Thread: .:Claymore RP:. Second Mission; Reconnaissance and Extermination of Castle Fiduc

.:At the Black Robes:.

A giant of a man entered the sand covered campsite as he brushed away his sweat with some annoyance at the place they've decided to camp. Were they not feeling this heat despite the black habit? The man dismissed the thought as he immediately reminded they were already not something you would naturally categorize as humans. Only the few remaining handlers could be seen as they went about with their paper work while some have decided to take leave on missions nearby with their respective Claymores. Business to attend to or as Rado would put it, negligence to stay put with the current assignments. Who could blame them? Even the man, a claymore who shouldn't be able to feel the heat experienced the burning sensation all over his heavy plate armour sizzling against his skin. The fact that he wore the similar habits most likely didn't help either. Already annoyed as he was, this needed to be addressed and with that in mind the big man looked down on his handler with some malice in his voice.



"Sir with all due respect was this mission neccessary?" he asked, arms crossed leaning against the tall trunk made of strong oak. On his back he carried not a usual claymore but a sword much too big to be a mere claymore. "Given the right amount of time would it not have been better to allow higher ranking single digit to snuff out the target despite the long time it'd take? It seems pointless to draw it out at the risk of losing our own forces."

The handler dropped his quill and finally faced the claymore standing next to him. There was something about Rado that many found unnerving mainly to do with the strange mask he was well known for wearing all day and night. But never in the years he's served him, it never occured for him to ask why his master chose to wear the mask. Word had it among the trainers that Rado could infact be a leper undergoing extensive treatment but this rumor was made certain it never got in a mile radius of Rado. Trainers themselves seemed greatly nervous to make physcial contact eversince the rumor started. The masked Rado spoke calmly looking up to the man towering over him without ever moving a shred of muscles beneathe those masks. He didn't need to see the face to notice, it was in his stoic emotionless voice afterall.

"To achieve missions, some sacrifices are needed. To draw out a smarter monster its wise to use bait efficiently spread out throughout a wide radius and that way should it take the bait, the Eye travelling with our single digit can recognize a interference in the low ranking Claymore's yoki to notify the single digit of the targets whereabouts. This is all standard procedure, as #7 of the Organization this should already be logical for you Arngrim."

"And if they survive and question the organization's action? Will you sentence them death?" His face turned grim. His superiors sickened him and they never failed at doing a perfect job of it everytime around. But for his own well being's sake he dared not show it on his face lest he wanted to be targetted next.

Rado was a careful man, calm and quiet, very perceptive around his surroundings. Unlike Orsay and Rubel, Rado possessed low tolerance for any shred of evidence that can be used as proof of a claymore's treason. Arngrim would know, considering it was often him who was ordered to chase down deserters and disobedient Claymores hence he'd heard enough that it was often than not Rado himself who raised the suspicion during the meetings. It took him less than a second to figure out who would be sent to dispatch him should he be listed in Rado's blacklist.

"Should they question our motives, I am certain that either Rubel or Orsay will justify that we hadn't sent them as baits. Merely as the main force hunting and investigating as their mission entitled. Rubel will more likely to claim the single digit has been sent after them as backup rather than explaining that he's been inside that castle before they arrived. You are thinking too much into this, I'm sure you're well aware of Rubel's ability to persuade and influence their minds. Low ranking Claymores are merely pawns in our war, that is the sad truth and fact. Why else would we send anyone lower than #40 on awakened being hunts?"

Mere cannonfodder. It wasn't the first time he heard, rather it was what he expected to hear from Rado. Each time as Arngrim killed off a deserter he couldn't help but feel sympathy for his juniors trying to survive and run away from the horrible odds and this game of chess these old sick bastards played, sacrificing pieces of pawn as carefree as they liked. Yet despite this he followed Rado killing off the very juniors he hoped he didn't have to kill anymore.

