Time to Go Hunting

Where the people from the towns can meet and interact
User avatar
Mallory
Posts: 367
Joined: Thu Jun 22, 2017 6:23 pm

Re: Time to Go Hunting

Post by Mallory »

The dirt clung to her hands as she pushed to her feet. She felt like she belonged beneath it, but as the moments passed her body felt better. She took a breath, out of habit, not need, and regretted it immediately. Hunger made her stomach ache, but Aishe's gift had bought her a reprieve from the lack of control she normally had. She would not go into a frenzy seeking a meal, at least not right now. She looked around and spotted Akos from behind, she appeared to be simply sitting before the eels. Mele walked towards her, hoping she was okay. She started to call for her, but she did not want to startle her if she was hurt.

As she got closer she noticed what was happening and stared in shock. Akos' eyes were black, and after a moment Mallory realized with growing dread that the creature was animating the creatures, then killing them again, and if the look on her face was anything to go by she was enjoying it. Mallory kept her voice low and calm. She really did not want to startle her now. "Akos? What are you doing with the pretty creatures?" she used the same soft voice she used for the children.
Last edited by Mallory on Wed Aug 09, 2017 7:17 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Image
User avatar
Morjiana
Posts: 1282
Joined: Sun Jul 30, 2017 12:43 pm

Re: Time to Go Hunting

Post by Morjiana »

Morjiana frowned as Aishe drew out the iron, but for once, she was grateful that her niece had been changed. Aishe hadd found what human senses could not. And, Morjiana reminded herself, she was still Roma. That mattered more than anything else.

She turned a severe gaze back to the wound, displeased still with its appearance, then rummaged in her bag once more for something to try to clean it before bandaging it properly. The flow of blood had slowed but the color of the discharge did not appear healthy. By the time she returned her attention to Nikola's wound, the flow of blood had slowed and turned a pure red. Morjiana's frown became deeper as she tried to ascertain how the wound had somehow cleansed itself, then deeper again as tendrils of light felt their way out from Nikola's form. The loamy earth beneath her knees seemed to embrace her, and Nikola had sunk into it even further than Morjiana. Morjiana placed a hand on the girl's forehead to check for fever and found only cool skin. With her fingers circled gently around Nikola's wrist, she found only a now steady heart beat. The glints in the girl's aura had grown stronger, and the dark spot caused by the iron was gone, but it seemed that something yet ailed her patient. Morjiana leaned forward to listen to the sound of the girl's heart and breath to see if she could discern whether the remaining ill was one that demanded immediate attention, of if it could be attended to later, after other battlefield injuries incurred by other folk.
Image
~ Morjiana Sanchari of Chere ~ Seer, Busybody, Matriarch ~
User avatar
Akos
Posts: 820
Joined: Thu Sep 17, 2015 2:01 am
Location: Down Unda

Re: Time to Go Hunting

Post by Akos »

She'd never fought alongside a large group, and the newness of the situation made her itchy. Akos was used to stealth, taking what she needed from the shadows. Any fight would be over before it had the chance to begin. Working alone or in conjunction with her twin was what she was used to...not...this.

Akos rubbed the palm of her hand over the hilt of her simple sword. It felt odd, heavy and unwieldy in her hand and it felt like it's length equaled a full half of her body. She hesitated a moment as the rest of her group charged into battle, took a deep steadying breath, and gripped the sword with both hands, only the smallest of grunts leaving her lips as she did so.

It was a losing battle. She knew that it would be from the very beginning, but Akos had thrown her lot in with her wife and her wife's family, refusing to let them take on the creatures that had been devastating the Vice royalty without her. It rapidly became obvious that the sword would do her very little good. Akos managed to get a nick in here and there, but overwhelmingly the Xanthareels were able to avoid the wide slashing arcs she made with the blade. She persisted nevertheless, each slash becoming wilder as the weight of the sword took its toll on her arms.

