< atton revisited > The information page for Atton has been fully revised and updated with the new map!
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Welcome to the world of Fortuna, a land of fantastic proportions. This is an original fantasy roleplay that takes place in a world developed over nearly a decade of work and collaboration. We aim to encourage all participants to have a hand in the stories of the characters here, and the world around them. Your choices are key - so make them with pride. You decide who wins the wars, you decide who becomes King, the world is ours, and together we will bring it to life!
Okay, so this could have been going better. On the one hand he had gathered enough flowers to make two potential memory potions, but on the other hand he could only make those memory potions if he didn't die before he got home. And making the potions would be useless if Endless went and got himself killed, so it was time to hightail it out of here. As soon as he got his feet untangled. Ay, there's the rub. His fingers were freezing which did not help their dexterity as he yanked and pulled at the webs around his feet, but he was slowly working through it when suddenly he spotted movement that wasn't just the spider eel. It was Endless, apparently running through the water. Wait, not through the water. On top of the water. It was like he was floating, which was so cool that for a second Simon forgot he could be mere moments away from death and he stared open-mouthed as Endless blasted the spider eel with some sort of force that knocked it back and disoriented it. "Holy shit!" he breathed out in awe, but then shouted, louder, "Holy shit," as he saw another movement farther off. Another spider eel?
Endless grabbed his coat and pulled him to his feet, and Simon managed to untangle one foot and got it settled on the ground enough to add his own strength to pulling the other one free. He couldn't believe the web could be so sticky underwater! Actually that would be a really useful ingredient for a couple of potions now that he was thinking about it but oh yeah, now probably was a terrible time to be gathering that. He would come back later with a proper plan and some useful potions - why hadn't he brought any useful potions??
It was as the first spider eel was gaining back it's senses that Simon got his second foot untangled with a lurch and he honestly almost fell down again except that Endless was holding him steady. Holding him steady while floating in the freaking air. Maybe if Simon's magic was as useful as that he would use it more often. Actually wait a second, his magic was literally perfect for a fight - if he could see what the spider eel was going to do, then he could avoid it. Could he do something like that fast enough to be useful in a fight? Ummm... maybe? Did he want to risk his life right now to find out? No, not really. He also didn't want to risk Endless's life either, but his own life was always number one on his list.
Call it selfishness, but he was pretty sure there was no one in the world he would actually sacrifice his own life for. Some might argue he got close with breaking that cursed thing Tehodis had, but he had always been more sure than not that he would survive that experience, no matter how unpleasant. After all, he'd known that Tehodis had survived it as long as it took her to get to his place, so he could be reasonably sure he could survive it long enough to destroy it.
Right, they were running away. "Oh hey, we have a horse!" he thought out loud as they neared the edge of the marsh. Now they just had to get out of here and get on the horse and outrun the spider eels! That didn't sound so hard, to be honest. He was at least mostly sure spider eels wouldn't chase them too far away from the swamp.
Post by Endless Laeretti on Sept 26, 2017 17:13:54 GMT -7
Simon had finally managed to pull himself free with a bit of help from Endless, and not a moment too soon given the fact that yet another of the monsters had risen up nearby. Of course, of course this marsh had to go and be a hot spot for them. It would be too much to hope, to much to ask, that only one of the damn things called this place home. And Simon had to apparently step on the one web that alerted both to his presence.
Well regardless, he'd more or less pulled himself free already and was now moving through the ice cold water as quickly as his feet could manage it, Endless floating protectively near him and watching his back as the Eels lumbered closer. It seemed that they might have been quicker than the duo had initially given them credit for, however; once Endless and Simon had started moving away, the Eels seemed to have decided on a more urgent pursuit, crashing through the water much faster than their earlier lumbering pace had been suggesting them capable of.
Endless turned as Simon kept moving. "Get to the horse!" he urged. Simon had more or less reminded himself of its presence, and Endless could only hope it'd accept him as a rider like it had for Endless. It wasn't as though Endless had done anything special to make the horse like him earlier when he'd arrived in Niseca with Tehodis, so Simon shouldn't have had any problem with it, right?
Hoping Simon was listening to him, Endless remained where he was floating, pushing both of his palms forward to unleash more of his telekinetic force. The Eels, which had gotten alarmingly close, caught the blast head on, knocked back gracelessly in a tumble of limbs. The dull ache in Endless's head had become a throb; that wasn't good. Endless didn't usually start feeling this way until he'd already been using his power for a good while. He'd only done a few simple things, and yet his head was already killing him. Apparently, that restorative tea from earlier really wasn't any kind of substitute for real rest. Endless must have had no idea how exhausted he was.
