked, holding up a hand for silence. He listened intently, his eyes flicking this way and that, as if he'd seen something, before he all but exploded into motion, grabbing hold of Richtoffen and Jan by their collars, yanking them toward the center of the room, and bounding over to shove Grave and Alice back toward the center, just as the walls groaned and began to fall inward in sheets, collapsing onto the floor of the room with echoing crashes, shattering and utterly flattening anything in their way, and leaving only a very scarce area in the room's center safe from being reduced to a pulp.
"NOT A TRAP, Y'SAY?!" Crow barked out, over the continued rumbling, coughing on the thick clouds of dust and slimy mist raised by the commotion. "Then what'd ye call that?!"
"I believe I might call it a possible way out!" IRIS responded, the vision of the mechanical construct the least impeded by the obscuring clouds in the air.
"Yes, a way out! Just as I had predicted!" Richtoffen claimed, before succumbing to a cough of his own, waving one arm before him to try and get a clear breath. "Let's get going before somethng ELSE decides to try and kill us!"
There was no argument to the sentiment, and they all filed into the new passage, IRIS leading the way to light the otherwise pitch-black path.
Re: Secondary Saga - Phase 3 - Deadpool - 08-19-2015
Quote:Group 3
Grobdum, Lyra, Pinocchio, Raw Onion, Top Man
“Good job, Raw Onion!” Pinocchio cheered, and then pumped his fist.
“Yay!” Raw Onion did a backflip; her pink tail cylindered around body like a ribbon baton before she landed back on her hooves.
Lyra smiled faintly, but then groaned. “We still have one more riddle to solve,” she told the rest of the crew.
“Yes,” the deity confirmed; her head churned as it aligned with Lyra’s own, “you still have one more riddle.”
Pinocchio stole a glance of Top Man murmuring a long sentence to himself: “Will our United Nations of heroes be able to answer the final riddle correctly, or will one of them be sacrificed to the God of High Fives? Find out after this brief message from one of our sponsors.”
The metal eye levitating over Top Man’s shoulder blinked.
“Mull over this one: What lies in a bed, and stands in bed/ First white, then red/ The plumper it gets, the better the old woman likes it?” Tzitzimitl asked.
Grobdum burst out cackling. “A ooman’s dick!” he exclaimed.
The rest of the group shot the goblin looks of disdain (Top Man’s levitating eye even turned, letting out a minute screech as it stared intently towards Grobdum).
“Is that your final answer?” the deity inquired.
A wind howled, and blew passed the group; the torches on either side of the corridor suddenly went flameless, each exhaling one final trail of smoke before dying and reincarnating into charry scents. Same with the torches Top Man and Lyra held, and Pinocchio’s homemade torch. All three of them tossed them to the ground.
“Please, no!” Raw Onion pleaded. “That crazy guy doesn’t speak for all of us!”
“How much time do we have to deliberate?” Lyra asked.
“I will give you a few moments,” the deity replied, “but I do know have all day.”
“I propose a huddle-up!” Top Man suggested.
His levitating eye chirped and blinked.
The group came together in the form of a hollow circle, layering either arm over the shoulders belonging to the person next to them. Raw Onion maneuvered her body to fit between Lyra and Pinocchio, careful not to tip her hat over.
“Which one of our heroes will discover the answer to the riddle?” Top Man asked.
Pinocchio was uncertain who Top Man was talking to—his metallic metal eye and all the adoring fans watching, or the group—, but he didn’t know the answer to the riddle.
His eyes scanned across the visages of his allies hoping to find a twinkle in one of their pupils. One of those clever looks of know-it-all. None existed. All of them held similar looks of perplexity, glancing into the faces of one another, just as Pinocchio did.
“This is a tough one,” Raw Onion muttered after biting her bottom lip.
The levitating eye beeped and booped, and Top Man pulled his head up to stare at it. “A peculiar hashtag is blowing up over the Dataverse: B00BS—capital B, double zero, capital B, capital S.”
More modern coolness, Pinocchio assumed.
Grobdum spread a yellowy grin that seemed to glow under his hood. “Grobdum say we tribute ol’ tree boy to da flowtin wooman.”
Pinocchio’s shoulders quivered.
