A Return: Chapter 1 - Demons in The Trees (open)

[Rayne of Fire]

Soft rays of sunlight, filtered green by the trees above, arced across the white gate that had all but been forgotten. A gate that at one point many would have feared to even see. Now even the animals had forgotten their fear of it, spiders making their webs across it, a squirrel skittering along the top of it. A rabbit had even made it's nest near the base of it. Vines had begun their slow quest up the side of the gateway, viewing it as nothing more than a stepping stone to get them closer to the sun.

Yes, though it was the newest gate there was, it seemed the Concordian gate to Haidia was nearly forgotten. It sat there in the forest, it's blue runes dormant and dim. But... there was a strange energy in the air today. A feeling that something was about to happen to disrupt the tranquility. The only ones that were there to feel it were the animals - and perhaps a few oblivious passersby - and they were definitely agitated by it.

Then, as if awakened by the very force of it being forgotten, the blue runes along the gate began to glow. Faintly at first and then gaining intensity until it was a bright, harsh light. The creatures of the forest stirred in annoyance. Without further warning, it seemed that a wave of silent thunder crashed throughout the area and a man - looking as if he'd just walked out of a warzone - was pitched headlong through the demon portal, gasping desperately for air. The animals scattered in fright, the cacaphony of their voices nearly defeaning as they fleed. But the man could not flee. He was far too busy grinning through a stream of almost bitterly happy tears. After what had been an eternity to him, Rayne Lunitari was finally free of Haidia. But he had not long to rejoice. He knew this, the demons that hunted him were only a handful of minutes behind. And he could not afford to be caught laying down.

Slowly he gained his feet, looking around him, trying to figure out where he was. When recognition came, the smile returned. Concordia... he knew this place, had crashed to the planet in this place. Gods how things had changed since he'd come to this world. Almost all traces of the HighGuard Knight he once was had disappeared. Medals had been pawned for food. Hair was messy - no need to keep in trimmed when being hunted like an animal. Clothes were nearly shredded, it was a wonder some of it still remained on his body. A myriad of cuts, bruises and even scars lined his skin. All of that would have to be remedied, but as of now there were far more pressing issues. Like the horde of demonkin that was likely to be pouring through the door at any moment.

Rayne. Believe me, I understand what a shock it is to be in the light again after subsisting on darkness for so long. But you don't have time to enjoy it... yet.

Rayne had gotten used to the Voice. Had accepted it. Perhaps that made him insane, perhaps it made him a fool. But except for guiding him into Haidia the voice had not once steered him wrong. And even the Voice was allowed a mistake or two.

"Your right," he thought back, nodding for emphasis, though it had occurred a few times to him that nodding to a disembodied voice was rather superfluous.

Then onwards Rayne. The demons are on your heels.

And so Rayne did the only thing he could. He ran. He ran as hard and as fast as his weary legs would carry him. He did not hope to escape the demons. Only perhaps to find help in beating them off. For if no help could be found, the House of Lunitari would end in the same place it truly began... in Concordia forest.

The fresh air heartened him, quickened his step. The sunlight lifted his soul. And though he was running for his life, he could not help but smile a bit. His feet barely touched the forest floor, the leaves hardly aware of his passing. Ducking branches and leaping over logs, Rayne would have laughed had he the breath to do it. So lost in the running was he that he didnt notice the person crossing his path until it was too late.

Look out!

But he'd already crashed into the person, sending them both end over end and rolling through the dirt and leaves of the forest floor.

[Kaiser]

The first question anyone would ask when they first come to the forest of Concordia would be, Why are you even here? Although, Kaiserin never needed a reason to explain herself to anyone either, but she had a very good reason to be here, a very good reason. As of late she had been hearing a certain little story about an item that would, appeal to her likening, the only trouble was finding the place that was said to house this item. Find it within a shrine, directly east from the Concordia portal to that cursed realm. Kaiserin had directions to this so called shrine but, she had forgotten to ask directions for the actual portal, and so she was wondering around the forest, wondering why she had encountered no strange creatures that were said to dwell here.

