[IC] A World Of A Million Horrors

[Rusalka]

There was no further reply, not a single melancholic whisper from the weary woman in black who rudely was silenced by the imp, now making its way towards Arjuna. In haste to defend herself, Arjuna raised forth her gauntlet to act as some sort of shield from the unscrupulous creature, but in doing so she had doomed herself. He was quick, as to be expected for a boy his stature, his sharp claws grasping tight unto Arjuna's arm and twisting it something harsh until a sharp pain spiked from her wrist to shoulder, yet it did not elicit a cry from the mute woman, as that is what Arjuna figured this imp wanted to hear. His grip, a lad his age shouldn't be this damn strong, yet Arjuna could barely retrieve her arm from the clench of his claws, such claws that buried into her thick chainmail and sent a burning sensation with every little scratch against her skin. Twas a hold Arjuna fought desperately to escape from, even after hearing such licentious verbose that described her flesh and blood....akin to a delicious morsel. Finally, she had all she could of this wretched hellion. She rose her other gauntlet swiftly, barring her teeth grit in a hellish fury of her own. And then in one swift and brutal maneuver, she sent her steel hardened hand crashing down upon the cur who seized her arm.

[Morric]

Radiant sparks sputtered into the darkness as a brilliant light streaked through the sky. Rumbling energy exploded in a flash as the light collided with the ground. As the dust settled, the silhouette of a mans sprawled across the ground became visible. Cautiousness slowly began to return to the man, his eyes fluttering open and peering up into the strangely ominous night sky. A soreness riddled Azazel's body, a pained grunt escaping him as he pulled himself up onto his knee. Shaking his head and rubbing his face, Azazel tried to clear the fog from his mind. A few incomplete memories came to him like short clips. The vision of himself sitting in a study within his estate came to mind. Reading some literature on the age of enlightenment with a cup of tea resting at his side. The same teacup that now laid empty on the ground next to it's saucer. The only other memories in his head are of blinding light and infernal shrieking.

Azazel reached down and picked up the porcelain cup and plate, placing them into a pocket inside his overcoat as he stumbled to his feet. Before he could recover any more of his memories, the eerie howls and distant roars of mysterious and horrible creatures blew through the forest. The bellowing sounds shook Azazel to attention. His eyes darted across the dark scenery as he began to contemplate where he was and how he had gotten here. More importantly, he couldn't help but wonder if he was not alone in this mysterious place. No matter which way he turned, he felt as if eyes watched him from every angle. Unsure of what direction to go, Azazel knew staying in one place wouldn't be very helpful to finding salvation if there was any. He had to get moving if he wanted to find any answers so he picked a direction and began cautiously and calmly walking across the field, making his way toward the tree line. The best bet would be finding a tree to climb or a hill to scale so he could get a better view of where he was.

[Zakara]

Maria had been running for a while, wondering if the others were behind her. She had helped them with a spell to increase their speed, so hopefully they were smart enough to utilize it. Knowing she is going to need to look for a food and a source of water soon, Maria slowed down. The sounds of the beasts were far off and she was safe.. for now. While on the search for sustenance, Maria noticed a white light from the sky not too far off from her. The field in which it landed was coming into her view. I will wait in the trees to see if anything comes of this, she decided while nearing the field. She had no problem scaling a nearby tree after invoking a voodoo spell which caused her hands and feet to grow small spikes made for gripping. After reaching the top, she noticed a tall man coming towards the tree line. Maria waited intently to see if this man meant harm or needed refuge.

[Eklispe]

Mystical energy suffused through Michael's limbs, the tingling feeling made him feel lighter, faster, like he could do anything. And one of those things included not letting a stupid chimera push him around no matter how big it was. He grabbed the lizard as it scurried towards him and stared it down, "If you give me trouble one more time, well let's just say I won't have to look for dinner." Michael released the Lizard and turned his attention back to the Chimera, that shaman women could run but he had no intention of doing the same, especially with the buff she had given him. Besides many of the people here were still unconscious or unbearably sluggish and leaving them alone with the Chimera would be giving them a death sentence. The creature appeared to have a tail with a sort of paralyzing poison given how the giant lizard had stopped moving after being stung. Michael grinned, if the Chimera wanted to ignore him that was fine by him, Michael hurled himself at the Chimera quickly climbing its body and cutting of its stinger before it had a chance to react. Then, Michael vanished and re-appeared underneath the Chimera, viciously thrusting the stinger into its, hopefully soft, underbelly then retreating again to see the results of his attack

[Morric]

