| Welcome to Imythess, the border between dreams and reality. We hope you enjoy your visit. Imythess is a creative writing board where you narrate the story of a character in the medieval land of Imythess, on the planet Chaon. Each topic is an opportunity for your character to interact with the world and its peoples by cooperatively writing pieces of a story with other members, one post at a time. We call this role-playing, because you assume the identity of your character as if it were your own. In order to play, you must register an account for each character you would like to write about, and begin their tale by filling out their basic profile information: Race (human, elf, demon, etc.), class (warrior, mage, etc.), physical appearance, and any other personal details you would like to describe. You are also encouraged to come up with some background history information for what your character's life has been like up to the point at which their story in Imythess begins. There is no approval process or application required to join, so long as you follow the rules then you are free to write whatever character details you choose. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free. Create a character now! If you're already a member, you can log into your account below: |
| Ambush Predator; [P] Eliza | |
|---|---|
| Tweet Topic Started: Sun Mar 23, 2014 6:55 pm (1,304 Views) | |
| Ari | Sun Apr 6, 2014 8:40 pm Post #31 |
![]() ![]()
|
"Quiet your insufferable squeaking, clockwork mouse. The poison-blood scent is approaching and you are in my way." She still hadn't snapped out of her strange trance which gave her speech a stilted, archaic feel. Hawkish eyes narrowed on a figure entering a nearby intersection from a parallel side-street. A man unaccompanied. Dressed in a northerner shirt and trousers, but with an Istani scarf to cover his head and face. All she could make out was his eyes, which were piercing yellow. "Oy!" Ari whistled to secure his attention, then strode out into the middle of the street to face him. Her hand hovered over Agorst. The man stopped at the center of the intersection but didn't turn to face her. Kept his hands casually in his pockets. He didn't look armed. "You government?" Ari withdrew her sword as she responded. "I do not need 'government.'" "Ah. In that case... guards!" He cupped his hands around his mouth. "Guards! Someone is trying to kill me!" She was upon him in the blink of an eye. He caught her blade between his palms, twisted it and wrenched Ari along with it. Then his knee came up. Kinetic energy condensed around it during the moment of impact, sending the swordsman shooting back down the street. She came to a stop close to Eliza after skipping twice against the ground and rolling violently for several more feet. Patches of skin on her arms and one side of her face had been ripped off from the friction. There was a hard surface just beneath the skin, but her blood obscured any patterns or other details. Ari swayed to her feet, grinning wide. "I have fought you before, in a different life! This I'm certain. All I remember is the rush and the taste of poison. Something... the details are hazy." "You got the wrong man," he casually brushed her off. Passersby saw the sudden outburst of violence nearby and ran screaming. Two incarnations are fighting on the street, they said. Both Ari and the man gave them puzzled looks. "But the guards will take you, for sure." It was only then that she realized they were surrounded. A small group of men and women in loose-fitting clothing were perched on the rooftops and lantern posts. Ari picked out the distinctive scarves of the Nalai Guard. Even in this state she knew that the guardsmen in this nation were a completely different breed from those found in the mainland. The only bright side? Everyone's attention was on Ari. |
| Offline Profile | Quote To Top |
| Eliza | Thu Apr 10, 2014 2:53 pm Post #32 |
![]()
|
Eliza's eyes almost seemed to glow as she glared at her bodyguard. "Mouse, is it?" The skin of her eyebrows split open bloodlessly, quartz lenses extending out of the opening and encapsulating her eyes entirely. The translucent, blue coverings gave her an almost bug-like appearance. Her view of the street shifted in that instant. Now she could not only see what you'd normally expect, but also the threads of mana that were everywhere. Passersby seemed to have an inner light, the strength of it relative to their magical skill and power. "You'll eat those words." Before she could make good on that threat, a plain-looking man emerged from a cross-street at the nearby intersection. Ari's eyes glued to him instantly, and Eliza couldn't help looking at him as well. In her enhanced vision, he seemed to be made out of pure energy. It was more magical power contained by a single individual than she had seen outside of the upper echelons of the Academy of Magic. The swordswoman growled out a threat and lunged at him, drawing her sword and striking in one fluid movement. The stranger almost effortlessly avoided the slash, knocking her aside as if she were a kitten. Ari came skidding back along the road, leaving a trail of blood on the stones. Her face was a gruesome sight, the skin peeled away to reveal something black and shiny underneath. They were surrounded now. The runaway's eyes were wide as she scanned the surrounding rooftops. She didn't know if they were kidnappers or assassins, but there was no doubt in her mind that they were after her. She grimaced and raised her right arm, feeding mana to the symbiote. The node on her palm flickered to life, burning a hole clear through her gloves. "Activate Offensive Platform," she muttered, her tone metallic and without inflection. A small sphere of blue light shot up from her palm, hovering a dozen feet above the intersection. For the briefest instant every eye was drawn to it, an almost instinctive reaction. Eliza clamped the fingers of her other hand over Ari's eyes just as the globe seemed to explode. The brilliant light seared the eyes of anyone looking directly at it, which included most of the rooftop watchers. They cried out in shock and pain as she shifted her grip to Ari's bicep, pistons grinding as she bodily yanked the swordswoman after her. "They're all after me, they must be, he has people everywhere," she muttered as she pulled her bodyguard into a narrow space between houses. She wasn't completely sure why she was bringing along her companion. A sense of loyalty and her wild paranoia were playing a discordant melody in her brain, their lack of harmony budding into a searing migraine. She had no idea how many of the scarf-wearing watchers still had working eyes or if that strange man that had effortlessly beaten the swordswoman was also incapacitated. She let go of Ari so that she could start rolling up the sleeve of her right arm as they ran, discarding the ruined glove in the process. "Can't trust anyone, have to get away." She turned her wide-eyed stare on Ari, cheeks drained of blood and jaw clenched. "Are you with them?" (OOC: Sunspot activated Corona, if you're curious.) Edited by Eliza, Thu Apr 10, 2014 2:54 pm.
