Aurora tries to concentrate on what the man is saying but her mind wanders to the sword. Why me? She asks inside herself. She stands close to Leon and tries her best to keep up.
Crosses
The Lyonessian priest's neutral features break for a moment at Leon's words. "Disturbance in the air? You mean a Rift?"
Barnabus looked about to retort when someone pounded on the door to the small meeting room at the back of the Airship. Annoyed Barnabus bellowed for whoever it was to enter and glared icly at the lone crewman who looked in sheepishly. The man was oddly quiet, obviously hesitant to speak under his Captain's dreaded glare. "Speak damn you! Why do you interrupt us?"
The man literal jumped and then stuttered out. "S-S-S-sir, Ship's spo-o-o-otted off the port b-o-w-w." Swallowing hard the man bluttered out the rest and quickly shut the door. "LookedtobeCygnianWarshipsFightingImperials!"
Barnabus gave a low groan. "Thamar's Tit could this get any worse!"
Off the port bow appears to be the makings of a grand struggle between what is obviously Cygnian Warship's and a large detachment of Imperial vessel. The ships are formed into orderly ranks and in the darkening skies the brillant flashes of thousands of musketeer's exchanging fire on the side decks of these immense warships. The popping sound of their fire was near continuous and reminded you morbidly of fireworks except from this distance you could barely make it men and woman dressed in colorful uniforms. Representing their people even though hundreds of them were dying in the exchange of fire.
The Red Shields Airship starts wheeling around, taking a long er route around the ensuing combat when a sailor up in the crows nest cry's out a warning over the roar of their airships engines. "CRYXIAN'S OFF THE STARBOARD BOW!"
Turning you see the sight of nearly four dozen Cryxian warships, ranging from mere rakers to the hulking flesh galley's. All of Which appear to be descending rapidly towards the battling Imperials and Cygnian vessels. The Red Shields react with precision, a lone drummer on deck starts beating to quarters as the night watch lieutenant begins bellowing orders. It appears your in for a long night...
Mir, Cassian, Ael
Your descent is quick and without hinderance. Bera looks immensely pleased once her hooves are on a firm level surface again and spends a few moments straightening what little clothing before approaching the Servitor's. Still hovering near the fallen machine woman are Cassian's Servitor's, all of which appear transfixed on the crackling dual pronged weapon she appeared to once have carried.
Aside from the fallen Machine there a number of oddities in this room, particularly the amount of machine parts and completed machines that line the walls. The floors are covered in dust which stirs with every step and the room has the underlining smell of decay from the many rotted away remains in the room. Mere fragile bones now, the signs of an epic struggle are evident around the room.
Standing behind several unfinished machines is another machine woman with small metallic wings that climb from behind her back. A strange mechanical blade is strapped to its side. Inspecting reveals the many finely crafted and small gears and machined parts that make up its joint connections. It's face is unsurprisingly Elven looking in design but completely lacking any semblance of flesh. INstead being completely machine like in its function and appearance.
Inspecting it shows that it is powered down and inert but your initial attempts fail to activate it.
Leon's eyes flash as he shrugs his shoulders muscles loose and ready for another battle.
I begin searching carefully through the room and pull up short when I find the mechanical woman, "Woah, another one."
Cassian inspects the crushed machine his Servitors had gathered around until Aelessaer calls his attention elsewhere. "Try to get that staff away from her if you can," he orders an Assistant as he crosses the room to see what Ael discovered.
"Well, well, well..." he muses, tucking his hands behind his back and leaning in for a closer view of the strange machine.
Tyrn your First!
The Gladiator styled serpentfolk was just staggering back to her feet with the help of her sister. When the first of these grossly over muscled metal clad enemies entered the room. Three in all, one of which was still prying the doorway open.
The two that entered freely seemed to look at each of you for a moment before splitting up, one heading in the direction of the sisters. While the other moved toward you with a singular purpose. It's right arm bore a massive hammerhead that was attached to where it's wrist should have been. While its left arm ended in a normal, if overly muscled hand.
Crosses
The Cryxian's were quick in their approach, their forces separating to take on the many forces that were present...
However they seem to completely ignore the single Red Shield ship, as if it were insignificant in light of the smorgasbord provided by the warring Imperial and Cygnus ships. Zed and Barnabus don't press for the attack as their mercs had suffered excessive losses already. So Zed quickly and expertly wheels the Red Shield's airship around the battle and towards Cygnus.
