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| Pearl Problem {Nicodemus} | |
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| Topic Started: Thu Jun 24, 2010 3:40 am (459 Views) | |
| Logan | Thu Jun 24, 2010 3:40 am Post #1 |
 
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Logan, to put simply, was utterly bored. How long had he and Nicodemus been looking for a ship? Every one that posted they were looking for people to help them hunt down that stupid oyster seemed to have already taken off. The young werewolf gave a sigh of annoyance as he sat on some ship’s discarded or forgotten crates, looking out to the water, examining for any ships as his fly dragon flew off after something it thought was interesting. “My luck, it is astounding!” He said with dramatic stage flair at the situation, accompanied by equally overly-dramatic hand gestures, “Here we sit for gods know how long, and all to look for a damn oyster. You’d think the ships would be waiting a while longer for people to help them get rich, but no.” He leaned back, supporting himself with his furry hands as he peered out from under the rim of his awesome hat, looking up and down the docks, his ears keeping keen for any mention of the Oyster before somebody another ship departed. His right ear twitched at what he thought was an answer to his idle prayers, a distant sound of the word “Oyster.” He hopped up for a moment, listening in for another moment, thinking to himself that he was getting way too excited for some magical mollusk. As he listened in, his suspicions seemed to be right, there was a ship not too far away that was leaving in a few moments on the hunt for the mysterious magical mollusk. “And here is luck hitting me in the face!” He said happily, grabbing the strap for his longsword and slinging it over his shoulder to rest in its scabbard behind him. “If you’re still going to help me with the oyster thing, then let’s go.” He said with a chuckle before taking off and towards the ship who had two people just off its ramp. He slowed his pace to a jog as he neared before completely stopping. “You’re looking for the oyster right? I’m here to help with that. My friend here is joining me.” He said, motioning behind him, not knowing if Nicodemus was there or not, “I’m even willing to pay if needed, and I can help by going down and getting the pearl.” He let out a sigh as he finished talking. “Allright, if you think you can get it, then get on board, if you manage to get the pearl, it’ll pay for itself, if not… well, that means you’ve probably drowned and can’t pay anyway.” The man scoffed before heading up the ramp. Logan shrugged and followed the man up the ramp, “Must be the captain.” |
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| Samantha | Sun Jun 27, 2010 1:42 am Post #2 |
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Nicodemus stood at the end of the dock, watching the latest ship vanish in the horizon. He hadn't made any effort to board a single ship that had yet left. Not one crewman he saw was anything of note, their souls a dim light hovering lazily in their breast. There was no potential in these bands of treasure hunters, commoners who gather in gossip and drink, searching whispers of riches. He kept his silence, not paying any special mind to the boy's ramblings, keeping an amused grin on his face, but his eyes were dull and empty. He was a bright shiner, one of the all-too-few people of Chaon who had potential, and the will to carry it out with. Their meeting in Kellen had been brief and coincidental, though long enough to catch Nicodemus' eye. The adventure would prove ample time to evaluate him, to see how he developed. If it would be worth keeping an eye on him. Treasure mattered little to him. Nicodemus smiled openly at the boy, eyes crinkling at the edges. By all appearances, he'd kept image as an elderly man with a fair handle of magic, who could prove useful. “Patience, boy. We'll soon find a ship to take us along. Better they do soon, before someone else finds it!” Nicodemus laughed cheerily. Turning to face the ocean once more, the mock cheer drained from his face. 'what am I wasting my time on?' The sunlight was gleaming off the graying, bald scalp, peaking in the sky. They wouldn't likely reach their destination before dusk, if they didn't find a ship soon. “If you’re still going to help me with the oyster thing, then let’s go.” Nicodemus turned animatedly, moth-eaten robes sweeping around his feet, planting his staff into the heavy wooden planks of the dock. “On my way, on my way. I'm old, you know. Can't keep up as well as I used to.” He followed after the werewolf, leaning heavily on his staff. He moved lightly and kept close on his heels. “Alright, if you think you can get it, then get on board, if you manage to get the pearl, it’ll pay for itself, if not… well, that means you’ve probably drowned and can’t pay anyway.” Nicodemus bowed his head with an eerie smile. “Much obliged, sir.” He took the opportunity to open his Sight to the sailor. He held a dark aura about him, though the light of Life shone brightly. The rest of the sailors held the same feel about them, not a pleasant lot behind the bluff and cheer. “Yes, yes.” He chuckled half to himself, half to his companion, fully expecting that the sailors had no intention of splitting their treasures with the duo. “Must be.” A feeling of cold rolled off Nicodemus as he took a seat on a crate out of the way, staff on his lap, watching the goings-on with a golden eye. |
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| Logan | Sun Jun 27, 2010 2:46 am Post #3 |
