Finding the Originals: Shangrila(King)
Date: 2025-09-01 13:32
(Finding the Originals: Shangrila(King):King)
[Mon Sep 1 2025]
In the cavernous but somehow well-lit layer of Shangri-La
Shattered cliffs of crystal loom over the valley, their razor edges catching the afternoon sun in blinding flashes. Rock spires jut upward like jagged teeth, forming a maze that hums with a strange, vibrating tone, as if the stone itself resents every step. The air feels sharp, carrying a faint metallic tang, each gust scraping against the ears with whispers that do not belong to wind.
From the shadows, creatures prowlflesh and fur, feather and scale, but all with eyes too knowing, too aware. Wolves pause mid-step to watch, their gaze calculating, lips curling not with hunger but with cruel amusement. Birds circle above, their screeches almost words, mocking, promising. Insects crawl from cracks in the rock, clicking in patterns that echo like coded messages. None of them strike without reason; they wait, studying, deciding.
The ground groans beneath crystal veins that pulse faintly with hidden light. Every noise carries too far: claws scratching, wings beating, a predators breath dragging slow and deliberate. Far in the distance, something enormous bellows, its sound more thought than roar, pressing into the skull with unbearable weight. Afternoon hangs heavy, but the valley feels like duskwatchful, patient, waiting for something to break.
It is afternoon, about 75F(23C) degrees, and there are clear skies. The mist is heaviest At Mayflower and Washington/span>/spanKaelyn blinks at the sudden change, a low silent breath exhaling from her lips at the new sights. It would have been overwhelming by itself, but the shifting shadows make her tense. Slowly, her nose lifts in the air- scenting even in this form and even as that bellowing sound makes her take a half a step back, head shaking as her sensitive ears twinge.
Nemi sighs softly, wincing a bit. “I’d ask to be buried here when I die, But then noone could easily visit my grave-”
Nemi states clearly as she looks around and about, Just…. wonder, soft curiosity in her eyes.
steps out of the mirrorgate into a land of rock and crystal. Everywhere. He looks around slowly, already on edge. He stays quiet for several moments, just listening to his surroundings. There are all sorts of chiming noises, those bamboo water tipper sounds, various critter noises from beyond sight. The smells of the place are earthy and rich with minerals, almost stiffling with the oppressive overload on olfactory senses, with each breath almost feeling like it accumulates dust in the nasal and throat passages every time. A sensation that is entirely imagined, and likely to fade from thought with extended exposure. There is, strangely, somehow, despite being underground, wind in this place, rustling crystalline leaves in the trees and creating those chiming noises. The ground beneath everyone’s feet is hard, solid, like granite or marble packed in beneath a thin layer of dirt and soil. Digging here must be a nightmare. And yet, in the distance, there are also buildings, which look normal and wooden at a range. “Or dig it,” King notes to Nemi after tapping his foot on the ground to test the solidity of it. He swallows hard and then takes in a deep breath. There is a path that leads toward some of the buildings, but another branch, less traveled, heads off toward the valley wall to the east. Or whatever direction is to the right while pointed along the first path. There seems to be no path behind the group after their arrival though, suggesting this is the starting point for many that arrive. “Which way do we wanna go?” he asks the group, not assigning himself any particular leadership role in the trip, despite being the organizer and potential beneficiary of the findings.
Vivian looks away sharply from Nemi’s winking, and into the distance, holding her shoulder with one hand as she watches the valley, she grins at Esme. “Yeah, it is.” Likely able to suss out the nerdy-history-fangirling. Her ears take in the crystalline, chiming noises, and she breathes out.
“Peace.” She says, simply.
“I want to check out those wooden buildings, they’re probably not natural so someone must be living there, maybe they have some extra information on the monastery’s wheereabouts?” She decides to ask everyone after pointing out the buildings in the distance.
“Well we’re lookin’ for a monastery on ah cliff that overlooks a valley that kinda looks like ah wolf howling at tha moon…” Esme says after a moment. “So yeah,” She nods to Vivian’s words. “See if there’s people in tha buildings we can ask about it. And also probably get to higher ground in general.”
Nemi nods softly in agreement with Vivian. “That’s a pretty good idea actually- And if there isn’t any current inhabitants, Maybe we’ll find some cave drawings or notes that might help.”
Kaelyn takes a moment settle, rubbing her nose. Green eyes dart down to the valley, curious but doesn’t voice it as she nods with the others. “Hopefully, they are friendly.” The woman mentions, still watching the path less traveled.
Esme says “I’m gonna just hope they’re open to talkin’ first and instead of attackin’ first“
“Most of these cities between don’t get much in the way of long term inhabitants,” Sofia supposes with a chin rub and a moment of consideration, looking over Vivian, Kaelyn, Esme, and Nemi. “I’m personally expecting almost every structure we run into to be long abandoned. But if not, if we do have people to talk to… do we know anything about their culture? Like, anything you got in that book Esme? Government structure, things they like, stuff like that?”
Kaelyn lets out an amused huff agreeing with Esme, “That would be a good start.”
Vivian rubs the back of her neck as almost everyone responds positively to the idea, as if she wasn’t expecting such. “Uh, yeah.” For once, whatever air of negativity, exhaustion that seemed to be around her disappeared for a moment, replaced by a thin smile. “I guess so.”
“I don’t know an inkling about other planes, honestly, so this would be a question for Esme and others.” She responds to Sofia frankly.
Esme shakes her head to Sofia, “Any people actively living here now are very likely here cause they wanted t’ get way off grid. I think we’re likely to see more giant jade statues and unusual wildlife more than actual people.” She keeps her voice softer. “If we’re at all close to the eastern part ah the city there also should be some ruins of a library with information that could be helpful too if we can’t find Madison.”
“Well if there’s no one to stop for directions…” Sofia muses with a little smirk and a shrug back to Esme. “Maybe we just try to get to a vantage point and see if we can just… see the monastery, like visually? Anyone bring like, Binoculars, or just have really good vision?”
Kaelyn raises a hand slightly, “I’ve got decent enough sight and can see in some low light.” The hand lowers as she tucks it back into her pocket shifting her weight on the dirt. “Definitely not going to be able to replace binoculars, though.” (the command is statcheck?)
Vivian hums. “The animals likely could be connected to the monastery somehow, if what King told us is true.” She muses softly to Esme. “I’m not that good with animals, but I could probably find an even ground with them, but that’s if we get too desperate for information.” She supposes. “Bugger, I haven’t brought binoculars, I thought we were going into a cave, not like- a whole other plane.” She brings a hand to her chin.
“There weren’t a lot of information on inhabitants, aside from mention that the critters here are possibly talkin’, so yeah,” King says as he looks around at the others. “Sounds like tryin’a make friendly contact first then?” he asks gesturing to the more worn path. He shrugs then, adjusts his equipment, which includes a cross body survival kit that he has under his new duster. “Shall we then?” he asks, and starts off on whichever path the people seem more intent on traveling. Forward or eastward makes little difference to him. He looks back and forth when there seems to be a bit more discussion about it.
