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Post by Deleted on May 18, 2011 12:26:25 GMT -5
They traveled for a couple of hours before Gordy finally turned. However he did not turn towards the mountains. He put his back to the mountains and began to walk in that direction. Keeping in tune with Jean, Red spoke to her quietly. "Alright this is ridiculous. How do we even know that he can see where he's going?"
Part of him wanted to just turn the opposite way. The other half was too afraid to. Gordy seemed intent on where he was going though. He walked with a smile on his face and hummed a peculiar tune the entire time. For the life of him, Red could not tell what that song was. But it was so catchy that Red found himself humming along.
Taking a break from the song only then did Gordy answer Jean's question. "It took us a long time and the cost of a few lives before we realized the correct path. The land lies to ya. It makes ya believe your stepping on solid ground when really your about to fall to your death. Not a nice land if ya ask me."
After that Gordy went back to his humming. Red was glad now that he didn't go off in a random direction. He would have to just trust that Gordy knew the correct way to the Spine. Crossing his arms he continued walking. He glanced back at Jean and Annalese. They seemed to be faring alright.
Except for Annalese. It was only now that Red recognized she seemed uncomfortable. In a way it seemed she was preoccupied with something. She had her arms around her stomach as she walked. "I wonder if she's sick?"[/color] Red thought to himself. He wondered if vampires were even able to get sick. The faster they got to the Spine the better.
They traveled for another two hours before all of a sudden mountains appeared. One step there was nothing but plains before them, then the next the mountains simply existed. It was as if they had walked out of a cloud. It caused Red to stop walking and simply stare. The mountains towered before them.
On the base of the mountain stood a large fortress. It was a tall square wall that was connected by four circular towers. The wall itself was made of pure silver stone. The whole structure reminded Red of a castle. "How did you guys build this?" Red asked in bewilderment.
Gordy just smiled. "This is actually the only structure that existed when we first came to the world so long ago. Come on lets get you two inside. Outside of the fortress we are very open."
Red was going to ask what the old man meant, but his answer was given in a different form. One moment they were alone, and the next they were not. Suddenly shadows flew from the base of the mountain and around them. The heartless appeared out of the ground as was custom.
There were twenty of them and they came in three forms. The majority of them, about thirteen, took the form of the regular shadow heartless. They were small creatures with humanoid structure, yellow eyes, clawed hands, and antenna on their heads. Red also counted five large spherical creatures called Darkballs. They floated in the air without arms of legs and had yellow eyes and a gaping blue mouth. Finally the two most menacing of the creatures were two red demon like creatures with wings and a red sword in each hand. Red recognize them as Ocrus.
Gordy swore as he backed off. This was just their luck! Trouble always found them, no matter where they went. Red opened his palm and his keyblade formed. "Great. Just great." He said to himself, and just as he did the heartless attacked.
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Post by Sprow on May 19, 2011 3:08:46 GMT -5
Jean walked in silence as Gordy led them onward. The old man seemed to not have heard her again and just hummed a tune as they walked. Keeping in pace with her, Red spoke to her. Glancing at him, Jean shrugged. "We just have to trust in his leadership. If we don't, we could end up in serious trouble. It's always best to listen to the locals." That much she had learned in her travels. It was always best to listen to those that have experience with where they lived.
Trudging along behind Gordy, taking care not to go astray, she occasionally looked over her shoulder to make sure Annalese was following them. Only then did she take note of the way the girl was acting. Was something the matter with her?
Jean didn't have much time to dwell on it when Gordy finally answered her question that he took some time to answer. The land here apparently was just a big illusion. All it did was lie to you and caused you to fall off cliffs or what have you. "Interesting, never saw such a place."
Annalese just straggled behind, still able to see and follow them as she did so. Having glanced up ahead of her, she did see Red and Jean cast looks behind toward her. Immediately, Annalese felt tense. If they went near her, it would be hard to keep herself from focusing on the tempting scent of blood. Thankfully, she had control. It's just her control would wane greatly if they ended up taking days and days to get off this world.
It didn't take long before the mountains seemingly appeared out of no where. Ahead of them, a fortress stood connected by four towers. It gave off the appearance of a castle. Hearing Red's question, Jean looked over at Gordy as he answered him. The fortress had been there before they had gotten here apparently. 'Then...who made it?' she wondered silently.
"Two?!" exclaimed Annalese "There's three of us!"
The journey took a turn for the worse though. Right before they were to hurry inside upon Gordy's beckoning, twenty Heartless appeared. Seeing them, Jean sighed as she unsheathed her weapons. "I knew this would happen. Nothing ever seems to go our way for long." Readying herself, Jean took on her battle stance.
Annalese scrunched up her nose as she waved her hand at the creatures from afar as if shooing away a smell the others couldn't. "Ew! They stink like crazy with the darkness!" she complained before taking out her whip with her free hand.
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Post by Deleted on May 19, 2011 11:25:25 GMT -5
The heartless attacked. Being heartless there was no set plan on attacking, they simply attacked. Because of this, Red found himself facing two shadow heartless in front of him and a Darkbal. He was used to the shadow heartless, having faced them before, but the Darkbal was something new. It was much larger then the small heartless, and probably the the most dangerous of the two.
