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Gavin Tylvan
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Post by Gavin Tylvan »

Yin lost it. It was plainly visible. "Torturing her? I do not torture anyone, let alone girls." A scowl on big man's face was clearly visible. Anger rose rapidly as he barely kept it in check. If there was one thing he hated it was people hurting women. To just imply he would do such a thing, brought up his ire. It was only the confusion that he sensed in the young paladin that stayed his action. The word Tinally brought a flash of memory to Gavin. I know her. Achadhiel. Blonde. A bit flighty. Is this her? Somehow he felt it was not right. This girl was not the one Yin took her for.

Then, he was sure that the Oneist lost his mind. More words. More panic. More confusion. With a sigh, Gavin caught up with the poor man. Grasping his shoulders, he moved him to a spot and made him sit. He tried to be gentle, but relentless. He would brook no argument. "Lady. Come here. Take my backpack and find a shirt in. Rip it into long strips. Come now. No time to waste." While she did it, he fished a bowl and small bottle of water. Pouring the water in, the big man dipped some cloth in and set upon clearing the other man's wounds.

"Now, it is time for some explanation. This is the Nether. It is a bad place. It is not inherently deadly however. There are ways to survive here. Also, there are ways to escape. However it won't be easy. We need to find a rift in space where the Nether and Aether are connected. Then we need a mage to open that rift so we can pass through. Only one problem though, such rifts are highly prized by the denizens of this place and as such it ain't easy getting close enough. Demons tend to stick close so they could invade the Aether." He was done with the nasty wound in his hip, the warrior turned healer pressed a piece of old blanket to the wound and brought the paladin's hand there. "Hold this tight. I need to clean the other wounds first."

That was just what he did. One at a time. "Now, your turn to tell the story. Who is this Balthasar you mention and how can the demons taint him? What avatar? Were you just talking nonsense or is there something I should be aware of? Don't worry about the weapon. We can find something around here. We just need to take care of the wounds first." He was ignoring the girl in a way, but that was Gavin. Pick one thing and focus. Then pick another. Right now it was Yin he was focusing on. Girl could wait a bit, but she would be addressed in a flicker.
FORTH they went, the troubled two
To see the world and kick ass too!
[b]Syrawenn and Gavin Saga, Verse 1-2[/b]
Yin Lorin
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Post by Yin Lorin »

Yin did not flinch as his wounds were cleaned. He sat, his body going numb ad his mind tried to fathom the consequences of what had just happened.

“I have been here for over a day, I think. I do not know how I got here, perhaps when I went through the portal, or perhaps I am dead? I could have died in the explosion at the monastery.” He looked at Gavin. “That is when I first saw you, and when the children died. You were captain of the guard. That is when I met Tinally, she was blond then, and a half elf.”

He could really use something wet about this moment, he was feeling parched. “She was taken, and I went to the woods after her. I was wounded, I think, a short man stabbed me.” He looked at Gavin. “That is when I saw you, torturing her, with a small dagger, you were cutting her and such. We fought, and you said you were a dragon knight.”

He pulled off the doublet he wore so he was just in his tunic. “You let me strike you, as a test of faith. There was a flash and I was blinded. That is when I went to the ball. It was there Tinally did a trick with changing how she looked when we were in the bath. I thought she was Tinally because of that.” He looked hard and long at Jayla. “What is your name?”

He fell back in track with his story. “Then at the ball I found out the King was looking for what Tinally had, it is a shard, a piece of…” He paused, wondering if he should lie. This information was not something a pagan should have. He could not lie, he had to tell the truth. “… King Balthazar’s soul. He is the Avatar of the One and the King of the Western kingdoms. That is what that dragon just left with. I am sure, if we follow it, we will find your rift as well.”

“We must find Tinally, she is here someplace in the rubble. The shard came from inside her. Then we must recover the shard from the demons who have it. If they have a piece of the soul of mortal, let alone an avatar, what damage could they do to our world?” He looked hoping to see a lock of her hair, or some sign of her body here in the rocks and broken timbers.
Cuius testiculos habes, habeas cardia et cerebellum.

-- (Terry Pratchett, Small Gods)
Jayla

Post by Jayla »

Jayla listened in confusion. It was all happening so quickly. It made no sense. First, the large man thought she was someone named Tinally. Then he thought she had a piece of the King's soul. Is that what's in these clothes? She looked at her bag in wonder. Then the dragon flew away and suddenly she wasn't this Tinally any more and the other large man that came around the rubble had tortured her... or was it Tinally?... but he said he hadn't and she didn't have the piece of his soul any more but the dragon did and... the girl's head spun from everything that happened in the last few burns.

