Initiate Protocol 13 (Roleplay Story Thread)

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Quexi's picture
Quexi

Discussion Thread

Character List:

Name: Xindao
Race: Operator
Age: 1347 (looks 14-16)
Appearance: This ((He uses the Ace of Spades-shaped double daggers chained together as his weapon, and wears a dark hoodie, dark jeans, and dark boots as normal gear))
Bio: *will be revealed in story*

Name: Winter
Race: Swarm
Rank: Queen and Mistress of the Swarm
Age: 32
Appearance: I hope nobody minds if I use this...
She has a pair of Shadow Dragon Wings, which are useful for assisted jumps.
Bio: Once upon a time, Winter was an elite battlefield medic in the Spiral Medical Squadrons, tasked with rescuing stranded knights in the deepest depths of the Clockworks. She was the best of their kind, and thanks to the work of an unknown agent, developed teleforce skills to further enhance her medical abilities.

During the Crisis, she traveled with several other knights into the Core to defeat the Master and return the Core to its purified state. They failed miserably, and in their haste to escape, they callously left her behind. The Swarm, seeing her teleforce potential, absorbed her and prepared her to be one of their leaders.

Name: Unknown
Nickname: Mute
Reason: Because he is a mute.
Race: Isoran
Rank: Has taken Winter's place in Elite Medic Squadron.
Appearance: (Got to make do with no pictures :P ) Urm..... Black Hair, black eyes, slightly tanned skin, shy smile, prothetics, inventive :P
Bio: After the disastrous attempt to destroy the Master, they retreated back to Haven. In their haste, leaving Winter Anyway, once Topoyozada (Yes.... Mute is Topoyozada....) has realized that they have left Winter, he took a vow of silence, and took Medic School.
Weapons:

Eye of Snarbolax: 9* (Gauntlet) (Secondary)
Enables user to send a tiny Snarbolax to fight and do recon missions. Enables user to have FPS view and control of Snarby (Mini)

Scissors Blade MK 4 9* (Primary)
Once the legendary Scissors Blade, now evolved to non-combat usage, where you use it to do MEDIC STUFF! Has a laser with it :P (Colour is choice of user, so I choose red.)

Guardian Helm 8* (Helmet)
A combat ready helmet, also has a visor for checking internal wounds.

Guardian Robe 8* (Armour)
A black robe, which enables user to turn invisible to the naked eye by wrapping it around self, requires user to be still. If user bumps into someone or something, a faint outline appears, if they get bumped once more, they instantly turn back un-invisible.

Jetpack 10* (Back)
Enables user to fly/glide for a few seconds.

Name: Alma

Gender: Female

Race: Wolver Hybrid

Age: Around 19, it's... hard to tell.

Appearance: Similar to this.

Has golden eyes as well as a wolf-like tail. Slim, athletic build. She has a digitigrade stance (back legs of canine animal), and also has an intricate tattoo of unknown origins on her left arm and neck, extending to just below her jawline. Wears a plain, wide-collared shirt and cargo shorts, found on her when she woke up.

Personality: She's a bit fierce, lashing back at even a passing remark. For the most part, she's a little irittable, but she gets depressed rather easily for some reason. However, she also can joke around at times.

Bio: Alma's past is largely unknown. Her first memories are waking up in a field just outside of the border to the Swarm's Domain, wearing nothing but a wide-collared shirt and a pair of simple cargo shorts, and her current appearance. There was only one piece of knowledge in her head: her name, Alma. Or so it seems. Unsure of what to do, she traveled to some nearby villages, but most drove her away due to her Wolver-like traits. She just wanders around now, unsure of what to do. Little by little, her memories seem to be coming back, but in tiny fragments.

Specialty: Enhanced vision, hearing, and smell. Sharp claws on each hand, and can run faster than the average human.

Name: Forma

Race: Operator

Age: N/A

Appearance: A stone orb that floats lazily through the air. On it, a single glowing node pulsates with his speech. Unlike most Operators, who desire forms optimized for their specializations, Forma has made the art of forms his own specialization. Thus, he can create a holographic form of anything he wants, and can make his appearance in the likeness of anything.

Bio: As the Core was opened, an indefinite number of Operators came swarming out into Cradle. However, as they had no purpose, it was their job to find their own purpose, a feat surprisingly hard for the Operators. Forma was one of the Operators who had observed and directed a few of his fellow Operators to the Isoran and Swarm sides of the Planet, trying to help them find their potential used best.

When the flow of Operators began to slow down, Forma realized he didn't have his own purpose after directing them. So, he decided to take his own path, floating around to help whoever is in need.

Specialty: Formus specializes in creating extensions of himself, although he is a lousy flier, and a fragile piece of stone. Nevertheless, he makes a great architect and spy, if given the chance to prove himself.

Name:
Tenebris Malum

Gender:
Male

Race:
Necron

Age:
Unknown. Rebirthed from the virus that ravaged Cradle in earlier times.

Rank:
"Executor" (Not to be confused with "executioner")

Appearance:
Like so, except the rock/crystalline formations cover his entire body. He now wears the helm of a trojan. His skin is tinted purple like in the pic, and those veins of purple crisscross his flesh; some even forming runes.

Bio:
After sacrificing himself to no avail, the Commander's body was scavenged by the cult of Ur, and imbued with their dark magic. Thus risen, he lives to fight for the Return of Ur and the Great Dragon Asphodel. His skill in battle from his former life has carried into this one, and he has assumed the rank of "Executor". Upon one of his exploits he happened upon a wielder of the core sword "TBD", and after slaying the wielder, claimed the sword as his own.

Specialty:
He has his original powers of metal-shaping and telepathy, and now wields the power of "TBD" as well.

Arsenal:
The core-sword "

Name: Nathan York

Gender: Male

Race: Human

Age: 16

Appearance:Appearance. Too lazy to write up one. :P

Personality: He likes playing mind games with people, and can deduce things fairly easily. He does not at all like Operators, preferring to kill them instead of giving them chances to explain themselves. As he is extremely adept at arguing, he can prove his point very well and as such can reduce even trained lawyers to tears in mere seconds.

Bio: Nathaniel secretly had an affair with a fallen valkyrie, causing her to become pregnant with Nathan York. After Nathaniel sacrificed himself *in attempt* destroying the Master, his affinity for special powers was passed down unto Nathan York, who evidently, gained the ability to control time along with a natural affinity for darkness. The Great Spirit saw this, but instead of restricting his powers, he enhanced them, as he felt sorry for Nathaniel. Nathan heard about what his father had gone through, and sought to destroy the swarm once and for all with his powers. He still takes after his father in terms of looks, being able to attract even the prettiest of women for help.

Specialty: Time Control.

Powers: He has the ability to manipulate time. He has a bunch of other abilities, but I'll state a few here:

Time Reversal!-
When the opponent attacks him, if he activates this, he will stop and reverse time to the precise moment before the opponent hit him. As soon as time is restored, he uses one of his other attacks before the opponent can react.

Nox Chain-
Leaps into the air and casts out a chain of dark energy(which has a sharp blade at the end of it) that stabs the opponent, draining some of their life force, and pulls him/her towards him for a devastating slash.

