Naar Kalaman's band of Solars, accompanied by several groups of marines, marched straight into the tower entrances. As a precautionary measure for traps, they sent a mortal named Howling Wind to examine the doorway. To Drifter the man appeared to talk with a non-Western accent, giving him the impression that he is just new around these regions.
"What do you see?" Naar Kalaman shouted at Howling Wind.
"I see nuthing but doorway, cap'n!" Howling Wind shouted back, in his funny-sounding accent. "Just big archway an' door!"
They approached the nearest doorway and examined it closer.
"First Age entry mechanisms." Naar Kalaman said, seeing two flat plates set in the sides of the doorway. It appeared large enough for a hand to rest into. "Perhaps it requires someone's hands identified by this strange mechanism."
As expected, the doorway responded with the captain's touch at the mechanism, opening to reveal a dark hallway. Knife of the Ocean went first, placing his Night caste stealthiness in effect. After several moments the rest of the group piled in.
"It smells like a ward of some sort." Drifter said. "It's eerie."
"We are in a shadowland." Naar Kalaman said. "If there were inhabitants here, it definitely would be ghosts."
Much to their surprise, the lights flared up, casting a grim white radiance in the hallway. It was then that they realized that there were doors set in the walls, each labeled with a particular office or chamber. To Drifter everything appeared plain and - funny enough, sterile.
"There's something here!" Knife said. "Something like a lift tube - or a series of them, rather."
They entered a wide circular chamber where several tube lifts stood waiting, clustered in a circle, each accomodating at least twenty people.
"I feel uneasy." Raging Snowstorm said. "Keep your guard up, men!"
The marines went in close formation , readying their weapons and shields.
"There!" Akira cried.
In front of them, appearing like eerie spectres, came several groups of hungry ghosts, each commanded by several war ghosts. They appeared to be souls of dead Dragon-Bloods, still bearing their jade armors as ghosts, but with their faces sunken and eyes hollow. Drifter shuddered at the sight of them and as they made an initial non-corporeal attack his insides lurched with chill as their ghostly weapons went through the Solars and the marines.
"They've seen me!" Knife of the Ocean cried, stunned as the ghosts suddenly turned towards him, still cloaked by his caste abilities. "These ghosts must have something to detect stealth!"
"Get away from there and wait for them to form!" Naar Kalaman cried. "Snowstorm, take charge of your unit!"
"Close formation! Don't let these ghosts get the better of the living!" Raging Snowstorm cried.
The ghosts materialized all at once and started to assault the Solars and the marines. Drifter immediately dived in the middle of the ghosts and launched several unarmed strikes at the commanding war ghosts, aided by his Fists of Iron. Knife of the Ocean was a whirling blur at the middle of the ghosts ahead, slashing and striking multiple ghosts at once with his hook swords.
"There's too many of them!" Drifter cried.
"Not to a Solar, Drifter!" Naar Kalaman cried, assaulting the ghosts with a flurry of blows, abetted by his Peony Blossom Attack. "Come on, Snowstorm, what is your unit doing?!"
"These ghosts are resistant, Captain!" Raging Snowstorm cried, as the ghosts managed to block off the marines' attacks for the third time. "COME ON, MEN, MOVE YOUR ASSES!"
"Take that, and that, and that, ugly creepy ghosts!" Akira Silverwing cried, bow in hand, shooting one ghost after another with a small team of ranged assaulters.
Several minutes passed in steady combat, Drifter steadily maintaining his assaults on the war ghost leaders, Knife and Naar tearing through the hungry ghost retinues, and Akira and Raging Snowstorm handling the direct and ranged fire of the marines. Even the mortal Howling Wind had to enter the battle as a leading unit, armed with his alchemical pistols that burned through ghosts when struck. Moments later, the ghost retinue thinned out and they were forced to de-materialize and retreat.
"Hah! Take those, filthy scum!" Knife of the Ocean cried.
He was just barely finished with the last few words when an ethereal form of a horrid, skeletal-looking being appeared in front of one of the tube lifts.
"Greetings, sun child." the creature said, addressing Naar Kalaman, whose caste mark had flared brightly due to the essence he expended in his wide assaults. "Make yourselves comfortable, whilst I decide what to do with you!"
"You will leave this place immediately, Nephrack." Naar Kalaman said. "Or else we shall storm you up there and kill you ourselves!"
"But of course, you are most welcome to try... If you can get there, that is!"
With a shrill laugh, the Nephrack's image vanished, followed by an immediate ascent of the tube lifts, like as if they had been suddenly yanked from above.
