I have survived finals with a high B/low A average! I'm actually, surprised I did so well. (I really thought I'd fail Chemistry) but now it's summer, and I aim to be much more active from now.
so, how's everyone else doing?
Tyrael is dead, E'nasha is being paged for Underhaven.
"Gamey, bit stringy, and...... tough this one." Baulder said as he contemplated eating another chunk of the fresh Elk. Baulder played with the piece of flank steak for a second before looking down at John Cena who was still shoving chunks into his mouth and chewing with new teeth. For the past two weeks since Tyrael's teaching ban Baulder had a lighter class load than usual. So he had decided hunting with John would be a better way to fill the time then trying to keep up with Tyrael's working pace in the forges. "Repeat."
"Gaaamey, bi...it string, an-nd tough t-this one." John stammered out with his mouthful. John had become nearly a spitting image of Baulder himself. Other than some skin tone issues and his teeth becoming sharper than his own John could pass as Baulder, as long as he didn't talk anyways. Baulder was pleased at the progress his demon had made, he wondered what he would do after he got him to speak correctly. But he wasn't alone anymore, the facsimile was close enough that he felt as if he had a companion in this world now.
"Finish up, we've got reading to do." Baulder said. He then devoured the piece of meat he was holding as John picked through the innards eating the liver and stomach of the dead animal. He had begun to notice John preferred the organs over the muscle and fat of things that they killed. While it seemed odd to him he wasn't complaining, more for him.
Baulder had cleaned himself up and sent John back to the Inferno where he belonged. Having put on clean white linen Baulder took a seat in the Underhaven at one of the booths pressed against the wall he had a thick tome in front of him he had yet to open, something to do with demon transfiguration. He had learned not to long ago that John was likely some sort of Vitamancer given that he was able to adapt to a new form so quickly. But he wasn't reading at that moment, he was watching master Tyrael who was at the bar. He had watched him down an amount of alcohol that likely would have killed Baulder. He couldn't help but think that such an ability would be... useful. But that wasn't why he was there. While the fact that the underground bar was cooler and damper than the rest of the college he found that Tyrael had been spending quite a bit of time here. After he had cranked out a massive amount of client orders recently and given Baulder a suit of ironwood armor Tyrael would spend the rest of his day in the Underhaven or the Inferno. Baulder could only follow him to one of those places. So Baulder sat quietly watching his master and reading whatever book they were given in class by one of the other demonmancy teachers. Waiting for Tyrael to teach him something.
The only interesting thing that had happened so far was Uicle coming in and immediately being struck by a piece of falling debris. Baulder grinned and stifled a laugh. The suit of armor Baulder had found to be a source of constant entertainment with all the absolutely ridiculous things that had a habit of falling on him. Baulder turned back to his book and opened it up to where he had left off, seeing as he was too far away to ease drop on the two teachers.
Baulder was lying on something. It wasn't soft but he could also tell he was sinking slightly. It was so dark, but he could barely tell that he was alive due to the rather dull pain in his forearms. Where have we gone poor Jhon, I can't seem to find the place. Baulder tried to sit up and open his eyes but his body refused both commands. His body he couldn't make out if he still had feet but his fingers, Baulder could still move those. Baulder's digits twitched defiantly at the darkness while he still struggled to open his eyes. It occured to him that everything was mute, all he could hear was the slow but steady beat of his heart in his ears. Baulder wanted to open his mouth and yell, but he found that it too was forbidden for his use. Baulder began screaming in his head calling out for Jhon and..... Baulder? The name was his but he was refering to someone else. This angered him greater but his body still refused any commands and he just kept screaming in his mind.
Annabeth smiled and walked out from behind the counter. “Barkeep! May shift is over, so I’ll be heading out now. See you all tomorrow!” Annabeth grabbed some of her things and left Underhaven, presumably with Keri and Baulder in tow. She took them through the winding halls and up to her Satori’s chambers. Satori didn’t have a room with the rest of the teachers (Not that most of them used their rooms anyways), but she lived near the stables. While most would consider the stables a dirty place to live, and certainly didn’t imagine a refined lady like Satori to live so close to animals, Satori liked their company. At least she had her own separate room from the animals.
