Haha! The hat has a point there....
MJ grins deliriously....
"He does? I could have sworn he was flat on top..."
Hehehehe!!
MJ points at Marcus with a smirk and sidelong glance....
What do you think, Professor Greer.... Should we finish up business here at the Tower first? Or get to preparing right away for the coming invasion of PB in the C?
"Well to be honest, I didn't think I should put my opinion in here. I have no attachment to your friends."
"I would prefer to finish our business here swiftly, but I really don't know the best course of action, and wouldn't want to prevent you from helping the people you care about."
"But I would REALLY enjoy bringing this tower down around the ears of these insane worshipers of that hateful creature." he says with a big smile.
Your f#@kin s#!t Marcus, your supposed to agreein with me! How long we been travelin together now and your are gonna... Gonna... AHH! Damn jack hole. Do whatever the hell ya want.
Throwing his arms up in frustration, Blake walks over to the nearest wall and "harrumphs" as he leans heavily against the wall, crossing his arms and looking away from the group.
"Darius Blake, watch your tongue. There's no call for language like that." Marie says with a glare.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
"Quite right Marie, that IS very rude language to be using out of the blue, especially in front of ladies like yourself and Daisy." Marcus says to his wife.
"I think you owe Marie and Daisy an apology, Clean. There really was no call for all that." he says with a smirk.
Alright, Doc.... I'll saddle up one of the horses tomorrow morning--
Why put off til tomorrow what could be done tonight, sir?
Tonight?....
Dwayne looks down at Daisy, patting the revolver....
Yeah, I suppose there ain't no sense in delaying.... Might be they're only at the Canyon for tonight.... Could be off to some other country tomorrow morning, knowing that crazy-ass wizard, Merlin....
Blake just sets his jaw and keeps staring at the far window trying to ignore Marcus' remarks. After a moment of silence though he breaks down.
Sorry Daisy, I didn't mean to be so foul mouthed in front of a lady. He turns back toward Marcus angrily again. But I refuse to apologize to your imaginary girlfriend.
Marcus' eyes narrow at Clean's words.
"'Imaginary girlfriend'? IMAGINARY!?!?" he screeches.
He goes silent for a few moments, closing his eyes and muttering to himself subvocally, before calming into a much more somber and subdued mood.
"She's my wife, Clean, and she's just as real as you or I. Just because you and the others are too blind to see it doesn't change that fact."
"It baffles me how you can CONTINUE to ignore her presence after all this time. Look, she's RIGHT THERE-" he gestures forcefully and power rolls off him in a wave.
And Marie becomes visible, mostly transparent, but visible, and looking none too happy.
"-But YOU continue to look, and humor me, but see NOTHING and then blame me for your own ineptitude!" he tells, before finally stopping with a huff.
Marie crosses her arms and shoots a death glare at Clean.
"GIRLFRIEND!?! We've been married for YEARS you tiny pain in the ass!"
OH! GAH! S#!T!!! IT'S A F#@KIN AHH!!!
Blake splutters as he nearly slides clean to his a$$ barely catching himself long enough to scuttle back a few feet instinctively drawn on the Ghostly Mrs. Greer. The two had been traveling for so long and yet this was the first he had ever seen of the late wife of his companion.
Whatever we do we need to move fast!!!
I think we'd better take advantage of our momentum here and finish bringing this Silver Tower down....
Derrik/Arthur is quiet for a long moment, listening to his companions and carefully weighing their options.
Finally, he looks at each of his allies for a brief span before speaking.
Fierce Ones.... We have undertaken a dire duty here, which we cannot lay down until it is completed.
His helmed head turns to face Daisy and Yingzen....
By Excalibur I swear.... When justice has been visited upon the cruel fiends that govern this place.... Every power in my possession will be turned toward the defense of your peoples' tribes.... But I cannot forsake the sacred quest I have been charged with here until righteous vengeance has been visited upon the foul leaders of this hive of depravity and evil!
