Durem Caves

A man would be standing there, at the enterance, in silence. His hands gripped and released quietly in his white cotton gloves. Above him, a direbat circled overhead, the arm of some poor little boy caught in it's talons, the shoulder onward missing. "...Where are they?"

Vidunder the Beast stood quietly.

((Mr. Yaits, a pleasure. I do hope my other character might just get up to meet around yours.))

Vidunder turned, looking to the large SUVs as they pull up. Naturally, the man would stand out, his highly pale skin almost lumonescent. He was in, of all things, a tuxedo, and appeared entirely unarmed.

"Are you the gentlemen I hired?" He seemed to be honest enough in his question, not a note of patronization or sarcasm on his lips.

((Oh no, actually, it's all open invite. Not setting anything up, yet. There will be some activity around here eventually.))

Vidunder would waste no time, because if they weren't the men hired, then they might not make it back anyways, if he was right, so what in god's name did he care? "Well, Gentlemen, I simply need you to head down into those caves and begin a search. I did, after all, hire Barton's best, did I not?"

Now, as typical with most worlds, the best, and then those who claim to be the best are two different things, but he was going with the advertised articles, at the moment.

"The cave's top floor has been more or less mapped, but otherwise, it's uncharted. You've no doubt heard the rumors, so God only knows what to expect."

Vidunder seemed horribly unhappy with this result, but sighed all the same. He was conducting some illegal activity. "Ah, yes, very well. You didn't look much like adventurers at anyrate anyways. Much more like desk workers." He shrugged and nodded, walking off in the direction of the D.R.F.

The direbat was heard above, skreeing to follow it's master, dropping the arm, which landed at Bill's feet with a sickly thud.

((I'll remain close by, don't worry.))

Vidunder would only make it to the Reclamation Facility when he felt the sensation of eyes on him, which was made confirmed by the direbat. "...Garr... capture me that object, would you? Ards, help him."

The direbat turned and quickly flew at the watcher, because as long as it was solid, the bat's echolocation would catch it. Furthermore, Ards was refering to something that slithered from the pool of the Facility. It was no more than a pile of chains, it seemed, eventually standing to life at the size of a human male, it's height and weight hard to determine. Furthermore, one might recognize it as the chain snakes that once made up the A.R.D.S. in Old Leviathan. This being looked into the sky and saw Garr, and shot into the sky after it.

Neither creature made a sound. Vidunder would continue on, uninterested.

Vidunder sighed as Garr landed on his shoulder and Ards fell to his side. "...Hrm. Perhaps you had best get to that cave. Do you know if there is some kind of pipeline in the caves?"

Ards simply nodded, the low rustle of steel going through it's body. It looked up to Vidunder, it's only 'eye', a red chain snake, glowing at the master.

"I see. Try and get in there. I want to know everything they know." Which was all that was needed for Ards to jump backwards into the water. Ards did not seem to doubt Vidunder's control in the least. "Garr, we've got to get home..." And Vidunder burst into a flurry of bats, flying off in the direction of Barton.

Slithering through the pipes, Ards would be quickly climbing through to the pipelines of the Facility, which dump into a resevour(sp?) which is considered a natural source, all perfectly devoid of bacteria. Ards would slide free and plop into said pool, and slither to the land, more or less the same color as the surrounding rocks. It wasn't actually on the normal path, as one can usually tell as 'beaten'.

((Real quick, you don't mind my use of Nosfuratu, do ya??))

[ Just Another Face ] Wrote:

((I may have spelled it wrong. OLD school vampires, like the older-than-black-and-white ones. I guess a lich is the same thing, pysical deterioration/regeneration at will, super senses, so on and so forth.))

((Not one bit, this is Gaia after all, and just about every character has some sort of powers. I have a complicated antagonist indwelt by & merged with the conciousness of an ancient norse giant, so why would I mind a vampire. Of course, if he's old school vampire that that mean old school vampire weaknesses. Daylight, crucifix, garlic, wooden stake, etc. ))

Quote:** Wrote:

The cave would head a good ways in for a while until a door could be seen, a gradual and gentle slope heading downward. This would travel some two or three stories down until an apparent dead end. One would likely want to feel for some kind of hole or pad or something.

Searching around with powerful flashlights, they would find what they were looking for.

"You," Bill said, summoning the officer, "check that contraption for any possible traps, take as much time as you need."

The soldier would know what he was doing, he has worked in a minesweeping unit before he was hired by Yait's Corp. He set up a perimeter and began sweeping the area for lines, if none were found he would check the contraption to see if there was an device that could be a possible trap, or if the door was a trap itself.

[ Just Another Face ] Wrote:

((should I assume this is an expendable unit?))

((Scary gear man! I'm invading your turf, you can see what is readily available to me in terms of NPC assets and watchers [which are in essence extensions of Yarneth]. Your character would be dealing with a force slightly more capable than a regular army unit but much less capable than than a special ops unit. There are only four men in the cave presently, and only one is capable of any real surprises. Go at them and have a blast if you must, but they will fight back.))

[ Just Another Face ] Wrote:

((I'm not attacking with Ards, it's one of the cave's traps.))

As the officer's hand brushes over the wall, he comes to a slot that seems extreamly probable as a hidden door panel. If he should press this panel, the ceiling would essentially collapse in the small place just over the officer. Shortly after, regardless of result, a door would slide open, revealing a new passageway.

This passage follows for what seems to be miles in one direction. The walls seem almost too perfect for natural formation, but it seems weird to think it's manmade. What could be down here so important to defend.

They expected a trap, that's why they examined the device before doing anything. The sweep of the area revealed cuts in the ceiling above, the stone inside the cuts was well placed, the whole set-up was barely noticable, but they suspected something on a chain that would be dropped to crush them if the panel was pressed, and then could be reset afterwards. They set up to press the panel from a distance, but first they would scan every square inch around them and even behind them, inc case any other devices that might be potential traps could be found.

[ Just Another Face ] Wrote:

The passage continued, taking a few turns here or there, but never going in any direction, never offering anything that would seem to suspicious until they came to a much larger, almost perfectly cubical room, ten feet in every direction. The floor seemed slightly elevated. There would seem to be, every square, very faint burn marks. Along the center of the room on each way, deeper holes. This seems much too elaborate to be a simple ancient trap.

((Are the burn marks around the holes too?))

Bil and Carl stoped at the entrance, noticing that the slight elevation into the room seemed to be by design rather than by accident. Scanning the room with the flashlight, they barely noticed the faint burn marks.

"Looks like a weight trap," Bill said, "It probably takes a certain amount of pressure to trip it. We have to find out how much, and what happens. See those burn marks, it probably has something to do with fire. Which means something has to fuel the trap, it is possible we could trip it and let the fuel burn out, but I have no idea how much fuel is stored down here, or even if it is a fire trap. We need to do some more testing."

With that a small cage was released, and two bomb sniffing rats, trained to ddetect explosive chemicals, were left into the room. They would scamper around anything they found three times, but the most important thing was a test of how sensitive this trap may be.

The little rats scurried back into their cages.

"No explosives detected," Bill said, "Whatever these are, they'll only go off if the minimum weight requirement is set. Let's try something else."

A big toy truck with an 50 kilograms of lead lead weight in the top compartment rolled into the room, controled by a remote. Bill looked like he was having a little to much fun, Carl frowned.

Another truck would join it, doubling the weight, also, there was a magical resonance detector on the second truck, just in case there were any ethereal tricks to this chamber. It wouldn't discern the true nature of the track, but it would detect any magical latency needed to spring a magical trap would be detected, as well as any power from potentially hostile creatures.

Bill smirked at Carl, "This is why I'm the improvised trap expert," he said.

The plan was simple, get another little truck, and keep adding little sandbag weights to it, starting at 50 kilos, if it didn't spring the trap, another five kilos would be added, and they would repeat the process until the found the weight limit of the trap.

"You know," Carl said, "That was our last resonance detector, you should have used it when you knew the trap wouldn't have activated."

"My bad," Bill said, playing with his truck

((Oh snap, have you been dabbling in electrical work again))

"Ever do rock climbing?" Carl said.

