Valley of the Kings

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1 Valley of the Kings Mon Jan 08, 2018 12:29 pm

Line

Marine

Posts : 84
Join date : 2017-12-16

Gran Voyage Type: Devil Fruit
Gran Voyage Name: Valley of the Kings
Gran Voyage Location: Sandy Island - Within a remote desert
Gran Voyage Description: Before leaving Marineford, Linedwell was given information about a mysterious place within the confines of Sandy Island by an Instructor by the name of Mr. Miyagi. Though Linedwell isn't one for believing in stories about monsters or other types of superstitions, the words that Mr. Miyagi left him with have continued to chill him to the bone ever since. Despite the potential for running into such "monsters" whilst journeying to this mysterious land, Mr. Miyagi also explained that this ancient place held treasures that could potentially set a man up for life; as well as treasure that was almost entirely deemed illegal by the World Government - a Devil Fruit. Even though the payoff seemed worth the risk, the idea that someone as powerful as Mr. Miyagi never went back to a place such as this to reclaim treasures that he left behind unnerves Linedwell more than he'd care to admit. Despite his fear of the unknown, Linedwell knew if he were ever to reach the goals he'd set for himself, he'd need use of the fruit that Mr. Miyagi claimed existed there.

After informing his new superior about the area, the spoils, as well as the potential danger, the unit sets off for the uncharted location. Initially upon arrival, things appear to safer than they'd expected - only coming across what appears to be the ruins of an ancient civilization. Exploration and looting soon occurs, and unbeknownst to them, they've begun to set off a curse that's existed for millennia. Once the night falls, the "monsters" make themselves known - however, there's much more brewing beneath the desert sands.
NPCing: None, I expect heavy PC participation.

Linedwell Rainrex

The setting was one of the many scorching deserts of Sandy Island. It was currently midday, and the sun was high and bright. The group of Marines that currently traversed this desert had been at it for about six hours now, and more than likely they were beginning to feel the effects of such scorching heat - despite being well prepared for the endeavor. A guide they'd hired in Nanohana currently led the group. Many sources claimed that this man was highly adept with traversing such inhospitable places, and knew these deserts quite intimately. Each traveler had also been given the use of the camel to make the trip through such unforgiving terrain easier. The pace at which they were traveling through the desert gave Linedwell hope that they'd arrive at their destination soon, however, he had no idea whatsoever about how large this desert was. A map was handy, but given he had no idea about how to sufficiently read topography and other key components that aided in navigation he couldn't exactly do more than hope that their guide knew what he was doing.

Though the group was currently in the midst of travel, Linedwell still couldn't believe that Commodore Ricchi even allowed this excursion to occur. Of course, Linedwell was beyond grateful that he allowed this trip to be, but given what he knew about the Commodore it didn't make much sense. He'd always come off as a person that would never take unnecessary risks; and sending so many of his unit out into the desert to look for treasure that may or may not exist was a very large risk - especially to someone who was newly promoted. Maybe the Commodore saw this as a risk that was worth betting on? If what Mr. Miyagi claimed was actually true, the amount of treasure that would be present would be well more than any unit would know what to do with. Any unit would kill to have that amount of resources at their disposal, and a "new" unit like this one would benefit more so than any other. Wealth, fame, power, and prestige were all on the line. Linedwell could only hope they found what they'd find what they were looking for out in this sandy void.

2 Re: Valley of the Kings Mon Jan 08, 2018 2:20 pm

fauna

Posts : 63
Join date : 2017-12-25

With the heat of the sun beating down on the group, Hiro was glad he'd stocked up in town. He wiped sweat from his brow and stared at the horizon. The man guiding them was said to be the best, and yet it seemed as if they were no closer to their destination than when they first set out. He turned his head as far back as it would go. At least we can't see the city anymore, that's gotta be a good thing. But was it? Soon after departing he'd realized he was not prepared for desert living. While he had all the necessities required to survive, the uncomfortable heat along with the suffocating air made the trip almost unbearable. Almost.

Regardless of his comfort he was still excited for what was to come. His current state was only temporary, soon he'd be in an ancient crypt! He couldn't help but brush off the feeling that this place was too good to be true. If the rumors about what it contained were fact, why were they the first to go? Every question he asked himself only raised more, which only served to heighten his level of adventure. Hiro reached into the pack on the side of the camel, pulling out one of his canteens. He brought the warm liquid to his lips and took a gulp. He knew he'd have to ration his water at some point but the heat was overbearing. As he was placing the canteen back in its place he saw a shimmering in the distance. Hiro cupped his hands over his eyes to get a better look. He'd read in a guidebook that this could be an illusion, a mirage. As they drew nearer to the phenomenon it began to fade from existence. Hiro didn't speak up because he'd fell asleep while reading the book, he didn't know if this was a sign of madness or some sort of miracle.

3 Re: Valley of the Kings Thu Jan 11, 2018 6:56 pm

Line

Marine

Posts : 84
Join date : 2017-12-16

Linedwell Rainrex

As the new arrival to the unit began to speak, Linedwell couldn't help but wonder if it was wise for just the two of them to venture out on their own in such a manner. Though they were both Marines, they were also only Ensigns. However, Linedwell knew full well the lengths in which he was trained by Mr. Miyagi. He was well aware of how strong he'd grown as a result of Mr. Miyagi, thus, he couldn't help but trust that he'd gone through the same lengths when it came to training Ensign Luciano.

The two Ensigns had only been formally introduced one another right before heading off on their journey. Linedwell remembered seeing the man prior during his time within Mr. Miyagi's dojo, but that had been the extent to having any prior knowledge of him. Because of this, Linedwell began to feel as though it would be for the best if he began to open up some sort of dialogue between the two of them. Potentially, they'd be facing some of the toughest trials imaginable once they arrived at their destination; getting to know the person he'd probably have to trust his life with was probably one of the smartest decisions he could make in a situation like this.

"Yeah, we're pretty far out now...I just hope things cool down a bit once we get where we're headed."

It wasn't much, but the Ensign felt it was enough to break some of the proverbial ice. Adjusting the Shemagh that covered almost the entirety of his head and face, save for his eyes, Linedwell decided to continue on with the small talk.

"I remember seeing you back on Marineford. How'd your training with Mr. Miyagi go?"

4 Re: Valley of the Kings Fri Jan 12, 2018 2:51 pm

fauna

Posts : 63
Join date : 2017-12-25

Hiro thought for a while. His chance meeting with both Mr. Miyagi and Linedwell had been mostly luck on his part, and yet it had quite literally changed his life. His training with the old man had been demanding, he was not the same man he was prior to it. He turned to his companion and chose his words carefully. "It was...rough, but it was a wake-up call." Hiro spoke honestly. It had woken him up. Ever since he'd been cast out of his family, he'd been getting by on autopilot. Unable to accept his fate, he let his doubts guide him. That is until he'd met Mr. Miyagi. There was a fire burning deep inside him now. He assumed that was the same for the man beside him. Although Hiro barely knew Linedwell, aside from exchanging words at the dojo, he knew he wouldn't be here if he didn't have it in him. "From what I hear this will be a lot tougher than trying to beat Mr. Miyagi." Hiro said solemnly. This world they lived in had horrors that neither ensign could imagine.

There were places where the impossible was possible, he couldn't help but think where they were headed was one of them. Hiro clenched the reigns of the camel for a moment. It was the two of them against whatever monsters lurked in the darkness, they would have to work together if they were to survive let alone succeed. "I've got your back." He said, looking off into the horizon. Hiro had recently learned he'd be serving with Linedwell on the same ship, he thought it was important he let him know from the beginning. Although it held no weight, as they had yet to fight alongside one another, he hoped the other ensign would take it to heart.

Hiro dabbed through his shemagh at his forehead, wiping away the sweat that pooled underneath. Despite the extreme heat of the day, he'd been told night-time was very cold. He had a hard time believing that until his first night at the marine base on the island. The desert truly was an unforgiving place, but the secrets it held were definitely worth facing it for.

5 Re: Valley of the Kings Sat Jan 13, 2018 10:40 pm

Line

Marine

Posts : 84
Join date : 2017-12-16

Linedwell Rainrex

Linedwell couldn't help but chuckle a bit internally as he listened to his fellow Ensign's words. Comparing what they were about to face to a spar with the old man was something only those who actually faced him would understand, and judging from the descriptions he'd been given about this place, it was quite the apt comparison. It was then that Hiroji said something that caused Linedwell to raise an eyebrow. He mentioned "having his back", which was obviously in reference to the trials they'd soon supposedly be up against once they reached their destination. While Linedwell respected the sentiments behind the words, one thing he'd also prided himself on was his ability to overcome a situation without the help of others. Whatever they'd be facing in the near future, Linedwell didn't exactly want or look forward to the thought of having to rely on someone else to survive. While he didn't doubt that Hiroji's help would be necessary, that's exactly where Linedwell wanted to keep the brunt of their interaction - with Hiroji as the assistant. Though they may have been briefly trained by the same Sensei, it didn't mean that they were equals.

This entire conversation was one that Linedwell held internally. He knew better than to sour a positive interaction with such words. Instead, he merely played along.

"Thanks, Hiro, I appreciate it."

Even the shortening of his comrade's name was a calculated move on Linedwell's part, just to give the man next to him the feeling that they were becoming fast friends. Whatever they were to expect over the horizon, he knew that he'd need this man to be invested and in a participatory mood - especially with the guide now signaling that they were finally arriving at their destination.

