• PM To Join • Haunted House (Graded)

[Kasoria]

They were alone, save for each other. The voice of the Great Mother was gone, and they felt the loss of it keenly. She had been their purpose, their direction in this strange world far from the jungles and swamps and burrows of their home. She spoke, and they moved to action. She willed, and they sprang to life. But now there were no orders, no commands, no direction, no purpose. Yet still they lived, and hungered. Still they were animals, and they strove.

More than that, they were angry. Kasoria knew that the moment they bellowed and plunged into the midst of them all.

"Fuck this-"

The kid whose coat he grabbed managed a half-turn back to him and a "Whuh?" of query before Kasoria flung him towards eight feet of enraged abomination. The thing didn't even slow down. A front leg that ended a like hammer-bent scythe lashed out and messily tore the ganger in half. His scream filled the air a moment after his blood, viscera, organs, things that stank and slopped and the monster-

-didn't stop moving. Didn't pause to feed, like the other one. Just lashed out again, knocking another looter with a false nose clean off his feet and into the wall where Fur had been pinned. So hard there wasn't so much a crash but a splat when he impacted. Something thick and hard snapped, and a red wetness was smeared down the wall as he went. He wouldn't be getting up again.

"F-Fuckin'-"

Kasoria wasn't even thinking straight. Wasn't even trying to. He was operating purely on survival instincts, putting as much distance between him and those things as he could. Some rational crevice of him noted that the larger one, with bone quills quivering in a mane from the back of its head down its bony spine, seemed to have a touch more intelligence. The other, smaller one was eating as much as it was fighting. Only really making an effort unless it was attacked... or the larger one snapped at it. But the larger? This one was all about the butchery. Its front legs rose and fell and slashed and lashed like it was harvesting corn, reducing every screaming ape in its way to offal that could be peacefully enjoyed after.

The leader. The boss. The command-

Who fuckin' cares?!

The assassin forgot about the trinkets. Well, no, he didn't, but he shoved them so far down his list of priorities that he could barely see them. There were monsters under the streets of Etzos. Huge and savage and fast and covered in armor that laughed at blades. He was fucked if he'd be dying in some dusty crypt being digested by a... a... cockroach! It was pure chance that the Commander had chosen to start carving through the rest of the looters instead of him. Now he was pressed against the wall, Shield still formed but wavering, gladius held and regarded much as he might a butter knife.

He'd heard the queer clanging sounds from where Fur was. His party of admirers had tried and failed to even dent the Soldier. All they seemed to do was make it angrier, and kill them faster.

Fuck this. Out we go.

The assassin started looking above and around for a way out. There didn't seem to be one. Just the wooden door to the crypt, which seemed so old and dusty it was practically white. The little man licked his lips clenched the fist under his Shield. At once, fresh ether flowed into it. Strengthening it. He had a feeling he'd need it. He cast one last look at Fur, now actually aiding the men who'd been all set to kill him less than a bit ago. Then again, a lot had changed.

Sorry, kid, he thought, and started for the doorway. Keep doing what you're doing, buy me some time.

"W-Wait! Please!"

The sheer stupidity of the words stopped Kasoria in his tracks. That was Tattoo. But who was he talking-

"... are you fuckin' jokin'?"

Tattoo was standing before the Commander. It was just him and... it, now. The rest of his posse of thieves and derelicts was naught but slop at their feet. Limbs and torso, heads and guts, all spread around and stomped flat by the frenzied beasts. Only Fur and his two new friends were still alive, on the other side of the room... and the Commander seemed confident enough to ignore them for the moment. It cocked its hideous head to one side as the monkey slipped off the jingly, hard-looking thing it wore around one limb... and offered it in both hands.

"H-Here!" Tattoo stuttered desperately. "I-I-I-It's all I got! Please..."

Kasoria saw the light catch those coins, before the shadow of the vast insect stole the light completely. She'd polished them, one by one, every season. So when she wore it to the mummer's or just on the cobbles, all would be dazzled by its beauty. The rough-hewn and weird nature it only adding, only enhancing the fact that it was made for her by one who knew what she loved. Because he loved her in return. He'd sat by her by candlelight, as she'd held each coin between her fingers.