Keyblade swinging, it collided with a charging shadow heartless. The creature didn't stand a chance against the strength of a keyblade. In one strike the creature was reduced to nothingness. "Seems that heartless don't stand up to keyblades." Horizontally striking the other shadow, Red was forced to pivot on his front leg.
As he spun around, he brought up his keyblade in defense. Good thing too cause not a moment later the Darkbal came in head first to attack. It deflected off the keyblade. Red could feel the darkness radiating from the thing. It wasn't a pleasant feeling. Slashing upward, his keyblade struck once, then twice, then a third time before the creature tried to back away.
Seizing the opportunity, Red leaped into the air and spun the keyblade in a circle finishing the creature. However the battle was far from finished. Red had just gotten rid of only three of the creatures, that left at least seventeen unless Jean and Annalese had gotten rid of some of them. He really didn't have much time to count them.
Red now found himself facing one of the Orcas. They were tall creatures floating in the air with large red swords. Red knew this battle was going to be harder then the others. Just looking at the creature sent him a wave of worry. No use in pausing though. Those who paused in battle did not last long.
Going into attack, Red's keyblade struck only air. Confused Red searched for the Orcas that was in front of him one moment, then not the next. He spotted it as it raised its blade to attack the Gordy. Red cursed! He had forgotten all about the old man. "Watch out!" He called, but even he knew it would be to late. He was just too far away from Gordy to help him.
What saved Gordy was a glowing arrow that shot through the sky. It glowed with a white light and went straight through the heartless. A moment later arrows flew one after another, colliding with heartless after heartless until they were gone. Red's eyes followed the streak of the arrows to a woman dressed in a black jump suit lined in yellow. Red noticed her straight yellow hair that reached to her shoulders matched the bow she held in her arms.
She stood in front of the open doors of the fortress. Gordy picked up his belt and said, "Come on now you three. Let's get inside before the heartless return." Not needing to be told twice, Red walked in that direction.
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Post by Sprow on May 19, 2011 15:45:29 GMT -5
Dark ball, Jean had seen them a few times before. They were much more violent than the usual Shadow Heartless. Not to mention, they were more powerful. That and with the Orcas here, it made their situation much more dangerous. They were one of the most powerful Heartless around of the minion category. 'I guess I can be thankful that no boss Heartless are here yet!' she thought grimly.
She didn't expect the Heartless to attack in a set pattern. The creatures were just good in their element of surprise and ambush. Frowning, Jean found herself facing off at least four Shadow Heartless with two dark balls.
Summoning up her phantom blades, five of them, she sent out to take out four of the regular shadow Heartless. Those things, they were quite easy to defeat. As for the Dark balls, since she didn't have a keyblade, it would be more difficult on her part to take them down. Jean wasn't weak but she also didn't have a keyblade. Normal weapons had a harder time fighting the creatures unless the swords were embedded with light of some kind.
Her final phantom blade shot at one Dark ball, she charged the other. Moving at a speed that was hard to keep up with, Jean seemingly disappeared. Confused, the Dark ball looked around in wonder as to where their prey just went. It didn't have long to wonder as Jean appeared directly behind it. Slashing upwards and side ways with her other blade, she sent the Dark ball spinning into a circle. The momentum of her attack had been so sudden and powerful that it ended up crashing into its fellow Dark Ball.
Weakened dramatically, the Dark ball hovered in place, its eyes bugging out as it looked as though for the moment it had become dizzy. Using that as an advantage, Jean took the time she had left to use her Four Way Slash on the other one. It took longer for her to handle them but eventually, Jean came out victorious. Landing cat like on the ground, she glanced over her shoulder and watched as they dispersed.
Annalese wasn't making much progress. The smell of darkness really bothered her senses as she swiped at Shadow Heartless that came near her. She only managed to get rid of at least three before help arrived.
Standing up, Jean glimpsed at how Annalese and Red were doing. Gordy was in danger of being attacked. 'Oh great!' she thought worriedly as Red called out to him. She was about to try and speed off toward him but something happened. An arrow of light suddenly shot through a Heartless. Surprised, Jean paused and looked toward the source. She half expected to see a familiar face, since his powers were stellar but she found it wasn't him. A slight sense of disappointment welled up within her. 'They're still in the Spine. Of course you wouldn't see him!' she thought to herself.
Still, the arrows had saved them a lot of hassle. Watching the Heartless get decimated, Jean relaxed somewhat. She knew they had to get into the fortress though and fast. Not bothering to walk, Jean hurried up to Gordy and Red, gently giving Red a pat on the shoulder as signal to get moving. Annalese wasn't that far behind as she said "Oh thank goodness, that smell was terrible! I thought I was going to puke!" she stated, hurrying into the fortress.
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Post by Deleted on May 19, 2011 20:46:14 GMT -5
Red glanced up to Jean when she patted him on the shoulder. He was happy to see that she was alright. Hearing Annalese behind him, he couldn't help but let out a small giggle from her comment. "At least it's all over for now." He commented, trying to lite the mood.
Gordy led them right to the front gates. Red was surprised to see how serious their savior's expression was. She focused only on the mountains and the surrounding area. Red figured it was because she was searching for any more enemies. "Their very punctual."[/color] He thought to himself.
Gordy said not a word as they entered the fortress. Once inside Red found himself in a street.The wall was large enough to hold three main buildings. The first was on the right. Red figured it to be a barracks. There was a fenced area next to the building, where people of different ages trained.
