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 Posted: Sun Nov 13, 2016 8:26 am
Dante hadn't been watching the barrier the first time; he'd focused on Eligor. He peered closely at the now-scorched spot on the pillar where the rune had been. "Strange," he signed. "What happens if we do that to another of th--ea!" Dante jumped back as Lailah's weapon, not her hand, struck a rune a little too close to him for his liking. His attention snapped to her and he started to sign angrily, "Watch where you put that!", but he noticed the barrier flicker. His expression dropped and he looked frantically between Lailah and Eligor, wondering if they saw that. Then he looked gleefully at the blackened spot Lailah had left behind and a grin broke out on his face as the pieces came together for him as well.
"Well done, Eligor!" he signed, clapping his companion on the back. The puzzle was solved; now it seemed the task was destroying all the runes. What a delightfully simple solution, now that he thought about it--of course the holy light of the Guardians would drive out this unholy and primitive magic. Dante found a spot on the pillar opposite Genesis, tucked his staff in the crook of his elbow and brought some Holy Light into his hands, then put them on the pillar. As the runes smoked and then were burnt away, he couldn't help a satisfied smile.
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Posted: Mon Nov 14, 2016 8:46 pm
With the other surviving squires coming to the same conclusion that destroying the runes was the most likely way to free the captives, Katya hurriedly came over to the central column and took a position behind Dante. The young squire was tentative about reaching out with her own magic to help, given her utter lack of skill with it, but she was already getting a tad jittery from knowing she was grounded by some invisible barrier. To speak nothing of the idea that there hadn't been any real trouble as yet in this courtyard, and Katya still sensed threat nearby, and contrary to certain proverbs, the threats one couldn't see were almost certainly the deadliest.
Yet here before them, were part of the reason they were here in the first place. The ones that so many had already been sacrificed for. The path was clear. Katya summoned some energy to her right hand and waited until just enough had been channeled for her to be able to sense it. She reached around Dante and gingerly placed her hand on one of the few remaining runes. She didn't understand the reaction, nor the results of it, nor the odd feedback she felt run up her sword arm. She just saw the scorched area where the rune had been, and exhaled that nothing worse had happened.
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Posted: Thu Nov 17, 2016 11:17 pm
The first few runes flared and burned away, causing the shields to flicker faintly before growing steady once more. At first it seemed a fairly easy solution to the puzzle. All they had to do was touch the pillar with a bit of magic and the trap would be undone!
Well, nothing was ever quite that easy, was it?
The runes around the pillar lit up, the foreign magic pulsing with renewed strength to drive back this attack. They glowed with a low, steady light that flared when the Squires' Light magic neared. The runes weren't burning away after a mere touch anymore. Simply touching the pillar no longer had an effect. However, Lailah's attacks with her magically enchanted blades still seemed to be working. It seemed not only a battle of magic was swelling, but one of wills.
Only strikes made with weapons or strong intent seemed to have effect and the pillar that had held them at a stand-still slowly began to give way once more under the Squires' assault. In addition to scorch marks, large cracks spider-webbed over the pillar's surface. Pebbles and dust rained down after one such crack appeared. Though the enchantment resisted, the Squires were wearing it down with their constant assault. Of course, they were growing weary as well. Perhaps it was the fatigue or a trick of the light. Out of the corner of one's eye, one could swear that the carved figures in the stone glowed with an eerie light, pulsing, almost seeming to move...
Sensing that the his comrades were beginning to falter and that neither side could keep this up much longer, the group's mage, Eligor, drew his strength into a powerful attack, unleashing a blast of raw Light magic fueled by his desire to see this accursed heretic tower fall as well as his frustration. He drew upon the knowledge he gained from his extensive studies on how to channel magic through himself as a conduit.