"This? This is from Rynmere, Kassy. Far across the sea! And this? From Andaris, north of Rynmere. They have a king. No, they do! See? There' his face..."

Kasoria saw these things, these memories, these hidden things he buried in his soul. Arc after arc, they grew fainter. Age was an enemy he could not defeat; entropy could not be bullied or bribed or beaten. His mind withered, little by little, and his memory with it. He remembered less and less, until memories of fine times before he was the Raggedy Man, before he was a myth and monster, were just... gone. Replaced not by images, but by feeling.

"You-"

By hatred.

"-little-"

By rage.

"-CUNT!"

By madness. At least, in that particular moment. The Commander insect made a sound that could almost have been comical, if it wasn't eight-feet of chitin-encased fury. The begging ape twitched suddenly, and the jingly thing fell from its hands. A half-dozen or so eyes tracked its fall. Blood was coming from its mouth. That was odd. Usually it had to do something before that happened. Ah, then it slumped forwards and it could see-

-the throwing knife sticking out the back of its neck... and the smaller, angrier human behind him, arm still outstretched.

The Commander roared a challenge, and crushed Tattoo's corpse to paste as it skittered towards him.

"Oh, you fuckin' idiot-"

The thing was fast, but something so huge could only move so quickly. It hammered down with one leg and Kasoria threw himself to the side, rolling off his shoulder, coming up in a crouch-

-only for another leg to come sweeping in at the side, looking to smash him apart like that poor cunt he'd used as fodder at the beginning of this nightmare. He jumped forwards now, and low, leg sweeping over his head as he went and when he came up this time it was at the creature's side. It twisted its head around, blinking half its spider eyes incredulously at the ape with the glowing arm and big silver stick currently standing next to it-

Kasoria didn't thin. He just reacted. He'd avoided two strikes, and yet to make a counter. So when he got back to his feet, he was still moving, gladius slashing up and across-

The shriek deafened every living creature in the room for a trill or two. The Soldier monster cringed instinctively, recognizing the rage of its caste superior. The Commander reared up on its back legs and wailed as one of its three hideous, fleshy mandibles went flying off its face. Purple ichor spurted from the stump and Kasoria barely had time to celebrate his victory before baleful black eyes turned back to him and it screeched-

-little man barely backing up fast enough to avoid both legs crashing through the stone under them. Both punched half a foot into the cracked cobbles and Kasoria seized his opening. With both front legs trapped for a moment, he held up his Shield, cocked his gladius, and lunged forward, short sword snapping out to thrust towards the Commander's face-

But he'd forgot: it was still fast.

The Commander's head snapped to the side, and the gladius thrust into its armored hunchback instead. With a sound like metal grinding through granite, half the blade vanished into the hump. He could feel something... soft, underneath, but it was still trapped. Before he could try to yank it back out, the Commander's remaining mandibles gripped the blade that was still exposed, biting down hard just as it reared up and pulled back in the same moment-

"Fuck!"

The gladius snapped and Kasoria cursed. He staggered back a step or two, gawping at the broken blade he still held before tossing it away. Now bleeding all over its lamprey-like face, the Commander turned back to him and kicked straight out at him with both legs-

-Kasoria barely managed to raise his Shield in time-

CRACK

Without it, half the bones in his body would have been broken in an instant. Of that he was sure. The twin impacts smashed the etheric Shield apart, magic only able to survive so much brute, corporeal force. But his bones were unbroken, at least... until he was thrown back like a toy tossed by an angry child, and landed back first into one of those ancient sarcophagi. So worn and weathered it was, so eaten and gnawed by centuries under the city, that the little man's body smacking into it actually broke one of the sides.

Fur caught sight of Kasoria landing in a cloud of dust, and a skeleton flopped out of the hole he'd made in the sarcophagus as if to lodge a complaint. The assassin was on his side, breaking through a ribcage that was bruised from top to bottom. The Commander reared up on its back legs and screamed its victory to the sky, to the long-forgotten corpses and the Great Mother, far from them both but not forgotten. The little human tried to get up... and managed all fours before his body started to give out.

