In the Depths of Madness (IC)

[Felixr2]

A woman suddenly popped up and held a dagger at Chandra's throat. Mygon wanted to interfere, but the woman looked way too skilled for him to take on. He thought to vaguely remember her face somehow... Perhaps I've seen her on some of the posters in the village? Then again that doesn't say much, except that she probably is the most famous, person in here, or she's a wanted criminal.

 

Mygone wanted to interfere and stop the woman, but something in the room, whether it was the damp air, the acceptation of Ahg'Naghal's death, the threatened mood or just Gohrm, or the priests, messing with his brain, was tiring him. He didn't think he was currently capable of defeating the woman if it came to a fight, so he remained quite and nodded respectfully towards Cana, who had responded for some reason. Did she not know how dangerous that could be?

 

Let's just hope Rupert decides to do something. He's probably the only one of us currently capable of convincing the woman not to kill Chandra and dealing with her in a fight if it comes that far. Full of hope he looked at Rupert, waiting for him to say something.

Edited July 13, 2016 by Felixr2

[Riath]

Rinharl opened his eyes as he heard the voice declare that it was time for him to awake unto his fate. He immediately closed them.

 

Damn warden. Did he really need to rub it in? Awakening unto his fate. Yeah, yeah, he was going to be hung. He knew that much. He never liked the scowling old man. It was his last day in the world and he was stuck in this dank, gloomy cell. Might as well just go back to sleep and face the consequences. Whatever they were would be nothing in the face of his impending death.

 

"Five more minutes..."

 

He muttered softly, audible only to himself. He went back to sleep, fully expecting to be shaken awake or kicked after the warden grew impatient. In the few more minutes he slept, he heard voices, swimming in and out of his dreamscape. They sounded like nobody he knew. He didn't recognise a single one. He woke up on his own a little while later, surprised that he hadn't yet been roused.

 

Hey, maybe the warden wasn't so bad after all. Had he let him get those extra Zs since he was gonna die anyway? That was uncharacteristically nice of him. Rinharl sat up and looked around.

 

Huh. This was definitely not his cell. He looked around the room. There seemed to be a bunch of people, dressed in varying outfits. Ah, and there seemed to be a quarrel breaking out. Some lady had a knife to another woman's throat. He watched, dusting off the dirty prison tunic and pants. He remained silent, simply observing the others for now. He had no idea where he was, but it definitely wasn't the prison. Could it be a dream? No, too lucid for it to be possible.

[Chandra]

Chandra's eyes widened when she felt the metal on her throat. She tried to stay still but squirmed a tiny bit making the dagger slightly cut her. She had an expression of fear on her face and she knew that she might not survive. How funny, she was in a dungeon full of dangers and currently the most probable way that she would die is by the hands of someone she's supposed to work with.

 

She could possibly reach for her sword, but whoever is holding the knife would probably have her dead before she could attempt to do anything. Her mind was racing with ways to get out of this situation but could find none. The room felt a lot hotter and the previous unwelcoming air suddenly felt deadly and suffocating.

 

Chandra didn't know if trying to reason with the dagger-wielding person would help her situation or not but she had to try.

 

"We didn't take you anywhere, we're all stuck here. If we did take you, don't you think that we would try a lot harder to keep you contained, because it seems as if you know how to fight." She rushed out.

 

Chandra gave a pleading look to anyone who could see her face. She didn't want to die a stupid death.

[Thaelasan]

Everyone was introducing themselves or being generally boring. Artemis shook her head, displeased, as she sheathed her sword and instead decided to inspect the shut door. Apollo kept an eye on the rest of the group, remembering names but not much else. Were these people honestly trying to make friends when things were as they were?

He supposed it was human nature. He crossed his arms, standing firmly in front of Artemis, his back to hers, as she continued to examine the door's borders.

 

An average, if intimidating, wooden door. Large sheets of wood had gone into its construction. Yes, it was very woody. But that wasn't the only part of it that made it impenetrable. Artemis could note there was a strange, magical aura.

"Apollo."

"Yes?" he replied, not turning around.

