'Children of The Shroud' - A Dark Fantasy RP (Interest/Recruitment - CLOSED AND STARTED)

[EnigmaticSevens]

The animal fear surged through Ezrah's veins and for a brief moment he struggled against it, but that was not the way. In half a heartbeat teaching supplanted instinct and Ezrah ceased his struggle and let his body go clear and bright as his mind and heart flooded it with the vigors he'd need to survive this. He rode the fear, bucked with it, and watched the scene unfold before him, all the violence and chaos and shouting. He kept still, perfectly still, like balancing on knife points ready to bolt if no other path showed itself, but unwilling to draw the beast's attention. Motion and sound would do the trick, sure enough, especially if this creature haunted the dark places, Ezrah would give it neither in undue amounts. The flicker of its tongue brought to mind a snake, a snake had queerer methods for searching out prey. A problem, but not one Ezrah would fret over now, not with all these other warm bodies making such a fine ruckus. One of the girls produced a pistol and managed to do little else than stoke the beast's ire. Good, time now to-

Ezrah came hurtling from his reverie as Selena pulled him from his crouch and into a nearby alcove. Gods above and below, he'd nearly forgotten the girl was here. Would she complicate things? Could she keep quiet, fade into the background, mask and muffle her steps? It'd be a horrible risk to bring her a long... and still he couldn't simply leave her, not this broken, damaged girl full of woeful tales, not when she'd shared those tales willingly, not when she'd asked for aid he couldn't conjure. The two needs warred for a moment and tied a Ezrah's guts into a fine knot, and Selena spoke, "I-Is that the candle that makes the bright light. G-g-give it here, I have an idea!"

Was she mad?!? The intention was clear enough, blind the beast, that enough was plain. But what then? The thing survived pistol shot to the face, would light cause so much more pain? It would slow it, for a moment perhaps, and piss it off royally. Then the hunt would begin in earnest. Ezrah would not wait around for that, he would not waste this brief window the first ruse had bought him. He rummaged through his pack for another sea candle and pressed it into Selena's hand, holding it for a moment. He shook his head and whispered as he pulled away, "Fool's work, Selena, leave it to them. Come with me... now's for running...."

Ezrah held the young woman's gave for a lingering moment before his eyes flickered to the beast and the children, children who were now flinging stones and... and... flaming cards? It made no difference, they were making a lovely racket and stoking the monsters fury ever higher. He backed away, out of the alcove, slowly at first pulling his dirty cloak tight about himself, knowing it matched the dingy color of the sewer walls. Soft steps, light steps, ghost steps, more and more until the noises became echoes. He turned then and ran outright, letting the map in his mind serve as guide. If Selena followed, perhaps he'd hear her before the lizard did, perhaps he'd have enough time to double back and help her on... perhaps. For now, 'perhaps' was all he could spare her. His mind turned to what was left in his pack. One more candle, the warped rat ichor, a few other varied reagents and unguents, no explosives unfortunately. He'd expected many things in this venture, but nothing involving grenades... that'd be a lesson learned if he survived this. Not all bad news though.... He'd seen the liquid dripping from the lizard's maw, saw how it sizzled on the stones and ate through them, powerful acid indeed. He had the thing for that, two small pouches of white powder. That might just do the beastie in... might, but Ezrah had no intention of getting close enough to work that sort of sorcery. Still... some plan was better than none.

 

[NinjaDeathSlap]

Kriggur's cries of pain emerged as strangled screeches, ans she thrashed wildly around the passage, searching for a single target for her wrath. She may have been made half blind, but her other senses were still acute and the pain only seemed to make her more wild. The trouble was, there were so many, and they crowded around her. An ambush predator is not used to dealing with so many targets.

That small advantage would not last forever though, as she rounded on the sound of retreating footfalls. Something she could recognise. With a furious hiss she opened her jaws and shot out her tongue at the running boy with lighting speed. The thick, sticky pad struck him clean on the ankle, sending him sprawling on the cold, wet stone. From there, she need only reel him in.

===========================================================================================================================

The Children stood almost dumbstruck as they observed their charges increasingly lame attempts to fell the beast. Well, at least they all had the small sense to attack at once...

"I say this lot are a hopeless case." declared the burgundy one. "Let Kriggur feast tonight."

"The answer is there, give them a moment." The Grey replied. "If they don't act in time, we will intervene."

"Why?"

"Because I don't make the rules, and neither do you!" he snapped. "If you want to go to commune and tell our master why all of his new hopefuls are dead, be my guest."

 

[Dogmatic99]

[sub]No... no..."[/sub]

It was back and it had seen her. Maggy's blood ran cold as it slowly lumbered out of the dark, each step thudding against the ground and the glistening light reflecting off its distorted flesh. It saw her, it was looking for her she just knew it, it was looking for her.

Then it made a break for them "NO, NO!" and every thought in Maggy's head exploded as her animal instincts took over. Maggy sprang out of the way and scrambled for some kind of place of safety. The whole tunnel had erupted into action as the others all seemed to try and pull every damn trick they could think of right out of their arse. Though the fact that a few of them even tried to shoot and stab it served to show how woefully unprepared Maggy was. She ran and struggled to stay clear of the beast in a frantic attempt to survive. In the pale light of the torches it all seemed to blend together but Maggy at least managed to get close to clear of certain scaly death.

