JessieTargaryen

Pariah Online: A Voyage into the Intangible Aether

---

---

Location: The Laughing Worg Tavern -- The City of Thorinn, Aetheria

The situation seemed to very rapidly take a turn for the worse before Artemis' eyes. While she wasn't overly eager on the plan at hand, fearing for the life of one of the newfound friends she had made, it seemed another in the group had much stronger opinions than she. Siegfried, was it? She wasn't certain of their name, but his determined voice shook her from being lost in her thoughts. Her eyes widened as she could feel the tension suddenly shoot up in the tavern. Becoming so thick, that she swore she could see electricity sparking between Graves and Siegfried.

She wanted to speak up, to tell the two to calm themselves... yet found her voice caught in her throat. Who was she, trying to barge into a group and tell them what not to do? Surely Seele would get a grip of the two, even as she moved between them. Artemis stayed silent, slinking back into her seat in silence, though she kept a hand on Graves' wrist in a move she hoped might bring him back from the dangerously escalating tensions. Why did they have to fight over this? She understood why they weren't seeing eye to eye on the plan but did it really warrant going at each others' throats? Artemis shook her head, hoping that Seele had what it took to stop the two from coming to blows.

She was wrong. Oh, she was terribly wrong. Her eyes shot wide as Graves yanked away from both Seele and her own hand, the two men making for the door as if to duke it out in the streets. N-no! Don't do this! She wordlessly pleaded, even as the woman sprung to her feet to follow after them. Still, she wasn't certain what she could do to stop them. After all, she had no clue just how dangerous these two might be once they got into it. Still, Artemis felt she had to try to do something to stop their meaningless fight! With a hint of determination in her heart, she followed the others out into the street where the fight seemed to just be getting started...

...And was immediately hit with a scene of horror. Blood, a mess of the crimson liquid was clearly visible on Graves and in their immediate surroundings. Seele seemed to be casting something on the two fighting, while the other involved seemed caught off guard by the actions of Graves. Her momentum from earlier stopped as the previous determination died in her chest, clear as if Graves' soaked knife had found its home there. Her eyes widened in horror as Artemis took an unknowing step back, towards the safety of the tavern. Away from the violent scene.

Suddenly the air cooled, and the world darkened around them. The sounds of the tavern faded, and the street disappeared. Graves, Seele, and Siegfried, all disappeared in the moment. Ghostly mirages of those she had known before covered their forms instead. Her back pressed into the door, yet instead of the wooden tavern door, she felt the cold stone door from that horrid dungeon. Rodents swarmed, and a cacophony of screams roared through her ears.

Light tore back through her vision, and the air warmed once more as that arcane crack ripped through the air. Then scene reverted to modern horror. Seele's chains tore towards Graves, who had just finished stabbing himself in the chest. The girl stumbled lightly as the sickly scent of blood hit her nose. Making her wond-

The dark returned. She had to get out of here! The screams had stopped, replaced by a horrific moaning of people who had lost the ability to resist their pain. The scents of their wounds filled the room, and the scent of the swarming rats, along with their horrid screeches assaulted her. They turned to lu-

Light burst forth once more. Seele's chains gripped harder, tighter around Graves' form. Covering him despite the hideous wounds he had inflicted upon himself. This was wrong, everything was wrong.

Light.

Dark.

Light.

Dark.

Light.

Dark.

"MAKE IT STOP!" The girl screamed out, uncertain if she was outside the tavern or hidden deep below in that dungeon once more. Her frantic mind flipped between two scenes, even as only one certainty was drawn forth: Her friends, new and old, were in peril. She was the only common factor between them. She was the cause, the only conclusion her mind could reach. Tears flowed freely down her cheeks as she tried to make sense of everything, anything. The scenes continued to violently change before her, and in her panic Artemis moved without thinking. Fingers danced along her bow, igniting the Fos rune, even as a glimmering-white arrow marking Ekrixi appeared in her bow. She had to distract these monsters her friends, break their attention from the violence.

