Pandora's Box

[Frightening Night]

Felien of Hyver

Panting, Alice leaned against the tunnel's walls. Every breath felt like a fire was alight in her lungs, and with every gasp, another jolt of pain shot through her sides. Despite her skills, Alice was still very much human, and although she had managed to evade her pursuers for the time being, she was exhausted. Tears threatened to overflow from her eyes, and she gritted her teeth, trying to prevent it. "I will not cry" she told herself with staunch determination. "I am not weak." Stiffening her resolve, she traced her fingers across the wall. Wanting to scream in frustration, Alice slunk forward, her back tightly pressed against the wall. She hadn't come this far for disappointment.

Suddenly, she felt her fingers snag an almost unnoticeable groove in the wall. With a telltale crumbling noise, the wall disintegrated into a large staircase. Despite her pain, Alice grinned widely, relieved. Ascending the stairs with a slight limp, she was greeted with the sounds of voices.. four, if she had heard correctly. "Late to the party, I see" she laughed slightly upon entry, attempting to hide the hurt in her voice. "The name's Alice." She surveyed the other members present; it was obvious that most, if not all of them, were supernatural in some way. Shrinking back slightly, Alice cursed herself silently for her lack of powers.  

[Felien of Hyver]

MusicalPoet

Madotsuki x

Felien's lips turned up in a ghost of a smile as the girl, Margo, took his hand. Despite her formidable force field, the contact allowed him to glean a bit of knowledge from her - that she had run all the way here, for example, and that she was, in fact, human and therefore didn't seem to have any powers. Satisfied, the elf released his grip on her hand.

"Well, Margo, for a human, you have an exceptional ability to shield yourself from others. Though, in the future, it may be beneficial to allow me through. My mental capabilities only allow me to assess physical properties, so your thoughts are shielded from me regardless." He shrugged, and let his words sink in. "Either way, it's your choice."

A fifth voice startles Felien out of his conversation and he looks up to see a girl of about nineteen standing in the threshold of the Hall. If irregular breathing was any judge, she had also run all of the way here - most likely trying to escape the same type of people who had been chasing Raven and Margo. Felien quickly extended a tentative probe towards Alice, retracting it as soon as he determined that she was also human. Eyeing the heavy sword strapped to her waist, Felien moved to bring her further into the Hall.

"Welcome to the Hall of Mirrors, Alice. My name is Felien, and now that you've joined us, what do you say we get this operation under way?"  

[MusicalPoet]

Felien of Hyver

Madotsuki x

Margo let her hand fall to her side. "I'm sorry; It's sort of an automatic response." She pushed some hair behind her ear and heard Alice when she introduced herself. "I'm Margo." she replied in response to the girl. She then turned back to Feilen and nodded. She had been undecided about helping, but she finally gave way and decided she would.

 

[Felien of Hyver]

MusicalPoet

Madotsuki x

Daughter of the Dark One

demonguy009

Felien nodded, pleased that everyone seemed to be on the same page. He lead Alice and Margo over to join the rest of them at the table, gesturing across the map as he spoke.

"As I was telling Raven, this is one of the few intact maps of Jeod that my people drew up. The cartographer took careful pains to note all of the cities where the Plagues reside, adding any and all information they could scrounge up about their weaknesses as soon as they found it. This," he paused, pointing to the city just south of them, "is the city of Droech. My people had reason to believe that Greed made his hideout here about five years ago and has been inflicting the people ever since. These runes here are the only clue we have about Greed's weakness. Raven and I have taken it to mean that someone on the inside may be willing to betray Greed, our only problem will be getting into Droech to find him without being sucked under the influence of Greed's power."

Felien paused in his speech to look over the faces of his new teammates. He was confident that each one of them was capable of doing serious damage in battle, but he wondered if they would be able to withstand the poisonous call of Greed. Then again, even elves were known to succumb to the effects and he strove to push the thought out of his mind - the negativity would only make it easier for Greed to get inside his head.

