Danyel
datadogie
The Red Seelie
rush99999
Xiro Zean
Cu Chulainn
Alfhedil
Ojiro Mashirao
Gerlando
Izurich
Novak wasn't able to get anywhere with the small slime, but he was able to notice a key detail about the bigger one. Part of the amorphous creature's body was dried and stuck to the door behind it. A well-placed swing of his sword might be able to sever the slime from the damaged part, but as long as it was hostile, that would be easier said than done.
The easier solution would simply be to kill the slime, something that Narkissa and Lazhira no doubt knew how to do. After killing that massive slime on the upper level, this pitiful, immobilized blob ought to be pretty simple for his companions to deal with. On the other hand, if they were to cut it loose, it might prove useful to them. It might convince the smaller, more intelligent one of their good intentions, and the big one might be useful for slowing down any hunters who pursue them into the temple.
"I see the problem," Novak stated to his companions. "Part of the big one's body is dried and stuck to the door. If I could get close without being grabbed or smacked by its tendrils, I could cut it free. What do you think? You think you could subdue or distract it so I can get close?" He didn't want to openly bring up the possibility of killing it, which might alarm its smaller counterpart.
Narkissa didn’t really see why Novak wanted to be so friendly with the slime creatures. As far as she was concerned, they were mostly hostile, artificially created monstrosities from the Illuminator. In other words, monsters. To her, did it really matter if they alarmed the smaller slime? Maybe it was smarter, but how much and by what metric, anyway? She didn’t feel like bringing up the point when time was of the essence, though. If they needed to be killed in the end, so be it.
“I could try using magic to cut it from the surfaces,” she offered, nodding at Lazhira. She’d managed to use water magic as a cutting surface in the earlier battle with slimes. Although she got the impression her ability wasn’t as potent then, she was confident she could still conjure up something that could slice the slime from the wall without getting too close.
"If you think you can cut it free, I'd appreciate it." Novak replied. He was a bit relieved at not having to take the risk himself, yet at the same time he was a bit disappointed that he wouldn't get the chance to atone for fleeing them earlier. At the same time, he was a bit curious to see her powers for himself. He was curious to see what his companion was capable of.
"We'd better hurry, if that fire's coming from the pit, it’s possible the tar could ignite and fill this entire level with smoke." There was always a possibility that this wouldn't work, that the slime would remain hostile and they'd be forced to kill it, but things were dire enough that Novak felt that taking a few seconds longer to get through was worth the slim possibility of gaining any sort of advantage.
“Mhm.” A bit of a captain obvious there, but Narkissa didn’t want to waste anymore time here. It was true, after all. “Okay, let me see.” Coming in closer, but not so close to the slime that it would feel a direct need to lash out at her, she conjured up some volume of water in her hand. Focusing her newfound magical energy into it, she let it shoot out in a thin blade of water in an angle between the struggling slime and the surface it was affixed to. A slime, being a slime, hopefully it shouldn’t take much for the highly pressurized water to cut the creature off from the wall and door to give them proper access to what hopefully was an escape path.
The water would wobble in her hand, much less together than it had been in the previous encounter with the slime above. She could still hold it, but it was like holding a ball of jello, and like it was about to slip right through her fingers. Forming it into a shape was just as tricky as holding it. It being water, wanted to simply let gravity do what it was supposed to and send it crashing towards the ground.
It seemed at least, to still be able to kept together well enough to launch a thin blade of water, though not nearly highly pressurized as she had used before - but it was definitely effective. The blade would slice through the part of the slime’s squishy surface between where it had somehow managed to dry and the door, cutting a hole in the creatures flesh, but far enough away it didn’t just simply cling back to it. The slime however, did not seem to take too kindly to this. The slime would rumble and attempt to lash out at the two of them, while the small one would seemingly scurry back into the cage and watch, trembling.
The lack of skill she’d previously shown annoyed Narkissa, but she managed to accomplish what she set out to do. Annoyingly enough, the slime didn’t appreciate it. “Bloody seriously? Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth, I could have killed you instead!” She spat out, before shaking her head as she tried to dodge the creature. Then, she shoved Novak towards it.
“Your project, your problem, now.”
"What?" Novak spoke as Narkissa pushed him into harm's way. As quickly as he could, he drew his sword and swung it at the slime's incoming tendrils. It seemed that Narkissa was intent on making Novak fight this one, instead of using her powers and knowledge to kill it herself. No doubt it was revenge for fleeing the earlier fight and not letting them just kill the big one right now.
Novak needed to act quickly. After striking at the slime's tendrils, he gripped his sword with both hands, took note of where the slime's core was, and thrust the sword into the creature, once again using the same technique he had copied from Nobunaga (and the only technique he knew). His goal was to skewer the slime's core on his sword like a shish kabob, and if that didn't kill it, he'd yank the sword upward to pull the impaled core right out of the ungrateful blob.
Novak’s sword would easily pierce the gelatinous blobs skin, yet also would not have quite the required force to break its core. It would clink against it, the slime grumbling complantatively as the blade would be thrust upwards, cleaving a large gash in its flesh. In response, the slime would use one of the bones within its mass to form another tendril, striking Novak right in the gut with the blunt object. The impact would at the very least, wind him as the slime would soon lash out with another, this time aiming seemingly for his head.
