|
Post by Zaru on Feb 8, 2020 13:11:50 GMT -8
Zaru soared through the air over the water near the Southern Islands that he'd come to regard as his real home; he'd always lived there, as far back as he could remember. Even when his siblings, Chasnu and Yaki all stayed up in Central City, he remained here. The first time he freaked out and wanted to go with them and not be left, but he soon grew to prefer being here, and one day they just didn't come back at all. If there was one good thing they did for him, it was to do that. He wondered where Kiryu had chosen to situate himself around here - there were plenty of nice islands to pick from, some that were more scenic and quiet, which were his preference. There were others with bustling villages on them, sure, but there were still plenty that had never been touched. He had often wondered why the Namekians never really bothered to take more to settle on outside of Namek, but then again, they never seemed to need to. Everyone stayed the same and they didn't seem to make kids, or at least not many. He closed his eyes, focusing his senses and trying to reach out. The ki had to be here somewhere; Kiryu's energy was the strongest he'd ever felt, so it wasn't like he'd be hard to miss. There it was - he spotted it, not far from where he was. Unfortunately, he quickly felt another source of energy there. Even with his eyes closed and nobody else there, he scowled and let out an exasperated sigh. Great. He recognised that ki signature. It wasn't just any - it was the guy he'd met before, at that stupid contest in Central City that Burgen had dragged him along to. That was Cade, the martial arts champion he'd met there. If he breathed even a word of that incident to someone else, Kiryu included, Zaru knew he was going to have to kick his ass. Eventually Zaru came across the two, but it wasn't really what he expected. Kiryu was doing...something, while Cade stood near him. The martial artist floated above for a moment and watched before he slowly began to descend, speaking out loud in Kiryu's direction. "I'm not even here yet, and you're already doing weird shit. What even is this?" Zaru had his arms crossed over in front of him as he slowly reached the ground, touching down and staring towards the man who had offered to train him in return for his performance in that impromptu tournament. When he didn't immediately receive a response, he raised an eyebrow. Even though he hadn't known the guy long, he'd seemed like he was full of energy, so it wasn't as though he'd ignore someone on purpose. Zaru waited for a moment, glancing over towards Cade, though trying not to make eye contact. If he had to hear his name said that way one more time, he might snap, like really snap. How did that even happen? Where was this guy even from? What kind of accent could he possibly have that turned not only an 'a', but a 'u' into an o, and somehow duplicated an r? How do you ignore two whole vowels? He didn't get it at all. He didn't understand how someone could even stand speaking like that. If it was him, he would have tried to get rid of it by practicing in some fake voice or at least working it out somehow. If he didn't just swear himself to a vow of silence, or something like that. "So..." He was trying to find a way around the awkward silence, but he was still perplexed by whatever it was Kiryu was doing, requiring enough focus that he couldn't pay attention to what was going on around him. "What are you two dorks doing, anyway?" He knew he shouldn't have asked that, and he immediately regretted it. Cade was going to talk to him, explain things to him. That was just about the last thing he wanted, some kind of instrunction manual from a guy who sounded like he should be chasing off chickens with a twelve-gauge. In quick desperation, he sensed to try and figure out the answer, and realised that energy seemed to be swirling within Kiryu, and also going out. More than was going in, anyway. "Oh, he needs energy. I'm just gonna...give him energy. Yeah." Zaru reached out, placing his hand on Kiryu's shoulder. Rather than do it from a distance, he gave him a direct link to the energy that flowed through Zaru's body and into the man trying to perform the ritual. Strangely, Zaru's ki was unusually proficient with aiding in Kiryu's ritual, having a smoothness to it that aided in the efficiency of what was going on, unbeknownst to him. Zaru glanced aside, wondering what this whole thing was about. He knew that Kiryu had some kind of magical powers he focused on, with the kind of things he threw at them during the tournament and the weird spells he apparently had access to. The energy around here definitely didn't feel like regular Ki, so he could only assume that it was magical energy instead, which was an area he was incredibly