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+--- Thread: Father's Blessings (/showthread.php?tid=6328)
Father's Blessings - Shay Cormac - 06-16-2017
Again.
The Templar scratched at his throat, coughing. He couldn't see a thing.
Again.
Shay Patrick Cormac coughed. Strep throat, he thought idly, on the topic of his throat. Wonder why.
The privateer was surprised with himself. It's been a long time since he's expressed sarcasm in a moment like this; no control over what he saw or felt, whether he lived or died. Yet, the man was grateful that he was alive. That much he knew.
It was so quick, one moment it was the searing heat of the Dunes, and now this. Tears almost welled up in his eyes as he realized how pathetic he felt. He moved his head, and all it brought him was a migraine. Only a few drops of his salt flowed down his cheeks. Shay couldn't even bother to rub it off; it was too much to bear. Using all of the waking strength he had, he sat upright.
The Templar still couldn't see. Not like he'd want to, either. Shay kept his eyes shut, even if he knew he could open them. He wanted so bad to wake up in Fort Arsenal, his home. Perhaps he'd also like the nauseating swaying of the Morrigan, his ship, as he lay his head down on the desk of the captain's quarters. Hell, even the homestead of Achilles Davenport, the very place he'd see his own friends, his family, betray him.
The thought of the Davenport manor disgusted him. Yet, in comparison to Enel and the fate that man bestowed upon the Templar? Bliss.
Shay couldn't keep the tears from flowing.
RE: Father's Blessings - Shay Cormac - 12-22-2017
Hours seemed to have passed, and the Templar did not move. He could not. So flimsy were his arms as they drooped down to clutch at his knees. His master probably would have thought it a shame, but Shay couldn't have cared less at the moment. As much as he wanted to hate Enel for what he had done so many moments ago, thoughts of his past life riddled him. Annoyed him. For once, guilt and melancholy did not linger in the man; it was replaced by pure spite instead.
Shay Patrick Cormac would not be the one to let it get to his head, no. But, as he thought of LAW, his blood couldn't stop from boiling.
King Gilgamesh was long gone now, and Nippur was no more than ruins at this point. That much was blatantly obvious to anybody in Shay's place that held some notion of common sense. Why go back at that point? Shay seriously considered asking himself, thinking of doing nothing but hunting down those responsible for harming the only ones who kept him safe in this godless realm known as the Omniverse. However, the privateer immediately hushed himself upon thinking of her again.
Agnés. The only living being in the Omniverse to offer him some form of friendship since being forcefully thrown into a world with problems that alluded him. She was gone too. "Shite. SHITE." The man's voice was still coarse, and as much as he wished to scream, Shay could not.
The Templar took his fist, placing it firmly on his forehead in a useless attempt to compress the migraine still pounding at his skull.
Standing upright in a quick, fluid motion, the privateer almost tumbled over at the sudden spike of pain taking over his legs. Still, he walked forward. At least, Shay thought he was. In reality, it was more of a bare limp.
Whether he was moving or not didn't matter. Raising his hand, Shay Cormac gritted his teeth. Omnilium coursed through his veins, almost seeming as if it was fueled by the bitterness in his soul.
Closing his eyes, the Templar trudged forwards towards the gate of the Engless Dunes. Until then, Shay Cormac could feel the outfit on his body getting heavier. Each step he took was like an extra stride up an endless flight of stairs. Omnilium slowly started solidifying itself around the privateer. It was almost like plates of metal were being thrown onto him.
On second thought, it was. Shay Cormac opened his eyes for a moment, looking down upon whatever his mind could have came up with in order to get ready for what Nippur might have held; he found his legs were surrounded by the flexible plate of an English cuirassier. It took no more than a few minutes for Shay to take ten more strides forwards, now feeling the sensation of a lobster-tail pot helmet wrapped snugly around his head. The pain in his legs seemed to cease, almost as if the added protection healed him of his aches somehow. The Templar couldn't tell if it was placebo effect or Omniphysics doing it's work, but he was grateful.
Still, he thought, a cuirassier without a steed? Shay sighed, coughing as he did so. His newly acquired steel would have to do. Looking up at the blinding illumination of the Nexus, the crusader closed his eyes once more and prayed in the only manner he knew how.
Nippur was close, and Shay's only option was conquest.
May the Father of Understanding guide me.
RE: Father's Blessings - Roger Smith - 12-22-2017
In mid-chase, he had stopped. Mid-stride, his momentum had died.
