Call of the Mist Wolf | Page 4

Alpha twiddled her thumbs together, a bit uneasy after an uncomfortable night of sleep and a not-all-that-pleasant yesterday. Stepping away from the group, she nudged the asleep Terry awake and grabbed a torch out of her bag. The pup wearily opened his eyes, weak yet determined to survive. He gave Alpha a tentative lick before setting his head back down onto the sleeping bag. Alpha let him rest a bit more. The dog needed it.

She quickly lit the wooden stick and illuminated their sleeping place. When she came back to listen to whatever Ornson had to say, it seemed that the man had finished speaking whatever he wished to say. She paused, waiting a bit for replies in order to grasp what was going on. As choices began flooding in with different reasons and replies, she pieced together a firm understanding at what had taken place. She felt Terry brush her leg, his crisp and fragile fur cracking into dust on contact. She flinched at the sight but remained strong. This wasn't a trip where she could play around all day, she had discovered. She had to stand firm and steady and protect everyone here. She looked around to see familiar faces and new ones that she had grown accustomed to. She'd protect all of them. Even Jack Anders.

"Maybe the sandy place?" she piped in, her voice wavering yet dedicated. She coughed before beginning to explain herself. "The sand's gonna slow us down—anyone who's ever gone to a beach or something knows that, right? But we have a bunch of supplies for a long adventure like that! Also, the other place kind of makes me worried...who'd make all those holes in the first place? It kind of reminds me of horror movies, you know? The ones with insects that eat through walls?" she shivered. "I'd rather not see giant mutated bugs if I could."

 

Merkaba had barely slept even without the cold to keep her up. The witch had thought over things carefully throughout the night and came to a several conclusions. The next day would be a welcome one as it meant one less day with these ragtag fools. Seeing that the druid had actually moved and spoke was truly something. Merkaba almost wrote him off as some blob that just existed. Why the silly named child Alphabet Chocolate was more useful than him... and that was really saying something. Merkaba lurked on the outside of group. She wanted o hear this, but had little to add from earlier.

Ornson spoke his piece. Then others. It would seem that the time to decide on the path had come. Wonderful, the choice of death. Elizabeth had strong feeling that they were not going to go with what she thought, so she did not wish to share. Listening to each thought. Merkaba saw that her earlier advice was yet again not a prominent part of the discussion. Fine. The possibly magical sand that led uphill into the possible sand dwellers that would strike from a very unfavorable position... or a bunch of holes spewing who knows what while they made it downward.

Wonderful options, and that's not including anything Elizabeth may have actually missed. If that was possible. After everyone spoke. Merkaba would simply say:

"I made my assessment last night. Nothing more need be said. I go with you to watch you die more than likely. I have taken into account both routes. Just be as prepared as you can and do not wait until you are staring death in the face to take action."

Everything she said was actually how she felt. These fools would likely stumble from one trap into the next. More and more of those statue type encounters with them just barely getting by if they do at all. Pray the dark gods protect her from their failures and don't take her down with them. Maybe, just maybe they have all learned from their mistakes and will make good preplanned approaches while treading lightly here. If that druid Ornson walks into another blast of lightning without even looking in front of him like last time.... Babylon help her. Folding her arms and closing her eyes.

"I go wherever the higher votes go. If I must choose. Descending. Take it as you will."

 

She secured the last strap of her sandals around her ankles and stood up, testing how well it held by tapping the edge against the floor. Satisfied she slung her violin case against her back and scanned the surroundings one more time.

They were worse for wear, though at least they were still alive. How things would've turned out had Dempsey failed in her gambit, she didn't know. Would many of them have been able to escape in the first place? Or would they all have died in a tsunami of lightning and thunder?

She listened to the druid speaking, voicing his gratitude and disappointment at his inability to properly contribute to the team.

“I won't hold it against you Ornson.” Amalia replied softly, not daring to speak for the others as she didn't know them very well. That and she felt that some of them wouldn't have cared even slightly if the NPC had died. “I don't believe anyone here would have fared better than you had we been the ones to walk into that trap.”

