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Post by HungryHunter on Oct 16, 2017 19:23:29 GMT
"You've met them!? These are a frequent occurence in your life!? Who ARE you?" Gianni had to ask as he waved the lighter at the approaching wight. The ones Aaron torched all burst like little green firecrackers the moment the flames consumed their hearts, easy to do with such tiny creatures. Gianni have more difficulty, needing to let them within grabbing distance to attack. It wasn't long before one touched his hand. He dropped the lighter with a yelp. It felt like being thrown into a cold shower. Or like aging ten years in an instant. He quickly scrambled away from the approaching swarm and began growing out threads. He put them together swiftly until it formed a big, web-like net. He threw the net behind him and stopped to observe his work. To his horror, while some of them were trapped, those in back had time to react and became intangible and ghostly, letting the net pass right through their bodies. He flicked out a thread and caught the lighter, quickly using it to burn the net and those in it. At least that left him with only a few more.
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Post by TimePuppy on Oct 16, 2017 20:12:57 GMT
"Damn, rawny, you had me thinking you were smart. I told you, I work for annoying fairies."
Aaron was doing fine on his end, but Gianni was apparently getting overwhelmed. Aaron opted to provide assistance by firing blasts at Gianni's share from his finger. Unfortunately, while he wasn't going to hit Gianni this way, hitting the creatures was also much harder. In fact, it allowed his own group to get closer to him. One touched the back of his head and he reflexively turned around and smashed it against the wall. The light on his wrist disappeared, replaced by a light on the nape of his neck.
The healing effects of Buer counteracted the life-draining abilities of the pests as Aaron grabbed, crushed, smashed, stomped and splatted every one that got too close. The pain that ensued with every touch was a sting, an annoyance, painful but not deadly. He could take it. He took it before. Their numbers were far smaller this time.
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Post by HungryHunter on Oct 16, 2017 22:49:21 GMT
"Not undead fairies!" Gianni whined as he ran up a wall to avoid the grasp of the tiny parasites. Aaron's war of attrition tactics served him well. The wights could only drain him a little faster than he could recover, not fast enough for their current numbers. Soon, there were nothing but broken fairy bodies and ashes. Gianni dropped back from the ceiling, landing with catlike grace. He made a few paranoid peaks behind the roots, but nothing else lunged out. "I think we're safe for now." He sighed in relief.
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Post by TimePuppy on Oct 18, 2017 16:58:19 GMT
By the end, Aaron was exhausted, his shoulders noticeably raising and lowering with every breath. Still, he stood ready while Gianni looked around for stragglers.
"I think we're safe for now." Gianni said.
"Good. We're taking a break." Aaron sat down with his back against the picture-covered wall. He rooted through a pocket on his jacket until he found a pack of cigarettes. He raised his hand towards the archaeologist and gestured for his lighter.
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Post by HungryHunter on Oct 18, 2017 21:48:12 GMT
"That works for me." Gianni sat across from Aaron and opened up his notebook. He scrolled through the pictures he had taken, jotting down surface observations on them. After a while he glanced up at Aaron. "So, how did you end up working for the fair folk? That doesn't sound like a very common position." It seemed a to be a good deal, given how powerful the man was. Of course, that was assuming his power came from the fairies.
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Post by TimePuppy on Oct 22, 2017 17:29:33 GMT
Aaron glared at Gianni for a bit before sighing, a small cloud of smoke wafting out of his mouth.
"I was walking through a forest and ran into them. I figured magic was real and they could use it to help my family. They did. Now I work as their errand boy. Officially, I'm supposed to be balancing the courts so neither side gets to powerful, but they just send me whatever tasks they feel like, whenever the feel like it."
Aaron took a puff of his cigarette. "I wanna know something, too. Why are you half spider?"
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Post by HungryHunter on Oct 22, 2017 18:52:59 GMT
A rather uneventful backstory to it. Gianni thought. Everything about the hidden world's operation was of great interest to Gianni, however. Two entire fairy factions behind the scenes was a new layer to read up on. "I'm not half spider. I'm an alien. As far as I can tell, we crash landed on your planet about four thousand years ago. It's my focus to study our history here. We factored into a lot of your myths you know. The spider gods in Africa, the Arachne story. But for whatever reason, we started to dwindle, and now I think I'm the only one on earth." Gianni thought back to the empty homes he had found, smaller and smaller the more recent they were. Perhaps it was something about earth that was just wrong for them. Perhaps they were killed by the natives of the planet. Maybe they even destroyed themselves with their dangerous magic. "But yeah. Half spider is the short way of putting it."
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Post by TimePuppy on Oct 27, 2017 18:37:59 GMT
"You're an alien?" Aaron was stunned for a second. Then he remembered that he was working for fairies so weird shit like that shouldn't be impossible. "Yeah, I'll buy that. So, what, you think you'll find info on alien spider people in Celtic ruin? Not likely, rawny. I didn't run into any so far, you're wasting your time here."
