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 Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2006 12:41 pm
There was a big difference in travel time between local places and travelling out of the area to get into the middle of the desert, hoping to get to the same archaeologist dig site that started this whole thing off, but at least he had some company this time. Anyway, it wasn't long until the white H2 pulled into the same place it had stopped not five hours ago. Once the engine was cut and they were left in silence, nothing but the desert winds blowing about outside, Ruu turned to D and smiled.
"I have no idea what we're meant to do now... so how about we go outside and have a look round?" As always, when leaving a vehicle in a known hostile environment - the lizards earlier being proof of such things - Ruu gathered both his swords, strapped his bow to his back, and stepped outside the Hummer, making sure he stayed close to D as they moved around the area, waiting and watching for anything.
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Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2006 12:54 pm
:: It was a long drive, and D had fallen asleep in the passenger about an hour in. In a most childish manner he leaned against Ruu's shoulder and started snoring.
He yawned and slowly creeked out of the car and into the desert sand. By now, it was likely night time. And D yawned a rather huge sand filled yawn, which was followed by much gacking to try and get the sand out of his mouth.
He tilted his head to the side looking at the large vacant expand of sand.::
Whewre are we?
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Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2006 1:00 pm
Ruuvan scanned the area around them, trying to pick out the dungeon place from earlier. Once he had spotted it, Ruu pointed in the basic direction that the ruins were and nodded to add emphasis.
"Well this place has golden sand and this is where it got into the Hummer, so maybe something should be around here?" Ruu was just grabbing on loose ends now, what with having no real idea where to go or what to do. The only other place with the same sands would be in Strata, but they might as well exhaust all other possiblities before continuing on. So, what could they do. Ruuvan found himself playing with the Golden necklace around his neck, pacing around the place trying to find answers, but what could he do?
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Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2006 1:05 pm
:: D rubbed his tired eyes and tried to keep the gusting sand out of his face. And tugged his jacket over his arms, it was cold...deserts were cold at night.::
Um....does Mr.Mashimosh like the desert and de bwight light and stuffs?
::He scanned around, at the dread expanse of space.::
If he was here he musht not like people...was he mean??
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Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2006 1:17 pm
Ruuvan smiled and lowered his head, thinking back to when he used to talk to Maximos. He also couldn't understand where to go next; Max drank coffee and the sand could only come from this place, so what could he do?
"Maximos was... complicated." Ruu moved back to the jeep and positioned himself to shield D's eyes from the sandy winds, "He was one of my best and oldest friends, always there to talk to or fight with, he was just one of those people you could rely on. There was another side to him though, one he couldn't control in the hardest of times... but..." Ruuvan closed his eyes and rubbed his temples, thinking back to what memories he had of Aria, "I don't know, he was just a good guy that I couldn't fault. I always thought there was something else, but I never found out what. Anyway, he wouldn't hurt a living soul without just cause."
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Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2006 1:21 pm
So...
:: D said with an oddly confused look on his face, and a tilt on his head.::
...why would he come to da middle of no whewre? Ish there a city awound here?
::He looked around rather lost. Granted, there was probably no city in view, but he sure was looking.::
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Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2006 1:28 pm
There was definitely nothing here, aside from expanses of golden sand and the ruins they had been in a while back, so there seemed to be nothing left to do but go to Strata and look around there.
"Yes, there is." Ruu let D get into the passenger side and closed the door for him, moving over into the drivers side and getting secured himself. And so the two would drive towards Strata, not as long a drive as the previous one, but still rather long and it would definitely be late when they got there.
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Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2006 5:02 pm
Flashbacks.
Present day:
The rented Land Rover screeched as Red braked it outside a patchwork of high plateaus that turned the desert into a natural temple. This was the place, she took the keys from the ignition and left the rental sit. From there she trekked to the center of the formation. This was the place, nothing had changed. To the side of a plateau to her left was a pile of junk, broken pipes, glass bottles, assorted machine parts.
Eighteen Years Ago:
Food, a rotted pile of smelly meat and mushy vegetables sat in the sand for the buzzards and other assorted livestock of the desert. The unclothed child, her body covered with sand, sores, and the dried remnants of a viscous goo, fell on her knees and dug in with both hands, grunting a growling as she ate. Globs of mush covered her face and hands while a saliva mixed mush poured from her overflowing mouth. She sensed something approaching, and growled in its general direction to issue a warning. It continued anyway, coming into her feild of vision. She was too hungry to retreat, and kept eating. Even as he was practicaly next to her.
He had white hair, mixed with precious few strands of grey. His jaw was an eroded corner stone, etched lines from the wear rain and wind. An old face was his calling card, weatherbeaten, with a downtroden expression. He only stood six foot tale, but was solid, stocky, and muscular. He snarled when concerned, the first expresion from him she ever saw, showing his healthy but slightly yellowed teeth.
"It's human," he said contemplatively, but she couldn't hear or understand his tongue, "Stop eating that s**t! You have a death wish."
She growled at him, grunted, then continued stuffing the rot into her mouth, barely chewing. He sighed, and went to take her by the wrist. Her teeth dug deep into the back of his hand, tearing away flesh between his thumb and forefinger.
