Was it kind of them to help, or did they just need to release all their stress after their encounter with the demon-flower turned out to be much more benign than Nick's doomsaying? Isidore didn't linger on what thought processes drove his acquaintances to act. If they were going to be here, there wasn't much to be said, after all.
Just gonna make it quick then.
The plant-like blades could no longer harm him, and Isidore took advantage of that immediately, blocking the swing of the closest creature with his left forearm, before locking that arm into place. Sword still burning bright, he skewered the monster through the chest, black blood bubbling against the hilt of his sword before, with a grunt, he drew the sword upwards and split the monster from stomach up. As two halves spread to either side like a blooming flower, Isidore pushed the corpse away and charged for the one he had injured first. Some pressure was felt against his neck, no doubt from the fifth, unmarked monster, but it was meaningless. Within this hour, he was unkillable.
The one with the lacerated back, though aware and ready for combat, wasn't going to have much opportunity for revenge. He closed the gap in three steps, drawing its attention to his sword. They learned fast, gained experience quickly, had intelligence beneath humans but beyond animals. But Isidore was never one to use a single winning strategy, whether in business or at the poker table. With an open palm flicker jab, he splashed droplets of his blood on the creatures face, and then closed his fist, visualizing the ignition of his lifeblood to immolate the creature.
And then for good measure, he drove his sword into its neck, whether its face was on fire or not.
With Enli's invitation to dig through the scrolls at her own volition, Misaki could do little to hold back her own curiosity. There were enough questions at hand for her to simply read everything from start to finish and try to gather what information she could, if only because she was at liberty to do so. Depending on how far back these records went, it might have been possible to figure out exactly what had transpired on this ruined world before they had arrived. They could obviously get by for the moment by simply coasting off of deeds that the more combat-capable members of their group performed, but in order to not seem 'out of place', something like this would likely prove to be worth looking into.
"If you would allow me to do so..." the foxgirl responded, bowing in thanks to the older man as she moved to delicately begin to sift through the documents in front of her. Given the apparent problem that was plaguing the village, Misaki's eyes seemed to naturally drift towards mention of a 'God of Knowledge'. Ignoring the oddity that was her own ability to freely read documents that were clearly in a language that did not exist back on Earth, the young woman quietly took note of the fact that there was a place of worship within the forest that they would likely be entering soon enough.
Given that Nobunaga and Novak were apt to talk their way into getting involved (as far as she could tell), figuring out any bits and pieces about the place before they entered from these documents was of the utmost priority; next, of course, was any actual history, but reviewing what was in front of her could come after the major issues at hand were resolved.
Augusta was delighted the fireball seemed moderately effective against these creatures. Though she had not expected Octavia to take a slash from a creature. "Octavia!" She screamed as she heard the demon dog yipe, though she was quick to quiet as she saw the beast heal. Her eyes widened slightly at the sight and it dawned on her even more that this was another world from Earth. She clenched her teeth in anger and stepped forward.
She has figured out how to make a bolt of magical energy... And then, a bolt of fire... Now, maybe, she could spew fire out of her hand. She stood over the wretch that Octavia pulled down and pointed her hand out. If a bolt was gathering energy and firing it at once, maybe she could do the same thing but let it freely escape her hand. Just use the same mechanics she had used earlier to make it spew fire and aim it right at the head and shoulders of this wretch that was held down.
Nick reached the courtyard without further incident. Finally, he could catch his breath. He quickly cut some pieces from his shirt and made a makeshift bandage for his stinging gash on his shoulder. As he covered his wound, he noticed that a black film on top of the injury that coagulated around the blood. Nick blinked as he realized that that was not normal. Like, at all. He did not feel anything weird just yet but he should definitely find someone to take a look at this. Oh man, he sure could use Augusta's help right now.
The brief thought about the Elf made him think back to his group earlier. He wondered how they were doing right now. Probably way better than him considering that they seemed perfectly capable and wielded weapons and magic as if they were born to do it. Meanwhile, ol' Nick here already took a hit and was alone in this courtyard about a quarter naked.
Just when he was calming down, the earth trembled once more. An area near Nick, around the corner of the courtyard, simply fell and from the hole emerged black roots and vines that split and destroyed stone and soil. Nick moved and saw the whole thing happen. A humongous mass of black matter grew in size and began coalescing into what appeared to be Venus Flytrap-like plant.
Just what was those guys doing down there? Were they alright? It was seeming like they weren't. A giant stone golem moved to confront it, wielding an equally huge stone blade. The two titanic beings watched each other for now, the golem appearing a bit hesitant. Nick didn't care, he was not sticking around to see what happens next.
