The Old Kingdom: Darkness Rising

Discussion in 'Role Play' started by Erik-the-Enchanter!, Feb 7, 2017.

  1. Domino355

    Domino355 Senior Member

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    Drake
    He looked around at his friends, quite amused actually. They seemed to be enjoying themselves, those who didn't spit it right out, that is. They were lightwieghts, not too surprising really. Then again, he wasn't one to talk.

    "I'll be right back," she said in what she hoped was a sultry tone. "Try not to miss me too much."

    "Umm, ok," he replied. Why would he miss her? She was like, right outside the door.

    He felt his head beggining to spin slightly once he finished his first pint. He should stop there, he knew. His dad would give him a right kick in the arse if he knew what he was doing. Then again, this was all a part of the adventure. He ordered himself another pint.

    "Hey man," he said to Drake. "Yeah.Good job on the drink. So Trix got a thing for you, eh? Good for you," he said, pushing his fist gently into his shoulder. "You'll... "

    "Wait, what?" he exclaimed. No that couldn't be right. Could it? No, no, Drake, don't be an idiot. But what if...? "What- do you mean?"
     
  2. Erik-the-Enchanter!

    Erik-the-Enchanter! Banned Contributor

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    Nora drank her wine the way her mother taught her: first, she swirled it under her nose and breathed in a few times; secondly, she took little sip and swished it around in her mouth before swallowing; and finally, when she got tired of that, she downed the whole glass. "Hmmm, tastes like grapes from the western countryside," she mumbled to herself. "Probably from the Monroe Vineyard. Earthy and sweet. Aged..." She paused thoughtfully. "Aged four years. No, five years, definitely five years." She was distracted from critiquing the wine by Samara's loud voice. "Um, sweetie," Nora began, but she was interrupted by the bartender stomping down the stairs with a clean tunic hanging from his arm. "Here we go again," she grumbled moodily.

    The bartender jumped off the bottom step with a huge grin, showing all his crooked teeth, but he only took a single stride before he froze in place. His eyes were trained on the black velvet curtain at the end of the short hallway besides the stairs. A long, graceful hand had emerged with a large sapphire ring (surrounded by tiny diamonds) on the middle finger. The hand beckoned to the bartender before disappearing behind the curtain again. "Just one moment, Lady Wintersmith," the bartender told Nora. He dashed to the curtain and stuck his head inside. They all heard a few muffled "yes, ma'am"s and "of course, my lady"s, and the bartender returned with a disappointed frown on his face.

    "My special guest has invited all of you to the VIP room," the bartender told them. Then he slouched behind the counter and started cleaning out glasses with the tunic he had just brought from upstairs.

    "Oh, well, I wouldn't want to be rude and keep her waiting," Nora chirped before jumping off her stool and striding toward the VIP room. She didn't know who the special guest could be, but she was eager to escape the bartender's gushing adulation.

    "Who is this special guest?" Alex asked, wobbling on his chair.

    "I don't know," the bartender replied gruffly. (He was obviously still upset about not getting Nora's undivided attention.) "Some kind of mystic, or a Goddess disciple, or maybe just a rich lady that likes to make people think she's a sorceress. All I know is, she's been drinking all the champagne and I'm not afraid to get Big Tom to throw her out if she ain't got no coin. Right, Big Tom?" A large, beefy guy in the corner lifted his scarred head, grunted, and then went back to breaking nuts open by hitting them with his fist.

    "I don't believe it," Nora said in a hushed (slightly annoyed) tone as she parted the curtain and entered the VIP room.

    "Believe it," an airy female voice replied from inside.

    "Everyone," Nora said when she came back to the young sorcerers. "Please come meet the Oracle of the Gods, Lady Dionne." Her tone was even, but the corners of her mouth twitched irritably.

    "That's who she is!?!?" the bartender squawked. Even the rest of the drunken patrons in the bar looked up, surprised and fearful. Having a Lightbringer and the Oracle in his bar at the same time was too much, apparently, because the bartender fainted on the spot. "I'm out of here," one of the drunks slurred as he got to his feet. "I don't want no Oracle telling me how I'm gonna die. I want it to be a surprise." The other drunks agreed and scurried out behind him, but Big Tom stayed and continued cracking nuts.

    When they made their way to the VIP room, the young sorcerers beheld a lovely creature seated at the end of a rectangular table. She was draped in a brilliant purple gown that pooled on the floor around her and seemed to glow in the semi-darkness. Her unblinking silver eyes pierced them as they walked inside and a slow smile curved her small, rosebud mouth. Her short brown curls were adorned with a diamond-studded pin on both sides and a large sapphire broach with diamonds around it was pinned to her shoulder. She gestured for them to sit down, like a graceful host at a dinner party.

    "Just 'Dionne' is fine," the Oracle said with a light chuckle.
     
    Last edited: Apr 14, 2017
  3. Lone Vista

    Lone Vista Active Member

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    Joe

    "Oh, beautiful day!"
    Trisana sang as she sidled up to Joe. "Isn't love grand? Um, I mean life, isn't life grand? I'm not in love. Why would you think I'm in love?" Trisana started breathing hard and sweat droplets ran down her forehead. "Please don't tell anyone!" she squealed, grabbing Joe's shoulders.

    Joe started at the sudden touch and jerked back from Trisana. They hated being touched unexpectedly. "Uh- okay?" Trisana's eyes were slightly unfocused. How many drinks had she had? They'd just got here! She was hard to read at the best of times. ...Though her crush on Drake definitely wasn't. Or Drake's on her, unless they were reading that wrong. Honestly, it was a little hard to watch.

    "You should really just ask each other out already." Crap. CRAP. What was intended as a mental grumble had somehow made its way out as vocal chiding. Was this because of the drink, the shandy? Had that one sip made them tipsy? Or was it the placebo effect? Desperate for an escape from the situation, their eyes landed on the group inside as they were invited through the curtained doorway. "UH! I-It looks like they're going in somewhere, I think we should probably..." They trailed off, hesitated for a moment, then walked quickly inside to follow the rest of the party.

    They scratched at their neck as they went. It was itching worse than ever, and the feeling seemed to be spreading. Had they caught a rash from that werewolf? Maybe they were allergic. Wouldn't that would just be typical.

