|
|
|
|
Post by 𝕊𝕙𝕒𝕕𝕠𝕨 on Apr 13, 2020 19:55:38 GMT -5
It had been silent to Leon for several moments. First Zahavi, then Zach. She couldn’t help her cry of worry when her most trusted ally, behind Zelos, that was, was attacked, “Zach!” And then Zahavi was throwing rocks. She had been frozen for a few moments, fear, panic, anger.
She didn’t even realize when the knife sailed through the air beside her, flying straight for the back of the elemental. She just realized it in a snap of heartbreak and anguish for her only friend stuck with her. And then it attacked her, causing her to stagger back, her hands raising to graze at the cut. She winced, her fear causing most of the pain to feel like a simple scrape, which in all objectivity, compared to her peers, it was. When dragged her hand away, looking at the blood over the pale skin, before her eyes rose, almost as if she formed some idea.
”That’s my job,” came her reply, not terse, or overly loud and yelled. It was soft, and dangerous, and filled with a worry. Her skin felt cold, the cooling feelings spreading, as if she was losing the ability to feels, all through her fingertips, up her arms, and like a yarn, around her heart. It was calm for a minute, her eyes almost seemed to be darker, filled with anger and spite. Then the ground underneath her feet started to crack, little fractures, and she felt a dull pain at her fingertips.
Regardless, she was mad. And powers reacted to emotions. They would get no where on the defense. And all control went out the door the moment the creature attacked Zahavi and Zach.
Without even needing to touch the ground with her hands, the crack fractured towards the elemental as she took steps closer. Anything to get it’s attention off Zach, Zahavi, and Isabella.
To a degree, it didn’t even seem as if she noticed the cracks, but at the same time, she seemed to be controlling them. She looked angry, and annoyed all at once.
(Edited to explain more about how she reacts to the pain.)
|
|
|
|
Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Apr 13, 2020 20:11:13 GMT -5
In hindsight, throwing rocks at a giant monster wasn’t at the top of intelligent ideas that could have surfaced in his brain. It served to get the creature’s attention, certainly, but his ultimate plan failed there because, of course, he didn’t have a real plan. The towering beast looked above him like a cliff face, the force of its steps nearly knocking the prince off balance.
He stared up at it, at what it called a face, in abject horror.
Never before had he seen anything like it.
Dangerous, vicious and powerful.
Terrifying.
The beast swatted him aside like a cat with a maid’s feather duster, as though he weighed nothing at all. While it may have withheld the amount of force it was capable of, the impact was nowhere close to gentle. Pain flooded his senses, cold and harsh as icy water, as something solid slammed into his body. He lost his footing, felt the ground slide out from under his feet, and the world turned around him. Up became down, left became right—his head was in agony, spinning like a child’s toy, but it was his shoulder that made him cry out in pain as it hit the ground first.
He felt something in his arm snap—heard it—and couldn’t have described the pain. He’d never felt anything so terrible.
Zahavi couldn’t stop himself from tumbling, unable to prevent the way his skin scraped along the hard rock and how he accidentally bit his tongue when he at last slammed into a wall. All thoughts left his head. He couldn’t have told anyone what his own name was, let alone been capable of understanding that a beast was only a few feet away. |
|
|
|
|
|
Post by Sparky on Apr 13, 2020 21:52:12 GMT -5
In his dizzied state, Zach looked skyward towards the sunlight that was trickling from the uppermost parts of the cavern. With each rumble of the cave -either by the elemental or Leon- more rocks fell from the ceiling, which in turn illuminated the cave more. He took in his surroundings, trying not to think about how much blood he was losing... then he found it. A medium size stalagmite only a few paces to his left. Zach crawled towards it, wading through the mixture of water and his own blood.
Maybe it wasn't the best idea to be exerting that sheer amount of energy when he was wounded, but the group was in danger, specifically Zahavi. Leon and Zach needed to get the beast's attention away from him for as long as they could. Maybe he'd be able to escape somehow, but neither of them were in the position to run right now. There was nowhere to go but up...
"Please," Zach whispered, grazing his hand across the base of the stalagmite. A flow of telekinetic energy began wrapping around the formation- small at first but growing fast. He gritted his teeth, allowing a surge of power to escape his fingertips. The base of the stalagmite snapped, and he lifted the shard into the air. Oh, shit! He thought, dropping to a knee from the effort. The fragment of rock was large and dense, heavier than anything he had carried before. Better yet, though, years of formation had lead to it becoming a colossal spike.
"Hey, pebble bitch!" Zach shouted, allowing anger to surge through him. Now that he had gotten its attention, this was no time to screw up. He launched the stalagmite, hoping for a good stick in the chest, but instead it seared through the monster's shoulder.
Zach promptly collapsed.
|
|
|
|
Post by 𝕊𝕙𝕒𝕕𝕠𝕨 on Apr 13, 2020 22:04:34 GMT -5
Leon cast a worried glance over at Zach and Zahavi. Zach was bleeding, probably a river at this point, Zahavi just broke his arm, she was sure, and was staggering about. She wanted to help them, ignoring the beast for a moment, and it cost her, a bit, that was. Taking her attention off the monster she just attacked was a poor and stupid action.
She barely jumped out of the way when it quite literally lunged at her, only having caught movement from the corner of her eyes. Though, something sharp snagged her already injured shoulder, sending hot sticky blood down her arm, not at an alarming pace, but at the tiniest of trickles. It would have been much more catastrophic had it not missed.
As she rolled on the ground, using her training of stealing with Zelos, the days of hopping over carts and buildings alike, she quickly recovered. It came to her realization that her destruction was the best way to keep it from Zach and Zahavi. So instead of focusing on them, as she decided to focus on it. She kind of wish she didn’t.
Wait? Was it...hurt? Her eyes widened slightly. Then she heard this click, wincing, her eyes closing on reflex at the sound, though she opened one, watching as the creature righted itself. A horrifying, inhuman sound, and it’s eyes flickered to life, boring down at this tiny human in comparison to it.
Oh shit. Oh shit she pissed it off.
“Hey-“ She started, trying desperately to catch some breaths to calm her rising panic, anger, and exhaustion, “It’s rude-“ she breathed in, gasping for air, it had gotten dusty in the cavern, “To stare.” She commented, before huffing out, finally containing her breathing into some semblance of normalcy, “Can you please blink, you creepy ass-“
Then Zach was up, firing a giant ass stalactite at the beast. Her eyes widened in panic, she couldn’t let it go after him. He immediately collapsed from the weight of his actions, and she seriously thought that was the biggest thing he ever had done.
Maybe Zach was onto something when he lifted that giant knife into the air. She looked up, past where’s the stalactite was lifted, spotting a ledge that looked somewhat easy to get to, especially with her experience. If she got up there, she could get to it’s head, hypothetically. And if she got to it’s head, maybe she could kill it? Did it even work like that?
