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Post by Tout-Perd on Jan 21, 2015 0:10:04 GMT -5
By now, the steady thrum of the plane's engines had become nothing but white noise to her. Kendil Booker fiddled with the straps and latched across her chest, drawn uncomfortably tight by their jump instructor. She hunched forward, resting her elbows on her muscular legs. Her parachute's pack made getting comfortable in her seat nigh impossible.
She felt like a flasher in the get-up their employer had insisted upon. Every person in her group had been outfitted in silvery, heat reflective coveralls (correction: disco flashers), with minimal clothing beneath. She herself had just settled for a sports bra, a skort, and a thin belt to hold her khopesh for when she shed the outer layer.
It felt like a fool's errand, really. Some rich stuffed shirt had gathered them up to navigate some ruins just shy of the arctic circle, and insisted that the site was searingly hot despite its location.
Kendil herself had been selected for her expertise in archeology; she'd acquired a reputation as something of a miracle worker in the five years she'd spent working the tombs of Egypt. She could get any artifact out of any site, with minimal damage to both the location and her target. Granted, she'd had a childhood full of illegal trespassing to build said skills, but she didn't particularly feel like calling attention to that technicality when she was being lauded.
The plane lurched and shook violently. Kendil braced her feet against the motion, and snatched her khopesh from the seat next to her as it began to tumble away. The last thing they needed was a blade ricocheting around at time like this.
The man seated across from her used his hand to steady the dog by his side. She wasn't one to judge, but there was something peculiar about him. Despite looking roughly her age, he had the eyes of an old man. No, scratch that. When the guy looked at anything, he wasn't looking at it... He was looking through it. The dude had seen some shit. Kendil supposed that the dog was a companion animal to help him with whatever his issues were.
She didn't judge. If their employer was willing to offer him the same rate she was getting (and even outfit the pooch with a custom doggy-parachute), it was evident that he had a purpose being there.
The German Shepherd whined quietly, pushing against the man's leg. Its tail swished back and forth nervously, the long hair on its neck standing on end. It glared across the compartment at the fellow sitting next to her.
Without turning her head, Kendil glanced at the man to her right. He was lanky and strung out, strong features that indicated that ten years of hard living ago, he once had been quite the dashing figure. A variety of tattoos peeked out from under his coveralls, dark, brooding designs with heavy ink. Again, Kendil wasn't one to judge, but by the way the man seemed to sniff the air habitually, she was guessing he had history (or maybe even a present) with drugs of some kind. Hey, if cocaine was good enough for the pharaohs, it was also good enough for her coworkers.
The P.A. system crackled loudly.
“That was, ah, just a spot of turbulence. We're hitting the hot air pocket, which means that we're getting pretty close to your destination. Make any preparations you need to before the jump... We'll be arriving in five minutes.”
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Post by SHADOWMASTER89 on Feb 11, 2015 0:55:24 GMT -5
She had flown in planes many times before, but this was her first time jumping out of one and she found the idea a bit unnerving. Habiba Romansky sat on the floor, crunched into one of the corners at the back of compartment, her knees pulled to her chest so that no one would trip over one of her unseen feet. Yes, unseen, in fact she was completely invisible along with her parachute pack and clothes and had been since she boarded the plane.
It was fairly common for her to take on affiliates of the family as clients if they ever needed anything “retrieved” as discreetly as possible, but this expedition and its benefactor were something of a mystery to her. She guessed that whoever was behind it must be somehow affiliated with her family because there would be no way they could know who she was or her reputation.
The mystery benefactor was not the only thing on her mind. This was her first time actually working with a team. She always worked alone and she had always prefered to work alone, but the pay offered for this job had simply been too good to turn down. Given the circumstances, she had felt that starting off the job as an unseen observer would give her an edge and thus far only the dog had really caught onto her presence as far as she could tell.
As the plane suddenly jumped and began to rattle, Habiba was jolted from her state of focus on observing the other members of the team. She reached up and grabbed ahold of the cargo net along the wall of the compartment to steady herself.
As she went over her initial observations of the team in her head she came to suspect that the man with the dog had seen far more than most men of his age. She guessed by his vibe and mannerisms that he was likely ex military, maybe even special forces and there for quite combat capable. The dog was more likely just a companion animal rather than a military dog as it seemed far too nervous and excitable.
The woman sitting next to him seemed to have a strong frame and was likely as athletically capable as Habiba herself, but not likely as quick or agile. Judging by her choice of weapon, a Khopesh, she guessed that she was either a collector of sorts or an archaeologist though it was unclear if she was especially skilled with the weapon.
The man sitting to the right of the woman caught Habiba’s interest because the dog seemed more fixated on him than it was on her, the invisible woman at the back of the compartment. He was a rather lanky, strung out figure that struck her as a once well off man who fell on hard times. She also noticed that he seemed to sniff the air habitually like some drug users, though she also suspected he may be a power, like her. If she was right then his sniffing of the air suggested he had a heightened sense of smell at the very least and was aware of her scent amongst that of the others.
After hearing the pilot mention that they would be at their destination in about five minutes she stood slowly, still gripping the cargo net on the wall to steady herself as she prepared herself for the jump.
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Post by Silumas on Feb 11, 2015 12:42:11 GMT -5
Treasach stood quietly in the cargo plane, a common theme amongst the inhabitants. He was tall, enough so it would be hard to tell if he was closer to seven feet or six, with broad shoulders, and what might have appeared to be a figure etched from stone. His reddish-brown hair hung just below his ears, clumsily swept back out of his face. His hair, combined with a stout beard, served to conceal his facial features. The only standout were his piercingly green eyes. They were an extremely valuable tool in his previous occupation: Security Consultant for NATO forces in the Middle East.
