Londinium Under Fire - Underground Londinium

[Neko Hiro]

"Sir, evacuation of the High Apostle has been confirmed. Further orders?"

"Guard the Apostle with your lives. You may come back, but he doesn't. Understood?"

"SIR, YES SIR." A chorus of 6 masculine voices surrounding the Apostle sounded off, as a number of units scattered in different directions. Now that he mission had been completed, the Apostle, who set off the bomb on the Parliament Building, was to be evacuated through the underground portion of the city, out a secret exit that only the Landers knew of, and put into hiding in the city of Avon, where he was to be safely secured until the next movement. After some time has passed, and those who would inquire the Apostle have done all their investigation, the Apostle would be moved to another location, one even more secure and out-of-the-way from the eyes of the lowly Adventurers.

Taking a few steps down the long tunnel, along the tracks, the Apostle, also known as the Father, walked slowly and carefully. The above explosions were enough to throw the Adventurers and Landers into a flurry of confusion and fear. This is what he wanted. This is what would bring about the new era. The Father chuckled and smiled to himself, recalling the words he shouted before the explosion. Smiling even wider, he had to say them out loud once again, as he had instructed the others to do so.

"A tribute; a sacrifice. To resurrect the sleeping lord, we offer unto you this measly donation. Let it be seen and heard by you, so that you may rise again, and rid this world of its infection."

One of the soldiers looked over to him, built up with armor. The Father turned to him and smiled, before turning back. No words need to be shared after that. The entourage that the Father had before him was a group of 2 Guardians, 1 Sorcerer, 1 Cleric, 1 Assassin, and 1 Swashbuckler, with the Father being a Heretic. All of the Adventurers who were guarding him were level 50, with the Father being a solid level 61. His strength in magic was powerful, but he had an escort for a reason. Should some adventurers attack, he'd need to be kept away from danger long enough for him to escape.

"Sir." The Swashbuckler said. "We're receiving reports of being followed. We should move a bit faster." As the other Adventurers began to hasten their movements, the Father raised his hand slowly.

"Worry not. Should they catch up to us, we will be fine. We will continue at this pace." The Adventurers smiled a bit, believing the Father's words completely. They continued along at their current speed, not giving even a moment to look behind themselves. Without turning around to look, they moved forward. What they didn't see, though, was a grin forming upon the Father's face. These people were just pawns to him, a mean to an end. He didn't care for them at all. So long as he gets out, that's all he cared about. That's all that he needed to care about.

The Father: Level 61 Person of the Land.
Age: 54
Height: 5'10
Weight: 194 lbs
Heretic - 61/Cultist - 90/Pharmacist - 50
FC: Father Cornello.

[Saber]

Do You Believe in Ghosts?

: Words : -938-
: Tags : Neko Hiro
: Skills Used : [-N/A-]
: Notes : A hunting we will go~

BOOM

The ceiling shook with a cry of anger and ferocity, causing several stones and a mist of dust to float down into the underground library below. The sound, the vibration, and the shockwave above caused the single living being within the walls to awaken from his frozen slumber. He sat at his stone table, his back against the raised seat, with a book lazily placed over his face. However, his eyes pierced it and his glare burned through the pages. The man removed the book and snarled. That was an explosion, and it was close, very close. Immediately, the man sat up and checked his table, his eyes swiftly counting all of his jars of personal explosives. The Black Dust he had handmade, which was similar to gunpowder, was still there. All of it, which made him even more concerned. Though just when he thought he was clear, another blast rocked the library but this one was much more distant.

“Looks like there’s more than one faction…” The Assassin snapped his book closed and then pushed himself up to his feet. The book he placed down onto the table, and he picked up his armament. There were two swords, two daggers, a bow, a quiver full of black arrows, and two sets of throwing knives; all of which he attached to his body. However, the twin swords were sent to the abyss of the Adventurer’s inventory for the sake of speed. Once he was set, the man pulled his scarf over his face and raised his hood. He was topside seconds later.

The air outside was still, but had a scent of fire; it burned his nose. In the distance, the Assassin could see smoke and debris rising from the damaged locations. Seeing that, he went north. The nimble player scaled the nearest tall building and elevated himself so that he could see the action, and it wasn’t good. Not a single bit of it. The Parliament Building was damaged, the London Eye seemed to be leaning, and the Oxford University was on fire but teams were already working on said flames. As he scanned, Saber sighted several parties leaving the city, others going underground, and some even being captured. A heavy huff escaped the Assassin’s mouth as his eyes narrowed. There were a lot of players in the attack it seemed, and they were mixed in with the rush. He needed to be quick.

Shoving off the ground, the Assassin bolted towards the center of Londinium and headed to the larger building in the center. He observed the city from the rooftops and from the skies, keeping himself elevated so that he could get some kind of picture of what was going on. For the most part, it looked like a terrorist attack, probably something well planned from an angry mob. Players? Unlikely. Though, Saber had just handled a disgruntled group from the north, near Scottland. They were a rowdy bunch but after killing several Lander Nobles, he cut the head off the snake. But, because of that, Saber left pieces; there were remnants of the old power. Could they have rallied under another leader? It could be possible, but in such a short time? Maybe, but it was hard to tell. If this was a cell of the group he had just dealt with, then they were probably from the nearby port to the south-east of Londinum. They were the most organized group and were the most dangerous. The other cells fell apart within hours after he had dealt the killing blow. Still, there was still the ever looming chance that this could have been because of him not finishing the job.

Yet, it could also be another group entirely. As Saber perched himself on a tall four story office building close to the Parliament Building, he watched the area below and around him. Both Landers and Adventurers were injured near the explosion sites and there seemed to be little care by the attackers about who was hurt, or what was damaged. The group Saber handled wanted the Adventurers of Londinum turned into slaves, and the Landers to be in control. That group targeted only Adventurers. This group did not care. Saber sucked his teeth and gripped his hands into fists. There were too many variables. He needed answers. The Assassin looked around Londinum and checked the exits; several parties were leaving, but one caught his eye. Nearby, Adventures were following behind a Lander into the Underground sections of Londinium. So, Landers were also partaking in the assault, weren’t they?

“You stick out like a sore thumb…” Saber muttered to himself and glanced down at the destruction at the Parliament Building. Several Players and Landers alike converged at the scene to help, and some were already taking control. Others were chasing some of the figures fleeing the city. The jobs here were being taken care of, so Saber would handle his own job. Without a second though, the Assassin jumped down from the building to the smaller ones below and headed after the group heading into the Underground.

Quickly, Saber moved across the rooftops and then jumped down to the streets below. From there, he headed down into the tunnel. He alerted no one else, but there was no doubt in his mind that others would follow behind, so he kept moving. The Assassin tucked into the shadows and opened up his cloak so that he could move quicker. They had the advantage of getting ahead of him, but Saber would catch up soon and when he did…

He was going to ask some questions…

Coded By Saber of L33T T3@M
Modified by KittyGrey

[Zyrune]

Lets Play Elder Tales.

Hp: 100 Mp:100

▼

Tagged: Neko Hiro Saber Wc: 899 NOTES:

The cotton candy haired druid's senses were completely overloaded, even as he moved quickly trying his best to keep track of the group that seemed to move otherwise unnoticed through the streets of Londinium. The city was alive and not in a good way, the once peaceful city was ablaze and chaotic. Flashes of light from fires still shone in the corner of his eye as he followed the group. A sudden wrench of metal and stone caused the druid to wince, but he dared not look and lose sight of his target. He had been following a group of adventurers and what looked like a lander and it didn't take them long before they had fled beneath the ground, using what appeared to be a tunnel the druid guessed matched up with the Londinium Underground. The whole idea of an attack on Londinium seemed like an idiot move. Someone somewhere wanted power and was willing to attack a bunch of immortal warriors to do it. None of this sat well with him and it wasn't going to, unless answers were provided and something about the group told him that they had some kind of an answer. So far the druid hadn't noticed anyone else following suit, so he quickly followed the underground, a quick cast of his magic light and he was on his way, it was hard to follow them with the tunnels being so dark and dusty, especially given what had occurred just above them, but he endured, moving as fast as he could, clutching his staff tightly at his side. It did bother him that that there was more adventurers than him, however with his familiar summmons, golem constrtuction spells, vines and attack prevention spells, he was sure that he could even the playing the field pretty fast, whatever they were up to, he was going to put a stop to it. Whatever they were doing, they didn't seem to be in a rush, or at least that was how it seemed to him. He gave a smile as he held his hand out towards the ground before him. His hand glowed a soft pink hue and the ground before him erupted in vines that twisted until they formed a beautiful large pink flower cocoon, eventually the flower bloomed to reveal a female. The druid couldn't help but smile as the gentle and fun loving Alraune summon, Sakura stretched before coming to stand beside him. Sakura was very impressive looking and had come a long way from the toddle sized bud creature that he had first been able to summon. The current visible form was a young lady wearing a long, poofy pink dress that resembled layered blossoms, white hair with corkscrew pigtails, pink flower bracelets, pink flower earrings and a flower pattern on her forehead and her chest. A quick nod and the two were about to set on their way once more as noise behind him caused the druid to turn swiftly on his heel. The second he does so, he recognizes that cloak. Probably more than anyone at this stage and despite everything, Zyrune wasn't in the mood to deal with him at this moment. His first instinct was to turn and move forward, possibly hoping to just ignore his presence, it seemed apt but then again there was hardly enough time to think before the assassin was on top of him. Saber his old guild leader, the one who had offered him the guild when he needed a purpose, the one who had also torn that guild down just when the druid needed it the most without even a reason or warning. Someone who could toss away a group of people he himself took time to gather without a second glance didn't warrant attention, especially given the circumstances. "Saber-chan, late as always hmmm?" The druid chimed before he pouted dramatically at the lack of response. Rolling his eyes, he turns back towards the group he had been following, making sure to note their direction as he moved, pretty sure that the assassin and him were now unfortunately a team, a quick opening of the interface and a party invitation later, would confirm that. At any other time, the druid would have decided against the team up, Saber was renown for working alone despite this being a massively multiplier online game turned reality, the man seemed to like being alone and back in the day that attitude had drawn the druid, but now the assassin really didn't impress him, sure he had levels on him but that was really it, any one could get levels, Zyrune was only 30 levels off his 90, a 90 that man had been stuck at for the past year. "2 Guardians, 1 sorcerer, 1 cleric, 2 idiots." The druid chimed his voice taking on that sing song tone that it always did, he was becoming adept at keeping his true feelings hidden. The druid was beyond done with the assassin and swashbuckler classes, with his vines restricting their movement, they were literally easy kills, he had proven this time and time again over the past year with other player killers. "Without the cleric, they will fall." With Saber here however, the druid was sure that the group would all suffer a fate worse than death and once they had the answers they sought, the druid would leave Saber behind without a second glance. No one that tossed him aside without even an explanation deserved it.

                    PYXIS ★

[Saber]

Do You Believe in Ghosts?

: Words : -941-
: Tags : Neko Hiro, Zyrune
: Skills Used : [Hiding Entry]
: Notes : -----

The scent of ash and fire still loomed in the air even as Saber descended from the surface. Even though he was distancing himself from the explosions and the small fires, it was stuck in his mind. Londinium had been struck and the who in question was tearing his mind apart. He rattled through name after name, face after face, of all the potential threats that could have targeted the city. Saber had met dozens of Landers who wanted the “great city of Londinium” to be damaged or destroyed simply because of the prosperity it brought to the surrounding areas. He had also met Adventurers who lived for the soul purpose of hunting others from Londinium. The world was small, and it seemed quite content with lashing out against the privileged even though Londinium’s gates happily accepted anyone and everyone. However, that could have brought upon its own downfall.

The freedom of the Adventurer’s capital city was one to be jealous of. The ability to come and go without much care was something people took advantage of on a daily basis, Saber being one of those people. He never thought that his “home” would ever be attacked. He never actually thought that it could. Londinium was a safe zone, so all damage inside of the city was thought to be nullified unless caused by the game itself. If this was one of those moments, then Saber himself could finally say that the game was turning against them. He could not confirm it yet, but the world was changing. Right before his very eyes, the world was shifting. Londinium may be free now, it may be a jewel in the dirt, but that could change. What was worse was that he may not even be able to do a thing about it. Saber may have hit the max level for the time being, but he was still powerless. Londinium being bombed was just one example of that. It made him angry.

With each step he took down into the underground, Saber seethed with anger. These wretched fools. They dare step into his house and threaten his way of life? They dare turn and run after causing so much fright? Oh no, they wouldn’t get away. Not this time. Saber was going to milk them dry of information and if necessary, send their bodies back to their masters. Killing was second nature to the Assassin so the idea that he may had to cut through some bodies didn’t exactly deter him from moving forward. Instead, it made him move quicker. Several Landers and Adventurers had been injured in the bombings; it was only fair for Saber to serve back the same agony in kind. An eye for an eye was the rule Saber lived by, but he was far more brutal and unforgiving about it than some other people he had met. The men he was now chasing… He was going to make them wish they had never come near Londinium.

A few more paces was all it took before Saber popped out in the train tunnels. He breathed hard and heavy, rumbling beneath each gasp as his blood boiled. He looked to his right, and then to his left. The right headed towards the center of Londinium, or at least it remained within the walls. The left was the only logical way to go, at least for Saber, as it led towards an exit closest to the gates. Also in that direction, Saber saw a light and a familiar face; Zyrune. Well, it was a surprise to see him. Zyrune was one of Saber’s ex-guild members, and seemed quite intent in following the Assassin. However, his stay in the guild was short as Saber ended the Guild not to long after. It was good to see the man was still playing the game and had taken hold of his own path. But at the moment, it wasn’t time for any kind of reminiscing. Zyrune must have entered the tracks ahead of Saber and from his direction, he knew which way the pack of Adventurers and the Lander had gone. With that in mind, Saber turned his feet and headed into the tunnel.

Though, as he closed in on Zyrune, the Druid began to speak. Saber didn’t listen. Now wasn’t the time for chatting because of them being being so instead, he kept moving. Saber moved off to the side of the tunnel to try and keep his eyes from being bothered by the light and hurried passed the Druid. Once he was by, he began to scan the zone ahead. To his dismay, the light the Druid put out had indeed messed with his vision slightly but it only took a few moments for Saber to readjust. Once he was able to see again, the Assassin reorientated himself into the middle of the tracks and continued after the other group. They were close, he could hear their feet and they didn’t seem to be in a rush. Saber let out a huff and narrowed his eyes, pushing his nose against his scarf. As he did so, he received a party invitation from Zyrune. That invitation was quickly denied and Saber kept moving. His mind cleared, his breathing steadied.

“Here we go.” Saber lightened his pace and his footsteps. The enemy was just ahead of him, it wouldn’t be much longer now. As he continued to move, he activated a hiding skill; Hiding Entry. With that, Saber eliminated himself from view and the sounds of his feet dissipated as he slowed his movement further. Just in the distance, he began to see outlines.

Coded By Saber of L33T T3@M
Modified by KittyGrey

[Zyrune]

Lets Play Elder Tales.

Hp: 100 Mp:100

▼

Tagged: Neko Hiro Wc: 480 NOTES:

As the cold damp air brushed past his shoulders, the druid rolled his eyes dramatically, even letting out a sing song chortle as the assassin ran past him, at this rate he was going to run into one of the enemies and for a moment the druid contemplated casting a movement restriction spell on the assassin to stop him in his tracks, but that would be stupid seeing as Saber only seemed to know what he was doing, his total disregard for the party invitation showed that he had no interest in Zyrune assisting him, for if he did, surely he was aware of how much Zyrune's attacks were magic based and aoe. which mean they hit everyone around the druid bar allies and his heals were far better when cast on allies. Not only that but with his summon active, the man's speed would be severely reduced due to the pores she cast on all surrounding targets that weren't allies. Then again when you were level 90, you really didn't have to worry about taking damage from a bunch of level fifty players now did you, so for a moment the druid let out a soft breath as he shared a giggle with his summon before turning on his heel. It seemed to him that Saber really did have this one all to himself and was fully capable of taking down a small rag tag group of no bodies and that should the druid intervene, he would cause more havoc and chaos than actually help, in fact he doubt anyone could provide help without messing up the assassin's path. That must have been the reason the man had ignored him when he spoke, surely the assassin presumed the druid was aware of this already. "Probably for the best, eh Sakura?" He snickered, brushing the hair from his face as they moved back in the direction that they came from. The summon just gave that earthly warm smile as she moved ahead of him. The druid's grin widened as they moved through the soft darkly lit tunnel towards the entrance, planting a shrieker echo in his wake, that way the cotton candy haired druid would be alerted should anyone try to follow him back up towards the surface or pursue Saber deep with the tunnel. His summon just giggled, totally unperturbed and they continued their movements. There was a a lot of damage done to the city, surely his healing spells were better put to use healing people of the land and adventurers that had taken damage during the attack. "We might actually get to do something this way Sakura and we can avoid the unpleasantness." As he looked to her face for a response, he shook his head, wondering if he should acquire the tongue of nature skill next, that way they could at least talk to one another.  The druid shurgged his shoulders, lifting a hand in farewell towards the tunnel, he slowly turned and started making his way towards the surface.

                    PYXIS ★

[Neko Hiro]

Music: The Landing

The adventurers around the Father were starting to get wary of their surroundings. Not even his words would be enough to tend to the fears within their minds. Of course, they should be afraid, since they were obviously being followed. But, with the Father there, who knew all sorts of mystical spells and dark enchantments, their fear shouldn't be quite as powerful. However, this didn't matter at all to the Father, since he was more than willing to cast aside these miscreants for his own purposes. They followed him, worshiped him, and did whatever he asked. That was more than enough for the elder Apostle. Subjects willing to die for you upon a single command, caused him to smile a bit further, and even chuckle.

