"Oh, Yun, you're such an idiot sometimes," Yun muttered to herself as she trudged through the underbrush, cursing when her pack got snagged against twigs and branches.
"Shortcut, indeed. Couldn't just stick to the main road like a normal person, could you? Nooo, just gotta go for the shortcut! Gah!" Her foot caught on a branch and sent her crashing to the ground with a loud grunt, her overstuffed bag bursting open and scattering some of its contents along the ground and her sword falling out of her grip to clatter to the mud. With a sigh, she scrambled to her knees, wiped the mud off her hands, and started hastily shoving the contents back into her bag.
She wrestled with it for a moment to get it closed again, then stood and slung it back over her shoulder. She collected her sword and cleaned the sheath off on her shirt as she frowned out into the distance. "Suna looked so much closer in the daytime..."
And this area had looked so much less ominous, too. She'd been talking to herself ever since the last ray of light winked out over the horizon, just to have a voice to listen to.
Something rustled in the bushes behind her and Yun jumped, twirling around to face--nothing. Nothing was there. "Probably just some lizard or something..." she muttered, but that didn't help her imagination any; she'd jumped out of her skin several times already just because a branch moved in a breeze or a shadow looked a little too much like a spirit or a boar--and she wasn't sure which she was more afraid of at the moment.
Shivering, goosebumps raising on her arms, Yun turned back around and continued on her way, if at a quicker pace. "Not that I'm afraid," she told herself in the hopes that she'd believe it. She was a warrior! Warriors didn't jump at ghosts-- "AHH!"
Something wet and heavy plunked down onto the nape of her neck and slithered down her back and Yun let out a rather un-warrior-like scream, high-pitched and girlie. Flailing around, dropping her bag and sword again (oh, her father would kill her for that!), she clawed at her clothes and wiggled until she she was able to grab hold of it--and she squealed again when she found herself holding holding a slug. Dropping it in disgust and wiping off her hands, she took a few quick, deep breaths. Okay. Calm down. Nothing was out to get her out here and she was not afraid of the dark!
At least, not until she saw a pair of eyes staring at her from a tree nearby, glowing green in the moonlight.
That sent her running.
And it wasn't long before she realized she didn't have the slightest clue where she was or how to get out, and had very effectively gotten herself lost in the jungle.
Panting, Yun finally had to come to a stop and lean against a tree to get her bearings, and she looked around wildly for signs of life or light--and then let out a small, pathetic groan when she felt a plop of water on her forehead. Great. Just great. On top of everything else, now it had started to rain, and it wasn't long before the first couple of sprinkles transformed into a steady downpour.
Arms hugging her bag and sword like a lifeline, shivering more from fear of the growing darkness than the wetness, Yun sighed and huddled down beneath a large, broad-leafed fern.
Great.
(Open thread? Well, don't mind if I do!)
Kruz'Iik let out some pleasurable clicks as he slowly walked through the rainforest. Despite being something the lesser mortals called "squid-faced", his people were not at all aquatic. That being said, a little rain now and then did wonders to moisturize an Ilithid's skin, and Kruz'Iik took this to heart. Kruz'Iik's deep, beady eyes looked about, taking in all of the information around him. Soon, he would have enough information of the outside world to return to the grand Ilithid cave-cities. To his mate and spawnlings. The tangle of short tentacles that concealed his lamprey mouth writhed about as he looked around, acting like a sort of radar for Kruz'Iik as he psionically probed his surroundings.
As he came across some denser brush, the rain seemed to stop hitting him and start hitting an invisible bubble around him. This same bubble pushed aside the protruding twigs and leaves. Suddenly, he stopped. There was something. He could feel a trace, something intelligent had passed through here. He reveled at the prospect of a mind to feast on, but he had just eaten a few days ago, so he wasn't feeling particularly hungry that day. He looked down, seeing the footprints in the ground vanish as the rain consumed them.
