Forums » Fantasy Roleplay » Bloodied Shards IC (CLOSED!)

"I wont give you mine since we just met but I do have one trapped in this necklace. Its protected by some demon magic that very few know how to open. Only really healer demons know it and their aren't many of us left. Either way, I do know where one more is but... if you saw that hallucination thing with the disc, and heard about the alien gal hunting us down, then its probably not the wisest to go after that one..." she says in a serious tone as she looks back at the town. "As for hiding your arm, the only thing I can do is heal it by covering it with your own skin. It only last a little whole but enough to get us through town. It wont effect your demon arm in any way either. I'm more or less making skin cover over the arm." She smiles with her teeth. She also noticed him grabbing his arm. "Does it hurt or something?" She tilted her head and looks with concern.

It was between two and three hours into their journey, and for what it seemed, Vee had escaped the village unnoticed. It wouldn't have been an uncommon sight to see them walk off as much as they explored outlying areas, it was the lack of their return that would likely claim notice. By then Vee expected to be long gone, perhaps even out of the woods.

The rain was slowing to a trickling stop, perhaps the drops from the sky even only falling themselves now from the leaves high above rather than the sky itself. Vee thought deeply about what they'd do when they reached the first....stranger. The first non Vynym they'd have ever come across, at least the first sentient one. It was an unnerving thought, and their vae wings slowed to a careful motion portraying that feeling.

As they stared at the ground and walked they heard a sudden buzzing, and raising their head, it was easy to identify the source.....

....Kae...

Standing there with a shy smile and two vae floating on either side of them, they slowly began approaching Vee, their vae flying quickly over to them for what Vee anticipated was a coming conversation, an explanation to what they were doing this far from home, as if Vee couldn't guess. Vee launched two vae of their own, quickly intercepting Kae's midair and beginning the physical motions of communication between the two, effectively having two separate conversations together at once.

"I followed you again, I could have snuck up on you. You let your guard down too easy to be leaving the forest alone," Kae expressed to them with an innocent smile.

"You're too young, Kae. You need to go home-"

"I'm not much younger than you, besides you're less prepared that I am for your journey!" Kae interrupted Vee's physical communication via their vae, pushing off their physical response and replacing it with their own. Vee stared back unsure of what Kae meant. Kae easily percieved their confused face and looked down towards their hip, reaching into their own lighter green leafyness and extracting a spherical nut, almost the shape and size of a coconut. As they pulled it out they rested it in their hands directly in front of them. "I brought water, several nuts of it in fact. How much did you bring?"

Vee stared back realizing their mistake. Sure the forest was ample with water, and the rain for them worked as well as drinking it outright, but what did the barelands offer? How often did it rain there? Did the barelands even have water, or did the mystical flatlanders use another source of nutrition.

Without waiting for an answer, Kae placed the nut back in their leafy skirting, and finished their journey towards Vee. "That's okay, I brought enough for both of us. Besides, you clearly need someone to watch your back."

Kae and Vee's vae separated, and Kae reached over to pull Vee closer by their arms. "Cannot stop me," Kae said audibly with a smile, "I bring gold. Must be use for something, stop sorceress?"

Vee pulled Kae around to their side and as they eyed them, a light smile took their face. The truth was, the company was a truly welcome thing. It would be far more pleasant and far less scary to have Kae along. Pulling them close to their side, Vee began walking, and Kae, likewise, followed along. Their vae flew along and eventually connected again, to continue the conversation, this time in a more casual sense. There was no need to harp on who did what right, but they could certainly discuss their favorite bugs, and perhaps what kind of creatures they were going to meet.

---

It was nearly 4 days of walking through the forest. The sleeping outside hadn't bothered either of the pair much as this was a more natural thing for them, nor did the excessive rain bother them. In fact, as they approached what they would learn was the edge of their forest, the lack of nearly constant rain was rather disappointing. They had so far not even needed the water in the 4 Vynuts Kae had wisely brought along, but with the rain slowly become less constant, that need was going to quickly arise.

The pair stopped at the edge of the tree line, looking deeply at each other as they both realized they had finally made it. Where they weren't sure, only that they stood before the final tree that made up their forest. They released each other and their vae each returned to their pods. Kae stood nervous gazing out into what looked to them like barren, almost dead land without the lush thick pieces of forest they were used to.

Vee stepped first, and after two steps they looked back at Kae, stretching their hand out in their friends direction. After a moments stare, Kae took Vee's hand, and turning out to the edge of their world, they both stepped into the barelands together, observing closely and marvelously at what lay before them.