With his reigns in hand, Linedwell began to ready himself for what he expected to come. From their current distance he could barely make out much besides a few mountains that lined parallel to one another, with a rather large valley within the middle. As the camels continued to trudge along, it became more and more apparent that they were now looking at the ruins of a long forgotten civilization.
Pillars, statues, and even three pyramid-like structures began to come into view. Simply describing these sights as "marvelous" would have been the understatement of the century. In all of his life, Linedwell had yet to see wondrous sights such as these - almost immediately he began to forget about the dangers the old man had warned him about; the entirety of his being becoming full of child-like wonder and amazement. Could it really be possible that a place like this could actually be lost to time? The scale of this place was immense, he couldn't imagine how a place such as this one could have been hidden away from the world for such a period of time. It was only then that the warning he'd been given came back to the forefront of his mind. Maybe this place wasn't as "hidden away" as he wanted to assume - maybe there was a reason people didn't seek this place out.

No matter what the reason, Linedwell needed to remember that he was here for a specific reason -the treasure that the old man claimed to have left behind.

"I've taken you far enough. I trust you both know the way back?

The young Ensign eyes quickly glanced over to the guide that had brought them here. He'd removed the covering over his face, and it was quite apparent there was something wrong. The group hadn't been there for even five minutes yet and already he was ready to leave this place - nervousness pervading the look of aloofness he attempted to pass off. It was more than obvious that he found this place to be unsettling, yet Linedwell couldn't see a reason for it. The fact that he couldn't see what was disturbing their former guide was unsettling, however, that was no reason to beleaguer his desire to leave.

"Sure. We appreciate you leading us here. Be safe on the way back."

Linedwell nodded in the direction of the guide who then nodded back almost in disbelief. It appeared that he didn't expect to be allowed to leave so easily, but it was apparent that he appreciated it. After watering his camel he was back on his saddle and heading back in the direction they'd just arrived from. With only the pair of Ensigns remaining, Linedwell felt it was about time they began to accomplish what they'd headed there to do.

"I believe we have a few hours left before the sun begins to set, Hiro. Let's have a look around some of these ruins before we start to set up camp."

As Linedwell said this, he'd already tied up his camel and begun walking in the direction of a nearby ruin. The place in question had seemingly been carved into a mountainside, and appeared to be some sort of temple. Broken statues and pillars adorned the entrance while hieroglyphic-like symbols decorated the walls. Though it was a grand sight, yet, he held an apprehensive about entering that he couldn't quite explain. There was a proverbial chill that lingered in the air; the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end the closer he wandered to the entrance.

6 Re: Valley of the Kings Mon Jan 15, 2018 6:01 pm

fauna

Posts : 63
Join date : 2017-12-25

"I've taken you far enough. I trust you both know the way back?"

Hiro focused on their guide as soon as he finished speaking. There was something in his voice he couldn't discern. The man was visibly uncomfortable and was fidgeting with his reigns. When Linedwell dismissed him it seemed as if a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders. The ensign's focus dissipated as he began to take in the surroundings. Sand and wind had eroded the structures around them but they still held a certain majesty to them. Sand blasted pillars shot up from the ground at different angles and three pyramids stood proudly behind them. Hiro urged his mount forward, maneuvering around one of the pillars. He stuck his hand out and touched the pillar. Years of sand and dust made it smooth but on parts of the pillar he could make out some sort of pictograph. It held no meaning to him and yet he was spell bound. He'd never seen anything like this, the lost works of a civilization that time had forgotten.

Linedwell had dismounted and begun to water his mount when Hiro managed to pull himself away. Hiro followed suit and steeled his mind. He'd have no time to appreciate the beauty of this place, if he let his mind wander it might end up to be the last thing he saw. After making sure that his camel was sated, Hiro tied him up. In the corner of his eye Hiro spotted a black cat perched on one of the pillars near the entrance. It was almost fully submerged in the sand, with only a few feet sticking out into the open air. Hiro gawked as the feline licked its forearm and began to clean its face. It yawned and stared back at him with inquisitive eyes. Although Hiro didn't blink his eyes during the encounter, the cat disappeared in an instant. Hiro rubbed his eyes in disbelief. He had no time to contemplate what it was he just saw, Linedwell was already nearing the entrance. Hiro checked to make sure he had everything he needed before leaving his camel. He cautiously made his way towards his companion. His lust for adventure was the only thing suppressing his apprehension. To think that he would be one of the first people to enter this crypt since it was abandoned! He couldn't wait to see what was in store, even if it was terrifying.

7 Re: Valley of the Kings Tue Jan 16, 2018 3:35 pm

Line

Marine

Posts : 84
Join date : 2017-12-16

Linedwell Rainrex

As the pair wandered closer to the entrance of the ruin, Linedwell began to note how fairly well lit the inside appeared to be. Cracks and holes in the structure allowed natural light to seep through in a multitude of places, making it possible to traverse without need of a torch or any other source of light. Simply looking at many of the structures and carvings within the ruin showed off its age. Though many of these things were extremely eroded and worn, there was no doubt about how spectacular this place must have during its heyday.

The more time that they spent exploring this place, the more Linedwell began to find his sense of curiosity overpowering the apprehensiveness he felt in the beginning of all of this. He was no longer fearful and cautious, but rather, he wanted to learn as much about this place as he possibly could. Recovering the treasure they'd set out to find was still at the forefront of his mind, however, he was enthralled by this place. He couldn't help but feel that there was so much more to this story than a location being abandoned. Something had to have happened here. What could have cause such a place to be lost to time?

Maybe it was the unguarded attitude he'd adopted that led to the following situation. As he continued to traverse further into the ruin, the sixteen year old could feel the ground under him begin to shake. The ground quickly buckled and gave way as a large sinkhole formed underneath him with a loud boom that emanated all throughout the room.

"SHITTTT!"

Everything had happened too fast for Linedwell to even react, and before he knew it he was plummeting down the hole into darkness. He fell for what felt like a few minutes before landing flat on his back onto a hard surface. As he landed he could feel almost every bone in his body rattle along with the feeling of the back of his head slamming against the surface that he landed on. He could see the stars that most people talked about when they received a head injury, and right now, it was even a struggle for him to keep hold of his consciousness. Blood began pooling from the back of his head and he began to drift further off until his eyes finally closed.

8 Re: Valley of the Kings Thu Jan 18, 2018 1:22 pm

fauna

Posts : 63
Join date : 2017-12-25

The crypt was silent, save for the occasional draft blowing through the cracks. As they made there way in, Hiro couldn't help but scan every inch of the place. Ever since they'd entered he had begun to feel a sense of dread. Something wasn't right about this place and yet he couldn't say what that something was. It was because he was so thorough that he noticed immediately when the room seemed to drop a few centimeters. Hiro looked down to see the ground beneath them begin to give way. He tumbled to the side in an attempt to get to safe ground. He slide into the wall, barely getting away from the growing maw. There was no time to collect his thoughts, the area around the pit was weak and could give way just as easily. Hiro maneuvered himself around the hole by hugging the wall. As soon as he was a safe distance away he breathed a sigh of relief. "That was way too close, you okay?" He said looking around. He realized that Line was nowhere to be found.

Hiro couldn't get nearer to the hole to see if his companion had fell victim to the sinkhole. He had to assume he'd fallen, there was nowhere else to go. Hiro pressed forward in hopes that he would find a staircase leading towards his fallen ally. The strange script he'd seen earlier appeared on the walls to his side. While he could not decipher them, they seemed to depict some sort of scene. One thing was certain: the depicted scene was not a pleasant one. Hiro moved on after a few minutes. He found a staircase in the corridor to his left and rushed towards it. He was wary of the structural integrity of the ruin after seeing that sinkhole open up so he opted to run as fast as he could down the stairs, never letting his momentum let up. Hiro reached the bottom floor after 4 sets of stairs. He stopped for a moment to catch his breath. It was in this time he became acutely aware of how dark it was. He could feel the hairs on the back of his neck stiffen. "...somethings not right..."

9 Re: Valley of the Kings Sat Jan 20, 2018 12:18 am

Line

Marine

Posts : 84
Join date : 2017-12-16

Linedwell Rainrex

Almost instantaneously after he'd banged his head against the stone floor of the corridor below, he found his consciousness drifting off into a foreign place. The darkness that now enveloped him was so intense that it was hard for him to even discern if his eyelids were actually open. It felt almost as if he were floating within what Linedwell, in melodramatic fashion, could only describe as a "pit of despair". What was this? The last memories he held onto kept him from wanting to accept one of the most obvious conclusions, however, once it came to mind there was no other conclusion that he could come to.

“I’m dead…I have to be…”

As he continued to float within the darkness, he couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of disappointment. Was this truly how his life was supposed to end; not accomplishing anything that he'd set out to accomplish? Had every goal and ambition within his life been doomed to fail from the start? Had this truly been all that he was capable of? It didn't take long before the disappointment that permeated the entirety of his being turned into despair. Was this all that existed after life came to an end? An endless abyss in which we were left to our thoughts for all of eternity? Under differing circumstances Linedwell found such peace and quiet to be serene, however, this particular circumstance was not one in which he valued these particular qualities.

Though he was filled with both dread and disappointment in himself, there was nothing he could do about this outcome now. Things were what they were, and he soon began to realize that no amount of sorrow would ever change this. It was within this moment that Linedwell had finally consigned himself to the fate that he'd been given - he'd accept his place in the afterlife. Letting out a relaxed sigh, Linedwell then closed his eyes as his mind was finally clear.

With Linedwell having no knowledge of it, the environment around him began to twist and change as if reacting to his mental state. Soon enough, the sound of wind roaring began to pervade his ears, his hair whipping in the wind as he opened his eyes. He was in a free-fall, and was traveling rapidly towards the ground headfirst. Linedwell, after calming himself from the shock that overtook him initially, looked down and scanned his surroundings as calmly as someone in a predicament such as this one could. From his position several thousand feet in the air saw that he was now falling over what appeared to be a city situated within the center of a vast desert. While continuing to fall, his eyes began to scan the sky as well. Clouds seemed to be be gathering at a rapid rate, and from the lightning that streaked across the sky accompanied by the loud booms of thunder, it was obvious a storm was brewing. The whole situation that Linedwell was now in was overwhelming to a degree that he couldn’t even fathom. What exactly was going on? One second he was floating in an endless abyss whilst having an existential crisis, and in the next, he was falling thousands of feet.