The eels were getting back up, and Endless was floating backwards to distance himself from them. With a jolt, he felt the bottoms of his feet skimming icy cold and realized his elevation had dropped a bit. He lifted himself a bit higher, above the surface of the water again, and felt the pain in his head intensify. One of the spider eels suddenly sprinted - or, rather, as close to a sprint as something like that could manage, thrashing through the water in a flurry of legs with its mouth open wide. It clearly wasn't pleased about getting hit twice by some invisible force, and was also increasingly desperate not to let its prey escape.
Endless prepared to knock it back again and make his getaway, but then it suddenly hurled up something green and viscous from its mouth. Endless wasn't quite prepared for that, and only barely moved his hands up to block some of the substance. As the rest of it made contact with his face and covered his nose and mouth, he realized with a sinking feeling that this must have been the Spider Eel's webbing. And currently, it was stuck quite firmly and was blocking his breathing. Panicked, he tried to tear it away, but the substance was also coating his fingers from his attempt at blocking it, and he was unable to find purchase on the bit that was suffocating him.
His elevation began to drop again, his feet skirting the surface as he moved himself backwards with shaky control. Less oxygen to the brain was not helping his control in the slightest, and the Eel was still charging. He finally came to a crash landing in the shallows near the shore, freezing cold water seeping through is clothing and sending him into a state of shock. His powers had quit on him, he was freezing, he couldn't breathe, and there was a hungry Spider Eel making its way towards him.
Simon dredged his way through the remainder of the murky water and mud towards where the horse waited on more solid ground, moving as quickly as he could given the cold and how much his feet kept wanting to get stuck after every step. He glanced back as Endless unleashed another rather impressive shockwave, blasting the now two spider eels back once more. It wouldn't keep them forever, and he could see it was taking a toll on Endless as well. Endless, who had been tired enough to drop way back when he had first arrived at the cabin, and who now was the only reason Simon was even alive because he actually had a useful ability in this situation whereas Simon hadn't even thought to bring anything helpful with him for this trip. How many protection charms did he have? Tons, but how many did he bring with him? None. He hadn't brought anything that would be useful offensively or defensively against danger, and how he was just some lanky, useless piece of shit while Endless practically killed himself trying to stop the both of them from being eaten.
Finally reaching solid ground he ran over to the horse and pat a hand on its neck before grabbing the reins and turning back again to see how Endless was faring behind him. Unfortunately, it didn't look like things were going so great. One of the spider eels darted forward faster than a creature of its size should be allowed to move and suddenly spat a huge glob of oozy green muck towards the other boy. Oh shit. "Oh shit!" Endless was coated, his attempt at blocking the web virtually useless, and he looked like it got a direct hit on his face. He was going down. "Endless!"
He ran over to where Endless had fallen into the shallows and started trying to pull the web away from his face to let him breathe, and as he did so he saw the second spider eel notice the horse and start scuttling towards it. The horse saw it too and with a flare of its nostrils it turned and ran, leaving Simon and Endless behind but, for the moment, drawing one of the dangers away. For the first time Simon began to realize they were in legitimate, life-threatening danger and he didn't have a plan to get out of it. A cold chill ran down his spine at the realization and he did the only thing he could think of - he called for help.
"Charlotte, I don't know where you are, but we're in trouble.
He didn't try to telepathically communicate with people very often, but he had more than enough training to know how to do it. He knew that Charlotte was a diviner, and he knew she would be able to find them - it was only a question of whether she was willing, and whether she could get to them before the spider eels did.
Salt! How had he forgotten, salt could dissolve spider eel webs! It was useless to remember that right now because he hadn't brought any of it but hey, at least he knew how he could have stopped them both from dying horribly right before they died horribly. The spider eel was almost on them and Simon was out of ideas and they were out of time. He had divinations and some minor spells from other classes that he could do only because he so often made them into charms. He didn't know if he had anything that could save them, but he had to try. He was not willing to go gently unto the night or whatever the phrase was. He didn't know if he had made enough of a difference with the web for Endless to be able to breathe, but if the spider eel got them it wouldn't really matter anyway, so he grabbed a rock and stood up. It wasn't a great plan, but it was what he had right now. A rock, and the thought that maybe he could take it down if he used divination to see the future. Was it a dumb idea? Yes, yes it was. Was he practically shaking with nerves and adrenaline? Yes. He wasn't in a good mindset for critical thinking right now.