Basically, since none of them were acrobats, they'd be toggling to steps to the sides of the walls, they would start tonight and work there way around the chamber. It would take a few nights to finish the work, so they would be camping out. Supplies would be bought in, and everything would be concealed as best as possible during the daylight hours.

"There must be something good down here," Bill said, taking up gaurd as a single soldeir worked on putting the steps around the walls, after instaling the first step around the first corner of the chamber, he would use it to help him install the next, and so on and so on until there were footholds aroundthe entire wall of the chamber.

With the new equipment would come a new magical resonance detector. Meanwhile, Bill and Carl determined to figure out a wa to disarm the device itself, but had no idea how to get to it besides a massive dig, which would draw too much attention, so they were basically stuck with the current option.

Flashlighes, high powered versions with long lasting batteries, water canteens, magical resonance detectors, dual berretas for each man, and a wire roller to keep track of their path to the outside of the caverns, and of course, communications radios. With one gaurd to sweep every step forward, they continued. The gaurd had an MP5 submachine gun, two smoke grenades, five frag grenades, a phosphurus grenade, a .50 callibre Desert Eagle, and several packs of C-4.

Of course, unknown to them all, there was also the watcher on Bill's hat.

((

1. Bereta, each man has 5 clips, each with 19 9mm rounds

1. The soldier with the Desert Eagle has 10 8 round clips

1. 7 packs of C-4, one detonator

1. The grenade count is listed in the prev post.

))

"Well, well," Carl said, "They couldn't have been hiding nothing down here, now what."

"We sweep the tunnel until find something," Bill said.

Once the hollow noise was located an assesment was done to find if it was safe to use C-4 or if they should bring in drilling equipment and dig their way through.

Also, would the magical resonance detector pick up any thing at all?

Let the drilling commence, the equipment would be ordered and bought across via the wire, which had been lifted to avoid setting off the previous chamber.

"Anyone have a match?" Bill asked with a smirk.

"Very funny," Carl snapped, snatching a flashlight, "Sergeant O'Maley, conduct a saftey expection of chamber three, same procedure, take your time and scan carefully for anything that might be a trap. Especially anything that might be rigged to set all this damn gunpowder off."

Sergeant Bruno 'The Bruiser' O'Maley would carefully search the room, spending much time on his hands and knees looking for any IED wire or any false panels, buttons, or other contraptions. Once that was finished they'd investigate the door, having an idea that opening it the easy way may make cave go boom.

For some reason, Carl couldn't stop thinking about sticking his wet fingers in an electrical outlet while standing in a basin of water.

Carl pulled a thick book out of his pocket, Obscure Languages for Total Idiots. And found out everything that was said.

No, not really. Just messin' with you.))

They were pretty much clueless as to what was being said. They listened to see how many people might be in the room before the soldeir kicked the door down.

"Hands in the air where I can see them!"

The soldier accompanying Bill and Carl, his weapon already aimed at the man who hadn't put his hands in the air, fired at the private. While he was making the motion toward his chest and pulling out his weapon, a bullet from the soldier Desert Eagle would be followed by another, deadly accurate aim, right between the eyes. The private would get one last spin before he collapsed, dead instantly, unless he had some ability to dodge perfectly aimed high calibre bullets at close range.

Bill and Carl would keep their Bereta's trained on the others.

If things didn't escalate into a full scale fight, Carl would speak.

"I hope he didn't know anything important," Carl said casually, "Please take off your jackets boys, sit down with your hands behind your heads, and we'll talk business."

"Geez," Bill muttered, "That idiot could have killed us all,"

"Sergaent Joaquel," Carl said, "Search them!"

While Joaquel gave them a proffesional pat down while Carl and Bill kept their weapons trained for any further funny business. Once the search was done, and whatever else was found safely put away, if without incident, Carl would flash a badge.

"I'm Carl Benning, Detective, Durum police department."

Bill flashed his badge next, keeping his firearm trained, "Bill Bennet, Yaits City Police Force, Sergaent and weapons & explosive specialist. Forgive the name similiarity, no relation. We have a few questions. First of all, what are you guys doing down here with all the traps, and the gunpowder, and the what not."

[ Just Another Face ] Wrote:

"Our business?" The superior said after getting a full inspection. "Udos ph' ghil ulu kre'j dro d' natha sel dazzan. Natha zhennu tluin. Folbol nindel orn sila l' tresk'ri ulu udossta la'uren." And he bites down on something and swallows. The sound of shattering glass, followed by his eyes rolling up and him simply falling over. The second of them looked over, his eyes wide open. He was human. "...Holy ********, he did it!"

"Yes, he certainly did," Carl said, "Drow idiot, probably not dead, his type build up immunities to poisons. It might be a spell also. Damn! Joaquel, cuff him after giving that man an oral sweep."

After prying open the other man's jaw and conducting a not too gentle cavity search, the possibly dead, possibly comatose, possibly tranced drow was cuffed for security. The cuffs were specially treated titanium, and would be placed tightly over the Drows arms and legs.

"I hear the Drow hate men," Bill said, "Scaaaaaaary. You know I'm one-fifteenth Drow?"

"Really?" Carl said, raising an eyebrow.

"No, I was just fn with you," Bill said.

"More like one hundred percent a*****e," Carl said, "Okay, mister last one still breathing an awake, what are you hiding down here?"

Quote:** Wrote:

There was a distinct sent of urine about his legs.

"I...I don't know a thing, man! I just joined this s**t! I don't know a thing! I swear to god!" It was more or less certain that he was telling the truth, because he was freaking out and cooporating. He didn't resist the sweep or anything, but he did almost gag.

Piss boy was cuffed as well.

Quote:** Wrote:

So, now, there was but this short tunnel and another door.

The Magical Resonance Decector seemed to have finally kicked alive.

"Okay, we have magical readings," Bill said, "Something is behind that door, and according to these readings, it is probably pretty darn powerful. We should moisten the gunpowder before we proceed and call in reinforcements."

An additional soldier would be bought down, dragging a hose along with him. the gunpowder would be moistened scientifically, enough to ruin it's explosive effect. Soon they would have to consider proceding.

"Okay, let's have a look," Carl said.

Joaquel would take point, catiously opening the door with a gloved hand, and attempting to peek inside without being seen.

"Is this what they want transported back to headquaters?" Joaquel asked, as he entered the room.

"Shut up and do your job if you know what's good for you," Carl snapped.

The watcher flew off of Bill's hat, flew to one of the tubes in particular, on that was resonating strongly, and crawled around it.

"So what do you think these....... things..... are?" Bill asked.

"We're not here to ask questions, we're here to extract the goods," Carl said, "I'm calling in the extraction team to pick up the merchandice.

They would return to other room to make the call.

((Bruiser came back down as reinforcement, he's in the back room with the gunpowder or something))

"Chimera," Carl said, at the first sight of the beast, before he taking cover behind a chamber and firing into it's brain hole over and over with the Beretta.

Bill help position at one side of the door way, and Sergaent O' maley sooned joined him on the other side. They didn't fire just yet, not wanting to draw the beast toward the door.

"s**t!" Joaquel yelled, also taking cover, while the beast was distracted by the handgun fire he slid a packet of C4 across the room and underneith the creature's belly, detonating it soon after with hopes of leaving a big hole in the things gut.

"You Fn moron!" Carl yelled as the explosion stunned the beast. It probably couldn't be helped, they didn't expect to run into a beast of this magnitude.

A mass of submachine gun fire sprayed the beast from the door, then O' maley lobbed a phosphurus at the creature, the grenade was designed to cling before burned, and it would burn intensely, eating through that things flesh. It wouldn't explode. A few frag grenades were lobbed in were the damage had already been done, so their smaler explosions would barely do any more harm besides cracking the already compromised chamber. Meanwhile, one clip after another was emptied into the creature.

O' Maley was hit dead center in the chest, chimera enzyme soaking him. There was no scream, as his body melted almost spontaneously. When it was over, only his fingers remained outside the puddle. They were.... twitching.

The others chose to fall back, luring the creature into the gunpowder filled room with their small arms and submachine gun fire, were Bill had taken the C4 and was busily planting it.

The watcher flew deeper amidst the chambers, to identify the source of the hissing.

