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Post by Theoren Roullier on Nov 12, 2004 0:00:47 GMT -5
It's been long awaited, I know, but finally the Temple Thread is here! Thanks to Jade for the translation of Am-Tuat and the Schematics, Daniel for the creative lisensce. Now, without further ado-
[glow=red,2,300]The Quest for the Demon's Heart[/glow]
Theo: *Five days on the world's fastest ship, two days and one night of hiking through dense wild jungle up the Metrenange River, about a half a dozen indirect encounters with the Athrobos in the process and here, with the sun just starting to peek its head up over the treeline of Ayenee's equatorial region Theoren Roullier was standing overlooking the water and asking himself exactly what the hell he was doing here. If someone had asked him where he would be now a few months ago, this would have been at the bottom of his list, but here he was in the middle of the Athrobian jungle being stalked by natives and going after what could be considered the heist of the century. He could see the very tip of the Temple of Seoul-Mun ahead of them<c>* Theo: *<c>He had almost wished he had simply taken the amulet he now wore around his neck from the girl and dragged Dr. Carter here willing or not. Amariette had been no help in understanding the cries of the natives as he had grown closer to his destination. Unconsciously his hand ran over the amethyst now hanging around his neck. It flared with purple fire from deep within itself at his touch and continued to glow even as his fingers left its polished surface. It had been awakened, and something new in him had as well. Each stone he gathered gave him newfound powers. Rather, it gave the parasite inside of him more access to its own powers, which allowed him to utilize them. When he had aquired the Tear of Heaven he had<c>* Theo: *<c> discovered the ability to create pockets in the Shadow Realm that could contain spectres and confine them. He found this more hospitible for his form than traveling in the Astral Realm, a world in which the celestials hailed from. He prefered to traverse the plane in a more secret way, in a place between dimensions. He now found that he was able to actually warp between places as well as maintain very short term waves of intangiblity in the Material Realm now that he was in possession of this wonderful gift. Daniel had no idea what he had been holding onto all this time. As the sun rose it outlined Theoren's form, bare chested with pants tucked securely into his boots to keep bugs out. His shirt was now tied around and over his head acting as<c>* Theo: *<c> a bandana to keep off the sweat and the sun. His pistol was tucked in the back of his pants as usual, but he found that in such treacherous places as this things that ran out of ammunition did very little good. In that vein, in his hand was a very well sculpted machete that he had not only been using to cut through the annoyingly dense foliage, but also through the throat of the noble youn athrobian warrior who's blood he had spilt the previous night in order to activate the stone that now gleamed in the new morning light from his neck. The dried crimson-turned brown stain was still along the edge of the sickly sharpened blade. He narrowed his eyes in silence at the temple. The now scruffy woodsman looking rogue was not giving up<c>* Theo: *<c> like the Athrobos had. He was here to take that prize and nothing, no boobytraps, no demon, not even Hell itself was going to stop him. And he knew who was out to get him. Heaven and Hell alike were always on the hunt for the Fallen, either to seduce or eliminate them. He wasn't going to play their games. When he was through, he would be the one calling the shots, not them. "You t'ink you can toy wit' people's lives like a puppet master, don' you?" he hissed coldly more to himself, but he knew his targets heard him. "Consider my strings ta'a jus' been cut." He turned to leave and though in his mind he could hear the hum and the roars on the astral plane, he ignored them. He walked down to the place where he had left Amariette to sleep.<c>* Theo: *<c> "Up." He said cortly with a scowl from his handsome face. "We're less dan a mile. Let's get dis over with." He said it with complete confidence and the barest hint of a cold smirk and began to clean up the supplies from the night before. With the backpack now gone and the shirt removed, a wonderous sight was in her view- a beautiful tattoo of glittering gold and deep cerulean sparkled all over his back, not just the wing like he had on his face, but the entire phoenix bird itself had been inked onto his skin, wings spreading all of the way across his ribs, the neck all of the way up his, and the tail flourishing over the small of his back. Truly, this was a man marked for something, be it glory or failure.<f>*
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Post by Theoren Roullier on Nov 12, 2004 0:01:35 GMT -5
Amariette: ~Emerald irises came alive at the brief command, Amariette's body already sore from sleeping on the hard and unforgiving terrain that surrounded them, her body curled in the fetal position but the sun already burning into her gaze and demanding her respect and acknowledgement. Wincing, she shielded her eyes as she sat up easily, her knees drawn to her chest now where her arms wrapped about them, the girl spending these moments watching the sweating, bronzed form of Theoren begin to collect their things. The Athrobos would be close now and she could feel them in a very small portion of her soul, her hair done tightly up in a ponytail that pulled the crimson strands back against her head securely.~<c> Amariette: ~It had been a laborous journey on his ship, the girl having never traveled in such a way, but Amariette rarely spoke anymore, for there was little to be said here at the very ends of the world. They had come far and long, his quest made hers on that fateful night beneath moon where she had handed over the so called 'Eye of God' as he had called it, it was apparent now that she would never be a skeptic again. She was well aware of the history behind the amethyst now and the glowing power it exuded sharply impacted her own wellbeing, a sense of dread haning over her at the crazed luster that remained forever imprinted in his gaze. However now they were on the move once again, the temple near and just waiting to devour them both in its impossible labyrinths of death and fire.~<c> Amariette: ~Rising from her place, she rolled her blankets and stuffed them into the pack she carried, the sacred Am-Tuat also packed deep within, as well as the few items of supplies she had brought along as well. No one would recognize the girl now, even if they had spent minute after minute staring at her in obvious awe at the visible changes that had taken over her. It may have never been preceived by other before, but not only was Amariette bred for work, she became more like her father when forced into situations that did not benefit from simply modesty and innocence.~<c> Amariette: ~Her body was clothed in the tighest pair of dark breeches, the color faded and worn, covered with dirt and who knew what else, thick leather boots rising high up on her shins to encase her legs and seal out any type of intrusion that may have been brought on by insects and the like. It was obvious that the girl was heavy in the hips, but the sight was not at all detrimental to any who would have taken the time to notice, no matter what else she may have been, the village girl was built much like her mountain people, only in a smaller and more slight frame. Amariette's abdomen was naked and bare where one could see her pale skin covered in scratches and scars from the remorseless vegetation that made up the jungle in its entirety, a fresh cut healing just above the curve of her navel.~<c> Amariette: ~Her full bust was covered in a halter style top made of the same material, straps sweeping up and around her neck to criss-cross between the backs of her shoulder blades and secure the item of clothing rather snugly. About her waist was a rough leather belt to which was attached a rather dull sheath which harbored a wicked looking dagger that she more than knew how to wield, a few small pouches of vials and rations, supplies that could not be stored away in her pack and carried over the shoulders. Lastly, the girl was covered in a thin layer of perspiration and dust, her the color of her cheeks hidden by streaks of mudd and the like, there previous night rather unkind to them both.~<c> Amariette: ~Narrowing her eyes as she lifted her pack and readjusted the straps to some level of comfort, she stared off in the direction of the temple's highest point and frowned rather dangerously, they simply had to reach it before the natives discovered where they had made camp and track them to its base. Walking a distance, her hips swaying naturally with the effort, she looked over her shoulder, a wild woman who appeared to be becoming one with her surroundings more than she should have and her voice was cold, emotionless, barren of the softness one was so accustomed to hearing from the likes of her. "The natives are gaining ground, I feel them and I know you do too."~
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Post by Theoren Roullier on Nov 12, 2004 0:01:50 GMT -5
Theo: *He looked up at the sun and squinted, then back to her, sweating slightly, probably because he had been up and moving, scouting the area in the early morning. And because it was damn hot. This was the cool part of the day, but it was as hot as mid afternoon in the middle of summer in Ayenee City. He didn't understand how the natives could bear it. He nodded to her. "Dey won' come too near, don' worry. Dey already t'ink we're gods or somet'in like it. I t'ink dey jus' wanna see what we can do." He said with a halfhearted smile. They didn't need to have the discussion that they needed to rely on one another and have some semblence of trust in one another, but out here where anything was go and she could very well cause him a lot of agony<c>* Theo: *<c> and then leave him there, take off with the book, or where he could kill her, strand her, take the stone for himself, there was no trust and no love lost at the other's misfortune. He waited for her at least before starting off into the jungle, hacking and slashing his way through the flora up the Metranange towards its birthplace, which he knew had to be near the island on which the Temple of Seoul-Mun sat. "Ya know, I have a confession to make." he finally said halfway through the journey. He was breathing rather heavily and had stopped in place to lean on a tree. Even Planataers had to take breaks now and again. He wiped some dirt and grime from his face and leaned over onto his forelegs, looking perhaps more human now, the lustful<c>* Theo: *<c> glint of power gone from his eyes. He was simply Theoren Roullier now, not the Phoenix, not Maedryn. Just Theo. "I don' 'sactly know what's gonna happen once I get all dese rocks..." He said between breaths as he opened his canteen to take a drink before offering some to her. "Dis is jus' a hunch, dat I'll have some kinda chance t'beat dis t'ing b'fore ... all hell breaks loose." He finally admitted. "Anyt'in' can happen here, Amariette. But I want you t'know... I want dis t'ing dead jus' as much as you." It was a twisted way of admitting to his angelic nature. He truly didn't want to hurt people, but after the many years of torture he had endured, he was willing to make sacrifices for the greater good. He was embittered, and part of him<c>* Theo: *<c> would see to use the stones for his own personal gain, a Thief spitting in the eye of a God. But the other part wanted nothing other than peace. It was the Phoenix that put such a horrible, lustful gaze in his eyes. What scared him the most was the thought that he was increasingly unable to tell himself apart from it. "An' for de record, chere... I'm sorry." he said, in a moment of brazen sincerity before he averted his eyes and recapped the canteen. Almost there. He turned his back to her again and reached out with the machete to chop through a few more vines and start once again on their way to the Temple that very well could be their final resting place.<f>*