The uninjured man asked her to do something and, true to her training, she hastened to reply. Setting her own bag at her feet, she picked up the man's pack and began tearing a shirt into long strips. She held onto the strips, handing them to the man as he needed them, watching his skill at bandaging the injured man she had tackled. The achadhiel felt a little guilty at that, wondering if she'd done him more damage. But then again, if you hadn't, he would have tried to fight that dragon. And that's just stupid.

She listened carefully as each of the men described what happened as they saw it. When the injured man asked her her name, she could only stammer in surprise. "J... Jayla. I'm Jayla. Who are both of you? And how did I get here?" she asked when the injured man finally finished speaking.
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Post by Yin Lorin »

Yin looked at the woman, the dull firelight of the place brought out the red in her hair, giving it an even richer tone. Her eyes were captivating, deep and exotic; he had seen a few of the achadhiel and thought they all had a special beauty, though he would not say so. She was even more so. “I do not know by what means you have come to this place, but all things are as they should be, Jayla. The real issue is not how did we get here, but how do we get out?” He smiled at her even though there was a sharp pain where Gavin pulled out a small piece of glass.

“I am Yin Lorin, this is Gavin…” He did not know the man’s last name, or at least recall it. “Jayla, why did you tackle me?” He asked reaching for a cloth to start binding some of his own wounds. He could do that at least. “I thought I was dead for sure. I could not have gotten out of the way in time.”

He smiled again at her, grateful. “If nothing else, you saved my life, and I would think that a great enough reason alone for you to be here, a single heavenly angel in this underworld. I owe a great debt to you, one that may take my whole life to repay.”

Once he was cleaned up and bandaged he stood. “First, I must find that dragon and recover the shard.” He had found nothing of poor Tinally, it was a grim hope that he had she was with the dragon. There was much to do, get armor, and a weapon, and get to the dragon, then the hard part, to kill it. “Will you come with me?” He asked Jayla directly.
Cuius testiculos habes, habeas cardia et cerebellum.

-- (Terry Pratchett, Small Gods)
Gavin Tylvan
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Post by Gavin Tylvan »

"Hah. There. You can tell it was not me. No way I would let you strike me. For no bloody test of faith or anything stupid like that. Fuckin' letting you strike me. Riiiiight. 'Scuse me, lady. This ain't no place for manners, but still. I'll try not to let my tongue slip again." A sheepish grin was all the apology she got." Then she started talking and looked confused. It made Gavin's heart skip a beat. Still, survival was the priority here and she had to shape up.

"Tylvan's my name. And you keep still, mister. Or you will mess up my work. Now, how you got here is a mystery. Many ways one could pass into the Aether. Magick, dreams. Heck even dying might get you here." Yeah, brilliant. That will make her feel better. Idiot. "Not that I am saying you are dead or something. Just once you get into Aether, that being a dream world and the world where spirits and Gods live it is easy to get to Nether or Hell if you'd like.." A quick look at Yin, filled with defiance. Yeah, G.O.D.S. As in many. Not One. He said nothing. He did not need a confrontation just now. "Now, that place and Nether touch sometimes and you can slip through. Sometimes you remember the whole trip. Sometimes you don't. No sense banging you head on the wall trying to figure it out."

The last wound was wrapped and Gavin rolled the remaining strips of bandage and tucked them into his backpack for later. Sure, be an optimist. Bandages for later. "Right now we need to get away from this place and get moving. So, we find Yin some armor and a weapon. Maybe something for you?" She did not look like the fighting sort, but the big man could have been mistaken. "I'll be right back."

It took him almost a burn to find what he was looking for. Grabbing a leg of a corpse he heaved and grunted until the debris gave way. It was a soldier bearing a tabard with the sign of the One. Lifting the corpse over his shoulder, Gavin carried it towards the pair and dumped him on the ground. "There. See if it fits. Not too much damage on the strips." The deceased and crushed soldier still wore his armor. "I think I matched the type I saw you wear once....." A shiver went up the big man's spine as he remembered that dark place. "I don't he will mind and you could use it. You ain't squeamish or something like that."

His gaze went to the woman and she was a target of his appraisal. "Now, you lady will be a problem. I don't think I can find anything that'll fit. We could whip you a shield of some sort, but I don't think it would do you much good. I suggest you stay out of the way for a bit should the trouble start." Turning back to the paladin, it was now time to address some other problems. "Now, this soul shard of that King of yours.... What does it look like? A big chunk of rock or something? And once we get it what do we do with it?" A deep breath before the killer move. "Now, don't get me wrong here. If we are unable to save it, would it be safe to destroy it? I mean it would prevent it from falling into the hands of demons, but would it hurt this Balthasar fella? I don't wanna be responsible for some guy just dropping dead just like that two dimensions away cause I am trying to stop the demons from corrupting his soul. That might be considered not helping very well by him. Not that he would complain seeing how he would be dead and all."
FORTH they went, the troubled two
To see the world and kick ass too!
[b]Syrawenn and Gavin Saga, Verse 1-2[/b]
Yin Lorin
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Post by Yin Lorin »

Yin was not dreaming, this he was sure of. He remembered how he got here, the question was if he had died while traveling? He let this thought slip away, if it was his time, it was his time. He put the thought away in a little box, he would deal with it later. He was doing it more and more, putting things away that was not something he could deal with. He could not control all things, and he could only do what his God and his Church commanded, there was only parts of his life he needed to worry about, other things could be put to the side.

