Topic: In the Trenches: Delta

Sylus Kurgen

Date: 2013-07-26 21:46 EST
The plunge into darkness came as a short-lived affair. His boots connecting solidly with the stone flooring of the basement, setting his long coat flaring out around him as knees bend to absorb the impact. Within seconds his pupils dilate and the darkness illuminates into a grayscale portrait. He blinks once or twice and waits for the dust to settle, taking the time to file the chaotic chatter in his ear. Goblins? Explosions? These things are pushed aside for later investigation, they all had their assignments and worrying about the others doesn?t help him in the least.

All around him is a room in disaster. As with most places in Rhydin, the room is much larger than it seemed from above. Along the left wall is a toppled table, moldy playing cards scattered over the floor from a long ago disrupted card game. A heavy crossbow rests bolted on the bottom of the overturned table, a rotten bolt still loaded, though the firing crank holds the rough edges of severe rust.

The faintest residue of methane lingers in the air, curling the edges of his lips into a troubled frown as he reaches for a left-hand pouch and removes a breathing apparatus no bigger than a surgeon?s medical mask. Pulling back on the elastic strap, Sylus fits it over his mouth and adjusts the band for a comfortable fit. Beneath the mask, his breathing shifts from a silent stream of slow breaths to sharp inhales as though from a ventilator.

Moving further into the room he feels the faintest lick of wind dance along the short hairs along his arms. A breeze indoors? His gaze sweeps around the room...no bookshelves, nor dressers, not even an oddly placed boudoir to hide a doorway. Starting at the closest wall he moves slowly and pounds his hand against the surface. Thud. Thud. Thud. He is nearly a quarter of the way around the room when, thunk. His hand passes through a piece of stone, connecting with a wooden barrier beyond. ?Pay dirt.? he growls out in a muffled tone.

The illusory wall ripples as he extracts his hand and soon becomes still once more. With care he reaches through the portal again, feeling along the edges of the hidden door for a catch or knob. A soft click resound and is followed by the twang of a severing string. Whirling out of the way to slam himself against the stone wall just beyond the door, wood and hinges erupt outward as the door flies from its jam. The enormous carved head of a dragon slides back through the illusory wall with the angry grating of chains on rusty hinges. A fucking battering ram? Behind a door?

?Count your blessings,? he reminds himself while ducking back through the illusion. The ram still sways back and forth with much of its kinetic force wasted on the shattered door.Edging by it he looks down the adjoining tunnel to a slime covered grate at the bottom of a set of stairs. Below he hears the sound of rats and the mildew stench of tepid water. Tied around the middle rung is a pair of orange and white stockings. Impaled above the door are the shriveled remains of an unfortunate soul. The letters HoT branded on her forehead along with the words, slut, whore, cumdump, scribbled around her on the walls. Judging by the moldy scraps on the corpse...she must have been very popular.

He feels the negative energy in this space along with anger and fear emanating from the body. ?Found the source of the methane,? he whispers before fishing out his lighter and a tube of petroleum jelly. ?No time to bury you properly,? Sylus continues while squeezing out a dollop of the jelly on her head and lighting it.

Taking the time to watch her bones burn, Sylus actually sprinkles some salt onto them for good measure before his boot connects solidly with the grate and sends it clattering into the sewer below. There wasn?t anyway to do that quietly. If anything happened to be down there it knew he was coming now.

Sylus Kurgen

Date: 2013-10-04 16:12 EST
Water splashes heavily as lands in knee deep sewage. The malodorous vapors strangle his sense of smell depriving him of scenting out any adversaries. Still, his eyes work fine. While his eyes adjust to the infrared spectrum of shifting degrees of heat and cold, Sylus removes a oxygen filtration mask from a pouch at his waist. The elastic band stretches back around his head to keep it in place covering his mouth and nose to the chin.

The water?s going to slow me down a little. he thinks to himself before moving forward, swirling his feet in crescent patterns to not only reduce the amount of water he disturbs and lets him sweep any impediments out of his path with his forward foot.

?DIANA. I?ve entered the tunnels under the tavern, zero visibility, knee deep water. Proceeding with caution. Estimate, eight meters below ground.? He speaks softly to relay the information as other chatter reverberates in his ear, most of it isn?t of any use to his current position. Worth knowing yes, but not pertinent at present.

Understood, Virus. I will relay the information. Alpha has entered an unmapped area-

?So JaX is buying the first round of shots, huh?? he cut DIANA off as he comes to a stop, the tunnel before him branching into three directions..

