|
|
Post by DanteMGalileo on Sept 28, 2018 21:35:03 GMT -5
As the battle raged on inside, the winds grew harsh outside. A blizzard was forming, the snow blasting against the mountains...
"Nrgh!" Leo pulled the furs that the innkeeper had lent him closer. The snowstorm wasn't supposed to arrive for a few hours, and yet... "We're not quite prepared to fight in these conditions," the mage noted. "Everyone, look for something we could use as a shelter..."
"Hmmm..." Placing a hand to his forehead, Odin scanned the horizons. The innkeeper had practically thrown a heavy coat at him, and the mage was touched by his concern for humble Odin. "Somewhere, in this vast wilderness of the frozen wasteland, there is, nay, there must be a fortress, our sanctuary against this storm of ice..."
Niles rolled his one eye, searching for something the group could use as a shelter. A second, heavier cloak of fur rested on his shoulders, hood up. "Now now, Odin, is that all you can do? Or is the cold freezing your usual fire?"
"Hmm..." Eirika, clad in heavy leggings and coat, squinted against the barrier of blowing snow. Something caught her attention...
---
"Rrgh!" Kaden tackled another table, sending its contents crashing to the floor. The chemicals mixed together, creating a hissing sound. "I'm holdin' up for now, and it looks like our crazy cousins have stopped..." Sniff, sniff. "At least for the moment. I don't like this, buddy..."
The kitsune's ears perked up, picking up a noise from outside.
|
|
|
|
Post by ShadesofGrey18 on Sept 28, 2018 22:40:11 GMT -5
Hinata grimaced, thankful for the heavy coat he'd been given; the short sleeves were definitely not ideal for this kind of weather. "Honestly, this cold could put out any kinda fire, if you ask me..."
Ephraim took a few steps forward, following Eirika's gaze. "...ah!"
"You see it too?" Takumi frowned as he followed the teal-haired man. "That building out there in the distance... I don't like the look of it. That's probably the place the innkeeper was talking about before we left."
---
Keaton was shivering a bit, trying to work up the energy to transform again. "I'm... nngh... I don't like this either. I can't transform. This feels wrong. I wish I had my Beaststone..." Even the few containers of meat (somehow not spoiled) that he'd found hadn't lifted his mood any.
He'd missed the sound from outside, as he was a bit distracted. "Mm? Did you hear something?"
|
|
|
|
Post by DanteMGalileo on Sept 29, 2018 14:32:37 GMT -5
"Gyah..." Kaden searched around. Nothing in this creepy building could've made that kind of noise. "It... sounded like humans? We're stuck in here for now, like it or not... You can hear that blizzard, yeah?"
[Kaden
Transformation gauge: 14/30 -> 9/30]
"I don't think I've got much longer, buddy." Kaden seemed frightened. A rumbling sound could be heard from below. "I-If more of 'em come up, I miiiiight be able to handle one... What're we gonna do?"
---
Outside, the blizzard raged on. A trio of mages, none dressed for the snowy weather, was caught in the middle of the ice storm.
A fireball burned in Nyx's palm, the petit mage concentrating to keep the fire lit, keep the warmth going, even if it was only a speck against the blizzard around them. In her other hand rested an orange stone. "We're getting close," she said to her companions. "Try to keep up."
She tried to ignore the strange reading she was getting from inside the building. It was a shelter against the cold, nothing more.
|
|
|
|
Post by ShadesofGrey18 on Mar 5, 2019 14:58:03 GMT -5
"Gh... easy for you to say." Hayato did not like the cold. His outfit was about as fitting for the weather as Nyx's was... that is, not in the slightest. He yelped as some snow got in his sandals, hurrying up to get to the small mage's side. He reached a hand into his pocket, careful to not lose the stone inside it. "You're the one with the fire magic and all that. Is that the place you were talking about over there? It looks... c-creepy." His tone wavered just a bit as he spoke.
