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[SL the Pyro]

(OOC: I'd like to get this started if no one has any objections, I'm anxious. Can we just say it takes place after "The Future of the Empire?")

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The past week had not been kind to Shadow and his sudden illness. The mysterious heat disease he had contracted on Komitaa was very persistent, but he couldn't say he hadn't experienced anything like it before. It was like this right after the Cataclysm too, when the Key of Fire had done its work on his body. He'd also heard that voice back then:

This world is changing...
You must be ready...
My power will be yours...
If you can survive...

That was two years ago. Now, he instead heard this:

The time has come...
Go to where the sun meets the sky...

Coincidence? Shadow would eat his hat if it was. Regardless, he didn't know what to do about of it short of having lots of cold water handy, so he was forced to swallow his pride and have a physical done. The doctors, despite several days of examination, could not determine the cause of these "hot flashes" -- as much as Shadow hated the term, no one could think of anything better -- nor could they create any kind of cure. They knew it was a magical problem, they weren't idiots, but this didn't help much. One shrink had suggested parting with the Key of Fire for a while think that it was the cause, much to Shadow's chagrin, but after two days of this -- and him worrying sick that the trinket had fallen into the wrong hands -- there was no change in his condition and it was returned. It was a complete mystery how this illness was going to be stopped.

It seemed there was only one thing that could be done right now: relief of position until a way to combat these hot flashes was found. Shadow had protested for a good two hours about this decision, but ultimately accepted defeat when one of the shrinks had bluntly stated that since these hot flashes were random, it was very possible one could happen in the field of battle. And that would make him a sitting duck and liable to be killed. But Shadow refused to think things were hopeless so easily and quickly, as no sooner had he been put on leave did he gather up his books and start researching this "where the sun meets the sky" drabble.

That's how it had been for the past three days, Shadow either stuck in his home or his office with his nose buried in his texts, guzzling down water whenever a hot flash occured. It was having a visible effect on his body, his skin looking pale, but he was still as active as he could manage. If he were a lesser being, a disease such as this would have him bedridden, but he still found time to research and even train his men at time to time. But after so long of doing nothing but reading, Shadow had found nothing on what this unknown voice was constantly telling him.

That is, until on impulse one day, he found himself procrastinating by looking at his books on legendary swords again.

He found it. Where the sun meets the sky.

Curiously -- but probably not coincidentally -- on the same page he had bookmarked a while ago about the Ragnarok sword, on that same article was what he had been searching for, told of a place called the "Tower of Flame." Also known as, "Where the sun meets the sky," according to the text. He eagerly read on, finding that the tower was in a place where the forests were lush and lively... he felt a pang of regret in his heart as he immediately realized that it was referring to the Lost Woods. Those scorched lands that were once the home of his old dorm on the second continent, Norrendir... he did indeed recall a tower of fair size there, but due to complications with the Alliance back then, he was never able to explore it at all. First a fantasy, now a necessity.

And as it happened, there was a contract sent by the citizens of the port town of Almirante, about a sea beast that had been terrorizing any ships that set out from and sailed into their waters. If this were any other situation, he would've jumped at the chance to take on a massive sea serpent, hell he probably would've done it alone. But in this condition... returning to duty as soon as he had the information he needed, despite his doctor's efforts, he had gathered his group of four men he had trained, his ginger pills and a few barrels of food and fresh water onto a small vessel.

Where the sun meets the sky... with no other knowledge of his illness, all Shadow could do was follow the instructions of the mysterious voice. He hoped that he and his quartet of soldiers would be enough to face the dangers that await at Almirante...

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(OoC: Aaand, here we go. Everyone is free to join in, I believe.)

Edited by SL the Pyro, 01 February 2010 - 01:58 AM.

[JRPomazon]

When he was younger, he was destined to be an executioner of men. His father was an executioner and his father before him was the same. They were a family that profited from death, or perhaps judgment. For you see, back in the days of the Alliance this family was preferred by the emperor himself to preform the ritual of manslaughter to the people of the alliance who were to be punished by death.

But he rebuked that life and so the family of death forsake their own kin to appease the will of the emperor. An executioner who could not kill was of no use to the Alliance and a son who would not follow the ways of his father was a blemish to the family. And so it was that the man would live a respectable life. However, this was before the day the world came to a grinding halt.

Now he dawned a gray cloak and carried a scythe. The fate of becoming an executioner was unavoidable for him.

He was heading toward the city of Almirante, where rumors circulated of a terrifying beast that was wrecking havoc upon the populace. The reward was hefty sum of gold, an offer too good to let pass. He was a part of a small organization and because it was an organization, it required a certain sum of money in order to operate and purchase certain goods. He had spent a good deal of time cooped up indoors for some time and the idea of seeing the outside world was welcome. The plan was simple, kill the beast and collect the reward.

OoC: S_L, are you saying that the Lost Woods were in Norrendir instead of Verden? Because I managed to find an older map saying otherwise:

Spoiler

Edited by JRPomazon, 05 February 2010 - 05:58 PM.

[SL the Pyro]

(OoC: "Older" is the key word here. If memory serves, the Lost Woods made another home on Norrendir after Dorm War III, didn't they?

Also sorry for lack of posting, my creative juices aren't flowing right now, and I'd like to see who else will join.)