As they passed them, Red noticed some shooting bows, others dueling with spears of swords, and even some trying out different sort of spells. Red counted fifteen of them out and about. Walking around the barracks, Red was surprised to see that none of the training soldiers turned their way. They all seemed focused on their training.
The next building they passed was a bit smaller then the barracks. Two guards in armor with spears stood in front of it. Red could only wonder what was inside. Whatever it was, this was not their destination.
The old man led them to the final building. It was the smallest of the three. Red figured it was a two level hut smacked right in the middle of the place. It was in front of here that Gordy came to a stop. "Well this is your destination. Just wait here a second while I go speak with the Captain."
Red watched the old man walk right up to the front door. He let himself in not a second later. Turning to Jean and Annalese he asked, "What do you guys think of the place?"
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Post by Sprow on May 19, 2011 21:30:43 GMT -5
Annalese just scoffed at the comment Red made. It wasn't out of spite toward him, just the fact they had to go through that ordeal was what made her do this. "I certainly hope I needn't have to smell that again!" she stated, letting Red know it wasn't him that she was really scoffing at but the mere memory of the disgusting smell of darkness. She might be a creature of the shadows but she wasn't one of darkness for even there was some light in her, even if there wasn't a heck of a lot.
Jean was relieved all of them came out of the ordeal alive. As they passed the woman they saw earlier, she couldn't help but take note of the serious expression upon her face. Jean didn't blame her and often times wore a face like that when dealing with her enemies in the past.
Once inside, Jean and Annalese got a good look at the contents of the fortress. People, unlike in the town, didn't seem to pay them any mind. It looked as if they were all far too busy training to really care that they had visitors. Looking at what she could, Jean guessed it was some sort of training place and war place for this world. 'That's good, I assumed that this place hadn't any warriors to defend it!' she thought.
Eventually, they stopped before some kind of hut. Looking at it, Jean wondered who this captain might be. Was the captain the one who survived the Spine? Or would the captain lead them to whoever it was? The mystery would certainly be solved, she was sure.
It didn't take long before Red spoke up. Looking over at him, Jean shrugged. "Every world should have something to protect it, in my opinion...after the things we have seen. I find this...comforting compared to other areas." Annalese, on the other hand, found it hard. There were just fifteen people here but she could smell some good number of them being around Red's age. It was teasing her because she had to drink blood to sustain herself. She was trying hard not to let temptation get the better of her only to find herself in an area with more beings of Red's age.
"...This is torture!" she murmured.
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Post by Deleted on May 19, 2011 23:27:57 GMT -5
Listening to Jean, Red nodded in agreement. While he did not agree with being comfortable in this sort of setting, he could understand where she was coming from. From what he did know about Jean, this sort of training and living style was probably part of her life. In fact Red could practically picture her as one of those soldiers they passed earlier. He wondered who the former Jean was? Was she different then the Jean of today?
Red found Annalese's comment a bit odd. He was about to ask her about it, when the doors of the hut opened. Eye's floating to them, Red watched a man with short cut gray hair walk out of them. He was younger then Gordy, but older then the rest of them. If Red had to place his age, he would figure him to be in his fifties.
The man stood at six feet, with blue eyes and a gray goatee. He was in excellent shape, as was obvious from the fact that his muscled chest was not covered by any shirt. In addition he wore gray colored pants and tan colored sandals. Red noticed just how bit his arms were and how strong the man looked. It was no doubt that this man was a seasoned warrior.
Yet Red was surprised by the gentle look he had on his face. He wore a smile upon seeing the three of them. He walked with a sort of harmony that seemed to suggest a gentle person. Gordy walked next to him. Stopping in front of them, the newcomer turned to Gordy. "Thanks for taking them out to see me Gordy. It means a lot. Are you sure you'll be alright going back? I can send one of my men with you."
Gordy shook his head. "I still got some strength left in these old bones. The day I let one of you whipersnapers fight for me is the day I take my last sleep." The newcomer let out a laugh as Gordy walked right past the three of them. Red watched the old man go, wondering when would be the next time they would see him again.
The newcomer turned to Jean. "Gordy said you guys were looking for me. The name's Alder. I'm the guy they put in charge of this place. What can I do for you?"
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Post by Sprow on May 20, 2011 0:53:45 GMT -5
Jean felt more comfortable in such a setting. True, not all the warriors were probably experts but it was comfort to her to know they weren't in a place with just mere townspeople. It meant it would be much more difficult for their enemies to come after them here. As she stood there, Jean had no idea what Red wondered about her past. Of course, if he wanted to find out the answer to that, all he had to do was ask Ryu, Dyne, Sain, and Rowen. The issue with that though was if the guys ever survived the Spine.
It took some will power for Annalese not to hammer her fists on the ground and curse as she struggled with herself within. All the temptations here were slowly beginning to get to her. Her comment, it meant exactly the word...torture for her. Why was it torture for her? Well, because she couldn't let her self control waver and cause an incident that would only get her into trouble.
It didn't take long for Gordy to speak with the captain. Eventually, the door opened and they saw who the captain was. He was older than they were but younger than Gordy. Judging by his musculature, he was quite fit for his age. Despite being a captain, the rough appearance Jean was expecting was actually quite friendly.