A low rattle hissed out of the thicket as leaves brushed against each other, dancing in the ominous breeze. A cacophony of strange sounds echoed throughout the forest like a wild chorus. It all was carefully absorbed by Azazel as he pressed on into the forest, stepping over shrubs and through bushes. Despite the hallow darkness that surrounded him, The intense feeling of being watched still plagued him. "Is someone there?" He couldn't help but cast the occasional gaze over his shoulder. Had he looked more carefully, or perhaps had a light source, he might have seen the voodoo priestess lurking above in the canopy. However the night provided a most efficient camouflage in this wiry chaos of wood and leaves. Despite being a capable warrior, Azazel didn't have the senses for the wilderness. Alone or not, Azazel didn't want to end up as prey to some beast. He couldn't afford to stop or make himself known. So he simply continued his path, venturing deeper into the shadows.

[Akihisa Yoshii]

The chimera had been far too proud, and had paid for it. He was not expecting the attack and therefore Michael got the jump on him, it let out a howl of pain as its tail was cut, and when the man stabbed him in the underbelly he felt his own poison rushing into his veins. The mighty beast fell to it's side and stayed that way, frozen but not yet slain.

Dimitri had fallen victim to a delusion, that this was all a delusion in and of itself, and he would wake up soon. Many people thought this. He heard clicks as things scuttled around him, as the sky darkened... Night was soon to be upon them... Night fell very quickly in this place, and tended to stick around for quite a while... If he didn't find shelter he'd be in the belly of a night crawling creature...

Little did either of the two in the forest realize, the forest was as dangerous as any other place at night. Especially to those that seek shelter in trees. Before long the voodoo priest would realize there was something behind her, a ragged breathing, something else was in the tree... and it smelled something horrible.

[arowne97]

Of course, someone had been watching the two in the forest, staying in the highest point of a tree to keep any creatures from finding him, but he wasn't gonna show himself to anyone else until he found out if they'd be hostile towards him or not.

[MonsieurShade]

As he walked through a slightly wooded area, Dimitri's ears perked every now and then with each sound he heard in the undergrowth. Whats more, it seemed as though the concept of day and night still applied even in what he thought to be a hallucination, as evidenced by the waning light. Peyote high or no, Dimitri was still a trained survivalist, and as such he would act like one and begin to collect the necessary tools to set up a camp for the night whilst simultaneously covering his tracks. Tucking the handle of his axe between his book bag and back, Dimitri began to collect dry wood to make a fire. While doing this he made sure to spit on and smear with dirt the ends of the branches that he snapped, giving the appearance that whatever had come by had long since passed. Once he felt that he'd collected enough sticks, Dimitri awkwardly opened and shoved everything into his bag without removing it before once more brandishing his axe, "That covers wood for traps and fires, now to find a place to hunker down..." he mused aloud as he wandered further into the forest, keeping his ears trained on any little sound around him. Dimitri, like many other survivalists, knew that he wouldn't have to worry too much so long as there was activity in the forest. It was when things went dead silent that he would start to worry.

[Eklispe]

Michael grinned, luckily it seemed the Chimera wasn't immune to it's own posion. Michael then effectivly started the process of making the beast would die. First Michael slashed his katana through the tendons in the beasts limbs, ensuring that even if the creature recovered from its poison then it still would be unable to move. Then, while he was unsure of the Chimera's anatomy, he knew that in most animals the brain was located behind the eyes. Therefore Michael got in front of the creature's face and hurled a kunai as hard as he could deep into the creature hoping to hit its brain.

[Morric]

The foul odor of death suddenly wafted into the air as the mysterious horror cast its breath into the air, approaching its prey. The smell drifted down wind and caught the attention of Azazel. His face twisted at the stench and he drew his hand across his nostrils. His other hand caressed the jeweled hilt of a concealed rapier. Something lurked in the brush, growing closer. It's decrepit breath smelled like that of a mad wolf gone man eater. Digesting human flesh fuming in it's gullet. But the guttural rumble of its ragged breathing resembled that of no earthly animal. Azazel spun around, his eyes following where his ears detected the sound. It was dark and difficult to see, but the slowly moving silhouette of a monstrous creature subtly came into view, passing overhead on creaking branches and rustling leaves. The thing appeared to have another interest, though who or what was beyond the cautions Azazel. He knelt down, staying silent, as the shadows that patterned the ground below him began to quiver and roil.

