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Post by Bippwatt on Nov 23, 2016 0:54:25 GMT
"Not me.", Mia said. "I'm of the opinion that I was gonna die of natural causes anyway, so why bother worrying about it!" And with that, she sheathed her sword and holstered her pistol, then leaped into the chaos, twisting herself in some rather impressive ways. Almost everyone had the same thought, though. She's insane. And flexible. But also insane. Very insane!
She seemed to be doing well...until about halfway through a dresser sideswiped her and threw her off her feet and falling. But the airship captain just grabbed her grapple and chain and spun it around and lobbed it upward. It hooked onto a fire hydrant on a street that was rotating along its long axis. It folded into another street, which caused her grapple to pop off and she began to fall again, but she just lashed the chain hard and it went a bit farther than before, latching onto a railing for a staircase. She swung across and managed to unhook the grapple just before she lost her head to a bladed pendulum, which was swinging sideways from their perspective. Mia fell just below it as it swung over her head, then landed on an ancient sidewalk, rolled and leaped across to a far more sophisticated looking sidewalk, which then smashed into the previous sidewalk and they crumbled to pieces as the woman dived down for a train car that was sailing towards the goal.
She quickly reeled the grapple in, removed a single bullet from her pepperbox, then slid the rod of the grapple down into that barrel. It was a semi-snug fit, obviously designed for this purpose. The woman then clipped the end of the chain to her armor's harness.
She took aim and judged the drop...then squeezed the trigger. The blast of black powder was loud, even across the cacophony of chaotic sound that paraded through the room. The hook went sailing through the air. And then, about five feet short of its target...the gravity suddenly shifted. She and the hook were pulled abruptly to the "side". The grapple still found purchase on something, but it wasn't as ideal as Mia would have liked. But then, she was sailing through the air...only in the wrong direction now, because down was a completely different direction now.
She managed to get to where she had hooked her grapple, manually unhooked it, leaped over a swinging pendulum, ducked under a flying car, which crashed into what looked like a castle. She lashed the chain out and latched onto something "above" her.
"Fuck...she's crazy.", Eliora said with a low whistle, as the woman swung back on the chain, towards them, grabbed onto something behind her...then pushed off with all her strength, arced across the chaotic air, now going away from them, towards the other side. Then, the woman yanked the chain in a particular way as she reached the apex of her swing and it released and she reeled it in with the speed of a lighting tiger. She began to fall again, but she whipped a hand out and caught herself on a railing, then levered herself around and fell downwards...and grabbed onto the doorknob just as the gravity shifted again. She was now dangling upside down from everyone else's perspective, holding onto the doorknob for dear life.
"Okay...I have regrets now!", Mia yelled back, trying and failing to not look "down".
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Post by recoveryfive on Nov 23, 2016 1:50:01 GMT
"Ah, shit. Hang in there, Captain!" Cheshire called, getting ready to save her boss while seemingly aware of the pun she had just made. With that, she took a flying leap off and landed on a nearby platform before making her way across the treacherous room.
Jack looked back at the others, shrugging helplessly. "I hope you guys have good reflexes." was all he said before activating the grappling hook function of his wrist-mounted crossbow and following Cheshire.
Rosani snorted at the boy's cockiness. "Brother, hop onto my back." she told Kilroy, looking for the best way to get across the deadly void. She smiled a little as Kilroy grumbled and hopped on, the latter looking for all the world like a grumpy baby monkey clinging to its mother. They quickly took off, leaving only Hakim, Deidre, Eliora, Gerlach, and Bonnie left.
"Ok..." Gerlach said, taking in the nightmarish obstacle course before them. "Any ideas on how to get across besides the obvious method?"
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Post by Spartan 999 on Nov 23, 2016 5:00:25 GMT
“We cheat using magic,” Hakim stated. “Eliora and Deidre will have to cover us and compensate when need be; ice, gravity, and wind magic should help a lot. I can't do much in here, but I can try some things.” He looked around at the other four, the original group that first met in the library and in the Wyld. “Ready? Let's go.”
The Ash Lad waited for the initial spell(s) to be cast before moving across more stable terrain, but when it came time to, he was the first to spring forward. He grabbed a railing as it spiraled through the air, and dropped onto a nice-looking patio that exploded and reformed into a slide several meters away, which he slid down onto the back of a bus aimlessly flying through the void. Hakim wasn't as agile as some of the others, but he made up for it with being able to quickly analyze and fairly accurately predict the movements of the evershifting terrain, which he pointed out to the other four when he could.
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Post by Bippwatt on Nov 23, 2016 5:28:58 GMT
Eliora complied with the advice to cheat...she took in a massive breath, pulled back her arms, bringing her right foot back a step. Her hands came together over her stomach, seeming to cup some invisible force centered there.