Kruz'Iik crossed his arms, and looked forwards. The two tentacles on his face that were longer than the others reached out, and he soon picked up a presence. He started forwards again, pulling up his hood and his facial tentacles all bundled together, turning into a long white beard. He held out a clawed hand, and a walking stick materialized in it, and his hands and overall body shape went from blue-ish and slended to human looking skin color and an elderly, hunched over build. He even materialized a hermit's pack onto his back. He cleared his throat a few times, before calling out into the jungle as he walked. "Hello!? Is anyone out here? This isn't traveling weather!" He called out in an almost perfect wizened old man voice. "I can help! I live in these parts!" He added, and kept ambling along in the direction of the presence he sensed.
A voice cut through the sound of the rain, and Yun's head jerked up. At first she thought it was just her imagination, but then the voice sounded out again, and she could make out the words. It sounded like an old man.
Ah! She was saved! Perking up hopefully, Yun jumped to her feet, ready to race off in his direction--but then she froze.
Waaaaaaitaminute!
What would an old man be doing way out here all alone?! True, he said he lived in these parts, but...but that was weird, wasn't it? This was the middle of nowhere! Who lived in the middle of nowhere? And how had he found her? Well, okay, so she had shrieked awfully loud and everything, so that was possible, but...
But was he really an old man?
Unbidden, the old ghost stories some friends had teased her with came rushing back to her, stories about malevolent spirits taking the shape of harmless elderly people and luring children deeper into the woods, where they would get even more lost. Or, even creepier, the stories where those spirits actually lured them into a home, where they forced the kids into a pot and cooked them! In the grimmer stories, they sometimes got served to their friends who tried to find them after getting invited inside.
What if...what if that old person was actually some spirit that wanted to eat her?
Her palms grew slick with not only rain but also sweat as those wild fancies raced through her mind and for a moment she just stood there, shaking from cold and fear. What should she do? Run away? But no, that was silly, right? Those were just stories! Fake! There was no such thing as people eating spirits...right? It was probably just a harmless old person who lived out there, just like he said! And if she stayed out here, she might catch cold or like...get even more lost and starve to death.
But...but what if he was a spirit?
"U-uh..." Yun held herself, shaking, her clothes clinging to her skin. Okay. She had to get a hold of herself! She was too old to believe in those stupid stories! Besides, what was she but a bloody warrior in training! She could take any stupid spirit...right?
She swallowed hard. Right...
"Argh, stop being a wuss!" she growled at herself, then cleared her throat. "H-hello? Yeah, I'm over here? I mean, I'm here! And I'm totally not lost or freaked out! That's just me being cold. The shaking. Not that I'm shaking." With a groan, she slapped her forehead, then took a deep breath and headed toward his voice.
And, sure enough, there he was. Just an old man. Totally harmless, right?
She raised her hand, gave an awkward wave. "Hi..."
Hjaldi was resting in a near by tree hearing the altercation of the old man and the obviously lost woman. Hjaldi could smell that the old man was clearly not human. Hjaldi had senses attuned to sound, sight, and even taste. Hjaldi was no mere human he had frost giant blood blood coursed through him, His mother was a half giant, And Hjaldi looked the part of one as well. He was a giant in his own right towering over all natural humans. Hjaldi even had a very slight blue tint in his skin in certain light. "By the gods what i that smell?" Hjaldi was wondering the smell of the old man. The stench filled his nostrils. He had to figure what it was.
"Hold child. that is no mere human." Hjaldi dropped from the tree with a loud thud walking over to the man Hjaldi's nose began to be stung from the scent of the creature. "What are you? you are no man i can smell it." Hjaldi smiled as he almost needed to lean over to meet the creatures eyes and being slightly smug at his gesture of knowing the creature was no human. "You see i know you are not human for neither am i, creature so reveal yourself to me..." Hjaldi hands twitched as he spoke ready to draw his swords if need be.
