Shards Chapter 1 - How it all began... (IC)

[Yiyel]

((I'll forgive the one dice because it doesn't matter))

George had swung beautifully - he hit the mercenary straight into his armor, shattering it inwardly and sending the man tumbling back. He breathed shallowly, before speaking up. "Please, mercy... I won't ever go after any of you again, the pay isn't worth it... Please don't kill me..." He started sobbing softly.

HP: 0.1/60



The choice has to be done. Is the mercenary to be executed, left behind or healed and released?

 

[Caramon Zero]

Krim opts to heal and release the man, seeing as he may become an ally in the future, should they spare his life.
"If he is spared now, he shall owe us his life, and may make a dutiful ally. If he turns on us in the future, then we may kill him."

 

[Saki]

"Wait, we needn't do any of the three yet. You have a good heart, Krim, but what has happened to those people we came across is neither good nor merciful and I am sure you agree. Above all else, if this man is involved, we must use him as an asset to gain an advantage over whatever monster of a person could do that. Knowledge is power, and right now we're in the dark. We cannot afford more suprises like this in our current untrained state. I say we find out what we can from this mercenary, and ensure he does not speak of our survival." George responded.

(@Caramon Zero @Yiyel )

 

[Caramon Zero]

"Your idea is sound, sir, so why do we not do both, and have him give us information, and then lead us past any further resistance, striking him down if he should betray us?" Krim asked in response to the idea of the other man, sheathing his blades as he brought the assailant to his feet, keeping a firm grip upon his shoulders.
"What say you to this, man?"
(@Yiyel @Saki)

 

[Saki]

"I like the way you think, though whilst tiptoeing around any further opposition is an attractive approach we mustn't forget that this mercenary is to be paid and most probably provide proof of our death. If he does not return in the near future he will be assumed defeated, and the enemy will likely adapt their plans accordingly rendering any current positions the mercenary may know useless. As such, we must act swiftly and think of a way to constructively deal with you-" momentarily pauses to nod towards the mercenary "before we lose our window of opportunity".

(@Yiyel @Caramon Zero )

 

[CreepyShutIn]

Tara certainly didn't get into this to kill anyone. She didn't say that out loud around the assailant - she had no problems bluffing - but despite his injuring her, she would rather let him walk. "I propose a simple deal," she said. "You, merc guy: Tell us who hired you, why, what else to expect on this road - anything we'll find useful, and we let you walk. Help us get past any trouble waiting for us, and we'll heal you too. Whichever works for you." She felt that last part was being fairly generous, considering the injury he'd given her.

 

[Saki]

George frowned, there was little they could do without alerting whomever was trying to kill them that they were still alive. Perhaps if they were able to ensure he could talk to his superiors and lie.. Though a mercenary's word, no matter what mercy he has been shown, is worth naught. He seems to value his life, but his choice of armor wasn't exactly intelligent, his confidence in the abilities of crystals is clear despite his lack of actual knowledge. Maybe they could take advantage of that? He'd have to discuss with the others.
He walked away from the mercenary as Tara offered her bargain and gestured for the teacher and Krim to follow him. When out of earshot, he began talking. "No matter what we do - kill him, set him free, allow him to temporarily join us - whoever is after us will realise we are still alive and make whatever this man can inform us of that is subject to change void. He seems to possess limited knowledge of the crystals and their abilities based on his choice of armor, perhaps we could exploit that? What if we are to make up some whimsical tale that we can utilise out colour magic to not only heal him but place a curse that will kill him if he speaks against our wishes. It's entirely fantastical but I doubt someone like him will call the bluff, especially considering how much he seems to value his life. We can use this to not only guarantee what he tells us remains applicable, but misinform our enemies of other things if need be. What do you think?"

(@Yiyel @Caramon Zero )

 

[Caramon Zero]

Krim held out his hand, a gentle glow eminating from his chest and travelling up his arm, a small flame forming in his palm as he spoke.
"If you wish to go through with this, I believe that I can handle the 'cursing' part. I just need to burn a mark in his armor after he gets healed, and tell him he'll burst into flame if he betrays us. He'll be too scared to call our bluff, because I intend to try demonstrating my 'curse' on that dead tree over there." He paused so as to gesture towards a dry, rotting tree some feet ahead of them before continuing. "There's no way he could know about me being able to breathe fire, so he should be rather scared if I tell him the curse will do the same to him. If that doesn't work, I say anything that will make him fear for his life, short of trying to actually kill him, might be our only option of dealing with him. What say you?"
(@Yiyel @Saki)

 

[Hellomadgod]

Gregory needed the man dead. Quickly. He moved his hand to a hidden blade at his boot. A throwing knife, weighted by a desert tribesmen on the way to this very adventure. His eyes were bugging and his stomach was forcing bile.
Gregory needed the man dead. Quickly. He moved forward slowly, careful to upset nobody. They were too focused, too kindhearted. Foolish. Should be dead with hearts such as these. Weak with the idea of mercy.
Gregory needed the man dead. Quickly. They were beginning to move away, there were enough openings. If information is what they needed he would steal from the mans soul on its way to hell. He had the connections.
Gregory needed the man dead. Quickly. So he came within novice throwing distance. So easy, so very easy. Not moving, slobbering, crying filth. Like practicing on city rats in the ghettos all over again. All over again. All over again.
Gregory needed the man dead. Quickly. So as the blade carved sweet death through the air, the splitting whistle of its tempered splendor was the perfect final note in this failure of a life. It would be the last the groveling dog would hear.

