______Kaileer's Narration tab The strange female's face remained impassive for the most part during your explanation, but her body language never changed. Fear, apprehension...it was nearly coded into her, that much was obvious. Yet as you finish her eyes drift down to the flames, and her body closes further, as if trying to warm herself instead of the fear she had displayed earlier. "Your last whereabouts noted you as near the land of Lightning, and yet here you are...," she whispers, her expression lost in thought and her tone absent. Shaking her head slowly, she continues whilst biting her thumbnail in thought, something clearly human in nature. "It has been centuries since last your kind stepped here. Your world was mostly left to those like me, Sprites or Fades, as caretakers for what you left behind. During the centuries Chakra leaked into the world at such a rate that everything has changed, and even now people of different species are blossoming..." Shaking her head hard she looked at you once more, but with sorrow. Whether it was for the realities she had just explained to you or something else remained a mystery as she switches subjects. tab"The creature outside is a manifestation of desire. It hunts by tasting the desires your heart bears, and in a world you do not know and only barely recognized your desire will be great indeed. It hungers for you, and if we don't get its attention, it'll hunger for your friends..." She coughs, grimacing as she placed a hand to her throat and rubs vigorously. tab
Royal Taorito
Tenshuyami
BlackFruity
Posted: Thu Feb 15, 2018 2:58 pm
【 S I X T E E N ⦁ C O U R A G E O U S ⦁ W A R R I O R 】 ◢ K a i l e e r C e i n ' l y s ◣ ⦉ Hold me close,and take me in. I'm losing it, lost again.⦊ 【 D - R A N K ⦁B U K I J U T S U - B L O O D L I N E⦁ H A K E M O T O 】
❝ So maybe I fall, maybe I fail, maybe my heart's not made of stone. Maybe you'll see secrets I never want to show. ❞
[x] The grin slowly slid from my face as Fiorzia spoke. I was aware, in a strange way, that it had been a very long time since humans walked the earth; what little I knew about the Plague had helped my understanding that it would strike all of humankind unless they found a cure. This city was living proof that they hadn't. I could only imagine the pain and anguish that came from those final moments. I wondered what became of the last people 'alive', and how they handled it. Regardless, given an actual timeline, my mind was reeling. It had been centuries, potentially tens if not a hundred generations, depending on how long exactly. Though I supposed there was no way of finding out the exact timing.
It didn't just stop at that, though. Evidently, the 'fades' she had mentioned, as well as spirits were left in our wake. Great amounts of chakra leaked into the world and change it, forcing the evolution of new races to take the place of humans, inhabit their cities. It was hard to imagine that given the city outside the walls of the apartment building. Maybe those races just never bothered restoring this one, or maybe they were still too primitive to know how to restore them. It was entirely possible, too, that they built their own cities somewhere rather than trying to salvage what existed.
Fiorzia's expression grew sorrowful, although she didn't explain as she moved onto a different subject. Perhaps she was just reflecting on her own words and what they suggested; I was lucky to have not left any family behind, but what did that mean for anyone else that had woken in this new world?
She mentioned the creature, the fade, that stalked about outside the building, and why it was following me. It fed off of the desires of life; I assumed the greater the desire, the more it was drawn. Any human in that moment would have looked tasty if that were the case. The will to survive was one of the most prominent features of being human. Where there's a will there's a way, as the saying went, and we always found a way back from the brink of death and destruction. It also meant that perhaps the more danger someone was in, the more likely it would be drawn to them. I needed to make sure it wasn't drawn toward Soraru and Hono. I would run as long as I had to, to avoid putting them in the way of harm.
Fiorzia coughed and rubbed her neck, and my brow furrowed slightly. "Is it wearing off already?" I'd thought it would last for at least a little while but apparently that wasn't the case. Shaking my head, I leaned back on one hand, resting the other on a raised knee. "Do you have a plan?"