Cassock billowing about him, dust blowing past him from the speed of his own momentum, blood dripping from wounds to stain the grass under his shoes.
Slowly, his eyes turned. Sweeping across the field before him, as if searching for something. He had felt it, more than anything else. Not detected it with his senses, something he had heard or seen or even smelled, but something deeper. It wasn't in his immediate vicinity, not within this area at all. But something...something, somewhere, was drawing his attention. Like in the past, when some figment of His will had been delivered unlooked for and unexpectedly to the mind of the old battle-priest. He knew not what it was, or why it had come to him now, but it was unmistakable.
His aimless wandering here and purge of this fool of a thief could wait.
With a quickness to his steps, he turned away from his pursuit and back toward the road. Out of the grass and weeds, through the shrubbery, and back onto the hard-packed earth. Littered with craters, blood and bodies, it would leave a grim scene for whoever happened across it next, no doubt. Such a thing was not for him to worry about, nor was it his business to be here when they came across it. Much as it pained him not to be able to even offer a proper burial, or burning for the fallen, there was an urgency that he could not ignore, and could not spare the time for even such an important thing.
It had been said to him, when he first arrived here...that with this 'omnilium' substance, he could have anything he desired. What he desired at the moment was haste. More speed than his weary body could provide him with. He closed his eyes, setting his mind to the task as he slowly ambled down the road. He had no idea how to go about the process, but...as his mind worked toward it, understanding blossomed. The knowledge just grew as he needed it, as if it had always been there. The process was easy, just requiring time and focus. One of which he had in abundance, the other precious little of. A grimace crossed his features as he worked with all due haste.
With his eyes closed, he did not witness it firsthand, as the shimmering omnilium gathered up around him. Gleaming and sparkling through the shreds and tears in his cassock and suit, dropping from his wounds along with blood. Flowing like water, and then like mist, swirling up in his wake. The loose, bedraggled streams of the rainbow matter-stuff slowly worked together, falling into a shell at his side. Spreading up, solidifying and taking shape. Filling out, growing into a more clear, distinct picture.
Minutes passed by, at least, before there came the stamping of hooves. The snorting of the large beast tramping alongside him came soon after. The eyes of Alexander Anderson cracked open, turning to survey his work. A great horse, strong and powerful. Already saddled, ready for its purpose. It would do.
Whether it was minutes or hours later, he couldn't tell. But he stormed through the ring of stones atop the grassy hill, and through the portal. Back from the countryside, through a dizzying kaleidoscope, and into the pristine, endless white void of the Nexus. There were nine major landmarks in this place, and one of them would provide a clear view of the other seven which he cared for. Somewhere... It was somewhere here. What he was looking for. He never slowed down, spurring his beast of war forward at full gallop across the blank expanse, toward its central point. Toward the fountain.
Ten minutes and some, at a guess, to cross from gate to fountain. A great ornate thing, spilling clear water into a pool at its base. No time could be spared for its appreciation, however. A moment of scouring the area alerted him to the form of a figure. Clad in armor, and wearily, slowly trudging forward toward one of the distant gates.
The Crusader needed only a few seconds, watching and letting his mind work feverishly, to reach his conclusion. He spurred his horse onward, after the weary knight. Slowly gaining on them, until he drew close enough to speak. "Hail to ye, stranger," he spoke up, giving a tug on the reins of his steed to slow pace as he drew nearer. "What's got ye lookin' so down and exhausted? And where're ya headed to? Perhaps I could offer a lift, to speed you on yer way."
RE: Father's Blessings - Shay Cormac - 12-25-2017
Hearing a voice other than his so suddenly caused Shay to jump slightly, his armor clanking together as he did so.
Before Shay stood tall a blonde-haired man adorned with a strangely long coat. Admittedly, as alien as he was, Shay himself looked upon his fashion sense in a way that reminded the man of his Templar comrades. Not to mention the way he spoke as well; everything about this prime, assuming he was one, spoke of assertiveness and valued leadership qualities. Perhaps those mannerisms were emphasized by the giant horse he rode in on, however.
The Templar tilted his head. How coincidental I was just thinking about needing a steed, he pondered. Shaking his head, the privateer realized the man had asked him a few questions in regards to his health and current goals. Shay felt that would have been relatively difficult to explain in one sentence or two, so he began with a sigh to get it out of the way, starting off the best way he knew he could; with brutal honesty.
