Round 1 Group 11

[Silence Sei]

Round lasts for 2 weeks! Good Luck!

[Embers of the Unchaste]

Voices rumbled in the background as the boy took another bite of his eggs. They were slightly overdone and missing seasoning. It was to be expected for a while, the new cook was far less practiced than the last. Aden tried to remember when Geoff had first come to the castle. Was it before the plan began?

It always felt like this when someone left employment with the royals. The boy always questioned if it were his doing, or if they simply chose to retire or fell ill. Most times it was the former. Aden had long ago stopped wondering what became of his old teachers and friends. Of course, holding on to the crown meant more than the lives of those who had made his childhood worthwhile. He forced himself to finish the plate save the meat and pushed the dish away. He picked up the glass of goat’s milk and chugged, it was a game of sorts. Could he finish faster than yesterday? He was on his third gulp…

“Aden!” Her voice could puncture any wall with its senseless shrill tone. Everything was an emergency these days.

The royal quite nearly choked as he set the milk down, still half finished. He would have to beat the record tomorrow.

“Yes mother?” The boy turned to face his parents, half scared that next they would ask him to juggle fire or learn to tame lions. After all, it was ‘for the good of the country’. He did his best to hide his urge to laugh.

“Aden, there has been a change of plans. For the first time in many years, our trading partner, Raiaera has called for aid. There is a forest on their land that they hope to make habitable. It would be in the best interests of the country if we sent warrior to help the cause.” His mother’s voice dropped toward the end and she very nearly let out a cry as she said the word ‘warrior’.”

“Mother, we have skilled warriors in every corner of the kingdom. Nethus and his crew were here for dinner just a fortnight ago. It has been decades since an attack on our soil. We can spare a few men to aid an ailing ally. Let’s not let this ruin a perfectly good day.”

His mother seemed at a loss for words and gave a knowing glance toward his father. The large man had so far held his tongue, but now stepped forward. “Aden, you must go.”

Reality hit the child like a ton of bricks. “You mean, I will leave the castle?”

“Aden, you will leave the country. The journey will take at least two fortnight, and that is if the wind is on your side. We know we are asking a lot of you, but it is for the good of the country.”

“Father, there are others far more versed in combat than I. What possible good could it do to send me halfway across the world?”

“Your mother and I have discussed this at length Aden. This will be the perfect opportunity to introduce you to the outside world. There have been whispers within the kingdom. While at first they were focused on your uncle’s sterility, now the attention has focused on you. It is more important than ever that we prove your place as rightful heir. It is also important that we choose our friends carefully.”

The boy rolled his eyes. Of course this would inevitably end in a conversation about Pietar. He sighed. “Fine, I’ll go on this adventure, but you will stop telling me who to befriend. I have followed your every order for these last nine years, but I will not be held prison in body and mind.”

His mother closed her eyes and the boy struggled to decide if it was a sign of joy or sadness. He had often wondered if his transformation were as difficult on her as anyone. Yes, she now had the opportunity to be mother of the king, but had she once dreampt of dressing her daughter for her wedding day?

His father finally spoke. He was a mountain of a man, all gruff and no grace. “We don’t trust his family, Aden. But yes, we will let the issue lie at least until your return.”

Aden smiled. Had he finally won even the smallest battle? “And when do I leave?

"Tomorrow at dawn."

[Ashla]

A baby, with such delicate skin and brown eyes, lay happily in the lap of her mother. A creaking wagon was the form of transportation for three passengers. As the sites and sounds of the almost dead elvish county rolled past, the baby's proud mother talked on and on.

"... And remember, Fireleaf likes his chicken juicy. He's been born wild you kno- Ooh! And did I mention Hanuh's carrots should be cooked? I thought I did, but-"

"- M'lady! Ashla, m'lady, dear!" The passenger next to her, a roughly forty year old man suited in a tuxedo interrupted, chuckling, "I already know everything you've told me. Hanuh eats soft, crushed, but not mushy carrots, Fireleaf has his share of chicken or fish, alongside a bowl of water, and Hanuh goes to bed at precisely eight-thirty. Hanuh has various bottles of warm milk, not to let that pesky feline have, and-"

"-Okay, okay, okay!" Ashla stopped him, "... I'm kinda nervous... my small group is actually doing something big.

The butler, Daisuke, smiled warmly. His young mistress, adopted to himself through loyalty to her group P.A.L.E., had grown to be a surprisingly diligent housekeeper. She had finally started the basics in solid cooking after she became pregnant with her daughter, Hanuh, who was in her lap. She also took experience from being the duchess of a small, now broken country, Eiskalt, and used newfound leadership and timing skills to make sure even her day to day life grew less hectic.

Despite her efforts though, things were bound to go wild again. The county P.A.L.E. was residing in, Raiaera, was finally getting its act together! The county was meant to be cleansed from the damages of the dreaded Corpse War at last. Ashla had hardly lived to see those days of terror, yet the decays of those long ago battles were still fresh in the air. It was her intention for P.A.L.E. to give this sick country a bit of a push along the way, two other members aside herself was on it. One of them, a boy named Alex, would be meeting her at a check point which wasn't far now.

Ashla looked down at her daughter, whom she loved dearly. "Hanuh," she whispered her concerns to her child, "How can I do this?"

Daisuke heard her, "You are a passionate leader, madame, and a violent warrior. I trust you will carry this out well."

Ashla scoffed, "I'm a member of a corrupt, dying family and a group that's been going nowhere."

Daisuke leaned over to her, caring like a father, "You are much more than that, and you know it. Your power in your bloodline grows daily. However, you care for the needs of others. You will surpass this." He took the sleeping Hanuh from Ashla's arms, "You will lead us well."

Ashla gave him a thankful smile, but still wondered how significant her actions really were. She turned away from her two companions, looking out into the rolling plains the wagon passed. It won't be long now...

