|
Post by aetherwalker on Feb 2, 2011 0:41:30 GMT -5
"You'll have to be my eyes and ears and call out the directions," he said to Rell as he climbed onto the rear thwart of the rowboat and took up the oars. He socketed the oars into the tholes and began heaving against the oars, back to her and the wispy darkening oceanscape. The stone gargoyles, unhindered by land or sea travel had spirited the children of the ravaged village yon, to an isle that was a mere speck in the salty haze of deepening dusk. Night would be upon them before they reached their destination and Asmith feared they would be too late.
"Is it to the port or starboard now?"
"Um..." She didn't know.During her human life, Rell had rarely seen the ocean, a kept woman in a bad home in a small, provincial village. After Edornas had seduced her and taken her away to be his bride, the sea was no more prevalent in her life than before. Less so, in fact, since all but the oldest of vampires fear crossing running water.
But Rell was a special breed. Edornas had changed her, altered her in ways even she could not fathom. He used her as a test subject for his cruel and torturous experiments after being cast out by the coterie.
"To the right or left of the bow? ... I mean front of the boat," he clarified between rhythmic breaths.
"Left, now,"she stated tersely as the island slowly grew from a dot on the horizon.
"Port, then. Right is starboard. Front is the bow or fore. to the rear is aft or the stern,"he instructed her.
"I didn't know you were a sailor, too," Rell said with surprise. "Isn't Amber a land-locked region?"
"It is. Commander Ranyon, my father, felt it was a necessary part of my training. Most of the civilian populace can't swim even. No one wants to skinny dip in the bog, " he replied with a rakish grin she couldn't see, but could hear in his voice. She giggled at that.
The moon was up now, lightening the blue-black of the eastern sky. Rell could feel herself wakening fully, her blood singing with nocturnal powers. She felt both a sense of prickly elation and one of doom as her hunger also awoke. She was so tired of suppressing her urges and gargoyles weren't going to offer up a meal. Rell desperately hoped none of the children were injured- she might not be able to contain this wild longing if blood were spilt. She frowned, thinking of the local fauna. Animal blood was sub-par at best and never fully sated her.
Rell eyed Asmith, could smell his rich sanguinity just under that soft skin. She bit her knuckle. This trip was taking forever! She tried to shunt her thoughts and wanton need into a corner of her mind, but the saliva was already flowing and her eyeteeth were extending.
"Do you want me to row for awhile," she queried. "I'm getting a little antsy."
"How far off are we?"
"Still a few miles..."
"Well, you'll just have to keep your pants on."
"Ooh, you're not helping!", Rell cried plaintively. ---------- ---------- --------- ---------- --------
Asmith felt the hull of the boat come aground, scraping against the sandy grit of the shore. He stowed the oars and grabbing his scabbard, leapt into the breakers.
"This way, Geronimo," Rell led in the opposite direction via her dusky, now sarcastic voice.
|
|
|
Post by KD on Feb 2, 2011 20:00:46 GMT -5
Once they were on the land, Rell's usual cool control returned to her and she seemed more herself. It had been a testament to how badly the trip on the ocean had bothered her that she'd complained at all, as it wasn't lady like.
Feeling more in control, the tilted her head back, one gloved hand near Asmith's arm so she could guide him subtly. She let the scents drift over her, quelling her hunger with tight discipline forged over centuries of maintaining her dignity, which was all she'd had once she'd been scarred and cast aside.
She was, she told herself sternly, well over five centuries old. She was NOT some fledgling just recently plucked up and changed who couldn't control her hungers.
She calmly took note of the larger predators, as they would be best to hunt. If anything, she could feed from one then the other, thus avoiding killing anything and upsetting the balance of the area's ecosystem, something Jaz had warned her profusely about. Ironically, Jaz was less concerned with upsetting the balance of the human's ecosystem in cities and such. But then again, it was much easier to feed on a human without killing them than it was an animal.
Speaking of humans, she picked the scent of them up not far from them, guiding Asmith that way.
|
|
|
Post by aetherwalker on Feb 11, 2011 5:46:00 GMT -5
Despite his foolish-looking floundering about, Asmith had some directional sense about him. But when Rell's hand touched his arm, a flood of sensory information filled his head.
They'd had a certain connection between them, a loyalty, a comraderie... since before Rell had saved his life at the ziggurat. It was there before their love-making in the golden gray fields of waving grain; before Calid even. From the moment their eyes first met. He knew that she felt it too.
And now in the salty spume and the cold wind buffeting them, they strode side by side up the grit of the sandy beach inclining steeply towards a ragged gash in the spartan face of the monstrous crag that dominated the island.
There was a heady, sulfuric smell in the air and as Rell scanned up the face of that rocky monolith, she saw dark smoke that rose in cumulus drifts. Now the two of them entered through the mouth of the cave into a winding tunnel, burned out eons ago by magma.
