【D I S O B E D I E N T⦁W I L L F U L ⦁F R E E 】xxxxx◢ Z u r ū s u ► K u r i k o ◣xxxxx【A L P H A - B I T C H⦁A M A Z O N I A N ⦁B A R R E L - N E M E S I S 】
tab
[ "O ]i, cabin boy," she shouted down behind her, eyes focused on the sight before her out of necessity. "Ah think we found yer horses!" tab Having just left the brush a scant amount of minutes prior the Skald, Zuu, stood at the beginning of a decline into a grand valley on the other side of the forest, her teeth bared in her trademark feral grin as she assessed the beauty below. Having set out relatively close to midday the sun lay out of her eyes just overhead, allowing her keen vision to extend far in whatever direction she picked. This time she cast her vision into the gentle decline below, eyes picking out the rocks, the tall grass, and the specks with just the right number of wiggly bits to convince her of what she saw. Holding her aluminum bow in one hand while the other rested upon the quiver at her hip she struck an amazonian pose and crowed in delight. "If'n yer info be right, an' tha locals not be a bunch o' flamin' lunatics, tha bars likely be nearby." she continued within that same tone of exhilaration, unintentionally supercharged from the fact her hunting skills hadn't fallen as short as she'd expected. tab The name likely would have given pause to most but this had already been addressed in the few days it had taken to make their way here. The blasted forest was immense, and with the Yokai out trying to hunt their sorry asses it made it all but impossible to do anything but run, hide, and scout ahead. This had given the group a chance to grow accustomed, and, as she'd expected, none of them really had. Nina was a bit uptight about her calling the "village mayor" a cabin boy, but then, after the unlikely reunion with that s**t who had stopped her fight, she was inclined to not believe the psychopathic claim that Kaileer was anyone but the true leader's bed mate. To be fair the boy was handsome and a part of her wanted to devour him, but that same part also choked itself and slit its own throat before it got any further than a whimsical inclination. But when she'd gone looking for the holder of this job and had found him Zuu had been less than thrilled. She'd in fact wanted to laugh and tell him to ******** off. tab Wait, no, she'd done that, actually. tab Still, he'd persisted with his bullshit fantasy, and she'd called him out on being the c**k socket that she expected him to be only to have the boy utter the words that stopped it all. "Can we stop wasting time?" That's all he'd said, true, but that's all he needed to say to trigger the anxiety and horror that welled within her, enough to shame her to acceptance but not enough to stop her presumptive responses to him. Now here they were, days away, with her teasing and belittling him where she could while shmoozing up to the lovely Nina who, for reasons unknown, still reeked of blood and death. So far she'd kept that revelation, much like her true form, from the pair of them out of both respect and caution. If she were truly a murderer there was no place better to me than at her side, since Zuu's former profession taught honed her instincts and specialties into taking such people down. If she were wrong, well...still better to be careful either way. No need to jump her bones so willy-nilly like. tab And so, here they were, not far from home but far enough that the smoke from the many homes didn't grace the sky anymore, and below she could see the four-legged brutes wiggling their way down the countryside. This was it. This was her chance to lay claim to what she was capable of, to show to others her use. Pitcher, catcher, or innocent bystander aside, Kaileer was someone she could show her capabilities off to because he could pass it along to his superior(s?) when they returned. That alone should give her the leverage she needed to better her position. tab Turning her head slightly and looking back she caught sight of the pair as they neared her, and Zuu's expression became...hungry. "Ya ready ter wrangle these bad boys ter tha earth fer kith 'n kin?"
▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ ❝ A little good won't stop the devil. ❞
Techniques Used: ♥ ♥
Current Objectives: ♥
Items of Note: ♥
Quote:
Royal Taorito
magcookie
Quote:
[ e x p ] 0, 500 x|x [ r y o ] 0, 2 0 0 x|x [ c h a k r a ] 100/ 100 x|x [ s t a m i n a ] 100 / 100
[ m o o d ] Wondering just how big their colons really are... x|x [ h e a l t h ] Healthy and Whole x|x [ i n j u r i e s ] N // A x|x [ c o n t r o l ] Achieved.
【 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 ◣ ⦉ I dig 'til my shovel tells a secret, swear to the earth that I will keep it, brush off the dirt, and let my change of heart occur.⦊ 【 C - R A N K ⦁O A T H K E E P E R - S O L D I E R ⦁ H A K E M O T O 】
❝ Fault lines tremble underneath my glass house, but I put it out of my mind... ❞
[Location:] Koritsuku Valley
I frowned slightly when I heard Zuu shout her apparent nickname for me from up ahead. Despite everyone that had told her I was Ikeinasu's leader, she refused to accept it and insisted I was just the leader's ******** buddy. She'd lost my respect, and I knew she didn't respect me, so at least we were mutual on that. Regardless, this had been my mission post and I wanted to participate in it. Horses would be an important addition to our town, and we needed a source of transportation desperately if we ever wanted to expand outward or trade resources of our own. Not to mention the horses were in danger of some strangely acting bears apparently, so we had to act swiftly.
It didn't make any sense. The red-headed woman I supposed picked up a rumor of bears threatening the southern part of the forest and the valley beyond. Nothing had been reported about it, which triggered my ever growing paranoia to worry what I was getting myself into. Bears didn't typically go out of their way to bother the villagers, and they were scavengers and fishers, and horses would outrun them easily, so I couldn't see any reason why they would go after a herd--other than the worry the herd would be spooked and run off. Though at this rate, they'd hear us long before and get spooked anyway from the woman's shouting.
Then there was the nervous wreck that was with us. A face I didn't recognize because she seemed to be avoiding any interaction with me that she could. She had been introduced as Nina, but besides that I knew next to nothing about the stranger.
I sighed audibly as I made my way to stand beside Zuu. My joints were still hurting, so keeping up trudging through the snow with the lithe girl hadn't been the easiest. I played it off as being tired, which wasn't exactly a lie. And with Fiorzia hovering over me about it, I'd gotten self conscious, so I did my best to ignore the aches.
Reaching the peak of the small hill that revealed the break in the trees leading down into the valley, I could see the small herd shoveling through snow with their wide snouts in search of something to eat. Given the seemingly perpetual winter, it was hard to believe such massive creatures were living comfortably at all in this place. But they must have adapted over the centuries somehow to get by. They already looked different that the horses I knew. I could tell their hide and coats were thicker, shaggy, and most sported a varying set of spiraling horns on their heads, like a ram or an antelope. And they must have been confident as well, because their coats hadn't developed to blend in with the landscape. In fact, I could see the stallion wandering a little ways outside of the group, his golden buckskin pelt almost gleaming in the snow.
