Little lost dragon and I

[Ryujin13]

The view began to change almost instantly as Vita spoke, first zooming out, then flickering dark. A moment passed where the room was total darkness, then red light shone into the room as the view came to a stop over a plain of unimaginable size. Below the group was army, so massive in scope that it dwarfed any force in history that the group knew of.

The numbers were easily in the millions, and the force was as varied as it was large. Hundreds of different species could be seen below, from huge multi-limbed monsters, to beautiful women with beaks where their mouths should be and long bird legs.

A huge race of beings that looked like a cross between a ram and a lizard were playing some sort of game nearby with a few smaller beings. There was a scuffle and the larger beings suddenly had a snack as the unfortunate beings friends shrieked and ran away. Tents formed circles and territories of the different races with very few entering others areas. Those that did seemed to know who they were approaching however, so were allowed in without conflict.

Far in the distance a hill stuck up out of the flat area, and from it came a red glow like a wildfire burning in the distance.

"Show us Nuria and Jak." Avira said, pointing at the glow.

Within seconds the view was above the hill, and below them had turned into a hellish landscape. Bonfires burned everywhere, and around them capered naked beings who seemed to switch between ripping into each other with teeth and nails and falling into a heap of lust. At the very top of hill, surrounded by fire sat a golden throne, on which lay Nuria, one leg draped over one of the chairs arms, and her chine resting on her fist, a look of extreme boredom on her face. She was wearing red armor with brass inlays. A war glaive stood against her throne nearby. Jak stood next to her chair, wearing matching armor, a look of almost fascination on his face as he watched.

In front of the chair stood what looked like a pair of centipedes with the torsos of men. They both carried huge guns on their backs that anyone in the group would have struggled to lift, and blades were sheathed near where their torsos met the long centipede part of their bodies. They both wore war paint, but with different colors and symbols, and both seemed to be ready to kill each other.

It seemed Nuria had had enough as well, because she stood, pointed a finger at one of them, then snapped her fingers.

Instantly the bug-man was on fire, screaming horrible for a few seconds before turning to ash before the groups eyes. Nuria turned to the other centipede and seemed to ask it a question, getting only bowing and scrapping in response before it fled the field.

Nuria gave an exaggerated sigh and sat back against her throne, watching a nearby group of what looked like goblins rip into each other with their teeth.

Without warning she looked up at the group and smiled, giving a small wave before calling Jak to her. She touched his shoulder then pointed at the group.

Jak got a slightly confused look, but then his eyes became angry again and he put his hand on the sword. Nuria laughed and shook her head, putting her hand on Jak's arm and smiling wide. She gave another wave to the group, blew them a kiss, then snapped her fingers.

The room turned off then, and when the lights came back on the doors were open again and the control panel was gone, leaving only the marble room and the writing.

Avira seemed pale, though it was hard to tell for sure, but she put on a brave face anyway and turned towards the door.

"Come on, the sooner we get to the crypts the sooner we cancel her little apocalypse." Avira said, unholstering her weapon again as she prepared to leave.

 

(There isn't any sound inside the room, so the group can hear what's going on or being said outside, it's visual only.)

[little lost dragon]

Fren watched the room darken and the scene in the view change as it showed them Vita's order. She folded her arms and got her determined face. Facing seemingly impossible odds was nothing new for her. Maybe not the most resent but not new regardless. A few of the many races seen she reconized, even a section of Gretens the only other race her people thought they had cleaned out. She was suprized seeing them allow one of the part bird women among there tents.

As Avira said her order Fren narrowed her eye's as they came to where Jak and Nuria where. Frankly she was not suprized to see both in the same armor, though the naked creatured around them disgusted her with there behaver. Yet Nuria seemed perfectly fine with it. Then again lust and ambition where her main things. And as a result her ego would be far past its safe limits. She grunted as the centiped man bursted into flames before quickly turning to dust and the other after being looked at took off.

Nuria seemed to watch some more fighting happen before she looked up right at the group. Fren narrowed her eye's knowing they where no hidden now. And when Jak saw them, she looked into his dull eye's, sure his face was angry but she focused on his eye's and what lay behind them. Then Nuria snapped her fingures and the room reset. Fren shook her head and sighed.

She nodded and looked at Guthrie "Thought the Gretens where killed off, guess she got some before we eradicated them with there own weapon." she said "Unlike humans, not even there young are innocent, From birth they fight and over all kill all that is not them." she growled as they left the room. "Avira, we need to find the armory again, I'd feel better if I could use some of my equipment rather then what might be laying around." she admitted

 

Vita left last "Going to take time to match those numbers, if I diverted all my forces off the front with Core I could match numbers, but that would only serve to lose both wars rather then the one, the base and out posts here though will continue to produce more units."

[Ryujin13]

Guthrie was horrified by what he had seen, the sheer brute strength presented a foreign concept to him. Nuria had spooked him to, because of she could see them even if they weren't actually there, and if she could get an army of that size together by herself...

Guthrie repressed a shudder and instead gripped the shield tighter in both hands. He had to be brave, he had to destroy this place and end the threat of Nuria if he wanted to see his kids again.

 

Avira quickly pulled out the first journal and began to thumb through until she found the entry for the armory. She read it a few times, then shrugged.

