P.S.S. "The Legend Of The Primal Keys"::Ch.2 b- Desolation [IC]

[Sutoratosu]

Notice!

This IC thread is for the following Participants in Project Sky Slayer only:

-Hukuna

-Typhlosionrulez

-DobbyTheElf

-Exlink32

-Azery

you post in this thread, and aren't one of the people named above, and I'll have Hukuna Sensai use Crunch on you.

No theme for your chapter 2 right now, but here, have some fightin music:

"Well... ain't this a hell of a situation," Boho said as he kept his eyes on the enemies surrounding the for of them. The four men stood in the middle of a Highway men's camp site, and the entire brigade was now holding their weapons at the ready.

One might ask, how did the Marvelous Boho and his band of warriors end up in this mess? well, it's rather simple. The group had walked on the Lord's road or a good hour and a half, then Boho had goten completely fed up with how long it was taking. He had ordered everyone to grab on, and with them in tow, he had light walked his entourage out into the desert aiming for a tiny light on the horizon, thinking it to be stratos. he had saved them a good day or two of travel... except for one issue...

What Boho had aimed at was indeed a camp fire... but it wasn't Stratos who was sitting around it... they'd found bandits. And now here they stood, having startled some one dozen rogues and criminals with their sudden appearance... all of them looking rather blood thirsty.

"Who the ell are you?" one of them demanded.

"It don't matter, dawg!" another one cried. "They asses ours now!"

"Get their Myta!" another roared above his peers. "and strip them down... those clothes look like their worth something... especially that guy's cloak!"

Boho turned in the direction of the latest goon to speak.

"You want my cloak?" he began, raising his fist into a fighting stance. "you'll have to take it off my corpse then... well...at least try to have the decency to kill me first... I honestly don't want to be alive to see it sullied by your filthy touch, ya criminal."

"That can be arranged then, Afro man!" the same goon called. The circle was beginning to close. the four men stood back to back, Lucian lying on the ground in the middle of them, passed out from the walk (and the pain from his broken rib cage...). Boho looked glanced back at everyone.

"aw, screw it..." he said. "Looks like we're gonna have to kill em all, folks! get to it!" with that said, he dashed forward and began his assualt on the nearest bandit. a few others came to counter him, but the majority ignored their comrade's battle with the magistrate, closing in on Sinbad and Giddeon and Zoliver and Darius, weapons raised and prepared to strike, all of them letting mismatched battle roars...

((alright... show them what your made off...))

[Ragnar]

"We aint got time for this bullshit" Gideon sighed, "Lets get this over with" as Gideon talks, he quickly withdrew his dual sword in a fluid motion, and delivers a swift upward blow to one of thugs, slitting its throat. and the other, plunge in its guts. The thugs falls, as Gideon taunts the others by a 'come get it sign'.

[Aurorix]

"Personally I despise fighting when there's a peaceful way to resolve the situation, but if I must I won't hesitate to end your life!" Zolivar says with a disappointment as he puts on his winged helm. "Besides can't let you four have all the fun." he says smugly towards his comrades, then quickly unsheathes his blade and shield. He bashes one man with his shield and slices another in the chest.

Edited September 8, 2014 by EXLink32

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

"Ugh, I hate close quarters. You know how hard it is to reload a Crossbow while a dude is swinging a sword at you?" Sinbad whined. "Anyways, keep them offa me. Me and Bianca do Our best work from afar, but you will have to do me a solid and pretend to be a long stretch of distance."

Sinbad then started to hum a wordless tune. It was quick, exciting, and yet a little sad. He luckily had Bianca primed with one shot already, as she had a safety unlike most crossbows. Goes to show how much more useful a custom-made bow could be then a stock bow. He loosed one of his signature bolts into the crowd, it's rainbow feather flailing through the air behind it.