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Logan sat himself on the edge of the ship as they pulled up the ramp, the last of the crew being accounted for and the sun high in the sky. The werewolf looking out to the docks as the figure of Twinkle, his small yellow Fly Dragon, came rushing frantically, not wanting to be left behind, telepathically screaming out as she rushed, barely making it to rest next to Logan as he laughed at her plight. The ship was moving away from the docks quickly, not wanting to waste daylight in the search of the oyster which held the fabled pearl. The captain worked as much as the rest of the crew. Logan scoffed under his breath, figuring that with such a treasure being on the line, they would abandon those who would retrieve it for them. Several moments passed, and the sight of rolling waves became too repetitive for the werewolf to stand any more, he was beginning to feel like a zombie, no mind, just blank endless staring. He sighed, turning his gaze to the unfortunately bright blue sky. Even for his general anti-social want, he was getting bored, and Twinkle quickly fell asleep after barely making it on the ship. He turned his attention to Nicodemus, the supposedly old man he was traveling with. “So… I forget, why are you helping me with some very possibly crazy hunt again?” He asked his companion, turning his attention lazily back out to the ever repetitive waves of blue, honestly having forgotten if there was actually a reason for Nicodemus to help him, or if it was just random assistance to a young adventurer. The captain called out to the crew a moment later, giving order to drop anchor. They had been sailing for what Logan could only guess was hours, having completely lost all track of time mindlessly gazing out to the horizon. “You do have a way to breathe down there, right?” The captain asked as he approached them with a sort of commanding tone. The werewolf shrugged, reaching into a pocket of his jacket and pulling out a newly acquired oyster shell. “Guy said these help the wearer breathe underwater. It better, since I paid a gold for it.” He chuckled with a sort of joking tone as he scratched his muzzle, thinking for a moment and putting it over his muzzle, the shell lightly attaching around his nose and maw, practically perfectly sized so he could talk. “Looks pretty cool even if it doesn’t work.” He said mostly to himself, swinging his legs over the side of the ship and stopping on the deck, standing about a foot taller than the captain who pointed who nodded, obviously unsure about having these two go down to fetch something worth so much. “Okay, look, in a few minutes, you’re both going overboard to go look for the oyster holding the pearl, get whatever you need ready and--.” The captain was cut short by a shout, a whirlpool was forming right where the ship was. At first, things began spinning slowly as the crew rushed to either hold onto something or try to reduce as much damage to the ship as possible. Logan held onto the edge of the ship and looked down at the swirling waters, Twinkle was now hiding in his backpack. Reluctantly, he took the green and white striped hat off of is head and put it in the backpack before closing it up. “Twinkle will be safe, but we should probably go and do something incredibly stupid now!” He shouted to Nicodemus, slightly muffled from the mask. He didn’t know much, but he knew that whirlpools didn’t randomly appear right where a ship stopped. Apparently the anchor disturbed something powerful. It took the young werewolf a moment to scrounge together the courage to jump, but he’d rather be tossed around than on a sinking ship. He took a deep breath, and then charged the side of the ship closest to the center, not wanting to deny the inevitable for much longer. The cool rushing waters engulfed him as he tightly held onto his mask, praying to whatever deity was watching over him that the thing would actually let him breathe underwater. So far, he had been able to breathe fine, and it didn’t take long for him to get to the bottom of the whirlpool, opening his eyes, astounded by the fact he was still alive as he swam away from the swirling waters, looking around to see if Nicodemus followed him into the aquatic vortex. |
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| Samantha | Fri Jul 2, 2010 2:36 am Post #4 |
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“So… I forget, why are you helping me with some very possibly crazy hunt again?” “Because you interest me a great deal. Why are you on some very possibly crazy hunt, if I may ask? Any particular reason you've embarked on a reckless journey into the depths of the ocean to battle an overly powerful foe?” Nicodemus eyed him with a hungry smile, a gold eye darting from crewman to crewman. He'd have to keep the captain. The sun dipped into the horizon, throwing oranges and red over the skies. Nicodemus stirred from his seat, uncrossing his legs beneath his robes and standing, leaning on his staff for support. He walked among the crew, lighting lamps, touching the wicks with his fingertip. A ball of flame roared in each, casting flickering shadows. He stopped at eight, leaving the rest unlit. Grinning at the crew as he passed, Nicodemus returned to the boy's side. “A lamp for each crewman, to guide their way. Take note.” Seconds after he spoke, hell struck. The whirlpool sprouted directly beneath the ship, water running over the decks, suction straining the frame of the ship. With a final groan, timber splintered and went off like a cannon, a quiver running along the deck. As the floor warped, Nicodemus strode calmly, watching as several men threw themselves overboard, ignoring years of experience screaming at them to stay aboard. Each was dragged beneath the vortex, unable to catch breath as blackness took over their forms. Shards of wood were sucked down, a spear-sized splinter piercing the belly of one of the drowning men, just beneath the surface. Nicodemus nodded to the werewolf, smiling lightly. He slid the staff into the pouch beneath his robes, disappearing nicely into the impossibly small space. Ignoring the lack of air, the aged man