Amariette: ~Her movements were fluid, reflexes surprisingly quick for a woman like her, each step calculated and offset by a duck here or a dodge there to avoid meeting a low hanging branch with her face. She followed him through the path he cut, the continuous reverberation of the stinging flies and mosquitoes their only musical accompaniment and the cries of tropical birds ringing out in the dense overgrowth. As he finally came to a stop for a brief rest, she leaned forward to rest her hands on her bent knees, the passage of air into her lungs intensified for precious moments as her muscles were re-energized.~<c> Amariette: ~Taking the canteen from him, she downed a few shallow gulps and licked her lips clean of any wayward droplets that may have escaped her, the need for water more than demanding under such intense sun. The stagnant pools of decomposing undergrowth rose in a continuous stench to her nose, the air, barely breathable to begin with, made even more difficult to inhale. Listening to his words, she simply remained quiet, allowing him this time to clear his conscience enough to comtinue on in the same strong spirits that would hopefully keep them alive another day. There was no use replying, for she had nothing to say to comfort or ease his doubt, or were they, fears?~<c> Amariette: ~Yet, as he apologized, she couldn't help but raise her head a bit higher in surprise, rather caught off guard by his open admittance to holding at least some slight piece of remorse for their situation. It was all very short lived though as he continued on and she matched pace, thankful for the small hiatus, no matter how brief. Vines reached for her ankles and thorns ripped at her skin mercilessly, causing her to wince in mild annoyance and grit her teeth, a small grunt or growl escaping her sneering lips every once in a while.~<c> Amariette: ~The sun was scorching them from its place in the sky, the light sizzling along their skin when they moved into a piece of unprotected ground, the sheltering canopy of the trees all but fading away, leaving them to taste the wrath of the elements that protected this jungle. It was a place she would have reserved for the greatest blasphemors in one of the rings of hell, the scene taking on a likeness to Dante's journey with the spirit Virgil as his guide. 'What ring awaits your soul Amariette?' Whispers echoed to her mind though she thoroughly ignored them in order to concentrate on placing one foot in front of the other. In a land such as this, one false move meant the difference between failure and success, her will only empowered with every breath she took.~<c> Amariette: ~'The Temple is ruler here child, the Master awaits your spirit to devour and seal away in his hungering eternal belly. You will taste true pain, and you will only know its lips if you pass through the outer gates.' The very soul of the Athrobian jungle was alive and taunting her, the serpent's touch forever roaming its way along her skin to feast on every spout of resolve she sought to muster in her own defense. Balling her fists, she spit out her doubt and moved on, drowning out the voices with any familiar image she could remember, of times where she was truly happy, of times where there were smiles and laughter and kisses to brighten the darkest mood. Within though, she wondered if Theoren was experiencing the same torture.~
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Post by Theoren Roullier on Nov 12, 2004 0:02:04 GMT -5
Theo: *He was experiencing nothing of the sort that Amariette was reliving. He was thinking about what he had to go back to. Belle... he pushed her out of mind. The Guild, another sore and open wound. His father's precious legacy. He didn't want any part of it. Since Amariette's venture into his mind things had been dismal in his mind, reliving thoughts of the past over and over like a tape on loop. Was that why he was sorry, because he was being forced to relive that kind of hell, or was he genuinely symapthetic to the plight of the people's lives he had systematically ruined over the years? he couldn't tell that just yet. There were too many sides of him all tackling each other for a chance to use the power that was just within his grasp now<c>* Theo: *<c>And just as his thoughts began to culminate there it was, like some kind of looming gateway to the Realm of the Damned, the Temple stood before them. The Metranange split in two around the small islet that the sandstone temple sat upon, two gigantic stone Hounds of Hell guarding the mouth of the wrought iron and wooden doorframe that was red as the fires that were rumored to burn endlessly below them. "Mon Dieu..." He said at the sight, even the Phoenix within him recoiling at the horror stretched out before them. The bodies had been there for days at least rotting in the hot sun on pikes. The natives looked as if they hadn't stood a chance at all, the looks of surprise and fear still etched on their faces as their bodies hung limply<c>* Theo: *<c> from the vicious wooden spears now protruding like fangs from the soil. He had to turn his head away for a moment and instinctively put an arm around Amariette's shoulders as if to shield her too from the brutal display lining the river banks. The stench nearly matched the sight of it all. He remembered the markings on the map Dr. Carter had given him that read "here there be monsters". They weren't kidding. "And dis is only th' beginnin'..." He said with a furrowed brow. He shook his head and looked down to snap himself out of it. Just as Dr. Carter had said there was a small raft and pole with which to get across to the islet in the middle of the river. Stepping on gingerly he offered a hand to Amariette to get her on without incident as well<c>* Theo: *<c>He took the pole in silence and began to steer precariously across the small slice of water towards the temple itself. Looking up from the makeshift raft at the temple he could see the large iron bowls holding the flames of Hell itself next to the statues, and in the middle, a giant winged cobra barring entrance. He swallowed an involuntary shiver. As a former agent of the Lord, this place not only disturbed his parasite but also his aura, he could feel the ripples deep down in his core. They were on very evil grounds. Stepping off lightly he took her hand and helped her to the grass, docking the raft and spearing the pole in the ground, trying not to give the land bound corpses on the other shore a second look. He glanced to her and then to the<c>* Theo: *<c> sandstone steps before them leading up to the entrance trial. He took her hand nervously with a small smile, trying to stay confident for her sake, and gave it a squeeze. "Now or never, chere. Let's test our metal, eh?"<f>*
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Post by Amariette Willowbane on Nov 12, 2004 9:09:59 GMT -5
Amariette: ~Amariette, though silent and withdrawn, was not prepared for the sight that greeted her upon entering the clearing on the shore, her mouth falling open and her eyes brimming with tears instantly that spilled down her cheeks in trembling torrents. Words could not escape her throat at all, instead, there was this sickening exhale that faded into a groan of despair, her muscles shivering and her instinctive reaction to turn her face into Theoren's neck where she could shut her eyes against the horrifying display. They were dead. All of them. Bloated, festering bodies with mouths agape and eyes swelling out of their sockets, caught within the throes of decomposition and rot. Flies were swarming and the smell, the smell was the worst actually.~<c> Amariette: ~It took her several deliberate swallows to keep from vomiting in response, and even then, she gagged a great deal and even drew a hand to her mouth to steady the swelling tide of emotion and disgust. She simply could not have fathomed such a sight had she not been present to witness it with her own two eyes, yet that was not what troubled her most. It was the souls, the spirits of the victims that still lingered in this world, she could see them, but even worse, she could hear them. A loud and continuous wail echoed through her mind, cries of despair and sorrow that came from those trapped between worlds in death. Hands reached for her, screams overwhelmed her, and she recoiled from their icy touch, her skin crawling with an intensity she wished never to know again.~<c> Amariette: ~She was thankful when Theoren drew her along and into the small skiff, her eyes carefully avoiding the sight of the grotesque massacre so that she could regain her focus and re-assert her spirit for the inevitable journey into the temple proper. Drawing her eyes upward as he began to draw them across the small stretch of water, her gaze narrowed and she was greeted with the most blatant display of evil she had ever known, the stone statue of the cobra causing her to wrap her arms tightly about her body. 'You should not have come. Evil does not sleep here child. It shall consume you and all your goodness. Turn back now, for the sake of your very soul.' The voices had returned to haunt her anew and she felt her own courage failing piece by precious piece, her face once again worried and full of obvious distress.~<c> Amariette: ~Turning her head away, she furrowed her brow angrily and pushed the voices out of her thoughts once again, her will returning and rooting itself deep within, the powerful constitution she held giving her what aid it could in such desperate times. Under such brutal extremes, she seemed to only grow in her own tenacity, her teeth gritting together and her eyes once again returning to the temple shores, where the steps awaited them eagerly. "If this is to be the end, then I will make it such an end as to earn my place among the stars of my people. I do not fear death Spirits, and I most certainly, do not fear you."~<c> Amariette: ~Her voice was low, but the determination to succeed and survive was evident in her very tone of voice, her features hardening into permanent solemnity that would remain until she drew her last breath, or reached the end of this journey alive and victorious. As she was helped out of the skiff and onto the temple grounds, she gave Theoren's hand a squeeze in return and offered the faintest traces of a grin, a roguish glint captured now in her own eyes. If they were to perish, she would do so with no ill will in her heart towards him.~