You can't help but watch the raging struggle you're missing out on but as you watch you notice something strange. Perhaps it was a trick of the flashing cannon fire but it appeared as if the Cryxian's were only attacking the Cygnaran Warships...
Mir, Ael, Cassian
Yet the more you look over the strange machine the more you can't comprehend why they would toss something so unique. So perfect. Perhaps its something you don't yet know or understand about them. How to fill it was beyond what you could comprehend, perhaps you could dig it out of Mog's memory?
As Cassian examines the machine the Servitor's continue to hover eerily around the fallen machine woman. The weapon that had crackled to life earlier continues to hum along unabated and the electricity running up its dual prongs appears to be growing in strength. Your attention is interrupted when Cassian tipped forward momentarily before catching himself, he also appears to have not notice that he nearly fell over just then as well...
Bera is quietly looking around the room as well, apparently engrossing herself in a small orderly pile of machine parts as the rest of you do whatever it is you are doing.
Mir quickly finds the door that near seamlessly melds itself with the wall on the far side of the room.
Ael on the other hand notices that the room is much larger than it first appeared, the rubble was a good indicator that their was some sort of collapse. Which led to the machine woman getting pinned beneath it all.
*click* I click my fingers next to Cassian's ear.
"Stay with us, Mr. Confidence. You okay?"
"Hmph! Never better," he replies courteously although his pupils were in disarray. He steadies himself and, with a hand on his hip, grimly surveys the wreckage surrounding them. "This room was - well, still is - a graveyard for all creations the priesthood saw unfit for their purposes. It escapes me how something like this ended up here."
Cassian quickly scans Aelessaer's face in attempt to find some philosophic encouragement then drifts back to the angelic machine buried in the scraps of a dozen disassembled totems. "I can't help but feel like this is what she's missing."
Cassian Vespertine carefully removes a bulky canaster containing a fist-sized clockwork orb from his satchel then balances it above the machine, the forced perspective superimposed the orb over the space where her heart would be. "A Soul Node," he says in a soft breath. "How beautifully harrowing to imagine the elves substantiated the intangible; an artificial soul. Perhaps this is the line they crossed to fate themselves with such ruins?"
"So, these are the broken ones? The dangerous ones? Are you sure we should be turning them on?"
"To be perfectly honest, I have no idea how to turn them on. I'm simply speculating."
"To be perfectly honest, I have no idea how to turn them on. I'm simply specula..." He never finishes the last word, his eyes grow distant for a moment before they suddenly refocus. His gaze becomes cutting, focused and a dangerous vibe radiates from his being leaving a heavy feeling in the room.
He turns and gives Ael a sidelong glance before he spoke in a clear voice. Far clearer and direct than before. "Yes we should be turning them on, especially this one. Now be a good girl and don't interrupt me. Same with you two as well Bera and Mir." Looking away from you and back tot he machine he speaks in another language which seems to affect the servitors. "Eleaneilana matyilem tymeanenyec 5513, ilcc yleanla, oems laanyymeana tyilmilsaanam."
The Servitor's wheel around, the sentries eyes change from gold to red as they move towardsCassian. The Assistants snap their clawed hands before grouping together and heading towards Cassian as well. Cassian's shoulder jerks for a moment before he gets it under control. "Stubborn man..." He kneels before the machine again as the servitor's move into position. Pulling out the Soul Nod and setting it on the floor carefully.
This new Cassian's piercing gaze reminds you of V's but for some reason you know that this isn't Cassian, nor V...
You find yourself cartwheeling down into inky blackness, a multitude of memories rushing past you at blurring speed as you tumble into the unknown. These memories are your's intermixed with Mog's and you can see that they are all dangerously intertwining now. Some of the memories appear to be replacing the others and the possibility of her memories replacing yours entirely shocks you to the core.
Be a good girl, eurgh. My skin crawls as bitter memories flash through my mind for a moment.
I step forward, "By Desna's stars!" and topple over the mechanical elf with a great shove.
Then I call out, Bera! Help me! Something has siezed his mind!"
A low growl fills Miri's throat as she feels the fur on the back of her neck stand. Dropping into a crouch she moves forward, moving to support the other females against the machines.
"His mind is theirs."
Leon's metal hand tightens on the railing as he watches the battle. When he finally lets go his fingers have dented the metal. He turns his back to the fight and heads towards the priest.
"What are these rifts you mentioned?"
Leon
You find the Priest looking out of a porthole at the battling ships, a stoic expression on his face as the feed captives remain huddled together. It was obvious they had been broken while in captivity. The way they coward at even your approach easily betrayed how weak they were.
