Alta

The Library

Will 'o the Piper

“His face, his beautiful face!” Medusa screeched after seeing Charles' condition.

“He isn't yours, bitch.” Sigmund mumbled under his breath, though not loudly enough to overpower his spirit's voice. Still, Sigmund sure hoped Charles was in a position to follow his plan. While the rook appreciated confidence, he hoped the unusual knight wasn't too cocky to overestimate his abilities... “See the red one not caring about hitting his little henchmen? We're going to get him close to the blue one.” Sigmund suggested, “You're jumpy one, and I got this.” He said, while simultaneously summoning his shield. “You lure the blue one here, I'll keep the red bastard busy.” Seeing how his opponents were afoot and not intending to give them quarter, Sigmund quickly shouted; “Get busy!”

Sigmund activated his provoke skill to lure the red oni near him... Which should get the kappa off him for a while. This was a risky strategy, but somehow Sigmund knew that, especially with their wounds and the blue oni still hanging back, a prolonged battle wouldn't be in their favour...

Free Billy

The water seeping in the beast's mouth was of no consequence to Eowyn's resolve. She tore her stonetooth sword through flesh and skin; spilling blood and scorching the monster's inside. Her mind was set on complete destruction; gushing the beast's own (now searing) innards down it's throat; and boiling it's blood... Death would be imminent for at least one of the two monsters...

The Library

Free Billy

The sticky arms reached Eowyn before she could pull her sword loose. Retaining her iron grip, she used the monster fish's strength to draw it from the ground. It was astonishing how well the colossus managed to hold onto her centaur form; as Eowyn's mere form burned into it, almost making the monster smell delicious. Using both her strength and lava-fueled centaur body, Eowyn fought to struggle herself free... But she gradually felt Sleipnir's blood-lust soothe... As her own anger... And with it her excess bodyheat and strength. The song in the air was becoming louder and more prevalent in her head; stripping her of her fighting spirit and slowly replacing it a sense of awe and desire...

“You mustn't fall prey to this trickery!” Sleipnir shouted in Eowyn's mind, although with a lot less conviction than usual. “Eowyn! Your path is a warrior's! Accept Odin, let his will flow through your veins! It will give sanctuary to your mind!”

Eowyn knew what her spirit meant; he suggested her to let the radiana flow and give in to the same instincts as she had on her last mission. The very memory brought her shivers, intruding even the mesmerizing song. She had almost been killed, Sleipnir's influence had drawn out a berserker. Eowyn had been ashamed of it, fearing others, especially Remia and Arlette would see her as a monster. She didn't want to show that side of her again; not in front of them. “I- I can't.” Her lip trembled as she spoke. “I'm not what you want me to be, I can't- I don't want them be be scared of me! I don't want to be scared of me!”

“Lest you give in, this will be the demise of you! Who can you safeguard after your downfall!” Sleipnir yelled desperately, his voice was sinking deeper into the melodies. “Reach out to the allfather, he'll cleanse your selfish doubt!”

Selfish, the word echoed in Eowyn's ears. It struck her with greater force than the monster-fish or it's choir ever could. Her breath accelerated and lava pumped through the veins of her stone form.

“Odin's Vessel!”

Smoke rose from the starfish limbs, as the heat would render it's skin black. The song's influence vanished from Eowyn's mind. The warrior, as Sleipnir called it, rose from it's slumber and possessed Eowyn, erasing doubts and fears with a surge of adrenaline, anger and bloodlust. Her goal became simple and clean... Defend those she had sworn to protect at all costs!

Eowyn burst into a cloud of poisonous gas and smoke; escaping the starfish grip, but rather than to retreat, Eowyn used it as an approach. She reformed inside of the mouth of the monster fish... Ready to destroy it from within the second she was complete.

A Clayman's Finale

When Lux made his way around the corner, he almost had Adeline literally run into him. “Hey, hey, hey! Slow down there!” Lux caught Adeline, “What's going on?” But Lux didn't need to ask, as right in front of them there was a beating taking place. A woman raised a hammer to bring down on Maria, and Lux grit his teeth knowing that with his arm in shambles, he had no truly offensive spells to stop her. Instead; he threw out a frost mist to cover the woman's entire body; hopefully slowing her movement enough for Maria to put her guard up.