He stood up as soon as Gavin was finished. He smiled when Gavin went on about not letting him kill him. Yes, he thought as much, a pagan is not given to faith, they do not rely on their gods for comfort or aid. He said nothing though, even when he mentioned gods. He was ignorant of the facts, this Yin could see, but he would know the truth, one day, he would kneel at the feet of the One and he would supplicate himself to the truth.

When the man was laid out before Yin, he did not flinch, but knelt and gave rights to the passed. He followed what the priests did, though he was no priest, but he was from the church. He began to strip the man down, removing the armor deftly and reverently. He pulled his own clothes off to put on the heavier underclothing of the armored man. The leather jerkin and pants covered his bandages and they felt more secure, pressed firmly to his skin. Then piece by piece he slipped the armor on, finishing with the man’s sword.

“I would think the soul could look like anything, but you will know it when you see it.” Yin said to them both. “We have to recover it, we cannot destroy it. There can be no other option then recovery, and we will recover it. It is the will of the One, Master Tylvan, so we will do it. What is a man if part of his soul is missing?” He shook his head. “I do not know if you are a man of faith, but I am, I know that our God is there, and that he helps us and aids us. I know we can recover this, we will not need to destroy it. If you cannot have faith in God, then have faith in me. We both stood before the darkness before, and we parted ways then over this very issue. I will understand if you wish to part now, because I will not accept the destruction of my King and the Avatar of my God pure soul. I know you are quick with the sword, and quick in the mind, and your aid would be welcome, but I would also need your belief that we can accomplish this task.” He put a hand on Gavin’s shoulder and smiled. “I give you my word, I will do all I can to keep both of you from death, I will be the first to die, if that happens, do as your heart tells you, I swear this, as a Kinght and as a Paladin of the One.”

He waited to see the man’s reply.
Cuius testiculos habes, habeas cardia et cerebellum.

-- (Terry Pratchett, Small Gods)
Jayla

Post by Jayla »

"Jayla, why did you tackle me? I thought I was dead for sure. I could not have gotten out of the way in time."

Jayla handed Yin a piece of cloth. "I didn't want you to die," she answered simply. "It just didn't seem right for you to throw your life away like that." She didn't mention the selfish reasons she'd had. There was something in his smile that held that piece of information back.

When he called her an angel, she could feel a touch of color rise to her cheeks and she was grateful for the low light that would hide it from view. Embarrassment wasn't something the young achadhiel did well.

Instead, she turned her attention to Gavin as he spoke. At his swearing, she looked away, this time feigning embarassment. She'd heard the words before, on many an occasion when she'd had to go to the Master's stables for one task or another. They were just words and bothered her little. But if she was going to improve her station, she might as well get practice now and start acting like it.

The large man went on, talking about how she could have arrived here. When he mentioned gods, the Dominican automatically replied, "There is only one God. Only the unenlightened believe otherwise." There was no heat to her words, rather they were spoken in rhetoric, without thought. When she realized that the words had slipped out, her lips curved in an apologetic grin. "Not that you are completely unenlightened, I'm sure." Just put your foot in it more, Jayla. At this rate, you'll be left standing here by yourself.

"Anyway," she continued quickly, "It doesn't feel like a dream to me, and I'm not quite sure who would have magicked me here, and I hope I'm not dead. Not unless lightning hit the house, anyway..." She trailed off, her brow furrowed into worried lines. Maybe that was it. That was one fairly ferocious storm, so maybe... She shook her head, dismissing it. Until she saw her corpse, she wouldn't believe herself dead. Had to be one of the others. She still had too much to accomplish to be dead.

In the meantime, Gavin had finished with Yin and was looking for weaponry. He looked to her, wanting to outfit her with weaponry and she shook her head emphatically. "I'm just a ma... merchant." Good one, Jayla. Almost screwed yourself up at the start. "I've always had others with more skill for protection when I've travelled." She watched as he found one of the dead, and bowed her head in respect as Yin prayed for the man's peace.

