[IC] Fantasy's Shattering

[TheWendil]

This World is Broken...

"We seem to be lost again Atreides." The voice came from the rather short girl in red, eyes scanning around the thick forest for anything worth noting. The Imperium's issue the enigmatic Legend Relics had been issued at least three days ago counting today, and the duo had still found nothing in their search. Treasure hunting was always more productive with a team after all. And more fun. And so the two had made their way to Rivenwood, a respectable start for their journey for riches. Hey, if the world was broken, then why attempt to fix it? Why not salvage all that you could for a good payoff? The job was to be taken seriously, or at least, as serious as Sable could keep her partner. The Crimson Streak was not a girl of many expressions; it was this stoicness that often kept both their heads on in one piece. Now the former assassin was displaying her other facial feature: frowning. "Do you know where we're going?" she asked, avoiding a spare branch hanging down in her line of view. She fully readied herself for a sardonic reply. Atreides had his hands in his coat pockets, deliberately whistling some old tune of some sort or another, mostly to be annoying. It was off tone and off beat, only stopping when she finally asked her last question on if they had any idea where they were going. She was seriously asking him that, when this was mainly her idea to begin with? He didn't really waste much time responding in his own way, as she was wisely bracing for. Oh, it seems we are heading down a path that has to be clear to your own lowered view point, I thought that would be clear down there under the clouds?" Atreides had agreed to come along since he was almost always having to follow the Crimson Streak around, showing her things she usually seemed to miss on a regular basis, which he would make gleeful fun in mocking her for time and again. The pay was supposed to be good, although he doubted that it would be easy as just grabbing some piece of old junk and pawning it off as a relic. "Seriously, did you have any idea where we are going to look beyond some border town? I barely remember Rivenwood, and it was a pisshole. Great choice there, Crimson." The girl shrugged, seemingly unaffected by his taunts. She was used to his sarcasm, just as he was used to her lack of emotion on the matter or...well, anything at all. "Rivenwood is, out of the other choices, more manageable and easy to navigate. Rexicorg is an endless maze and Exilia is a graveyard. Judging from those specifics, this was the utmost ideal option," she said, dodging another low branch. "Besides, I hear that people of my stature are more connected to the earth, both in literal and spiritual terms." "Keep your dirt then, Crimson, I'll actually enjoy seeing where I'm going every now and again. And that's all fine and well. Still doesn't mean that Rivenwood is any less a pisshole." Atreides was mostly ignoring branches, his comically vast difference in height compared to Crimson meant that most of the branches she was evading he just broke his way through, and he had to duck every now and again to avoid a branch about as thick as one's forearm. It shouldn't have been much more walking until they reached Rivenwood, and as much of a pisshole as the place was, it was better then walking in the woods. "Come on Crimson, short and stubby legs or no, I know you can move faster then this." Hearing this, Sable frowned slightly, doing as she was told and picking up the pace. It wasn't like her walking faster was going to make much of a difference anyway. Besides, causing too much sound might attract uneeded attention- Snap. The sound of something breaking immediately caught her attention, and Sable glanced to the side. Something was with them in the forest, be it a traveler, creature, or fellow Mercenary. Whatever it be, they really didn't have time for it. "It seems we are not alone," she stated rather obviously and rather matter of factly. She lay in wait, ready to summon her weapons just in case. The snap made Atreides sigh quietly, resting a hand on his sword while Crimson spoke a rather obvious statement, not resisting the chance to respond in his own manner. "The sudden branch breaking didn't give that away at all, thanks Crimson." Dominant hand on his blade hilt, he had his off hand raised, debating what to use if something unpleasant came crashing through. Fire, no, trees burn. Rock was too slow, so he kept a quick incantation for a lightning strike in mind, in case whatever it was did not prove friendly to either of them.

A New Story Begins...

