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Post by Sir Fflamm on Sept 28, 2006 21:54:48 GMT -5
The sound of sparrows chirping resounded through the desereted forest. In the distance, covered by an overgrowth of vines, the Castle Fflytmire sat, unattended for nearly a century the entire keep had fallen into disarray. Among the statues scattered in the castle courtyard, a small titmouse skittered to the base of what he assumed to be another statue. A low humming proved him otherwise. The mouse noticed strands of red energy beginning to thread themselves between this pillar and a series of four others until all were brightly lit and glowing red. The skies suddenly grew very dark and a great bolt of lightning struck the ground in the center of the five pillars creating a large hold and scaring the wits out of the tiny mouse, sending his furry self running away as fast as it could.
Before he was able to run too far, a slender, agile hand swooped down and picked up the tiny creature. After rising six feet and three inches into the air the mouse was suddenly staring eye to eye with a giant. The eye peered into the soul of the little mouse, while, likewise, the mouse gathered all the information he could from his attacker. A blank eye: an open area of white that seemed like the abyss itself had swallowed both pupil and iris. At the edges of the eyes, wrinkles stretched from the corners for an inch or two. Beyond the eyes, the mouse could make out a pair of pointed ears, and above the eyes, a tangle of white hair both messy and planned splayed across the high forehead.
"Guy! My loyal paladin... I am surprised by you. I had no idea of your intentions to wait for me. It looks like you may need assistance breaking from that form of yours." The two hands closed an collapsed on the mouse. Beyond the container of hands the excited mouse scratched and tittered until he heard the utterance of a final word.
"Hiepq ur hankig, tian fi. Execig qu wuan roged sduw." The creature suddenly stopped struggling and Fflewdur set the mouse back into the grass waiting for his response.
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Post by Aisu Youkai on Sept 28, 2006 22:20:57 GMT -5
Easily slinking into the shadows before his presence was noticed, an ice-imbued cat demon followed the old mage through the crackling portal and quickly hid in the shadows of one of the pillars. His green colored eyes blinked rapidly to adjust to the sudden daylight and then the cat-slit irises focused decidedly on the elder. As the devil's power slipped over its host, the black panther form began to melt into that of a tiny human girl. All but the eyes suddenly took the appearance of the young girl who's body the devil's soul inhabited. Aisu struggled to keep control of the body just a bit longer and watched with some interest as the old mage grabbed a small mouse.
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Post by thefallenson on Oct 9, 2006 21:57:42 GMT -5
The mouse shuddered...it's insides churning and inflamed by the dabbling of the giant...slowly something besides fear formed inside the poor creatures mind...it shifted...changed...slowly ever so slowly it began to remember. "BY THE COMMAND OF LORD FLAMM...." Flashes of battles...fire...large green fires....burning wood....broken bodies....the mouse scurried about...fearing for its existence...it didn't understand. "Pandora has slain hi...." the visage of another giant...one with softer features filled the furry things mind...then a wild fear...and all consuming fear. "I swear I will guard lady Cameron with my...." Then all his mind saw was darkness....the mouse was sure it was going crazy...if it knew what crazy meant of course.
During the little mental breakdown, the poor creature had literally ran in circles...his body unable to truly function while his mind shifted between mouse and something so much more intriguing.
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Post by Sir Fflamm on Oct 9, 2006 22:08:47 GMT -5
"Oh bother, you troublesome paladin," He knelt down and patted the fur of the little beast. "You should shift back to your normal form. Give our guest a show."
He took the time to stand back upright and looked over his shoulder in the direction of the girl. Hiding amongst his summoning stones she looked awfully helpless. Very unlike his previous campanion, her "parasite." He nibbled a little on his taut-drawn upper lip and waved her over.
"Aisu... Is it? You may join a simple reunion of friends. That is, if the good-for-nothing ever decides to join us..." This final bit said with a glare in the direction of the mouse. An impatient foot tapped lightly on the ground waiting for either of the two to respond.
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Post by thefallenson on Oct 9, 2006 22:14:53 GMT -5
The poor mouses form suddenly began to shift...to melt and mold, to change. His cute little coat of mousey grey fur fell away. His bones crackled and crunched getting bigger...his size becoming that of a normal man's...what a funny sight...I giant hairless mouse. Shrieking the mouse ran in a circle...naked and becoming more and more man like...thankfully for all those involved, armor began to appear on the man. Plate mail pulsing and glowing with a deep magical fire encased the man's body...a full visored helm protected his face...nothing could be seen of what the mouse had become...the squeaking had stopped.
A deep rumbling chuckle issued from the helm...and suddenly the man inside the plate fell forward...exhausted...
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Post by Aisu Youkai on Oct 9, 2006 22:25:34 GMT -5
The cat-slit eyes narrowed distrustfully at the old mage as the man spoke to him. Aisu hated being sneaky when the reason knew you were there already. Cautiously, a bit slinky and very slowly, the small girl's form moved out from behind the pillar. She sliddled up next to the old mage and looked down at the small rodent.