[Selena]

(OoC:

Verden - the Lost Woods, which burnt down.

Norrendir - Alpenland, a former LW colony and now an independent nation growing in strength. Did not burn down.)

[Crimson Lego]

Empty waters. No sign of any approaching ships in the distance.

In an inn near the docks of Port Almirante, a rather short and broad figure sat gazing out the window over the water and off towards the horizon. Smoking a pipe, he put it away and took another long swig from his beer, thinking about the beast that had begun plaguing this town for so long. 10 grand…that’s quite a lot, thought the dwarf as he pondered the amount of supplies and weaponry that could buy him. Of course, stealing from Calatia and Koridai would be far easier and more fun, but this contract was much more direct. Kill and reap.

Unfortunately, he was completely on his own, and had been since leaving the Guild 2 years ago. The others wouldn’t have wanted to come either. Fortunately, the dwarf had learned to operate independently and was able to put that to his advantage during these recent months. It’s worked out pretty well so far, he thought, finishing up his drink.

Paying the tab and handing back the glass, the dwarf stretched and gazed around. There were at least 3 people in the room that were probably Koridaians, but engaging in a fight here wouldn’t be very smart. I’ll bid my time. Standing up, the dwarf retrieved his bow, strapped on his sword, slung on his quiver, and nodded in thanks to the barman, who replied with a, ‘Thank you, Mr Asmodeus’.

Walking out, the one who called himself Mok threw his hood on. It would be a long day, with fighting and killing. And 10000 to walk out with.

[SL the Pyro]

The trip overseas from Koridai to Norrendir had not been a pleasant one. It had been longer than the previous boat trip to Komitaa, which did not help Shadow's seasickness; the ginger pills were only of so much help. Twice his hot flashes had come back, leaving him even weaker and generally feeling like crap. He nearly set fire to the ship. There was also the fact that he could not set anchor directly at Port Almirante due to the rumored sea beast, so he had to make landfall a good distance away. He and his escorts were in for a long caravan trip.

His group had a... mixed reaction to his sudden illness. Three of them wanted desperately to help him, whom he outright refused; what could they do about it that Shadow hadn't already? And one of the armored ones seemed to be in denial that someone as strong as him had become ill to begin with. But concerned as they all were, all four were at a loss for how to help their general. It was clear they had little experience with matters of magic.

A duo of horses brought the caravan along the dirt roads towards Almirante. A bumpy ride to be sure, but it was more bearable than the ship. Shadow, ignoring the slight pain he was in right now, gazed out through the window of the carriage and into the mountains, where the "Tower of Flame" supposedly resided. It was an oddity that alpine areas had anything to do with fire, but there was very clearly a tower there, barely visible amongst the snow-covered peaks.

"I wish we could just go straight there and get this over with..." said one of his unarmored men.

"Well, we're not equipped for snow or mountain travel." Argued another. "Almirante is, so that's where we go first."

"But what makes you so sure they'll even agree to our demands?" the first soldier argued back. "If the rumors about this sea creature are true, Almirante could be under all kinds of turmoil."

"Well, we don't have to ask..."

"Cut that foolishness out right now." Shadow scolded his men. "We can't just barge in and loot them. Remember, this used to be a pirate town. If we went in there with the intention to fight, we'd get our asses kicked. Don't let your training go to your heads." Any rebuttals the soldiers had were immediately silenced at that last sentence. If there was one thing Shadow had hammered into their heads, it was to think before acting. "If there is a sea beast wrecking their ships and their productivity that'll prevent us from getting snow-travel equipment, then we'll fix the problem. They wouldn't dare refuse us after we've saved their sorry backsides."

"But General... permission to speak frankly?" said one of the armored soldiers, in a quiet voice... he always spoke like that. Shadow didn't know why.

"Granted."

"Are you sure you're in good enough condition to fight this creature? Even a complete stranger would be able to tell you aren't well at this point..."

He did have a point there. Shadow's condition had worsened during the sea portion of the trip... his skin was more pale than before, and there were bags under his eyes from lack of sleep. But in spite of this, he smiled lightly and replied, "I appreciate your concern, but don't worry too much. I can still fight if I have to." he assured him.

"We're nearly to Almirante, Sir." said the final soldier, an armored one who was driving the carriage. "I'd say about ten minutes E.T.A."

The sooner the better. Shadow didn't know how long he would last. Every second counts.

[JRPomazon]

The city was garnished with cobblestone, the streets and buildings shaded in a cool blue much like the former Forsaken Fortress. By being so close to the water and sharing the same materials as the former pirate haven it was less than surprising that the two would share so much in common. In his gray cloak, the man known as Urick had been traveling from tavern and pub in true pirate spirit as a means to gather information. He moved quietly between alleys and streets and in and out of "respectable establishments" for one thing. Information. He was unseen and silent but quite aware of his surroundings, taking in all he could without being noticed despite the fact that his weapon and outfit were rather imposing.

They all said the same thing, monster was a pest and that it was ruining their livelihoods. Various descriptions of the beast, tentacles and wings and eyes like fire. Whether any of that was true was yet to be seen for himself.

