The First Age

((OoC: I am paying attention - but will let Soren post so he can kill if he so wishes ))

[["If he so wishes"? It's almost like you're suggesting he would just let you guys get on with it. Oh wait. XD]]

Jared reacted first, while Jay resorted to more mundane efforts to defend himself. The creatures were small and vicious, but mere annoyances -- and ones Soren was more than content to let the others deal with. They were the soldiers, after all. Blunt blocks of air battered back any jaws that snapped his own way.

Then a larger figure stumbled into the light; an echo of a man in ragtag clothes with flesh oozing from his bones. An outstretched arm and the resultant wave of creatures suggested an interesting measure of control, yet he had not spoken. He was still contemplating the ramifications when the cavern shook suddenly, like something had exploded a little way deeper in, but not so very far away.

((OoC: I didn't want to assume what your character would do ))

Jay helped, but their companion didn't really assist. He went on a more defensive drive rather than offering an offense. Well that left more for Jared. Already embracing the power, Jared continued to give it form.

More the creatures came and one that looked like it used to be human came as well. It's flesh almost seems to be coming off. It pointed towards them, and it seemed as if the creatures were obeying it.

Jared weaved air and fire together creating lightning and sent it at the zombie-esque creature as he lit more of the rat dog creatures on fire. As he continued, he popped off more rounds with his pistol, killing more of the beasts.

His hearing enhanced, he thought he heard an explosion come from the back of the cavern. The echoes made it difficult for him to tell how far away it was, but Jared was sure it was close enough. They needed to be ready to change their tactics

While Jared started torching the bitey little buggars, Jay made sure they kept off their wizard's feet. Soren slid by, almost unconcerned. Good for him. Glad he wasn't concerned about the batshit crazy weird problem they found themselves in. These little bastards were like roaches. Roaches with fangs. It seemed like there were a million of them. Every time Jared and Jay knocked them back, a dozen more sprung up in their place.

The floor shook under his feet, and Jay threw out a hand to steady himself against the wall. The rumble didn't phase the bitey beasts, but it shook one off the tunnel ceiling. The weight of it crashed into his shoulder. He ripped it away, a big pinch cringing his face. The former star quarterback chucked that blood-faced little son of a bitch and spun a wave of fire into its heart, exploding it from inside. An arc of pink goo trailed in its place, splattering in the distance.

As Jay put a hand to his shoulder, his line of sight slid to the thing that occupied Soren's attention. The figure was a man, but like a dripping wax-candle, not a human. "Now that's disgusting."
As he took aim, Jared beat him to the punch, and a flash of white light streaked through the air, crashing into its chest. Immediately aflame, it shrieked and ran toward them. While Jay's eyes adjusted to the flashbomb of light, he squinted, took aim, and fired a single shot into its head. At least the shrieking ended.

Recovering from the near-blindedness, and now near-deafness from so many rounds being fired all at once, Jay signaled to Jared to back off on the gunfire for now. If they were encountering all this, he couldn't imagine how Natalie survived.

Natalie slowed her way when the shadows deepened. Her heart hammered; instinct warned her away, but there was nowhere else to go. Then the walls shook and a shower of dust prickled her skin. She steadied herself on the wall. The power eclipsed like someone snipped the last lifeline left to her, enclosing her senses in a tighter snare. Her attempted diversion seemed only to have made him angry.

Gunfire hammered ahead. Someone screamed piteously, and she could feel the anxiety begin to claw its way out of somewhere deep. Netlands had been chaotic, a frenzy of fire and explosions and men shrieking. This was somehow worse. The loneliness of it. The darkness that swallowed the horror. She couldn't see what was coming.

Friend or foe? And were they headed towards her or away?

She wished she could do something about the blood; the creature she'd seen had been frenzied by it even through the glass. Running her fingers over her wounds, she was sure they had stopped bleeding, but there was so much of it even she could smell that metallic tang; she might as well have a damn buffet sign lit in neon above her head.

She couldn't hear Pavlov behind either, but he must still be here. Which meant she was quite thoroughly trapped.

Jared followed Jay's example, holding onto the power and keeping aim just in case he needed to utilize the gun as well. Things were quieting down in the tunnel as far as he could see and hear. Jared assessed their situation.

These creatures didn't resemble anything in mythology that Jared could recognize - except maybe the humanoid one which seemed to be a zombie or Frankenstein's monster. It still didn't change their purpose though. Natalie could still be down there and she could still be alive. She could also be dead or dying, but Jared wouldn't believe that until he saw a corpse. Natalie had more to her than met the eye.

"We move forward,"
he said. "Stay alert."


Jared put his words to practice as he began to move cautiously forward.


Edited by Jared Vanders, Nov 21 2017, 09:58 AM.

Warmth flooded his veins. Jay couldn't stand still any longer. Jared urged caution, but he wielded the power like a weapon. It set his own veins aflame. The tunnel ahead wasn't so dark anymore. Soren's orbs remained, but they glowed like suns to his eyes.

This was the power, he realized. It held, this time. Without realizing it, he holstered the handgun. It was a sweet victory, and he grit his teeth and dug a little deeper. The pain of it flared his skin hot, but he smiled through the agony.