"No,it doesn't."The arm continues to glow."It means that there are other that have the shard,and their close..."Neo would start walking away from the village,"And the way it's glowing,there's two."Neo would then walk into the forest,choosing to avoid the fight."I wouldn't go back in the village if I were,know that you know that there are two people with the shards,and see that one of them want them,I would stay away for a while.'"As he walked away,all you would see if the glowing arm fading into the trees.After a while,Neo would walk into something the 'Barelands'. Tired He would sit on a fallen tree ,then he sighed."Too..damn hot."His arm would glow and in his hand,would be a tripartite nunchaku that had a metal ring eternal chains that were connected to the metal pole,that where all covered in ice.He would swing the nunchaku a bit,making the area around him colder and colder.Then in one swing,he created a medium pillar of ice,that he layed down."I really hope that no-one sees this...",He said,as he slowly went to sleep.
Your text to link here...

The land before them is possibly unnerving, seeing as it is very flat, and with only minimal amounts of large plant life for nearly as far as the eyes can see. A few cusps of trees, none with more than a hundred members, and none of those more than a dozen meters tall, litter the landscape, and mountains loom as shadows on the horizon. There's no hint of real forest anywhere in sight save for their home, abruptly and inexplicably cut off at the start of the somewhat marshy plains.

There's a river flowing out from elsewhere in the rainforest and into the plains, curving around after a couple hundred meters to pass in front of a large wooden palisade interspersed with short towers at regular intervals. A few tame plumes of smoke rise up from behind the wall. Other such structures are faintly visible in the distance.

In each tower stand a pair of (From the standpoint of Vee and Kae) roughly Vynym-shaped creatures with glimmering bits over their bodies in a few places, sparkling in the sun (presumably armour, if they're familiar with it). One of them visibly moves, making a sound which, given that they can hear it from that distance, is probably fairly loud. It gestures toward... the two Vynym? Someone in the enclosure? as it shouts. Figures on some of the other towers seem to become more alert, suddenly moving for a few seconds before seeming to stand still again.

"So much for sticking together." She sighs as he walks off then she spreads her wings. She then looks back at the village. "Will that one guy be alright? And the village if things go wrong?" She kicks a rock. "I mean I dont really care to find the other shards... I care about the safety of these people... even if they hate me." She knits her brows and looks back towards what she calls home then back at the village. "I feel like this is a stupid mistake..." she changes back to her human form with a scoff. "I mean honestly what's the worst she can do? Kill me? Then what? She needs me to even open this necklace in the first place." She sighs and sits on the hill as the wind blows. I just want to go back to where I came from... she thinks as she rests her head and hands on her knees.

Evelyn woke up in her home. It had been a few days for her since she'd gotten the message. She knew what her shard did mainly due to it being a family heirloom and her mother's diary was filled to the brim with advice on how to control it. She quickly got dressed. Her piece of the vase was in her snowflake hairpiece. She hid it there after getting the message. She put her cloak on. She knew that since the sorceress was seeking them out, she'd be one of the targets. She grabbed a brown messenger bag that wasn't very expensive. "I gotta pretend not to have much money." While the reward interested her, she didn't really need it as her parents were very rich. She packed a few blood bags, a dagger, a mask, enough money to buy stuff if needed, and her mother's diary. She grabbed a picture of her and her parents before the fire that took them out of her life. She sighed and left her house. Her home was a giant dark brown and red mansion. She locked the door behind her. She quickly made sure that the disc wasn't in this bag. She sighed in relief when she saw it wasn't in there. The mansion was deep in the forest. She walked away from it. She knew if the sorceress found her trail, that it would seem like it was just a little stroll. She realized that she was being extremely paranoid for something like her. She had been alive for a few hundred years now. She thought that nothing should scare her but she knew she had to be careful. She kept on walking, the hood of her cloak covered her face. She sighed once more. This was gonna suck if all her prep failed her.

When Neo woke up,he was soaked due to the fact that some of the ice has melted.When he got up,he would summon Agni,and set the blade on fire to dry up."Well,that was a pleasant nap."Neo said,somewhat refresh."Tell me,why did you leave her?"The red sword said with curious look face."You know that she has one of the shards of the vase so why did you leave?""Cause I like to be alone...besides I gave her a warning,okay."Neo said bluntly.Once he tried off complete,he checked the map,and showed Agni it."The best move would be to go to the village.Before you ask,One,you need better equipment,Two,you need food,and three,you need someone else to talk to...""I have you and Rudra,what's more?!" "..." "Your not going to let that go, are you?" "No."Neo would sigh,then take the path back to the village.As he got near the village,the arm would start glowing again."Great,she's probably still here..."Once he found Jules,who was on a hill,he decide to be a comedian."What are you thinking?"Agni would ask,unsure on what Neo was going to do.Neo took out the same elemental nunchaku,and started swinging it around.However it didn't get colder,instead,electricity start to crackle from them.Agni would stay silent,knowing what Neo would do.In one movement,the nunchaku became a three section staff with electricity as the chain,and strike near Jules,causing a lighting bolt to crash down.

