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Group 9
Liliana Ambria - Liliana Ambria
Captain Blake Andrews - In the Vastness of Stars
Resolve Curie - Resolve
Abrinano Ticherra Voscinato - Opposites
Resolve groaned, stretched, and sighed from what seemed to be awakening after a very restful nap. She could've laid there several more moments but a deep chill that radiated from the surface beneath her was chilling her to the very core, her skin prickled and dusted with sand. Did I fall asleep in Moody's basement again? She opened her eyes. Oh.
The sky was bright but overcast, diffused rays falling through heavy gray clouds to illuminate a foreign landscape. Resolve squinted as her eyes adjusted and observed that she, along with a few others, was on a frosty beach that stretched wide on either side, the sea behind her, a dense evergreen forest ahead. Patches of white snow and ice spotted the ground which was resident to a peculiar red sand that radiated in vibrant contrast, stained the color of rust from unusually high levels of iron.
Peeling herself off the frigid ground, Resolve immediately regretted her choice of clothing for the tournament. She'd donned her habitual modified sari, a long strip of richly woven red cloth that wrapped around her waist and was pinned over her shoulder on one side. Its short length was optimal for free movement, but not particularly warm. Her other shoulder might as well have been bare even with her thin short-sleeved choli and she could feel the bite of salt-and-pine-scented wind on her skin, causing her to shiver as she staggered to her feet to get a better look around. At least her boots were sturdy with treads that would work well on ice, but the black leggings that covered her legs weren't helping much against the breeze.
Resolve pulled the trailing end of her sari around her shoulders and neck and looked to her apparent team mates with some semblance of humor, smiling through clenched teeth. She didn't know any of them... that was either a curse or a blessing, and she was about to find out which.
"Better'n a desert, no?"
One couldn't see from the shape of the island from their position, but it was a narrow strip of land which formed a forested ring around a secondary, inner body of fresh water originated from some unseen spring. Over that half-frozen obstacle was another smaller island, their ultimate destination.
Abrinano awoke as the magic wore off him and his body felt the cold snow beneath him. Why they weren't placed in a cabin is unknown but it didn't matter. it just made things harder. Abrinano looked around and noticed that only one of his teammates was up. He looked at her and said, "Good evening disgusting old hag, My name is not Abrinano Ticherra Voscinato. Who might you not be?" He of course meant the exact opposite of what he said, but she didn't know that, unless she was caught up on famous chefs.
Both of them, my team mates that is, both of them thought I was asleep. They thought that I hadn’t woken up yet for one reason or another. Maybe they thought I was more prone to magic spells, or maybe they thought I was just lazy. Either way, they would have been wrong. In all reality, I had woken up around the same time as the girl. I just lacked the same motivation that she had to get up. Sure, the snowy, sandy ground would be cold to most people, but most people also did not have access to a S.T.A.R. Sword.
Thanks to the varying radioactive waves my blade produced (anybody boarding an Imperial Galactic Ship is required to have a Radioactivity Immunity Level of 5.0 or higher), I found my body to be just as cozy as a child under a heavy comforter. In this relaxed stupor, I spent my time looking above at the various clouds while the girl surveyed the area. I soon heard my other team mate speak, although he did so in riddles. I closed my eyes and shook my head, a smile creeping across my features.
“Captain Blake Andrews,” I said, still not budging from my lying down position, “I can assume you guys signed up for this whole Adventurer’s Crown mess as well? Guess that makes you people my team mates.” I sat up, bending my legs and wrapping my arms around them, my eyes still transfixed to the sky. I had not been on Althanas long, but I made it a top priority to familiarize myself with their star system. While normally my recommendation would involve waiting till nightfall so I could pinpoint where we were exactly, I felt that we had to get Abrinano somewhere warm.
After all, be it from the radioactivity of my S.T.A.R. Sword, or maybe just too much exposure to the element, this man was obviously suffering from some sort of mental disorder. Perhaps a warm fire and cup of hot chocolate would get him back into his right mind set. I finally stood, scratching the back of my head as I smiled to my team mates.
“I think it best if I went exploring a little. Maybe I can find some shelter in case we’re out here for a while,” I motioned my hands in a ‘Calm Down’ like motion to soothe the possible outbursts that might come from such a suggestion. “Don’t worry, I’ll be back soon, I’m just walking around. Grasping a feel for our surroundings.” I began to walk past my comrades, thinking of how odd it was that I would volunteer myself for such a task. A typical IGS Captain was trained to make sure his crew took the unnecessary risks before himself. Guess I wasn’t a typical IGS Captain.
I closed my eyes as I walked, humming an unfamiliar tune in my head.
The first other team mate to physically rise was an extremely large man who called her a disgusting old hag. Resolve wasn't quite sure where that came from or why he had such a bizarre manner of speech, but she hoped it wouldn't ruin their future discourse. She blinked a few times in a baffled sort of way, glanced over to the second rising man, and then answered with her own introduction. "I'm Resolve." She didn't have a fancy title like the Cap'n or elaborate name like Mr. Not-Abrinano, so she figured keeping it simple would be for the best.
Resolve wedged her hands under her arms and hopped in one place for a moment, feeling the warm clouds of condensed breath hit her frozen nose. When Blake announced he was to go exploring she figured that would be a decent idea, even if for the simple purpose of getting moving and finding comfort that way. "I'll take a look around, as well. I'll stay within hollering distance."
With that the girl trotted off, beelining for the woods. It was a dense place, the path made perilous by tangled roots that rose as high as her knees and fell into valleys with nooks that would be delightfully efficient at tripping and twisting ankles. Not much grew in this arctic place, the flora much limited to ancient-looking evergreens and the dried skeletons of underbrush that clawed like little hands at her legs as she trudged around. Wildlife seemed sparse, as she didn't notice much for tracks or signs of animal life at this point.
There were pros and cons to this circumstance. The air was dry and there were plenty of fallen branches; fire would be a cinch. Snow and ice were available for drinking water, if one of them had a vessel or knew how to fashion one. The plentiful amount of brush, leafless or not, would make it manageable to build a shelter if snow came… but food might be an issue. Actually, aside staying warm it was the biggest issue, and Resolve had no clue how long it would take them to reach their goal.
At least it was beautiful here, in a strange, uncomfortable sort of way. The soil was dark red in muddy patches under the snow and ice and that was oddly exotic. The dark green of the needles on the trees, the rich browns and contrasting speckled whites of their trunks… oh. Were those white birch?
Resolve tore a chunk of the paper-like bark off a nearby tree and wedged it into her belt, just in case. Maybe she should write her will on it, just in case.
After all, this walk was giving Resolve an opportunity to think strategy, as well. She was a social creature and always up for some good old team work, but not everyone else was inclined to those sorts of things. She'd have to be careful. Maybe there was a serial killer on their team. Hm...
Once she'd navigated a decent amount of area and didn't find much else of interest, she considered turning back. That was when Resolve, nearly literally, stumbled upon a stream. She'd stepped on a bubble of ice and it cracked and shattered glass-like away into the shallow edge of some moving water. Most of it appeared to be frozen over quite solidly, but still she followed it back toward the beach and appeared in the clearing not far from her original position, the others appearing as large insects orienting themselves on the rusty sand in the distance. Oddly enough it appeared that the water, surface unfrozen once it hit the salty tidal line, was running toward the ocean instead of away from it. She felt that was worth noting. She also realized that ice fishing might be a reasonable way to find something to eat.