He looked back at the deity, his eyes peering to see her own. She had no eyes. Her face only kept a smirk, glossed with dark lipstick. The arms growing out of her scalp swayed like tall grass in the afternoon, and the orbs they controlled, in each hand, radiated varying colors.
“My patience is running thin,” Tzitzimitl announced in a booming voice.
Pinocchio whipped his head back forward, and clasped his eyelids shut; he couldn’t even imagine what horrors the temple god could bestow upon them (maybe each hand would stretch out, pluck a member of the group, and rip them apart like legs off a crab; or maybe the orbs should blast some sort of energy beam, which would disintegrate whatever it contacted). Her lack of eyes terrified him. It was as if she did not have a soul.
“I like Top Man’s idea!” he yelped, and then his nose grew a couple inches.
“Hm?” Lyra looked over at the marionette. “Say that again.”
“Say what?”
“That you like Top Man’s idea.”
Pinocchio felt embarrassed. He knew saying those words again would be a lie, and his nose would grow more, but maybe Lyra knew something he didn’t. “I . . . I like Top-p Man’sss idea,” he stammered.
Another inch added itself to the end of Pinocchio’s nose.
“Thank you,” Lyra said with a smile. “I think I know the answer to this riddle. It’s a metaphor, and if you replace the word get with grow it becomes much easier to decipher.”
“We not throwin da tree boy?” Grobdum inquired, and his grin bowed into a frown of disappointment.
“We’re not sacrificing anyone to anything,” Lyra replied, sharply. “Not even you.”
Top Man murmured something about losing ratings, and urged Lyra to tell the deity the answer to her riddle.
Lyra nodded, and dropped her arms from around Pinocchio and Top Man. “I know the answer to your riddle,” she said, looking over at Tzitzimitl.
Pinocchio, and the rest of them, scattered from the huddle and lined up next to Lyra.
“What is your answer—your final answer?”
“A strawberry,” Lyra replied, and took a step forward.
Tzitzimitl growled, rearing her upper lip back to reveal two rows of interlocking sharp teeth. The dexterous fingers to the hands of her arm-hair paused, and the orbs they controlled went back to their palms with an echoing clap.
Lyra gasped, and backtracked her step. “Am I right?”
“Yes,” the deity responded, “and I am a person of my word.”
The group shared a brief celebration—Raw Onion did another one of her backflips, landing perfectly on her hooves without the slightest buckle in her knee, and then darted towards Lyra to snuggle against her thigh; Grobdum cackled; Top Man threw a thumbs-up at his levitating eye, and spoke his version of commentary into it, eliciting a series of beeps and boops.
“Good luck, travelers,” Tzitzimitl said.
In an instant, her head sunk into the collar of her coat. The arms extending from her scalp lashed around as they followed her head, pulled into the bowels of her attire as if sucked into a black hole. Then the galaxy beneath her abdomen flashed, and she was gone.
Top Man’s jaw dropped, and his eyes filled with disbelief. “We got that on camera, right?” He glanced over at his levitating eye. “Please tell me that’s on camera.”
The eye beeped and nodded.
Pinocchio was just glad the deity no longer impeded their path, letting out a strong sigh as the last of her vanished. The eyeless face haunted him; those dark lips and that ominous smirk sent chills down the center of his spineless back.
Re: Secondary Saga - Phase 3 - Yu Kanda - 08-19-2015
Quote:Group 2Klaud looked towards the group of grey skinned imposters as they lined up. Every single one of them was staring at the floor, almost as if they were waiting for something. Slowly the female exorcist unclipped her whip once more, it seemed combat was once again inevitable. Her comrades followed her lead as they armed up. "So do I get to shoot these guys madam general?" Clayton said with another hint of sarcasm.
Klaud sighed out loud "Enough with the sarcasm, just don't provoke anything don't shoot unless they attack first"
The mirrored copies were standing completely still. The tension was rising and no one was feeling comfortable in the slightest. Zyra's breathing was getting faster, she was getting pumped up. Isaac Klaud and Clayton were as calm as ever waiting, observing. Roger did not like it, his eyes jumped from one copy to the other. Slowly he started to raise his rifle getting himself ready. As soon as his rifle was lined up with his counterpart it happened. All five of the grayish creatures looked up with white eyes as they spoke in one collective voice " eliminate the threat, the temple has been violated, eliminate the threat" . With their eyes glowing bright white they charged towards the group.