This could be her chance, she could get clear and run. Leave it to eat all it wanted and she could get back to ground level. But it was blocking the tunnel and Maggy couldn't go back the way she came. She could keep going forward, find this shroud lot but what if they were the ones that had sent it, what if they wanted her dead? Of course they did! That was the only thing that made sense. So what... stick with the group? There was safety in numbers, not that Maggy had ever experienced that.

But there was nothing else that she could work out right now. In her own little moment of madness Maggy picked up the nearest rock and hurled it at the monster's head with all her malnourished might. For all the fat lot of good it did.

 

[Daystar Clarion]

'With the Trickster now a spilt second away from paying for his cowardice with his life, The Child in grey raised his hands towards the chaos, and murmuring some ancient incantation, slowly moved them apart.

At the point where the sticky flesh of Kriggur's tongue trapped Ezrah's heel (the acidic saliva burning through his clothes and smouldering the skin beneath), a tear made of the purest darkness opened up. In the shadowy depths of the sewers, it was hardly noticeable, especially with the far more prominent distractions in evidence; but this darkness was other-worldly, a black so rich it could drink the light from the stars themselves. The tear lasted for only a moment, but it was enough to break the seal, and Ezrah found himself scrambling away, whereas Kriggur was left confused, when she did not taste the morsel she had been expecting when she bit down...'

Spoiler: Flash dance!

Selena couldn't believe what she was hearing. Ezrah was just going to... leave her? It was then that she remembered where it was she called home. The Drowned District. No one truly cared for others here. Her eyes remained on the gift he'd bestowed on her for the briefest of moments as mere seconds later Ezrah had been seemingly punished for his cowardice, "NO!" She shouted as the beast's tongue coiled around his ankle.

Frozen in terror, Selena would have been too late to act he had not... freed himself? Somehow the beast lost its grip, though she didn't udnerstand how.

Doesn't matter! Move, dammit!

Glancing back at the object in her hand, she stepped out of the alcove and called out to the girl across the way, waving the candle in the air, "I need a light!"

Sparrow pursed her lips as the cloaked one began to flee, her eyes piercing into his back. "Son of a *****..." She muttered, anger rising in her throat. Maybe he was with the Shroud afterall, leading them all here to feed his pet. Right then she vowed to track the Shroud down, if only to kick the shit out of the little coward.

As the beast caught the little wanker, a smug smirk curled the corners of her mouth. Quickly snapping herself out of her self satisfaction, she started to move to aid the boy, when he suddenly seemed to free himself. The girl was perplexed for a moment, she wan't sure how he managed it. Her thoughts where interrupted when the Lashini woman called out for her to get a light.

"On it!"

Turning to the blonde girl, she smiled slightly "Get ready, owt could 'appen." She dashed over to where the white haired boy and magician were standing, both their attention on the beast, "Oi, pratt, give me the bloody torch you card throwin' toss pot!" Snatching it from the magician's grasp, she turned back to the Lashani woman, "Oi, Lashani, heads up!" Arching her arm back, she tossed the torch towards the woman, hitting the wall and landing by her feet.

Selena watched the girl move. For someone so young she was certainly leagues braver than Selena would ever be. She picked the torch off the ground and and in a panicked tone, shouted, "I... I have no idea!" Stepping into the middle of the tunnel she announced. "EVERYONE GET READY TO MOVE!" Closing her eyes, she held the flames against the candle. She could feel the light on her face and her hand began to burn almost immediately.

Terrified, she tossed the blazing flare down the tunnel, towards the beast and turned to run. She nearly tripped over herself as she pivoted on her heel, falling to one knee beside Ezrah after a few staggering steps. She grabbed hold of his sleeve, "Come on, we gotta move! NOW!"

Sparrow winced, shading her eyes with a hand as the Dragon Silver sparked to life, "WATCH YA EYES WANKERS!" She shouted as she pulled up her hood, aiming her gaze downwards as Lashani tossed the thing. Quickly moving in behind the woman as she fell, Sparrow grabbed her shoulder, pulling her to her feet, "Leave the coward, less'go." She said simply, using her other hand she beckoned the blonde girl. "Shift ya arse, we out!"

"EVERYONE GET READY TO MOVE!"

New prey. Kriggur head whipped around, and her jaws stretched open for the kill, but before she could sink her teeth into flesh, her remaining eye was filled with a light so searing bright it burned through all her remaining senses. She saw nothing else, heard nothing else, smelled nothing else. Her world was light, and light was pain.

Screaming shrilly, Kriggur thrashed and writhed about the passage, her head and tail crumbling brick as the slammed into the walls. Having been facing the full blast of the Dragon Silver, the light was now etched onto her mind. Shutting her eyelids and turning away did little to lessen her distress. Whimpering was not within her vocal range, but her hisses were strangely pathetic as she backed away, blind, from where she thought the source of the light was. Where still the glare did not dissipate, Kriggur dived once more beneath the water's filthy skin, hoping that the cold embrace would shield her.

================================================================

As the new hopefuls took their chance to run, the Child in grey turned to the others and nodded approvingly.

"The entrance to the catacombs is close, we should move on."

================================================================

As the group made it further into the tunnels, they slowed their pace. Some of them were visibly out of breath, others seemed hardly phased by the escape.

Sparrow pulled down her hood. "So..." She turned slowly, her arm outstretched, a dagger pointed at the cloaked one, standing near the rear of the group. "I dunno if you lot saw it, but this gutless fucker tried leavin' us for dead." Her expression hardened as she clenched her jaw. "No way 'e's with the fucking Shroud, nobody talks the way 'e does and is just an errand boy." She furrowed her brow for a second "An' neither am I." She said glancing at Blaize and Lashani. "Jus' wanted to make sure I wasn' gettin' screwed." She turned her attention back to the cloaked one.

