[center] [img]https://i.imgur.com/DLGhcA0.png[/img] [sub]The Learner[/sub] & [h1]Split-Tooth[/h1] [/center] [hr] Something wasn’t quite right, she felt [i]weird[/i], then all of a sudden she was in a place. A really strange place. She couldn’t quite believe what she saw, but at the same time is was vaguely familiar. They were in a small market, within an even larger market. Rows and rows of hands- gloves hands or floating rings and other items that begged there to be someone or something wearing them, but there wasn’t. Each hand seemed to lord over their own respective stalls, selling items she had never even heard of before. She was so mesmerized with what she was seeing, she could hardly even try and describe it. There was no sun and no sky, just thousands of lights suspended in the vast air above them. The atmosphere was filled with hustle and bustle of voices she couldn’t make out and distant music, very distant but discernible all the same. [colour=wheat]“ ? . ‘! “ , .. ! , ! ” ”[/colour] [colour=wheat]“ “” !. ”.”””!? ”...” “ “!’ “. ”[/colour] [colour=wheat]“,,” ? .”” ! ‘’, (). ,,” ,?”[/colour] Arya turned to Split, her expression wide with disbelief, and she said, [color=ivory]”I don’t think we are on Galbar anymore.”[/color] Arya then bent down over Penelope’s head and gave her some good scratches. [color=ivory]”Good girl Penelope. I should never have doubted you.”[/color] and as she continued to scratch, right behind the bunnies ear, Penelope lifted her back leg up and began to thump. “No, we aren’t.” The kostral stretched her arms with a series of loud snaps and scratched the side of her head. “Not in any hole I know either. Strange to feel the part where you’re going down, don’t you think? Thought the dark would keep going for a deal more.” She satisfiedly slapped the jackalope’s side. “Good thing she came through after all. I’d’ve hated to have to smack the other Chops too. Didn’t look like she could take it.” Split slipped down from the cover, axe in hand, and crawled towards a nearby stall. She poked her head warily towards the colourful pieces of fabric arranged over it, waved away an overzealous glove, and swept her side-eyes over the small place they stood in. “So this is a market. Doesn’t feel that different from home. Only difference is these folk’d get a lot more done if they’d go looking for who needs their things rather than standing round waiting.” She threw a suspicious glance down an alleyway between two sparse rows. “That and there don’t look to be as many deadly things around, though I’d not be sure of that. Stay careful until we’ve seen better.” Arya followed suit, and slid down Penelope. She walked over to Split, and said, [color=ivory]”This whole place is… Strange, but I don’t think there should be any danger we can’t overcome. Why else request a delivery? Now we just have to find out where to go.”[/color] Arya then eyed the stall next to Split, a gloved hand tapped its fingers on the wood, almost impatiently. The stall was selling a black, shiny substance, as well as crystals that glowed luminously. Almost like starlight. It was beautiful and mesmerizing and as she peered into to get a closer look, the hands stopped tapping the wood, and brought themselves together with a clap. [colour=wheat]“ , ? ‘? ‘ “ “”” ? , ? . “ “” ! , ??”[/colour] Next thing Arya knew was the Hands were pointing to her. Before the hands now sat a piece of the black metal and a crystal the size of her hand. Still the hand pointed, now emphasizing. She looked down and held up the small bell, but the hands shook left to right, as if saying no, then pointed again. She let the bell fall back against her chest as she looked down at herself and knew what the hands wanted to trade- her dress. She backed up instantly, almost tripping on the fabric. Her dress was out of the question, as much as those objects were pretty, she couldn’t willingly trade such a priceless gift. She turned to Split again and said, [color=ivory]”Come on, we have nothing to trade. Might as well hurry up and finish this quest.”[/color] Arya then walked over to Penelope and grasped the long strands of her hair, using them to climb up on the Jackalope’s back. Split reluctantly tore herself from the sight of a hovering knife sectioning a slice of nondescript meat with quick, precise cuts. “Pity that.” One of her side-eyes remained fixed on the disembodied butcher’s work as she hobbled forward among the stands, motioning for Penelope to follow. “That one knows what it’s doing. Wouldn’t mind to learn those moves. Think they’d charge for that?” She scraped the axe’s blade, thinking of Choppy’s demeanour in business. “Never mind. I’d rather not find out after the deal’s done.” [colour=wheat]“.. ” , , . ”” ” ”[/colour] The scratching of her finger