❝ But I can’t help it. I’m not superhuman. I’m breaking. Don’t let me fall apart. ❞
Counter | 12 / 200
Techniques Used: ☁ ☁ ☁
Current Objectives: ☁ Survive
Items of Note: ☁
Lanfaer
┏ ┃☁ e x p | 0500 ┃☁ r y o | 0000 ┃☁ c h a k r a | 150 / 150 ┃☁ s t a m i n a | 150 / 150 ┃☁ t r a n c e | 5 / 5 ┃☁ m o o d | confused ┃☁ h e a l t h | fine ┃☁ i n j u r i e s | left shoulder & hip acting up [ 12 / 20 ] ┗
______Kaileer's Narration tab Pained expression leaving her face while her hands slow their repeated movement the sylph sighs and leans her head back, eyes closing in some semblance of rest. The strain must be great indeed given her throat seems a strange tinge of purple where she'd been rubbing, a stark difference to the blue-white of the surrounding skin. She speaks to you a moment later without opening her eyes or changing posture in the slightest."This gift...it is a curse to balance the blessing," she mutters, the dual tone making the rasp more pronounced than it otherwise would be. "To speak any language through theft seems strange for your world, I am willing to bet, but it our life. We can translate, but it hurts. Pain. It hinders us in ways I cannot explain if used too long." tab Gesturing away from her to the window, and the fade beyond, she continues despite the rasp. "The plan is to get you from here to your old city. It slumbers, waiting the touch of life to begin waking the others. Even we cannot find it where it hides, but maybe...maybe you can. For that, we need a distraction. Finding you changes everything. I'll draw the creature away, and you? You'll run." tab Off in the distance there comes a scream, a hollow sound that bears the sound of wind of dead grass and the rasp of ash crumpling. It echoes not in the mind or ears, but in the spirit, which bears an indescribable sensation of something being touched that clearly isn't meant to be. The girl's eyes open, and her body tenses despite her calm expression. "Someone else comes. Someone alive, like you." Shaking her head and rising to her feet, the girl eyes the outside through the barricade they'd erected and considered. "It was said you could turn into lightning. If you still can, try and launch towards where your friends were, or towards the north. I will draw the creature south. It will...it will want me more, I promise that." A shiver, a widening of the eyes, and a stance of resolution showed that while she might not like the choice, she would do it, for you.
Royal Taorito
Tenshuyami
BlackFruity
Posted: Sat Feb 24, 2018 6:45 pm
_______________The Narrator Whispers... || After a long journey in silence, the remains of a city rose up before Servus and Atsuma. And it seemed eerily still in the steady snowfall. If something was 'moving', as Servus had suggested, it didn't appear to be now. Servus led the way between buildings and further into the city, although the longer they went the more tense he seemed to grow until he grasped at his clawed left arm, holding it close to his body almost as if in pain. Should Atsuma catch site of his yellow gaze, he would find what was once a faint glow now a vibrant one. "If something finds us," he said, sounding somewhat pained, "it would be best if you ran, and find one of the other Wakeners here. I cannot guarantee your safety if you stay."
Toya was gone by the time Servus had begun talking to him after the long walk of silence. The boy had begun imitating the odd creature's pace before breaking off in his own direction. His time with Servus was done and it was his time to discover more about the world that insisted on being his death. Some of the architecture that surrounded the boy seemed foreign yet there were traces of something he once knew a long time ago. A red mask covered his face now while a blue mask swayed at his hip. There was something quite profound about the state of the buildings. Toya had no clue what was happening to him or where he was yet the clues that the world offered him slowly added up. He read a book about nature once and how it consumed everything after a while. No matter how hard man fought against it, nature always prevailed. So the question was raised. Does man fear for nature or himself? Because no matter how much he damages the world it will heal years after man has died. We can see the state of abandoned homes in the wilderness. The absence of man lets it grow freely and this also applies to wildlife. Animals grow bigger and stronger now that the apex predator known as man is no longer around to hunt them in droves. Looking around himself, Toya considered everything he had encountered in the new world. The chaotic weather, the beings that insisted on killing him and the decay of human civilization. "For how long was I asleep?" He finally asked himself realizing his world as he knew it was gone.
The boy situated himself in a very small room that could've once been an apartment. The walls were covered with holes, mold covering a better part of them and the smell made Toyas nose itch. Dust danced in the little light that made it inside of the room. A concrete table was all that survived time in the right left corner of the room. Toya walked towards it and put his items on top of the table. He took off his mask for a brief moment and placed it next to his rusty sword. His backpack was full of items and oddly enough he sometimes felt like new items appeared inside of it at random. What caught his eye this time around was a handful of odd looking scrolls. He opened them with care like he always did when dealing with texts. Especially considering the battering they must've suffered through the snow. To his surprise, he understood the language found in the scrolls. What surprised him even further was what they contained. Why the boy could barely contain his delight. "Someone is playing a dangerous game." He mumbled with a wicked grin on his lips. It occurred to him that the bag was there by chance next to him when he awoke from the crystal. This wasn't new to him it was always gnawing at the back of his mind yet now it was much more than gnawing. It was almost as if the bag was meant for him. As if someone knew who he was before he went inside the crystal. "But I do love to play hehe." He continued while he digested the scrolls' contents.
Posted: Fri Mar 02, 2018 7:21 am
【 S I X T E E N ⦁ C O U R A G E O U S ⦁ W A R R I O R 】 ◢ K a i l e e r C e i n ' l y s ◣ ⦉ Hold me close,and take me in. I'm losing it, lost again.⦊ 【 D - R A N K ⦁B U K I J U T S U - B L O O D L I N E⦁ H A K E M O T O 】
❝ So maybe I fall, maybe I fail, maybe my heart's not made of stone. Maybe you'll see secrets I never want to show. ❞
[x] Fiorzia explained her ability to steal a voice as both a gift and and a curse. It caused pain to translate a language the way she had to, alongside of speaking in a pitch her body wasn't built for. All of it was obvious by the bruising starting to appear at her throat, which was more than a little concerning because that meant physical damage was being done just by her speaking. Bruising occurred when there was bleeding under the skin, which suggested damage to blood vessels. And given the location... well needless to say I didn't want her speaking any more than she needed to.