Kruz'Iik smiled to himself when he found the lost woman, and he went over his options. One one hand, it would have been extremely easy to pull her and the surrounding area into a pocket dimension. Then, it would only be a matter of time. But...would he really? His orders above all were for information, but he had always found an efficient way to gather it, seeing as how Ilithids consumed intelligent minds as a rare delicacy back in the cave-city. Usually, he resorted to consuming the mind when conversation or mind-reading failed, but sometimes he was just hungry. This was not one of those times. In fact, he would be planning on letting her go.
"You better thank the gods I found you before something else did. We need to hur-" Kruz'Iik stopped when the half-giant thing jumped from the tree. He let a surprised gasp escape his mouth intentionally, and he fell backwards. He held his walking stick out, pointing at the new man. Of course, Kruz'Iik knew the man was there the entire time, but it always helped to act surprised. "By the gods, don't scare an old man like that! And now you're threatening me? Pah!" He said scoldingly, and spent basically the entire time slowly getting to his feet as the man accused him of being a non-human, based on a smell.
"You try living out here for fifty years and not smelling bad, stranger. You should come with me, as well, get out of this rain." He rasped out as he tried to collect his breath. He walked over to Yun, and held out his hand to her. Under the hood of his dirty robe, she'd see the genuinely smiling face of an old man. In his mind, he was imagining how the hut he'd construct with his mind would go. He was a master of the mental, and had reality itself on a short leash, but for once he encountered a problem. He had never seen a damned hermit hut. He supposed that it would be a shabby structure, but of what size? He did claim to have lived here for fifty years, so perhaps it would be more akin to a proper house? Brain Father's beard, this was hard.
Hjaldi did not resist, Reaching back grabbing the seemingly old man. "Do not go near her!" Hjaldi's hand was immense compared to Kruz'Iik's body almost engulfing his entire side. Putting a firm hold them as he held he jerked the creature around. "I am not a mere human i have frost giant blood flowing through my veins, i can smell the creatures sleeping in burrows and i know the scent of age... you smell of something none human! Now what are you?..." Hjaldi pulled his sword out as he did a flicker of blue flame jumped from the blade briefly. Hjaldi pulled the blade out fully and placed it on this cloak and dagger creature's opposite shoulder. "Now i will ask again fiend what are you!?" Hjaldi's eyes were focused and stern. He would figure this out and then after he would decide whether to fight or leave it be.
Looking back to the young girl Hjaldi tried to speak in a gentle voice but his heavy accent he sounded rougher then he wished. "Stay back child this is not a mere human... you should have stayed quiet..." Hjaldi's eyes darted back to the creature... "Well?..." Hjaldi was ready for a fight, and in honesty he was looking forward to it...
Oh Inima! So there was something to fear in the jungle tonight--but it certainly wasn't the old man!
Yun let out a shriek at the sight of the large, wild man leaping down and shouting craziness at her and the wizened hermit! Like that the old man wasn't human? Whaaat? While the wild man went on about how he had frost giant blood?! And here he was accusing the old man of being something other than human!
And then he went a step further. He grabbed the old man.
With a metallic hiss, Yun drew her and swung it on instinct, stopping just before the blade hit the wild man's neck. Instead, she rested it against his skin so he could feel its sharpness and know she was serious.
"You let go of him right now!" she shouted. "Now! Or I swear to Inima I'll do whatever it takes to make ya let go!" She was proud that her voice didn't waver, coming out strong and firm. But inside? Inside, her heart was racing. This guy was huge! And he was armed! And while she was trained and could hold her own, there was only so much skill could do when matched with sheer size and power.
She hoped she didn't get both herself and this old man killed.
"Gah!" Kruz'Iik yelled as Hjaldi picked him, and the hood fell back, revealing the dirty white hair and face of an old man. Kruz'Iik had to admit, although he let himself be grabbed so he could continue his disguise and not freak out the girl he was trying to help, he hadn't anticipated the force the half-giant would manhandle him with. He almost didn't extend the mental illusion to the rest of his head in time. He grunted and pushed against Hjaldi's grip, but it was futile. He couldn't decide if he wanted to use his powers to defend himself or not, but with Hjaldi's sword at his shoulder, the Ilithid actually felt threatened. This fight was different, as he usually stalled a confrontation long enough so he could implant himself in his foe's mind. It was how Ilithids fought, with illusions and the bending of reality.