[Zakara]

While watching this man walk through the forest, Maria began to notice a stench. It was foul beyond anything she had smelt before. She quickly keyed into this new stimuli, and suddenly it became obvious, the breathing, circling her. The moment she noticed this she knew she as going to have to fight. Maria spun around, flipped off the branch towards the ground below, and threw two kunai at the creature during her decent. Landing on the ground, she took an offensive stance, staff in hand, ready to fight this new threat. I will have to be more careful and aware from now on, though Maria. She began to speak, addressing the man who was a few feet away, "I mean no harm unless you mean harm. We must fight to survive here. Land of Evil this is."

[Morric]

The air grew ominously tense as Azazel focused his vision onto the movements in the darkness above. His grip tightened around the hilt of his sword, his muscles tensing as he readied himself to strike. If the beast hadn't seen him then he thought of waiting for it to pass before moving again. However before he could gather any more thoughts, a blur shot out of the tree. Swift reflexes took over and the glimmering length of Azazel's blade came to light. He caught himself just as his legs were about to spring him forward, when the form of a woman landed before him. Though her clothing and markings were unfamiliar to him, she was clearly human beneath it all. He paused for a moment, his eyes darting between this strange woman and the rustling in the tree's, as she presented intentions for the moment. Even her body language told him, she was more concerned with whatever it was that rumbled through the canopy. "...And what of your companion up there?" Asked Azazel finally in a slightly presumptuous tone. The shadows beneath them danced slowly and subtly, spreading across the ground.

[Zakara]

Keeping her battle pose and vision locked in the tree line, Maria responded to Azazel, "Strange creature. Not my companion. Maybe injured from kunai. We must move, create shelter." She signaled at Azazel to flee from the creature, "I cover escape, not let demon harm us." She took a potion from her satchel and drank it. This would enhance her senses to extreme conditions. Almost instantly Maria had become what some call superhuman. She could see through the darkness as if the sun were shining brightly overhead, feel the air pressure change from the moving of objects around her, and smell the pungent odors of each individual monster, creature, plant, beast, and human. Sounds were amplified, she could hear every leaf moving in the trees, sounds from strange monsters for miles around, bugs scurrying across the ground, a slight rumble in Azazel's stomach - "Will find food after," she added - the breathing of the beast in the tree, and the dripping of blood from its wounds. Maria began moving away from the strange being in the canopy. She knew there would be endless horrors to come, and chose not to waste her power unless absolutely necessary. Now was the time to run again.

[Akihisa Yoshii]

(Sorry for missing ya Rusalka) This was a mistake. The creature caught the fist and frowned. "Well that was rude... I ought to tear you limb from limb..." Yet he didn't. He simply stares at her.

Dimitri notices that the forest was deathly silent. As he stepped towards it, it seemed to anticipate his approach. The very trees seem ready to pounce when he steps across the boundaries of the forest.

The beast was dead. The chimera's eyes dulled, a question, 'why?', still burning in the supposedly fearless beast that only knew destruction. Michael felt... good... almost as if on an adrenaline high. His vision swam, and as he looked upon the beast he felt he needed to touch it. Any power he wanted would be his, a reward for his triumph.

A howl was heard as the dog-faced, large ape leaped down from the trees, glaring right at Maria. She heard and smelled plenty more, just as big and just as vicious looking, quickly closing in as they heard their companions cry of pain. The beast reared back and with a powerful leap he flew at Maria, claws and teeth bared. Another soon followed from behind them, tackling Azazel, growling.

[Morric]

Azazel watched and listened carefully as the woman ushered for them to make their escape, speaking in a somewhat broken english. "Demon?" He asked, slightly puzzled as to what she meant. But his question was swiftly answered as the hulking creature descended from the thicket above, landing heavily on the ground with a low thud. The beast slowly rose it's head, a snarl escaping its fanged maw as it laid it's gaze upon the woman. Seconds felt like minutes as a dead silence enshrouded them for a few moments. Then, in an explosion of stimuli, the beast sprung toward them, flying through the air with it's shadow rushing across the ground. The aggressive hiss of a near by tangle of shrubs followed suit, as a second creature appeared from the rear, throwing it's ample, monstrous form at Azazel. Once again reflexes took over. Only this time, the pulled him dash across the ground and slide over the dirt and grass, stopping just in front of the girl. The two beasts were almost on top of them now, their two massive bodies hurtling through the air, closing the distance in seconds. All seemed bleak until a strange dark glow began to leak from Azazel's eyes.

"Stay down!"