“Oh, and … someone or something is watchin’ us. I got the itch,” he says a little more quietly, glancing around as if to try to spot the watcher. He sadly does not find the source. But he does tell the others present, “We should probably get movin’. I am fair certain stayin’ still is not gonna do us much good here.” Almost as if on cue the wind shifts a little, and the chimes of crystals take on a slightly more sinister twist.
Esme nods in agreement about moving along, skimming the area. “Heading toward tha buildings and looking for easier ways up to higher ground for afterward sounds like the way to go.” She murmurs, starting to move in the forward direction with some caution.
Sofia nods in agreement as King gets the sense they’re being watched, and heads on after Esme without question. “Works for me, let’s see what we got out here.” She glances around the foreign environment appreciatively, but without amazement or wonder, seeming as though she’s fairly accustomed to seeing some pretty odd, otherworldly stuff on a regular basis and sticking to the mission at hand.
Vivian twirls the bat and puts it on her shoulder, resting it. A soft sigh escapes her. “Yeah, I’m headed towards the buildings too.” She is in agreement with Esme. Deciding to walk towards the path while softly humming to herself.
Nemi nods softly as she looks about, taking a breath in and then lerting it out as she nods towards King. “Right- Yeah, staying still too long- Buildings as well.”
Kaelyn pads along with the rest of the ‘pack’, picking her path with care but looking none to pleased with the idea of falling behind. Though her head remains on a swivel, trying to find the source of whatever was watching them.
And so, like many journey to the east shows, the team sets out on the path toward civilization, passing ruined, broken crystal houses and buildings, some still smoking somehow as if the devastation to them occurred within minutes not years. The smoke filters off after a bit, preventing it from being detected from too far away somehow. It is almost like a mighty battle took place right here as the group travels forward along the main path. Several trees have been broken and knocked over, leaving jagged knives of crystal stabbing up out of the ground. All of the fruit bearing trees have had their gemstone fruits removed. And a couple of the guardian statues have been broken off at the knees and toppled over. The path winds through the crystalline forest, but it also shows a clear path of devastation.
King looks around as the group passes by this, frowning a little before looking at the others nearby. “Well, somethin’s been through here recently,” he decides is the best observation he can make at this point. He continues to walk though, since there aren’t any bodies, really, just broken statues and fallen trees with missing fruit gems. There could be bodies in the busted buildings, but he does not seem inclined to stop unless someone else wants to. “I think my wolf could do some of this,” he says, looking over at Kaelyn for a moment with an unvoiced question for her.
Nemi winces softly. “What would even dare do such a thing…? This environment is so beautiful and this all would have taken at least hundreds of years of work to accomplish- All gone in a day….” She stayes, sighing softly.
“Maybe someone or something wanting… a return to nature. Entropy, I guess.” Sofia supposes back to Nemi, rubbing at her temple with a fingertip and glancing over to King. “I mean, would fit the MO of someone who decided to fuck off from Earth’s standard plane and go try attempt to live alone in a monastery maybe. Might be the work of your contact.”
Vivian takes a few deep sniffs. “I don’t know if it it is a wolf though.” She continues to sniff a few more times as her nose wrinkles. “We need to find a higher ground, I have some rope so that could help us.” She explains to the rest of the team.
Esme frowns subtly at the destruction as they travel through the area, carefully navigating over and around the giant toppled statues and upended trees. “I’m more interested in tha -why-. I don’t see any blood or anythin…” And she also doesn’t seem inclined to search further in the broken buildings here. She nods a bit to Sofia’s speculation though. “Could be.” She travels her gaze up toward some of the not too far off cliff faces. “Getting higher will give us a better vantage point, yeah.”
The scent of smoke makes Kaelyn’s nose twitch, as she scans the village or what was a village. Though her eyes land on King, that unspoken question going over her head entirely. When Vivian speaks she glances over. “It could be anything…” She pads over to the fallen trees, a finger lightly touching at one of the splintered parts as if to test the sharpness.
Vivian shakes her head. “There’s something burning nearby, this smoke is nauseating.” She complains to everyone, bringing an open palm to her mouth and nose. “Where is it even coming from.” She sighs. “If there’s no further hints we could get on a high vantage point and look around, I’m terribly afraid of heights though.” She mentions to Esme, sheepishly.
When Kaelyn touches the tree stump, there is a cut, and a drop of her blood falls onto the stump. The red hue blends into the rest of the brown trunk, and suddenly it re-grows, back to its original glory, only tinged with red with darker crimson veins streaking up through its bark. The fruits grow off of it almost immediately, all ruby red and shaped like apples perhaps in a way. The suddenness with which the tree resprouts and the new color scheme is pretty jarring. Enough so that King takes a step back from it and lifts his shield as if expecting it to pull its roots free from the stony ground and start throwing branches at them or soemthing equally crazy but totally plausible in a place like this. He gets his knife out, then looks at the tree again. Then he slowly tucks his knife back, and switches to his revolver. Shattering crystal is easier with percussive precision than stabbing it with an ice pick.
“I’m sure one of tha stronger people here can help carry ya up if needed.” Esme muses to Vivian, watching Kaelyn approach the tree. She startles some as the tree suddenly regrows, eyes going wide. “Holy shit.”
Sofia glances over to King like he’s about to ring the dinner bell with that revolver shot. “Mmm. Once we go loud, everything out there will know we’re here. Not that I mind a little scuffle. But I’m open to get to climbing too if that’s the route we wanna go, I got a fair amount of it under my belt now, and heights don’t really scare me much.” She nods over to Esme and Kaelyn.
Nemi lets out a soft woah. “This? This is the kind of cool things I like seeing when I learned about the supernatural…. beautiful and scary-”
Kaelyn hisses as the blood comes, that part not entirely unexpected judging from her face. The next part though, has her scrambling back from the rapidly regrowing tree before any other part of her could get nicked by it. Her teeth bare at it, blunt in this shape, until the tree settles. Barely moving she waits and listens and… seemingly nothing else, yet. Giving one more look at her blood tree she darts her gaze down to check her finger and its cut. Was it going to heal okay? “I… uh, think that answers something about blood. What I don’t know…”
Kaelyn says “If we are looking for a shifter could it react differently if someone isn’t one? “
Nemi hums softly, nodding a bit. “I’d be willing to test it honestly, lil prick of my finger won’t kill me- I hope.”
lets out a ‘huh’ as she watches the tree regrow. Then, she looks at the broken houses. “The houses are broken, but no blood, yet the houses aren’t rebuilt… So either a massacre didn’t take place, or…” She holds her head, groaning. “This is weird… Maybe we could even rebuild the houses somehow with our blood? But I’m not sure if that would actually accomplish anything.” She tilts her head. “Or maybe use the blood to grow ourselves a vantage point, if needed.”
All in all, Vivian didn’t seem to be jarred by any of this, she simply had theories running through her head, thousands of them.