A loud, splintering crack rent the air, the only warning to those below that something more than dust was about to fall. The few remaining runes and images flared, near blinding, at that moment, and a wave of invisible magical energy seemed to explode from the pillar, jolting those it passed through. Immediately after, the wave receded, leaving an empty void-like sensation lingering in the area, as if something vast and powerful was now missing. Before any could have a chance to analyze this feeling, a large section of the pillar from high above fell, sheered off from near the top. It fell on the side opposite the captives, shaking the ground and sending dust and debris into the air. The particles bounced off the faintly flickering barrier around the captives before faded and vanished completely.
The pillar glowed no more.
At the base of the pillar's remains, the captives remained, still bound, yet no longer imprisoned behind the magical barrier. They were as safe as could expected, from first glance, with no new injuries at the least from the pillar's destruction. Better yet, they seemed to be stirring...
*****
RP NOTE ((The Squires have destroyed the pillar and the magical barrier around the captives has also vanished. They may now attempt to rescue them...but perhaps it won't be as easy as it seems... Ru and Dai - Control of your Pae'il now returns to you as they begin to return to consciousness...however... Due to the prolonged exposure to Dragnid during their imprisonment, your Pae'il are now heavily Tainted. But don't worry; not so much that it's not reversible. Their primary focus at this point will be to get free by whatever means necessary, whether that's deception, intrigue, force, or whatever method is fitting for your character's personality in a 'twisted state', and harm the Squires. Squires - The captives can now be freed. However, they are visibly injured in moderate fashion and as the Squires may be about to discover in some manner, heavily Tainted. You might want to deal with that... Have fun, everyone. twisted ))
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Posted: Mon Nov 21, 2016 8:34 pm
The shetani's darkly-colored skin betrayed a sense of limited abuse, as the coloring served well to hide much of it. Looking more closely, however, his skin was speckled by bruises of various ages, severity, and stages of healing. Numerous sorts of scarred and scarring lesions were on his extremities. One set were located where his limbs would have been bound - his wrists, ankles, and wings - and clearly showed a prolonged struggle against rope that was clearly too tight; others - especially those on his tail - resembled bite marks, while others still were precise, clean, and deliberate. One such on his cheek, horizontally below his eye seemed particularly fresh.
The boy was clearly malnourished, his features gaunt even for his small size. Dark, matted, overgrown curls covered most of his face as it hung, His wings were likewise matted with obvious patches of missing feathers.
His consciousness came to him slowly, as if his body resisted being forced to awake once more. Light crept across the edges of his awareness, forcing him to once more acknowledge that death had yet to grace him. Another day, trapped in this endless hell.
He couldn't take it any longer.
Surely they knew - she knew - he could not speak. No matter how they questioned him, even if he had known more, even if he had been desperate enough to falsify something, words would not have come.
Or maybe she knew that and simply used his being to take out her frustration for having acquired such a pitiful, useless informant.
As the static of his surroundings faded, eyes yet closed, the shetani began to make out the sound of footsteps. Close. There were many of them. Oh Guardians they were back! As if blood suddenly rushed to his being, the shetani's figure shot straight up, his eyes wide and bloodshot.
"...!"
His eyes looked down at the binding forcing him against the pillar, then to his side where Kurt remained downcast, before looking ahead. This was new; had they been deemed so useless that they had been turned over to a new group now? If that was the case, surely these were even worse than the ones before them. Even he could sense their weariness, their animosity to the situation and to him specifically.
What would they do to him?
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Posted: Wed Nov 23, 2016 11:32 am
The rush of magical energy being expelled from his hands left Eligor light-headed and woozy for a moment. He felt...emptied, but it was worth it. His final attack seemed to have done the job. The mage sank to his knees in the grass when the first major crack split the air. The column was coming down. Eligor felt a moment of panic, looking to see who might be in danger as he realized with despair that he was too weak at the moment to respond in any sort of acceptable time. They were all fairly exhausted by this point.
