IM SORRY FOR SKIPPING A WEEK I WAS PLAYING VIDEO GAMES :0
Armour: Brimflame
Weapon: Winter's Fury(Unusable), Stormfront Razor
Acc(10/11): Celestial cuffs, Mana Flower, Sorcerer Emblem, Celestial Emblem, Ankh Shield, Deific Amulet, FrostSpark Boots, Grand Gelatin, Amalgamated Brain, Evasion Scarf. (Unlimited Buffs)
Health: (500/500)
The Jungle was never really silent.
Even when the wind didn't blow and no creatures scuttled across the mud, the ferns and the moss rustled and shifted against themselves, bringing forth that low, earthen drone that floated incessantly through these deep tunnels. The rhythm of the forest was darker here... darker, slower and more dangerous. Little light streamed down from above, barely enough to light the way, but certainly not enough to support any of the glorious foliage they had enjoyed upon first setting foot in The Jungle. The jeweled flowers were replaced by lurid, fleshy mushrooms. The tender sprouts were now mats of lichen and slimy algae.
*Thud*
tch!
The depths of The Underground Jungle were miserable. It was hot here. Steam rose all around her, not hot enough to scald - but enough to make her dream of a cold shower. Every movement caused her clothes to chafe against her skin, her hair to stick against her neck, her sweat to trail down into her eyes... The Jungle was a beast, and they were in the bowels of it. She could hear the gurglings of it's heartbeat, and it was eating into her. It made her skin crawl.
(rumble-slurp)
Something was watching her. Something was watching them. Blind eyes of mud and vines and moss stared blankly at them from everywhere. They had trodden where they ought not, and she could feel it in her bones. All around, the glowing jungle spores pulsed at her as if in warning. On the ground, tremendous centipedes scuttled away, their legs undulating in a horrific fashion. From the treetops high above - so high, only tiny slivers of light pierced through the thick, moss covered canopy, the incessesant chattering of wildlife had fallen silent. They had scattered, perhaps knowing something she didn't.
(hisss)
Steam was rising lazily from the sucking mud, emitting gas in small bubbling pockets which simmered and burst in a distinctively unpleasant manner. The Bandit hated to ruin her shoes, but what choice did she have? The footprints of her collegues had churned the earth into a paste-like substance - which stuck like glue to her feet and made her footsteps heavy. The group had certainly passed this way - and should she wish to survive - she must find them, because these two children certainly weren't going to be of any use to her.
*crunch...crunch*
They walked in silence. The light was becoming dim, so dim she could hardly tell where she was going. Mosses and lichen seemed to cover nearly everything in this portion of the forest, an old algae green that stained everything it touched. Her shoes were green. So were her hands, even under her fingernails as she clambered over and under vines and fallen logs to catch up with the rest of the expedition group. She cursed herself for allowing herself to fall behind, then cursed these two idiot lovebirds for causing this entire mess to begin with. If only they hadn't lingered to stare at rocks and flowers! If only they had the sense to follow the rest of the group such that she didn't have to backtrack to find them! But at the very least they seemed to know they were in trouble and decided to keep their mouths shut. They had since fallen a bit behind again - but this time, The Bandit knew it was just to avoid her wrath.
Steampunker you should have more sense than this... when we get back to the resistance I'll be tanning your hide!
*crunch*
There. The expedition group of perhaps... fifteen people were all congregated in a large hollow. It was so dark, several of the members had taken out torches to provide light and smoke for the group as they siphoned off honey from what appeared to be a massive beehive. It was a tremendous thing, so large it looked unnatural. She could see the hive's waxy orange surface bulging from the walls of mud like some great alien creature. It was covered in perforations and just gazing at the structure induced a sickening response in her guts. Near its base, a group of men had cut an ugly gash in the wax. Honey spewed out in hunks and globules. The Bandit clenched her teeth and turned away, struggling to peer through the steam as she descended to speak to the expedition's commanding officer.