Sylus Kurgen

Date: 2014-02-14 16:56 EST
He looks at the three paths before touching his comm. ?Have a fork in the road, three routes. Going to try and get all three, take them forward to the first turn.?

The left tunnel goes on for perhaps thirty feet before coming to a dead end. He runs a hand along the wall? surface while scrutinizing the edges. The muted gray of the mortar stains his fingertips slightly. ?Miss, Diana, This is Virus. Mark my current location, found a false wall to investigate later. I?m putting a mark on the wall for visual identification.?

The silence after her confirmation is broken by a gentle cracking as his index finger snaps and breaks as the bone elongates into a black claw. Two simple swipes put a big ?V? on the all. One his personal map, Sylus marks the location and moves down the middle pathway. The silence down here came as somewhat soothing to him, the smell was another matter. Being so far removed from the chaotic life of the city proper brought a calmness that seeps into his bones, near welcoming.

With the silence, he could think. On the street, he felt the eyes of someone, or thing following him. But all he could see was the rabbits, not the eyes working for the wolves behind them in layered surveillance. The attack on Beta, Alpha?s near radio silence, and the trailing eyes meant someone is watching them. Who would come out in time, Sylus knows that. People who make such elaborate plots want to be caught, they enjoy bragging about keeping one step ahead. Ultimately this is their undoing, their personal hubris.

His steps find the first turn along the passage, by the clock of his steps, it?s been perhaps forty minutes...in darkness without light. Before him stands rusted bars, a heavy breathing coming from beyond them. Gently he eases through the pried bars with bated breath. Eyes never leave the slumbering beast where it rests in the middle of the partially submerged chamber. From where he stands, it appears to be a massive reptile of some sort.The tail curls around the animal? flank and structure in a cat like manner. The last four to five feet appear to split off into two barbed ends. His gaze travels up the creatures body over a mix of scales and feathers, even the bone structure shows a feline influence. Layered frills sweep back across the nape of its neck protectively. A frown creases his dark features in thought when he sees the exit beyond. A wide portcullis. Why would something like that be down here?

He?s almost done formulating a plan as he focuses on the controls to the gate before Sylus is satisfied and starts back into the chamber and edges his way across the room. The water comes up to his ankle making it difficult to move quickly. His legs move in outward crescents to gain ground without sloshing water all over. Ten feet then fifteen as Sylus can see beyond the exit to a upgrade beyond. Just a little further.

The beast moves to its feet and stretches as though possessing all the time in the world when it?s barbed tail archs and intercepts Sylus on his path, ?Think your self silent?? It mocks in a voice of high intelligence as it?s flaming red eyes hold Sylus to his ground ?All alone, and nowhere to run. Human.? The creatures? pulls its lips back in a predatory sneer as and begins a slow stalking circle..

Dreamdancer

Date: 2014-03-09 03:14 EST
Trail of the Patriarch

?This the place?? Addair looked up and down the street, stopping just outside the entrance to some abandoned dive bar. Without looking at the hole riddled sign, he knew Sylus came this way. The scent was unmistakable. After a glance to Velen, Pearl, and his sister to make sure they were all ready, he slipped within.

Standing in the heart of a decrepit tavern, long since abandoned, his gaze swept the commons. The dust on the floor was thick and undisturbed aside from rodent trails, and a single set of boot scuffs. At first they were hardly noticeable, as if the one who made them barely made any impression at all. Addy took in the stagnant air, catching the odd scent of the man they?d come to follow and drifts deeper into the room. The toe of his boot tapped along the floorboards, listening to the hollow sound of a substructure. ?Basement maybe??

His question wasn?t spoken out loud, but instead made in a series of silent hand gestures to the others, gesturing down to the floor. There had to be a way down, though he could only see a set of stairs going up from the main floor.

?Probably a trap door somewhere,? Velen replied in kind as he dropped to one knee and reached down to run his gloved fingers along the wooden boards. Seeing and sensing no one in nearby range, he continued aloud. ?We could just cut our way through, but I?d prefer something quieter.? Sapphire-blue eyes glanced to the ceiling. ?Sylus isn?t upstairs, and he?s not here, so he must have gone below. Either he found a hole, or he made one.?

Ears twitching as she listened to the floor creaking under her brother?s feet, Limelenath readjusted her bow and quiver. ?Addy, search any hollow sounding floorboards for something doesn?t fit the wood pattern.? She turned to Pearl and smiled. ?Tell me, Brithril, have you learned to tame water as our grandmother tried to teach us as a younglings??

