Valkon

Leviathan Fang -- A Fairy Tail RP

Looks like I chose a good time to check this forum again. Consider me interested.

Defiance

Jack watched as the rest of the group made their way into the stairwell, managing to evade the horde of bear-like monstrosities. "Well..." he starts, turning to look down the stairwell, "Carrying on." With that, he begins making his way down the crudely carved out steps, careful not to slip on the wet stone surface.

Upon reaching the burial chamber below, Jack took a good look around. Twelve coffins, three in each of the four corners of the rooms, with their path splitting off into two separate hallways. He took a few steps forward, reachign into his pack and drawing another unlit torch; lighting it with the flame of the first torch, he extended each out on opposite sides, increasing the area which they lit up to get a better view of the room.

"Looks like we've got a choice to make: Split up and explore both paths at the same time, or stick together and explore one at a time. Or we could just wait here, with the corpses..." Jack glanced down, staring at the fresh blood on the floor as he continued, "...and whatever it is that was here recently."

Defiance

Fauve's slap caught Jack off-guard, causing him to stumble forward a step or so, glancing at her as she passes and continues towards the shattered doorway. "That wasn't part of the plan, no." He looks back to the others, indicating to follow with a motion of his shoulders as he begins making his way to the catacombs himself.

As Fauve gave her second question, and another slap with it, Jack began, "Looks ab-," pausing as he realized the ground had begun to shake, picking up the sound of a rumbling he hadn't noticed before. Turning back to the forest, he peered at the tree line for a few moments before the source of the sound and the shaking came into view - another horde of what appeared to be undead, monstrous bears. If these beasts were anything like the one that had been in the siege...

"Time to go, everyone!" Jack shouted before turning and quickly making his way into the catacombs where the creatures wouldn't be able to follow, descending down into the desolate structure. He stopped at a point that allowed the borders of the torchlight and what sunlight reached into the catacombs to just mix, rendering the series of steps between him and the entrance visible as he waited for the others to enter.

Defiance

Jack stepped forward to get a closer look at the constantly changing gemstones, but stopped as the ground began to rumble, Corc's destruction of the stone crypt door apparently having triggered something. The gemstones ceased changing colors, having settled on the hues they had been when Corc smashed the door, and the end of the rumbling was soon followed by a blast of icy wind. As the chilled air made contact with Jack he grabbed the sides of his cloak, taking the the loose-hanging cloth and hastily wrapping it around himself in a quick attempt to create a barrier between himself and the cold.

Wrapped now in his crimson cloak, he takes a brief look at the gemstones before approaching Corc and Fauve as the former was apologizing to the latter before asking the others about a light source. "Don't worry, Corc." Reaching back into his pack, he removed an unlit torch from among the assortment of alcoholic beverages and other items it contained and held it out, arm slipping through the cloak wrapped around him. "I always keep a few of these on hand." He kneels, planting the torch into the ground in front of him. His hand retracts back into his cloak, briefly sifting through his pack again before both hands emerge, flint in one and a piece of steel in the other.

Lighting the torch, he returns the tools to his pack and pulls it from the ground as he turns back to Corc and the others. "So, who's ready to pillage some ruins?"

Defiance

Jack continued to watch the situation unfold as he tried to pick up on what he had missed. Something about some nearby ruins and catacombs, followed by chastizing the others for failing to introduce themselves, awakening her, and making accusations. Devlin had apparently taken notice of Jack's arrival, given the glance she gave him as well as the notification that fighting the robed girl would be futile - granted, Jack had no plans to do so. Not without a good reason to do so, in any case. Jack remained silent as she returned her attention to the robed girl, giving her own rebuttal to her remarks.

As things stood, Jack figured it was best not to try to wedge himself into whatever it was this conversation had become.

Corc had already begun to head off in another direction, presumably the one the catacombs the girl had mentioned were in. He guessed that meant that the ruins were what had been marked on the map rather than the clearing they now stood in, as the orc had gone in the same general direction that he and the others had been going in when they entered it. Gabriel and Fauve followed in suit, the latter giving the rest of them an inviting gesture with her head as she walked on limbs that had extended themselves enough to put her at the same height as Corc.

A strange ability. Jack surmised that it may have had something to do with Fauve replacing her earlier outfit, assuming it let her do more than just stretch her legs.

As they left, another arrived- the forest golem that had been present in Nadaska during the siege. Rather than the clear hostility it had displayed in the town - mostly directed at the undead, but hostility nonetheless - it now seemed to have lost whatever aggression it had previously had. Of course, it had also been at the gate, and it hadn't displayed aggression there either; perhaps the collision with the wall had some impact on its mood.