"Hey," Resolve shouted to the others as she jogged down the beach, feeling energized at the warmth that coursed through her muscles as she pushed herself to go faster. The thin air hurt her gasping lungs, but she didn't care. "I found a stream! Should we follow it?"
"Everyone, hold up!" The words rang with a clarity as a brunette carefully peeled herself from the beach. the grains of sand poured from her clothing quickly at first before falling in a dwindling trickle that marked the hardest part of getting clean, finding where the last of the sand was. All she knew was one moment she had been preparing for this little journey and the next she was here, with half her equipment left behind with her husband. The irritation at that small fact left nothing to be said as she muttered a prayer of patience to Uriel, before she dusted off the sand from her clothes.
Looking around the area Liliana Ambria realized all to well that this was not too different an experience than Seth had experienced when he went after Letho. If that was the case, she did not wish to repeat the experience as she moved down the beach towards the people rushing towards the edges of the jungle shouting out their discoveries. A hand clenched in a fist as she realized her work was cut out for her before she carefully looked at what gear she did have. Her sword was with her, but the shield hadn't been packed yet and so it was left behind.
So was half the clothes she had intended to bring. Seth had told her to pack light, and now she knew why. Because she had planned on taking more, now she was shield less, probably only given to a few changes of clothes, and a few accoutrements. Not to forget to mention that Meredith was probably crying from the magic that suddenly stole the woman who had been feeding and caring for her. Seth was a patient man with the kid, but he didn't know Meredith's habits yet, and she had hoped to instruct him on them one last time before she left.
Looking up at the sandy sky she muttered softly, "Thank the gods that at least its not raining..." Thunder loomed on the horizon as Liliana looked out over the waves and shook her head muttering about her luck as she looked to the others. There was a rather obese man who was trundling about the area, trying to remain inconspicuous from the looks of things. A gentleman had just ran off into the jungle leaving her to look down the beach where another woman was yelling about a river. A sigh left Liliana's lips before she carefully tucked her scabbard in her satchel and moved down the beach, tying her hair back into a ponytail to prepare for whatever had happened and looked upon the small stream kneeling down to sip at the water before she sighed...
"Fresh water, that means creatures will be drinking from it, and predators will be using it for a hunting ground. I wouldn't follow this, we'd be up to our waists in no time and that's if there is anywhere to go following it. For all we know we'd be wasting time, better to find a game trail and follow that towards the inner island. We should pool our resources together for now and see where that leads us. We might have something we weren't expecting if we work together for now," Her voice held an authoritative tone that she loathed using. Everyone was running around no one was taking charge and so the brunette was going to step up. Power in this fashion was almost an indulgence for the priestess of the God of Power, and she hated having to take it in so blatant a fashion.
It felt like bullying and mothering at the same time. Memories of her daughter Samantha's upbringing ran rampant through her head before her fist clenched tighter on her bag and her brow furrowed, banishing the saddening thoughts. The parallels were there, it was only a matter of time before she would see them. She half expected to hear Seth's voice, joking about the predicament before they would go off, but she knew the truth.
She had joined this tournament to prove she didn't need to hide in Seth's shadow, and true to the promises of this ill fated event, she was proving that slowly but surely. Looking at the only other Rational person she sighed and lowered herself to a knew filling a water skin before she spoke, "Lets stock up on water and go looking for that game trail soon, storm on the horizon and I don't feel like being carried on a riptide out to sea."
She never thought she would be thankful for having grown up in Berevar, where a chill like this was nothing more than an average spring day.
"I disagree, we shouldn't fill up on water. After all it is as unimportant as the water in the ocean, And I don't mean that." Abrinano said with a smile then walked over to the stream and filled a giant container that was on his back with water. Then a large bottle as well. "Also the predators will not be checking this stream constantly. So, lets not head away from the stream and towards those open plains," he said pointing towards the forest. "We shouldn't also find food there since I'm not hungry," he said with tears in his eyes.
“Wow…this is awkward,” I said to nobody in particular as I looked up towards the sky. There still didn’t seem to be any indication of stars that I could correlate with a location. Was Night ever going to come? Worse yet, I found myself not lost in the dense shrubbery of the jungle just a mile or so beyond where I had first woken up. I began to reconsider my first assessment, thinking that maybe I should have stayed with the group that was probably far more educated of the world I had just arrived on than I was.
I reached to my side, withdrawing what appeared to be a simple sword hilt to the common eye. I looked to the object, smiling to myself as I spoke. “S.T.A.R. Sword, activate!” I commanded, as a large beam of blueish-green light propped itself out from the hilt. I traveled further into the jungle, occasionally finding myself hindered by weeds or other greenery. Such things were no problem as I hacked away at the vegetation with my weapon. With my free hand I began to wipe beads of sweat from my forehead.
If it had been snowing not far from this jungle, why did it feel so humid? Was I really sweating from exertion that much? I made a note to exercise more often when I returned to Alerar from this tournament. I took a deep breath, closing my eyes for a moment and trying to take in the surroundings. As I tried to focus on the sounds of the area, I found myself caught up in the unfamiliar tune I had been humming to myself as I left my group. It was odd; I didn’t know the song, or even the lyrics, but the tune seemed to be hardwired into my brain.
I opened my eyes and the song vanished from my head. I shook my head, trying to relieve myself of the drunken stupor the song had put me in, and push forward. My efforts paid off, as I soon found myself outside of the jungle. Unfortunately, I had no idea how to get back to my party and inform them as to what I was now seeing.
It was a lake, but one that seemed to be frozen over. Keep in mind I did not want to determine how frozen the icy ground was at the moment, but the solid water seemed to completely surround a single island in the middle. Normally, a boat would be required to reach such things, but since I didn’t have that luxury, walking across the blue sheets of possible death in front of me seemed to be the only option.
I stood there for a moment, my back to the jungle canopy. My eyes shifted over to my weapon. There was no way I would be able to cross the ice in time with my S.T.A.R. Sword; the weapon would melt the ice with its radioactivity faster than I could run. I closed my eyes for a moment, asking myself whether it would be better to leave my only usable weapon here, or simply wait for my team members to find me, if they found me.
I opened my eyes and looked back to the island, raising my eyebrows at what I thought was a new sight. Something blue, almost human in shape was in the distance, though I couldn’t make out any specifics. I waved towards the figure, hoping for non-hostiles. “Hello! Can you tell me where I am?!”
There was nothing but silence as a response. I let out a deep sigh of frustration. “Great, stuck on a team with a mentally disabled member, and now trying to have a shouting contest with a mute. Could my life get any worse?”
If I only knew then what I know now.
Resolve did, indeed, wait up as Liliana summoned her command voice. She wasn't particularly good at following instructions but she was always open to those who may have better ideas than her, and it seemed this woman –– about her age, and almost her size –– had enough life experience to take charge of the situation. Resolve wasn't exactly a follower, but the thought of being eaten alive by beasts wasn't the most inviting, so she simmered down.
Figuring she should hydrate herself while they convened, Resolve tapped into her stores of energy to craft a cup in her right hand. It appeared almost to be liquid glass as it sprang to life in her palm, distorted and warped but apparently solid as it held water from the stream just fine. She took a long drought to empty it and then the vessel vanished, much of the energy reabsorbed. She mentally reminded herself to be careful, this skill wasn't just some party trick here like it was back home; being careless and expending too much energy might be the difference between her making it to their destination and falling behind to whatever obstacles laid in their path.