"The door may be a loss as an exit." Artemis sighed, rubbing her forehead. "It appears we may HAVE to deal with these people."

"Will you be able to do so?"

"I don't have to. You will." she stated flatly.

"Oh how kind of you to volunteer me, my love." Apollo smirked. "But can't you try?"

"Only if their intelligences seem to somehow raise within the next hour." Artemis said with displeasure.

Apollo shrugged.

"One of them's been holding another one hostage for the last few minutes."

"Oh?"

 

Artemis looked past his shoulder, then smiled.

"Oh-hoh? Are we to step in and help?"

"No. I'd like to see how they handle this situation... is what I would say." Apollo sighed. "But we're priests."

"So what do you propose?"

"Marriage?"

"Besides that." Artemis brushed away his joke.

"If the arrow man wasn't such a fool... he might have fired an arrow at her dagger by now. I suppose his aim must have failed him." Apollo laughed, stepping forward. "But I'll see what I can do."

He came to a stop in front of Cana and Mygon, back within the depths of the group, his sword back upon his back. He had his hands clasped together in front of him, and he bowed.

"Ah, madame, I think you have the wrong idea about all of this. We're all prisoners, not just you. As it stands, the real enemy is that book over there in that man's hands. Now, you COULD fritter away time cutting the throats of the weak, or you could actually be civil."

He held out his hands as though he was gesturing to an audience.

"To kill, to slash, to stab and rend. Human life you're about to end." he flourished. "But instead, a choice you make. A life to gain or a life to take."

[Coryn02]

As the others began to talk with one another, presumably trying to work out their differences, Gohrm continued to speak to Amos as he held the book.

 

"I can already tell what you want, Amos. That might be something the Old Ones can provide, but there is a limit to even their power..."

 

Amos could immediately tell that Gohrm knew he had thought about asking for his family back, though he had dismissed the thought. He felt no magic against him, so it was unlikely this was mind-reading.

 

"That's not what I want anymore. I need to move on."

 

"Oh? Well, I somewhat expected that. Between all the humans I was tasked with researching, you are certainly one of the most stoic. But regardless, I think it's about time we got this show on the road, hmm?"

 

Amos stared at Gohrm with a perplexed look. Were it not for the fact that it silently glowed with the same purple magic as before, it seemed like any regular library book. But it was clearly far more than an ordinary grimoire.

 

Sighing, he walked back over to the others with the book in the crook of his arm. One of them was holding another at knifepoint, the two priests attempting to mediate the issue. The rest seemed either confused or cooperative.

 

"Can we get a move on? I haven't got all day."

 

From under his arm, Gohrm spoke up again and pulsed purple.

 

"Yes, the Old Ones are getting rather impatient."

 

Amos shot the book a dirty look.

 

That probably didn't help much.

 

"That door isn't being unlocked until we decide to leave together."

[Thaelasan]

"You're bringing that abomination with us?" Artemis hissed, reaching for the hilt of her sword. "And you ask for our services?"

Apollo turned from where he was talking to the knife girl, frowning.

"Is he REALLY going to bring that thing?" Apollo said, concerned. "Why on earth would you touch it, let alone bring it along? It could be stealing your soul right now, or worse!"

[Coryn02]

"If you don't want to come, then I'll go on my own." Amos said. He wanted to move on, but wasn't keen on the idea of all these people coming. Sure, some of them looked like they could hold their own, but for the most part he preferred to work alone anyways.

 

Gohrm made a sound that seemed like a sigh.

 

"You just don't get it, do you? I'm not your enemy, I'm your guide. I don't make the rules, I only enforce them. And besides, I'm the only one who can open that door. Either you take me with you and go forward, or stay in here and rot with everyone else. It won't be hard to find another batch for the proving grounds."

 

"I... Figured he would say something like that. I'll be honest with you, I don't like this idea any more than the rest of you, but Gohrm's the only one who knows what any of this is about. And if the magic in this tomb is any indication, I don't think we could destroy him even if we tried."

 

Amos was sincerely hoping that Gohrm would not take any offense at these words, true though they were.