After a short exchange between Gordy and the captain, Gordy took his leave of them. "Farewell, Gordy and thank you once again!" she called after him before turning to look at the captain. Introducing himself, the captain's name turned out to be Alder. He was in charge of the fortress. Judging by his physique, it was no wonder he survived the Spine.
"Greetings, Alder. I am Jean, my young friends here are Red and Annalese." As she introduced Red and Annalese, she had gestured toward each when she said their name.
"We had heard that you had survived The Spine. We've four friends who might've ended up on top of the mountain here and might've either come here or not. If not, we plan to go looking for them in the Spine and get off the world if we can." Jean didn't know how he would take it but she was being honest and her bright green eyes looked very determined when she said that she planned on going through the Spine to find them.
"I understand it must sound crazy to you that we would want to but...I can't give up on my friends who might need me and might still be alive."
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Post by Deleted on May 20, 2011 12:01:52 GMT -5
Red noticed that Alder nodded when Jean went into the explanation of their purpose for being here. Thinking about the four, he wondered how they were faring. Were they stuck in combat? Were they even alive? Red didn't like the last question so much. He was sure they were alive. Most likely in combat as they spoke. Alder had waited until Jean had finished speaking completely before he spoke. "I understand. Friendship is something very important. It is sad, but we are often are strongest when our friends are in trouble. You are correct. I did survive the Spine. It was not easy though. If it wasn't for the warriors stationed here, I would be dead." Alder crossed his giant arms in thought. "You have two problems as I see it. Both are almost impossible. The first is you want to find your friends. The thing is, you might venture for years in the Spine and never find them. The place where they would have appeared would be in the heart of the creatures who originate from this place. "If they somehow managed to escape through it, they would find themselves being chased by the creatures, while at the same time hacking their way through heartless. It is not an easy task. And that is if they went in the correct direction. There is nothing preventing them from going the wrong way. They could be traveling deeper within the Spine." Red didn't like the picture Alder painted. It was not a hopeful one. Yet it was he who spoke up first. "We still have to try." He said with determination. They couldn't let their friends to fend for themselves. Even if they were dead, they at least had to try. Alder nodded once. He seemed to understand Red's determination. "The second goal is getting off this world. That is something even more impossible. The only reason I even know of it is because of what one of those creatures mocked me with it. Even then who knows if what he was saying was truthful. He spoke of an underground cave past their nest. It was how they traveled off the world. "That is all I know of it. A single underground cave past the center mountain. Who knows where it might be." Alder's voice trailed off once more. Things seemed impossible. Yet there was Silver. And if these creatures were the same as he, then it would make sense that there had to be a way off this world. Otherwise how had he managed it? "I think the most important thing right now is finding our friends. Even if we have to retreat here, we can try and get off this world another day." Red was sure he spoke for them all when he said that. Rowen, Sain, Dyne, and Ryu were the most important thing right now. Alder left out a small laugh. "It touches my heart to see your dedication for your friends. Alright kid. We'll save your friends. But I'm afraid you and your other young friend there," Alder indicated Annalese, "will have to stay behind. This will not be something for children." Red's face frowned. He was not a child. And he wasn't going to wait here like a sitting duck. He was strong enough to fend for himself. Opening his hand, his keyblade formed. He rested it on his shoulder. "I'll be fine!" He proclaimed. What Red expected from Alder he did not know. He expected the look of surprise that was for sure. And it was plain as day on Alder's face. He had not expected Red to have a keyblade. Red did not expect what happened next though. Alder let out a bellow of laughter so hard that he had to hold his stomach. Red thought Alder was going to fall over the way he bent over with laughter. After a few moments he spoke aloud, but not to any of them. "Oh Master Sid if you could see me now." Alder stretched out his arm and opened his palm. In its grasp a keyblade appeared. It was was much different from Red's. It was mostly brown in color. It had a circle hilt with a black tapped handle. The blade started together and then split off taking the shape of a V before being connected by a curved blade and large orb. In between the V were two small blue orbs connected by each side. Red didn't know what to say. He was speechless.
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Post by Sprow on May 20, 2011 20:20:55 GMT -5
Jean knew what they were asking for would have obstacles in the way. She didn't expect anything to be easy. If she ever did, then that would be folly. Seeing the look on the captain's face, it relieved her to know he at least let her finish with her explanation before giving his input on the matter. No matter what these people said, Jean didn't care. She knew in her heart that they had to still be out there somewhere. True, hearing the stories about the place frightened her and made her worry but she knew, they had to be fighting one hell of a fight out there somewhere.
Listening to what Alder had to say, Jean nodded in understanding. After what Red said, Jean nodded. "I'm well aware that the chances of finding them may be slim but I'm not giving up on them. They wouldn't give up on me." Jean's tone wasn't at all aggressive toward the captain, it was respectful but showing that she had no intentions of backing down from looking for her friends.
"If I have to, I'll go look for them myself. I'd just need to know what it's like in there and where to look." Sure, the idea sounded suicidal but if no one else would then she would brave the Spine on her own. Jean knew Red would want to come along. After seeing how he could fight, she wouldn't stop him. She knew Red was a strong fighter for a kid. Even with his new weapon, he had more power behind him now.
Annalese just fidgeted in place as Red said how their friends were, for now, their top priority. She knew he was right, it just sort of stung her reminding her that she was putting herself currently through torment in behaving around them because she didn't want to lose his and Jean's friendship. When the captain stated they would need to stay, her and Red, as if they couldn't fight she felt insulted. 'I'm way older than any of you are!' she thought grumpily.
