Horizon Walkers (Game Thread) Dead

[Lunar Templar]

Lucia just smirked a little at Des's outburst, took talent to piss of some one like him, he was right though. "He's right you know, 'society' dictates a lot in how some one will end up being, if you grow up around people who think slavery is ok then, as Des said, the children will grow to be as rotten as the parents." Lucia said. "Trust me, I know ALL about 'social programing', the country on my world that I had the poor fortune of being born in uses religion to keep a pointless war going, and the people ignorant of the true nature of their 'enemy'."

Lucia paused moment."Besides, your people are now every one else's problem, right? Going to other worlds to take and sell slaves. Let them burn before they destroy any more lives I say. Whats more." Lucia pointed to Janice's bonds. "The people your so keen on protecting, don't seem to really need you stop her if they already have the 'big bad monster' shackled, do they."

 

[hiei82]

Kes was happy to see Des - and possibly Lucia - supported her plan. It was always good to know you weren't alone. However, she wasn't quite sure what to make of Des taking her hand. She certainly didn't mind it - if anything she liked it for reasons she didn't understand - but it was an odd action. Was it some kind of demonic way of showing solidarity? Some kind of comfort? It honestly just confused her.

Fortunately, she didn't need to dwell on the confusion for long as, a moment later, Janice apparently broke her shackles. Zuria acted as expected which caused Janice to act as expected. Kes briefly wondered what Janice had even needed them for if the shackles were so flimsy. Large parts of this entire Horizon didn't make sense to her; though she couldn't deny that her bias against the sea may have played a part in it.

In any event, apparently the children needed to be separated before they killed each other. Kes could have jumped into the fray immediately and likely stopped Janice's counterstrike but she'd hesitated. Not because of her plan or anything - stopping the idiots from killing each other supported her plan after all (since a free Mother of the Sea would be bad for it and a dead Zuria would be less than ideal). What stopped her was Des's hand. She'd forgotten he was holding it.She probably could have broken out of the grip easily, but she didn't want to hurt Des in the process. Thus, she let go of it more carefully than she normally would have before dashing into the melee.

Halfway to the battleground, she let loose her thunderous roar. What followed was a running, enraged punch aimed directly for Janice's face. If it connected, she'd quickly turn it into a clothesline to swing up upon the monster's back where she'd hopefully have free range to beat the idiot into unconsciousness. She took a second to shoot Zuria a glare just to inform her she'd be next.

 

[Josh123914]

Nettil sat back at the display, as people took sides and declared their motivations. Des shouted some things about being a demon and Lucia sai- "hang on." Nettil began to think to herself. Des being a demon? What kind? He appeared to be normal, but that may just have been some magic. His attachment to Kes may indicate some connection and-

Suddenly her thought process was interrupted by utter madness. Janine was apparently lying about the chains and decided to be a little ***** about the situation and pinned Zuria down. Then Kes sprang forth, yelling right in Nettil's ear, before clipping Janice in the face.

Now, Janice was wielding a spear in her upper arms and a curved sword in the lower set. Nettil glanced around and then stepped forward, dropping her staff. She then raised her arms slowly, erecting a large vertical soil wall between Janice and the others. She then stomped her feet in unison and pointed at the ground as a pillar a few metres high propelled her above the others. She then grabbed her spear and pointed the jewelled end at Janice.
Nettil then cleared her throat and put on her *leader* voice.
"Is this the part where you try to kill us? Because if you were never properly chained then why are we here?"

 

[DarkRawen]

Ignore

 

[Lunar Templar]

Lucia could only sigh as things slid the way the where going. Apparently the chains had been a lie, and this Janice was really only after one of them, all things considered, she was inclined to let the beast have what it wanted. She also looked on Janice with disappointment, for a 'seagoddes' she was remarkably lack luster in that regard, Leviathan would have wiped them out by now, but this Janice seemed more interested in toying with them.

 

[IFS]

Talks broke down rapidly, with Kes claiming that they should destroy a city themselves, Zuria claiming that Janice was a monster, and Janice not doing herself any favors diplomatically. Combat was suddenly joined, Janice's chains proving to be false (something Alex had suspected) as they rapidly reforged into weapons and shields to fend off attacks. Nettill threw up a wall and pillar, raising herself above the group and speaking as if for them. Janice laughed and brought down the wall with her body, now shown to be a monstrous snake in size.