The mention of Kumogakure caught me off guard. Though she didn't say it by name, there was nothing else she could have meant by 'your old city' after naming me as the former Raikage. The city awaited the touch of life to 'wake the others'--did she mean humans, or something else?--and they couldn't find it. A surprised laugh escaped me. So that meant all of my work wasn't for nothing. Or at least I assumed she meant that they had actually pulled off getting it airborne after I disappeared. Fiorzia seemed to have some high expectation that I knew where to find it. Assuming everything had gone according to plan, and none of its systems had broken down, that would be near impossible from the ground. It was designed to never stay in one place long, and it was supposed to be camouflaged until the barrier was entered. It could be flying over us right then and we would be none the wiser. What better ultimate defense than becoming a literally village hidden in the clouds. Despite all of that... "I'm not really in any rush to return. I left for a reason and, well... there's someone I need to find." If he was still alive. My gaze turned to the covered window. "Besides, if this is Tsukihara, it could take two weeks to get back there, or a little less if I can could find a way across the sea."
For a moment I wondered what the land where it once stood looked like. It would have taken whole mountains with it when it took off.
There wasn't really time to think about it. A scream that sounded like howling wind resounded outside the thin walls, so bone-chilling I could feel it in my soul. Though her expression remained calm, I could see the tension in Fiorzia's limbs. Something had happened to distract the Fade that stalked us. Someone else alive 'like me', she announced. I assumed she meant another human. Soraru and Hono? I'd told them to get away but its possible they might not have wanted to leave me behind. Either that or someone else had woken, and they were about to find themselves in danger.
I frowned slightly when she mentioned the lightning transformation. It was a technique I used almost as a signature move when I still had my training, and it seemed to be the only technique I could recall now. The frown turned into a scowl as she, for the second time, offered to be a distraction. "It doesn't go through walls," I said, as if that answered anything. By it I meant we would have to confront the Fade regardless. With a sigh, I pushed myself up to my feet, wincing slightly when I put too much weight on my left leg. Sprinting after moving for the first time in hundreds of years wasn't exactly kind to the body, especially when my injuries had come with me for some reason when my clock was reversed. But a natural shift of the weight I'd grown accustomed to after having them for years fixed the pain temporarily. "Sorry, but that's not happening." I stuck my hands in the pockets of my coat. "I'm not that intelligent or wise, but I can read people pretty well. It comes from having to gauge for years if someone was going to talk to me or attack me. You were tortured, weren't you?" My gaze locked on her with a confidence that I hoped would force her to back down. "And you escaped and ran?" That was just speculation, but it seemed likely. "I'm not just going to leave you at the mercy of something that wants to cause you pain. So we'll find a way to escape together." Turning away finally, I buckled my sword belt back around my waist, and hefted the bag higher powers had decided to provide me with over my shoulder. "I've got weapons, and my memory is a little less hazy now. Even if it comes to a fight, I'm not going to leave you behind."
❝ But I can’t help it. I’m not superhuman. I’m breaking. Don’t let me fall apart. ❞
Counter | 13 / 200
Techniques Used: ☁ ☁ ☁
Current Objectives: ☁ Survive
Items of Note: ☁
Lanfaer
┏ ┃☁ e x p | 0500 ┃☁ r y o | 0000 ┃☁ c h a k r a | 150 / 150 ┃☁ s t a m i n a | 150 / 150 ┃☁ t r a n c e | 5 / 5 ┃☁ m o o d | concerned ┃☁ h e a l t h | fine ┃☁ i n j u r i e s | left shoulder & hip acting up [ 13 / 20 ] ┗
______Kaileer's Narration tab The air quaked. tab It isn't obvious at first, not with your eyes upon Fiorzia. What draws your eyes to it is her own widening in shock, gaze skewed just to the side of your face. But that changes as something green, reminiscent of your own chakra, bursts like a bubble before you. As the night sky outside alights with a swirl of green and blue, as the sylph before you steps back in shock with a hand to her mouth, your hand tightens upon the hilt of your blade as the very words you spoke seem to echo in your eyes, and more, into something far deeper within you. tab"I'm not going to leave you behind." tab The clanking of chains follows these words, and you realize that the voice is your own, repeated to you. Strong, certain, your words sound less a promise, and instead something...more. Something binding. Something absolute. And it is this surety that takes your words and fills them with power. tab Green energy forms about your flesh, rising from the earth and from the air to wrap around your flesh and bones. Restrictive, but not painfully so. A burden, but one that you know must be carried. Power with responsibility. tab And with it a voice you know, a whisper spidering across your consciousness that speaks unto your soul: "Welcome, Oathkeeper. Let your will, your vows, define you as an individual, and through them, uphold your oaths." tab The aurora within the sky lights the darkness, distracting the fade as the power of the Oath binds upon your body. You feel a second layer come over you, a small warping of the air that is gone a moment later. You somehow know, without a doubt, that you now bear an invisible barrier between you and the world. What will you do with it?