|
| Offline Profile | Quote To Top |
| Ari | Mon Apr 21, 2014 11:12 pm Post #33 |
![]() ![]()
|
Ari felt her legs and soon her body following after Eliza. What she really wanted was to keep throwing herself into the fray, maybe even shedding her skin if she had to. She felt nothing toward this girl. The man, on the other hand, was definitely someone worth paying attention to. He was the key to filling gaps in her memory. "Of course I'm not with them. Didn't you see me fighting them?" And seriously, what was up with this girl's paranoia? Was she plotting something? People always got nervous when they were plotting something. They reached a point where, all of a sudden, Ari snapped out of whatever alternate mental state she was in. Almost immediately winced and halfway keeled over, propping her fist against a building's wall. Her breathing was fast and heavy. "What just happened? I blacked out." It was happening to her a lot lately. Ari quickly sensed the panicked atmosphere and looked around at their cramped surroundings. "What's going on? Are we running from someone?" |
| Offline Profile | Quote To Top |
| Eliza | Tue Apr 22, 2014 2:22 pm Post #34 |
![]()
|
Eliza kept watching the swordswoman warily after her reply, grinding her teeth together. "Good enough," she eventually muttered, turning back to the front and continuing through the city. She took turns at random, mainly sticking to smaller side-streets and alleyways and only crossing wider boulevards when it was absolutely necessary. Suddenly, it felt like a switch in her head was turned off. She faltered, coming to a stop and looking around. "That was... I felt so..." The runaway tried to think back to the events of just minutes ago and found her memories blurry, as if she were viewing them through a cloudy, warped pane of glass. She could remember Ari charging at someone and getting hurt, and the guardsmen on the rooftops, and summoning the offensive platform... and the paranoia. The bone-deep, gut-wrenching paranoia that had almost led her to attacking her bodyguard. "There... there was a man. When you saw him, you went all... intense. Almost like you were in a trance. You charged at him, tried to kill him. He stopped you," she explained, turning to Ari. "Then guards showed up. We were surrounded, so I made a distraction. They have to be after us." She shuddered, hugging herself tightly. She didn't mention the overwhelming sense of suspicion that had beset her. She didn't want to think about those negative emotions, didn't want to accidentally invite them back to the forefront of her mind. If Ari truly couldn't remember how she had acted, it was a small blessing. Eliza was actually slightly jealous; she wished she could forget it as well. The girl looked around, frowning. "We have to get out of the city. But... I don't know where we are. I just ran, and you were... distracted." A clear memory suddenly cut through her fear-addled mind. The words of Ari's muttered mantra about killing and flaying people ran through her head, about wearing their skin as a trophy and using their viscera as poison. Eliza compulsively shuddered, her fingers tightening on her arm as she took an instinctive step back from her companion. "It was quite a scene. I'm sure the guards are after us. And that man." For some reason her memories of the one who had started all of this were fading quicker than the rest. She had already forgotten what he looked like; if he passed them on the street, she wasn't sure if she would be able to pick him out. Something about him still bothered her, but she pushed that thought aside for later. Escaping the city came first. |
| Offline Profile | Quote To Top |
| Ari | Wed Apr 23, 2014 12:25 pm Post #35 |
![]() ![]()
|
A big pit formed in the depths of Ari's stomach at the mention of her "trance" and how it made her seem "intense." It wasn't because it was a new revelation about her, but because it was old news. It was what she heard people say every single time she blacked out. She knew that her entire personality changed, she would speak with authority in a sort of archaic style, and she would usually end up fighting whatever enemy was around until she ran out of energy, collapsed, and reverted back. The first time this happened was while purging a temple of the sky demon king in Nalai, where an earth demonkin had killed all the priests and raised them as ghouls or ghoul-constructs. Of all the people in the world, why was she the one to get split personalities? She barely had enough for one. There wasn't much time to think about the implications beyond that instant. She had bigger things to deal with than her own issues. "If the guards are after us, we're already screwed. Nalai Guard doesn't mess around. In fact, they're probably--" They were forced to a stop. Unexpectedly, this alleyway they had been running through turned out to not be an alleyway at all. They were greeted by a ten-foot-tall wooden wall or fence. A dead end. Ari momentarily considered climbing, but as soon as she looked up she saw those distinctive outlines. Guardsmen loomed over them from the nearby rooftops. "--herding us into a trap." She turned around and even more guardsmen were closing in on them from ground level. "Young miss, you can go free. It's your friend we need to bring in." The rest were silent. "Be reasonable, now. She's a criminal, and assisting criminals is a crime, too." Explaining to them that Ari wasn't in control of herself when she attacked some person probably wouldn't work. "Fly to Mandira and find Melati. She'll protect you," Ari said in a harsh whisper to Eliza. "I failed. I'm sorry." |
