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Post by Nephele on May 1, 2023 20:54:07 GMT -5
Things were quiet for far too long, it seemed.
It wasn't long before the news of what was going on around the world, experiencing seismic activity that shook entire continents and caused mass evacuation attempts. It didn't matter where you went, someone was talking about it and in extreme cases, lamenting the end of the era of peace that Charon had known for the past few centuries. It was an awfully curious thing, and it struck fear into the hearts of many who had heard its devastating news. To some though, the thought of an end to the world seemed very far away.
Nephele and C’Leena had planned to venture into the mountains before deciding whether to head further west or not, as the nymph had been raving about how cold it would get in the Frost Gale. When it was pointed out that she had never been there before, Nephele had rolled her eyes, claiming that you didn't have to be hyper intelligent to know much about a place dubbed after ice and snow. It was so obtusely different from where they had walked through in the days prior, and it made her wonder how much snow really did fall in a climate that was nigh Arctic.
They had stayed in the Dragon’s Cradle for a few days, simply walking around and taking in the sights of the ashen ground and obsidian plains. It didn't matter how many times she pointed out the same things over and over, Nephele was more than happy to pocket little shiny fragments of shiny black rock. They planned to leave Sky Peak Village that upcoming morning, some of their things already packed from the day before. Like most nights though, the nymph couldn't find it in her to sleep. By her doctor of a girlfriend's orders, Nephele stayed awake for days on end, usually spending her days hanging out of the window staring at the night sky while she waited for C’Leena to wake up or meditating. It slowly got more and more difficult to sit still, so in trying to keep her energy up, Nephele decided to do something extremely stupid.
That night, while C’Leena was passed out after a long day of working and toiling away on things she didn't understand, Nephele left the inn quietly. She snuck down the steps with her shoes in her hands, her feather-light footsteps barely creaking beneath her as she dipped outside to feel the fresh air on her skin. Nephele sighed deeply, quickly putting her plan into action. After passing through a few times, the nymph had taken into notice the massive amounts of jewelry shops and the like sprinkled across the village. She remembered looking at C’Leena earlier that day pointing out how beautifully the deep black what contrast with her eyes. By the time that she had gotten outside it was late, with barely a soul in sight, but that wasn't stopping Nephele’s reckless determination. (Even if it did mean that she would be scolded in the morning for it.)
Nephele was passing a closed down market banner with some of the mineral in her palm, barely large enough to make anything but a meager pendant with, when she heard footsteps following her. The nymph peaked behind her, curious to see if she could find who was approaching, and she froze in confusion as she stared down a hooded figure across the way. She blinked in confusion, opening her mouth to say something when they hurriedly ducked around the corner into an alley. Nephele was bewildered, disbelief crossing her soft features as she stared at the spot where the figure had been standing. What happened? Were they lost? Nephele bit her bottom lip, confused. She supposed that she had to get back soon, as Cee would be worried, but something about that interaction while brief, didn't feel quite right.
And so, biting the bullet, Nephele followed the figure into the alleyway, painfully curious. The last thing that she remembers was the shock of being hit in the back of the head, before everything went black. The only thing that was left in the alleyway was the piece of obsidian and her slipper shoes, her unconscious form dragged away by her arms.
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Post by C'Leena Thomas on May 1, 2023 21:24:23 GMT -5
C'Leena woke up alone. Now, this was a common occurrence as Nephele never slept too long. C'Leena was unsure if that was simply a Fey thing or a Nephele thing, but there was little that can be done, insomnia or not. So she began her morning routine which was immediately cut short when she noticed that Nephele wasn't in the room.
That is strange. The chair is pulled out, the curtains are open as they usually are. Nephele is always waiting on her to wake up, so not seeing her there was odd to say the least. Perhaps natures call was at an unfortunate time. She shrugged and reconnected her prosthetics, quickly rolling her shoulders and testing the range of motion on them. With everything looking good, she put on her boots and her coat and walked out the room, intent on at least finding Nephele. C'Leena hadn't cooked for a while now, and she wanted to do something nice for Nephele.
Walking out of the Inn, she is nowhere in sight, so she opts to wait by the door. She'll return soon, right? Five minutes turns to ten, then to fifteen. Something isn't right. Pushing herself off the wall, she begins looking for her. Worry begins to enter her mind, but she stomps it down.
Looking around, out of the corner of her eye she spots a small glint in the alleyway. Her attention is arrested by it for a moment. Upon seeing it, she immediately begins panicking. Sitting in the alleyway are a familiar pair of shoes and a small obsidian stone. She quickly walks over and crouches down. Definitely Nepheles.
Their proximity to the Ash Lands, and to Mount Drakolt make this feel too coincidental. She spends the next hour investigating everything and anything, with every single sign pointing her toward the Mountain. Rage envelops her mind; and she allows it.
They fucking dare pull this stunt? In the sheer amount of rage, she begins laughing. A truly terrifying laugh as she begins walking. Rapier at her side, her laughing only dies down once she is out of the gates. Moments like these, I am glad the Hippocratic Oath cannot be enforced.
