Titus smirks and then smiles as Sona replies.
"Most of us were and still are. To be honest I'm not sure what I am as it has been only a few hours. I am trained to fight and destroy undead and will continue to do so. That is all I will speak of it. Your welcome to travel with us as we seek other living folk. For now we head east."
At the Hill
"We should be cautious. I will go to the top of the hill and scout ahead. Wait here."
Titus moves away from the group a bit before taking the form of a lion. He then moves swiftly to the top of the hill to survey the land.
You don't see any threats. Some more hills but mostly desert/plains.
"You are welcome to join us. I hadn't thought of bringing my mount. The books didn't say anything about them... now I have to track one down. Any chance I could ride one of your mules?" with that said he sheathed his sword and walks up to offer a handshake and some questions.
"No mount for me, but I'll speed up as I get stronger, I think," the returning Azana said. "Unless I can get a dragon. Are dragons a thing? I'd ride a dragon."
Focusing after a moment, she reports, "I lured the group away. There was about a hundred of them. I couldn't find a fire or anything to lure them into, so next time I'll try taking some fuel or something too. Then I can trap them in a building and burn it down." It wasn't like buildings were uncommon compared to people now. Burning one to take out a few dozen zombies was a great offer.
|
The two men on horse back keep up a steady pace, the lead man's mount with it's head to the ground, until it looks up at the group. The man riding it looks up as well, and his eyes land on Titus.
"Are you living folk?"
He seems pretty calm, but his hand is on the hilt of a longsword at his hip.
Kyrie giggles. "Some of us more than others," is all she says. She wasn't much for small talk.
She waits patiently for Thorn to get back.
Titus will return to the others shifting back before getting insight and reporting what he found.
"East then!" She simply states and continues.
The wind starts picking up and whipping sand into each of you.
Titus holds up a hand to halt the team's movement. He turns and looks back.
"More zombies that way. I see a few and some more behind them but can't make them out in this blowing sand. We can use the cover of the sand and attempt to move past them. Or we go through them but the sounds of battle or the smell of blood could attract more. My vote is to move around them."
To Titus's original comment:
"I was also trained against the undead scourge upon our lands, and I have taken up a oath to protect the innocent against said scourge."
At the order to wait, he dismounts and begins to stroke his lion.
As Thorn walks up, he shakes hands and says:
"Ah yes, I was fortunate enough to be swept into this plague-ridden land while near my steed, as was my companion, Troas. Feel free to ride one of the mules, though good luck finding a place to sit. Oh, and I haven't introduced myself, back where I'm from they call me Kealen Rosmund, and you are?"
He continues to adjust Singto's (that's the lion's name) saddle, and nods to Daniel.
Singto looks up as the hulk of of a man transforms into a equally hulkish lion, and growls deeply as he disappears into the darkness.
Kealen then nods along with the rest of the conversation.
Titus speaks to his undead qualities but doesn't go into detail. She was unsure about him above all others. He showed signs of lycanthropy and vampirism. As he descended the hill, she shrugged to Azana's question about dragons. "Who knows in this place?"
Titus returned, and with him came news of their situation. Her desire forward was to be in her real form for once, as she could easily smell out the zombies, but once again, she was thwarted.
The new riders seemed to be joining them. Sona contemplated some things as she held her bestie's hand. Now they were two massive lions and a panther among them. Being the kitsune she was, she began to get even more skittish and nervous for her and Constance's safety.
The dust began to whip up and sting them all and she wondered if it was about to get worse. A cloth is pulled out of their bags to tie around their heads and she cups a hand to Constance's ear to speak again.
"Should we hunker down for the moment and let this blow past us?"
The wind continues to pick up and the sand with it.
Thorn didn't have time to move things around and is just walking next to the Mules.
"Move on!" She simply states walking with the front keeping her scythe out and ready should the zombies see them.
The sand storm made flying choppy. Azana wasn't sure that ignoring the zombies was a good answer. They were strong enough to kill them, but most people probably weren't.
"I'm leading us around them then. If the storm gets worse we can and will hunker down. Here hold on to this and it will keep us together if the sand gets worse."
He pulls rope from his bag and uncoils it. He hands the lead end to Elize and awaits the others to pick up the rope. Once ready he takes Elize by the other hand and leads them forward and skirts around the eastern Zombies.
- Elize
Jelissa
Kyrie
Azana
-Daniel
Kaelen
-Troas
-Thorn
The group continues following Titus, with the sand kicking up you can see at most 10 feet in front of you. Luckily after 30 minutes the storm doesn't get worse and you have not encountered any zombies. The storm continues to rage but you can see a cliff ahead of you that has lessened the effect of the storm. Allowing you to see up to 20 feet around you.
"I think we're going to have to wait this out," Azana called to the others over the story. "I not sure if this is normal or part of the whole end of the world or what, but I've never dealt with this before."