"Time to do something dumb." He ran at the spider eel with the rock in hand and tried to envision the future - not the distant future but just far enough to see the spider eel's next move, just enough to catch it. He felt a pull left and just as it darted forward he brought the rock down heavily onto its head, earning a hiss for his efforts but otherwise not doing much damage. He would never defeat it with a rock but if he could stall it long enough maybe, just maybe, Charlotte could get here.
But alas, the best laid plans of mice and men... The other spider eel had quickly tired of chasing the horse and it was at this moment that it jumped Simon from behind while he focused on the other one. Its jaws bit down hard on Simon's arm as he raised it again for an attack and he shouted out in pain, the rock falling uselessly to the ground. The eel shook its head and threw Simon to the side like a rag doll. He hit the ground hard and managed to get to his feet again fairly quickly, but then swayed unsteadily on his feet as a wave of nausea and lightheadedness washed over him. Both of the spider eels were advancing on him now but he could feel himself succumbing to the creature's toxic venom almost embarrassingly quickly. His head felt too heavy for his neck and his legs were like jello, and he could feel himself stumbling backward, falling as if in slow motion, hitting the ground. He tried to cast a magic shield but he couldn't tell if it even worked. He couldn't feel his body anymore, and his thoughts were turning to smoke and drifting away before he could get a hold on them. As the world around him faded away into darkness he thought he saw one last thing, or maybe it was a vision, or maybe it was a hallucination. He thought he saw Charlotte, and then everything went black.
Post by Charlotte Firiana on Sept 28, 2017 13:37:46 GMT -7
Charlotte and Tehodis had been enjoying some fairly peaceful time next to Simon's fire during his and Endless's absence. It was a nice reprieve from the events of the day, and it gave Tehodis an opportunity to wind down after their somewhat emotionally-taxing chat in Boiss. It was pleasant to find that, in spite of exchanging some biting words and calling one another out on some shortcomings, Tehodis's opinion of Charlotte did not otherwise appear to have been entirely damaged. Though Charlotte was fairly used to people hating her, and wouldn't have been too broken up over another individual adding themselves to that list... she'd admit to feeling somewhat glad that Tehodis had chosen not to.
Perhaps Specs was right, and she really was going soft.
'Pft. As if it's even a question. Need I remind you of that stupid kid in Dirys?'
Charlotte rolled her eyes and ignored him.
In any case, while the two sipped at more of that rejuvenating tea Charlotte had brewed earlier, they filled a bit of time with conversation. Tehodis, it seemed, was no more a master of small talk than Charlotte herself was, but thankfully there was an actual topic that interested her; Charlotte's magic. She had apparently been quite intrigued by it, noting that Charlotte was clearly a Diviner of considerable skill and yet also wielded Conjuration in such an easy fashion that it seemed effortless. Ah, yes, it would figure this would be questioned. For a non-Kina to use multiple schools of magic was typically uncommon, and whatever additional school a sorcerer may have practiced in, it was usually quite apparent just from looking that their skill with it was lacking in comparison to what they'd been born into. Naturally it would thus strike someone as odd for Charlotte to be teleporting around as though it was nothing. And that was to say nothing of the oodles of magical knowledge Charlotte clearly possessed as well, her storage charm packed with various magical sundries made by magicians of all different schools, all of which she perfectly understood the use for.
She considered how to answer such queries, debating on telling Tehodis about her sponsors like she had Simon. Obviously she wasn't nearly old enough to be able to simply claim she had loads of experience (even if she was still more experienced than most). And inevitably, that's precisely what she ended up doing. Tehodis knew about her task already, so explaining it wasn't too much of a leap, though Charlotte definitely skimmed on the details, feeling as though she'd let Tehodis ask whatever specifics she wanted later. It seemed that Tehodis may have been about to do just that, clearly intrigued by the topic, when Charlotte heard a voice in her head that did not belong to any of the five she had come to know.
Simon's voice.
The message was short, simple, and woefully non-descriptive, but it had her immediately concerned. She glanced up with furrowed brows, realizing that she'd likely missed a question that Tehodis just asked, but was quick to explain.
"Simon just called out to me. He says he and your friend are in trouble."