[FVGT]

Ugnis walked quietly through the foggy woods, his arm held up in front of him, as he couldn't anything. Which was really not unexpected, considering the fact that he was blindfolded. Certainly, years of walking without seeing taught him to hear what was around him, but the trees didn't make much noise. "I suppose it'd be bad if I were lost in these woods at night," he thought to himself as he strode aimlessly in the already-fading light. His fear gradually disappeared when a stick broke underfoot and he heard two voices near. Ugnis gently pushed through the tangle of brush, his caution as weak as the thin vine he broke through. "Hello," he said, his voice calm and light-hearted in the otherwise bleak woods. "Do you know the way to Rivenwood? I'm afraid I'm quite lost." Though Ugnis could tell they were quite tense, simply ignoring them wouldn't put them at ease; they'd probably have struck him down if he didn't talk to them. "I suppose it's not wrong to hope that they know the way, either," he thought to himself after speaking.

[deadpixel101]

Rorick wheeled his way into the city. He had just spent quite a while travelling, and boy where his arms tired. He sighed as he came to a slow stop. People walking past often shot odd glances his away. The more brash pointed, the less whispered to others. But that wasn't too unusual. His chair drew attention in some places...Rorick rubbed her arms up and down, putting some warmth and forced relaxation into their worn muscles. Not really knowing where they were going they scanned the area as they did this. Not spotting any inn or holding house in the immediate area he made the decision to extend an olive branch. "Excuse me!" She called out to one of the nearest passer-by's, nearly making them drop their basket of bread. The woman gave a somewhat worried look to the chair-bound individual. After a few lingering seconds they managed to speak. "Y-yes?" Quite the linguist it seemed. "I'm very sorry to bother, but would you be able to point me to somewhere I may spend the night?" The boy spoke politely and softly, hoping not to make the woman any more off-put than she already was. "...Down that road there...Take a turn on the second right." After the departed knowledge and eternity long stare, she went off to whatever business she had before their exchange. Rorick thanked her, and sighed once more. A new town, a new adventure..."I suppose off I go." She began moving himself closer towards the supposed inn. Going down the given directions he found a small place, light filtered out of closed shutters and the faint voices could be heard inside. It seemed lively enough. Rorick strained his eyes to read the sign in the ever looming dark. "The Green-bog inn...charming." He commented to himself, before rolling in. Meeting some more odd stares, he managed to quiet things down a bit. He made i through the door and took a once over of the place. Faces, often of older men, were looking back at him. One table had a card game going on, they all seemed to wear similar outfits, perhaps collegues of some sort. Another table was a young woman with scrolls and a staff at her side, next to a man in a robe and masked face. Interesting place for a meeting of minds..."A night in any open room please." Rorick stated once he rolled up to the counter. The tall and bearded man with sunken in eyes behind the counter gave him a stoic up and down, then nodded and took the coins placed in front of him. Getting a key he thanked the man and looked to where he was pointed. A narrow yet long set of stairs presented themselves, making the only path up to the rooms. It seemed the bottom floor was all used to for the common rooms. "I...suppose a drink wouldn't hurt." He added another coin to the pay, and sidled up against a table. The night was unfortunately, still young...

[RedXCross]

Perched atop a tree branch, Mal’s vibrant red eyes traced the blindfolded man as he stumbled through the forest. In truth, it was impressive how he managed to wander through this twisted wood without any sense of vision. Mal would not have been surprised if he somehow walked out of an encounter with some magical creature with most of his limbs intact. Now, his expectations were different for him if an altercation opened up between him and the dangerous duo that was also occupying the nearby clearing, but there was something just as satisfying about the group assembling. Now, Mal had to assess why three people (or four, if he had to count himself) were encountering each other in a place as risky and twisted as Rivenwood. Most people with half a brain cell knew to stay away from here at all costs. Or was that the other twisted woods? He couldn’t quite remember. Still, Mal had a hunch that he just needed to confirm. So, carefully he wrapped his chain around the trunk of the tree and rappelled downwards. His feet touched gently against green leaves before he twirled around and moved towards the gathering. “Hey!!” Mal shouted as he darted forwards. His dark hood flopped on top of his head as he leapt to a halt in front of the trio. “Hey, you wouldn’t happen to be looking for those Legend Relics, would you? I mean, massive amounts of cash were just offered for them an’ all, and you usually wouldn’t find this many people in an obscure place like this… Unless you were hoping to get devoured by something out here.”

