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Post by Kuma on Jan 13, 2017 4:04:49 GMT
Callis finally stood up, on his own, without help from Aria. His rage was blinding him, so he was incapable of fearing embarrassed about Aria’s current wardrobe, or almost lack of thereof. The Beast Knight didn’t usually get angry, but the pain, added to the whole situation was clearly taking a toll on his stoic discipline. He swept the dust, gravel and sand from his clothing and hair with a frustrated sigh punctuating each sweep of his palm over the fabric and mane. He stretched both arms, dead silent after listening to Aria’s taunt, popped the bones of his neck and shoulders, that were pretty sore after tumbling around. Callis looked away, staring the desert, that stretched as far as he could see, for a moment. At first it seemed as if he was going to ignore the Firm Chief’s remark, but without a single moment of notice the Beast Knight glared at her and started ranting.
-SAD!?- Raising his voice wasn’t knight-like, unless it was as a war-cry charging into battle, but Callis was too far gone over his personal tolerance levels to care. -Sad being able to think, plan and act according to a situation?- All the muscles on his body tensed, his face contorted by his fury, slowly gaining more and more animalistic traits. -Sad to understand advice and requests? To avoid almost killing somebody who is helping you? To act from your own free will and not guided by beastial impulses?- The Beast Knight stance was slowly becoming more animalistic, his claws slowly growing out of his fingers, the same kind of growth also happened on his teeth, becoming sharper as he spoke, spewing each word with beast-like passion. -You think I cage my beast out of FEAR? YOU THINK I AM WEAK FOR THAT!? PITIFUL EVEN!?-
White energy swirled around Callis, slowly concentrating on his hands, but instead of his accustomed blades the Gainen Power slowly took the shape of claws, overlapping his actual hands and making his arms longer and thicker. His maddening glare was burning holes through Aria. -YOU WANTED TO SEE THE BEAST!? YOU WANTED ME TO UNLEASH IT!? YOU ABSOLUTELY UNDISCIPLINED AMATEUR!?- Callis muscle mass grew as, bulging under his skin, his veins popping through it as well, his arms slowly raising ready to slash Aria.. -I WILL GIVE YOU THE BEAST! YOU WILL KNOW FEAR! YOU WILL KNOW DREAD! YOU BI- Before he could finish the insult he stopped dead on his tracks, his body paralyzed on his attack stance. Clearly he was struggling to move out of the grip of whatever was the invisible force holding him. Finally he broke through but instead of attacking Aria he did something else.
-No.- He whispered, before proceeding to close his hand into a clenched fist, breaking the energy surrounding it and started punching his forehead. -No.- He repeated the whisper and the motion, the third blow already drew blood as he faltered back. -NO!- He proclaimed this time hitting his forehead again, his hand trembling, covered in scarlet blood. This had been something that Callis fought since his teenage years, the truly beast-like side of his personality, the half of uncontrolled impulses and instinct, the Beast Lying Deep Within him, and even after arriving to this world and losing many of the sources of the stress that only helped to increase the crack between his two heritages, he was still split between the Knight and the Beast, each pulling him apart by the seams, trying to wrestle total control over his psyche. He did have episodes of the Beast before, but this was the most intense one so far. His legs wobbled under his dead weight, falling on his knees and elbows, sweating profusely, mixed with his blood, dripping from in his forehead and falling into the sand.
-No.- He weakly muttered before falling face first into the warm desert sand.
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Post by Iris on Jan 13, 2017 7:24:24 GMT
For the first time since they had met, Aria cracked a smile. Her yellowed teeth, pointed dangerously, clearly not meant for a human mouth seemed as if they were eager to bite into the creature that stood before her. The passion and the brooding heat of his beast...she could smell the musk of a creature, violent and instinctual finally breaking free from its chains that its master, who clung to his “humanity”. “Ah, there it is.”
Normally, Aria was never this forceful upon a stranger, nor as lacking in manners. A Chieftain had to hold both power and respect...but Callis rubbed her in all the wrong ways. When Aria looked at Callis, she felt like she was looking at all of the humans who had turned their back to the nature, and the beast in turn, forgetting what had got them as far as it had.
Aria stepped up, exuding her beast’s odor in a challenge of superiority, her sharp smile bordering on violent as she prepared to square up with Callis foolishly, her pride on the line...but in a turn of events that she couldn't comprehend, Aria instead found herself faced with disappointment when her challenge was meant by the somber and bloody Callis. With absence in his spot, met by his crumpled form on the sand, Aria growled slightly and crouched down. Yet again, the smile grew and she laughed loudly, the way she did when training pups. “Yeah...yeah! So it is in there...good.” With a show of effortless strength, she hedged Callis upwards, tossing him over her shoulder that wasn't cradling her spear and she sniffed at the air. Now to find where to go...perhaps she would give Callis a bit more of her time whenever he woke up. Carrying Callis, Aria picked her way across the shattered landscape that she had left in her wake, a testament to how she handled all the problems in her way.
Figuring she had less of her bearings on this place and where to go, a break would be in order...and she would never admit it, but turning in and out was wearing on her body. Her stomach growled to her thoughts and she grumbled lightly to herself...a break so soon felt pathetic, but she wasn't stupid. She needed information and time to get her strength back up! So with the decision seeming to be the best course of action, Aria found a small alcove on the lower section of the ruins and deposited Callis with as much gentleness as she could muster for him, then she set upon the interesting task of finding a hunt. It would definitely be hard, her size and her lack of knowledge on the area didn't help..but the tribe she had sheltered with had given her some pointers. Maybe she could scrounge up something…but with a great sigh, she sat down next to Callis, wrapping her arms around her spear and resting her head. Rest seemed more appetizing than any measly meal and she let out a great sigh, eyes closed while her ears twitched faintly, keeping an “ear” out, so to speak.
