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Post by Calefrun on Jan 12, 2017 20:38:52 GMT -5
Citamora had been a pleasant town, once. A well-traveled port town, it was the sort of place where one could meet people from all parts of the world. While not itself a particularly wealthy town, it was not uncommon to see nobility amongst its bustling crowds, due in part to its proximity to one of Velestro's most prominent cities. It also helped that, despite the numerous and varied assortment of people passing through on any given day, Citamora was known for having a remarkably low crime rate. Even the monsters of the wilds seemed averse to assaulting the town or its people. Or they had, at least.
For the man who now wandered its empty streets, however, it seemed difficult to imagine Citamora as anything besides what it was now- a desolate ghost town, its streets filled with what little hadn't been picked off by the buzzards. The traveler scanned the area as he walked, searching both for survivors and for some sign of the vibrant and peaceful settlement that had been described to him by people living in nearby villages. Reaching the docks, he spotted his companion examining the remains of a group that had tried and failed to escape into the bay.
"Find anything?" he called out to her.
She stood slowly and turned towards him, a somber expression on her face. "Nothing. It's just like the last town." The pair had come as soon as they'd heard word of the attack, but it seemed that they arrived too late to find any clues as to why a horde of monsters had suddenly descended upon the town.
The man scratched his beard, trying to decide what their next move should be. "I hate to say it, but... this may be too much for us to figure out on our own. We're not going to get anywhere if we keep showing up too late to find anything, but we can't be everywhere at once. If we're going to get to the bottom of these massacres, we may need to get the help of a group that has the numbers to cover much more ground and the skill to keep themselves alive if they run into trouble."
"You mean the Slayers?"
He nodded. "There aren't enough of them to keep watch over every settlement in the country, of course, but they are the designated monster hunters. No doubt they're looking into these attacks too."
"Hmm... you might be right. Let's keep looking around a little while longer, then we can try contacting them."
"You're sure that you want to go through with this?"
Kilera Schierke sighed at her father. "You've asked me that a dozen times already, and the answer is still 'yes.' Plus, isn't it a bit late to be asking while I'm in the process of walking out the door?"
The man, Sven, laughed. "Nonsense; this is the last chance I'm gonna get to bug you for months! Besides, becoming a Slayer is dangerous! Why, I remember this one time when I-"
"Daaaaaaaaaaaad! It's a long way to Uccisore Academy. If you start one of your stories now, it will be dark outside before I even leave the house."
"Fine, fine. I'll have to save that one for the next time you're home."
Kilera hugged her parents, and her mother said quietly, "Be sure to write us often, dear. And don't be afraid to come back home if you have any problems. And please, do be careful. Your father may have a tendency to exaggerate, but the life of a Slayer isn't an easy one."
"I do NOT exaggerate!" Sven interjected. "And you worry too much. Don't forget I taught her everything that she knows!"
"That's what worries me."
"Say what?"
"You like to regale the girls with tales of your 'heroics', but I've noticed you've never brought up the story of that night when you got too deep in your cups, sold your trousers to a goblin for three rocks and a snail, and then proceeded to-"
Sven cleared his throat loudly, cutting off his wife mid-sentence. "Now now, Marian, the girl has a long journey ahead of her. She doesn't have time for long-winded stories!"
Kilera laughed and picked up her belongings. "On that, we can agree."
They said their farewells, and the young Slayer-to-be set out from her home. She had reached the gates to leave Portaire when she spotted a figure in the middle of the road, standing atop the hill just outside of town. It was still early in the morning, but there was enough light for Kilera to recognize the 13-year old girl as her younger sister, Amelia, standing with her hands on her hips and her chest puffed out in dramatic fashion.
"HALT, PEASANT!" Amelia bellowed. "DID YOU THINK I WOULD LET YOU GET AWAY SO EASILY? YOU AREN'T LEAVING THIS TOWN UNTIL WE HAVE OUR FINAL BATTLE!!"
Wordlessly, Kilera set her bags down on the side of the road and drew her sword.
Her sister furrowed her brow. "Wait what are you doing."
She started charging up the hill, weapon poised to strike.
Amelia scrambled to pick up the one of the wooden swords that laid by her feet and raise it into a position to block. "If you kill me I'm telling Mom!"