[ Just Another Face ] Wrote:

The monsterous critter followed, just as expected. It wasn't a bright freak, but a freak of momumental power. Right now, they had chosen the perfect tactic. But lets see how all plays out, shall we? The beast follows close through the storm of bullets, moving slower than before.

And the little watcher? As the watcher flew about, it'd eventually find a release valve to freak tanks marked at three minutes and dropping. It would not be long at all before there would be a flood, and a big problem. One fully formed freak was one thing, but what if there were more? And how long until the little ones could get to moving. Dur'em could have a serious problem on their hands, not to mention Carl and Bill.

It was all up to the team that remained, but the watcher flew back to the battle scene to stay with Carl and Bill, if this caused havoc, all traces of their connection to Yaits Corp would have to be removed.

BOOM!!!!!!!!!!!

One freak BBQ, six packs of C4 going off in a room loaded with wet gunpowder, with the team taking cover well away from the explosion to avoid any acid backwash. Now, if there was no cave in, it would be time to see if they could prevent a total disaster even though they didn't know one was imminent.

The watcher inserted a needle into the back of Joaquel's neck, inserting a thought and then withdrawing for Bill's hat.

"We have to get inside, fast, or all hell's going to break loose," Joaquel said, and made a break for it. Bill and Carl followed, albeit reluctantly, they followed.

Okay. That valve had five seconds. Not two months.

So, when Joaq and Bill and Carl ran at the valve, it popped and the Freak Valve released. All of the crazy Freaks let loose. Death death death death.

Murder.

And Dur'em was destroyed.

...

POP!

Carl woke up in a cold sweat, his face dripping as he looked around. It was four in the morning, and his Cell phone had a message on it. The mission was canceled.

Terran was the first to come to, his eyes waking slowly as he looked forward. There before him stood four beings. On either side of him were an Avian and a Wolfman. "...Ungh...? Dan...te...?" Terran moaned gently, and then everything snapped into clarity. Naturally, the Vampire went to power up his flames, only to be blasted by a non-elemental flame, a grey flame, which shot across his being, making him scream out. "URAAAGH!"

Vidunder turned at the sounds of the flames and screams, grinning wide. "Ah, the experimental one woke first. Amazing, eh? You were trounced so easily by a man who you had killed only months ago, hmm? I realized he was the best man to take you down, but I hadn't realized that you, of all people, would be so shocked to see a dead man."

Griff was next, and rather than coming to slowly, he sprung into action, or at least tried, until that same non-elemental flame wrapped across his body, forcing him back into submission. "...Knives... How the ******** are you alive?!"

"Pretty easily. All I had to do was accept Vidunder as my master, and my soul was returned to my body, albeit some modifications have been made, but I am back, none the less." The Voldo-esque man stood next to Vidunder, his gigantic blades across his chest.

"Aye..." Started Father Dante, "I had a similar fate. With the vampire killin' me, I was forced into submitting or being cast into hell. Naturally, I chose life..." The father stood, his now entirely matalic form looking over his captives.

Kirothan remained still, totally unconcious.

Vidunder looked at both men, restrained in the classic X stance, hands bound above them. The lips pulled into a smirk. "Now I am three little steps closer to taking Gaia for myself."

Griff looked puzzled, angry as he was. "...what have we got to stop you for? Other than the good of ourselves."

"Oh, well, I wanted to torture the last remaining souls in Hollow before taking my throne over this world."

Terran blinked. Griff snarled.

Vidunder grinned. "Indeed, both your souls have existed before, in bodies almost identicle to your own. Griff knows most of this already. And after very carefully raiding his home, we found a few objects of interest." To which the man snapped his fingers. From there, Roland stepped forward, his eyes narrowed as he lowered the large sack and proceeded to dump out several weapons and some glowing stones of perfectly even size and shape to Griff's new necklace, which actually snapped itself off, floating to be with the yellow, green and blue counterparts. "...The four corners of Etinifni. With these stones, I can summon god." He then looked at Griff, right in the eyes. "Into myself."

Dante stepped forward, looking at Vidunder. "And with these, you can restore me and Knives to life, right?" His strong blue eyes pierced onward, making holes in Vidunder's jacket. "You promised us life!"

"Ah, dear Dante. I never promised you life. I promised you freedom from my servitude." Vidunder raised his hands, pointing one finger at either Knives or Dante. "...And I am a man of my word." Both men started, Dante turning to run, Knives rushing forward for the attack. Unfortunately for the duo, neither made it past their second step. "Neither one of you deserve life. Already dead, both of you. Neither of you completed your missions as outlined."

Vidunder then turned to Terran. "Griff managed to come back exactly as he was in the past. A man with a torn mother and worthless father, an Avian mutate due to circumstances outside his reach. In Hollow, he was sent to hell by Lyra the Death. In this world, he was born an orphan. How different. You, on the otherhand..." He turned, looking around. "Your soul was identicle, but without the proper catalyst, you would never reach the point I could destroy you. And so, when I learned you had found love, I enacted my part."

Terran's eyes went wide.

"You are no vampire. Merely a Chimera of a human body and soul with lich blood in you. It gave you the vampiric lust for blood and speed, without offering you the boost in physical strength or the sun and water curse. When I came and killed Seleen and you, I brought your corpse into my private facility with a select few. They recreated your body exactly how I wanted it. Right down to your heart." Vidunder smirked, liking this part. "Your heart was destroyed on my fault. I got too zealous and wound up ripping it right out of your chest. But for me, I needed you alive, so I made you so the only way I could think. A mana stone."

Griff and Terran gasped, both angry, but Terran looking damned near livid.

"Indeed. In your chest is a mana stone, carefully carved into the shape of a dual-ventrical heart. Perfect for supporting a human being, while giving them an innate afinity for flame. When it was complete, I only needed one thing before I knew things could get started. Griff had to be born, and he needed to be old enough and strong enough to fight and murder Halycanos in battle. It didn't happen for a long time, I admit, but now that it has, everything is ready."

Roland stood, his hands curled into fists at his sides. His once pristeen, iron knuckles were now red and blue, reprisenting a very large paradox in and of themselves. "As for me..." he started, looking between the two men. "...I was never in Hollow. My soul was fresh. But it showed the qualities he wanted, so he went ahead and, in my coma, sent me to Hollow after some pursuasion in Gaia's half of the void. He pushed me through and sent me into Hollow. I wound up becoming a fighter there where I met Sabine. Your sister allowed me to see Hellfire and Bluerush, which caused a very interesting time ripple." He held up his own, then took hold of the two swords on the floor. "...Three of each blade when only one was ever forged. The power in these swords is amazing, wouldn't you say so?"

Roland looked to Vidunder questioningly, who simply nodded back.

Roland then closed his eyes, and a sudden influx of energy swooped into Roland's body. The two swords, the Rapier form and Longsword form of the blades faded out of existance, seeping over his body, forming into a pair of red and black steel boots, and a red brawler's steel chest. "Only two more of these, then... I am slowly becoming a powerhouse... But Vidunder, what of the hammer?"

"Oh yes, how silly of me. This armor can't be particularly useful without the hammer that forged them all." Vidunder looked over to a map of Gaia next to a map of Hollow which was lined up as clearly as possible with deterioration of the planet and global shifting. "...Latent is closest to where Larket used to be. Roland, you will be going there shortly. Are we understood?"

Roland didn't even answer, going out the door and into an Elevator.

The team that had infested the caves were working hard, quickly pounding out code after code. Despite the situation, they had already taken hold of some of the data. Something very different was happening. It was quite odd, no doubt, that the data was already coming in. But we'll get to how that happened later.

At that moment, they were compiling a great deal of information on the little, yellow "Shock Grunnies". One particular of the workers looked at the specifics of the creature, and could only blink. "...It's a ******** zombie pikachu."

They had been working constantly on this project, and there was no sign of letting up any time soon.

Elsewhere in the facility, Griff, Terran and Kirothan were being held in a cell, being watched by a pair of creatures that, frankly, neither knew how to describe. It was tall, slender but lacked any kind of facial definition except for a long, black bar that ran across the center of their heads, which had a red, glowing dot in the center.

this project was unknown to most everyone in Dur'em, save a fist full of people who were directly linked to Vidunder and his work. And as it stood, that included mostly people in the cave at that time.