---
Keaton grit his teeth as he heard the sound from below. "...We gotta hide and hope those things can't find us. At least until I can transform again. We're gonna get overwhelmed quick if we don't..." He didn't like their odds, though. Not one bit. "Do ya see anything that we can use?"
---
As the larger group neared the entrance to the building, Ephraim had taken the lead. The entry door creaked a bit as the wind picked up, howling fiercely around them. "...Damn. I don't like the look of this place one bit, but we don't have much choice. This weather is only getting worse and we don't want to be caught out in a blizzard.
Oboro gripped her naginata carefully, stepping to Ephraim's side. "We can take the lead in... I have a bad feeling about this place."
|
|
|
|
Post by DanteMGalileo on Mar 5, 2019 16:13:23 GMT -5
"Arf..." Kaden looked around. Time was off the essence, lest they be attacked by their insane cousins while helpless. Tables. Tables loaded with chemicals. But no, knocking them off would just alert them to their location. Oh gods, what to do what to do what to do-
The front door swung open, prompting the kitsune to yelp, ducking below one of those tables for safety and protection against the blizzard outside.
"Abyssal body b- MPMHH!!!"
The winds raged, slamming into a discoloured wolfskin with sunken eyes, smashing the feral creature into the wall. Kaden poked his head out from underneath his hiding place.
Relief...
"Odin, your mouth has better uses than talking, but yelling isn't one of them." Niles' hand had slammed over Odin's mouth, wary of what else may have been lurking in this forsaken place. Eirika walked forward, cautiously behind Ephraim and Oboro. Gods, the stench...
"... Hang on." Quietly opening Brynhildr, Leo's night vision scanned the dark room. There was somebody else- somebody not hostile to their continued existence...
|
|
|
|
Post by ShadesofGrey18 on Mar 5, 2019 16:22:00 GMT -5
"AHH!" Keaton had taken cover near a table... and at the sudden shout and the door flying open, the wolfskin's head slammed into the underside of the table. A yelp slipped out as Keaton clutched his head, whining. "O-Ooowww... ow ow ow..."
Takumi held his bow up as he followed Leo inside. "Did you hear that?"
Oboro glanced around, clutching her naginata tightly. "I did. That voice sounded familiar."
"...What the... what is that?!" Hinata had made the mistake of looking behind them, at the slightly-off-kilter door, and he saw the now-not-moving feral creature on the ground.
|
|
|
|
Post by DanteMGalileo on Mar 5, 2019 16:39:44 GMT -5
"... Wolfskin."
Leo's eyes met a hulking, canine-like figure, slumped awkwardly on the ground, white fur and black skin, with oversized arms and sharp claws. And yet... The dark prince raised an eyebrow. Its aura was different, sick. "Something happened to it- it looks... sick." Indeed, when the light swept over it, the wolfskin's eyes were sunken, full of mania moments before...
Looking up, Leo, Niles, Odin, and Eirika exchanged looks. So, this is what the innkeeper spoke of...
"H-Hang on... some of 'em sound familiar..." Checking on Keaton, Kaden put his body between the unshifted wolfskin and the rest of the world. If anything wanted the wolfskin, it'd have to get through him first!
[Kaden
Transformation gauge: 9/30 -> 4/30]
... Well, so long as he could hold this state. Kaden wasn't sure how much longer he had left...
|
|
|
|
Post by ShadesofGrey18 on Mar 5, 2019 16:48:24 GMT -5
This place felt off. Very off. Takumi couldn't shake the chill he felt in his spine... especially not with the rumbling down below. His ears picked up the sound of huffing... more creatures like that Wolfskin that they saw, no doubt.
"...We need to fight. There!"
As a feral Kitsune came up the stairs, Takumi had already moved into position, pulling back the bowstring of the Fujin Yumi and firing a wind arrow, the bright green energy lighting up the area briefly.
Keaton's eyes widened, and the wolfskin stood up from under the table, sniffing the air a few times. "Familiar scents."