Fortunately, the Guardians still watched over them in this horrible place. Though dust and debris filled the air, the heavy stones fell away from the Squires below as well as the captives. Eligor felt a rush of relief and felt nearly ready to collapse onto the earth with fatigue. The falling stones shook the ground as well as stirring up further debris and the demon weakly curled one wing forward to block most of the dust from pelting his face. When the worst of the debris had settled, Eligor took another look at the pillar warily. The remaining carvings remained dormant. At first, he had attributed the feeling the Light magic burst leaving him as the source for the strange sensation of emptiness he'd felt in the chaos, however...now he realized something had indeed changed. He wasn't sure if the others would notice, but with his strong magical affinity, he couldn't have ignored the changes if he'd tried. Whatever strange power had been here before was gone, leaving a feeling of...absence. A sense of void. He couldn't find a better way to describe it. Something vast and powerful was now missing...
A shame there hadn't been another option that would have left the pillar intact for study, but they'd had no other choice. A magical object, even a heretic one, was a valuable educational find, but their mission and their survival came before that. Now, the pillar remained nothing but ordinary stone.
Waving off the dust hanging in the air, Eligor attempted to stand, calling out, "Is everyone alright?" His staff had fallen...somewhere...and when he attempted to rise, his knees buckled, dropping him back to the earth. He was surprised to find a hand offered almost immediately in his vision.
"Nice finishing blow, Eli." The angel flashed him a smirk before turning to cough into the bend of her other arm. There was a heck of a lot of dust in the air at the moment and she hadn't had quite the luck the demon had at blocking it from pelting her face.
Warily, Eligor attempted to read Lailah's expression before taking her hand, searching for some sign of sarcasm, but finding none. He couldn't recall her ever simply complimenting him before, nor shortening his name to a comradely sort of moniker. Of course, he'd heard her call him a few other things before when she thought he couldn't hear, but...
After a moment, he returned the smile and took her hand, her grip tight as she pulled him upwards onto his feet. Strong, wasn't she? "Thanks," he offered simply in return with a nod. "Now we regroup," he said, turning to assure that the others were all okay as it had initially seemed.
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Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2016 9:57 pm
When Genesis had found her hands had come to be insufficient at removing the magical runes, she had no choice but to switch to her sword. She warily attacked the pillar with it, knowing that such a large weapon was sure to draw a commotion. After every destroyed rune she checked over her shoulder, but nothing was coming. This made little sense to her. How could they have been here as long as they had, making as much noise as they had, and yet no one had come to stop them. It was becoming increasingly clear to her that they were likely playing right into some sort of devious plan, but it also seemed that there was no other choice but to play into this trap and brace herself for what was to come. Brace all of them for it.
At last the pillar was destroyed. Genesis allowed her tired arms to fall at her side, her sword tip resting on ground, still prepared for what was to come. "Everyone is ok..." Genesis assessed after the dust had cleared. "It seems to me that it is impossible that we have completed this task without drawing attention. We are likely playing into a trap, we best be prepared." Genesis remarked as her eyes turned towards the captives with suspicious eyes. Perhaps the heretics wanted these captives rescued. She addressed the one who had stood up so suddenly. "Are you alright?" She asked him, looking over his visible injuries, he would likely need medical aid, but Genesis warily kept her distance. Something didn't feel right, beyond her suspicions, the atmosphere around them somehow felt empty and heavy all at the same time.
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Posted: Sun Feb 12, 2017 2:01 pm
Kurt started to move, groaning in discomfort. There was the valiant effort to remain stoic through the ordeal, but the male failed time and time again. The moments before he opened his eyes, he savors the moments of relatively painless existence before the torture would begin again. A kick or a punch would bring him back to reality as it always done, it would come. Was life always painful? Its hard to remember any more.
Before the assault would assuredly start again, he felt his companion move. All the voices were just background noise, but the kid was up. Using a hand to help his aged and worn body up, he set his dulled pink eyes on a group of teenagers. Well, this was new.