"I didn't see any signs of animal life, human or non, just now," Resolve explained to Liliana as the other young woman filled up on water. "I'm not so sure if a game trail will crop up. Come to think of it, that's a bit alarming… how deserted is this place? But I do agree we should get out of range if there's a storm abrewin'. Need help carrying anything?" She'd understand if a stranger wasn't trusted with her belongings, no offense taken, but since she didn't have much of a load outside her clothing and her sword and the other small things strapped on her belt, she figured she should offer. "I don't think I caught your name, by the way. I'm Resolve." With a fatally optimistic flash of white teeth she smiled in greeting, then glanced to the goliath that was Abrinano. "Shall we? The Captain doesn't seem to be on his way back, not sure if he's worth waiting for." She would've regarded the giant's mention of food and such with more attention, but she still wasn't sure what to make of that manner of speech. Maybe there was something wrong with him... but if they ran into any beasts, she'd be glad to have his company.
The spirited girl kept a brisk pace as they entered the forest together, not to outrun her team mates, but to keep warm. She almost could have looped circles around them as she explored possible nodes of interest within the dense clusters of trees, but always deferred back to the others for decisions on direction. Liliana seemed to have some idea of what she was doing and Resolve was fine with going along with that, at least for now.
Then a voice called out, audible from ahead through the trees. The words were muffled by distance, but the voice was almost recognizable. "Is that… Blake? Did he find someone?" She looked to Liliana and Abrinano for their reactions before running on in as she was so suicidally tempted.
Abrinano did indeed hear Blake call and started running hoping to get food, he plowed a tree down and still stayed at a pace of 15 mph. As he ran he made a trail for the others to follow. He finally reached Blake who was standing at the edge of a frozen lake. On the lake looked like a motionless statue. He sat down and cried, "I wasn't hoping for food." He then looked down at his stomach which growled. "I'm not hungry."
I continued to try and make out the image in the distance, my curiosity having the better of me at this point. I took a step forward, only to stop when I heard the crackling of ice from beneath my feet. I looked down at the spider web-like break below me. Carefully, I removed my boot from the not-so-frozen water and back onto the solid land. It was about that time that I heard my name.
I turned, a smile beamed upon my face as I looked at my tam mates, waving towards them. I pointed in the direction of the figure I had just seen, turning my own head to look at it now. I could now make out that the thing was decidedly blue, almost clear. Furthermore, my eyes must have been acting funny earlier, because the figure was now well past the island, on the ice itself. I bit my lower lip, trying to trace a decent path from us to the mystery person.
After all, if they could stand on the ice, than surely most of us could as well. “Hello! Are you well?!” I called out to the person again, still warranting no response. I blinked for a moment, opening my eyes to find that I could now see the thing even better. It was a statue, an ice sculpture of a beautiful woman in a long dress. She had hair flowing down to her shoulders, and the details of her skin were so perfect, one could actually think she was alive.
I stepped forward again, not realizing the folly of my ways until I felt the icy chill of the water soak my foot. I looked down at the sudden cold and removed my boot once more, looking back up to the statue. I could see that the eyes had been chiseled so well that they looked real. The sculptor of this masterpiece must have been absolutely skilled in his craft, for I had never seen anything so beautiful and creepy at the same time.
“You guys got to come over here!” I exclaimed to my team mates, my eyes still on the art work, “This thing is incredible!”
Following the trail that Abrinano's wrecking ball of a figure had steamrolled through the remaining forest, Resolve soon found herself at a clearing in the forest. More than a clearing, actually; from this vantage point she could see that the woods formed a circular strip around an inner lake, wide and open, a necklace of dusty green settled over a mirror-like ring of ice almost a half mile deep. It was its reflective quality that concerned Resolve, as without texture from weathering it would be slippery and even more precarious to cross in order to reach the small snow-dusted island in the center.
Their wayward team mate seemed to be doing just fine, the Captain hollering for them to come observe a strange figure that had appeared on the ice. Now that Resolve was paying attention to it she realized her initial scan of the landscape had placed it in a different position, as if it had moved when she wasn't looking.
Resolve approached Blake, keeping her eyes on the statue. It was, indeed, beautiful, but its presence was an ominous threat as its blue, glasslike figure perched on the ice, stormy gray clouds from above reflected as if she was rising from the depths of someplace Resolve never wanted to go. Having a sixth sense was handy sometimes, and something in the pit of her stomach was telling her this situation was about to go wrong.
It wasn't until Resolve went to speak that she realized she'd been humming, the tune unrecognizable from memory. That only added to her caution.
"It's alive," she managed to croak out, addressing her team mates. "What the hell is it?"
Simply out of habit she looked to the others as she spoke to them, but that was enough to allow the situation to worsen. A second figure was now standing out on the ice, a distance away, but equally beautiful and menacing. Giving into the encroaching sense of impending doom, Resolve began to panic. She was going to die here and that was a pretty upsetting prospect. She had things to do, places to see, people to flirt with––
She blinked a little longer than usual as her could-be life flashed before her eyes and the second figure got a few steps closer, its pose different now as it crept forward. It was like a game of red light, green light, except you die at the end.
"Keep your eyes on them," she gasped, trying to suppress the urge to hyperventilate. "Don't look away. We might be able to get around them." She attempted to step forward with her gaze fixed on the villainous sculptures, whatever they were, but the ice cracked under her boot just as it had with Blake. They'd need to find a sturdier place to cross, but that would require looking away.
Abrinano instantly looked up upon hearing about A living statue. The women out on the ice surely were beautiful, so beautiful in fact that Abrinano intently started to walk out onto the ice. Unlike the others however the ice under his feet stood. Even with Abrinano's weight. He kept on going waking on ice that was frozen to the lake bed. Abrinano had found the path created by the creatures to get to the island. The only things was that they had to go right past the the ice maidens to get to the other side. Abrinano wasn't really minding about that as he started to hum the same song as the others. In fact, everyone in the group started humming again. The song was soothing and mystical. As Abrinano got closer however he started to sing as if he had known the song all his life. His voice was ultra bass but he could still sing.
The beauty of the lovely ones
Is the death of those who love.
Every girl you want to meet.
Uses you as a seat.
Many have come to us to die.
Yet another fro m the sky.
Sing with us till they come.
Now rest under the sun.
Abrinano continued to sing the song as he got closer to the statues but another came up and started to walk towards him. It was in his blind spot and the others were watching the two in front of him. He continued walking and singing till he was almost to the other two statues. Suddenly his foot landed on a shallow piece of ice which broke due to his weight he fell into the water and was grabbed around the body by many more of these ice maidens who were Arctic Sirens.
Their portly friend seemed entranced with the woman of ice before him, and even without reaching out with her senses Liliana was sure this was bad news. Too many demons had used alluring disguises to ensnare mortal snacks or slaves, sins of the flesh coming as easily to them as breathing. It was one of the few things she retained from her time as a demon hunter, a healthy dose of jaded response to anything to beautiful to be true, because it was.
However when she realized it had her humming some kind of tune her eyes snapped to the man who was already walking the path. Liliana immediately grabbed for the man and hoped to pull him back before he took the first step on the ice, with a failed snatch her words echoed hollowly, "Stay back from them you twit!"