[Keaton
Transformation Gauge: 8/30 -> 10/30]
He hadn't seen one of the other Kitsune that had slunk around Kaden's little barricade, and a yelp of pain came from the wolfskin as he was slashed across the back. "Gyark! You..."
With a growl, he turned, swinging a fist and punching the feral creature right in the nose. While it didn't seem to hurt it too much, Keaton could feel heat building up in his blood again.
[Keaton
Transformation Gauge: 10/30 -> 20/30]
|
|
|
|
Post by DanteMGalileo on Mar 5, 2019 18:33:43 GMT -5
"Aiiiiiiiiiieeeee got this one, buddy!"
Running from around Keaton, Kaden jumped at the kitsune that Keaton had punched, sinking his fangs into is neck. The feral fox growled, before falling limp to the floor. Kaden released his target, sighing. In a flash of light, the orange fox vanished, replaced by the blue-clad man. Kaden looked around, then down at himself. "Oh, dear..."
[Kaden
Transformation gauge: 4/30 -> 0/30]
"Please tell me you're feeling up to it." Kaden backed away slightly, mindful of his less-than-amazing resilience to physical attacks. "Please tell me that."
---
Eirika stood between Leo, Niles, and Takumi. Leo frowned at the rumbling, especially as several more creatures, mostly kitsune and wolfskin with sunken, maniacal eyes. However...
A wave of purple energy pulsed through the floor, briefly illuminating what it passed over. More tables loaded with chemicals, metallic containers...
A sickly-looking tree, seemingly composed of muscle tissue, sprung out from under the ground, launching-
"No way. That... that's..."
[Red Dragon: A feral dragon that attacks with red flames. Has immense physical power.]
|
|
|
|
Post by ShadesofGrey18 on Mar 5, 2019 18:36:47 GMT -5
Keaton grit his teeth, growling lowly. "...Not quite yet. I'm close; I know I'm close, but... not quite yet. We need to move... now..." As part of the floor was revealed, the Wolfskin saw the feral dragon. "...Oh, that's not good."
Ephraim's eyes widened. "A dragon?!"
Takumi's grip on his bow tightened greatly. "What the hell was going on here?! Why is there a dragon here?!"
Keaton's ears flicked as he heard the shout. "Buddy, did you hear that? That sounded like the short prince!"
|
|
|
|
Post by DanteMGalileo on Mar 6, 2019 14:42:59 GMT -5
"And that... tree thing! That's gotta be that..." Kaden's ears folded back in fear upon seeing the red creature emerge from below, his tail tucked between his legs. "Eep."
The red dragon heard this sound, and reared back its head, inhaling...
"Get down!"
At Leo's command, the group entering the lab scattered, avoiding the red flames that sprayed from the dragon's mouth. While they avoided damage, the same could not be said for the tables filled with chemicals...
Upon ignition, the vials burst into flames, creating walls of fire...
|
|
|
|
Post by ShadesofGrey18 on Mar 6, 2019 14:49:16 GMT -5
Keaton grabbed Kaden and dove to the ground as the flames flew around. He grumbled to himself as one of the sprinklers activated, spraying water in short bursts... on another side of the room; away from where the two beastmen were. A wall of flame was blocking them off from their path to the other group. "Gah, that's not good..."
Takumi's heart was racing as he picked himself up off the ground. "So, Mr. Tactician, what's our plan?" He looked over at Leo, readying another arrow.
Ephraim's teal eyes were scanning over their situation, the lance-wielder quickly trying to devise a strategy of his own. "That dragon seems like our primary concern at the moment; wouldn't you agree?" He stood back up, grasping Reginleif and glancing past the scaled beast. "The walls of flame should dissuade any other beasts from coming our way for the time being."
|
|
|
|
Post by DanteMGalileo on Mar 6, 2019 15:30:04 GMT -5
"Niles, Lord Ephraim, Lady Eirika." Leo had opted to ignore Takumi's remark for the time being. "Keep your distance. Focus on any beasts that get around the flames." Flipping open Brynhildr, the dark prince used the flames to keep an eye on the feral dragon. "Odin, the two of us will handle that dragon."