Warp-
Using the Corridors of Darkness, he surrounds himself in a portal of darkness and transports himself instantaneously to a place of his choosing, though his heart will become more corrupted the more he uses this. The farther the place is from him, the more corrupted his heart will become.

Dark Blade-
http://i617.photobucket.com/albums/tt251/diclonius/dragon_sword.jpg
A mythical sword that is said to be able to cut through anything, the ability to summon it said to only be passed down through bloodline. It glows an eerie dark aura all the time.

Name: Zachariah.

Gender: Male.

Race: Spiral Knight

Age: 33

Appearance: for armor, Dark daylight slicker (8* shadow sun stuff), Venomous Snarbolax cap (again, 8* snarbolax cap), and no shield for some reason. For weapons, Star destroyer (9* supernova(no star wars reference implied)) and a Deadly Toxin Speedster. (10* dread venom striker).

Bio: He's a mercenary who loves puppies and rainbows, he enjoys giving to charity, hates killing, is very open with his life, and is totally unrelated in all ways to Chromo. Now take all of that and realize that it's all totally a lie, though not the exact opposite (for example, he's not Chromo's brother or cousin, as you might think because of the "unRELATED" part). You'll see in the story.

Specialty: His Deadly Toxin Speedster can make air blasts for some reason

Quexi's picture
Quexi
Dreams

I stand across from the former Winter. "I don't regret anything. I need these Knights to survive if I'm to ever get out of this," I wave my arms, gesturing my form. "I've been trapped for too long." The runes that scar my being change from their pale into a shimmering red. "The Core closed before I got back from the war, and I found myself limited to this form. I don't know how you stand it." Snow falls from the sky that never was. I tilt my head. "How do you find immortalizing creatures is fun? It saddens them as it does us. Why prolong suffering? You could have ended it all with the Master's death..." Black arrows pierce from the ground, and writhe like snakes. "Shall we meet once more? I have beings to attend to..." I step back as the arrow snakes multiply from the ground, until there is a sea of them, the places we stand the only thing intact. "I'll see you in your dreams," I whisper, and vanish as the sea of arrows claims my island.

Quexi's picture
Quexi
Wrong!

I feel the dream reverse suddenly, and we're back, standing in the snow. "SOMETHING'S WRONG!" I scream to Winter, the runes in my skin turning red, and my skin feels like molten rock. My eyes tear up as I look into the sky, and a towering darkness is there. "Asphodel..." I whisper, and glance at Winter. Asphodel was the First Dragon, Father to Vog and...

His roars pierce the night, the snow turning to an iron mound around our feet, we as helpless as humans. I awake soon, Operator and Mistress. I will not regret destroying your ways of life. All you will have left is your miserable immortal existence within me, and your dreams, my torturing tools. ALL WILL SUFFER! Fire erupts from the ground, and Winter and I slowly sink into the magma, feeling every bit of pain. I reach out for her as I am absorbed into the magma. She is the closest thing I have to home.

I awake within my enclosed temple surrounded by reflective crystal. I close my eyes, spreading out my name to lead myself to my location. What I see next is a Knight. (<---Mute)

Cobalterian's picture
Cobalterian
Mute is mute, obviously.

Mute sat down on the temple's floor, meditating. He was trying to control his feelings, and was failing. Memories of him and Winter kept popping up, and he control his worry for her. Who knew what horrible things the Master would have done to her. He shivered at the thought, when he saw a person come up. He twisted his body all around to see him, then nodded in acknowledgment. A mean thought came to him, and he grinned. He quickly gave a series of hand signals, which meant "I'm mute." He smiled, flopped down on to the floor, and flashed a badge at him, the Spiral Order Medic Squadron.

Quexi's picture
Quexi
Hello!

"Well then, hello Mute," I smile at him. Why here, why now? He obviously had a connection to Winter, for...ah yes, that pain beneath his eyes. No one but her could've done that. I won't question him about her, after all we just met and I don't want him breaking down in tears.

"No!" I scream as I see them. Knights decorated in dark spiked armor, their eyes glowing magenta. They raise their great swords, and swing down. I am suddenly against the back wall, holding Mute in one arm. I let go and summon my Spade Blades. I run towards Ur, stabbing five people at least ten times before one manages to cut my arm. I turn my head and receive the flat of the blade, knocking me over. I form three spiked spheres and send them after the one daring to hurt me.

I jump and float in midair before spinning my body and releasing created spikes into the crowd at random. But it's too late. I see a group of four Knights carrying a large black tile, on which a brazier is melted into. A horrid magenta inferno rages within the brazier, and the Knights suddenly stop. Their eyes turn cold, and I am now looking at four Trojans. But then I'm not...I'm turning my head to see them in front of my throne. They pour the fire onto the ground, burning Asphodel into my beautifully made temple. Darkness erupts from the symbol. I fly in and save Mute from probable death as the temple shakes with the new entity it holds...

I float down and run with Mute, molding the crystal doorway behind me, shut. I unsummon my Spade Blades and run out just as the temple's crystal turns into Dark Crystal. It collapses before my eyes, and as I look into the Shard rubble, I see no sign of Ur. Just the mark of Asphodel staring at me with indifferent eyes...

"You okay?" I ask Mute. He handled himself pretty well in there, despite the limited time to do so. "Care to travel with me? It's like this only occasionally...I'm headed towards the Swarm Territory. I have to meet someone there..." I turn to look at him. "It's been years since a Knight has explored. Whaddya say, one adventure won't kill you."

Aekuryi's picture
Aekuryi
Development

A man's face stared at me from beyond the bars of the cage. That man's face. Just seeing him made me snarl quietly. But he didn't seem to be his usual self. No, he seemed... sad.
"I am so sorry for this," he simply said, before extending a palm out to my forehead.

"Ah!" I cried out as I woke up violently, falling out of the tree I was in, landing with a thud on the ground. I got up, rubbing my side and groaning a little.
"Another memory, I guess," I muttered to myself, my ears twitching irritably. I counted them off in my head. Weird angel lady... man in purple lizard suit... exploding vial in laboratory... and then this one... sad yet evil man putting his palm on my forehead. What the hell was my life like before I woke up? I didn't really think about it much though, seeing as most of it was just a blank spot in my head. Just gotta wait for it all to come back.

It was midday, presumably. The sun was high in the sky, warmth radiating from the ball of fire. I started walking in no direction in particular, towards a small village. It had been destroyed by those crazy cultists a couple days ago. I was kinda bored to be honest, so I just decided to go back to the large elm tree. Climbing back up it, I dozed off once more. What else was there to do but sleep? There wasn't anything to run from and the people in villages kept to themselves. So did I.

Cobalterian's picture
Cobalterian
No...... My favorite hidding spot

"Well then, hello Mute." The guy smiles at Mute. He turns and screams, "No!" as knights in Dark spiked Armour comes in, swinging their swords. The guy attacks, shooting knives into their midst. He then floats down, grabs Mute, and runs. They had run out, when all the crystals turn magneta. "You okay?" The guy asked Mute. "Care to travel with me? It's like this only occasionally...I'm headed towards the Swarm Territory. I have to meet someone there..." I turn to look at him. "It's been years since a Knight has explored. Whaddya say, one adventure won't kill you." Mute glanced at the temple, then at the guy. He nodded, then asked in hand signals, "What's your name?"