______Atsuma's Narration tab Your home, your shelter, bursts into light as outside an Aurora fills the cloudy night with seemingly unnatural brightness. With it comes something else, of course, something that might well place you on edge: shadows. Outside of your window shadows flicker across the landscape, and one in particular catches your attention. A figure that resembles a man in a robe stands as a silhouette in the distance, likely something that would be overlooked were it not for the unnatural way the light plays across their robes. Solid, yet you swear it looks like the lights beam through it. tab And it's staring at your window, unmoving. tab Something stands off about it, too, out there in the snow covered parking lot. A light pole nearby is bent over it, what looks like iced spider webs hanging forlornly like a standard over an invading force. Something in the way it stands, unmoving, bothers you on an instinctual level.
Royal Taorito
Gain:
Talent Name: Grim Ward → "No One Left Behind" Rank: C - rank Association: Oathkeeper Valiant Duration // Upkeep: 5 Posts // - Requirement(s): Resolute Mind, Body, and Soul to protect others who may wish to be left behind // Last Line of Defense Description:One of the First Oaths, the Grim Ward is meant to protect one from what is to come, for it is the Oathkeeper who will stand between their charge and danger. Once the oath is spoken bonds of the user's chakra color will manifest upon their body, coating it in what later becomes an invisible shield around their forms. This aura grants a C - ranked Defense Bonus that bears a scale of two [2], making it unable to last long but remain effective during its existence. The Grim Ward, thanks to its status as a First Oath, can be used as a launching point for further oaths noted with the name title Grim, chaining together and stacking without overriding.
A deserter? Deserting what? He had questions as to what kind of war may have ravaged the lands, along with how long it had been since yokai were allowed to run free. The end of the Hiraite was one thing, but at what point were humans considered a rarity? If the armor is that old, there's no question that I've been out for more than two centuries. The material that went into the tosei-gusoku was top quality. If a building like the one I'm in still stands after that long and the yokai aren't being quelled, I don't like how this is unraveling at all. Those thoughts weren't even the tip of the iceberg when it came to his curiosity, but he was sure that the majority of his questions would go answered once he reached a more secure location. "Well, it seems like there's nothing for me here, if that's the case. This place doesn't seem fortified and I feel like I can hardly remember even a week of my childhood training. Needless to say, I don't like feeling this vulnerable. Let's go." While he didn't like turning his back on a yokai at all, he turned and made his way to the hole in the wall that Kaileer left from earlier. He's a survivor. Quick on his feet, that I remember. Still, I hope he's doing fine right now. Once he exited the building, he immediately noticed that the snow was as plentiful as ever, but looking at the sky was comparable to looking at the ceiling in a room filled with smoke. The only touch of color was a beautiful aurora borealis that streaked through the horizon rather than just across it. While his memories didn't quite pick up exactly where he was, there's no way he could not recognize the gargantuan temples far off in the distance. Not even the snow could obscure that.
To the boy who always wanted to be one of the Shinsengumi, it was a heart-wrenching sight. Regardless of the fact that he ran away from home, it didn't change the dreams and aspirations he had that shaped him into the person he was. Torn memories weren't enough to make him forget how badly he wanted to protect and serve the people of the lands that would one day belong to him. For how many years did the gods go without their offerings? When the youth turned to crystal and the empire fell, were those that remained slaughtered by the yokai who had been kept at bay for so long? Shrines lost, bodies unburied...the buildings remained, some even looked new, but he doubted the gods still looked over the land after so long without even a prayer. It was sorrowful. Musunde walked out onto the snow-covered path, keeping his left hand on the scabbard of his blade, just under the tsuba for the sake of safety. Given the scarf and the heavy chainmail coat with an insulated interior, the cold didn't bother him very much, though finding a place with sustainable warmth and security was at the forefront of his mind.
"Odd enough as the circumstances are, it seems like you know the place better than I do right now. Where do you think we should go first? Something tells me I can't just sleep in my room at Tsukihara." He asked the dog yokai, assuming that it followed him out of the "museum." Still, despite his question, there was a searing thought that was trying to burn its way to the forefront of his mind. The absolute extermination of the Yokai, the first step in restoring Tetsu no Kuni to its former glory. While it was undoubtedly enticing, he was self-aware enough to know that he didn't have the strength he once possessed, much less any footing to even get started. Without the gods, it would take more effort than a miracle.