[Felicity]

Darius said nothing, assessing the threats in front of him. With the others preoccupied with the thugs, Darius turned to a bandit trying to flank them. Drawing the great bastard sword of his, he swung it in a mighty arc. The enemy began to dodge his rather slow attack by ducking, but mid-swing, Darius tilted his blade, delivering a resounding blow to the man's skull, crushing it in the process. quietly mumbling an apology, he turned to face another couple of bandits approaching Sinbads rear, and once more swung his sword, attempting to cleaving the men's heads at their necks.

[Sutoratosu]

The bandits gradually began to smarten up and back off after having watched half their numbers be struck down in only ten minutes. The remaining highway men all glared at the quartet, still holding their weapons at the ready, but not daring to rush in for another strike.

"Shit, dawg..." one of them said to his fellow brigandeers.

"these fuckers are tougher than they look..." said another.

"Enough!" one ordered. A man in a grey shroud stepped forward and scolded the bandits. a large, heavy set axe rested in his hand.

"Stop gossiping like little girls and KILL THEM!" he shouted and began dashing forward towards Sinbad, intending to take out who seemed to be the weakest fighter. The bandits gave out a hearty, yet still mismatched, battle cry as they charged behind him... but both their cheer of courage and their blind advance was cut short a moment later as they all fell to the sand one by one...

Cut short by several short shafted arrows that had found their marks right in the smalls of their backs. Only the man in the shroud was left... he abandoned his plan to take out the sniper and instead directed his attention to try to locate the shooters... only to have an arrow hit him squarely in the heart, killing him before he even hit the ground.

*****

Up on a rocky outcropping overlooking the camp sight, a Diran man and his young son sat perched in the cover of the rock lip, kneeling with their bows at their side.

"You did well, my son," The boy's father said. "Not a single target missed... and you avoided all of the bystanders."

"Thank you, Father..." the boy nodded. "But our task is not complete now... they simply have to be the ones he sent us for...we had best bring them back to see him..."

"You are correct, My son" With that said, the man stood and hailed Boho's quartet down below, waving his hand in greeting.

*****

"Ho there!" a voice called out, catching everyone's attention. Boho looked around.

"Where are ya?" he called.

"Here," the voice called back. "on the outcropping right above you." and it was apparently true, because standing there now was a man holding a small wooden bow, dressed in clothing tailored to life in the desert, loose and baggy, easily able to create a breeze with just the slightest movement. he wore blue head wrappings which obscured his mouth and nose, but left his eyes visible... a habit that only those used to walking in sandstorms ever developed. The cloth over his mouth didn't seem to muffle his voice in the least however.

"Looks like we found you just in the nick of time" he continued. "Might I ask your names and business here this night?" no one could see it from this distance, but he was squinting at them all, scrutinizing them. He knew that his son was probably right, and that these people were probably the one's they were seeking... but he wanted to make sure first.

[Felicity]

Darius was the first to speak, despite his silence prior.

"my name is Darius Renalim of the Sword."

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

"Aye, and I am Sinbad Firebrand, The Bolt who will pierce the heavens!" Sinbad called out to the man. "You look like a resourceful one. Me and these fine fine examples of Gents here, are looking for a friend. Mayhaps you have seen the ol' Bastard, he kinda flew off with a big fucking dragon, like REALLY BIG!!!! I don't think anybody could have missed that.....unless the Sun was SUPER bright or sumthin....Anywhositz you see anything like that about?"

[Sutoratosu]

The Diran Man's attention was drawn immediately by Sinbad's words. Beyond the shadow of a doubt, these men were indeed the one's he had been looking for, no question. They not only knew of it, but they also fit the description; Two Knights, a Magistrate, a Turk, and a Sniper.

"Oh yes, Sniper..." he answered. "I have indeed seen the one you seek... this way, come, I shall bring you to him." the man then glanced behind him.

"Absalom!" he called."come!"

"Yes Father!" a young voice said as a boy no older than fifteen or fourteen appeared beside him on the outcropping, holding a bow much like his... albeit that his was notched with an Arrow and aimed at Zoliver's heart.

"No, Absalom!" He yelled, snatching the arrow out of the boy's fingers... "Do not kill these ones!"

"But..." the boy replied. "I thought you called because I was wrong and they weren't them..."