Well, either way, going up and attacking kept it from attacking the group below. While falling rocks would be a danger, the elemental would not be....hopefully. So she took the temporary lull that it would take the creature to recover from Zach’s blast, and scurried past the creature, and started climbing up a few ledges. It took a few slips due to her rushing, but she finally got up to a small ledge, probably only 15-20 feet above the cavern grounds, and raised her hands, a small orb of black energy coming to life. In an attempt to draw the attention away from her group members, she promptly fired it, aiming for the creatures face, “Yeah, pebble bitch!” She tagged on, eyes narrowing, already forming a new one, “Come and get me!”
|
|
|
|
|
|
Post by Sparky on Apr 13, 2020 23:28:54 GMT -5
The monster staggered, and its arm now appeared completely useless. Zach grinned, but it was a fleeting expression. The beast had tore the spike out of its shoulder and was now hurling it in Leon's direction. Shit.
"Leon!" He cried out. Shock and disbelief clouded his mind, but a sight snapped him back into reality. At a point in the monster's stance, Zach had noticed through a gap in the vines -the hole which he had caused moments ago- some sort of dim glow. Its heart.
The stalagmite crashed against the cavern into a cloud of dust, one that prevented Zach from seeing Leon. He wanted to cry out again, fearful that she might be... might be...
No.
He couldn't believe it, but nevertheless the effect on him was instantaneous. A rage boiled underneath his skin. If Leon had been killed then he would die obliterating this bitch.
Zach swiped the air with his right hand, sending a horizontal wave of telekinetic energy towards the beast. The slice of energy was invisible, but its speed and width were apparent through the violent ripple that was sent across the shallow water. It cut the elemental's legs viciously, slitting into the vines that were beneath the creature's rocky kneecaps.
|
|
|
|
Post by 𝕊𝕙𝕒𝕕𝕠𝕨 on Apr 13, 2020 23:47:15 GMT -5
She started, not backing down, angry lilac-blue eyes narrowed, daring it to attack. But then it pulled the stalagmite out of it’s legs, and her eyes flashed wide in panic.
She didn’t really remember too much of her reaction, just that the dark magic cast into a type of bullet, pitiful in comparison to the stalagmite, and that she jumped.
The dark magic met with the giant shrapnel, causing it to break, but it seemed as if it had crashed into the cavern walls. It was loud, very very loud, and disoriented her as the force started shaking.
Still, when she jumped, she had jumped up, clutching to a new ledge as she closed her eyes, clenching them shut, unable to control the trembling of her body. She noticed it crack slightly under her fingertips, and noticed something else too.
Something just pushed that creature closer to her, and she distantly heard something loud, a cry of panic, she assumed, she could tell it was Zach. She couldn’t heard much over the ringing in her eardrums, but she became worried. What If it just attacked Zahavi or Isabella? What if her stupidity got them hurt?
She looked up in alarm, however, as the crack spread, breaking off the ledge she had, and sending her sailing downwards. She forced herself into a ball, ready to roll to prevent as much damage as possible. But she stopped much sooner than she expected. Still, waves of pain traveled up her arms and legs, causing her to groan slightly. It was probably hard to see her, falling out of the piles of dust billowing in the air, but she noticed with alarm that whatever she was on was moving.
Her eyes widened in horror when she realized she was on the back of the creature, and she’s immediately grabbed a vine to prevent herself from falling to her demise. A sigh of relief crossing her lips when it didn’t immediately blacken.
That’s when she noticed it, something glowing a brilliant hue, causing her eyes to narrow. Whatever it was, it looked important, almost like a heart.
She scrambled up as quickly as possible, her hands leaving some small cracks, though not against her orders this time, and she finally got to the chest, where she could grab the jewel. After everything it had done to her friends, she was hoping her powers would do more than a few cracks. But beggars can’t be choosers. Once she reached the jewel, she studied it for a moment, admiring how interesting and intricate the monster was.
Then, she let go of the monster with her right hand before grabbing the mystic jewel and tugging it free. An electrifying moment, a feeling of control, it was. Once she had it in her hand, she moved.
She immediately cluttered back to an area she could stand, grinning in excitement. She marveled at the fact that no damage came to the enchanting gem, but quickly crouched down, fearful of what would happen, if maybe she would anger it more.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Post by Sparky on Apr 14, 2020 0:10:03 GMT -5
[ pebble bitch will be missed dearly  I'll get a post up tomorrow cause I don't think I'll have the time tonight ]] |
|
|
|
Post by 𝕊𝕙𝕒𝕕𝕠𝕨 on Apr 14, 2020 0:29:21 GMT -5
Leon halted in her glory, realizing that it was still moving. Her eyes widened, her body freezing, realizing she had no where to go. A fall from that height? It would most likely kill her, with how many rocks and stalagmites there were. And the other end?
Teeth. Big, sharp teeth.
Being eaten is a stupid way to go!
But it stopped, she didn’t have to worry. Because underfoot, she felt the thing shaking, and she realized it was dying, it’s breath fanning across her body as it’s body started decaying.
But that meant her footing was gone, even if the skull was just lulling over her, she knew it wouldn’t end pretty, so she jumped when the rocks underfoot collapsed. Regardless, she was grasping at it’s skull it a futile attempt to grab onto some kind of surface, to prevent a deadly fall.
Her hand missed, but it didn’t matter. As she skull lobbed into the rock wall behind her, she could spot, even falling now, that it too was falling, with nothing to hold onto.
She landed, almost blacking out, the pain overbearing, nothing seemed to have broken. She didn’t have time to ge her bearings, disoriented, facing the light. She couldn’t move at first, the air knocked from her lungs. But nothing snapped, nor felt broken, except maybe a few ribs. Everything hurt, and she probably was bruised. But none of these thoughts could complete as she noticed a shadow overhead. The skull ramming into the ledge she’s had been on before she had taken the jewel, and she spotted something falling from it, almost small, but still bigger than a knife, but was not able to see what the pointy, jagged thing was.
She attempted to roll away, but her body refused to move, and wouldn’t have been able to do so fast enough. Instead, she protectively pulled the jewel to her chest, an action that took up all the time she had.
Her scream died short, imbedded in her previously uninjured shoulder, just inches from her head, was one of the smaller teeth. Luckily, only a few rocks snagged into her skin, but the pain was unbearable. It blinded out the pain that came from her earlier escapades.
At least she hadn’t broken an important limb. A fall like hers could have killed, perhaps being impaled by a tooth the size of her dagger was the best possible outcome. It didn’t seem to hit an artery, but it didn’t make it any less painful.
(This is how Leon loses 1/5th of her health.)
|
|
|
|
Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on Apr 14, 2020 3:42:56 GMT -5
Where had Izzy been in all of this?
She’d figured that as the oldest of the group she had to help take care of these teenagers. She had to do anything she could to help them fight this thing, and to protect them. She was weaponless, but that wasn’t stopping Zahavi and it wasn’t going to stop her either.