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Post by HungryHunter on Oct 30, 2017 1:20:04 GMT
"Yes, an alien. We use magic to look human. Uh, yeah, we use magic. We're magic aliens." If Aaron had wondered about the purple tint to Gianni's skin or his inhumanly wiry hair, that was his explanation. "As far as I can tell we never got to the UK, so no. I was hired by MI13 to excavate this burial mound. We thought it might be the grave of Cu Chulainn, and it looks like it is. Exciting, isn't it? One of the greatest heroes of Ireland and we could find him tonight." Gianni ran his fingers over a stone depicting a 7-headed spear.
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Post by TimePuppy on Nov 1, 2017 15:57:48 GMT
Gianni's excitement didn't rub off on Aaron. As far as he was concerned, the entire excursion was merely a job he had no passion for, an obligation to pay off the lives of those he cared about. He got up and tossed the remains of his cigarette on the floor, snuffing it out under his shoe.
"I'm rested. Let's go. Maybe you'll get to meet him. You could even ask for an autograph before he kills you."
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Post by HungryHunter on Nov 2, 2017 4:28:53 GMT
"I know you're kidding, but that would actually be incredible. We archaeologists don't meet many people who were actually there. Although we have it better than the mundane ones on that front." Gianni has a few names he suspected witnessed important events in his kind's history, but he had no means of contacting them. Namely because they were Greek gods. He had bugged them for a month before a Daemon appeared to tell him to knock it off.
Gianni stood without using his hands and looked down the hallway. The light of his flashlight showed a sheer, yawning chasm of darkness. He walked to the edge and shone his flashlight down, finding nothing at the bottom. The roots clung to the walls of the chasm and stretched over the gap as a bridge. Gianni gently set foot on a root and it silently held, not even a creak. He took a few more cautious steps and the bridge didn't budge. It was solidly built enough for at least a small human like him. He reached the top and paused.
His flashlight revealed a mound, like the one they had found on the outside but bare of grass. A hooded figure sat on top of it, arms resting over its raised knees, a clay pipe sticking out from the hood. This was made all the more unusual by the man's body only being about a foot in length. Gianni froze on the bridge. He worried another step forward would set whatever that was off and he'd get his ass kicked by another undead monster.
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Post by TimePuppy on Nov 5, 2017 17:24:14 GMT
When they reached the chasm with the root bridge, Aaron let Gianni go first. The roots didn't budge under the weight of the alien so when he got most of the way there, the Balancer figured they were safe enough to cross. He stepped carefully, avoiding gaps in the roots. It didn't take long for him to bump into Gianni, pushing the small man forward while he himself lost his balance and fell off.
While a million swears flew through his mind, he grabbed one of the roots. The sudden tug produced a terrifying cracking sound. Aaron quickly grabbed for another with his free hand, just in time for the root he was already holding to snap off. When he finally he managed to get both hands on firm roots, he was livid.
"Hey, what the fuck are you thinking?" he shouted. "Are you trying to kill us both, you little shit?"
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Post by HungryHunter on Nov 5, 2017 18:14:30 GMT
"Huh- you big clumsy bastard!" Gianni's purple deepened when he was bumped and a crack rang out. He could tolerate a lot, but not breaking things. He looked at the source of the noise and saw Aaron dangling off the bridge. He didn't pause for more insults, just reaching his hands down to grab onto Aaron's. Aaron would feel a tingling on his fingers where Gianni touched him and the small archaeologist began to pull. Although he wasn't physically strong, his hands had an unbreakable grip and his feet stuck to the roots like he was nailed down. With a mighty heave, he helped Aaron up onto the bridge.
"What was I thinking!? You're the one who didn't pay attention to where you were walking!" Gianni stopped yelling when another noise filled the cavern. At first he thought it was a cave in, a deep, all consuming rumbling, but after his blood ran cold, he realized that wasn't the case at all. It was laughter. The tiny man on the other side of the chasm rolled off his mound and crashed into the wall. How was a noise like an avalanche coming from something no taller than a ruler? Just what was this guy?
"Ahem. Um, hello. I'm Gianni Arachne. Who-" Gianni was interrupted by a rock flying from the wall and striking him in the side of the head. "Owww..." He crouched, cradling his head in a cage of arms as a precaution against further lithic assault. "I have no need of him. He was not chosen by the courts. Toss him in the chasm, would you, bearer of sigils?" The tiny man's voice was like stone on stone, a deep grinding that could be felt in the bone.
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Post by TimePuppy on Nov 7, 2017 15:35:26 GMT
Gianni helped Aaron get up. Despite his clear lack of muscle, he certainly had a firm grip. Aaron ignored his complaint. Gianni wasn't supposed to be on the bridge when he got there. Suddenly, a loud noise filed the cavern. Finally Aaron noticed the figure as it rolled off the mound. The short stature, a laugh that sounded like a rock slide and the ability to hurl rocks with a thought helped Aaron realize what he was dealing with.
