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 Posted: Wed Jan 03, 2018 11:34 pm
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His initial shock fading, Turin could feel the wound now. It burned and only after he was sure Sadron wasn't about to rush him did he spare a glance down to inspect it. It was a shallow slice...clean, not deep, just a surface wound really; stung like hell now, but he'd certainly had much worse. The true pain didn't come from the wound though, but from the knowledge of who caused it.
He was still in shock; he knew it, but all he kept repeating in his head was 'This isn't happening. This isn't real.' Why? How? How could someone who had been like a brother to him since they were little tadpoles do this? Why would he do this? He needed to focus. Sadron was hesitating...why? Taking the opportunity, Turin laid a hand over his new wound and inhaled sharply through gritted teeth, focusing on the pain it caused. Focus, you idiot. If you don't, you could wind up with worse.
Sadron hadn't advanced, but seemed to be having a temper tantrum and-- Turin tensed, hearing the first part of Tariel's scream. He shifted, trying to keep Sadron in his peripheral vision while seeking Tari. He barely caught sight of her before she seemed to vanish. What the...? Almost immediately after, Tox vanished, the guards, the girls... He had no idea what it was that the Queen had just done, but somehow, he knew that whatever it was, she was keeping their little ones safe. Thank the Waters. That single worry relieved, he refocused on Sadron. Something was wrong.
Well, clearly, but now the hunter seemed conflicted. Talking to himself, his expression showing confusion, bewilderment. Turin pulled his hand from the wound on his side, glancing down at the traces of blood on his fingertips. He wasn't getting an answer for why at this rate, but he tensed when Sadron screamed, clutching his head.
This was madness. Growling under his breath, the Captain shook himself out of his daze. Time to take control of the situation. Whatever was going on here. "Sadron! What the hell? Have you lost your damn mind--?"
He'd not noticed the trinket before, but it was hard to ignore now. The bright flash was so intense, Turin reflexively raised one hand to shield his eyes from the light. What in seven hells...? He peered past his fingers, noting the eerie changes that came over the hunter. His eyes...was he about to shift? In the middle of all these innocents? Crap!
No, that wasn't shifting energy that was gathering. The former Commander's posture contorted in sickening ways, making Turin's stomach churn with dread. He was too focused on what was happening before him to notice how the party guests had been disappearing like the Queen and the Queensguard had previously. What was...this creature that raised its head and met his gaze? While he couldn't explain his previous actions, he knew Sadron. He had been close enough to touch him, to feel him, to meet his eyes. It had been Sadron, he knew it.
This was not Sadron. And he didn't know what it was.
The blood-curdling screech sent chills down his spine and the Captain braced himself for the attack, painfully aware his spear was too far away to safely retrieve.
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Posted: Thu Jan 04, 2018 1:35 pm
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Daddy didn't have the time to respond, it seemed all at once things were happening. Some male with a Mohawk talked with the Consort then there was blood! Green eyes shot wide as the Princess began to shake. Closer to her father than her other siblings, physically, she began to try to backpedal desperately needing to feel safe.
Everything seemed to freeze except her mind. Unable to move her arms to cover her ears she could just stare and let out a silent scream. Whirlpool came to mind so violently that it thrust her back into those moments of terror once more. Destruction was everywhere, blood and screams with everything they ever knew scattered to the seven seas. Nothing physically broke but the moment was as real to her as it was ever.
Bubbles swirled as her gills worked triple time to get oxygen to her starved lungs. Her sisters, where were her sisters! Once she was able to move, her voice shrilled from panic yell headless of the threats that clearly existed. "Ariel! Arista! Attine! Here!" That there were so few names sent another chill up her spine.
Briefly she swam into herself cleaning hard to her body and shaking while keeled over. With a shaking lip she went from a young adult back to a six year old child.
Whipping around so quickly she sent another bubble circle before launching herself into her father as full speed as she could manage from her already close distance prior to the push back. "Daddy!" Pure panic she pulled at his arm completely headless to his previous companion, "We have to go, we have to go!" She tugged with shaking limbs to emphases her point. "We need to find Alana, Aquatica and Andrina. Now!" More sure of anything in her life, they had to be together.
Seruta Because Ayu is there potientally still
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Posted: Thu Jan 04, 2018 2:01 pm
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Posted: Tue Jan 16, 2018 5:01 pm
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((Next section was done as rapid RP in Discord))
HelMel Sadron lunged at Turin, dagger in one hand. He aimed for the chest and prepared his other hand to land a punch as a backup. He face was full of fury as he flung himself at his foe; such well-laid plans had come to nothing. The only hope now was to dispatch him quickly before Tariel could unleash her true power.
Teigra The Captain braced himself for the incoming attack; he had only moments to decide how to react. Minimize damage. He needed a weapon. Or to level the playing field. Focusing on the incoming weapon strike, Turin made a grab for Sadron's wrist with both hands, aiming to sweep his arm away and deflect the strike. If all went well, Turin could twist his arm and break Sadron's grip on the knife.