Kilera reached the top of the hill and in one fluid motion she swung her sword, effortlessly cleaving Amelia's practice sword in half. She halted her attack just before it connected with her sister, who let the shattered wooden hilt fall from her hands as she sank to her knees, eyes wide.
"That was cheating and also incredibly dangerous." Amelia said quickly, the boisterous tone gone from her voice.
"Such is the life of a Slayer, or so I keep being told." Kilera sheathed her sword, planted a hand atop her sister's head, and tousled her hair.
"Why do you even want to be one of them, anyway? Practicing can be fun, but the real deal is just gonna make you old and full of boring stories like Dad."
She chuckled and helped the girl to her feet. "That doesn't sound all bad. Honestly, I'm looking forward to making some stories of my own. Tales of adventure, excitement..."
"Roooooooomance?" Amelia teased as the pair started back down the hill.
"You're too young to be thinking about that sort of stuff. Besides, Slayer boys? They're probably all gonna be like Dad."
"Oh gross!"
"Exactly. Anyway..." reaching the base of the hill, she picked her bags back up. "I've got to get going. I'll be home in the winter with all kinds of 'boring' stories!"
The younger girl hugged her sister. "I'll miss you."
Kilera smiled softly. "I'll miss you too."
"Sir, we've just received word from headquarters that the investigation at Citamora has been concluded."
The elderly gentleman to whom the the message was addressed, who was in the midst of straightening his tie, responded without looking at the attendant, "Oh? And what did they find?"
"Nothing useful, same as before. The whole place was wiped out by monsters; there are no known survivors. They also advise caution with this year's trial, as the beasts are continuing to show increased aggression throughout the country."
Satisfied with his attire, the man turned and approached the Slayer delivering the report. "We've taken the necessary precautions. Still, it can't hurt to be extra careful. Go and make sure that everyone is prepared; we'll be starting soon."
"Yes, Headmaster."
Headmaster Poppercron nodded and made his way to the side of the large wooden stage that he had been preparing behind, climbed the stairs, and made his way to center stage. He looked out at the crowd of hundreds of students gathered at the outer edge of the Velestro's most expansive forest, which hid Uccisore Academy within its depths. Or rather, he thought, student hopefuls. They've yet to prove themselves.
He cleared his throat, then began to speak. With the help of a small device attached to his coat which utilized wind magic, his voiced boomed throughout the field, drowning out the chatter of the aspiring Slayers that had yet to notice his presence.
"GREETINGS, AND WELCOME TO ALL WHO WOULD STRIVE TO TAKE ON THE TITLE OF SLAYER!"
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Post by Myrdraxxis on Jan 14, 2017 19:35:09 GMT -5
"I'm ready to go, sir." Karasu spoke softly, eyes not focused on the man resting against the wall before him. His eyes were were elsewhere, scanning the rooftops and the alleyways, always moving and scanning for signs of threats. It was habit at this point, this state of alertness. His country had been in war for so long that expecting enemies around every corner was normal, rather than paranoia. Karasu found it more bizarre how unaware the people of this nation were.
"Did you finish your checks?" The man leaning against the wall, eyes closed and seemingly without a care in the world, asked Karasu. Karasu's master was the epitome of calm, yet he had no doubt that the man could spring into violence in a heartbeat. Karasu had seen it happen before, after all. Iwashi Teiko was not a man to be underestimated, as Karasu had come to learn.
"Yes sir." Karasu nodded. Iwashi hummed thoughtfully, cracking open an eyelid to fix Karasu with a look.
"Weapons?"
"Got em." Karasu held out his sleeves, where the hilts of his blades were just barely visible beneath. His short swords were just short enough to be hidden in Karasu's sleeves, a tactic that had saved his life more than once.
"Food?"
"I have my rations, though the school supposedly provides meals-"
"Don't trust the charity of others so readily, brat." Iwashi growled, though the admonishment had little fire behind it. Karasu dipped his head in acknowledgement.
"Scroll?" Iwashi continued his questioning. Karasu patted the pouch strapped to the small of his back. Iwashi nodded. "Very well." He stood up fully, eyes opening and fixing Karasu with a look. Karasu returned the man's gaze, unflinching under the flinty stare after years of enduring his master's presence. He held himself at an almost parade rest awaiting inspection. Karasu was no soldier, and never had been, but studying under a former colonel in the Fuso military tended to impart some martial habits.