Only, now it wasn't invisible. It was a glowing blue ball of energy and her hair began to float with the amount of magic she was calling to her. After a tense moment, she lunged forward a step, nearly entering the room, throwing her hands forward, her breath hissing out in a sound of intense effort.
A flash of blue-white light almost blinded everyone. Almost. It was merely bright, but it didn't leave any sunspots in anyone's vision, or dazzle anyone.
But that wasn't the only thing that happened. The entire room, or at least a good thirty feet from the most direct path from door to door was frozen solid, immobile. After that, it was child's play to cross.
"You're welcome.", she said with a smirk. "I know you all wanted to go leaping across shouting 'PARKOUR!', but I'd like to get there today. Besides, you said to cheat. Just saiyan."
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Post by recoveryfive on Nov 25, 2016 22:11:38 GMT
"Oh, boy. That is coooooold!" Bonnie commented, shivering on the spot from the lowered weather. "Literally. I can see my breath in front of me and shit."
"Hey, you all essentially asked for it."
"Yeah, that we did." the red-cloaked girl admitted before leaping across the now much less dangerous room. Gerlach followed close behind her, deferring to her judgement as far as platforming went.
Cheshire and Mia got to the other side first, the latter catching the captain just as she began to lose her grip and teleporting in mid-air to the door. She set the other woman down and awaited her compatriots as Jack reached the two of them shortly after.
Soon, they were all on the other side. Kilroy hopped off of Rosani's back with a series of mumbles, while Jack cleaned the frost off of his grappling hook attachment. "Ok, are we all here? Everyone still in one piece?" Rosani asked them, watching as everyone else nodded in confirmation. "Good! On to the next room!"
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Post by Spartan 999 on Nov 29, 2016 21:13:29 GMT
Over the course of the next three hours, the Koschei-seeking group forged a path through a series of rooms and spaces and passageways that made little sense spatial-wise and varied in danger. Some were fairly easy to get through, and some were as perilous as the flying-terrain-filled void or even more so. And many of them were far more mind-boggling than that particular room.
Bonnie succinctly summed up their group's feelings on the matter. “This...shit...is really...aggravating,” she panted, one hand clutching at a stitch in her side.
“Two steps forward, five steps to the right, three on to Neverland, seven winding aimlessly through a fog-filled canyon, and one step in roughly the forward direction.” Hakim slowly rotated one of his arms in its socket, having taken a nasty hit to the shoulder in the room before last. “Yeah, this is ridiculous.”
“If it makes tha feel any better, this should be the door to Koschei's study.” Rosani kicked the door looming before them.
“Excellent!” Mia was the first to go for the door. She opened it with a swift kick, revealing that it wasn't even locked or anything.
On the other side was a large room with a tall ceiling, and in short, it was a mess. A veritable maze of junk rose from the floor: a combination of tomes, boxes, discarded scientific instruments far ahead of their time for Validor but several decades behind relative to modern Earth, pieces of ingredients and items used in both magical and scientific experiments, and a whole bunch of...random junk. A fair amount of the last category were likely magic items of some kind, but even some didn't give off an aura of magic and were just plain strange to have there.
Illumination was provided by the eight chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, along with torches along the walls and candles set at random spots along the junk maze, usually atop something. Practically every inch of the room had at least some light shining at it, which is why their eyes were quickly drawn to the back wall.
A long table was pushed up against the back wall and took up most of its length, and behind and above the table was a huge...well, not really a mirror since it was opaque, but it highly resembled one in basic design. And moving about seemingly at random before the table was a single figure, clad in elaborate robes with long silvery hair and a like-colored beard that stretched almost all the way down to his belt. He was hunched down and shuffled along like any stereotypical aging man might, but none among the party were so foolish as to think him a simple helpless doddering old man. Hopefully, anyway.
Mia, as expected, was the first to wade through the sea of junk on her way to the back wall and the old sorcerer there. Hakim and the others followed, though the Ash Lad at least kept a fair distance from the Captain.
Interestingly enough, no matter how loud they called or shouted, Koschei didn't respond at all. He just kept mumbling to himself as he switched between scribbling something down, grinding something in a pestle, peering into a microscope, flipping to another page in a ginormous tome, and messing with various-colored liquids in a series of beakers and tubes that wouldn't be out of place in a chemistry lab.
It was only when someone stepped out and into the clear space around the table would they be able to get Koschei's attention. “How” was another question, though Hakim kept the needle ready in his pocket, just in case. It never hurt to be prepared around someone like Koschei, after all.
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Post by Bippwatt on Nov 29, 2016 22:40:12 GMT
Eliora cursed under her breath. Repeatedly. And colorfully.
"So...how are we gonna get through this junk?", Deidre asked, while Mia tried scaling the piles of detritus, to no avail.