dove into the vortex, sinking faster than possible for something his size. He followed the chain of the anchor to the floor moments later, overwhelmed by shadow. Alighting upon the anchor neatly, he leaned against the slippery iron, seemingly unbothered by the lack of breath. The dead flesh wouldn't last long unassisted, not at this depth. They'd have to work in a reasonable time frame. Nicodemus let his aura settle into place, the waters taking on a new chill that had little to do with temperature. His eyes glowed, illuminating the dark for him, bathing the floor in purples and blues. The anchor had lodged itself in the remains of one of many ships lying at the bottom of the ocean, all of them surrounding a gargantuan rock-like object. Nicodemus floated to the side, approaching Logan warily. He lifted a finger to his lips, winking a glowing eye. He gave a toothy grin, pointing at the rock-like object. A white light emanated from Nicodemus, lighting the immediate area. Nicodemus waved a hand, creating a doorway of shadow. Reaching in with a hand, he grasped something on the other side and pulled gently. As his arm left the solid looking shadow, another, much larger, hand came with it, followed by a large, muscular arm. The doorway grew to accompany the eight foot flesh golem coming through. The lumbering beast stepped clear of the doorway, which fell away into nothing. Stitches showed where the limbs had been repeatedly sewn together and modified. “Samuel. You know your job.” Nicodemus' voice sounded clearly through the water. Reaching into his robes, he pulled free an enormous sword, settling it to the ground with both hands. A mask of copper and iron came next, the chill of the water increasing tenfold with its appearance. Nicodemus slipped it over the motionless golem's face. Milky green eyes took on a red hue through the eye holes. The mask sealed itself to the hairless flesh of Samuel's face. The golem stirred, bending down fluidly and sweeping up the oversized claymore in one hand. Turning to Logan, Nicodemus smiled, watching the eight foot beast pull himself through the water towards the oyster. “Are you ready?” He spoke, filling his lungs with water and not being bothered in the least by it. |
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| Logan | Fri Jul 2, 2010 6:57 am Post #5 |
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Logan took quick note of the light cast be Nicodemus, looking around at the surroundings beneath the surface of the cold water. It was a graveyard, the site of wrecked ships and lost souls. If it weren’t for the fact it was permanently underwater, Logan might find the scene actually quite relaxing. The chill touching at his fur, the wreckage of dead ships and bodies… he was pretty messed up for trying to be a hero, a morbid taste while wearing bright colors, but he shrugged it off, figuring that there were heroes a lot darker and sadistic than he could even ever hope to be. And quite frankly, Logan couldn’t tell if that was a good thing or a bad thing. It looked like the anchor had hit a little too close to what the young werewolf could only assume was the oyster, which sat still as a stone, no features for emotion, surrounded by the graveyard of debris, and inside it’s lockjaw maw was the whole purpose for the adventure, a mystical mysterious pearl protected within the mussel… for now. If he could, Logan would chuckle at the thought, one way or another, the pearl was going to be theirs, and if Nicodemus didn’t want it, the lycan was going to make the pearl a trophy of a very interesting adventure. That’s all he wanted after all, not money, not whatever power it may be rumored to have, though that would be really nice, but no, he wanted to beat it’s guardian, which Logan already figured was more than it would appear, because no way would a normal mussel be surrounded by victims, or so close to a random whirlpool. Chances probably were that the over-sized natural treasure chest was probably the source of the whirlpool, though whether by sheer force or magic was yet to be seen. Logan looked back to his rather mysterious companion as he opened a doorway of shadow, reaching in and pulling out a hand, followed by an arm, and then a very large flesh golem, a bit taller than the young lycan. He gave a silent whistle from beneath his mask at the sight of not only the large undead which he was so glad he could not smell at the moment, but at the ridiculously large blade that Nicodemus pulled from under his cloak that was apparently the undead minion’s weapon. The young werewolf laughed at the sight, his voice, unlike his companion’s, muffled by the water and the mask. The creature started lumbering towards the oyster, and Logan’s traveling companion asked, probably to reassure that he was ready. “Hell no, but if I was I wouldn’t be learning anything from this, would I? By the way, you have gotta teach me that spell when this is all done.” Logan said in reply, unsheathing his own longsword from the scabbard on his back, wondering to himself if the main purpose of the golem was to goad out any powers the oyster might possess, or any potential slip-ups or weaknesses. Well, the werewolf didn’t really know, all he could do was speculate, and for now stay clear out of the golem’s way. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ As if sensing the hostile approach of the large golem, the oyster’s mouth opened momentarily, as a powerful current forming from its large maw, blasting with wicked force at the intruder to its territory, sending out a silent signal to the depths, calling forth fearsome great white sharks to its defense from the hulking undead, and within a split moment of these actions, the inside of the stone-like maw shined for a second before slamming shut. |
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| Samantha | Sat Jul 3, 2010 1:47 am Post #6 |