Pearl?s eyes danced with a delighted humor. ?Of course. And I think I see where your thoughts are headed.? She looked between Velen and Addair. ?Once you find the boundaries of a target zone in the floor, the sound of water dripping down can give us an idea of how deep the next level under us is.?

?She could flood the floor for faster answers, but a bit of water dripping could be seen as a mishap, a spill. It?s easier to ignore that than a waterfall through the floor,? Limelenath said as she pursed her lips.

?The small things often go unnoticed,? Velen replied with a nod. ?Father taught me that, too.? While the others went about their tasks, he reached into the pouch at his belt and began withdrawing a length of rope. ?Just tell me how much we?ll need.? At the same time, he kept his senses--empathic and otherwise--alert for any sign of trouble.

?Yes, they do like small ripples in a pond,? Limelenath added. Her pointed ears twitched slightly as she tipped her head to listen much like a bird seeking out worms underground.

Their sentiments were noted with a gruff nod in agreement as Addair continued to trail along the faint sweeping steps he found, though five feet beyond the door all trace of the steps disappeared in the dust. ?I smell him...it?s faint, could have found a way to mask it...even from the likes of, me.?

?Your nose is better than mine, my friend.? With a wry grin, Velen looked over at Addair. ?Anything else besides him in the air??

Pearl was quiet, a rare state for her when not buried in her beloved books. She shook her head and finally muttered, ?What aren?t we seeing??

?Perhaps it?s not what we see?? His head lifted up, sniffing the air loudly now. ?You smell mold? I don?t see water stains?? He looked to them and follows his nose like a Toucan.

Following Addair?s lead, Velen took a slow sniff as well. ?Yes, a musty, rotten odor, not heavy but definitely there.? He began walking in an outward spiral, sniffing as he went.

Melly sniffed at the air. She had learned to track with Elves. ?There?s more mixed with it.? She looked disgusted for a moment. ?Smells like ? singed fur.?

As he drew closer to the old fireplace, Velen shook his head. ?No, it?s not over here, whatever it is. Anyone else having better luck?? He turned to Pearl, then Melly, and finally chuckled with amusement as he saw Addy.

To others it ma have looked comical as Addy nearly crawled along the floor, sniffing loudly with his nose inches from the boards. A creepy sort of grace filled his bones, slinking his way closer and closer across the room towards the bar. ?It?s getting stronger?? The youngest? eyes close as he focused on following his nose, hardly paying attention to where he was moving before there was a yell? and a heavy crash. Below their feet.

The women eyed each other, but it was Pearl that spoke. ?Addy, you really need to remember to tie your boot laces!?

Dreamdancer

Date: 2014-03-09 03:16 EST
Rounding the bar, Velen raised an eyebrow and crouched at the edge of the hole that Addy had found. ?So, how much rope do we need??

The only sound that answered Velen was a painful groan. ?No, I?m all right. Nothing?s broke. Thank you for asking?.?

?Not funny, little brother,? Melly chided gently. ?How far down are you and will Brithril need to heal you??

?Finished basement. Looks like an old gambling den. Regular ceiling height, maybe ten feet,? he called up from the darkness. There were grunting and the sounds of brushing himself off. ?The burned fur smell is strongest down here. Like a funeral pyre.?

?Torches? Anyone?? Pearl looked at the others that were still topside. ?We could do this the easy way, but how much attention do you think we?ll draw??

Melly muttered, ?You two deal with the lighting issue. I?ll rig as slide for a better landing than Addy had. ?Addy, are there rafters down ??

As the others discussed how to get to him, he walked over to a lone ladder leading up...and pulled the lever next to it. ?What does this button do..??

?Secret entrance through a beer barrel.? The rolling of Velen?s eyes was all but audible. ?I love original thinkers, don?t you?? He moved to the aforementioned entrance and peered down. ?It looks sturdy enough.? Slowly and carefully he climbed down until he was standing on the basement floor beside Addair and sniffed. ?What an incredible smell you?ve discovered.?

Pearl gathered some broken chair legs. She covered the ends of two of them with her hand and spoke the words to a cantrip that caused the wood to glow. ?Is it worse than than stables?? She called out as she started down the ladder.

?I?m sure it was all the rage in Paris at some point..? he muttered dryly as they waited for the girls.