‘I am such an idiot’

She calmly told herself within the confines of her own mind, the humid air was really starting to get on her nerves too. The humid heat had started to make her all sweaty, her hair was damp and worst of all her tail was aching from swinging around in an annoyed fashion for too long. With yet another step she felt the sole of her boot step firmly into something squishy, she froze in place not having the heart to look down at all, the smell alone was a big give away already. Why was this all happening to her today, was this item in question supposed to bring bad luck to those who wish to seek it out, if there was any truth behind that, then it was a powerful item indeed.

‘ this had better be worth it ’

Kaiserin was now clothed within the new protection of the armour she had purchased from the bazaar, she was thankful that the metal was offering a cool touch yet. It still hugged against her tightly, and was a little irritating, but she knew it was new, and she had yet to “break it in”. She still had her usual scarf, tied around her neck letting the trails flow behind her like two limp wings. Another addition she now had were two daggers that were snugly kept in the sheaths above her tail. She now had the option of fighting at a faster pace, but again she had not yet had time to test it, and she guessed that she would rely on her sword anyway.

Although before she could take another step she could hear, see and feel something charging through the forest and barrel into her. Kaiserin was knocked back, anyone would have been startled and surprised, once the shock, and her now aching tail was plucked from under her own body she sat up recognising that what had barrelled into her was more or less a human.

“Watch where you …”

Her words tailed off, much like the irritation displayed on her face slowly relaxed into a relatively normal face with questioning eyes. The guy who had knocked her down, who also was on the floor, looked a real mess, she hadn’t seen someone in this state since that whole ordeal on that island. The Rejects as she had learned to know them by, outcasts of the small village, she recognised the look. But she was far from Scara Brae, and he looked in a much shoddier condition.

“ … Whoa …”

Kaiserin picked her self off the ground first, letting her tail and arms simply droop down now as she looked at the man with a keen eye, she was examining his clothes, looking for any clues as to a sign of a battle, there were none present, so that just meant that his clothes must have naturally torn from rough conditions … right?

“…What the hell happened to you … you ok?”

He look hurt, like he had been through several battlefields, escaping with but an inch of his life, but she was guessing that he had more luck than her she had no doubt about that, even as she lazily brushed her hair out of her eyes, and much to her further annoyance noted how it fell right back into place.

“Hey … you even conscience?”

[Sanctus]

Where am I?

She had been wandering through Concordia for days on end, but it seemed that every path had changed. It was as if the trees had grown legs while she was gone, held a dance party in the forest, then set themselves down again once their carousing was over. She had lived in Concordia for over a hundred years, but it had changed more in her relatively short absence than it ever had while she was actually living there.

She had been living on what she could trap while in the forest, but she was more than ready to find what she was looking for and be gone. Even though the scenery itself was unfamiliar, the whole forest felt too real, too close. The press of trees, the green undergrowth, the smell of rich loam and decaying wood in the air...it brought back memories. Memories of two sets of fleet feet running along the wooded paths, then fading to just one.

But now was not the time to think about such things. She wanted to find her mother, see if the Fûlkaurim had discovered the poor woman yet. She was vaguely sorry to have left in the first place -- her mother could not fend against those brutes on her own -- but at the time Calliope was too distraught to care. She was back now, though, and that's what mattered.

As she walked along the path, she became aware of another sound filtering through the leaves and among the tree trunks. This were obviously not the sounds of animals and birds. It was the sound of footfalls, fast and hard. She had nothing better to do, considering how lost she was, so she quickened her pace, careful not to be heard. She followed the sounds. Who could tell? Maybe the person would know his way around better than she did.

Soon she didn't need to navigate by sound, as she came across the trail, heavy footprints in the soft earth, broken twigs everywhere. She stopped for a moment to lean down and examine the footprint. From its depth she could tell that it was a heavier person, probably a man. There was also a scrap of fabric in the bushes Whoever it is doesn't care if anyone's tracking him. He has the stealth of a drunken dwarf.

The sound had stopped now, and she heard a voice shortly ahead. Following the well-left tracks, her hands every now and then feeling the edges of broken sticks protruding from bushes, as she approached the source of the voice she slowed, peeling off into the underbrush. From there she could get a good view without being seen.