She fired, straight into an empty portion of the dungeon street. Upon its impact, the spell created a small explosion of blinding light and a mighty roar from the explosive impact. AS the effects faded, a whimpered, weakened "Just stop!" fled Artemis' mouth, as the girl fell to her knees in the street, and promptly ejected the contents of her last meal onto the street next to her.

"S-stop dying..." She said in a soft whine, pleading with anybody who might be listening to the poor, broken girl.

Pariah Online: A Voyage into the Intangible Aether

---

---

Location: The Laughing Worg Tavern -- The City of Thorinn, Aetheria

Artemis turned away from Seele and Graves with a deep blush after both of them seemed to take issue with her suggestion of playing bait. The fact that these strangers were just so willing to accept her into their group, was reassuring in a way. Especially when Graves said that they wouldn't be letting her from their sight. Her poor heart skipped a beat or two, even as she forced herself to look back towards the others and nod lightly. Still, the promises to watch over her like one of their own were more moving to Artemis than she'd like to admit. Odinson would've liked these people, she decided, a small smile gracing her lips. Admittedly, her plan to play bait had scared her beyond belief. A wave of relief washed over her as if a weight had been lifted and she could breathe a bit better. Yet for the moment, she dared not speak. Worried that the tears of relief she was showing might surface if she did.

The vial of the blood being passed to Graves confused Artemis for a second before it slowly clicked that the vial would very likely be used for tracking Seele after she'd been taken. That earned a look of interest from Artemis to be centered on Graves, she wanted to pick up some tracking skills for a while now, might be useful being a bow user and all. Perhaps she'd ask him to teach her at some point? Artemis shook the thought from her head as she turned back towards Seele as another thought slowly popped into her head. She thought back through the previous explanations of the disappearances for a long few moments, trying to figure out if she had missed some detail that made them so certain somebody was behind the disappearances. She couldn't remember anything, that stuck out, and quickly spoke up before she lost her nerve.

"Are we certain that there is something here that can lead us to those who are missing?" Artemis blurted out, looking towards Seele this time. "We live in a world with magic, on top of... well, the Glitch. Are we certain something is kidnapping these people? What if it's some sort of magical accident that's killing them or the likes?" She asked, voice small out of fear she had missed something obvious and was making a fool of herself. Still, she was worried that they could be rushing ahead and risking something so precious as life itself.

Pariah Online: A Voyage into the Intangible Aether

---

---

Location: The Laughing Worg Tavern -- The City of Thorinn, Aetheria

Artemis leaned in as Seele explained the disappearances, noting how pretty much any information that her guild had gathered was already covered by Seele's explanations. The girl remained silent, thinking through the whole situation and imagining how awful it must have been for the friends of these people. At least she knew what happened to her friends, had they just disappeared... Artemis didn't know how she would carry herself. Watching the others around the table, she wondered briefly just what might be going through their minds. How they were handling the disappearance of others, did they find it as terrifying as she did? Artemis shook her head, perishing those thoughts to focus back on the task at hand.

Then an even more haunting realization dawned upon the girl. She was now a solo player, the most common kind of player to disappear, and a spellcaster at that. Fear gripped her heart as once more, she realized once more that she was alone. Sure, this group had welcomed her to sit and help with their issue but... at some point, they'd go home. At some point, she'd be alone heading to her guild house, and risk becoming another point of data on Seele's documents. Panic started to set in, the girl's leg starting to bounce under the table as she tried to desperately reign herself in to keep a calm demeanor. Without thinking, Artemis reached out to rest a hand on Graves' forearm and gripping tightly, reminding herself where she was, that she wasn't alone.

As she calmed, the girl realized slowly that she was still in the Tavern surrounded by others. The color deepened in her cheeks as embarrassment from her outburst rose to the forefront of her mind. She quickly released Graves' forearm, looking away at that moment. "S-sorry, lack of sleep is getting to me..." She whispered in a small voice, taking the next few moments to collect herself, then speaking up. "If solo spellcasters are their most common target, then... we could also bait a trap. After we find the information, I meet both those criteria at the moment. Just... until then I'd prefer not to be alone for... obvious reasons." She said softly, the wavering in her voice betraying that perhaps more had gone on in her head than simply a lack of sleep.