Without giving him anymore chance to argue back Rado motioned him to leave. "Remember your duty Arngrim, you are here as you are needed for your expertism in the field of hunting down any deserters. Should you feel you aren't up to the task bare in mind that there are plenty below you that can eagerly take your place." A foreshadowing warning shot. Something he wasn't a stranger to. He knew what he said eversince the first time Rado had said them the very words. Speaking in riddles as always when he could have just said the obvious. "Should you disobey, theres enough warriors below who can take your place after putting you out of commision."

Arngrim left his master's study as silently as the slow breeze that escaped with him as he exit the blinds. Silently praying he wouldn't have to draw his sword on a fleeing junior.

Cecily ~,{@

“Mhm…” Cecily moaned as she woke up to a great darkness. She glanced at the endless curtain of black that covered every corner of her sight. “Where is this place?” the warrior asked herself. “I was fighting a while ago and then… fainted… I fainted?”

Cecily turned around and strangely she found herself in an eerie field of dandelions. It was an opening in a forest somewhere she had never seen before. The blond paused to take in the moment calmly and cautiously. It seemed she was no longer in Fiduc. Nothing was as it seemed.

*humming*

Cecily was attuned to the ghostly hymn. She had heard it more than once before. “That tune… I’ve heard it—“

Suddenly the dandelions scattered into the air blinding the silver-eyed witch. Endless torrents of ivory extended beyond her vision. The gloomy sky, that which resembled a sky after rain, began to white out with strange pallid petals.

“Ugh!!” Cecily looked to her chest, an obsidian sword piercing her heart. Her face turned from felinely curious to an agonizing state as if tasting something grossly bitter. Black ichor poured from her grievous wound, the same could be said of her maw. She tried to find the hand that had murdered her but to no avail. “This can’t possibly be—“ Abruptly, she was tugged at… her left arm.

Cecily opened her weary eyes and found that she was still in the castle. Kaiserin was holding her broken arm, doing something miraculous to her battered limb. “It was a dream…” Cecily solemnly said to her self then coughed out all the revolting black ooze she had drank. "How long have I been out? I did pretty bad didn't I?" the warrior with braids humbly asked her companion.

~
OOC: @Elcura Sorry about the late post. I was confined to bed rest... luckily Cecily passed out. It was a really bad coincidence. Let's go meet the big bad boss now. ^^

OOC: It's fine, good to see you better. And what a weird coincidence lol
IC:
Kaiserin
Cecily suddenly coughed and spat out whatever it was she had taken in. For the best, since drinking this stuff would probably do more harm than getting stabbed in the stomach. Kaiserin tried to put out of her mind what she had tried to do to Cecily, instead making it up to her by helping her along. Cecily's eyes opened slowly.

"How long have I been out? I did pretty bad didn't I?" She said softly.

"No way! You were amazing! I would have died without your help. It's my fault you got hurt...I'm so sorry." Kaiserin replied, lowering her head in shame as she spoke. If she wasn't a coward and perhaps more calm headed Cecily would have come out of the fight a lot better. However, it wasn't like her to feel down and depressed for long, after all they were both alive (for now) and their injuries treatable.

"You should feel more energetic soon, I'm reversing the flow of energy, so you should feel good enough to regenerate your arm without fear of going over your limit. That much should be easy, you are a defensive type...right?" Kaiserin said. Still holding onto Cecily's arm she concentrated giving more and more energy to her partner. As this happened she started to feel the weight of the fight she just had. Her body no longer limber and light, instead her shoulders sank and her head became heavy.

"Give it time. We'll get moving as soon as you have enough energy to make your arm all better." Kaiserin said with a smile as she gently released Cecily from her grasp. She stood up and walked over to the cell doors that were blocking them in. Considerately moving the people who blocked the door then drawing her Claymore, pointing it at the lock. She thrusted as hard as she could putting all her weight behind the stab. Smashing through the door in her usual style (not ending up on her feet) Kaiserin got up and turned to Cecily...

Beaumont
Fuck! One of the other amateurs had gotten in the way, these newbies were good. Ignoring the one in front of him in order to go for something so appealing would be a bad idea. Since exposing your back to an opponent, no matter how much stronger you are compared to them was always a fatal mistake.