    As they entered Dionne's chamber, they tried to focus back on the present. Oracle of the Gods, huh? Something about that set their teeth on edge. They hovered near the back of the group and waited to hear more.
     
    Last edited: Apr 15, 2017
  4. Bewitched

    Bewitched Banned

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    Trisana

    "You should really just ask each other out already."

    "Well, see, that's the thing, I want to but..." Trisana trailed off as Joe got really awkward and stammered something about what the rest of the class was doing. "Oh, um, okay...nice chat, I guess," Trisana mumbled as he scampered back into the bar. She stood there for a moment, trying not to take it personal, but she didn't know how she couldn't take it personal. Joe ran away from her like she was a flipping virus. Is it really that hard to be around me? Trisana wrapped her white cloak tightly around her slender frame and followed Joe inside, feeling hurt and vulnerable. Maybe I shouldn't be so open with people...I should just be quiet and stay in the back of the group...no one wants to hear me talk, anyway.

    And so that's exactly what Trisana did, quietly take a place in the back of the group and keep quiet. Trisana rarely let herself get sad, but even she had her moments and this was one of them. She defied anybody not to get depressed when everyone around you treated you like some kind of freak for being a happy, loving soul. I'll feel better soon, probably, she thought to herself. The Oracle was pretty and glamorous, and Trisana usually would have introduced herself and complimented Dionne's impeccable style, but she just couldn't bring herself to do that in her current mood. So instead she smiled fleetingly and then hung her head, staring fixedly at the floor.

     
  5. Silent Lion

    Silent Lion Active Member

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    Andreas

    "What- do you mean?"

    "Huh?" he replied, turning back to Drake. He was just trying to remember what he had been saying when -

    “Hey, what’re you lookin’ at, Sticks? Got a problem?”

    You've got to be kidding me. Samara? Suprise quickly gave way to another thought: she's bigger than me. If he went over to play diplomat (or distraction), he might get his teeth removed. Well, whatever. What was the point of him anyway? Might as well do something good. He could fix his teeth later.
    "Hey, " he called, but he didn't follow it with 'Samara!' because everyone was distracted by the return of the bartender. Thank god. They were ushered into the VIP room. He was vaguely aware of Joe and Trisana entering afterwards. This Dionne lady was quite the glamour queen. She had this air about her, and it was ominous. Maybe it was in his head.

    "So you can tell people when they're going to die? How does that work?" he babbled. "Wouldn't telling someone how they were going to die change their path? Butterfly effect and all that? Does that mean that you can choose how someone dies by deciding what to tell them? It's all so weird! How are you going to die?"
     
    Last edited: Apr 15, 2017
  6. Domino355

    Domino355 Senior Member

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    Drake

    "Pleasecome meet the Oracle of the Gods, Lady Dionne."


    "Wait, there are gods?" he asked, leaning slightly back. Did that mean he would have to be religious from now on? Because even going to church once a eek usually seemed like such a drag.

    He noticed Joe and Trisana enter, Tris looking slightly down. He thought about going over to her, when Andreas spoke.

    "So you can tell people when they're going to die? How does that work?" he babbled. "Wouldn't telling someone how they were going to die change their path? Butterfly effect and all that? Does that mean that you can choose how someone dies by deciding what to tell them? It's all so weird! How are you going to die?"

    And now that was deep. Suddenly Drake realised how oracling was not a viable career choice in his book. Then again.

    "Wait, can you like, tell us who is going to win games, and who the next president will be?"
    Maybe being an oracle sucks. But his mind was racing with all the possible ways to abuse it.
     
  7. Lone Vista

    Lone Vista Active Member

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    Joe

    "Oh, um, okay...nice chat, I guess."


    Trisana probably hadn't meant for that to be heard, but Joe caught it anyway. Had...had they just been really rude? They'd been so anxious, they hadn't even thought about it. Talking was hard, but they didn't want to be a jerk. They felt bad, but figured Trisana wouldn't let it bother her. She was strangely strong, especially compared to them. That had honestly surprised them. Her constant cheerfulness scared them - it reminded them too much of their dad, whose true anger was always hidden to outsiders by a fake smile. But when Joe had called her on being harsh to Nyx...she hadn't become defensive, or denied it. She'd owned up to it and apologised. It was the opposite of what their dad would do.

    But when they entered the Oracle's chamber with the others, she was uncharacteristically silent. She stayed at the back, but away from Joe. Craaaap. They'd really screwed up somehow. Guilt came fast and overwhelmed them. They hated hurting people.

    Hesitantly, they slipped closer to her. "Uh- Um. I'm sorry." They kept their voice low, so that the others wouldn't hear. They hoped the Oracle wouldn't think they were trying to be rude... They really didn't want anyone else to hate them.

    "...I'm...pretty sure Drake likes you too?" Were they, though? What if they were wrong? Why did they only ever make things worse? "But...even if not, um, I don't think it'd be bad to ask him..." God, why were they playing relationship counseler? Why was this even coming up in a life-and-death scenario? It all felt very DeGrassi Junior High. Any time now the emotional music would start playing, or someone would get hit by a bus. Or get pregnant. Or...whatever happened on that show. They hadn't really ever seen a complete episode.
     
  8. Erik-the-Enchanter!

    Erik-the-Enchanter! Banned Contributor

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    Dionne smiled at Andreas and Drake and her silver eyes glowed from within. "The future is determined by choices," the Oracle replied. "As people make choices, the possible futures narrow down until there are only a few possible outcomes left. But you are absolutely right: by telling someone their future, they can use that knowledge to change it. But not always." She shrugged. "I told Bathsheba the Witch Queen that the Lightbringers were coming to arrest her, but did old Batty listen to me? Nope. She stayed in her mountain fortress and tried to fight them off. Some people are so thick." She laughed airily and sipped from a glass of champagne.

    "You shouldn't have warned Bathsheba that we were coming," Nora snapped. Her pale blue eyes flashed with anger. "She set traps and summoned all kinds of spirits and monsters to stop us. We could have been killed."