"Well the book lists a couple of ways to get there, but the easiest is the elevator. Unfortunately that means finding the elevator. The other way is through the entrance hall. If we get there then the book says getting to the armory is easy." She explained, tapping the page before closing the book with a snap.

 

Without much talking Avira led the way out of the room and down the hall, beginning the process of wandering yet again.

Strangely enough this time it was a quick walk, maybe ten minutes, before they suddenly hit the door to the armory. When opened the room showed no sign of the previous battle that had been fought there. The huge stone statue's remains were gone, as was the battle damage. In fact besides the missing statue there wasn't any sign that anything had happened at all.

"It says that there's supposed to be a statue that stands guard right here." Acura said quietly, looking around nervously.

"Fuzzy... Jak killed it." Alina said, saying Jak's name for the first time. This seemed to upset her, not because of a dislike of his name, but more because it was like admitting that he was truly gone for the first time.

"Impressive." Avira said idly, looking at the forges then at the door that led to the armory proper.

"He got his leg crushed." Alina said walking over to the door. "He liked Kara and was trying to impress her. She wouldn't give him a chance after that." Alina supplied, clamming up after that. She had heard all this from her mother after the fact, and saying it at all hurt. It was truly dawning on her that Jak would probably die. She had held out hope for him to recover, but now that she had seen the anger in his eyes when he looked at the group... She was beginning to doubt he could be saved.

[little lost dragon]

Fren was lost in thought as they went after Avira closed the book. But it was not long before they found the armory and Avira got confused. She paused and sighed "there was one here, Varren and I weakened it and where taking it down, Jak decided to deal the finishing blow against Varren's orders. As Alina mentioned he got his leg crushed when it fell on him. Kara wisely distanced her self from him after that. The castle strangely favored him though, gave him a free new leg, his sword..... he was starting to improve though before Nuria stole him. Medad placed him under my care, I hope..... maybe that will help us when we go up to face him." she admitted before looking to a odd but familer pod. "Anyway, gather supplies, take what you'll need and that will last," she said.

 

She went over to the pod and drew a little on its surface before it opened like a odd flower and a silver stream of something shot out at her. She let out a alarmed sound before it hit her square in the gut, it collected and quickly formed around her body before it became solid though remained soft in the joints. Fren brought her hand up to her head before looking at the group "Its like my old armor...... must be one of the advances they made in the war...." she said looking at her hand now, 2 slits one on each side of her head severed as view ports for her. Her whole body seemed sealed in the armor now and had a silver sheen to it. She accessed its data "MSP..... Metal spawning pool.... odd the spawning pools.... ooohh.... the castle did not mention this in the view room but my people found allies and they helped them develop a bio metal substance my people can use." she explained before grabbing the weapon and inserting her hand, it had 3 ports at the end, 2 of which where flled with a drill like nose, no bigger then one of Fren's figures. "Pulse rounds with a secondary of.... death slugs?" she sounded confused. "Guess we'll have to wait to learn that one."

 

((As the RP's been going in another story line her people have befriended 2 other races, and the MSP line of tech has been coming out for them with the help of the other 2 races that they rescued from extinction. Fren though now though needs to learn about the new tech lol.

 

And the death slug is a sticky gernade almost that latches onto its target, digs into the armor or body its latched onto, then injects the foe with fluids designed to quickly eat away at high tech alloy's. If grabbed it explodes in a cloud of the stuff.))

[Ryujin13]

(Lol, the overlooks, there are many. )

 

Avira looked around some more before finally going through the armory door.

Inside she watched as Fren donned her new armor, then looked around herself. Soon enough she found something interesting, a set of body armor that looked like it would fit her.

"FACE." Avira read, looking closely at the tag. "Fully Actuated Combat Exoskeleton. Designed to provide protection against small arms fire, temperature extremes, and environmental hazards without sacrificing the mobility or comfort of the chimera wearer."

Avira looked it over carefully, taking stock of the coverage and how it would fit. The whole thing looked like it protected her major regions, chest, legs, arms, neck, with smaller pieces spaced at other strategic points. Black material was stretched between where the armor didn't cover, which went much. It looked pretty roomy, and the inside felt comfortable enough to her fingers.

Shrugging she began the process of removing her vest and boots, but stopped before she began to disrobe. Glancing around Avira made sure that she knew where everyone in the group was, then pulled the armor and her things around into a spot that was hidden from view.

Once there she removed everything but her underwear and began to don the new suit. When it was on she realized a big problem, literally. The suit was much to large, at least for a few seconds. Without warning it sucked in, tightening quickly enough that Avira began to panic. Just like that though it was over, the suit forming what felt like a second skin.

One would have expected for moving to be more difficult because of the tightness, but the suit didn't hinder her movements at all. The plates meanwhile had fitted themselves to her as well, forming protection over her breasts, widening at the hips and legs, and maneuvering so that they were in the optimal position for the best coverage. Boots even formed around her feet, each one molded for best comfort and protection.

The whole process took less then a minute, and when it was done Avira carefully stepped out from her hiding spot, leaving everything except for her backpack and weapons. The suit formed a holster for her pistol and knife, but Avira elected to hold Varren's weapon.

Guthrie did a sort of double take, but seemed more surprised then anything. He hadn't been expecting a change of clothes from Avira, but he had to admit it looked like it provided more protection then her vest.

