A Mourning Star (Closed)

[Killing Spree]

Sayn awoke slowly, blinking heavily as she felt the wagon jolt violently. She quickly grasped Alri's thigh to get his attention, he was bracing himself against the vehicle's wall. "Alri, what's going on?" The elf bit his lip and looked down at her, rapidly replying, "I don't--" His breath caught in his throat as he looked up before he loudly cried, "OH HELL!"

Suddenly the side of the wagon Sayn and Alri were on was splintered as a huge minotaur charged it. The horses veered in fright, flipping the remnanants on their side as the driver was gored upon one of the beast's horns. Alri and Sayn flew through the air screaming. The elf recovered in the air acrobatically, but Sayn landed helplessly and hard on the ground and did not move. The rogue went pale for a moment, but then he drew a pair of shortswords with determination in his expression. Without even thinking of Xiang, he charged toward the agressing beast and entered melee combat with it, doubting for the moment that he'd leave the fight alive.

[Skydracgrrl]

ooc- um... I'll just make the assumption that the wagon was close enough that Sive could pick up the disturbance with her power...

ic- Sive's senses pricked and she swiveled her head to peer curiously in the direction they had come. After staring intently into the forest for awhile her eyes widened and she gasped.

Sive rushed to Markul, who was hungrily devouring the nearby haystack. She patted him at the base of his wing. "I think the two ladies that you are interested in are in trouble... There are dark whispers on the wind..." she said, looking worried. "What should we do?"

[Larry_OHF]

Markul had eaten enough hay that he was able to form the parts needed to speak aloud.

"Really? Well...I have no idea what we are capable of...are you good at a fighting skill? Besides, there is the question of whether or not this lady even needs help. I have seen her in action, and she can hold her own. Yet I cannot risk losing those two before making amends and satisfying my curiosity.

Hop on. Let us take to the air and circle about. If we see a clear danger to them, we shall attack with whatever we are capable of...even if that means I swoop low while you make silly faces and sly remarks. Ready?"

The pegasus allowed the rider to board and leaped into the air, then awaited Sive to try and detect any curious affair below. All the while, he was trying to think of a shape that would be an offensive advantage in a battle, but knew not what they faced yet. Then there was the whole question of what Sive was capable of. Maybe an unmentioned "trick" could win the day. There is no telling what this one was capable of!

Then Markul realized he had been thinking aloud and hoped that she was not also a mind reader.

[ 03-08-2004, 10:39 PM: Message edited by: Larry_OHF ]

[mistral4543]

Moving in a daze, Ji Xiang scrambled to her feet, trying to re-orientate herself while adjusting to the shafts of pain jabbing at her arms and legs. The hazy world of dreams had now morphed into a terrifying-looking beast charging towards her companions. Then, Alri was dashing out with a pair of dancing swords, engaging the monster in combat with insane courage, leaving Sayn lying on the ground, quite out of commission.

There was just a second’s pause before Ji Xiang rushed to the latter, squatting beside her and lifting her into her arms, whispering. “Sayn, hang on there!” She wished she did not have to make this choice, but there it was – Alri would have to die, if need be. It was small comfort that he looked menacing and therefore deserved to die. But… there was no time for all that.

Standing up, holding the unconscious frame not too awkwardly, she began to sprint away, her feet peddling on the ground, slowly treading the air and finally running in mid-air, heading towards what appeared to be a safer direction. As her strong legs carried the two of them away, she heaved a sigh of relief, thankful that she had fully mastered the art of qing gong.

[Killing Spree]

(ooc: Hey people! Good news! I'll be posting more. Bad news! It's because the dude I've been dating for the past nine months dumped me. [img]graemlins/saywhat.gif[/img] Good news! I'm not really depressed about it. [img]tongue.gif[/img] Bad news! If the cops find his body I might not get to post for a while! )

Alri

Alri saw Xiang abandon him from the corner of his eye as he parried. He grimaced. A thousand voices screeched like banshees in his mind. Save yourself! Go on, die, end it! Stand up and fight, you can win! Sayn, you can't lose Sayn! Where's she being taken? But one voice was shriller than all the others in the wretched, cacophonous requiem. What if Xiang is an agent of the enemy?

