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The Makings of a Crew [Closed for Now]

Started by Incognus, November 15, 2016, 01:37:40 PM

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Incognus

Its funny... how you only let me out when you need me.

What the hell do ye think I took the trouble in capturin you for?

I am NOT your slave.

Nay. Yer just me prisoner.

A rumbling growl Tell me... if you are my prison, why shouldn't I just let you die? I would finally be free of your putrid presence.

An who say ye ken just let me die? I's in control. Yer my puppet.

But I can fight. Pain ripped along Naomi's back, her muscles tensing in response, but she didn't yell. The only outward difference that could be seen was the clinching of her jaw. You don't have the hold you might think on me. I can cause it one way or another. Naomi pushed back, the pain receding.

And if ye did? How do ya know ye wont jus keel over right long with me? Our souls be bound, death ain't no escape.

You don't know that.

Nay an neither do ye. If ya be willin ta risk that ere precious eternal life yous be me guest.

Another deep rumbling growl was the only response from her inner demon.

"let me show you just what your mocking," Kirsten smiled barring her fangs.

Naomi narrowed her eyes at the sight of Kirsten's teeth. So she was a vampire, that was interesting and unexpected, but it didn't change much. She tugged on the power inside of her, feeling a strand loosen and flow into her arm. Quickly reaching forward, she wrapped her right hand around Kirsten's blade, the razor edge pushing against her palm. But it didn't cut her. A dim shadowy aura had formed around her right hand, what looked like dark fog continuously evaporated from her skin. It was barely opaque and one might miss it's presence if not looking closely, as if the hand of a dark ghost was being worn as a glove.

"I ain't gonna say this again. If ye be wantin ta brawl right here an now I's will. But I ain't lookin fer a fight. I gots more important things ta be dealin with at the present moment. An secondly. If you be wantin the job I be plannin on offerin, ye need ta understand that I am in charge. Me orders are final, an if it goes against yer pride yer jus gonna have ta suck it up. I aint dealin with no insubordinate sailors on my vessel. Now ye think abouts yer next move. Because there be many who've underestimated my skill as well. An they be lyin in Davy Jones Locker."

Kalak8538

The boy focused ahead, his artificial gaze seemingly transfixed on the woman. A chill ran up his spine. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up on end.

The boy ignored his surroundings. Lost in a hypnotized stupor, he began to walk forward towards her. The mask shifted as slowly as it needed to. The riding hood changed to a redish color, and grew longer. By the time the boy reached her side, the mask had changed to show the artwork of a fox's face, and was clad in a flowing red cloak.

He was not focused on the woman, but rather, her hand. The magic power that emanated from her was what drew this attention, as well as this form. He raised his own hands and gently laid them upon the hand that grasped the black blade.

There was not much magic to contend with the dark energy the woman possessed. Either the boy did not possess much power, or he was holding back. Either way, what magic energy he used was pure, and spiritual in nature. The mask reflected the boy's icy calm, and his silent mystery.

He did nothing to reveal his intentions...

Incognus

The moment Naomi finished speaking, the young boy was touching her again. She released the sword when he grabbed her hand and shook his grasp off of her. The shadowy aura receded back under her skin.

"Gods! Keep yer hands to yerself!" she growled angrily down at the strange boy. Her head quickly flicked back up to the vampire, so she wouldn't be caught off guard if Kirsten decided to strike. It seemed to her that the boy was trying to stop them from fighting. He didn't want a fight, and although things might be easier without one, Naomi didn't care either way. If the vampire forced her hand she forced her hand, and the pirate would put her in her place.

Magyar

A cry rang out down the street, drawing Eli's attention away from the pissing match the two women had going on. He swung his head in the direction of the call, and saw the two priests they had been escaping from, with three others, rapidly approaching them.

"Ye've gone and done it now ye clotpoles!" he snapped, flinging an angry hand in the direction of the girls, "Put away yer peckers and measure 'em later, we've to be out of here and now! Foolish children, the lot of ye!"

