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Post by qhostqrowls on Mar 15, 2024 22:24:56 GMT -6
Rika smelt the woman’s blood, and reached out to gently grab her wrist before she withdrew her hand. The two shared a look of understanding, and when Merit nodded she gently wiped the last beading drops of blood across the rune on her shoulder.
She tried for an apologetic expression, but at the familiar thrill of the spell activating she couldn’t smother her smile. It would be enough to deflect a bullet or two. Enough for her to do what she needed.
She shifted to her natural form as smoothly as if she was shrugging off a jacket. The alien creature turned her large head, huffing gently at the pair, nostrils narrowing to slits.
When she turned away, her focus sharpened. She crouched, muscles rippling beneath her sleek pelt, jaws parting to taste the air. The nearest solider took a heavy step forward, water splashing against his boots.
Rika pounced, covering the distance between them in two swift, powerful bounds. She grasped at him with her large splayed claws, snarling loud and dramatic, jaws clamped hard over his arm, and pulled him down into the shallow water. She twisted her head, knowing her teeth wouldn't penetrate the armour, but that she could still break the limb if she got it at the right angle.
She went to drag him backwards and behind the nearest pillar. It wasn’t as smooth as she would have liked - she was used to being able to immediately drag her prey down to their watery graves, and his armour caught on the rough stone floor. She was determined to draw the soldiers away, and to get this large man down the river where she could drown him.
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Post by jarahamee on Mar 16, 2024 1:41:57 GMT -6
Merit winced as Rika pressed her hand into her bleeding finger, though she didn’t protest. Blood was blood, and this blood was just going to waste otherwise. She nodded as Rika moved away from her but was surprised by the shift into her large quadrupedal form. The archeologist hadn’t seen that listed on her list of abilities, but she supposed one might be ready for anything.
She shuffled her pack on her shoulders, ready to bolt at the soonest opportunity.
Rika lunged at the big solder, grasping his leg and sweeping it out from under him. His weapon went off, firing directly into the ceiling in a burst as he screamed and fell in the shallow stream. She began to pull him towards the pool on the far end as he kicked towards her.
The other two who had been flanking him turned towards her, leveling their weapons directly at her, and she knew she wasn’t going to have the time she needed to drag the big man down to the pool without getting a face full of lead.
The thin man seemed annoyed, turning his head to look the other way.
“Stay in position! Don’t run!”
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Post by beastly on Mar 26, 2024 20:03:19 GMT -6
Vincent observed Merit giving the agent her blood, and tried not to look surprised when the woman transformed. He was far more invested in what she could do to distract the mercenaries. Their lives probably depended on it. The men were armed and it was clear they were not playing here. They were doing something sinister. He had no supernatural abilities but he could smell it. The man took a breath as the gunshot rang out, digging up grim determination to fuel himself. Cursing the leader and his light, Vincent jerked his head to telegraph to the expert which direction he was going. To the right. There was no ideal way to do this, it was an enclosed space, but they could try and hide behind the pillars. He forced himself not to worry about the light. When dealing with vampires, they always had the upper hand. Could see where you couldn't. It was always a scramble in the dark, but they could see and you couldn't. Here, at least, it was on equal footing.
Vincent ran behind the pillar, looking for the next opening.