Drops of water trickled from the entrance of the Dur'em Caves. The day was pretty crappy and depressing. Luminare walked in at a slow pace, kindof unaware of his surroundings. Zig was in his arms, still kindof drowsy from being knocked out before. He took a step in the entrance and there seemed to be something going on in there. Luminare's hand reached into his pocket and grabbed his cell. He dialed Vidunder's number, ready to tell him that he was in front.

"Understood, but I don't want Zig here. I have a feeling there are things that a child should never see. Do you realize the danger we're putting him in?"

Luminare brushed his long hair out of his eyes.

"Unless you have better plans for him, I say we get the kid out of here- or atleast hide him?"

The man took off his gloves and threw them down.

"Regardless though, our mission is clear. Lets go."

"This looks like a good spot..."

Kichiro had just got done sleeping for most the day, meditating, and generally resting. He was now standing before the Durem Cave's opening with hands inside his pant pockets.

The boots rested against the hard ground, with the edge of his overcoat blowing back in the wind. As one looked up to the rest of Kichiro's stoic form, they'd see the outline of a sheath on his left side, and an upside down katana sheathed from his left shoulder down to his right hip where the hilt portruded.

Against the cave opening, Kichiro was nothing more than a black silloughette.

However, crystal green eyes could be seen looking back out over the facility which he had so steathily by-passed. They were barely visable beneath the brim of his straw hat.

"We've not really had a night out on the town, we've been fighting for the last few days in all of our encounters."

Kichiro reminded him, taking the sake and a sip before setting the bottle down. He wasn't going to be nasty and use that for an advantage in their next fight. Kichiro only had the power over flame really, and another one that he was saving.

"Oh really. Well, no turning sith on me."

Was all the words Kichiro would use when talking about him losing a love. Kichiro had committed suicide over one at about the time of the last HoH tournament. His retreat into the world of Leviathon insured some stability that he didn't have last year.

And a lot more humour.

Kichiro slowly made his way in to follow. Darkness was comforting for the shinobi, it was where he thrived. They'd be going into the cave for quite some time. Peppa apparently wanted to take them deep.

Two small sparks would occur behind Peppa as Kichiro withdrew his blades in the crossed over chest fashio, bringing them out in an 'X'.

They were angled a bit differently though, Kichiro was pointing the tip of his right wakazashi out towards Peppa's shoulder. The katana was still against Kichiro's waist as his left foot slid back, but now it was angled at Peppa's mirroring thigh.

This was a more deadly stance, less defensive, a hidden sign that Kichiro was going to be a little more tough on his friend than the last few fights. Which begged the question.

Was he going easy on him before?

Cue the yellow aura, lights camera and ACTION!

"Let's do this."

"And if that actually hit, you'd have killed me and lost us the tournament."

Kichiro replied as he moved about, fire dancing up from his solar plexus chakra point to his blades. This was a customary manuever for Kichiro, and by now, he could make it happen nearly instantanseously. One moment they were cool glinting blades, the next they were firy blades which spoke of pain and fire.

"I'd never go for an overhead swing though."

Kichiro remarked as his already raised wakazashi came in a cut from the left, narrowly striking the saber as a few rocks plopped on his hat and fell off him. The cut was aimed towards Peppa's neck, but would be stopped when it clashed against the saber.

However, the shinobi was a master of dual purposes along with dual blades.

For as the blades clashed, Kichiro's right hand rolled over the hilt, allowing the saber to come down closer. However it was turned into a reverse hold that kept the blade pressed up against the saber as Kichiro ducked and sent the hilt straight towards Peppa's chin.

Block and strike.

Peppa's left hand might still be able to block the hilt shot, but Kichiro's left hand was also moving. No sense in keeping that beautiful flaming sword still, with the liquid silver threatening to burn through Peppa's normally protective metal in the first place.

The katana came in a cut at Peppa's left knee, on the inside of course since it had to come across Kichiro to get there.

The result would be two parrallel blades between them, keeping Peppa at a distance with his right hand held high with the saber and the left...

Roland pressed the button, and the small elevator plummetted to the basement floors. Flashes of light rose over the cell. The three fell floor after floor below the world.

When reaching the bottom floor, Luminare would be assulted to see the hyper-technological building, many ancient weapons and several just very old things.

Along the walls were cell after cell of what appeared to be clone tanks. the monsters inside were inexplicable and nothing short of monsterous, their bodies disfigured with the fetal state they remained. However, at the farthest end of the wall, there stood a single, disgusting but fully formed monster. Two massive arms, four foot long a piece, the body being six at best. The legs were too far down into the cell to see, but that was likely for the best.

Roland finally stopped at a set of prison blocks, opening block IV, setting Zig inside to sleep. The other three were obviously taken.

Kichiro Oda Wrote:

"And if that actually hit, you'd have killed me and lost us the tournament."

Kichiro replied as he moved about, fire dancing up from his solar plexus chakra point to his blades. This was a customary manuever for Kichiro, and by now, he could make it happen nearly instantanseously. One moment they were cool glinting blades, the next they were firy blades which spoke of pain and fire.

"I'd never go for an overhead swing though."

Kichiro remarked as his already raised wakazashi came in a cut from the left, narrowly striking the saber as a few rocks plopped on his hat and fell off him. The cut was aimed towards Peppa's neck, but would be stopped when it clashed against the saber.

However, the shinobi was a master of dual purposes along with dual blades.

For as the blades clashed, Kichiro's right hand rolled over the hilt, allowing the saber to come down closer. However it was turned into a reverse hold that kept the blade pressed up against the saber as Kichiro ducked and sent the hilt straight towards Peppa's chin.

Block and strike.

Peppa's left hand might still be able to block the hilt shot, but Kichiro's left hand was also moving. No sense in keeping that beautiful flaming sword still, with the liquid silver threatening to burn through Peppa's normally protective metal in the first place.

The katana came in a cut at Peppa's left knee, on the inside of course since it had to come across Kichiro to get there.

The result would be two parrallel blades between them, keeping Peppa at a distance with his right hand held high with the saber and the left...

Ducking down, Peppa woudl extend his left gauntlet down. Straight down to the path of the katana. The katana would slide off the gauntlet, creating a nice scorch mark across the forearm of the gauntlet. A dark scratch that hopefully wouldn't be struck again.

At the same time, being below the blow, Peppa would turn off the lightsabre. Bringing his fist down so that way the hilt of his weapon would slam into his opponents gut. Hopefully enough to push the man back. A nice precise wound.

The opponents fist would shoot over his head as he hit air. While Peppa would be knocking his opponent away, then in a quick motion, he woulld stand back up assuming the same stance as before.

His attack worked in a sense.

If you got hit from that, you deserved it.

Peppa would joke before charging his left glove with electrical energy. THe electrons would shoot to his hand. Peppa was too getting more in the game. Next time Kichiro made that move he'd be in more pain.

Peppa would now take a few steps back, towards the basin. Still holding the stance.

You'r turn.

Sparks flaring, Peppa held his lightsabre in stance. It was off, then he turned it on. The yellow beam creating the usual "svvvvt" noise. It was good to hear it, Peppa found it very soothing. Mind, body, and soul attuned to the force, he would wait.

Kichiro wasn't goona charge at him he figured.

Kichiro Oda Wrote:

Kichiro was stronger than that though, and had shaolin darts going down his chest and stomach in a dragonscaled pattern. All Peppa would hear from Kichiro in response to the gut shot, was a resounding....

"Umph."

Peppa had ducked down and gone forward with that motion, meaning he'd now have Kichiro's wakazashi hilt coming down to bonk him on the back of the head. With Peppa no longer having the saber pressing down against it, the wakazashi would have a lot of built in energy that would come flying down in that hilt to the back of his head. There'd also be no escaping it with how he moved.

But Kichiro never does only one thing.

"What were you going to say?"

Kichiro's left foot slid forward, giving his katana more reach as it deflected off Peppa's gauntlit. It came back out in a circular cutting motion to the back of Peppa's right knee.