They seem distracted and Nick used the opportunity to run as fast as he could at the exit, wherever that was. He was confident that he would slip by unnoticed, but what if he didn't? What if the two monstrous things decide to chase him down? Oh, the thought sent shivers down wounded Nicholas.
Excellent, the kitsune had chosen to pursue the scrolls. Her nature and attitude had already made her considerably useful in regards to information, and her decision to immediately pursue the town's records when given permission was a welcome one. Nobunaga herself would pursue diplomatic interaction with the town's leader for the moment, gleaning what information she could from the conversation and fostering good relations as quickly as she could.
At least, that was her immediate plan, until Akando appeared, mentioning some difficulty with those creatures...
Enli did not appear to want them to assist, but ultimately Nobunaga found herself seeing this as a perfect opportunity, provided she played her cards right.
The black-haired girl bowed, curtain of black hair briefly covering her face before she straightened.
"Forgive me, but if you are facing some difficulties," she began, "I would be happy to repay the kindness you have offered by permitting us into your village by pledging my assistance."
The older man frowned, studying the two with a measured gaze.
“Even if I were to accept your aid,” Enli said after a few seconds. “I wouldn’t even know where to begin to solve them.” He sighed. “I said that we once worshipped the God of Knowledge, up until he left, taking much of the advancements and things of our ancestors with him. For a time after that, we nearly didn’t make it. It wasn’t until one of my more recent ancestors struck a deal with the Kyrnith did we begin to even prosper slightly again.”
He paused, considering how much he should explain.”
“The Kyrnith is one of the more docile Elder Beasts which live upon this land. It stalks the forest, protecting and ensuring that even in the harshest of winters bounty can be found within.” Akando interjected. “Recently, however, its turned hostile and violent towards anyone...including the animals within.”
“Which is why I am hesitant to send you after it. Rather than your safety...perhaps rather, I am gripped with indecision.” Enli continued. “If I were to send hunters after it, there is a good chance they will die. No one can fight an Elder Beast and expect to live. Even if we were to succeed...then the forest will no longer be able to sustain us.”
As they conversed, Misaki continued pouring over the scrolls.
Many mentions of this God seemed to mostly give Misaki a general sense of this so called God. Erratic, eccentric, and a penchant for trying to experiment and discover as one perhaps, might expect as well as potentially knowing everything there is to know about the world. Past, Present, and Future. One of his most easily identifiable traits however - was something that Misaki had seen before. An silver half crescent emblem with four spikes upon the top.
The same emblem on Enli’s robe and Lazhira’s arm.
Curiously the notes make no mention of when exactly this God supposedly left the village, only that one day he was just gone leaving with a number of people and nearly everything that he had brought in the first place. There was however, not much more information on him aside from that. Apparently he wasn’t overly fond of worship.
After that, was the history of the village up until what seemed to be several generations ago. One of the past chiefs struck a deal with the Kyrnith to ensure the village's safety, though the details seemed rather sparse - apparently there was a promise on both sides, yet...the paper detailing what that promise was, however was missing. In fact, it almost looked like someone had purposefully ripped it.
The creature shrieked, its pitiable life ended as its torso was bisected by the force of Isidore’s furious blade. It hit the ground, black blood boiling away. Two down, three to go. He lunged forwards, his next target decided as swiftly. His feint proved effective, the creature moving to parry and use a strike of its own, but Isidore’s clever brutality proved far more effective.
Blood spattered across the flower that served its face. Sparks of fire bloomed across its surface, before igniting in a display of small crackling explosions. The creature convulsed, its legs stumbling backwards as his blade drove into his neck, but the creature was already a corpse once again.
Three down, two to go.
The moment of respite was soon lost, however. The fifth one was making a move for his more defenseless companion. Just as well, his muscles were starting to complain a bit from exertion. It wasn’t serious, but just a small reminder that even if he couldn’t be injured, his body may fail him in other ways.
Augusta quickly moved to aid the pup. Instead of a concentrated bolt of either fire or pure energy, she focused that energy in her hands, allowing it to spread...the prison lit up with another source of fire. The creature howled in pain, but Augusta’s assault was soon halted.
She’d see something just out of the corner of her eye, moving too fast for her or Octavia to react too. The other one had apparently decided Isidore was too much of a threat, and was instead going for someone who looked weaker. Augusta would feel a sharp pain in her side. A tearing of flesh as the creature's blade sank deep into her side as it made to kill its quarry.