"I'm not sure how long it's been, but I had just died."
The now-knighted Templar's voice was noticeably less rough and ripped apart than before, but still enough to tell the man saddled before him that he wasn't in the best condition. Silence followed the uttering of those words, and for good reason. Shay took that as a sign the mounted man before him was listening clearly, for good reason. It would be quite rude for a God-fearing man to interrupt at a time like this.
"Some time ago," Shay continued, looking onwards at the gates of the Dunes, "a bustling city that I had a hand in protecting was overtaken by a band of... marauding warlords." The Templar struggled to find a better description for the men that overthrew the throne of Nippur.
Thinking of which, the man elaborated, "Nippur was it's name, and it's king, my king, went missing." Another sigh. The priest looked over the armored Templar, a rather intrigued expression on his face. He didn't seem too phased by this, which practically confirmed his status as a prime. Shay noted in the two lives he's lived within the Omniverse that it was rare for a secondary to be used to such violence.
Biting his lip, the privateer finished his spiel, "My name is Shay Patrick Cormac, and I am going to take what was rightfully ours. I'll make sure the innocent lives that have perished did not die in vain."
A pause, however. "I know you haven't got much of a reason to trust me, and as much as I want some form of help in doing what it is I aim to do, I understand why seizing a ruined city full of bandits must... more than likely not be appealing. Still, thank you for the offer to make the walk easier for me, sir."
Hands placed firmly on the reins of his saddle, the cassock wearing man smirked with an expression of genuine care. It was honestly a bit... unnerving in the Templar's place, but he appreciated the sentiment and the reply that followed.
"Bandits, you say?" The priest's interest piqued. "Aye, I can work with that. Alexander Anderson's the name, and I'd be more than pleased to take ya on yer way; it seems to me you've got the burden of a noble man, Shay Cormac."
RE: Father's Blessings - Roger Smith - 12-28-2017
"From the sounds of it, this is not an undertaking that will be anything approaching easy." The paladin turned his eyes back forward, toward the distant gate to the endless dunes. "But be that as it may..." One hand slowly lifted to adjust his glasses, the lenses momentarily cast into an eerie silver sheen. "...exterminating such vile creatures as the ones you describe has been my personal mission for decades." It was with an all too delighted grin that he turned back to the Templar, and extended a hand. "So come on then, mister Cormac. It seems like we've got business to tend to, and it just wouldn't be polite at all to be late for it."
With just a moment of trepidation, the man in armor reached up and took the priest's hand, and with minimal effort was all but hauled up onto the back of the horse by the giant of a man already astride it. And in a flash, they were moving. Hooves raising a thunder as Anderson spurred the horse to movement, swiftly building up speed to a full charge.
"It's quite strange, I have to admit," he spoke only a moment later. "Before I came here and found ye...I had just finished dealin' with another group o' petty bandits and thugs. Naught but highwaymen, preyin' on the poor and unfortunate who happened to wander past their territory." Rarely was such a thing ever truly a coincidence, when the business of the Lord was at work; Anderson knew this better than most. But it was a remarkable occurrence, all the same. "Their leader turn tail and ran, managing to escape, but his pride and courage were broken. He left them behind to wet the earth, along with the blood of his subordinates." There was a quiet, almost manic chuckle, nearly drowned out by the noise of rushing wind. "He will not be a threat any time soon."
"That...is quite the coincidence, to be sure." Shay spoke up in agreement. "I think we'll be dealing with a lot more than just a few rogue thugs in Nippur, however."
"I would hope so!" Anderson voiced. And though his face was hidden from the Templar, it was a mask of sheer, murderous delight. At the reins, his hands were locked into a grip so tight that his gloves were stretched taut in protest over his knuckles. "It would hardly be an endeavor worth being serious about otherwise." He turned to look back over his shoulder. The lenses of his glasses were shrouded, obscured in a flare of silver and blue light seemingly without source. And at the angle of his gaze, the grin bared teeth which seemed almost pointed, feral and inhuman. "The more there are, the more sure that they are safe in their chaos and despotism. And the more righteous it will be to shatter that misguided belief." His head turned forward again. "They are naught but a field of withered, diseased straw, and we will be the blade that reaps them and tears their roots from the earth."