"No, boy..." he said. "You were indeed right, these are they... now let us bring them." The boy shouldered his boy and did as his father said, walking over to one end of the outcropping and sliding down after him as the two made their way to the Quartet. The man walked off towards the north. the lad, Absalom, looked back at Boho and his entourage.

"Folloooow." he said slowly, drawing the word out as if they were dumb and wouldn't understand him if he said it any faster. with that, he headed off behind his father.

[Felicity]

Darius glanced at the others and shrugged. Maybe the drawn out speech was a form of manners?

"Leeeeeeaaaaaad oooooon" He replied, trying to sound as respectful as possible, and followed

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

Sinbad ((the actual one this time.)) was a bit baffled by the kid's tone of voice. "Kids.....not my kind of people. Anyway, off we go lads."

[Aurorix]

"I feel honored that you chose to to shoot first," Zolivar said in the smuggest way possible "I definitely look the like the strongest in the group, who wouldn't want to take out the strongest one first." He then walked over to where they were.

[Ragnar]

"More like the most annoying one, If i were the kid, i would probably aim for your mouth." Gideon sighed about Zolibar's remark as he follows the rest of the crew.

[Sutoratosu]

And so it was that the quartet followed behind the mystery man and his young son named Absalom. The walk was brisk, the night air freezing cold, Just as Gideon has said it would be earlier, though none of the warriors had actually noticed it till now due to the adrenaline that had been pumping through each of them during the short battle. Luckily for them, however, the distance was not long, and the pace set by Absalom and his father was deliberately designed to keep them warm from the exercise. Before long the group had been led to a small cave leading down into earth; a rather large, gaping hole in the white and golden dunes, it's form keep in place by various bits of stone and a strange, glossy substance that shined brightly whenever the torchlight fell upon it. An experienced Hunter, one who had taken up travels to this part of the world, would easily recognize this hole as the burrow of a Blood Worm...albeit one that was (hopefully) empty.

"This way," Absalom said. his father brought out a stick wrapped in pitch and lit it, casting light into the cave. He walked beyond the entrance... The Group apparently had more walking to do. And walked they did. for an hour... then two... then three and then things started to change just as they got into the fourth hour... God knows how long this Blood worm must've been to have dug a tunnel so ridiculously deep...

"We are almost there," Absalom updated them as the scenery began to gradually lighten. "Just little further... and be careful."

The warriors could see an ending to the cave just a few meters ahead. Absalom's father tossed the torch to the ground as he stepped through, and the boy took care to stump out the flame as he passed by, an obvious Courtesy to Boho and friends. One after the other, the travelers stepped through the cave's entrance, and gasped at what they saw before them....

"Welcome," Absalom's father said. "To the Lost Haven..."

"Me and Father found this just a week ago..." Absalom said, taking over where his father left off. "People have not treaded here in a very long time...Not since end of Nix War..."

"That's right..." his father continued. "We are what you would call "Expeditionaries", explorers..." He pointed out at the small ancient city lying before them all, far from the face of the cliff they stood on now, though a stone bridge extended to meet the rock nearby, making access into the place actually plausible. A small fire was blazing in the distance, and that was what the man was pointing to.

"The High Champion, Stratos, awaits you..." He said. " And I'm Sure you all are tired from the trek he-"

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A massive explosion sounded through the air, causing the ground to shake violently and stones to fall from the ceiling and shattered on the cavern floor below.

"What the hell was that!?" Absalom's father shouted.

"Look!" Replied Absalom. the boy was pointing to a spot in the uppermost levels of city. Flashes of Black and White were flaring back and forth, each flash detonating another explosion. The stones continued to fall down around them. The top most levels of the city were being ruined before the group's very eyes.

"NOOOOOOO!!!!" Absalom's father screamed. "He is destroying the relic!" The look on his son's face was unreadable for a moment as he processed what he'd just seen. Then he scowled in a rage that one wouldn't think to see on a boy so young. Absalom tore his own bow from off his shoulder, notching a particularly short shafted arrow from his quiver, it's head gleaming with a purple glint, and ran off towards the bridge leading into the city.

