- Posting Speed
- Speed of Light
- Writing Levels
- Douche
- Preferred Character Gender
- No Preferences
Re: Anirune Forest - CHAPTER 3
The Warmaster led the way, the group following out after him and stepping over the bodies of the two guards. They soon met up with Torsty and Tegan, who had armfuls of food which were gladly handed out to the starving survivors. Eating and drinking as they moved, they made a sweep of the lower levels and confirmed what they all feared...
The Negative Legion had vanished.
Only the slightest tremor from the surface suggested where they had gone. It was the sound of an Elder Spider, moving away into the forest.
"It's... it's leaving..." Acquariana whispered as she listened to the vibrations.
"It doesn't make sense." Grant swung his shotgun ahead of him as the moved through the corridors. "They had us like rats in a trap. They could've slaughtered us all."
"It's like... something took them all away," Myrnodyn muttered as he listened to the eerie silence.
"Speaking of being taken away," said Palonis, "Aren't we short of a few important people?"
"JackShade and Tain for sure," answered Porg. "And there's no sign of Piro or Sakura, or that Seiji fellow. Apart from them, maybe four of the RRD crew, a few of the Shifters..."
"And Megane-Kun," called out Faramond, who was hovering at the back of the group. "Shouldn't we try to find them?"
"No one here," grumbled the deep voice of the Neake. Beside him, Jumi shook his head and made a strange, empty motion with his hand.
"We stick to saving ourselves for now," said Grant, bringing everyone back on track, "Once we get to the surface we can count our losses."
"And find those heretic scum!" spat the Grandmaster.
Up ahead, the Warmaster's slightly-deranged voice called out again. "Through here, Brothers! This is where I broke through. The tunnel from the Mature Tower to the Sci-Fi Tower!"
"Wow, this brings back memories," Porg said as he followed the Warmaster through into the old tunnels, which were high, circular and railed with rusting tracks. Asmodeus had once used these tunnels to ferry troops between his Towers, and they had proved pivotal when Porg and the Shapeshifters infiltrated the Corporation at the start of the War.
"Keep moving," called Torsty as he helped some of the others through the opening. He clearly knew these tunnels as well as Porg, if not better. "If we can get to the Sci-Fi Tower we can climb out."
"Roit. Dat's where I woke da furst spida," added Mizdogg.
"Guugh! Don't remind me," Archy grumbled.
Uriel glanced at the Ork. "You were present at first contact?"
"Yeah. I chopped at da spida and den all its friends started showin' up around da world."
"Hey! What's this?" called Obsekree, the little fairy getting everyone's attention with its glowing wings. "I think I've found a faster way out!"
The Warmaster paused at the head of the group and looked back, narrowing his eyes at the breach in the opposite wall of the tunnel, near to where he initially broke through. It seemed that in his zeal to break into the Mature Tower he had caused other chambers to cave in.
"I can see sunlight!" Obsekree vanished through the narrow gap.
"Hey! Don't run off!" called Porg, giving chase to the fairy, and then, one-by-one, the others started following. In single file they passed through the far wall of the tunnel and into a cavern. Archy made another light spell and was aided by a fireball in Porg's hand. The magics lit up the chamber, reflecting from the oddly carved walls and the faded cave paintings.
And a second after the space illuminated, a cry, desperate and heartfelt, went up from one of the group. Faramond pushed between Karsikan and the Warmaster, rushing to the centre of the cave. "No!"
The others held back, Obsekree fluttering curiously overhead, but all silent. They watched as Farmond came to his knees by the raised boulder at the centre of the chamber. All around him, on the ground, were discarded objects - glasses cases, books, shoes, backpacks. The Legion had clearly come through here, dropping things in their haste to escape. And of all the things they had left behind, one was painfully familiar...
Megane lay on the boulder, his body as pale as the walls, Feral's knife lodged in his heart.
Faramond reached out, touching him, and with his back to his others no one could see the storm of emotions that crossed his face. But they felt his sadness... his hollowness... They felt the tragedy of this loss... the futility of it all...
Grant was the first to speak up, nodding to a tunnel beyond the boulder, at the other end of the chamber. "The sunlight's coming from over there. It's probably a path up."
Karsikan nodded. "We shall mourn the dead later. Keep moving."
The survivors circled the chamber quietly, their gazes lingering on Faramond and the cold body of Megane as they passed. Uriel and Grant kept the people moving, while the Warmaster took the initiative and approached Faramond. His hand came down on the boy's shoulder. "Fear not, brother - we shall honour this warrior. In the halls of Lord Asmodeus we shall drink to him and to all who have fallen this day."
Giving Faramond's shoulder a squeeze, the Warmaster moved past him, his hand dropping to his side and brushing the boulder inadvertantly. He froze as he heard the mechanical click.