"Enough," he said, half tiredly half cheerily "This gets us nowhere."

First he turned to Kes "You speak of ending the city ourselves but how do you plan such a feat? We are not an army, or I suppose navy, nor do I wish to hang around this horizon long enough to raise one," he said, "If you wish the city destroyed then Janice seems to be the simplest and best course for that, if you disagree with her intentions on the matter then you would be better served using your words rather than your fists."

Then he turned to Janice, he had no real desire to end an entire city, even one populated by as aggressive of a people as the Stharn, yet he did not wish to battle the will of a goddess.

"I do not wish to see you dead, nor would I personally wish the destruction of a people," he said "but surely there must be more lenient terms, something more agreeable, that we could reach. If you are a goddess of this world then it is your place to bring a reckoning on these Stharn, but this place does not seem wholly diseased to me, it would seem foolish to kill the patient to remove a tumor after all."

 

[hiei82]

Alex and Janice used their words to suggest a course of action which might have been effective against some people. The words were fairly well reasoned and - while not addressing any of Kes's concerns - had some level of persuasion behind them. Unfortunately, Kes wasn't the kind to listen to such arguments; particularly while enraged. It was sweet but meaningless words that made her people slaves.

So, while Janice spoke, Kes continued her assault; now with a new plan. As Janice parried her strikes with various weapons, Kes kept up the strikes waiting for the perfect moment. It came when Janice finally blocked again with a shield. Where before Kes had all but bounced off the shield, this time she shot her other arm forward, opened her fists, and grasped the shield. She continued through with the forward motion of the initial attack, but twisted herself - and therefore Janice's arm - as she did. When she regained her foothold, Kes unleashed her plan. She pulled.

In one fell swoop, she pulled with all her might, holding onto the shield - or anything else it transformed into - regardless of the danger. Either the gauntlet or Janice's arm would have to give way. With the way they'd been speaking about the gauntlets earlier, Kes suspected - and hoped - it would be the arm.

 

[DarkRawen]

When Kes ran ahead, Des couldn't help but stand and watch. He wouldn't want to get in her way, after all, and he still hesitated to get involved. However, then Janice turned the situation around, and seemed to have the upper hand. As much as he didn't want to help Zuria, the rest -Kes more so than anyone else- was a different thing.

Why do I always have to get involved?

He asked himself. He wished he could just find a horizon that was all about relaxing and courting beautiful ladies, and having fun. Des had imagined orgies with exotic ladies and new, tasty food. Soft pillows and no war. Not... not this.

Of course, it was unavoidable now, Alex had tried to talk -such a wise mortal- but everything had gone to hell right after again. He understood why Kes was tired, but killing Janice was likely not a solution.

Unarmed, but not helpless, Des reached out for Janice in the moment Zuria had managed to distract her. The moment he got close enough to him to touch her, he paralized the being, hoping that it would solve whatever issue the others had in making a decision, or at least calm the situation down long enough.

 

[hiei82]

Kes felt a moment of satisfaction at the cracking sound before the electrified hand slapped her back. After that, she mostly felt pain with a tinge of satisfaction. Then she hit the ground, bounced, and hit the ground again. Then it was only pain. Her face burned and her body wasn't fairing much better. She was fairly certain she was bleeding from the landing though how badly she wasn't sure.

Suffice to say, she was out of the fight until she had a chance to heal. This served to calm her down which in turn seemed to make the pain of the injuries even worse. Honestly, it was a miracle she was still breathing. Turning her head with great effort, she watched more of the battle. Des seemed to have overused his powers somehow, but the result was undeniably effective. She heard Zuria cry out for someone to help Des.

Almost at once, Kes began to crawl over toward the battle but couldn't make it more than a meter before her muscles gave out. Kes didn't want to be useless while her friends were in danger, yet she was just that. It pissed her off to no end. Well... to one end; the anger made for a good anesthetic.