It still wasn’t moving from its spot - it seemed like half of its body was still dried to the door, but its temperament wasn’t making it easy on the travelers.
Novak stepped back as the slime struck his gut with a bone, pained by the blow. It appeared the core was too sturdy to skewer. He raised his sword to block the slime's incoming tendril, or more specifically, block the bone that the slime was using as a bludgeon. With all his might he pushed the tendril back, then swung his sword to cut off the makeshift appendage and deprive the monster of its bone. Whether the slime would attempt to retrieve its bone or continue fighting with one less solid object to use against him, Novak hoped that it'd provide an opening.
Novaks sword easily cut through the slime, slicing cleanly through the makeshift appendage as it would clatter uselessly to the floor some distance away as the creature would struggle, attempting to seemingly free itself now that half of its body was now pulled away from the door. A slimy appendage would attempt landing another body blow on his torso, shooting forward from its surface.
Not this time, Novak thought as he dodged to the side, having gotten wise to this particular attack. His footwork was imperfect and nearly caused him to lose his balance, but he managed to gain his footing quickly enough to swing his sword upward through the slime's appendage. With every severed tendril, the creature ought to lose a bit of liquid and solid material, but it'd take too long to deplete it this way. Novak noticed how it strained to pull itself free- perhaps its own desperate exertions could make it easier to dismantle. He swung the sword horizontally at what passed for the slime's midsection, hoping that it could be cut in half or at least disrupted by the sword shearing through its body.
The Slime gurgled as it was sliced, a deep gash being left in its gooey body. The sword had cleaved a clean wound through its body, exposing what was also obviously its core very briefly to Novak and the rest of the group. It would re-seal fast enough, but if Novak was quick, he could very likely just pull it out or damage it now that he didn’t have to swing through the slimes gunk to do so.
Novak moved quickly to act on the opportunity. He wasn't sure how durable the slime's core was, so he dropped his sword and stepped forward, seizing the core in his hands. Summoning all of his strength, he pulled the core away from slime, not wanting to give it a chance to recover. It was risky to put his hands anywhere near the thing after seeing it digest that piece of meat, but he didn’t trust his sword to cut through it. Besides, an undamaged core might be useful.
The slime gurgled, its body rumbling as it would attempt to latch onto Novak’s hand, preventing him from pulling out its core - but it could not muster the strength to do so. With a mighty pull, Novak would easily pull the core from the creature, freeing it with a wet squelch as it was pried free from the slimes body. The creature would then shudder, its gelatinous body attempting its best to maintain shape, a few more pathetic lashes out at the group as it would soon lose form, its body losing cohesion and spilling onto the floor and quickly dying.
The wooden door beyond could likely be opened easily enough.
Narkissa offered a small clap for Novak’s accomplishment. “Well done,” she offered, neutrally. “I did the same with the core.” Her comment and a pat on the shoulder was the most amount of praise he’d get out of her today. She stepped forward to try the door. “Now shall we?”
"You go on ahead, there's one last thing I want to take care of," Novak replied.
After recovering and putting away his sword, he knelt down by the cage where the smaller slime had retreated.
"Sorry you had to see that," he apologized, gesturing at the mess that was once the larger slime. "We wanted to help, truly, but it left us no choice. Would you like to come with us as we leave this place? I promise to do what I can to keep you safe."
The small creature would hiss, slapping away Novak’s hand. It wasn’t enough to hurt, but it would definitely sting as the creature would scurry on past the group, retreating back into the temple where they had come from. Seemed like it wanted nothing to do with them, now. Lazhira would frown at this, seeming a bit disappointed it ended the way it had, but ultimately didn’t say anything.
The door would easily creak open after a bit of force was applied to where the slime had dried between it to the wall. On the other side...well, was a quite odd sight. A black fox - one Novak would certainly be familiar with. The room beyond seemed to be a long hallway, with a number of other rooms split off to the side, though most had been covered with debris...more importantly, was a breeze from further in at the end of the hallway.
“...eh, a fox?” Lazhira would question. It would turn its head towards Novak, before scurrying down the hallway. No doubt it seemed to want them to follow it - and should they so choose...they would soon find a collapsed section of the temple, with an opening above ground just big enough for someone to escape through.
@Click This@Crimson Paladin@Cu Chulainn
And so the trio would at least, somewhat safely leave the temple no worse for wear. It would only leave the question - where was Leannah? They couldn’t linger however, the fox they were being led by would lead them urgently, as though they were on some sort of unseen timer as they climbed from the old ruin. It would lead them further into the woods, before taking a sharp turn back towards the village - circling around the range of what was likely the rest of the hunters.
The hunters in question would arrive only minutes after the group had left the secondary exit. Clicking her tongue in annoyance at realizing she had just been a bit too late, Soyala would frown...only to swiftly look back in the direction of the temple upon hearing Malphas’ scream. Swiftly, she would run back - only to see what was assumedly a grizzly fate that had befell him...it was rather suspect, all things considered. The Huntress would take a few moments to look about the area...for what Malphas had forgotten - was that she was an extremely skilled hunter, which meant one thing.
Tracking prey and animals in a forest was childs’ play.
