| Welcome to Imythess, the border between dreams and reality. We hope you enjoy your visit. Imythess is a creative writing board where you narrate the story of a character in the medieval land of Imythess, on the planet Chaon. Each topic is an opportunity for your character to interact with the world and its peoples by cooperatively writing pieces of a story with other members, one post at a time. We call this role-playing, because you assume the identity of your character as if it were your own. In order to play, you must register an account for each character you would like to write about, and begin their tale by filling out their basic profile information: Race (human, elf, demon, etc.), class (warrior, mage, etc.), physical appearance, and any other personal details you would like to describe. You are also encouraged to come up with some background history information for what your character's life has been like up to the point at which their story in Imythess begins. There is no approval process or application required to join, so long as you follow the rules then you are free to write whatever character details you choose. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free. Create a character now! If you're already a member, you can log into your account below: |
| Waiting for a friend; Taiaka and WillWill | |
|---|---|
| Topic Started: Thu Oct 1, 2009 10:08 pm (598 Views) | |
| Will Fisher | Sun Nov 8, 2009 7:23 pm Post #31 |
 
|
"If we can just get into camp, I think we will b-" Will was cut off by a loud screech. He turned slowly around to see a mass of these shadows behind him, in ranks and rows as neat as an army. They no longer held the visage of a specific person, but where a faceless many. They stood, with the basic form of an idistinguishable human, black as ink, yet somehow darker. Will saw all fo their shadows reach out for the light, eventually chokeing it, and causing it to die. Will watched as they began to move forward slowly, not moving their legs, merely floating. Will grabbed Taiaka and ran toward the camp, where the fire seemed to be dieing. He hurried his pace down the small hill, careening toward the camp, men standing watching as the specters that had just moments before been in the camp were slowly dissapearing and returning to the main group of shadows. Will eventually let go of Tai, realizing his grip was extremely tight, and he was digging holes in his own hand with his nails. When Will entered the camp seconds later he immediatly grabbed a small wooden structure of canvas and palm fronds and threw it onto the fire. It immediatly burst into a high flame. He grabbed more wood and dry palm, tossing them onto the fire. He moved quickly and silently, grabbing anyting dry and flammable and throwing it onto the fire. After several moments the men caught on and threw more wood and fuel onto the fire. Soon it was a fire of immense height, close to twenty feet tall, with a heat that surpassed the warmest forge. As the collective shadow grew near, they stopped just short of the firelight, shadows extending, but not their bodies. Will relight his lantern and continued to add fuel to the fire. The rest of the crew had fashioned long brazers of wood that held a solid ball of flame on top licking around a ball of canvas and oil. They held these torches aloft a good ten feet in the air, and stood there, staring at the creatures. They did not move nor speak, they only stood there, in a wide circle around the camp; for the firelight encirled the camp completely. Will placed his lit lantern on his spear and bundle of possesions, holding that is hist left, and sword in his right. He looked into the sky and saw that the moon was at it's peak. That meant another five or so hours until daylight. He swore and looked at the injured crew, Doc who had gathered his patients in a small square near the fire. He looked again at the mass of shadow and waited in silence. |
 |
 
|
| Taiaka | Mon Nov 9, 2009 11:12 pm Post #32 |
|
To Taiaka, these were the Dark Ones; impish gods of evil intent and hedonism that fed on the stories of holy men and wrapped their bodies with dogma. Taiaka was borne of superstition and dragged, with his heels digging into the sand, down into camp. As Will left a bruise on his arm with a tight, fearful grip, the dark man chewed at his bottom lip until it was bloody and stood cagily near the raging fire. He helped build the flames at first and tore through the shanty tents with reckless abandonment. More wood, more sail cloth, someone grab the jar of kerosene, and you there throw that rope on the fire. At one point he stomped around with a flaming palm frond and waved it at the dark wall of shadows, yelling as if trying to deter a mountain lion. The Dark Ones coagulated like clotted blood and writhed with glee. They had faces of syrup and eyes of coal and Taiaka found himself backing away from the encroaching ring of specters, grinding his teeth. Matty gave him his shawl, vole, bow and all, and he quickly drew his dagger out of the bundle. But when he stared into the gathered blackness it felt foolish in his hand. He watched the crewmen tear apart their meager supplies to stoke a fire; pretty soon they might turn their eyes to the Ophelia and burn it plank by plank. Taiaka did the same thing Will did then: He looked up into the sky. Too many hours were left before sunrise. Taiaka trotted over to Will and held up his hands, “We have to put out the fire!” He grabbed his friend by the shoulder and pointed his dagger at the wall of shadows. “Its making them stronger, look! They not be the same paper devils like on the beach. I had a wisp, now we have an inferno!” He let go of Will and turned his eyes to the frenzy of the camp, trembling when he saw just how thick and tangible the Dark Ones had become. Sometimes one would screech and awful sound, but they were still, as if marinating or gorging on the light. “Fight them by the moon, and this,” Taiaka wrapped his knuckles against Will’s lamp, “They will be thinner!” The dark man took a step back, “Or after another five hours, there won’t be no Ophelia left at all. The wounded will bake in the sun. And what about tomorrow night? Do we burn the bodies?” He shook his head, unsure if his reasoning was sound or crazy. A hideous metallic squeal erupted like a wave of laughter from the Dark Ones when a crewman tossed another two broken barrels on the fire. The flames lapped high into the air, embers wheeling about like truant stars, and the shadows became a hue of pure pitch. As they ebbed and flowed with the heartbeat of the fire they left tracks on the sand, unnatural marks, deep yet random as if put there by hundreds of different feet. Taiaka stiffened, “We have to put out the fire.” With that, Taiaka hurried towards the raging bonfire and began kicking waves of sand into the flames. A harrowing call went out and the dark man was tackled by a burly sot with a line of stitches on his forehead (who was later identified as Rat). Taiaka was sent sprawling and was pinned down with the flash and snap action of another crewman. Someone mumbled the word mutineer. |