[Andy Rorton]

The tension in the air could be cut with a butter knife. Everyone in the camps were on pins and needles in anticipation of what was to come. Apprentices hurried towards their destinations to carry out the various tasks their masters sent them on. There was an unnatural heat despite the cold winds that blew about, a direct result of so many bodies gathered in one area. To watch this historic moment as it began to unfold was a thing Andy Rorton dreamed of since he was a little boy.

This was his ‘Red Forest Moment’. This would be when he showed not just the people here, but the entire world of Althanas that he was more than just a pretty face and a smooth pick up line incarnate. He would earn his moniker of the Legend Killer today when he entered the Lindequalme infected forest, slew the Forgotten One known as Pode, and stood victorious among the people as their champion.

He stood outside of the crimson stained trees and listened as their enemy prepared a counter attack. He could hear bushes rustle in the distance and hear the sound of the Dur’Taigen wolves as they growled. Pode would wish them all dead before any of them got close to the source of her curse, while Andy Rorton would sooner see the former demi-god in a pool of her own blood at the end of his guns two smoking barrels.

One of the higher ups in the Raiaera elf hierarchy assigned him his team and to Rorton’s surprise, two of his three partners were people he encountered before. The third member of his party was a wild card. He knew little about Aden Sonriel, other than he was supposed to represent his country in some half-ass form of delegation. Just how many countries put their differences aside in order to accomplish the goal they set today?

The gunslinger’s attention was interrupted by the rumble of a wagon as it approached the camp. His eyes shifted and looked towards the carriage when it stopped, and none other than Princess Ashla Icebreaker stepped out of the caravan. A smile grew upon the lips of the legend killer as he recalled the girl’s tenacity in a bar brawl the two of them were in together. With her power and Rorton’s skill, they would be an unstoppable team in Pode’s demise; two important cogs in the machine that was Lindequalme’s purification.

“Well, that’s one,” Andy whispered to himself, “Now where are the other two…?”

[Pestarzt]

Since leaving Alerar and searching for some slight trace of his family, Alex had found a staunch friend in Jack Maghullahan. The old sailor had convinced the lad to travel on the ship he served on, and took it upon himself to teach the burn-out a few life lessons that only hard work and harder living could develop. Unfortunately for the kindly seamen, Alex took to the living like rats to a ship, and seemed even more blasé than usual when it came to the work. It came as a pleasant surprise when the lad told Jack he had taken up the cause for P.A.L.E., a small but fierce group of crusaders who sought out evil and misfortune at every opportunity and crushed it without hesitation. It came as a less pleasant surprise when he learned Alex needed help in P.A.L.E.’s latest endeavor.

“What kind of man grown can’t read a map?” The sailor held a frayed scroll in his thin, grizzled hands. Whether it was the morning breeze or his alcohol withdrawal, he couldn't seem to keep it completely still.

“The city kind,” Alex whispered. His trademark gas mask hung limply from his hip, but he clutched the crowbar with an uneasy fist.

Growing up in Alerar, propaganda about the misfortunes and missteps of the Raiaera were as common as miner’s lung. The Red Forest was always a gleeful favorite of the dark elven school marms, who taught some lesson on the hubris of their fairer skinned cousins. The woods were cursed from root to branch. Less a habitat and more a monument to the fall of the haughty spellsingers of the east, every corner of it seemed to breathe a chill down the lad’s spine. All around them stood silent, sickly sentinels; their limbs twisted in an unheard agony that seemed to seep into the ground in a bloated mire. Gnarled branches reached into an ashen sky and took on the apparition of veins feeding the blood-soaked leaves. ”Less a forest, more a mortuary.”

“Do you know who your team is?”

“Uh, they gave me a paper with some names, but I needed to roll a cigarette…” Alex trailed off, darting his head to the right when he heard a twig name in the distance. What muted trickle of light made it down played tricks with his weary eyes.

“You didn’t read it first?” Jack, as always, was incredulous at the boy’s depth of stupidity.

“I was really jonesing.” Even the songbirds had a perverse chorus that hinted at some derisive taunt, or approaching threat. The pair climbed over a fallen stump together, Alex helping the older man up over the felled kindling. “Ashla will be there.”

“The queen?”

“Nah, she’s like a countess or something is Eiskalt. Baroness, maybe?” He took a quick swig from the firewater the men shared between them. “Hell, petty king for all I know. We have the map, that’s all that matters. How much further?”

“Is she a dish?” Jack had a sudden twinkle in his eye, and he grinned that gapped toothed grin of his. Alex looked back, more puzzled than before. “You know, is she endowed! With big – “

“I’m going to stop you there. You’d have a chance with her when pigs f - “ The fleshy brush behind them stirred with a sudden furiously shake. From behind tall red leaves emerged a creature only vaguely resembling a boar, with a squeal that seemed to yank at every hair on the lad’s body. Parts of it still had chunks of matted brown fur, but a crimson moss had eaten away much of the body to the bone. Two great spiral tusks of wood jutted from its mouth, and it was hard to tell if the colorant with the perfidy of the forest or from some fresh kill. Its beady black eyes locked on to the vigilante, who quickly lowered jack to the other side of the fallen tree.

Alex barely had time to ready himself as the beast leapt at him.

[Embers of the Unchaste]

The first part of the long journey had been mostly uneventful. Each time Aden had thought of an adventure outside the castle walls without his parents, he'd dreamed of seeing airships and grand schemes to find treasure. The time on the ship was very little like a pirate novel, and very much like just another day in his own land. The child had begun to wonder if the fun would ever start.

The last few days had been a whirlwind. Since the ship docked, there were at least a dozens of occasions which left Aden wishing he’d payed more attention to his history texts. Simple references were lost on the boy and all he could do was make an awkward joke or two to hopefully hide his ignorance.