Kalak8538

The boy barely reacted as the woman drew her hand back. He looked up at her slowly, and spoke with a calm and serene tone.

"So much darkness... So much... evil..."

The bright red of the boy's cloak and mask caught the eye of the elder monk who was scanning for exactly that. With a loud call, four monks of the temple hurried towards him.

The boy noticed this, yet stood his ground. He reached inside the cloak, where his twin daggers had been. Instead, however, he drew a long whip. The metal tips of each leather tail fell onto the wooden dock as he readied himself.

"You will not get us this time..." he muttered with the same icy calm tone.

ValamLym

Kirsten snickered as Naomi grasped her blade, it would've intimidated her if that feeling hadn't been quelled by her powers, she no longer HAD to fear anything but the sunlight and that was nowhere to be seen ''Putting me in ''Davey Jones'' locker, as you so cutely put it.. is not possible for the likes of you.'' she tore her blade free, not caring whether it tore through Naomi's skin or the boys.

Her eyes flicked to the incoming priests, what were they going to do? bleed on her? she huffed at the sound of Eli's voice and without any kind of warning she flung her blade into the sky, promptly turning into a bat and flying after it, mid air, she reformed looking down on the group and with a roundhouse kick send the blade crashing down toward one of the priests at speeds no mortal could possibly even see.

She dashed after it, retrieving the blade from the priest, kicking herself away from the other two by launching herself. She hoped killing one of their kin in an instant would cause the priests to route, as for guards; contrary to her mortal compatriots she had no reason to fear them. Turning her attention back to the group she completely ignored the kids change, her beef was with Naomi. ''You talk like the moment you hire me I belong to you, I will teach you to give me the respect I deserve, even if I have peel your skin back to do it.'' she extended her hand, pointing the tip of her blade at Naomi ''So how about you pick, either you will die trying to kill the likes of me, or you back down now.''

Of-course this was going to end in only one way, the two women had too much in common, sadly those largely were pride, stubbornness and fearlessness. She did respect Naomi for that, but once more her pride completely overwrote any kind of possibility to back down. ''As for you old man.. I'd shut up if I were you, those priests are not my concern.'' she shot Eli a glance before simply turning her attention to Naomi again.

OOC: Sorry if you wanted to kill that priest yourself Kalak, i just figured one wouldn't hurt, do let me know if you'd rather he stay alive.

Incognus

Naomi's eyes narrowed at her challenge. She couldn't simply back down, how could she keep authority over a crew if she ran from a confrontation. This, of course, was not any average confrontation. Naomi could clearly see that the cat possessed some extraordinary skill, more than she could have initially imagined. But the pirate knew that Kirsten could not guess what she had tucked away inside her very being. The power bound to her soul by strong and ancient magic.

"It be seemin that yer due fer a good head rattlin. You may be strong buts ye flaunt yerself too much. An ye underestimate every opponent cause o yer strength." Naomi chastised, "That be a mighty fatal flaw on the battlefield, an its one ye need ta learn ta curb."

Under the surface, Naomi was slightly worried about going up against an opponent with her skills. But uncertainty was much better than that of overconfidence. And she had yet to fully test her newfound powers. The pirate was itching to stretch her limits, and this was a big reason why she wanted to return to sea so badly. Merge with me. Scaidohr. She let the thought propagate.

The deep and rumbling voice responded. Gladly. She could practically feel the creatures excitement as it gobbled up every ounce of slack she allowed it. His only goal was to escape, to be free, to have control again. Naomi knew that every bit closer the demon could get to that ideal it would. She had to forfeit part of herself to obtain his power, and it was a balancing act. If she forfeited too much he could push forward and take over, but the less she gave the weaker she would be.

The barely opaque aura returned, this time enveloping Naomi like a second skin. Dim mist evaporated endlessly from the woman, barely visible, as she lowered her stance for stability. Her sword was drawn and she cocked the pistol in her holster. Inwardly, she blocked the presence from taking any further hold on her. If she had to draw more she would.

