GambolMuse

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

Whoever wants to :P

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

Take your time, you can get in on this round of posts whenever you're ready to ^^

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

"Pray we don't encounter them again. We were fortunate this time, they're not the easiest of beasts to deal with," Nymira pointed out, grabbing Ethan to get him into the cart. Jerky hardly sounded like an ideal meal yet it was better than nothing as Geoffrey said. At least that's what she thought he said, his inflection made it nigh impossible to know what he was saying half of the time. Once she'd gotten the Muran into the cart she climbed in herself and sat at the head of it, fetching a strip of the jerky and nursing it slowly. When they finally did reach Warren a good bath would be needed, then a nice hot meal and perhaps a proper rest in a bed. Assuming she still had the money for all of that anyways, she hadn't a clue what was left over or still of its worth.

Hearing the clatter of metal Nymira cast a glance towards Cecil, frowning when he cast aside his gauntlets. "You mean Cecil, not... Whatever that is. We know what your name is," she interjected as she leaned forward, fetching the gauntlets and placing them before the Machina, "If you're ashamed of what you did don't be. This is the second time you've saved us from a threat, we're indebted to you." Praise from her was a commodity that didn't always come easily, not that she expected him to know that. After being the sole reason they had escaped with their lives twice in almost a day's time she felt he deserved at least that much from her. She'd pay him as well if she thought he wanted money, or reward him in some way had she an idea of what he wanted. Instead he'd have to settle for praise and the knowledge they all owed him their lives.

"I'll be fine Zander, thank you." Nymira wasn't going to rely on anyone more than she had to, she still had her pride to consider. She'd already been saved twice by Cecil and grateful as she was it was also a glaring issue for her. She was a warrior and among the best in her clan, rivaled by as few as there were in this ragtag group of theirs. If she was unable to fight out here then what hope was there for the rest of her kin? She'd have to do better, she couldn't keep being saved or relying on others to come to her aid. She just needed an escort, combat should be a trivial concern to her. Next encounter, whatever it was, she'd have to properly display just what a Dimuran princess was capable of.

---

Town of Warren, later that evening.

Arriving in Warren after so much trouble seemed like a godsend. While not the largest of towns nor the most welcoming it was still a haven away from the chaos they'd been facing, a sense of normalcy after two days of anything but. After being admitted through the gates by the guard they went promptly to the stables to put their horses in, finding their way to the nearest inn afterwards. A group of 6 arriving unannounced, 7 if one counted Wyth was sure to turn some heads, and the tavern went quiet initially when everyone entered. It may have something to do with their appearances as well, dirtied and in some instances slightly bloodied, looking like they had been through hell just to arrive here. But then that wasn't completely uncommon for travelers as wild beasts could and did harass those traveling through the roads. After the initial curiosity had faded the group was left to their own devices, rooms were rented and everyone was allowed to relax for the first time in a long while.

The first stop was the bathhouse, with Nymira leading the charge to it. For a woman who was used to being on the road and getting dirty she had no love for being covered in grime, the idea of being clean all too appealing to her. After taking extra care to rinse her wound she cleaned herself and relished the feeling of being submerged for a while longer. Eventually however the others had finished as well and redressed, making their collective way back to the tavern for a long overdue meal. Compared to their light snacks of jerky and dried fruits earlier the food here, however simple, would seem like a buffet by comparison.

Ethan was equal parts eager to be in Warren as he was confused, not completely knowing how he'd come to be there. The last thing he recalled was fighting those hounds before blacking out, waking up just as they were crossing the bridge to the town's gates. The remnant's of a nasty headache still lingered between his eyes, something which faded gradually as they sat in the bathhouse. While much of the day had been lost due to his being out he couldn't be happier when everyone returned to the tavern, just glad that no one had been seriously injured in the battle with the beasts. Nymira had her burns which were since cleansed and bandaged, it would likely be a day or two before the herbs she used really took effect. That aside just some minor scrapes and bruises were all they had to show for the encounter, that and perhaps rattled nerves. Wolves were scary enough to fight, he'd never imagined they'd fight something like the Vazra.

"Oh man, I can't wait. I don't even know what they're cooking, all I know is I want it!" Ethan said aloud, beaming as he practically salivated. He could smell some kind of meat from the kitchen as well as the unmistakable scent of bread being baked. How many times had he passed by old Miss Tutton's house and smelled those loaves of bread she used to bake? Every day she'd make one, hand it to him and ask he bring it by the barracks for the guard to enjoy. He always loved stopping there, he'd get a sweet from her too for a job well done and sometimes even a little slice of bread all his own. Thinking about food while waiting for food only served to exacerbate his hunger, his stomach growling in protest as his hands set over it.