Klaud responded by lashing her whip towards her grey counterpart, but it was blocked by a similar looking whip. Zyra's kick met her counterpart's shin as the grey Zyra blocked it using the exact same fighting technique. Both Isaacs were clashing blood blades in a duel of vicious slashes. The Clayton's both fired a single shot, the bullets met midway and destroyed each other.
The General quickly glanced over to her allies and noticed how their counterparts were just as skilled as they were themselves. This will only drain their energy until they collapse. Moving away from her own clone she aimed her whip towards the fake Claytons rifle. The leather tip quickly grasped the imitator's weapon and pulled it to the side. "Clayton, switch it up. Fighting our counterparts isn't getting us anywhere."
"My thoughts exactly" he shouted back as he drew his machete and charged at the grey creature that was Zyra, he was waiting for an opportunity to fight and perhaps capture the beast. The others heard Klaud's plan as well and found themselves a new opponent .
Quote:Isaac vs. Klaud
The veteran warrior charged towards the grey general. She was following Klaud and was moved her whip arm back in order to attack her from behind. Not on his watch. The one armed veteran went to intercept the flying projectile, as the whip lashed through the air the from blood originated blade cut right through the leather. The popper of the stretched weapon fell to the floor. Klaud turned towards Isaac and slashed her whip on the floor. Her posture came across very intimidating. Her straight back, long whip and combat ready pose did not make Isaac feel comfortable at all. Isaac did not notice it at first but Klaud was a very intimidating individual if she wants to be.
Another lash of the whip flew through the air, this time aimed ad Isaac. He had to be quick. The sword quickly changed shapes and formed a shield. The shield was barely formed or he could feel the lash against his defensive weapon. His eyes glanced over the top of his shield and saw the next lash come in. A well aimed position of his shield stopped this attack as well. Unfortunately for Isaac it didn't stop, one lash followed the other as he was hiding behind his shield. He had to do something before one of these lashes seriously injured him. One more block and he would start his counterattack.
The second he felt the lash hit his shield he reshaped his weapon back to his sword and started to walk towards the whip wielding exorcist's clone. He approached slow as he kept his eyes on the weapon. It approached quick but his eyes could follow it and cut the leather before it reached him. The follow-up attack he countered the same way and started to follow her rhythm, slashing her weapon shorter and shorter. The gap was closed and Isaac saw his chance, he followed her last attack, turned against the direction of the whip and trusted his sword into the grey Klaud's abdomen. His blade got covered in white blood as the creature fell to the floor, leaving a growing puddle of the white blood it left behind.
Quote:Roger vs. Isaac
Roger was still concerned about his ammo, he couldn't waste it, every shot had to count. In front of him was the grey clone version of his comrade Isaac. How much trouble could he be ? it was an older man with only one arm. Roger grew more confident as he sees the imposter standing a couple of meters in front of him. A single blast should do the trick.
Roger aimed his gun towards Isaac and fired a single shot straight at the creature. A small cloud of smoke appeared as the shot hit the target. After the smoke cleared he noticed how Isaac's face emerged from behind his shield. The shooter did not expect to see that face in one piece. The shield turned into a sword and the clone charged Roger. He was not going to waste another blast unless he was sure it would kill it.
The sword slashed towards the gunman who tried to keep at midrange. Avoiding the well aimed thrusts was allot more difficult then he thought, this Isaac has some moves up his sleeves. He just had to dodge until the swordsman made a mistake. The sword cut through the air with great precision but there it was, the single opening Roger was waiting for. Countering Isaac's thrust Roger slammed the gun's stock into the imposter's face. Isaac stumbled a couple of steps back and shook his head. When his eyes opened again Roger was gone. " Let's see you shield this" A voice said from behind him. Grey Isaac turned his head towards and was looking straight down the barrel of Roger's gun. With a single blast the head got blown clean off and white blood was covering the floor and the walls.
