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Post by Mai on Jan 23, 2009 18:10:51 GMT -5
Alexx was the only one who dropped back a little.
Thought you could catch up. Sorry.
Not too worried about losing Jack(she could always scan for his wristband, after all), she didn't really care about rushing too fast. It wasn't as if they were running away from something. At least, not this time. She still almost ran into Jack when she came around a tree, but didn't see he had stopped.
Alaina was knelt silently next to the two skeletons. She wasn't one to cry, but this brought her quite close. The others stayed silent out of respect, and even Jack didn't step forward to comfort her. They didn't even know her, so they stayed back. She slipped a blanket out of her pack and laid it over top the bones, muttering a few words in the Ancient Language to wish them peace, before turning and walking away from the group. She disappeared into the shadows of the trees, and no one followed her.
Let's get moving then.
Jack said, after a moment of being silent, and he walked around the decomposed corpses, brought into seriousness for a time. It wouldn't last long, most likely, but it was there nonetheless.
-and muse dies....-
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Post by khamar on Jan 23, 2009 18:27:00 GMT -5
As the group slowed down to a jog and finally stopped. Niko leaned over huffing to catch his breath and saw a remains. "Barbaric, to treat the dead such is unforgivable" Niko may have been naive and innocent because of being sheltered from the outside most of his life. But he was skilled in other things beside the sword. Untieing the red Sash he always kept around his waist Niko put it behind his kneck to let the lengths of red cloth drape both sides of his chest. Pulling out a crecent moon medalion from under his vest Niko started to mutter in the tounge of his people.
He was skilled in holy magic as was taught to him by the legendary priest saint Granby who disapeared to perform a hundred year meditation. Some small circle like objects of light left the corpses as Niko's chanting grew. Near its end the balls of light flashed away. He put the medallion back under his vest and tied the red sash back around his waist.
He knelt to make a cross symbol in the air in front of him with a gloved hand "And may you find a place in the kingdom of the lord, Amen" he looked to the confused look on Jacks face and pointed to all the dead vegetation around the bodys. "You see this, there spirits held to strongly to the mortal world. They were conflicted with emotions. Mostly anger, and it started to kill everything around them. But they can rest in peace now that I have cleansed the anger with the lords devine light" He heard a voice ask. "Are you a priest?" Niko let out a small laught. "Not quite, but I have been trained by one. Mother insisted"
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Post by Mai on Jan 23, 2009 18:48:49 GMT -5
Jack nodded. He'd seen weirder, really. It was too bad Niko hadn't been there when Suzie died. Then they wouldn't have had to kill her again by destroying the 'Risen Mitten', more professionally known to them as the resurrection gauntlet. It just didn't sound as good.
Then I suppose it's too bad it isn't a curse stopping me from dying.
He caught the glances his way that questioned why he would want to actually die, and he looked at them, clearly somewhat lonely.
Eventually you see too much, live too long. It's a form of torture all in itself.
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Post by khamar on Jan 23, 2009 18:55:55 GMT -5
Niko nodded his head to the elder man. "Well if you ever need someone to talk to. I shall not turn a blind ear" looking around Niko coughed. "Well then, shall we be off again?"
He paid no more attention to Alaina in the tree. He figured she would want to be alone.
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Post by Mai on Jan 31, 2009 9:50:10 GMT -5
Jack nodded, and with some of the group glancing back once and some not looking back at all, they continued on.
As for Alaina, she stayed and mourned their death for the whole of the next day as well, and then went back to the ship. She decided she'd rather try to find a way to occupy her mind with something else, or at least be around friends, then to stay here alone.
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Post by Niko on Feb 1, 2009 13:43:43 GMT -5
Niko was near the rear of the group as they went along taking in all the new sights and sounds. They had entered another long stretch of woods and upon looking to his left Nikolai saw a familiar ugly face peeking from behind a tree. "its the fat one!" he said aloud at seeing he thief who attempted to rob him.
Without waiting for the others he took chase to give the fat dirty man a well deserved beating that he escaped a few days earlier.
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Post by niko on Feb 2, 2009 8:29:11 GMT -5
Some small figures roughly the height of two human thumbs peekd from behind the base of a tree. "Oy, another intruder in our forest. What say we give em the tripperoo brother" one said in a high pitched voice.