He looked over Farleen's shoulder, seeing his original targets run off into the distance. "Hahaha, it's so much more fun when they run! Like a game of cat and mouse. I can't play fully with you just yet though, but I can give you a taster of what's to come. Staring at you...it's like looking into a mirror. You're a mere shade of what I once was..." Beaumont said. The young didn't have great amounts of courage or morale, so words could easily turn the tide of battle. This wasn't his intention though, Beaumont wanted to add a little drama and fun into the mix since such interactions were rare.

Beaumonts hair swept with the gust that Farleen produced from releasing so much of her power. He was not aware that females didn't feel the same as males when they used their yoki, he had taken this as an invitation that Farleen was also having fun. He placed the tip of his sword on the ground, lowering his body to reach it. He moved forward slightly so his arms and swords were behind him.

"PREPARE YOURSELF!" He shouted excitedly as he dashed towards Farleen. He kept his body low and swords in constant contact with the ground. His footsteps were masked at the noise the swords created scraping along the ground. Sparks flew through the air in a mad dance around him, every second he did this more and more sparks came. They lit the area with an eerie glow.

Coming closer and closer to Farleen he prepared himself for the manoeuvre he was about to execute. Leaping forward, in range he span his body around like a cyclone, raising his swords violently sending sparks in every direction. Using this as a cover, he charged Farleen with his swords, attempting to strike her...

Cecily ~’{@

"...you are a defensive type...right?" Kaiserin asked earnestly. “All I know is I heal up easier than others,” Cecily honestly answered seemingly ignorant of what type she was. Slowly but surely, Cecily’s busted arm regenerated. Her hoary eyes became as the sun. She gave her other wounds convalescent attention. After a few moments, Kaiserin finally let go of the braids’ no longer mangled arm. Seconds after, Cecily’s eyes returned to their normal silvery color. She decided not to completely restore her arm. Her shoulder was realigned but her muscles were still bruised on the inside. “I should let this go naturally…” Cecily said quietly.

Both warriors got up from their resting point. Kaiserin headed for the rust-covered cell doors. Cecily looked on, grabbing her fouled claymore. “I should collect the dirks,” she thought. She approached the collapsed corpse of their enemy. The daggers were sticking out of its hide like miniature tombstones. The braided blond pulled out the dirks from the submerged carcass. As she pulled out the last blade she perceived sound of steel breaking. Cecily rushed back to the cell doors and found her companion mopping the floor.

“Eh?” Cecily aimlessly pondered. She just watched dumbfounded as Kaiserin got up and looked right back at her. “We should head out,” Cecily calmly stated to kill the awkward moment. She carried her soot-covered sword in her right hand, hid her knives somewhere behind her then continued beyond the cell doors not knowing what lay beyond them.

After a few steps beyond the cell doors, Cecily felt the castle shudder. Dust hailed from the ceiling with every menacing tremor. “What’s going on?” the braided one asked. Suddenly, Cecily felt a familiar aura but the aura was surprisingly larger. She tried to decipher it, reading every loop and spike. “I recognize this yoki…” she said in bewilderment. Her eyes widened, her pupils constricted in fear. “We have to hurry!” Cecily shouted to her partner as she dashed into the unknown relying only on the yoma energy that presented itself to navigate.


~
OOC: Space-time skipping to where ever the large yoki is... we all know where that is.

Lindy

"I have to get Sisteena away from Beaumont. The further the better. Sisteena is helpless in this unconscious state." That was the thought Lindy had when she first lifted Sisteena onto her back and ran. However, Lindy soon realised that Farleen was ever ready to have a full blown fight with Beaumont judging from the Yoki powers that both parties were emitting. Lindy was uncomfortable with leaving Farleen with Beaumont but she had to push forward. She had to find them an exit, escape from Beaumont and from the dungeon's labyrinth.

"Farleen, I will figure a way out of this dungeon's labyrinth. Come after us!"

Lindy was hoping that Farleen would not engage Beaumont for too long as what were her chances of winning against a blood thirsty male warrior? She was hoping that Farleen would come running after them soon. Beaumont could follow but it would not matter much as long as they were ahead of Beaumont. It would be good just to have Farleen escaping along with Lindy and Sisteena.

