Swamp of the Ancients

[Rinexe]

Demetri looked at the towering tree in front of him. The stories are true... He thought as he started to limp towards one of the greater roots of it. The prolonged sleep of which he was not aware of yet had taken a toll on him. All he knew was that this was where he appeared after putting energy into the cane and he was very tired. The swamp around him was dark and cool, like that of the swamp he grew up in. He liked it, but there was something wrong with this one. He felt that something was corrupting it, not with light like the Defaeco family had, but a more demonic darkness. It was not one accustomed to his family, but it did involve magic. Demeetri bent down and picked up the cane that was dropped when he woke up. It seemed to have an aura about it that it did not before. With another press of energy at the indention, the spherical head split open. A small piece of cloth hung out of it, a very dark, pitch black one. Against his better judgement, he pulled at it. Like pulling a water balloon through a pipe, something was coming out of the sphere. It was also dark blob. After pulling slowly for a minute, the form had fallen from the cane, hanging loosely by the cloth in his hands. It was dark and he couldn't tell if the form was what he thought it was. With his left hand, he reached down and grabbed at the lower part. It felt like a hilt, and now he was sure that it was exactly what it looked like. It was a sword.

The sword was extraordinarily light, and had the same magical aura as what he felt before. He swung it around before and it was definitely smooth, but he had never swung a sword. After a few swings, he accidentally let go, but when he did, the sword disappeared. The shadow of it flew back into the cane and the sphere reappeared. "Interesting..." he said. The voice was much different than before. It was older and hoarse.

After standing and observing his surroundings, he heard something. He didn't know what it was, but now he was scared. He saw shadows jump about the branches. He started transferring energy into the cane and held it into the air with the straight end facing the trees.

((First person to roleplay as five demons will be rewarded a total of 4 points unless Fail Sensei takes up the job.))  

[PandArsonist]

From the darkness, five figures moved about the area, laughing silently to themselves, and whispering to each other, though at times their voices drifted to the male in the center of the clearing. "So, this is the one who seeks out power is it? Very well. Let him try and take it from us!" Without further warning, they began to attack. Slowly at first, simply hurling miniature energy spheres from their hiding places among the trees, wondering how he'd respond.  

[Rinexe]

It was in the nick of time that he felt some of the aura coming closer. In the darkness, he was still able to see the small sphere being hurled at him. He also heard the voices and became quite worried. They were not of any form of a human. As in instinct, Demetri swung the cane sideways, causing a slight ripple in the mush below him. A split second later, a small wall of earth shot up, blocking most of the spheres. Sadly for Demetri, a sphere made it's way through and hit him in his left arm causing him to spin around and fall to the ground on his side. His eyes darted towards the cane in his hand, realizing the powers that it could possess. As a child without the cane, using any form of magic would take tons of energy, but what he had just done was quite simple. He wondered if he could put it on the offensive though. He raised the cane a bit from where he was, causing a layer of earth to come over him as a temporary defense while he waiting for whatever was out their to show itself.  

[PandArsonist]

The demons in the darkness giggled. This would be a fun little game, if their new prey could continue to defend himself. it was never any fun when their targets died too quickly. Quickly, they changed their formation, and their tactics, forming a ring around him. Quickly, they darted towards him, pulling back and returning to their positions at the last moment, testing his reflexes. And then, slowly, one by one, they got closer and closer, now using their claws and reaching out, attempting to gently scratch him. This victim, they intended on killing slowly, a drop at a time.  

[Rinexe]

The first time they even advanced, before they could even try to scratch him, Demetri was prepared. He burst out of his earth like coffin sending great clobs of swamp at them, but that wasn't all he was ready to do. when he landed and before his cloak had even fallen back to his jacket, he was already swinging his cane in a twirl like motion. It was almost like the fights he had with the guards using his magic, except now he had a cane that would focus the magic better. With the twirl of the staff, a great amount of energy focused underneath him which caused the murky waters to swirl and his long fahlra[1] to also twist on him. He then smashed the cane down with one hand, pressing energy into the button causing the sphere to open. At the same time, the focused energy came out like a shockwave of swamp water at the demons. At this time, his wolf skin cloak also finally fell to his jacket. With his left hand, he pulled out the dark sword, and held it out, ready to fight against these... demons, he realized.

