Crabs

Caravan: Resurrection

"If yoor lookin' foor woork, de' treetops are yer best bed'."

Of course they are. Ryio thought, glancing upwards at the wall of wood separating her from the rest of the market. She'd been in Leias for weeks- but not once had she found a way up the enormous trees. There were lifts, sure, but they were all reserved months in advance or took more coin than she had to split with. Climbing was another option- at least, it could be, but not for her.

Ryio stood passively, listening to what the woman had to say as customers of the market flooded past her, pushing and jostling her about. "It's fine, it's fine." She whispered to several of them as they passed by. Ryio was turning around to leave when she heard Kolo speak again: [i]"Bud... If you're hungry, I've got some stale bobbets left over."[i]. At this, Ryio's eyes lit up like two furnaces preparing to melt down steel in their fiery kilns. Ryio was halfway through taking a step towards the bobbet-shaped salvation when someone behind her shoved her forward, knocking her off balance and towards the market stall. Ryio had been standing fairly close to the stall as to actually hear the owner above the commotion, and fell down hard and fast towards the wooden counter. She stuck out her hand to stop herself, but didn't center her arm properly and the left side of her body and face cracked against the rough wooden surface- which, luckily, was still intact.

Ryio pushed herself up, planting her feet firmly into the dirt under her with deliberate care. She then took the cloak and fastened it closed in the front, and then graciously accepted the bobbets from Kolo, completely ignoring the growling stranger behind her. "Thank you, miss. Blessings of the sands upon you." Ryio bowed her head slightly, and a single bead of blood dripped off of her forehead and onto her outstretched arm. Ryio touched her wrist to her forehead and sighed- it was bleeding, for sure, though not too bad. "Sorry. Miss Kolo- thank you. Again." She then stepped aside from the stall and turned back towards the street, placing two of the three bobbets away into her bag. To the stranger, she simply arched one eyebrow while chewing down hard on the stale bobbet.

@tex

Caravan: Resurrection

Leias

4th of Summer - 5:44 PM

Ryio was hunched low in the dirt beside her bedroll, counting her meager few coins in the dimming light of the forest. One, two... She paused, looking in and around the bedroll, then in the already empty coinpurse on the ground. She had just two coins to her name- and not particularly valuable ones, either. That's the price for chasing a dream, I suppose. She thought, sweeping the two coins into the small coinpurse. Ryio then packed her bedroll, attaching it to her back with a spare leather strap she had cut from a discarded boot several weeks back. She tucked the coinpurse away in the rough canvas bag at her side, donned her cloak, and began the walk into central Leias.

She'd been camping just off of the main trading road and walking into the Stretch of Gaia every day, hoping to hear more about the ancient ruins and artifacts she caught rumors of in Arcadia. Though, most Myti were fairly clueless or stubbornly tight-lipped about them, leaving Ryio stuck- literally. She didn't have the money to buy enough provisions to go back to Arcadia, nor did she have the means to find the ruins on her own. For now, her mission to replace her left arm was at a complete standstill, and it was a frustrating one.

Ryio looked up from the path to see the road had become more crowded, and the noise of the late-afternoon markets slowly became louder and louder. Before she knew it, the stench of pack animals assaulted her nostrils, and she could taste the sour dust kicked up by their hooves. Ryio brought her scarf further up her face and slowly pushed through the crowd, eventually making her way to a less busy side of the stretch. Her stomach growled again, that made eight times now. Ryio scanned for potential business owners to bother, but one in particular caught her eye. The stand was ramshackle and made of yellowed, molding wood. A crude scrawl was scratched into the top plank of the stand, "Kolo's Bobbets".

She wasn't particularly sure what exactly a bobbet was, but it was probably better than starving. "Hey. Are you offering work? I'll do almost anything, and take almost any payment." Ryio stood lifelessly still, staring blankly at the owner.