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Post by Kuma on Jan 16, 2017 5:35:21 GMT
Pain… Pain and shame… Callis dreams were filled with it, revolving in his feverish sleep until he woke up with a roar of fear and frustration. The Beast Knight was sweating and felt his body as heavy as lead, but his amazing recuperative abilities had allowed him to recover from most of his wounds, even the biggest ones were already start to close up. The horizon had already started swallowing the sun, the prologue to dusk, dying the sky with celestial brush strokes of red and purple crossing from horizon to horizon as the firmament itself was a canvas. Callis looked around, his vision needing only a few moments to adapt to the new low light environment. He instantly noticed Aria’s scent close-by and heard her soft breathing. The Beast Knight lowered his head, ashamed of his behaviour earlier that day, with studied slowness he stood up, trying not to wake up the Firm Chief, that clearly had taken care of him after his dishonorable episode before.
Without making a sound he left the safety of the refuge and observed the setting sun vanishing at the edge of the desert, as if the glowing orb was sinking into the sand, resting the night underneath the dunes. The Beast Knight sighed and his eyes gradually moved from the beautiful sunset to his shivering hands. The cold he felt wasn’t something in the air, but deep within him, trying to douse the flames that the Beast had started, the glacial discipline that helped him to survive so many years. He gradually closed his hands, as the last rays of the sun started to vanish, trying to stop them from shaking. Now his whole body was trembling, fear digging into his very core, gradually realizing that he might be on a losing battle, his psyche creeping inexorably into madness and savagery. He kneeled down, trying to find the conviction to dispel the doubts plaguing his heart, but not even like that he could find the strength to keep fighting. The thought of letting go and falling into blissful ignorance had crossed his head before, but this was the first time he was actually considering it.
Maybe he was wrong, maybe he survived thanks to his discipline… But he never lived. He never enjoyed things as much as he should, he never loved as much as he could, he never smiles as much as he had to. Since he arrived to this world he had been losing grasp of the Beast’s cage, letting it slip out, getting sloppy. But maybe that was the key, maybe the Knight had allowed him to keep grasping to the world of the living… Maybe the Beast was the thing he needed to accept to actually learn how to enjoy living, instead of simply surviving… simply working… simply fighting. Still this wasn’t actually going through Callis mind, as his current distressed self wouldn’t be able to grasp the full implications of this revelation. He just remained there, on his knees, watching the dying sunlight on the last moments of twilight. Alone and scared, but slowly regaining the resolution to complete his work, knowing that if he didn’t do it, nobody would.
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Post by Iris on Jan 16, 2017 9:49:31 GMT
“You awoke.” The stern voice called out calmly from behind, bring with it the scent of the deep woods. Aria stood, darkening with the falling sun, golden eyes gleaming brightly from beneath her dusty bangs. “You make a lot of noise. Expecting me to not know when you rose is foolish. Have you come out here to sulk?” Her footfalls were practically silent as she walked, moving a good distance to Callis’s side, giving him the space he seemed to need. “You have a scent about you right now. It is that of prey, running and running blindly only to get caught in a trap, desperately trying to find a way out.” Aria stopped speaking as she crouched down, shoving the end of her spear into the sand and leaning into it with her arms loftily set over her knees. The golden light from the setting sun glanced across her skin, the intricate and flaking red markings against her skin seeming vivid and bright in the lumination. “It is nothing to be too ashamed of, for you are still moving forward. Shall I tell you something?” The way she asked made it seem more like a statement than a question, and the way she began to immediately follow it made it become more apparent that she wasn't taking “no” for an answer.
“When my kind are very young, we become very familiar with that scent...because it is the one we become most intimate with. When born, we are soft, vulnerable, and sadly...we are very human.” There was a heat behind the way she said the word “human” a deeper glimpse at how much she openly detested their kind; the word itself bore fury. “When our Chief deems it appropriate, we are then sent out to perform our tribe’s rite. It is named “The Great Calling” and it is what makes us...us.” With a folded fist, she thumped it against her chest, above her heart, her words strong while she spoke. “Our parents bear us to the wild when the Chief deems it so. Alone, as babes in the deep wild, we are at nature's mercy and in Her embrace, we meet our beasts.”
Aria cut her gaze to Callis, speaking to him gently, her accent thickening as she regaled an all too personal tale. “In my Great Calling, I smelled as you. Frightened, running, hungering as the moon shone above. The earth beneath my feet felt like an omen instead of a blessing and when I fell, I did so cursing my weakness. ‘A Chieftain’s daughter, dying in the wild, how pathetic…Is this how I die?’ and then I felt it.” Looking away to the now dark horizon, Aria exhaled deeply, a whimsical expression on her face. “Deep inside of me, I felt the heat of a Beast and it said “Not here.” When I opened my eyes, they were not simply my own. I saw, I smelled, I heard with a clarity I hadn't before. It was as if the land around me had learned how to sing in a way I never heard before. Then I felt it, the thrill of the Hunt...the heartbeat of a Beast inside of me, throbbing and beating with an ache for a hunt. I realized I was not looking with my eyes, but with Its. And it asked me then, would I accept its help, would I carry on with the Hunt knowing I would never be just a babe lost in the woods anymore?” A large smile erupted on her lips, her teeth pointed and feral. “I said yes. Ever since then, this creature and I are one in the same. It showed me the world, it showed me the Hunt. It kept me alive when my power and my resolve were not strong enough. By accepting its help, even with knowing it would change me, I have survived. Resolve, discipline? It matters not if you're dead. A bear does not stop its assault if you're a soft and squishy human...but if you bare your fangs and brandish your claw, naught will stand in your way.”