Jayla averted her eyes quickly when the Paladin began to strip. Watching a man disrobe was against everything she'd ever been taught and, even if she wasn't as strong with the faith as she should be, there were still some tennents she held on to despite herself. She was grateful when Gavin began speaking, again trying in vain to think of some way to arm her. The suggestion of staying out of the way seemed to be a good one to her and she told the large man so. "I'll find the nearest thing to hide behind whenever trouble starts, believe you me. I'd much rather leave the fighting to those who are good at it."

She kept her eyes averted, listening to both Yin's tale of the shard they needed to recover as well as the faint clinks of his armor. Only when those telltale sounds stopped did she turn to look at the faithful once more. Her eyes met his and she replied, "I, for one, will go with you, Yin. We need our King whole and I am willing to do whatever I can to assure that. I don't know how good I'll be, but if you tell me what you need, I'll do it."

And much to her surprise, the girl found that it was not just her only hope for getting out of this place that caused her to speak those words. She found she actually meant them.
Gavin Tylvan
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Post by Gavin Tylvan »

Bloody great. Not one, but two of them. Just my luck. This will be a long journey. Figures. When in Hell you gotta suffer. Bloody poetic justice and all. Screw you. I ain't gonna give up. Counting to ten was a great way to calm oneself. Knowing this Gavin counted. To thirty just to be sure. Eyes cast down, it took him some time to calm down sufficiently. One final deep breath and he was ready to speak without saying something he might regret.

"Let us just keep the divinity out of our conversations. You two do that and everything will be fine. I don't plan to convert any time soon. I am fine the way it is. Helping you is okay. This Balthasar guy sounds like he needs help, so I might as well join you." A shrug to make the armor rest a bit more comfortably on his shoulders. "And, quit the dying talk. Don't promise me 'I'll die first' shit." Here Gavin did his best impersonation of Yin. Then he flashed a grin to show he was merely joking. "We go there and do our best. Try to get that shard and get the hell out. Worry about the dying when it gets tough. Deal?"

He tried. He really tried. But, he could not leave it at that. "And, honey." This directed at Jayla. "There are Gods. As in plural. But, we will leave that discussion for another time and place. Now, we have to get going if we are to be in time to save your King. This shard might be just what we need to get out of here. If Balthasar and Dominicus are linked, and from what I heard they are, it must hold some power. And magick is the way out. So, you might say that by helping you I am helping myself." Another shrug. This one a part of conversation. "I can however give you my word that I won't do anything to hurt either you or the shard. Is that good enough for you? Or do we part ways?"
FORTH they went, the troubled two
To see the world and kick ass too!
[b]Syrawenn and Gavin Saga, Verse 1-2[/b]
Yin Lorin
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Post by Yin Lorin »

Yin nodded to Gavin. “I have no reason to part. We will do this, and no more talk of death.” He looked around and nodded. “On to the red light.” He offered Jayla a hand. “You may want help crossing these rocks. It is not a task easily done in a dress. I would suspect you should have some boots as well.” He smiled again. “You faith in the One is impressive, Gavin is correct though, I do not think he will be persuaded to,” He was going to say the truth but paused and shifted, “our faith, but has his own.” He nodded to them both. “We should make haste.”

He looked at Gavin again. “We will try to keep our talk of our faith the a minimum.” Yin suspected it was the truth of their words that hurt the man. One could not hear truth when they know they are disobeying it. Yin felt sorry for him, his soul must have been torn with guilt.

They would have to start heading to the red light, that was the direction. Their enemy may be asking for them to come, so it could be a trap. He had to be ready for anything, and taking Jayla was a risk, but it was her only way out. Normally he would not let a woman risk herself so, but this was not an option.
Cuius testiculos habes, habeas cardia et cerebellum.

-- (Terry Pratchett, Small Gods)
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Post by Syra »

Far away, safely in the tower the horned demon watched the progress of this latest bunch of would-be heroes. A blue haze in midair showed their movements, the wavering around this paladin showed his convictions.

Dominicus...holds no power here, young fool...He grinned. It would be an interesting confrontation if he ever got this far. The girl and the bearded man were nice additions, but not nearly as interesting as that youngster.

Already he could feel his minion nearing. Heavy wings on the hot breath of the nether. It carried a prize long awaited, not just any key, but a true shard of the soul...a shard of the One's avatar. The key to the tether.

Hmmm, time for lunch. With a sloppy move he discarded the viewing mirror and turned to the terrified woman in front of him. Her cry was quickly cut off by crunching bones.[hr][/hr]
As the threesome moved towards the distant light the surrounding proved to be most uncooperative. Although it had been possible to find bits and piece of people and armour alike, they were hard pressed to find anything suitable for Jayla that would not need extensive rigging.