“I don’t think we need to get too in the weeds. I’d be more inclined t’ try doing the blood thing on one of the guardian statues. It might A-be able to communicate and B- be thankful enough to answer some questions.” Esme states
Nemi nods softly. “I say we take the chance of helping and getting thanked for it- You don’t bite the hand that feeds you after all.”
In the wake of the new tree regrowing back in place of the old one (which is still on the ground beside it), the critters watching suddenly go silent. The breeze through the place stills. And all the chiming crystalline noises cease. It is like the very layer of this city between holds its breath waiting to see what would happen next. And then, the red energy of the tree starts to radiate out, with crimson veins across the ground reaching for other trees nearby. Soon, the red tint has climbed up those trees, regrowing any that were already broken. And then the crystalline chiming noise is replaced with something that sounds like a heartbeat pulsing through the ground, thu-bump, thu-bump, thu-bump. There is not enough energy it seems for the red veins to spread out past the immediate area, but something in the new way this level is responding to the group bodes ill for things in the near future. And if that were not all creepy enough, the limbs of these new blood trees start to raise up, with the smaller branches forming hand-like appendages. It is slow moving, but the original tree’s new limbs (ba-dum-tiss) start reaching for Kaelyn as if to grab her, easily avoided, but also perhaps sneaky enough to catch her unawares. Suddenly, the idea of bleeding on the houses may not fit with survival. The newer trees are starting to stir enough to try reaching for other members of the group.
“If it gets upset set-Kaelyn watch out!” Esme spies the way the branches are moving and how one seems to be reaching for the woman. It has her looking toward the other trees now, catching on to what’s been going on. “Goddamnit.”
Kaelyn perks up, hearing the sound but not quite placing it until Esme says something. With a little growl she darted upwards moving away from the grasping trees. Her eyes dart to and fro, as she sticks the bleeding finger in her mouth trying to stop the bleeding with saliva. Whether that worked or not she wiped the finger on her flannel. “I have a bad feeling about this,” She mummers.
Vivian watches absent-mindedly as the tree stirs awake, there is a distinct… Lack of survival instinct within the girl, she seems tired. However, as she watches the situation turn for the worse, she lets out a deep sigh. Twirling the bat, ready to shatter any semi-organic or-slash-and crystalline obstacle in her way. “We have to get a move on, there’s nothing that can help us here, I don’t think so.” She muses softly to the group. “Bleeding here seems like a really bad idea. Don’t get hit.”
Sofia widens her eyes and shouts out, “Kaelyn, get out of there!” strapping a device onto her arm and raising a hand, a telekinetic force acting upon her, applying force on her to pull her away from the stirring, grasping trees.
Sofia lifts Kaelyn into the air and zips her over to her side gracelessly, tugging her down to the ground in the process, but at least out of harm’s way. She darts her eyes around to the group a little more sternly than before and declares, “We need to get clear of the trees and stop messing around here, it’s dangerous. These places have many riddles and most of them end in death if you ponder them too long. Now. Do we have any better leads on finding this monastery beyond climbing a cliff? If not, let’s someone climb the cliff and see what we can see.”
While King is not the fastest moving or the most perceptive of the bunch. The shouts and such get his attention focused on Kaelyn and the tree trying to grab her. He steps forward, raising his shield up as if to try to get between her and the tree, when Sofia’s much faster reactions get her ahead of the game, pulling Kaelyn unceremoniously to safety in the most embarrassing way possible. Thankfully, with no damage done in the process, but rolling ass over tea kettle in the process. So King stays in position and says, “Where we goin’ then? Further on the path or up somewhere? I don’t want these things to uproot and give chase.” He glances over at the others, but ultimately, he is still letting them lead things. At least for the moment.
The original crimson bark tree then does start to list to one side, then back to the other, like someone stuck in quick sand trying to get their feet loose, suggesting King’s worst ideas about this situation might be coming to fruition. After a few back and forth wiggles though, the tree puts its new hand-like appendages on the ground to start trying to lift itself up. Blood is definitely a helluva catalyst in this place. And given how few things have this particular activated trait, it seems denizens are few and far between. At least in this region. Perhaps there are entire crimson gardens and forests somewhere sapping blood from people to stay animated. But in the moment, exiting stage left is likely the way to go.
Sofia replies to King without hesitation, “Voting for UP.”
Kaelyn yelps as she is tugged in a different direction that she expected her body to go. A growl that sounds closer to a wolf tumbles from her lips, eyes darting for the sudden enemy that had grabbed her. Nothing? She sits, shakily pulling her hands to her side as she attempts to make sense of the sudden movement and not shift out of defensive reflex.
Esme says “Definitely up“
Esme momentarily sheathes her weapons to get out her climbing gear. “I think we should be able t’ scale those cliffs there.” She nods in a vaguely ‘ahead and over there’ direction.
Vivian nods her head. “Up, if we fight it here, we’re risking bleeding all over the place, at least up there, there’s less trees, maybe? So if it follows there’s less risk of us fighting an entire cluster of those enemies.” She explains to King, nodding at Esme and Sofia. “I got some rope to help us scale.” She explained.
Lastly, she gives one sympathetic look at Kaelyn. “You okay?” We need to keep moving.” She rubs the bridge of her nose. “Fuck, I think this is getting me out of my hangover.”
Nemi nods in agreement. “Up- I suggest keeping hands and feet well clothed from here on out while we climb- Because yeah I don’t think we want to make our return more dangerous if we start raining red all over the valley due to cuts we gather-”
“Toss me the rope yeah? I think I’ll be able to scale it faster than most of you, and I’ll just toss it down and help hoist you guys up.” Sofia rolls her shoulders after chatting to Vivian and starts beckoning the group on a path towards a cliff face away from the stirring wild foliage, stretching out like she’s readying herself for a climb, muscles all tensed and ready for action.
“Water gets ya over a hangover,” King says to Vivian as the one closest to the crimson barks. He backs up, then turns, makes sure all the women are ahead of him then, and points toward the nearest cliff face. “Advance!” he shouts clearly to the others to make sure the command is heard. “Need ya up and over that wall in sixty seconds, ya hear me, privates!?” he barks out like a drill sergeant all of a sudden, leaning perhaps a little on his military career. And then he starts running. He is slow enough most of the rest can likely keep ahead of him, but the way he occasionally stops, turns, checks their six, and then gets back to it suggests he is not trying to outrun any of them. He also has plenty of rope and a survival kit which includes hammers and such for making a line. But he trusts Sofia to manage to accomplish this, tossing her a couple of bundles of rope that -should- be long enough to reach from the top of the cliff to the bottom once tied off to something. [Everyone can take a 15 minute break here if they like.]
Kaelyn finds some level of control over the shift as the realization that it hadn’t been an invisible tree monster that had yoinked her back. With that knowledge slowly in place she nodded to Vivian with a deep breath. She takes a few more as she stands slowly, checking for damage. “I’ll live,” The words are soft as she speaks to Vivian, rushing along after the group. A little more pep added to her step at the barked order.