Making her way to a stable and a brief discussion with the Stableman, she rents out a horse and begins riding. Through roads and grasslands. The hours tick by and for the entire time, she is boiling. Rage fills her mind, fear and concern fill her heart, and sheer determination fuel her limbs and aching core. C'Leena is on the verge of screaming into the sky or completely shattering, but she holds it together. She can do that much at the very least.
As the day turns to night, the mountain approaches. She dismounts the horse and begins walking the final leg of the journey. Around her, a cloak manifests1. The cloak looks to be a rip in reality almost. Upon it looks to be a nebula of purples and blues, with hundreds of stars. The view shifts from different angles, as if it were less a design upon fabric, but instead a window to elsewhere.
The hood rests upon her head, concealing her face entirely. The only things visible are her cold, aquamarine eyes that promise violence. Her rapier glints in the setting sun, declaring it to be the tool to shed blood. With rage fueling her steps, her cloak flowing in the wind as if it were weightless, she marches toward the visible entrance with a singular goal in mind.
I'm coming, Petal.
Her laughter picks back up.
1. Cloak of Shadows (Reflavored)
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Post by Nephele on May 1, 2023 22:19:52 GMT -5
When Nephele awoke, her entire body resisted. She struggled to sit up, moving as quickly as she could as the sweltering ground stung at her face and side. It was dark, wherever she was, the air hot and dry like a desert. When she tried to sit up, Nephele’s arms were bound behind her back by what felt like coarse rope, which burned her already injured wrists as she tried to wriggle out of them.
Nephele glanced up and about at her surroundings, unable to completely identify where she was. Last that she remembered, she remembered walking into the streets of Sky Peak Village for something, ah, a gift! She remembered now, but it hurt to think too hard. Nephele vaguely recalled following a stranger into an alley, and her heart dropped. Ah, so that's what happened. The woman frowned, rolling onto her back and moving to a kneeled position with soft grunt, hissing at the pain still throbbing in the back of her head. It felt like she had been hit by a brick, and she saw double vision for a little bit as she looked around her.
There was the sudden sound of footsteps coming from somewhere in the distance, and a torchlight slowly illuminating what looked like a man made corridor off to the right. Okay, so she was in a makeshift prison. No biggie, wouldn't be the first time. Nephele inhaled and exhaled heavily, the cool air mingling with the heat, and she found herself coughing. Her eyes watered from the lack of water, it steaming Off her face when a tear rolled down her cheek. The woman vaguely recognized the smell of the place, but the overwhelming heat made it hard for her to think of where this could possibly be.
She seemed to be behind a reinforced door of some kind, made with bars that looked suspiciously like iron. Leaned up against the wall, at this angle she could very vaguely see the silhouettes of other robed figures as they propped the torches up on their mounts outside. Along with these silhouettes were glimpses of other prisons similar to hers, though at this angle she couldn't really tell if there was anybody in them.
Two shrouded figures meandered over, only the bottom half of their faces visible. Nephele had to squint to focus. One held a beaming ball of light, and they unceremoniously casted it directly in her face. Wincing backwards, Nephele glared at the two cultishly dressed individuals in pure disdain. The other cultist merely chuckled, finding solace in her pain.
“You must be the fairy creature that Rodan was talking about picking up. I suppose it's a good thing that we use these bars, hm? You wouldn't be able to get out even if you wanted to.” The voice was feminine, carrying with it a condescending and cruel tone as she grinned a conniving grin. “But that's alright, I'll be sure to take good care of you and to the others. You will make an ample sacrifice.”
The woman then seemed to look past her, looking into the cell with a disgusting sneer. “Do not worry, I know that you creatures are very delicate, sociable creatures. Perhaps you can convince that one to come back and serve his purpose.” Nephele frowned, squinting her eyes in confusion. She followed the woman's gaze, and it was like her entire world screeched to a halt for a moment.
Laid against the wall in the corner was a small boy, human most likely, with his back against the wall much like her. Unlike Nephele, however, he was clearly not awake. In fact, the longer she stared at him the more she noticed that his breathing was labored at best, an illusion at worst. The sound that came out of her was a mix of a pained gasp and a furious growl. She struggled more against her bindings, the tightness absolutely destroying any progress from her healing wrists, but she didn't seem to care. Her braces had already been removed so she found that she couldn't care.
It was taking everything in Nephele to not lose it, hearing the other cultists walk away with the dull torchlight the only thing illuminating her sight.
"...Shit."
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Post by C'Leena Thomas on May 1, 2023 23:22:09 GMT -5
Her cloak dimmed to nothing, covering her in what can only be described as domesticated darkness. Slinking through shadows, none of the hooded figures noticed her. Surprisingly enough, there weren't many around, which was good.
Now, C'Leena isn't a very stealthy individual. Her entire lifeline right now was the cloak obscuring her within shadows. She simply stopped moving when someone came close, and continued when they rounded a corner or simply walked far enough away. It truly took all her willpower to not start shedding blood.
That, however, was not her decision to make in the end, as a nearby voice yelled out "INTRUDER! SOUND THE ALARM!" With an annoyed grunt, she relinquished the shadows, and her cloak returned to the starry night it was previously. Drawing her rapier, she comes face to face with one of the many cultists. They're armed with a short sword and a dagger, poised and at the ready.
The pair stare at one another before they both move. C'Leenas motions are fluid and determined, however the Cultist is more trained than the bandits from before. Her skills are being pushed to the limits, and she feels like it won't get any easier. Blades clash, slashes are avoided by hairs lengths.