Weapons were much easier to find if one did not mind being creative. Metal and rocks were scattered, with several pointy ended blades still in some shape to be used. Any hope for bows was lost with the extend of the damage done by falling brick.

There was no road, no direction save the blinking light. Rocky formations spouted up from nowhere, several times even from beneath their feet. Oppressiveness grew, it became harder to breathe. A low rumble shook the ground from time to time.

A growl emerged from behind the next formation.
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Post by Yin Lorin »

He helped as best he could with Jayla, just the fate did not see fit to gift the woman with a usable pair of shoes. Just the same, what she wore would do for now. Yin salvaged three blades from the rubble, two long swords that could be used with one hand, and a back up shorter blade. He picked up a pole arm for Jayla, to fight with and to help her walk. The length of the weapon would put some distance between her and her attacker, and distance was always good.

He did not talk much as they walked, but hummed a hymn. It was all he could think of to push away the oppression. It felt as if what ever it was they were going to was radiating it, an evil so primal and vial that it was almost physical. Yin put it away, he would remember this feeling, it would be this feeling that would let him know when evil was near.

The land appeared to be alive, shifting and changing even under their feet. It was not a good feeling to think that at any moment the earth could open and swallow you. He kept a sharp eye as they walked, ready for their enemy to strike.

Then the low growl came from behind the rocks, and Yin stopped dead. He looked at Gavin, getting a sword ready. He motioned for them to move around either side.
Cuius testiculos habes, habeas cardia et cerebellum.

-- (Terry Pratchett, Small Gods)
Jayla

Post by Jayla »

If I don't twist my ankle getting through this, it will be a miracle. Jayla thought the fourth time her foot slid from one of the rocky outcroppings. Both Yin's hand and the make-shift walking stick he had given her helped some, but she still found herself losing her footing more often than not.

The hymn that Yin hummed was a comfort of home and the girl found herself singing along softly, a sweet contralto low on the wind. She wasn't intentionally trying to goad Gavin with a hymn of the One. She just needed some sort of touchstone to reality in this very unreal place. And the words of the hymn gave her that... or so she told herself.

She supposed that need for something of home was the same reason she held tightly to the sack containing her stolen clothing, clutching it in the same hand with which she held the pole arm. It made walking even more difficult, but she was stubborn. Besides, she reminded herself as she reset her handhold once more, I've promised Dominicus that I would find a way to return these clothes to the Mistress if he gets me out of here. I can't very well do that if I've lost them. An excuse, but an excuse that made her feel better.

The low growl reached her ears and she, too, stopped suddenly. She glanced anxiously between Yin and Gavin, taking a step backwards. The last thing she needed was to get into the middle of the battle she was afraid would be coming within flickers. As she had promised Gavin, she found the nearest pile of rubble and hid behind it, holding tight to the pole arm. She didn't know exactly what she'd do with it if whatever threatened the three of them got past the two warriors, but it was still better than nothing.
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Post by Gavin Tylvan »

They were sure getting on his nerves. And they were good at it. Grumbling under breath, Gavin trudged on, casting daggers out of his eyes at the pair. Sure, go ahead. Stomp me some. I look tough. I can take it. Stupid heathen. Let's kick him. Yay. He is down. Stomping time. Oh, he can't move. Let us sing some song of Dominninie. And so on. His breathing came out ragged and he did not even bother looking at the pair. He just wanted to find that blasted shard and be done with it. To get away from them two and do something else. Something less painful. Like sit on a pointy roof or rub some salt into freshly cut wounds.

When the growl came, he grinned. Poor thing. Now you are gonna pay for it. Oh, how are you gonna pay. He almost pitied the demon. It would feel all the pain in the world just cause it was at the wrong place at the wrong time. Pulling the sword in one smooth motion he was already circling the rubble heap when Yin motioned for him to do so. Yeah, teach me what to do. Maybe then I'll see the truth and light. Dominicus this, Dominicus that. Blablabla. Feeling really peeved the big man quickened his pace and emerged on the other side of the rock, sword raised and at the ready. As soon as he saw who it was there would be some blood-letting.
FORTH they went, the troubled two
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[b]Syrawenn and Gavin Saga, Verse 1-2[/b]
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Post by Yin Lorin »

He moved to round the rock as well. His arm was starting to itch under the armor, he could feel it clearly where his mark was on his left forearm. Like little scratched all across his skin it prickled at him. He tried to push the irritation back, but he had been noticing it for some time as they got closer and closer to the tower.

His sword was at the ready, seeing Gavin already had the same idea and looked feverish to take care of what ever this was. Yin was excited as well, but not for the same reasons. He had never seen a demon before, this would be his first experience. This was the true test of a paladin, killing not just men but creatures of real evil.