[Steel Samurai]

In the center of Almirante, there stood a man on top of a giant block of stone, a memorial erected by the pirates in an uncharacteristic show of sentimentalism for the men who had died in the fight against the Alliance, just before the Cataclysm. The man was about 60, cleanshaven, with long graying hair that reached his shoulders. He was speaking very precisely for one in a pirate town, and loudly, so loudly in fact that his voice could be heard all over the square. A large crowd had gathered to listen to him.

"My sea-brothers! You as well as I know the stories of how the great Admiral Juno perished along with the Forsaken Fortress itself after the Cataclysm! This is not so! His life was not ended, he was merely transformed from the form of a man, to his true nature as the Lord of the Sea!" Juno had been a legendary figure in his own lifetime, but now that he was dead small pockets of those who now regarded him as the god of the sea had sprung up, and they were slowly gaining a following. In truth the pickings were slim, without the Alliance to prey upon the pirates were forced to take what pickings they could get from the other Alliance and Dominion Colonies. Both Calatia and Koridai's trade routes were still in their infancy, and heavily escorted to boot. The days of the Forsaken Fortress and Admiral Juno's rule were seen as days of plenty, when every pirate had a full bottle of rum and a purse of coins on his belt. Of course, the likelihood of dying was much greater, but that was easily overlooked in a trade where death was taken as a matter of course. The man continued.

"Juno, Lord of the Sea, now blockades this very harbor because of our transgressions against the Code!" In point of fact Juno often ignored the Pirate Code completely during his rule, but after his death its very writing was attributed to him. The crowd, mostly composed of lower ranked pirates who were well aware of the "injustices" done to them by their captains, began to murmur in agreement.

"And what do your captains do about it? Instead of following the code as they should, they try to hire men to kill the Lord of the Sea! Do you think this will help? No! I say to you it will not. It will only bring his wrath down upon us! Hurricanes shall blot this very city from the face of the earth! Death I say! Death to those men who would bring destruction upon us for a measly few thousand pieces of eight!"

The irony of the situation was lost upon the pirates as they yelled and went out to search for the ones who would bring this great doom upon them.

[Crimson Lego]

Aw, shit.

Cursing under his breath, the one who called himself Mok did his best to hide from the obviously enraged pirates (it would be quite easy as he was less than 5 feet tall, but the weapons might give him away). Those in the crowd that were merely innocent citizens looked uncomfortable, but tried to act as if they were sympathetic to what the pirates were doing.

Slipping out of the crowd and darting down an abandoned alley, the dwarf was finally able to relax as the pirates went searching in the main streets of Almirante. Maybe coming to Norrendir wasn’t a great idea. Mok had had ideas for using the money, but if the pirates were going to somehow ban that money from being passed on, there wasn’t anything much he could do. Maybe I could take a boat to Alpenland and see if I could get some men back here.

Unable to find a good answer, the dwarf emerged at the end of the dark alleyway. A pirate ran by, taking a quick glance at him, and then running off. Chuckling, Mok went on his own way. I guess there aren’t many dwarven archers in this region. Yes, Mok knew that using a bow was breaking tradition from axes and hammers, but it was extremely useful in certain situations.

Casually walking out to the docks and gazing out at the water, Mok remembered something the man had said.

“Death to those men who would bring destruction upon us for a measly few thousand pieces of eight!"

The word ‘men’ usually meant more than 1, which could become a problem. Gripping his bow tightly, the dwarf hoped that the man was somehow crazy in the head; he couldn’t risk losing the competition to some other guy from the Amalthea Confederation or Alpenland or Andiel. Maybe even Calatia or Koridai.

And as for the theory surrounding the beast, Mok found it completely ridiculous. DarkJuno, master of the Forsaken Fortress, now a creature with tentacles and eyes haunting and taunting his people. Somehow, the dwarf felt that the former Admiral of the Lalvican Sea, if he was still alive, didn’t have time for that kind of stuff. And neither do I; I’ve got to get moving before the others arrive here. If there were any, but he wasn’t taking any chances, not for this much cash.

Making sure his hood was still up, Mok turned and headed for the outskirts of Port Almirante. If there were any other warriors coming, he wanted to keep an eye on them before heading out to fight the beast. Especially imperials and vikings. Something told him that there would be men from either 1 of those two domains.

[JRPomazon]

As the mob of pirates ran off to their own distractions, Urick stood idly by and took in what it was he just saw. The viridian knight was familiar with the pirates of the forsaken fortress and their former leader Admiral Juno, it was a shame he wasn't here to aid him with this mission. His presence was more or less considered as a hostile force to the denizens of Almirante, explaining the reason for his trip would more or less be suicide. With no real mission to be killed, he moved on swiftly. This wasn't a normal mission for him, no bloodhounds to outrun nor artifacts to recover. Just a sea monster and a horde of smelly pirates. What logic justified his attendance? Was it really about money right now?

Before he could begin to brood over why he was here, both literally and philosophically, he was forced to move in a quick fashion as a small group of pirates decided to carry on their drinking into the alleys a streets. It would be better not to be called upon by drunkards, especially ones who might become more paranoid when they see a man they don't recognize. But whether or not these pirates were men of this sort was something Urick preferred not to figure out at this time. Rather than worrying about who to address or find to figure out how this whole affair was going to work, it seemed much simpler to kill the beast and show it off to the person offering the reward. It was off to the water for now.

