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Post by Zeffa! on Dec 25, 2007 0:13:46 GMT -8
Aramil sniffed at the air, peering around, then at Shivelle. "I don't smell anything," he said with a shrug. He concentrated, feeling a tingling sensation running through his arm, and at the end of his wooden staff shone a glowing sphere of light. "I don't see anything either," he said, waving it around, enjoying how it made the shadows dance.
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Post by Dark Beauty on Dec 25, 2007 14:33:15 GMT -8
Dark tensed, the clouded look starting to deteriorate. "Exactly what do you mean by 'too sweet?'" There was an edge to her voice that sounded very much like fearful pain. "You told me once that elf blood smelled sweet."
Shivelle nodded slowly, measuring Dark Beauty's reaction. "That's why it's too sweet... the Plain Elves have a bit of a spice to their sweet scent, and the Sea Elves have a, ironic as it is, watered down edge to their sweetness, but the Wood Elves, your race, are simply sweet. I would say that it was one of your kind, but it is far too sweet."
There was a sudden hush that fell over the forest. The noises of the woods were silenced, and it was not until they were gone that the party noticed that they had been there in the first place.
Naburine looked around nervously as Dark tensed in fear and Shivelle growled. "...I don't like this... I hate magic... what is going on?"
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Post by Zeffa! on Feb 2, 2008 10:05:18 GMT -8
Magus peered around again, leering at the woods surrounding them, as if it would intimidate the standing soldiers of ash and oak. He remained silent, trying to hear for anything sudden. Suddenly Aramil's eating became an irritation... "An ambush..?" he asked, peering around as a sentinel.
Aramil began to eat quicker, hearing those words, shoving the ration in his mouth whole and then looking around with a notably less grace and slightly more fear. He seemed to just notice that it had been eerily quiet.
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Post by Dark Beauty on Feb 8, 2008 12:51:58 GMT -8
Shivelle hissed. "It could be an abmush, but I don't think it is. I just realized something." Her face was scrunched in an animal snarl, her teeth bared. The others could tell that Dark probably realized whatever it was, too, because her stance was stiffined and her eyes were full of some emotion that was a mix between terror and hope. Shivelle glared in Magus's direction, and her voice was a deathly, harsh, hissing whisper. "The added sssickeningly sssssweet ssscent is the ssssscent of death. Whatever it is, it'ssss not alive."
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Post by Thistle on Feb 8, 2008 15:25:39 GMT -8
Perin sighed as she waited for the group to decide what it was. She didn't see the point in trying to figure out what the creature was at this point in time but apparently good people did. The halfling took out her short swords and took a few practice swings. She glanced back at the group of highly agitated humanoids. "Just point me in the right direction would you. Then we can see wha it is. Really is knowing now going to make that big of a difference?"
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Post by Dark Beauty on Feb 8, 2008 16:44:42 GMT -8
"Yes." The word was barely audible and it came from Dark's mouth. Though her comment meant she wished to know now, she gave a stiff motion of her arm. She was staring straight ahead, even as she pointed with her right hand toward a more dense patch of plant life. "There." Was all she whispered.
Shivelle sprang forward, toward the bushes, her fangs elongating as she roared.
There was a rush of unnatural wind and the vampiress stopped. "Perin!" She suddenly screeched past her fangs as she turned around quickly.
The rushing wind had a look to it - a white filmy substance rushed from out of the bushes and in the halfling's direction, though not really at her.
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Post by Thistle on Feb 8, 2008 18:40:07 GMT -8
Perin let out a few choice curses before uttering a short string of magic words under her breath. A shimmery sheild took place around her as the broach that held her cloak about her lit up. She braced herself for an impact just in case. She didn't know if her magic would sheild her against this creature. Heck she didn't even know if it was a creature. She was really starting to hate this place. Whatever it was, her protection spell would stop any harmful magic from getting to her but if the thing happened to be solid she was going to get run over.
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Post by darknthistle on Feb 8, 2008 19:30:05 GMT -8
The glowing substance raced toward Perin. The only thing really menacing about it was the speed at which it was flying. The color and glow of the thing was really quite welcoming and beautiful - but that was really hard to note when the thing was flying toward a member of the party at such a speed that would send her flying if it were solid. Without any sort of warning, the substance changed direction. It swung about the little platinum-haired woman like some orbit-based slingshot and went flying in Magus's direction without losing any speed.