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Post by jarahamee on Mar 27, 2024 1:22:28 GMT -6
Rika and the big man struggled together in the water, his heavy armor and thick clothing weighing his body down as he thrashed, splashing water everywhere. His hands clawed at Rika, fist connecting with her face, her front limbs and her side, his rifle useless at this close range, dragged behind him into the water, out of his reach. The Taikura wrenched his arm violently and she felt the satisfying snap that accompanied a clean break. The man howled with pain, his thrashing changing as he struggled to free himself from her powerful bite unsuccessfully. As Rika moved to drag him down deep, she felt the impact of nearby bullets before she heard the gunshots. She was being fired at. As she moved behind one of the closest pillars, she felt the impact of more shots striking the wall behind her. The remaining two soldiers were closing in on her, weapons raised. Their former companion splashed helplessly in the shallow water, whimpering softly as he struggled to get to his feet. Vincent ran with Dr. Nasr, running across the unprotected space between the two pillars on the other side of the underground stream. The two mercenaries appeared distracted, their guns aimed at the fast-moving monster in the water. The thin man, however, took note of them, his thin mouth down turning into a deeper frown as he made a sound if dissatisfaction. He raised his hand towards them, his attention now freed from what Vincent imagined was a light spell, as he cast something else. Two fingers, pointed towards Vincent and Merit. Would they be fast enough? Things moved in slow motion as Hudson felt the heat from the beams that shot from his fingers before he realized what they were. Three long beams, cutting in different directions as they sliced through the air, sheering into the sides of the pillars. “This is your last chance. Give up, or forfeit your lives!” The strange man’s voice rang out, echoing in the confined space of the cave. Merit cried out as she misstepped and slipped, the erratic motion tilting her forward as they reached the pillar. She hit the sharp ground painfully, leaving a spot of blood when she shifted in her crouching position. She had cut her hand. She groaned as she rose, noting the mercenaries who were not the Thin Magician seemed sufficiently distracted. “We need to cross the river, Mr. Hudson. I can… create an image somewhere, if you think one place might be better than another.” The archeologist panted, glancing down at her boots. Not really fit to weather a cave, but she hadn’t expected anything like this when they set off. Attachments:
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Post by qhostqrowls on Apr 1, 2024 0:46:19 GMT -6
The satisfaction of breaking the mans arm was short lived, and Rika hunkered close to the ground behind the pillar as the gunshots rung out. She would've preferred it had been his neck that was broken, but she had missed, and there were three others to deal with. It was the thin man she needed to subdue, but there were still two well-armed well-armored lackeys between them.
She hadn't been expecting a fight, and felt a pang of frustration at her lack of preparedness. No weapon, no plan, and two humans to protect. But with her tattoo activated and whatever magic Merit had wrought, she'd be protected from at least a few bullets. She could tank a few anyway, as long as they didn't get her head. When the mage turned his attention to her humans, she made her decision.
She lunged for the mage with a single-minded focus to hurt him as badly as she could as quickly as she could. He would retaliate, she would be hurt, but they only needed a few seconds of chaos before she could retreat to the safety of the river. She had killed bigger and badder things, and she snarled viciously to draw the soldiers attention the second she had her claws in him.
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Post by jarahamee on Apr 1, 2024 1:18:49 GMT -6
Rika lunged forward, releasing the now-injured soldier to surge forwards, towards the Thin Magician. She could hear muffed yelling in her ear. Behind her, she heard the soldier floundering in the water, splashing up into the far bank and away from her. With his gun-arm broken, he was considerably less of a threat. She burst past the two soldiers, moving at a sprint. The one carrying explosives missed her, his semi-automatic spraying the ground beneath Rika. The sniper’s sidearm fired into her side, panic in his barely visible eyes, but she surged past both, bleeding, and leapt at the Thin Magician. The tall man made a loud sound, somewhere between a yell of surprise and ‘no.’ His skeletal face was illuminated by the orbs above as he aimed his right hand at her face. The lights above them brightened to a painful intensity, and as her teeth grazed his arm, she felt his hand become as hot as fire in her mouth. He was going to burn her. The Magician spun around, lashing out with his booted foot to kick her out of his proximity as the two soldiers held their fire. She had to imagine that they were waiting for a clean shot. Close to her face, his now bleeding arm was becoming warmer, glowing brighter. He spit out a curse, and then started muttering. His glasses slipped off and hit the ground. Behind the pillar, Merit turned to Vincent, and gestured with her head towards their left. The river was clear, the men were distracted. She could provide them with some darkness to help them make their way to the door. “…Come on…” She smeared blood on Vincent’s shoulder, and he felt his affinity with the shadows increase. Attachments:
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Post by beastly on Apr 4, 2024 19:49:48 GMT -6
Rika was in trouble. She was brave, her well muscled form lethal and beautiful, but Vincent could see that the mage's men were simply waiting for a clear shot to riddle her with bullets. The mage himself was not harmless either. Those rays of light were hot, and he feared what a direct blast into the super's face would do to her. She needed help. They were getting out of here alive.
Merit moving took his attention long enough for him to catch her gestures. Looking across the cavern, Vincent figured they could probably get pretty far. He didn't know what the blood was doing to him other than making him feel... Like a shadow. He didn't over think it.
"When I stop, keep going."
Vincent whispered, shifting his hold on the gun to grab his knife. The weapon had been intended for Kail. It would work here. Then, he was off. The gun was no help at the moment, he had the same problem as the mercenaries. The gun was not the kind you used for precise aiming.