Quote:Clayton vs. Zyra
Clayton charged the strange grey creature who still had her back aimed at him. A perfect position to capture it alive. He just had to make sure to knock her out. With his machete in his right hand he closed up on her, a hit on the back of her head should do it. Raising his right hand he prepared his attack. His muscles tensed as Clayton started his attack, exactly the moment Zyra was waiting for. Having his right side completely open the creature thrusted her elbow into the hunter's side.
Taking a few steps back and grunting in pain Clayton was not amused. His teeth were crunching in anger. This creature was mocking him. He was the hunter here, not this beast. He once again charged the creature known as Zyra, this time he did not care whether it was dead or alive. Waving his machete around he attempted to cut his prey. But it wasn't as easy as he thought. The pokémon was calm as it dodged every single air slashing attack aimed towards it. The more she dodged the angrier the hunter got. He had enough of these games. Not a single attack got through. A horizontal slash made Zyra bend backwards to dodge it. Instead of another slice with his machete he stomped his foot onto Zyra's foot, holding her in place. The clone's head came back up and faced Clayton's rage filled eyes. The hunter didn't think and started hacking into the grey creature, white blood splashing up to his face and clothes as he did so.
Quote:Zyra vs. Roger
Zyra was hurt, her body was hurting but she couldn't die here, she has to find Omni. With that thought she gracefully dodged several blasts from the copied gun. Even though the weapon did not have the same force to it, it still was a dangerous piece. Was it running out of ammo like the original or did it not share the same weakness? Zyra was unsure, but she had to deal with this guy quickly.
The grayish Roger stayed at range and kept blasting towards Zyra who had difficulties dodging the blasts coming her way. She can't keep this up much longer, she had to think of something before one of these blasts hits. At her feet the latest blast shot shattered rocks up towards Zyra's face, usually this wasn't a problem and she would easily dodge it. Though her wounds made it allot more difficult to move the way she is used to and lost her balance. Slipping on to the floor she looked up towards the imitator soldier who once again aimed his weapon at her. Without speaking a word he squeezed the trigger. Zyra closed her eyes but didn't hear a blast. She opened both eyes in surprise and saw the soldier still standing in front of her. Another click without a blast. The weapon had no more ammo ! If she was going to do anything now was the time.
With a swift flowed move she swept the shooter's legs from underneath him landing him on his back. It quickly followed by her elbow landing onto the side of his head. The light that was emitting from his eyes slowly faded. She got lucky, very lucky, but she was alive.
Quote:Klaud vs. Clayton
The rifle got pulled to the side thanks to a well aimed attack from her whip. She pulled her whip again, hoping to remove the weapon from the hunter's counterpart. Unfortunately he was allot stronger then he looked. His strength was pretty amazing, was this an exact copy ? Did Clayton have this much strength ? Those were worries for later, if she got out of this situation. Retracting her whip the gun was free to move again. It didn't take Clayton long before the gun was aiming at her direction again. She was a not moving target, Not good ! She started to move counterclockwise making her a more difficult target. A single shot fired. Klaud did not feel anything, he must have missed. Perfect, time for a counter attack.
Her whip started to glow at the popper. Klaud let her whip fly through the air, before making a lash towards the gray Clayton. Her aim was true when she saw the flesh around the white eyes get ripped off of his face. That should take care of his vision. The imitation of Clayton started waving his gun around, obviously panicking but did not speak a single word. Klaud approached the creature as she was rolling up her whip and placing it back on her belt. She circled the grey hunter as if it was her prey. She took position behind it and placed both hands on the side of the imposters head, with a single swift movement and a loud cracking sound the body crumbled to the floor.
"was that really necessary ? it was a magnificent specimen" The hunter said as he approached Klaud. Covered in white blood splashes he returned his machete in its sheath.
"Necessary ? Perhaps not but the threat has been neutralized" Klaud said in a calmly as she looked passed Clayton and saw the mangled body of a gray Zyra on the floor. "Is everyone alright ?"
"Alright might be a big word but yes, i am alive" Zyra spoke as she came up to Klaud.
"We took care of ours as well General" Roger spoke as he and Isaac walked towards them.
"Glad everyone survived this ordeal, now let's se-" Klaud got interrupted by a quake that was shaking the entire room. Small debris fell from the ceiling, cracks were showing in the wall and the debris that fell on the floor was vibrating. After a couple of seconds it stopped and a deep voice could be heard in the room.