Running across the path with mad laughter the two small humanoid figures pulled on a vine as Niko came. The vine tripped Nikolai sending him flat on his face. Raising his head and spitting out dirt he looked to the two laughing figures. "Brownies.... Oh how I hate brownies..." He hated the way they smelled. He hated there high pitched voices and laughter. There childish antics. Everything about them.
Retreat!' A brownie called out as he ran from Nikos hand. "Come here you little knat" Niko said.
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Post by Niko on Feb 3, 2009 13:44:57 GMT -5
Niko took hold of brownie but stared as he saw something new not far away. What looked like a human with long black hair and leather vest and loincloth had its back turned to him. Nikolai tilted his head a bit to look at the strange metal staff on its back with two wicked looking blades on each end.
The figure swiftly turned around to look at him.. A knecklace of bones clattering around its kneck. Its face was covered by a metal mask. Blades came popping out of what looked like a guantlet on its wrist. The air seemed to shimmer around the stranger and he disapeared. A pair of yellow eyes flashed for a second followed by a deep laugh.
Niko forgot all about the brownie and dropped it to stand up and look into the trees. He could smell something strange moving around up there. Hearing the others catching up to him Niko said while not looking away from the trees.
"Somethings in the trees. It looked like a hunter with a mask and a staff but he disapeared into thin air. His eyes flashed yellow for a split second afterwards.
The young apprentice hunter squated on a branch high up in a tree looking down at the people under him. The thermal vision mode of his mask let him see the body heat of his prey. He was completly invisible to Niko and the others thanks to his cloaking device. Tapping a few buttons on the wrist computer the bio scanner went to work of scanning over Niko and his cousin kit. Grumbling at the results that showed the hunter closed the screen on its guantlet. They were to young and hardly worth his time. Moving with the quile and agility of a cat the hunter hopped from branch to branch in search of more worthy prey.
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Post by Niko on Feb 4, 2009 4:59:45 GMT -5
OCC: Blah, just something to see what seth is up to.
Seth stood by the wall holding up a portrait of his young son Rothgar. Feeling around blindly his touch came upon the banged up dented armor that was up on display. The only thing the guardians ever found of him. Aside from Rothgars dead rider.
Walking slowly back to bed he lied down with a grunt next to Sairi. "I miss the boy so much. I cant help but wonder what was the last thing he saw.... Do you still think he is alive?"
Seth hated the almemists for taking his only son on the field of battle. And though he wished a great many missfortunes upon them. His brother Vinnie ensured that no such thing would happen by uniting the country.
Seths thoughts went to his daughter whom he fell out with a few years ago. "My son is dead, my daughter hates me, and my body grows old and turns against me" His breathing became a bit labored after rolling to his side.
Sighing he added. "Yet I have no regrets accept that that you to grow old and die with me" Though Sairi should not even live a short life. Some how she aged with Seth. Her life tied to his.
Looking to Sairi with blind eyes he said. " Do you still see the love in my eyes?" It was a funny question considering he had none anymore. But toucning he loved Sairi so.
Closing the blind eyes he layed his head to rest. "No regrets accept I may never tell my daughter I am sorry for my bad words. Nor tell her how proud I am of her" That she will hate and curse my name even in death" Wispering now as sleep took him he added. "But she is still young and does not understand sometimes fathers seem like the bad guys. But in fact are doing what is best...."
It was that night that seth died. Peacefully in his sleep next to the one he loved. Leaving behind a widow a daugher and one son.
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Post by Mai on Feb 4, 2009 18:04:57 GMT -5
The group took up the defensive, on the most part. Even Alexx, usually carefree, knew better than to misjudge a hunter. Jack was the only one who didn't seem to care, and he simply continued to walk along. He began whistled a song from his childhood, one Alexx didn't even recognize in its short-lived liveliness before she clamped her hand over his mouth.
You may not be able to die, but everyone else here can. Shut up.
She growled in his ear as best she could, considering he was taller than her. After a few minutes, it was silently agreed upon they were safe, and Jack had the hand taken off his mouth. He whispered something in her ear with a grin, in a way no one else would have heard, and she whacked him hard enough to make him pull away and rub his arm, though he smiled at her response.
Asshole.
Kit leaned against a tree for a moment as emotions that weren't hers washed over her. It happened on occasion when her mother felt extremely strong feelings that they would wash over her daughter's mind, and it didn't take Kit any time in figuring out what had made Sairi so sad. Tears slowly ran down her face, though she attempted to wipe them away fast enough that no one would really notice, though that was a hopeless cause.
