P.S.S. "The Legend Of The Primal Keys"::Ch.2 a- The Truth [IC]

[Chim]

Trystane turned around when he heard a horse and fell a breath in his neck. He took a step back to watch… a black stead. It reminded him a bit of Onyx and a small smile showed on his face. “Hey there,” Trystane said petting the horse’s neck. "You’re a beautiful creature, aren’t you? Where did you come from?” It was a habit Trystane had developed over the years. He always started a one sided conversation with a horse, even though he knew it probably wouldn’t understand him.

[Supernovae]

Maximus looked around bewildered. He'd dug the hole quite deep, but the Earth shouldn't be able to break his shovel here. He bent down and began digging, trying to uncover what it was that broke his shovel.

[Sutoratosu]

"Oh great..." Black Jack muttered. "Here comes to condescending simple talk, like I'm just some dumb animal to be tamed and used..."

The Shadow Mare set his attention to Aaron as the young man stood silently mulling over something in his mind. He glanced back at Logan.

"You know what?" he said. "If this is the type of patronizing you're going to show towards me, then fuck you, good sir, and fuck this whole conversation too. I'm going to go see the Nix Killer over there."

All Trystane heard was a curt snort. then the Horse seemed to get angry and walk away from him, heading towards Aaron... Was it just him, or was that horse moving quite fast compared to other steeds? it seemed to almost be dancing across the shadows in the night. And then Trystane's own wondering was answered when he saw the Horse disappear suddenly as it stepped into the shadow of Ko'Luki's home, shooting across the road and into Aaron's own shade. The thing seemed to ripple like water as Black Jack re-emerged from Dark Trotting, pulling himself back into this plain of existence right behind where the Key Bearer stood. if anyone else had been watching, all they would've see was a pitch black horse with silver eyes appearing behind him out of nowhere.

The Shadow Mares are a strange race of Horse, one must understand. They do not simply trott and jog and gallop every where. oh no no no, they are far to special for that mediocrity... Instead, they get from point A to Point B by Dark Trotting, most easily compared to how humans used Light Walking. just like Black Jack had just done to sneak up on Aaron.

"Hey, you there..." he said.

Aaron was broken out of his chain of thought as he heard the voice. he looked around, trying to identify the speaker. "Who...where?"

"Behind you..."

He turned to find Black Jack standing there. He took a few steps back, a bit surprised to find the horse there.

"You?" He asked, a bit surprised... "Did you... just talk?" it seemed far fetched, but there didn't look to be any other explanation.

"Yes, I just talked..." The horse answered, rolling his eyes. "All us horses talk... but that's not important. You just burned all those Nix down to nothing, right?"

"Yes, but..."

"Well congrats," Black Jack said, cutting him off. "Because you just got yourselves some new friends; Me and my fellow herd members. quite a few of us got snacked on by the bastards while they were sitting around waiting for god knows who to show up here. We can't keep going on our own; We're too few... so, this is the most mutually beneficial choice. You can provide us the protection we can't give ourselves anymore, and in return we can take you wherever you want, in the blink of an eye. Deal?"

Aaron looked around, unsure of what the hell to say to this... "Um... let me take a rain check on all this..."

He walked over to Trystane, the only other person in the group with any experience with horses. Black Jack Dark Trotted behind him, following him like a shade in the night.

"Hey...I'm probably crazy..." he began. "But tell me, do you hear this horse talking?"

"Oh lord..." Black Jack sighed. "Why are you going to go ask this guy? of course he's going to say that he can't... patronizing bastard..." This time, however, Trystane did not hear a snort... he heard what Black Jack was actually saying. unbeknownst to either of the three of them, the glyph on Aaron's right hand was blazing to life.

***

The Metalic Object hinged open as Maximus pulled it up, revealing a small hatch leading down into darkness... it smelled of Death and Decay. Something could be heard moving around down below, something that screeched and hissed and moaned. Then he heard the sounds of claws scrapping against metal, and he realized that there was a small iron ladder leading down... and that whatever was down there, was heading right for him.

[Chevaleresse]

Matrim set the guitar down and retrieved the axe from his belt as quickly as possible. "I don't like the sound of that."