She looked back to him then, grinning ear to ear with narrowed eyes. “However, you're still a babe lost in the woods, aren't you? Afraid of the Beast you've left caged out of fear; it only makes sense for its growing fury, does it not? And that frightens you, understandably. A beast scorned is a force of nature. But what of when your ability alone is not enough, would you let it free...or rather, do you really think you could cage it again once unleashed?” Aria leaned forward then, bringing her words to a low grumble as her pupils shifted just slightly. “Why do you not accept it? I understand the fear of its power, but if you simply worked together, and not as two entities, would it not benefit you both? A pack divided brings no quarry...only quarrel.”
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Post by Kuma on Jan 17, 2017 3:08:15 GMT
Callis carefully listened to Aria’s words, drinking in everything she had to offer. The sorrow deep within him was still there, but listening to her experience was soothing. The Beast Knight sat down, crossing his legs as he listened, turning around to face the Firm Chief. She was wise beyond her years, but still for all her wisdom she didn’t know Callis as well as he knew himself. When she finished talking there was a moment of awkward silence, with the Beast Knight still looking at his hands, his eyes filled with shame. The first stars started to twinkle above them, adorning the dark blue sky, like jewelry woven into velvet. Finally Callis gathered the strength to talk -You talk to me just like my father’s family used to do.- He weakly whispered, showing a sad smile. -Maybe you are right Messa, maybe I have denied what lurks within me the freedom that I always desired for myself.- The Beast Knight could feel his every heartbeat, echoing inside his veins, from tip to toes.
-But there is a difference you are not considering Messa.- Callis once again lowered his head. -Your people chooses to embrace their Beasts.- He turned away. -They named it “The Calling” and you replied to it.- With his eyes trembling, a jolt of sorrow crossing his face, Callis locked eyes with Aria, his blue irises shining in the dark. -You had a choice, your people replied to a call, I did not have that luxury… I was born with my beast, born in a place that did not teach me to embrace it… it taught me to hate and fear it.- The Beast Knight clenched his fist. -I only learnt hate and even when I found people like you, in my immaturity, I turned them away, confident that what was forced on me when I was a boy was an absolute, even when I had proof that I was wrong- His closed fist was shaking, lying over his knee while his other hand swept the sweat that covered his brow. - I only knew fear and in return I only made what lives within me afraid.-
The Beast Knight returned to his knees and lowered his head, hiding the tears coming out of his eyes, rolling down his cheeks. -Messa I beg of you, please help me, I do not know what to do, I might never have.- His hands were also on the ground, palms up, using a Viani stance for supplication. -I wish I could turn back time and learn this before, but I cannot.- He raised his head, his eyes almost incandescent thanks to their properties and the lines of tears dripping out. -Please, help me understand my other half, allow me to forgive myself for my foolishness and the lies I told myself.- This was Callis at a breaking point, the last episode as the Beast had finally broken his discipline, it took everything he could muster to stop it from coming out, so maybe a cage made of stoic discipline born out of fear kept him alive until now, but in this new world, a land he called home, the right thing to do was to make amends with what shared his body, with his other half. To understand instead of reject, to love instead of hate, to embrace instead of fearing.
He once again lowered his head, tears bursting out his eyes and his voice breaking as he spoke, incapable to containing the whirlwind of emotions he was holding inside his chest. -Please Messa, help me become whole, help me embrace the totality of my existance... Allow me not only to continue on surviving, but most importantly teach me how to truly live-
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Post by Iris on Jan 20, 2017 12:07:42 GMT
There was a sentiment to the silence as Aria weighed Callis's heartbroken and exasperated request. With an unflinching golden gaze that peered into the dark horizon forwards, Aria allowed the absence of word to continue, giving the Beast Knight some time to recover himself, if need be. Unfortunately, situations requiring a more...'delicate' touch, mostly emotional, were not in her strong suit. However, Aria could slowly empathize with how Callis felt; to be lost and frightened against what was inside of you...it was something she familiarized with, if only just barely. "It is not a process that simply happens, you do understand the request you make of me, yes? To undo an era of vicious encagement you've done upon yourself...to simply release it would yield the exact results from earlier, and I highly doubt it is a repeat you desire." Though she would never admit such, her pride being on the line, there was a smidgen of respect she'd felt for Callis's release, or more appropriately, the Beast inside of him. He showed the promise of a true hunter, another creature she'd met that had garnered such a feeling from her besides one of her own.