    "But you weren't," Dionne said with a smug grin. "I knew Bathsheba was arrogant enough to think she could take on your gang, so I told her my vision in exchange for a chest full of gold coins and precious jewels. I bought these shoes with that money." She lifted the end of her robe to show off precariously tall heels, which were covered in sparkly diamonds. "Aren't they to die for? Befitting of the Oracle of the Gods, don't you think?"

    "The Oracle of the Gods is not supposed to take payment for using her gift," Nora practically growled. "You're supposed to live in Temple City and take a vow of poverty, but look at you. You dress like a Goddess disciple in a purple robe, but you don't act like one. You use your gift for fame and fortune. You're a disgrace. The Gods made a mistake when they made you the Oracle after the last one died."

    "You're making this a whole lot easier," Dionne snapped.

    "Making what a whole lot easier?" Nora demanded.

    "Mortimer Hookhand is dead!" Dionne yelled, her face turning red with rage. After her outburst, Dionne cleared her throat and took a few deep breaths to calm herself. "He was killed by Vetala before he could reach Temple City. I saw it myself in a vision. I'm...I'm sorry for yelling," she added in a soft whisper.

    Nora was dumbstruck. She sat down in a chair and stared down at her hands in shock. "Mortimer gone...forever," she murmured, and then she was quiet.

    Alex took a step toward Nora to comfort her, but he stopped short and looked around at his classmates in desperation. He didn't know what to do to make their teacher feel better. This was beyond him.
     
  9. Domino355

    Domino355 Senior Member

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    Drake
    "But you weren't," Dionne said with a smug grin. "I knew Bathsheba was arrogant enough to think she could take on your gang, so I told her my vision in exchange for a chest full of gold coins and precious jewels. I bought these shoes with that money." She lifted the end of her robe to show off precariously tall heels, which were covered in sparkly diamonds. "Aren't they todie for? Befitting of the Oracle of the Gods, don't you think?"

    Drake laughed heartly. He was beggining to like this Dionne oracle.

    Ms Wintersmith, of course, didn't agree with him, and argued with with the oracle until the latter suddenly exclaimed, "Mortimer Hookhand is dead!" Dionne yelled, her face turning red with rage. After her outburst, Dionne cleared her throat and took a few deep breaths to calm herself. "He was killed by Vetala before he could reach Temple City. I saw it myself in a vision. I'm...I'm sorry for yelling," she added in a soft whisper.

    The atmosphere soured immediately, and Drake felt himself sobering instantly. That wasn't good. He swallowed, trying hard to force that fear away from him.

    "What- what do we do now?" he asked.
     
  10. AnonyMouse

    AnonyMouse Contributor Contributor

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    Samara

    Samara loitered near the entrance to the VIP room, with her arms folded like some kind of menacing bouncer, growing increasingly irate with every word that spilled from this so-called Oracle's lips. If not for Nora and the small crowd of students between her and this charlatan, Samara probably would've crossed the room and curb-stomped this woman off her high horse by now.

    She hated fortune tellers. They were the worst kind of scam artist. The future is something you make. Dionne had even said so; it was the one decent thing to come out of her mouth. No one can 'know' the future. It is shaped by everything we do, continues to change as it draws nearer, and is not known until it is gone. And, once that happens, it's not the future anymore, is it? Morons.

    I don't know what's worse, Samara thought, that someone has the gall to sell something so ridiculous or that people are foolish enough to pay money for it. Capitalism truly is the most powerful form of magic, is it not.

    "Knew I should have dealt with her myself," Samara growled, the moment Dionne informed them Mortimer was dead at the hands of Vetala, of all people. "I gave my word I would see her brought to justice. Turn my back for one minute and look what happens. Disgraceful."

    Maybe it was the (very wattered-down) booze talking, but she had to fix this. Like, fix it NOW. To hell with the stepping stones and the darkness-whatever. The Fairywood fairies could go fuck themselves. This Vetala thing was personal.

    Samara weighed everything in her head. Truth was, she wasn't drunk. Not even buzzed. It took more than a pint of that wattered-down swill to get her sideways. But she was pissed off, all the same, and had been since the start of this trip, even though she hid it well. Tired of losing. Tired of running. Tired of being the defender, instead of the attacker. Or the avenger, she thought, even though she barely knew Mortimer. Alcohol seemed as good a reason as any to vent and cut loose a little. It was like putting on a mask and being someone else for an hour or two. She could take it off later, return to normal, and say, 'oh, that wasn't me. The drink made me do it.'

    So, now it was time to do something very unlike herself. Samara practically lunged forward and grabbed Drake by the collar. "You, teleport me to Vetala now," she demanded, while clutching a fistful of his shirt. He could do that, right? Of course he could. If not, he'd better learn fast. "The bitch is probably lying or mistaken. But, on the 0.00001% chance that she isn't, Vetala is my problem."
     
    Last edited: Apr 15, 2017
  11. Domino355

    Domino355 Senior Member

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    So, now it was time to do something very unlike herself. Samara practically lunged forward and grabbed Drake by the collar. "You, teleport me to Vetala now," she demanded, while clutching a fistful of his shirt. He could do that, right? Of course he could. If not, he'd better learn fast. "The bitch is probably lying or mistaken. But, on the 0.00001% chance that she isn't, Vetala is my problem."

    "Whoa," he got up hastily, knocking the chair over, and raised his arms. Then he took a breath, and chose his words carefully. Of all the things he had and will encounter, an enraged Samara was probably the most dangerous. "Look, I have- limitations when it comes to what and where I can teleport. I can only go to places I know or see, otherwise I'll just miss it by miles. And I haven't been wherever the f*** this Vetala is."

    He closed his eyes. Was he going to die, this was probably going to be the moment.
     
  12. Skye Walker

    Skye Walker Banned

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    Nyx

    Nyx got one more shot of tequila before being invited back into the VIP room... thing. Was it a room? It didn't have a door.

    Unimportant, she thought, shaking her head a little.