"I have spent much thought on this problem, and I think our questions may be answered in this city, here." He tapped the city of Raines, which lay about fifty miles to their east. "We must travel to Raines before laying seige to Droech, for without the knowledge we gain there we would be lost." Felien yanks the daggers out of the table and sheathes them in his belt, rolling up the map as he continued to speak. "Besides, we cannot hope to subdue Greed without Pandora's Box and I know for a fact that it is hidden in Raines."  

[Daughter of the Dark One]

Tori 15 Rizzo
and
Maxie ~Dog~

Tori listen to Felien talk about what they where going to to. But would not say anything. She looked over to the other girls there and studied them. ''MAybe it is better for them not to know my real name.' She thought as she looked at the others.
"BARK! Bark! Bark!" Maxie barked on on and on. "Shut up you stupid dog!' She said putting her hands around the dogs mouth. Maxie started to wine but then stopped as Tori let go of his mouth.
"So Felien you are saying we must stop this Greed dude but he can't do this without a box thing." She said to him. She open up her coat to see if all her weapons where there and they where.
"If that is it lets go then." She said to them all. Maxie laid on the floor wining like any other dog would.







Outfit: Link
Thoughts: Well this is going to be quite a job....Should I tell them my name?

Felien of Hyver

demonguy009

MusicalPoet

Madotsuki x

 

[Felien of Hyver]

Daughter of the Dark One

demonguy009

MusicalPoet

Madotsuki x

Felien shook his head, gesturing to the room around them.

"It's not that simple. This Hall and the city of Raines are the only two places on Jeod that the Plagues haven't leveled or infected. Stealing the box won't be an easy matter. You see, the people believe it protects them and they guard it day and night in a corner of the crypts that is out of reach via the catacombs. I would know, I brought it there."

Felien tapped whip his thoughtfully and began pacing the length of the Hall. He remembered the journey to Raines vividly, so getting into the crypt wouldn't be the problem - people regularly made "religious" visits there to pay their respects to the ancient artifact. But escaping with the box unseen, that would be nearly impossible.

"The crypt is constructed in the shape of a cross, with guards at each of the four points and at all the entrances. We can easily enter through the peasant's gate and make our way to the crypt, but leaving will present an issue. Any deaths we cause will alert the villagers to our mission, and their panic will drawn the Plagues to Raines like hungry wolves. Of course, killing the guards is not the only solution but any others leave room for error...this is quite the puzzle."

 

[MusicalPoet]

Felien of Hyver

Margo listened as Felien explained the ordeal. He was right of course, killing would bring up problems. She thought about the other two powers she had but then immediately pushed those ideas away. They could present problems as well. So getting out is the issue... she thought.

 

[Felien of Hyver]

MusicalPoet

Felien glanced over at Margo. The girl had remarkable mental powers, that much was certian. If he could somehow convince her to overpower the guards - just for a moment as they escaped - all could be saved. The box would be in their possession, no innocent blood would be spilled, and their plan to exorcise Greed would be under way. It seemed so simple, he wondered why it didn't come to him before.

Although, something like taking over a person's mind wasn't to be taken lightly. If Margo couldn't handle it, the effects could be disatrous for both her and the humans she influenced. They could be overtaken in a moment if she so much as let one guard slip, but that was something Felien was willing to risk. Besides, there was no harm in asking.

"Margo? Suppose I could get you into the crypt and in a safe location, hidden from view for the majority of the operation. Do you think you could overpower the guards while we take the box?"  

[MusicalPoet]

Felien of Hyver

Margo came back from her thoughts when she heard Felien. "I...how many would I have to control at once?" She asked because it was actually pretty difficult to influence someone's mind. Yes, she could do it quite easily, but with every person she overtakes, the length of the control is shortened. "If it's five or less, I can give you...one to two minutes or more. Any more than five, and I don't know...You guys would have to move quickly, but I'm willing to do it."