The Priest doesn't look at Leon when he asks about the rifts. He takes a breath before answering in a straight forward manner. "As I owe you both for freeing me I won't mince words. The rifts are believed to be a gateway to another world. How, why and what creates them is unknown, but it has documented numerous times over the centuries that they truly lead somewhere far from the Old World. Some places are paradise and others are like living in hell itself... Eox must be one of those places obviously. Other than that I don't know much else."
Aurora
Your emotions are your own again, the moment of elation passes and the sword seems to hum along happily. Constantly emitting a warmth akin to a low burning hearth. The pulling sensation you felt earlier however remains, although it was more like feeling as if you forgot something important. Strangely though as you get closer to the priest the sword starts to hum excitedly more and more the closer you step towards him.
The priest looks at the pair of you and seeing your battered look he grimaced. "Are you in need of healing?"
"Any healing you attempt on us will only serve to do more harm than good. We're not creature of light like you humans." Leon says simply with a shrug.
Crosses
He doesn't look surprised, oddly he looked relieved. "You exist, whether you stand in the light or not isn't for me to decide. It is obvious you walk a different path than most. Is there anything else I can help you with? Oh and before I forget..." He pulled out the weapon you had handed him earlier on-board the Flesh Galley. "You can have this back."
Mir, Ael, Bera
Cassian rolls back as the machines fall over. However he hazards to save the strange soul node, taking a hit in the shoulder as he narrowly avoids an incomplete machine from crushing him as it slammed into the floor. Oddly though the Mechanical Machine Woman doesn't fall complete, eerily it looks to be tilted over but it wasn't falling completely over. Whatever held it up was a short lived mystery as Cassian rose to his feet, a look of outrage burning in his eyes as he raged at you. "FOOLS YOU NEARLY...!" His leg jerks and he nearly tumbles to the floor. "Dammit, not now... Laanety aniras omes elanammytyanelv sa! Aey ilnyaneelilana anira silnyirela, tymatyilma oem anmilllaoamalnya!" The Sentries move to block your advance as he begins to turn away, dismissing you all. Even Bera's sudden guttural growl doesn't phase him as he makes his way back to the machine with the soul node in hand.
Initiate please if you plan on fighting ;)
Stop them from interrupting me! You activate the machine, prepare for transference!
Leon accepts his dagger and with slides it back into its hidden sheath at his back. "I think that's everything."
Cassian
You can't remember when you stopped falling, but you do remember the foul man who taught you how to dodge oncoming blows...
Right around the time his gnarled cane cracks you in the shin again, hard.
"This is what an airship Captain is like? Boy you move like that in the air and you gonna find yourself falling to earth when you tumble over board? Or perhaps a reaver will skewer you eh? Now move your G#! D~@N FEET!" You would have made it out of the way but he aimed higher and you narrowly avoid a shot to the groin. It's easy to see he's enjoying smacking a man half his age repeatedly and he was chargign an outrageous fee...
You pull yourself out of this strange memory, somehow detaching yourself from your body and finding yourself standing off to the side. Watching as the man strikes and addles you over and over again. However you notice that someone else is receiving the same training, a tall elven woman of startling beauty. She stoically takes every hit and doesn't utter a word as your instructor berates her and shockingly calls her Cassian numerous times.
She doesn't seem to notice you and your shock grows as this separate memory starts to meld with the one you yourself were just involved in...
Crosses
The Red Shield ship leaves the battle far behind, however the booming of cannon fire echoed like thunder behind and around you for quite sometime. An ominous sound as the remaining merc's warily watched the skies for pursuer's.
Night falls before you come close to seeing Rennor on the horizon and the boom of cannon fire and fighting seems to grow louder as you approach the distant city. As the next hour passes you find a shocking sight. The city was under attack, several massive fires blazed out of control and lit the city with an ominous light as a massive show of darting lights, explosions and the sight of airships plummeting out of the skies greeted you all.
One merc groaned in dismay as the others turned and looked on with a mixture of stoic and grim on their weathered faces. Without a word the mercs began gearing up for the fight ahead, even Barnabus emerged armed and ready.
"Listen up Dog's! There's no turning back this time, there's nowhere else to go. Our fuel stores are low, too low to go for another port so gear up and eat hearty! WE'VE GOT CRYXIAN'S TO FIGHT! GUNNERS TO STATIONS! PREPARE MUSKETS TO CROW AND FLY LIKE HELL ZED! BEAT TO QUARTERS!" The Commands didn't fall on deaf ears. The slam of cannon covers slapping open could be heard and the sounds of cannons being loaded echoed beneath decks as the gunners prepared. A couple of riflemen armed with long guns climbed their way up into the crow's nest in preparation as the few crewman that had been asleep came storming on deck, geared up and ready for the fight ahead.