Jack watched as Devlin and Ren followed suit, glancing back at Aelih as she began conversing with the robed girl - Nona, as she called herself. As they finish their discussion, Jack states, "Well, nothing is being accomplished by standing here." He begins following in the same direction the others had gone in, stopping and turning to look at Nona as he passes her. "You mentioned introducing ourselves earlier. Name's Jack." He gives the unknown man that Fauve had revealed the presence of earlier a brief look before continuing towards the catacombs.

Jack picked up the scent of burning wood and the loud, heavy thud of iron striking stone as he neared the ruins, the gem-containing obelisks coming into sight. Corc stood before the sealed stone doors of a crypt-like building, wielding his mace - unsurprising, given the sound he had heard while he was approaching. Fauve stood nearby, looking ready to get out of the way of some kind of threat, presumably one that would be a product of Corc's assault on the building's entrance. Ren, Gabriel, and Devlin stood closer, the first two observing the gems within the obelisks and their constantly shifting colors.

Defiance

Jack watched Dannisus as he scaled the trees, disappearing into the vegetation. He continued to stare up at the canopy for a moment before turning to Aelih and Lui as the latter questioned who would lead their portion of the now-fragmented group. "Well..." He began to respond, interrupted by the sudden burst of wind. Seemingly mundane, but given everything that had happened recently- and the fact that it felt as if it had come from the same direction that the others had headed off in- indicated that there was something more to it.

The fact that his gauntlets had absorbed a small amount of energy from it, the crystals embedded into its bracers glowing a dim yellow-grey, also helped to confirm his suspicions.

Looking at Aelih and Lui, he started again, "Well. I don't know about you two, but given that it doesn't seem Gabriel is returning any time soon, and that... strange gust..." He pauses as the distant sound of Corc shrieking reaches them. "...and now that as well. Wait for Dani's signal or whatever else if you wish, but for me, now is the time for action." With that, he turned in the direction the gust of wind had come from, hastily making his way towards the clearing the others were in.

Should nothing interrupt him before he reaches it, he quickly skids to a stop as he gets a clear view of the robed girl, glancing for a brief moment at the others to try to make some sense of the situation before returning his focus to her.

Defiance

Jack watched the orc as he shuffled around, talking to the others before introducing himself and stating his name. Corc the Orc. Of course, Jack had already figured out that was his name, a simple conclusion to come to given that he spoke in third person. He had also stated that he had intended on heading towards the location marked on the map, something that Jack had figured most of the individuals there were planning on doing. The Myti didn't strike Jack as being too keen on it, nor did the small girl hiding behind the elf. The enchanter, Gabriel, was willing to help Corc follow the map's directions. Unsurprising from one who had described himself as an adventurer.

Devlin and Ren soon arrived to the gate, confirming the survival of everyone Jack had taken note of in the tavern- save the bartender, whose bloated corpse still sat within the tavern's kitchen. While the former didn't initially seem particularly interested in anything to do with their circumstantial band of misfits, she quickly moved to snatch away the map from Gabriel before giving what Jack could only assume was intended to be a rousing speech. She had opened with something about being the "Daughter of Despiun", a survivor of a massacre. It sounded like something he might have heard before- a story Jack had overheard on the road long ago, perhaps- though aside from invoking some vague sense of familiarity it didn't mean much to him.

After that she spoke of hunting down the source of the monsters and something about destiny. The latter wasn't something Jack was too keen on, though the former certainly appealed to him. The monsters had been a constant disruption and annoyance over the past few months, and eliminating them for good would be a boon, both to him, to everyone else involved, and indeed to the entirety of Akripola. Of course, there was always also the chance of dying trying. On the other hand, nothing can be accomplished without some amount of risk. That amount just happened to be quite a lot in this case.

He watched as she marched off into the forest, disappearing in the thick of the trees. Soon enough, Fauve, Corc, and the flute-playing mute had also gone ahead, following the 'psycho-lady', as Fauve had put it. Jack turned to Dannisus as Lui suggested traveling together. While the Myti had clearly not taken kindly to Devlin, as his body language made obvious, something about Lui seemed to be able to persuade him. They had been talking before in the tavern, and on the hill after that; perhaps his familiarity with the girl contributed to it.

As Dannisus made his offer, and Gabriel his suggestion before running off to catch up to Corc and Fauve, Jack added a statement of his own. "Sounds good to me... Dani, was it? I believe that's what she called you," Jack gestured to Lui before turning and taking a few steps in the direction the others had gone as he continued, "I am also inclined to agree with Gabriel, though. Not that I don't trust your senses, but if worst comes to worst, the more people we have to deal with whatever might come up, the better. And with the Legion nearby, who knows what might be lurking in there..."

