|
|
Arrival
Oct 29, 2019 17:12:57 GMT -6
Post by Cazador on Oct 29, 2019 17:12:57 GMT -6
Just what had that damned mage gotten them into? A day of breakfast and fighting rogue mutants just took a turn for an even stranger day. Somehow Kazadus and Annalise had gotten themselves pulled into a portal no thanks to Valandil being as vague as usual. Kazadus would've thought that he'd better have a good explanation ready for him, but his mind was currently occupied with what seemed like an infinite void they were falling through. Just how fast could they have been falling. It didn't matter where they landed on the other side. At this speed they'd be killed.
Kazadus kept his grip tight on Annalise. If they got separated then there was no telling where either of them could have ended up. The coldness of space, a black hole, the sun, the bottom of an ocean. Then again who was to say that wouldn't be their destination regardless. Would Valandil really just teleport them to their death though. Kazadus had to at least hope that wasn't the case. The blue flashing worm hole they were traveling through began to turn white. The end of the tunnel was at hand. Everything grew brighter around them until finally the air became very cold.
They were out of the portal and high in the sky. Too high in fact. A giant tower stood amongst the frozen wasteland as they fell from the sky. The cold air chilled Kazadus to the bone. His shirt had been melted off in the fight before and one of the pant legs on his jeans below the knee was cut up. His regeneration would have to go into overtime to combat frostbite assuming the fall didn't splatter them into pizza.
"Fucking Shit!"
The frozen ground was getting closer by the second. Kazadus had to think quickly or they'd be done for. He didn't want to find out just how good their regeneration worked after an impact from that high.
"Hold on tight!!"
Energy came to life in Kaz's hand in the form of an energy sword. He had never kept energy fully materialized like this before and hoped his plan would work. He pointed the blade at the incoming ground. The size of the energy blade shot down faster than their fall before making contact with frozen ground. Their fall started to slow greatly until finally it felt like they were coming down at a nice slow pace. Now all they had to worry about was not freezing to death once they reached the ground.
"Hell of a day huh? You ok?"
|
|
|
|
Arrival
Oct 29, 2019 22:37:13 GMT -6
Post by Annalise Thergo on Oct 29, 2019 22:37:13 GMT -6
The day hadn't been normal since breakfast, and the lack of normalcy escalated when the world she once knew shifted. Together, Kazadus and Annalise plummeted into the unknown. Temperatures shifted and the speed at which they were traveling did not decelerate. Annalise clung to Kazadus for the duration of the journey. The destination did not matter during their journey into the black void that carried them through time and space. Right now, all that mattered was hanging on and not letting go! Annalise kept her eyes closed, gritted her teeth, and hoped for the best! The best was not what they received. Their journey brought them into a new world but from a height so great, it would surely end them once they hit the ground. Down they went, the icy winds stinging exposed skin and chilling what remained of their clothing. Annalise tried to think of a way out of this and even thought if they tucked into tight balls, they could hope they landed correctly and rolled to a stop. Alas, at this angle, there was no way that would work, and they were approaching the ground too fast. At Kazadus' warning, Annalise held on, and Kazadus' ability saved them in the nick of time. If he attempted that much later, she had doubts they would have walked away from that without going through the remains of their energy to heal their wounds. The wind stopped howling around her ears, ceased to hurt her skin, and they found themselves standing on frozen but solid ground. Small favors. "You..." Annalise had to catch her breath. That was a very close call. "Yeah, yeah--I'm okay."
Time to assess the situation.
Annalise straightened her posture and enhanced her senses to find any signs of life. There was shuffling of snow in the distance from something large, but it would take some time to reach where they stood. Her sense of smell was impaired due to the cold air, but she could detect metallic properties coming from the tower. Her sight granted her a glistening wasteland of snow and crystal-clear ice--not a promising sight. However, she did see something non-human approaching from far off. That didn't look good. These lands must have opportunistic predators, and they may have been added to the menu.