As he struggled, a relieved smile came to his mouth when Yun jumped to his defense, but he quickly removed it. "No, save yourself!" He groaned, looking to her with eyes that said he had the situation handle, and then his eyes locked onto Hjaldi's. "You might think yourself right manly for bullying an old hermit, but I'll tell you right now, boy..." He started, and took a second to breathe. "You think I survive around here at my age through physicality? No, this old man's learned some tricks! I have befriended the spirits around here, and we share a powerful bond. Who are you to threaten their friend, a complete stranger, that's who! And of the girl? will you hurt her as well? " He spat, and continued speaking.
Lightning struck in the sky, as if the sky was furious. "I offer this girl, and then you, despite your rudeness, shelter from this storm. Is this how you repay kindness? If you don't want me helping this poor young woman, then strike me down, you savage!" He yelled, and then started breathing heavily with exertion. The exertion was somewhat real, as Kruz'Iik never really used this silly lung system humans had that often. He was smiling internally, however. He had been stalling, exactly as he was supposed to. Hjaldi might have physically restrained him, but Kruz'Iik undetectably entered the barbarian's mind.
Visible to, and ONLY to Hjaldi, Kruz'Iik twisted into his original form, the tentacles running up and down the giant's wrist as they unwrapped from their beard form and his skin and hands returned to their original color and clawed shape. "Strike me down, savage." He beckoned, his voice resonating throughout Hjaldi's head as his tentacle-faced visage seemed to darken, the very destruction of everything the barbarian held dear reflecting in his eyes.
Hjaldi looked behind him slightly puzzled. he understood he must look mad to the girl but for her to put a blade to his neck... Well more of a knife obviously made for a woman of at least in his lands it would have been. Swords were broad and heavy made to cleave arms with ease and render shields useless. She must be a average human not to smell the sea defining scent on this creature shrouded as a old frail figure. Hjaldi was slightly conflicted what to do in this situation the woman he was protecting was also attacking him, this was a unique situation indeed. Hjaldi decided thought of all the possible outcomes that came to him. "I could just run him through he might be a simple enough creature to kill, on the other hand if it were to just anger him he would have quite the fight on his hands... but it would prove he is no mere human." Hjaldi thought to himself.
Hjaldi heard the feeble voice ring in his ears and tuned in to what he was saying Hjaldi had to laugh when the frail beast called him a boy... Hjaldi was no boy not in the slightest but how would this thing know. He still spouted non sense of him being a old man with tricks and even spirits as friends. Hjaldi was no stranger to spirits of the forest in his homeland they walked among the men of his clan he knew that this was none other then a parlor trick to him. And when he made the notion for the girl to save herself. Hjaldi had to speak with humor in his voice but still threatening. "Girl you know not what you threaten..." with speed faster then a human Hjaldi shot his arm forward striking the flat of the blade deflecting it away from his neck safely. "You ... I am surprised your blade could even reach my neck..." Hjaldi made almost spit the words out of his mouth in slight difficulty with these new words in his mouth. "You are scared i can sense it now you know this is no human so either help me determine it or stay back or i may step on you." Hjaldi snorted now slightly annoyed.
Hjaldi turned back to the old man to see what he had become "By the gods you are uglier then i had thought you would be..." As the tentacles ran up his wrists Hjaldi looked straight into the eyes of this hideous creature he could feel the tendrils search his mind for things he held dear in his life. "All i held dear is already dead, you want to know what i love in this world? the thrill of battle, the moment of victory in a long war, and of course mead. Your head tricks won't work ona man who lost everything already!" Hjaldi smiled letting the tentacles grab him cover him as much until finally he thought it was enough. "Burn..." Hjaldi's eyes had a distinguishable look of a man who had planned a trap and caught his prey where he had wanted. As Hjaldi stood an unmistakable blue flame started to appear and jump over Hjaldi's armor. "I have you now beast!" Hjaldi unleashed a torrent of flames from his arms seeking to burn the creatures tentacles and also him. Hjaldi belted out a harsh laugh, he had this beast now.