Ultimaknightz's picture
Ultimaknightz
UNDER SIEGE!

"Have at thee, coward!" In a flash, I summoned my Legendary Sword, slicing through all the Swarm Knights one by one, landing behind them and de-materializing my sword in less than 30 seconds. I had inherited the affinity to gain special powers from my father, which I was grateful for. "That's the last of them. You guys have nothing to worry about anymore." I smiled at the inhabitants of the village, who were both astounded and scared of my power, their mouths wide open. Still, they gratefully held out their hands to give me more gold as a token of their appreciation. How could one refuse? I slowly took it from each of their hands, heartily waving goodbye as I left the splendid town.

WARNING:small powerplay alert

I walked along the stone-tiled lane as I put my hands in my pockets, my eyes darting glances at my surroundings. Everything seemed perfectly normal, the falling leaves dancing in the cold breeze above the trees, a wolver hybrid sleeping on the branch of a tree, the sun scintillating brightly on the splendid surroundings. WHAT? I stopped in my tracks, looking at the wolver hybrid who had long, black hair. "Wolver person, please don't sit on that tree. You're likely to attract swarm knights to your area as you're high in the air and highly visible. So get down from that tree for your sake, befor-" My speech was interrupted by the loud moan of a swarm knight who had recently found out where the wolver-hybrid had been lying down upon. The wolver-hybrid slowly opened her eyes, which widened almost instantaneously as soon as she saw the swarm knight approaching. "It's okay. I have this handled."I assured, summoning my sword. I warped behind the swarm knight, and slashed it four times, finally stabbing it in the back before I drained its life force into my sword, the swarm knight dissipating almost instantly after that. I walked back to the seemingly astounded wolver-hybrid, and inquired,"What's your name?" I smiled at her after that. No female could possibly resist that smile.

Aekuryi's picture
Aekuryi
It's all coming back

I was shortly disrupted from my rest when I heard a Knight reprimanding me for something. I opened my eyes, annoyed at him, when I heard a moan from my left. I looked over, and saw one of those Swarm Knights. I could see them, moving across the land on the other side of the Bubble, but they would never come on to this side. At least I don't think.
"It's okay. I have this handled," he said, procuring a sword from... well, nowhere. He vanished and reappeared behind the Swarm Knight, driving the point of his blade into the monster's back, collapsing it into a mound of dust. I was no short of surprised. This mysterious, blue-haired man came up to me from where he had killed the Swarm being.
"What's your name?", he said, smiling warmly. This smile... it was... familiar. Come to think about it, something about him was familiar.

"I'm... Alma," I said nervously. I wasn't that great in front of new people, but I hadn't met anyone who didn't try to immediately kill me in the past few days.
"I'm trying to find-" I was interrupted by a searing pain in my head and spine, causing me to put one hand up to my forehead and fall down on to my knees.
"I-I'm fine... another memory is coming..." I struggled to say. Suddenly, an image popped into my head. A white haired man... green eyes... wearing mostly black... and he had nearly the same face as this guy. The pain stopped, and I gasped for breath, standing up again.
"Sorry about that, I'm trying to find my memories," I explained. "You see, I woke up just over there a few days ago, with just this clothing, this tattoo and this form, and no knowledge of my past." I continued.
"A face just like yours was in my most recent one... but this man had white hair and green-ish eyes. Do you know who he is?"

Feline-Grenadier's picture
Feline-Grenadier
Following up!

Meanwhile...

A small orb, constructed of an unknown substance (save for the fact of it's stone-like consistency), hovers high above a small village, overlooking the daily activities of the inhabitants. Children being couriers, elders leaving their pies outside on the windowsills, snipes being harassed by the youths...

Ah-ha, but what caught the attention of the floating orb was a small conflict not a half-mile away from the village, where a small bubble-shaped shield was protecting another individual nearby...

And the presence of the Swarm was discomforting. Even if it was dead by now, that would probably be just a scout. If the orb could make an inference, a single presence of the Swarm already spelt doom for the whole level. Such a shame...

The orb swung down low, hovering lazily above what the orb sensed was a being with much power. Additionally, there was this erratic energy signature besides the being, part Wolver, part Isoran. This should be interesting...

Quexi's picture
Quexi
Xindao

"My name?" I question myself, averting my eyes from the Mute's gaze. "I am Xindao the Chaotic, Operator in need of the Swarm and Core in order to bring on the Great Storm..."

Ultimaknightz's picture
Ultimaknightz
ENTRY

"I'm....,"She paused for a moment, before continuing. It would seem that she wasn't that great in front of people who didn't try to kill her, which was alright, I guess, for a wolver hybrid who was chased all the time. "Alma."she finished, with a sigh. "I'm trying to find-" Her hand jerked up to her forehead, and she suddenly fell on her knees. I bent down and lent her a hand to get up, but she hastily replied,"I-I'm fine... another memory is coming..." Her pain seemed to stop, and taking a deep gasp of breath, she stood up again."Sorry about that, I'm trying to find my memories,"she reasoned. "You see, I woke up just over there a few days ago, with just this clothing, this tattoo and this form, and no knowledge of my past. A face just like yours was in my most recent one... but this man had white hair and green-ish eyes. Do you know who he is?" My countenance was suddenly filled with solemness as my eyes were frozen in place. A tear escaped from my eyes and sacrificed itself into the confines of my shirt as I shakily replied,"He was my father." I stopped for a moment to regain my composure, and in a much brighter tone, continued my sentence. "But I don't feel like talking about that right now." I sniffed sadly, and instantly, my body jerked a few centimetres back. "That smells like....... an Operator. You should hide, Alma. Most of the Operators have become evil, now that the Swarm has a new leader who has been deceiving them into joining their side. I'll handle this. Just hide behind cover." I darted glances at my surroundings for any Operators that might have been in our vicinity.

Feline-Grenadier's picture
Feline-Grenadier
And he comes flying high up!

"Eh-hem..." said the orb, which, if they had common sense, would turn to meet the floating sphere.

Assuming on the almost-certain chance they do turn around, the orb will pretty much...bobble around. Just flip and twirl and corkscrew through the air (rather lousily), just to get their attention. Of course, it appears to be quite far up. Wouldn't be a surprise if a hawk snatched it mid-air.

"I am NOT aligned with any faction, 'eff' 'why' 'I', and HELLO MY DARLINGS! How bid you, my young couplet. Lovebirds perhaps? No...too early...

Anyhow, I must inform you of my own dilemma, and I am sorry to say I am UNEMPLOYED. Yes, U-N-E-M-P-L-O-Y-E-D. And...if I were to be under your service, I'd be MUCH appreciated."

Quexi's picture
Quexi
The orb

"Look up and to the left, do you see it? An orb, barely discernible by the light on it's underside. Yes, that. It's an undecided Operator. If we follow it, we may be able to gather quite a large group. Operators are only looked on by Knights as opportunities, and if we follow that orb, we can attract enough Knights to lead ourselves into Swarm Territory." I start walking toward it's exact direction, and jump on a building before I holler. "Coming, friend?"