She stumbled a step stepping out onto the ice heavily and let out a frustrated scream before she hit solid ice and frowned looking down. The ice was a solid white here unlike other places where the darker hue of the lakebed could be spotted if on looked deep enough. Her eyes followed the trail behind the feet of the food tester when the Seraph realized that the Siren was drawing him off the path. Looking back at the younger woman she gestured at the Sirens, "Keep your eye on the bitch and give her a present, anything to keep her busy, that idiot is going to step off the ice path!"
Rushing down the path she saw the tester take his first step off the path of pure white and sink into the cold. She gritted her teeth as she muttered an old prayer, long forgotten until this very moment, "Kal Ylem." Inky darkness pulled itself from the shadows about the area forming into a solid rod of power. With a casual swing, Liliana saw the occasional spar with Hoturi had not been unkind to her abilities with the rod as it swept out in a wide arc forcing back a few of the statues. Before reaching the hole she stabbed the staff down using it as a breaking system and stopping her from following him right into his hole.
One of the Sirens made the mistake of reaching out to her before her hand reached forth and gently brushed against the ice statue, "Ort."
Perhaps it was instinct, perhaps it was luck, but the word of banishing found something to grasp. It was a tenuous grip, but it did fling the statue back bodily skidding across the ice as Liliana carefully pulled the staff out of the water. Seeing the flailing body of the food tester she was pleased to see panic had overcome libido in a sick reassertion of priorities. Sex didn't matter if you didn't live to enjoy it.
That was a sobering thought.
Liliana ignored her own racing mind as she reached the staff into the water in an effort to give the man something the grip. With a cackle of glee she carefully pulled the staff to the edge of the ice path before she pushed with all her might, and was rewarded with the man slowly coming towards the surface...
...too slowly.
Looking back to shore Liliana focused on the other girl before she gestured her over and resumed the effort and shouted, "Come on, I need more weight to counterbalance his fat!"
No sooner than Resolve withdrew her foot from the ice did Abrinano begin his journey onto the frozen lake, his lumbering body finding sure footing on the fragile glass. It was either magic, his body was made of air, or he'd coincidentally happened upon a solid path that could mean a successful crossing for the rest of them. She hoped it was the latter.
The girl edged her way over to where he'd initiated his crossing, cautious to keep her eyes on the sirens that were steadily creeping closer, and had taken a mere two steps forward onto an invisible stepping stone when her sigh of relief was interrupted by the deep groan of cracking ice and a subsequent splash. That was all it took for her to lose concentration on keeping the approaching statues stationary and her eyes whipped over to lock on Abrinano's struggling figure, floundering in the icy water as blue hands groped at his body to pull it under.
Liliana thought faster than Resolve did in this urgent situation; hopefully the strange-speaking man would appreciate that later, if efforts weren't for naught. As the other young woman summoned a staff and began an effort to help the fleshy, flailing Titanic, Resolve took it upon herself to join the attempt, dashing over in a blur of overstimulated senses. Her boots slid on the ice as she arrived, now dangerously slippery from the water that sloshed out and around their feet, but her treads found footing before she joined Abrinano in what might become a hypothermic grave.
The groping, grasping sirens were solid again under hers and Liliana's line of vision, but in that form they seemed to act as anchors and weighed heavily on Abrinano's buoyant self. They had to come off or he had no chance in hell.
With a deep breath Resolve summoned some energy again, much like that which crafted her cup, but this was unrefined, naked, crackling. It formed a whispering ball in her right hand and she thrust it with a confident motion down at the closest villain, causing it to shoot from her palm and straight into the siren's back.
The creature was brittle in that state and cracked like a mirror under the direct hit, fractures spreading like spiderwebs through its torso before a kick from Abrinano broke it into a thousand tiny pieces.
That was encouraging and Resolve had to suppress the urge to fist-pump.
With that encouragement Resolve moved to the next side, sending a blast at the next siren that clung to the giant. Her aim was less true this time out of urgency, however, and the hit nicked the creature's side and met with Abrinano's leg instead. It was a concentrated blow that would likely leave a bruise, if not a hairline fracture or dislocated joint, but it was impossible to tell what damage she'd caused on her team mate while he thrashed in the water. She was hesitant to fire off another blast, afraid she'd seriously injure the man; however, her concerns were lessened when the bottom half of the siren cracked off and sunk down into the water, just its arms, shoulders, and head clinging to Abrinano's clothing.
It was at this point Liliana gestured to her for help, and Resolve cooperated. Leaning down and grabbing an arm, she hoisted the giant with an unladylike groan. With both of the girls' strength Abrinano was pulled from the water and dragged belly-first across the ice like a beached whale. Resolve slipped as they lost the antigravity assistance that the water gave and fell back, her clothes soaked and bottom sore… but that wasn't the worst of it.
The remaining body parts of the last siren had reconstituted into living flesh when she'd looked away, but apparently after the creature's demise could no longer return to a solid state. Dead fingers, pasty and blue, clenched at Abrinano's clothing, the ghastly and beautiful face of the siren pressed against him as if in a deep sleep, her frosty lips curled into the ghost of a smile. Thick, clear ooze dripped from the bottom of her exposed ribcage, skin torn to shreds.
Resolve couldn't catch her breath. She'd done that. And now that gorgeous creature's bottom half was kicking around under the water somewhere, a feast for fish.
It was the most embarrassing thing she could've done, but Resolve began to cry. Not a pretty, heroic trickle of tears but full on shrieks and sobs, globs of mucus running from her red nose. It was mortifying, but if she didn't want to join that poor woman she'd need to avoid the temptation to give into throwing herself a pity party right there and then. That could happen after the tournament was over. Olive threw the best parties, anyway.
The girl struggled to her feet, wiping her face on the end of her sari before looking over to where Blake was contending with multiple evildoers. Resolve took a deep breath, then another and another, as she collected energy in her palm and rose it to take aim. The Captain was far enough away from her target that she was comfortable going for it, and so she did.
The blast missed the siren and punched a hole in the ice just past it. Damn.
Resolve did it again, this time striking the creature's feet and breaking into the ice again, causing the cracking sculpture to fall into the water. It bobbed and then sank. That felt like an accomplishment somehow, though in the back of her mind she feared she'd be done in by it if not now, in her nightmares later. If she didn't have feet she'd probably seek revenge, too. Would an amputee siren survive in the wild?
This ice-breaking method seemed to be working, if not to actually kill the demons but to get them out of the way while they crossed. Resolve shouted to Blake as she tried to sink the remaining sirens.
"There's a path over here! Quick, let's try to cross and get out of their range!"
I watched as my team moved like a unit that had been together for years in order to rescue Abrinano. Liliana used an incredible strength to pull the heavy set man out for the most part, and Resolve had seemed to figure out a way to hurt the sirens, at least while they were in ice form. Resolve yelled at me from the distance to cross the ice, and I simply looked at the statues above.
I had faith in Resolve and Liliana’s abilities now after watching them in action. Even Abrinano would probably be able to punch through an ice sculpture or two if he put his weight into it. That left me; what purpose had I served my team aside from getting lost, succumbing to the song of the sirens, and watching helplessly as one of my own drowned before my eyes? I had been useless this entire adventure, and that was about to change.
I withdrew my S.T.A.R. sword once more, shifting my gaze downwards. Resolve was looking towards me, so any statues that were trying to sneak up could not do so. I activated my weapon once more, closing my eyes and taking a huge sigh. My team, my temporary crew would never make it across the ice so long as there were sirens in the water. They’d get pulled down from underneath and then it would be like the Abrinano rescue all over again. “You guys go first!” I yelled back to Resolve, kneeling towards the edge of the water.
