Eternal Rains (IC) [M] - Closed

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

Witt twitched one ear as Paige spoke. "Eh? Speak up, woman!"

Just as he spoke, she pinched the hat off his head, and flew away. He glared after her, clearly searching for suitable epithets to cover the situation. Before he could get started, she landed, and performed her little impromptu pantomime for him.

His eyes narrowed, and he gazed down at her, steaming gently. Then he pointed one finger at her, and muttered, clearly audibly, and entirely too loud. "You, are walking a fine fucking line. One of these days, bitch. One of these days."

With a final glare, he stumped over to the side of the corpses neck, and, placing one hand on the feathers by his feet, dropped to the ground. Or, at least, attempted to. As he curled up, he winced and swore, missed his step, and ended up landing flat on his back on the ground, the breath knocked out of him. He lay there for a moment, blinking up at the sky, then levered himself back to his feet, cursing under his breath. Once he got back up, he leaned against the corpse until his breath came back, then stomped across the dent in the ground, and up to the head.

He glared into the six foot, glazed eyeball, then leaned back, horked up a huge, disgusting wad of phlegm, and spat in it's eye. "That's for the fucking ribs, yer bastard."

With that, he turned on his heel and stomped after Paige, the look in his eye, and the clenched teeth, daring anyone else to bother him.

[e_voyager]

Epyon could not say he agreed with witt's treatment of the dead Griffin. true it had been trying to eat them but it was no danger to them now. then again he was probably a little bias being dead himself now. he wondered  how many guessed at what he was but didn't dwell on the thought as he nearly walks into the witt whom was following page walking before him so lost in his thought that the hedgehogs stomping didn't really register in his mind.

[Tapewolf]

"I said, 'Do we have a plan?'"  Cross repeated.  He snapped his fingers a few times, but it looked like Keaton had gone off into a world of her own.  Great, he thought.

[e_voyager]

Epyon so caught up in his own little world missteps and stumbles falling into someone(i'm not sure who, it can be who ever wants to respond next) the fist thought outside of his contemplation of what had become of him and his feelings towards the now dead griffin was someone saying the word plan.  forcing him self up[ he is so  caught up in emotional turmoil that he forgets to apologize. " Plan? Plan?! has any of this even remotely resembled a plan? my grand father had a saying. 'the best laid plans of mice and men amount to little more then dust.' but even dust had a predictable patten! it either falls to the ground or gets stirred up by the wind and then it groups together. but that doesn't apply to us. when are just scampering to and fro like beings in a room of easily amuse and distracted creatures that and taking terms poking them with sticks!" Epyon and panting and he hugged himself dropping to his knees. His emotion out burst had drained him more then his flight from the fight.

[Tapewolf]

"Plans may not be our forte," Cross said, "But it doesn't alter the fact that we need some kind of strategy.

"Fact: Pandora's machine is custom-made and based on operating principles she has invented herself.  As of this moment, only she and Axiyne are able to understand it.  Without the gryphon we will not be able to escape the Mer.  I am not sufficiently good at mind-reading to be able to pull everything we need to know from Pandora's skull without likely killing us both, and the Mer will find us before I could possibly reverse-engineer it."

"So, we must act very carefully.  A botched job will result in a dead gryphon.  If that happens I will personally kill those responsible for it and cast their souls into the bottom of the ocean.  Are we clear?"

[e_voyager]

"No but don't let me stop you. " Epyon responded. "i'm going to go practice praying to some long dead gods  for a miracle. or better yet to open up a miracle factory as it seems we will soon be in dire need of them." Epyon shook his head. He really wished his grandfather was here but he passed away years ago now. he took a deep breath.

"look i'm sorry... what was your name again? i'm just more stressed then i've been in a long time. it almost feels like something other then then mer is hunting me down trying to kill me. not a feeling i like mind you. so if you need me for some healing or something i'll be in the ship probably in the cargo bay" that said he headed towards the ship slowly still plagued by doubts and fears.