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“I suppose not. And there is no spell to teach.” Nicodemus' eyes narrowed as the Oyster opened. The pearl sat inside, looking open and susceptible to any thief who swam inside to take it. He considered sweeping in and taking it, before the shell shut and the tingle of magic rose and fell. A glance around the graveyard revealed flashes of life, bright lights weaving in the wrecks. “Defend us.” Nicodemus commanded. Immediately the golem spun, limbs flowing smoothly with the currents created by his movements, wide blade slashing through the skull of the first shark, splitting it to the gills. The golem curled a leg and kicked the corpse off his blade, spinning to meet the next. Satisfied with Samuel's performance, he turned back to the oyster, pondering how to take care of the problem. He drew a slender blade from beneath his robes. Running his thumb and forefinger along the flat, he bolstered the enchanted steel with his own magic. Each step he took turned the algae from green to gray, seaweed browning and thinning, disintegrating into the water. Plant life died with his every step, the blade tearing life away from his surroundings, feeding it into Nicodemus. He neared, a mere several yards away when the shell opened slightly and shut. The water surged around Nicodemus, pushing him back and up away. A rock caught in the powerful current, shooting at the demon's head. The stone gashed his cheekbone. And no blood ran. Cursing, Nicodemus lifted a hand to the bloodless wound. A purple light flared and stitching erupted from his fingertip, holding the skin together. A quick fix, he'd have to replace the skin later. Meanwhile, Samuel fared well against the sharks around his master, swinging a meaty fist solidly into the pointed nose of a shark. A crunch followed when the hilt smashed cartilage. “Any ideas, wolf?” Nicodemus growled through the water, frustrated by the lack of effect. |
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| Logan | Sat Jul 3, 2010 3:42 am Post #7 |
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“Huh…” Was Logan’s only response to the situation, taking note of sharks moving through the wreckage and towards them, scratching his head in a bit of confusion, not exactly fond of being in the same waters are large carnivorous fish. His gaze was quickly caught by sight of the undead golem turning, swiftly killing one of the sharks, a thought darting through the young werewolf’s mind, making him turn around as fast as he could, gripping the handle of his blade as he looked at a shark barreling towards him, his mind and body freezing up for a moment, “Oh… crap!” “Oh crap! Oh crap!” He shouted on through the water, managing to bring his longsword up quick enough to meet the great white’s teeth, being pushed through the water and desperately trying to remember anything he could that might actually be able to save him from becoming chum in the stomach of an oversized toothy fish! It took a moment of fear, but he finally remembered something to help him. It wasn’t exactly as effective as what he had caught a glimpse of Nicodemus’ golem doing, but it could be enough for him to live… probably… hopefully. Logan began repeatedly slamming his left fist into the shark’s nose, praying with each painful punch. It felt like he was hitting a leather covered brick wall, but eventually it worked, and Logan was left panting as the shark swam away. For the moment, at least, it would be gone. And it looked like it had moved him in a particularly pointless circle in trying to eat him, being in the same spot away from the oyster as earlier, watching his traveling companion move along the floor of the sea towards the oyster, plant life seeming to die all around him. Suddenly it came across Logan, everything from being around Nicodemus, the thought solidified when the young werewolf saw the man be tossed back by the currents, a rock cutting at his face. He had to be a lich. The flesh golem, the cold feel around him, the lack of blood. When he asked Logan if he had any ideas, the initial response was laughter, “Awesome, you’re a lich, aren’t you? That’s so friggin’ cool.” He laughed for a moment more, trying to reign in control a bit as he thought of the situation, looking between the flesh golem, the oyster, and his own thoughts, trying to see if he could actually formulate a plan. “Uhm… Uh…. Samuel!” He chuckled, not entirely sure if his idea could actually work or not, “Now there’s an idea. The sharks are a distraction, they’ve gotta be… This mussel is smart, I can’t see any other reason for sharks to be lurking in a graveyard of old ships while a meal is just a bit away. Maybe if the golem can get close enough, he can dig his feet into the sand and pry open the oyster with that sword and keep it that way while one of us deals with the sharks and the other sneaks in behind him, and grabs everything from the oyster.” Logan shrugged, not exactly sure of his plan, but it was the best one he could think of. |
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| Samantha | Tue Jul 6, 2010 1:39 am Post #8 |
