Very, very close to the Boil, there is a beach to the bordermarches.
The Crimson Needle Peak.
Infamous on the Boil, where a freehold resided until a little while ago. 'Behind the mountain', they called it. Those taken behind the mountain, those from behind the mountain. The Raksha. Adventurers went there, at times, seeking boons, seeking some way out of their iron-bound lives, to deal with the devils... and most never returned.
There were so many wondrous minerals in the Rouge Valley that led to the peak, but no mines existed there. Those that dug too deep found things they should not. The mining expeditions vanished without a trace. They learned soon where they were, Tainted Lands, Bordermarches.
And in the same way, the squadron sent by the Windians disappeared there, without a trace. But a new group now comes to it... untouched by the Wyld. Able to twist it at their whims. The greatest wyld-fighters and shapers on the Shades of Eventide.
The first thing to notice is.... that everything there is wasted. The trees are dead, trails cut roughly into the mountain for Behemoths to walk. It is ugly, it is broken. And then, into the Bordermach, there is the Freehold.
Whatever it was, it is not anymore.
Cast in iron, an opressive castle molded by the undead on the remains of Gossamer. Warded from the own Wyld around it, a palace of iron made to hold... made out of the broken dreams of a destroyed freehold.... broken dreams in iron used to made this... thing.
Child of Wyld Days: Monkey is there, watching, thinking, shivering. And even in the comfort of the Wyld, Monkey hasn't shed her false body, refusing to let go of her penance-acquired form just yet. And for all the ease that being back 'home' brings, both her broken state and the sheer... ugliness of the destroyed Freehold shakes her to the core, far more than it did before.
"This place must be torn down. Scrap by scrap. I will do it by myself if I must."
Danier Subaro Souzousama: "Gracious eyes of the Dark Angel", Danier Subaro Souzousama breathes. For yes, the Sunrise Traipser is there as well, standing tall next to the little Monkey, one foot resting atop a rock. His long hair and even longer coat flutter in the howling wind, giving his otherwise still frame the dynamic flamboyancy of a hero from a legend... for what is a hero without a wind that would set his hair and cloak in motion?
"They really are rough on our kind up here, aren't they? It's as if we'd seduced the wife of a local coldmetal merchant!"
Seventh Moon: "Didn't have a lotta love for the place way it was before," Moon said beside her, peering down at the twisted fortress, deep lines creasing his brow as he frowned. "This ain't a fuckin' improvement though."
That was where they had taken Wes. And all the others. Fuck knows what they might have done to them. He just hoped there was actually anything left to rescue. The Lunar clucked his tongue in disgust and glanced around at the others. "A'ite folks. How we gonna do this? I ain't got no problems with just beatin' down the door 'n shit, but fuck knows what kinda stuff they got waitin' in case that happens."
Elizabeth Holysword: Elizabeth scans the barren landscape and shakes her head. "We could likely do our rescue and be gone before anyone notices... but I'd not be comfortable just leaving this behind."
Child of Wyld Days: "If wyld things are working for the dead, and any hold what remains of the Freehold's cysts..."
Monkey scowls. "They already know we're here. You can't escape a freehold lord's eyes if they're looking. We might have to fight our way out... although maybe I and Danier can provide a distraction or assistance..."
Cael: Cael surveyed the valley, his long eyesight bringing all the ruin into close relief, at least as much as the wyld twisting would allow him.
"I too am not entirely happy with leaving this place as it is, though how possible it is to destroy depends on what help they have here. And that it appears, we will not know until we test the defences."
Danier Subaro Souzousama: "Preferrably, somewhere not-near the coldmetal clump", Danier adds with a trace of nervousness. He brushes his hair with a back of his hand, then adds, hastily: "Not a matter of cowardice, of course. It merely gives me a bit of a rash, that's all, and it's important for the lovers to meet in the right place for the romance to blossom properly."
He pauses, and winks at Elizabeth with a dark eye that glimmers like an onyx. "As the saying goes, that is."
Child of Wyld Days: "... ever the raksha," Monkey mutters in Old Realm, before she rises. "We should move. We might as well meet them head-on and handle matters quickly.