He should have recognized two of the teenage females, having traveled with them during his trials. However, to his eyes they were twisted demons. Females were still females, that shard of who he was had not faded. Rather he held on to it for dear life. Along with one other part, "Cria?"
That wasn't the Shetani's name, even if the male couldn't talk that had been made clear. What also was clear was the name was staying. Something about it was another thread he held on to, his alpaca.
Putting his arm out, even if his wrist held at a funny angle, he tried to put himself in front of the boy, "He can't talk, leave the boy alone." He had to protect the boy, he had to. Something about him reminded him of happy times. It was just that one more part of him that he fought against, held strong to while his body was beaten to the ground over and over again.
And so he stood on weak knees watching the teenagers with a hard yet wearied eyes.Quote: Forgive me, this is very old, it can be deleted if its too old to respond to.
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Posted: Tue Mar 14, 2017 8:31 am
Harveer was late on the uptake, attacking the pillar with the others. If Eli hadn't gone along with Lailah's attacking, he most likely would've waited. But that seemed to be what it was taking. Eli's finishing blow wasn't a huge shock, but it was impressive. Harveer's golden eyes flicked to his exhausted friend, watching the bloody angel help him up. Eligor was fine. It seemed none of them were harmed, just the prisoners.
Slowly, the pale angel approached the two that they'd risked further attention to save. They were still tied there, and something wasn't right. "Hold still, we need to see to your wounds." He spoke, trying to be calm. After even just the minimal exertion with the pillar, his breathing was still a little faster than it should be. This was a long journey. He wasn't sure what was wrong, but something in the back of his mind was making sure he didn't bring his blades too close to these two.
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Posted: Wed Mar 15, 2017 3:03 pm
When the other squires had started to assault the obelisk with heightened intensity, Katya moved aside from the others a short distance. The young squire was already wary of her remaining arrow stocks and her light lance ability had always been somewhat limited at best compared to her comrades. After a moment's pause, she observed that the group by now was... How would Lailah put it? 'Wailing' on the structure. The little demon shrugged and figured that at this point, she probably couldn't do any better, stepping back and scanning the skies for any possible threat. So it was that when the pillar finally came down in spectacular fashion, Katya had been only slightly drained by the ordeal. She immediately proceeded to the stirring captive pae, shucking her heavy pack and dropping to one knee beside them.
As adept as she was at spotting hidden threats of a physical form from leagues away, she was not as keen at sensing if something might be amiss if it were of a more mystical or magical nature. Still, she knew something wasn't right, even if she didn't feel it as strongly as the others, or knew whether or not it was taint or some other dark energy (or lack thereof) hanging over the courtyard.
The captives were stirring, conscious. She had a hard time reading their reaction to the sight of the squires, but could see full well the extent of their physical injuries. She was quite relieved that they didn't seem to be too hurt, especially given the gruesome experiences the squires had endured even making it this far through the stronghold. Seeing what she perceived to be confusion and disorientation, Katya cautiously approached the golden haired angel who seemed to regard them all with suspicion. "We're not here to hurt any of you. Please, you have to tell us what you can about this place." She spoke in the most calming voice she could summon, but had trouble hiding the fact that she was a bit bewildered for where to even begin with first aid, holding out a length of bandage and a stick she was going to use as a splint in one hand. "I suppose ah, you could tell me... Where it hurts?"
She immediately winced when she realized the immense understatement carried by the question.
This is actually Doof. Whoops. Accidentally used my FeMule.
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Posted: Wed Mar 15, 2017 5:21 pm
Kurt stood as straight as he could manage, still slightly hunched like he had this great weight on his shoulders, and angled his body as best he could to protect Malek. If it were possible to back up further he would.
The green teen got a hard look, accompanied by teeth bared. "You must be initiates. Your boss cheats." They weren't beings of the perfect Guardians, they were in league with the master of this place and the master was sore loser.
The master must be planning something else, decided to use new minions to get something out of them. If he was going to use familiar faces, he could have been less obtuse about it. Maybe it was a good thing, if that word had any meaning anymore.
