Author: Kendrix, Posted: Sat Mar 18, 2017 2:22 PM, Post Subject: Follow Me Down [P,R]

He was embarrassed. He would have been embarrassed no matter who had seen the absurd display of clumsy fighting. It was only made worse by the green eyes of that woman. She was better than him in this realm. He was able to admit that, and her graceful strut towards him did nothing to argue that fact. But when she spoke, though it was dripping with the sarcasm, wasn’t a complete insult; not really anyway. She had sort of seen that he could kill. Did that make things different? Probably not.

”I can strike things down when I have to. And normally it’s faster than that…”

He took her hand to help himself up. It was something that he could not help but to regret a bit. To some, accepting help on something so small could be seen as an act of weakness. But to him, it was a kind gesture. One that he could trust. He was sure that there was a chance of patronization in the air, but that ship had sailed.

”The light?” he fumbled. It wasn’t his magick and he had thought everyone in the realm knew of the gifts from the gods. For a moment, he thought about taking credit for the power; to try to restore some dignity to his name. It was fact, after all, that he could not wield high level magicks like the God Naota. He was lucky if the agility enchantment worked.

”I was a gift. I think they call it ‘Oh Holy Night.’ The gods offered gifts this past winter; imbued with their power. I always assumed it was some sort of ploy to get worshippers, but this little baby certainly came to my rescue today.”

He spoke with a sigh; aggravated that his virtue would not allow him to lie about the source of his power. Surely a being with as much power as she would have the right to mock him for relying on the power of the gods. Made only worse by the fact that he had never even met Naota; though he had certainly heard glowing reviews. Pun intended.

”This is where that light, that power, came from. The God Naota.” He held his hand out to the pink haired warrior and uncurled his fingers; exposing the crystalline snowflake. It was still glimmering with power, but was cool to the touch. It was truly the power of a god, however terrifying that might be.

Author: Hiromi, Posted: Wed Mar 15, 2017 1:29 AM, Post Subject: Follow Me Down [P,R]

She sighed as she stared at her floor length mirror.  Safe in her home she felt confidence that all would go well, but when she looked into the glass and saw something that wasn’t her reflection, well…needless to say doubt had started to set in.  The only reason she was even considering this was for Holly.  It hadn’t worked out between her and her brother, but she had kept friendship with her.  A good deal of time had gone by since last they’d seen one another, but she still felt as if she owed this to her friend: her mother’s soul stream was at risk after all.  That and there was likely to be some good loot along the way.
 
Today she wasn’t dressed in her usual tayuu garb, no she was in the dark clothing of her true profession.  Her startlingly pink hair was pulled up into a tight bun, and she was so bound she could barely breathe…good thing she didn’t have to as much as the average person.  Various weapons were hidden on her person for any dangers that might be lurking, and Angela’s necklace was fastened safely around her neck and tucked tight.
 
Taking a deep breath, she stepped forward and pushed through the mirror.  It was like going through cold water, and then it felt more like tripping rather than stepping.  Her reflexes hardly did anything for her as she tumbled through, and it was all she could do to hold in a shriek as she plummeted through candy colored clouds.  A purple grass covered island came up to her faster and faster and she thrust her arms out in an attempt to slow herself.  Just before she could slam into the ground she stopped only half a foot above it.  That wasn’t her though and she looked around confused…only to fall the remaining few inches with an unceremonious ‘oof’.
 
So much for a happy welcoming.  She sat up, rubbing her side and crossing her legs as she looked around.  Everything was so bright and colorful, yet somehow soothing.  It was much quieter than she had expected too.  In the distance she saw the entrance to a cave, but it seemed out of place, almost like it was manmade…was that possible here?  It was at least worth a quick look, and then straight back to work.  She wasn’t a fool though, and made sure to be on high alert as she approached.  This was too silly seeming of a place that it was hard to take it as a serious threat.  Hmm…  That almost made it suspicious.
 
As she drew closer she heard the sounds of a struggle and quickly pressed up against the outside of the entrance.  A great flash of light poured out in a near blinding blast.  That power, she recognized it, like hearing a familiar voice.  Her heart trilled faster and she quickly ran in, her brother’s name on the tip of her tongue before she saw a creature run through with a blade by someone that most definitely was not Naota. 
 