At the stables Annabeth stopped by and greeted Samson. She gave him a few sugar cubes and spoke softly towards him. “Hey Sammy. After class we should go for a little trot, how’s that sound?” The horse neighed with content. He didn’t mind resting in the stables, but it was good to get his legs stretched every now and again. After Annabeth dealt with Samson Satori was in the midst of taking care a couple of barnyard cats. One was in the midst of giving birth to some kittens. ”PLease wait a moment. She’s just started.”
Some minutes later and Satori had successfully delivered a litter of 7 kittens. Giving the mother a safe place to rest and food to replenish her energy, Satori then looked towards Annabeth and the others. She wasn’t too surprised to see Keri, but Baulder was an odd one out. Not many of the animals liked being around him. ”I see you’ve brought guest. Let’s take this outside.” Satori motioned towards one of the exits.
Baulder had never actually been to the stables before, nor had he ever really ridden a horse. He had been thrown onto the back of a horse and carried a couple of miles, but never ridden a horse. So naturally the first thing Baulder did when he got to the stables was walk over to the horses. When he tried to pet one with a child like wonder on his face the horse reared and made a rather disapproving neigh, or atleast that’s how Baulder took it. Baulder’s face then dropped into a concerned look ”Oh yes you want some meat yes?”
Baulder took his right arm out of the strap of his rucksack and held it in front of himself with his left hand. When he grabbed the bottom of it he could feel the leather getting slightly moist, he figured the blood and juices were starting to escape the meat and seep into the bag. Baulder reached into the bag with his right hand and produced a jagged cut of meat that from the deer’s ribs. He held it out to the horse in his right hand and smiled waiting for the horse to eat it. The horse bent its head and smelled it then reared again and punched the gate keeping it in with its front hooves. Baulder’s eye twitched and with a still half smile he spoke in a rough voice to the horse. ”You spiteful creature, I will turn you into a fine paste after I castrate you and serve you your own hooves. YOU will enjoy my gift!”
The horse neighed excepted much louder and more definitely this time and Baulder began to laugh. All the other horses started rearing and jumping aswell and pounding on their stalls with whatever they could muster. Baulder with a wild look in his eyes just kept laughing as several birds also flew into the stable and began squawking at him. Baulder ate the piece of meat he had taken from his bag while snickering and looking back over to the vampire girl and Annabeth. They were talking to what he assumed was Satori and when she motioned towards the exit for them Baulder joined the group on their way out the door. Entirely seriously Baulder quipped as they exited the door ”I guess horses don’t like deer.”
Keri watched Baulder interact with the horses at a distance. The scene that played in front of her eyes as well as his threat towards the magnificent animal tick her off. This was part of Satori’s family as far as she was concerned. She ground her teeth waiting for them to exit the stables so that way she could hit the bastard. This would be a huge gamble considering there was another person there who might attack her. Keri followed outside right after everyone making sure to keep Baulder in her eye sight. Once they were completely out of the stables she threw a punch, just as she was taught as a child by her brothers, with her right hand into Baulder’s jaw.
” Now then I'm sure you don't understand why I hit you so I'll explain. Those animals inside the stables are off you’re killing list. Make a threat like that again and it will be the last thing you do. Do we understand each other?” Keri asked as she waited for his respond. At this point she couldn't careless about what the others thought ,though she hoped Satori would understand, do to the predicament. Most likely if there was a fight they would let them duke it out.
Baulder for a second was confused as to why his jaw clicked out of place for a second. His face then started to have a rather sharp pain to it, but this time it was in his jaw….. not his face. Baulder looked down to his right quickly to see if he could find what had hit him. When he saw the small vampire girl’s fist pulling away from him he was further confused. Why would a friend hit me? She then said something about the animals and not killing them, but he didn’t care. Then it clicked for him. She wanted to fight him, like he had seen the young boys do at the the village. He had never seen the girls get involved but he figured maybe she grew up somewhere else, maybe they did it differently. After all, everything up and to this point had been different to the village. So why not this?
