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Hidden 10 yrs ago Post by Pathfinder
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The pain 9 felt, while immense, was nothing like what he went through at the hands of the pointy eared one. Soldiering on, 9 denied any help given by the others as his natural regeneration kicked in and stopped the blood flow. The blood was a muddy brown that tasted bitter in 9's mouth, much unlike the metallic blood that flowed through the flesh of men and elves alike. With great difficulty, 9 shook the thought of blood out of his head. This was not the time nor place to be getting hungry. In a deep concentration, 9 tossed his head left and right. Seeing as no one in particular was looking at him, he bent down and took a bite out of a fallen guard. He tasted of filth but it was food. Quickly, his body metabolized the nourishment and advanced towards web chest as he told them of a way out.

However his advance slowed as he fell the antlers of the antlered one scrape against his shoulder, usually a bad sign. Giving a gentle nudged with his muzzle, 9 realized that something was definitely wrong. He could smell it in her blood, the sweet smell of healthy blood was gone and was replaced with a festering corruption that spread throughout her core. She wasn't going to make it, she was fading fast. The corruption had surged through her and has gotten so entwined in her body that by the time he got out of here she would have already moved on, joining whatever deity that she fallowed. However 9 couldn't allow that, he had made her a promise. Steeling himself, 9 focused the last dregs of his mental abilities and focused on the corruption coursing through the antlered ones veins.

Careful not to hurt her, 9 made an incision into the flesh of the antlered one and willed the poison out. The corrupted blood began to drain out of the antlered ones body before finding a new host, which just so happened to be 9. Quicker than a dart, the blood flooded into 9's damaged eye and began to fill it with its poison. This technique was highly dangerous as it cause the participants to both share the injury that was being healed. However whatever ailed the antlered one did not effect 9, what did was the eye that exploded. The damage from the hammer man, the physical strain of this mini ritual, plus the extra liquid forcing itself in his eye caused it to explode into a small ball off gore. Giving a screech in response, 9 staggered for his footing. Now he could use that help the shadow one suggested. Gazing down at the antlered one 9 gave a small, ragged sigh of relief. She would pull through, if just a little while longer.
Hidden 10 yrs ago Post by Nephriel
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Aevah nodded when he told her his name, she could tell he was analyzing her... Most of his kind disliked her, she was an impurity in thier eyes. As for humans, they distrusted her because of the war... saw her as a possible spy or worse. However, he thankfully remained civil which spared her from dropping him on his ass where he stood. Whether that civility was because she was offering him help or because he had decided not to judge her on her race remained to be seen... but she'd take what small kindnesses she could get. His smile and polite banter did, however, earn him another less wary smile in return.

"Very true my friend," she said to Kyrtaar, "At least you didn't catch the pointy end... Thank whatever Gods that be for small favors, eh?"

The bull-man's mention of medicine had her mood lifting a bit. Human medicine would only help the Fae woman a bit... it would take quite a bit more of it on her than it would on a human to do any good and since it was only pain killer she doubted it would help much at all. As Kyrtaar steadied himself and assured her he could manage now that he'd gained his feet she moved to release him and her hand brushed the bare skin of his neck... and her vision skewed.

The world around her faded, giving way to the angry rise of a million burning stars. The usual comfort she felt from their light was nowhere to be found, instead she felt mocked... scorned. She shuddered, her eyes appearing glazed and empty to those in the room but behind them her mind was alight with unwanted images. Eyes... so many eyes staring out of a black abyss and and growls like dark laughter that were discordant in comparison to the song of the cosmos around her. Planets moved in impossible orbits and suns burned them up one by one as they became red giants and she'd almost swear she could feel their heat burning up her soul... She snapped back to herself as the Prince was in the middle of his explination. What had she just seen? She'd seen a lot of things in her life... but man-eating stars weren't among that list. She refused to reveal her ability though, it had a way of turning people against her... she'd rather just tell them she'd checked out for a moment.

Tarwin had left sometime during her brief lapse of awareness and it sounded like the jig was up since alarms were going off everywhere. She didn't really have long to ponder on going after him though... Guards would be here soon. The dark elf offered up her knowledge of the meds from the cabinet and hopefully those who could use it did. Hesitating momentarily she took the vial of pain killer that was being passed around and headed over to 9.

She handed the vial of pain killer to the Fae girl, "Use this on him... I don't think he'd appretiate someone he doesn't really know and can't see doing it..."

Shorus was already helping him along if he needed it but the pain killer would help him cope till they were out... at least... it would if it would do any good on his kind. She drew her daggers, the others were pretty injured... she'd have to do some fighting with those still able if they were going to get out.

"I'll go check things out ahead... see how many Guards are in our way."

She didn't take but a single step when she realized by the way the world suddenly warped and tilted, that she'd just stepped out of her body. "DAMMIT..." She looked behind her, sure enough she was just lying there. She was torn, she could use this moment to SAFELY scout ahead and risk leaving her body and having it invaded by something else... OR she could return right this minute and do things the way a SANE person would... Except she knew that this had been triggered by what she'd seen a minute ago, she doubted she'd be able to get back so quickly. She took the chance to look at her companions... The Fae's aura was sickly grey, so was 9's though his was much much larger than anyone else's in the room... probably due to his telepathic abilities which he'd demonstrated earlier.

Everyone else looked normal except... Kyrtaar. Shadows seemed to cling to him, writhing along the edges of his aura and the book at his hip pulsed with a life all it's own. She decided not to think too much into it, it wasn't her business... Taking a deep breath and trying NOT to panic about her body lying unconscious when guards were on the way... she tried to focus. With one more deep breath she exhaled as she fell towards her body....
And her eyes opened in the real world.

She stood quickly, "Right... did no one else trip over that huge rock? No... well, count yourselves lucky.... I'm... going to scout ahead." Off she went...
Hidden 10 yrs ago Post by The Roman07
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Everything went by so fast as it usually did for Rin. The fresh blood in his mouth only encouraged his growing instinctual bloodlust as his chest heaved attempting to draw as much air in his lungs possible to keep fighting. It was taking its toll until the cow man managed to break down a nearby beam and send the entire hallway crashing down above him. It may of helped clear out any remaining guards but still managed to smack Rin right in the skull with a large chunk of cobblestone. Ducking and weaving his way out of the falling sky above him, he followed the cow back to safety only with a few bruises and some spikes broken off his head and neck. Losing his newly aquired staff in the process as well. "Shame... Rin liked that staff." He muttered as he rubbed his throbbing skull.

Thinking the brunt of the guards were dealt with, he started focusing for a couple minutes to activate his Hist skin to mend whatever fractures and internal bleeding lay dormant, his momentary meditation rendered the world around him a blur as if he took a large swig from the eyepatch's bottle of wine. This was a big mistake as his blurred vision shown a scurrying prince and quite the large heat signature eminating behind him. At first he assumed it to be the cow or bug, but the cow was fairly close by and the bug was cold blooded like himself. By the time he forcefully shook off the Hist the fight was already over and Rin stood there glad but slightly ashamed he could not help. He couldn't of done much against an armored opponent but he could of helped somehow.

Aveah turned to Rin, "Would you be willing to carry the Fae if she and her odd companion will let you? I don't think the big... thing is in any shape to keep carrying her itself."

Rin looked at her arkwardly. "Why would Rin need to carry her?" His clouded mind still hazy about what he did a few moments ago. Turning towards the Bug and Nymph to realize he was badly injured as well as the Nymph slowly dying. Attempting not to stare as he walked over towards them while 9 took a quick bite of a nearby corpse. It nerved him a bit but Rin could see himself doing the same thing if he was hungry. Thankfully he was full of cow still and needed not to taste the bitter meat of human. "Are you okay little one?" He asked the Nymph while 9 attempted to draw out the poison. Pulling out the small pouch by his side once more previously rejected by the prince, he scooped some out with two fingers and placed some against her withering lips. "It may taste bad, but it helps all kinds including little ones like you." He gave a wide toothy smile as he poured the remaining bit in his hands and smeared it on any bare skin he saw. "I learned this from my master, he told me it is alive and likes to eat the dead and festered. Pulling any bad things from your body so you can heal. It was so Rin does not lose another tail but I can share it for now." The thick green muck blended quickly with her skin and it was only a matter of time before the smell would start to kick in.
Not long before he finished up with the nymph, bells could be heard and the prince gave a speech attempting to redeem his honor. He mostly ignored the hot air coming from his mouth until he came to the part about clearing their names. The part about a reward wasn't so bad either. Letting out a hiss as he gritted his teeth with a response. "Grrrrrr FINE! Rin will help you but you must clear Rins name of all this. Rin is surely going to be blamed for all of this, he knows it!" He reluctantly hissed. "...and Rin wants a new fishing pole as well, the cow lost my other one." He added. The prince pressed against a rock and opened a secret passage which made him smile slightly, maybe they would be able to get out of here as long as they stay quiet, Rin is good at quiet.