"Child, huh? Can any of your younglings do this?" she inquired, walking right up to what looked to be some sort of large catapult. Pulling at one end, Annalese showed a startling display of inhuman strength as she lifted it up. Normally, this was very easy for her to do but, she got tired after a short moment and had to put it down. "Whew!"
Jean just gaped at Annalese, unable to believe what she had just seen. "H-How-?" she began but then shook her head. Turning to the captain and Red, she was surprised to see him pull out a keyblade. The captain had been very amused to have seen Red's weapon only to reveal he too had one similar. "Ah, so you too wield a keyblade?" Jean stated.
'Is it me or do a lot of keyblade wielders seem to be popping up all over the place?' she wondered.
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Post by Deleted on May 20, 2011 23:44:28 GMT -5
The power that Annalese expressed turned heads. Even some of those busy at the barracks turned their heads in awe at her strength. Red himself didn't even know she had that much strength. "Well I'm never getting into an arm wrestling competition with her." He thought to himself.
However things had taken a turn when it was revealed that Alder carried a keyblade. This was just what they needed. Someone who could show him how to use the damn thing. Not only that but perhaps he could shed some light on their enemy as well. Red had so many things he wanted to ask Alder, but he held himself at bay.
He had to remember that there were more important things at hand then his own troubles. They needed to save their friends! "From that look on your face, I'd say I'm the only other person you know with this thing." Alder said with a smile.
While that was not entirely true, it was the first person he had actually met. Alder laid a hand on Red's shoulder. "I'm sure you have hundreds of questions. And I would love to answer them for you. But your friends come first."
Red nodded in agreement. He did have hundreds of questions. "This will not be easy. Our best bet is to head straight for the center. Hopefully we run into your friends on the way. Well have to look out for any signs of your friends. If we get to the center and there is no sign of them...." Alder's voice trailed off.
Red didn't even want to think of them not being alright. "Well let's just hope we find them. Besides myself and you three, I think we will be bringing one more person. I believe you ran into her on your way into the gate. Whenever you guys are ready, we will go."
Looking to Jean, Red waited for her response.
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Post by Sprow on May 21, 2011 1:28:16 GMT -5
Jean was thinking the same thing about Alder. This guy could teach Red about his weapon if they got back alright. This place might be the perfect spot for Red to train. However, that would have to wait. She knew Red had to train more with his new keyblade but the lives of their friends was more important for now. No one was actively coming after Red on this world right now, it seemed. So, they could hope their luck would stay that way, at least for now.
Annalese knew she had turned heads. After having put the catapult down, she rubbed her hands together. That, in itself, had proved her strength for sure. Even though she was a bit weak from what Artemis had done to her, Annalese was still much stronger than a human. Only when she was deprived of blood for a few weeks would she be severely weakened to that of a human's level.
She waited patiently now as the humans conversed. 'How's that for showing I'm capable?' she thought, somewhat smugly. Her moment of inner triumph had been enough to help her take her mind off of the blood sources nearby.
They all listened as Alder gave them the low down as to what he intended to have them do. He would come along with them on this dangerous journey. "Thank you, Captain Alder. I really appreciate the help!" Jean stated. Annalese nodded too to confirm that she was pleased with the human's decision.
"I'm ready!" Annalese stated before Jean.
"I think we're all ready...Red?" she inquired as she looked back down at him, waiting for a response.
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Post by Deleted on May 21, 2011 14:38:07 GMT -5
Red doubted if he ever really would be ready. He still knew next to nothing about the weapon he held. The only confidence he had was in the fact that there was now another besides him. Because of this he was a bit more confident that someone could point him in the right direction when it came to the keyblade.
Turning to the three in front of him he said, “Let's do this!” Alder gave him a small smile. Heading over to the gate that they entered before, Alder pulled them to a halt in front of the gate. Gazing to the wall he called out to a soldier who stood on top of it.
“Jade. Come down here for a second.” The soldier turned around to reveal the girl from before. She wore a bow on her back. With a single jump, she leaped from the top of the wall. Landing like a cat, she slowly rose. Her gaze locked only on Alder. It was almost as Red, Jean, and Annalese were not existant.
Alder gave her a small nod. “We are venturing into the Spine to search for their friends. I was wondering if you wish to come along. We could use your expert marksmanship.” Red was surprised by the way Alder spoke to the girl. He had obvious respect for his soldier, and even treated her with equality. Red wondered how that worked in this sort of place.
Jade placed her right fist over her heart. “I go where my Captain wishes me.” She had a very disciplined attitude. Red figured she had to be about as old as Jean.
“You must follow me. It is important we keep quiet. The less attention we draw to ourselves the better. If we run into enemies, they must be dealt with swiftly and silently. This is a stealth mission.” Alder explained. When he was sure that they all understood, he motioned for a guard at the door to open the gate.
The gate opened swiftly. Alder took the first step outside the fortress. Surprisingly there were no shadows traveling down the mountain when he did. He motioned for the four of them to follow, and ran swiftly towards the path in between the mountains.
