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Post by Goosh on Oct 27, 2007 12:52:56 GMT -5
((I was planning a secret tunnel, but I'd like to hear your idea, Hunty.))
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Post by Huntress on Oct 27, 2007 13:08:01 GMT -5
((Well, it involved a semi-magical crystal mirror and the aforementioned monster-spirit, but it was mainly a spur-of-the-moment thought, so I'm fine either way :3))
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Post by Goosh on Oct 27, 2007 13:14:36 GMT -5
((Beats my tunnel. XDD Go right ahead.))
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Post by Dragon on Oct 27, 2007 13:25:10 GMT -5
((I have an idea for when poor ol' Dragon will regain conscience... I really am here just can't make my move yet))
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Post by Huntress on Oct 27, 2007 15:58:56 GMT -5
((Hey, we can always smash said mirror and find a tunnel behind it xD ...actually I was planning on smashing the mirror anyway, as the only possible way to... okay, okay, one Poe-esque and horror-ridden post coming right up. I'm liking this roleplay xD))
Gradually the torch began to light more - and suddenly the light doubled, as it came close enough to the shimmering surface.
It was a mirror, vast and rectangular, apparently having been built straight into the wall of the cave, and it was indeed a cave, or at least a wider part of the tunnel. The continuing pathway loomed in another wall, blacker than the darkness around it.
"Runes again," snarled Justice, glaring at the upper side of the mirror where words had been carved into the stone wall. "I'm starting to hate these things."
"What is this thing?" Hunty asked, emerging from the tunnel into the cave, bringing additional light with the second torch.
"A mirr-" Justice's words died in her mouth. Additional light hadn't been a good idea.
Bob Squeaky sidled closer to the surface, almost pushing his nose against it as he squinted. "Nah, it's a mirror, all right," he said grimly.
"It doesn't reflect!" hissed Justice.
"Yes it does."
"No it doesn't!" And indeed, the two torches were hovering in the air in the reflection. Other than that, the cave in the flickering light was empty.
It was getting more curious now. Light? It'd been a while since it last saw light. It remembered that light hurt, and burned, and blinded, but it liked light nevertheless.
It sneaked on through the shadows.
"Yes it does," Bob said dryly. "It's the same cave. Even this little pebble," he poked the pebble in front of it, "is reflected." The pebble bounced away. As did its reflection. "Is Kat ticking yet? I'm interested in those runes."
"It's the same cave," Hunty said, trying to keep her voice calm, "but somehow it doesn't feel like taking us into the picture." She glared at the non-reflection. It very firmly didn't appear and glare back.
It was close enough now to spot the details. Typical... on the other side again.
"Well," said Bloody Mary, stretching his neck on Hunty's shoulder to see better, "s'not like there aren't plenty of magical mirrors in the- eurgh."
He stared at the mirror. Then turned to stare at the continuing pathway in the farther wall, still enclosed in dimness. Surely enough, it was empty.
Then why wasn't it empty in the mirror?
Hunty scowled when the meepit clinged to his earring, still stretching his neck, eyes wide and upper lip trembling in an under-the-breath snarl. "What is it?"
"Beats me," hissed Bloody Mary, pointing. "But I don't like it."
She turned and looked at the mirror. Then at the pathway, then at the mirror again. Indeed, it was hard to find adjectives, especially in the dark. But there were eyes in there somewhere. And claws. And fangs. And possibly tentacles, and a lot of fur. And it was breathing. And it was big enough to fill the whole doorway.
"Oh crud."
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Post by Kengplant on Oct 27, 2007 16:08:37 GMT -5
((Well obviously we were all turned into vampires when we entered the temple. That's why our reflections aren't there.))
When Kat awoke Keng greeted her heartily. "Kat! Oh good. Welcome back to the world of the awake." she grinned. "Nothing much has happened since you fainted other than a bit of fire, and it sounds like Goosh found something, he's been scouting ahead, but I think it's safe now to catch up."
Keng proceeded forward with Dragon still on her back. "Crud what?" she asked titling her head. She hadn't seen the mirror or what was in it yet.
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Post by Goosh on Oct 27, 2007 17:07:29 GMT -5
Goosh squinted into the mirror, slowly raising and lowering a hand to test its abilities. Nothing. And there was something in there--something alive, that wasn't in the space behind Huntress where it should have been. Unless....
The Yurble reached out to feel the air directly behind Huntress's head, but didn't feel the face of a horrible monster. Wierd. And there was something odd about where it was--it was perfectly straight, and somehow fit seamlessly into the cave wall. The front and side views of the mirror did not match up, giving Goosh a headache.
He ran his fingers along the top edge of the mirror and found purchase. He dug his claws in and tugged gently. Nothing happened, but when he was going to let go he slipped on the pebble Bob had pointed out. His claws were still extended and as he toppled backward the forced dragged the mirror forward. It didn't fall, but his claws shattered the top inch of the mirror, and as he wiped his bleeding paws on the stone wall a small crack emerged from the corner and spiderwebbed across the silvery surface and until the whole mirror was just framents waiting to explode.
"Oh crud."
It expressed his sentiments perfectly.
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Post by Zylaa on Oct 28, 2007 14:20:10 GMT -5
Zylaa watched Hunty walk down the tunnel, and saw the light of the torches illuminate a larger space. A cave down there? Hm. She started to walk closer, making sure to not trip on any suspicious-looking rocks. Then... "Oh crud." Zylaa stopped, ears pricking, and tensed. A minute later... "Oh crud." She sped towards Goosh and Hunty, took in the cracks in the mirror, and the definite sense that something was bounding closer in the reflection beyond the glass...