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Post by Theoren Roullier on Nov 12, 2004 21:36:09 GMT -5
[glow=fushcia,2,300]The Outer Gates & the First Hour of the Night[/glow]
Theo: *He took a deep breath and set one foot out to begin their ascent up the stairs that would lead them unceremoniously to the Outer Gates of Am-Tuat. Each step he took made him quiver, made him uneasy, and it made his symbiote wrap even tighter around his soul, uncomfortable with the amount of power buzzing in the air around such a place. Theoren could feel it right down to his core what kind of unspeakable evil lay slumbering dormant in the halls that were before them. Traversing them would be the biggest test he'd ever faced. He could only hope his feet were as quick as his mouth- quick enough to help himself and Amariette. As they came to the top of the stairs he paused for a moment, surveying the towering stone statue of a winged cobra<c>* Theo: *<c> that was guarding the doorway. Daniel had called it a Uraeus, the protectors of Seoul-Mun, great wing'd snakes who spit fire at those who could not pass the tests of the Dark Lord and all who had opposed Him. Now they stood silent but every vigilant at the gateway to the Underworld just waiting for the chance to be awakened. He supposed they would get their wish this day. He glanced to the ground before him, a set of inalyed tiles with markings in the celestial language made by relief carving. He put an arm out to keep Amariette from stepping any further and stooped down. He ran his little finger along the crack between the solid stone and the tiles. "Pressure plates." He said with a sharp look in his eyes, surveying the markings on the stones.<c>* Theo: *<c> Dr. Carter hadn't been able to place all of the translations for the Enochian script. Thankfully, he didn't need to. Enochian was the language of the celestials, and when it came to that, Theoren was a pro. It was his native language, after all. He looked at the words and smirked slightly, finding the pattern he needed to go across the proverbial mine field to the wall of symbols he needed to dechiper. "Stay here." He said to Amariette, resheathing the machete as he cracked his neck and shook out his legs. The tiles were small and the correct ones were spread out. He reached out on tip toe to the first one and pressed down. "There." he said with a smile, annunciating the "th" sound he had such problems with normally. He moved to step gingerly<c>* Theo: *<c> on the next one. "But." He recited, getting ready to hop to the next tile. As soon as he pressed his toe down he knew it was the wrong one. Pulling his foot back sharply to stand on one leg he also pulled his arms into his chest to avoid the vicious flameburst that sprung up from the small hole in the tile. "Shit!" He cried as the explosion of greek fire spewed upwards, the heat enough to singe some arm hair. "I always forget de words t'dis sayin'." he grumbled, reaching for another nearby tile. "For." He said, then continuing to hop, wobbling, from tile to tile, "The... Grace... Of... God..." he smirked and bounced off the last two, "Go... I." And landed nimble as a cat on the solid surface beyond the tiles. "How ironic." he shook his head and looked<c>* Theo: *<c> at the symbols recessed into the wall before him. Looking over to Amariette he squinted at her and called to her. "Ok chere, what am I doin'? He did write what each symbol corresponds to, yes?" He asked hopfully. He felt as though there were eyes boring into him, but when he looked up at the Uraeus, it's stony gaze was still cast far beyond the temple to the depths of the jungle.<f>*
Amariette: ~Letting her green eyes roam from the pressure plates to the far wall where the symbols awaited them, she crouched down to slip her pack off of her shoulders, quickly rummaging through the contents to lift the small notebook from within that rested against the Am-Tuat itself. Lifting it out, she cradled it to her chest and let her eyes fall closed, offering a silent prayer that Daniel had deciphered the script correctly and given them the proper instructions in order to survive these trials. Slipping the straps of her pack back onto her shoulders, she rose up and opened the journal carefully, her eyes recognizing the familiar handwriting of the archeologist she loved so deeply.~<c> Amariette: ~Reading momentarily, she noted the pictures he had drawn and the explanations of each symbol and its meaning and importance in solving the puzzle, eyes drifting upward in time to see fire explode rather close to Theoren, too close. "Be careful!" She yelled in alarm, her fingers trembling but her mind working frantically over the words that all but blurred across the pages, painfully small and etched out in an almost perfect twin to chicken scratch. 'Ah Daniel, were going to have to work on your handwriting..' She spoke frustratedly to herself, eyes rising again to watch Theoren finally reach the far end where the symbols rested, this would be tricky to decipher since Daniel had the natural ability to go into too much detail sometimes.~<c> Amariette: ~All she wanted were the answers, but there was all this extra to make her way through, which further infuriated her. Hearing his voice as he called out to her, she clutched the journal tighter and began to read aloud, her voice wavering and her mind working quickly through the lines, a hand rising to point in the direction of each pictogram. "The symbols are the sounds of a phrase that you need to recite in the correct order by pressing the symbols as they coincide with the lettering of the Ancients. The first symbol is an ankh and means 'HATU', whereas the second symbol is an ibis, which signifies 'USHEMET', the third is a scarab, which seems to mean 'KHEFTI', and the last is an eye, which represents 'RA'."~<c> Amariette: ~"According to Daniel it should be pressed as follows, USHEMET-HATU-KHEFTI-RA, which should be in the order of second-first-fourth-third." Her raised digit moved in the pattern that she spoke of, Amariette doing her best not to tremble in fear of what may happen to them both if she were wrong. They had already angered the Spirits by coming here, and if she did not read these notes in the right way, they were never going to see daylight again, let alone another human being. What a chilling thought that was in her mind now, to have her soul locked away forever to be fed upon by this temple and the dark beings whom dwelled within it.~<c> Amariette: ~Theoren had shown his expertise in the physical aspects of these trials thus far, but they were both lost if she even misread a single thing from Daniel's notes. Amariette did not like those odds and she let her eyes squeeze shut as she saw him begin to touch the symbols in the hopes of giving the Uraeus life.~
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Post by Theoren Roullier on Nov 12, 2004 21:37:00 GMT -5
Theo: *With a sturdy hand he reached out to touch the symbols as Amariette read them. Thank God Daniel had drawn pictures along with his transliteration of the texts. Theoren caught himself there and grimaced, hand hovering over the last symbol. God had nothing to do with this. If God had wanted anything to do with this, He would have stepped in a long time ago, but instead he had let his good servent fall into the hands of unfathomable evil. Anything that was done here today was going to be the work of some fancy footwork and courage on the part of Theoren and Amariette and sheer brilliance on Daniel's. God could not help them anymore, not that Theoren thought for a moment that He would even care. He pushed a little hard on the symbol<c>* Theo: *<c> and like magic it began to recess into the wall on its own. Easy enough, he thought with a smirk, but it didn't stay long as a great quake rumbled from under his feet and he was thrown into the wall by the shaking of the entire temple. Great pieces of sandstone began falling from the Uraeus and Theo flattened his back to the wall as the cascading rock barely missed him as it shattered to pieces on the ground before him. The rest of the stone began to merge with a mass of great black and emerald scales as the gargantuan snake-like beast took life from stone and shook off the remaining dust from its lengthy body. It reared up above them and looked down upon the humans with menace in its eyes as leathery bat wings twiched with eager <c>* Theo: *<c> anticipation as a forked tongue slid between its scaly lips to taste the putrid air surrounding the Outer Gates. "Whom soever seeks passage to the Night must first answer the following riddle in order to find the key to the Great Doors." it hissed in a blood curdling voice. "At night they come without being fetched, And by day they are lost without being stolen." And then all was silent as the Uraeus loomed over them, awaiting their response with a wild stare. Theoren glanced back at Amariette. She had the book, she knew what to do. "The key to th' door? What's it talkin' about?" He called over the rubble and the distance standing between them. "Is it another symbol on th' wall?" He asked, glancing nervously up at the <c>* Theo: *<c> serpent untrustingly. It was a hideous beast, and even the Phoenix was writhing in fear of it. It was almost enough to make Theoren vomit from the feeling. Lost without being stolen... come at night... He mulled over the riddle. He had never been good at these, but it seemed rather straight forward. He glanced to the symbols on the wall. Scarab? No... that didn't make any sense... fire? No. His eyes landed then on a pentagram halfway along the line. A star. The stars! Of course! "I've got it!" He called excitedly. "De stars, dey come out at night an' get lost when de sun rises!" <f>*