“What?! Blake, we can all get across!” Resolve yelled as she motioned for me to come. I simply shook my head.
“You can take care of the sirens above the ice, but what about below? The waters too cold for anyone to stay under there and just stare at them, but I can make sure the things are distracted so the rest of you can go.” I looked towards Resolve with a smile, memories of me ordering my star ship crew to evacuate so I could stay with my vessel flashed before my eyes. That ‘self-sacrifice’ was how I wound up on Althanas anyways, so maybe it would not be a bad thing for me to run distraction here.
I took a step forward into the water, and then another. My body started to shiver as I continued to walk, until I was knee deep in the icy liquid. Without another word, I jammed my S.T.A.R. sword into the water. My own body would be immune to the radioactivity produced and spread through the lake, but the sirens would be a different story; they didn’t have IGS Captain training and thus were easy pray to ‘planet poisoning’ as the higher ups called it.
The water around me began to bubble a bit, the heat from my radioactive sword being placed in the water already heating up my surroundings. “Go!” I barked the order once again to my team mates, hoping Abrinano was in a condition to run, “I’ll follow shortly! You guys get to the island!” I looked down, several hands of ice bobbing out of the water around me, only to sweat away from the increasing heat of the S.T.A.R. sword use. It didn’t even look like the sirens were concerned about grabbing me, but rather trying to escape the horrible pin their bodies must have been going through at this moment.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered so that only I could hear, but I was completely unsure if I was apologizing to the demonic ice creatures, or to my crew for lying.
Abrinano was indeed able to run. The blast that Resolve had given him was absorbed by his leg fat making it shimmer throughout the body. As soon as he saw the sword hit the ice turning it to water he picked up his allies and started running down the path to the island, destroying the two Ice Sirens that was in their way. He got to the island just in time to turn around and see Blake disappear under the water. He didn't know if the man could swim but it didn't matter he was upset and fell to his knee's crying out "Why didn't you sacrifice yourself to kill us! We weren't a team Captain Blake! Please don't be alright!" he was really upset he didn't want to see anyone die, especially for him, A giant gluten who was of no use except as a cook.
Abrinano then got extremely angry and turned around just in time to see two more Sirens come out of a man made cave. He quick took out his giant fork and knife and pointed it at them they were right between his allies. He wasn't going to loose any more. He ran straight past this allies who looked nervous the squired them both, one on the giant fork, the other on a giant knife, he lifted them up and through them out across the ice, shattering on impact. He looked into the cave and noticed stairs."This mustn't be where we have to go. We shall not complete this quest in honor of our fallen ally," he said turning to his remaining allies
Rage.
Liliana looked upon the food tester and felt the last vestiges of her patience growing painfully thin as she looked upon the obese servant. She knew that she was angry, and perhaps this would be clouding her judgment, and she had often told Seth to keep a reign in on his temper because to lose one's anger was to lose control. Further Uriel's wisdom stated that loss of control was tantamount to loss of power. You might win an egagement while enraged, but any gain from such an act would be minimal, for you might cause more damage resolving the issue than before.
None of that mattered to the brown haired wife of the Lavinian Demon, who grabbed the food tester by the front of his shirt and began pummeling him with every voitriolic word she could come up with, "You stupid, incompetant, pathetic, moronic waste of space. What in the hell did you think you were doing going out onto the ice like that? Do you even think? Or are you too busy being contrary to even consider the fact that your childish antics just got someone killed!"
Her breath came in gasps as she glowered at the food tester her eyes boring into his as she said angrily, "I swear to the god I serve if you say another word, word one..." She thrust a finger into his face in order to underline the statement before she continued her tone no warmer than the ice on the lake had been, "I will rip your tongue from your mouth and feed it to the crows. Don't even answer with your lips nod your head if you understand. I am through carrying your fat ass around this island, and the faster we get through this trial the better."
Words said Liliana's demeanor seemed to change in the manner that only a true parent could fathom, her breathing steadied as she looked upon Resolve with a more compassionate gaze. She was faultless in this and had helped as much as she could, Liliana couldn't hate the girl anymore than herself. She merely gestured to the nearby stairs and spoke softly, her rage gone and the adrenaline rush it created making her look far more tired than she had been moments before, "Let's go. I'm done with this place..."
Her heavy boot steps crunched on the snow as she moved in stiff silence, shivering only slightly from the cold winds whipping at her wet clothes. She knew that she would need to change, but was loathe to do so in such an exposed state. She looked back across the banks of the lake to see her satchel, remaining dutifully behind and let out a soft snort of derision, "Of course. Now I see why Seth never sets his down...just my fucking luck."
Before Resolve knew it she was hoisted up under the arm of the should-be-injured man they just saved and was deposited on the ground safely a short moment after. This turn of events would have earned a heartfelt "what the hell?", but at this point that icy water that had soaked her clothing was chilling her to the bone, goosebumps visible on her bare arms and midriff. Why did she think this would be better than a desert, again? And Blake, he was still back there. Was it okay to move forward without him?
Then Liliana went off like a time bomb and Resolve watched in shocked and befuddled amusement as she berated the gentle giant. He deserved it, that was for sure, but this humorous intermission seemed out of place and so incredibly inappropriate. The girl couldn't help but snort out a pained little laugh between trembling gasps as she gained her bearings again, trying not to think of the Captain who was disappearing under the bubbling surface of the lake.
As Resolve reflected on the ridiculousness of the last few minutes of her life, mere moments that passed in a slow motion blur, the chill was setting in even further. Was it possible to feel a chill in the center of one's bones? She knew now.
By the time Liliana was finished telling off Abrinano, Resolve's fingers were completely numb and her limbs were quickly following. Even her brain was cold and the urge to nap was setting in. Fortunately, she was just aware enough to recognize these symptoms and moved quickly to counteract them.
Resolve bounced up to the priestess with forced optimism and grabbed the other girl's hands, rubbing them briskly in her own. "We will win, don't give up!" That probably wasn't very convincing coming from a person with blue lips and bluer hands, especially since her whole body was vibrating with a shiver that was beginning to inhibit her movements. "Let's do this."
With a deep breath Resolve looked to the stairs in the cave that led down into the earth, the shattered remains of the sirens glittering like cut stones on the path that, if they were lucky, would lead to their salvation. She glanced out at the lake, pushed Blake from her mind with an apologetic frown, and looked back to the cave as she crept forward. "Do you think it's warmer down there?"
And so she descended into the darkness, hoping her team mates would follow. The staircase was long and winding, the stone slippery in places where black ice had formed an invisible obstacle to their footing. Resolve clutched at gaps in the stone wall as she walked, the pathway darkening into near blackness.
Then their descent ended, a blue glow beckoning from the end of a quickly narrowing tunnel. Resolve was concerned for Abrinano's capacity to fit, but she was wretched enough to push concern for anyone else from her mind. She didn't want to go like Blake did.
The end of the tunnel opened up into a small cavern with what appeared to be dwellings built into the walls in a pale gray and white stone, ghostly and beautiful. The light originated from a glowing orb in the center of the ceiling, hanging chandelier-like in a tangle of roots from above. The floor of the underground city was covered in several inches of clear, sparkling water, the stone giving out into a dark, bottomless pit toward the center of the circular space. Perhaps this was the spring that filled the fresh water lake. "Is this where we're supposed to be?"