Barnabus steps down from the wheelhouse and approached the two of you. "Unless you wish to stay on, your contact ends the moment we land in the city. You'll be paid as agreed and your fee's are in my quarters." He gives you both a heavy nod and turns back to Zed as the tired looking pilot starts pushing forward the levers ad forcing the airship to fly even faster, barreling towards the ongoing fight in the Capital City.
Leon stays silent as Barnabus mentions their contract his eyes shine in the night as he stares at the city under siege. What happened here? He silently wonders to himself.
Crosses
As if to emphasize the dire situation the city was in, Leon could see what could only be a ship of the line falling out of the sky. A ball of fire that was plummeting towards the ocean far below as a battle raged somewhere above the dark clouds of the lower troposphere. Multiple small explosions shook its broken frame as it plummeted. It was easy to see its back was broken, as the hull was bent downward in the center and the ship formed an ominous 'V' shape. Even as it was breaking apart, three signal's fired from its burning deck and into the sky. Arching for a moment as they flashed brightly before falling to earth, the triple flares light dying long before they reached the waterline.
"By Morrows beard!"
Was but one of the many oath's given before Barnabus bellow forced the crew to refocus. "FOCUS YOU DOGS OR THAT WILL BE US!" Before he could say much more the Man-o-war crashed into the ocean with an echoing *Slap* before it suddenly exploded as its ammunition stores went up in flames. Sending a massive mushroom shaped cloud of debris, fire and black smoke rolling into the clouds. The burning wreckage was nearly sunk below the water line before the Red Shields airship passed it by.
1 - Docks ECR 31
2 - Beachhead ECR 9
3 - Market District ECR 16
4 - Temple District ECR 15
Barnabus signal's to Zed and the tired airship pilot starts wheeling the ship around, heading towards the beach just outside of the capital city. He wiped his brow nervously as the airships engines roared in the background. Barnabus looked to the crew with the mad glint in his eye as he bellowed above the roaring din of the engines. "It'll be complete suicide to attempt to land at the docks boys! WE'RE TAKING THE BEACH INSTEAD!"
A lone Raker makes the mistake of attempting to take on the lone merc ship only to meet it's demise when the gunnery crews opened fire. Each shot struck true and each cannonball borrowed it's way inside the overloaded cryxian ships deck. The last cannon round was the deciding factor and with a skull jarring crack the Raker's back broke and the poorly maintained ship broke apart, sending its crew screaming to the ocean hundreds of feet below.
The short fight didn't go unnoticed as multiple flashes of gun fire lanced upward from the beach below the Mercenaries airship. Leon pulls back as one man is struck under the jaw, the lone necrotite round exited out of the top of his head with a sickening spray of brain matter, blood and bits of bone before the man collapsed over the railing. As their Airship came closer to the beachhead the concentration of fire increased, bits of wood, railing and armored plating were being chipped away as the Red shields pushed to land as quickly as possible. The merc's didn't remain idle, men aimed over the deck with long rifles, culverin's and utilizing hull mounted cannons to pound the beach below while hoping to lessen the resistance they were encountering.
The descent was a brutal affair, several men fell before the ship landed among the potholed beach side. espite still taking fire Barnabus and his crew returned fire without hesitation while bringing a chaingun from below decks and mounting on the thickest part of the side railings. This lone gunner with a large plate of iron in front of him aimed towards the beach before pressing the trigger and lighting up the enemy with a blistering spray of fire. **TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA** Flame burst nearly a foot in front of the chaingun as it's six barrels spun almost faster then the eye could see, unleashing round after round towards enemies unknown...
Burst of light are the only indication of possible enemy position's and its difficult to tell the concentration as the enemy appears to have chaingun's of their own as well.
There are five distinct area's on the beach that appear to have the heaviest concentration of fire.
You know that there are three chainguns on the beach, each are spaced apart by a couple hundred feet and appear to be in what could only be a well dug in and defensible position.
Leon quickly spots the enemies chain guns and points them out to Barnabus.
The passing frames of memories unwound with such reckless speed it would have made Cassian vomit had the thought of sharing the “fall” through this void with stomach refuse in such close proximity crossed his mind. He closed his eyes and clenched his jaw, stubbornly repeating to himself: Slowly. Slowly. Slowly.