Even with the memories of these moments fresh in his mind, the information on his team, which had been carefully gathered to ensure his safety, sat still unread in his knapsack. No amount of schooling could prepare the boy for the horrors that apparently awaited him. The child stared at a group of clouds as they moved above the unnaturally hued forest. His thoughts were on home, and more specifically his friend Pietar.

“Are you sure you would not have us by your side until the lot of you rendezvous? “the familiar voice broke Aden’s already shaky concentration.

The boy squinted in the sunlight as he turned to face his three bodyguards, “And have them think me a spoiled prince? I think not.” He smiled playfully, “I can handle myself Arden.”

The mountain of a man laughed, “Spoiled you are, but none of sound mind would think you a prince. Be well, I’d rather not bring our heir back in a pine box.”

“As if I would be fortunate enough to escape my fate that easily.”

“Fates are a fickle thing, boy. Best not to test them. While I rue the day your pampered hide sits atop the throne, Redemecia needs you.”

The boy placed his hand over his heart in a mocking fashion, “Then I shall of course honor her wishes. Now begone the lot of you before the forest is cleared by the sap of your tirades.”

The carriage had no sooner left his sight than a commotion through the brush caught the boy’s attention. His soft hand moved towards the hilt of his sword as he approached the source of the chaos…

[Ashla]

The first thing Ashla heard when she stepped down from the wagon was the unmistakable sound of attack. She exchanged one glance with Daisuke and they both ran off towards the sounds of battle. Daisuke had given Hanuh to their wagon driver, Chatsworth, and were soon caught up with another member of their team. His name was Andy Rorton, the legend hunter.


Ashla had her misgivings on the gunman, but she'd have to hold those feelings back now. Somebody was in danger, and the screams let her know who...


Ashla was just able to see a hideous boar, obviously affected by the tainted forest, leap onto her warrior Alex. Ashla gasped, caring as ever for her fellow soldier, and whipped out her crosspistol Parvabow. She loaded and cranked her masterwork steel weapon and fired it at the boar. When a steel bolt flashed into its flesh, the boar turned its attention to the Icebreaker. Ashla loaded and cranked her handheld crossbow again, but Daisuke pulled in front of her. The elder, but far from weak butler pulled out an engraved, steel cutless. He probably pointed it towards the angry hog, far from health.


"Allow me, m'lady," Daisuke started, "You must not waste your energy so soon in combat."


Ashla rolled her eyes, looking at the man next to her. She hated standing back while others fought brutally. As leader of P.A.L.E. it was her responsibility to see her members were cared for. It was within the group's contract after all, that members were to look out for one another. Feeling a surge of irritation towards her overprotective butler, she took all her anger out on Rorton, whom she once again didn't like. "Well, if I can't do anything 'cause my royal guardian angel is present, move your hind end and do something!"

[Andy Rorton]

Andy Rorton looked to the girl for a moment, a scene now played out in his mind that ended with the gunslinger over the girl's corpse and six new holes within the chest of the pampered priss. As he started to withdraw his gun from its holster, he heard the sound of rustled bushes from the groups left side. The warrior turned, his weapon out in an instant, and pointed the pistol straight towards the sound of the noise. The man under attacked would be fine a few seconds longer while the legend killer took care of the immediate threat to his own well being.

Out from the bushes came a five foot, quite overweight man with glasses. Sweat poured down his balding head, what remained of his former brunette locks now matted to his face. The man gave labored breaths as though he were a big bad wolf. Rorton's gun instantly moved back to the boar, the barrel shifted around the form of Ashla Icebreaker's manservant in order to get a better shot at the beady eyes of his prey. "Goddamnit, RJ, you know you can't sneak up on me like that."

"Bah gawd, Rorton," RJ said between his heavy pants, "Ah have a family, you know. How dare you bring me out here in the middle of these nightmare woods you sick, sadistic son of a bitch." RJ grasped at his chest as though he were about to tear his heart out of his chest. "What skills do ah even have that you're interested in?"

"Commentary," Rorton commented as he fired his weapon towards the boar. At the same time, the man being mauled grabbed at his weapon, a crowbar of sorts, and ran it directly into the side of his attacker's head. A mist of crimson sprayed through the air as both steel and lead penetrated the skull of the creature, who let out a long death whine before it's mutated body fell limply to the ground. It's hind legs twitched and kicked as the rest of the beast lay lifeless upon the ground of Pode's cursed forest. The gunslinger walked over to the man and offered his hand, a sign of respect for the usually apathetic legend killer.

"Nice hit, Alex," Rorton said, a slight hope in his mind the gas mask wielding druggie would remember him from their bar brawl, "At least I have one person to count on." His eyes shifted to Ashla Icebreaker as he spit on the ground, "it's perfect that they put us in a forest of death with someone who can't even gut a pig."

"Bah Gawd.." RJ whispered, "Rorton already with those vicious verbal jabs."

[Pestarzt]

As the wild beast dragged him into a clearing, Alex felt the hard earth below beat against his back like a pounding drum. He gripped the wooden tusks of the creature with all the strength he could muster and tried to enjoy the ride. When the boar finally had stopped and pinned him to the ground, he struggled to stop the beast from goring him. His left hand weakened with each passing moment, while his right desperately searched for the wrought iron weapon. Voices were all around him, but the only sound he focused on was the thwong of a crossbow bolt and the screech of the creature. It bought him just enough respite to drive his crowbar into the animal’s head, in tandem with the splattering of the creature’s skull by hot lead. Alex, exhausted and covered in something else’s blood, managed to kick the writhing corpse off him, just in time to grab a familiar hand for help up.

The Pestarzt stood face to face with a man he remembered from that shitshow of a bar brawl back in Serenti. Andy Rorton, a name you couldn’t forget because he had a damned announcer; who stood in the clearing nearby, drenched in sweat. Rorton complimented him, but Alex eyed him for a bit, either warily or concussed, as the braggart slung insults at Ashla Icebreaker. The girl was flanked by her valet, who looked none too pleased that the royal had to suffer the indignity of the slight. A wagon stood nearby the pair, but Alex could hear the turning wheels of another on approach.