Resolve was almost taken aback by the beauty and almost stepped forward into the pool of water when there was a bubbling from the well in the center that began regurgitating the shreds of the city's inhabitants that had fallen victim to Blake's action, radiation-boiled chunks of sirens pouring forth with a gratuitous smell that shouldn't have reminded Resolve so much of a good meat stew. She leaned forward and vomited into the water, clutching at the edge of the tunnel so she didn't fall into the muck. "What the hell… Blake, did you royally screw us all?"
I had been on the shallow end of the lake, thinking that maybe the sirens would be more concerned about their safety than about taking me out. I was a fool to have thought such things, as what felt like a pair of hands grabbed me by my feet and pulled me under. I made sure to hold onto my weapon with all my might as I was pulled under, deeper and deeper across the lakes floor.
I tried to keep my eyes open, but the water kept forcing me to close them, to reopen and try to gain my composure. I could feel slaws tearing into my clothes all around me. I tried to scream, tried to swim up towards the surface. From down below, I watched as my team safely made it across the ice bridge, which was in and of itself melting away. Even if I hadn’t have been put in this situation, there would have been no way for me to follow my comrades trail.
Upon realizing that I had bought the trio enough time to escape, I smiled, opening my arms wide and closing my eyes shut. I could feel claws and teeth tearing into my skin, pinning me to the floor below and kicking up an underwater dust. There was a pain as they tore at my flesh, but I had found myself losing consciousness before I was delivered any fatal blow. The darkness was wonderful; no pain, no sirens, just the feeling of being in a deep sleep, watching as my memories played out before me as if I were watching a movie.
The greatest victory would come from my self-sacrifice, from my dying so that my comrades would live. No, not comrade….friends. So my friends could live.
It was funny; I had hardly met the group, but all it took was a few rare instances to prove that I would lay down my life for them. I think, when it all comes down to it, it’s all about what you would die for. Yes, I think that’s a good lesson to learn.
But for now, I sleep…
((It’s been a pleasure writing with you all. Blake Andrews has perished, and thus I shall not continue writing for him in this thread. It was fun, guys! Hope we make it to the next round!))
Abrinano was scared out of his mind as well as ashamed. He couldn't believe that he was the cause of Blake's demise. He had been put into a trance but that didn't matter now, oh no, he mustn't try to defend himself. He had to just follow the group in a state of silence till he had something of great importance to say. No, not even if he had something important would he speak. He would stay quiet just like the women told him to. He would probably scare them with his silence, but he wouldn't want to get the woman angry again. He quickly scurried down the stairs making sure to break the ice before he stepped on each step. As he made it to the bottom he noticed that the tunnel was going to narrow. He started to run through and as the tunnel was about to end it got slightly to small for him to fit, but that didn't stop him. No, instead he just broke through the last centimeter of rock stopping as soon as he entered the room. The smell of the dying sirens entered his nostrils making it so that he felt sick. he found the closest building and rushed inside. Luckily it was a bathroom. He went into a stall and threw up what was left in his stomach.
After cleaning himself up, he walked back out and took a look into each of the buildings. They were all shops. He found food and other items that could be useful in their journey through the tunnels, including a map. After finding many other useful items and a few useless ones as well as eating a bit of food, he found a clothing shop with many dresses and a single male robe. He grabbed the male robe then went and got changed into it. It was white like all the clothing in the shop. It had a rose on each shoulder. He also grabbed a dress off of one of the racks. It was white just like all the dresses, it had fabric flowers all along the base with a giant white rose in the center of the chest. Maybe after we finish with this quest I should give this to that girl who yelled at me. You know what, I don't think I ever got her name. He looked around some more and found another dress. This one was also white but it was more versatile and could easily be used in combat. It also had a rose in the center of the chest but the length was that of a half dress. Its bottom half only reached to the knees, almost like a skirt. He looked at the first dress then put it back getting two of the same style dress, but the second one being a little more plain.
After looking around in the shop some more he came out with both dresses behind his back. He walked over to Resolve handing the flowered one to her then walked over to the other lady handing her the plain one. He also gave them some food which he had wrapped with cloth then put on top of the dresses. He didn't bother speaking as he hoped the gesture would speak for itself. After handing the ladies the food and half dresses, or whatever they were called, he walked over to the last doorway and looked inside. It was another hall with downward stairs at the end. He looked back at the ladies then pointed inside. After he knew they got the message, he himself entered the tunnel and headed for the stairs only to notice that the floor bellow had thigh deep water. He looked at his robe and decide it would be fine. After all, if it was made by the sirens then it was meant to not absorb water. He stepped in and found it to be quite warm and, just as he had predicted, the robe did not absorb the water. In fact, it looked like it was repelling it. He turned around and looked up the stairs, waiting for the women to follow.
Things were warmer only in the sense that they were out of the chilly winds. The girl beside her was next to freezing and Liliana was starting to get concerned with how violently the body was shivering to generate heat. She wasn't too comfy herself and with her gear across the lake she didn't have anything to change into. Still it was only her raw anger towards the food tester that was keeping her warm as they reached the top and saw the boiling bodyparts of the Sirens flooding into the chamber.
A deep sigh of defeat resounded through the chamber even as the fat man waddled off to gods know where. She didn't have any energy left to spare for that man, only disbelief that the putrid scent of boiled flesh was coming from the very creatures they had been fighting upon the lake waters. Her eyes scanning the area she noticed a few torches to illuminate the area, possibly for the keeper of these things, if not the Siren's way of lighting the dark themselves, and grabbed it before handing it to the girl, "Don't burn yourself but use that to keep you warm for now. With luck we might be able to get a campfire going and dry off. If you stop shivering let me know, thats when your body is shutting down."
The words were soft even as the horrid stench of the dead emanated, Liliana was used to it having walked into several Demon Pits, the worst it did was give her a nausea that she could handle. While not pleasant, her job had a few fringe benefits, and this situation was one of the rare occasions she was happy with what she had done. For the second time that day she was thankful of what her time before Seth had given to her. She was more than certain had she not been hunting demons for over half her life, she would have been like Resolve, a shattered wreck who wasn't sure why she was here. Even if Liliana felt that way inside, she knew that she couldn't afford to look it, not in front of the girl.
Her sword was gone, possibly lost in the lake and so all she had was the staff of shadows as she looked about her, and eyes fixed upon the food tester who wordlessly gave them clothes he had found. He then shuffled off like a beaten dog and seemed to indicate where he was going noiselessly before he disappeared. The sound of splashing filled the air before Liliana looked at Resolve and sighed, "I'm half tempted to leave him here. We don't have the time nor the talents to bail him out of every mistake he makes..."
Grabbing another torch Liliana held it closer to her body, feeling the water in the clothes warm up considerably with the high heat exposure and nodded before she said, "We should find someplace dry and start a small fire to dry off, but for now this will have to do..."
The cold freezing feeling reminded her of the day she met Seth, who was nothing more than a two bit thief at the time. He had rescued her when she had been knocked out by a bunch of bandits attempting to waylay the two of them. She had heard form him afterwards that they had jumped onto a river to avoid the bandits and that they had been soaked to the bone. She had awoken naked with an irritable thief who taught her just how much he hadn't cared about her at the time. Of course, that attitude had changed as the two of them had a child together, though still unmarried. She had a feeling that was something they were going to fix, very soon. That left a whimsical smile on her face, at least she had that to look forward to.