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Fantasy Knight RP

---

While her distraction seemed to have caused some to stagger, the boars soon grew more distracted by a horrific sight that even shook Runa for the briefest of moments; the headless Haelstadt continuing its rampage through the enemy. What the hell is that thing? The Hundi thought for the briefest of moments before her attention was once more turned on the second wave of Boars. It seemed that even with the horror show of a display, the enemy wouldn't be stopping their attack anytime soon. Runa tried her best to force the thoughts of the headless swordsman fighting nearby from her mind, knowing that a distraction would only serve to end her life. A fact which was frighteningly real to the young woman, now that she was fighting a real enemy instead of training back at the castle.

Then came the orders to disrupt the enemy's formation, and Runa knew exactly what she needed to do. That familiar rush surged through her veins as adrenaline, and anticipation for the coming battle electrifying the young knight. In a sudden flurry of motion, Runa charged the enemy lines at a breakneck pace. Her bastard sword still burning brilliantly, wreathed in flame as she descended on the Boars' formation. Off to one side, the Hundi was aware of Fleuri making his own assault on the enemy lines, nearly in perfect sync with her own attack. As she slammed into the enemy lines, the Hundi's bastard sword flashed around in a deadly arc. The attack meant to smash clear through the spears of those Boars closest to herself, and ward the others back a few steps.

Already, the knight would then be driving her weapon in for a decisive killing blow, a stab through the gut, on the Boar directly ahead of herself. Aiming to keep the pressure from her assault on the opponents, regardless of whether or not her initial attack had succeeded. She knew the moment she lost the offensive, the Boars would have her in a bad spot. She needed to keep them on the defensive...

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Fantasy Knight RP

Okay, hopefully post actually drops tonight without my pc deleting it

Pariah Online: A Voyage into the Intangible Aether

---

---

Location: The Laughing Worg Tavern -- The City of Thorinn, Aetheria

Missing Wayfarers? She swore she had heard rumors about that, the boys had been uneasy and insisting on traveling in groups as of late due to said rumors. As the woman, Seele? brought up a possible investigation, Artemis turned her attention towards the subject. After all, she didn't feel that she had much input on the argument between Graves and Rael... she was still an outsider to this group. Missing wayfarers, however, she could definitely try to help with that. The idea of others out there losing friends as she had, but not even knowing what actually happened to them... sounded even worse than her own situation. With a small sigh, she tried to find the strength to join in on the conversation. To find a way to contribute, but her attention was quickly stolen by Siegfried as he mentioned helping her with anything she needed.

A blush quickly formed on Artemis' features as she shook her head towards Siegfried. "A-ah, there's no need to help me with anything, really. I'd prefer to earn any assistance I get, be it with the investigation or clearing dungeons." She said softly, trying to ward off any potential for charity. Regardless of what she'd been through, the others would've wanted to earn their keep; so she would be doing the same. "I'm not certain Griefers are behind the disappearances, I've not heard much about the rumors but... I doubt griefers would be able to avoid leaving this little evidence behind. There would've been something by now, surely?" The girl, asked, before shaking her head as if to dismiss her own thoughts. Seele had said she knew more about the whole situation, so trying to make any guesses now would be rather dumb.

"A-ah, sorry. You said there was more about the disappearances?" Artemis asked Seele, seeming to jump on this particular thread rather eagerly. She didn't like to leave her mind idle, thoughts about the guild would frequent those idle thoughts once more. So focusing on anything, even a problem as heavy as disappearances, would be a notable improvement. Artemis hoped they wouldn't have too much of an issue with her trying to be involved. Maybe things could get just a bit better... Though immediately after, she cast a look over towards Kazuki as Graves pointed out how much a lightweight the guy happened to be. She had noticed his look of disdain but wasn't certain what he had said after.