As Hjaldi laughed a thick fog started to press it's way around them...
When the giant smacked Yun's sword, the blade went spinning away through the air to land in a bush several meters away. Yun yelped in fright, eyes wide with terror, and swallowed hard. "U-uh...hold that thought!"
Pivoting on her heel, she made a mad dash for the bush and yanked her sword out, dropping it once before she was able to steady her shaking hands enough to hold it. Lightning crackled above and thunder roared in answer, which was not helping her nerves any, but she was not about to run! No way! She was a warrior--in training, but still a warrior! And she was not about to let some poor old man be brutalized by some horrible giant who--
She had spun around and started jogging back toward the two, heart in her throat, when the giant did it. Suddenly, the man was on fire. Literally, on fire.
And he was burning the old man!
"No!" she shrieked, and dashed the rest of the way, coming behind the large man and raising her sword. Without even thinking, she swung it at the back of his legs. "Stop! Stop, stop, leave him alone!"
Hjaldi was not paying attention to the girl anymore, though he had to admit the fact she did not run was admirable, foolish but admirable. As he burned the odd creature he suddenly felt the blade slide through the back of his leg. With a sick ease as though nothing was there and his legs were as blades of grass under the sharp whip of this sword. Grimacing Hjaldi bit into his teeth. "By the god of death swing at me again child and i will not hold back Fafnir..." Hjaldi growled at her slowly looking back to her. It was obvious he was pushing something back in his head some sort of a mental attack. Hjaldi was pushing back in his head against the tendrils in his mind though he had nothing to loss the feeling of oozing things in his mind made Hjaldi uncomfortable like a person who suddenly gets a burst of claustrophobia though they do not have it.
As he mentioned the name Fafnir, the girl heard a snap of a jaw behind her turning she saw the may of a wolf gargantuan in size towering behind her making. Looking closer to her she noticed it was a wolf black glossy fur, eyes a icy blue close to a glow from a low fire, teeth were a snow white color, gums a dark red. As the wolf stood his fur rippled over the strained muscles of this titan of a beast. The size she could not believe the size the size of a horse maybe bigger! "Fafnir hold till that blade flashes and even then ...don't kill her she cannot see..." Hjaldi spoke to the wolf.
The fog began to rise again pushing up around them covering the area of the around them
"notice this fog? something odd isn't it?... It is not from this world but the after world..." Hjaldi spoke to the old faking man still burning. "This fog is thicker made to loose people... This is such a thick fog it will cling to being weighing them down ... my theory is it will cling to you to your true form..." Hjaldi smiled deviously. "Girl if i am right then do not take your eyes off this burning heep of flesh for you shall see it's true horrors" Hjaldi flexed lifting the man up straining at first then growing somewhat accustomed to the weight.
Fafnir spread his legs ready to lunge forward to pnn and possibly... hopefully rip the throat out and have another meal... Hjaldi could tell and after he would send him away to hunt and eat his fill he had earned it the titan of a wolf.
[OOC: I'm gonna assume DaGlobster is gone... D8]
This was too much. Now a fog and a GIANT WOLF? There was only so much someone young and superstitious as Yun could handle.
With a frightened scream as the mountain of a wolf stepped from the shadows, Yun grabbed her sword and ran, ran as fast as she could into the woods, tears in her eyes. She didn't want to, and she died inside to think of what would become of that poor man, but she couldn't help it. This? This was far too much.
(OOC: Agreed so im gonna just pretend ... he dead from my attack is this okay?)
Hjaldi smiled as the old man contorted back into his original form tentacles and all it's horrific macabre being as it was... "See wh..." The horrid scream of a child thrust into troubles of adulthood rang out. Hjaldi shot his eyes back to where the noise had rung out. Hjaldi had only seen the girl draw her blade once again and rang away into the forest. He had assumed it was the mix of what had transpired. Between Fafnir, the fog conjuring, and setting this fiend ablaze. It must have made her terrified, he had smelt the fear in the air... He had merely assumed it was from the creature being found out!