Instead, all she could do was offer a slight movement to show she was still alive and mark an effective place to drop the wounded off.

Spoiler: OOC

Seeing as how Kes seems to be stealing the show lately, I'm pulling her out of combat due to wounds so the rest of you can show off without Kes ruining everything

 

[Josh123914]

Nettil watched the carnage unfold below her and didn't really know what to do next. Debating with Janice was evidently at an end, and looking at the massive girth that was Janice's body made Nettil reconsider whether unleashing the beast was a safe decision.

Des then walked calmly towards Janice and touched her, forcing the beast to slump down onto the ground, while Zuria called out for help; "Hey guy, are you able to maybe move this pretty boy? Anyone?"

Sitting up on her pillar, Nettil knew what she had to do now. Pointing the jewel end of the spear at Janice, Nettil dug in her heels and shot.
2 loud bangs were heard and Nettil's vision blurred again. She nearly fell off the pedestal, but when it was over she jumped down and had to drop the staff and flick freezing water at her hands. Her fingers felt like they were about to catch fire, and her palms were red and raw. This pressure seemed to subside immediately at her clothing, as the parts of her waist the staff was in contact with felt nothing.

She didn't even bother turning around, instead concentrating on plunging her hands into the water.

 

[IFS]

Things were going south, Kes was unwilling to talk and the others were striking out at Janice. Des he couldn't stop, nor Zuria, but as Nettil fell down on her column he saw her aiming her spear and reacted. He'd made harder shots before, and with less time to spare, his aim wasn't to kill her anyways rather knock her aim off. In a single fluid motion he drew his crossbow and fired at Nettil, aiming for her hands or arms above the elbow.

With luck she would drop her weapon, or have her aim completely thrown off. He wasn't certain how durable she was after all, though at the very least his action would serve to remind the others that they would not make it out of this course of action unscathed.

 

[Lunar Templar]

Lucia had just been watching things devolve from an argument to a fight. Though after a point she decided she'd had enough.

First thing she did was glide over to where Des and Zuria where and grab Des and pull him out of harms way, over to where Kes had landed seemed like the best place for now. Especially since the two seemed to have some kinda thing going on. She then flew up, her throat and wing membranes starting to glow a bit as she did. Once she got up as high as she was gonna go she turned around, and started to dive at Janice, unleashing all the energy she'd been storing for her breath attack in one big burst, which actually stopped her fall and pushed her back up a little before resume her controlled fall, and in taking Zuria's advice, draw her sword and aimed to take Janice's head off, the cut's strength boosted by the speed of her fall.

 

[Anti-American Eagle]

Kyras sat quietly as the exchange happened, simply feeling tired, everything made him feel tired here. The cold had seeped into his flesh and his bones, the fire in his veins felt dull and there was nothing he saw that he could burn without damning himself further. He saw the creature turn on them and them turn on the creature. Kes was hurt, Des was under the creature... the others he hadn't seen anything happen to really. He stood and started making his way to Des, but stopped when he saw Lucia pull him out and electrify Janice and...

What was happening felt somehow wrong to him. He wasn't quite sure why but it was kind of sad to watch the creature being killed like this. He would have preferred to have parted ways rather than kill the thing or mutilate Zuria, but Zuria wanted to kill Janice and Janice wanted Zuria's arm.

He wondered if this was where he was to die as he saw the blade come down upon Janice.

 

[DarkRawen]

Des blacked out for a brief moment after using his paralysis ability. He had been able to sense that Janice was large, but the actual size had overwhelmed him, and zapped most of his energy and vitae out of him. From the corner of his eyes, the demon saw the events that went down. From Janice almost falling onto him, to Nettil firing her laser at her, and finally, to Alex aiming at Nettil, likely to protect Janice. Des didn't understand, he had already paralysed her, there was no reason to keep attacking.

Why do mortals always have to make a mess out of everything?

He asked himself, as he felt himself get picked up by Lucia. He was too out of it, too exhausted, to struggle or even take a look at the situation. Instead, he let her take him. Lucia brought him over to where Kes was, and Des shut everything else out. The only thing he could see was Kes, lying there, hurt but still alive. Barely keeping his eyes open, he reached out for her, and crawled a bit closer. Des put his arms around her, safely. He wasn't sure if it was because he felt safe close to her, or because he wanted to guard her, but he felt at ease, and finally allowed himself to pass out.

