[RP] The Epicenter Maze

Eleanor's breath caught in her throat as the creature forged an axe comprised of its own chilling body of bones. She felt a pain in her throat, a cold pain that made her mouth and throat dry and irritatingly itchy.

However, that pain was to be the least of her worries as the inconceivable creature itself moved to attack her in a great overhead smash with the axe. Her eyes widened and she dived to the side, the axe plunging to the earth, the tremor itself enough to launch her off her feet to land painfully on her side, her left arm taking most of the impact and throbbing agonizingly. Eleanor took a loud hiss of breath and bit her lip so hard it drew blood to stop herself from crying out.

An immense cloud of dust had billowed up from the ground where the axe had made contact, her eyes taking time to adjust to the gloom. However, the skeleton construct was immediately distinguishable in the miasma, simply by the cold blue light its very body radiated.

Clambering to her feet with a slight stagger, she bent down and picked up the sword again. Her thoughts were not on the other person now. If he couldn't take care of himself, he was through. She had to look after herself now.

And they always said offense was the best defense.

Holding her sword behind her as she ran, she moved through the slowly clearing dust cloud towards the blue light pulsing nearby. She didn't know what she was doing, fighting back against this monstrosity; this abomination, but a chilling theory that felt like cold, hard fact convinced her that this creature would follow her to the ends of the earth to annihilate her, the one who had "Defiled its master's tomb."

Finally nearing the creature, she performed a powerful ascending slash, hoping that, skeletal or not, this creature could be destroyed. If not...she was in trouble.
 
OOC: Sorry for the long wait! Inspiration was lost... but n ow it has returned! HEre comes the calvary!

IC: A wave of bones carried Shadow and someone else over to the massive obelisk. When they arrived, a construct of bones rose up from the ground, and this sent a chill up Shadow's own spine. He was a necromancer himself, and seeing something this powerful be raised... It wasn't a good sign. As his ally readied her weapon, she spoke.

"I hope you know how to fight"
"Worry about yourself."

(Music) Shadow's scythe came up to be held easily across his chest. Then the construct attacked the girl, Shadow jumping at his impact hit the ground. It was more of a reflex, and it was a right one, as the blow was massive, and it would've done some serious damage. Shadow's lips drew back in a snarl.

"So, you want to fight with bones?"

Shadow began to chant under his breath in a low tone, conjuring the magical power he had. As his ally for the moment charged at the construct, Shadow's chanting came to a halt as he raised his scythe.

"Those who died long before, come forth and defend those who live now!"

The ground near a nearby grave shuddered, before a bony arm popped from underneath. The hand came down onto the earth, pulling itself up, and a skeletal head appeared. This was followed by it's other arm, wielding an axe. Finally it pull it's torso and legs free, standing tall at six feet. Shadow smiled grimly. The undead were powerful warriors, and this would be helpful. Shadow pointed at the construct.

"GO."

A deep resonant vote to get it's attention. The skeleton charged, swinging the axe in an uppercut as Shadow chuckled. Now for his own ploy.

"Shadow Fighter."

Shadow seemed to blur, and then the visible image became darker. Shadow himself was now in the realm of shadows, waiting for the right time to strike. His shadow, on the other hand, began to circle the main battle, waiting for a chance to insert itself.
 
(OOC: Short, and kind of shit, but the next few posts should be damned good.)



“As much as I would love to stay and read these books, it appears that my judgment gets the better of me.” Ciridan said. “If those two are friendly, we could use their help in case more… not so friendly people show up. For now, let’s just grab what we can and head off in that direction.” Ciridan quickly grabbed a few tones from the “miscellaneous” section, and shoved them in his bag. Just as he thought, it was now full. There was a little food, a little wine, and tomes… not exactly what one needs on a journey, but he was confident in his abilities to find sustenance if he needed it.

“I’ll meet you out front and I’ll arrange a flying rock for us,” pausing for a moment, he took one last look around. It was a shame he couldn’t do any research. However, if those two were friendly, he would be losing a valuable resource. Heading outside, he simply said, “I’m ready when you are.”
 
