I looked at the girl and walked after her, and quickly got in front of her. "What do you want with him? Answer me, if I approve of the reason then I'll take you to him, if I dislike it, then I won't let you get a step closer to him." I said, I had a sneaking suspicion that she was one of Zafara's oracles, here to exact revenge... but if she was, why wasn't she going after us as well? Does she think that taking down the leader of the group will put us all in disarray? It really wouldn't... the only one that would get affected deeply was Hessa, well that would be speaking mainly for myself at least...
"I am incapable of following an outside order, I am incapable of fofilling your request. Move aside, or I will be forced to kill you, I am not under order to kill, but I will if I must." she put her hand on the handle of her large weapon, "You have 5 seconds to comply, 1...2...3...4." her voice had a familiar ring to it, similar, yes very similar to Tsubael, the monotone sound, the way she did not refer to her self with a name but she was clearly no robot, she was human, she had to be human, she had flesh, and hair and.... That's when it hit him, the vacant eye's, the way she walked, the fact her chest didn't move, it didn't rise and fall like that of a normal human she was, she was.... "Undead! Ghoul! Ghoul in the town!" A frantic guard yelled and suddenly they were surrounded by men with pointed spears and fearful eye's the woman grabbed their children and fled inside, in an instant the town was in panic. "you there boy!" The guard spat "are you her master? do you realize the punishment for necromancy is death!" "Do you know where I can find Jakem?" she asked one of the guards not even noticing it seemed that they were threatening her with death. Albeit she was already dead.
Tsubael began pulling and shaping the lump of metal into an elongated triangle. She added a curve to it, using her strong hands to mold the red-hot inari steel into a hooked blade. It was cooling too quickly, so she put it back into the furnace and pumped the bellows furiously. A blade shouldn't be forged this quickly, but the girl's presence instilled a sense of urgency in her. There was no time. The girl departed for the inn, while Joe tried to talk her out of it. Tsubael knew all too well that the secret was out. His fervent attempts at stopping the girl only served as proof that she was on the right trail. While the metal re-heated, Tsubael opened her sack and drew out more components. They were replacement parts for her body. She took out a handful of gears and sorted through the ones she'd need. Then she retrieved some heavy metal piping of the type used in her skeleton. It would make a perfect handle. Tsubael set these items aside, pulled the blade out of the furnace again, and set it on the anvil. Meanwhile, she placed the cogs, gears, and tiny clockwork components in a metal pail and stuck it in the furnace, then sprinkled some water to bring the heat down. She wasn't trying to melt them, just heat them up, so the parts would fit together snugly. It was like working in a kitchen, with a dozen different dishes cooking at once. Tsubael picked up the hammer and began pounding the curved blade over the anvil, honing its inner edge. It was thick with a broad base that tapered to a point. It would need hours on a grindstone to become truly sharp, but even in its current state would make a decent scythe. If she could just finish it in time… "Undead! Ghoul! Ghoul in the town!" a guard shouted. Tsubael's eyes briefly flickered up, but she returned to her work. Must finish. Prime directive: complete current task.
"You there boy!" The guard spat "are you her master? do you realize the punishment for necromancy is death!" The guard proclaimed. "Oh yes, because I always order undead creatures that I create to try to kill me." I said sarcastically. "Use your damn head, foolish guard, do you ask a locksmith if he breaks into houses?! She wants to try and get to someone that I'm travelling with, she won't say why and she now wants to kill me because I'm in her way!" I said angrily.
The guards didn't listen they were so over come by fear, one of them dropped there weapon and ran. "Kill her! Arrest the boy, we'll question him later!" "Do you know where I can find Jakem?" she asked another gaurd as he rushed in screaming, he plunged his spear into her gut, then jump back in fright. The other Guards grabbed Joe and began to try binding his hands, so fearful of him they wouldn't even listen to reason! "Silence boy, we will look into this, if what you say is true then you have nothing to fear." Suddenly four of the guards dropped what they were doing and fled, screaming in horror. the head guard turned around to see the girls still standing, unfazed. "I assume your attack was an invitation to battle to the death? very well." she touched the handle on her weapon, a dark aura burst from it, the bandages unraveled revealing a huge ax more then capable of cutting a man in two with the sharp side, or crushing him with the broad side. In a panic he charged again, his spear lowered, this time she grabbed it. Her strength was unmatched, holding the shaft of the spear she squeezed crushing it into splinters. At that the man two dropped his weapon and began to flee, leaving Joes unharmed. The girl how ever moved towards him once again. "Jakem where is he?" she asked ax raised. "I will not ask again." It was now or never, there was no reasoning with the undead, she would get or her way, or die trying, which was not a problem for her. Just as she was about to swing a voice sounded. "spring roll! down spring roll! bad girl!" everyone turned, it was Jakem . His hand was on his temple in frustration, he shook his head. "Damn it spring roll, what did I tell you about wandering into towns? you know people don't like undead. now put down your ax." She put away her weapon, bandages wrapped around it as if by their own volition. "Jakem, you are the leader yes? I have found you there is things we need to talk about, also my apologies, I didn't realize how unreasonable everyone was" she asked. "right right, no need to kill anyone alright, Joe, foxy, you alright? looks like I have explaining to do."
I glared at the guards as they grabbed me and tried to bind my hands together. "Idiots, not all mages need their hands to cast spells." I thought, I was tempted to just use Equilibrium or Null, but realized it's not a good idea, if they indeed defeat the girl, then I'd be imprisoned for killing or injuring multiple guards, and if I used Equilibrium it was likely that I'd kill or injure myself in the process. I watched as they fled smirking. "Cowards, we face a sphinx, an oracle, and hundreds of ghouls, yet you can't even fight one!?" I asked, I laughed. "You're all complete fools and cowards!" I called out to them, taunting them. I looked at the guard captain. "Ah King Fool himself~ Let's see how many seconds you'll last!" I said as he charged toward the girl. I was extremely annoyed with allowing fear to cloud their judgement. I smiled as he fled, but my smile soon disappeared as she came close to me. "D-Damn." I said, I backed away, I had my hands binded behind me, and I might not have enough time to cast my spell, I shut my eyes, I saw no chance of winning, Tsubael was busy, I didn't have enough time, and running would be a bit more difficult with my arms behind my back, even then she could probably catch me quickly. I sighed in relief as Jakem got the girl to back off. "Right, right, no need to kill anyone alright, Joe, foxy, you alright? looks like I have explaining to do." Jakem said. "Y-Yeah, I'm fine... you know you could have just said that you didn't mean any harm ya know!" I said annoyed as I looked at the girl, 'Spring Roll', I sighed deeply, I turned around. "Can someone get me out of these damn bindings? They're chafing my wrists." I said.
Tsubael took fistfuls of sand from the ground and sprinkled them over the red-hot blade, until it was buried. Sand cooled the metal more evenly than quenching it in water. Water could cool it too quickly, resulting in brittleness. She had even heard of some places where blacksmiths quenched their metals with urine. Fact: this one is unequipped to perform such an action, Tsubael thought. The sand was better, anyway. She snatched the bucket of parts from the furnace and began assembling them. A gear here, a cotter pin there, some metal wire coiled to act as a spring… her strong fingers were able to bend and shape the hot metal as easily as molding clay. When she was done, she had a round six-chambered device, like the cylinder of a revolver. On one end, it was slotted to attach to the staff, while the other had a locking, hinged fixture for the blade. Using heated nails as rivets, Tsubael attached this complex device to the handle, which was segmented and packed with incredibly strong springs, too strong for most organics to compress. The handle was designed to telescope into itself, allowing her to shorten the six-foot staff down to a manageable three feet, and lock into place. Last, she lifted the scythe's blade from the anvil and brushed off the sand. It was blackened by the forging and would need polishing and sharpening before it could truly be considered 'complete,' but she attached it to the staff anyway, riveting it in place with thick nails. It, too, could be folded away, reducing the big scythe down to a briefcase-sized metal contraption. Inari engineering at its finest. There was a commotion in the streets. Guards were closing in on Joe and the… the… thing. Without delay, Tsubael snatched up her newly-fashioned weapon and darted out from behind the blacksmith's stall, but skidded to a stop when Jakem intervened. Tsubael stood there a moment, sizing up 'Spring Roll.' An automaton made of flesh? She couldn't decide which of them was the worse abomination. "Y-Yeah, I'm fine... you know you could have just said that you didn't mean any harm ya know!" Joe said. He sighed deeply, "Can someone get me out of these damn bindings? They're chafing my wrists." "One moment please," Tsubael said as she stepped closer and took hold of the shackles. He hands were still hot from the forge, but she was careful not to touch his skin. "Hold still." She pulled and there was a hiss of steam as her engine revved, then the metal snapped free and she tossed the broken bindings aside.
Y-Yeah, I'm fine... you know you could have just said that you didn't mean any harm ya know!" "My orders were to find Jakem, not inform you of anything. " Jakem walked up to them, he pointed to the girl and said with a bit of annoyance "Everyone, meet Spring roll, she's an oddity." Jakem said scratching his head "Don't be afraid, she's harmless, well that's not true, she very dangerous, but she won't attack unless she is ordered to or finds it necessary."
I looked at Tsubael. "Thanks." I said smiling, I looked over at Spring Roll. "Well shouldn't you try to assess what's the best way of completing your task instead of merely trying to complete it? If you just try to complete it and kill anything in the way, you tend to make some enemies, bad decisions, and possibly end up dead, er... in your case dead again." I said rubbing the back of my head awkwardly.
"Don't be afraid, she's harmless, well that's not true, she very dangerous, but she won't attack unless she is ordered to or finds it necessary." "Yay! A new face!" Ishmael shouted his voice dripping with sarcasm as he approached Spring Roll. He'd been in a sour mood about his conversation with Fox Box. "She just threatened to start butchering people to find you. So I assume you two are close?" He asked giving Jakem a suspicious glare. An undead? She didn't look to dead......well like most ghouls had anyway. Ishmael remembered the freaks in the pyramid they had been up against and this girl hardly seemed to fit the criteria.
Jakem put his hand on Joe's shoulder, patienlty he said. "Son, you're arguing with a corpse. Just think about that for a moment." Spring roll ignored Joe and went back to her mission. "Jakem, priest Joral has a message for you, it's concerning the god speaker." "I will hear it, but let's go inside the hub first." Inside, High Jakem sat down at the table, Hessa was still drinking. Everyone in the hub had run all save for a few lone figures at the back. "Well what is it Spring roll?" "The god speaker, there has been uncovered a plot, to take his life. High priest Joral has warned you to keep watch for enemy groups looking for him. He also wishes to know if you have discovered the location of the God speaker." At the mention of the God speaker several people perked up, and began to listen in.
Jakem put his hand on Joe's shoulder, patienlty he said. "Son, you're arguing with a corpse. Just think about that for a moment." I looked at him and nodded sighing. "I know, but at least the creator should try to make her a bit more intelligent, to be able to create her and not make her a complete mindless rotting corpse is a hard enough task I know, but still, it's better to work as hard as you can so then something like... this, doesn't happen and someone innocent doesn't get put behind bars for something they didn't do." I said sighing, I followed them into the hub. As I listened to her, I looked around as everyone looked at us. "I believe that we should take this conversation to somewhere a bit more private." I said.
"Thanks." Joe said with a smile, before looking to Spring Roll. "Well shouldn't you try to assess what's the best way of completing your task instead of merely trying to complete it? If you just try to complete it and kill anything in the way, you tend to make some enemies, bad decisions, and possibly end up dead, er... in your case dead again." "This one agrees," Tsubael said in a low voice. "Her programming is less than ideal. It is... inefficient." As Jakem led Spring Roll inside, Tsubael quickly went back to the blacksmith's stand to retrieve her belongings. She returned to the inn a moment later, wearing a gray robe instead of the blacksmith's apron, and with her pack slung over her shoulder. She arrived just in time to hear Spring Roll's message: "The god speaker, there has been uncovered a plot, to take his life," the animated corpse explained. "High priest Joral has warned you to keep watch for enemy groups looking for him. He also wishes to know if you have discovered the location of the God speaker." "This one has multiple queries… but they can wait," Tsubael said. "Caution: if there is a plot to take the life of the God speaker, this one does not think it wise for us to share information with anyone outside of this group… information which could potentially lead the enemy to the God speaker." Of course, it was also possible that the 'enemy' was amongst them. Hidan's face materialized in her mind, but Tsubael did not glance in his direction. Spring Roll was also of questionable loyalty. The church's use of animated corpses did not seem in accordance with the ways of Bahamut, but Tsubael was still new to this world's religions and in no position to judge. In any case, she felt it best they keep their information to themselves, instead of giving it to this girl, who could, in theory, tell it to anyone.
Millaria had been quietly sitting in the back of the tavern for most of the evening, despite not having the physiological need to eat or drink. Attuned to her surroundings, she was listening for any news or information about her quest, any lead to validate the reason she was drawn to this tiny town. “The Earth Mother couldn't possibly be wrong” Millaria thought, “There must be some reason I was drawn here, someone must know something.” And then, as if in direct response to her plea, providence bestowed upon Millaria just what she had been searching for. "The god speaker, there has been uncovered a plot, to take his life. High priest Joral has warned you to keep watch for enemy groups looking for him. He also wishes to know if you have discovered the location of the God speaker." Upon hearing such an unspeakable thing, Millaria felt a fiery rage build within her chest, and clenching her four fists, she left her shadowy corner and stepped forward. The tall, slender girl entered the illumination in the center of the room, skin pale green and body devoid of clothes, and lifted one of her four arms to point at the undead abomination and the priest, and hoarsely said “You...” Upon hearing the tension in her voice she quickly composed herself, and then returning her gaze to the group began again, unable to contain herself. “You, who would dare tempt the wrath of the Ancients and doom us all.” Her gaze steely and demeanor full of resolve, she waited for their reply, silently praying to the Earth Mother that these were the people she was drawn here to find.
Alavina fluttered down the steps and into the main room of the tavern. Her eyes drooped tiredly and skin indentations, where'd she'd slept on her arm, were pressed into the tattooed side of her face making the flowers look wrinkled and funny. A few patrons bumped eachother and glanced her way as if they'd never seen a fairy ifrit. They probably hadn't. Aly grabbed some food from where Hessa was having a drinking contest with other patrons. She wrinkled her nose in disgust and grabbed a seat across from the nun-girl who was one of the few who didn't smell like beer. She poked at the questionable items on her plate. Normally by this time in the morning she was starving but this morning she didn't have much of an appetite. Nightmares had plagued most of her dreams. Most of the images had consisted of blood, death, screaming, and the little oracle who'd exploded right in front of her. Aly had woken up with a sick feeling in her mind and stomach and had even thrown up into a chamber pot. The smell of urine, vomit and beer in this place wasn't helping her mood or nausea either. Glancing up from her food, Sylvia took notice of the small infrit. Her face softened in sympathy as memories of the fairy were brought to mind. She'd been one of few who had tried to be a peacemaker, although the sphinx had different plans. After a moment of silence between them, listening to drunken shouts, Sylvia cast a small smile toward the fairy. "Greetings, I am Sylvia. What is thy name?" Alavina looked up. This human certainly speaks strangely. "Alavina of the Triastar Fairies. Where do you come from, Sylvia? You speak strangly." There conversation was interrupted by Jakem suddenly coming into the Tavern with an undead in tow. Aly had never seen and undead or a four-armed woman, who had just stood up. Conversation forgotten, all her attention was now on the strange once-in-a-life-time sight.
You, who would dare tempt the wrath of the Ancients and doom us all.” "Um...who are you?" Jakem asked patiently. "May I finish?" Spring roll asked. her presence seemed to garner much attention. "Bartender, I ask that you leave us in peace and take the others with you. this is a private talk." Spring roll said. He wasn't about to argue with a ghoul and hastily shewed the other people out of the shop and shut the door. they were alone now, just them the strange new comer and the ghoul named spring roll. "Yes Roll, we know where to find the God speaker, do you have any info on who might be wanting the god speaker dead? and why?" "To my knowledge it is a group of Fallen worshipers, they are sending groups all across VenShara looking for him." Jakem eye'ed Shea, she had claimed to not follow Bahamut, could she be? "Is that an undead!" Hessa yelled, she was just sobering up, starring at Spring with horror she stood up and drew her blade. "Hessa easy, she's on our side." Jakem said calmly "What?" Hessa hissed father have you gone mad! she's an abomination!" "Incorrect, my name is spring roll." Spring roll responded her hand on her ax again.
CLANG! Ishmael lance fell into Hessa's blade. He wasn't putting any pressure on it. Just enough to get her attention in a more intense way. No need to start violence! Yet anyway. Ishmael held no anger in his eyes for the girl but she was clearly acting out of turn. "Calm down Hessa before you get yourself killed or start an unwanted ruckus." His eye then shifted back over to Jakem. "Don't dodge my question. How do you know a ghoul, a ghoul that looks like that?" He asked curiously. "As for the God Speaker.....all we have to do. Its beat the killers to him, right?" Of course someone would want to kill the God speaker! Dammit if I he dies before we get to our my plans will be shot to hell! "Indeed." Samael replied "Is that all you have to say? We need him!" "There isn't much we can do at the moment. It best to remain calm." " Calm? Bull to the shits!"
As if a ritual, Szmierc almost immediately appeared next to the ghoul and proceeded to test the tensile properties of her cheek by means of his phalangeal probe. "Hmm... not soft. Cute though. Where'd you meet her, priest-guy?"
"right about Spring roll, when I was young, before I became a high priest I was a battle priest. It was my job to destroy the abominations like her, and their creators. I remember it like yesterday, High priest Joral and myself were investigating the disappearance of children all around VenShara, we came upon a small isolated chapel on barren coast. There we engaged in a savage battle vs a powerful necromancer named Horan worshiper of a fallen named Nix. That is where I met Spring roll, we battled against her and her master, she was...is, horribly powerful. In the last moments of battle we defeated him, and sealed his magic, freeing her from his control. Jakem looked at Spring roll, his eye's not filled with disgust but sympathy. "We don't know her real name, or who her family was, but we do know she is the most advanced ghoul in all of Exzalia, an undead who almost seems human, the enchantments he had placed on her were more than powerful, but one fact troubled me more than anything. She was 13, when that mad man kidnapped her from her home, and slaughtered her, when he turned her into a monster for his own pleasure. What most she have thought in those last minutes? I supposes I felt pity for her" Jakem sighed, "perhaps I should of destroyed her then and there, and given her the rest she needs, but I felt as if I should try and find her family first, they deserve to be at their daughters funeral, I searched for weeks, but what village she hails from remains a mystery." He grew more solemn "Haron, on the day he was to be executed escaped prison. He is still at large, as far as we know Roll is his prized creation, we keep her active in order to perhaps recapture him someday. That however was thirty years ago." He chuckled, "I supposed you can say I have grown attached to her since, in any case I was able to reverse most of her programing, now she follows mine and Jorals orders only, no need to fear she won't harm you." Hessa laughed, "oh father you are too soft, she is undead, you would have mercy on even they?" "Perphaps you are right my daughter, But Bahamut has used evil for good, Spring roll has been very useful to us in the past. I only hope to find her family one day, and to perhaps solve a strange little mystery about her." "What is that?" Hessa asked, "Well Jakem" mused, "If anyone has a spring roll I'll show you, anyone?"
"Perphaps you are right my daughter, But Bahamut has used evil for good," "If Bahamut was good...he would have never have let that happen to an innocent girl." Aly said scornfully. "If he even existed...and was good...he would either give that girl her life back, or take her into his presence. How can you worship a god that allows things like this to happen. Huh, Priest?"
"If he even existed...and was good...he would either give that girl her life back, or take her into his presence. How can you worship a god that allows things like this to happen. Huh, Priest?" Ishmael heard her words and smiled. He could feel Samael stir within him as well at hearing Bahamut being questioned. He put his lance over his shoulder but made sure his words reached Aly. "Because Bahamut is a bastard. No he's worse then that, he's a monster!" He said as he looked back and forth between her and Jakem
Jakem closed his eye's and pondered. "We can not expect Bahamut to intervene whenever evil is done, think about it, are not all entitled to free will? if Bahamut stayed the hand of every murdedure, every rapest every warmonger, then mortals would avoid such things not out of the goodness of their hearts, but because they had no say in the matter, we mortals must take responsibility for our own actions instead of blaming everything on God. What happened to Spring roll is tragic, but we must remember it was Haron who did this to her, not Bahamut."
"He still could've stopped it." Aly mumbled laying her head on her arms. That is if he even exists. He's never proven himself to me. And he probably never will.
"He still could've stopped it." "Aly, I don't know why Bahamut does what he does, But I'm sure Spring roll soul is in paradise as we speak. Right now all she is is a husk with some fancy magic attached to it. But, we will see the God speaker soon, perhaps she will answer your questions."