Esme rushes toward the cliff face with the others, fully ready and prepped to spring into climbing action to get up that wall!
Vivian hands Sofia the rope. “I still didn’t get your name, miss.” She muses softly, while looking back to King. The barking seems to trigger certain kind of… Flight or fight response in her, yet it also hits a switch in her brain. And just like that, without much of a fuss, she starts climbing the hill hastily, even if she looks just a touch… Uncomfortable? one can suppose.
Nemi nods! Checking her gear, patting herself down as she secures weapons and shields appropriately and gets running behind the others towards the cliff face!
Sofia laughs back at King as he barks back orders seeming to think they’re just the thing to break the group out of their quizical trance. She’s not particularly keen to make Kaelyn any the wiser that she’d used a bit of trickery to help her out of that sticky… or potentially, sappy situation, but appears heartened she’s back safe and stable now. She matches Esme’s pace roughly, jogging cheerily towards the cliff face with Vivian’s rope slung in a coil around her arm. “Now this I can do, staying in motion. C’mon folks, we got this.” She grins aside to Vivian as they run, not seeming terribly winded as she goes. “I’m Sofia Delvecchio. Might’a heard of me as The Pizza Queen. You’re… Viv, I think I overheard, yeah?”
Maybe even a slicey-dicey situation! Kaelyn waits at the bottom for the rope to be tied off, pacing as she keeps an eye on her bloody tree friends.
Vivian grins back at Sofia. “Yeah, nice to meet you, gosh. Really sorry, meeting people like this is a bit difficult.” She attempts to hang on the cliff and continue climbing, chuckling. “I felt really bad recently and thought that maybe going for this trip would do me some good.” She looks around. “And I mean- so far? I’m feeling just a tad bit alive.” She smiles happily. “And It’s always great to make more friends.”
Sofia finishes her jog as they arrive at the cliff’s bottom, turning to nod back to Vivian and say, “Nothing quite like a little bit of exercise to get you out of a funk.” And then not wasting a moment, she turns to Esme, Nemi, and the trailing dad-bod run of King, hands on her hips. “You guys make sure the area stays secure, yeah? I’m gonna try not to be too long getting up. Don’t want any pissed off trees or who knows what other vegetation glomming onto you while I’m up on a rock face.” She begins scouting up the area, looking for any naturally occurring flats and platforms, and then LEAPS forward, supernaturally high into the air, rope still slung over her shoulder and trying to scramble up the rock face and make time.
Behind the group, the sound of rocks breaking, then tumbling over one another like rubble forming at the base of a stone tower falling down the side of a hill echoes toward them across the floor of the valley. In front of them, a hundred foot cliff face that looked so much lower before now stands in their way. While it does appear to be made of rock, it is also jagged and rough stone that might be able to cut hands, or rope, with sufficient force and the correct angles. Once the team reaches the base of said cliff, King turns, crouches, and puts his knee onto the bottom fold of his shield. He levels his revolver over the top of it, aiming at the newly released crimson bark tree that has torn itself out of the ground. Rather than pursue the group on its own, however, it turns to start helping the others tear themselves loose. “Y’all might wanna make quick with that rope,” he calls over his shoulder to the others.
Sofia is uniquely qualified in terms of speed and equipment, but it may still take her the better part of a minute to get up unless she has some telekinetic tricks to propel herself up faster. And with the ability to make such leaps, she manages it just fine in a little under fifteen seconds. She has at least two ends for rope that she took up with her, and after another ten seconds once she gets to the top, she can easily find a place to tie off those ropes and help two at a time make the climb. That would leave King as the last one up, holding off the forces coming at everyone in short order. He seems perfectly ready and willing to do this though.
Esme gives a two-finger salute to Sofia, “You got it.” She turns to help keep watch on the trees while Sofia ascends. “Viv and Kaelyn should go up first, then Nemi and I, then King?” She suggests to the group without taking her eyes off the trees.
Kaelyn hesitates as her name was amongst the first group called. Her eyes dart to King and then back to Esme with a nod, steeling herself. “Got it.” She states, waiting for Vivian to go first, or seeing if Vivian would go first.
Sofia turns over her shoulder after she makes the scramble up to see the rustle of the forest below. She frowns a bit and then sets the pair of lines up in short order. The knots may not be the tightest or the best suited to climbing, as she anchors them off to boulders behind her, but she makes up for this by bracing each of the ropes around her arms, ready to pull up the first group in tandem when they ascend.
Vivian grunts. “I don’t want to leave King last…” She complains. “No man left behind, you know?” She muses softly. But deciding that arguing would be detrimental to the whole operation, she decides to go first. “Come on, Kae. Last get to the top is, uh…” She ponders. “Whatever, just don’t take too long!” She shouts. “And you too, Esme, Nemi.” To King she throws a glance. “Get up here, fast, old man.” She mutters beneath her breath.
And with everything said? It was time to climb.
Kaelyn grins at the challenge, at least moving in to climb up after. “I think they used to say rotten egg.” She hums to Vivian before sparing one last look to King, but it was better to be out of the way.
There are TWO ropes. Two people go up at a time. Kaelyn and Vivian have been called as first team. So they get to try to scramble up the side of the cliff, thankfully with the assistance of the rope. Meanwhile, King kneels ready to start shooting the incoming trees, with Nemi and Esme ready to help on the ground till Kaelyn and Vivian are clear. “Get up there and prepare to provide long range support!” he barks toward Vivian and Kaelyn to try to get them moving. “I only got two speeds, and the other’s slower!” he calls back after being called an old man.
As Vivian and Kaelyn start working their way up though, a trio of crimson barks have been released from the ground with another deafening noise of rubble rocks cracks and falls around their bases. Once all three are free, they turn and find the three at the base of the cliff and start shambling closer. “Faster, faster would be better,” he calls to the others, still perfectly content to make his stand alone if necessary as long as the rest get up the cliff. That is his job to anyone in the Order, as a Shieldbearer, especially as the Ex Master Shieldbearer. He leads by example, even without the title.
Esme levels her crossbow at the shambling trees, lining up a shot and ready to take it if necessary while Vivian and Kaelyn start their climb.
Sofia can’t really hear too well what’s going down below, the echoes making it harder to make out distinct words. But when she feels tension on her lines, she begins pulling upwards with each arm, none to gingerly, digging her heels into the ground and starting to pull the pair of woman up simultaneous to their climb, coiling the ropes around her forearms to take up the slack and continuing to YANK upwards.
Kaelyn gets thrown off a little bit by the sudden pull but adjusts quickly enough, gripping into the rope as her boots dig into the side of the cliff. She is too focused on the climb that she doesn’t notice the trouble below until she pulls herself onto the edge. Standing back from the edge she peeks down at the group down below. A wince. “One rope clear!”