From this height in the air, colliding with the ground would mean certain death. He still couldn't understand what was happening in this moment, but all he knew was that if he currently was alive at this very moment he had to do something in order to survive. No matter what he thought up, there was nothing he could currently do in order to survive a fall from this height. Falling back on instinct, Linedwell quickly stretched out his arms out in front of him. It was a frivolous effort, but he hoped that in some manner he could absorb the force of the impact. At the moment in which impact would have occurred, the young man found his hands begin to phase through the desert floor, followed by his arms and then the rest of his body. He continued to fall through the ground until he ended up in a corridor of some sort. This corridor seemed oddly familiar despite the fact that he couldn't recall ever setting foot within it. It wasn't until he inspected the walls around him that he realized that these were some of the same hieroglyphics that he'd observed earlier in the day.

The sound of a disembodied voice then began to speak almost as if the voice had bypassed his ears entirely - speaking almost telepathically to him.

"I've waited such a long time for you..."

Linedwell’s mind was racing now. A feeling that he could only describe as fear took over him as he tried to make sense of what was going on. He could hear the sound of laughter, and the tone of it was condescending, as if someone was enjoying seeing him in such a state of despair. As time went on the laughter grew louder and louder, drowning out every other sound and almost driving him insane. He hated losing his composure, something he prided himself on being able to keep during any and all circumstances, but there was something about this feminine voice that unnerved him to no end. The feeling he had in this very moment could easily be explained as being akin to an antelope being stalked by a lion. No matter what he did, or where he hid, he knew for certain that the eyes of the predator would continue to remain on him - waiting for him to expose a weakness that could be exploited. This sort of fear was primordial in nature, and it was something that he'd never experienced in his life. What was this? Who was behind this? Where was he? Why was this happening? So many questions, yet, he simply couldn't imagine that whatever was stalking him would ever give him the benefit of an answer...at least not without a fee.

"You must have so many questions, my child..."

It was as if the presence surrounding him could tell what he was thinking and had been waiting for him to reach this conclusion before contacting him yet again. The idea that whatever this was could even read his thoughts invoked a feeling of hopelessness within him. Whatever this thing was, it held far too much power for him to ever feel he wouldn't be toyed if he attempted to interact with it. Was it safer to simply attempt to ignore it whilst attempting to escape from this corridor? Whatever it was, it was completely aware of his presence, yet, Linedwell had yet to see anyone else this entire time. Deciding to forgo an attempt to communicate with it, he decided to run as fast as he possibly could down the dimly lit corridor. There had to be a way out of this place; at least, that's what he hoped.

The boy continued his frantic effort to escape for what felt like hours. No matter how far he ran there was no end in sight - the corridor simply continued to stretch out in front of him. He could feel himself reaching a breaking point. He was becoming physically exhausted while the thought of giving up pervaded every hope he had of escaping this place. Sweat poured down his face as his breathing was now heavy and labored. He began to lean against the wall to the left of him, hoping that a moment's rest would do him some good.

"What could have caused someone so young to developed such a truculent personality? What drives you to struggle so defiantly...so needlessly?"

This was the first time that he'd heard this voice speak in such a curious tone. Were his actions so out of the ordinary to this presence? In Linedwell's mind, all he was doing was fighting to survive...even though he wasn't entirely sure he was even alive at this point. All he knew is that there appeared to be a chance to escape this hell, and he'd fight as hard as he could in order to do so. There were things in his life that were more than unfinished; they'd yet to begin. So many promises that were made to himself as he suffered disrespect and dishonor that were unbecoming of his station in life - he'd give up everything he had before ever giving up his desire to right the wrongs placed against not only him, but everyone who belonged to the Rainrex line. Dying now would mean giving up everything he'd stood for for so long. He wasn't ready to let go of that part of himself; he wasn't ready to go gently into that good night.

"I see. You envision yourself to be something special - set apart from the hoi polloi. Where they have weakness, you hold strength. Where dearth surrounds them, you see nothing but opportunity. You succeed where others don't, because others aren't willing to go to the lengths necessary in order to succeed. Yet, all of these qualities were developed out of necessity...in order to guard a heart that's been so deeply wounded...so many doubts and insecurities that are hidden behind a false sense of arrogance and bravado...you wonder if you even measure up to the expectations you've set for yourself while attempting to gain the favor of long-dead ancestors that will never recognize your accomplishments...I know exactly who you are, Linedwell..."

Unbeknownst to himself, tears had begun to stream down his face as he listened to the words the voice spoke. It was as if all of the pent up emotions that he'd held inside were flooding out as this voice told him about himself. The words uses, the phrases, everything tore at Linedwell in a way that he'd never experienced. He knew from the bottom of his heart everything this voice said was true. As if the voice could sense that Linedwell was on the verge of breaking down, it decided to keep pushing.

"Because I know who you are, I also know exactly what you're seeking - I know what will make you whole."

Wiping away the tears from his face, Linedwell listened intently now.

"What?! What do I need?!"

Linedwell's response was blurted out hastily, as if he was no longer able to control himself. The voice's words had left him entranced. Whatever this presence was, it knew him better than he knew himself. It stood to reason that whatever this was would know how to solve his problems as well.

"You already know the answer. It's the reason you traverse such a dangerous desert to find this place..."

"Power."

"Yes, power would help...but someone who would hold power without-

Before the voice could finish speaking, Linedwell had already begun to finish the sentence for it.

"-knowledge is nothing but a savage..."

"Yes, and I can grant you both of these things, child..."

After these words were said, he immediately had the sensation of hands gripping his ankles before pulling him into the ground, causing him to reappear in front of a pyramid. Linedwell could recognize this as one of the pyramid's he'd observed from a distance earlier in the day - this pyramid being situated between two others. In this moment, he was standing in front of what appeared to be an entrance that lead inside. He wondered what was supposed to happen now, but it wasn't long before the voice in his head began to urge him to walk inside. After preparing himself for what was to come, Linedwell made his way inside of the pyramid. For some odd reason, the way appeared to be lit, despite the fact that no torches of any sort lined the hall. The deeper he traversed into the hall leading into the pyramid, the more he began to wonder if this was some sort of trap. However, he quickly brushed these thoughts aside, as they made no sense. If this voice planned to end him in such a way, it would have happened long ago.

Soon enough Linedwell reached what appeared to be staircase leading down. With yet another sigh, the sixteen year old began to make his way down the stairs, deep into the depths of the pyramid. He could only imagine where he was going, but he could only hope that all of this would come to an end soon - the voice in his head guaranteeing him that this would soon be over.

Once he reached the bottom of the stairwell, he was met with what looked to be some sort of staging area within an ancient mortuary. There were multiple stone tables, and resting upon many of the tables appeared to be bodies that had been wrapped up in some sort of gauze. The walls all throughout this place were beautifully adorned in more hieroglyphics, yet, these seemed to take on the appearance of instructions - giving those who could read it a way to properly dress the dead bodies that were brought into this place. It didn't take too long before Linedwell noticed a pulpit carved of stone; and upon it, a black book. With curiositiy getting the better of him, he began to walk in the direction of the book.

"The book. Find the book, Linedwell. Do this, and I shall grant you the power you seek..."

Find it? Linedwell couldn't understand why the voice would speak in such a manner. Why would he have to "find it" when the book was here, within his grasp? Yet, this answer became readily apparent as the closer he'd walk towards the book, the further the pulpit would move away from him. How would he reach it? How would he claim the book that this voice demanded?

"They won't let you claim it so easily...prepare yourself for the fight that he warned you about..."

Linedwell immediately felt a rush of pain wash over him before gasping for air. His head was throbbing, and his eyes shot open. It seemed as though he was lying on his back. In this position, he found himself looking up into the air and gazing at a huge hole above him. It was in this instance that he remembered what happened; he'd fallen. Sitting up as gingerly as he could, he began to feel the back of his head with his right hand. He could feel that some of his hair had been matted as a result of the dried blood that had began to flake away as he picked at it - but overall, he appeared to be alright. Though he was physically alright, he was able to remember every detail of he'd just experienced. He knew better than to simply brush this off as some sort of concussed dream sequence. Whatever happened just now was real, and he'd find the book. Before that could happen though, he'd need to find a way out of this ruin. It was then that Linedwell remember that he hadn't quite traveled here alone.

"Shit! Hiro! Are you okay?!"

The Ensign began to worry that if Hiro wasn't okay, it wouldn't quite bode well for his position in the Marines. He also felt that he may need a bit of assistance getting out of this place.

10 Re: Valley of the Kings Thu Jan 25, 2018 4:42 pm

fauna

Posts : 63
Join date : 2017-12-25

As Hiro meandered through the dark corridor, it felt as if the darkness itself gained substance. He could feel its suffocating presence increasing every second. He could still breath normally but an immense pressure was weighing him down. Hiro's footsteps began to falter and just as his knees started to buckle, a voice called out. "Where there was one, there were two..." Hiro craned his head around, looking for the source. A mote of purple light flickered into existence far along the corridor. Whatever was happening here wasn't normal. He stared longingly at the light, filled with a strange urge to head towards it. He found himself taking steps towards it, the weight apparently did not affect him if moved in the light's direction. Hiro stamped his foot down as soon as he realized he'd moved involuntarily. He could feel a dark intent from the mote and he wasn't about to find out what would happen if he neared it. The young ensign was still struggling against the impossible phenomenon when the voice called out again, this time next to his ear. "How did you resist? Isn't your goal revenge? Don't you want to make him pay for what he did to you?" The voice cooed, alluding to information it couldn't have possibly known. Hiro was dumbstruck, something supernatural was speaking to him. He tried to speak but he didn't know what to say.