So she had joined them all in trying to fight this thing, but all she could really do was hurl rocks, and that wasn’t really doing any damage. If she’d had her bow and arrows she could have went right through the vines connecting its limbs, but she didn’t. Unfortunately that meant that Zach and Leon were doing most of the work when it came to actually taking down this thing.
She tried to get the creature’s attention herself to draw it away from her friends but she wasn’t successful. It was very focussed on the others, and didn’t pay Isabella much mind. She was a mild annoyance, throwing what were probably pebbles, in its eyes, at it. Zach and Leon were threats to it, and Zahavi was plain better at getting it’s attention. She couldn’t argue on that one.
She got through the entire battle with very little to speak of in terms of injuries, a few minor scrapes and bruises. Nothing that affected her at all.
She spent most of the battle dodging rocks and debris, and hurling her own rocks at the creature in response. She could barely even see her friends in the chaos, but she knew they were hurt. She didn’t have much in the way of medical knowledge, but once this battle was done she felt that she had enough knowledge to be able to patch the others up long enough to get them to Drusilla, if they got out of here.
It was after a long and tiring fight, but Isabella watched with pride as Leon finally ended the battle. But the feeling of triumph was short lived as boulders and debris rained down around the group. The woman did her best to dodge but wasn’t fast enough to stop a rock that was flying particularly low from hitting her in the side, and she cried out in response to a shooting pain that made her catch her breath. She was pretty sure it had broken a couple of ribs, and it certainly wouldn’t be a pretty sight when it bruised. She couldn’t do anything about that, she didn’t have any medical knowledge of what to do about that. Only Drusilla would.
“My god,” Isabella murmured after the debris stopped falling, before calling out “is everyone okay?”
She knew everyone was injured, but still. She wanted to make sure everyone was still conscious, to be honest.
Trying to catch her breath and deal with the pain for a moment, Isabella leaned against the cave wall. She had noticed the opening in the roof of the cave before, but hadn’t been sure how they could get up there.
But now they had a lot of material from the fallen creature. So, Isabella methodically set about gathering some materials and putting them together.
She first took the vines from the creature. Ideally, she would have stripped the bark from it and made cordage out of it like she had seen her father do but that could take hours and honestly she didn’t have that kind of time. The vine seemed thick and strong enough to support their weight anyway. With some help from the Leon’s knife she was able to dislodge one of the creature’s great fanged teeth and get it through the vine like some kind of hook. The thinner vines from the creature functioned a useful string to secure the tooth in place.
With her rope made, Isabella made her way to stand beneath the opening at the top of the cave. If she could just get it to snag on something, that would be ideal.
“I think this should help us get out,” she called to the others “but I might need some help. Leon, Zach, do either of you have telekinesis to guide the rope?”
Her hope was that if she could get it to snag on something, Leon or Zach could maybe get the rope secure with their magic. Or if she wasn’t quite able to reach anything above them, they could guide the vine with their telekinesis.
Once they were above and safe she could patch up their injuries. She still wasn’t sure how they’d get Zahavi up there with his broken arm but she presumed someone could wait with Zahavi at the bottom of the cave, the vine could be tied around Zahavi’s waist, and two people at the top of the cave could pull him up. And then the final member of the group could follow him up afterwards once it was sure he’d gotten up alright
|
|
|
|
Post by Sparky on Apr 14, 2020 9:21:10 GMT -5
Zach's vision slipped in and out of focus, threatening to darken completely each time he took a step towards the others. The fatigue that he had felt in the gentle rocking of the boat was now magnified, and he swayed slightly before collapsing completely. Shockwaves of pain reverberated throughout his left arm, intensifying with each pulse. The immediate danger of their adversary was gone, but now they had dire wounds to attend to... wounds that would likely not receive proper treatment for a few more hours at best.
In his light-headed, pale state, Zach realized one thing: he couldn't wait that long. His uninjured arm reached out towards the elemental's body, and a loud snap and subsequent feel of sticky vine in his hand brought back some semblance of reality to his situation. Zach wrapped the vine tightly around his left arm, wincing sharply with each movement. It didn't matter. All that mattered was stopping the stream of blood right now. He couldn't even worry about cleansing the wound.
Once wrapped around his upper arm completely, the thin vine took upon a deep shade of red. It wasn't much when thinking long-term, but it succeeded temporarily in breaking off the current flow of blood. That was... somewhat better, actually.
He staggered to his feet, reeling in whatever energy he had left. Zahavi's arm was badly injured, that much Zach could tell easily, and Leon seemed battered as well. A wrench twisted into his stomach. Now isn't the time.
Isabella was talking... what had she said? Something about telekinesis. Zach looked at her, his gaze slightly distant. Nevertheless, he saw the rope, and was able to connect the dots after a pause.
"Throw it," Zach said, nodding at the idea. She'd give it most of its power and Zach would direct it towards a good shelf.
|
|
|
|
Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Apr 14, 2020 9:49:12 GMT -5
Zahavi spent too much time on the ground. He knew what was going on—that his friends were in the middle of a battle, that they were being injured—but he was useless and unable to do anything about it. His arm was on fire, pain wracking every beat of his heart, and his head felt sluggish with sand. The scrapes and cuts that dotted his bare skin couldn’t even compare to the bone that had been forced out of place. He couldn’t even feel them, numb to any other pain but the one on his bad side. It took too long for him to get his good arm under his body, to shakily push himself up and clench his teeth. Groaning quietly in pain and choking back the burning sensation behind his eyes.
There would be no tears. He refused to cry, no matter how much it hurt, because that wasn’t what princes were supposed to do. They were supposed to be strong and composed, even in the face of danger and pain. Especially in the face of danger and pain. There was no time or room for useless sobbing.
The second he was on his feet again, the creature—whatever it was—self-destructed into a flurry of debris that he turned away from. Small pebbles and dirt collided with his body, but he wasn’t close enough to take the full brunt of the force. He’d missed the impressive feats of strength that Leon and Zach showed, but he didn’t doubt that it was their strength that ended the beast.
They were planning a means of escape, now. Isabella with a makeshift vine rope, Zach with his telekinesis. He didn’t know how he would climb with his arm the way it was, but he supposed they would figure it out when the time came. For now, he was doing his best not to focus too much on the maddening ache.
“Is everyone okay?” His voice was rough and more than a little wavered, though that didn’t dampen his worry at all. Arm clutched to his chest, bottom lip stuck between his teeth.
|
|
|
|
Post by 𝕊𝕙𝕒𝕕𝕠𝕨 on Apr 14, 2020 10:47:11 GMT -5
The pain was blinding, and she immediately wanted to pull the tooth out.
No, no, that would be stupid.
So, instead, she waited a few moments, letting the pain wash through her body, before reminding herself that she didn’t have the choice to just stop. She had to move on.