“Thanks,” said Alex with a breathless, dead voice. He’d forever remember Rorton as that bar brawl douche, but such skills would be invaluable in the deathtrap of the Red Forest. He nodded in Ashla’s direction before putting on his mask. No doubt he’d need use of the drug inside of it very soon. From behind the group came a rustling from the brush. The gunslinger aimed his firearm in reckless abandon, but Alex put his hand up just as quickly to stall it. His companion was still nearby, and sure enough Jack emerged from the overgrowth, quietly crouching. The sailor had a finger to his lips and a serious expression on his face; the meaning of which soon became all too clear.

A dreadful howl echoed around the forest, followed by the heavy hum of wings. Suddenly, darting creatures appeared in the air around them. They swerved and kept a distance, but a whole flock of them began to perch in the nearby trees. Nearly twelve in all, one thing managed to land just in the middle of the group. It was half a human’s size with the body of an ape. On its back were two fleshy, frayed, bat-like wings that seemed to drip with a viscous fluid. It had a neck nearly two feet long of woven roots and exposed vertebrae, ending in a simian face with more exposed skull than fur. It craned its fragile neck, twirling it about to gauge all assembled with black, beady eyes.

Alex took the opportunity to take a deep breath from his mask; the heated coils sent warm waves of harsh vapor into his lungs. As the forest around him became even more alive with movement, but he could feel surge of strength pulse through his muscles. Even with the illusionary activity, his focus was solely on these new, little monsters. A swift twist of his arm brought his crowbar’s tip into his hand, allowing the weapon maximum reach.

As the monster on the ground let out another sound, half a howl and half a laugh, he wasted no time in closing the distance. The beast’s kin up in the trees began to swoop down.

[Embers of the Unchaste]

Aden could only stand by as he watched the chaos unfold before he could make any difference in the fight. As a small body fell from the trees above the prince could not help but wonder if the man in the hat’s unmerciful ways knew no bounds. The lithe creature seemed harmless enough, at least until it sprouted leathery limbs from its back and released a shrill howl that would make most men drop to their knees. The youth’s eyes looked above from where the creature fell to find it’s brethren upon the branches with dutiful eyes upon the small party. They were observing, gauging reactions, thinking like people.

One of the beasts overhead began to move as its small frame brushed up against the the leaves of the oaks it skittered across. It took a long way around the circular ring it’s kin made in order to hang directly above the sweaty rotund man. Aden looked to the rest of the group and found none of them, not even the potential victim aware of the situation. The royal’s better nature got the better of him, and before his mind could catch up, he was upon the husky fellow, arms extended to shove him out of the way.

They both fell to the ground just as the beast decided to strike. It’s small body dropped to the floor, the strange liquid that seemed to drip from it’s form now a fine pool of emerald upon the ground. The creature laid limp for a few moments before it sprung back to life, it’s head still craned to the side as though a broken neck would not even stop it.

“Take heart!” Aden screamed, “The danger is not only here, but above us as well!” He grabbed the hilt of his sword and dived towards the small beast. The fragile thing screamed as its faced was ran through by the tip of the brunette boy’s blade. It howled before it fell to the ground and all at once, the leaves overhead began to shake about again.

[Ashla]

Ashla growled at Rorton, more annoyed than ever, but was then drawn to the dramatic introduction of a newcomer. His short hair and skinny body seemed little, however the way he drew his sword and attacked the beast proved what Ashla tried to over and over. Appearance isn't everything.

Despite the adrenaline rushes and desperate frustrations, Ashla smiled. She turned to Daisuke, who was still protecting her, and spoke in new authority, "I'm the leader of PALE, not you." She nudged her head towards the fresh boy, "Go help him."

For once, Daisuke did not try to negotiate with her. The alchemist ran over to help. Ashla then drew her damascus broadsword, "You want pig slaying? I'll give you more..." The Icebreaker formed a small knife, about the size of a banana, and poured her anger deep into it. The ice turned black, thick with poison, as Ashla raised it. She glanced briefly at one of the winged apes, eyes narrowing, as the cursed army marched out of the trees and across the red landscape. The cursed landscape... Ashla hoped she could help heal it.

For now though, she kept her mind in the game.

She threw it at the nearest monster and scored a hit. The half elf smirked, even if the poison of her soul caused lightheadedness, it was good enough. Ashla didn't reach her full speed, but she quickly came up to her victim and started to nimbly wound it with her favorite blade. This planet does not belong to these apes!

[Andy Rorton]

Rorton looked to the newcomer as he got the gunslinger's sidekick out of the way of imminent danger. He would have spoke thanks and praises to the young boy but the new miniature monstrosities seemed to have other ideas. They began their attack, the smaller members of the group the first to strike. The legend killer calmly withdrew his gun and aimed towards the air, his eyes just as cold and calculating as the apes above.

"Fodder," Rorton commented, "these things are sending in their weaker members to see how we'll react. We target the bigger one, and the rest just might run away with tails between their legs." His pistol slowly moved around the overhead shrubs in an attempt to find and execute the alpha of the pack before the entire team wound up mauled by monkeys. He took a deep breath and tried to focus, only for a green and black blur to knock the gun from the warrior's hand.

"These monkeys are becomin' a pain in our ass, Rorton!" Rj commented as he ducked under another quick flash, "They're using those bat wings to incapacitate us!"

"Goddamnit RJ, I could do without you stating the obvious!" Rorton grasped his hand, and saw a stream of blood flow between his index and ring fingers, a clear three claw mark across the back of his hand. He scowled as he grabbed for his whip, only to feel sharp talon like appendages drive into his shoulders. He could feel as they dug deep into his skin and tissue, and two more of the beasts joined their brothers and buried their natural weapons into his back, his trench coat as useful as paper against the creatures.