Amariette: ~Her eyes shot open as the last symbol was pressed and receded into the wall, her breathing all but ceasing as she awaited the moment when judgment would rain down upon them and they would cease to exist altogether. However, that moment did not come and she allowed herself a deep exhale and was furiously pitched forward by the sudden earthquake that ceased the ground and shook the walls with merciless force. They had gotten it wrong! Now they would pay the price with their souls! Sprawling across the stone of the ground, she barely missed the few pressure pads that made up the floor puzzle in its entirety, knowing full well that had she fell upon one, she would have been cooked in her own flesh.~<c> Amariette: ~Winded and bruised but little else, she rolled onto her back as the rumbling ceased and she coughed up a cloud of dust, her lungs heaving for breath and her eyes squinting at the realization that she was still indeed alive. Sitting up hurriedly, she shook off the nausea that sought to overwhelm her and she got to her feet again, wincing in pain at the soreness of her muscles. Groaning, she drew a balled fist to her lips and coughed brutally again, forcing any remaining dust clear from her lungs and windpipe as her eyes searched the haze for the outline of her companion, panic rising in her throat. Waving a hand to disspell what atmospheric debris that she could, her voice called out in concern, "Theo?!"~<c> Amariette: ~As the grit cleared, she gasped audibly and almost fell backwards on her buttocks from the shocking sight of the Uraeus made flesh, the hissing serpent rising from the lowly position it had harbored for many many years. Stepping back a few paces very slowly, her mouth hung open in awe and she barely caught the sight of Theo moving against the far wall, his shadowed silhouette bringing sudden relief to her heart. As if she could handle no more surprises though, the serpent began to speak to them, its cunning eyes finding them both and rooting them in there specific spots to here all that it would say before deliberating amongst one another.~<C> Amariette: ~Tilting her head as it fell silent, she reached down to fetch the journal from the ground and searched through the pages again, reading Daniel's text regarding the difficult riddles each snake had waiting for them. Without answering correctly, they could not move on and so she began to ponder the riddles' lines in her own head, her eyes scanning the far wall of symbols. Amariette did not think an eye was the answer and was about to consult Theo before he exclaimed rather loudly and she braced herself for wrath from the Uraeus that never came. "Well don't just stand there Theo! Press the pentagram, somehow I think it will kill us if we cause it to wait any longer than it has to."~<c> Amariette: ~She called out, her eyes frozen on the stone beast made flesh, just waiting to feast upon the both of them with its wicked forked tongue. Trembling she kept her index finger in place and closed the journal, bracing herself to bolt in case they were wrong and needed to make a hasty retreat. Likely the Uraeus would stop them before any escape could be made; after all, she had just watched it come alive from being nothing more than sandstone and dust. There was no way a creature of that nature could be a pushover.~
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Post by Theoren Roullier on Nov 12, 2004 22:10:13 GMT -5
Theo: *He nodded and punched a hand onto the stone plate bearing the symbol of the Star and as it recessed into the wall he thought he almost see the wicked serpent smile. "You may passss, humansss." Came the soft, cruel hiss as the best stood upright and turned once more to stone, sandy colored rock forming all over its body in a cascade upwards to encase it in full and keep it there to wait for the next hapless victim to try to outrun the temple. There was a grating sound of rusty gears and the heavy wooden suddenly sprang to life and creaked open as the floor between Amariette and Theoren solidified and locked the pressure plates in their place. He beckoned her across and there were no ill effects of her tapping her feet across the stones.<c>* Theo: *<c> He peered into the blackness beyond them, and with a hand on the back of her neck resting for moral support he took a breath before taking the first courageous steps inside. The lights within the place were dim and forboding, mere torches almost spent of their pyre material. The shadows danced with the firelight across the walls making an eerie effect, but it was not the ambiance that caused the greatest dispair. No sooner had they crossed the threshhold when the doors snapped shut, as if on a springloaded device. Theoren ran to them and tugged on the handle, but they were sealed fast. He banged a fist in frustration on the wood and hung his head. They were stuck in here now and there was only one way out. He turned to look at Amariette<c>* Theo: *<c> and sighed. He hoped she was as good with that book as she had already proven herself to be. A cold breeze seemed to emanate from nowhere, curling around them both like spindly fingers. It caused Theoren to choke and double over for a moment, the expression on his face one of extreme pain. To Amariette's worried look he could only wince. He was an angel, a fallen one but an angel never the less. He was in the House of a great evil, and that was bound to take its toll. Whatever was this tether's seneschal was still in this place, waiting for them somewhere, and very much alive. He had no doubt that it could feel them as well. But he managed, with a little help from his phoenix to ignore the pain in his earthly vessel and stand up again<c>* Theo: *<c> "Saprisiti..." he gasped, wiping a fear tears of pain from his eyes. "Dis place reeks of evil." but no other explanation was given. His eyes now adjusted to the darkness were able to give a better inspection of the room. A pedestal with a bowl of very inviting fruit, a giant turtle with carved symbols on its head, and as if anyone did not expect it, another Uraeus next to a river so dark Theoren was not sure that it was made entirely of water. This Uraeus however, though slightly smaller than the last one, was still at least twenty feet high and already alive. Its beady eyes glared at the two intruders but it maintained its silence save only the faint hiss of its tongue flicking back and forth. Theoren was wary. "Alright Chere, I've got a turtle an' some fruit..."<c>* Theo: *<c>He glanced around the room once more to make sure he hadn't missed anything of vital importance. "'Sactly what's goin' on here?" He asked inquiring an explanation for this test.<f>*
Amariette: ~Moving along with him into the next room, she let her eyes remain hesitantly on the frozen pressure pads and first test of wills and might they had overcome together with the use of Daniel's journal and quick thinking. Sighing as she felt his touch against her neck, she drew into the next area and gazed about in obvious confusion, it was rather dark and contained a great deal less than the previous room had, her cautious nature giving rise to obvious suspicion. "I don't think…." The sudden pound of the sealing doors caused her to jump involuntarily and she whirled around in horror as Theoren raced back to them and tried to force them open frantically, his growls of anger and frustration filling her with dread.~<c> Amariette: ~Sighing as he drew back defeated, she reached out to touch his shoulder and she nodded her head resolutely, her voice flowing soft once again for a moment, "It's alright, we'll find our way out of here." Letting him move past her to survey the newest trial, she was instantly alarmed when bent over in agony, her eyes growing wide and her steps quickly carrying her to his side where she reached down to grip his shoulders for further stability and comfort. Watching as the moment passed, she narrowed her eyes at his words and released him, letting her emerald gaze once again circle the room in further detail, noting the tortoise and the statue beside it, the symbols looking all too familiar.~<c> Amariette: ~The sight of the fruit caused her stomach to voice its hunger, her mouth watering at the thought of biting into a piece of such delicious delicacies, her eyes staring longingly toward the bowl before she had to consciously avert her gaze. Lifting the journal, she opened it to the saved place and began to recite once again, her eyes scanning the script swiftly, "If we take the offering of fruit held by the statue, a trap door will open beneath where we would stand and we would drop a long way down a tunnel where a watery grave would await us. Although I find the thought of just sampling a bite rather irresistible, I think we better take Daniel's word on it and steer clear."~<c> Amariette: ~"As far as the tortoise is concerned, it says here that we need to take its shell but we can only unlock it by pressing the right symbols on its head. Hmm……I think that Daniel's pictures mean for us to pick the second and fifth symbols to form the answer which is NET-RA. According to the rest of the notes on this room, we'll then have to collect the shell and greet the Uraeus for another riddle to be allowed to go on." Swallowing hard, she closed the journal gently on her finger again and lifted her gaze to him, a soft shrug of her shoulder offered and a hand waved outward to allow him by, "After you…"~
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Post by Theoren Roullier on Nov 12, 2004 23:01:19 GMT -5
Theo: *He nodded and moved towards the tortise. He too had to avert his eyes from the food. As demons were prone to doing, the treats looked all too tempting in exchage for something much more valuable, and even though he was unable to truly digest anything anyhow, his internal organs had finally begun to renew themselves and piece themselves back together since his last ressurection and that familiar old pang of hunger was now gnawing on him as though he hadn't eaten in days. He approached the symbols on the tortise carefully, first checking around it for traps or anything that might have been overlooked by the young archaeologist in his rather rushed translation of the Am-Tuat. He found nothing. It seemed... a little too easy, didn't it?<c>* Theo: *<c> Truth be told he would have taken the fruit for his hunger but he was a smart man and a thief by trade. Everything in this adventurer's tomb was a trap waiting to happen. He reached forwards and pressed the symbols she instructed him to press, squeezing his eyes shut and awaiting disaster, but instead there was only a clicking sound as the latches holding the shell were released and he was allowed to pick it up with his hands. It was only a little heavy. "What are we even supposed t'do wit' dis?" He grumbled taking it with him as he moved to stand before the Uraeus. It glowered down at him with an evil looking smile, its fangs showing now. "What issss it, mortalssss? Not... hungry?" It did not wait for the answer to its rhetorical questions<c>* Theo: *<c> It merely spoke again in that same grating, hissing monotone the other one had. "Here isss your riddle, mortalssss. SSSSometimessss I wave, sssssometimes I itch. When crosssssed with gold I become rich. What am I?" Theoren smirked for a moment, and then burst out laughing. He grinned a wry grin, showing 'fangs' of his own as he stared down the Uraeus. "Come on hommes, I was told dis was 'sposed to be a challenge. You askin' dis question to a t'ief? For serious?" He chuckled and waved his hand non chalantly. "Hey, I won' complain. Your master can cross my palm wit' whatever gold he wants." His own sly and dangerous way of answering the question as he leaned casually on the upright tortise shell. The Uraeus<c>* Theo: *<c> slithered back some from the long wooden boat and spoke once more. "Carry on, mortalsss, and hope your luck keepssss up with you." It hissed slyly. Theoren just brushed it off and climbed in, offering a hand out to Amariette to help her in as well. He grinned to her as she climbed in after him and ran a hand down her hair with a wink. "See, chere? Piece of cake. Jus' like I told you." <f>*