[SL the Pyro]

It was around now that Shadow's caravan had arrived at the edge of Almirante, to be met with a fraction of the raging pirate horde. "What the hell?" the general muttered, looking out of the front of the carriage to see them. He counted five... no, six. Seven? Blast it all, this heat disease was messing with his magic sense even...

The driver quickly moved the carriage out of the path of the pirates as best as he could, only barely fitting it into an alley. Unfortunately it was still sticking out like a sore thumb, and a couple of pirates inspected it out of curiosity. Their faces were flushed... drunk. Typical, though it was a plus that the rest of the rioters didn't notice they were now short two people. Regardless, this was enough for the driver to put a ready hand on the shaft of his axe. "You there!" one of them called out, his voice seriously slurred. "You best not be huntin' Lord Juno, or it'll be boilin' oil for ye!"

Naturally, Shadow was confused. "Lord Juno?" He said, leaning out of the carriage so he and the pirates could converse better. "Wasn't he lost when the Forsaken Fortress vanished?"

"He's returned as the sea beast!" the other pirate rabbled. "He's punishing us for breaking his code, so we're going to punish the code-breakers!"

Lord Juno...? As the sea beast...

If Shadow were in better condition, he'd be rolling on the floor of the caravan right now, laughing heartily. Instead he smiled and replied callously, "That's nice. Now excuse us, we have a sea beast to slay." Before the pirates had a chance to reply, the general snapped his fingers; the driver brandished the non-bladed end of his axe and walloped both the drunkards on the head. They'd live, but they'd be out for a while; no point in killing unless necessary. It would probably be blamed on a drunken stumble anyway. "The pirate Admiral Dark Juno... reincarnated as a sea beast! Oh, the stories these people believe..." Shadow cackled. This would surely turn Steel's stomach if he ever heard of this... he made a mental note to fill out an extra report for him.

"Still, it's inconvenient that this would happen now." spoke up a soldier. "With these drunken heathens flooding the streets, we can't possibly get to the port in one piece."

Unfortunately, he was right. And the fact that they were specifically after the sea beast hunters did not help; this Koridai group was probably the least inconspicuous here. "Agreed. We'll find a pub to stay at until this riot dies down."

No sooner said than done; there was a rather large pub just a few blocks down from the alley. This seemed to be as good of a place as any... perhaps some rest after their long trip wasn't such a bad idea either, and he might be able to get some information about the enemy they're going to face.

Edited by SL the Pyro, 07 February 2010 - 02:29 PM.

[Crimson Lego]

Bingo.

Lurking beneath a shadowy building, Mok had seen several people pass into the port; only a few carried weapons. Pirates, tourists, supplies, dude missing an arm, guy in gray with a scythe, more drunk pirates coming back. The list of people went on and on, extending to even old men with half a leg and helped up by 2 drunk pirates. The dwarf was about to leave and head for the docks until a caravan passed into his sight. Instantly, he recognized the emblem on the side.

Keeping hidden, Mok watched as the driver knocked out 2 pirates that tried to stop them, and took his carriage down an alley. Quietly following behind, he stole a quick glance and watched the Koridaians. After a few seconds, the dwarf casually walked off. Probably not here for the reward anyways, he told himself. Fingering the string of his bow, feeling the eagerness to attack the crusaders, Mok decided against it…for now. The money; focus on the money, he told himself. Picking up an eye patch from the ground, he placed it over his left eye and replaced his hood on his head. Best to blend in for now.

Heading off towards the docks, Mok kept looking until he found his target: a pirate captain. Here we go. Walking up to the skipper, he tapped the man on the solder. “Captain, may I have a word?” he asked quietly.

The man turned around, not recognizing the dwarf. However, the sight of an eye patch seemed to be good enough for him. “What can I do for you, sailor?” he replied.

Mok spoke his next words carefully, doing his best to sound like somebody who knew nothing of the outside world. “While we were searching for the bringers of death, I happened to notice a group of soldiers in red sneaking into our city. After a brief conversation with 2 of our comrades in an alley, the driver of that convoy knocked them out and left.” Pausing, the dwarf emphasized his point. “I believe they are here for the beast, sir; they must be armed.”

The captain was silent for a moment, and then gave an answer. “You’re sure of this?”

“Yes Captain,” replied Mok firmly and confidently. “I’m not sure if they’re still there, but the carriage should be easy to find.”

Obviously satisfied, the pirate gave orders to 2 of his nearby bodyguards. “Call off half of the mob,” he ordered. “Find the Koridaians; search every building, every closet, and every goddamn chimney. I want them found!” Jogging off with his men, the captain nodded in thanks to Mok. “Thank you skipper.”

Wow. He’s got a big grudge, noted Mok as he watched the man rush off after his 2 guards. There was no doubt that the captain had some sort of grudge against Koridai. Probably just Chikara, but whatever. With that done, the dwarf headed off towards the docks, confident he would now be able to tackle this beast.

[JRPomazon]

Urick arrived to the ports, completely loaded with ships. No one was going out, not with this "sea monster/beast/lord" amuck. A small paddle boat was unmaned by the water, paddles included. Despite theft not being something he was particularly fond of, he still needed it. Perhaps he would just borrow it instead. So without another thought, Urick boarded the small boat and took the paddles in hand. He didn't need to go out too far, he could handle a decent amount of distance without the boat.