    "Please come meet the Oracle of the Gods, Lady Dionne." ...Oh, boy. This wasn't going to turn out well, was it. One: Fuck gods; Two: fuck destiny; Three: fuck fancy ladies who can "predict the future". Not literally. Oh god that turned so wrong so fast, though she's not bad looking-- shut up, shut up, shut up, those silver eyes are creepy as hell, also she's like twenty years older or something--

    And then the damn woman started speaking. Ugh. Nyx hated her stupid airy voice. Presumptuous and privileged, and just-- Nyx shuddered. Her dad was like that. Japanese businessman who loved parties, the expensive, fancy kind. Went overseas and got drunk, bought all the ladies he could afford, one day just vanished. Kidnapped, everyone assumed. He abused his privileges, and it caught up to him. Nyx didn't miss him. The only good thing to come out of the man was his money, which came back to them. Eventually.

    Dionne was just like that. Abused her power, and got what she wanted out of it. Except, she didn't buy pleasure from beautiful women, she manipulated situations so that they would benefit her the most. Nyx narrowed her eyes, listening to the story about the castle and some witch woman.

    Dionne was definitely clever. She was able to get paid handsomely while avoiding any sort of consequences, godly or not.

    "I'm gonna steal her fucking shoes," she muttered to Andreas beside her, dead serious. "That woman doesn't deserve shit."

    "Mortimer Hookhand is dead!" Dionne yelled, her face turning red with rage. After her outburst, Dionne cleared her throat and took a few deep breaths to calm herself. "He was killed by Vetala before he could reach Temple City. I saw it myself in a vision. I'm...I'm sorry for yelling," she added in a soft whisper.

    Sorry my ass, she thought. Oh, fuck. Mortimer was that guy Nora loved. Shit, shit, shit.

    And then, out of fucking nowhere, Samara surged forward and seized Drake by the collar. "You, teleport me to Vetala now," she hissed.

    What the actual fuck?! Nyx thought. Samara's a nice-- what?! Then she remembered the offhand comment Samara made earlier.

    “Hey, what’re you lookin’ at, Sticks? Got a problem?” Was that meant as an insult towards her? Nyx and sticks did... rhyme, she supposed. Strange insult, if it was one.

    "The bitch is probably lying or mistaken. But, on the 0.00001% chance that she isn't, Vetala is my problem," Samara growled, pushing Drake back a little bit. The poor boy looked terrified out of his mind.

    Fury was rising incredibly quickly within her. Samara could very well be acting on the alcohol in her system, but she barely had anything to drink, and what she did drink... ale was it? That didn't have much alcohol in it to begin with. Then again, what she was doing was so out of character, it had to be the alcohol... but Nyx never imagined Samara to be that much of a lightweight.

    She's gonna fucking blame it on the alcohol when she very well knows that she's not drunk, Nyx realized. A great deal of respect she had for the older girl was draining away. She clenched her fists. This is what alcoholic abusers do. Blame it on the drink. Say, 'Oh, I'm sorry sweetie I had one too many beers', and the abuser gets away with it for however long-- No. No! Fuck this, I don't fucking care if she hurts me. She's taking advantage of the situation just so that she can-- ugh!

    "Look, I have- limitations when it comes to what and where I can teleport. I can only go to places I know or see, otherwise I'll just miss it by miles. And I haven't been wherever the f*** this Vetala is," Drake said surprisingly calmly, considering how scared he looked.

    "Sammy, what the fuck?!" Nyx yelled, pushing through her classmates and shoving Drake away from the older girl. Whoops. She'd apologize later. Probably not, actually. "One," she said, holding up a finger, "Get the fuck away from Drake. You know the limits of his powers, and using the fact that he's scared of you to try to get him to bend those rules is a dick move. Threatening him is also a dick move. Two," she hissed, holding up a second finger, "Your problem? Your problem? Literally all of us, except for FancyPants McGee over there, have fought the bitch. We have almost died for the bitch. We're a team, Sam," she growled, rising on her tiptoes with a sneer. She may be acting like a bitch, but she was pissed. "We take care of this shit together, got it?" Nyx said, poking a finger at Samara's chest. She was surprised to see that her entire hand was sparking slightly.

    Let her punch me in the fucking face. I don't care, she thought. Samara was a scary girl, and would crush her little skinny twig body in a no-powers fight, but with powers, they were pretty evenly matched. Samara was a defensive player. Nyx was offensive. It was one of the reasons they worked so well together, fighting those wolves. But if this turned into something, Nyx wasn't too worried about the outcome.
     
  13. Silent Lion

    Silent Lion Active Member

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    Andreas

    The more the lady said, the more dangerous this oracle seemed. Outside the OK, he didn't believe in fortune tellers. But then he didn't believe in unicorns, either. He suspected there may be an ability there, which was scary. She would clearly use her abilities for her own profit. Which led to the next question - why did she tell Nora about Mortimer? What did she get from that? He was contemplating how seriously dangerous prophecies could be (it was the only thing he remembered about Macbeth), when all hell started breaking loose.

    Samara grabbed Drake. What was happening to the girl? She was a liability. A threat. Actually, it might be a good idea to step in. He didn't want to disable her, she was far too useful in a fight. If she wasn't going to start fighting them.

    Then Nyx lost it. Oh, shit. Well, this is it. Everyone's going to think you're an interfering little asshole. But then that was just putting his own needs first, wasn't it? To hell with what anyone thought of him. It's not like he had ever worked at being likeable. As Nyx neared the end of her outburst, he was crossing the room.

    "Alright," he said in a hopefully reassuring voice, pushing between them.

    He could already feel his teeth hurting.
     
  14. AnonyMouse

    AnonyMouse Contributor Contributor

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    Samara

    "Sammy, what the fuck?!"
    Nyx yelled, pushing through her classmates and shoving Drake away from the older girl. "One, get the fuck away from Drake. You know the limits of his powers, and using the fact that he's scared of you to try to get him to bend those rules is a dick move. Threatening him is also a dick move. Two. Your problem? Your problem? Literally all of us, except for FancyPants McGee over there, have fought the bitch. We have almost died for the bitch. We're a team, Sam. We take care of this shit together, got it?" Nyx said, poking a finger at Samara's chest. She was surprised to see that her entire hand was sparking slightly.

    Samara looked down at the finger poking her chest, with a look that seemed to say ‘get that off of me, before I remove it myself.’ But her hands remained at her sides.