Post by Tehodis Kitai on Sept 29, 2017 5:55:26 GMT -7
Tehodis had been deeply invested in Charlotte's explanation of magic when she heard Simon's voice. She didn't often hear voices in her head that didn't belong to her (though she would never admit that it did happen on occasion). It spooked her, the sound unfamiliar in her mind, and she immediately turned her head to look to the door, expecting to see or hear something more. When she didn't, her mind began to turn over the sound. It was muffled, like it was coming from a distance, or maybe below the floor, but at the same time - it had been right in her ear. Inside her ear.
She may have questioned the sound further, but Charlotte answered whatever questions she may have asked. Simon and Endless were in trouble - and somehow Simon had let them know. Well, no, not them. Charlotte. Tehodis had just... What had she just done? It was like she had accidentally eavesdropped, catching a snippet of a conversation she was never intended to hear. She felt uncomfortable about it, and kept it to herself. There were more important things for her worry, after all: Endless, and the man who'd saved her life.
Tehodis stood gingerly, having difficulty with her missing arm, and then began to hurry to the door. "Where are they?" She asked, wondering if she had perhaps missed that part of the conversation.
Post by Charlotte Firiana on Sept 29, 2017 10:58:00 GMT -7
She was on her feet as soon as Tehodis was standing, moving to the cupboards while Tehodis headed for the door.
"I'm not certain; Sojourn?" she asked, abandoning any self-consciousness over the prospect of speaking to her aloud. Tehodis had more or less just been informed of her presence, after all, and Charlotte was also a tad distracted searching Simon's cabinets for salt. Why? She wasn't yet quite sure, but Specs had already informed her that she should have some on hand.
'I've found them!' Sojourn replied in but a single moment. 'Oh no... you might want to hurry, Char.'
Specs did not speak, but instead simply supplied her mind's eye with a brief glimpse of what awaited them; Spider Eels, advancing upon the two boys. Both of whom appeared to be unconscious. Charlotte's mouth flat-lined at the sight. She decided there was no time to warn Tehodis against the potential danger of coming along, and she wasn't about to leave the woman with no explanation, so she simply hoped the Kina would be prepared.
With some freshly-procured salt in hand, Charlotte quickly marched over to Tehodis and took hold of her hand. "Be prepared for danger," she stated simply, and then called upon Sojourn's magic. The two vanished from the cabin.
Let it not be said that Sojourn could not be serious and focused when she needed to be, for when Charlotte and Tehodis reappeared, it could not have been in a more ideal position for a surprise assault. Popping up just outside the eel's periphery in the shadow of a tree near the shoreline, Charlotte was greeted with the sight of one of the Spider Eels mouths opening wide as it settled over Endless's head, prepared to snap down.
Her palm shot forward, and her ball reacted to her command at full speed, launching forward to smash itself into the eel's face. The creature went tumbling, making a splash in the freezing water, and the commotion drew the attention of the second beast, which had been only moments behind the first in preparing to devour Simon. Instead, it now lifted its blank, beady gaze to stare at Charlotte, appearing agitated, and opened its mouth wide.
'Duck, Charlotte!' Specs warned, and it was good he did; Charlotte's own reflexes may have been a bit dulled in this weather, and she almost missed how she was about to be made victim of the eel's viscous web. She dove out of the way, dragging Tehodis with her, and the two went rolling in the snow. Charlotte picked herself up a moment later, watching the second eel carefully while the first one still seemed to be making an effort to collect its senses some distance away. She turned to Tehodis.
"If I pull their focus, can you get this to your friend?" she asked of Tehodis, holding out the canister of salt to her. She nodded towards Endless, who was lying still in the frigid shallows, not having moved since their arrival. Something told Charlotte he was not yet dead. But the ooze obstructing his mouth and nose were not a good sign, not while he was stuck in water like that.
As the second eel began to move towards them, having evidently settled on its next course of action, Charlotte's crystal ball returned to her side, and the woman narrowed her eyes in preparation for the next attack.
Post by Tehodis Kitai on Sept 29, 2017 12:33:08 GMT -7
Everything happened too quickly after Charlotte had grasped Tehodis’ arm. The air felt slightly colder - which must have meant it was much colder than Simon’s, as Kina were hardly temperature sensitive -- and the world was going mad around them. Horrific, familiar creatures latched themselves onto Endless, made unsettling screeching sounds, and Charlotte's crystal ball flew forward with an impressively blunt force.