?Giving history lessons, Addair? Grandmother would be pleased.? She winked at her brother as she reached the bottom of the ladder behind Pearl.

?I?d prefer to make this smell history, but I don?t think even Gory has that power.? He grimaced and started looking for some trail as to where Sylus went next.

??Eww,? Pearl?s nose wrinkled. ?Damn, that rivals Jacen?s Foul Fog spell!?

Velen drew in a deep breath, closing his eyes. ?Smells are a powerful conduit to memory? and to the past, if you know how to read them. Scent lingers.? He held that pose for a long moment.

?I?d rather skip the assigned reading and go straight to the chapter review at the end. What are you getting, Velen?? Addair watched his friend closely, just letting the empath work his particular sort of magic.

?Sylus was here. He found a body? poor soul, gave it--her--a funeral pyre. Salt on the bones.? Something else furrowed Velen?s brow. ?There?s some sort of magic in here. Illusion.? He looked at the walls surrounding them, staring intently, then brought both hands together in a sudden, sharp clap. Concentration filled his face as he listened intently before pointing. ?There.? His finger pointed to an ordinary wall. ?That?s the way out.?

?Compassion for the dead?? Addair whispered softly, feeling a slight pang in his chest.

Melly gave a sidelong glance to Addair as she readied an arrow in her bow. Underground in an unknown territory, she was going to be ready for anything that headed their way.

?Any idea who or what species the dead creatures was, Velen?? Pearl almost whispered. The last she thing wanted was to stir up a spirit. Any other time, maybe, but not right now.

He didn?t wait to hear Velen?s response before walking right up to the wall that apparently led out of the room. Fingers ran along the surface, disappearing through the illusion as he slowly extended a hand and then an arm. Addair waved it around in the hollow space and then pulled back. ?I still have my hand, so I?d say it?s safe.? Famous last words, he was sure, turning to look at Melly then and nodding to the illusion before stepping aside.

?She was human,? the empath replied to Pearl. ?Her pain resonates in this place; death, though harsh, was equal parts cruelty and mercy for her.? He sighed and turned to follow Addair.

Dreamdancer

Date: 2014-03-09 03:18 EST
Melly gave Addair one of those have you lost your mind expressions. ?Yes, you have a hand, but will you have a foot once you step past?? Her eyes narrowed as she looked into the darkness. Addy penetrating the illusion had allowed her see it in a manner much like one would a curtain. It was there, but could it be opened to see beyond without harm? She muttered, ?I lose more hair sticks this way. Brithril,? she tilted her head sideways, ?pull them out, light them up.?

He stepped back and dug out a few marbles from his bag. ?And on page forty five of the Junior Elven Ranger? survival guide?Velen, use your senses to track the marble?s echo.? He blew across them for luck, then gave his friend a grace period to ready himself before throwing one through the illusion wall at ankle height to listen to how it fell, bounced, then rolled further in.

?Addy, I thought you lost your marbles a long time ago!? Pearl teased as she rubbed her fingers on the ends of the carve wooden hair ornaments. ?Just what are you going to do, Melly??

The half-elf grinned as she tied one glowing hair stick to the leather thong that no longer held her braid in place. ?Oh, Addy went low, I?m going high.? Keeping the round end away from the arrowhead, she tied the stick to the arrow?s shaft. ?Addy, duck,? it came out like an order. Melly nocked the arrow and let it fly, if anything was in the upper section of that hallway, they would know.

Velen?s eyes were closed, allowing him to listen with slightly less distraction. ?The marble rolled a short distance? some steps, then it dropped. Water below. The arrow? didn?t go as far, it hit something not far within. We?ll need to duck.? Opening his eyes, he turned to look at the others. ?Looks like he found his way into the sewer network. Shall we?? He gestured towards the illusory wall with a grin.

?Didn?t lose them, just had them on loan to Peter so he could fly home?? Addair gave a shrug to Pearl as he put the bag back and strode through the wall upon hearing the good word. ?See you on the other side??

?Ain?t afraid of no ghost,? Pearl muttered as she followed Addy and Velen, with the latter laughing softly in response.

Melly shuddered. She wasn?t afraid of ghosts, several of the family could see them. They just weirded her out. ?Hopefully, this one is at rest.?

?Oh that?s rank?? Addair covered his mouth on the other side of the wall...now extremely up close and personal with the corpse of the woman Velen foresaw. ?There?s not enough perfumed cloths in Aunt Kitty?s brothels to cover up that funk.?