"Maybe we can magic our way through?" Eliora suggested half-heartedly, not really believing it.
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Post by recoveryfive on Nov 30, 2016 1:38:58 GMT
"Burn it. Burn it all." Kilroy suggested flatly and with a small hint of malice, still irate from having to rely on his sister to help him get across. "Let's see how he likes having things taken away from him."
"I like it, but at the same time we're gonna have to wait until the fire dies down to get to him. Plus, something here's probably explosive in nature." Bonnie said to the demon. "Knowing our luck, I mean."
"What are we even going to say once we get to him?"
"I can figure something out," Hakim said, already having located a half-decent path through the rubbish. "It's what I'm good at."
Gerlach sighed quietly but kept silent as he followed behind Hakim, leaving the rest to follow him as well.
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Post by Spartan 999 on Dec 1, 2016 2:14:32 GMT
The slog to Koschei's side of the room took a while, and at points the assorted items posed a fair amount of danger to the party. A canine skull snapped shut on Rosani's arm, but she just sighed and smashed it to pieces and dust against a nearby barrel. Eliora barely avoided being suffocated by a mobile cloak, and thanks to quick acting on her and Bonnie's part, they wrestled the garment down and subdued it by freezing it and shoving it inside a trunk. Gerlach was bonked mercilessly on the head by a series of flying marbles, which Hakim was able to shoo away in short order.
Overall, however, the danger wasn't too bad, especially compared to what they'd faced on the journey up to this very room.
Hakim helped Gerlach into the clear space around the long table, and the others followed suit in the next few moments; Kilroy was only reluctantly made to shut up and stay put by Eliora, at least for the time being. Hand on the pocket holding the Death Needle like he was about to quickdraw a pistol, the Ash Lad slowly advanced towards the shuffling sorcerer.
“Excuse me, would you happen to be Koschei?,” Hakim asked in a mild tone.
The old man twitched his head at the sound of someone else speaking and grumbling something under his breath. His face and neck were thin, eyes and cheeks sunken. His fingernails were fairly long and yellowed, and his teeth were an unhealthy shade of yellow as well.
“I said, are you Koschei?” Hakim walked around, giving the sorcerer's current workspace a wide berth.
“What's it t'ya?,” the silver-haired geezer rasped, and he had a faint accent of some kind. His pale green eyes glinted as they briefly flicked over to look at Hakim. “Baby Ash Lad lookin' for an autograph?” He wheezed out a laugh and scratched his buttock with a gnarled hand. “...Yes yes, and if I...” He fiddled with the microscope, zooming in and then out. “...But then-” He paused and stared at Hakim from beneath his bushy eyebrows. “Who are ya again?”
“You may call me Hakim, if I may call you Koschei,” the Ash Lad replied.
The aged man arched an eyebrow. “You may. And what d'ya want with someone like me?” He started a little, apparently having just remembered something. He quickly turned and scribbled something down on a scrap piece of parchment.
The words were in some sort of Slavic language, it looked like, and Hakim could discern them as being...insults. To...someone. He had no idea who. But they were colorful, nonetheless, so maybe Koschei was just practicing...?
Before Hakim could voice and adequate response, Koschei hopped over to the tome, slammed it shut with a bang like a thundercrack, and whirled on him. He only had eyes for the Ash Lad, his gaze not so much as deviating a fraction of an inch in the direction of any of the others. “Social call? Volunteer? Prince swearing vengeance for his sister's--wait, no, that was another boy.” He paused and tapped his fingers on the table, nails clicking on the wood. “...An' I don't 'xactly remember stealin' a princess this time.” Another wheezing, rasping laugh escaped his dry-sounding lungs, and this time it definitely sounded mischievous. It matched the conspiratorial wink he shot the Ash Lad.
“We have visited your magnificent tower to request something of you,” Hakim finally answered. “A favor someone only of your magnitude could grant.”
“Oh, you have a wish you want granted.” Koschei rolled his eyes. “I've got one thing t' tell ya: scram. I 'ave no patience for the likes of you. Now bugger off b'fore I incinerate ya.” He began to lift a hand from which a condensed ball of flame began forming.
An instant later, Koschei froze. Hakim had drawn the Death Needle and held it right up to the sorcerer's forehead, the point just a hair's distance away from his skin. Neither moved a millimeter.
“We've come an awfully long way, you see,” Hakim continued in that mild, measured voice. “We're quite eager to get a proper audience with you.”
“...Now that you put it like that, I see that it's a perfectly reasonable request!” The fire poofed out of existence. “So, a wish, eh?”
“Indeed.”