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“Awesome, you’re a lich, aren’t you? That’s so friggin’ cool. “ Nicodemus smiled thinly. “Some aspects of the state, perhaps. But not as 'cool' as you appear to think. However, it's a necessary suffering.” Nicodemus pondered the plan quietly. Samuel could certainly damage the oyster from outside, though little. But there had to be a way for the oyster to close its shell, and hold it so. As far as he could tell, the only place it connected was in the back. Nicodemus was unsure of the Cutter's capability to withstand the pressure it would take to wedge open the shell. His own blade, however, could take much more abuse. “Samuel.” Nicodemus called the golem. It stopped its defense and approached, stopping at his feet. With some hesitation, the golem offered up the enormous blade. The lich noted the pause and handed over his own blade. Considerably smaller, the hilt was swallowed up by a meaty fist. The golem spun and stalked the oyster, circling around. A new sphere of shadow appeared at the lich's side. Reaching out, he took hold of another hand, this one much larger than Samuel's. Caine emerged form the shadows and into the water. Another golem, Caine was build much shorter, but much denser than Samuel. His form was hunched, upper body a broad mass of muscle. Where the stomach once was, was now a mouth. He was rounded, looking able to curl himself into a rough ball. “Hold open the shell when Samuel gets it.” Nicodemus commanded. A snaking, gray tongue wiped the edges of the maw in its belly. “ If I may make a few additions. We can cut into the muscle holding the shell together, on one side. Caine can wedge open that side, allowing entrance. I'll need someone to take the pearls, however.” Nicodemus cocked a hairless eyebrow at the boy. This would serve well enough. He had to be sure of how the boy would handle pressure. “Be wary of the dangers it still poses. Even if we can handle it physically, we have to assume it holds a wide repertoire of spells. Likely water-based, so there's little it can do to us beneath the ocean.” |
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| Logan | Tue Jul 6, 2010 6:20 am Post #9 |
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“That is just… pretty friggin’ cool.” Logan chuckled, slowly clapping as Nicodemus pulled out a more gruesome flesh golem from the mysterious and most likely necromantic orb of shadow, his gaze shifting between the three undead beings beneath the waters with him. He was thanking every god he could think of, one at a time, for the fact he could not smell anything under the water. If he caught even a whiff of that much reek, he’d probably be gagging on it. He gave another light chuckle, shaking his head and trying to focus on the current situation of battling an oversized water-magic-using clam. He snickered at the thought briefly, taking a deep magically altered breath, turning his attention back to the master of the awesome and disgusting flesh golems known respectively as Samuel and Cain. Logan shrugged at the lich’s words; obviously a wide grin was hidden by the mask. The plan was all coming together, bit by bit, and soon, the contents of the mussel’s rock-like maw would be theirs. “Hey, it’s a team effort here, and originally I didn’t even think of you having a…” He paused a moment, motioning towards the flesh golem with a large mouth in its gut, searching for the closest fitting descriptive term he could find, but only managing to find one for the moments, not exactly wanting to test to see if the undead had minds of their own or a sense of humor, “Cain! Really, are you sure there isn’t any way you can teach me how to summon those guys? Or at least, something close to being one of them without being a scrawny cannibalistic leper?” The young werewolf was doing some research into necromantic magics, so far having done little more than hitting a wall with any real research into the matter. A moment of being distracted, Logan didn’t take note of the oyster’s maw opening again, this time a powerful series of currents washing throughout the immediate area. Of course, he quickly noticed it when he started moving away from his undead traveling buddy at an alarming rate. It took him only a moment to collect enough of a conscious thought above, “Oh my gods, what is happening!?” To firmly plant the blade of his sword into the bed of the sea and lock his feet on the ground around it. “Okay, talk about magical dead things later, I’ve gotta focus on the task at hand!” He shouted over the sound of rushing water battering at his person, taking note and watching the movements of the flesh golems for a moment. Now was definitely the time for him to move, “Okay, time for me to get to work! Have Sam and Cain do their parts with that damn mussel, I’m going in!” He called out, slowly making his way closer towards the target, continually impaling the ground with his blade to get over there, the oyster beginning to attempt closing its large maw, the pearls sitting out for the grab. It took a moment, but eventually he managed to make his way to the large and obnoxious protector of the pearls behind Samuel. He waited a moment, definitely recognizing a pattern forming as the oyster widened its massive stone-like maw even wider, its way of casting magic, and the seemingly vulnerable inside showing three pearls, one obviously bigger than the other in the center. The werewolf chuckled at his coming stupidity a moment, crouching down and launching from the seabed and clawing at the inside of the oyster, the claws of his furry hands scratching at the pink insides of the mussel as a powerful magically induced current dragged him away. He let out a cheer, holding clenched fists successfully above him. It seemed in that moment that they had achieved victory! Now all that was left was to get back to shore, shake off an exhausting yet fun adventure, and call it a day. |
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| Samantha | Wed Jul 7, 2010 1:32 am Post #10 |
