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Post by seraph_phoenix on Nov 3, 2006 12:26:21 GMT -5
Aya sighed a little. "Well, we should really leave here. We've caused the innkeeper enough trouble with the roof collapsing and all..." She said.
Kenshin dropped down from the rooftop of the next building over. He landed in a crouch and slowly stood up, Shinjo turns and glances back at Kenshin as he lands.
"But he's still injured..." Mai said while giving Colt some water.
Blade just frowned with his arms folded, staring off into the sky above the city.
"We can't move him right now..." Mai said as she stood up.
Aya turned and looked at Blade. She stared at him for a moment, she had many questions to ask him, but she didn't know where to begin. Blade sensed Aya's glaring and looked over at her. Aya locks onto his eyes for a moment, until Blade arches an eyebrow. Aya turns back toward the others. Oren sat next to Hiku, looking off to the side, with a blank look.
"Well..." Hiku said as he stood up, leaning against the wall for balance, "...we should really find somewhere to go for the night, until this man heals a bit." He said, while glancing over at Colt. "There's another town outside of Valencia, Salar. It's further than Olanther, but it would be very obvious that it would be our next place of rest." He said.
"I agree..." Rowan said, while fiddling with his robes.
The group let out an almost simultaneous sigh as to their situation.
Kenshin handed Aya her bag from their room, she'd forgotten it. He says, "I believe I know a place we can stay. Olanther is to the East, and Salar is to the North...but I have a small place to stay just between them. It's further than both, but it'll be worth it."
"Alright, thanks Kenshin." Shinjo says as he breaks his look from Kenshin down to Oren. He observes him for a moment, then looks back down at the others again. Oren stood up and walked over to Colt, lifting his arm over his shoulder.
"Well, we should find another inn for tonight and tomorrow. Traveling at night is our best bet." Oren said, while walking forward with Colt.
As the group manages to take just a few steps forward, a horrible scream erupts from just a small distance away. The group stops, as most of them grab their weapons.
"That....didn't sound human..." Mai said with a startled look on her face.
"It sounded a little like a Stalker..." Aya said as she handed her sheath to Mai, readying her swords.
"It is..." Blade muttered. The group looks up to him, a little confused. "We need to get the hell out of here. Now." He said, as he ran to the end of the alleyway. He glanced both ways, then waved the group to him. "Come on, let's go to that place now Kenshin." He said, without turning his attention to them. He darted across the front of a building and into the next alley as the others followed.
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Post by kenshin075 on Nov 4, 2006 6:16:43 GMT -5
"Here." Kenshin grabs Colt, swinging him over his shoulder with great effort.
"Hey! What are you doing? Put me down, damn it."
Mai walks over to Colt, "Just let him carry you for now, okay?"
"Ill take him to our destination, in the meantime, you guys head for the east exit of the city. After that, start making your way toward Salar, Ill meet up with you before you make it there."
"Will you be okay by yourself?" Aya asked Kenshin with a worried look.
Kenshin nods, then leaps up to the rooftop of a building, with obvious signs of struggle from the extra weight he is carrying. He takes a deep breath then turns his head to the left, "Hang on tight." The group sees Kenshin dart off through the rooftops toward the east exit.
"Come on, lets go!" Blade barks at the group. They head toward the east exit when they hear another scream, the group is paralyzed for an instance by the horrible sound. Mai slowly turns around to see if anything is there, but before she can turn completely, Hiku yanks her by her arm and makes a run for the exit of the city. The group continues to run, as they do, they become more nervous from the ferocity of whatever is chasing them. In the distance, they can hear business stands being thrown aside, the ground trembling by from large, thundering footsteps. They all make hast to the city exit.
"You think you can slow down a bit?" Colt asked.
"No, I have to return for them."
Colt grumbles, he obviously didn't want to be carried, but in his condition, he really didn't have much say in the matter. After thirty minutes of traveling, they arrive at an old worn out house. Kenshin puts Colt down and helps him support himself up, knocking on the door. A man in his forties opens the door.
"If it isn't my apprentice. What brings you here, now that your no longer require my training?"
"I am in need of a favor."
"Oh?"
"If you would be so kind as to let me and my companions stay here until this man recovers," he signals to Colt, "... it would be of great help to us."
The old man looks over Colt. "Hmm will this bring any trouble?"
"Yes."
The old man sighs, "You know I cannot refuse to help, you are my only student."
"I'm sorry."
"You may stay here for as long as you need, but you have to stay in the training room at all times, lest someone come looking for you."
"Thank you."
Kenshin and Colt headed inside. The training room was the last room to be completed in this house, and for a good reason. It was hidden away from all eyes who did not know what to look for.
"Close your eyes and keep them shut, if you want to live another day." Kenshin told Colt coldly. Colt said nothing and did as he was told, by this time, he just wanted to get some rest.
"Okay." He said to Kenshin.
...
...
"You can open them now."
Colt opened his eyes, he found himself in an enormous field. In the center of the field, there was another house, much nicer than the old one from which they had arrived. The rest was just an open field, made up of various terrains. He wondered where he could be, they hadn't taken a single step, yet they weren't in the old house anymore. Colt looked around to see if there was anything he could recognize, but there was nothing.
"I'll go meet up with the others, help yourself over there if you want to eat something. One last thing...don't speak to the old man unless he talks to you first, got it?"
Colt frowned, making his way to the house for food before the others arrived. He turned around to ask Kenshin if they had any lamb meat, but he was no longer there.
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Post by HunterColt22 on Nov 4, 2006 21:20:43 GMT -5
"Grr...fuck me..." Colt grumbled absently. He was in the middle of a field, which was apparently, in the middle of a freaking house. His head hurt, his ribs hurt, he wasn't sure of anything that DIDN'T hurt.
"GAH!!" Colt screamed, falling to his knees, flowers and blades of grass crush underneath him, as he clutches his stomach.
"God...why now...damn it, DAMN IT!"
Pain contorts on to the young mans face, his eyes squeeze shut, the pain he feels can only be described as deadly. His screams fill the once quiet field.
His screaming soon subsides, only to be replaced by a soft crying. Tears fill his eyes, he slowly opes them, his left hand holding himself off the ground. His right hand across his ribs, they were no longer awake with the pain of being broken, but something more, alive...
"D-Damn this...why? Why did it choose me...of all people..."
Colt collapsed into the soft bedding of flowers and grass, surrounding his body as he lay still.
"You already know the answers to those questions, Colt..."
"Oh, but isn't it fun to watch him squirm a little because of what he is? Come now, even you must admit its fun at times."
"Both of you, enough!" Colt screams, yet no one is there, only the wind answers him with a gentle breeze.
"Heh, like that ever works."
"You know what destiny has ordained for you. Accept it."
The old man stared at the injured young man from a distance. "Hmm...strange, strange indeed. I will have to ask my pupil about this one. My my, life is never boring with him."
Kenshin skirts the fields, racing to catch up with the others in order to lead them to the safe house. Moving faster, now that the extra weight was off his back, he would come upon them shortly...
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Post by seraph_phoenix on Nov 4, 2006 23:13:07 GMT -5
The road eluded the feet of the group, rushing toward their destination. The darkness concealed whatever evil was giving them chase, but they continued to run as quickly as possible.
Hiku had picked up Mai, and she was riding on his back. Oren followed closely behind Hiku and Mai, as then did Rowan, then Shinjo, then Aya and finally Blade.
"It's catching up." Blade said while panting.
"Should we stop to fight it?" Aya asked, while glancing back.
"It would probably be a bad idea..." Blade said. "...but then again, if we keep like this, it will definitely find our destination." He said before coming to a complete halt.
Blade turned, facing the direction of Valencia, taking his scythe into his hands.
Aya glanced back to notice him, "Blade! You just said it would be bad to fight it!" She yelled, as she ran back over to him.
"Yeah, but if a few of us have to make a sacrifice for the others to have a safe place to stay for a little while, then it's worth it. Ey, kitten?" He said with a smirk.
"Alright." Aya said, as she unsheathed her dual swords.
The group had turned to see them stopped. Oren slowed down to assist Aya, but Rowan shook his head in a negative manner, yanking Oren's sleeve back forward.
Mai perked up a bit. "That man is hurting..." she said softly.