I responded finally to Zuu, lacking her enthusiasm and therefore volume, once I'd gotten a good look into the valley, my gaze scanning the edge of the forest instead for any sign of the bears. "This whole bear thing still feels off to me." I looked briefly at Nina, and then turned my attention to Zuu. "I don't see them down there, so they must be either up here in the treeline, or, gods forbid, on the other side of the valley."
❝ ...long enough to call it 'courage' to live without a lifeline. ❞
Counter | 67 / 200
Active Effects: • Agility [5]: [.5] rank increase to physical speed. [-5] Stamina to Simple and unnamed physical attacks. • Power [5]: [.5] rank increase to physical strength. • Master of Lightning: [1] rank increase to spiritual strength of Raiton techniques. • Old Injuries: [.5] rank decrease to physical speed. [7/20]
Current Stats: • Physical| Strength: +0.5 x Speed: +0.0 • Spiritual| Strength: 0.0 x Speed: 0.0 • Power [6] || Agility [6] || Intelligence [3] || Chakra [1] • Defense - D
♫ ~ Hajimari wa owari, hajimari wa hajimari. Amaki shi yo, kitare.
Tsukihara Hana was home, and spilling the burning blood of yokai was Soraru's guilty pleasure. For the past few months since forming a pact with the demon of Despair, the young swordsman had been in his paradise. He wandered around, hunting anything that carried the scent of death or blood while justifying his actions as working towards some greater good that benefited the world in some way. The reality of the situation was that he'd been satisfying a bloodlust that churned beneath the surface for years, and he finally had the opportunity to let loose. While he may have benefited the people of Kaileer's village in some way with his actions, he hadn't come any closer to his ultimate goal of taking back his home. It would have been easier to keep himself on track if the scent of blood hadn't grown so distracting, the influence of Klangryal's pact growing to the point that he needed to mix his blood into his water to avoid throwing up or going into a frenzy. He'd be happy using the blood of yokai, but they didn't exactly make it easy to feast on them while they were still breathing, and something felt incredibly wrong to him about drinking from something already dead.
His latest prey had a particularly strong smell of death to it, which had become something strangely delectable to the samurai. That alone was enough to disgust him during his early time with the pact, but much had changed since then. He imagined that the taste and craving were comparable to alcohol in some ways and wondered just how similar he was becoming to the monsters he was trying to destroy. A beacon of light wouldn't cleanse them away. He had to get down and dirty with them if he wanted to get anywhere. "Looks like this one is going to be dangerous, Uragiri-san. It's almost like their scent is screaming out for someone to find them. It'd be bad if anyone from Ikeinasu came in contact with it before us." He'd been aware of the Iron City of Bridges for some time but made it a point to provide a helping hand from a distance. Not only would joining them interrupt his hunt, but Soraru knew that until he learned how to control his...strange urges from Klangryal's pact, he wouldn't be able to live a normal life in any society.
Soraru was on the outskirts of Ikeinasu's valleys, treading through the brush on his way to the scent of death when he heard the voice of a woman. "Oi, cabin boy!" She shouted, making his breath catch in his throat for a moment out of surprise, his whole body tensing until he realized just how far off her voice must have been. "Ah think we found yer horses!" The woman continued, making his mind wander for a moment. There were indeed horses in the valley, but not any of the yokai variety. Were they planning on expanding their territory? Long trades? He hadn't even thought of leaving his little piece of paradise before. I guess I should consider getting a horse as well, but I've never even taken care of one before. I guess there's no harm in starting from scratch, but I'll have to worry about that later. I need to kill whatever it is giving off this strong scent before anyone else can run into it. He thought, just about to get back into the swing of things when he just barely caught the sound of a familiar voice.
It was incredibly faint, but Soraru's curiosity was quickly getting the better of him. If that voice belonged to the person he thought it did, the opportunity to see how an old friend was doing was preferable to anything else. Regardless, it'd be more trouble for everyone if the creatures reeking of death weren't handled, and he couldn't afford to waste time. Noticing that he wasn't too far off from his prey anymore, he held out his right hand. "I'd prefer using a katana right now, Uragiri-san. I might ask you to change again once we see what we're up against, but I don't want to be caught off guard without you. With the scent coming off of these things, I wouldn't be surprised if this is some sort of trap." With that said, the dark red armor covering his body ran down his right arm like it was liquid, pooling in his hand until it took the shape of the weapon he wanted. Beneath that armor were normal pieces of clothing he'd found over the months that he put together into a decent looking ensemble, with chains underneath his dark haori. It didn't help much against the weather, but the cold of Tetsu no Kuni was nothing new to him. "Thanks. What would I do without you?" Soraru could swear that he heard something like a grunt come from the weapon, and he chuckled in response. Their small, dry interactions kept him from feeling lonely.
Keeping his blade drawn, Soraru continued down his own path, not planning to stop until he encountered his prey.
Everything of significance is the result of conquest. ~ ♫
【D I S O B E D I E N T⦁W I L L F U L ⦁F R E E 】xxxxx◢ Z u r ū s u ► K u r i k o ◣xxxxx【A L P H A - B I T C H⦁A M A Z O N I A N ⦁B A R R E L - N E M E S I S 】
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[ H ]earing Kaileer's response the red-haired spitfire smirked, her teeth bared in her usual feral way. "Giv'n what yeh bartender be sayin' tis' likely a matter o' them hidin'," she began, even as she reached for an arrow and notched it neatly in a ready, yet languid manner. "They been huntin' 'round 'ere fer some time, an' yer guards be right shite at findin' dem." She'd heard more than that. The bartender had told them a number of things about the bears, not the least being they displayed a level of cunning that would have been better fit to a human, and that alone intrigued her enough to intervene as few others would. Bears with intelligence, making plots and plans both sneaky and complex? Sounded like the world of An Teaglach, especially of the Ursine Sept. Yet since their arrival she had not caught wind of their sense, that innate kinship every sept felt for another despite their best efforts to rid themselves of it. What that meant was difficult to say, as there was a limit to the range at which they could be felt. Without knowing the full extent of what she'd lost over the centuries it was difficult to say if that sense had dulled as well, given the lack of exposure to other Septborn. tab Suddenly her head snapped back, her eyes going wide as her lips pulled back in a snarl. She could feel that burning, acrid taste at the back of her throat, the sudden cold of her skin and the fury of her blood pounding in her veins. The reek and disgust of Corruption, that which her gods-be-given knowledge told her was dangerous beyond few other things. The scent was powerful, it was rich, and it told her that somewhere close the power of the Echoes lay at hand. tab Drawing her arrow to her ear she turned, inhaling sharply as she caught it. Somewhere nearby there was a great deal of this horrible substance, though what kind lay beyond the power her senses gave her. "Ay, boy, there be monsters here," she snarled even as she cast about with her gaze for something, anything that would be giving off the trail. "Somethin' dead, or dyin'."