Thankfully for Malphas, though, she did not immediately pursue. Instead, she’d heft the spear in her hand, resting it on her shoulder and consider that perhaps, he was not worth putting faith in whatsoever. One who ran from something so simple...pathetic, really. He would arrive back in the village fairly quickly, his wings able to in fact, allow some fairly decent acrobatics, and there was no deer that seemed to want to murder him this evening…all that was left was to perhaps, find lodging for the evening that wasn’t with the hunters. No doubt they would call into question this entire plan of his.
@Crimson Paladin@Click This
The black fox, as one might have assumed, seemed to belong to Mie. By the time they had made it out of the forest, it was well into the night, the moon already starting its ascent into the sky. The merchant in question, was waiting patiently in her tent - if one could call nearly passed out drunk from the amount of alcohol she had drank waiting patiently. Upon entering, the fox would hop on top of her head, raise its claws...and bap her right on the forehead, immediately waking the merchant from her drunken sleep.
After scolding the presumed pet, she’d greet Novak, and seeing their somewhat ragged and tired looking selves, would only offer Novak a place to stay for the evening having not forgotten wanting to have spoken with him previously. Lazhira and Narkissa though, were not welcome despite her amicability. Lazhira would take Narkissa back to her home. Novak too, if he declined. Mie would ask to see Novak first thing in the morning, however.
Nobbu and the Fox
@VitaVitaAR@PKMNB0Y@Click This
After their meeting with Haruno, Nobbu and Misaki were free to do whatever it was they wanted for the duration of the night - likely though they could probably use some food and then some rest back at Lazhira’s place. Maybe ask her some questions, too - but they would have to wait a bit longer. It’d be a few hours into the night by the time Lazhira would return with Narkissa and Novak if he declined Mie’s invitation - but no Leannah. She’d explain briefly what occurred at the temple, if Narkissa didn’t, though she’d also leave out the part about taking things from the slime and the ‘tear’ that Narkissa had from the Goddess. She’d make everyone some simple food if they desired - some sort of stew with fish and berries quickly warmed over a fire.
The night would pass more uneventfully, but perhaps the group had other things they wanted to do before bed.
A Traveler
@PaulHaynek
So, Nicholas would set off for the mountains without barely even a fire to keep himself warm. Really, what sort of dumb idea was that? Did he simply think he’d be fine? Wandering off into the unknown without any sort of help? Well, Augusta and Isidore did it supposedly. Maybe they were fine? But Augusta could use magic to keep them warm. Him? What did he have? Nothing at all to his name.
Yet still he would persist.
Perhaps it was due to this new body of his, or maybe it was just his dumb luck, but despite the biting cold winds the night brought, he would find his legs able to carry him despite the weariness. At least the storm from the previous day seemed to have settled, too, meaning he could travel mostly unimpeded. Yet even so, that could only go so far, in the end. As the moon loomed overhead, and he’d keep his eyes forward across the vast plains towards the mountains jutting into the heavens, he’d maybe not notice a shooting star heading far to the east…
@VitaVitaAR@PKMNB0Y@Click This
The rest of the night for the group at Lazhira’s house would pass uneventfully...though it seemed like Lazhira didn’t get too much sleep, spending most of the night pacing back and forth and seemingly nervously going over things in her room as though she couldn’t quite settle down. She would however, still help those that needed it with any sort of magical sparring or advice. If asked, she’d merely say she was worried about Leannah not returning yet - though it was a bit obvious she was dodging questions as always.
Once morning came around, as usual, she would make food for everyone though it seemed a bit less extravagant this time, and a simple meal of berries, a few cuts of meat enough for everyone, and a number of fish, and just like the last morning she would not be initially in the house when everyone would wake. It wouldn’t be until after everyone had well woken up, eaten, or went through other morning routines would Lazhira return to her home looking even more worried.
“...Uhm, guys? Temples gone. And the mist is seemingly spreading more now.” She would say, once she was certain everyone was in the room that was going to be. Whatever that meant, it couldn't be good. “The only thing left is a giant pit where it used to be and some sort of...large altar at the bottom of a sinkhole that’s filled with water. A-and I think I remember what was weird about it yesterday...uhm...” She’d shift uncomfortably, rubbing the mark on her hand. “...it wasn’t real. Well, it was, but it wasn’t. Erm, it was like...him sort of imposing part of his divine realm over the area. The real temple well...I don’t know where it is any more. I can’t remember.”
The Skill Seeker
@Crimson Paladin
Novak would find the bed he had been given for the night fairly comfortable, all things considered even if it wasn’t a proper bed. The cover was seemingly made of fur of some sort, and the pillow was soft, plush, and the room quiet. The only mildly disconcerting thing perhaps, was that he was sharing Mie’s tent, and the black fox from earlier decided his head would make a comfortable pillow. When next he woke, Novak would be greeted by a pleasant smell of cooked food. Fish, rice, a faint scent of alcohol, and fresh fruit.
The fox from earlier had seemingly vanished, off to do whatever it normally did, but Mie would greet him warmly, sipping a cup of alcohol and fresh food prepared for the morning. Across the table from her...was also a blue haired small person. She was dressed as one may expect a typical traveler or adventurer might, with armor, a sword and shield.
“Oh, yer the other one miss Mie mentioned, eh?” She would say. “Nice to meet ya. Names Eirhild. Dwarf, if ya couldn’t tell.”