[Felixr2]

Mygon decided to ignore the fact he was getting exhausted, for now. He grabbed his bow and an arrow and aimed it towards Sienna. For a moment he thought of shooting the dagger away, but with his tired state of mind this might result in accidentally shooting an arrow in Chandra's throat, and that's a risk he didn't want to take.

 

"See, I don't want to hurt you," Mygon said, apologizing, "But if words can't convince you to let that woman go, then perhaps a threat is the only way. If I see only a drip of blood flowing down her neck, I won't hesitate to shoot you down."

Edited July 13, 2016 by Felixr2

[TehUltimateMage]

((quick post))

 

"As others have said, we have no intention of harming or robbing you. We are just as much prisoners than you are."

 

Rupert kept his stance casual even as the teen drew his bow, although he rested his hand against his sword's sheath in case things got out of hand. Not that it would necessary, for there would be at least three people ready to strike at the woman who looked pale as a ghost if she did kill the other -- but more likely than not he felt she was just bluffing out of fear and caution.

 

"Stand down, Mygon," he warned. "Threats only escalate situation. I agree with both the priest and the book, for co-operation seems like the sole way we may escape with our lives intact."

[Clown_of_God]

As other's drew closer, some placing their hands on their weapons while another readied his bow, Sienna pressed the dagger closer to the girl's neck. A drip of blood from the girl and he'd shoot, but she'd slit her own throat with how she was flailing about. Still, most of the other 'residents' looked inexperienced, a couple seemed like they had never even held a knife before. From behind her hostage, Sienna gazed at everyone present for a brief moment, considering their words. All of them had been captured and brought here? Surely someone would have been able to resist, but at the same time a spell or a drug would have easily made a difference.

 

While retaining her guard, Sienna released the girl, pushing her away even before standing straight, regardless of the weapons they had pointed at her. With her free hand, she brushed her fingers through her hair before shaking her head from side-to-side. From what she could tell, there were a pair of priests, either a knight-to-be or a knight in training, a young archer, a performer, and a thief. All aspects she had seen at some point in her life and they were all aspects that she held no remorse for. Performers were treated like pigs and this reflected such atrocities, Knights prevented their freedom claiming they were dangerous, thieves died like rats in the arena and used any kind of dirty trick they could think of and priests... priests had no right to preach to her anymore, having lost any faith since the day she had been captured.

 

"If there's anything I trust in here, it's that strange talking book and the knife in my hand. If it's your life over mine, I won't hesitate to kill you myself, especially if you give me a reason to. As for you, young archer boy, that stance and your lack of strength would have been the death of that girl, not me. If you're going to act brave, have what it takes to back it up otherwise you're just a pup growling at its master."

[KuroKishi]

A lone child remained asleep in one of the darker corners of the room as the other individuals rose from their slumber and began to realize what had just happened to them. The shallow breathing that emanated from the boy was lost in the chaotic reverb of discussion and panic that ensued as some began to speak amongst themselves and others lashed out in fear and threatened the ones that didn't exactly pose a threat to them. Strands of blonde hair softly reflected light from the book and the weak sources of illumination into the walls at the child's sides as they shook and swayed because of faint breaths and miniscule movements, but remained unseen by the other captives within the confines of the crypt as they tried to settle an issue that should have never existed. Although there was a completely new reality to grasp here and now, the current truth for the sleeping lad was that he was still in his bed back at the castle and trying to sleep away a storm in the presence of his magical light.

 

But his light was gone.

 

His heart seemed to skip a beat and jolt him back to consciousness as he realized only now that his light was indeed gone. What at first had made him unsettled now slowly drove him into a panic as each sense of his woke up and realized one by one that something was very, very wrong. The smell of the air inside the room was musky and old - much like the catacombs beneath the castle - and the occasional white lightning flashes he would notice from behind his shut eyelids was replaced by a strange purple color that constantly faded in and out. His ears picked up on conversations between voices he couldn't identify and his body shivered with both the rising feeling of paranoia and the cold surface of the mossy stone he was laid on. His left hand pressed itself hard against the floor as he began to gather his breath, whilst his right one slowly rose to his chest and stopped over his heart. The rhythm of life that normally pulsed calmly within was now a messy melody that threatened to send him over the edge. The pulsing gradually slowed as he breathed in and out, taking a few moments to prepare himself for whatever he was about to witness - after all, he had gotten used to preparations such as these because of the dreams and nightmares he saw so often. But there was no need to worry: he would just open his eyes, live out what was destined to occur and then wake up sooner or later... right?