Octavia growled, quickly leaping to its masters aid, the other arm and trying to wrench it off of Augusta before it could do more damage.
Ability Gained: Fireblood Fire and fury runs through your veins. You have gained a small affinity for fire-type magical feats, making them easier and less taxing to perform. The effect is small, but given time and practice your skill could be unparalleled.
It was probably nothing. If it was something, it didn’t seem to bother with them.
So the group continued down the beach, soon finding evidence of civilization. A few spear wielding men wearing light armor were seen walking around the perimeter. As they made their way into the seemingly small fishing village, it was easy to tell something had just happened that had the people a bit on edge and giving them a few wary looks.
The forest was still to the east, and towards the northern end was a large house. In the center square was a large armored beast, lying dead in a pool of its own viscera. Some men were preparing to seemingly carry it off somewhere.
But aside from a few odd glances, they didn’t seem unwelcome here.
The stone Giant tilted its body ever so slightly, eyes shifting towards him as he came around the corner of the building. Yet, if it had issues with him escaping, it quickly focused back on the plant. Perhaps it realized that was the bigger issue here. The mass of vines and foliage lashed out towards the stone behemoth. Thick, long tendrils attempting to ensnare the behemoth, thorns gripping and tightening around its stone armor.
The behemoth reacted swiftly, its stone blade meeting the vines, severing it from its host as they fell to the ground, quickly wilting without a source of life.
The ground under his feet split, more vines pushing through the frost laden ground. It would slow him, but not enough to halt progress. Thankfully they didn’t seem focused on him, instead ensnaring the giants feet.
But the outcome of this battle?
Nick wouldn’t see.
Just as the ground shifted beneath him, he would be thrust forwards, crossing the threshold of the archway.
And silence.
The sounds of the stones moving, heaving, and the plant lashing out vanished in an instant. Soon, he would find himself standing atop a cliff. More ruins surrounded him, but behind was nothing but the sea. An obelisk with the carving of a Moon the only point he could see. South, were large mountains that pierced the skies. North, he could make out figures moving upon the beach, just about to move out of sight. East was a forest, stretching further than he could even see.
His shoulder burned lightly.
As he made his decision, he would notice something odd. A certain...fragrance coming from a cool breeze coming from the mountains. The smell of burnt coals and a strong, metallic scent. There didn’t seem to be anything in that direction. Or any direction, for that matter.
But he was safe. The only question remained, was now where would he go? Would he wait for his former comrades? Perhaps he should rest a moment.
Leannah mulled over the odd glances they were getting, though it seemed something had already happened here in the village itself. Giant beast was dead and accounted for, and the chances others like them had come through seemed to be existent at least. Maybe. It was a nervous lot of people, and they were preparing to carve up or drag off whatever this thing was. All of it, including these humans, brought up more questions than answering others she'd had earlier. Sure there were people on this island, and they were alive and living here, so that was maybe a good thing in her case. But none like herself were here either, and it made her more curious than anything.
Was she the only catgirl here? Was she the first one anyone had seen? Were Malphas and this other girl going to stab her and/or each other in the back sooner or later? Blargh.
Leannah sighed to herself, before trying to approach any armed man or person nearby that was...er...'less' nervous at the very least. Preferably someone calmest around here she could attempt to conversate with.
"Ah, hello! What happened here? And, ah, did some others similar to us pass through here too? Or...ah..."
What should she have said? Not much to go on, and any introduction or question-asking would be awkward at this point. Might as well start with something simple. At least if she could be understood at all. That was actually a good question. She had no idea if she could communicate with these people, or if being seemingly the only non-human around made her speak some differing tongue? That would be a nightmare.
Either way she had to try something at the very least.
Malphas strode onward with a confident swagger, excited to explore such new horizons. However, it was only after they reached civilization that Malphas truly felt ecstatic. It was good that the people of this land were truly humans, albeit primitives. Malphas didn't know what he would do if all he was left to start a cult with were slightly evolved chimpanzees. At least he had something to work with, in any case... and it seemed like something interesting was held within the confines of the village as well.
Seeing Leannah attempt an introduction, Malphas raised an eyebrow at her attempt. Others like them? Preposterous! It was only the three of them that escaped, to his knowledge! Still, perhaps if Donovan did survive and end up here, that would be advantageous for them. Still, whoever had slain that ferocious beast was surely one that was worth allying himself with. Having powerful followers will only make his cause stronger, after all!
"Ahaha! Jest not, Lady Feline. Of course these humans have yet to see beings quite like us! Don't be so silly..." Malphas quickly interjected towards Leannah, before turning to face whoever it was she was speaking to. His movements were flashy and exaggerated, not unlike the ones he had used to speak to his children in another life.