[1]The Dornimir(Witch People of the Swamps) word for their long flowing skirts. They wear these simple as tradition. The men and the women wear such garb.  

[Awesome Sensei]

((Seriously Naru, how do you expect Rin to work with your posts?))  

[PandArsonist]

The demons growled, as Demetri attacked. They clearly hadn't expected him to be able to defend himself. As he attacked they hissed, and attempted to retreat, though they weren't fast enough to escape unscathed. Now angry, their eyes glowed a bright red, no longer did they care for sport. Quickly, they summoned globes of darkness to their hands, and from there the darkness morphed into a weapon, until each demon had a unique weapon. Quickly, they prepared their weapons, and formed a ring around Demetri, though they made no advances. For now, he was in control of the situation.  

[Rinexe]

((Wish I knew what weapons.))

This sudden lack of attack is unnerving... Demetri thought to himself. The shroud that the fog presented would be difficult. When the demons were such pitch black figures with weapons the same, he was in for a challenge. The figures seemed to surround him with their weapons and were letting Demetri take the center. It was never a good position. He knew that if he were to focus on one, the others would have the opportunity to come in which would only end up with him dead. The only good strategy here would be to allow one to come in at a time and pick them off one by one as they came in. He somehow knew that his sword could destroy them if they got close. Their energy was... weak. He could feel it. Demetri waved the sword at the nearest one in a sort of taunt, and without moving from his position, caused a surge in the cane in his ride hand. Energy focused at the tip and seemed to lighten the area. The swamp was even more beautiful than the one at his home. The tall wet trees and the damp water were perfect.

He aimed his cane at the one to his right and shot a small little flame as a taunt, and let it fly to attempt to prickle the demon's face. If it hit, it would manifest into a larger, more irritating ember that would lightly burn the demon and hopefully cause it to come in for an attack. If it did, he would be ready for an attack with a sword. If others came in, he would be ready for another water shockwave to push them back. Demetri was sure that his strategy would work, if only for the lack of intelligence the demons seemed to be showing in their tactics. Whatever they were, they weren't that powerful.

With the stories of the Ancient Swamp that he had heard from previous years, he knew darker things lie in the depths, and it would be his job to remove them. It would also be his job to become more powerful and defeat the King Defaeco and revive his swamp. It was too bad that he didn't know what was truly happening above the swamp and outside of his isolated cell.  

[SpokenSoftly]

About thirty feet away, utterly ignored by the battle and utterly ignoring it in turn, a tall being wrapped in gold-edged robes of shining steel waved its staff over a cauldron, which contrary to what ought to have happened in such a situation, continued to sit perfectly still and not bubble, hiss, steam, glow, or exhibit any other sign of the prodigious magical energies that had been poured into it with the simple action. The liquid within closely resembled mucus, in that it was mostly clear with a gelatinous texture and a tendency to string when grasped.

This ritual had been taking place, unnoticed and unnoticing, for as long as the combat between the undead one and the demons had been raging not ten yards away. With the energy the demons were giving off it was no small wonder that the forces called upon by the mysterious silver-robed being went unnoticed, and with the magnitude of the forces it was no mystery why the being had not spared so much as a twitch of its cowl for the battle dexter of its cauldron.

With a final flourish that made the galaxies within its staff swirl and mix, the being intoned a single word of power that caused the cauldron to slosh slightly before settling, the mucus-like mixture seeming to rise slightly and become opaque. "At'challah."

((At'challah = 'bread' in the language set forth in the pages of the Sataris of the Archmagus.))  

[kjaslkdjiehdfba]

In the depth of the swamp, a pale lifelessly hand reached out in the water like an iconic pose of rebirth.It then fell down and grabbed a hand of mud then flailed it precariously, it fell slowly and created an even darker cloud in the murky water. The hand flexed slowly while it kept extending out of the mud till it reached a wrist then it curved down, it walked with its fingers, dabbling in the mud. But with the hand, a limb and to that limb a body was attached. The body wormed itself out and laid at the bottom of the swamp. It exhaled green bubbles and it stood up six feet and walked till it almost reached the land.