Finally Avira stood ready, but couldn't help but look at the new armor Fren had gotten. It was pretty in a way, but obviously built for business. Avira's armor on the other hand was built for light to medium protection, while allowing her to make full use of her agility and speed.

"Ok, everyone ready?" Avira asked, glancing around expectantly.

 

(Avira's armor sort of looks like this, minus the helmet.)

Edited September 22, 2014 by Ryujin13

[little lost dragon]

Fren looked at Avira as she came from hiding and gave a nod. Her own armor seeing as it seemed able to take to her exact form, make all her features a bit more pronounced. Along with the shiny silver look it gave her.

 

She watched Vita scan a few things before a strange bay opened up in the wall. He scanned it and then stepped in, the wall closed and the sound of whirling motors started up along with the sound of welding metals before it opened up again. Vita stepped out with what looked like missile pods on his back, his weapon arm looked enhanced and his looked even more heavily armored. "Prototype status, system errors currently zero." he reported and Fren nodded before looking at her daughter and Guthrie and glancing around the room "Guthrie, there's some new armor for you there it looks like, even if its the same, your current armor has a few spots that orange thing removed from you." she suggested before looking around for some for Alina, her current armor seemed to be fine, but if they could find better that was always good.

[Ryujin13]

Guthrie moved off to the new armor that Fren pointed out and had to admit that it was better then what he was wearing. It was beautiful armor that was colored bronze with the strength and weight of titanium. Green lacquer was applied to most of the area with the edges remaining bronze. All the peices were shaped like leaves, and all in all it complemented his green skin nicely.

It took awhile for him to get it all in place just because of the number of plates needed to protect the length of his body.

Alina meanwhile had switched her armor out for a new set of silver armor with black swirls on it. The blades sat over her normal claws were razor sharp but didn't seem affected by outside force like grinding against the floor as she walked.

Avira helped her put this on, and when fully applied gave Alina a sleek, yet formidable look.

"I think that's it." Avira said, looking around again. "I don't really see anything else that we could use unless Guthrie wants a weapon?" She looked at him questioningly, causing him to look down.

"I um, I don't know how to use weapons." He admitted. "Maybe I should though."

Looking around he spotted a metal staff with a green focusing crystal set into a blade on one end. The other end had another blade that acted as a counterweight to the first. Without thinking Guthrie put the weapon over his shoulder and across his back where it immediately shrunk from about four feet to a little under two.

"Ready." He said, turning back to the group.

[little lost dragon]

Fren nodded and looked at Avira "Guess where as equipped as we can get now." she said with a nod before they started to leave. As they approached the entrance way though a growl sounded. One that Avira and Vita recognized. A Janitor move so he was blocking the door before he roared and stepped into the room. His corrupted skin melted in places but slowly healing. The door closed behind him and he roared again.

 

Fren went into her battle stance and took aim. Right away it attacked her taking a swipe with suprizing speed for its size and weight nearly catching the Shatong's legs as she jumped out of the way. She took a shot with a death slug and it hit it, latched on before the monster seemed to go into a crazed pain sate before it smashed the thing on its shoulder causing it to explode in a cloud of acid like stuff. It roared again in anger before charging at Fren again. She tried to dodge again but she took its punch to her side that sent her into a spin into a wall where she fell.

[Ryujin13]

Avira, being the only one with real combat training and experience, was the first to act after Fren took the blow that sent her flying.

Varren's weapon was raised in an instant and was firing slugs at the janitor, each one impacting with little to no effect, just like previous janitors. It turned to face Avira though and charged her, causing Avira to dive to the side, rolling out of the dive and hitting her feet as quick as thinking.

Guthrie meanwhile, was already weaving magic, causing long branches with razor sharp spines to rise from the ground and begin to attack the janitor. They stabbed and cut, but the janitors hide seemed to be impervious to everything.

Alina seemed to freeze momentarily, just like many did in their first combat situation, but recovered after a few seconds of inaction.

Closing her eyes she stiffened as her chest puffed out, her normally grey scales going dark, then she opened her mouth and breathed out.

Black energy roared from her mouth, crashing into the janitor and throwing it back a few steps. Everything around the energy went cold, and frost even formed on some nearby surfaces, but the janitor felt the worst of it, it's skin darkening, then lightening from frostbite.

Just like that though Alina ran out of juice and fell back a few seconds gasping for air. She had practiced breathing energy like this before, but she was only 11, her stamina wasn't all that great.

The janitor was really angry now that the group had managed to hurt it yet again and it immediately turned its focus on Alina, the source of new pain.

Guthrie and Avira acted at the same time though, both attacking the thing from different directions. Both their attacks were working now that a good deal of the things skin was brittle from being frozen. Their attacks were chipping away at it, though the thing still seemed a long way from dead.

The janitor roared in confusion before finally going for Guthrie, the one he deemed a bigger threat.

The moment it's back was turned Avira was in action, running as fast as she could at the thing she jumped onto the janitors back and ran up. Quick as a flash she had her knife out and had stabbed it into the janitors eye before jumping backwards off of the janitor and landing a few feet away, Varren's gun hammering away.