Before he knew it, Rorton was up in the air. He looked below to see his teammates quickly become separated from him, and the gunslinger quickly began to punch in every direction he could before the primapes flew high enough to send him towards a deadly fall. He could hear the beasts scream and hiss as his fists made contact, teeth driven into knuckles as the legend killer struggled against their flight. He quickly felt one beast release its prey, followed by the second upon his shoulders. Without the support of their kinsmen, the other two gave up on their path, and unlatched Andy from their grasp.

He fell a good fifteen feet before his body collided with the hard ground. His whole form ached as he managed to will himself back up. He was a few miles away from his group now, with a tired and battered body and no sense of direction to lead him back to his comrades. There was a painful tingle in his side. Most likely a broken rib...goddamnit.

He began to walk, a slight limp in his step as he tried to avoid pressure on his right ankle, which felt as though it were on fire. "And a sprain...fantastic..."

[Pestarzt]

The Chiropter-apes flung into the group with the full fury of their swarm. All around Alex, that monstrous creatures snapped and clawed at his companions with reckless abandon. But the Pestarzt no longer noticed the plight of his crew. Their shouts of encouragement, the daring deeds, and their selfless sacrifice faded into the background of the warm, pulsing feeling that engulfed his body. The scene was no longer a battle ground, but a highly focused spotlight on any of the beasts he could see in sight. Distance and time became immeasurable, or just too difficult to keep track of, so he leapt at the first two flying bastards he saw coming his way.

They attempted to latch on to his arms as he took swings at both of them. Though the succeeded and wrapping their slimy limbs around him, her caught each one around the throat. They twisted and squealed as he put the full force of his strength to try and strangle them, but the root and bone proved too hard to snap by hand. He looked for his crowbar, but grew too confused to find it in the fray. Fangs and claws of the Chiropter-apes tore into his hands, wrists, and forearms.

“Get your stinking paws off me!” It was hard to tell what had the more guttural, animalistic tone to it; the apes or the Pestarzt. With a might boiling over with rage and substance abuse, he swung his body around and used the creatures like two ugly maces, smashing them into the ground or knocking one of their near-flying brethren away. Their doll-like eyes glazed over from the force of his madness, and they each let out screams of terror to try and bring in more reinforcements to help their predicament.

Two more beasts flew down from the trees, bringing with them more noise and droplets of the snotty substance that dripped from the backs. They jumped one Alex’s chest and head, attempting to rip him open and pry his mask off at the same time. Their yells seemed to go on for miles, and right next to his ear, it almost made the clawing bearable by comparison.

“You’re squawking like a pink monkey bird…” Through gritted teeth, he threw himself to the ground and began to roll around and slam his fists like a child having a tantrum. The beast on his chest let loose one final yelp before going limp, crushed by his full weight. The two on his arm went flying back, stumbling when they tried to stand back up. As the last of the apes clung to his head, he charged straight into a nearby tree. A sickening crunch was heard, and it was hard to tell if the blood the trickled down was the beast’s, the corpse-plant’s, or Alex’s own. “...And I’m bustin’ out my brains for the world.”

[Embers of the Unchaste]

Leaves fell all around them as the groups new enemies darted from limb to limb. Within seconds, the one that seemed the strongest was taken away by the beasts. Aden was unsure whether to mourn for the loss, or be grateful that four of the monkeys became so preoccupied with the gunslinger's elimination. The chubby man beside the royal shouted some nonsense about how his friend had a family, but the youth tried to ignore him.

As he stood with sword drawn in the middle of these tree focused foes, an idea quickly sprang into his mind. The primates may been mutated animals, but they were still animals. His eyes darted towards the remainder of his hastily formed party. The hours of daylight were quickly waning upon them and there was no doubt in his mind that the smaller creatures would have a distinct advantage against them come nightfall. They had to stop the beasts, and fast.

"Attack the trees," Aden commanded, his sword pointed at the nearest crimson stained oak before him, "if we can destroy their haven, they will have to fight us on our terms!" As he finished the proclamation, one of the monstrosities swooped down, a five digit claw raked across the hopeful heir's stomach. Cloth and blood flew through the air and splattered upon the trees to add a different tinge of red to the color of the woods. The boy fell to a single knee as he looked up and instantly conjured an illusion amongst the group.

The image of Andy Rorton appeared before the group once more, his gun waved through the air as if it were a flag. In seconds, three of the chimps were upon the illusion, quick streaks that phased through the illusion yet could not understand why their attacks met with such folly. Aden gritted his teeth as he struggled to ignore the pain of the gash across his stomach. "Now get them while they're distracted!"

[Ashla]