All the while, the flames coming from Kichiro's chest would flare up at Peppa's face that was now nearing him so much. For Peppa was going forward already, and with his balance being off, the knock to the back of his head would force him towards those flames.

If that katana cut hit the inside of Peppa's right leg, and most likely it would with such close range, it'd take out any last support he had and give him a face full of flame that was constantly being fed.

His opponent didn't move, he was going to have to push his opponent away or he'd be ********.

In the time his opponent would adjust the situation with his fist, Peppa's hand would move slightly to the side. Tilting the emitter to the chest. It was flaming, but it wasn't immune to the beam. With a flick of the switch, the beam would ignite at point blank range, goign for his opponents abodamen.

Peppa was using the spiritual energy he would've used to charge his hand with electricity, to protect his face. He couldn't do it long but he was dissapating it enough to make the air toasty. He knew at this range his friend would overpower him in a matter of seconds. To prepare for the push, Peppa would restep hsi right foot, attempting to gain better leverage, stepping it farther back unknowingly into the opponents path.

Crack

Peppa's vision blurred. He had a nice idea of where everything was, the force didn't blur too well. He could see msot of it. He just felt a throbbing pain. He couldn't stall to gasp, he was a fighter-he could take a few smacks to the skull. Even with a blunt object.

Peppa would move his left hand forward with the katana. He would not aim for the blade but more precisely th eforearm. As the forearm extended past Peppa, Peppa grasped the arm. The metal fingers of the gauntlet would again dig in to his friends skin. Well not again, but attempt again. The fingers would scratch in a way to attempt to cut his opponents veins. Cheap shots.

With a push from his entire body, Peppa would shoto his skull forward up towards his opponents chin. That would be pay back for the cheap shot his opponent had just gave. If Peppa's entire body moving into a point blank shot wasn't enough, he wouldn't know what to do. His opponent was moving his katana in a way if he moved his neck back, he'd be obstructing his attack.

So he'd probably would be forced to take the blow.

Splt

Peppa's leg was now cut. He knew what was next. Fire. Peppa would stumble forward onto his right knee. Drawing the spiritual energy within, he would use a technique to lose feeling of all pain. He had been scratched bad on the leg but he hadn't tore away too much. He could use it, it would hurt but he could move. Witht he move, he wouldn't feel the pain and be able to go past the bodys limits when he reached them.

Letting go of his opponents arm when headbutting, he'd stand up. A combination of sweat and blood running down Peppa's face. Dripping off his chin to create what appeared at first glance, the illusion of crying blood. It was from his skull. Despite all this, he would enter his stance again-taking the time to recharge his energies.

I should be saying that we're both rusty and shouldn't be getting hit so much.

<<

Unsure if you'r damn fire has spread to my whole body from the leg..

>

The lightsaber beam would take away any force Peppa might have had to throw himself into an effective headbut, because it pushed Kichiro away from Peppa's skull and back. His boots grinded against the cave floor, but no real damage could be seen on the shinobi.

Falling fowards while having a leg getting cut and getting bashed in the back of the head, didn't provide for too much force upwards into a headbutt. Peppa would be doing the equivalent of trying to rise and kiss Kichiro, while the shinobi rotated his wristed and came for another blow to the left side of Peppa's jaw with the flat of the blade. The blades were all aflame, and with Peppa puttting himself point blank into the fire, Peppa would be all sorts of hot.

"Burn baby.... burn..."

Peppa's big mistake. Wrote:

Peppa's leg was now cut. He knew what was next. Fire. Peppa would stumble forward onto his right knee.

That katana had come to the inside of Peppa's leg, and Peppa was already rising into Kichiro at nearly point blank range to attempt tap Kichiro's chin with his skull. The result would be the katana sliding up straight into Peppa's crotch as he fell forward. Those claws of Peppa's, merely managed to grip into a dagger bracer, and Kichiro would be looking down funny at the guy who was charging into fire.

Now if one remembers correctly, that katana was the one with the silver flames that ate through metal, organs and stuff.

Peppa was likely going to become a soprano after doing that one, while getting his jaw smacked.

What likely would happen next would be Peppa falling over to the left, dropping the saber, and clutching like any man at his balls that were in all likely hood, only half present.

"What were you saying?"

Kichiro would tilt his head, bringing his wakazashi back around to block the light saber and knock it aside. The katana would still be smacking against Peppa's crotch unless Peppa did fall to the side over it, like was expected.

"Vidunder has one hell of a way with persuasion." Roland said coldly, standing up. His hand absently went to his side, and he stood, looking in the cell that spoke to him. "...But now I can say without fear that I will not be that naive."

"And just what are you saying? He ever seemed like a good choice of employer?" 'Griff' spit sarcastically. Looking inside, it would seem hard to believe that this man had the body left to be defiant. Emaciated and weak, the man with the black falcon wings sat in his cell with a fighting smirk on his face.

The man in the next cell was out cold, the blood dripping from above into his mouth, and his porcelain white skin made him a definite Vampire. the next cell over was some eight feet and covered in fur, the wolfish face showing that he was a lycan of some sort.

"..." Roland's face became quite stoney as he was obviously robbed for words. "I can not justify myself."

"I promise you, buddy. The minute I'm outta here, I'm gonna kick your ****** a." The Avian spat, his eyes looking at the bars to his cell. They shown a brilliant green, despite having been entirely beaten down like this man had. "I'm gonna make you pay for this."

O_o

Peppa suddenly realised he was crying.

The man would hit the floor, a grown man clutching his sack for dear life whilst screaming at the top of the lungs. It resembled a deep voiced baby after being punched in the throat. The scream would echo in the caves as Peppa collected himself.

Litterally.

Next time I'll curcumsis you'r dk like a ****** jew you-AHH

Peppa, a Jedi, one who was supposed to be a peace lover was cursing a storm. He began screaming in a rage of cusswords while he spent all spiritual energies he could afford in reconnecting his package. These were vital parts. Sure Peppa already had two kids.

Yet you never knew with Peppa, he's already had two kids die. These kids didn't have much of a life expectancy.

If I could stand up, or move my legs for that matter, I would be making you choke on you'r own package right now.

Peppa winced as the pain went away. The package was scarred. He had a ******** scar on his package thanks to Kichiro. What the hell was up with that. He had been all out malled these past days, he didn't need to be castrated for his mistakes.

If a jedis life was to be served alone, we'd've been castrated at birth.........can we do this tomorrow? I need some ice. Hopefully no one stole my vodka.

There wouldn't be much throwing of myself if I hadn't got my leg cut. I know, you got the best of me. Don't need to lecture me on it. I can feel the pain now.

Peppa was blistering. He always ignored it. Upon standing, the Jedi would sigh. The skin remolding to it's orignal status. Soon Peppa's skin was goona be one giant scar. He was goona be invulnerable to just about everything from getting whacked so much.

He hadn't felt like this in a long time.

If you say one more line I swear on the force I will tie a string to every hair on you'r body then pull them all at once.

He just needed some alochol.

Peppa walked over to the entrance. Spotting where the alcohol was. In the distance he saw a redneck that appearantly cut the risks at vodka before running into the yellow glowey cave. A aggitated Jedi sighed in relief. Suddenly his teachings took palce again.

He seemed so bipolar.

I'll just go home and get a drink I guess.

Luminare The Forsaken Wrote:

" ((OH SNAP!))

Roland looked at Luminare rather critically, but he had no choice to admit that he was in the wrong. "Yeah... Unfortunately, now is the time to wait. We take orders as we receive them..." He looked in the cell. "And when we can, you guys are out. I swear. As for the situation you're in, I'll work on it." Roland didn't look Griff in the eye. Or Luminare. There was just shame.

"Let's not be sleeping here, Luminare. We need to get at least to a bed. Sleeping bodies become projects." Roland took Luminare up to the elevator and back to Origin headquarters, where it became time to get him some rest.

"Rest, train. No going to the caves... If you'd like, I could buy you a ticket to Heaven Or Hell... But for now, you need to stay low... So do I.