"Certainly wan't gonna leave you to get et, like this ****."

 

[The Funslinger]

With the creature gone, at least for now, Will walked over to the boy, as well as the woman who'd lit up the dragon silver, and the blonde woman.

"An' neither am I."

A girl. I don't suppose it would be wise to admit to being a young girl in a city like this...

"Certainly wan't gonna leave you to get et, like this ****."

"A girl after my own heart. And that was very resourceful, using the dragon silver to drive off the beast. Even if you had to be particularly persistent in acquiring it." He shot the man beside him a dirty look.

"My name is William Hunt," he said, doffing his tricorne hat to the two ladies. "First-- uh... former First Lieutenant in the Privateers." Realizing he was still holding the pistol, he stuck it roughly through his belt before offering his hand to shake. "Thank you for succeeding at a task I was only half successful with," he finished sardonically.

 

[Ruedyn]

Giles spent his time watching the rest of the group flail around wildly, trying to take it down. It was just a fuckin lizard, WHY WAS THIS THING SO TOUGH! Next time Giles went anywhere, he'd have to remind himself to bring a real weapon. Or drugs. He wanted drugs again, this shit was fucked. Sewers to go meet up with a cult, what was the POINT? Why was he even fighting this thing, that girl with the acid burn.

Giles groaned as the little girl came around, demanding his rightfully snatched torch.

"Oi, pratt, give me the bloody torch you card throwin' toss pot!"

"Fuck you too, ya bird named fuck trophy!" She took his torch, throwing it either to or at the woman who reeked of prostitution, cute but he didn't see her at first... and the other one had his flowers.

"... Crap, locked meself in a corner on that one."

"EVERYONE GET READY TO MOVE!"

"What?" He poked his head out of the alcove, a non flaming card in his hand. He turned around to the little **** who took his ammunition,

"WATCH YA EYES WANKERS!"

"Wha- AH FUCK ME EYES FUCK!" He covered his eyes with his sleeve, the afterimage like a sun under his eye lids. The whitest one was polite enough to point him where to run, and he did so with reluctance. He hoped the one girl with the roses did, too, he was kind of invested in that. And he kinda wanted the roses back at some point.

They ran for a while, Giles noticed he got tired far before they did. That was not good, but he kept his own pace well enough. Still closer to the back, but he kept his pride on him. He was practically born with the body of an olympic sprinter, but that didn't mean much with his amount of substance abuse. He almost doubled over as they all came to a stop, instead opting to straiten up and stare at the ceiling as the little girl talked.

"So... I dunno if you lot saw it, but this gutless fucker tried leavin' us for dead. No way 'e's with the fucking Shroud, nobody talks the way 'e does and is just an errand boy. An' neither am I. Jus' wanted to make sure I wasn' gettin' screwed."

"So, kid ran." Giles said to himself, quietly as he regained any sort of composure. He moved closer to the front of the group, looking at her dagger pressed against his throat. Cowards deserved their long lives of regret, he always felt. They beat it anyways, all that shit was in the past. They'da found another way to beat it anyways.

"Certainly wan't gonna leave you to get et, like this ****."

'And now you're pointing a knife at him. Coward vs murderer.' Giles raised an eyebrow, he knew this would likely be some sort of cult bullshit, but he wasn't going to kill someone. He was worried such a young girl even thought it first. Fucken weirdo's around the sewers at this time of night.

"My name is William Hunt, First-- uh... former First Lieutenant in the Privateers."

'And the twat with the pistol. Good shot, at least.'

"Thank you for succeeding at a task I was only half successful with."

"And I'm Giles. Magician extraordinaire." He started, his false showman dialect returning, he shuffled his remaining cards, playing with them as he spoke. "Let's put the knife away, kid. Now is not the time for killing... I say we take his stuff. Won't be a problem any more at least, in case of any more, what was that, a test?"

 

[Ruedyn]

Spoiler: OOC

Double post, sorry.

 

[Arrogancy]

Blaize jumped back, almost tripping over himself as the creature shot out it's dark tongue. It was appalling, and fascinating. This thing was something else entirely. Half a second after it shot out, the thing's tongue tensed. It caught prey. Blaize looked back to see what was on the other end of the line, and his face hardened.

One of the others, some boy Blaize never caught the name of, had fallen, brought down by the thing's tongue. And he had been trying to run. Blaize shot a dark glare at the boy, before looking over to the others. The monster was distracted momentarily, and it seemed that a plan was taking form. He had only a moment before he saw Selena lighting something in her hand. Everyone was turning away and covering their eyes, and Blaize quickly followed just as Selena shouted out.

"EVERYONE GET READY TO MOVE!" Followed a moment later by Sparrow.

"WATCH YA EYES WANKERS!" Even with eyes shut, Blaize could see the burst of light, thankful that he had followed suit and not been blinded. The thing gave a cry, and Blaize opened his eyes as soon as he dared, blinking away spots in his vision. Whatever had caused that light, he was happy for it. He stumbled toward the wall, leaning on it for a moment, before hearing everyone start off. Wasting no time, Blaize dashed after them, bringing up the rear, keeping his dagger at his out, just in case.