Treasach’s attire did not betray what he used to do for a living, nor what he was doing there necessarily. Given the expected temperatures, he wore a tight-fitted t-shirt, and it appeared to be hand-made. Long, comfortable cargo pants, dark gray were tucked into black combat boots, both with enough flaws to look fashioned outside of a factory. His gear, however, spoke to exactly what he was hired to do. A tactical vest, tan in color, was strapped across his broad chest, its pockets filled with ammunition, grenades, flashbangs, and maybe a dozen more things. Hanging by a strap across his torso was an assault rifle, a Remington ACR fully kitted for a close-quarters situation. To his waste, on the left, was strapped a large bladed knife, single edged. At his right hip rode a Colt 1911 pistol, wrapped in a quick-draw holster.
All in all, he seemed a brute of a soldier, there to kill things and, hopefully, make sure the rest of the team did not get killed. Around his neck, however, hung something strange: an iron chain necklace. The links were intricately done, hand tooled, likely taking hundreds of hours. It lay underneath his shirt, though, so seeing anything more was impossible. His hands were tucked into his pockets as he leaned against the hull of the aircraft. Despite the turbulence, his eyes seemed to struggle with the task of remaining open, then the dog to his side whined.
Dogs, and other canines, are capable of quite intricate communication with one another, through both body language and the various barks, growls, and whines. They are also capable of so much more, as long as one knows how to listen. Flidais whined and leaned against Treasach as images floated into his mind.
//Night sky, stars twinkling, wispy clouds, the very vastness of the world displayed.
//Edge of a cliff in the midst of the Alps, the drop a dizzying height.
Treasach told her to calm down, his own mind taking in images of feather falling back to earth, and the comfort of the pack together bedding down for the night. Flidais was a german shepherd, but when she stood up, it was obvious there was wolf in her blood. Her eyes took in the sights of cargo plane’s interior. Her nose took in the scent of all who were on board, and her head cocked as she noticed the little one trying to hide.
//A mouse amongst tall grass, no fear while it hid from the owl amongst the shadows.
The veteran of many wars glanced in the direction of Habiba, and gently patted Flidais on the head. He sent her images of a lone wolf, joining a pack for the hunt of large game, only to disappear later. She would pull her weight, Treasach was sure, but beyond this hunt she would be of no help. Continuing to stroke behind the ears of Flidais, his attention turned to the remaining members of the small team that had been formed. One a man who probably needed a friend, and would gut anyone that him so. He looked dangerous, but he sparked no fear in Treasach. Flidais, however, did not like something about him. Perhaps it was his smell, or his past, or the way he sat, but the wolf-hybrid was having none of it. Her eyes narrowed slightly, ears pulled back, and the slightest hint of a growl formed in her throat.
“Tranquilo, girl…” Treasach spoke for the first time since the ride started. His voice was a deep baritone, gravelly like someone who had smoked for sometime or had damage to their vocal chords. While it would have been easy to ask his companion to calm down through the unique form of communication, he spoke aloud for the man’s sake. Flidais visibly relaxed, and put more of her weight on his leg, a big, loud yawn escaping her mouth.
Their leader, or at least whom he had been told was leading the expedition, stood across from him. She had introduced herself as Kendil, and he had filed her away as some sort of Indiana-Jones type in his mind. Decent enough with a weapon, but would definitely require his protection. She was not a sore sight, either, so at least there was that. His mind fixated for just a moment on her lips, but was quickly pulled back to reality by Flidais chuffing, her mouth hanging open in a kind of dog smile.
Treasach cleared his throat and leaned back against the wall, calm as could be, as he prepared to jump out of a perfectly good airplane.
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Lady V
Citizen of the Archipelago
I want it all, and I want it now!
Posts: 10
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Post by Lady V on Feb 28, 2015 7:00:29 GMT -5
The whine of the German shepherd pulled Crookes' attention from the blade he was sharpening. He flicked his glance across the aisle, and slowed his hand deliberately, hoping to soothe the agitated dog. No sense in calling further attention to himself at this point, when he'd managed to keep below everyone's radar for so long.
The dog whined again, staring straight at him. It licked its lips and shifted from foot to foot, claws clicking on the steel of the bulkhead as it tried to bury itself into its handler's leg. Crookes paused and sniffed thoughtfully, trying to pick up what else might be bothering the shepherd. He knew that the dog didn't like him. Canines always had one of two reactions: they either cowered at his feet or tried to challenge him. Never any grey area.
Smirking at the memory of the last mutt that had tried to challenge him, Crookes shook his head and sniffed again, deeper this time. There was something he could almost catch, an odor that was teasing him. He slid the knife back into the sheath, casually leaning forward as he did so, keeping hyper alert to his surroundings. He sniffed again and was rewarded with a nose full of hydraulic fluids, canvas, and a mishmash of other smells that piled on top of one another.
Dammit. There too many things piled up in this tiny space for him to keep track of. He sneezed quietly, trying to clear his nostrils of the potpourri of odors that was assaulting his poor senses. The well-muscled woman next to him grabbed for her blade as the plane dropped into a pocket of turbulence and shook like it wanted to twist apart. His eyes slid sideways, catching her glance. "Sinuses," he grunted by way of explanation, his deep voice flavored with a hint of southern France.