    “One, I'm not threatening anyone. Why the hell would Drake be afraid of me?” Samara said. “He saved everyone from the military. He killed the alpha wolf. He can stop time and be almost anywhere he wants! What does he have to be afraid of!?” She swatted away Nyx’s hand. “I bet he's capable of a lot more than you think he is. Hell, he's capable of more than he thinks he is. I'm just trying to 'motivate' him." She grinned. "And if he can't get me to Vetala, I'll walk, thankyouverymuch.”

    "Alright," Andreas said, pushing between them. Big surprise, Andreas defending Nyx. Somewhere in Hell, demons were having a snowball fight. Samara rolled her eyes.

    "Chill, I'm not gonna punch your girlfriend's teeth in," Samara said. Wait, did she say that out loud? Shit...

    Dionne overheard what Drake said about not being able to teleport without knowing where he's going and an eager smile split her face. "I believe I can be of assistance," she intoned. Her silver eyes met Drake's and they shone like twin suns. The brief image of an enormous cave, dark and ominous, filled Drake's mind and vanished just as quickly. "That's where Vetala will be," the Oracle said with a saucy wink.

    Dark and ominous cave. Not that he expected anything different. Drake looked from Dionne, to Nora, to Samara and Nyx on the verge of killing each other.

    "Yeah, whatever," he said, and grabbed Samara. It's going to be all right, Drake, he told himself. Just don't think about that hungry vampire there, ready to tear your- oh fuck it. "Teleport."

    They arrived in a dark cavern the size of a football field, the ceiling so high that it was hidden in shadow. Stalagmites the size of trees grew out of the ground all around them and the faint sound of animals squeaking echoed off the stone walls. Before they could do anything, a dark, cloaked figure stepped out from behind one of the stalagmites, several yards away. Green eyes shone in the darkness. "I knew you would come," Vetala's voice floated to them. She stepped forward and pulled back her hood, a huge smile on her beautiful porcelain face, but then she stopped and her expression contorted with confusion and disgust.

    "You?!" Vetala spluttered. "I thought Ilianora would be the one to find me. Ugh." She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. "Why don't you little kiddies run back and fetch your precious teacher for me? Go on, scat, before I have to get strict with you." She laughed harshly and the unpleasant sound echoed a dozen times back at them.

    "Thanks. And... ummm... sorry about the shirt," Samara whispered to Drake, giving him a pat on the shoulder and one of those 'don't wait up for me' smiles. She took a deep breath, turned to face Vetala, and her entire demeanor shifted as her crystal armor began to materialize around her. Well, here I am. Make it count.

    Drake looked down at his multicoloured shirt and collar, now crumpled, with a big tear down the center. Nothing to shed tears about. "Yeah, don't worry about it," he said. "Maybe the OK will finally give me a new one."

    "I have a question for you," Samara said as she approached Vetala. "A real, real simple question. And I want a simple answer. No bullshit. Take your time, because you only get to answer once." She stopped when they were face to face and boldly looked the vampire in the eyes. "Where. Is. Mortimer?"

    Vetala smiled a slow, creepy smile. "Dead as a doorknob. I pretended like I had given up, he let down his guard, and I ripped off his stupid hook-hand and watched him bleed to death. I left his body in a ditch, but I kept this as a souvenir." She reached into her cloak and pulled out a curved blade of the purest silver. "Want it back? I was just gonna use it to spread butter on my toast."

    "Keep it," Samara said, stalling for time while she considered her next move. She really hadn't thought this through at all. "Seems kind of tame for you. I figured you would tear him to pieces, eat his guts or something, not let him bleed out. And why the dagger? Surely, the hook would have made a better trophy."

    Maybe she should try to summon Excalibur again. If the holy sword didn't feel this was a worthy fight, nothing was. Vetala was the ultimate evil. The summoning should go super-smoothly, right? Excalibur should be jumping at this opportunity.

    "Wanna know what I think?" Samara said, resting her hand on the smooth stone of a nearby stalactite while she tried to channel the summoning, without the incantation. She felt warmth in her fingertips. "I think you've gone soft. I think Mortimer's alive. Maybe I should've brought Nora, so you two can hug it out."
     
  15. Erik-the-Enchanter!

    Erik-the-Enchanter! Banned Contributor

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    "I guess you want it the hard way," Vetala hissed. The ancient vampire took one step forward and then became a blur, shoulder-tackling Samara with the force of a bulldozer. Samara crashed back through several stalagmites before she came to a grinding halt, half a football field away. Vetala was standing in the midst of the rubble, dust curtains falling around her, shining green eyes piercing the dark. "Reconsidering my demands?" she remarked with an evil grin.

    "Yeah...you sure are strong," Samara groaned as she rolled over onto her hands and knees. A lie, of course. Stroke her ego. Lull her into a false sense of security, she thought. Her armor was glowing white hot, but she channeled that energy into repairing the damage, rather than use it to counterattack.

    She stayed down on her knees, with her hands flat on the ground, as if too weak to stand. Her right palm sank into the stone, up to her wrist, and she wrapped her fingers around the hilt of a sword. Got it,she thought, feeling vindicated.

    "I'm not sure if you noticed," Samara said to her enemy, hoping Vetala was too far away to see what she was doing. "But I like doing things the hard way. How about you come over here and make my day, bitch."

    "Holy s*** that's so badass," Drake murmured in awe.

    The vampire hissed furiously and flew at Samara like a wild beast, her hands outstretched to claw out her eyes.

    Samara knew she couldn't match Vetala's speed. She would only get one chance at this, one narrow window of opportunity. Time this perfectly... or die. There was no middle ground.

    She made her move before she even saw the vampire flinch. Vetala arrived almost instantly, just as Samara pulled the shining sword from the ground. She wasn't quite sure what happened next. She remembered being knocked back and feeling Excalibur slip from her hands. She remembered endlessly crashing through stone before slamming into the hard wall of the cave, where she slid down and collapsed on the floor, amongst a pile of shattered crystal.

    But, most of all, she remembered looking up and seeing Vetala illuminated in white light, with Excalibur buried up to its hilt in her chest. The vampire screamed in agony and swiped at the phantom sword's handle, but her bony fingers passed right through. She was not worthy. Though the light was fading from her bright green eyes, she locked her gaze on Samara with a look that said 'I'm going to do a lot worse than kill you.'