Blake gathers his wits about him gritting is teeth as he glares around the room. He grunts as he straightens up and makes his way to the next floor not wanting to waste any time murmuring about imaginary friends come to life, thick headed stubborn one track minded idiots and burned down homecomings as he fades back into the darkness beyond.
Derrick there is evil every where now a days i know sacrifices must be made. he closes his eyes thoughtfully. We have four more floors to go? I would scout ahead if the party feels that is wise?
Radsworth watches the others, then nods at Yingzen.
"That seems to be consensus, that the Tower comes first. Lead on Yingzen. But do take Clean with you."
nods as he melts into the shadows
And now he degenerates to incoherent profanity laden babbling. Marcus thinks to himself as he shakes his head.
"Come, Marie. It appears we've come to an agreement. Upward ho!"
Up the stairs go the Fierce Ones, led by their scouts, Mr Clean and Yingzen....
The smell in the air does not improve as they advance up to the next floor....
A charnel stench hangs heavy.... The scattered bones and skulls of human victims are strewn haphazardly about....
Coming out of the stairwell onto the next level, they find themselves at a corner where two hallways run north and east, with office doors on both sides in each hall....
A strange mechanical humming seems to come from somewhere at the center of this level.... As one listens, the humming takes on a sinister property, seeming almost to sound like the droning of human voices chanting at times, and more like electricity surfing through power lines at other times.....
More disturbing is that the humming can be felt as a palpable vibration in one's body, producing a mild nausea in those who are sensitive to such things....
What the hell is that buzzing?
I can feel that in my stomach.... I don't like it....
Marcus puts his hands up and pinches his thumb and forefinger together.
"Ohmmmmmmmmmm..." he hums in time with the buzzing.
Though I've never felt nauseous while meditating before, weird.
He slows down a little bit and opens his inner eye to see if there are traces of magic nearby.
Blake waits for the group at the split and moves to the bulk of the group. The sick feeling in his gut is hard to see reflected in his features due to his near permanent scowl. Blake leans on the corner that breaks the hallway north and east in a nonchalant stance and arms crossed. To those more versed in combat, the sverfneblin chose this particular spot for a reason. A single step would take place the gunslinger behind the cover of that particular corner if something were to attack from either hallway. Blake knows it would be a bad day if they were attacked from both, but he would have to deal with that if it came. With the way today has been going though, Blake knew not to expect luck to be on their side. He eyed the group as they moved up the hall way toward him.
So which way? Left to our deaths? Or right to our doom? Unless the big guys wanna take the direct approach and Juggernaut yer way straight through the walls ta that infernal humming noi....
"Ohmmmmmmmmmm..." he hums in time with the buzzing.
Really Marcus... First the creepy a$$ dead wife thing and now the joining in with the crazy cultist chant?
Make our own doorways? I like the cut of your jibberish, sir!
MJ points "BJ" at the inner wall of the northbound hallway....
I'll bet Excalibur could cut through that s~*% like it was warm butter, eh, Derrik?
Yes.... But not without making a lot of noise, and bringing the whole of our enemies on this level upon us at once. Unwise, at least until we know what is here.... Clean and Yingzen will tell us shortly....
Yingzen goes right scouting ahead.
Taking Yingzen's lead, Clean goes left, Revolver at the ready.
Marcus stays where he is, but at the ready, geared up to run off to help either of his companions at a moment's notice.
Mikey cops a squat, leaning on "BJ" point-down, awaiting the return of the two scouts, and trying to become acclimated to the weird, mind-numbing, nauseating hum that seemed to vibrate through every fiber of his being, and caused the floor beneath him to buzz....
Daisy sat on her haunches and listened intently, with no small degree of trepidation, to the humming.... She began to perceive (or imagined that she perceived?) fell, incomprehensible words of chaos and madness when the humming took on the aspect of low chanting.... And more mechanical sounds and tones when it shifted into something more electrical....