Soon enough, though, a dark chill began to run up the spines of the adventurers, and the Father had noticed it. Having heard distant footsteps from far away, he could tell that they were being followed, but since they were all but gone now, he knew that something was wrong with this situation. A person doesn't just vanish from life. The footsteps he heard had to still be around, and the option of them having gone away from a party of this size is unlikely. The Father raised his hand up to the other adventurers, commanding that they wait. Without so much as a moment's notice, the Father began to cast a spell on the area surrounding him. Silently, at first, but soon enough, it would become a mantra.

"Feed the damned, curse the living. Cause pain, deflect pleasure. Begin the suffering, end the joy. Rid the strength, empower their weakness!"

With his mantra having finish, a dark aura began to spread very quickly from the Father, emanating out a long ways. Pretty soon, the dark aura had enveloped the entirety of the underground area, and a powerful pressure could be felt. The Father, having finished casting his spell, laughed a bit. The spell he cast, as powerful as it is, was learned from having observed multiple raid areas, and was manipulated to become a spell that Cultists may used at a high level.

Weaken the Land: Level 71 Cultist Spell
A spell learned and adapted from the raid areas. This spell lowers the levels of all opposing parties to a certain number, within 10 levels of the caster. The spell emanates a dark field around the user, expanding to cover a very large area, effectively turning it into a raid area. Enemies of a lower level than the target number are left the same. Mobs and allies of the casting party are kept at the same level. This skill has a casting time of 2 seconds, and an animation time of 10 seconds. Effects begin whenever a target enters the effected area, and take place for an entire thread.

The Father turned around, and looked to his Adventurers. Nodding to them, they formed a line in front of him, to guard off any attacks that may come their way. Since the Father wasn't sure about how many there would be, he figured that lowering everybody's levels to a certain number would be more than beneficial to him, as well as it would keep him safe for the entirety of the fighting that would take place. Along with this, he had his fair share of spells that could damage, and the other unknown Cultist spells. Since this was a subclass that had been invented by a certain group of people, and it did not stretch further out than the owners and users, much of it is left in the shrouds. Smiling, and facing where the footsteps would come from, he waited patiently for the Adventurers' reactions.

[PARTY DEBUFF: LEVELS AUTOMATICALLY SET TO 55]

Information Gathered:
 - Cultist Spell, Level 71.
 - Cultist is a recently-created subclass.

[Saber]

Do You Believe in Ghosts?

: Words : 1268
: Tags : Neko Hiro
: Skills Used : [Arrow Revolver, Atrophy Break, Dimensional Shot, Quick Draw, Explosive Sigil, Death Stinger, Trinket Work]
: Notes : Begin Operation

There they were. The group Saber had been steadily creeping up on finally came into view and as he continued forward, he was able to make out their figures, and when he got even closer he was able to find out even more about his targets. Eventually, Saber was close enough that he could have lunged out from the side of the tunnel and engaged one of them. However, he kept his space and knelt down quietly in the shadows. So far they had not fully detected him, but they seemed uneasy. His footsteps in the beginning were loud and pounded the rocky floors. They surely must have heard him but from their unease and lack of offensive positions, they probably couldn’t see him. With that in mind, Saber kept his hiding skill active and held his black cloak loosely around himself. The Assassin not only hid himself with his skill, but he kept himself beside a large rock as well to obscure their view of him.

As he stood by, Saber began to pick apart his targets. There were seven in total; six were level fifty Adventurers and the seventh was a level sixty-one Heretic Person of the Land. Out of them all, the Lander was the most dangerous. He had more levels than the rest of them and his subclasses weren’t exactly light. One of them was actually maxed; Cultist. Saber hadn’t exactly seen such a thing before but he was not surprised. The Adventurers herded around this fellow like Guard Dogs so he probably was someone important. If that were the case, then his head was a pretty pricey one. Though, that did not mean Saber could forget about the rest. A group of six level fifties stood between Saber and his target, and they weren’t exactly safe from execution either. Any one of them could have the answers he required, and Saber planned to get every bit of information that he possible could.

Two of the Adventurers were Guardians. The heavy set, pure-defense brick walls would prove obnoxious when it came to a head on assault. They would most likely attempt to take as much damage as possible to shield the Lander and force Saber’s attention on them. They would also probably try to lock him in place and open him up for attacks. Along with the duo-defensive bricks, supporting the group were two Mages; one Sorcerer, one Cleric. The Sorcerer would rip through Saber’s defenses very quickly, but his aim would be poor and he would be easy to avoid. The Cleric on the other hand wouldn’t need to attack to be a nuisance. Simply existing was a painful sight. The remaining two other players were an Assassin and a Swashbuckler; DPS. Their presence was expected, but Saber doubted they could keep up with him. The group seemed more determined to protect the Lander than to dish out high damage.

The various classes present pretty much hit every requirement needed to fend off the brainless attackers. The party setup also pretty much secured every possible angle of attack, which meant that Saber was going to have to be crafty. The Assassin had a wide variety of tools at his disposal and he was going to make good use of them. After just a few moments, he had a plan in mind and was just about ready to initiate it. However, before he could move, the Lander began to preach. Saber’s eyes narrowed and his right hand drifted back to one of his daggers. The hilt pressed into his palm and the Assassin waited, listening to the words; a spell? The Adventurers formed a line in front of the Lander and a dark aura pulsed into the tunnels. The pulse swept across Saber’s body and the air seemed to squeeze around him. His teeth clenched under his lips and his muscles tensed. In the corner of his eye, his level was split in almost half. Saber dropped from level ninety to level fifty-five, removing any chance of his original plan working and it also cut out a few of his useable skills, one of which he was just about to use.

“Well. Shit.” Saber rumbled and pulled back into the dark. He needed a new plan now, but he didn’t take very long to think of one. The Assassin pulled himself back behind the rock and then eased against the wall, shifting himself against it before moving away from the group. The Assassin swiftly created some distance between himself and the seven Londinium attackers before tucking into a small rut. There, he opened his menu just long enough so that he could summon his bow and arrows. Once he had them, Saber drew his bow and pulled a black arrow free from the quiver. With his new weapon in hand, the Assassin crept back to where he had been and then knelt down. Slowly and steadily, Saber nocked his arrow and then pulled it back until the string was taut; the arrow head pointed straight towards the Lander’s right shoulder. Once his aim was set, he began a simple combination of skills.

The first was arrow revolver. Upon keying the skill, five arrows pulled from his quiver and began to float just off to his left, hovering in the darkness right beside him. The second skill was Atrophy Break as he enchanted the arrow with the binding skill. Third, Saber keyed Dimensional Shot. The point of attack was set to be two meters above and diagonally forward; his shot would come from overhead and the arrow would strike from just out of reach of the Guardians. The fourth skill Saber had to wait to use; Quick Draw. The set of skills activated one by one and all the while, Saber kept his eyes on the Lander. He took in a deep breath, relaxed, and held. Then, his eyes hardened and Quick Draw activated. In an instant, the arrow shot forward and then vanished. It reappeared above and ripped through the air, heading straight down towards the Lander behind the Adventurers at an alarming speed.

Yet, Saber was not done. As his first shot ripped towards the Lander, Saber’s second arrow floated into his hand. He pulled back on the string and then fired his second shot; targeting the two Guardians. On the tip of the arrow, an orange explosive sigil burned and flared. Without missing a beat, Saber fired a third shot immediately following the second, targeting the Cleric with a poisoned arrow; Death Stinger. Another arrow darted out not a moment later, fired towards the Sorcerer. Once the fourth shot was away, Saber ignited Trinket Work and forced himself backwards. Trinket Work flared, covering his body for a moment in a blue haze before he caused himself to disappear again, retreating back into the shadows. As he moved back, Saber snapped his fingers to trigger the second arrow he fired. The fifth arrow lingered in his right hand and he kept his eyes locked onto the group as he repositioned himself, readying himself to strike again.

The initial arrow fired at the Lander would cause damage but would also cause him to be bound in place for a short amount of time. The second shot would explode upon contact with the Guardians, or when just in front of them. The Cleric would be poisoned if hit and the Sorcerer would suffer from an arrow to his stomach. With Saber’s speed, his attack had been carried out in only a few seconds, and as he watched, he was already preparing for a second assault.