The scene didn't appear threatening -- it appeared the running man had bumped into someone -- so she emerged from the undergrowth, her hands held out in greeting. "Well met, traveler. It appears this poor man has bumped his head. Is there anything I can do to help?"

[Rayne of Fire]

(( Sorry for taking so long. I was trying to let Bard post, but I cant wait any longer. ))

The dirt and moss he now found his face buried in was a nice change from the ash and sulfur he'd breathed for two years. It was this, and the fact that running into the girl at breakneck speed had knocked all the wind from his lungs and left him more than a little disoriented. But slowly he gained his feet, shaking the cobwebs from his brain and trying hard to get his eyes to focus. It was another few moments before he could manage to do so, and when he did he winced from the pain in his head and body.

It was only then that he allowed himself the moment to examine the one he'd bowled over. Not overly strange gauged by what he'd met already on this mismatched world. But the silver hair with the red eyes was a little startling. Taking a deep breath, his eyes shifted swiftly to the other that approached. Bumped his head? He could almost hear the voice snickering at him.

I would never laugh at you Rayne. At least not so you could hear it.

"Comforting," he thought back, and then returned his attention to the two before him, "I'm fine actually. Just knocked the air out of me. Which is far better than what will happen if we simply stand around here talking. As we speak there's a dozen or more demons chasing me... and now since you are both guilty through association, they shall hunt the two of you as well. Running is out of the question... we've no choice but to fight them, if the two of you are willing that is."

He took a deep breath and looked to the two of them, awaiting an answer. But they would not have time to think, for suddenly the roars and wails of demonkin assaulted their ears. Rayne jumped at the sound, eyes scanning the trees all around them. They'd been even faster than he'd anticipated, the group was surrounded.

Without warning one of the monstosities - all of 5 and a half feet tall, red, and covered in scales and small, boney horns - leapt from a branch and descended towards the party. Above you Rayne! This time the voice was in time, and as his face went hard and cold Rayne lifted his gunblade and caught the wriggling little menace on it like a pig on a spit. Pulling the trigger without remorse, the plasma nova that ensued tore the demon to pieces, raining the three would-be victims in demon blood and scorched intestines.

"I'd suggest drawing your weapons if you have any, " Rayne drew his katana in his other hand, running towards the trees and a fight for his life.

[Sanctus]

Even as the words were out of her mouth, the prostrate man before her stirred, getting groggily to his feet, proclaiming that he was fine. She wasn't so sure...he was still moving somewhat shakily. She wanted to reach up and grab his chin, turn his face towards him, and check his eyes for any signs of a concussion, but she didn't know him, and he didn't know her. For all she knew, he might interpret it as an attack and fight back. You never knew...especially if the person involved had been running through the woods. Concordia had more than its share of lunatics and societal outcasts.

Her ears perked up when he said something about demons. She knew of them, a little bit...in her travels away from Althanas, she had fought both alongside and against them. They came in as many types as humans, it seemed; some bad, some good, some caring only for chaos, others for law and order. Indeed, they were a mixed lot...it all depended on which clan they came from. She wondered which type was chasing this man.

But she had no time to find out. She smelled them before they arrived, but only briefly -- she could smell Fûlkaurim from a mile away, but she only caught a whiff of these before they were upon them. They must be only distantly related Almost before she was aware of their presence, a shriek broke out. Her bow was in her hand almost instantly, strung and nocked. As the first demon leapt from the trees, she was fast on the draw, sending an ash shaft spinning directly for the creature's chest. They're small...probably not a true Haidian, but they could still be an obscure Haidian breed.

But the shaft merely whizzed into the trees, as before it reached its target she was covered in demon gunk. The man who had been on the forest floor recovered more quickly than she would have thought, as he now stood with some strange weapon pointed at where the demon had been moments before. Before she could ask what it was, another demon flew from the trees behind the man, and before he could ask her for help, an arrow was lodged in its skull.

Quickly grabbing a low-hanging tree limb, she swung into the trees, an arrow and her bow hanging loose from her free hand. She knew how to move quickly through the lower branches, and the demons were a ground-dwelling race. She would show them a true master of the boughs. As if to prove the point, she sighted another one, screaming and looking like he was about to swing down onto the frantic man. She really couldn't stand his infernal screaming, so she ended it by putting an arrow through his throat.