"The means to which you become one is not one done in a few short steps...and sometimes, it takes even a lifetime. My people and I, sometimes we are lucky and our Beast is content with residing with us, working side by side. Yet sometimes, one side or the other decides that harmony isn't so easily achieved..." Her stoic visage finally flinched, seeming to soften with an unmistakable look of sadness, or maybe even...regret? "Sometimes the Human stays and the wilderness claims the fresh flesh of a babe, lost with no way to survive. Sometimes the Beast stays, leaving in it a creature that lives solely for the hunt...and an insatiable appetite. I've sent many a pup into The Calling and in the same likeness...to their deaths, as they either became one, the other, or simply died before the Beast heard their call at all." With a forlorn sigh that seemed to heave from the depths of her very soul, Aria's large body seemed to shrink in on itself...just a little bit, before firming back upwards as she ran a clawed hand over the red marks on her right arm. "My hands are always awash with the blood of The Calling, I carry these sins and I carry the burdens that come with them as well. Yet I never have to do so alone; the gift of a Beast is one I will never take for granted. All the trials I must take, all the beatings I will receive, I do so step in step with my Beast and I will continue to do so for the good of my people."
She looked then to her side, towards the teary eyed and conflicted Beast Knight, no longer with pity, but with a softened understanding. "You are a humble creature, I can tell this from your request. Your will to fight for what you deem is 'good', it showed in our one simple battle together, and a being that fights whole-heartedly for its convictions earns a level of respect. Seeing now, and hearing of your plight, I do feel as though I respect you just a small bit more. You may be still a pup lost in the wild...but the wild is where a pup belongs and so long as it desires to learn, strives to live, to grow strong...the wild will assist."
Reaching forward, her clawed hand felt solid and firm as it gripped at the back of Callis's head in a gesture not meant to show aggression, but to simply bring him forward. There, she pressed her forehead against his, locking her eyes with his as she spoke slowly. "Former Knight Callis Nomene, I hear your humble request and acknowledge it. As Chieftain, you have my word that I will assist you." She released his head, only to clap her hand on his shoulder and give it a firm shake, standing to rise immediately after. "Yet, it is a cause that must wait, for there is something that exceeds the importance of both you and I." Tugging her spear free from the ground, she gave it a fierce spin before grasping it tightly in one hand. "And that is putting an end to the foul deeds occurring in this area. Raising the dead is an unforgivable act and I will give them punishment; whether they take it from my claws, teeth, or spear matter not."Looking down to Callis, she gave him a watchful glance. "Will you assist me once more in this, Callis Nomene? I can't allow this transgression to continue, but I doubt my ability to handle so alone...at least in one piece."
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Post by Kuma on Jan 22, 2017 3:27:34 GMT
Callis listened to Aria’s words as the tears on his eyes stopped flowing, the cold wind of the incoming night hit him in the face like a sledgehammer, the releasing of the Beast and the subsequent sorrow made his body feel heavier, his skin itched, as if he was wearing somebody else's clothes. He started to understand, just as Aria was, more about the person in front of him. What before had been blocked by the sensorial overload and his moral issues, now in a state of complete mental and physical exhaustion was painfully clear. She was wiser, smarter and probably more balanced that he had even been in his whole life. Callis thanked the Magus of Old for their intervention, thanking them for putting them into a path to meet Aria. Finally he managed to talk, at first his voice was as soft a spring breeze, but slowly, as he gained more confidence and regained his composure.
-I understand that the sins I carry, as you also understand, cannot be cleansed by anything else than constant redemption, effort and determination.- Callis lowered his head, his hands clutching his knees, shivering with fear, nervousness and sadness. -I know the path I will have to take might guide me through danger and peril, but is the path I should tread…- He turned away, the shivering slowly creeping up his arms, reaching his shoulders. -I cannot have the luxury of taking the path I simply wish to take, now I have to face the consequences of my carelessness and hatred and walk down the road I refused, the one my mind desires to avoid but my heart always tried to pull me towards.- Now Callis’ whole body was shaking, because even as decided as he was the thought of this feat place such a weight and fear on his heart, as he feared that if he embrace the Beast he might change and stop being the same man.
But maybe changing was the only thing he could do, maybe evolving was the only road to take. The Beast Knight’s heart was flooded with this feeling, the knowledge of a goal to reach, a new feat to accomplish, but most importantly the desire to heal the cracks between his two parts, that for so long he forced apart, stopping him from becoming whole. Finally the shivers stopped and Callis piercing blue eyes locked themselves on Aria. Once again he repeated the same ritual bow, his both palms facing the sky and his head touching the ground. But this time his Notio Gladio appeared on his hands, the hilt extended towards Aria. -I, Callis Nomene, former Knight of Via, Former Marshall of the North, Regulus Australis Orbis, humbly accept your offer Messa Chieftain, and I place my blade under your service, use it as you see fit.- This was more of symbolic gesture, as the swords he could create could only be wielded by him. This oath was one of the cornerstones of Callis identity, he had served whoever he saw fit in Centris, just out of convience to help others, but this was for the first time, an actual oath surging from admiration and not responsability.
Not far from their location a figure covered in tattered fabric was overlooking their conversation, a figure that didn’t have a scent or made a sound, silently observing them. The dusty pieces of cloth overlapped forming a hooded poncho, that reached the floor, covering the individual’s full body. Still, bits a pieces of shiny, ragged, jet black skin could be seen through holes in the tunic, yet others holes also showed lightly tanned skin. The figure vanished into the night, leaving only a small whirlwind of black sand where he stood. A whisper carried by the wind turned into nothingess as he left. -Yolcatl Tlathec? Mimihqueh cuitihueh...-
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Post by Iris on Jan 24, 2017 5:15:41 GMT
“We will use your sword to rid whatever is plaguing the sands.” Aria stated briskly, looking towards the slightly ruined...well, ruins. “I was contacted to find the source of what raises the dead here. To bring the rested back from their final rest is unforgivable and the tribe of this area desires it to be put to a halt. A noble cause of which I agree with.” She spat on the ground, sand having filtered into her mouth, and she looked with disgust at the pile of rubble where the creature was forcibly put to rest. “You shall help me find the source and I shall end its miserable existence. Did you manage to find anything when you first arrived?”