Asmith was uncharacteristically quiet, somber of expression as thunder sounded a storm rising. He strode ahead with purpose, toehead locks plastered to his face with saltwater that dripped from his chin. Nostrils flared as he took in the scents as his senses expanded. He coughed as he inhaled rock dust hanging in the air.
Somewhere ahead of them, inhuman screeches echoed off irregular stone walls. It got steadily hotter as the progressed down a spiraling ramp that fell away on their right. Dampness in their hair and clothes steamed off of their bodies and the gulf below them became obscured with a thick, orange haze, flickering with light from beyond.
The screeching got louder in a hurry as several pairs of wing beat their way. Up through the orange vapor came four young drakes, chasing each other. But when they spied the two invaders, their attentions immediately became hostile.
|
|
|
Post by KD on Feb 12, 2011 1:06:53 GMT -5
Rell became more and more agitated. It was no wonder, the heat, the fire, it brought back memories of hot metal and steel clamps holding her down. She forced herself to focus but was almost glad when the drakes appeared, her swords spinning into her hands.
|
|
|
Post by aetherwalker on Feb 12, 2011 5:47:30 GMT -5
Asmith stood still, coiled, but loose... Judging by the air displaced as each drake moved by, he estimated each was about the size of a shetland pony, gliding on stout, muscular wings. The drakes would harry their target with a flurry of wings beating about the head, swiftly swirling about their prey, and deftly evading direct hits. Others would either breathe gouts of flame or swoop low and fast to slice with claws and wing spines.
Asmith stepped back, moving his head quickly, narrowly avoiding a vicious raking of claws at his face. He went into a crouch, bunching muscles for the next attack. The drakes may have been just wild animals, but they were cunning, like wolves or foxes. Two more came at him in a pincer movement whille another breathed a stream of fire.
Asmith sprang into movement, making each second count. He dove left into a somersault that took him to the wall where he leapt up its face, propelling himself back through the air. His arc landed him pouncing on the back of one of the swooping drakes. It made a valiant effort to keep flying, but Asmith's weight brought it crashing onto the rocky path. He rolled free, pulling his sword in one fluid motion. The mini dragon reared up just as the blind fighter spun, chopping cleanly through the elongated neck. One down.
The drakes were coming back around, two more joining them, having heard summoning cries from the first group. Now there were five and they were all swirling in a frenzied cluster. In this way nearly all attack were glancing blows, shunted aside with deft placement of wings, spines and sweeping, whip-like tails. Asmith put up his buckler using it to bat away incoming strikes, but the buckler was not large and inevitable he received gashes and claw rakes in unprotected flanks.
A pair of drakes circled Rell, aiming streams of fire at her, while another, zooming past Asmith, struck at her back. All the while the ear piercing shrieks strained their eardrums.
|
|
|
Post by KD on Feb 12, 2011 14:18:54 GMT -5
Black Twilight sang as it spun through the air, icy power radiating from it, drawing the fire in. She fended the slashes off as best she could with her second sword. One of the drakes shrieked as she cut it in half, attacking the other two ferociously. Her wounds healed from the cuts almost instantly, but the fire wounds would take longer. She ignored them
|
|
|
Post by aetherwalker on Feb 14, 2011 16:28:45 GMT -5
(Alternate title: Volcano Children blah blah part whatever) Black Twilight sang through the air, flying so true it might have had a sentience of its own. The sword left a frosty trail, shunting aside the flames. It followed the jet of the drake's breath to spit it right through its saurian head. Rell was a vision of Kali, pirouetting in a ballet of death. Strikes-to-bleed arced out and down, chopping right through the drake engaging her, the bisected halves thudding wetly on the pitted stone.
The two left shrieked at Asmith and he staggered, clutching his head. One reptile circled around, picking up speed for a dive. The other breathed on the knight, catching him afire.
"Son of a bitch!" cursed he, slapping at the flames. It wasn't working too well, his hair was burning, and he dropped to the ground, rolling to snuff himself out. He rolled too far, going over the edge with a yelp, scrabbling at it with sooty fingers. The breather alighted to snap at his hand, but it underestimated its foe. He had felt the rush of displaced air pushed by the beast's decent. He let go his hold on the edge to leap and grab the outstretched neck, taking his enemy down the precipice with him.
"I'll take you to hell!", could be heard as the two disappeared down the well of the chasm.
Meanwhile, Rell was alone with the last of the hungry reptiles. This one was bigger than the others. Huge, it was a mature specimen, large enough to be mistaken for a dragon. It had hardened plates for scales and an evil gleam in its eye. It would not be so easily dispatched.