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Post by khamar on Feb 5, 2009 11:19:57 GMT -5
Niko released his hand from the fencing sword hilt on his hip feeling the danger pass. But it was only a false comfort. They were still being watched. He looked to his cousin Kit. "Cousin? Why do you weep?" He asked with honest concern
In a tree squating was a large male hunter. Just moments ago the clan leader and his father had ordered the entire clan to leave elswhere to hunt. The world had changed much since they last visited a hundred years ago. There were far to many new species of dragons and by hunter honor. They had to study them first. So the clan leader left behind there best and smartest warrior. Kujo. Who also just happened to be the huntsclan leaders son.
A large pouch on the hunters waist wiggled and what looked kind of like a pocket dragons head pocked out to let out some clicks. Kujo scratched its head and put the flap back over it. This dragon unlike the pockets were native to his homeworld and had the intelligence of a dog. They were often kept as pets by hunters such as him.
The large muscled man pulled his metal mask up so it rested on his head. His face was covered in what looked like a claw scar. Though his hair was dark, the mans eyes were blue. The tell tale mark of his people like red was the dracas.
He typed on his guantlet to speak in the recorder in his peoples toung. "Somehow the local druac have crossbreeded with local indigious oohmans. I have chosen a male and female for study and observation. The male I have called Brandon, The female, Shala. I am now stuck on this planet for 1034 rotations until my people come back for me. I expect my work will yield results.
Pouring some water into a alien dragon skull on his hip he drank to add. "So far our people have never encountered a species of druac with intelligence. This new species which I have designated "the new breed" show signs of intelligent thought. Tommorow I will confirm this. If true. By the laws of our people. They will never be hunted
Kujo, still crouching saw the female draca whom he had been observing talking to the male look at him in the tree. Staring coldly into her eyes he slowly raised up a hand to pull his mask back over his face. He turned the strange looking alien dragon skull in his hand so it looked at her. The pocket dragon stuck its head out to look at Kit to.
The air shimmered around Kujo and he vanished from sight. But he was still there crouching on the tree branch watching them. Kit would know that because the two yellow looking eyes of his mask flashed for a second followed by a deep disturbing laugh that echoed through the woods causing birds to take flight.....
OCC: Ooh, spooky. Looks like the party will have someone following them around in there journy. Maybe even Kujo might lend a helping hand.
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Post by niko on Feb 5, 2009 13:53:27 GMT -5
After hearing from his cousin why she was upset he gave his regrets. Though honestly Niko could not be to upset even though he wanted to. he just did not know his uncle seth very well.
As they made camp Kujo watched observing everyones actions and conversations. He learned that they needed a guide. In the morning he set to the bussiness of offering his services.
Kujo sat in a tree looking over his shoulder below as everyone came by. Just as Kit walked near he let gravity take hold to swing backwards hanging upside down by his legs and face to face with Kit he said in common.
"Need a guide through the dangers of the wild?" Seeing Kit jump back and grabbing her sword Kujo let go of the branch with his legs to do a flip and landed on his feet.
Niko saw the strange dragon skull hanging by his hip and put the point of his fencing sword at Kujo's throat. "Be gone slayer!" he ordered the loinclothed, masked man. Kujo furrowed his eyebrows behind the mask. He would have killed a person for such disrespect. But his mission was not to hunt.
Kujo smacked the blade aside with his metal gauntlet and grabbed niko by the throat to lift him off the ground and choke slammed him. Dusting off his hands and looking at all the blades aimed in his direction Kujo reached up to pull his metal mask away resting it on his head.
He had no idea what a slayer was. But he would work a story. "I am a slayer no more. That was a missguided path I no longer travel" As if right on cue to prove that point the little dragon that looked like the local pocket dragons came crawling out the bag on his hip to climb up on Kujos shoulder.
It cooed as he scratched under its chin. Niko sat up coughing to look at his cousin who seemed quite eager to kill this strange man right then and there. "I'm convinced cousin. He could have killed me right then and there" He pointed to Kujos small companion on his shoulder. "And I know of no slayer that keeps our lesser cousins as a companion"
Kujo took the metal staff from his back to point one of its bladed ends to the south. "I can lead you safely through the mountains and beyond. The least I can do to amend the wrongs of my life" The little alien dragon that looked like a pocket nipped Kujos ear and he flicked it on the snout with a finger.
"Shanta mo tresta! Van Druac!" it was definetly a foreign sounding language. The little pocket with tiger looking stripes nuzzled against Kujos cheek as if to apologize.