Stamina Min---------♣Max (450)
Chakra Min---------♠Max (510)
[E-rank | Rightful Lord of Iron | Hakemoto| Classless | Ryo: 0 | Armed]
【 S I X T E E N ⦁ C O U R A G E O U S ⦁ W A R R I O R 】 ◢ K a i l e e r C e i n ' l y s ◣ ⦉ All I'm seeing is grey, and all I know is I've been dragged down again.⦊ 【 D - R A N K ⦁O A T H K E E P E R - B L O O D L I N E⦁ H A K E M O T O 】
❝ I won't linger no more, I've been too long in my storm. I'll rise up and embrace the silence, and let peace find me again. ❞
[x] Rather than a response my words, Fiorzia simply gaped in shock just to the side of my head, and my immediate reaction was defensive. Movement from the corner of my eye. Thinking there was something behind me that I had failed to sense, I pulled my uchigatana from its scabbard at my side as I swung around to face the room behind me, making a wide sweep with the blade to drive off whatever might be there. But there was nothing, and the steel instead rang in silence. It was then that I realized the very air quaked about up, as if brimming with power. And then green light blossomed, filling the room with its brilliance. Chakra. But not just that; my chakra. Or that's what it looked like anyway. With it, my words seemed to echo back at me. The sound of chains took over the ringing of steel, and a pressure wrapped around my limbs beyond even the flesh. Yet it wasn't painful. It placed a weight upon me that told me I had to hold true to my words or face repercussion. At the same time, it offered protection, a second skin almost, and the confidence that I could fulfill my promise. Perhaps in this world words held true meaning behind me. I had sworn an oath to Fiorzia to protect her, and a greater force granted me power in exchange.
Another voice echoed in my consciousness, but barely audible, like a whisper carried on the wind. It titled me 'Oathkeeper'. I was to use this newfound power I was granted to aid those around me, to help them survive in this new life.
The chakra light faded away, and left us alone once more with only the crackling fire. Still regaining my bearings, I slowly relaxed and returned my weapon to its sheath before turning to face Fiorzia once more. This brought the half-covered window back into view, and, with it, the brilliant sky beyond it. Blues and greens danced through the sky in the form of an aurora. With the Stragari living in the north, they were a frequent sight; I hadn't been sure they could come this far south, and part of me wondered if we could have seen it from Kumogakure. After all, if I recalled correctly, Tsukihara and Kumogakure were almost in line on the map. What a sight it would have been from the mountains. I felt a small pang of sorrow at the thought. Everything that was left behind... I couldn't help wondering if anyone else I had known survived. It seemed likely, since both Soraru and Hono were alive. Even then, I had disconnected myself from my past when I abandoned my title and stayed with Wan's people to help them recover. I only returned about fifteen or so years later with a battalion at my back to help Kumogakure fend the other countries as the world was thrown into war. I had been too late to help Soraru. Not long after we arrived, the younger Raikage surrendered returned home to Tsukihara. That was the last I heard from him. After that, all efforts were put into escaping the wars. The only other connection I truly made during that time passed away.
Regardless, none of that mattered now. I shook myself to clear my thoughts and focused on Fiorzia once more. "If that thing can sense desires, then it likely got a lungful of the Oath I just made. We need to get out of here." A brief glance around, and I grabbed a thick sheet from the piles of debris around us. With a combination of smothering and stamping, after a moment the fire was put out enough it wouldn't be a danger. Finally, grabbing a hold of the sprite's hand, assuming she didn't resist, I hurried out of the room and back down the way I'd come.
Almost immediately the cold was on me again. I'd had time to warm up, but I was almost certain the temperature had dropped. I wasn't properly dressed for the weather, let alone what was little more than a sheet that Fiorzia was wearing. She wasn't human, so I wasn't sure how cold affected her. That was all the more reason to get her away from there. I would carry her if I had to.
Assuming nothing barred our path, I paused on the first floor of the building, taking a moment to let the throbbing in my joints pass, watching my breath billow out before me. Holding Fiorzia close, if she let me, I carefully glanced out the broken doorway in search of a sign of the Fade, or any other dangers that had decided to rear their heads while we hid.
❝ I've stopped running, I'm not hurting. I have my mind made up. ❞
Counter | 14 / 200
Active Effects: • Grim Ward → "No One Left Behind" [ 1 / 5 ]
One of the First Oaths, the Grim Ward is meant to protect one from what is to come, for it is the Oathkeeper who will stand between their charge and danger. Once the oath is spoken bonds of the user's Chakra color will manifest upon their body, coating it in what later becomes an invisible shield around their forms. This aura grants a C - ranked Defense Bonus that bears a scale of two [2], making it unable to last long but remain effective during its existence. The Grim Ward, thanks to its status as a First Oath, can be used as a launching point for further oaths noted with the name title Grim, chaining together and stacking without overriding.