Baulder moved his left hand to his jaw and slid it back into its proper place next to his skull, his tendons setting the bone back to its proper place. He snaped his jaw quickly then grinned ear to ear. Friends get rough right? Baulder turned and threw himself into the girl grabbing her by her shoulders and lifting her up off her feet for a second before he then body slammed her into the ground. Still holding her down by her upper arms and his legs straddling her Baulder bent down and licked her cheek with his tongue as he let it roll out of his mouth. ”I’m excited! No one ever wanted to get rough with me in the village, they mostly just stayed away. Still don’t know why. You’re fun though, I like you!” Baulder said before returning to his grin and grabbing her under her shoulders again. He then tried to rag doll her from his kneeling position over his shoulders.
“Alright, that’s enough!”
Annabeth quietly snuck up behind Baulder, putting her arms around his neck and tightening. This was a little technique he cousins called a “Sleeper Hold”. Satori went over to Keri and helped her up, her eyes kind, yet a simple glance at Baulder was all the vampire needed to know that Baulder has made a grave mistake. ”Are you alright Keri?”
“If you want to get rough, do that somewhere else. This… Is… Psychomancy!”
Baulder was much too large for Annabeth to toss him over her shoulder like she would do to some patrons. Instead she dropped her grip from the sleeper hold to wrap her arms around Baulder’s arms and his midsection. Annabeth showed off her considerable strength by being able to keep a firm hold on Baulder, despite his own size and strength, and Annabeth’s muscles began to bungle and strain as she lifted Baulder off his feet and fell back. Even if he leaned his body forward, Annabeth had arced her own back at such an angle that if he did not escape, he would hit his head or face. Little did Annabeth know, she had just performed a suplex.
Satori could only sighed and prepared a spell to calm everyone’s minds. Why Annabeth thought bringing these people to her class was a good idea, even her magic wouldn’t be able to figure out. She’d need to find some way to entertain Baulder during her lesson, so she made sure to call for one of her bears to handle/wrestle the demonomancer.
Baulder looked behind himself as he saw the ground rapidly approaching him and Annabeth. He then muttered something in a language even he didn’t understand, but what he had thought at the moment he said it was ”Even you, Annabeth?” Baulder unable to move his arms pulled his legs towards his chest and tried to arch his back the opposite direction of Annabeth. He brought his head as close to his knees as possible as they continued their quick fall to the ground. As Annabeth’s grip began to slip as she began to hit the ground Baulder managed to bend his arms at the elbows towards his head, yet still unable to touch it. He was trying his hardest to tuck into a ball so when they hit the ground he would possibly have the momentum to escape Annabeth’s death grip.
Baulder felt his shoulder blades hit the grassy and slightly damp ground before he realized anything else was happening. He could smell the sweet dew emanated off the grass and it felt like taking a slightly could bath in the river to him. As his momentum and angle overcame Annabeths grip on him Baulder then saw the sky quickly become the ground as he rolled with his arms tucked around his head and rolled several feet away from Annabeth. He quickly sprawled out and got to his hands. He threw one of his legs towards his chest and quickly stood up. Forgetting about his spat with Keri, Baulder focused on Annabeth and focused on his new playmate. Baulders face broke out into a grin and he tucked his head low and charged into Annabeths mid section. He plowed into her but her footing was strong and Baulder didn’t move her much.
Annabeth tried to get her hands around Baulders waist so she could pick him up and slam his head into the ground but this plan backfired and Baulder wrapped his arms around hers. Baulder squatted down and pulled back as hard as he could, finally pulling Annabeth out of her footing. But she quickly retaliated as Baulder tried to flip her onto her back by employing his tactic of tucking in her legs and putting her feet on Baulders knees. This kept him from getting up and it allowed Annabeth to leverage herself out of Baulders arms and kick off of him and sending her onto her back away from Baulder. This also hand Baulder fall backwards now that his center of mass was in his back and he simply fell a few inches onto his back. He quickly got back up again though in much the same manner as before and got ready to charge Annabeth again.