Coded By Saber of L33T T3@M
Modified by KittyGrey

[Valerie]

The ground rumbled as a loud boom sounded in the distance. The girl’s hair swished as she turned around to stare at the smoke and rising flames that came from the center of the city of Londinium. The Adventurer was near the borders of Londinium when the first explosion sounded. Her gut told her to run, but she was not one to run. And it was not like she had anything better to do at the moment besides trying to hunt in the Greatwood forest where many other Adventurers and People of the Land would be taking refuge in, which would get her nothing as most would either avoid the Adventurers or be hunted by the ones there. Either way, it didn’t benefit her much, so Valerie shrugged her shoulders and slowly made her way toward the explosions. By the time she was in the center of Londinium, many iconic buildings and landmarks were in flames. As people ran past her, panicking and horrified, the girl continued to walk slowly, stopping to check an Adventurer or People of the Land if she spotted one and told them to leave the area. In the mist of all the confusion, she had heard some people talking about seeing strange people who had planted the supposed explosives that were burning down Londinium. Grimacing, Valerie slowly sped up, walking around the familiar streets quickly until she caught some strange words in the distance, using [Hearing Aptitude]. The girl broke into a run, trying to trace the source of the sound, sprinting through the burning streets of Londinium, keeping an eye out for falling pieces of buildings that were shifted out of place by the explosions. As she ran, more smoke filled her lungs and she coughed and her chest heaved slightly from the discomfort. As she the voices became louder, Valerie recognized it was some sort of chant, spell, or at least the voice seemed like one to do such a thing. She couldn’t register what was said, but it was clear that someone was there, and they were not a normal Adventurer or People of the Land. The girl bristled but continued walking toward the strange voices, her footsteps padding softly on the uneven roads. She paused for a second when she reached an entrance of a tunnel, the entrance to the Underground. Valerie’s brows furrowed in worry as she stepped into the tunnels and continued track the voices and footsteps ahead of her. She had never been in the Underground and was not sure what to expect. If it was really dark, the girl could do nothing but wait until her eyes adjusted or she would most likely trip and draw attention to herself, if she had not already been noticed. Making her way deeper beneath the surface, the air began to clear slightly. She sighed softly to herself, glad to be able to breathe easy once again. Apart from the footsteps and voices she was following, Valerie noticed another voice and footsteps, one set that was closer to her than the others. She stiffened, trying to guess how many there were. About 10? Maybe a bit less… 9? The girl asked herself as she continued walking, slowing down a bit as she tracked the closest one from a distance, still not able to see them. She heard two sets of feet leaving the area, breaking off from the path before fading into silence. Did some of them leave? Are they setting down another series of explosives? The girl panicked slightly but she bit the inside of her cheek and heaved a silence sigh. Explosives were dangerous, and once they are set to go off, there is little to do to stop them. People, however, are a tad easier to stop. Slowly, the footsteps in front of her came to a stop. The girl came to an abrupt stop and listened carefully. Did someone hear me? Damn, that Assassin skill would be amazingly useful right now. The girl said, scolding herself for choosing her current main class, Swashbuckler. It was useful, but it seemed to lack something that Assassins had, that was a very important part of Valerie, silence and a lack of presence. She disliked being noticed and often hid in the shadows of the night. The shadows here were plentiful, but she could not use them as she wanted. After a bit, the girl continued walking, careful with her steps, making them as soft as possible. As she crept closer, she caught the voice of the chanter whose voice came steadily from one place. This time, she would make out some of the words and could clearly register the tone of the voice. It was an incantation, a spell… Or something like that. It was not like the Swashbuckler was an expert at spells and magic. When the Heretic finished his words, Valerie felt a wave pass through her, causing her stats that rested near the top of her vision to flash briefly before settling back to normal. The girl furrowed her eye brows as she quickly checked over her stats, but it seemed like everything was the same, almost as if nothing had happened to her. As she came closer, she spotted the shadows of a group of seven people. Valerie slipped into the shadows of the tunnels and crept closer, trying to get a closer look. She ducked behind a low rock and the corner of a wall that were closer together and in the shadows. She peeked through the narrow crevice between the wall and the rock. There were six level 50 Adventurers and one level 61 People of the Land. There were two Guardians, one Sorcerer, one Cleric, one Assassin, and one Swashbuckler, like herself. They were spread out like they were ready for an attack, protecting the People of the Land, a level 61 Heretic. The girl warily looked around the area. She was not following to fight them, but instead to gather information about the strange people who had caused the fires and explosions in her city. However, if she would encounter a fight, she wasn’t planning to run. Anyway, back to her current worries. The group had stopped before she had entered the area where they could possibly hear her, which would most likely mean that they had stopped for a different reason. The fact that they seemed to be ready to either attack or defend made Valerie tense up, realizing that there was probably other people there that were around. Suddenly, the Swashbuckler saw an arrow speed toward the group from above, angling down from above. A few meters in front of her, on the other side of the tunnel, the girl spotted a man kneeling down with a bow in one hand out of the corner of her eye. Without pausing, the man continued to shoot, one after another. After releasing four arrows, the man disappeared but the Swashbuckler knew better. The Assassin class was her favourite class, right under Swashbuckler. She had heard of the Assassin’s basic skill of disappearing from sight and ability to make no would at all, making the perfect Assassin. Valerie eyed the spot where the Assassin was and stared at it hard, trying to see through the magic. The girl didn’t stare for long as one of the arrows exploded, drawing her attention away from the man. Valerie silently fell back, sitting down from her hiding place. So she was right, someone was following the group and had initiated the attack. However, the Swashbuckler didn’t know which one to trust, the group of seven, including the Lander, or the lone Assassin. It was the Lander who had chanted some sort of spell, but it had taken no effect on her so she didn’t know if it was supposed to be used on her or the unknown Assassin. Either way, the girl was not planning to attack any time soon. She shifted to her knees and leaned against the wall as her deep violet eyes peering through the small crevice, watching the fight in front of her. Well, I might as well learn something from this fight… The girl thought to herself, a grin flash across her face as she settled into observation mode, her eyes darting back and forth between the group of six Adventurers and one Lander, and the invisible Assassin.

TAG: Saber Neko Hiro | WORDS: 1397 | NOTES:

[Neko Hiro]

The party of adventurers were taken completely by surprise, from the sudden attack. The explosive before the guardians was enough to send them back onto their backsides, taking a significant 30% damage each. The Cleric, having taken the poisoned arrow directly for where it was aimed, and suffering a 20% health drop, including the induction of the Poisoned state. The sudden appearance of an arrow in the stomach of the Sorcerer caused him to go into shock, suffering from a mental paralysis, as well as 25% of their health gone. The other two in the party, shocked as well, began to look for the source of the attacks, while the cleric began to heal himself from the illness.

However, the Father had predicted that an attack would appear, as he kept his hands behind his back, smiling grimly all the while. Having prepared it before an attack was ready, a dark crow swooped down and into the line of fire, blocking the shot with its body, causing both it and the arrow to disappear. The skill he had cast beforehand, Miasma Denizen, was employed just before they entered the city, to keep an eye on the surrounding area. A dark shadow, looming over all the others, protecting its lord and master. As the adventurers got back to their feet, the Father simply began to slowly clap his hands together, facing where the arrow had come from. A chuckle could be heard from him, taunting the attacker.

"Well done. Very well done, indeed." He taunted. "A surprise attack that would have killed me, for sure, had I not been prepared. I commend you on the attack, Assassin." Grinning even more menacingly, he continued. "But, your plan is foiled here." Pointing to where the Assassin was, the Father shouted. "My dark servant had found you already! Adventurers, attack!" Calling out for the adventurers to attack, who so gladly began to blindly charge at the attacker, the Father turned around, and began to walk away from the battle. The pawns would do the work, as the king leaves harm's way. To be safe, the Father had begun casting another Miasma Denizen spell, preparing yet another crow to act as a body shield. His plan for these attackers had yet to fully come, but he was certain that it would.

---

Due to the Miasma Denizen crow, the adventurers are now aware of a general position of the attackers. The Father has a multitude of spells to help protect himself, both Heretic and Cultist. The adventurers are not very experienced in combat, so they will likely not dodge many of the oncoming attacks. Treat them as mobs in your attacks.

Apologies for the length between posts.

[Saber]

Do You Believe in Ghosts?

: Words : [2150]
: Tags : [Valerie] [Neko Hiro]
: Skills Used : [Death Stinger, Accel Dance, Quick Draw]
: Notes : [Heads will roll]

The heels of the Assassin dug quietly into the darkness as he landed several meters back from his firing location. As he touched down, Saber watched his attack take effect. To his joy, his targets had been struck and the necessary damage had been done. In addition to his assault being successful in dealing a surprise attack, he had also gained information on his true target; the Lander. Out of the darkness, a bird of sorts dove down and blocked Saber’s shot, taking the arrow and vanishing into nothing. The sight made Saber’s eyes narrow and he rumbled quietly beneath his scarf as he had failed to do damage to the man, but he didn’t falter. Rather than let it deter him and his flow, Saber took the information and added it into the battle equation in his mind. Being able to hit every target right out of the gate seemed like a bit of a stretch, and Saber had prepared for it. With the sixth arrow in his hand, Saber loaded it and cocked back on the bowstring. The Adventurers had begun to move.