Even still the happier memory allowed her the patience to look at the fat man fooling around in the water as she sighed and shook her head speaking up, "No, we don't know if thats connected to the water that Blake drowned in, we might get sick if we tried to ford it, now get out of it. We need a drier route and one that we can use to give her a chance to warm up, she nearly froze to death trying to help you..."
...she didn't feel the need to add the you idiot.
Resolve saw the concern in Liliana's eyes as she handed her the torch and accepted it gratefully with trembling hands. She forced a smile and nodded, acknowledging the priestess' warning. By the way things were going, Resolve was bound to be the next man down if they didn't finish their mission or find warmth soon. That was a sobering thought.
The torch did help a bit to her great relief, but as the chill lessened she felt a sharp pain in the tips of her fingers. Resolve wasn't going to say anything to worry her team mates after all their unexpected kindnesses, but she understood that as a sign of frostbite and desperately flexed them to encourage blood flow while they waited for Abrinano to return. Her short sword was still strapped to her belt, but in this state she wouldn't be slaying much of anything.
Abrinano had found dry clothes somewhere and that was great, but it wasn't like they could change right there and then. Resolve settled for accepting the dress from him and wrapping her hands in it until they could figure out what to do next, not having any particular interest in the strange food he'd discovered. Needless to say, she was worlds grateful to Liliana for reeling in the giant as he went wandering off in another direction.
"We're supposed to go to the center of the island," Resolve managed to say through chattering teeth. "Is this not it? Is there another structure we missed?" Those last few words were cut off by a low creak, as if the earth around them was shifting. It groaned as it succumbed under new weight and Resolve stepped backwards to meet the wall which, upon contact, she realized was leaking.
The cavern had been reinforced with stone, but water wept from the seams in quickening tears that gathered in streams at their feet. The team couldn't see it happening, but Blake's sword had not been deactivated and was gradually melting every bit of ice on the island, including that which had solidified in the soil and between the boulders, keeping the underground city standing strong. In losing that strength, the chamber was in imminent danger of collapse.
Resolve instinctively latched onto Liliana as the earth and rocks around the orb in the ceiling began to fall, the tangle of roots breaking and dropping the tiny blue sun into the flooded well in the center of the cavern. It splashed, fizzled, sank... and then something miraculous happened.
The water that had flooded the city gradually fell and drained through the pit to make the floor and tunnels navigable once again. However, in losing its the main source of light, the cavern went nearly black as the orb winked out of sight down the hole. They were in crescent moon darkness save the few scattered torches including the one Resolve was clutching in one sad, frostbitten hand.
Bricks began to fall around the three team mates and smashed on the floor with loud crashes, mud dripping down onto their heads as the structure began to give. Resolve's energy found itself renewed in the face of yet another near death experience and she let out a long string of curses just as a chunk of dirt dislodged from the ceiling and hit her arm, knocking the torch from her hand and sending it scattering across the ground toward the pit.
The well continued to glow faintly and as Resolve, covering her head to protect it, scampered over to retrieve their light source, she saw inside and gasped. Her voice was almost drowned out amongst the noise of the crumbling cavern, but it was just loud enough for the others to hear.
"I think it's a portal!"
Abrinano was surprised to say the least when all the water had drained. He was even more surprised when Resolve called out about a portal. He ran over to the well and looked inside. There Was a purple liquid at the bottom of the well. He stepped back a little bit then jumped right in. He had no idea where it went but anywhere was better then a collapsing city. As he fell into the portal he felt dizzy. The purple substance started to spin. Abrinano closed his eyes to keep himself from getting sick. when he opened them he was lying on his back in front of another portal, probably the one that led to the other portal. He looked around to see if it was safe. It seemed to be. It was in another place that looked exactly like the city he came from except it wasn't flooded. It had actual people in it as well. There was no Sirens to be seen. Everyone there looked at him for a second then continued on with their business. He took out a piece of the paper he used to rate restaurants then started writing.
Restaurant: Other Side of Protal
Stars: 10
Comments: It Is not safe to come through. It is dark as can be and the people aren't friendly
Signature: Abrinano Ticherra Voscinato
After he finished writing he folded it up into a paper plain then threw it through the portal.
I hope they get my message?
*Notice: He thinks normally*
When it rained it poured, and for the demon hunter this was a veritable hurricane. The world was beginning to collapse about her all for the simple fact that the Pyrrhic victory that Captain Blake had offered them was even now entrapping them in their very salvation. She felt Resolve cling to her in a panic as the well before them emptied the water in the area rapidly. The portal opening was probably the best thing Liliana had heard of the situation and with the food tester running through she realized that at least he would get himself killed if his idiocy led him to a dangerous spot.
When the paper airplane flew through the portal in response Liliana gripped Resolve and shouted over the din, “He’s safer than here, let’s go!”
She jumped.
It was a leap of faith, something she had not done in forever, but something that she didn’t need to think about. It was the act of choosing hope over despair. That was what being a Seraph of Sintyre was about, what made a Demon Hunter able to continue despite the horrible things they saw with every cult scattered to the winds. No one Demon Hunter could win the war against the Demons of Sintyre, but together, together they formed a counterbalance to the evil and destruction the ancient evil could spread.
When her stomach lurched she let out a cry of triumph recognizing the feeling almost immediately. Sprawled upon the floor she lay there for what felt like forever, her grip on the young girl never slipping before she heard the voices;
“Two more just appeared, I think this was team nine on the southern slopes! Hurry up and bring the blankets, none of them look prepared for the cold weather!”
“They survived the sirens dressed like that?”
“Shut up and grab the blankets!”
A smile lit up her face as people gently lifted up Liliana to a sitting position, and it was only then that she threw up the content of her stomach. Her hand remained resolutely on Resolves hand as she felt a ahnd patting her on the back and asking if she was alright. Of course she wasn’t, but she had had her fill of idiots already and merely ignored them as she managed between coughing fits to purge the bile from her throat, “She’s suffering from Hypothermia and possibly frostbite. Take care of her; I’m only in early hypothermia. Where is that fat fuck?”
The men looked at each other before they nodded and spoke, “He’s nearby, and your group is one of the first to make it. Where is Captain Blake?”
Liliana remained silent on that point as she looked over Resolve and saw the blackened skin that marked the freezing of blood in her veins before barking at the men nearby, “Get the healer its worse than I thought…Resolve, stay with me darling, you gotta stay awake!”
“I hurt, and I’m tired…” came the weak reply.
Liliana moved to support Resolve as she said firmly in her most motherly tone, "You made it this far don’t you dare give up yet. You’re hurting because your body is waking up from the sleep the cold forced on it. And you’re tired because it’s a lot of energy to kick start your body after it wants to shut down. Stay awake darling until the healers get to you, then you can rest I promise you can rest soon alright?”
She felt a soft squeeze on the hand as the girl’s eyes opened and she met Liliana’s before nodding. Liliana carefully helped her up as she looked at the man who raised an eyebrow. She knew what he wanted and still felt angry at the subject at hand. No one had to die if that man could have fought against the influence of the sirens. Liliana shook her head softly before she said firmly, “Captain Blake died giving us the cover we needed to get off the ice. Our obese companion walked out onto the ice of the lake when guided by the sirens and fell into the water. It took me and Resolve to get him out, while Blake went into the water to kill the ones that would undoubtedly push through the ice to get at us as we made our way to the island in the center.”