unfamiliar with. Unlike martial arts, none of his family had ever dabbled in magic as far as he knew, so he wasn't able to watch and pick things up. He just hoped that whatever this was, it was safe for the island and the other ones round about it. Even if his family didn't stay here, he'd be kind of worried for the people nearby, but that was only ramped up to eleven knowing that there were kids like Pistach around. He'd just try and focus on something else. He glanced over to Cade again, deciding to bite the bullet. He could already feel himself squeezing more tightly on Kiryu's shoulder involuntarily. Come on, all he had to was just ask him something. Anything to make conversation. Actually, he was curious about something. He'd read up about Cade's win in that tournament in Central City - he was no slouch when it came to martial arts, not at all. The accent might've made people think he was some simple country bumpkin, but he was clearly skilled. It was the Jaguar Style he used; one to lull an enemy into a false sense of security. Whereas Turtle Style fighters were meant to be more crafty and resilient, it seemed like those who trained in the Jaguar Style were predatory and cunning, letting their opponent bring the fangs to their own throat. In a way, he could admire a style with that kind of forethought. "So, your Jaguar Style. Still practicing? Haven't got rusty, have you?" He had to admit, he was curious about how he'd fare against a style like that. He was in the midst of finding himself, of knowing what his own style was. He didn't think he was gonna create a school anytime soon, but soon enough he'd be his own master. As soon as Kiryu woke up from this weird standing coma, of course.
WC: 1201
|
|
|
Post by darthlunchbox on Feb 9, 2020 19:51:04 GMT -8
Cade turned and looked towards the power level as Keeryou mentioned it... he could feel someone zipping on up on him. Zorro... where does that sound familiar from? It took him a moment before it snapped his fingers and said, "Oh, yeah, that feller from the eatin' contest. He seemed... interestin'." Cade turned back his friend and watched as he did some sort of dramatic chantin'. He wondered what he was talking about... but he figured it was some sort of secret magic thing. Probably had to be part of the club to know what all the gobbley gook was all about. He started drifting closer as his friends eyes rolled up into the back of his head, showing only the whites as his face twisted up in a rictus of pain, mouth open in a silent scream. Cade paused, unsure of what to do for a moment, horrified at the pain Keeryou seemed to be experiencing. I wonder if I can snap him outta it somehow...
As he hovered, frozen in indecision, a familiar bald form flew in closer.As he stpped near them, Cade could only shrug and answer, "He said... somethin' about how he's a fixin' to take down some sort of barrier of some kinda magical type thing. He didn't go into a whole lotta details... not that I would have understood it anyhow." Cade watched as Zaru grabbed Keeryou's shoulder and started feeding him energy... and grabbed his other shoulder and began feeding him some of his own ki. It flowed in and was sucked up greedily, like water spilled on the desert sands; Keeryou seemed to be thirsty for power beyond his ability to get it. As they hovered near each other in somewhat awkward silence, he thought about how Zorro had stormed off challenging him to a fight at the eating contest. It might have been a in the heat of the moment thing... but he wasn't too sure. Keeryou seemed to have some reason to trust him, and he trusted Keeryou, so that would have to do. For now.
Some of the tension in his shoulders eased as Zorro asked him about the Jaguar school and despite himself he found his mouth running and eager to talk about it, "Well, I'm always practicing the arts and the tenets of the school, really. My Granpa Morita taught me all I know. If you're curious, the tenets ain't no real secret. Basically the go like this here..." Cade's voice seems to grow slightly deeper and some of his accent smooths out, as if he is imitating someone, "As a member of the Jaguar school you have to understand that we do not set ourselves above the people we protect. When we are not training we work the land beside the people. We help them haul their goods from place to place. We are trusted members of the community and we don't stick out in the crowd; which makes it harder for our enemies to determine who we are and where there are unprotected spots to strike at. When any one of the farmers or workers could be one of us... it creates paranoia once they figure that out. Sometimes it even deters attacks all by itself. We are partly a shield for the people, but more often we are the knife at the throat that presses the enemy back."