With what feels like an eternity, but in reality, has only been about 15 seconds, C'Leena plunges her rapier into the Cultists chest before drawing it back out and moving on with zero hesitation. She never cared for these scum, but now she holds a burning rage for them. The thought of simply wiping out the entire base teases the edges of her mind, but she dismisses it as unrealistic.
Marching through the hallways, the alarm finally begins sounding throughout the complex. Through means C'Leena doesn't quite understand, a voice is projected throughout the mountain.
"INTRUDER ALERT. CLOAKED INDIVIDUAL WIELDING A RAPIER AND GLOWING BLUE EYES SPOTTED WITHIN THE ENTRANCE DISTRICT. MOVE TO INTERCEPT."
She sighs and readies herself, continuing to walk the halls. Her job just got so much harder, but oh well. At least she can alleviate some pent up stress. Two more cultists round the corner, one wielding the Short sword and dagger, same as before, and another with a staff with a large gem atop it. C'Leena could recognize Magic Bullshit when she saw it.
Shifting from a march to a run, she charges in wordlessly, and her opposition does the same. The fight is much, much more difficult with the addition of the spellcaster slinging spell after spell at her. For the most part, she's able to avoid them but eventually, one finds it's mark center-mass. She stumbles back, clutching at her gut and feeling an all too familiar burning sensation.
Her panic morphs into rage as she moves back in, ignoring the pain for now. Instead of focusing on one good hit, C'Leena begins going for small cuts and nicks wherever she can. With each cut, her own burn begins closing and healing, little by little1. Her moves are akin to a dance, despite her inner turmoil. She continues, thrust after thrust until the cultist falters. A thrust to the cultists' throat drops them to the ground, and the spellcaster panics and begins hurling even more spells at her.
One moment, C'Leena is there. Then she flickers out, as if a channel was changed on an old TV. The spellcaster discovers where she went when a rapier blade slides through their back and out their front, covered in blood. Removing the rapier from the now dead cultist, she flicks off as much blood as she can from the blade and continues her march.
"NEPHELE!" she roars. She's unsure on what to expect. Perhaps, if she can hear her, it will provide her with some hope if she lacks it.
1. Life Link (Rapier Enchantment)
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Post by Nephele on May 2, 2023 0:42:40 GMT -5
Nephele had just shifted over to the boy when the sudden sound of the alarm spell above frightened her, making her stare around in confusion. She heard the intruder alert, and upon hearing the description of the perpetrator, the nymph was beyond relieved. If her hands were free she would place one over her heart, she murmured a faint “thank goodness” under her breath. She then looked over at the boy again, unable to check his breathing with how she was bound but giving him a swift once over.
The child was pale and sweating, looking as though he hadn't drunk water in quite some time. His heavy breaths trembled and rocked his body, like his lungs were made of paper. Nephele growled in frustration, panicked as she tried to think of what she could do in this situation. She sat back and began wrestling with the rope again, ignoring every sharp pain as she wiggled around. Nephele yanked at the rope, hard, and with a loud shout of exasperation and pain she managed to finally slip one of her wrists out. Hurriedly, Nephele undid the rope completely from her other wrist, reaching for the boy and checking his pulse in his throat. Her eyes went wide, as she realized that she could hear each beat growing fainter and weaker beneath her fingertips, feeling her panic begin to ramp up tenfold.
Nephele didn't remember how to do CPR, but she had seen enough medics and heard enough from her mother to know the very basics. She made to press her hands flat on his chest, but flinched back in pain. Something had currently broken or ruptured at this point, she didn't know which, but the nymph would be damned if she didn't try. Nephele instead began to do mouth to mouth, puffing in cool air from her own body into his. She didn't remember how many seconds she needed to count, but she figured it didn't matter so long as she was doing something. Continually, Nephele distributed the breaths into his lungs, her wrists burning in protest as she tilted his head up. He was only a boy, he didn't deserve any of this.
It was then that Nephele heard a loud, guttural cry shout her name in the distance. It was faint, coming from upstairs most likely through a closed door, but she knew that primal scream anywhere. Nephele only briefly stopped ministrations to shout back as loud as she could, her voice scratchy and desperate from how the heat had been affecting her: “C’LEENA!!”
Nephele then burst into another coughing fit, squaring her shoulders as she tried to refocus at the task at hand. There was no way that she had merely been knocked out with a blunt object; Nephele wouldn't react this strongly to extreme temperatures, even as an nymph. She fully suspected drugs or unwelcome magic in her system, as she felt that she was being boiled alive just by sitting there. Nephele shook her head then continued to treat the child, but each time she checked his pulse, it only seemed to dim further. Nephele was furious, gathering the boy up in her arms and resting him in her lap with his head against her chest, hoping that her skin would help cool him down even a little bit. The two of them would have likely died of heat stroke if C’Leena hadn’t noticed she had left sooner.
But the nymph didn't allow herself to entertain such a fact, whispering to the boy: “Don't die on me. Please don't die, you'll be okay.” Then there was a nearly imperceptible twitch of his face, and the boy only barely opened an eye half a sliver. Still, Nephele was overjoyed. “There you go, see? Good boy, keep yourself strong, we’re almost out of here.”