"Rejoice, monkeys, for you have been graced with the divine! I am Malphas, sovereign of the skies, and these are my fellows, the rulers of the Earth and the Sea!" Malphas had attempted to sprout his iridescent wings as he introduced himself, as well as Leannah and Narkissa, respectively. "Alas, we have had a long journey here. Would your squalid hamlet happen to have any place of respite for our weary souls? And more importantly... that beast over there. Who among you was brave and strong enough to slay it?"
@Rune_Alchemist@ERode@Pyromania99 Donovan's eyes widened as the Thrall's lifeless body crumpled to the ground. Had his new skill rea1lly enhanced the power of his holy magic that much? The last time he'd used it, the spell had only seemed to throw the creatures off balance. The fact that it now killed them outright was an incredible improvement in potency. Isidore had handled two of the monstrosities already, Don had slain this one, and Augusta had already torched the fourth-- meaning only one remained. Turning to face it's charge, Don took a hefty swing at the wretch with his Warhammer; intent on ending it's life in a single blow.
Yet the blow never struck.
Rather than charge straight at him like Don had expected, the creature opted to instead rush Augusta; causing his strike to miss. "Dammit!" Fury burned in the large man's veins as he spun around, holy power coursing through him as the spiked end of his weapon tore into the side of the thrall's head; killing the creature instantly. He was already too late. The creature had already managed to stab Augusta in the side. It was a wound that could not be taken lightly. Without a moment's hesitation Don stuck his hammer into his belt and grabbed the elven woman tightly, throwing one her arms over the back of his neck so he could help her walk, while his free hand reached around and held her wound shut in a tight, vice-like grip.
"Weh need tah keep movin'! There ain't no tellin' what else this ere shitshow's gunna unleash!" Holding Augusta firmly, he pressed forward to the surface. He couldn't provide proper medical treatment for her injury at the moment, but he could at least try to make it slightly less serious. Once again, he channeled that divine energy in a plead for help. Guiding it into Augusta's wound.
They needed to get out of here before things got even worse.
All it took was a single slip-up. Donovan misunderstanding the monster’s intent. Isidore himself being a step too late. By the time he kicked the flower-corpse away, Augusta was already bleeding, her own flesh rent by a floral blade. It went deep. Deep enough to slice her side open, deep enough that he could see, through the blood that coated everything, the purples and yellows of her internal organs, spilling out further fluids.
For a moment, he considered whether to put her out of her misery now.
But that thought lasted for only a moment. In the absence of modern conveniences and technology, they had nature-surpassing abilities, energies that could be molded into something more. The flame died from his sword, and he nodded in Donovan’s direction. “Jostling her will aggravate the wound,” Isidore spoke, taking the vanguard. “Don’t run; I’ll buy the time we need, if I must.”
How much longer could the flower demon restrain that giant? How much more fire could he spill from his blood? He clenched his left fist, fingernails digging into the open wound, pain clearing his indecision. Augusta had been useful, and he had already buried his fair share of useful people in his last life. With a goddess's blessings constituting his body and every natural advantage conferred unto him, Isidore resolved to do better.
The swordsman sought the surface, as two titans wrestled above.
Nick heard sounds of battle. Not just any battle, a fight between titans. He could hear vines shooting out and ensnaring, a massive sword being swung in retaliation. The two beings were duking out and while that would be awesome to see, Nick admitted, he would rather see it in a safe, secure location very far away from this place. It was generally a bad idea to hang around an area where two giants were fighting. Or any two people fighting, as a matter of fact.
He made his way toward an archway, the symbolic exit of this place. Nick knew he had to get much farther than that but it was a destination. The shifting of the ground from the battle made him stumble down and past the archway. And he found out that the exit was more literal than metaphorical.
Nick hit the soil, but it was not the soil of the previous location. He listened for the battle between the stone giant and the black plant, but there were no sounds to be heard. Nick realized something was wrong and quickly got up and found himself on top of a cliff surrounded by stone ruins, but not the ruins from earlier. Hold on, how did he get here? Could it be...? There was no other explanation, the archway took him somewhere else. It teleported him to this place.
The young man sighed in exhaustion, both mentally and physically. This world was just full of surprises, wasn't it? Nick surveyed his surroundings further: Behind him was the ocean and the obelisk he probably saw back at the courtyard. Logically, it should be the archway and the pair of titans fighting but this was a new world. On another direction, he saw massive mountains that rose past the clouds. On another, a beach with moving figures too far for Nick to make out. On the last, a forest so large that it stretched beyond Nick's sight.