"We need to get inside there." Annalise pointed to the tower, "Something or someone is coming to us and it doesn't look friendly." She felt the inside of her torn leather coat and sighed in relief. Annalise had gotten into the habit of carrying energy bars in case if something happened, and for once, the old habit paid off. "Let's go." Annalise led the way and kept her sight and hearing tuned into the structure ahead. There was a faint humming, but nothing else.
|
|
|
|
Arrival
Oct 30, 2019 1:47:19 GMT -6
Post by Cazador on Oct 30, 2019 1:47:19 GMT -6
Upon landing safely, Kazadus attempted to talk with Valandil. He owed them an explanation on why he just decided to dump them off in the middle of a frozen wasteland. There was something strange going on though. Kazadus could no longer feel the warmth of the emerald eye behind his eye patch. Kazadus quietly called out to Valandil in his head. No response. He couldn't even feel the mage's energy any longer within himself. His companion, had what it seemed like, abandoned them after dumping them off in the middle of nowhere.
"Not sure if I should be springing this now, but I think our friend is gone. We're on our own by the looks of it."
Kazadus followed after Annalise as she made for the giant tower. He momentarily looked up and the giant spiral and back down. The thing was beyond massive and familiar somehow. He didn't know how, but it gave him the strangest sense of deja vu. He shoved the thought to the back of his head. He needed to focus. Hopefully the inside of the tower would be able to supply them with some kind of warmth and shelter. At least with a camp they could go hunting for fur and meat later. He was certainly ready for a fur coat and if predators were stalking them then they'd come to regret it.
Even though the tower had looked close, the sheer size of it only gave that illusion. It took them quite a walk through the cold to reach the tower. The walk had given Kazadus time to think. He felt some remorse for Annalise.
"Annalise… I'm sorry. I didn't mean for you to get mixed up in this mess."
He cursed Valandil in his head.
|
|
|
|
Arrival
Oct 30, 2019 10:08:35 GMT -6
Post by Annalise Thergo on Oct 30, 2019 10:08:35 GMT -6
"Maybe his energy was depleted when he sent us here?" Annalise theorized as they trekked through the snow to the nearest shelter. There was a sliver of hope latching onto this statement, but not enough to keep the candle burning for it. Annalise had learned long ago in that lab to not rely on maybes. She also looked at the tower. There was a sense of wonder and confusion at how such a structure came about. It couldn't have been man made. The details were so...alien. What technology existed to build this? Annalise would have spent time admiring the work, but her mind was on getting them to shelter, finding a means to stay warm, and to seek a food source. "Actually, I should be thanking you." Annalise responded and she raised her forearm as a gust of icy wind howled past her. "If I was not with you when that gate was opened, I may have died." The loss of her home, her livelihood, and planet hadn't hit her yet. The part of her that wished to acknowledge the great loss had to be shelved until they were in a place where energy could be spent on something that great. "And it wasn't your intention to get me in 'this mess,' so there's no hard feelings." There was no bitterness in her tone, but calm acceptance. Annalise didn't blame Kazadus for this, and her tone made this intent clear. If assurance was needed, she would grant it.
Upon entering the tower, the winds stopped biting their skin, and Annalise allowed a shiver to race down her back. God, this place was cold. Annalise's thoughts on the temperature ceased when she saw the room. There were blue symbols all around them, and each image was glowing with an unknown energy source.
Where there was energy, there could be a heat source.
"Let's go upstairs. It'll take us farther from the entrance. I don't know if that thing is still coming after us." Annalise cast a glance to the opened doorway. The predator could become their next meal, but she did not know what to expect from the creatures here. Their meat could be poisonous for all she knew.
|
|
|
|
Arrival
Oct 30, 2019 12:25:49 GMT -6
Post by Cazador on Oct 30, 2019 12:25:49 GMT -6
"It would still make feel better if I could clock that mage in his face for always being vague as hell… and for dropping us that high."
Kazadus was relieved that she didn't blame him. Considering the situation they were in and where they were at, it was going to take teamwork to survive the frozen hell they had been dumped off in. Valandil had said that the universe was about to end. Maybe it did and now they were in hell. He thought to himself that couldn't be right. Hell was supposed to be hot, unless the devil forgot to pay his gas bill or something. He smirked to himself at his internal joke. The smirk didn't last long as the cold chilled into his bones again.