RE: Father's Blessings - Marisa Kirisame - 12-28-2017
As Marisa exited the portal she smiled as she held up a bottle of really good sake that she snagged from the tavern. She smiled as she rubbed her cheek against the bottle. "it's such a nice bottle of alcohol too!" She got onto her broom with her legs on one side crossed over as she flew around at a fairly slow speed of forty miles a hour. She could be seen from a few on lookers to be drinking. She grinned a toothy grin as she remembered Mima's teaching in torture and pain. Ah those were fun times . . . what weren't fun times were when she would show up at three in the morning to see if I was studying enough, now that was when the master sparks and twilight sparks went flying as Marisa and Mima essentially toasted parts of the forest of magic and sometimes parts if not all of Alice's house.
Now toasting Alice's house would be fine if for the fact that you knew she was a youkai and that she owned dolls that could theoretically kill on sight if need be. She chuckled at her own ineptness at making new magic and knew that it sounded bad even to her. She couldn't try to be a threat to youkai or they would just curb stomp her but here as far as she was concerned she could go all out and nobody could really tell her no.
She found a group of people and landed before looking at each one with a careful eye not unlike that of a detective. The taller of the two towered over Marisa causing her to have a chill run down her spine. She knew the two looked at her before she spoke in her normal loud excitable voice. "The name is Marisa Kirisame, Magician of love sign." She had a annoyingly smug smile on her face as she said her title before pulling out her grimoire before writing something down with a quill moving at a blur. "So quick question, What are your names?"
She closes the book with a audible thump before putting the book in her apron and crossing her arms waiting for a answer while sitting on her broom while floating in place.
Quote:Marisa for reference is 130 cm tall or about 4 feet and 3.18 inches. She is around her mid to late 20's as of HSiFS
RE: Father's Blessings - Shay Cormac - 01-06-2018
After those few exchanges of words, the priest watched as the Templar prepared himself to hop upon the backside of his mount. However, the light clacking of a small pair of feet could be heard a literal mile away by the two Primes, and as expected, another one seemed to want a say in the conversation that was supposed to have ended a minute ago. The greeting was simple enough, and seemed friendly at face value, but Shay knew better; surely Alexander would as well.
The privateer began with his name.
"My name is Shay Cormac," he paused, finally hopping onto the horse that stood in front of him, hooves stamping as he did so, "and..."
The Templar stopped, outstretching his hand towards the priest offering him a ride. Alexander appreciated the sentiment, an ironically devilish smile on his face as he took no time at all to finish where Shay began. Admittedly, he was strangely eager to meet a magician. Not like he hasn't seen one before, but putting it bluntly, extinguishing the life of a witch would definitely have kept his mind occupied during the trip to Nippur.
"Alexander Anderson, missus! Why, must I ask, has a girl like you skipped up to us in particular?" The priest seemed to make very clearly that there was a spit of venom in his voice referring to this Marisa character, despite maintaining his almost signature uncanny smile.
A moment of silence. Marisa blinked, looking at the man with... slight concern. Had Shay been in the woman's rather tiny shoes, he wouldn't really be able to blame her.
"Uh..." Marisa placed a gentle finger on her chin. I haven't really thought that through... The girl pondered. The mage supposed it would be best to tell these men something that would ease their nerves, especially Alexander's. That expression of his was quite enough to discomfort the woman through her immediate boredom of the situation.
"Just passing by!" She suddenly exclaimed, a fake smile plastered on her face.
Before things escalated further, Shay raised his hands, putting on a slight grin that seemed more genuine than either of the two Primes he was currently talking with. "Perhaps we can direct you where you need to be, then? We are both planning on going to the Dunes up ahead."
"The Dunes?" Marisa replied, almost amused that people would go to such a lame verse in the first place.
"Yes," Shay nodded, "to take back lands that previously belonged to me and my allies."
Take back? Marisa hummed, evaluating the implications of this. The rather knightly man talking about conflict was enough to give the magician a drive to get there first, for surely riches followed their path. Perhaps that wasn't the brightest idea however, seeing how ever so slightly intimidating these two Primes already were...
Strangely enough, the girl perked up at the explanation, offering to give herself something to do in this terribly dull life she was living at that very moment in time. "Then I'll come with you two, ze!"
...Another awkward silence. Alexander himself was already getting impatient, so once more, Shay had to propose something before these two clawed at each other's throat the very moment some manner of disagreement arose between the two, which the Templar knew was coming at one point or another.
"Hop on then, we'll need all the help we can handle for this."
Moments later, Marisa herself obliged, riding behind Shay, who himself was behind Alexander. On a single horse. Shifting his weight, Alexander was the first to eventually comment on how rather silly this seemed to onlookers.
