| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
"I... I..." I can't just kill someone! Things were happening so fast. Freya couldn't really process them all. She hesitates, feeling the vision of everyone around her. She takes a step back, then another, and then she was running.
Freya roughly grabs the luminous orb from Iryani and flees as fast as she can. Despite the weight of her armor, the ifrit moved with a speed surprising to most.
Ky La's eyes open wide in anger, suddenly bulging like a frog's run out of patience. "Kapelo, you need to die for this!"
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Being strange to see a hardened warrior take an orb and run, Nempura is left with Kapelo, Novalie, and Iryani on the battlefield. She, however, has no allegiances to Volcano conflicting her.
In her mind, Ky La is a villain. If you talk like one, act like one, and when confronted on it, you certainly aren't trying hard to be seen as anything but--that means you're either a moron, or you don't care about what someone like them think of you. Why? Because in the case of Freya, he can just kill her and her whole family; as he made evidently clear.
"Where did he come from?" she asks the others around her concerning Kapelo.
"He found the orb the first time, Freya! He can find it again! You didn't kill the godling so you are now a heretic in his eyes. He'll kill your family!"
Her words, short and sweet, but boomingly loud enough to overcome the sound of the Ifrit's armor, were meant to instill a halt in the Paladin. No matter where she is running to hide the orb, he likely can find it. He will find it, get what he wants, and then kill her whole family. Now is the time, and then they can get to the business of finding what has corrupted this Inquisitor.
Not wasting any time, she was not going to parse words with a wordsmith. It was clear he could manipulate people into doing his own will, and that could very well mean that Kapelo, Iryani, Novalie, or even Freya could at any moment turn on her and fight her. She focuses her energies to alter the very ground that Ky La stands upon into a shifting miasma of grease-like substance.
"You must be brought before the Matron Mother and have your deeds weighed in full. Do not kill him, Kapelo. Justice will bear him out!"
She wonders at how strong Ky La is. He has already cast an illusion spell, cast an aura concealing spell, and attempted to manipulate Freya. How many more spells and abilities he had, she didn't know. Hopefully, by putting him on the ground or fighting from a compromised position, he would give up.
Ky La falls prone. He makes no move to surrender.
With a cry a black shape drops from the air, all feathered wings and stabbing sharpness.
Initiative:
From the darkness behind Kapelo, a massive shadow moves forward and a giant Oread materializes beside him.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Freya didn't stop. She couldn't.
In killing Ky La, she'd throw away her career, perhaps even her parent's careers as well. The other High Inquisitors certainly wouldn't rest on their laurels after one of their own was killed, they'd find her. Death would be the least of her worries then. The particularly cruel amongst them would send Freya's own mother to hunt her down.
But to kill Kapelo, that would throw away everything she'd been raised to believe was right. She'd become a paladin to fight the Dark and bring peace to the families that were left behind. Kapelo was a loudmouth, but he hardly deserved death. And this... egg. It was a godling, sure, but an infant nonetheless.
A paladin of the lowest rank, fresh out of the Academy, was thrown into a situation she had never been trained for. Asked to make a choice she could never have been prepared for, where both answers were terrible in their own way. She couldn't make that choice, all she could do was run and hope the problem resolved itself.
Kapelo waves to the others (save Freya, who is far away) and says, "Do not worry about the bird and the rather large oread gentle-el. They are my companions, only to protect me from the foulness of Inquisitor Ky La."
Kapelo has readied an action to attack Ky La if he tries to move, or cast a spell.
Ky La, gloating even with a sword to his throat, "Do you think your petty actions here will make any difference? Can you truly comprehend a beehive?"
A cold, shadowy copy of you steps out of thin air, smiling grimly at you.
Will:
The shadowy figure steps forward...a hulking dark figure bearing down on the oread.
Nempura hears the spell being spoken in verbal component, but despite it, somehow Ky La manages to endure the brutal attack by Kapelo.
A shadowy copy of her seems to materialize out of nowhere. Its grim taunting smile being all the indication she needs to know this is an enemy. If only their warrior wasn't being useless and running away. "I swear, if she ever gives me a hard time about my combat prowess, I may have a few words to say!" She then checks her heart, putting herself in Freya's position. Surely it must be hard for her to face.