 

It was as the first hints of blue appeared from beneath his eyelids that the boy realized this was not a part of his imagination. From his position in the dark, he could see many people in the center of the room, along with a couple others at the sides. What he did focus on was the pair in the midst of it all - two women, one of which held the other back and had something trained on her neck. The gleam of white that shone off the object's edge onto the opposite wall made the boy conclude this was, indeed, a weapon - possibly a knife, if he had to guess by the size of the glow. His breath grew ragged as memories of the catacombs flooded back to him and his body quickly curled back up, raising arms instinctively to protect from phantoms that no longer existed...

 

Remember, Mikaela: no matter what happens to you, no matter where you are and no matter what you see... the light - your light - will keep you safe.

 

The words of the grand magi quickly returned to Mikaela's mind as he watched in silence and observed the ones in the room, making his mouth loosely mull the words for the spell he knew well without actually casting it. The young man slowly returned to a calmer state as he lowered his arms and dropped his legs back down. His eyes silently traced over them one by one - from the distant woman that was clothed in religious garb to the unusual lady holding another person hostage - and tried to process what he was seeing. What didn't exactly make that easy was the sight of an unusual book with a glowing purple finish in the hands of a well-suited mister in chainmail. His suspicions of it being sinister or partially evil were also partially confirmed when it spoke in a very understandable language to the ones around the armored man, addressing them with both an adult's intelligence and the knowledge of a thing - or person - that was aware of just where they were and what was going to happen to them laced into his own magic-infused voice. Though the appearance of such an unimaginable book made him think again of dreams for a moment, he slowly came to his senses when he noticed the drops of crimson that flowed down from the captive woman onto the ground and stained the stone in red. Swallowing hard at the splatter of velvet on the stone, the young man decided that he could no longer stand ceaselessly and shifted around.

 

"... Light give me strength..." Mikaela grumbled to himself as he looked around for a moment, trying to locate something. Glancing to his left and then extending his hand out, he was glad to be able to find what he was really looking for - a crutch of solid oak that had been relatively useful for him this entire year. Although he wasn't sure that whatever took him here would grab it, it seemed that his captors were at least humane enough to grant him with the means of actually moving around without the assistance of others - something significant right now, when he knew none of the people in the room. Gritting his teeth during the struggle to rise to his feet without assistance, the young boy placed the crutch beneath his left arm and slowly regained the balance he had lost during his strangely peaceful slumber in this new locale. He watched on in silence as the issue he had previously watched resolved itself, the words of the ones around the two women making the one holding a knife to the other's throat back off and then address the others about how she operated and what she thought of some of them.

 

It took him a few more seconds and a couple more breaths, but slowly and surely Mikaela began to go forward, hobbling in a way he knew would probably take the others by surprise - in a negative way, that is. Slowly stepping into the light next to the taller lady with platinum hair, he came to a stop and took a good look at the others. Blinking for a few seconds in awkward silence, he let out a solemn sigh and then looked at them with the best confident face he could pull on right now.

"Erm... h-hello, everyone. I-I know that... we didn't exactly get off on the best... conditions, but... I-I hope you can just put aside what the lady next to me did. We need to... work together, i-if we're to escape... or something like that." Although Mikaela's voice was cracking every few seconds and his squirming body struggled to stand upright on the moss-covered stone beneath him, the young boy's awkward attempts at bravery would nevertheless be commendable, at the very least. Gathering his breath after a moment of silence and a glance at the white-haired lady, he turned to the group in front of them with a slight smile.

