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Post by SickAndWretched on Oct 27, 2003 23:21:22 GMT -5
Layne noticed the two he heard before had appear on the other side of Kalvin. "Kalvin watch out!" He shouted.. He couldn't fire because he would hit Kalvin. Layne drew his gun becuase of its more process aim. He fired, hitting one in the shoulder. THe ripper back up, but wasn't really phased much by it.
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Post by Busterman Zero on Oct 28, 2003 9:43:15 GMT -5
- Alex's bolts flew from his weapon and struck the Ripper before it could fully recover. It fell once more, either stunned or dead. Alex turned to attack another but a Ripper leaped into him full force, knocking his weapon aside and forcing him to grapple with the obviously stronger enemy as they both hit the ground. Alex struggled to keep the creature's claws from slashing him to ribbons.
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Post by The Patryn on Oct 28, 2003 19:05:36 GMT -5
"Bah.", said Kalvin, swirling around. "You think you smug little bastards can sneak up on me? Think again." With that he sends himself flying full blast into the rippers, trying to catch them off-guard.
Swinging madly, he manages to hit the one Layne had stunned unawares, sending it flying into the nearby tree and killing it on impact. The other, however, dodged his blows. Then, once he had passed, bit it's teeth deep into the flesh of Kalvin's leg, sending the big man to the ground.
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Post by TranceRolin on Oct 28, 2003 19:41:55 GMT -5
Just as Rolin thought that he was coming to, he heard flutes off in the distance. "I've lost it, must have landed on my head or something . . . HAD to of!"
He looked around, and backed up against the tree, and found himself between two rippers on either sides of him. He lept forward, and the two rippers pounced upon his position. Quickly, without even thinking, he ripped out his repeating crossbow and fired all of the bolts that were currently loaded in it. He landed on his back, and looked up at where the rippers had landed. The rippers laid motionless, side by side, on the ground, but something caught his eye, which is to say, that nothing did . . . Not a single bolt lay in the hides of the rippers, yet they weren't breathing- Moving, even. All of the bolts were stuck in the tree, every single one of them. Rolin was struck with awe, and almost horror. He looked around to see rippers roaring and running around as if they had completely lost their minds, left and right. Many of them dropped to the ground, motionless, while in full runs.
But it was not as he initially thought. The seranade of the flutes grew louder and louder, but now a beat could be heard beneath the melody- A march.
Out of the mist came figures . . . Not quite two heights of men, but almost. Shining through the mist were brilliant plates of green and silver armor, which contrasted the raud of the terrain and the hunters beyond reckoning, as if the sun itself were rising early to scare the shadows of night away.
Out from the columns of these armored creatures came one, continuing its footsteps as the others halted in unison. The noise of the march, the tune of the flutes, and the roaring of the rippers had all faded in an instant, as this strange humanoid that seemed to have rather large, pointy ears, thin wings that stretched almost the length of the entire body, and small eyes, which seemed to stare at every member of the hunting group at the same exact time.
Rolin said nothing, out of fear of saying the wrong thing . . . He waited for something to happen- This was confusing, never had he heard of such creatures existing. Those with the technology of the greatest human minds and the organization to form such a troop.
There was a cold silence, once again.
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Post by SickAndWretched on Oct 28, 2003 20:12:54 GMT -5
Layne had the feeling that he should run away, though he had no clue why. He wasn't really afriad, but was still terrefied.
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Post by Busterman Zero on Oct 28, 2003 20:36:04 GMT -5
Alex, happy to have the creature off him, rose, but didn't get to his feet, as he found himself captivated in the beings before him. They were physically beautiful, and not just the females. Any person to see these beings for the first time must surely react the same way he way now. However, he let his hand rest by one of his blades, in case there was more to the situation than he hoped.
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Post by The Patryn on Oct 29, 2003 19:32:12 GMT -5
Having beaten off the ripper that had affixed itself to his leg, Kalvin slowly rose, staring at these splendid creatures.
"Sure such a thing cannot truly be..." he muttered softly to himself
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Post by TranceRolin on Oct 29, 2003 22:04:15 GMT -5
The creature opened its mouth, and it began to speak. "Greetings," the creature began, in a soft, angelic male voice. "I, am Serlon. I would like to thank you for fighting those beasts . . . There are not many humans brave enough to do so."
Serlon's eyes scanned the group. They were scratched up and tired, despite the fact that they had only fought for a minute or two, and it was obvious. He took a flute up from his waist, and began to play. Rolin was about to interject, but he remembered the music from before and how good it was . . . Serlon closed his eyes, and his fingers began their work.
The sounds eminating from the flute were so good, they were uplifting. Rolin felt happy, the feelings of weariness and frustration long gone. All of the physical pain had left Rolin's body by the time that Serlon's short tune was done. As Serlon opened his eyes, he smiled, and Rolin smiled with ease back at him.
Rolin about to ask whom Serlon and his troops were- And what they were, for that matter, when he was cut off by Serlon himself once again. "It has been a pleasure to meet you." Serlon said. He then turned back to his troops and whistled. Four came forth from the columns, all women. Each of them bore small silver chests that shone as brightly as their armors. They lined up with Serlon, kneeled towards the group, and bowed their heads.