Lindy had just started running when she sensed some weird Yoki emission somewhere from the walls nearby. "The monster that Sisteena mentioned?" Lindy did not have the time to think much. Hence, she ran with Sisteena on her back. Putting some distance between herself and the blood thirsty Beaumont.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OOC: xxsaznpride, come lets run together. Let Beaumont chase us while we run. Or do you want me to put Sisteena somewhere while I come back to aid you?

"WATCH YOURSELF, BITCH!!" Beaumont roared, sparks showering the dungeons as he span toward Farleen. The blonde kept her composure, pumped up with yoki but still doing nothing more than watching his opening technique. It was, for her, pathetic, hardly even aesthetically pleasing. Time seemed to slow down for Farleen as she pondered on the many flaws of his technique: it was fast, yes, and potentially dangerous with the strength that a mid-upper warrior possessed, but the sparks and grinding did nothing more than detract from the move's potential. The noise was nothing but annoying, and if nothing else, the sword-on-stone contact only helped his opponent to see him better...

And see him better she did. With an enormous war cry, Farleen pushed massive amounts of yoki into her arms. Beaumont brought his blades down from above with earth-shattering force, ready to cleave Farleen into the depths of oblivion. "I won't die... I won't..." Gasping, she pulled her claymore up, hoping, without a doubt to herself, that his blades would clash instead of cut. "And especially not to this dipshit!"


~~
OOCHope that's better...

Arc

After getting some rest Arc wakes again. Picks up the massive meat cleaver with some difficullty and puts it on his back using the strap on his claymore sheath to hold it in place. Then searchs for a way down into the dungeon. Arc eventually find another staircase leading to the dungeon level of the castle. This is because the giant he faced earilier recked the staircase down to the dungeon Arc found earlier when it fell to its death. Arc begin his decesent down into the darker depths of the castle. Using his yoki sense he found out there was fighting going on involving two half-breeds though he wasn't sure weather they were fighting beast or each other, there were two running away from that fight, there were also half-breed approaching one or the other of those yoki groups. There were also some fluxuating yoki which could be who knows what from Arc's prepective. There was one extra yoki for sure though. Arc thought, "Oh! It looks some like another half-breed was sent here on this mission as well or were they there all the time? Hmm..."

Arc then pounder the situation based on the new information as he took his first steps into the labyrinth, "Was the person sent as back up after clearing whatever mission they were previously on or is it a survivor from #18 group? Why not just send the higher ranks in the first place for this mission? What is the purpose of this mission? Who created these beast and why? What should I do next? There are too many unknowns about this mission and I need more information." These question had bearing on Arc situation however the anwsers were not readily advalible to him so, he just pounder them in hopes at least what he should do next should be figured out.

"Well, considering the situation what's the best course. Running not avaliable since the organzation hunt those who run away from missions. Hiding within mission boundry not viable either since the unknown can come to me well I am unprepared since they can sense yoki while not admitting any. That leaves trek foward and find other half-breeds. I guess I will go down into the dungeon and join the other half-breeds since that option gives highest chance of survial." Arc thought as he moving deeper into the dungeon. Walking though this labyrinth in the direction of the yoki of half-breeds which seem to be trying to escape the fight going on deeper in the maze since that group is the closest one. Arc thought as he walked catiously towards this group, "Let's meet up with the retreating group of half breeds. That contains the extra yoki. Why enter a dangerous unknown situation if you don't have too? At least this way I could get some information on the situation ahead and meet up with other allies too. Since the yoki is either someone who knows more about the situation or someone sent in to assist. Two birds with one stone."

OCC: I post quite a bit of thought though they are just thoughts on the situation and avoid mention weather Deimos was there or not since I didn't get a post from him telling me what his action was well I was away so, I decided to do a post where either case could have occurred. Thought the only difference if Deimos is there is Arc turns some of the thoughts into explainations. I bold the text of thoughts that can turn into speech. And some of the I's turns to we's.