Seeing the writing on the walls, Velen?s lips curled in disgust--not at the woman, but at her captors. ?To be used and defiled?? He uttered a soft prayer that her soul found peace.

?By what we?ve seen...she was down here for a long time before Sylus found her. Probably died here long after the walls were abandoned by whatever scum ran the place.? Addair?s words were a low growl in much the same disgust as came from Velen. ?Not all monsters live under the beds of children, some walk in the sunlight as men??

?The worst of the lot, that I know of, are followers of Bhaal.? Taking a cue from Velen, Pearl pressed her palm against the wall and said a few prayers of her own. ?We need to move onward. If there?s any part of her still here, someone will be coming for her.?

Edging past the dragon?s head ram that hung in the passage, Velen pointed down. ?There?s our opening.?

Dreamdancer

Date: 2014-03-09 03:25 EST
?I get the feeling, I?m not going to get out of here with all of my marbles intact,? Addair muttered, dropping a second marble down through the hole and listening to how far it falls. Thankfully the plunk of a splash wasn?t far down; less thankfully, that meant high water. He edged around the battering ram, pressed to the wall like a tapestry. ?Really should have read the fine print before coming back here? swimming is not a leisurely activity I enjoy??

?We?re not all like Aunt Nicole, Addy.? It was followed by a muttered, ?Swimming like a fish.? Melly looked around Addy?s shoulder. ?Please tell me no one forgot weapons.?

?I?ll take the lead, if you?d like, Addy.? Velen crouched to look under the ram at his friend up against the opposite wall before turning to Melly. ?I?ve got my knives, and a set of wands that Uncle Heph provided, in case we need some ?big guns? as he put it. One for each of us.?

?Let?s bundle the bigger weapons up together, once you guys are down there, I?ll lower them down and drop in.? Indicating his swords and Melly?s bow. ?Don?t get your string wet?.? Not that he had to remind her, the words were more for his own ease.

?I came prepared for the current weather. Wet.? A ghost of a smile flickered on Melly?s lips. ?The string was treated with special wax before we came out. Should be fine.?

Pearl was patting herself down. ?I borrowed a few things. Aunt Diana has a lot of? toys.? She grinned.

?There?s a time and a place, a chroi.? Velen ducked to avoid being swatted.

Addair actually blushed hearing Pearl and then coughed uncomfortably. He carefully shrugged out of his long jacket, revealing an odd piece of leather armor. Woven strands contoured to his body like a basket with faint rings of metal visible between them, sturdy but offering freedom of movement. In this place and time, the armor was just a prototype; for him...it had been perfected. Unbuckling his sword belt, Addair wrapped his sword in his coat protectively, holding the ends. The coat almost runs the full gamut of the blade from pommel to tip, but at least it would keep water from getting inside the scabbard.

?Ugh, we?re already in the sewer, boys!? Pearl huffed indignantly. She gestured outward along the way to Velen. ?Si?il, a r?n. Get along with you now.?

?Yes, boss,? he replied with a grin before sliding over the edge and into the wet murk below and staggered for a moment as he tried to find stable footing. The water came up to his knees, but one step and his right leg sank to mid-thigh. ?It?s uneven. Watch yourself!? At least it wasn?t getting past his combat armor, a fine mesh of black metal; it was not so finely woven as Addair?s, but was as light and durable as any mithril shirt. It came from the dwarves of the Blackroot Mountains, old allies of his father, and he wore it well.

?Mountain climbing would be easier than this mess,? Melly weighed in. She wore what appeared to be leather armor over her leggings and a long sleeved shirt.

Pearl did a double take at Melly. ?Let?s not get into the goat jokes again!?

She held up a finger to deliver a correction to her cousin. ?They were satyrs not goats.? She cleared her throat and looked smug. ?You were just mad because they like my ears.? She trudged onward through the muck.


?There are some discussions involving my sister and horny goats that I?d rather not hear?? Addair said with a cough. ?Please and thank you? now get in the hole, we?re wasting daylight?

Velen just chuckled. ?I?ve heard worse. Also, what daylight??

?Addair,? she addressed her brother in what used to be called the mini-mom tone, ?get in the hole, really? Timing. Timing.? She was already headed that way.

?Not like I said go in head first?? He shrugged and waits for her and Pearl to go in, so he could follow behind.

?And I thought we were bad!? She climbed down into the mess. Pearl offered a makeshift torch to Velen. ?No fire involved and it should last a few hours.?