As they made it inside, Kazadus nearly dropped his jaw at the size and majesty of the tower's design. Just how were they going to navigate this place without a map. There didn't seem to be any maps that said 'you are here.' At least they were out of the freezing temperatures outside, not that the inside was that much warmer. The designers must have skipped on installing a heating system. No time to complain though. Especially if something was following them
"I still have enough energy to kick some ass if we have to."
Kazadus followed Annalise up the stairs. He could feel the heat from the glowing runes on the wall. Something about the markings made him feel uneasy however. One in particular symbol caught his eye as they were going up. Voices and screams ran into his head attempting to overwhelm him and drive him into insanity. Suddenly he somewhere else completely. He was chained up in a dark room. His body was covered in hundreds of open wounds as blood poured out of him. How was he still alive. The pain was so overwhelming.
There was something else in the room though. Something that made him forget all about his pain. The entity never spoke, never a single word, but Kazadus could feel its intent, its desire and why it was doing this. It was punishing him. Punishment for breathing, punishment for being weak, punishment for existing. Fire swirled around the entity before flying into Kazadus. The heat boiled and cooked his skin. In one act of defiance, Kazadus dared to look at his jailer and quickly came to regret it. The sight of the being made him scream. He wasn't supposed to see it. Nothing was ever supposed to see it and yet he did.
The chains dug into his wrist as he yelled in madness. Madness was once again replaced by pain and then pain by madness in a constant cycle that lasted days, months, years, centuries. Then there was nothing. He was back behind Annalise as if he never left. His body was scorching hot now despite the cold as if he had been on fire. Sweat ran down his face. What was that just now? A spell cast by the time or a memory from long ago. Either way it scared him though he would never admit it.
|
|
|
|
Arrival
Oct 31, 2019 11:16:38 GMT -6
Post by Annalise Thergo on Oct 31, 2019 11:16:38 GMT -6
"If your safety is his priority, something must have gone wrong while he tried to get you elsewhere. Maybe he threw us beyond his grasp?" Annalise again theorized, "Or he didn't get off the planet in time and sacrificed himself for us, which cut off his efforts to put us someplace safe." She hoped that assumption was incorrect... Annalise ascended the stairs and eyed the symbols while doing so. What did they mean? Where were they from? If only she had cell service because she could have done a reverse image search to find answers.
Another shiver raced down her spine and she rubbed her arms. The doctor had subjected her to extreme temperatures in his experiments, but it had been some time since she was last in a freezing environment. "I wonder how high up this goes?"
Once more, Annalise was left in the dark as to what transpired in Kazadus' mind. This tower and its workings were quite the distraction, but then she detected the scent of body odor. Puzzled, she turned to Kazadus to find him drenched in sweat, as though he had just come out of a scalding sauna, with an expression that told her he saw something horrendous. What did his memories reveal this time? "Kazadus, what happened?"
That sweat would become cold soon enough, and further lower his body temperature. Annalise unzipped her leather coat, slipped it off, grasped the hem of her shirt, and pulled it off over her head. Gods, it was cold! Goosebumps rose up along her bare arms. "You need to dry off quickly. You'll get colder if you stay like that." Annalise tossed the shirt to him, donned her leather coat, and zipped it back up. She would wait for him to recuperate before they continued their journey.
|
|
|
|
Arrival
Oct 31, 2019 14:47:39 GMT -6
via mobile
Post by Cazador on Oct 31, 2019 14:47:39 GMT -6
"I… don't know. Something… I saw something I think. From a long time ago."
It dawned on him at last. He hadn't been gone from Earth for just a decade. No. He'd been gone much longer than that. Centuries maybe. How could he still be alive after so many years. Why didn't he look like a corpse? And what was that… thing he saw. That entity that tortured him constantly without stop or rest. He felt himself losing his composure and rested a hand on the wall. The other free hand he used to push it on his forehead in a vain attempt to stop the massive pain in his head. He looked up just in time to see a shirt being thrown to him.
"Thanks"
He quickly wiped himself down. He imagined their bodies would start having to rely on regeneration soon if they didn't find heat soon. There was no sense in trying to speed up the process of freezing.