As the group decides to stay here for the 'night' she slams her scythe into the groud and it stays standing. She states, "Do not leave from 50 feet from the scythe and undead will not detect you. Thorn and I will go find fresh water, any are welcome to come but you... well we likely will rest again under the noon sun." She begins to chant quietly spending one hour in quiet meditation, holding the stick in a Y shape in both hands and begins to walk around.
After the hour she thrusts the focus component into the ground, next to the cliff about 80 feet from the group. From that point fresh, clean water trickles forth,
Thorn leads the mules to the far side of camp away from the large felines. He begins to ask, "Anyone have a stake?" as he walks back looking at the group and gasps! In a burst and likely louder than he meant he blurts, Looking around desperately he curses under his breath but can't find them.
Once he finally calms down he focuses on his task and follows Jellisa letting her focus on the spell as he acts as her shield.
Titus approaches the water. He fills the chalice. He turns it upside down and marvels as the water stays inside. He then takes the chalice to Elize.
"Drink my sweet. I no longer have a need."
Elize takes the chalice and drinks. She returns to the spring and fills it again along with some vials and her and Titus wineskins.
Elize:"Seems we are in a desert environment. Fill as many empty things as you can with water. We should shelter during the hottest part of the day and travel at night, but the storm is forcing us down now." She goes and sits back down making up her rest area.
Titus smiles at her and begins walking around checking on the others as Thorn yells out.
"What? How? When? Sona must have let go when we couldn't see, but why?
She is smart and capable. Let us hope we will see her again. Please, everyone, get some rest. I no longer tire so I will stand guard and watch over the area."
Azana looked around. "No sounds of fighting, and both are gone? I guess they...left?" The young woman looked down for a moment, keeping her thoughts to herself.
With Titus claiming he didn't need to rest, Azana nodded and began setting up her camping gear. This took some time, and a lot of looking at the little instruction booklet that came with it. Once she had some protection from the elements she set to work cooking. It was clear that this was at least in part a distraction.
She walks up behind Thorn and lays her hand next to his cheek from behind. He quiets down and she whispers with him once he turns around, "I know... I know... but... but there is nothing we can do now. We don't know when they separated from us. Titus will protect me go." Seeing the determination in his eyes she lets him go.
He walks up to Kælen and Troas then asks, "Can I use one of your mules to go look for them, PLEASE!"
"You don't need to do this or even alone, let me come with you!" He shouts out as Troas is already 80 feet away.
He nods to the armor clad fellow. Then turns his panther back and begins to run in the direction they had come.
He waves his hand and for the first time smiles. Then pushes his mount forward, faster... away from the group.
"I'm pretty sure that was a yes, so feel free."
Kælen mounts up, and says:
"Come on, lets go after him before he gets himself killed."
He kicks he heels into Singto's sides:
"Come on girl."
Titus was distracted as the others rode off. He was beginning to shake a bit. And staring off looking at nothing. Elize takes notice and approaches. She whispers to him.
"I have thought about what you are over this time. I know you can only feed on the willing. Please my love drink from me. I will rest tonight."
He looks to the other as some are riding off into the sand. Then he locks eyes with his love. He nods and they walk a few feet away from the group embraced with one another. Once away he kisses his wife, then moves and kisses and cares her neck a moment before showing his fangs and biting in. He drinks.
He drinks on her a full six seconds before pulling away. He looks away ashamed before she turns his head back and kisses him blood still fresh on his lips.
"Now I will go rest you watch over me and the group my love."
She pulls the collar of her coat up to hide the wound. As she heads back to camp to rest.
Titus walks back and looks to those still there.
"I hope they are alright and don't find any trouble out there."
Those mounted and heading back into the storm soon turn back. Your own foot prints have quickly begun to disappear. The three of them come back sober.
Likely the three return and quickly hunker down for rest.
After a good 8 hours the sun is blazing, the wind has completely dried leaving behind a dryness to the air. It is not noon yet...
"As long as Jelissa can make water each day it shouldn't be as big of a deal to travel during the day. I still suggest we rest another 8 hours or so until nightfall. I believe we will cover more ground at night and consume less water and resources, but that is only my opinion. If the rest of you wish to go now I will continue to lead us east."
Azana considered this, and counter-proposed, "Um, I know some of us can kinda see in the dark, but I can't and I don't think some of the others can? Wouldn't the light we'd need to travel make us super obvious, especially as more of the power grid fails and artifical light gets less and less likely? And while things will be able to see us easily because of the light we won't see them until they hit the light."
She took a bite of the meal she'd made - lightly spiced cheese and potato with stewed jerky - and added, "At least in the day we'll stick out less. We'll be more hot and sticky, depending on the weather, but if we have all the water we need we should be fine. And we'll not be hard to spot, but at least we won't stand out like a sore thumb and we'll be able to see the others, too."