All of her hope crashed faster than her ungraceful landing to the island.  Stupid, she knew better: Naota gave blessings to those in need, she shouldn’t have thought it was him so quickly…But she hadn’t seen him in so long that desperation was creeping up.  It reminded her of when they were both younger and she preferred not to tread down that path of memories.
 
A familiar scent filled her nose and suddenly she recognized him.  It was the boy that had been childish about not making his kill fast enough.  She’d know that blood anywhere and now sadness melted into smug confidence.  With a chuckle she walked deeper in, looking down at him but still keeping a safe distance, “Well it’s good to see that you actually do know how to use a weapon.”  Its blood was spilling though and her nose wrinkled: this wasn’t exactly her idea of supper.
 
“Come.”  She held her hand out in offering to help him to his feet, “That power, the light, where did you get it from?”  

Author: Kendrix, Posted: Thu Mar 9, 2017 11:48 PM, Post Subject: Follow Me Down [P,R]

It was dark; even for an eye such as his. He had thought that his time hunting at night would have prepared him for whatever was waiting on the other side of the liquid looking glass, but he was mistaken. It was surprising to find things so dark in this world when only moments ago the surface of the water had glimmered with pure magick.

Kendrix reached his hands out in front of him; his fingers curling in search of some static object from which he may gain his bearings. He stumbled, but only for a second. He needed to get somewhere where he felt safe. Even if it was something as simple as a cave wall upon which he could lean. He knew that once he was able to be stationary that he would be able to get to his bag. He had spent a great deal of time gathering provisions for this journey, and was certain that something in his possession would be able to get him out of this pinch.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, his fingers fell upon something stone. It would have to do. With as much speed as he could muster, he fell to his bottom and pressed his back against the stone; his hands already fishing into his bag. 

He vividly remembered packing the steel bound lightning on his last hunt and was sure that it would have sent these shadows scattering to the corners where they belonged, but something else in his bag caught his attention first. The Noctis Amulet, another gift to the realm from the deities, was burning hot. So hot that he was sure that he would find blisters at his fingertips. There was evil near, and judging from the heat of the amulet, it was very evil. 

He shot his eyes around the room. Or cave. Or pit. He was still so uncertain of his surroundings. It was so dark. For a moment, his thoughts shot to the forest where he played had as a child; the very forest that had shown him the mirror of lake that created the gate to this place. He had spent so much of his youth bounding through the trees of this land; navigating the woods with as much ease in the still blackness of night as one would have at high noon. Then why was he having so much trouble here? 

Maybe, he thought, this isn’t a normal darkness. Maybe this is something much more sinister. 

Finally, his fingers fell upon the Steel Bound Lightning, and with a silent thanks to the goddess Moliira, he summoned the light. At least, he thought he had. He could have sworn that the heat from the steel lantern was still lapping at his palms, but somehow, he saw nothing. No light. No walls. Nothing. It was as if he had gone blind.

All at once, things became so clear in his mind’s eye. His instincts had warned him of the dangers within the looking glass; of something that would do him harm. Was it possible that the journey alone could cause this blindness? Was it permanent? His eyes grew wider in the dark at the thought. He depended so much on this sense, a fact that was all too clear at the moment, and was not sure how he would survive without it.

Slowly, then quite rapidly, fear set in. And where there is fear, there is panic. His hands dug into his bag again; searching for something, anything, that would help him. His fingers fell upon another divine gift. The God Naota had given the gift of his light in a crystaline snowflake to the children of Revaliir. Maybe a true holy light could peirce the veil of this blindness. 

"Shine," he murmured in the dark. 

The light of the stone was brilliant and almost tear inducing, but ultimately a true relief. His relief, however, was short lived. As his bearings were finally beginning to return, he saw it. A beast. Something psychic, he would guess, judging from the size of its head. It must have been caught off guard by holy light and was now stumbling around with its hands, using that term lightly, over its face.

He had to act immediately. If was truly honest with himself, he knew that he would not be able to beat something that was strong enough to blind him with thought alone in a one on one battle. He had to strike it down before it could harm him again; before it could harm anyone again. Kendrix pulled his sword and pounced; pulling on the little mysticism that he understood to increase his strength and speed. Luckily, the beast did not hear his approach and was run through before it even knew what was happening. 

Kendrix stumbled back from the slain beast; falling on his rear. He was not the only thing in Revaliir that was travelling through these portals. This was a fact he would do well to remember.