No. Fuck that. Not here. Not from one of her fucking things!

"Fuckin'... shit-"

His right hand came down to push himself upright, ready to face that fucking monster with karambit or dagger or whatever else he had. Hardly ideal weapons, but with his sword gone and his war ax elsewhere, what other choice did he have? He started marshaling his Spark again, knowing it would need to be used as often as his soul could manage it. Fates, this fucking beast was what magic was made for fighting! He just needed to get up. Get to his feet.

But he didn't. Because it wasn't stone his hand pressed down on; it was a sword hilt.

From inside the carved stone coffin, a sword had been revealed. Buried with the nameless, desiccated man inside it. Kasoria could make out clothing, now. Armor under the rotten cloth, rusted to orange and red. A soldier? Maybe. Laid to rest with his arms, so that he might fight on wherever the Crossing took him. Now Kasoria held that sword. Inherited it, one might say. The Commander monster roared and Kasoria looked up, blood drooling from his lips.

One of Fur's comrades screamed and died. Badly. Now it was just the two of them.

Hold them a bit longer, boy. Just until I can get to the door.

Aren't we optimistic.

Kasoria managed a brief, brutal bark of a laugh, and lurched to his feet. An ancient sword, barely able to breath, and a Spark that was only just coming back to him. Of course, he was sure to be triumphant. He looked up at the Commander, scarred and behemoth and seething with very sentient, very personal loathing at the monkey that had mutilated it, and he grinned.

"Gonna rot yer guts, ya big cunt," he said. He ripped the scabbard off the blade, and Fates, that was a deep red. Adamantite. Very fucking fancy. Least you get to die with a nice blade in yer hand. The assassin snorted and the Commander tensed, muscles bunching and quills shaking as if in a hurricane. The human called on his Spark to form a Shield-

-and something else happened entirely.

[Fur]

Fur made the mistake of checking on Kasoria and his clutch of gutter rats while he reengaged with the monster. The strench of viscera and feces hadn’t even registered to the child’s senses before then, but now he couldn’t escape the nauseating odors. Severed limbs and strands of intestines were scattered about the room, spread by the mayhem that the second insect enacted on their group. It seemed much more murderous than its smaller counterpart, more intently focused on the killing process, but the child didn’t give it much mind. He wasn’t the kind of person to contemplate the differences in the two creature’s biological hierarchy. There were more pressing, life-altering things to deal with that took precedent.

Just stay alive, Kas Fur thought to himself as he drew up beside Hook, who was trying desperately to find an opening to replicate Fur’s early success, and maybe we’ll be able to help you once we’ve taken this one out.

Perhaps Fur’s optimism was unwarranted given the circumstances, but it was all the poor child had going for him. Normally he was more cautious, more realistic about what could happen and what definitely was out of his reach. Now, though, his back was against the wall, in more ways than one. A cornered animal that’s entire being was focused on survival. Every thought, every movement, everything was to firmly latch onto the light at the end of the tunnel, no matter how dim or how far away it appeared to be. Life. It was the concept Fur clung to down here, amidst the corpses freshly made and the ones centuries laid. It was more familiar than its alternative, Death. The child turned cornered animal knew only to long for what it knew.

Combat ceased when Kas wounded the larger monster, its screech catching everyone off-guard. Despite himself, Fur smiled, pleased to know that these bastards still cried out like any mortal when they were in pain. If nothing else, the child hoped they would never forget the scars these Etzori warriors gave them. It would be what they deserved by choosing this city to terrorize.

Fur was shocked back into reality with the audible snap of Kas’ sword, followed by his forced launch backwards into one of the tombs. Hope those weren’t your bones the child thought macabrely as he returned his focus to his own opponent. The Soldier still hadn’t recovered fully from its superior’s injury, leaving its guard down as far as the child could tell. They needed to capitalize, quickly. “All at once,” Fur shouted as he launched forward.