Will 'o the Piper

“Damn it all, they've got a damned army of these bastards!” Sigmund cursed, dismissing his hookshot for the spear. The red ugly bastard was too strong for him to have a rope-pulling contest with, but the blue one had been smart enough to order the kappa to attack while he was per-occupied. Sigmund felt the claws tear his skin, unable to fight their numbers off easily when they came at him all together. Swinging the weapon, more to make room than to kill the assault team, Sigmund stepped back a couple feet before threateningly jabbing at the kappa trying to come closer, piercing the flesh of one or two that came to close. But Sigmund's arm and side were bleeding, and Sigmund could tell from experience that would become a serious drain on his stamina.

“Charles! We need to finish this fast!” Sigmund called out, in the hope his ally was still alive. “Help me get rid of these ugly fish bastards, I got a plan for the big ones.”

The Library

Fallenreaper said
Kestrel, what projectile are you refering to? Quartz is only using his fangs which requires him to be at close to medium range depending on size. Mainly cause his reach will be longer with the larger the size, though he could decreased the distance by flying, and he's only about half way to his full size by now at most. (And yes, with Eowyn's attack... poor Quartz is not coming out unscratched. *smirks*) I wasn't sure if I made myself clear or not in the last reply, but Aztec Winds isn't a long range attack unless it's conpressed into the active.-Add on:Also, posted up Emily.

I'm sorry, I thought it was the active as well.

The Library

Will 'o the Piper

Following Charles and Sophia, Sigmund eventually reached the portal back to the other world. Sophia seemed unable to pass it, which brought relief to the rook. At least that way, Medusa wouldn't be able to hinder him any more. However, that didn't mean their trouble was over yet. Two giants towered above them and one of them was ready to attack!

“It's just one thing after the other.” Sigmund murmured as he saw Charles jump into battle, too late to stop him from facing something swinging around a damn tree head-on. He took his iron viper once more and shot it straight at the red oni's nose.

“Don't get yourself killed!” Sigmund roared at his partner as he jerked the chain to disrupt the oni's balance so that Charles could ninja his way on top safely. He'd barely recovered from having to have dealt with his own spirit taking shape and apparently drugging him into obedience. Sigmund could still feel some of the effects lingering in his head, making him feel light as he pulled the chain. Did he have it in him to actually topple the giant? Sigmund had no time to wonder; he had two oni and a bunch of kappa to keep his eyes on.

“Watch your back, Charles!”

A Clayman's Tattoo

“Thanks,” Lux said to Maria and Salia as they helped him up. He showed off a slight smirk as he saw he had destroyed yet another golem, “I'm on fire today.” He nodded to the mess of clay and corpse. However, he noted Maria had already ran off. “Let's go.” Lux nodded at Salia, offering her his good shoulder to support her. After all, that kind of fall couldn't have been good for Salia's leg, Lux thought...

Free Billy

“We are compensation. We are greater than it's anger!” Sleipnir retorted towards Quartz, as the centaur fixed it's grip on the stonetooth sword that had cemented itself in the sand. Though Sutr's wake was a powerful attack, it prevented Eowyn and Sleipnir from moving. Though Quartz suggested they fought it alone, that would be difficult while they remained rooted.

“The beast is exposed, lest you truly wish to deal with it's anger, kill it now!”

The Library

Free Billy

Eowyn's attempt to keep the glass together had proven futile. Not just that; the situation changed completely. The monster-fish had broken out and something crazy was happening to the crowds... As well as two of their own.

“Eowyn, maybe could you create a crude pond or something for our little fishy friend.” Quartz asked her, but Eowyn hadn't the faintest idea how... Not to mention the way Sleipnir thought was far different from Quartz.

“It need not last another breath.” The horse spoke it's mind through Eowyn's mouth. “Hear me, I shall ride into battle! I shall not be vetoed of bloodshed!” The centaur let out a warcry, and galloped forward. But the entities were conflicted... As loud and commanding Sleipnir's voice sounded, Eowyn's contrasted with doubt.

