Vestige Posted May 14, 2015 Share Posted May 14, 2015 As the mage at the forefront of the battlefield fell, the impending danger seemed to thin out as well. The creations that had been flanking them began moving due east, presumably towards the direction of the wayward travelers he had spotted earlier. The spiders, meanwhile, had receded back into their caves. Gods, all of that, and we haven't even gotten to the castle yet? He laughed at the thought of bandits inhabiting the castle. He could only wish that the occupants were such. But the day's battle had cemented the idea that things were not going to get any easier going forward. Still, with the majority of the present thread abated, he began to fall into complacency. A dire mistake. Without warning, Ophelia reeled back, letting loose a warning cry that echoed across the landscape. Caught off guard, Raith struggled to calm her down, blissfully unaware of the disaster that was soon to strike. "Ophelia, what are you doing?!" he tried getting her under control, but she was undeterred, and continued her hasty ascent. -:- Didn't he realize what was about to happen? How stupid could one person possibly get? "ARE YOU TRYING TO GET US KILLED, BOY?!" she hissed, more than peeved about his continual attempts to steer her off course. She set her sights to Vriska, now. Someone whose intelligence she regarded equivalent to Raith's. She had but a few short moments to spare, but she seemed none to wise as to seize the opportunity. "Tsk. I gave you a warning girl, suit yourself." -:- The fragile calm that had blanketed the mercenaries was shattered in mere moments as the leviathan resurfaced from the depths. Raith now understood the cause of Ophelia's trepidation. He barely managed to eek out a few words of caution to the mercenaries below him, the contents of which were lost among the sound of crashing waves, and the beast's deafening cry. He looked on in horror, as the beast lay claim to... VRISKA! In an instant, her entire existence was simply erased. Not waiting for Raith's command, Ophelia shot forward, intending to pass the beast before it had time to seek out another meal. "WAIT, WE HAVE TO GO BACK! WE CAN'T JUST LEAVE HER! OPHELIA STOP, WE HAVE TO GO BACK!!" Perhaps Raith was delusional, or he simply wanted to die that badly. "If you wish so bad to turn back, you can very well jump off. Otherwise, quiet your barking!" Ophelia soon caught up with the rest of the fleeing mercenaries, spotting Makin slithering below. Perhaps out of slight concern for Raith's emotional well-being, or her own selfish desire, she dipped down towards the ground, bringing herself to a momentary standstill next to the naga. Biting back tears, Raith silently extended his hand out to Makin. "<If you value your life, I suggest you move quickly,>" Ophelia hissed, already preparing to take off once more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie_ Posted May 14, 2015 Share Posted May 14, 2015 Angus was just about to let his guard down when the serpent tore through the ice and Vriska disappeared. Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit. He had very briefly considered taking a shot at the serpent, moving his hand to his quiver ready to do so, before realising that everyone else was hurrying away. What the hell am I doing? That thing was probably would probably eat him whole if he didn't hurry up. There was no time to think about Vriska, if he was going to make it across the bridge before it crumbled beneath his feet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanami Touko Posted May 14, 2015 Author Share Posted May 14, 2015 (edited) Fly Makin had ordered everyone to run. But... There she was. Standing there, moving back and forth, unable to take her eyes off the spot where the sea snake was still writhing, cracking the ice further and taking the bridge down. She couldn't believe it-- rather, she didn't want to believe it. She'd convinced herself that when they took on this work, all the way back in that silly little village, that everyone would stay alive. Everyone would be fine. Everyone would make it until they could retire and live out the rest of their happy little lives. But... But...! She's gone... She... I know I didn't... We didn't get along, but. But, she... She was so young, and now--! Makin felt herself sinking, physically. It wasn't the ice giving way under her, it was a heavy feeling that was slowly dragging her to the ground. What did they tell Hilda when they went back to Ward? What about Lanos? They were so close. What could she do? Could she help him? Could she help any of them? It was a horrible feeling of powerlessness, and she couldn't do anything to shake-- A hissing resounded in her ears, shaking her for a moment, and getting her to turn her attention to Raith. Oh. Raith... R-Raith! He was still alive, and so was she. They had to get off of this chunk of ice, before they, too, went into the brine. Pulling herself up and onto Ophelia, she wrapped her tail around the dragon and clung onto Raith for dear life. She could only hope that everyone else made it out of there. There wasn't anything else she could do. She felt herself start to cry, the cold freezing the tears under her eyes, as she squeezed Raith tighter, hoping this feeling would just go away. Ingverd had to double take, but he was able to shake himself out of it faster than Makin did. Fast enough to see a certain harpy on the other side of the snake. Valha was giving her a stare down, and they did not