The creature swept outward with an arm, which Fur ducked under, stabbing upward beneath its armpit. The steel passed through carapace and soft tissue beneath, showering Fur with the same purple ichor when he yanked the blade free. The creature backpedaled, trying to grab hold onto the Ithecal, but Fur dove out of its reach. Gap, who had been hacking away at the creature’s wounded leg, was not as fortunate. The Soldier knocked the rat onto his stomach and lashed out, impaling the man through the back of his neck, severing spine from head. Gap’s blood-curdling scream was cut off abruptly. In its absence, Fur could hear Hook releasing his bladder down his leg.

And behind them, drawing the attention of mortal and monster, a red glow appeared, wielded by someone who was both. Kas had found a new weapon.

[Kasoria]

Come forth.

That was what he thought. It was what he'd always thought. A command, rather than just a mental whisper. An order to his Spark, to rise from the well of his soul and flow into his limbs. That he may make use of it. One hand grasping a weapon, the other free to form a Shield. At least he wouldn't die think he'd hadn't given it his best. The old human spat to the side as the Commander came closer. He clenched his fist, starting to form a-

"... what?"

The ether of his body wasn't just flowing through his arm; it was sparking down it like lightning across the sky. And down the wrong one, too. From his shoulder down to his hand, ether was rippling and crackling and arcing from out of his skin. Heading towards the old sword he was holding... that was now starting to glow. Kasoria's jaw dropped as the red metal burned and made a helish light around the darkened crypt. The black runes laid into the metal seemed to shimmer and drip with intent now, pulsing with power as the metal fairly trembled with power.

As did the wielder. And the Commander noticed.

Kasoria looked away from the blade as he heard a querulous sound from the massive... thing. Not insect, not reptile, not creature of the natural world nor entirely Lissira's creation, even Kasoria could see the keen intelligence in there. The capacity for thought, tactical or otherwise. Not the Prey was doing something it hadn't seen before, something unexpected. Their weapons did not glow; their swords didn't send waves of etheric power shimmering through the air that creatures such as it could smell like smoke being blown in their faces. The gigantic, maimed creature took a step back, and Kasoria-

-smiled. He gripped the gladius tighter, and whispered those words again. Another surge of ether rushed from his Spark, down his arm, shoulders popping with blue and white strobes for a moment as he did. Finally the Commander growled and started forwards again-

-just as Kasoria screamed, and charged.

Prey ain't meant to do that either, is it, you fucking roach?

The Commander swung at him with one massive front leg and Kasoria met it with the sword. Something told him that was not be as suicidal as he'd thought a moment ago. Whatever genius or madman had created this sword, it was far beyond the one he'd had before. It hummed with power, it sang with restrained, ravenous hunger. It even seemed to shake in his hand and he held it with both as he met the scaly limb as long as his body with a yell-

BOOM

"FUCK!"

Lightning exploded out of the blade the moment it met the limb of the Commander. Blinding and brilliant, Kasoria felt every hair on his body straighten for an instant as the power of storms lashed the abomination. He staggered back a step, shaking the spots out of his eyes. Burning meat assailed his nose, and he could see the Commander limping back... with smoke rising from its body... and especially the charred, gnarled leg it had swung at him. The thing managed to draw back and square off again, but now the human could see something new in those black eyes.

Fear. Confusion. And all the disaster those things could bring.

Kasoria charged again and the Commander switched to the defensive. Keeping its weight on the damaged leg and trying to keep him at a distance with the other. The glowing, pulsing, storm-charged gladius cast bloody light across it now, illuminating every hideous feature. It screeched at him as it flailed, trying to back away as the human got closer, front leg coming straight down like a mace to crush him like... well, a bug. But an instant before it landed-

-Kasoria jumped back-

-buried the knobbly end of its limb into the stone, stilling it for just a moment-

Now!