Of course, this left him wide open for the incoming punch. Sadron's fist connected with Turin's jaw and for a moment, he saw stars. Dammit, he was going soft on his hand-to-hand training. At least, when he was unarmed and his opponent wasn't. Using the momentum while shaking off the blow that would certainly bruise later, Turin attempted to twist Sadron's arm back to get him to release the blade. The fury in his expression was unnerving and at the moment, Turin could find no trace of his friend in those eyes filled with madness.
HelMel Sadron felt the twist and went with it. One of the advantages to being underwater was that gravity could suck it. He flipped upside down and flipped with his tail as hard as he could both for momentum and try to land another blow. Of course he was dealing with a very capable naiad in Turin. His tail missed its target but did give him an out. Sadron retained the knife and gave a small bit of distance between them. He twisted and lunged again, this time going for the throat.
Teigra Turin managed to dodge the tail strike and his throbbing jaw was a fierce reminder that though this looked like his friend, he couldn't afford to treat this exchange lightly. This is no time to dance around! He couldn't just stay on the defensive here, not if he hoped to disarm the hunter and subdue him. Even if it was clear that Sadron meant him serious harm, Turin still couldn't bring himself to do the same. If he could just get the weapon away from him...get him to calm down...
No, staying defensive wouldn't do it. He had to go on the offensive. As Sadron whirled and charged again, Turin charged to meet him. The strike was aimed higher this time, and hoping to take the hunter by surprise, Turin ducked under the blade and in close, bringing his elbow up in a quick strike aimed for Sadron's jaw. Time to return the favor.
HelMel Sadron was knocked backwards as hard elbow made contact. As his body grazed along the floor, the entity controlling the hunter was shook just enough for somewhere deep within Sadron to tremble with rage as if to say "You hit me? YOU HIT ME! Yooou hit meee? YOU DID. YOU HIT ME! I can't believe you hit me!" The pendant's glow wavered momentarily. Bouncing back the entity again prepared for attack. This time, however, the water around him became boiling hot. "What the...?" Since the water did not seem to hurt, it could be useful. He used hit tail to flush the water in Turin's direction before lunging again from the middle of it. "Why won't you die?" |
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Posted: Tue Jan 16, 2018 5:06 pm
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Teigra For just a moment, Turin felt satisfaction as he made contact and sent the raging hunter skidding backwards. Was that it? Did he need to knock sense back into him? Turin raised an eyebrow at the response however, and shook his head. Apparently not. Wait...was the water around Sadron bubbling?
The first wave of water hit and Turin hissed and propelled himself backwards before he could be more seriously scalded. What the hell? Since when could Sadron do that? Was that Sadron, or....whatever it was that was causing him to act like this? Again, Turin's focus turned to the glowing pendant, but only for a moment as the raging hunter was throwing himself at the Captain again. "Sorry, not in my plans for today," Turin growled, meeting Sadron's charge. He reached for the hunter's wrists once more, aiming to keep the knife at bay, but this time also twisting to strike with his tail. The passing wave of water burned, though his coloring would keep from showing any burns for now. Instead, Turin tried to twist with the inertia to move the pair of them back to cooler waters.
HelMel The combination of twisting and tail threw Sadron back, causing him to drop the knife. This wasn't working. So be it, then. Time for the big guns. The naiad started to cackle insanely before his jaw cracked open wider than should have been possible with a sickening crunch. His body contorted, making all sorts of unpleasant popping and tearing sounds. As his form elongated and grew, his arms seemed to shrink back into fins. In a haze of twisting flesh, scales, and bubbles, the naiad was naiad no more. In his place a monster glared and opened his maw to expose a frightful amount of razor sharp teeth. The mini leviathan was eel-like in appearance, if eels were the things of nightmares. "I wonder how you tassssssssste," the figure hissed before launching once again in the direction of the consort.
Teigra NO! Nonononono this is bad...
A string of much more colorful language was streaming through Turin's head as he watch Sadron's form begin to change. Exactly what he'd been worried about before...there were too many innocents about; someone was likely to get hurt. Of course, judging by the success of his attempts to stop the former Commander thus far, that someone was likely Turin. He should have done more to end this fight quickly before it could escalate...but he was holding back. He didn't WANT to hurt Sadron, though it was clear his old friend certainly didn't feel the same. Now there was no choice for it. There was only one thing that could counter a sea serpent.
Another serpent.
Or a Leviathan, Turin's mind added and he quickly shoved away the thought. No, if Tariel got involved and shifted...they'd all be in danger and Sadron, well...likely wouldn't survive long enough for Turin to figure out what the hell was wrong with him. Turin's eyes paled, going white as he gathered shifting energy to follow suit. His form began to bulk up, following a similar process to the hunter who had already had a head start; seconds would be critical. Turin was still finishing his shift when he heard his foe's hiss. Instinctively, he twisted in an awkward manner to avoid the strike; he was nearly successful. The razor sharp teeth grazed his side and he let out a furious roar in answer.
The serpent was angry.
Faced with an equal challenge, the monster's instincts kicked in, analyzing the other as he coiled to strike back. Only with supreme effort did Turin manage to fight the urge to go for a quick kill. Disable, not destroy! he chanted in his mind, his coiled muscles firing to launch him like a torpedo for Sadron's broad side.