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Post by Sprow on May 21, 2011 22:35:58 GMT -5
Jean waited for Red's response. For a short second there, she was almost certain he looked unsure of himself. Well, considering the fact he just got a new weapon, she could understand why. Still, she tried to look reassuring that everything would be alright. Red just had to believe in himself that he could tackle this. Sure, he might struggle a bit but she knew he could do it. They all needed to find the other four, they were their friends after all. It wouldn't be right if one of them were missing.
Hearing Red finally agree to do this, Jean smiled. Gently, she gave Red a pat on the shoulder. "We can do this, Red!" she said, encouraging him. Annalese merely nodded, almost smugly before hobbling after the humans as they went over to the gate entrance.
When Alder stopped the group, Annalese trailed her eyes up toward whom the captain was addressing. 'Humans are weird addressing themselves in such a fashion! Is he not a leader? Shouldn't he be the one to take command?' she thought but stayed her tongue. Whenever she let her thoughts speak out, she often got herself into trouble. She didn't want Jean and Red upset with her so she did her best to behave for now. The thought of blood gone from her mind right now as the idea of battle came to mind, distracting her.
Jean watched as a woman around her age came down from on high. It was the woman they saw earlier and it turned out that her name was Jade. Judging by the way she carried herself, she was a very disciplined warrior. 'That's good, I don't need someone that will only cause us problems!' she thought, approving of Alder's choice.
Everyone looked to Alder as he spoke once Jade decided that she would accompany them. This would be a stealth mission. They were to go through the center of the Spine. Knowing what they were about to do, Jean's heart couldn't help but pound rapidly in her chest. Gripping the hilts of her swords, she knew she was prepared for this. She would go through an army if she had to get her friends back.
Once the gate opened, Alder took off at a swift pace. Jean followed as best she could. Out of them all, Annalese looked as if running were nothing to her, easily keeping up and her footfalls not even making a sound as she did so.
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Post by Deleted on May 22, 2011 12:34:21 GMT -5
Traveling through the spine was, though uneventful, full of tension. Red couldn't help but feel crowded while walking in the narrow pathway. Passing along side the mountains, the path thinned in some parts. At one point, Alder informed them that they would have to walk one after another. Walking through what seemed like two walls was difficult. Especially since the path curved, which forced Red to switch the direction of his body.
The enclose section of the path lasted for a couple of yards before widening enough for two people to stand side by side. Red wanted to ask Alder how much longer before they reached the center, but didn't want to bring attention to themselves. Alder made it clear by the fingers over his shut lips that talking was not allowed at the moment.
Red took a few glances back at the others to see how they were faring. It seemed even though the road was rough, they were all doing alright. Suddenly Alder came to a stop. The path they were following was curving in front of them, and so they could not see what was beyond the curve as of yet.
Alder motioned for all of them to come in close. He fell to a knee and instructed the four of them to do so as well. Once Red at last huddled, Alder spoke in a whisper. "Beyond the bend is the center. This is the hardest part of the mission." Alder paused to draw a small dot in the dirt he stood on.
"This is the mountain." He declared. "Around the mountain is a wide field on both sides. We need to pass the field to get to the center of the spine. Once we round that curve we run. We do not stop until we reach the end.It is important that regardless of what happens, you do not stop." While he had spoken, he had drawn a circle around the dot. He had then marked an x where they would be emerging from.
Alder was about to explain that x when a strange look came over him. At first Red was confused, but then he heard a noise. It was the sound of faint footsteps. Alder rose to his feet and motioned for them to follow. Red followed Alder around the corner. Alder was standing there with a look of awe on his face.
As Red came around the corner, he too wore a look of awe. In the distance near the center of the mountain ran four figures. Behind them was a giant black cloud. Red studied the four figures until he recognized Sain, Ryu, Dyne, and Rowen. A look of excitement quickly turned to worry though. Upon further gaze, that blackness was not a cloud. It was thousands of heartless!
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Post by Sprow on May 23, 2011 2:11:53 GMT -5
The adventure through the Spine was surprisingly void of any incident. All that seemed to keep them wary was the constant tension that swept over them. There was no telling when a Heartless or creature would appear. Right now though, it seemed like they were pretty lucky. Even still, caution was still warranted in that nobody uttered a word. Annalese, for one so loose of tongue, actually managed to keep quiet. Perhaps she too understood the seriousness of their situation? Or maybe she sensed it in the air? Whatever the case, it was a very good thing if she was keeping her mouth shut.
Jean, like Red, didn't like the close proximity of the pathway they traveled. If an ambush were to take place, they would be in for some real trouble. After all, Heartless could go into the ground and pop up just about anywhere they wished. They would be sitting ducks if they were discovered here of all places.
Feeling the hairs on her neck prickle, Jean did her best to ignore it as she glanced around, walking with the group in silence. Seeing Alder suddenly stopped and went down on one knee motioning for them all to come hither just as the path before them curved away. Crouching down low, Jean kept her eyes fixed on the captain as he whispered. It was strange how loud a whisper sounded when everyone was being so quiet and used to the silence by now.
Annalese tried her hardest to pay attention to what the captain was saying but the stench of darkness had grown so strong, that she couldn't help but wave a hand at the air with disgust. Nose scrunched up, she tried hard not to choke. "It's so...powerful!" she complained, rich purple eyes watering from the terrible smell.
Jean gave the vampire a confused look before Alder motioned for them to follow him. The sound of feet was evident as they rounded the corner. The sight they came upon wasn't anything Jean had ever seen before. Where her heart gave a terrific leap seeing that their friends were still alive, even reckless Rowen, the cloud that seemed to be billowing after them made her eyes widen. "H-Heartless!" she exclaimed.