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Post by Dark Beauty on Feb 8, 2008 19:41:27 GMT -8
Shivelle roared and jumped forward again, but the thing was moving way too fast for it to do any good.
Dark had moved once she saw the substance. Her cerulean eyes were a troubled pool of unreadable emotions, but she was ready for action as always. She pulled back her arm and gathered her will. The thing was not technically living, and it did not look very substantial, so a physical attack would do nothing. Instead, she bent her will to take the form of a halting spell. Unable to find a word to encompass what she wished it to do, she let her will out with a yell of exertion.
For once in her life, Dark missed. The spell seemed to curve around the silvery substance and go off into the forest. It continued on its course with no effect, which left Dark flabbergasted.
Naburine guessed that she could do nothing. Shivelle had said it was dead, right? Okay. So... what now? She pulled out her bodice dagger anyway, making herself feel more secure. She held Firebird's reigns in a death grip with her other hand as the stallion began to become restless with the commotion.
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Post by Zeffa! on Feb 10, 2008 13:15:20 GMT -8
Targeting it with a spell seemed useless, for the shot veered off, as if it too was protected by a shield. Magus held his arm forward as the white wisp of a creature shot toward him, creating a small wall of flame in front of him, the size of a human-sized door. Aramil watched with surprise, but soon snapped out of his daze, and held his staff in front of him, as if it'd do any good.
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Post by darknthistle on Feb 11, 2008 12:54:49 GMT -8
Once again, with no viable explanation, the substance did not harm its target. It swung around the mage as it had Perin, veering off in Naburine and Firebird's direction. This process continued until it had swung around each and every one of the members of the party.
When the substance got to Dark, it orbited her twice and slowed its pace ever so slightly. Its change in behavior alarmed most of the party members, but, again, it did not harm the being. Instead, it swung away, but this time it shot ahead of them.
It suddenly came to a dramatic and complete stop when it was about fifty feet away. The glowing, silvery substance was no longer moving, so it did not have the look of a comet as it had before. Instead, it looked like a pulsating star which floated in the middle of one's line of vision. After a brief pause, it began to take shape.
It first gained limbs. Lithe and muscular, yet very lean. There was color, though not as solid-looking as one might gather when looking at a physical thing. It was a translucent-looking pale skin that was not unhealthy but certainly not the usual pigment of humanoid flesh. The rest of its "body" soon took shape, though the glow was still unsubstantial where the head should be. By the look of the torso, whatever it was used to be a fit young man. He was stripped to the waist, and to cover his lower half was a long skirt-like garment. It looked as if it had used to be a white robe, but was torn off at the top to bare his chest, which bore a small black symbol on it. That intricate symbol was the most substantial part of the entire being thus far.
And then the head was revealed.
He had a very chiseled face; it looked like it had been carved by angels. Or perhaps he could have been mistaken for an angel, were it not for his lack of wings and the presence of his slightly pointed ears. His hair was perfectly straight, reaching to the nape of his neck. It was a lovely light brown hue and framed his pale face that added to his unearthly beauty. His features were perfect, or so it seemed. No wrinkles whatsoever - the face of a young man that had barely but fully finished his maturing process. His eyes were a very deep dark blue. They stood out against his light complexion and hair - they pierced when you looked into them.
It was a young, male Wood Elf. At least, that's what it once was.
He held himself with a dignity and grace that only a Wood Elf could accomplish. His hands were held loosely behind his bare back as he looked at them all silently, taking each one of them in with those immensely colorful and terrifying eyes. His eyes rested on them in the same order he had circled them before, looking as if he was taking in every bit of information he could possibly glean from them by simply staring at them. And it seemed like he could read your very soul.
Dark had sunk to her knees on the forest floor, seemingly out of breath. Her mouth was open and her cerulean eyes were fixed on the male of her race's face. When his eyes finally moved down and rested on her, they locked with hers in a way that had not happened to the others. A look of sorrow and apology ran through the dark blue eyes and fine eyebrows came together in a slight frown.
"Astheriel," the thing whispered in a rich tenor voice.
He raised one of his hands toward Dark as if trying to take her own hand, though he was still fifty feet away. Suddenly, his face changed to one of chagrin as he winced, and the black symbol on his chest glowed with a dark light. His outstretched hand flexed; in fact, his whole body tensed, making his muscular frame tighten menacingly. His eyes flashed an even deeper shade of blue as he glared at the sorceress. His voice was totally different as he growled, "It's your fault."
Another wince, almost as if he was being yanked on with a string from his back, showed on his face.