It was only after the first electrocution that she gave up on the weapon altogether. The shock had brought Akos to her knees, sending a small shiver of pleasure down her spine along with the pain. Annoyed at her inability to make any sort of lasting damage, she let the sword fall from to the ground and instead charged at the closest Xanthareel, fists high and ready to inflict pain the sword had been unable to. Amazingly, a number of her blows hit their intended target before Akos was stopped short. The electricity rippled through her body, pain tapping sharply into a well of darkness she'd not realised still existed. Her spine stiffened and her eyes closed as the pain shifted into something else... something more. Akos fell to hands and knees, quivering from the sheer magnitude of the change occurring within her, a change she was no longer able to fight against as a second Xanthareel added their electricity to the first.

It was not a moan of pain that fell from her lips then, not really. She'd been here before; she was intimately acquainted with the ways such pain could be manipulated into pleasure and power. Eye's swirling to black, Akos raised herself steadily to her feet, all previous signs of physical weakness gone, and gazed over the battlefield. Anguished cries met her ears, and while it wasn't the largest of battles, it was still an adequately bloody one. The coppery scent of blood touched her nose causing Akos to inhale sharply and lick her lips. Glorious. It was all so incredibly glorious and she desperately needed more of it. Looking over to where a modest group of Xanthareels had gathered to, in a manner of speaking, lick their wounds, Akos grinned wildly. She knew how she could get more. A rabid scream left her lips as she charged headlong towards the creatures, tackling as many within the group in the hopes that they would give her just what she was craving. The electricity raged through her body once more, winding itself in and out of muscles and sinew until she could barely contain her glee. It was exactly what Akos wanted...it just never occurred to her that it would also be what killed her.

Eyes wide with astonishment met her own as Akos blinked awake. She scooted away from the now curious gaze Who in the heck are you? Akos received no answer as the creature before her leaned forward, running the back of her hand softly against Akos’ cheek. I never wished for you to be here beloved, my home is not to be yours or your sisters. Brows knit deeply together in confusion and hoping to gain her bearings by surveying their surroundings Akos turned away from the creature only for the breath to be snatched from her lungs. Where am I? she asked wonderously, the place entirely unfamiliar yet familiar at the same time. A gentle touch focused her attention away from their surroundings and back upon the stranger,

The Netherlands are not for you my love, go back to the mortal realm...I will show you how.



Akos had no time to process what she had just experienced before she was overwhelmed once again, the darkness that had lain dormant within her refusing to let go now it finally had control. It took the knowledge just learned and used it to drain the life force from each of the Xanthereels that she had so recently embraced. Akos sat upright and grinned, crossing her legs in front of her as she played with the creatures before her. Filling them with life only to take it again. Enjoying the way they squirmed with each awakening, only for them to lay still and silent a second later. So entranced was she by this, that it took her a moment before she noticed Mallory’s presence. With the slightest tilt of her head in the vampires direction Akos answered the querie with glee I’m playing a new game.
User avatar
Aishe
Posts: 2522
Joined: Mon Aug 09, 2010 12:34 pm
Location: OOC: On RL maternity leave. In retreat IG, checking forums occasionally. Available on discord.

Re: Time to Go Hunting

Post by Aishe »

As her bright eyes skimmed across the area, a shiver ran down her spine. It didn't take long to assume the source of the pit growing in her stomach when her eyes landed on her raven-haired wife. Despite the growing dread she felt, Mallory's stance said enough. Something was wrong and she could imagine what it was. Not a second was lost as she flashed over at the top speed her weakened state allowed - which was still considerably faster than human. She positioned herself protectively between Mallory and Akos, with her little sister behind her.

The sight of the midnight black eyes sunk her still heart. It confirmed her deepest fear. She had been worried about bringing Akos along for a fight and now she saw that worry was justifiable. It was a terrible decision, one that was now putting everyone at high risk - even if they didn't know it. And this time, Aishe did not think she'd be able to talk away the evil raging within with mere words of love. It was clear it had a far darker hold on her than it had before.

