Author: Icarus, Posted: Sun Nov 8, 2015 7:47 PM, Post Subject: Beauty or death from above [O,R]

When her question hit his ears, Icarus was already scouting the terrain ahead as best he could, grass now rising up to his chest.  Half a mile away, the edge of the forest lay in wait, looming darkness that drowned out the pale moon light.  He was most assuredly a strategist first and foremost, not the sort to deliberately charge into battle without a plan.  In this instance, the villagers were common folk chasing a monster that had decimated and dissected several of their own for food, a crime he normally would have punished immediately and without remorse.  

"I normally don't, but we're vastly outnumbered and I'd rather not spill the blood of villagers that are seeking compensation in blood for the ones you killed.  Defeats the whole purpose of the deal.  If we leave without a trace, they won't be capable of following and although they'll spread out, they will give up when they cannot find us," Icarus explained, breathing lightly as he worked his way through the grass.

Even as he voiced his opinion on the people, the woman seemed to understand his distrust of her and she sought to reassure him.  He paid it enough heed to not outright be wary of her at the moment, but even then, another sound aside from the crumpling of grass beneath their feet caught his ear.  Howls… he thought, placing a word to the sound of it.  

Wolves were nearing them, and judging from the sounds, it wasn't a measly couple.  They were social creatures, pack hunters that grouped to take down larger prey.  He estimated a small pack in numbers, but the howls were deep, guttural, and menacing.  It seemed quite likely that they were fairly large amongst other canines of their type.

While Icarus broke down the likelihood of wolves closing on them, he was beset upon by two that lunged high from the grass.  His jog stopped as he reached up with a hand and pushed the wolf over him, gripping it by the throat and using its momentum against it.  The other caught a hold of his other arm and the small plate functioning as a bracer saved him from lacerations.  

The sheer weight of the beast brought him down as he failed to slam the other wolf with enough force to break its neck.  Rolling on the ground, Icarus reached his right hand, now free, toward his katana and sliced the wolf's throat quickly, releasing his left arm from its maw.  Now fully aware of the situation they were in, Icarus drew his longsword with his left hand and picked up to a jog once more.

"Prepare yourself, we'll have to fight our way through.  They'll try to separate us," he declared as he returned near Shawarl's side.

Author: Shawarl, Posted: Tue Nov 3, 2015 6:20 PM, Post Subject: Beauty or death from above [O,R]

Shawarl gave a nod towards the man's explanation. His reasoning was sound, and to her ears, based on experience. With a sigh of relief she picked up her own pace to match his. To her a gentle jog was a breeze compared to the mile they had just ran. Her bare feet still ached though, but she had no time or the mind to complain. The jogging still made her sweat even more, causing her to release strong smelling pheromones. To her there was no smell, but to some humans she smelled of freshly picked mint. An evolution her kind developed to lure humans in. They were often curious about what smelled so sweet and delicious. That it would lure them right into the open arms of Shawarl's sisters.

" How much experience in running away do you have.?" She inquired with an inquisitive tone. Her reasoning behind the question, to get him to slow his pace a bit. The tall grass was hindering her movement. It would often trip her up as she stepped high to avoid making an obvious trail. " Don't be afraid of Shawarl. She is not going to eat you. We made a deal, only the corrupt of heart, and she does not intend to break her oath." She added. Not just for his sake, but for her own. At any point Icarus could have turned on her. Even if he did not seem like the type to do so.

She gazed at the closing treeline with anticipation. Soon she would be free to eat the wicked and plant her seeds. Her thoughts wandered a bit while waiting for a response. Causing her to lose her footing for a brief moment, but she managed to catch herself. Though she had fallen behind Icarus by about four paces.

Author: Icarus, Posted: Sun Nov 1, 2015 8:47 PM, Post Subject: Beauty or death from above [O,R]

The creature's words fell on his ears and during their pause, she inquired how he could know their pursuers would cease their pursuit.  For him, it was a cause and effect sort of situation.  They would lose sight of them and a pursuit would continue for some time, but they would stop their efforts when it became clear they stood no hope of catching the woman-plant-thing.  In addition, neither Shawarl nor Icarus had anything that would generate light or give away their positions in the darkness, making chasing them exponentially more difficult at night.