Seventh Moon: "Test, huh?" Moon mused after Cael, scratching the new growth of sideburns that had been building along his jaw lately, his fuzzy-ears folding back against his head thoughtfully. The Lunar looked around a moment, then stalked off to the side of a loose but heavy boulder painted in muted sunset hues. Giving it a moments consideration, a glance back to the fortress to judge the distance, he threw his arms around it. Caving finger holes into the surface of the stone as he hoisted it above his head, drift and ancient cornuted plant roots dripped down around him.
Taking two thunderous steps along the narrow plateau they'd landed to survey from, Moon barked out a grunt of effort as he hurled the stone skywards. The boulder rolled across the sky, shrinking into a pebble as it arched up into the air and began the inevitable plummet back downwards towards the fortress below.
Child of Wyld Days: "..."
"... even I wouldn't have done that." Days can't help but smile warily, even as she straightens up. "Looks like it's time to get moving."
Elizabeth Holysword: Elizabeth actually-- smiles. "That is one way to announce ourselves, as as good as any I suppose."
Danier Subaro Souzousama: Perching atop his little stone, Danier leans forward and shades his eyes, watching intently how the rock soars across the valley.
"Good shot", he comments and nods with approval.
Seventh Moon: "Well Monkey said they already knew we was about." Moon squated down and lifting a hand to shades his eyes as he watched for the boulders eventual landing. "Think'a it like sayin' hello the hard way, y'know?"
Narrator: The boulder came down... and crashed against the side of the fortress!
The sound was like thunder all throughout the valley.... all the way to where they stood, on the opposing peak. They could see the little forms move on the prision. Cael saw them exactly. Nemessaries... three of tem, wearing crimson Crusaders' robes. Two Raksha nobles ran there as welll....
And one of them took to the air, a lady whose cloak of mother-of-pearl allowed her to fly and survey their location!
Two dragons made of bone took flight in the air as well, each with a nemessary crusader on top.
They were looking for them...
Seventh Moon: "A'ite, so now we know the fuckin' things boulder-proof 'n they got flyin' chew toys..."
Narrator: Cael looks at it... and sees more. Two more nobles, one walking within the prision... and another down below.
The one within, a paragon of power, a blue creature in red armor.
The one down below a man with seven silver spherical bells chiming around him...
In the prision, he also sees something else... a man of great authority, flanked by two demonic tortures, and covered in a cloak of a crimson only found in the purest wine. Demonic tortures with long bladed hands... the trio walks inside the walls of the prision. He also sees little goblins, within the iron structure... creatures with disturbing smiles and long razored hands, composed purely of ice.
Cael: "It appears that those we see abroad are not all those who will oppose us." Cael notes, to anyone who cares.
"There are two more nobles within, and another man, accompanied by demons."
"Oh, and there are goblins. Many, many goblins."
Child of Wyld Days: "Typical. If the Wyld can do anything, it's make trouble in bulk. I can likely shape away the lesser troubles, though." Monkey smiles, ever so slightly. "In any event... we should deal with the patrol first. Shall we?"
Seventh Moon: "Let's try ta get 'um outta sight from the rest," Moon suggested, keeping an eye turned upwards towards the more obvious bone dragons hunting across the sky. He shared Day's grin, though his was anything but slight. "Maybe the fuckers'll be dumb 'nough ta send out more lookin' for 'um."
Danier Subaro Souzousama: "Hmm", Danier smiles and brings for his three-meter staff from his shoulder. Pointing the weapon at the approaching enemy, he closes one eye and sights down along the staff's length. "Any bets for whether or not I can hit the head of that foremost dragon rider from here?"
Child of Wyld Days: "Even a faerie's not that good." It's less fact and more a taunt, even as Days unfurls Owl and Serpent. "Nonetheless... I'm ready. I feel a bit less... skittish. Just a bit. I think I can hold together well enough."
Elizabeth Holysword: Elizabeth eyes the bone dragons as they rise into the air, a shimmer of silver light shifting her into the form of the Blood Angel. "It is a plan." Elizabeth says simply, reaching over one shoulder like one would for a sword, though she wears none. The crunch of splintered bone warns the others that they probably shouldn't turn around for a bit, then another crunch, and the sound of two wings brushing the ground.