The man's head alone jutted out of the water like a frog, and his green boggling eyes were captured by the sight of a man doing some thing mysterious. He twisted his head a total of 180 degrees till he saw a man fight creatures of the dark.Then he kept turning his head till it was back to its original position. The man's name was Tommy and he stared vigorously at the curious fellow, that spoke enchantments. Tommy kept his head still and rather than looking alive he looked like a statue. His skin was pale and looked too stiff and rigid to be live flesh. He blinked once with his left eye and it fell out of the socket and hanged loose by a small thread of red and white. He slowly reeled it back in with some unseen force. His gaze was steady on the man.

He decided to speak, "Hey, what are you doing?" With every word he said the pitched drastically changed from a high pitch whine to a deep death growl.  

[SpokenSoftly]

((this is written on the assumption that your profile has been approved, which I am not certain of since it has no asterix by it in the Profiles subforum.))

The robed being turned around and gazed at the undead being for several seconds before speaking again, waving a hand in slow circles over the doughy substance now overflowing from the cauldron. Its voice was a slightly unnerving tenor, with harsh clicks punctuating many of its words, none of which were recognizable even in the common Tradespeech. It was, in fact, speaking in a language that had been dead for eight thousand years. "At'challah et sutke'alluk tok nonk'ellallah tok noi. Et sok sh'akllah nok'tlleh sokl'anell?"

((At'challah et sutke'alluk tok nonk'ellallah tok you. Et sok sh'akllah nok'tlleh sokl'anell? - 'Bread and water for breakfast for me. Why? (lit. And you want to-know ?),' as translated from the language set forth in the pages of the Sataris of the Archmagus.))  

[kjaslkdjiehdfba]

(The profile is an npc, and Awesome said i can use it if im, i quote, "Super active with Tommy")

Tommy was suddenly angered by the person's lack of acknowledgement. "You have made me furious-" His voice was deep and in charge and he clearly accentuated the movements of his lips to the point where it became annoying. He began to walk forward and he steadily rose out of the water but instead of his head being attached to a neck and shoulders, it was held up by his hand like an exquisite dish served on a white platter. Tommy's body walked out on the land and held his head like a waiter. Tommy hissed lightly, then tossed his head back on his neck. The flesh at both ends of his head and neck wiggled furiously and they started to grow and clasp together till he was whole again, the veins in his neck slithered about like snakes. They stopped and he thrust out his fist at a high velocity.

"-And now I will hit you in the face. AHHHHHH." Tommy charged and began running, all his muscles were exposed to the air, his leg muscles rippled with each stride he took, their definition only increased. He was at the man in only seconds then he swung his fist at the man with the same might as a small little girl. Tommy smirked to himself, being full of pride for the amount of damaged that would succumb to this man.  

[SpokenSoftly]

The being stood perfectly still as the undead connected with the hood of the robe, the crunch of breaking fingers ringing out as the Icthus - for the robe the being wore was the Icthus of the Archmagus, one of the twelve Artifacts - hardened for an instant. The Icthus reacted to shield its wearer from physical harm at all times."Noi sait'ollok sha'llado'kllin sok. Sok sit'ollok ahll'tok Etell'kioll'hakll?"

Then, without waiting for an answer, the being brought its staff around and swung for the undead being's head.

((the above translates literally to "I do-not- to-ignore you. You do-not speak ?"))  

[kjaslkdjiehdfba]

Insanity coursed through tommy's old bones as the staff hit him in the head, he fumbled back a bit. A few moments after there was a cut on his forehead but it formed like a tear in a piece of cloth. He withered a bit to himself, rubbed the blood around, then uttered the words. "What?!?! Your words annoy me and the only thing I must do is retaliate with sheer violence." Tommy lunged once again, he hopped in the air fairly high then grabbed his foot. He ripped it off, laughing in the pain, his eyes only grew colder. The leg only tore from the knee, he threw it at the man. After falling back on the ground, he stood for but a moment then crouched and turned his back to the man. Giggling to himself and uttering under his breath, "I get's em good." just like a child.  

[SpokenSoftly]

The being caught the leg deftly and threw it back very hard at the retreating undead. "Sokl'eh."

Having thus disposed of the undead, the being turned back to its cauldron and broke off a piece of the doughy material, eating it with every sign of complete disinterest. The stuff was pale white on the inside and outside, and it was obvious that it had no taste whatsoever.