“Sorry if Ayumi kept you up. She was hoping you’d feed her some more.” She’d chuckle. “She ran off somewhere though. Anyways, come, have a seat...I’m sure your curious about why I wanted to see you last evening.” Mie would point to a place across the table from her. “In short...I want to hire you. Consider the money I gave yesterday a bit of an advanced payment.” She’d continue, a playful smile forming on her lips. “If you want a reason - lets just say I know talent when I see it, and you, and all of your friends really...are extremely talented...interesting. I can offer work, Haruno would likely very much like someone of some skill to spar with...and all I ask for, is loyalty in return. No need to decide now, of course...but just keep it in mind. I offered the same to Eirhild there.”
“You look pretty strong for a human.” The dwarf would say with a smile. “Since when did humans get so tough, eh? Ran into another one of ye yesterday. Stout fellow, and also kinda weird. Likes manhandling dwarfs too much.”
The Roma Mob
@ERode@Pyromania99
Rullphana would watch Augusta’s show of her skill with mild interest. The arrows would form easily, hovering in the air without much trouble as they would wait for a target - but soon they would fizzle out after not being used.
“That’s the best you can do? Really? I think you were holding out on me a bit, I was hoping for a bit more. Even my dumb apprentice can do more than that.” Rullphana would sigh. Raezel would look up at mention of her name, and quickly perform for the two. A stream of pure magic would flow from her hand, and into one of her others. She’d weave the brightly colored energy around her hand, before channeling it towards the ground...where’d she’d falter for a second, a small rumble would follow as the ground beneath her feet would heave upwards, completely knocking her off her feet with a startled yelp.
“Its...not very impressive, though the fact you can weave it so easily is remarkable. Very well...you have talent and control, you just need practical practice it seems, and a bit of guidance. Both of which, I can thankfully offer. Now, then...I will first examine Octavia, as that will take the shortest amount of time, then I will teach you at the same time I teach both Raezel and Leuca tomorrow.”
Send Feet Pics
@Cu Chulainn
Malphas would return to the village without issue...that left him with the issue of finding some place to stay for the night. No doubt the hunters wouldn’t want to see him again after that little stunt. Thankfully Enli would be amicable as always, if he went to ask for a place there he would accept without much questions, though the older gentleman would be seeming to contemplate something.
Whenever morning came, he’d be free to do as he wished. He had cut ties with the hunters, and they’d no doubt be looking for him in the morning should he show himself. Better hope he could talk fast if they found him. Otherwise, there was not much stopping him from doing what he wished. Maybe it’d be a good idea to leave the village. Seemed like after all, it may be unsalvageable.
@Crusader Lord
Leannah would step into the southern room after placing her bounty with the rest. As expected, the room did not light upon her entering, but something else did happen. A voice resounding from everywhere in the room, echoing upon the walls. The voice was soft, gentle, if somewhat bored or perhaps, disinterested.
”Child of another world, I welcome thee to this realm. I apologize for his rather...crude behavior...and for the Moon’s rather abrupt tangling of you into her whims.”
It would pause for a moment before continuing. The room would slowly light - silvery light shining down upon the far platform from above as it would gently illuminate the room as though by bright moonlight. A few platforms would rise from the ground nearby, making an easy path up to the statue.
I was asked by him to be a test...but I have no interest in such things. So go on, take it and be done so I can get to doing other things that much more urgently need doing.
Far above the room, Leannah could see a figure standing on a platform jutting out from the wall. It was difficult to make out their features from her position, but it was definitely the figure that was talking.
Or take your time. Its not like it matters much in a divine realm like this. In fact, take as long as you want. More time for me not spent fixing someone else's messes.
(and because I forgot earlier)
A Traveler
@PaulHaynek
It would be early morning by the time Nicholas reached the foot of the mountains. The sun, just starting to peek over the horizon. By now he was hungry. Tired. His muscles would ache from exertion and cold. In fact, he had started losing feeling in most of his limbs. Definitely not a good sign. He probably should find a place both to rest, and some sort of food soon otherwise he was going to die before he even got a chance to meet the people of the mountain. At least by the end of it all, he could tell he was getting used to such cold temperatures.
As he would start to ascend, or otherwise move around the mountain, he’d start hearing something - harsh cries and guttural yells. The entire ground would shake, causing him to lose his footing wherever he was standing.
“Yahooo!~”
Before he had a moment to contemplate what exactly was yelling with such joyful glee, something massive came sailing through the air, tumbling down the mountain side and slamming into the ground below as it would settle in the snow. It was vaguely humanoid - but incredibly massive! It was some sort of giant! Something, had quite literally, just tossed a giant humanoid down the side of a mountain!
“Ahahah, I thought giants were supposed to be tough! Man you guys are pathetic! Some world-enders you’re supposed to be, ahaha!~” More gleeful laughing from a distinctly human voice from above as the ground shook again, more guttural yells and harsh crying coming from the direction.
If he so happened to look, he’d see the source of the commotion.
A human dressed entirely in red. A large sword was at her side, though it was currently going unused. She was surrounded by a group of three giant humanoids, all wielding various spears or axes as the looked at the human under them cautiously. Despite the somewhat precarious situation, it didn’t seem like she was in much danger. If anything, it looked like she was right where she wanted to be. Thankfully they hadn’t noticed him yet-
The ground would rumble again. The giant that had been knocked down the mountain was getting up, and it seemed to have noticed Nicholas! It was using one of its giant hands to make a grab for him!