"SKY SLAYEEEER!!!" the lad roared. "YOU LIED! YOU SAID YOU WOULD NOT DAMAGE IT!! YOUR WORD MEANS NOTHING!!!"

"Absalom! NO, STOP! HE"LL KILL YOU AS IF YOU NOTHING BUT A FLEA!!" His father called as he took off after his son. The boy didn't listen, simply kept advancing to the bridge. In a few seconds he had made it across and was heading to the area of the black and white lightning.

"Damn it!!!" The boy's father cursed, running off after him.

"Shit...." Boho muttered. "We just had a FUCKING FOUR HOUR WALK!!!!!" But even as he said it, he was running off after Absalom's father.

[Aurorix]

"Well, no use standing here," Zolivar said trying to hind his exhaustion through smugness, as he does with many things. "Though I wouldn't think I'd run this much in one day. Hopefully you three can keep up!" He then zoomed past boho, leaving a trail of dust behind him. After the dust covered the men's sight he quickly chugged all the water in his canteen trying to hind his loss of breath and keep a semi-good standing with the group.

[Ragnar]

Gideon blankly stares at their destination, as the group runs off through the bridge and into that lightning storm. For some reason, Absalom reminds him of himself when he was young....wayward, rebellious, foolishly brave and was very well indeed need of the guidance of his father. Gideon can't help but to release a small chuckle.

"Well, we've found what we're looking for, there's no backing down now." Gideon said to the rest of the group and dashes off through the bridge.

Edited September 10, 2014 by typhlosionrulez

[Felicity]

Darius sighed. It looked as though he would not be able to rest for some time. "Looks like I owe the instructors a thanks for all the conditioning." he muttered. "Come on Sinbad, we better get a move on."

Darius took a moment to mentally prepare himself for the ache in his muscles to intensify, and set off at a sprint after the others.

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

"Man, like you guys want to be killed. Whatever, Here comes Sinbad!!!!!" The Swanky Pirate yelled as he charged forward. "Hopefully this is a glorious fight Lads!"

[Sutoratosu]

"Who are you!?" Stratos, High Champion of the Fallen Theocracy, shouted as he crossed his blade with a Drake Lance he recognized all too well... "And how in the hell did you obtain Star-Ripper!?"

"It matter's not, doppleganger!" Stratos, the Sky Slayer, retorted in response. The two men dueled back and forth, sword versus spear, sparks flew and a deadly hymn rang out as their steel clashed, a hymn lamenting all those who had fallen at the hands of both men, and condemning the sky slayer for his many sins during his well-meant mission. The Sky Slayer unleashed another burst of mono-chromatic lightning from his spear head, sending it arcing towards the high champion. The other Stratos dodged nimbly, leaping into the air behind the Sky Slayer as the bolt missed and caused another explosion, ruining several more ancient dwellings, his black cloak billowing and his snow white armor shining in the light of the blast. He sent a precise strike towards the back of the Sky Slayer's neck, intending to end this... Only to receive a savage roundhouse to his jaw, sending him stumbling back, stars filling his vision. There was a quick flash of motion, and then the Slayer was right in front of him, face to face. He brought up his fist and drove it into the side of the other man's face, sending the Champion sprawling to the stones where he then began to grapple with his opponent as he tried to bash his head into the stones.

"Die, foul mechanation of Rossephus!" the Slayer shouted as he raised Star Ripper, preparing to impale the man through the mouth.

"Who is Rossephus!?" The high Champion shouted.

"Do not play dumb, you little vile servant..." Stratos snarled. "You may well share my face, a younger version of it even, at that, but you are nothing but a copy sent to tarry my and my allies time!" With that said, he drove the Drake Lance downward, only to be thrown off of the Champion's chest by the impact force of an black-feathered arrow. He lay on the Cobblestones, groaning in pain as he felt blood beginning to rush into his pierced lung, slowly choking him... as well as the poison the arrow had been tipped in began to work it's way through his system.