Cade shrugged and resumed his normal voice, "That's what he taught all of us anyhow. I'm still maintainin' my skills and learning new tricks here and there. Maybe we can spar sometime, Zorro. When we're done with all this magical brew-ha-ha."
[606/606]
|
|
|
Post by Kiryu on Feb 10, 2020 12:36:47 GMT -8
Pain. That was all he was. His entire body was aflame. His skin was being peeled back, the muscles and tendons and very bone beneath blistering and charring. Chains surrounded him limbs, stretching him until his arms and legs dislocated, the tendons tearing. No one could endure this much pain. His life would be forfeit.
And yet it did not end.
Something penetrated his back. A fresh agony. It carved down, severing his ribs from his spine.
Unspeakable agony. There were no words.
Hands reached in. In to him. A violation so primal, so massive, that surely his system must go into shock and end this mortal agony.
And yet it did not end.
His lungs. HANDS WERE GRABBING HIS-
Everything changed.
Kiryu had not been able to see where he was. To hear or smell or experience anything other than the indescribable torment he had just suffered. And now, it was like nothing had ever happened. He was standing, it appeared, on a clear pool of water, under a star lit sky. And... his mind, and body, they were whole. It was as if nothing had ever happened.
And then, she appeared before him.
She was as before. Dark haired, violet eyed. Beautiful and powerful and appearing human but something deep in Kiryu belied the fact that she was other.
They spoke. He could not remember what precisely was said, but she named herself, and the name was power and purpose and identity all in one. She told him that she had taken him from his torment, a trap laid by those who could consume her. Whispers of this place infected Kiryu's awareness. It was now, and it was then, and then, and then... stretching forward abd backward through time, into infinity. It was built by Those Who Sat Above, true divinities. So many things that Kiryu barely glimpsed the true shape of before it slid away from his awareness, the enormity of this thing far too great for him to comprehend so quickly.
But he knew that he would have to go back. He would be diminished and would have to rely on his friends.
The thought made him smile.
A shuddering gasp wracked Kiryu's form as his consciousness returned to his corporeal form. He became aware, as he did so, of physical contact with Zaru, who must have been recently arrived, as well as the presence of Zaru's energy within himself. Cade gripped his other shoulder, assisting him as well. A sheen of sweat coated the young magician, and, oddly, he felt a bit of pain where Zaru gripped him. Did he have a bruise there that he hadn't noticed?
It was an odd sensation, but the nerve endings of his body were still on fire with half remembered phantom pain. More interesting, to Kiryu, was the reaction he was having to Zaru's energy. It felt familiar, comforting, easily entwining with his own magical reserves and boosting not only his energy, but his power. Cade's did, as well, but Zaru's integrated far more seamlessly.
Curious.
Kiryu's attention was ripped back to the spell he was casting. He had it, now, but it was by no means easy. With a grunt of effort and a phenomenal exertion of will, Kiryu used magic to, quite literally, rend apart space in front of the trio. He made it wide enough for the three of them, and strained with the effort of holding it open. With a hoarse voice, Kiryu shouted "NOW!", a clear signal for Cade to move him through. Kiryu was certain that Zaru would follow, as there was no other clear path forward.
When the three were through, and safely on the other side of the dangerous barrier, Kiryu would allow his grip on magic to fade. He panted openly, his power level dipping dramatically below it's normal level. That had taken an incredible amount out of him. His two companions were holding him aloft, somewhat, and Kiryu allowed that to persist for a moment, taking deep, ragged breaths. After a moment, Kiryu's breathing slowed, and he extricated himself from their support, having enough energy to fly under his own power.
"Dayumn," Kiryu said, voice suddenly thick with drawl, "Ah nevur thawt ah'd... wayit, wut in the hell is up with mah voice? Ah swear, Zayroo, ah werked fer yeers ta git payust this heer- gah!"