"We hit the woods and make it deep into the treeline.  Eventually, they'll come to a point they don't want to try and chase any further and we're safe at that point," he explained, detailing the simple extent of their escape.  "We can slow it to a jog now that we have plenty of space between us, but we can't stop," he declared, returning to a modest pace only somewhat faster than a quick walk.  

He was thankful she managed to keep up with him to that point, but it was likely both of them would have great difficulty to remain at that pace.  They now had an additional mile in the gap between them and the villagers.  The torches in the distance seemed increasingly distant as he glanced over his shoulder, stepping with high knees through the slowly rising grass.  Around them, the fields of wild grass that grew was gaining in height, now up to his waist.

Ahead, it didn't seem the grass would sink back toward the earth at all.  In fact, it seemed the grass threatened to rise up even higher.  Being trapped in tall grass with a potential monster ready to consume him didn't really suit his fancy, but there weren't many options.  In pursuit of his goal, he had to escort her to the forest and leave her to her own devices somewhere the local populace would neither threaten nor be threatened by her.

Author: Shawarl, Posted: Sat Oct 31, 2015 5:27 PM, Post Subject: Beauty or death from above [O,R]

"Come on!" Icarus' call fell on deaf ears. She was struggling against the intense hunger and thoughts that ran rampant through her mind. Then in an instant everything switched. Her adrenaline fueled body turned in the direction of the forest, and she ran. Her heart raced, her muscles ached, but she was able to keep a few paces behind Icarus. Even with his head start. Then again Shawarl was not human. 

She was breathing heavily as she was more used to sudden bursts of speed. Rather than the prolonged five minute mile the pair had just ran. "Thank…you." She panted out, as her body was catching the air it needed. The carnivorous plants on her back slithered back into her robes. She took a minute or two to fully recover. " How can you be sure that they will stop? Shawarl is unfamiliar with the way you humans think. But you are a kind one." She said as she walked past Icarus and towards the treeline.

Her body was still tense from the exertion of running. Sweat was forming on her brow even with the chill of the night. 

Author: Icarus, Posted: Tue Oct 27, 2015 3:22 PM, Post Subject: Beauty or death from above [O,R]

Shit, was the first thought that came to Icarus' mind the moment he heard the villagers in the distance.

He could probably fight them off long enough for her to get away, but there was enough time where they could still flee effectively and they would be able to vanish almost without a trace.  Her warning came to him and although he felt he could kill her, with his body weakened, it seemed likely it would result in both of their demises.  Turning away from the fires of the torches, Icarus began to run.

"Come on!" he called back to a temporary companion he held exceedingly little trust in and hoped he wouldn't have to fight once they were alone once more.

The darkness of night crept overhead and hid them from the torchlight that still seemed so far away.  He wheezed a little here and there from the exertion of taking off at full sprint.  It was nearly a mile before he slowed down and he realized his pace was far above the norm, estimating barely five minutes had passed.  It was good for most, but he could probably trim down an extra half minute or so when he recovered fully.

He pointed off to the forest only a short distance away, perhaps another mile or so.  Icarus waited for his companion to join him, placing his hands behind his head to allow more air to flow into his exhausted lungs.  Having recovered enough, he called out again.

"Almost there, they'll stop following us once we get into the treeline," he declared.

Author: Shawarl, Posted: Sun Oct 25, 2015 2:37 PM, Post Subject: Beauty or death from above [O,R]

She watched as he mulled over the details of their deal. Her smiled widened again at his terms. Criminals and the corrupt was a vague enough term for Shawarl. " Deal, Icarus. Shawarl agrees to your terms, and will only hunt criminals and the corrupt." She gazed into the distance, and began to stretch. In the middle of her gesture she yawned. " We should be going."  She pointed to the distance, where the soft glow of torches began to light up the horizon. The fleeing villagers must have gathered what defensive force that resided within the town.

The torches on the horizon were moving in swiftly. It was not long before the mob on horseback reached the pair. They were armed with everything from pitchforks to swords. " Kill the beast!" One man pointed his sword at Shawarl. The rest yelled in confirmation. The mob had a single thought on their minds, and would not rest until the 'demon' was dead.