His limbs rattled against the presence as he fought to move away from the entity. The strain on his body was more than he'd ever felt and yet it was the last thing on his mind. Rage began to build up in him as he remembered vividly the day he made that promise. He could still remember the look on his little sister's face when he was forced to flee for his life. The belief that he would return and save her clearly written on her features. Veins began to bulge across his body with each step. "You were not supposed to be here...yet you struggle so admirably." The entity said maliciously. Just as Hiro was about to back up onto the staircase, he was pulled forward at great speed into the purple light. The whole world was spinning in a black abyss. No that's not right, he was spinning down towards the world. As the ocean grew larger and larger, Hiro realized where he was headed. "No..." Even from this height Hiro could see his brother standing atop the Luciano clock tower. The elder Luciano was staring up at his brother, with a menacing grin on his face. Hiro's fall brought him within a foot of his brother. In that moment brief moment that Hiro passed him by it seemed as if time had come to a stand still. His brother's eyes pierced through him but Hiro wouldn't give him the satisfaction. He held his glare with an air of self-assuredness until at last time resumed its course. In the few seconds he had left, Hiro looked around frantically for something to break his fall. In the end it was futile, he found nothing. It wasn't fair to say he didn't care whether he lived or died, he did. He simply couldn't accept the fact that he'd left his sister alone with that monster. And that there was nothing he could do now. Hiro spent his last moments engulfed in a boiling rage. Rage at himself for letting this happen, at his brother for being a deviant, and at his father for letting himself be bested.

He blinked twice and found himself back in the ruins, encompassed by the familiar dark bog. He didn't know what was real anymore but before he had a chance to digest what he'd just been through he heard the voice one last time. "You'll find what you seek at the fork, young hero..." The voice betrayed no emotion. The power restricting light lifted, causing the room to brighten to a degree. Hiro stared at the mote until it faded away. It took him a moment to gather his thoughts and push them away. He came down here to find Linedwell, he would have time to figure out what happened to him. An itching sensation was what tipped him off. He didn't feel the tears until now. He wiped them away and pressed onward. The corridor opened up into a chamber that fed into several other hallways. There appeared to be no sign of the entity or the darkness that accosted him earlier, yet he couldn't shake the feeling that it was still watching him. Hiro raked his brain trying to remember the orientation of the floor above him. After a few minutes he gave up and decided to go check all of the corridors. Just as he was about to head off he heard Linedwell calling out. Still shaken by his encounter, Hiro approached the corridor from which he heard his comrade. "Linedwell?" He said in a whisper, in hopes that it wouldn't alert whatever lurked in this ruin. Hiro entered the room that Linedwell fell into, his fists clenched and his eyes scanning every surface. "Something strange is going on here...something unnatural." He had no frame of reference when it came to what he'd just been through.

11 Re: Valley of the Kings Sat Jan 27, 2018 3:37 pm

Line

Marine

Posts : 84
Join date : 2017-12-16

Linedwell Rainrex

Linedwell waited for a few moments before calling out Hiro's name once more. He hoped that waiting a few seconds before calling again would have allowed his voice to full reverberate around the ruins, but as he called out again he began to doubt that Hiro would respond. One thing that he'd began to wonder about was how much time had passed since the time of the opening of the sinkhole. He wasn't sure how long he'd been unconscious, but after looking upwards he could tell that the sun was beginning to go down. Light that seemed to have previously filled the ruin appeared to be dying down - this meant that even less light was being filtered down into Linedwell's current vicinity.

Though he held the urge to continue his search for his companion, he wasn't sure if he was even in the area anymore. There was always the chance that Linedwell had been unconscious for far longer than he'd initially assumed, and Hiroji had simply moved on in order to look elsewhere. Hell, he may have even given up his search. With this in mind, Linedwell began to ascend upwards through the hole. Many climbing holds had been created as a result of the violent movement of the Earth, leaving Linedwell with a way to ascend up and out of his current predicament.

Once he reached the top, he didn't find himself to be as winded as he would have earlier predicted he would have been after a climb such as this one. The conditioning he'd been putting himself through since joining the Marines was proving to be quite handy, and he appreciated this as he felt there'd be a lot more he'd have to endure before the day was over. In the back of his mind he continued to think about the words the voice had left him with. He knew before he could get to the bottom of what was going on here he'd need to claim the book that'd been mentioned. As he exited the ruins, he noted that he was correct in regards to the location of the sun. It had begun to set and night was beginning to fall. The idea of camping out here overnight was something he was beginning to have second thoughts about; thus, he'd need to claim the book as soon as possible. With the middle pyramid in his sights, Linedwell began to sprint off towards it.

The further he maneuvered through the desert, the more he began to feel as if there were presences around him that he simply couldn't see. It was the same sort of feeling he'd had when initially exploring the earlier ruin, as if there were eyes on him belonging to beings that he simply couldn't discern.

12 Re: Valley of the Kings Mon Jan 29, 2018 7:33 pm

fauna

Posts : 63
Join date : 2017-12-25

It didn't take him long to realize there were several things amiss. For one there was little to no ambient light coming from the floor above. When they'd entered the ruin it couldn't have been an hour or two past noon. Secondly, Linedwell was nowhere to be found. Hiro knew that Line could handle himself so he had to assume he'd gotten up and begun to search for him. The lack of light however was a troubling matter. There were only two reasons for it: either someone or thing had locked them inside the ruin or, more frightening, he'd been occupied in that strange experience for longer than he originally thought. Hiro took a moment to look around the room once more, hoping to find a trace of Line, before dashing back towards the stair case. When he was passing the corridor where the being confronted him, Hiro began to sweat and become anxious. Every cell in his body was telling him to turn around and find another way to the floor above. It took every bit of willpower he had to keep moving forward. By the time he reached the staircase, he was covered in cold sweats. He leaped up the stairs several at a time, not wishing to encounter the entity from before. Before he knew it he was looking over the cave-in and out the open entrance.

The sun was beginning to set, washing the land in an amber light. Hiro started to leave the ruin when something caught his eye. The hieroglyphs engraved into the wall near the entrance was glowing. As he drew nearer he noticed that the intensity at which it was illuminated was faltering and increasing randomly. When Hiro was right in front of that section of wall, he began to feel a slight breeze blow across his neck. Hiro turned his head to the entrance, aligning his perspective of the opening with the wall section. A ragged piece of cloth was attached or pinned to the wall. As the breeze blew into the ruin it shifted the cloth causing it to partially block the dying sunlight. Hiro moved underneath the doorway and leaped up, attempting to tear it down. The cloth wouldn't budge and left the young ensign hanging there. He pulled himself upwards as high as he would go and let his arms go limp, hoping the sudden tension would cause it to rip.

Hiro was rewarded for his efforts with a majority of the rag and a sore bottom. Licking his wounds, Hiro stood up and hurried back to the now iridescent markings. There were many beast-like pictographs surrounding what appeared to be 3 pyramids. Hiro was busy examining the wall when a lone hieroglyph caught the corner of his eye. The image was a ball of light, glowing in a familiar purple hue. Chills rain down his spine as he recalled what had happened earlier. He spun around towards the entrance and was immediately relieved, or as relieved as one could be in a cursed/haunted ruin. The sun was still setting, no time had been lost. Hiro took one look into the nearly pitch black crypt and knew there was no way he could shack up in there overnight. Line would have left as well, if not only to grab the camping gear on his camel. Hiro hurried out of the ruin, slowly at first but the closer he got to the entrance the faster he moved until he was at top speed. He was initially headed towards his camel when he noticed a figure headed towards one of the pyramids. "Linedwell." he mumbled. Hiro saddled his camel, grabbed the other camels reigns, and set off after his companion, urging the ornery beast faster with every passing moment.

13 Re: Valley of the Kings Sat Feb 03, 2018 7:48 pm

Line

Marine

Posts : 84
Join date : 2017-12-16

Linedwell Rainrex

Linedwell began to slow his pace as he found himself somewhat pleased with the distance he managed to travel. At the moment, he found himself currently more than halfway of the distance towards his destination. The fact that the sheer size of the pyramid was now showing itself to Linedwell was enough of an indication that he was well on his way. Though pleased with himself, he couldn't help but internally kick himself for the manner in which he so haphazardly rushed out into the desert without the use of his camel. The sense of urgency that drew him to do this told him that nothing, besides his own legs, could carry him at the pace he thought he needed to be carried. Sadly, his brain didn't remind him of how immense this desert actually was. Though it would have been slow going, the need to rest would have been less with the use of his camel.

The sun still continued to get lower and lower, and the closer that Linedwell got to his destination he couldn't help but think back on the words of the "voice", as he so aptly named it. The Ensign was well aware that he'd been traveling to the pyramid in order to recover a tome that the voice mentioned, as he hoped that retrieving it would help to clear up the mystery surrounding this place. However, his mind also continued to playback the warning the voice had left him with.

"Who is "they"?"

Could there actually be some sort of group still present within these ruins that actively guarded this place? Judging from the looks of the place, it didn't seem to Linedwell to be any signs that it had been inhabited recently - hell, they hadn't even seen any signs of the "monsters" that Mr. Miyagi claimed to be here. Yet, Linedwell still couldn't shake the eerie feeling he'd felt when he first started to make his way towards the pyramid, as if eyes were upon him.

It was then, almost on cue, that Linedwell once again felt the same presence that he'd felt earlier. However, this time the feeling was different in a sense that it didn't feel as though whatever had been watching him had left and somehow returned. No, this time it was made blatantly obvious to Linedwell that he'd simply lost the ability to perceive that he was being watched and observed. Whatever was stalking him had never left. It was akin to an antelope faintly sensing that it was being stalked by a lion, the tall grass merely obscuring the predator. He wasn't sure how he was feeling what he was feeling, but he could only assume that it was the killing intent wafting off of his stalker which gave it away.