"I agree with Azana, I think it will be more important to see in the day. We can take breaks when needed. Also with the mules we could rotate who gets to ride. I can't see in the dark, I could barely see last night with the moon." He offers up and eats some dried berries with a swig of water. He is out of his armor and you can notice that the armor gives him some serious girth. He is as thick as Kyrie, though his muscles are much more toned. Right now he is wearing simple underclothes and a dark red cloak with a hood.
Tall and lean this elf holds his posture straight and true, all 6’0”. Many would call his wirey frame of 170 lbs. weak, but he knows just like the yew tree you must bend or you will break. He wears the ageless youth just like his kin, appearing in his twenties when actual age can not be said. His hair is kept short for practical matters, his raven black locks are straight for the most part barely touching his pointy ears. His eyes are always watching, keeping that keen lookout for any hint of danger, be ware of those emerald eyes for they have taken the hearts of many. His tan skin is spotted with freckles due to his time on the long weary road. His skin also shows those magical tattoos, but also the scars of many battles. His face has several scars, over his right eyebrow, under his left ear up to his temple and a strange one over his adam's apple. Though there are more these are the most predominant ones.
She gets up earlier than most and prays to Pharasma. Then she goes back to bed seeing most still asleep and Titus still on alert. She nods to him and then gets comfy again before nodding off in her bedroll. Titus would have noticed she is in a silky black nighty and skimpy underwear of the same material. Her holy symbol around her neck as an amulet, a circle with black and white fire chasing each other on the circle of silver.
As the group starts talking she wakes up again, staying in her bedroll to keep resting she listens. She offers, "Being able to see a threat does out weigh most of the other issues. Titus do you have problems with the sun?"
He did not sleep either. Though his panther did on the far edge away from everyone. He merely meditated and sat in a folded leg pose.
As the group talked he watched them not offering any words.
Her eyes widening a little, Azana replied, "Oh, crap! I forgot about the whole vampire thing with the sun. Would sunscreen work? Maybe a hat?"
Kælen would have eaten a simple meal, fed the cats, set up a tent, have a drink of mead, and falls asleep. He wears simple civilian clothes and a short leather tunic. Before he falls asleep, he unloads the mules and lets them out to graze on a rope.
When Azana speaks, he asks: "What vampire thing? Don't tell me there are both zombies and vampires."
"No from what Elize and I know I am not vulnerable to the sun. Fire, on the other hand, is pretty bad. Traveling at night was certainly more favorable before knowing we had all the water everyone will need. With water traveling during the day will not be as bad."
He looks to Kaelen.
"When we arrived here we each took an artifact from the wizard. I took the Chalice. It seems the liquid that was contained in it was the blood of something. Perhaps it was the blood of what I now am. It is called a Liskhorsie or Lion Vampire. Regardless when I drank I changed into what I am now which is a Liskhorsie. I can shift it seems from human to hybrid to animal form. I can communicate with your lion. The artifact turned me into an undead. Perhaps the wizard knew such a creature would be needed to save this world. Now that he is gone we don't know what his motives were. I can tell you I do feel hunger, but I can only feed upon the willing. It has not corrupted my morals at least not yet. I was trained to slay the undead wan will continue to do such. If I am destined to wild this power forever I will do such but will continue to protect those I hold dear. I am sad Sona has left us. She had offered to allow me to feed on her. I believe whatever she became made her immune to the drain from losing blood. Now let us not waste the daylight."
He helps Elize gather and pack to move out.
"If you have more questions I will answer to the best of my ability."
"I can fly now," Azana added helpfully, as she floated.
" You're telling me you're a vampire?"
Kælen says, rubbing his temples.
"More that he has vampire-esque traits," Azana replied quickly. "He can move around in daylight without sparkles and his urge to feed doesn't overpower his good sense to not eat us."
She packs up her bedroll and secures her pack before grabbing her scythe. She then kneels, prays for about a minute then taps her sycthe to the ground. A white strobe of energy washes out from the scythe in all directions in a moment. Then as she stands she asks, "Do we want to go towards buildings or water?"
"I see. I hope you won't judge me for.... keeping an eye on you."
Kælen then prepares to move out, switching all of the gear to a single mule.
"It's an apocalypse that spans multiple planes of reality," Azana replied to Kælen, "And there are enough stories, in my world, about survivors being as dangerous as the undead due to desperation, and none of us really know each other, that most of us are kinda watching each other."
Nodding to Jelissa, Azana added, "I think we should try the buildings. It's riskier, but there's a much greater chance of there being people and supplies we need. We just need to be really careful and cautious, stick to the edges and stuff like that."
"With Lay of the Land I know the gist of the area. It is mostly desert. But there are a few bodies of water and even less buildings."
She explains and then once all are ready she leads the group...
Jelissa leads the group though others might see a threat before her. After an hour of travel you still haven't seen any undead.