[SL the Pyro]

Shadow expected the pubmaster to be rather skeptical about accepting imperial customers, but it seemed he was happy to get any real business right now; commoners often stayed in their own homes instead of inns, and not many visitors had come from outside Almirante since the sea beast attacks, apparently. The fact that the general had promised twice the rent for himself and his four escorts didn't hurt his cause either; that was one good thing about being a high-ranking military official, he had more than enough money to burn.

Of course, things don't always go quite to plan. The pub door suddenly burst open, interrupting the Koridai group in the middle of a meal. Everyone turned to the door expecting to see drunkards, but it seemed that was not the case; there were a total of three men -- two pirate bodyguards and one captain, if Shadow recalled the Fortress uniforms correctly -- and none of them looked or sounded drunk. "What now?" Shadow moaned.

"There you are..." said the captain, an apparent venom in his tone. He and his body guards armed themselves quickly; the minions with one cutlass each, the leader with two in either hand. "What business do you imperial freaks have in our town!? Hasn't your Goddess done enough damage to us!?"

Oh, great, an armed man with a grudge... "Shouldn't you be doing something about that riot instead of yelling at us? We haven't done anything wrong..." he said, casually sipping his drink.

"Like hell you didn't!" the captain snapped back. "I've heard you attacked two of our citizens!"

Shadow chuckled. "Come now, you're a captain aren't you? You of all people should know that drunken pirates can't be dissuaded. Or perhaps you're a newbie?"

The captain didn't seem pleased with that jab. "Seize them!"

The bodyguards rushed forward at the table occupied by Koridians, but no sooner than Shadow had snapped his fingers did the attackers get knocked to the floor by his armored escorts, unconscious. The general sighed. "How weak the pirate regime has become..." His eye twinkled, and he suddenly but briefly wore a sinister and generally creepy smile. "You should be glad that your Commander Steel isn't here."

The captain visibly faltered at the mention of the old pirate commander. "I beg your pardon? Steel hasn't been seen since..."

Shadow then laughed lightly; he would've liked to go louder, but his throat wouldn't have approved. "You mean you don't know? He works for Chikara, as one of my superiors..." The captain was at a loss for words. "So unless you want me to inform him about the pitiful state you've left Almirante in, I suggest we discuss what's happening here like civilized beings..." The pirate captain looked down at his two fallen guards, then back to Shadow. His face was pale... it seemed that even two years since that fateful day, Steel Samurai's name was both revered and feared in pirate society. That's good, perhaps he could use this to his advantage... "Yes... I'll overlook this attempt on our lives in exchange for some information on this 'sea beast' everyone here seems to think is their reincarnated leader..."

[JRPomazon]

Being alone on the water might not have been the best idea Urick came up with. Without the distractions of the city, he began to fall into a state of introspection. Thinking about the past was not something he was sentimental about, although he did not dismiss it immediately. The past was filled with things that he wished had not happened but understands can not be altered. To face that inevitability was never pleasant. When he thought about it, most of his comrades were like that. No one wanted to be alone for too long, or else the memories would just keep flooding back like a cascading waterfall. What was he even doing out here? Maes or Kalm would have been better for this mission anyway.

Eventually, he had reached a point where was far enough out to start. He placed a small black stone wrapped in bands of gold on the boat's seat and stood up. He took a step off the side of the small craft and as if it were a miracle his foot did not breach the water.

"Well now, this should be exciting. Finally, I can try out some of those new magics we discovered." He said cheerfully to himself. He took another step off and began walking on the water's surface. With each step, the water beneath his feet created ripples in the sea which reached the briny seabed below. An aquatic terror began to stir.

Edited by JRPomazon, 08 February 2010 - 02:52 AM.

[Crimson Lego]

Now completely outnumbered by the Koridaians, whom seemed to be advancing on him, the captain held up his hands in surrender. “Alright General, hold your horses. I’ll tell you all I know…” Clearing his throat, the officer spoke clearly, but in a very nervous tone.

“First time we saw Lord Juno was about a month ago. A couple of our boats were returning from Koridai to pick up some supplies that we had left behind. As they were coming into the port, the night guard started to notice the water rippling.” Now sweating, the captain spoke in a much faster tone. “All of a sudden, the water erupts and 1 of the boats got smashed right in half; I freaked out when I saw it.

Admiral Juno looks quite a lot like a squid, but with pretty thick tentacles,” said the captain, shuddering. “The eyes, though…that was the scary part. They were yellow and looked as you as if…as if you were its next dinner. That’s all I saw.”

Wiping his brow, the captain concluded his story. “So yeah, that’s pretty much it. From there on, any ship that tried to get in or out got screwed over, so we sat down. Then that jerk had to go and offer the reward!” he said angrily.

Inhaling deeply in relief that he was not dead yet, the captain turned to the Koridaian officer, sweat running down his face. “Can I go now….sir?”

----------------------------------

Renting a small fishing vessel from a sailor, Mok steered the small boat out into the waters. Looks pretty calm. It was obvious that was not the case; the creature was obviously bidding its time, waiting for more ships to arrive. Probably knows I’m here.