Aekuryi's picture
Aekuryi
Are you new here?

This man seemed to recognize the description. His expression turned serious, and he shakily said "That was my father."
A single tear rolled down his face from his eyes.
"But I don't feel like talking about that right now," he explained sadly. Suddenly, he was alert, on his toes, as if he wasn't about to bawl his eyes out a minute earlier. He turned to me.
"That smells like... an Operator. You should hide, Alma. Most of the Operators have become evil, now that the Swarm has a new leader who has been deceiving them into joining their side. I'll handle this. Just hide behind cover."
I sniffed the air as well. There was another being in the area, but he didn't smell like those Swarm Knights or anything on the other side of the Bubble. It was a new smell, not anything belonging to the natural world. What was an Operator anyway? I sniffed the air a little more. I could probably ascertain its location better than this chump, whoever he was anyway. It was coming from... above us?
"Eh-hem..." A stern-sounding voice spoke out. I looked to where it was coming from, and saw a stone orb. Floating in midair.

"I am NOT aligned with any faction, 'eff' 'why' 'I', and HELLO MY DARLINGS! How bid you, my young couplet. Lovebirds perhaps? No...too early...
Anyhow, I must inform you of my own dilemma, and I am sorry to say I am UNEMPLOYED. Yes, U-N-E-M-P-L-O-Y-E-D. And...if I were to be under your service, I'd be MUCH appreciated."
"Okay... who the hell are you?" I asked the orb, frowning, ears twitching irritably. I turned to the blue-haired kid.
"And what's an Operator?" I asked him.
"I wouldn't put this thing in any operating position if I could help it," I muttered, poking the orb.

Feline-Grenadier's picture
Feline-Grenadier
Hohoho! :D

"An Operator, young ma-

Stop poking me; I become vexed if I am prodded too much."

The orb floats a few yards higher, although its balance isn't quite so...even.

"Anyhow..

An OPERATOR is part of the janitorial staff of Cradle, if you will. We were in the Core, quite satisfied with ourselves, when we were suddenly THRUST straight out of it. Of course, we thought our purpose was done, so quite a few of us were homeless. I, myself, gave myself a purpose to help others find a suitable occupation. However, as time went on, I found myself in the very same, dire dilemma. So, here I am!

So, may I be of service to the young couple here?" the floating orb finishes. Oddly enough, the blue node appears to be brightening and dimming in accordance with its speech. It appears that this node is the orb's eye and face, as it has to allow the node to "look" at Alma and the other young gentleman.

Cobalterian's picture
Cobalterian
Mute cannot talk!

"Coming, friend?" Mute looks at him, a small smile forming on his face. He followed him quickly, and arrived at a small village, where a wolver girl, a stone orb and a handsome boy was standing around, chatting. Mute saw the handsome face, and the smile slid off his face, replaced with a small frown. I turn to Xindao, and signaled that this boy, was important. I need to interograte him.

Ultimaknightz's picture
Ultimaknightz
ENTREEEEE

All that I saw was a metallic orb that floated lazily towards us, somehow speaking through a non-existent mouth. "Eh-hem..." It tried doing some tricks, though it didn't really work out as he was a sphere. "I am NOT aligned with any faction, 'eff' 'why' 'I', and HELLO MY DARLINGS! How bid you, my young couplet. Lovebirds perhaps? No...too early... Anyhow, I must inform you of my own dilemma, and I am sorry to say I am UNEMPLOYED. Yes, U-N-E-M-P-L-O-Y-E-D. And...if I were to be under your service, I'd be MUCH appreciated." Alma was irritated by this; you could see it on her exasperated countenance, her wolf-like ears twitching as a sign of irritation. "Okay... who the hell are you?" She turned to look at me, almost as irritated. "And what's an Operator?" She turned back to the Operator, and started poking it. "I wouldn't put this thing in any operating position if I could help it."

"An Operator, young ma-" The orb stopped mid-speech because he kept being poked. As he was quite vexed by the fact of someone poking him, he continued his speech, floating a few metres higher. "Stop poking me; I become vexed if I am prodded too much. Anyhow.. An OPERATOR is part of the janitorial staff of Cradle, if you will. We were in the Core, quite satisfied with ourselves, when we were suddenly THRUST straight out of it. Of course, we thought our purpose was done, so quite a few of us were homeless. I, myself, gave myself a purpose to help others find a suitable occupation. However, as time went on, I found myself in the very same, dire dilemma. So, here I am! So, may I be of service to the young couple here?" I almost blew a fuse when he said that. Strangely enough, a blue node on the orb appeared to be brightening and dimming in accordance with its long and obvious speech. It seemed like the orb's eyes were the node, which I found to be quite disgusting, really.

Then I heard the sound of footsteps, though I could not discern where it was coming from. "Is anyone there?"I asked, twirling my flawless blue hair as I pondered upon who could spy on me.

Thinslayer's picture
Thinslayer
First steps

Go little drake, don't wait on me.
Find the place where you should be
Light the way with flaming breath
Ignite the path of living death
Claw thru lies and break deceit
Orchestrate their own defeat
Shoot the breeze with fork-ed tongue
Sow the wind while night is young.

______________

A gray, scaly beast dropped from a portal and collapsed into the bushes. The thorns weren't the problem; it was the allergies that did a number on it. The drake sneezed several times and stepped into the newly-charred brush to find a group of dangerous-looking knights. It cautiously crawled back and desperately looked for a good hiding spot. Finding none, it furiously dug a hole, covered it with a bush from the inside, and waited for the knights to pass.

Mother would be furious if the knights discovered it...

Dmatter's picture
Dmatter
Finally, I can post.

I walk back from my mission. It was way too easy. I didn't even have to kill him, and he payed me extra just for THAT. A smile almost crawls on my face. Almost.

After about a minute of traveling, I notice a small group by a tree. A floating orb, which I'm guessing is an "Operator", some sort of wolver girl, a guy with oddly blue hair, a guy with a hood, and a man with prothetics. I've seen weirder. I start to walk right though the group on the way to my... house I guess. I'm rarely there, so its weird to call it a house.

Quexi's picture
Quexi
Tempest

To find your heart, it must break
To find power, you must be weak
A storm is brewing, and will have no rest
To find true change, find the Tempest

An angelic figure emerges from the clouds, spreading its wings, 12 feet across, outward. It sees the Knights and quickly withdraws into the clouds, spying upon the Knights. If it wasn't careful, they might see it. It beats its wings, summoning sheets upon sheets of water to cast themselves from the heavens.

Aekuryi's picture
Aekuryi
A grand quest

The orb-thing was about to say something before I started poking it. It floated a few feet upwards out of my reach.
"Stop poking me; I become vexed if I am prodded too much," he said, his tone slightly angry.
"Sure, whatever," I muttered, rolling my eyes. The orb thing started explaining.
"Anyhow.. An OPERATOR is part of the janitorial staff of Cradle, if you will. We were in the Core, quite satisfied with ourselves, when we were suddenly THRUST straight out of it. Of course, we thought our purpose was done, so quite a few of us were homeless. I, myself, gave myself a purpose to help others find a suitable occupation. However, as time went on, I found myself in the very same, dire dilemma. So, here I am! So, may I be of service to the young couple here?"