Absalom lowered his bow as he watched the Sky Slayer fall. He had done it... he had saved the Relic... he had stopped the fiend's vandalism.

"Absalom!" His father called as he finally caught up... then he saw the Black end of the arrow sticking out of the Sky Slayer's chest.

"Mother of God..." The man continued, looking down at his son in horror. "Absalom... what have you done!? You... the Sky Slayer... You just..." He couldn't finish due to the fact that he was stuttering from a mix of Awe, Fright, and Disgust at his son's actions...

"I slayed a Legend," Absalom said in a matter of fact manner. "But I do not care about that... he was destroying this place, this piece of preserved history...and so I stopped him from his crime."

"Damn it boy!" His father shouted in a rage, suddenly able to find his words again. "You've the thinking process of a child! do you know what you have just done to that man!?"

"I killed him, father, yes I know..." Absalom answered, frowning. "but why are you angry at me for him... you had no issue when I killed those criminals earlier..."

"It's not that you killed him!" the man roared. "It's HOW you Fucking killed him!" He grabbed his son's shoulders.

"Where did you get that Arrow you just used!?" he demanded.

"From your... your bag, father..." The boy replied, a bit frightened by his father's sudden change of demeanor.

"My bag!" He shouted in despair. "That arrow, Absalom... it was not meant to be used on any human... it's too horrible, the poison it's tipped in, it's like pure hell... it was only meant Blood Wor-" he trailed off... nearby, the man still standing, who had the same face as Stratos, albeit several years younger in appearance, had picked up the Sky Slayers weapon and now stood towering above the man, raising it high in the air, the point aimed towards his face. Stratos looked up in disbelief at the warrior... he had just been bested... and by someone other than Rossephus. he tried to reach up with one of his hands, the veins in his neck and face bulging as the venom worked it's unholy effects. He was in so much pain... such agony. It felt like his organs were all being boiled over a fire. His tongue had been paralyzed by whatever he'd been shot with... he could not speak. But with his eyes, he looked to other man in the face, his own face, expecting to see wrath or hate or anger or fear or despair or sorrow or guilt or horrible pain.. or anything that he himself was feeling at this moment...

....

....

....

But there was none of that on the High Champion's face as Stratos looked there. The only thing in his eyes were pity... pity for the way his foeman was dying... and mercy... not the political type a king might have, but the battle-type of mercy, the mercy that allows men and women to slay their opponent quickly and immediately rather than allowing them to linger for hours in pain before finally expiring.

"I know not who you are..." Stratos, the True, said to the man writhing on the ground. "But I wish you peace in the beyond." with that final, sincerely solemn statement, Stratos drove Star-Ripper into the heart of the Sky Slayer, killing him instantly and bringing the man's suffering to a merciful end. He retrieved his weapon as he stared down at the body... his eyes stormy and solemn from the thought of the life he had just snuffed out. he held the spear there, hovering in his hand...and the Quartet of Warriors came around the bend of the street just in time to see him in the position... with The Sky Slayer's dead body laying on the stones of the street.

"What in the sam hell is going on here?" Boho said, panting. "Why are there two Stratoses? and why is one of them dead on the ground with other holding his spear... all drenched in blood and what not, like he just used it to murder him?" The Magistrate leaned on the wall, obviously winded. the run had been uphill the entire way, and light walking didn't seem to be working down here... couple this with the fact that he did just hike for four hours... and well, this equation equals one very tired Boho.

"I...I need to sit down..." he sighed, sliding down the wall and sitting there. "Sorry ya'll... but I'm to winded right now... you're gonna have to sort this whole thing out on your lonesome..."

[Ragnar]

After that sprint, Gideon finally arrives at the scene and was clueless of what just happen. "Uggh..my exhaustion must be getting to me, i'm seeing double." Gideon bends over, touching his knees that seems is suffering from fatigue as he catches his breath. "Well...we've found him.so which Stratos you want to take? For me, I prefer the alive one."