Isabella was talking, and she forced herself up, her gaze darkened and spotty. Shaking her head, pulling in a tired breath, and noticing that outside, that sunlight was not as bright anymore. Though she pulled herself to a
She staggered up, crawling out of the rocks, trying here best to ignore the imbedded shrapnel in her arm, but it wasn’t the most successful notion. It hurt. It was sticking into her skin, deep, but it was also clogging most blood flow. Even with a bit of rationalization, she had to accept that pulling it out would be certain death. Though the notion was tempting. Instead, she staggered slightly as she made it to her group members.
She forced a few wavering breaths, noticing Zach seeming to stagger slightly, and looked back up. “Yeah, I think we can do that!” She exclaimed towards Isabella, her heartbeat drumming. She decided to place herself beside Zach, looking over his wounds with a frown. Despite her best attempts, everyone was hurt. His worried her the most. He was bit, and now he had gaping wounds. Wounds like that were quick to become infected. Zahavi’s arm was broken, and he might have hit his head, she hadn’t seen much of his he landed. She didn’t know about Isabella yet.
She then snickered, a bitter, almost relieved laugh, when Zahavi asked them if they were okay, before flashing Zahavi a pained smile, “Okay? No.” She commented, before sighing, “But we’re alive. At least for a few more days, but we need to find Drusilla.”
And in that way, Leon wasn’t wrong. They wouldn’t be resting that night, didn’t have the choice to. All of them were facing death in the face if thy didn’t get to their healer before, even possibly, sunrise the next day.
|
|
|
|
Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on Apr 14, 2020 11:03:29 GMT -5
Isabella looked concernedly at the group around her. It might be a stabbing pain whenever she breathed, her breaths a little shallow and quick because she didn’t dare take a deep one, but she was better off than her teammates. And she was worried about their injuries
“I’m no Drusilla,” she admitted “but once we’re up there I’ll help patch you guys up. It won’t do much, but it’ll bode is time until we can get to Drusilla.”
Her words were a little breathless, but she wasn’t doing too badly. She really had gotten off relatively lightly. She knew there’d be an ugly bruise where she’d been hit but she didn’t think she was badly hurt.
When Zach and Leon said they’d help with the hook, she smiled wearily
“Perfect. So here’s the plan. I’ll throw it, and Zach and Leon can help guide it and make sure it’s secure. I’m the least injured so it makes sense that I go up first. That way if it can’t hold my weight it’s only me who takes the fall. Then since both Zahavi and Zach have injuries to their arms, so maybe Leon could stay down here until last to make sure they get up here okay, since they’ll be climbing one handed. But beyond that, I think we won’t have much of a problem.”
She looked to Zach and Leon to make sure they were ready, and stepped back a little before preparing to throw the hook. She could see a vague shape above her head that seemed like it had to be a rock, and it seemed roughly the right size and shape for what they wanted. It didn’t look like it was loose, and it seemed like the rope would hook around it if she could aim it right and with the help of her friends’ telekinesis.
It took a few tries, but on the third the hook seemed to catch, and Isabella breathed a sigh of relief.
“Alright,” she said “Zach, Leon, can you guys make sure that’s secure, if you can see where it’s hooked?”
Once she had their go-ahead, she started the climb up. The cave wall was secure enough, only letting the odd loose piece of stone fall as she climbed. The vine seemed to hold her weight well enough, and after a very tense climb she made it up to the top, rolling onto the grass above them and laughing in pure relief and surprise that it had worked. She stood, and headed to the edge of the hole so she cold see her companions
“Alright it should hold!” She called down “Zach or Zahavi can head up next!”
|
|
|
|
Post by Sparky on Apr 14, 2020 11:58:24 GMT -5
Zach clung to every ounce of strength that he had left, and was the first to go after Isabella. He gripped the vine with his uninjured arm, using it to climb up. The exertion was awful and exceedingly painful, but once he got above ground Isabella was there, helping to pull him out of the cave.
"Oh my god," Zach exclaimed, falling to the nearest area of grass that he could find. He sucked in the cool air, relief flooding his veins. "Out of that damn cave!"
But he walked back towards the makeshift grappling hook that Isabella had made, ready to help up the next person as best as he could.
|
|
|
|
Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Apr 14, 2020 13:20:01 GMT -5
[[ short post rip ]]
Zahavi struggled up the makeshift rope as best he could. Upper body strength was not really a talent he possessed. Actually, physical strength was not his strong suit in general. Never mind that this adventure would probably serve him well in that aspect, he could have done without the broken bone and immense pain. He didn’t have a clue what his father would have to say about this, if he could see what his son was up to now. Probably something along the lines of being disappointed in his ability to keep his people safe. It was his job to protect them as much as it was theirs to keep him safe—what good was a king if all his people were injured and suffering?
At last he reached the exit and struggled to pull himself up, muscles protesting every movement, before he collapsed onto the ground not too far away from the others. Of course, much more carefully than Zach had, as he didn’t want to risk jostling his arm. Instead, he hunched over and ran his fingers through his hair with his good hand, trying to catch his breath.
“That was awful. Whatever that was, I hope never to see anything like it for as long as I may live,” he sighed breathlessly, then turned to Isabella with a pained smile. “Thank you, Isabella. Your help is much appreciated. I believe we would all be at a loss without your brilliance.”
He meant it, too. She might not have magic, but she had a sharp mind and she was an excellent part of the group.
|
|
|
|
Post by 𝕊𝕙𝕒𝕕𝕠𝕨 on Apr 14, 2020 13:52:58 GMT -5
She remained behind, watching both Zach and the prince struggle up and out of the cave. Then she took her turn, hoisting herself up without too much of a pain or effort.
Though, the tiniest of movements, and she felt some tendons snap in pressure, the tooth moving with the movement of her arms.
She glowered at it, biting her tongue, and tasting the metallic rush it brought when she did so, desperately holding back vomiting halfway up the vine out.
She swallowed, wincing immediately as she realized she just swallowed her own blood, and continued up, mostly using her right arm to climb, even with the gashes on the shoulder from the monster, her other shoulder was impaled, and she would much rather deal with burning scratches than moving around the tooth.
Finally, however, she took whatever help waited for her at the top, and sat down, catching her breath, fishing out the jewel that she held in a small bag she had with her. She held it up, looking at it in amazement. She could practically feel power radiating throughout it.
She moved her right arm slightly, moving around the jewel, but heard a telltale clink as she did so, her gaze falling to whatever had fallen beside her.
She couldn’t help the immediate wave of sadness that hit her like a river, her armlet had fallen off, she realized with started alarm that while it was still together, it was broken, the clasp, at least, that held it in place. The jewels on it remained fine, untouched, but she immediately picked it up, mourning over it. It wasn’t something that was important to her because of it being pretty, it held important because it represented when she made one of her first friends.