tabSoraru kept to his path as well he should, but it was the innate sense of death and the howl of his blade that kept the sudden assault from taking his head off. From thin air there came a tearing sound as the fabric of the world was torn asunder, spilling forth a quarter of titanic, monstrous bears that were clearly anything but normal. The first came from behind him, tearing through creation to swipe at his head and missing by barely a millimeter before withdrawing into the portal it had sundered. But the others were further off, the furthest thirty feet while the others ranged somewhere between it and him. They were titanic in size, bigger than any bear he'd seen before, towering at nine feet at the shoulder if his guess was even close to accurate. But what would likely give him pause wasn't the lack of corruption, or the overwhelming reek of fetid meat. No, if anything, it was the missing eyes, flesh, and organs that littered their forms, and the strange, black aura that surrounded them that oddly resembled what looked like humans crouched over like a bear, just much larger than the bear itself. tab The first bare had taken a swipe and retreated back, but the other three did not remain still to wait for response. The second to strike lay nearer, and included a shadow that rippled from its body and slid into the ground, causing black spikes to erupt from the earth in a long line ten feet wide and crossing nearly twenty feet in less than a second to attempt to spear Soraru. The third bear reared back its head, its mouth opening wide, then wider, until a crack preceded the tearing of muscle as the mouth opened wider than it should have. As the face split into three black tendrils lunged from the creature's gaping orifice to the left and right, attempting a two-pronged maneuver to force Soraru to step backwards to avoid the attack from the front and two sides. tab The third and final bear drew back its head as red leeches fell from the holes in its face as its jaws and throat began to expand, wriggling and writhing as it grew in size. Its attack would be last, first in the next action, as it prepared its mighty attack nearly forty feet away, blocked by its two friends who were already engaging him. tab tab tab tab tab
▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ ❝ A little good won't stop the devil. ❞
Techniques Used: ♥ ♥
Current Objectives: ♥
Items of Note: ♥
Quote:
Royal Taorito
magcookie
Tenshuyami
[ e x p ] 0, 500 x|x [ r y o ] 0, 2 0 0 x|x [ c h a k r a ] 100/ 100 x|x [ s t a m i n a ] 100 / 100
[ m o o d ] Wondering just how big their colons really are... x|x [ h e a l t h ] Healthy and Whole x|x [ i n j u r i e s ] N // A x|x [ c o n t r o l ] Achieved.
❥Nina hated every single second of her current existence. Sure she had agreed to grabbing the mission officially, since the flaming giant wasn't too keen on not getting paid. In Nina's mind Zuu was being paid in fun and blood, what more could a person need? It was extremely vexing for someone who carried such an intoxicating scent of predator. Sure getting money wasn't too bad, thus why she went to the cursed danger center. She had walked into the lions den and confirmed her suspicions. The boy was indeed the person she wanted to avoid at all costs. The leader of her latest squat. She held simple values, most of which involved not getting caught by the most powerful person in the area. So imagine her skin crawling horrified state of fractured being when the boy, Kaileer, announced he would approve the mission but only if he joined them. The squid was in far too deep to just say no thanks and leave at that point. Zuu accepted it begrudgingly as she somehow was unable to understand that the boy was indeed way too dangerous. Even now the flaming girl continues to poke fun at the boy. She just wanted to collapse in on herself like a singularity to escape the situation. Every time the boy looked in her general direction the tentacle like clumps of hair on her head would squirm nervously.
In all honestly she was starting to think the chance of draining the redhead dry was no longer worth the risk of being caught for being who she was. The boy's face was always either annoyed or blank. If he had any suspicions about her it wasn't being played out in the least. 'DanGEROUS. Must leave. Leave leave leave leave. But the girl! yes yes I know. THe unique... EXIstence needs to be inVEStigated.' Her mind was playing a continuous loop of I need to run I am going to run only to be overtaken by her sudden fondness of the girl only for it to loop back in on it not being worth it. Ect ect ect. It was stressful to say the least. She picked at her face mask to pass the time while her eyes darted everywhere but where Kaileer was. She just wanted to find the bears and leave. An apparent simple job, that the boy kept insisting was possibly worse than it seemed. Zuu knew more than she was letting on, such was apparent due to her insisting to do it despite her disapproval for the leadership joining them. The flaming tower halted in the deep snow as she drew her weapon in a smooth motion. It was then she realized what had gotten her so on edge. A familiar scent invaded her nostrils, finally breaking through the barrier of her mask. The scent of the abyss. Zuu was certainly right, only monsters reeked of such an odor. The hojo's eyes narrowed aggressively as her mind continued to click. If they were indeed bears to begin with hey were bears no longer. That meant the meat on their bones was no longer worth hunting. It held no sustenance for the hybrid. Just another way her day was being ruined.