|
|
|
| Will Fisher | Mon Nov 9, 2009 11:55 pm Post #33 |
|
"Rat! Get off of him now!" at the last word Will's voice echoed, causing the air to vibrate. Rat and the others of the crew got off of Tai, and Will walked over to his friend, stretching a hand out for him to grab. Will stood there for several moments, as Allen walked over. "Will...what do you think?" Will looked into the captain's eyes, "I say we listen to Tai. He knows more about things of this nature. I'll douse the fire, you tell the men to gather all the weapons they have." Allen looked in silence deep into the bald man's eyes, as if searching for clarification on his answer. After several moments the captain immediatly began shouting at his crew to get their weapons. Will tucked his blade into its scabbard and dropped his bundle of cloth on the ruined deck of the Opehlia. He twirled his spear in his fingers for several moments, comtimplating the situation. He, on the deck of the ship, had somehow managed to call the rain. If he could manage that now he could douse the fire in one fell swoop. If they slowly killed the fire, the shadows would enter camp, still strong and able bodied. Will concentrated on the memory, seeing the fire, seeing it eat away at the dark wooded deck. He looked over at the men, standing ready bearing arms of glinting metal. Sherf and Rat stood side by side, long wicked daggers glinting in the light of the fire. He looked out over the mass of shadows and saw slowly, crew members form out of the darkness. He shook his head to throw the image off, but they still stood. He felt his mind touch a tender spot in memory, something familiar. He went back to the thought and found the words he needed to say to execute the spell. He took a deep breath, "Ready!" he called out in a commanding tone. He spoke arcan words under his breath, through his thick beard, and felt hard sheets of rain hit his body. The flames that had moments before been heating his body died almost instanly in a huge plume of smoke and a hiss like an angered snake. He saw the shadow figures outlined against the clear clean moonlight. They stood still for several moments, then swelled into camp in one quick movement. He saw Rat fighting shadow Rat, Sherf fighting Sherf. He saw Allen in a duel with himself, and turned his gaze to see a shadowy him walking in his direction, followed by an even darker Tai. Will held his lantern aloft, the light somehow seemed brighter. The shadow will stopped short, raising a hand to protect his near invisible eyes. From all shadows withing a ten foot radius emmited a shriek, and a cringe, but they soon resumed fighting. Will and Will battled for some time, each one blocking stroke. Will used his lantern more than his spear, to much effect. He saw the shadows of the creature dwindle, get less dark. He was just about to put a finishing stroke though the things body when he felt a shap spike of cold erupt in his brain as the creature seemed to screech in his mind only. Will buckled under the weight of pain. He looked up at the slowly standing creature, saw as it dropped its spear, and raised a hand. It lowered its hand into Will's heart. Will felt an extreme pain erupt in his heart, feeling darkness creep over his body. He screamed in pain, an earsplitting roar like an animal in agony. He fell back, creatures arm still in chest. He grabbed his spear, that had falled in the fire, and tipped wrapped in still burning sail cloth. He shoved it into the creature's body. From the black thing emmited such a howl that Will thought he would go deaf. The creature dissolved into a pile of fine black sand. Will felt heat return to his heart. He felt a strange sensation on his chest in front of his heart. When he looked down at his torn shirt he saw what looked like a black tatoo, a strange mark that shifted slightly, as if moving. He saw his vision swim for a moment, then was enveloped by the blackness of sleep. |
|
|
|
| Taiaka | Tue Nov 10, 2009 5:42 pm Post #34 |
|
Taiaka stood proudly at the ready beside Will with his bow in his hand and his dagger at his hip. The summoned rain was a genius ploy and before the deluge could drown every ember, the Dark Ones split and spilt, seeping into the camp and screeching. Taiaka gave Will a parting glance, a silent thank you written across his pale eyes, whispered something in his native tongue and nodded sharply. It was as if the Dark Ones sensed Taiaka’s allegiance, for when they molded their forms a spectral Will and a spectral Tai approached together. The real Taiaka hesitated out of habit and backpedaled across the sand, staring at the horror of reflection; his personal demon embodied. The Dark One lifted a shadowy bow in the same manner as his mirror and Taiaka could only think about how the creature looked just like his father. But he drew back on his bow regardless and let a shimmering arrow fly. Dark Tai did the same. A shaft of moonlight struck Dark Tai just below his left clavicle and a shaft of pure darkness struck the real Taiaka in the same place. The pain was searing and Taiaka clawed at the shadowy arrow in his body; but it had no substance. It bled into his skin like wet paint and Taiaka heard his flesh sizzle and smelled brimstone. Yet Dark Tai seemed just as perturbed by the glow of moonlight protruding from its shoulder. It squealed and lowered its head like an animal. The real Taiaka, dropping the pearlescent bow from his weakened left hand, growled back and charged. He tried in vain to change his shape (a bear, a tiger, a ram) but his wound screamed with shocking pain at each attempt. Taiaka drew his dagger in mid-stride and said his father’s name aloud, scared that the Dark One