"I want food now... I'm so hungry..." Ethan whined, laying his head on the table as his eyes almost seemed to tear up, "Bread, fish, anything... I'm starving over here!"

"You're fine, stop crying about it," Nymira snapped, rolling her eyes as Ethan continued anyways with his display. "Had you not passed out on us you would have had plenty of time to eat. We've all had snacks at least, no one else is complaining." Honestly the fact the simpleton had managed to outdo himself so much he'd passed out still baffled her. She couldn't say for his training, if he'd even had any, but the first thing she'd been told as a Magi was never go past your limits. He'd been lucky and just passed out but there were far more dire consequences than simply losing consciousness.

Grabbing her mug of ale Nymira swirled the dark liquid around a few times, taking a deep sip and letting out a contented sigh. It wasn't remotely powerful this ale, and a bit too sweet for her liking. The ales they crafted back home were far more potent than this and could put a full grown Dimuran on their rear in half a glass, but this felt like she was drinking a juice. Still, it served to soothe her parched throat and put something in her stomach while they waited for the food. "Before I forget to ask, Geoffrey, what do you require for bringing us out here?" she posed to their guide, giving him a glance across the table, "I have money and I'm willing to pay whatever you ask, it's only fair seeing as we were attacked. Name your price and you'll have it."

"How about he asks for some food? Maybe we'll get our meals sooner," Ethan repeated as his stomach grumbled yet again. Grabbing his own mug he examined the untouched drink, not entirely sure why he'd let Nymira order for him. He'd never really drank ale save for one time, and he'd been left rather ill as a result. It had been similar to this too, sweet like honey and deceptively easy to put down. By the day's end however he'd regretted ever having a single sip. It had been bought for him though and he shouldn't waste something someone else gave him. Taking a tentative sip his face contorted in a grimace, disliking the burning sensation as he shook his head. "Ugh... How do people drink this stuff..."

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

And now its time for the time skip post! :D Expect it to be an hour or two, gonna have an awful lot to write up!

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

Viral had appeared to have calmed down from a distance considering his proximity to Yumi. Yet when Aito approached the pair he was rather quickly deterred, his son growling at him and threatening him in any way he could. Were the Saiyan a bit more able-bodied at the moment he'd not mind, yet as things stood he hadn't the energy to really contend with Viral. Putting his hands up defensively he smiled, giving Yumi a side glance before stepping back and out of the Beastman's way. "Even when transformed he can't stand me, I just can't win can I...?" he asked no one in particular, his shoulders sagging as a sigh escaped his lips. Seems like he had an awful lot of work to do to be in Viral's good graces. "Er... Perhaps it's best we leave Viral be for a while. Let him get this out of his system," the doctor mused, using what little Ki he'd managed to recover to float up into the air, "Come along Yumi, we should get that creature back and let Viral wear himself out. We can come back in a little while for him."

"You think leaving Viral alone here is the best idea?" Yumi asked uncertainly, giving her friend a glance. She had considered it too though, letting him burn himself out and change back that way. Preferably she'd want to be there when he came to so he wasn't alone, but who knows how long it might take for that to happen. She'd have to come back immediately then and just keep an eye on him from afar, the last thing she wanted was her friend feeling abandoned. Smiling slightly she glanced at her friend before rising up into the air as well, hovering before his head and giving him a small wave. "I'll be back, have fun while you're out here. Uh... Don't go wandering off too far, okay?" She'd like to give him a hug or something to show things were okay but thought better of it, that massive gaping jaw of his made getting close a little intimidating. Instead she reached out and simply rubbed his snout before following Aito back towards the creature, not sure what his plans were for it.

---

Wow... Now here was a planet that had seen the worst of the fighting. Haku had never even heard of this world up until now, yet they had been asked to come here and try to help. Now that they were on the surface he could see why their help was needed; what he could only assume were forests were now barren wastelands, a tree here or there but otherwise large craters littered the landscape. The town they had landed near too was ruined, with skeletons of buildings still standing and not a single resident nearby. There were supposedly residents on the world still but they were avoiding them for now, not sure how they might react to seeing a Saiyan on their world after all that had happened. That struck Haku as grimly funny, thinking anyone would consider him that much of a threat. It wasn't as though he and T'charrl were here to help the people persay anyways, it was more what they could do for the planet itself. He didn't much get that order yet he understood it had to do with his friend's powers, and they were somehow the best fit for this kind of job.