[Construct]

There was a hollow laugh at the feeble attempts to destroy him, the axe and sword only nicking off small chunks of the fused bone. The blue fire in the construct pulsed and four streaks of coldflame began to spread from the base of where it was floating 2 heading for Eleanor and the others heading for the other skeleton.

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[Alexander]

He shrugged. A position of advantage could mean many things. This castle was only one interpretation of it. With two more people by their side they would have a far greater advantage over the others.

Watching Ciridan take a few tomes off the shelf, he decided to follow suit. Scannign the shelves, he found one with the word "tarot" on the spine and grabbed it. Holding it under his arm he followed Ciridan out, Sol at his heels.

As soon as they were out and into the courtyard he nodded to Ciridan.

"Let's go."




[OOC: Hey Ringo, grab me on skype so I can figure out the speed of our flying rock.]
 
OOC: Feel free to godmod our characters to the other castle/keep place. :ryan: After this, posts should get pretty long again.

“Let’s go,” Alexander said from behind him. Ciridan smiled as he lifted his right arm slowly in the air, lifting up a rather big boulder. It would have to be bigger to hold the both of them. Levitating it slowly off the ground, she placed it in front of the boy. “Make sure to hold on carefully. Brace yourself when it takes off, it is somewhat… tricky to get used to that.” Ciridan said, in a friendly tone.
 
What roused Jamie from her otherwise fitful slumber wasn't only the rustling of the leaves or the faint whisper of a cool breeze settling across the region; it was the steady rattling approach of a cumbersome carriage. Gilded black doors opened as an attendant garbed in a lavish white waistcoat hurriedly aided his young master in stepping down as gingerly as possible. Two stocky thoroughbred horses clopped the ground with their hooves in a hollowed sound. They whinnied excitedly and snorted, eying Jamie curiously with their warm brown eyes.

She suddenly felt out of place in her plain farmhand attire, desperately trying to smooth out the wrinkles in her crushed shirt. She gave up and huffed irately as the young man approached watching her with amused bright azure eyes.

"What is a young woman such as yourself doing skirting around the fringes of the untamed Ashmore plains at such an ungodly hour?" He glanced at his gold pocket-watch for confirmation of the time it seemed. Was the hour in question really that ungodly? Satisfied he pocketed it in his waistcoat and smiled graciously at her, his lips a thin pinkish line of practiced austerity. His demeanor was as accessible as Jamie's father's had been--amicable and all too approachable in his openness. The smile in a person's eyes (if it reached it, that is) could tell a lot about their character; that was something her mother had impressed upon her before her death.

A twinge of guilt and remorse rippled through her body, leaving her with a sick aftertaste in her mouth. Their mutilated bodies were bloodied and contorted in act of agony and brutality. She shook the painful memory from her mind and swallowed heavily, focusing on the attendant who sneered disdainfully at her appearance. He twirled his thin white mustache in an air of repressed arrogance. There was clear contempt lacing his nasally voice as he introduced himself as Nigel. His master, he hesitantly explained was the Duke Harry Edmond Winchester of Westminister the Third. He lorded over the Westminister estate after his father had come down with a mysterious ailment for twenty three days and two months.

"And so our duke would be more than pleased to have your presence known at his estate. He would ask for your attendance with him as he travels back to the estate. You are welcome to stay." It seemed as the mere action of relaying the message to Jamie had caused Nigel great physical discomfort.

"I would be honored," she bit out in a voice much more acidic than she had intended it to sound. The duke rose a fair flax seed hued eyebrow in wry amusement. He smirked in a playful way before he expression flickered and he became remotely serious and courteous. His air was relaxed and even Chronos swished his tail in a lax sort of way, his bright eyes shining in the slivers of dappled sunlight.

"So shall I get a name from my honored guest or will you keep me shrouded in that air of mystery you have cloaked about you?"

"I'm Jamie Hawthorne, sir." She beamed appreciatively quietly thanking the attendant as he helped her settle into the carriage next to her newly appointed host. The carriage smelled faintly of hay and dogwood as well as wood lacquer--there was faint note of nuttiness in the varnish of the wooden frame that supported the plush velvet cushions. Never had Jamie settled so comfortably into a form of transportation in her life. The Duke's gloved hand touched hers faintly in a gesture of understanding, but there was a trace of dutifulness in his mannerisms. He was dubious and notably so.