Quickly on her feet Annabeth readied to intercept Baulder’s charge. however she wasn’t so foolish to think she could get a hold of him before he could grab her; he had a good five inches of reach over her thanks to his long, strange arms, and even if she could match him in a test of strength she’d wouldn’t be able to beat his reach. So she matched his reach with flexibility.
Annabeth was low to the ground, forcing Baulder to aim low as well. But whether he aimed for her ,midhead or midsections, Annabeth was quickly on the draw, just barely missing Baulder’s grip and slipping underneath him. She went for one of his legs, grabbing it and pulling it towards her body. Throwing her shoulder into the throw, if she executed this right this should slam Baulder into the ground once more. Of course Annabeth was focused entirely on catching his leg, leaving her woefully unprepared for any counter-attack Baulder might have prepped if he knew he was going to miss Annabeth during the initial lunge.
All the while Satori’s bear, massive ten-foot tall monster of a beast that was bigger than Tyrael, sauntered over waiting for the pink-haired teacher’s command.
Baulder’s movements had caught Keri off guard making her gasp once she hit the ground. There was pain all over her body, mainly towards the injured side and the back of her head, lasting only for a minute. When Baulder had picked her up she was too stunned to do a counter attack. Thankfully, to a point, Annabeth had helped out though Keri landed on the ground on again. As she sat up Satori came over towards her. She knew the glance well that was given to Baulder.
Keri wanted to smack that held out hand away but then again she knew better than to do that. The woman looked as if she could kill the guy where he stood now. Keri grabbed on to the hand and hoisted herself up making sure not to hurt her friend. Her shoulder was dislocated from the second impact. The head and side was leaking out dust just as she thought. She shifted trying to hide her injuries from her friend as she turned to see Annabeth and Baulder fight.” I'll be fine once I leave this place. I'm on it before you finish my fight for me.” Keri mentioned to Satori.
”Let it go Ker. That girl seems as if she can handle him.” Keri ignored the voice as she crouched down low to the ground. This would help with momentum. She was going to take this guy down even if he got hurt. The punishment wouldn't matter due to the fact she was going to leave tonight anyway. Once Annabeth had ahold of Baulder Keri slowly figured how to move in before the huge bear.” Tell Annabeth to let go before she gets hurt. Once she does I'll force this guy to go somewhere else. This will be an easy thing to finish.” she said as she inched up a little bit.
While Baulder was certainly hoping to actually grab her waist again and get underneath her what happened was not entirely unexpected. When he felt Annabeth grab his first knee he immediately bent his second knee and managed to plant the bottom of foot on her face firmly. He then suddenly felt himself being jerked backwards towards the ground. Baulder noticed this in time to with the very ends of his hands to grab hold of Annabeth’s midsection. He pulled himself towards her back and managed to wrap his arms firmly around her, however he could feel his knee straining at the joint as it was fighting not to bend the wrong way. In a last ditch effort Baulder tucked his free leg in and put his foot down on the back of her shoulder as much as he could get leverage for.
When Annabeth finally hit the ground Baulder managed to slide his foot out of her grasp just before it would have otherwise broke. Baulder raised his arms triumphantly for a few moments while he was standing on Annabeth’s back. He then loudly proclaimed ”I win! The hill has been claimed, under my dominion!” But this victory was short lived before he noticed the looming shadow on the ground.
Before Baulder was even able to turn his head he could feel himself no longer touching the ground and the world turned sideways. What little he did managed to see was nothing but a brown wall of fur, something that dominated his vision and exceeded the top end of it. Baulder hit the ground and slid on the grass a few inches before stopping and rolling onto his back. Dazed Baulder looked back at where he had been and saw a hulking mass of fur crawling on all fours over to him. Panicked, Baulder scrambled up onto his feet and started laughing maniacally again. A bear? Where did they get a bear from! Baulder started beating his chest and began yelling at the bear, taunting it. He figured at the very least he would get to pet it before it killed him.
The second someones sees me online tomorrow, please pester me to post. I will get distracted. And i'm bad at dragging myself away from the shiny things.
Has to sound like one of them native american names. "Rumbles in the Catacomb" or some such. I dunno, gotta think more about this. We'll tattoo your title onto your chest when you get back to the college.