[Scarifar]

Megumi was walking along a path in Rivenwood, wearing her combat gear instead of her usual white-and-green dress. She was not a big fan of the forest, but the lure for Legend Relics and other less valuable artifacts was too great for her to resist. As she walked, though, she began to wonder whether this was really the best place for her to search. Sure, Rivenwood was known for having valuable items within it, but this was a high-risk high-reward place, and Rivenwood also had the reputation of having mysterious and magical creatures within it, most of which were hostile to humanity. Before Megumi could come to a conclusion, she then stumbled upon some sort of creature resembling a combination of a bear and a gorilla. Startled, she stepped back and grabbed the hilt of her sword. She was about to draw it when she noticed that the creature looked equally startled. Both of them stood still for a few seconds, then the creature turned away and began eating tree bark by scratching it off a tree with its claws. Deeming it peaceful and not hostile, Megumi relaxed and walked around the creature. Perhaps the forest was not that bad.

[Red Wizard]

Rexicorg was something else. Yem had never before been there, had never witnessed its myriad of arches and walkways, and yet he felt he understood the place. It was like the forest; seemingly random but not random at all. There was a pattern to it, a structure. It was a maze to those who didn’t know it, like the deep woods after dark, but as open as a meadow in midday to its inhabitants. Yem could find his way through any forest. It was in his nature. But he could not yet find his way through here. Some considered him a master, but here he was but a novice. The place was beautiful; the bittersweet balance of old magnificence and pride tempered with new decay and forgetfulness. There were great ruins here, shells of past glorious palaces, but who knew their history now? Who cared? Whatever it had been, it had shattered with the rest of the world and lay now unmourned and unburied. It had once been the home of civilized people, cultured people, giants walking the earth. Now only shadows remained, and those who dwelt within them. I shall have to dream of you more, old soul, Yem thought to himself. He was standing at the top of a great mound, his back resting against the thick twisted trunk of an olive tree. He was in the outskirts of the ancient city, the vast and strange landscape painted burning red before him in the light of the setting sun. He would eat now, and drink, and make camp for the night. Then, in the morning, he would greet Rexicorg properly and brave its bowels in search for his prize: the long lost relic of old, and the promise of power.

[VKAllen]

The forest, a playground for animals big and small. Lush with greenery yet crowded with fog underneath the humid weather it experienced today. Muzai strolled through the woods at ease, being a very small and dainty stature allowed her to slip through many cracks and nooks that came her way whilst still moving very quickly. Treasure hunting wasn't a job that Muzai would normally undertake... But since it's a treasure hunt, especially with the Legendary Relic being the prize of the hunt, she can't simply turn away. What was she planning with the Relic anyway? There were so many wonders to ponder about. What is it capable of? Why does the Imperium seek its retrieval badly... Many questions to be sated. She slithered like a snake, her hands touching the surface of nature claiming it as her own before moving on to the next thing, repeated over and over again. The earth itself felt each loving touch that Muzai gave as flowers bloomed and fruits ripened. The branches reached down to her and handed her a fruit that she ate with great pleasure before continuing her search in a skip. Nature loved her and she loved nature. She hummed a a sweet little lullaby on her way, all to hopefully find the treasure they've been asked to look for. Human speech could be heard. Her ears twitched and her eyes turned to the direction of the sound it came from and proceeds to continue humming. Through the crevice of a rock and underneath the roots of a tree and scale the giant rock in her way and she could see them idly chatting whilst navigating. "Is that the Crimson Streak? And the Taskmage?" She slid down to her feet and continued to follow suit until their halt was enough for Muzai to appear from the bushes behind them. "Found you! Crimson Streak and Taskmage!" She sees that they were accompanied by another man with a red scarf over his eyes. "Hi there sir!" Her hands waved at him. Another man joined them and immediately inquired about the Legendary Relic. "Whoah, so many people looking for the same thing! It's like how I love my morning woods!" She jumped for joy. "Crimson Streak and Taskmage! Two most famous titles in the world!"