He tried one more experimental sniff, just to see if he could discern what was bugging him, besides the clothing he was being paid a small fortune to wear. The woman next to him appeared just as uncomfortable in her tinfoil outfit as he was at ease in his well-worn jump-gear. He felt like he was packed in a tin of Jiffy-Pop popcorn, and was just waiting for the stove to be lit. Oh well; he'd wear a thong if he was paid enough and it could hold all of the weaponry he'd need.
Stretching out his long legs in the cramped quarters, Crookes leaned his head back, stroking his dirty-blond ponytail thoughtfully thinking back to the summons he'd gotten. Something wasn't adding up, but he'd be damned if he knew what it was. He mentally shrugged and settled more comfortably into his narrow seat. Cargo planes weren't built for luxury, but they were a damned sight better than wooden ships of yesteryear.
When the signal to jump was given, Crookes stood and waited for Kendil to file past him. “Ladies first,” he said smoothly with a slight dip of his shoulder and twist of his hand. He flicked his glance at the bearded giant, locking gazes. They were of a similar height, but the other man outweighed Crookes by a good two stone. Still, Crookes strove to infuse his normally-reserved countenance with amusement, in hopes he wouldn't have to make an enemy this early in the trip.
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Post by Tout-Perd on Jun 30, 2015 23:31:03 GMT -5
“Okay. That's enough sitting around,” Kendil tossed her blade into the air, and kipped up out of her seat. She caught her khopesh in a reverse-grip as she landed, folding it behind her. The athlete strode to the end of the compartment, tucking her weapon under her arm and strapping it into place.
She produced a small make-up compact, and flipped it open. Half of its clamshell design was filled with a dark, sooty looking paste. Kendil dipped a pair of fingers into it, and smeared it around her eye in a tapering design that trailed to her temple. She switched hands and did the other side, leaving her eyes looking smolderingly dark and intense. Pocketing the compact, she brought her fingers up, and painted tear-like streaks down to her cheeks.
“Chute: Packed. Weapon: Secured. War paint: Applied. Seems like we're ready,” Kendil checked off the items on an imaginary clipboard, “Y'all with me, or is the pilot gonna need to do two passes? We've got about ninety seconds to the jump.”
“We'll be leaping in short intervals, to avoid entangling chutes. I'll go first, then Mr. Ink will go, then Dog Guy, then...” She tilted her head, “There's supposed to be another person, but I'm not seeing them... Maybe they're up front with the pilot?”
Kendil shrugged her sturdy shoulders.
“If they miss out, they miss out. I think we can take up whatever slack they leave us,” She grinned broadly, and spun on her heel. “Let's get going. After each jump, count to three, then go for it!”
The girl walked up to the rear wall of the compartment, and sized up a huge red button under a plastic case. She popped the lid off, and turned back with a wolfish smile.
“Here we go, ladies. And remember what they said in ancient Egypt, 'To seek without finding is a waste of time'!”
Kendil drove her fist into the button with enough force to send chips of plastic flying off. With a groan, the rear wall split open, solid steel giving way to roaring skies. Her short cropped hair rippled in the mighty blast, the silvery fabric of the heat suit crinkling loudly.
The archaeologist took three big strides back, rolling her shoulders and lowering her head.
“Bring it on!” She charged out the hatch without any further hesitation, lunging out into the abyss.
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Post by SHADOWMASTER89 on Jul 17, 2015 18:11:47 GMT -5
Kendil’s display before jumping out of the plane painted her as something of a fearless, hot headed, showoff with a flare for the dramatic in Habiba’s eyes. If jumping out of an airplane wasn’t unnerving enough for her then having such a reckless person leading the first team she would ever work with certainly was.
She was not afraid to jump from the plane by any means, but it was unnerving enough a prospect that she had no intention of waiting at the end of the line to get it over with. With her mind made up she strode silently to the side of the hatch, still invisible, and slipped past the others, took a deep breath, then leapt out into the roaring sky. She quickly slipped into a dive so as to avoid a collision with whoever jumped out after her.
Once she was satisfied that she had dived far enough as to not be a hazard to the others jumping out of the plane she came out of her dive. As she looked around she found Kendil’s figure amongst the clouds. She repositioned herself so that she was now heading in the same direction as the team leader so that she would not miss the expedition’s intended landing site.
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Lady V
Citizen of the Archipelago
I want it all, and I want it now!
Posts: 10
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Post by Lady V on Jul 19, 2015 22:34:55 GMT -5
Crookes raised one tawny eyebrow as Kendil bounced around the cabin. He once again compared her to Jiffy-pop popcorn, especially as she gained speed and momentum, the closer they got to the DZ. She wasn’t as comfortable in her tinfoil as he was in his vintage leather bomber jacket, helmet and goggles. Granted it was circa WWI, but it had a lot of life left, and by the grace of le bon dieu if he was going to be paid to jump out of a perfectly good airplane, then he was going to wear something that had withstood numerous jumps before.
His kind didn’t do well at heights, especially jumping out of planes. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to settle his nerves by concentrating on the eventual payoff. Unfortunately instead of soothing him, whatever the hyper woman had smeared around her eyes was torturing his nostrils.
He let out a discreet sneeze, eyeing the raccoon-like smears on her face. Bloody hell. He’d bet his last sou that her “war paint” had frankincense in it.
He watched her punch the button to open the cargo door. His other eyebrow rose up on level with the first one. Cher Dieu, et qu'il était censé garder ce petit trublion?
Crookes glanced around at the rest of the motley crew in the cabin before taking a deep, remarkably sneeze-free breath before he launched out after the raven-haired nut.