?You all out of the way?? Addair called down. ?If I land on someone, you had warning.? Then he was dropping through the hole, pulling his frame together like diving off a waterfall.

Melly?s brows looked lopsided as she watched Addy coming down. ?Show off,? she muttered.


((This and the previous four posts were written cooperatively by Addair S. K., Limelenath S, Winter Pearl, and myself.))

Sylus Kurgen

Date: 2014-09-08 00:21 EST
Revelation

Forged steel scraping iron scales grates along the chamber walls. For every snarl and yowl of pain, there is a mirrored bellow of rage. Shadows of man and beast dance in the dismal lighting. Much of the standing water long shoved away by the movements of the mysterious beast acting as guardian to the chamber. Despite it?s size the creature is deft, agile on its feet. Neither giving ground, nor gaining it in their struggle for dominance.

Sensing rather than seeing, Sylus dives into a long roll moments ahead of the whip crack of the monster?s tail. The dual barbs rend the air where he?d been standing moments ago. His shoulder takes the brunt of the motion to bring up upright into a crouch facing this most tenacious creature. This dance has raged for the better part of an hour now. As conditioned as he is, Sylus can feel the weight of his blades changing.

?You fight well...for a Kurgen?? it hisses in mocking tones, stalking him in a slow circle.

The words bring Sylus up short, mirroring the pace. ?How do you know me??

?I know a great many things. And so do others. No secret remains buried for long.? Once more it hints at knowing things it should not.

Silently swallowing a feeling he hasn?t had in a very long time, Sylus feels a cold bead of sweat run the length of his spine. ?You know nothing?? The words a brave front covering up his confusion. Something about the monster before him felt off. It smelled...off. Like something he?s met before, or should know of.

?Don?t I? Child of Chimara..? it sneers.

?You won?t leave this chamber alive?? the words come in a low rumble as Sylus backs into the shadows of the chamber. The following silence fills with bones snapping and breaking, cloth rending into shreds.

?I?m all aquiver...with fear!? the beast snarls, charging into the shadows only to be hurled back with great force in the opposing wall, cracks spread over the ceiling dangerously.

?You should be?? a rustling sound like a flag unfurled precedes Sylus? emergence. It?s not a werewolf as might be expected from his usual mannerisms and history. Near tripled in size, his body is an amalgamation of parts. Claws flex as the last bones in what used to be his hands set and stay. Their black length bleed into the dark fur matting his arms that haven?t lost any of their musculature in the change. If anything, they?ve gained more. Lines of fur curl underneath a chest encased in blood red scales that shouldn?t belong anywhere else but on a dragon. Dark brown hooves clip-clop along the floor leaving imprints in the stone where thickly muscled bovine legs connect to the scaley torso leaving no doubt that the monster is male at all.

?I said you would not leave this place alive?? the words come in clear enunciation from black lips where Sylus looks upon the creature. Silver scales of the same luster as the red on his chest mat across his face in patches, converging into one piece moving from the back of his head down to his chin and neck. Barely noticeable behind him, a large scorpion?s tail rears up and back, its tip glowing with green venom. Like a cloak, leather black wings wrap around his shoulders and hang down to the ground. Their joints clasp across his chest by opposable hooks.

?So...this is the true Beast King?? it growls painfully. Limbs push upward to stand. ?Even now..I feel the compulsion pressing into my mind, to kneel to you.?

?A lesser creature would, you must have dragon in you to resist otherwise.? the words given in dismissing tones. ?You will answer me?? he demands. That large scorpion?s tail looming above the creature.

?I give you nothing!? It bellows, launching at him from all fours.

The muscles along his abdomen bunch together against the impact. One long arm curls around the creature's neck, while both legs bend to right against being driven back. Hooves slide across the ground as he wrestles with it. Those twin tails slap at his shoulders and face leaving cuts and welts in their wake that Sylus does his utmost to ignore. Unable to defend against them completely, he brings his wings up and around his face, feeling the tails slap at the near impenetrable surface. Eventually they?d cut through the barrier. Under the relentless barrage, Sylus drops to one knee holding the creature?s head in an iron grip. Hearing it snarl and snap against his ribs futilely, he rams his fist into its spine in four quick overhand swings. The beasts back bends unnaturally under his blows, but still the tails lash out.

?Give me your face?? he snarls, twisting atop the beast?s back. Wings draw together tightly as his tail raises up fully on its ribbed joints to provide a temporary barrier to those twin whips.