A hand wormed its way into her jacket sleeve until a quiet clicking was heard, plucking free the weapon she kept hidden on her person. A chained knife, its edge exuded a dangerous aura when under the gaze of another. Warning all of its edge's unnatural sharpness. "...Alas my dear... It seems that feast I promised must be long since spoiled. And mister leader, if our sniffers aren't wrong this could be the chance you need to prove yourself capable." Nina offered to Zuu and Kaileer, her eyes peering off into the distance. While the redhead might have stopped in caution the squid did no such thing, not once did she pause in place and instead seemed to increase in her speed. As if unimpeded by the mounting snow she continued in the direction Zuu had pointed with her bow and arrow. The girl was quickly loosing control of her uneven temper. Her fractured mind was giving way to her feral nature. The urge to kill was seeping into her hands as evident by her chained knife danging out of her sleeve. It was going wonderfully, her plans, but the abyss ruining her hunt was the last straw. She had stopped paying attention to either of her companions instead focusing in on the hunt like the shark she truly was. Violet began swelling in her eyes as her iris' expanded unnaturally. 'How DARE they. That wAS MY feast! Hunger grows. Satiation weakens! I thirst for MOre than black slUDGE...' The mana in her chest began swelling as she approached the scent, her tentacle like hair whipping violently. Mana Pool:: [200 //200] Stamina Pool:: [300 //300] Blood Pool:: [200 //200]
Quote " 'All stories are true,' Skarpi said. 'But this one really happened, if that’s what you mean.' He took another slow drink, then smiled again, his bright eyes dancing. 'More or less. You have to be a bit of a liar to tell a story the right way. Too much truth confuses the facts. Too much honesty makes you sound insincere.' " :: Patrick Rothfuss, The Name of the Wind Nina's ThemeLEFT BOY - Dangerous
【 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 ◣ ⦉ I dig 'til my shovel tells a secret, swear to the earth that I will keep it, brush off the dirt, and let my change of heart occur.⦊ 【 C - R A N K ⦁O A T H K E E P E R - S O L D I E R ⦁ H A K E M O T O 】
❝ Fault lines tremble underneath my glass house, but I put it out of my mind... ❞
[Location:] Koritsuku Valley
Given the reaction of the other two, they could sense something that I couldn't. It made things frustrating on my part but there wasn't a whole lot I could do about it so I didn't dwell on it. I followed the direction they seemed to be sensing what I assumed was the bears from, trying to stretch my own senses as well. It was to no avail. About all I could rely on in the snow-covered landscape was my eyes, and whatever they had noticed was out of my sight.
My gaze turned back to Nina as she spoke, hiding the twinge of annoyance I felt when she said I could 'prove myself capable'. What was that supposed to mean? To prove what, exactly? I figured I'd done that already over the past three months. I didn't really get a chance to dwell on the statement as the strange girl started off in the direction Zuu had pointed, picking up pace quickly. With an inward sigh, I drew Zephyr and started after her, expecting Zuu and Fiorzia to follow behind. Given her desire, from what I'd seen so far, to be ahead, I fully expected her to pass me as I was reminded from the movement of constant annoy aches I felt.
Still I spoke up regardless. "We want to keep them away from the valley or the horses will get spooked," I called. "If they do, we might not see them again for weeks." I paused for a moment so I could pick up my slacking pace again. "What did you two sense? Given your reactions, I can assume these aren't normal bears." And of course, there was the whole thought process I'd had before about their behavior being abnormal. It made me feel like my statement was redundant. Yokai, maybe? If so, they were a new kind, but that wasn't all that unusual. We hadn't exactly wandered far from town; there could be thousands of different kinds of yokai, for all I knew.
❝ ...long enough to call it 'courage' to live without a lifeline. ❞
Counter | 68 / 200
Active Effects: • Agility [5]: [.5] rank increase to physical speed. [-5] Stamina to Simple and unnamed physical attacks. • Power [5]: [.5] rank increase to physical strength. • Master of Lightning: [1] rank increase to spiritual strength of Raiton techniques. • Old Injuries: [.5] rank decrease to physical speed. [8/20]
Current Stats: • Physical| Strength: +0.5 x Speed: +0.0 • Spiritual| Strength: 0.0 x Speed: 0.0 • Power [6] || Agility [6] || Intelligence [3] || Chakra [1] • Defense - D
Techniques Used:
Current Objectives: • Hunt down 'bears'. • Capture horses.
♫ ~ Hajimari wa owari, hajimari wa hajimari. Amaki shi yo, kitare.
Musunde noticed the change in tension just as soon as his blade did, like the sound of a pin dropping to the floor in a silent room. The swipe was faster than he thought, or maybe he just hadn't been prepared to be attacked from behind. Regardless, to panic would only hasten an end to his life. It missed. His head was still on his shoulders, and he could feel that the opponent was retreating already - could hear its uneven breathing distance itself from him just as soon as he heard the wind being sheared through in the space beside his head. To turn and launch a counterattack would be a useless action, especially when considering the multiple threats that had appeared in front of him. In that moment, he tried to see everything at once. He managed to notice their lack of eyes, and wondered if the attack launched at him only missed because it couldn't pinpoint his exact position through sound or scent. While bears could always detect scents with extreme precision, he imagined it might've been more difficult due to the overpowering smell of death that the group gave off. The aura it gave off was strange, but nothing he could stop to ponder about.
Attacks were launched in his direction all at once, and posed an immediate danger regardless of the distance between them due to how fast those attacks actually traveled. It was obvious, regardless of their apparent intelligence that they were trying to trap him into one direction of movement, but Musunde had grown much too prideful to retreat in the first place. To doubt himself or his decisions would lead to him being pierced, so he settled on utilizing his fighter's instincts that had only been honed through his months of surviving in the wild. Form manipulation came as naturally as dodging normally, so extending the weapons length by ten feet and its width by five in order to create a platform he could hang from didn't take much thought. He held firmly onto the top of this platform in order to revert his weapon back to its normal size as the spikes would pass beneath him, as to not lose Uragiri as a result of his actions.
He was as surprised as he was relieved that the spikes were able to hold up his weight when he landed on them, but didn't want to take the chance of running on them for longer than he needed to just in case they could change form. Musunde kept his sprint short, then leaped out towards his opponent. Rather than attack the one who sent the spikes out in the first place, he shifted his focus to the one that had intended to trap him into moving backwards with its tendrils. Wanting to strike before it could call its tendrils back, he leaped out into a horizontal spinning strike with his blade drawn, intending to sever all three at once in a movement similar to a deadly spinning top that was placed on its side. Whether or not he was successful was inconsequential in comparison to his next attack. Having landed on his knees, he put all his body into a forward lunge with his weapon, the act of using a stab to follow up his slice just as natural as the loud "Shine!" that roared out from his mouth. Utilizing form manipulation, he extended the blade to not only pierce through his target, but also the bear that had yet to attack which stood some distance behind it. The attack extended thirty feet in total, meant to pierce both and then some while also leaving some freedom to alter the weapon in case unexpected circumstances occurred.
Of course, assuming the attack landed and the bears showed no signs of being truly phased, he'd fire out spikes of ice along the length of the extended weapon to test how they responded to elemental attacks.