"I's gotta say I been itchin to have a brawl without holdin back. Do ye think yer skills ken actually satisfy me?" she prodded the cat more, knowing her fury was a possible weak point in the Neko's defense. It sure as hell was for her. She was ready for the coming attack.

ValamLym

"I guess I will just show you then"

The time for waiting and teasing had ended, Kirsten knew this. She could sense and see that the woman was drawing powerful magic from within. She had no clue what it would allow her to do but she didnt feel like testing that out herself, Luckily she had her own magic.

Taking a step back she slammed her fist into the ground. Years of training and practice allowed her to summon her servants from mere traces of death. Seconds after she hit the ground boney arms shot from it and undead began pulling themselves up from the earth.

The moment their rotting feet hit the ground they charged toward Naomi. If she were to fall to them it would just be easy going but Kirsten actually used them to get some kind of response, trying to figure out what Naomi would use or do.

Meanwhile Kirsten herself stood combat ready, blade at the ready.

Incognus

The moment the battle started Naomi was already thrown off of her expectations. She thought the vampire would charge forward at her lightning speed but instead, she raised a small army. Taking a few steps backwards, Naomi created enough room to assess the situation. There were lots of them, but they looked weak. She guessed they were only pawns to occupy Naomi as Kirsten waited for a moment to strike. She would have to be sure not to give the vampire enough of an opportunity to do so.

The sword sliced through the air as she quickly dispatched three of the undead horde. The breeze picked up rapidly and the nearby ocean began to grow restless, larger waves smacking the wooden docks. Ships swayed slightly from the growing turmoil of the waters and the few stragglers that were left outside ran indoors. The couple of priests that had been advancing on them followed suit. As they turned and ran from the two seemingly demonic woman, Naomi wondered if they might cause later undue trouble. But her hands were full at the moment.

Another risen soldier lashed out at the pirate but it's claws bounced off the ghostly armor. She swiveled and stuck it through the chest before kicking it back into the crowd. "So this be how ye play huh? Ye let yer lackeys do the fightin fer ya! That be a cowards game."

Magyar

Eli's ever present scowl deepened, until his face seemed a grim mask chipped from dark wood, were the lines so deep and his features so hard. Why? Why was now the time that this had to happen. A simple voyage, was all he wanted.

"By all the gods above an' below.." he muttered angrily, the bite in his tone audible only to him. He stormed angrily between the two women, ignoring the shamblers around him, but didn't stop there. He went right on past them, grabbing the boy by the shoulder with his left hand, and sighting a priest in the ironsights with his right. As he yanked the the boy away from the battling bitches, the barrel of his pistol exploded, and less than a second later the next leading priest's head nearly exploded. The gore and suddenness of the action stunned the two remaining churchmen, who were spattered in blood and bone bits, but by then Eli had dragged the boy around the bar and into an alley leading into the heart of the city.

"Looks like ar plan has changed, lad. Ye can use yer daggers, right? We'll need 'em," He said grimly, already reloading his pistol, "We're gonna need a place to hide, too. Have ye a good sense o' this place, or it's whereabouts?"

ValamLym

Kirsten simply snickered as her pawns fell. They were serving their purpose. "Cowards tend to live longer." she simply commented as she analysed what they had revealed for her. The moment she finished that sentence her unnatural powers boomed and she dashed toward Naomi, not bothering to defend herself as her blade swiped toward Naomi's throat fully intent on beheading her in one swift move.

Incognus

Naomi had baited her into attacking, but quickly questioned the wisdom of doing so before at least dispatching most of the horde. She quickly rolled out of the black blade's path, the whooshing sound telling her it was too close a call for comfort. Instead of Kirsten's sword finding it's mark on Naomi, it sliced through two of her soldiers skulls. Clean. The caps of the dead men bounced off the cobble stones as their owners fell to the ground.

Unfortunately her dodging roll had landed the sailor smack middle in the army, and the undead wasted no time in pouncing.  She fought them off of her with fist and sword as best they could, but they quickly began to overwhelm the pirate. It was time to clear the field, so Naomi loosened her mind further.