    "D-Drake!" Samara said. "We should go. Like, NOW!"

    It was all happening way to quickly for Drake to comprehend. He blinked twice, regained his senses and lunged over to the fighting pair. He grabbed an arm blindly, shouted "Teleport!" and they were gone. The last thing Drake and Samara saw was Darkness throbbing around Vetala, extinguishing Exalibur's light, and thousands of vampire bats falling from the ceiling, shrieking as they dived for the young sorcerers with deadly intent.

    Drake appeared on the table and crashed to the ground. Samara nearly landed atop him, but missed by an inch and smacked into a chair on her way to the floor. She ended upside down, tangled in the furniture. The Oracle giggled like a schoolgirl, Nora squawked and fell on her back, and Alex (who was grinning excitedly) knelt down to help up their teacher while asking, "What happened? Did you win? Did Samara punch Vetala's face in?"

    "I'll... just stay down here for a while... if that's okay with you guys," Samara muttered, clearly exhausted.
     
    Last edited: Apr 19, 2017
  16. Domino355

    Domino355 Senior Member

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    Drake

    Drake fell to his knees, panting. By now you'd have thought that he would get used to nearly dying. He could still see these red eyed bats, inches away from his face.

    "What happened? Did you win? Did Samara punch Vetala's face in?"

    "Umm, well, it was more of a draw, really," he said. "Vetala nearly killed us, and now she has Excalibur stuck through her chest. We barely made it. Not sure if she did."
     
  17. Silent Lion

    Silent Lion Active Member

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    Andreas

    "Chill, I'm not gonna punch your girlfriend's teeth in,"
    Samara said.
    But she might punch MY teeth in, he thought bitterly. Wait, my what?

    Samara and Drake vanished, and he was left standing there in a strangely silent room. He gave Nyx a long, vacant stare and let out a sigh.
    "You know Nyx, maybe things would be easier if we just went back to being at each other's throats," he mused. "...you bitch." he added, just to get the ball rolling.

    Then crash! Back came the party with Drake and Samara completely spent.
    "Umm, well, it was more of a draw, really," he said. "Vetala nearly killed us, and now she has Excalibur stuck through her chest. We barely made it. Not sure if she did."

    "Great! That's Vetala done for now," he said, avoiding Samara's eye. "Maybe we can get on with finding this Darkness Incarnate and stabbing them in the throat. But it's getting late, y'know, and I missed out on that second scotch, so if you'll excuse me... "
     
  18. Erik-the-Enchanter!

    Erik-the-Enchanter! Banned Contributor

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    Once Nora was on her feet, she whirled on Drake and Samara with blazing fury in her eyes. "You could have gotten yourselves killed!" she screamed. "Do you have a death wish? I can't believe you would put yourselves in that kind of danger! She could have been waiting for you! She could have set a trap! How silly can you be?!?!" As she spoke, a chilling blue aura surrounded her body and her blue eyes glowed like beacons. The temperature in the room dropped suddenly and frost began to form on the walls and the floor.

    "Holy crap, she's going all Galadriel on us," Alex said as he frantically backed away from their teacher.

    "STOP!" Dionne shrilled, holding up her hands. "I'm sorry, okay? I didn't mean to start trouble! I was just giving them a chance to fight Vetala. I saw in my visions that there was a good chance they could gravely injure her, and I was right as I usually am, so..."

    "You!" Nora turned to the Oracle and stabbed an accusatory finger in her direction. "How could you do this? What kind of Oracle are you? And don't go on about being chosen by the Gods, because I highly doubt They wanted you to do this!"

    "Listen, why don't we all just calm down," Dionne said in a soothing tone. "I'm the Oracle, right? I can offer my services. Ask me a question, anything, and I'll try my best to give you an answer."

    Nora glared at Dionne for a moment before her aura dimmed and the terrifying glow left her eyes. The room temperature slowly returned to normal. "Where's the Stepping Stone?" Nora asked. "When we got here it was missing and there were dead spiders on the ground. Tell us where it is, O Great Oracle," she added mockingly.

    "Oh, that's easy," Dionne scoffed. She strode over to a dusty old trunk in the corner and opened it...and inside sat an ancient block of stone with four steps carved into one side. "It's right here," she announced. "I was at a charity ball in Glittertown when I had the vision of Mortimer's death, so I took the nearest Stepping Stone to get here. When I arrived, giant spiders were trying to dig out the Stepping Stone and carry it away, probably trying to keep any Lawkeepers from coming if they got word that a horde of spiders were preying on Merryville. Luckily, I was there to ruin their plans." She reached into her robe and took out a jewel-encrusted dagger that looked like it cost a fortune. The blade was stained with dark burgundy blood.

    "You killed the spiders?" Alex asked, impressed.

    "Why, yes, it was quite easy," Dionne replied haughtily. "It's going to take more than an oversized arachnid to kill me. I've been training with a dagger ever since I was a scrappy five-year-old in the Thief Lord's gang. I had a rather tough life before all of this happened." She gestured to her extravagant attire and dazzling jewelry. "You had to know how to fight in the slums, where I grew up. Now, does anyone else have any questions about the past, present or future?" The Oracle looked around at all the sorcerers, her silver eyes glowing, and smiled eagerly. Dionne was a lot of things, but it was clear that she greatly enjoyed using her gift.
     
    Last edited: Apr 21, 2017
  19. Domino355

    Domino355 Senior Member

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    Drake
    "You could have gotten yourselves killed!" she screamed. "Do you have a death wish? I can't believe you would put yourselves in that kind of danger! She could have been waiting for you! She could have set a trap! How silly can you be?!?!"

    He took a step back and scratched the back of his head, giving Nora an awkward smile. "Umm... Sorry?" he said. He really did think that Samara could take the vampiress.

    "Listen, why don't we all just calm down," Dionne said in a soothing tone. "I'm the Oracle, right? I can offer my services. Ask me a question, anything, and I'll try my best to give you an answer."


    "Yeah, actually, we needed to get to the forest of faeries ir something like that. Mow the stepping stone is ruined, and I'm really not into walking there. Can you just do that eye thing you did before so I can get ys all there?"
     