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Post by Kuma on Jan 28, 2017 2:01:18 GMT
Callis stood up, taking a moment to gather himself, the sword slowly fading out of reality. -I came to retrieve an artifact from this town, but clearly somebody had taken it.- The Beast Knight pointed at the temple, halfway in ruins after Aria’s stunt. - I found scratch marks and black sand, possibly the same substance that was giving life to the monster we just fought.- Callis kneeled, picking a bit of black sand from the floor and sniffing it. -I think that if we follow the sand we will find out where these creatures come from.- The Beast Knight stood up, his very acute nose guiding the movements of his neck. He started moving in the direction of the largest peak among the rocky hills in the desert and finally, with a bit more of confidence he pointed at it. -My best guess is that source might come from the surroundings of that small mountain.- He cleaned his eyes with his sleeve and tried to smile. -I bet that together we can find the source of this evil and smite it down where it lives.- Slowly Callis was returning to his older self, getting a bit more comfortable with knightly proclamations.
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Post by Iris on Jan 28, 2017 2:58:14 GMT
Aria similarly picked up the black sands, giving them a tentative sniff, her brows furrowing. The smell wasn't very strong...but it did fill her with a strong feeling, one that made her coarse hair prickle slightly; she would always attribute such sensations to the Beast side of her, its instinct warning her of dangers.
Following after Callis, the brisk cold of a desert night creeping in with every step she took. Thankfully, cold was where she thrived. Following the Beast Knight’s gesture, she scanned the area with her acute sense of sight, trying to see if she could pick anything out in the horizon… looking away to the what appeared to be a more optimistic, Aria’s expression didn't betray a smile, but the initial hardness that had been there before seemed to now relax. “I prefer crushing them myself.” She pushed one fist into the flat of the others palm, gold eyes gleaming. “I'll have them crushed for their wrongdoings and I'll do so gladly.”
Giving a roll of her shoulders, Aria looked to the distance once more and spoke as she stuck her spear in the sand. “I admit I have no patience in this matter. I can get there fast… I can get US there fast.” As she finished her words, Aria no longer stood, but the Beast her did instead. Tall and proud, stronger after rest, she shook her large head and every breath that left her snout turned into a thick white cloud. Turning her head, she carefully picked her spear in her mouth and looked at Callis with a sideways gaze. She looked expectant, to say the least...as well as impatient.
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Post by Kuma on Jan 28, 2017 3:32:55 GMT
At first the Beast Knight didn’t understood Aria’s words, maybe he was too focused tracking the smell, or maybe he was still a bit shaken from his last episode, either way he mumbled something upon hearing her, clearly too deep in his own world to realize what was happening. He was so immersed on his task that he didn’t even notice her changing into her Beast Form and when he turned around to ask what she just said he opened his eyes and barely managed to contain a scream of surprise on his throat. The shock almost pushed him off his feet, but he quickly regained his composure. It took another moment for him to understand what she wanted, but when he realized it he became a bit flustered, turning his eyes away. He was trying to think of a way to politely refuse, but he realized that even if it was a bit awkward they needed to arrive as soon as possible, before the whole situation became impossible to control.
-Alright, I am sorry about not being fast enough, as if I would, this would not be necessary.- He was honestly apologizing, not an ounce of sarcasm on his tone. The Beast Knight gracefully jumped and landed almost weightlessly on her now furry back. -Where should I grab to avoid causing you discomfort?- This was something new for Callis and he wasn’t exactly sure about how to proceed.
Behind them, still practically undetectable, the figure in black clothing kept observing them, keeping his distance from the duo and cloaking his presence. Something seemed to move on his chest, deep beneath the overlaying pieces of cloth, as if something was beating. His chest was abnormally large at the exact middle, as if he had something sticking out and bending the raggedy tunic he wore over his tanned skin. -Cuahmeh Tiahui, Cuaznacatl Queh Nexcoyomeh- Once again he whispered, the wind carrying his words ahead, before vanishing into black sand.
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Post by Iris on Jan 30, 2017 5:03:20 GMT
A loud exhale left Aria, a shift of her shoulders able to be felt as it moved Call is in the motion. Any place was fine on her, she was built with thick fur in mind after all. One doesn't survive in a wild’s winter by being thin-skinned...not in her Tribe at least. Aria leaned forward, signaling to the Knight that he should grab at any bit of fur he could keep grip on lest he wished to be blown off, and she dug her paws in until the sand would no longer give.
With pure power behind her muscle, Aria inhaled sharply and pushed off. To ride on Aria was like riding on the back of a moving car. The cold, night air bit at those unprepared, whipping wildly while she loudly panted with every stride. The thrum of her paws hitting the ground, coupled with her calm breath, was almost soothing to listen to as she ran with Callis atop her back, making great paces towards the location of interest. By the time she slowed her pace, Aria’s panting was frantic, but she seemed relax as she looked around the area once more...again, seeing nothing too put of place. Giving another great shake of her head, Aria stooped down slightly, signaling to Callis that he could dismount.
