Darkoor

[theForgottenSoul]

"Head out the closest door... run... straight south... you will come to the forest... there you will... find........ Go!"

 

Yish inhaled the cigarette smoke as he heard these words, not knowing what happened.

 

It all happened so fast; First, Ariana disappered with lighting speed. Then the guards dropping as if they all were having heart attacks. And now there was an oppurtinty to escape. So Yish had a choice to make: Live up to the name he had been given: The Unforgiver, and help destroy the guards, or do the smart thing and run to the forest.

 

Yish exhaled, and threw the cigarette down.

 

The decison took all of three milliseconds.

 

Yish, his sword already drawn, began to cut down the enemies that were around him.

 

"Go!"

 

His hunger for death controlled at the moment, Yish ran outside the door, and into the surrounding area. Yish tripped over himself a couple times, because his legs still didn't have the power to fully function on their own. But what joy the air felt like. Yish almost stopped to breathe in the air for a few mintues just to get rid of the feeling of the stench. This truly was a nightmare.

 

He saw Khevbik and Ackon standing by each other as he slowed to a stop. Yish shelthed his sword and lit another cigarette.

 

"Is this all that made it out?"

[mrpyromania]

They heavy footfalls and even heavier breathing followed the group. Bursting throuhg the underbrush came Elan,panting and exshausted already. He feel to the ground,drawing in the ever so sweet air. "I am weaker than I though" he said breathlessly,staring up into the sky.

 

He knew that they should keep moving,knew that too stay was too die. So,with a will that Elan never knew he possesed,he got to his shaky legs. "Where are we going again?" he asked weakly. The minstrel had not paid attention to the voice in his head,for he had many voices in his head during the stay in Hell.

[Shadow of the Fallen]

OOC: *cough*gag*sputter*.... *retch* *cough*.... Yes, I'm sick today! Well, it sucks for me, but do you dont really have to worry about it, I would never miss out on providing you with quality entertainment. Were I on my deathbed, surely I would tell you the rest of the story. That being the case, why delay any further?

 

IC:

 

While the little group was stopped, for the moment out of harm's lengthy reach, the sun had begun to rise on the far horizon. It grew, from the thin line of the approaching glow to a semicircle of brilliant white light that was ever becoming more complete. The first rays of sun peirced through the dense forest, revealing that which the escapees may have mistook for something far less wonderful.

 

Massive trees, the width of cars, sprung forth from the ground and reached up for the heavens, weaving their branches together as they went to form a dense canopy. Lush greenery surrounded the bases of the mammoth trunks in startling variety. The broad leaves of the plants spread over the winding path they appeared to have stopped on, giving shade and hieghtening the concentration of the flowers' fregrances.

 

One could not look around such a place an not see some form of life. From the outlandish plants to the mysterious animals. Frogs and lizards were in abundance. On a ridge, someone saw a rabbit, its ears twitching in puzzlement as it surveyed the scene before leaping off into the dense foliage. As the sun began to work its way higher into the sky, birds began their harmonious song as they fluttered around in the upper brances of the titanic trees.

 

For the men, however, it held an ominous presence behind all the wonderous surroundings. Clean fresh air filled their lungs, rejuvenating them with a feeling they would have never achieved in their hometowns, but the back of their minds couldn't trust it. It was all too foriegn. Like they had somehow killed themselves during the run, and then found themselves in a place they might have called heaven... Yet it felt like just another dream that they would soon wake up from.

 

Worse. They felt watched, like every knot in every tree, every tiny critter or fleeting bird was holding them in an intense glare. True, one familiar with these surroundings might have felt the same way to coming into a city, but there was more to it. Something about the beautiful place that made the hairs on the backs of their necks stand on ridged end.

 

In the distance, the sound of rushing water could be heard. It might be a good time to stop and rest there, get some fresh water and bathe. The path the escapees were on seemed to run towards the source of the noise, behind them it curved around to head in another direction. They had rushed blindly through a dense, seemingly impenetrable wall of thick brush. Above that, spires of thorny thickets protruded, inspiring wonder that they were not all torn to peices in their haste.

 

The suits were remembered then, the garb was comfortable, but after the run they dug painfully into open wounds... Most of them torture inflicted. Those torturous-... It took a moment for you to rember that which you have left behind. Ariana could have gotten away, yes, but something didn't sit too well...

 

-------

 

THE PRISON

Moments after the departure of the escapees.

 

Ariana felt the rough hands force her face to the ground. Her hands were bound behind her back, and she had been forced to kneel before this man... This vile abombination of a man. Letting out a cry, she twisted against the forcful grip that held her against the freezing metal. Struggling to break free of the grip that held her down.

 

Ultimately, her strength had failed her. Far worse then that, so had her resolve. She fought against the ogre of a man, the gaurd, that was now pressing his boot to the base of her spine. Deep in her mind, however, she knew this was a fight she would not win. She knew, down in the core of her being, that it was over.