Elation mixed with ache, power with exposure. He took off at a run. He didn't need Soren's orbs to see anymore. Pulled forward, the smell of burnt hair faded and darkness closed in, but not to complete oblivion.

"Natalie!"
he yelled ahead of him. It was probably a stupid thing to do. Anything in front of them were aware they were coming, but if gunfire and flashes of light didn't give away their presence, his voice wasn't going to do it either.

As he ran, Jared's power faded as the distance grew between them. But someone ahead of them replaced it. He forced himself to dig deeper himself. His skin stretched like under the pain of a bad sunburn. Yet he forced more. Just another inch.

A pillar of shadow waited ahead. A figure. A person. He readied the same wave to spin into its heart as he had that rat, but when he realized the figure was small, holding its own arms, his heart stopped and the weave failed.

He slid to her side, disbelief splitting his face. "It's me. It's me."
He told her in case the darkness blinded her. Even with power coursing his senses he could barely make out her face.

He laughed, despite the weirdness of the situation, and wrapped her in a hug. "Jared's here too. And some guy named Jordan or something like that."
In fact, they'd probably be running up any moment now.

He wished he knew how to spin those orbs of light for himself. "So where's the guy I'm going to go kill next?"
He said it with the breath of a joke, but he wasn't kidding.



<small>
((ooc: Jay is holding the OP, but as soon as he gets confronted by someone, he'll drop it. He's not that good. But he did slightly increase his strength in this post. He also ran off at full speed from Jared and Soren, so depending on how fast they follow, they'll catch up either before or after Alistair arrives. Unless something intercepts them.))

</small>


Edited by Jay Carpenter, Nov 21 2017, 11:45 AM.

Soren's ear's rang in the aftermath, pinching his expression with a frown. The boy ran off, yelling Natalie's name. But at least he'd finally grasped at the power. Soren had no objection to his leaving, nor much inclination to immediately follow. He shrugged at the man's companion, then returned his attention to the littered bodies. "The corpse they were eating, do you see the ragged white cloth? Rather like a laboratory coat. Someone has been experimenting down here, it would seem. But to what end?"
Half spoken to himself, half to Jared, who at least seemed sensible enough not to go running full pelt into the pitch darkness.

It irked him. That stupidity. Flashed irritating memories of Declan and how careless he had been. The guilt twisted in an ugly manner, perhaps the only reason Soren straightened from the more interesting task. "Do legionnaires usually disregard protocol to go dashing headlong into danger? Your companion is foolish."
He assumed Jared would feel compelled to follow regardless, out of loyalty if nothing else. And though Soren would rather examine the strangeness they had found here, to better understand what they faced, he gestured Jared lead the way anyway. He would follow. At a sensible pace.

Natalie took a moment to steel herself. The only weapon she had was an untamed power and the instinct to wield it; a damn sight better than nothing. But blocking the tunnel had exhausted her, and the sweetness of it now burned with as much pain as it did joy. The warning shocked through her, and she dropped it again, unable to keep hold any longer than seconds. It'd burn right through her, merciless, if she let it. The temptation was there. At least she'd die fighting. Instead she listened to her own shallow breathing, and waited. Biding her time.

Until her name rang in the darkness. She frowned, immediately tense. It wasn't recognition of her name so much as recognition of the voice. An impossible voice, and for a moment suspicion of some foul mimicry clouded any sense of relief. Her muscles corded like wire. The power hovered an inch from ravaging a path through her veins, consequences be damned -- despite hushed assurances of it's me it's me as someone moved closer in the dark. Arms surrounded her. A laugh that touched something deep in her chest.

Defensiveness died, but she still stood stiffly, not quite able to process it, nor much of what he said. Some small part of her refused the comfort, afraid of what it might erode. The barest movement could press her forehead against his chest, but she denied herself the temptation; she felt it far too keenly to trust. Instead her face tilted upwards, searching, though she couldn't see much of anything in the darkness, let alone the familiar lines of his face.

Still impossible, but for now she adapted rather than questioned. Something determined set her jaw, and she shifted to get free, cuts stinging but easily ignored. She didn't go far, only moved her back to him as though to shield him from whatever pursued her. One hand reached behind to grasp his softly at the wrist. She'd heard gunshots before, guessed Jay was armed. That likely left no threat behind now, just the doctor. She was fairly certain Pavlo wanted her alive, and not at all certain what he might do to Jay. But could a bullet work quicker than the other man's control of the rock? Too much risk.

"He'll bring the ceiling down on us. He nearly did once already,"
she whispered.

Jared sighed as Jay took off. The man knew better than that, but when you had feelings for another you behaved strangely. His experience with Emily proved that. If nothing else, it confirmed in Jared's mind that Jay was interested in Natalie - not that it was his business.

Jared nodded in agreement to Soren's assessment. Frankenstein's monster indeed, but their first concern was still Natalie. They could deal with the creatures and their purpose later.

Jared only responded with a sigh as Soren asked about Jay's behavior, showing his discontent. Jared followed a bit faster than he had before, more or less to get Jay's back should he get into trouble.

Jared finally saw them in the darkness. Natalie was there and Jay was with her. Without the power, he wouldn't have heard the whispered words about a man bringing the ceiling down on them. So that explained the explosion.

Jared worked his way to Natalie's side, remaining standing. "Where is he?"
Jared's eyes looked into the darkness of the tunnel.