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Nicodemus' smile grew brittle at the enthusiasm of his partner. Too much more of this would get on his nerves, along with the quick decaying bodies of himself and the undead, though slowed by his aura. Not trusting such precision work to the lumbering beasts, he closed his eyes to guide them. Samuel was around back, sword pulled back readily, point hovering at the hinge of the shells. He'd only have an instant to make his slice. Caine stood readily at the side. At the opening of the clam, magic thrummed, though Nicodemus noticed no immediate effect or change in the water. It had seemed to have cast a rather large spell with no effect, though that wasn't the point of his focus. When the shell opened, Samuel's enchanted blade swept in, severing a side of the muscle that served to clamp shut the shell. The left side of the oyster closed rapidly, but the right came down slowly. Caine's arms raised and seized the razor edges of the shell, cutting to the bone. But he held, climbing just inside and flexing every muscle to delay the already impaired closing. The wolf swooped inside and took up the pearls, making it back out with time to spare. Nicodemus noted a glint in the back of the creature's interior. There was space, though it looked like the golems would have to let it close soon, the pressure was building. His mind was made up. The lich flew through the water in a last burst of energy, entering the space inside the enormous creature before the two halves clamped shut around him, sealing tightly with him still inside. To his pleasure, the inside was perfectly dark, though rather cramped, he was lying flat, pressed into the meaty substance of its insides. Sliding a hand over the soft, slimy surface, he clasped it around a melon-sized pearl, deeply embedded in the creature. The wolf had grabbed the others, but Nicodemus was set on making the trip worth his time. Clasping the other hand on it, he closed his eyes and willed himself to enter the plane of shadow. The cloudy floor of the plane was firm enough to walk on. Heaving the enormous pearl against his chest, the lich floated along, making his way only several feet to his left. Willing once more, he left the plane of darkness, appearing in the shadow of a large sunken ship. Nicodemus slid the large pearl beneath his robes, forcing it into a fist-sized pouch on his waist. It entered without resistance, disappearing without a trace. “Good work. You missed one, though. I'll carry it up.” Chuckling, he strode through the water, ignoring the resistance. The golems waited for orders, Samuel stirring uneasily, eyes aglow beneath his mask. Frowning, Nicodemus reached up and pried away the mask. The golem's red eyes turned back to a milky gold color, dulling as the intelligence left it. “Almost as much trouble as you're worth.” He muttered to the mask. Slipping it under the breast of his robes, he took the sword from a clammy fist. Turning to Logan, he gestured up. “Best to leave before we find out what our friend left for us.” The demon was nervous about that last spell's effect. |
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| Logan | Wed Jul 7, 2010 6:03 am Post #11 |
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Logan stared at the lock-jawed oyster in mild shock of Nicodemus charging in. Then again, he was a lich, the worst that could probably happen to him is his binding item could get dented or he would just have to fix himself up. It took a moment, but eventually the young werewolf saw a figure step from the shadow of a sunken ship, a luckily familiar and friendly shadow, though. A nice reminder of how mysteriously great magic was, but Logan wasn’t about to trade in his blade for a magical staff any time soon, he just liked chopping things to small pieces to much. The werewolf gave a chuckle in reply to Nicodemus’ comment, pocketing the two pearls he had managed to claw from the soft slimy bedding of the inside of the mighty mussel. It truly looked like victory. All that was left now was clean-up. As the lich removed the mysterious mask from Samuel’s face, Logan swam down and picked up his longsword, sheathing the basic weapon to its scabbard on his back. This was the first real adventure he had managed to come across, and it was definitely fun, though only mildly disappointing. He looked back to the oyster a bit warily at his own thought, knowing that rarely did anything end well and simple. A moment passed, but nothing happened. The lycan gave a sigh of relief from beneath his magical mask, readjusting the green and white striped hat which had luckily stayed on through mysterious means during the whole encounter. Everything on Logan was soaked, it was probably going to take hours to dry them properly, but hopefully that pearl would be worth it. He began swimming up after Nicodemus, leaving sight of the boulderlike oyster behind. Logan could not sense magic, however, could not feel the minor changes to the current. Water began slowly taking form in the sea, the last magic of the clam was coming to fruition. The young werewolf continued swimming, not taking note of five thinly controlled currents of water taking position around him. In only a moment, he could tell, a tightening feeling around his chest, it became increasingly harder to breathe. He gasped for air and let out a shout, echoing through the cool dark waters before being violently pulled up through the water. In a flash, he was now out of the water, looking down at Nicodemus’ shadowed figure beneath the waves. Now, he could see plainly he was entrapped in an ever tightening grip of a water monolith, in direct control of that deadly oyster. He couldn’t help but let out a scream of pain, he could feel several of his ribs cracking under the pressure, wishing to every god known to any sentient being that he could just pass out, that he could be unconscious for the next set of moments which seemed like they would lead to nothing other than his demise. The only darkness was that of the starlit sky, seeming to taunt him in what could be his coming death. |
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| Samantha | Thu Jul 8, 2010 1:30 am Post #12 |