"The orientation ceremony will begin soon." Karasu ventured, hopeing to speed this up.
"Then you'd best get to it. I'll contact you when I return from the homeland. Until then try not to completely forget everything I've taught you, brat."
"I shall endeavor not to let your valuable lessons be washed away under the torrent of foreign influence." Karasu replied straight faced, dipping into a formal bow. Iwashi snorted.
"Cheeky little shit." The man scratched his beard and said, "Good luck." Karasu blinked, and Iwashi was gone. Karasu found himself alone in the street, as if there had never been another person there at all. He sighed.
"Every single time." Karasu muttered, turning and making his way out of the secluded street towards the more populated areas of tow. He hadn't explored much of the area of this small town yet, having only just arrived several hours ago, but even from here he could behold some of Uccisore's grandeur. This town, whose name Karasu hadn't bothered to learn the name of, was the closest place of civilization to the secluded Slayer academy. A hive of merchants, tourists and students who sought one thing or another, the town was a place of activity even at this time of day.
The students here seemed rather normal, for a school designed to train warriors. A pair of lovely young women maybe a couple of years older than Karasu walked by, giggling at some joke as they did. Karasu let his eyes follow them for a moment, a smile playing at the edge of his lips. Normal indeed. Though he noted that both girls held themselves with a lithe grace and poise that denoted martial training and no doubt the ability to kick his ass ten different ways. Best to just keep on walking.
Soon enough Karasu found himself at the edge of a large crowd. Hundreds of potential slayers gathered here, awaiting their first trial. There was a nervous energy around the crowd, as the mass of people buzzed with conversation and barely contained excitement. For his part, Karasu wandered over to a nearby tree and with a quick hop, scaled the side and found a nice seat among the branches. Gave him a nice view of the stage.
Soon enough the headmaster strode out onto the stage. "GREETINGS, AND WELCOME TO ALL WHO WOULD STRIVE TO TAKE ON THE TITLE OF SLAYER!"
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Bruce Leroy
Aspiring Author
Eat dat watermelon!
Posts: 647
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Post by Bruce Leroy on Jan 14, 2017 21:39:03 GMT -5
"I can do this. I CAN DO THIS!" Nene told herself as she looked herself in the mirror. Taking in a deep breath she tried to steady her nerves, but to no avail. Her hands refused to stop shaking and her stomach felt queasy again. Swallowing hard she turned towards the toilet expecting to vomit, but it never came. After a moment, her stomach began to relax and as she splashed some water on her face everything began to return back to a normal state. Hearing a knock at the door she heard her mother.
“Sweetie, are you ok? I know how you must be feeling. Your father and I both know, but we both know that you’ll do just fine. You’ve trained for this since you were a little girl and you are so much more prepared than your father and I were when we entered the academy. Now come on out and give your momma hug.”
Slowly walking to the door Nene paused for a moment. Inhaling one more deep breath she opened the door and looked at her mom. She noted proud look in her mother’s eyes. Smiling Nene fell into her mother’s arms. Her mother being a Slayer could hold Nene’s weight but that did not mean that it was easy for her. The simple fact was that Nene was almost half a foot taller than her mother and had a wider build than her.
“Girl, what have I told you about flopping onto me like that? You’re lucky I love you so much.” She kissed her daughters forehead. “Now come on your dad is waiting on us. You don’t want to be late to the ceremony do you?”
“No ma’am.” Nene replied gripping her mother as tightly as she could. She held her mother or a long moment as she tried to take a mental photograph of this moment. She broke her embrace and stood up straight. “Let’s go momma, I’m ready! I will make you and dad proud.” “No honey, don’t do it to make us proud, do it for yourself. Don’t worry about what your father or I would want you to do, do what you think is best. This is your journey from here on out. We’ll always be here to support you baby. But this is your life and you can’t live it for us. It took me far too long to learn that lesson. Hopefully that will sink in for you.”
A tear formed in Nene’s eye but didn’t fall. “I’ll do my best!” she said half trying to convince herself.
“I know you will.”