He drew in a deep breath as he was coming about the rock, ready to face what even darkness was waiting for them there.
Cuius testiculos habes, habeas cardia et cerebellum.

-- (Terry Pratchett, Small Gods)
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Post by Syra »

It was easy to find a place to hide from whatever lay ahead. To be completely hidden from the evil that roamed, was too much to ask. Jayla found a nice spot that hid her from view quite nicely. Her back, however, was unprotected.

The men ventured around the formation, each on their own side. The growl repeated itself, lower this time. Rounding the rocks Gavin was the first to come in viewing distance. Yin was a close second.

Low to the ground a lizard crouched. Well, it looked like a lizard anyway: a long, spikey tail swooshed slowly to and fro. Two horns protruded from it's scaly head, four nails on every limb scraping the rocky underground while moving. Not counting the tail the beast had to be two meters tall, yet it hardly reached knee height. The tail was probably of equal length, from the looks of it. The growl emerged every time it moved it's right hind leg.

Two snake-like eyes turned to face Gavin, who emerged first. A forked tongue shot out of it's toothy maw, followed by a large glob of spit.

*splat*

Drops hit the rock and hissed their way in.

"Rrrrrrrrrrwrwwwl"

This was not a happy creature, it's tail at the ready to thwack any who would dare venture closer.[hr][/hr]
Take them.... A wordless voice crooned in the distance, peeking through the blue haze once again. Having satisfied his first hunger the daemon could not help but be curious.

Come, my love, distract them.

With a flick of his wrist he sent off two flying monkeys to fetch the girl they had so eagerly detached from the group.[hr][/hr]

*splat* Another glob hit the rocks in front of Gavin's feet. The tail took a swing at Yin, just in case he thought of nearing it from behind.
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Jayla

Post by Jayla »

Jayla held tightly to her stick, listening closely for the sound of whatever the two men were battling, listening for the possibility of anything coming toward her. She was scared - she'd admit it. This was far beyond anything she'd ever even dreamed of experiencing and she knew she was out of her depth. But she also knew that she didn't want to die and neither of her companions could ensure that at the moment, with their own battle to fight.

So she waited, glancing about her nervously and listening intently to every heart-pounding sound that reached her ears.
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Post by Yin Lorin »

The creature was fearsome, but nothing like the pink dragon. The slashing tail did not scare Yin so much right now. He was in armor and had a sword. The armor he wore though could have been lighter and more maneuverable. He had never wore full plate outside of his dreams, it was always splint or something lighter. That would make his attacks a little more awkward, but he could do it. He was going to have to focus and so he set his mind to killing. He let all other thought fade back and let himself feel the fight, he watched and he studied, seeing how the creature moved and how the tail flowed. He was ready to kill the creature.

The creature would have a harder time fighting them both off. He moved in, ready to block the whip like tail with his sword. This creature could not fight both of them with the same skill at the same time, and it would need to concentrate on Yin to make effective strikes. Yin hoped Gavin would attack as well, if not, Yin would have to be ready for things to change very quickly.
Cuius testiculos habes, habeas cardia et cerebellum.

-- (Terry Pratchett, Small Gods)
Gavin Tylvan
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Post by Gavin Tylvan »

Gavin did not pay too much attention to Yin's actions. He was too busy preparing to dodge the acidic spit of the reptile. Bloody great. First a pair of Oneists with their dogma and now an acid spitting reptile. What is next? A singing dragon? Now, that would be just too much. He was at the end of his patience as it was and his mood was not improving real fast. This poor reptile was just about to learn why it was unwise to make him angry. Sorry there, fella. You are both ugly and soon to be dead. Guess life is a bitch.

Deciding to test just how intelligent the creature was, Gavin cats a quick glance at Yin and nodded as if a signal was received. Darting forward, the big man took mere two steps that way before skidding to a halt and leaning to the left. Sword came down hard, aimed at the creature's head, while the Dortman was falling to the ground. He hoped the creature would aim for his torso and by falling he would avoid the acid. The fall would add some power to his strike as well. There was one big flaw in that plan. Should he miss, he would be prone and at the mercy of the beast.
FORTH they went, the troubled two
To see the world and kick ass too!
[b]Syrawenn and Gavin Saga, Verse 1-2[/b]
Gwayne of Vendeling
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Post by Gwayne of Vendeling »

Abeo kicked a stone and it bounced of the wall and almost hit him. A soft curse left his lips while he grumbled "Where is that blasted woman !!!

Irritation was clearly on his face, it seemed that this woman always got herself stuck in places.

His axe slammed into the remains of what had been a wall in the castle. He listened for sounds that would confirm where Tinally was caught. Not that he really cared, but it was a job... and she a woman so it had to be done.