The easier solution would simply be to kill the slime, something that Narkissa and Lazhira no doubt knew how to do. After killing that massive slime on the upper level, this pitiful, immobilized blob ought to be pretty simple for his companions to deal with. On the other hand, if they were to cut it loose, it might prove useful to them. It might convince the smaller, more intelligent one of their good intentions, and the big one might be useful for slowing down any hunters who pursue them into the temple.
"I see the problem," Novak stated to his companions. "Part of the big one's body is dried and stuck to the door. If I could get close without being grabbed or smacked by its tendrils, I could cut it free. What do you think? You think you could subdue or distract it so I can get close?" He didn't want to openly bring up the possibility of killing it, which might alarm its smaller counterpart.
Narkissa didn’t really see why Novak wanted to be so friendly with the slime creatures. As far as she was concerned, they were mostly hostile, artificially created monstrosities from the Illuminator. In other words, monsters. To her, did it really matter if they alarmed the smaller slime? Maybe it was smarter, but how much and by what metric, anyway? She didn’t feel like bringing up the point when time was of the essence, though. If they needed to be killed in the end, so be it.
“I could try using magic to cut it from the surfaces,” she offered, nodding at Lazhira. She’d managed to use water magic as a cutting surface in the earlier battle with slimes. Although she got the impression her ability wasn’t as potent then, she was confident she could still conjure up something that could slice the slime from the wall without getting too close.
"If you think you can cut it free, I'd appreciate it." Novak replied. He was a bit relieved at not having to take the risk himself, yet at the same time he was a bit disappointed that he wouldn't get the chance to atone for fleeing them earlier. At the same time, he was a bit curious to see her powers for himself. He was curious to see what his companion was capable of.
"We'd better hurry, if that fire's coming from the pit, it’s possible the tar could ignite and fill this entire level with smoke." There was always a possibility that this wouldn't work, that the slime would remain hostile and they'd be forced to kill it, but things were dire enough that Novak felt that taking a few seconds longer to get through was worth the slim possibility of gaining any sort of advantage.
“Mhm.” A bit of a captain obvious there, but Narkissa didn’t want to waste anymore time here. It was true, after all. “Okay, let me see.” Coming in closer, but not so close to the slime that it would feel a direct need to lash out at her, she conjured up some volume of water in her hand. Focusing her newfound magical energy into it, she let it shoot out in a thin blade of water in an angle between the struggling slime and the surface it was affixed to. A slime, being a slime, hopefully it shouldn’t take much for the highly pressurized water to cut the creature off from the wall and door to give them proper access to what hopefully was an escape path.
The water would wobble in her hand, much less together than it had been in the previous encounter with the slime above. She could still hold it, but it was like holding a ball of jello, and like it was about to slip right through her fingers. Forming it into a shape was just as tricky as holding it. It being water, wanted to simply let gravity do what it was supposed to and send it crashing towards the ground.
It seemed at least, to still be able to kept together well enough to launch a thin blade of water, though not nearly highly pressurized as she had used before - but it was definitely effective. The blade would slice through the part of the slime’s squishy surface between where it had somehow managed to dry and the door, cutting a hole in the creatures flesh, but far enough away it didn’t just simply cling back to it. The slime however, did not seem to take too kindly to this. The slime would rumble and attempt to lash out at the two of them, while the small one would seemingly scurry back into the cage and watch, trembling.
The lack of skill she’d previously shown annoyed Narkissa, but she managed to accomplish what she set out to do. Annoyingly enough, the slime didn’t appreciate it. “Bloody seriously? Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth, I could have killed you instead!” She spat out, before shaking her head as she tried to dodge the creature. Then, she shoved Novak towards it.
“Your project, your problem, now.”
"What?" Novak spoke as Narkissa pushed him into harm's way. As quickly as he could, he drew his sword and swung it at the slime's incoming tendrils. It seemed that Narkissa was intent on making Novak fight this one, instead of using her powers and knowledge to kill it herself. No doubt it was revenge for fleeing the earlier fight and not letting them just kill the big one right now.
Novak needed to act quickly. After striking at the slime's tendrils, he gripped his sword with both hands, took note of where the slime's core was, and thrust the sword into the creature, once again using the same technique he had copied from Nobunaga (and the only technique he knew). His goal was to skewer the slime's core on his sword like a shish kabob, and if that didn't kill it, he'd yank the sword upward to pull the impaled core right out of the ungrateful blob.
Novak’s sword would easily pierce the gelatinous blobs skin, yet also would not have quite the required force to break its core. It would clink against it, the slime grumbling complantatively as the blade would be thrust upwards, cleaving a large gash in its flesh. In response, the slime would use one of the bones within its mass to form another tendril, striking Novak right in the gut with the blunt object. The impact would at the very least, wind him as the slime would soon lash out with another, this time aiming seemingly for his head.
It still wasn’t moving from its spot - it seemed like half of its body was still dried to the door, but its temperament wasn’t making it easy on the travelers.