My love... How about we get away from these Xanthareels?
Aishe Ehsan Sanchari-Kuhlash | Married to Akos | Mother of Dynasties | Mum of 16
Image
♛ Queen Mother of Fenia | The White Wolf | Senator of Bravia🍓
Kralisi Kaer of Boreens Durri Roma (BDR) ☾ Rani Ji Purrana
[Art | Historian ]
User avatar
Nikola
Posts: 3837
Joined: Fri Aug 21, 2009 11:45 pm

Re: Time to Go Hunting

Post by Nikola »

Nikki lay still, oblivious to all around her. Indeed, oblivious to all that was going on inside her. To anyone looking, she appeared to be a young human, fair skin lightly kissed by the sun with longish blonde hair. Hers had been hanging in a braid to keep it out of her face, but the braid had come loose during the fight and it now spilled over the ground that pillowed her head. She was clothed in golden armor from neck to boot, her helmet having fallen away when she fell. If one had only just walked up and peered down on the girl, they might think she was simply asleep, having bedded down in a crater of earth.

Yet upon closer examination, they would see that the earth had formed around her, and that the sleep was akin to death. Yet she breathed, pulling air into her lungs and expelling what was not needed. Her heart beat, a steady rhythm that grew stronger and steadier with every passing moment. What no one could see was the deep well of energy that was transforming the girl. Already it coursed through every capillary, vein and artery, pushed through her body with every heartbeat along with the blood that flowed within the light. It sparked in every muscle, ligament, tendon and sinew, giving life and energy to every cell. Nerves were encased in this energy that if one could see it would appear to be a rich golden glow of light with active sparks of blinding white arcing and dancing through it. It filled her and had spilled out for the briefest of moments, just long enough for those present to see and wonder before it withdrew. Now it built upon itself, doubling and tripling in its essence.

The earth hummed beneath her, as though calling to the light within the girl, or perhaps it was just reacting to the pulsation of energy that filled her. As if in answer to the earth’s song, the energy began to swirl, roiling in upon itself as it expanded. The hum became a low rumble and the energy danced wildly within the girl. The rumble became a tremor and the energy expanded outward, testing the vessel in which it was contained – a vessel of flesh and blood covered in golden armor.

The earth grew quiet, as if taking in a breath and then the energy demanded to be released. The girl’s body began to glow until it looked like it might burst into flames. Light exploded outward from her core, a blinding explosion of light that filled the battlefield. Different creatures might have had varying sensory perceptions of what occurred, but to many the field of battle would have disappeared in a wash of blinding white light that obscured everything but for its brilliance for the briefest of moments. As the light began to dissipate, it covered the ground in a golden glow as what energy had not been expended into the atmosphere began to recoil back into the girl’s body. When the light was gone, so were the Xanthareels.

The girl’s eyes opened, the irises glowing golden in the sun that seemed pale overhead in comparison to the explosion of light that might have just been imagined if not for the missing Xanthareels. Slowly she pushed herself up out of the crater of earth to sit forward, arms wrapped around knees that were drawn up to chest level. She blinked and the golden irises became a brilliant blue that some described as sapphire. The armor she wore was dented and marred, broken in several places and in obvious need of repair. Sapphire eyes swept the field in confusion, searching for something familiar, something that would make sense to her. She tried to move, but found the armor too constricting. Practiced hands unfastened the buckles and ties that held the armor in place and began to remove the pieces of precious metal from her body until she was clothed only in the loose fitting blouse and leggings that she had worn under the armor. Her feet were bare and as she rose to stand, she dug her toes into the earth, feeling grounded through the connection.