She channeled the abundant energy of the demon outward, and as it coursed through her cells it burned like red metal. The result was a shockwave of dark energy accompanied with a ghastly shriek. As if a ghost had been released from her body. But she put a cap on his reign before that could happen.

The soldiers were blown backwards and cut into ribbons, sharp blades of tainted air shooting outwards in all directions. Slashes appeared on the buildings, splinters flew and chunks erupted from the stone walls and road. Naomi stood, the ghostly armor still enveloping her, but there was a change. Where human eyes once lay were only two black orbs, as dark as the blade Kirsten wielded. Naomi pointed her blade at the Neko and waited.

ValamLym

Kirsten half expected a jab in the chest but let an amused grin surface when she realized the woman had gotten herself into trouble by dodging. She didnt care much about slicing up her own minions. However she soon felt the dark aura intesify and before she even knew it shards of bone went flying everywhere as Naomi unleashed her onslaught.

Kirsten didn't bother dodging, the powers tore through her flesh and bone tearing through her like a knife through butter. However where one would've expected her to fall Kirsten remained standing, smirking at Naomi.

From within the wounds a keen eye would note a black substance filling up the holes and cuts in mere seconds and some more later her skin was as if nothing had ever happened to it."Truly impressive... I would've been dead... but alas, that'll have to wait."

Launching herself into the air with her feet Kirsten lept at Naomi attempting to strike from above. However this was only a distraction as behind Naomi a large bone spike emerged and attempted to impale her on itself.


Incognus

Naomi didn't catch the quick regeneration of Kirsten's flesh, being preoccupied with jumping to her feet and the wall of carnage denying her a decent view. Once she was up, so was Kirsten, coming down at her from above. And if Naomi's senses weren't heightened by the darkness she harnessed, the pirate would have never seen the bone spike coming. As it were though, the further release to the demon allowed her to feel it's presence as the spike entered her now larger aura. Naomi was forced to dodge again rather than counter. She side stepped with increased agility, clearing the bone and the blade's impact zone.

I's wonder how she avoided all that sharp air. Not even a scratch be on her.

A grumbling chuckle. So you didn't notice then?

An whats was to be noticed? Ye gonna let me in on yer lil secret?

I think I'd rather you be surprised... She could feel his smirk. Her eyes kept tight on the vampire Neko, although the direction of her gaze couldn't be discerned due to the black coloring of her eyes.

ValamLym

Kirsten's blade clashed with the ground, a decently sized hole being cut in it in the process, showing just how sharp her blade was. "tsk" was the only sound passing her lips in response as the boneshard fell to pieces.

In her current state it seemed that striking Naomi would be harder then she thought, her reflexes being able to match her own. However, the solution to this was one she had already used before.

Kirsten promptly stabbed her blade into the ground and turned it. Seconds later, the ground began shaking as a green glowing hole opened up, the tell tale whailing of souls emerging from it, followed by those exact things floating out before seeping into the ground. Moments later, the dead would begin rising once more. However contrary to previously these would keep coming until the hole was sealed, continiously charging the woman.

Kirsten's hope was that this would tire Naomi out or cause her to slip up. Quickly she spun and threw her blade at Naomi, using a larger portion of her vampiric speed she dashed after it, making it almost look like she teleported with such speed. She intercepted the blade mid flight by grasping the hilt and sliding across the ground. As she slid across the ground sheslowed down but still moved relatively fast,  she still moved toward Naomi and attempted to cut her legs. With this enire charade she hoped to catch Naomi off guard by making her believe the blade was poised to collide with her chest.



Incognus

All while the battle raged, the weather grew worse and worse. The wind had picked up into a strong gale now, and the waters sloshed back and forth on the shore. Ships in port rose and fell with the waves, every so often colliding with the docks. The ropes held steady though, for the time being, and the vessels were held back from getting washed out into the sea.