The hilt of the blade cracked, resounding through the woods as the blade silenced the man's panicked thoughts once and for all. Fortunately for the party, dead men tell many tales.

 

[CrimsonLaurana]

Drayko stated at the corpse with a questioning look on his face. He hoped that it would be taken care of before it could start to stink. He noticed rigor mortis hadn't set in yet though. How strange. Had he been dead the whole time? Drayko didn't know for sure but he did remember the sickly sweet cloying smell from beforehand. He stated at the group around him and asked, "Who is going to get rid of the body? I'm not. I've done it enough time's to know how horrible it is." He leaned over and touched the blood pooling from the fatal wound. It was sticky and starting to glob up. "The blood is setting up pretty quick for him being dead only a few minutes."

 

[Saki]

George turned on the seemingly inhuman Gregory with a look of cold distaste, seemingly oblivous to the potential danger. He stared at him with disapproval apparent in his piercing blue eyes.
"Congratulations, you've just destroyed our greatest hope at gaining an advantage. You may have just sealed all of our fates." He spoke with a bitter clarity, unease welling up within him.

 

[Caramon Zero]

Krim listened to Drayko's words with wide eyes, rushing over to the body and rolling it onto it's front, his mouth agape at what he found.
"Drayko's right, Greg just killed a man who was already dead. Here's your proof." he spoke, removing the leather scraps holding the flesh together to reveal a large, black crystal, pulling it free from the gaping hole in the man's back before rubbing the powder away with his finger, uncovering a glowing red gem.
"My friends, we've just killed a Shadow Heart, and discovered our arsonist, as well."

 

[Hellomadgod]

Gregory, becoming stronger by the second, smiled with a sort of numbed ecstasy.
" Don't get too excited. Ye hardly know anything about the situation. So being dramatic as ye are will not accomplish anything. Besides, we have more of an advantage now than ever. Ye greenhorns don't know the first thing about we who live by the coin."

Gregory got very close to George, so that his killing intent could be felt, and bore his teeth, "We live and die by the coin. Now that he kissed the devil I can have him stripped muscle by muscle in hell until we know everything. Alive? He would say anything and everything to keep the skin on his back. Namely lies and tales." he snarled. "That's why I'm here. Because ye don't have the balls. To be... efficient."

He softened his glare, "But I am on yer side boiyo. I'm not pretty." He stopped smiling "Though, I am the best money can buy. So trust that the powers that may be are paying me plenty enough for ye to trust me... " Gregory stepped back and shrugged. "Besides, like I said, I just called up a few friends from the other side. His soul is mine now. We have everything we need. If I hadn't done the deed myself the rite wouldn't have been satisfied. Tricky business."

Gregory reached into his pouch, grabbed a perfectly cut emerald crystal, tossing into the air to fall into his open mouth.

"Delicious." He gave the others a friendly chuckle, "Come now! Let's give this man a proper burial. He died a warriors death."

@Saki

 

[CreepyShutIn]

Tara reeled in shock. Did he just- completely out of- "Are you insane?!" She demanded of Gregory. "He was down on his knees, helpless and injured! There was no reason to kill him, you psycho!" A little voice in her head - the one that sometimes tried to stop her from doing things exactly like this - was trying now to convince her that calling out the cold-blooded, possibly-psychotic mercenary was not a good life choice, but Tara had a lot of practice ignoring that bugger. His strange idea that he was somehow eating the guy's soul by swallowing what seemed to be just another green crystal didn't exactly help matters. "You're completely insane," she said blankly, shaking her head. "Absolutely out of your gourd, howling-at-the-moon crazy."

 

[Saki]

George did not back down, spurred on by Tara's anguish yet oblivious to the revelations of Krim thus far. "That is precisely what we were going to exploit, you cowards fear nothing more than losing your lives and we could have used that! In future, I advise you communicate with the rest of your group prior to acting out your animalistic desires. We have not hired you, you are not acting on behalf of us, we are acting as a team. Try to do the same, even if you are capable of extracting information through whatever fantastical technique you've concocted we are no unable to use him for our own devices." he replied in a low voice, devoid of emotion as he attempted to suppress his anger.
Raising his voice and turning to the others, George spoke once more "If we work together, as we did during the battle, we can avoid mistakes such as these, we can be stronger. We all have our darker shades just as colours do, but combined effort and communication will allow us to contribute our individual flare to rectify the impurity just as colours can be mixed to form brighter variants. Our crystals may be pure, but as people we are not, and it takes each and every one of us to make sure we do not fall prey to our impulses."