HelMel The spearhead glinted and glowed the same color as the serpent's eyes as it sloshed around, bouncing against Sadron just below the bottom lip. During the morph the cord had hung on one of the bottom fangs. He opened his mouth wide to intercept Turin's new body, trying for purchase wherever it could. Not calculating for propulsion on Turin's end, Sadron took the full blow. The serpents crashed into the wall of the throne room. Sadron maneuvered to gain leverage with his tail, trying to wrap his enemy. All the while, teeth were gnashing in a bloodthirsty frenzy.
Teigra Full impact, though successful, still didn't manage to stun the massive serpent. If anything, it only seemed to fan the flames of rage. Recoiling to recover, Turin found his opponent attempting to encircle him, and the serpent hissed with contempt. Squeeze the prey. Immobilize. Then, finish the job. Attempting to counter Sadron's efforts with his own, Turin began having a harder time stifling the sea beast's instincts, especially when the pain from the wildly gnashing teeth joined the chaos. He didn't have the capacity to wonder if anyone had been swimming nearby when they'd crashed into the wall, whether anyone had been hurt by the fighting serpents. Too much input. The water was bubbling with the swift thrashing of the two giants, each one trying to gain purchase on the other with their powerful coils, reaching for that one advantage that could shift the balance of battle. Snapping jaws attempted to find purchase against scale and flesh and soon there was blood in the water.
Antidia Tariel had made every effort she could to evacuate the throne room. Any naiad sticking around to watch the fight did so at their own risk. She tried to keep focus on them but had a bigger job to fulfill. When they both transformed into their serpent forms, she was shocked. How did it come to this? The naiad queen darted towards the two gnashing serpents, unafraid and angry. Murderously angry. She held a closed hand out to her side, and a golden glow peeked from the crackes in her fist. It only took a second before the glow shot from both sides of her fist and materialized her trident. The weapon sported three razorsharp tips and she pointed it towards Sadron. "STOP!" she shouted and twirled the trident in her hands. She was quick enough to put the tip of her trident under Sadron's serpent head. The rage in her eyes surpassed any she'd ever felt towards her old friend. And this time, it wouldn't end with a satisfied release. Emerald eyes searching to make eye contact, She thought if she could just see into his soul she'd know why he was doing this. But there was nothing in his eyes. She only saw a faint reflection of Alu in the dull lifeless eyes. Her senses went on high alert because the odor in the water surrounding this fight, and Sadron. This wasn't right, something else was going on here. It wasn't just a fight among her two captains. The spear head tangled in twine in Sadron's serpent's teeth caught her eye. Tariel felt her heart sink, and she didn't understand why. The dread caused her hand to tremble slightly, but she tried to hide it. "Sadron, stop. I will not hesitate to push the tip through your skull." She growled. |
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Posted: Tue Jan 16, 2018 5:10 pm
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Teigra Blood and pain, roars and thrashing, all was chaos. Then, a clear voice cut through the cacophony and a moment later serpent Turin was disengaged, shaking himself out of the frenzy state. Murderous rage...but not his own. Not even the serpent's. The serpent was cold and deadly, angry when attacked, but nothing like this heated fury. He shook off the screaming predator instinct, the one that kept pointing out the other serpent's weak points, telling him where to strike and how to end it quickly. The instincts he'd been actively fighting while trying instead of subdue his foe. Where then was this murderous rage coming from...?
Turned out there was a third thing that could counter a vicious giant sea serpent:
Tariel when she was angry.
Eyes clearing of bloodlust, Turin was able to focus on Tariel, normal form Tariel, who had just swum in between the two warring serpents without fear and had her trident to Sadron's throat. He could see her fury. Feel it. As surely as if it were his own. For a moment, even Turin froze. Everything seemed to stop. Then...a sharp, abrupt shift to the rage; doubt....dread...as if his heart had plummeted to the ocean floor. Why? No, these weren't his feelings. Then...Tariel?
What was she about to do that would cause such feelings? Oh no...
His serpent form's voice was at least a full octave lower than his own, and harsh, gravelly. "Tariel," Turin rumbled, shifting so that he remained in her peripheral vision. "Please, don't." He couldn't figure out the exact reason behind that sudden dread, but if she were about to do something she might regret, he had to stop her. "If only for me, please...let me handle this." He wasn't even sure if she'd hear him, or if it would make a difference in the way he asked, not if she was truly furious. If she'd gone Leviathan, there would be no reasoning with her. Of course, at that point, there would be only two individuals around that could hope to control her, and they'd shortly been engaged in a vicious battle with one another. He couldn't be sure that she wasn't about to shift. Or maybe just impale Sadron as she'd threatened. Turin hoped to prevent either occurrence.
Antidia Tariel's eyes darted to Turin. She could feel his concern, but in serpent form, it's hard to read facial response. She hesitated and waved her tail to go higher; her trident's tip never even shifting from it's target on Sadron's neck. There was pause as she looked at Sadron once more. She wasn't sure how long she could keep control, or how long until Sadron would respond.
So she turned her anger to her conosort. She scowled at Turin, "You dare doubt me?" The tip of her trident slowly moved towards serpent Turin. "Then die if you so wish it."