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Post by Silumas on Jul 22, 2015 16:22:06 GMT -5
The others made their way to the hatch of the plane, some he sensed, some he watched. Treasach took slow, steadied breaths. He was not afraid of heights, not at all, in fact being high up provided a great vantage point with which to see coming enemies. No, what Treasach had some apprehension about was falling. That part was not so fun. Especially the way he was going to have to do it to fulfill his mission. One last deep breath before he wandered to the door himself, Flidais staying at his left heel.
The dog whined again and Treasach turned and knelt before her, his head pressing to hers between the eyes. "Fear not, friend. When your paws touch earth again, find me swiftly." And with that, he stood, notched a cord that ran from the dog's parachute to the overhead railing and without any further hesitation, the large German Shepherd jumped from the hatch. The cord pulled its parachute a dozen or two feet from the opening, and the canine began a graceful descent back to solid ground.
Treasach's fall would not be so graceful.
His mission required him to his ground before the rest of the team, ensuring their safety. Both from the elements and the dark tendrils of another time. This required him to hit the ground running, quite literally. He launched himself with both hands from the hatch, plummeting towards the hard, stony ground below his speed carrying him at an incredible rate. Perhaps unbeknownst to even their team leader, Treasach knew exactly where they were heading. It was Gaia's blessing he had even known this particular expedition was being launched, and when he discovered people were actually going back here he knew he had to be part of that team. Given his background he found a spot on the team without much difficulty.
He closed his eyes, letting his other senses take over. Watching the ground get increasingly larger every moment was not going to help him concentrate. Feeling the wind, hearing the trees and the burned hulks call out to him below helped him gauge his altitude. The next few moments made him look absolutely suicidal. A few klicks from what was to be the team's LZ, Treasach sped towards the ground at what could have been recorded as just over one-hundred miles per hour. A copse of blackened trees should have splattered him all over the ground. About twenty feet above their canopy, the crazy, suicidal soldier pulled his rip cord, opening his chute.
The breadth of nylon fabric that served as the main sail of the parachute served only a single purpose before being shredded to ribbons by the hundreds of dead tree branches. It slowed him down from a triple-digit number to a double-digit number. Moments after pulling the rip cord, Treasach was releasing himself from the harness of the backpack, his mind stretching out to the husks of wood around him, seeking the life that might be left there. There was not much, but Gaia found a way to be everywhere. It was enough, the damage that should have ruptured his internal organs, lacerated him from head to toe, and killed him instantly was fought off with the power of the Earth. The wounds mended almost as quickly as they formed, though his clothing became much worse for wear. He hit the ground as if he'd only fallen a couple stories, tucked into a somersault and came up onto his feet. He was still moving rather quickly and braced himself to shoulder the trunk of one of those trees rather abruptly, knocking it from its socket. He cursed at himself, shoving away from the tree.
He extended his senses out across the terrain, feeling for any trace of the corruption he prayed fervently was not there. To his great relief, and suspicion, he found nothing but what should be expected from an adversely warm climate that was near the arctic circle. Nursing his arm against his chest he gathered his gear that had been slung about during his ludicrously fast decent and began loping towards the LZ where the others would be coming in soon. He estimated he had a couple of minutes before the others would arrive. No doubt they saw him as a lunatic now, but it didn't matter, he was not here to earn respect. He was here to protect.
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Post by Tout-Perd on Aug 30, 2015 21:47:14 GMT -5
“Hell yes!” Kendil whooped as she shot towards the earth. Really, this alone might have been worth the trip. The wind roared past her like a phalanx of lions, the cold air feeling like it was slicing into her cheeks. She bared her teeth, her mouth instantly feeling like it had been crammed full of ice. Far below, charred fields and basalt hummocks formed a black scar in the midst of the porcelain frostscape.
“Come on!” The air riffled through her hair, sweeping her deliberately toussled locks into a much less intentional mess. She took hold of her rip cord, bracing herself to pull it-
A fluorescent orange streak shot up from below, only become visible as it twisted around her to avoid a collision. Kendil twisted upwards, craning her neck to follow the mysterious blur.
A sinuous creature kept pace with her plummet, its glowing body lined with rippling, membranous wings. It swooped down and met her gaze, its spherical head bearing two black eyespots. Kendil tilted her head, and it mimicked the gesture.
“Sorry to cut things short, little guy, but I've got to be getting back to business,” She shooed it away with her free arm, and gave her chute's cord a yank. The pack opened, and her parachute billowed out, flapping noisily. Kendil suddenly decelerated, feeling like she'd just been kicked in the chest.
Her new acquaintance burbled curiously at the unfurling fabric, darting up above her to examine it. Kendil noticed several more of the serpentine flyers streaming up from the ground, their paths diverging as they headed towards her other companions and a patch of empty air.
As her gaze tracked the luminous creatures, she noticed that the first one had begun slithering along her chute. Where it was touching, the fabric began to glow orange, before taking on an icy sheen. Kendil pursed her lips in thought.
KEESH! The frozen portions of her chute shattered as if they'd been made of glass. Kendil lurched to her left as air began shredding through the damaged fabric, rapidly send her accelerating earthwards.
“LOOK OUT! THEY EAT WARMTH!” Kendil yelled in vain towards the others as her chute began to disintegrate.
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Lady V
Citizen of the Archipelago
I want it all, and I want it now!
Posts: 10
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Post by Lady V on Sept 13, 2015 23:27:28 GMT -5
The impossible smell of smoke tickled Crookes' nose as he free-fell. Being this high up should have kept even his preternatural senses from detecting anything as the air screamed past his face. He inhaled further, tasting the air again. The stench of burning nylon was unmistakable and he scanned the sky, trying to find the source. It didn't take long; the crazy woman in tinfoil was being attacked by blobs of glowing lava and her parachute was disintegrating at an alarming rate.