“Sleipnir, that fish is important.” Eowyn spoke in her mind, Simon had said so after all, “And Quartz is right, the bigger fish may be related. We don't want to make it angry.”

“Cease this absurd speculation.” Sleipnir dictated, taking reign of their combined form “We shall compensate for it's indignation with that of our sword!” The horse claimed, as it galloped past the giant snake and towards the menacing marine giant.

“But the Library wants it-” Eowyn protested, but far too weakly to even scratch Sleipnir's will. She didn't want to cause trouble, but in truth she also wanted to protect Remia and Arlette from whatever was heading their way. She was more determined to have them come back alive, than to obey the Library...

“We crave no approval from a mortal, we seek entrance to Valhalla!” Sleipnir sensed Eowyn's feelings, even if it's own were far different. At the edge of the water, the centaur halted abruptly, before planting it's sword within the sand. “Surtr's Wake!” The ground began to shake, and the sand to rummage. From below the ocean floor it rumbled; and in a massive burst of rock and fire; a stream of lava shot up at the giant fish from below; towards it's belly. It was a two-fanged attack with Quartz' Aztec Winds; hitting the fish hard from multiple angles.

A Clayman's Finale

“Whoah, whoah, whoah!” Lux shouted as he and Salia were suddenly pushed through a maze of dark sliding tunnels. This wasn't what he had planned for at all. The roughness of the ride reminded him of Noelle's or the Queen's treatment; but nothing so much hurt him as slamming down on a cold stone floor and soon after, involuntarily breaking Salia's fall, as the rook landed on top of him.

Every part of Lux' body ached. He'd be lucky if he hadn't broken anything, he thought, but as he tried to pick himself up, Lux found that Salia wasn't the only one with an injured limb anymore... His right arm had tried to brace him from the fall, and had been squashed in the process. “Of all things going limp right now,” Lux muttered to himself, before his attention shifted from the pain in his arm to the sight in front of him.

“Didn't expect to see you again so soon, Maria.” Lux habitually joked, as he stretched out his arm and called for a greenhouse spell to surround the stone golem. This time however, he wouldn't throw his lightning at it (even if he had been left-handed, he still couldn't get up quickly with Salia on top of him) but summoned his frost mists to freeze his mist and expand outwardly between the cracks of the golem. With a little luck, he'd be able to take down two of them in one day.

If not... Well, hopefully Salia or Maria would be so kind to help him up...

The Library

Free Billy

“How do you expect us to talk to it?” Eowyn's centaur form asked Mime. Although her words weren't pointlessly complicated as Sleipnir's, in this form the horse's influence could certainly be felt. Regardless, Eowyn weeded a path through the crowd, waving her sword back and forth to scare people aside. It wasn't hard to wade through now; as she was far larger than anything but the fish on the beach. When she finally reached it, Eowyn let Quartz attempt to slow the kart, as she herself grazed sand from the beach put her hands on the cracks; putting the sand to the glass and letting the heat do it's job. If she could fill the cracks and discourage the fish from ramming into hot glass, she and Quartz might buy some time together.

Will 'o the Piper

Easier said than done, Sigmund thought, when it came to catching up with Charles and Sophia. They were a lot faster than the rook, and then there was a raging Medusa behind him... And whatever his spirit had done, Sigmund didn't feel like going through again... He'd have to rendezvous with Charles later, if he wanted to stay in the action.

Sigmund once again summoned his hookshot, and one after another targeted the kappa that were chasing Charles. Instead of killing them, however, he jerked the chains and threw them right at Medusa. In her primal rage, she wasted a lot of time tearing their slimy bodies apart. It was a brutal stalling technique, but if it gave Charles the opportunity to outrun his spirit, Sigmund had done his job...

“One messed up mission this is.” He grumbled to himself.

A Clayman's Finale

“That's one way of putting on the pressure.” Lux murmured, as Salia pointed out how they were being locked in. “I suppose that corners our target, but it's pretty nerve-wrecking to know we won't be getting out either.” He said off-hand. That white queen sure had a brutal kind of efficiency...

