A Storm to Remember (Closed)

[Darian]

[Pig's Foot Tavern]

Tucked away in a back room where no natural light could penetrate, Darian sat in silence, his blade extended before him. It was his manner of meditation of late, though in a city like Sunberth, even a secluded room in a tavern could offer little in the way of solitude as even with the door wedged shut tight with a chair, straw, and cloth noise still trickled in through the floor boards, the raucous gathering below reduced to a mild drone. It was the sound of home.

For a time, locked away in the darkness he simply concentrated on the cold feeling of his sword locked in his grip. The cool metal of the cold iron sticking to his skin and seeping it's chill into his very bones and causing the hair's to raise on his neck. A simple flex of his muscles served to send a jolt of warmth through his body but it was only of a slight relief as the icy feeling soon resurfaced. It was good though, it kept his mind on edge and his body from going soft, every tremble that ran through him serving to strengthen his form, and memorizing his pose into his very flesh.

Darian sucked in another deep breath, and with it rose to his feet though when he opened his eyes he was completely blind. He'd gone to extreme lengths to snuff out every bit of light in the room, and his efforts showed with pitch black darkness yawning seemingly forever before his hazel orbs. Swiping his sword slowly in front of him, he went through the simple effort of slashing through the air slowly, using his mind eye to imagine targets in the place of his swipes. A strong parry sent him instinctually into a spin, and whipping the cold iron around his form he sidestepped to recover into the spin when his foot accidentally bumped into the thick leg of the table and sent off balance he threw himself to the side, landing in the remains of the bed he had salvaged for his own purposes.

He could finally notice the smell then as he rested amongst the strewn hay, the dried burning in his nostrils with a tinge of metal. Darian could feel the eyes of the previous tenant on him then, though because of lack of light in the room he had no idea how close he was to the rotting body. The smell was as oppressive as ever but where he rested on the ground he could smell the blood coiling thickly. A though passed through his mind about the corpse watching him even now, it's eyes unhindered by the lack of light, and it brought a rare smile to his face. He hoped it could enjoy the view.

[Ink]