Koschei gave a rattling sigh and raised a hand. “I swear to grant the wish to the best of my ability, nor shall I pervert the words or intentions to dubious ends, etcetera.” He traced the outline of a symbol in light in the air, which was recognizable to all as a magically-binding Contract. “Standard wish-granting package. And I will also not attempt to harm any of you while you are guests within my domain.” With that, the symbol flared and faded away.
“Good.” Hakim lowered his hand, but he didn't pocket the Death Needle yet. “I thank you for your hospitality.”
“So!” Koschei clapped his hands, and the near-identical rings worn on the middle fingers of both hands may have drawn the others' attention. “Let's get this over with. Speak.” But as soon as Hakim waved over Eliora and Bonnie, he bared his yellowing teeth. “...No. No no no.” He saw where this was leading. “One wish, not three.”
Hakim frowned and lunged, seeking to hold the Death Needle against Koschei's throat, but a gnarled hand seized him by the wrist like an iron vice. He gasped and winced at the unexpected strength the aging sorcerer was displaying.
“No, Lad,” Koschei hissed, eyes narrowing into slits. “That is the deal. That is the contract. Always has been. One Needle, One Wish. That is the way of things. If you want multiple wishes, then you'd best be ready to make two more journeys.” He gave Hakim a small shove that sent him stumbling back several meters. “So, who shall be the lucky lad--or lass--to get their wish granted this day?”
Hakim's eyes flicked from Eliora to Bonnie, and the two looked uncertain, themselves. “...I...might have an idea,” he said in a low, tentative voice.
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Post by recoveryfive on Dec 6, 2016 16:47:22 GMT
Bonnie, Cheshire, Kilroy, Rosani, Jack, and Gerlach watched as the conversation went on between Hakim and Koschei. Kilroy in particular was being held by Cheshire in case he decided to go berserk and attempt to stab Koschei, which he did not at all like, as evidenced by his squirming and wiggling. To their credit, Jack and Rosani maintained an unimpressed expression with their surroundings. Cheshire and Gerlach, on the other hand, looked around at the various objects curiously.
When Hakim told them he had a plan, Bonnie perked up. "I'm all ears." she whispered, glancing over at the sorcerer. "Now, how are we gonna pull a fast one over this guy? Assuming that's what we're doing, of course."
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Post by Bippwatt on Dec 10, 2016 6:42:05 GMT
"I have an idea too, but you go ahead.", Eliora said in a low tone. "Mine is probably really dumb."
"Can't be any worse than mine...", Deidre said quietly with a shake of her head.
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Post by Spartan 999 on Dec 11, 2016 6:22:57 GMT
“Not...quite.” Hakim's eyes flicked to the immortal sorcerer and back to Bonnie. “Just...trust me.” He turned and stepped up to Koschei again.
“Made a decision?” Koschei folded his arms across his chest and idly tapped his foot to an apparently random pattern. “Come on, tell me. I wanna get this over with.”
Hakim slowly nodded. He took a breath and momentarily closed his eyes. When they opened, his gaze was steeled. He lifted the Death Needle into the air between himself and Koschei, the tip pointing up towards the ceiling. “I wish...” If ever there was a time for his silver tongue to come in handy, it was now. “...I wish that you willingly join our party as a comrade, an ally, a friend, with everything that entails--accompanying us on our journeys, aiding us during our quests, providing the benefits of your peerless knowledge and unsurpassed power when we need them, and guiding us with your expansive wisdom and helping hand as a true friend.”
Koschei's face was completely blank, expression utterly inscrutable. His entire body had ceased moving, giving him an almost corpselike appearance.
A soft, sibilant sound began to fill the air, akin to the low rasping of dry leaves on stone. But as it rose, they realized that it was the sorcerer's laugh. His lips parted in a wide maniacal grin as his entire frame shook from mirth.
“You really are an Ash Lad, aren't you?,” Koschei wheezed after a full minute of solid laughter, one twisted hand tightly grasping the table's edge to prevent himself from falling to his knees. “Very well then.” He sucked in a deep breath, lifted his hands, and clapped them together.
The deafening sound was like thunder, and suddenly the Death Needle had vanished in a distortion of space. The chandeliers shook, looser and lighter objects throughout the room swaying and fluttering.
“Your wish is granted, Hakim Aldebrandi,” Koschei declared. His eyes glittered, and that delighted, maniacal grin remained affixed to his face.
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Post by recoveryfive on Dec 13, 2016 6:32:48 GMT
"What?" was the response that came from Kilroy and Rosani in near unison. The former, to no one's surprise, sounded outraged compared to his sister, who simply took a swig out of a flask that had been strapped to her hip.
"Huh...that's pretty cool. Now we've got an elderly wizard companion!" Cheshire remarked, releasing Kilroy from her grip.
"I prefer elderly sorcerer companion, lass."