| Offline Profile | Quote To Top |
| Eliza | Sat Apr 26, 2014 5:40 pm Post #36 |
![]()
|
Eliza started as the guards appeared, eyes going wide. They hadn't revealed themselves until after Ari had mentioned the possibility of a trap. She's been completely oblivious to their presence, which should have been impossible. I shouldn't have been suppressing it...! With a resigned sigh she relaxed her strict control over her reserves of mana. H.A.T.O.N. eagerly lapped up the excess energy, activating several of the systems it could not maintain without a steady supply of magical power. It released a high-pitched bleep, far above the range of normal human hearing. The symbiote effortlessly processed the returning echoes, fixing a flawless mental map of her surroundings in her mind. She gasped as she realized just how many of the guards surrounded them. She could only see around half of them. The rest were waiting in side streets and behind cover on the rooftops, completely covering any avenue of escape. She could probably get away by herself even if they wanted to catch her, but there was no chance of escaping with Ari weighing her down. H.A.T.O.N. was designed to provide Eliza with options in any situation; it wasn't designed to benefit her companions as well. "I... I guess...," she mumbled before suddenly reaching out and grabbing the swordwoman's right hand. She turned her back on the soldiers, trying to hide what she was doing as much as possible. "I guess this is goodbye then." Eliza pressed two fingers into the palm of Ari's hand, brow furrowing in concentration. Light flowed over her fingers like liquid, coalescing into a small pattern in the center of her hand. She pulled off her right glove, jamming it into her companion's palm and then forcing her fingers down into a fist over it. She didn't say anything for fear of being overheard, but hoped that Ari understood what she was attempting. So long as that glyph remained active, she should be able to find her once more. Eliza stepped back from Ari, turning to the guards and holding both hands up in the universal gesture to prove she was unarmed. Her unclad right hand glimmered in the sunlight, the steel fingers making a low whirring noise as she spread them wide. "Alright. I'm coming." She walked around ten feet away from Ari until she was completely out of the shadows of the nearby buildings. She smiled warmly at the guards, but her eyes were still narrowed in rapt concentration. "I'll just be going then." The girl's body glowed from within, every inch of her body emanating soft blue light. A moment later it disappeared in a azure streak too fast to track with the naked eye, flashing up to the rooftop level and several blocks over in the blink of an eye. She staggered as she re-appeared, drawing in a deep breath of air with a gasp. She didn't know if the guards intended on letting her go free or taking her in for questioning, but she didn't want to risk them detaining her for any length of time and giving her father's agents the opportunity to locate her. She quickly pulled back her right sleeve, revealing more of her metallic skin. "Deploy Hoverboard." One of the plates of armor on her forearm folded back, allowing a thin sliver of metal to extend out. It quickly unfolded into a metal disc with two straps and a gleaming sapphire node in the exact center. It fell towards the ground, but the crystal started to glow and it stopped an instant before striking the cobblestones, floating above the ground. The noble quickly stepped onto the plate, sliding her feet into the straps. They tightened so that she was firmly held in place. I'm sure Melati will know what to do... She shot into the sky, zipping over the city streets in a blur of speed, a determined look on her face. It was nearing dusk when she arrived in Mandira. She floated down in an empty alleyway, folding the hoverboard back down and returning it to storage within her arm. She pulled her metal hand deep into the sleeve of her robe, folding that arm over her chest like it was injured or lame. She walked out into the main street, pulling up the hood of her cowl to activate the enchantment to hide her features. It didn't take long to find a government building: there was a cluster of them near the center of the city, the flag of Nalai streaming from the rooftop and uniformed guards standing at the gates. Eliza walked straight up to one of the men standing watch, staring at him. "I have information for Melati," she stated as calmly as she could, infusing her voice with the note of command she had learned by listening to her father order around servants back in Striberg. "You would be doing both of us a great service by escorting me to her office." |
| Offline Profile | Quote To Top |
| Ari | Mon Apr 28, 2014 2:23 am Post #37 |
![]() ![]()
|