had taken his stars away, scared like a child in the dark. But this fear was different; it was malleable and easily transmuted into dire rage. Screeches and screams lit the beach as he barreled into Dark Tai. The real man fought harder than his inky doppelganger but was met blow for blow, stab for stab. Taiaka smelled the Dark One’s fetid breath on his face and felt his skin burn as they tousled, vying for some sort of an advantage. At one point the real Taiaka felt his dagger slip from his grasp, but had no time to try and recover it. Dark Tai was reigning down sloppy blows, pinning the dark man to the ground in much the same way as Rat had done. Black teeth smiled a familiar smile at Taiaka and Taiaka smiled back. Dark Tai, with both of is tawny arms raised above its head, dagger tip gleaming, hesitated as if out of habit. In that moment, Yaxia swooped in. The real Taiaka had seen the little ball of light zooming down the beach, recognizing her cool glow almost instantly. The wisp flared with all her might and buzzed around Dark Tai’s head like an angry blue jay. The Dark One screeched and tore at its eyes, rolling away from Taiaka as it lunged at Yaxia. It caught the wisp in its long, black fingers, completely ignoring the dark man rising from the sand. Taiaka heard Yaxia’s tinny scream as the Dark One began crushing her in his palm, a delighted expression creeping onto its flickering face. Taiaka plucked his dagger form the sand, feeling as if the Dark One had made some tragic moral mistake. The real Taiaka would not have felt joy from smothering a tiny wisp. Yet, Dark Tai was enthralled with his own violence against Yaxia and did not see Taiaka draw up behind it. His dagger bit into the shade’s spine and he pulled down, dropping all his weight into the inertia of the blade. Dark Tai squealed again and Taiaka instinctively covered his ears, feeling a little lightheaded. It dropped Yaxia as it collapsed into a pile of black sand, dissipating in a fading scream. Taiaka quickly, but cautiously, picked up his wisp. She was covered in black marks and one side of her was completely dark, but she hummed crossly. He held her in his right hand as if the heat of his body would somehow sooth her and stowed his dagger back at his hip. Taiaka could hear the coos of battle from behind him and he honestly would have moved to help the crew fight their demons if he wouldn’t have seen Will lying in the sand beside another pile of black grit. The dark man was by his friend’s side in a flash. Out of concern, and perhaps a little curiosity, Taiaka touched the strange mark on Will’s chest. It burned the pad of his fingers and he swiftly drew his hand back, frightened. When he looked at his own body, his wounds possessed the same inky filament. While they did not bleed or weep, they seemed to slither across his skin and burrow into the muscle. They were not entirely ugly though; they had wild aesthetics but an air of ominous intentions. He sung a weak chant in dulcet tones instead of calling for Doc and channeled whatever ethereal strength he had left into the healing cantrip for Will. Taiaka felt Yaxia stir in his other hand briefly before succumbing to the lulling pull of unconsciousness. He pitched over in the sand next to Will with a meaty thud. |
|
|
|
| Will Fisher | Tue Nov 10, 2009 8:07 pm Post #35 |
|
Will woke up gasping for air. He looked around him to see piles of dark ash laying on the beach. He saw Doc leaning over him, with a small phial of smelling salts. He breathed in silence for several moments, savoring the feeling of sun on his neck. He looked down at his chest, and he saw the mark from last night. It was smaller, it was not gone, but seemed to have been shrunken. He felt no pain in the area, but his ribs where extremely sore. He felt new bandages wrapped around his chest and abdomen. He used his spear to help him stand, and looked for Taiaka. Doc had already moved on to another member of the crew, fixing them in one way or another. He walked over to a nearby tree, tall and rough palm, shade deep and dark. He sat in the sand and breathed in and out, holding his hand over the mark over his heart. He saw Allen hiding in the same shade of the tree, sulking with a bottle. Will was handed to bottle, and he placed it to his lips taking a long draft. He knew what they had to do. "Allen, we need to rebuild the Ophelia." Allen nodded, "It will take at least a month." Will shook his head. "We have a week, probably less. Soon there will be no moon, it will be completely blacked out. The moon was the only thing that saved out ass last night, along with Tai." Allen nodded. He had black marks on his arm, but they would fade with exposure to sunlight. Allen walked over to the crew and explained that they only had a a week to rebuild the boat. He sent men down the beach to dismantle the other half of the Ophelia, and bring the pieces to the aft. He sent others to chop down trees from the center of the forest. After five hours they had sufficient lumber to rebuild the missing midsection of the ship. They set these pieces over large sawhorses, and soaked them with salt water, tying weights onto both ends, making it curve over time. Others set out to find water, eventually a fresh spring was found not far from their camp. A small hunting party came back with several coconuts, taro roots, and a small boar. They quickly set to preparing the boat, wrapping it in palm fronds and burying it in a pit of coals covered with sand. They roasted the tarot root over a smaller bed of coals, and set them next to the fire to stay warm wrapped in palm leaves. Will was busy working on gathering wood nails for binding the large beams together. He helped with almost all the carpentry. Three hours before sunset the pig was ready. All the men ate, talking of home, lighter things, while Will spoke with Allen about the night to come. They had not lost any last night, but tonight might be different. Will sighed and sipped his rum, and ate his pig. Allen saw that the men sat in silence, staring at the forest. Will took a deep breath, and looked at his camp. Those beings seemed to be sentient. He looked into the captain's eyes, "Follow me." said Will in a gruff voice. Will stood, spear held tightly in hand. They had two hours before sunset. "We are going to find Taiaka." |
|
|
|
| Taiaka | Wed Nov 11, 2009 3:59 pm Post #36 |
|