imperceptibly turned to a rhythmic tapping, which swiftly fell into the tune of the distant melody. “Still have to see about the dangerous part, but I could handle staying here a bit. It’s calm for being busy. Work for a god doesn’t look bad this way.” She glanced at a particularly active glove that seemed intent on drawing the trio to its stall of oddly-shaped pots. “Unless they throw you out if you don’t buy anything a while.” Something following in the wake of those words brought her to a halt. “You have an idea of where we’re going?” Arya sat cross legged on Penelope’s head, eyeing every stall as they passed and looking at the assortment of items trying to be sold to them. She was still unsettled by it all, the place creeped her out. She clutched the coffee flask in her hand now, rubbing it with her thumb as they strolled through the market. She looked down at Split once they stopped. Arya knew the answer to Split’s question and said, [color=ivory]”Wasn’t it something about a Palace?”[/color] she paused, blinked, then said, [color=ivory]”At least, that’s what I think Choppy said when she spoke to the world. Something about Li’Kalla too, she has a free stay there or something. It shouldn’t be too hard to find? Right Penelope?”[/color] she said, patting the bunnies head. [color=ivory]”I don’t know Split, there’s just something about this place that I find really… unsettling. Can’t you hear the whispers? It’s hard to describe, but picture a lot of people…”[/color] she paused in thought then said, [color=ivory]”No, picture a lot of me, multiple me’s, all having a conversation but one you can never make out or tell where it’s coming from. And that music, it’s… unnerving. Not to mention,”[/color] she began to whisper loudly, [color=ivory]”I don’t think they like us being here. Especially if we have nothing to trade.”[/color] she then held up her hand in front of her chest, not to be obvious, and pointed to the stalls. [colour=wheat]“ “! “‘ ‘ ! ! ‘ , . . ” !”[/colour] The kostral turned her head upwards, straining her senses. “They really must mind that we’re not buying. We’ve got business, though. Can’t chase us out just like that.” She briefly pushed herself to her hind feet, walking a few steps upright before letting herself fall down on her middle arms again. “I like this quiet speaking better, I’ll tell you. It’d be bad if it was quiet. Imagine yourself a place like this with people working, but no sounds. No speaking, no music.” Her front eye winced. “That’s what my home is like, you know. Everybody just works, nothing else. Didn’t feel it back then, but I’d hate being there now. The quiet’s like something heavy on your head.” She leaned in towards a metal pot bubbling over a fire, smelling the pale fumes that rose from its mouth. “Nothing like that here. Maybe they don’t want us to hear what they’re on about, but that’s their own business. You feel they’re alive, even if they don’t look it.” The oddity of what she had just said caught up to her with the last word, and she fell silent for some moments. “About looking, I can’t see a palace around. What’s the view from up there?” [color=ivory]”Stalls, colorful fabrics with stalls in them, other… things... I don’t really know how to describe them.”[/color] she said soft spoken. Split’s words seemed to resonate with her, they both hated the quiet. The girl floated off Penelope’s head, and down to Split’s level, her long dress rippling in the small air current. After a moment of silence, Arya said, [color=ivory]”You know, I don’t like the quiet either, but this… this is but a pale comparison to what’s out there. I’m sorry your home was like that… mine is… much the same. But-”[/color] she said in a happy tone, then floated to face Split directly, [color=ivory]”When we get out of here, you should try and dream. There’s a palace there, it’s K’nell’s home. He’s the god of sleep and dreams, and, oh Split, it’s wonderful. All of the music and the colors and dancing, it’s magical. Just tell him I sent you, he’ll understand. But if that doesn’t work for you, I can take you to Shengshi’s river boat, when we are done here of course. It too, is a beautiful place, Split. And there, I can play you some music.”[/color] she said, before looking up at the sky. And idea came to mind. She looked back to Split and said, [color=ivory]”Think about it, I’ll be right back!”[/color] she said happily, before flying up into the sky. She floated up and up, never really reaching the floating lights up above, but high enough to see the area around them and she saw nothing but stalls. She sighed, having thought that idea would work. She began to float back down, reaching the top of the stalls, but stopped when she noticed a small floating lantern coming right at her. She looked at it curiously as it neared, the ornate paper a beauty to behold. It floated in front of her for a second, then bobbed up and down, then began to fly off, slowly. Call it a hunch, or something else, but Arya knew they needed to follow it. She turned to Split and said, [color=ivory]”Come on! You too Penelope! I think I know where to go!”