The guard seemed rather surprised by Eliza. "Of course. Please come this way. Are you alright? You look injured." The poor man's questions were genuine as he led her through dark stone hallways with high ceilings. It was so empty at this hour that their footsteps echoed. Down at the end of the corridor, lantern light could be seen flickering through a slotted window and door. "You came at a good time. She just got back not a quarter-hour ago." They came out to a square-shaped courtyard on the interior of the building, cut through a garden and approached the door with the light behind it. Eliza's escort took the bird-shaped door knocker and hit it several times. There were muffled crashing sounds, shuffling footsteps, and a voice saying something like, "One second!" They got louder until the door finally opened after a solid minute. Melati gave the two of them one look before her face lit up. "Oh, you're here early! What a pleasant surprise! You brought her here, Kito?" The guardsman nodded. "How nice of you! I'll take her off your hands so you can get back to your post." He gave a small bow. "Take care, now." Melati gently encouraged Eliza to come in. Her eyes lingered on the noble's arm. Once the door was closed, the Nalaian lost most of her overly friendly demeanor, becoming more serious and even-headed but not entirely unfriendly. Concerned, moreso. "What happened? Where's Ari? Here, take a seat. I'll make you tea." She picked up a stack of files off a cushioned chair to clear space for Eliza to sit. In fact, her whole "office" was filled with unbelievable clutter. The tables, the floor, even the walls were full of letters, books, scrolls, and random knick-knacks like wooden shrike figurines. A small section of a wall separated Melati from the main room, allowing her to listen to Eliza's response while she prodded at the runes covering a small water heater -- she flinched when they fizzled and sparked at her touch. Right around where Eliza was sitting, the walls were especially odd. The building's stone was layered with wood paneling to make it more homey, but whatever beauty that decision could've had was dashed when Melati had, for some reason, decided to cover the wall in iron nails half-hammered into it with the pointy ends facing outward. Papers, entire stacks of them, were impaled on the nails. Even though at first glance it looked like total chaos, it had a very clear organization to it. So clear that the purpose was obvious to anyone stopping and reading the headings: things like THE BLUE-EYED AXE - NERIDA or THE FALSE SOVEREIGN - TIVON or THE PAINTED MANTIS - BETHARI. Melati placed a cup of tea in Eliza's hands and settled cross-legged onto the floor in front of her. She didn't seem to mind their massive difference in height when sitting like that. One sip from her own mug made her scrunch up her face in disgust. "Sounds like you two had the most unfortunate coincidence I've ever seen. Good thing I don't believe in coincidences." She leaned over and grabbed a yellowing potted plant: a small tangle of barbed thorns, no flowers. After sliding the whole thing over to herself, she poured the contents of her mug into the pot, then was quick to bring her sharp eyes back up to Eliza. "Any other details you can think of? I have all night." |
| Offline Profile | Quote To Top |
| Eliza | Tue Apr 29, 2014 12:49 am Post #38 |
![]()
|
Eliza managed a shaky smile, although the expression was partially masked by her hood. "Oh, it's nothing," she insisted, clutching her arm closer to her body protectively. "Thank you." They quickly made their way through the building. The runaway carefully kept track of their path throughout the structure. Her time in Nalai had not been exactly peaceful; it would probably be for the best to know how to escape if it became necessary. She nodded her thanks to the guard and ducked into the office, waiting until the door closed behind her to lift off the hood and dispel the enchantment. The chamber was much messier than she'd expected, but the most unusual aspect of it was the assortment of nails haphazardly protruding from a section of the wall. Reams of paper had been thrust onto the sharp points with bold writing scrawled across them. She unfolded her arm, shaking out her hand and wincing at the obnoxious grinding noise. "My hand is fine, I just had to get rid of my glove. I thought there would be fewer questions." She clenched her hand into a fist, staring at it for a few seconds, unsure of where to start. It wasn't until Melati prompted her that she finally launched into the story, describing their trip into the city and what had happened there. She mentioned the man that had elicited such an odd reaction from Ari and the appearance of the Nalaian guards, as well as their failure to escape from the peacekeeping force. For now she excluded the feelings of paranoia and Ari's disturbing mutterings, thinking that the information wasn't important and might make her sound crazy. Eliza was embarrassed to realize that there were tears in her eyes as she spoke. She was exhausted and hungry and scared and worried. The girl raised her gloved hand and angrily dashed away the tears, looking away from Melati. "Any other details you can think of? I have all night." Eliza pursed her lips, still refusing to meet the woman's eyes. "There was something...," she mumbled, nervously twisting her fingers together. "Right before it all went downhill, Ari started acting... differently. She almost didn't seem human. And... I don't blame her. I felt..." She shuddered, clenching her hands into a fist. "Everything felt... wrong. I didn't feel like I could trust anyone. Everyone seemed like spies, even Ari... So when she started acting weird, I tried to get away. We almost started fighting before she went after that other guy." Eliza sighed and glanced back towards Melati. "I know how crazy that sound, but I had a lot of time to think about it on the way over here. I think someone was messing with our minds... And you mentioned before that there was an incarnation like that, didn't you? Could that be who she was fighting?" "In any case, we need to save her. She got caught because of me." There was a slight quaver in her voice, but her expression was fiercely determined. |