Nene reached for her bags and walked towards the door. Thinking about all the memories that she had had within this place that had been her home for 17 years, she smiled. “Once I step out this door, my journey begins.” She thought to herself. Stepping through the door she felt like a new person. Confident. Proud. Strong. The light from the sun blinded her for a moment, but when she was finally able to see she saw her father smiling, with the same prideful look in his eyes that her mother had.
The ceremony’s starting place was not too far from where they lived so they set out on foot. Along the journey her parents regaled her with stories she had heard a million times, the same stories that she used to be enamored by as a little girl. “I wonder who I will meet at the school. I wonder if I’ll like me roommates. As long as I focus on my studies and try my Best I am sure I’ll succeed.”
Upon arriving at the city outskirts, her parents embraced her once more. Breaking their hug her mother told her. “Do your best and do what you think is right. Don’t forget what I told you.”
“I won’t momma and I’ll do my best.”
“and no boys.” Her father added with a stern but loving look.
“Dad didn’t you met mom while you both were her?”
“Yes, but that’s not the point.” He replied grabbing Nene by the shoulders.
“Never mind him. He’s just nervous because he knows all the trouble he got into with messing with girls before he met me.” Her mother remarked giggling. Sliding to her daughter’s ear, “you can just call me and tell me all about it whenever your dad is not around.”
“Gahhh!! I’m gonna be late!! I have to go!”
“One more second sweetie.” Her father said pulling a box from his sack. “Me and your mother wanted you to have this.” Opening the box he pulled out a necklace with medallion of the family crest. Placing the necklace around his daughter’s neck he lovingly said. “We both knew you would get homesick and when your mother left for the academy her father gave her a similar gift.”
They all embraced once more and then Nene was off. Bags thrown over her shoulders he bolted for the designated area for the ceremony. She arrived just as the headmaster walked up to the stage. “GREETINGS , AND WELCOME TO ALL WHO WOULD STRIVE TO TAKE ON THE TITLE OF SLAYER!”
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Post by Mizagium on Jan 15, 2017 21:56:04 GMT -5
All Charlotte Westforth had ever known was a cage.
Granted, it was a very nice cage, filled with others who all seemed happy to be there, and multiple masters who held her keys, but acted as if they didn’t. But seventeen years was too long – too long to live in the cage and never see the bars. Charlotte paced the length of the first layer of her cage, a room on the north side. It was nice as they go, with a bed, a sink, a wardrobe, and the like. And she had it to herself.
Slayers didn’t have rooms to themselves. She wasn’t a Slayer, not yet. She wasn’t even a guest. She was…
Uccisore Academy lay beyond her door, the second layer of her cage, a large complex filled with dangerous individuals, from kids her own age to adults many times her age. The students might not have known the role they placed in her imprisonment, but the adults, the staff, certainly did. Every one of them held the keys to her cage, could open the door and set her free – but they all pretended like they didn’t. Her room, the smallest cage, wasn’t locked from the outside, but the Academy, the second cage, was.
Charlotte deliberately ceased pacing, and glanced out the window. It faced north, over the forest, the third cage. Even if she somehow made it out of the Academy, the forest lay beyond, filled with monsters to keep her locked away. She didn’t like thinking about the monsters, because whenever she did, she thought of a home she’d never known.
She turned east and faced the stone wall, tried to look through it, to Zaezen, the land devastated by a monster Horde. A desk faced that same wall, piled with books and papers. All of them concerned the same subject, the Great Zaezen Horde. Poppercron and the other teachers had tried to keep her ignorant, tried to protect her from the truth.
But it wasn’t for her benefit; it was for theirs. They were afraid what would happen if she…if she…
Charlotte turned away, breathing heavily. Her cursed heart pounded like a hammer in her chest and she staggered to the bed. No. Not now, not today, not when she was finally going to see what lay beyond the cage. She had insisted on learning to be a Slayer. No, she’d demanded it petulantly until the teachers had given in.
A growl slipped from through throat. They agreed in order to placate her; they always did that. They were so afraid of what she would do if she didn’t get her way that they would cave. Over the years Charlotte had poked and prodded and always pushed the resistance aside, and she was so tired of it! She –
She fell onto the bed, huffing, and squeezed her eyes shut. She curled up and drew in deep, deliberate breaths. In. Out. In. Out.
