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 Posted: Sun Feb 02, 2014 8:04 am
Boothe nodded at Selia as he shrugged his new, black wool sweater over his brown shirt that he had received from Lilyann the other day. Valik accepted the clothes and smiled a 'thank you' to Lilyann. Valik stood, stripped to his boxers, and put on the new dark clothes. He looked down at them with approval. Boothe strapped his bolster sword so it hung diagonally along his back. "Okay. I'm ready when you two are." Boothe looked in between Valik and Valerie. Valik nodded. "I'm ready." Valik replied, his voice slightly shaken.
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Posted: Sun Feb 02, 2014 8:16 am
Valerie nodded, also changing quickly. They were all adults, right? Her body was incredibly thin and pale, but was soon covered in the clothes Lilyann had given her. "Thank you, Lilyann." She nodded a thanks and picked out the things that stayed in the pockets of her old dress. Little bottles and a sheet of paper with old writings slipped into a pocket on the inside of her shirt. She also pulled her hair back and began to walk towards the door.
Selia and Lilyann walked the trio outside into the damp air. It was cool and misty, but bearable. Selia lay a hand on Valerie's slender shoulder. "Be safe. Move fast." She handed her a slim stick wrapped in red paper. "Light this if you are in trouble. It's a flare, it'll shoot into the air directly above you and send out sparks. We'll come help in any way we can." Valerie nodded and took the flare, strapping it to her bolster that hung at her waist. There was a thin sword there already. Everything about seemed so small compared to the others.
Lilyann smiled at them all. "We'll meet up with you in a few days."
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Posted: Sun Feb 02, 2014 8:36 am
Boothe gazed at Lilyann. "Thank you for everything, Lilyann." he said to her. Valik nodded at the two women and began walking, no weapon equipped. Boothe looked at Selia. "Be good, princess." Boothe said with a small smile. He then followed after his brother. "We split up in about a mile, when we reach the forest." Valik said, pointing to the forest, the frozen tree still covered in ice. Boothe didn't think anything of the tree. Perhaps he was trying to ignore it. "The river is off to the left. To the right, where you're going, Valerie, is a valley. It'll be easy to cross, though." Boothe said. Valik sighed as he patted the jar of shards, now attached by a leather strip to his knapsack. His arm dropped back to his side. "There could be those nekos about. So be careful. Both of you." Valik said, his voice still shaken. Boothe wondered why he was acting so unusual, but didn't ask.
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Posted: Sun Feb 02, 2014 8:43 am
Valerie, too, noticed Valik's behavior. He seemed wary of something. Maybe it's his powers again.. Valerie trusted his instincts and kept her guard up as well, watching every movement that was around them. It unsettled her. They reached the forest quickly. Valerie veered to the right, keeping her pace steady. "I'll see you at nightfall, then." She said, turning on her heel to look at the two men.
Selia smiled and went back inside, pouring the tea Lilyann made. She took a cup upstairs to Marcus, who was now sitting at his desk, studying maps. "Good morning." She said, setting the tea on the desk and turning to leave. Marcus grabbed her wrist, his eyes wide. "Selia, your friends are going through the valley, right?" Something about his tone worried Selia as she nodded a yes and looked down at the maps. They were enchanted, changing with the area. Lilyann heard a cup drop and shatter upstairs once she closed the door.
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Posted: Sun Feb 02, 2014 9:02 am
Boothe split up as well, telling them to be careful as he went left. The river stream was in view, but would take a few minutes to reach it. Valik stayed straight. The mountain was steep and rocky, but he was easily able to climb it. Valik began climbing fairly quickly.
"Hmph," Isa grimaced, "yet again we did not expect this." She growled. Her legs bent, arms hanging, Sava walked next to her sister, the way she always walked. "They have split up!" Sava exclaimed, wide eyed. Her sister nodded. "You stay for the wolf. I will slow down the fat one." she patted Sava's head then began walking off, only to be stopped by Sava. "What of the b***h?" Sava asked. Isa chuckled devilishly. "The valley will take her well enough, little sister." Isa replied with a grin, the black fog following Isa as she strolled off again. Sava stood in the open, her arms dangling, chains ringing and clanking together in the wind.