Then she heard voices: “Guard the prisoners! The intruder is after the fey one! Move it, now!!”
Nephele sighed shakily, her leg bouncing as she listened and watched the cultists filter through quickly and efficiently, preparing to guard the door. Great. As a feyborne, iron burned her skin much like the sun did a vampire, so she was well and truly stuck. She really wanted to deck someone in the face for this, but for now she had to wait, her teeth gritted in anger. Get here soon, Cee.
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Post by C'Leena Thomas on May 2, 2023 1:18:10 GMT -5
C'Leena wasn't doing well. It has been fight after fight here, and yet she continued. Her clothes were in tatters, barely doing their job, but she didn't care. Her cloak remained and she had it wrapped around herself when she wasn't fighting.
Under the cloak, her body was riddled with cuts, gashes and various other injuries. Her lifesteal enchantment only did so much, and she's holding off from using her healing spells, instead saving that for Nephele if she's in need of it more than her. And yet she continued marching.
Her path was trailed with blood, both hers and of the cultists. There was one thing that she eventually learnt from her time in boot camp: Perseverance. She never stayed there, because she wasn't well in the head, but situations like this are when those days that were complete shit came in clutch. The days where you were awoken before the sun woke up, where it was below 0 and pissing down with rain. She merely fell into a state of emptiness.
She hadn't seen anybody in a few minutes, which has her concerned. Heading down a stairwell - the third one so far - she hated this place even more. It was an absolute maze, and it was surprising that anybody was able to navigate the labyrinthine halls without getting themselves lost.
Opening the door, she's met with a long hallway filled with cells. Most were empty, but showed hints of being recently inhabited, and she looked into each and every cell. Her mind fell with each empty cell until one at the end of a hall surrounded with about 5 cultists. At this point, she didn't care for the number of them, her focus was on the pair of figures inside. Nephele was kneeling down with a boy laying on her lap, seemingly unconscious.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, let us discuss your options," she begins. C'Leenas hood drops, revealing a face that is quite cut up. Blood is streaming down her head, and it's difficult to tell if the majority of the blood is hers or not.
"You have someone I want. You will release her, and I don't kill each and every one of you like I have dozens of your other compatriots." Her blade reveals itself from out under her cloak. Her body looks even worse, covered in cuts and gashes that she's stopped the bleeding of, but nothing further. Her clothes are worse than she realized. Her coat is ruined, but thankfully she wasn't wearing her other clothes that she brought in from her home, instead wearing the clothes that Nephele and her had picked out some time ago. At this point, they are glorified rags hanging from her body.
"Or you can fight me, maybe get a cut in or two, but die needlessly anyway. If you believe that, after I've walked through this damn place, I'd be stopped perhaps a dozen feet from my damn girlfriend, you're a fucking fool.
So, gents. Option one, is to let me have her, and you get to see your families again. Kiss your mothers, love your brothers and see another family dinner again, or option two, you die in a pool of your own blood here, wondering where it all went wrong." C'Leenas eyes glint in a way that promises violence. She whistles a quick note, and a duplicate of herself shimmers into existence next to her1. An identical copy with the same manic glint in its eye. The identical duo take up a stance, clearly ready for a fight2.
"I don't mind either option."
1. Replicant 2. Heart Seeker Prep
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Post by Nephele on May 2, 2023 3:44:34 GMT -5
Now, when C’Leena had fought those bandits a little over a week ago, it had been one thing. However, seeing her bleeding out and panting, all because she wanted to get to her and was still itching to be covered in more bloodshed…Nephele would have swooned in any other situation. For now, she stared in wide eyed shock, unable to keep her very concerned eyes off her borderline rabid girlfriend. She kept going like this, they would all have hell to pay at the end of this, C’Leena included. Not all that blood was from the cultists.
Oh, she is cashing in those kisses as soon as they get out of here, C’Leena definitely deserved it.
Surprisingly, the cultist seemed to hesitate a little bit, evidently hesitating even in their large number at the bleeding cyborg woman. Nephele fully expected them to back down, until she heard the same voice that taunted her from earlier cry from down the hall: “What are you standing there for?! Have you forgotten to whom your allegiance is?! Kill her or be sentenced to your souls’ destruction!! Now!!”
And just like that, the mages and swordsmen alike charged, and Nephele sucked in a breath. She knew that C’Leena thought she could take them all down, and quite honestly, she probably could very easily. The main crux of that issue lies with her nigh destructive strength complex; C’Leena could probably fight even if she were blinded simply because of her automated limbs and to sheer willpower. Still, and Nephele knew she was going to have to be the one to lecture her this time, she was still very human and very, very mortal under all of that.
Who is to say that her mechanical limbs couldn't misfire while she was awake and fighting?
As some of the cultists bear down on C’Leena, Nephele looks down at the boy in her arms. His eyes had shut again, and in all honesty she couldn't focus on listening to his breathing because of how paranoid she was. Swallowing, the nymph slowly placed him on the ground, her hands itching with that familiar itch that she gets whenever she sees a dead body, that usually overwhelming need to bury it. But she ignored it for the time being. If she didn't, another would be added to their number.