"Oh, great, now how do we get up there?" Drifter asked.
"Do not worry." Naar Kalaman said. "This Nephrack does not know who he is dealing with here."
"What do you see?" Naar Kalaman shouted at Howling Wind.
"I see nuthing but doorway, cap'n!" Howling Wind shouted back, in his funny-sounding accent. "Just big archway an' door!"
They approached the nearest doorway and examined it closer.
"First Age entry mechanisms." Naar Kalaman said, seeing two flat plates set in the sides of the doorway. It appeared large enough for a hand to rest into. "Perhaps it requires someone's hands identified by this strange mechanism."
As expected, the doorway responded with the captain's touch at the mechanism, opening to reveal a dark hallway. Knife of the Ocean went first, placing his Night caste stealthiness in effect. After several moments the rest of the group piled in.
"It smells like a ward of some sort." Drifter said. "It's eerie."
"We are in a shadowland." Naar Kalaman said. "If there were inhabitants here, it definitely would be ghosts."
Much to their surprise, the lights flared up, casting a grim white radiance in the hallway. It was then that they realized that there were doors set in the walls, each labeled with a particular office or chamber. To Drifter everything appeared plain and - funny enough, sterile.
"There's something here!" Knife said. "Something like a lift tube - or a series of them, rather."
They entered a wide circular chamber where several tube lifts stood waiting, clustered in a circle, each accomodating at least twenty people.
"I feel uneasy." Raging Snowstorm said. "Keep your guard up, men!"
The marines went in close formation , readying their weapons and shields.
"There!" Akira cried.
In front of them, appearing like eerie spectres, came several groups of hungry ghosts, each commanded by several war ghosts. They appeared to be souls of dead Dragon-Bloods, still bearing their jade armors as ghosts, but with their faces sunken and eyes hollow. Drifter shuddered at the sight of them and as they made an initial non-corporeal attack his insides lurched with chill as their ghostly weapons went through the Solars and the marines.
"They've seen me!" Knife of the Ocean cried, stunned as the ghosts suddenly turned towards him, still cloaked by his caste abilities. "These ghosts must have something to detect stealth!"
"Get away from there and wait for them to form!" Naar Kalaman cried. "Snowstorm, take charge of your unit!"
"Close formation! Don't let these ghosts get the better of the living!" Raging Snowstorm cried.
The ghosts materialized all at once and started to assault the Solars and the marines. Drifter immediately dived in the middle of the ghosts and launched several unarmed strikes at the commanding war ghosts, aided by his Fists of Iron. Knife of the Ocean was a whirling blur at the middle of the ghosts ahead, slashing and striking multiple ghosts at once with his hook swords.
"There's too many of them!" Drifter cried.
"Not to a Solar, Drifter!" Naar Kalaman cried, assaulting the ghosts with a flurry of blows, abetted by his Peony Blossom Attack. "Come on, Snowstorm, what is your unit doing?!"
"These ghosts are resistant, Captain!" Raging Snowstorm cried, as the ghosts managed to block off the marines' attacks for the third time. "COME ON, MEN, MOVE YOUR ASSES!"
"Take that, and that, and that, ugly creepy ghosts!" Akira Silverwing cried, bow in hand, shooting one ghost after another with a small team of ranged assaulters.
Several minutes passed in steady combat, Drifter steadily maintaining his assaults on the war ghost leaders, Knife and Naar tearing through the hungry ghost retinues, and Akira and Raging Snowstorm handling the direct and ranged fire of the marines. Even the mortal Howling Wind had to enter the battle as a leading unit, armed with his alchemical pistols that burned through ghosts when struck. Moments later, the ghost retinue thinned out and they were forced to de-materialize and retreat.
"Hah! Take those, filthy scum!" Knife of the Ocean cried.
He was just barely finished with the last few words when an ethereal form of a horrid, skeletal-looking being appeared in front of one of the tube lifts.
"Greetings, sun child." the creature said, addressing Naar Kalaman, whose caste mark had flared brightly due to the essence he expended in his wide assaults. "Make yourselves comfortable, whilst I decide what to do with you!"
"You will leave this place immediately, Nephrack." Naar Kalaman said. "Or else we shall storm you up there and kill you ourselves!"
"But of course, you are most welcome to try... If you can get there, that is!"
With a shrill laugh, the Nephrack's image vanished, followed by an immediate ascent of the tube lifts, like as if they had been suddenly yanked from above.
"Oh, great, now how do we get up there?" Drifter asked.
"Do not worry." Naar Kalaman said. "This Nephrack does not know who he is dealing with here."
No comments:
Post a Comment