Nick sighed again, he was definitely on his own now. He hoped the others were safe back in that prison-ruins place, even with those massive beings tearing the place apart. His shoulder stung with pain and he should find someone to take a look at it. But right now, he was tired. His legs burned from all the walking and running and Nick just wanted to plop down and take a nap for a minute or two.
And that's exactly what he did. Nick found a spot of soft ground and laid on it, his body too exhausted to care about comfort. He wasn't feeling anxious at all so that means this place was safe for the moment, right?
Narkissa had enjoyed the brief respite, but she was just as rejuvenated walking alongside the beach and listening to the gentle roar of the ocean. Their walk quickly revealed signs of civilization, but she nonetheless delayed and detoured to touch the water and inspect what marine wildlife could be found in the beach or the ocean.
Somehow, despite Narkissa, the three wayward souls found their way to a fishing village. While she wasn’t exactly a fisherwoman in her past life, she was familiar with the topic, being somewhat related to her areas of study. So, with analytical eyes, she inspected the village—examining the architecture, quality of life, and the inhabitants within, and their clothes and tools.
At the very least, it seemed quite primitive, but her eyes were quickly drawn to the remains of a strange armored beast lying about in the center of the town. Beyond the realm of her expectations, she was still thinking about it when Malphas suddenly opened his trap.
She immediately distanced herself.
Thinking fast, she refuted anything he said.
“I am but a traveler. I do not know this man, nor what delusions of grandeur this man is spouting.” She then physically stepped far away from him, so as to not be associated.
Misaki furrowed her brows as she continued half-listening to Enli's conversation with the other two; given that the "God of Knowledge" in question seemed so important with regards to why this settlement was as it was now, it seemed prudent to at least be aware of what he was saying, given that it was essentially a brief overview of their problems. Of course, going around killing deity-adjacent entities was nowhere on her list of things to do (and hopefully not on those of her two companions), which meant that finding a less bloodthirsty solution would be... More than ideal.
Of course, the commonality of that crest within the records and those who they had met was worth at least asking about... Well, after she had prodded the acting chief with more questions.
"Hm... I don't suppose that negotiations are out of the question?" Misaki asked, raising her hand to catch Enli's attention before pointing to the section regarding some manner of pact. "Putting aside how conspicuously this section is missing, it might be worth at least trying to reach out to this Kyrinth. I apologize for being blunt, but as far as I can tell, the village might continue to slowly 'bleed out' if nothing is done anyways, metaphorically speaking."
Though leaving the diplomacy of the situation to Nobunaga might have been more prudent, it seemed more organic to try and force them to at least consider moving towards some form of action. The foxgirl had dealt with indecisive bureaucracy enough to be at least willing to try and be proactive, especially in this sort of situation.
As Augusta was finishing off the creature with Octavia, she felt a sharp, burning pain in her side. She cried out in pain, loudly. It was a sensation she had felt once before. The same one she had before she died. The only real difference is was the pain was in her side rather in the middle of her back. "AAAGGHHHH!" She cried out as the pain wracked through her. Soon enough, Donovan crumpled the creature that had wounded her and attempted to help her. She clenched her teeth as her arm was raised over Donovan's shoulder and her body weakly complied.
Thoughts were racing through her head, however. The memory of being stabbed back on Earth was fresh in her mind and it messed with her. It put her in a bad mental spot as she struggled with Donovan and freed herself of his grasp. There was a dislike in her for the feeling of helplessness she felt in a stranger trying to help her in this fashion. "Ugn... Unhand me!" She exclaimed pushing herself off of him and staggering a small bit, painfully groaning as she grasped at her wound. "Damn!" The elven woman complained loudly.
Despite the thoughts in her head, she couldn't help but marvel at the durability of this body. She took a stab wound that would have made her fall to the ground instantly in her previous life and was standing on her own somehow. If this continued, she would not be able to do anything besides be helped so in her head, she planned. She had used magic offensively so far. Firebolts, flamethrowers... Perhaps is could be used to mend her wound. She lightly stumbled again, brushing into the wall. It jostled her ever so slightly so she made a pained groan. This was fine.
From this position, she could place both hands on the wound and focus energies to it. She just had to think about what made wounds heal. She didn't know the technical process and terms behind it... But the body was made of cells that regenerated so if she just imagined that and focused her energies into where she was stabbed, perhaps she could lightly mend it, if not heal it.