Novak stepped back as the slime struck his gut with a bone, pained by the blow. It appeared the core was too sturdy to skewer. He raised his sword to block the slime's incoming tendril, or more specifically, block the bone that the slime was using as a bludgeon. With all his might he pushed the tendril back, then swung his sword to cut off the makeshift appendage and deprive the monster of its bone. Whether the slime would attempt to retrieve its bone or continue fighting with one less solid object to use against him, Novak hoped that it'd provide an opening.
Novaks sword easily cut through the slime, slicing cleanly through the makeshift appendage as it would clatter uselessly to the floor some distance away as the creature would struggle, attempting to seemingly free itself now that half of its body was now pulled away from the door. A slimy appendage would attempt landing another body blow on his torso, shooting forward from its surface.
Not this time, Novak thought as he dodged to the side, having gotten wise to this particular attack. His footwork was imperfect and nearly caused him to lose his balance, but he managed to gain his footing quickly enough to swing his sword upward through the slime's appendage. With every severed tendril, the creature ought to lose a bit of liquid and solid material, but it'd take too long to deplete it this way. Novak noticed how it strained to pull itself free- perhaps its own desperate exertions could make it easier to dismantle. He swung the sword horizontally at what passed for the slime's midsection, hoping that it could be cut in half or at least disrupted by the sword shearing through its body.
The Slime gurgled as it was sliced, a deep gash being left in its gooey body. The sword had cleaved a clean wound through its body, exposing what was also obviously its core very briefly to Novak and the rest of the group. It would re-seal fast enough, but if Novak was quick, he could very likely just pull it out or damage it now that he didn’t have to swing through the slimes gunk to do so.
Novak moved quickly to act on the opportunity. He wasn't sure how durable the slime's core was, so he dropped his sword and stepped forward, seizing the core in his hands. Summoning all of his strength, he pulled the core away from slime, not wanting to give it a chance to recover. It was risky to put his hands anywhere near the thing after seeing it digest that piece of meat, but he didn’t trust his sword to cut through it. Besides, an undamaged core might be useful.
The slime gurgled, its body rumbling as it would attempt to latch onto Novak’s hand, preventing him from pulling out its core - but it could not muster the strength to do so. With a mighty pull, Novak would easily pull the core from the creature, freeing it with a wet squelch as it was pried free from the slimes body. The creature would then shudder, its gelatinous body attempting its best to maintain shape, a few more pathetic lashes out at the group as it would soon lose form, its body losing cohesion and spilling onto the floor and quickly dying.
The wooden door beyond could likely be opened easily enough.
Narkissa offered a small clap for Novak’s accomplishment. “Well done,” she offered, neutrally. “I did the same with the core.” Her comment and a pat on the shoulder was the most amount of praise he’d get out of her today. She stepped forward to try the door. “Now shall we?”
"You go on ahead, there's one last thing I want to take care of," Novak replied.
After recovering and putting away his sword, he knelt down by the cage where the smaller slime had retreated.
"Sorry you had to see that," he apologized, gesturing at the mess that was once the larger slime. "We wanted to help, truly, but it left us no choice. Would you like to come with us as we leave this place? I promise to do what I can to keep you safe."
The small creature would hiss, slapping away Novak’s hand. It wasn’t enough to hurt, but it would definitely sting as the creature would scurry on past the group, retreating back into the temple where they had come from. Seemed like it wanted nothing to do with them, now. Lazhira would frown at this, seeming a bit disappointed it ended the way it had, but ultimately didn’t say anything.
The door would easily creak open after a bit of force was applied to where the slime had dried between it to the wall. On the other side...well, was a quite odd sight. A black fox - one Novak would certainly be familiar with. The room beyond seemed to be a long hallway, with a number of other rooms split off to the side, though most had been covered with debris...more importantly, was a breeze from further in at the end of the hallway.
“...eh, a fox?” Lazhira would question. It would turn its head towards Novak, before scurrying down the hallway. No doubt it seemed to want them to follow it - and should they so choose...they would soon find a collapsed section of the temple, with an opening above ground just big enough for someone to escape through.
@Click This@Crimson Paladin@Cu Chulainn
And so the trio would at least, somewhat safely leave the temple no worse for wear. It would only leave the question - where was Leannah? They couldn’t linger however, the fox they were being led by would lead them urgently, as though they were on some sort of unseen timer as they climbed from the old ruin. It would lead them further into the woods, before taking a sharp turn back towards the village - circling around the range of what was likely the rest of the hunters.
The hunters in question would arrive only minutes after the group had left the secondary exit. Clicking her tongue in annoyance at realizing she had just been a bit too late, Soyala would frown...only to swiftly look back in the direction of the temple upon hearing Malphas’ scream. Swiftly, she would run back - only to see what was assumedly a grizzly fate that had befell him...it was rather suspect, all things considered. The Huntress would take a few moments to look about the area...for what Malphas had forgotten - was that she was an extremely skilled hunter, which meant one thing.
Tracking prey and animals in a forest was childs’ play.
Thankfully for Malphas, though, she did not immediately pursue. Instead, she’d heft the spear in her hand, resting it on her shoulder and consider that perhaps, he was not worth putting faith in whatsoever. One who ran from something so simple...pathetic, really. He would arrive back in the village fairly quickly, his wings able to in fact, allow some fairly decent acrobatics, and there was no deer that seemed to want to murder him this evening…all that was left was to perhaps, find lodging for the evening that wasn’t with the hunters. No doubt they would call into question this entire plan of his.