There were other creatures in the field, some still as death, others moving slowly or behaving oddly. Clearly some sort of battle had been fought, but she could not tell who had fought whom. Or whether this group had fought together and been left for dead by an enemy she could not find. As she looked upon the faces she could see, she struggled to put names to faces but found she knew none of them. As she stood wondering how she had come to be in this place, a gentle breeze came, blowing her hair about her face but she paid it no heed. She felt that the names of these creatures and the essence of who they were should be known to her, but were just out of reach as on the other side of a window pane – plain to see, but impossible to reach. None here were known to her. Not even, she realized with a curious absence of fear, herself.
Image
User avatar
Morjiana
Posts: 1282
Joined: Sun Jul 30, 2017 12:43 pm

Re: Time to Go Hunting

Post by Morjiana »

Morjiana didn't know what to do when the glow returned more forcefully around Nikola. She hesitated, then followed what little she knew and laid her hand back on the girl's forehead as she tried to scan her aura once more. The intensifying glow made it impossible, and just as she was about to give up and revert to herbal potions again. The explosion of golden light caught Morjiana and flung her back a few feet to lay stunned on the ground. She could neither see nor hear, but she wasn't aware of either problem. Something flowed through her like fire, but it felt cleansing rather than burning. The sensation, though not painful, was too intense to leave room for anything else for a length of time, so Morjiana lay still as a corpse, eyes sightlessly fixed in the sky above, muscles rigid with the power flowing through her in the aftermath of the explosion.
Image
~ Morjiana Sanchari of Chere ~ Seer, Busybody, Matriarch ~
User avatar
Nikola
Posts: 3837
Joined: Fri Aug 21, 2009 11:45 pm

Re: Time to Go Hunting

Post by Nikola »

Sapphire eyes scanned the field as the blonde searched for someone, anyone or anything that might give her a clue as to what had happened here. She looked down at herself to see that the blouse that covered her torso was covered in blood, yet she felt no pain and upon examination found no wound. As she looked back out and away from herself, her eyes fell upon the prone figure of a woman lying unmoving on the ground nearby. The girl moved her feet, striding over to see whether the woman lived or was gone, and to discover whether she might remember her.

Her face was familiar, but she could not put a name to it. She placed a hand on her wrist and felt the pulse of a heart, strong and true. The woman’s skin felt hot and something pulled at the girl that she did not understand. A connection that seemed distantly familiar, yet it did not feel quite right. Not as in wrong, but as if the familiarity belonged to another, yet the sensation was the same. She shook her head, clearing it of those thoughts.

The woman was older than the girl and seemed to be in some kind of trance. Not knowing how, or even why, she did so, the blonde sent part of her essence into the woman, searching for what she did not know, trying to understand what had the woman in this state. What she found surprised her. The heat was being generated from a source of power that the girl recognized as her own. The woman was filled with it and her body seemed to be overwhelmed by it. The girl frowned, not understanding or knowing what to do, or whether she even wanted to do anything, but something in her reached out to calm the inferno raging inside the other woman. As that part of her essence touched the woman, that connection she had felt earlier sparked into life. The girl drew back suddenly, unsure of what had just happened until a memory drifted into view. A glade, a Sidhe king, the sharing of memory.

She sat back on her heels, staring at the woman, but seeing the memory. She now recalled the aftermath of that event, remembered assuming that it was just the intensity of the sharing that lingered but as she turned her eyes inward, she realized that the connection remained and it was as strong now as it had been then. A sense of awe filled her as she realized now that a bond had formed. Though that bond she knew he was deep within his own lands, but sensed his thoughts turn toward her as she searched for him. She did not understand what that meant for her or for…Vaelen. His name was Vaelen and he was her kin.

Another pull at her essence, that sense of something familiar and yet not tugged at her and she looked down at the woman lying before her. The heat that had seemed to threaten to burn the woman was now lessened, yet the power that the girl knew so well still flowed within her. Although she did not understand the how or the why, she also recognized that another bond had been forged. Who was this woman? How …? She realized even as she asked the question that the “how” had to do with whatever happened to fill this woman with the power that the girl knew to be her own.