[little lost dragon]

Fren was up after a few moments from being dazed by the hits and the wall. She shook her head and resumed firing after Alina made it brittle. She jumped forward firing pulse rounds a it, the energy shots hitting it but again like everything else only chipping away.. It roared now in a rage from all the pain it was getting. It charged again but then a massive punch sent it into the near by doors. It roared again as Vita placed him self between the group and the janitor. He raised his arm as the Janitor got back up and a red glow came from Vita's arm again before it fired the D-gun. the shot hit the Janitor and made a large hole in it. It screamed now before it punched Vita back sending him back a few steps.

Fren showed up and jumped over Vita and fired the other death slug, the shot going into the hole. It screamed more and was unable to grab the shot this time. It flailed about now as the group wore it down taking shots at the hole in its chest before Guthries vines landed a good hit in its chest, and while it ripped the vines out, more started to grow, inside it though. It let out a shriek before dropping to the ground and ceased moving.

"Guthrie, magic signature, now!" Fren ordered hoping he could get it before it slowly faded. Vita came up behind them a dent in his armored chest plate but it was slowly fixing its self "Also, weakness located, ice weapons allowed us to harm it." he said looking at Alina "Allowed my D-gun to penetrate, which allowed Fren's and Guthries weapons to hit where it mattered. Avira, goof distraction, allowed it to work." he said

 

Fren's side looked more or less alright, the armor took most of the hit but she went over to a wall and slumped down holding it. It opened up like she gave a command and took a look. The scales though showed that a common problem with skin tight armor, it can't block all the force. Even Vita's chest armor failed to block a Janitors fist. Her scales looked a bit mashed. "I took a hit...... but I'll live, it did not hinder me in combat, I don't think anything key is hurt." she said but inside, she was worried she might have a cuncushun.

 

(Fact of Shatong bioligy

 

To have all the needed nerve power and keep it all managed, Shatong have 3 brains. One in the head, the main info hub of the 3, and 2 in the waist, one on each side, suspended in a chamber with fluid to absorb shock for protection. if one is damaged, a Shatong can survive on one brain but there memory and movement would be badly impaired.

 

Only Guthrie and Alina would know Fren might have a cuncushun now. ))

[Ryujin13]

Guthrie began to work immediately at Fren's call, his eyes growing dark and his hands weaving green energy which rose up and seemed to feel the air.

In a few seconds the whole thing was over as the tendrils of energy returned to Guthrie's hands.

"I have to do this now." Guthrie said, his eyes going black amd the darkness returning to his fingers. The entire room grew cold and dark again, the whispers and shadow people returned, and a terrible and primal terror tried to work its way into the groups minds.

This time however, the whole thing only lasted about 30 seconds before disappearing as quick as it had come.

"There, we now have the same magical signature as the castle, sort of." Guthrie said.

"Sort of?" Avira asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Well We have the same magical signature, but I couldn't enchant you all without falling over useless. So I enchanted my ring to make a sort of bubble. Anything within about 100 feet registers as being under the castles control. Over the next few days I can enchant some objects that you all carry that will do the same thing."

"Why couldn't you do it all now though?" Avira asked.

"Because using that much energy would at best put me in a coma, at worst kill me. Like I said, in a couple of days I can do one for everyone, just let me rest between."

Guthrie did look strained now that Avira looked closer, but he still had enough energy to float over to Alina and hug her close, giving her a kiss on the forehead.

"You did very well Alina." He said, gently hugging her. "I'm very proud of you, just like I'm sure Fren is.

Alina gave a smile at her parents but seemed to be in a slight state of shock after her first combat. After a few seconds she seemed to realize this and shake herself out of it, but her eyes still flicked back to the form of the dead janitor now and then.

Guthrie went to Fren after this and peered closer at her bruised side before gently feeling the area with his long fingers.

"I don't think you have a concussion, but you probably cracked a rib. I need to heal it to keep it from getting worse." He explained, looking up at Fren before preceding her to take a deep breath.

The moment she did so he called magic and pushed the flat of his hand against her side. It was excruciating for a second but then her side tingled and there was a sort of grinding pop, followed by a strange feeling as her scales returned to normal. It was all over within five seconds and Fren was back to normal, her scales new looking.

Avira wandered over to the janitor as this was happening and looked down at the thing in front of her.

Rage welled up suddenly and she kicked the stupid thing a couple of times in the side. These things had taken her arm, they had tried to take her mind, and now they tried to kill her. The rage only lasted for a few seconds before she gave the thing a final kick and grabbed her knife, wiping the blade off on the janitor before returning it to its sheath.

"We should get moving." Avira said, turning back to the group. "We can't afford to fall behind."

[little lost dragon]

Fren nodded and stood up after Guthrie healed her and gave him a hug before walking over to Alina and knelt down and hugged her as well "You did well Alina, I'm proud of you." she said smiled before standing up again and looked at the Janitor "Not so touph when frozen." she muttered before going to the doors that where still closed, she opened them with ease though, what ever had locked them was not there now. She looked down both ways before leaving the room "Seems to be clear for now." she said before 2 soft clicks sounded from her weapon, she paused and looked at it and found the slots for the death slugs where ready again. "Glad they kept that feature, slower fire rate, but it makes its own ammo." she said half to her self before picking a random direction and taking point this time.