[/color] “You sure about this?” the kostral shouted upwards as she vaulted onto the jackalope’s back, slapping it with a rear hand on the way. “That looks like a bait if I’ve ever seen one.” It was all the worse that, while she recognised the motions and intent of a bait, she could not imagine what could have used a lure like that. It could not be anywhere near, not in that blackness; if it could move that lantern from far away… Split pictured to herself how large such a creature might have been and gripped her axe, teeth resolutely grinding together. If the market did have something in store for them, she was not going to be caught by surprise. “That thing only moved when it saw you. Nothing’s to show it gets what we’re saying,” she continued in a more even voice, having settled on the cover, eyes and arms still alert. “Could be a beast for all we know. Don’t get too close.” [color=ivory]”I’m not sure about anything!”[/color] Arya shouted. Still, Split’s warning did not go unnoticed by the girl, and she drifted back, now directly over Penelope’s horns. [color=ivory]”You really think it’s a beast?”[/color] she asked, looking down at Split for a moment before looking up to follow the lantern. It seemed to float with a purpose, even though it drifted erratically, weaving in and out of stalls, down long rows, only then to jut sideways and go down another row. They almost lost it a couple of times, only for it to reappear directly in front of them, then it would shoot off again. Then all at once, it stopped, and almost as suddenly as they halted, there stood before them a large building. It was trimmed with gold and had statues that reminded her of the Jiangzhou. Tentatively, she landed before the entrance and turned back to Split. [color=ivory]”I guess this is it? Would you… Could you lead the way?”[/color] she asked nervously. “Not much of a choice here.” Grunting, Split landed on the paved ground - she was quite sure it had not been that way earlier - on four outspread hands, weapon held ready in the other two. A rear limb pointed a finger mid-step to gesture at Penelope, who was fruitlessly searching for anything resembling edible plant life. “Mind her.” The grand entrance, however imposing, was little obstacle. If Chopstick’s staff thought there was anything inside worth locking up, she wouldn’t have left the gates wide open. Or, perhaps, that the tall, skinless shadows that towered in the hallway were enough. Split recoiled, wincing and lifting the axe in a defensive posture. The interior was much brighter than either the market or the palace’s front, and the incongruity of this almost dazzled her more than all the lamps and mirrors did. She fixed her gaze on the dark figures, the lanky stains in the decor a relief to her eyes. They were not really dark, she noticed. Their flesh gleamed faintly like iron, though she was not sure the light really fell on them at the right angles. The weapons were the dimmest part of them, rough and unpolished. They reminded her of black, sweltering, lichen-grown tunnels. Baring the tips of her teeth, she advanced into the hall. The shadows stood still, blank white lights pointed forward. Maybe they were not looking at her. Maybe they were not even eyes at all. Whatever they were doing, those were the first things here that at least looked like they might have been guarding something. Split tentatively lowered her axe. “You the security?” A twang, like bent steel snapping back, and suddenly all four of them were looking at her. One of them emitted a scratching sound, like old, dried carapaces rustling together. Good enough. She turned her head backwards, making sure to keep one eye on the room. “I think we’ve got our people. Bring the coffee. They really do look dry.” As much as she wanted to follow Split, Arya followed obeyed her command, and went to calm Penelope. She placed a hand on the jackalope’s cheek, right under eye, and watched as Split walked in. Her nervousness could be seen as she stroked Penelope over and over again, and it swiftly gave way to anxiety. She didn’t really know why, perhaps it was the thought of Split getting hurt? Or even worse… So it came as a relief when Split finally called for her, and she said, [color=ivory]”Penelope, stay here girl. I’m coming Split!”