"M-my name... it's Mikaela. Some call me Mika or Mikael. I-I don't mind either... and it's nice to meet you all, even if... the circumstances are very unusual." Mikaela shared with the others whilst slightly bowing his head down, then glanced at them with a slight scowl caused by his last remark. Though he was not sure where he was and he already missed the safety of his bed, it wouldn't be right of him to wuss out and stand away from the others right now... so he did the best he could to act calm.

 

Edited July 14, 2016 by KuroKishi

[Thaelasan]

I know what demons were like. But they're not as people speak of them.

Demons are in the mind. They infest. They corrupt.

And soon, they come to a peak, and they take over.

 

I remember the pain when I tried to beat the demons from myself with the whip. It didn't work. They still survived.

 

The demons are there. They will whisper lies. They will whisper things you know could never be true.

And they will try to make them true to you.

 

I say that to say this, Apollo. Do not listen to the demons.

Listen to the angels, the prophets, and your own heart.

But not your mind. That is where they hide.

 

---

 

Apollo grimaced, shaking his head.

"Gohrm, know this - no matter what they believe of you, I will never believe what you say. If you offer us sanctuary, then give it freely. Release us, then. I will help these people - but not for you, or those gods you herald." Apollo pointed at the book, anger rising in his tone. "You would force us to obey like dogs who fear the lash. But I will bite back, you abomination of the written word."

He stormed towards the door, awaiting the rest of the group.

"Well? You heard him!" Apollo yelled, commanding. "You heard the words of this pagan book! If we are to be free, then we must work as one for as long as it takes. Come, QUICKLY! These old gods think to toy with us like playthings! We must show them who truly holds the strings, or cut our own!"

Artemis turned to the group, then huffed as she joined Apollo. Her posture oozed displeasure.

Apollo noticed now that someone new had awakened, some boy named Mikaela with a young appearance. Another boy wishing to be friends with everyone.

The head priest had warned him that making friends in the dark lands would be a terrible idea. Those who served the Old Ones might be dark and twisted, capable of shoving a knife into a back after whispering "I love you." to the back's owner. No one here could be trusted, except Artemis, and Apollo now wondered if the woman with him had been the one he had entered the dungeon with.

But her personality, appearance, and her desires and hatreds all seemed to be the same. For now, he had to hope it was her. In fact, he knew deep in his heart it was. He could feel it.

He could now only hope he was right.

Edited July 14, 2016 by Thaelasan

[Riath]

Rinharl stood up, looking at the people scattered throughout the room. He'd heard enough to somewhat know what these people were like. Crazy priests, little kid who knew how to use a weapon, and an angry lady with a knife. And there were the others who hadn't done much remarkable in the time he'd been awake. Also there was a magic book. He didn't know how to react to that, honestly.

 

"Greetings, all. I just woke up. What're we doing here? You all seem pretty tense."

[Felixr2]

When Mygon heard Rupert say threats would only make things worse, Mygon put the arrow back in his quiver and attached his bow to it.

 

"Sorry." He said to Rupert. "This is the first time I frontally encouter someone taking someone else hostage. It happened a lot in the forest, thieves taking the riches hostage for their companions to gather the loot, but I would be in the trees and shoot the kidnapper before Ahg'Naghal would kill the others." His voice started to weaken. "I only wanted to help, but something is driving me exhausted and that's making it hard to think strai..." He fainted and fell backwards to the ground. Luckily there were no sharp weapons behind his back.

Edited July 14, 2016 by Felixr2

[Riath]

Ooh, here's my chance.

 

Rinharl stepped towards the kid, a sincere look of concern etched across his bare face. He knelt by the unconscious kid.

 

"Hey, boy, are you okay? Can you hear me?"

 

He lifted his fingers and held them beneath Mygon's nostrils to feel for breathing.

[Thaelasan]

"We don't have time for this." Apollo grunted. He grasped the unconscious boy by his clothing and hurled him over his shoulder, a bit burdened by the weight. The boy had obviously fainted and needed time to rest - time Apollo wasn't going to afford him, nor was Artemis.

"If that problem is handled, may we go ahead? I'd rather make progress than already end up dead." Apollo asked, rhyming as he was prone to do. He stepped back over to the wooden door, hefting the sleeping boy's body.