The wiry shadows that writhed on the ground below shot up instantaneously in a flurry of black tendrils. The shadows had risen to envelope Azazel and the voodoo woman, spawning from the dark shell a innumerable amount of obsidian colored spikes as long as jousting lances and longer. The spikes shot up from the ground and out of the tree's for several dozen yards, viciously impaling everything and quickly reducing the surrounding tree's to chunks of splintered wood. The spikes appeared from above and below and reached out in every direction until the area was completely filled, turned into a forest of voidish black in a matter of seconds. The sounds made by the roiling shadows were like the voices of a hundred ghosts wailing in agony. The tendrils aimed in particular at the beasts while in mid leap, appearing where they would land.

[Eklispe]

Michael grinned as new energy pounded through his whole body, as though by killing the chimera he had absorbed it's life force. Yet as this energy raced through him he felt the strange urge to touch the dead body; he put his hand out and upon touching the body a pain exploded through him. He groaned in pain as a tail, as the chimera had, grew from his body, complete with venomous stinger. Michael experimentally twisted the tail and was impressed with the speed at which it responded and the strength it had. He picked up a rock with it and crushed it into dust, satisfied with the result.

It seemed as though in this hellish world you could become that things you killed, and Michael wanted to become strong. He looked at the lizard, a pity he hadn't killed the thing himself, he looked around. It seemed several of the human's were still unconscious, no matter if they hadn't woken up by now they might as well be dead. As he continued to look around he noticed a western style knight having a confrontation with a.. vampire child? Perhaps if he killed the vampire child as well he might obtain more power, he cautiously headed towards the two unwilling to do anything besides watch for the time being

[Zakara]

The nightmare flew down from the trees, landing in front of Maria. She felt the force of it landing course through her very being. Behind her she heard another beast move from the shadows to attack the man she who had now moved next to her. The dog-ape flew at Maria; she drew back her staff to perform a sweeping uppercut into the throat of the beast, but suddenly pitch-black shadows enveloped the two of them after he yelled for her to stay down. Still under the influence of her potion, she could see through the shadows, though with them so dark, it seemed like a full moon in the night sky. Outside their shell of protection she heard the cries of the creatures, the destruction of the trees, and the movement of the shadows. She saw as everything was ripped to shreds, turning back into a mess of dust and blood. Then there was silence. Strange ability man from sky has. Maybe I gain power through death too. I shall learn, thought Maria. "The shadows, you control them. Perhaps Realm of Evil give us gifts," she told the man. "They call me Maria. I am the Shaman." She knew they would need to work together from here on out to survive.

[Morric]

Dust began to settle as a cold silence filled the air. Unsure if his assault had landed, Azazel stayed on guard and felt the area, using the black spikes he had manifested like an extension of himself. His focus waned when the woman began to address him. "Gifts?" He scoffed. "Indeed...however I've had these gifts for quite the bit longer than I've been here." He placed his hand on the inner wall of their shell, sensing for movement while the woman introduced herself. "Maria is it? Huh." He paused. "I expected something more...exotic sounding." Giving a subtle shrug, he went on. "Lord Azazel Blackwood at your acquaintance. I would say it's a pleasure to meet you but given the circumstances..."

[MonsieurShade]

As he trailed further into the forest to find a suitable camping spot, Dimitri had partially lost himself in humming a small tune and wondering just what he was doing in the "real world" while hallucinating. It was only when he noticed the sounds around him, or rather the distinct lack of them. The hairs stood up on Dimitri's neck as he pulled off his bag and removed from it one stick and his fire flint. Working quickly while he still had a little sunlight left, Dimitri tore away part of his sleeve and wrapped it around the stick before striking the flint against his axe's head to ignite the cloth. It was risky to make a fire in an unfamiliar environment, however, without it Dimitri knew he'd be blind if he didn't set up camp soon. Shouldering his bag once more, Dimitri kept his axe in his left hand and raised the torch he made with his right before rearing back and driving the axe into a nearby tree, then ripping it out, "A little something the mark the way." Dimitri said to himself before moving on once more, stopping every few yards to repeat the action with his axe.

[Akihisa Yoshii]

Azazel and Maria were alone amongst the corpses. They had been defenseless against the shadows and all the apes had fallen victim to it. Azazel felt the same pull that Michael had to one of the corpses. Any of their features could become his, if he wanted.

Michael noticed that the boy seemed to be watching him, showing to have known they were there but interested in the woman more than him. He squeezed her gauntlet-ed hand and glared at her, baring his fangs.

It wasn't long at all before Dimitri felt a presence nearby. The presence sent a shiver down the man's back and an inkling of fear. Whatever was by Dimitri did not show itself, basically having him jump at shadows, no matter how fast he looks or how sure he thinks he is about having it.