have time for that. He rushed over, practically tackling the poor harpy, and hoisting her over his shoulder, starting to run. "Fight it out later! We don't have time for this, right now!" He shouted over the sound of shattering ice and the loud, deep cracks coming from lower in the structure. He was glad that Valha was so light, because running like this with someone of regular weight over his shoulder would probably mean taking a tumble for the worst. Luckily enough for him, he was able to keep his footing enough, between the thick snow, and patches of ice. I can't let you throw yourself at your sister right now, Valha... Someone else is going to need your attention a lot more than her, than me; than anyone else here. Gods... Why now? He noticed two of their party still standing there, watching the chaos. "Heather, Tristram, move! Worry about it later! We need to get away!" He didn't know if they were dumbstruck by the sight of things, or if they were just shocked, but either way, they had to get off the bridge. "Tristram, just grab her onto your horse and run!" he finished with, keeping himself going. He didn't know if they heard him, but it was the safest bet for both of them to get out of there. A few monsters later, and Ertel had finally caught up to Leiha, the moment over, and his adrenaline finally taking a break. But he was still smiling, whistling to himself, despite being covered in blood, and a few entrails. "Hello, deary. Missed our chance, eh? Too bad about that there nature." He guffawed stupidly, before sitting himself down onto the snow, and wiping himself off. They were far enough away from the ensuing disaster for anything to really happen to them, unless the snake wanted another meal. He was banking on it taking a break. "Well? Shall we try to catch up to them over the cracking mess, or wait until it's all settled and calmly give ourselves a fly over?" He tilted his head to look up at her, still whistling a silly little theme to himself. Edited May 14, 2015 by I have opinions Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riariadne Posted May 14, 2015 Share Posted May 14, 2015 Thrill of the Hunt Valha remained tense at Leiha backing up temporarily, heart pounding now even harder then the battle before. She had begun to backpedal slowly, bringing her claws near her sword, until she was suddenly swept off her feet. "Ah! Ingverd!" But she knew there was no room to complain- they had to escape, and quickly. Still, she couldn't help but look back, knowing the group was not out of the fire yet. Then she looked to Lanos, who seemed totally devastated, not even thinking clearly yet. Awful... "I'm not your dear," Leiha snapped at the rogue nearby. "And we are not waiting around. Perhaps you didn't quite get the magnitude of that beast, but I'll not pointlessly stay in harm's way, and we won't lose them now. Brace yourself." That was the only warning she gave him before gripping him in her claws and leaping across the chasm, landing roughly with him on the other side. "I'm still not used to flying again... well, let's move. I've no time for games!" And she headed off towards the quickly escaping group, only snarling as she did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scorri Posted May 14, 2015 Share Posted May 14, 2015 Tristram quickly pulled his fellow elf up onto his horse and charged off after the rest of the group. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juliette Posted May 15, 2015 Share Posted May 15, 2015 The battle seemed to be over, and Heather was quite pleased with herself for landing the final blow on a formidable adversary. However, much surprise seemed to be in store from the group still- the final attack of the Corpsefire, a large harpy shouting at them, not to mention the horrific snake striking out of the blue. What have I gotten myself into? she thought with dread, happily accepting Tristram's help with escaping from any further confrontation with the gargantuan foe. Have I made a horrible mistake? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanami Touko Posted May 15, 2015 Author Share Posted May 15, 2015 (edited) As the mercenaries sped off onto the tundra, Ertel laughed happily, as the earth fell out from under him, and he was tossed roughly onto the ground. "Wow~! Now that was a rush! If you're so adamant about hurrying on, then I suppose we should!" Leiha was already running after them, and with most of the bridge at that end an icy rubble, the snake slipped back into the water to digest. Unfortunately for both Leiha and Ertel, the man in the chair, had other plans. Claws sprung forth from the ice, and new group of undead and creations alike, starting to stand tall. One grabbed Leiha by the ankle, to halt her progress towards the group. He sat in his chair, the leather underneath his hand squeaking as he grasped the arm of it tightly. He'd tear it, at this rate. You... You two, are interfering with my experiment. They must reach the castle, "And I wlll not have a fool and a bird get in my way..." He screamed his thoughts, and mumbled his words, sicking the creatures upon the two. "Ohh, looks like we have to have some more fun, before we're allowed to continue in this game~ Shall I begin, Leiha, deary?" ---------- The group ran for what must've felt like so long, an hour passing as they traveled across the ice. It took some time, but they put enough distance between themselves and the bridge, their pursuers falling off and giving them room to breathe... But was