[TheWendil]

Sable blinked once. Where…exactly had all these people come from? Two males, one with a hood and one with a blindfold, followed by an eccentric girl who could apparently identify them. Looking down at her red attire, it wasn’t really hard to make that assumption, but still, Sable would have liked to keep some privacy. Oh the woes of a Mercenary. Right then. First the blindfold man. “You are in Rivenwood sir.” Next, the boy with the hood on. “I’m sorry to say sir, but we have no idea what you’re talking about. We simply arrived here to observe…the flowers. Flowers are nice.” Best to lie and not give away their true mission. Competition was apparently bad enough as it was without more Mercenaries stealing their treasure. Now the…er, fangirl? “Why yes miss, that is us. Please excuse our bluntness, but we really must observe those flowers.” Sable said all this in her typical monotone. Sometimes it was best to have a robot for a partner. Straightforward answers and you never got sidetracked. Before Atreides could protest, Sable grabbed to his hand and hastily led him away from the clearing and away from the others. They had wasted enough time already, and she wasn’t going to let this particular bounty slip through their grasp. “It seems we’re not alone in our search,” she said rather obviously to her partner once a great enough distance was put between the others.

[RedXCross]

At first, Mal head fell to the side with a playful tilt as he examined the group before him. The fourth person, a unique woman with interesting eyes had come out of nowhere, apparently. Or maybe he just got too caught up in the conversation once more and hadn’t been able to follow the path that she took to arrive at the group. Either way, it was quite the colourful cast in front of him. With his standard wide grin, he turned back to the short woman in the red cape. The other woman had called her “The Crimson Streak” or some other. While it was common practice for mercenaries to pick up nicknames and titles as they gained prestige, it seemed unusual that someone who came to look at flowers would hold a title of a similar merit. Even Mal found people calling him the Demon Prince recently. Which was odd, considering he was neither demon nor royalty. Why would he want to be considered part of that abhorrent group anyway? Mal suspected that the short woman was lying, but maybe they were lying to protect themselves. Or they may not want to give up their position if they were hunting the Legend Relics, the same as he was. That made a little more sense in his head. Still, he may as well have some fun with their words, even just a little. “Oh, you’re looking for flowers…” he drawled, following after the pair as they tried to step away, “Well then, someone who comes all this way to admire the flowers of Rivenwood probably knows about the White Spiderlily, one of the most lethal plants in existence? They say that just inhaling the pollen is enough for it to cause huge boils to burst out of the skin and explode with white, sticky pus, and they just keep appearing more and more rapidly until the person has no skin left… Only boils.” He looked up to the group, eyes still wary of the man with the eye-patch whose hand was sitting precariously close to the hilt of his blade. Mal’s fingers looped through the links of his belt as a precaution and then he presented the group with his usual smile.

[Red Wizard]

As the last light seeped from the world, sound crept into it. It started slowly, sneaky almost; the blowing of the wind, the buzzing of insects, the rustling of the leaves in the olive tree. Then it came louder and less subtle. Creaks from the buildings of the city. The crunch of trodden gravel. A faint animal scream. All unplaceable, all untraceable. Yem had always found this dynamic fascinating. Did his ears hear more because the light left his eyes, or did the world come out of hiding for the same reason? Oh, night. The day might be blessed, but the night was truly sacred. He lay with his eyes cloded, listening to the world. He was about to let himself fall asleep when he suddenly heard something interesting: a mans voice. It was faint, but not like a whisper. It had come from a distance then. He was safe .. for now. Yem opened an eyelid a fraction and peered into the distance. He saw it immedietly. There was a small light out there. A campfire, burning in the distance. Whoever they were, they weren't expecting strangers, lest they would've been more careful. Watching the small flickering light, Yem considered his next action. He stood up suddenly and collected his belongings. He had made up his mind.

[JurassicHole]

Vance found himself in a rather dense forest, teeming with all manner of beasties. He stood back by a trickling stream, his eyes catching those of a majestic buck that had to be as big as a horse, it's antlers seemingly to large to navigate through the woodland without getting caught. Yet, at the sound of talking nearby and the snapping of twigs, the glorious animal bolted, showing that those imposing antlers didn't hold him back at all. Vance smiled at the though, but quickly returned to his reserved guard as he focused more on the voices coming from around the bend. There were several of them, possibly around four or five give or take, but it almost seemed as if these people didn't actually know each other. For a moment, the thought that this could be a robbery zipped in and out of his mind. It was urgent enough, the people talking were almost awkward in their discussion, rather than the apprehension one would expect in a robbing situation. After getting a glimpse of the group, he was almost certain that these were other mercs or possibly even Imperium agents. He decided to wait for a moment before revealing himself.