The trident never was technically aimed to her lover. But as a last chance effort, she struck, and twirled the shaft, slicing the cord lodged in Sadron's mouth. Alu recognized the odor and plead with Tariel to retrieve whatever it was in Sadron's teeth.
To back off was not the queen's style. She wanted to save Turin, and punish, or needs be, stop Sadron by any means neccessary. This was a crushing blow to her pride and ego, but she backed away. Turin better know what he's doing. She knows he is as capabable as her in combat, but he is injured. She had to trust in his judgement. Trust in anything was hard when she was so enraged she teetered on the edge of shifting to just end it in one bite. She could only pray to the Waters to make him stronger.
The Waters!
Once more, the queen inhaled sharply and perked up, her attention completely diverted. Her one true duty. The only reason she existed, as Naiad Queen, was to protect that globe in the same room as two warring serpents. They already slammed into one wall, she had to protect this one. She swam quickly to be on the ready to gut whoever threatened the Element, be it Sadron or... Turin. She had to be ready to sacrifice.
HelMel The sea serpent inhaled sharply when it saw Tariel. Her. However, it fought back its bloodlust when she intervened. Not now... She must be made to suffer... The beast remained still as it felt the trident press into a tender spot. For what seemed like an eternity, Sadron watched the others' struggle. They were giving him way too much time and opportunity. Fortunately, there were bigger plans in motion. He bided its time for the moment to strike. As the queen swam away toward the element, Sadron felt Turin's attention follow Tariel if even briefly. Finally an opening appeared, and the serpent and went in for a potshot. Teeth crunched through scales and found a fleshy prize. Blood clouded the water as Sadron firmly sliced into Turin's midsection. Fish on the menu tonight! Hope someone brought the tartar sauce.
Teigra The serpent form wasn't one for being that expressive, but inside Turin had cringed when Tariel snapped at him. He wasn't looking to die...just trying to keep that from being a certain thing, at least for Sadron. It wasn't the first time though that Tariel would be angry for facing opposition from a member of her Court and it wouldn't be the last. It wasn't that he doubted her; far from it. Only that...sometimes she needed a voice of reason to interrupt to keep her from charging ahead during particularly emotional moments and well, most times that fell to Turin. He'd apologize later and they'd make amends. For now, he had to focus on Sadro--
It had been no more than a split second that his gaze had flickered from Tariel's sudden strike, to her retreat towards the Element when Sadron struck. Pain exploded from his midsection and the serpent's roar reverberated through the grand hall. The battle up to this point had been more than just physical; Turin had been warring with the serpent's instincts to maim, to kill, holding them back while trying to subdue his foe instead. Suddenly, the battle was lost. The excruciating pain combined with the overpowering scent of blood in the water, his own blood, ripped Turin's control away as the serpent broke free to rampage.
Bloodlust veiled his sight, pain swirled with adrenaline and the serpent roared again in fury. No more hesitation. Kill or be killed. Despite the extra pain it caused, he coiled and thrashed, dragging Sadron with him as he threw himself at the floor of the hall. At the last moment, he twisted to slam the other serpent's head into the floor as the point of impact. Without pausing to see if he'd been stunned, he struck, again and again, whatever his fangs could reach. In his primal fury, Turin had completely dismissed the odd spearhead pendant and never noticed as it was tossed free to skid along the hall's floor away from the fight. A furious hiss grew to a roar as with a final twist, he managed to get an angle to strike. Instinct was like a lock-on, his sights on the other's throat. He struck so quickly that bubbles swirled in his wake, his jaws wrapping around the other serpent's throat, pushing him down against the floor as his teeth sank into flesh...
NO!
The serpent's jaws froze; though he held his opponent down, his fangs sank no deeper. The serpent's form was heaving from the effort, but he held his position as Turin wrested back control from the beast before it was too late. No one was going to die here tonight. All the blood in the water was making this a struggle, but Turin finally managed to subdue the beast enough to snarl, "YIELD!"
HelMel “....the ********, Turin? Why are you biting me, you crazed son of a barracuda? Get off!” The other serpent hissed in confusion. The smell of blood was intoxicating to a point, but the smell of his own wasn’t so pleasant. Adrenaline and sharp, pointy teeth were keeping him from shifting back. All Sadron wanted was his arms back. Wait. Why was he in serpent form? Hold on a second. Something was wrong. Sadron remembered creating a diversion. He remembered deciding against the plan. Then he remembered floating. It had been like he'd fallen asleep and dreamed about a battle between two sea dragons. How did he get here? Why was he now awake? Looking around, though, he realized it had all been real. That meant he had done unspeakable things. He ruined Tariel's party. Ah s**t, he ruined her party. Well, the pain would continue then. Sadron started to squirm but remembered pain and chompy chomp. "...buddy?"
Teigra A low timbered growl was all Sadron received in response. Turin could feel the blood pounding in his head, as well as the pain from his lacerated midsection. He knew he couldn't keep this up much longer, but he wasn't about to be fooled again either. Although still in serpent form, the voice sounded more like Sadron again...but was it really? Was this just another trick?