"Move!" she shouted. She leapt toward Hunty, the closest to the mirror, and knocked her out of the way as the glass smashed forwards and something crashed through into the cave with a snarl.
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Post by Huntress on Oct 28, 2007 16:02:13 GMT -5
Huntress dropped the torch as she fell, and had barely enough time to turn herself in the air in order to land on her side. It wasn't a lucky landing, and as she stumbled to her feet mere seconds after the fall, her left arm was sending waves of pain up her body. But her right arm, the shooting arm, and the crossbow on her back were in tact, and that mattered a lot more.
It needed a moment to readjust. Why was everything skewed? It stumbled forward, only to find that what used to be the right paw was now the left paw and vice versa. But it had quite a few paws, half of them disappearing under the thick fur, so it didn't fall over that easily. Its nostrils twitched.
Well, one can always navigate by smell. Souls.
Hunty had no clue just how she managed to lift the crossbow from her back, uncork the quiver, pull a bolt from it, load and draw and bring it all to shooting position using only one hand - and for a short, nervous, acid-dripping second, the teeth - but she did. Good thing the crossbow is so light, she thought, eyes trying to adjust in the dimness. Her old bow would only have been useful as a club in that situation.
"Guys, battlestations," she hissed under her breath. "But no sudden moves. And Zylaa, if we ever get out of this alive, remind me to save your life one of these days."
Bloody Mary muttered something sarcastic in the dark, hopping on her shoulder again.
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Post by Kengplant on Oct 28, 2007 16:32:00 GMT -5
Keng, feeling left out, took her turn. "Oh... crud." she stated as she spotted something moving in the darkness beyond where the mirror had been. Whatever it was, it smelt foul and she could hear it trying to move towards them. It made dull flat and surprisingly silent thwumps as it shuffled it's feet. Whatever it was, it was huge. Well, at least it was a solid giant rodent goon with an oversized ego instead of an ethreal one this time she humoured herself. It was strangely comforting to know this thing, whatever it was, would be attacking them with overwhelming force from the outside world instead of the inside. But Dragon was still having nappy time on her back and she would have to be careful to protect her charge as well as watching her own neck.
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Post by Zylaa on Oct 28, 2007 18:46:08 GMT -5
"Sure thing," Zylaa hissed, slowly edging her cutlass out of its sheath. The monster hadn't attacked yet, but she heard it sniffing ((like the Ringwraiths!)) in the sudden darkness- why did Hunty have to be the one holding the torch? Hopefully it was just as disoriented by the darkness as she was.
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Post by Kat on Oct 28, 2007 20:53:34 GMT -5
"What's with all the crud?" groaned Kat, stretching against the Meepits. "I feel - "
She paused when she saw the scene and took it all in. Exactly one second later, every inch of her was glowing a fervent purple, as though she had become a gigantic night-light while she regained her magic, and she was on her feet again.
"What do you want me to do first, read some runes or kick some butt?"
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Post by Goosh on Oct 29, 2007 6:30:11 GMT -5
Goosh leapt back back as the beast hurled itself through the shattered mirror. He drew his cutlass and edged around to the side of the monster, waiting tensely.
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Post by Huntress on Oct 29, 2007 15:46:14 GMT -5
"Runes, Kat," Hunty hissed, stooping lower to the ground. "Especially everything that might refer to banishing, destroying or otherwise blowing up."
"Oh for the love of my old grandma's whiskers..." muttered Bloody Mary, stretching himself out, eyes widening. Kat's purple glow had brought more light, and showed the creature more clearly.
Well, there wasn't much to see. It barely had a shape, most of it was thick black fur. If anything, it had the shape of a very soggy and lumpy cigar, with a sharp mole-like snout, long floppy ears and rather short crooked paws. There seemed to be at least six. And its back looked like an armed battalion. There were spikes, tentacles, occasional spots of thick scaly skin shining between the fur, and... wings? Two pairs of puny little bat-wings, smaller than the creature's ears.
"Looks like a failed experiment or something," said Justice, sidling away from the shattered mirror. "Or a hybrid. Or a nightmare."
Bloody Mary tilted his head. "Wonder if it's sentient?"
It shook itself, both physically and mentally. Knowledge and memories emerged from the depths of whatever it used as the nerve system's operating centre. It sniffed, inhaling all the new, fresh, promising scents, and then opened its mouth.
"Fooooo-oooooood."
It wasn't a voice. It came from the depths of its body, some sort of an awkward echo, like conveniently arranged soundwaves. And the fact that it came through a triangular mouth that had three rows of fangs didn't make it any more comforting.
Huntress tilted her head, still aiming, and hacked as the creature's breath reached her. "Aurgh. Guys, d'you think we could keep it? We could let it raid dojos and take care of its own meals, and all the other pirates would be jealous. You don't get a kraken like this from every marketplace."
Bloody Mary rolled his eyes. "Stay away from that breath, it seems to do funny things to human brains."
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Post by Kengplant on Oct 29, 2007 20:56:07 GMT -5
((OOooooh, could we actually keep it? And can we name it Fluffy too? .. Ok, maybe not Fluffy... But sure would be fun having that thing around in the next GW XD))
Keng, unable to draw her swords because she was on all fours contented herself with flexing her claws and bearing her teeth. But she couldn't help but run along with Huntress' humour, "Well, if anyone here happens to have a large enough collar I don't see why we couldn't."
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