So, this Elder Beast had once been an ally? They had struck a deal with it, and been able to prosper because of it. But now it had become violent and attacked humans and beasts alike...
To put it simply, something seemed to have broken the deal and caused it to become angry.
"You say you once brokered a deal with this creature?" Nobunaga asked, cocking her head to one side. Indeed, if it was a being they had been able to strike a deal with, then...
"Excellent."
A smile on her face, the petite girl placed one hand to her slight chest.
"I consider myself to be something of a negotiator, you see," she began, "If this beast is capable of making a deal, then it can be reasoned with, can it not?"
To curry favor not only with the people of this village, but also some manner of ancient creature... It was an opportunity she could not ignore.
"If its ire is directed at the people of this village, then perhaps the words of an outsider may be able to reach it more effectively. It is the least I can do, to repay you for your generosity in such troubled times."
“I am aware of this...problem of ‘slowly bleeding out’” Enli replied with a sigh. “But any rash decisions would only hasten the amount of resources we lose. The Kyrnith isn’t even showing itself to us...” He held a hand to his chin, considering Nobunaga’s and Misaki’s words. “But...hm, perhaps you are right. As outsiders with no connection to our village, perhaps it might be more willing to speak with you.”
He sighed.
“I can’t imagine it would be easy...Elder Beasts can be quite...fickle, but If you are able to somehow resolve this issue, the village will be extremely grateful. Of that I am certain.” Enli smiled softly. “But enough of that! It’d likely be best if you started on this tomorrow. The light of the moon is already slowly burning away the daylight. It’d be unwise to travel there at night. Do you need accommodations? I can arrange for something easily enough.”
Perhaps it would be prudent to rest for a bit, or maybe find something else to spend the evening doing. They indeed had a rather eventful day and rest always does one good. Perhaps they’d even find something to make their search easier.
Lazhira was likely done with whatever it was she was doing when they had left, too.
The Roma Mob @ERode@Pyromania99@Guy0fV4lor Thus, the enemies were dealt with. The fell creatures slain at their feet. A brief moment of respite for the party. Aside from one mishap, they had fared well against the creatures, but surely there were even more slinking about in the shadows, likely woken by the gardens’ attempt to restrain the stone giant.
As the wound burned in pain, Augusta decided that if she could use this magic offensively, perhaps she could use it in another way. Placing her hands upon the wound, she focused on that same energy she used offensively before. This time, however, she redirected it into her own body using her hands as a conduit for the ability. If the bodies ability to heal was merely cells knitting back together, then perhaps all she had to do was imagine her body doing so, but at a higher rate?
A slight itching sensation on the wound was all she’d need to know she had somewhat succeeded. Flesh began regrowing on the wound, slowly knitting together and closing the open gash. It wasn’t perfect, and it still throbbed with pain, but the bleeding soon stopped, and as she removed her hands she’d notice the flesh had knit together, if somewhat crudely It’d likely leave a small scar once fully healed, but at the moment she was in no danger of aggravating the wound further, for now. Donovan’s efforts, however small, didn't seem to be in vain either. Even though Augusta shrugged him off, his brief attempt at healing seemed to work - though in this case, less on the wound itself, and more on whatever demonic influence that blade may have had upon Augusta. Or perhaps it was a combination of both her healing attempts, and his.
But their respite would soon come to an end, unless they wished their deal with that plant to be for naught. The ground continued to rumble and shake as the two beasts above them clashed. Soon, they would exit from the confines of the prison and back into the crisp air above to behold the sight with their own eyes.
The giant had been immobilized, one of its feet ensnared by tendrils and thorns from the garden. raised its stone blade, blue light filling the engravings upon its ancient surface. A mighty swing as blue energy was expelled from the edge of the blade, rushing along its surface at high speed as the blade slammed into the stem of its opponent. The plant shrieked, the energy ripping and tearing into its neck.
Yet, it seemed as that was exactly what its opponent wanted. Countless vines grew from the wound, ensnaring the titanic stone giant’s blade arm. Numerous vines traveled up its arm, and pulled.
The giant growled, a mechanical,dissonant shout as more energy convened on its fist. Light streaked from its hand as it slammed into the ‘mouth’ of the massive plant, an explosion of sparkling, blue light as the demon shrieked, recoiling back from the impact and losing its grip on the titans blade. Earthen pillars accompanied it, severing several of its tendrils and loosening its grip.
Of course, they didn’t have time to watch the show. They had to leave. Neither of the enemies noticed them, and they had a more or less clear shot to the exit so long as they avoided whatever stray blows came their way.