Crookes frowned and pulled his arms in tight to his body, arrowing downward like a rock. His bones were denser than normal, so his drop was much faster. It made for a serious fear of heights, and even though he wouldn't necessarily die on impact, the recovery was never fun.
As he targeted Ms Jiffy-pop, (and in the back of his brain, he idly wondered if all those sparks would cause her to explode in a shower of white fluffy kernels) he realized that they weren't just swarming around her; it was a targeted attack.
With a roar, Crookes let his iron control slip and pushed the beast loose just a bit. His golden hazel eyes lost their faded tint of green and glowed a brilliant feral gold. Fighting the drag of the air, he reached for Kendil. He swatted away the lava-creatures around her, his fingers stretching and nails thickening.
He got within the trailing ends of the mutilated parachute, and With a seemingly effortless yank, he hauled her into his embrace, twisting to ensure their escape. He neither knew, nor cared whether the bit of tinfoil nearing his grasp screamed in fear or thanks; all he knew was that it was hurting his sensitive ears, and the scent of her fear was making his mouth water.
Crookes' arms wrapped more tightly around her protectively as he saw another blob in pursuit. Baring a mouthful of sharp teeth in a throaty snarl, he took a deep breath. Mindful of an old English Nursery Rhyme, he blew out long a hot, ironic gust, knocking the blob off their course.
He wasn't sneezing now, he realized. And She didn't smell like popcorn.
Cursing, he frantically stuffed his darker side back in the cage. He juggled his armload of female muscle, reaching for the ripcord and yanked, preparing himself for the jolt and holding tight to Kendal. He knew he should toss her away, but he didn't know if her backup chute was compromised, and he was being paid paying good money to protect her. He wasn't going to get paid if he ate the asset again.
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Post by SHADOWMASTER89 on Sept 25, 2015 14:30:41 GMT -5
As Habiba dove towards the Earth below she witnessed the entire scene with Kendil as she was swarmed by strange glowing blobs of orange. She watched as her parachute disintegrated and then her being saved, quite miraculously, by Crookes.
She had little time to contemplate the scene further as she quickly noticed a swarm of the orange blobs honing in on her. “How the…?” Habiba whispered to herself and the realization hit her. These creatures must be able to sense heat and her invisibility did not mask her body heat by any means. She knew that if she opened her chute now then they would attack it and she would plummet to the Earth as Kendil nearly did.
Thinking quickly she came out of her dive just before reaching the swarm and glided just past them before quickly dropping into a dive again, the creatures now descending rapidly after her. She dropped her invisibility as she saw a few more coming up at her so that she could focus on her maneuvers rather than an ability that was currently of little aid to her. At this point it didn’t matter much if the rest of the team finally saw her, only reaching the ground in one piece did.
Again she came out of her dive just enough to glide over the next advancing group and then dove past them for the final stretch. The two groups of glowing blobs nearly collided with one another, twirling around one another to avoid it before advancing after her once more. The ground was advancing quickly now, just a few more feet and she would deploy her chute. For a normal person deploying their parachute this close to the ground would do little to save them, but for her it was the only chance of escaping her situation.
It was time, Habiba came out of her dive and quickly yanked her ripcord. Her pack opened and her chute unfurled and she decelerated hard and then phased, slipping right through the straps that held the pack on just as the creatures began swarming the chute. Being phased was like being free of the Earth and all of its elements for Habiba. She kept her heavily decelerated momentum as she drifted feet first to the ground as if she were a feather. In this state it was as if she was out in space as the Earth’s gravity had no power over her. She closed her eyes, feeling at peace as her feet lightly touched the ground, but not in a physical sense, it was a psychological condition of her ability that she had no control over. It was one that she was grateful for as well. The thought of slipping through the ground and just falling through the Earth with no control was a terrifying prospect that she often had nightmares about as a young teen.
After taking a moment of peace she opened her eyes and looked around at the barren, volcanic landscape around her, searching for the rest of the team. She saw Kendil and Crookes descending a few yards away and began to walk towards where they would land, remaining phased.
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Post by Silumas on Oct 5, 2015 11:29:09 GMT -5
It took a few minutes for the creatures to notice the German Shepherd latched to a comically large parachute above her. Her vicious growls warded them away for a few minutes until they figured out the poor pooch was not winged and could not chase them. Neither could she defend the straps connecting her to the parachute. Their bodies quickly wrapped around the straps nearest the dog's back, outside of tooth-range, and all the girl could do was flail with futile purpose.
It took only a few moments for the wyrmling creatures to snap-freeze the leather bindings apart dropping Flidais into the open air. The good news was the fierce canine was finally able to exact some revenge on the beasts trying to kill her. A couple followed her down and with some violently twisting and snapping, their bodies fell to the ground lifeless around her. Flidais as well fell quickly her altitude dropping her swiftly to an inevitable and abrupt end.
Her whine, despite moving at such breakneck speeds, could be heard for some distance. Enough so that Treasach could hear it from the ground. His eyes snapped up immediately and a growl of frustration erupted from his throat. His friend was plummeting to the ground and there was nothing he could do about it. It took only seconds from her whine before a dull thud was heard from the ground some distance below, a cloud of dust and ash kicking into the air.
The soldier busted into an all out run towards his downed friend, coming a sliding stop inches from her shaking body. The ash on the ground had softened the blow, it seemed, but not enough to save her. Seeing her still breathing, but the exhales came in shudders brought a certain light to the soldier's eyes that would have stilled a Grizzly. He snapped his rifle to his shoulder, the one out of socket just a few minutes before and aimed skywards. Careful, precise double-tapped shots rang out from the weapon and into the creatures. Every two pulls of the trigger saw another one of the creatures falling. When he finally heard clicking from the rifle's chamber Treasach turned his attention back to his friend.
