Estylwen

The Dark Beyond

HiveMind Head Quarters

---

"Sir?" the assistant spoke, a tremor in her voice. "Nick has gone rogue."

There was a deep chuckle as the lead researcher responded. "Good."

"Good, sir?"

"Yes. A bit earlier than planned, but I couldn't ask for a better outcome. Our little Contractor will provide the results we want, the outcome we need, better like this. I want as minimal interference as possible until the time is right."

"Yes. sir."

"Sir?" Another voice. "A report on codename 'Stella' is complete."

"Let me see." There's a pause. "Fascinating. So you're telling me we have no idea the real origin of her augmentations? It's certainly nothing we've produced, and HiveMind is a proud near-monopoly nowadays. Any mention on who she's working for?"

"None, sir. We will keep trying, though."

"Don't bother. I have a plan for her, when the time is right. For both of them, really."

"...Yes sir."

Underwater Cave, Crypt

@Lexisheeps, @WhiteAngel25

---

Subject #3 smiled as she rode piggyback on Stella again, quickly catching up to Nick. "Thank you, miss."

She stared bewildered at the small dark wolf he held in his arms, clearly showing signs of PTSD from the sewn wounds on her bandaged arm.

Soon enough, the trio found themselves in front of the crypt. The entrance was covered in dark energy vines, entwining more deeply here. Upon descending what remained of the crumbled stone steps, Nick and Stella would need a light source to see what was in front of them. The white orb, faintly illuminant in the distance, seemed to be hovering over something.

If Nick and Stella gave it a closer inspection, they would find the bones of a man, aged with time and half emerging from the stone. There were two marks in the dust near its folded hands. These two marks were distinctly shaped, like two specific objects had been sitting there for a long time before getting relocated, or stolen.

The orb continued to hover here, giving a hint to its pain. Subject #3 gave it a long, hard look as she held tightly on Stella's back, before finally saying. "It feels... sad."

If Nick and Stella decided to explore the crypt, they would be met with similar burial graves, some with objects left on them, some without. There were a few more masks littered here, if one was watchful. Even some scant cultures and cracked pots. Some were lifeless, yet some were strangely infused with power, a dark glow emanating from them.

Near the far edge of the hallow, there was a crumpled stairwell leading down two ways, one to the left, and one to the right. There was the sound of fluttering coming from the path to the left, and bubbles from the path to the right. Perhaps these paths led to what the orb was seeking.

Iris Ascendis

Oh nooooo. :o

Edit: @Sifr We've set up the jenga tower, just need ya to knock it over and spell ultimate doom. :>

The Dark Beyond

Defining trait drop. :)

Yep! Just means there's less resistance to the strange-looking forest.

The Dark Beyond

New post is up! Don't mind the semetic language, it's actually only shows up about 1000 years after. But I wanted you folks to be able to have some semblance of communication. :)

The Dark Beyond

Underwater Cave, Tower

@Lexisheeps, @WhiteAngel25

---

"The mother attacked you because you're big enough to feed them all, but small enough to take on by herself." Nick said.

"I'm not wolf food!" She exclaimed, panicked. "I'm Subject #003, and am un-eatable!"

The glaring grammar seemed to attest to the fact there was something a bit strange about this young girl. However, she did seem to simmer down as she watched the other wolves quickly devour the food. The wolves began to roughhouse with one another, becoming too distracted with their littermates to bother the archeologists and the girl much further.

"Your jerky isn't going to last them long and I really don't want to be dog chow. So, thanks but I choose life," Stella said.

Subject #003 gasped at that, her eyes welling up. "So I really am gonna be wolf food."

That was when Stella gave a tug on the rope and relayed her instructions. Subject #003 nodded, gulping nervously. "O-okay..."

From the safety of the outcropping, Subject #003 sat patiently while Stella cleaned up her arm.

When Stella looked at the girl's artifact, she tried to hide it in her pocket, anxious. "Something like that is very dangerous. How did a young one like you find it?"

The girl seemed to be entirely caught up in the question, an embarrassed heat flushing over her cheeks. She didn't make a move or a sudden cry in pain as Stella expertly sewed her larger wounds shut. It was almost as if Subject #003's senses were dull to smaller forms of pain. That was when Stella would notice the white collar around Subject #003's neck, blinking green every few seconds.

"Well uh," Subject #003 started, "I uhm.... I sorta..."

Her head dipped down. "I stole it."

She looked at the masterful craftsmanship as Stella finished sewing, her mouth agape in awe. "It looks so much better, thank you."

Her head tilted curiously. "Did you feel that?"

Again, a slight tremor shook the underwater cave. And then again, stronger. Subject #003's eyes bulged, gripping onto Stella's arm. Above the tower, arcing down from the flashing 'sky,' was a single, glowing, white orb.

"אני מתגעגע אליהם"

Strange noises penetrated the air as the orb hovered above them. If either Stella or Nick chose to, their AI assistants could translate this, being well-versed in ancient languages.

The orb seemed to pause, then slowly drifted towards the forest, disappearing in between the trees. Subject #003 watched it go, then turned to Stella and Nick. "I don't know what it wants, but it keeps following me. I figured it's after something. Maybe it needs peace? I don't know, but I've searched almost the entire ruins, and I haven't found anything it likes..."

If Nick and Stella decided to pursue the white orb, their path would lead them deep into the woods, where an old, decrepit crypt lay. However, to get there, they would have to go through the wolves still circling the tower. Having finished the beef jerky, they had started growling again, snapping at them and sizing them up as prey. Delicious prey.

