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Post by okami1reeka333 on Feb 6, 2022 13:25:51 GMT -6
As the moth like Shikigami struck the cuff, although it did not shatter, it did fracture. . . but something implied that this had rather advanced magics than implied from how lowly the ruffians would appear from a glance. . .It appeared as though some sort of magic distributed the strike evenly throughout the entirety of the device, fracturing on both of the cuffs. . . .
Then as if it writhed? the fractures seemed to slowly come together once more. . . had the cuff been completely shattered, something implied there was another energy holding it together- from how the cuff shifted inside after the impact.
zavijah:
She noticed the shift in weight from the cuff. . the impact against her wrist? . . .was that caused by her end or the fool's end. . . . she glanced back as she moved, seeing Kazan's insistence to stay. . . this annoyed her.
"Oi, Move your mule half. I rather not have a corpse of a spoiled selfish ass hindering me for my enemies to take advantage of me. " she roared at the centaur. "You spoke of yourself as having been a solider yet act as though you have never been in such situations. If you wish to go along with them, do so without me." she finally got to the wall and hopped down to a point of the wall and grappled it. . .
Glancing at the ox talisman. . .there was not much time. . . it has gone from green to yellow. . . it was threatening to reach its limit. . . if she could at least reach the top before it died, she can figure out a way to undo these damnable shackles. . . Though as resistant as the mule was behaving. . . She was suspecting both he and this group were of the same side. . . it was just her whom was keen apon getting away for the moment. . .
It was at that moment, she heard the subtle clanking of metal and wood from something small and behind them. . .
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Post by Vaitris on Feb 11, 2022 18:06:51 GMT -6
Kazan’s eyes narrowed as a web of cracks formed where his shikigami hit the band, but the metal stubbornly held and slowly became whole again, healed by magic. It seemed he was bound to follow the halfling child, at least for now. She was climbing the rocks next to the waterfall, a path she must have chosen out of either negligence or spite for him. It was jagged and steep, a surface totally inappropriate for a creature like him. He was clearly no mountain goat, but the imbecile child seemed determined to sabotage her own escape by dragging him up regardless.
His hooves dug into whatever nooks and crevices he could find as his legs lifted and pushed in ways they were not built for. Luckily here his braces still functioned relatively well, solidly supporting his weight even if they didn’t move as fluidly or without pain. As he found a moment or two, he glanced back, sending his shikigami after anyone who emerged from the chaos of the explosion in pursuit.
Using the force pulling the band up, he was able to haul himself over the top edge and out of sight of the gang below. Immediately he turned his attention to his rear legs, ignoring the stench and the strain and whatever prattling the child made, to find the buttons that would “reboot” his braces and give him mobility again. Lights flashed and cycled around the control wheels. It would take a few moments, but it looked like they had that now.
Kazan exhaled, shoulders loosening slightly, and regarded the child with an icy gaze. “We are stuck with each other, it appears. Perhaps you would like to gripe about that for a while? Or would you like to continue berating me?”
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Post by okami1reeka333 on Feb 12, 2022 5:34:53 GMT -6
As the two scaled the walls, the hunters and captors attempted to recapture their folly, only to be met with the white wisp like weaponry from one of the two. . .one of the hunters started to fire apon the two, only to be struck by one of the shikigami. Kazan would feel a horrendous tearing like pain apon the shoulder, yet no injury would reflect this apon his own body. . . .
zavijah:
as the ox talisman slowly died, she hurried. As soon as she was over the edge- it died. . . The sudden shift in weight, caused a dislocation within her shoulder. . . she merely grabbed her wrist and continued to pull. . .backing away from the edge to drag the bastard onto the cliffs edge. . . . .Thankfully. . . he had finally started to pull himself up. . . .perhaps half way up? she does not know, for it would mean she would need to get closer to the mule. . . something she did not want to do. . .