 

(( Hope you don't mind, Felix, but unless you planned for him to wake up soon, may as well. ))

Edited July 14, 2016 by Thaelasan

[Chandra]

Chandra stumbled when she was released. She was still in a state of shock and didn't register the blood on her neck until she felt the warm substance trickle down her neck, eventually splattering on the floor. She grimaced and wiped at it, smearing it around instead of actually cleaning it. Chandra nodded to Mikaela as a greeting after her introduced himself. She turned around and glared at the woman who previously held her at knife point. She made a show of dusting off her clothing and humphing.

 

Chandra turned her back to the girl and looked at Mygon, who fainted and was now being carried by the male priest.

 

"For anyone who doesn't know, my name is Chandra." She said in a tone suggesting she thought she was above everyone in the room. "Since we'll be working together I thought it would be good for you all to know."

[Thaelasan]

Artemis shot her a glare.

"If you're going to be haughty, perhaps having your throat slashed wouldn't have been entirely undesirable." she commented harshly. Apollo shook his head but said nothing. Whether he was disapproving of Chandra or Artemis was unknown.

[Clown_of_God]

Sienna didn't even bother paying attention to the others anymore, not even catching the name of the girl she had just released a moment ago. Instead, she turned to face the crippled child who had moved towards her side and examined him. At least them not being responsible for bringing her here was true, considering this child could probably barely even handle using utensils and the like much less capture her. Still, the way his words had gripped at her... she wasn't going to deny the possibility he might be in league with those who did. Regardless, if it became necessary, she would deal with him just as she would deal with the others.

 

"You have a tongue laced with silver, but your body is frail... do you use magic of sorts and is it powerful? If not, I don't see you surviving, whether it be within this room or wherever that door leads."

[TehUltimateMage]

"To me, seems like your fellow priest is the one who is haughty," Rupert gave a sidealong jab to Apollo. "She has been doing nothing but being disagreeable to the rest of us, but I digress." He wanted to continue, but now was neither the time nor the place to show his disdain for high-saddled aristocracy and entitled figures. A good leader, to him, shall judge all men equally and put aside his prejudices for the sake of justice. He wondered if the female priest had any friends outside of that other man, or if he were only sticking with her because they were married. With the kind of attitude he had observed...

 

He was about to pick up the fainted boy but the priest had already gotten to him; at least unlike the frail or rotund church leaders he'd known, that man was arguably fit. Instead he turned his attention to another teen who had stirred and stammered his way into the conversation.

 

Were the Old Gods so cruel as to send a cripple into the depths? The other teen -- Mygon, was already an odd choice as he was decidedly younger than the rest of the assembled party, but a child who was missing the better part of his left leg and was leaning on a wooden staff. Rupert clenched his jaw. Suddenly the task seemed much more difficult if the goal were to have everyone make it out alive. On the other hand, the injury looked old, and it was likely that the boy had figured out how to maneuver around his disability.

 

They were a diverse group, some more open, others more wary; some able to hold their own, others defenseless. From that stemmed discord. His own shining armor gave him a unique air compared to the dark clothes of most of the group and the rags of the jumpy woman and the fainted child, although in all honestly he would have preferred something more tarnished so he would blend into the darkness as well.

 

"Shall we head on, then? If the Old Gods have chosen us, it would have been for a reason." And then, softer to the teen with the missing leg, "Would you mind being carried, or do you think you can keep up on your own?"

[KuroKishi]

Mikaela stood with the crutch in his left hand burrowed between the cracks of the stones on the ground and glanced at the group around him with a slightly intrigued look in his eyes. Although the air in the room was still heavy with the pressure of the hostage situation that had resolved itself a few moments ago, his efforts to relieve the ones around him were nevertheless not in vain - after a few seconds of silence that followed his last words, new people stepped up to the already large mass of individuals and the ones that were on alert seemed to relax and ease up, letting go of the weapons and arrows that they had grabbed absent-mindedly during the short conflict of interests. Smirking slightly to himself at his success, he went through a quick process of attributing names to the people around him and then glanced at the ones currently conversing.