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Post by Niko on Feb 5, 2009 14:39:17 GMT -5
In response for her appology he rubbed a knuckle against the small reptiles chest. Niko stood up now. "Now before we let you come along I have a few questions slayer." Kujo slowly turned his head to look at Niko and Niko emediatly became timid and shy melting before the hunters cold gaze.
"When I saw you earlier you vanished into thin air? How did you do that?" Kujo replyed blankly. "magic" his people believed in it. There should be no reason why the people here dont. And besides. It served an easy excuse for cloaking technology.
Niko got together with all the others and discussed it. Much to his cousins disagreement. They decided for the most part to let him come along. Niko turned away from the group to head back over to Kujo. "We have decided to let you guide us slayer. But dont try anything"
As the group walked by he could not help but notice the bad looks he got from Kit. "hmph" he said to lower the mask and followed behind the group. Bringing his gauntlet up to his mouth he spoke into it as he trailed behind everyone.
"I have made contact with the druac. They are intelligent as you or I. No doubt gifted to them by the odd breeding. The male Druac Brandon is a shy and timid creature. Though I would say this is because of its age and lack of experience. The female Druac Shala shows dominant traits. She is aggressive and has shown hostility notionally to me. I fear the observations will be cut short should I slay her in defence.
He looked to the sky seeing the body heat of a flying wyvern with his mask optics. "I have lead them to believe that I am a guide. And so I will guide them and hopefully complete the study" Seeing the one called jack and alexx looking back at him Kujo quickly finished up with the recording.
"If the opportunity arissed I will try to examine one of the druacs in there natural form for a greater undertanding of there biology" Kujo lowered the guantlet from his mouth to wave at the two and caught up as the group stopped at the rachis mountains.
"What now guide?" Niko said sarcastically. Kujo paid no mind and looked at the misty mountains. Putting a hand to the side of his mask he changed the optic mode. The mist disapeared showing all the good and bad paths. "Follow me...." He said blankly and walked into the mist.
It was a long tiring trek to go up a mountain. For in the case of the travelers. Many mountains. But true to Kujos word he led them well until they came to the largest mountain. Kujo was lifting people up the side into the old entrance to where the draca city use to be. Finally Kit was last. Kujo offered a hand but grumbled as she smacked it away. A rock gave way and she lost her holding. Kujo shot out his hand to grab her by the wrist and pulled Kit up speaking from hehind his mask coldly. "Watch your footing druac..... it would be a shame for your bones to break and shatter on the stones below...
He honestly ment what he said. But emotions were something his people had trouble conveying in there voices. So they always sounded robotic, cold, and uncaring. "We will rest here until day" Leading them deeper into the tunnel the old ruined of the draca city came into view. Along with all the bones of the ones slaughtered there.
Kujo looked at all the dragon bones and knelt to pick up a baby draca skull. "such slaughter..... such mindless killing. They did not even take the skulls for trophys. What beast would have such dishonor" True Kujos people traveled the dimesions and galaxys killing dragons. But they had a great respect for them as well. They held to strict rules of honor that gave there prey fair chance to defend themselves.
Niko looked around to answer there guide. "It was the first city. The humans came. Enough said. Kujo wandered off now marveling that dragons could even build structures. Talking into the recorder on his guantlet Kujo started to say. "I have come across a hidden city in the stretch of mountains on the northern land mass. A druac city. Ruined and littered with bones. The remains of what was a great genocide. Not even the younglings were spared. No trophys were taken. A hunt without honor.
Niko watched there guide wander off. He wondered if the slayer felt guilt for hunting dragons for mony. And that maybe he went off to pay respects. He looked to his cousin. "My father has plans to rebuild this place and erect a monument in there honor" he sighed to look around. "though honestly I disagree. This place does not quite feel like a place to live anymore What do you think of the slayer who is our guide?"
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Post by Mai on Feb 5, 2009 18:12:58 GMT -5
I don't trust him. I say we keep a close eye on him. Leave one person awake at all times. Shouldn't be a problem, since apparently one of us doesn't sleep.
She motioned to Jack vaguely, who was examining the skeletal remains with curiousity. He had found they were quite similar to the skeleton of a pterodactyl, especially the wing bones. Fell and Rylee, as usual, were talking quietly amongst themselves about something.
Alexx had disappeared, following the slayer. She wasn't too worried about danger. If he did attack her, she could just regenerate. She'd miss her hair a bit, but she had nothing she really wanted to keep about this form she'd been born with.