About a minute of watching, Mok noticed a man nearby…walking on the water. “What the hell?” he murmured, stopping the ship. After a moment, the dwarf pulled out his bow and notched an arrow, aiming at the man.

“Halt!” he roared. “Who goes there? And what are you doing?”

[SL the Pyro]

"Yes, you can leave. That was all I needed to know." Shadow said to dismiss the pirate captain. He hurriedly left the pub, completely forgetting about his two bodyguards it seemed. "Ugh... take his men out to the curb, would you?"

His armored soldiers did as ordered, one slinging an unconscious grunt over his shoulder, the other dragging him out... that one with the silent voice. He had a strange way of doing things, to be su--

Shadow's body was suddenly introduced to a world of pain...

The time has come...
Go to where the sun meets the sky...

"GUHHH!" He groaned in agony as his body jerked back, then forward clawing on the pub table for something to grasp onto.

"G-General!? Are you alright!?" asked one of his soldiers in concern, and before he knew it all four of them were at his side. He quickly slipped a hand under his cape and wrenched a large canteen off of his belt, popping the cork and guzzling down water at an almost unhealthy rate; some of it went down the wrong pipe, and as a result he had a coughing fit, causing him to drop the canteen to the floor out of reflex. But compared to the previous fiery pain, it was more than bearable. He gripped his throat semi-tightly and growled, both out of discomfort and annoyance.

"Damnit... they're getting more frequent..." he rasped out before clearing his throat and coughing a couple more times.

"We're running out of time, General..." the quiet-voiced one said. "We have to get you to the tower immediately."

Unfortunately, Shadow was starting to believe that his subordinate was right. He didn't know how much more of this he could take.

"Do you mean the Tower of Flame?"

The chat was interrupted by the pubmaster, who had likely been listening. And had probably seen the mix-up with the pirates. He had been forgotten in the chaos. "As a matter of fact I am... why do you ask?"

"You might encounter some difficulty getting there now." the pubmaster informed him. "All of the mountain wagons are being used for food collection since the naval paths are blocked. And I can tell you right now that your carriage won't survive a trip up the slopes."

Damn, Shadow had figured something like this would happen. "Shit... then our only choice is the slay that overgrown squid and fix the problem."

"In your state!?" the quiet soldier retorted. "If you have a hot flash while fighting the beast..."

Another good point by his subordinate; such a distraction could prove fatal. "Then we only have one option; we go after the damn thing now, while I'm still on the rebound from this blasted illness."

--------------------

And so Shadow and his men quickly crowded back into their carriage and set off for the port. The pubmaster asked if they wanted their rooms rented out, but the general assured him they'd be back. Clearly the man didn't have high hopes of that, though. The sea beast attack did have one point of merit: there were plenty of boats of all shapes and sizes docked. Shadow selected one big enough for his men and himself, rented it, filled it with any fishing equipment that could be used as weapons should they be needed -- fishing spears and harpoons, mostly -- and set out to the Almirante waters.

As open waters came closer, something caught the eye of the Koridai group; two people were already out there. One in a small boat, the other... just standing on the water as if it were solid ground. Shadow was sure there was magic involved in this, but he couldn't sense it clearly right now... he decided to keep his distance and observe this developing situation from afar. And if they tried to come and attack him, they'd either be met with flying metal or his fire.

Edited by SL the Pyro, 09 February 2010 - 11:24 PM.

[JRPomazon]

A dwarf on one side and Imperial dogs on the other. Urick paid them no mind, he was far enough out. The waves began to slowly diminish, their rhythmic pattern slowly dying down. Before too long, the waves of the ocean stopped all together. A pause, a slight moment of peace before the great chaos that was to befall them. They each looked back at each other, unsure of what to think.

"I would suggest that you put up some sort of guard."

The waters erupted, shooting into the sky like a geyser as a silver and green form rose from the stilled waves. As a ocean spray misted Urick and the others, the phenomenon's true from was reveals as it shrieked towards the sky. The water fell back to the ocean, leaving only the massive sea serpent staring down the foreigners within it's domain.

Urick readied his scythe.

[Crimson Lego]

As he waited for a response from the stranger that was walking on the water, Mok saw a band of Koridaians sailing over. Great; they made it. After the rippling in the water stopped, the dwarf glanced uncertainly at the man, who said, "I would suggest that you put up some sort of guard". A moment later, the water suddenly erupted up, nearly knocking Mok off balance and nearly off his boat as well. Clambering to his feet as the water fell back, he nearly dropped his bow at the sight of the beast. Shit.

Standing over 40 feet tall and probably longer, the beast designated as Dark Juno was a mix of sea serpent and some other creature. 4 massive yellow eyes stared down at the dwarf, Koridaians, and the man with the scythe, water dripping from its green scales. On its body were several fins and tentacles, each of them swinging around like mad snakes ready to eat its prey. The beast also had several other features as well, but Mok was too busy watching the eyes and its mouth, which he could have sworn was drooling in eagerness. Juno, prepare to meet you match.