 

His gaze shifted up and toward the door visible past the others as the loud voice of one of the acolytes cut through, replying rather valiantly - and also aggressively - to the words of the strange book in the grasp of the man in chainmail before turning to the mass of people and shouting at them almost in a commanding manner to get a move on and head for the door. A slight frown appeared on Mikaela's face as he stared at the duo behind the people and narrowed his eyes specifically on the man. Were religious followers usually this adamant and... troublesome? Instead of being calm and collected, they seemed callous and almost careless! Their quick decisions were brash and too impulsive - they knew nothing of what the next room held and would yet herd everyone into it before ensuring everyone was ready? To say he was confused by the two priests would be an understatement.

 

Deciding to ignore the strange zealots for now as they droned on, Mikaela instead turned back to the group he was in and was surprised to spot the young boy with the bow suddenly lose consciousness. Blinking in confusion as he stared at how another man checked on him, he was again startled when the aforementioned man of faith approached the center of the group and then hefted the wild child onto his back, declaring that they had no time to waste and had to go. Although he felt his voice rise in his throat as he tried to muster words to say to the man, Mikaela did not act and instead let the child go with him as everyone else did, instead choosing to turn to the other woman with the crimson trail on her throat and hearing what she had to say. Although he did notice the unusual tone she used with her words - along with the priestess, who interjected after her small introduction with a rather harsh reply - the young man did not exactly think she was going to be an issue. Then again, he did not know a lot of people, so perhaps there was more hidden behind the pompous voice she used to convey her message...

 

"E-eh?" Mikaela muttered with a breath as he turned to the woman next to him, glancing at her after picking up what she had to say and ask of him. His blue eyes stared pensively at her for a moment, unsure of what she meant, before he simply shook his head negatively and shifted slightly to face her.

"I-I don't have any magic, no. Well... aside from a simple light creation spell, I mean. I wanted to learn more, y-you see, but the magus I was taught under didn't allow me to learn the dangerous spells." He replied to the woman's inquiry as he glanced aside, his right hand tapping the sequences for the spell away on his thigh, before he looked back up at her with a slight nod.

"W-we should get going... the priests will probably haul me too if I stay any longer," he jested slightly with the older woman, trying to calm her nerves, and then turned back forward, only to catch something of interest as he shifted his body around with the crutch.

 

The older man that was wrapped in knight's regalia spoke a quick jab at the female acolyte, but quickly laid off afterward as he turned back to the group and left the two to consider his words. His glance slowly trailed from the boy atop the male priest to the ones around the room and then to him, where his head came to a stop. Mikaela glanced at the man curiously as he stared at him and, more specifically, at the thing everyone looked at when they first met the young prince - his injury. Frowning slightly as he always did when he noticed the man's expression, he glanced to the side - back at the ground beside the white-haired lady - and wrapped a hand around his left arm. A few moments passed as he attempted to ignore the man's stare whist his own curved around the feet of the woman beside him and then down to the texture of the stone tiles beneath them.

 

"Huh?" Mikaela replied cautiously as he glanced at the knight-like man in front of him, who had asked him if he required any help. Although he was thankful of the man for noticing his disability and being helpful, he was able of handling himself just fine with it - after all, getting used to the crutch between his left arm and side took a year's worth of falls and trips that ultimately made him both stable and maneuverable, depending on what was needed.

"I-I'll be fine for now, but thanks for the offer." The young man replied in kind to the knight, giving him a quick nod to assure him he was fine and then tapping his way forward to the advancing group before he came to a stop next to the knight. Glancing both at the book and then at the door, he slightly swallowed and prepared for what was ahead of him.

Edited July 15, 2016 by KuroKishi

[HomeForFlowers]

Cana let go off a breath she didn't realize she was holding in once the stranger removed the knife from her victim's neck. With every passing minute Cana was becoming more dreadfully aware of how unprepared she was to be in the dungeon. After she had tried to convince the woman with the knife that no one was going to harm her and that they didn't kidnap her, others jumped into the conversation as well. They were all so much calmer than her, it made her feel inadequate. It was silly for her to be worried about such mundane things. She felt so small and weak compared to everyone else in the room. Subconsciously, Cana brushed a strand of hair out from the front of her face and tried to steady her breathing. It would do no one any good if she broke down here in front of them. She needed to bundle her nerves together and get moving. It wasn't like she had anything else to do anyway.