(mutter... cough... cough)
The smoke was thick here, made almost opaque by the the combination of spores, darkness and flying ash. The expedition members coughed and sputtered, their bandannas wrapped around their faces as they worked. Giant hornets the size of her thumb carpeted the ground, struggling lethargically on the jungle floor. No matter how carefully she clambered down the slippery mud banks, she could not avoid crushing them underfoot. A wad of something got into her shoes and began seeping between her toes. She curled her lip and tried to convince herself she wasn't bothered by it.
("Bandit? Good we thought we lost you... what about the girl and the tattooed man?")
The Tavernkeep caught sight of her from beside the hole in the hive and beckoned her over. He kept his voice low, opting to mutter his words in a hushed voice. His moustache was damp, his face covered in sweat and the lines around his nose indicated he was intensely worried about their current activities. In fact, it appeared a deep apprehension had infected the group as a whole. Everyone was antsy and jittery, eager to collect what was required and get out. Everyone was keenly aware they were in danger of rousing some deep green horror. Already, the creatures of this place were far more dangerous than the surface. Clinging man-eaters that plunged through the mud to snap at their heels. Vicious vampiric bats whose razor teeth had already bloodied the ears of many of their party. Hornets whose stings were intensely painful and whose venom was deadly. But even so, each had a primordial sense that The Jungle harbored far more than just this. There were hidden behemoths here, and they were just lying in wait.
We should leave soon...
The Bandit wiped her brow and blinked the smoke out of her watering eyes. She was shoved a few jars of honey (it seemed the men draining The Hive were distributing the containers to whoever had free hands) and quickly strapped them into her pack as she whispered a response.
"They're a bit behind, they took a wrong turn and got lost. I went to fetch them."
"As long as they're no deaths on my record I'm happy. We're nearly done here, after which we'll return to The Resistan- Hey! What are you doing?!"
The burly man abruptly interrupted himself and quickly shoved his way through the small crowd, towards the forefront of their operation. It was difficult to see, but it appeared somebody was crawling into the hole they had dug through the giant hive. It was a young scrap, a skinny wide eyed boy who - having been put at the front of the honey collection mission - took it upon himself to go above and beyond the call to action. He called out from inside the hive, his voice echoing oddly off the wax walls.
"Sir! There's another pocket of honey here! I feel something- let me just..."
"Boy! Don't go groping about in there without light!"
The Tavernkeep had abandoned his whispering to shout loudly over the group. There was fear in his eyes, and all who saw him were likewise struck with a paralyzing terror. What was happening?! Nobody was entirely sure, but whatever this boy was doing could be the death of them. The burly man leapt in a way unbecoming of his size and jammed his torso into the hole in the hive. He shouted again, and as he did, the rest of the party likewise took up his mantle.
"Boy! Stop! Don't touch anything!"
(You stupid kid! You'll kill us all!... Don't move! Get back out here!... Hey!)
The boy didn't seem to be listening. He was far too excited to back out now. Did he, perhaps, think everyone was worrying over his safety? Likely, for the voices seemed to egg him on, rather than deter him. He had mistaken bravery for stupidity, and all would pay for his actions. He called out cheerfully from within the hive, clearly relishing the attention. Relishing his moment to be 'A Hero'.
"I'll be fine! I have no problem risking myself for the Resistance! And I found something! Is this a Queen Bee Jelly?! I can't see well, but I-"
"BOY! If you break the larvae, we're all dead! Get out here!"
*Splat*
The sound rang out.
The sickly noise of something delicate being rent in two.
Then everything went silent.
The jungle went still, and its silence was loud in their ears.
A ripple passed through every person standing in that smoky hollow. A ripple of shared understanding. They had gone too far. They had awakened The Jungle. The vines were trembling. The steam was boiling. The creatures were stirring. Something was coming.
...
...
It started with a low humming.