15th Bell Special NoteFor those not in a specific area yet, this is your chance to choose a place to be. Or at the very least in the future please post your specific location as I requested so I can better mod for you. Good Luck! The tenebrous clouds that had been threatening the horizon moved with unnatural speed. It should have been at least half a day until the storm hit but instead it was blanketing the city veiled of torrential downpour in just under five chimes. Those unobservant souls that had chosen not to follow the rats quickly cleared the streets headed for shelter from the elements. It was only a few bells beyond midday but the city might as well have fallen into twilight for all the light that the storm allowed through. For all that the sane inhabitants of Sunberth had found shelter the most opportunistic were quick to react and began roving the streets searching for their big score. As the rain continued the wind began to pick up, sending it flying into the eyes of the few denizens still skulking in the streets. It wasn’t until the first lightning strike that the hail began… The Temple of the Unknown The temple quickly filled as ever more beggars and ruffians filed in, seeking shelter from the elements. So many people in fact that several were beginning to wander back into the less lit hallways and only a small berth was given to the wide open threshold, several people still being pelted with the rain. The tightly packed bodies seemed to press against Ana and Wrenmae, they would have trouble getting out now. As the rain turned into small pebbles of hail the crowd shied ever more from the doorway and straggles were forced to try and hide beneath in the eaves outside. As one woman stood confused at the top of the steps, searching for such a tiny shelter for the child with a death grip on her apron, the hail inexplicably grew. What had been tiny pebbles became walnut-sized which then evolved into apples. Apple sized chunks of ice hurtling from the sky down onto the streets of Sunberth. The woman never saw her fate coming; the very first shard one struck the back of her head. A sickening splatter like a melon smashing against brick preceded the tangy iron aroma filtering into the temple thanks to the wind. The woman crumble forward; dead before she the hit ground. The small boy still clunk to her screaming and a hush fell over the mob for a brief moment. Pandemonium followed. The previously calm people began to panic pressing back further into the temple pushing many unfortunate souls through the darker archways; two of this very unlucky lot were Ana and Wrenmae. Pushed back into dank and musty alcove that upon first inspection would appear as a dead end, but those who looked for an alternative escape from the crowd would find a small secluded staircase hidden behind a tattered tapestry. Forebodingly, the staircase led down. Roka/Xavior Roka would find that the rats led him towards the waterfront; they were scampering desperately towards an opening of middling size hidden behind refuse and muck. The pathway turned out to have stairs and lead into what once made have been a cellar of some kind for a home that had long since been torn down. Curiously the rats were racing for one corner in particular, as was the water that was streaming down the stairs. The corner was home to a gaping hole in the ground, framed by remnants of a long deteriorated hatch door. The rats were flinging themselves down into the darkness. It was almost a brief moment before the splash of their landing echoed back; a short drop. Before enough time would pass for him to follow though, another person ran be; a young, dirty, urchin. The little girl didn’t stop she brushed by Roka and swiped away the rodents and slid down through the hole with remarkable dexterity which bespoke muscle memory. Behind Roka another figure would follow the urchin, this one vastly different. The Zith had stumbled upon the very same opening in the ground as the Kelvic. The Pig’s Foot Tavern The first warnings off the storm were the gentle pattering of drops against the roof, nothing unusual for a spring storm. Through the people streaming in through the door seemed far more soaked than such a drizzle could account for. The roof began to leak and Merv cursed at the barmaids to get pots, he wouldn’t have puddles on his floor. Come to think of, the pig’s foot had never leaked before. The pots began to overflow, and the water wasn’t draining out of the building fast enough to compensate. It quickly pooled up to two inchs of standing water, and rising. In Mok’s room the waitress had arrived with Cade’s meal. A fleshy thump, a sound many present would associate with taking a punch sent the buxom woman off balance and Cade’s lunch into his lap. She squawked and spun around to find an empty space, clutching her back where she’d been struck; already a welt was rising. On the floor a large spherical lump of ice rolled restlessly, slowly coming to a stop. The serving maid looked bewilderedly at the offending precipitation. Where had it come from? Another struck, from seemingly nowhere though they clearly fell from above. This one missed any target and bounced off the walls to rattle harmlessly upon the floor. The third…the fourth…the fifth. It was hailing inside the room. The barmaid dashed out of the room, shrieking as she fled back down toward the common room. For Darian and his corpse the day’s first oddity was in the smell permeating the air. The sickeningly sweet smell of the decaying corpse seemed to grow sweeter with every passing breath. A gentle whisper coasted by Darian and the smell became thicker, heady and reminiscent of a woman’s perfume. A luminescent exotic flower bloomed out of the corpse’s right eye socket, throwing off rays of eerie dim light. The smell was suffocating, as it continued to effuse from the flower, so thick it seemed to become tangible in the air like humidity that had far exceeded its highest possible saturation. The flower quivered gently whether by some subtle breeze or its own violation was yet unclear…

[Lusa]

Pig's Foot Tavern

Lusa hadn't gotten far from the Pig's Foot when it had started raining. The cold drops quickly saturated her thin shift and soaked her to the bone. Her hair plastered to her face, and she had to wipe it away to see where she was going. Without a clear destination, she decided it would be best to seek shelter back at the tavern. Since she was already soaked, she brought her pack close to her stomach and curled around it as she jogged, trying to keep the items inside dry, at least.

She shivered, and not just from the water trickling down her back. This storm just felt off. She shrugged off the feeling as she neared the Pig's Foot, streaming in alongside several others trying to escape the weather. She was a bit disappointed, however, to find that her feet were almost completely submerged, and that the rain was coming through the ceiling. At least it was warmer in here, thanks to all the people inside. She looked around warily; she was a prey animal, and there seemed to be many predators around.