| Offline Profile | Quote To Top |
| Ari | Tue Apr 29, 2014 1:48 am Post #39 |
![]() ![]()
|
Melati listened, lips tightening into a thin line. Instead of answering right away, she rose from her seat on the floor and walked over to the wall full of impaled papers, pretending she never saw Eliza crying. The small woman put her hands on her hips, scrutinizing her handiwork. "To be honest, I feel like I should be apologizing to you before I do anything else. Your problems ended up wrapped in something big, and that's at least partly my fault. I'm sorry." She turned around to face Eliza, but tapped her knuckles against her wall to indicate it. "I have a pet project. I'm trying to learn more about incarnations that have no memory of their past lives, or difficulty accessing their powers, or have a suppressed personality. We call that being 'asleep,' and it's unusually common during this generation. Bethari is one of them. She's got every symptom. I can only think of one other incarnation who has it worse than she." There was real sadness in that last comment, but Melati breezed past it like it hadn't happened. "And the one we're up against is also asleep. The False Sovereign, currently a noble named Tivon. No one else in Nalai could do what you experienced in Sangdan. He probably can't control the paranoia aura very well. If he'd been serious, not even Ari could resist it." She paused for several seconds to think. "I'm not convinced the False Sovereign was in the same part of the market as you because of random chance. Judging from what you just told me, though... I'm starting to wonder if he's the ringleader in all this after all. It actually sounds to me like someone placed him there intentionally without him knowing what was going on. Don't you get that impression? I mean, it sure was convenient to draw out Ari like that. Her triggers are pretty easy to figure out and she's not mentally equipped to resist them, poor thing." Mentioning that finally brought Melati's attention all the way back to the most pressing issue at hand, the one she hadn't even spoken about up until now. "Don't worry about Ari. I need you safe, not taking risks. If we're lucky, she'll break herself out. Or she'll rot in a cell for a few weeks before getting banished from the country. Either way we need to be flexible and cautious." |
| Offline Profile | Quote To Top |
| Eliza | Tue Apr 29, 2014 3:41 am Post #40 |
![]()
|
Eliza scanned the walls more closely after Melati drew attention to the oddly arranged sheets of paper. Some of them had names written large enough for her to read. Once caught her eyes almost immediately: THE PAINTED MANTIS - BETHARI. So that must be Ari... She frowned, thinking on some of the information that the swordswoman had shared. Suddenly the attempts of Nalaians to worship her made a lot more sense. Melati didn't give her much time to consider the information, immediately moving on to describe the incarnation that had hunted her down and led to her bodyguard's capture. "The False Sovereign?" The name wasn't familiar, but for some reason it resonated with the intense suspicion she had experienced earlier that day. Her companion seemed certain that he was responsible, and since she apparently made a study of such things, Eliza was in no position to contradict her. Besides, if that was an imperfect version of the being's paranoia aura, she didn't want to experience its full power. She didn't think she could resist it either. "It does seem slightly suspicious, but honestly, this whole situation has been rather absurd. I'm still not sure why I didn't leave as soon as my identity was exposed." She shrugged offhandedly. "If they could place him there, that means they had us under observation. If that's the case, I don't know why they didn't just ambush us at Ari's house. It would have been easier than trying to trap us in a busy market street. But he did seem more interested in her than me..." Eliza lapsed into silence for a second, noticing that incongruity for the first time. If the Sovereign was just another tool in her father's arsenal, he probably would have pursued them instead of leaving it to the guards. That suggested that there was an ulterior motive behind his actions, some machination that she couldn't fathom due to her inexperience in Nalaian politics and culture. Melati moved on, blatantly stating that leaving Ari in jail was the best option at the moment. The runaway noble's eyes widened in shock. She almost snapped back immediately, but swallowed the angry words and forced herself to compose a more rational retort. "Why is that, exactly?," she asked. "You chose Ari specifically for this task; why would you abandon her now? She must be quite accomplished for you to entrust her with a situation that requires such flexibility and cautiousness." An imperious note had crept back into her voice, but she did her best to suppress it. Eliza suspected that trying to browbeat Melati into submission would be an utterly useless tactic. She also didn't feel the need to put into words how little she trusted this woman. She hadn't forgotten Ari's guess that Melati was also an incarnation. It seemed like Nalai was rife with the living myths, and somehow she had ended up in the midst of a dangerous situation involving at least three of them... that she knew of. "It seems odd that you'd discard her now, if she's so useful... especially given your interest in these incarnations. Plus, I don't want her to suffer because of me, not even for a few weeks." A sudden idea came to the girl. "Is there nothing you can do for her? Aren't you a part of the government?" |