Before the creature got a chance to wrench it free, Kasoria roared and swung the burning blade sideways with both hands. Like he was trying to cut down a tree with one strike. The little killer knew what a gladius could do, and what it could not. A man unarmored, skinny, Fates, it would take his arm off with enough force behind it. But a beast like this? All he could do was damage it, hurt it, make it bleed and if the Fates were kind, slice through a tendon.

That was what a gladius could do. But this gladius was capable of far more. Like, for example, ripping through the Commander's pinned front leg with an awful, wonderful ripping-cracking sound and severing it right of its fucking body. The monster howled again, calling for aid, for its mother, for anything but mercy, since it did not truly understand that emotion. One leg ruined, the other just... gone, it staggered back, spewing purple blood as it went. Kasoria dashed forwards, face somewhere between frenzy and grim resolve, determined not to let this chance go to waste.

He could feel something else, under his heady killing power. Something... draining. Tapping into his ether and demanding more and more and more. No matter what he thought of that arrangement.

Not much time. Gotta finish it quick.

"I hope yer cunt mother can see this," he growled as the Commander was finally backed into a corner, hobbling and barely able to stand. He pointed at it with the sword, glowing so hot and furious it almost seemed to be flaming. "Cuz one day? She's gonna get the fuckin' same-"

One more desperate bellow. One more lunge of chitinous flesh and inhuman muscle. The Commander didn't truly understand mortality like humans did; just pain, and failure. It knew this weapon was beyond it, even if the prey was but another soft money like many others it had slain. But it commanded. It led, and by example. Even in failure, it could score a mortal wound. And so it lunged, mandible wide and ready to swallow of much as Kasoria as it could before biting him in half-

-only the little human was already moving. Darting low and to the side missing a leg. Immobile and without defenses, the Commander couldn't protect itself there, and couldn't adjust its lunge in time. The long, serpentine-lamprey head snapped into empty air and Kasoria saw a quartet of eyes swivel his way, jut int time to see him raise the sword-

-and thrust it through the creature's head, right behind the cluster of eyes. More screeching, spasming and trembling along with it and Kasoria roared along as man and monster were joined by steel that seemed to explode with lightning, so high and powerful it was arcing off the ceiling. Kasoria wrenched deep within himself, even as he felt Overstepping start to nibble at his muscles, and drew one more blast of ether into the sword-

-cooking the Commander from the brain outwards. Blasting lightning from his soul through his sword into his enemy. Watching eyes cook and pop, drool sizzle as brains and skin cracked and burned-

"RAAAARRRGHHHHH!"

-and with a single, massive wrench from one side to the other, withdrew the gladius back out of the Commander's head... by ripping it out the front of the beast's half-charred skull. He stood there for a moment, gladius humming and hissing with power and burning blood. The Commander sputtered out of what mouth it had left... then collapsed with a bang than shoot half the tombs in the crypt.

Enough.

The sword howled in his mind. There were no other words for the sensation. It was hungry, and it wanted more. Not blood, not battle, but the very Spark of the one wielding it. Kasoria grunted as the light died along the red metal, reluctantly, sullenly. But it obeyed. Oh, it had to. Kasoria didn't know if it was intelligent in any way, and doubted it. But in his experience, all creatures dumb and thinking knew not to confront greater strength. The sword wanted to feed. Kasoria refused. The sword insisted. Kasoria yanked his ether back from the weapon and drew it back into him so fast he almost heard the sword sigh as he did.

Then it was dead metal in his hand again. Dripping blood and effluence from a monster. And yet, there was still screeching.

Kasoria looked up and saw the Soldier creature roaring at him. The Ithecal and single looter left alive had been forgotten as it saw its Commander, its last link to its mother and all the purpose she gave them, slaughtered by mere prey. Rage was hardly an emotion beyond it. The Soldier bellowed and stamped its hideous feet, cracking stone like a bull ready to charge. Kasoria swallowed hard and swayed on his feet. Fates... he didn't know if he had enough in him for another one.

Turned out, he needn't have worried. Fur and his new friend weren't done yet.