Lux wandered further ahead; the only way they could go either how. He hoped that Salia and he would catch onto Valenci's trail soon, or that the others had. In hindsight, leaving Maria and Adeline to fend for their selves was not the easiest choice to wrap his head around. By the times he had made it out by the skin of his teeth, Lux felt splitting up might not have been the best idea...

“We'd best keep moving.” Lux said, “We got our selves a grave-robber to catch, don't we?” But when Salia and he reached the split pathway, he wasn't sure what direction to take from there. Was this some kind of maze-mission?

“Behind which of these doors is the grand prize?” He mused, “We can take the front door, but something tells me doctor Valenci isn't at the main exposition... Otherwise all this moving of a full-blown temple wouldn't be so new. What do you think we should do from here, Salia?”

The Library

Free Billy

Eowyn felt Simon's rage; it affected her too. Nothing was going as it should; this was all too much to happen in front of her right now. “We don't have any choice now!” She said as shadows of beasts found their way above Remia, Arlette and Mime and the winged dogs attacked them.

Throwing caution to the wind, Eowyn summoned the rock horse. “Sleipnir!” Eowyn called upon her spirit, as the lava stone gathered from the nothingness and formed around Eowyn; fusing into their scorching hot centaur form. Eowyn's eyes blazed like the fiery veins across Sleipnir's body. “Nathair, mister Getskilled, I'm sorry for this.” She said, and in the blink of an eye vanished; teleporting directly into the air to pounce onto one of the drogans that was trying to get to Arlette.

The drogan and Eowyn crashed down before the girls, Sleipnir's hooves searing it's skin like hot irons. Stomping on the beast's skull once more to crush it, Eowyn glanced at Remia and Arlette. This time she would protect them. This time nobody had to die. If that went at the cost of Simon's career or the Library's reputations; so be it.

A Clayman's Finale

“Like a knife through hot butter!” Lux grinned, but that cheer only lasted a few seconds before human body parts fell out of the golem. What dark secrets did this ancient mumbo-jumbo temple hold? Lux just couldn't look away from the decomposing golem. This was one wicked construction...

“I'm not sure how much more of that my stomach can take,” The bishop commented, finally able to rip his eyes off the golem's remains. “But at least we now know these things can be destroyed. Can you relay that to the team, Salia?” Lux asked, knowing it was a bit of a lopsided request, he still felt it was worth hearing about. “I don't want them to lose their lunch, but knowing we took one down one of these titans could be a good boost in morale.”

Will 'o the Piper

It felt as if Sigmund had a major concussion. His head was woozy and his cheeks were red like a royal flush... At least the kind with the red cards. “What the hell happened.” He asked to himself, as he opened his eyes to see the spirit world in a strange blur. The last thing he remembered was Medusa biting him and...

“Oh hell!” Eidren's bludgeoned body was still there; Sigmund could see that even with his dazed senses. “What the hell happened here...” Sigmund repeated, this time with a more dire set of mind. “Charles, where are you?” Sigmund growled, but his colleague was nowhere to be seen. There were stones surrounding Eidren's corpse and when Sigmund noticed them, it wasn't long until his question was answered.

“Poor bastard.” He grumbled, symphatising with a dead man, but opted not to give it too much thought. Not while the mission was still in progress. The kappa had gone upstream, this he knew, and Charles must have followed them... And quite possibly Medusa as well. That... Was a problem, Sigmund surmised and got to his feet to pursue the holder and spirits...

It took a while before Sigmund was able to catch up, but from the distance he saw both Medusa and Charles in combat with the kappa. Instantly materialising his iron viper, he used the hookshot to pull a kappa that jumped at Charles straight out of the air; and proceeded to slam it into the ground.

“What the hell is going on here!” Sigmund yelled at Charles, even if it was the third time he asked the question. He ran up closer, although keeping his distance not to get in Charles' way. He pulled the captured kappa closer, then traded in the hookshot for his spear; with which he pierced the slimy critter's heart. “I thought they were running from us, Charles.”