He bashed through what was probably the last remaining whole door in the building, and now it was not whole anymore. It because it was easyer and more fun to crash it with his large axe. The sound of splattering wood actually triggered a muffled sound behind a wall.

A sudden grin appeared on his face, and his boot bashed into the brick stones, shattering a piece of the wall and revealing Tinally's face, now all covered in red dust.

Quickly and forcefull the woman was pulled from the rubbish and thrown over a shoulder, kept in place by a firm hand on her according to some really nice behind,

"Silly woman, getting in trouble.... Hah, I bring you back............"

And thats how Tinally got back......laying on the shoulder of a red haired barbarian who had big hands, placed on all the right places.
Last edited by Gwayne of Vendeling on Wed May 31, 2006 9:32 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Syra
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Post by Syra »

Gavin nodded and moved. The lizard's slits narrowed, then widened as it followed the move and reacted. The big man went down, his sword with him as the reptile moved along, compensating for the enemy behind him.

*whack!*

The tail impacted with the sword Yin had at the ready! The blow reverberated all through the metal up to his hand and even his arm. Painful, but not incapacitating. The paladin would surely feel the fight now!

Wings fluttered in the air, yet the fight on the ground was a tad bit more imperative or there would be little or no one left to react to anything else. As it was the creature kept Gavin in front, following the fall by moving it's head. The sword missed! It hit the rocky ground with a resounding *cling* which vibrated through his body as well.

It left the man out of control for valuable flickers, all initiative lost. It would be up to Yin to either gain the creature's attention or leave Gavin at his most vulnerable.

*Splat*

It missed! A miscalculation threw the glob at the sword instead of the face. Where it hit the metal the fluid hissed, showing rust marks almost immediately. The lizard waggled closer, pointy teeth and bad breath nearing the big man's face. Green scales on it's spine stood up straight, in full attack mode, the tail swishing angrily.

Fluttering wings came closer. A human-like shreek pierced the air as two monkeys went into a dive, straight for Jayla! There was no time for either men to get there in time, although the strange tall warrior with the woman over his shoulder was coming from exactly the right angle to perhaps prevent another disaster.

Perhaps...
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Yin Lorin
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Post by Yin Lorin »

He felt the blow echoing in the sword. It was a powerful creature, this was true. It would take the two of them, perhaps three of them to take it down. He wondered if their weapons could even slice the hide. He knew dragons hide was tough as armor and you needed magical weapons to cut through their skin. He did not think this was a dragon though, perhaps a demon.

When he saw Gavin go down he was a bit shocked, had he been taken down so quickly? No, he had risked a hard shot, and it had failed. He would need a moment to stand, and this creature was not going to give him that moment.

Yin needed to do something fast, so he did the first thing to come to his mind. He stepped in to engage the beast again, but this time, when the tail hit his sword, he was ready to grab it with his free hand, the hand with the mark on the wrist. The mark was burning now, hot and slightly painful, like a bad sunburn. He let the pain give him purpose, as long as he could feel the pain, he was still alive.

“Foul creature from the abyss, you will be tamed.” It would make a good mount, and would be a good deal faster then running. He could tame it, he had done it to horses, he could do it to this thing. It did not appear any more smart then a steed.
Cuius testiculos habes, habeas cardia et cerebellum.

-- (Terry Pratchett, Small Gods)
Jayla

Post by Jayla »

The sound of the fluttering and the shreek drew Jayla's attention to the threat heading for her. Oh NETHER... Jayla thought as she brought the pole arm before her. Then... Appropriate.

She didn't know how to use the damned thing, but she did know that if she stood there and waited for someone else to come rescue her, she'd be looking at the landscape from quite a height in no time at all. So she began swatting at the creatures as they came closer, hoping that even if she didn't make contact, it would keep them from coming close enough to touch her. Whenever she thought she'd have half a flicker to look around more, she searched for some place she could dive into, some little hole that would keep her safe.

And secure in the knowledge that no amount of help would be too much, she called out as she made another swing, "If anyone's got a free burn to help, I wouldn't say no." And please, if it's going to be one of them, let it be Yin. I'd be grateful to a pagan for saving me, but I'd rather be grateful to one of my own people instead.
Gavin Tylvan
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Post by Gavin Tylvan »

Missed? Well what did you expect? It was a risky move at best. A suicidal one most probably. If it worked it would have been grand. This way it was simply stupid. Luckily the sword did not break. He was prepared to get up on all four when the glob hit the sword and it started rusting. FUCK!. Just what I needed. His head felt as if it would burst. Blood rushed in as he got really angry. Those two managed to piss him off nicely and now this overgrown pet dared destroy his sword. Instead of going defensive, the big man did the stupid thing. He jumped forward and tried to jam the sword hilt between the lizards eyes. Hopefully that would cause it to stagger a bit. Maybe even stun it for a bit.