Kiryu closed his eyes, frustrated, then forced himself to take slow, calming breaths. When he spoke, it was closer to his regular speaking voice, though he spoke slowly and carefully, enunciating every word with precision.
"Sorry. Like I was saying, it took years to develop a proper non regional dialect, and apparently only seconds of utter exhaustion to fall back into it. I guess it's true what they say; yew kin take th' boi outta th' South, buy yew can't take the South outta the boi." Kiryu slipped into his drawl on purpose at the end, grinning ruefully and shaking his head.
"In all seriousness, I'm very thankful that you're here. This is like to be a strange, difficult place to navigate. There might be things here none of us have ever encountered... ever imagined. Let me give you the abbreviated version; this is a magical island. I just slipped us past a barrier that may have disintegrated us. The island has a spirit that's it's... personification, sort of? It's powerful. It's also having it's power consumed by some type of monster or demon, potentially multiple. They have been doing it for... I don't know how long. I get the feeling that time works a little differently here.
And there are... things, here. Things that are locked up, things so dark and powerful that them being released could spell doom for the entire world.
I don't know how they were put here. I don't know the real history of this place. But I think that by exploring it, we will get some answers.
So, are you ready for a crazy adventure? It won't be boring, at least."
As Kiryu spoke, he descended slowly. Below them was a canopy of trees, a tropic jungle. In the distance, the island held a large lake. Kiryu knew that some sort of structure existed there, and that was to be their entry point. He also felt strongly that they should approach on foot, though he could not have said why. Kiryu, however, did not need to know all the why's, at least not right away. They would figure it out eventually. Kiryu always put journey before destination, and he tried to gather more strength, consuming one of his potions as he descended into the jungle.
[WC=1,110] [Thread WC=2,917]
|
|
|
Post by Zaru on Feb 12, 2020 10:55:15 GMT -8
Zaru listened carefully, and part of him wondered if this whole accent thing was just an act. Cade sounded pretty normal when he was explaining this, or at least, more understandable than usual. Then again, it seemed like he was doing an impression of his grandfather, so maybe that explained it. It seemed like every martial artist had this one old man in their life; most didn't have one that was famous, and he envied that. The moment he brought up the old man's name, it seemed like it always affected the other person's opinion of him - what did it matter who he was related to? He never chose that, and it certainly hadn't just made him better than others. He'd gotten where he was through hard work alone, and he didn't want the old man's name recognition to get in the way of that perception. He had even considered growing his hair out just to make more separation between the two of them, but had nipped that idea in the bud pretty quick. He looked dumb with the stupid blonde hair he'd inherited from the side of his family that came all the way down from the old lady, and the fact that they shared the same eyes didn't help. Zaru would feel even more gross looking like her, in any way. "So you're basically fighting the opponent in his head, before you've even come to blows with him. That's pretty clever. Yeah, we should fight sometime. I've been thinking about how that'd go for a while now." Zaru had an aggressive and pressuring technique, while it seemed like Kendrick tended to avoid and go for shots to slow down an opponent, before going for a killer blow. They were both predatory styles, just with different methods. He played over the possible fight in his head - it would be a constant battle of pressure, one trying to take control of the pace from the other. No doubt Cade would hit hard; he'd just have to make sure he hit harder, then. The idea of the fight did a good job of putting him in a better mood, but as soon as Kiryu woke up and yelled at them to move in, it was soon to sour again. Zaru had no issue carrying the sorcerer as they floated in the air, though the place they found themselves in was a bit...odd. Zaru couldn't place it exactly, but everything felt off to him, his senses being heightened for some reason in this place, an unusual sensitivity to every sight, smell and sound. Upon hearing Kiryu begin talking like Cade, now floating next to him, Zaru just decided not to look at him. He kept his arms crossed over in front of him as he floated there, closing his eyes to force himself not to give a death stare. Unfortunately, his irritation was given away by the way his face twitched, which only intensified when Kiryu went back to doing it yet again, this time on purpose. "You're lucky you waited until I wasn't carrying you to do that, or you'd be landing headfirst on the ground right now." He sighed, eventually opening one eye and then both once Kiryu began explaining their situation. So this wasn't just him trying to break down any regular old magical door then. "I just got here, and you've already dragged me into Hell jail, ripe with demonic assholes and world-eaters. Nah, definitely won't be boring." He had his normal, resting blank face this time, and though his tone sounded indifferent, that was far better compared to the earlier irritation. He followed Kiryu in descending, wondering where the samurai was. Must have had other business to handle first, he supposed. He descended through the canopy of trees, still keeping his arms crossed as he spoke almost casually. "You know, being an apprentice of some kind of wizard, I assumed you'd have a tower. Or that I'd get some uniform with a hood on it. I feel like you guys don't use the turtle-style gi, huh?" Zaru tugged at the white outer layer of his gi with one of his wrapped hands, landing with a quiet klack on the ground.
