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 Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2012 8:24 pm
Jordan would get a text that very Saturday morning that looked something like this:
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Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2012 8:43 pm
Jordan stared at the message for a good 30 seconds. He wasn't going to be offended, because Allan was Allan, and as strange as the Sun division lead was, he seemed to genuinely care about his division and everyone in it. Jordan liked Allan. That said ... Allan was weird, and Jordan felt sort of like he was being cooed at like an adorable little puppy, which was a bit disconcerting.
Weird or not, the text was a mission text - not just a mission, but a promotion, and that was exhilarating and terrifying all at once. Was he really ready to become a full Hunter? Allan thought so, at least, and Jordan would do his damndest to live up to that.
Precisely one hour later, he was outside the door of Allan's room, in uniform and with his kit bag slung over his shoulder. He took a deep breath and knocked.
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Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2012 9:01 pm
"Come in!"
Jordan in fact, did not actually have to come in to the room as he suddenly found in his arms a bottle of sunscreen lotion, an oversized windbreaker, a thick scarf, a satchel of bottled water, large oversized goggles that seemed to be for skiing or some event involving extreme weather, and a baseball cap that had the words "ONE PIECE" on it.
As an afterthought he was also given a box of pocky.
"Jordan-kun!" It was actually kind of hard to see Allan through all the stuff the Sun trainee was gifted, though they looked like their usual self, other than the bright orange sweatshirt and pants. He seemed to alternate between wanting to give the trainee a hug, realizing the trainee was still holding items, and then waffling between the two, finally settling with a light pat on the (hatted) head.
And with that Jordan was given one more item, a sheet of crisp white paper with very clean writing - it wasn't hard to guess who wrote that.
"Simon-kun says this has the details of your mission, the area has been cleared all you have to do is pick up an item someone forgot. Just remember that you're doing it for your nakama, and even if you are alone for this mission, your kokoro will always be with us!" There was some other banter about peace and light and justice, though the piece of paper simply said: Mission objective - Only one Hunter is required for this mission. Head to Sahara checkpoint E and user the scanner to find and pick up the missing artifact piece. Allotted max mission time: 1 hour
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Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2012 9:16 pm
There was equipment being piled into Jordan's arms; he managed somehow not to drop any of it, though the box of pocky teetered dangerously on top of the pile. Allan was his cheerful, enthusiastic self again, and Jordan couldn't help smiling in response. He carefully shifted the pile of stuff so that he could take the paper handed to him and scan the tidily written assignment.
He couldn't help a small sense of unease at being tasked to return to the Sahara, but it was a simple mission requiring one Hunter, and knowing Allan, if it were an overtly dangerous mission, Jordan wouldn't be going alone, or perhaps not going at all. "Got it, Allan-taichou," he replied, and set about that task of putting the equipment on, leaving the goggles around his neck for the moment. "Is there a Fear scanner in the bag, sir?"
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Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2012 10:09 pm
-"Inner spirit." Allan finished. He looked expectantly after Jordan's question, which pretty much meant he didn't hear it at all over his own talking.
And then there was a nearly-thirty man suddenly looking extremely tearful as he put one arm around the Sun trainee. "Make me proud Jordan-kun, Allan-taichou will be waiting right here for you together, and then we can watch One Piece, and-" Allan paused, as if forgetting something very, very important. A figurative light-bulb turned on over his head. -"And we can even watch with you other two nakama-" Which suddenly turned to sort of a nervous expression as he practically half-escorted half-pushed Jordan into the open closet - err portal.
Unfortunately, Allan pushed a little too hard - unintentional as always - and blinked several times in confusion as Jordan went flying into the closet - err portal. His train of probably thought went something like "Oh wow, my Sun trainee is so eager to get started, I am so proud of them! Nakama and friendship! Oh and-"
-"Don't forget to use the goggles, they'll scan for any signs of danger!"
*
It was cool when Jordan arrived, almost frigid, a beautiful star scape against the evening sky. Everything was dark except, even where the desert dunes sloped into the horizon, the only thing visible anything within a small radius of glowing Runic daggers.
The camp site itself was extremely clean, as if someone - perhaps two someones - had gone through and swept through everything already. In fact, it almost seemed like the exact two someones had staged this whole thing, as there was only one painfully obvious path to travel across, as lit up by the Runic daggers, and then exactly one object that was slightly glowing on one table several yards away.