He apprehensively reopened his eyes when he felt a resistance at his feet. The victory was short lived, though, as a decrepit Qin pirate’s gnarly headed cane connected with his shin. Cassian let out a brief yelp as his leg gave way forcing him to look up to meet the eyes of his trainer. If I were armed I could have waved that away as if it were an unwanted cupbearer, he remembered himself saying. Before he could even process what was happening his lips began to move, voicing the thought verbatim. The pox-faced pirate just laughed, ”Heh, stupid boy. Only a fool balances his life on the point of his sword. Think yer enimies‘ll care if y’got a weapon er not? No. Now y’already gave me yer gold so I don’t give two s!&$s if ya finish the hour er ya don’t, but an old man jus’ chopped yer g@!@$!n leg off; gonna bleed out if I don’t cleave yer head in first. That how y’wanna die, boy? Didn’t think so. Now quit yer pissin n’ moanin n’ get on yer feet.”
He felt a sudden jerk in his gut as he seamlessly detached his consciousness from his body and absently watched himself from afar. When the memory began to blur with Mog’s he watched with morbid disbelief. He had the sudden urge to swim back into his body but couldn’t seem to make whatever physical form he had left move in any direction of his choice. He was falling again… someplace deeper.
When the sensation passed he could feel the weight and warmth of his body again. He saw his hands first though they were significantly smaller than what he was used to. He looked up and was fundamentally terrified by the sight.
”Cassian, my beautiful boy, I’m so sorry. I’m so, so, sorry.”
No. Not here. Anywhere, just not here. Both Cassian and the child form he inhabited were in tears. Until this moment Cassian couldn’t conjure the image of his mother’s face but there she was, sickly and pale, laying resolute in her deathbed. She clasped his hand between both of hers and smiled sadly.
”No need to cry, little prince. There’s nothing to be afraid of,” her voice was as soothing as a dove’s. ”Remember the stories I’ve told you. Death can be a great adventure if you’re brave enough to face it. You have that bravery in you, Cassian. One of many gifts I’ve passed on to you.” She began to caress his hand with her thumb. ”Do you know why I chose the name Vespertine for us? It was for hope, sweet child. The most beautiful flowers can burst and bloom without the warmth or safety of the sun. Though we’ve been eclipsed by circumstance, our nature is absolute. Beauty and strength are ubiquitous. A man’s environment can influence him only if he allows it to but you are better than the place we ended up. You will not make the best of this life; you will create something new, something entirely of your own.”
There was a schism, arcs of ley energy shot across the ceiling of his mother’s sickroom. The walls had disappeared and there were series of organized catwalks webbed out in every direction. Cassian was suddenly aware of how cold his mother’s hands had gone and, looking down, he saw that they had changed from her thin skeletal fingers into cold plated gauntlets. He tried to pull away but there was no use. It was then that he noticed all of the cables running along the floor beneath the bed. He then saw in crushing horror how dozens of these cables connected into his mother’s spine, arms, legs, and neck. Her bed had vanished leaving her suspended in the air by wicked cables and her nightgown begun to morph and melt into her skin, eerily mechanizing her body into Sil’s. As if completely unaware of her transformation she continued.
”I’m sorry that I will not be there to see-” She was cut off by the echo of Sil’s voice.
”- where you take your life. You were destined for great things, Cassian.”
”Well where in hell AM I supposed to be, Sil?” Cassian snaps as he suddenly jerks his hand from the machine’s grip. ”It’s wrong. It’s all so g#*~$+n wrong. I won’t let you and your mother take this from me. It’s MINE. NOW GET THE F$%& OUT OF MY HEAD!!!”
Initiative
Everything speeds up, all your memories and the mirror images start to wax and wane and for a moment you start to fade before your sudden outrage appears to shake then entire process. As your rage echoes outward all the memories still, some separate but it appears whatever was happening has stopped for now. As you peer into the clustered memories floating all around you everything starts to melt away and is quickly replaced by towering trees and feel of vibrant life all around you.
Animal's move back and forth, great stags, giant eagles and other creatures you haven't seen in your relatively long life. Among them though are the usual types of animals you have seen, wolf packs, rabbits and other creatures. Trees with trunks thicker than three people holding hands could encircle rise all around you and tower well over two hundred feet tall each. Their thick branches forming a nearly impenetrable canopy high above and causing the area around you to be shadow ever so slightly, it isn't an unpleasant feeling but the coolness on your skin causing you to get goose bumps.