Kaelyn is off to the races as soon as she gets to the rope, barely even slowly down as she practically runs up the first ten feet or so of the cliff before really needing the rope at all. Unfortunately, that sudden jerk on the line causes Sofia’s grip to slip on the pair of ropes, leading to Vivian’s rope falling out of Sofia’s hands. This leaves Vivian trying to clamber up the rope without any upward assistance. Kaelyn’s rope becomes available about thirty seconds later, meaning Esme or Nemi can start up it as soon as it is clear and dropped back down. Vivian sadly goes slow and steady, which gets her to the top a full minute after Kaelyn.
King keeps his eyes on the trees though, not worried about the ropes and who is where on them. He has mental lines and trajectories in his eyes, waiting for the right moment for the crimson barks to cross into his range for him to start shooting. He has been avoiding this to keep from alerting the entire level as to their presence, but if worse comes to worse, he is prepared to start the fight with bullets instead of fists.
As the rope slips through her palm, Sofia hisses out, a bit of rope burn as she tenses her hand. She nods to Kaelyn, saying, “Good of you to join us!” She tosses the rope back on down to Esme, and tells the second to reach the top, “Here, help me brace Esme’s line, Viv’s on her way up, it’ll go quicker with two of us!”
Esme falls back, wasting no time in holster her bow so she can latch on to the rope and start trying to climb up as fast as she can.
Kaelyn nods taking the rope and glad to be of some use. Though nowhere near as strong she holds onto the rope, digging her heels into the ground as a sudden weight takes hold of the rope from below.
yelps in horror as Vivian nearly plummets to her death, she holds onto tightly breathing in and out, it is clear the girl is not well-trained, despite some innate strengths that she posses, she is breathing intently. And she continues her climb, hopefully without falling off completely. Muttering prayers, to what one can assume Jesus, and God, Christian God.
Esme shoots up the line like her life and her ex-boyfriend’s life depends on it. With Kaelyn taking Vivian’s line and Sofia taking Esme’s, the assistance is more evenly divided and thus, both can make much better progress. Nemi is able to get onto Esme’s line, just as the trees get within King’s imagined range. His revolver starts barking and echoing throughout the crystalline valley like a literal cannon being fired inside of an enclosed room. If there were noises from wind and chimes and animals, all of them dissipate entirely in concussive blast that is a simple revolver shooting in this space. It sounds utterly foreign to everything that exists in this place. So foreign indeed, that those on the cliff can see some Guardian Statues in the distance below the cliff turning toward where the sound started. The bullets however, are actually super effective against the crystalline structure of the crimson barks. The first bullet blasts off a new arm limb, the second shatters a bowling ball sized chunk out of the trunk. The third manages to finish severing the trunk to cause it to tip over in front of one of the other crimson barks. He looks back, sees Nemi struggling and pulls her over to the free rope to tie a harness around her in what is strangely practiced ease and speed. He activates one of his charms, then touches the rope again, and shouts, “Pull’r up!” Then he looks over at Vivian’s line as soon as she clears the top. He scrambles to get a hold of the line with it comes back down, slipping his revolver into a holster and letting his shield dangle on his arm. “Up up, and shoot the other two,” he shouts to those up top, starting his own struggle to get up the cliff face.
Esme pulls herself up, breath only slightly labored. “Fuckin’ hell.” She groans, rolling and shifting up on to her knees so she can re-arm her crossbow and start firing shots off the trees below.
Vivian coughs and heaves as she reaches the top. Her very being is shaking as there are tears swelling on her eyes. “Oh God, I nearly fell- God..” She is musing under her breath, trying to get herself out of her shocked state, while tangible words are slowly replaced by a low snarl, perhaps a growl even.
Nemi yelps, climbing up and over the ledge with the assistance as she winces. “Ow…. I should have packed a lighter shield-” She states, catching her breath after the extreme climb –
Sofia is starting to get a little winded finally, and it shows, a bit of sweat breaking on her brow as she moves to haul the last man in the group along with her, and the biggest one. She gets distracted as shots begin to rain down at the monsters below, and her grasp on the rope slips slightly, causing her to yelp. With King alone left to be brought up, she takes a different approach, letting her muscles take a bit of a break to just mundanely carry up the slack in the line, while applying a bit of telekinetic force beneath him to get him up the fancy way, lest Bark-E-Bark and the Crystal Bunch amassing below take a pass at the man.
“But, you didn’t,” Kaelyn says helpfully to Vivian, “Glad you made it up in one piece.” She goes quiet with the realization that something is going wrong. Without a weapon of any kind she scrambles to the edge, peering over. Watching the as the man gets sort of… suck? Looking back at Sofia she grabs the rope with King still on it, a questioning look in her eyes and ready to take her own shot at pulling him up, preferably with help.
Nemi rushes over to Kaelyn, getting ready as she grabs the rope, if Sofia has this their assistance wouldn’t be needed. But just incase she was there, not going to stand by and be a useless slouch through this whole thing.
While King is not all that athletic, Sofia is actually capable. Between her powers and strength, she at least gets King out of the danger zone of the crimson barks that remain. Even as shots rain down to pelt them and make them angrier. It takes King longer than anyone else to get to the top, but he manages to take his time with it only after getting out of reach thanks to Sofia. Eventually, when he does get to the top, he rolls off onto the ground and then says, “Next time, someone bring an extension ladder,” while panting and trying to catch his breath. Rather than make anyone cut the ropes though, he gets up and over to Nemi and tugs at the loose end to pull the entire harness apart like shibari magic in action. He looks over the edge then and down at the crimson barks trying, and subsequently, utterly failing to climb the cliff. “Everyone alright? Any cuts’r bruises or anything?” he asks, looking around.
Unbeknowst to the team, at least two people bled on the cliff face on the way up. Both have regeneration and may not have even noticed in the adrenaline-fueled madness. And that blood has started to spread crimson veins across the entire cliff face…
Once King is up, Esme pulls back the crossbow and pushes up to her feet. “All good here.” She rakes a hand through her hair, trying to take advantage of the height to get an idea of where they should go next.
Sofia leans down and puts her hands to her knees, huffing and puffing once King makes it over the surface, and chiding him, “Goddamn man, do you eat anything other than peanut butter, banana, and bacon sandwiches? How was that… so hard?” She wipes at her brow with the back of her hand, then straightens up, scanning the horizon for the monastery in the distance–both further up the mountain, and on the opposite one.
Vivian shakes her head. “I’m fine, I’m really fine, I think…” She breathes in and out, looking up at Kaelyn, and then at King, smiling softly. “I think I’m fine, let’s keep going.” She softly mused. “A bit doozy, but- I think I’ll live.” She breaths through her nose. “I’m calm.” She reiterates. “We ought to keep going, maybe the monastery is close…”
“Well, darlin’, I got a little extra paddin’, but also,” King says, patting his stomach first, but then also revealing the survival pack (probably a good 20-30 pounds), his rope collection (at least another 10 pounds), and finally, some comm equipment, just in case (which is at least another 10 pounds). “I didn’t come down here expectin’ the danged trees to come after us and need a cliff-side evac,” he follows up with before shrugging his shoulders. “That was probably the least dangerous way to find out bleedin’s a danged problem down here though,” he assures Kaelyn, offering her a comforting grip on her shoulder. “No one got hurt neither. Best surprise ambushes go that way,” he offers her for verbal assurance. “Now where we goin’?” he asks, finally looking around to take stock of his surroundings.