Kapelo rears back with the garnet-studded pommel of his rapier and knocks out the inquisitor cold. Ignoring the rest of you, he begins tying him up and gagging him.
The mighty Oak steps forward and swing a tree trunk sized club with metal studs along its length.
Attack:
Damage:
...and misses!! lol
Nempura casts a spell of slippery grease upon Ky La, knocking him prone.
Freya runs away with the budding demigod.
Kapelo reacts to Ky La spell by stabbing him in the gut, then knocking him out.
Ky La's spell goes off, creating cold, shadowy mirror images of a few elens.
Ohkwarikó and Badhbh enter the scene as Kapelo assures everyone that they are allies.
Novalie moves into a flanking position with Nempura's shadow.
Freya left Iryani's family shrine, shoving the strange god-egg into her pack. Better to keep it from prying eyes. She rushed through the sleepy village, drawing looks as she went.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
With haste, she realizes she is in combat with herself. As the shadowy version of herself swings, it was like fighting her Matron Mother again. The subtle movements of her own attacks are hard to detect even if it is coming from her. A seemingly harmless cut a moment later burst open leaving her bleeding.
"Ahh!" she cries out in pain. Quickly she draws her starknife and flanks with Novalie to make quick work of this foul creation.
"That's not how you hit. This is how you hit!"
As Kapelo's blow strikes Ky La on the head, Badhbh leaps back with a loud call and a furious beating of wings.
In a moment the oily shape is in flight and swoops back over the altar and towards the trees...
... a moment later it reappears behind the shadowy form of Oak, striking at the shadow with an outstretched talon.
Kapelo starts yelling in sudden pain, clutching his hand, but you are all currently engaged in melee and cannot see exactly what has happened. Ky La Still lies bound and gagged.
Freya is out of sight of everyone.
Nempura handily defeats her shadow-self, scarcely a hair out of place as she completes the subtle cutting move. (deleted)
Kapelo reacts in horror as Ky La shatters into a hundred sharp pieces of glass. The young ifrit tucks his right hand under his armpit, tying to staunch some bleeding.
Badhbh swoops over in a familiar maneveur with Oak, and the two are now in flanking position.
Utterly unphased by the appearance of a shadowy clone of himself, Oak shrugs and shatters the thing with his greatclub. (deleted)
Inquisitor Ky La has broken into a pile of sharp glass. The only remains are his robes, his holy symbol, his satchel, and his glasses.
"What is this thing? At least it can die...I shall have to study tomorrow on it if possible. I just can't focus right now. There are so many variations of enemies I was taught at far too young of an age to recall...It doesn't seem familiar to me at all."
The sheer shadowy effluence that such a small stab can make may shock those around her, but regardless, the villain being gone allows her to sing her song in benefit of her other new allies, however, just as quickly, the massive Oak ends his enemy's life as well in an impressive swing; thus no words or music escape her readied lips. At the same time, it seems Ky La shatters which provokes a small "eek" sound from her in shock.
As combat seems to end, her iridescent, blue-green eyes move over the details of those who are new among them. Kapelo's assurances that they are all on the same side does not rest her spirit in this time of confusion. Her blue-skinned, undine body is no longer dressed in such regal splendor as Kapelo saw her briefly in that morning (if he even noticed her in his rage), nor are there beautiful elements of silver and gold done up in her dark purple hair any longer. The simple floral dress, still higher in quality, seems nothing to what she wore earlier, but still a work of beauty and quality that accentuates her shapely upper half and her callipygian figure.
"What happened to him, Kapelo? Are you alright? Are you hurt?" she asks in quick succession as she moves somewhat closer. It is clear she is bleeding significantly from her shoulder from a very tiny, almost insignificant cut; yet it bleeds as though she had been hit with a sword's blade. As the blood drips down to her delicate hands, she finally notices her own injury and begins to think about how to bind it or heal it, and if others are in worse condition than Kapelo. It is then that her eyes focus on the uniquely beautiful bird and she seems to study it for a moment longer than the rest.
The index and middle fingers of Kapelo's right hand lie in the midst of the pile of broken inquisitor glass. "Porco Vulcunus!" he swears through clenched teeth. He is bleeding profusely now.