From the far wall, there was a hiss of static, then a whine as something very old and very neglected crackled into life. The survivors stopped, and all but Faramond turned as a voice filled the chamber.
"Gene-sequence accepted. Hello, Warmaster, old boy!"
Everyone glanced at the Warmaster, except for Palonis and Torsty, who recognised the voice almost instantly.
"Bit of a surprise, I know. But hey - all that ARC training in dramatics had to pay off one day. Anyway, enough rambling. I left this message for you, in case one day you wake up and smell the coffee - no pun intended."
Obsekree fluttered over to the the far wall and her glowing wings showed where the voice was coming from - an old rusting speaker mounted in the stone.
"Is that who I think it is?" asked Palonis as he listened to the voice.
Torsty nodded. "No mistaking it. It's Chopsticks."
"I'm hoping by now that you've turned against the Master and are using these tunnels to assault him." said the voice of Chopsticks, sounding from beyond the decades and beyond the grave, "If that's so, then you should know something. Asmo had me working on a lot of secret projects - all those things he never told you about. Said he didn't trust lackeys like you - didn't want you too close. Maybe that's a good thing - maybe you'll last longer than me in this company. Anyway, one of the projects involved poking around in the caves beyond these tunnels. If you're here now, then I only have one thing to say..."
There was a pause and the Warmaster could imagine Chopsticks, 18 years ago, pausing for dramatic effect as his tentacles swayed in the air. "[/i]Welcome to the Elder Tomb. This is where one of my teams found something - a spider-like construct, made of stone. It's currently in cold storage in the Sci-Fi Tower.[/i]"
"Dat's da one I chopped at," declared Mizdogg before he was shushed by the others.
"Anyway, I tried to reactivate the Spider, but no luck. So Asmodeus cut the funding and transferred the money to the Ego-Zombie project. The Spider was put in storage and its probably still there now."
"It would be if someone hadn't chopped at it," muttered Archy, glancing at Mizdogg before he was also shushed.
"But you know me - if I can get away with something behind the Master's back, then I'll sure as hell try. I kept my notes and did a little study in my spare time. The Spider has a dormant subsystem inside it - partially circuit-based and partially glyph-magic. My theory is that if its activated it will send a wide-band broadcast. It's a beacon, Warmaster... I'm sure of it - a beacon to others of its kind, possibly from beyond this world."
"That's how the invasion started..." said Myrnodyn as his scientific mind filled in the gaps.
"So, you may wonder why I'm telling you this. Like I said, the Master won't listen to me anymore. He's only thinking about the empire now and his war plans. But I've searched in the Temple of History and what I've found can't afford to be silenced. These things are called 'Elders' and they were here before Gabriel. They were planted inside the earth, and I can only assume there was a plan at work here. Whatever protections Homac has on this world have kept these Spiders asleep. But if Asmodeus and Rory carry on with their ambitions and try to break the wards of God himself... then... well... you and I can kiss goodbye to the Dream of Iwaku and say hello to the Nightmare."
The words struck a chord with everyone in the cave... for they each knew that they were now living in that very nightmare which Chopsticks spoke of.
"Something put these beasties here, Warmaster. And if you check the base of that boulder you're standing near, I think you'll see someone you recognise. This whole place was covered in cave paintings when I found it. Most of them faded during the dig, but I sprayed this particular one with a preservative compound. Let's hope it stands the test of time. If the drawings are correct, then this is the guy who caused the Elders to come here in the first place. I always knew he'd be the death of us."
There was a shuffling sound, followed by a sigh as Chopsticks's voice went quieter. "Anyway, the next batch of Ego-Zombies has arrived, so I'll have to bid adieu. Remember Warmaster: all leaders are madmen and all betrayal is sanity. Let's hope you achieve more than I do in stopping this madness."
The transmission cut out, and as Porg came over to the boulder the Warmaster circled it and knelt down. He ignored Farmond, who was still curled over Megane and hadn't seemed to have heard the transmission at all. With Porg's illumination, the Warmaster focussed on the chipped and faded paint that had been daubed on the stone.
It was a crude picture, painted almost a century ago... showing Spiders dancing around a single humanoid figure stood amidst a bleak wasteland. Brushing a layer of dust away, the Warmaster made out the colour of the dark hair... the golden visor... the red cloak... the sword...
The warrior's lips parted, and in the silence that followed Chopstick's transmission, a single name pierced the air with malice.
"Paorou."
[SUMMARY: Following the Warmaster out into the old ARC tunnels, the survivors find the original chamber where the first Elder was found. Megane is lying dead there. As Faramond mourns him, Warmaster Death inadvertently triggers an ancient transmission from Chopsticks, the old henchmen of Asmodeus. He warns the Warmaster about the Elders and tells them that he has found the one who caused the invasion. The evidence points to no other than Paorou-Sama!]