Defiance

"Well," Jack replies to Corc, "I had a map, yes. But..." He cut himself off and turned to Gabriel as he revealed the map, which had managed to stay in one piece during the battle. He took a brief glance at it again, though whatever line of thought he may have had was quickly interrupted as his attention was drawn away by Corc's battlecry, followed by the elf from before introducing themselves and extending their hand. He returned the gesture, replying, "Jack," as he shook the elf's hand. Picking up a rumbling sound, and a slight rumbling of the earth as well, Jack turned east to face the source of the disturbance.

The forest golem was heading their way, having crashed through the roof of a building as Jack caught sight of it. Seemed it had ceased fighting the undead, realized the futility of its battle, and was retreating as well. Either that or someone- possibly Devlin or Ren, who Jack noticed heading towards the gate as well- had seriously pissed the golem off. Given the fact that the living tree had soon passed the two stragglers as it picked up speed, though, Jack guessed the former was the more likely of the two. In picking up that speed, as well as turning to look back at Devlin and Ren, the golem failed to slow down before crashing into the wall, sending loose a few bricks of the otherwise sturdy barrier.

Jack gave Dannisus a glance as he suggested leaving immediately, turning his focus back towards Devlin and Ren as they scrambled towards the growing group at the gate. "Aside from waiting long enough to ensure those two reach the gate? Not particularly, no." He turned to face Fauve after she greeted him, giving a nod in response. "You as well, Fran." Given that she appeared to be wearing a new outfit, Jack guessed she had found what she was looking for in the forest. As she moved on towards Gabriel and the golem, Jack looked back towards Devlin and Ren, observing them as they approached.

Defiance

Jack looked back at Dani as he insisted that he had no idea who he was. His usual blank expression broken by a single raised eyebrow, he responds, "No, of course you don't know who I am. But that doesn't change the fact that the same set of people that had been in the tavern not long ago has ended up here." He turns, crossing his arms as he continues, "Who I am isn't important at the moment, in any case. As for survivors..." He briefly glances over his shoulder at the town before looking back at Dani. "There were two others who were in the tavern earlier- a hooded woman and a mute man with a flute- and a forest golem. I believe they were heading this way. Aside from them though... whatever stragglers aren't already on their way here, well, today may be their last."

Jack takes a seat on the ground, legs crossed, elbows resting upon his thighs and hands folded together as he thinks. "The undead legion has completely overwhelmed this place. I don't expect a siege like this would have taken place unless the town held something important... but I don't know what it could have that would justify such a force. The church seemed to be a target, so perhaps there was something there..." He tilts his head forward, resting his forehead on his hands for a few seconds before swinging them out sideways, forcing them into the ground to push himself up into the air and landing on his feet. "Regardless of their reason for attacking, nothing can change the fact that whatever battle may have been fought here has already been lost." Looking down at the girl who was now hiding behind the elf, he continued, "Afraid there's not much we can do other than wait for whoever may be left."

Defiance

As Jack made his way to the western gate, he caught up with Ren and Devlin, who both appeared to be distracted by their own matters; Devlin producing some sort of electrical barrier around a forest golem- when had that arrived? Was it attracted to the town by the siege?- while Ren was occupied fighting the undead around them. It seemed that the golem, whether by choice or coincidence, had been fighting the undead, and they were trying to convince it to retreat to safety with the rest of them.

He left them to their efforts, be they successful or futile- he had heard of the forest golems before, but had never encountered any himself prior to today, and those few stories he knew of them had conflicting details of their intellect- and continued to the west gate, glancing back. It seemed Gabriel had ended up behind him, though he hadn't lagged too far behind. A good thing, too- there had been enough death in this forsaken little town as it was without Jack's circumstantial allies falling in battle.

Jack arrived at the gate in time to see Fauve disappear into the forest outside of town, wearing a mix of new clothing and the same clothes as before but in far worse condition than the last time he had seen her. Seemed that she had seen battle as well. Amidst whatever straggling civillians were still fleeing the city out through the gate, Jack noted a group of familiar individuals, plus one new face; the Myti, Elf, and... little girl? that had been at another table in the tavern and had taken to a small hill outside of it earlier were grouped up at the gate, along with an orc wielding an impressive-looking mace.

He approached the group, starting, "Seems fate has drawn us all together again. If you believe in such things, in any case." He turned to look at the orc, looking up to him- something he hadn't had to do in a long time- and continuing, "Well, looks like we've been joined by an Orc. Been years since I've seen one of your kind." He turned again to look back towards the town, partly to survey the damage and partly to check if Gabriel had fallen behind. "Rest in peace, small town of Nadaska. Damned monsters are getting too organized for my tastes..."