Nempura does not know Ifrit, but does know High Ifrit. In a way, she could understand some similarities perhaps in what he was saying. "Aliquam Tempus" she responds, as his curse bore a similarity to her High Ifrit self-study in nature. She waits patiently for him to get his frustrations out.
When he is ready, she will speak up again, saying, "Come here, I will heal you."
If he does, she will cast her cure spell on him before herself.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Sensing Nempura's gaze Magpie take a hop towards her, head cocked.
As he draws nearer she can better see his colouration. His plumage is smooth and almost oily. It seems initially to be just black with white shoulders and wingtips, but as he moves closer the light catches him in a certain way and a wonderful blue and green iridescence comes to his wings and tail, a shadow of Nempura's own eyes. The bird is about the size of a large raven, standing just over 2’ from the ground. His eyes are large, shiny, and pure black. His beak is large but not sharp or hooked.
"Craa"
The moment is broken with Magpie's sharp call and he takes to his wings, ascending quickly into the air to scan the area for further darkthings.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Oak shakes his head as the shadowy figure dissolved before him. Such foul magics are almost unknown to his people. He looks to the others around the area and in a very deep voice says,
"You can call me Oak."
Nempura casts her spell on Kapelo, and the bleeding eases. He stands up, looking at the ruined pile of glass and blood in front of him. "Yes, Oak, you are right, terribly rude of me to forgo introductions."
With his left hand, he indicates the bird and the oread. "These are Badh and Oak." Then he gestures toward the rest. "Guys, these are Nempura, Freya, Novalie, and eh, didn't get the swamp girl's name. The dead piece of merde is Inquisitor Ky La."
Iryani mumbles, "I should go find my mother. You all can clean up and eat in my family's house if you'd like."
Freya was not thinking straight. She rushed to safest place she could think of, her aunt's home. She'd considered leaving town but decided it better to lay low. Eventually, the paladin came to rest in her sister's room, watching over the unconscious ele. She unpacked the god-orb, marveling at its warm glow with mixture of wonder and apprehension. Why did Ky La want me to destroy this? And why did he want me to do it? I'm sure he could have done so himself.
The ifrit sat in the dark room, unsure of what to do. Maybe he was just testing me, maybe I should destroy it. Freya picked up her discarded sword, turning it over and watching it glint in the soft light of the godling.
Remembering himself, Kapelo bows deeply to Nempura. "And I am rude twice, for you have saved my life." He performs a strange fritan gesture, where he pantomimes kissing the palm of his own hand and then laying it at your feet.
Addressing the rest of you, he says, "I for one could do with rest and refreshment. Who knows the way to, eh, Iyanni's home?"
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
The bird hopping toward her almost makes Nempura recoil her hand from Kapelo in healing him, but not out of fear, rather out of curiosity. She completes her course of action and then her eyes jut back to the exceedingly large magpie. A grin of excitement lights upon her face as she seems almost to study his colors as a potential mating bird would do. She has lived her life under River. The smallest flashes of light and twists of reflectivity in fishes sides speak volumes. This was like hearing a new language for the first time, but one close to her soul. In the exceedingly short moment that their exchange lasts, she is enthralled and nearly forgets about her pain. As he flies away, there is a brief, excited smile on her face as she watches him before she returns her direct attention to herself to heal. She already began to feel weak from loss of blood.
Once the spell is complete, she casts a prestidigitation spell to clean her beautiful dress of blood and foulness of shadow. A further spell will lightly carry a small blob of water to her to wash the blood from her hands. It is clear to all that she is an arcane caster and not just a warrior Swem.
"Yes, greetings to you both. I would seek to know you two...err...three of you better," she voices, indicating their leader Kapelo, who Nempura honestly doesn't know still. "He acts like this bird is a person! I wonder..."
Her new allies would perhaps find it strange that their employer suddenly bows before Nempura and treats her as a noble. Nempura offers her hand in a kind manner appropriate to the Fritan greeting and returns with a traditional Fritan bend at the knees.
"I am sure it is this way," she will reply. "I do not mean to distract from the introduction of your friends, but Mr. v'Adril, do you suppose Ky La was a simulacrum? Are we still in danger from him? Should we dispose of this glass and cast it into flame?"
Looking thoughtful at Nempura's last idea, Kapelo says, "Hmm. You mean like a magic duplicate? Sure, that would be his kind of business. Let's start with burning the pieces, eh? I like it."