[Andalusia]

Rain began to pour, and before anyone could even register her words or acknowledge her, the tavern's floor had flooded with water. Andalusia stared at the ground in disbelief, the water rising about two inches in just a few minutes. Dante barked profusely in fear, lunging out of his spot in front of her stool to find higher ground. "Dan!" she shouted, suddenly struck with fear that the dog may drown or be trampled over by the crowd that was growing more and more restless by the second. Quickly, she jumped off of the stool and made for the Luvanor as it scrambled to rest on the top of another stool. "Hey," she hushed the whimpering dog as he shivered, adjusting his hind legs so he could sit on the flat wooden surface, "It's going to be--" The panic-filled shouting of the crowd rang into their ears, making the two standing in the midst barely audible to each other. But what cut Andalusia off was the loud, sharp splatter of something shattering from upstairs. Not glass, no, what was that? She didn't know what to make of the sound. "Higher ground!" she shouted, the air in the room quickly turning becoming hot, suffocating and sickening as she watched chaos grow and ensue around her. She wondered what would become of her though, if she and Dante made their way up the stairs to whatever may be up there. "Come on," she thought, determined to get through this with the both of them alive and uninjured. She's never been in the tavern often enough to know exactly where the stairs were, or what was up there. She kept watch over Dante as they maneuvered the crowd, the ear-splitting scream of a woman - the barmaid? - distracting her long enough to see Dante get bumped to another direction. "Dan!" she shouted, pushing past people to get to the dog, who had wound his way to the wall, near the staircase. Dante was damp, his tail trembling behind his hind legs as he shivered. By the looks of it, his feet had been trampled on quite a bit, making him limp a little as he met with Andalusia. "Oh, Dan," she felt like apologizing, but her whispers made her seem to mouth the words to her whimpering dog, instead. She removed her cape, damp around the top from the leaks and soiled at the bottom from the flooding, and wrapped it around the shivering dog. She pulled him up and attempted to carry him up the staircase like a child, but could only reach the middle and had to stop. "It's going to be alright," she mouthed, kneeling on the very side of the stairs, against the wall, Dante curled up in the thick beige cape, his head protruding out of it.

[Carina]

Almost as soon as Carina entered the Pigs Foot tavern, the pitter patter of rain sounded around her. If she had left for the tavern any later, she would surely be damp, if not drenched, by the time she reached her destination. Sudden spring ring was not strange to her most of the time, but a gut feeling told her that this rain would not be a normal one. Though before she had time to wander about it, other guests hurried indoors, pushing past her to get out of the rain. Some of them were out of breath from running for cover, while other laughed amongst themselves at the close call. With every passing moment the rain grew heavier, Carina wouldn't be leaving the tavern any time soon When she couldn't spot anybody she knew down in the common room, she weaved her way through the growing crowds of patrons. Soon all seats would be taken. But thankfully the bar wasn't too busy yet. Carina knew the barkeep from her other visits. And he knew most of the Crimson Edge. So when he spotted her, he motioned her over, wanting to speak with her. It wasn't common for him to start conversation with them though, normally only taking orders and having the barmaids deliver them. Her curiosity was peeked, what would he have to say? Maybe he could point her in the direction her comrades went. Walking up to the bar, she let her elbows rest on the counter, leaning in towards the barkeep to hear what he had to say. "You wanted to see me, hun?" Her voice was pleasant when she spoke, as was common for her. And then the barkeep leaned forward and whispered. "I figured you were looking for your friends. You can find them upstairs in the balcony room." Just as he finished speaking, a gang of several woman approached the bar and started demanding his attention. Things were just beginning to get interesting. Carina hadn't even left the bar yet when she heard a girls shriek echoing down from upstairs. She was quick to assume it was Cades doing; he seemed to have that affect on unsuspecting women. Before heading up the stairs, she turned to thank the barkeep for his information. And she was about to walk up the stairs when a barmaid came hurrying down, brushing past Carina without so much as a second glance. And while she might have, under normal circumstances, been a bit peeved at the girl, she knew her comrade could be a frightful fellow. So with a smirk and exaggerated sigh, she made her way up the stairs. As Carina neared the room, she could hear what sounded like something solid being pelted against wooden planks, making a thwacking sound. Then movement caught her eye as she saw something that glistened gliding over the wooden floor. When it stopped against her shoe, she knelt down to inspect it. It was cold to the touch, and damp. Hail? The question caused her brows to furrow in confusion as she looked up at the ceiling. Beams of dull light were shinning down through the new gaping holes created by the hail. So snatching the ball of hail up, she strode over to the balcony rooms door with a slowly fading grin on her face and flung the door open, tossing the lump of hail inside the room "A party? And I wasn't invited? You could hardly call it a party then." Chuckling, the first sight she saw was Cade covered in what looked like a hot food. Had the barmaid thrown the food on him? "But seriously... I think its time to get out of here. Something strange is happening. Looking around the room the second person she saw was Mok, followed by a girl that looked to be of Konti origin, and another female member of the Crimson Edge. Though she still hadn't been properly introduced. It was funny how she still didn't know every member of the gang. Ah, then there were the whores that hung around Cade. She couldn't have cared less for them though. Before she had time to enjoy her companions company, she heard something happening back down in the common room. What could possibly be going on now?? OOCYay for writing when your tired! x.x