A humming got louder and louder until it shook the cavern with a roar akin to a jet engine. The ceiling trembled with violent convulsions. Vines snapped and whipped about as if in the throes of travail. The muddy jungle floor came alive. Ferns shook and shuffled. Insects scuttled for cover. The fallen hornets began to struggle violently, skittering and buzzing as they rolled about on the ground. The noise of terrifying. They stared about, wide-eyed in anticipation.
It's coming...
Something tremendous could be heard burrowing down from above, ploughing through the foliage and muddy canopies with a reckless fury. A mindless rage. The Bandit's palms were covered in sweat as she - alongside the rest of her collogues - struggled to clamber back up the slippery hollow banks and away from the hive. But alas - the slopes were too steep, the mud too slick and the shaking too violent. Fallen logs were shaken free of their places and tumbled down upon them. The terrible sound of buzzing pierced their ears and caused their hearts to melt like wax. Shouting, sobbing, screaming and praying rang out from amidst the cacophony. Great sheets of mud fell from the walls and the ceiling as...
Oh shit!
As the ceiling was split in two. Massive insectoid claws pierced the heavy canopy and tore it aside like it was wet paper. Sunlight streamed in, blinding them and backlighting the silhouette of this horror they must now contend with. An enormous wasp the size of a schoolbus descended upon them, its gnashing mandibles and serrated limbs churning the earth. Its wings beating so powerfully, the ferns were laid flat to the mud. The Monstrosities' multi-faceted eyes were bright red and glazed in inhuman rage. It's scream was something entirely otherworldly. Insects were not meant to scream, but The Queen Bee shrieked as it glared down upon them.
*tzzzztttt!*
The air whipped at her face as The Bandit renewed her efforts to flee. At this point, all reason had fled from her. The only thing lodged in her mind was overwhelming terror and the sound of her breath ripping through her lungs. She, together with the rest of The Expedition Group, clawed up the sheer mud walls in an effort to escape this chamber of smoky death. They scrambled over each other like insects, crawling towards the small exit tunnel as quickly as they could. The Bandit gritted her teeth as somebody seized her belt and used her to climb up. She shouted wordlessly as someone else used her grip as a foothold, and caused her to fall twenty feet to the floor below. She bit her lip with the impact, and her head rang as blood trailed down her chin.
*Tzzzztttt!-splat*
The cacophany was so deafening, she couldn't see straight. The Roaring of The Queen bee was shot through with cries of distress and the sounds of slaughter. A bright red patch appeared in the corner of her vision as the 'Brave Boy' was extracted from The Hive and rammed against the wall with such violence, he was crushed into scarlet paste. A scream pierced her ears as somebody else was stabbed through the stomach and flung to the ground, the two halves of his body flipping and spinning until they went still in mangled heaps. The Bandit knew she was next; the place she lay was so close to The Queen bee she could nearly feel the heat of the massive insect's abdomen against her. Cornered and delirious, she could no nothing but lay still and pray for a swift death.
(Wow! That's a large wasp.)
(Faze! We need to run! it killed somebody already! Ahh! What are you doing?! Don't go down ther-)
Something strange happened. The Queen Bee, who was bearing down upon her with the intention to tear her asunder, suddenly turned its attention away. One of its massive legs kicked her aside as it tilted its eyes to focus on something near the cavernous ceiling. The Bandit hacked and breathlessly sucked air. Her head was spinning from the initial concussion and the sharp pain in her guts. Did she break a rib? Probably, but if she didn't get away - she'd suffer much more than that. She didn't know what The Queen Bee was occupied with - but would not give up this opportunity to escape. Her legs shaking like jelly, she staggered to her feet and... huh?
What the hell is he doing?!
