Topic: The sky temple.

CinderElf

Date: 2007-10-07 14:33 EST
Cinder had finally arrived up onto the Temple in the skies. With the aid of the lovely Sarah they both reached the once magnificent and sacred place. Carrying his spear at his side a Minstrum flag was torn through the forks at the end, he had intended to meet with the order. It had been months since he had heard from the Midgar branch and was worried he my come into conflict with the RhyDin branch once again. The place appeared to be deserted. No a single soul present. The only sound were the winds themselves.

"Hmm usually I get a greeting, hostile or not it's a greeting".

The massive walls of stone were covered in thick moss and the metallic reinforcements. The metal spanned about like pikes were failing at there once luster. The great golden door shape like two S's greeting each other was rattling in the high winds, which encompassed this area. Broken off on one hinge. Inside the Temple the sounds of chattering could be heard.

"Well here I thought we were alone, sounds like something is here".

Cinder leaped off the dragon form Sarah had transformed into. He smiled at her, she was a beautiful creature.

"No matter what you are my love: A demon, dragon, human. I love you, you know that".

He knelt down kissing her large dragon hand then looked up to her with a grin.

"I'll be needing to go in. There is something I must check on, of course if you wish you are welcome to, you are my wife. We should adventure together." He smiled to her once more.

Cinder reached for the air, grabbing his bow out of the nothingness, Sarah's bag was tied along with it. He unwrapped the bow from the bag and sent it back to the voided space. Setting her bag down he gave her quirky thumbs up.

"Ah, your clothes are safe, not that I wouldn?t want to see you run around naked. If you would I would too". He chuckled at that, and wandered up to the stoned walls.

His smiled faded as he came over under the archway. Below the path bridge to the S door was the courtyard. All he could see was the piles of dead bodies, lumped into one giant mound. Large Insect type creatures the size of bears was roaming the grounds, adding to the pile as smaller ones remained at the mound and fed. Their heads were like shields with eyes underneath and jaws like two horns and scissors meeting one another.

Cinder backed away holding firmly to his spear and turned to Sarah. He wasn?t sure what to do at the moment; he slumped over leaning up against her. He figured that they could forget the idea of coming here or try to take on the creatures; magic seemed to be out of the equation. Cinder had already been growing through withdrawal and was hoping to fid some release in using some of his powers. Summoning may be the only type of magic that my work since its not a direct force. He stood with a grin and headed back to the archway and surveyed the area.

?I think we can avoid them, all?s we need is to get up to the tower on the left, retrieve a stone and go back to RhyDin?.

CinderElf

Date: 2007-10-10 05:41 EST
Cinder nodded thinking his next move, if only there was an easier way.

He gingerly made his way back to the path looking down, the insect creatures below continued their routine, and luckily they have not noticed the company.

"Alright..I'm going to be right back".

He gave quick thumbs up with a half smile to his love. A few clam puff of air, he braced himself. He ran across the pathway reaching the door with impressive timing. The chattering of the creatures helped mask the noise if any. He quietly reach for the door, slowly his hand grasp the worn ringlet hung from the wooden brace.

Everything felt like such a blur at this moment. The door opened he step inside closing it behind him.

"Rest well in your afterlife". He said softly stepping across the bodies of indescribable peoples.

Making his way onward and upward towards the second level of the structure he came to the barracks. Bed after bed lined the walls with chests and shelves. A grand alembic stood aside one of the shelves its fine brass fittings and well constructed retorts made the elf, distracted, he took up his craft and stored it away, marking it with a blank pebble from his pocket, it then vanished. He hadn?t time to mark things down. He passed a balcony. A white sheet with bloodstains was torn hung from the open window blowing ceaselessly in the wind. As he turned the next corner he bumped into one of the creatures. It's large eyes gazed at him for a moment and then swung its large blade like legs at him, like a cutting press it continued to do so.

Rolling out of the way he arched his back and flip back over to one of the bed, pulling his bad back. He let our a few curse words and held his side as he extended one arm. He hated getting old and yet would never complain only when it battle.

"I hate getting old"! He breathed heavily and coughed, he shook his head. "See what you made me do"?

Like conductor energy flowed from his arm through his staff, the four prongs at the end glowed with much intensity that the insect dared not to come any closer. Cinder charged with the spear and thrusted upward into its thorax, as he motions to the side the prongs turned backward and ripped the armor and flesh of the creature. He walked away as the thing oozed, wiping some green from his face he smirked. Perhaps one blood he wouldn?t feel inclined to taste, maybe on a dare but certainly not of pleasure.

A small creak was heard; he turned and was nearly ambushed by some survivors. Their faces blacked and lost, they must have been in hiding for some time.

"Who are you"? They said in unison as they lifted their heads from the hooded robes they wore.

He paused for a moment and lied.

"Elrond Carnes?r". He nodded. "I'm from the Minstrum...I was sent here to retrieve something. How come there are these things...these creatures here"?

One man spoke up. His eyes sunken in and bags from his eyes, he patted the rest on the back. Human, much older than the rest. "I am a mentor here, Calvin Stillwell. These things attacked us, at first they were accompanied by demons; they disappeared after the initial strike leaving the insects to finish up. We managed to hide, and kill quite a few despite the looks of things. A few of us escaped, hopefully they made it back below to land".

Cinder nodded patting him on the shoulder.
"Outside if you're careful, at the entrance. Wait there".

Cinder walked away, he hadn't planned on saving lives or being helpful today but something was fishy about this and hopefully he may learn more later on.

"Thank you Elrond,. Yes thank you sir." Said the group as they hurried along.

"Now down to business".

He climbed the steps reaching another insect, which was trying to get up into the hatch door above. Instincts told him to just follow through with the same execution. He lunged up the steps and lost his footing as the heavy creature fell with gravity back down the stairs along with his spear. He missed the floor by two steps and shook it off taking up his spear once more. He reached the hatch.

It was locked so of course he used a key. From his waist he pulled up his key ring a smile as he found the one he wanted. He would have to thank the "Cat" burglar next time he saw her for that. With a turn and a click the hatch unlocked, he lifted it up and pushed it down against the floor. There he stood in a round room ornate carpeting velvet drapery over the windows and a circular bookcase, which covered the whole room.

There was in the center on an altar one of the most beautiful stones, it translucent body glowed like the sun it reflection could be seen all around the room small dots of light danced about the room as he picked it up from the glass case it was in. He took the stone placing it neatly into his pocket.

"Fallen". He whispered softly to himself.

Moments later he was back beside Sarah a smile on his face. "I've got what I came for." He looked over to the side, the people he met up inside were hiding behind a column looking at the dragon. Cinder chuckled.

"I guess that have Dragon phobia. Well...I'm ready when you are my love. Mind if we drop a few others off"?