[Kaiser]

((My bad))

Kaiserin plucked off a little of the demons remains from her shoulder, she glanced at the body entrails for a moment before tossing it to the side and looking at the weapon the man had just produced. Interesting feature, blowing the demon to bits like that, the hilt was also a familiar design; she had fought a man with a pair of daggers with the same kind of hilt trigger.

Instinctively with the knowledge of the demons upon them she unsheathed the daggers, understanding that the thick tree’s and small area was ill suited for swinging a five foot sword around, regardless of it cleaving through several of the little buggers in a single swing. Also, considering the state of this guy, he sure seemed to have a reserve of hidden strength after he more or less shrugged off the tumble. And also, this new comer, she had emerged from the forest without Kaiserin even realising she had been there, infact it was only now that she truly grasped the idea that there were three of them, an embarrassing feeling but yet.

She was already getting stuck in with a bow, nailing her targets; Kaiserin inwardly was hoping she would miss, to give her something to kill, her wish arrived sooner than it had, it seemed that they were being flanked to the right side, without even telling anyone she dashed into position getting ready to make a stand. The first of many little demons leaped out. The silvet saw and swung her left dagger with her strength put behind the attack, the blade infact never touched the demon, but the steel ring that surrounded the hilt did, acting like a pair of metal knuckles against its skull, swatted it away in time for Kaiserin to see another.

She swung with her right blade this time, yet the swung missed as it ducked under the attack and tried to get behind her to attack.

“Hey!”

Kaiserin yelped in surprise and unfolded her tail from her waist, the tail then hooked around the creature’s body. The strange appendage proved that it was indeed her strongest part of her body, throwing the creature back around to her front where she stabbed both of her daggers into its body. After plucked her daggers out of its body and sheathing them, she mockingly brushed her hair out of her eyes looking back at the man who had been running.

“… Your little friends here seem to love making a mess when they die”

Her attention then returned to the area she was defending, and not surprisingly the area she had previously been keeping an eye one now had 5 of the little critters just waiting to be dealt with, with a shrug, Kaiserin raised out her right arm and slowly the seal release took form through threads of light, it however seemed to instantly spring out from a burst of light, its weight immediately strained her arm but she managed to hold it in position.

“ … Just like this “

Her left foot skidded forwards and her left arm raised to grip the hilt of the five foot long sword, although the area was poor for this weapon, the area in front of her, she judged seemed to have a big enough opening to actually swing it. Slowly the blade started to move, but with the constant strength and the momentum being built up that slow start soon turned into a powerful swing that would have sent them flying, had she hit them with the flat of her sword, but they met the cutting edge, and it lopped off body parts, heads from there shoulders as the swing took out four of the five in front of her, that one had the common sense to duck.

Kaiserin’s sword however was done for now, its swing was halted by a tree she failed to put into her calculations, instantly stopping the momentum, but this actually worked in her favour. With her left arm and the tree holding the weight and the momentum halted. Kaiserin was able to use her right hand to quickly grab her dagger as the demon charged forwards, this time as she swing her dagger, it was the blade that hit, making a large gash, But failing to kill it.

[Rayne of Fire]

Rayne barely heard the comments and exclamations of his newfound allies - though the silver-haired ones words about them liking to make a mess when they died made him smirk mentally. He himself however was more worried with the several little red bastards in front of him. They were very quick, the first one he'd dispatched had been very easy because he was falling in a straight line. Catching a demon on a blade was one thing, actually swinging a sword fast enough to catch them with exhausted arms was another in it's entirety.

Swinging high with his gunblade, a growl trickled from his lips as the first vociferous little beast ducked his head and avoided having it seperated from his torso. A low swing with the Katana, and the demon leapt it bringing out a fiercer growl. This was getting ridiculous!

"Dodge this you bastard!," Rayne yelled as he brought weapons swinging around at the torso of his chosen opponent. They connected at last, cleaving the beast into two pieces, more blood and gore spilling out to litter the forest's floor. Rolling the katana around his hand, he turned to face a new enemy, only to be greeted with a claw swipe to his face.

