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It seemed the Maester would be rather forced to enjoy taking trips on a boat; that, and always having a small division of bodyguards with him. These ones in particular were new, however, after what had happened to the last ones at the Stadium. They seemed to take a small bit more of a liking to Favael, which was a good thing indeed. The last batch had the habit of picking at him and annoying him, or leaving him behind when he was inattentive. They were sailing to the ruins of Baaj, just south of Bikanel, and Seymour had no intention of letting his guards leave the boat. This was a private matter, and the only one he would really allow to step inside the place in mind was his Guardian. He stood on the deck of the boat with his staff tucked under his arm yet resting against the deck, his free hand on the rail staring out and over the waters. It wouldn't be long before they arrived and the Maester stepped off the boat, leaving the warrior monks behind.
After his embarrassing defeat and struggle against the Lucavi witch Rena, Seymour found himself at a loss for words; his political reputation had been somewhat damaged, though many people as it turned out did not blame him specifically for the events at the Stadium as it had been sealed off by water. Mainly the close-minded subjects of Yevon were the ones who now doubted his power, and he had decided to pay a dear relative a visit to re-assert his authority when the time was right. He took his final steps across Baaj before reaching the agreed upon meeting point itself, where he would be escorted to the temple where this relative and ally had recently been relocated. He peered around cautiously with his Guardian in tow. He looked around for any remaining monks he had stationed there; after all, Baaj wasn't the friendliest of locations after what Sin had done to it.
He waited for someone to approach and lead him to the private chamber where he kept a certain something, but it seemed nobody was in a real hurry to show up. Something was off. There was supposed to be a guide waiting for him here.
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[style=font-family: Century Gothic; font-size: 10px; text-align: center; color: #4a95c4]credit goes to Lunar of Love Stamp and Back to Neverland[/style]
Last Edit: Nov 15, 2012 22:44:52 GMT by Seymour Guado
Post by Favael Nocturnus on Nov 21, 2012 5:21:05 GMT
Favael was silent. During the long boat ride he did not fall asleep, not this time. He had been on deck, practicing with his saber as though he were riddling an opponent with holes. He and Seymour’s defeat at the hands of the Lucavi witch had him royally pissed off. He did not stop much; when he did it was to take a drink. The new guards assigned to Seymour from what few Yevon could spare made decent sparring partners. They actually paid him mind, which kept the young guardian in higher spirits than normal. This day however, they were on a mission, one of great importance.
Seymour’s reputation had been sullied by that witch, and that was something that he could not easily forgive. Sooner or later, that woman would pay.
While the boat docked, Favael paid close attention to the guards. While he and Seymour were visiting the temple they would keep watch over the boat. Though it didn’t mean much, for they were going to anyway, Favael trusted these guards at the very least to do this simple task. He kept his saber at his side while he walked with the Maester, though his right hand rested on the hilt of the weapon, ready to draw it at a moment’s notice.
When Seymour finally stopped at the meeting point and looked around, Favael seemed slightly worried. There was supposed to be an escort here, wasn’t there? However no one but the two of them was standing there.
“Lord Seymour, we should exercise caution. I don’t like the look of this - your guide is nowhere to be seen.
OOC: If Rena isn't going to admin this one, or you are sick of waiting. PM me with the basic goal of this thread + any particular events you'd like to cover, IE would you like to encounter Al Bhed? Sin? Toejam and Earl?
The temple seems to be strangely cold and dark, a dripping seemed to surround you both, a twisted and sick dripping that seemed to make you both shiver with disgust. The air seemed to be moving as if it was a breath of a foul and terrible beast like this passageway before you was the open maw of the beast, would you be willing to fight the urge to make flight? For every moment you waited for the guide to appear was another moment where the urge to flee got stronger, how long could you wait before fear would force you to move?