| Offline Profile | Quote To Top |
| Ari | Thu May 22, 2014 12:26 pm Post #41 |
![]() ![]()
|
"There are more people who know where Ari lives than she thinks. The government, for example, has to have a registered address. During my recent visit I noticed someone had placed a tracking enchantment on the Painted Armor, as well. Probably her family members. They were the ones who gave her the armor to test and see if she really was the Mantis." Coming up alongside Eliza, Melati shrugged. "But who knows what's really going on? I'm just spitballing here. Matters of subterfuge, and the countering thereof, are a recent pursuit of mine -- relatively speaking. Right now it's our enemies who control the most information." In addition, Eliza was not having any of that business with Ari. She came near demanding her bodyguard's release. Melati felt the distinct tone of voice but chose not to react to it. The woman grinned sheepishly, fidgeting with a loose thread on her sleeve. "Err, sorry. I was trying to be tricky. Well... okay, I admit it, I just wanted to wait a little while and see what she would do. Research is another new pursuit of mine." She nervously chuckled, then cleared her throat. "But honestly, I'm almost certain she'll get out on her own somehow. Though now that you mention it, that could potentially result in some unwanted deaths. I am indeed a part of the government, but more as a figurehead than anything. If I were really cynical I'd say I'm just a mascot." She gave a pointed look at the menagerie of little shrike figurines and other shrike-themed oddities littering her room, useless but too sentimental to discard. "I don't have as much power in government as the public has been led to believe. And prisons are under the care of the Taras Guard, which is-- well, you met them already. I do have friends in the Guard, though! I could call in a favor. Maybe a brief distraction, or they could lend you a guard outfit or something? I know it's for the common good, but nothing too insanely illegal, please. Just tell me what your plan is and I'll try to support you any way I can." There were no real Nalaian prisons. The only jails were deep underground, small and reserved for anyone awaiting judgment. Banishment from Nalai was a common way to get rid of ruffians. The really dangerous ones were executed -- traditionally by axe, but a Tarasian invention called a guillotine had revolutionized capital punishment. In Sangdan, a single hallway opened up to multiple single-person holding cells that were just a bit larger than a closet. Instead of bars, they had thick iron doors. It was perilously dark and the crude stone ceiling kept dripping. Lights flickered in and out of the slit in the iron door. A light moving toward her. Ari stirred. She sat with her back against the far wall, one hand over a bent knee. Soon she could make out the words they were saying. One of them was explaining to the other or others that "she turned herself in peacefully" and that she was "unharmed." All true, though the Guard was definitely pushy when it came time to move her to her cell. Nothing but a bruised ego, really. One of the guards tapped his baton against the door. "Bethari. Visitors." Visitors? And this soon? How many hours had it been? Ari's curiosity was what motivated her to get up more than anything else. She thought it was maybe Eliza or Melati. When she looked through the viewing slit in the door of her cell, she was in for a big surprise. It was a bunch of priests. One face she even recognized. "Hey. You're the one that tested me, right?" The middle-aged man nodded after exchanging tense looks with the others. It was a different priest, an older one, who spoke first. Instead of using Common, he used the old Nalai native tongue. "Good evening, miss Bethari. Have you been treated well?" "Just fine. Uh, to what do I owe the pleasure?" It took her a second to remember the proper idiom in the Shokanalai language. They must have figured she was fluent. "I think we would like to apologize, first. The priesthood and Nalai Guard had a slight failure to communicate. They took you in without knowing you were under observation." Ari eyed them. "That man said I would only be under observation for a month or two. It's been half a year since I was tested." Their apparent leader bowed, and the others followed suit. "Please accept our humblest apologies." She had a really bad feeling about why they were being so polite and submissive. Nalai was a theocratic monarchy; they were normally supposed to act like authority figures. But... "After this most recent situation, we now have sufficient reason to bring you back in. Brother Shihar has devised a more accurate test -- though to some among us, your status is virtually guaranteed after all the, heh, trouble you've gotten into." "Your uncle Sukarno and your grandparents have been alerted of your likely status as the Painted Mantis," added another priest. The eyes of the guard escorting the group went wide as dinnerplates. "The priesthood is already revising its belief that the Mantis skipped generations." Ari was hesitant about this whole "being taken somewhere" thing. It actually was more of a concern to her now than the fact everyone important seemed certain that she was something she... wasn't? Maybe? The glyph in Ari's hand suggested that Eliza was going to come looking for her. Even if her charge could track Ari down, she couldn't guarantee that where she'd be going was safe, secure or anything like that. For some reason, she didn't trust the Nalaian priesthood for a second. It was a very deep-seated feeling, very confident even though it had no rational basis. "I think it would be best if we let my actions stand for themselves in the Nalaian justice system," Ari said. "Incarnation or not, I attacked an innocent man." |