Under normal circumstances Shawarl would simply devour mob, and it showed. Every muscle in her body tensed up as her fight or flight instinct kicked in. Her heart began to race and sweat began to form on her brow. Kill..crush…destroy…devour. Her thoughts aligned with her instincts. As if on cue vines began to grow from her back. They tore through her robes revealing three large human sized flowers on the ends.  The flowers were closed shut." Were…is the forest. If we don't go now Shawarl will devour everything here. Including you. " Her voice was labored, as if she was fighting to control every urge in her body. The plants opened up revealing their soft yet fanged insides. They tugged at the vines like rabid dogs.

Author: Icarus, Posted: Sat Oct 24, 2015 3:56 PM, Post Subject: Beauty or death from above [O,R]

The counteroffer the monster offered was not preferable, but an acceptable one.  For many criminals, there awaited a fate equivalent to death.  If he were to permit this, it would be venturing to the same end, just along a different path.  It weighed on his conscience for the time.  

The thing in woman's form came closer, passing by him as he instinctively stepped to the side, keeping his distance as best he could.  He didn't know what sort of ability she had used to kill the villagers, but she most certainly didn't seem the sort to openly give in to death so easily.  If he were to turn on her, she would retaliate quickly, and he didn't know if he would be able to counter in time.

"You're permitted to live under the contract of feeding on criminals and the corrupt alone.  The contract is null and void and your life is forfeit upon your breaching of the contract.  If you agree with the terms, come with me and I'll lead you to the safety of the forest.  If not, Icarus will be the last name you hear before departing this world," he informed, explaining in detail the terms of the deal they were making.  

Sheathing one sword, Icarus held the katana with his right hand.  Shawarl had first said the terms, but Icarus' addition of the end of the contract had been a significant change that indicated there would be repercussions for not following her pledge.  She could attempt to flee.  That was always an option.  Icarus was relentless though, as many demons had found him to be in his previous travels during a time he could not remember.  It was tenacity that remained his greatest strength.

Author: Shawarl, Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2015 1:51 PM, Post Subject: Beauty or death from above [O,R]

Shawarl's smile changed to a grimace at his words. What good was the word of a human? Though her stomach was full, there was always room for desert. " You are a kind man, but I cannot agree with you. We have tried to eat like the humans do. But at the slightest taste of your food we become ill." She stepped closer to Icarus, she was sure by now he would not attack. "The first Maternal Overseer made a pact, and so shall I. I will still consume the living, but they will not be innocent. The guilty, the criminals, the scourge of this land; allow me to devour them and we both avoid a fight." Her smile returned, but this time it was a sly, almost dirty smile.

The offer was not unlike the previous life she had. The 'evil' were brought to her forest, and devoured as punishment. While the villagers received fruit and planted the seeds. Up until her coronation she had lived a life of relative ease, with no need to hunt for her meals. Revaliir would be a change to her lifestyle.  Shawarl brought a hand to her face and wiped away the blood. Something she neglected to do before encountering Icarus. " I told you my name. So before you decide to cut me down, give me yours." She said as she began to walk past him. Opening her back to attack. 

Author: Icarus, Posted: Thu Oct 22, 2015 4:55 PM, Post Subject: Beauty or death from above [O,R]

Icarus listened as the dragon spoke.  Her words made her a unique creature that was not found within this world.  He could slay her, but what she said rang true.  Could he willingly snuff out the last of her kind and doom all others that would have followed when he knew so very little?

He was unable to make such a condemnation with such little information regarding her.  He knew she had killed these three villagers and feasted upon their flesh and bone, knew her fruit were due to the life essence she had consumed, but could not find her to be enough of a damnable fiend to cut her down and thus end her lineage.  If there were something else he could manage, some other way, he would seek it.  If she could be persuaded to leave mortals without using them for food, he would have no qualms with allowing her to live.  

The man before the monster did, however, fear her to be some form of demon that could not survive without the souls of the living to devour.  It was a tangible fear that was not without its basis.  Such savagery as she had displayed was inexcusable and for it, she had to receive a punishment of some sort regardless of whether it were her fault consciously or subconsciously.  He could see her form was beginning to waver, her utter lack of resistance indicating she either had no will or no ability to face him should he choose to face her in battle.

Her question to him made him ponder the implications of his choice further.  Could she really be made to see reason?  What guarantee did he have that she would hold to an agreement she made with him?  Not only that, but if she regained her strength, could he defeat her should the need arise?  What would her children do if allowed to live?  Struggling for the answer, he did the only thing he could: he compromised.