[Fur]

Arcs ago, when Fur was no more than four or five, a blind man lived in his neighborhood. It was said that he was born that way, so he was more content with his disability then someone who had once had sight and then lost it. An avid carouser and, as Fur’s mother had once put it when she thought her son wasn’t listening, great with his hands. Well fate brought him together with a highly skilled and possibly immortal-blessed healer who, in miraculous fashion, healed him. These days, Fur couldn’t picture his face, but the child would never forget his awe-struck ramblings in the brothel as he finally put to words the new sensation. He said colors were the thing that he loved the most now that he had his sight, which at the time Fur thought was absurd.

Now, though, as Kas illuminated the room in a burning red light, Fur could understand what the man had been talking about.

Fur didn’t know what to make of the scene unfolding in front of him as Kas took the offensive against the monster, parrying its blows and seizing the offensive. Magic had always been spoken of in whispered tones and late at night to frighten unruly children to sleep. The child had no tangible understanding of the phenomenon, and he wouldn’t find while in the midst of his first exposure to it. No, it wouldn’t be for a few trials after until he would begin to make the connections.

To-trial, he was simply satisfied with the feelings of hope it brought him. Conflict had ceased completely between the second insect and the two youths fighting it. Multiple sets of eyes watched in mute awe at the exchange between the vagrant and the Commander. Trills before, it had been unfathomable. Even as it unfolded, it felt extraordinary. Perhaps this was what the blind man had been talking about. Colors, magic, it had always been there, but it took a certain unlocking of the disability preventing one’s access to it. From ignorance to understanding.

While the flashes of light and the unnatural glow were above the child, Fur could recognize the shift of momentum in a fight. He unleashed a joyful cheer inside when Kas lopped the Commander’s leg off, staggering it, and his cries escaped past his lips when he drove the blade through the monster’s head. Another flash of lightning and then the smell of burnt flesh slammed against Fur while the slimy pop pop pop of the creature’s eyes reached his ears. The insect slid off the blade, shaking the room with his impact.

Then, silence.

Broken by the wounded roar the remaining Soldier who had turned his focus solely on its sibling’s murderer. Fur could see that Kas was drained, even if he couldn’t tell whether it was solely physical. There was a chance the vagrant could still win the next fight without the help, but what kind of ally would he be to leave him to do it on his own? Fur doubted that there would be a scenario where only one of them died down here, so best make sure they both walked out instead.

“With me,” Fur shouted as the Soldier surged into motion, breaking into a sprint of his own. Behind him, much to the child’s surprise, Hook followed suit with nothing more than a dagger and a war cry. The creature’s wounded leg slowed him enough to allow the smaller mortals to keep pace, and Hook with his longer gait drew up beside the soldier first. Releasing a second, primal cry, Hook lunged forward in an effort to stab through the thigh. Iron grazed chitin and his momentum carried him between the creature’s legs, befuddling its stride. An audible crunch was heard as Hook’s head was crushed beneath the Soldier’s foot as it stumbled.

Fur launched his attack to seize on the opening. With a cry of his own, Fur swung the gladius horizontally across the left leg, the same one he had hit once already. Cutting deeper than before, Fur felt the earlier resistance give way as the steel sheared through muscle and tendon. The appendage buckled beneath the creature’s weight and it crashed forward, further squashing Hook’s corpse beneath it in a wet squelch. It was the Soldier’s creature to cry out now in anger, indignation.

Until, with one final flash of lightning, Kas drove his gladius point down through the back of the creature’s head, silencing it once and for all.

The next few trills passed in slow motion as Fur surveyed the entire scene before him. And then, despite himself, he laughed. He didn’t know he had it in him. “Gotta say, I much prefer the begging business over extermination. Lower body count.”

The child laughed against, his body wracked with shakes as the adrenaline wore off and reality was restored. He was finally coming to grips with just how close he had come to death, and it was a lot. Overwhelming.

[Kasoria]

Ain't that fucking inspiring?