...
"Aye, this is a tad uncomfortable."
Looking back, Shay was immediately greeted by the uncomfortably close face of a woman he could now loosely call an ally to his cause.
"Yes, a lot."
RE: Father's Blessings - Erik Vrell - 01-08-2018
Erik and Jorunn burst from the gate, and the psychic quickly turned the horse in the direction of the portal to the endless dunes. He wished that he could reach the gate immediately, but that simply wasn't possible. Erik doubted that even the most powerful prime could teleport as far as even half of the great blank slate before him.
After a while, Erik has passed the rough halfway point of the distance between the frozen fields and the dunes, and spotted a horse with three people precariously mounted on it heading in the same direction as him. ‘I hope they’re not trouble.’ He muttered to himself, before taking a better look at them. The group consisted of a massive man and an equally small… Girl? Woman? It was impossible to tell at this distance. The last person was… Shay? Erik’s heart jumped at the realisation that his ally was less than 100 metres away, and urged Jorunn to catch up with the other horse. Fortunately, a horse carrying a single rider is quicker than one carrying three, and Erik quickly came up beside the trio. The three turned to him as they heard hoofbeats, and Shay’s eyes widened in recognition. “Greetings.” Erik called, managing to quell his excitement.
The giant of a man turned to look at him, and his glasses flashed inexplicably. “And who might you be? Surely you're not riding up to us just to make small talk?” Before Erik could respond, Shay answered for him. “He's a friend, and a fellow citizen of Nippur.” The psychic did his best to bow while riding a horse. “Erik Vrell, at your service.” He wanted to know the names of Shay’s, and hopefully his, new allies, but wasn't going to pry while they were all riding horses. If they, understandably, didn't want to shout over the sound of hoofbeats, then proper introductions could wait until they were in the ground.
RE: Father's Blessings - The Emperor of Mankind - 01-09-2018
The emperor had grown used to basic summoning by now, if he could think it up and there was no one near to distract him he could create almost anything out of the omillium that that diety had given him. He summoned a large car, it wasn't as amazing as what he was used to and it was 13 feet tall but moving faster than the crawl he was at while hovering. The emperor continued attempting to use his psychic powers but none came. Perhaps he needed to use the omillium to modify himself enough to be able to reuse them. He turned his attention back to the group, they had gained another member and were already halfway towards a gate. They hadn't noticed him yet but hopefully he could cut them off on their way.
The group looked at the emperor's car as he slowed down in front of them, stopping them from moving further. He exited and looked at the group, there was a small girl wearing an apron, a thin man wearing a blue cloak with a gold trim who had a strange scar covering their eye, another man who was well built and wearing leather that contained multiple weapons and a tall man wearing the robes of a priest from the ancient days of Terra. Great, there was always *one* religious nut job in every group.
"Hello, I am the Emperor of Mankind. Leader and saviour of humanity. I am looking for someone who might guide me around this place and could lead me to my sons, the space marines, primarchs or custodes. Knowing your names and what you all are doing here would help greatly."
They introduced themselves one by one;
"Marisa Kirisame, magician of love sign."
"Erik Vrell, priest of the madness god."
"Shay Cormac, templar."
"Alexander Anderson, priest of God."
The emperor looked at the group, there were 3 people with religions and a magician. Great, that Omni kept on throwing joy after joy at him.
"And what are you all doing?"
Erik spoke first, possibly because he was the leader and possibly because he was the only one who knew what was going on.
"We are going on a crusade to retake the city of Nippur."
"A crusade eh? Do you mind taking me along seeing as I haven't been on one in about 10,000 years and it would give time to explain to me everything that the person back there didn't"
Erik shrugged, this 'Emperor' seemed to have experience in crusading and they would probably need all the help they could get.
"Sure, and about your space marines. They're in Coruscant which isn't too far away, I'll show you the direction when we're finished since I'm not.... liked there. You will need to get rid of your car when we reach the gate since it probably won't fit through but you'll be able to resummon it when we are on the other side."
"Good, if anyone else has questions ask them now since arriving here has taken a lot out of me and the car won't exactly make communication as easy."
He waited for anyone else to speak or take the initiative of continuing riding. Until he had his powers back he would be forced to act more formal than normal.
Quote:If anyone wants to ask questions to emps, now is the time to do it. This is emps officially joining the crusade team.