Amariette: ~Amariette could only shake her head as Theoren teased the snake guardian, praying that they weren't judge for his infectious pride and over inflated ego. Sighing, she cradled the journal against her chest and let her other hand move to the leather sheath of her dagger, her fingers playing along the gilded hilt in quiet contemplation. She honestly had no idea what the use of the shell was, but she was sure that they would need it along their journey through this hell made reality, her lips pressed together in a tentative pout, almost a frown. Taking his hand and stepping onto the boat, she let her eyes scan the river and felt her stomach knot, the depths running a dark red as though the droplets were some crimson fluid from one's major aorta. Blood.~<c> Amariette: ~How delightful. In fact, she admitted to herself that she would have expected no less from the Temple of Seoul-Mun, her distaste of the entire situation evident in the way she crossed her arms over her chest now. Feeling him caress her hair gently with obvious excitement and glee, she drew her boot onto the low side edge of the small vessel nearest her and stuffed her breeches further down into it, her voice low and solemn, "We've have yet more trials to face Theo, lets not assume too much just yet." The confrontational manner of her father had return, the cold and withdrawn 'all business' way that he had bred into the very deepest aspects of her psyche for just such a situation as this.~<c> Amariette: ~Lifting her head, she let her eyes focus on a distant point where the boat seemed to be traveling towards, the faint twinkle of firelight illuminating all about them. It would be a little while before they reached it at the rate they were moving, so she was content to let her pack slip from her shoulders to the floor of the boat, her mind suddenly a bit weary and demanding she calm her nerves. Deeply inhaling, she raised her arms above her head and stretched her muscles, a soft groan escaping her lips and her bare skin covered in another thin layer of dust and sweat, it was almost as hot in here as it was out in the jungle.~<c> Amariette: ~Content to relish in the few minutes or so they had to relax and re-assess their next moves, she sat on the thin board that acted as a small comfort on the wooden transport, one leg crossing over the other. Reaching up, she pulled her ponytail loose and shook out her hair, running her dirty fingers through the limp ringlets and rubbing the back of her neck some. Staring towards him, she tilted her head and her lips pressed together in a tight line, her facial features betraying her increasing fatigue. "According to the journal, the riddles we will be asked get increasingly more difficult. Are you sure you can handle that Theo?"~<c> Amariette: ~Rubbing a hand over her bare abdomen, she reached into the sheath on her belt and removed her dagger, a metallic weapon of death that glimmered wickedly with its double-edged craftsmanship. Gripping the hilt tight in her hand, she slammed the point down hard into the wood beside her, making the blade stand on end while she checked her vials and rations ceremoniously.~
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Post by Theoren Roullier on Nov 12, 2004 23:25:51 GMT -5
[glow=orange,2,300]The Second Hour of the Night[/glow]
Theo: *His cockiness had been a coverup for the fact that he felt like he was running this whole gambit blindfolded. It was supposed to encourage them both somewhat. He wasn't sure how well it was doing its job. "I guess we'll see, won' we?" He said in response to her question. Down the river of syrupy blood the boat drifted, through a long, dark, barely lit tunnel until coming out into the open of a new room and then coming to rest, seemingly of its own accord, on the shore. He stepped off lithely to the sandy shore and helped her out, ever the gentleman even in the burning pits of Hell. He looked over his shoulder at what was coming. A long hall of urns with god only knew what hiding inside, and yet another set of tiles just before <c>* Theo: *<c> a second river. He vaguely remembered this from Daniel's notes. "Lemme guess... we gotta spell somet'in out here, an' if we get it wrong, we're roasted like hens on a spit?" He arched a brow, wandering towards the edge of the tiles and peering in. The urns looked to be empty and just for decoration, but he could clearly see mixed in with the relief carvings on the tiles were more flame shooting holes much like the ones they had encountered outside, and also from the walls. Oh this was not good.. clearly this was a sick joke. "Dis don' look too good, honey..." he said, running a finger between the tile and the solid floor again. They were definitely pressure plates. He could barely make out the swaying form of the Uraeus on the other side<c>* Theo: *<c> and for a moment wondered if they were all seperate, sentient beings or if this was the same one they had seen the last two times. He couldn't be sure, and he got over his curiousity as it was a rather trivial matter in light of the fact that they might become crispy in less than a few moments if they didn't figure out exactly what this test was about. He recognized the symbols on the floor. "Mari... I know dese symbols, but dey ain't words, dey're just sounds. I needa know what I'm supposed ta spell... I need you t'sound it out for me... an' I t'ink on dis one we're gonna have to go together." He said glumly. Fire wasn't exactly his friend, but with a river of blood and a mean looking wing'd snake behind them through the tunnel with only a pair of locked<c>* Theo: *<c> doors to go back to, he didn't really see much of a choice in the matter. He sighed and pulled the knot in his makeshift bandana a little tighter and then wiped his dirty hands on his pants, awaiting an answer from her<f>*
Amariette: ~Having retrieved all of her things, she allowed him to help her out of the boat and she dusted her hands off on the knees of her breeches, taking the tie and drawing her hair up into a tight ponytail once again for the continuation of their journey. By now they both were rather filthy, dust, soot, grime, and sweat their only compatriots now, and she rested a hand on her hip as she flipped open the journal once again and began to read aloud, her eyes rising every so often to survey the layout of the hall. This was going to be a great deal more difficult actually, especially since it was obvious they had to go together at the risk of tasting fire and in turn tasting like it as well.~<c> Amariette: ~"The journal says that we have to step on the right pressure pads that will spell he name of the River Goddess in the celestial language. One wrong step and fire will lick the skin right off our bones. Now, Daniel has provided the answer and if I can say this correctly, it's pronounced BAIU-TUATI. Yet, there is something that bothers me. I know you've noticed the holes in the walls here, and I think they shoot fire as well. There's no mention of their existence in Daniel's journal either so I have no idea whether they follow the same rules as the other traps or whether they obey laws of their own. We can see though, stay here a moment." ~<c> Amariette: ~Gazing about her, she found a round and smooth pebble lying dormant not too far from them, her eyes sparkling in delight and a soft smile curling on her lips that changed her look amazingly. Walking towards it, same fluid sway in her hips, she crouched down to retrieve it and offered him an unknowing gaze, a questioning one-sided grin on her lips as she moved toward the boundary between safe ground and the first row of tiles. Swallowing hard, she tossed the stone across the border and almost a second after it took flight, the holes on either side of the wall exploded in fire, the intense flames reach clear across to the other side of the room from both the left and right sides.~<c> Amariette: ~They did not shoot off all at once though, but instead seemed to explode in a rather chaotic pattern, another beginning where one ended to leave the charred stone smoking as it landed on the other side of the long hall, her eyes catching it as it clattered out of sight again. Swallowing hard, she moved back toward him and sighed, sure that he had observed the same occurrence as she had and was no doubt equally as puzzled. "I guess we have our answer. There seems to be some invisible force field of some type that can discern whether it's borders have been crossed and retaliate within a hair of a second. Not only does this pose a problem for us, but I also think the shell was meant only as a shield for the flames traps in the floor."~<c> Amariette: ~"And since the trap itself seems to be completely random in its pattern of dispersal, I have absolutely no idea how to get us through this alive. We're stuck Theoren, and we're stuck pretty bad"~
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Post by Theoren Roullier on Nov 22, 2004 22:36:26 GMT -5
He watched with a look of half amusement on his face. He cocked his head and looked at Amariette who no doubt was giving him an expression inquiring to his sanity at the moment. Non chalantly as he possibly could he sauntered to the tile bed and gazed down the hallway with his arms crossed over his chest. The wheels in his mind were already turning, years of thieving and narrow escapes coursing through his mind as he searched for his answer. A small smirk had already taken its place on his lips as his ever observant eyes watched the passageway with some interest. It may have looked like he was staring off into nothing, but in fact, he was looking at something very peculiar indeed.