Raising his bow and aiming for one of the eyes, the dwarf suddenly realized that the serpent was now gliding across the water straight for his vessel. Leaping up, the agile Mok managed to escape the destruction of his ship and grab onto one of the beast’s fins. Grabbing onto the scales, which had good grip, he began climbing up the serpent while trying to stop falling. I've gotta reach the head, he thought, gazing up at the seemingly long climb. Nevertheless, Mok began climbing up, hoping he wouldn't fall to his death.

Meanwhile, the beast seemed to not have noticed Mok, and swung a tentacle at the gray-cloaked man. At the same time, it began swimming towards the vessel manned by the Koridaians, intending to repeat the same event it had just done to the dwarf’s ship.

[JRPomazon]

Urick swung his scythe, making a clean cut through the monster's tentacle as the extremity went flying off from the motion it was in. The beast howled in pain and followed with another strike from above. Urick leaped away and swung his scythe through the extremity, the blade stuck through. The sea beast did not appreciate this very much, raising it's tentacle upwards as it took Urick with it. He held on to his weapon for dear life, pulling on it as the blade sliced through the flesh of the beast. He landed on the beast's back, noticing the dwarf attempting to climb up.

"Get to the head! I'll provide support!"

[SL the Pyro]

Shadow let out a whistle of awe as the sea monster rose from the depths of the ocean. It was certainly an impressive-looking beast... though not quite what the pirate captain had described. "Th-th-that's the sea beast!?" said one of the unarmored Koridai soldiers, undoubtedly wishing he had armor right now.

"It's massive!" said another.

"Mmm... perhaps it's a good thing it noticed the other guys instead of us." Shadow said. "Still... we have to do something to help them, or Almirante won't owe us that favor we need. Get us within throwing range!"

Since they'd be in for a long swim if their boat were sunk, Shadow decided it was best only to get as close to "Juno" as was needed, so that there would be time to maneuver if they were suddenly targeted. Once the Koridians were at an adequate distance, the harpoons and spears started to fly. Common sense says to aim for the head, but it was simply to high to hit with conventional weaponry, so the soldiers were pretty much throwing them at any other body part that was in range. Shadow would eventually go for the head with some fire, but not until the others were up there so it wouldn't just beeline for him. He started plastering sigils in the air around him to charge up a big, fiery blast...

Edited by SL the Pyro, 11 February 2010 - 08:53 PM.

[Crimson Lego]

Listening carefully to what the man in gray said, Mok nodded in response and continued his journey to the serpent’s head. The creature dubbed “Admiral Juno” was busy defending itself against projectiles being launched by the imperials, allowing the dwarf to climb unnoticed. Unfortunately, the beast was also thrashing around a lot, making it harder to ascend the body. Mok could see the man below slashing away at the tentacles. That should provide a distraction.

Pulling out his knife, he thrust it between the scales, relieved to hear that the beast’s skin was tough enough to withstand that. Will its head be this strong as well? pondered Mok. That could become a problem if he ever tried to kill it from up there. Slowly but surely, he used his knife as a climbing tool of some sort. Only 20 more feet to go, he grimaced. Hopefully, the Koridaians and the man in gray below were having more luck fighting off the beast.

For now, Mok would try and stay alive, and prevent himself from falling. The serpent itself now lashed out at the imperial vessel with several of its tentacles wrapping around it.

ooc: Can't think of very good ideas right now.

[JRPomazon]

OoC: I'll make things more interesting.

Urick was defending the dwarf as best as he could, using his scythe as a means to protect them both from the tentacles that strayed to far in their direction. They were roughly half way towards the head, but the neck line was looking rather vulnerable. He passed Mok and climbed up further ahead. He had little balance on the ever slippery scales, he had one chance to do this. He stuck the beast at the side of his neck, his blade sinking into the flesh with a good amount of resistance. "Juno" howled in pain, it's head jerking back causing Urick at the base of it's neck to slip off. However, he held on the his weapon, which was dragged across the beast's back and onto the neck, severing 3/4ths of it off. The bone of the beast did not have enough strength to properly hold it's own aganist it's weight and shaped off. As the head and neck where only holding on by the scales and skin, it fell onto the water. The rest of it's body was suprisingly buoyant, hovering over the water like a float or a small island.

For a brief moment, there was peace. Urick, walking on the water's surface examined his handy work, looking at the beast's face. He studied it closely.

"This creature . . . Oh No.

From the wound grew not one, but two heads, shooting from the open wound Urick had inflicted. The fallen head was ripped off, discarded as dead weight as the best was reborn. Given the features of the beast, Urick now knew what he was up against.

"It's a Hydra!"

The Hydra then lunged one of it's new heads at Urick, intending to devour him.

Edited by JRPomazon, 13 February 2010 - 12:44 AM.

[Steel Samurai]

An Army of ships were approaching. It appeared the angry mob had noticed the strangers attacking their beloved deity. The grey headed man from the town square stood on the prow of the foremost one, shouting into the wind as two heads sprang where once there was one.

"You see me lads! The Great Admiral cannot be killed! He will slaughter those foul foreigners and bestow riches upon us for our servitude!"

The ships, filled with common pirates armed to the teeth, came closer and closer. The wind was against them, nonetheless they would be be upon the scene of the fight within a few minutes.

[SL the Pyro]

Blast it all, why did the creature have to take action now%2

Edited by SL the Pyro, 13 February 2010 - 04:05 PM.