Once they did leave, they would find a sight familiar to the others who had already came before them.
The sounds of the stones moving, heaving, and the plant lashing out vanished in an instant. Atop an ancient cliff, where more ruins sat all eroded by time save for a single, stone obelisk. Behind was nothing but the sea. South, were large mountains that pierced the skies. North, a beach as far as the eye could see. East was a forest, stretching further than they could make out from their vantage point.
And Nicholas, laying exhausted upon the ground...asleep?
Ability Gained: Cleansing Fire Fire, is not always destruction. It is also life, energy. It invigorates and brings warmth to all. Were fire never to exist, humanity may have never made it through the ice ages, for without its warmth they would fall victim to the frigid cold that envelops this land. Though fire can burn wildly, furiously, and destroy all, yours can also heal and bring comfort to those. By focusing positive energies into your fire, you may heal and cleanse small wounds.
@PaulHaynek The Traveler And so the weary traveler fell against the ground, exhaustion eating at his body. Indeed, he was safe as far as he could tell. There was nothing in the vicinity that seemed to be dangerous. At least, immediately so. A brief respite upon the welcoming ground as the sun was sinking lower down the horizon.
He laid back, eyes turned to the clear blue sky.
… … …
A pang of adrenaline would shock him from his respite.
The forest.
Something was watching him from the forest’s edge. How long was he asleep? Had he even fallen asleep? He couldn’t have been out of it for long. As he gathered his thoughts, he would likely become aware of others around him, now. It had seemed as though his previous companions survived that encounter.
Leannah attempted to make peaceful contact, but it seemed Malphas had other ideas. He approached the apparent guardsman of some sort that Leannah had just spoken too. The exaggerated movements didn’t seem to impress the gathered hunters, though neither did it make them wary.
“...wha-?” The moment he sprouted those wings of his, however, something changed. The hunter’s eyes widened as he gripped the spear at his side. “Sovereign...of the skies and ruler of the earth and the sea?” He laughed. “The Shadow Elves and the Mountain Folk would mount your head on a pike for saying that.” He turned his attention to Narkissa. “Best you’re not with him then if he does.”
The hunter sighed lightly, relaxing his posture a bit.
“Don’t cause trouble, outlanders. Especially you, Bastelian,” He narrowed his eyes at Leannah, suspicion and mild curiosity in the hunters voice. “You’re a long way from your vast hunting grounds, but as long as you don’t cause trouble, you’re welcome here. If you want to know more about what happened...” He cast a glance back to the large, armadillo like creature that was being gutted and moved to a more suitable location. “Not long ago, a black haired woman in a strange outfit weilding an odd, long sword, with two companions arrived. Its not a very dangerous beast as long as you don’t let it catch you off guard, but still...she slayed it with ease. They are currently in a meeting with Enli,” He pointed to the large wooden building off in the distance. “Best wait until they’re done if you want to speak with them.”
A brief shout from one of the other hunters. Something about needing help.
“Once again, stay out of trouble. I’ve got to help the others.”
And with that, he began walking away from the three and helping the other hunters lift the carcass of the massive beast towards a large building near the sea.
So there it was. Someone perhaps, similar to them, had already made it to this place. What did that mean? Either way, perhaps they should seek maybe more information.
Nick had fallen asleep, succumbing to exhaustion. He dreamed of nothing, he just wanted to rest. There was still pain in his shoulder but that was not enough to keep him awake. But after a few moments of tired sleep, or perhaps a few hours, Nick felt a presence and his eyes burst open and he jolted up. There was someone with him here. No one dangerous though, his anxiety powers didn't act up.
He turned to look and saw three familiar figures. "What the hell?" He could not believe it. It was his group earlier: Isidore, Augusta and that new guy Donovan. They looked a little bit worse for wear but otherwise fine. They even had that demon dog Octavia with them. "You guys are alright! I can't believe it! I mean, I really shouldn't be surprised since you all have like, magic powers and stuff but still...!"
Spotting the dried blood on Augusta's side, Nick became concerned. "Are you guys really alright? Looks like Augusta got roughed up a bit. I mean, I didn't exactly escape unscathed myself." He showed his bandaged shoulder to the group while also showing them his torn shirt. The wound still hurt a little and there was that black substance on it that was worrying.
"Hey, uhh, sorry for leaving you guys like that." Nick apologized. "But come on, there was a wall of black vines and there was goo everywhere and it was just ugh!" He reluctantly reminisced earlier events back in the prison ruins. "Besides, I doubt I could have helped anyway. Probably would've just gotten in your way with whatever it was you're doing."