Sniffing the air he put a finger to his nose. "Smell dat, cherie?" He asked with a chuckle. It did indeed stink in the room, a slightly gassy smell wafting through the air. He drwe himself even with the wall. His theory was confirmed- he could see the effervescence of crude oil fumes spewing from the holes along the walls. Placing an ear next to the wall he listened for a moment, and smiled as he heard the slow hiss of gas behind the stone. "It's hollow in dere- perfect place t'hold a tank of oil. We musta turned de machine on when we came t'rough de first door." He said, bringing a hand to his chin to evaluate the situation more fully. He was reminded of some of his more daring getaways, like the time he had gone to visit Belle when he was fourteen and had to jump out of a window into a gator infested bog beyond the Black Hand's estate house, or the time in Avalon when he had kidnapped Aerillia and plunged them down ten flights out a window before making it to the Crimson Dawn damaged, but alive. That had been the real Theoren Roullier, the reckless, heart stealing, bayou charmer born and raised on the South Block. Not the Phoenix. Not Maedryn. And it was Theoren Roullier who was in control right now, so he had no reason at all to be worried.
"Piece o' cake." He said to her with a handsome grin. "Dey only have fumes come out ev'ry t'ird one. Ever two on de left side. Hit de flame bursts at de right time, we be t'rough no problems." He shrugged at her when she tried to protest. "Hey, trust me, eh?" More dangerous words from this man's mouth were never spoken. Spinning on his heels, avid dancer that he was, he grabbed Amariette around the waist and pulled her in. "Wait' til I get t'de other side. I need you an' dat book." He said, moving a few loose strands of red from her face. He let go seconds later and turned back to the task at hand. Hard part first, reward later, he reminded himself. He could see the symbols he needed to get to well enough. Picking up the surprisingly light shell he suddenly realized what it was for. A shield... how handy! He was going to have to lighten the load, however, and he began unloading the things he would need from his pack. The dagger encrusted with his Guild emblem, a weird looking silver bar no more than a foot long that he strapped to his back, and a small object wrapped in wax paper and a length of rope he tucked into a leather satchel he slung over his other shoulder. "Follow me once I get de pressure plates in place cherie, an' not a moment b'fore!" he called as he picked up the shell.
And in a flash he was off and running. The first two plates were pressed and he agily ducked a small flame burst above him, the second licking around the sides of the shell he threw up to protect himself. No time to dally, six more plates to go! Hesitating too long would bring on more flames, so he leapt up to the next plate a few feet away, hitting it squarely and then leaping up, tucking his legs behind him, the knees of his pants scortching as a flame hit them, burning holes into them. He swore as he landed and then slammed the shell on the ground, sliding it along the stony ground towards the other side. It was rocked by flamebursts as Theoren made after it. He hit the fourth plate and then leapt towards the fifth with uncanny speed to avoid another hit as he drew the small silver cylinder off his back. Hitting the well worn button on the device he grunted as he pushed it up in the air and the ends shot out. The staff had always been one of his more favorite tools, and this one just happened to be made of z'noxx, a wonderful metal mined and cured by the Irillians. Indestructable weapons were their specialty, and he was greatful for the time he had spent there now. The staff's ends whizzed out and hit the holes of the flame tiles with ridiculous accuracy, sticking in them and preventing the fire from spewing out and toasting him to a complete crisp.
He let out a triumphant laugh as he heard the rumble of the fire spewing back through the pipes and spitting out from all the holes in the walls behind him from the backlash. Hitting the button again he gripped the staff tightly and sprang forwards again, grabbing the shell as he passed it and throwing it up to the right and dropping it as another spurt shot for his body. Jamming the end of the staff down into the last tile he used his own inertia to vault upwards and over the final flame between him and victory. Of course, in such a tunnel, the low ceiling was a problem and his daring display was interupted as he felt his body smash into the stone roof, effectively knocking the wind out of him. He hit the ground just beyond the tiles and tucked into a roll. It had hurt, but taking the lesser hit was something he was at this point used to, and so it wasn't a few more seconds before he was on his feet again in a crouch. His performance was in the least an entertainly display of acrobatics. Even the German judge gives him a ten.
He winced, feeling the blood, if you could even call it that, oozing from the abrasions on his back. He looked down at his singed pants with disdain. He had really liked this pair, too. He caught his breath with a few gulps of air and stood shakily, reaching for a lever on the wall. Once pulled there was a mechanical sound and suddenly the floor tiles raised and sealed together, the hissing stopped and there were no longer wavy lines of heat between him and Amariette. "Ok cherie!" He called from across the tile maze of fiery death. "It should be ok t'come 'cross now."