[Supernovae]

Maximus wanted to jump down and have a look. Oh, he wanted to go down there and see whatever it was that was making that noise. But, something inside of him said to hold off. Perhaps it was the smell of death and decay emanating from the opened hatch or perhaps it was the fact that he'd seen more than enough death for one day. Whatever it was that told him to close the hatch though was strong enough to make him listen.

The Ekarder slowly closed the hatch he'd just opened, careful to make as little noise as possible, then stood atop the hatch. He looked up to Matrim who had apparently also heard the sound. "Get something heavy bard. We have to lock this thing in."

[Chevaleresse]

"Dirt is plenty heavy. Let's make a mound for Rodriguez instead." Matrim looked about for a tool to move the dirt with. "Ko'luki, you don't mind if we tear up your yard a bit, do you?"

[K_H]

"No, go ahead and tear up my yard. It'll just get flattened the next time i do HED Tests."

[Chim]

Trystane watched in awe as the horse disappeared and reappeared using the shadows. It was the first time he saw something like that and he wondered how the horse did it.

“Hey… I’m probably crazy… But tell me, do you hear this horse talking?”

Trystane found it a rather strange question for Aaron to ask. He chuckled a bit before answering. “Of course I don’t hea- wait a minute! Did you just talk?” he asked surprised. “And what’s with the ‘patronizing bastard’ comment?” A big smile showed on Trystane's face. It was clear that the hunter didn't care about what the horse said, but was more excited that he was able to hear it.

[Supernovae]

Maximus nodded at the bard. He quickly climbed out of the hole and started to push the dirt that had built up form him digging.

[Chevaleresse]

Locating another shovel and a wheelbarrow, Matrim set to work. "I'll get some cartloads of dirt to pile on there."

[Snap Crackle Pop]

Octavia had found herself a spot to sit on the ground, and so she sat, talking an inventory check of her items with her scythe to the right of her, being very easy to grab on short notice, seeing at how those Nix from earlier had almost appeared out of nowhere. She was getting fed up with standing around and doing nothing while the funeral was being held, with the limited time they had and the fact that she probably wouldn't have this much idle time for a while, she wanted to do what she could preparation wise for whatever was going to happen. Having already paid her respects in her head for Rodriguez the rest now was just ceremony- and she decided to leave it to Maximus because he knew the deceased best. She also paid her respects to the others who had died in the city tonight, or perhaps more accurately, the city that has died tonight. With all the craziness this day has brought, she wasn’t going to question the horse that she could have sworn just melted out of the shadows in her peripheral vision just now…. Well, okay, that did catch her attention, but she wasn’t too fazed by it.

[Sutoratosu]

"Ooh!' Black jack said. "So now you can understand me! and then you're still gonna question as to whether or not I'm intelligent enough for actual speech! Alright, I see how it is that you work. you know what though? I don't like you." He then turned to Aaron.

"So what, kid?" he demanded. "You going to take my rather generous offer, or should me and my friends just amscray?"

"Um... well, how many of you are there?" Aaron asked, still a bit confused about this whole situation.

"Enough, either take it or leave it." Blackjack said. Aaron took a moment to weigh out the pros cons... of the latter, he couldn't really see any that would be a deal breaker. Blackjack was getting impatient and began to trot away, however.

"Wait!" Aaron called, catching up to the horse. "We'll take your offer. where's the rest of you?"

"Ah, splendid then, Nix Slayer." Blackjack chimed cheerfully, as if he hadn't been about to walk out on the proposition a minute ago. "I'll go get the others." with that, he trotted over to the wood line and literally disappeared into the shadows.

***

"That, my brother," White hoove said. "Was freaking genius."

"yes, I know" Blackjack responded as he trotted along towards the clearing. "Bet it would've taken you another hour of just sitting there watching before you even thought of a plan even half as good."

"Yes, well... I got father's leadership skills, you got mother's intellect."

The two fell silent as they came upon the clearing where they had left the rest of their fellow steeds. there were even less here than when White hoove had gone to take a head count.

"Argo!" Whitehoove shouted angrily. "what in the nine hells happened here!? why are more missing now!?"

"I knowith not, lord" answered a black horse with a snow white oval on his head. "I fear that giants may have seized them when I was not looking."