@tex

Caravan: Resurrection

Ryio

Name: Ryio
Age: 25
Appearance: (Artwork done by the lovely @RyuShura)
Ryio has a peculiar look about her; the longer you look at her, the more that seems to appear and pop up from nothing. The most noticeable things about her are those caught in a single glance- her large, tan cloak that covers her whole figure, as well as her baggy shirt and pants that have been worn rough from travel. Upon doing a double take, more features appear: her lack of a left arm, usually hidden by the cloak, as well as the neatly stowed weapons she carries on her back and at her side. On closer inspection, her dark tan skin and her pulled-back, light-brown hair become distinguishable from her cloak, as does the small rucksack at her right side. In the midst of her seemingly shapeless form is her blank expression, framed by her dark eyebrows and round eyes.
Height: 5'4"
Race: Human
Home Nation: The small, insignifcant town of Hanno in the Kokoria Desert.
Magical Capabilities: Arcane, Elemental, and Summoning.
Arcane: Ryio knows she is physically incapable compared to most assailants, so she uses Arcane magic primarily for defense, throwing out quick bursts of force to knock opponents off balance or to parry blades to the side. She also uses the Arcane in her daily life to do tasks she struggles with due to having only one arm.
Elemental: Ryio is fairly capable with elemental magic, and can start small fires as well as make small gusts of wind. However, she specializes in nature-like magic, such as creating small boulders to crush her foes, or roots to trip them up.
Summoning: Ryio can summon a parasitic demon that calls himself Kae'nen. He is an amorphous blob of dark-purple muscle covered in extremely hard, rock-like plating, with rocky spikes jutting out here-and-there. When summoned, he attaches himself to Ryio's shoulder and takes the form of her left arm. Since he is amorphous, he has the ability to change into many different forms, as well as detach from Ryio- though, he's significantly less agile when he does. Kae'nen himself has strength greater than that of an arm from a Lok'Sha warrior, and is a prideful demon that lusts for blood. However, when his bloodlust goes too far, he's known to spontaneously fire off a powerful beam of energy from either of the gems imbedded in his rock plating.

History

In the desert, all things learn quickly what it means to survive. In the village of Hanno, this same message was drilled into Ryio every day until the day she left. She was born to a family of six- one older brother, her parents, and her younger sister. When she was six, she started studying under her mentor; each child in the village got one, an upstanding adult in the tribe that would raise the new generation to practice the important trades and skills needed to survive. Hers was both the village weaver and a practicing mage, and Ryio studied dutifully under her every day that she could. Ryio quickly became a tiny light in the hopeless village. She would run around with innocent joy, entertaining the sick or wounded with small magic tricks; other times she might weave together a new box or basket for a family, free of charge. Anything she did, she did to help out those around her, because in turn, she knew in her heart that without each other they would all fall apart. Ryio carried on in the same way until she was thirteen, the age when all surviving young people in the village receive their basic combat training. As she got her basic combat training, she realized her passion for defending others, as well as her innate ability to fight. As she grew up, she withdrew from weaving, instead opting to try and become a village guard. Several years of hard-fought spars and long nights of training later, she was finally able to realize that dream and become an official guard of Hanno. In her time as a guard, she made herself out to be the most determined and fierce, despite size.

But even the most determined of guards can fail. While Hanno was a remote village on the Kokoria sea, it was not immune to the travesties all civilizations go through. After only two years as a guard, Ryio woke up to the sound of hundreds of hoofs pounding the earth. From both the east and west came raiders on horseback, attacking in the middle of the day under the scorching desert sun. They slaughtered everyone in their path- and while the town guard stood valiantly, they were no match for the raiders' numbers and experience. Within hours, everything Ryio knew had turned to ash or rubble. Everyone she fought as comrades with had fallen by her side, until she, too, fell. The village of Hanno was no more.

So when Ryio, in an unconscious delirium, was met by a demon offering to give her power and strength to fight on her own two feet, she accepted immediately. The contract was simple- Kae'nen asked for his bloodlust to be satiated, and in return, he would offer her his strength.

After two days of sifting through rubble and gathering supplies, Ryio turned and left for good, destined to travel until she dropped.

Shattered Fates - A Dark Fantasy, Boss Battling Epic

I'm always here, ryu~!

Shattered Fates - A Dark Fantasy, Boss Battling Epic

(Collab with @Rune_Alchemist)

"Take the lead." She spoke to the shield bearer. "Whatever I did took its toll. I'll help if I can, but our priority should be finding some place where we can rest safely for a bit and consider our options. Keep a quick pace, but don't run head first into the mouth of some beast. I'll keep up, don't worry. I've...had worse."

Ruby glanced back at Isabella, raising an eyebrow at the last statement. She looked back ahead, though, deciding to let that rest for now. The past was a terrible, cruel thing. Besides, there were more pressing matters at hands, and getting out alive was all that really mattered right now.

“Tell me if I’m going too fast, by the way.” With that, Ruby pulled up her shield off the floor, bracing both arms to keep the beast of a weapon in the air. She started slow, but as she got used to the weight of the weapon, she increased to a very brisk walk.