Daisuke was right next to the prince. He nodded approvingly as the boy created a near perfect illusion and gave it clear instructions. "You have skill, sire. Much skill..." The butler then pulled out a veil filled with orange, bubbling liquid from under his vest. He knew exactly how to wait for and take orders, as well as maintaining a certain amount of dignity. "Sire," he started, "I have a potion that could assist the attack. Shall I?" Even while talking and firmly holding a small, glass bottle, his cutlass was tipped perfectly, ready to deal with anything that dare attack the prince, "Whatever you need I shall be by your side."


~~~

Ashla had her broadsword sheathed on her belt. Now, the Icebreaker held her twin butterfly swords. A speed fighter of skill, accuracy, and the energy of youth, she limited the usage of her bloodline to nothing as she swiftly dealt every sword stroke with precision. She was moving at her greatest speed, testing every bit of life in her body, as she slew as many apes as she possibly could. Her feet lifted from the red ground, collided with it for only a moment, jumped up again. She dodged, maneuvered, evaded... she used her feet as weapons even. The world around her was like a blur, and it was a wonder how she wasn't dizzy... yet...

She had to stop herself for a moment, almost collapsing when her dance abruptly ended, and glanced around for her team. Black hair hung over her face, eyes wide in the rush of battle. Daisuke was assisting the prince, as Ashla instructed. Rorton and his noisy sidekick were nowhere to be seen. Ashla noted her fellow P.A.L.E. member, Alex, and ran over to him. "Need any help?" The sweaty girl asked in a hoarsh voice. She had energy and endurance on her side, yet this battle was pushing it... she did understand that as a leader though, her warriors - her friends - came first.

[Andy Rorton]

The sounds of the Red Forest died down the further Rorton walked. The trees began to look the same tinge of red as he passed through the oaks, his trigger finger itchy for a fight. He looked back and forth and tried to determined which way chaos was, his hands upon his chin as he thought and walked. Lost in his thoughts, the legend killer quickly found himself on his rear end with a throbbing sensation in his face. He rubbed the side of his jaw as he stood and tried to see what attacked him.

The cobra attempted to take another step forward and quickly found that his foot had hit something. An eyebrow was raised as the mercenary reached out and placed his palm against the very air itself. "Cold..." Rorton said as he tapped against the barrier with a singular knuckle, "and...glass. What the hell is going on here?"

As he pondered the mystery, a loud explosion resounded overhead. Before the gunslinger could look up, a lightning bolt struck the ground just a few feet away from his form. The sudden appearance of the rainless storm caused the legend killer to jump back, his eyes wide from shock. Another crack echoed through the forest, and this time Andy Rorton did not need any more signs to tell him to get out of the area. He took off back in the direction where the monkeys left him mere minutes ago, the claps of thunder and flashes of nature's firebomb upon his heels. His speed was reduced dramatically due to the sprain in his right ankle. He hobbled as fast as he could back in the direction.

Something is odd, Rorton thought it's like the lightning is actually pushing me back to the group. Like it's not meant to actually hit me, but Pode wouldn't want me to find my way back....would she? This whole operation has went to hell from the first step. Why haven't we gotten reinforcements? And what the hell was that barrier? There's so many questions... His mind ranted in an attempt to keep the gun wielder's mind off of the intense burning sensation in his side and swelled throbbing of his sprain.

"Somebody better have some goddamn answers...." he grumbled as he continued to hastily hop back (unknowingly) towards his group.

[Pestarzt]

The blood loss was beginning to get to Alex. He could feel the warm liquid pool inside his mask as fresh gashes from his head butt poured onto his face. His arms and legs felt heavier and more sluggish, but the pain from the numerous bites and scratches had yet to reach his dulled mind. There was a lightness to his head, and that dull throbbing as fatigue set in. No doubt if he continued at his current pace he’d be on the ground within a few minutes. Yet he had no time to think on his health or the ramifications of it. The battle raged fiercely all around him. He could see the young noble take a swipe across the stomach, before he quickly countered with a bit of illusionary magic (or an acidic flashback) to make a now-absent Andy Rorton reappear. Ashla’s valet was at the boy’s side, but the leader of P.A.L.E. stood right next to Alex, offering him a hand.

“Ouvre le Chien, I’m fine.” A split lip brought the taste of bitter metal to his mouth as he tried to find some words to set the guildmaster at ease, but it was easy to tell he was having a hard time with it all. His words were slurred, and he wobbled with shipshape legs on an uneasy sea. The Keti kept him conscious for now, but his mind let out a constant drone to lull him into sleep. Perhaps if he laid down for just a few minutes, the concussion would kill him and he could awake refreshed in a couple of days. ”Seems like a solid plan,” He said out loud.

However, as his unwilling spirit and broken flesh began their descent into defeat, The Pestarzt’s nose picked up a whiff of something at a great distance. (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?28966-Round-1-Group-6&p=244621&viewfull=1#post244621) Through the blood and his mask, across the tree line, over hill, passed running rivers and gurgling brooks, the sounds of chaos, and the wicked creatures that dwelt in the dark, the vigilante could swear it caught that old familiar odor that brought back a flood of fine memories. His weary mind went ablaze like a gas leak near a lantern factory. ”That diggity dank…”

Renewed a bit, though not entirely all there, he turned to Ashla just in time to see to catch one of the little beasts fling itself at the pair. The girl was skilled at darting and weaving through combat, but Alex’s noticed that her constant need to care about the condition of her comrades left her open to attacks. With the struggling chiropter-ape in a vise-like grip, he swung it by its neck into the tree behind him. Cracks from the beast and groans from the tree repeated again and again as he continued to slam it into the ashen trunk. Splintered bits of both sprayed around the surrounding area.

“I’m attacking the tree,” he half-yelled to the young prince, who was busy with his own fight. “It doesn’t seem to be doing much.” The beast’s body fell clean off, and Alex was left with a detached chunk of spine and root to wield. “You have anything capable of chopping one of these down?”

[Embers of the Unchaste]

Their small foes retreated into the trees for some reprieve and started to resort only to their hit and run tactics. Aden swung his blade through the air as though he wished to swat away a housefly. Out of the corner of his eye, the youth could see the gunslinger start to regroup with the rest of their party. He was hopping about on his foot in a rush as though some other feral chased him back towards his allies. As the royal opened his mouth to speak, the one with the strange mask shouted a question towards the boy.