Not that it ever occurred to Gavin. He wanted to hurt the beast. To hurt it bad. The rest was unimportant. Just the pain it would feel and the frustration Gavin would went. His mind merely wished for the big man to jump forward and strike. The strike itself was instinctive. Somewhere deep down in the subconscious he knew that the sword was damaged and that the blade won't do much. However, the sword was more than just tip and the blade. The true goal of swordsman was not to learn to use his sword to kill. It was to become a weapon himself. The sword was just an extension with which the pain was dealt.
FORTH they went, the troubled two
To see the world and kick ass too!
[b]Syrawenn and Gavin Saga, Verse 1-2[/b]
Syra
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Post by Syra »

ooc
Alright, since Tinally has vanished and Gwayne gave us clear reasons why he won't post right now, I am going to continue with the three of you for now. Sorry about that, Jayla, you'll have to fend them off on your own :P

ic
It was interesting, to say the least, to see these two men who had seemed adversaries before were now working together towards bringing the angry lizard down. Already it was advancing to aim a better spit at the fallen bearded man, yet Yin prevented it from closing in too fast with his completely unexpected move!

The sword had hit, of course, and his hand had indeed grabbed the angry tail. Hard, sharp scales would have bitten into his hand, were it not for the reinforced gloves that the castle guards usually wore. It saved severed arteries for sure, even if it was still slightly uncomfortable, like trying to pick up a porcupine.

Much annoyed the creature suddenly found it's movement impaired by something or someone pulling his tail. The strength was amazing and surely it would easily have gotten free, had it not been for...

The mark glowed, it's burning equal to the anger rising from the beast. It met with the scales through the gloves and...

Gavin got his lucky break when Yin moved in and distracted the animal. He jumped forward and aimed his rusting sword at the spot between it's eyes when...

*hisssssss* The mark burned straight through the glove and stamped the reptile.

*Zzing* The sword impacted with the hard forehead, scratching the surface, but stunning the animal rather than killing it.

If an artist had been close, they might have portrayed the beast with a little maelstrom over it's head, for it was wobbling on it's legs, tail trembling in Yin's grip and eyes half closed under the full impact of Gavin's sword.

With a huff it finally sagged through it's paws, unable to make a coherent decision about moving right now. The tail betrayed the life that was still in it.

Jayla had some wildlife of her own to deal with as the monkeys descended on her hiding place, nicely out of sight of the two gentlemen who were fighting the lizard. Using te pole arm to the best of her abilities the woman fought to keep the creatures out of her reach.

The monkeys dove and twisted, evading the weapon and screeching in frustration for not getting a grip on the girl. The left one evaded, the right went in and scratched her shoulder in an attempt at grabbing her. The nails burned in her skin.

"If anyone's got a free burn to help, I wouldn't say no." Her voice rang out over the rocky plains, reaching the men if they had the attention to spare.

This time the left managed to grab her left arm, forcing the pole arm in it's direction and leaving her wide open for the right monkey, which grinned and showed al of it's pointy teeth while in dove for her chest in hopes of lifting her up. If anything it was strange that such sturdy creatures had the powerful wings to lift them up, but there it was...Jayla was going to have to be very inventive or very lucky indeed if she wanted to avoid being lifted up into the air.
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Yin Lorin
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Post by Yin Lorin »

The burning and glowing of the mark frightened him at first. He could see the red on the armor. Then he was reminded how he got it. It was the blood of the pure that was there to aid him, the blood of Miri the prophetess. This is what kept him from being flung across the field by the tail.

When it slumped stunned by the blow Gavin gave it, he smiled. He just needed some rope and a saddle and they would be in business. The scales on the thing would make it hard to ride, but with the right saddle it could be done.

His faith was bolstered by the success they had. “Thank you.” He whispered to his god, knowing it was not his own strength that stopped the animal.

He could feel that the beast was stunned, and only a few moments remained to either reign the beast in or kill it. He let go of the tail and rushed to the head of it. He needed something to tie it with, something that would keep the beast still and not be sliced apart by the scales.

Then the call for help came along with the screeches of the monkeys. He looked at Gavin, and his lack of a sword. He tossed the sword he was holding to him and pulled the extra one he carried. “Take care of this thing.”

He started to run for the girl. “Hold on Jayla, I am coming.” The beast was in good hands with Gavin to handle it. He looked ready to bite through nails, the animal would not be any harder.

He rushed in to grab hold of her so they would not get away with just her, if they got away at all.
Cuius testiculos habes, habeas cardia et cerebellum.

-- (Terry Pratchett, Small Gods)
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