The former hunter ran, only stopping behind one of the pillars when he felt he was close enough to throw his knife into the back of the mage.
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Post by jarahamee on Apr 5, 2024 3:08:12 GMT -6
Merit met Mr. Hudson’s eyes and understood, nodding in reply. Her eyes were keen and bright as she moved behind the next pillar, farther from Rika and the fighting soldiers, closer to the tunnel that the soldiers had entered from. She hesitated again, and then sprinted for the tunnel. The others would have an easier time joining her if she wasn’t putting them in immediate danger. Her footsteps were noisy, clattering in the expanse of the dark cave, sending stones and debris skittering off into far corners of the chamber. Thankfully the sounds of the fight covered the sounds of her escape. Behind her, the battle raged. The mage’s hand alighted, growing hotter and brighter. He aimed it directly at Rika’s head, his lips drawing back in a snarl. Without glasses, his eyes seemed smaller and brighter, like two blue points of light. And then he let out a scream as a dagger buried itself in his shoulder, the light above them, and the light in his hands both extinguishing themselves simultaneously, leaving the cave drenched in darkness. The magician howled in anger and pain. Beams of light split the darkness. The flashlights mounted on top of the mercenaries guns. One remained focused on Rika, the other searched the darkness of the back of the cave for the person who had attacked them. “Protect me, idiots!” Yelled the thin man angrily, his pale face flushing with rage. His gray-blond hair looked disheveled now, any illusion of control lost completely. Attachments:
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Post by qhostqrowls on Apr 6, 2024 21:21:51 GMT -6
Rika narrowed her eyes against the blinding light, hissing angrily as it grew brighter and hotter. She just needed to keep their attention on her, but as her whiskers began to singe she knew her time was running out.
And then the light blinked out, and she had her chance. She lunged forwards immediately, raking her claws across whatever part of the mage she made contact with. One of the soldiers was looking for the humans, flashlight sweeping broadly in their direction, and she regretfully turned her attention to him. Mauling the mage would have to wait.
She whirled, aiming to smack the muscular length of her tail against the skinny mans legs. But her main focus was the soldier, standing with his back to the river and his attention on Vincent and Merit. Again she lunged, this time silently, to try and slam him into the shallow water, knock him off his feet and disorient him before she made her own escape.
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Post by jarahamee on Apr 7, 2024 2:28:01 GMT -6
Rika slashed the magician’s leg with her sharp claws, and he stumbled forward with a loud cry. Flame shot from his fingers, singing Rika’s fur, but causing no serious damage. Blood pooled out and over his boot, and he stepped in the darkness, cursing in a foreign language.
The Taikura rushed into the sniper, battering him with her tail, pushing him off balance enough to make him stumble and lose his footing. He also cursed, this time in English, and leveled his weapon at her, though he fired into the darkness of the cave, and not into her side.
She slipped past his legs, moving past the column of stone, towards Vincent.
At the entrance, huddled in the darkness, Dr. Nasr gestured towards the other two, her message clear.
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Post by beastly on Apr 8, 2024 23:27:43 GMT -6
It was a relief when his knife planted itself in the mage's shoulder, a blessing, if he was allowed to think of such things. With the frequency of which he ended up with small blessings, he wouldn't discount the idea. The thought hurt, he thought of both Malak and Malakhi- Malak- His wife.
...No. Not his wife.
Vincent forced himself to be present in the very dangerous moment he was in. He needed to get out. Having helped the agent, he ran over to Dr. Nasr. The in darkness he had no vision, and an old fear nipped at his heels, but he remembered the way. He was an old pro at navigating in darkness. Once he was safely in the next room, he readied the gun.
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Post by jarahamee on Apr 10, 2024 1:14:24 GMT -6
Behind the escaping group were sounds of pain and confusion, bootsteps and deafening gunfire within that small space as they made their way through the vaulted room. The thin beams of their enemies’ flashlights cut through the thick darkness, but did not catch sight of any of the escapees as they fled through the tunnel to the North of the cave.
As soon as they were out of sight of the mercenaries, Merit pulled out her compass and penlight, holding them aloft. The arrow on the dial spun, and then settled on “West,” leading them through winding corridors, and away from the noise and confusion of the struggling mercenaries and their Magician master.