@Crimson Paladin@Click This
The black fox, as one might have assumed, seemed to belong to Mie. By the time they had made it out of the forest, it was well into the night, the moon already starting its ascent into the sky. The merchant in question, was waiting patiently in her tent - if one could call nearly passed out drunk from the amount of alcohol she had drank waiting patiently. Upon entering, the fox would hop on top of her head, raise its claws...and bap her right on the forehead, immediately waking the merchant from her drunken sleep.
After scolding the presumed pet, she’d greet Novak, and seeing their somewhat ragged and tired looking selves, would only offer Novak a place to stay for the evening having not forgotten wanting to have spoken with him previously. Lazhira and Narkissa though, were not welcome despite her amicability. Lazhira would take Narkissa back to her home. Novak too, if he declined. Mie would ask to see Novak first thing in the morning, however.
Nobbu and the Fox
@VitaVitaAR@PKMNB0Y@Click This
After their meeting with Haruno, Nobbu and Misaki were free to do whatever it was they wanted for the duration of the night - likely though they could probably use some food and then some rest back at Lazhira’s place. Maybe ask her some questions, too - but they would have to wait a bit longer. It’d be a few hours into the night by the time Lazhira would return with Narkissa and Novak if he declined Mie’s invitation - but no Leannah. She’d explain briefly what occurred at the temple, if Narkissa didn’t, though she’d also leave out the part about taking things from the slime and the ‘tear’ that Narkissa had from the Goddess. She’d make everyone some simple food if they desired - some sort of stew with fish and berries quickly warmed over a fire.
The night would pass more uneventfully, but perhaps the group had other things they wanted to do before bed.
A Traveler
@PaulHaynek
So, Nicholas would set off for the mountains without barely even a fire to keep himself warm. Really, what sort of dumb idea was that? Did he simply think he’d be fine? Wandering off into the unknown without any sort of help? Well, Augusta and Isidore did it supposedly. Maybe they were fine? But Augusta could use magic to keep them warm. Him? What did he have? Nothing at all to his name.
Yet still he would persist.
Perhaps it was due to this new body of his, or maybe it was just his dumb luck, but despite the biting cold winds the night brought, he would find his legs able to carry him despite the weariness. At least the storm from the previous day seemed to have settled, too, meaning he could travel mostly unimpeded. Yet even so, that could only go so far, in the end. As the moon loomed overhead, and he’d keep his eyes forward across the vast plains towards the mountains jutting into the heavens, he’d maybe not notice a shooting star heading far to the east…
And thus night would fall, the moon watching quietly.
~Dawn of the Next Day~
@VitaVitaAR@PKMNB0Y@Click This
The rest of the night for the group at Lazhira’s house would pass uneventfully...though it seemed like Lazhira didn’t get too much sleep, spending most of the night pacing back and forth and seemingly nervously going over things in her room as though she couldn’t quite settle down. She would however, still help those that needed it with any sort of magical sparring or advice. If asked, she’d merely say she was worried about Leannah not returning yet - though it was a bit obvious she was dodging questions as always.
Once morning came around, as usual, she would make food for everyone though it seemed a bit less extravagant this time, and a simple meal of berries, a few cuts of meat enough for everyone, and a number of fish, and just like the last morning she would not be initially in the house when everyone would wake. It wouldn’t be until after everyone had well woken up, eaten, or went through other morning routines would Lazhira return to her home looking even more worried.
“...Uhm, guys? Temples gone. And the mist is seemingly spreading more now.” She would say, once she was certain everyone was in the room that was going to be. Whatever that meant, it couldn't be good. “The only thing left is a giant pit where it used to be and some sort of...large altar at the bottom of a sinkhole that’s filled with water. A-and I think I remember what was weird about it yesterday...uhm...” She’d shift uncomfortably, rubbing the mark on her hand. “...it wasn’t real. Well, it was, but it wasn’t. Erm, it was like...him sort of imposing part of his divine realm over the area. The real temple well...I don’t know where it is any more. I can’t remember.”
The Skill Seeker
@Crimson Paladin
Novak would find the bed he had been given for the night fairly comfortable, all things considered even if it wasn’t a proper bed. The cover was seemingly made of fur of some sort, and the pillow was soft, plush, and the room quiet. The only mildly disconcerting thing perhaps, was that he was sharing Mie’s tent, and the black fox from earlier decided his head would make a comfortable pillow. When next he woke, Novak would be greeted by a pleasant smell of cooked food. Fish, rice, a faint scent of alcohol, and fresh fruit.
The fox from earlier had seemingly vanished, off to do whatever it normally did, but Mie would greet him warmly, sipping a cup of alcohol and fresh food prepared for the morning. Across the table from her...was also a blue haired small person. She was dressed as one may expect a typical traveler or adventurer might, with armor, a sword and shield.
“Oh, yer the other one miss Mie mentioned, eh?” She would say. “Nice to meet ya. Names Eirhild. Dwarf, if ya couldn’t tell.”