 

Besides letting out a horrified gasp when Mygon suddenly fell, Cana remained silent as the others conversed with one another. No one addressed her directly and she was far too scared to try and spark a conversation of her own. She had scooted a little closely to Rupert, feeling a sense of safety from his previous offer to her. She wasn't sure how she felt about the priest slinging Mygon on his shoulder. He seemed perfectly capable of taking care of both himself and Mygon should either face any trouble, but he, and his companion especially, had shown more than a little hostility towards the group in general. To be frank, Cana didn't feel comfortable around them, but, then again, she didn't feel comfortable in general. Taking in a sharp breath, Cana took a step towards Randal, watching after the boy walking away from him.

"I-I guess we're going then?" she asked, glancing worriedly over at the knight.

Edited July 15, 2016 by Doctortear

[Riath]

Rinharl stood up straight again as the child he was checking on was lifted by the priest. He moved towards the door as they spoke, listening to Chandra's introduction. Smiling broadly, he decided to introduce himself. He mainly directed it at the woman who had introduced herself first.

 

"I'm Rinharl, at your service. I don't exactly know what situation we're in. I would appreciate someone filling me in, please."

[Thaelasan]

Apollo didn't need to hear the words to know their thoughts.

What a brazen, arrogant pair of priests.... what kind of men and women of the cloth are they?..

 

Those words mattered not to him. He was not one of those kindly sort who sat around twiddling his thumbs and speaking kind words to the poor. He had been raised for his part as a Crusader, as one who would seek out corruption and heresy where it stemmed..

And cull it.

To speak words was to waste time in this dark hour. Sure, in brighter times, he would speak to these people kindly, even cook for them.

But down here, in an uncertain place, where he could trust no one save himself and Artemis, he had no time for pleasantries. But the looks they gave Artemis...

He wished to punch them for them.

[Coryn02]

After everyone stopped trying to kill one another, a cripple appeared and the boy with the bow passed out. Another woman, with striking white hair, had a warlike demeanor that suggested she'd spent her life fighting and was prepared for dangerous situations. The actions she took were immediately martial and effective, proving herself as not another harmless weakling. The final person to awaken was another young boy,

 

She doesn't seem like the friendly type... But I will need someone I can count on if I want to get out of here. That woman can probably hold her own; it's in my best interest to ensure she survives.

 

The two holy folk, like everyone else in this dark rotting room, weren't fond of the plan, but decided that the only way to go was forward. When the others were too busy with those who'd just awakened, they decided to try and lead the others out. The entire time, Amos was waiting at the doorway leaning against the post, still holding Gohrm under his arm.

 

Most of the people here gathered at the door, ready to leave. Two of them did not; one decisively refused to move forward, while the other seemed more confused than uncooperative.

 

Gohrm glowed a bright flash of purple again from under Amos' arm, and the entire room briefly pulsed a blue light. The heavy stone doors of the chamber ground loudly against the floor as they slid open, the aperture lazily widening only to accomodate a single person at a time.

 

"Since most of you wish to cooperate to some degree, I've elected to open the first passage. Those among you who think you can take your chances here will face some opposition. The Old Gods have sent an advance force to, ah, demonstrate exactly what they meant in bringing you here."

 

The other side of the room seemed to impossibly lengthen and was shrouded in a thick gray fog, at which point the sound of wingbeats could be heard. An eerie wail pierced the air, and a writhing fleshy mass with far too many appendages around its fat body made its way to the group, somewhat obscured by the fog.

 

Amos, staring hard at the menacing figure approaching, silently set Gohrm down on the ground and took out his crossbow. He drew the contraption nearer to his face, to line up his view with the target he aimed for.

 

I might only be a hunter, but I can't imagine this is totally out of my league. After all, why would the Old Ones have picked me if they expected we'd all fail?

Edited July 16, 2016 by Coryn02