OOC: short post, but basically. Seymour are you going to enter the temple or are you going to flee it? I promise nothing nice will happen if you enter. Mwahahaha
After hearing his guardian speak, he calmly assessed the situation at hand before his reply, turning his head slowly to take in the surroundings. If the guards were in fact dead, it would come as no surprise. This was hostile territory, and one of the patrols that many monks of Yevon dreaded the possibility of receiving. Firmly gripping his staff in his right hand, he planted the base on the ground. ''Indeed. Stay focused, Favael. Something is certainly amiss, but we can't let that stand in our way...'' Staring into the passageway calmly, he soon began to feel a bit unsettled. Taking out an entire trenched in squad of warrior monks was no small feat, but this also wasn't familiar territory. He took a few steps forward, as if to assert himself in his choice. This matter was too important to simply leave behind, so they had to trudge onward for now.
Seymour moved through the passage quietly, his staff raised off the ground to prevent the base from tapping the floor and making any noise. He took great care to observe his surroundings, though the darkness didn't particularly make that easy. He thought he could make out a body lying somewhere but dismissed his curiosity to focus on the task at hand. Knowing Favael was right behind him, the unsettling feeling that grew with every step was a little easier to stave off; braving an area like this alone was simply foolish. The thought of his potential reward far outclassed his concerns for the safety of the monks that had been stationed here; with the sting of defeat so fresh and a fraction of reputation on the line, he'd had his mind set on this objective now more than ever.
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[style=font-family: Century Gothic; font-size: 10px; text-align: center; color: #4a95c4]credit goes to Lunar of Love Stamp and Back to Neverland[/style]
[STYLE=width: 350px; padding: 2px; font-family: arial narrow; font-size: 11px; color: #d62400; text-align: justify;]Favael nodded as the older man explained what he thought about the whole situation. "Agreed, Lord Seymour" he told his mentor with a nod. The boy stopped next to the Maester while the area was being examined. An eerie chill ran down his back which made him shiver, a feeling that he didn't often get from anything typical. The boy steeled himself even if he was somewhat frightened. Favael would not allow himself to fall behind. He glanced back toward where they had come from, wondering if the four guards that had stayed behind on the boat were safe. He actually liked them.
As Seymour moved farther into Baaj Temple, Favael followed behind him. To be safe, he had drawn his saber from its sheath to hold ready in his left hand. The boy was constantly glancing behind, wary of their situation. If something tried to get the jump on them, he would be prepared for it. As an even better precaution he focused, letting a small flame dance on the tip of the saber as a candle to light their way.[/style]
As the pair of you start to walk down the passageway the air seems to flow inwards as if it was trying to suck you further into the jaws of what ever was down here. A drip of cold water would land on the small little flame that was dancing around at the tip of Favaels sabre cuasing it to sizzle out and die with a whiff of smoke taking most of the light it had brought with it, moments later the temple seems to rumble and the passageway is completely flooded by darkness as the entrance way collapses behind you without a sound of falling rocks, something that would be heard from a cave in.
The temple stops rumbling moments later and the air is completely still in the darkness, the only sound around the pair of you was the sound of dripping water from the ceiling and hitting the cold hard and damp floor. It was obvious that the only way to go was forward but the pair of you had already made this choice on your own yet now there was no escape waiting for you and that feeling fear, that urge to flee was only getting stronger.
OOC: Starting from this post, please keep a track of what spells you cast, don't worry about MP just make sure you are clear about what magic you use.
Sure and always at the ready, the eager guardian Favael had drawn his trusty saber and with a clever dose of magic had brought a flicker of flame to life on the tip of the blade, thereby making an effective torch. The further the Maester and his trusted bodyguard got, the faster the light died. A feeling of paranoia had begun to set in, but Seymour knew he had to keep his resolve, especially around Favael. He'd been known to keep his calm in all but the most dire of circumstances, and he couldn't let off any sort of hints to betray his bravery. In truth, he had actually thought about heading back several times now. The disappearance of the guards stationed here combined with the deathly quiet was enough to make an individual feel eyes all around them.