"What did you say Mai?" Hiku asked while still running.
"That man that saved Aya...he's in pain." She said. Hiku said nothing else to her.
"We have to keep going!" Rowan shouted.
Shinjo stopped momentarily, facing Aya and Blade. He clenched his fists and grabbed his sword, quickly running to assist them.
"Shinjo!" Hiku yelled. Shinjo stopped for a moment, glancing back at Hiku. "Be careful!" He yelled. Shinjo nodded and continued to Aya and Blade.
The thundering of the enormous being came ever closer. Aya and Blade stood ready as it came into the moonlight. Shinjo had just made it back to Aya and Blade when the Stalker showed it's face. It was enormous, about 40 feet tall, relatively muscular, carrying a giant axe. He didn't look so much like a brute, but he wasn't supremely intelligent either.
The giant Stalker swung his axe at the three, Blade rolled to his right, just missing the axe. Aya had turned and rolled backward to slide by the swing, as Shinjo managed to hop back toward Aya, also avoiding the attacks. The hulking mass raised its axe backward, slamming it down into the ground, getting the blade stuck in the dirt. It yanked on the handle and screamed at the three, Aya threw one of her swords, hitting the giant stalker in the shoulder. Blade bounded up the arm that was yanking on the axe, then latched his scythe onto Aya's sword, swinging himself upward onto the beast's shoulder. With a swift turning motion, Blade sliced halfway across the creature's neck, but he was instantly grabbed by the Stalker, and thrown hard to the ground. Blade let out a small gasp for air, as his body made a tremendous thud.
Aya yelled out, "Blade!" as she ran to aid him. Shinjo's sword began to radiate it's piercing green energy as he charged at the Stalker. Aya dropped down next to Blade, placing her hand on his chest. She jumped slightly when her fingers grazed across the sunken alcove where his heart once was.
Aya snuffed her nose into the air. "You know, giving your heart to someone is a figure of speech..." She said. Blade managed to hold himself up a little, "Very funny kitten, I'll have to tell you about it later." He said as Aya's hand resonated a soft light, healing his wounds from the fall. Blade stood up with Aya's assistance, they watched Shinjo momentarily as Blade clutched his scythe.
Shinjo charged at the beast, just as it managed to free the large axe from the ground. It reared the axe backward to strike again, but Shinjo stopped short, swinging his sword forward, hard. A green trail of energy continued and wailed into the Stalker's chest, knocking it back a bit. Blade reared back and threw his scythe at the Stalker, piercing it's left eye.
The Stalker let out a hideous cry, as it's free hand covered the injury. It went into a panic, swinging the axe around wildly. Shinjo dodged one of the swings, but the creature was running on pure adrenaline from the injury to it's eye, it swung again quickly and caught him off guard, hitting his left side with the flat side of the axe. The swing threw Shinjo off to the right a good ways, his body rolled along the grass to a stop.
"Shinjo!!" Aya screamed as she released her wings and flew toward the Stalker's face. She sliced her sword across it's neck again, but it did not fall. Aya flew above the Stalker, to the right, retracting her wings. Using gravity, she forcefully thrusts her remaining sword downward, into the Stalker's clavicle area. The beast flailed around, grabbing Aya and throwing her at Blade. Blade managed to catch her, hitting the ground. They both got back up rather quickly.
Shinjo shook his head and got up, resting his weight on his sword. His vision was a bit blurred, but it cleared as he focused on the ground. He spun around quickly, as the Stalker yanked Blade's scythe out of it's eye. Shinjo readied his sword at his side, the green energy was blinding and enormous.
Aya ran up behind the creature as it stepped toward Shinjo. She sliced her sword across the back of the Stalker's heel, cutting the muscle clean open. The Stalker stumbled and cried out, then reaching down, it snatched up Aya, with her arms by her side. Aya dropped her last sword, Blade managed to catch it, dodging the beast's steps. The beast turned and kicked Blade hard, sending him into a backward roll, he came to a stop and did not move. The Stalker squeezed onto Aya, as she let out a scream. It threw her to the ground, her body bounced as it collided with the hardened earth.
"Aya!" Shinjo yelled out, turning his attention back onto the beast before him. The wind around him moved in an unnatural manner, the green color of the energy resonated so brightly that everything seemed to be washed in it's glow. Aya looked up in awe of the sword's power, just as the creature threw Blade's scythe at its one remaining enemy. The scythe spun quickly, Shinjo barely saw the flickering of the blade in the moonlight and his own sword's energy, before it struck him. The scythe sank deep into the right side of his chest, he yelled out at the impact, bending at his knees.
Aya's eyes widened as she screamed out to him, but he could not hear her. She was making a run to him, as was the Stalker, Blade has just barely lifted himself up from the ground. Shinjo raised his head, his eyes were frightening, and full of strength. He yelled as he swung his sword at the Stalker, the green energy extended out past the end of the blade, spinning forward, slicing the enormous Stalker in two, from the head to the lower torso. The Stalker's death cry was muffled with the sound of it's own blood, as it fell to the ground.
Shinjo stood victorious, the tip of his sword rested on the ground. "He.. was a bastard." He said, as his body began to collapse. Aya managed to grab his arm just before he fell. She said nothing, as she helped lay him down.
"Hey...Aya...." He said weakly. "I'm sorry...for being so...cold to you...lately." Aya gave him a bit of a surprised look.
"This is going to hurt..." She said as she took hold of the scythe, still lodged in Shinjo's chest. Aya pulled up on it quickly, removing it from his body, as Shinjo gasped for air once it was released. Aya pressed down on the wound and began to look around for something, Blade had stumbled near her, handing her his own cloak.
"Here." He said, handing it to her. Aya smiled a bit, at his generosity. She folded it over and pressed it down onto Shinjo's wound. He didn't even let out a cry from the pressure. Aya was curious if he was even able to feel anything.
A moment of silence passed by, until Blade said, "Umm...you're not going to kiss him again, are you?" with an arched brow. Shinjo twitched for a moment and looked to Aya.
"No, idiot, he still has some of my blood, he should heal pretty quickly."
"Oh.." Shinjo said quietly. Blade and Aya looked at him funny for a moment. Blade let out a small grunt as Shinjo slowly sat up.
"Are you going to be alright so quickly?" Aya asked Shinjo with a quick tone in her voice.
Shinjo rubbed near the wound and rotated his shoulder. "Yeah I'll be ----" Shinjo's words trailed off, as Blade's body crashed to the ground. Aya crawled over to him quickly, moving his clothing from his chest and stomach area.
"Oh god..." Aya said. She sat back with a startled look on her face. Shinjo sat forward, as the same look stuck his face as well. It appeared that almost all of Blade's ribs had been crushed upon impact when the Stalker kicked him...his chest was already bruised and horribly swollen.
"How was he even able to walk with an injury like that?" Shinjo said, as Aya stood up.
"Oh, like you're one to talk!" She said to him. "How in the HELL were you able to kill that thing with a scythe buried in your chest??" She yelled at him. Shinjo looked up at her, she didn't look angry, she was concerned.
He stood up saying, "I find strength in thinking about my sister." He dusted his clothes off, reaching down to pick up his sword. He sheathed it, looking back forward, to notice that Aya had been staring at him.
"Blade isn't human, but you are. That sword is doing something to you. Please, sit with me, and let me see if I can find your mental wounds... it might help with wielding the sword." Aya said as she reached for Shinjo's sword handle.
Shinjo quickly, and rather harshly, grabbed Aya's hand. "Aya stop!" He yelled, as he clenched onto her hand. Aya was startled by his action, jumping when he grabbed her. He stood there for a moment, saying nothing, looking to her with concern. Her face turned red, as he loosened his grip on her. Snowflakes gently dissolved on the back of his hand. "I don't...want it to harm you." He said. Aya just looked at him for a few moments until she saw Kenshin making his way up to them.
Shinjo turned to see Kenshin running over to them quickly. Kenshin saw Shinjo holding Aya's hand, as he slows his run to a walk, arching a brow. Shinjo directed his sight to the fact that he was holding Aya's hand. Aya figured his first action would be to quickly let her go and snuff it off, but he didn't. Shinjo turned and smiled to Aya just a little, then gently let her hand go, as he turned to walk back toward Kenshin.