 

[DarkRawen]

Des awoke on some boat, feeling slightly damp and with an all too familiar ache surging through his body. It was an urge for vitae, a natural reaction to having used as much as vitae as he had with Janice. He wasn't sure if he was sad that she was dead or simply because he had helped. After all, what some of the others had done was bad, attacking someone who couldn't fight back.

I wonder if someone would let me have some vitae.

How long did he have? Two weeks? One? Perhaps as little as five days. It was too little, he needed more. He didn't pay attention to the dealings of the mortals, instead went to find Kes. They were on a boat, and as they were approaching the docks, Kes might need help get off. Besides... he noticed her, and sat down next to her. Her face still bore the mark of a hand, but Des ignored it, instead put his nose against her. He didn't mean to, it just happened. He could smell her vitae as he did, and his eyes turned orange.

No, not Kes.

He didn't want her to live for a shorter time.

"Kes, are you fine?" he asked her instead. "Do you need help getting up?"

 

[Josh123914]

Nettil finished with her hands and stared at the new arrivals, before following the rest of the group onto the boat and leaving the leviathan to rot.

The whole journey was restless for Nettil, she didn't sleep earlier, and while she did eventually nod off. There were no dreams this time, but in the back of her mind Nettil cursed the prospect of having to confront some Janice creature, or another wave.
She awoke feeling anything but well rested, and noticed the palms of her hands were still red and raw. Grunting, Nettil plied through her pouch of seeds and took out two small pinkish ones. She sighed at their rarity, and dropped one on the floor, while the other went back into the pouch. She stomped on the seed, producing some powder that, when applied, soothed her aching hands.

After surveying her surroundings, and a few more needless minutes of waiting, she heard a voice from one of the crew.

"You're free to get off here, if you've any business to finish with each other I'll give you a moment but I'll need Zuria to come with me soon, the Shaman isn't patient. And I ask you of please, no trouble not until I return at least this is a delicate situation."

And at that, Nettil was more than happy to scoop up her staff and spread her legs on dry land.... or she would have, had the city not been built in the middle of the ocean.

Nettil stood there, looking out and slumping herself over the side of the boat. Her hair was probably a tangled mess as she hadn't bothered brushing it, and Nettil looked down on herself and remembered she still had several extra layers of clothing tugging onto her body of which was just handed to her by Des or Kes or someone else entirely.

"Excuse me is this the prince's ship?"

Nettil looked over at the girl just a few years her younger that was asking her a question. She had tidy hair and a light blue dress, with pretty furs cloaking her.
Nettil mused over the contrast of what Nettil may have looked like at that moment; a total mess. Then Nettil remembered she was being asked a question. She wasn't paying attention earlier, and rather than ask some stranger and look like a fool, Nettil took a deep breath, "Yesss...." she stated, averting eye contact almost immediately, before returning to face the girl.
"Why?"

 

[hiei82]

Kes's face hurt. She could see why in her reflection in the water; apparently the Mother of the Sea had left a mark. She had a palm print burned into her face, mangling her flesh and pulsing through her nerves in regular intervals. Despite this, Kes wore it proudly. She had many scars from many opponents in her short life and each was a sign of her strength and a memorial for the fallen. With each scar, she could point to it and say that she'd overcome.

Her face however wasn't her only discomfort. Physically, she was also on a boat again which left her fatigued. It was better than the small raft, but not by much. Kes could only take it as the Mother of the Sea's final revenge. The 3rd source of discomfort was more mental and therefore much harder to deal with.

For much of the voyage, Des was unconscious. This worried her. Part of it was their difference in strength. Des wasn't strong; at least not in the same way she was. He was enduring - perhaps even more than she was - but enduring pain and resisting it weren't the same. From her vantage point during the battle she'd seen his actions. Though she wasn't sure how his power worked, it was clearly draining beyond even her own berserker rage. As such, she was worried that the man wouldn't awaken.