In roar in the distance catches your attention and straining your eyes you see three great waterfall's that fall down into a deep river gorge. Their falling waters create a consistent mist from the constant agitation of the water below. Among this mist you see what could only be people dancing within the mist, yet they weren't people at all. Mere outlines that danced and happily flit back and forth among the mist. Than you noticed that other figures moved among the trees as well, people made of bark and plant, green skinned and hair made of what looked to be tangled roots. Some lounged in the branches high above you, basking themselves in the few rays of sunlight that penetrated the canopy while others moved among the animals or tended the plants on the forest floor.
As you looked at the great scenery that surrounded you a soft voice whispered from somewhere nearby.
"This is not Sil's doing... It is mine... This was my homeland..."
Than before your eyes the land starts to rot, rapidly deteriorating, the strange dancing forms in the mist disappeared as the triple waterfall's stopped flowing completely. The plant people collapsed, some falling from the high branches and breaking with the snapping sound of dry twigs as the impacted the hard earth around you. A great stag staggered by you coughing and vomiting up blood, bile and other nauseous smelling fluids. The stag makes it only a few yards past you before collapsing to the earth, you hear the all too familiar last breath as it's dies the moment it fell to earth.
The wolves come, although now they are malformed, mutated and vicious. Their fur is matted and appears to be falling off in clumps. Where their skin and fur had peeled away revealed swollen muscle tissue and it appeared that they now took a sick pleasure in dragging down other animals only to tear them apart before attack again. With a ear splitting crack one of the great trees final fails under the assault of of rot, fungi and corruption that has swept the land. The great giant falls to earth with a thundering crash that stirs up a choking cloud of dust and mold spores that cause you to start coughing violently.
Things moved in the spore cloud around, hundreds of skeletons, rotting animal's now zombified and some being led by what could only be fell necromancer's. These cloud figures were covered in sores or carried staff's made of bones and flesh to pulsed and moved as if they were alive. They paused every now and again to raise another corpse and add them to the steadily growing horde. They split like a flowing river of corruption moving steadily around you but none of them pay you any heed as move steadily towards destination's unknown.
Thats when a thin elven woman appears out of the choking cloud of spores, a thin scarf shielding her face as she steps towards you. A pair of thin blades drawn. Her eyes blazed with a steely resolve as she spoke again in that light whisper. "You ask too much, too many questions too quickly. If you want to be rid of me than you must defeat me..." She raises her blades in an offensive stance, sweeping them back and forth in a way that was exactly the same fighting style as your own...
Di
Smitties airship angles over the gatehouse, despite taking fire she appears to be holding together as you survey the area below you.
A entire company of Thrall warriors holds the gate while four large platoon's of Thrall warriors hold off a small platoon of battle clerics that appear to be trying to retake the gate. The Clerics battle hard despite being flanked on two sides and continue to try and push towards the gates despite the knowledge that they may not make it there alive...
One of the four thrall warrior platoons holds back in reserve, ready to intercept any stragglers that get past the main battle line.
The lone Raker is still coming around, it'll take them at least a minute or more to reach Smitties airship. Your rifle troop have moved into position and appear ready to fight on your word.
As you stand assessing your situation the speaking tube rattles as the somewhat muffled voices of the gunner turned bomber team calls upto you. "In position marm, it'll take time to get another batch ready but we are ready just give the word!"
Joey's voice joins the chorus as the speaking tube for the crane rattles. "Ready to give them hell!"
In Tyrn's invisible state, he thought to himself as he moved through the room over to the fierce looking woman's container.
So, you're really going to do it, old man? You're really going to release her? You cannot conceive the power she may or may not wield.
But that is why I should release her. The odds of survival would be within our favor if I release her, even if she turns hostile. With the serpent folks' debilitation, I would be the only one bringing a fight. Odds are, this creature is in our proverbial boat, and would slay our enemies before slaying her allies. That would be us, Tyrn.
Right. Well, it seems you've made your choice. Lets just hope it doesn't bite you in the ass.
Crosses
The chaingunner changes targets, focusing his fire on the nearest of the fox holes and starts pounding the position hard. Despite his best efforts though the enemy position doesn't fall, being too well defended to simply gun them down. Barnabus turns to the pair of you just as Aurora is clipped in the shoulder by a stray chaingun round from the nearby enemy foxhole.
