Mongoose
Experienced Novice
"Be ashamed to die until you have won some victory for humanity."
Posts: 143
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Post by Mongoose on Feb 8, 2009 2:31:31 GMT -5
"Perhaps its best you don't go any further with that train of thought..."
The light from Lillith's hand reveals a sight best left unlit, the tile walls are sprayed with something reddish brown and dried. The walls are lined with left over bits from some fiendish failed experiments of flesh and surgery.
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Post by Situation on Feb 8, 2009 2:50:44 GMT -5
The growling gets closer and closer and from a door in the short distance, a creature presses its head against the door and out from the cracked door emerges a most twisted sight, a fiendish canine that looks as if sewn together to other species of dog to create patchwork hybrids of multiple limbs and heads. First only one appears, sniffing the ground as it enters, its large bloody paws slapping with wet plops onto the cold floor, its two heads, one beside the other raises and growls at the intruders.
Behind it come several more, some with half another dog sticking out from its chest, others with heads and muzzles protruding from foreign places upon the main hosts body, like parasites. The faces of the beasts are all contorted, filled with confusion and pain, some with shoddy stitching now fraying, the extra bodies nearly sloughing away in a sickly fashion.
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Post by Lillith on Feb 8, 2009 3:03:05 GMT -5
I'm going to take a stab at it and say that they're not friendly.
::Lillith crouches into a low stance::
Be careful. We attack one, they'll come down on us in a pack. Our best shot is if we find some way to taken them all down at once. But I can't really do anything in this confined a space without frying us all. Anyone have any bright ideas?
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Mongoose
Experienced Novice
"Be ashamed to die until you have won some victory for humanity."
Posts: 143
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Post by Mongoose on Feb 9, 2009 1:32:44 GMT -5
Adrian slowly draws one of his scimitars, careful not the startle the beasts. "They look as if they're about to fall apart... this is vile, who would do such a thing to the poor beasts... and why?" He asks, his face contorted with confusion and disgust. "It is strangely impressive though. I hate to admit it, but it is."
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Post by Lillith on Feb 9, 2009 1:37:33 GMT -5
::Lillith analyzes the creatures before her::
Well... this looks very similar to Echidna's magic, but I can tell she didn't make these. Hers were always a little more... colorful I guess would be the right word. But August is a quick study. But they do look ready to come apart. Adrian, got anything in your bag of tricks that can get us past them?
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Mongoose
Experienced Novice
"Be ashamed to die until you have won some victory for humanity."
Posts: 143
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Post by Mongoose on Feb 9, 2009 1:41:55 GMT -5
"Sorry, all out of Milkbones but, they don't appear to be anything more then foul tempered dogs." Says Adrian slowly approaching with careful steps. "Can't be too strong, not at all. If we can hit them all at once, doubt they'd last more then a moment."
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Post by Lillith on Feb 9, 2009 1:53:09 GMT -5
::Lillith nods::
I like that idea. Get behind me and be ready to fight in case I miss.
::The emerald in the center of her new choker glows and vanishes, reappearing as her wrist-crossbow. She fires a single shot, but the shaft of lightning she fires forks in several different directions, pegging each of their multiple heads with pinpoint accuracy between the eyes::
Think that did it?
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Mongoose
Experienced Novice
"Be ashamed to die until you have won some victory for humanity."
Posts: 143
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Post by Mongoose on Feb 9, 2009 2:00:37 GMT -5
The beasts lay low, ready to pounce just as Lillith prepares her attack. They charge and leap to attack but fall short as their bodies main heads are struck dead. The bodies fall to the ground in bloody slaps, pieces of their bodies falling away and spreading around the room. Adrian strikes one that continued to fly through the air, splitting it in two, it's body striking the ground behind him and rolling to a dead stop against the wall.
"Well, that was disgusting. Shall we continue deeper into this place? Through the door where the dogs came from."
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Post by Lillith on Feb 9, 2009 2:02:37 GMT -5
::Lillith seems to share Adrian's sentiment for the poor creatures::
Lets go.
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Post by Situation on Feb 9, 2009 2:10:54 GMT -5
As the party heads deeper into the clinic, keeping their eyes forward and off the gruesome sights that cover its walls, they reach the room where August keeps his operating table. Suddenly Lillith screams as something reaches out and grabs her ankle. When they shed light on what's grabbed her, they'll find none other than Captain Ames, his usual dignity and arrogance a distant memory. His clothing is torn at the shoulders and the sleeves. His arms are soaked in his light colored blood that seeps from wounds that appear to be self inflicted. His eyes are moist and red as though he hasn't slept in weeks. But when his eyes land on Lillith and the others, a ghost of a smile floats across his face.
"Sorceress... so you're alive. And Master Kerion... and the kind Gypsy from before... Master Shadesang as well... and this trapping young man I met earlier could only be your fiance." When his eyes land on Rainii, they appear confused, but when the light catches her markings, a sort of reverence washes over his face. "Ah you must be Rainii Loire. An honor miss, it truly is."
He coughs heavily and a spurt of blood spills from his mouth as he heaves and rolls over onto his stomach to look up at them.
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Post by Lillith on Feb 9, 2009 2:37:57 GMT -5
Ames?
::Instinctively Lillith kneels by the fallen captain and looks over the damage. But it really looks like there's nothing she can do. Her eyes well up and begin swimming at the sight before her::
What... what happened here? You walked right into their hands? What were you thinking?
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Mongoose
Experienced Novice
"Be ashamed to die until you have won some victory for humanity."
Posts: 143
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Post by Mongoose on Feb 9, 2009 2:46:37 GMT -5
"This is certainly a unexpected sight." Adrian kneels down beside Ames's bleeding and broken body, inspecting him over. Ashi however, appears to be startled, she bobs back and froth, looking straight at Ames with unblinking eyes. "Captain, where is August and the other? Stay with us, sir. You can pull though."
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Post by Situation on Feb 9, 2009 3:01:39 GMT -5
Ames shakes his head sadly. He seems to struggle with one of his arms, apparently trying to restrain himself from scratching himself open long enough to give him time to pass on what he needs to.
"I'm afraid it's too late for me friend. When we... arrested Robert Hanson.... we had suspected substance abuse.... and we believed it was the cause of his suicide during the broadcast. But now I understand.... Krasnow has developed some kind of.... virus. He must have injected Hanson with it some time before the riots... I'm afraid it's the cause of my... condition now. I have a considerably smaller amount of time left.... my anemia is allowing it to travel through my bloodstream at an accelerated rate.
He coughs once more and uses his right arm to hold his left down. "They fled.... Krasnow is seeking refuge with..... the Hook Gang..... He and the woman. Forgive me heroes..... I was foolish in my zeal, driven only by a desire to be remembered. Such vanity.... it seems so insignificant at the end. Such a pointless existence. All wasted..... in the end I couldn't even perform my duty.... the mantle that I swore an oath to uphold...... How could a public defender be taken by dreams of glory. In our line of work there is no happy ending.... just the bitter sweet comfort that you've prevented a bad one." A sickening gurlge churns in his throat as his mouth begins to foam.
The captain looks past the heroes to something that still hovers over him. Though the others cannot see him, the King in Yellow has been standing over Ames this entire time. But the figure that had once held such terror for him only a few short minutes ago, he now smiles at like an old friend and speaks to him. "I see now. It's all very clear to me. Why couldn't I see it before.... this is the end then." His fingers reach ever so slightly until they find what they're looking for; the handle of his pistol. "Farewell heroes." Then with a quick jerk, before anyone can stop him, he raises the barrel of the gun to his head and pulls the trigger. His other hand lays across his chest, clinging dearly to something he kept in his pocket at all times. A pocket version of the book; The True Story of Gaea’s Gilded Age: An Unabridged History lays across his bloodied chest, its cover and gold lettering smeared with his own blood.
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Post by Kerion on Feb 9, 2009 9:48:36 GMT -5
::Kerion tried to stop Ames, but was too late as Ames already pulled the trigger. He stands there, wathcing Ames corspe as his fist clenched in anger:: "The guy might of been an asshole, but he didn't deserve this."
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Post by Lillith on Feb 9, 2009 13:30:24 GMT -5
::Lillith claps her hands over her mouth as the shot is fired. For awhile she just kneels there. She nods at Kerion's words::
No he didn't.
::Her fingers find the hilt of her knife again as its blade extends into her rapier. She tightens her grip::
But I know someone who does.
::She gets to her feet and pulls her mirror from her pocket::
Eva? Jas? Iole? Anybody up there? We've got a lead on August.
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Post by Situation on Feb 9, 2009 14:52:03 GMT -5
While Lillith tries to contact the aerial party, Rainii can feel the presence of what she's looking for. There on the table is The Book of the Twilight, her book, waiting for her to retrieve it.
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Post by Dante Shadesang on Feb 9, 2009 19:23:50 GMT -5
Dante is silent for a moment, not knowing to say. "... rest in peace, Ames."
He takes notice of Rainii's attention to something and sees the book. "Careful... knowing how things have been, I have doubts it would be easy to pick it up and go. We have your back, Rainii..."
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Post by Rainii Loire on Feb 10, 2009 2:12:45 GMT -5
"It's just too damn easy to not be a trap."
::She stares at the book from across the room, wanting desperately to reclaim it, but unsure of what will happen if she picks it up. She sighs.::
"So, assuming that it is a trap, are we all prepared for what might happen?"
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Mongoose
Experienced Novice
"Be ashamed to die until you have won some victory for humanity."
Posts: 143
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Post by Mongoose on Feb 10, 2009 2:56:36 GMT -5
"Sometimes a book is just a book." Exclaims Adrian, watching as Rainii warily watches the book, uncertain what to do. "Only one way to find out."
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Post by Lillith on Feb 10, 2009 3:07:36 GMT -5
::Lillith steps forward::
Well if there's to be testing done...
::She reaches her hand for the book, but when she's a hair's distance from touching its binding, it glows and she retracts her hands from the heat quickly::
I see Natalia's seal is back up. You should be safe to take it back now. Lets hurry and regroup with the others though. If we can't intercept him in time, we'll have one of the most dangerous gangs in Lindblum to contend with.
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