"I dont..." Aden said, but quickly turned to the newly reunited Rorton, "but he does! I need you to fire off your gun!"

"At what?!" the injured marksmen shouted as he kept one of his legs lifted up to avoid pressure, "Give me a target!"

"Anywhere!" Aden retorted, and without a moments hesitation, his ally obliged. The sound of the gun shot sent crows from their nests above, and in the brief moment where the bullet 'sparked' in the chamber of Rorton's pistol, the boy increased the size of the small quick fire flash. The muzzle of the six-shooter became a flame thrower of sorts, heat and smoke trailed back into the tiny insignificant hole. "The trees!"

The older man did not seemed stunned by the boy's abilities whatsoever, and quickly started aiming his weapon upwards towards the leaves. The brush was quick to catch and a fire started to engulf the home of the chimps. Sweat poured down Aden's forehead as he tucked his arm under his chest. He needed to hide the bandages that hid his true gender away from these people. The howls and shrieks of their simial adversaries as they dropped from their perches was music to the young man's ears, though now there was another threat before them.

"Bah Gawd, head for the hills!" The chubby man shouted as started to run off towards the north, where Aden's map was indicated the Raiaeran camp was. The gunslinger followed suit, then the would-be prince, then (as far as he knew) the others. The fire from Rorton's gun retracted now, Aden's uses with the weapon all but expended. He could hear the labored breaths of his allies as they tried to escape the inferno overhead.

They ran until RJ and Andy both stopped. The royal nearly ran the taller Rorton over in his haste to flee, but instead looked past the man to the four cloaked figures that stood in their way.

"Starting that fire was clever," one of the voices said in a high pitched voice, almost feminine, "too bad nobody will ever hear about it at camp."

[Ashla]

Ashla was almost ready to collapse she was so tired. Sweaty and bloodied, she looked on to see a group of elves walk in. They were royally dressed. At first, they looked like friends... but the looks on their faces said otherwise.

"Problem?" the Icebreaker asked.

One of the elves, a blond girl, laughed. "Stupid girl, you are the problem."

As much as she lacked self esteem, Ashla was proud. She was proud of her bloodline, proud of P.A.L.E., and proud of herself in a sense. She'd gained so much since Eiskalt, however little she thought about it, and she was proud. Her pride got the better of herself, causing her to get offended. "What?"

Another elf scoffed, "You are the leader of a group that could potentially become the strength of the Ixian Knights. Destructive, too destructive. We don't want that."

Once again, pride took ahold. She clenched her fist, taking a half step forward, "P.A.L.E. means no harm! We're trying to help you!"

Yet he already turned to the others, causing rage to run as red as the forest they stood in.

[Andy Rorton]

It all began to piece itself together the second that Rorton saw the cloaked figures before them. The glass-like case, the lightning, the fact that the group seemed to have no reprieve or rest since the group formed. It was all a ruse. Two of the founders of Pale, two members of royalty to countries that could one day pose a threat, and the one guy who can steal a bladesinger's power just by beating one inf a fight.

It quickly dawned on the legend killer that this whole thing was less about Pode and Lindqualme and more about Raiaera wishing to eliminate potential threats to their government. Of the four assassins that stood before him, Rorton noticed that two of them possesed items that indicated guns and whips. They not only planned to kill them there, but to pin the deaths on the gunslinger.

"Those bastards...those long eared bastards..." RJ whispered as Rorton glared at his announcer. He gave the chubby country boy a slight nod as he walked up behind both Aden and Ashla Icebreaker, his gun in hand. The barrel of the weapon whifted into his hand as he slammed it down against the heads of the royals. The blow sent the two heirs crumpling to the ground in an instant, a sadistic smirk upon Rorton's features as the cloaked elves looked at one another.

"You son of a bitch, Rorton!" RJ yelled, "That was a woman, and you dropped her like a sack full of Aleran bricks you snake in the grass son of a whore double crossin' so-and-so!" As he shouted, his hand shifted into his pocket and withdrew a small vial. His loud obnoxious voice drew the attention of the assassins, but their focus quickly went back to the legend killer.

"So...what kind of deal can we strike to spare me and Alex from this?" Rorton spread his arms out as though he were willing to give himself up now.

[Pestarzt]

Racing from the flames, Alex had little time to wonder why the blasted winged apes didn’t give chase to the group. They were wounded, bleeding, and ripe for the finisher; their pace through the forest had more the speed of a jaunty run than fleeing for their lives. Perhaps fortune smiled on them all to produce some straw man distraction for the flying monkeys. Whatever the case was, the vigilante found himself dragging Jack by the shirt color in the erupting blaze around them.

The dry, dead, grotesque trees burnt as if oil soaked. The Pestarzt’s mind raced from the danger, the blood lose, and the keti deep within his body. He was dizzy and feeling a bit sick. Jack felt heavy to pull with him, and he soon found his eyes had become more and more accustomed to being closed. When at last the choking smoke and searing heat were left behind, the group found itself smack in the middle of another standoff. A group of four elves of some such ill-repute stood in their way.

Rorton had that look of god damn plastered on his face like an ice cream billboard in a fat camp; distant, yet clearly seen. Ashla and the would-be assassins traded barbs about P.A.L.E., its intentions, and its eventual strength. The idea of the powergroup ever reaching the fabled heights of the Ixian Knights felt like more of a compliment than some veiled threat. Alex wondered why the leader didn’t take it as one. Their littlest member clutched his chest with some degree of tightness; had Alex not been confused-the-hell-out by current events, he might have been concerned for injury.

But as it stood, the vigilante had literally no idea what was going on. Perhaps he missed some great sign above everyone’s heads that explained motive and reason – hell, just some sort of synopsis would be nice. Blood poured faster from his body after the run. His heart kept him alive, and damned him to die a slow death without treatment. The drugs in his system caused his vision to flicker in and out. A strange twang caught his ear, cutting out dialogue spoken around him. He saw Andy knock out Ashla and Aden, perhaps attempting curry favor with the brigands, or maybe having worked with them all along. ”I don’t know… I’m too tired for all this.”