Dinner plate eyes locked on to the vampire as it came her way. Stank and fetid breath assailed Rell's nostrils with the smell of rot. The slavering jaw snapped foot long teeth at her.
|
|
|
Post by KD on Feb 14, 2011 17:44:13 GMT -5
"Asmith!" She couldn't turn to make sure he was all right and put her back to the beast. She narrowed her eyes, spinning her swords, and was a blur of dark cloth, darting around the beast.
|
|
|
Post by aetherwalker on Feb 15, 2011 19:17:09 GMT -5
But her blades did only slight damage to the drake brood-father. If there was a way to kill it, it was not immediately evident. Perhaps direct confrontation was not the answer she sought. How to escape? Dust in its eyes? A distracting movement? She had to think fast and act even quicker here...
|
|
|
Post by KD on Feb 16, 2011 0:16:17 GMT -5
Rell settled for a more sneaky attack, ducking down into an alcove out of sight, hiding herself amongst the unfortunate remains of former victims, skeletal, and rotting both. She was as dead as they were in most ways, her scent showed it, it confused the beast.
The drake moved forward, eyes sweeping back and forth. It's smell was off but it's eyesight wasn't. It spotted her, rearing up, making a fatal mistake. Rell shot forward low to the ground, sliding beneath the beast. As she'd thought, the scales there tapered off. The skin was tough and leathery but not so enough to offer much resistance as she slid, stabbing upward, her own momentum dragging her swords along, slitting its belly open. The drake shrieked.
|
|
|
Post by aetherwalker on Feb 17, 2011 16:18:27 GMT -5
Though her aim was true and she was almost a blur of motion, she hadn't counted on the belly plates being like stone. Her upward stab nearly numbed her hand as the blade stopped short after an inch,causing her wrist to bend painfully. The slice was just not deep enough to draw blood. Though the snaky beast had made an awful noise, it had been out of irritation. She had only pissed it off and had to dodge quickly now as the large head snapped downward, missing by mere inches.
She knew it had a weakness, as everything in this world did. But right now it was becoming evident that taking on the drake king alone was foolhardy. Perhaps the answer would come clear deeper within this lair of demons and beasts.
|
|
|
Post by KD on Feb 18, 2011 22:03:17 GMT -5
Rell hissed in annoyance and went after Asmith.
|
|
|
Post by aetherwalker on Feb 24, 2011 7:25:41 GMT -5
A ruckus of screeching and muffled cursing came from below as Rell outran the Drake King. Down the spiraling pathway she sped and presently realized she was no longer being pursued. The saurian king had been distracted by other pray and terrible bleats and crunching noises sounded at her back. This was no place for children!
Glancing up as she reached the bottom, she estimated her lover had fallen about 50 feet, but he was not in the immediate vicinity. The base of the chute was a rounded hollow, a nest where many eggs had been laid. The eggs had all been smashed by a heavy object and bloody yolk blanketed the hollow with sticky mess. A smeary trail of blood and ichor led away.
One sniff told her the blood was Asmith's (though she'd have guessed it anyway). Her eyes locked on the red spatters for a moment. Soo..flavorful and aromatic...
She shook her head and put it out of her mind, following the trail into a cavernous open area, bisected by lava! A river of liquid flame flowing from the heart of the island like blood through a body.
Asmith was here, about thirty feet ahead, standing at the edge of the flow. He was bereft of tunic, for it hung in rent, bloody tatters from his muscular frame, claw marks all over him.
He sheathed his sword and as she watched, he shoved hard with his right boot and the lifeless, broken body of his foe rolled heavily into the burning river.
He turned towards her, panting and wiping his face.
"Well," he said to her, "we're in it, now!"
|
|
|
Post by KD on Feb 25, 2011 1:07:30 GMT -5
As they were in a bit of danger, Rell had even more control over her bloodlust than normal and barely flicked a glance at the blood. She blinked at the words as she drifted up to his side. "And we weren't in it before?"
|
|
|
Post by aetherwalker on Feb 25, 2011 8:11:52 GMT -5
He shrugged.
"Dad always told me anticipation and planning were the first steps, but the first fight was the real beginning." He sucked on a bashed knuckle, inadvertently getting soot on his face. Then, a roaring screech sounded from above and behind them. Asmith started.
"I guess it doesn't matter now. We don't have time for this, we have to keep moving." But the way ahead was all but impassable. Looking out over the lava flow, Rell could see stony platforms that led across, but each were too far apart to just leap across. There was also a sort of volcanic mesa rising from the middle. With her vampiric strength, Rell could make it across in leaps and bounds, away from the Dracolord's wrath.
Asmith paced quickly. the heat was blistering down here. "Rell, we did it once for Rumidai, now I need you to do it for me. You'll need to throw me onto each platform."
Even now, he was dousing himself with his canteen. The roaring was definitely louder. There wasn't much time left.
|
|