And so, Nephele took a step forward and away from the boy, and took a deep breath. I’ll get us out, let’s see what I can do. Closing her eyes, the nymph’s lips parted as something akin to a siren song began to fill the air. Her body lifted from the ground just a couple of feet, as a warm gust of wind began to pick up around her, creating little whirlwinds on the ground. It didn't quite sound enticing, rather threatening and ominous, perhaps something that one would hear a harpy sing. It was a low sound, and Nephele lifted her hands and positioned them like she was drawing a bow taught.
The whirlwind of hot air began to concentrate on where Nephele’s bruised fingers would signify where an arrow would be, flashing blue as the magic concentrated. She aimed for the bars, her eyes still shut, and when she finally let go a loud and heavy gust of wind broke the first two bars off, sending them hurtling into two cultists that hadn't yet to move from their position in front of her.1 It would still hurt a lot to climb through the space that she had made, but Nephele could ignore that for the moment.
She climbed through the bars, breathing heavily as the jagged iron brushed her skin and left a deep burn scar on her thigh. Ignoring it, Nephele quickly adjusted to get in her typical fighting position, her eyes opening to find that the numerous stars in her eyes had formed into two twinkling ones, a bright white pupil in a sea of darkness. She blinked a couple of times, the heat still scorching her skin in no small part due to the iron, preparing to fight despite it. She wasn't getting out of here without a few broken limbs, but she was determined to be sure that at least C'Leena's wouldn't be.
Prestige 1Gale Bow (altered)
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Post by C'Leena Thomas on May 2, 2023 4:35:18 GMT -5
C'Leena really wanted them to back down. In truth, she wasn't sure how much more she could take. When the voice shouted out, her head snapped to where it came from, which was a massive mistake. Her moment of distraction was capitalized on with a short sword aimed to slide it's way though her chest. Then she simply.. wasn't there anymore1.
Reappearing by the bars with her duplicate, they ran in and engaged. The two of them began by dropping one of them with a simple stab into the chest2. Her duplicate did the same, however no wound appeared. With the addition of the woman apparently in charge, now there were 5 of them. The 2 duplicates began fighting in tandem, a harmony that simply seemed incredible, they both danced with each other and around the cultists, constantly pushing forward as they push back.
She showed the Way of the Reaper to the fullest of extents. Using her cloak to conceal attacks, feints, tricks and mind games were the name of the game, and she was the gamemaster. Her blades sang through the air, parrying and blocking attacks. It quickly began to be nearly impossible to track which the real C'Leena was, as they both would feint attacks, yet only one would swing.
Their dance flowed like water, switching from one enemy to the next. Every little cut, stab and jab resulted in her wounds mending a little bit at a time. This enchantment has saved her life, period. She would be dead three times over without it, but she wouldn't admit to that. A number of her wounds healed, leaving raw skin behind.
If she was dancing before, she's now waltzing with each and every one of them at the same time3. Her movements are calculated and executed to perfection. The duo often switched positions, keeping the cultists on their toes to who was who. By the time Nephele broke out, C'Leena had dropped a second cultist, preferring to go with a Death of a Thousand Cuts so her lifesteal enchantment would do work.
Once Nephele got herself out of the cell, C'Leena disengaged, leaving the duplicate to move entirely on the defensive for a time. With all 5 of them focused on it, it's unlikely to survive, but she needs the distraction. Moving to Nephele, she pulls out her medical kit, throws it open and pulls out a bandage. Rolling it a few times around C'Leenas hand, she cuts it off the main roll.
"Open up. I'm about to do something that'll hurt like a motherfucker but it needs to be done if you plan to help me - which I know is exactly what you're doing." Putting the few layers of bandage in her mouth and closing it for her, she takes her now very broken hand and takes it in both her hands. Blades clash in the background; the duplicate seems to be holding its ground for now.
"Bite down. On three, okay? One-" She doesn't wait until three. With an ease that can be rivalled only by magic, she resets the bone and focuses the healing spell she'd been saving4 on her hands and wherever else that needs healing. The mild itching sensation returns, but a certain relief comes with it as the pain of a broken hand ebbs away. Both her hands are practically good as new, but the scarring from the iron wasn't affected.
Just as she concludes, a pulse of pure magic comes from behind them as the duplicate keels over before vanishing into a cloud of smoke that returns to the real C'Leena. She stands, rapier at the ready. "Wrap your hands this time, please." So she stands, acting as a guardian over Nephele, willing and seemingly able to take the world upon her shoulders, simply because Nephele couldn't.
With a level of relief that Nephele was okay, C'Leena re-entered the fight with a new level of focus. Her mind had been clouded by worry and hatred, and while they both still existed, they were lessened. C'Leena only passingly noticed the boy, but she will get to him when she's able, for this was not the time. Her waltz began again.
1. Blink 2. Heart Seeker 3. Blade Dance 4. Major Healing
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Post by Nephele on May 2, 2023 14:05:37 GMT -5
Nephele listened to the instructions given to her, though it wasn't without a loud cry of pain muffled into the bandages. She did her best to ignore the sting as whatever C’Leena did mended her wrists with a chilling feeling that she decided she immediately hated. Sucking in a stuttering breath, Nephele rotated her wrist, healing in a matter of moments what should have taken her a couple of weeks. She moved quickly, seeing that this was no time to inquire for C’Leena’s own health when it was quite obvious how she was doing by wrapping her hands and wrists quickly and efficiently. It took her a bit of fumbling, barely watching what she was doing as she made sure that C’Leena was still standing upright, but then Nephele was on her feet.