His focus momentarily altered as he heard the elven woman he arkwardly stared at earlier suddenly collapsed. Was she hurt as well? Staring arkwardly yet again as the slumped body kept its heat, but his senses picked up a cold aura nearby. Unsure of what it was he did nothing as not to disturb it or let it know he sees. Its not hurting anyone so maybe its just looking around. As quickly as it appeared it dissapeared right when the elf got up. Rin couldn't help but scratch his head thinking he did not heal his head enough and may need to Hist again.

"Right... did no one else trip over that huge rock? No... well, count yourselves lucky.... I'm... going to scout ahead." The Elven woman shrugged it off as if nothing happened.

Rin couldn't help but grow nervous, he saw no huge rocks.... perhaps they were invisible? A wizards trick! Looking franticly around hoping not to trip over these large invisible rocks, he stepped arkwardly high towards the hidden pathway in case the cold aura was indeed a wizard playing tricks on them. "Wait, do not leave Rin behind with these Rocks..." He said nervously.
Hidden 10 yrs ago Post by SyrianHamster
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"I suppose you will not stand down, will you?" Mundhir asked with a sarcastic smirk.

The two guardsmen growled their response, and surged forwards. They were good, strong warriors, the Prince could sense as much, but they were fatally slow. Even with his joints, as stiff as they were, and his venom-impregnated muscles, Mundhir was ready to receive them. As their sabres came on him from above, he stepped backwards and shoved his into the foremost of the guards. With a gurgle, the Prince's victim fell to the ground. The other guard, realizing Mundhir was beyond his skill, attempted to flee but there was too little chivalry left to allow such a mercy, and he fell forwards under the force of a sabre stroke.

"Who is your master?" Mundhir asked, pressing his foot into the man's gaping wound.

Despite the minute or two of intense screaming, the Prince received no answers. The man died either from shock or from blood loss, not that it mattered.

The prisoners had yet to follow him down the passage way. He feared they had their own plans, though he doubted even they could overcome the Citadel's garrison. Still, he needed their help; if his father or brothers had managed to turn even the World Breakers against him, it was more than likely they had several servants out in the wilds. Bandits were cheap labour, and the countryside was thick with them. Mundhir did not fancy his chances sneaking across open country without bodyguards.

Pulling out a chair that was hidden deftly in the corner of the long-since abandoned guard barracks he had walked into from the passageway, he sat and pondered his next moves. He would wait for any stragglers to follow him, but if after a short while, there was no one then he'd have to go it alone. If he could get to Baalor, he was confident he would be able to track down his hidden enemies and slay them. He just hoped that his men hadn't been bought out, but he found this proposition beyond comprehension. They were his sword-brothers, and together they had achieved much greatness against odds few warriors would dare to face with hopes of victory. If they still held the ruins, they would welcome him, he was certain.

"Times running out," he shouted down the passageway, doubtful anyone would hear him.
Hidden 10 yrs ago Post by Rockette
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Rockette 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶.

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Kylmi was not afraid of death, it was the method of dying that terrified her.

Her kind either surrendered to the earth in a willful decomposition, or petrified into trees, becoming literal protectors of all forests and the lives therein. But for the Fernium, it was much, much more different. Their souls perished much more slowly, clinging to life as animals do whilst the plant withered and died without reflection, even if the body was gone, their spirits searched and bound endlessly through time until the forest took them as specters and watchers, always unwillingly. It wasn't an easy decision, even when presented with a third option, and Kylmi could never bring herself to decide even in the dark of her would be grave. All things died, even if she was nearly a century old, and all things went back to their mothers, but was it so selfish to want to live on forever?

Her distorted thoughts were disrupted by a new pain, tempered and soothing compared to the iron, but none the less bringing her affront into conscious thought. She winced around her poisoned tongue and watched in a morbid fascination as her infected blood: green, dark, and sluggish, slowly began to boil and fester within the limited pocket of her arthropod's occulus. When the eye exploded, she gasped along with his screech and finally felt the strength and will to move her body, just enough for her to sit up as the lizard approached her, his rasp of a voice inquiring to her state even if his movements suggested slight inebriation. Kylmi did not have the voice though to deny or reject him, she would sooner trust this strange concoction than the ones the dark elf notified them of. Anything of this dungeon she did not want. The warning of the taste didn't prepare her, it made her lips curl and she sputtered at the peculiar tang that settled across her mouth, her claws curled into her palms and she willed herself to remain still as he tended to her. Scaly palms smoothed over her skin, parted by spots of fur and vegetation, and she shuddered at the contact, having become accustomed to her days of torture. But whatever it was that he spilled from his pouch and blended into her flesh, it worked wonders against her iron venom, eating away at the infection just like he advertised. Her green eyes, no longer webbed with death, lingered upon his snout and she inclined her head, antlers cast down.

It was her way of a silent thanks, a submission that indebted herself to the creature. Kylmi would return these favours, this she vowed silently to herself.

When the half-elf proffered over the blue vial, she accepted it with a quiet stare and turned to face her protector.

"You foolish love," Her voice rang with appreciation despite her scolding scowl, lips twisted in a fine grimace. Her hands hesitated, uncertain of where to begin in his condition. She glanced up at the pocket that once was his eye and then towards the battered ligament dismembered by what she could only assume was their former foe. Kylmi gathered her gradually bundling strength and gestured from the vial, to his mouth and very slowly, so as not to alarm, began climbing up his body. Their height differences were staggering, Kylmi herself shorter by nearly half his incredible stance which required her to scale his frame. She was careful of her foot placements and perched on his shoulder, willing some of the poultice into his mouth and inspected the depth of his wounded eye, she shook her crown of antlers and tines.

"Next time, don't be so risky, you can't afford that." Her eyes fell on the brand upon his brow and she tipped her head, gently tracing it with her clawed digits. "Nine," she murmured and wondered then what kind of pain this beast had endured, and if it had been similar to her own. Though she grew curious by it, the setting was inappropriate for such invasive inquires, so she gradually began to descend down from his shoulder, her eyes scoping out the surroundings as the elf and lizard began to speak about rocks and vanished down the hall. Her brow quirked and she glanced around, not seeing any though in this sort of environment, one could not be certain. So Kylmi jumped down the rest of the way and landed precariously on her clawed toes, wincing slightly from the lingering pain that was still managing to work itself from her body. She needed the sunlight to heal quickly and though she wasn't favouring of the prince in the slightest bit, she couldn't deny that he was the only way for her to leave this dark, hellish memory behind her.

Kylmi gradually began to follow, mindful of her limitations and gestured for 9 to follow after her with a sweep of her arm, she felt burdened for him to continue to carry her and with the reptile's remedy, she had the strength to at least manage walking on her own. It was a bit of strain, considering the shape of her feet that forced her to walk on her toes, and without her wears that usually helped in such a manner, she had to make due with bracing one of her hands against the wall to make it her temporary crutch. The tolling alarm made her teeth clench and ears to fall back, wounded and assaulted by the crippling sounds, only to further be assuaged by the screams of victims. Her heart flexed, squeezed, bled out emotionally with the reminders of her time in the cell creeping up along her spine like a infectious serpent. Her saunter down the passageway halted at the sound of a voice, almost drowned out by the sharp rings of the summoning bell, her sensitive ears perked up at it and very reluctantly she followed, stepping over bodies with a faint tremor in her arms and hugging close to herself as she found the bastard of a prince merely sitting, pondering.