She blinked a few times and looked again, but her eyes were not deceiving her. She knew this time would be best spent finding some method of escape, but against her better judgement, she peered closer. Was that... Faze? soaring through the air? It was certainly him. Nobody was quite so pale, and quite so raggedly dressed. He was a streak against the dark green ceiling, and he was dancing upon the air, grappling from one point to the next like an acrobat. It was an odd sight to see a person fly so easily... but what was he doing? What was he holding... A knife? The Bandit twisted her face in shock. Was that idiot going to fight The Queen Bee with a knife?! What nonsense! The massive wasp had killed two men in the blink of an eye. This brat wouldn't last a moment! Did he not realize the danger, or was he just too stupid?!
*shink*
He threw the knife and, having been thrown badly, it buried itself somewhere in the mess of mud and foliage. Still, several sparks flew out and landed on The Queen bee, sending jolts through it. Angered, it shrieked at him and took flight, preparing to charge him down like a whirlwind. It was then that The Bandit got a good look at Faze's face. His expression was more shocking than The Queen Bee itself, and in that moment, The Bandit feared him more than the tremendous insect...
Because he wasn't scared.
He wasn't even anxious.
He moved in a languid, choreographed fashion. Perfect strength, perfect control. There was no fear in him. He looked annoyed, but not stressed. Was he bothered by the fact he had missed his target? It looked that way. Poison stingers whizzed by him, he shifted to dodge them by millimeters. The vines didn't tangle him, he danced through the air as if he'd been born for this. He moved as if he had done this very thing a thousand times, leaping about with the same assurance as somebody walking inside his own home. He met the enraged insects eyes with something between scorn and pity. It was the gaze of a king upon a disgusting beggar.
*shink*
The knife flew again, slicing through the air with a thunderclap, and scattering sparks all over. He missed again, and that annoyance became frustration. The Bandit saw him glaring at the blade lodged in the caverns walls with scorching wrath. Meanwhile, The Queen Bee launched itself at that now-weaponless figure and seized him in its mandibles, those serrated edges clamping down upon him to snip him in two... but even in such dire straits, his expression didn't waver. He shook his head in resignation, but his expression was that of somebody utterly in control. The Bandit who - just a moment ago was convinced Faze suffered from some debilitating brain injury - was now subconsciously assured of The Strange Man's victory.
*CLANK*
A metallic noise rang out as hard chitin mandibles crunched down on what sounded like heavy steel - but he was wearing nothing but pheasant's garb! It was impossible to hide armour underneath that, right? In any case, it seemed Faze had expected this to happen. The Expression hadn't changed. No fear. No Anxiety. This was a game to him, and he wanted to win by throwing his knife... but in this he had failed. The Blade re-appeared in his hands and - with arms raised high - he plunged the blade through The Queen Bee's head all the way to the hilt.
*tzz-zzttt-ttt!*
A single stab, and it was over.
A jolt, then an earsplitting thunderclap.
The tremendous insect shuddered violently, its legs spasming and thrashing, its wings beating the air with frenzied movements. There was the distinct smell of burning as the electric shock travelled through The Queen Bee, systematically destroying its innards and reducing it to nothing but a burnt husk. With a loud thud, they fell to the ground in a heap, that pale figure's body still gripped in those vice-like clamps. It was only a moment before he secured his footing. With a snap, he tore the mandibles off and discarded them over his shoulder. With another, he ripped the blackened head from the body. A rip, and he pulled the innards out into a steaming pile of slop on the cavern floor.
... what the hell.
The Queen Bee was dead. Although she was staring at its fallen form, some part of her still couldn't believe it. What kind of monster was this 'Faze' if he could easily handle The Queen Bee? Just... just who was he?! The very same question must have been running through the heads of the 13 other members of the Expedition Troupe, but nobody was stupid enough to say anything. They simply stared in astonished silence as the man gingerly rifled through his foe's corpse, looking for loot.
I need him as an ally. He's my ticket to power!
The Bandit summoned her courage and approached, her knees unsteady and her feet dragging in the mud. She called out to him - carefully, as if he were a very dangerous animal that must be handled with care.