"Giants haven't fucking existed since our kind walked in the sun!" Blackjack interjected.

"Aye, my lord" Argo said, nodding to Blackjack. "But these giants might not be of flesh and blood... perhaps they are wrought of stone and earth and moss... Perhaps they did not know death, but only long slumber...perhaps they are not as tall as three men, but a mountain instead." In response to the foolishness spouting out the other horse's mouth, Whitehoove reared up, kicking the other steed across the face with his front leg.

"This is not a joke, Damn it!" he roared. "Stop this non sense now and fucking answer me!"

"Aye, aye, alright alright..." Argo complained, still reeling from the kick to the face. "good lord, can either of you take a damn joke? I honestly don't know what happened, they were all here one moment, and then the next, a few of them weren't."

"Did they Dark Trot?" Blackjack asked.

"I take offense to you even asking that..." Argo snarled... well, as much as a horse could snarl. "I am the sentry, I think I would notice if someone were to Dark Trot away!"

"Well they obviously got away somehow..." Whitehoove sighed. "Enough...just enough. they're gone now, they're no longer apart of the herd." he looked up, raising his voice to address all those steeds who remained.

"Everyone, we have all been saved by Blackjack's brilliance! come!"

****

As Octavia sat on the ground taking inventory, a toad hopped over to her, eyeing the young woman mysteriously.

"Riiiiiiiiiiib," it croaked. then quick as lightning, it lashed it's tongue out and wrapped the unnaturally long thing around her weapon, pulling it into it's mouth and swallowing it like it was nothing. Then it hopped it away, heading down the road, not showing any sign at all that it had just ingested a six foot weapon. What the hell just happened? would not be enough to even begin to question what just occurred.

[Snap Crackle Pop]

"Riiiiiiiiiiib,"

Octavia's eye's flickered down at the critter, surprised somewhat by the abrupt croak but she gave a sort of half n--

.

.

.

Octavia's eye twitched. She had just seen a city be destroyed by some mysterious light. She was now traveling with a group of barely acquainted strangers with a relatively crazy and possibly suicidal goal in mind. They were just confronted by a demon-thing and had a handful of their allies kidnapped. Oh! And they also just encountered an army of Nix soldiers out of old stories. And this... This.

I'm hallucinating, she thought, looking to her hands, checking for cuts and residue from the plants she was handling moments ago. She looked back at the wretched amphibian that was making it's getaway. I have to be... but...

As far as her knowledge went -which went quite far in regards to plants- she hadn't anything in her possession that induced hallucinations. To double check, Octavia closed her eyes and searched around with her hands the most likely places her scythe would have been placed. And.... It was certainly gone. No other explanation now, she had just watched a toad swallow a 6 foot, bladed pole. Her scythe.

...

What.

She raised her eyes to the thing as it hopped down the road, trying to see if it even had a bulge or anything visually out of the norm with it... It's tongue didn't even seem to fit inside it if she were to go by what just she saw. Octavia couldn't see anything. The scythe clearly wasn't inside it, so she couldn't just lob a rock at it and try to take it back- despite how much she wanted to. That said, it was either destroyed or transported elsewhere or maybe it's bigger on the inside. It might not have been a animal- not one that she knew of anyways. Was it tampered with? By another person? Or something else...? She had to go and see- she had to.

She stood up sharply and was about to proceed after it, seeing at how it wanted her to follow (or so it seemed), but she stopped suddenly, trying to decipher it's motives. If it wanted her to follow, that certainly was a good way to catch her attention. It went after her weapon though. Of all the things to target, it went after her weapon. That was probably the most surefire way to catch her attention, but definitely not the only, so Octavia was now pretty defenseless. For what reason though? Was that intentional? Did it mean well? Was it trying to separate her from the others? For what reason? Was it hostile or...?

Octavia took the bait. She didn't care too much right now, being pulled by her curiosity, and she figured that she could improvise if it was truly a trap. She had in her hand a vial of paralysis poison- a very potent one- and another in quick access in case. Worst come to worst, she could try to chuck it at someone or something and hope that the shattered glass made a wound that could sufficiently allow for the poison to enter the bloodstream. Well. If it even shattered- that was something she always wanted to try actually but never had a real 'test' subject. At the very least it could daze a person- or just piss them off. Regardless. She stalked after, staying a safe distance away and keeping a keen eye on it and her surroundings.