"That was fast." Kenshin said to Shinjo.
"Blade got knocked around pretty badly, we need to get out of here before whoever sent that thing comes looking." Shinjo said.
"No problem." Kenshin said as he lifted Blade up, Aya collected her swords, sheathing them, taking Blade's scythe to her hands. The group quickly headed toward the small house, a gentle breeze lingering behind them. Aya was still wearing the dress from her visit to the Saint earlier, she had to lift it up, as she ran along the dirt road. She stumbled, nearly tripping over, as Shinjo stopped, grabbing Aya's arm. Aya looked up at him with a startled look on her face, and Shinjo picked Aya up, continuing to run with Kenshin.
"...I feel......safe..."
Aya smiled, resting her head on his chest, as she fell asleep.
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Post by Dragin "Hiku" Hikari on Nov 6, 2006 0:07:23 GMT -5
Hiku kept running toward the designation planned, along with Mai, Oren, and Rowan. He looked around, "We should be there shortly...it shouldn't be too far now."
Oren frowned, Mai looked at him, "Don't worry so much Oren, I'm sure they're okay."
Hiku looked at Oren, but said nothing, he felt they didn't have time to be dealing with Oren's fickle emotions toward the others right now. "Save it Mai, we need to keep going." Mai just growled at him, as they continued forward.
A short time later Mai stopped suddenly, "Hiku wait!"
Hiku frowned, coming to a halt, "What now?"
Rowen nodded, "I agree...I'm sensing magic...very evil magic,"
Hiku turned to face them, "Oh hell..."
Mai turned to her right, and points, "Over there!" She would point to the top of edge of the valley they were crossing, a figure was standing at the top, too high up to be identified. The man rose his arms, releasing what appeared to be lightning, around the edges of the valley, causing the only exit out of the valley to be cut off.
Hiku growled, "It seems our plan to avoid attention has failed..."
Oren quickly responded with a sarcastic remark, "No, really!"
Mai jumped, "I think we have bigger problems!" She pointed to the ground, something was burrowing out from underneath. Three creatures that looked like Stalkers, emerged from the dirt, but something was horribly wrong with them... Their condition seemed to be that they were already dead... their body parts were ragged, even many of their bones were visible.
Oren blinked, "No way..."
Rowan stepped back, "Undead...the black art of Necromancy..."
Mai raised her hands to cover her nose, "These things were tough enough alive, how do we fight something that's already dead!?"
A frown swept over Hiku's face, "The same way you'd fight a living being, more then likely, Mai. Oren, Rowen, step back!"
Oren frowned, but did so. Mai closed her eyes, chanting something that cannot be heard, as the wings of light would appear on her back again. Oren blinked in awe, "What...what is she? Is she like Aya?"
Rowan shook his head in a negative manner, "Something seems different about."
Hiku drew the Defender, growling at the undead, as the Stalkers charged forward. Hiku decided to try what he did last time... he jumped over one, slashing its back, assuming the usual result... but he was surprised when it had only cut the flesh...it had done no real damage to the creature. "What the hell!?"
Mai was breathing harder then usual, Oren ran near her, "Mai was wrong?"
Mai winced, "Somethings interfering with my power...I-I'm going to lose control. Somethings shielding these things from the Defender's power...but...it can't be...AHHHH!" She screamed suddenly, as Mai's wings turned a dark purple momentarily, before a strange black energy coursed through her body, rendering her unconscious. She fell over, Oren managed to catch her before she hit the ground.
Hiku looked down, as the Defender's power began to fall quickly, "Damn it we can't finish this...the Necromancer can bring back as many Stalker as we've killed recently. That's too many... damn it!" He began to run, as the beasts charged him, Hiku growled, gathering the last of the sword's charge. Giving a final swing from above, he released an arc of light, striking a section of unstable boulders above, blocking the Stalkers from the group. "Oren, Rowan! Move it, now!" Hiku took Mai from Oren and quickly headed the way they came.
Hiku skid to a halt, as they reached the entrance to the valley only to find it had caved in as well...
Oren grunted, "Wonderful route Hiku! We're completely separated from Aya and the others due to your lousy judgment, and now they don't even know where we are!"
Hiku yelled back at Oren, "Shut the hell up Oren, I'm thinking!"
Rowen pointed out something, "There seems to be path in that direction..."
Hiku glanced in the direction Rowen pointed, "A cavern of some kind, not the safest route, but giving the situation, there isn't any other choice..."
Oren shook his head.
Hiku sighed, "The Defender is drained and Mai's out cold...we can't fight them like this, come on!"
They would head down into the cavern, the situation was bleak. If the others managed to realize something was wrong, would they even be able to find them? And who was the man that trapped them here...Hiku couldn't sense the strange magic anymore...was that man simply going to wait for the undead Stalkers to hunt them down? And why did the Defender and Mai drain...what dangerous force was he in conflict with?
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Post by shinjoyoshida on Nov 6, 2006 15:36:42 GMT -5
"Almost there." Kenshin whispered, a small shack came into view. The pair had been running for about ten minutes now, Shinjo's breathing was heavy, he wasn't built for long distance running. Aya muttered something in her sleep, as Shinjo came to a halt. Kenshin repositioned Blade on his shoulder as he started to walk toward his master's house.
"Shinjo, let me do the talking if you please."
"Alright." Shinjo said. He was grateful to finally get some rest, running all this way with Aya took a toll on him. Every now and then, he would look down at her, to make sure she was still sleeping. Little things like making sure she didn't wake, made him happy, attention to detail was one thing he took seriously. Kenshin stood at his master's door and knocked. An old man came out, glanced over to them and nodded. Kenshin looked back at Shinjo.
"Come in, and stop as soon as you close the door." Shinjo did as he was told and stood silently at the threshold of the house. It was very normal, nothing looked very interesting at all. Then Kenshin walked around a corner and stood still for a moment. He looked at Aya, she was still sleeping peacefully. Looking to Shinjo again, he stared at him intensely.
"I'll only say this once. Close your eyes and do not open them until I say so." Shinjo held Kenshin's gaze for a moment, he didn't like people commanding him like that, but after a while, he reluctantly closed his eyes. Kenshin guided him forward a bit and made him stop. He could hear Aya's breathing, the silence around them was timeless.
"Okay." Shinjo opened his eyes and found himself in Kenshin's training facility. He immediately noticed the house before them, starting to walk toward it.
"Nice place you've got here." Shinjo remarked, gazing at the different climates all around them. Snowy mountain tops blended into grassland, which in turn, dissolved into an arid desert.
"It's a small world after all." Shinjo chuckled, Kenshin looked at him and smirked.
"So where's Mai, I thought I would have heard her scolding Hiku by now." Shinjo asked, Kenshin stopped for a moment, then bounded over to the small house. He went inside, laying his burden on a small cot and rushed back out to Shinjo.
"I need to find them quickly, I'll be back as soon as I can." Kenshin ran off into the distance and was soon out of sight. As Shinjo made his way into the house, he noticed a small note on the door.
"Do not speak to the old man unless spoken to." ~Kenshin
Whatever. Shinjo thought to himself.
He walked into a small room and laid Aya down on the bed. He held her hand for a while, noticing her smile as she slept. Sitting there for a few moments, he covered her with a blanket and went to check on Blade. His breathing had leveled out some, but he still looked like he was in pain.
"Shinjo!" Shinjo spun around and walked outside the door. He was in his home's field again.
"God damn it Shinjo, how many times have I told you not to mess with my tools! Get over here!" Shinjo's figure was replaced with a lanky 14 year old frame. He ran to his father's tool shed and peered in. His wooden toys were smashed everywhere, he was going to keep some for himself, but the real reason he made them was so he could give them to his sister.
"What have I told you about my tools!" His dad yelled. Shinjo stood there and said nothing. A weathered hand came across his face as Shinjo flinched.
"You gonna answer me now!?" Shinjo's thoughts raced, he couldn't think. Another hand smacked him on his other cheek. His fear grew more and more, his thoughts were a whirlwind of nothingness.
"I know you not some stupid mute Shinjo! If you're not gonna answer me, maybe I need to smack you around more so you do!" This time the hand came on the side of Shinjo's face. His body lurched, as his head hit the side of the shed entrance. Ella had heard the commotion and was standing a ways behind Shinjo. She began to cry.