She quickly placed it in the tiny satchel, placing the jewel there as well, and looked at the group, “All of you did amazing,” she commented softly, probably the first genuine nice thing she had said since the journey began, “I know we’re tired, but-“ she glanced at Zach’s wound, then at her own shoulder. She couldn’t leave it in there forever.
She remembered Zach’s Fire for a moment, and remembered that they all had open wounds. They didn’t know how far away the group was, or where they even were. Their healer was long gone. If they didn’t do something, Zach would possibly bleed out. But she had no idea if his power would even work like that, especially for him.
She kept staring at him, trying to hold back the building dislike of the idea that was probably going to be necessary.
“But we need to cauterize our wounds.”
|
|
|
|
Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on Apr 14, 2020 14:51:19 GMT -5
Isabella was so relieved to see all of her friends out of the cave and safe. She had been so worried that something would go wrong, but they were now finally in safety. All they had to go was find their way back to the others.
At Zahavi’s comment, the young woman found herself flushing. She wasn’t used to attention or any kind of spotlight.
“Oh, it’s nothing, really. Nothing compared to how good you all were in the fight,” she responded
In fact, she immediately jumped onto Leon’s statement.
“Yes, everyone did great. You were all amazing,” she smiled
When Leon suggested they cauterise their wounds, Isabella swallowed but nodded.
“Unfortunately, I think that’s the only way,” she admitted “We should still bandage them up, find more secure tourniquets for Zahavi and Zach. That should be enough to last us until we can find the others and get Drusilla to look at everyone’s injuries.”
She glanced over at Zach.
“Do you think you’d be able to do that?
|
|
|
|
Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Apr 14, 2020 15:17:53 GMT -5
The day was warm, the harsh rays of the sun blocked by white, fluffy clouds. Not hot enough to make one prince too ill to play outside, but not cold enough to require bundling up, either. Perfect weather, with a gentle breeze that sang through the trees and carried the sound of birdsong to his ears.
Days like these were best spent with friends. Yet, despite the bustling nature of the castle, Zahavi had none. There were plenty of servant’s children around, but they wouldn’t join him no matter how many times he asked. It’s no fun to play with you, your majesty, they would say. Pardon us, but we would rather play by ourselves. Their words confused him, even now, months after they’d been spoken. What did it mean, to be told that they didn’t want him to join in? Was it not fun to play the games he liked? Did they find them difficult or unexciting or too childish?
Was it him that they disliked?
He’d asked his mother one night as she tucked him into bed, “Am I a bad friend, mama?”
She’d smiled at him and ruffled his hair, the way she always did when she thought he was upset. “Of course not, Avi. You’re loving and honest, like all good friends should be. You simply haven’t met the right people yet.”
It was hard to understand what she meant. Adults were always saying things like that—stuff that didn’t make any sense. Just words that they thought meant something. He’d nodded off and fallen asleep before he could ask.
Eldred was his only friend. The man was elderly and a bit snappish, but if Zahavi pouted long enough, he would sometimes agree to play checkers or bounce a ball with him. Not today. Adult responsibilities pulled the advisor and his parents into unavoidable meetings, leaving him very much alone. Only little Zahavi and his favourite red ball. All of five years old, yet so lonely that he could feel the need for companionship like a vice around his heart.
He took his ball to the gardens, the stone path gigantic to him and offering more than enough space, and bounced it in front of himself. Gave chase after it, each time the toy slipped from his fingers. When it rolled beneath the shrubbery at the edges of the garden, the ones that blocked the courtyard from the outer forest, he didn’t hesitate to go after it. Crouched down on his hands and knees, head poking beneath the thorny branches, leaves tickling the back of his neck.
It was not the bright red of his ball that greeted him, but the intensely green eyes of another child. Eyes that had no pupils or sclera—they were entirely green. Ones that blinked a total of twice before scrunching up at the corners, followed by soft laughter, as they disappeared from sight.
Zahavi was left to stare, wonderstruck. Children didn’t come to these parts of the garden. It was a place reserved for him and his family, a place where they would take walks together or invite guests. Patrolled regularly by guardsmen, inside and outside, which was the only reason his mother ever let him wander by his lonesome. To run into another child was a pleasant surprise, though.
“Hey, wait,” he found himself calling, when at last he found his voice, and stood up. Tried to move branches aside to get a better look.
There was silence, then the rustling of leaves, before that face appeared once more, inches from his own, and higher. A boy significantly taller than himself, older as well—eight, maybe nine.
“Hullo, your highness.” Came the soft, playful giggle.
Zahavi stared up at him. “What are you doing?”
The boy’s smile was bright. He disappeared from sight, only for his laughter to be heard a short distance away, behind Zahavi. There he was, leaning against a separate row of bushes, inside the garden. When he tottered over to him, he ducked behind the bushes and no matter how hard Zahavi searched, he couldn’t figure out where he had gone.
“Where’d you go?” Zahavi asked, looking every which way and seeing nothing.
There he was, again—leaning against a stone pillar, not even out of breath.
At long last, when Zahavi caught up to him, the boy gave him a wily grin. “Ah, you caught me, little one.”
It seemed like a strange thing to say, since they were separated by a large bush. “Who are you? I’m Zahavi. Mama says I’m a prince,” he said, because that's how he thought he was supposed to make friends. By introducing himself.
“She’s very right. You are a prince. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Zahavi. My name is Bijoux,” the boy introduced himself, and rather than hold out his hand like he saw the adults do countless times, he began to pick the leaves and twigs from the tangle of his hair.
Zahavi had little trouble repeating the boy’s name back, considering how complicated his own name was. “Bijoux. That’s a nice name.”
Bijoux had features similar to some of the servants around the castle—ears that were long and pointed, a small and delicate nose. When he smiled, his teeth were ever so slightly pointed. What really gave it away were the wings, though.
Butterfly wings, as long as the boy was tall, mottled in shades of green, blue and black.
They were pretty, but he tried not to stare. His mother always said that staring was rude.
“I’m glad you think so. As much as I enjoy your company, though, I must get going. My parents will be displeased if they find me gone,” Bijoux murmured, all cheerful manners.
Zahavi felt the reluctance to let him go like a swift kick to the gut. He was so used to being on his own that he couldn’t bring himself to protest, only nodded as he stared after the boy.
Halfway down the path, though, Bijoux turned around and waved. “Until next time, little prince!”
Next time.
That meant he was coming back. Perhaps not today, but maybe tomorrow. Zahavi was so caught up in having made a new friend that he didn’t question why the boy had been on the other side of the shrubs to begin with or how he’d disappeared so quickly throughout the garden. How he moved from place to with such startling ease. In his young mind, none of that mattered—what mattered was that he’d been willing to spend time with him, at least for a little while. All he knew was that, for the first time in a while, he was excited to have something to look forward to.
|
|
|
|
Post by Sparky on Apr 14, 2020 15:19:48 GMT -5
Zach subconsciously held his breath as Leon scaled up the vine, ready to catch her with his telekinesis if she were to slip at any point. Truth was, though, that he doubted his ability to do so in such conditions. Better to trust in her physical capability to climb up to them safely. Not that he doubted it -this was the girl that leaped across buildings, after all- but she was injured. They all were.