Upon him doing so, he would find himself greeted with Aria’s nude and human form, rolling her shoulders and stretching as she readjusted with a series of small grunts. However, for just a moment, she paused. Her hair rose on end, ears flicking back slightly, and she glanced behind her, scanning the dark sands for any sign of movement or scent...but she found nothing. Nothing, nothing, the entirety of her journey was bearing zero results...aside from the strange creatures that kept rising with no forewarning. Was she losing her touch somehow, out here in the sands?...
“I have an odd feeling here. I feel ill at ease...stay prepared.”
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Post by Kuma on Feb 2, 2017 2:34:40 GMT
Thanks to Aria’s transformation the travel was short. Callis still felt like it lasted much longer, grasping the fur on her back to stay atop her. The wind hitting his face was a welcome change, allowing him to freshen up his thoughts as they got closer to the small mountain. The closer he got the bigger was the feeling of an eerie wind coming out from it, carrying the same scent as the black sand, the smell of death. The Beast Knight jumped off the Chief’s back and landed on the rocky terrain without making a sound, he would really have to thank his comrades in Yatagarasu for obtaining this uniform for him. Thank them once again, just like he did after that strange island in the pacific.
-I can sense what we are tracking...- The Beast Knight pointed forward, his finger locking on what seemed to be a very old and improvised steps, scattered following a barely visible path, as if the pieces of a jigsaw with a staircase on it were thrown onto the mountainside. -We need to follow this path, I can see the black sand shining under the moonlight.- Callis keen eyesight got even sharper during the night, maybe thanks to his feline-like traits, noticing the sand on the steps and the shining rocks. The scent was getting stronger, as the wind blowing down the mountain brought them to them. But that wasn’t it, something else was wrong, the Beast Knight could feel it on his gut and suddenly he realized about it.
Up until now he didn’t turn around, so he didn’t realized Aria was once again on her birthday suit. The surprise almost killed his momentum, as he jumped towards the Chief, aiming to push her out of the way as two large boulders, marking the start of the ancient trail, exploded into black dust and from inside it disgusting tendrils made of bones, rotten flesh and the black substance sprouted towards them. -Get down!- The Beast Knight was blushing as he attempted to tackle Aria, who had been glancing behind her. The black dust was still covering the main bodies of whatever creature was brought back by the Black Mineral.
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Post by Iris on Feb 7, 2017 4:48:43 GMT
Trying to push Aria down when she was prepared was like trying to shove a walk, a slightly less prepared Aria was embarrassingly easy to shove. With a grunt as she hit the sand, she growled and felt her hair prick slightly,as she looked up with irritation at having been caught so off guard. "It seems this is the place." She said so casually between gritted teeth, her hand pressing onto Callis’s face as she peeled him away from her to better position herself to face the threat.
“They smell sickening.” She commented, low beneath her breath while the stench of decay and death greeted her nose. This close...it was like smelling a carcass that had rotted in the sun! Her eyes narrowed and she perched on her feet, squatting slightly while holding her spear forward, glaring at the monsters. “Before, the dead creature we had fought, their rock is very hard, yes?” She openly talked to him, staying on edge, constantly prepared to strike. “There are no buildings this time. How do you propose we vanquish them? I'll fight them all night if I have to, I won't let them get in my way.”
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Post by Kuma on Feb 12, 2017 3:36:44 GMT
Callis performed a mid-air cartwheel, avoiding one of the incoming horizontal swipes as he replied to Aria’s question. -We…- He rolled on the floor avoiding a vertical smash of a tentacle that shattered the rock behind the Beast Knight’s earlier position. -Need to…- Callis already had his blades on hand, summoned through force of will, like radiant lighting tightly gripped by his fingers. -Find out…- He tried to block another attack, but as soon as he felt his legs being lifted by the strength of the blow he shifted his balance, slipping underneath the attack while expertly parrying it. The rotten tentacles slid over the Notio Gladius, peeling part of the dried out meat and chipping a small bit of the Black Mineral, revealing that this one wasn’t as strong as the Jaguar’s, maybe to allow the flexible movement of the tentacles.
Finally Callis got enough space to move, as after failing several attacks the mysterious enemies focused on Aria’s, launching the disgusting tendrils in droves against the Firm Chief. The Beast Knight knew he had to act fast and using a technique, or at least an acceptable copy, he saw several BHA swordmen perform, he launched at Wind Slice. Lacking any Ki meant that the attack wouldn’t injure the target, but Callis counted on it, he just wanted to use the wind pressure to blow away the dust hiding the main bodies of their enemies. -WHAT ARE WE FIGHTING AGAINST!- He finished his reply as the blast of wind surged from his blades, pushing the floating dust of the Black Mineral away, revealing the origin of the tentacles. It was quite surprising, as the creatures weren’t usually found in desert, at least not in the present.
Two massive fossilized squids were the puppets being moved by the bizarre Black Mineral. Millions of years ago they were left here when the oceans left the area, leaving them, just like the dinosaurs, drying out and fusing into the stones below. The pernicious influence of the mysterious mineral clearly reached their resting places and brought their dried out husks back to the land of the living. The Beast Knight reacted not out of paleontological whiplash, but because their horrible shapes and their tendrils reminded him of the dangerous Unda, malformed creatures that plagued the northern reaches of his world. This “blast from the past” took Callis out of the fight, his mind going back to the days of the Unda Invasion, when he fought for Centris on the frontline, sometimes knee deep in gore. This flashback costed him dearly as he didn’t react to one of the tentacles with enough speed.