He was tempted to grab the mouse and eat it whole, a combination of the cat's instincts that he took from using the form so often and the impulses of being a pure devil. But it was pathetic, weak, and would look quite silly, especially in this weak human, female form. Instead he stared quite curiously at the creature, waiting for something to happen.
All the while his thoughts strayed to the previous few hours, days, weeks... whatever amount of time that had passed not too long ago. It was hard to tell. He was curious of this mage, old and senile as he was, a truly powerful one as well. And now this, the mouse. What exactly was happening to it? What friends?
Aisu shook his head furiously to shake the thoughts free, the girl's white hair flipping into and back out of his eyes as he did so. He frustratedly wiped the longer bangs back in a futile gesture that was more habit. He glanced at the mage, then back to the mouse. This was annoying...
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Post by Sir Fflamm on Oct 13, 2006 10:30:09 GMT -5
Fflewdur quickly dropped down to try and support his bodyguard. The old elf moved to drape Guy's arm around his neck and move his own arm to support the back of the warrior. He frowned and stood up, straining an awful lot since the big man and his plate mail together made for a heavy load.
"By the Triplets you've gotten heavy." He muttered under his breath. After a moment, once he'd gained some sort of balance, he began to hobble toward the courtyard, which was only a few yards away to rest the paladin on a bench. After making relatively good time to the bench, seeing as he was carrying nearly triple his own weight, he plopped both himself and the big man down on a marble bench.
"Now to see if I happen to have any restorative items on me." He reached a hand down into a pouch hanging off of his belt and removed from it a small wafer. It was only an inch across and paper thin, but etched into it's surface was a symbol of the Triplets. Fflewdur brought the wafer to his bodyguard's mouth and forced him to chew and swallow the thing. The wafer caused a feeling of warmth to spread through the man's body, starting at his stomach and reaching his extremities until his entire body felt as if it was putting off the heat from a sun, then, when the warmth subsided, the fighter was left with his wounds, seen and unseen, completely healed.
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Post by thefallenson on Oct 17, 2006 18:14:02 GMT -5
Guy's body wasn't the problem...it was the proto-mouse/human brain that was the problem now. His body was whole...one being...his mind had yet to catch up. Slowly his mind re-atched itself to reality. Using every once of spiritual strength Guy reformed himself from the virtual nothing that resided inside his brain.
Minutes after the archmage had forced a healing wafer into his protectors mouth...The paladin uttered his first words..."Damn elf"...the words struck like dynamite in the air...breaking what had become a very uncomfortable silence. It seems that several years in the form of a field mouse had given Guy a much affected view of his master. "Damn you elf" He swore and drew himself up....His body encased in the mail that was his by right of arms...a Lord Protector of Magic...Fflewdurs Aranamach...a mage warrior. He was an impressive sight...and resembled a magical construct...he did not bother to reveal his face....his final battle with Pandora had left him marred beyond human comprehension...
Scars that covered both soul and body were the only reward for his life...he turned to his master...cursed him a final time...and knelt..."My honor is my life...As you have returned...so have I...I bend to answer the call of my master." The pledge was simple...some might even call it elegant in its simplicity..."What is your will?"
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Post by Aisu Youkai on Oct 17, 2006 22:50:44 GMT -5
Aisu was most thoroughly confused. He stared at the human-turned-mouse with a perplexed look on his face. However, it never lasted too long. He had seen many things in his time, and why should this be anything surprising? He himself was once capable of the same, if but in a tad bit more "fashionable" way.
Aisu watched as the mage dragged the warrior to a bench, making no move to either help nor even follow. His eyes followed only, and then darted quickly around his surroundings once more as he continued to constantly assess his situation. He wasn't still alive today because he was ever lax in his observation. Besides, the devil knew very well that his hold over his host was waning and that he would soon loose all control. He needed something, anything.
Although maybe Yuki would be ideal for this situation anyway. Aisu hardly fit in here... as long as the girl didn't go nuts or get too confused, it might be better that she were in control. Aisu finally followed after the two when he noticed the knight-like warrior kneeling. He heard the words said easily enough, and curious about the swearing on two sides of the coin, stood off to the side of them and continued to watch from the closer position.
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Post by Sir Fflamm on Nov 13, 2006 13:40:02 GMT -5
Fflewdur stood up and brushed the grass off of his robes. He wrinkled his nose a little and glanced around the island. He reached a hand down to help up the knight and pulled him up easily. The old mage pointed towards the castle and bit his bottom lip.
"I think the first order of business is to clean up the keep, no? I'm not quite sure how long I've been gone... but I'm almost positive I didn't leave it like this. Now... If you happen to know where all of my knights went to this shouldn't be all too challenging. Dylian should be around here somewhere, and he'll be able to help to. Do you happen to know where my son is?"