Dressed down in meager armour that was barely fitting, giving his status, Kylmi vaguely wondered how he could keep on going despite his obvious infliction. Not that she cared, she told herself, clamping down her hiss and letting it growl away in her throat as she stood opposite of him in this secret passage, her eyes drifting carelessly, observing and impatient. She felt crushed and caged by the stone and now revitalized by her former healer, she felt the creeping ascent of her bestial nature, it made her mouth ache along with her teeth and her hands constantly flexed against her arms in random intervals of transitioning fear. Kymi had never felt so catastrophic and with her having nearly died only minutes before [what felt like hours now] she was long exhausted of her occupancy in this dungeon and with it, made a silent promise to tear down anymore opposition - even if the entire garrison fell upon her.
Hidden 10 yrs ago Post by Nephriel
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Aevah watched the nymph treat her companion and then continued down the hall, the prince was indeed seated but it did not appear that he had been idle. Soldiers lay dead, and this time it hadn't been any of their little party's doing... it had to have been him. At least he'd taken her words to heart and was fighting back now, though by the looks of one of the bodies he'd tried to get answers before the man had succumbed to death. Rin had been right behind her so she was sure he still was and she was still embarrassed over her momentary lapse in consciousness. Rin was the only one who had seemed overly concerned about it though, that was good at least. Maybe they'd chalk her fall up to exactly what she'd said... a clumsy moment.

Tired, so hungry she felt like her stomach would eat away at her backbone, and so thirsty her tongue felt thick and dry and her lips were cracked... This was how she felt currently. All she wanted was to get out of here, scrounge for edible plants and berries, and find a damn river so she could drink and bathe off the grime of the dungeon. Still, such an escape would rely on getting OUT first. She glanced at the Prince, "You're certain you are well enough to continue? Ice Venom is a serious thing, I'm amazed it didn't kill you already." She'd never had any handlings with the poison herself but living near the Spine meant you heard tales of the giant arachnids and their lethal poison. She knew barely anything more of it than that the blue webbing spanning his chest was definitely a sign of someone stricken. She'd read the healers book on occasion but had only retained some very basic knowledge of plants and poisons. She frowned, "Maybe you should have taken Rin up on his offer, the concoction did seem to help the nymph..."

With that said she paused considering her options, "I will join you for now... at least until you get where you are going. After that... we'll see."

She glanced back at the group... She knew Kyrtaar had been following the group a bit ago, the nymph and her odd companion were keeping pace, Rin had been right behind her so he was coming, Tarwin had vanished, Shorus had apparently remained behind, and she wasn't sure where the other mix-blood elf had gone off to. They all looked pretty worse for wear. "We should find someplace safe to rest as soon as we're out of here, she said more to herself than anyone else. With her stomach aching she put a hand to it and shook her head.

"Where to now," she asked the Prince. Hopefully, the exit wasn't far off.
Hidden 10 yrs ago Post by SyrianHamster
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The Prince took to his feet in a flash, wincing at the pain suddenly shooting up his spine. The fight had been brief, a mere footnote in the chronicles of his battlefield exploits, but already he could tell he had greatly overestimated his rate or recovery. The Halfbreed woman was looking a him, and though his hearing had taken on a pulsing hum, he heard her muffled words clear enough.

"I am fine," he wheezed, wiping his brow with his bare wrist. The hair came back slick, and smelt sickly sweet; he hoped this was a sign that his body was repulsing the venom. "Duranar has seen fit that I survived my encounter." An abrupt coughing fit dented his confidence in such matters.

Looking over at the Lizard, Mundhir shook his head. "From now on, the only thing that touches my body is water, proper food and good wine..." he paused as he felt his left leg lose itself to numbness, "though perhaps I am hasty in making statements. If there is any of that paste left, I'll sample some."

The Halfbreed's stomach made an audible growl, and Mundhir smirked. "We should find some place safe to rest, as soon as we're out of here," she said, though not directly to anyone.

"Aye, the tunnel is but a little longer. The entrance will come to us in the form of a simple door, set between two large rocks. There will be guards posted, judging by the two I have found. If we can get past, or through them, then we'll be met by the open plains - Uchfos will be about two day's travel. We will lose any pursuers there, and then journey south to Baalor. My men will take us in, and we'll rest properly. As mentioned, you will all be rewarded," he said almost cheerfully despite his degrading health. "Just get me there, and in the meantime, we'll have to make do with what we find on the way, and stop only when we must."

Limping onwards, the Prince smiled brightly at the Half-Elf, "Trust me in these matters, you look upon the man who cast down Nillanor's armies with but a handful of warriors. I am much more capable than I have perhaps let on thus far. This is not the first time I have been chased by those who would see me dead, it's just this time, my pursuers are my own people."

The last of his words struck him with a sickening sense of loss, but he shrugged it off. "Lizard - Rin - whatever your name is, that paste if you'd be so kind."
Hidden 10 yrs ago Post by Lotta Pumpkins
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Kyrtaar watched the Half elf girl trip, and collapse with alarm. He only took a few steps towards her before she was up on her feet again and talking about rocks. Rocks that Kyrtaar could not see, but the Lizardman was now freaking out about. Kyrtaar figured his best option was to stick with the prince. He had, afterall, committed murder in broad daylight when he was accused of petty theft. Not the proper response to a false accusation. It also seemed like the most direct route of this cursed dungeon, and the easiest way for him to get back under the open sky.

Kyrtaar followed the hard charging prince. He had to admit, he was fairly impressed by his level of gusto and bravado when half of his body was filled with poison. At full strength he was probably a force to be reckoned with. A better ally than enemy, and Kyrtaar had spent the most recent parts of his life with a shortage of allies. He was also amused at the quickness at which he changed his mind on his companions, once his life was also at stake.

Kyrtaar would arrive after the Half elf, Lizard, and forest creature. He had passed the hulking beastial creature due to its pains, but he knew it was close behind them. Kyrtaar would arrive mid brief about the hidden door. Once he was finished, he started to limp off, bragging about his abilities in a past life where he wasn't on the verge of death. Addressing the group, Kyrtaar spoke. "My name is Kyrtaar, if anyone is curious. I suppose I'll accompany you for the time being." He had his own motives to pursue, but for now this would suffice.
Hidden 10 yrs ago Post by Steel fist
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Shorus tapped the weak prince on the shoulder as gently as a Minotaur could, "Don't be sad noble man, stuff like this happen. I will follow you!" said the Minotaur.
At this point Shorus was seriously wounded from the prior encounters and the wall collapse, but his Minotaur stamina kept him going. He stood up and raised his battle axes as he began to follow the prince. The passageway was so narrow that Shorus could barely squeeze in, but still he managed to enter it. Shorus was following the wounded prince on every step, he was too tired and not much interested in the conversation around him, so he just kept going, ready for the next encounter.
" Stand back, I will take care of it!" said the Minotaur suddenly. His sensitive ears could hear what the others couldn't, he heard the guards making an ambush. Somehow they understood that the group will exit from here and instead of 20 -30 men, they sent 300 men to this point. " I will create a diversion, the minute you got a chance, run for it!" he said to the group before he charged the door.
Shorus hit the exit door with such power that the door flew of it axles and squished the group of guards behind it. Afterwards the Minotaur put his axes to use, he was waving them with enormous power, smashing and choping everything and everyone who stood on his way. "Yeah, you filthy humans, Shorus eat your leader for lunch, what you say about it!" he was shouting in order to draw the guards attention towards himself and away from the dungeon exit. Arrows where bouncing off the steel plate on his head and from his axes, one of the arrows stuck into Shorus's shoulder but the Minotaur didn't stop. Shorus was hoping that this diversion will buy his friends time to escape away from the citadel.

[Guys, let Shorus stay behind and cover your escape, I will return posting on Sunday. Shorus will survive and find the group by scent.]
Hidden 10 yrs ago Post by The Roman07
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Rin watched cautiously for that tricky wizard while he followed the elf girl towards the Blue Prince. The Prince did not look so well and even though he managed to take out two guards by himself, the odd colored skin and sweat on his brow countered the fools words that came from his lips. "You are not fine Blue Prince, you are poisoned and nobody is fine after being poisoned. Rin knows this well..." Reaching for the now empty bag of salve, he ripped the skin pouch open and flattened it so the inner layer shown out. "Rin has no more, the little one needed a lot but your welcome to use what's left trapped in the skin itself." Handing him the patch of hide, it shown the inner layer saturated with green oils and spots on tiny clumps left. "Or if you wish, Rin can pull the poison out by bloodletting..." Rin gave a big toothy smile showing the numerous carniverious fangs that would ultimately be used to pierce the princes skin and do something similar that 9 did to the Nymph.