"Truly, what brings you to the region of Ashmore . . .," he paused his eyes darkening in the dimness of the carriage to a faint navy shade. " . . . your manner of dress is foreign to me, I only mean to inquire out of innocent curiosity. I hope not to offend you."

"I . . .," Jamie's voice trailed off as she glanced back at Chronos who trotted alongside the horses in a companionable air. He whinnied jubilantly, apparently overjoyed at seeing some of his "brothers" so to speak even though they were of an enviable stock. Uncertainty and fear lanced through her, what if the Duke was an impostor, what if she had been foolish enough to trust a pawn of this "game" she had invariably found herself playing? What then? Could she worm her way out of their clutches? Had she been truly foolish to be so trusting and somewhat earnest with them?

". . . I only want to travel the world . . . to explore."

"Ah, but there are secrets in Ashmore, I only ask because . . . well never mind. I don't want to burden you, you're meant to have a pleasant stay. It should not matter what your exact intentions were back on those plains. You're new to this region however, yes? That is what I meant to inquire about . . . ," he added the last part as if to acquiesce with her unvoiced queries.

How did he know she was worried about what he wanted to ask her? Was she that much of an open book?

"I'm from a small farmin' town known as Ardot sir. I'm orphaned. Lost me parents at a young age. I've been travelin' ever since."

"On your own?" The Duke asked in astonishment, his eyes widening in what could only be termed as brotherly concern. He cared that much about what she'd just attested to?

"Yes." She folded her hands primly in her lap watching as the trees gave way to a winding river that snaked downward from the mountain chain. The thick tangle of trees thinned until the expanse was open once more save for some shrubbery and birds, possibly sparrows, breaking out into birdsong in the distance. It was so peaceful it was hard to think that she was edging that much closer to the castle in question.
 
"I heard you scream from outside, so I came to see what happened."

"Ah it was nothing" Never said shyly looking at the woman.

She had purple eyes, matching his hair and cloak. This act alone made his feel a bit more comfortable around her. The woman was taller than him also and looked as if she was tough and brilliant. Never was pleased that he could meet someone in this place that seemed to be abandoned all this time.

"So, I take it you were put in this game too?"

"Yeah." Never said suddenly remembering the rules of the game.

He would have to either eliminate other players or be eliminated himself. He took the Ever sword in hand and stood at the ready. As nice as she seemed she could just be a hunter, eliminating competition one by one. "I take it you showing up means you want to fight me?" He asked before stopping to look at the orb.

His attempt to break it had caused it to emit white wisps floating upward like a vapor of some kind. He then focused on the woman. he did help her, but he did not know of her intentions. "If you want to fight then I guess now would be the time." Never spoke. "Prepare yourself!"

But yet again the boy stopped to listen to a howl, a noise that seemed like it was growing louder and louder. Never pointed his sword down to look around for a moment. Craning his neck he couldn't help but to mutter "Where's that noise coming from?"

He couldn't catch a glimpse of anything yet but in a flash it seemed like the wisps of Vapor protruding from the orb had filled the room in size. I giant wisp had now been spilling from the orb remains and the vapor like substance had crowded the room, causing Never to heard a crumbling sound to his right. he couldn't see clearly due to the wisps at first but once his eyes rested upon a featureless figure he raised the Ever sword in alarm towards the thing sitting where the giant skeletal creature sat.

it seemed human, only with no features. Never could only imagine it's pale skin, moist all over it's naked body, no visible eyes, noes of mouth to be seen. The boy hadn't become frightened of it's appearance, for it was better than the skeletons. However Never felt a chill rise in him as if he needed to be on his guard. "What the hell is that thing?" Never spoke, his purple cloak and hair motionless along with his stance.
 
"Yeah." The boy replied. So Rouge finally found another player in this area. If he hadn't screamed earlier, chances were that she probably wouldn't have found him. She began to wonder just how long it would take to find the other players, and if they were going to assist her. As she was thinking this, she noticed that the boy's expression had changed, and he suddenly looked very suspicious of her.