  20. Erik-the-Enchanter!

    Erik-the-Enchanter! Banned Contributor

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    Dionne gave Drake a slightly annoyed look. "You can't teleport into or near Fairywood," she snapped. "It's magically protected. But the Stepping Stone isn't ruined, you can still jump off it and go where you need to go. All you have to do is take it back to the stone circle outside of the village. Anyone else have any questions? C'mon, you're fighting Darkness, the Ultimate Evil! I'm sure you can think of something you want to know." She pouted like a little kid that was being denied a treat.

    "Can't you tell us what we should know?" Alex asked. His commonplace notebook was out and open to a fresh page, quill held at the ready.

    Dionne shrugged. "I see a lot of things. Some of it I'm not sure I should divulge." Her eyes darted to Nora, but she looked quickly away. "I guess I would say to just be ready for anything. The old heroes may have paved the way, but this is a time for new heroes and new ideas. But if you ask me a question, that would focus my sight and I could tell you exactly what you want to know..." She trailed off, eyes flashing silver. "Oh, please do hurry. I just had a vision: the spider horde has returned and they are surrounding the village. We have less than five minutes before they arrive."

    Nora was already striding to the curtain. "Good," she grumbled darkly. "I need something to take out my anger on." Her hands glowed intense blue as she swept out of the room, an ice-cold wind lifting her cloak.
     
    Last edited: Apr 22, 2017
  21. Silent Lion

    Silent Lion Active Member

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    Nora's screaming bolted Andreas to the spot.

    "Holy crap, she's going all Galadriel on us," Alex said as he frantically backed away from their teacher.

    "HAHAHA!! Sorry."
    He listened to the verbal duel between the Lightbringer and the Oracle. He had to admit, they didn't die, did they? And she was an oracle, maybe she knew. He was frankly stunned that she'd killed the spiders, that she had the Stepping Stone and that she'd had such a rough childhood (so she says). And now she was offering her services. This was definitely the time to use his magic and read her feelings. What was her angle? What was in this for her? Was she full of lies?

    He switched his focus to the feelings around him. Before he could settle his mind on Dionne, something else caught his senses. A presence he didn't recognise - ten presences, in fact. Not human, and not in the room - much further away, further than he would normally detect, except that their predatory intentions were so single-minded and intense. Not malicious or sadistic persé, but cold and mathematical. There was only a drive to take.

    "Oh, please do hurry. I just had a vision: the spider horde has returned and they are surrounding the village. We have less than five minutes before they arrive."

    "She's right," Andreas said. "I can sense them. There's five coming from the east and five from the south. You!" he said, gesturing at Dionne. He mellowed his manner a little. No point making enemies. "Hello. My question is this... "
    His mind raced. He didn't have a question at all. He just wanted to make the most of the offer before they all ran out. He had to ask something, anything, before the opportunity passed. Then a notion flitted in the back of his mind. A dark, miserable notion that bled all the colour from his world. A notion he would share with nobody, not ever. But he suspected the Oracle might understand. He locked his neurvoyance sense onto her, and asked, in the most cryptic way he could conjur:
    "Will my honesty cost us the war?"
     
  22. AnonyMouse

    AnonyMouse Contributor Contributor

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    Samara

    "You could have gotten yourselves killed!" Nora screamed. "Do you have a death wish? I can't believe you would put yourselves in that kind of danger! She could have been waiting for you! She could have set a trap! How silly can you be?!?!"

    Samara merely shrugged and turned over. She was still lying on the floor, halfway under the table where she’d fallen after the teleportation. Nora should know by now that she was ready to die for the things she believed in. She had said so already, the last time someone asked if she had a death wish. Those weren’t just empty words. Nora could scream and drop the temperature all she wanted, it wouldn’t change a thing.

    She listened with disinterest while Dionne explained how she’d come into possession of the stepping stone. Seemed awfully coincidental. Then again, maybe that’s just how things are when you’re a seer; you see things and put yourself where you wanna be. She saw the stepping stone and intervened. The real question is, why the hell would she want to?

    Why would someone as selfish and greedy as Dionne rescue the stepping stone from a bunch of spiders? Why would she put herself here, in this bar, so she could meet Nora and the young sorcerers? And why would she offer her gift to them for free?

    That’s the problem with being able to see how things will turn out: nothing is a coincidence anymore. Everything carries intent. And what are your intentions, Dionne? Samara thought, studying the Oracle as she answered the others’ questions.

    At the mention of the impending spider attack, Samara sighed and crawled out from under the table. She was still sore from her encounter with Vetala. But these were just spiders. She didn’t need to be in top form to beat them… right? And staying in the same room as that woman was beginning to annoy her.

    She was halfway out of the door (or curtain, rather) when she heard Andreas’s question and paused.

    "Will my honesty cost us the war?"

    “Honesty is the one thing in this world that is free. It costs nothing,” Samara said over her shoulder. For some reason she stared at Dionne as she added, “But the lies it reveals… those will cost us dearly.”
     
    Last edited: Apr 22, 2017
  23. Skye Walker

    Skye Walker Banned

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    Nyx

    "Chill, I'm not gonna punch your girlfriend's teeth in,"
    Samara said, looking peeved.

    Shenanigans. Nyx didn't even really process the next few moments. She let her hand fall, and stared at the empty space where Samara and Drake had been.

    "You know Nyx, maybe things would be easier if we just went back to being at each other's throats," he mused. "...you bitch." Nyx glanced up. Andreas looked thoughtful, like he was waiting for a snarky comeback. Well, she was there to please, right?

    Nyx fixed a nonchalant expression onto her face, and grinned. "Yeah. Probably. Dickface."

    Then Samara and Drake came back, crashing into the floor with simultaneous groans of pain. Alex turned away. Nyx let her face fall. His... I guess it wasn't really a rejection... offer to be enemies again stung, a lot more than she thought it would.

    I guess I thought we were getting closer. Or, maybe, we could be friends, after I sorta saved his fucking life. I guess not. Nyx's hands clenched into fists. No one really likes me, anyway. I'm just entertainment, or whatever. Look, the Asian girl's making a fool out of herself again! Nyx, class idiot. Well, they're not wrong. Why would I think anyone would want to stay a friend? Stupid.