"Ella go back in the house!" Shinjo's dad yelled. He turned his attention back to Shinjo. He smacked him again on the other side of his head. Shinjo's head hit the opposite side of the shed. He wasn't scared anymore. All he could hear was Ella crying.
"God damn it Shinjo!" His dad moved to punch him in the face, but Shinjo ducked. He backed out of the shed and stared at his father. His face still had tears on it, but he was completely calm now, as if nothing had happened.
"Stop making Ella cry." Shinjo mumbled.
"You think I want to see her cry either, idiot?! I didn't raise you two to be stupid, I told you about my tools, they're mine and mine alone! If I wanted you to use them, I would have given you permission!" Ella began to cry more. Her father cared about her, but in the confusion of the moment, he didn't seem to at all.
"Ella I told you go in the damn house. Now move!" Shinjo had had enough. He ran toward his father and tackled him. He began to punch him. One, two, three, four. Finally, Shinjo got up and kicked him in his side. He stepped away to size up the damage. His father got up and didn't say a thing, he looked at his son, his own flesh and blood.
"I thought I raised you better." His father started to walk toward the house. Shinjo was infuriated, how could his dad talk to Ella like that? She moved slowly toward Shinjo and tugged on his shirt. He turned around and knelt so he could hug her. For some reason the world began to melt around him. Everything grew fuzzy and he fell to the ground. Ella laid at his side, hugging him.
Back in the house, Shinjo was sleeping next to Aya, she was holding him like Ella. He hadn't actually left the room at all. In his tired state, he laid down with her and started to dream. Fighting with his memory, the dream world and the physical world seemed to blend together. The pair slept silently, both of their presences calming each other.
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Post by Dragin "Hiku" Hikari on Nov 15, 2006 2:16:55 GMT -5
Hiku would lead the others down, further into the cavern, only a ball of fire in Oren's hands lighting their path.
Oren was becoming more and more frustrated, but he kept quiet, not wanting to alert the undead monsters above them.
They reached a strange section the caves, the room was lit with the glow of strange crystals, the group stood in awe for a moment.
Rowan looked around, "It seems these crystals are emitting some kind of white magic. The evil energy inside those Stalkers will prevent them from entering this place."
Hiku nods, "We should be safe to rest for now." Hiku set Mai down, pulling his off cloak, and rolling it around her for warmth. Oren was pacing around a bit, while Rowan just sat quietly. Oren was angry, Hiku had dragged them down a road they shouldn't have gone, gotten trapped within a cave with undead Stalkers, and now he was separated from his party, not to mention they had any idea where they were.
Hiku was checking Mai, "Strange she hasn't suffered any physical damage, even though she was struck by magic of some kind. it was unlike anything I'd ever seen before."
Oren growled at Hiku, "She wouldn't have gotten hurt if you'd just stuck to the road..."
Hiku turn to Oren, "Watch your mouth boy..."
Oren grumbled, he was angry, he needed to vent, "No! I told you, but you didn't listen to a word. You never do, your idiocy nearly got us all killed!"
Hiku stood up, "Listen here pretty boy, don't piss me off."
Rowen stood up, "Please both of you!"
Oren growled, "How much more of this are you going to drag us through? I don't see what the hell Mai sees in you at all. I wonder how much longer you'll do this before you get her killed too!" Obviously Oren wasn't thinking about what he was saying, given the stressful situation.
Hiku snapped, he stood up, slamming his fist into Oren's face, sending him yielding back, before he could defend himself. "Shut the HELL up, you spoiled little brat! How dare you judge me when you know nothing about me! I've lost everything I've ever had or known, Mai is the only thing I have, dammit! I didn't want her involved in this mess, but she wanted to be here!" Hiku shook his head, turning away from Oren, sitting nearby Mai, he closed his eyes.
Oren watched Hiku, pushing himself up, he was still angry, but he feared that he would push his anger any further, he would let out more then he wanted to. Rowen offered Oren a cloth, he took it to wipe the blood from his lip. He only hoped Aya and the others would figure out something was wrong, how long could they survive down here?
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Post by kenshin075 on Nov 15, 2006 17:54:48 GMT -5
Kenshin was running along the path he had instructed the group to follow, looking for Hiku and the others. As he ran, he passed an unusual object on the ground. He immediately stopped and walked back toward it. Kenshin crouched, taking a good look, it was a piece of flesh...decaying flesh. He looked around him for a stick, he spotted one and went to get it. He came back and started to poke it, the piece of flesh reacted to this, it squirmed and moved slightly.
"Necromancy..."
Kenshin stands back up, staring at the torn off flesh, his left eye twitches slightly. He turns around in the direction of Salar and resumes his search for Hiku, Mai, Oren, and Rowan. A couple of minutes later, he notices parts of the path had been unearthed recently, most likely by whatever had been chasing Hiku and the others. Up ahead, he could see a substantial amount of boulders and rocks, it seemed that many of them had been sliced in half. Upon reaching the boulders, Kenshin stopped and took out a flask, he started drinking, then he heard rocks falling close by him. He put away his flask and looked up to see what had caused it, but he wasn't able to see anything unusual.
Kenshin stretched a little before moving on. Suddenly, he heard something charging toward him from behind. Kenshin turns around and sees an undead Stalker, sword in hand, ready to strike at him. Immediately, Kenshin decides to sidestep the attack, but he was unable to, two hands coming out of the ground were latched onto his feet. He grabbed his sword and positions it before him, in one quick motion. The charging stalker slashes vertically at his opponent, putting all his weight behind the swing, the two blades meet with a tremendous force, forcing the ground to concave. The opponents are at a standoff, both pushing against each others blade.
With his opponent unable to move, the once charging Stalker jumped away and made yet another charge at Kenshin. This time however, the Stalker decides for a horizontal slash. Kenshin sees his opportunity, relaxing his body and preparing to block the slash again by placing his sword parallel to his own body. As the blades are about to touch, Kenshin moves his sword toward him and bends his body to the left. The Stalker, once again, had put all his force into the strike, unable to stop his blade from grinding along his opponent's. As soon as the Stalker's sword left Kenshin's, Kenshin moved his sword away from him and in a swift slash, cutting off the Stalker's hands.
The two Stalkers beneath the earth were still holding onto Kenshin's feet, they were unable to move until for now, if they did, it would give their opponent the opportunity to escape their grasp. Once both hands hit the ground, Kenshin cut off the hands that had been grabbing onto his feet. He then charged at the Stalker before him, with outstanding speed. Kenshin turned around, looking at what remained of the Stalker, a torso that still tried to move. The two remaining Stalkers came out of the ground, preparing to attack. Kenshin charged toward one of the Stalkers, catching a glimpse of the other charging at him from the left, he slashed downward, but the Stalker was able to react fast enough to block his slash.
"This one is faster than the last..." He thought to himself. "I guess the first one was the weakest."
The third stalker was a few feet away from him, luckily for Kenshin, it seemed that it was left handed. Kenshin grabbed his sheath, before the stalker was able to make contact with his sword, Kenshin swung his sheath as hard as he could, smashing the Stalkers face, crushing its eye sockets. The force of the impact made the Stalker lose his grip on his sword, it fell downward, cutting through most of the other Stalker's right arm. With no muscle left to hold the sword, the Stalker was unable to hold his stance. Kenshin cut off the remainder of his arm and then proceeded to dismember the undead being. The last remaining Stalker was still trying to adjust his head, once he got it back to position, he moved his crushed eye sockets to be able to see again. As it opened its eyes, they widened at what it saw. Kenshin's sword cut off the last remaining Stalker's head, dismembering the body as he did the other two.
"Disgusting creatures."
He took out his flask and took another sip. He continued walking, soon reaching a dead end. Kenshin looked around and saw a small cavern entrance, and decided to take a quick look to see if the group was inside.
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Post by shadowhexblade on Nov 16, 2006 0:29:34 GMT -5
The cabin was rather silent, the air permeated only by the soft, even breathing coming from Aya and Shinjo, and the occasional rasping breath from Blade in the next room. His breathing had leveled out to almost normal in very short time, and his face no longer showed any signs of pain.
Blade turned in his sleep again, letting out a raspy breath in the process, his face grimacing slightly, though not from pain. Rather, Blade's resting mind was troubled by something else. He murmured something in his sleep, too soft for anyone to hear if they had been listening.
