The Kraken

Fallen Heroes, Rising Dead // The Kraken & bambii

Natalie was glad to see her sarcasm was not lost on the other girl, who she now knew as Maeve. Thankful that she wasn't held at gunpoint and looted or left to fend for herself in the middle of the street, she followed behind the girl towards the old medical center. Keeping the pistol in her hand, she kept a watch out behind them as they made their way over towards the building. She wasn't completely helpless, just pretty uncomfortable at the moment.

Natalie nodded to the girl when she went to climb back onto the roof, waiting patiently outside the building. All the while her eyes scanned the area for any signs of an ambush or unwelcome visit from another bunch of hungry undead. Natalie's eyes traveled down the street in the direction that she first saw the flare go off not long before the little incident. Had the other girl saw the flare too? Was she headed in the same direction? Or was she the one who set it off?

Natalie's thoughts were cut off when Maeve returned from the roof with a bag, and the pair headed inside the long abandoned building. The other girl seemed a little nervous in the tight quarters of the dead end hallway, so Natalie kept to herself while quietly shuffling through old debris and ravaged rooms. To her relief, the girl soon emerged with a medical kit. Probably the last thing in this place that hadn't been looted, she was lucky.

Natalie took Maeve's advice and took a seat in one of the dilapidated chairs, setting her bag down beside the chair. The aspirin had taken on an almost sepia tone, worn from sitting idle for so long. It certainly looked less than appealing, but drugs weren't exactly commonplace anymore. Shaking a few into her palm, she tossed them into her mouth and grimaced as she swallowed the stale pills.

"I think I can handle it, thanks though." Natalie said as she began to clean up the gash a little. Bigger than a scratch, smaller than an actual bullet wound. It hurt, but she'd had worse injuries. The main thing she was worried about was infection, so getting it wrapped up with the gauze was important.

As Natalie finished patching up her leg, she looked at Maeve. "Thanks for all the help, by the way. Hard to come by these days." She gave a small smile and motioned towards the street. "I saw a flare go off this morning, few more blocks down from here. Don't suppose that was you? I think its worth checking out, I was headed there when... well, you saw." Natalie let a small laugh out.

"Anyway, if someone sent off a flare then there has to be something important that would make them attract all that attention."

Natalie wasn't sure if she was coming off as friendly as she was hoping, or if the girl was going to bite at the mention of the flare. Months without conversation left more to be desired from an awkward encounter, but at the very least she could get some information or maybe even gain a sharpshooting travel companion. Something that might not be so bad if the source of that flare turns out to be less than friendly.

Dance With The Angels - A GFX Shop by Altered Tundra

@The Kraken I'll get at yours tomorrow, the weekend at the latest. :)

@Altered Tundra

@Altered Tundra Just checkin in to see how the request is coming along, I know it was a holiday weekend here in the US. Just wanted to make sure you haven't forgotten lil ol' me

Two Paths, One Truth (Mateotis & The Kraken)

Elena found herself doubled over in order to catch her wind after the mad dash for her life. Her companion, however, was not as sound on his feet. When she raised herself up, Elena discovered Alessandro had taken to the hard, damp floor of the catacomb hall. Lying on his back, his chest heaved up and down in a ragged motion. All the while his head was turned towards the now collapsed gate, eyes fixated on the rubble.

"Alessandro..." Elena stepped towards him, leaning down to check his wound from the encounter with the Templar before the quaking began. It was a decent gash, but a flesh wound at best. He would be fine. "Alessandro, get up." Elena quickly realized she was spending too much time paying attention to her disabled associate and not enough to the pair of deadly brutes that stood behind her.

Yet, Alessandro did not get up. His eyes stayed on an arrow's path to the crumbled gate.

"It is gone. We have failed." He finally spoke.

"Failed? We have escaped a deathtrap concocted by that unholy thing," Elena spat back, grabbing Alessandro's arm and forcing him to sit up. "Alessandro, look at me!" She took his face and forced it towards her own, breaking Alessandro's focus on the shambled grave of the Piece of Eden. Whatever that thing was, it was powerful. Perhaps a power that was better off buried under all that rubble.

"We have other matters to attend to, unless you want to see that that wound finds itself turned into a matching set." Elena turned, just as she heard the Templar's footsteps approaching behind her. Instinctively, she let the blades fall from her gauntlets when she saw their weapons were drawn. She expected no less. In fact, she was quite surprised to find herself still breathing after letting her guard down to tend to Alessandro, who now had managed to pull himself up to lean against the wall with a weak hand wielding a blade.

The words the high ranking Templar spoke surprised Elena once again. She narrowed her eyes towards the pair, suspicious of their offer. It was not like a Templar to offer to let an Assassin leave with their life. Still, glancing back at Alessandro, the offer was as tempting as it was suspicious. She sheathed her blades and signaled for Alessandro to do the same.

"The easy way seems to be the smartest given our overall condition, no?" Elena studied the brutish man for a moment. "I see no reason why our organizations should know that we have spared each other, spare them the details of mercy. What else is it you seek?"