Everything of significance is the result of conquest. ~ ♫
【D I S O B E D I E N T⦁W I L L F U L ⦁F R E E 】xxxxx◢ Z u r ū s u ► K u r i k o ◣xxxxx【A L P H A - B I T C H⦁A M A Z O N I A N ⦁B A R R E L - N E M E S I S 】
tab
[ T ]here wasn't much of a chance for Zuu to react to the girl's words before Nina launched herself forward with all the tenacity of a hunting falcon swooping down for her prey. A moment, no more, was spent whistling softly to herself at the sight, her lips turning up at the sides as she realized the girl would not disappoint. From the moment she'd met her the vixen had known something feral leaked beneath the surface, and the scent she gave off, the ferocity in her eyes and the rather keen shape of her irises told her that her guess of the female being something other than human hadn't been far off. Still this wasn't the time to take in the beauty of it, and so she instead began to lope ahead even as the male struck ahead. While she couldn't have known it Kaileer assumed correctly that Zuu wasn't going to let him get ahead of her as she hurried ahead, ignoring the strange blue creature that followed after them. tab That didn't mean she was going to be so rude and stupid as to not share intel with a companion, no matter his ranking on the totem pole of society. That, and he had a good point about the horses. Darting her eyes to them and then back forward she considered the noise a bear could make, and the shape of the valley. Too much roaring and they'd get spooked for certain, but the distance would allow some leeway in regards to the sound. In the past when she'd worked with horses she'd known them to be easily spooked beasts, but also lazy. They didn't flee unless they had to. Given their size and the open scenery it was clear they felt at ease. Hearing a roar in the distance might not bother them as much if kept to a minimum, but sight? One glimpse and they'd be gone, just as the boy said. And if they could smell as she did, perhaps they'd flee when the scent of their corruption spread? tab Sparing a moment to gauge the distance between them as they gave chase to their feral companion Zuu adjusted her voice to carry to his ears. "Yer right," she begrudgingly admitted, lest he think she ignored his offered information and stratagem. She hastily continued before he'd be able to interject. "I be a Skald, an' can scent Corruption on tha wind. The powa o' tha Echoes, it be tha life force ov tha dead. As fer tha squiddie girl I dunnae know 'ow she be scentin' it, nor why." Leaping over a rock, keeping her bow taught and her eyes forward, she crested the hill towards where the scent of death and evil sprung before sliding to a stop in startlement. tab Below, Nina rushed head long towards the scent of death and rotted meat, towards a quad of bears that were not only obviously dead and/or dying, but nearly nine feet at the shoulders, if not taller! Monstrous in size and appearance the creatures were being fought by an unfamiliar figure, dodging between fell attacks that bespoke the true origin of these monstrosities. As Kaileer and Zuu came to a stop and Fiorzia gasped loudly the figure below sliced through a trio of tongues and landed with a thud before screaming some sort of command and extending the katana's blade in his hand through the midsection of the bear at the back. "Well, who in tha blue testiculars o' hell be tha-"
tab Before the scarlet tart could finish her statement several things happened at once. First, the bear that had unleashed the spikes from the earth leaped back to avoid any potential strike, though as it did the earth beneath it rumbled until it slammed its paws into the earth, causing the ground between it and where Soraru came to rest to split and rumble, a crevice ripping jagged across the countryside to drop him into a molten, fiery embrace below [C - rank to Dodge]. As it did so the tendril bear that had been sliced dropped to the ground and wined as the base of its tendrils writhed back into its mouth, where the bear slowly sunk into the earth in a rift it tore in creation, the blade Soraru wielded narrowly missing its face but still impaling the fourth bear in the distance. As it did the trembling of the ground from the first bear, the one that had slipped into another dimension at the beginning of the attack appeared from another rent behind Soraru, stopping at the edge of the crevice that formed to be able to smack him into its depths if he tried to leave [B - rank to dodge the two strikes that would happen.] tab The final bear that had dropped scarlet leeches from its face and had been growing in size had the most catastrophic change: it ruptured. Much like an eel-filled posture it gushed over as it was punctured, white, green and red ooze spilling from its body in a deluge that carried with it more of these leeches. Where the leeches touched earth fire began to erupt, spreading wildly around it as the gooey mess spilled across the earth and some falling into the depths of the crevice below.
tab Zuu stared at the horrors below with an expression of complete disgust, her nose wrinkling to such a degree that it wouldn't be amiss to say it was trying its damndest to flee from her face to find a new home somewhere near the hoard of horses. While her bow was raised and her arrow taught she sort of just stared in consternation, unsure of where exactly to shoot first while she waited for the boy below to do something to avoid his fate. Though, she did find enough breath to sort of rush her way through the last of what she intended to say. "Oh, an' ah sing ter make ya stronger." As she finished a single thought resounded in her mind: what insanity befell whatever deity invented this nonsense?! Gushing bears, for crying out loud?
▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ ❝ A little good won't stop the devil. ❞
Techniques Used: ♥ ♥
Current Objectives: ♥
Items of Note: ♥
Tenshuyami
Royal Taorito
magcookie
Quote:
[ e x p ] 0, 500 x|x [ r y o ] 0, 2 0 0 x|x [ c h a k r a ] 100/ 100 x|x [ s t a m i n a ] 100 / 100
[ m o o d ] Wondering just how big their colons really are... x|x [ h e a l t h ] Healthy and Whole x|x [ i n j u r i e s ] N // A x|x [ c o n t r o l ] Achieved.
❥Nina closed in on the scene surprisingly fast for someone sprinting through snow that is. If anything her many many many years of life gave her experience in properly placing ones foot in dangerous terrain. The girls mind was beginning to haze over as her more bestial side started to overtake her the close she got to the stench of the abyss. Her thoughts had long since abandoned safety and fleeing. Like a careful shark she hunted, stalking from tree to tree. Darting from one to the other the moment the abyssal bear's heads would turn onto the form of a young man. Who this young man was Nina could not say. She hadn't seen such a face before. At this moment however he was nothing but a distraction in her mind. She licked her lips slowly as her hands weaved themselves. A light hum escaped her muscles as mana surged through her gathering in her finger tips. Her eyes closed for a brief moment as she whispered a chant and formed seals with her hand gestures. The mana wrapping around her fingers two-fold as she chained the seal into a second set. Nina was fully embraced in the slaughter. Her feral hunger and blood lust had been dammed off, but it only takes a small splinter in the wood for it to come flooding out and drowning out reason. The world through Nina's eyes was akin to a type of thermal vision. 'Watch out its the goblin shark! Look at her eyes so scary! Haha it only takes a drop of blood what a freak!' Her fractured mind screamed in voices of the past, of her torment. The cruel nicknames and teasing had plenty of merit. Likely more so than the children had ever realized until that final frenzied moment.