After a moment longer, he withdrew his fangs slowly from the other's throat, though he didn't move far away. "Shift back. Now. No tricks." Though he had technically released his hold, he kept his jaws ready. The threat was clear, as the wall of fangs would remain on either side of the former commander if he complied and shrank back to his normal form.
HelMel "Fine. Get off me then, you psycho," said the shifting form whose voice seemed to also shift mid sentence. The hunter touched down onto the floor and grabbed his shoulder. Blood gushed from where Turin had bitten him and added to the pink cloud of diluted blood that surrounded the pair. "That hurt, you prat. Why did we shift anyway? Am I too sexy for you now? Had to scar me up a bit, huh? Jealous that the ladies were all over this bod? I bet you were. Hurry up and shift back. Your breath smells like a week old beached whale." It was probably not the best idea to taunt a sea beast, but smart was not usually Sadron's style. Sadron, however, was pissy and annoyed and in pain. This meant externally he took it out on people he liked. Internally, however, he was struggling to sort out this reality. None of this made sense. All the feelings he had held with such conviction were gone. There was just a naiad dirtying the water, feeling as lost and alone as he had after the hurricane. Sadron looked around for a drink. He needed anything alcoholic to drown the emotions, completely ignoring Turin at this point. Selfish Sadron was once again blossoming until a little nagging thought poked at his brain. Oh wait... The princesses... What now?
Teigra The serpent growled low again in warning, but took no other action. Only after Sadron had fully shifted back to Naiad form did Turin brace himself and follow suit. The worst of his wounds scaled down to fit his normal form as he shifted, but some of them were fairly deep and still coloring the water around him. It certainly sounded like Sadron. Old Sadron. But...that didn't make sense either. How could he...why was he acting like this after what just happened?
What HAD just happened?
Turin was still trying to figure that out and Sadron's strange behavior wasn't giving him any answers. Fully back to Naiad form as well, Turin had ignored most of the rambling from the former commander and fixed him with a pointed glare. One arm was wrapped around his midsection, trying to stop the worst of the blood flow, but he had one very important question and piece of business to take care of before seeking medical attention. Turin neared Sadron who seemed to be looking around for something. The Captain took the opportunity to reel back and throw a right hook at his jaw.
"What the ******** is wrong with you?!? You tried to kill me, you lunatic! Give me one good reason not to have you locked up!"
((You may now return to regular posting.)) |
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Posted: Tue Jan 23, 2018 3:43 pm
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Begrudgingly, Tariel watched the fight and the cheap shots. She cringed knowing she could have completely stopped this display of ...
Wait, what were they fighting over? Sadron's stealthy stab hurting her love, but would he do such a thing? Was Sadron so over their friendship and comradery that he hated them? What happened?
They turned back into their naiad form rather quickly, and Sadron sounded different. More like the prat she used to know and love. Trident still in hand, she swam over to the pair. They were much less dangerous and their judgment was sharper as naiads.
SMACK
Tariel slapped Sadron's face as hard as she could.
"HOW DARE YOU!?" She shouted in his face. "I thought you were dead, and you come waltzing in here causing a ruckus and injuring Turin. No telling if you injured any of our invited guests. Did you not notice we invited naiad from all over the world? Did you fail to notice this was a celebration? And you drew first blood. I should banish you now.
You break my heart, Sadron. I was so elated you were alive, but then you do this?" Tariel used her trident to point out the giant mess, fleeing dignitaries, and frightened guests.
The odor she'd smelled earlier had intensified and she paused her tongue lashing and her nose followed the odor. Alu in her head was going crazy every time she smelled it. She zeroed in on the item that was in serpent Sadron's teeth. The thing she'd attempted to dislodge. "What is that?" she snapped at Sadron.
Tariel moved closer to the item, feeling dread as she got closer. She didn't understand why she was afraid of this spearhead. The coppery odor around it made her uneasy. She poked at it with her trident and it rolled over like any normal item. She tipped forward to pick it up...
Flashes of death, Alu and her Oracle. Hatred and betrayal. For the tiniest moment she felt hatred towards herself, towards Alu.
Tariel immediately dropped it. She was shaking and looking at her hand where she'd held the spearhead. Her hand felt burned but there were no marks.
She inhaled sharply, looking to Turin, worry on her face.
Sadron would be punished later if the worm stuck around.
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Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2018 10:28 am
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Logan came awake with a start.
Where was he...?
What happened....?
He blinked and stared at the ceiling. He needed to remember something...
All of a sudden he felt his body. Sharp, stabbing pain on his left side. A dull throb across his stomach. Many other places bruised and banged. He winced and looked to the offending left side, only to find his arm gone.
He glared at the leftover appendage, wondering where and when exactly he had lost that. And what was that red stuff pulsing out with each pounding ache of his head. There were other wounds. Across his stomach. His fins. He wasn't sure what happened, but shouldn't he be feeling something? Anything?
He finally attempted to sit up only to sway as his world swam and his body beat in time to his thundering heart. He paused and threw his good hand backwards to catch himself as he started to fall into the blackness.
NO! He had to do something. He forced his eyes open and looked around. Yes. There were other people here, in this tiny once safe room. A green and silver fish. TOX!!! and The other one was.....
Why couldn't he remember? he shook his head, trying to dispel the vague sense of fuzziness pulsing thru his brain at the moment.