Then he knew what he had to do. He had to win and he had to protect Irinisayn. Without her, the walls distinguising life from hell would crumble, all battles would be lost, and the whispers that plagued him now would be drowned in dying cries.

Xiang carried the tiefling woman out of sight. All the better, now the servant of the ninth can't see this!

Alri stepped back into a ready stance, swung his blades fervishly about his ears and cried in a dark growl, "Ha-zag'a all znam!" The blades suddenly glowed with a sickly, acidic shade of green, dripping sparks. He then made a violent lunge at the beast, slashing the swords in a precise cross through the collar and chest of the minotaur. When the arcs were complete the creature's carcass was nowhere to be seen.

He quickly resheathed the blades. Now he had to focus on catching Xiang. His eyes darted to the wagon. Doubtlessly nearly everything was ruined. One of the horses lay still with a plank sticking awkwardly out of its throat. The other struggled a few feet away, trying to free itself from the carnage and wreckage. Alri decisively dashed forward, unhooking the heavy animal from its trappings. The horse quickly clamored up and tossed its head, assuring the elf that it was still sound. Alri then slipped onto its back, roughly tugged the long reigns and spun the roaned horse around, nudging it off quickly in the direction Xiang had carried Irinisayn.

[Larry_OHF]

OOC>>>Come on Skye! Let's get in there, baby! Where are ya?

[Skydracgrrl]

ooc- Sorry, sorry. I've been sick for the past week or so with Norovirus (and still am sick with it ) So it's been difficult to post without having to get up and vomit every so often [img]graemlins/laughsaywhat.gif[/img] I'll do my best, however [img]smile.gif[/img]

ic- "Well, I don't really have a fighting ability, but I can get others to help..." said thoughtfully, before suddenly leaning forward and over Markul's precariously. "Look! Down there! There they are! And there seems to be someone following them on horseback!" she shouted excitedly in his ear while tugging on his mane.

She made no comment on what he had 'thought aloud' so either she couldn't read minds, or she was too preoccupied to reply. It was hard to tell with Sive, sometimes...

[ 03-18-2004, 11:16 AM: Message edited by: Skydracgrrl ]

[Larry_OHF]

"Yes, I see it. Yet I cannot know if that one be an enemy or not. If they are being chased by the one on the horse, it may be safe to assume that the rider is trouble for them.

Can you find out anything about him from here or do we have to get closer?"

Markul begins a steep decent already anticipating her answer.

[ 03-18-2004, 02:37 PM: Message edited by: Larry_OHF ]

[mistral4543]

As Ji Xiang tripped her way ahead, her slight arms carrying Sayn with surprising effortlessness, she heard the rush of air and occasional jostling of horsefeet behind her.

Four hooves. Whatever it is... it can't be that strange creature we met earlier. As she idly wondered what had become of Alri, it suddenly struck her that he could by some miracle have survived and was actually pursuing them! Even if this were true, there was of course the question of whether or not he was still welcome in the party.

Sayn really did seem quite reluctant to have bumped into him. She trusted her own gut feeling earlier. But what else was there to do? The road ahead was unknown, and she would bring herself and Sayn into further danger without realising it.

With a sigh, she inhaled deeply and made a sweeping twirl to the left, spinning herself and Sayn beautifully as she landed on the ground, well out of the way of the horse, that it would not collide into the two of them.

[ 03-18-2004, 06:47 PM: Message edited by: mistral4543 ]

[Killing Spree]

Alri
Alri hissed and roughly tugged back on the reigns, causing the horse to skid and rear to an agitated stop. Paying the animal no heed, Alri leapt gracefully off of its back and quickly strode to Xiang, his countenance filled with nothing but panic and concern. "By every shadow, is she all right?" His breath was heavy as he gazed down on the tiefling. He paused, brushed a lock of hair out of her mouth, and hissed as he pulled back slightly bloody finger tips. "Put her down, she's hurt." He then began filtering through various pouches strapped to his belt and legs. "I have some herbs that should help her in here..."