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Post by Amariette Willowbane on Nov 23, 2004 16:43:38 GMT -5
Amariette: ~“Just don’t get us killed with some half-thought idea, please?” She answered coolly as he had drawn her close and tried his best to soothe her expanding doubt, her eyes narrowed and her lips pressed into a thin, unamused line. Taking a few steps back as he returned his focus to his individual plan of action, she watched him gather his things, her arms folded tight across her chest and a silent prayer forming on her lips. Whatever his intentions, she hoped they were going to keep the two of them alive at least for another trial, to fall victim to Seoul-Mun’s traps was a less than appealing thought at this point, after all, they had come a great ways as it was, much farther than first anticipated. Lifting her eyes to watch Theoren once again, she was completely unprepared for the sight that awaited her, her lips slowly parting in an astonished look that was a mix of horror and awe.~<c> Amariette: ~As the King of Thieves demonstrated his agility and prowess, she gave soft cries of terror at the number of close calls that sought to consume him with their burning fury, her head even turning a way at one point when she had been sure that he had met his demise. Surprised to see him vaulting through the air the last few steps to the opposite end of the hall, her shoulders hunched and she winced at the sickening thud of his body connecting with the ceiling. He may have been impervious to death, but she was absolutely positive that he was in some sort of pain; her thick lashes blinking nervously as she strained her eyes to make sure he was still alive. Hearing the room mechanism click, she let her eyes fall to the tiles that solidified before her, the hissing sound of the gas dying immediately and filling her heart with relief, Theoren had pulled through just fine.~<c> Amariette: ~Pressing the journal tight to her chest, she gripped the strap of her pack and flew across the stone floor, her jogging figure materializing through the dusty haze and bounding up to him. Tilting her head as her ringlet curls steadied once again against her spine, she narrowed her eyes at the look on his face and reached up to grip his shoulder and turn him about so that she could get a better look at the long jagged scratches that bled out. “Not so impervious I see…” She sighed and bid him remain motionless, her fingers moving quickly to action, he may not have been a man completely, but his body would still react as though he were one, and she couldn’t risk infection at a time like this. Reaching down to one of the pouches latched at her belt, she drew it open and pulled a small vial from within, a small cloth accompanying it, they hadn’t a minute to lose so she worked swiftly and efficiently as she tended to him, it would make him feel more comfortable if nothing else.~<c> Amariette: ~She couldn’t help but take a moment to trace her fingers along the outline of his tattoo, emerald eyes obviously mystified by the detail and colors that even now shone brilliantly in such poor lighting, the girl almost losing herself entirely before coming back to the task at hand. Pouring the thick yellow liquid onto the makeshift kerchief a drop at a time, she dabbed the length of each shallow gash and rubbed the medicine in more thoroughly with a tentative circular motion of her index finger. The contents were of her own making, an herbal salve that she had used many times on the cuts and scrapes of the boys back home when they had played chicken with the trees and lost. The initial sensation would burn immensely, but that was the chemicals killing all potential bacteria that would result in infection and fever, symptoms he could not risk suffering from within this labyrinth of fire and death.~<c> Amariette: ~She was unsure, but she did not doubt the existence of some type of virus just lingering in the air of this accursed place, waiting to consume the healthy with its poisonous power if the Uraeus were to fail. “Sorry…” She replied as he gave a slight grunt of initial discomfort at the sensation of the healing salve. Content that she had properly addressed the scars; she put everything back into its proper pouch and moved past him, keeping her eyes averted and her attitude on task with the next challenge, her fingers working the pages of Daniel’s journal open again. “It says here that we must continue out of this hall and find another boat awaiting us. Apparently, two rivers run through the bowels of this temple and we must cross another before reaching the next trial. A Uraeus will be waiting for us, and another riddle that we have to solve to be allowed safe journey downstream. An incorrect answer will result in a death by man-eating crocodiles that lie dormant and waiting within the river proper. We best not keep them yes?” ~
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Post by Theoren Roullier on Nov 26, 2004 7:56:24 GMT -5
[glow=yellow,2,300]The Third Hour of the Night[/glow]
"Sapristi woman!" Came the yelp from the 'patient' to his 'doctor' as Amariette meant to tend to his wounds. "Leave it be, it'll heal. I promise you." he said sourly, cranky at being stung by her salves. His body grew increasingly more human each day. Unfortunately after his last excursion to the Astral realm he had not left enough time for him to regenerate himself properly, and of course this ruined the facade of his mortality greatly. Not that it much mattered to him, though, what the mortals did and did not know. For his ilk, breaking such a masquerade incured no penalty.
Distracted by their quarrel, Theoren hadn't noticed the Uraeus' eyes now turned towards them gleaming in the dim light just beyond the trial. "Clever mortalsssss, they are. You have sssssome sssssskillsssss, I sssssee." Hissed the giant snake as it curled its tail around itself. Theoren grunted and readjusted his knapsack. "Jus' give us de riddle, hommes." The snake's lips curled as best they could into a wicked grin. "Before you crossssss, anssswer me thissss; What crosssssessss a river but doessss not move?"
Theoren furrowed his brow. Riddles, he thought, were by far the most annoying part of this challenge. He looked back to Amariette for help but she was thinking as well. "Someti'n' stationary... doesn't move, but goes 'cross de river. Hmmm." He began to pace, a trademark of his when deep in thought. Fingers wove through long red hair, worrying themselves against his scalp and scratching at his neck. Nervous ticks he had picked up over the course of too many years stuck in this world. Rivers... rivers... crossing rivers. How does one cross a river? Boats, rafts... oh of course, how stupid of him!
"A bridge!" He said triumphantly. The Uraeus simply smiled and bobbed its head towards the boat just beyond its scaly body. "We ssssshall ssssee, won't we mortalsssss?" Theoren scoffed and ignored the attempt to imbue fear into them, took Amariette by the arm and guided her towards the boat. At least this river seemed to be water... albeit sludgy water. He could see dark shapes moving around in the shadows of the river- the crocodiles Amariette had warned of. As they got in the iron gate beyond them began to grind and screech as rusted metal does, and lifted up to let them into the dark tunnel that would lead them deeper yet into the temple.
"Not so tough." he said, brushing off his near-fiery death encounter with naught but a shrug. He had been in worse scrapes before on the dregs of the high seas, tortured by pirates, stranded on islands, shot, beaten, electrocuted, and thrown into the ocean with irons tied to his hands and feet. This was really nothing of a shock to him, though the river of blood, he had to admit, was a nice touch.
When the boat reached shore he got out, helping Amariette as well, and approached the archway he assumed would go to the next trial. He approached hesitantly, unsure of what lay before him, and was about to turn his head and ask Amariette when he felt a hand grab his shoulder. Crying out in surprise he leapt backwards just in time to avoid the short sword that had been slashing at his midsection. "Jesus Christ!" He exclaimed at the sight of the sword-weilding skeleton, still covered in sinews and cobwebs that had come from nowhere. Undead skeletons... someone had to be kidding him. He grunted and ducked as the sword went ringing over his head, not without noting the scroll hanging around the warrior's neck.
"Little help here, girl!" He said, scooting around the roaring and animated carcass as he made for the wall that held an unusually nice sword. At least they gave him a fighting chance! He grabbed the hilt and yanked the weapon free as he felt a hand grasp him from behind and pull him backwards. "Sapristi, dis sucker's strong!" Spinning around he blocked a downwards blow with the blade and pushed away to get better footing. "An' jus' how we 'sposed t'kill dis bag o'bones?!"
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Post by Amariette Willowbane on Nov 26, 2004 21:01:13 GMT -5
~As the towering skeleton sought to cut Theoren down before he could realize it, Amariette was paralyzed in fear, her eyes wide, her feet rooted in place, and the journal trembling against her chest. It was the natural subconscious instinct for survival that jolted her back just as the undead soldier turned in her direction, having lost interest in Theoren for the moment, allowing him to dodge the pits of spikes to retrieve a sword in which to defend the both of them. Lifting her head as the lumbering creature approached her, she had just enough time to toss her pack to the ground and slip the journal into her belt, her body going into a crouch as she swung out her leg and tripped the thing, a loud thud echoing throughout the room as well as a growl of frustration from the temple monster.~<c> ~Drawing herself up and out of the way as it began to orient itself and regain its footing, she was relieved to see Theoren returning to distract him as she fled the immediate grounds and pulled the journal out of her belt at his question. Flipping quickly through the pages, giving herself more than her share of paper cuts, she scanned the script until she found the passage entitled ‘Third Hour of Night’. “It says that there should be some kind of scroll on that thing, it should have a series of words that coincide with the symbols on that wall over there. According to this, if we press the right symbols, he should turn to stone and we can continue to the Uraeus and get the next riddle. Keep him busy, I’ll try to get to the symbols and put the right ones in, I hope that skeleton doesn’t catch on before then.” ~<c> ~After getting the nod she was looking for, Amariette moved along the wall as far from them as possible and then bolted across the floor, her boots almost becoming a blur at the speed in which she traveled and her dagger pulled free from its sheath. Suddenly a pit opened directly in her path, one they had both overlooked, the sentence of death by spikes looming precariously before her. Knowing she could never stop herself in time, Amariette turned her body sharply and buried the blade of her dagger in a deep crack in the stone of the floor, the metal holding solid as her figure toppled over the side and vanished from sight. With a fierce and angry cry, her adrenaline pumping throughout every one of her veins, Amariette tightened her hold on the hilt of the dagger, her knuckles going white and perspiration dotting her brow.~<c> ~Her boots dangled a good thirty feet above the rusty points that were just waiting to impale her and she looked down at the death she had cheated at least for the moment. Hearing the grunts of battle from above, she gritted her teeth and tightened her muscles, her boots digging into the uneven pit sides as she began to pull herself up after gaining decent footing. Finally reaching the safety of the temple level, she clawed the rest of her body up onto the stones, her arms and legs horribly sore and sudden fatigue begging her to rest for as long as she could. As much as she wanted to give into it, Amariette knew they were racing against the clock and Theoren couldn’t hold off the monster much longer without risking serious injury, the thought of failure absolutely not an option.~<c> ~Slamming a fist into the stone with a rebellious growl, she pushed herself up and retrieved the dagger, not a single piece of damage on the metal, the telltale workmanship of her father Brigham, he always seemed to know exactly what she needed. Letting her eyes fall on the skeleton as it caught Theoren in the chest with a bony arm and sent him reeling into a wall, she winced and bolted again, taking running leaps across the pit openings until she came to a stop on the opposite side where the symbols rested in a long row. Twelve in all, she needed but five.~<c> ~Lifting the journal from her belt again, she opened to the page and read from Daniel’s script, her heart feeling instant grief at not being with him at this moment, “NET-NEB-UA-KHEPER-AUATU. Which should be snake, water, sword, fire, and ash. A plague on my house should I get this wrong…” She took a deep breath and pressed the symbols in the same order, the tiles sinking in with a chilling hiss and her pulse throbbing in her ears. As the undead warrior raised his sword to inflict a crippling blow upon her partner, sudden silence filled the room and she squinted her eyes to see what had become of the monster and Theo. Relief gripped her as the once living menace was now nothing more than a statue of sandstone, the sword still resting in the air, hopefully never to part another skull again.~<c> ~The pits had closed as well and the openings solidified in the floor, making it safe to traverse without worry or fear, the occurrence seeming only to be some nightmare they had both awakened from. Running back across the length of the room, she helped him up and surveyed the look of him in further detail, making absolutely sure that he was still in one piece and would be able to continue on. Satisfying herself that he would live to meet another trial, she moved to her pack and lifted it onto her shoulders once again, tightening the straps and lifting her emerald gaze to him. “Come Theo, we still have the Uraeus to get past.”~
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Post by Amariette Willowbane on Nov 28, 2004 23:54:38 GMT -5
Waiting for him to follow, Amariette lead the way toward the looming Uraeus, the wicked serpent setting its hateful eyes on the two of them and tasting the air with its devilishly forked tongue, “Quite the fearlesssss pair, but you will not lasssssst much longer mortalsssssss. What three lettersss makessss a man out of a boy?" The girl was at a loss as she drew her emerald eyes toward Theoren for assistance, another layer of dust covering her features and a fresh array of scrapes along her arms and stomach, several rogue strands of crimson falling against her cheeks. At his silence and the contemplative look in his own gaze, she sighed audibly and her shoulders sagged a bit, an obvious display of the sudden hopelessness she felt growing in her soul.