[/color] and without waiting any further, she walked inside tentatively. Soon enough she came upon Split and, the ‘security’ team. They were extremely odd looking, but at the same time, they almost reminded her of her father. Minus the giant weapons they held, or how their bodies looked, but it was there all the same. Cautiously, she walked past Split, and up to one of the closer creatures. The tension was palpable under their eyes. She held out the flask, and then said, [color=ivory]”Here you are, Coffee as wanted. The delivery is complete.”[/color] A slow hand reached out to take the coffee flask, its touch cold upon her skin, but as quickly as it came, it was over, and the flask was no longer in her possession. She gave a small bow and backed up slowly, making sure nothing else was required or what the creature would do. After a moment, it made a sound. [colour=gray][b]“.~ {{ ^/ ()|\~|]* ** *[|~/|() \^ }} ~.”[/b][/colour] Its voice was like a creaking hulk of a ship trying to hum in three directions at once. Arya turned around and quickly passed Split. [color=ivory]”Let’s get out of here. And now,”[/color] she said anxiously, without even stopping. Those creatures were almost as unsettling as the market, maybe even more. Across the floor her feet hurried, through the doorway, away from the white lights that were watching her, and up to Penelope. Arya then floated up to the Jackalopes head and got on, turning around to wait for Split, who was not far behind. “Guess we should.” Without anything more in particular to do, the kostral was keenly reminded of the familiar fact that idlers were welcome nowhere. “It’d be good to come back when we’ve actually got something to give. Doubt loading my pay off’ll work another time. Maybe those places you said’ve got things good enough for it.” Under the incitations of its riders, the jackalope had begun to amble its way back though the stalls. It was difficult to say with certainty - despite the apparent variety of their surroundings, everything merged together into a single indistinct sea of noise and colours - but it seemed that the path it was taking was not the same that had led them here. The lantern was nowhere to be seen, nor the ink-mixer’s stand they had passed by earlier, nor even the stack of empty bird cages, which should have been unmistakable from any distance. Sights faded as soon as they were out of their eyes, drowned out by more and more rows, clusters, squares. [colour=wheat]“... . “.. ‘ … . , .”” “ .’ “ ...”[/colour] It was not clear, either, when exactly their surroundings perceptibly changed. The stalls and lights were still there, of course, but they looked fewer and further between, the lanterns growing bleak with the distance. As Penelope plodded ahead, the changes steadily deepened. Wooden tables became worn, lined with old cuts, then outright beaten and rickety. The gloves were patched and threadbare, and the hovering rings poorly disguised cheap imitations. Even the ground, from what they could see on jackalope-back, was damp and grimy. The wares presented by the still-indefatigable hands had long ago passed into the realm of the dubious. Split tasted the air uncomfortably. “Guess this is the way out. Got to say I liked it a lot more back inside. This looks like a backroom they don’t much care about.” [colour=wheat]“ ? . ‘ ...”[/colour] Now Arya was very, very nervous. The place they had been traveling too and through, was completely different then what they had seen before. The girl was practically jittery with her movements, constantly looking around for danger or a way out. After awhile, she said, [color=ivory]”Penelope, take us home girl. Take us home!”[/color] “Not sure we’ve all got the same idea of home.” The black rag of a tongue combed the air some more, as if searching for something familiar. “If Chops brought her from here, she might take us back in. This way doesn't smell great, but it's more than we had back then. Better keep going here.” She audibly sniffed the air. “Hold on, you feel something?” Split had a point, it was a poor choice of words on her part, seeing as neither of them actually had a home worth going to. But in her haste, it sorta just slipped out. She looked to Split instantly when the Kostral spoke and said, [color=ivory]”Feel what?”[/color] “I thought there was-” More sniffing, ending in a disappointed, or perhaps relieved snap. “Weird. Maybe the place just smells [i]that[/i] bad.” She glanced towards a heap of moldy planks lying near the passage. The planks were the last memorable thing she was to see of the market. The few remaining lights drew even further, shrinking to dots that did not illuminate anything beyond themselves. The rows of stalls were barely visible, dirty corners and dingy silhouettes peering out of the shadows. Points of lantern-light swam in a rill of something running along the path. The whispering did not stop, though it became more terse and furtive. “We’re getting somewhere alright,” Split commented, scratching her head in disorientation. Patches of white light hovered somewhere far ahead. “Wish I knew where.” Penelope, for her own part, seemed to be quite confident of that, carrying her riders into the indistinct space ahead. “Wait-!” A hand darted up in warning, while two more went for the axe. “I’m sure I felt it now. Don’t you?” Arya had nestled herself atop Penelope’s head, eyeing the strangeness of the land before her as Split spoke. She sat up in alarm and looked back at her friend once more, eyeing her with curiosity. Once again, she had felt nothing. [color=ivory]”Are you okay? I still don’t feel anything, Split.”