The nymph joined to the fight, the north star in her eyes sparking almost as she darted forward, dodging narrowly around a particularly ambitious mage that held their staff like a firearm.1 She weaved through the shot of blue energy and magic, teeth gritted as she aimed a palm strike straight to his sternum, the bandages cushioning the harsh blow as she heard his bones crack. She repeated this, weaving and slinking through the small holes in the cultists’ defense like a viper, her limbs fluid before they strike harshly into their prey with precision. The contemporary style of her movements made Nephele’s body mimic a contortionist and she dipped down to avoid the brunt of these attacks, always keeping Cee in her peripheral, just in case.
Nephele was sweating, knowing that as soon as she stopped moving things were going to get very hard for her. She flipped a woman wielding a short sword over her shoulder, the blade nicking her in the face a few seconds prior. Flipping backwards, Nephele continued her pace, less practiced than she normally would be and she did her best to dodge and strike at the vitals. And as she continued to fight, a wide smile began to bloom across her face, much like it had when she fought those bandits. It was less out of joy and more out of adrenaline, and she let out a burst of short, untamed laughter when she landed a high kick to a mage’s jaw.
During this altercation, Nephele searched for the woman who had taunted her earlier, finding her watching in fury slunk closer and closer to an exit. The woman made eye contact with the nymph just as she snapped the neck of somebody lunging at her, the small cuts on her face slowly healing, before she ducked out of the room.2 Nephele wanted to follow her, but the sheer swarm of the other cultists were starting grow overwhelming. They had to focus on the task at hand, if one got away then that was not the priority.
1 Dashing 2 Life Link (Bare Hands enchantment)
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Post by C'Leena Thomas on May 2, 2023 19:06:26 GMT -5
The familiar clash of steel begins anew. With Nephele properly healed, her worries were dimmed. With her fighting by her side again, C'Leena felt confident about victory. She danced and weaved, slowly healing her wounds with each stab and slice. She felt in her element. Her cloak flutters about, obscuring her own moves and attacks. The cloak isn't a physical cloak, yet it's oddly warm. Anything and everything goes straight through the cloak, making it excellent to trick her opponents into a mistake.
Pierced hearts and cut ligaments have been her go-to during her combat, and it hasn't failed her yet. Her movements are calculated like a science, and performed like an art. Her blade finds the positions it needs to be in to hit tissue, or to stop an oncoming attack toward either herself or Nephele.
Her form flickers again, her duplicate making a reappearance1. Not-C'Leena moves by Nephele and acts as either a distraction or to block attacks that Nephele wouldn't be able to dodge. C'Leena is not about to have her get hurt; not on her watch. Another cloaked figure drops from a stab to the stomach, and she continues forward.
The trio wreak havoc in the hall. The cells are all empty, all the inhabitants gone but C'Leena doesn't give them a second thought. The Replicant disengages once the number thin out a bit and heads toward the unconscious boy and begins providing first aid.
Hearing Nepheles laughter breaks her focus for a moment, but against her better judgement, she begins laughing alongside her. It truly is a laugh that is unfitting for a doctor, but her mental state and the stress of the situation blur her standards. C'Leena truly is on the edge of shattering in a million pieces, and is holding it together with chewing gum, tape with a dash of hopes and dreams. The terrifying thought that C'Leena might truly snap after this is over worms it's way in to her mind.
That is a problem when we get to it. Continue.
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Post by Nephele on May 2, 2023 19:59:39 GMT -5
Nephele had far more energy than she had expected she would, she knew that this was a placebo effect in action. As the cultists’ numbers began to thin and slowly dissipate, it was evident that they realized they were becoming outmatched. The nymph huffed out a breath, dipping and dodging around as best she could until suddenly a voice began to blare overhead. It was the woman from earlier, her voice commanding and authoritative: “The Zeinav Initiative is here, fall back immediately and protect the entrance! We shall not fail!”
Among the sea of bodies, those who were not killed and/or knocked completely unconscious quickly began to make their way out, running as fast as they could and tripping over their dead comrades. As they quickly filtered out, Nephele tried to regulate her breathing, her chest heaving as she watched the others slowly begin to leave. She wasn't quite sure if C’Leena would be alright with leaving them alive, but she for one was not willing to find out today. One of their number before dispersing looked over their shoulder, shouting manically:
“Soon, this land will be taken once more by our Lord and master, and it will bring it to its knees in a roar of flame. We are the Scorched Ones, and this world will burn!” With that ominous and rather dramatic message, they rushed down into the same exit that the woman from before had ducked into. It was almost unreal, almost anticlimactic even. In all honesty though, Nephele couldn't be happier. She slumped forward, placing her palms on her knees as she caught her breath and tried not to completely collapse. The threat was gone for now, and from what she had seen during the fight, they're best bet for getting out of there as soon as possible.