It was apparent by the way they were running that Rowen, Dyne, Sain and Ryu knew very well what was after them. None spotted the group ahead of them just yet as they ran right for them!
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Post by Deleted on May 23, 2011 13:42:11 GMT -5
Red swore aloud. He turned to Alder for guidance. What should they do? Should they run and let their friends follow them? Or should they wait before turning around? Or perhaps turning around wasn't even the best idea? In all honesty, Red did not know what to do.
Adler seemed to have some sort of idea though. He stretched out his arm and his brown keyblade formed. "Turning around now, we would be sitting ducks. Better to attack in an enclose space where we can control the means of the fighting." Red nodded. He didn't want to have to fight in that encloses space further down the path.
"This is what we will do. We have no idea what state our friends in. Red you and I will take on the front. Jean and Annalese will take the back. Jean be prepared for the heartless they will travel both overhead and underneath us. There will be enough room for our friends to join if they are able."
Red nodded. He could feel the adrenaline pumping in his veins. It seemed that Alder was not yet done with the instructions. He peered over to a small overhang on the mountain. It stood out about three feet and was about fifteen feet up. "Jade. Can you climb up there. Your marksmanship will be needed in this fight."
Instead of responding, Jade walked right up to the side of the mountain and began climbing. Red was amazed by how fast she scaled the wall. In a matter of moments she was standing and had her bow out. For the first time Red noticed that she did not hold any quiver of arrows. Red found this peculiar. How does one fire a bow without any arrows?
Ontop the perch, Jade pulled off the bow and pulled the string back. An arrow made of light suddenly formed in it. "Must be magic." Red murmured to himself.
Holding out his own hand, his own keyblade formed. Red watched as their four friends came closer and closer. They were only yards now, and it was quite clear that they had recognized Red at least.
((OOC: I thought I'd let you control how much battered they are and such lol.))
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Post by Sprow on May 24, 2011 2:52:07 GMT -5
Jean began to wonder what tactics to use. Every one that came to mind resulted in them staying put and fighting. After all, considering how swiftly the Heartless were coming, it would be futile to try and run for it. They were already hot on the heels of Rowen, Dyne, Sain and Ryu. All of which, were intent on putting as much distance between them and the mass of Heartless behind them. From her vantage point right now, it was difficult to see if anyone were seriously hurt. 'At least they're able to get up and run and therefore move!' she thought.
Alder sprang into action, instructing them all of where they will take over. It was obvious to her that Alder was a wise captain. Knowing this, it made Jean much calmer despite their situation. 'This is going to be a tough battle!' she thought. Sure, she killed Heartless before but when they came in droves it was much tougher. People lost their hearts to Heartless because of being ambushed. The creatures wore you down in that there was always at least one to replace the one you just killed off until you couldn't resist them anymore.
Casting a glance at Annalese, Jean noticed how the girl's eyes watered as if the smell that she could sense was too strong for her. In fact, Jean could not mistake a gag made by the vampire. "I hate pure darkness!" she whined. However, she went toward the back upon hearing Alder's words and took out her whip. Jean accompanied her and nodded toward Alder and Red.
"Ready!" she stated, just as Jade clambered on high to shoot down with her arrows of light. 'That explains the no arrows thing!' she thought.
No sooner had they gotten ready for a rough encounter, the others had shortened the distance between them dramatically. Having gotten closer, they had been able to spot Red. Not really sure how they wound up finding him there, Ryu and the others scrambled over to him. "Hey, Red!" Ryu greeted. His tone was somewhat thrilled to see the kid again but there was also a note of uncertainty. His face was scratched here and there with small cuts but other than that, and bruising, he looked fine. It was obvious that, even though he often exuded confidence, that he was a little uneasy and for very good reason considering the number of Heartless right behind them.
Sain came into the group next, supporting Dyne's weight. Like Ryu, Sain was banged up but appeared to be fine other than that. As for Dyne, it looked like he might've sustained an injury on his side. The only explanation for him not having been healed was probably because Sain wanted to conserve his energy for the battle ahead and probably didn't have time since the injury had been inflicted. It didn't look too serious though since hardly any blood was in sight underneath the armor were Dyne was clutching it. A small line of blood lightly dribbled from the edge of his lip.
Next, Rowen brought up the rear, having resorted to turning on the spot while the others retreated into the group. Bow and arrow taking aim, it became lit with what looked to be some sort of cosmic light. The difference in the arrow compared to Jade's was that it wasn't completely made of light and seemed to radiate energy. Releasing the arrow after having pulled his arm back and taken aim, Rowen backed into the confines of the group. The arrow seemed to have been shot like a beam of that cosmic energy as it speared through the Heartless. A divide in the Heartless had appeared but only temporarily. Sure enough, the Heartless clustered back into a full body, their numbers still overwhelming.
"Fancy meeting you here, Red!" Rowen joked with a smile on his face. Despite their situation, Rowen still seemed to have his humor with him. It was obvious though that he and the others must've fought a while because all of them looked a little battle worn and were sweating if not bleeding. On Rowen's face, from what could be seen with his indigo armor on, he had obtained a black eye with a nasty scratch that forced him to close his left eye and a split lip. The scratch looked bad enough to make one wonder if there would be any way of saving the eye from any permanent damage. His armor, on the other hand, looked beaten and hid whatever other wounds he might've obtained during the time away from the group.