When he was over the edge, she had Gúþhelm move where it was between herself and Kazan. . . she did not want him near her. . When he began to whine and complain at her grousing at him, she did not respond. . .he has proven he looks for excuses to blow out of proportion just to embellish himself. . . Make herself come off as a victim. . . .for what reason? was a foreign concept. Never the less. . .
"Are you alright?" she asked. "These cliff faces extend apon either side for quite some time. . we should have enough time to figure out how to remove these binds. . . ." she stated, moving to place her arm in position to pop the joint back into place. . . . placing her foot apon her hand. . ."though first. . . we need to move."
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Post by Vaitris on Feb 25, 2022 20:34:51 GMT -6
Kazan didn’t answer her question. One of his shoulders ached, perhaps he had pulled it during the ascent, but the pain was easily ignored. It would not command him. Neither did he react to the positioning of her sword in between them like he was some sort of aggressor to be defended against.
He stretched his rear legs, feeling the heavy braces shift ever so subtly against his skin as lights flashed and cycled and power returned. Immediately he felt lighter, stronger, freed, and he suppressed the urge to give a liberating buck. Instead he settled for stomping his back feet solidly against the ground one at a time, shaking the weakness off of them.
His shikigami fluttered back over the edge of the cliff and alighted weightlessly on his rump, right where his spine arched down into his tail. The moth’s senses would be inadequate to keep watch behind, but there was little in the way of choice for forms now. Changing would be a waste of energy, and Kazan had done more than enough of that today.
“Yes, we will move back to the underground. This will be reported to the WDSA and we will have the bands removed there.” The words may have sounded like an order, but there was nothing more to them than his usual stoic tone. And without bothering to wait for any agreement or protest, he started off into the trees, heading back in the direction of the city.
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Post by okami1reeka333 on Feb 25, 2022 23:53:16 GMT -6
zavijah:
She watched as he seemed to just stare at her. . . Rather than any answers . . . Perhaps more telling than what the overdramatic mule does spew out of his mouth. . . . She merely sighed. . And in a sudden loud pop.
She forced her shoulder back in its socket. . .
Pain ripped though her shoulder, arm, and shot down her back, yet she just paused before standing up. . .
As soon as he started to move, she moved for the other direction. . . . Bracing her arm before the two were suddenly tugged.
"Not that way. " she stated. "They seem more interested in you than me. . . More than likely set traps where your most likely to tred. " she continued. . . Although may be easier without him being able to walk. . . Just leave the whiny child with WSDA- he will be fine. . .
And if they forsake her due to the overdramaticzations of a mule, then it was never meant to be. . . . She felt she should know better than to trust or go to anyone for aid. . . .
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Post by Vaitris on Mar 4, 2022 17:52:27 GMT -6
As the child realigned her shoulder Kazan noted the echo of pain in his own stoically. A definite complication to the situation, but it made a sadistic sort of sense. Unlike the child’s ramblings. To know all the entrances to the underground, to anticipate which one he would use and which of many variable routes he would take to get there, bordered on impossible. And far more effort than he was worth.
“Your logic is faulty. If they could predict where I would go with such accuracy, why not just wait until I run afoul of their trap? It would be easier and require fewer men. Their strike in broad daylight here was paid for in blood.”
For all the redhead’s crowing about profit, even he had to realize he wasn’t maximizing it laying arbitrary traps all over the woods like a lackwit. Though, considering the child’s recent nonsense, Kazan was having his doubts that the halflings understood such basic concepts anymore.
“We can go by way of the river.” It may have sounded like a concession for her, but Kazan was interested only in the plants that grew along the banks. They could be used in an alchemical recipe for battling stench and he was justifiably keen on picking some up.
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Post by okami1reeka333 on Mar 4, 2022 22:01:28 GMT -6
zavijah:
"If they have the time and resources to throw men away on a folly of a fight, then they have had an ample amount of time to observe you. " she pointed out.
"Arrogance befell kingdoms, Kazan. The moment you assume you know your opponent, you have forfeited yourself to their whim. Unless you are aware. . ."
she did not want to spell out what they may or may not be aware of with this group. . . .but she did not trust. . . underestimation befell kingdoms.