[Cogidubnus]

 Cog could feel sand slipping under his ill-fitting pants as Pandora dragged him back to the ship, presumably to find some place for him to suffer in peace, away from the sunlight and vicious animals, and more importantly out of the sight of everyone else in the group. The sand wasn't even warm, just cold and gritty and irritating. Sleeping now would be like trying to lay down with sandpaper in his ass. The wolf closed his eyes, sunlight burning through them until his temples throbbed, and he jerked against his fellow were.

"Leggo." he said horsely. Pandora continued to drag him, off the sand and up the loading ramp. He bumped up two steps as she dragged him, and hissing once he wrenched his arms out of her grasp, baring fangs.
"I SAID LET GO, GODDAMIT." he snarled. He pushed himself to his feet, dancing for a moment to slip the sand out of his pants and brushing himself off. He looked at the woodpecker with hatred in his eyes, and with surprising speed his expression changing to one of happiness, a large grin, and then back to some interminable expression of angst. He shuddered, his neck twisting until the bones popped.

"Get my hat. And some fucking cigarettes." he said, and with a gait that bespoke either recent surgery or broken bones, walked towards the rest of the group, whom just hours ago he'd been well on the way of trying to kill. His expression darkened, but he kept walking.

"I have an idea." he responded, as Cross began threatening the group. "Why don't you shut the fuck up?" Cog twitched, and his bloodshot eyes shot around the group. There was something strange about the way he looked at them, like the eyes of a dog that had been beaten one too many times.

"A plan, you said? Okay!" he said with false cheerfulness. "If you'd been kidnapped, and I wish it was, we'd just follow the smell of shit and find you at the other end. It's how I found you guys here, right?" he spat, hands shaking. "But, sadly, you're still with us, so let's think it through - it's on land, so it's not likely to be the Mer themselves. They kidnapped him, and he tried to put up a struggle, it's multiple types of gryphons, and they're in a Giant Gryphon infested jungle. And..." he sniffed, "There's a lot more of them inland. So, I betcha, if we follow where they went, we'll find the goddam gryphon and enough souls to shut even you up. That way." he said, pointing inland and away from the group. "Smells like gryphon. You go first. Maybe it's trapped and you'll die, god help me."

* * *

There was no path where the wolf had pointed, only jungle and more jungle. Hot, humid air, humid enough to be wet, nearly made one choke as you walked between trees and foliage thick enough to obscure vision and impede any sort of progress. Vines hung along the spaces between the trees, and violently colored plants and animals covered every speck of one's vision. Getting lost here would be easy. Anything except what was directly in front of you quickly became lost in the sea of green.

[SpottedKitty]

Fal'taq trudged along the dubious-looking trail through the forest, near the back of the "merry" band. At least, he hoped it was a trail: he'd have to trust Keaton's nose for that. He (mostly) hid his smirk, but he couldn't entirely stifle a snicker as he watched Pettersohn try to get a reaction out of the jackal, then start proclaiming grand plans of his own as if he were the leader of the expedition. He'd heard that 'Cubi were flighty creatures, and although dangerous, the ones here were certainly a good example of that.

The mole's amusement grew when Cogidubnus stepped forward and said his piece. While Fal'taq was still cautious of the monster hidden inside the wolf, his tall, scrawny figure made a striking and really very funny contrast against the shorter but much healthier-looking Pettersohn. Unfortunately, there was no sign of the monster coming out of hiding at that moment and ripping the 'Cubi's head clean off his shoulders. Too bad.

[Tapewolf]

Cross watched impassively as Cog laid into him.  He smiled inwardly at the idea of irradiating the wolf and watching as all his fur fell out over the next few days, but that might upset their leader, so he held his peace.  Then again...

"Hey, Keaton," he said to the spaced-out and non-responsive jackal, "I'm just going to break a few of your goon's fingers.  You don't mind, do you?"