“I'll vouch for the less sand-riddled path.” Amalia chimed in helpfully, seeing no real reason to hold back at this juncture. The holes might be dangerous on their own, but she didn't like the danger of the unknown. “As perilous as the holes might be, I find the danger in sinkholes or traps concealed underneath the sand a greater concern.”

“But I doubt that any path is actually less fraught with danger than the other.” if the level designers had been meticulous, that is. Or perhaps someone had a sadist streak among the programmers? Amalia had to repress a shudder at that thought.

Her thoughts returned to the druid. She vaguely remembered seeing his mastery level during that shocking interaction, Adept was it? He seemed to be a character who's mastery level was far higher than most, if not all players in this area. She could only imagine how much of a detriment it would've been if they'd lost him early.

As for the team itself, she still wasn't sure how well they would perform in a fight. Too many distinct, clashing personalities, but perhaps they would be willing to put their differences aside to work towards mutual survival. She stroked the locked under her blouse, still amazed that she managed to get her hands on it.

 

Dempsey woke slowly, and unwillingly. On top of being short several hours of sleep from taking the first watch, she was none too pleased with the quality of what little sleep she had gotten. On her best day, she was not a morning person, and on this dark, cold, sore and still tired morning, she simply sat up on her humble bed roll and stared into the darkness, somewhat resentful that they had not all died in their sleep. A groan of anger and misery escaped her lips as she slowly drug her hands down her face and made a futile effort to rub some warmth into her forearms. It would be such a simple thing to walk over and snap the neck of the druid whom had decided in all his druidly wisdom to wake her before she was ready to rise.

She simply sat cross-legged, knowing that the worst would pass in a few minutes and focused on her breathing. Soon the dull headache would subside, the anger directed at no one and nothing in particular would subside, and all would be right in the world save for the dire need for a pot of coffee and a breakfast of meat, grease, and carbohydrates. She yawned loudly and stretched until a cramp in her side caused her to ball up and curse under her breath as she tried to massage the knot out resentfully.

Having achieved her ultimate goal of not punching anyone thus far, she twisted from side to side, cracking her neck and back with a series of loud wet pops as the druid droned on about this tunnel or that. Her mind was made up last night, and she simply wanted a few more minutes of peace and quiet before beginning another thrilling day of near death experiences and horrible smells. She worked through an abridged version of her morning stretches and stood, then strolled over to where everyone seemed to be congregating and chimed in;

"I say we go down hill." she almost successfully choked back another yawn and continued "I hate sand."

with that, she departed and returned to enjoy what little respite she had left in sullen silence.

 

Aaron didn't like votes. On principle, they tended to turn into arguments far too easily. Usually, he would prefer someone to be a leader, to take charge, and decide what must be done. But, it seemed everyone else was content to vote, and were all being rather civil about it. He released a heavy sigh. He had logged out last night in order to sleep, and had logged back in just in time to catch the Druid talking. Everyone else seemed like they hadn't slept too well, though. Had they all stayed logged into the game, instead of sleeping in their own beds?

"Well, if we're casting votes, the whole point is we have to do deeper into the mountain, right? So descending seems like it'd made better choice. Likewise, this game is pretty immersive. Sandy areas are usually hot, hot places usually require more food and water to survive. I don't want to expend more rations than we have to. There could be attacks or traps from either path, but in the desert, enemies can burrow up from around us. On the other path, there are the specific holes that they'd probably come from, right? So we know where to watch out for."

He cleared his throat. "Also, if anyone needs healing, let me know, I can top you off. That goes for you as well, friend," he said with a nod toward Orson.

 

Though a bit disgruntled, Jack wouldn’t object too much upon Hearing the numerous votes to go down the now titled “holey path.” In all fairness both paths had their downsides, none of which really outweighed the other in his opinion. He did however have a personal stake in their choice though considering his own unique dislikes. "Strange the cat doesn't like the giant sandbox."

Considering the current odds, he’d shrug weakly while raising a hand in favor for the opposing route. “I’d rather go for the sandy route to be honest. Movement limitations can be compensated for with buffs and a proper raid formation. Just keep in mind that it’s easier to be weary of just the ground than well… everywhere really. That said, I’ve got a lurking suspicion it’s gonna be a rough journey regardless of the route.”

He’d nod once, fairly content with his explanation. Whether it convinced people or not was none of his concern. After all, he didn’t really have a strong argument in the first place. It was simply personal preference based on his own dislikes.

OOC: Sandy Route

 

Lucia sighed a little thinking on the pair of paths, though in her mind the choice was rather clear. The sandy path was no doubt treacherous, but at the very least the danger would telegraph it's presence with the shifting sands while the holes would remain a mystery until something suddenly appeared. The sand simply allowed for more preparation in Lucia's mind even if the creatures promised to be a little bigger, she suspected they might not be nearly as strong or numerous as the ones along the dotted path... Purely because whatever was in those holes would have had to dig through stone to make them.

"I think I'll go with the sandy path as well, it's at least a better fighting field for me... And considering our group, we can't afford to spread our attention battling anything that might pop out of dozens of holes. As useful as my skills would be, I'm not sure if I worry you might experience friendly fire if it's too closed up." She admitted worried her formations would endanger the group as well if she set up a large one to try and sweep through all of the small creatures that could burrow their way out.

Though she wasn't sure what everyone would decide on, at the very least, putting her best foot forward, she folded her arms content with the result regardless. "Either way, if we do end up going the route of the hole ridden path, I can at most cover one direction-- if I had more or if friendly fire wasn't an issue I could surely swallow up everything but--" She continued, knowing few would want to take the chance to see if her spells would hurt them in a raid when the answer was a very likely yes.

OOC: Sandy PAth

 

Nalani's sleep hadn't been the best, but she was living the next morning. She'd been dreaming about her questions in her sleep, they were bothering her so much. Plus the lack of sun was making her feel pretty icky and tired, a feeling probably all of them were sharing right now. She wished it wasn't so dark... Darkness wasn't exactly her favourite thing, but as long as some of them kept their torches aglow, it wouldn't be difficult. She'd did some studying of the paths earlier, and after listening to everybody elses opinions on the matter, she decided it was finally time to speak up.

"I don't know about you guys, but I don't want to find out whats hidden in those holes, so I rather not be going down that path. Therefore, I vote for sandy, but that doesn't mean things are going to be easy, so it's best we still keep our guard up." she spoke, looking around at everyone before turning her gaze to Alphabet, who was at her side. She smiled and patted her head gently, before looking back at the group. She had not doubt that whatever they did come across, they'd be able to fight. And she would be right there as well, fighting as hard as she could.​

 

Alpha stared in wonder at Dempsey's crystal as it glowed and shone like nothing she had ever seen before. As the group investigated as to what it might mean, she found herself staring at it intensely. She had been fascinated by the unnaturally glowing red rocks back in the Bloodthrone Mountain and this rock was no difference in terms of her interest of glow-in-the-dark geodes. "Can I see?" she asked perkily, bouncing up from her spot beside Nalani and Terry. Her previous solemnity was broken upon the responsibility taken up by her teammates, leaving her as careless as she could be upon this situation. It felt refreshing for Alpha to once again engage in her childish proclivities.

As they walked (or, in Alpha's case, whined) through the dimly-lit chamber with Terry loyally following her heels (despite his limp and blackened fur), she noticed Nalani's state of distraction. It was as if her eyes glazed over when Alpha heard her recite some very strange words of sorts. "Oooh," she openly admired. The language she had spoken in was foreign to her ears and she couldn't help but be a bit curious. "Is that Russian? Or Chinese? Or maybe Spanish? How many languages do you even know Nalani?! What does that even mean?" questions spewed out of her mouth like pouring water as she stared at Nalani with an eager disposition. Terry merely stood by, too exhausted to commit to his usual antics.

Afterwards, Alpha stretched and her eyes landed on the chamber ceiling, sighing. "Where are we even going?" she asked to no one in particular. It isn't too fun travelling in a direction for a period of time without knowing your destination.

 

Upon arriving to their current location a sigh of relief was to be had by the dark haired man. He had originally begun to worry slightly with the change of landscape however it would quickly revert back to the previous type of terrain given some additional travel. Standing carefully near the precipice to survey their surroundings, he’d peer about with those dark hazel orbs while sweeping the area with caution. A look was given towards the other healer as he’d request her to take action.

“Anything showing up on the eye?” Of course he was referring to Jinns’ Eye. (@Amalia Leblanc) If the game had delivered one to their doorstep, more likely than not it’d be relevant in the future as well, right? At the very minimum it wouldn’t hurt to check for the sake of being thorough.

Noting the reaction of the crystal, he’d nod once while continuing to ponder over the best course. Already aware of the figures spotted off in the distance, he’d close his eyes to focus intently on the sounds coming from below, almost as if trying to discern their intent from the cacophony of misery that echoed from buried deep within the sand.

“Wasn’t red bad for the crystal? I wonder what’s causing it to react now? Perhaps it’s the floor boss?” Upon hearing Alphabet’s distraction however, he’d turn to Nalani with a skeptical look. “You alright there?”

 

​

So it was that things went the way Elizabeth predicted. It was amusing in a way. How in some ways all Elizabeth had to do was give advice to them, and whatever Merkaba would advise... they would contradict. Perhaps she could use that in the future, a bit of reverse psychology. After a annoying trip uphill, Merkaba kept to herself surprise of how the terrain and angle of the journey was changing.The pits were ironic considering how everyone of them was afraid of the wall based ones the other way.

The sand was everywhere here. Very.... beachy. This was not her favorite place but she would have to deal with it to get to her goal Then came the block, the sounds, and the school bus. A school bus? Elizabeth began to understand. This dimension's story line that the game creators had made for it. Either it was true or this was a entirely altered area using their technical finagling.

"Armageddon."

Was all the witch would say as the party continued to investigate. The red crystal then began to react. Ah yes, Merkaba did not have the chance to interrogate that Felis earlier. Now however, she may not need too. Seeing that the group had decided to make their way towards what may be the source of the reaction. Elizabeth began to have that irking feeling that this was idiocy again. She did not bother to forewarn them but she did focus her own dark mana and made a chant sit upon the tip of her tongue. Following along from behind the group like a dark stalker. Upon entering a new area, Nalani the bard began doing something very strange and dangerous.

Merkaba immediately would react to Nalani's very familiar chant... so it was not left behind was it?

"Fool! Do not recite that which you do not understand...."

The dark lady drew her scythe from her inventory into her hands and prepared to release her own chant at a moments notice. While not making any action towards the bard. Elizabeth would not hesitate to remove her if she proved to become a problem.

 

Lucia glanced around, finger on her temple as she glanced around to examine the surroundings. Though there did seem to be some bizarre things reminiscent of their own world, she couldn't help but frown. They were from their world, certainly, but what bothered her the most, were why there weren't vesitages from their society in other places that were more noticeable? The words 'armageddon' from Merkaba weren't lost on Lucia, but if that were the case, wouldn't there be cars littering every major city? Collapsed sky scrapers visible at a glance? Why only 'here'.

"The sands are definitely filled with 'something'." Lucia murmured, but her tone wasn't fearful, but rather excited. Groaning and moans from the ailing, spirits, this was her niche wasn't it? This was what she went into Malefimancy to acquire! This zone was no doubt one where she felt she could benefit the most. She tried to keep it contained a little though at least. "This would have a lot of significance to my avatar, I wonder if we'll be able to come back to this place int he future-- It would be great to be able to come back and explore this place later." She couldn't help a longing sigh. A great deal of her Malefimancy's theme were formed around 'the forgotten' or 'progenitors'.

Though Nalani's words made her furrow a brow, it seemed like there was a chance that this would continue to grow more bizarre as time passed. Whether or not it was related to that first phrase that whispered to them, she couldn't know. "All that stands is getting across this though... If there were a magical bridge we could activate or something that would be fantastic." Lucia couldn't help murmuring.