The cliff levels off for a good fifty feed along the edge, but then on the other side, it starts plateauing up toward a mountain in the distance. An entire mountain, in this subterranean city between. Though a more careful observation of said mountain would notice a ring of black clouds around its peak, suggesting it is not just a mountain, but a volcano. There is always a volcano for the dramatic, climactic battle between martial arts masters after all. But now that everyone can look out at the valley and along the cliff edge without being blocked by trees and such, the wolf shaped monastery is actually … really easy to spot. It is straight down along the cliff face and maybe five miles away. While it might take an hour or two to reach, hopefully nothing else tries to kill anyone during that time.
With nearly silent movements, the rocks in the cliff face covered in red veins starts to extricate itself from its own rocky prison, first one leg, then another, and another. Soon, weight rocky legs have emerged and start to pull its spidery form out of the face. Its movements are quiet, and all but completely inaudible at the top of the cliff’s edge. But then another spider forms near it. And a third. And a fourth…
Nemi turns and nods softly. “Well…. we know where we gotta go now right?” She asks curiously as she looks towards the others, motioning to the very obvious monastery. “Cause that seems like quite the obvious destination.??”
Nemi turns and nods softly. “Well…. we know where we gotta go now right?” She asks curiously as she looks towards the others, motioning to the very obvious monastery. “Cause that seems like quite the obvious destination?”(fix).
Relief seemed to spread as everyone was safely up the cliff. Giving a little shake of her head at someone question Kaelyn, holds up the once bloody finger. Well, it still probably wasn’t great but at least not a new thing. The reassurances, however, seemed to do the opposite as it hadn’t actually clicked that the tree friends were her fault. “Just wanted to test to see how sharp they were. If something with flesh caused then there would have been blood so… something else did all that?”
Relief seemed to spread as everyone was safely up the cliff. Giving a little shake of her head at King’s question Kaelyn, holds up the once bloody finger. Well, it still probably wasn’t great but at least not a new thing. The reassurances, however, seemed to do the opposite as it hadn’t actually clicked that the tree friends were her fault. “Just wanted to test to see how sharp they were. If something with flesh caused then there would have been blood so… something else did all that?”
“Maybe some other sort of creatures or…the guardians got into it?” Esme speculates with uncertainty, looking out over the valley and nodding. “Yeah, that looks like where we gotta go.” She agreed. “I say we haul ass and get over there. God I wish I could fly. Would make shit so much easier sometimes.”
“That’s a hike,” Sofia turns back to Nemi and nods a couple of times. “So I guess we better start now. Didn’t think this’d be so far off but…” She dips her head to King with a little grin, “At least someone came well prepared with supplies. God knows I didn’t.” She starts to shimmy along the cliff face energetically and focused on the wolf-shaped monastery in the distance, all but oblivious to the spidery danger lurking behind them.
Vivian lets out a low whimper. “I knew I should’ve asked for more details before heading out, but at least I didn’t come completely empty-handed.” She smiles weakly. “I’d say that aside from nearly dying while climbing, this has been a nice trip.” She pointedly ignores the fleshy red trees that the party encountered, assuredly a coping mechanism.
“Once we know where to go, maybe we can setup a mirrorgate to get back easier?” King offers to the others as a way to make it a little less problematic. But with that, the team does now know where they are going at least. And so they set off along the cliff toward the wolf monastery. For the sake of time, it takes about ninety minutes, but most everyone will be plenty tuckered by the time they get there. While nothing immediately comes after the team, they are hardly out of danger by any stretch of the imagination. From their vantage point along the way, they can see lots more destruction in the valley, like someone went through and nearly wrecked the whole place. The guardian statues watch the team, but never seem to actually move at any point.
And those rock spiders start working on webs along the cliff face to help the crimson barks make their way up the cliff side once the team has gone around a bend and can no longer really see the place there they climbed up. Once the red animated trees have scaled the rock face, the spiders and trees start moving out, following the team with obvious intent, but staying back far enough to remain hidden as much as possible.
Kaelyn was quickly learning that fun hiking trips and climbing around cliffs were a vastly different animal. She follows the pace of the group, once or twice rolling up the sleeves of her flannel before remembering and covering temporally bared arms. Sweat blooms along her hairline and… other places, but with the blood beasts far behind them she seems to actually enjoy this part on some level. Sure, her head was on a swivel and sure, she kept scenting the air, but there was something about using her body that brought satisfaction.
Everyone gets well acquainted with Esme’s foul-mouthed muttering by the time they reach the end of their destination. She’s tired and sore and even with the light breeze blowing periodically through the area, she still feels like she just ran through a jungle. She tries to keep most of her griping to herself largely, continuing to keep an eye out on the path ahead just in case there’s more danger.
Sofia for her part breathes measuredly, huffing along, quite casual and dressed quite well for the heat. She’s not shy about taking the lead and feeling out paths on the way to the monastery, redirecting where there’s unstable conditions, but not seeming terribly chatty, just focused on getting there with everyone more or less in one piece.
Nemi hums softly, this hike for her was easy, a countryside girl who had to walk around a city and used to hike a lot? AND fight with heavy gear? Well this should have been easy but after that run everything’s just…. slower now really, heavier, she hated this place.
was actually pretty used to hiking, and although climbing left her pretty tattered, the background in walking in forested areas and generally, going on long hikes. Left the girl without complaints on this trip. She was tired, and seating, but by no means she felt out of her elements, everyone suddenly got acquainted with a very, VERY detailed explanation of Floridian bugs that Vivian encountered as a child, she dumped the information, layers and layers of it for everyone’s ears to hear.
“And that’s why you never touch a spider when you’re out in the forst, I mean. You heard the story right? How you save a spider’s life and then you get to climb out of hell by a silver thread of that spider?… No? Anyone?” She looks around.
Sweating, rather than seating, handler of Vivian might be a bit tired…
Along the way, King does his best to keep spirits high, breaking out cadence jokes, telling stories, and genuinely trying to be the party dad to keep everyone moving forward. He trudges along as heavily as anyone else might, but he almost seems to enjoy it on a weird level. While he is not marching exactly, he does produce a steady rhythm with his footfalls, trying to make sure that if he is the slowest (and he is) at least it is at a steady pace. Every so often though, he stops, when his “bein’ watched” senses tingle. He looks around, trying to figure out who is triggering that itch and from where. But while he absolutely knows for a fact someone is looking at him, he cannot find the source. The way his nose crinkles after each one of these stops suggests he cannot detect them in other ways either, and it grates on his nerves.
When finally the team ends up near the wolf-shaped monastery, they find a set of stone stairs carved into the plateauing cliffs that actually leads up to base level where the monastery entrance actually is.