"What you have done is inexcusable.  Your actions require you to die.  I will offer you one option, though.  Swear to me upon your children that you will not prey upon mortals.  Humans and the intelligent races of the world are not yours or your children's to consume.  Swear that and I will lead you to safety and ensure your race's survival," he said, unwavering in his devotion to his word.  

Author: Shawarl, Posted: Thu Oct 22, 2015 3:17 PM, Post Subject: Beauty or death from above [O,R]

The creature brought a finger up to her chin and looked at the stars. " What else comes from seeds? Why pretty flowers of course. I suppose plant life is something inside of me, most of it is dragon blood though.  I come from a place that,  I would assume, is no longer in this land. You see, a portal opened up and sucked me in during my coronation. I am the Maternal Overseer of my race. That means I must make sure it survives. Her gaze returned to his, a smile still on her face. Her finger now pointing at Icarus.
" How about you?  It won't be long before someone else arrives, do you intend to kill me before then? Will you snuff out an entire race? "  Shawarl spoke softly, as if she did not intend to resist his will. 

She could see the sweat droplets starting to form on his brow. She herself was going through troubles. Her previous meals were now settling in her stomach. Because of this she was getting lethargic. Evidenced in her lack of resistance to Icarus' swords being at the ready. If she were to fight it would end in her death, and the death of her kind in Revaliir.

Author: Icarus, Posted: Tue Oct 20, 2015 9:35 PM, Post Subject: Beauty or death from above [O,R]

Icarus felt a bead of sweat drop from his brow, his heart still beating from the run and his breath calming, deepening slowly but surely.  He was tense, an effect of his new body.  He was incapable of calming his nerves because his body reflexively behaved as it would, all mental processes dictated by the subconscious urge to find safety.  The woman that turned to face him spoke bewilderingly.  He could feel she was dangerous, but he could not back down.  He never could.

Watching her step forward, somewhat perplexed, Icarus watched the fruit growing within her hair.  All other appearances aside, he could determine she was decidedly not human.  Her words made were nonsensical as she attempted to persuade him to plant one of the seeds of her fruit.  He had entirely no wish to do other and did as much math as he could.  There were three fruits that had grown from her and three corpses, or enough body parts to discern three in the immediate vicinity.

He felt it was entirely likely the fruit was derived from the life essence of those she had slain.  Icarus knew he had to either kill this strange being or persuade it to seek hunting grounds elsewhere.  There was no substitute for that, no compromise.  Preying on humans was something he could not allow.  He was curious about several particular details, however.

"What shall come of planting the seeds?  Since you created fruit and seeds, I gather you have some form of plant life about you.  Would planting them create more of you?  From where have you come and what are your intentions?" he inquired as he raised his weapons to bear, prepared fully to defend himself.

Author: Shawarl, Posted: Tue Oct 20, 2015 7:42 PM, Post Subject: Beauty or death from above [O,R]

Shawarl dropped the gnawed arm upon hearing the man's voice, and rose up from her position." But I'm so hungry, be a dear and bring me another." Her voice once again singsong in nature. The bulbs on her back retracted as she turned towards him. Slowly she walked forward. Then she came into view, her face splattered red with blood. " Here I am boy !" She smiled and let her arms fall to her side. 

As she stood there, strange blue fruits began to grow in her hair. Casually she plucked one of the three fruits and ripped it in half. Revealing a large stone, like from a peach. She discarded the flesh, removed the seed, and knelt down to dig a hole. Once she was done she buried the seed. Then once again, she stood back up, a smile still on her precious face. " If you promise to plant the seed, I will give you a fruit to eat. So put away those pointy sticks, and talk with Shawarl." Her smile grew wider showing off rather human looking teeth. In fact if it was not for the strange hair and plants growing from her, she could be mistaken for a normal human woman.

Yet deep underneath her calm and playful demeanor she was just as prepared.

Author: Icarus, Posted: Tue Oct 20, 2015 3:28 PM, Post Subject: Beauty or death from above [O,R]

After only so many minor jobs that hadn't paid well, Icarus found himself traveling down the coast until he came upon Vilpamolan.  Despite its reputation as a pirate haven, there were often just as many good people as there were bad and he was quite sure any job offers there were equally good as they could be bad.  He could find himself turning down an assassination request and choosing to protect the individual that was targeted if need be. 