Kaiserin
Letting Cecily take over and lead was a good idea. Kaiserin didn't feel like making any more moves that could end up getting someone killed. Cecily had only taken a few steps the area started vibrating, dust and a few small rocks fell from the ceiling, Kaiserin looked at Cecily and opening her mouth attempting to talk.

“What’s going on? I recognize this yoki. We have to hurry!" Cecily cut in before Kaiserin had time to say anything. And even still before she had another chance Cecily dashed off into the darkness. Deciding it was better to run into danger than let danger run into you, Kaiserin followed behind Cecily heavy footed, each step with her greaves clanged loudly on the hard stone floor.

"Do you know where you're going?" Kaiserin questioned, finally getting a chance to speak. "Even though I feel the huge yoki do you really think it's a good idea to run to it?!" It was obvious the coward was starting to emerge again. Do all warriors like running head first into danger?

The oubliette the duo ran through was covered with blood, trails and smeers covered the wall, maggot infested carcusses rotted on the sides, stray lamps were coated in muck and grim. It was obvious no one had been here in a long time. Odd cells dotted the path that they ran down, inside you could see claw marks and blood, with signs that a constant struggle for freedom took place here. The setting reminded her of the organisation barracks, where similar things happened.

A weird blue light shone in the corner of Kaiserin's eye. "Hold on!" She shouted, wondering if Cecily heard her, but not taking the time to check. She walked down the path carefully, avoiding whatever bodies littered the area. Her sword drawn Kaiserin walked into the room that the light eminated from. It looked like the laboratory they were supposed to find, weird vials and tubes stood on mahogany desks (not that she knew what mahogany was), a pair of shackles were at the further end of the lab. With a weird liquid, unlike human or yoma blood. It resonated with whatever foreign substances were prevailent throughout the area, giving it a colourful blue hue. Over on the side was a bookshelf, with hardly any books to decorate it. But one thing did catch her eye. A lone book on another desk, placed next to various strange apparatus.

"What's this...?" She thought, picking up the book slowly. She flipped through the pages, it looked like a log or journal. She tried to read but, but unfortunately learning to read was not high on her priority list of things she ever needed to do, a few basic words recognized but on the whole it was gibberish. She decided to keep it with her in hopes that someone else could understand it. There wasn't anything else that caught her eye, looking around some of the tables were flipped over and broken, along with some of the equipment. It looked like something had gotten out of hand and broken out, which would (although not completely) explain the mass of death.

~
OOC: If Cecily wants to come to the lab then that's fine, if she wanted to run off to the target she was tracking (I'm not completely sure what that is, maybe I'm forgetting something lol) then the cut off point where they can (or did) seperate was the "Hold up".

.:Sisteena:.

How long has it been since she passed out and carried on Lindy's back? Until a moment ago when in the darkness of her mind two pair of blood red eyes flashed before her, she assumed she's been unconcious only to wake up in a sudden jolt of fear. The air surrounding them had been unnaturally cold even for an interior of the fallen ruins... somehow just like that time when #18 opened the thick slab of doors from the hinges only to be skewered by a hand erupting from the darkness. It was here, the yoki as always was not something one should have tried to focus on as it moved leaving a trace of particles that let one to believe it was elsewhere and disappeared into thin air like a form of gas containing a solid yoki here and there. It was like that when her superiors tried so hard to focus on its yoki, when they noticed the yoki moving far away from them they were taken back by the black figure that ripped through them like straws. It neither released a yoki and if it did, it released it momentarily floating away from it making it a very difficult presence to sense. It was scary to think she was so shaken with fear in comparison to her last encounter with Nyskrte who should have made her tremble in fear like she is doing now. Somehow neither Yoma nor Awakened Being it was, but its mysterious air about the being and the horrid memmories of its carnage in the blink of an eye was enough to instill such horrors. For better or worse, her legs had been healing unconciously to the point she could probably perform only about 70% of her top performance. The arms needed further patching up but it was alright, afterall the right arm's transformation usually provided enough shield and raw power to her arm to feel the pain on her arm feel almost negligible. For the first time since she had reunited with a living comrade she spoke dryly from her much moistless lips.