Flidais was definitely dying. The collision with the ground had caused too much internal damage.
//The moon, full in all its glory, shining brightly surrounded by wisps of clouds.
Treasach bit back sobs while he pulled the first aid kit from his vest. He knew it would do not good, she was too far gone, but damned if he wouldn't try.
"Easy girl...I'm right here, and I'm not letting you go anywhere," he soothed as he undid the kit with practiced hands.
//Sleep, long and refreshing, on a cold winter's night.
"Don't even think about it, Flish. I need you with me on this one," Treasach barked at his companion, his eyes glistening as he worked stitching on one of her wounds.
//A young wolf pup mewling at his mother as the she pushes him from the den for the first time to go explore.
Flidais chuffed weakly at her little joke, a whimper following from the pain of breathing.
"Don't start with that again, Flish, you're gonna be fine..." Treasach continued to work feverishly and with practice, combat aid was not new to him it was obvious.
Treasach cursed at himself, wanting fate to take him instead of his companion for his foolish mistake. He should have known those creatures would be smart enough to come after them in the air. He should have known what he had done had put his friend in grave danger; fatally wounding her. He should have done more, focused more on keeping her safe instead of the secrets of this place. He should have been a better friend.
Just minutes after hitting the ground, Flidais the German Shepherd, friend to the soldier, drew her last breath. Treasach let loose a string of curses as he worked furiously with his right hand across her wounds, his left grasping at the dirt and soil, soaked in the dog's blood. For those that paid close attention, small tendrils of green vine broke from the ground and wrapped themselves around the paws of Flidais. Two small rivulets of tears made their way down Treasach's face before he stiffened his upper lip, wiped them away with his gloved hand and laid a hand on the dog's muzzle.
He spoke some words that were either inaudible or unintelligible before turning to hustle back to the group. This ragtag team of explorers and misfits he had joined with to protect them, protect himself, and protect the world from the evils that lay within this place. He had never felt so alone.
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Post by Tout-Perd on Oct 30, 2015 0:42:35 GMT -5
Kendil saw Flidais plummet past her from the corner of her eye. Only a moment later, it dawned on her what it meant- they'd compromised the dog's chute, and- She bit her lip, and narrowed her eyes. This one was on her. She should have done something to draw the creatures off, keep the others safe, but instead...
The archaeologist set her gaze coldly.
“Hold my legs and keep your head the fuck down. I'm going to deal with our welcoming party,” She squirmed out of Crookes' grasp, working her elbows and knees against his torso to worm her way upwards. Tucking her hand under her ruined chute's straps, she freed her khopesh. Putting her free hand against Crookes' shoulder, she pushed up until his grip was around the back of her knees. Tensing her muscles, she held her body completely steady, and to Crookes' credit, his grip was sturdy enough that she may as well have been bracing against a ledge of stone.
Kendil leveled her blade in front of her chest, the steel shining brilliantly. Her eyes snapped wide open, taking on an unnatural gleam. Her free hand flew along the khopesh, lights errupting from it in the wake of her fingers brushing the metal. One after another, oval seals bearing hieroglyphics exploded into sight along her sword, each one shining with a different vibrant hue.
“As I have heard you, so hear me! Invocation-” Kendil slipped her hand back along the sword, placing her thumb against one of the seals, a golden one with glyphs depicting a man with the head of a falcon, solar disk above him. The design seemingly melted, flowing along her weapon to coat its entirety in its radiance. Kendil gripped the khopesh firmly in both hands, and braced herself.
“AMUN-RE BURST!” She swung the weapon in a wide arc with all her might, Crookes grunting as her knees slammed into his collar bone. The lights roiled off of her blade like a contrail, leaving a golden archway in their wake. After but an instant, giving them just enough time for their chute to fall clear, the bow in the sky erupted into an enormous plume of brilliant flame. Even with the chute screening the light of the blast and her kohl protecting her eyes against the glare, Kendil had to clamp her eyes shut. Through closed eyelids, she could still see the solar blaze roaring away, throwing off enough heat to make it feel like summer beneath it.
She turned her head to the side, squinting. Over a dozen of the luminous wyrms shot past them, spiraling skywards to seek the warmth of the divine flame. One snaked past her neck, making her wrench away violently from sheer reflex. A flurry of the beasts swarmed in, drawn like moths to a lantern.
Kendil took a deep breath, composing herself. Striking the same pose with her blade again, she reignited the lambent runes. Shifting her grip, she pinched the blade between her forefinger and her thumb, taking hold of another rune at the center of her sword's curve, this one crossed arrows in a shade of brilliant green. She drew back on it, the other glyphs warping and stretching into a verdant strand.
She drew back, the line becoming a bowstring of light.
“Invocation: Arrow of Neith!” She hissed through her teeth, and let fly. The chord snapped forward, unleashing a maelstrom of glowing arrows. Each one curved in midair, leaving a shimmering wake as the went. They twisted and whirled, interlacing paths in elaborate helices and swirls, darting around the chords of their chute.
As they neared the dwindling flame of her first invocation, the projectiles blossomed outwards, accelerating with deadly speed and precision. There was a thunderclap as they simultaneously struck home, each one catching a wyrm. There was a flash of orange as they all ruptured, painting the skies with a shower of their blazing blood.