Tehodis wasn't the kind of person who was slow on the uptake - not usually - but the shock of teleportation didn't make it easy to situate one's self. It wasn’t like walking into a room and seeing things in a state of chaos, it wasn’t like walking down the street when chaos began, it was more like waking up to chaos. They were still in Niseca, she knew that much, and they were in a swamp, but her mind wanted to know why the hell they were in a swamp. Swamps were dangerous when you were prepared and well rested, something she had learned extremely well living in once in Malscure, but when you were exhausted? They were deadly.
Something she had also learned about? Spider eels. Yes, she knew exactly what those creatures were, and she knew that they were bad news. The fact that Endless and Simon were still alive said much about how strong they were, and how valiantly they had fought. The fact that they were in so much trouble said a lot more for the spider eels.
As she took in her surroundings and grounded herself into a plan, her mind kept throwing wrenches into her thought processes. Duck, it told her. Sidestep, it insisted. MOVE it shouted, and only when Charlotte grabbed Tehodis' arm and yanked did she realize that one of the beasts was firing webs at them - something she should have noticed. Charlotte must have been trying to tell her, and she hadn’t listened. Sure, she had reasons: She still felt unsettled from teleportation, and from the bangle and from -- Excuses. Listen to yourself. When you tell yourself things, you must listen to them, Her mind told her, and she tried to steel herself to the strange feeling of being put in her place by her own mind.
The next moment, Charlotte handed her the salt, which Tehodis knew well was for the webbing, and directed her towards Endless. Yes, keeping him alive was a priority, and Charlotte was right to think that she was more capable of taking care of the eels what with the magic of her sponsors… But also important was making sure that her and Charlotte didn't end up in the same position as the two men.
Still, ever obedient, Tehodis nodded in acceptance of Charlotte's command. She slipped the salt into her pocket, knowing she would need the only free hand she had, and side-stepped around Charlotte so that she could beeline towards Endless. In a motion she kicked off her shoes, and stepped into the cool water. She felt a spell of pleasant nostalgia as mud clung to the gaps in her toes, which quickly disappeared as the webbing gave her the next tactile clue. They were covering this entire area, which meant they could sense her movement even from where they were engaged with Charlotte. The seeress was right to distract them - if she didn't, they would notice Tehodis gently tiptoeing through the water. She was feather light as a Kina, but they were usually more attentive to the small vibrations in their webs. Surely if they could notice a fly - they would notice her. But now, as Charlotte held them off? Tehodis had an advantage.
Which didn’t mean she would leave Charlotte disadvantaged, though. Charlotte knew about salt, so she probably knew at least most of what Tehodis did - either from her own knowledge, or from her sponsors - so the question was whether or not Charlotte had the Illusion powers to do what was needed. Tehodis wasn’t going to put her (or Endless’, or Simon’s) eggs in that basket. With a little thought and some brief and silent focus as she moved cautiously to Endless, Tehodis' hand began to flicker with light. First the tip of a finger, then three tips, then the palm began to glow and then -- it all stopped, sputtering out uselessly. Tehodis' mind wasn't casting a spell, it was telling her something.
Third. Behind me.
Her eyes flashed white, and at once everything was slowed. This had happened to her only once before that she could remember, back when Vincent had been training her. She saw Charlotte fighting with the two other eels, Endless shifting slightly as he fought for consciousness; she saw the ripple of the water, how everything shifted with every small movement of Charlotte or the eels; and then she spotted it: It, the rippling that was around her, going out towards Charlotte... The rippling coming from behind her.
Taking a deep breath, Tehodis’ feet shifted further apart in the water, and in a smooth motion she ducked just as a third spider eel joined the fight from behind her. As she ducked, she raised her one arm up, and from the stump at her shoulder another arm formed. The magical arm was silver white with magic, forming more of a twisted wisp of shape than a solid arm. Still, both gripped two of the legs of the eel, using just enough of her own force with its own momentum to throw the thing sidelong into a tree. Her eyes stopped their glow then, everything resuming its normal pace, and she heard the eel screech as it's leg snapped against the rough of the tree. It tumbled back into the water and gathered itself once more. It shifted towards her, angry, hungry, visible to her thanks only to the rippling, but it didn't have the element of surprise this time.
Tehodis focused once again on her illusion spell, her hand turning to light, which she then slapped into the water with a brilliant force. From each of her fingers the light shot off into the water, clinging to the molecules in the way she had been taught. With a painful whip of it’s undulating body, the third eel rippled the other way, distancing itself from the bright glow. They hate light, Tehodis remembered. It was one of the reasons they could be so abundant in Malscuri swamps. She couldn't make much light, but she knew how to use it cleverly. With the magical light attaching to the water within five or ten feet of her hand, every ripple of the water could make the light shift and separate, filling the bog around them - and there would be no hiding for the creatures under the surface, as the light would drift and brighten up even the deepest holes of the swamp.