“One… Two… Three… Four…” As the Lander shouted out his beckoning words into the tunnel, Saber began to count. He leveled his arrow on his next target and prepared to continue his fight. However, he held. With this strike, the tunnel would become his battlefield and the Assassin’s eyes took in every detail. The shadows would be his friends here, and he was going to make sure to use them. The dust was thing, the air was heavy, and there were pebbles, stones, and large rocks everywhere. There was also a set of train tracks going down the center of the tunnel. Beneath the tracks, the wood was broken up in many places. The rails were also cracked and rotted out in a few places, adding to the age of the scene before him.

“Ten… Eleven… Twelve…” The Lander called out to his blind dogs and gave the order. Saber’s eyes flicked forward and he took in a breath. The bow in his arms stopped shaking and the tension reached its peak. Then, he fired.

The arrow shot out through the tunnel and zipped through the shadows, appearing just as the Guardians stepped in front of where Saber had previously stood. Before they could react, the arrow flew passed them, cutting between their heads and wishing deeper into the tunnel. The Cleric’s eyes opened wide as the arrow darted straight for him and he instinctively rose his staff. However, rising the object caused an opening, an opening that the arrow took; his stomach. The metal projectile struck the Cleric his core, ripping through flesh and his cloth armor with ease. Saber’s arrows were enchanted with armor piercing, and that increase turned the Cleric’s armor into paper. The Cleric hacked and gasped in response, but Saber didn’t wait. Another arrow shot out of the shadows, heading straight for the Healing Mage again. This time, the Assassin of the group was ready. He stepped to the right and slashed the iron arrow with his blade and knocked it off course in order to protect his ally.

“There!” One of the Guardians shouted, pointing his sword towards where Saber was standing. The Assassin grinned as he nocked another arrow. It was time for the fun to begin…

“Twenty five… Twenty six… Twenty seven…” Saber rose to his feet and tossed his bow off to his right and forward, throwing it across the tunnel so that it vanished into the shadows across the room. His right pinky finger twitched as the sound of the metal weapon touching rock sounded off. Then, his hands reached to his waist. His fingers wrapped around the hilts of his blades and the blade, jagged weapons were slowly pulled free from their homes. Saber let out a low growl and exhaled, his breath condensing just in front of his scarf in a faint mist. His twin swords flicked out into the air and the man stood tall, eyeing the Adventurers as they closed in on him; the Guardians took the lead with the Assassin and Swashbuckler at their back. The Sorcerer stayed behind by a few paces and the Cleric was still rebounding; his health was near fifty percent and the poison was starting to whittle away at his health, perfect.

“Twenty nine…”

The two Guardians engaged Saber first, their metal shields raised as they engaged their defensive techniques. The Assassin narrowed his eyes and watched as they activated skills. One of which he recognized; Garrison Force. The Guardians’ Health dropped by ten-percent, but they gained a secondary bar of health beneath it. A moment after that skill was activated, they keyed another. The Guardian on the left, however, seemed to activate his skills faster. This skill caused their weapons to being to warp and shake violently in Saber’s vision. He let out a huff and twirled his swords with ease as the two walls of metal came into his attack range. The Guardian on the left stepped forward first; his blade heavy and thick, but held firmly in his hand as he sliced downwards at the Assassin.

With ease, Saber stepped to his left and turned his body. The vibrating blade slammed into the floor and cut into the hard stone with ease. Wind whisked around Saber’s face and caused his cloak to flutter behind him but that was nothing more than icing on the cake. The second Guardian followed through just behind his ally, stabbing forward towards Saber. The Guardian aimed for the Assassin’s gore, hoping to stick him like a pig. Yet he was slow, his armor weighed down his movements and forced the Guardian to take larger motions to perform his strikes. These exaggerated moves were easy to read, and Saber’s trained eyes gave him an edge. The Assassin twirled to his right, stomping down on the first Guardian’s wrist and rotated his body as the second Guardian’s blade pierced where he had once stood. As he danced, Saber’s right arm flicked up into the air for only a second before it came down heavy. The extended, exposed left arm of the Guardian was struck and spliced at the elbow where the armor was weak. The razor sharp blade cut through the inner cloth but before it hit flesh, the skill the Guardian previously activated took effect. The secondary health bar took the impact and protected the Player from harm, but it drained and emptied.

Just as his right blade struck the initial target, Saber’s eyes shifted to his right. His left blade shot beneath his right arm like a bullet. The Lead Guardian, unable to move with his arm pinned beneath the other player, was defenseless as the blade broke through his defensive skill and stabbed into his throat. The critical impact point, tied in with the weapon’s enchantment which turned all physical damage into magic damage, shredded the Guardian’s failsafe and left him fully exposed. Blood splattered on his helmet and leaked down Saber’s blade as the weapon became lodged in the other player’s neck. Saber smirked and yanked his blade free. As he did, his right foot shifted to the floor, his right arm cocked back and his wrist twisted. As the man’s left arm retracted, Saber’s hips twisted and his upper body followed. In a surge of energy, Saber’s right sword ripped through the air and cut even deeper into the Guardian’s throat. Blood drizzled out from the wound and splattered along the wall. Some even hit the Guardian’s allies behind him; the Assassin and the Swashbuckler. The wounded Guardian gasped for air, but Saber didn’t hesitate; Accel Dance keyed and he clutched his blades as the Follower Guardian stepped in front of his wounded ally.

The Guardian roared out in anger and failed to engage a skill, forgetting the key to victory in the game world as he lunged at the Assassin. Saber stepped forward into the attack and watched as the vibrating sword came down like a hammer from above. His body lowered as he crouched and his head tilted upwards. The Guardian shouted out his battle cry and Saber shifted his hips and knees. As the Guardian came down from above, Saber sliced his sword at the enemy player’s wrist. His first blade struck steel, mashing into the vibrating weapon furiously but his grip helped aid him when it came to resisting the powerful kinetic energy. Even so, the Guardian’s strike was overpowering, until his second sword shot upwards. From below, Saber’s right arm shot into the air and pierced the back of the Guardian’s elbow. The impact caused the arm to flex irregularly and backwards. Pressure on the singular point caused the joint to weaken, and the damage was heightened as the Guardian held his arm out to attack Saber. As Saber struck the elbow, the Guardian’s arm was fully extended…

CRACK

Even with his armor, the elbow did not require a lot of space in order to break. It snapped with a loud pop. Due to the weak joint in the armor and his increased attack speed adding to his attack’s velocity, Saber’s blade also pierced the metal and struck some of the Guardian’s flesh. Poison leaked out into the wound and the status effect began to tug at the Guardian’s health. The battle cry turned into a bout of pain as the Guardian let go of his sword. Saber pushed the arm up, shoving the Guardian’s worthless arm out of his face. With his own arms free, the man swept his right sword at the Guardian’s right knee, striking the back of the joint with the back of his blade. The blunt strike caused the limb to buckle and the Guardian knelt down. Saber rose as the same time and his left blade sliced at the back of the Guardian’s neck. The slice cut flesh and bone, striking the player’s spine. As Saber reached his feet, he cocked his right arm back for only a flash before driving it through the Guardian’s spine.

The jagged blade cut all the way through, ripping through flesh, cartilage, and bone as he delivered a crippling blow to the Guardian. The weakened fellow let out a gasp and attempted to breathe, but the metallic object splicing his throat in two caused him to heave. His body trembled, unable to get the oxygen it so badly needed. Saber let out a huff and retracted his sword. The Guardian rose his head up and took in a pathetic breath, wheezing through the gap in his neck. His eyes opened though as he sighted Saber’s final blow. The Assassin’s right sword swept down and severed his head from his body. As the head was broken from the body, Saber dashed off with the help of one of his freshly renewed skills; Quick Draw.

The Lead Guardian pushed himself up to his knees with his shield, but a blade came into view and stabbed through his core. The blade, sharpened blade burst through his lower abdomen and burst out of his back, denting his armor slightly from the fierce impact. The Assassin pressed himself up against the Guardian and glared towards the other Adventurers as he twisted his blade inside of the wounded warrior. Accel Dance was beginning to wear, so he decided to finish off his second kill. With a shove, Saber pushed the Lead Guardian back and started to hack away at the openings in his armor. His blades cut through the shoulders, sliced the player’s throat, ripped open his stomach, and cut out lines in his thighs. Blood spurted out from the key joints and leaked onto the floor.