Blade suddenly jolted upright, in a sitting position, his breath coming in short, rapid breaths, his face was dotted with beads of sweat. He held his head with one hand and focused on nothing in particular, willing his breath back under control.
Once he had calmed down, he slowly lowered his hand, as his eyes gradually began to focus on his surroundings. His hand gravitated to his chest absently, as he looked about the room.
"Where am I?" He slid his legs off the bed and shakily rose to his feet. His stomach no longer ached horribly from Aya's angelic blood, he noticed, but when he tried to take a step forward, his vision suddenly blurred and he nearly found himself crumpled up on the floor.
"M-my...chest..." he gasped, as he clutched feverishly at his left pectoral area. He could feel that his ribs had been broken and healed, but something was preventing, or rather slowing, his healing process. Once he managed to regain his composure, resting his weight against the cot, he sniffed the air.
"There's something strange about this place...it's almost as if the very air is enchanted with a seal to ward off dark energies..." He tried once more to walk, having better success, though each step was a torment, the hole in his chest sending waves of pain to his brain, it felt as if needles, kissed by the flames of Nifleheim, were repeatedly stabbing into the decayed flesh surrounding the gap where his heart once resided.
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Post by seraph_phoenix on Nov 16, 2006 14:35:56 GMT -5
Aya was still resting comfortably with Shinjo. She hadn't stirred since falling asleep, but that would soon change. Aya let out a soft whimper, twitching a bit, and turning her head slightly. She had a look of discomfort and slight confusion on her face.
Horribly erratic flames engulfed the edges of a grass-barren area. It was relatively flat, like the rock from a mountain. She could feel the flames whip at her face, the inferno was so bright and hot that Aya could barely see. Her eyes began to water, lifting her hands to wipe away her would-be tears. She can barely make it out, but a dark figure appears before her in the midst of the flames.
It is a man, permeating a very dark aura that can be physically seen, the dark glow resonates off the man into the air. Aya's chest feels heavy, finding it hard to breath, she pants heavier to catch her breath, but her heart only races at the sight of the person before her. The wind blows erratically, whipping the inferno all over the area, and flailing the man's dark hair.
The man let out what could almost be described as a growl, but it was horrendous, sounding like it could never come from a man, but that of a beast. The wind in front of the man was littered with smoke, it began to move unnaturally, in a crossing manner, thrusting forth at Aya. As it connected, Aya could feel a horrific pain strike her entire body, the contact threw her hard to the ground, facing away from the man. Aya clung to the ground, pushing herself up, when she is struck in her left side, the impact causing her to roll over. Aya let out a small cry, as the man grasped her throat, lifting her up with the one hand. Her feet could not reach the ground, the man had a sadistic smile across his face.
Aya spread her wings in an effort to flee his grasp, but her actions were meaningless. The man kept his grip on her, his arm didn't flinch, even with her struggling. Aya blinks repeatedly, as her eyes begin to return to normal, from all the smoke and fire. The man's aura is actually causing Aya physical pain, just from being so close to her. Aya looked at the man with distraught, before she can focus in on him, the man clenches her neck so tightly that she cannot breath. She began to look around frantically, for a weapon or other people, but she found no salvation. She struggled to weasel her fingers between his grip and her throat, but his hand was like impenetrable steel. She tried to cry for help, but with no breath, she could barely hear herself, much less have been heard by anyone else.
Aya begins to feel lightheaded and weak, she is no longer flailing around, her wings laying limp to her back. Her vision begins to blur, as she tilts her head off to the right, her eyes focus on a building in that direction. It's a fairly tall building, somewhat resembling a Greek temple, it is on a landmass, across a very large ditch from the land that Aya and the man are on. The ditch is filled with fire, seemingly endless. She realizes the building is the Cathedral of Faradin, immediately, she glances down to the alter in front of the Cathedral, to see the raised platform vacant. Aya noticed that the candles around the platform were lit, someone had tried to perform Denethor's Awakening...or his exorcism.
The smoke from the ditch begins to clear away, and her eyes widen at the sight near the raised platform. Rowan stood there, in his priest robes, slightly leaned backward. His face was frozen with fear and pain, a six foot long spear had pierced through his left shoulder, and the other end came out of his lower stomach. The spear was lodged firmly in the ground, Rowan had been pinned there and bled to death, if the spear had not struck his heart directly. Hiku could be seen lying on his side, on the ground near Rowan, his back turned to Aya. She could not tell if he was alive or dead, there was no sign of the Defender or Mai. Aya could feel tears begin to stream down her face, as she turned her head back to the man strangling her. She can see Oren's face clearly now, the whites of his eyes are a deep red, the iris is a dark purple. The sadistic look on his face was something Aya had never seen from him before.
The shadow cast behind him was enormous, it stretched back almost to the end of the landmass. The shadow was not his own, but that of a man with a more hulking frame. Her eyes glanced to the left to see Shinjo's sword, laying on the ground. Denethor had been resurrected, everyone she had been traveling with was most likely dead. Aya's face was emotionless as she looked back to Denethor. There are so many things that she wants to say, but she can find the strength to say none, his expression does not change.
Aya's arms fall from Denethor's hand around her neck, her body feels like needles are sticking all over. Despite all of the surrounding fire, she feels cold, Aya could no longer move herself. Her body had died, but it was like her soul was trapped inside. Denethor released her, as her body fell lifelessly to the ground. He turns around and walks toward Shinjo's sword, reaching over and picking it up, then standing with it at his side. Aya laid there, still able to see everything that was going on, she felt helpless, unable to move herself to do anything. Aya felt a warmth take her, lifting and picking her up. She could not see the person's face, nor could she move to see.
"Hold on." A man said to her, in a soft tone. She could not make out who it was from such a short statement.
Denethor, turning around, says, "I thought I killed you."
She could no longer see anything, everything had turned black, but she felt a warmth, then her entire body began tingle. Aya woke up screaming.
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Post by shadowhexblade on Nov 16, 2006 15:54:25 GMT -5
Blade had finally managed to make it to the door. The walk having been agonizingly slow, each step became easier, as he got used to the pure air. Aya's scream wrenched the through it.
Without even a thought as to his own condition, Blade instinctively burst into the room. "Kitten!" He quickly spotted Aya and surveyed the room, trying to find what had caused her to scream, but there was nothing to find.
"What's...wrong...?" He asked, as he clutched his chest and slowly fell to one knee.
"That was dumb of me...she was only having a nightmare... theair here wouldn't allow anything hostile to get to us."
His breathing was ragged. "You're f-fine Kitten. I don't know...." He paused to catch his breath, his vision completely out of focus, ".....where we are, but you're f...fi..." Blade caught himself from falling, holding his weight up on his arm. His breathing wouldn't allow him to continue speaking.
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Post by Dragin "Hiku" Hikari on Nov 16, 2006 16:16:55 GMT -5
Hiku sat still in the corner of the chamber, still having not spoken a word since he struck Oren earlier. Oren was no different, though he had calmed down slightly since the incident.
Hiku opened his eyes a little, averting his gaze to the entrance. "Someone's coming..."
Rowen nods, "I know, but it doesn't feel like Necromancy."
"Do you think Aya and the others found us?"
"No...it's only one person."
Kenshin was outside the mouth of the cave, noticing the footprints in the mud, he chuckle lightly, "Odd how the Stalkers could miss something so obvious." He made his way into the tunnel, "Hiku! Mai!"
Hiku stood, "It sounds like Kenshin."
Oren frowned, seeming slightly disappointed, however anything was better than nothing at this point. Kenshin reached the mouth of the chamber they were in, "There you all are."
Hiku just chuckled, "About time."
Kenshin stated, "I was delayed by the reason you are down here." Kenshin caught sight of Mai, "What happened to her?"
Hiku sighs, "The enemy seems far more resourceful now than they were before...I really don't know what's wrong with her. We need to get everyone out of here, the Defender's power is low, so we'll have to get out of here quickly." Hiku turned to the crystal, taking a rock and smashing several pieces of crystal to the the ground."
Kenshin cocked a brow, "What are you doing with those?"