"Right, sorry. Elderly sorcerer companion." the young woman corrected herself, looking over at Mia and Gerlach for their thoughts on the situation. The latter shrugged helplessly before eyeing Koschei warily, unsure of what had just happened was a good idea or not. "So what happens now?"
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Post by Bippwatt on Dec 17, 2016 2:53:59 GMT
"...Okay. At least my idea was just stupid. Not suicidal.", Eliora said acidly. "Now we pray he doesn't slit our throats while we sleep." She turned a left via the way they had come. Serves her right for getting her hopes up.
"Don't be so down, lass. I couldn't have done what you woulda wanted from me anyway." A wicked grin crossed Koschei's face. "Not safely."
"And how do you know what I would have wanted?"
"That's obvious." The sorcerer made a grand gesture towards Eliora. "You wish is to be no longer feytouched; the marks the Fey have made on you are clear to me. But only the Fey themselves could change ya without a lot of...unpleasantness." He scratched his chin through his beard. "Well, I suppose there might be one other apart from the Fey...but he's a dangerous fellow. Not a fan of him myself."
"Well, hate to break it to you, old man. But that's not what I want." Eliora glared. "There is nothing I want in this world or any other so much as to have my parents back." She turned away and finished leaving the room.
"Uh...on that note, would I be able to ask a favor?", Mia hedged.
"Ah, the pirate. Or whatever you fancy yourself these days, hmm?"
"I don't suppose any of this horde would be...relocatable, would it?"
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Post by Spartan 999 on Jan 5, 2017 20:02:03 GMT
Fortunately for Eliora, the numerous traps and oddities they'd encountered on the way to finding Koschei were no longer there. Or at least they weren't active any more. So...she was safe on her walk.
For now.
As for Mira, Koschei gave the Captain an appraising glance. “Relocatable? Certainly, many things in this tower may be moved.”
She had the distinct impression that he was giving her the completely literal answer.
“But one must needs be careful to avoid snagging the coin that tears its spender's fingernails off.” A crooked finger pointed over to the right side of the room. “In the crying filing cabinet is a spacious room full of assorted riches. Select of them as you wish, but select them wisely you should.” Koschei gave a soft cackle as he turned to face his “workdesk” again, the action giving the sense that he was dismissing Mia.
Gerlach hesitated for a moment, then cleared his throat. Koschei didn't seem to notice. So he cleared his throat again and repeated himself. “S-so what happens now?”
“That depends, chibi wizard,” said the old sorcerer, not even bothering turning around. “I am now bound to your...adventuring party.” Koschei finally graced Gerlach with a single glance over his shoulder. “Where you go is not dependent upon me, lad. I'm just along for the general ride.”
“Perhaps you could assist with deciding the destination.” Hakim pulled over a chair and sat on it, despite the way the paw-like legs kept twitching at intermittent intervals. And the occasional muffled growls. “You know that Eliora, Bonnie, and I all had our separate wishes.” He said it as a matter-of-fact, to which Koschei twitched his head once in acknowledgment. “So now, as our ally and friend, you're obligated to help us realize those wishes.”
“I'm not gonna do three wishes for the price of one,” Koschei sneered. “That's not how it works, Ash Lad.”
“I didn't think it was.” Hakim crossed one leg over the other and clasped his hands on his lap. “But you will help us, nonetheless.”
This made Koschei toss his little magnifying eyepiece away, set a small hexagonal item on the table, and turn to properly face Hakim. “And why is that?”
“I think we both know why.” The Ash Lad didn't falter or hesitate in the slightest and kept an excellent poker face. “It will amuse you.”
Koschei sighed dramatically and made a show of shaking his head, but it seemed he was either unable or unwilling to argue the point.
“You already know Eliora's desire,” Hakim began. “But I think you should know mine and Bonnie's, too. Then you can point us in the right direction to go next.” He stroked the top of his chair's backrest, causing a muffled purring sound to come from it and the antsy legs to settle, before rising to his feet.
Koschei hopped up onto his long table and crossed his legs. “Speak,” he bade the two youth imperiously. The effect was somewhat ruined by how silly he looked like that, though.
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Post by recoveryfive on Jan 5, 2017 20:56:37 GMT
Bonnie crossed her arms as the wizard- sorcerer commanded them to speak. "When I was little," she began. "a wolf killed my parents. The woodsman who raised me told me that it had been a werewolf. I wanna know his location so I can track him down and kill him for what he did to them. No tricks, no fancy wordplay, I need his exact location at all times."
"Oh, I love a good ol' tale of revenge." Koschei stroked his beard, considering the wish. "...This werewolf of yours have a name?"
"Yeah...it's Fenrir. At least, I think that was his real name. Could've easily been an alias or something like that."
"Woah, woah, hold up. Fenrir? As in the guy who's been doing business with Shere Khan? That Fenrir?" Jack piped up, actually looking worried for once.