As Accel Dance’s effect came to an end, Saber gave the man one final slash, cutting a diagonal hack into the front of the player’s helmet. The attack caused the metal to spark, cut open the Adventurer’s face, and left a mark in the helmet itself. There wasn’t much health remaining, so Saber finished the final Guardian by shoving his blade through the opening in the player’s helmet. Though, he did not push straight through the other side. No, he contained himself and glared towards the remaining Adventurers as blood seeped out from the helmet and down Saber’s weapon. Yes he had stabbed right into the Guardian’s head, his extremely sharp weapon splicing bone and brain. To let it sink in, Saber simply remained still and glared towards the others. But, once the damage had been dealt, Saber retracted his blade and let the Guardian’s body collapse at his feet. The Assassin twirled his swords and took a slightly relaxed fighting stance. Not a word escaped his lips as he prepared himself to attack again. He simply took in a deep breath, and then exhaled slow…

He was going to turn them all into his ragdolls…

Coded By Saber of L33T T3@M
Modified by KittyGrey

[Valerie]

The Assassin’s attacks had successfully met most of its targets, except when a shadow like crow randomly appeared, blocking one of the arrows that was about the hit the Heretic. Seeing the Lander’s expression, Valerie shivered and gulped as she kept her eyes on the man who was clapping his hands, seemingly applauding that attacks that had just rained down on its companions. In fact, the lander didn’t even seem to be worried about them. Their healer had been hit by a poisoned arrow as the little icon beside its health bar indicated. Poison was a fickle thing to deal with and with their only healer poisoned, it didn’t seem to be looking good for the group of Adventurers, but their boss was simply laughing and applauding the hidden Assassin. The Heretic had recognized the Assassin’s attacks and had apparently predicted that a surprise attack would have come upon their group. The man pointed in the direction of the hidden Assassin, and his minions charged at it, almost mindlessly. Valerie raised a single eyebrow at the Adventurers. It was rather strange how they were fighting. Perhaps it was because they only knew of the lone Assassin. A single player going against a party of six Adventurers… It was clear they thought they would win. However, in a normal situation, the group of six Adventurers would most likely win. But from watching the Assassin, Valerie wasn’t too sure who was going to win. Sitting tight, she kept watching. As the Adventurers headed to attack the Assassin, the Heretic had begun to leave the scene. The Swashbuckler’s stomach twisted uncomfortably as the man began to disappear into the tunnels. Ignoring the feeling, she glued her eyes back to the fight in front of her. The moment, the Adventurers had begun to charge toward the Assassin, a flash sped toward the group, passing the Guardians and embedding itself into the Cleric at the back of the group. Her eyes flitted back to the Assassin, who had another arrow notched and fired, going past the Guardians once again, heading toward the Cleric, but this time, it was slashed out of the air by the Assassin of the group. With the two attacks, the Lone Assassin had reappeared and tossed his bow and arrow across the tunnel. The Swashbuckler’s eyes widened, slightly confused at the Assassin’s action, but she pushed it aside and kept her eyes on the fight. The Lone Assassin had reached for the two swords that were hanging from his hips and pulled them out. Valerie took a quick glance at the panel above the strange Assassin’s head. He went by the name of Saber, and was a level fifty five Assassin. The Swashbuckler’s brow furrowed in confusion as she took in the information. From what she saw, the Assassin was a very experienced fighter. As a level fifty player, Saber would only a mere five levels above her. It wasn’t much, but from watching the fight so far, she wasn’t looking forward to sparring with such a player. With the Assassin in sight, the Adventurers headed toward him, with the Sorcerer a few paces behind and the Cleric recovering in the back. The two Guardians were the first and took defensive positions in front of the Assassin. The two swords in the Assassin’s hands twirled dangerously as the Guardians came closer. The Guardian on the left raised his sword and brought it down onto the Assassin, but it only hit the ground, cutting into the concrete floor. Saber had sidestepped and dodged the attack easily; his movements smooth and flowing, never choppy and hard like the other Adventurers that were slashing and stabbing sharply. The Dancer’s mouth dropped open a bit, amazed. It was rare to see someone fight with such gracefulness in their movements. It was like a dance. Obviously, it was one that resulted in life or death, but for Valerie, it was a very beautiful dance. As he dodged, the Assassin had smartly stepped onto the other Guardian’s wrist, holding it down with his foot, not letting the Adventurer move. The other Guardian’s blade had reached for Saber, prepared to stab him, but hit nothing but the empty space where the Assassin previously was. The sword in the Assassin’s left hand dove down and into the throat of the Guardian below, the one who was pinned below the Assassin. Blood gushed from the wound, trailing down Saber’s blade before he pulled it out. Without wasting a moment, the Assassin stabbed the Guardian’s throat again, the blade going even deeper into the other player’s flesh and blood sprayed out, hitting everything around the dying player. Seeing his fellow Guardian dying, the other player stepped in front of Saber, lunging toward the Assassin, bringing his sword down upon the man. Seeing this, Valerie shook her head. It was a bad idea to do such a thing. The Guardian was attacking out of anger, not keeping a cool head in the fight. Being like that would only get him killed faster. The Guardian cried out angrily as the sword began to fall on the Assassin. Quickly, Saber had slashed the incoming Guardian’s wrist and stopped the blow. His other sword sprang upwards and pierced the Guardian’s elbow, bending the other player’s arm in an ugly way, all the way until a loud crack sounded through the tunnels. The Guardian’s cry of anger turning into a cry full of pain, and his sword fell to the ground. The Assassin pushed the Guardian away before swinging his own sword at the back of the Guardian’s knees, bringing the Adventurer to his knees. Straightening up, Saber sliced the back of the Guardian’s neck with his left sword, and then brought down his other weapon straight down the dying player’s spine. He is not going to last… In fact, considering how the fight is going right now, none of them are going to last. Valerie thought, glancing quickly at their dying Cleric. The Cleric had taken two arrows in vital places, both bearing poison effects that would slowly drain the Adventurer’s health, as poison was a pain to deal with. Turning back to the fight in front of her, Valerie heard a soft wheezing sound from the Guardian. Guessing from the wounds Saber had inflicted on him, she supposed that the Guardian was struggling to breath, but air was leaking out from the cut to his throat. The man was standing in the doorway of death and finally, the Assassin gave the finally push and severed the Guardian’s head from his body. Unconsciously, a dark grin twitched at the corners of the female Swashbuckler’s lips as she continued to watch the fight. Of course, the girl wasn’t too innocent herself and seeing the Assassin kill another player with such skill and grace, along with completely beheading the other player, woke up something Valerie had often keep silently sleeping within herself. And keeping it asleep was a good idea, because she had no idea if it was possible to put it back to sleep. With one Guardian dead, the Assassin turned his attention to the other Warrior. The remaining Guardian struggled to get up, but his didn’t get far as a blade burst through his torso, going straight though, skewering the player. Saber continued to push the jagged weapon into the Guardian, and then twisted the blade within the other Adventurer. Saber’s back was towards Valerie, but judging by the other Adventurers’ expressions, the Swashbuckler could probably guess. Either a sadistic grin or a cold glare… Both would work well in this situation. She thought to herself in amusement, a sadistic grin appearing on her face. Pushing the Guardian away, the girl saw the Assassin begin to hack away at the Guardian, slowly pushing the other back into the other players. Blood began to trail down to the ground, beginning to pool on the ground of the tunnel. Valerie watched the Guardian’s health bar drain as it was almost empty. The girl flinched slightly as the sword hit the Guardian’s helmet, a sparks flying and the sound of scraping metal as the metals collided. She winced at the sound, hating the sound of metal on metal. Blood sprayed as the jagged blade cut through the Guardian’s face. From her hiding spot, Valerie saw the Guardian’s face being cut open. Humming softly, the girl began to sway side to side like a child watching a movie, one about rainbows and unicorns. When Saber’s sword pierced straight through the Adventurer’s head, a silent giggle shook her chest. Now is not the time to laugh. She chided herself, but a grin remained on her face as she watched the bloody fight. The Guardian’s health bar emptied and the Assassin withdrew his weapon from the Guardian’s head and the dead Adventurer fell to the ground. With amazing grace and swiftness, Saber twirled both weapons in his hands, taunting the remaining players. As the constant fighting slowed, the Swashbuckler caught herself grinning and her face became completely blank as she struggled to compose herself, trying to keep her mind clear from the strange thoughts and laughter. Get yourself together, Val. You still have to watch the rest of the fight. She chided herself before settling back into her seat and steadied herself to watch the rest of the fight. Hopefully, the monster inside her would remain dormant and asleep for the rest of the fight. But you don’t have to just sit and watch. Because we both know it would be more fun to do something… The other voice in her head said sweetly, tempting Valerie as the skill Trigger Jackpot floated around in her mind. Fine… But I don’t want to get caught. Valerie reasoned to herself. You won’t as long as you don’t aim for the Swashbuckler. Go for the Cleric, he’s going to die soon anyway. The other voice advised. The Swashbuckler stiffened. It was rare that her other voice gave good advice, and often the good advice, resulted in Valerie doing something reckless. Not that she really minded, but it was unnecessary and the girl didn’t enjoy wasting her energy. Fine. Valerie sat up straight and opened her menu, taking her two starter daggers out, and began her to cast the spell, and five card shaped marker appeared on the Cleric’s body. Without a moment of delay, the Swashbuckler’s eyes narrowed onto the healer and the markers flashed and then exploded. Thirty five percent remain. Valerie glanced quickly at the healer’s stats. The girl smiled and casted a second spell, and then stood up from her hiding place, but remained in the shadows, then threw her dagger, aiming at the Cleric. The blade copied itself into multiple copies and flew into the Cleric. Twenty percent. Get out and fight. The other voice in her head commanded and the Swashbuckler threw her other dagger at the Sorcerer and jumped over the rock boulder. As she landed, Valerie drew her sword and darted toward the Adventurers. When she was in front of the Assassin and Swashbuckler, the girl activated House Advantage, and thrusted her sword six times, three for the Assassin and three for the Swashbuckler. Without a second of delay, Valerie darted pass the Weapon Specialists and headed for the healer and mage with the mage in front. The girl’s muscles tightened as she increased her speed and charged straight at the Sorcerer, who had begun to summon a fire ball and launched it towards Valerie. The Swashbuckler sidestepped, slowing down a bit to dodge the incoming fire ball. Being slight lazy and sloppy with her movements, the girl’s arm was slightly singed, but it only made the Swashbuckler giggle. Damn it Val. Get yourself together. The girl thought to herself, but her face only broadened into a deeper and darker grin. Throwing her body forward, the girl continued to run, heading towards the Cleric. As she passed by the Sorcerer, Valerie held out her sword and dragged its black blade along the mage’s forearms which were slightly in front of it body, then flexed her wrist and continued to drag it through the mage’s wrist, completely severing his hand. Valerie. Wake up. The Swashbuckler yelled at herself. Take back control. But the other simply laughed and so did the girl. Out loud. Aw, shit. This is not good. Valerie thought to herself. And will not end well. It will end spectacularly. The other voice said happily, as the girl giggled softly. The Sorcerer cried out in pain, but Valerie’s expression changed from a dark grin to a bright, happy smile, in the blink of an eye. Looking at the Cleric right in the eye, she tilted her head to the side innocently as she resumed her previous speed and darted towards the healer with her sword lazily dangling behind her, bobbing up and down as she ran. Abruptly, she skid to a stop a few centimeters in front of the Cleric and grabbed his weapon wielding hand and twisted it as she swung her sword around her and into the torso of the healer. She tightened her grip on the other Adventurer’s arm and on her sword, stopping the blade in the middle of the healer. The Swashbuckler’s tilted downwards and stared at the sword in the middle of the Cleric, then glanced back up at him with a smile. The smile that a child would use on a parent when she stole a cookie from the cookie jar. Without taking her eyes off the Adventurer, she twirled her wrist and spun the sword while it was inside of him. And that drained the Cleric’s health bar completely. The girl pouted and almost whimpered. YOU. ARE. NOT. ME. Valerie commanded herself, struggling to take control over herself once more. Slowly, Valerie began to feel herself settle back into her body, taking control. She sighed softly as she stumbled back a few steps and whirled around, prepping herself to attack or defend. Whichever one came first. Though, honestly, she would much rather prefer attacking. Dang… the other’s seeping through. Control yourself, Val. The girl thought to herself as her other voice remained silent. The Swashbuckler bent her knees and gripped her sword as she took a deep breath and sighed to herself. Even though you’re back in control, you will still have to suffer the consequences of your own actions. The other voice said weakly, but delight was clearly heard. Screw you, Other.