Hiku looks at him, "Insurance." Is all he would say, as he stuffed a few pieces into his pocket. "Let's go...Oren can you take Mai?" Oren blinked for a moment, then nodded and went to pick her up, Hiku approached Kenshin, "We'll have to split up again, Oren is too important to the others situation to go with me, and I need to make sure Mai gets there safely. Take Oren and Mai, head East...if the undead give you trouble, hold out this crystal fragment out, though I'm sure it's weakened now, so I don't think it will last long. I will take Rowan and head West, then loop back around and meet with you."
Kenshin nods, "Are you sure about this?"
Hiku looks at him, "I trust you to take care of Mai. With the Defender drained, it will be too difficult for me to watch both her and the whiner there. Rowan at least has a clear enough head to deal with situation. Besides, I'll make it, you can count on it." Kenshin just nodded in reply, as Hiku said, "Good, let's go."
Hiku and Kenshin split to their directions once they exited the cave, quickly drawing the Stalkers attention as they ran out of the cave.
Kenshin kept running near Oren, who was still carrying Mai, as the Stalkers began to draw close, Kenshin sighed. "I hope Hiku knew what he was doing." Kenshin grabbed the crystal and tossed it, landing a short distance away. As one of the Stalkers stepped on it, the crystal resonated and exploded, tearing the Stalkers to pieces. Kenshin watched with wide eyes, "I wish he would have warned me about that." He hurried Oren along, with the Stalkers out of their way, they had all the time to get passed the rubble and toward the shack.
Hiku and Rowen quickly headed the other direction. "How exactly are we going to get out of here? The wall is collapsed on the other side!"
Hiku frowned, "I have a plan, I just hope it works..." The Stalkers began to approach. "Rowen, get in those bushes and hide!" Without a second thought, Rowan dove into the bushes. Hiku knew very well that the Stalkers were after himself and the Defender, not Rowan. He ran quickly toward the wall, "I'll only get one shot at this...here goes nothing!" He ran up the side of the wall, kicking off of it and flipping over, tossing the crystal at the wall, it would jam into a crevice. He managed to jump across the heads of a few Stalkers before taking out the Defender, making a strong swing. Striking the Stalkers from behind with a strong wind, the front Stalker was pushed forward, ramming into the crystal shard. Hiku dashed quickly, barely managing getting out of range before the crystal exploded, taking out the Stalkers and the rubble blocking the path. Hiku grunted, as he was thrown from the shock wave. "Oof!"
Hiku groaned, as he stood up, "It should be safe now Rowan."
Rowan rushed out from the bushes, "Are you okay? How did you know that would work?"
Hiku sat up scratching his head, "In full honesty, I didn't, I was just lucky"
Rowan turned to look at the path, "Well the rubble is gone...the path is free. Let's head to that place before anything else goes wrong." Hiku nods as they leave the valley.
Shela had been watching from the tip of the cliffs, "Well well...they're all a bit more resourceful than we expected. Run back to your buddies Hiku, I will find you again..."
Meanwhile, back toward the direction of Valencia, Selene was observing the remains of a battle between the undead Stalkers and her own brutes...she slain the last of the undead. Selene was slightly disturbed by this, "Is someone else after the boy as well? This doesn't boast well at all. Whoever they are, they will not be allowed to interfere..."
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Post by HunterColt22 on Nov 18, 2006 0:37:33 GMT -5
Colt stands, a cold wind blows across the grass and small flowers below his heels. He shivers, wrapping himself in his arms. His teeth chatter, rubbing his hands over his arms as he tries to warm up, his breath is seen on the air.
"Well, well son. That is a nice pair of wings, but...they seem a tad lopped sided, one being that of an angel and the other of a demon and all."
Colt whirls on his heels, his right angel wing grazing by his eyes, he comes to meet the eyes of the old man, that Kenshin warned him not to talk to unless spoken to..
"Whats the matter boy? Cat got your tongue, or rather, a certain pupil of mine?"
"How did you...?"
"Ho-ho-ho...I know my student well, though he can be...a bit...nervous, one might say."
"..."
With a small whisper of the wind, his wings disappear.
"I will be going now, thanks for your hospitality."
"Leaving so soon young sir?"
"Yes, I have already paid my debt to these people."
"You don't think they would need the help of the last Azha?"
Colt's heart skips a beat, his arms grew cold, as his spine lurched forward with his stomach.
"How...how did you know..."
"Well, it wasn't hard to guess that you were the child of omen from the Azha, with the wings sprouting from your back. And only those light colored blue eyes like yours, radiate from those people."
Colt falls silent, turning his head back from the old man, he looks toward the house. He hears something emanate from it, his face contorts in concern and discontent.
"...What do you feel young one?"
"Nothing...nothing at all."
"Heh, you may be an Azha and have been trained to be a great warrior, but above all else, the Azha were horrible liars... You will learn in dear time how to control your gifts, whether for good or evil, you will learn them well..."
The old man turns from him, and walks back toward the field, as the grass wavers in his wake, he slowly disappears. Colt turns back to the house and sighs.
"You know what you should do young one..."
"Yet, doing what is right and what you feel are always the two opposites of the double edged blade that is life..."
"How right both of you truly are..." A cold wind blows, bringing light flakes of snow across the grassy field. Colt shivers, his wings envelope him slowly, bringing warmth to him. Snow flakes gently fall on his wings, and begin to melt slowly.
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Post by seraph_phoenix on Nov 25, 2006 4:42:49 GMT -5
Aya got up, quickly walking over to Blade, who was hanging onto the wall.
"You know, you should be more careful..." she said, as she put his arm over her shoulder. "We won't just leave you for dead."
Aya helped lay him down on his bed, he grunted a bit at her, just from the pain. Aya turned to see his scythe propped against the wall, the blade gleamed in the subdued light of the room. Aya walked over to it and took it to her hand, making a tiny cut on her thumb.
"What are...you doing kitten?" Blade said rather quickly, after seeing her action. She wiped the blade clean between her fingers and propped it back against the wall, walking over and sitting down on the edge of Blade's bed. She took a small cloth and wiped the blood from her fingers onto it. She then squeezed her thumb a bit, until the blood began to drip out rather quickly for such a tiny wound. Blade just arched his eyebrow at her.
"I know it hurts you..." she said as she stood up, placing the cloth onto the small table next to Blade's bed, "...but you should use this if you need to, I don't want you dying on us." She said, with a smile. Aya walked toward the door and said, "I'm going out for some fresh air, rest well.", as she turned and walked out the door. Blade looked over at the cloth, contemplating whether to use it or not.
Aya opened the door to the small house and stepped outside, underneath the houses' small awning. She could see Colt standing further out, but she wasn't sure where the house was located. The flowery field was enormous, it was like being in a parallel universe or something. Aya just shrugged off her thoughts. Aya's fingertip lingered on the wooden door handle, before she let it go.
"This house is pure..."
Aya smiled and let go of the handle, as she turned back, facing the field. She had already known by being near him, that Kenshin had a good soul, she assumed the same of the old man that accompanied him. Aya walked out toward Colt, who was still standing out in the field, his wings spread.
"Well, well..." she started. "...I knew there was something strange about you." Aya said with a smile. Colt seemed startled by her appearance, she stopped and stood beside him, rubbing her arms from the cold. "Don't worry, I won't make mention to the others about an Azha being with us." Colt seemed a bit relieved, he went to open his mouth to reply 'thank you' to her, but she interrupted.. "...I'll leave that for you." She said as she walked forward.
"Where are you going?" Colt asked her.
"I don't know." She continued to walk forward, as Colt turned around and headed back into the small house. Aya wondered where Hiku, Mai, Kenshin, Rowan and Oren were. She stopped her trek once she was a bit further out.
"I wonder if I woke up Shinjo when I left..." she said softly to herself, appearing to be in deep thought.
"Where are you going, Angel-girl?" The old man asked.
"Oh," Aya said, she hadn't realized the man was nearby. "I was going to ask you something."
"And what's that?" He asked her.
"Kenshin made the others close their eyes when he brought them to this place. I wasn't really conscious at the time, but I could hear a lot of things being said. Could you please take me back? I want to wait for Kenshin and the others." She said, still looking forward.
"Alright, close your eyes Angel-girl." He said as he took her hand, Aya wondered if he was going to continue to call her that.