No, please, she prayed, not today, not when I was so close to freedom…
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Post by Monika on Jan 16, 2017 19:06:57 GMT -5
"Uwaaaaaa~"
Tyrone stood there wide-eyed as he stared at the most beautiful thing he had ever seen in his life, the kind of priceless treasure one saw only once in a lifetime, if they were lucky.
"That's...That's Ryuko: Shin Densetsu Issue 400!" Standing in the center of a comic shop on the academy campus, attracting no small number of curious stares and second glances, he began to hyperventilate. "I...I...I can't believe it! This is the issue where Ryuko Kawasaki finally learns to tame the fifth tail of the Nine Tailed Dragon Spirit! And Sosuke Ishida unlocks the Shinseijutsu: Taikakyojin! According to the previews, this is supposed to be the greatest chapter yet!"
"Yeah, and 399 was the one where Hanako runs off to train with the Serpent Sage, and that was supposed to be the greatest chapter, too." A scruffy, bearded man rose from behind a counter, rolling his eyes in exasperation. "I swear we go through this every week, Tyrone," he said. "You come into my shop, you fawn over the newest release, you read the whole thing, and you never buy anything. I had to start sealing these things in plastic wrap just to keep your prints off 'em."
"Uwaaaaaa..." Tyrone sighed as he touched the comic, his hand sliding down the smooth plastic cover. "This time will be different, Mr. Slatner! I have to have this one!"
"Will you stop saying 'uwaaaa', huh? No one talks like that in real life," the shopkeeper, Slatner, said, eyeing Tyrone with an expression best described as a mix of frustration and pity. "And if you really want the thing, then buy it."
"Okay! I will!" The young man ran over to the counter and reached into his pockets, retrieving a handful of lint and a few slightly warm sticks of gum. Setting them on the counter, he sheepishly asked, "Um...What will this get me?"
Mr. Slatner looked from the counter to Tyrone to the counter again before giving his answer. "Get out."
"But Mr. Slaaaatneeeer! Come on! You know I'm good for it!" Tyrone whined. "Can't you just...give me the comic and I'll pay you back later? Once I'm a Slayer-"
"You haven't even started your first year, boy!" the shopkeeper shot back. "With all your shenanigans, I'm surprised they're even letting you in to the Academy. I wouldn't be surprised if you died on your first mission!"
Unfazed by the remark, Tyrone pleaded, "Come oooonnnnn!"
"No."
"Pleeeease?"
"No."
"Pretty pleeeease?"
"No, damn it! I'm not running a charity here. This is a business. I'm only giving comics to paying customers, and nothing you can say is going to change that."
"Oh?" Tyrone slammed his hands against the countertop and leaned forward, his face getting uncomfortably close to the shopkeeper's.
"Boy, what are you-"
"Shinjutsu: Yatokki Kanjō Kōtai." Tyrone's right eye sparkled, its golden iris glowing with a dim light. "I'm good for the money, and I'm going to pay you back. I need you to trust me, Mr. Slatner."
There was a long, awkward pause, during which Tyrone and Slatner were just standing there, staring into each other's eyes. And then...
"You're right." Slatner strolled over to the shelf where the 400th issue of Ryuko: Shin Densetsu rested. "You're good for the money. When you become a full-fledged Slayer, you'll be rolling in the gold."
He took a small box cutter from his pocket, sliced open the plastic wrapping, and then took the comic back to the counter, where he delicately placed it inside an elegant paper book cover. "It's all yours, Tyrone. Take care. Come back when you're a famous Slayer."
"Really? Thanks, Mr. Slatner!" Tyrone hurriedly grabbed the book, bowed to the shopkeeper, and then ran out of the store. "Uwaaaa!" He held Ryuko up to the sky, kissing the cover several times. "I can't believe that worked! This is-" He stopped suddenly, finding the nearest wall he could lean against. He placed a hand over his right eye and took a deep breath. "Ugh, that never gets any less painful. I can't go using that spell for trivial things..." He took a few more deep breaths before steadying himself, shaking off the rest of the pain. "No time to dawdle! Charlotte's gonna love this issue, too! We might have enough time to read it before the ceremony, if I hurry!"