She paused, panting as they squeezed through a particularly narrow passage, which opened into a vast room with a high-vaulted ceiling. Like the previous cave chamber, this place was stunningly beautiful. Large columns descended from floor to ceiling, their moist, semi-translucent surfaces giving them a crystalline appearance.
The three appeared to have entered through the Southernmost entrance. In the center of the room was what seemed to be a deep pool. Around the sides were columns.
Subtly, the water called to them from the center of the room. So deep within the ground, things were quiet. Stalactites dripped in the blackness. It was peaceful here.
Merit lowered her compass, wandering close to the edge of the pool, before leaning over it. She paused, then shone her light in the center, and frowned slightly.
“Interesting…”
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Post by qhostqrowls on Apr 10, 2024 1:40:41 GMT -6
Rika took up the rear of the group, barely managing to squeeze through the narrowest of the passageways. She was not built for long treks through tight claustrophobic caves, and she was panting for breath by the time they entered the chamber.
“Are you both alright?” She asked, her human voice issuing from the translation charm hanging around her neck like a collar. “I’m sorry that was so…messy.“
She licked the human blood from her muzzle, turning her attention to where she’d been shot, rasping her tongue across her bloodied pelt. Nothing life threatening. She was embarrassed she’d been clipped at all. But if it hadn’t been for Vincent’s good aim, she was sure she’d be nursing more than a wounded ego.
She fixed the nurse with a direct stare, eyes gleaming appreciatively, before finally looking away across the underground pool.
She padded up to Merit, ears pricked, and lowered her head to the still surface of the pool, whiskers brushing the surface.
“What is it? I am a strong swimmer, if the artefact is down there.”
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Post by beastly on Apr 10, 2024 23:12:52 GMT -6
Vincent didn't drop his sense of caution even with the mage his minions left far behind. Couldn't. For multiple reasons. He didn't want to assume they'd seen the last of the mercenaries, and he had no idea what the mage was capable of. And. He really, really, really didn't want to relax enough to think about. Anything. He couldn't let himself think about anything but what was happening to them right now. In the cave.
He was half surprised to hear Rika talk. It made sense the agent would have a way to speak, though. And it was a relief.
"Fine. ... You?"
The hunter followed to the pool of water, feeling the pull. He took the opportunity to look the large carnivore over. That was the whole reason he was there. To provide medical attention should anything go wrong. Thankfully, he didn't see anything that looked like it would kill her on the spot. The bleeding was not good, though. "I need to stop that bleeding. You w-won't be able to swim."
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Post by jarahamee on Apr 11, 2024 1:59:02 GMT -6
Merit smiled as she heard the voice come from the collar. It was oddly cute to have even something that terrifying talking to her, like something out of a fairytale. It was enough to make her forget that they had just run away from heavily armed mercenaries and their Magician master. She patted off her jacket, and pressed her thin fingers through her hair, trying to collect her thoughts. “I’m fine… but you’re hurt….” Dr. Nasr leaned down and inspected the injury. She was no doctor, but she could do something to help with the bleeding. She allowed Vincent to apply pressure, bringing out gel foam and gently placing it within the wound. He was surprisingly gentle despite his appearance. It probably helped with his nursing job. She herself sighed, and touched the idol hidden in her pocket, wincing as it drew blood from another one of her fingers. She then leaned down and smeared it around Rika’s wound. With Vincent’s help, there was a soft fizzle, and the wound felt…better, but not good. At least it wasn’t going to ooze anymore. “Don’t… lick it anymore.” Merit said softly. As the three spoke around the pool, they felt a familiar presence in their mind. Dizziness. A rush of blood. Like a stage, the backdrop of the cave fell away, and rather than standing together in the church-like room, they were gathered together in a void. Instead of looking into the pool, they instead looked into a swirling vortex of light and color, descending down into an unseen space far, far below. Dr. Nasr frowned, looking around the vast emptiness of space, before looking down the vortex. “You want us to go down there?” A voice answered, familiar, calm and metered. The same voice that had addressed them only a little while earlier; DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU WANT? ARE YOU WILLING TO RISK THE POSSIBILITY THAT YOU MAY NOT DESIRE THE SAME THINGS? Vincent felt the familiar whisper of Ilea’s voice, as if she was in another room. Rika, a familiar splashing, as if it was just in the pool next to them. Attachments:
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