She could only question he was apart of the group hunting them or if he really was this arrogant. . . . Which honestly made her trust the mule even less. . . . She sighed.
He wants to go to the river? Was he hoping to wash the smell away? . . . She sighed. Unless they truly loose the hunting group, staying still for too long will only get them in danger. . .
"Fine. If you wish to announce your presence to those whom hunt us, then so be it. Let us befall apon the rivers side. . . .perhaps if we are fortunate enough, we will die by being swept away by a rouge storm. "
The muck at the banks of rivers will let the hunting group know exactly where they are, where they are going and how recently it hath been. . . .
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Post by Vaitris on Mar 10, 2022 18:10:29 GMT -6
“I made no claim that they did not observe me.” Though the chances of it were unlikely. His awareness of himself and his surroundings may have been blunted since leaving his home, but he was still alert to the world around him. It was an essential skill for a soldier, after all. And the claim that he would not have noticed some incompetent halflings shadowing him was insulting.
“Go find the end of the tether, would you,” he suggested, “and stay there.” His wry tone betrayed it but he was tiring of her know-it-allness. She thought him arrogant, yet seemed to consider herself the only being with any valid experience engaging with an enemy. And if she was going to continue to find imaginary fault in everything he said and did, then the little witling could take that obnoxious strength of hers and do whatever she wanted by force. She inspired no cooperation from him.
He continued on in the direction of the river. The closest bank was not entirely out of their way, and he was strong enough and heavy enough that wading downstream to confuse their trail would be easy if it was indeed necessary. The child was likely too small for the same maneuver, but he wasn't concerned about her. As she had already expressed, she had an answer for everything.
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Post by okami1reeka333 on Mar 10, 2022 20:58:32 GMT -6
zavijah:
when he hissed at her to remain as far as this tether would allow, she sighed. " I would ask the same of you, seeing you found it imperative to follow me in the first place, mule." she growled. "Had you left me be, for whatever reason you saw it fit to follow me, we would not be in this mess. . . and no amount of whining and bitching from you will change this truth, no matter how much you wish to twist this. . . .should anything occur apon that river, it will be on you. "
With that, she was done. This fool needs no explanations, no proof, no reasonings from her. He saw himself as superior to her? he follows and harasses her, then claims she attempted to kill him. . .now they were ensnared into this mess . . . .If it were not for the oath she had taken as a child, He and many others would of been slain by her hands for this. . . .How infuriating to be not only ensnared into a situation such as this, but with one whom was so arrogant, one whoms head was firmly planted into his anus. . . . If only death was final. . .
Treading towards the river, she could feel the hairs on the back of her neck rising. . . thunder? . . . sure, it was pouring . . .and heading to the river was a very moronic choice considering the rain. . . . She did not want to go, but if the fool wishes to drown, let him.It would be a waste of energy to fight him in this.
Then there was the current was. . . .she opted to try and travel by the tree branches, carefully traversing them as to not break branches, not leave prints. . . only having Gúþhelm come to hand to test the water before deciding no. . . She did not trust this. . . . this was stupid. . . and yet here was the mule, pulling the both of them down stream. . . she just climbed a tree before he could really start gaining distance. . . not that this could happen, unfortunately. . .otherwise she would of left him to drown alone. . .
Not like her to abandon innocence to die in such manners, yet he made it so loudly known this is what he wishes regardless of the cost. . .
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Post by Vaitris on Mar 19, 2022 17:40:21 GMT -6
The rain was picking up again. His old horns would have predicted that, but these new ones didn’t have the same resonances. And when Kazan spotted the river through the trees, he could see the swollen waters rushing headlong down towards the valley. He’d been through here many times, knew how deep the water was by how far it had breached its bed, and remained at a distance.