"Let's keep going. I'll explain what I saw later. If we rest, they’ll be serving us as a dairy queen treat."
Kazadus always had to have a smartass comment to add at the end. Leave it to him to endure torture of the mind and to go through insanity just to make a dumb joke. Part of it was just a coping mechanism to help him deal with the stress. Though it also helped to know he wasn’t alone in this. He hadn’t known Annalise for even a day, but he felt like she had his back and in turn he would also watch her back through whatever was to come. Kazadus wondered what kind of danger lurked in the tower. A place as big as the tower they were in had to have some kind of inhabitants. Where could something this big have come from. As they continued their trek upstairs, Kazadus could hear something coming from one of the rooms. Like a humming noise that echoed through their bodies,
“Am I hallucinating again or do you hear that too?”
|
|
|
|
Arrival
Nov 1, 2019 23:42:10 GMT -6
Post by Annalise Thergo on Nov 1, 2019 23:42:10 GMT -6
Annalise did not push on the matter. Trying to get someone to open their door by knocking on it provoked discomfort and negative emotions. Annalise would know. Eliza had to learn to take her time with her and to broach a subject when the time was right. She inhaled, preparing to ask if he was well, but the answer was plain to see. What he saw disturbed him greatly, and when he was ready, he would talk about it. Annalise snorted at his jest, rolled her eyes in amusement, and led the way. The walls were cool to the touch, but not freezing. "Hopefully not as a blizzard." Kazadus had turned some energy just then, meaning she could likely take more hits than him if it came to that. She stopped mid-way to the top, tilted her head to listen for anything unusual, heard nothing, and continued. Just howling wind and the soft humming of a power source. Annalise did look back here and there to ensure he was well and was following. Falling down a flight of stairs was never fun, and if he were to topple, there was no railing to grab. Kazadus was not frail but his vision had taken a lot out of him after it passed. Her concerned thoughts were interrupted by a much louder humming.
Annalise froze and crouched down. "Yeah, I heard it." She whispered back at him. Annalise fished a knife out of her pocket and motioned for him to follow her. The woman's footfalls were silent.
What awaited at the top?
|
|
|
|
Arrival
Nov 2, 2019 11:55:31 GMT -6
Post by Cazador on Nov 2, 2019 11:55:31 GMT -6
Kazadus quieted his footsteps. He shook off that dark vision he had. He didn't need it getting in the way of what was to come. There was a time for everything and right now it was time to face whatever was at the top. He prepped his body for combat. His energy was channeled and ready to be used if need be. The quiet of the tower had been disturbing to him, but not as much as the humming sound was at the moment.
Wondering if what was on the other side was friend or foe, Kazadus tapped on Annalise's shoulder to trade places. He was damaged, but he knew he had enough energy left in him to take down whatever might be waiting to attack them. His finger gave off a slight glow. He was ready to unleash hell if need be.
As they made their way up the stairs to the next floor, the humming continued to increase. Kazadus slowly pushed the heavy door open. He pictured a trigger in his mind, ready to fire off the second anything came at them.
There was nothing in the room. That was to say nothing of danger to them in the room that was apparent. All that stood in front of them was an old rusted mess of what he thought were maybe controls. It didn't look technological, but it didn't look to be of medieval design either. He couldn't find the words for it at all. It was something he'd never seen before.
"This looks like a control room, but what does it control. Don't suppose they'd have a sign that says heater."
As Kazadus placed his hand on one of the levers, or at least what he thought was a lever, he was it with another vision. Or rather he was hearing voices. There were three. One man seemed very familiar, the other was his, and the final voice was Valandil. It was as if an echo of the past crept up from the deep recesses of his mind.
The first individual spoke "ANTHONY STOP!"
The second voice came. It sounded just like Kazadus. "Anthony is dead… father."
The third man spoke. Was that Valandil he wondered. "Cazador!!"
The second voice spoke again. "Valandil you know better than anyone that sometimes life must be sacrificed for the betterment of everyone."
Valandil again he thought. "You'll destroy everything Cazador! You must stop!"