 

((Guah, sorry kind of rushed to get this out before I poof for work today))

[Ryujin13]

Avira was perfectly fine with taking a spot near the rear and letting Fren lead. She was still upset over her arm and seeing the janitor had just brought those feelings to the surface again.

Avira looked her arm over for the first time since getting it, carefully comparing it to her normal one. Truth be told it was exactly the same as her old one at least in size, proportions and abilities, but she still knew it was different. She could sort of feel what it was doing, at least she knew when it grasped or held something, but it wasn't the same. She couldn't really feel it, it was more like her brain just told her it had done what she wanted versus actually feeling like it had done something. It didn't sound like much of a difference, but it was, and it upset her to know that she would be like this for the rest of her life.

That was an unfair thought she knew, especially since others were maimed like she had been and couldn't get prosthetics like hers. The rich maybe but the poor or middle class folks were stuck with the old school ones.

As the group walked it seemed like a weight had been lifted from them, one that they hadn't even known about. Like they were no longer being watched. It might have been Avira's imagination but it made her mood lighten now that the stress was gone. Alina seemed to be experiencing the same thing, although she hadn't realized it had happened. She was quietly humming a song that she and Petals had sung together during one of the plays that the kids had put on during school, and the tip of her tail was swishing along to the beat.

Guthrie was still to nervous to notice any of this though, he was still scared of the castle, both because of the stories his people told, and of the things he now knew were real. All of this was compounded by his claustrophobia acting up. Still he seemed to be avoiding a true panic attack by staying close to Fren or Alina, using their strength to keep him grounded.

The halls meanwhile were empty again and stretched off into parts unknown. The groups wanderings finally paid off when they found another door which opened into the elevator.

Avira smiled at this and entered, already digging through her pack to retrieve the journal, opening it and thumbing to the last pages.

Finally she nodded and began to adjust nobs and dials before pulling the red lever. With a rush of wind the elevator was off, hurtling upwards before coming to a halt.

The group stood in a huge room, a cathedral even, with great sweeping arches, paintings of gods and deities on the walls, and thousands of pews for worship.

At the front of the room where the stage would be and where the preacher would stand was instead a massive marble statue, on a block that was 50' on each side. The statue was of an angel just like the book had said, it's wings outstretched and a sword, it's blade shattered, held point down in both hands. A hood covered the angel's face, but somehow the group knew that even glimpsing it would be an extremely bad idea.

[little lost dragon]

Fren felt the lack of the weight but if anything it put her more on guard. the fact their plan worked was a sign they had a good grasp now on how the castle defended its self, which met if it learned this was a fake, could spell doom from them though. However she was glad to see Alina was feeling better now. Even Avira seemed to lighten up a little. Guthrie had plenty reason to not feel any safer. And she could see it. She motioned with her tail for him to join her side, where she took his hand in her's.

 

When they reached the elevator it was not long before Avira had learned how to work it, soon they where raising, she gently squeezed Guthrie's hand to confort him as they went. Once they came to a stop though she looked around, the place seemed to be a place of, based on what she learned from humans, and Guthrie's people, gods. She spotted the 'preacher' and had the feeling not to look at its face, even with its hood. And strange how its blade was shattered. "I get the feeling, we have another puzzled, perhaps, one to rebuild the angels sword?" she said aloud to break the silence. Since nothing else was broken and did not seem they where going anywhere.

[Ryujin13]

Avira looked around at Fren's suggestion, searching for signs of the rest of the sword.

"I don't see anything that looks like it could be part of the sword." She said, wandering further out into the cathedral. "Maybe it's something having to do with magic?" She suggested, looking at Guthrie who immediately shook his head.

"There's no trace of magic here, nothing to indicate a spell has ever been worked here."

Avira frowned again, still walking down the center row as Alina took a small leap and flew towards the front.

The dragon landed further ahead then Avira and looked around before gently prodding one of the pews. Nothing happened which only made Alina more curious, causing her to walk forward and inspect the statue, all while avoiding looking up at its face. Nothing even remotely interesting turned up, and Avira was just as perplexed when she arrived.

"There's supposed to be crypts behind this statue." Avira said, tapping the statue with a finger. "The guy who wrote the journal says it just opened for him, so why won't it open for us?

"Maybe theres a switch or something." Guthrie said as he and Fren arrived.

Avira nodded absently and began to look but her hopes weren't high. Usually the castle put such things in plain sight, either in the form of a puzzle or something equally obvious.

Alina meanwhile was looking up at the statue above them, carefully avoiding looking at the darkness beneath the stone hood, but still looking over the rest of the statue.

Avira noticed this and stepped back, looking up as well, albeit less effectively than Alina. After a few minutes of cocking her head back and forth Alina went towards the statue and climbed up onto the stone base.

"Found it!" She called happily, looking back down at the group. She waited until the others joined her and pointed to a spot directly below the broken sword.

Set into the marble was the unmistakable shape of the shield they had recovered. The inside was curved down so that one could retrieve the shield after placing it into its spot.

Guthrie glanced around at the group, then carefully slotted the shield in.

Instantly sound of grinding gears, falling counterweights and moving stone assaulted their ears as a set of stairs formed before the groups eyes, leading down into the darkness.

 

(There's a whole load of sarcophagus's down there. They have the person inside carved on top, but there isn't any particular species, just a whole bunch of different ones. Haven't really got anything planned for this place beyond finding the next book.)