[/color] she said. “I do, though.” With a low snarl, she slid to the ground, signaling the jackalope to stop with a pat. “Smells right like a-” Something large and dark snapped at her from the blackness. A thump followed by a grunt marked a narrow dodge. The thing snapped again, and with it another, and another. Blurred shapes swept before the distant white light, which were now the only ones in sight. Thick, rigid arms, tipped with frighteningly large three-pronged pincers. One of them, darting into sight more often than the others, had a fluttering piece of paper fastened to it by a manacle. “Lurker!” came the belated conclusion of Split’s warning. A growl, and metal struck something’s hard shell. Gurgling, rattling noises sounded from distressingly near. “Worst place to- Back up! I’ll be right behind!” The sudden attack sent Arya into a panic, she had no idea what a Lurker was but the thing before them was something out of a nightmare. She froze atop Penelope’s head, unable to speak or move. Kalmar’s training rushed to her head, but she had never actually expected to fight something so vile. So heinous. She need to do something. She couldn’t just run away. That was Split down there! With determination in her eyes, she stood up, preparing to jump down. Then without warning, something struck the Jackalope and Penelope screamed. The bunny then bolted wildly, sending Arya flying backwards at the sudden explosion of muscle. She reached out, trying to grab onto Penelope’s fur but failed to maintain her grasp, and she landed sideways on the ground with a loud thud. The shock of the fall winded the girl as she rolled to a stop, her chest felt tight and she couldn’t breath. As quickly as it set upon her, she let out a long, winded breath, stumbling as she tried to stand up too quickly. She fell on something warm and with a groan she looked down to see her dress covered in blood. It was on her face, and her arms and she began to shake as she looked down to the floor, long strands of Penelope’s hair littered the ground and a trail followed where the bunny had bolted too. She tried to get up again, but slipped as she screamed Penelope’s name, trying to get the Jackalope to return, but she was nowhere to be seen. Black tears fell down her face as she looked over to Split fighting the creature. [i]The monster.[i/] It had hurt Penelope, it was going to hurt Split. She felt anger boiling up inside of her, and she wanted to make it pay. Steadily, the small girl got to her uneasy feet, her body beginning to smoke. An instinct kicked in, a deeper understanding coming to light as she rose her hand, palm facing outward, and a beam of black energy shot forth, hitting a section of the creature and disintegrating a portion of the creatures legs. It gurgled and screamed out in pain and suddenly Arya was horrified with herself but it was far too late for that, as the creature broke away from Split, dodging her swipes, or simply not caring as it came for her. There was nothing she could do, but shut her eyes as she felt something hit her, a brief flash of pain erupting across her body, then the world went dark. “Blaze you, told you to-” was all Split could growl out before a huge, quivering mass swept her aside, toppling her backwards. She slammed her mid-hands into the stone, breaking her fall in time not to be sent sprawling. By the time the drumming in her ears and the dull pain in her palms had died down, she could neither hear nor smell anything around herself. Not the lurker - what was one even doing here? - which was a relief, nor the jackalope, except for some clumps of fur, nor Arya. This was perhaps the least worrying, since the girl did not smell much of anything, but Split doubted this meant she might be still close by. “Arya? You there?” she called out, keeping the axe high. If there was anything else around, it had to already have heard the sound of the struggle. No answer of any kind. She looked around, realising how lost she was. This was not even a tunnel, where you knew you would eventually come out somewhere if you followed it. Here, there was only darkness, those far-away