"Damn," he muttered as blood flowed copiously from the wound.
Thump! The handle of his revolver tapped the back of her skull on the right spot. It was the last thing she heard before everything else went blank.
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Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2006 9:12 pm
[ Message temporarily off-line ]
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Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2006 3:36 pm
Vahn went down.
Sun barely thought, as he saw, diving forwards....
"VA-!!" Only to be grabbed by the scruff and thrown back into the door.
Spinters exploded as he traveled through, door crashing open, two of the creatures followed him, slamming the wood behind.
Sun was thrown so hard he was still going as they chased, slamming into the stairwell and causing the metal to scream as he hit it, twisting around his form.
It was probably a good thing too, because it wasn't long before teeth slammed into the barrier/prison that the staircase had become around Sun.
The boy seemed stunned from the impact, not being able to focus on anything but the loud ringing in his ears. Then something else broke through, something that made even the creatures pause, and then scramble back as dust rained down over everything, creating a haze in the dim interior.
Sun himself moved against the barrier to get out, breaking skin and metal, wings snapping open just in time as he dove for a gargoyle, hugging it's neck, a large piece of shrapnel just missing him and embedding itself into the sand below.
Red smeared along the face as he shifted painfully, trying to find purchace. That's when a soft growl made him look up in horror. Red glowing eyes met orange, the beast sitting on the head and leaning over it's next, dangling snack.
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Posted: Wed Mar 01, 2006 5:56 pm
Flashbacks II
Present day:
A dwelling composed of crude sandstone still stood against the bottom sothernmost plateau. Inside remained the furniture, a single bed, a desk, and a few crates filled with old or long outdated supplies. The feather mattress, long unused, had become a nesting ground for rats. Red sat on the creaky old chair by the desk, and stared at the bed.
Eighteen Years Ago:
Red awoke shaking, startled. She was in the center of a plush bed with a cozy feather mattress. Her cuts and sores had been treated, sterilized bandages were wrapped around her arms and legs wherever there had been a wound. Besides this, a patchwork outfit had been sewn together from old bed sheets and blankets, serving as a white shirt and thick brown shorts which fit remarkably well.
She looked at her fingers, little bandages were wrapped around each of the small wounds across them. Across from the bed the white haired man sat; the handle of his red revolver gleamed at her. On a tray nearby was a bottle of Ipacac and a pile of broken glass covered in dried blood. He turned in his chair, facing her.
Red snarled, growling like a wild dog.
He turned to face her. A soaking splotch of red soaked through the bandage covering the back of his hand. She uttered something in Velban, to him it was mere giberish.
"Shut up and eat, you were hungry, am I right?" he asked, pointing to a tray of luke-warm food sitting next to the bed.
She turned and saw the food, immediately shoveling it in her mouth with both hands. The man shook his head, there would be time for training later; instead, he examined the pile of broken glass he had pulled from her body.
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Posted: Thu Mar 02, 2006 5:09 am
The sudden assault, combined with the eery tune which assaulted hiss ubconscience, nearly lead to an early demise; a scythe embedding itself into the wall behind him.
Having ducked at the last second, he kicked forward, using the hilt of Efreet to smash through the demon in front of him.
"S-Sunstrike!!" Alarmed at seeing the red-head go flying, Vahn suddenly found himself pinned down by two more of the things.
S-s**t... this hall is too...
"RAVEN!! Wind-- Raven, wind!!"
Hopefully she would get the message, before they were done in.
A ragged set of claws arced downwards, aiming to bite deeply into the unmoving Tellus.
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Posted: Thu Mar 02, 2006 5:59 pm
Tellus' weapon launched itself from it's resting place, easily taking care of the grasping evil behind her, before it spun to at least take care of one of the monsters attacking Vahn.
She would have helped him with the second, but the magic inside her, already imbalanced with the strain of keeping up with the other party members tore across her senses like razors. Her knees hit the floor, weapon clattering as she gripped her stomach, magic fighting against the seal placed there to hold it in.
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Posted: Thu Mar 02, 2006 8:24 pm
themightyjello What a conflict, what to do? "...OH, MYSTERIOUS VOICE OF THE DESERT, WHAT BE THINE NAME? WHAT SIGHTS HAST THOU SEEN TO TELL OF IN THAT VOICE? FROM WHAT ENDS OF THE EARTH DOES THIS VOICE HAIL?" He spoke loudly, even as he decended a rocky hill towards the road. Kanashimi Kurai "Adrienne..." That was the only response she gave, her name. She didn't bother to answer his other two questions. He would be able to see for himself that she was blindfolded, therefore could not see, and chained, obviously meaning she was either a prisoner or a slave, though it was doubtful the former would be wearing such delicate silver chains. "AND, ADRIENNE OF THE DESERT, HOW CAME THOU TO BE? WHAT BEAST BORE YOU HERE, WHAT TROUPE DID HERALD YOU?" Even as he spoke, Jin wandered aimlessly throughout the remains of the caravan; kicking aside boards and stones to see if anything remained of value.
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