He grabbed Leon as soon as was possible, helping her up onto solid ground. A sigh of relief escaped his lips. Yes, they had finally escaped the damn caverns, and they were momentarily safe. Only problem now was the very obvious wounds that marked each and every one of them. He noticed a tooth in Leon's shoulder, as well as various scratches on the other. Meanwhile Zahavi was holding his arm in a concerning manner, and Isabella was roughed up... just how much he couldn't tell. Possibly the girl was superior than him at disguising her injuries.
Zahavi's words were certainly true; Isabella had been crucial in getting them out of the cave. But he didn't speak on the matter, because Leon quickly drenched all sense of safety that he temporarily felt.
We need to cauterize the wounds.
A shadow fell over his expression. No filter remained over his face anymore, and it was evident that he did not want to do this. Nevertheless, Leon was right. And then Isabella looked at him... and was asking expectantly if he could manage the feat. He had done it before, of course. Zach wasn't the type of person to have lived a comfortable life.
Zach took out a blade from his belt, the same one that he had so stupidly revealed himself with earlier that morning. Not that such a thing mattered anymore.
He held the blade with his palm, taking a few small steps from the group. Come on, Zach thought, closing his eyes when at first the fire didn't appear in his palm. Come on! Not even a surge a warmth flowed through him. His pyrokinesis was nothing but a dormant spark in his chest. His emotions were rampant, and even his eyes were beginning to prove such.
Furiously wiping away out of them, Zach's voice was filled with frustration. "I can't." And then a sudden tone of despair, followed by a much quieter repetition of the same words. "I-I can't. I'm sorry." He dropped the knife to his side.
"But... but we should bandage up more, you're right." He said, stripping off his overshirt and wringing it out. A mixture of blood and water fell to the grass, and afterward he cut the shirt into strips. "We'll need a stick for each one."
|
|
|
|
Post by 𝕊𝕙𝕒𝕕𝕠𝕨 on Apr 14, 2020 16:11:36 GMT -5
Leon sighed in relief when Zach took out her blade, and decided to sit down. The next part she couldn’t bare letting someone else do. If she lost control, if her powers flared up, she couldn’t take the chance of hurting them.
She barely paid anyone any mind, mentally preparing herself, grabbing a nearby twig and pressing it between her teeth while Zach attempted to get his fire going.
One.
She placed both hands over the tooth, gingerly tightening her hold on it, wincing at the small amount of effort it took.
Two.
Her grip tightened, forcing her shaking to quell slightly, already on autopilot.
Three.
She distantly heard something along the lines of ”I can’t do it,” But she had already reached her counter, biting down, feeling the twig crack some as she freed the tooth from her shoulder. She noted in sickening agony that her shoulder was now profusely bleeding, though not as bad as Zach has been, and that the tooth was stained in the color.
She lost her balance then, glad she chose to sit rather than stand, and slumped to the side for a moment, catching her breath. That wasn’t even the start of it, now she had to burn it to a close. She pulled herself back to a sitting position then she turned back, mentally preparing herself once more for whatever pained followed, only to spot Zach looking extremely despaired. His eyes looked wet, and he was ripping apart this shirt.
She registered his words then, the ringing subsiding slightly, as the boulders settled into her stomach, a wave of nausea hitting her like the tooth had. She stared at him, realizing her mistake with a shaky breath, the bloody tooth still in hand.
She was keeping that son of a bitch. At least, she was doing so now out of spite.
“Probably a good idea,” she commented, almost sounding like a hollow replacement. She was hoping they wouldn’t criticize her stupid action, as she was internally doing so herself. Warm, sticky blood oozed down her arm, and if someone would look, the blood seemed to contrast the darker grey that was staining her fingertips.
(I know this might be out of order sorry.)
|
|
|
|
Post by 𝕊𝕙𝕒𝕕𝕠𝕨 on Apr 15, 2020 22:48:39 GMT -5
I have been looking for days. For days on end, I have searched for her, the little girl, that is. The one who was missing. I had been tasked with the duty of finding her.
No one had any clues of where she had run off too, only that she ad run away, and so I had decided on the location in which I too would run.
The mountains had been treacherous. There was an easier way, but it would take weeks to take an easier, longer path. Plus, the village on the other side of the mountains could help me restock on the supplies I needed. I was being paid well to find the young girl as it was.
My steps echo as I turn another corner, locking eyes with the treacherous drops before me. And still, my torch is held firm in my hands, regarding the thoughts in my mind rather than to ponder a possible death in the deadly falls below. Above me, the moon gleams, just a sliver in the sky, and a blanket of stars shines brighter, farther away from the palace and surrounding city.
It should be a beautiful sight. But the beauty is a disguise to the darkness that looms. Soft noises warn me that I am not alone, that animals are pecking, distantly, wolves are howling.
I had been tasked to find a little girl. One who was perhaps at only 15 or 16, one who was a sweet little flower, as everyone had explained, with a heart of gold and grace. And yet, she was gone. In my mind, I wondered what had driven her away. Was it the bustling streets?
People had said she hadn’t a family, that she was a lonely, but happy girl. As an orphan, I understood how it felt to put on a disguise. To pretend a farce to keep those around you from knowing. I related with the feeling of hiding. I had many times thought of fleeing. But I remained, laughing with my friends that I did have, finding a family to love me, to-
I turn, glancing around, the hairs on the back of my neck standing on end, as I feel the eyes of a creature behold me. I have no idea what exactly it is, but from my intuition, I feel I cannot trust it. Then again, trust was a blind foolish idea.
I continue, seeing no reason to remain. Whatever had been watching me was likely searching for food. But it didn’t help the small quiver to my bones. I never liked the nights of searching, it always pained me to do so. Pained me to think of whatever could be out there, watching, lurking, ready for the attack-
The flame billows out, the wind feels ice cold on my skin, and goosebumps rise. I turn, expecting to see nothing at all. Instead I spot my stalker.
A cat, a small calico, it seems. The fur is stained midnight black, with small white and red patches. The fur is spiked and ragged, and the eyes seem intelligent and bright, and almost a pale silver. Almost the color of the moon itself.
Surely, when I had turned, I hadn’t expected to find a cat of all things. But I found a small chuckle escaping me, taking a step towards it, patting my leg in greeting. “You sure seem lonely,” I comment, finding a small smile falling over my face, it had been many days since I had someone to talk to, a companion, “So am I.”
The cat tips her head, ears flickering and bobbing with the movement, her fur, while ragged, seems to be soft and of medium height. She’s a pretty little thing, and awfully young to be upon a mountain all alone. It doesn’t make a move to receive attention from my extended hand. It seems so curious, with eyes narrowed in the slightest, and whiskers twitching, lips almost in the shape of a smile.