[Eisenhorn]

As various people showed up, Atreides slowly dropped his spell arm to his side, shifting his hands to his pockets vice his sword for now. It would be a matter of a second or two difference to draw his blade back out into a combat ready position. He kept a spell in mind for defensive purposes, just in case, but primarily let his partner do the talking, as she had done so already. Someone seemed to recognize both of them rather than just Crimson, which was odd considering he stuck to the shadows and generally was not one to stand out by choice. Of course, before he had much chance to get in a response in edgewise to any of them, Crimson had already started dragging him off, which he grumbled about under his breath. Of course, the one lad seemed hellbent on following them, going on about some hyper lethal plant of one sort or another, and snorted, reacting to the man with his own comment. "And your so full of shit your eyes are brown. Unless whatever your babbling on about is a recent addition, last time I passed through Rivenwood, worse natural cause of death you could find here was a whore that's been around the block too many times. Now scurry along kid, before some wart plant jumps up to bite you in the ass." Was it friendly? Hell no, but it wasn't intended to be friendly. He wasn't looking to be paid for friendly, and with Crimson dragging him along, he was not very pleased with the situation now that he was being hurried along at something other than his own pace.

[TheWendil]

This time it was Sable’s turn to remain quiet as she let her partner handle the youth that continued to pester them with observations. Of course, she had realized that he was probably just wanting to mess with them, but frankly, they were on a schedule to keep. Well, no, not really, but Sable liked to think they were on one. She paused in her walking to let Atreides have his fair share of bantering, not really paying attention to their conversation. Besides, something else had caught her focus, the low sound of heavy footprints quickly approaching them. Letting go of her partner’s arm, she tensed, narrowing her eyes in the direction directly ahead of them. Whatever it was, it was big… “RE-Arch,” Sable muttered, summoning her daggers in hand. Her instincts turned out to be accurate. No sooner did she arm herself than the culprit charge out of the forest clearing, aiming its body right for them. It was huge, impossibly huge. White, blinded eyes seething with age and time gleamed from the darkness as the massive creature raced on all fours towards the trio. It took the form of an immense, black bear, with fangs that were stained crimson by the blood of the curious. Patches of hair were torn and strewn about from its hide, and both girls could make out the shapes of twigs, knives, mud, and the earth that clung to the creature’s mangled coat. Its left flank exuded a strange white color that contrasted with the thick, dark fur; upon closer inspection, Sable saw that half of the beast’s ribcage exposed to the open air for all to bear witness. But that wasn’t the most interesting thing to her. As she leapt back from the rabid animal, she caught a glimpse of something shining in its left eye socket. Landing on a tree branch high above, she readied herself to jump back down and engage. “Atreides.” The Taskmage would have known what she meant by the tone of her voice, slightly more excited than its usual drone. A green amulet took the place of the bear’s left eye. A Legend Relic.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The sun’s departure into evening was lost to those traveling in Rivenwood, given that they had other things to worry about. Miles away from the massive forest lay the ruinous cities of Rexicorg, where the shadows ruled supreme. The campfire that Yern was heading towards was indeed not expecting any strangers tonight. They themselves were nothing more than weary travelers, staring in fear at something that glimmering in the dark, shining brightly in the fire. A stone as black as ebony. A black Legend Relic. As the fire continued to crackle, something inhuman hissed in the shadows. It didn’t take long for the travelers to hurriedly pack up their things and move somewhere else, preferably somewhere not so close to the ruins. In the end, they chose to leave the black Relic behind. No payment was worth their untimely demise, and so the Relic shined without a mark in the flames. The hissing immediately ceased, its owner sensing another presence nearby. Remaining silent, it retracted into the night, waiting and watching until Yern came into its view. The hunt was on.