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Posted: Sun Feb 02, 2014 9:15 am
Lilyann ran upstairs, looking to see what had happened to make the cup fall. Selia stood over Marcus, mouth open. She was in shock. Lilyann looked over her shoulder to see what was wrong, eyes widening when she saw the map. It was often used to wars, as it showed what was actually there. Neko forces had been gathering in the valley, overtaking almost half of it, cutting off the exits at the other side. Cutting off where the three were supposed to meet. Lilyann took a step back. They had been gone for almost an hour now, most likely making great time. They had no way of knowing what lay ahead. Selia stood still, unable to make any sign of comprehension. The map, usually green and tan, was burnt looking where the Neko army lay.
Valerie was up in the trees, jumping from limb to limb quietly. Small animals moved when they saw her land on a branch near their own, and that was the only disturbance caused. She was almost 6 miles into the forest now, so she slowed, jumping down into the undergrowth. Ferns were frozen, snapping at the touch of anything. Valerie could see her breath in the air, but the sun was up and shining through the foliage above her. I guess the fog is gone. She continued to walk, skirting the edges of the towering mountain cliffs that Valik was climbing.
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Posted: Sun Feb 02, 2014 9:56 am
Valik pulled himself to the top of the cliff, rolling to his back, breathing hard. Clank. Clank. Valik immediately hopped to his feet at the noise, still panting from the climb. He looked wildly around but saw nothing. He took a step forward. Clank. Clank. the sound had moved, and Valik's head moved with it. His eyes were already starting to go white, his body charged with power, ready for what was to come. Or so he thought. His eyes squinted, trying to focus on something in a tree. Chains. And there was more in a tree across from it, hanging like an arc from tree to tree. Then she appeared in the fog. Head tilted so dramatically it made Valik wince. Arms dangling, knees bent. Teeth jagged and sharp, eyes a wild blue. "Wolfie," she whispered through the fog.
Boothe knelt at the river, taking out his canteen. He dipped it into the lazy stream. He looked up and gasped suddenly. Across the river, at the edge of a forest, stood a unicorn. Boothe had only seen them at his village, and even then, he had only seen one once before. Suddenly it whinnied and sped off. "Damn," Boothe sighed, sad to only have a short time seeing it. He looked down at the canteen and scrambled back suddenly, landing on his back. The water ran black. There was a sinister laugh in the air, but it sounded as if it was everywhere.
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Posted: Sun Feb 02, 2014 10:07 am
Valerie entered the valley, looking down into the earth formed bowl of land. She stood still, feeling a heavy presence around her. Black tendrils of fog edged up the mountain cliff, towards Valik. She was about to turn when she heard a mechanical whirl behind her. A neko stood above her, it's twisted face managing a sinister smile. It's human features were grotesque and mutilated, the mechanics bulging the skin in horrid ways. And the smell was something else entirely, a mixture of gasoline and burning flesh. The left arm of the neko lifted and reached out for Valerie at inhuman speeds, grabbing her by the waist and flinging her to the right like a rag doll. Her head hit exposed rocks, causing her ears to ring.
Selia finally came back, looking at Marcus suddenly and clasping his shoulder in her hand. "Take care of things here." And with that, she was out of the open window and running towards the gates. The alley was crowded with people, so she soon gave up pavement for seller carts tops. The people looked at her with a confused look as she scrambled to the forest. Marcus was behind her, calling for their attention. "We cannot wait until tomorrow to call for the meeting. Come to palace now, please." He kept repeating this, but Selia could no longer here him. She was already diving into the undergrowth, blood and heart pounding throughout her body. NO, NO, NO! She pushed harder, stopping only to change directions. She headed towards the river, breathing heavily.