Nephele staggered, stumbling slightly on her feet but keeping herself upright as she narrowed her focus on who was left in the room. C’Leena and her duplicate, herself, and the boy from earlier seems to be the only living souls around. A few bodies of unconscious cultists twitched and breathed slowly from when they were knocked out, but the volcanic sand was covered in blood and bodies. Straightening, Nephele walked over to the real C’Leena, walking to her quickly so she could quickly grab her if her body gave out. She'd nearly forgotten about the boy she was with.
“Are you alright? Dearest, talk to me.” Nephele is unintentionally bombarding C’Leena with a million questions, mostly in the form of very worried whispers of her physical state and how she had even found her. “You’re bleeding out, we have to get out of here before things get worse.”
Nephele then looks over at the boy, her heart skipping a beat as she heaves in shaky breath. The smell of blood and the sound of fighting upstairs it was slowly becoming overwhelming. “How could I have let this happen? I'm so sorry.”
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Post by C'Leena Thomas on May 2, 2023 20:36:35 GMT -5
They fled.
They. Fled.
It was what she wanted, but almost every fiber of her being protested. A job left incomplete will only cause problems. Despite her minds protests, she sheathed her rapier. Her mind fumed. She should start marching her ass up there and finish the job she st-
Nephele was talking to her. C'Leena took a deep, shaking breath as she turned toward Nephele. Looking at C'Leena, a large amount of her wounds had closed, but many remained. There are a number of bald spots in her hair; it looks like a child tried to cut her hair and tripped while doing so. Her eyes scream instability. Nephele could tell that she's running on adrenaline and anger alone. With both of those slowly ebbing away, it's possible she'll either pass out from exhaustion or outright snap - and not in the anger sort of way.
Looking at Nephele, C'Leena couldn't hold it together. The fight had kept her focused on something, but with none of that anymore, she couldn't keep herself together. C'Leena took Nephele in a practically bone-crushing hug and began sobbing. Her starlight cloak disperses into smoke, and her duplicate shudders, but remains.
C'Leena tries to speak, but her voice betrays her. She takes a few moments to steady herself, taking shuddering breaths. She pulls away just far enough to look her in the eyes and still be holding her.
"Jesus fucking Christ, Nephele. You had me scared shitless. What the fuck happened-no, are you okay? Are you hurt? Did they do anything? I swear to fucking god if they did anything-" She forces herself to stop. Giving Nephele a once over, she looks fine. She was the subject of a Major Healing spell, that should have solved any issues at least for now. The kid needs the attention first and foremost, despite how much she wants to check over Nephele a hundred times over. C'Leena was completely unaware of Nephele asking her anything.
"Okay, the kid first. Then we leave. Five minutes, tops." She kisses Nephele, perhaps for a little too long before tearing herself away and walking back to the kid. "Talk to me, Doc," she says, seemingly to the duplicate. She enters the cell through the broken bars, perhaps more sluggishly than normal. Surprisingly enough, the duplicate answers.
"Kid is dehydrated. Unconscious, likely due to heatstroke. Blood pressure concerningly low, heartrate dropping. Pupils respond to external stimuli, body temperature concerningly high." The duplicate replies. The real C'Leena removes her canteen and hands it to the duplicate, who wets a rag and begins attempting to cool the kid.
"Petal, you've done beautifully in the situation you found yourself, there's nothing to be sorry about. Now, I need you to tell me everything you can about the kid; was he at all responsive, et cetera et cetera." C'Leena is actively shaking, holding onto a bar for stability as she speaks. "No, tell me on the way. We're getting out since both of you are having a hard time." She moves through the bars again as the duplicate delicately picks the kid up.
Through some minor difficulty, they get the kid through the bars and back into the arms of the duplicate. C'Leena draws her rapier again and begins walking. "Come on, lets get moving."
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Post by Nephele on May 2, 2023 23:41:57 GMT -5
Nephele didn't quite know what to say when C’Leena broke down, almost stunned into silence as her arms automatically wrapped around her. She was lucky that her mechanical limbs were on the cooler side, otherwise the nymph would have passed out. She had no time to really respond to any of her questions either, feeling herself tear up as she opened her mouth to say something but nothing came out. Watching her sob without tears was devastating, and the only thing that stopped her from crying enough for the both of them was the mention of the boy in the corner.
As they maneuvered themselves through the heated corridor, Nephele kept an ear out for trouble. She could hear all the makings of a struggle as the security force fought back against the cultists. She mostly followed C’Leena and her duplicate, as she wasn't conscious when she was led down here. For the most part they didn't run into any serious fights that they had to get involved in, mostly playing a game of hide and run.
Ducking behind another corner, Nephele finally started talking: “H-He was unconscious when I got here. He’d been laying there for days, I'm surprised that he even had a heartbeat. I wasn't able to do much of anything but I tried to do CPR… My hands were broken, and I fear that I didn't help at all.” The anguished cry of someone down the hall getting blasted with a crackle of energy shut her up for a moment. They began to walk again as swiftly as they could, with Nephele completely unable to draw her eyes away from C’Leena’s stature.
“When I sat him up I could see his eyes moving a little bit, but he passed out soon after. H-He had no one with him.” Nephele recalled, a lump in her throat that she tried to swallow around. She hadn't mentioned her own state of mind and health, even though she wanted to pass out in the next second. This was mostly out of her own concern for the child getting out, but also in knowing that as soon as C’Leena heard that she felt fatigued from something other than the heat, she would probably go on a manhunt.