The Dark Ones had lifted Taiaka’s unconscious body upon their collective shoulders as they retreated into the jungle. They swam through the trees like black ribbons and left a trail of black sand as they moved, watching the eastern sky for the clockwork glow of the sun. But the Dark Ones were not brutish, slathering creatures pushed and pulled by the strings of instinct. Moments before dawn, they dropped the dreadlocked man from their clutches and drifted away; following old, sandy pathways back to their lair. Taiaka woke just before noon on the same day when a ray of hot sun pieced the dapper green canopy and washed across his face. He was sweating and shivering at the same time but bolted upright, grimacing as he felt the blood drain away from his face. He almost didn’t notice that he still held Yaxia in his right hand; the wisp did not move nor glow. Taiaka put his dying pet into her soapstone home without a word and wondered where she would like to be buried. In the same way, dazed and slow, the dark man also wondered why he was lying in the middle of the humid jungle. He stood gingerly, taking the time to brush hungry ants from his tender wounds, and let his eyes focus on the black lines on his skin. Taiaka would be hard pressed to forget the previous night’s festivities. He didn’t know if he should be angry at the crewmen, or Will, for dragging him into the jungle to die. Maybe that’s what they had hoped would happen. Maybe they thought Taiaka was one of them; their harbinger. Truly, he did not know if he should be angry or not, but it was there like a hot coal in his empty belly anyway. It had been days since he had eaten anything; his last meal being meager bites of roasted marlin and a half bottle of rum. He felt the strain on his body and had difficultly focusing his attention on any given thought. Taiaka turned inward and beseeched his instincts for assistance. Soon, he had lathered his wounds with thick mud, drank fresh water from the husk of a coconut and swallowed six fat, nutty flavored grubs. He still felt awful but at least he could begin to think about living out his days alone in some forsaken jungle. When he started walking, head down and sullen, he didn’t realize he was following the same trail the Dark Ones had taken. The black sand beneath his feet and the way the flora seemed to draw away from the path didn’t strike him as odd. Taiaka was too busy worrying about how hot the temperature was becoming and how he was slighted by his friend. So, when he finally did lift his head to watch where he was going, he was met with a very strange sight. A small temple, overgrown with thick purple ivy and kudzu stood silently in the middle of a clearing. It was surrounded by more black sand and some of its stones were crumbling, but otherwise it seemed eerily maintained for being in such a remote location. It had no gates or door, but possessed a wide, dark entrance flanked by two, graven pillars of dark rock. As Taiaka moved closer, he saw pictograms carved into the pillars: a horse and carriage, two large boats, a person wearing a lumpy crown, a bow and arrow, a spear. The engravings looked as if they were drawn with the same ink that the Dark Ones had left on Taiaka skin, yet they were deep and sharply hewn as if fresh. Taiaka wasn't frightened though. He cradled his left arm against his chest unconsciously and sat down on a large chunk of loosened mortar. Trembling fingers found the silver cigarette case from the inside of his yellow bindle and he licked his lips. Inside, the tobacco had remained dry (hallelujah!), and Taiaka spent the next hour chain smoking. He lit his cigarettes using the same words Will had used so many times to spark his lantern; Taiaka felt familiar pangs of pity and resentment writhe around in his guts. He blamed the grubs. From behind him, echoing from the hidden depths of the squat temple, Taiaka heard a metallic screeching sound that he recognized instantly. Leaving his silver cigarette case and shawl on the chunk of rock (guarded vigilantly by a waterlogged stuffed vole that was now missing an eye), Taiaka stood and faced the temple. His curiosity lifted its ugly head and the dark man gave in to the impulse. His body allowed him to change his form again and he found the comforting shape of a back cat. His fur was matted with mud and he had bald patches in places where the dark marks stood out like lines of infection. He left his kilt and dagger where they fell from his body and padded carelessly through the entrance of the temple. It was breathtakingly dark inside as if the daylight could not enter. Taiaka’s cat eyes could peel away the layers of blackness only so much; he moved slowly at first, listening for another screeching sound but all was quiet. There were no twists or turns in the temple, just a long corridor that slanted downwards as if dug out from underground. The ceiling was high and carved from the same black stone as the pillars outside. Sometimes Taiaka thought he saw pinpricks of light coming from the ceiling, like starlight or lost fireflies, but every time he went to look, they were not there anymore. Ten minutes later and the cat entered into a swollen antechamber with even higher ceilings and of an even darker hue. He walked cautiously towards the center of the room, smelling brimstone and another, sweet perfume-like odor that made his mouth water for some reason. The shadows seemed to surround Taiaka and he heard the sound of sharp claws on ceramic. The cat sat down. “Who are you?” The voice came from the ceiling and Taiaka looked up. He saw nothing. “I’m Taiaka. Who are you?” There was a pause and a shuffling sound. When whatever was there answered, it spoke in a single voice that sounded like a mixture of many different voices. Taiaka heard Will’s brogue, Doc’s twittering tone, Rat’s slur and Allen’s gruff drawl echo back at him, “We are the guardians of Junpuii.” “But this is not Junpuii.” Said the cat. “We know this.” Said Many-Voices-As-One. “Why did you attack us?” Asked the cat. “You are trespassing. You brought the light. You travel on forbidden waters. We are bound to the law. We must stop you.” A few screeches sounded from the darkness as if agreeing with Many-Voices. “What law?” “The law of the Junpuii. We cannot let you pass. Junpuii does not exist.” The cat furrowed his whiskered brows, “You just said that you were the guardians of Junpuii.” “We are the guardians of Junpuii