He could feel a cold sweat coming on as he immediately stopped dead in his tracks; beginning to turn around in a 360 degree motion as he attempted to inspect the immediate area around himself. He could perceive malice all around him, yet, there was nothing. It was then, at that moment, that sand began to shoot upwards into the sky all around him; as if multiple explosions were going off at the same time. In no time at all Linedwell found himself surrounded by what appeared to be long legged beasts. Each one possessed about eight legs, given them an appearance reminiscent of a spider, however, unlike a spider, they possessed a human-like upper body and head and were positioned pretty low to the ground. The length of the legs reminded Linedwell of the daddy long legs spider as they began to rush forward. They'd completely managed to circle him at this point, creating a large crowd around him.

One by one, they endlessly continued to pop up out of the sand around Linedwell as he unsheathed his katana. Though he still couldn't understand how he'd been able to sense these beasts, it now made complete sense why he wasn't able to physically see them. They'd been stalking him from underneath the sands. These monsters had to be the "they" the voice had mentioned before. With this revelation, Linedwell braced himself for combat. This was no longer the time to stand around and think about anything other than survival - he'd need to be the one to make the first move if he was going to survive the sheer numbers he was faced against. These beasts were out for blood, and they'd rip him to shreds if he didn't mind himself.

With his blade drawn, Linedwell stood and faced the waves of beasts that were now closing in. Linedwell then slashed horizontally towards the wave that approached him from the front.

"Karyu Issen!"

A "blade" composed of flame was generated and quickly shot forward towards his attackers. The blade managed to cut through many of the beasts that approached, littering the ground with blood and entrails. After employing this ability, Linedwell began to run towards the monsters. Slashing and stabbing every which way. They were weak, but they made up for this in sheer numbers, and it was beginning to feel like he had been fighting them for what seemed like an eternity.

No matter how many he killed, more seemed to spring up and take the place of their fallen comrades. Linedwell quickly jumped into the air towards a large group of the beasts.

"Karyu Issen!"

Yet another flame composed blade was fired off from Linedwell's weapon. The blade landed in the middle of the large group and decimated them. Linedwell followed this up once more, quickly swinging his blade as fast he could to fire off another attack. He aimed for another group of beasts, his intent to have this attack land in the middle of the group. As the explosion sounded off, limbs and gore flew every which as they scattered across the battlefield.

Linedwell soon landed on the desert sand, flicking his right wrist as he did so. His katana began to spin within his right hand until the blade faced towards the beasts in front of him. They had stopped their movements before making their way fully to him. Linedwell began to smirk as they did this. It seemed they weren’t as simple minded as he had assumed they were. They were trying to find a weak point. An opening. Linedwell had to make sure he didn’t give them one. If so, they’d quickly outnumber him - which would ultimately seal his fate.

It was at the moment in which Linedwell was fully aware that he'd require complete focus in order to survive, that his focus was interrupted. The same on and off feeling of out-of-body perception that he'd been getting throughout his time in this desert returned - yet, this time it was as if he could "feel" each of the beings within his immediate vicinity on an individual level. Even though each one of them had the same goal of wanting to rip Linedwell limb from limb, each one held a different variation of how they wanted to accomplish this goal. To some, they merely wanted decapitate the young man - while many others wanted feed upon him while he still took breath. Being able to feel such rage and violence at such a level was overpowering, to say the least. With so much information bombarding him, he was barely able to recognize the physical cues that his enemies were giving off.

Soon enough, one of the beasts rushed in behind him, extending its arm in order to grab Linedwell. It seemed the enemy had been able to notice that Linedwell's attention had been split, and decided to use the opportunity to attack. Linedwell quickly threw the blade to his left hand and swung around, slashing it upwards. The blade whistled as it made its way through the air. It soon connected with the arm of the beast, and sliced through it like paper. As the arm fell, Linedwell quickly stabbed forward. The blade pierced into the neck of his enemy. He could feel the resistance as the blade severed the spinal cord. The attacks he'd doled out to the monster caused Linedwell to uncharacteristically flinch. Though he'd performed such acts of violence before, he'd never been able to perceive the pain he was causing the enemy in question. With whatever was going on with him, he could feel the emotion of agony wafting off of the victim and onto him - as if being projected in some sort of fashion. It caused no physical harm to Linedwell, however, it did give Linedwell a few seconds of pause when deciding if it was worth it to attack these monsters. Was this an ability they held, or something else completely?

Another beast quickly rushed in from his right side. Hoping to catch Linedwell while he was preoccupied with the deceased enemy. Linedwell tugged, ripping his blade out from the side of the beast's neck and swiftly side stepped. The monster rushed past him, obviously not being able to stop as a result of the speed he was moving at. Before the beast traveled too far, Linedwell spun with his blade as he took a knee. It sliced through the beast's legs, completely severing them. The monster crashed into the ground and continued to roll, sending him toppling into other of the beasts that stood in front of him. Linedwell thought that this would have slowed them down. This thought, however, was wrong. It seemed their brethren being killed in front of them had been enough to antagonize them further, and as a result, their attacks began to increase. Three of the beasts speedily rushed in, quickly closing the distance between themselves and Linedwell. He quickly stood up and faced his would-be attackers. As the first beast rushed in, Linedwell jumped upwards and onto its head. Using it as a stepping stone, he began to leap towards the other two behind it. Linedwell then began to spin before impacting his foot against the head of the second monster, sending him flying. This action was then followed up by the Ensign stabbing forward with his blade - the third creature finding itself impaled with said blade.The blade dug its way into the its heart, killing it instantly. All of this occurred at a speed in which the first creature couldn't keep up with, meaning, he didn’t yet have a chance to turn around. Linedwell took advantage of this and stabbed forward into the monster's back. He then slashed upwards, leaving the beast vertically bisected from the waist up.

The body slowly slid off of his blade and fell into the sand of the desert, after which Linedwell whipped his blade through the air and towards the ground, cleansing his blade of the blood that had been left upon it. He looked back up to be greeted with the deathly glare of even more of these beasts. He sighed a bit, and then began to look in the distance towards the pyramid. He was gaining no ground whatsoever. No matter how many were killed they just kept coming. He raised his blade once more and prepared for the creatures rushing him again. He had taken his breather, now it was time to get back to work. Once again, another beast rushed him from the front. Apparently, he hadn’t seen what has just happened to his comrade. Linedwell raised his blade and sent a horizontal slash towards the its abdomen. The blade sliced through the flesh before disemboweling the creature. With a thud, the monster fell forward, which then gave way to four more of these monsters leaping up and out of the crowd; their intentions being to gang up on Linedwell. Their movements had been too unpredictable, giving them the opening they needed to surround him - one of them landing on top of him; pinning him to the ground. The beast quickly got off of his back and picked him up, grasping him in his arms so that he couldn’t escape.

“Shit!”

They had captured him and his katana had been propelled out of his reach as a result of the impact. Another beast walked up sporting a large clawed arm. The claws were razor sharp. It quickly ran forward and swiped to cut off Linedwell’s head while he remained grasped by the previous enemy. Linedwell swiftly ducked his head down, causing the clawed hand to smash into the head of the monster that held him captive. The clawed hand then cut into the neck of the beast, decapitating it. The head was sent flying quite a ways. As the creature that held him died, the grasp of the beast that held him failed. This allowed him to break free. Linedwell hurried as fast as he could to make it to his blade, however, these creatures had another idea in mind. They began to circle around him once again, making sure he had nowhere to escape. Linedwell turned around in a full 360 degree motion. He made sure to inspect all of his opponents. He then put his hands out in front of himself, getting into a fighting position. They weren’t going to allow him to retrieve his weapon, so he’d have to make do with the weapons that he had readily available - his fists. A monsters rushed in, swiping madly at him whilst attempting to maul him. Linedwell dodged these swipes with as much grace as he was capable of. A swipe came horizontally towards Linedwell - to which he then leaned backwards, allowing him to dodge the attack.

From this back-leaning position, he went into a handstand and wrapped his legs around the creature's arm. With a powerful twist, he ripped the arm out of its socket. He then kicked the arm into the air and made his way back onto his feet. The arm came falling back down, and Linedwell made sure that he caught it as quickly as it had fallen. He followed this catch up by throwing the arm as hard as he could, sending the bladed claws into the chest of his opponent, killing it almost instantly. As he did this another beast made its way behind him, attempting to slice him as he did so. Linedwell dodged, however, the creature managed to land a hit on his arm, gashing it in the process. Linedwell grabbed the arm of the brute and flipped him up and over his shoulder, sending it crashing into the sand. Linedwell then hopped atop the beast and began to send a flurry of punches into what he discerned as its face. With each punch a slight cracking sound could be heard, until even deeper cracking sounds began to sound off. Linedwell could only assume that it was just the skull caving in.

While Linedwell continued to punch, he could feel small tremors in the sand below himself and the body of the beast he was atop. Soon enough, the sand burst upwards. This gave sight to a horrific beast, the likes of which Linedwell had never seen before. It took the form of a giant sandworm-like creature as it burst upwards from directly under Linedwell and the enemy that he was preoccupied in finishing off. The mouth of the sand worm opened up around both of them. Linedwell used the body of the dead beast as a platform and jumped out of the mouth of the worm. The force that the worm had caused from its entrance had caused both he and Linedwell to be sent high into the air. They were now quite high in the air, a distance of 165 meters up, and since Linedwell had jumped out of the worm's mouth he was now even higher than that. Linedwell flipped his body in mid-air so that he was now facing downward toward the desert floor, even though his body was still being propelled upwards. He began to look the worm up and down for weaknesses until he saw one that held potential. All over the worm's body was a thick armor plating, yet, there was something odd that stood out. Atop the worm's head seemed to be clear covering over the top of the skull, as if made of glass. The rest of the armor was dense and non-transparent.