Still, traveling at night wasn't prehaps the best option.  He was unfamiliar with the lay of the land, but judging from the rare patrols of Adeluna soldiers on the route about halfway to Vilpamolan, it was safe enough to assume the roads were fairly clear.  There could be the occasional interference, but he assumed he could handle himself well enough to survive.  

After walking for some time, he saw a rip in the sky open some distance, perhaps a few miles away.  Against the black sky, he couldn't see anything emerging from it, but in his heart, he felt the call to investigate.  There was the possibility that Obelisk had come to devour this realm.  After all, many of those who had lived since the destruction of Dae Luin had ended up in this land.  Only one possible outcome would result from that, but he had to at least try to prevent it.

Picking up his pace to a jog, the resurrected warrior did all he could to respond quickly to the scene.  It took him some time, but his arrival came amidst a rapidly departing crowd and the slaughter of some of the townsfolk.  He ran quicker, taking in deep gulps of air faster.  The scent of blood and the scene of the murders left him somewhat assured, in a dark way.  When Obelisk came to claim worlds, life simply became ash in his presence.  The fact there were corpses meant this was not the end of this world, and that comforted him despite the fact he was likely to engage in a dangerous battle to aid these people.  Shouts of "demon" and "monster" only spurred him further.

It was almost reflexive in his nature to run to face foes of the sort.  His past had brought him to face legions of demons, slaying all in his wake as he struggled to preserve his world of Nataki, ultimately triumphing.  He heard the repetition of the word "More" while he kept scanning for the source, drawing both his katana and his longsword, preparing for the confrontation.  Icarus came to the scene in only a short moment, seeing a figure bent down and crunching on what appeared to be an arm.  Taking a cautious approach, Icarus kept his distance.  His magic had yet to manifest again and he would rather not take the chance they had some sort of trick up their sleeve.

"Show your face," he commanded, focusing his senses to detect any sudden motion and react as quickly as possible when the time came.

Author: Shawarl, Posted: Mon Oct 19, 2015 9:54 PM, Post Subject: Beauty or death from above [O,R]

Somewhere on the outskirts of Vilpamolan:

It was the dead of night, when a tear opened up, splitting the limitless star ocean in twain. A single slender body covered in black robes fell from the ethereal rift, and plummeted to the ground below. Within resulting crater a woman was found. Her pale body, by some miracle, was unharmed. It was not long before the ruckus brought out the locals to gather around her. One brave fellow climbed into the crater to check on the deathly still body. Carefully he removed the hooded robe from the woman's head, revealing  her face and hair. Her hair a rainbow of blue, purple, and silver. The woman was just as strikingly beautiful as her hair. Next he dared to put his head close to her barely moving chest. Thump, thump, thump. Her heart was still beating. thumpthumpthump. The beating began to grow rapid along with her breathing. 

In the next instant the woman sat upright, startling the young man, and from her back something slithered out of the robes. A long green vine extended outwards, on the end a bulb in the same rainbow of colors as her hair, opened up. Inside of the bulb were rows and rows of sharp tooth-like structures. Before the man could react the flower had snapped shut around him. His screams muffled by the bulb as it slowly began to chew and swallow." I'm still hungry." Her voice singsong in nature.  The woman rose to her feet and stared at the now panicking  crowd. Before they could run another tentacle-bulb snatched up another person. This time the body was tossed into the air, and bitten horizontally in half. Leaving only their legs and head. " More..more…give me more." The woman seemed to be gaining pleasure from the act of devouring the helpless citizens. Emerald eyes sized up another target from the now fleeing crowd. The third and final bulb extended forward and snatched a woman by the legs. Slowly it pulled her towards Shawarl. This time however, the bulb did not devour the woman. Instead Shawarl bent down and with a plethora of cracking and snapping noises, ripped the villager's head right off. With the head in hand she lifted it above her head, and began to drink the cascading crimson fluid.

With shouts of "demon" and "monster" the crowd had dispersed back into the town. Leaving Shawarl, who after her drink, began to chew on leftover body parts. Ever muttering more…more…MORE.