WC: 707 | 1908
|
|
|
Post by darthlunchbox on Feb 13, 2020 19:10:04 GMT -8
Cade nodded at Zorro's question, "Yeah, basically. Hide a part of your strength, fight at only part o' your potential.. then BOOM! Smack'em so hard their momma feels it. If you're especially good, they will think it was a lucky shot and you can set them up over again." When the time came he didn't hesitate when Keeryou called out for them to go through the tear he had made in whatever it was blocking their way. He helped Zorro guide their tired companion through the gap and down towards a place that looked like some sort of wild jungle. He listened to Keeryou as he explained what was happening, he didn't notice at first that Keeryou had dropped into talking like him, it just sounded right to his ears after all. It made a certain sense though, since Keeryou was a southern boy; and Cade supposed it showed he could change how he talked is he put his mind to it. He just didn't want to; he felt like it was a mark of being from his homeland and he didn't want to lose it.
He started looking around for the Spirit person that Keeryou was a telling them about as they descended towards the island. Not seeing anything, he could only figure that maybe you had to be a magic feller like his friend to see it. And apparently this place was some kind of... prison? "So... is this like a wizard prison or somethin'? Like if you was a bad finger wagger someone might come and drag ya here?" That sounded kinda scary even to him. If the things here had been feeding on people like Keeryou, they might be real strong. He listened to Zorro say Keeryou was lucky he hadn't dropped him for talking like that... He must really be stunned at how well Keeryou's voice sounded with the accent. It had sounded more natural than even I thought it would.
Cade touched down on the beach and peered towards the foliage as he chimed in with Zorro, "If you all are getting cool hooded uniforms I want in on it. I'm thinking dark blue with a silver lining on the hood would look real nice. And you're right, Zorro; Keeryou why don't you have a tower? I thought all of you wizard types had one as part of the job description. We need to get on that for ya bud." Cade took a few steps towards the dense foliage and looked back over his shoulder, "I reckon I'm ready, Keeryou ol' buddy. Don;t know what kinda answers we gonna find in this place... but hopefully we can stop these evil things from eating the spirit or whatever is keeping the bad things in wizard jail."
Cade walked down the line of jungle, looking for a likely spot. He paused long enough to pick up a handy stick he saw laying there all covered in moss. He held it up and it was almost as tall as he was and covered in moss and some kind of ivy. he hefted he in his hand... it was surprisingly solid feeling and looked pretty straight. He tugged it free from one of the last tendrils holding it down, which twitched the ground foliage enough that he could see a pathway of some sort going on behind them. He whipped the stick through the foliage and broke it up with a few grunts of effort, enough to make it passable. He waved the other 2 down, "Hey fellers, found some sorta path leading towards the center of the isle over here. Let's check 'er out!"