After a time, they slowed then stopped, catching their breath. Blaize took the opportunity to look around, making sure that nothing else was coming after them. More deep breaths followed, then the near-silence was broken, by Sparrow. "So... I dunno if you lot saw it, but this gutless fucker tried leavin' us for dead. No way 'e's with the fucking Shroud, nobody talks the way 'e does and is just an errand boy. An' neither am I. Jus' wanted to make sure I wasn' gettin' screwed."

"I saw." Blaize said. He'd been suspicious about Sparrow's involvement in the Shroud, and it looked like he was right, though he probably should have paid better attention to their other companions. "And I'm right pissed about that." He turned toward the cloaked boy, tapping his dagger against his thigh. "Now, what're we gonna do with you?"

Others were talking in the background, but Blaize didn't hear. Someone named Will from somewhere or other, another one spoke up. "And I'm Giles. Magician extraordinaire. Let's put the knife away, kid. Now is not the time for killing... I say we take his stuff. Won't be a problem any more at least, in case of any more, what was that, a test?"

Blaize looked back, Sparrow still had her own knife out, he gave a slight smile. "Sparrow, keep yer knife out. I think it's a great time fer killing. 'Specially killing cowards who left us'ta die." He turned toward the other man, Giles, "An' if this were a test, then this bloody **** failed. Shoulda let him get 'imself et and run while it was distracted."

 

[Fappy]

"Leave the coward, less'go."

Selena refused to do so, however, and helped Ezrah along as the group ran further down the tunnel. Upon stopping to catch their breath, the little girl produced a knife.

"Certainly wan't gonna leave you to get et, like this ****."

Selena's eyes darted between hers and Ezrah's. She had a mad look about her. She'd really stab him without giving it a second thought...

"No, stop! There's no need---"

"Let's put the knife away, kid. Now is not the time for killing... I say we take his stuff. Won't be a problem any more at least, in case of any more, what was that, a test?"

Selena nodded, "Yes, please, what he said. Put the knife... wait, what? We're not taking his stuff!"

"Sparrow, keep yer knife out. I think it's a great time fer killing. 'Specially killing cowards who left us'ta die."

Selena's brow furrowed and she began to tremble. Was she afraid for Ezrah? Perhaps. Though, it was just as likely she was afraid of her own nature. Or at least, the futility of it.

Swallowing her fear, Selena jumped between Ezrah and the knife, holding her arms out at her sides, "Stop!"

"An' if this were a test, then this bloody **** failed. Shoulda let him get 'imself et and run while it was distracted."

"Say what you will about the boy, but don't hurt him! I-I... I won't allow it! Just, just move along, okay? He won't bother you..." If she was lucky they'd heed her request, but this was the Drowned District. If they didn't know who she associated herself with... or simply didn't care, this could end very badly for her. "Protection" can only get you so far. It doesn't protect you from the crazy ones.

 

[lacktheknack]

The beast had shrieked and dove back into the waters. Andra put her arm up just in time - the light was terrifically bright.

She heard the others running, so she ran with them. She ran for a short distance before it seemed that everyone was back together. The spots were still dancing in front of her eyes as she surveyed those around her and listened to their conversation.

"Certainly wan't gonna leave you to get et, like this ****."

So, the Shroud member abandoned us. Meaning you've traipsed through the sewers for nothing of interest. What a wonderful day.

"Let's put the knife away, kid. Now is not the time for killing... I say we take his stuff. Won't be a problem any more at least, in case of any more, what was that, a test?"

Andra saw that the man who had taken her pistol still had it. She grabbed it off of him.

"Sparrow, keep yer knife out. I think it's a great time fer killing. 'Specially killing cowards who left us'ta die."

Shoot the bastard.

No.

Why not? He's a frigid, evil goat of a man. Kill him, he's dead weight.

Dead weight to who? The group? What group? Are we a group now?

"An' if this were a test, then this bloody **** failed. Shoulda let him get 'imself et and run while it was distracted."

Sure. We're a group now. Now kill him.

You don't destroy dead weight, you leave it behind.

He left us to be eaten by the drowned and disfigured offspring of Denissa and Zapatos, with its mother's love for water and its father's appetite and bad smell. Justify why he shouldn't die.

Andra began to walk to the figure, who had another woman draped over him, begging for his life.

"Say what you will about the boy, but don't hurt him! I-I... I won't allow it! Just, just move along, okay? He won't bother you..."

Andra arrived at the two figures, and crouched down beside them.

Justify it.

She raised the gun.

JUSTIFY IT, YOU *****.

She turned the gun to the mob. "It doesn't seem fitting to me that we should simply kill the man who gave us the tools for our salvation," she rasped, her vocal cords frayed and fighting against her own brain.

But the words were out.

And the duelling voices shut up.

Andra was suddenly keenly aware that her gun had no ammo. Hopefully, no one else thought of that.

 

[Dogmatic99]

'OH HELL!'

Maggy almost flew away from the blinding light as she slammed her eyes shut and threw herself to the ground as all the screams of the other homeless (or whoever they were) were drowned out by the thrashing of the demon creature. The light even tried to scorch through her eyelids leaving blots on her vision when Maggy did open her eyes. It turned out she had landed just short of a puddle of the beast's deadly drool. The flowers she had been given... were not so lucky as they sizzled away into their doom.

After clearing that obstacle came running, lots of running. She more or less lagged behind the rest of the group as the various aches and pains as well as the fatigue of already doing this was beginning to take a toll. Then it was because Maggy realized they were going back in the direction she had come from, to the spiders and rats.