With all the speed of a would-be ninja, Tyrone ran through the small market, past crowds of people toward the room where Charlotte was kept. He knew that the passersby were watching him; adults, especially, were whispering amongst themselves, making snide remarks about the 'dangerous creature' Tyrone had befriended. But he didn't care. If there was one thing he learned from his comics, it's that friendship didn't have any limitations.
Before long, Tyrone found himself at Charlotte's front door, which he let himself through after a quick knock. "Charlooootteee!" he called. "I hope you're-" He stopped as crossed the threshold into her room, seeing his friend curled up on her bed, breathing heavily, looking all-too-disturbed.
"Charlotte!" He tossed the comic aside, running over to the bed. "Charlotte!" Grabbing her hands, he took one more deep breath and said, as calmly as he could, "Charlotte, I need you to look at me. Please. Everything is going to be all right."
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Post by Damien on Jan 16, 2017 20:43:12 GMT -5
For the first time in a few centuries, an elf of the clans survived the trials necessary to go to Uccisore Academy to be trained as a slayer. Aelar had made the trek all the way from Envalhen to the outskirts of the forest that surrounded the academy.
A large crowd of people, presumably all would-be Slayers, had gathered in anticipation of the ceremony. Many were hugging their families goodbye, though some were there alone, much like Aelar. One such person caught his attention, running up the side of a tree to sit among the branches. Well, that's impressive, the elf thought, walking towards that very tree.
"That's quite the trick you did there," he said. "Even living in the forests of Envalhen, we don't really do things like that. Maybe if we both survive our initial trial, you could teach me?" He chuckled, remembering that there was a different etiquette outside of his homeland. "I'm sorry. I forget sometimes that I'm no longer at home and forget my manners. I am Aelar. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."
Before the human could answer, the headmaster had appeared on the stage. “GREETINGS , AND WELCOME TO ALL WHO WOULD STRIVE TO TAKE ON THE TITLE OF SLAYER!”
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Post by Sariel of Tevet on Jan 17, 2017 14:10:55 GMT -5
Amelia stomped around the Academy in her usual way. Combat boots trying to murder the concrete beneath her feet with every angry step, despite the fact that she was actually skipping and swinging a makeshift doll in one hand with a fake necromancy tome in the other. To say Amelia was eccentric was a bit of an understatement. In fact, her makeshift doll was anything but. She had simply made a small skeleton out of clay so that she could manipulate it at will.
When she got to her destination, which was simply the middle of the cafeteria, she dumped out her bag and began to draw pentagrams all over the floor as teachers and students alike just sighed at yet another inevitable Amelia demonstration. Cheap scented candle smoke filled the air (some professors had already disconnected the sprinklers as soon as they saw her dump her bag).
"Wait, wait, where is it?! Where is my blood?!"
She tore through her bag and noticed she had left her bag of red dyed vegetable oil on the counter in her dorm. Inventive as ever, she crawled over to a nearby table and grabbed a bottle of ketchup and sprayed it all over her summoning area.
"BEHOLD!" She shouted and stood up on a nearby chair. "Watch, as I, Velestro's very first necromancer, make my minion walk!"
Amelia started to make up various chants as she rolled her eyes in the back of her head and started to make herself drool and spasm. Her doll, driven by her earth magic controlling its clay body, jumped up and began to do a bony dance.
"Huzzah! I, Amelia Boneaparte, have mastered even death! "
An exhausted looking janitor walked over to her and handed her a mop and bucket. "Now you should try mastering cleaning next."
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Cabral walked through the woods on the edge of a nearby town, albeit a bit too casually for someone who just learned that a small pair of monsters had been attacking caravans and merchants for weeks now. His large frame lumbered through the woods, paying no mind to vegetation and saplings he crushed along the way. The larger trees in his path he simply struck down with the anchor slung over his shoulder.
The heart tome tattooed into his skin began to itch and burn, as the toxic crystals flowing through his veins began to react to something. He stopped and could hear the sound of two nearby monsters grunting and sniffing. They stepped out from behind their cover and approached Cabral and snarled. He clenched a fist and began to concentrate on the crystals in his body, kicking his monster scent into overdrive.