“We’ll send a team to recover him, anything else you we should know?”
“Two things.”
“Name them,” Their replies were prompt and it was to their credit they at least sounded knowledgeable. Liliana couldn’t have tolerated much stupidity after that.
“First, I want to know who’s bright idea it was to grab all of us in the middle of the night. Second I left my gear back on the beach of the lake, possibly in the water. I need that back if I’m to continue,” Liliana replied firmly. She gently stroked the girl’s hair hopefully calming her after the disorienting ride through the portal. The priestess looked upon the men coming to take the young woman away and waited silently for the reply.
The man scratched embarrassingly behind his head before he replied, “Yeah, apparently there was a mix up in the tournament information and we didn’t know till after the fact that those who signed up didn’t know the date and time were based on where this island was, not their local time zone…”
“So you’re saying everyone was teleported unprepared and unable to be adequately equipped?”
“Again it wasn’t our decision…”
As they took Resolve to the healers Liliana gently squeezed her hand and shouted to her, “I’ll be by shortly to check on you. Don’t worry, they’ll take care of you now…” Her tone took on an icy chill at the end that implied what she was thinking.
…or I will cut them down where they stand.
Looking upon the man she replied firmly, “Get me my equipment and let me send for the rest of my gear and I might be charitable enough to forget this.”
“I’ll see what can be done about it ma’am…” The man rushed off to fill the order as Liliana shakily stood on her feet and watched them carry off Resolve. Moving after the girl she thought back to what she had seen in the caves, ages old instinct kicking in when she realized the truth of the situation.
The ruins that the sirens had been using as a nest were nothing more than the ancient remains of the Demons of Haidia. While not her primary target, they were considered noteworthy to watch. The portal that had opened up was very much like the portals that littered Corone amongst other areas. It was part of the reason why she instinctually jumped, after all there was no threat of looming harm. The Demons would often use those portals to move about the world, and as such would often find safe hidden spots to have the portals empty out into.
While not immediately suspicious, it did give her much to think of as she shambled next to Resolve and gave her a brave smile, trying to look every bit the strong warrior the girl needed right now. She leaned down and whispered softly for her ears only, “I know a lot happened today, when you feel ready to talk about come find me, okay?” The girl looked up from the gurney she was laying upon and met eyes with Liliana before she managed a brave nod. One final squeeze of a hand and Liliana was off to find a place to warm up and dry her clothing. Hoping the girl would come soon, if this was but the first of many tests to be had, Resolve needed to work through her fears now, before they choked her later.
Out of Character:
Abrinano was glad that they had gotten to the end of their quest. While his other teammates getting checked up and ready to find out if they were going to move on, he decided to go and find the closest restaurant in town, he had been waiting to eat all day long. After looking for maybe fifteen minutes he finally found one. It had a lovely smell to it. He ran inside and sat down waiting for a person to serve him. However this was not a regular restaurant, it was fast food. After a couple of minutes waiting he got up and went to the counter. "Welcome to the Quick Fry, may I take your order?"
Abrinano smile "No, May I not have one of everything?"
"Ah Abrinano of the AC tournament group nine, we were told to expect you. One of everything coming up." She got to work making the meal fit for a king. Just like all the other restaurants he had visited, they brought his food out in trays. He ate every single burger, fry, nugget, fish, even ice cream they brought to him.
After he finished he cleaned the table and left.They told him not to write up a report as they were only going to be around for the tournament. The rest of the time that he had for the tournament, he just wandered the streets tasting all the food that the town had to offer. In fact, this was the first time he had ever eaten till he was full.
*End of the Thread*
Round 1 closed for judgement.
Good luck!
Plot: (14)
Storytelling (5) – The story behind the thread you guys did was…well different from the others I read, and while not the worst I have judged, this certainly could have gone a bit better. With Opposites whackiness, Vastness…well oddity in the group dynamic, and then Resolve and Liliana’s stoic, stern styles, it told a story where everyone pretty much grabbed the bull by the horns and went for a ride. This was only mitigated by Resolve’s compliance to work with Liliana. Sometimes, this can pay off, but today, the risk didn’t grab you a home run.
Setting (5) – Resolve and Liliana both worked hard to keep their settings at the fore front, never letting it slip. To them, I congratulate you both, and only recommend tossing in a few new senses and ways to bring the vibrancy of a jungle to life. However Vastness you were more of a touch and go, and consistency is key in these tournaments. Opposites, you barely used setting at all, and it left me with nothing but you antics to read, which helps in some areas, but not here unfortunately.
Pacing (4) – As I said earlier in story, you guys each took the bull by the horns and ran with it. A lot of back tracking, a lot of needless, little posts, and a story that never even felt like a story. This was the area I think you guys got nailed the hardest. Communication to keep the story flowing is what you guys can do to improve, so nobody steps on another’s toes.
Character: (15)
Communication (4) – You guys really looked like you just went with the flow instead of talked it out. The only two who showed any sort of communication was Resolve and Liliana. Vastness, your attempts did help, but the character’s inner reflections tended to drown out those moments. Opposites, your character’s speech, while unique, were distracting in a group dynamic in a manner that wasn’t helpful to the tale. Try to tone down the need to use so many opposites, or at least give me something to fill the space from your endless riddles.
Action (5) – Not a whole lot here. There were a great deal of dead moments, and some posts by you opposites were filler posts that did nothing to advance the story save to say you were hungry…I think. I can’t really tell with you. Resolve, I saw several attempts on your part to get a theme going, and Liliana gave it her best, but in the end, the inner group conflict just hurt the whole she-bang in the head.
Persona (6) – I got a good idea of Liliana, her connection to her gods, and why she is the way she is. Same with Resolve, who was a treat to read and learn about. Even Vastness gave me a bit of intriguing ideals for the Space Man. Opposites…I don’t know what, or who you character is. I couldn’t tell if he was a chef, a reporter, or just a fat sack of crap looking for a free meal. I got no direction with your character. Flesh out your characters and go for it. That’s how this score can rise.
Prose: (17)
Mechanics (6) – Tiny little errors can creep up in a timed tournament. That is why, more than ever, one must be vigilant. You cannot let speed take away your quality. More than ever, quality is important in competition, not quality. Liliana – your post 18 had a spacing issue, look out for these in the future. Go back, proofread, and edit.
Clarity (6) – The biggest issue I had was when Vastness said Radioactive level 5.0. I mean…that’s just so off the wall in Althanas I was ripped right out of the reading world. Little asides like that, they can’t be bluntly shoved into a fantasy setting. Opposites, whenever you were involved, you just made me slow down reading, wondering what it was you were even saying. I know this is what your character does, but it’s not helping you score points for clarity. Resolve, you were great in this, with good examples of what to look for in a thread. Good job.
Technique (5) – Half of you showed great techniques, word choice, and other great skills. The other half…not so much. Opposites, this is where your short, three to five sentence posts really hurt the overall score. They are choppy, break the flow, and make it harder for your fellow writer’s to go from there. You need to add meat to your posts, try new and different things and stay away from the trap of keeping with the same style for all your accounts.
Wildcard: (5)
Total: 51
Resolve receives 446exp and 70 gp.
Opposites receives 510 exp and 80 gp.
In the Vastness of Star receives 319 exp and 50 gp.
Lilliana Ambria receives 446 exp and 50 gp.
Exp-GP added!