When Maggy did manage to catch up to the rest after they'd all stopped she found them throwing knives and threats around the place. Apparently one of them had been a dick and made a break for it. Maggy might have been tempted to try and move on but they were blocking the way and had easily proven that there was at least some safety in numbers. Maggy looked over the motley bunch, what the hell brought this kind of crew together? Either the shroud had tried to feed them to their pet demon or they were into reaching out to really weird mixtures.

And here they were saying they should cut a fucker for running from that thing! "Course 'e bloody ran. Who wouldn't run from that thing?" Maggy muttered quietly.

Hell she'd ran from it like mad... and lead it straight to them. But hopefully they wouldn't think of that. Still Maggy shrank back a little and avoided eye contact just to be sure.

 

[EnigmaticSevens]

The running stopped, the children slowed and came to rest, but the burning went on and on. That would need dealing with. It'd been Selena who'd dragged him along there at the end, when the beast had somehow lost its grip. The thought was a burning thing in itself, but the wound on Ezrah's leg was a real, physical thing, and he'd tend to it first. The voices around him were raised and angry, but Ezrah paid them no mind, none were within striking distance and the words were less than relevant. He peeled away what remained of the lower right leg of his pants and focused on the ruined flesh. He could still put weight on the ankle, that was good enough, meant the acid hadn't reached the muscle and tendon just yet. He pulled the powder he'd mixed for the beast, the powder he'd never gotten a chance to use, half parts marking lye, half parts surgeon's plaster. He sprinkled the mixture on the wound and winced as it fizzed and bubbled, producing a white gunk that spread through the acid that remained and hardened a moment later. The lye and acid made salt and water, salt to sting and clean the wound, water to mix with the surgeon's plaster, expand and form a bandage of sorts. The burning faded and Ezrah released the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. He'd need a firmer bandage though, in this dank, wet place full of disease. He had no bandages, but he could make due.

Ezrah shrugged off his cloak, then his coat, bundling both and setting them aside. A shadow fell across him then, and Ezrah looked up to see Selena standing over him, standing between him and a cluster of angry faces, some with knives drawn. Ahhh? well that explained the angry voices at least, did they think he?d led them to the beast? No? no that wasn?t the turn of most of their words. They were mad because he?d left, because he?d ran? Strange, had they expected anything else? Some of these were Drowned born, gutter children, and yet it was these two who pulled blades and called him out? Had the Shroud set out to cull the distict?s idiots by design? Ezrah tore a length of cloth from his shirt and used it as a makeshift bandage for his leg. He could scavenge for more clothes later, but he couldn?t risk infection setting in.

"Say what you will about the boy, but don't hurt him! I-I... I won't allow it! Just, just move along, okay? He won't bother you?," Again the words didn?t matter so much, but their source demanded attention. Why did she do this, why did she take such risk? He?d known kindness from Selena, and gave it in return, but this more than mere kindness. This was a sort of madness and while Ezrah felt the warmth in it, he wasn?t sure it was a thing he could reciprocate. It was madness, and it was heavy, and the weight rode painfully on his shoulders.

One girl drew close, the sailor?s pistol in hand, a pistol pointed at him. Ezrah?s fingers tightened around the hilt of the blade in his boot, even as he remained crouched. So it would come to blood then? So be it, at least this sort of madness Ezrah knew well, could taste in the heat of his blood and the burning in his ears. Two shots fired at the monster, but never a third?. No more bullets or no time to reload? It made little difference? the way forward was clear.

"It doesn't seem fitting to me that we should simply kill the man who gave us the tools for our salvation." The girl and her gun turned away. Strange and stranger. But why should it come as a surprise, strange was the order of this day! A sudden epidemic of heroics, the abject failure of a perfectly sound plan, a giant fucking sewer lizard?.

The lad rose to his feet, deft fingers drawing the boot knife from its sheath even as he stumbled slightly, still trying to find the proper balance. Ezrah started forward, pressing past the cover Selena provided with a firm but gentle hand. He stared down the knives and the children who clutched them, dark eyes alive with the flicker of the torchlight, full of a steady, low burning fury and the one madness that was all Ezrah?s own. These were not giant fucking lizards, these were not things to fear, these were human shapes, so much meat and fat and blood and bone.

Ezrah?s voice came out low, steady and clear, and while he never snarled, the words were full of the promise of sharp teeth, ?Ain?t nothin? bindin? twixt us. You? are? nothin?. I sang ta the lies bouncin? round in yer skull ta get the lot?ve ya movin?, as bait. As fodder. For whatever the Shroud has waitin? fer them its called. Woulda worked too if the dice rolled different. Ya can thank Selena fer yer lives. But now that game?s done and here?s another, and know this?. if I thought it?d bring me a single breath or silver, I?d paint this place red with ya, taint the meat ya soul leaves behind and scatter it about fer that beastie ta choke on.?

Ezrah pulled the neck of his shirt to the side, exposed the burned flesh there and chuckled as he turned away,? Ain?t somethin? ya get fer fairplay or heroics. Leave me be or come n?test my gods, yours are kinder, but mine ?ave claws. Or? keep dancin? pretty for the mad fucks that called ya to this hell, don?t rightly care and it don?t rightly matter, the way is forward?.?

The youth limped back over to Selena and the girl with the pistol and some of the harshness bled from his features even as his footing grew more sure, ?Miss? you?ve got better memory than most, and that?s a kindness, here?s two in turn. Never point an empty pistol, s?like ta get ya gutted. Leave this place, ain?t nothin? good at the end of it, thought it were slavers first, not anymore, slaver don?t risk product. S?a cult more?n like, a dark one at that.?