When Rin heard about crossing the planes he lowered his head and gave a bit of a sulk. Frowning as he thought about the journey. "There aren't much trees in the plains... Harder to hide, harder to fight and easier to track." His throat cracked as he gave a low gulp of obedience as he already gave his word he would follow the prince. After all, they can clear his name... hopefully. "Rin will go... at least Rin can smell for danger. Also Rin can track your friends if they do not want to be found. Then we make them clear my name yes? And my fishing pole?" He asked but was abruptly interrupted by the cow man who ranted about three hundred guards. Rin's eyes grew wide with suprise as the cow managed to crash through the far end doorway to reveal numerous guards planning an ambush.

Even though the cow caught them by suprise, some stragglers managed to wiggle past the large minotaur. "Hurry, we don't have much time." Rin yelled as he ran on all fours and pounced on the closest guard like a leopard attacking an elk in high grass. Bringing the guard down with a swift thunk and tore at the mans exposed throat with his teeth. Ripping flesh from bone as his screams drowned in the gargles of his own blood. His weapon flailing helplessly chipping away at the scales on Rins back only causing minor scratches. Another attempted through and the lizard flicked his heavy tail tripping up the other off his feet causing him to drop his sword. Looking up at the sight of he lizards mouth full of skin scraps as he gulped them down like he did the prized cow. The guard scrambled backwards on his back looking franticly for his sword. Rin snapped at the man and gave a screeching growl inches away from the guards face. "LEEETSSSS GOOO!" As he smashed the guard flat with the weight of his tail, rendering him unconcious.
Hidden 10 yrs ago Post by Pathfinder
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Whatever elixir that the nymph had given 9 tasted like the worst, most spoiled meat he had ever eaten. 9 however swallowed it down, a grunt of disgust quickly. Yet, the pain that flared across his body faded much faster than usual. So it couldn't be all that bad. With his good eye, 9 could see that the antlered one was much stronger than before, no doubt because of the actions of both the scaled one and himself. Satisfaction flooded through his veins as he succeeded in his blood born duty to protect. The yelling of the beef man shook 9 out of his thoughts as he warned of coming guards. How many, 9 didn't know as numbers were a concept that was a little odd for him to understand. To 9 there was only many or few, the sounds coming from the battle that waged on the other wall pointed to the former rather than the latter.

Again rocked from his musing, 9 jumped into action as a guard attempted to impale the scaled one as it screeched at his second opponent. A little slower than he would have liked, 9 grabbed the pole that the guard would have used to end the scaled one's life and sheared the wood between his claws. Giving a growl, 9 raised his one good talon and brought it down with enough force to pierce through the cheap armor that the guard was armed with. However now the man was stuck on the end of his talon and rendered it useless, well almost. Several more men made it past the beef man and tried to end 9's life. Smacking the first with the man stuck on his talon, 9 moved to the second a little two slow and caused his weapon to stick itself in the mans former companion. Thankful for the temporary shield, 9 jabbed out with his clawed hand and embedded them inside the face of the guard in front of him. Placing his foot against the stuck man, 9 pushed him off of his talon and finally freed his main weapon.

Giving a swift decapitation to the remaining soldier, 9 strained to get his message to the scaled one, "Fallow...9....Now." His message sent, 9 left the scaled one to make his decision and began his advancement behind the rest of the group.Quickly gazing at the stump of his old talon 9 knew that he would need to cocoon it soon, his eye would need one as well. Giving a grunt of annoyance, 9 realized that whatever was in the blue vial was now warring off and the pain began to seep back into his being, but 9 would rather be alone for the remainder of his days before he let another guard harm his new charges.
Hidden 10 yrs ago Post by camillethegnome
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Stepping into the tunnel, Nessa followed the others and quietly listened to their exchanges, not adding much to the conversation herself. She was able to pick up a few more names, which was nice, but names never did much good without use. Figuring that she'd eventually get to know them better, she committed their names to her memory anyway.

At some point she glanced back over her shoulder, wondering about the strange elf that had finished off the World Breaker, the one who seemed to desire trouble. He seemed interesting, if anything. Definitely odd. As for the others, Nessa didn't quite know what to make of them. The Prince seemed arrogant, but that was expected and definitely not worth someone's assassination attempt. What was it that earned him a spot on someone's hit list? The rogue elf seemed nice enough. Nice was deceiving though. So were thieves. The lizard was beyond comprehension, and for some reason he just seemed unsettling to her—it might have been the teeth. The nymph and the giant insect were awe inspiring, especially together. The minotaur was bold, confident, and strong, like green eyed elf. Nessa couldn't resist the temptation to profile her companions. They had saved her life multiple times now, and she had decided to stick with them. Maybe it was just a whimsical decision though. As they walked, she continued to ponder these thoughts.

The tunnel was cramped, the larger beasts clearly had a difficult time squeezing in. It was poorly lit as well, the way she liked it. Her comfort was short lived of course. Soon the bull of a man charged forward and warned of hundreds of guards awaiting their arrival. From inside the tunnel, it was impossible to tell if it was day or night outside, and when they finally exited, Nessa was blinded by the sun. Oh how she hated the sun. It felt searing hot on her skin, but it would not start to do any damage for a while. Her pupils pinned in order to adjust to the immediate change in lighting, revealing her stormy gray irises for the first time since she'd been imprisoned. For a few moments she was blinded by the burning brightness of the outside, but she ignored it for the time being; there were supposedly hundreds of men trying to kill them, and it was hardly a time to be stumbling around like a fool.

Hearing the commotion to her left, Nessa sprinted forward diagonally to the right before stopping a decent distance away. Seconds later, the colored spots disappeared from her vision and it was clear that there were definitely not 300 men attacking them. Either way, she drew her crossbow, and took aim. She had managed to outrun the few guards that decided to pick off the smaller ones, but they were still pursuing her, trying to catch up to her now that she'd stopped. Nessa killed the first and closest one with ease, her bolt piercing through his armor and faint hints of poison slowly permeating throughout his body. She counted her shots in her head: five total, one arrow per person. Her precision did not fail her even in her weakened state. Shorus, Rin, and the beast-bug had done a decent job keeping most of the horde away from the exit so the others could still slip out into freedom. As the rest of the group started to make it past the guardsmen and take off, Nessa joined them, deciding to keep their pace instead of running ahead and making herself an outlying target.

"Two days of travel? A horse would have been nice," she said, mostly to herself.
Hidden 10 yrs ago Post by SyrianHamster
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The Lizard shook its head, and offered up the empty hide. Mundhir poked his fingers into it anyway, and scraped some of the paste’s remnant into his palm. The wound on his torso had started to burn, and he feared it would soon fall to infection; with this in mind, he applied the meagre amount there. The pain caused by the paste making contact with his damaged flesh was momentarily unbearable, and he fell to his knees, taking long deep breaths between whimpers.

“Thanks, Master Rin,” he coughed, “I took an arrow to the thigh not so long ago, and until this very moment, I thought that was the most painful thing to ever have graced my body.”

"Or if you wish, Rin can pull the poison out by bloodletting..." hissed Rin, revealing his assortment of large teeth.

Mundhir grimaced, and thrust out a palm, “stay right where you are, or by Duranar’s Will, I’ll cut you down!”

Before the Prince could modify his statement to a kinder version, the mysterious Elf spell caster made his appearance. “My name is Kyrtaar, if anyone is curious. I suppose I'll accompany you for the time being,” he said plainly.

“For the time being? Sounds about right for an Elf, I suppose,” muttered Mundhir. “Your peoples have ever been a fickle lot. If Prince Thrandel paid more attention to the changing landscape of a battle, than he did the sweet taste of wine, and the beauty of Elven whores, I dare say my Baalor campaign could well have gone differently. Still, your company is appreciated all the same – I hope you have no misgivings towards me? It’s not that I wanted a war with Nillanor, it’s just, well, you long lived fellows hold grudges for a great period of time.”