Aya felt the warmth of the old man's hand fade, she flinched, opening her eyes, to find herself back outside. She stood still and glanced around, everything appeared as it should. The sky was a hazy dark gray, the sun would rise in about an hour. Aya twitched, turning to her left.
"There is dark energy nearby." She said to herself, as she walked off in that direction. She eventually came to a decent sized lake, larger than the one she'd bathed in earlier, but it was not gigantic. The lake was a dark color and very murky, it appeared like a swamp, but it was really just an ordinary lake. Aya opened her wings and walked out into the water. Her wings appeared normal, but as she walked further out, they began to glow brightly.
"Begone." She said, and in one quick, swiping move of her arm, the lake became crystal clear again. Aya stood there for a moment, then turned to exit the lake, but she stopped. From where Aya had stepped into the lake, Selene stood. Aya froze, she had no weapons, she wasn't sure of what she should do. Selene stood there, sneering at her, Aya didn't move, nor did she say anything. The silence seemed to last for an eternity, each woman waiting for the other to make her move. In all reality, it couldn't have been more than a few seconds.
Selene began to hover slightly above the ground, her body erupting into flames, as she flew toward Aya with incredible speed. Selene's energy caused the water to whip up beside her, until she collided with Aya. Selene's forearms had been crossed, and pressed against Aya's neck, plunging her into the freezing cold water. Aya forced on Selene's arms, but they would not move, as she struggled under the water, Aya could see the lake becoming murky and dark again. Aya arched her wings, they quickly began to glow with a blinding light, causing Selene to scream, pulling her arms back to shield her eyes. Aya immediately flew directly up, out of the water.
A darkened tentacle reared out of the water, grasping her ankle. Aya could only glance down momentarily before the tentacle whipped to the left, hurling her down onto the top of the water. She hit the water top on her side, shocking her momentarily. The tentacle yanked her underwater at an impossible speed, over to her attacker. Selene's hair flew wildly under the water, and black energy veiled around her, her eyes were pitch black with a red iris. Aya put her hands forward, causing a bright symbol to appear in front of her, it lit up very bright, then shot beams of light into Selene, whose body wretched backward, holes appearing where the light had penetrated her. Aya flew up out of the water again and hovered above the surface, her toes were not even touching the water top.
The holes in Selene's body melded closed, like melting metal, she flew to the top of the water.
"You are not that woman." Aya said.
The doppleganger sneered and cried out unnaturally, as it glided across the water toward her, she readied herself. As the doppleganger got close, Aya hopped backward, her toes barely touching the water, then hopped back again, as the enemy swung its arms at her. Aya crouched down, then jumped backward, flipping over and landing further away, the doppleganger seemed irritated.
"Give me the key." The doppleganger said, in a strange, echoing voice.
"You know, Selene wouldn't have had this much trouble." She said in a mocking tone. Aya would regret it. The doppleganger let out another unnatural cry, its body expanding like a balloon, eventually exploding, to reveal it's true form. It was a nearly shapeless mass, yet somewhat resembling an oblong tube, a deathly pale color, like rotting flesh. Bloody pustules appeared all over its body, with deranged, clawed arms reaching out of it's body from every direction. Aya floated high above the water, her wings were arched and glowing brightly. The creature latched onto Aya's legs and arms, as a bright symbol appeared behind her, shards of light rained down upon the enemy. It let out a horrible scream, letting Aya go. She then traced a long line in the air with her fingers, and a crystal-like blade appeared before her. Aya grabbed onto it quickly, and flew toward the enemy.
A bright white light stretched out of the tip of the blade, Aya let out a battle cry as she slammed the blade of light down onto the enemy, instantly incinerating the mass from where she'd contacted it. Its arms wailed violently, grabbing onto Aya's wrist, flinging her toward the far side of the lake, near a mountainous gathering of rocks, where water trickled down into the lake. Aya's neck slammed into the rocks, as she dropped her crystal blade, it became lodged in the mud at the water's edge. The mass melted away into nothingness, as Aya fell to the water.
She sank slowly, very dazed from the blow she'd just sustained. Aya blinked as she came back to consciousness, trying to swim, but she wasn't able to do so. She felt cold and numb all over, but her neck was in agonizing pain. She began to worry, thinking the impact must have cracked or shifted one of the vertebra in her neck, temporarily paralyzing her. Her healing was beginning to work, but it would take a while. Aya slowly sank down further into the lake, the water seeping past her neck. Aya took one last deep breath and let herself sink into the depths of the lake.
She was still wearing the priestess robes from earlier, they were tattered, torn and dirty. It moved gracefully, as Aya sank into the water, her golden hair swimming around her. Her arms fell more slowly than her body, causing them to rise above her head. The blood from her thumb slowly began to seep out into the gray water. Streams of moonlight shone into the water and reflected across the deep red gem on the ring Oren got for her. The light soon disappeared from Aya's sight under the murky water, but she thought it was almost beautiful. Aya's body steadied under the water, not able to fully sink until all the air had been released from her lungs. The lake was so dark and murky now, it would be impossible to see her from the water top.
Her crystal blade was stuck in the ground, near the rocks she had been thrown against. The moonlight reflected upon it, causing the light to prism out over the lake. Aya closed her eyes and tried to concentrate on going into a meditative sleep, so she would lose the air from her lungs more slowly, otherwise, she would drown.
"Shinjo..."
Aya's body rested in the water of the dark lake.
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Post by shinjoyoshida on Nov 26, 2006 14:36:00 GMT -5
"Selene." Celeste watched her sister intently. The suspense of the evening was getting to her, and she could hardly hold herself together anymore.
"Selene!"
"Damn you Celeste, what is it now?"
"What news do you have of your little creation? You promised me we'd be able to start making our move soon, but all I've seen so far is you moving more pawns around." Selene slumped back into thought again. The pair was about four to five miles away from Kenshin's house. So far, they had not been able to figure out what had been drawing them to the little shack, but every now and then, the sisters would feel a spike of magical energy emanate from the house.
Selene's eyes widened, a small smile crept across her face. Celeste looked at her intently, as the infectious smirk moved to her as well.
"The Guardian bitch is incapacitated." Selene said softly. The pair moved off toward the lake, as Selene took the lead. It was hard going, but the duo would not be stopped. Soon they would eliminate Denethor's friends, and then they could begin the ritual. Unlimited power is what they thought they would gain eventually, but fate had something else in store for them.
Chair. Wall. Closet. Dresser. His eyes began to focus. Bed. Floor. Shoes. Now his surroundings were even more detailed. Room. Door. Outside. Getting to his feet, Shinjo yawned and stretched.
"Aya..."
Smiling, Shinjo started to walk around the house looking for her. He noticed Blade was sitting on his cot, holding himself. His pain looked severe, but not out of control.
"You need anything?"
"Pshh. Kid, if you had half the power I needed to help with this pain, I'd be afraid to even ask you. But thanks anyways." Blade zoned out again, into a trance. Shinjo noticed a small cloth draped over his open hand. It seemed like Blade wanted to keep it close, but he never once moved to use it.
"Alright, I'll be outside." Shinjo glanced into another room and found nothing Colt sitting near a fire.
"Have you seen Aya?" Shinjo asked, while glancing in the room.
"Yeah, she was outside just a bit ago." He said, warming his hands.
"Alright, thanks." Shinjo said, as he ducked out of the room. Moving out through the threshold of the house, he found himself in Kenshin's training facility again, it was as if he straddled time itself. To his left was spring, to his right fall, ahead of him was summer, and behind him was winter.
"A perfect place to live..." Shinjo wondered if Aya had been wandering around in here. He started off to his right, moving through mountains of leaves, he made his way through the decaying forest. No sound crept toward him, no movement made itself plain to him. Everything was quiet, save the rustling of the leaves near his feet. Shinjo smiled and fell backward, the mound of foliage softened his fall and made a neat bed. Shinjo daydreamed for a moment, then got back to his feet.
Looking past a few more trees, he decides to look elsewhere. Moving south, the air began to freeze, as the forest turned from fiery reds and oranges to white, Shinjo knew where he was. All the trees around him had died now, they were leafless. Small flakes of snow fell, as the silence became unbearable. Concentrating on the crunching of snow beneath his figure, Shinjo calmed himself.