Elizabeth arranges the wings end to end, muscle twining into muscle and satin down hardening into ivory steel. Essence ripples through the macabre creation shaping it into an augustine bow as silver runes write themselves across knifelike pinion feathers-- each sporting a gossamer bowstring on its tip more like a harp than a weapon of war. "Ivory Accord" the Lunar whispers to herself, plucking a strand of mercurial hair, shaping it into a fine silver arrow.
"How about a challenge then?" Elizabeth smiles
Child of Wyld Days: Snow Monkey pauses to watch Elizabeth call forth her self-weapon... and quirks an eyebrow.
"Resourceful. I assume that hurt?"
Seventh Moon: Centipedes, cannibalism, self-mutilation... why did all the ladies he hung around anymore have to be so damn intent on being gross? Moon kept his eyes set firmly away from the sounds of crackling and squishing things, eyeing the sky more intentful of looking at something other than Liz than really to keep a lookout.
"Challenge?" Moon's ears perked up at the word and the end to the unpleasant fleshy sound. "Whatcha thinkin', princess?"
Elizabeth Holysword: Elizabeth smiles. "Like all hells, Days, but hey--" she gives a wink, "--I'm immortal."
She gestures at Danier, "For which of us can hit the target at this range of course!"
Seventh Moon: Moon glanced at Liz, now so armed with with a bow of bone and arrows of silver, strung with gossamer string.
Moon glanced at Danier, who had... a stick.
"I'm bettin' on the lady."
Child of Wyld Days: Days pauses, mulls it over... grins.
"Dannie, between you and me.... one gossamer sphere says you can't beat her. Interested?"
Danier Subaro Souzousama: Turning his head, Danier smiles at Liz, then lowers his gaze down to the Monkey. "Agreed, little one. I will gather it right after we have fired out shots."
"Now", he then shifts his attention to Elizabeth, but not before giving a quick, mischievous glance at Moon. "What shall the lady whose beauty is like the full moon on a night that echoes with the moan of love fulfilled bet?"
Elizabeth Holysword: "Well then my southern prince, I'll offer you Sunset Lament: the sword that killed our late goddess of birds. There's quite a story there..." she teases. "...and what shall I claim in return?" she asks as she looks him over for not the first time in this journey, "Mm?"
Danier Subaro Souzousama: "Hmmmm..." Scratching his chin, the Sunrise Traipser makes a show of giving this due consideration. But then he brightens and flashes the Lunaress a smile that could make a star dip down from the heavens to take a better look. "A kiss from me?"
Child of Wyld Days: Days rolls her eyes.
"Seriously, charmer, make your bet, and make it quickly. Time is short, and we've good deeds to do."
Seventh Moon: "Pfft," Moon snickered quietly under his breath as he rolled up his sleeves. Ebb and Flow melted down his arms from the depths of the coat like living ink, bulging and hardening as they took shape on his forearms. "Cheap-ass..."
Danier Subaro Souzousama: The raksha turns and bares his perfect white teeth in a grin. "Don't laugh, envious ones. Women and men alike have killed for lesser things."
Elizabeth Holysword: "A kiss?" Elizabeth asks, putting one finger to small pursed lips in consideration. "Done." she snaps a finger, grinning predatorially. Obviously, if she won, Elizabeth would make sure got what she considered equal compensation, whether he knew it or not.
Danier Subaro Souzousama: "See?" he asks with intentionally poorly-hidden triumph. Gesturing at the Lunaress with a sweep of his hand, the raksha bows. "This lady is as wise as she is beautiful. She knows the true value of these things." He looks up from under his dark locks, a vicious smile briefly flickering on his lips.
"Now --" He turns back to observe the rapidly-approaching enemy. With one hand he holds the staff on his shoulder, while the other is tucked carelessly into a pocket. "There are two dragons and two contestants. What we shall do should be clear to all, I think. I will take the dragon on the left. The rightmost one is yours, my beautiful beloved."
Elizabeth Holysword: Elizabeth steps up to her place behind the southern Raksha, carefully settling Ivory Accord in her hand, "Shall we then?"
Danier Subaro Souzousama: Danier looks over his shoulder, smiling softly. "Ladies first."