In short: The photosensitive spider eels would have no place to hide.
With the lights dealt with, Tehodis turned back to Endless, hoping that the extra few moments weren't moments too many.
Last Edit: Sept 29, 2017 12:35:05 GMT -7 by Tehodis Kitai
Post by Charlotte Firiana on Sept 29, 2017 14:18:33 GMT -7
For a brief moment, Charlotte almost wanted to marvel at how it seemed like she was seeing a new side of Tehodis all at once. Though she'd clearly been a little disoriented at the sudden transport, it only took a few seconds for her to enter a sort of crisis mode, Charlotte might call it. Gone was the timid woman from earlier who was wrapped in self-deprecation, fear, and loss, and in her place was a woman who looked to be completely focused, prepared to execute whatever task was necessary to protect her friend. She took the salt from Charlotte and nodded, no trace of hesitation in her as she immediately made for Endless's body, and Charlotte could see with her second sight how wisps were gathering at her shoulder stump, her innate magic begging to be noticed.
Charlotte didn't have much longer to focus on that, though, for she had more dire concerns. The first eel she had struck was back on its many legs, though it looked like it had taken a beating, and not just from Charlotte's earlier attack. She wondered if Simon and Endless had already managed to harm it before her arrival. Even as it looked at her, it seemed disoriented, as though having taken one too many blows to the head. Charlotte could use that. The second one, meanwhile, was much more aware of her, and was wasting no further time in its approach. Thankfully, it seemed as though Simon and Endless were going to be left alone for the moment, the eels more concerned with the prey that was still moving.
Charlotte did not have access to any of her sponsors that usually assisted her in battle; Lotus, The Gentleman, and Miss Diamond were all absent. But she did still have Sojourn, and Sojourn was useful in combat situations for more creative reasons. The Seeress took a shuddering breath of chilly air and then launched into attack, swinging her arm in an arc. Her crystal ball responded and moved in kind, flying in a half-circular arc to assail the monstrous eel as it approached. The creature saw the first strike coming and moved a few of its limbs to try and intercept the blow, but Charlotte wouldn't allow it; the orb disappeared before making contact, reappearing instead just beneath the creature's jaw as it continued to fly with the same momentum. The eel's head was knock straight up at this, and it staggered. Charlotte kept this up, moving her ball in straight-shot launches first and then using Sojourn's magic to warp the projectile to wherever it needed to be, hitting any opening she could spot. She had to have broken a few of the creature's bones already.
She felt a sense of danger before she heard Specs's voice warning her of it, and she snapped her focus over to Tehodis just in time to see a third beast suddenly rise from the murky shallows, lunging at the Kina from behind. For a moment, Charlotte was panicked. Nothing she could have done would have reached Tehodis in time, none of her available magic sufficient for the task. But then, she instead witnessed Tehodis ducking beneath the strike which she surely hadn't seen coming with her physical eyes, and in a single fluid move, the woman formed an arm of wispy magic, using it to brace herself against the eel's legs. She threw the creature then, aided by its own momentum, and it went flying into a nearby tree.
Charlotte was once again impressed, and smirked. This was like seeing an entirely different person.
It was then that Charlotte received her own precognitive flash, a brief vision of more webbing lodging itself firmly over her head. It was all the warning she needed to quickly assess her surroundings, finding a spot a mere five feet away and reaching for Sojourn once more. Charlotte vanished and quickly reappeared, some distance placed between her and her aggressors, and sure enough there was now a pile of spider eel webbing clinging to the ground where she had been standing. The first eel, the one who had had its senses clobbered, had finally found the accuracy to try and take her down.
The second, for better or worse, had also regathered itself for another attack, and the third which Tehodis had struck was getting up as well. Charlotte had to wonder just how many more might have been lurking beneath the water. But before she could put much thought into how she would begin her next attack, she found that Tehodis had done the thinking for her; lights began to fill up the area, small lights which traveled in streams through the water from the Kina's fingertips, just as the third eel had been rounding on her again. It screeched and turned away, and before long the other two were also hissing as they began to step back. The lights were pushing them back, and buying Tehodis a few moments. Moments that Charlotte was sure to capitalize on now that she had been thoroughly inspired.
Gather the lights, Charlotte instructed, and she felt Sojourn working with her.