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Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2012 10:20 pm
Jordan opened his mouth to respond to Allan's suggestion, and then he was falling through a portal and into the chill desert night, acquiring a mouthful of sand. He sat up and spat it out, grimacing. Not pleasant, but undoubtedly accidental.
A quick glance around revealed a lit path of daggers and a table with a single glowing object on it. Jordan smiled a little ruefully and got to his feet, starting across towards the table. Having not actually heard the advice about the goggles, he left them off for the moment; the night was clear and still, eye protection was currently unnecessary, and the target was clear and obvious.
He paused in front of the table as something occurred to him. He was making assumptions here; while he didn't think Allan was the type to set him a more subtle test, Simon might well be. He checked the satchel, then realized that no, actually, he did have the scanner right here; he lifted the goggles and settled them over his eyes, taking a careful look at the artifact.
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Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2012 10:40 pm
The goggles literally lit up, bringing a blue luminescent light to everything around Jordan. The dunes were a brilliant blue in the distant, the Runic daggers almost painfully bright. On the table was the single item, what honestly looked like a broken off door handle. The goggles beeped and a thin line traced away from the item on the lens like an odd, glowing overlay.
'Potential artifact remnant. Trace amounts of Fear detected. Safe to handle.'
And that was it. That was literally, everything there was around: even another cursory glance with the enhanced night-goggle vision showed absolutely nothing else around other than endless sand and an equally endless starscape.
There was a slight problem however.
Allan had forgotten to set up a return portal.
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Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2012 12:48 pm
Jordan studied the display for a few moments. Was it really going to be that easy? Maybe it was. He carefully reached out, picked the artifact up, and tucked it into a pocket. Then he turned to return to the portal. There was no portal. "Wonderful," he said under his breath, and took his phone out of his pocket to text Allan. Zoobey Text to Allan: There's no return portal here. What would you like me to do, sir?
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Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2012 2:10 pm
"The Clan of Famine, always industrious workers, who created here something beautiful, a full Lair underneath, catacombs and caverns still hidden from prying eyes."
A voice was speaking a distance away from Jordan from below. Peering to his left, he could make out a figure through the visor - or was that a few: talking and gesturing to each other at what seemed like a giant funnel of sand. The figures continued to walk downward as the leading figure talked, voice slightly familiar, calm, feminine.
"Even in plain sight, the Hunters could not imagine everything below them, they walk above the very Lair, blind." Medea turned to the assembled Heirs. "And thus, we mark this place as ours again, reclaiming our first Lair as the Lost Clans. A tie to the Human world and Halloween. Our secret, so humans can fear us once again."
There was a blast of light as the figure in the center pulled out a glowing deep maroon staff and struck the lowest point in the sand. Everything began to shake, and then, slowly from the depths emerged a large, gaping maw of an entrance. The entrance to the Lair. OOC HORSEMEN: You are BELOW. All you see is Medea talking, and your attention currently is simply on the situation at hand. JORDAN: You are ABOVE. You can see exactly what is happening below. Unfortunately, noone seems to be replying to your text right now...
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Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2012 3:06 pm
"How convenient." Aisa remarked, her hand brushing over the grains of sand. She seemed to find some sort of idle interest in letting the sands of Famine slip through her fingers, a furtive smile on her face.
"What a beautiful, beautiful view." Aisa whispered, perhaps, finally settled to simply be back into the human world. Amityville had always been rather stuffy in that aspect. She leaned against Eris, her chest against Eris's back as she spoke, her hand now stroking Eris's sleek black feathers. Oh, how she was envious of Cym and Eris's wings-- it could take them anywhere in the human world, while Connie and her had their agile feet. Eris's wings decided to spotlight Aisa's thoughts for a strong moment.