and you will help us to destroy the outsiders on the beach who bring the light.” Though the timbre of Many-Voices did not change, a ridge of fur stood up along Taiaka’s spine. “I would never join you.” The cat spoke in a calm, reserved tone. “We did not say ‘join’. When the moon gets swallowed by the night, the power of the idol will make you like us. You will be bound by the law of the Junpuii and punished for your trespassing.” “Idol?” Taiaka seemed to hiccup the word. More screeching sounds reverberated through the darkness like sardonic laughter and the shadows in the center of the antechamber ebbed to reveal a small, stone pedestal. On top of the pedestal sat a tall, spindly stature. It was carved from what looked like quartz and it gave off a very faint purple light. Taiaka stood and pawed over to it but the shadows, the Dark Ones, closed around it as if fearful to let it be touched. The cat smiled a secret smile. “So when does the night swallow the moon?” Taiaka asked, still smiling. “In five days time there will be no moon. The idol will consume the fire that burns in the hearts of the living. You will join us Taiaka. You will be the darkest of us all. Will will join us. Allen will join us. Rat will join us.” Each time Many-Voices said a name, it mimicked the voice. “But we can’t leave the island, our ship-“ The cat’s litany of excuses was interrupted. “We are bound by the law of the Junpuii. We have no choice. You will join us. You will protect Junpuii.” “Even though it apparently doesn’t exist, yah?” “We are bound by the law of the Junpuii. We have no choice. You will join us. You will-” “Yeah, yeah. But not for another five days.” “Yes. We must rest. The ones that bring the fire have done us harm. We must recover our strength.” “I see.” Said the cat, obviously amused, “and this idol of yours, what happens if I destroy it?” More metallic laughter. “The idol can only be destroyed by the sun. The sun cannot enter this temple as long as we are in it.” “So five days then. You’re making this too easy.” “We are bound by the laws-“ “Yeah, yeah, I got it. I guess I’ll see you when the night swallows the moon then.” “You did not bring the light. You may go.” The cat was already running towards the entrance. He saw the welcoming halo of sunlight surround the large stone mouth and his clothing and possessions sitting neatly outside. Perhaps the crew would regret leaving him in the jungle to die now that he had a way to stop the Dark Ones. Oh yes, they would celebrate his triumphant return! The cat ran full speed at the entrance of the temple, cackling with joy. But there was something wrong. As the cat lowered his head to sprawl out into the sun, an invisible barrier stopped him and he slammed against it dumbfounded. He pressed his paws against the barrier and it felt cold; he clawed and kicked, screamed and screamed, but he could not leave the temple. After a couple minutes of sheer panic, the cat sat down, panting. I’ll just wait for it to get dark. Just a couple more hours, Taiaka thought, yet still shouted for help every ten minutes or so as he looked out like a man from behind a mirror. |
|
|
|
| Will Fisher | Wed Nov 11, 2009 11:57 pm Post #37 |
|
Will and Allen walked through the dense jungle looking for Tai, only to find a small imprint where he was set down. From that point there were several black sand game trails, leading in all different directions. Will sat down for several moments, trying to figure out which direction his friend had gone, when he heard a sound. It was a mirror of the sound from last night, carried on the winds, filling the air. He flicked his head in the direction of the sound and began to run. In front of him lay a large log, fallen during a past storm. He jumped over it, instinctively shifting to a faster form. He was quickly turned into a shaggy, dark coffee colored dog. He left all his cloths and possessions behind, as he ran down a dark path, following the direction of the noise. He smelled an odd smell as he ran along the track. It was the smell of something dark. It smelled like burning glass and hair. He kept running, and looked to the east, watching as the sun lowered itself a few degrees. He swore and pushed his sinewy body harder, striving to get to where he believed his friend was. He ran with increasing speed, until he found his friend, hidden in the blackness of a cave mouth. He skidded to a stop, sending up a flurry of sand. "Hello Tai." he said in a thick brogue, mixing with a friendly growl. |
|
|
|
| Taiaka | Thu Nov 12, 2009 3:40 pm Post #38 |
|
The cat stood tall on his hind legs and pressed his paws against the invisible barrier, staring at the dog. “Will! I’m trapped!” Taiaka’s voice was an octave higher and his eyes were wide; the fading sunlight washed across his features but he still somehow remained in shadow. “Don’t go! They’re in here! The Dark Ones!” The cat turned his head and looked over his shoulder at the dark corridor. When he returned his gaze to the dog he dropped down from the barrier and sat on his haunches. He would never admit it, but he was glad Will had found him and he dismissed the accusation of being left in the jungle to die. “I think I gotta just wait until the sun sets though,” said the cat, the tone of his words calmer yet just as breathless. He reached up and pawed at the barrier again as if checking for its existence. “They spoke to me, Will. This is where they come from and they have this idol…and they are bound by some law or something, guardians of the Junpuii.” The words came in such a rush that Taiaka’s healthily sown accent swallowed every other syllable. The cat shook his head, knowing his friend wouldn’t understand his mealy-mouthed ramblings; he sounded crazy. But he was excited, revved and hungry like a morning rook and he wanted Will to hear what he had learned. The cat looked at the dog somberly. “Come in and you can see for yourself. They’re not going to attack tonight. You can just see what I’m talking about, yah? Then we run back out since the sun would have probably set.” In a way, Taiaka’s fear was talking. While he truly did want Will to see the idol, perhaps even hear Many-Voices-As-One’s monologue, he simply didn’t want to be alone. What if when the sun set the barrier remained? Taiaka blinked away the thought, girding himself with the knowledge that Will would at least throw him his dagger if he could not leave. He could do away with himself that way. Or wait until the new moon to become a Dark One… He would not think about it. The sun would set and he would be free. “Or don’t, it’s kinda dark in here, yah?” Taiaka pawed at the barrier again absently. “We have 5 days until the new moon, do you have anything to eat?” |