Elizabeth Holysword: Slipping simply into form Elizabeth runs one hand across the fine gossamer strings, plucking them in turn: each one a perfect crystaline note. Satisfied, she picks the silver arrow from her teeth and strings it, threading it onto each of five strings before pulling it taut in a single motion with the ease and grace of someone who would be as comfortable with twice the draw. Setting her sight on the bone dragon to the right, she shifts her footing to compensate and lets the arrow fly.
Danier Subaro Souzousama: Danier's hand still rests confidently in his pocket. The smile does not falter from his lips even at the imposing display given by the Lunar maiden. A little twist of wrist and sunlight spills out at even intervals from the staff on his shoulder. He flicks his hand forth and the staff breaks apart into pieces of wood connected with strands of sunshine. Pulled by the motion of his arm, it arches high over his shoulder and clatters into a heap on the ground before him.
For the Sunrise Traipser's staff is an item from a story, pulled from the wordless memories of a myth and forged into corporeal form by hands that moulded dreams like clay. Fully extended, it had once tickled the nose of the Unconquered Sun and made the mighty god sneeze. His burning spit had rained to the Creation, and this is why Solar Exalted had such ample veins of Orichalcum to forge into their mighty arms and armor.
Danier scuffs the sand with one boot and kicks a piece of his staff up into the air. As it falls down, sunshine trailing in its wake, the raksha catches it atop one extended foot. He balances the piece for a moment there, then pushes himself into a little leap with the other foot. His legs turn into twin blurs, one foot swinging back from supporting the staff piece while the other streaks up to kick the piece with a terrible force. Off the staff shoots like an arrow from a powerbow, one piece plowing the way while the trembling strands of sunshine pull the other pieces along one by one, until there is an entire chain of light and wood cutting across the blue sky. It streaks up towards the bone dragon
and misses by a meter.
For a long, awkward moment the staff keeps on streaming past its intended target, rising ever higher to the sky. Danier himself does not seem to be troubled by this, however. He even takes his hand from his pocket where it had stayed over this entire display - and raises a single finger to tell the others to wait for it
The tip of the staff sinks into a cloud. The hollow thunk that follows echoes across the entire valley. The staff halts, trembling like an arrow. In the following moment of silence, Danier takes a hold of his weapon with two hands and braces his feet against the ground. The raksha pulls and grunts with the effort. The cloud trembles, creaks, then breaks free from the sky, its great mass falling down towards the unsuspecting dragon in a weightless, ominous silence.
Narrator: Elizabeth strikes the dragon... and her arrow goes through its skulll so powerfully that it shatters, breaking bone fragments to all four winds... as the crimson-cloaked nemessary above it falls startles, trying to find a way to escape falling to his death.... and on the other hand, the Cloud falls.... and crushes both the Dragon and the Rider, falling somewhere down the valley and making it shake with its thunderous fall!
And then, they were truly noticed!
The flying lady with the pearlescent cape made a gesture, and the winds around the falling crimson knight took life as sentient impish, winged snowmen to hold his fall. And at the same time, the noble beneath them allowed his bells to chime, with a smile upward....
... and all the trees in the slope below them jump upward, screeching like a thousand furious metal birds... which is what they become, birds of wood with leaves for feathers, with such sharp beaks they appear like arrows flying after their first jump, and their uprooting!
Danier Subaro Souzousama: Danier ducks out of the way as dirt and splinters of wood begin to fly. His staff re-assembles itself in a rapid-fire series of tack-tack-tack. Yet, even through the deafening clamor he extendes his long arm to Days.
"One orb of Gossamer, if you please!" he calls out, mirthfully.
Child of Wyld Days: "You will likely need it, wyld brother." A flick of a thumb, and the sphere comes to rest perfectly in Danier's palm. That done, Days prepares to act, smirking broadly.
Danier Subaro Souzousama: "''Agradecimentos!" Danier nods politely, snatching the orb and swiftly pocketing it. "Now, would you like me to borrow it back to you if you would kindly take care of this little racket we face?"
Child of Wyld Days: "Fair enough!" Already, Monkey's mind is pondering how to twist this little tale to their benefit.
Danier Subaro Souzousama: A flick of a tanned thumb, and back the sphere flies to the Monkey. "There you go. Don't forget, I'm only borrowing it!"