Dance With The Angels - A GFX Shop by Altered Tundra

Type of Request: Set
Stock: Here ya go!
Size: For the avvy, 150x200 and for the sig just whatever will look the best!
Avatar: Yes, include the characters that are in the image.
Text: We will raise an empire from the bottom of the ocean.
Other: Looking for a dark spin on the art deco theme. The city in the photo is an underwater city, so having that feel to the piece would be cool, and not blurring out the buildings in the back too much is important. If the text font could be an art-deco "gatsby" type font that would be neat. As for the avatar, if you could just include the text "Kraken" somewhere on there that would be super duper. I appreciate it and look forward to it!

@Altered Tundra

Two Paths, One Truth (Mateotis & The Kraken)

Apologies that it took me a little longer to get that post up. I went ahead to destroy the Apple with that post since it seemed we both agreed on that option (I can edit that if you had another plan in mind). Now with all four sitting there panting in the catacombs, I am excited to see how you will go with your next post.

Two Paths, One Truth (Mateotis & The Kraken)

The burdens of battle soon began to weigh heavy on Elena's shoulders, her blades not rising with as much verve as they had when the duel first began. Sweat speckled her face, and her breathes came in heavier gulps as she ducked out of the way of the impressive Templar's charges. Having been used to relying on silent, stealthy kills for so long, her fitness for drawn out combat against such a strong opponent was not at its peak.

Her fatigue was showing, and she could see in her opponent's eye that he knew she was growing exhausted. The best she could do was keep up her pace and hope for an opening to deliver a blow hard enough to allow for escape, but the Templar exploited her first. His shove made her falter, a position she had not many times found herself in. Preparing herself for what she expected to be an execution blow, Elena was surprised to find that the ground had begun to quake. An event that under normal circumstances would cause one to lose their footing, but in this instance it gave her enough of a shock to keep her upright.

The crackling and crunching of the walls and rocks around them meant only one thing: it was time to go. A large piece of stone fell from its previous place high above the two duelers and landed dangerously close, Elena only just able to roll out of the way after regaining her feet beneath her. Her eyes darted ahead to see Alessandro lying on the ground, the entire cavern falling in around all of them. The Templar with whom she thought would've surely taken the opportunity to kill her was already dashing ahead, towards his fallen comrade and towards the Apple, which now lie between the two fallen apprentices.

Elena propelled herself forward, dodging the rocks as they fell, seeking to squash her beneath their heavy weight. Alessandro had fallen into somewhat of a trance, lying on the ground staring at the Apple as it slowly rolled away on the quaking ground. Its glowing presence captured his attention, drawing it away from the wound in his side that seeped crimson blood from the blade of the Templar. As Elena reached him, his eyes did not leave the Piece to find hers.

"Elena, the Apple..."

Elena's eyes searched for the Piece of Eden, which was still the center of the Templar's attention as well. By now, it had become to dangerous to retrieve, lest they risk their lives.

"Alessandro, we're no good to the Brotherhood if we're dead! Now, come!" Elena pulled Alessandro to his feet, shoving him towards the gate as the place continued to crumble. Looking back over her shoulder, she wondered if she could possibly grab the Apple and still make it to the gate before everything caved in. Chancing the Templars retrieving it was something she did not want to risk.

Before the thought finished crossing her mind, a large crevice opened up in the ground behind them as the ground shook with violence. Falling into its depths went the Apple, along with the debris of rock and the water from the surrounding lake.

Turning back towards the gate, Elena passed a glance at the Templars, then charged at Alessandro, pressing him forward.

"Go! Go now!"

It was almost as if they were racing, each trying to force their entranced companions towards the sanctuary of the exit gate. Just as the great hall gave a mighty groan and a savage quake, the two pairs burst through the gate as the last of the walls caved in behind them. A cloud of dust followed their exit through the gate, marking the end of the great hall in which the Piece of Eden was trapped within. The catacombs, however, remained unmoved. At least for now.

Two Paths, One Truth (Mateotis & The Kraken)

Yes I like the idea of it being destroyed, or at least being lost in the rubble. It will create tension in both organizations and the base for the rivalry between the two to form. The power of it has been seen, which will be enough to keep both organizations interested in their cause I suppose.

Two Paths, One Truth (Mateotis & The Kraken)

It did not take long after the pair of Assassins revealed themselves for another rendition of a centuries old fight to break out between the two sides. Elena and Alessandro may have been outnumbered when they exposed themselves, but only two of the Templars drew their blades against them. The other was occupied with the Piece of Eden. Elena knew she needed to make quick work of the challengers in order to secure the artifact.

This, however, was easier said than done. Just as the Brotherhood had to each Assassin, the Templars were trained exceptionally well. Each putting up a remarkable fight, but in the end Alessandro was able to subdue the guard. Elena was still preoccupied with the apprentice when Alessandro lent his blade to her cause, allowing her to gain an eye on the Piece of Eden as it was expelled from the higher ranking Templar's grasp.