Toya stopped his reading at the sudden change in lighting. He covered his eyes from the bright light with his right hand but it didn't help his struggle. His sensitive eyes were almost blinded by the rapid if almost instant change in lighting. The boy would move himself towards the window where the light came from and look out at the parking lot which was completely foreign to him. The figure standing there reminded him of Servus and for a moment he thought it was in fact the boy that had saved him from the masked creatures back in the cave. But this being was different. Not only that but shadows were moving about in the light meaning he wasn't alone. Toya had to leave. He put on his red mask grabbed his sword and his bag and quickly ran in the opposite direction of figure who watched him from below.
______Kaileer's Narration tab Fiorzia hesitated but a moment before allowing herself to be dragged along, her expression worried and pained. One hand going to her throat where the bruising had worsened she followed as best she could, though her best made it easy for you to pull for she was as light as air itself. A Zephyr she claimed to be, a mythological spirit of the wind. tab As much as she wanted to explain to Kaileer had happened it looks like she's lost the breath she stole, given the bruising and swelling had become quite severe and she, even now, is clamping her lips shut tight. As you progress she stays close, and allows you to pull her close as you look around the corner. Her breath is still warm against your chest as it comes out short and rapid, her palpable fear the clear culprit as she leans into your chest. Gaze cast around the corner you see something in the distance, what looks like a human-shaped figure standing on a snowy hill facing towards a building where light seems to be coming from. A moment later something moves inside the home, and for a moment you see a human with a red mask turn with bag in hand and bolt away from the window, out of sight. tab The figure changes.
______Atsuma's Narration tab As you turn to flee your gaze catches as the figure starts to change. Its body thickens, expanding at an incredible rate as it lunges towards you. The ground shakes as its enormous fists thunder down, spraying white everywhere as you finish turning and your feet follow suit, pounding against the structure's flooring as you flee from what is even now charging your way. A roar that reverberates across the ground, rattling the windows that remained in their fastenings, rises from below as the building shakes with an impact. tab It seems like it might be a good idea to run a bit faster.
______Soraru's Narration tab The fade's expression was amused as it follows you out onto the snow where with each step it leaves no impression in the snow. Indeed, as snow touches his fur the pelt turns grayish white with black flecks marbling its texture. He doesn't seem to notice nor care, of course, and instead continues on past you and further into the snowy scape. Outside of the museum it is obvious that you are in what once must have been a busy downtown metropolitan area, given the large number of snow clumps that vaguely resemble trucks and other vehicles that dot the road. Too, there are many store fronts frozen over from possibly centuries of rainfall and freezing, only to melt in the summer and return to an icy skin that defends against even the hardiest of strikes. Buildings loom over you, casting a shadow upon you that obscures much of the available countryside around you. tab All except, of course, the capital in the distance, where the major street seems to be leading to if it continued straight as it looks. And, as you gaze, you can see the opposite direction a large amount of black and grey smoke belching from the earth to fill the sky with a disgusting tint. tab The canine turns its head towards the smoke with an expression of disgust before opening its hideous mouth to speak again. "This place is transitional, Prince of Rust. It is here that what you know as the Fey are herded for processing. Processing as slaves, as entertainment, and for science. If thou doth wish to fight, it is there you should go. Otherwise, we must avoid that which followed the Lightning Lord lest we earn its ire."
Royal Taorito
Gain:
Talent Name: Grim Ward → "No One Left Behind" Rank: C - rank Association: Oathkeeper Valiant Duration // Upkeep: 5 Posts // - Requirement(s): Resolute Mind, Body, and Soul to protect others who may wish to be left behind // Last Line of Defense Description:One of the First Oaths, the Grim Ward is meant to protect one from what is to come, for it is the Oathkeeper who will stand between their charge and danger. Once the oath is spoken bonds of the user's chakra color will manifest upon their body, coating it in what later becomes an invisible shield around their forms. This aura grants a C - ranked Defense Bonus that bears a scale of two [2], making it unable to last long but remain effective during its existence. The Grim Ward, thanks to its status as a First Oath, can be used as a launching point for further oaths noted with the name title Grim, chaining together and stacking without overriding.
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Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2018 8:18 pm
Royal Taorito
Toya was growing irritated at how he was always running away from menacing beasts instead of confronting them head-on. He had stood his ground against the shukaku! Now he felt clueless in combat with his arsenal of genjutsu practically erased from his mind. He could feel the ground tremble beneath him as whatever chased him grew closer and this terrified him to the core. If whatever was chasing the boy did get close enough to harm him. 5 feet to be exact his scarf would come to life and strike the creature with D rank strength and E rank speed in an attempt to protect its owner.