 

The hooded man laughed, a sinister high-pitched squeal that reminded Ariana of grinding metal. This fool did not deserve that which he was about to take. He didn't even deserve the attempt. His thin frame was revealed under the garb of his enveloping cloak as he bent over to inspect his prize. A his right hand grabbed the bottom of her chin and angled her face towards him until they were eye to eye.

 

Satisfied, the thin line of his lips turned up at the corners in amusment, and he muttered in a whisper, "you know, we've been looking all over for you. You naughty, naughty girl. A naugthy girl indeed, darling." He held her head firm as she tried to twist away, out of his grasp. Then he reached up with his other to pull down the hood of his cloak.

 

He had a lean, angular face that would have looked all to thin upon any other body, but the lithe figure he held suited it well. A pointy, hooked nose held up a pair of blood red spectacles that hid the darkness behind them. He had no real pupil, only the shadow of what was once there, only an inky black orb that shifted around animately. His hair was spiked straight up, the highest tips reaching nearly two inches off his skull. They seemed to glow a firery red, but Ariana could tell it was only dyed. The man obviously took care about his appearance, as foolish as he would have looked were he not already carrying an aura of destruction.

 

None the less, the power he had at his command was very, very real.

 

His lips parted, revealing an inhuman maw, lined with night black, razor edged teeth. Subconciously, a whiplike, black, pointed tounge struck out to wet his lips, and to run along the smooth fronts of his upper teeth. He probably wanted to bush again when he got back to the citadel with his capture, before taking her to the Emperor. Sickening, foul creatures they both were.

 

"Kyle," Ariana hissed in menace, "you forgot something."

 

A puzzeled look passed over the demon's face, and he glared down at her expectantly, "and, what do you suppose that is, darling?"

 

There was a short pause. Ariana's eyes locked on the endless pools of despair that the man before her had sold his soul to obtain. She stared into those bottomless black depths, behind the meager curtain of the glasses. For one last time, she wanted to know that he was truely evil, and no longer the person she had once known.

 

It opened up the final resolve.

 

Her message was plain and simple, but ended with a bang.

 

"I'm not your darling, or have you forgotten already?" She spat, a mix of pure fury and bliss plastered onto her expression. The man known as Kyle raised an eyebrow, releasing her chin and standing up. He shrugged and turned away, motioning for the gaurds to pick her up and follow. No one made it more then two steps.

 

-------

 

The small group was flung from where they stood, hit by a violent blow. Caught completly off gaurd, they were strewn onto the pathway and knocked to the ground. Wind swept over them in a wave, picking up loads of dust and breaking some of the massive leaves off the plants that lined the path. The birds had stopped their singing to take refuge, and the animals had all skittered into hiding. Good thinking, considering the chunks of thicket that flew over the escapees' heads, smashing into the trunks of trees and falling, in eventuality, to the ground.

 

It had begun with the pressurization of the air, it suddenly felt thicker then it had a moment ago. And in an instant, a concussion hit the forest as the first concentric wave of the blast reached the edge of the woods. What followed could only be described as chaos, as the vast majority of the wall of foliage the men had passed through on their way into the wooded haven was torn asunder.

 

Now, however, the forest had calmed again, being scattered with its own destruction. As the group recovered, they regrouped in the middle of the path and considered what had just happened.

 

 

 

 

OOC: Well... Consider the fact, but dont dwell only on that, think about what your options for progress are, and where you can go. It'll be hard to take any other path besides the one you're already on, but there are two directions you can go. I wont tell you where they go, and you'll have to decide for yourselves which to take.

 

The barrier that has protected the forest has been breeched by whatever just happened. Yes, it was probably Ariana's doing, seeing as the waves were radiating out from the direction of the prison. But what trouble will it cause? Heh, you'll find out.

[Keeper of Lives]

The wind was knocked out of him when he hit the ground, he gasped for air. What a thing to happen. This sick dream was getting more confusing by the moment, his unforgiving torture, the sudden escape, Ariana's uncanny movements, and now the way the air had been behaving the previous moment, the weirdest part of this all, this dream was real, and that bothered Khevbik. His concern grew for Ariana, but somehow, he knew she was alright.

 

Still grasping for air that came short for the first few breaths from the fall, he stood up. The pain from the tortures were still present in his nerves, and so was the weakness. He needed a good rest, him and the group were far enough he felt, that stopping for an hour or so wouldn't cause them harm. He made up his mind, he would head towards the sound of water.

 

The thought of a cold bath in the river sounded like a great idea. His body stank of bodily waste and blood, and he wasn't looking too clean either, he really needed a bath. He would need a drink as well, he felt lightheaded and figured he was dehydrated, thats probably why he still felt the swashing weakness. He would feel replenished after a bath and drink. Afterwards he could worry some more about what he should do next.

 

"Well fellas, I dont know about you, but I'm on my way to the sound of the water, I need to rehydrate and take a bath.", Khevbik announced. "If you follow my example you'll probably feel much better, you sure don't look all that too great. But you can follow that other trail if you like, no telling when you'll find another chance at a river bank, but you might make due without decent rest and water; maybe."