Medusa, meanwhile, had struck the final kappa with a bone-shattering hit from her tail. Although she had been washed back, she crawled on dry land, spitting sneezing up water. Although she was able to swim, Medusa was clearly not made for water combat. The monstrous woman was furious, as could clearly be seen by her her movements. She shook and clawed at the air; not satisfied with having destroyed the kappa; she was torn between lust and bloodlust. She pursued Charles and Sigmund, who had recovered from her toxins, gracelessly slithering across the riverbanks.

“Mine! They are mine!” Medusa screeched at the kappa, but it was no less threatening of a statement to the two holders...

The Library

Will 'o the Piper

In her pursuit of the other hold, Medusa felt weighed down. She hadn't thought the little creatures could be such a threat; but she found herself struggling and squirming between the creatures. She whipped her tail and bit at every part of the kappa she could reach. Her fangs managed to pierce the hand of one; enticing it with her poison. Now it would be two on two. The suddenly lovesick kappa threw itself at it's ex-comrade, tearing it off Medusa's tail, which now, with only one kappa attached, got the upper hand. Relying on her upper body to stay adrift, Medusa's tail embraced the last kappa and squeezed it tight with the strength to break it's very bones.

The Library

Will O' the Piper

Charles was too quick for Medusa, the knight was carried across the river before she could catch up to him. To top it off it was by his spirit; Sophia... And if there was anything Medusa could not stand it was competition. Like Sigmund and Eidren before him, Medusa wanted Charles for herself. To her great frustration, men were still running away from here... Like they had for centuries... Ever since the jealous goddess had cursed her. She shrieked out of frustration, before she laid eyes upon the kappa. The little creatures were in her way and she hissed viciously, as to intimidate the the creatures.

However, she had only very little interest in the kappa. Medusa's lower body remained that of a snake, and understanding that Charles was not coming back to her side, Medusa simply turned her tail to the kappa and slid into the water; where she would try to cross the river. Combining her human and snake parts, Medusa was a surprisingly solid swimmer, although perhaps not the most graceful one. Water splat from all sides and the stream played with her body; pushing her back as she tried to reach the other side...

The Library

A Clayman's Finale

“I thought these things were supposed to be tough.” Lux grinned smugly. After all the horror stories he'd heard about the golems, he just couldn't help but feel good about himself for doing such a number on them. The golem was acting weird and whatever it was; something inside of it was malfunctioning. He put Salia back down, allowing her to stand on her own two feet, or foot, whatever was possible for her.

“I think we found our selves a good chance to see how these things work.” Lux replied to the rook's question, as he cracked his fingers. “If they're as much trouble as I heard, cracking one open might give everyone a fighting chance, or a morale boost.” He explained, and within minutes Lux was summoning the vapor again, but this time localising it around the golem and mixing it with a bluer haze. Between the dense greenhouse and cold frost mist spells, Lux would (unknowingly) follow the example of Valenci's spirit a few floors below them and encase the golem in a large block of ice. After all, if his greenhouse had been powerful enough to make the clay conduct electricity, certainly he could make it expand with ice and cold... Without a doubt making it weaker.

“I don't have a tool to do the surgical part, though.” Lux said devilishly, as he smiled Salia with daring look in his eyes, “Would you do me the honour of cutting this thing open?”

Will 'o the Piper

Sigmund, unfortunately, was not so receptive as to understand Charles' words. He was in a daze, unable to think clearly, or even at all. He was in a state of complete obedience to his own spirit and could only reply a strange sensation that commanded him to stay put. They'd been Medusa's orders and as if his own will numbed, Sigmund simply listened.

Medusa, still shaking and recovering from her outburst, had one predatory instinct pass the torch to the next when Charles and Sophia bolted off. After commanding Sigmund to stay where he was, Medusa ran after the knight and his spirit. “Wait, stay with me, Charles! I need you too!” Medusa shouted, although her ability to control her own emotions left to be desired and although meant to come across like a plea, Medusa's voice had an aggressive ring to it. “Please come back!”