Kirsten slid towards Naomi with her blade in the air. It looked as if she were going for another death blow, She really tryin ta kill me? The thought angered Naomi. She hadn't tried to kill Kirsten once, and although the outburst of slicing air easily could have killed a regular human, Naomi neither intend for this nor realized how much it had actually cut up the Neko. Yet here she be. Tryin ta dispatch me over nothin but a bit o talk. And then the anger Naomi felt began to burn brighter inside her, the forge's flames getting stoked by Scaidohr until they climbed to a raging inferno.

She curved her body around where the sword would have impacted Naomi's chest, but as it turned out, Kirsten was going for her legs instead. The blade ripped along the pirate's left calf. The ghostly armor took most of the blow for Naomi, without it she might have easily spent the rest of her days with a wooden replacement. It's dark aura repelled the sword like that of a strong magnet, but the speed at which it was thrust at her allowed it to temporarily break through, and a deep gash was carved, drawing a gush of blood. Kirsten continued on her trajectory past Naomi as the dead began to rise once again. Their bodies tore up the cobble pathway as they clawed their way to the surface.

"How long ye gonna keep hidin behind yer puppets like a coward!" Naomi's voice resonated, slightly deeper but not quite taking on the sound of a demon's tongue. She turned towards the rising army, but Naomi stood still. The darkness thickened around her further as she gave way to Scaidohr just a little more. However she was beginning to reach the tipping point. She couldn't allow him to possess her and that edge was getting close. He had much more power in store, she could feel it, she wanted it, but a ritual would be needed to access that safely. Drawing on it openly and unprotected would leave the pirate seriously vulnerable to his darkness.

As she stood there, the risen amassed and charged, but they never could quite reach her. As if an unnatural force haunted the roadway, their bodies began flying off. An unseen presence striking them with incredible force. Invisible claws ripped through their flesh, dicing their limbs and snapping their bones. Naomi pivoted to face Kirsten, who was still on the ground.

"You want to kill me? Over what? Your pride?!" Her voice took on a deeply layered tone, dark as if echoing from an abyss. Her rage was beginning to consume her and the demonic presence inside was starting to show. She stepped towards Kirsten, the assault of the dead to her back, but she paid little notice to their bodies getting tossed around like dolls. Suddenly, the cobble to the left of Kirsten exploded into gravely chunks. Three large and deep claw marks, looking as if they came from a fully grown dragon, lay in the aftermath. A second later, three more exploded to Kirsten's right, a similar image left engraved in the stones. "You don't kill me. You don't kill Scaidohr." her voice echoed.

Then, the invisible claws ripped straight through Kirsten's chest, opening it for all the world to see. The blow should have killed the woman in Naomi's blind rage. Her being was melding with the demon inside, and neither had total control over the pirate's body. The tattoos across her skin vibrated, struggling to both form into something new and to stay in their original place. The mental battle inside of Naomi had begun, she had given Scaidohr too much girth and was struggling to keep him contained.

ValamLym

Kirsten noted how her minions were almost constantly dispatched by forces unseen, seconds later claws tore to her left, shortly after toward her right. Any other would've been stricken with fear, but Kirsten wasn't any other. She had half anticipated that Naomi had some kind of magical power, but more and more did it start to seem like she actually had something within herself that possessed this power. Smirking, Kirsten stood back up, eyeing Naomi ''Do you know what happened to the last person who underestimated me?'' before she could finish her sentence, a surge of pain shot through her chest, looking down, she noted a gaping hole in her chest.

Once more, where one expected her to fall she didn't even flinch simply looking back up to Naomi ''I drank his blood until he was but an empty husk, then I resurrected him just to kill him again, and again, and again..'' while she spoke black tendrils surged from within her, re knitting flesh at an unimaginable pace, within seconds, it was as if nothing had even happened, even the tattoo's were unchanged. Kirsten's eyes visually twitched as the pain and adrenaline from before worked its magic, giving way to a much more relentless version of herself, one created after years of torture. Her clothes in the meantime began reforming as well, the magical fabric specially created so that regenerating wouldn't leave Kirsten in the nude.