|
|
|
| Will Fisher | Thu Nov 12, 2009 10:02 pm Post #39 |
|
Will nodded as Taiaka spoke, absorbing as much information as he could about the situation. The cave, and the ruins in general seemed to shun the light, causing a dark feeling to emanate. When Tai finished Will was about to speak when he heard a loud noise behind him. It was Allen, bursting through the undergrowth sword drawn, Will's clothes tied around his spear. "Allen, you got any food for Tai?" Allen nodded breathlessly and produced a bundle of pork, taro root, and a coconut husk of water. He placed the bundle through the entrance of the cave and shuddered. "What's wrong Allen?" Allen grabbed his hand and rubbed it. "It's just cold, an odd feeling." Will nodded his shaggy head and sat down in front of the cave, facing Tai and Allen at the same time. "Tai is trapped in there Allen, the Dark Ones are in there, along with some idol. They are the guardians of Junpuii, or 3034. According to Tai they will not attack tonight. I want you to go back to camp and have the men work through the night. Keep them going in shifts. We need to get off this rock as soon as possible." Will spoke urgently, Allen nodding all the while. As soon as Will finished, Allen ran off at an amazingly fast pace in the direction of the camp, thundering through bushes and breaking small trees. Will turned back to Tai, "Alright Tai, tell me all you can about what they told you. Calmly. We have about a half hour left until you can get out. Until then I have some things to tell you. Last night I passed out from a blow to my heart with a Dark One's hand. It left a mark," he pointed to the black tattoo like mark over his heart, apparent even in canine form. "When I got close to here, I could feel it get colder, feel it spread. I watched it grow slightly, move. It frightened me Tai." Will's voice was calm and quiet, tinged with fear. "I have seen things like this before, black marks from powerful dark beings. They use it as a type of control, like a string to a puppet. I am warning you before hand. If I start to turn into something, or my personality changes, or anything dark happens because of me, and I cannot stop it; I want you to kill me Taiaka. I have seen men do terrible things, dark things under the power of lesser evils. I fear for the worst. Promise me you will not let me harm anyone. Promi-" Will's cry was cut off as he heard a sharp screech. He turned as he saw the sun sink slowly behind him. He swore and stared into the inky blackness of the cave. He growled and his hackles went up, preparing for a fight. |
|
|
|
| Taiaka | Sat Nov 14, 2009 3:36 pm Post #40 |
|
Even as a dog, Taiaka could still make out the awkward broken ridge of Will’s nose. He rubbed his eye with one paw, nibbled on the salted pork and began to speak. “The Dark Ones call us the light bringers and from what they’ve told me, the sun is their biggest enemy.” The cat took the coconut in both paws and drank it down to the last drop. “They have an idol; it’s a statue, glass or something. They showed it to me and I asked, casually of course, how to destroy it.” The cat sneered and wiped his mouth; it and the droplets of water disappeared. “Stupid things actually told me. They said the sun is the key. But here’s the thing,” Taiaka ran his paw around the bottom of the coconut shell absently, dropping his eyes momentarily, “It can’t leave the cave as long as they are in it.” He pointed the coconut husk at the dog, “They said they’re gunna rest until the new moon. 5 days.” Taiaka frowned, “It is enough time to fortify a perimeter, but I’m guessing you and Allen have dubbed all of the crewmen shipwrights, yah?” The cat took a deep breath and looked at the mark on his friend’s chest. Will’s plea was sobering and Taiaka felt a pang of genuine sympathy coupled with a stinging sense of foreboding. His voice was barely a whisper, “If we destroy the idol, maybe the mark will go away.” He didn’t want to trivialize Will’s fear, but- “There has to be something we can do. I dun’t want to be watching you out of the corner of my eye, wondering if its my friend I’m looking at or some beast. Why did they mark you? Why you?” From behind, the telltale screech of the Dark Ones echoed throughout the temple. They were laughing. They were listening. Taiaka saw the dog’s hackles rise but the little cat just sat there. “Will, you are the only person I trust on this journey. If something changes you, I know I will hesitate. I could no more kill you than myself. But if you are not you anymore, I will wear your blood on my hands because I have to. I’d do this only because you asked it of me and because I too wouldn’t want to live if possessed by some dark power I cannot control.” Another screech and this time Taiaka lifted his paws to touch the barrier. It had been lifted. The cat tore out of the darkened tunnel and hopped up on the rock next to his belongings. Coppery light, remnants of a dying sun, bathed the temple and Taiaka slowly shifted back into his usual form. He dressed in a malaise, turning to look at Will. “But we try everything first. If we have to tear apart every last Dark One, invoke the Old Ones and raze this entire island.” Taiaka stuck his dagger in the waistband of his kilt without looking at it. “And do not tell the crew about you. They are just as frightened. I will be my brother’s keeper…if only because I’m a poor carpenter.” Taiaka gave a half smile. His stomach ached. |
|
|
|
| Will Fisher | Sat Nov 14, 2009 5:08 pm Post #41 |
|