"Wait! look and see i defended you!" Hjaldi's common tongue was still rough and though he could speak his wording was poor he had hoped she heard his voice as she ran. "Fafnir hold back in the shadows, but follow us to make sure there are no more of these ... things in the wood." The wolf barked then lunged into the dark. Hjaldi held onto the carcass of the creature digging his feet into the ground Hjaldi tore at the ground as he strode towards the frightened girl. Being half frost giant made it easier for him to catch up to the young girl but she was still fast. "By all the gods above and below i mean no harm!" Hjaldi called out. She did not falter in her retreat. "By Beyruin's spear!" Hjaldi dug into the dirt harder picking up speed tearing through the twigs and making even more of a ruckus as he ran up the the girl finally grabbing her shoulder and stopping her, He spun her around to show his face. "Stop child i mean no harm... That was no man, was a monster!" Hjaldi held the carcass behind him till he could calm her and show it was no human he was defending her from. He also had made sure the Fog was not manifesting around them.
"I am Hjaldi Wrothgarrson, and unless you do i shall not raise my blades to you..." Hjaldi let go of her and bowed his head slightly, Trying to make the bow very intentional as he was a giant she ma not notice as it could look as if he was only looking down over her.
Oh Inima! He was chasing her! Panicked, Yun put on an extra burst of speed, running blindly through the woods as the ran fell in a torrent. Her wet breeches chafed something awful, but she ignored it, her only thought one of escape, but she could hear him crashing behind her, hear him gaining on her...
And then an overly large hand grabbed her much smaller shoulder and stopped her, and she screamed again as the giant turned her to face him. She thrashed in his grip, frightened tears springing to her eyes--though they were indistinguishable from the rain slicking her face. With another yell, she managed to yank herself free, but the force of the motion, and the wet ground beneath her, sent her slipping backwards.
She landed hard on her bottom, the mud squelching around her, and scrambled away from him like a crab until her back hit a tree's trunk. Her breath came in quick, panicked bursts, eyes darting wildly for an escape, and she clutched her sword in front of her like it held all the answers to her situation.
Shaking from cold and fear, she stared up at him, trying to digest the words he'd spoken. "D-don't hurt me! Please! I'm know I've got a sword but I'm really young and got a lot to live for and I haven't even kissed anyone yet and I totally swear I wasn't doing anything here! I just wanna get through this forest! Alive! Please!"
Hjaldi was so confused at what she sad only catching the words don't hurt me. Please., Hjaldi watched as she recoiled. Hjaldi was honestly a little hurt bu t he understood. "What could i do?..." Hjaldi thought to himself he quickly realized he was adorned, with all his weapons on him! Sitting down and starting to remove the weapons and gear from himself the Giant made sure that he showed no form of intent to harm her... Maybe what he had said was wrong maybe he mixed up his words on threatening and non threatening... again. Hjaldi rubbed his chin remembering his first few times in a tavern in these lands...
After he was done all his weapons were leaned against a tree. Hjaldi then walked away from the pile he had made and began to dig a hole, after he had done that he began to gather twigs and sticks as well as moss and dead leaves. Hjaldi knew it would be hard but he knew a small trick from living in his homeland. Such a wet place always raining and snowing. His grandfather had shown him this trick. After placing the sticks and things he had gathered, Hjaldi closed his eyes and began to whisper something. Right before her eyes water! Small droplets but still water started to flow out of the openings, cracks, and ends of the wood and moss. And on top of that the rain had not dropped past the half giants' hands. Hjaldi eyes shot open and a small brilliant blue flame popped underneath the sticks causing the moss and smaller sticks to burn and then the larger branches and so on, this continued until the fire would life on it's own even through the rain which was not terribly heavy thanks to the canopy he had placed the fire underneath.