It took them a little bit, but luckily they made it out in relatively one piece. A group of the Zeinav Initiative standing outside halted them, drawing weapons, but it didn't take a genius to see that the group were the last people trying to cause problems. One of their number gruffly called for a medic, seeing the condition of each individual. They were approached by a mousy looking man, his face contorted in confusion and shock.
He quickly ushered them off to the side, giving C’Leena and Nephele a swift once over before landing on the child. His eyes narrowed, though he wasted no time checking the child's pulse from the clone’s arms. “What the hell happened in there?”
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Post by C'Leena Thomas on May 3, 2023 0:38:44 GMT -5
C'Leena was unsteady on her feet. The fighting took everything she had and more, and yet she still had to give. Everything hurt. Her mind was foggy and she trembled with each and every movement. And yet she continued moving.
She reconjured her starlight cloak1 when they returned to the entrance. The stairwell up was arduous, but she managed. Stepping outside into the cool air was a balm on her dry skin.
"What the hell happened in there?" a voice asked. It took her a moment to process the question before she was able to formulate a response.
"I broke in. I killed cultists, I got Nephele and a kid out. Nobody else was in the cells." She responded bluntly. She took a deep breath and stood straighter. "The kid is in critical condition. Heatstroke, dehydration and a fading heartbeat. I suggest you take care of him. If you'll excuse us," C'Leena slings an arm around Nephele as C'Leenas duplicate passes off the boy and vanishes.
"Now, just hold on a minute. We need to ask you some que-" The man was cut off by C'Leena vanishing and reappearing mere inches from the mans face2.
"Let me tell you something, buddy. I just got done raiding a fucking compound by myself and saving my kidnapped girlfriend. If you want to ask questions, you can come find me. But right now? I want nothing more than to SIT STILL and fuss over my FUCKING WOMAN for a few damn days. IS THAT ACCEPTABLE TO YOU, DOC?" C'Leena lashed out. It speaks volumes of C'Leenas mental state when she lashes out to someone merely wanting to ask questions. She feels bad about it, but can't make herself care enough to apologize.
However, in C'Leenas anger, she didn't notice the pair of golden wings sprouting from her back and spreading 6 feet in either direction3. The wings glowed a brilliant light and appeared almost angelic. The wings were feathered with foot-long feathers. The glow seemed to pulse in time with her accelerated heartbeat.
C'Leena backed up, the wings folding behind her. Turning her head to look at Nephele behind her, she finally notices them. She smiles, then begins laughing. "Yeah, of course I have wings now! Jesus Christ, what's next? A fucking halo?" she jokes. She turns around and begins walking again. Moving next to Nephele, a wing extends just far enough to wrap partially around her.
"God that is weird. I have fucking wings now, I guess. Christ, I didn't quite realize how cold you are," she chuckles lightly. "Is fate trying to make me the center of fucking attention? Ugh. Are you doing okay? I brought a horse here, so that'll be our ticket back.
That is, of course, if the horse hasn't run off on us."
1. Cloak of Shadows 2. Blink 3. Divine Ascent
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Post by Nephele on May 3, 2023 1:41:50 GMT -5
Nephele was overwhelmed.
It was official, everything from this day had to have conspired to give her a migraine. She was lucky that her body temperature was naturally 50 degrees cooler than a normal person, otherwise she would probably die of heatstroke herself. Watching C’Leena go off made her sigh heavily, rubbing her temples, but she still managed to fix her with a fond smile. She was going to be the death of her, she fully believed that.
And then Nephele saw the wings, and her eyes went wide. The vast expanses of feathers made her gasp, her fingers twitching at the impulsive urge to pluck a feather and just stare at it. Nephele loved things that sparkled, as C’Leena knew by now. It didn’t even have to be gold; rocks, glass, even pieces of scrap drew her eyes. She had stopped several times during their walks to grab little things and pocket them. And then C’Leena turned around, observing the wings and raving in disbelief and Nephele nearly cried. She didn’t even respond verbally at first, watching the way that the gold wing wrapped around her slightly and positively flushing a deep blue, looking right at her.
“…Ah!” Nephele snapped herself out of it, blinking as she fully processed where she was. She snapped her head to look to the medic and bowed her head, a traditional gesture from the Crescent Isles that she clearly did out of embarrassment. Still, she lifted her head and said evenly. “I’m sorry for any inconvenience we may have caused. We are fine, and can tend to our own wounds. Please, could you just make sure the boy is alright?”
The man regarded them suspiciously for a few seconds more, before sighing deeply and turning away. “If you’re sure, go ahead on your way. We’ll take care of him. Thank you for what you’ve done thusfar.”
At that, Nephele finally refocused on C’Leena, leading them down the mountain and sighing. “So…can I call you angel now?” The question was half teasing and half genuinely embarrassed for asking. Her embarrassment quickly grew, covering her face with her right hand. “Ugh, ignore that. That was stupid. We should go find the horse, poor thing is probably exhausted waiting out… here. Wait, you can feel through them? They’re not just made of light?” Somehow, Nephele looked incredibly awake all of a sudden, a complete 180 from her previous expression of confusion and shock.
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