[RedXCross]

Mal’s grin grew only wider at the man’s response, “Oh, right. Maybe it was the eastern forests where those flowers were common…” He didn’t have to be a genius to realize that the pair wasn’t looking at him anymore. His ears twitched as he heard the heavy stomping of the beast emerging from the treeline. Mal’s eyes caught the flash of silver that became knives at the girl’s side. It was only as he heard her not-so-stale tone of voice that Mal finally clued into what was actually going on. While the bear in itself was an unnatural monstrosity, he managed to pick out the green glimmer that seemed foreign even to the magical creature. The immediacy at which she jumped into action only confirmed his suspicions. Their conversation thus far did not yield their reason for chasing after these relics, so Mal would have to work on the base assumption that they would simply sell the relics back to the Imperium for the high bounty. If these things were as powerful as the stories stated, then they could not fall into the hands of the manipulative Capitol. If they weren’t planning on selling them, well, then he should at least try to help out. “Well, I may be wrong about flowers, but I won’t be wrong about myself.” His hands gripped the chains on his belt as waves of black-red energy surged from his palms and coated the wrapped layers of chains. “Snakes… Arise.” He whispered. In a rush of wind, the chains uncoiled from around his waist, sending his hooded shirt into a blustery fury as the spiked chains rose to his eye level. Two spikes floated at the sides of his head as his hands remained gripped on the chain remaining around his waist. “Now then, aim for the legs. Tangle them as best you can.” With the command, the two spikes rushed forward as he closed the distance so they could make their mark. Still the razor-sharp grin never left his face as he leaped into action.

[Scarifar]

After moving a small distance away from the beast, Megumi thought she heard voices. Voices that sounded like they were in combat. She began to wonder who else would be in a forest like this, and believed the answer to most likely be other mercenaries after the Legend Relics. If there was a fight happening, chances were that there was something either dangerous or valuable there, or perhaps even both. With that thought in mind, she sprinted towards the location of the fight, interested to see what was actually there. As the voices grew louder, Megumi could actually see the fight now. There were a group of people using a variety of attacks on some sort of bear that was definitely too large and dangerous to be a normal bear. She also noticed someone outside the battle who seemed to be merely observing. Well, there was no one else she could ask. Walking up to Vance, Megumi poked him in the back of the head with her sheathed sword and asked, "What's going on over here?" in a friendly and playful tone.

[Eisenhorn]

Atreides would have had an harsh, unpleasant line ready for the boy that insisted on following them if Crimson hadn't gotten his attention. The noise had him drawing his blade in time to see the bear roaring out of the woods after them. Worst, or best part, was it had a Legend Relic in its eye socket. Bad news, though, was it appeared undead to a degree, and was massive. That made it unlikely to go down easy, and a huge target. Partially good, partially bad then. "Crimson, keep its attention. Hey, kiddie, try not to be a burden." Flourishing the blade, he gestured with his offhand in a sharp, downwards direction and, with a muttered phrase, brought down a bolt of thunder onto the Bear. It was a basic spell, but it was highly effective for its basic cost and training. Stepping back to let the other two work, he knelt over his sword, tracing a series of runes over the blade while muttering loud enough to be heard. "Educ flamma purgatio, ut labore et mercator decumbentem defricabitur mors ab hoc saeculo." The sword exploded into searing flames, and Atreides rose, making a beeline towards the bear with the full intent of burning the thing to ashes now, conjuring a fireball in his off hand, intending to intimidate as much as destroy the damned bear and claim that eyesocket jewel of its. Money was calling, after all.

[BR8K]

There were more people present than Mimi had seen in her whole life. They bustled in buildings and alleys and streets, and she was perhaps as excited as she had ever been. Who were they? Why were they here? This was the section of the forest she was the least familiar with, much to her shame -and seeing how many wonderful people were present, disappointment as well. She might have wanted to meet each and every last one of them, get their names and hopes, hear their stories. The little area contained endless entertainment. The high tops of the trees gave her a vantage point on it all, but she was perched atop no branch. Instead, she sat upon a tiny platform of lanterns, all twinkling even in the remaining light of the sun. But soon that would be gone, and they would gleam with their full potential, which she found just lovely. But from where she was she could do little, which was not going to work. So, with a passing thought the lanterns began to descend, uneven and splitting to balance her as she stood upright. Was she presentable? Most of the people were wearing more armor than she was, but then she only had the plated robes to work with. Her hair was unbound, but that was how it always was, and she wasn't willing to part with such a traditional look. Once a passing huntswoman she had encountered had noted it as "cute", and that had more or less cemented her decision. Mimi kept the Match slung over her back, for though the thing was fairly harmless she did not want to off-put any potential friends. She wasn't halfway down when the peace was broken, however. A beast, larger than what she was use to seeing int he forest nights, barged in from the treeline and started for the small gathering of people nearest to it. By the light, what was it? Why was it so angry? Was it not too bright out still for it to have revealed itself? To many questions, too little time for answers. The lanterns swooped down, carrying Mimi with them, and she circled low above the fight, scanning around to see if any of the people were in immediate danger. Her fingers twitched, a few of the lanterns separated from the pack beneath her as if to prepare to shield the combatants from the bear. Still, she couldn't help but hope they would not kill it. Poor thing.