Griff woke up the next morning to find that for the first time in months, he could feel his wrists. And his ankles. With a blink, he looked to either side and rubbed his various joints, slowly getting to his feet. Having made the trip to space and back in shackles, he was in some pain and it was more than he was used to. Sighing, he looked about. For whatever reason, his first thought was not food or water, but the welfare of his partners. With a slam against the wall, Griff smacked hard, trying to wake his Vampiric comrade. "Terran?! You awake?" His throat was hoarse, but no particular surprise to be had there.

Terran knocked on the stone wall, which was still audible, though much softer. "Yeah. Been awake. Figured you needed your rest. Your chains off too?" The Vampire's throat was also dry, but no longer hoarse, having had an hour or two to wear away.

"Yeah... Is the magic damper gone?"

"No. But I know what the deal is. Roland isn't gonna screw us. We're not dead."

Griff's expression, once almost rejoiced, fell at the sound of their magic still being sealed. Not because he was a mage or some garbage, but because he wanted to bust out. "So then what...?"

"Vidunder was gonna kill us when he got back from wherever he's gone. Now he's gonna wait till we see the grand result of his plan come about." Terran said in a very monotonous tone.

"Oh. That's... That's dandy... Um. How is that not killing us?" Griff retorted in a fashion that a sarcastic man who had been bound, gagged, beaten, tortured and nigh-murdered already would.

"Roland is gonna distract him."

"Because we trust him now?"

"Yes."