[Sutoratosu]

as Octavia stalked behind the amphibian, the toad leaped up into the air, far higher than one would think possible. It flipped around in the air, pointing it's mouth down towards the earth and letting out a loud roar as a beam of Fire blasted from it's mouth, causing a small crater as it impacted the ground just infront of Octavia, the heat scorching and the light painfully blinding. Dust and smoke were kicked up in copious amounts, restricting view heavily for a few moments.

"Riiiiiiiiiiiiibit!" could be heard as the smoke cleared, revealing the toad sitting on the ground in front of Octavia, eyeing the young woman just as it had before.

"Riiiib! Riiiib! Riiiib!" it croaked gleefully, hoping up and down it what seemed to be joy. That's when Octavia noticed something else right infront of her... behind the toad, in the small crater it had made, sat her scythe... albeit completely different from what it had looked like before. The blade was a solid, fiery scarlet, billiant as the sun, with intricate gold lace carved into it. The handle and pole was gold and silver in color, with vine like, lacing patterns etched onto the surface. Quite simply put, the damn thing looked freaking beautiful now... and it also had a fire-like glow to it. It seemed to radiate with power. If one looked closely, one would notice a series of glyphs all along the scythes head.

"Rib! Rib!" the Magic Toad croaked as it hoped away. It headed over towards Matrim and Swallowed the man's axe whole while he worked on Rodriguez's burial mound, apparently intending to do the same thing to his weapon that it had done to Octavia's. It began hoping a short distance away, intentionally putting itself it the man's line of sight as it did so.

[Chevaleresse]

Matrim nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard the blast behind him, and as a result he almost didn't see the toad hopping placidly away. "What on earth. . . ?" Normally an animal like that wouldn't appear so calm. He followed the amphibian, wondering where it was going.

[Sutoratosu]

"Riiiiiiiib" The Toad bellowed as it through it's head back, opening it's mouth wide as a geyser of water issued forth, blasting hundreds of feet into the air, piercing the scarlet heavens themselves. A small rain shower broke forth from the clouds as a gleaming blue object descended from the stars, landing in front of Matrim's feet with a thick THUNK!! as it rent the earth in two...

Standing embedded in the ground in front of him was an axe... but no ordinary axe, not the one he had wielded before. Oh no no no no... this War axe had a blade that gleamed a bright teal, it's edge sharper than a razor and wickedly curved, Glyphs and various, ancient words long since spoken were engraved on it's face in gold lettering. oppostie the blade of the weapon, the head was carved in a wooden serpent's maw, effectively giving a the armament both a hacking and blunt force that could be used. The handle was wrought in crystalline, blue diamond with silver in an intertwining, double helix fashion. at the end of the handle was yet another carved serpent head, albeit this one was much smaller than the the one opposite the blade. Simply put, the weapon was fearsome and formidable in appearance to say the least.

"Riiiiiiiiiib! Riiiiiiiiiiiiib!" The Toad shouted Pridefully. It hopped away from Matrim and his new weapon, heading over for Trystane. Just as it had before, it swallowed the young hunter's short spear whole, not showing a single sign that it had eaten something so large. it then began to hop a little down the road, again making sure to stay within sight of the weapon's wielder....

"What the hell is that thing?" Aaron asked as he watched the amphibian, eyebrow raised. he turned to Trystane "Did it... did It just swallow your spear?"

[Chim]

“Son of a…“ Trystane started. “How did it do that?” he asked Aaron. Still confused and not waiting for an answer, he started to pursuit the weird frog.

[Sutoratosu]

"Riiiib...." The Toad paused in the middle of the road, staring at Trystane as the young man followed him. Then it opened it's mouth wide. A burst of light could be seen for a few seconds in the back of it's throat, then a harrowing gust of wind issued forth, forcing the young man back as it buffeted him like a twister. When it was finally over, a spear sat embedded in the earth in front of him.