their room to recover? Eventually, in the distance, what seemed to be houses began to make themselves apparent. It would make for a good enough shelter, against the cold, and to make a fire. As everyone made their way through the snow and across the ice, the houses came into direct view, and they were run down. Some were roofless, some had no doors; they were all definitely beaten up. As Raith landed nearby, Makin slowly slumped off of Ophelia and into the snow, quietly making her way over to one of the houses, and collapsing in the doorway. She wanted to get off the snow, but she didn't have the strength to do anything else. She wasn't hurt, physically. She was just so drained. You need to get a fire set up, dummy... Just get Vri... She stopped her thoughts, curling up tighter, and shaking a bit. Ingverd's feet felt like they were going to fall off. He hadn't put Valha down the entire time, out of some worry mixed with fear that if he did, something would snatch her from under the ice and take her away from him. It was probably annoying her, to be treated like a sack, but he couldn't let her go. Not until they did come upon that broken down village, did he let her off of his shoulder. He immediately collapsed into the snow as he did, taking deep breaths and sweating, even in the cold. "S-Sorry..." he said quietly, taking a moment to take in his surroundings. The snow was starting to fall, and vision was a bit blurry. Even the wind was beginning to pick up. They'd probably have to set up anything in those houses, if they wanted it to last. Did people live here? How long ago? Must not've been too long, if these houses are still here... Not that they look like any housing I'm used to. He watched Makin collapse in the door way of one of them, unsure of how to help. The loss of anyone in the group was sure to set off feelings that she held deep down, so he knew why she was taking it so badly. But then, Lanos... He looked around for the other bird, wondering how he was doing. Isabelle was the only person out of them that was feeling alright enough to do anything. She didn't exactly care about the girl, and she'd been around long enough to know that danger was always present in these sorts of things... Even if that danger was a giant serpent out of the sea, but even then. She hopped off of the wagon and made her way into another house, the door opening easily. "Must be something in here..." She started gathering the old, dried out furniture, and setting up a small pit with rocks from outside the door. "Hey, someone help me. We've got to get some sort of fire going. There's enough furniture to burn, so, just, help me." She was tired of being cold, and at least some of the houses had roofs. They could get warm and stay that way, for a bit. Until some new creature decides we're worth killing. Ugh... If I die out here, I'm going to haunt whoever manages to make it out alive! Alicia had wanted to help Isabelle, but seeing her new boss take this that badly, she didn't really know if she should be ignoring that... But she didn't know anyone in the group outside of Raith. She made her way over to him, grabbing his arm gently. "Hey, uh... You should... I dunno, is there anything you can say to help her? I don't know much about Nagas, but if she stays cold like that, it'll probably mess her up pretty badly. Isabelle's getting a fire going. We should set some up, in each house. Maybe one has a fire place?" She gave a small smile at that, hoping that at least one would. That would make things so much easier, for them... But none of this was going to be easy. With the bridge out, how do we even get back? I hope this goes well... I hope whatever we were sent to find at the castle makes this worth it. She sighed, and lost the smile, letting go of Raith's arm. "Let me know if I can do anything to help, with Makin." As luck would have it, the group had stumbled upon the remains of a long forgotten village, out on the snow. There were five houses, three well roofed, and those roofed houses contained undisturbed fire places. If luck was on their side, there would still be charcoal in them. Cold or not, with a bit of fire and a spark, they could be re-lit. And every house had enough old, dried furniture to burn. They could warm themselves, and talk. It seemed like things were going to be fine, outside of the brewing storm. Each house had enough space to comfortably sit several of the mercenaries. Maybe it was karma, after facing such monstrosities, that they would be given this reprieve. ((OoC: Housing reference, Makin's collapsing here, Isabelle starting a fire, here Edited May 15, 2015 by I have opinions Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluedoom Posted May 15, 2015 Share Posted May 15, 2015 Tch, she has lost her senses! She's holding on to me tightly, and I don't think she's aware of what's going on. I suppose I'll have to run harder now, I'm on my own! Ferdinand's powerful legs kicked off the ground hard as he sped past the other mercenaries fleeing by foot. For a moment, he was overcome with pride- pride in the fact that he could outrun danger by the fact that he was a centaur. And then he frowned a bit, remembering Vesta. The poor thing wasn't big or as fast as him. Perhaps he could help her out with her stamina when they were free from danger or battles. She still had much to learn about her potential! ----------- Time flew as if it had seemed like forever, when the group finally spotted housing in the distance. Ferdinand began to