"I guess. Why, who's Shere Khan?"
"Ooooh, boy." the crew member muttered, on the verge of breaking into a nervous sweat. "He's, uh...ok, how do I put this? He's pretty much a force of nature, one of the most ruthless warlords in the entire kingdom. If Fenrir's working for him in addition to the killing your parents thing, then avenging them's gonna be even more of a bitch and a half."
"Then I'll have to take that risk." Bonnie answered him, waiting for Koschei's final answer to her request. "But thanks for the warning either way."
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Post by Bippwatt on Jan 6, 2017 5:26:27 GMT
Mia's eyes narrowed at the mention of a coin that "tears it's spender's fingernails off"...that sounded very unpleasant. So, take no coins. Period. Not a problem. In her experience, it was artifacts that were more...lucrative.
She spied the cabinet that Koschei has mentioned. How this thing was crying, she had no clue. But, lo and behold, as she neared it, it was, indeed, sniffling and letting out quiet sobs. And, despite having no eyes, somehow, tears fell from somewhere...Mia couldn't determine where.
"Uh...hello?"
No answer. "Are you alright, uh, cabinet?", she tried again, feeling slightly foolish for talking to a cabinet.
Again, no reply.
So, the airship captain shrugged and opened the cabinet. As promised, there was a room filled with assorted riches.
"Select wisely, I should, eh?" Mia smirked. "Okay, I'll play your game, old man." She waved Cheshire over. "You got the bags of hauling?"
Deidre rolled her eyes at the pirate. Or whatever. She was probably gonna grab something cursed...which probably meant she ought to go help. Her magic might be of service in helping find the things that wouldn't do harm when touched.
She trotted over and looked at the other woman. "You two want some help? Based on what Koschei said, I'd guess a large majority of this stuff is cursed. I might be able to assist with that."
"Why not...can't hurt."
Deidre snorted and moved to enter the cabinet room after them...and was forcibly removed by some unknown force which triggered as soon as her leading foot touched the ground inside the room. She went flying through the air, landed on her back, fortunately not smacking her head on the hard waxed tiles. Of course, she also slid across the room...to stop right at Koschei's dangling robes, looking up at the sorcerer. She sighed. "This feels like one of those horrible shows on TV...When Wizards Fly!, next on Spike TV!", she finished, in a super macho TV announcer voice.
Eliora, who had just returned, composure regained, sniggered at this. "The day you're on TV is the day I become the Winter Maiden."
It's a pity hindsight is absolutely useless given that it only comes along long after it's usefullness has passed.
Deidre lifted herself up and dusted off her leather bomber jacket, yanking it off real quick to pat down the back of it, getting the scuff marks out of it. In doing so, she revealed that the armor leg guards she wore wasn't the only armor she had on. In fact, she had a full breastplate, though it was considerably smaller and obviously lighter than any armor that would actually be worth a pinch of shit than most present had seen. In addition to that, she had small, low-profile pauldrons on and arm guards that roughly matched their leg counterparts, as well as a number of silvery braclets that clung semi-tightly to her wrists, each of a different width.
With that, she jerked the jacket back on, but left it unzipped this time. Then, she bent down and collected her staff. A keen eye would suddenly notice that the hard surfaces of her armor were etched. Faintly, oh so faintly. But etched nonetheless.
"So...where now?", Deidre said.
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Post by Spartan 999 on Jan 7, 2017 3:01:40 GMT
Deidre arrived--after being hurled across the room--just after Bonnie had finished speaking.
“So...where now?”
Without batting an eye, Koschei flicked his finger. Deidre was again catapulted through the air, this time away from Koschei and back towards Mia and the weeping cabinet. “And you?,” he inquired of Hakim as though nothing had happened.
“I want to locate Corwin, the Black Thief.” If the Ash Lad was perturbed by the business with Deidre, he didn't show it.
Koschei pursed his lips and leaned forward expectantly.
Hakim didn't say anything further.
“...That's it?” The elderly sorcerer made a face. “No backstory for me regarding that old fart, lad?”
“He was my mentor, and he went missing a year or two ago.” Which...still wasn't a lot, at least compared to Bonnie's tale.
“Better.” Koschei cracked a crooked grin and nodded in a self-satisfied manner. “But really, I'm impressed that ol' pickpocket lasted that long and came that far since his time in Sloan. And mentoring an Ash Lad, no less? That's a rare honor.” He giggled and clapped his hands. “Now, I believe I can assist in realizing your three's desires; I have many contacts whom I could wring for information or point you to.”
The lich-esque magician leaned back and stroked his beard contemplatively once more. “...A stop by one of the Fey Courts would not be out of place,” he mused.
Hakim visibly paled, albeit just a little. “...I'd rather not go to either one if possible,” he said quietly.