"There aren't much trees in the plains... Harder to hide, harder to fight and easier to track." Rin said suddenly, with his usual unnerving tone.

”Wasn’t always that way, Uchfos once covered this entire area for miles and miles,” retorted Mundhir as he picked himself up. ”The Prophet Ebli Khan had his Khanic Mages burnt the trees to the ground, it took many weeks, but eventually the land was a scorched ruin.” He paused, and looked nervously at the Nymph and scratched his head. ”Not that I’d of done that, of course. The Prophet was of a great military mind, and he knew he could not fight the Elves of Nillanor in the trees. He had them burned, so that any army could be seen miles before it reached him. Genius really, though can you imagine such power? There must have been thousands of these Khanic Mages, but in truth, the Bak’Rah says there was only six.”

"Rin will go... at least Rin can smell for danger. Also Rin can track your friends if they do not want to be found. Then we make them clear my name yes? And my fishing pole?"

Mundhir waved his hand, “of course Master Rin, you’ll get your fishing pole and more. I’ll have it seen that you are given land and a nice hovel, or perhaps a ship, that you may sail forth and find yourself some finer land, better suited to your kind?” He stopped, stroking his matted black beard. “If you can truly smell danger, that will be mo-“

The minotaur, with its awesome strength, suddenly surged forwards in a mad rage. Mundhir’s head swivelled so quickly that he felt the tendons in his neck threaten to split, and as he yelled to halt his mighty companion, the door at the end of the tunnel gave way under the weight of its hulking mass.

Immediately strong rays of light sprang into the Prince’s vision, and he stumbled backwards with both hands brought to shield his eyes. The sound of men cursing and making their battle songs rang true, and they were immediately followed by the brutal melody of untold carnage. The minotaur was up to his tricks again, and it seemed he had ambushed the ambushers.

Rin rushed past him, then the nightmare beast, and finally the Dark Elf – whom he’d paid little attention to. The three of them fell into the chaotic melee, which was finally becoming visible through his sun blinded vision. Rin swiped and gouged his attackers, whilst the nightmare beast used its horrifying features to destroy any who opposed it. The Dark Elf, with her shadowy form, slipped past the battle and started trooping towards freedom.

Mundhir went next, beckoning the Halfbfreed to stay behind him. “Stay back, my lady, I’ll find us a way through this dilemma.”

As soon as the Prince stepped from the exit, a dozen arrows crashed off the rocks and doorway. He ducked low, but the missiles had fallen wide all the same.

“It’s the War Giver! Forget the others, KILL HIM! Duranar demands it!” Shouted someone from amidst the battle.

“War Giver? Duranar demands it?” muttered the Prince, but now was not the time for thought. He looked across the bloody scene, where the Insectoid, the Lizard and the Minotaur were locked in deadly battle with a full squadron of city watch.

A spear came at him from the blur of struggling forms, but he parried it with ease. The snarling face of an Eblastani, with his sun blasted skin and oiled beard, spat bloody murder at the fallen Prince. Mundhir kicked the man in his bulk, and crossed his neck with a sabre stroke.

Two more of the watchmen replaced their fallen comrade, and Mundhir stepped back as the venom once again sapped his strength.

“This is not how I die,” wheezed the Prince, batting away his attackers with slowing swings. “The Prophet did not promise me this.”
Hidden 10 yrs ago Post by Nephriel
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Aevah had been lost to her own thoughts, passing her options through her mind over and over. To be honest, she'd long missed the company of others...ones who weren't constantly playing games and twisting words. The company of other thieves was a double edged sword, there was no honor amongst them and if one could use you to step higher on their own pedestal then they would. Sure, Aevah was one of them and to be fair she'd done her share of manipulating and game playing. However, she'd never stabbed anyone in the back who had shown her true kindness and if she owed a debt she paid it... always. Everyone had saved everyone's life, except her... she'd not really fought yet. She might be impressive with her daggers but it required getting a little too close to armored folks for her comfort. She usually didn't fight battles she wasn't sure to win.

She smiled a little as Rin mentioned blood letting and the Prince grew squeamish, she liked the party's little banter... It reminded her of home before her abilities had manifested and she'd become an outsider. She was about to tease the prince on loosing a little blood when Shorus shouted something about an ambush. Aevah cursed in every language she knew, which wasn't an impressive list. She drew her daggers as the sunlight spilled into the hall and blinded her momentarily. Knowing better than to be in the open while her eyes struggled to adjust she pressed her body against one of the walls to make herself a smaller target. Once her vision returned, along with a massive headache from the rapid change in light, she caught up to the Prince. It registered momentarily that he'd called her a lady... a half-elf thief. Despite their sticky situation she could still feel amused, but her amusement slipped away as she saw what lay before them.

"There are too many!

Aevah raced after the Prince, she did not have confidence that in his condition he'd hold out much longer. She watched him kill one attacker only to be set upon by two more as he fell back. She cursed again and darted forward just as one lifted his blade, preparing to behead the Prince. It was nothing to slip her blade just under his raised arm, between the chinks in his armor and into his ribs when he'd left his body so open and hadn't even seen her coming to begin with. She ducked the other's sword, swing as his companion fell and rammed a shoulder into his plated chest... It hurt but it did what it was meant to do, he stumbled just as she hooked her food behind his ankle and sent him toppling. He tried to roll but the armor he wore was cumbersome and he was too slow, she leapt on him and yanked his head back before slamming it as hard as she could into a rock... knocking him out. She rolled, struggling to pull him half atop her body to guard from the arrows now raining down but unfortunately her hand had brushed his skin... Had she just taken an arrow through her throat or had he? At the moment it didn't matter because whether it was him dying or her, she could feel everything.... The pain was unimaginable and she was drowning in her own blood.

Somewhere, distantly, she heard the sound of hooves and it jolted her out of her trance. She struggled to shove the body off her, an arrow sticking out of his throat... he was still gurgling. She shuddered and tried harder but she was so tired now... Since she couldn't get anywhere s she called to the Prince instead to warn him of the likelihood of more Guardsmen.

"Mhundir! Horses are coming... hide!"
Hidden 10 yrs ago Post by Guilty Spark
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The thin chord stretched taut against the man's neck, digging into the skin as Sitara applied more force. The man's slumber was cut brutally short as the pain woke him, but her garrote was coated with a paralytic which was already working its way into his bloodstream. He could do nothing more than tremble and make disturbing gurgling noises as the assassin casually proceeded to end his life. She did not know this man, she had never seen him before in her life, however, her information implicated him in a plot against the Prince. He needed to die. When his struggles finally ceased, Sitara wrapped the wire into a bundle and returned it to a pouch on her belt, then began to systematically search the room for more evidence.

The only warning she had was the sound of bowstrings stretching, but it was enough. She dove to the ground as a volley of burning arrows flooded through the window, setting the room alight in moments as the flammable wood and cloth caught fire. Crawling to the hall way as more burning arrows followed her, she slammed the door shut behind her. In one fluid motion she removed her hand-crossbow from her belt and fired it down the hall, hearing a thud and a curse as it made contact with one of her assailants, but she did not stop moving. The lock on the door across the hall snapped under her swift kick and she lunged into the room, rolling across the floor and regaining her feet in time to leap through the window. To her surprise, however, she bounced off an invisible barricade.

Sitara probed the barricade with her left hand, it was definitely an arcane ward of some sort which blocked her passage. She could hear more men stepping over their poisoned comrade in the hall, there wasn't much time before they reached her. Stepping to the right of the open window, Sitara switched her crossbow to her left hand and covered her eyes as she slammed her Spell Claw against the barrier. The men entering the room were caught off guard by a blinding flash of light and a minor explosion that shattered the window frame, they could only fire their crossbows blindly. When their vision finally cleared, the assassin was gone.


Sitara came back to the present, that had been the night her Prince had disappeared. It had all been a ruse, cleverly designed to take her from his side and eliminate her. It was not hard to imagine that the man she killed had not even been guilty, but she felt no remorse over that. It was failing to protect the Prince that stung her the most. She had traveled back to the ruins of Baalor to find him missing, and his men were launching a thorough sweep of the surrounding area. After her own search, her trained eyes caught the sign of a struggle where he had last been seen, but there was no sign of the Prince. Typically Sitara was not the thinker, she was the blade that guarded her Master's back at all costs, but given the circumstances she was capable of deducing that he had not been kidnapped by elves. The elves would not have been able to lead her into that trap. The culprit had to be Eblistani.