【 S I X T E E N ⦁ C O U R A G E O U S ⦁ W A R R I O R 】 ◢ K a i l e e r C e i n ' l y s ◣ ⦉ All I'm seeing is grey, and all I know is I've been dragged down again.⦊ 【 D - R A N K ⦁O A T H K E E P E R - B L O O D L I N E⦁ H A K E M O T O 】
❝ I won't linger no more, I've been too long in my storm. I'll rise up and embrace the silence, and let peace find me again. ❞
[x] If it was the same Fade that stood guard outside, its appearance had changed yet again. "Tch," I scoffed under my breath, casting my gaze to either side of the doorway in search of the best route to get by without it noticing. Regardless, it was focused on something else. I followed its line of sight to wear I caught movement. Humanoid, wearing a red mask with a bag in hand. That must have the other 'living' person Fiorzia had mentioned. They turned and ran, and the figure on the hill flung itself after them. It took on a form more like the one that had chased me, but I couldn't be too sure it was the same one.
Part of me had hoped that he would have been Soraru, just so I knew he was fine. But at the same, the younger Raikage could fend for himself. He wasn't a genin underneath me anymore, after all. And he would need to, given the extra set of footprints that moved away from the apartment building I had been hiding in back in the direction I originally ran from. "Damn it." I turned to Fiorzia. "With so few of us alive, I can't just ignore another human in danger." She seemed to understand the look of frustration I gave her. Even though she hesitated for a moment, she nodded. I was angry at the situation, but above all that I couldn't immediately get her somewhere safe. I was doing the opposite, actually, by dragging her after the Fade. And maybe this other person could defend themselves fine as well, but I couldn't take that chance. There was no was only combatants survived the Plague.
Once the Fade was out of sight, since I wasn't sure if there were more than one, I moved out after it, pulling Fiorzia gently along, constantly glancing around in case something else spotted us. Two of us, I felt, could take on the creature if it came to that. As long as we avoided its fists. The impact had rattled the building, and everything around it, and that was more than a little disconcerting. We made it safely to the building they had disappeared through, and I chose instead to move alongside it rather than through the door the monster had clearly gone. Crashing from within made me fear for the worst, but spotting it through a window revealed something likely more dangerous. It was destroying the supports of the building. Meaning whoever was there was still inside, and likely on one of the higher floors. If the building came down there was no saving him.
Reaching another entrance, I let go of Fiorzia's hand and looked at her once more. I gestured quickly to the building beside where we stood. "Find a safe spot to hide in there. Once I stop that thing I'll come find you. I promise." Again, that hesitation, and, again, a simple nod before she took off in the direction I had pointed.
Another crash behind me made me flinch and, with a sigh, I drew my blade and another item I'd found in my bag. It looked like a sparkler, but I knew from the moment I'd picked it up that it could fire a flare, which served my purpose here. Whether or not I was ready to face something didn't matter, because it was going to happen regardless. So, activating the sparkler with an insignificant burst of chakra, I shot it at the Fade as the monster came into view. A bright red flare flew from the end of it, aiming to strike it or something next to it to draw its attention. As soon as I fired, I slipped the item back into my bag and broadened my stance, knees slightly bent, and tilted my blade slightly toward my left side. The stance would ground me in preparation for the charge I was sure was coming. In the meanwhile, sparks danced off of my skin.
I had hoped the pain in my joints would fade before I had to fight, but oh well, I suppose.
❝ I've stopped running, I'm not hurting. I have my mind made up. ❞
Counter | 15 / 200
Active Effects: • Grim Ward → "No One Left Behind" [ 2 / 5 ]
One of the First Oaths, the Grim Ward is meant to protect one from what is to come, for it is the Oathkeeper who will stand between their charge and danger. Once the oath is spoken bonds of the user's Chakra color will manifest upon their body, coating it in what later becomes an invisible shield around their forms. This aura grants a C - ranked Defense Bonus that bears a scale of two [2], making it unable to last long but remain effective during its existence. The Grim Ward, thanks to its status as a First Oath, can be used as a launching point for further oaths noted with the name title Grim, chaining together and stacking without overriding.
______Kaileer's Narration tab The sylph looked upset, confused, and worried all at once as she fights with what to do. Only when your words, and body posture, become something iron still and unbending does she acquiesce and nod slowly. For a moment she vanishing and there's a burst of wind, only appearing a moment later closer towards the indicated building. For the moment she would be safe ,though she leans forward from the frame to watch you closely with intensity. tab Yet that isn't the only concern you have, once you pull that flare and launch it into the face of a rampaging monster. tab The flare strikes head on [25 exp!], and mid charge it throws its stride off. Tripping it lunges forward, skidding against the ground and through a nearby wall into the snow outside. The building teeters and groans from the loss of supports but seems to be holding still, though for how much longer is difficult to say. Before your eyes the creature roars and rolls, leaping to its feat and bringing its meaty fists down upon the ground. It's face is contorted in rage, deep within its chest, but worse is that the arms also writhe as it beats downwards with all of its force, the muscles rippling from the over exertion. Reaching upwards it roars a challenge to the air before silencing itself, its hateful, red eyes locked on Kaileer in the most menacing of glares the boy had likely ever seen. tab Second to an ogre king, of course. tab The thing thumps its fists on the earth in a slow rhythm that picks up speed as it goes, each repetition tightening the spread of time between beets in short order until it is thundering away in silence. tab Then it charged with a final roar that scatters the drifting snow, barreling towards Kaileer.