"He does seem... a bit drunk, doesn't he? Artemis asked, looking over Kazuki with a bit of concern on her features.

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Fantasy Knight RP

Im gonna get a post up tomorrow

Pariah Online: A Voyage into the Intangible Aether

---

---

Location: The Laughing Worg Tavern -- The City of Thorinn, Aetheria

A faint smile did grace Artemis' lips as she listened to Graves' responses, it was clear he wasn't, particularly good at this whole... emotions thing. At least, comforting another wasn't really his strong suit. Still, the fact he tried was endearing, cute in a way. She followed him quietly towards the group, taking a few deep breathes on the way to regain her composure. Graves had seen her faltering earlier, crumbling under her emotions, she didn't want the rest of the group to share in that experience. She'd offered to help them, after all, letting them pity her wouldn't accomplish said goal. If you're staying, pull your weight. Odin would've agreed with that. She thought quietly to herself, reaching the table just as she finished the thought.

Looking around towards the others as they were introduced, nodding lightly and making note of each of their names. As Graves offered for Artemis to take whatever seat she liked, the girl defaulted to choosing the seat nearest Graves. Sticking to people she knew seemed safer at the moment, and so far she knew him the best out of anybody in this group. Another member spoke to her, Benki... she was certain, welcoming her and saying that they'd all been through quite a bit themselves. Artemis offered a small smile in response but opted not to speak. As soon after he had spoken, Rael continued on their previous conversation. A small wave of relief passed through the girl, the familiarity of the situation reassuring to her in a way.

It had only been a week or two before that Wild Hunt had been sitting in their guild house, having a similar discussion. Figuring out their plans going forward, trying to figure out what they needed to do to get by. So this, at least, was familiar territory. Though she wasn't exactly certain how to contribute just yet, as she wasn't certain what had been discussed. "I... don't know the details of what all has been discussed yet, but Wild Hunt had planned on aiming for world quests to start at least, dungeons seemed a bit dangerous to dive straight into. I... might have some notes we had made back at the guild house. S-sorry if this doesn't help." She offered softly, hoping she might also figure out a bit more of what they had discussed already.

This was nice, being with others.

Pariah Online: A Voyage into the Intangible Aether

---

---

Location: The Laughing Worg Tavern -- The City of Thorinn, Aetheria

The sound of somebody standing drew Artemis' attention, shaking her from the internal monologue of self-pity and doubt. Quickly she turned her attention on the figure standing and making his way towards her, drink in hand. His large build and the fact he so openly approached her told Artemis that he had recognized her, so she had to assume he was in the dungeon as well. There had been a man around his size in those tunnels, so she figured that this might be him. Though she couldn't really recall a name to place with the face. She watched him approach in silence, the grip of her fears catching any hint of a comment in her throat as she tried to figure out how to respond once he had addressed her. After all, there was no denying that she was his destination. Thankfully, he decided to save her the potential awkwardness and spoke first, allowing Artemis an extra few, precious moments to collect herself.

A small color grew to her cheeks, as the girl realized how dreadfully awkward she must've looked just standing there. It was embarrassing, really, and she was glad that Mr. Not-A-Teddy-Bear had decided to approach, saving her from further embarrassment. Artemis reached out to gently accept the tankard in silence, giving him a single nod and appreciative little smile as she took a long drink from the mug. "Thank you." She began, a small tone being all that she felt confident enough to muster at the moment. "I doubt I'll be here long, I don't intend to overstay a welcome but... I needed to thank you all for what you did." She said, letting a small, sad smile appear on her lips for a few moments. "The morning and night were shitty, but... it's not like I have time to sit around crying about it." Artemis added, trying to force a small laugh and catching herself as the laugh very quickly threatened to change to something else. A small tear glistened in the corner of her eye at the same moment, betraying her inner turmoil.