"This planet just feels... Sad..." Haku muttered as they exited their ship, glancing around at the ruined landscape before them. He'd been on desert worlds before and at least those had color, and you could tell there wasn't supposed to be plants or anything. He could almost imagine how this place had looked before the fighting though and it must have been a beautiful world. How was T'charrl feeling? Considering he could talk to trees and all there must be some awful things coming through to him, he wasn't envious of that. Walking around a little bit he glanced at scattered remains of trees, bits of buildings that bad been blown well away from their homes and traces of what he could only assume were people. His stomach churned uncomfortably at that even if it wasn't anything new, he always hated seeing that on a battlefield. Coming across what looked like a tiny sapling sprouting up all on its lonesome he squatted down before it, a sad smile on Haku's face as he touched it gingerly with his fingertips. "Man... If the Saiyans did this then we're even bigger jerks than I though. Sorry T'charrl..."

---

A group of space pirates? With everything going on this was what Korian had them doing? Ricken supposed he couldn't argue too much, it was their job to help worlds with problems after all. Compared to the creatures attacking planets though and the still looming threat of Saiyans this seemed so trivial by comparison, they could have sent anyone else to handle this job. What's worse was it wasn't just him and his sister this time either, they had sent one other person along for the ride. Glancing back at Kiton as they walked along he frowned in disapproval, making no secret that he wasn't a fan of the Frost Demon. He'd been one of these people before and he was still one of these people now, no matter who he was fighting for. For all they knew he'd turn on them during the mission and help out the pirates instead, it was an inevitability he'd considered from the very moment they were introduced.

"Sayomi said the pirates were holed up in a nearby settlement, and they've been demanding payments from towns to spare them from being attacked. Apparently they've even kidnapped a few people too for ransom so we know there's going to be some civilians inside," Sasha recounted, using a small PDA to read over the notes provided for them, "So we have two jobs on this planet then: save the civilians and get rid of the pirates. I'm sure if we knock them around a bit they'll not come back, though worst case scenario we can stuff them in the ship and bring them back to Uuonoe for imprisonment." She rather hoped they'd leave of their own accord, a ride back with a ship full of criminals hardly seemed fun.

Ricken scoffed at the idea of pirates leaving on their own, figuring they wouldn't give up a haul for anything short of their own deaths. "I know what Korian's rules are Sasha but we might not have a choice here. Space pirates are the lowest of the low, they'll do anything for pay and they don't care who they hurt doing it," he spoke aloud, glancing back again at Kiton, "Or they just do as they please. They're selfish, ruthless and that never changes."

"Oh shut up Ricken. We've seen plenty of people change since joining the rebellion, Kiton's one of them," Sasha snapped, rolling her eyes as she closed the documents, "He's one of us now, and Korian sent him along to prove that. I don't doubt you Kiton, for the record. You could have left at any time but you stayed with us, that should be proof enough you're one of the good guys."

"That or he's using us to hide from the police, ever consider that sister?" Ricken asked, frowning as he shook his head, "Whatever, I know nothing I say is going to override Korian's orders. You better be on your best behavior here Frost Demon, I'm not going to hesitate to deal with you if you try anything."

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

As an FYI to everyone, we'll be skipping to our next stop in my post, and with that we'll be taking some down time. Recuperate, get Chukkle in finally, do some character stuff and just chill :P

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

Well this was a nightmare if he'd ever seen one. Perhaps they would wake up any moment and none of these hounds would be here, that would be just swell. Yet the fatigue he felt was very real, and the smell of burning plant life and even Nymira's leg carried through the air, there was no mistaking this was real. With everything else going on too Amuné was in danger and someone had to keep an eye on her; Wyth could fight, but there was worry with what these creatures might do to him if they got a hold of the moorcat. For that reason Ethan had rushed to the girl's side, throwing what little remained of his strength into a gust to send the hound tumbling away. That was all the cue Wyth needed as the moorcat went in for the kill, promptly sinking his fangs into the Vazra's throat for the final blow.