Turning to the large oread, "Oak, could you please gather up some wood to build a cozy bonfire around this foul mess?" He smiles. "I'll provide the spark."
"In the meantime, where did Miss Drinking Paladin go?"
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Having scanned the area...
...Magpie lands once more.
"Crrr"
Before your eyes a change begins to take place. Dark feathers become ivory hair, clothes, pearly skin. Wings become arms held stiffly at the sides of a crouching el.
The el unfolds upwards, a dead spider revived. Until before you stands Badhbh, tall and lithe. His hair flows freely seeming to have a life of its own, blown by a breeze that no one can feel, drifting around his head and over his face. He makes no sign that this bothers him in the slightest. He is wearing simple travelling clothes and carries a well crafted spear in his right hand. The only sign of the bird that was is the piercing, shiny black eyes. And a single iridescent feather lying on the floor.
Badhbh retrieves the feather and holds it out in gift to the ele before him who's wet arms are themselves iridescing
His long fingered hands look clever and hold the feather with reverence and care.
"Do your arms always do that? My name is Badhbh, rhymes with dive, lithe, hive, tythe..."
Trailing off and not waiting for a reply he darts over to the sharded remains of Ky La
"And what are these shinies?"
He stoops to carefully pick up a shard
"Need we burn all the shinnies?"
The image of an unblinking eye stares back at you from the shard, Badhbh
Oak moves around and gathers loose branches of various sizes and then kneels down and sets the timber into a fire teepee. Stepping back and standing he wipes his hands on his buckskin pants.
"The fire is ready"
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
She would nod to Kapelo's question about the duplication of Ky La. On the subject of Freya, she answers, "I can only say she is guarding the object of Ky La's intent. I would suggest that instead of food, first, we go ensure she is safe. I don't want her death on my hands while I was too busy eating and socializing." Idly, she finds his title of Freya interesting. Did he know they were drinking? Did he follow them or when she left, did she mention something? Curious.
As Badhbh lands, she eyes him with a curious fondness as the limber el transforms before her eyes. The two seemingly share a moment of connectivity and he offers her a part of himself. Her hands run up the edges of the feather she's given but she seems somewhat perplexed as she goes to answer him and he tangents to the remains of Ky La.
"How rude...Oh...strange. I've seen this behavior in crows with our jewelry we clean."
"I think we should burn them all together, Badhbh. Who knows what allowing them to remain can do? It is strange magic. Not natural to our world, and from the shadows he conjured, I'd wager it is in connection with the dark. I wouldn't even be touching it."
She will swing her gorgeously dark purple hair forward with an aiding pull of her fingers. Her hair will create a scintillating pattern of the deep that very well may resonate with Badhbh as she literally becomes the "shiny" all the more. She watches his reaction. If he comes back to her, she may actually answer his question.
She acknowledges Oak's hard work by speaking up toward him, "Thank you, Oak? Tell me please, how did you come to meet up with Mr. v'Adril?"
The sharded mosaic of Ky La is surrounded by thick, gnarled swamp wood. No reaction from the pieces. The eyes just stare glassily.
Kapelo spits fire like a curse upon the wood, and it catches flame hungrily. Tongues of flame The pieces melt, and the images are no more.
After the fire dies down, Kapelo takes something from the ashes. Sticks?
"Nempura, I can see the question on your pretty face. Always worrying." He winks at you. "I know she drinks because I smelled it on her breath. Heh. What does she call you? Princess?"
"Anyway, let's go find her. Maybe she'll go to a bar? Or her family's house? Or both?" He seems to have recovered from his injury, thanks to Nempura's healing, and most of his swagger has returned.
Freya, you feel the fledgling godling in your mind. It reads you, exactly like a book. You feel the pages of your brain being turned.
As flames begin to take hold Badhbh idly flicks the shard he is carrying into the fire.
"Ignorance is the seed of fear Nempura. My hands are cautious, but not afraid. But perhaps you are right, perhaps"
He eyes her hair as she plays with it, she catches his eye, not his thoughts though. Without looking away he calls to Kapelo,
"Mr Kapelo, what was the orb the ele stole away? Do you know much of that? You have not spoken of it to us."
He subconsciously takes a single step towards Nempura, swapping the side his head is cocked to.