But nothing like the one he had previously wielded. Oh no, this one was topped with golden, crystaline head with an elegantly curved edge lined in Muinnat. Like with all the others before, the blade of it blazed brightly with ancient glyphs and words of power long since last spoken. The Handle was wrought in emerald and silver in an entwining manner much like the handle of Matrim's weapon was. The entire armament glowed with a soft yellow light that pulsated every few seconds.

"How...? What...?" Aaron honestly didn't know what the hell had just happened... first this thing eats something that would be physically impossible for it... and then it spits it back up in a better form? It was an interesting theory to say the least, but there was still the obstacle of how exactly it was possible... though, it could easily be explain by some form of complex magic, a form that he had never seen before, but magic nonetheless.

"Riiib! Riiiiib" The thing croaked insistently. It gazed up at Aaron ominously... and then quick as lightning, lashed out it's tongue and wrapped it around both his hands. He struggled against it's hold, glaring at the creature as it grinned at him. He felt a sharp pain in both his hands, spreading up his arms and making landfall in his chest, forcing him to his knees it was so terrible. The toad let go a few moments later, reeling it's tongue back into it's maw. It hopped away, heading back down the road. Aaron's hands had no trace of saliva on them...strange. He held them up to his face, looking at what the thing might have done...

Both Glyphs were gone from his palms. tiny holes of black filled their place. He looked up at the amphibian as hopped down the road... the little motherfucker had made it off with both the Keys.

"You..." he whispered. Of course this had been some type of trick... just like a few minutes ago. They had walked out of one trap, and directly into another. Aaron couldn't help but be a little miffed, all things considered. at this rate, the planet was royally fucked with the job they were all doing. "I'm going to end you..."

He tried to press his hands together, wincing in pain as he did so. The feeling got worse the closer and closer either got to the other. He kept pressing, however, and finally forced both palms to touch. Then he focused... or at least tried to. A small storm of electric sparks began to crackle from under his fingers as he drew his left palm away from his right, a string of lightning arcing back and forth between the black holes where the Keys once resided. He stood shakily, feeling some type of force fighting him every step of the way, both mentally and physically.

"What's going on?" Eric asked from nearby."What's with you?" Aaron said nothing. he simply concentrated harder, willing the lightning to burst outward and strike the amphibian bastard making it's get away. He was repaid by a painful backlash as the force escaped his control and burned both his hands, sending a stream of silent profanity out of the boy's mouth as he recoiled in pain. His palms were charred and scarred...and he couldn't feel either of them anymore.

"Riiiiiiiiib!!!!!" The toad shouted eagerly. it was waiting just a little ways down the road. it eyed Aaron... and then Trystane, sensing that the wielder was not going to come retrieve his weapons. Aaron, just as it thought, did not move a single muscle, only stood there with smoldering anger in his eyes. He said nothing. it proceeded to look around at the others, curious as to who would come to pick up the latest products of it's handiwork

[Chevaleresse]

Matrim looked in awe at the weapon that sat on the ground before him. "A toad turned that rusty old tool. . . into this?" It was truly a work of art, and almost made one forget the true purpose of the thing. He moved closer to the axe, still staring at where it laid on the ground. "This deserves a song, but how does one compose about a magical toad without sounding entirely absurd?"

[K_H]

Ko'luki noticed the Toad, and decided to walk over to it, as he'd seen what had happened with the other people's weapons. he was curious about what would happen...

Edited September 24, 2014 by K_H

[Chevaleresse]

Matrim broke out of his wonder when an idea entered his mind. "If that toad can transform an axe into a work of art, what could it do to a musical instrument?" He retrieved Ko'luki's guitar from where he had set it earlier and brought it back to the toad, holding it to the amphibian. "I apologize for taking this, my friend, but I must see what this toad can do!"

[Sutoratosu]

The toad began to glow with a bright light as the Alchemist stepped forward, completely bathed in the power it had just ingested and refined. It peered at him with human like intelligence, it's strange amphibian eyes having been replaced with blazing white orbs. It crept over to the man, just as Matrim came over carrying Ko'luki's guitar. The Toad outstreched one of it's webbed hands, and right in the bard's hands, the instrument began to change shape. it's neck stretched out along with it's strings. Bands of steel formed along it's length, reinforcing the board. The thing was engulfed by static and electricity as the wood turned to a pitch black and grew heavier in the man's hands. On the back of it was now a strange glyph... one that Matrim with his years of study could easily identify. It meant only thing- Lightning is my soul. The godly little amphibian lowered its hand, returning it's attention to Ko'Luki.