The group moved forward, slowly, one in front of each woman that was presenting the chests. Rolin turned to Serlon, whom was still smiling like a small child. "We aren't hunting the rippers for charity . . . If this is meant to be a gift, then we shouldn't receive whatever it is that you are offering."
Serlon's face didn't change at all, and still had the same merry glow. "I know why you killed them . . . " Serlon said. "But each of you didn't need the money for yourselves. All of you don't exactly have pasts filled with happy memories, yet are all spending the profits from this journey on something other than yourselves. We would not have shown ourselves had you not been worthy of words. Take these . . . In time, you will learn to use them, and discover the power that lies beyond your muscles and mind. These are dark lands, and the world beyond is filled with such unmeasurable beauty that one must see it for themselves to truly understand. The 'Outerlings', as your people call them, are ruining what little beauty is left on the planet while they leave you, the descendants of those that wanted to save the world, to rot in the past that they have created. These are not only instruments of peace, but can also be instruments of war, as you have so seen. Take them, and know them . . . If you ever wish for a greater existance, then take it."
The women looked up and smiled at each member of the group as they took the flutes from the silver chests presented before them. Rolin gently took his, and put it in a sachel on his side. "We thank you," he said to Serlon, "for everything that you have done for us. If there is any way to return the fa-"
Serlon cut in. "We do not require, nor deserve thanks . . . This is our existance. If you truly want to repay us, then you will learn to use these instruments as we have. That is how you may, as you so put it, 'return the favor'."
With that, the women closed the small silver chests and placed them on the ground. They got up, turned around in unison, and walked back into their ranks. Serlon yelled in some unknown language, and they began their march through the clearing and back into the woods again. Slowly, the troops filed; A few thousand, at least, Rolin estimated. None even looked at Rolin and the others, they just looked forward, as if they knew that they were going to die . . .
Once they were gone, Rolin sat down to rest near the fire. "Strange . . . " Rolin said. "I've never heard of such creatures before . . . They seem so powerful, yet serene and harmless at the same time, and the flutes . . . " Rolin looked at his flute. Inscribed into it were some symbols that he didn't recognise.
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Post by Busterman Zero on Oct 29, 2003 22:35:09 GMT -5
Alex held his own flute with delicate care, as if he were handling a jar of Nitro that was mixed with Raud filings, which could ingnite if you shook it a few times or threw it around. "It's as if we just encountered a race more advanced than our own," Alex muttered. "The craftmanship of these is amazing!"
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Post by The Patryn on Oct 30, 2003 3:24:12 GMT -5
Kalvin says nothing. He merely stands there, running his hands over the flute's surface and staring at it, his face blank.
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Post by TranceRolin on Oct 30, 2003 15:21:23 GMT -5
"That was certainly . . . A unique experience, to say the least."
Rolin glanced at Layne. "L-R," he began. "I thought you we getting a new crossbow with the money from this? How does that help anyone else, and how would . . . " Rolin tried to remember the name, but it escaped him for some reason. The entire experience was a blur, the only evidence of it even happening being the silver chests, the flutes, and the field of mostly untouched ripper carcasses. Amidst his thought, he kept talking. "How would they know what purpose we had for the money, or anything else about us? I've studied the magics of the East extensively, and only the most powerful of wizards could read minds, and they haven't existed for a couple of centuries on top of that! This isn't making much sense . . . "
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Post by SickAndWretched on Oct 30, 2003 17:21:08 GMT -5
"I was.. but meh..whatever.. I can wait." he replied..
Layne look at his flute. "Ugh.. I was never good at wind instruments." Layne run his fingers over the holes, trying to remember what little he knew about wind instruments. He remembered the note C, and tried to play it. But when he blew there was no sound.. He sighed and put his flute away..
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Post by The Patryn on Oct 30, 2003 19:33:25 GMT -5
"Well, as Rolin said...that was definitely...interesting..." Kalvin says with a troubled look in his eyes, "but we can't just stand around here. We might as well gather up these Rippers' corpses and take them in...probably a few extra if we can carry them...it'd be good to make some extra cash...though...that leaves us with a question. After we finish this job, where do we go from there?"
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Post by TranceRolin on Oct 30, 2003 19:58:51 GMT -5
Rolin took out his flute and began examining it, speaking as he looked over it. "For starters, we can look into who those people were, and how these flutes can do such amazing things. I'm almost too disturbed to go ahead with sponsoring that orphanage after this, ya know? But still, if ya think about it, Serlon and the rest of them probably saved our lives, and we at least owe it to them to do what they requested; Learn how to use these flutes as they did."
Rolin looked around. "That's odd . . . The fog seems oddly thick out here . . . It usually only gets this bad in the middle of large cities. We're a good two hours from town, and by then it should be sunrise, shouldn't it? Might as well get some rest here . . . "
Rolin took some sticks, dug small ditches around the group in a square, and filled the ditches with the sticks and lit them on fire. "Southwest." he said. "That's where town is, and that's where we should be headed. So, you guys want to stay here and rest or get moving to get the job done faster?"
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Post by SickAndWretched on Oct 30, 2003 20:07:26 GMT -5
"It dosn't phase me any.." Layne said while ripping out a bolt from a near by ripper and spun it inbetween his fingers. The other's looked at him, "Hey now.. recycling doesn't hurt anyone".. The ripper twitched a bit as he pulled out one from its head.
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