“I think I know more ’bout Florida than I ever cared to know, Viv.” Esme comments to Vivian with some breathless amusement. She eyes those cliff-stairs like they’re her mortal enemy. “Someone carry me.” She laments, giving her legs an extra bit of a stretch as she tries to skim the area behind them but doesn’t see anything.
“If you touch a spider you get thrown in hell?” Kaelyn asks of Vivian clearly lost on whatever story was being told, but trying. When the stairs are spotted she pulls to a little stop. Look at that. They made it. For now.
Nemi chuckles softly as she looks towards Esme. “Maybe, I can drag you by turning my shield into a sled but that Might be bumpier of a ride.”
Vivian blushes as Esme calls out her stories. “Sorry, I like talking a lot but I never really get the chance to.” She quietly muses, looking back at Kaelyn. “No, If you touch the spider IN hell, you get sent to hell.” She explains to her as they make their way to the monastery, bringing both of her hands to her hips. “Alright, guys, we’re here.” She looks back at Esme, bringing a hand to her chin. “I carried a girl before in my arms, I was convinced beyond belief that it was in fact, not gay to do so.” She elaborates to Esme. “So, I could do it!” She breathes in and out.” Just give me a moment I have to catch my breath, too…”
Kaelyn shakes her head still not quite wrapping her head around it, “But, if you are alrea-” She snaps her mouth shut with another shake of her head, “I’ll ask later.” Padding closer she looks at the shield and back around. “If you’re talking about it being a sleigh…” She gives a small shrug, “Might be easier with for paw drive.”
Sofia turns back to the group as she arrives at the bottom of the steps, grinning and seeming more than ready to carry on. She shrugs between Vivian and Esme and says, carefree, “All this focus on being gay! Who cares? Do whatever feels right in the moment, who gives a shit if people think it’s gay?” She begins jogging up the steps casually, still plenty of pep in her step as the resident athlete of the group. “Let’s go see the retired wolf lady!”
“I carry gals in my arms all the time. Totally not gay either,” King says with a sneering grin toward Vivian, but then he collapses at the base of the stairs near Esme. “If someone’s draggin’ Esme, come back fer me on round two,” he says, despite his attempts to maintain everyone else’s spirits, his own stamina gave out first. But after a couple of minutes catching his breath, he rolls back onto his knees then gets up onto his feet. He offers Esme a hand up and says, “Ok, let’s get up the stairs and see what might be in this wicked lookin’ monastery.
About half a mile back, an assemblage of spiders, two crimson barks, and a couple if infused bushes follow along behind the group. They are no longer just rushing forward, but with the coordinated lead of the spiders, they are being stealthy and methodical. And much like a spider, they seem intent on building a trap rather than attacking outright.
(Fixing) About half a mile back, an assemblage of spiders, two crimson barks, and a couple if infused bushes follow along behind the group. They are no longer just rushing forward, but with the coordinated lead of the spiders, they are being stealthy and methodical. And much like a spider, they seem intent on building a trap rather than attacking outright.
Esme laughs softly, pushing a hand through her hair, “It’s all good, I’ll survive.” She assures those who offered to carry her. “Climbing the stairs is easier than sledding them going up.” She accepts the hand from King, hauling herself back to her feet with a grimace. “Thanks.” She takes an extra beat and then starts up the stairs, trying to get that second wind.
Nemi chuckles softly, she opens a disposable canteen, drinking the remaining water from it with a grimace as she sighs softly. “Well that’s the last of that one…” She states as she puts it into her bag with a soft sigh.
“I care, because I’m christian!” Vivian explains to Sofia, bringing a hand to her own chest, her tone defensive, while her other hand vaguely waves around, but in the end? She lets it go, ready to climb up with the rest of the team. Only, she sees King in the back. “I think we got two retired wolves here.” She adds to Sofia’s comment, deciding to stick around and if needed – help him up. “Come on, old man. You can’t organize the whole expedition and then be the last one to climb up the stairs.” She has a thin smile on her face. “So keep climbing, wouldn’t ya?” She gives him small pep talk, as if urging to keep going.
Vivian says “I’ll carry some of the gear if need be.“
Nemi nods softly in agreement. “Yeah- We can carry a bit in all honesty- I know I can carry some….”
Kaelyn ends up trailing close to the back of the group, not quite helping the old man, but keeping a little bit of an eye on him. Despite her own damnable, youthful energy urging her to go a bit faster. Her eyes are drawn back to the cliff every now and then.
“Ah, so you’re just repressed,” Sofia prods back at Vivian, tapping the side of her nose as she turns around mid stride to ascend the stairs backwards. “Recovering Catholic here, I know how it is.” In this moment, she seems to spot the creeping assembly moving up behind them, saying, “We’ve got more company a ways out guys, c’mon, let’s make it to the top, do our business, and get out of here…” She claps her hands a couple of times, still hustling upwards.
“Retired? I led a hunt last night, I’ll have ya know. And we scored a bunch’v parts, which are safely in a Lodge vault now,” King replies to Vivian with a scoff and a huff before motioning for Esme to go first, then following behind her. Totally not to look at her posterior. Even if he does. “I go last because I’m a shield. Ya got the Master Sword in front and the Ex Master Shield in back. This is all as it should be,” he declares, though one might also consider he is the Grand Master of the Lodge and probably should be in front too. But he seems content to lead from behind. Where he can see everything in front of him.
It does not actually take all that long to get to the top of the stairs, regardless of order. And here is a small plateau there with a large, crystalline farm in front of the monastery. The building itself is rather large, but the wolf shape is actually basically an illusion of architecture, built to make it look wolf-like at certain angles with different shaped crystals and rocks put together to make the shape more so than actual rooms to make it look the part. So the tip of the howling wolf nose is actually just a tower with an awning around it like a skirt then a pair of crystalline triangles for ears. While it is creative and winding to achieve this, it is still just basic architecture and nothing overly special up close. The wolf symbols and motif are quite strong around it though, with stained glass depictions of wolves, werewolves, humans turning into one of those, various phases of the moon, and such decorate the exterior. The front door is gilded in gold-colored rocks with silver crystal windows in black rock in planks to form a twenty-foot high, thirty-foot across entrance into the main courtyard within. It will take a fair bit of strength to manage to open such a door, as it is bound to be unbelievably heavy. And the occupants would have to be giants for those proportions to be maintained.
Sofia points back to King and protests, “Stelle’s the master sword, I’m just, swordly. Sword-ish. Sword adjacent. I don’t even own any swords, just bats.” She stares up at the giant doors, then looks back at the group and says, “Part of me wants to knock, but also… what if I just…” She grins and takes it as a personal challenge to her strength to see if she can open the doors up, searching for handles and trying to tug them open wide. A giant she is not, but damn if she doesn’t enjoy solving problems with dumb brute force.
When Sofia comments about company, Esme looks over and vaguely spots what she’s talking about. There’s a frown and a sigh, “Yeah, hustle it is.” Though once they get to the top itself there’s a mixture of resignation and wonderment. Appreciating the architecture, but not sure how they’re going to get inside. Until, of course, Sofia just tries opening it up and she looks a bit hopeful even!