"Worthy"
The room started to shake again as an exit appeared on the other side. The quake only became more intense and the debris falling from the ceiling became larger.
"Time to run" Isaac suggested as he started to leg it for the exit of the room. The others quickly followed. Behind them they could hear the pillars collapse behind them. There was a light emitting from the exit. Could this be it ? Could this be the exit of this damned temple ? All five of them dashed towards the light at the end of the room's exit. Let's hope this was it.
Re: Secondary Saga - Phase 3 - Jak Mar - 08-19-2015
Quote:Group 4
This is Col. Jan Templar here... This was day blank... I didn't keep track of the days and nights we've traveled trying to find this guy named Omni.. But our group seemed to run into trouble every step of the way. How I wish we could finally find a lucky break within our troubles.
I heard IRIS finally fly down and say they had a light. Would this lead to better things? Who knew?
We finally ran far enough from the manbearpig or whatever that thing was called. Glad we didn't decide to fight the thing.
What do you actually know? I almost caught myself thinking of Luger, a love who didn't work out.
But things were getting hectic. I would not die here. My men, this group and hell my ISA crew were waiting back home.
Hopefully things could keep going.
I looked at Captain Crow and followed his directions closely. I may be a commanding officer but I knew how to follow instructions.
I looked at the group and said "Let's haul our asses out of this temple before something else happens."
So our group kept moving through the water and finally a beacon of hope... a shining sky greeted us..
Wait... WAIT! This is a trap... With our luck? This is an illusion..
Re: Secondary Saga - Phase 3 - Thaal Sinestro - 08-19-2015
[spoiler]
Quote:[/spoiler]Group 3
Grobdum, Lyra, Pinocchio, Raw Onion, Top Man
As the last of the woman’s starry trail vanished, the temple once again trembled, another stone door grinding its way out of the path. Though the room they stood in was illuminated, none of the light seemed to make it very far into the next room. Choking darkness consumed it, devouring every spark of brightness like a demon licking blood from its fingers.
Pinocchio lifted his self-made torch to the doorway, his little wooden shoes still unmoving for their wearer’s trepidation. The torch cut a thin swath through the pitch, confirming that the darkness was not mystical in nature, but this somehow made it no less foreboding. “S-so who’s first?” the fake boy stammered.
Lyra snatched one of the torches from the wall and forged ahead, a halo of light surrounding her as she passed through the opening. Top Man knocked his head a few times, trying in vain to activate his flashlight before shrugging and snatching another torch, following after. “Out of the light and into the dark,” he uttered gloomily to his viewers. Raw Onion puffed out her chest and her little pony lips tightened as she boldly clopped forward.
Grobdum slunk up behind Pinocchio, using him as cover as he peered out into the bleakness of the space before them. Rolling his eyes Pinocchio sighed, his shoulders falling. “Come on,” he said apathetically, motioning forward and beginning to walk. The goblin tip-toed after him, sticking close to his puppet-shield as they advanced into the unknown.
“Hmmm,” Raw Onion hummed, squinting at the flickering shadows that danced over the embossed images on the walls, “I don’t think I like the feeling I’m getting here.” The images of spikes penetrating bodies, walls crushing bodies, water washing over bodies, blow-darts being shot into bodies, and a seemingly excessive number of skulls had been carved in relief, the blocky and intricate style of the Aztec writing seemingly the hallmark of the “artwork.”
Top Man scanned some similar workings on the other side of the room, “I’d have to agree with you there. Let’s figure this out so we can get the heck out of here.” The tiny hovering camera fluttered up and down, zooming in and out of each of the grotesque scenes, the viewers surely pleased with the probability of seeing something horrible happen during the feed.
“Well, um,” Lyra said, pondering over the space, “I don’t see a crack like in the other rooms. I don’t know where the door would be.”
With that, the party jumped at the sound of the doors grinding shut behind them. A collective confusion about whether or not they should retreat to the safety of the previous room or stay to the task at hand overwhelmed them, and a general clamor was heard as they rushed to the huge stone blocks, only to stop just in front of it and watch them slowly seal.