Hearing the female voice, Kurt looked to her but the anger and hate was missing then. She was still a female, something the demon woman enjoyed to no end. Since he couldn't talk to her with malice, he turned back to the green teen and unleashed his rage upon him instead.
A voice weak with thirst, and yelling, there wasn't much volume but emotions weren't held back. "I won't tell you anything!" Just by saying that, he flinched, as strong as he was his body flinched at the blow it expected. It was very much the case of a proud, strong soul, wearing an aged and battered shell.
Flinching just made him madder, "The Cria can't speak, you all KNOW that." Bile bubbled at the idea of them mocking the kid to speak when it was more than clear that he couldn't. "I won't give you the satisfaction. I've seen this trick before." A girl child had showed what appeared to be care and kindness. Pulling the same trick again was boring. Deefie He answers Katya looking at Harveer Dementia Requiem Asumi Harveer gets anger for Katya because can't be angry at a lady.
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Posted: Wed Mar 15, 2017 5:59 pm
Slow and stealthy, she remained in Genesis' shadow, following her with the seed of hate stirring in her mind. Internally, a war was waged and the one-winged angel tried to fight her evil thoughts. How could a warrior sworn to defend the Light even let those thoughts in, let alone entertain them.
Alethea let the thoughts and inner turmoil prevent her from participating and helping her allies. Pulling herself from the grasp she knew was the taint, she put the feelings aside to try and focus on the situation. They were striking the pillar. Was she really out of it for that long?
She ran to the pillar, ranseur in hands, and ready to help. But the loud crack stopped her and panic was about to ensue. The flash of energy halted all action and she just watched as the top of the pillar fell to the ground. Was everyone ok? Was Eligor ok? Momentarily frozen and unable to move because she couldn't comprehend the situation fast enough, all she could think of was how much she failed at being a squire. Self doubt ate away at her, causing her to lose focus.
The dust cleared enough that she saw Lailah help Eligor to his feet. She grimaced a moment, knowing that was a fight she couldn't win.
Focus Alethea, focus.
The captives need help! "Can I help in anyway?"
((sorry for stupid post, I lost a lot of progress while I was away))
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Posted: Wed Mar 15, 2017 6:49 pm
After helping the mage from the ground, Lailah surveyed the situation. The area was still clear of other hostiles, despite the commotion they had just created, which was simultaneously reassuring and unnerving. They weren't in any condition to take on a new threat right now...but given what they'd faced so far, shouldn't SOMEONE have heard that and come to investigate?
This whole situation screamed 'trap'.
Warily, she turned her attention to the others tending to the hostages. At least they were clearly alive. They just needed to get them freed and doctored up, then get the heck out of here. After a moment of watching the first of the exchanges, Lailah's eyes narrowed. Something wasn't right.
The angel wasn't as gifted in magical perception as some of the others, but she excelled in reading physical signs. Their panicked, confused expressions, tinged with hostility, driven by fear. They seemed more like hunted animals than Pae. They showed no comprehension or understanding that they were being rescued.
The blonde Pae's outburst confirmed her assumptions. They...thought the Squires were agents of this horrible place? She didn't understand the rest of what he said, but it was enough to make it clear that the angel was confused. Lailah drew her blades, but kept at a safe distance from the hostages, not yet ready to cut them free. In this state, they could panic and they didn't need panicking civilians in a place like this.
"You...do realize we're here to rescue you, right?"
Eligor let the others take the lead with the hostages while he surveyed the rest of their group. A few of them looked like they could use a rest, but overall, the group seemed safe and uninjured for the most part. Hearing Alethea's voice asking where she could help, he turned to her before nodding towards the captives. "They need healing. I'll be along in a moment, just need a moment to rest first," he admitted, then turned towards the outburst from one of the captives. What was going on?