“Serves you right,” Kendil grunted, reversing her grip on her blade and tucking it away. The fiery ichor sizzled as it rained down around them. She wriggled her way back into Crookes' grasp, “Okay, get us to the ground.”
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Lady V
Citizen of the Archipelago
I want it all, and I want it now!
Posts: 10
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Post by Lady V on Nov 21, 2015 1:33:42 GMT -5
Crookes snarled as he saw the German Shepherd drop like a stone, her legs flailing frantically for purchase. He couldn't make the choice to save the magnificent animal and still hold onto the paid asset in his arms. This wasn't the movies; he knew the tragic eventuality for her poor handler and he wished the dog a swift end when she landed. For now, though, he had a job to do.
He checked the altimeter on his wrist and wrapped one muscled arm around the back of Kendil's legs, holding her steady while she battled the swarm of lava creatures. With his free hand, he tugged the toggle on one side, deftly maneuvering the elliptical canopy in a tight spiral. The best he could do while being her base was being a highly-maneuverable one.
He leaned away from her and the khopesh, the wind tearing her words away along with a stream of gold. As the blobs shattered, a rain of lava fell, cooling and peppering them both with chunks of obsidian and grit. It shouldn't have burned though; maybe a bit of warmth, but not this stinging sensation--
Jerking at the pain in his thigh, Crookes faltered a bit on the steering, causing Kendil to give him a dirty look before trying again once. He gritted his teeth and ignored the heat in his thigh until she was done and crawling back into his arms, giving him the order to get them down.
“Hold onto me,” he growled through clenched teeth. He heard popping sounds as the ground grew closer and he realized that knew what happened to his thigh. He also knew what was going to happen to his canopy if there were any more of the little blobs flying around. He reached up and grabbed the toggle on the other side as Kendil wrapped herself tightly around him.
He did a quick check of the altimeter again; it was going to be an ugly hook-turn landing, and if he was lucky the angle wouldn't be too extreme. That was why he hated this shit. He was definitely putting in for hazard pay.
The ground rushed up as if they'd been teleported. The weight was really too much for Crookes' specialty parachute, but he'd make it work somehow. He lifted his legs, one dragging slightly and when the ground met his bad leg, he struggled to compensate for the shooting pain. It was Man vs Nature; and as his bad leg was digging in while they were skimming the ground, it was hard to figure out which side was winning.
With a grunt, he cut the canopy free and lost his balance, running a few steps and staggering on his bum leg as he overcompensated with Kendil's weight. He rolled and skidded with the momentum, cradling his cargo until they came to a stop in a cloud of dust and rocks.
Pushing Kendil gently off, Crookes levered himself to his feet unevenly with a grunt, favoring his left leg. Ignoring it, he looked to Kendil to see if she were hurt. Her golden skin had smudges of ash on it and her hair was mussed, but she didn't look injured.
Crookes turned his gaze to the bearded giant next, cocking his head and gesturing at the ground. At the look on Treasach's face, Crookes nodded in sympathy. Tipping his head back, he took a deep breath, and let out a low, mournful howl that bounced off the surrounding landscape with it's resonance.
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Post by Tout-Perd on Dec 13, 2015 14:55:41 GMT -5
“The fuck-” Kendil mouthed as the scraggly guy started howling like a hellhound. She began thinking she’d misdiagnosed his poison of choice. Bath salts, maybe? She brushed the gritty ashes from her garb, and pushed herself to her feet.
“I’m...” She went to touch Treasach’s shoulder, but paused, her hand hanging in the air. If this was his service dog, no telling how he’d react to her touching him after losing her.
“I’m... So sorry, about your dog,” She lowered her hand and her gaze, walking past him without directly looking at him. Kendil reached behind herself, taking a solid grip on the hilt of her khopesh. She had to be ready, had to keep her mind clear and focused. When she’d been delving into ruins, she’d only needed to mind herself... Kendil had no experience with a team, with watching out for and covering for the vulnerabilities of others. But she’d have to learn fast... Already, her inexperience had taken one of their lives. She couldn’t afford any more fuckups.
Her kohl-heavy gaze darted to Treasach. The huge man seemed composed, but she noted that his shoulders were trembling.
“Listen, if you need to sit this one out-” She still didn’t look him in the eye, “I totally understand. You could guard our extraction point, give us a clean path to get the hell out of dog-"
Motherfucker.
"Out of dodge on our way out.”
Beyond the hill that overlooked them, there was a sound like distant cannons firing.
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Post by Silumas on Dec 19, 2015 9:59:00 GMT -5
The howling surprised Treasach at first, and his bright eyes turned to gaze at the brute on his team. The man behaved as one of the pack, one of Flidais' pack. Yet, he was not. It had been Trey and Flid, alone for so many years that they had grown beyond friendship: they had become family. And, Flidais was dead. She was gone and now Treasach was alone.
"So, sorry about the dog..." The leader of their party spoke softly to him.
"And what do your apologies offer me?" Treasach wanted to say coldly. "It's your fault she is gone in the first place. YOU COULD HAVE WARNED US ABOUT THESE CREATURES!" He wanted to scream.
But, he knew none of these things were true. Yes, Kendil could have warned them it was possible these creatures could attack them while they fell from heaven. The same could be said for Treasach, though, as he knew these creatures and this place probably better than any of them. Of course her apologies could not bring back his dearest friend and it was unfair for him to expect any more from her or the others.
Instead of throwing a fit or expressing his utter dismay, Treasach laid a hand on Kendil's shoulder giving a curt nod, a soft squeeze, and a grim smile. After a few quiet moments, sharing his unspoken pain with Kendil for what for him seemed an eternity, he moved on. A short few steps brought him behind Crookes, where the hulking brute would find a hard few pats on the back before Treasach continued.