Koschei was just about to excitedly inquire further on this undoubtedly fascinating facet of Hakim's past when the entire room shook and a dull alarm horn blew from all sides. Funnily enough, it was actually only that room which shook, and not any other part of the keep or tower. The effect ended after a few seconds, fortunately.
Immediately, the wizened wizard whirled and whisked a withered hand through the air. The not-mirror hanging over his long study table shimmered and morphed, turning into a shining, sparkling map of Validor. One section had a dot that gradually pulsated, sending silver ripples over the entire area.
“The fuck was that?!,” Bonnie exclaimed, quite obviously still confused about the sudden shaking and alarm.
Koschei hopped up and down like a boy on Christmas. He made another curt gesture, and the somewhat-reflective mirror's surface altered to show...something really weird. To most, it looked like a confusing mess that was almost painful to look at, but others who were familiar with multidimensional travel could tell parts, at least.
Broadly speaking, it was a chart showing the pathway of something traveling between two different planes or realms of existence. Then it zoomed out to show the path of...whatever it was through a...much, much wider view of existence. Only Kilroy or Rosani might be able to decipher the finer points of that particular “map”, but they didn't really have time to, since the not-mirror again shifted to show...somewhere that wasn't Validor. It was an area of land adjacent to the sea or a large lake of some kind.
Abruptly, Koschei whirled to face the others and shot them a toothy grin. It wasn't the most pleasant look on him. “If you are leery of the Fey, hows about we take a trip to Chicago first?”
“Chicago?,” said Bonnie uncomprehendingly. “What's Chicago?”
Hakim blinked. “Chicago? Why Chicago?”
“I know someone there.” He...wasn't telling the entire truth, though. “...If they haven't gone elsewhere by now, BUT I have high hopes! And I can put feelers out to locate another friend while we're there--he should be even more useful to you lot.” He paused. “I mean us.” Koschei nodded sagely. “Yes, us.”
“...Why else do you want to go?” Hakim folded his arms across his chest and arched an eyebrow.
Koschei just hooked a finger over his shoulder at the not-mirror map of the Chicago area. A dot was there, steadily pulsing and slowly moving.
“Wouldn't you please say it so the rest of us regular mortals might understand?” Being said to anyone else or spoken by anyone else, that would sound incredibly sardonic, but as it stood, Hakim actually managed to make it sound halfway convincing.
Koschei stared at the Ash Lad for a moment, seeming to be half-amused and half-annoyed. “A planar anomaly that finally landed. In Chicago.”
Now Hakim was interested. “What exactly does that entail?”
“I don't know!,” exclaimed Koschei, suddenly visually excited about the prospect. “That's why it's so interesting!”
“Um...alright.” Hakim slowly nodded. “...Well, I suppose if you do have contacts there-”
“THEN 'TIS DECIDED!”
And before Hakim could so much as say “Wait!” or Bonnie could say “Wait what?”, Koschei spun and tilted the world.
After a single gesture from the mad mage, the room tilted...and fell. But no, it wasn't just the room. The entire keep, the entire tower, toppled over. It crumbled and spiraled to pieces as the moment stretched into eternity, and just when it became so taut it seemed about to snap, it rebounded back into place like a rubberband. Tower pieces rushed through the aether before smashing back together, reforming the sorcerer's home, apparently none the worse for wear.
As the only one still standing apart from Kilroy and Rosani, Koschei turned and strode towards the doors on the opposite side of his hoard, which subsequently parted itself before him. The straight path through the hoard would prove useful for anyone who wanted to follow. Once they'd recovered, at least.
“Those who wish to observe our destination, come with me,” the aged man told the room at large, shortly before exiting.
“...Blimey,” Hakim muttered as he struggled to his hands and knees. “This is the day for bizarre travel methods, isn't it.” If need be, he'd help anyone else up to their feet before going after Koschei.
As it so happened, they didn't have to go far. Koschei just walked to the room adjacent to his study, which was some sort of viewing chamber. It was smaller than the study, but it made up for it with vast windows that showed the broad Chicago skyline.
As in, they seemed to be looking out at the city from within one of the taller buildings. Which...seemed to be accurate enough, since if they looked down, they would see the outside of a modern skyscraper instead of the dark iron-and-stone that composed Koschei's residence back in Validor. Somehow, the tower had traveled to Earth and then transformed into or merged with one of Chicago's buildings. Rather...disconcerting, all things considered.
“Welcome to Chicago, Illinois, the United States of America.” Koschei announced. He stood uncharacteristically straight and had his hands clasped behind his back. His face had taken on a calculating expression as well, as the face of a ruler looking out over the kingdom he had plans for. “Earth.”