 

[Felien of Hyver]

MusicalPoet

Felien nodded, pleased with her willingness to participate. Five or so guards would be plenty to allow him and the others to escape with the box, and he had a friend in the markets of Raines who would hide their horses for cheap while they did the deed. Even an elf knew better than to escape on foot, and as flying creatures were going extinct, their only choice would be the spirited creatures Felien had rescued from his village.

"Excellent. Five or so should be plenty and a minute is more than enough time to make it through the south gate into the markets."

He paused to grin at his teammates, fingers eagerly gripping the hilt of his whip. It was actually going to happen:they were going to steal the box. Never in all of Felien's days did he imagine he would have to steal the precious artifact he had helped to protect, but the situation was dire and they had a great need of its magical powers.

"Well, I suppose we should head out then. Follow me, I believe I have enough horses for all of us - though I'm afraid your dog may have to make his own way, Tori."  

[MusicalPoet]

Felien of Hyver

Margo smiled. She would have to make sure that these guards stayed occupied. What to occupy them with was the question. She couldn't very well send them shopping. Then it hit her and she had her idea in her head.

She looked at the chain hanging around her arm. She loved her choice of weapon; a mace of course. She nodded at Feilen and proceeded to follow him.

 

[Baka_Chiruno]

Raven

"Well then this should be interesting." Raven chimmed in after hearing the plan. "So will everybody else besides Margo be going inside the crypt because stealth is my thing." He said getting everythin ready to leave. Heflipped his hood over his head so no one could recognize his face. "Oh and by the way, because I'm wanted try not and say my name. Call me by my nickname Bell." He said.  

[Felien of Hyver]

Daughter of the Dark One

demonguy009

MusicalPoet

Madotsuki x

Felien led the small group back down the staircase and into the winding tunnels, weaving through dozens of side passages and hidden doors until the light of the torches no longer reached them. He paused in the darkness and muttered something incomprehensible, his low voice echoing through the passage like a phantom. Within a few seconds, a faint glow errupted from the palm of Felien's outstretched hand, growing as he spoke faster and casting a ghostly blue-white light across his features. Shadows sprang across the walls as the ball crackled and seethed with energy and Felien left it to hover at his shoulder as he continued down the tunnel.

"We're approaching the exit now, just a bit further a we'll be directly below my stables. From there we can ride to Raines uninterrupted. The journey shouldn't take more than a few hours, for these are elven horses - much faster than their human-bred brethren."

Without further explaination, Felien ran his fingers along the eastern wall until they found the groove that opened the trapdoor. He pressed into the indention until he heard a slight click, backing away from the site as a deep rumbling came from the roof. Soon, a staircase much like the previous one sprang from the ceiling, lit by the golden rays of the sun. Felien dismissed the crackling orb of energy at his side and ascended the stairs, beckoning for the others to follow.

"I'm afraid there aren't any saddles, but have no fear - no one has ever fallen from an elven horse unless dead or dying. As you are neither, let us mount up and be on our way."

With that, Felien disappeared into the stable only to return with five horses: two white, two chestnut, and one black. Felien himself swung up onto the black one and motioned for the others to do the same.

"If we have any hope of reaching Raines before the sun sets, we must leave now."  

[Baka_Chiruno]

Raven

"Right then, don't want to leave Greed waiting." He said with a smile as he got on one of the white horses. Just then a raven with a missing eye perched on his shoulder. "And I thought you ran off Luminus." He said to the raven as it gave a disaproving caw.  

[Felien of Hyver]

demonguy009

Felien snorted and turned his horses head towards Raines.

"It's the guards of Raines I'd be worried about. They've seen more battle than every man, woman, and child in Greed's grasp put together. The Plagues have seen to that."

He chuckled and glanced at Raven curiously.

"Now, what is this about a nickname? Is your true name really so well known that the bounty hunters would find you if we used it in Raines?"