It’s intriguing, really, but I didn’t have time to stop and chat with a cat. I take a final look at it, before sighing, standing and returning my simple steps. The path ahead is rocky, but mostly flat for the time being. The uneasy feeling hasn’t left. But I cannot tell why it hasn’t gone away.
I hear laughter, it’s quick, a small burst, and sounds like that of a young lady. I’m instantly attentive, wondering briefly if the girl I had been searching for could really be near. But something in the laugh sounds mocking, it sounds more like an echo than anything else.
I stare back, realizing the cat had decided to follow me, it too looking around in wonder and confusion. I force out a strangled laugh, “You heard that too, Buddy?” I question, stooping down, moving to pet it, even as it dodged and glared at my fingers. So I just stare at it for a moment, before looking around. I don’t see anyone there, but the feeling of foreboding just won’t leave.
I stare one last time at the cat, before standing back up and speeding up my steps. I see the telltale shadow of clouds covering the moon, and the eerie silence makes me beg for more light and noise. Every hair is on end.
“You know,” I start, glancing back at the cat who had decided to follow me, the cat small, tinier than most her age, with those pale eyes looks at me as I speak, and I silently note her intelligence, “You should probably get back to your mother.”
I continue stepping after those words, I know the cat won’t really listen. She probably doesn’t understand my words too well, and if she does, she’s much too intrigued in my whereabouts. I really don’t mind a companion, it’s almost my comforting with whatever else must be near.
“My mother is dead.” I hear behind me, that same childish voice, wafting through the forest, and I glance back, looking at the cat. Her eyes lock on mine, tipping her head once more, and I see her teeth flash out and glint in the moonlight, her muzzle opening and moving, the most wicked glint entering her eyes, “Long and slow. Just as I wished.”
I find my blood freezing, my words stolen by the crisp air. My fear has picked up, simple from the actions of my imagination I’m sure. There is no way a cat had really just told me such a thing! There is no way a cat has spoken at all!
“You may find this tantalizing,” it almost doesn’t even sound like the voice is coming from a certain direction, or form the feline herself, “A cat speaking in human tongue. I must warn you, that should be the least of your concerns,” the snarl she sends me has me taking a step back.
I have heard of shifters, wicked creatures of the night, who hunted on those who fell into their traps. All worry I had for the little girl flew out the door when faced with this tiny beast. Even if I was still looking for her, the new information of my feline companion ruled out the likelihood of the child being alive.
I cannot respond, my breath closed tight in my throat, and I blink. By the time I reopen my eyes, the cat is gone, the forest is once again in a calming silence beyond the mountains, the path no longer feels of horror and fear.
I deduce it must have been my imagination. Cats didn’t speak, and if it was a shifter, it wouldn’t have faded away, it wouldn’t have the ability to. Instead, I had simply didn’t have enough sleep, and so now my mind had made up fantasies to encourage me to rest.
My heart rate didn’t lower any, remaining peeked as I turned back to the mountain side, continuing my easygoing steps, each one filled with a caution and dread. I felt the ice in my veins slowly thaw, the fear and dread lessening with each step.
Nothing bad would come to me. I was simply searching for a lost little girl. I was simply doing my job.
I felt something cool ghost against my skin, sending shivers down my spine. The hair on the back of my neck rustling slightly.
Something is there, with me. Something is actually following me. Someone is behind me.
Even without a torch, I know the moonlight will guide me true. I puff out a breath of air, whirling around, my hand already on my sword.
But nothing isn’t there at all. I can’t hear anything over my pounding heart beat. Yet, I can feel how the wind moves against every hair I have, hyper aware. I feel the tug on my clothing as the wind blows by, I feel the cool crisp hitting my skin.
“You shouldn’t be here.”
I turn, finding the voice was behind me, sounding the same as it had earlier. But nothing is there, I stagger backwards, feeling myself collapse as my knees give out, my hands beginning to tremble against my best wishes.
“Why not?” I try to sound brave, calling back, my body deciding to remain in a backwards crawl, as to keep my awareness on any other possible thing around me.
“Everyone who comes here dies.” It warns, sounding feminine, and soft. For a moment, it isn’t as scary, except that I have no idea where the voice has come from, who the girl is.
“I hope that isn’t the case,” I comment, swallowing my fear, on the cusp of wondering if my hallucinations were too far. But the situation felt much too real.
A soft giggle follows, my head swings around in attempt to find it, feeling my heart beat accelerate, pounding against my chest, “And why not?” It sneers, voice sending chills down my spine. Whatever has followed me surely can’t have good intention, not sounding like that.
“A young girl was thought to have disappeared into these parts.” I comment, unsure of why I would dare utter the words. A part of me wanted the truth, to hear the creature killed it, so I could return home, so I could run, and try to flee.
The giggling stopped, for a moment, before my gaze is drawn up as a figure materializes, sitting in one of the branches of a nearby dead tree. Spiky branches, and figure alike were crowned in moonlight. It peers down at me, with eerily glowing white eyes. It’s skin is a grey color, like that of dead ash, and under it’s eyes are dark flecks, almost like freckles, but seeming more like runes than anything else. It’s hair is short, spiky and tame all the same, and I seen the outline of it’s clothes, almost looking like fur, but something in me warns me that this creature isn’t wearing fur.
A loving creature would be needed to do so.
It stares down at me, judgmental eyes are without pupils, but I can still tell that it’s judging me, thinking of what torture it could induce.
“You won’t find her here,” It simply comments, eyes narrowing ever so slightly, “No one comes here and makes it out alive.”
Something in me warns me that I’m not the exclusion. That fear is still prominent. The sliver of moonlight behind the creature is almost blocked out by the dark creature itself.
I fixate on it for a moment, an immediate sense of alarm coming from how childish the creature looks and sounds. Like a little girl.
“If that how your mother died?” I question, curious mind already at work. Surely this creature was the same as the cat earlier.
It blinks at me, face blank for a moment, before it bares fangs and teeth into a grin, staring me down. “You are attentive.” It commented, and suddenly, the creature is gone, like an ash after a fire burns away.
I blink, my breathing increasing tenfold, I stagger up to a stand, before leaving my belongings, rational thought leaving my head as I run and run and run.
Up ahead, I spot a small river, one that leads into the many caves below. But I ignore it, choosing to turn right instead of forward when the path diverges. The right path would take me on dry land, while the left would require me to carefully cross the river. The rock star loom, blocking away the light that the moon had gifted me, entering me into almost a pitch black darkness.
I turn a corner, though I immediately skid into a halt, my breath labored from fatigue and fear.
There, grinning before me, is a girl, I suppose maybe the same one as earlier. Her features seem softer up close, more childlike, and falsely alluring in regards to innocence. The skin is still ashen and pale, and the eyes are still that bright silver. Her hair falls in ebony locks, befitting to the darkness.