Pointing to himself Hjaldi spoke again in simple words slowly in case he had said something wrong. "I am Hjaldi." pointing to the young girl afterwards he continued. "I will not hurt you... i protect you ..." Hjaldi thought now would be the best time.. holding his hand out as if to say be calm and steady. He produced the carcass of the creature. "Not human... something else... i smelt it..." Hjaldi after letting her fully see the being through it into the forest far out of view. Secretly it was for Fafnir to feast upon but she seemed nervous of the mountain wolf he would introduce them later if need be.
Yun watched, still tense and afraid, as the man did the unexpected.
He began to remove his weapons, setting them aside. And then she watched, perplexed, as he dug out a pit, filled it with sticks and leaves, and...and caused the water to run out of the wet mess? Fire soon flickered, burning through the now dry foliage, and Yun watched it all, rooted to the spot with anxiety and wishing she could run, but being so far past the point of crippling fear that she just couldn't. Beyond lay dark woods, and the crackling thunder only made it more terrifying, and if she ran, she knew he would chase. And that horrible wolf, and that poor man she'd just abandoned! Goddess help her, all of that combined created one potent cocktail for someone who already had an irrationally crippling fear of the dark.
With a sniffle, she wiped at her damp face and then hugged her knees, listening as he spoke but not relaxing much as he told her he wouldn't hurt her. Which, actually, she believed. If he had wanted to hurt her, he already could have, but this entire time he had been intent on that poor old man. The poor old man who was probably dead now and--
"AHH!" The giant whipped out the mangled body of some twisted thing all of the sudden and Yun jerked backwards, smacking the back of her head against the tree she was pressed again. THAT certainly did not help her fears! She covered her face with her hands and shook her head, the image of that horrible creature seared into her mind.
"O-oh no...oh no, oh no..."t-that...that's...that's the old man...?" she asked at last, peeking out at the giant from between her fingers. "Oh Inima. He...he really was gonna lure me off and eat me...like in the stories and..."
She looked at the giant sharply then. "How do I know you're not gonna try and eat me, too? Huh? Ya got a nice fire goin' there! And this is apparently let's everyone try and eat Yun day! I knew I should have stuck to the road! But nooope! Not Yun! She's gotta go the hard way 'cause it's a shortcut!"
She laughed then, short and humorless and slightly hysterical.
Hjaldi caught what she said easily enough and he relaxed. She seemed to calm down even after he had shown her the lump of what was left of the creature. Hjaldi then listened intently, as the words of him eating her left her mouth he was grossed out. True His great grandfather did eat humans, but that was when they were at war with the humans... And some frist giants still do but none that he knew of. none of his family did to his knowledge anyway... He thought of his mother and grandfather both proud frost giants, shuttering at the thought. "No i couldn't do that." Hjaldi no longer tried to speak slowly he knew she had calmed down enough that she could understand him enough. Even if he had said something wrong he felt she would know that he had mixed his words up. "I am half human and human, I ate while in tree." Hjaldi lit up as he remembered digging in his back pouch and pulling out a leg of a large bird. Biting the last little bit off the leg and tossing it into the fire.
"You Speak the word road? there are none near here... to my mind memory anyway." Hjaldi voice was thick but with minor difficulty he worded it out properly... almost. Hjaldi looked up in realization. "Are you hungry?" Hjaldi was on his knees, pointing back at the bow. "I hunter." Hjaldi tried to explain better but it more sounded like he was trying to explain how the arrow would swoon the deer...
(I'm BAAAAAAACK!)
"You know, I think you missed." the old man's voice came back, and he could be seen resting in a tree, apparently unscathed. His "corpse" was still present, still resting mangled and burnt on the ground. It bothered him a bit to see how he looked like burnt, but this was but a surface thought. "Like I said, I had a few tricks up my sleeve. Substitution is one of them, but I must commend your powers of detection. Sadly, your intellect doesn't match it." He said, lifting a finger to point at the burnt corpse. He gingerly jumped down, and turned his head to look at Rhi-Rhi. "I'm sorry I hid my true form from you, but I feared you might run away if I did. I truly held no bad intentions for you." one hand lifted up to where his heart would be.