slow down as he saw Raith and Makin stop at one of the houses- it looked like the mercenaries were going to rest at this seemingly deserted village. As Ferdinand waited for the rest of the mercenaries to reach the village, he lifted Sonia of his back and put her on to the ground. Poor thing, she's absolutely terrified by what happened at the bridge. How am I going to snap her out of it? She won't be able to do anything if danger strikes us again anytime soon! As he was preoccupied with these thoughts, he was distracted by a call for help. He turned to see Isabelle already at the particular house was next to. "Oh, I can help you out with setting up a fire, but I think we need to snap Sonia out of her trance." Then he paused, recalling something shady that he saw while he was running towards shelter. He saw... the same snow piles that he saw near the bridge. Would... they be home to the vile creatures that they fought earlier, too? He didn't want to be overly paranoid about the situation, when they had at last found shelter, but this place couldn't be assumed to be a safe haven. "I noticed something on the way here that makes me think we're still not safe from the danger yet. We'll need to be cautious. Did you notice it too?" he asked Isabelle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eclipse Posted May 15, 2015 Share Posted May 15, 2015 Meredith sighed with relief as the village came into view. Lanos would be (relatively) safe here. Still somewhat sore from the failure of the first fire, Meredith sought out Isabelle again. She overheard Ferdinand's concerns, and decided that her contributions were FAR more important than petty things like social etiquette. "We're all here, and alive. Why not sleep in shifts?" she suggested to Ferdinand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie_ Posted May 15, 2015 Share Posted May 15, 2015 We made it. They'd come up against regenerating monsters, oversized eyeball spiders a giant fucking serprent, but they were alive. Mostly. It still hadn't really hit him yet that she was gone. He shivered, wishing that he could just curl up by the fire and sleep after all that had happened. But could anyone really sleep comfortably after that? He slowly walked over to Kadin, trying to force a smile but failing. "I guess we know why the council won't go after it themselves now, don't we?" he muttered. What the hell did they want from a place like this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oersted Posted May 15, 2015 Share Posted May 15, 2015 (edited) Lanos had no idea how long he'd been run, but he knew that if Meredith hadn't been on his case he would've stopped a long time ago. He'd have to thank her for that; another item on the mental to-do list. And as for Vriska? It still felt so unreal to him. He'd seen it happen with his own two eyes, right in front of him even, but the fact that she was dead just wasn't clicking yet. Part of him wanted to go back to the bridge and look around. It'd happened so fast who could be sure of what exactly went down? Perhaps she'd just been flung somewhere and no one noticed because of all the chaos or something. But he knew he wouldn't find anything; he'd be lying to himself if he actually expected anything else. As everyone else made to set up fires or do whatever they were doing Lanos found himself not really caring about any it. Sure, he could, and should, be helping but he just wanted to be left alone right now. Let his mind catch up with reality. He wandered into the nearest house, the one with only part of a roof. He walked right through the snow pile in front of the entrance but either didn't care or made no show of noticing. He sat himself along the back wall in the corner under what was left of the roof to shield him from the falling snow; also where there seemed to be the least amount of snow. He pulled his legs up to his chest and stared up at the sky. "She's really gone," he mumbled to himself. "Huh." Edited May 15, 2015 by Oersted Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riariadne Posted May 15, 2015 Share Posted May 15, 2015 "Rrgh!" Leiha swiped at the creature that grabbed her ankle, quickly finding herself infuriated with the beasts. "Fine! I will destroy these... creatures and move on from this nonsense! Wherever you are, controller of these fiends, you are not prepared!" ... Valha clung onto Ingverd as they ran, closing her eyes- not wanting to face the world beyond her thoughts. H-how can this happen to us? We were winnin', we killed the monsters, that's not supposed to end badly... 'n poor Vriska, just when I was startin' to open up to her bein' a friend... what are we gonna do? Lanos is surely devastated, 'n I... I couldn't do anythin' there. Powerless. How'm I gonna be responsible for-- oh!" She hadn't noticed their arrival, surprised when Ingverd let her down. "Oh, it's alright..." She looked around for Lanos, finding him walk into one of the houses and made her way over to him. She tapped his shoulder gently and kneeled down next to him, only to find herself embracing him soon after. "I'm s-so sorry, Lanos... it was so fast, I couldn't do anythin', 'n then, I..." She only sniffled and remained quiet, holding back tears poorly. Useless... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oersted Posted May 15, 2015 Share Posted May 15, 2015 (edited) Lanos turned to see who had decided to bother him and, even after he saw it was Valha, had every intention to try and shoo her away. What he hadn't expected her to do was suddenly embrace him and apologize for not being able to do anything for Vriska. He didn't know his if mind had finally accepted it or it was just hearing someone else talk about it, but it finally clicked with the whole of him that Vriska was dead. He wrapped his wings around Valha and held her tight as he started to cry. "It's not fair," he managed in between sobs. "I-I said I'd keep her s-safe and then she ends up saving me. An-And then the next thing I know she's... she's..." Everything else was unintelligible. Edited May 16, 2015 by Oersted Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MRDRHAWK Posted May 15, 2015 Share Posted May 15, 2015 Kendeall, meanwhile, didn't really feel anything about Vriska's death. I mean, sure, it sucked that she was so young and died so quickly and in such a shitty way, but on the other hand... She knew what she was getting into. She was well aware of the risks of traveling with a mercenary group, and let her guard down when they weren't completely out of danger. So, Kendeall didn't feel pity. It also didn't help that Kendeall really didn't like her, either. She was arrogant, conceited and a bit of a showoff; three things that Kendeall hated in a person. Worse, she seemed like she was muscling in on things she didn't need to, so... "Meh. Are we staying long, or are we moving ahead soon? I'd imagine you'd want to get the mission done sooner rather than later, right boss?" Kendeall tried to call out to Makin, but he doubted she'd listen. Doubtless that everyone else actually felt something about Vriska's death, so Kendeall just sighed. Seems like he needed to dole out a bit of a proverbial kick in the ass to the group before they got too worked up over it. "Honestly... If death is so goddamn hard for you guys to face, then we may as well go back to Felson and wallow in our own self-pity. We. Are. Mercenaries. This is the danger we face all the time. So we lost one of our own. Big deal, it isn't like everyone who travels like this lives through every job. And if you guys don't smarten the fuck up quick and make something of the stupid kid's death... If you let the kid die for nothing because you got scared of dying yourselves? Not only are you gonna die yourselves, but you're gonna spit in the fucking face of not only her memory, but the memories of every single goddamn enemy we've faced up to this point - before, they were felled by a mighty band of mercenaries. But now, if this is how we're gonna be, all mopey because of one of us dying? Now they look like weren't strong enough to stand up against a bunch of crybabies. Man up, or woman up, or I don't fucking care. But I'm not gonna die here because you guys couldn't get over someone dyin', and I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels that way. Oh, and by the way? All you guys going on about how you should've saved her? That kind of thinking before she died woulda gotten you killed too. You can't save everyone. You just gotta save yourself." Angry as all hell by this point, Kendeall stormed away from the group, muttering about how he felt 'too old for this shit'. Really, it wasn't their faults that she died, so why the fuck were they so upset about it? That wouldn't change a damn thing. They'd still go on living as usual, and Vriska'd still be dead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eclipse Posted May 15, 2015 Share Posted May 15, 2015 Meredith was pretty oblivious, BUT she was observant enough to see Kendeall move towards Makin's place. . .and definitely was in earshot of Kendeall's rant. Rather intrigued, she followed him. "Who's Vriska, and why should I care about her?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scorri Posted May 15, 2015 Share Posted May 15, 2015 Trist slid down from his horse, and offered his hand to Heather once he was settled. He was somewhat numb, the poor girl's death causing him to flash back to his parent's deaths. One minute they were there, the next minute... He didn't know what to think. He'd joined this mercenary group without thinking really. He was just hoping now that he hadn't made a mistake. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vestige Posted May 15, 2015 Share Posted May 15, 2015 After dismounting Ophelia, Raith was approached by Alicia, who seemed concerned over Makin's condition. He turned to face her, a sullen look draped over his face. "I... I don't know. I'll talk to her, I guess," he shrugged. "If anything comes up though, I'll let you know. Thanks," he sighed. "You should go help Isabelle with the fire though. I'll, uh, I'll probably be able to manage," he said, turning to leave. As he trudged to the house where Makin had collapsed, he found himself overwhelmed with regret. Dammit! I was the one who brought her along, and I couldn't even keep an eye on her! Why didn't I just tell her to stay in Ward? She wouldn't even have been here... she'd still be alive... Alicia too--he'd brought her along, but to what end? If she just ended up perishing, same as Vriska... he didn't want to think about it. He knelt down next to where Makin had curled up, and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, c'mon, you shouldn't be laying out here," he gently shook her shoulder. "Why don't we see if we can get a fire started? Get you warmed up a bit, and rest--" The rest of his words had been covered by Kendeall's. Irate, Raith listened to the man's words, his fury mounting with every sentence. Was this guy actually serious? He couldn't fathom how cold his words were. To mourn the dead, was that not human? As Kendeall made to leave, his piece complete, Raith stood out and called out to the man. "Well, said Kendeall! 