In truth, Kasoria couldn't help the smirk tug at one corner of his lips as he saw sworn enemies fly back into the fray, one last time, and without any hesitation. It was hard not to be taken aback, even as callused a bastard as him, when Fur lunged forwards and struck at the Soldier from behind. His new friend came screaming in a moment later, trying to jam his dagger between the armored plates that seemed to cover the creature. Kasoria blinked in surprise as the one-handed thug let out a battle cry. Tumbling into the creature. Tangled up between his legs, so eager was he to land a killing blow. Maybe he'd underestimated these-

CRUNCH

Ah. Well. Never mind.

The Soldier keened with annoyance as it went skittering off to one side, crashing into a fallen clump of masonry. Its thick legs carried Hook's headless corpse along with it for a few yards, then tossed it out from the trundling limbs like a torn, bloodied sack of meat. Vicious, gleaming eyes refocused back onto Kasoria, and the little man steadied himself... as best he could, anyway. Whatever cost the glowing sword had taken from his soul to wield, it was not one easily replenished. He felt as if he'd been fighting longer and harder than he actually had; he could feel his Spark twitching under his skin, diminished somewhat, unused to such hunger supping at it. Not to mention the fact he'd been hurled back-first into a granite crypt, and that tended to sing a little.

Kasoria cracked his neck from side to side, and hefted the sword. He didn't need the magic. Just an opening, and the time to-

-see Fur prove his worth yet again, lashing out with the blade he'd bought for another, arcs before. The young lizard launched himself at the Soldier just as the beast started to charge Kasoria, swinging hard at a leg already bit and weakened by their battling. Now his technique was perfect; now, in the last moments of the fight, he'd found his balance with the weapon. Swinging hard and true, the blade slashed between those armored plates and into the tendons and muscle and fat behind them. The Soldier screeched as it went down to three legs, hamstrung and raging.

Now. Do it now!

Kasoria ground his teeth and darted forwards. He braced himself as he switched his grip on the gladius, from saber to reverse, holding it like some massive dagger as he called on his Spark one more time-

-yelling out as power flashed from his soul to the tip of the gladius, bringing it howling pain that told him he was pushing it too far-

But he didn't need long. The opening was there. The Soldier turned and snapped at Fur, drool and blood oozing from its maw. It's massive head was still moving when Kasoria sprang at it, gladius coming down like a dagger forged from a thunderbolt-

-crunching through its armored head. Lightning blast exploding within the confines of that hideous insect cranium. The impact smashed it down to the dusty stone floor, mandibles clacking and trembling from the landing. Kasoria felt strength and resilience through the blade, that will to live that could be found anywhere... but it was hard to act on that, with a burning blade buried through your skull. He ripped the gladius out and tossed it to one side, severing the weapon's hold on his Spark the only way he knew how. Then he kept staggering, body weak, vision spinning, cursing and congratulating himself in the same moment.

Fine work, old man. Now how're you getting out of here?

“Gotta say, I much prefer the begging business over extermination. Lower body count.”

It wasn't funny. Only the lamest of wits would have even raised a chuckle at such a quip. But in that moment, it didn't matter. The lizard's laughter was infectious, high and ragged and unstoppable. The boy shook with every roll of his shoulders and Kasoria couldn't help but chuckle along with him. Until the chuckling was full-throated laughter, his head tilted back, aiming his amusement at the rough square of dirty light where they'd all fallen from. Then the moment passed, and he looked around. Yep. Still trapped. But mayhap not lost.

"A'right, c'mon," he groused, tone coming as easily to him as breathing or pissing. He dragged himself upright, every step and movement seeming to elicit a fresh grunt of annoyance. "Godda rough idea a' where we are. F'I'm right, won't be hard t'find our way... back."

The pause in the sentence was enough to grab the Ithecal's attention. The older human's eyes unfocused for a moment, before regaining that intensity again just as quickly. In silence, he walked over to the heap of crushed offal that used to be Tattoo. Just another nameless scrap of scum he'd never learn the name of, and nor would anyone else. He picked his way around the blanket of blood, crouched down... and reclaimed the bracelet of coins. He studied it for a long moment, every link and shiny circle a memory he thought he'd forgotten. He squeezed the crude jewelry in his hand for a moment, then pocketed it.