Now she rode on horseback, the sun beating down on her from above. After some coercion, her sources had divulged that the Prince's body had been taken to the Citadel to rot in the dungeons. Such a disrespect could not go unpunished, she intended to infiltrate the Citadel through the secret passage and recover his corpse. Then he could receive a proper burial and move on to the undying lands. Sitara had planned on going alone, but as soon as they discovered her plans the Prince's mend refused to let her leave without an escort. So forty men rode behind her across the plains as they neared the rocky outcropping that would signal they had found the tunnels entrance. She did not like to fight in daylight, but there would only be two guards at most on this end. Carried on the wind, Sitara heard the clashing of blades and bestial roars from ahead. One of the Prince's men spurred his horse to ride beside her.

"Talon, the sounds of battle are fierce. Perhaps a more cautious approach is in order?" the Mameluke asked, his hand reaching for his bow. Sitara knew little of commanding troops, but these were horse archers.

"Ready your bows, whoever blocks the path we will rain arrows down on them from afar," the forty mamelukes fanned out to either side of her, knocking arrows as they rode. Once they crested the hill, the battle unfolded beneath them. Quite a few guards were mounting an attack on the entrance to the tunnel, but a cobbled together force of what she took to be prisoners were trying to hold them off, and a hulking minotaur arrayed in weapons of death was plowing through their ranks to draw them off. She paid little attention to this, however, as her eyes locked onto an Ebistani man standing at the mouth of the tunnel. "The Prince! The Prince lives!" as she cried out, a volley of arrows fell among the treacherous guards, felling a number of them before they noticed that the mamelukes weren't their reinforcements.
Hidden 10 yrs ago Post by The Roman07
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Chomping away at the guards neck, Rin noticed yet another guard armed with pike in hand a little too late and watched out of the corner of his eye as the pikes sharpened beak came inches from his face before 9 managed to shred it into pieces. Saving him from a most definate fatal blow. Pulling his mind back into reality and out of his instinctual bloodlust, Rin spat out what remained of the guard and gave 9 a quick nod of thanks before attempting to help cover the exit. Screams of bloodlust and pride echoed off the cobbled stone walls of the nearby structures when he reached daylight and the Bull was already in the thick of the action drawing most of the combat with the oversized beetle not far behind. None of them were ready nor fit for a battle of this magnitude and it was clear on the prisoners faces that this may be their last wind before the sun sets them down to rest.

Rin was not as exhausted as most but was starting to run out of steam as well given the amount of guards that kept coming at him. With no staff to keep his distance and no trees to climb and escape he had no choice but to fight on all fours like a feral animal. Keeping his soft belly from being struck was his main concern as a guard bearing sword and buckler took turns with his partner slashing away at Rin's face. Using his nimbleness and what he had left to duck and weave past the swords edge proved to work as they traded slashes with claw and blade but not for long as the teamwork of these obviously better trained guards managed to pierce the cheek of the lizards open jowels, blade protruding out the side of his mouth only inches towards the center and it would of been fatal. Rin screeched in pain but pushed harder against the blade until his tongue hit the hilt. Chomping down as his teeth pierced through the mans leather gauntlet and locked his jaw shut. Using his body weight to his advantage he tucked his limbs and proceeded to barrel roll (aka death roll) similar to an alligator as it attempted to tear bone from muscle in a sickly twisting motion. The sounds of bone and sinew cracked and the yelp of pain from the guard rivaled his own. Once the hand came completely off, Rin swiped his tail out from underneath quickly getting him off balance.

As the other guard saw his partners hand come off he backed off for only a split second before jumping back in the fight twice as hard wanting revenge. With the one armed guard writhing in pain on the floor, the lizard concentrated on the other whose rapid savage swings proved hard to predict and harder to defend against forcing Rin to retreat somewhat towards a nearby boulder. Hoping to get the height advantage he scaled the boulder and swung his body round forcing his tail to smack the side of the guards helmet with the force of a blacksmiths hammer. The guard stumbled and Rin used this oppurtunity to get in close and slice the mans neck with the very same sword that lay clenched in his jaw as well as a human hand.

The sound of the mans blood soaked gargles next to Rins ear was only dulled by the whistles of dozens of arrows flying past the both of them. Pulling the dying man close and collapsing behind the boulder proved some cover aside from a stray arrow or two that managed to lodge themselves between a few scales in his upper back. Wincing in pain he tried to peek over to see where the arrows were coming from but noticed that the arrows were in fact hitting guards more than the prisoners. The pain in his face did not help his train of thought whatsoever and was confused at the sight of their own men killing eachother without a second thought. "What is going on?!" Rin screamed towards the prince. Blood poured out of his mouth as he screamed, a mixture of the guards and his own. Rin dared not to pull the blade because it seemed to be holding things together, if he yanked at it or pulled the wrong way he may end up bleeding out and no amount of time in Hist can stop one from bleeding out. For the time being he had no choice but to keep his mouth shut. Something that proved to be quite hard for Rin.
Hidden 10 yrs ago Post by Lotta Pumpkins
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"Your peoples have ever been a fickle lot. If Prince Thrandel paid more attention to the changing landscape of a battle, than he did the sweet taste of wine, and the beauty of Elven whores, I dare say my Baalor campaign could well have gone differently. Still, your company is appreciated all the same – I hope you have no misgivings towards me? It’s not that I wanted a war with Nillanor, it’s just, well, you long lived fellows hold grudges for a great period of time.” As the prince spoke, Kyrtaar felt rage boil to the surface, but the prince turned it into a sort of compliment towards the middle, and a statement on the youth of man at the end. Kyrtaar jokingly replied. "But to the children of the earth, a mere century feels like a long period of time."

Kyrtaar would follow the group through the hallway, until in a rather surprising instant, the minotaur yelled something about an ambush, and burst through a wall, and into a small army. The sun shone through the hole, blinding him for a few seconds. The Lizard, bug, joined him in the melee and the prince followed. The Half elf and Dark elf both started fighting stragglers. Kyrtaar simply followed out, walking. He stood in the sun, and raised his arms, smiling. He felt the warmth of the sun on his skin, and drank it deep in, absorbing the powers of the cosmos. For several seconds he just stood in the middle of the battle.

He saw the men approaching him to kill him before he opened his eyes. He ducked right as a man lunged with a sword. He opened his eyes, which had taken back to glowing. Kyrtaar shot the man in the side with Eldritch energies, killing him. He felt invincible. His body was reinforced with the energies, granting him additional strength and speed. Kyrtaar walked towards the next man, drawing his sword. He parried the first blow, side stepped the follow through before the man had started to swing, and brought his own blade down on the man's shoulder, driving it deep into the man's chest in a downward blow. He wrenched it free, and approached the next man.

Each other blink was a vision of what was the come, and Kyrtaar used it to devastating effect, killing a half dozen men in melee without even being touched himself. Kyrtaar felt like a literal god walking among mortals, killing each with impunity, but it was not to last. He dropped to a knee, an arrow whizzing over his head. He turned, striking the man in the chest from 40 yards with a blast, knocking him off his feet. He didn't see the second arrow, which hit him in the back of his left shoulder. The leather vest, and his reinforced body stopped the projectile from actually making it through his body, but the wound was still excruciating. Kyrtaar dropped his sword, and smote the man where he stood with his powerful Eldritch attack. Kyrtaar struggled to one handedly put his longsword away, but managed it.

He looked around, seeing the battle unfold. The Minotaur was going to be overwhelmed, along with the bug and lizard. The prince could barely handle two guards, but was rescued by the half elf who then managed to get stuck under a dead body. They were as good as dead. Kyrtaar figured he could take out another dozen or so, but even with the pressure of the cosmos bearing down on him, he was still a wounded, malnourished, dehydrated being. His newfound energy under the sun was a temporary cure.