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Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2012 3:24 pm
Not good, Ferros said. You have a positive talent for understatement, Jordan answered, and glanced around again. There was nowhere to hide, and there was no ******** way he could hold out against five horsemen. The runic daggers that outlined his planned path had already been planted, their charge used; he had no portal back and no backup. He braced himself as the shaking began. His phone was still in his hand. If he couldn't get out of this, he could at least make himself useful. Zoobey Text to Allan: Horsemen reclaiming underground Sahara lair. Entrance hidden near coordinates of this mission. Scanner shows five figures present. One states: Reclaiming our first lair as the Lost Clans. They were moving up towards the entrance; Jordan didn't think he had time for any further useful information. He sent the text, hesitated a moment, opened another. Quote: Text to Harrison & Rep: love you He turned and threw the phone as hard as he could in the opposite direction; whatever the horsemen did about finding him here, if he was lucky, they wouldn't find the phone and the information about Deus contained therein. Then he faced the entrance of the lair and waited, hands open and empty at his sides.
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Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2012 4:05 pm
"There are of course amongst us survivors," Medea elaborated, helping the Heirs towards the passageway, "They wait for us below, understand our cause, ready to serve. Unlike us, they are not bound by the rules of Halloween, and that will serve us well." A Lair hidden in the middle of the desert with what seemed like a small army unbound by any rules. This was their second home, this was their secret base.
This was possibly the most terrifying and yet important thing that Jordan could have stumbled upon.
"Remember that etiquette is important in unifying our clans, we work to-"
- BEEP- BEEP- BEEP.
Medea practically whirled around, to where Jordan had thrown his cell phone. She uttered a low hiss -
- And pointed a single, slender finger in that direction. "Find the source, whatever that was, human, Halloween, find them, and bring them here. We cannot let them leave, our very survival depends on it."
Unbeknownst to the Sun trainee, his cell phone had uttered the noise only for a single reason- MESSAGES NOT SENT Error: Your messages have not been sent. Please try again.
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Interesting Conversationalist
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Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2012 4:43 pm
A delicate, charred black hand lifted to run her fingers through Aisa's hair as she pressed herself against the Protector of War's back, a low, soft croon rumbling much like a feline purr deep in the back of her throat. It was with great affection that she allowed her fingers to slide to the nape of her kin's neck, soothing as she tilted her head to one side, her face tilted to rest her forehead against Aisa's cheek. She was in a placid mood; returning to the human world had calmed the restless tempest which had been building inside of her, further coaxed into serenity by their newfound plan. Medea would lead them to victory, to the glory they so deserved, as she had for centuries. As the High Priestess unfolded her plans like a tapestry before them, Eris could not help but be pacified by her smooth, cool tone, as foreignly pleasant as water.
The sound of something mechanical brought all their attention away from Medea, silencing her as all eyes shifted, searching for the source. Immediately, all hints of the previous serenity vanished, molten amber eyes suddenly keenly focused, predatory as they flicked around them, scanning the sand for the intruder. The Priestess issued the command, and War's Protector moved immediately to do her bidding, teeth bared as their guardian revealed the identity of their target.
"Hunter."
The first heavy wing beat kicked up a flurry of course, ashen sand, a whirlwind suddenly twisting around them as Eris took to the sky. In such a barren wasteland, her flight would remain unhindered. There were no obstacles she nor Cymbeline would have to avoid midflight, no structures which would hinder Aisa's and Invictus' mounts; the hunter would not escape.
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Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2012 6:26 pm
It seemed that despite the beauty of where it was they had been taken to, the heirs had some business to be attending to. Such as the fact that it seemed they were not alone, despite what it was they had been speaking about. Unfortunate, really. If it was halloween, Invictus would have to find the best way to bind - killing was not an option. If a hunter...well....
A hunter would lead to the beginning of a rather good opportunity, given what it was they were to be working on.
And it seemed as though Eris had already begun to move in response to Medea's demand, the outreach of her hand... yes, it was time for them to act, and such an act was well within their means - their own god given choices. Certainly having demands made of him caused Invictus to make a face, passing a look to Medea that bore the smallest furrow of his brows, before he turned back towards where it was.
If the girls were going to descend upon the hunter, he was going to descend upon that which had made the most curious of noises. After all, if the hunter had it, it would not be a problem. If it was something else..?
Well, they would handle that.
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Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2012 9:16 pm
s**t, why had the phone beeped like that? An error? He couldn't afford to look for it to check. Maybe it'd still get lost in the sand. Jordan took a careful breath and stepped towards the entrance. "Right here," he said loudly, as calmly as he could.
Are you sure this is a good idea? Ferros growled.
No, but I don't think we have a chance of coming out of this alive if we attack them and piss them off.
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