All else was chaos, crushed or upturned or flung around in the chaos of the collapse and then the vicious battle that followed. It could take breaks to search the whole place... but at least he knew where to begin.

Long as you can find your way out.

But that was not the sole reason for his pause. Still crouching, Kasoria looked over his shoulder at the Ithecal laid out and still twitching with laughter. The boy had been useful, that much was undeniable. Brave and resourceful, even when facing monsters clear from hell's fucking arse. Only the two of them had survived, after all. That spoke to much... and Kasoria made his decision.

"C'mon," he barked, a fair bit sharper, striding over to the sword he'd discarded (as best as one could when his back felt like a Lurker had batted him halfway across a field). "Time t'go."

The mage bent down and picked up the sword... but aside from a tingle, the echo of that furious energy he'd felt before, there was nothing. No leeching, grasping pull at his Spark, seeking to devour it and him as well. No grandiose swell of ether from the rune-carved gladius into his own mind. No, it was just a hunk of metal now. Longer than usual, a little heavier, sharp and straight and... his. The assassin sheathed it in the scabbard it had come with, then replaced his old with at his hip. He left the old, empty scabbard along with the shattered blade he'd possessed before, and patted the belt buckle.

"This way."

They moved through the tunnels in silence. From the darkness, up to the light.

[Werewere]

Review Is In!

Fur

Knowledge:
PM me

Loot: N/A
Injuries: Exhaustion and a few scraps and bruise from the scuffle. Good thing you got scales even if they are hard to clean.
Renown: N/A

Points: 15 May not be used for Magic

Kasoria

Knowledge:
Abrogation - Shield: Casting Quickly to Absorb Incoming Impact
Acrobatics: Side Leap, Shoulder Roll, Back to Your Feet
Detection: The Smell of Ithecal Scales
Detection: Knowing You're on Unstable Ground
Discipline: Always Put Some Money Aside
Discipline: Noticing and Controlling a Weapon's Hunger for Your Spark
Intimidation: Running Isn't an Option
Investigation: Noticing Nuanced Wording
Negotiation: The Carrot and The Stick
Negotiation: The Importance of Keeping Up Your End of the Deal
Running: Just Focus on Your Feet
Tactics: Adapting Quickly to New Enemies
Tactics: Working Out Who's in Command

Etzos, Ymiden 719: A Savaged City of Survivors and Ghosts
Etzos, Ymiden 719: Massively Depopulated by Lissira's Invasion
Lissira: Makes Use of Monstrous Insects
PC Fur: Young, Criminal, Ithecal
PC Fur: Not Stupid, Unlike Most Street Daemons His Age
Philosophy: Love is a Weakness
Shadow Slayer: Enchanted Gladius
Shadow Slayer: Emits Blinding Light with Every Clash of Steel
Shadow Slayer: Conjures Lightning through its Blade
Shadow Slayer: Leeches Off the Wielder's Spark to Power Lightning
Signalism: Uses Personal Totems for the Departed
Signalism: Lighthouse and Shelves
Signalism: Bracelet. Abacus. Broach. Mother. Father. Sister.

Loot: +1 Enchanted Badass Gladius
+14WPs, due to having plenty of evidence of work. Though I would like to have seen a season wage claim.
Injuries: Badly bruised back after being flung into that sarcophagus; various cuts and bruises from falling through the floor
Renown: N/A

Points: 15 May be used for Magic

The hardships of war, lives taken, only hollow shells remain. War takes a toll on a city, and the wounds take time to heal. Due to hardships incurred by war, thieves run rampant as the guard can't do their work. Kasoria was lucky that he had his savings, but it was heart breaking to know that his memories were stolen from his home. Fur should of found a better place to squat, or maybe this is a start of a relationship between the two fully? The transition from going to a thieves den to entering a crypt was very well done. Then when the insect creatures came in, I was really on edge. This was a great thread, and enjoy the rewards Kasoria.

Any injures are based on a 1d100 roll using applicable skills