[Roka]

Roka had followed the rats into the cellar, kicking their bodies out of the way of his feet when they prohibited a step further. The residence was dim; any cracks that would have lit the area were overcast by the blackened sky.

'Someone's home?' he thought. No, whoever dwelled here has been gone a long time, the wood was rotting and mildew painted the walls in black and putrid patterns. Small plants had broken the boards of the floor aside to reach their stalks higher from the mud.

Water began crashing along his bare feet in slight waves passed down by the decaying steps of the structure and he could hear rain echoing above him. The rodents were filing in an organized chaos into a hole in the crook of the room, following the pull of water streaming through. He stared intently in their direction, watching them, trying to let his eyes catch enough light to see where they were leading him.
He strode onward, the water seemed a bit deeper the closer he stepped, like the foundation had all crumbled to one side. If these vermin had led him astray, he would be trapped underground to drown. The very thought sent a chill up his spine.

Suddenly a small body brushed past him, he only caught the site of her hair whipping behind her and the back of dirty and tattered garments. She threw her child-sized body into the rats’ hole. No hesitation, only action.

His face distorted into a perplexed expression, but he was prepared to follow her down. He was assured now, there must be something more down there, the rats and that filthy child had already known of its’ confides.

Before he could continue further, the sound of footsteps caught his attention. 'Another?'

This was no female child though. He turned to see this company, only to be greeted by a shadowed figure with two great wings spouting from his back. Roka grabbed for his small eating knife tucked into the leather strap at his thigh lowering his body to a readied position. "Who are you?" He growled, eyes narrowed and teeth shown. "Do you trail these vermin as well, or have you another purpose?"

Admittedly Roka was not usually so aggressive, but the menacing weather and the entire view before him, coupled with the approach of a villainous looking man with large wings, was more than a little unsettling. He was frightened, but like any animal, reacted only in anger and hostility. This storm was far more dangerous than any he'd faced, of that he was sure.