Derrik scanned the north and west hallways with stern eyes that seemed to perceive more than they should in the gloom to either hand.... Auras of evil normally invisible to human eyes began to reveal themselves to his piercing gaze....
There is evil nearby, Fierce Ones.... Be vigilant!
He held Excalibur in a firm two-handed grip, and a holy radiance ignited the length of the silvery steel blade....
As Yingzen proceeds west, and Mr Clean north, they soon perceive the sources of the evil auras detected and announced by Derrik....
Emerging at once from the doorways along the sides of both hallways are fiendishly barbed bipedal devils with wickedly sharp claws and eyes like burning coals!
Three such fiends emerge into the north hall, and three more into the west hall--six total, closing in from two directions!
Yes, as sets of glowing red eyes in black, barbed silhouettes....
"There's something coming." Marcus says, probably unnecessarily.
"Just not sure what..."
Marcus recognizes them as barbed devils....
Marcus takes a second look and blanches.
"Ehm, guys, those look like Barbed Devils to me. Pretty bad news as a singleton, but a six-pack will probably rip us a new one. Highly resistant to magic, and to damage without a weapon like Excalibur, a bunch of nasty magical tricks, and sharp pointy spikes everywhere that make melee combat a b@@*~ and a half. Suggestion: Proceed with caution. Or run. Running is good too, unless you guys have some way to kill six nasty devils in less than 30 seconds you haven't shared with me."
"Bringing down the tower entirely is starting to look like a better and better plan..." he grumbles.
A dark figure is seen darting back to the FO's position as the small Blake makes an appearance once more. His eyes are locked on the three coming down the hallway he was investigating. Instead of stopping at the front of the group he moves directly back to the stairwell they had just come up. Reaching the entrance to the hall he spins on his heels toward the group.
I dont know what a barbed devil is, but I suggest we take 'em on in more favorable terrain. You say they are a b&+++ in melee, so lets bottle neck the bastards so we only have to deal with a smaller number of the b@$%@&ds at a time. Heavy hitters up front and everyone else supporting from behind. We need to do this fast, MOVE!
Yingzen remains in the shadows as he moves back to the party
"I've got a couple more of those lovely tentacle fields I think might help us out." Marcus says, grinning.
"But you're right, we'd better get out of this intersection before we're caught in a spike sandwich."
Marcus starts running down the hall, but not at top speed, in case his spellcasting is needed immediately.
He hits himself on the head lightly and calls back.
"I almost forgot, they like to grab onto people! Given the nature of their bodies that tends to be very unpleasant, what with impaling and all. Try to avoid it!"
Right! Let's fall back to the doorway of the stairwell with Mikey and I holding the door.... The rest behind us in the stairwell!
Derrik withdraws to the doorway of the stairwell in the corner of the two hallways....
Roger.
MJ back pedals to the doorway of the stairwell, letting Clean and Yingzen slip past him into the stairwell....
Daisy stays where she is on the landing in the stairwell behind Derrik....
Let's send these thorny bastards back to Hell, Fierce Ones!
looks for a place where he can strike and have cover
Marcus motors back behind his more muscley companions.
Blake took careful aim at the creatures coming down his hall way when he caught sight of the three in the opposite hallway. He cursed under his breath taking a count of the approaching enemies.
B@!!s. This doesn't look good. I suggest we rethink our earlier talk of leaving this s#~@ hole and coming back at a later date. Three of those porcupine b@$#@%ds I think we could take on okay, but we got six of those s#!ts out there. I would rather we ALL get through this with limbs intact.
As he spoke, he lowers his weapon and removes a pair of bullets from the revolver, replacing them with 1 silver bullet (1st chamber) and 1 adamantine bullet (2nd chamber) as a test to see if either of the bullets would help against the walking pin cushions. He lines up his revolver again with his original target and readies to fire the moment they notice the group.