He remembered running to the room, guarding the princesses and Snorri.. SNORRI! That was his name!! AND THE PRINCESSES!!
Holy sweet shell of alabaster, he and Tox and Snorri had been tasked with guarding the princesses. He jerked upright again, this time fighting thru his dizzying blackness to glance around and confirm what his heart had already told him. The princesses were gone. And his friends were in no better condition than he. What had attacked him. If only he could.....
He needed his strength. He had no way to know how long he had been out. But judging from the red floating from his friends, and his own arm, he would judge not that long. His arm.... He paused to look down and ponder why it didn't hurt? What was it Snorri had said about battle. Maybe Shock? The blood was kinda pretty the way it floated in water....
Why couldn't he focus......
He tried to lurch to his fins, but once he got there, he swayed enough that the wall became his holder.
MUST......
He ran his good arm along the door and pulled his self along, wincing at the throbbing pulse at his temples.
TELL...
He slowly made his way toward the throne room. He passed no one that wasn't unconscious, so that confirmed that the beast who had taken the children had been this way. Only these fish had been less traumatized. Maybe cause they hadn't put up the fight that he and others had...
THE...
Wait a minute....Beast? Oh yes. He had seen a snake. Much like the serpent that had exploded into the courtroom earlier. But why would a beast take the princesses.....
QUEEN.....
He paused as he reached the doorway, catching sight of the queen and her consort and the man who had started all this.
"Majesty.....Help....Them..." He managed to spit out before darkness fell on him and he felt himself leave this plane of consciousness
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Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2018 2:22 pm
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Posted: Thu Jan 25, 2018 11:45 pm
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Initially, Moana had attempted to tend to her courtly duties by aiding the evacuation, but it hadn't been long before horrified curiosity drew her attention back to the fight. She worried her lip in anxiety as events unfolded and her heart had lurched to see blood clouding the water from the great beasts. She harbored no foolish beliefs that she could survive for a moment anywhere near the warring serpents, but her stomach churned with worry and her mind kept repeating if only there were something she could do, something, anything.
It wasn't until the great serpents had reverted to Pae that she finally dared move from her anxious vigil. Tensions were still high, and plenty of questions remained to be answered, but she wasn't waiting any longer. The brilliant glow of the temple this evening was nearly as energizing as the sun itself, and Moana's scales seemed to shimmer with a luminescent glow as she darted towards the Court members.
"Daddy!" Without hesitation, she moved towards Turin and reached glowing hands towards the worst of his wounds. "Hold still, I'll take care of this," she assured, focusing her efforts on stopping the worst of the bleeding, She gingerly moved his arm out of the way so she could let her magic do its work. She wasn't wasting any time; not this time. She was on hand this time.
Turin had fallen back to let Tariel take her turn against Sadron, but was still wrapped up in adrenaline and fury from the fight and hadn't noticed his daughter's approach. She simply seemed to appear, already fussing over treating his wounds. He started to object at first, but caught a frown and noticed the furvor with which she was focusing her efforts. Remembering the last time she'd had to aid him in such a manner, Turin's eyes passed briefly over the scars on his chest and he held his tongue. Instead, he simply muttered, "Thank you," in a quiet tone.
The fight was over, but his blood was still pounding, as if he could feel every beat of his heart echoing in his ears. Surely the adrenaline should have faded by now? Why then did he still feel so...tense? So anxious? Again, an intense feeling of dread seemed to wash over him. No, this wasn't just lingering adrenaline from the fight...not at all...
He caught Tariel's eye and a sickening feeling made his heart ache. Belatedly, he focused on Sadron's words. "What about the princesses--?!?"
Blood.
The word came too close to the mention of his daughters. Time seemed to slow, but everything was happening too fast. Tariel's look. The intense feeling of fear and terror. Sadron's mentions of blood and princesses. And now another voice, from a new direction, begging her Majesty for help.
Turin looked towards the voice and his stomach seemed to plummet to the ocean's deepest trench. Logan. One of the Queensguard. Collapsing in a growing cloud of blood, covered in serious wounds.
Pushing Moana away, he shouted, "Tariel!" and was off like a bolt of lightning. He seemed headed for the fallen guard, but passed by him and into the hall he'd just exited from, leaving a faint trail of blood swirling in the water in his wake.
Moana was momentarily puzzled as she was pushed away from her work, but her father was gone before she could form a question to ask why. What had happened? What was wrong? She'd missed something. Wait, by one of the side halls...
...oh, by the mercy of the Spirits...
She covered her mouth with both hands, eyes wide with horror. She'd seen wounds before...scrapes, cuts, hunting mishaps, even a wild animal bite or two, but this...this was beyond anything she'd ever been brought to treat before. The wounds criss-crossing his form were awful, but his arm...
She'd been unable to act at first, shock robbing her of thought or other response. A tiny voice in her head though suddenly dropped the reminder that she could very well be the only healer anywhere near the throne room right now. She shook her head, as if clearing her swirling thoughts, then darted forward towards the drifting guard. As Turin disappeared down the hallway ahead, Moana's voice could be heard calling for someone to fetch her some rope or a long cloth, her glowing hands attempting to stop the worst of the bleeding as best she could.