'You can't save everyone. You just gotta save yourself.' Good words. I'll remember them for some time to come," he said, brandishing his staff. Clearly, those weren't the words he had sworn to live by. "When there's a sword stuck through your chest, or a lance through your stomach, or an axe over your head, I will remember those words. And I will pray to every god willing to listen, that those very same words ring through your head as you take your final breath." People who live only for themselves should have the pleasure of dying by themselves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riariadne Posted May 15, 2015 Share Posted May 15, 2015 (edited) "It isn't f-fair," Valha agreed, shifting herself to lean Lanos's head against her shoulder and patting his back. "It's j-just not right, that sort of thing... it's a cruel w-world, 'n sometimes there's just n-nothin' we can do, 'n it's the worst feelin' you can have... powerlessness. I wish everythin' was easier, that everythin' wasn't some sorta risk, but that's how it is, 'n I hate it." Her brow furrowed at vaguely hearing Kendeall's rant. What the hell's wrong with him? He'd been an ass to Vriska the whole time, 'n even now he's like this this? Isn't he supposed to be grown up, 'n know how to act? Hmmf... But Raith's response was a good one, and she felt some respect for him for it. Maybe we got off on the wrong foot, back there, huh... Edited May 15, 2015 by Reinfleche Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluedoom Posted May 16, 2015 Share Posted May 16, 2015 Ferdinand winced at Kendeall's rant. He was being very insensitive and clearly lacked self-restraint. Ferdinand personally wasn't affected by those words- he too had seen enough to know that this was part of a mercenary's life, and he didn't know much about Vriska at all. But what stumped him was that Kendeall was about to wander away from the group after they had finally found some shelter. "Kendeall, halt! If you value your life, then stay with us! You don't know what's out there, and I highly doubt we're still safe from those monsters. Do you want to end up like Vriska?" he called out to Kendeall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandalphon Posted May 16, 2015 Share Posted May 16, 2015 Vesta grumpily brushed some snow out of her fluff, so done with everything. Today was not goin' according to her plan at all. Her plans did not involve gross fleshbeasties or great sea serpents chowing down on kids. Vesta may have been as sneaky and self-serving as the next roguish punk, but this cantankerous fart's spiel was really bumming her out more.She chugged another sip from a bottle of amber liquid she had procured from the ever-lasting supply of pick-me-ups that she stowed away in her bag. He had been nursing it since their narrow escape from the bridge and didn't intend to stop until the images and screams burned into her eyelids and ears were nothing but muffled blurs and whispers. It wasn't the best coping mechanism but it was the only one she had. In her mind's eye, that li'l brat turned into every single one of her brothers who'd been felled by the arrows and swords of the so called 'good guys' and she did not like that at all. Didn' even know that poor kid's name. Could'a helped. Couldn'ta helped. Good ol' Vesta always as useless as ever. "Hey now, jus' cause some of us are used ta losin' people" she said, gesturing towards herself, "doesn' make it effin' less painful alright?" She spoke increasingly loudly, waivering a little, "and maybe some of us are TIRED of losin' people, alright? I see y'all turnin' tail and I say good riddance ya bitter dried up prune!" She noticed that Mr.Ferdinand was imploring him to stay but she didn't pay any attention to that. Better off without that baggage...with a final obscene hand gesture she flopped into the snow, sipping from her bottle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MRDRHAWK Posted May 16, 2015 Share Posted May 16, 2015 (edited) Kendeall spat at the ground before him, back still turned to the group. He was still just within earshot, and was able to catch what Raith and the horse had said to him - and, quite frankly, it pissed him off. Did they just hear what they wanted to hear - clearly, they picked up on all the venom laced into his words, but missed the encouragement - just so they had someone to direct their anger and disgust at their own failure to protect Vriska at? Feeling that made him even more sick. So, time to purge. "Big talk coming from you, little healer boy. I can tell you're gonna crack real easy if anything else happens. Shame I won't get to see you break, though." Kendeall growled out as his head turned slowly towards the group, his voice dripping with venom. "That is, assuming you're not gonna turn tail and fly away. Unless you're already wrapped around the boss' little finger, in which case... Heh. I doubt you'd even get any tail, if that's how you already are." Kendeall may have kept to himself a lot of the time, but he wasn't stupid; on the contrary, he was smart enough to know a group of dead mercenaries walking, and was well aware of the consequences of staying. Leaving now may have been hazardous, but he had a better chance of braving the cold without these idiots. "Ferdinand, shut up. You're one of the last people