[TheWendil]

As the chains raced towards the demonic bear, the creature gave an ear-shattering roar. Rearing on two legs, it brought two might claw swipes downward in an arc, slashing and hacking away at the attempted binds. Snarling, it reared its head back and charged straight for the hooded boy with a feral bloodlust. It was only stopped charge by a bolt of lightning directly to its back, singeing it a little. The smell of burning fur wafted in the air and Sable narrowed her eyes. Leaping forward, she landed on the creature’s backside and began hacking away at the slightly weakened skin. Her attacks did nothing to deter the bear’s rampage, despite the fling of black blood flying in all directions. With its strength, it lunged backwards in an attempt to buck her off. The Crimson Streak halted her assault to leap backwards, landing on the ground a few feet away. The bear would have attacked her next had it not been for the burst of flame that caught its attention first. Turning around, it roared a challenge to Atreides, not intimidated by the sight of fresh fire. Howling, it raised its two arms and slammed them into the ground, causing the earth to rumble just enough to end anyone off balance. Sable immediately leaped back up to the nearest tree branch for support. She readied her blades for another attack when the sight of a girl hovering before them all caught her eye. She was about to call out to her when the tree she was standing on shook violently. Glancing down, she saw the bear now hacking at the trunk with its claws, rage wafting from its form. Sable sighed. “I think it’s safe to assume the Relic is controlling it Atreides,” she called out to the man.

[FVGT]

"This is Rivenwood?" Ugnis inquired quietly, confused by this statement. Though he didn't think Sable was lying, as there was no reason he could think of for her to do so, he still had no idea of how to get to town; the woods were still simply whispering, without any town noise to guide him. "Perhaps the fog is stifling the sound..." Ugnis thought to himself as he walked in the general direction that the pair and the peculiar boy went. They were heading to the town and, as he had no idea where the town was, figured it would be best to follow them. Fortunately, the taunts thrown between them were loud enough that he could trace them though the hushing blanket of fog. As he began to hear town noise, he also heard a large creature... A bear? "Its steps sound heavier than normal," Ugnis noted as he approached. Perhaps it would be best to stand to the side on this one and let the more professional people handle it. He stood silently at a good distance away, drawing no attention and listening to the action.

[RedXCross]

“C’mon, give me a little credit,” Mal chuckled at the man’s disdain. Truth be told, Mal expected that this direct strike against the beast had little chance of doing anything, but it definitely made things a little easier on him as the beast started charging forwards. Already he could feel heat emanating from the mark on his neck as the beast drew closer. Always fearful for its own life, the spirit always seemed more willing to comply when close to immediate danger. With the relic in play, Mal would have to work against the group and for the group at the same time. So, when the bear finally diverted its path at last as someone swung overhead, and he could hear the incantations from the girl’s partner, Mal prepared to leap into action. “Snakes, return!” He shouted as the chains rushed back to his side. He was already letting go as they wrapped around his shoulders and his belt as he started running towards the creature. While its path had already diverted towards the mighty tree on which its assailant perched, Mal took advantage of the situation to run to its backside. The triangle mark spread outward in a spiral as his eyes started to glow. His feet started increasing in speed as he curved around the monster’s back and leaped towards it. “Snakes, find the bones and lift me up!” The chains exploded from his belt again and charged at the exposed bone on the undead bear. Both spikes found ribcage and gave him enough tension to haul him up its back side. With the chains in place he launched himself forward, grabbing hold of the fur on the back of its neck as he pulled his left fist back and slammed it into the beast’s collar bone with a spirit charged punch.