“Well, great. Now we’re stuck in here,” the Hyrule thief groaned, a look of defeat already on her face.
Fluttering her wings, the pony offered her chipper opinion, “Well at least there’s nothing trying to kill us!”
Another grinding sound filled the room, dust trickling down from the ceiling. It seemed as if the entire building was going to come down on top of them, and the sound of rushing water could be heard somewhere deep within the structure.
“You just had to say something, didn’t you!?” Tom Man snapped.
The sound of the rushing water got closer, almost deafening in volume, until it slammed into either side of the room with a thunderous crash. Water sprayed out of the various cracks and crannies where the walls didn’t quite meet with the floors or ceiling, and under the mighty pressure the enclosure slowly began to close in on them.
Grobdum went from a quiet terror and befuddlement to abject horror, throwing his hands in the air and screaming, sprinting in circles around the room. When finally his mind stopped and seized itself once again, he grabbed his staff and began to shake it violently, as if he could choke it into action. “Work! Work! WORK!!” he howled, lamenting his powerlessness.
A firm wooden hand slapped the greenskin and Pinocchio pointed a finger in his face, “Get a hold of yourself! We’ve got to figure out how to get the hell out of this death trap!”
“Ehhh,” the goblin nervously stammered, gently knocking himself on the head with his knuckles. “Yeah, yeah!” he finally exclaimed, a revelation seeming to strike. He rushed over to one of the walls, searching the bottom edge with his tiny beady eyes. “Aha!” he shouted, pointing to a small notch, spewing out a small stream of muddy river silt. Raising his staff up dramatically, he jammed it down into the notch, wedging it between the floor and the wall.
“What the heck are you doing!?” Pinocchio screamed, “That’ll never wor-“
The stone splintered the staff’s base, tiny fragments flying into the air. It seemed as through the staff would soon be consumed between the grating stones but, as if by magic, the wall stopped in its tracks. Grobdum’s eyes went wide, a ridiculous grin growing on his face as he lifted his fists triumphantly and did a little dance. “I got it ta work! I done stopped da wall from smashin’ us!”
Everyone stared, expression blank for the overwhelming weight of their confusion. “How did tha-“ Lyra began to ask, but he robot gingerly placed a steel finger on her lips.
“Shhhh… don’t even ask,” Top Man said softly, gently taking a step away.
Raw Onion’s voice broke the horrid silence that palled the air, “Hey, I think I found the exit!” It came from above them, leading their eyes to a square depression in the ceiling. “Yeah!” she confirmed, using her head to push open the gateway, “Come on! Let’s get the clop out of here!”
Without asking, Top Man grabbed the diminutive toy and hurled it up through the hole, the marionette screaming the whole way. Once Pinocchio poked his nose through the opening, Lyra shouted up, “Is it safe up there?”
“Uh… yes? I think so?” The wooden boy looked to his own nose to check if he was lying, and after a moment of doubt he nodded. “Yeah, I think it’s ok!”
“Ok,” Raw Onion huffed, and began to unclasp part of her barding, “Hold on to this!” She pushed a leather strap into his hand and unraveled the rest, leading it down to the group below. “Climb up, hurry!” she commanded. The rest of the party had little problem following her order, the frigid water already up to their ankles.
Grobdum was the last man standing in the slowly-flooding pit, barely holding his nose above the water. “Hurry up!” Top Man shouted down after him, “That staff shouldn’t have even lasted this long!”
The goblin snatched up the strap and began to climb. “Why ya tink dat? Is dat true!?” he asked with a genuinely fearful tone.
“Yeah! It doesn’t make any sense that your little wooden staff could hold back that huge stone wall!” the robot confirmed.
“Oh,” Grobdum said, a sudden realization rushing into him. At that very moment, the staff snapped and the wall once again began to creep forward. Grobdum’s eyes went wide as he frantically scurried up the makeshift rope, getting tangled halfway through. “No!” he screeched, “NOOO!” He jerked and tugged, his bitty limbs thrashing in psychotic fear but he was still unable to free himself.
“Everyone pull!” Pinocchio barked and several hands and one set of teeth sung into the chord. With a tug, they yanked the lightweight shaman through the opening just as the walls slammed together.