[theForgottenSoul]

The cigarette went out on its own in the middle of Yish's inhale like a light during a power outage.

 

"What the--?"

 

'Crack!'

 

The next Yish knew he was on his back.

 

As he was out cold, Yish felt the dreams coming again.

 

"Come to us Lord Kuppor... Come to us..."

 

He heard in a voice that sounded like death itself. They were getting closer... He had to fight them off, keep them away. Where was his sword? It wasn't where he left it.... Oh well...it was too late, they were on top of him like wolves on a poor bear cub. This was it, they finally had come for him....

 

"If you follow my example you'll probably feel much better, you sure don't look all that too great. But you can follow that other trail if you like, no telling when you'll find another chance at a river bank,"

 

Yish sat up. He was in the forest, not with the----

 

but you might make due without decent rest and water; maybe."

 

Khevbik had spoken and began to make his way towards the sound of rushing water. Yish had to choke back the feeling of the dream and focus on getting up.

 

 

The pain hit him like a anvil from 100 feet high. His legs had given everything they had left and they were no longer responding to his despite his dire attemps at moving them.

Wait, no, it was just one of them, he could move the other, but why wasn't this one moving? He moved it around with his hands to find that it was out of socket.

 

'Crack' Yish snapped it back into place, and twisted it like it was made of clay. The pain slowly disappered as boiling water cools.

 

"Ahh thats better..." Yish said as he stood up, still dizzy from the torture and now from this werid shockwave that had come from the place.

 

Yish picked up he unlit cigarette from the ground and relit it, causing him to cough from the weakness of his lungs. Maybe cold water would help him get back to normal, Yish though. Well, it was worth a shot.

 

 

"...Wait up Khevbik, I think I need that bath."

[Shadow of the Fallen]

The group pushes their way ahead along the forest path, the majority of them seeming to be of a like mind to Khevbik. As they traveled around the twisting bends of this natural vien, they began to notice an increase in elevation. The slop gradually became steeper until it was difficult to climb, and the drit began to give way to rock and gravel. The going became difficult in some places, the escapees- tired, weary, and deserving rest- being forced to climb or shimmy across thin ledges and outcroppings of rock.

 

As they moved, the sound of rushing water began to grow louder, and with it, the prospects of a bath and warm fire. As they began to move vertically up what seemed to be a rather large hill from a distance, the realised that the deafening roar must be a waterfall. When they reached the top, they knew they had been right.

 

Cresting a ridge, they found themselves atop a large plateau. A distance away, was a small lake, bubbling water coming up in torrents from the middle, as though it was being propelled upward from beneath. That connected to a river, which snaked its way lazily towards the group, and eventually passing right by them and going on down a little ways. The water could be seen frothing over at a ledge, where it dropped off sharply and sent a brilliant cascade of water down below. There, it met another lake, which it eagerly filled and poured out into another small creek, that was only visible until it went around a corner and was obscured by another of the humonguous trees.

 

Up the river a short distance was a suitable resting spot, with a place to bathe. (Not all of your characters are accustomed to forests and the wilderness in general, so it may be hard to discern) There are moss covered boulders nearby there that would be suitable for sitting, and tinder is obviously in heavy abundance. Its also situated right on the river, making it easy to wash the suits and clean wounds in the pure, flowing waters.

 

-------

 

High above, swiftly dodging from tree to tree, many sets of eyes peer down on the unsuspecting group, watching and waiting. Observing. Questioning. Preparing.

[Peregrine]

Through the entire journey, Ryan remained a good distance from the rest of the group. The comforting weight of the radio set in his pocket was a constant reminder that his escape had already been made, that freedom would be his as soon as he wanted it. But that confidence only reinforced his curiousity. In a dream as strange as this one, and with double assurance of his survival, why not watch his companions and see what happened?

 

And so he followed, using the abundant cover provided by the forest to observe without attracting any attention. When the shockwave of the explosion came, he felt a bit of guilt for his rescuer. In the escape, he had run without firing, trusting her plan. If he had known it would end in death for her, perhaps the risk of his dream-self's life would have been acceptable?

 

But no, that was the past. Ahead was a temporary sanctuary, a welcome sight after the tiring escape. As the rest of the group spread out to make use of the discovery, Ryan found a high spot to watch from. Even in the safety of a dream, his instincts wouldn't let him relax until he was sure there were no threats.

[Shadow of the Fallen]

As Ryan moved into a more secrative position, so too did the eyes that followed. It was no large matter to make themselves blend with the surrounding leaves and branches, nor to conceal the sound of their movements. They doubted, however, that he would notice them... Still, they thought it better to be save, and dissapeared to the naked, and in most cases aided, eye.

 

Soon...

[mrpyromania]

"This is too convient..." though Elan,stumbling into the seemigly pre-made camp. The though was quickly dissmissed,with Elan's wearyness overpowering his suspicion. Tumbling to the ground,he fumbled with his Katar's,finally extrating them from his rags and laying them down beside him in the grass. After the task was complete,he gave in too exaustion,falling into a deep slumber.

[Shrogen]

(Removed)