Aurora
As she reacts to her now injured shoulder she notices something in the corner of her eye. Movement far higher up the beach, something she barely saw before and then a single dim flash. Barely noticeable among the heavy fire flying back and forth across the beach head. Mere seconds after the flash the chaingun on deck angles upward firing several shots skyward as the gunner head snaps back prior to him slumping to the deck. His dead eyes stare glassily at the pair of you as the scorch marks of a large necrotite round still burn around the edges of the entry and exit wounds. Before you have time to really assess the situation you see another flash and you are able to barely knock Leon out of the way, resulting in both of you sprawling on deck just before the large round smashed through the side railing. Had Leon been there it would have been a direct hit...
Both of you
Barnabus gives a loud curse before bellowing at a nearby merc. "Piette get on that gun! You lot keep up the fire. Biggs, Vincent and Edge, you three get out there and take down those foxholes. S^&^!" Barnabuses curse causes the other mercs to duck as another large rifle round strikes just as Piette moves to take up his position on the chaingun. Piette takes quick aim and pulls the trigger back. Unleashing another round of heavy fire. Piette yells tauntingly as the sounds of a snapping and cracking bones echoed with each rattle of the chaingun. "EAT S^&*! COME ON!"
Barnabus looked to the three mercs with an angry annoyed glare. "I'll double the shares of the one who kills that damn sniper!"
The three mercs selected by Barnabus look grim but resolved to do as their captain asked. Barnabus rolled onto his back, motioning with his hands to some of the other nearby mercs. Smoke grenades in three, two one... Barnabus pulls the pin on his grenade along with half a dozen others and tosses them towards the nearest foxhole...
Some of the grenades come up short, landing along the waterline and never popping while four of the grenades land in neat succession. Creating a thick smoke cloud that swirls across the beach and back over the side of the Red Shield airship. Barnabus signals the three men to move just before he and the remaining mercs aim over the side of the deck. Unleashing a heavy volley of fire and catching some of the advancing thralls with their rifle, pistol and crossbow fire. With varying results and another merc slumps another victim of the distant sniper. The three mercs hope over the slide, splashing quietly into the water before slogging their way up unto the beach.
Piette proves an able gunner as he avoids two attempts on his life by the distant sniper and he exchanges a few shots before giving up. He continues to keep up suppression fire for those pushing towards the enemy on the beachhead. The darkness of the night makes the fighting more chaotic, more brutal and personal.
"You ask too much, too many questions too quickly. If you want to be rid of me than you must defeat me..."
”Understanding is the first step in solving a problem,” Cassian replies coldly as he draws Silene from her sheath. ”As you no doubt have seen from MY memories, I don’t make for a very good prisoner... and I’m a much better ally than enemy. Here I wonder what your true intentions are, Mog, I presume. If my questioning pitted you against me than it stands to reason that their answers are of some importance.”
He coolly paces left and right, letting the point of his sword drag menacingly along the decay of the once lush field; his eyes fixed on his opponent despite the cavalcade of undead shuffling past them. ”I restored your body to some degree of health, gave you my promise to keep the filthy ruins of YOUR temple from imploding and I protected your daughter’s Chosen from the creatures you allowed defeat you and your kind; so why torture me like this?”
O, right… Too many questions…” Cassian snorts and smiles devilishly. ”No, I don’t want to be rid of you; quite the contrary, actually. By the grace of the Gods, I will do to you what you’ve done to me. Whatever imprint you’ve left in my consciousness must go both ways or I'd be able to project you differently. I will find the bridge to your side and I will return the kindness. Your experiences, memories and the all the knowledge you've accrued in your freakishly long life will be mine to toy with as I see fit. A disgusting thing to do to a person but it's only fair.” He rips the kukri from it's sheath at the small of his back and skillfully flips it to an underhand grip, the point of its curved leaf-like blade aiming directly at his opponent.
"Or..." he pauses quizzically. "Maybe I can project you differently."
Cassian cranes himself into a sturdy defensive stance in reply. His mithral sword unwavering and parallel to ground while the kukri in his offhand was hidden behind his back. He stands firm and confidently invites his attacker's advance.
Ael bera mir
Cassian suddenly grabs at his head and gives a loud shriek of outrage before falling to his knees. Whatever is happening appears to be either getting worse or a great struggle is happening now, what though your unsure...
The sentries form up to defend him and hover right between you all. Currently their is one for each of you. Their multitude of eyes glow a bright red and their visor are down but none of them break formation to engage you appearing to be waiting for yuan to make he first move.
Apologies for the short post. The three of you are first on the initiative as the sentries are delaying and are just watching you right now. Posting from my ohjne which is about tks die or also id have taken the time to ooc/b things. Posts to come later once i have some response.