“Jack, I’m doing that thing I told you about. So, uh, get these dudes out of here safe.” He still had his crowbar firmly in hand, nodding at the sailor before brushing passed Rorton. He locked eyes with the brawler for a moment, before spinning around to flip him off with a bit of blood splatter. Alex’s body continued to feel woozier and less steady, the monkey bites and boar gorings had left him powerfully sleepy.

“And who are you, to just – “

“Shut up, and get bent.” He pointed his crowbar square into a female assassin’s face. Her eyes were so snake-like that Alex swore he saw her tongue flick out.

“What did you –“

“Get bent. Then, get out of our way.” The keti inside him caused a powerful anger and energy he just couldn’t control. Though his body was beginning to betray him, he still tapped into that boundless hate within.

“You’ll eat those words.” She raised a thin, pointed sword in some sort of dance-infused fighter’s pose. Alex was sure it was lethal, but damned if it didn’t look silly.

“You don’t eat, when you’ve lived too long. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jg4ekLG9Zo)” The last words were a whisper as he leapt up into the air in one last bolt of fire he felt within. There was not style to it, just rough, long limbs swinging in a wild arc towards her head. It connected with a sickening crack as she went down, her skull a collection of puzzle pieces oozing out. The three other elves were on him quickly, but this was all part of the Pestarzt’s masterstroke plan. The first sword he took to the shoulder, the second to the gut, and the third to the throat. He managed to grab all three weapons, dragging the heap of them to the ground with his crumpled body.

“Any…time…fella’s,” less than famous last words.

[Embers of the Unchaste]

A smell much like ammonia roused Aden from his slumber. His eyes slowly opened to see the rotund assistant to Andy Rorton with an open vial in his hand. The heir apparent rubbed his eyes as he began to push himself up from the ground. The husky fellow used the same product upon Ashla as well, who twisted and turned while Aden watched Alex's noble sacrifice. His eyes widened as he reached for his blade only for an unfamiliar hand to grab his wrist.

"Get him out of here," Andy Rorton said as he cocked his pistol and took aim. With a single motion, the grey matter to one of the disarmed elves found itself splattered across the wood of the tainted oaks. The two remaining elves turned to Rorton and Aden and charged. Their speed allowed the Raiaerans upon the warriors in a fraction of a second. Aden stumbled backwards but the gunslinger seemed ready for the assault.

A quick snap like sound and the face of the elf upon Rorton was marked with a thick red streak. The elf's face turned back and before he could counter attack, Aden's sword was withdrawn and skewered the assassin. The boy's heart began to race at the sight of his sword sticking out of the limp elf's back. The young prince-to-be never slain any humanoid before, and even though this was in self defense, he still felt as though he were going to throw up.

"Goddamnit kid, I said get Alex and get out of here!" a fist slammed hard into the side of the young boy and knocked him away from the last would be killer. He nodded and ran over towards Alex. He bent down and tried to hoist the larger man over his shoulder only to find his own strength wanting. It wasn't until two more pairs of hands grabbed the potential corpse of the drug user that finally saw the body over the royal's shoulder. Ashla and RJ each held onto the man's legs and Aden merely gave a nod and began to run. He could hear footsteps run behind them and assumed they belonged to the butler and the sailor. He turned his head just in time to see Rorton give a wink and aim his gun at the last remaining elf.

"Don't let them forget the Kingslayer, Andy Rorton!" he howeled into the Red Forest followed by a singular gunshot...

[Max Dirks]

This was an interesting quest, though it seemed some of you lost interest at the end. Raiaerian officials being behind the attacks was certainly an unexpected twist, though it was written in a somewhat abrupt manner. Storywise, you were right at average here. You moved along briskly with an appropriate amount of description, but there appeared to be some conflicts in setting. For example, it was my understanding based on Rorton's original post that the boar attack on Alex occurred in or near camp. Though Rorton did run off at one point to find an alpha monkey, it didn't appear that you guys strayed too far from your starting point during the battle. Thus, it didn't make sense as to why Aden checked the map in post 18.

In terms of character, your strength was communication. You established early that most of your characters had interacted with each other previously, then proceeded appropriately. I was skeptical of Pestarzt's nose for weed, but in hindsight, it was a rather simple way to connect two parallel storylines. At first, it was somewhat difficult to distinguish between your NPCs because each individual writer would refer to them as different pronouns, but eventually I figured it out. Action and Persona were the biggest misses in this quest. In terms of action, sometimes you didn't catch each other's moves. For example, one post from Embers, written in what appeared to be active time, had Rorton waiving his gun like a flag, but Rorton had already excused himself to go chase down an Alpha. There were also some unrealistic responses to things that happened. For example, Rorton jumped back from the lightning surrounding the elven barrier with a sprained ankle. It felt totally unrealistic that he would be able to do that without mention of pain, but would hurt while he hobbled back to the group. NPCs also became somewhat of a distraction. The story could have advanced in the same manner without them. In terms of persona, there wasn't much character growth. What was available, particularly from Rorton, was somewhat contradictory. For example, it seemed highly unlikely that after dispatching boars, monkeys and the nobles that Rorton would be so quick to bargain with the assassins. You guys ended up killing them off easily enough in the conclusion.

Writing was average. There were a number of misspelled or misplaced words, particularly from Pestarzt (that may be attributed to drug use of the writer, but not the character ;)). There were also unnecessary commas added in places. Run-ons were rampant, particularly from BGOS and Rorton. A final read through of your writing (out loud at a moderate speed) prior to posting would likely have eliminated all of these errors. Writing techniques were fine. There were a number of similes and metaphors used. Rorton did hand the "twist" of the thread over in a silver platter, but that may have been done due to time constraints. Giving the reader more time to discover the twist on their own would have helped you in every instance. Clarity was fine, only brought down by places where I had to read twice due to setting conflicts, action conflicts and poor spelling or grammar.

Judgment Group 11 (BlueGhostofSeaside, Pestartz, Andy Rorton and Embers of the Unchaste)

Story - 5
Setting - 5
Pacing - 5
Communication - 6
Action - 4
Persona - 4
Mechanics - 5
Technique - 5
Clarity - 5
Wildcard - 5

Total 49/100

BlueGhostofSeaside receives 523 EXP and 49 GP
Pestartz receives 360 EXP and 49 GP
Andy Rorton receives 392 EXP and 49 GP
Embers of the Unchaste receives 431 EXP and 59 GP

[Lye]

EXP & GP Added!