(@Hellomadgod @CreepyShutIn @Caramon Zero @CrimsonLaurana )

 

[Hellomadgod]

Gregory stopped what he was doing. Turned to the girl, and stared. She was livid, but knew better. Was outclassed, but didn't care. Gregory walked over to her with long, fluid steps. Moving quickly while not appearing to move very much at all, like a wolf with its hackles raised. Hunting a small rabbit.
Gregory reached her in seconds, and stopped a few feet away. He stared at her with his dead eyes. Stared right through her. She met his gaze. She wouldn't back down now.

He sighed, "We are very different people, girl. I lost my humanity somewhere down the dark roads I challenged to get where I am today... I guess you can say I've forgotten what it feels like to have warm blood or a beating heart. But-"

He turned his attention to the whole group as well, piggy backing off of the charismatic, fledgling leader, " He is right. Ye do need to unify yourselves, and become stronger in arms than ever ye could be alone. Today was evidence." He turned his dead eyes to Krim. "I will keep doing what I want though, just like choosing to fight by yer side a moment ago." he growled, "So you shouldn't condemn me, so quickly and so frequently. Iv'e done right by ye all, but yer distrust and disdain is turning my good mood and good will sour." He joked "Hurting my feelings even."

Gregory exhaled deeply. And walked away from the group. If they ever decided they wanted to know what the Mercenary had attacked them for, they could find him. Though, they might just enjoy a good trap or two.

 

[Yiyel]

The man being defeated, his body shredded by the shards of his own armor, the group moves on…

Gregory, along the way, had shared the knowledge he obtained from the poor soul of the mercenary. First, they now knew the name of the person who employed him - Saara. The mercenary was also blackmailed into accepting the offer - he had to accept if he wanted his loved one to remain unscathed. On top of that, the condition of his employment is that he was to be implanted with the shadowdust-coated gem for reasons he did not know - but he couldn't trust Saara due to two reasons: she had a strange glimmer to her eyes, and she might not have been working alone.

That's, of course, along with the knowledge of a few traps on the way - which taught the group about watching their steps, which should help them evade better should they need to fight again.

They reach the Royal Village just as the sun hits it's peak in the sky - and it looked glorious, with well-maintained polished copper tile rooftops, shining and gleaming with the pride of a nation which felt unstoppable, and the buildings stood in a style that screamed with the comfort of safety. Directly in front of the gates, there was a beautifully decorated courtyard which held, today, a bazaar. Past that, the main road stretched on, paved with a beautiful stone mosaic and bordered with bushes, towards the castle. Of course, that's just ahead of them - there more likely was more stores and things to find and see by exploring the town...

The teacher, who had been silent and shocked ever since they left the College, finally spoke up. "So... today was eventful. Normally I would have suggested to head straight for the castle, but I'm tired myself - so I suggest we all meet up at the gates of the castle at dusk. This is also a chance to spend that little gift you all had. I have a few things to do here as well... Gregory, mind coming with me? I won't force you, but I would appreciate your help."

 

[Caramon Zero]

Krim's eyes widened at the sight of the lustrous landscape, a small grin crossing his lips as he listened to the teacher's words, working out his plan for what to do with his free time, finally voicing it to the others.
"I shall head to the bazaar, then explore town. Should I be needed, you may find me either at the gates, awaiting you, or in whatever this place has for a smithery. I advise you not to eat too much throughout the day, for, if I know him well enough, the king will wish to throw us a feast upon our arrival, and it would be rude to turn down his offer."
On these words, he made his way towards the bustling crowds, hoping to find more than just mere trinkets within the bazaar.

 

[Saki]

George called after Krim with an urgent tone "Hang on, don't you think we shouldn't split up in our entirety? We're aware there are further traps awaiting us, surely we will be better prepared if we at least pair before heading out to explore the city. We do not want the death of one of our own today, especially when we're so close." his arm slightly outstretched toward the excitable student, an unconscious gesture reflecting his concern.
@Caramon Zero

 

[Hellomadgod]

Gregory felt more at home with cobble beneath his feet. Knowing that hundreds of feet below there was another world, bustling with all sorts of unsavory actions. The Scholar wanted him to come along,

"Fine, sure. Anything I can do I will do." He coughed, "Most anything, anyway."

Gregory, on his way to the Scholar, spotted a young boy with a rag over his eyes. Gregory grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt, hoisted him into the air and whispered two words into his ear. The boy nodded vigorously and Gregory dropped him from that height. After recovering from the fall the boy promptly ran out of view.

"Alright then, my dear intellectually inclined friend. How can I help ye?"

@Yiyel