Leon is forcibly knocked to the hard deck by Aurora, before he can form a question he sees the marks in the wood. His eyes to crystalline a good sign of deadly intent by the dhampir. "We'll kill that son of a b1tch for free." He growls upon hearing Barnabus' deal, his teeth already elongating in anticipation.
He slips off into the water and begins to move up the beach towards the sniper using the chaos for cover katana drawn and ready.
Aurora nods grimly at Leon's proclamation. No one shoots at her husband she thinks as she draws the Skyblade, odd how the hilt seems perfctly fitted to her hand and forms a scorpion whip of shadow. She drops to the ground alongside Leon.
Tyrn
The moment you crack open the hatch a heaviness befalls you, in fact the entire room felt heavy with an unimaginable presence. Than before your very eyes the women begins to change her hair shortens while rapidly draining of color until it is white, curly and shoulder length. Her body changes just as quickly as her hair, turning a pale white in color, her wings recede into her back and her ample proportions become even more comely. She opens her eyes slowly, revealing their dark violet color, before starting to pull off the mask, revealing her full cherry red lips. Through it all she never once broke eye contact with you.
Once the mask was off she swallowed and ran her tongue over her luscious lips. At your stunned look she chuckled lightly smiling ever so slightly before reaching out and caressing your neck softly. Even though she didn't say a word you swore you could feel someone's warm breath brushing past your ear as a soft sultry voice whispered to you. "Bedside service, how... Perfect." She accentuates the last word in a way that causes a warm tingle to run up your spine.
Painfully however, the sound of your opponent approaching causes you to turn away from her, eliciting a quiet sigh from her. The metal clad and overly muscular being makes it about halfway across the room to you before it suddenly crashes to the floor. The victim of a round metal tube you swore wasn't there before. The reptilian sisters have similar luck with their opponent. As it too crashes to the floor, it's foot caught up in loose wiring running out of a loose metal plate in the floor.
The sisters capitalize on their moment of opportunity, the newly released sister unleashing a heavy gout of flame, searing their opponent just before the gladiator styled one leaps onto its back and savagely drives it sword into it's malformed flesh. Their opponent doesn't cry out in pain or even grunts as it rises despite the added weight of the armored gladiator on its back...
Your opponent lies a mere ten feet away, prone and struggling to stand...
The woman you just released looks calm and collected as if nothing in the world was wrong as she started to strip off the suit much in the way a high class bordello girl would for a lordling. She even cups it under her ample bosom when she notices you watching giving you wink and hip shake before continuing to strip the skin tight suit off and revealing more of her enticing new form.
your turn Tyrn :)
The telltale rifle crack of the sniper taking another attempt at ending your life Leon is all you hear before the glowing necrotite round slaps into the surging water around where you were wading your way through. Their not the only one that makes the attempt as the nearest foxhole focuses its fire solely in the direction of your small detachment. However despite their best efforts not a single hit lands, between the dark of night, the smoke grenades and your superior training you manage to make it onto the beach without a scratch.
Your deafened by the boom of cannons firing just behind you as Barnabus attempts to knock out one of the enemy riflemen units that was even now starting to refocus on your motley group. His efforts however only create more craters in the beach and puts more smoke into the air, leaving everything looking cloaked in an eye stinging fog for the first forty feet up onto the beach.
The nearest foxhole and enemy chaingun crew is located around one hundred and sixty feet away from you. They are located roughly twenty feet off the ground, apparently they fortified a small bluff face for their position.There is multiple explosion craters you can use for cover but it will take more time to reach them or, with only the cover of night to protect you, you can make a straight shot and try to get up under the foxholes firing position. Due t the difficult terrain you can't run across the beach.
The mercs of course take the safer route, while being harried by the riflemen that Barnabus failed to take out...
I draw my rapier and stand guard, I also glance around the room to see if there is anything I might improvise with.
"C'mon, err, Cassian. Shake it off!"
Mir Ael Bera
Cassia. Staggers another couple of feet before he lets loose a shriek of pain, contorting backwards at an inhuman angle before going ridged once more.
Bera appears to be merely standing there, whether she's unsure as to what to do s unknown. She has her weapon ready but hasn't moved an inch.
Bera appears to be in a trance lie state, if you inspect her closely her eyes are murky and her body is cold to the touch. Her breathing is irregular as well, but she appears to be alive...
I encourage Cassian to be strong and resist the mind-control, "You're stronger than this. That's your mind, damnit! Don't you dare let them have it!"