At that moment, Neo's holo disk comes active, and the projection manifests off to one side of him, this time of a five-tailed fox-like creature in a full covering of a strange, smooth, grey armour. Over the eyes in the helmet is a smooth black visor which the people of this world may assume would be difficult to see out of. Some bizarre weapon is slung across the androgynous form's back.

It speaks sharply to Neo, loudly and clearly. "I will say this one time. While we will not prevent your attacks on another shard bearer, we would consider it unwise. The more people protecting the shards, the greater the chance that the sorceress will not be able to assemble the Vase before some other solution can be found. Additionally, understand that, while we are not willing to send our soldiers after her due to the risk, we are more than willing to send them to eliminate anyone else we suspect of attempting to fully assemble the Vase. Transmission terminated."

And the holographic image winks out.

Something about the forest seems a bit off this early morning.

Lisa can't quite tell if it's her normal paranoia or something more or less worthy of attention, but as she scans all of Raven's familiar haunts with her pale, beady eyes, the forest starts to feel...cramped. Crowded. Unnaturally crowded. The nagging sense of being surrounded by people fills her with a sinking feeling that can't be explained past one simple word: wrong.

This culminates into her crying out in fright when thunder rumbles from about a mile away. The start's enough to make her lose her crow form, she rests on a thin branch when it happens, a branch that can't sustain her normal body weight. It cracks and falls, taking the now almost-human girl down with it.

"Eep!"

Thunk!

"...Ow..."

Lisa rolls over and stares at the sky winking at her through the canopy. It's still dark except for the pale orange glow on the eastern horizon, and mostly clear. Not a single thunderhead mars her view of the morning's last stars. Granted, her view's partially blocked by wistfully swaying tree branches, but she can't recall spotting any looming storms off in the distance during those few moments she broke the canopy in flight. She should not be hearing any thunder.

I have to find Raven.

The chimera drags herself into a sitting position. Ow. She rubs her bruised back a little, wincing in pain, then leans forward to push herself off the ground with her hands. She gets to her feet as quickly as her throbbing head allows, then, having exhausted all of Raven's normal territory, she takes a risk and starts calling. "Raven!"

"Raven? Where are you!"

Starting to walk, she even pulls a weak smile and starts calling "here kitty kitty!" because she knows how much that annoys the creature.

Drake follows her, glad to be behind Victi for two reasons, the least of which being that he doesn't have to worry as much about hiding his crap-eating grin at how oblivious she is to the implications of their taking business to the bedroom.

Once inside, he pulls the door shut behind them. Victi has the key, so he trusts her to lock it should she feel inclined to do so. He leans against the wall by a ratty-looking bed that he half-suspects is brimming with mites, and listens.

He breathes a sigh of relief when she admits she could use his help; it means he actually has the grounds to negotiate. His relieved breath gives way to laughter as he asks, "Why didn't you just say that out in the woods?" Nothing accusatory carries in his tone. Rather, he sounds amused and pleasantly surprised. "That's a huge part of my line of work, what you just asked for."

He laughs some more but then his smile begins to fade. "That isn't to say I'm happy to take the job; for all I know, I'm standing three feet away from someone who wants to destroy the world." He lets the comment loose to make the air tense between them. Now he shoots her a look that could be described as accusatory, or at the very least, concerned.

She turns unphased by the crack. "Oh hey, if it isn't the guy who just leaves without any reason once so ever." She says sarcastically, with a wide smile. It immediately dropped into a straight face.

"If you wanted to sneak attack surprise me, perhaps having your swords not ask you what you're thinking would be a good start." She chuckles and looks out at the village. "I take it you didnt come back for lil ol me. So, what brings you back here?" The sun shining on her.

Victi sighs and makes a few vague gestures. The sounds from the rest of the inn fade away, the door seems more like a part of the wall, and Drake probably gets the feeling that a large number of small bugs have abruptly met their untimely ends as the matress crackles briefly.

"Well, I'm certainly happy that I tried to kill and rob the right person, and you're probably happy that I'm not going to try and kill and rob you now that you're useful," she sighs, jumping onto the bed and laying on her back in a relaxed posture, "as to why I didn't ask before.... giving people more information than I need is probably a bad idea given what I'm trying to do. Most people don't really know the story, according to research, and the rest don't believe it. The ones that do are in the rounding error. They'd think I was insane before I told them the plan. By the time I noticed the shard on you, you were ready to come here."

She let that sit for a moment, letting his most important question linger a little longer before saying, "And I'm not planning on ending your world. I just need to borrow a living world's entire manasphere and the collective awareness of every creature living on its surface and in its oceans for, say...... eighteen to twenty-six hours? Turns out, not many places where that's even possible, so I'd kinda like this to work since there's an easy-to-use aritfact for that here. Even if it is blood magic." Her face scrunches in disgust for a moment at the thought.