[Aerika]

Aerika's curiosity left the man with wings and instead was brought to the sky. A strange feeling filled her body, forcing her to stand still even though she felt her legs wishing to run away. The tavern filled with people, eventually pushing the small girl away from the man with wings and toward a corner of the room. Within the corner, a drop of water hit the top of her head, quickly followed by a constant stream. Merv barked at his barmaids to grab buckets, one of them running toward her and pushing her out of the way to place a bucket where she once stood. The little girl began to fill with fear as she found more and more people pushing her around, keeping her from being able to stand still. The water quickly rose from the bucket, pouring over the sides, and actually began to fill the room. Frantic, the kelvic's clothes clung to her small body as she started pushing her way through the water and in-between people's legs. Finally finding the stairs, she crawled on all fours up the stairs, simply trying to get away from the people that have nearly been walking all over her. Pushing her remaining strength to its limit, she found a room with light under the door, she pushed it in to see several large balls of ice along the ground and an unusually large man with several others all around him. This was the same man that was easily audible even over all of the other patrons just moments ago. She tried to recall his name but couldn't, so instead, she called out "Come this way! We have to find someplace safe!" Aerika finally stood back up, looked down the hallway, and started toward that direction to attempt to find a way out.

[Wrenmae]

It was the breathing that interrupted him, not the murmurs. It rose cacophonous, interrupting his silent reverie. Blinking, first surprised to see so many people, he heard the thundering of the ice against the roof outside, the way it roared in first rain and then as heavier projectiles. Those coming in were afraid, panicked, unsure of how to feel about the sudden change of weather. Wrenmae as well, standing and shaking Ana gently, getting her to her feet and pulling her close, felt the edge of panic seep into his demeanor. So many. "Come along, Ana," He whispered to her above the murmuring, "Keep your hands by your pockets and your guard up." He took her gently and started for the lesser lit hallways, trusting his Hypnotism to keep the worst of the desperate away from him...but most were not concerned with theft. Their security was threatened by what they did not understand, instead they simply clung to each other with panic in their strained voices. The sound of a scream swiveled Wrenmae's head toward the entrance, a chunk of ice fully as large as ones head plummeted from the sky and caved in the forehead of a mother, dropping her in a crimson spray of blood. He blinked, Wrenmae no longer, and Shroud tightened his grip on Ana's wrist, pulling her back with him into an alcove as the crowd screamed and pushed by. "Lemmings," he muttered, Djed rising to the surface of his skin, shifting his eyes a darker, almost coal color, "They'll trample each other to reach for a safety they don't have." He almost tripped down the stairs, wobbling on the end of the obscure staircase. Blinking first, he focused on it and grinned. No one else seemed to have noticed it yet. "Down you go, girl," he whispered harshly to the thief, pushing her toward the spiral staircase insistently, "Let's see if we cannot find a quieter place below." As she started to descend, he on her heels, he paused, circling back toward the pushing mass of people and shouting down the hallway, his voice layered with thick tendrils of Djed, whipping into the auras of those pushing by, feeding on the latent fear and spiking it towards panic. "Magic! A Magic user is bringing that hail into the temple!" The natural terror of Sunberth would do well to exude the distrust of magic as a means to justify panic. In such narrow halls, there would almost certainly be casualties. Just as well. Pulling back into the shadows he followed Ana down the staircase, listening to the chorus of shouts and screams from beyond, wondering how much of it was the strong crushing the weak...how much of it was because of him.

[Xavior Silhouette]