The Warmaster led the way, the group following out after him and stepping over the bodies of the two guards. They soon met up with Torsty and Tegan, who had armfuls of food which were gladly handed out to the starving survivors. Eating and drinking as they moved, they made a sweep of the lower levels and confirmed what they all feared...
The Negative Legion had vanished.
Only the slightest tremor from the surface suggested where they had gone. It was the sound of an Elder Spider, moving away into the forest.
"It's... it's leaving..." Acquariana whispered as she listened to the vibrations.
"It doesn't make sense." Grant swung his shotgun ahead of him as the moved through the corridors. "They had us like rats in a trap. They could've slaughtered us all."
"It's like... something took them all away," Myrnodyn muttered as he listened to the eerie silence.
"Speaking of being taken away," said Palonis, "Aren't we short of a few important people?"
"JackShade and Tain for sure," answered Porg. "And there's no sign of Piro or Sakura, or that Seiji fellow. Apart from them, maybe four of the RRD crew, a few of the Shifters..."
"And Megane-Kun," called out Faramond, who was hovering at the back of the group. "Shouldn't we try to find them?"
"No one here," grumbled the deep voice of the Neake. Beside him, Jumi shook his head and made a strange, empty motion with his hand.
"We stick to saving ourselves for now," said Grant, bringing everyone back on track, "Once we get to the surface we can count our losses."
"And find those heretic scum!" spat the Grandmaster.
Up ahead, the Warmaster's slightly-deranged voice called out again. "Through here, Brothers! This is where I broke through. The tunnel from the Mature Tower to the Sci-Fi Tower!"
"Wow, this brings back memories," Porg said as he followed the Warmaster through into the old tunnels, which were high, circular and railed with rusting tracks. Asmodeus had once used these tunnels to ferry troops between his Towers, and they had proved pivotal when Porg and the Shapeshifters infiltrated the Corporation at the start of the War.
"Keep moving," called Torsty as he helped some of the others through the opening. He clearly knew these tunnels as well as Porg, if not better. "If we can get to the Sci-Fi Tower we can climb out."
"Roit. Dat's where I woke da furst spida," added Mizdogg.
"Guugh! Don't remind me," Archy grumbled.
Uriel glanced at the Ork. "You were present at first contact?"
"Yeah. I chopped at da spida and den all its friends started showin' up around da world."
"Hey! What's this?" called Obsekree, the little fairy getting everyone's attention with its glowing wings. "I think I've found a faster way out!"
The Warmaster paused at the head of the group and looked back, narrowing his eyes at the breach in the opposite wall of the tunnel, near to where he initially broke through. It seemed that in his zeal to break into the Mature Tower he had caused other chambers to cave in.
"I can see sunlight!" Obsekree vanished through the narrow gap.
"Hey! Don't run off!" called Porg, giving chase to the fairy, and then, one-by-one, the others started following. In single file they passed through the far wall of the tunnel and into a cavern. Archy made another light spell and was aided by a fireball in Porg's hand. The magics lit up the chamber, reflecting from the oddly carved walls and the faded cave paintings.
And a second after the space illuminated, a cry, desperate and heartfelt, went up from one of the group. Faramond pushed between Karsikan and the Warmaster, rushing to the centre of the cave. "No!"
The others held back, Obsekree fluttering curiously overhead, but all silent. They watched as Farmond came to his knees by the raised boulder at the centre of the chamber. All around him, on the ground, were discarded objects - glasses cases, books, shoes, backpacks. The Legion had clearly come through here, dropping things in their haste to escape. And of all the things they had left behind, one was painfully familiar...
Megane lay on the boulder, his body as pale as the walls, Feral's knife lodged in his heart.
Faramond reached out, touching him, and with his back to his others no one could see the storm of emotions that crossed his face. But they felt his sadness... his hollowness... They felt the tragedy of this loss... the futility of it all...
Grant was the first to speak up, nodding to a tunnel beyond the boulder, at the other end of the chamber. "The sunlight's coming from over there. It's probably a path up."
Karsikan nodded. "We shall mourn the dead later. Keep moving."
The survivors circled the chamber quietly, their gazes lingering on Faramond and the cold body of Megane as they passed. Uriel and Grant kept the people moving, while the Warmaster took the initiative and approached Faramond. His hand came down on the boy's shoulder. "Fear not, brother - we shall honour this warrior. In the halls of Lord Asmodeus we shall drink to him and to all who have fallen this day."
Giving Faramond's shoulder a squeeze, the Warmaster moved past him, his hand dropping to his side and brushing the boulder inadvertantly. He froze as he heard the mechanical click.