"Look, we're not a couple," I snapped. "Don't you know that interspecie– wait. Never mind."
The blue-haired one suddenly stood alert, glancing around. I could hear some footsteps too.
"Is anyone there?" he asked cautiously. I sniffed the air. No Swarm scent or malevolent odors,
"It's not anyone evil, calm down," I sighed. "It's just two ordinary people... I think." I turned back to the Operator.
"There is one thing you can help me with actually," I explained, taking a deep breath. "Around five days ago, I woke up, not too far from this village, with just the clothes I'm wearing, this form, and this tattoo." I gestured to the intricate design on my neck. I continued.
"I also happened to have absolutely no knowledge of my past or how I got there, just my name, which happens to be Alma. Some are coming back, but at an incredibly slow rate. So, I'm wondering, could you help me get my memory back?"
I sniffed the air again, and smelled something... dragon-like. Just for a split second though, then it was gone. Must've been my imagination, I suppose.

Feline-Grenadier's picture
Feline-Grenadier
Well...

"If it means my employment with pay, yes, madam," the orb replies in an obnoxiously obnoxious voice, and drops to the ground, only barely stopping in time to hover in Alma's face.

"If you had a sling or something, I might not have to trouble myself with flying all around. Well, for the time being, I'll follow the mistress and gentleman to wherever they need to be, for the sake of having something to do. Is that good enough?"

It tilts its head in questioning, but proceeds to hover right above Alma's shoulder, causing the fabric of her shirt to ripple in a circle. Interesting...

Thinslayer's picture
Thinslayer
The army arrives!

The drake reported that there were 5 sentient, well-armed beings standing in the clearing.

"Well! Let's give them a warm welcome, shall we?" said Mother wickedly. She roused her army, created another portal, and sent it through.

Time to see what they're made of, she thought.
__________

A dark portal opened up over the group, and an army of gray, magenta-eyed drakes began to pour out of it. Immediately upon landing, they began to blast fireballs and swipe at the knights.