He slid through the opening he had made and started down the worn dirt path. It looked like some sort of game trail, it was pretty narrow but passable. He started headed down it, noting there were some boar tracks and something that might be some kind of deer. He kept moving, eyes darting for any signs of snakes when a though struck him. If there was big prey around here, somewhere there would be big predators. He took three more steps and came to a dead stop, sensing eyes locked on him with intent. He looked to the left, sweeping the ground and the trees. Nothin'. He looked right and was about to turn to scan in front of him again when he caught the shape of a huge leopard in the corner of his eye, bunching up for a leap towards them. He gathered up his ki and hunched forward, bringing his free hand up in a clawing motion, he manipulated his kit to make himself appear as a huge jaguar and to manipulate his voice as he imitated the booming coughing roar of a jaguar right at the leopard. Startled, it turned and ran back deeper into the jungle. Cade let his ki settle back into himself and looked towards the others, "Guess he don't like visitors. Guess we can keep going, Keeryou, you have any idear if we're going the right way?"
[844/1450]
|
|
|
Post by Kiryu on Feb 19, 2020 22:55:59 GMT -8
"More of a... magus, I guess," Kiryu said, breathing labored as he traversed through the wilderness with his companions. The longer he was on the ground, the farther away he was from what he had done (which seemed impossible, even to Kiryu), the better he felt. "Though... I don't know if you would understand the distinction, unless you are a secret fan of table top role playing games, Zaru. Magus is a gish class."
That was probably more evidence than anything else of just how exhausted Kiryu was. Even as he knew Zaru probably wouldn't understand what a gish was, he made the reference anyway. He was just too tired to draw the threads together.
Digging deep, calling up what little will he had left, Kiryu pulled a potion from the small storage pocket dimension he had created. The effort made his head pound once more, and he shook his head at the pain before unstopping the phial and downing the contents. Unlike his normal curative that restored his vitality over time, this potion provided more immediate benefits. Almost instantly, Kiryu's color improved, and his breathing eased. A bit of spring returned to his step, and he glanced back towards Zaru.
"I wouldn't be too worried about it, though. If what I'm sensing about this place is right... we're about to have all the secret wizard lair that we can handle, and then some.
Out of curiosity, Zaru... have you ever practiced any sort of magic before? That energy you lent me... I don't know. There was something about it. It felt familiar. Easy, in a way. Just a thought I had."
As they progressed through the area, Kiryu looked down at his own robes.
"Nah, nothing really. My... philosophy, school, whatever you want to call it, we don't really have any sort of emblem or logo. Maybe we should. There's something to be said for brand recognition, right? And maybe if we make enough of a name for ourselves, seeing someone show up wearing our symbol might be enough to defuse some situations even without violence.
I think my father would like that.
If you want some new threads, though..."
Kiryu smirked. He had more than enough juice back for this, at least. With a gesture, Kiryu created robes similar to the ones he wore, though these ones had hoods. The garments were mystically conjured in colors that flattered Zaru and Cade's complexion. In a fit of mischievous humor, Kiryu added the words "Hot Boyzz", after the name of the defensive line of one of his favorite football teams, onto the backs of the magically created textiles.
"There. Now you can't say I never gave you anything."
Moving deeper into the area, Kiryu pondered what Cade was asking.
"Honestly, it sounds a little silly when you say it out loud, but I am really not sure that I could come up with a better way to put it than 'wizard jail'. To be fair, though, I think we need to clarify what that actually means. If the implication that you're getting is that there are a bunch of magic users like me locked up here, I don't think that's the case. There are some, I think, but if what I saw is correct, the ones that would be looked up there would make me look like I was on stage trying to pull a rabbit out of my hat.
This place is a prison, and I think it was constructed by beings that possess greater power than... anything I've ever imagined. I don't even know if it's native to this dimension, not really. And as far as what's locked up there...
I couldn't even begin to guess. All I know is it's not going to be good."
Kiryu shrugged, smiling mirthlessly.
"I know, that's probably not the most comforting thing in the world... but, well, here we are. And yeah... I do think we're going the right way."