By the time Ezrah made his way back to Selena, the anger had all but bled away entirely, leaving behind a deep, nearly unsettling intensity. He didn?t speak for a long moment, just stared at her, eyes tracing her face as though searching for something. They lingered for a moment on a patch of raised flesh, a bruise on its way to mending. Ezrah?s fingers ghosted across the memory of violence, tender but hesitant. He shook his head, ?Don?t be so quick to spend yer life, Selena. Not fer them, not fer me, and not fer some death cult. I nae think joy?s at the end of these tunnels, and ya deserve such, hope ya find it.?

Ezrah limped along the path laid out in his head. He?d never ventured this deep into the sewers, and more and more he had to lean upon the shapes from the parchment, hoping he?d find their physical mirrors. The way forward was clear enough now, and he knew what needed doing. That messenger was herald to some mad cult, that messenger who?d picked his face out even when it was disguised. Ezrah would find the one who knew, the one who?d chosen, and slip a knife into him, one way or another. Then he?d disappear. Of course, all this assumed the lot of children wouldn?t nut up and jump him, that possibility existed, but Ezrah would deal with such when and if it manifested. The lot of them all at once? would probably do him in if they got into it, but it?d only take a few nicks to get the warped rat venom on his knife flowing, and then the screaming would start. Groups always broke to pieces when the screaming started?.

 

[NinjaDeathSlap]

"Well that was tepid."

"The Marked are always difficult to bend. However, for now at least, he seems capable."

"The little boy loves his toys and tricks, oh-ho! Poisons and poultices and all manner of things. He calls them his secrets, but he doesn't know. Oh, he doesn't know!"

"Yes, thank you Minerva. That's... very enlightening."

"There's potential in all of them, even the humblest, even if Brutus is blind to it in his hubris."

"I seem to recall more gratitude when I was dragging your sorry arse through the sewers."

"Enough, both of you! They are fauns on their first legs, but I see a stag in each of them, yes."

"Are you sure that's the correct metaphor?"

"Whatever it may be. The point is, we do no good dallying around here waiting for somebody's throat to get slit."

The potentials had reached the crossroads of Kriggur's lair, now empty. The dessicated corpse from earlier still hung stiff from the webbing. Squatting down, the Child in grey brushed the surface of the tributary with the tips of his fingers. The ripples travelled slowly across the water until the reached the centre, whereupon the stream opened up into a swirling, howling vortex. At the bottom was no discernible path, grate or trapdoor, but instead a portal made of liquid shadow.

The Catacombs awaited.

 

[Daystar Clarion]

Sparrow narrowed her eyes as the sailor and the magician introduced themselves, her gaze never shifting from the cloaked one.

Not Drowned, neither of the two, you don't throw your name around for no good reason, don't give anyone the time of day unless they're paying you for it. Her eye twitched slightly as the Blaize kid stood beside her.

"Sparrow, keep yer knife out. I think it's a great time fer killing. 'Specially killing cowards who left us'ta die."

Well, at least there was someone else who was Drowned born.

Was the coward even paying attention? He seemed more concerned with his ankle. As more and fuss began to kick up, the Lashani women placed herself between Sparrow and the coward.

"Say what you will about the boy, but don't hurt him! I-I... I won't allow it! Just, just move along, okay? He won't bother you..."

Sparrow looked up at the women, the fear in her eyes was obvious. Why would she put herself out there? For a coward no less, what could she possibly see in the little ****?

A twinge of reluctance sparked in Sparrow's eyes, she suddenly felt very uncomfortable, her resolve fading. She didn't like this woman being at the end of her knife, not one bit. Why was the whore doing this? The boy had tried to flee, to leave them all to their fate, why would someone want to defend someone like that? Sparrow opened her mouth slightly, as if she was about to speak, when the coward in question decided he actually wanted to be a part of the conversation.

Sparrow tried to keep up with the boy's odd dialect, but it just made her feel dumb, saying several words she didn't even understand. His tone was threatening enough, he might be a coward, but Sparrow didn't doubt he would lash out when cornered.

Trying to keep her confusion from her expression, she lowered her knife, slipping it back into her sleeve.

She was embarrassed. Embarrassed and stupid that she couldn't understand a thing the boy had said, embarrassed she couldn't think of retort worth saying.

Sparrow looked up at the Lashani women as the cloaked one started to walk ahead of them. Her gaze wavered slightly, then her expression hardened as she turned on her heel and began following the cloaked one.

Shroud or not, she'd keep an eye on him, his fancy words meant very little to her, but she'd remember them.

Just as she began to pick up her pace however, a strange sloshing sound emanated from the water beside her, was it the monster? No, it was too quiet for that. The torchlight glistened off the water in a strange fashion, like something was being sucked into the centre of a small hole, the water swirling around it.

"The 'ell is that?" She muttered

 

[The Funslinger]

Will listened to the conversations around him, and the strange boy's warnings. The boy who'd supplied dragon silver seemed to look at them all with the confidence of a man who has decided he was in no discernible danger. Will shrugged inwardly. It was fine by him. He didn't intend to hurt anyone here, but if it came to it, he was one of the largest there, and had firsthand experience avoiding knife blows. And if it came to having to kill again, he supposed he'd do it even if the context was less honourable than when he'd previously taken lives. A man had once told him after all, there is a simple honour in poverty. Of survival and hard decisions.