Her head snapped once more in the direction of the group, watching as another from the dungeon... Alja? Slammed her chair to the floor and walked away in a small ruckus. "A-ah. The boys fight like that sometime-..." She commented, cutting herself off as she realized what she said. A shakier, uneven voice heralded her correction. "f-fought..." She muttered, shaking her head once more as she tried to regain what little composure she had walked into this place with. Damnit! Hold your shit together! We're here to thank them, not earn pity!" Artemis chided herself mentally, annoyed by her complete lack of holding her internal pain where it should be, inside. With that small hint of irritation, Artemis focused even harder on reigning herself in, taking the moment to take another long pull of her drink and nearly finished it on her second go, which... she'd probably be regretting soon.

"Still, it seems your group is in the middle of something... I'd had to be a burden on that discussion so..." She said, making to excuse herself from the situation. As she went to set down the tankard and leave, thinking that perhaps coming here might've been better at a later time, Artemis suddenly froze once more. Turning her attention back on Graves, she quickly spoke up once more. "Well, unless I can help with whatever's happening? A-as a way to thank you all for saving me." She asked, eyebrow-raising as she waited to hear his response.

Wait, that's not your business? Why are you butting in? The girl asked herself, having thought for not even a second before stumbling across her answer. She didn't want to leave, not yet.

Leaving meant she'd be alone...

Pariah Online: A Voyage into the Intangible Aether

---

---

Location: Wild Hunt Guildhouse -- The City of Thorinn, Aetheria || The Previous Day

The silence was the worst.

Somehow the complete lack of sound screamed louder than any amount of the typical chaos that usually roared through the halls. Every step echoed when it should've been washed out by the cacophony of the boys arguing back and forth. She could hear the boards making up the walls shifting, settling throughout the night. Every sound making her jump, every sound scarily reminiscent of a scream of pain. She could've sworn she heard their voices in those sounds. Begging for release, crying out in pain as they tumbled off this dreadful mortal coil. Throughout the night, these waking terrors plagued Artemis' mind. The girl tossing, turning, sweating in her bunk. Desperate to fall deep into a dreamless slumber, and never wake. Yet she could find no such mercy, perhaps a punishment for leaving all those so dear behind? Yet was there truly anything she could've done for them? Against such odds?

"Damn it all." She whispered to nobody in particular, rolling out of the hammock strung up in her room. Bare feet pressed to the cold wooden floor, sending a shock through her body and killing off any concept of sleep that had been riding in the girl's mind. Artemis trudged slowly through the empty halls, listening to the creaks and complaints of the old house as she went opening each of the guild member's rooms. Somehow, despite knowing they lay empty, Artemis felt her heart sink further and further into that black pit as she discovered each room to be empty. Memories of her friends played out before her eyes as if their specters hung around solely to remind her of what she had lost. The cost of her survival. Her vision blurred as she moved down the hall towards the last room, that of their guild leader, Odinson. Slowly, the door opened with a borderline-monstrous groan. The scene inside would no doubt be the typical neat, spartan layout he had favored. Yet to Artemis' tortured gaze, the room was non-existent. No, she was not that lucky.

The floor was covered with a horde of them, black shapes crawling about the floor as if it were a terrible midnight sea. Their screeching was unbearable, tearing at the walls of one's mind as it mixed into an unholy chorus with the moans, wails of pain from further within. The mass turned its collective attention on the remaining two, and the girl nocked another spell to fire at her endless foe. Yet, before she could loose the spell, Artemis was staggering back. With wide eyes, she stared up at Odinson, her remaining friend, after he had shoved her out of that hellish room. "RUN!" He shouted, voice strained from pain as the sea fell upon him. The door to that hellscape slammed shut with a resounding thud...