Without another word, he had vanished, and a still silence ensued.
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Post by Thistle on Feb 11, 2008 14:28:11 GMT -8
Perin watched the exchange between Dark and the thing with a detached interest. Well isn't that special. She never mentioned that she was being trailed by ghosts who were fairly pissed off at her. The halfling watched the ghostly figure disappear and then returned her gaze to the remaining elf. "Astheriel. So you really are an elf with a real elf name after all. Amazing."
She sheathed her swords and took a quick glance around. So far it seemed like everything was as it should be. She didn't sense any kind of danger lurking just beyond their sight. "Well, I suggest we move on. Wouldn't want any more unexpected guests popping up now would we?"
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Post by Dark Beauty on Feb 12, 2008 12:09:52 GMT -8
Dark Beauty did not move. Her eyes were wide with disbelief and horror - at least, those were the only readable emotions in them. The rest of the emotions were frantically trying not to drown in each other in those confined pools of color. No noise escaped her gaping mouth. One hand was outstretched and frozen there, and the other was barely helping her stay leaned forward while on her knees. She had tried to reach back. Now there was nothing to reach for.
Naburine was very interested in this turn of events - her attitude was rather like Perin's. But she knew that if she said anything upsetting in the slightest, Shivelle would sink her fangs into her neck. So she responded to Perin's comment instead. "I think that is an excellent idea. Problem is, I don't think... what's her name... Ester-real...? ...Can move." There was a tone of acid in her voice, though she did not know exactly why. She always figured that "Dark Beauty" was not the sorceress's real name... but, for some reason, she felt betrayed by the elf-woman. Maybe because she was used to knowing everything about everyone. She hated the fact that she had not known anything about this woman even after living in Ellaia for a good while.
Shivelle's red eyes darted to Magus in alarm. She was not sure what exactly to make of what happened, or if Dark was even going to move.
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Post by Zeffa! on Feb 12, 2008 13:58:21 GMT -8
Magus frowned, watching the creature warily as it changed and vanished. His gaze shifted slowly then to Dark, watching her with what seems like casual interest. He remained silent, but put a gloved knuckle to his chin thoughtfully, still wearing a scowl. "Should.. we wait here for a bit?" Aramil asked, not sure what to think of the whole encounter. He looked around at Perin and Naburine, then to Magus and Shivelle for confirmation. Astherial... It was a pretty name, Aramil wondered why Dark chose "Dark Beauty" instead...
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Post by Dark Beauty on Feb 12, 2008 17:15:09 GMT -8
There was the briefest of pauses as Shivelle wondered whether or not to answer Aramil. She looked to the boy, to the sorceress, and then to Magus. Since nobody seemed to make a decision, she walked forward, her steel-toed boots eerily silent on the forest floor. As she reached Dark, the sorceress's outstretched hand fell to her side, though she remained leaning forward. Shivelle stood above the woman for a moment. "Dark?" She tested to see if she would get a reaction. When Dark did not look up, the vampiress squatted down at a ninety degree angle to the sorceress. She placed one long-nailed hand on the elf's back and looked at the angelic face. "Mistress Dark... we need to go. Can you move?"
For about three seconds, nothing happened. But, then, Dark moved her head slowly so that her eyes locked with Shivelle's, wide and hopeless. The vampiress winced when she saw the unfathomable hurt and shock there. Dark's mouth was still open, but only slightly so.
"No, then?"
Dark's mouth closed, but she still was staring blankly back at the red-and-black-haired vampiress. Shivelle sighed and bent lower. "Forgive me, Mistress." She snaked her arms around the sorceress's middle and then lifted. Dark Beauty, being a female Wood Elf, seemed extremely light to a vampire. Vampires were naturally nearly twice as strong as a human, so lifting a Wood Elf, even a full grown one, was nothing. The sorceress made a barely audible noise of surprise and protest, but seemed not to be able to find the strength to get up and walk on her own.
Shivelle (looking awkward with a fully grown, world renown sorceress slung over one shoulder) carried Dark to Firebird. "Sorry," the vampiress said to the stallion. "You have a little bit more to carry." She maneuvered Dark onto the bare back of the stallion, where the sorceress remained, dumbfounded and staring at Shivelle. The vampiress quickly looked away. "Let's go," she said. "We'll let her regain comprehension as we go. Perhaps we'll get a story out when we stop for the night. I, personally, am being torn apart with curiosity, but I don't think there is any way to get anything from her right now."
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