[little lost dragon]

Fren looked into the darkness and sighed "From one abyss, to another." she muttered before looking at Vita who raised his arm and charged his weapons, creating a red glow "Seeing as the shield opened this up, and how the shield had been guarded, guess its safe to assume if we can get what is down there, would help us greatly...." she paused then looked at the group "Which worries me, if Guthrie's spell was working, how would the castle know where we are? And where to lead us too?" she asked then looked at Avira "This is not the first time we've been on that elevator, and this room never showed up." she pointed out before looking back into the darkness down the stairs.

If the castle was not tracking them now, then what was now? What set up the rooms for this?

 

((Alrighty, so if I got part of your line here correct, the angel statue is the carving of someone who is inside there?))

[Ryujin13]

(No, each of the tombs has the image of their occupant carved on top. So if I were in one then there would be a carving ofe, etc...)

 

"Well maybe it's not the castle realizing who we are, but instead trying to help its janitors. I mean, they have to get around somehow with some degree of accuracy, maybe the castle makes it easier for them, and now that it thinks we're a janitor it's helping us."

Turning back to the staircase Avira reached into a pouch on her belt, revealing a flashlight and shined the beam down into the dark. she could see that the stairs opened up after about ten feet, but beyond that all was dark. with practiced ease Avira swung Varren's weapon over one shoulder and drew her pistol, holding her flashlight beneath the weapon so that she could aim where the flashlight was pointed, and support her pistol arm as well.

With cautious steps Avira descended the stairs until she reached the bottom.

Before her were three rows of sarcophagus's, each one with a figure carved on top, presumably the occupant of the tomb.

The three rows went on and on until Avira's light couldn't pierce the dark anymore. In all there were easily 300 graves that the group could see, although who knew how many more were off in the darkness.

"There should be another one of these book cubes around here." Avira said, glancing around as she stepped off the stairs.

"Shh!" Guthrie hissed from behind her, his fingers glowing green as he followed down the stairs. His image was more alarming then normal due to his glowing eyes as well, but nobody else seemed to care so Avira put it from her mind.

"Why? They're dead, not like they can hear us." She said, casually rapping her knuckles against one of the marble tombs.

"Because, the dead should be allowed to rest until they are allowed to return." Guthrie whispered angrily. "As the body returns to the earth the soul is allowed to rest in peace until it is again called to inhabit a new body. These people were not given to the earth, they deserve to be allowed the quiet at least."

Avira didn't seem in the least bit impressed by Guthrie's talk about the dead or the peace they should have, and it was easy to see when you looked at her stance and expression. "The dead don't see or hear anything. They're dead and gone, that's all there is to it. Anyway let's go, we need to find that book." She said, her voice still normal.

"So what you don't believe in anything after life?" Guthrie asked, still whispering even as he closed the gap between him and Avira. "You think we just fade away into nothing?"

"That is precisely what I believe." Avira said as she walked, checking around for the book. "There is no God, no heaven or hell. We don't come back as a new person, our bodies just become worm food."

"Then what about the universe? Life, everything, you?" Guthrie asked, obviously confused.

Avira laughed and turned to Guthrie finally, crossing her arms and leaning against a tomb.

"Listen, I know who my creators are, I know why I'm here and what I was meant to do. I was created in a test tube in a factory in Missouri. I was designed, along with my team, to be a light combat model for speed and stealth operations. I am the team leader and sniper. I have an implant that can tell anyone with a scanner where and when I was born, what training they used on me, and any number of other things. The only creator I know about is the group of humans who built me. If there's a God then he isn't watching out for chimera that's for sure. Plus, your gods turned out to be aliena, how do you believe in anything anymore?"

"The old ones were a big part of our religion it's true, but we also believe in nature, in returning to the earth, and then being reborn anew. The old ones may have created us, but we never believes that they do trolled the afterlife. Only the earth does that, only nature can control that."

Avira seemed to think on this for a moment, then shrugged and walked on, uncertain about what else to say.

 

[little lost dragon]

Fren thought on the answer and shrugged. "Ok..... you got a point there." she admitted before joining them as they entered the stair case. Her bright yellow eye's seemed to glow again as they reflected the light from Guthrie's green glows and Avira's flashlight. The signature of death lay heavy in the air and she narrowed her eye's. Then Guthrie and Avira had a small debate. she could see why each side though what they thought. Her people always viewed gods as beings with great power, but only that. After all, some thought her people as gods due to there ability to work with the building blocks of life. did it make them gods though? No.

"Avira, for respect of others tridisions, handle those you do search with care, even if it seems pointless." she said hoping to help put Guthrie more at ease, she knew how he felt about this stuff.

 

Vita looked around "Scanners unable to penetrate casing." he concluded before he swung around "However DNA detected close by, Avira." he said his robotic voice having a sense of urgency. Then the case started to close.

 

Above a pair of hands yanked the shield out of its slot and then a female voice, Avira's voice, laughed a bit. "Rats, caught. Ta da Vita, nice drone by the way." she said before tossing its transmitter down the stair case.