From the far wall, there was a hiss of static, then a whine as something very old and very neglected crackled into life. The survivors stopped, and all but Faramond turned as a voice filled the chamber.
"Gene-sequence accepted. Hello, Warmaster, old boy!"
Everyone glanced at the Warmaster, except for Palonis and Torsty, who recognised the voice almost instantly.
"Bit of a surprise, I know. But hey - all that ARC training in dramatics had to pay off one day. Anyway, enough rambling. I left this message for you, in case one day you wake up and smell the coffee - no pun intended."
Obsekree fluttered over to the the far wall and her glowing wings showed where the voice was coming from - an old rusting speaker mounted in the stone.
"Is that who I think it is?" asked Palonis as he listened to the voice.
Torsty nodded. "No mistaking it. It's Chopsticks."
"I'm hoping by now that you've turned against the Master and are using these tunnels to assault him." said the voice of Chopsticks, sounding from beyond the decades and beyond the grave, "If that's so, then you should know something. Asmo had me working on a lot of secret projects - all those things he never told you about. Said he didn't trust lackeys like you - didn't want you too close. Maybe that's a good thing - maybe you'll last longer than me in this company. Anyway, one of the projects involved poking around in the caves beyond these tunnels. If you're here now, then I only have one thing to say..."
There was a pause and the Warmaster could imagine Chopsticks, 18 years ago, pausing for dramatic effect as his tentacles swayed in the air. "[/i]Welcome to the Elder Tomb. This is where one of my teams found something - a spider-like construct, made of stone. It's currently in cold storage in the Sci-Fi Tower.[/i]"
"Dat's da one I chopped at," declared Mizdogg before he was shushed by the others.
"Anyway, I tried to reactivate the Spider, but no luck. So Asmodeus cut the funding and transferred the money to the Ego-Zombie project. The Spider was put in storage and its probably still there now."
"It would be if someone hadn't chopped at it," muttered Archy, glancing at Mizdogg before he was also shushed.
"But you know me - if I can get away with something behind the Master's back, then I'll sure as hell try. I kept my notes and did a little study in my spare time. The Spider has a dormant subsystem inside it - partially circuit-based and partially glyph-magic. My theory is that if its activated it will send a wide-band broadcast. It's a beacon, Warmaster... I'm sure of it - a beacon to others of its kind, possibly from beyond this world."
"That's how the invasion started..." said Myrnodyn as his scientific mind filled in the gaps.
"So, you may wonder why I'm telling you this. Like I said, the Master won't listen to me anymore. He's only thinking about the empire now and his war plans. But I've searched in the Temple of History and what I've found can't afford to be silenced. These things are called 'Elders' and they were here before Gabriel. They were planted inside the earth, and I can only assume there was a plan at work here. Whatever protections Homac has on this world have kept these Spiders asleep. But if Asmodeus and Rory carry on with their ambitions and try to break the wards of God himself... then... well... you and I can kiss goodbye to the Dream of Iwaku and say hello to the Nightmare."
The words struck a chord with everyone in the cave... for they each knew that they were now living in that very nightmare which Chopsticks spoke of.
"Something put these beasties here, Warmaster. And if you check the base of that boulder you're standing near, I think you'll see someone you recognise. This whole place was covered in cave paintings when I found it. Most of them faded during the dig, but I sprayed this particular one with a preservative compound. Let's hope it stands the test of time. If the drawings are correct, then this is the guy who caused the Elders to come here in the first place. I always knew he'd be the death of us."
There was a shuffling sound, followed by a sigh as Chopsticks's voice went quieter. "Anyway, the next batch of Ego-Zombies has arrived, so I'll have to bid adieu. Remember Warmaster: all leaders are madmen and all betrayal is sanity. Let's hope you achieve more than I do in stopping this madness."
The transmission cut out, and as Porg came over to the boulder the Warmaster circled it and knelt down. He ignored Farmond, who was still curled over Megane and hadn't seemed to have heard the transmission at all. With Porg's illumination, the Warmaster focussed on the chipped and faded paint that had been daubed on the stone.
It was a crude picture, painted almost a century ago... showing Spiders dancing around a single humanoid figure stood amidst a bleak wasteland. Brushing a layer of dust away, the Warmaster made out the colour of the dark hair... the golden visor... the red cloak... the sword...
The warrior's lips parted, and in the silence that followed Chopstick's transmission, a single name pierced the air with malice.
"Paorou."
[SUMMARY: Following the Warmaster out into the old ARC tunnels, the survivors find the original chamber where the first Elder was found. Megane is lying dead there. As Faramond mourns him, Warmaster Death inadvertently triggers an ancient transmission from Chopsticks, the old henchmen of Asmodeus. He warns the Warmaster about the Elders and tells them that he has found the one who caused the invasion. The evidence points to no other than Paorou-Sama!]