"So it is you who will bring the keys to him..." It said in a deep, masculine voice that shook the very stones with it's authority. "Very well then... Alchemist. Come, gaze upon the essence of creation itself!"

The amphibian reared back it's head, opening it's mouth as a glow of violet energy engulfed it's figure, blinding the two men. The ground began to quake and trees themselves began to whisper in strange, hushed voices. The sky changed back from crimson to pitch black for a few seconds, and then, before the groups very eyes, the heavens took on their familiar blue and the sun blazed high above them, ringed by cloud and mist. It was bright as day...no... it was day. The temperature had warmed considerably, the heat of the sun revitalizing the planet.

"Are you gazing!?" it asked. "if not, here!!!" As it spoke, an object shining in broken light and darkness appeared before it, floating down from the sky like a feather. It landed squarely in Ko'Luki's hands... and it was beyond words. in his palm sat a double pronged key intricately carved from night and day itself, carved from polar opposites... from fire and ice, heaven and hell. It looked like the work of a master's master; the work of even a grand master lock smith. The ruby and sapphire and opal coloration all flowed so naturally into each other it was as if they had been fused with the highest of magics, which they had indeed. The thing pulsated with Godly energy in the man's hands... and it was beginning to burn his fingers and palm. Badly.

"Do not stand there gawking! I had to tear the boy's very Life Force out of him in order to do this!" the frog chided urgently. It was voice was entirely different now, no longer did it hold the power it had before. it's eyes were normal once more. overhead the sun vanished and the sky collapsed back into it's bloody hue. the shadows of night moved back in to their places. The temperature dropped like a rock. It was as if... this, for lack of a better word, miracle the Toad had just preformed minutes ago had never happened, as if he hadn't called day to the darkest hours of night, as if he had never shined a beacon of hope. But the travelers had all seen it with their own eyes; they all knew for a fact that it had been real, not just some illusion.

"Go! hurry!" The amphibian again ordered Ko' Luki, angrily this time "Get the damn key to him, NOW! He dies as soon as that glow fades! You lose him, and it becomes nothing more than a paper weight!" not far away, it was easy what the thing was going on about. Aaron was sitting with his back against the wall of Ko'luki's house, his face looking strained. Eric and Cesealia knelt beside him, trying to see what was going on, help if they could... But he was completely unresponsive. His eyes had lost all coloration... anyone with even a two dollar education in Magic and arcane lore ((*Cough!* Matrim! *Cough!*))would know it was a sure sign of impending demise... unfortunately it seemed that Niether Eric nor Cesealia realized this...

[K_H]

Ko'luki spoke to the toad.

"Yes, sir!"

Ko'luki then quickly ran to the House, and gave the Key to Aaron, placing it in Aaron's Hands.

Edited September 24, 2014 by K_H

[Sutoratosu]

The black holes in Aaron's hand's began to seal as the Key burned with a soft light. A bit of color began to trickle back into his eyes, then it burst forth in a flood as they regained the dark green hue. He moved a little, lethargic at first as if entering out of a long slumber. Then his pupils focused as conscious awareness made it's way back in. He leaped up from the ground, glaring at the Toad with anger.

"Kill that damn frog!" he shouted. then he noticed the strange, rather large key in his hand. he brought it up to inspect the device. "What...?" He looked at Matrim and Ko'Luki, temporarily forgetting about his desire to flay the little amphibious beast that had stolen the Primal Keys.

"What the hell just happened? what is this thing?"

[Chevaleresse]

Matrim looked at the artifact for a moment longer before replying. "It appears to be, well, the Primal Key, or Keys, though bound in one form. It seems your life force is now linked to it - or them. It's quite puzzling, really. I wouldn't think something referred to as "Primal" could be changed like this, but I know little of the Keys. I'm also not certain how our warty friend managed to get a hold of it in the first place." He then turned to Eric and Cesealia with a scowl. "You two. How is it that you didn't realize that Aaron here was close to his end just now? I'm no mage, but even I knew that." Though I've probably spent more time educating myself than most, the bard admitted silently.