"Rowen!" came a stern voice from behind. Glancing over his shoulder, Rowen took a short second to realize who it was. As usual, the all familiar smirk spread across his face upon seeing her. Since he had looked over at her with just his right side of his head, Jean wouldn't be able to see the nasty cut on his left eye. It were almost as if he purposely did it since it might've been easier for him to turn left to look back at her.
"Well, if it isn't the lovely Jean!" he replied, his usual flirty self. Where normally this would illicit an unhappy reaction from Jean, her expression became somewhat concerned. After having gotten a quick look at their conditions, most of them appeared to be battered. If they didn't come for them when they did, Jean had a nasty feeling that they might've only lasted a few minutes more before dying. "...What?" Rowen inquired, a little surprised that Jean hadn't exploded on him for that remark. Normally, she would yell at him for it.
"Sorry we're a bit late!" she finally said, her face becoming neutral again. She had said this to the whole lot of them.
"Don't worry about it, we're just glad we came upon you when we did!" Sain answered her, the others all nodding at this. Having set Dyne down on the ground in the middle of the group, Sain stood nearby him as he unsheathed his broadsword. "I'll help out Dyne here!" he said finally. Ryu and Rowen both nodded before Ryu went to the front, Rowen right behind him.
"Here they come!" Ryu shouted as the horde finally caught up to them. It were as if a dark wave washed up on shore to meet those up front. As this happened, Heartless went into the ground and trickled behind the group unable to get in at the center. The fight for their lives had just begun!
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Post by Deleted on May 24, 2011 12:24:19 GMT -5
They came like a tidal wave. They were a variety of shapes and forms, which included all three of the type of heartless they faced earlier. In addition there were neoshadows, the heartless that had attacked Red way back in Gaia. Red had barley managed a hello to the group before the heartless were upon them.
The first wave sunk in the ground underneath them. They appeared on the other side of their group and attacked Jean and Annalese's group. Red didn't have a chance to even glance in that direction. The second wave attacked the front. Spinning into action, Red's keyblade struck and oncoming neoshadow as it attempted to lunge at him.
Ducking, and bringing the blade up in at an angle, he sliced right through the creature. Seeing as Red and Alder were both handling one side of the path way, there wasn't much room for the heartless to attack from behind them. It was the best advantage they had in this situation. Any heartless that did dare to try and appear behind them was swiftly struck down by Alder.
Red did his best to attack the heartless, but it was quite clear that Alder was on an entirely different level. It took Red three, four strikes before he could fell a single heartless, while Alder simply slashed and destroyed. He was merciless striking one after another, even going as far as taking a step forward to meet the creatures.
Noticing a faint glow around Alder, Red took the chance to glance his way. Alder gave him a small smile. "This is the power of how strong a keyblader can be." He said. Red watched Alder draw back his blade as five neoshadows charged him. The glow that had appeared around Alder drifted down to his keyblade. The moment before the heartless were going to attack, Alder slashed forward.
His keyblade hit nothing but air, but what followed the keyblade was nothing short of amazing. A wave of light rushed forward, striking heartless after heartless. Red realized he had an attack like that. Except his was different. His was dark and made of.... darkness? He didn't want to think about why his attack was different. Instead he simply continued striking down the heartless.
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Post by Sprow on May 24, 2011 20:04:36 GMT -5
(OOC: Sorry for taking a bit in between posts. Hectic week this week.) Then, the battle began. Jean forced herself to take her thoughts off the others for now. Standing next to Annalese, she had no intentions of allowing any Heartless to get inside the group. It was mere chance that the circle had been too closely knit for the Heartless to resort to moving onto the opposite side where they were. Looking at the mass of creatures, Jean could see a good variety. 'This will definitely make matters worse!' she thought.
Still, she wouldn't let it bother her too much. Not when her friends all needed her help. A couple of shadow Heartless leapt at her. Bringing her swords up, Jean eliminated them with relevant ease removing their heads from their shoulders. Watching them burst into a harmless cloud of darkness before disappearing altogether, Jean focused on the next few coming in to replace them.
Annalese took out two of the three that came charging in after the first two Jean had destroyed. All it took was a good swing from her whip. Where normally it appeared to be just a regular whip, it was able to endure magical harm. That and knowing Annalese's strength now it was no doubt why the whip was able to eliminate the weaker Heartless like it did.
Since the others seemed pretty good at where they were currently, Ryu held back but just enough where he would be close enough to jump in if he were needed. "How's Dyne?" Ryu questioned Sain, who had his broadsword out, watching carefully as the others fought against the crowd of Heartless.
"He'll be okay. I just hope he lasts until this fight is over with!" Sain answered. Ryu nodded before looking at Dyne. The mute warrior was sitting up but sitting on the ground. It was best he did so, no need to make his condition worse in standing. When he had heard his name, he had looked up at his leader and gave him a simple nod to show that he can hang on for as long as it took.
Rowen, since he was mainly a long range attacker, Alternated from shooting behind Red and Alder at the Heartless and Annalese and Jean. Combined, they were doing a pretty good job of staying alive. The spot they were in was perfect in keeping the Heartless coming in small waves that were much easier to handle at once.
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