"Ah."

~~~

Elsewhere, Roland stand in wait for Sabine to leave her house. Sabine being Griff Morivan's past life's younger sister.

...Yeah. You figure it out. This author did not figure it out...

Anyway, Roland was waiting, currently equipped with both the Blessed and Hellfire gauntlets and the whip tails that Vidunder had created using the two sets of the swords that already existed. However, this, the third set, was in the hands of the many eon old Sabine, and Roland's mission was to take them.

But, because the author of this post when on a three-day-rant about explaining multiple fractions of the same weapon, he doesn't feel like finishing THIS post.

Good day.

See... this one needs some explaining. And yeah, I am pretty much talking to you, reader. Because this one is hard to explain without digging through some hundred posts over months of time.

Let's look at roleplaying as a whole. Yes, there are thousands if not millions of views on every situation and possible outcome. Some people say magic is opposite energy. Some people say that you can fly without the use of magic or without the gaining of wings and subsequent loss of bone marrow to prevent falling.

Likewise, every player has their own version of the deity that roam either the mortal plane of existence or perhaps live in the clouds above. And unfortunately, you can't say, "YOU'RE WRONG" in a non-preset world. You can have a common agreement among some, but if others disagree, then you are forced to fold. As with this, you can't say their powers or artifacts based entirely on faith.

So I, as a player, came up with a way for my personal thing, which existed on a different RP site and was more-or-less accepted by the mass populace because of bigger and more prominent players, to exist here on Gaia without interfering with the most commonly accepted religion or deities on Gaia. Like Eefrit and all that.

Vidunder and certain other characters originate from other time lines for the same world before their respective cataclysmic endings at the hand of whatever ends time lines. And for various reasons, they survived all the garbage. However, their Gods, having to live because of their immortality, had to become subdued. This would happen pretty much every time for eternity.

These Gods continue to exist and have some power, though remain wildly weakened as compared to themselves eon ago. This generates the fuel for God and faith based powers and artifacts so long as there is some remnants from the previous time. These items can continue to exist however need be. Be it transition from one dimension to the next and back again over time, or transformation into a relic, shielded by the God's own power in the depths of the planet.

This leads me to the personal side of this, that being Hellfire and Blessed and their multiple forms.

In one time line, there were four Demi Gods who's very being created four weapons. The female Goddess of the seas, Lynia, created a rapier made of torrents and frost, which she named Blessed. The male God of flames named Halycanos forged himself a zwiehander born out of magma and called it Hellfire. Oriel, the patron lord of the air made a scythe of a tornado and named it Breath. Lastly, Dias, the Goddess of stone crafted a hammer from the core of the Earth and addressed it Burial.

Through a series of events, these weapons were found and subsequentially separated. Breath and Burial sunk below the earth, and their respective Gods kept them hidden from the wrath of time. However, the other two were not so simple. See, none ever slipped into the earth.

No.

Due to the demi-god's worries of infecting the planet with objects too great for any mortal, they made themselves mortal in a single time line, and preprogrammed themselves to take certain events into action. In this time, Halycanos was a psychotic, soul stealing maniac who began a murderous rampage. In this event, two priestess and a paladin fought and defeated Halycanos. Each of the four were sealed into weapons which the demi gods imbued with their respective powers. The paladin died in the defeating of the monster, and was placed into a scythe. The first priestess was killed in the sealing of the other three, and was placed into a war hammer. Upon these deaths, the souls returned to their resting place, and placed their powers into the weapons. As for the other two, Halycanos had absorbed the soul and mind of a nigh-ancient fire sage, granting him a near unlimited power of flames. Similarly, Lynia was granted the soul of a great water sage upon his death. The sealing of their souls automatically caused the powers to be bestowed.

Pair one.

Some thousand years later, Sabine, the turned vampire demi-demi-goddess adopted sister of Griff's past life took them to an alternate dimension approximately forty years after Griff's death. This shielded them from the apocalypse of the world through jumping to not a different time line of that world, but a separate world all together. When she returned to this world/time line, she brought the swords with her.

Pair two.

About two years after Griff's death, Roland was sent back in time due to a very warped, semi magically induced coma. In this, his aura and essence were sent to that time line. In this event, he met Sabine and touched the swords. The swords, being made of a divine substance, reacted to Roland's soul and infected his gauntlets with their power, veritably cloning their being into them.

Pair three.

Because of Sabine's nearsightedness, transferring the blades to another dimension and time line, she caused their being to split into two separate and equal parts. The other part started rematerializing in each time line. This time, the swords and the two people would appear and disappear, each time fighting to the death. Because of the massive pain the victor received in the battle, they would die, and the sword would fade out. This happened many many times over the six times between "Hollow" and "Gaia". However, on the third appearance in Gaia, Lynia was fed up with it. She had won every time, simply because she was powered by blessing that Halycanos would be bound to her weakness two fold. However, on this event, she refused to kill or even harm Halycanos. This time, she requested two years. In two years time, she lived a life and then returned to Halycanos, pleading to be killed. Respecting her, he did so and slew her. He, as to be expected, died shortly there after. Some thirty years later and about fifty years before the current time, Halycanos reappeared with both swords, but Lynia existed no longer.

Pair four.

And yes, before I go on, I do believe in a linear time line, which means that going back in time and changing events does NOT affect the future. It merely causes a split. For this reason, Vidunder wishes to go back in time and slay Sabine, taking the swords from her then and bringing them back to this time. Yes, he realizes there is no way to get them back without weakening their power or causing them to continue to exist elsewhere.

TIME LINE EXPLAIN FINISH!

Along some of the minor caves, there were strange artifacts that looked like swords, spears and other weapons of warfare, all the trails ran cold. No sign of life, other than what sounded like a wolf cub crying in pain.

It was nothing, a small wolf cub with it's paw caught in a trap. Apparently some hunter had left the traps and then never bothered checking them. The cub looked starved and wild. As it sniffed the air, it caught Cris' scent and growled, although the sound came more as a whimper than such.

It took quite a while, but the pup eventually let him have his way, although, it was more giving up than anything. When all Reinhart did was release him, the cub whimpered and begin to lick it's paw, soothing the pain of the injury as best it could. Either the man would kill him or not, the shock was still new for the pup to really think things through.Sunlight began slipping through the trees. Cris had left during the night and it now it seemed the daylight was back, and the wolf began to look as if it was in pain or something, a small growl slipping from its lips before it simply collapsed to the ground, not dead, but exhausted.

The cub reached up wearily, licking Reinhart's face once it had gotten the scent of him in his nose. Then a curious thing happened, the cub began shifting as darts of sunlight hit it. First the muzzle disappeared, and Reinhart would find a dry nose nuzzling his cheek, then baby blue eyes stared up at him as the now naked child cradled the seriously injured arm to his body.

"Mama!!", the child called out to the forest, his weight suddenly a lot more than Reinhart was expecting. No wolf ears at all, but a straggly, scrawny little kid with coal black hair. "Mama!!"

And the woods rustled, as if something heard.

And a wolf came... a she wolf to be exact. Growling protectively over her cub in Reinhart's grasp. But she heard what he'd said, and the wolf's eyes widened in a bit of shock, and then she shape shifted as well, becoming a lovely young lady of perhaps the same age as Cris.

"Nathan...what have you done, I've been looking for you for ages..." She moved towards Reinhart, her arms outstretched for the child, but still eyed him cautiously.

"Mama, I did what you told me too, and threw up the shield over me...but he saw through it, just like the legends!!" The child babbled excitedly and squirmed in Reinhart's grasp for his 'mother'.

She held the child's hand in hers, and a soft blue glow permeated. "We were on a search party two days ago, and Nathan got seperated from us..." But she got interrupted by the child who felt the need to but in.

"That's cause I was sure I found one of the caves, but you wouldn't believe me..." He sulked but wrapped his arms around the woman tightly as his hand healed.

The woman smiled at the child and then looked up at Reinhart, her eyes full of questions. She held out a free hand when she was done healing the child.

"Migan, and this is my son, Nathan."

She again smiled at him, though the smile was a bit uncertain. "If you don't mind, may I ask you a question?" if he replied in the affirmative, she would continue.

"We teach the children shielding from a young age, but you were able to see through it...there haven't been any able to do that...in...well... more years than I've been alive."she paused, "And I could have sworn I heard you mention Fenrir..." The child known as Nathan snuggled into his mother: content, playing with a lock of her coal black hair, replying sleepily for Cris.

"That's cause he's Tyris..."the child smiled and nuzzled his mother, " ...silly mama..."

Small fangs bit at her lip, she felt rather embarrassed, "Tyris is a legend among those exiled from Fenris..."She ran her fingers through his hair, "When the men died, telling the children stories of the man who would take back our homeland so that we could return was all that gave us hope." Her face blushed prettily and she looked down, unable to meet his eyes.

"You've been to Fenrir!?!?!" Her eyes were wide with shock, "When our tribe was exiled, only the men knew how the spell to return, they didn't want to endanger us...But then the men..." She turned away, looking off into the distance.

"You should speak to the matriarch."

She nodded, "Perhaps I can assist you in your search. Our tribe roams these woods. It would be the least I could do for you since you saved Nathan..."

She looked as if she might get insulted by the insinuation that she couldn't take care of herself, but at the moment, her hands were busy with the child in her arms.

"As you wish, she would come see you at some point herself, anyways..."She waved for him to follow her. "It's amazing that Fenrir is open again. I was a child when we left, our tribal leaders foretold some great disaster and we sought to leave before we were cursed, and we haven't heard from Fenrir since..." She glanced back as she brushed past a few small bushed.

"How is it?"

"To go home again...." A look of almost rapture overtook her face, she was far from ugly, but in that moment, she appeared almost a madonna. But after a moment, she shook her head, "But we have our duty...we can't go home until we are sure she is free..."

She turned and looked back at Cris, "How do they know to open a gate to Fenrir, only the various tribes should know how to do that." Nathan whimpered and then nuzzled closer to his mother. "Were we not the only tribe to leave?"

Migan laughed, "She as in our homeland, silly." Was she flirting with him? Perhaps...Just then they burst through the foliage to see the village before them. There were children running amok, as well as several woman at various duties...but no men.

Migan turned though, and looked through him. "Imperial Guards? We had a queen and her Alpha...but they needed no guards..."

"Migan!!" Another woman ran towards them, her feet bare, and hair flying behind her as she approached, "You found Nathan, Bless Fenrir." She then turned and looked at Cris, her green eyes strangely compelling and watchful. "And you've brought a strange male..."

Migan turned and greeted the other woman. "Jasen, meet Cristopher Reinhart. Mister Reinhart, meet Jasen, the matriarch's daughter and second in command." The woman inclined her head but turned to Migan questioningly.

"Why did you bring him, Migan? Have you been that lonely since Hextor left?" She looked sympathetic yet stern, as her position demanded, but Migan forstalled that.

"No. He saved Nathan...he saw through the child's shielding. Just like Tyris..." The name spoken with a bit of awe, and the new woman turned and studied Cris as if he was a bug under a microscope. "And to answer your question, we left when I was but a cub myself..." And she obviously wasn't a cub anymore, in fact she had a cub of her own.

"We had no hope of returning to Fenrir after the men..agh.."She caught herself as Jasen sliced her hand across her throat in the universal sign of silence. Apparently Jasen wasn't so quick to judge.

Jasen nodded, "He should see the matriarch..."