The situation had certainly not be helped when the entire structure seemed to roar in defiance around them, causing a cave-in that blocked any outside light. He had to wonder if some beast had taken to lurking on the ceilings, hunting them slowly and surely to lure them into a trap. It was a likely assumption, but from his political career thus far he knew the importance of holding off on a sure thing without proof. At the edges of his hearing he could hear a dripping sound, but he paid it no attention until they walked a little further.
The sound of dripping water had begun to echo into his ears and before he knew it, suddenly the makeshift torch of the pair had been extinguished. While no peculiar noises could be heard, it was a little strange just how precise that droplet was. With light being such a valuable tool at this stage in their excavation, they couldn't afford to have that go out again without knowing if they were up against something. Seymour lifted his hand as he channeled magical power through his core, then up his torso to his elbow, flowing it from there to his arm and hand and finally his palm, dead-center.
With a simple cast of Water, he'd made a shell-like umbrella of hard pressure water in a half-dome shape above their heads. ''Favael, give us some light again, would you? We shouldn't have that problem again.'' He moved closer to the boy to be sure he could shield the flame, should he be able to ignite it again.
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[style=font-family: Century Gothic; font-size: 10px; text-align: center; color: #4a95c4]credit goes to Lunar of Love Stamp and Back to Neverland[/style]
[STYLE=width: 350px; padding: 2px; font-family: arial narrow; font-size: 11px; color: #d62400; text-align: justify;]The young guardian jumped slightly in fright as a single drop of water smothered the flame at the tip of his saber. He stopped moving instantly, listening. He could hear nothing more than the drip of water from the area around them. He did not like it. However, in the darkness he heard the voice of his mentor requesting light once more.
”Of course, Lord Seymour” he said quietly, trying to keep his voice down. No risks to see how much it would take to bring the cavern down around them. Under the watery umbrella, Favael placed his hands folded together. He pulled them apart quickly, and three small flames started to dance around them, giving off light enough that they could see the area around them and several paces down the corridor that they had to continue forward into. The boy looked up, seeing the work of the Maester in the form of that umbrella. He turned in place, trying to see more down the corridor if he could.
There was no going back at this point, and Favael knew that just as well as Seymour. It mattered not - though he was scared and worried, he did his best not to show that fear on his face. “Maester Seymour, we should move on. I do not think it wise to remain in one place down here.”[/style]
As the flames lit up the area you would see shadows flare up and stranger shadows seemingly reaching towards the sources of light for an instant before the shadows steady and waver with the light sources. Thankfully the umbrella of water seemed to work as you could hear water dropping onto it as you stood there.
The hallway you where stood in was full of rubble and pools of water along with moss, this place looked as far as could be said normal for what you would expect of a ruin far a head of you, you both see a turn off to the left, aside from that there was no other way to go, no doorways, no other passways. All you could hear was still the dripping of water and the air still seemed still and oppressive.
With a clever combination of magic, it seemed their situation had been half-remedied. The aquatic umbrella over their heads shielded any new flame from being extinguished, while Favael quickly got to work by conjuring three floating flames to act as torches, moving along with them to guide their way. Peering around and taking in the new well-lit surroundings, the cave-in looked worse than he thought it had the first time, his buried fear playing into his thoughts. He turned and looked down the only path they could take; the rest of the corridor revealed scattered small pools of water and moss covering a good portion of the foundation around them.
He took note of keeping his voice quiet when speaking; there was no telling when or where the foundations had become unstable, and sound alone may have been able to bring down the stone around them and end this trip very quickly. He took extra care to ensure his weapon made no contact with the floor or the walls. He turned and nodded as his student spoke, agreeing. ''Right. Something has clearly changed since my last visit...it would be wise to watch every corner.'' The air seemed to grow thicker, causing the Maester to draw deeper breaths as he pressed on.