“Sorry if Ayumi kept you up. She was hoping you’d feed her some more.” She’d chuckle. “She ran off somewhere though. Anyways, come, have a seat...I’m sure your curious about why I wanted to see you last evening.” Mie would point to a place across the table from her. “In short...I want to hire you. Consider the money I gave yesterday a bit of an advanced payment.” She’d continue, a playful smile forming on her lips. “If you want a reason - lets just say I know talent when I see it, and you, and all of your friends really...are extremely talented...interesting. I can offer work, Haruno would likely very much like someone of some skill to spar with...and all I ask for, is loyalty in return. No need to decide now, of course...but just keep it in mind. I offered the same to Eirhild there.”
“You look pretty strong for a human.” The dwarf would say with a smile. “Since when did humans get so tough, eh? Ran into another one of ye yesterday. Stout fellow, and also kinda weird. Likes manhandling dwarfs too much.”
The Roma Mob
@ERode@Pyromania99
Rullphana would watch Augusta’s show of her skill with mild interest. The arrows would form easily, hovering in the air without much trouble as they would wait for a target - but soon they would fizzle out after not being used.
“That’s the best you can do? Really? I think you were holding out on me a bit, I was hoping for a bit more. Even my dumb apprentice can do more than that.” Rullphana would sigh. Raezel would look up at mention of her name, and quickly perform for the two. A stream of pure magic would flow from her hand, and into one of her others. She’d weave the brightly colored energy around her hand, before channeling it towards the ground...where’d she’d falter for a second, a small rumble would follow as the ground beneath her feet would heave upwards, completely knocking her off her feet with a startled yelp.
“Its...not very impressive, though the fact you can weave it so easily is remarkable. Very well...you have talent and control, you just need practical practice it seems, and a bit of guidance. Both of which, I can thankfully offer. Now, then...I will first examine Octavia, as that will take the shortest amount of time, then I will teach you at the same time I teach both Raezel and Leuca tomorrow.”
Send Feet Pics
@Cu Chulainn
Malphas would return to the village without issue...that left him with the issue of finding some place to stay for the night. No doubt the hunters wouldn’t want to see him again after that little stunt. Thankfully Enli would be amicable as always, if he went to ask for a place there he would accept without much questions, though the older gentleman would be seeming to contemplate something.
Whenever morning came, he’d be free to do as he wished. He had cut ties with the hunters, and they’d no doubt be looking for him in the morning should he show himself. Better hope he could talk fast if they found him. Otherwise, there was not much stopping him from doing what he wished. Maybe it’d be a good idea to leave the village. Seemed like after all, it may be unsalvageable.
@Crusader Lord
Leannah would step into the southern room after placing her bounty with the rest. As expected, the room did not light upon her entering, but something else did happen. A voice resounding from everywhere in the room, echoing upon the walls. The voice was soft, gentle, if somewhat bored or perhaps, disinterested.
”Child of another world, I welcome thee to this realm. I apologize for his rather...crude behavior...and for the Moon’s rather abrupt tangling of you into her whims.”
It would pause for a moment before continuing. The room would slowly light - silvery light shining down upon the far platform from above as it would gently illuminate the room as though by bright moonlight. A few platforms would rise from the ground nearby, making an easy path up to the statue.
I was asked by him to be a test...but I have no interest in such things. So go on, take it and be done so I can get to doing other things that much more urgently need doing.
Far above the room, Leannah could see a figure standing on a platform jutting out from the wall. It was difficult to make out their features from her position, but it was definitely the figure that was talking.
Or take your time. Its not like it matters much in a divine realm like this. In fact, take as long as you want. More time for me not spent fixing someone else's messes.
(and because I forgot earlier)
A Traveler
@PaulHaynek
It would be early morning by the time Nicholas reached the foot of the mountains. The sun, just starting to peek over the horizon. By now he was hungry. Tired. His muscles would ache from exertion and cold. In fact, he had started losing feeling in most of his limbs. Definitely not a good sign. He probably should find a place both to rest, and some sort of food soon otherwise he was going to die before he even got a chance to meet the people of the mountain. At least by the end of it all, he could tell he was getting used to such cold temperatures.
As he would start to ascend, or otherwise move around the mountain, he’d start hearing something - harsh cries and guttural yells. The entire ground would shake, causing him to lose his footing wherever he was standing.
“Yahooo!~”
Before he had a moment to contemplate what exactly was yelling with such joyful glee, something massive came sailing through the air, tumbling down the mountain side and slamming into the ground below as it would settle in the snow. It was vaguely humanoid - but incredibly massive! It was some sort of giant! Something, had quite literally, just tossed a giant humanoid down the side of a mountain!
“Ahahah, I thought giants were supposed to be tough! Man you guys are pathetic! Some world-enders you’re supposed to be, ahaha!~” More gleeful laughing from a distinctly human voice from above as the ground shook again, more guttural yells and harsh crying coming from the direction.
If he so happened to look, he’d see the source of the commotion.
A human dressed entirely in red. A large sword was at her side, though it was currently going unused. She was surrounded by a group of three giant humanoids, all wielding various spears or axes as the looked at the human under them cautiously. Despite the somewhat precarious situation, it didn’t seem like she was in much danger. If anything, it looked like she was right where she wanted to be. Thankfully they hadn’t noticed him yet-
The ground would rumble again. The giant that had been knocked down the mountain was getting up, and it seemed to have noticed Nicholas! It was using one of its giant hands to make a grab for him!