The snarls turned to whimpers and the mosnters began to back pedal, and inevitably took off.
"I love when they run."
Cabral sped off after them, swinging his anchor wildly at obstacles ahead of him. He reached a clearing with a large cliff at the back, where the monsters were now cornered. One jumped toward him in a desperate attack, followed shortly by the other. Cabral took his anchor and lifted it over his head, and brought it down onto the skull of the first monster. He immediately lifted it back up and spun in place and struck the second one while it was still in the air, and sent it over the cliff.
He casually slung his anchor back over his shoulder, grabbed the remains of the monster next to him by the leg, and walked back to town.
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Cabral arrived at the inn of the nearby town, no doubt accompanied by staring townsfolk bewildered by the large man in fatigues dragging a monster corpse behind him. He kicked open the door to the inn, walked over to the bar, and slammed the monster down on the counter.
"You, sure weren't kidding when you told the town you would deliver."
"Ay."
"I just didn't think you meant you would...literally deliver the monster's corpse to us."
Cabral smiled and waved his hand for a drink, which slid it's way from the side of the bar not blocked by the carcass.
"Well, some towns have asked for proof, and as much as I like the outdoors, I'd rather not risk having to sleep outside again. "
The innkeeper nodded and handed him the keys to a room and a menu for his dinner.
"I'm tempted to not give you the room. Looks like if you sleep outside, you might take out a few more for us. So what's your story? What brings you our way?"
Cabral took a long, achy look into his ale before taking a hard swig.
"There was a girl, back at the academy in Zaezen. Should have seen her. Red hair, golden armor. Even fought with a spear. She stood out that one. But she was disintegrated. Ashes scattered into the wind, just like our love. "
The innkeeper dropped his glass and the entire bar's eyes fell on him and Cabral. Those who were within earshot were weeping uncontrollably.
"Did...did that really happen?"
Cabral snorted and tapped on the menu to indicate what he wanted. "Pfff no. That would have been pretty messed up though right? No, my story isn't all that interesting. You know the old trope. Decorated soldier is experimented on to be the best of the best, he's almost dying so he's put into a coma. You know, that old bag. "
The innkeper wiped his eyes and slung his wash rag over his shoulder and took the menu to bring it back to the kitchen.
"You know, that doesn't sound much better than the first story. Is this one fake too?"
Cabral began to feel a familiar, searing pain pulse through his chest. It was the toxins. He winced and grabbed onto the top of the bar so tightly the wood began to crack.
"I sure wish it were. "
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Post by Calefrun on Aug 17, 2017 18:41:12 GMT -5
The headmaster waited a few moments for the crowd to quiet down, then continued. "I am Tim Poppercron, headmaster of Uccisore Academy. On behalf of myself and the instructors in my employ, I welcome you to the training ground of the Slayers! Many of you have traveled from far away to stand where you are today, and it fills me with hope for the future to see so many young people prepared to take up arms against the monsters that threaten our world."
He paused for a moment to give the prospective Slayers a warm smile, then took on a more serious expression. "Unfortunately, your journey isn't over quite yet. As some of you may have heard - and others may have guessed on their own - there still remains the trek through the Boschimostro Forest to actually reach the academy. The woods are expansive and filled with monsters, but you will not be accompanied by professional Slayers along the way, nor will you travel as a group. Each of you will enter the forest alone from a different point, and must find your way to the Academy. Should you fall prey to one of the creatures inhabiting this forest... well, we'll do our best to grant you a proper burial."
An uncomfortable murmuring spread throughout the audience, and Poppercron waved his hand dismissively. "If any of you wish to leave, you are free to go. The life of a Slayer is by no means an easy one, and if you lack the confidence or resolve to push forward in the face of danger then you'd likely end up dead anyway. Now, if those of you who are still determined to reach Uccisore Academy would step forward, the instructors can begin guiding you to your starting positions."
Several Slayers stepped out from behind the stage, taking positions on either side of the large wooden platform.
"What the hell? This guy's crazy!"
"Yeah, let's get out of here. Becoming Slayers isn't worth risking our lives over."