Perhaps this is a mere child playing tricks on me. Perhaps she too is lost?
“You should have never came here,” she comments, ever so softly, though she didn’t move any as I glide past her, already breaking off into another sprint.
I have no clue why I continue to run. But my body is reacting on instinct. I feel cold and scared, and I want to just wake up now, and find it was all a dream. For hours I run, my fear never leaving, never fading.
I pass another corner, looking up, spotting from the corner of my eye as the girl sits, almost like a cat would, with her eyes watching my every move. Her hair seems to no longer be out and spiked, instead, something obstructs most of her head from view, it seems she has a cloak on, two matching ears on the cloak’s hood, and the wind seeming to pull on the cloak slightly, seeming to wave like a banner. Her very presence horrified me, after hours of running, or hiding...
I can’t help my scream of frustration, “Everywhere I go, you follow! I am not here to harm you, or your lands! Why won’t you leave me alone!?”
I feel as if I have been running from my fears for hours, and the girl hops off the rocks, I worry for a moment that she’ll die when she lands from the sheer height. But she lands, on all fours, that is, and glances up at me with that wicked smirk on her face.
“Chasing my prey is much too fun,” she teases, and I stagger back as she approaches. She may not have ears and a tail, but her cloak almost fills the role for both and she’s more animal-like than anyone I had met. I hadn’t expected her to be so blunt in her wording.
“I’m just here to find a little girl, she’s missing, alone, and afraid-“ I start, my voice trembling out of my throat as the words cascade.
“And how would you know?” She’s upon me, but she disappears as I try to dodge her, and I suck in a breath. I feel like I’m going insane.
“Because I’m lost, I’m alone, and I’m afraid-“ I raise my voice, fear and anger rolling off me in waves.
“And stupid,” She tacks on, eyes narrowed in mischief as she reappears at my side, tipping her head as she had done before, but this time in her human form. “Dumber than a box of rocks,” She adds, eying me, and I notice that now her eyes are a vibrant red, it seems it’s her natural color, and her form almost seems translucent.
“Are you a spirit?” I question, staggering back as her gaze narrows on me, evil little laugh escaping her.
“Not quite, But you’re close,” she adds, before her form is gone all together, though I fear a voice in my ear, “Not close enough to find her, not close enough to save her, you can’t even save yourself.” The words stop me. It’s not the only thing she says. It’s not the last. The words continue in a train, dissecting me. Things I never wanted to hear, nor face.
The blinding pain sears throughout my body, my scream filling into the air as I latch onto my head.
—
Tales have it of a lost little girl, one who they thought went missing in the mountains. One day, a man had returned, shaking visibly, blood raging down his arms and legs. He claimed a girl indeed had been in those woods. One like a feline, with the intent to kill, driving him from cliffs and bluffs to the rivers down below. One who delved into his minds deepest secrets, calling them to mind.
The tale has it that the girl didn’t kill, nor hurt her victims. She drove them insane by simply bringing out the biggest monster of all.
Themselves.
|
|
|
|
Post by Hawkeyes258 on Apr 15, 2020 22:59:46 GMT -5
(Oooo spooky!)
|
|
|
|
Post by 𝕊𝕙𝕒𝕕𝕠𝕨 on Apr 15, 2020 23:01:51 GMT -5
(Eh someone thought it was spooky I’m happy.)
|
|
|
|
Post by Sparky on Apr 15, 2020 23:30:31 GMT -5
[ it is spooky! also love her role xD ]
|
|
|
|
Post by Sparky on Apr 16, 2020 0:15:01 GMT -5
[ testing ]
|
|
|
|
Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on Apr 16, 2020 2:27:15 GMT -5
A time when magic was legal? Eldred could remember that well.
When he had been young, he’d been able to use his magic without fear. And it had held beauty and wonder to him, his childish curiosity wanting to experiment and learn more about his abilities. His entire childhood he had been able to use and study magic freely without persecution, a gift that his future self would be so incredibly grateful for.
He remembered being a child of maybe around eight years old, by which time he had already known Helena for several years. The two children were exploring together, roaming the lightly wooded area around their village one morning. It was a bright summer day, the air heavy and warm but the light golden. The air was heady with the smell of flowers, and the quiet burbling of a stream could be heard.
Deciding to follow that sound, the two exploring children came upon a grassy bank by the shallow stream. The bank had a gentle slope, and it got a lot of sunlight, enough to make the grass a vibrant green but not so much to parch it. There were beautiful trees across the river that swayed in the breeze, the rustling of their leaves sounding like the whispering of so many secrets. It was beautiful.
“I think we should make this a place of our very own,” Helena suggested with a smile
She was a happy, cheerful child. She always has grass stains on her dresses and flowers in her dark hair, and she was always smiling. Helena was Eldred’s best friend.
The girl was right that it was a beautiful place, and she and Eldred had always wanted a place to go that was just theirs, that was special to them. So it didn’t take much for Eldred to agree.
“It is ours, then,” Eldred said with a smile, before affecting a posh voice “won’t you sit down upon your land, milady, and survey it?”
The boy sat cross-legged on the grass and looked up expectantly at his friend. Helena immediately adopted the same accent, clearly enjoying the little game.
“I shall, my lord,” she said with a giggle as she sat beside him
Eldred looked at the grassy bank upon which they sat, and had an idea. He had magic, but hadn’t shown Helena yet because he had been struggling to control his powers and learn how to use his ability. He had told her that he had magic, though, so it would be no surprise to the girl.
“Look what I can do,” Eldred commented excitedly
He held a hand over the patch of grass in front of him, and concentrated. A few moments later a flower had bloomed in front of them, and Helena looked at him in astonishment.
“El!” she exclaimed “it’s beautiful.”
Eldred just smiled and made more flowers bloom.
“Can you control it?” Helena questioned
”Not really,” Eldred admitted “I can vaguely decide I want wildflowers, but I can’t choose what kind or the colour. And sometimes when I get angry the magic does things without me wanting it to, I lose control of it.”
It had made vines grow up his bedroom walls only a month ago. But he was a child, and did not fear being unable to control his powers. He was too caught up in childlike wonder.
Helena was too, and bade him make more flowers grow. When the girl ran barefoot along the bank, Eldred made flowers spring up beneath her feet. He spread the plants everywhere he possibly could.
By the end of the afternoon the entire bank was covered in colourful wildflowers. They never died, not even in winter, and they were the same flowers that adorned the very same bank when they sat upon it as teenagers. In fact, they were still there when Eldred left his village as an adult.
And that was what taught Eldred that magic never died.
(Okay so his plants power is a lot more powerful and dangerous than I wrote about there, but that was Eldred’s original ability. I wanted to play around with the fact that Zach and Leon have fore and water and give Eldred some equivalent of earth. Almost paralleling the elementals)
|
|