That said, the raksha dances back behind the others, his dark eyes glittering as he observes for anything (relatively) unexpected to happen.
Each hero needs a turn in the spotlight, after all, and Danier's turn was done. Now, it would be time for the lovely Days to act.
Child of Wyld Days: "Trees... trees! You think that you can make an honest stand against me... with trees" Monkey, feeling a surge of what she once was, spits. The shivering and fear pushed aside, if only for a second, the Child of Wyld Days stands tall.
For that moment, in the comforting arms of the Wyld, it is evident that she is every drop the queen of the Marches that she claims to be.
"I have no use for this nonsense." She lifts a foot, almost perpindicular to the hard earth below her... and brings it down with a THUD.
The mountain shivers.
The mountain moans.
The moutain opens its newly-born jaws wide, and with a hunger that knows no name, greedily gobbles up the pathetic army as it approaches, grinding wood and snow and gossamer between teeth of shale and granite.
The Shades of Eventide have a front-row seat to this disturbing even, the movement of the earth a barely-preceived shift that ends the moment it's felt. All the while, as the attackers are ground to paste... Monkey shivers almost orgasmically, small chest heaving.
"Oh.... oh Wyld and Sun and Moon... I miss this feeling..."
Narrator: The Mountain Devours Its Children.
They are held on its jaws... and crushed.
The mountain is bare.
They are now sitting targets!
Below, the Noble touches one of his Seven Silver Bells, and allows them to chime... and the sound is seen on the world. It ripples the world as the world were a pond. And the man, a noble of silver and grace, jumps, riding the ripples, like a sharp swimming uphill!
The flying lady of the Mother-of-Pearl cloak looks down. Oh, there they are... she closes her eyes. And the mountain shifts. The mountain changes. The mountain collapses and they fall to the ground, beneath it all. And what was the mountain becomes a giant labyrinth. A labyrinth they cannot escape. A labyrinth with a mad eye above it as a sun. The eye stares at the Monkey.
The eye strips her of her soul, and while all are lost, it attempts to destroy her! Danier feels the same... as the sight burns in them, and all hear the words within the labyrinth! All hear them, and the two Raksha feel them as chains into their soul... as enslavement... but the others hear them, from everywhere. Never seeing the way out of the labyrinth. Never, ever...
You are wyld. You are a threat. Both of you, Nobles. Traitors.
You will be mine⚠ <br>
If you wish to survive slavery... you. Will. Leave!
Child of Wyld Days: It burns.
The eye burns. The chains weigh her soul down. She is lost, she is helpless, she is caught...
... but even the lost can find a light, and even the hopeless have a chance. Monkey... smirks, darkly, and looks up at the eye, looks down at her chains, looks around at the labyrinth. She sees... a story. A desperate one, a pointless one. Her eyes find the truth in what's before her, and that truth is a hollow one indeed.
"I see your threat... and find it lacking." She tugs at the chains, spits at the eye, rages at the labyrinth, shrugging off that which has no right to even touch her. "We will have words later..."
Danier Subaro Souzousama: In the vast, ever-shifting sea of Wyld, there exist patterns known as the Shinma, and one of the Shinma is known as Nirupadhika. It is the Shinma of Space, the Shinma of geographical order, the pattern of proximity and travel. However, because Nirupadhika has its limits, these laws do not always apply the same everywhere. A raksha may sometimes arrive before he leaves or walk in several directions at once. Very useful if you wish to bed several ladies at once is Danier's humble opinion, but let us not dwell on that on the moment.
Since Nirupadhika is such a lazy shinma, Danier reasons and scratches his chin, the Sunrise Traipser may have already left this place while still being here. If the beautiful lady wishes him to leave, then by all means - he is already gone! Her wish has already been granted, so all these chains and wearisome demands are really not necessary. Surely she can see that?
And so it turned out! The Sunrise Traipser had already left this place, so the beautiful lady's demands have already been fulfilled.
And that was the end of that.
Poor Shades of Eventide! Caught in the endless labyrinth, lost and hopeless, doomed to wander there for all eternity! Forever they must walk its chilly hallways, away from the warmth of their hearths, away from platters of steaming food and the warm embrace and the ample bosoms of their loved ones.