The Dark Beyond

Absolutely! There will be another post on my end tonight. :)

The Dark Beyond

New post is up!

The Dark Beyond

Underwater Cave, Ruins

@Lexisheeps

---

"Yeah, but are you sure it's ancient?"

There was a pause, almost as if there was a slight hesitation, before the assistant spoke again. "My records indicate the preliminary scans suggest this site shows evidence of civilization from 4700 BC. But, if you see anything that doesn't fit that model of thinking, I would kindly ask that you disregard it."

She seemed to be hiding something, but it was uncertain as to what she didn't want Nick to question further.

"I thought you said I was down here alone."

The sounds of whirring and alarms could be heard from the assistant as silver and white drones sped towards the tower. "No, no, that's impossible." Was her soft reply, mumbling to herself in disbelief. "I checked, I swore it- Argh. I'm sending drones to the site, don't-"

But Nick was already moving towards the tower. The assistant quickly chimed in. "Don't risk yourself to save it, I'm telling you right now-"

As Nick lined his sights and took the shot, the hollow thump as the body of the wolf-like creature fell was the only tell-tale sign that the bullets had struck true. The girl tore her arm from the jaws of the beast, the flesh torn and bloodied. Her brilliant eyes locked on her rescuer immediately, a mixture of trepidation and gratitude emanating from them.

But the peace wouldn't last.

---

Underwater Cave, Tower

@Lexisheeps, @WhiteAngel25

---

Howls of anguish echoed from all around the ruins as the pack of wolf-like creatures circled, mourning their loss. There was a gnash of teeth and a new scent, foreign yet familiar with the way of ancient ruins, that mingled with the other two scents. The dark wolves acted quickly, one branch splitting off from the pack to herd Stella off from going beyond the tower. If they were successful, the scene would unfold as thus: three strangers, Nick, Stella, and the small girl, staring at the circling, growling masses as the wolves drew closer to their prey.

Two drones watched from afar, taking in the scene. Back at the HiveMind headquarters, the live feed of a new unknown, Stella, brought with it cause for alarm within the room.

"Who the hell is that?"

"I don't know, sir."

"Not the answer I'm looking for, Brenda. You're fired."

A pause. "Yes sir."

The lead researcher continued, his voice bellowing through the headquarters of HiveMind. "I want details on this new explorer stat. If we can use them to further our own ends on this site, good. If they're from a rival researcher, we will have to guard our secrets very, very closely."

Back at the tower, the small girl seemed to hold back a whimper, pulling herself off the ground and withdrawing a small artifact from her pocket. She held it up, eyes briefly flashing before a beam of concentrated dark energy fired from the artifact, vaporizing the nearest wolf-like creature. In response, the wolves howled, bearing their teeth and preparing to pounce as a collective.

"Quick, the rope!" She said, her voice high and whispery, her hand outstretched to the crumbled entrance to the tower. If Nick and Stella looked, they would see within the tower was a dangling bit of rope that was attached to a rock outcropping 20 feet up, a place they could get away from the wolves if they didn't feel confident enough to take on the remaining ten or so monsters circling like ravens.

Iris Ascendis

Ciara Ventura

Wingram Academy, Girls' Dorm
@Nanaya @Psyker Landshark @Sifr

---

Selfishness.

She stared at the word written on the scroll as her inner world lay bare. Disturbingly bare.

She could pretend she was calm, collected, and acting out of pure intentions to her fellow classmates who fought alongside her. But alas.

Dark laughter echoed in her mind. "It's true. We want them. If we had it our way, there would be no discussion, just silence, and sated Hunger."

"You know we can't do that." She thought.

"But you want to, don't you?"

She was silent at that, trying to hide the flush in her cheeks and the uneasy pit in her stomach. She wasn't used to having her inner thoughts... exposed like this. She was used to having everything perfectly controlled behind a mask of indifference, or even kindness.

The Head Advisor pointed to the list with her emotion on it, along with other written words, presumably from Iraleth and Hildegunde. "You will need to convince me that it would be a wise choice to make."

Ciara's eyes tightened. Was it a wise choice...? Could she be honest with herself and say she wouldn't get tempted in the middle of the night to attack them when they would be at their most vulnerable?

The Voices merely laughed again, knowing how sick and tired she was of 'buttered toast,' the plants she had packed with her.

"And do tell me how the words on this scroll might perhaps alter your plans, if at all?"

Her eyes closed, trying to come up with something, anything, to make her appear more innocent, to make this seem like the right choice. And how would she explain her selfishness..?

That's when she remembered one critical detail.

She actually owed the two her life.

Back in the auditorium, when time was ticking down, and the great giant was unleashed, Iraleth took the brunt of the attack, allowing Ciara to move across the battlefield unhindered and unharmed. Ciara knew even one strike of the golem, if it had locked its mechanical eyes on her, would have finished Ciara right there and then. They might not have won, then.

When she was bogged down by Mannekin, and took the lightning meant for Iraleth, severely delayed so much that Gulliver might have gotten the upper hand and squashed them, Hildegunde saved her. She blasted out the remaining lights, along with Otis' fateful bullet, that ultimately drowned the auditorium in the darkness she needed to eradicate the Mannekin for good. Without Hildegunde's intervention, the Mannekin could have overwhelmed any one of them, and they would have never turned the tides of the battle.

"Head Advisor," she started, her tone quiet, yet purposeful, "I won't be able to sleep unless I am with the ones I fought alongside with. There's no one else I trust, so I am acting out of a selfish desire to protect myself."

The Dark Beyond

Looks great! I'm a bit busy today, so I will have a post up in the evening. :) Very excited.