Staggering back, he glared hotly at the one who had brought fresh blood flowing from him. Rolling the katana once more, he charged, swinging both blades over head one after another. Both brought deep cuts to the ground, kicking up a spray of dirt, but harmed nothing else as the demon skipped backwards away from the attack. This was getting rather frustrating. With yet another growl he lifted both weapons to his chest, drawing the hilts in close to his chest and preparing to charge. But he never got his chance, due to a stiff kick from one of the demon's kin to Rayne's back. And while it sent him foreward, impaling his target with both blades and pinning him to a tree with them, it hurt Rayne a lot more than his original plan.

Before he could pull his swords from the wood of the tree and flesh of the demon, two scaled arms wrapped around his, yanking him backwards and away from the tree. With an almost primal roar, he yanked himself foreward, flinging the grappler over his body, and into the demon who was charging in to take advantage of him being held stationary.

Looking around, he reached over and pulled his weapons from the tree, taking a mental count as he did so. 3 dead and 2 incapacitated at his hands. Several more from each of his newfound allies. And still more coming in from every direction. This was going to take awhile.

[Sanctus]

((Sorry for taking forever...I was on vacation. I hope we all still want to finish this!))

Calliope could smell demon-odor everywhere. Not everyone could notice it, but she had a certain nose for their scent. It wasn't necessarily a bad smell -- just distinctive and strong -- and some demons had more of it than others. These particular beasties had very little of it...but there were lots of them, so it was especially noticeable. At least they aren't true Fûlkaurim, she thought. I doubt I could stand if there were this many of them.

From her perch in the trees, it was fairly easy to knock off the demons. They lumbered in the branches like Magim Beasts trying to swim in syrup, and as long as she had arrows she was able to pick off the tiny chaos-dwellers with ease. But she didn't have many arrows to begin with, and before she knew it she had an empty quiver. With her last arrow nocked and bow drawn, she sought her target. And there it was...a burlier-than-normal beastie that was advancing on the other woman with them. She took careful aim and released, but a split second before she did so the woman swung at the demon. The creature stepped back just in time for the arrow to sweep harmlessly between the two.

She spit the curse through her teeth. "By the Sixteen Sunstars of Sabaoth!" She was not happy to have missed that shot; wasting a final arrow was very bad luck. And she had no other weapons...she would have to summon her sword. Snapping the Bow of Fingolan to her back, she closed her eyes, then felt the branch shake beneath her. Caught off guard, she slipped and fell facefirst into the carpet of leaves below. Dazed, she struggled to her feet to see a demon jump clumsily off a branch and onto the ground in front of her. He lunged forward with a squeal, but she swiveled sideways at the last second, tripping the thing as it passed. But another demon was coming from one direction, with more coming in from the sides. She was a brave woman, but she knew when she was outmatched...and she still needed time to summon her weapon. Only one thing to do. She held herself suddenly erect, chest out, shoulders back. It was as if her body was suspended from the sky by an invisible chain on the crown of her head, and she seemed to gain a foot in height. And then she spoke.

"Foulest denizens of the Abyss, by the grace of Deus Sabaoth, be thee stilled!"

Her voice seemed deeper and more powerful, and it seemed to cut through the forest air on the power of conviction alone. It was as if a god had alighted in the clearing and spoken through her, occupying her lungs with a force of will unknown in the mortal planes. The demons within earshot -- and her voice indeed carried a long way -- suddenly stopped moving, stunned into submission by the ethereal voice. And then, as they stood motionless, she proclaimed, "Lord Sabaoth, I pray thee, make thy vengeance swift and sure." As the word left her lips, a glowing gladius seemed to materialize in her right hand. Grasping the hilt, she bore it forward with force at the nearest demon, penetrating his face with undeniable force. With a wrenching motion she pulled it free and swept it in an arc to slash through the neck of another nearby demon. As this second demon fell, the others began to shake off their stupor, but their advance was now more uncertain. They knew her now to be a more frightening opponent than they thought. Although she knew better -- she was no match for this many demons in a fair melee -- their fear was on her side. It was her job to keep it that way.

((The Voice of Power skill I used does not differentiate between friends and foes. Your characters would need to be affected, I think, but it's up to you as to the degree that the voice stuns you too.))