She had waited long enough, the abyss infested ursine had fully engaged themselves into their latest challenge. The darkness was on the young lad and they were open to everyone but them. As the sound of crunched snow began to echo in Nina's ears she released the copious amounts of pent up mana. 'The hunt begins! hunt hunt the little rabbit. Kill kill the mighty bear!' Her gloved hands burred themselves deep into the snow, grinding against the bare earth bellow. The ground betwixt the three bears began to rumble unnaturally as the snow lifted itself in the air, melting into eight viscous tentacles of pure water. [1] Each one lashing outwards at the closest being before sparking to life as electricity began arcing outwards from the mindlessly bashing tentacles. Should any of the tentacles make contact with the bears or the nameless boy the electricity would arc off into the flesh of the unwilling victim and surge freely. The crackling snaps of the voltage gave clear warning of its potency. [2] Yet due to the sudden invasion of a foreign party perhaps some would be caught of guard in the chaos. The faux-Hojo used the violent sound of cracking water whips bathed in free voltage as cover as she darted from the safety of her tree cover closer to the chaos, chained knife spinning loosely. Her center of gravity was kept low, to someone far away it might have looked as if she was swimming across the top layer of snow. If not for the mask covered the lower half of her face, the world would have been given a sight of razor sharp teeth ready to strike someones jugular. "The fuN BEGINS!" She hoarsely said, voice spiking as she whipped her chained knife out. The chain bent unnaturally as it bent midair thrice each time changing the trajectory in the event her target noticed her approach to the chaos she had sewn. At the third midair bent it would attempt to slice clean across a bear's throat before retracting back to the charging squidkid. Should this strike connect it would leave a wound that would not close due to her cursed knife "Bloodletter" allowing for the abyss to spew out of the beast like blood. [3] 'PurGE THE SPOILED FLESH! CLEAnse the body! Make it puRE!'
[ [1] Shokushu Rendan Kyouran :: Tentacle Barrage Fury :: used as rank B, -40 Mana ] [ [2] Jibashi :: Earth Flash :: used as rank B, -40 Mana ] [ D Ranked unnamed strike with Bloodletter, -10 Stamina ]
[ooc: Gosh I sure hope I'm remembering combat rules properly and not overstepping.] Mana Pool:: [110 //200] Stamina Pool:: [290 //300] Blood Pool:: [200 //200]
Quote " 'All stories are true,' Skarpi said. 'But this one really happened, if that’s what you mean.' He took another slow drink, then smiled again, his bright eyes dancing. 'More or less. You have to be a bit of a liar to tell a story the right way. Too much truth confuses the facts. Too much honesty makes you sound insincere.' " :: Patrick Rothfuss, The Name of the Wind Nina's ThemeLEFT BOY - Dangerous
【 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 ◣ ⦉ I dig 'til my shovel tells a secret, swear to the earth that I will keep it, brush off the dirt, and let my change of heart occur.⦊ 【 C - R A N K ⦁O A T H K E E P E R - S O L D I E R ⦁ H A K E M O T O 】
❝ Fault lines tremble underneath my glass house, but I put it out of my mind... ❞
[Location:] Koritsuku Valley
[It looked fine to me lol]
The bears were indeed no normal bears. However, they were already engaged with another figure once they came into sight. Someone who I might not have recognized off-hand from that distance if it weren't for the attack he had used.The katana he held extended at great length before him, slashing through what looked to be the tongue(s?) of one and into another one, which exploded in a hail sludge when pierced. Anywhere the sludge landed burst into fire, even the snow, which quickly resulted in the snow surrounding to melt. Meaning we had a severe time limit or the forest was going to end up burning. Meanwhile one of the other 'bears' created a rift in the earth and another seemed to appear from a rift behind the figure, ready to strike the moment he moved away. The fourth, the one that had its tongues severed vanished in the chaos.
Zuu froze for some reason, hesitating to fire her bow--and to let me know she could cast spells through songs--while Nina shot ahead with an amount of bloodlust I could sense even without my former training. She made several hands signs and tendrils of water burst from the snow, sparking with electricity as they lashed at both the bears and the figure fighting them. I hissed in frustration and started after the white-haired girl, creating my own seals as I moved. After several paces, I shot forward, appearing as lightning to anyone watching.
Using speed to my advantage, I leaped the chasm and barreled straight into and through the bear that had revealed itself to attack from behind. If all went well, the creature would be stunned, leaving it open to a follow up. I pivoted, ignoring the nausea that always came with the technique to face the bear again and swung Zephyr down with all of my strength to strike the creature while it was, hopefully, vulnerable.
❝ ...long enough to call it 'courage' to live without a lifeline. ❞
Counter | 69 / 200
Active Effects: • Agility [5]: [.5] rank increase to physical speed. [-5] Stamina to Simple and unnamed physical attacks. • Power [5]: [.5] rank increase to physical strength. • Master of Lightning: [1] rank increase to spiritual strength of Lightning and Storm spells. • Weathered: [1] rank decrease to spiritual strength of Lightning and Storm spells. • Old Injuries: [.5] rank decrease to physical speed. [9/20]
Current Stats: • Physical| Strength: +0.0 x Speed: +0.0 • Spiritual| Strength: 0.0 x Speed: 0.0 • Power [6] || Agility [6] || Intelligence [3] || Chakra [1] • Defense - D
Techniques Used: • Lightning Transformation - Strength - D (increased by PA); Speed - B When performing this skill, the user transforms into an extremely quick 'strand' of lightning. In this quick state, nothing is done slowly - everything is in a rush for the user. However, this strand of lightning is incapable of changing directions on its own. It can only change directions by bouncing off another object, such as a tree or a boulder, but the user is capable of bouncing off in any angle they wish to. The transformation automatically dissipates when the user makes contact with a living target: being in a state similar to lightning, the user plunges completely into their target, and ends up in their physical state on the other side of their opponent. In addition to giving the target a painful electrical shock, this skill may cause temporary paralysis [lasting one post]. Because of the fast speeds associated with this skill, the user will feel dizzy, confused, and often nauseous for some time afterward. This technique can be used in conjunction with other spells, such as the Call of Lightning Technique, or the Lightning Clone Technique, to confuse the opponent. However, no skills can be used in this state. The user can dispel the technique at any time. Originator: Kaileer Cein'lys [Royal Taorito] • Unnamed Katana Slash - Strength - A (increased by Overpower passive); Speed - B tab• Overpower - By sacrificing an extra activation, the user can increase the physical strength of one attack by one [1] rank. Has a two [2] post cooldown.
