The far fall
By socialPariah
Who was this troll before you?
WHAT was he?
This being, whom you did not know. Those cold eyes, that snarl, with the cracks of lighting illuminating his scarred features for the briefest of moments. Before the storm's dim glow obscured this wind toughened form again, he looked like an imperial culling drone...
This...violet blood, if he could even be called that now growled lowly at the psychic cowering away from him as rain pattered down onto the well polished deck of The Deviancy. In weather like this, one could barely smell the rotting corpses strung up upon all three masks. It was a beauty of a ship that was for sure. Not that the Gemini knew much of anything about sailing.
….He was afraid of the water, and this was why. Monsters...no...Sea serpents. Like this troll lurked in the murky darkness, waiting to grab some unsuspecting troll and drown them. So the corpses could feed all the carnivorous plant life down there, everything was toxic and trying to kill you on land. But it was even worse down in the dark where you couldn't See what was eating away at your flesh.
Whether it be bacteria or some...horrible wide mouthed fish, with serrated teeth and powerful jaws. But that it isn't the point of this psychic's apprehension. It was that stare filled with hatred and pain, though Gestimas did not understand. Why was he looking at him like this?
There was no more time to think about it, for his perception suddenly shattered into a thousand silvery pieces. Allowing the psychic to jerk back into the waking world...Everything was fine, he was still laying next to his best moirail in the whole world. Karmine Vantas, who was a mutant blood but they had been traveling for awhile so he was...Okay with that.
But...He worried about Karmine all the time, considering being the only candy red blooded troll meant he had to hide his blood color constantly. But the poorest thing was the fact that Karmine seemed to be dead set on revealing himself to any one who would listen to him...Well that and...The Preacher had apparently hooked up with an indigo blood and he seemed dead set on staying around that beastly troll even though it seemed like every second that...Malasana seemed like he was going to eat the poor Cancer.
But soon he roused his friend and they left the inn, but the night sky was dark and a rather gloomy shade of gray...And Karmine had insisted they take a walk on the beach, so they took their walk across the ruddy sand with a forest looming in the distance. No sooner had the yellow blooded Captor set foot back upon the green turf when a booming blast of blue shot between them, followed by a bellowing howl of a subjuggulator.
When the dust cleared, Karmine was clinging to his friend's arm. Bright red eyes widened in panic.
The clouds parted, a full moon hung over head with its bright white purity. Marred only by a dark shadow looming over the suddenly bleached sand. Long spiraling horns erupted from the beast's skull as it settled back onto all four limbs, having stood up to howl like that...Twas a terrible hollow sound. But some other being stood near by, what looked like the silhouette of a harpoon rifle held by a caped figure standing by the massive indigo blood.
Seeing this the Gemini took no time in utterly flipping his shit and shoving Karmine in the opposite direction, immediately fleeing from their hunters. Dashing into the foliage for hope of safety from the heavily armed trolls running them down. But it took Gestimas about two seconds to see why they had been shot at, the beam had hit its mark and suddenly they had to jump over a fallen Iron wood tree. But the preacher never made it, mid-jump his cloak got caught on one of the thorn like branches. Which sent him crashing back to the ground and The psychic was already climbing back over to help him, when said mutant shook his head sadly and told him to go on ahead. He would catch up, already he was trying to free his cloak. The last remainder he had of his mother, he would not abandon it.
Though as the gold blood choked back a sob, he sprang back over the tree and kept running praying that Karmine would get free. He looked back just long enough to see a caped figure leaping with unnatural grace over the iron wood without even nudging it with the fluttering fabric, before seeing it land perfectly on its feet knocking up a shock wave of dirt. Before two dark violet eyes zeroed in on him.
Gestimas surmised that hope was lost for Karmine but if he eluded the hunter he MIGHT be able to save his best friend, but damn...He was either horribly out of shape or high bloods were unmessiahly fast. Either way the psychic did not stand around to gawk at the violet blood for long because he went sprinting into the dark with the high blood close on his heels. He could hear the heavy thump of those imperial grade boots slamming down with bone shattering force as he was chased. Wondering where the subjuggulator went he was not quite watching where he was going and...
he was trapped.
A high wall of granite loomed over head, and he heard the quiet snap of a twig behind him, feeling his adrenaline level sky rocket when he saw the shady figure step closer. But two sides were blocked by stone, one by the violet blood and in a last ditch attempt he look to the right...And there was the Indigo blood...Karmine no where to be seen.
"Easy noww doll." The sea dweller drawled putting his hands up as if to say he wasn't going to hurt the psychic. "Wwe aren't here to krill ya."
"Not at all." The Subjuggulator growled in its gravely tone. "Its just a bit of business to take care of, you had best come along knifely or I'll FLAY YOUR MESSIAHDAMN FLESH FROM YOUR BONES."
Gestimas flinched when it screeched at him, taking a threatening step forward...Or rather a crawl given it had heavy plate armor all over its body, so it looked kind of like a hoof beast just with metal encased horns. That glinted gold in the night's moon, his friend took a step forward a reassuring click.