"Faze... that was very impressive."
"... ah. Thank you."
It took a moment for him to reply, as if he were not yet used to responding to the name he had chosen for himself. Why was he hiding his identity? Who was he to be so powerful? Where did he come from. Why was he here? The Bandit would hold her tongue if she didn't want to lose it. She was in no position to ask questions. Right now, what she needed to do was worm her way into This Monster's good favors - at least until they found their way out of The Jungle. 'Faze' or whoever he was (she would call him whatever he wanted) had just saved the lives of their entire group. Now, she would return the goodwill with whatever she had to give.
"Your knife throwing technique is a bit lacking. I've been throwing knives for years. Would you like me to teach you?"
Every time she got drunk, she regretted it.
Usually she regretted it because she always woke up with a splitting headache the next morning. Sometimes she had to pay fines to the local authorities for unruly behavior. Often she needed to return stolen goods. Usually she needed to pay the hospital bills of those she'd beaten into submission during bar fights.
But never had she regretted getting sloshed as much as she did now.
After The Monster Knight had informed her Amidas's trail had been washed away by the torrential rain, The Party Girl didn't know what to do. She was well aware The Tyrant wasn't kind to Agents who went MIA. If she wanted to return with her head attached, she needed to bring the head of Amidas with her - or that of somebody equally impressive. With that hope torn from her, she had decided to lock herself in her house and drain the keg of ale in the kitchen. Luckily for her (or unluckily, in retrospect) The Keg was magically bottomless. She had drunk so much, she couldn't tell up from down anymore. It didn't help her situation at all, but at least it made her forget her very pressing problems.
"Woman, do you understan-...was there a man here?... white hair and..."
But now, by some cosmic joke, one of the few people in existence whose death could buy her life was now standing before her. That Traitor - The Lunatic Cultist was standing in her living room. His garb was exactly how she remembered it: Royal blue with gold trim, His face hidden by that signature vulture-mask. There have been many occasions where imposters dressed as The Lunatic Cultist took his place - for ceremonial court proceedings and the like. She could tell the real from the fake because she had been equipped with heat vision. False Cultists had human faces beneath the mask. The real one filled it from base to beak.
"His armour is black with red embellishme-... have you seen him... a goblin army?"
She was splayed on the couch, hardly able to move for her inebriation, and staring at him with wide eyes. The Vulture Mage's beak was filled with flesh. His voice was exactly as she'd remembered it over the years. This was the genuine Lunatic Cultist... and she wanted his head. It wouldn't be difficult for her - she was CC. She was immune to magic. If she ambushed him, she could easily slay him...
Shit... shit why did I drink so much!
But right now she was in no state to fight. The Cultist clearly didn't know she was CC - which wasn't surprising, as right now, she didn't look the part. From the bits and pieces she could understand, he was here looking for somebody. Some man with white hair and black armour. The Party Girl hadn't seen him, but that didn't matter. She stuttered out the words.
"White h-hair and-" *hic* "-dark armour. I saw him!"
"Where! Where did you see him?!"
The Party Girl made her alcohol soaked brain think as hard as it could.
"He went... on a journey. He said he would..." *hic* "return soon."
The Cultist nodded rather enthusiastically.
"Soon? How soon."
How long would it take for her to regain her bearings? How long would it take for her to set traps and sharpen her weapons? Two days? Three to be safe?
"Three... three days, he said... he'd be back."
"I see. In which case, I will be back shortly."
"Stylist! Turn off my doktor inhibitors!"
"But XxX_FazeLeader69NoScopes42069FuckedUrMom_XxX, this is madness!"
"Tu es einfach!"
QB Fight. He one-shots it cuz his armour is post WOF and he's fighting QB. Beat Cryogen earlier and got upgrades. He also one shot the EOW so it works. Slayer and Guide skipping around in the Crimson. tune in next episode.
love and kiss