Kyrtaar would not die on his knees though, and stood up, to blast a charging swordsman off his feet. He left arm hurt too much to move, so he was only slinging off his blasts with his right hand. A rain of arrows would then come down on the guards, as horse archers came cresting over a hill. Kyrtaar knew not who they were, but knew that the enemy of his enemy was most likely not going to kill him right now, and he took off towards the horse archers, running, and panting heavily from all the stress of his wound, and lack of actual energy. When he would got to the horses, he would breathlessly say "Hey! I'm... Kyr...taar, helped.... prince escape"
Hidden 10 yrs ago Post by Pathfinder
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With the scaled one relatively safe behind him after his little fight with the guards, 9 continued his vigil of the rear. However the suicidal beef man was doing a good job of being a distraction and 9 wasn't about to stop him from meeting its creator. There didn't seem to be any more guards coming through the hole and for that 9 was grateful, while the bad men fed him relatively well as to keep their prize healthy for potential buyers 9 had lost too much blood and spent too much energy on an ability he shouldn't even have yet. What that meant to 9 he did not know, he would have to bring it up to the Queen when... if he made it back. 9 wasn't sure if he even wanted to go back now, he failed at his soul purpose. The only thing he was born for was to protect his siblings and his Queen, he failed the first part and that brought him here.

The whole thing made 9 sad, his feet dragged as he faltered in his determined advance towards his new found allies until he stopped completely. Looking back at the battle that raged behind him, 9 supposed he could go return to it and fight until his eventual death as the onslaught of guardsmen eventually took him down with their seemingly infinite numbers. However his grief thoughts were burned out of his crown as light exploded into the dark tunnel through the opening behind him. Turning towards the light, 9 was momentarily blinded but recovered quickly with several blinks. When his vision returned he saw death rain from the sky towards his allies.

At the sight of his new allies potential deaths, 9's protector spirit awoken once again with a vengeance. Giving a fierce snarl, 9 moved with a speed he didn't know he could posses in his current state and ran ahead of his allies. Being as careful as he could, as to not step or shove them out of the way, 9 stepped out into the open and turned his back to the hail of death that came from the sky. While some had defended themselves from the hail, most had not and that was reason enough for 9 to become the shield he was born to be. Normally arrows wouldn't be able to pierce his hide but the extra momentum given to them by falling was enough to give them the extra push they needed to push through his chitinous back. They didn't get very far however, just the heads really but it was enough to sap 9 of his strength.

Thankfully for 9 the arrows died out as yelp of pain filled the air as many men on horses let loose their own brand of death from their bows. Giving thanks to the Queens, 9 began to falter in his stance as his strength finally left him. 9 half hoped that his allies would leave him, it didn't look like the new horsemen had brought a wagon and there was no way that he would fit on a one of those running beasts. Besides, 9 was really tired and from the looks of it his allies were safe. Before unconsciousness took him, 9 took solace in the fact that he was able to fill the role of protector one last time.
Hidden 10 yrs ago Post by SyrianHamster
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“Make your peace with Duranar, brother,” said the city watchman as he held his sabre high above Mundhir’s head.

“Me and the Lord of All are forever at peace,” mumbled the Prince through heavy exhaustion. “Do as you will, I am ready.”

The Half-Elf thief struck the man in a beautiful display of whirling blonde hair and lightning grace. He groaned briefly, and collapsed as his heart imploded from the penetrating dagger beneath his arm. The watchman’s comrade, momentarily shocked into inaction by the development, quickly recovered himself and tried to slay her. Mundhir watched, motionless, as the Halfbreed put him to sleep in a much less graceful, much less beautiful display of violent savagery.

“By Duranar, she is magnificent,” he said weakly with a smile.

Mundhir looked left, as he heard a gut wrenching screech, and found that Rin had impaled his face upon the sword of a watchman. Not deterred by the grievous injury, the Lizard went on to consume the man’s hand. It was a grizzly sight, and as Rin pulled the extremity from its limb, Mundhir knelt forwards and vomited black bile onto the blood-soaked grass.

A green light washed over his outstretched hands, and it was followed by a thunderclap. Looking up, he could see clearly the mysterious Kyrtaar entering the fray with impossible powers at his disposal. In a flash of glimmering steel and emerald ribbons, the Prince watched as the Elf slid through the guards of his enemies like a serpent, leaving a trail of dying men as he went.

The watchmen screamed victory, and Mundhir crawled onto his haunches to see the great hulking minotaur succumbing to a dozen sabres. Falling to its knees, it let out a bestial roar loud enough to tremble the ground beneath the Prince, and as the watchmen, in their red capes and bronze helms surged forwards for a kill, the walking wall of muscle and death made a startling recovery. Clambering to its feet, it swung its axes at them in an obliterating arc of bloody destruction. A score of arrows struck into its flank; another earth shaking roar echoed, smothering the sounds of battle.

"Mhundir! Horses are coming... hide!" Came the feint cry of the Halfbreed; he looked over and saw she had pulled the watchman’s body over her for protection.

"What is going on?!" Rin screamed, blood frothing from his hideous face wound.

“World Breakers, come to see their ungodly charge seen to its end,” slurred Mundhir, as if drunk. He was so tired, so impossibly tired.
A trumpet blasted, and suddenly the Prince felt his strength partially restore. He knew that sound, and he knew the instrument that caused it intimately. It was his, after all. Looking up at the rising slopes towards the east, he saw a loose ring of riders approaching. Not World Breakers, from their light attire, and not his father’s men either – for they carried his banner.

“Impossible,” he wheezed.

Clambering to his feet, he fought his blurring vision for clarity, so that he could focus on the riders. They were his mamalukes, no mistake about it, and they were circling the city watch in a ring of death. Without horses of their own, the watchmen retreated under a devastating volley of arrows. Those who were foolish enough to stand their ground were pierced from several angles, and within seconds, Mundhir’s gallant soldiers were in the midst of the survivors, cutting and stomping.

“Make safe the Prince!” Roared a familiar masculine voice.

“Hazim!” Shouted the Prince; his voice hoarse. Tears streaked down from his eyes, “Hazim, are you real?”

A great war horse pulled up alongside Mundhir, and its rider, a hulking giant of a man with a finely trimmed beard, lurched over his saddle and offered his palm. “It’s me, your Highness, and I am very much real,” he said grinning.

Mundhir refrained from grasping his Captain’s hand, and shook his head, “the prisoners, do not harm them, they are our brothers and sisters.” He looked over at the Minotaur, as it knelt over, breathing heavily so that its plated armour rattled with each intake. “Especially that one!”

Captain Hazim looked about himself, and then back down at the Prince, “The Elves and the others we can take, but that monster and- what is that?”

Mundhir followed his gaze, and saw the nightmare beast stumble forwards and collapse under the weight of its innumerable wounds.

“A friend! I don’t care how you do it Captain, just get these people out of this blood gulch, Duranar demands it!” Snapped Mundhir, slowly rising to his feet.

Captain Hazim growled, “I did not come here to rescue a bunch of murderers, rapists and thieves. Take my hand you stubborn whoreson, before the whole of Eblistan falls down on us.”

“Why do we linger Captain?” Boomed another familiar, although feminine voice of Mundhir’s sworn protector.

Hazim swung on his saddle, as Sitara Kalyani rode up alongside him. She wore the face of professionalism as always, but she was clearly irritated by the lack of a secured Prince.

“He wants us to take his new friends with him, but I don’t see how we’re to carry those two monsters, not with our horses,” replied Hazim, almost sneeringly.

Sitara looked at the Prince, then at Hazim as if she was running a marathon riddle through her mind, before finally she nodded. “The watch transported many of their men in wagons, you’ll find them just south of us. Fetch them, and see to it that the prisoners are brought with us.” Turning to Mundhir, “My Prince, it is good that you are well, but we must hurry, your men have spotted the World Breakers – the whole regiment – leaving the city’s gates. They’ll be here soon, and I can’t promise you victory in that matter,” she said.

Mundhir nodded, but quickly turned to grab the Halfbreed from her fleshy shield. He led her back to Hazim, who gave her a disdainful look, but helped her onto his saddle all the same. Next, the Prince retrieved Rin and sent him towards another waiting mamaluke.

“Enough, my men will get the rest your Highness,” snapped Hazim; nervous perspiration forming visibly on his brow.