Migan gave her a look of 'Duh...', but didn't express it in so many words." That is why I thought to bring him. I don't think he will endanger the children..."

Jasen nodded, but only ears sharper than wolves would hear her muttered, "That's what the Alpha thought too before those soldiers slaughtered him and all the men..."To Reinhart, she made a motion simply for him to follow, "I will take you to the Matriarch, Migan take Nathan for some food, he's been gone too long, and he's too important right now to let him waste away."

She smiled at him, blowing him a kiss, before turning and taking Nathan towards the area where women were bustling around cooking.

Jasen just grunted and opened the tent flap. "She's waiting..." SHe motioned for Reinhart to enter, and once he did, he would see an older woman, about the age his own mother would have been had she lived, perhaps a little older; although this woman's hair was black with one stripe of silver flowing through the ebony tresses. Her glistening eyes however, were kind. But there was also marked intelligence in them.

"You are the one who rescued little Nathan, no?"

She slowly got up, with a fluid grace that spoke of a dancer or performer of some kind. With no hesitation, she moved towards Cris and began circling around him, "Well, you don't look like no Tyris to me...he was supposed to have blood red eyes that saw into the soul..." She gave him a sharp look, "And yes, I heard you mention Fenrir to Migan....So you know of our home...that is odd..."

Gasp

The woman drew back in shock, not having expected that in the least. Almost reverentially, she reached for him, drawing her hand back at the last moment. "Could it be..." Her eyes darted off to the side, then back to him.

"What do you know of the Guardians of Fenrir. A spear, a sword, a bow, an axe, and a shield?" She was questioning his knowledge. And then furthermore, she decided to trust him. Why she did so, she did not know. Perhaps because it was a last chance for redemption.

"Most people don't know it, but there were two more...a wand and a cup. Wisdom and Knowledge... But those two items were protected, for they were, in their own way, the most powerful of the items. When Migan and her sister, Rista were young, her father was Alpha....the Queen killed the Alpha, blaming it on our tribe, because we refused to give her the items. Several of my mean and I, along with the girls, opened a gate to this world, bringing with us the wand and cup."

She looked to see how Reinhart was taking this information. "Nathan is heir to Fenrir's throne, through Migan and her now dead father.

The woman chuckled, "Well the Guardians are supposed to be in the hands of Tyris. The champion of Fenrir..." she moved towards the back of the tent. "It's interesting that someone who not of Fenrir has them, I'll tell you that much." She knelt at an old trunk and slowly lifted the lid.

"I can only hope you don't have people you love. That you are truly alone in the world..."Her tone was one of forced joviality, but the truth behind the words was there, for some reason she believed it better for him if he was alone since he held the Guardians.

She turned from her puttering with a start. "Attacking them?! How?" her eyes were wide with shock and fear, the Guardians had been turned. But she calmed herself with the realization that they were in good hands. There was just something about the boy that she trusted.

"If you are not alone in the world, then ..." She paused and turned back, and began digging through the trunk again; silent.

"At least someone stood up to her, I can only imagine how Fenrir has become liked wounded cubs if she hasn't been outright killed by now...", she muttered, some of the words lost in the echo of the trunk she dug through. After a moment, she turned back to him.

"The reason why I say you are better off alone is this..." she held in her hands a small book, which she then opened, flipping through the pages. "We are guardians to one other item, not of Fenrir's origin. When we first came here, a small tribe of men sought us out. We were mostly women and children, the few men among us, old or wounded. We made camp together, until one night it came evident why they had sought us. They needed our sould to fuel a mighty weapon."

"They believed that if they could fill the weapon with a thousand souls, that they could then command an army, but what they didn't realize was the price it would ask." She smiled and offered him the book, inside where writings of the tale she was speaking of to him.

"Our souls were pure, untainted for the most part. Loyal, honorable...though we felt much guilt in fleeing from our homeland." She then moved away from Cris. "And the sword refused to take our lives, because we had already lost so much. Instead, it took the life of the men who had sought to kill us, filling itself on their blood. "

"After much study by our arcane specialists, we realized that in order to weild the sword, you must either have nothing, or be strong enough to lose what you do have. Could you stand to lose what you love, sir?"

She nodded, "Yes, what you love. For as cliche as it sounds, love is what keeps us going. And that weapon wants to break the souls it binds. I'm sorry, I'm not making much sense am I...I want to ask a favor..." She looked up at him and smiled.

"I want you to take a weapon we can give you, and attempt to kill the Empress..." This was entirely different than what Dedric had been asking. Maybe the old man didn't know of this connection. "Since you wield the guardian's, you stand a chance of being able to wield the weapon."

"Fenrir cannot be in any good shape if that -woman- is still in charge." She sighed, apparently she had a bit of a personal grudge in the matter as well. "If we don't have a champion soon, I'm afraid that Migan might attempt to take the weapon to Fenrir herself. Rista has looked inward and seen the mess that is now Fenrir..."

The woman nodded her head. "That is as you say, but she is the former Emperor's daughter and people would rally behind her. She is no warrior, no leader of men. She would only be used to replace the queen with another like her."

She sighed and sat down, "But you have your own mission, do you not? Perhaps we shouldn't keep it from you."

((need to talk to you before going further, babe.))

She nodded, "There are the marks, but even those can be faked." The woman sighed and wrung her hands, "It was why we were seeking a champion. Perhaps it is a lost dream. To have Fenrir free once more."

"Ungh, I'm never going to find anyone all the way out here. Feh. 'Go to the caves' she said. 'Go cool your head' she said. BAH!" a young, 12-year-old girl shouted, pacing back and forth a little bit in from the mouth of the cave. Locks of beautiful firered hair bounced as she marched in what looked like a dress thats probably too expensive and high-society to be worn while in a cave.

Huffing and puffing, she stopped, picking up a large rock and throwing it against the wall. At times like this, destruction was the best therapy.

Olivia was so busy throwing her fit, she didn't hear someone or something sneak up behind her from within the cave.

"Wha...?" she started, turning around, and blinking several times at the... thing. A normal little girl probably would have shrieked or cowered or ran or... something. But Olivia just stood her ground.

"Meh." she grunted, shaking her head and turn around. She huffed, and walked a few paces towards the mouth of the cave.

After a few moments, she would turn around. "What, are you dumb? Go away! I don't have time to give you a bath or give you a haircut. Or do you even understand the words coming out of my mouth, ya freak?" Ever the tomboy, Olivia would spit to her side against the wall of the cave. "Go on! Get out of my face already!"

PUNT!

When all flavor text would be removed, that would be the extent of Olivia's reaction to this annoying creature.

"Feh. You don't give up, do you?" the red-haired girl spat, before pressing one of her fists into the other palm, cracking her knuckles. "I'm the daughter of the greatest of all viking champions. You don't stand a chance, fuzz-ball." Olivia warned, stepping out of her shoes and kicking them away.

Marching right up to it, she would place her hands on her hips, leaning forward, staring at the strange creature's eyes. "Just try it, and I'll tear the stuffing out of you, punk."

KA-WHANG!

The guitar would smash into Olivia's face as she neared the... thing, causing her to lose a step as her head was forceably turned to the side after the impact.

Almost immediately, she would turn once more to the thing, a trickle of blood dribbling down from the corner of her mouth, along with a sizable mark on the side of her face. With her eyes wide with boiling rage, she would snarl "You did NOT just

KA-WHUMP!

Just like that, her feet was taken out from beneath her, causing her to fall back and land on her behind rather abruptly. Huffing rather loudly, she would slam her fist into the rocky floor of the cave, leaving a rather large indentation, even as far as particularly strong adults go. Abnormally large for a little girl.

"YOU'RE REALLY PISSING ME OFF!" she roared, climbing to her feet after a second or two of being on the ground. Her right hand still clenched in a fist, she would reel it back far, then deliver an unnaturally powerful straight into the center of the Domo's face if given the opportunity.

Well, not He-Man (She-Ra?) level of strength; not yet. Shaking her fist, she winced in pain after punching that guitar full-on, probably denting it in the process. Strong as she was, it still hurt.

"Ow!" she exclaimed, turning her gaze from her hand to the beast. "That's it, you fuzzy little ********, you're dead!" she snarled, running across the floor of the cave in a rather haphazard charge, arms out to her sides as she planned on crushing it against the wall of the cave; failing the crushing part, at least pin him so he couldn't swing that instrument around.

Well, there was two possible results of what this supernatural little girl could do. She could do the smart thing, and try to parry the weapon with one arm as she charged, pushing it away to force an opening and follow through. It wasn't even bladed, so she might get a minor burn from the strings, and thats it.

Or she could do what the daughter of a TRUE viking champion would do.

SPLRRT!

SHOW NO FEAR!!!

Gritting her teeth and bearing through the impaling weapon, Olivia would force herself further down the instrument's neck, blood flowing freely from the wound out her backside, and down along the strings of the guitar itself. Snarling like an berserking inhuman animal, she kept one hand on the guitar itself, the other reaching to violently rake the Domo's face with her nails... wait, were those claws? Her fingertips seemed to merge with her nails in an instant, broadening, fortifying, sharpening.

And gouging.

She would still go to gouge further, before pausing to look at her hand, realizing her fingertips had been bitten off. What the hell?

The Domo then tried to swing the guitar around, but the swinging motion would be cut short, her feet skidding across the ground before coming to a rather abrupt start. As if she just got a whole lot harder to swing.

In fact, she did. She seemed to be growing right in front of the Domo! Her height shot up to five feet... six... seven... Her head bowing down to allow her to stand within the cave as she topped out near eight feet in height. Her limbs became massive, but long and wiry instead of bulky. Her teeth seemed to sharpen to fangs of her own, and great protuded from her cranium. Her dress tore at the edges as she changed forms.

"YOU LITTLE SHITSTAIN! I WILL SHOW YOU THE MEANING OF PAIN!" her now-deepened voice bellowed, reaching down to snap off the neck of the guitar still stuck inside of her from the rest of its body with her now increased strength, which would be comparitively herculean in nature.

"HHHNNNG... HHNNNGGGHH!!" Oliviagre grunted, attempting several times to break the instrument, failing each time. She would rather not have given up on breaking it, but she couldn't spend all day on the bloody thing, so she diverted her attention elsewhere.

"COME TO MAMA..." she started, going for the... hey, where did he go? Having put her focus into the weapon, the Domo had managed to sneak away unnoticed. In fact, he could be anywhere right n

"RRRAAAAAAARRRGGGHHH!!!" she bellowed loudly as the domo sunk its teeth into her calf suddenly, Oliviaogre's face contorted in pain from the attack. She remembered what happened to her fingers, and truly expected to lose a bit more flesh from this one too.

But, she would turn her upper body, reaching over with her good left hand and digging her talons into the sides of the Domo, her hand now wide enough to grip the smaller creature's torso. Not wrap around it, but grip it. Claws would dig into its sides as she put her weight on her good foot, then yanked the beast away.

If she was able to pull it away, with or without part of her leg in its mouth, she would instantly slam it face-first into the ceiling and begin to grind it in angrily.

As easily as she could have used her free hand to balance against a cave wall, she saw the creature did not want to relinquish its grasp, and was tearing up her leg something fierce, forcing Oliviagre to hold back a barely-restrained scream of pain. Yes, blood loss would become a factor real quick, but she still had some time to act. If anyone's damage threshold would be remarkable, it would be a godling of pain.

Actually releasing her grip on the Domo, she lifted her left arm up near her right arm. Flexing it, her muscles tightening, a boney shard would messily emerge from her elbow joint, about 18 inches in length. With her left hand, she would fiercely break the own bone shard from her arm, leaving a calcified stump in its wake.

If the Domo was still hanging on at this point, she would turn to use the impromptu stake and stab it through the Domo's back and through her own leg.