But again, that was only part of it. She liked Des. She'd not put much thought into it until now. By choice. They were constantly running from one threat to another and there wasn't really a good time to think about it. Now however, the excuse didn't hold. The "threat" was gone and she couldn't really act on the slavery problem for the time being. With Des unconscious and her body in pain, unraveling Des was one of the few distractions available.

So, she spent much of the voyage near the unconscious Des sorting things out in her mind. That was, minus the frequent trips to the side of the ship to lose her lack-of-lunch. She hated the sea.

It was during one of these trips that she encountered Zuria. "When we get to this city; I'm giving you a chance to end the slavery. The Mother of the Sea was wrong to want to kill the innocent, but she was right that the Stharn are monsters deserving of little mercy. You helped me on the last Horizon so I know you don't support their actions and I owe you at least a chance. If they don't listen..." Kes said to her, leaving the response unspoken. Zuria no doubt already knew her methods.

With that said, she made her way back to Des. She sat there confused for a while, puzzling through the enigma that he was and her feelings on him. However, the more she thought the more frustrating it was. She wasn't built for thinking too much. Normally, she just looked for what was "right" and worked toward that; letting the rest fall where it may. In the end, all she got was a headache for the effort.

As they were nearing the city - also a ship much to her displeasure - and while on a trip to find some water, she noticed Des had awoken and was headed over to her and sat next to her. He seemed unwell to her, but she declined to comment. She was about to ask him how he was when she noticed his nose against her and his eyes flash orange. Even Kes could tell something was very wrong.

Then he spoke. "Kes, are you fine?" he asked her "Do you need help getting up?". At that moment it became clear. Even when he was clearly suffering, he was always thinking of others first. In that moment of clarity, her own path forward became clear. She'd been thinking too much; a first. She was Kes so she'd just do what she always did: do what felt right and figure it out from there.

So, she kissed him.

Then she got up. "I'll be fine. What about you? You're clearly unwell."

 

[Lunar Templar]

Lucia spent the trip sleeping mostly, as that lightning blast really took it out of her. She was aware Zuria had asked something of her, and she's pretty sure she said would, but she's not sure.

As she slept she had a dream about the time she'd met The Lord of Whorl, Leviathan. It was long after she'd left her kingdom for other lands and more open minds. Her mind drifted other places as well, but largely she slept well. When the ship reached port she made her way off like some of the others, Des and Kes for example where slow to get up and get going. understandable all things considered.

Lucia, upon getting off the ship just looked around not sure if Zuria was still around or not to do what ever she wanted her to do.

 

[DarkRawen]

"I'll be fine. What about you? You're clearly unwell."

Des was still baffled about the kiss. It had been an odd kiss, likely Kes' first from how it had felt, but it had still been... great. Of course it had. It was Kes. Des took a couple of moments to gather himself, and another to just look at Kes, smiling, foolishly.

"I... oh, right, you asked me about something," he started. Des usually didn't... well, he didn't stutter, hesitate. However, this was different. Kes had kissed him. She really was different from the mortals he had been with before, that he hadn't stayed around for long. Of course, that made it more difficult, at least right now. He could sense her vitae still, and wondered if he could just... reach out and take it further. Of course, he wouldn't. Not her, not Kes. He couldn't take her vitae.

Not Kes. I don't want her to die earlier, they already live so shortly.

"I'm fine, I really am. It's just... been a lot going on, and all the fighting has been unusual for me, so I'm a bit tired." He tilted his head. "So, want to get on... land, sort of?" he remarked, noticing that the city was floating.

"I mean, I know it's a bad place, but the others are leaving too. Besides, we might find another portal soon, I don't really like it here. Nor did I think Janice deserved to die, not after I had paralyzed her. We could have just left her be, she couldn't move most of her body either way. I mean, I don't think you did anything wrong, but we should get going soon."

Besides, I need vitae, one way or another.

 

[Lunar Templar]

As Zuria turned away, Lucia shrugged. odd request and even odder method of putting something on, still she took a breath and hit Zuria's arm with a jolt, not strong enough to do real harm, but more then enough to get her attention.

"So, what now?" Lucia asked after a moment, her hand coming to rest on her sword, as it usually did.