Flidais was gone, and he had done all he could. It was now time to continue on their mission. It was time for him to continue his mission. He might have failed Flidais, but he could not afford to fail again. The Earth could not afford for him to fail again.
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Post by SHADOWMASTER89 on Dec 22, 2015 12:57:14 GMT -5
As Habiba approached the rest of the team, her non-existent footfalls making her approach silent, she got the sense from the grim state of the others that she had missed something. While she had seen the entire scene wherein Kendil was swarmed by the orange energy blobs and her being saved by Crookes, she had missed the entirety of Kendil’s offensive display and the tragic loss of Flidais. She had been too tightly focused on her own crisis with the energy creatures swarming her and her very narrow and daring escape from them.
The sudden howl that Crookes let forth was unexpected to say the least and revealed that Habiba, at least, was not the only power or otherwise unusual member of the team. She then caught Kendil desperately apologizing to Treasach about his dog and Habiba glanced around at that and realized the canine was nowhere to be found. She guessed whatever happened to the poor dog must have been what she missed during her descent.
Upon reaching the rest of the team, seemingly still unnoticed, she crossed her arms and cleared her throat sharply. As the others suddenly spun around to eye what had made the sound her image rippled in a similar fashion to a hologram as she was still phased.
“So what’s the plan? Boss.” Despite her clear arabic ancestry, her accent sounded more of slavic origin. She directed that last word at Kendil with a hint of sarcasm to indicate that she had much work to do to gain Habiba’s respect.
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Post by Tout-Perd on Jan 8, 2016 11:20:38 GMT -5
Kendil let her hand fall lightly across the handle of her khopesh as the new figure made themselves known, only releasing her hold as they referred to her (dripping with sarcasm, naturally) as “boss”. She shot a glance over to the men.
“Is this the fourth member of our team?” Fifth. Fifth member, dammit. Kendil eyes darted to where Flidais had fallen. The strung out guy grunted an affirmative.
“Good to know, good to know,” Kendil turned towards the hill that loomed over them, and began taking purposeful strides towards its peak, “I’m guessing you’re some sort of Power. Or ghost, or something. It’s all the same to me. You’re good enough at hiding that I didn’t pick up on you, which means stealth must be your specialty.”
Her tone remained businesslike, driven. If she was going to make up for her initial fuckup, she needed to bring her A-game. “For right now, stay in the back, and be as discrete as you can. Invisible, if you can manage it. Weapons ready- Back up any of us who get into a bind. I’ll be taking point- I’ve heard there’s some really nasty traps around here, and that’s my specialty,” The ashes crunched beneath Kendil’s feet as she walked, punctuating her commands.
The group reached the crest of the hill, and found themselves overlooking a charred, pockmarked field. The distant thumping was much closer now, steady and intense enough that it felt like getting punched in the chest. Kendil narrowed her gaze.
Columns of superheated air were jetting up from the earth, and would have been completely invisible if not for the ashes thrown about in the wake of their eruption. Every few moments, one would trail off, and another spot would explode.
Kendil reached into the pocket of her heat-suit, and produced something that looked like a ray-gun. An infared thermometer, their boss had told her, though hell if she knew how the thing actually worked. Unable to avoid raising an eyebrow skeptically, she pointed the device at the nearest column.
It began beeping, and didn’t stop, the display frenetically jumping around until it maxxed out at 999.99 degrees. Apparently, it couldn’t handle four digits.
“Well… This looks like a fun party, doesn’t it?” Kendil began stalking down the hill, her steps light and feathered. She didn’t ever commit her full weight to a stride, keeping her balance on her back foot.
“Stay behind me. I’ll find the path.”
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Lady V
Citizen of the Archipelago
I want it all, and I want it now!
Posts: 10
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Post by Lady V on Jan 24, 2016 19:12:02 GMT -5
Crookes' alarm bells started going off as she jauntily bopped down the hill ahead of them all. Once again, someone had a death wish, and once again, he was going to have to pull her pop-tart ass out of the fire. Pour l'amour du Christ, he mentally growled grabbing his pack and slinging it over his shoulder, Someone does not know the meaning of the word "Team".
Since it was getting too hot to hold a conversation, Crookes rationed his breath and went after Kendil. His long legs made it easy to catch up to her, and when he did, he grabbed her lightly by the elbow, ready to give her a piece of his mind.
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Post by Silumas on Mar 13, 2016 19:10:15 GMT -5
This place was not as he had remembered it. It was less populated, less dangerous. Treasach almost wanted to laugh at the irony of that statement. Surrounded by lava, flying lizard monstrosities, and air hotter than most ovens, yet still it was less lethal than his last visit. Still, laughter was far from the man's mind. Recent loss leaving a wound far too raw for joy.
Kendil bounded ahead of the group, right into the mouth of danger. Unlike Crookes, Treasach was unabashed by her brazen behavior. He kept pace with her, his rifle at his shoulder. It became rather obvious that he was not dressed for the furnace they were in. He wore no heat-resistant suit, no flame retardant gear. As they got further along, he even removed his boots leaving his bare feet exposed.
His toes sunk into the ashes and connected with baked earth. A visible relief rushed through his body, relaxing him even further. Gaia treated him as she always had, just favorable's side of indifferent. The heat stayed inches away from his skin, and if touched it would seem odd that he was not soaked in sweat given the heat.
His eyes stayed on the horizon, watching every nook and cranny for threats. While it remained obvious he was far more than what he let on, just a simple soldier, it was equally obvious he was well trained, and very experienced at the art of war.
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