Then she was once more alone, sitting on her rear and staring at the closed door to her friend's room. Tears welling up in her eyes as she curled into a ball, feeling like the very house that had once brought her so much joy was closing in upon her. For what felt like an eternity, Artemis stayed in that hall. She cried, letting all the pain hidden within her mind free until she felt as if she could no longer breathe until her body hurt from the convulsions. Only then, in that strange state of numbness, did Artemis finally find the strength to move once more. This time she braved each of her friend's rooms, emotions muted as she had expended all the energy she could in that hallway. Her fingers traced along their favored possessions, collecting one small item that had been so important to each of them, and carrying it back to her own room. She'd never let them leave her mind, no matter what.

Four items, for the four friends she had lost so recently. From Apollo and Icarus, the twin brothers who had grown up down the street from her, she collected a sketchbook and homemade stuffed animal from each respectively. From Heimdall, the one who had gotten her into gaming, she collected a prized battleax hanging on his wall. He had been their smith and took great pride in the weapons he crafted. Finally, from Odinson, the one who had saved her... she took one of his many cloaks. On him, they had been short and only gone down to his midback, on herself the cloak passed her rear. He'd always be with her, always there to keep her safe.

From here she set about organizing the rest of their belongings into neat piles on their bunks, intending to find a way to pack them up for storage. No use letting them hang about in an empty room and haunt her memories, she'd rather they be somewhere safe. Somewhere she could ensure the belongings of those she loved so much would be untouched. She continued this work, letting her mind remain empty and hollow as she moved about her tasks until the harsh light of dawn started to cut through the windows. "Right, the others." She mumbled to herself, remembering a vague hint of where those who had previously saved her would be meeting up today. She should go, if not just to thank them for being there and letting her follow their group out of that dreadful place. First, however, a bath.

The small patter of feet across the floor caused her head to snap in the direction of the sound, dropping the towel she had been using to dry, and going immediately for the bow she left near the tub. Had they followed her? Some curse she didn't know about? She knew that damned sound. Patter-Patter. Squeak. Behind. She turned, firing once, twice, then three times from her bow, her a scream of fear and rage leaving her lips as she took aim at what she was certain to be the menace that had stolen her friends, back to finish the job. As the dust settled, Artemis' eyes went wide as she realized the truth. It had just been a simple mouse, now blown to bits amid the ruined remains of the shelf it had been scurrying towards. A mouse. A goddamned mouse had set her into a flurry of violence and fear. Shaking her head, Artemis returned to her attempts to dry and dress, deciding it better to get herself out of this house for a bit.

---

---

Location: The Laughing Worg Tavern -- The City of Thorinn, Aetheria || Present Day

Making her way towards the entrance of the tavern, Artemis wondered if this was the right thing to be doing. If she'd be intruding on another group past her welcome. Still, she felt it was better than spending any more time in that house alone. She was certain that she would be spending plenty of time like that soon enough, and that was when she'd have to remember. Pulling Odinson's cloak tighter around herself, Artemis knew it was unusual for her to be heading to a tavern in a less flashy outfit but... this was so much safer. She needed that right now, safety. They don't need to see your weakness, it's not their problem. She mentally reminded herself as she approached, trying her damndest to force the darker, subdued tones from her features. Though there was no doubt they'd notice the lack of sleep in her eyes.

With a huff of determination, Artemis pushed open the door to the tavern. Quickly, her gaze drifted around until it fell upon some of the familiar faces from the dungeon. She forced a small smile onto her features, nothing overbearing, but enough to be pleasant as she pulled her hood down. No use approaching the group looking like she'd just crawled out of hell, she didn't want to deal with any questions about how she had spent her night. Nor about how she was feeling. No, Artemis was afraid she'd crumble under such questions. She wasn't ready to answer how she was handling the last couple of days. She didn't know if she would ever be ready. Once more, the girl shook her head as her gaze locked onto the group full of adventurers, many of whom she did not recognize. She should've known better than to assume it had been only the group in the dungeon. Guess I'll have to introduce myself to some as well... She thought for a brief moment, then started towards the assembled group but froze only two steps in. Hesitation gripped her, keeping her from going forward.

Did she really have a right to impose on this group? Was it fair? Even after she had left her friends to die?

No, I don't.