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 Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2009 8:44 am
Damn, Farfarello thought from within his bubble, Even Perrault could kick my a**! This displeased the demon very, very much, and it showed on his face. He thought it was ridiculous to go to such measures to save mere children, but... what do I know? The more the demon watched Hashmal, the more he grew to like the Draon.
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Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2009 9:52 am
At the request to save the children, Hashmal simply replied, "Bah, details. I saved the majority, didn't I?" With her massacre done with, she stomped back to the demon in the bubble, "So this is what you were doing down here? blowing bubbles? honesty... I was killing guards upstairs, and had one leading us in before we came across this big door, so I killed theguard and went through the floor... on two levels apparently..." Hashmals said, flicking blood of her soaked sword.
"Had I known you were going to have a lovely group like that to slaughter, I'd have come down earlier..."
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Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2009 3:39 pm
Indeed, the soldiers were all slaughtered. The Gate, stone as always, merely hummed with the power coursing through it, thus revived by Raedou's magic. It glowed a pretty turquoise color, along the symbols etched into it; the same color as the sphere surrounding Farfarello.
Although it had been unnoticed up to now, it soon became apparent that the sphere, which was still plenty large enough for the demon, was shrinking--very slowly, but most steadily.
~
Ephlas looked upward expectantly, and nearly ten minutes later, a high-pitched, shrill sound could be heard, as a... brown manta ray of sorts descended from unknown origins. It had no mouth, no eyes, no face, and no orifices of any detectable kind. But from it had the call originated--from this whyspwing.
It was roughly the length and width of a building, but was only a foot tall from belly to back. Its large, encompassing 'wings' rippled loosely and seemingly without a car in the world, and a strange, mechanical locking mechanism could be seen attached to the tip of its dangerous tail. The creature waited, hovering patiently a foot above the ground, and Ephlas stepped on without hesitation.
Apparently, Clem, Ne'galash, and the beetle were to follow.
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Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2009 5:38 pm
zfatal "We were not defeated," replied Bael without looking back at Telgove, "but merely interrupted. That Storm... no Magus could have called it. Not even all the Magi on this continent. No," Bael continued, "something else chose to forestall our fight. Tell me--"
And at this, Bael finally turned to look Telgove in the eye, something he had rarely ever done, as Telgove was subordinate.
"--just why, is it, that you fight for Baelta? To our emperor do you hold what loyalty?"
Telgove frowned from inside his helmet.
"I hold no loyalty to our emperor." he said gravely, "Only to you, Lord Bael."
He looked away, laughing weakly.
"There was a time, once..." he said, "A time where I believed in peace... happiness... I was so weak then. Such things cannot exist in a ludicrous world like this."
He turned to Bael and folded his arms.
"Why do you wonder this now, my lord?" he asked curiously.----- Raedou scowled.
"You..." he called to Hashmal, "You sicken me to my core, Draon! Do my eyes decieve me, or did you strangle a guard with his OWN LARGE INTESTINE??!!"
He sank down and picked up his sword, which was stained with the blood of the guards that Hashmal slaughtered.
"Completely uncalled for... completely uncalled for..." he mumbled to himself as he stood back up and walked toward Perrault and the prisoners behind him.
"Is everyone alright?" he asked the small crowd, putting his sword back into it's scabbard.-----
Perrault took a deep breath and put away his satchel. Two cursers in one minute was a little too much for the little elf to bear. He looked up at the bubble that contained Farfarello and smiled.
"Far..." he laughed, "What trouble did you get yourself into this time?"
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Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2009 7:03 pm
Instead of answering (thus revealing even more information) Bael turned to face Telgove head-on. "And why is it that you are loyal to me? What fear do I instill upon your heart, awe that causes you to follow my cause? I am but a humble servant of our Emperor."
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Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2009 7:29 pm
Telgove was a bit shocked by Bael's questions, but didn't show it.
"You're the one... who taught me what I know." he said, "I am forever grateful to you for teaching me of such great power."
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Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2009 7:38 pm
Bael glanced over to see that still, their spy had not managed to escape from their current subject to siege. Without returning his gaze to Telgove, Bael chuckled, then replied, "That is a foolish and erroneous mindset. I did not teach you what I know out of any personal admiration for your talent. It was simply the task appointed me."
"Regardless of that," Bael continued, "your skill is remarkable, more than any other I have seen save myself. But that is not the point," the Mindbreaker cut himself off.
There was a moment's pause. "Tell me, Telgove... tell me how you see your brother."
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Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2009 7:47 pm
Telgove grew silent, not even drawing a breath.
"Raedou has great potential." he said, "He managed to defeat me in combat on the hills... However, his life force is weak. Only his anger and sorrow drives him to continue moving on; he should have lost his will to live a long time ago."
He looked away from Bael.
"He now lives only to avenge his family." he said, "And the only way to avenge his family is to take my life."
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Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2009 8:00 pm
Bael pondered this for a moment. "That is how Raedou feels," he said bluntly. "How do you feel of your own brother? Could you bring yourself to vanquish him?"
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Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2009 8:12 pm
"Of course." he said, a bit frustrated at this point, "Why wouldn't I? I am the one who killed my own family, remember?"
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Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2009 8:20 pm
Bael narrowed his eyes. "Calm yourself. I ask for a reason, and when I see fit to tell you, then shall you yourself know. Until then, simply be focused and alert to your task. Tell me. What can you sense in this city? What are its magical strengths?"
((Next to none, I believe I said in an earlier post.))
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Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2009 8:34 pm
Telgove didn't breathe. He stared out into the distant city, even his helmet lacking any sign of expression.
"I sense a weak ember of magic to the east." he said, "A few to the south, but none elsewhere."
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Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2009 8:51 pm
The Draon looked at the Ganzi in puzzlement, "Of course not. I strangled a guard with another guard's intestine. Besides, they were just humes..." the Draon said, dismissing the bodies of the guards as less than worth considering.
---
Clem shrugged an moved his beetle on top. Ne'galash skittered after.
(I assume your sandglider is still with us, Kaye?)
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Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2009 8:54 pm
((That's what I was thinking. Is that alright? I have to get off now, but I might reply as Tida tomorrow...))
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Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2009 5:43 pm
The whyspwing rose directly upward, in a perfectly vertical ascent--only its wings shimmering from side to side. Its long and lazy tail drifted, as well, but altogether, the gigantic manta ray of the sky stayed as flat as a horizontal plane, more so than the most able-built stone floor.
Soon enough, the manta ray rose into a perfectly-shaped hole in the floor of the floating city, Sunclipse. Surprisingly, or maybe not, there was no one present to greet them as they arrived. Another surprising attribute to the city was... how quiet it was. The only sound that could be heard was the desert wind above and below, and the breathing of the four individuals on the manta ray. The whyspwing itself made no noise whatsoever, aside from its cry as it descended.
Ephlas stepped off of the massive beast, looking around and scratching his head. The buildings all possessed closed shutters and doors, and not a soul was to be seen. The entire city was aglow, however, in a perpetual morning radiance. The city was a complex of alleyways, surrounded by stone buildings.
"This is the residential area," Ephlas found himself explaining to Clem. "Something is wrong. There should be someone here to meet us."
They were in no danger--or so Ephlas thought. No, there was no danger present, but something was amiss... something was peculiar. Where was the person Ephlas had spoken to earlier?
~
"How many?" Bael continued to probe.
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