At the end of the tunnel there was a clear turn off to the left, and nowhere else. He slowly approached the wall and stayed close, peeking around the corner to get a good view of anything that may have been waiting before he turned the corner and continued down the path, positive that Favael was staying close judging by the heat and intensity of the flames' light.
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[style=font-family: Century Gothic; font-size: 10px; text-align: center; color: #4a95c4]credit goes to Lunar of Love Stamp and Back to Neverland[/style]
[STYLE=width: 350px; padding: 2px; font-family: arial narrow; font-size: 11px; color: #d62400; text-align: justify;]The boy continued along with his mentor, sticking close just as Seymour assumed. He could not afford to fall behind, or he would risk the light of the flames going out again by the dripping water. As they continued, Favael’s sense of danger only continued to increase. They had light, but within the tunnel they had very few options and had to keep pressing forward. If they waited too long there may be a cave-in again, that could trap them completely.
When Seymour stopped to peer around the corner, Favael followed him, keeping watch behind them. He didn’t say it, but this cave was terrifying. The situation itself wasn’t - but being in the cave itself, the whole environment gave the feeling of terror. However, he needed to be strong. In his head, he took the fear and bundled it into a cloud…and that cloud started to burn. He would not be afraid, at least.
He turned his head slightly since he knew Seymour was looking around the corner. “Lord Seymour, what do you see?” he asked quietly, for the same reason as before.[/style]
As Seymour turns to look down the corridor he would see stood far down the straight and narrow corridor was one of the Monks stood with a torch held overhead, his back towards you, light casting a large shadow down the corridor. He had not noticed either of you yet his attention seemed elsewhere and as you glance around the corridor you would notice that all of the side passages had collapsed since you had last traversed this place and shadow seemed give off a sinister feeling to them.
The number one thing the Maester had his eyes peeled for was no longer the creatures that could have hidden themselves in the dark, as the light from the flame most likely would have foiled an ambush before it began within the tight corridors. However, he had become much more focused on moving a bit faster while checking the foundations around him, trying to inspect closely for any cracks or failures that could cause an additional cave-in and trap them down here to make things much worse than they already were. He'd walked in brave, but now he grew uneasy. As he peeked around the corner and saw the monk, he was a bit relieved but also somewhat cautious. It seemed a bit odd for the man to look so calm holding his torch there all by his lonesome, especially when they'd found no sign of the other monks that had been stationed here.
The monks were well trained, that much was true, but fear could sink its fangs into any being in the correct situation. He seemed almost too calm, which caused Seymour to whisper to Favael quietly. ''Strange...were it anyone else, this one would be already dead or cowering somewhere in fear. Where are the others?...'' He meant to put the boy on alert in case something was amiss. He turned the corner and slowly approached with the utmost care, looking around him to see that just about every other passage had collapsed. This was the only direction they could travel for now, and the monk ahead could have very well gone insane if the rest of his unit had been trapped or killed.
Refusing to get close enough to grant the man a first strike if things were as he feared, he cleared his throat slightly a few paces behind the monk. ''Your Maester has arrived. I require a field report.'' If the man was alright, hopefully the morale boost from having the Maester around would steel his nerves long enough to get an explanation.
If not....
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[style=font-family: Century Gothic; font-size: 10px; text-align: center; color: #4a95c4]credit goes to Lunar of Love Stamp and Back to Neverland[/style]
As you approach the monk it was obvious something was wrong with this picture, a lone monk and your caution was, well as any relic hunter would tell you, a good thing however as you approached you could not see any sign of him actually noticing you. Infact the more you looked the less it seemed like it was actually a living thing stood before you, the small signs of movement that you wouldn't normally notice weren't there, he was stood completely still with the only movement being from the flame of the torch held above his head, nor was there a response from him when you spoke. Most people would of jumped through the roof, a few would of turned around and acknowledged you, none would just stand there so yes the abnormality of the situation was overwhelming.
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