Xavior wasn't even sure if he had followed the right kid. The labrynth of alleys soon broke into the water front. Xavior had the first glimpse of the real monster that drew nearer. The cloud seemed to be a giant grey roll that spider webbed with bright, almost unnaturally, colored lightning. It was almost as if time had sped up as the clouds hurried and soon blanketed the area where Xavior stood. It began to rain, no pour, Xavior's body was quick to grow soggy. The leather squelched with trap water as he felt something lurk at the back of his mind. Whether it was his magic, instinct, or a call from beyond the mortal realm, he knew he had to continue on with his travels quick. What he had thought was going to be a gang confrontation turned out to be something even the gangs couldn't control. He continued to follow the rats to an empty flat. Their was a hole in the ground, which water gracefully cascaded down. It was a brief moment of natural beauty among the chaos of the unusual storm. He soon found the young girl he had followed out of the city as she disappeared below the earth's surface. Xavior was quick to follow, rubble of wood and hardened earth surrounded the area. Perhaps some old building occupied the location. Without feeling the need to be cautious he began to descend the stair ways quickly. His talons on the feet clacked against the ground and only added to the splashes of water. The sounds of the water as it rushed, the pitter patter of dropplets from his wings and elbows, and rhythmic splashes of his steps made a sort of natural orchestra song. When he reached the end of the stair though he was met with not the girl but a slender man with long black hair. His wings flexed and shaked the loose water from the thin membrane. Eyes adjusted to the dark quicker than usual as the outline of a knife could be made out. Xavior felt a growl grow in his chest, “Who'd draw a knife during a time of obvious emergency.” But as Xavior grew closer to the man he could tell that Roka was obviously paniced. “Who I am is not the immediate dilema.” As Xavior drew closer, he seemed to ooze confidence, not to mention a slight stench of sweat from the night before. “Where did that girl go?” Xavior's tone expressed great concern and urgency, he couldn't help the intimidating screaches and rowls that laced his speech. Unconcerned by Roka, armed with an instrument duller then his claws, he walked over to the hole in the floor. He kneeled down and stuck his head toward and attempted to hear steps, but the sounds of small rat bodies masked the steps. Alone aside from Roka he moved to sit on the edge of the hole and dangled his legs into the hole. He reached to his back and drew his small, wooden crossbow. The wood slightly swollen from the water was possibly ineffective. The bow went back to his back before he looked over to Roka, “There is power in numbers I advice you to follow me.” He didn't wait for Roka to answer as he tucked his wings close to his sculpted back before he slid forward and vanished below the surface. He landed with a grunt and loud wet splash. Water ran over his head as it dripped from the hole above. A rat jumped in after him and hit his back before it scurried away somewhere in the dark. He took a few steps forward and turned back toward the opening. He listened as the rats seemed to move away from his location, he growled again before he nearly barked out his words, “come on you stupid human, get down here!”

[Shadowfang]

Many strange things began to happen in quick succession. A completely naked boy ran down the stairs, dragging along a half-asleep man and screaming something about “danger” and “underground.” Could he be referring to the storm that’s low rumble Shadowfang could now hear even over the noise of the patrons? His pondering was interrupted when he felt something rubbing his wing. Looking towards the source of the feeling, he froze, half out of shock, half out of anger. His eye twitched in annoyance. The girl who had been pestering him with questions was rubbing her face on his wing and… drooling! What. The. Petch.

He glared at her, trying his hardest to keep his anger under control. By the time she had realized what she was doing and tried to clean off his wing, the roof had already begun leaking. Before he knew it, Shadowfang was standing in almost an inch of water. He stood. The girl next to him had disappeared, at least, so he would not have to deal with her anymore. The people around him had already begun panicking; the water was rising very quickly. How? How did such a violent storm arrive so quickly and with so little warning? Up, he decided. He’d have to go up to escape the water.

He made his way to the stairs and began ascending. He was forced to step to the side as a barmaid ran down the stairs, screaming hysterically, followed closely by a ball of ice tumbling after her. He raised an eyebrow and wondered if going upstairs really was safer that staying at the bar. Upon reaching the top of the stairs, he was surprised to see the annoying girl run out of an open room and run down the hall. Curious as to whether the room was a safe way out or not, he briskly walked to the door and turned the corner, only to be his square in the chest by a ball of ice that was bigger than the ball that had passed him on the stairs.

”Oooff!” He fell backwards and hit the back of his head on the hard wooden floor. Dazed and winded, he made the mistake of laying there for a moment. Another, even larger, ball of ice bounced out of the room and landed on his wing, making him shout in pain. Shyke shyke shyke! Damn it all! What was happening? Whatever tempest that had arrived seemed to be turning the entire world on its side. Shadowfang could not help but feel that this would not be the worst of it.