She was oblivious to the rest of the world around her now, completely focused on this woman who had somehow taken into herself a part of the girl. The taking and the reaching out had forged a bond that the girl needed to understand. She settled onto the ground, crossing her legs for comfort and watched the woman, keeping track of the power still flowing through her as she waited for her to return to herself.
Image
User avatar
Morjiana
Posts: 1282
Joined: Sun Jul 30, 2017 12:43 pm

Re: Time to Go Hunting

Post by Morjiana »

It was as if she was at the bottom of a lake, trying to reach the surface. Slowly, so slowly, Morjiana began to struggle to make sense of what she felt and rise through it to the world she knew. Finally she gasped and her eyes flew open to find Nikola sitting beside her as if waiting patiently, Morjiana closed her eyes again and heaved a sigh of relief to have broken free of whatever had overtaken her. She let her senses wander through her own body to assess for injury, but found none. Curiously, she found her senses more keen to knowing her own physical. Even more curiously, Morjiana realized she could still somehow sense Nikola and her aura without opening her eyes. Nikola's aura was a placid sunshine gold now, showing no evidence of the tumult she'd just been through. Keeping her eyes closed, Morjiana hesitantly reached with her mind to seek Nikola's wound. She was almost relieved when she was unable to sense it, assuming this meant her new keenness of sense did not extend past herself.

Morjiana opened her eyes and struggled to sit up, finding the movement surprising fluid and easy. Nikola's aura appeared the same with Morjiana's eyes open. The girl's clothes showed evidence of the violence she'd survived, but there was no sign that her injuries continued to ail her. "Are you alright?" Morjiana asked her. She held back from reaching out to touch the girl, sensing that while this had helped her in the past to assess another's ills, it might be ill advised now.
Image
~ Morjiana Sanchari of Chere ~ Seer, Busybody, Matriarch ~
User avatar
Nikola
Posts: 3837
Joined: Fri Aug 21, 2009 11:45 pm

Re: Time to Go Hunting

Post by Nikola »

The girl watched as the woman in front of her stirred. The eyes opened then closed again. The girl watched her passively, more curious than concerned. She had a sense that she perhaps should be concerned, but the woman was whole and alive and there was little more that she could do for her.

The eyes opened again and the woman sat up. The girl watched her curiously. There was a gleam of recognition in the woman’s eyes and when she asked the question, the girl simply nodded.


“I am whole and unhurt.” She looked down at the bloodstains on her clothing and smiled. It seemed the thing to do, to ease the woman’s concern, although she found it curious that the woman had concern for her. “I must have the blood of another on me for there is no wound that I can find.”

She could see that the woman was having some internal struggle but she resisted the urge to look inside her again. Tilting her head to one side she coaxed the memory of this person to come forward as she could almost see it, but it was just out of reach.

“I think I know you, but I do not recall your name.” Almost as an afterthought she added, “Do you ... know my name?”
Image
User avatar
Morjiana
Posts: 1282
Joined: Sun Jul 30, 2017 12:43 pm

Re: Time to Go Hunting

Post by Morjiana »

Doubly taken aback now, Morjiana paused and considered before answering. Nikola was unhurt? And seemed not to recall the events just passed? This had to be as a result of whatever had just happened. Morjiana's gaze darted around the field briefly, finding the xanthareels gone but the other creatures apparently unharmed beyond whatever they had already suffered. She locked her eyes back on Nikola only to find once more that her aura gave no hint as to what had happened. Her head pounded with the tension of all that had happened in so brief a time, and now the new pressure to manage Nikola's apparent amnesia when Morjiana herself was entirely bewildered. Better not to tell the girl she'd been seriously wounded just yet, Morjiana decided as she sucked in a deep breath to finally break a silence that had become uncomfortably long. "I'm Morjiana," she said gently, knotting her hands together in her lap. "And you are Nikola. What is the last thing you remember?"
Image
~ Morjiana Sanchari of Chere ~ Seer, Busybody, Matriarch ~
Post Reply