His reflexes were more than enough to position his weapons in place, but he wasn’t in the right stance to attempt a block. Callis was sent flying, crashing loudly against a rock, he didn’t get indented into it, but it was pretty painful for the Beast Knight. Still once again, upon touching the edge of his sword the Black Mineral got chipped. Between painful coughs, bleeding from the side of his mouth, Callis tried to inform Aria about that while grunting from the pain. -Their reinforcement is weaker…Ugh…- The Beast Knight rolled out of the way of a snapping tentacle, that shattered the boulder he landed into pieces as he rolled away on his back. -Just keep avoiding them and try to cut them from the root.- Callis stood up, staggering, still a bit dazed after the attack, but ready to fight. -I will block their offensive so you can attack.-
-Here monster! Taste my radiant steel!- The Beast Knight rushed head first dashing out of the way from the slithering tendrils, using his sword to deflect them, trying to open a path for Aria to attack through while drawing the enemy attacks towards him.
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Post by Iris on Mar 2, 2017 4:42:07 GMT
To cut from the root would have been easy if it were as simple as the farming her people did; clip the soft greenery, replenish your stocks. Yet these were not plants. These were ferocious monsters toiling beneath the sand, giving the two warriors a fierce amount of trouble. The last beast took a few tons of city to destroy it, how were they supposed to fight this threat with nothing but sand among them?!
“To speak of finding out-” The brawny woman dug her feet upon the ground, powerful legs sifting through the sand as she pounced away from the stinging slashes. The hardened, petrified wood of her spear was twirled, clutched within her hand as her opposite arm placed itself to brace for the sideways smash she was subject to receive; her fangs grit upon fine sand within her mouth, legs strong and sturdy yet causing her to skid beneath the force. “-is easier in theory, than in practice, Knight!”
Clearly displeased and no worse for wear, Aria found herself subject to the delightful game of chase that ensued. Dodging tendrils after tendrils, the act progressively growing harder and harder as her footing became lost in sand she couldn't grip upon, the Chief found herself suddenly knocked backwards by loose ground. However, such misfortune turned to be a blessing in disguise as the tentacle slapped over head, making a low growl rumble in her chest.
Maneuvering her way back up, she nodded hastily in answer to Callis’s plan, letting out a snarl as she took forward in a blur of dark flesh and messy hair, only the wind whipping through her beads to signal where she would be. Focused and feral, Aria was gone in one space then present in the next, chest heaving and heart thumping as she made her way upon the assault. Callis’s distraction was welcome, but could she pull this off the way she was now? All of her transforming was beginning to make her head fuzzy and if she could take time, if ever small, to recuperate...she would: for the sake of herself and the sake of the mission.
A flurry of heat, fang, and precision, Aria appeared before Callis’s side, spear head but a glint with its target in sight. She shoved the finely grinded tip upon the point where putrid fossil and inhuman black sand met, throwing her weight upon the puncture, wondering if it would even give. If her jaws and claws hadn't been able to destroy the creature before, would her spear be enough here?
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Post by Kuma on Mar 15, 2017 4:49:51 GMT
Aria crashed against one of the creatures. The power of her attack created a small shockwave, pushing the dust and debris away, revealing the true identity of the creatures. The fossilized tendrils came from squid-like creatures, surely prehistoric in nature, who lied in rest deep within the confines of the silent stones, until their immemorial final slumber was broken by the insidious powers of the Black Mineral. The creature tentacles straightened for a fleeting moment before collapsing, as the Firm Chief’s attack was more than effective on destroying the connection was reanimating it.
This gave Callis a breather from the non-stop attacks, finding a gap on the other creature defenses and rushing through it. -Perish foul creature!- The Beast Knight was flooded by a strange fervor, the Prehistoric cephalopods reminded him of the dangerous Unda, malformed creatures that were a periodical scourge to the people of Centris. Callis ran through the whip-like offensive deflecting what he couldn’t dodge until he reached the gathering point of the Black Mineral, seemingly the creatures possessed by this substance had some kind of nucleus, a point from where all the power came from.
The Beast Knight did a double stab with his blade, piercing deeply into the creature’s head, through the Black Mineral. -Return to your resting place.- He proclaimed, twirling his blades to shatter the substance from the inside out, the squid collapsing like a dirty rag, the Black Mineral turning into black sand and fading into the floor. Callis smiled for a moment, still immersed in the battle, but soon a twinge of pain flared up on his side and his leg. Seemingly his defense wasn’t as solid as he thought. Quite painful laceration now adorned his body, not fatal, not even severe, but still quite bothersome.
With a silent grunt he fell into one knee, one of his swords vanished and used the other for support. Callis, panting and incapable of talking, looked at Aria with a tired smile. He looked as if he was about to collapse any minute. When his breathing normalized he only managed to weakly ask. -Are you alright? Have you been injured?-
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Post by Iris on Apr 6, 2017 7:22:28 GMT
The shattered forms of her foes were a welcome sight, one she greeted with a swift twirl of her spear that resulted in the spearhead buried upon the shifting sands underfoot. With Callis’s grandiose slay, Aria took it upon herself to reach down suddenly while the Beast Knight fell, grasping for the black sands that slithered away before her very fingertips. With a slitted glare, she remained silent as they settled into a momentary reprieve, nostrils flaring and ears flicking idly in small swivels. “Gods be damned, I can’t hear or smell anything here…” All she smelled was the simmering heat with its earthen undertones and the only sounds present were those of the whistling wind and debris falling from the mountainous rock-face they rested by. Clearly, this black sand was the cause of their griefs, but until she could get a good sniff...or find where it was slinking away to, they were at the mercy of the unknown.