The light was conjured from Tehodis's spell, and transported into Charlotte's crystal ball. The tool which already gave off a soft glow on its own at any given time began to glow brighter, and brighter, the light inside of it magnifying itself through the sphere's many prisms, and before long it had become a veritable beacon in the night, held aloft Charlotte's palm. The radiant light pouring out in all directions elicited a louder screech from the eels than before, and now they were backpedaling fast. They made pained noises as they awkwardly shuffled backwards, out of the shallows and into the deeper waters where they could submerge themselves and be relieved of the oppressive glow. But there wouldn't be any permanent relief for them, not while Tehodis's original spell was still filling the water with smaller streams of luminescence, probing the dark swamp at every corner now.
'They've retreated,' Specs assured her, sounding satisfied with the results of this encounter. Charlotte continued to brandish her light source just in case, having it serve as a ward above the surface while she and Tehodis checked on the condition of their companions.
And speaking of which...
With their immediate problem dealt with, Charlotte finally returned her attention to Simon, who was lying unconscious nearby. She could already tell that Tehodis was seeing to Endless, but Simon had been left prone and possibly freezing during the battle, as Charlotte had been able to do little more than keep the eels' attention off of him. She stepped through the slushy, muddy snow near the water's edge, where Simon was still lying on solid ground, and knelt near him. Her ball was commanded to stay levitating near the water as she looked Simon over. His breathing was very slow, but it was still coming, and she could see the punctures on his arm that indicated a bite. He'd been tranquilized, it seemed, and for that to occur while he was lying in a cold pile of snow was potentially almost as bad as the Moonborn boy suffocating in the water.
"We'll need to use your warming potions, first and foremost," she said to him, though she knew he couldn't hear her. "And probably a concentrated dose. Apologies for the lack of compensation." She chuckled lightly at the poor joke, only able to do so on account of being sure he was not beyond saving at the moment. She gathered the man into her arms, and with a grunt, managed to stand while lifting him. He was... surprisingly light, for someone as tall as him, and Charlotte was reasonably fit. But she probably wouldn't want to carry him like this for more than a few minutes at most. Of course, if Diamond had been present, the task would be much less strenuous...
She turned and marched slowly over to Tehodis with Simon secured in her hold, her boots splashing lightly in the shallows. "How is he?" she asked, staring down at the boy with a hooded gaze of concern.
Post by Tehodis Kitai on Sept 30, 2017 6:54:26 GMT -7
The illusory light had given Tehodis enough time to rush to Endless without anything else coming after her. Even as she disturbed the webs with her steps, the spider eels were either too concerned with Charlotte, or they were too afraid of the lights Tehodis had left behind her.
Examining Endless, it looked as though someone (or something) had torn around the web, which had probably saved Endless’ life, but the cold of the water was turning his body to shock. "Endless, Endless, you need to keep awake," She grabbed his chin with her hand, reaching to her pocket with the other for the salt, but the magically formed hand was gone. She didn't have it. The wisps were there, but they were not an arm as they were moments before. They were just wisps.
"Come on, come on," She panicked at the stump, trying to shake herself as if it might help the magic reappear. When it didn't, she let go of Endless' head, which tumbled back to the water. His head tilted, web-covered mouth and nose dipping below the surface unnoticed.
As she tried to pull the salt from her pocket, it slipped from her wet grip, dropping into the water. "Oh no, no no no," She muttered, her panic only growing as she noticed how Endless' face had tipped to the water. She tried to use her knee to hold his head above the surface (hoping his lack of cough was from unconsciousness, and not from death), and used her other hand to feel around. The lights were moving in the opposite direction, towards Charlotte, down the near-stagnant flow of the swap. She couldn't see--
Suddenly, a bright light illuminated the swamp almost like a burst of sunlight, accompanied by the angry hissing of spider eels. With a quick glance she could see the Charlotte had filled her crystal ball with light, and was having it grow to an amazing intensity. With the light, Tehodis caught sight of the sealed canister of salt just by her left foot. Kicking it with one leg as she bumped Endless' head farther from the surface with the other, she quickly ducked in to grasp it.
Out of the water, she bit the lid off the container, and aimed it over Endless' face. She shook out far more salt than necessary, but knew she would rather put too much than not enough, and that her balancing act was too difficult for precision. Once the container was nearly empty she tossed it away, replacing her knee with a hand in keeping Endless' head above water. She couldn't quite hear the small sizzle that would accompany the salt on the web, but knew that underneath the sounds of the fleeing spider eels that the salt would be doing its work. "You're going to be okay," Tehodis whispered, her hand brushing wet hair from Endless' forehead.