"Speaking of that, what the hell happened back there?!" Nick asked. "What's with the giant flower thing and the stone giant? How'd you escape a thing like that?"
Novak pondered the situation. They mentioned they had made a deal with the Kyrnith, but had offered no details about it. The likely explanation is that the agreement had been broken in some way, and the Kyrnith wasn't happy about it, but how was the deal broken?
Nobunaga had offered to negotiate with the beast. Novak couldn't vouch for her negotiation abilities, but she certainly didn't seem like the type that'd make a claim without having the skills to back it up. Either way, her reasoning was sound- if the town made a deal with the Kyrnith before, another deal could potentially be made it.
Are they being evasive about it or do they not know? No, if they were lying to us, they wouldn't have told us about the deal at all, they'd have painted Kyrnith as an aggressor without presenting the possibility that it might have been wronged, he reasoned. Perhaps Misaki found something useful in those scrolls, and if not, they can always ask about it tomorrow. For now, Novak decided to focus on their offer of giving the trio a place to stay for the night. Between the cold weather and the angry fauna being spurred on by an elder beast, it was an offer they wouldn't want to refuse.
"That would be appreciated, yes," Novak replied. "We currently don't have anywhere to stay, so we'd be very grateful for accommodations."
Just then Novak remembered something, softly touching his still slightly pained chest. "Oh, and one more thing. That creature we fought, it's metallic hide looked quite protective. Could your town's craftsmen can make something useful out of it?"
It might have been a bit of a stretch, but if they were going to have to do any more fighting, it might be useful to look into obtaining some protective attire.
Bastelian? Vast hunting grounds? Wait, she wasn't the only catgirl in this world? In some part it was a brief moment of relief, and yet at the same time those words brought on a lot more questions than they gave answers. Plus otherwise they'd gotten confirmation they weren't the only possible reincarnates that had arrived in this place, and that in and of itself was something that she wanted to investigate. Yet before she even had a chance to ask more about anything, the man seemed to jog off to help his companions move the dead beast. Regardless, she was still welcome here as long as she didn't cause trouble, so unless their resident embarrassment attempted to court a harem here on the spot or drew the ire of a giant monster living on this land's mountains then they were probably safe. Probably. Hopefully.
Regardless, this primitive village was something that as a scholar she was interested in seeing the nature of more if or when she got the chance. That aside, however, survival and information about their situation and potential 'fellows' was more notable in her eyes. For one thing, they'd either know for certain they were even more abnormal or were among familiar enough company.
Thus without a moment of hesitation, Leannah walked over to Narkissa before giving a glance between the other girl and Malphas for a moment before speaking.
"Well, on one hand at least we're welcome here. It seems I am not an alien sort of being to this world for one thing, but more than that we aren't the first ones to get here at least. Want to stay and see if we can talk to them, maybe gather some info?"
The catgirl then leaned in closer to the only other female of the (at least temporary) group, lowering her voice to where only herself and Narkissa could hear what she would say next.
"Also, if we somehow find board around here for the night...can we room together? You seem more the scholarly and sane type to me."
Leannah in her former life was eccentric in her scholarly pursuits, and it could be said even back on Earth she wasn't standard by any means for her superhuman martial arts talents. At the same time, however, she wasn't a weirdo who called herself and god and could potentially get them crucified by more zealous local 'races' from the sound of it. Of course Malphas had proven himself some to her in her eyes, that she couldn't deny and wouldn't ignore, but all the same it felt safer to attempt rooming or allying for the night with Narkissa for her own reasons.
On a side note, though, her outfit was starting to get to become more and more comfortable. Well-vented, flexible, cute, and useful for martial arts. Better situation than she could have potentially had otherwise at least.
Though surprised by how easily Enli seemed to cave to their suggestions, Misaki found it no less appealing to at least have some sort of repose for the night. Of course, it was likely that she would be in here poring over the documents present until it came time to sleep (or whatever else the others might have had in store for them), but seeing how it would be rude to not check in on Lazirha at this point in time...
Well, the reading could always be done later; by candlelight, if necessary, but later all the same.
"I would also appreciate the hospitality, should it not prove too burdensome upon the village," the foxgirl began, rising from her seat before bowing towards Enli, "but in the meantime, I think I would like to take a little bit more time looking around. If you'll excuse me..."
With that, Misaki quietly exited the house and, after a quiet look around, began to move about. If anything, its similarities to other fishing villages in the more rural areas of Japan might give room to proceed. Coming across Lazirha in the process would be a bonus, of course, but even so...
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