Ultimaknightz's picture
Ultimaknightz
Behold, great son of

Behold, great son of unimaginable power;
At mighty enemies, you have yet to even cower;
You may have the ability to control time itself;
But I tell you again, will you ever be yourself?(Implies that he may turn evil because of the power he holds.)
Though you have an affinity for darkness as well;
I'll say this, you will put your enemies through hell;
But do not let your powers consume you;
Or you may find yourself anew.(Again, implies that he may turn evil because of the power he holds. Evil people can, throughout the story, try to convince Nathan to become evil. *cough*winter*cough*)

~~~
Alma sniffed the air, and sighed."It's not anyone evil, calm down. It's just two ordinary people... I think." She turned back to the metallic sphere. "There is one thing you can help me with actually." Alma paused for a moment, taking a deep breath. "Around five days ago, I woke up, not too far from this village, with just the clothes I'm wearing, this form, and this tattoo." Gesturing to the intricately emblazoned design on her neck, she continued. "I also happened to have absolutely no knowledge of my past or how I got there, just my name, which happens to be Alma. Some are coming back, but at an incredibly slow rate. So, I'm wondering, could you help me get my memory back?"

"If it means my employment with pay, yes, madam," the annoying Operator replied in an obnoxious voice, dropping to the ground, only barely stopping in time to bob on the air in front of Alma's face. "If you had a sling or something, I might not have to trouble myself with flying all around. Well, for the time being, I'll follow the mistress and gentleman to wherever they need to be, for the sake of having something to do. Is that good enough?" It proceeded to hover right above Alma's shoulder, causing the fabric of her shirt to ripple in a circle. "Alright then. Where shall we head to next?" I tapped my foot impatiently on the stone floor, my eyes looking for some form of entertainment there.

Ultimaknightz's picture
Ultimaknightz
Hmmmmmm

I noticed a swarm seed appear above us, and one by one, gray dragons started falling through the air, landing in perfect formation. Their mouths opened, and comets of fire were regurgitated from their mouths that were headed our way. Fireballs. Luckily, I had already activated my 'Praedicto' skill before, and as such I was given an extraordinary ability that allowed me to predict correctly any attacks that were aimed at me for 10 minutes. I bent down, forming my right hand into a palm and placing it on the cold ground, a dark semi-sphere force field instantaneously appearing that was covering us from the fireballs. "It's going to be alright, guys. I have this handled." I winked seductively at Alma, before I extended my knees and broadened my shoulders as a mythical sword appeared in my right hand, my left hand reaching out to the drakes. Almost instantly after my left hand formed a fist, the force-field dissipated and I leaped into the air, a chain of darkness forming on my left hand. I threw it with the utmost of force at the drakes, impaling about ten or eleven of them before I pulled on the chain, bringing them close to me. I sliced them when they came into the range of my sword, and landed softly, bending my knees. "You guys doing okay?"

Feline-Grenadier's picture
Feline-Grenadier
O.O'

The orb had created a sort of large plate-like shield over Alma and itself.

"Bah! Violence was never a strong suit of people of my nature."

It looked up to see if there was any falling debris, and one could see a little bit of...worry from the node's brightness.

Aekuryi's picture
Aekuryi
Attack!

"If it means my employment with pay, yes, madam," the Operator said, a certain obnoxiousness in his voice. I growled a little, annoyed at this thing.
If you had a sling or something, I might not have to trouble myself with flying all around. Well, for the time being, I'll follow the mistress and gentleman to wherever they need to be, for the sake of having something to do. Is that good enough?"
"Sure," I grumbled, wishing this thing would lose its annoying attitude. It hovered over my shoulder.
Just then, a portal opened up above us, grey, dragon-like creatures spilling out, already in formation. Opening their mouths, fireballs came hurtling towards us, their intense heat threatening to burn us to a crisp. The blue-haired kid put his hand on the ground, a dark forcefield forming above us, absorbing the fireballs.
"It's going to be alright, guys. I have this handled," he said, winking at me. I felt oddly... enamored by it, but I shook it off. Now is not the time at all. He jumped up, attacking the drakes with a strange-looking sword and a dark chain, impaling several of them at once. Meanwhile, the Operator had created a large shield over me and him, protecting us from further attacks. He landed softly next to us again.
"You guys doing okay?" he said, a somewhat concerned look on his face. That did it.

I brought out my claws, and gritted my teeth a little.
"Yeah, but I'm not as weak as you think!" I snarled, jumping up. There were a few drakes left, so I latched on to one with my claws, ripping out its throat and sending it at another, distracting it briefly. I dropped down, landing on the shield and jumping up again, biting down on the drake's head. I felt a small crunch as I fractured its skull. The other one was just a few feet away, but I couldn't reach it. I landed on the ground again, and then jumped back up, tackling it to the ground and breaking its small ribs.
I stood back up, breathing heavily, adrenaline still rushing through my veins. Blood stained my hands, face, and clothing. My normally yellow eyes had become a dark red. I looked at the two.
"It's all good," I growled softly, grinning.

Thinslayer's picture
Thinslayer
Our turn!

The remaining drakes snarled at their attackers. Together, they jumped at the wolver girl, but intentionally missed. They landed behind her, and one bit her on the back while the other backflipped and latched onto her hair. They threw her to the ground and began ripping off her armor.

Suddenly, a great whirlwind threw up a cloud of dust and fog, making it impossible to see what was happening. As the dust settled, a sinister laugh broke out. There, beneath the portal, stood the Swarm Queen Winter. She laughed again and brandished a long, spiky whip. "Who wants to play with me?" Her drakes chortled and took her side.

She cracked the whip and beckoned.

Dmatter's picture
Dmatter
Remember, he's a mercenary. He won't fight for free.

As soon as I passed the group, a bunch of drakes fell from the sky in front of them. This should be entertaining to watch. I sat down by the side of the road and watched the group fight them off, stabbing one or two drakes who tried to fight me. The blue-haired guy was slashing through the drakes, the orb created an over-hanging barrier (probably to stop falling drakes), the hooded guy watched from the side, and the wolver-girl jumped out of the tree and helped with fighting.

After all but two of them were killed, the two drakes jumped behind the wolver-girl and attacked from behind. A whirlwind suddenly threw up a bunch of dust/fog in which a powerful-and-evil-looking girl with a spiked whip appeared. "Who wants to play with me?" She taunted. I have a feeling she's not going to let anyone (mainly me) just walk away. Annoying. I looked over to the other group and say to no one in particular "I'm a mercenary FYI, so I'll just sit here and watch. If you need my help, I normally fight for around 1000 cr. However, she just interrupted my trip home, so I'll lower it to 500 for now." It seems I may get more money than I expected today.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

((OOC: I'm assuming money is arbitrary and at least some of you have a huge amount with you. Am I wrong in this assumption?))

Ultimaknightz's picture
Ultimaknightz
Entreeeeeee

Alma seemed offended by this, and brought out her claws."Yeah, but I'm not as weak as you think!" She jumped close to a drake, latched on to one with her claws, ripping out its throat and sending it at another, the other drake looking scared. She dropped down, landing on the shield the orb created and jumping up again, biting on the drake's head. She landed on the ground again, but quickly jumped back up, tackling another drake to the ground and breaking its smal ribs. She extended her knees and stood back up, her lungs expanding and contracting as her eyes turned dark red. "It's all good," She grinned, and reassured me that females were actually quite powerful, in their own way.

The two remaining drakes snarled at us, and assumed a jumping stance. With unpredictability on their side, they jumped at Alma, but perhaps, intentionally missed. They landed behind her, one jumping up and biting her back while the other jumped up and latched onto her hair. With their momentum, they threw her to the ground and began ripping off her armor. I was about to save her, but I was interrupted by a great tornado that created a misty fog that covered the area, making it very hard to see anything. As the fog dispersed, a sinister cackle crackled in the air that seemed to be coming from the swarm seed. There, stood the Swarm Queen. She cackled once again and began playing with her long, spiky whip. "Who wants to play with me?" Her drakes took her side as I scowled.

A mercenary called out to us, saying,"I'm a mercenary FYI, so I'll just sit here and watch. If you need my help, I normally fight for around 1000 cr. However, she just interrupted my trip home, so I'll lower it to 500 for now." "Are you insane?" I hastily replied. "Watching the battle? If we lose, you die as well! The Swarm Queen HAS NO MERCY!" I turned to look at the Swarm Queen. "I'll take on your challenge." I smiled as I gestured for the others to stand back.

Aekuryi's picture
Aekuryi
I remember you.