Isabella kept pace with Ruby easily enough, though her weary body protested moving at a fast pace. For the most part, she ignored the others. In her mind, they had already been filed under various levels of useless. At least this one seemed tolerable, though. She had dragged her out of the collapsing hallway, so that was worth giving this new wisp a chance.

“I am fine.” Isabella replied once again. This was a pace she could keep up with. The feeling of something crawling on her leg registered in her mind again, and she frowned. Well, that was definitely not just some random piece of rubble or something. It was…crawling up her leg? Isabella shifted slightly, reaching into her robes with her free hand and moving around for a moment.

She did not expect what crawled out either. A centipede of all things.

“…huh.” The redhead seemed mildly surprised, but not all to disturbed by the creatures’ presence. If anything, a slight smile formed on her lips as she turned her head back to Ruby. The long, slightly larger than average bug crawled up her arm, towards her neck before disappearing back beneath her robes. Well then. Given the very, very, brief lull in combat perhaps some conversing was necessary. “So, what’s your name?”

Ruby closed her eyes for a moment, thinking. Isabella probably wouldn’t be able to see it from her angle, but the ruby in her chest flashed between six different colors at once, slowly rotating between them. “Well, uh…” It’s really not complicated. “it’s a little bit complicated.” Ruby pushed her lips to the side of her face, continuing the pace while thinking about it. “Nera calls me Ruby, so I just took on that name. But honestly, I don’t remember. What about you, though? Do you remember?” Ruby glanced back at Isabella, then back to the shield and danger in front of them.

Isabella watched Ruby passively, seemingly studying her as she replied. Didn’t remember her name? Unfortunate. She at least had the ability and good fortune to remember her own name, even if nothing else concrete was remembered. “Isabella…I remember that much, at least.” The redhead replied simply. “Nothing else concrete…aside from a few names and places with no meaning at the moment.” Her eyes drifted towards the ground, her hand drifting over to the wound she had received from that creature and frowning in displeasure. She probably shouldn’t ask this, but she felt as though having another opinion might help clear her own thoughts. “Opinions on the others?”

“The others…?” Ruby said, glancing to make sure their destination was still clear. “I’ve only met you, though, some of them are pretty good looking, I must say! Honestly, I haven’t known anyone except Nera long enough to form a good, solid feeling… Speaking of which, what do you think about Nera?” Ruby glanced around, making a cursory note of where all of the current enemies were.

Hm. To be expected, she supposed. She hadn’t seen the other girl around, so she probably hadn’t seen the earlier…actions of a certain one of them. Good looking, though? The redhead had to question exactly what was attractive about any of them, but the thought vanished. When questioned about Nera, Isabella slowed her pace slightly. What did she think of the so-called Goddess? Isabella hadn’t given her much thought since they had awoken here in this ruin. “…I don’t trust her.” Isabella replied coolly. “She’s given us this…seemingly impossible task and we are so very ill equipped to deal with it. Doesn’t help that our allies seem to be battle hungry fools…but perhaps it’s because I’m ill-suited for such combat. I prefer books.” She commented quietly. “Just a feeling I get, at least.”

“Books, huh?” Ruby smiled. “I lose my focus around books, personally. I am one of those battle hungry fools, after all. It brings me joy. Other than that, though, I find it hard to not jump into every fight I see. That’s just who I was, I guess… Who I am now, I guess. Being alive is weird. Maybe it’s normal. It’s been a long time.. Or has it? We can talk about it later, probably.” Ruby shook her head, walking a little bit faster. She wasn’t too keen on the idea of being exploded by these handcannons. Ruby glanced at the eastern wing again, she and Isabella were making good progress. They were the majority of the way there.

“There is a difference between enjoying combat and actively seeking it and heading into a dangerous situation unprepared with little information to work with. That entire conflict could have been avoided, and being the fool I was decided to try and get everyone out alive. Should have just left with that Dwyn girl and left those fools to rot.” That was all she had to say on the matter, though. Not exactly a sparkling attitude to have, she supposed, but she wasn’t going to be changing her mind. Isabella fell silent after that, seemingly content with not discussing her opinion any further. Wasn’t like Ruby was going to be changing it easily, or at all in their current situation. “I doubt I could convince you to simply help me find an exit to this place and leave these fools behind? I have no desire to die again. It was painful enough the first time.”