Current Objectives: • Hunt down 'bears'. • Help Soraru. • Capture horses.
♫ ~ Hajimari wa owari, hajimari wa hajimari. Amaki shi yo, kitare.
I hear more of them. Footsteps. More beasts? No. A voice. Voices. Musunde felt the ground tremble beneath him, causing a sharp feeling of urgency to cleave through his thoughts. Faced with dire circumstances, he decided to forego his initial plans to blast the creatures with ice in favor of retracting his blade to a normal size and stepping back to avoid danger. His eyes watched the amazing display of the ground spreading apart before him, an ounce of fear threatening to make its way through to his heart. Their power undoubtedly surpassed his, but their attacks were primitive. If he could constantly counter their attacks, surely he would be able to whittle them down in time. One solid attack though, and he'd be rendered useless or dead.
Fear. Doubt. Surprise. Rid yourself of these!
He heard the beast behind him before his body could truly sense the danger, and the young swordsman quickly put his plans into action. Rather than put himself out of range by fully evading the attack, Musunde sheathed his blade and lowered his body to a near crouch, then leaped backwards in a motion that would have put his back in contact with the bears claws at a point where a large amount of momentum couldn't be built up. Not that it mattered. He made his move without any issues, not suffering any damage. Nope. All he did was come face to face with an old ally who had just pivoted himself into full view. For a moment, his battle focus was almost broken by a desire to say something witty in that moment. Maybe a teasing remark or something "cool" that would just happen to be so stereotypical that it was groan inducing. The one thing that really managed to sink in was a feeling of relief that had become all too unfamiliar in the months that he survived on his own. Even if he knew of the safe haven that his old ally founded, it was nice to see him alive and well. Sounds associated with pain and the sight of the stunned monstrosity brought him back to peak focus, and he positioned himself a safe distance from Kaileer, getting ready to follow up on his attack if the bear had any more tricks up its sleeve.
He exhaled, entering the draw-stance of a style that was both right at home in the Iron Country while also being long gone from the world. His right hand was wrapped tightly around the hilt of his weapon, ready to draw at any moment. While Musunde's eyes were trained on the beast that Kaileer was attempting to cut down, he kept track of the rest of the battlefield through his hearing. There were others with the lightning swordsman, unfamiliar voices. One of which was quite unsettling, but regardless, he had every intention of assisting them all immediately in the event that they found themselves in danger. That moment of protection bought him the time he needed to get the situation under control.
Everything of significance is the result of conquest. ~ ♫
【D I S O B E D I E N T⦁W I L L F U L ⦁F R E E 】xxxxx◢ Z u r ū s u ► K u r i k o ◣xxxxx【A L P H A - B I T C H⦁A M A Z O N I A N ⦁B A R R E L - N E M E S I S 】
tab
[ F ]lash of white followed by crackling electricity to her right some distance off, the raw blood lust drenching words spoke in a desire to hunt and murder painting without sight just who it belonged to. From her side more electricity as the cabin boy blew through the bear and appeared on its other side, swinging with a blade that bore a glowing green outline that carved through its body like butter. Tendrils from before gripped the bear Kaileer had just struck, causing it to seize and attempt to scream as volts scoured mind and spirit from approaching anything close to coherent thought. The other, the one that had created the fissure in the earth was grappled around its tender bits and pulled backward, though from the way its back was splitting open, gushing fetid ooze and gnarly teeth, it was clear the monstrosity was beginning some sort of metamorphosis that would end with it being some sort of skull-faced butterfly, for all she ******** knew. tab And yet here she stood, above it all, watching as the final bear in the distance crawled out from a patch of earth where the third bear's flaming remains had burned away all presence of snow. Even as the creature rose, skinless yet covered in gaping sores where bones poked through and which crackled with their own electricity like a living tesla unit, Zuu sighed and shook her head in silence. tab The nightmares never stopped. They just...changed. tab There was no hatred or blood lust, no desire to save or protect. Not the way others displayed. Kaileer moved to save a stranger, while Nina flew with the desire to consume and destroy. While she admired the girl's free spirit she couldn't feel the same need or rage. Instead...she felt hollow. A moment once more where she didn't know where she deserved to be, where she fit in. Even that stranger down below with the face of a warrior who knew how to control themselves and waste not a single action held purpose. tab What exactly was her purpose? tab Left hand clenching the grip of her bow hard enough to turn knuckles white, right hand gripping the arrow that graced the string with its presence with all the tenacity of a death grip, she closed her eyes even as the last bear raised its paws and bellowed. The roar rattled her ribcage, fanned her hair out around her shoulders, and for a brief moment cleared her thoughts and allowed for a time where her mind can think. tab Instead, it sang. tab Without thought her lips parted as her voice rose in challenge, a rising note that wiped away the fear and uncertainty in a series of notes that swept the field of battle. Kaileer, Soraru, and Nina's weapons would swirl with scarlet energy as their hands and wrists were kissed by the flames of her passion, amplifying the strength of their limbs and the speed as which they moved. Lighter, stronger, their pulse would rise in tandem with the howl of her rhythm. Victory would come at any cost, no matter what was required, and she would play her part. tab As the giant bear with crackling bones charge Zuu pressed the arrow slightly harder against the bow's back and let fly, causing the arrow to grind slightly enough that the arrow would release and be covered in its own dissonant energy. The arrow trailed fire across the sky, tracing its arc as it buried itself into the creature's skull with fire before the sonic energy split away from the projectile and rattled those same bolts. The bones cracked but did not splinter, yet that was enough for the bear to howl and unleash a torrent of electricity across the gathered comrades. "Dead" though Nina's bear might be, as bisected as Kaileer's appear, both convulsed as the electricity hit them as their insides began to glow hot with power.
▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ ❝ A little good won't stop the devil. ❞
Techniques Used: ♥ ♥
Current Objectives: ♥
Items of Note: ♥
Tenshuyami
Royal Taorito
magcookie
Quote:
[ e x p ] 0, 500 x|x [ r y o ] 0, 2 0 0 x|x [ c h a k r a ] 100/ 100 x|x [ s t a m i n a ] 100 / 100
[ m o o d ] Wondering just how big their colons really are... x|x [ h e a l t h ] Healthy and Whole x|x [ i n j u r i e s ] N // A x|x [ c o n t r o l ] Achieved.