“That must be it…”

As gravity began to take hold and Linedwell was beginning to fall instead of ascend, his position allowed him to rapidly descend when compared to the worm's fall. He used this speed to quickly land atop the head of the worm, far outside of the reach of its mouth. Sadly, he no longer had access to his blade, which was still lost on the desert floor, however, he still had use of his fists. He'd never trained too much in hand to hand combat, but he knew that he needed to make use of the only weapons that he still had available to him. Though the transparent covering didn't seem to be as strong as the other dense, armored sections of the worm, he still wondered if he'd be able to muster the strength necessary in order to break through. Despite his doubts, there wasn't much else that he could do in this situation besides to try.

Linedwell took in a long breathe before slowly exhaling, relaxing himself and ridding himself of any feelings of doubt he held in his current goal There were no ifs, ands, or buts about the situation now. He needed to do this, and because of that, it would be accomplished. With his right hand gripping what he could in order to make sure he didn't fall off of the worm's head, he began to pummel the "glass" with his left fist as hard as he possibly could. He found himself wincing considerably with each and every strike that he landed against the hard substance. As he watched himself punch, he could visibly tell that he was causing more damage to his own hand than he was causing to the armor that he was attempting to penetrate. With each punch, he could feel his knuckles beginning to bust, blood now smearing against the armor.

"C'mon, c'mon, c'mon...!"

Linedwell began to chant these words over and over as he continued to punch the armor, hoping that in some fashion that adopting this mantra would allow him to take his mind off of the pain he was currently feeling. It didn't take long before he could feel the bones in his left hand beginning to fracture from the sheer force that he was applying with each and every punch. His breathing was becoming intensely labored as the pain continued to wash over him with each strike. Expletives bounced back and forth through his mind as the pain was beginning to become almost too much for him to hand, and the cracking of his knuckles and bones became audible.

"DAMN IT! FUCKING BREAK ALREADY!"

His frustrations became audible as he yelled out these expletives. Though the pain was beginning to overwhelm him, more than anything, he found himself frustrated with his lack of power. Why couldn't he do this? What was holding him back? Is this all that he was capable of? He began to think back to the feelings he held while within the ruin. He'd thought he died back there, only to wake up and realize that he hadn't yet lost his life. The joy he felt in that moment was immense, however, if he were to lose to this "thing", his death would become a reality. No, there was far too much that he wanted to...no, needed to accomplish. He couldn't let this be the end, he couldn't let this trial overwhelm him. He'd made a promise to himself years ago that he'd never let anything stop him from accomplishing his goals, and this worm wouldn't stop him.

It was then, with his next punch, that Linedwell heard a shattering sound as his next punch landed against the armor. Linedwell looked down at his fist, completely expecting that he'd thoroughly destroyed his arm; only to have his eyes open up wide in shock. What he saw before him was something he'd never seen or experienced before. The entirety of his left hand and arm had been engulfed in what appeared to be a black, metallic substance. With his fist still resting against the glass-like plating of the worm, he was able to see that he'd managed to create a large crack in the armor; through which Linedwell could only attribute to this new metallic appearance. What was this?

Before he could further question this new development, he could hear the worm underneath him begin to writhe in pain and let out an ear-splitting screech. He'd managed to injure the beast, and instead of looking a gift horse in the mouth, Linedwell decided to make full use of this new power.

"AHHHHHHHH!"

Yelling at the top of his lungs, Linedwell began to pummeling the armor with his left fist as fiercely as he possibly could, each punch that impacted the armor causing it to give way and allow Linedwell to penetrate deeper than he'd been able to prior to the introduction of this new ability. Each blow also elicited a shriek of pain from the worm, causing it to wriggle and squirm in agony in the air as Linedwell continued to pierce through the glass-like armor. Not long after this, his entire arm found its way deep inside of the brain of the worm, causing blood to spurt out of it in a manner reminiscent of a whale's blowhole. The cries of pain from the beast had also come to an end, as well as its movement; signifying that the beast had finally been killed. Linedwell smiled briefly to himself as he recognized that he'd been able to kill this monster - but just ask quickly as he'd accomplished this feat, the black substance on his arm also disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. There was a moment of confusion as Linedwell contemplated what this was, however, he knew he didn't have the time to stand around and think about it. There was much more work to be done, and Linedwell knew full well that if he were to survive he needed to keep moving.

With the worm dead, Linedwell began to scan the desert valley below for his weapon. They were currently still falling, and were now only about fifty meters in the air. He continued to hold onto the skull of the worm as their descent continued, yet, he readied himself for the dismount he'd soon have to attempt as he continued to scan the desert floor. Once they reached a distance of about ten meters above the desert floor, Linedwell quickly leapt forward and into the air. He'd been able to spot his weapon and was going to attempt to reach it as quickly as possible. Once his feet hit the ground, he quickly tucked and rolled, dispersing a lot of the force of his fall before he began to dash with all his might until he made it to his goal. He bent over and hastily picked up his weapon, as it had been out of his grasp for far too long.

On cue, more monsterss began swarming around him the young Marine that simply couldn't catch a break. Linedwell's breathing was now extremely labored at this point, he'd suffered a very deep gash in his arm, and his left hand was pretty much shot from his effort to bring down the sand-worm. This fight was now taking its toll, even though Linedwell's spirit told him that he held the capability to continue fighting, his body wasn't exactly agreeing with that sentiment. If this fight continued in the direction it was currently headed in, he knew for a fact that he wouldn't be alive much longer. As proud as he was when it came to his combat ability, he also knew when a doomed effort when he saw it. The swarms of monsters seemed to be never ending.

Soon enough, beasts began to rushed in again and Linedwell quickly responded by to slashing and stabbing every which way. Killing each one that made its way towards him. It didn't take long before a very sly beast swiftly leapt forwards in the shadow of another one, attempting to take Linedwell by surprise. Unbeknownst to the monster, Linedwell had begun to get the hang of this "higher" cognitive function that he'd recently attained. He'd first thought that this sixth-sense was something that had been the doing of the monsters he was facing, but now, he was beginning to realize that he was simply able to see and feel things that he previously wasn't capable of perceiving. This result of the crafty beast's attack ended with Linedwell’s blade being lodged deep within its skull, entering through its eye. Linedwell kept the beast dangling from the edge of his blade and spun around. He sent this dead enemy crashing into the others that were swiftly approaching. He was now using his blade as more of a baseball bat, sending them flying. He continued to fight them until he now cleared a substantial amount of space between himself and these gruesome beasts.

With this space to breathe, Linedwell began to think of what he would do next. Should he continue to fight? Should he attempt to make his way through the horde of beasts and search for Hiroji? Should he attempt to run? The answer seemed almost obvious - running was the best option in this situation, however, Linedwell couldn't help but wonder if Hiroji had already been decimated by these monsters. Though he was trained by Mr. Miyagi as well, none of them were prepared for a battle such as this one. This was a fight on a scale that Linedwell had never experienced before. Missteps were repaid in death. These monsters showed no sign of dying down in number. Staying separate would almost ensure death no matter how strong you were; much to Linedwell's annoyance. It was time for him to admit to himself that this was simply far too much to handle alone. The only answer that Linedwell could come to in this moment is that he had to escape from this place as quickly as possible. He wasn't sure what awaited him within the pyramid, but he had to take his chances and make his way inside of it. Hopefully the protection of the structure would give him some time to rest and think of another plan of escape.

With his mind finally made up, Linedwell began to run forwards, trying to put this plan into motion when all of a sudden he felt a sudden feeling of dread, following by an immense amount of killing intent. The sheer strength and density of it was too awe-inspiring for Linedwell to not stop dead in his tracks. The beasts also seemed to share this same sentiment as they also stopped and looked in the direction in which this feeling emanated from. It was apparent that they were able to feel the same thing that Linedwell could feel in this moment. The feeling was dark and bestial, just like it had felt in the beginning of this mission, but it wasn’t the same this time. It was a far more powerful feeling, something that Linedwell simply couldn't describe.

“Another enemy…?”

Linedwell sighed for a second before he began to look around himself and began noticing just how defenseless these creatures were as they continued to stare almost absentmindedly in the direction of the disturbance. He’d have to take advantage of this. Making use of an ability that he hadn't been able to use without the use of his sword, Liendwell quickly slashed the air in the direction of his opponent's, letting loose yet another blade composed of flame.

"Karyu Issen!"

As it began to move horizontally across the battlefield, it began to make quick work of its targets, effectively cutting them in half. Linedwell laughed a bit at his good luck, but it seemed his good luck was about to come to an end. As he laughed, the ground soon began to rumble forcefully. Linedwell dug his blade into the ground in order to keep standing upright. Soon a giant white boot came crashing up from under the sand. The toe of the boot crashed into Linedwell’s chest, sending him sprawling through the air. With each of his rotations through the air, he managed to get a good look at what was coming up from under the sand. The murderous intent it possessed almost guaranteed that it had been what he'd been sensing only moments earlier. It was enormous. It seemed to be wearing a dark black flowing gown, and the face appeared to be covered in what appeared to be a mask. It began to sit up, as it if had been asleep under the sand and was only just waking up after a long day.

Linedwell ended up quite a ways away from where he had been kicked from as he came crashing down hard into the desert sands. He struggled to get on his knees, coughing up lots of blood as he did so - which was always a horrible sign. He then looked over into the distance, attempting to make out what was happening in the distance. He'd been kicked so far that he was completely out of range of the horde, and from this position he could see that they were attempting to rectify this. It appeared to be merely an accident, but the monster that rose up out of the sand obviously didn't intent to kick him in the direction that he ended up going. Right now, Linedwell was even closer to the pyramid than he'd ever been. It was now within walking distance, and the horde of creatures were trying hard to catch up. Linedwell needed to make use of this head start now, yet, when he attempted to stand he could feel almost every bone in his body crack. It wasn't hard to tell that he'd fractured a majority of his bones upon landing, but if he were to stop moving he knew that he'd be dead. Pushing through the pain, the Ensign stood and began to run as fast as his body could carry him - which wasn't very fast at all now. Despite this, he had to do what he could to escape into the confines of the pyramid. This was his last hope.