The distraction of battle and mission caused her to almost miss it, but she saw the man charging at her just as she was about to make a dash at the Apple. Her blades were raised a hair's breadth before her opponents would've reached her flesh, parrying his strike as she regained her footing.

"Alessandro, get that artifact!" Elena demanded, raising her gaze now to her challenger as Alessandro was already charging towards the exit to cut off the man and retrieve the Apple.

Alessandro ran after Emerico, but the Templar had already put a good distance between them. As they neared the exit to the open area and back to the hall of the exit, Alessandro tossed a smoke bomb from his belt. It landed ahead of his target and coated the area in a thick, black smoke. Alessandro closed the distance and leapt into the smoke, welcoming it like an old friend.

Elena looked at the man who now stood before her, weapons at the ready should he make any sudden moves.

"I suppose it is just you and I then? A duel to remember, I'm sure." She said, white teeth showing beneath her hooded head. "If you're lucky, I'll let you leave with your life. But that's all you'll be taking with you, the Apple is ours."

With that, she charged forward, using short, quick attacks against her opponent. Her attack was not particularly aggressive at this moment, she was fishing for his style, his weaknesses, his force. Their blades met time and time again, Elena using her speed and small stature to her advantage. If it came down to brute force, she would surely lose.

Fallen Heroes, Rising Dead // The Kraken & bambii

The funny thing about the whole "end-of-the-world-zombie-apocalypse" happening was that it tended to keep those who were fortunate enough to survive in pretty good shape. Wow, Chris, you've never looked so good! Must be all that running for your life you do! Unfortunately, all of this fitness was worn down with malnutrition, mental instability, and frequent dehydration. Add on thirty pounds of equipment and weapons, and one soon finds out that no amount of cardio could make you invincible.

Natalie now found herself in an unfortunate situation. Bogged down by the backpack on her shoulders and the heavy assault rifle strapped across her back, she was quickly growing tired. Her breaths came in rapid, ragged gasps as her muscles screamed for oxygen to power them forward. Ignoring the pain and the exhaustion that was quickly setting in, she continued with one foot pounding down in front of the other, hearing the footsteps of the two Runners behind her drawing nearer. She neared the end of the alleyway and took a sharp turn onto the road, nearly falling to the asphalt when she heard a shot ring out shortly after she and her two trailers entered the street.

'What the HELL was that?!'

A glance over her shoulder soon revealed that one of the Runners had been disposed of. By whom? She did not know, nor did she have time to think about it as the other zombie pressed forward still, gaining on Natalie's heels as she attempted to weave between the rubble of abandoned cars and trash that littered the street.

KAPLOW

Mere moments later, a second crack of a gunshot was heard. The sound of the bullet tearing through the zombie's back never crossed Natalie's mind, because a white hot pain became apparent very quickly in her left leg. The third round of gunfire made Natalie question whether this mystery sniper was targeting the zombies or her, as she soon had to slow her run to a hobble.

Natalie reaffirmed her grip on the pistol in her hand as she turned around, ready to face whatever may be coming at her head on now that she finally came to a stop. The scene she was met with was a surprising one, and it made her take a step backwards. Both of the Runners that were after her lie dead on the road, and a girl not much older than herself approached, putting one last bullet into the head of the most recently downed zombie.

As the girl spun around, in what appeared to be an attempt to check and make sure the rest of the horde wasn't hot on the trail of their two faster cousins, Natalie took a look down at her leg. Blood dripped out of a gash that was torn in her pants, about three inches along her calve. It appeared as though the bullet only grazed her as she was running. Lucky her. Still hurt like a bitch though, and without proper dressing it would be susceptible to infection.

Natalie turned her attention back to the girl just a few yards away from her. This wasn't really the place for introductions or pleasantries, especially with all the ruckus Natalie had just caused, the streets were probably now teeming with dead freaks. Still, the girl had for some reason saved Natalie from the Runners. But trust wasn't easily earned around here.

"Nice shooting," Natalie called out to the girl. "Could use a wee bit of adjustment though," she said, letting a little sarcasm come through after seeing the coast was clear for the moment. It had been months since she had even talked to anyone but herself. "I suppose I should thank you for saving my ass just now," Her eyes caught the sign for the old medical center just up the road, "but I have this bullet wound, you see, and I think I could better thank you after we get out of the street and I get this patched up." She didn't know if the girl trusted her, or if she should trust the girl. But right now, she was a sitting duck in the middle of the road.

"Name's Natalie, by the way."

Two Paths, One Truth (Mateotis & The Kraken)

I really enjoyed the post, and the amount of control over my characters was not too much for me. In the future, should there be more back and forth, we can work on one collaborative post or do shorter posts each as well. I have some things I have to do today, so I will get another post up this evening when I get home from my errands and such. I'm already liking how this story is developing, I am excited to see how we keep it up :)