❥Beneath her studded mask Nina wore a vicious smile of contempt as her Bloodletter twisted around the bears neck, collaring it like the beast it was. Breaking her hunters focus was a rising note that echoed through the newborn battlefield. A familiar voice belonging to her current mark filled her ears with a strange music. It enraptured the murderous squid filling her muscles with newfound strength. It was a familiar feeling. It was akin to Feeding. Her skin began to catch fire as the music got louder. It didn't hurt no, instead it made the pulling of the bear seem insignificantly weak. This had an unfortunate side effect that the flaming red head couldn't have foreseen. From the deepest core of her body rose a staggering thirst. A dangerous thirst. One that eroded at her rationality. Her Ancestral body being bathed in the feeling of Feeding was not something Nina was prepared for. Her vampire like fangs began to ache feverishly. Desperately she wished to drive them into the young leaders throat as he dove past her swinging his blade. She nearly let go of her chained weapon to do so even. However the bears sudden change in physical features as those touched by the abyss tended to do. This would not do at all. How could she prey upon the humans if these beasts continued to get in her way?
'Stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid stUPID BEARS! Punishment time! This time stay dead!' Thanks to the burning power embracing her hands holding the bear and forming her hand seals would be child's play. The fractions of the girls mind were arguing what exactly would be the most painful way of making sure this bear stayed down so she could focus on her other playthings. Her flaming fingers began to form a short series of seals as her mana began leaking its way down her chained blade. For this abyss possessed bear the tightening of the chain around its throat would suddenly find itself incredibly painful as she practically overclocked the beasts decrepit nerves to life. [1] While this intensification of all things pain was happening the girls fingers did not stop no. From beneath the magical fire came all too familiar sparks of electricity. The crackling might not be heard over the thrashing tentacle tasers but it sure would be felt. Nina place her other hand back onto Bloodletter's chain, the electricity that had been arcing between her fingers shot down the metal in a blink of an eye. The current transferring from her hand to the metal and directly into the possessed creatures throat. [2] The chain was no longer acting as a make shift collar for the towering beast but instead it was more akin to an electric fence stapled to its neck. With this sudden and intrusive shock the squid was hoping it would be sufficiently caught off guard as she violently pulled on the chain, hoping to pull it down to the ground or snap its neck with her newfound strength. Honestly either outcome would be acceptable for the crazed lunatic.
[ [1] Itami Gekka :: Pain Intensification :: used as rank D, -10 Mana ] [ [2] Nagare Tensou no Jutsu :: Current Transfer Technique :: rank D, -10 Mana ] Mana Pool:: [090 //200] Stamina Pool:: [290 //300] Blood Pool:: [200 //200]
Quote " 'All stories are true,' Skarpi said. 'But this one really happened, if that’s what you mean.' He took another slow drink, then smiled again, his bright eyes dancing. 'More or less. You have to be a bit of a liar to tell a story the right way. Too much truth confuses the facts. Too much honesty makes you sound insincere.' " :: Patrick Rothfuss, The Name of the Wind Nina's ThemeLEFT BOY - Dangerous
【 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 ◣ ⦉ I dig 'til my shovel tells a secret, swear to the earth that I will keep it, brush off the dirt, and let my change of heart occur.⦊ 【 C - R A N K ⦁O A T H K E E P E R - S O L D I E R ⦁ H A K E M O T O 】
❝ Fault lines tremble underneath my glass house, but I put it out of my mind... ❞
[Location:] Koritsuku Valley
The bear I'd attacked fell victim to the stun caused by the electricity it was hit with, and was bisected as I spun on it. I glanced at Soraru to make sure he was fine and, meeting his gaze gave a small but reassuring smirk. Not that I wasn't sure he could handle himself, but more to let him know we had his back.
From somewhere beyond, back the direction I'd come from, I heard a voice start singing. I recognized it belonging to Zuu but it was still surprising. With her voice came a sudden surge in strength. I felt both stronger and lighter as flaming mana swirled around my arms and legs. The flames traveled up my weapon, coating the blade. However, upon meeting the wind that already whirled about it, the fire grew larger, giving off an intense heat somehow without making the sword too hot to hold. It was impressive to say the least. I had heard of skalds due to their presence in the village but hadn't yet gotten to fight alongside one, so it was refreshing to see what they were capable of.
There was no time to dwell on either it or the reunion as a roar resounded over the song, followed by the familiar crackling of electricity as one of the bears attacked. The thing bore no skin and bones protruded from its body that seemed to act as lightning rods for the energy coursing through it. I drew mana into my free hand and threw forward my own wave of lightning to counter and hopefully overwhelm the bolts that flew our direction.
I pulled my hand back, stepping back as I did and shaking the last of the dizziness from a moment before from me. A glow caught my attention, drawing my gaze back to the bear I'd severed in two. Its body convulsed with electricity that I supposed had slipped passed my counter, and it almost seemed to be...changing. Which I wasn't about to let happen. I did the first thing that came to mind. Leaving whatever was around us to Soraru to take care of, I rammed my shoulder into the half of the bear that was closer to me and shoved with my newfound strength to push the mass of bones and muscle into the fissure its companion had created. Not bothering to wait and see if anything happened, I turned to the other, larger half, and repeated this, hoping I wasn't about to find jaws wrapped around me.
❝ ...long enough to call it 'courage' to live without a lifeline. ❞
Counter | 70 / 200
Active Effects: • Athlete Archetype: [.5] rank increase to physical speed. [5] stamina reduction to Simple and unnamed physical attacks. • Master of Lightning: [1] rank increase to spiritual strength of Lightning and Storm spells. • Weathered: [1] rank decrease to spiritual strength of Lightning and Storm spells. • Old Injuries: [.5] rank decrease to physical speed. [10/20] • Blood Red Roses: [1] rank increase to physical strength and speed. D-rank Fire damage added to weapon.
Current Stats: • Physical| Strength: +1.0 x Speed: +1.0 • Spiritual| Strength: 0.0 x Speed: 0.0 • Power [6] || Agility [6] || Intelligence [3] || Chakra [1] • Defense - D
Techniques Used: • Lightning Manipulation - C-rank - Strength: B - Speed: C • Unnamed Shove? x2 - C-rank - Strength: B - Speed: B
Current Objectives: • Help Soraru. • Defeat 'Bears'. • Capture horses.