Will nodded and began to shift his weight uncomfortably. Something did not feel right, The Dark Ones were not attacking, but he heard sounds in the distance. He heard shouts, loud noises, clanging of metal on something hard. He turned in the direction of the camp, and saw a horrifying sight. He saw smoke, and tongues of orange flame. He immediately began to run through the trees, toward the fires, the smoke, the yelling. He slammed through the under growth, toppling small trees, feet slamming down on the earth. He ran onto the beach, sand flying everywhere. Just around the corner would be the camp. He stopped short on the small rise and stared blankly at what he saw. There, washed up on the beach, was the huge hulk of a ship, that had chased them to this point. The ship itself was battered, also torn in half, and the crew seemed quite angry. Will swore and ran toward the chaos. He ran directly into the back of a startled mercenary, biting him on the ankle with such force he felt bone give way beneath. The man cried out in pain, and rolled over to nurse his ankle. Rat came running over, and stuck the man like a pig, ending his life. Will thought Rat would return to the fray, but he did not. He turned, malice in his eyes, to Will. He drew his second knife, a twin to the other in his hand, and leaped at Will. Will strafed to the side, dodging the blow, sending up a wall of sand. Rat smiled coldly and attacked again. Will cursed and ran deep into the fray, hopefully able to lose the traitor. He slammed through the wall of mercs, breaking legs and bruising knees. He made it to the hull of The Ophelia, where most of the crew stood. Will realized that The Ophelia's crew had made almost a wall to the wreckage of the other boat, creating a kind of fort, a very easily defended position. Allen was high in the crow's nest, firing bolts into the offending force. Will made for the deck of the Ophelia, but was thrown back against a tree with a large ball of air. He felt the wind fly from his lungs, and was thrown into the pit of sleep. |
|
|
|
| Taiaka | Sat Nov 14, 2009 9:27 pm Post #42 |
|
Taiaka followed Will to the edge of the tree line and stopped. He could see the whole of the camp; the fires that burned, the cutlasses being drawn, and the splintered enemy ship that had floated on shore. In the last dying rays of the setting sun, Taiaka watched as mercenaries, made ugly from the shadows, poured onto their secluded beach. Yet, Taiaka made no move to follow Will into the melee. Instead, he took in the situation with angry eyes and cast a very simple cantrip on himself. It took a full minute for the spell to take effect but when it did, Taiaka had become invisible. Only his footprints in the sand told of his presence; he doubted anyone would notice. Though his shoulders ached and his belly continued to rumble, when Taiaka shifted his form under the guise of magic, he felt clearheaded and secure. He became a Brahma bull. An invisible Brahma bull. And he lowered his long horns into the mass of bodies as he charged. Men offered shrieks akin to the screeches of the Dark Ones and Taiaka could feel the weight of their impaled bodies dragging his snout into the sand. But he tossed his head to and fro, shaking loose the ripped and torn flesh, breaking pelvises underfoot with his massive hooves. But the bulk of the bull was a beautiful target, invisible or not, and the mercenaries were quick to start stabbing the air when they thought he was. Mages, the very same scarred powerhouses that rained down fire on the Ophelia, were chanting and Taiaka could feel the ethereal chains of transmutation locks and the cold of dispelling magic. Yet, he was moving too quickly for the mages to get a fix on his definite location. When they did, the bull was a man and he had slithered around the hull of the enemy ship, out of their line of sight. Quickly, Taiaka scaled the knobby side of the ship and flung himself over the top railing. No one saw him (of course). He drew his dagger. Barking orders from the crumpled bridge of the defunct galleon was a man holding a heavy crossbow. He was well tanned and handsome, with thick blonde hair and cool blue eyes. Taiaka recognized him instantly as one of the two men from Cascadia and he approached as quietly as he could, sneaking up behind the mercenary as a sinister grin spread across his dark face. It was odd; usually Taiaka was never met with the sudden rush of excitement from taking a life. But tonight he did. It felt better than a lover’s kiss and Taiaka, though he did not hesitate, wondered if there might be some truth to what Will had been saying about the Dark Ones. They had touched him as well, perhaps not as deeply, but his mind felt muddled. Nonetheless, Taiaka wrapped an arm around the blonde merc’s neck and pressed the edge of his dagger into the soft flesh of his exposed throat. The man stiffened and held his breath. “Call them off. Your men.” Taiaka, holding the man against his own body, whispered savagely in his ear, drawing a thin line of blood with his dagger for emphasis. “Best to just kill me, Taiaka. We’re not leaving ‘til we get those charts.” Blondie words were like velvet on a wound. “How you know me?” Taiaka pressed the knife to Blondie’s throat hard enough to cause him to gag slightly. After a cough, Blondie just laughed. Taiaka closed his eyes for a moment and ran the blade around Blondie’s neck as if peeling an apple. The merc gasped but could not find the air; he collapsed into a heap, gurgling and died with a cruel smile on his face. Blood dripped from the points of Taiaka’s elbows and he let it, feeling elated and darkly empowered. Yet, the feeling faded quickly enough and he bent down to rifle through Blondie’s pockets. He found nothing except a handful of gold coins and a folded piece of parchment. When he opened the parchment, he could not read the words. He put it and the coins in his own pocket and lifted his head. “They got the Captain!” A merc was yelling from the beachhead, distracted enough to take a bolt to the chest from Allen’s bow. “Fall back, they got our captain!” “The captain’s dead?” “Git ‘em!” “Fall back! Fall back!” The mercenaries were thrown into complete, leaderless, chaos. Some of them scurried back to their own ship while others fought harder in their attempt to breach the wall’s of the Ophelia. Taiaka chuckled, feeling somehow smugly satisfied, and ran to the railing of the ship. He jumped overboard, landed in the warm shoals and swam to shore. Once there he had no trouble making it into their makeshift fort and he let his invisibility dissipate. As night grew, so did the glow from his bow and he crawled up into the crow’s nest next to Allen and began picking off the enemies one by one. Allen couldn’t help but see the wicked joy that spread across the dark man’s face with every shot. |
|
|
|
| Will Fisher | Sat Nov 14, 2009 10:22 pm Post #43 |
|