A low breath expels from Kaelyn as they reached the top of the stairs, her eyes wandered over the architecture vaguely wondering how someone managed to make the shape. Though that was lost as she looked back to the creepy crawlies, now that they were pointed out. She shifts on her feet, not quite a prance but on edge. “It was a good hunt.” Came the murmur half heartedly.
Vivian hums as she gets a reaction out of King, more than happy. She tries her best to act like Sofia’s prodding did not get a rise out of her however, failing to hide a pout. “Whatever.” She answers, climbing up the stairs.
Even if the architecture is nothing special, she is amazed, making a few twirls and spins as she looked around, taking in the beautiful imagery, though looking back at the threat everyone is talking about, she lets out a soft sigh. “Let’s hope she won’t be too angry with us leading the trunkers here….”
Thankfully, these doors are not the weight of solid stone, or the entire group would not be able to budge the approximate ten ton door. But they are still heavy enough that Sofia is not opening that door on her own. The door does not even budge a little when it is pushed. There is a knocker made of golden stone, a ring hanging from a golden wolf’s headat normal human eye level and a much larger one way up and what would likely be giant eye level. The door knob is about midway between the two (roughly ten feet up and the size of a loveseat).
King takes his position bringing up the rear until it is clear Sofia cannot open the door. He finally steps forward and touches the knocker. As soon as he does so a chime like a howl on a breeze rings out, and the door opens, swinging on grindy hinges into the place to allow admission. He shrugs at Sofia and says, “Knockin’s always best, right?” That allows a view of the courtyard within, which is a combination of a Zen sand garden, a rock garden, and an actual herb garden all rolled together. And done with crystals and rocks instead of actual plants. “After y’all,” he offers to the group, glancing around at the outside as he feels like he is being watched again, frowning as a low growl rumbles in his chest.
Esme lingers in the back, keeping an eye in the distance on the direction they came from. When the doors swing open she turns her attention back to follow the group inside, keeping an eye and ear out for any signs of inhabitants
Nemi nods softly, smiling warmly as she chuckles softly. Walking in she peaks around, nodding as she lets out a soft ‘woah’, it looked quite amazing in her opinion. “This place really is zen….” She stated with well, enough obvious force to kill a bull. She hums softly, looking around for anyone or any signs of damage the village shared.
Sofia huffs out a bit in disappointment and mutters, “Goddamn giants. But…” She glances over at the doors respectfully, after having met her match. “A good workout at least. Rare.” She crosses her arms and crosses into the garden with the group, asking King and the others in general, “Think she’s home?”
Kaelyn pads in with the rest of the group, the howling chime sending a shiver rolling down her spine. Not unpleasant, but tickling the back of her mind. It made a certain amount of sense she supposed. The garden drew her attention, the woman creeping forward to crouch next to the herbs for a better look.
Vivian liked the sound of the chime, almost hypnotized by it as she closed her eyes, it felt like the girl was about to fall asleep right and there, but after she hears the majority of the party walking away, she decides to follow after them.
“Not home, but I have been following you,” comes a void from behind the group, as in, from outside the front door after everyone has filed into the courtyard. Behind the group is a new figure, who may as well have appeared out of thin air for all anyone knows. She stands about seven feet tall, massively muscular but in that chiseled but not grotesque fashion. Her form is that of a wolf, but standing on two paws. Her hands still have opposable thumbs, but also have claws. Her fur is gray with lines of black, and white around the paws and front torso. “Don’t often get visitors. Or trespassers,” she says through her muzzled snout. She then starts walking forward through the crowd and says, “Welcome to the Howling Monastery. What brings you here?” She continues on across the courtyard toward one of the normal sized doors there and opens it to allow everyone else in if they want. She lets out a whistle, which is strangely difficult without human lips to accomplish, and the outer door slides closed behind the group.
void = voice
Vivian has her gaze linger on the woman briefly. “Um.” She looks around. “We kind of came here for knowledge, or at least something that could help the Lodge in the future, situation hasn’t been that well for us.” She tilts her head from side to side. “Most of us are new blood, so we’re still trying to get the hang of it.” That’s about the best way she could put it to the massive wolf… Woman?
Esme turns away from the zen garden area she was peering at and focuses on the new arrival. She blinks once, subtly tensed as she watches her walk to the normal set of doors on the other side. She glances to the group and then back. “Are you Madison Fairfield?” She asks curiously after Vivian states their purpose, starting to follow toward the doors.
Sofia pivots over to face the big wolf and has momentary pause, but when there’s words rather than attacking right off the bat, she seems to relax and thumbs over to King, saying, “We’re here so this fella can get some advice. From you, I think, you seem to fit the bill.” She pauses then reassures, “We’re not here to cause any trouble or take anything, just chat.” There’s a couple nods to Vivian and Esme in agreement.
Kaelyn peeks up as the sounds comes from behinds the group, almost but not quite tumbling into the ‘plants’. Another shiver travels down her spine at the appearance of this old wolf, this was closer to what she had imagined in the past when people spoke of werewolves. Standing, she watches the wolf move through the area. Kaelyn nose lifts trying to catch the scent of the woman, letting the others speak for them.
Nemi has her eyes widen…m remembering shifting class, well this was either a very old or very experienced werewolf. She chose both options, giving a small respectful bow to the elder wolf out of respect and maybe a bit of fear as she refused to pipe in even a tiny bit.
King turns around with his shield up when the wolf woman made her presence known. But she wandered past him without seeming to care much that he had it, let alone brandished it. While he lets the others talk, he waits for the answer to Esme’s question first, which is given a single nod by the wolf woman. At which point, King steps forward and does the bow thing like a student to a respected master. When he rises from that, he tells Madison, “I am the appointed Grand Master of the Lodge in New Haven. And I am woefully inadequate for the task. I came seeking lessons to help me fit into the role.” Everyone else might have their reasons to be here, but that is, ultimately, the reason he is here and put the expedition together.
Madison, hybrid werewolf shifter, stares at King for several moments, one eyebrow and one ear cocked in curiosity. Then she looks at the others, slowly reading each member presented as if it is plain as day how skilled, martially speaking, each one is. “So the city shifted again, and now someone new is trying to take the reins before they are ready,” she muses thoughtfully before licking her snout. “Well, we will have to work out a deal,” she says to him before studying Vivian and Kaelyn a few moments more. “Privately,” she adds as she looks back to King. “There’s a mirror in here, so your escort can leave. We have much to discuss. And you will be returning. Often,” she tells him, but with a glance toward Vivian and Kaelyn too, as if to suggest they will be joining him.
And with that, contact has been made with an elder wolf in Shangri-La. Which is, technically, mission accomplished. What will come of the rock spiders, crimson barks, and bushlings? Who knows. For the time being though, King, Vivian, and Kaelyn will have plenty to do without others around to nose into Lodge proceedings. The beatings will likely commense until morale and martial talent rise.