TAG: Neko Hiro Saber | WORDS: 2415 | NOTES: The Monster Will Rise and Fall

[Saber]

Do You Believe in Ghosts?

: Words : -2205-
: Tags : [Valerie] [Neko Hiro]
: Skills Used : [-----]
: Notes : After the Priest!

“Four left…” The man’s eyes pierced into the darkness and he rumbled within his throat, his next course of action flowing through his mind like clockwork. The gears of the strategic machine twisted and twirled as he put together piece after piece, slid the blocks into place, and locked in his solution to the challenge ahead of him. The Cleric was almost down, the Sorcerer would be useless in close-quarters, and the other two would need to be dealt with almost simultaneously simply because of their classes. From the battle with the Guardians, Saber could tell that these fellows weren’t exactly skilled in team tactics. They seemed more like a band of players drawn together by some random excuse, but that excuse Saber didn’t care for. Londinium was burning because of these people, and he was going to find out why.

Without another word, Saber took a single step forward. Just as he did, he heard a whisk and his eyes sharpened. The man stepped left and looked right, watching as a flying blade whipped through the air. Glancing left, he saw the Cleric stiffen and step back; he was being targeted. Before the healer could move, the swords multiplied and then strike the player in several places. Another blade flew at him seconds later, digging into his body along with the others. Saber clutched his blades and looked back to his right as he heard footsteps; they were loud and quick, but what bugged him the most was their closeness. Both to his amazement and his dismay, he sighted a female player; she was only level fifty and a swashbuckler. Though, any player was better than none he guessed. Saber would have preferred a healer, but his luck didn’t seem to be high today.

Saber took another step back and glared over to his left, eyeing the Assassin and the Swashbuckler as they started to engage the other pair. A low rumble escaped Saber’s lips again and he stepped forward to them once more as his friendly Swashbuckler lunged by him. She attacked the Assassin and Swashbuckler first. With a flurry of a few quick strikes each, she caught them off guard and put them both on the defensive. Saber didn’t waste his opportunity and surged forward right behind the woman. She moved away from the Assassin first, and Saber filled the gap. The man wielded a pair of daggers, but he held them in a weak reverse grip. It was almost disgraceful to see such a thing and a fire lit in Saber’s stomach at the sight. How people survived in this game, he would never know but he did know one thing; some people were luckier than he was.

But this one was not…

With a heavy slash, Saber brought down his left blade onto the Assassin’s head. In response, the enemy player fell back on instinct. The man brought up his daggers in a cross pattern and flexed his arms to block the blow. Pressure built in Saber’s arm and he pushed down, using his momentum and stronger base to keep the Assassin pressed. The man grit his teeth together and glared at Saber, staring into the well-trained killer’s glazed blue eyes in search of some sort of relief. There wasn’t anything there. Not a single though of doubt crossed Saber’s mind; he was going to kill the other Assassin. Upon seeing such a stoic response to such a violent thing, the enemy Assassin’s eyes opened wide; he realized his mistake. Regret washed over his face, too late.

Saber’s second blade plunged into the man’s stomach and poison seeped out into his body. The Assassin’s guard weakened and he took a step back. Once the poison had taken affect and the damage was done, Saber pulled his sword out of the man’s stomach and then kicked him hard in the stomach. The Assassin hacked out a bloody cough as he was shoved backwards. The man’s feet stumbled beneath him unsteadily and his head reeled back, causing his balance to distort. He tumbled backwards and slammed down flat. Saber huffed at the weak sight, but he had no time to finish the job; the Swashbuckler had recovered and engaged. Saber twisted his feet and parried the initial jab but was forced to step back when a skill came at him. The blade of the Swashbuckler glowed blue, and the sword jammed into the air as the player aimed for Saber’s throat.

The skill honed in on the Assassin’s neck and Saber’s eyes narrowed hard. His fingers clutched onto his swords and his feet swiveled on the floor, positioning himself as he leaned back. The blade drew close and the Swashbuckler grinned, but it didn’t last. Inches before impact, Saber’s hips twisted and his knees bent. His body dropped out of the way and the blade swished through the air harmlessly. Saber’s right arm flashed between the two players. The gleeful face of the Swashbuckler twisted into an emotional state of agony as his stomach was cut open. Blood gushed out from the wound and the Swashbuckler staggered forward. Saber got his balance and stepped back as the other man’s eyes opened wide. Saber huffed and then twirled around, lowered himself down as his blades cut through the other player’s left leg. The first sliced out his thigh, gouging into it deep. The second slice removed the limb completely as he deepened the wound. Bone shattered, muscles ripped, and the Swashbuckler collapsed in a mumbling silence. He dropped his blades onto the floor, the weapons sliding just out of his reach, and flopped onto his stomach.

The enemy Assassin lifted himself onto his knees and watched at the Swashbuckler was brought down. His eyes remained open and his lips trembled with fear as Saber planted his boot flat on the Swashbuckler’s back, pinning the mentally paralyzed man onto his chest. There was no hesitation in his movements, no fear, no regrets, and no second thoughts. Saber wasn’t afraid to kill, he didn’t second-guess his movements and he aimed for the critical points. This was the difference between him and the others. The enemy Assassin’s mind began to swirl at the sight of his fellow Adventurer being stabbed through the back of the head. Saber’s blade pierced the man’s skull and stabbed into the rock, trapping the player in his place. It wasn’t worth it, the plan wasn’t worth this!

“N-no… p-please…” The Assassin began to mumble, his entire body trembling. Saber’s head turned towards him and those pale, empty eyes glared at him. Saber had decided their fates at the beginning of the fight and the sands of time had flowed towards him obediently. The well-trained killer had controlled the fight from the moment he fired his arrows, and the Assassin was in too deep to say sorry now. With the Swashbuckler trapped and immobile as his health was rapidly drained from his bar, Saber stepped off his back and strode towards the other Assassin.