"Hah... Good boy..." Saints was he tired, his entire body felt like it just wanted to shut down any second. Still the fight was going on even if it was dwindling down, he couldn't rest until everyone was safe and the beasts slain. Hearing the monstrous howl at their backs Ethan turned and gawked at the alpha charging down Geoffrey and Zander, too far to intervene and too tired to cast any meaningful spell. Those two were dead if it was upon them, and Nymira was still too busy contending with a final hound of her own to be of help. That's when his eyes found Cecil, watching the Machina spring into action at the last second and seizing hold of the hound. That was exactly what they needed, fantastic! Feeling an abrupt surge of energy, adrenaline he figured, Ethan was prepared to go over and help. He'd not taken even his first step however before his body seized up.

What was this? What was he seeing? His friends dying, torn to shreds by that beast. Vision flashing between what was happening before him and these untold scenes in his mind Ethan tried to force his body to move, staggering but hardly budging. A pain in his skull unlike anything he'd felt before, similar he imagined to one putting their own head in a clamp. Reaching up and grabbing the sides of his head he fell down to his knees as a breathless scream escaped his lips, the fatigue returning as soon as it had gone and pain along with it. It took only a second for him to double over after that, laid out in the dirt with a blank stare, having passed out from the exhaustion and sudden onset of pain. He heard Amuné calling to him albeit barely, her voice sounding muffled as though he were under water. The last thing he saw was her panicked face in his own, unable to hear even her voice before everything went dark.

Just the alpha and this pup left and they would be in the clear. Damn if these beasts weren't troublesome though. More than once Nymira had tried to drive her dagger into the Vazra's neck onto to have to draw back and avoid the saliva it secreted, not wishing to be burned a second time. It was quick yet so was she, their fight devolving to a game of tag almost as one tried to outmaneuver the other. With the alpha on the attack she could do little to help with her own hands full currently, taking some relief in Cecil finally taking up arms. Back to her own battle the hound was squatted low, its fangs barred as it poised to lunge. Crouching down herself the Dimuran loosened the grip on her dagger, eyes locked on the creature's as she waited for its move. As soon as it sprung up she reacted, trying to time her movements precisely to see it dead.

With a flick of her wrist she threw her dagger at the Vazra and found the blade a new home in its chest. Rolling then to the side she watched as the hound tumbled into the dirt, weakened by having an organ likely punctured by her blade. Scrambling over as it tried to get up she pushed it on the ground, ignoring the discomfort from the heat against her skin as she gathered flames swiftly, engulfing the hound in her magic. It wasn't enough to kill the beast but it did burn away much of the skin, leaving a charred and heavily weakened Vazra after a moment. Not taking so much as a second to breathe Nymira yanked her dagger free, flipping it over before burying its sharp edge in the neck of the beast. Using both hands to push it down up to its grip she held it there, not moving as the beast let out a few choked snarls before finally succumbing to its wounds, its head laying down in the dirt as the final breath passed its lips. And with that every one of those beasts was slain, and somehow every one of them alive.

That was her initial impression, yet Amuné's frightened screams nearly made her think otherwise. Looking over at the pair she frowned seeing Ethan on the ground, yet even from her place she could see his back rising and falling. "Idiot likely pushed himself too hard, no reason to worry, he's passed out," the Dimuran explained, yanking her weapon free and shaking it of any fluids on the blade. She was nearly at that point herself as she was feeling rather light headed, having expended more energy than she'd have liked burning that hound. Wondering what had become of the alpha, having been too engrossed in her own fight, Nymira glanced around until she spotted the mangled corpse of the beast against a nearby tree, no doubt Cecil's handiwork. He'd come in handy if more of those beasts showed up, she counted them lucky to have a warrior like him in their ranks.

"They're called 'Vazra', at least in my people's tongue," Nymira explained, pushing the corpse at her feet with her foot, wiping her brow on her arm to clean grime and sweat, "We don't know where they come from really. Some say the Void, others say they're summoned beasts. All I know is I thought they were native to Dimuran territory, beasts that live near volcanoes and in craters and chasms. I have no idea why one would be all the way out here..." Animals tended to migrate, this much she knew. Yet the Vazra had always remained in those territories, preferring the barren, smoldering terrain. Come to think of it too they were so sparse in number she'd almost thought them extinct, so why was a pack this far away?

No matter, the beasts lay dead and whatever threat they might pose was gone with them. Nymira might be more concerned had she the energy for it, yet as things were she barely had the energy to stand, never mind contemplate migration patterns. Heading towards the rest of the group at the cart she paused briefly at Cecil, giving him a rare, genuine smile of approval as she slapped him on the back. He'd saved those two simpletons today, and perhaps all of them. This was the second time now he'd proven invaluable to their efforts, she'd have to see him rewarded handsomely when all was said and done.