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Nicodemus hissed when Logan was pulled upwards by the currents of shifting water. He rose quickly in pursuit, though kept a fair distance from where the boy would surface. Upon emerging, his gaze was caught by the humanoid figure made of water, rising many meters above the surface of the ocean. A wave rolled out from the figure towards the lich. Rising up, he touched a foot on the surface of the water, sinking no further in than a feather might. The boy was in the monolith's fist, looking to be in immense pain from the pressure. Nicodemus could set gravity wells on opposing sides of the fist, pulling the water away from him. But there was a rather high chance of him being injured worse by the opposing forces, or being drawn into one and crushed. However, not even the monolith would be able to hold on it he tried another approach. Lifting his left hand, he threw a gravity anchor on the boy's shirt. The weight would pull the boy down, but was suitably fitted to his form to pull him along with it. Nicodemus pulled up his hood, conjuring a sphere of shadows spanning thirty feet across. It wouldn't obscure the being of water, he was certain it lacked sight, but he would be able to make himself scarce if the need arose. Above water, the monolith was a deadly force. But beneath it had no momentum. No effect but push them around. Nicodemus dove beneath the waves, making his way back to the oyster. It was a living thing. And if he could get close enough to touch it, he could curse it. |
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| Logan | Thu Jul 8, 2010 5:28 am Post #13 |
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The situation was looking overly grim for the young werewolf, the ever tightening grip of the mighty water monolith, there was no doubt about it, several, if not all, of his ribs were either cracked or broken from the sheer amount of magic pressure. He forced breaths through, praying his lungs wouldn’t be punctured by his own bones, that by some miracle, he was going to be free of the death grip that wrapped around the entire length of his were form. Through the pain, an idea slipped through. Quickly he took in another deep breath, changing as quickly as he could from the form he favored most. The pain of his particular kind of rapid transformation wasn’t nearly as great as the oyster’s water golem, though, his entire form being reworked at a rapid pace he usually spread out over hours was now shortened to mere seconds, however, it aided with Nicodemus’ magic, his smaller form being unexpected by the damnable construct of magic and water, the magic and his transformation worked in unison well enough as he began falling through the air towards the disturbed waters, slipping in easily, though quickly removing his mask and coughing up blood into the water as he frantically swam upwards, following the small bubbled from a breath of water he let out, his body aching with each movement as he settled back into his unfortunately human form. It wasn’t that he hated humans or anything; he just liked being a werewolf better. He didn’t feel safe putting his mask back on, he now treaded on the water, but was still coughing up blood from the incredibly tight grip, he knew he was, even if he couldn’t see through the magical darkness. He took a moment to cough up some more before picking a direction and swimming, he didn’t like being in that kind of darkness, he liked being able to see. However, it didn’t take much for him to be free of the darkness, the sound of a large crash as the monolith went down to hunt for the lich created powerful enough waves to send the young lycan thrown from the black area. He could now see the form, a black spot eliminating sight of the stars behind it, a monument to dark magics. Logan coughed some more, before letting out a sigh of relief and looking around. His eyes quickly caught sight of the ship they had boarded earlier, a large chunk missing from its side, the crew who had stayed and survived were rushing around frantically, trying to fix up what they could so they could leave as quickly as possible, unfortunately a giant chunk of wood had splintered from the whirlpool’s force and ripped through the sails. It wasn’t pretty, it would probably sink soon, but it was better than being stuck out in the black waters of the night time sea. Logan swam as quickly as he could, the mask that aided him beneath water gripped tightly in his hand. It only took a moment, but he reached the damaged ship, calling out he was luckily aided by some of the crew, essentially tossed on board before the two members who helped him rushed off back to work. He was somehow alive, for what it was worth, the two smaller pearls still pocketed, his chest now felt as if it were on fire from the pain, though the rest of his body had settled. The captain looked the now human Logan over quickly, figuring for what happened. And just like the young adventurer thought, his clothes were completely and utterly soaked, feeling as if they weighed forty more pounds. And it didn’t take long for Twinkle to greet him upon his arrival. The swarming currents which made up the humanoid figure of the monolith were rather quicker than the lich who dived under the waters, the immensely powerful currents created by its arm sluing towards Nicodemus, knocking up a large amount of sand from the bed of the waters. Every spell the oyster could come up with, it used. Sharks coming from every way they could, a whirlpool forming directly above it to hinder its attacker’s movements, and worst of all, the currents it spewed forth in assault. It was not a happy mussel. |
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| Samantha | Fri Jul 9, 2010 5:52 am Post #14 |