"I take it you showing up means you want to fight me?" He said. Rouge rose a brow at this, but then both of their attention was directed to the shattered orb in the ground. It was letting off light wisps from the shards, as if something had been trapped inside. Orchid eyes slowly redirected to the person in front of her, seeing that he had brought up some kind of sword in his hand. "If you want to fight then I guess now would be the time. Prepare yourself!"

Is this kid seriously challenging me? She thought to herself. It wasn't exactly in her intention to eliminate any of the players she would meet unless they were scheming behind her back. In the case, the boy wasn't one, considering they only seen each other a few seconds ago. Nonetheless, Rouge only stood still in her spot - eyes never averting from the male- and reached behind her to take out her two pistols. Slowly, Malady and Acrimony were being held out in front of her face, towards the boys head.

"Are you sure you want to go through with that?" She asked him, her tone obviously bold. He had just helped her moments ago from stopping the voices from coming to her head, so she doubted that he was completely serious. Then again, she was a human, and she was a stranger. Combine those two qualities together in a person, and you'll never know what kind of things they're thinking about. That must have been how Rouge looked from the boy's perspective. Smart kid. . .

After she spoke, she thought she was beginning to hear a noise, but it wasn't coming from her head, considering that it looked like the other player was hearing it too. "Where's that noise coming from?"

Glancing back over to the shattered orb, Rouge nodded her head forward to indicate exactly where the sounds were developing, surprised to see that the wisps were in fact getting brighter as they spoke. Not only that, but they were spreading through the air, making the room faintly clear with the fog developing in it. The noise had gotten louder, and then something sounded that alarmed Rouge slightly. It sounded like a crumbling noise, and it was coming from the spot where the skeleton originally sat.

She brought her set of guns to her side, looking at that particular spot considering something had just changed. She blinked when she saw a white figure in place of the old skeleton; faceless, motionless. Just a white luminescent blob in the form of a human. She wasn't sure what it was at first, but then something disrupted her thoughts. She could feel a disturbance in her conscience, as if something wanted to speak to her by thought. Rouge stayed silent for a moment to see if the disturbance was strong or not - but it felt weak, so she had dropped her mental guard for whatever it was trying to reach her.

"What the hell is that thing?" The boy spoke. Rouge wasn't sure how to answer at first, but she took two steps forward to see the figure more clearly. The air was colder the closer she approached the thing, and then suddenly she heard a voice.

My soul. . .is at rest now.

"Hm?" Rouge asked out loud. Chances were that the boy didn't hear what she just heard, and that the voice that she heard came from. . .this thing. Keeping her guns tight in her hands, another message had been heard.
And now . . . so are theirs. . . he cannot torment us any longer. .

Who's 'he' ? Rouge thought, meaning for the message to return back to the thing that was speaking to her.

I am . . . incapable of speaking his name. . the others. . .will say what else is needed for you to know. .

"The others?" Rouge thought out loud. She then remembered the other skeletons inside the building that she passed by on her way up here. They probably had burst as well and became. . .whoever this was. She glanced over at the boy who was standing stiff with his sword still in his hand and put her two pistols away, folding her arms across her chest after that. "Look. . . I realize that we don't know each other, and I don't know what you could be planning. But there's something about these things that could help us get out of this realm, and we'll have to go back downstairs." She glanced down at the floor for a moment, and then back up at him. "And if you still insist on fighting me, then I won't argue against it."
​
 
"Look. . . I realize that we don't know each other, and I don't know what you could be planning. But there's something about these things that could help us get out of this realm, and we'll have to go back downstairs."

"But what about the competition?" Never asked.

"And if you still insist on fighting me, then I won't argue against it."

"HEY!!!" Never shouted in anger because of his misunderstood action. "I figured you'd be the one to start all the chaos and fighting."

His lack of human contact had made it a little more difficult than normal for him to communcate effectively with people, especially strangers. "I don't know what you or that thing or what anything is out to do but all I want is to find a way out of here." he spoke putting his sword back into his purple cloak.

He had begun to leave the room, waiting at the door as he remembered the scary skeletons from before. "So, where do we head to now?"
 
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