"Ahhhh! It is time for us to slay the beast, driven mad by fell sorcery, and deliver unto it salvation!" Even at a time like this, Leo couldn't help but roll his eyes and smirk. Well, at least someone was keeping their spirits up in a crisis.
"Good to see that you're keeping yourself optimistic. Now..." The two mages, using the flames for light, scanned the area for a giant red figure...
The purple wave swept through the floor again, followed by two bursts of light. The wave swept under the flames, the light passing through a hole...
The tree composed of muscle tissue ensnared the dragon, allowing the lights to impact...
And yet, it remained standing. It roared, rearing its head back again...
---
"... Hey, buddy..." Kaden looked around, trying to find something to focus on that was not the flames or the feral dragon. "... Do you... smell that? Magic. And not just the other prince or the dramatic guy."
[Kaden
Transformation gauge: 0/30 -> 6/30]
|
|
|
|
Post by ShadesofGrey18 on Mar 7, 2019 4:00:49 GMT -5
"Yeah... yeah, that's more magic. And..."
He could faintly hear what sounded like a horse whinnying over the sound of the fire and the beasts. "...Horse? Must be one of those Spirits. Where's that coming from though?"
[Keaton
Transformation Gauge: 20/30 -> 22/30
---
On the other far side of the room, Hayato had blasted away a Wolfskin with the Horse Spirit. "How did we manage to get ourselves in this situation?!"
Behind him, Tharja just rolled her eyes. "Yay, danger... Ho hum. I suppose crimes against nature keep things interesting." The Sorcerer stepped back, slinging an Elfire spell at a Kitsune, staggering it. "Still. It was rather rude of that portal to drop me in the middle of the gods-damned tundra! Are you even certain that these allies of yours are around here?"
---
Keaton sniffed the air. "...Huh. Unfamiliar scent, but... gah, c'mon. We gotta get to where the others are..." He stopped, stiffening up. "...Uh oh. We got company! We might have to make a break through the fire!"
---
As the dragon prepared to attack again, Ephraim ducked down, spinning his lance around and plunging it into the skull of a feral beast that had charged right on through the flames at him. Weakened by the blaze, it was no match for the spearman and it crumpled to the ground.
"I suppose if nothing else, we could count our blessings that these beasts seem to lack some survival instinct..."
|
|
|
|
Post by DanteMGalileo on Mar 7, 2019 16:28:06 GMT -5
"Through the flames?!" Kaden eyed Keaton as if the wolfskin had suddenly sprouted two more heads. High resistance to magic or not, fire was still something feared by beastfolk. The kitsune looked around, hearing the growls of their insane cousins closing in. He gulped, closing his eyes...
Before he knew it, Kaden had jumped through the wall of fire cutting them off from their old allies, yelping as he felt the fire burn him, singeing his clothes, hair, fur, skin...
[Kaden
HP: 26/30 -> 13/30
Status: Burn
Burn saps HP and reduces Strength...
Str: 15 -> 7]
"B-Buddy... I feel... faint..." Groaning, Kaden examined himself for damage. Yep, those were burns. All over his body and clothes. He was certain that stench was from his tail.
... Okay, that wasn't quite what Leo had been expecting, but those two... well, judging by their human form, they weren't amongst the feral horde.
The floor slightly shook, and a faint rumbling noise could be heard.
"You two, get back! You're in no shape to continue any serious strife!" Especially not with... whatever caused that sound...
Somebody, somewhere in this building was causing Odin's heart rate to skyrocket and his skin to go sweaty. And he was quite certain it was not the infernal flames of hell.
---
"They're moving," Nyx replied in response to this new arrival's comment. "Through the flames..." As she blasted the kitsune with a fire spell, the petit mage allowed the fireball to continue, striking a fallen, empty table.
At once, the table ignited, producing soft, purple flames. A feral wolfskin charged through the flames regardless, only to howl in pain; that fire had been enchanted.
|
|