| Offline Profile | Quote To Top |
| Eliza | Tue May 27, 2014 2:24 pm Post #42 |
![]()
|
Eliza frowned thoughtfully. She'd never really though about how to break someone out of prison before. H.A.T.O.N.'s main purpose was to ensure her survival by giving her an abundance of options in any situation, but the symbiote relied on its host to be moderately intelligent when it came to making decisions. If she walked into a heavily fortified brig, there wouldn't be much that she could do. Assaulting it from the outside was probably far too dangerous and obtrusive. She doubted Melati would approve of the decision and might actually oppose her... not to mention the Nalaian guards would flock to such a disturbance, and she had no desire to encounter the elite peacekeeping corps a second time. She was relatively certain that they could have incapacitated her if that was their goral, but they'd been completely focused on Ari. [olor=#0099cc]"A uniform would be great. It'd let me go see her, at least. If Ari would prefer to stay incarcerated, I won't interfere... but if she wants to get out I'll help her, however I can."[/color] She sighed and linked her fingers together, stretching both arms out in front of her. "How does justice work here in Nalai? Will she be in holding for an extended period, or do we need to move quickly?" |
| Offline Profile | Quote To Top |
| Ari | Fri Jun 13, 2014 1:35 pm Post #43 |
![]() ![]()
|
Melati chewed her inner cheek a moment, thinking. "Could be anywhere from a couple nights to a couple weeks, roughly. To be safe, I'll get you that uniform first thing in the morning. For now, get some rest." A brief silence passed between Ari and the priests. She wasn't in any hurry, personally. "Have you heard of a woman in this city by the name of Nerida? The incarnation of the Blue-eyed Axe?" "Yes. No memories, right?" "She's only one case among several we've dealt with. Incarnations who are, for lack of a better word, asleep." "Unfortunate." "Bethari, we can help you. Don't you feel lost? Confused? Are there situations where you feel like you're coming alive?" Ari pitched a frown. Those words finally cracked her stoic personality. "If you really think I'm the Mantis, you'll respect my decision to stay here and serve my time." The group finally, after a time, obliged. One of them muttered something about how different she was from "Kirvo," whoever that was, as the guard escorted them out. Nothing left to do but wait out the night at this point. Eliza wasn't the only one who was wearing a disguise to Sangdan. Melati wore a silver-haired wig, wide-brimmed hat with mystical charms dangling off, and traditional priestess robes. "Don't ever become famous," she told the Striberger. "It makes basic living very inconvenient." It was meant as a lighthearted thing, but she realized the sting of it too late. Eliza was famous, but not in the same sense that Melati was. The area outside the Guard outpost -- where the dungeon was -- was unexpectedly filled with people. It was a loud crowd, too. Lots of people shouting. Some of the people were dressed like priests, but wore colorful wooden masks with the face of a praying mantis carved into them. They were in the middle of giving an angry, rousing speech. One of them bumped into Eliza. "You! Do you know the news? That the Painted Mantis lives, and the government had the gall to imprison it?" "Walls cannot hold the Painted Mantis! The Mantis is too ancient, too primal to abide our pitiful human justice systems!" a distant speaker shouted. Nalai Guardsmen lurked around the premises. The look in their eyes was distinct, like they were ready to pounce at the barest hint of violence or lawbreaking. Melati tugged Eliza through the crowds to get to the door. "You! Priestess! Know your place when you speak to the Painted Mantis!" "S-sure," Melati replied, quickening her steps. The kerfuffle outside made picking up the keyring and getting to the dungeon remarkably easy. Eliza was the guard escorting Melati, the priest, to visit Ari. With Eliza's direction as to which cell she was in, Melati knocked on the door to try getting her attention. "Getting comfortable in there yet?" Ari's eyes appeared in the viewing slot. "I already told your priest friends that I'm not going." "It's me. Melati. And Eliza." "Thank you for coming to rescue me. Have you a key?" Melati nodded to Eliza, beckoning her to unlock the cell door if she wasn't doing it already. "Alright, while she's doing that-- Ari. You're the Painted Mantis. I'm sorry I had to tell you that at such a bad time, but there's a huge crowd of people outside and I think your cultists are starting to rile them up." "No, it's okay. I, uh, was starting to get that impression for a while... Not very dramatic, heh." She forced herself to make a smile. "A shame this had to come while I was trying to be a bodyguard. Surprised you're giving me a second chance, Eliza." There were some muffled bangs upstairs and beyond. Melati flinched at something that wasn't there. "Oh no." "What?" The sounds outside turned into a crescendo so loud that they could even hear it from their position underground. "I can feel the False Sovereign's magic approaching." The name stirred something in the back of Ari's memories, but any details were hidden under what felt like an impenetrable barrier. All that reached her was a mixture of dread and passionate anger. Instead of an explanation, she said, "What are we going to do? Is that an enemy of Eliza?" |