Shrugging visibly now, he put forward to the group at large, "even if he was being particularly self absorbed about it, I suppose we were all trying to escape that thing in one way or another. I've likely not been... here so long as the rest of you, but do you mean to tell me that the rule of survival in the Drowned District is anything other than looking out for you and yours? Not that I'm defending him, I'm just curious. We are very little to each other, after all. Whether that will change remains to be seen. For now, we've each of us a choice to make: turn back, or move on. Personally, I think I'll see this through a bit further."

He turned to a few of them. "Kaim?" then the lady of the night, "m'lady?" the burned woman who'd supplied the pistol, "m'lady?" and finally the boy who was really a girl, "... Sparrow, was it?"

Before they could respond, a strange sound filled Will's ears. It reminded him oddly of the roar of the ocean. It was followed and overlaid by a slick rippling. For a moment, he thought the lizard might be resurfacing, and then he saw the play of the light on the water.

A whirlpool? No... there was darkness in the center. A strange darkness that almost seemed to glow. "Well... that's new."

 

[Arrogancy]

Blaize kept his knife close. People were taking sides, it seemed, for some reason they seemed to be trying to defend the coward. He just silently glared at them. One of the women, he couldn't think of the name, grabbed for a gun and pointed it toward him, in the coward's defense. His knuckles went white, gripping the dagger, holding it still, his arm taut, ready to spring. If this came to blood, he'd be ready, it wouldn't be the first time he'd had to kill, it wouldn't be the first time he had to win a fight outnumbered. But the others were making it clear, they wanted to keep the peace. No bloodshed.

He turned back, glancing toward Sparrow who was lowering her own blade. Probably a smart move. No need to force a fight for blood unless you were sure you could win. Blaize didn't put his own knife away, but loosed his grip on the blade. Maybe this might not have to get too bad. Then the coward spoke.

"Ain't nothin' bindin' twixt us. You... are... nothin'. I sang ta the lies bouncin' round in yer skull ta get the lot've ya movin', as bait. As fodder. For whatever the Shroud has waitin' fer them its called. Woulda worked too if the dice rolled different. Ya can thank Selena fer yer lives. But now that game's done and here's another, and know this.... if I thought it'd bring me a single breath or silver, I'd paint this place red with ya, taint the meat ya soul leaves behind and scatter it about fer that beastie ta choke on."

Blaize stared at the man for a moment, dumbfounded. What had the man just said? He looked to everyone else to check that he wasn't the only one who had heard. Another spoke up.

"Even if he was being particularly self absorbed about it, I suppose we were all trying to escape that thing in one way or another. I've likely not been... here so long as the rest of you, but do you mean to tell me that the rule of survival in the Drowned District is anything other than looking out for you and yours? Not that I'm defending him, I'm just curious. We are very little to each other, after all. Whether that will change remains to be seen. For now, we've each of us a choice to make: turn back, or move on. Personally, I think I'll see this through a bit further." Said another one with a posh accent.

A slightly choked sound escaped the back of Blaize's throat. A single thought raced through his mind: Has the world gone barking MAD? A crippled man tries to leave them to a monster, then admits to his treachery and people aren't killing him? Worse, they were actually defending him?! It was...No, there was nothing that Blaize could think of that made this situation make the slightest bit of sense.

It was only Sparrow's exclamation that brought him out of his confusion. "The 'ell is that?" She said. Blaize looked to what she was talking about, and was greeted with...something. It was dark, he thought, dark and amorphous, until he realized that it wasn't dark, it was darkness. He instinctively took a half-step back. "Probably another Shroud thing." He muttered. Whether something was supposed to come out, or they were to go in remained to be seen. He just kept his eyes fixed on the darkness.

 

[Rufio's Ghost]

The supposed shroud member had been felled, collapsing to the floor in a graceless heap. The creature's tongue pulled taunt, dragging in her meal slowly, painfully. It was inevitable, they would all die here. Langston shut his eyes tightly, wishing not to see his own death or anyone else's. Andra was gone, now this boy, and then the rest of them. Why did he think there would be a different result? Death was always inevitable.

Two voices boomed through the tunnel

"GET READY TO MOVE"

"WATCH YA EYES WANKERS!"

Followed by a third,

"Wha- AH FUCK ME EYES FUCK!"

Langston had not only closed his eyes, but had covered them with both his hands. He pressed them against his face so tightly that he couldn't see the flash, his only signal to run was the sound of the panicked scurrying that surrounded him. He began to move towards the others when he noticed the knavish brute stumbling about the tunnel, bitching about his eyes. The fool can't even follow simple instructions and he was a jerk... but still, that was no reason to leave him behind. Langston let out a exasperated sigh and ran up behind the blinded magician. He lightly placed his hand on the struggling man's shoulder, turning him to face the direction he needed to run. His tone was urgent, "Everyone is going this way- please we have to hurry."

Langston stayed near him until he was capable of running on his own. When they finally reached the others Langston doubled over, trying to catch his breath. The crowd burst into another argument centered around the would be shroud member. He focused on his own breathing, refusing to get involved in another debate. Last time he spoke up he was hit and then had his torch stolen... It was best to just keep to himself, not that his input would have mattered anyway.

A familiar rasping voice rose above the rabble ,

"It doesn't seem fitting to me that we should simply kill the man who gave us the tools for our salvation,"

'Andra?!'