[Sunblink]

Keaton cringed as Cross snapped her out of her reverie, blinking and glaring at him with a halfhearted sort of focus reminiscent of one waking up from a very deep sleep. She was about to answer, probably with something petulant and unbefitting of her centuries-old age, when Cogidubnus somehow nudged his way out of Pandora's custody and approached the group, belligerently addressing everyone with profanity-enunciated pugnacity that seemed almost uncharacteristic of him. Keaton decided right there and then that she liked Cog when he was a spineless, easy-to-bully victim, not showing any aspect of assertion. And like almost any childhood bully, Keaton backed down without complaint when faced with some sign her victim wouldn't sit quietly and react to her antagonism. All she did was glare at Cog with impotent indignation, a smoldering promise of retribution translated through her gaze alone. Epyon's outburst went completely interrupted, which was probably for the best, since Keaton probably would have responded violently if she realized he was questioning her undeserved leadership or breaking down for no reason.

"Come on," she muttered gruffly to Cross, grabbing the sleeve of his trenchcoat almost possessively and using it to drag him forward. She felt that being dominant over someone constituted a victory. "You can break his fingers later."

As she walked down the path indicated, Keaton did a quick head count, making sure everyone was present. She noticed that the arachnid, Sal, was absent, along with that thief woman... Penny, was that her name? Keaton grit her teeth together, relinquishing her grip on Cross's sleeve. She didn't think that anyone was killed during the Gryphon's assault.

Keaton entered a concentrative state again, quickly picking up the odorous trail of Gryphon and using it as navigation. Occasionally, she stopped to inspect any trees or foliage for vestigial scents, or check the soil, with a pointed lack of dignity toward how she appeared on her hands and knees and clawing at the tree bark.

---

Somewhere behind the group, Pandora glared after the group in indignation, looking very, very angry at Cogidubnus's lack of respect. Chances were that she would have had his head under the barrel of a rifle if she wasn't concerned about Cross eating her soul, or any other potential ramifications threatening her afterlife. Cursing and kicking at the dirt, Pandora stormed back to the ship, ready to begin her repairs. "Fuckbucket," she muttered under her breath.

---

The calico Gryphon used the flat of her primitive-looking blade to slap Axiyne on the rear, obviously losing patience with his fear. He yelped loudly, the sound swallowed up by his muzzle, and tried to scurry forward. "I'm Deirdre," she answered simply. "At least, that's what I prefer to go by."

Deirdre gave a passing glance to a nearby tree. "We're almost at the village. Once we're there, we'll bring this thing" – Deirdre drummed the flat of her sword against Axiyne's head – "to his new home. Then we'll discuss your payment once the ships come."

They stopped near another landmark, this one a geometrically trimmed line of foliage that indicated a boundary. Deirdre glanced up, noticing the silhouette of a Gryphon armed with a spear. She murmured something in an archaic-sounding tongue and the Gryphon snapped his fingers, defusing the magical barrier erected at the foliage. The sizzling of ozone evaporated instantly, allowing the two to pass into the village. The barrier reappeared behind them in the form of a wall of red lightning, quickly segueing into invisibility once more.

They approached the village some distance later, where Deirdre greeted one of the guards. After a quick exchange, he allowed the two of them to enter the settlement.

[Yugo]

Kaela's grip on her weapon tightened slightly at the mention of ships, her eyes trailing along the simple blade her companion carried disapprovingly. Clearly this Deirdre was not blessed with a great amount of compassion. In her time, she had learned that there was a great deal of difference between the treatment of criminals, prisoners of war, and slaves. Criminals were usually treated with respect depending on the nature of their crimes, but the small gryphon whimpering at the end of her leash didn't seem particularly capable of something truly loathsome. They were also brought to trial by a court in the area of their crimes before being sent off to a prison and usually held locally beforehand. Slaves and prisoners of war however, were often captured and then traded without recompense, sometimes requiring a ransom from their families or friends in order to gain their freedom, and a galley ship was just one of the many ways it was done. In all likelihood, Axiyne was not a criminal. Bounty hunters and less-than-reputable looking characters did not hire other bounty hunters and mercenaries unless it was work they didn't want to do themselves. Police did, and the clothing her companion and employers wore didn't look even remotely like any police uniform Kaela'd ever seen, which left the other two options. Being quiet and getting paid just didn't seem like an honorable option.