Kiryu watched as Cade diverted the predator that had appeared in their path, nodding his approval. From what he could tell, that was just a natural predator, and Kiryu wouldn't have wanted to hurt the creature. Tired as he was, he may have reacted on instinct and killed or injured the leopard before realizing it was just a big cat. He shook his head, reaching out with his senses.
"We're getting close to something. Something big. Something that wants us here... and something that doesn't."
Following along the path that Cade had found, they made their way towards the lake. As they pushed through the treeline and reached the shore, they saw that, in the center of the lake, there was a relatively small island within the island. This patch of land couldn't be more than a few hundred feet across, and was dense with tropical trees. In the center of this mini island, there was a structure of some type, but the trio was far away and Kiryu was having trouble making it out clearly. On the shore there was an old, but still serviceable, rowboat, easily large enough for the three warriors. They could have flown, to be sure... but Kiryu was still tired. And... there was something else. There was something about taking a vessel there. Something symbolic. Something powerful.
"Row, row, row your boat..." Kiryu said, shrugging at his friends.
"Do you guys mind if I beg off the oars? It doesn't look far, and I want to try and recover my strength before we face... whatever the hell we're going to be facing."
Even as he said the words, Kiryu knew he would not be able to be at one hundred percent. He was certainly better than he had been, but that spell had taken a lot out of him. Already, Kiryu was thinking of ways to perform that spell differently, to make it easier, less taxing, and he thought he saw how to accomplish it. But for now, until he had a chance to really rest, Kiryu's power was diminished.
It was lucky, then, that he had his friend here, with him, at the edge of the world.
[WC=1,023] [TWC=2,133]
|
|
|
Post by darthlunchbox on Mar 6, 2020 13:54:08 GMT -8
Cade checked out his new threads as Kiryu conjured them onto him, they were scarlet with golden lining on the inside. They were actually pretty comfortable and he flipped the hood up to see if it would be as cool as he thought. It was pretty... awesome, he imagined he looked cool and mysterious. He remained oblivious to the "Hot Boyzz" logo on the back, pleased with his new clothing. "Thanks, Keeryou, I appreciate it, my friend!"
Cade stepped into the boat, careful to keep his balance as his weight made the boat rock in the water. He took a place on the rowing bench nearest to the dock and held tight to it so the boat would be steadier when Zorro and Kiryu settled in. As the bald headed man settled in next to him, Cade reached over and untied the mooring line and picked up the surprising smooth handled oar and pushed them away from the dock. He watched as Zorro put his oar in the lock and mimicked his motions to get his own ready. A little uncertainly, he started to row along with Zorro. He was a little uncertain with the exact mechanical motion at first and their progress was a bit herky jerky as Zaru's oar was pulling harder than his and had a rhythm he didn't.
After they were about halfway across the flat glossy black surface of the lake, Cade finally found the rhythm of the oars. Up, back, down, pull. Rinse, repeat. He strove to match Zorro's steady pace and they were soon making double the time they had been. The only sound for a few more minutes were the grunts of the two men manning the oars and the stirring of the water as the oars dipped in and rose out. It seemed... almost wrong or sacrilegious to make too much noise on this small dark mere. They reached a stone pier on the island in the center and Cade wordlessly looped the mooring line around the anchor on the dock and climbed out of the boat, looking around at their surroundings. It was more dense vegetation, though here there was the remnants of a stone path going uphill leading off towards the center of the island. The isle itself seemed to be a hill, rising steadily on all sides towards the center. Not feeling quite as adverse to speaking now, Cade whispered to Keeryou, "On up towards the center then, do ya think? Follow the path on up there?"
[419/1869]
|
|
|
Post by Kiryu on Mar 13, 2020 11:09:24 GMT -8
Kiryu nodded. He had been mostly silent on their short journey to the center of the island, focusing on regaining his energy and composure and trying to suss out exactly what the hell they were supposed to be doing here. It had been a mixed success; the young magician was rested and mostly recovered, but he was no closer to actually knowing what was going on than he had been when they had been called here.