The plants he sought grew higher on the loamy banks. The centaur gathered what he needed, feeling the mud suck greedily at his hooves as he moved between them. He was only peripherally aware of the girl in the trees above him, jumping from branch to branch like she was more monkey than halfling. Kazan was largely indifferent to her activities until he heard a long, low groan of wood that quickly crescendoed into sharp snapping and cracking. One of the trees, the one the child currently perched in, had separated from the bank and was tipping towards the river. As the roots pulled free, the earth around it crumbled and disintegrated, great chunks of dirt and stone splashing into the torrent below.
He lurched back, seeking safer ground, but the band wrenched his arm forward and his balance followed. Kazan slid down the bank, unable to find purchase in the slick mud, and fell into the rushing water below.
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Post by okami1reeka333 on Mar 19, 2022 19:33:39 GMT -6
zavijah:
She had no words with the situation that had unfolded. . . she did not know the river's wrath had battered the earth around the tree she had landed within to where it lost way into the river. . . She tried to get out of the tree and into a different one- only to have slipped and her sleeve to have gotten snagged by a branch. . . . she cursed under her breath as she did what she could to try and free herself from the tree. . .
Lets go to the river, he said. It will be fine, he said. . . It did not ease her to see him get dragged into the murky raspy water, she could only hold her breath and brace herself as the tree turned and cast her under the blacken waves as well. . She could not see the rocks, logs, sticks that they struck, cut and grazed them. . .there was one point the tree pressed her into the murky bed of mud and muck that was the bottom of the river, ever so changing in the chaos that was the cascading torrent.
It was times like this, she was grateful for having such a small stature.
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Post by Vaitris on Mar 26, 2022 17:26:49 GMT -6
Cold splashed over Kazan’s head. He kicked out, hooves catching everything but solid ground. He couldn’t see anything but roiling gray chaos, couldn’t hear anything but the muted sound of thrashing water. The current shoved him up against the downed tree, he could feel the branches stabbing into his side, his arm, his legs. The centaur shifted and seized them like a lifeline, twisting and pulling himself upright.
Finally, his feet struck something that didn’t give. He shoved against it, face breaking the surface of the river. Air flooded his lungs and made him cough. A pain in his wrist finally sifted through his thoughts. The band at his wrist had drawn painfully tight, the force behind it trying to drag Kazan further into the leafy foliage of the fallen tree and deeper water. He waded in, testing the depths and following the pull, putting all his strength into denying the river’s current as it threatened to wash him further downstream.
His leg brushed something. He reached down, going so far that he was nearly submerged again, seized the first thing that felt like flesh and fabric and pulled. There was a sensation like ripping but the child emerged from the river, carefully gripped in the hand without the metal band. Then with slow steps he moved back towards solid ground where he dropped her none too gently in the mud.
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Post by okami1reeka333 on Mar 27, 2022 9:54:37 GMT -6
zavijah:
As soon as the large tree rolled past her and released her, she was suddenly taken by another current. She moved and searched before grappling a stone. . . stopping the further pull. . . before something. . . hoofed. . kicked her. . . . to her dismay, it had hands- it was the flucking perverted creeper. . . The one she was latched to by the God forsaken bands. . He grappled her and pulled her out of the waters. . She kept her right hand away from him as best she could and tried to adjust herself to when he dropped her, she would be on her feet. . .
She sighed, flicking the muck off of her face to clear her line of sight. . She sighed, and moved away from Kazan to test the distance. . . There was at least an arm or two length between the two, but she rather that distance not close any further. . . . She was not fond of the lost distance between the two. . . She had lost the cloak she had in the spew. . . though, it was not one of her favored ones, it still annoyed her. . . there were areas on her where although the clothing was not pierced nor damaged, blood slowly blossomed from the areas as though the fabric itself acted as the edge of rock and stone, considering what kind it was.
She then considered her hair, holding a lock of it. . . . she lost her cloak, so now it was visible, and considering how soaked it was, it had its damnable luster. . .opalescent to far too opalescent . . she considered the mud, but seeing how heavily it rained, cover using mud will be undone by the weather. . . She flicked the hair out of her sight, not wanting any memories to flood her judgement.