 

Fren looked at Vita then at their Avira the color draining from her face a little. she looked at Guthrie. "the nightmares..." she whispered looking around like she now expected the dead to get up. Anything was possible if she was in a nightmare suddenly, trapped in darkness. Nothing she could do to free her self or her friends. And what she hoped had been a mear dream, was not that anymore.

 

 

[Ryujin13]

Avira turned in alarm as she heard the door begin to close, only pausing when it became evident that trying to get through would only end with her being crushed. It was the voice that made her hackles stand up though. Her voice. Avira didn't know how that was possible, but she sure as hell wasn't going to let whatever was out there kill them.

"Come on, there's probably another exit." She said, turning and heading off down the tunnel.

"Um... I don't know Avira." Guthrie said. "Listen I know you were right here the whole time, but... Well that was obviously your voice out there, and it did know Vita's name."

"Are you stupid?" Avira asked bluntly. "You said it yourself, I was here the whole time, how could I be here and out there?"

"Astral projection, telepathy, possession..." Guthrie said, ticking off the options on his fingers. "All of those could do what we just saw and heard, and you were being turned by the castle..." He let the thought hang as he continued to watch Avira carefully.

"You all ripped off my arm to keep me from becoming a pawn of the castle! I have this for the rest of my life and you still think I'm a threat?" Avira asked angrily. "Stop screwing around and let's get moving."

"Let me check you then." Guthrie said calmly.

"Why?"

"Because if you do I can verify for sure that you weren't responsible. If you resist then I can safely assume you're a threat to my family."

Avira was angry enough to spit acid, but she also knew that playing along was the best bet to keep the group together.

"Fine whatever." She snarled, watching as the tendrils of green energy began to reach out.

The didn't directly touch her, but anytime they got close it was like being tickled by a small air current. It took almost a minute before Guthrie finished his search and the tendrils receded, leaving nothing but a bright afterimage.

"Happy?" Avira asked, still miffed over the suspicion.

"Yes I am. You are indeed Avira, and you have absolutely no connection to anything magic or magical." Guthrie reported. "Which means there's something running around that sounds like you..." He considered this for a moment then seemed to give up and instead focus on getting out of their current predicament.

"So where would the cube be?" He asked after a few seconds of thinking.

"Last one we found was on the floor." Alina said, piping up for the first time in awhile. "It was just sitting off to the side like it had been dropped."

[little lost dragon]

Fren looked around eye's wide. Nothing more seemed to be happening and Guthrie seemed ok with the real Avira here. She looked over at Vita as he picked up the mess of wiring and sparks that had been tossed down At him before the stair case closed completely. He seemed to coat it with his nanos before it seemed to break apart and vanish. She looked at Avira before looking at the darkness hiding the floor. She put her hands into fists and stood up to her full hight, something only Guthrie and Alina would know she sometimes did either when very determined, or angered to adnormal levels. As she gained 5 more feet when she straightened her legs out like this. She began to feel the ceiling, with so much darkness, might as well start searching somewhere for a way out.

 

(Sorry, had to get a post out early today as I won't be home for the rest of the day till late tonight.)

[Ryujin13]

(It's all good, I'm not feeling great anyway.)

 

Avira turned and watched Fren try to push the door open, then shone her flashlight up at the ceiling as well. There was absolutely no sign that there had ever been an opening of any kind above them, nor was there any switch or mechanism to open the door from their side.

"Keep the dead in." Avira muttered, turning to look further down the tomb.

"What?" Guthrie asked, turning to Avira in confusion.

"Every human religion, no matter the race, the culture, anything, always does something to keep the dead separate from the living. Nowadays they bury them in cemeteries, which are always surrounded by a wall of some kind. Others burn the body, releasing the spirit and destroying the remains. No matter what, the dead are contained, separated from the living."

"Thought you didn't believe in religion." Guthrie pointed out, still talking softly.

"I don't, its just an observation, one that isn't exactly original. A lot of people have spoken and debated over why it is like it is, but mostly it's just because people don't want to be reminded of death. Shut the dead away and everyone can ignore their mortality. They can live like they're never going to die."

Guthrie paused at this, thinking it through. He was actually surprised at the level of insight That Avira was showing. He had expected to only see the military creature before him, yes with emotions, but not particularly interesting outside of that area. Yet she kept giving him glimpses of a highly intelligent woman.

Finally he pulled on Fren's hand and pointed out that the group was heading down the tunnel, a iras flashlight panning around the whole time, attempting to find anything at all that might be interesting.

As they walked Alina began to count rows to pass the time, but gave up at 423 when the path suddenly split, going straight, left and right. The right path went up while the left path went down, but nobody could see the end of any of them.

"Which way?" Guthrie asked, looking down each path in turn.

Avira just shook her head and sat down against a wall to think, pulling out her canteen as she did and taking a swig.

"I have no idea." She said, letting her head fall against the wall as she rested. "Ideas are welcome of course."

[little lost dragon]

Fren looked down and relaxed a bit feeling and seeing her husband by her. She went back to her normal hight and followed them through the dark place. "My people..... we turn to ash on death.... our nerve system fries us moments after death." she admitted "Never had a need for such things as a result." she said in response to the topic Avira and Guthrie where having.