"That's the best bet I have, to be honest," said Kiryu. As he did, he used his magic to construct a rudimentary machete, to clear the vegetation from their path. As Kiryu and Cade moved forward, however, and Kiryu made to chop away the overgrowth, the plants actually moved out of their way, clearing a path for them. Kiryu looked back at his companions, cocked an eyebrow, and shrugged before continuing on the path.
As they walked on, Kiryu noticed that the movement of the flora was somehow... slowed. Lethargic, almost, like the plants had been sedated and were struggling to move.
Curiouser and curiouser.
As they moved through the foliage with increasing, Kiryu could see the remnants of some sort of structure. It was up a small incline, with a stone pathway that had stood the test of time. Looking at the structure, Kiryu could make out crumbling walls that suggested that this may have once been a mighty tower, stretching high into the air. As it was, the tower was broken, offering little clue as to who may have constructed it or what it’s purpose was.
Kiryu moved closer, assuming his companions would follow. The stones around the tower were laid there precisely, and they all bore intricate carvings and markings. They were geometric patterns, spiraling and entwining, forming complex shapes that Kiryu knew could not be anything other than magical in nature. Calling upon his own power, Kiryu prepared to use his true sight to examine the arcane symbols…
And screamed in pain as he was nearly blinded.
As quickly as he had formed the spell, Kiryu dropped it, holding his hand in front of his eyes and blinking back tears. It had been as though a miniature sun had been dropped into his field of view. The image of it was still burned into his retinas, and he breathed heavily, mastering the pain until he could once again open his eyes. When he did so, his vision was slightly blurry, but it was rapidly improving.
”... okay. Fucking ouch. Well, we are most definitely in the right place. Those stones… the freaking bricks in this place are juiced up with more magic than just about anything I have ever seen. Or ever even heard of.”
Kiryu shook his head, looking over at Cade. ”This place is the real deal, man. We better get ready… I don’t think it’s going to get any easier from here on out.”
The edifice in front of them loomed high, stretching stony fingers up into the sky... but Kiryu could, somehow, sense that the structure was far, far larger than it appeared on the outside. Gingerly reaching out with his senses, Kiryu probed the earth, and felt powerful spells woven into the very bedrock of the island. By following the path of energy, he could tell that the structure delved deeply into the earth, beyond even the range of his enhanced senses... perhaps to the very heart of the world.
With everything else he was feeling, it would not surprise Kiryu in the least.
As he focused on his immediate surroundings once more, Kiryu took in the structure as it appeared before him. The base of the tower had a still intact archway and large gate, an edifice that beckoned the warriors forward. The gate was far from bare; it was inlaid with intricate, arcane carvings, and scenes depicting... Kiryu had no idea what. There was a tree? And one bough it bore golden fruit... on another, black. He had no idea what it meant. The gate was large, powerful... even at full strength, Kiryu did not know if he would be able to force his way in to the structure. Acting on a sudden instinct, Kiryu laid his hand on the gate. Kiryu could feel it thrumming with energy... and perhaps, if he matched it's frequency just so...
Click.
The gate opened, revealing what surely was once a richly appointed foyer, though it had now fallen into disrepair. There were several hallways leading into the structure, but Kiryu felt that the left one was where they should head first. Soon enough, the hallway came to an end at a closed door, one that Kiryu opened and entered.
Stepping in revealed a small, simple antechamber, and a staircase leading downward, into depths that Kiryu could not yet fathom. The warrior mage held out his palm, summoning a golden ball of ki to give off light; if what Kiryu was feeling, what he was fearing, was correct, then there had not been anyone to attend to this place in longer than he could imagine. Kiryu knew, just as sure as he was living, that something was waiting for them down there. Something powerful... something ancient. Something evil and arcane and hungry in ways that he did not have the capacity to properly expressed. Still... at least Kiryu was not alone. He nodded over at Cade, knowing that, come what may, his friend would have his back, and began his journey down the stairs.
If felt like nothing so much as a descent into the abyss.
[WC=931] [TWC=3,670]
|
|