to talk about me turning out like her, all things considered. You're weak, and if anyone's going to die in this group anytime soon, it's probably you." The irate axeman replied towards the centaur trying to keep him at bay to some extent, clearly fed up with him too, to some extent. "Especially with this whole 'honourable warrior' kinda act you're putting on. Grow a fucking pair and learn a few things; that honour bullshit's only going to get you devoured by the world around you." Not bothering to hear any more preaching from this pack of imbeciles (and Angus, whom he still respected even if his choice in company was... questionable, judging by his continued allegiance to the group), Kendeall left, equipment in tow, and headed due north. I can still get to that cave... I can still do what I came out here to do in the first place, with or without those bleeding heart morons. Edited May 16, 2015 by Blackhawk Stinger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandalphon Posted May 16, 2015 Share Posted May 16, 2015 Vesta made some oh-so-mature hand flapping motions at the putz. Get a load of this guy... "Don' listen to 'im Mr.Ferdinand," She blurted out clumsily, "You're like, twice the man they are... or err... half the man because we're centaurs an' all but that half man part is hella more quality than the whole of HIM." She punctuated her sentence with a particularly unattractive disdainful snort.If there was one thing Vesta didn't like, it was people who thought their pessimism made them more enlightened than everyone else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluedoom Posted May 16, 2015 Share Posted May 16, 2015 (edited) Fool, he assumes I fight for honour! Well, I fight to be a superior warrior, because its fun! Its the path of a centaur...I suppose I'll have to let this one slide. I cannot worry about some fool who wants to dig his own grave. "Thank you, Vesta. You know, we should be proud about being half horse, too! There's a lot of things we can do that others cannot...Oh! Why don't you help me set a fire up inside with Isabelle?" he replied to Vesta before going inside the house Isabelle was in. Ferdinand scanned the place to see pieces of old, broken furniture lying all around. Seeing a fireplace, he picked up a broken chair, throwing it in. "It looks like we've got all the wood we need to keep a fire going." he told Isabelle. Edited May 16, 2015 by MAgnificence IncaRnaTHe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vestige Posted May 16, 2015 Share Posted May 16, 2015 He scoffed, unamused by the vitriol and petty insults being thrown his way. If Ken had the gall to be calling out Raith, he figured the man could at least use some sharper words. "Funny you call me 'little boy' when you're the one acting most like a depraved child. But see, unlike you, I have an obligation to see this mission come to fruition. That is what I get paid to do. I don't get paid to turn my back on my comrades, and I sure as hell don't get paid to stomp on the memory of the deceased. You, and the rest of your ilk, disgust me," he spat. The man turned to leave, and Raith had no intentions of stopping him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xinnidy Posted May 16, 2015 Share Posted May 16, 2015 [spoiler=Out of sight, in the mind] As they made their way through the cold permafrost, Maja just silently gazed at the bridge's general direction. Her face had no discernible expression, nor did she make sounds. It was just all alien to Maja, she couldn't believe something that happened so quickly, like that, was final. Vriska was there, smiling, just a moment before... "Kadin, let's go back." Maja broke the silence in their walking, voice calm, like it was the most normal of things to say. "We can't leave Vriska behind." It surprised Kadin, who took a moment to process that Maja was actually suggesting such. "No. We cannot risk ourselves. Vriska is long far gone for any of us to help, Maja. I'm sorry." His voice held some sympathy, but he had to be strong. The guild's morale seemed like it was falling apart, but Kadin tried not to detach himself from the situation as he could. I am not a part of this group, anyways... I am but a dead man tagging along. That's right, he had a bigger mission to survive for. Maja he could take care of, but the others... I pray they can put that past them soon. I can't protect myself nor Maja, not in this Him-forsaken place. And thus, silence returned. "..." "...No, Kadin. You don't understand. I can save her, I'll just keep healing her. We've got to fight that serpent, we can't let it keep Vriska inside its belly. She's in pain, Kadin." Maja broke the silence again and reached her hand out to their opposite direction, her weight shifting around and slowing Kadin some. "We didn't try hard enough. Vriska might actually die." Maja wasn't panicking, she truly thought every word she just said was true. "Maja, what?" Kadin almost raised his voice to the absurdity, but he thought best not to disrupt the others with... whatever Maja was babbling about. "We cannot. It's deep under a sea of ice and freezing water now. We stood no chance. Maja... you need to let her go, don't say those things." Kadin was visibly cringing at the suggestions, "Even if you tried to keep her alive, you would just prolong her suffering. Then your staves would wither, and we'd be stuck in this frozen Hel without healing magic." "I... still... I..." Maja shut up. Her gaze slowly descended to the frozen rock and