Abilities Used:

14 Re: Valley of the Kings Thu Feb 15, 2018 12:52 pm

fauna

Posts : 63
Join date : 2017-12-25

Within a few minutes of his departure of the ruins, the ground began to shake violently ahead. The more he moved towards the pyramids, the stronger the tremors were. As Hiro came to the top of a dune he saw something that sent chills down his spine. The shifting sands sprawled in front of him were forming hundreds of little pockets. As his eyes scanned the desert before him, he spotted a figure among the growing holes. Hiro kicked his camel into action. The camels were frightened by something so they didn't need too much urging to reach a more than comfortable speed. The hairs on the back of his neck stiffened as he glided through the tumultuous terrain. Suddenly, and without warning, geysers of sand exploded violently all around him. Hiro was knocked off of his mount in the confusion and rolled a fair distance before coming to a stop. The young ensign quickly got to his feet and scoured the surrounding area.

The sand and dust made it difficult to see what was going on. Hiro used his hands to protect his eyes from the particulates in the air. Dark shadows were all around him, moving in an alien-like manner. Hiro stood there, swiveling his entire body around every few moments for what felt like eternity. With every move he made, the figures clicked as if trying to triangulate on his position. It would be a while until the dust settled, their eyesight must not be strong enough to pierce the veil of dust. Unfortunately he did not know which direction he was headed thanks to the disorienting nature of his fall. There was a lot of movement to his right followed by a loud thud. The figures were congregating on...something. The death-throes of a wounded beast cut through the eerie stalemate and the scent of blood filled the air. One of the camels had fell prey to the monsters around them. He would never be able to make it out of this alive if he had to use one of his hands to block out the sand. Hiro adjusted his head wrapping so that it would block the sand from reaching his eyes, or at least make it difficult. As he readied himself to pick a direction and embark, he heard the braying of a distraught camel. A strong gust of wind parted the dust, revealing what exactly he was dealing with. Half human half spider abominations that skittered in what appeared to be a random manner. Fear was a logical emotion, and it was definitely the first to emerge within him. But fear wouldn't get him out of this situation, it was only one part of the recipe. With the fear came a sense of calm, a tenacity that told him he would survive this. Ideas began to form in his mind, pulled together and formed by memories and experiences he'd entirely let slip his mind. With the nearby monsters busy gnawing on the still warm camel corpse, Hiro set off towards the other remaining camel.

Although some of the monsters had been pre-occupied in an all you can eat camel feast, there were still countless shadows skittering to and fro in the nearby vicinity. The clicking sounds they made filled the area in an almost deafening cacophony. Hiro wouldn't be able to rely too much on his sense of hearing or sight. He slowed down to let one of the monsters skitter past him, taking a moment to look around and gather a few smooth stones. The last he remembered, Linedwell was a few hundred meters in front of him. The dust itself was beginning to clear, slowed only by the wind kicking it back up. Hiro slowly crawled up a sand dune, keeping his ears open for any nearby insect noises. Instead he heard the braying again, this time louder. Although he could not see the camel, he had a general idea of where it was. Hiro had been lucky so far, he'd been able to sneak by or outwit the creatures around him and avoid a direct confrontation. The creatures between him and the camel were moving rapidly and lashing out at the slightest provocation, even at one another. Hiro was outnumbered almost 1,000 to 1 by these ferocious creatures. A fight would cause a cascade effect, alerting nearby creatures until the entire mob was upon him. It was akin to traversing a minefield, albeit a lot scarier. Mines couldn't gnaw at your bones or gut you if you walked too close. He descended the dune cautiously, keeping his speed constant. When he reached the bottom a gust of wind cleared the cloud ahead of him, revealing a large swathe of creatures. With their sight returned to them it didn't take them long to notice the young ensign. It was a combination of their speed and uncanny, unnatural movements that caught him off guard. Hiro nearly lost his footing as one neared but he regained it immediately by putting his hand behind him and pushing off the slope of the sand dune. His arm flew up to defend against the creature's scythe-like claw. Hiro stepped forward so that he blocked at the creature's joint, following up with a solid crack to its chest. The force of the blow sent it hurtling back into its comrades but it neither slowed nor discouraged them.

A second monster took the place of the first. It switched directions and skittered to the left with surprising speed as soon as it was within attack range, hoping to catch the young ensign unaware. Hiro turned his head slightly to keep it in his view. The creature lashed out with its spindly legs at him. Hiro delayed his reaction until he knew his foe was committed. He lifted his foot and stomped down at the creature's leg joints. With part of its legs crushed the spider-creature's clicking began to increase in volume and speed. In one fluid action he swiveled around and sent his fist into the creatures torso. The sound died in its throat a second after it began. Hiro turned around again and faced down the approaching mob. Through the mass of legs, claws, and carapaced bodies Hiro caught a glimpse of his camel. A brief sense of relief washed over him but was quickly replaced with a sense of urgency. Fighting these things was made difficult because they had natural weapons and he had only his fists. Their claws would cut and batter him, Hiro would have to get past the tough carapace to do any real damage. The smart thing to do was to rendezvous with Linedwell and form a united front. At the very least they would be able to create a plan of action. He didn't want to run from a fight but he had little choice in the matter. He sprinted forward towards the creatures barreling towards him. Hiro jumped as he neared, using as much force as he could muster in a split second and sailed overhead. The creatures attempted to come to a stop but the sand didn't give them enough traction, causing them to tumble over one another. The young ensign timed his landing so as to continue his mad dash towards the camel.

Another strong gust of wind blew the dust around, clearing patches of the cloud as he neared the dromedary. From the way it was posturing itself Hiro could tell it was confused and afraid. When it saw him nearing it began to trot over towards him. Before he had a chance to do it himself, the camel bit the bundled cloak at the nape of his neck and threw him onto its back. Hiro landed awkwardly and fought to hold onto the beast as it galloped off blindly. He grabbed a tuft of hair and used it as leverage to regain his balance. The young ensign grappled with the reigns, calming the beast somewhat in the process. The sound of their flight across the landscape caught the attention of every creature in the vicinity. It didn't help that the visibility grew exponentially the further they moved. They were moving too fast to be assaulted head on. Instead, the creatures ahead of them ran in the direction they were headed, lashing out when the duo slowly passed them by. Hiro gripped the reigns and held on for dear life as the camel began to speed up. He defended his position by kicking away any creature that tried to attach itself to his mount. But with every passing moment, more and more creatures began to reach them. In every direction, except forward, all he could see was a sea of black. It all turned to shit when one of the creatures managed to snag its claw on the saddle. No matter how hard he kicked it hung on, slowing their speed considerably. The camel was trying its hardest to scale a particularly steep sand dune and the extra weight was not helping. With the decrease in their speed from the dune and the extra weight, the mob was able to catch up with the pair. Hiro flailed his arms around wildly to defend against the violent assault. He managed to fend off the attack, and leaned to the side. He brought his fist down like a hammer and began to pound away at the snagged claw. With just a few well placed strikes he destroyed the carapace, causing the creature to wail in pain and detach itself. He nearly lost his balance when the camel kicked it into high speed. Hiro barely had a chance to right himself before realizing they were airborne. The duo flew over the top of the dune and were treated to what would normally be a beautiful sight. Hiro was busy knocking away the probing arms of a few of the creatures that followed them into the air. The creatures seemed to be more alert now that the dust had settled. Something about the dust dulled their senses, and reaction time. Hiro already missed the slow and sluggish creatures he had come to know and hated these fast ones. They moved faster and seemed to work with one another, making his fight against them much more difficult.

His attention was turned forward as a tremor unlike the one before washed over the desert. An enormous worm-like creature emerged, reaching the same height as the pyramids. Hiro had a few seconds where his eyes widened and his jaw dropped. He didn't get a chance to process what was happening now because his flight was over. The camel nearly buckled when it landed, the sand gave no traction and they slid the rest of the way down. The young ensign looked back to confirm they were still being followed before whipping the reigns like a mad man. These weren't things he'd prepared for. He'd expected at most to have to deal with evil pirates with agendas or the occasional revolutionary. He wasn't prepared for spider monsters and giant worms. Nevertheless, you play the hand you're dealt. The events that had unfolded in the past half hour were pushed to the back of his mind. He would give it some thought after his life wasn't under constant threat. The duo had gained some distance and Hiro was determined to keep every centimeter earned. With enemies at all sides, Hiro decided to focus his attention on the threat in front of him. The worm was beyond massive, its slightest movements sent a rippling across the desert. Try as he might he couldn't locate Linedwell anywhere in front of him. There was no way he'd passed him, the last time he'd seen him had been from far away. It was then that he saw light reflecting off of the worm's head.In between the bursts of reflected light, he saw the figure of his ally winding up a punch. Seeing Linedwell, a swordsman, resorting to martial arts was a bit disheartening. The gravity of their situation began to set in. An endless swarm of enemies all around them, a gigantic worm, and an entity that was hell-bent on their destruction.