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Posted: Fri Jan 26, 2018 9:25 am
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Rosewater, as one of the bystanders, had watched the fight unravel before her with genuine curiosity. Where others might have winced at the violence and the blood clouding the water, she hardly blinked.
After all, given her line of work, she'd seen far worse.
With the fighting over, she'd been ready to grab a few snacks and call it a day, at least until someone actually injured appeared. Tossing the one morsel into her mouth as she bemusedly watched the "healer" in the mess start panicking, she "dusted" off her hands, stretched them forward, and gave the dining cloth a nice pull.
It wasn't as elegant as she would have liked, but she figured nobody was going to fault her for the mess right now.
Cloth in hand, Rose gave it a small flick before wringing it out as she approached Moana. This was going to be a new learning experience, now wasn't it? She offered a small tap on her shoulder to catch her attention with a playful, "First time?" before, rather forcefully, trading the cloth for the arm stub. Before she could interject, or perhaps just speaking over her, Rose began speaking. It wasn't clearly directed towards Moana, but more than loud enough for her to hear. "Checking for debris.... look clean enough, but..." she playfully winced as she turned the arm to the side. "uwah... look at the shape of these vessels... the bone's splintered too." lightly laughing she looked back over at Moana, offering the stub, "You can tie a bandage, right? You could keep on doing that healing of yours to stop the bleeding, but..." she might have smirked for just a second as she trailed off before that rosy attitude of her returned. "...you probably won't have a chance at reattaching the arm if you do~✰ Just a hunch~✰"
Elsewhere outside the throne room, one of the queen's handmaidens had collapsed to the ground. Her hands clenched tightly against her chest as she bent over, her face pale as sweat fell in salty trails from her skin to join the water around them. Breathing was difficult, as if a thick tar covered and clogged her gills. Her eyes seemed unfocused as she tried to get oxygen into her system, her mouth opening and closing to no avail.
She was cold...
So cold...
It hurt...
It hurt so much...
So much...!
Out of instinct, her form shifted, her arms shrinking, gills enlarging, and two small legs forming to join her stubble of a tail fin. She needed to stop the pain. Stop it. It hurt so much. So much. Just stop the pain.
Then panic took hold of her, like icy tendrils draining what warmth she had left. She shook her head, tears falling in warm streams from her face as her body shook. It hurt so much. She was so afraid. So painful. So afraid.
Make it stop. |
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Posted: Sat Jan 27, 2018 4:57 pm
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Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2018 2:56 am
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(( *clears throat* Let's do this, shall we? ))
Beltan's instincts for observation from his training as a guard had never left him and he made use of them on his return journey, making note of landmarks along the way on the off chance he'd decide to go back to what he had come to think of as his island. Though the distance was great, the leagues seemed to fly by and, almost before he knew it, he found himself in the river-fed lagoon that led to the lake. Home.
As he traversed the waterways, he encountered exotic and varied water pae, all seemingly making for the same destination. Skirting them as much as possible, he allowed nothing to distract him from his goal. However, the closer he came, the numbers only grew, Finally, he broke free of the throng into the lake where he arrowed toward the palace. Once he was inside, he was forced to slow again, this being where there was the greatest concentration of pae and in the halls, though they were wide, movement was hindered. Even so, he navigated through it all, pulled along by the call that, by now, was a constant background hum.
As he neared the throne room, he noticed a distinct shift in atmosphere, seeing many confused expressions and small knots of pae all clustered together, whispering anxiously with one another. All of them appeared to be in a state of shock. Frowning, he approached a white and black speckled female who was peering nervously around the corner of an alcove she had secreted herself in. Clearing his throat to get her attention, he asked her quietly, "What's going on?"
Nebulosa, like everyone else, had heeded the call to come home but she'd been too shy to actually enter the throne room proper, opting instead to hang out on the fringes. When the commotion started, she'd hidden, peeking out every now and again. At the sound of a voice, rough with disuse, she looked up into what was, to her, the terrifying visage of a feral male naiad.
"I... I don't know," she fairly squeaked at him, then reached up to cover her face with her hands and retreated further into the crevice.
He hadn't meant to scare her but it was already done. "Sorry," he gruffed at her then turned, spotting a group where a dark-torsoed male with strangely patterned tail scales drifted at the edges. Leaving the eel-like female behind, he moved to the unknown male next and repeated his question.
Selich held it together slightly better, but still startled at the new voice and again when he took in Beltan's appearance. His eyes drifted to the edge of a nasty scar peeking out from under the naiad's hairline then snapped back to his face. "Everything was grand until some radge made a scene and earned himself a slap. Wee bit too much to drink, maybe? And then...Well, I don't remember," he finished lamely.
This was getting him nowhere. Fed up with trying to get the answers he was looking for, Beltan shoved his way passed the onlookers and burst through the main entrance to the throne room, straight into pandemonium. Blood hung in the water, swirling upward in wispy clouds. One wall was cracked and dented inward, as if something huge had been slammed into it. He spotted Queen Tariel, her face a mask of worry. Commander Sadron was in front of her, head turned toward a side passage where Captain Turin's tail fins had just whipped out of sight. And there, two healers working on someone...who'd lost an arm.