“Very well,” replied the Prince. As he went to haul himself onto a waiting horse, his heart started to thud like a drum within the confines of his head. First his hearing lost itself to a piercing shriek, and as he ineffectually clasped his ears, his vision gave way to blackness. The strength in his legs dwindled, and he felt himself fall to the ground.
The Ruins of Baalor,
Seven days later…

“Ice Venom kills all that it touches, you are on borrowed time my Prince,” rasped the ancient vocal chords of Mundhir’s physician. She was an old crone, hunched at the shoulders with an ugly ragged face topped with wisps of white hair.

“I feel fine, woman, can’t you see that the blackness webbing my body has started to fade?” Mundhir spat, unwilling to accept her words.

“And so you will, alas it is a false recovery. Those very few, and believe me my Prince, they are VERY few, who do survive the initial exposure, succumb within weeks – sometimes months. The damage to your organs has been done, and before long, they will fail,” she croaked.

“Liar, you old lying whore!” Roared Hazim, kicking over Mundhir’s bedside table and sending its accompanying water pitchers crashing to the ground.

“I do not lie, I only serve,” the physician corrected him. “You are welcome to find another healer, but I fear the Caliph’s medicine men will be most unfavourable to our cause.”

Hazim grabbed his sabre; burning hatred shining brightly in his eyes. He moved to cut her head from her body, but she did nothing to resist him.

“Stop Captain!” Shouted Mundhir, rising from his deathbed like a phoenix. “Sheath your sword.”

Hazim relented, and with a bow, he stormed through the doorway leaving the Prince alone with his physician.

“Is there no cure?” he asked, partially resigned to his fate.

“Not within our reach, but there is perhaps a way,” she replied, stroking a tuft of hair on her chin. “The Elves of Nillanor a-“

Mundhir broke out into heavy laughter. “Of course. If anyone holds a cure, it’s my sworn enemy. Well, why didn’t you say so? I’ll just send one of my men to retrieve it, I’m sure Prince Thrandel will be most understanding.”

The old crone shook her head in irritation. “You men, all you think about is killing and fornicating, perhaps if you’d tried to be a good Prince, then none of this would have happened.”
“A good Prince?” gawked Mundhir, stricken by disbelief that he was being cut down by this wretched creature.

“You brought war and death to both of your lands, even as your father attempted to instil a lasting peace with the Elves,” she shot back.

“Peace? Prince Thrandel was on our doorstep, if it wasn’t for me, the Citadel would be under siege. I do not jest when I say the Elves of Nillanor despise us,” he spat.

“Maybe so, but now you have enemies on both sides, and each have it in their power to save you; yet neither have the will to do so. It is a tragic irony,” she said, softer now.

“Enough,” said Mundhir as he started pulling on his princely gowns of crimson silk. “If I am to die, it’ll be on the battlefield. Poison be damned.”

***


The prisoners had been confined to quarters within the great husk of Baalor’s ancient Law House. It was a large structure, with dozens of rooms designed for large meetings, and each of Mundhir’s former inmates had been given one of these as a personal hovel. Although for the time being they had been forbade from leaving. Captain Hazim, the Prince’s second in command, did not trust any of them, and had a great deal of his men patrolling the building’s grounds.

“Move aside,” said Mundhir as he approached the building’s hollow doorway. The two waiting guards obeyed at once, and bowed as he passed.

Walking into what was once the Sultan’s Council Chamber, Mundhir was greeted by the sight of all of the prisoners. Rin was sitting on a brittle stone pedestal, looking bored, as he scratched at the bandages Mundhir’s physician had used to shield his ghastly wound from infection. Kyrtaar looked likewise bemused by his situation, and gazed at the Prince distrustfully. Over at the far side of the dome-shaped room, the Minotaur was leaning up against a wall, striped with bloodied dressings. The rest of the party were gathered around in similar fashion, all but one.

The nightmare beast known as 9, was still under lock and key elsewhere in the Law House’s bosom. Hazim’s men did not trust the creature, did not like it, and the physician had been puzzled as to how to help it. They had confined it to its quarters, with a dozen guards waiting outside in case it tried to run amok. Mundhir had checked on the monster daily, bit it seemed to be forever in a fitful sleep, and he feared it would never wake up.

”It must find its own way to good health,” the physician had said.

“My apologies,” said Mundhir as he clasped his hands. He smiled at each of the prisoners in turn, and then cleared his throat. “Your detainment was perhaps an over precaution, but you must forgive my Captain, he is loyal but lacks manners.”

Walking forwards, so that he stood in the middle of them all, though flanked by two guards and the ever watchful Sitara, he addressed them.

“As Prince of Eblistan, seventh in line to the throne, and Marshal of Baalor, I give you all your freedom,” he said cheerfully. “Though, If you will but for a moment wait, there is something I wish to discuss with you all.

I am in ill health. The Ice Venom that tarred my body as you saw back in the dungeon, has done its work, and I have weeks, maybe months, to live. My physician is not quite sure, she tells me it’s a matter of ‘will’. I feel fine for now, and I intend to use my good health, however temporary, to fight an impossible war.

My brothers, Crown Prince Jazeer and Prince Basar are marshalling my father’s forces to the west for a strike on Baalor. To the east, Prince Thrandel of Nillanor is acting in a likewise manner. My scouts estimate that within a week, these humble ruins you see around you, will bear witness to the greatest battle of our time, and have no doubt.

Your freedom is yours, but I was hoping that as a parting gift, a couple of you may help with an errand or two? And if there’s any here who would see Eblistan enter a new era of peace and stability, and that Nillanor quit its vengeful warring ways, then I beckon you too to stay and assist me on a few … ah, errands of a different kind.”

Mundhir started to pace back and forth, thinking to himself, before stopping to speak once more, “As of now, I can offer few rewards, but know this: if I am victorious in my struggle, in securing justice for my murder, and in driving the Elves of Nillanor away from my father’s borders, then the riches I would command in my dying hours will be immense. I can’t take such things with me to the Undying Lands, and so I would offer it all to any of you that will help me.” He stopped to think for a moment more, “none of you have to help me, and truth be told, I don’t expect any of you to but know this: Eblistan is barred to you, my father’s men watch the roads, and unless you are personal friends with the Elven Prince, then I expect going east will be a similar experience. Help me, serve me, fight with me, and in victory your names will live a thousand years, and the riches you know, the glory, it will be yours. This I promise. This I swear.”

Standing back, Mundhir bowed his head deeply to the prisoners, “please, speak your minds, or be on your travels. I will hold no one a moment longer than they wish to be held, you have served me all well enough already.”
Hidden 10 yrs ago Post by Steel fist
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Steel fist Minotaur been, Minotaur seen, Minotaur crashed...

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Shorus fought like he never fought before, his friends didn't succeed to escape and their lives depended on him keeping fighting.
The Minotaur shouted in pain when he saw the huge insect collapse under the weight of his wounds and fatigue but he couldn't do anything except keep fighting.
Another swing of the axes, another soldier loses his head, and then another and another.. The Minotaur felt an arrow entering his back, despite what the prince said earlier, it seems that fair fighting was not the game of those soldiers.. But it didn't matter, he must keep fighting! So Shorus ignored the sharp pain and kept swinging the axes.
But even a hulking, battle forged Minotaur warrior is not made of steel, the massive blood lost finally took victory over the exhausted Minotaur and Shorus collapsed to the ground, pulling few soldiers down with him..

Shorus woke up in a nice room, lying on a comfortable bed (at least in compare to what he been used to), someone has treated his wounds and stopped the bleeding.
At first he thought he fell captive, but the soldier that entered the room when Shorus roared explained that Shorus and the others are guests of the Prince and asked if Shorus needs anything.
"Shorus needs drink water!" replied the Minotaur and after a few minutes received a huge barrel full of drinking water. Shorus smelled the water, there was no scent of poison or any other substance, so the Minotaur emptied the barrel.
Then Shorus asked for his weapons back, but the soldier refused and told him that the prince will meet him in the council room. Shorus followed the soldier to the room.
When the Prince asked the prisoners for help, Shorus immediately agreed to assist. " Prince saved Shorus, Shorus will save Prince! But he will need his axes and waxing stone for that!" said the Minotaur in reply to the Prince's question. "And if Prince can teach Shorus about Machines after he recovers, Shorus will be very happy!" he added and pointed towards the catapults and other war machinery outside, when Mundhir started to talk about rewards.
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