lights, and the whispers. They seemed to have moved away during the fight, but were now settling back closer by. Somehow, she doubted they would be of much help either way. Split fingered the clumps of jackalope hair at her feet. Blood. Good thing lurkers were slow on open ground, at any rate slower than a rabbit with legs larger than herself. Still, the thing’s crawling had erased any hope of following a trail. As much as she hated to admit it, both of her companions were on their own until she ran into them by chance. The lights were her best bet, she thought. If only because they were the only thing anyone could see. Sooner or later, they would head that way. She might as well start now. With wary steps, pausing every six or seven to listen for movement, Split-Tooth began to creep her way towards the blank, cold glow ahead. [hr] The first thing Arya felt was pain, then the warmth of the sun and the smell of something sweet on the air. Her eyes opened up groggily, to view white clouds in a blue sky. She tried to sit up with a jolt, but a horrendous stab of pain shot up her body, causing her to groan, which she quickly stifled. She tried again, much slower as she put her hands on the grass and pushed herself upright. She looked down to see her dress in a state of disrepair. It was slashed in several places, so too was her body, small trickles of luminous white blood, her blood, mixed with the red. Tears began to fall from her eyes. She looked around for Split and Penelope but did not see them, so she tried calling their names, her voice coarse, but nothing gave reply. She was alone and so very scared. [hr] [i]Later.[/i] The Haze Man held the metal flask for 1.72253 hours, then, as if at an unknown signal, snapped its gaze towards it. With a stone-steady hand and an inhuman slowness, occasionally stopping still as if unsure, it took the lid of the flask and unscrewed it. It placed two fingers into the fluid, still as hot as it was when it was poured. [colour=gray][b]“.*/\) ~* *~ (/\*.”[/b][/colour] The other sentries stepped towards the leader, one by one, and put their fingers into the flask. [colour=gray][b]“.*/\) ~* *~ (/\*.”[/b][/colour], they said. [colour=gray][b]“.*/\) ~* *~ (/\*.”[/b][/colour] A fifth Haze Man solidified out of the carpet. [colour=gray][b]“.*/\) ~* *~ (/\*.”[/b][/colour] It repeated the ritual. Said the leader, [colour=gray][b]“/_/} ^ {\_\ …(]])([[)... |~##.|.{}|{}.|.##~| .%.”[/b][/colour] [colour=gray][b]“#_’’{{}}’’_# [|]”[/b][/colour], said another. The first answered, [colour=gray][b]“^^]|’**’|[^^ Coffee. .eeffoC”[/b][/colour] There was a soft clanging of agreement. [colour=gray][b]“.Coffee. .eeffoC. .Coffee. .eeffoC.”[/b][/colour] The leader continued. [colour=gray][b]“[~*~] Here you go, coffee as wanted. .detnaw sa eeffoc ,og uoy ereH”[/b][/colour] Hums. One of the Haze Men abruptly bowed, imitating Arya’s pose with liquid smoothness and absolutely no grace. It reversed the action, and another followed. The humming and bowing continued, grew a little. [colour=gray][b]“Here you go, coffee. .eeffoc ,og uoy ereH .*/\) ~* *~ (/\*. .detnaw sa ,eeffoC Coffee, as wanted. ~ Coffee. .eeffoC ** Here you go coffee. .eeffoc og uoy ereH .eeffoC Coffee. Here you go Coffee. {**} .eeffoC og uoy ereH --!-- .og uoy ereh ,eeffoC Coffee, here you go. Here you go, Coffee. .eeffoC ,og uoy ereH ”[/b][/colour] [colour=gray][b]“^^#_#^^ .][. (|\- -/|) .][. */\) ~* *~ (/\*”[/b][/colour], said one in the crowd. They looked to their leader. It responded. [colour=gray][b]“.eeffoC Coffee.”[/b][/colour] A pair of silk butler-gloves floated in by a side door and five Men worth of eyes snapped towards it. The pair halted, twiddled, then continued on its way a little quicker. [colour=gray][b]“,Coffee, ,eeffoC,”[/b][/colour] said the lead sentinel, and dissolved itself into the shadows. The flask clattered down behind it, empty. The eyes returned to their stations. [hr] [hider=Summarino] The two heroes with their trusty steed arrive in the market where they oogle over everything. A lanter then guides the trio to the Palace, where they deliver the coffee to the Haze men. Quest complete! After that’s done, they begin to travel in any which direction, the vast market stalls becoming downtrodden and the land choked with despair. They are then attacked by a Lurker from the Pit of Trials and each of them is seperated. Our heroes are alone. [/hider] [hider=Prestige & Might] Split-Tooth: +13 Prestige Starting +1 For Minor Role +1 For Major Role +1 For Jolly Collaboration +1 For Following a Quest +5 For Completing a Quest = +22 Prestige Ending Arya, The Learner: +12 Prestige Starting +1 For Minor Role +1 For Major Role +1 For Jolly Collaboration +1 For Following a Quest +5 For Completing a Quest = +21 Prestige Ending [/hider]