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Nicodemus released the gravity magic on the boy once he was free of the monolith's grip, his focus fully centered on the oyster far below. Unfortunately, the darkness would help him little with the sort of creatures this deep underwater. Many didn't need light, or even to see. Though it could assist with some. Shapes were swarming at the corner of his vision, approaching fast. The sheer amount of mass gathering in this area would make movement difficult. It was obvious the oyster didn't want him getting through. But that didn't matter. The mass would help him. If it didn't end up killing him. The lich stretched his arms to the side, ignoring the currents raging towards him from above, the creatures swarming from the sides. The darkness expanded, becoming more dominant. He waited a moment, biding his time, drawing in power. He felt the energy in the darkness, the pull of the earth. Drawing his hands closer, he released the stored energies. Gravity increased by an amazing amount, everything within a thirty foot radius of the oyster weighing ten times what it normally did. Debris from the wreckage groaned and cracked like cannon fire as the wood collapsed on itself. Guiding the magic, he centered that pull on the boulder-like oyster. In the frenzied instant before Nicodemus melted into the shadows, hell erupted. Every object within thirty feet was pulled into the oyster with colossal force, the water itself compressed. Dirt and rocks rose in a cloud, soaring at the shell. Swarms of watery guardians were pulled in and crushed, killed by their own weight or the flying hunks of wood and metal. The darkness vanished as Nicodemus Stepped. He appeared in the darkness of night, onto the deck of the ship. Water poured off him all at once, rolling over the deck. He felt the connection to Samuel and Caine snuff out as the two were destroyed, caught up in the spell. No matter. He had plans for a better servant. Leaning on the mast, Nicodemus felt the weariness roll over him all at once. Ignoring the stares of the crew, he drew his sword. The pull on his life was immediate. Seizing a crewman by the collar, he pulled him, thrusting the sword in and up, entering him through the navel and sheathing the tip in his heart. The life drained away, his skin drying, blood coagulating, all happening over the full minute the two stood there, stock-still. The flow of energy surged through the hilt of the blade all at once, rejuvenating the demon. A silvery mist exited through the corpse's mouth, flowing directly into the lich's robes, seeping into his bag and the orb within. Throwing the body to the ground, he used a foot to roll it overboard. Sheathing the blade beneath his robes, the lich strode wearily towards the now-human Logan. “Do you need assistance? I can heal your wounds, if you'd like.” He mentioned not the third pearl, the one he'd dove into the oyster itself to grab. He had no intention of giving it up. A certain amount of study would be involved, researching the properties bestowed on this oyster. He had to learn if the abilities could be reproduced. |
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| Logan | Sat Jul 10, 2010 7:36 am Post #15 |
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Logan coughed up a bit more blood before looking out to the black waters. They were still rushing with waves from the monolithic construct of water’s violent and sudden crushing of several of Logan’s bones. He knew for sure that ribs were broken, but he was still caught up in too much adrenaline to know if anything else was damaged. All he knew for certain was that he escaped near death, the lich was missing, his lungs burnt like hell, and several of his ribs were absolutely broken. He didn’t even dare to stand, in fear he would actually find more wounds hidden beneath his flesh. All of a sudden the ship felt like it jumped, the splash of water coming from beneath it not nearly as high as it should be. Logan guessed it was most likely some crazy magic that Nicodemus had, but surely it wouldn’t be fatal to anything on the surface, he was Logan’s friend… right? The thought didn’t exactly worry Logan any, what would be would be, and as long as another water monolith didn’t appear, he was completely fine… though he probably wasn’t about to go swimming any time soon. A moment passed, and then the sound of a familiar being’s footsteps against the wooden deck mixed into the chorus of rushing crewmembers, several stopping at the mysterious sight of the lich having suddenly appeared on the ship, the water of the depths still rolling off of him. Another moment passed, and then everything went silent as the crew stared in awe of the plain and obvious kill, the lifeless body impaled by Nicodemus’ blade before being knocked from the ship and into the black waters. The young werewolf couldn’t tell if that was a horrible thing, or a morbid pleasure. Watching the unusual way of the deckhand’s life being taken from him before so casually being kicked from the deck. There was something wrong with the lycan, maybe one day he would figure out what it was, but this was no day, it was a night of pain. As the young werewolf sat on the wooden deck of the ship, he found most of his body growing sore, and he watched the lich begin to approach him. If his theory was right, the dark traveling companion had already fed, hence the seemingly random and open murder, he shouldn’t have anything to worry about from this one. Nicodemus asked Logan if he needed assistance with his wounds, and for a moment, he mulled the words over in his mind before responding, “Depends, if you have to kill somebody to heal somebody else, I’d like to wait until we get to the mainland so I can see some exacted revenge, if not, the hell yes I need a god heal.” He chuckled in response, digging into his pocket and pulling out the two pearls, each having its own place between his fingers as he eyed the lich was a devious look, “Where’s the third one, Nick?” That was the first time he had called him by the shortened name, but with the pain he felt, that made him want to scream or just continue sitting there until he died and rotted on the ship, he wanted to know where his should-be trophy was. |
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5:22 AM May 24