So consumed in her hastened thoughts, Aria only noticed her companion’s struggle when the thick, crimson scent hit her sensitive nostrils. Giving a tilt of her head from her stooped angle, she wore a mask of analyzation; there was no worry, nor irritation. “That’s a nasty wound.” A simple statement and she stood, approaching him. A clawed hand reached towards the cape of his back, giving a tug as she did so. “I’ve no bandage or remedy, but you’ll need to staunch the bleed. Lest you desire to bleed out in the sands, it’s your clothing that will have to do.” Obviously, she’d shed the last bit of her prior clothing for her transformation on the way here. “All things considered,” tugging again, her nails beginning to pierce his cape, “-it’s not deadly. Not now, anyways. I’m sure you’ve fared much worse, you wouldn’t be standing here if not. And surely, this isn’t where you wish to finish standing.”
“Though, if you wish not to don bandage to your wound, I can simply carry you the rest of the way.”
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Post by Kuma on Apr 7, 2017 2:58:58 GMT
-It seems that would be the case Messa. But allow me to procure the bandages- Callis nodded as he took off his coat and still on his knees used the sword he was using as support to cut the coat-tail and then he cut them in long and wide ribbons. He did the whole cutting job without touching the fabric, just throwing it above him and flourishing the blade. Clearly, even with immense pain, he could still perform great feats of swordsmanship, even when Callis would say this was more of a party trick than anything else. Still he winced after performing the task, doubling over and failing to grab the falling improvised bandages.
-Ugh… That was not the correct course of action.- He removed his hand from the wound, now more exposed without the jacket, it was a more or less clean cut and his naturally enhanced healing was already slowing down the bleeding, but still without the proper support it would hurt like crazy. Callis took off his bloodstained white shirt and this time around he cut the shirt without so much flourish, reducing the length of his blade down to the longitude of a cooking knife. -I am in luck that I got several of these outfits when I bought them, I knew most of them would end up like these.- The Beast Knight tried to do some small talk to avoid thinking about the pain.
Finally, after what seemed an eternity he finished cutting the shirt into ribbons and started applying them first over the wound, after using a couple, with a bit of water, the last he had, out of his canteen, to clean the blood. He used the remaining shirt bandages to cover the wound tightly, grunting when he closed the knots. -I should have acquired a first aid kit like they people from the office told me.- This time around he was whispering to himself, chastising his lack of preparedness. He then placed the long red bandages made from the coattails of his jacket to furtherly pad the wound to avoid the bleeding and mitigate the pain when moving. -I think this will work for now.-
He stood up with considerable effort, there was a small puddle of blood underneath him, clearly pointing out he was weaker after the wound. The Beast Knight shifted weight between his legs, trying out the bandages, but a sudden shift in the sand beneath him, caused by the displacement of a rock, made him lose his balance. This first caused him to attempt to right himself, which only got him pain in return, as his abdominal muscles pulled the wound, he winced and lose his footing, falling directly towards Aria. -Move out of the way!- He exclaimed, hoping she will be in time to avoid him.
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Post by Iris on Apr 10, 2017 15:15:20 GMT
Her steely, golden gaze simply flicked about from subject to subject as Callis worked on creating his bandages; from watching his flourish with a non-impressed expression, to scanning the emptied sands about them, Aria seemed considerably more in edge than usual. They were out of their element here...Aria was used to lush forests filled with anything and everything to assault her senses, yet here...the desert was so underwhelming. "One could have simply asked for assistance. You risk your own health in such flourish, sometimes a simple touch is all that's needed." Whether she was being condescending, chiding, or both, would never be answered directly from her. Aria stood with a slow rise, giving a roll of her tense shoulders, muscles rippling beneath the dark, tanned, painted flesh. She felt antsy. This kind of feeling was instinct, she knew it to be so, and the Beast within her was thirsting for a fight.
With reflexes of inhuman capability, the falling Beast Knight would find himself cradled in a singular arm, a loud click of her tongue upon her teeth following. "And now you've gone and made the wound worse. There's no helping it." A clawed hand gripped to his shoulder, an iron hold. Giving a sniff, noting the thick, iron scent clinging to his flesh, Aria knew he wasn't in any position to finish their trek upon this silly rock-face. "Hold this." The way the Chieftain spoke showed she was leaving no room for argument. Even in his injured state, she was positive he could put up a fight, but they didn't have the time for such squabbles. Aria handed Callis her weathered spear, trophies and small trinkets ringing upon one another with the movement; hopefully, the sudden offering would distract him long enough for what she was about to do next.
Stooping for just a moment, Aria's other arm scooped beneath the Beast Knight's weak legs, hoisting him up until he was held in quite a compromising position within her clutches. "I've not the time to drag you up this mountain. Be a good pup and hush for a while, let your wound rest, for I feel whatever awaits us at the top won't be so considerate." Already, the stern woman was moving, not looking particularly pleased about their situation either...but Aria had a tribe to save and a defiler to punish. Thankfully, whatever damnable creature was causing their woes had chosen a mountain with a conveniently carved staircase, one she was hoisting Callis along with her.
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