The temple of Seoul-Mun was draining her spirit and her thoughts were scattered and fragmented, the basic instinct to survive giving her the only source of stamina she would need to press on if she were ever to see her beloved fiancé again. Daniel, The persona that she would never allow to fade from her memory. His image was burned into her mind, his patient blue eyes that always seemed to quell the raging storm of her distress whenever she was certain she would be consumed by it. He was the reason she was here. ‘To keep you safe my love..’ The thought rose from her, a palpable prayer that she hoped would reach him in some way. Yet, in the midst of all this pain and exertion, a sudden clarity came to her mind, a bright memory that pushed through the darkness and forced its way into her heart where it bloomed into a permeating force.
"Promise me something? Please...if something should happen to me. If I was...no longer around....I want you to find happiness with someone else. Do you hear me Daniel, I want you to be with someone who will love you as much as I do now. I couldn't bear to see you continue on alone...." Reaching down, she took his hands in her own and squeezed them gently; her attitude grave and solemn and a frightening look of sorrow in her gaze.
He simply looked at her as if she were mad. “Amariette, I don't understand why you would say such a thing...” Daniel laughed a slight and nervous laugh and took her hands with a squeeze, kissing the knuckles. “What has gotten into you lately?”<br> "I...I'm sorry darling but please...you MUST promise me. Look at me..."She lifted his chin and set her gaze squarely on his once again, a look of desperation piercing him deeply and rooting inside him. Her pain was almost palpable, but she needed to hear it, she absolutely NEEDED to know that he would honor her wish.
The sense of humor about the situation seemed to fade as he stared into her eyes searching them for the answer to a most perplexing manner of behavior. “Mari...”, he said with a trembling tone, “I can't make that kind of promise. After Eve left me I didn't know if I would ever love another woman. I suppose it's possible but two true loves don't come along every lifetime, I was lucky to even get one. Don't make me promise something like that when I can't see the future. Just stay with me and it won't be a problem.”<br> "Oh Daniel....." Drawing up against him, she wrapped her arms about his neck loosely and let her chin rest over his opposite shoulder, her cheek pressed intimately to his. Letting her eyes close, several tears spilled down her cheeks and her voice grew torturing soft and child-like, the words barely above a whisper. "Don't ever leave me, please, I don't want to be alone again..."
He took her up, cradling her against him as he folded his legs and sat Indian style, pulling her to his lap and letting her rest there. He stroked her hair and let her tremble, even cry if she wanted to. “It's alright Mari... I'm not going to leave you. Trust me.”<br>
“Age..”, Amariette’s voice rose a bit louder than she had intended, waking her from her dream-like trance, “The answer to the riddle is Age.” As her eyelids parted and those depthless green orbs centered on the Uraeus again expectantly, she felt the memory fading once again into the recess of her thoughts, giving her the strength that was needed to go on. She had to go on. She had to make it back to him, to her Daniel. The snake hissed angrily and shook its menacing head in frustration, “You may passsss, but be warned, the next may not be assss patient asssss I wassss.” Nodding her head, she motioned to Theoren and took off at a gentle pace again through to the next trial, a faint, imperceptible smile on her lips. He loved her, he would wait for her. As he had promised, she was sure that Daniel would not leave her. ‘Soon, I’ll be returning to you soon darling.’
The thought was more real than her dangerous surroundings, but Amariette had little time to dwell on it as the pair entered a new room, two doors offered to them for the choosing. One door is marked with the phrase ANKH-KHEPERU and the other is marked with AMENT-SETHAU, both completely unknown to her. Sighing, she let her eyes linger on the fading torches lit along either wall and the dusty sandstone beneath her boots, the piles of sand still lingering in the corners where who knows what may have awaited them. Opening the journal again, she began to read aloud for him, the directions set out rather neatly, “We have to choose one of the doors, but in order to go through the correct one, it says we have to call upon the goddess of Justice or RE-STATET and she will tell us the door to pick. It doesn’t mention any type of specific ritual so I guess we just have to go on old-fashioned ingenuity. Since your record is anything but admirable Theoren, I suggest you allow me to try and summon this ancient deity?”
Slipping her pack from her shoulders and setting it aside against a nearby wall she pushed the journal into her belt securely and reached up to pull her crimson ringlets loose and free of their ponytail, her body moving into a kneeling position. Spreading her knees some, she tossed her hair and wiped her hands on her thighs, trying to clean the palms as best she could as she withdrew her dagger and laid it before her as a makeshift offering to the powerful matron. Combing her fingers through the long tresses in order to look somewhat presentable, she took deliberately deep inhales and exhaled slowly, her lungs helping to expel all ill essence that she may have been harboring. It was proving very difficult to center yourself and try to look blameless when you were surrounded by such evil and animosity, stemming not only from the temple proper, still, she had to try.
Clasping her hands together, she brought the tips of her fingers to the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes, her voice rising soft and imploring from her lips, hopefully the Goddess would be fooled by her goodness and remain unaware of the dark figure watching from behind her, his aura a little less pure and untouched, “Great Mother of Justice and all that is right, I call upon you now. Mighty Re-Statet deliver your children and show us the correct path to righteousness. Take this blade and this vessel as examples that our intentions are true, that we are warriors come under your grace seeking safe passage with your blessing. Please, hear me now and come to us, show us the door that will lead to your way, the way of right.”
At first there was nothing but silence that surrounded them, pressed in about them, but the smoke from the torches began to gather and form an undistinguishable shape, a strong feminine voice filling the room and making the hairs on their necks bristle. “Maid, I have heard your prayer and I feel no malice in your heart. Your blade has spilled no blood and your spirit is true. Go now in my name, through the door on your right, and may you have long days on the earth. Fear nothing, but question all.” With that the smoke was dispelled and a cold chill replaced itself in the room as though nothing supernatural had ever happened there. Amariette let her trembling fingers reach out to the dagger on the floor and tenderly slipped it back into its sheath, replacing her hair in the simple ponytail and rising from the floor where she turned on her heels to Theoren. “Out of the mouth of Goddesses, to the right we go.”<br>
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