"If there ever was a single most annoying sound in the world, it would have to be complete silence."
Shinjo continued to look around the training facility more. Climbing a small hill, Shinjo noticed flowers poking out of the snow. He had moved into the spring section, and there was a huge field ahead of him. Shinjo looked to his northeast and noticed a haze.
"The heat in the summer training section must be horrible."
Squinting his eyes, he moved toward the heat, at a jogging pace. He swore he saw a person moving in and out of the air, then a finger tapped his shoulder.
"Is there someone over there?"
Shinjo turned around sharply and hopped back a few steps. The old man was looking at him.
"Are you deaf? I asked you a questions son, did you see anyone over there?"
"I thought I did, but the image was too hard to follow, I think it was a mirage." The old man smiled. He lurched forward and rammed his hand into Shinjo's stomach, the whole world around him seemed to melt, as the pain enveloped his entire body.
"Was that a mirage?" Asked the old man.
Shinjo cocked his head, looking to the old man with an inquisitive gaze. He was standing up again, it was as if neither of them had moved.
"You see son, even if you think you see a mirage, don't dismiss it as nothing." Shinjo then realized neither of them had actually moved. The old man had been playing head games with him, Shinjo smiled at the old man and chuckled.
"Have you seen my friend? The girl that was here with me in the house." The old man returned Shinjo's smile and bade him turn around. Shinjo accepted and closed his eyes instinctively. Nothing touched him, but his whole body was crawling with an odd sensation, the feeling faded as he opened his eyes again.
A stream of red hair disappeared behind the trees, in the distance.
"Hurry Celeste, we mustn’t keep our good friend waiting." Celeste let out a giggle as she obeyed her sibling. The sisters were being crass in their quest for blood. Though they were sharp to leave no trace of their movement on the ground, a trained person could easily pick out gashes and the like on the side of the tree trunks.
Shinjo fastened his sword and started sprinting in the direction that the girls were moving in.
"Shinjo!" A blacksmith emerged from his hut. A younger Shinjo hurried over to his mentor.
"Do you remember what I told you about this sword?" Shinjo crossed his arms and looked down in thought, a worn boot kissed his shin. Shinjo stood up straight and looked his mentor in the eye.
"Yes, I remember."
"Well then?"
As Shinjo raced through the woods, he kept reciting his teacher's words.
"I am a burning strength of feeling and power. My sword protects me. If I do not protect my sword, I am nothing." The emerald light began to creep out from Shinjo's sheath. His eyes were focused now, his whole body was working in perfect unison with his mind. Feeling the air around him begin to heat up, Shinjo leapt as far as he could. His jump barely saved him from the explosion that detonated behind him. Celeste intercepted him in the air, ramming her knees into his chest. Using her momentum, Celeste kicked off Shinjo, just as he hit the ground.
"Another fly. You're pretty dangerous too boy. But nothing that we can't handle." Selene laughed, as she lit the ground ablaze. Shinjo's arms were seared from the fire, as he rolled out of the inferno. Standing up, he held his chest as he drew his sword. The situation was grim now. If he went all out now, he wouldn't be able to carry on afterwards.
Another sharp kick in his chest caught him off guard. Celeste was blending in with the surroundings, by using her cloak. She snapped kicked him again, but this time, the blow struck his readied sword. Celeste grunted as she retreated back into the woods, the sister's strategy was working well though. Shinjo had to deal with Selene's pyrotechnics and keep himself alert enough to fend off Celeste's melee attacks. Shinjo was caught in a ring of fire again, as Selene wove her deadly art into a pattern of destruction. Directing Shinjo toward a tree, Selene managed to burn him here and there, whilst preparing Celeste for her strike.
"Dodge this!" Celeste flung a small dagger into Shinjo's left shoulder. The pain was amplified as Selene heated the metal, melted and solidified, as soon as the magical heat dissipated. A grotesque fusion of skin and metal now protruded from Shinjo's body. The sister's cackled as Shinjo struggled with the battle and his inner emotions.
"I am a burning strength of feeling and power. My sword protects me. If I do not protect my sword, I am nothing." Shinjo heeded his teacher's words again, as his sword moved to block Celeste's vicious punches. He was being worn out, trying to move his salvation around so quickly. Celeste managed to slash Shinjo's face with her nails and cradle him to the ground.
"If only you weren't in the way. I could make you feel so good baby. Not like the whore you stay with anyways." She licked the blood off his cheek, then hopped into a tree above. Shinjo was furious now, his sword's energy was so bright, Selene had to interrupt her spell to cover her eyes. His mind was made up now. Shinjo swung his sword in a circle, as trees fell down all around him. A small circlar pattern was now carved into the forest, as Shinjo leapt onto a falling tree. Running up it, he caught a glimpse of Celeste in the boughs, thrusting his sword at her. As soon as the tree hit the ground, Shinjo's sword pierced bark and cloth alike. Celeste's clever trinket was useless now, she tore away from her adversary and joined her sister's side.
"Well then. You're not some upstart rookie, are you? Doesn't matter, you're still going to die here!" Selene shot two fireballs at Shinjo, as Celeste charged with two swords in her grasp. In a few seconds, Shinjo exploded and while the smoke was still heavy, a striking of swords sounded. Flesh was pierced, as the tell tale sound streamed into Selene's ears. She smiled as she heard a body fall to the forest floor. Falling gracefully from her magical perch in the air, Selene landed softly.
"Well done Celeste. That tactic always wor---" The clearing smoke turned green as Shinjo's sword made its way into Selene's stomach. With inhuman strength, Shinjo moved forward and spun the sword around within Selene. A large hole was bored into her, Selene's eyes filled with tears as she fell to her knees. She started speaking, but only her mouth would move, no sound came out. She tore her gaze from Shinjo's blank expression and looked at her sister, Celeste was lying in a pool of her own blood. Shinjo forcefully removed his sword from Selene and grasped her neck. Pulling her face toward his own, Shinjo finally spoke.
"Listen to me you damned witch. Either tell me who you've been working for and I'll see about sparing you sister, or be silent and I'll torture you both until I hear something I like." Shinjo's eyes did not blink once, his gaze stared into Selene's soul. Trying to vocalize something, Selene told Shinjo everything, but her words fell on deaf ears. His hand crushed her windpipe. Writhing on the ground, Selene held her throat in a futile attempt to stem the blood flow. Shinjo's sword found itself buried in her heart after a few moments. Selene's body calmed itself and began to shut down, her eyes however had stayed open, a death gaze for all to see.
Moving over near Celeste, Shinjo lifted her up by her hair. The assassin grunted as she was plucked from the earth. Not having enough energy to free herself, Celeste openly gave up. She hung there and waited for Shinjo to speak.
"Smart girl...who have you been working for? Tell me now, or regret being born." Shinjo moved his head closer to hers so he could hear her better.
"Shouldn't you be...saving your bitch now...?" Celeste smiled at Shinjo as she licked his cheek. Punching her in the face, Shinjo moved back from her. In a fit of rage, he removed the dagger from his shoulder, tearing of a huge chunk of flesh from his body, the weapon now looked like a deranged torture device. Sitting atop of Celeste's wound he applied as much pressure as he could, all at once. Raising the weapon above Celeste's head he asked her one more thing.
"One more. You have one...more...try. Tell me why you've been working to capture my friends. Tell me why you've been trying to kill me. Tell me who you've been working for, or so help me god, I will make sure you are alive after I'm through with you." Shinjo trailed a sharp edge of the bloodied weapon across Celeste's neck, as she started to tear up.
"JENSEN!" She screamed. Shinjo's eyes widened, he remembered seeing that piece of parchment in Valencia, the night he was severly injured.
"Good girl..." Shinjo dropped the weapon to the ground and helped Celeste up. Turning her around, he inspected the back of her neck.
"I can get you help for your stomach, but I'm concerned about your neck." Shinjo spoke softly.
"What's wrong with my neck?" Celeste whimpered. In one swift motion, Shinjo twisted her head, snapping her neck. Celeste's lifeless body dropped to the ground. Giving as much mercy as he was capable of, Shinjo retrieved his sword and stared at Celeste for a second.
"It's broken." Holding his shoulder, Shinjo started jogging toward the direction Celeste and Selene were moving in. He hoped Aya was alright.
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