[Crimson Lego]

“Oh no,” murmured Mok as he realized the true consequences of what would happen if they tried to kill the creature again. To make matters worse, the band of pirates were now drawing closer, and began firing arrows at the group. Pushing that aside, the dwarf notched an arrow to his bow and fired it directly at the head aiming for the gray-cloaked man; it struck the eye and sent the head reeling. The Hydra’s other head lunged forward, barely missing Mok; however, it knocked his bow out of his hand and into the water, rendering him weaponless.

Drawing his blade, Mok dodged out of another attack from the Hydra, then struck at it with his weapon; however, he was afraid to try and decapitate the head in case the Hydra grew 2 more. So how do we kill it?, wondered the dwarf. As the head drew back, Mok tried to find some comfortable footing on the serpent’s body.

Glancing at the man, he spoke quickly. “What’s your name?” he asked, fending off another tentacle. "It might be best to get acquainted with each other before we get killed."

[SL the Pyro]

(OoC: Uhh? What happened to my previous post? w/e, here's the gist:

-Shadow uses his fire to get the tentacles away from the ship
-he notices the pirates coming from behind
-the beast -- which Shadow notices has two heads now, also realizing what it really is -- charges at him in retaliation, BARELY missing, but putting itself between him and the pirates
-Shadow is now behind the beast preparing another fiery blast

But seriously, why was my post messed up?)

----------

Shadow knew things weren't going to end well. The Hyrda is a magical and powerful beast and, to the best of his recollection, could only be truly killed with a great deal of damage to its body. As far as he knew, the only one here who could cause such abuse were the people who were trying to help the beast. Blast it all, this attack was doomed to fail from the start. And the approaching pirate horde did not help matters. They would be the end of him if the beast wasn't.

"Damnit all to hell! Get the ship in closer, we're picking those mercenaries up!" Shadow ordered. It seemed that he needed all of the help he could get, and those two seemed to be gifted warriors. He still kept preparing his fire however, just in case he needed it.

Edited by SL the Pyro, 13 February 2010 - 08:34 PM.

[JRPomazon]

"My name is Urick, a pleasure to make your-"

The introductions were more or less interrupted by the wrath of the hydra and it's massive tentacle attacks. It seemed to have more than just 8, the extremities shooting from the water and even attacking itself in order to strike the men on it's back. It didn't seem to mind it all that much, removing the option of having the beast just rip itself apart. The fire attacks coming from the Koridian men were more or less useful, however it's body seemed resilient. The only thing that really took a beating was the head(s), but that would solve much for long. The pirates sailing towards them were more or less trouble as well.

This needed a fast resolution. Urick jumped off the beast and back onto the water, attempting to see any possible opening that he might have missed. However, his plans went wrong quickly as the Hydra swallowed him whole. It crashed through the water as Urick vanished in an instant. There was a brief pause, no signs of swallowing or gagging as the beast rose it's head from the water. Then, the neck was severed once again, the scythe reaping through the neck. He promptly leaped out and landed back on the water, his weapon readied as two new heads sprung forth.

"We need a plan here."

[Crimson Lego]

“Aye,” responded Mok as calmly as he could. Hacking away at another tentacle and wishing that he had an axe, the dwarf glanced around for inspiration. Though the pirates were now getting closer towards the group, he seriously doubted they had anything that would come in useful for combating the beast. They probably wouldn’t help us anyways.

Gazing up at the Koridaians attempting to fight off the beast using fire, Mok looked back and forth between the Hydra’s heads and the one that had used flames earlier to drive off the tentacles.

Turning to Urick, the dwarf voiced his thoughts. “Why don’t we try using fire to burn the heads?” he suggested. “It might spread to the rest of the body and make it impossible for it to grow the heads back.”

[SL the Pyro]

It was around this time that Shadow's crew was close enough to rescue the mercenaries, but at great risk; the Hydra noticed them. Recognizing the human-flamethrower as a more immediate threat at the moment, it was intent on burying him at sea; the two heads newest heads that spawned both charged at the boat, razor-sharp teeth bared and menacing. This was it; if Shadow was going to unleash his big bang, it had to be now. He waited right until the heads were up close to him before shouting, "For something with three brains, you're not very smart!"

The sigils hovering in the air around him all merged in front of him at that point, and a large ball of flame launched out. The Hydra's pained screech, twice as loud thanks to its second mouth, filled the air. It withdrew its heads immediately, the whole beast flailing; most of the damage seemed to be done to the eyes. The beast was temporarily blinded. But there was a big problem with this...

Namely, that Shadow could see the damage done. And he shouldn't be able to see; the Hydra's leather-like head should be engulfed in flame.

That was when he realized, with much despair, the folly of this half-baked attack plan: the beast was all wet. A wet surface won't conduct flame, at least not without fuel. No one in the vicinity had anything that would serve as a decent accelerant. Setting the Hydra alight was impossible.

That meant there really was only one option left; retreat. Slaying the Hydra just wasn't possible right now. The boat pulled up as close to the thrashing monster as could be considered safe, he called out to the two people trying to hang on for dear life, "You! Mercenaries! You'd better get down here if you want to live, because those pirates will be right on top of us soon!"

Edited by SL the Pyro, 16 February 2010 - 04:44 AM.