Picking up on Lailah's question, he wondered if no one else had bothered to explain before closing in on the poor confused captives. Stepping up behind Lailah and Alethea, but trying not to crowd in further on the panicked individuals, he held one fist over his heart and nodded his head. "Fear not, sir, no one here is going to harm you or your friend. We are Squires of the Order of the Light, sent here by the Guardians to rescue you and see you safely home. We need to tend to your injuries before we can leave this place. Please, remain calm; you are safe, you have my word."
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Posted: Wed Mar 15, 2017 8:42 pm
Genesis took another step back, the hostages were clearly misunderstanding their intentions. However, they didn't need to overwhelm them with information when the pae were so clearly disoriented. It made the most sense for Genesis to step back, though eloquent, her words could be harsh at times. Apart from that, someone needed to watch their backs.
Genesis couldn't get over the suspicious feeling she had about the situation, they were all distracted by the hostages and it was the perfect opportunity for something to go wrong, but nothing was going wrong. Genesis would have liked to believe that the prayer she had given over there journey was working, but she didn't feel that was the case. Even the guardians could not protect them from everything in a place so tainted as this one. Something was going to happen.
Genesis paced around the group as they conversed, looking for anything out of the ordinary, her sword at the ready.
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Posted: Thu Mar 16, 2017 7:41 am
Malek's eyes drifted to warily look down at Kurt as he began to stir, apprehension and fatigue clear from his expression, His lips twisted into an almost sarcastic smirk as he was, once again, called Cria; at this point, he wondered if that might truly be his name after all. His own was nearly lost to the pain of his mind, a mere memory drifting in and out of his recollection much as these recent times.
He didnt have time to muse on such silly things, however, with the danger presented immediately before him.
Panic rising up his chest, further fueled by the tone Kurt took in addressing them, Malek began to struggle with the ropes binding him and kick off from the ground, further away from those. His own logical ways of thinking were blurred, replaced only with the instinct of flight, numbing him from the sensation of the rope dragging into his skin or the soles of his feet scraping against the floor. His eyes darted from the two approaching and speaking with them, composure barely maintained (if you could call it that),
Then he laid eyes on Lailah's knife.
"Ahhhahhh...." A hoarse noise, entirely comprehensible as more than a moan of sorts, escaped his lips as he shook his head from side to side. He should have known by now that it was such reactions that had fueled the others' enjoyment at tormenting him, but he was long beyond maintaining rational thoughts. Looking back up at them, the groups' features seemed to twist, soft expressions becoming hard and malicious, with even their words having a bittersweet edge to them. His perception of the teenagers was being tainted by his own hostilities, continuing to fuel his animosity further.
He didn't want to hurt anymore...
Take the other one first, take Kurt. They never tormented him as much. He always said he would take more of the pain the next time, that he would protect 'Cria' next time, but he never did. Why was it always him? Why had it always been him?
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Posted: Thu Mar 16, 2017 8:07 am
Harveer hardly noticed the others staying back. They were a team, if one of them was at risk, the others would flank to protect them. Why else could Eli take such huge risks with his magics? Seeing the hatred and distrust in the blond angel's eyes... They had been through a great ordeal. Golden eyes narrowed as the one called Cria struggled against his ropes. What was going on here?
"She's right, you know. We're here to get you out of this hole." He agreed with Lailah. What else could they possibly have been doing? "If Cria can't speak, can you tell us how long you've been here?" Harveer questioned, not taking his eyes off the pair, but motioning to Alethea. He'd heard her ask, and Eli respond. He had an idea, but he wasn't certain it would work. Would it prove to the pair they were friendly?
The pale angel took a half step back, turning his attention to Alethea. "Allie, will you help me heal them?" He asked, a cog clicking to place. The one that was speaking to them wouldn't look at Katya. Did that mean he wouldn't try to harm any female? Alethea, Katya, Lailah... They were tough as nails, they all were. Maybe having Alethea there would keep the blonde angel from attacking him. "Something's not right here.
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