Black claws grab upper and lower jaws, curling between the snapping teeth to stop them from chomping. Pure, unbridled ferocity fuels his arms as Sylus jerks in opposite directions hearing the flesh at the corners of the beasts mouth split and pull apart. The bones of it?s jaws snap wide open, the hinge fractured.
Instantly the tails fall to the ground, the creature a dead weight beneath his legs. ?This secret dies with you...just as I said it would. The fabled Beast King will remain a myth. There?s far too many beastials in Rhydin for that to be known.?

He moves away from the creature then. Each step sees him reducing to his human image as fur and scale fall off of him and shrivel to dust. He whispers one singular arcane word, the only one he really knows by rote to summon a simple chest from it?s resting place in his shop. Soon as he discovers a way to make expanding armor, this won?t be necessary any more. With care he donnes the replacement armor. His wasted weapons belt still on the other side of the felled beast.

Sylus turns around just as the creature impossibly rises. He watches the skin of it?s rended jaws knit back together. The jaws snap in place with a shake when it turns to look at him with hatred. ?You may be the King of Beasts, but you?re not my king. I made sure of that, along with all my kind when we destroyed that pathetic village, Whend Rhunne. The orcs paid well to do their job while we ransacked your ancestral home??

Like a dagger, Sylus feels an wedge of ice steal the air from his lungs. A blow from the past finally answered. So long ago those events transpired?.he gave up on seeking the answer. He staggers back a step in shock. It?s kind? There were more of it? ?You can?t kill me, bastard child of the Kurgens. You don?t have the proper tool??

The amber of his eyes widen to show only the white. Valerious...this thing could only be killed by the ancestral sword. And now the creature was between himself and his swords. Sylus knows he won?t get a second chance to transform again. Not even sure his body can take changing again so quickly. Shit he eloquently thinks to himself.

?While the orcs killed your father...raped your mother, we tore that pathetic Keep apart until we found the blade that had no right being forged,the green elemental freed? It taunts, shaking off the previous injuries. ?And shattered it.?

?Now I know you lie.? Sylus? eyes narrow latching on to that last statement. Only a Kurgen could break that blade?

?You think a Kurgen has to be a willing participant?? It mocks as if able to read his mind. ?You really don?t know your own lineage, but someone else did their research. Now?you die.?

The beast rears back on its legs...fully intent on rending Sylus to pieces.

(bit of revelation into Sylus back-story and former adventures.)

Dreamdancer

Date: 2014-11-09 01:48 EST
?I should have brought Vick?s.? Addy complained, covering his mouth and nose with a hand. The fetid stink made him want to retch. Within seconds faint red pinpricks appeared in his eyes as they shifted over to natural darkvision. ?Looks like just the one tunnel path, thankfully.?

Limelenath?s eyes narrowed slightly. Addy was her baby brother, and no matter how old he got, she?d be looking out for him. ?I don?t think I brought anything but healing herbs along. You?ll have to tough it out.? She already knew he would, but liked prodding him at times.

?Why can I hear Errtu mocking me in silent derision, right now?? He grinned anyway, moving forward.

?Don?t get her started, Addy, or she?ll be talking in Drow just to confound us!? Pearl grumbled as she followed the others.

?Xis uh vith..? Butchering Drow words since he had no idea what they mean, his hands flipped in little circles as if playing with daggers that weren?t there.

Melly chuckled. ?Careful, brother mine, you might loose a demon on us.?

?Shush, both of you,? chided Velen without any real rancor. ?I can?t feel anything ahead, but let?s presume there?s something nasty waiting. Addy, you want to take point??

Pearl eyed up Velen. ?What, you never teased your sisters??

?Mercilessly,? he replied with a wink. ?But not when I was on the job.?

?Point taken.? Pearl conceded.

Addy didn?t say anything to the subvertive chiding and moved to the head of the group. ?I can play meat shield, it?s cool.? Teasing, of course, when he looked back to them with a grin. ?We?re close, there?s a warmth in the air, not sure if you guys can feel it. But a body passed through here not long ago. I can feel it minutely against my skin.? Not that he showed much, merely his face and forearms.

Pearl tilted her head and closed her eyes. It was easier to use other senses when the eyes weren?t easily distracted. ?I don?t know what it is, but I have the feeling that big, bad, nasty thing is not too far from us.?

?There are too many scents and echoes for me to tell, but I?m guessing you?re right.? Velen drew his knives and nodded to Addy. ?Let?s go.?