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Posted: Sun Feb 02, 2014 10:20 am
Valik's black jaws snapped at the girl but she dashed so quickly out of the way she was a blur. Her body was still in the same position as if she was a holograph, but she stared wildly at her enemy. Valik growled as he lunged at her, but she dodged once more. They did this for hours it seemed, but it had only been five minutes. She's trying to tire me down. Valik decided. He was much larger than the child, who was probably only thirteen, looming a good four or five feet above her. But something was different about her. She was much more powerful than Valik.
Boothe screamed, breaking the silence in the misty air. Black fog encircled him and spanned many yards from him, looking like the eye of a storm. He clasped at his ears, digging his nails into his head. "Stop!" he yelled, only to be broken off by himself, screaming in terror more. He looked in front of him in horror as an apparition of Valik floated. Blood covered his brother's skin to where there was no flesh visible from the torture Boothe was forced to watch. Whatever this was, it did not let him close his eyes or look away. He felt as if someone was cracking open his skull. "It's not real, it's not real!" he yelled out loud. "It will be," said the same, sinister whisper of Isa's, seemingly drifting through the fog. Boothe felt his blood run down his face, his wounds that he gave himself throbbing. Boothe was ripping his own head apart. Isa was somewhere hidden within the fog. She took advantage of the blackness to sneak around, impossible for anyone to see through. In the fog is where she used her mind games on her enemies.
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Posted: Sun Feb 02, 2014 10:31 am
Selia broke into a sprint when she heard Boothe scream, skidding to a halt when she saw what was happening. It was gruesome, even to her. Boothe was tearing into his own face and scalp, leaving gauges behind that bled heavily. Selia saw a young girl shifting in the fog, but only for a moment. She seemed to melt into it. Selia charged into the fog, hoping to reach Boothe before the child reached her. There was something strange about her. She was much too powerful for a girl her age. The fog was towering, causing Selia to be engulfed in the darkness. Her only sense of direction was the noises created by Boothe.
Valerie shook her head, trying to rid the ringing and dizziness, but the Neko was on top of her once again, its mouth close to her face. The teeth were rotten, shades of yellow and brown, and covered in fleshy gums. It smiled again, grabbing her by the hair and pulling her up. The neko was crouched down, it's ankles bending the wrong way to supports itself and knees barely touching the ground. The head turned more than one can do without killing oneself, causing a series of mechanical pops. Valerie grabbed for her sword, reaching it just as the neko tossed her again, this time much farther. Valerie landed with a skid, but on her feet. Her scalp screamed, blood pouring out of small tears at her hairline.
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Posted: Sun Feb 02, 2014 10:48 am
Sava's arms went out, palms facing outwards. What the hell? before Valik could even finish his thought, the chains wrapped around the girl came dashing at him. His eyes widened but he was too slow to dodge them. They wrapped around his giant body, squeezing him. "No!" Valik yelled. Sava's head tilted slightly, her palms still outwards. "Sh." she put a finger to her lips, and with her other hand, balled it suddenly into a fist. Valik roared in pain as the chains tightened around his body, threatening to cut off circulation. She approached him and took her finger from her lips, touching his snout, gazing into Valik's foggy eyes. "I've always wanted a wolf," she whispered slowly, dipping her finger into a line of Valik's blood in his fur, then taking it to her lips.
Then the image of Valik dropped to the ground. His brother's head hung low, then suddenly looked up at Boothe. But his eyes were completely black, making Boothe scramble backwards. Valik began crawling towards his brother, claws slowly retracting from his nails. Valik lunged, then suddenly disappeared in the air. The black fog swirled violently now, producing gusts of wind in the eye where Boothe sat, bloody and scared. "Ah, princess." she giggled. "Your mind is so tormented, so rotten, so easy to take advantage of." The fog suddenly went back to it's lazy dance. "You want to play?" The fog covered Boothe, then evaded, leaving behind a wild-eyed Sebastian and Marcus. There was a curved knife in Sebastian's chest and a smiling, beat up Marcus. Sebastian looked at Selia, then, blood dripping from his open mouth. "You did this to me," Sebastian said to her. "You let us all die." Boothe was moved somewhere else within the fog.