Will awoke in the darkness, confused and naked. He crawled silently over to the hull of the Ophelia, and shrugged on his clothes. He grabbed his spear in one hand, blade in the other. He walked in a half crouch, through the tree line. After several minutes of walking silently through the green growth, he was perfectly parallel with the enemy boat. He watched as Taiaka and Allen fired bolt and arrow into running bodies of the rouge guards. He took several deep breaths and leaped out of the underbrush. He ran, through the copse of confused mercs, scimitar held to the side. He heard several guards scream in pain, felt them fall behind him. He was about to reach the ship when he felt a sharp pain erupt in his right ankle. He turned to his right to see a very angry looking merc, holding a bastard sword high above his head. Will shoved his spear through the man's belly, watching him fall back. He looked down to his ankle in time to see a shaft of moonlight fade away from it. He stood tall and yelled at the crows'snest, "Mr. Vin'Kai, watch your aim!" he shouted this in a jovial tone, and started again toward the ship. he intended to hide in the wreckage. As he entered the broken half-hull of the enemy ship, he saw several angry looking mercs, sitting around a fire. Will smiled and laughed the laugh of a boy who was caught with a hand in the sweet jar. He backed slowly out of the wreckage, only to feel the solid wall of mercs, hidden from bolts and bows by the half hull of the ship. He turned to see the remaining fifteen mercs, weapons drawn, glaring down at the man. Will sighed and burst through the wall of men, rounded the corner of the half hull and ran for the moderate safety of the Ophelia. He sprinted, involuntarily screaming in fear as he heard the clanking and yelling of guards behind him. He must have been quite a comical sight, wailing and running, arms flailing about his sides, running in an odd gait, toward the waiting crew of the Ophelia. |
|
|
|
| Taiaka | Tue Nov 17, 2009 4:34 pm Post #44 |
|
“It wasn’t me, it was Allen!” Taiaka shouted as loudly as he could back down to his friend, knowing full well his lie was as transparent as onion skin. Yet, he watched his aim after that, taking his time as he lined up his shots and plinked his bow’s ethereal string. The battle had entered a lull; some of the enemy mercs had gone to their knees in surrender and were bound and gagged by Ophelia’s stern faces sailors. Taiaka lost sight of Will, even from his high vantage point, and was about to climb down from the crow’s nest when Allen placed a hand on his arm to stop him. Taiaka shot the captain a curious glance, but the man just shook his head and pointed with his chin down to the beach. The captain cranked back his crossbow and notched another bolt, holding another one between his teeth. Sure enough, Will came screaming around the side of the enemy’s stronghold followed by a mass of surprised, angry mercenaries. Taiaka couldn’t help but chuckle as he and Allen rained down arrows, aiming for faces, throats and seams in their armor. The mercenaries may have had better equipment, but the Ophelia had numbers. As the mercs spilled out, eager to hack Will into bite sized chunks, Taiaka could quite literally see the morale drain from their faces as they set upon the stalwart fort. The dark man fired another baker’s dozen of moonlight barbs down at the attackers, dropping only a handful before slithering down the Ophlia’s mast to stand upon her deck. Doc, surrounded by a bastion of stout barrels, was treating the wounded. The old healer looked haggard and pale but for some reason, he smiled hardily at Taiaka as he passed by. The shifter did not smile back only because he was too intent on stowing his bow at his back and drawing his dagger. He wanted to be there on the ground, to stand shoulder to shoulder with the crew as the mercenaries met their stubborn line. Taiaka watched Will kick up sheets of sand in his dire rush towards their encampment, his body coiling unto itself. There were no more than eight steel clad mercenaries remaining and Taiaka stood tall, shouting to Will to run faster and for Sherf to stop biting his nails. The sky crackled with unnatural lighting and Taiaka yelped as his eyes stung from the sudden brightness. Geometric patterns danced across his vision and he gritted his teeth as the mercenaries descended upon the crew. |
|
|
|
| Will Fisher | Tue Nov 17, 2009 5:40 pm Post #45 |
|
Will careened forward toward the ship. He was about to reach it's moderate safety when there was a blinding flash of light and Taiaka went down. Will tried to figure out what happened but he could not see anything but a wall of white. He yelled furiously and kept running forward. He fell into a pile of sand, his coat flying off. It landed under a heavy pile of palm fronds, along with his spear and saber. He cried out in pain as he felt his head hit something heavy. He felt around for what he hit and found the thing was hitting him repeatedly on the head. Will shot a fist out toward the pain causing object and heard a sharp sigh, and the crumpling of a body. He felt armor on the body, a mercenary, and felt a sword. Will grabbed this weapon and stood slowly, listening carefully to what was going on. He found he could only hear things in close proximity, and because there was nothing in close proximity, he heard blood pumping through him. He heard his breathing, and the faint sound of crunching sand. He felt his chest ache, ache around his heart. He fell to his knees in pain, clutching his chest where his heart was. He cried out in pain, and felt his body grow extremely cold, then amazingly hot. He felt like he was breathing through pudding, and his throat was full of soggy bread. He thought he was choking and started to cough. He could not see it, but he began to cough up blood. He stood when the sudden feeling passed as quickly as it had come, leaving him winded, and his chest tight and warm He heard nothing, saw nothing, and he sat in a secluded corner of the wreck of the Ophelia, behind several barrels and under a tarp. It was a wonderful hiding spot, but he did not choose this spot, he simply sat down, and breathed, sword resting against the sands. He listened to his breathing, and a quiet whisper, no, a multitude of whispers crawling and calling in his mind. |
|
|
|
| 1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous) | |
|
|
| Go to Next Page | |
| « Previous Topic · The Ruins of Taras · Next Topic » |
6:01 PM Feb 11