"Clam noww Malice, wwe'd hate to scare this one as much as ya did that poor preacher." The gold blood had no more time to think, it seemed in the briefest of seconds. Before he could even draw another breath the ocean born had bounded across the distance and pinned him against the wall with those ringed claws. "Though perhaps a wwee bit'a fear wwill do 'im good."
Naturally being a resistant bugger the psychic attempted to use his psionic abilities upon the sea walker who held him fast against this rock, but to no avail they seemed to spark and shudder around him though it yielded no results. Which was highly unusual considering his psionic powers typically could stop an avalanche of rocks. So an ocean born shouldn't be much of a problem. But he was lead away just the same without much of a struggle considering he believed Karmine to be dead and apparently his psychic abilities do not do anything.
A few hours later found them completely separated , the subjuggulator had vanished off to the western country. But Gestimas did not know this for he ended up on a ship dubbed "The Deviancy" by its owner. It was quite the vessel, being made of black iron wood from the Alternian Forests. With three masts which pierced the skies like an glorious Empirical achievement . Though the figure head was quite a sight being in the likeness of a Seahorse, with two long golden prongs extending out over the water which had chains extending a good few feet on wrought iron cable. But at the ends of them were two spherical orbs alight with the queerest of fires he had ever seen. Its glow was a dandy shade of blue. Perhaps its cause was some sort of specialty fuel?
Unfortunately he dared look up the masts to see the mangled corpses of trolls who had been slain by The Vehement and Most Honorable Orphaner of Arkilay. Who then hung their sorry hides from coarse ropes by their neck or what ever limb was still in tact after the battle. Which generally was a leg or an arm dislocated by his brother-at-arms The General of Axogoria. Now that the psychic thought about it, he had recognized the painted fiend...Malasana Aberdire Makara. One of the most influential and backwards psychopaths on Alternia...
Though in truth the gold blood hadn't much time to worry over his betrayal of Karmine considering he found himself tossed roughly upon the smooth hewed boards of the sea walker's respite block. His arms had been tied behind him with a painfully tight knot. But the circulation problems were forgotten when Gestimas was jerked back up to his feet, and had to bite his tongue to keep from gasping at the sheer magnificence of this room. Being stacked floor to ceiling with gold and other precious items that The Orphaner of Arkilay had decided not to stow below, a desk was present in the middle. A plush fabric square in the corner, shoved up near the purple tinted bay windows. Then lastly, a wall was cleared to show a few book cases shoved against them. Though another standing container may have been where his clothing is kept...Obviously this troll lived entirely alone.
"Wwhale I didn't tank I'd havve a vvisitor this soon, so I'd lovve it if you could excuse the mess heh." The only reply the violet blood got was a surly growl from the psychic, but it was waved off when the Privateer cut the gold blood loose from his bonds then lazily wrapped an arm around him.
"Noww noww wwhy're you upset? I just freed ya didn't I?" Due to the other's strength unfortunately all Gestimas could do is stand there and try to shrug him off but it did not exactly work.
"C'mon this is silly doll, just clam dowwn. Your resistance is completely pointless, you cannae get awway from me. 'M a wwee bit tougher than your avverage high blood."
"I am thure you are, now would you tho kindly let go of me? I need to leave tho I can go thee if I can find where ever you dumped my friend'th body."
The violet blood just kind of tilted his head to the side, listening to his lisp, and trying to keep from grinning at the sound of it. "Wwe didn't do a thin' to yer 'lil friend trust me. But that is the least of ya troubles considerin' you are wwith me rather than Malice."
"All I thee ith a gilded fith what ith there two bee afraid of?" Gestimas summoned the best glare he could at the barracuda. "Beethideth what kind of accent ith that, ith really thilly."
"Tis simply tha speak 'o wwe ocean born from the abyss, but I can say the "thame" aboat your lisp sweetness." He chided back with a gentle nudged. "But it ain't fish lovve, 'm Icantheon Vverohkis Ampora. An' yourself?"
"Why thould I tell you?" The psychic spat back.
"Because yer gonna be hangin' 'round me for a good bit so tis either ya name or 'm callin' you Pissblood so its your call."
"Alright." The Gold blood sighed "I am Gethimath Captwor." But then damned himself for trying to say his own name since that damn sea dweller had a grin which looked like a shark had just eaten up a school of wrigglers playing a little too far in the water.
"Wwhat a lovvely name, 'm quite pleased to meet you." The violet blood bowed to the psychic before releasing him. "So make yaself at home, wwe're headin' towwards Anorik. I got'a bit o business to deal wwith up there."
Anorik was dangerously close to the subjuggulator territory in the Western lands. Pretty much a little town devoted to trade, but Gestimas wasn't complaining he rather liked the idea of travel and he felt better that Karmine was probably okay...But still if what the preacher had said was true, he should be pretty safe with a beastly troll like that...IF Malasana kept his word. So now all he had to fret over was The Orphaner sitting at his desk, fiddling with papers.