From her position near the center of the crowd, Kilera watched as more and more people turned around and started walking away from the forest, headed back into town while muttering angrily. For a moment, Kilera considered joining them. Her parents had warned her plenty of times about the dangers of becoming a Slayer, but she hadn't expected to be risking her life before even reaching the school.
As much as Dad likes talking about his glory days - he couldn't have mentioned something about this? she thought. I doubt that this trial is something new; Poppercron's been headmaster since Dad was a student here, and he looks and talks exactly like I imagined he would!
"Hmph." She punched her open palm and took a step forward. Whatever. If even my old man was able to reach the Academy, it should be a walk in the park for me! I've dreamed of this day for so long; there's no way I'm going to turn back now.
Steeling herself, Kilera started walking towards the stage, pushing past the people that had already given up on becoming Slayers.
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Post by Myrdraxxis on Aug 19, 2017 13:24:45 GMT -5
There was an elf talking at him from the ground. Karasu stared at the newcomer for a moment, not quite sure how to respond. He was pretty sure jumping up into a tree rather than mingling with the other applicants on the ground indicated his lack interest in socializing. Had he misunderstood his master's words? Oh, wait, was it an elf thing? Had he unintentionally made some sort of elfy social overture? He hadn't interacted much with the few elves he'd seen in Fuso, so Karasu wasn't sure.
Oh, right. The elf had introduced himself and seemed to be waiting for a response. "Karasu." The Fuso native introduced himself. Then he returned his attention to the headmaster's speech.
The revelation that they would have to make their way through the monster-infested woods sent many applicants running, but Karasu just nodded in acceptance. 'Interesting.' He offered a properly mysterious smirk to the elf, Aelar, below and jumped out of the tree. Karasu moved fluidly through the crowd until he reached the steadily forming line near one of the instructors. When it finally came to his turn, he was handed a map, and guided to a small break in the treeline.
"You will start here and make your way to the Academy." the instructor, er, instructed. Karasu nodded and without another word. He didn't use his scroll, no he was saving that for anything he might encounter. Instead he took off into a run, dashing through the woods at a steady pace. He was't sure what monsters were in these woods, but he was reasonably certain that he could outpace many of them.
Soon enough he came to a clearing the forest. Karasu paused, glancing around cautiously. The clearing was empty, save for a small pool in the middle of the field. He spotted several trails in the thick woodland on the other side of the clearing. Either one of them could lead to the Academy, though Karasu wouldn't bet on both of hem leading to his destination. He turned his attention back to the most interesting thing in his small clearing: the pool.
At first Karasu took it to be a simple pond, but at closer examination the liquid in the pool seemed to be glittering and almost glowing. "Well now, what's this." He, despite himself, walked closer.
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Post by Mizagium on Aug 19, 2017 19:50:28 GMT -5
"Charlotte, I need you to look at me. Please. Everything is going to be all right."
Charlotte forced herself to see Tyrone – to actually see him and not an obstacle, not a threat. He was familiar. A friend – her only real friend in this place. He was like her: cursed and broken. But he was always able to laugh about it, to find the humor even in tragedy. The light in darkness.
Her clouds parted. She matched Tyrone’s breathing and the rage subsided. Charlotte seized control back from her emotions. Her therapists and teachers had always told her to relax and to let go of the rage, like she was holding it. But they didn’t understand. She never had the rage, could never let it go. The rage had her and the only way she could function was to fight it and forcibly take the control back. So she did.
Uncountable minutes passed before she could speak. “I’m ok – I’m ok now.”
She sat up, still holding onto Tyrone’s hands. “Thank you. Again. I’m not sure how many times I owe you.”
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Post by Damien on Aug 24, 2017 2:11:14 GMT -5
Aelar followed Karasu's lead, walking through the retreating crowd up to the stage. He received his map and was led to his starting position, and he began his trek through the forest towards the academy.
After walking for a short time, he found himself in a small clearing with three possibly directions in which to go: left, right, and straight ahead. The clearing looked like much of the rest of what he'd seen so far with one exception: many of trees in the area were covered with spider webs.
That doesn't look promising... he thought. I should probably move on as quickly as possible without disturbing any of these webs. Who knows what might show up? Given the sheer amount of webbing on some of these trees, they're likely huge spiders. He then moved towards the path with the least web-covered trees, taking special care not to touch any webs.
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