"We need to leave, you are not safe here. " she stated. She tested her right arm to see if it had been pulled out of place once more. . .no. . but as high of an pain tolerance she had, even she found it aching. . . She did not want to babysit an arrogant ass- little alone remain bound to it. . . .actions speak louder than words, and he damn near had both of them drowned and buried.
She started to move away from the river. . though weight difference along with the ox talisman having died in the attempt to pull the arrogant ass away from whom she question may be his allies. . . . she wanted to nothing to do with the ass. "Gúþhelm" she called. . .
Like a whip or a thunder crack, it zipped towards her, she grasped its handle before sheathing it apon her back.
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Post by Vaitris on Apr 8, 2022 17:03:12 GMT -6
Free from the river, Kazan could see red streaking his tricolor fur. The tree had torn into his side in several places and rain was washing blood down his flank and legs. There was a scattering of other aches he couldn’t account for. A swift appraisal of the child revealed her to be injured as well, and in many of the same places. If the bands were indeed sharing pain between them, then nothing was severe enough to need immediate attention. But this was another reason to hasten progress back towards town.
“Let us.” He agreed, moving off in the direction of the city also.
There were no traps laid along their path, but as they approached one of the entrances to the underground he slowed, looking down. There were fresh bootprints in the mud. Kazan veered away, found a barely visible deer path that climbed up through the forest to a small hilltop. From there, concealed by the dense foliage, he looked down on the cleverly disguised doorway that led under the city and frowned.
A cluster of halflings was hiding in the trees. They had clearly positioned themselves for an ambush, a few had weapons in hand already. Those that didn’t were likely more magic casters. He considered them, his weakened shikigami, the child, and their options.
“Your blade, can it reach the trunk of that tree and cut it down?” He pointed to a large tree between them and the waiting humans. It was skinny enough that it wouldn't need more than one clean chop, but it was densely leafy. “I will fell the one on the opposite side, they will blind the halflings with leaves. Then we can move for the door.” They would need both to cover the group completely, and timing to accomplish it, but mages could not hit what they could not see.
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Post by okami1reeka333 on Apr 10, 2022 13:34:17 GMT -6
zavijah:
She took note of the tracks as well. . .carefully following the half pony in a well practiced path finding method. seeing it was still pouring, blood left would be far more difficult to track. She quietly took note of the auras clustered ahead as they slowly circled around the unknown group. . .
She glanced between Kazan and the tree he refereed to, then the halflings within the trees. . .She studied the tree he meant to use before noticing small leafy vines with thin white thorns. . . .
Well, luckily as rancid as Kazan smelled, the halflings were just as in the same situation. . .They will not be able to discern between themselves and the mule. Without allowing him to finish, she drew her weapon and sent it towards the tree quietly. . .like a black mamba within the wooden thicket. And he thought she was long winded.
It separated once more into two as she had one carefully press against the trunk sideways with the back of the blade braced against the trunk, whist the other was positioned to slice through it. .just to insure the path it was to fall. . . . .The vines within the tree are poisonous. . . the thorns have a minor paralytic affliction to those foolish enough to trifle with such. The concentration is weak, but it will slow them further should it strike them. The benefits of venturing through the wilderness of any realm before she encounters the locals- gives her a chance to learn and study the flora and fauna. Potential new alchemist ingredients or weaponry of self defense should she become hunted.
What better way to defend herself than to use the area around her to her best advantage? Makes it harder for the opponents to discern shes not from here, and she does not reveal anything of a different realm that may make her more of a prized target to capture. Though this realm has proven to be quite the annoying hassle considering how rather active the innocence are within the wilderness as well as the valley of stone. . . Kazan being one of such.
Though foolish question for him to ask. . .but she was invisible when she pulled this trick apon him prior to dropping a stench bomb from above.
She glanced over towards Kazan before back towards the area where the swords are. . . whenever he states to, she will moved to have the trees cut by the swords. .
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