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Post by thefallenson on Nov 13, 2006 21:53:02 GMT -5
Guy struggles with his thoughts for a few seconds...digging deep into the conglomeration of mouse and man thoughts and memories. He remembered battles....many battles...most of which were fought shortly after his master dissappeared. Many had been slain...and he had become a rat....he turned his eyes on the keep...able to see the deaths of almost all of 'his' knights...they were never really Fflewdur's...and the memories of there deaths pained him...he saw there faces...he had loved them all. After some deliberation...he told his master the truths that he saw.
"Your gentler offspring" His courteous way of broaching the subject of the creature known to humanity as Pandora, "saw to the destruction of much of your legacy...including m....your knights....she was much more powerful then we had believed my lord. As to the where abouts of lord Dylian...I do not know...I secured his safe passage out of the keep....before the walls feel." The old soldier smiles at this last bit...he had enjoyed cracking the young lordlings jaw and stuffing him into a large basket...the basket was going to a distant Market...in some far corner of Kapaal...far from the death that now covered this place.
"I fear we will find nought but our deaths in this place m'lord."
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Post by Aisu Youkai on Nov 13, 2006 23:27:47 GMT -5
Aisu crept impercetably closer to the two and listened with a curious ear. He cocked his head to the side and watched carefully as they spoke. Interesting.... he noted the destructive child of this mage and wondered briefly whether that was something to look into. Just as Aisu was beginning to form a coherent thought into words, he felt his hold finally slipping completely. With a reluctant inner sigh, the devil let loose his command and felt Yuki slip to the surface.
The small girl looked around herself with wide eyes. Certainly she had lost conscienceness before and awoken standing up with no clue what had happened for the past several hours, but this definitely took the cake. Yuki glanced all around and completely had no clue where she was. This was horrible. It was getting worse.
Trying to keep her calm, Yuki turned her cautious eyes to the two men before her. One seemed to look familiar while the other was completely new to her. Putting on a pretty good facade of total confidence, Yuki addressed the two, "Excuse me, sirs. But could you tell me where I am?"
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Post by Sir Fflamm on Nov 14, 2006 22:43:46 GMT -5
His whitened brow furrowed as he took a glance around. Another chew on the lip followed a low sigh as the elf took a step backwards. The sun was just beginning to set and the golden-orange clouds began to wither and decay into darkened husks. The Keep suddenly began to look very unwelcome to him. The corners of his mouth pulled downward and he looked at the two.
"I think you are right, Sir Knight. I think this place has become a place for the dead. Me, you, and the kind Lady watchin us should relocate to the Stables for this night, since it is closest. Me and Cameron had a place on the beach that we can stay at until we have built a new keep. Before we can build a new keep, though... We need announce to the peoples of my isle that I have returned, and also that we are recruiting a new Knighthood. Now, Sir Knight, if you will catch me, I'm afraid my centuries long fight with that demon has left me weaker than I..." He closed his eyes and fell forward, too fast for the groggy knight to react and tumbled into a pile of rocks.
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Post by thefallenson on Nov 16, 2006 1:06:28 GMT -5
He would move to catch his master...some powerful mage...but would fail. Swearing in a very unknightly fashion Wethun scooped his master up and moved towards the stable...a bit of worry showing on his face, the fall had left a nasty gash on his master's forehead. Cursing ill luck he kicked the door to the stables open. He hurried to the back...to the old stable hands room and laid his master on a much abused and lumpy mattress.
"What have you gotten us into now..." Guy looked around himself with quiet horror...all the animals...had been slain in there stalls. The bones of pegusai and unicorn alike littered several of the stalls...not to mention the few chimera, hippogriff and other assorted skeletons. The animals had been slaughtered.
"How can such evil exist in this world?" He shook his head and stood his watch. Having forgotten about the bloody smear on his lords face...
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Post by Aisu Youkai on Nov 16, 2006 10:47:50 GMT -5
Yuki stood with dusk falling quickly around her. Deeply perplexed, she hadn't a clue what to do now. They had completely ignored her. At first she had the urge to just stand and cry, but that quickly faded. She was too tough. She had to be, she had been traveling in unknown lands alone for quiet some time now. Ever since that one day...
The thought slipped away and she was left wondering just what exactly she had been thinking. Oh, right! Instead of being small and helpless, Yuki's temper suddenly flared and left her upset. She turned towards the stables and hurried after the rude men. As soon as she entered her lips where open with a fierce reprimmand just behide her tongue, but she fell silent as her eyes reached the fallen mage. Rolling her eyes for not being able to yell at the knight (she could only assume that's what the armored man was despite the fact that they died out years ago... right?) Yuki walked over to the mage.
"Some caretaker you are," the small girl muttered as she passed the knight. Whether she meant for the mage or was talking about herself, being the helpless maiden and all, wasn't very clear. But she definitely meant it whatever the case. Kneeling down next to the old mage, Yuki took out a wrinkled 'kerchief from her pocket and gently began to dab the old man's forehead.
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