The man stumbled onto his backside and started to crawl backwards, his head swaying left to right as he watched the man in black stepped towards him. He glanced to his left, hoping to get help from his magical allies. None came. The new arrival had dispatched of the Cleric and the Sorcerer was missing a hand. The Assassin was alone and as he looked back, he only saw the body of Saber at first. He let out a weak whimper and looked up towards the demon player’s face. It was shrouded in darkness due to the combination of his hood and the lack of light; he looked like a reaper. The man on the floor swallowed hard and his breath became weak. His entire body shook in fear.

“Where did the Lander go…?” Saber demanded. The man on the floor didn’t answer at first. Saber wouldn’t wait for fear and without hesitation; he stabbed his blade into the other Assassin’s thigh. Pain flooded into the other player’s body and he let out a blood curdling cry as red liquid gushed from the fresh wound. Saber had taken care to stab through the bone as well, shattering the thick object with the high amount of pressure in his strike.

“Answer me…” Saber leaned down and growled low. He had no time for games, and the other Assassin realized that there was no escape. Even if he tried to perform Call to Home, he would have to access the menu! Saber obviously wouldn’t allow that. Either he answered, or he would be tortured… With no options, in his mind, the Assassin pointed down the tunnel in the direction the Priest Lander had gone.

“T-that way! He went that way!” After answering, the Assassin looked back up at Saber and continued to plead for his life, begging and crying for mercy. He would get none. Saber withdrew his blade and sliced out the other player’s throat. The man clutched his neck and fell backwards, his head bashing onto a rock behind him. Saber stomped onto the wound in the player’s gut, dug his boot into it to enhance the pain, and then raised his blade up. The trapped Assassin’s eyes opened as the black blade glistened in the dim lighting. A moment later, it dropped and pierced through his skull. Just like his fellow Swashbuckler, the Assassin was skewered into the floor. His brain oculdn’t register the pain and he grew numb all over. His mouth dropped open and he simply stared at the blade in his face, and at the man who had put it there. It was then, at that moment, that the Assassin saw into Saber’s eyes once more. Loneliness…

“W… why….?” The last word that fell out of the Assassin’s lips was nothing more than a whisper. Saber didn’t bother to answer, but a frown crossed his face beneath his mask. The Enemy Swashbuckler burst into pixels and the pinned Assassin only lasted a few more seconds before he too vanished into air. Saber grimaced and closed his eyes for a brief moment.

“Because this is my curse.” He withdrew his blade from the stone floor and then walked back to retrieve the other, pulling it free from the ground. He sheathed both of them and paced across the tunnel a few feet to get his bow. Once he had it, the man drew an arrow and started to walk up the tunnel.

Without much care, Saber nocked the arrow and fired it, striking the Sorcerer in the left shoulder as he started to stand. He staged backwards in pain and glanced up to see Saber marching towards him. A second arrow pierced his stomach, and then a third rammed through his throat. The Sorcerer coughed and wheezed, trying to take in a breath. A fifth arrow hit his left knee and then a sixth drilled into his left thigh. The accuracy of the shots in the critical points dropped the Sorcerer’s health rapidly and pain filled the player’s limbs. He dropped to the ground and leaned on his staff to keep himself from completely collapsing. The archer stopped a few paces off and nocked a seventh arrow. The Sorcerer looked up and stared towards Saber, his eyes open wide for only a moment. The arrow slipped through Saber’s fingers. Bones cracked, blood splattered, and the Sorcerer fell onto the cold, rocky floor. His body vanished a few seconds later.

“How sad…” Saber muttered to himself as he walked to where the Sorcerer had fallen. He gathered up the arrows he had fired and returned them all to his quiver, as they were reusable. With the tunnel cleared, Saber took a swift glance around at the locations of where he had killed each of the others, and then looked to where the newcomer and the Cleric had been. She had finished him off pretty quickly, but she wasn’t exactly perfect in her engagement. It didn’t matter much though, Saber wasn’t one to judge. He had flaws in his own fights. Though, there would be no time for complaints, compliments, or suggestions. The battle wasn’t over.

“We aren’t done yet.” The words he spoke were directed at the Swashbuckler and he pointed up the tunnel briefly.

“We’ve got one more to get, and I want him alive.” Saber clutched his bow tight and started to jog up the tunnel. Last he saw him, the Priest was walking. He seemed to be quite confident in his body guards being able to handle one man, so he couldn’t have got far. But that didn’t mean anything. If Saber wanted to catch him, he would have to move with a purpose. Thus, he moved quickly.

“Be quick, Swashbuckler, or we’ll lose him.” This man wasn’t getting away with what he had done, and Saber would drag him all the way back to Londinium if that was what it would take to get his answers. Just the thought of the bombings enraged the Assassin, but he kept his cool. If he let himself get taken over by rage and anger, he wouldn’t get the answers he wanted and he could potentially kill the other man. Capture was his goal, not murder.

Coded By Saber of L33T T3@M
Modified by KittyGrey

[Valerie]

Panting slightly, the girl tried to recover herself fully as her deep violet eyes rapidly darted around the tunnel area. No one was left except the Assassin. Valerie shivered as that thought ran through her head. He is fast. The girl noted to herself. He is efficient. Too bad he didn’t leave anything for me to kill. The Other voice chimed. Valerie felt a strange sense of sadness when her eyes couldn’t find the unfinished Sorcerer. Come on. You’re not like this, Val. The girl scolded herself. She was losing control way too easily. Maybe it was the tunnels. Or maybe because it was her first time killing another player. Who knows… The Other voice said in a sing-song voice. Straightening up, the girl resumed a standing position, but quickly hunched over as memories fell over her and a clear version of the fight flooded into her head with sounds of the previous fight while the Other had taken over. A liquid filled cough, ripped out of a man’s chest. Stumbling feet followed by sound of a body falling to the ground, collapsed. A blade cutting the air. A blade tearing through flesh. Stumbling again with splattering of liquid hitting the ground. Blades whirling through the air, and then silenced as it passed through a limb. The spilling of a body, falling onto the wet ground, of his own blood. Blades clattered loudly against the cement. A heavy silence clouding the sounds of a shuffling body. A blade passing through a series of bodily substances, then hitting something hard. A rock. “N-no… p-please…” The pleading of a male voice, weak and wet from the blood in his chest. The silence of an answer. Harmonies of a panicked, shuffling body with the confident, steady steps of a certain Assassin. A sad whimper and weak panting breaths. “Where did the Lander go…?” A steady voice, cruel and deadly. A second passed. Silence and then a cut through flesh, and probably something important. A blood curdling cry of pain bounced off the tunnel walls. A low voice. “Answer me…” Clothes crinkled against each other. “T-that way! He went that way!” Desperate pleas and cries filled the tunnel. And the flesh was cut and the voice disappeared. Rolling of a body. Heavy impact in something wet and soft. A blade passing through bodily substances swiftly. A dying breath with an undistinguishable word. “Because this is my curse.” Valerie shivered and a haggard breath left her lips, but the sounds kept rushing through. Metal against stone. One. Two. Footsteps. Whistling of a projectile, cutting the air, sinking in a soft body. One. Stumbling. Another fast projectile, an arrow. Footsteps came closer. Thump. Into flesh. Two. Again. Three. High pitched whistle of a broken air way. Bloody coughs. And the footsteps came closer. Thump. Four. Thump. Five. Thump. A body on the hard ground. A soft thump sounded as a blunt weapon connected with the ground. And the footsteps stopped. Thump. Six. Silence. Thump. A body, spilled on the tunnel ground. “How…” The voice faded. The sounds all faded back into the back of her mind. Panting softly, Valerie’s breath came out chopped. Get up. Her Other voice commanded. The Swashbuckler’s body unraveled and dead eyes stared blankly into the Assassin. Blinking twice, the girl regained her own mind, her eyes cleared back to normal. The Assassin stood where the sorcerer was, with six arrows in his hand as he placed them back into his quiver, promptly pointing up the tunnel. Simply, the man stated that the fight wasn’t over, but his words carried a hidden edge, warning the girl to avoid killing the Lander. There was no bringing back People of the Land and neither Saber nor Valerie was a healer. The small Swashbuckler stared back at him steadily, her gaze never wavering. She knew what they were up against, she had seen the fight, seen the Lander Heretic. But she had also seen him fight. And heard. The man wanted the Lander alive, but there was certainly going to be a fight. Someone like the Heretic was unlikely to give up without one. Promptly, the Assassin turned and jogged into the tunnel. With a seemingly condescending tone, the man told Valerie to hurry or they may be too late. The Swashbuckler’s lips pulled into a tight frown as she gripped her weapons tightly and ran after him. Darting to the right, she kept a steady pace two steps behind the man, but in the Assassin’s field of vision. Her feet light on the tunnel floor. She was weak and had let her Other take over her body, so she will had to deal with the consequences of her weakness.

TAG:Saber Neko Hiro | WORDS: 785 | NOTES: