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Post by MP on Oct 31, 2022 21:12:43 GMT -6
[All]
Somewhere in the distance, the great bird screams. The fierce cry muffles on the air, as if the sky itself is lulled, drained, by the coming presence. The distant light of the cabin sputters and goes out.
As one, the trees hush. Their dead white eyes look on - not at the doomed sacrifices below, but at the blank visage of the woman as her shadow falls over the forest, eclipsing what little visibility there is. Your last sight is of the branches, their twisted limbs and willowy fingers extended to the sky. Embracing their end. Or maybe raised in final, futile supplication.
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Post by jarahamee on Nov 1, 2022 1:46:45 GMT -6
From far beyond the mountains, the darkness was retreating, giving way to a lighter shade of blue. Dawn was coming.
The Goddess stood in the clearing, holding Kail in her massive left hand. She was positioned over the corpse of the Hag, and the figure of Kazan, who had, by now, consumed all of his hearts. Even in the early dawn light, she was beautiful. Radiant. Her wings were like a field of stars, her body glowing faintly, like the moon itself. She towered well over the tree line, over the topography, unimpeded by anything before her.
The Goddess’ servants hovered around her, waiting for their orders, no doubt, their steeds paddling as if cantering in the air, leaving trails of fine vapor behind them, as if standing and walking on the clouds themselves.
For a few moments, which felt like a very, very long time, the goddess studied Kail, turning him one way, and then another. He had the sinking sense that even if he did try to bite her, her flesh would have had the hardness and consistency of solid stone. Whatever revelation she had come to was never revealed to him. Her expression never changed, she never spoke, and, since he was very close, it appeared that she never breathed either.
And then, she made her decision;
With the same surprising speed that she had seized him, she raised him up towards her perfect, shapely lips, which parted to reveal shining, perfect marble teeth and a smooth stone tongue. Beyond that, within her, was something like a void. A star-field that stretched infinitely into nothingness. Even being close to it felt as if it sucked the light from his eyes, the wind from around his ears, and lungs, filling them with muffling darkness. With horrifying certainty, he realized what was going to happen, as his horned head disappeared into her mouth, along with his torso.
The gigantic being bit down, hard, into his midsection, tearing him in two by pulling downward once his torso was within her mouth, held firmly by her teeth. She wrenched the rest of his body sideways, turning her head to shred what was left of him, spraying pieces of flesh, blood and guts everywhere. Then, she chewed the corpse, twice, before shoving the rest of his body into her now gory mouth, wiping it with the back of her hand when she was finished. And after she did so, she grew even larger. Towering over the trees. Her light intensified.
Kail is Dead.
When she was finished, she turned her massive, now blood-stained, face, to Kazan, the last of the surviving Hunt sacrifice. Her movement was measured, smooth, but exact. She did not need to look for him to know where he was, but she did need to do so to focus her energy.
This time, she did not hesitate.
The Goddess sprung forth, reaching out her right hand swiftly to snatch Kazan up. She then seized both halves of the centaur, who found that his struggles were fruitless in her clutches. The immense nude figure raised him high above her head with her great arms, and with a mighty wrenching twist, she broke his spine, then twisted further, ripping his body in two at its weakest point. She then turned each raw, broken edge towards herself, taking great bites of the remains, with the ease and relish of one eating an apple.
Kazan is Dead.
More gore coated her face, dripping down her bosom and belly, and onto the forest floor.
And then she grew even more. She now towered over the trees, over the landscape. Her eyes shone with light. She was unstoppable now.
She pointed at the landscape, and uttered a wordless command.
Her servants obeyed, peeling off and away from her in pairs, moving quickly and effortlessly as she watched with apparent pride. They made their way, seeking and destroying, rending and cutting, moving in perfect harmony. Downing the great black trees, destroying the Beasts, harvesting and taming the landscape, seeking out the great bird and the hunter alike to obliterate them, like a ceaseless wave.
And then, all was quiet. The forest was dead. The Beasts were destroyed.
The dawn broke over the mountains, the dark blue lightening into pale tones of gold and silver. The land looked very different in the morning light. They could now see, the two lands were neither far from one another, nor so different, save for the strange trees.
The goddess turned to the sun, and for the first time, her empty smile seemed genuine.
The now even larger goddess sat down, folding herself into the lotus position again, recalling her servants, as if they were faithful hunting hounds, and gathering them around her. The destruction and wanton slaughter she had sought appeared to have been completed, and she was sated. She opened her empty eyes, devoid of pupil and iris, and nodded at them, as if in approval. Slowly, the Goddess placed each of the five Pilgrims back down on the now grassy hills.
Once again they sang their song, but this time it was of creation. A hum, a chorus. More powerful than it had been before, and more harmonious.
Green hills rolled over what were once rugged forests, ripe for farmstead, for livestock and harvest.
You all find a great stone door has appeared behind you, and you know instinctively that door is your way home.
From far behind the Goddess, Leopold the Wise smiles at you. Unlike the others in the Goddess’ company, he wears no armor, only the beautiful, scholarly robes of whatever people he came from. His already serious, severe face has a sort of lingering sadness (was it regret?) upon it, but he seems glad that you have made this journey with him. If you make eye contact with him, as before, he puts both hands together, and presses it to his forehead, inclining his head in the motion; wishing you well.
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Post by beastly on Nov 1, 2022 18:16:05 GMT -6
(Vincent is done)
Vincent wasted no time leaving, only sparing a nod to Saint Leopold, and a nod to the group. It was time to return to Washington. He had many questions, few of which he thought would be answered by sticking around any longer. He had his own beasts to kill. The man walked through the door.
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Post by indeath on Nov 1, 2022 21:41:36 GMT -6
((August says goodbye to everyone he traveled with then leaves.))
August was sad that Vincent had left so soon. Though after what they had witnessed he could understand wanting to jet. They had come so far in this adventure, it warmed August’s heart. Still he gave Una a big hug then Ash. He stopped still at the fox and decided on a nod. Then he smiled widely at Leopold, nodded and then wrapped him in a hug.
“Stay true to ya self, Leo. Thanks for everything.”
With that he went through the door, looking forward to seeing Ru and all his things.
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