So...What's with always wearing the mask, anyway?
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Post by niko on Feb 6, 2009 0:40:35 GMT -5
Niko agreed with his cousin. "I dont either. Remember the storys our perrents told us of hunters that came from the stars? I wonder if he is"
Kujo stopped his examinations when he hear the complaining squeels of of his pet in the hip pouch. Opening the flap he put a hand in to pull it out and set her on the ground
"Wsra Druac?" She went sniffing around though not far from her master. As much as Kujo bragged himself the hunter. Even he did not notice Alexx creeping up behind him. Startled he flicked his arm and two wristblades came popping out. Turning around he jabbed his wristblades at Alexx's throat neatly fitting her kneck between the blades and pinning her to the wall harmlessly.
"Why do you ask what you already know?" He replied coldly. The blades retracted back into his gauntlet and Kujo backed away. "Forgive the rash act. But this place disturbs me." His little pet reptile apprantly satisfied nothing fun was about climbed up his leg and went back into the pouch. To answer her question about his mask Kujo reached up a hand to take it off revealing his claw scarred face. His eyes turned down to the electronic screwdriver sticking out a pocket.
"Per dreky Timelord?" he asked while offering the mask for Alexx to look over. She would discover though it looked primitive on the outside. Inside it was quite advanced. Leaving many more questions to who this person was if she did not already know. Kujo took away the mask when she tryed to tweek the insides a bit with the screwdriver.
"Dont play with it" he said in his usual manner as Kujo put the mask back on. He returned back to the others to find they already set up a camp with a fire. Kujo sat on the outskirts of the camp where the light barely kept back the darkness. He sat sipping water out of the strange dragon skull while watching the others.
Satisified he would get no intresting information about the new species he was studying Kujo lied down. His little pet came crawling out the pouch to lie on his stomach lazily and let out a toothy yawn.
In the morning Kujo was the first up, well, aside from the one called jack. The hunter did not understand why that one seemed to never rest. Leading the group through the mountains they finally made it to the small dirt stretched plain before the tundra.
Kujo shot up a hand to halt and the party stopped. Kujo squated to examine some dragon markings on the ground. He trailed a hand over the center of the clawed tracks where something looked to have been dragged.
"A female." he spoke. "Heavy with egg" He pulled his mask up to rest on his head and dipped a finger in a small splatter of blood to taste it and quickly spit it out. "She is young to. This is her first litter.
Kujo turned around while still crouching to walk over to some other prints. Scooping up the dirt of the human footprint in a hand he smelled at it. "oohman hunters" He threw the dirt down and stood up to pull his mask down. "Have they no honor. I will kill the imputant welps myself. Stay here"
For supposedly being a ex slayer he seemed awfully pissed. Kujo found human hunters easy to track. or as his people called them Oohmans. He quicky dispatched of the first and moved towards the second hunter crawling away on his back. "No please! Mercy!" Kujo had no intent of mercy. There were strict laws to the hunt. The breaking of those laws were punishable under death.
Impaling the hunter through the chest with his metal spear Kujo turned to look at the famale wyvern tied down to the ground. She snarled at hissed at Kujo as he came near. Kujo just held up a hand softly saying. "EsSa.... Essa druac" As she lunged her teeth at him Kujo expertly sidestepped to wrap a arm around her jaws and leaned back to fall to the ground. Like a alligators muscles. Dragons jaws had almost no muscles for opening there teeth. Thus they were easily held shut. But god help you if your hand is in there jaws when they close. The crushing power was unequaled. And this kujo knew well.
Placing his free hand on the top of her snout he pushed his fingers into some pressure points. She instinctly stopped struggling and went calm and docile. He rubbed a hand over her snout and stood up now cofident she was to at peace to fight. "Zien druac"
He went to the task of free her of her bonds and then went over a quick examination. Being the master hunter he was. he knew alot about dragon physiogoly and biology. It was what made him so good at killing them.
Satisfied the pregnant wyvern was just startled over the whole trapping then hurt Kujo backed up as she stood up to wobble off dragging her gut in the dirt. Kujo was confused. Why would she even be out in the open like this?" He thought. "very unusual behavior. Taking out a vial of blue liquid he poured a little on the two human hunters bodys. There cloths and flesh seemed to rot away leaving bones. then seconds later the bones disolved leaving nothing to show the humans even existed.
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