As the sounds of the eels died down, there was only the light sloshing of their feet, and the girls’ murmurings to their less conscious allies. Finally breaking the quiet, Charlotte asked Tehodis for Endless' condition. She wasn’t she. She ran her hand down to his face, the webs falling off with a touch and slipping into the water with a light slosh. Endless’ mouth and nose were finally unobstructed, and so Tehodis could finally listen. He was in fact breathing - though the sound was shallow. There was no gasp like she had expected. Still: He was alive.
"He's alive," Tehodis answered, relief clear in her tone, "Do you have enough energy to get us back?"
Last Edit: Sept 30, 2017 6:54:52 GMT -7 by Tehodis Kitai
Post by Charlotte Firiana on Oct 4, 2017 15:28:02 GMT -7
Charlotte offered Tehodis a nod, feeling the affirmative hum from Sojourn as well; she had enough magical energy left to make another leap. Though honestly, if not for that tea, she'd really be pushing it with all she'd done today.
"I can manage. But you'll need to keep contact with him and me simultaneously. I noticed what you had managed earlier; I had a feeling you would discover that capability sooner or later, but color me surprised at your timing. Can you manage to manifest the limb once more?"
Seeming to catch her intent, Tehodis offered a nod and seemed to focus on where her arm was supposed to be. Charlotte could see the wisps of magic curling as though trying to adhere to Tehodis's will, but she could also see the look on the Kina's face. It was like she was struggling with something, and the wisps wouldn't form themselves into something concrete.
'A subconscious block,' Specs diagnosed. Charlotte hummed quietly. Necessity had likely made Tehodis ignore whatever issues she was blocking out earlier. Now, though, she couldn't make herself work with it. The trauma was likely still too fresh.
"It is alright," Charlotte said, stopping Tehodis's attempts as she instead knelt into the frigid shallows. It was certainly uncomfortable, but she could easily bear it for a moment. And Simon was still unconscious, so it's not like he would complain. "Grab onto me," she instructed now instead, and so Tehodis did so. With Simon on her lap, and Tehodis holding onto her shoulder, Charlotte laid her now free hand on Endless, who was alarmingly cold. They would need to fix that immediately.
Her Crystal Ball stopped glowing from its position above them and returned to Charlotte's side. One more reach for Sojourn's powers, and the four of them were gone in a puff of purple smoke.
It had been some hours since they had returned to Simon's cottage. The two women had been surprised at the sight of a horse when they returned, snorting softly as it stood near the front door and enjoyed the sensation of the warming potions that surrounded the place. There had been a moment of concern over the sighting, Tehodis thinking that it was perhaps the scout whom had followed after Tehodis and Endless, the one Charlotte had informed her of earlier. But Sojourn had informed Charlotte then that that poor fellow was still wandering around in the woods, lost.
It must have been Endless's horse, they decided. Charlotte and Tehodis had gone inside then and immediately set to work on Simon and Endless. Tehodis had set about finding blankets from all over the cabin, guided by Kilik who seemed to understand the situation. Meanwhile, Charlotte put her mind to identifying the potions Simon had on hand, locating his stock of spare warmers and using her knowledge to administer concentrated doses of them to the two unconscious men. Some additional conjuration also saw to it that the wetness had been pulled from their clothing.
Per Tehodis's request, Sojourn had finally stopped messing with Woodrow's scout, and though they couldn't see him, Charlotte and Tehodis both were able to tell at one point that he must have been somewhere outside the cottage, likely peering inside with binoculars. He would be greeted by the sight of the four of them gathered around a warm fire, Tehodis looking perfectly fine as she sat near Endless, who was bundled in blankets. Most likely nothing that would look odd. If anything, the scout would simply be relived that he'd finally found them and that Tehodis looked to be cured.
The hour had drawn well past midnight, and Charlotte felt as though she was close to nodding off by the fire, when finally Simon began to stir.
Her attention turned to him, just as his eyes were fluttering open, and she gave him a light, somewhat tired smile. "Welcome back. Did you enjoy your foray into Thorseph's playground?" She saw his eyes travel over to Endless, sitting asleep next to Tehodis, and Charlotte nodded over at him. "The moon yet lingers there. But it has reclaimed its glow, rest assured. The light shall not be snuffed out tonight."
The skin OTHERWORLD was made by JAWN of WICKED WONDERLAND.
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