    "Oh, please do hurry. I just had a vision: the spider horde has returned and they are surrounding the village. We have less than five minutes before they arrive."

    Was the over-decorated bitch still talking? Jeez.

    Andreas said something. Nyx purposefully didn't listen. Holding grudges isn't healthy, a kind voice in her mind whispered. Fuck off, I'll do what I want, she replied.

    Samara left, presumably to go fight the spiders.

    "I'll go help Nora and Sammy," Nyx ground out. She needed to punch something. Or stab something. Wait, she didn't have anything particularly stabby, did she? Eh, she could fix that. "You. You had better be here when we get back," she said, pointing at Dionne. She took a step forward, and plucked the bloody dagger from the Oracle's hands. "At least, if you want this back." She turned and flung the curtain out of the way, wiping the purple-red blood from the blade on her shirt and stomping outside.

    Nora and Samara were already there. Nyx jogged up to them, running a hand through her hair.

    "I'll take the east if you guys take the south," she said. Not bothering to wait for a reply, she gave the pair a two fingered salute, glanced at the sky to see where east was, and ran.
     
  24. Bewitched

    Bewitched Banned

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    Trisana

    Trisana was still depressed, but she shook herself out of her mood when she realized that NOBODY was going to ask Dionne the most OBVIOUS question. "Miss Oracle Lady," Trisana said, clearing her throat and stepping forward. "I have a question for you: Who is Darkness Incarnate?" It was a simple question, one that somebody else should have asked by now, but with Nora being so angry and everyone else focused on other things, no one had thought to ask it. Leave it to the ditzy girl to ask the most important question of all, Trisana thought ruefully.

    It was also an excuse to delay going outside...because, ya know...Trisana did not want to fight spiders. Big ones or little ones. Not now, not ever. Everyone else could handle those creepy crawlies. Trisana would gladly sit this one out, if at all possible. Just in case, she summoned the Silver Staff and it appeared in her hand in a shower of magical sparkles. The crystal on top glinted dangerously and held it loosely in her left hand, ready to swing it around and blast anything that might try to come in through the door. Then she noticed that Drake was still in the room, so she tried to stand up taller and look braver, throwing a big, fake smile in his direction. She wouldn't let her man ever see her scared...but it would really be a miracle if he was fooled by her strained smile and wide eyes that were filled with panic and fear.

    Fake it til you make it, she ordered herself.
     
  25. Erik-the-Enchanter!

    Erik-the-Enchanter! Banned Contributor

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    "Will my honesty cost us the war?"

    When Andreas asked his question, Dionne grinned from ear to ear and her eyes glowed intensely. "Ahhh, good question, handsome young man," the Oracle said, her voice going echoey as she channeled the future. She was so "in the zone" that she didn't even hear Samara's threatening line before she left. "Your honesty will not cost the war, quite the opposite. But when you play your hand, you might not be alone. It will fall on you to save one of your friends in the darkest hour..." She paused and her silver eyes turned black for a moment before the light shined through again. "I can't tell which of your friends it will be...the Darkness is blocking me. This has never happened to me before." She looked around with a slightly embarrassed expression. "The Darkness must be growing strong indeed if it can block the sight of the Oracle of the Gods."

    Dionne was so frazzled that she didn't fight back when Nyx snatched her jeweled dagger. When she traipsed out of the room, the Oracle started to run after her, shouting, "Hey, you little brat! That dagger is the first thing I ever stole in the Thief Lord's gang! It costs more than all of your possessions combined! Give it back!" She stopped in her tracks when Trisana asked the big question: "Miss Oracle Lady, I have a question for you: Who is Darkness Incarnate?" Dionne paused, uncertain whether to go after Nyx or stay and answer the question, but she never could ignore a good query, so she turned around with her eyes shining brighter than ever.

    "Darkness Incarnate is...Vetala Nightshade," the Oracle said at last. She started to shake all over as she peered into the future. "The Darkness is stronger in her than any other person that I can see, and she's only getting more powerful by the hour. Excalibur scarred her soul, but the Darkness will heal her in a couple hours and she will be coming after you...after all of you." Dionne blinked and her eyes returned to normal. She slouched against the wall and breathed heavily. "Yeesh. I'm tired. Can someone refresh my glass of champagne?"

    "Yes, ma'am!" It was the bartender, who had woken up and overheard her request. He dashed into the room with a fresh bottle and refilled Dionne's glass before bowing deeply and slipping back out.

    "Hmm, I may take him on as a manservant," Dionne told them as she sipped her drink. "Those Goddess disciples are good company and all, but some of them don't like me. They think I'm too attached to earthly possessions." She shrugged and admired her huge sapphire ring. "It would be nice to have someone around me who doesn't judge me."

    "This is big," Alex muttered. "Vetala is Darkness Incarnate. It makes sense, after all: she's the most corrupted person we've come across. But wait, I have one more question, Dionne...where are my parents?" His voice grew thick with emotion and tears pricked at his eyes.

    Dionne looked thoughtful and her eyes flickered silver, but then they turned black and she blinked until they returned to normal. "I can't see," she muttered. "This is so strange...Darkness won't let me see." She glugged some more champagne and shook her head. "Someone needs to stop this before I'm completely blind. My visions are how I make a living. Oh yeah, and we have to stop Darkness before it destroys the world, of course," she added quickly.

    Alex was not listening. He was staring at the ground and a dejected air had come over him. "All I've ever wanted was to find my parents," he whispered to no one in particular.

    Outside, Nyx was running down the road when a spider the size of a wagon jumped off a roof and landed in front of her. With a swipe of its front leg, it sent her soaring through the window of a wedding shop. Luckily, her fall was cushioned by a huge, poofy dress and she only sustained a few cuts from the broken window. Four more wagon-sized spiders joined the first and they closed in on her.

    Samara and Nora were met by five other spiders that burst out of the side alleys. Nora blasted one fully in the face, but another shot her with a wad of sticky webs that knocked her over. While she struggled to disentangle from the webs, another spider threw a vegetable cart at Samara with barely any effort.
     
    Last edited: Apr 23, 2017

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