【 S I X T E E N ⦁ C O U R A G E O U S ⦁ W A R R I O R 】 ◢ K a i l e e r C e i n ' l y s ◣ ⦉ All I'm seeing is grey, and all I know is I've been dragged down again.⦊ 【 D - R A N K ⦁O A T H K E E P E R - B L O O D L I N E⦁ H A K E M O T O 】
❝ I won't linger no more, I've been too long in my storm. I'll rise up and embrace the silence, and let peace find me again. ❞
[x] At first I thought Fiorzia was going to refuse, but after a great hesitation she agreed and retreated to the building I had directed her toward. I promised to protect her, and that's what I intended to do. The only issue was that a small amount of doubt crept into my mind as my flare hit the beast squarely, drawing its attention. Although a bit of combat knowledge had returned, it was minimal at best. At worst it could cost me my life. The thing roared as it slammed meaty fists into the floor in rage, and a grin somewhere between 'what did I get myself into' and overconfidence spread across my face. This wasn't going to end well, not unless I could grasp the abilities I did have quickly. At one point, I could cast jutsu through my blade, without worry of the hand seals required. That put me at and advantage as I combined my lightning with steel. At the very least, I had my signature ability, as Fiorzia had pointed out. I'd never really thought of it as such, but I supposed it made sense, given how often I utilized it. Unfortunately, even using it for a short period of time, as I intended now, would result in disorientation, which would be a problem if my hit didn't stop it.
Aside from that I felt weak. The pain in my left shoulder and hip as I shifted into a familiar stance was enough of a sign of that. Although it was something I'd grown used to in the latter half of my life, it was something I had never truly overcome. After all, they had been caused by one of my last true battles, where I was forced to prove myself worthy of the high seat I'd taken by force. I'd won, but it was the price I had to pay.
This beast that stood before me now reminded me vaguely of the war against Wan's people. His father, and then Wan himself, had become incredibly powerful monsters, for lack of a better word. And while that form aided in defeating his father, I was forced to stop Wan as well, which took everything that I had. A pang of sorrow hit me from the memory. That was the last time I saw him before the curse took him. But maybe it was for the best, given everything that had happened. Part of me wondered if he had somehow survived.
Regardless, I didn't have time to think on it. The Fade charged forward, its hatred focused in an almost tangible line in front of it as it barreled through anything in its path. I didn't have a lot of time to plan my motions, and if I had any intention of winning this challenge I had thrown myself headlong into, then there was no room for error. The sparking chakra that surrounded me intensified as it approached, and I half hoped I would be able to surpass the hand signs completely, but I never felt the burst of its activation. Instead, once the beast came close enough, I tossed my blade into the air above me and then likewise shoved off the ground into a roundhouse kick. The moment my foot came in contact with the blade, I finished the hand seal I needed for the Lightning Transformation, and the world rushed past me as I was launched forward by my chakra. To anyone looking on, I would appear as a streak of lightning, near unavoidable without some skilled, and, above all, intangible without getting electrocuted.
I ended it just as both the blade and myself came in contact with the monster, plunging the weapon deep into its chest, as well as likely delivering a nasty shock. I used my remaining momentum to rebound off the hilt of the blade as my kick connected with it, shoving the sword the rest of the way in while I was flung back in the direction I'd come from. With only some amount of grace, I managed to roll out of the impact, and then immediately dove to the side in case my attack didn't trip it up. If it would have hit me, I couldn't imagine the results would be pretty. The dive brought me back to my feet, and I turned back to face it, the world around my lurching from the motion along with my stomach. Damn, at one point I had been almost immune to the after effects. Combined with the pain of my joints, for a brief second I honestly thought I was going to be sick. But I managed steady myself enough to draw my shorter wakizashi and, still a bit shaky, carefully held it in both hands, waiting to see what the Fade would do.
❝ I've stopped running, I'm not hurting. I have my mind made up. ❞
Counter | 16 / 200
Active Effects: • Grim Ward → "No One Left Behind" [ 3 / 5 ]
One of the First Oaths, the Grim Ward is meant to protect one from what is to come, for it is the Oathkeeper who will stand between their charge and danger. Once the oath is spoken bonds of the user's Chakra color will manifest upon their body, coating it in what later becomes an invisible shield around their forms. This aura grants a C - ranked Defense Bonus that bears a scale of two [2], making it unable to last long but remain effective during its existence. The Grim Ward, thanks to its status as a First Oath, can be used as a launching point for further oaths noted with the name title Grim, chaining together and stacking without overriding.