"Lindy, we're all doomed lest we attempt escape. Put me down and we can try to run through the rest of the journey. It's managed to track us down... I can somehow feel we're going to be caught up with it soon... Unless we do something.."

Her sentence trailed off as she spotted a group of rats feeding on the human carcass that probably belonged to one of the residents in the castle before it's damnation renovated it's walls. The sheer size of them were almost the size of her own arm or slightly fatter thanks to the amount of food they had been savagely feasting on since not too long ago when castle retainers and its servants seemed to have been massacred. She suddenly gave Lindy an odd request...

"Lindy, help me catch those rats quick!" Sisteena then proceeded in taking off the pauldrons and the tasset she had been wearing all this time.

.:Creature aka Ciccero after much discussion with Elcura and Tet which spanned 5minutes which according to Elcura is a discussion by elcura and miria, decission by tet lol?
:.

It observed every little actions as it passed by the fools who thought they can sense him as he observed them all within close distance within striking range sometimes. Time like just now as he witnessed Beaumont and Farleen's internal conflict amongst themselves brandishing their weapon on each other or from earlier when he noticed Kaiserin and Cecily from the opposite end from where the speed beasts had been entering the sewers without being noticed by Cecily during the time as it stood still right there avoiding detection as the two had been engaging in serious battle ahead of them. He only disappeared after giving them a stare with those heartless cold red eyes before his form vanished into the shadows. There was another strong one within the premise that had powers beyond his own, one of the annoyance they sent along with the rookies. But this one, he dared not approach with or without caution. Sheer power difference was tremendous and the only thing he had in survival against a monster like him was his stealth.

He clawed the stone ceilings as he watched two claymores fighting against one another. It was an interesting specticle to watch his preys kill and tear each other apart. Running his fingers and flexing them he counted the number of times steel clashed against each other in their duel. For a brief moment he had forgotten Sisteena and the other claymore she was accompanied with as he decided which one he'll kill to make a dramatic entrance for the two fighting below him. Or whether he should leave them and kill the one who emerges out as the victor? Eitherway Sisteena and the other claymore couldnt run far, not with the injury she sustained earlier. Residue of his presence lingered all over the castle walls, the sewage system and the laboratory, each places emitting yoki to suggest he had been there or was right there further confusing his enemies as he picked them off one by one. Least that was the plan as he had purposely released his yoki from time to time at different locales to release the essence or in his creator's own words gas of Yoki to shake off his pursuers, creating huge confusion amongst the ranks.

For now it just hanged off from the high ceilings, grabbing a chunk of stone crushed and mangled under the pressure of his tight hold and his pair of feet with altered skin that attached themselves to the smooth bricks. He loosened up, to watch the battle take place below him while his pursuers busied themselves in the lower sewage systems to their content, possibly meeting up with their rookies later on. What mattered now was his own enjoyment of the bloody spectacle to take place here and now.

Lindy

"Farleen, not following yet? Grrr....where is the exit?"

Lindy was glad that Sisteena had regained consciousness and had enough strength to move on her own. She did mention a monster of some sort but it wasn't really clear. What was clear to Lindy was that the monster was so powerful to the extent where escaping was a better option and the further away they were from the monster, the better. The smell of death and decay was everywhere as dead carcass rotted and there were rats feeding on them. Seeing that Sisteena was slowly recovering and able to move on her own, Lindy was about to back-track and to aid Farleen when she heard Sisteena's request:

"Lindy, help me catch those rats quick!"

"Oh...what an odd request." The rats were bigger than an average rat but were definitely much smaller as compared to those monstrous rats that Lindy and team had encountered earlier. Nevertheless Lindy went ahead and utilised her Yoki powers to speed up her actions as the weird looking rats were faster than average too.

It did not take long before Lindy caught 7 rats. The rats were violently struggling as Lindy held on to their tails and they were hanging upside down.

"Are these enough or do I have to get more Sisteena?", Lindy wondered.