The second voice. It was his own. He was sure now. "I am not Cazador. There is only Harbinger…"
Kazadus released the handle and stepped back.
"Don't want to alarm you, but I think I'm hearing voices still… Is it crazy if the individual knows they're crazy?"
|
|
|
|
Arrival
Nov 3, 2019 15:41:30 GMT -6
Post by Annalise Thergo on Nov 3, 2019 15:41:30 GMT -6
Annalise turned to protest his desire to take lead, but upon seeing the glow on his finger, she was quick to move aside to allow the change. That was the very last thing in this universe she wanted to stand in the way of. Once he moved past, Annalise took the rear, keeping a wary eye out for anything that could sneak up on them. She was still unsure if the predator outside was coming to investigate. Annalise tuned her hearing back to baseline. Once they were upstairs, she could check again.
They found themselves inside a room unlike anything they had ever seen. Those controls were ancient. They had to be. How else could they accumulate so much rust? The air here was so dry. Annalise took a short-paced turn. There were metallic structures that looked like they would hold something between them; but what? Someone must have made off with some of the technology or it rusted away. How old was this place?
"I'm...not sure." She confessed. While Kazadus grasped the lever and was hit with another memory, Annalise approached one of the empty spaces between two metal arms. Assumptions were there, but she felt so unsure of each of them. Portals? Gateways? No, if that was the case, wouldn't the mage throw them in here instead of outside?
"What? When?" Annalise turned to him, "What happened? Did that machine say something to you? Did it amplify a memory?" She briskly walked to him and eyed the rusted console. Maybe it wasn't a good idea to touch this thing with bare hands. Or, Kazadus' memory was returning faster than expected, especially after witnessing the fall of the planet.
|
|
|
|
Arrival
Nov 4, 2019 22:24:59 GMT -6
Post by Cazador on Nov 4, 2019 22:24:59 GMT -6
"Just now. Memory I think. Something about this place seems… familiar."
He touched the lever again expecting some kind of reaction to come up one more time, but nothing triggered. Something had triggered that memory, had he been here before. It had to of been impossible, but then again there was that giant gap he had in his memory. It hard to say just how many places he had gone to.
He immediately let go of the handle upon realizing he was still grabbing it. No point in playing with something he didn't understand. Then again there was always the chance it might start heating the place up with energy. Anything was better than freezing to death or being eaten by some icelandic predator.
"Think we should try turning this sucker on. Might heat the place up or…"
Kazadus never got a chance to finish his sentence. He could hear something growling from where they came from. His eye immediately shifted to Annalise and then to the door they came through. He whispered quietly.
"Friend of yours?"
|
|
|
|
Arrival
Nov 5, 2019 23:48:32 GMT -6
Post by Annalise Thergo on Nov 5, 2019 23:48:32 GMT -6
"What? How?" Annalise asked that question without pondering a possibility. Perhaps his "whole self" was here in the past before his personal sundering or however that sorcerer phrased things. So much was happening in a single day and it was hard for her to keep up. Hard but not impossible. Annalise placed a hand on his shoulder and gave him a gentle tug away from the console. It would be wise to not touch it for now. If he remembered too much, then another gateway may be opened, and they would be stranded this time. The growl coming from downstairs dismissed all notions of turning that machine on. Annalise shook her head and the corners of her mouth curved up just enough for a hint of a smile, "No, but it might be dinner if it doesn't make a meal out of us first."
Annalise pulled another knife out of an inner pocket on her coat and extended the hilt towards Kazadus. If he ran out of energy for those beams, he needed a weapon. Whether or not he took it, Annalise whispered again, "It has to be towards the top of the steps before it sees us." Annalise turned her head towards the stairs and enhanced her hearing. Whatever it was down there, its footfalls were soft, perfect for sneaking up on prey. It's heartbeat was slow and its breathing was paced. This creature knew patience in stalking its next meal.
"Unfortunately we won't what we're up against until it gets up here."
The footsteps were drawing closer but still maintained a slow pace. A soft growl rumbled in its chest. It was hungry but it could wait.
Should Kazadus use his beam? It might stir up more of a ruckus and attract more dangerous animals. They had to try to take it out fast and quietly. The scent of blood may also attract predators. Damn.