I had missed a couple drakes apparently. They snarled at me, rage contorting their dragon-like faces, and flew towards me. I swiped at them, but they had intentionally missed. They looped back around, and faster than I could react, the two latched on to my back and hair, pinning me on to the ground. They started to [rip off my defenses]. A large whirlwind materialized in the clearing, and out of it came a girl, dressed in ebony armor and sporting dark wings. She seemed familiar. But more so than the blue-haired kid. Like I knew her... once. She held a whip in her hand, and cracked it, grinning maniacally.
"Who wants to play with me?" she said fluidly, as if liquid poison was spilling out of her mouth. The drakes flew to her side, guardians of the dark mistress.
"I'm a mercenary FYI, so I'll just sit here and watch. If you need my help, I normally fight for around 1000 cr. However, she just interrupted my trip home, so I'll lower it to 500 for now," a voice to the side called.

"Watching the battle? If we lose, you die as well! The Swarm Queen HAS NO MERCY!", the blue-haired kid yelled to him, frowning. "I'll take on your challenge." I was no short of irate. What right did he have to stand on the side and watch us get torn apart by a freaky lady on the account of money?
"YEAH, WHAT HE SAID! GET OVER HERE YOU LITTLE [expletive] OR I'LL RIP THAT STUPID LOOK OFF YOUR FACE WITH MY CLAWS!", I screamed at him. I tried to get up, but some force kept me on the ground. No doubt the drakes.
"A-argh, I can't get up," I growled. "You're on your own for now." I felt a headache coming on, but it wasn't ordinary.
"Hold on, I'm remembering something," I urgently said. There was a sudden bolt of searing heat in my head, more so than last time. It felt like I was going to be split in two. I squeezed my eyes shut and gritted my teeth, enduring it. The memory was yet to come.

Feline-Grenadier's picture
Feline-Grenadier
Combat it is then :P

The orb made a low moaning sound, as if sighing in ridicule, and floated over to fox-girl on the ground, pinned down by two drakes.

"Mistress Winter, I supposed you wouldn't mind if I..." the orb was saying, and then it deactivated its bubble shield, which was a few yards away. Suddenly, it flung itself into the drakes, and at the last second, enwrapped itself in a sort of spiked ball.

The result would shove the dragon-like monsters away, no doubt mortally wounding, if not outright killing, the one Forma had directly hit. In the event that Winter would send more drakes, Forma covered himself and Alma in a bubble shield, making sure that the sphere reached even through the loam beneath them. It appeared that the fox-girl was coming under a migraine, and she would be more harmful than helpful in combat.

"Ma'am, I don't doubt at all that you are more than capable in combat, perhaps thrice over than my skills, but your current condition renders you...obsolete. I suggest staying inside the shield until the fight outside settles itself, lest you get torn into ribbons. Trust me with this shield; Operators' creations can only be deconstructed by their creator, or by other creations from other Operators. With all due respect to Her Majesty Winter, I doubt that even such a goddess would penetrate this should without the assistance of another of my kind."

OOC: Which should be fine, considering Forma is not a heavy-duty Operator. If they're buried in 20 foot of rubble, they're as good as dead, unless someone comes to dig them out. They're essentially sitting ducks in a ditch :P

Cobalterian's picture
Cobalterian
UH oh

OOC: Since Quexi isn't posting, I'll post.

I yelped (Inside my head) when the drakes arrrived, and materialized my scissors blade. I know it's medical usage, but it's also designed for combat usage too. I stand back, and see the boy, who was exactly like Nathaniel, jump into the air, and hit..... a lot of Drakes. So alike with his father. He then sent a flirtatious smile, asking "You guys doing okay?"

The girl snarled, then "Yeah, but I'm not as weak as you think!" She snarled, then leapt into the fray. This one..... This one, reminds me of Ukai, the Wolver-hybrid that saved my life in the attempt to kill the Master. Thoughts filled my mind, then the emotions overwhelmed me. I started to tremble, tears pouring down my face. I quickly shook my head, clearing my mind of the thoughts. I had to fight. Suddenly, a whirlwind appeared, and...... Winter?

"What in?" I yelled (OOC: In my head again. Everytime I say anything, yell anything, or scream, I'll do it in my head.) She had a whip in her hand. Suddenly, everything ceased to exist. I started to stumble forward, then tripped on something. I cursed myself, then remembered the times Winter had held me up. I gritted my teeth, and stood up. "Mistress Winter, I supposed you wouldn't mind if I....." The floating stone flew towards the drakes, and shield-bumped te drakes away. He then quickly encased the Ukai look-alike in a shield, and said something I couldn't hear, or cared. I stumbled forward again, when two drakes turned, and leapt on me.

Thinslayer's picture
Thinslayer
Oh really? Full speed ahead!

Winter scoffed. "I don't need to deconstruct your things, you little idiot. I'm not here for that fox girl anyways." She glanced at Mute briefly and added, "I'm here to take care of the others." She smiled deviously and cracked her whip at Zachariah, missing his ear by a hair. She summoned another batch of drakes (OOC: guys, they're not cannon fodder. They're tough opponents) and disappeared.

She reappeared behind Nathaniel and bit into his shoulder.

Ultimaknightz's picture
Ultimaknightz
GAH!

The rest was Alma shouting at the mercenary, the orb killing stuff and the odd looking man being attacked. With a flick of her wrist, a squadron of drakes appeared by her side. The swarm queen disappeared, and I hastily tried to teleport away, as I sensed an attack coming my way. But I was too slow. The Swarm Queen reappeared behind me and put teeth on my shoulder, tightening her jaw in a second. "Gah!" I immediately disappeared, and reappeared a few metres away from the swarm queen.

Is that.... how powerful she is?

I brought up my right hand up to my shoulder, and noticed the bite swelling. I lost control of my body, and fell to the ground. "What.... did you do to me?" I asked, my voice getting weak.

"Use time to your advantage...... Nathan....... Time is reality........."the voice spoke in my head. "Get out of my head, Chronos! I know full well what I can do!" I shouted, knowing no one but Chronos would be able to hear me in that realm.

I got back to the real realm. muttered a few words, and a translucent, dark aura surrounded me. I slowly pushed myself off the ground with my hands, struggling to stand up. I tried to smile, though all I could form was a scowl. "A cheap tactic won't win you the battle." I readied a battle stance as I summoned my sword.

Feline-Grenadier's picture
Feline-Grenadier
Huh...

"Then I prithee that Her Majesty will forgive me for such incorrect context," the orb replies, and lifts the shield yet again.

It then glows in a blinding light, before dimming again...to reveal a Snarbolax-like figure. Save for the fact that its image was a bit crackly, and that it only had a pair of eyes, it'd fool most from a distance.

It then sits up, and roars threateningly, trying to goad the drakes to do combat with the Operator in beast's clothing.

Thinslayer's picture
Thinslayer
Taking the bait

The drakes stood up and blasted fire at the fake Snarbolax, not recognizing the difference between that and a real one. Winter summoned several more drakes to hurl at the party and then began to chant. The skies darkened, and a funnel cloud began to form in the sky. She looked at Mute, winked, and laughed maniacally.

Feline-Grenadier's picture
Feline-Grenadier
Ouch!

The fire envelops the holo-creature, prompting it (and the Operator inside) to fling a flurry of thorns back at the drake. It then lopes away from Alma, far enough for her not to be noticed, but close enough to protect her.

Dmatter's picture
Dmatter
He's a mercenary, he does what he wants.

Apparently these people like their crowns. They screamed at the top of their lungs simply because I asked for a cheap fee. I rolled my eyes and sighed. Suddenly, the newly appeared "swarm queen" cracked her whip at me. She missed, but I don't care. Since she attacked an unaffiliated force, she just made the battle harder for her.

"You know what? This one's free." I say, actually smiling.

The orb, who was protecting that wolver-girl again, turned into a fake snarbolax-like shape and drew most of the drakes to him. The queen, of course summons more. She seems to be focusing mostly on the blue-haired guy, but also somewhat on the guy with prostetics. And not on me. I walk to her from the back and pull out my Deadly Toxin Speedster. Standing a fair distance away from her, I throw a fair amount of air blasts at her and ready myself for the whip.

Aekuryi's picture
Aekuryi
Visions

My sight grew blurry, and the pain faded away. Memories...

I was lying on the ground, just waking up from... yes, a Heavy Pulsar backfire. Apart from that, there were wounds coming from my body. I couldn't seem to remember those. There was a white-haired girl, standing over me, wearing some kind of Medical suit as well as a helmet. A Spiral Medic...? Anyway, I couldn't help but notice the nametag on her armor... Winter.

More visions flooded my head, of places and environments and situations. All with this girl in them, Winter. I know who that Swarm Queen is now.
I snapped back to the present, but I didn't pay attention to what was happening. I just spoke.
"Winter, Theta Regiment, Spiral Medic Squad, Identifier W-2931. Served as a medic in the Spiral Army until your group abandoned you in the depths of Cradle. One of the friendliest people I've met. How did you end up like this?"
Winter. I remembered her, she was the most caring soul I'd met. We'd left her to die, and now she's here. But how did I get into a group with her? So much, yet to be answered.

Topoyozariane's picture
Topoyozariane
Winter...... Why?