"What the hell?" He might have shouted it as he rushed forward; he couldn't tell over the ringing in his ears.
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Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2018 2:39 pm
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"Princesses"
Nothing, nothing in this world mattered more to the queen. Even at this moment, the Water itself was a mere shadow in her mind hidden behind fear and panic.Tariel darted past Turin, pushing him aside. Concern over the injured guard in the throne room was of no matter to her.
The queen made her way through the halls to the saferoom. A room set aside to protect those of the court should another tragedy befall the lake. It was also a space set aside at the insistence of Alu's whisperings in her earfins when she sleeps.
Tariel halted at the scene in front of her. Anger, fear, and panic taking over, she yelled at Tox, "Who did this? WHERE ARE THEY!?". Every note and syllable punctuated with desperation. Rage at the scene in front her. Her most trusted guards and caretaker of her most precious blessings of the Water lay beaten. What plot has taken place?
First instinct was to find the babies and the pae responsible. Tariel once more darted through the waters, heading down the hall towards the nearest exit. In the halls, as she swam, a loud screech reverberated around the palace, not unlike a dragon ready to strike. The piercing cry was followed by a shake in the palace and the crashing sound of something busting through the wall.
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Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2018 9:18 pm
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The luminescent glow shimmering over Moana's scales had started to dim by the time she felt a tap on her shoulder. Finally, some help-- She blinked at the odd individual, odder still once she opened her mouth. Taking the offered table cloth, Moana frowned incredulously. First time? "For a severed limb? Yes, not exactly a common ailment around here," she shot back, not sure what to make of this woman. For someone she had never seen before, the stranger seemed to know something about healing; was she one of the new arrivals? No time for that now.
"I know how to tie a tourniquet, yes," she answered in an even tone. She'd asked for the cloth in the first place for that purpose. She recognized that the combination of stress and side effect of draining too much energy too fast with her ability could be at work, so she was working to reign in the notes of irritation that tried to creep into her tone. No need to snap at someone. Still, she did raise an eyebrow at the woman as she ceased her healing glow and took the table dressing firmly in both hands. "I'm going to need to recharge anyway," she muttered, then decisively took the cloth in both hands and using her teeth to start a tear, ripped a long strip from the whole.
"Hold him still, in case he moves," she shot back before setting about tying off the tourniquet high on what remained of the poor guard's arm. It was true, she'd used the technique to slow or stop blood flow in other injuries, usually so she could have time to heal the wound otherwise, but it had never before been for a missing limb. Serious injury or mauling, yes, but the limb was still there to be saved.
Where was the poor guard's arm?
*****
As fast as he'd darted away, Turin was easily pushed aside and outpaced by the Queen. There was no way he could keep up with her, even if he'd been uninjured, but that didn't stop him from trying. He could feel his heartbeat, pounding, echoing in his head with the words swirling past, princesses and blood, the sight of the fallen guard in a cloud of blood, the plea for help, the fear and terror he felt at the back of his mind...
The shriek echoed through the halls and Turin felt his blood run cold. No! He'd lost sight of Tariel some distance back, she must have arrived and--what did that mean? What could it mean? Only the worst. The whole palace shook and it was all Turin could do to keep from having to cover his earfins against the piercing wail. A crash, breaking stone and coral...
Oh, Great Water Spirit, save them all.
He arrived on the scene and took it in at a glance. Coming to the same conclusion as Tariel, he felt his vision swimming, his chest tight, adrenaline and pain and fear and overwhelming dread coalescing in the pit of his stomach. Blood, damage to the walls, a major fight had happened here...and the only living signs left behind were the girls' Lady-in-Waiting, and the remaining Queensguard. If they both still lived.
Who would DARE do such a thing?!? His fury built until he could see red at the edges of his vision. He would have torn after Tariel, blood thirsty for vengeance, but some tiny portion of his mind remained sane and knew that anyone in Tariel's vicinity right now may as well sign their own death sentence. It was all that stilled his fins. If the fool remained anywhere nearby, the raging Leviathan would soon remedy their existence. But, just in case...
Growling under his breath, Turin struggled to reign in the unfamiliar fiery rage. The princesses...his little girls...Tari's little ones...the long terrible road they'd traveled to get here, and this was where it end-- NO! He wouldn't accept that. Scanning, he focused on the fallen Queensguard. A hazy cloud of blood hung in the water around Snorri, but Turin was focused on only one tiny detail: the slow slight flutter of his gills. He still lived.
Turin wasn't concerned with the numerous injuries, the blood. He wanted answers. He wasn't thinking clearly or about anything except finding out who was responsible for this. Grabbing Snorri by the shoulders, he lifted the prone guard to give him a firm shake. "The princesses! WHERE ARE THEY?!?" The guard was slumped against the wall as if he'd been thrown and fallen there. Impatient for a response, Turin growled and pushed the other's shoulders to the wall holding him up. His voice had dropped to a low, gravelly tone at least an octave lower than normal. In his fury, his eyes were glowing white with gathering shifter energy and the water in the hall suddenly dropped several degrees in temperature.
"WHO DID THIS?!?"
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