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An Oasis in Chaos (Terra)
Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2022 7:01 pm
by Franky
Searing 36, 122 - Nearing sundown
Franky's wrinkled brow was dripping with sweat, his harsh eyes darting frantic, his breath ragged as his boots moved across the cobblestones. His left hand bore his shield, but his sword was belted on his hip. On his right shoulder, a young elf, almost an adult by their terms, crying and trying her best to stifle her pained screams. Her left leg was broken below the knee. Franky's right arm gripped her tight around the waist in this shoulder carry as he saw lumbering shapes up ahead. He dipped down a side alley, having to take a longer, less direct route to get back to the Gobbler. Franky looked to the skies, past the angry scar that shown above the blast zone, estimating he had maybe an hour until sundown.
He would not be caught out after nightfall. That would be an almost certain death sentence for anyone, of that Franky was certain. He ducked into a covered doorway in the alley, setting the lass down onto her good leg for a moment to catch his breath, a finger to his lips. She nodded, wiping away her tears on her sleeve. Franky had found her in one of the apartment buildings, pinned under rubble, a wall collapsed from one of the blasts that rocked the Knob. She'd been lucky to have not been eaten or ripped apart by the monsters. Franky had pressed his waterskin to her lips, and dug her out of the rubble.
Franky looked up and down the darkened alley. He didn't see any of the walking abominations now, but that meant nothing. Just earlier he'd been jumped by what he thought was a puddle, but took on a humanoid shape and attempted to drown him. Franky wasn't able to kill it but he'd at least been able to escape. These mists had transformed so many, some keeping their minds, others becoming monsters in full. Franky could tell the storm had lessened now that the rift was frozen overhead, he just hoped the mists would abate entirely soon. They'd need to purge out every monster and see who exactly was left.
He heard the familiar yipping and scraping over stone, and Franky shoved his shoulder into the door, snapping the mechanism. No time for subtlety. He hefted the girl back over his shoulder and darted inside, closing the door carefully behind them as a pack of what had been various dogs, now barely even resembling canines. It seemed even pets were not spared these horrors, but they found comfort in each other. And they hunted with a vicious brutality. Franky climbed the stairs slowly, trying to not make excess noise, until he pushed open the door to the roof. He set the girl down just inside the door, and drew his sword. He raised his shield, crouching low behind it, peering just over it, and stepped onto the roof. He quickly began to scan the area for hostiles or survivors.
On the opposite side of the roof, he could see a humanoid shape, couldn't make out if was a person or monster. He let loose a quick whistle between his teeth, one too sharp and quick to easily pinpoint its location. If they were still a person, maybe they'd indicate as such. Franky hoped they were. It had been a long day, and each survivor gave him more strength, but each monster, a person before, chipped away at him. Franky halved the distance between them, "You still a person?" in a hushed whisper.
Re: An Oasis in Chaos (Terra)
Posted: Sat Aug 06, 2022 9:02 pm
by Terra
As sky blue eyes surveyed the streets in what she felt was relative safety up on the rooftop there came upon her a sharp noise a whistle. To her surprise instincts snapped into action as she spun around with long gun raised in anticipation of a firefight against the cultist wretches. The marksman had difficulty however locating the source of this sound or the anticipated ambush that should have followed it. Her head frantically shifted and the barrel being lead astray by the frenetic frenzy of movement as it swayed left and right.
She heard the raspy voice again, this time alert and at the ready to engage. Terra addressed her possible opposition as she dropped to a knee as she zeroed in on a possible assailant. There was a violent storm brewing in once crystal pools, as she leaned in shouldering the stock of her musket uncomfortably tight against her shoulder. This soldier was afraid and only knew violence to resolve a problem when her back was against the wall. It was brief and deliberate as she methodically scanned the form as she locked the weapon system on his shin
Moments from whispering the secret phrase to activate her cloaks stealth camouflage she took into account the form and the voice. Everyone knew Franky and she slowly exhaled disengaging as her free hand clasped the wooden forestock while the trigger hand absconded in an act of good faith.
"Fuck! You scared me to death, is...is that really you Franky?" she whispered his way. " Id say I'll be feeling right normal with a little taste of that goblin weed." the private found herself thankful that Franky was alive, at least there'd still be a decent place to get a drink.
The soldier noticed she was starting to loose focus so she took a deep breath in and exhaled as she used the breathing technique. To slowly move towards him, stealth and surprise it was Terras only card but it was her bread and butter.
"Huntin for mages, been reports of them hiding behind civilians to flee the city. Doesn't get much lower then that but you know what they say about rats and sinking ships."
Terras eyes were once again calm and serene as they washed over the hobgoblins form. She tried to make light of a serious problem. It was the only coping mechanism she had to persevere through the trauma that hadn't yet settled in.
Re: An Oasis in Chaos (Terra)
Posted: Mon Aug 15, 2022 1:44 pm
by Franky
Franky kept his distance, not disarming himself but relaxing his stance a bit. Whispering return, "Private Terra? You're a sight for sore eyes." He did a quick scan of the area still, but assumed that if a sniper like Terra was secured, she'd been doing mostly just that. "Haven't seen many soldiers in this part of town since the storm began. Have you heard from anyone in command yet?"
Franky had met Major Myles the day prior, but he kept that to himself for the moment. With the Presidium gone, with the majority of Zaichaer's military in the field, the soldiers still in the city were wild cards. They might abandon post for their own safety and security. They might go into the strictest definitions of their post, defending a post unnecessarily at all costs. Or they might decide to use the chaos to play out their urges, it happened enough in soldiers that lacked real discipline.
"I've got the Gobbler secured. We survived the storm, and have food, drink, some medical supplies, a place to rest, if you're in need. Don't have any Goblin Weed left though. I've been clearing, securing, and marking the buildings working from the Bulge down toward the lower level of the Knob. The Presidium is gone, leveled entirely in the later explosion. We saw it from our vantage on the upper ridge here. What have you seen?"
He nodded at her passing on some reports, "I've not run into any hostile mages yet, just these abominations formed from the people taken and twisted by the mists. There's just so many of these monsters, their minds gone." He shook his head, "The storm is starting to ease up, slowly. I think we're through the worst of it."
Franky's head turned as he heard loud screeches, ones he'd not heard yet in his time in this storm. He looked across the rooftops in the direction of the sound, but didn't see anything, yet.
Re: An Oasis in Chaos (Terra)
Posted: Mon May 22, 2023 5:22 am
by Aegis
REVIEW TIME
Franky
Lores: 6 (2/3 rounded up)
Loot: none
Injuries: none
Points: 7 (2/3) rounded up
Comments: He was there
Terra
Lores: 1 (1/3 rounded up)
Loot: none
Injuries: none
Points: 4 (1/3) rounded up
Comments: Rest in peace, Terra.