snow beneath them, her arm found no more reason to reach to the horizon. Silence returned for a good half hour, neither making any comments, until Maja rose her head a final time, gazing at the horizon from which they came. "Vriska was my friend. She was my age, a friend around my age." She confessed, "Only adults ever talk to me to me, but I talked to Vriska one day and she... didn't find me weird. She didn't make fun of me... I don't think. It was nice, Kadin." She felt herself grasping Kadin tighter. "And now I just have the adults to talk to again. It's no good, Kadin. They always leave me out of stuff." From the type of rant, one would imagine Maja was in her early teens, but there she was, nineteen years old and counting. Kadin listened to Maja's confession with concern, deep in thought, and unsure how to comfort her. "Maja..." He didn't know how to follow up, what could he even say? There he stood, a dead man certainly past his babysitting duties, trying to comfort someone stuck in some sort of infancy limbo. "I am here, I am your friend. If you need someone to talk, I will. I might not be a cheery young boy you could relate with better, but I still care for you, Maja." Kadin motioned to finally put Maja down from his shoulders, placing a hand at her shoulder and staring directly at her eyes. "Sometimes, I feel like I don't belong here, that I should not be. Yet, you have faith in me, you helped me when I had no direction, and keep helping me out of the kindness of your heart. You are a child of gold, Maja, and I owe you. If I can bring you peace, then that is all I need to be here. If you can smile, so can I." He brought Maja to a hug, "So, please, know that I'm here, by your side. More than as an adult --as a friend." Maja felt confused, skeptical, but still returned the hug. It took a moment until a tear dripped down her face, and then she hugged tighter. "Kadin... thanks. I... thanks. Thank you." Maja's voice started to tremble, but no more tears were being shed, just the one. There was too much going on for her to settle on one emotion. "I... I don't understand, but thank you. Thanks for being here." ------------------------------------------------ Finding such housing was good news to Kadin, concerned with how the group would face the tundra's cold as it was, tattered and hurt. Are they really abandoned? What luck... Kadin walked over the most worn out houses for signs of any movement, but there were none. Hm... how old are these? Maybe the unclement weather worn them down... but that would mean they are recent. There's no way. It seemed this world has more mysteries than the afterlife. Maybe... perhaps this has to do with the council's current decisions. Almost mesmerized, Kadin observed the anachronic architecture, until a familiar face showed up. "Indeed, it would be nice if we had more than rumours to go off of, though. The council needs a looser leash on this kind of information, for the sake of people like us, who dared enough to take the challenge." To keep with Angus, Kadin tried to smirk back, but only made a frown. "We should stay close, as a group. Whoever... 'made', these creatures is powerful. They will probably have a word on trespassers by now. I can't imagine those giant eyeballs being but a fear factor." A million theories were brewing on Kadin's mind about this alien situation, but there were still too many variables... Finally reaching a safe haven of sorts, Maja sighed in relief and approached Makin, whom seemed to be curled up at a doorway... and seemed affected. "Boss, are you going to be fine? It's still cold out here, should we get a fire started here, too?" While she was still coping, Maja probably had the most time to cope with Vriska than the others, reflective while being carried by Kadin most of the way there. Kadin helped me... should I help her? "Uh, boss, if you need to, I can heal you, or--" And then there were loud noises, a commotion coming from outside. What...?" Considering the tone, it was alarming. Are people arguing? Right now? Oh no... Maja rushed outside with haste, alarmed and scanning around to see who might be the source of the argument, and was there just in time to see Kendeall's massive rant. "W-what?" Maja was bewildered. W-why is he being so harsh on the team? Do we really need more sadness after Vriska? It was an awful kicker, and the way he just spoke of Vriska as some stupid kid... "... a bunch of crybabies." Maja frowned, and was actually starting to get agitated. Kendeall was just slinging insults at them at that point. Others stood up to him, but he continued to throw insults, more personal ones, this time. "Ken, what are you doing? Stop. You're just making people feel offended." At that point, Maja started moving at Ken's direction. "You're a part of the group, there's no need for this. Take a break, do something, but not this!" Kendeall just continued heading away from the group now, intentionally ignoring Ferdinand's warnings. "Oh, come on, come back! You know it's dangerous out there! What are you going to do if something like that serpent shows up?" Maja raised her voice, giving some steps forward, still intent to plead something out of Kendeall. Please, you heard what Ferdinand said! What's up with you today? "...Oh dear, just what is going on over there?" Briefly breaking conversation, Kadin turned an alarmed eye. Maja, don't do anything reckless... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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