Now Ruby was brimming with questions. Those could wait, though. “Well, we could exit…” Ruby looked behind her at the crumbling staircase as bullets ricocheted off of it every once in a while, exploding brilliantly in the dim room. “...if the only nearby staircase wasn’t impossible to climb.” The first time, huh… so she remembers that much? I’m not sure if she’s lucky or not… “Let’s go down the only safe path for now; you don’t need to convince me. I’ll get you out of here safely, with or without the fools. I promise.” In the next few seconds, there were at the threshold to the eastern hallway. Faint moaning and loud conversation echoed out from within. Ruby pressed her back to the wall just outside the entrance, lowering her shield in front of her. “After you, I suppose… I’ll stay out here and help anyone who needs it, I think. I’m not really certain. That, however, is something you could convince me about.”

Isabella simply frowned lightly. Were those stairs the exit? That made things difficult if they were…but there was surely some other way out of this ruin. “The one with the giant anchor? He woke these unfortunate blighted souls when they were asleep when we could have likely walked right on through without so much as a scratch.” That was all Isabella had to say before making her way into the eastern hallway, thankful for the cover of darkness. She held her blade at the ready, but kept moving at a reasonable pace.

Maybe if she was swift and silent enough, she could lose the others and find her way out of this mess.

Shattered Fates - A Dark Fantasy, Boss Battling Epic

*throws torch @TheLoneRook*

Shattered Fates - A Dark Fantasy, Boss Battling Epic

Ruby had not even been resting for two minutes when she stirred again. A new power flowed through her, a new energy. She went from exhausted to well rested in a moment, and was easily able to pick herself up from where she'd collapsed. The metal shield scraped against the ground, pulling away from her, as if impatient. Or perhaps it was scared?

Ruby dusted off her pale white robe and untied the knot, pulling the robe tight around her. She brought the finely crafted and thick string out in front of herself and pulled it tight, tying a new, stronger knot. She sighed, shaking her head.

So this all isn't a dream, then..

Unless I can dream while dreaming... But that would be more fucked up than the dreams.

Ruby sighed and glanced down at the girl she saved. She was sprawled out on the floor, just chilling, probably just trying to forget this pain and move on. Ruby met her eyes and offered a weak smile, then turned her face away hastily, picking at the dirt and rubble on the top of her shield.

---

And just like that, that perfect moment of silence was over. A scream erupted from down the hallway, echoing through the room. The room remained quiet until the last of the scream faded off into the distance, dissipating into nothing. Immediately, the familiar pale glow of lanterns filled the hallway to Ruby's right, and the low sound of moaning and scuffling drifted into the room. Very soon, there would be no more peace. Ruby readied her shield, raising it lightly off the ground. It came out of the ground with a pa-chunk and seemingly groaned with the effort of getting up.

Ruby closed her eyes, breathing in deeply.

One...

The scuffling drew closer.

Two...

The moaning grew louder.

Three...

Ruby flinched and fell backwards blindly when the room exploded with the sound of gunfire, one shot after the other, ripping into the staircase in the middle of the room. She staggered awkwardly when her fall was stopped by her shield, and barely managed to not fall on Isabella. In the distance, at the slim south exit of the room, Ezain stood, bloodied and missing more parts of himself than what was good for him.

"This way was no good either... I only managed to escape..." the horned man coughed, spilling black blood from his mouth as pale essence-like energy poured from his missing arm, "I cannot continue... I was foolish... This journey cannot be made on the strength of one alone. I learned this too late..." he then pointed to the last option, down the dark-lit Eastern passage, "Now go, finish our task! With whatever strength I have left, I will buy you time..."

He then stepped to the center and urged them on, snarling. "GO! NOW!"

More gunfire went off, ripping into the staircase and exploding, sending showers of sparks and shrapnel everywhere. Ezain's words seemed far more practical by the second.

Ruby took her shield and crouched behind it, covering both her and Isabella from the direction with the gunfire. "Take my shoulder..." Ruby yelled, patting her right shoulder. "If you don't want to take it, just tell me, but do stay behind me. I'd hate it if you got shot."

Ruby cast a glance back at Isabella, the dark satin glow of truth and stress lighting up her face.

"I'd hate that a lot."

@Rune_Alchemist @RyuShura

Shattered Fates - A Dark Fantasy, Boss Battling Epic

Rip Solo-bear. Forever stuck with gunshot shrapnel.

Shattered Fates - A Dark Fantasy, Boss Battling Epic

Preparing for...

[M E G A P H O N E P O S T]

Shattered Fates - A Dark Fantasy, Boss Battling Epic

Pls, girls go to kollege to get more cnowledge,

but boys go to jupiter to get more stupider.

>:o

@ERode