| Offline Profile | Quote To Top |
| Eliza | Mon Jun 16, 2014 8:17 pm Post #44 |
![]()
|
Their plan for springing Ari was simple enough that it might just work. Melati disguised herself as a priestess, while the runaway donned the garb of a Nalaian guard to act as her escort. she didn't have the complexion of a native, but there was enough variety amongst the people of the island that she could probably pass herself off as having a foreign parent. Once they arrived, they found that the prison itself seemed to be under siege. A crowd of clearly unhappy citizens was gathered outside, many of them wearing decorative masks of a mantis. The swirls of color across them mirrored the designs that Ari's armor possessed, just another link between her bodyguard and the legend of the Painted Mantis. Lifting the keys and making their way into the jail was made remarkably easy by the wonderful distraction of a incipient riot. Eliza focused on the sigil she had left behind, guiding herself using the magic that connected her senses to the glyph. It wasn't a perfect system, especially indoors; she could only sense the direction of the symbol with no regards for walls or doorways in-between, so they were forced to backtrack and take different routes two or three times before arriving at the cell. The swordswoman refuted them gruffly before Melati could introduce them. Eliza quickly unlocked the door using the key, smiling slightly at the freed prisoner. "I don't leave people behind who help me." Before they could make good their escape, her guide winced as if in pain and explained that another living myth was in the area. Eliza shuddered at the mere recollection of their first encounter with the Sovereign; she couldn't imagine falling under his influence a second time. The crowd outdoors proved just as incapable of resisting his power. Their protests changed from organized chants to incoherent screams that chilled her blood. "Apparently Melati's intel was accurate, even if she wasn't exactly forthcoming from the beginning," she explained, peeling off her gloves. "There is an incarnation after me. The False Sovereign. The guy whose fault it is that you're in jail." She clenched both hands into tight fists, feeding magic to the symbiote. Thick plates rose from the back of her hand rose on coil-wrapped levers. She hooked the edge of the metal discs on the edge of the door frame, leaning back with the entire weight of her body. They ratcheted into place with a series of muted clicks, resting against her clenched fingers on the front of her fist. "I'm tired of running," she stated plainly, meeting the eyes of her companions. "I probably can't kill the Sovereign, but I plan on giving him plenty of reasons to stop following me. You don't have to help. It would probably be safer just to get out of here." |
| Offline Profile | Quote To Top |
| Ari | Tue Aug 19, 2014 2:05 pm Post #45 |
![]() ![]()
|
Ari made a thinking sound when presented with this new information. The presence of another incarnation, the False Sovereign, had made her black out and regress, leading to her arrest and imprisonment. Finally everything in her life was starting to make sense. Whether she could believe it or not, receiving the news that she was an ancient monster was one of the biggest reliefs she'd ever had. At least it meant she wasn't going insane. "I'll help you fight. Just give me a second to find the armory. I need Agorst." She led the way without a further word, but Melati meekly raised her hand as she followed. "Provided you two can focus on attacking him, I have an idea. Most sleeping incarnations have triggers, especially trigger phrases. I could fascinate him just long enough for you two to deal the decisive blow." "Wouldn't his power flare up, too? And what if he woke up permanently?" "Your power didn't flare up last time," Melati pointed out. "Try not to make things personal? I don't know." Ari slammed open the door to the Nalai Guard offices. Only one guardsman was in the room, and she was cowering behind her desk. "You! The crowds outside are insidious. They're planning to break in and slaughter you, maybe worse... unless you get me my weapon." The woman yelped in fear and clambered away to the back room. Ari turned to her two companions. "Looks like the magic isn't affecting us as well now that we've been through it, and knew it was coming." "At least we have that going for us." The guardsman appeared a minute later and tossed the sheathed katana over to Ari, who caught it with one hand and shoved it without fanfare into the sash on her hips. "I still don't like your plan. Better to stay safe, to handle him at the level we're familiar with. Triggering him is too much of a gamble." "It's Eliza's hunter. Why doesn't she choose instead of us?" Melati shot back. |
| Offline Profile | Quote To Top |
| 1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous) | |
| Go to Next Page | |
| « Previous Topic · The Open Moonsea · Next Topic » |





7:32 PM Jul 11