"Winter, Theta Regiment, Spiral Medic Squad, Identifier W-2931. Served as a medic in the Spiral Army until your group abandoned you in the depths of Cradle. One of the friendliest people I've met. How did you end up like this?"

The words hung in the air, and I quickly twirl to fling off the Drakes. I then activated the precision laser built into my sword, and swung. It sliced through a Drake's neck, killing it immediately. My blade's laser shut off, out of power. I took a step back, and run towards it. I spin with a little difficulty because of my prosthetic legs, and throw a spare sleep vial that found it's way into my survival backpack. The drake's head dipped down, and snoozed. Now's my chance. I raced to Winter, who had just summoned more of those deadly beasts.

"One of the friendliest people I've ever met........ How did you end up like this?" Fair question.
"Served as a medic in the Spiral Army until your group abandoned you in the depths of Cradle." Yes..... That was true too. And I did nothing to stop them. Tears came to my eyes, and blurred my vision. I tripped from something, my face slamming on to the stone floor. I felt the soft cartilage in my nose break, and blood streaming steadily down. I quickly wipe the blood and tears with my sleeve, and took aim with my gun, the M.A.G.N.U.M Alpha and fired a few rounds, hitting a few Drakes. I quickly put it back into my backpack, then run towards Winter, or what was left of her, after the Swarm took her soul and heart. I lunge at her, hoping for a quick take-down.

Thinslayer's picture
Thinslayer
Memories

Just as Winter readied her whip to lash the mercenary a second time, she was tackled by another knight, and the two of them fell off the short precipice. She landed on top of the offender, and began throwing punches at his face. What stopped her was how familiar it was.

"...Topo? Is it really you!?"

Topoyozariane's picture
Topoyozariane
No. It isn't. :D

I grabbed at Winter, and we fell. She somehow gotten on top of me, then started throwing punches at my face. Then she stopped. "...Topo? Is it really you!?" I tried to push her off me, failing. My prosthetic legs had landed away from me. I nodded at Winter painfully, and, like I would with a wounded animal, I slowly moved my hand, and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. I dropped my hand quickly, then mouthed, "Why?" I shook my head sadly, "Why?"

Feline-Grenadier's picture
Feline-Grenadier
Huh...

Now with the attention of the majority of drakes, the Operator changes form, essentially deleting the Snarbolax look-alike, and takes on a new form...

A flickering, blue-ish Tortodrone stands in place of the Operator. The Tortodrone roars again, its amplified voice definitely reaching the ears of all the combatants, and it madly charges into the Drakes with frightening speed. And to think these legendary constructs had been plentiful in years past, the thought could put shudders in anybody.

Thinslayer's picture
Thinslayer
Now now, who's really the villain here?

"You didn't give me the choice," she hissed in annoyance. "No one says no to the Swarm." She picked him up by the throat and held him aloft. "What, did you think that the 'power of love' would save me? That your 'undying loyalty' would ward off the darkness? Fool! You left me to die! That's why I'm part of the Swarm now. And that's why, when I die, I'M TAKING YOU WITH ME!!" She tightened her grip on his neck and let her claws sink into his skin.

A shot rang out, and she suddenly let go of him and vanished into the darkness.

Quexi's picture
Quexi
Awake

I stand in the middle of the chaos. Not one drake dares stare me in the eye for more than five seconds before looking away and finding other targets. I walk across to where Mute and Winter struggled. As I stood over them, I heard the sound of a gun. Winter vanishes, and I am looking down at Mute, feeling my eyes flicker into a gold.

"Do not try to reason with her on the mortal plane," I say softly, picking Mute up. "She will only do further damage." I tap his chest plate. "In here." I spin, feeling the presence of the Storm. I look into the sky, and catch a flicker of light in the clouds. "It's coming..." I turn from the sky, throwing up my hood. I turn back to everyone, my golden eyes flickering under my dark clothing. I summon my favored weapon, twin Spade Blades, and run towards three drakes.

I can tell I scare them, but I care not of what they feel, only how their Swarm essence will feel once absorbed. I go towards the first drake, the others joining in in attempting to attack me. I use my strength to hold back their claws with simple forceful hits, making the air ring with rings of battle. I will more to come.

Topoyozariane's picture
Topoyozariane
Love? Nah. That was acting.

Mute closed his eyes as Winter tightened his grip, when a shot hits Winter, making her drop him and vanishing. Xindao walks over to him, and says softly, "Do not try to reason with her on the mortal plane.....She will only do further damage, in here." He turns, materializing his blades, and charge the Drakes. Mute sat down, pulling his legs to him, quivering. He had been THIS close to Winter, but the Swarm had too much power over her..... He stood up, wincing as he felt his bruised face and the claw marks on his neck.

She's the mistress of the Swarm. You can't rescue her!--------You know she's innocent, she's just controlled by the swarm!
She almost killed you. If it wasn't for that gun, you would have died!--------She complimented you! She may well be fighting the Swarm!

Mute grabbed a small blanket, and pressed it against his ears. Ever since he had stopped talking, two tiny voices argued. The blanket was becoming a habit, something that would soothe him. He pressed the frabric to his eys, and felt the blanket moisten with his tears.

(OOC: Mute might have some mental problems in his head, but it would fade later on.)

Gzilla's picture
Gzilla
Reclaiming

I let out a sigh of agitation. A squad of swarm knights had been recently deployed to a nearby village. Every single one of them had their physical forms destroyed. Reviewing the fight, it had seemed only one person had wiped out an entire squad. I hated doing reconnaissance. I looked at the village from my vantage point on the canyon. The village wasn't anything like what I had expected. It had meager conditions at best, nothing that could keep us at bay. I walked briskly into the village, noting the slashed forms of the swarm. I approached a nearby villager. "What happened over here?" I asked with genuine curiosity. "We were invaded by the swarm again, but the hero came and saved us." the villager replied, I noted a tone of awe in his voice. "Has this person been saving the other villages too?" I asked, my voice carrying an underlying tone of agitation. "Yes he's saved many of the neighboring areas." "Has he ever given you his name?" I asked. "Nathan." he said, with a hint of confusion. "Why...do you need to know this?" That was all I needed to hear.

Quicker then he could comprehend I lashed out and grabbed his face in my palm."Well too bad he isn't around now." I growled with a tone of pure malice. I lifted back my hood, revealing the surging data lines across my face. "You're one of them." he said with a horrified whisper. "HEL-" he could only squeeze out that one phrase before a surge of power emanated through my hand, transferring to the villagers face. His skin turned a dark black, and purple lines surged on his body now. Horrified screams echoed through the village. "ATTACK!" I shouted. Materializing out of the shadows came the swarm, taking the form of clockwork monsters. In minutes the town was covered in shadow. Whoever had saved this village posed a huge threat to the swarm as of now. I reached out through the swarm, locating the person I needed to talk to. "Hey, it's me I think I got a lead on this "hero"." I said. I waited for Gwen's response, I hated being the middle man.

Thinslayer's picture
Thinslayer
Visions of Despair

Once more I fled from him I love
And refuged under darkness
I broke his heart with icy glove
By shadows truly heartless.

__________

Winter watched Topo from her shadow mirror. She could hardly bear to watch him cry, and wanted so badly to hug him and tell him everything would be all right. She could still do it; the portal was still open. She had half a mind to do so, but the darker, Swarm-controlled side of her held her back. Perhaps...perhaps they could reach a compromise? Maybe if Topo joined the Swarm without being consumed by it, maybe they could rule together. Of course, getting him to agree would be tricky, so she would have to use some forcible coercion. She snapped her finger, and a Seed-carrying drake dutifully arrived. She mounted her black dragon, turned her party invisible, and dove back through the portal.

Upon landing, she dismounted and tiptoed up to Topo. This was the moment of truth. She knelt behind him and said softly, "Topo? May I speak with you?"

Quexi's picture
Quexi
Winter, Cold

I sense her enter the area immediately. I am looking at Winter now. I look from her to Mute. "Oh, now I'm worried." I whisper, unsummoning my blades and bearing my arms in a cross. I whisper a few incantations under my breath, and lightning crackles down atop my head, and moves around my arms in a powerful surge. I twist my palms toward the sky, and....

Real, proper Spade Blades appear in my hand, and I shove them into the fove hearts of the drakes around me. Spade symbols burst from them, lighting everything up in a white before the storm returns the natural gloom. I drop to the ground, and go unconcious.

I walk over to Mute and Winter in a ghostly form, unable to do anything but talk. I'll be like this for at least a day and a half. That's at LEAST. "Mute, I know what it's like to be silent, and it was horrible...and if this is a way to stop it, to let your voice be free, to be happy...I think you should take the deal...she's about to offer you" I know the Swarm. I came with them, from where we came from. And....I know they have caring. They are just different at showing and accepting and classifying it.