''You are in my realm now, at night; you're mine.'' her head curved toward the side as bones elongated from her shoulder, piercing her skin and forming two large pincer like constructs from her shoulder, the bones themselves glew an eery green, indicating just how infected with necrotic energies it was. Underneath her arms two large bones also emerged, their length slightly further then that of her arms, contrary to what one might expect, they twitched and moved, almost as if they had become additional limbs coated in necrotic energies.

Finally, as a final touch Kirsten inhaled deeply, before exhaling, emerging from her mouth was now a thick green fog, its essence ripe with necrotic energies, it wouldn't take a genius to know that inhaling it was extremely bad for ones health. But that's not what it served for, it served to hide Kirsten's presence, for its magical aura was thick and only Kirsten knew the tell tale sign of something that didn't belong in it. ''For eternity.. You. Are. MINE!'' she roared before dashing toward the side, attempting to elude Naomi's senses, within seconds her onslaught began, the two huge pincer like bones striking from above, attempting to impale Naomi by her shoulders, while the two others underneath Kirsten's arms went for her hips and finally, Sōru sakenomi was poised to impale the woman's back. 

Kalak8538

The boy simply watched as the priests were dispatched. There was internal conflict in his mind. The one who possessed him was happy to see them gone, but the boy himself was horrified. Both emotions canceled each other out, leaving him in a calmed state.

As the other two fled in fear, the boy was tugged away from the battle that had finally erupted. The mask's eyes met the sailor's as he spoke. He held up the whip as a response to the first question, for the daggers had reformed into it.

"I know every part of this place." the boy replied.

His voice and demeanor remained calm and collected, despite the ruckus that ensued.

"...But now is the time to get to your ship, while the demon and the vampire draw everyone's attention."

Magyar

"Demon?" Eli asked, confused. He shook his head, remembering the boy's reaction to Naomi, and decided to trust his instincts, "Then how do we get back lad? That 'ere bucket is blocked by two fighting wenches, and the starts o' a monsoon. Not to mention the ruckus them lasses 'ave probably stirred up with their bickering. That ship is farther from our sorry hides than Connloath is from peace."

Incognus

Ye need ta back off!

And why? So you can lock me away again? NO. I'm taking over for good this time around.

"Aggh!" Naomi/Scaidohr yelled. Her face contorted in concentration, now having to fight a war on two fronts.

As the gaping wound sealed itself in Kirsten's chest, Naomi took notice this time. It was there one instant, and gone within the next. Was she immortal? Even to fatal wounds? Suddenly, the bones in the woman sprouted like plants from the earth and a green fog propagated from her lips. It surrounded Naomi and she inevitably took a breath of it in. The gas burned her lungs and made her cough, this can't be good ta breathe.

The dark aura surrounding Naomi notified her of the vampire's impending strike. She hadn't even realized Kirsten had moved. Spinning around, Naomi watched as blows struck the cat. She wasn't controlling it anymore, it was the demon's doing as he tried to protect the body he aimed to overtake. It's destruction could mean his own, and although he hated Naomi with a passion, he couldn't allow her to die.

A hard strike from the right broke the pincer bones off of the cat and altered her trajectory slightly. Naomi turned her body 90 degrees and threw her shoulder into Kirsten, the sword grazing her stomach and the bone spike from her arm barely slipping past her back. Both women were knocked to the ground beside each other. Naomi coughed once again, she had to get out of the fog. Before picking herself off the ground, Naomi took a quick moment to stab Kirsten through the neck, making sure the blade was well implanted into the ground. The pirate knew it wouldn't hold her long, but it'd give her enough time to move away.

She staggered past the edge of the mist, shoving an undead soldier out of the way, who had somehow gotten past Scaidohr's lashing. And it was there she fell to her hands and knees, coughing and gasping. She couldn't deal with both of them. The demon inside her was fighting for possession of her very body, and she needed every ounce of control to take on Kirsten. Everything Naomi did to the vampire seemed as if it didn't faze her in the slightest. If wounds had no effect on her, she wasn't sure what could stop the Neko. This battle would go on forever if the pirate kept slashing. But forever wasn't an option for Naomi. She needed to bring this battle to a close, and before Kirsten succeeded in killing her. But she had no idea how.