Edited September 11, 2014 by typhlosionrulez

[Aurorix]

"well -cough- i think -cough- we should att-cough cough wheeze-" Zolivar stuttered while coughing from his tired out throat. "The man the doesn't -cough- have stratos's spear. -wheeze-" he muttered finally finishing his sentence still coughing and wheezing like a sick man.

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

Sinbad slid into the scene, looking around with his bow drawn ready for action, before realizing he looked like an idiot since it was all over. He stood up quickly, and dusted himself off. "Oh, seems everything is handled here. Though.....there are now 2 of you Stratos?" he seemed to ask towards both of them, though one of them didn't hear it obviously.

[Ragnar]

"Spear? maybe Stratos has a twin....or maybe this look-alike bastard just kill what were looking for!" Gideon assumed as he talks to Zolivar. Gideon turns away from the knight and direct his attention to remaining standing sky slayer.

"Yeah," Gideon added to Sinbad's question. "Remember me!? remember us?!" Gideon said a bit frustrated,as he grips one of his sword's hilt. "We didn't walk here from Cithalos for 4 hours and cross the harsh desert, just to retrieve a dead body." Gideon takes a glimpse at the dead skyslayer. "care to explain what's going on, Stratos?. if that's even your real name." Gideon begins to doubt this sky slayer, he doesn't resemble the one from Cithalos.

Edited September 11, 2014 by typhlosionrulez

[Felicity]

Darius, waiting to hear the others opinions (And catch his long gone breath) decided to speak up.

"Wouldn't his Drake companion know what the fuck just happened? I mean, it was the one who took him."

[Sutoratosu]

"Who are you people exactly?" Stratos asked as he lowered his spear to his side. "I'm afraid I honestly haven't seen any of you a day before in my life..." A look of confusion came over his face at that moment as he thought about something.

"Wait a minute..." he said. "Why... where am I? I'm supposed to be leading the ground forces... what happened to Admiral Quinton? Where's the fleet? Where did the Chimera Whites go? They were... we were just speaking... Why... did the battle end...? Aaaaargh! Damn it! Why can't I... remember..." he rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on from trying to recall what the hell had gone down, why he was standing here in this underground city instead of bringing an end to the Nacrania Heresy. Whenever he tried to think back to what had occurred after the Ships had landed and he'd greeted the Commanding officers... it felt like some immense force was pushing against his skull, a wall that he could find no way around. Boho awakened from his dozing near by, having fallen asleep without even realizing it... though none of the warriors would know he had been with the dark glasses concealing his eyes. he stood up, having heard the last parts of Stratos trying to remember anything.

"Sounds to me like we got ourselves a time jumper..." The Magistrate explained. "What Stratos just described was the legend of the Battle of Fort Arxo, way back in the last years of the Theocracy..." He glanced down at the Stratos who lay dead on the ground, and the one who stood alive and mostly well before them.

"I wonder..." He said. "It's some freaky shit if I'm right... but then again... some really freaky shit has happened tonight." with that he walked over to the dead body and picked up the sword that the new stratos had left on the ground. He cut away the fabric from the sleeve of the dead man's shirt, tossing the cloth away and examining the skin beneath. There was a spiral shaped burn there, and the skin was rippled and scarred, having long since healed.

"There it is..." he chimed. "That burn right there... according to Historians, ol Stratos here got this when he was fighting that battle..." he looked over at the Newer Stratos.

"Show us your shoulder." he demanded. The man had a look of confusion on his face, but he honestly didn't know what else to do and so went along with it. he pulled off his pualdrons and peeled back the black cuirass he was wearing, revealing his shoulder as Boho had ordered... there was nothing out of the ordinary there.

"Damn it..." Boho said. "I was honestly hoping I'd be wrong..." He turned to the Group.

"Well folks... looks like the person standing before us... is none other than Stratos Valgiri... from over four hundred years ago...Before the Sky Slaying."

Up the street, towards the upper parts of the city, just up the street, where the structures connected to the central pillar of crystal... there was a teal glow that pulsated every few seconds... though Boho couldn't see it... what with his back being towards the source of it.