"I don't have the energy to be casting spells anymore, I've not even eaten breakfast," Nymira answered, "But just turn over the soil and bury the embers, that's all we need. You two can handle that, I'm sitting in the cart." She'd prefer to take a bath at this point given how filthy she was but there was no real water nearby, and they should be moving anyways to avoid another ambush, should there be more Vazra about. Through all the chaos the horses hadn't run away from them though they were clearly spooked, still prancing about against the trees which they were tied to. And with Ethan's idiotic self having burned out he wasn't available to calm them down.

"He's fine child, he's just spent too much energy," Nymira said as she squatted beside Amuné, placing a hand on the frantic girl's head, "I'll get him in the cart and he can rest, he'll be with us again by the afternoon I'm sure." Letting out a sigh she glanced at the Muran before linking her hands beneath his arms, managing to get him into a sitting position at the very least. Saints he was heavy, though her own fatigue did little to help with that. Grunting as she dragged him across the grass she circled around to the rear of the cart, getting him halfway onto it first before simply throwing his legs up, leaving him splayed a bit awkwardly but on well enough to get moving. Climbing up after him she moved to the front, sitting down on the cart and laying her head back. "Geoffrey, we should try getting to the next town soon. Vazra tend to hunt each other as much as they do other creatures. If there are more about you can bet they'll come here for an easy meal."

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

Well, I'm not saying they can, but I'm not saying they can't either. There's a reason that it always took Magi to kill the Void beasts in ages past :P And why despite being Magi they were so dangerous.

Yas, put the bad puppy out of its misery so we can move along. We've got some down time coming up, a chance for some character development/interaction and a window for new people to finally get in :)

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

Nope, it's just a howl xD It's just a pup pup, THESE are your cannon fodder ;D We're not anywhere near the fun Void beasts yet.

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

"I wouldn't say it's comparable, but some wish for it. Some people see death as a release, grim as it may sound. Is it right to wish for death? Of course not. It's every life's sole purpose to avoid death actively, that's why we live, to not die. Survival, it's quite simple really isn't it?" People fought for survival, they farmed for survival, they worked and cooperated, every labor done was somehow geared towards survival. As advanced as any society could become that remained a constant, just the way one approached it differed. Realizing he was getting a bit off the rails the doctor glanced down at the creature thoughtfully, wondering why it was so concerned about that. "Hm... I suppose they have been gone quite a while, haven't they? Seems like I should go find them..." Finally rising up off of the creature Aito let out a groan as he stretched out, popping his back before looking down again, "Oh... Leave us while I'm gone and I won't be so merciful, I guess. Suppose I ought to make sure you don't run off. Right, I'll be be back, no being evil while I'm gone." Without much energy still he couldn't fly, meaning the doctor had to take a stroll down the beach to find his son and his friend.

Yumi let out a huff when Viral didn't seem to acknowledge her much, frustrated that none of her attempts had done anything yet. He'd eaten hadn't he, so what more did she need to do to get him back? Rather than stay back with the meal he'd delivered she followed after him, watching him walk down the beach with little regards for where he was even heading. Catching up to him she figured she was safe closer to him at this point with his hunger sated and showed no fear, looking up at her friend with a disapproving frown. "Where do you think you're going now? We have to stay here until you're back to normal," she chided, though did little else; Viral was easily 10 feet tall and several times larger than she was, what was she going to do to him? With her words falling on deaf ears she let out a sigh, folding her arms and looking ahead as they walked side by side. He really should burn out, he had before hadn't he? There should be a way to make him change back otherwise but she hadn't a clue what that might be, and without Aito present... Oh, speak of the devil.

So there they were, wandering around on the beach of all things. Seems as though Viral hadn't changed back quite yet which was a shame, though he didn't appear to be attacking anyone either. "Ah, I was wondering where you two might be, saves me more walking," Aito laughed, stopping as he let the others come to him. Seeing Yumi's attire or lack thereof he threw her a quizzical glance, one which he quickly redirected when she gave him a "Don't even ask" look in return. Figuring it was best not to touch that with a 10 foot pole he glanced at Viral, seeing the rather absent look in his eyes and figuring his mind was far from there just yet. "Well I can see we won't be going back just yet, we need to tend to our friend here first," the doctor muttered as he placed his hands on his hips, letting out a sigh before smiling ruefully, "And I don't have the serum on hand, which means out friend here must burn himself out in order to change back..."