Melly had a long knife at the ready, it was better than her bow in close quarters. She nodded once in response to Velen and gestured for him to go onward.

Matching that nod, Velen advanced down the tunnel, following in Addair?s wake. Though they moved as silently as possible, the shallow sewer water splashed and echoed through the tunnels, and he felt himself nearly cringing with each step. ?I think we were quieter when we were teasing each other,? he mused softly.

?Anything that lives down here would all ready know of us. Accoustics carry for miles in this sort of place. We?re the invaders, and whatever we come across has home field advantage.? Not that Addy needed to tell any of them, he made the statement more to comfort himself.

?Let?s hope the ground doesn?t drop from under our feet. Water depth is deceiving. I learned that while hunting along a river bank.? Melly was bringing up the rear, her keen night vision would allow her to spot anything trying to attack from the back.

That brought a smile, or perhaps a smirk, to Velen?s face. ?Don?t jinx it.? He did feel more at ease with Addy?s reminder that they were the outsiders here; with less need to worry about stealth, he was able to concentrate on staying alert. Though he didn?t have the kinesthetic sense of surroundings that his father had, he was better at opening up his other senses. Sometimes that was a drawback in close quarters, however.

Pearl?s nostrils flared and her face scrunched. ?I didn?t think the smell could get any worse.?

?Can you make anything definite out of it, or is it just the same pervading stench?? asked Velen.

?It?s something isolated like an aftertaste from a horribly cooked plate of food. It stands out from the whole, but what it is, I can?t say.?

?It?s him?? Addair said in a broken way. ?And something else...something old. That?s an old stench.? Frowning, he advanced further in, coming to a split in the tunnels. Left, right...and forward. ?Something?s gone this way?? motioning to the left. ?And forward.?

?It?s now or never,? Melly murmured. ?Your instincts haven?t failed you, yet, have they? Lead and we?ll follow.?

He looked in the two directions, sniffing, unwilling to take the stink of the place into his nostrils but doing so on need. ?Melly, Velen...you go left. Pearl and I will go forward. Keep in contact on what you find. We?ll go until we each reach a junction point.? Though he did not look at them, Addy questioned his decision, not used to making those sorts in these situations.

The half-elf?s brow lowered slightly, but she didn?t voice her thoughts. She just nodded to Velen. A glance was given to Pearl, who shrugged slightly before saying, ?Let?s roll.?

?Good idea,? Velen responded with an affirming nod, and then he turned towards the left-hand passage, his hand briefly clasping Pearl?s in a silent, tender parting.

Pearl returned that squeeze and murmured what sounded like a prayer before making an after you gesture to Addy.

He followed Melly for a moment before looking to Pearl and nodding. Moving down the middle pathway, a powerful itch raging between his shoulder blades. Choice made, time to see if it is the right one.

Pearl rubbed her gloved hands together and said quietly, ?In the words of Han Solo, ?I?ve got a bad feeling about this.? ?

Dreamdancer

Date: 2014-11-09 01:51 EST
As they headed down the passage, Velen noted that the scents around them were changing, becoming less foul and more musty. ?This sewer line seems to be less used? or more used, perhaps, but not for its intended purpose. Someone?s been through here frequently.? He looked over his shoulder at Melly. ?Lucky us, eh??

?Luck can be relative term.? She gave Velen a slight smile. ?Sometimes, in these old passages, they divert water lines to hide nefarious dealings. But we already know that, don?t we?? She paused a moment to scent the air for herself.

?Indeed.? Eyes forward, he continued on, treading steadily but warily, as her earlier comment about sudden pitfalls still held true. An old adage came to his thoughts: ?The easy way is always mined.? Coming to a pile of rubble that partially blocked the flow of water, Velen glanced at the walls and ceiling and chuckled. There were chunks of stonework missing, but not enough to account for what lay there. ?Keep to the edge there? you see the trap, yes??

?Yes, mind your step in that shallow water just past it. Nature has better traps that some people even dream about.?

Together they moved past and on their way, falling silent as two pairs of keen ears listened for telltale sounds, and they both stopped now and then to scent the air.

Melly dropped to a crouch. ?It might be nothing, but we?ve come too far to chance it.? She pointed out four holes on either side of the pathway. They were about two feet above the stone floor. She waddled like a duck until she was past them.

Behind her, Velen dropped low as well and followed. ?Arrow traps, or I?m a slaver.? He took point again once they were beyond the openings.

?Some of those are poisoned. Double bang for the money.?