"A gnome."
"I have no need of him. He was not chosen by the courts. Toss him in the chasm, would you, bearer of sigils?" A bossy gnome. That was just one of many reasons for Aaron to ignore his request.
"I'm in the middle of a task already. Wait until I get the spear."
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Post by HungryHunter on Nov 8, 2017 4:43:32 GMT
"Mortals are always so impatient. Never appreciate the benefits of slowing down." The gnome grumbled, standing up and dusting off his cloak with hands hidden deep in sleeves. "So they finally got themselves a new hero. You're a lot skinnier than the old one. Nicer clothes though. Couldn't stand Cu Chullain's fur shit."
Gianni stood, continuing to guard his head. "This is really his tomb!?" He declared, eyes bright even with his potential concussion. "Ugh. Guess we're adjusting it to contain two heroes, unless you want to get rid of him like I said. Fuck it, why not, nobody ever listens to the gnome. Not his wife, not his kids, and that's how he ends up sitting on a mound for 2,000 years!" The gnome kept rambling as he walked off into the darkness behind the mound.
"Thanks for not throwing me in the pit." Gianni walked off the bridge and paused. "Now, uh... test? Were you told about this?" He was beginning to suspect that the fairies weren't very free with their information.
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Post by TimePuppy on Nov 11, 2017 18:16:33 GMT
The gnome went from bothersome and commanding to bothersome, grumpy and probably depressed. At least he didn't insist on Aaron following his orders. The ones that did that usually tended to get overly aggressive and that was always just a waste of time.
"Thanks for not throwing me in the pit," Gianni said.
"Now we're even," said Aaron.
"Now, uh... test? Were you told about this?"
"No," Aaron said. "Not surprised though. These shits always make my life more complicated just because they can."
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Post by HungryHunter on Nov 11, 2017 18:47:17 GMT
"Even? For not killing me? That gets you no points, positive or negative. That is a net neutral action." Gianni crossed his arms over his chest and glared behind him as he stepped off the bridge. "I guess we'll find out what that's about together." He followed the gnome until they entered another chamber of roots with green light filtering through. The gnome rested before another exit. "Through here are trials to prove yourselves worthy of the weapon. They're balanced for one hero, but hey, they don't make heroes like they used to, so maybe two will be alright." The Gnome grumbled in his passive aggressive manner.
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Post by TimePuppy on Nov 12, 2017 17:02:51 GMT
Aaron couldn't explain his philosophical views to Gianni, mostly because he never put them into words before, but also because it would be annoying to do so. Instead, he ignored the arachnid archaeologist and went for the gnome's challenge.
He acknowledged the gnome's comment with a vexed glare. He didn't care about being a hero, but the comment was still an insult. Still, retribution would make this task take longer.
"I'm going in," he said and went through the opening.
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Post by HungryHunter on Nov 13, 2017 4:37:46 GMT
Gianni followed Aaron through the entryway and both stepped into what appeared to be a forest. Gianni looked up, finding there wasn't a roof anymore, just overly huge leaves coming off of tree-sized flowers. There didn't appear to be a sun so much as some sort of omnidirectional greenish lighting, casting no shadows. The forest hummed with unknown noises, insects and birds and likely combinations thereof.
In the middle of the clearing it stood. A medium animal, roughly like a goat in size and shape. Its shaggy fur was white and soft as clouds, ringing sad brown eyes that looked out at Gianni and Aaron. Its mane appeared to be made of plant matter, a wavy mass of grass and flowers. Less strange but more telling of what they were dealing with was the horn on its forehead. It wasn't the spiral horn so often depicted. Instead it was more like an oversized rhino horn, nearly as long as the animal's body.
"Your first heroic task is to catch the unicorn. Bring it back to the entrance." The gnome's voice called out from the earth beneath them. Gianni turned back and looked at the entrance. It was just a blank black rectangle in the middle of the forest. He leaned around it and found it was invisible from the other side. He didn't understand how that worked, but he wouldn't question it.
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Post by TimePuppy on Nov 14, 2017 21:11:20 GMT
Aaron had no idea what he was looking at until he was given the task. How could he? That thing looked more like a shaggy goat than a sparkly horse.
"That is the ugliest bloody unicorn I've ever seen," he said.
Still, this was part of his task. It shouldn't be a problem. It's a stupid animal. The sigil around his collarbone started glowing as he activated the power of Eligios. The honeyed words of Eligios were legendary! Unfortunately, they didn't work as well for Aaron when he used them on humans, for reasons one can only hypothesize about. But they worked wonders on beasts. Normal beasts, mind you. A magical creature like a unicorn might be completely unaffected by it, especially if it was sentient enough to understand Aaron when he said, "Hey dumbass, get over here."
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