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Posted: Sun Feb 02, 2014 11:00 am
Selia stopped short, her eyes wild at the images. They were too real. She lunged at the images wildly, hoping to make them end. The image of Sebastian and his words were too much to handle, causing a reaction that tore Selia apart. She was crying violently as she swung her sword at the images, never hitting them. "Stop it!" Selia was screaming now as the images continued. She fell to her knees and covered her eyes, but she could still see Marcus and Sebastian.
Valerie held up her defenses, dodging items that the neko threw in her direction. It snarled at her, getting frustrated that she was fighting back. She heard a roar in the distance, and looked in the direction of the sound. Valik.. Valerie's thought was interrupted by a tree limb hitting her in the torso, smashing her ribs and upper stomach. Her senses overtook her mind, fangs emerging and eyes turning dark. It was not only vampiric instinct that took over, but motherly ones as well. Her child was in danger of being killed now. Valerie charged at the neko, leaping over the arm it swung and ducking as it came back. She was too fast for it, and soon was close enough to attack. She thrust her arms into the mechanical stomach and ripped at the many wires. Blood came out as well when she tore her arms out from the torso of the neko.
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Posted: Sun Feb 02, 2014 11:08 am
The grey fog came down from the skies as if a funnel was forming. It encircled the girl and Valik. Valik's jaws snapped at the air as he tried to squirm from the grip of the enchanted chains that gave off an odd blue aura, but it only caused him more pain. The fog got closer and closer until it was so small it vanished, along with the girl and Valik.
Boothe called out for Selia but something seemed to muffle his voice. He lashed at the blackness but it refused to give way. Isa looked up to see her sister's light fog. "Seems my sister has accomplished her task," Isa said out loud, intending for the two to hear. "The wolf is ours now. And ours to control." The apparitions of Marcus and Sebastian evaporated in the air slowly. "Farewell. I hope we can play again soon." The black fog lowered to the ground, making everything around them visible, and slowly danced away. Isa was nowhere to be seen. Boothe fell to his knees, the sides of his head still dripping with blood. He looked blankly at the forest ahead, staring at nothing in particular.
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Posted: Sun Feb 02, 2014 11:29 am
"The wolf..." Selia murmured, not understanding. She collapsed, eyes looking towards Boothe. She was shaken, but able to move. She stood to her knees and made her way to Boothe, unsure of what to do. She hadn't seen what he did. She sat by his side, hands hovering near him. A small sob escaped her, filling the silence momentarily.
Valerie had taken down the neko with that single pull, destroying the main wire that connected body and machine. It shuddered and fell to the ground heavily, raising leaves from the impact. Valerie then ran, retracing her steps until she reached the cliffs again. She began to climb, hoping to help Valik. Looking up, she saw the light fog above. Her skin crawled. This wasn't normal. Blood loss made her weak and faint, and Valerie sat on a ledge halfway up the mountain side, staying hidden in the shadows. Something is very wrong... Valerie's hand traced her stomach, concerned for the child just beneath the layers of skin and muscle.
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Posted: Sun Feb 02, 2014 11:37 am
Boothe simply sat and stared for minutes. Feeling blood drip down his face and to the ground, he awoke from his shock. "They have Valik," he breathed. I don't even know who 'they' are.. His mind was boggled. Valik was the most powerful being Boothe had seen in a long time. How could someone take him down so quickly? What were they doing to them? "What was that.." he breathed.
Donnie rushed into the tent so quickly that he almost landed on Sebastian, waking him. "What the hell?" Sebastian said groggily. Donnie looked at him with wild eyes, making Sebastian worried. "Wise Woman has contacted me," he panted out. Sebastian looked at him with a confused glance. "Wise Woman?" he questioned. "She is a prophet. She sees the future. But she was a little late on this one." Donnie pulled Sebastian up from the covers and headed out the tent. It was too early in the morning for Lady to be awake so they easily snuck out of the camp. Sebastian didn't understand what was going on, but Donnie's actions, unlike his calm and laid back self, made Sebastian worry. Donnie clasped his spear with both hands as if an enemy was right in front of him. Sebastian gripped his sword tightly as well as they ran, unknowing of where they were headed.
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