The trial they faced here would either lead to their untimely deaths, left to be forgotten in this wasteland, or it would temper them as a blacksmith tempers a sword. This was a forge, and the temperature was rising. Instead of demoralizing him, the difficulty of their situation only served to rekindle his determination. The worm's tail end was flailing around, Hiro could only assume that Linedwell was succeeding against his foe. The creatures in front and to either side of him were gaining on him. They weren't moving any faster than before, it was the camel that was gradually slowing down. Camels could sustain high speeds in short bursts, it seemed that its stamina was nearly depleted. Claws and limbs struck the young ensign from all sides. Hiro was able to protect his head and deflect a few of the strikes. The creatures who attacked flagged behind and lost momentum. But as one fell behind, two took its place. Hiro tied the reigns to the saddle, freeing his hands. When one of the creatures lashed out, he grabbed its limbs and spun it around overhead. After a few spins the creature was severely disoriented and could not mount any resistance. Its spinning body was now being used as a flail, knocking its comrades away. Hiro let go of the creature and sent it crashing to his left. For some odd reason the creatures stopped pursuing him any further. His body took this moment of reprieve to alert him to several shallow cuts on the palms of his hand. All of a sudden the camel came to a screeching stop, sending Hiro tumbling over head. The young ensign was lucky to land on his feet, sliding a couple of meters before coming to a stop. He looked around and found no reason as to his mount's strange behavior. Hiro took a few steps forward, turning around every so often to make sure the creatures weren't moving. He stopped after his fourth step, noticing that the sound of his footstep sounded more like the crunching of fresh snow than the soft grinding of sand. He shivered immediately, his body shocked by the sudden change in temperature. The light brown desert had transformed itself entirely. It was either that or he'd been transported. He did his best to keep the sounds he produced to a minimum, but in he was alone in this winter wonderland. The sound of his boots trudging through snow almost seemed deafening in comparison to the silence he'd disturbed.

Gusts of wind sent snow flakes streaming past his face. Hiro felt a stinging sensation, he brought his hand to his cheeks and felt something warm. Upon seeing the blood on his hand he was immediately brought back. The ambient heat rising off of the sand below his feet, the hundreds of spider-things all around him, and what appeared to be an inanimate sword floating several meters away. It appeared to be a broadsword made of a transparent material. The hilt of the blade was as intricate as it was elegant, it also sported a scorpion's tail right where the blade began. His cheeks began to sting again, reminding him of the odd snowy world he had either seen or hallucinated. As he rubbed his cheeks in hopes to reduce the pain, he felt the slick texture of blood. The young ensign stared at his blood covered hand. "It had to be real..." He said, not bothering to consider how it could have been real. The blade cut through the air, swirling about several times before bringing itself down on the ensign. Hiro stepped out of the way just as the cloak cut through his cloak. Any slower and he would have lost an arm. He nearly stumbled but caught himself in time. The blade didn't stop with that one attack, it moved in an odd manner and struck at him with a flurry of stabbing maneuvers. He was barely able to keep the sword at bay with what remained of his cloak, using it to parry as he stepped away again and again. There was something odd about this scenario, besides being attacked by an invisible foe. Hiro was accustomed to fighting swordsmen from his time in boot camp. He'd studied their techniques but found he had no natural talent.

The way the blade was moving seemed to indicate that there was no wielder. It was twisting about in a manner that human limbs wouldn't allow, even long arms couldn't pull off these strange attacks. An oblivious spider-creature charged from behind him, perhaps unaware of the sword that kept the rest at bay. Hiro rolled to the left in order to dodge the beast and was surprised to see what happened next. The sword impaled the creature and ran along its spine cutting it into two. Whatever this thing was it did not seem to differentiate friend from foe. It was also enough of a threat to keep the hordes of creatures from nearing it. An idea began to light up in his mind as soon as that piece of information formed, the pieces had been assembled and the puzzle was complete. He could keep the interest of the sword and use it to guarantee safe passage through to Linedwell. Just as he'd begun to formulate a more detailed plan, a resounding crash shook the ground beneath his feet. He was sent tumbling into the air where he saw the now defeated worm writhing in the sand. Hiro had underestimated the sword, he realized that as a sharp pain tore through his left arm. He landed on the slope of the dune and rolled to his feet. The sword was moving faster than before and shone with an eerie white light. It was no longer coming into close combat, opting instead to send invisible 'blades' at the young ensign. Ducking and rolling down the slope saved his life as one of these blades cut deeply into the sand where he had stood earlier.

Sand and dust splattered as Hiro sped across the small battlefield. He couldn't see the flying attacks or even hear them coming. The only thing keeping him from becoming sashimi was his speed, but he couldn't run at top speed forever. He couldn't even retreat if he wanted to, he was still surrounded on all sides by the creatures. He was stuck between a rock and a hard place. He clutched his arm as he ran, hoping to stop the bleeding. Hiro found it difficult to think and stopped trying. He kept his focus on the sword and its movements. Hiro felt an overwhelming sense of dread and time seemed to slow to a crawl. Slowly an outline began to come into view. It was subtle at first, a line of compressed billowing air. His legs kicked off of the sand of their own accord, floating him into the air. His body turned gracefully midair sending him out of the blade's path. He had no idea what was happening, it felt like instinct. As soon as it had begun it ended, Hiro was moving a bit faster than he'd anticipated and ended up crashing into the ground. He tumbled a couple of times before rolling onto his feet and continuing to evade. His breath was ragged and his body was beginning to slow down. He knew he'd only last few more rotations, he had to get a hold of that sword and it was now or never. The young ensign abruptly turned on his heel, propelling himself at the sword. His eyes were red from the ambient dust in the air and yet he kept them fully open as he approached.

The blade began to move faster, spiraling about to launch an attack. When it cut through the air Hiro noticed that a faint light shone within the crystalline length. The light traveled down to the tip and then disappeared entirely. The odd sensation returned almost instantly after the light was gone. The blade of compressed air appeared right before him, except this time it was a lot more visible than before. Time hadn't stopped, Hiro realized the blade was still moving towards him and was little less than a meter away. He felt as if he had been refreshed and full of energy. Every fiber of his being told him to move in a certain way and so he did. The young ensign's body turned and moved slightly to one side. The sensation went away as soon as he'd begun moving, allowing the blade of air past him. He wouldn't notice this until later but a portion of his hair had been sheered off. He felt slightly drained after dodging and attributed it to this strange ability he'd unknowingly been using. The battle was not over and the sword would not give up the fight yet. Hiro was only a few meters away and there was still plenty of time for it to attack a couple more times with its strange movements. First came a horizontal swipe, low to the ground. Hiro remembered when he'd been knocked into the air earlier. If he jumped to dodge this attack, he'd leave himself with no options to dodge at this range. He opted instead to hop just enough to clear the invisible blade and extend his legs down as soon as he was clear. He knew his limitations better than most of his colleagues. Whatever he was experiencing seemed to have its own limitations and he would rather not find out in the next few moments. Hiro kicked off the ground, similar to a pogo stick, using his momentum and the force of his jump to launch himself at the sword. He didn't know if you could catch an 'inanimate' object off guard, but that is what happened. His hands wrapped around the hilt of the blade and his weight killed any of the momentum it had built up. As he fell to the ground his vision blurred. A ice-white gauntlet, a suit of armor, a malevolent soul. The blade was the only weapon worthy of its wielder. The world returned into view, or rather a mouthful of sand disturbed the premonition. Hiro coughed and sputtered as he stood to his feet, rubbing sand from his tongue with his free hand. Remembering that hundreds of nasty spider-creatures had surrounded him Hiro stood tall. The young ensign immediately swiveled around, brandishing the now dim sword as he did so. He looked around surprised that the creatures didn't descend on him. The sword itself had stopped resisting as soon as he'd touched it. The glow from within had died down when he'd grabbed the hilt. It was surprisingly light for its size, Hiro thought it would float away if he let go. Whatever sway it held over the creatures was still in place. Whether or not they realized it was no longer active Hiro did not know. He was determined to not let this chance escape him!

The moment he realized he was safe he rushed over to the cowering camel that sat in the corner of the small valley. He urged the beast to its feet and mounted it. His hope was that brandishing the sword in front of him would cause the creatures to disperse and let them through. Surprisingly it worked, the sea of monsters opened up a rather large path for them to traverse through. They didn't stop following him, rather they simply gave him a large berth. The camel was reluctant to move towards the creatures but once he'd urged it up the dune and through the mouth of the path it began to gallop at full speed. They broke through the gathered creatures after a few moments and into the open desert. Hiro adjusted their path so that they faced the pyramids. He saw Linedwell fighting off a mob of creatures and headed towards him. As he neared his comrade, a large ice-white greave shot out from under Linedwell. "Linedwell!" He shouted, shocked by the attack. It launched the marine further away from him, towards the Pyramids. The being it belonged to rose from the desert sands just as Hiro passed by. The swords inner light began to permeate through the blade, even more than before. It began to tug in the direction of the being. At first it was slow and weak, but the force increased exponentially in a short time span. Hiro was nearly pulled from the camel and was forced to wrap his arms around its neck. He let go of the sword and watched as it whistled through the air at breakneck speeds. An ice-white gauntlet shot out from the sand and grabbed the blade. "Oh shit!" He exclaimed. He remembered seeing that gauntlet in his premonition. A chill ran down his spine as he recalled the experience. He'd seen firsthand what the sword could do on its own, he didn't want to witness what its owner could do with it. With Linedwell a few hundred meters away and most of the threats behind them Hiro pressed on.

The camel began to slow the further he moved. The adrenaline that had allowed it to exceed its stamina had been used up and fatigue had set in. Hiro hopped off when he realized Linedwell was running faster than the camel. He slapped the beast and pointed away from pyramids and the enemies behind. "I know you can't understand me but you need to go there!" He said hurriedly, running after his comrade as soon as he'd finished speaking. The camel trotted in the direction he'd pointed in. Hiro ran towards Linedwell, occasionally checking back behind him. A guttural screech cut through the din followed by the squelching sound of ruptured flesh. The worm's corpse burst wide open sending globules of flesh and gristle high into the air. Its brood crawled from within the confines of their mother/father's corpse and slithered towards the two marines. Though they were much smaller than their progenitor, they were much much faster. The smaller worms moved much like a fish would in the ocean, plunging down into the sand and then bursting out further ahead moments later. Their physiology was much different as well, gaping maws with flesh rending incisors were the first thing Hiro noticed. Hiro didn't need another reason to run towards the pyramids and yet here was one. He ran as fast as he could, careful not to exacerbate the many cuts on his body, towards the pyramid and Linedwell.

15 Re: Valley of the Kings

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