But wait! There is a clever Raksha allied with the Shades, and it is this fair one who comes up with an idea. There are mice scuttling on the floor, and the Raksha bends down and says:
"Clever mice! You know how this labyrinth well, don't you?"
And the mice reply: "Yes, we do. We are its guardians and we know every twist and turn and nook and cranny. What do you need from us?"
"Perhaps you could show me and my friends to the exit?"
"We cannot do that", reply the mice. "We are the guardians of the labyrinth and the Lady has ordered that no soul caught in this place will ever find out."
"That is a shame", the Raksha says with a shake of a head. "Then how can I believe you when you say that you know this labyrinth well?"
"We do, we do!" reply the mice. They rise to their haunces and wrinkle their noses, miffed at this outrage. "Ask us anything about it! Challenge us to do anything and we shall show you how well we know this place!"
"Anything?" the Raksha arches one eyebrow.
"Anything!"
"Then I challenge you to show me where the exit is."
"Hah, that is easy!" The mice laugh and titter. "Make it more challenging!"
"If you wish", the Raksha shrugs. "There are many good friends of mine who wander this same labyrinth. Find each and every one of them and lead them to the same exit with us!"
"This we shall do!" exclaim the mice and in a flurry of activity, scuttle away into the darkness. Within moments they find and every one of these dear friends that the Raksha spoke of. "Follow us!" they urged, gesturing with their little paws. "Follow us to the exit!"
Seventh Moon: The world fell away below his feat and from the darkness came the streets. They were familiar to him, or at least they should have been. Buildings and roads he had wandered through for all his life. The places he'd haunted when he was young. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Moon knew he had to find... someone. His gang? Yeah, had to be. Or maybe... no. Damn it, someone! Someone was in trouble! Someone needed him!
The Lunar took off running. Barreling through garbage filled alleyways, rain-slick paving stones glistening grotesquely under the moonlight above, he twisted and turned down all those paths he should have known. So why didn't he seem to be getting anywhere? Every turn he made carried him back to the same road he had started from. After what felt like days (Days?) of running, he stopped, hands on his knees, panting for breath. Maybe he didn't know this part of the city so well! But hell, he'd known every nook and cranny since he was a kid...
Kid...
As he waited to catch his breath, shadows drifted and quite voices murmured just out of sight around him. No, not out of sight. In sight! He could see them, tall figures of darkness stretched thing towards the sky, walking up and down the roads around him. Shadow's that normally lurked in the corner of your eye. Shadows without bodies. And then he realized it was not that the shadows were so tall, but that he was small! And that white faced moon didn't sit in the sky, but cast it's light out from the face of the Dons, the clock tower stretching further towards the sky than it ever had before, thinning to a needles point. Was it even really white? It looked more... pearl-colored.
"... a'ite," the miniature Moon growled, his own voice coming back to him as a child's high-pitched squeak. "What fuck, man?"
"You!" another voice squeaked, even more high-pitched than his own. Moon blinked, casting around at the mumbling shadows to try to . In return, he received a sharp bite in the ankle and a protesting cry of. "Down here, stupids!"
Moon followed the voice down to the tiny figure at his feat. A plump little white mouse, grabbed in a black bandana and a miniature coat to match his own, raised it's twitching nose to him. "Come on. I will show you the way out. Prove the other one wrong! Couldn't find you," the mouse tittered smugly as it began to scurry away. "I will show him!"
Following a talking mouse was probably madness. No, it was completely madness. So that Moon hesitated for a moment was understandable. But he didn't wait for long. It's not like his prospects of finding... "whoever" were really going up just standing in the road watching the shadow-puppets. "Wait up!" he shouted after the mouse, his tiny legs pumping for all they were worth to keep pace with the little rodent as it bolted down the street and into...
Air. Fresh air blasted the Lunar in the face with all the force of a sledgehammer to the skull and pale sunlight all but blinded his eyes. His sprint became a stumble and nearly a fall if he hadn't grabbed hold of a twisting and sickly looking sapling that had somehow survived the mountains hunger. Back to the real world, the events of the past few moments came rushing back and left him clutching his brow.
"A'ite," Moon, full sized and in living color once again, rumbled as he watched the mouse hop away into nothing. "That was truly, deeply fucked up beyond all belief..."
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