She was here, along with everyone else. A small relieved chuckle escaped Langston's lips, they had all survived- maybe all of this wasn't so hopeless after all. He rose to his full stature in order to properly address her, but his cheery smile was met with a stony fixed stare. He awkwardly stumbled back, more afraid of her expression than her pistol. Although she had been so friendly before, it appeared that something darker lurked behind her kind words and pained smiles. Perhaps all the tongues here were forked.

'She isn't going to shoot us, is she?'

He quickly dismissed the question, there was no point in fretting about it- if she wanted to shoot every one of them, then there was nothing he could do about it. He kept his head down waiting for whatever would come next.

He felt removed from the whole situation, watching as the other traveler's reflections shuddered and flickered on the surface of the water, becoming something more akin to shadows in the weakening light. Sudden movement and a chilling darkness enveloped the playful shades of his fellow initiates, consuming them wholly. Had the torch gone out? The flame had been growing weak, but not enough to completely die out. Langston quickly looked back at the group, the man who had used the pistol was introducing himself, the light reflecting mockingly off his leather tricone hat. And there it was, the torch was peering over this Will fellow's shoulder, held by a young woman.
A chill sank seep into his bones as he looked back at strange phenomenon. The unnatural darkness had expanded and begun to swirl closer to him.

"The 'ell is that?"

He stepped back, fear culling in his throat. He wanted to cry out for help, but his throat had become tight making it
difficult to even whisper.

"Well that's new."

Langston exhaled deeply, allowing a few words to escape."Uh... Excuse me sir, but wha- What should we do?"

 

[JokerboyJordan]

Their attempt fruitful, Kaim had shielded his eyes in the nick of time to avoid the scorching light that came from the same powder that had served as a beacon not long before. Not long after the successful escape did the accusations of blame began to fly, with a few instances of introductions between the harsh tones and angry voices.

The cloaked one rose from bandaging his injury to a sea of evil eyes and pointed weapons. Knives, guns, glares. All were drawn and directed with malicious intent, those wielding them making no effort of hiding the fact they'd like nothing better to do then kill the boy where he stood.

One girl up to shield him, her intentions seemingly pure and motivated only by kindness, yet there was clearly a familiarity between the two. Kaim remembered how the woman was the first to call him by name, before the two retreated to exchange in hushed voices before the monster had attacked. Was she in on this too? Was he in the first place? Kaim was unsure. His morals were dubious at best, but his sheer terror coupled with the injury sustained in the incident seemed to convey that even if it was his plan to get them all killed, something had gone wrong.

Sure enough, his reasoning was verified as the man himself spoke out in the wake of the disaster and the accusatory tones. He admitted to all Kaim had thought of and more, showing blatant contempt for the group as answered their grievances with nary a care or remorse.

"...if I thought it'd bring me a single breath or silver, I'd paint this place red with ya, taint the meat ya soul leaves behind and scatter it about fer that beastie ta choke on."

With that he showed his true colours. He was no different from the men who would beat a person to death on their way home for merely the single coin in their pocket. He was drowned.

Mercy. That's what this woman was asking for this man, in spite of this confession. Mercy, for the person that had purposefully tried to lead them to their deaths, and then abandon them at the first sign of any possible danger to himself. A coward and a lech.

Kaim wished that he too had a weapon he could brandish menacingly, having nothing of his own, not even the rock that he had had when he tried to ambush Will in the tunnel. Even so, he looked at the man with thinly veiled anger even when those around him began to lower their pieces.

"...keep dancin' pretty for the mad fucks that called ya to this hell, don't rightly care and it don't rightly matter, the way is forward...."

He echoed the same words as when questioned before. Clearly he had lived surprisingly rough, though that was hardly a surprising sentiment. His action as he displayed the burn marks on his neck seemed to convey that they had a higher meaning, but it was mostly lost on Kaim, who was confused on how he should now feel. Ezrah's repeating of the concept of moving 'forward' must have been a kind of personal mantra, and it reminded himself of how his own habit of spurring himself to life in the mornings.

"For now, we've each of us a choice to make: turn back, or move on. Personally, I think I'll see this through a bit further. Kaim?" William spoke.

Just as Kaim was about to answer, the waters began to surge before their very eyes. Slowly at first, but then with growing intensity, the waves began to converge into a single point, as the formed a veritable maelstrom as seemingly dark as the abyss itself.

"The 'ell is that?"

"Your guess...is as good as mine." he answered, bewildered. "Anyone else feel that urge to jump though?" he blurted out thoughtlessly.

Wait...why did I just say that?

 

[Terratina.]

"Anyone else feel that urge to jump though?"

"Eh?" Skylar turned towards the new voice. Strange cults, false guides, a terrifying monster, bursts of light caused by the Dragon Silver, betrays, brandished weapons, it was simply too much. Back then, part of her wanted to yell out that there was no need for people to die. But, those who speak out bring the spotlight on themselves and in this particular situation, that wasn't a good thing. Especially here, within the bowels of the city. Skylar knew she wasn't a predator, that she was docile, helpless and easy prey. There were a few sheep among the wolves, however, they had already started to growl and bear their fangs. Was there only death at the end at this death race? No, the murky vortex awaited. Still, there was no need to be so hasty.

Skylar picked up a rock (or what she hoped was a rock.) and threw it into the portal of liquid shadow.

 

[NinjaDeathSlap]

The rock was swallowed up by the darkness, with no sound to indicate that it had hit anything solid on the other side. The hopefuls leaned forward, waiting, listening. Five seconds passed, and then everyone jerked back as the rock was hurled back out of the vortex, landing at the feet of the one who threw it. It was still fully intact, with no sign of scorching or erosion.