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Post by Bippwatt on Jan 7, 2017 9:07:21 GMT
Well, everyone was on the ground...but Mia. Of course, in the confusion, no one had seen exactly how she'd kept her feet. On the other hand, it could have just been that she'd recovered with feline like reflexes. Given how she was just standing there now, nodding with an expression that seemed to convey a feeling of "Cool trick, bro.", that seemed...unlikely, however. Or she had a really good poker face.
Eliora struggled back to an upright position while Deidre leaned on her staff.
"What the fuck, dude? Like seriously! What's next? We gonna jump over some sharks and run into our evil twins? Maybe start repeating the last 24 hours over and over again?", the fey-touched lady said caustically.
Meanwhile, Deidre looked out the window and sighed. "Home sweet home."
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Post by recoveryfive on Jan 13, 2017 17:46:45 GMT
"I...have no idea what any of that is." Bonnie said rather obviously, looking out of the window at the sights below. "Looks pretty neat, though." She turned her head when Deidre spoke. "Wait a minute, you live here?"
Jack peered out the window as well with Gerlach, taking in the sights and sounds of his home. His real home, although how true that was now was probably debatable. "Nice to see I'm not the only Chicago kid that ended up in Validor." he commented, tapping the glass a bit. "By the way, we're gonna need someplace to put our weapons, or at least hide 'em."
"Why's that?"
"Well, for starters, a bunch of people carrying guns around without a license are gonna attract a lot of unwelcome attention in these parts. We really don't need the CPD and the Mafia up our asses while we're trying to do whatever it was we're doing."
"CPD?"
"Chicago Police Department." A few blank stares met his answer, mainly from Cheshire, Mia, and Bonnie. "They're like guards, only they have guns and chariots that go really fast."
"Ooooh."
"And another thing: We've gotta act like we belong here. There's no magic and monsters in this world to my knowledge, so a few of us might need to pick names and fake backstories that don't sound like they came from a fantasy novel. They'll just think we're crazy if we don't, and then that'll lead to a lot of unpleasantness and one or more of us probably being taken to an insane asylum."
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Post by Spartan 999 on Jan 16, 2017 4:12:39 GMT
“No, those rooms are on the next floor down,” the sorcerer told Eliora. Hakim placed a hand on the glass and sighed, but not in the same way Deidre did. “...If I'd known we'd be going to Earth beforehand, I would've prepared something for the trip,” he muttered under his breath. Koschei made a gesture at the wall to their left, causing it to ripple and form a doorway into an adjacent room. “Lasses and lads, come along if you wish to avoid the odd looks.” He turned on his heel and strode into the new room. “I don't much care if you want to be seen as a particularly tacky cosplayer, but for those who do not...” He waved a hand, indicating the huge array of clothing stretching out before them. “I recommend the 'Earth: Early Twenty-First Century' section. Going any further is bound to make time a lil' wonky, and going back...eh.” Evidently someone didn't like certain past time periods. “Or stay here if you want.” “...Are you serious?” Hakim just stared at Koschei, to which the elderly magician just grinned toothily. As for the sorcerer himself, he stepped into a side room. If anyone cared to watch, he rifled through some of the cabinets, fished out an ornate crown, and set it atop his head. Then he made a few slow, airy gestures with his hands, causing his body to...change. His long, grey hair retracted into his skull, his wrinkles faded, and he stood taller as age ceased to bend him. All in all, he looked like a fairly handsome, strapping man. Especially once his attire changed to match the location. His robes changed into a suit, though the jacket was replaced by a waistcoat and overcoat. The bracer on his left arm became a wristwatch, and the crown turned into a pair of glasses. A fairly classy look, really, especially since his clothing looked more like a European style than an American one. “Once you lot are done picking out your clothes, we've a lift to catch.” Koschei reached into his overcoat, fumbled out for a moment, then pulled out a metal cane with a strange spiral design. “Time is precious, nowhere moreso than here.” Fortunately for the group, there were several book guides in the 'Early Twenty-First Century' section that displayed the various styles for their benefit, since it wasn't exactly obvious what should and shouldn't go together. Finally, once everyone had picked their outfits and most likely grabbed at least one carrying container like a purse or backpack for the weapons they had to hide, Koschei led them out into the hallway again and to a pair of metal doors at the end of the corridor. Click, click went his cane. “Captain Fukku, I would advise you not worry about your ship,” he assured Mia as they walked. “It's safe, currently located within my personal garage, but I wouldn't recommend flying it out anytime soon.” After a pause, he added, “Your crew is most likely safe as well.” There was a ding and the doors slid open. Koschei waited for everyone who was coming with to enter, then stepped inside, turned, and selected the first floor. “One last note: Please, call me Cosmin Tchaikovsky while we are here.” He chuckled slyly as the elevator started moving down. THREAD END TO BE CONTINUED IN “4:10 to Chicago”
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