When they came to the pass she looked at them both and sighed thinking. Both tunnels gave off the signature of death "Take the rig-" she stopped as it felt like something had grasped her tail tip and she whirled around to see what it was yanking her tail away but all she could see was darkness. When Vita gave some light there seemed to be nothing there. Fren sighed and closed her eye's "I'd say we go to the right." she said, her hand grasping Guthrie's really firmly.

 

A clatter sounded where they had come from. But it was where they had started here, so no one could see what had made the sound. "No life signs detected." Vita reported "Could be the shield, or a tome opening, lacking enough info to say for sure."

[Ryujin13]

Avira aimed her weapon and flashlight back down the way they had come, brow furrowed as her intense brown eyes stared into the dark.

Finally she relaxed and returned her pistol to its home, then dug around her armor and backpack some more. After a minute or two she finally let out a triumphant sound and held up another flashlight which she tossed to Fren.

"At least now we'll be able to see what's chasin us." Avira said, carefully replacing her things in her pack.

"Ok, we need to talk." She said finally, turning and looking at the others. "I have no idea what that was or why it sounds like me, but it isn't me. Guthrie, what could make something sound like me?" Avira asked.

"Well, almost anything. It's extremely simple, you just have to hear a noise and you can reproduce it. Not having seen what was on the other end of that voice though, I can't tell you what kind of magic they are using."

"What about you Fren?" Avira asked. "You mentioned a nightmare, something about your dreams, what was it?"

[little lost dragon]

Fren looked at Avira then to the flashlight that had been handed to her "The night I removed your arm was active with a couple nightmares, it started when I went to clean my self, I was in the bathroom and had splashed some water onto my face..... as I looked into the mirror it showed my head exploding..... I knew that was not true because I was seeing it, then the peices collected and showed.... it showed your face, seemingly attached to the mirror not just being displayed, but you where..... deformed, and had runes like those of the janitors all over you. You..... your copy went to say something, but I smashed the mirror and fled, all that the others saw where the peices of it broke, and nothing else." she said before looking at the group "That night when I went to sleep...... I had another one, I dreamed I was waking up, something had woken me, Guthrie who I had fallen asleep with was missing.... a presents filled the room.... I grabbed the shield we had at the time and checked the door, long story short I.... I found you all in Avira's room. Everthing from your skin and fur and metal to your very blood as decoration and more.... she used your eye's as..... lights, when the room light up, the copy was sitting in the corner........" she stopped closing her eye's hating the sight "Even Alina had not escaped the horror, I attacked again and the nightmare ended." she said looking easily spooked now "Guthrie assured me it was only the aftermath of being at such close range when I took your arm, and as a result, broke the curse on you..... that morning, I dreaded opening the door to find your arm missing, I hoped it had been cleaned up and disposed...."

She looked at Avira now in the eye's "Everything points that if you could not be taken, you'll be copied to serve this place. And she's trying to kill us....... she might be just after me.... I was the one who freed you from it..." she said then sighed "But other then that.... that's all I know." she said hugging Guthrie to try and calm down.

 

Another sound happened, this time it sounded like it was metal on the stone and it was moving right for them, when there flashlights found it, the shield, slid to a stop, but who ever or what ever slid it to them, nowhere to be seen. "If my...... visions are true, this copy..... might as well be, what many cultures refer to as a demon......." she finished off saying.

[Ryujin13]

"I'm sorry I didn't listen." Guthrie said, taking Fren and hugging her gently. "I didn't mean to brush you off, it really did make the most sense at the time." He explained, obviously upset that he had failed Fren so badly.

"Nobody could have seen this coming Guthrie, and you made a decision based off of the Intel you had. Everyone's wrong sometime." Avira said quietly, her good arm rubbing her shoulder where the mechanical one began. "But what about the demon thing? Is that what this is?"

Guthrie paused at this, thinking over what he knew and what he had previously seen.

"If the castle grew a new you Avira, to use as a servant and for whatever other reasons, then it would need to put an intelligence inside it. Making a body doesn't work, the mind still has to learn before it can operate, even if the body was grown full size."

"Like the simulations back home." Avira said, nodding along.

"I'll assume so since I don't know what those are. Anyway, there are an infinite amount of different dimensions, and each one has different denizens. The beings you refer to as 'Demons' are much worse. They come from a space in between the dimensions, places not governed by laws or patterns. Gravity, sound, light, none of that means anything there. Even in that place there are beings who live, creatures of pure energy and thought, all with power beyond comprehension. their mere presence would destroy anything and everything. They are the living embodiments of magic, energy directed by their own will. They can be brought into the material realms, they can be tied to certain objects, but those are temporary at best. Eventually the bonds will fade and an angry outsider will rampage through that universe. I do not think that is what we have here, at least not in the demonic sense. I believe the castle has created a new Avira, used what it learned of her to teach the body combat techniques and useful data like our names, then slaved another mind to the body. The runes you described Fren would be runes of binding and power. This Avira will be much more powerful. She will be faster, stronger, tougher, and just as deadly. The castle might have even given her the ability to manipulate magic, which is a bad thing in of itself. In short it has created a form devoted solely to stalking and killing any interlopers within the castle." Guthrie explained quietly.

"How do we kill it then?" Avira asked, moving over and picking up the shield before returning it to Guthrie.

"Same as anything else, it's flesh and blood, just like the janitors although it probably won't have as tough a hide. Enough firepower and it will go down although I doubt it will be that easy."