She glanced at the guard with the spear as they passed him, noting the strange guttural tongue he conversed with, and wished she had invested in some sort of lingual spell. Information was a commodity on this island, and it was one Kaela sorely lacked. "I know it isn't protocol to ask questions ma'am, but I'd like to know what I'm being paid for," Kaela stated gruffly, adjusting her weapon slightly so that it lay at her hip. "Criminals don't loiter about in the jungle unless they're in a group of bandits, and there isn't a war on here." She released the safety catch on her gun as if she were brushing off some dew. Not that it would get her far of course, as she was in a magically shielded village full of guards, but it was always nice to err on the side of caution. "So why am I here?"

[Paladin Sheppard]

Paige was about to follow the group as Witt stomped over. "Here you go Witt" She said as she sent the helmet on a ballistic path to the hedgehog.

[Mel Dragonkitty]

Despite what Keaton thought Penny had not been ignominiously squashed by the giant gryphon. She was simply using her considerable job skills to stay out of sight. The fisher thought that standing in a clearing and shouting when there were known kidnappers on the island proved that all the creatures were some suicidal combination of insane and arrogant. She decided to stay out of sight and keep careful watch to see what their storming about flushed out of the woodwork.

[Cogidubnus]

 "That's right, Cross." Cog said, stuffing his hands into his pockets. His grin was ferocious, but his eyes were venomous, hate-filled. "Make sure you check with the person holding your balls for you. Wouldn't want to be disobedient, right?" he snickered to himself, and walked with Keaton into the undergrowth.

[Tapewolf]

Cross followed Keaton, if only to avoid getting his trenchcoat damaged by her grasp.  Something would have to be done about Cog.  For now, a migraine would have to do.

[e_voyager]

Epyon  found his mind drifting and he pushed things up to three times his own weight around  clearing a spend in the center of one of the cargo bays. He was already blocking out most of the light and was testing to the contents to make sure nothing that he knew was flamer was near the either the exits or himself. he wanted to rest, and to be comfortable he desired some solitude as much as he desired company. but mostly he wanted to be sure that he wasn't going to look of and find himself dead well deader then he already was. Perhaps he was wrong to leave his crypt after his grandfathers funeral but even now as he set up his slab he remembered his grandfathers last coherent words to him. " where there is life there is hope"

[Stygian]

And back in the rough clearing, the dust settled at last with the typical theatrical slowness that any well-behaved dust knows to employ at least half-heartedly after such a dramatic event as the gryphon's descent and tussle with the adventurers, short-lived though it was. The crickets, or whatever equivalent passed for them around those parts, seemed a bit more picky with the timing though, kicking in only once the air was well clear for more than a couple of minutes. This gave them only a short while to mess about, before a mix of instinctual fear and sounds of fatigued, sleepy rummaging through the underbrush made them all scamper off once more. And for a while, things were better off for it. No one likes those damn crickets anyway.
   Lightly sleepy-eyed, bleary and disturbed, and feeling both starved and parched, Sal stumbled into the impromptu glade and surveyed the devastation with the impassionate expression that only someone who knows that they are not being observed or even at the most remote risk of being so can naturally pull off without concentration. She had been woken up by the rumbling and crashing from far off, and unable to rest had decided to investigate, possibly with prejudice. Her eyes swiveled between the ground, the sky, the gryphon, then the sky again, the gryphon, the ground once more, the trees, the gryphon and the sky. And then the gryphon again. Its tongue, hanging out in a silly fashion, as if it were a very large chicken that had just been choked. Its both furry and feathery hindquarters, unreasonably large for something supposed to fly through any regular aerodynamic means.
   Sal's stomach growled.

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

Witt caught the helmet with one outstretched paw, wincing as it thumped home, and strained his already sorely tested ribs. He spun it in the air, caught it by the spike, and plonked it on his head. His lack of commentary merely underscored hos hard-done-by he was feeling. Still grumbling, he limped after Paige - not really up to appreciating the view, but noting it for later appreciation anyway.

Maybe after a chance to lie down and groan in pain for a while.