"Got any ideas?"
|
|
|
|
Post by Cazador on Nov 6, 2019 16:10:34 GMT -6
Kazadus whispered softly.
"Hold on to the knife and move out of sight. I'll stand in front of the door to get it's attention. When it comes through drive it into it's skull as hard as you can."
He could almost feel the life force around the corner. This was it. The battle to decide who would be become who's dinner. It was the classic tale of the kill or be killed, survival of the fittest. Kazadus readied himself for the beast to walk through the door. Just what kind of predators and creatures did this new world hold.
The footsteps entered his line of sight. The monster that laid before him looked to be nothing, but a small looking creature that looked to be a cross between a squirrel and a gopher. Its size was puny. The evil monster they were expecting was nothing more than a little rodent. Kazadus laughed as the small little animal gave a small chirp.
"Hey Annalise. Check out the big scary predator."
He went over to the creature to pet it.
"Can I keep him? I promise to feed him and walk him everyd…"
The little creature grew to an immense size within less than a fraction of a second and swallowed Kazadus whole with its large mouth. It took the form of a large hairy monster that looked to be like a bear and an anteater. It roared in hunger as it set it's eyes on Annalise.
|
|
|
|
Post by Annalise Thergo on Nov 7, 2019 1:59:54 GMT -6
Annalise got ready. Soon, she would pounce and go for the head, right between the eyes, or stab the knife into the back of the neck. Whatever it takes, this monster had to go down here and now, and possibly become a food source. Annalise tensed up and she waited for it to emerge. It was a tiny rodent. Annalise blinked incredulously, still frozen in place. That was not what she had heard downstairs. But, that's impossible. Maybe the other predator left? And once that predator departed, this rodent came out to see who invaded its home. That had to be it. When the animal chirped, Annalise stood, stared at it, and then she burst into a fit of laughter. What a relief! Here she thought they were going to have to fight some big, frightening, furry creature.
"Sure, why not? We'll na--AAH!" Annalise was proud to say she did not scare easy. Sixty-five years of life did tend to dull one to horrific things, especially after what she had been through, but this--
No time to think. Only time to do.
Annalise hopped about away from it in hopes it would lunge for her or to see if it had other capabilities. She had to get it into a vulnerable position and strike it down to get Kazadus out of its stomach!
Someone upstairs--or downstairs--must really hate the poor man.
|
|
|
|
Arrival
Nov 9, 2019 13:59:04 GMT -6
Post by Cazador on Nov 9, 2019 13:59:04 GMT -6
The theory of multiverse is that there are an infinite amount of universes with endless possibilities. When you went to a video store and had to choose between two movies, another universe would be created in which everything in history that ever happened before continues as normal except that you chose the other movie. Little events like that were constantly happening everywhere at every second. Countless upon countless universes created over every little alternative action there could be and with in all of the multiverse of every scenario it seems that Kazadus is the butt of its joke.
Barely any memories, crashing on Earth, nearly eaten by a super canibal, hauled off to a military brig, had a stadium dropped on him, battled several super powered enemies, watched a planet get swallowed up, end up teleported on an unknown world with his only friend by what at best could be described as an imaginary friend, only to be eaten… by a cute little adorable rodent. An anti climactic ending to say the least, but on the bright side he did feel warm inside the monster.
The warmness of the beast's stomach started to feel more like burning after a few moments. He was going to be digested if he didn't find a way out. The skin on his chest was starting to sizzle while his damaged jeans seemed to protect his legs at least for the time being. Kazadus struggled to move within the beast as it's internal muscles did their best to keep him clamped down in one spot.
Now that creatures element of surprise had been revealed, the only thing it could do now was attack. Several razor sharp claws exposed themselves from the creatures paws. It let it's arms drop to the ground. The claws were so sharp, they pierced the ground like butter. The creature ran at Annalise before attempting to use it's claws to skewer its prey. For a giant creature, it seemed to be able to move fast. Kazadus thought of blasting a hole in the beast, but he couldn't see where Annalise was. He wasn't trying to hit her as well.
|
|