Hjaldi spun around he was at a disadvantage, his weapons were to far for him to reach right away. "You mean no harm yet you try and lure her out to the middle of the forest. Plus hide your form hen lie to her saying you are a man still after i smell you!" Hjaldi was aggravated at the creatures insult. Calling him dumb anyone would fall for such a trick he alters the mind! Hjaldi looked over the creature. he couldn't tell if he was in full form. "...And if you mean no harm why are you here sitting?" Hjaldi knew the sentence was a little damaged but didn't care. The fog starte to rim the area.
"Fafnir rim the area, if he attacks i want my great sword get it to me friend?" Hjaldi spoke out in his own tongue so they couldn't understand. As soon as he finished there could be sticks and a light growl heard from just on the other side of the girl. Fafnir was obviously guarding her, well it was obvious to Hjaldi anyway. Hjaldi was cautious of the creature he could smell something off something evil...
[ooc: Welcome back, yo! 8D Also the character's name is Yun, lmao. I'm Rhi-Rhi. xD]
Whatever relief Yun had felt at learning that this man, this Hjaldi, didn't eat people was dwarfed by the bone-chilling terror that engulfed her when the old man came back.
And there he was, sitting in a tree, looking perfectly fine. When she had just seen his burnt corpse--though true, the body was a horrible, hideous monster, but it had been his same clothes! And...and there he was! Alive and apparently not human!
Yun clapped both hands over her mouth to hold in another cry, but she wasn't sure she was going to be able to handle many more surprises tonight! Already this was beginning to feel surreal, her head faint, as the world as she knew it was tilted upside down. She took deep breaths through her nose as her chest rose and fell like a panicked rabbit and thunder rumbled nearby, only making it worse!
Lost in a storm, witnessing an old man slaughtered by a giant, confronted by a horse-sized wolf, chased by a giant, and now confronted by the old man that wasn't an old man and also wasn't dead!
That was it. That was all she could handle. Yun froze up completely, hands covering her mouth, and could only watch, petrified, as everything unfolded before her.
(Derp. Sorry!)
"Well, you didn't think I'd give up my form without a struggle, did you? I knew that if my proper self was revealed, she wouldn't accept my help. The Kunatans are..." Kruz'Iik trailed off, his octopus eyes directing themselves and their skin-penetrating gaze towards Yun's petrified form. "...superstitious at best." He finished. "But that's beside the point, savage." He said, and crossed his arms. "If I meant her harm, I would have acted on it already. I'm a creature of the mind, and I'm already in both of your heads. That corpse is proof enough." He gestured towards the burnt corpse, and it slowly stood up where it laid, shaking off the burnt skin like a flaky covering and revealing its appearance to be identical to Kruz'Iiks.
They both started speaking at the same time. "You think you're so in control of the situation, don't you? How do you know I'm not standing behind you? Or if it's even raining?" The twin Ilithids continued, the ex-corpse flickering out of existence. "I tried to be nice, to both of you, but you, you unwashed monolith of stupidity, have ruined your chances.
Kruz'Iik's voice denoted anger, but his octopean face made emotions nigh-impossible, save for the sudden flushing of his exterior with red and the narrowing of his eyes.
To Hjaldi and his spirit animal, Kruz'Iik just disappeared, dropped off the sensory radar. Hjaldi would still be able to hear his footsteps as he maneuvered around him, however. Of course, to Yun, Kruz'Iik was still standing where he was, and hemade it a point to step towards Yun in the most harmless way possible. "You're not safe with him." He said. "I can help you out of the forest, but you need to trust me." He added. He tactfully kept his hands at his side, not wanting to extend any foreign appendages towards Yun until he was sure she wouldn't run away screaming.
At that second as the creature dispersed into nothing Hjaldi acted jumping back to his weapons grabbing his great sword throwing the sheath from the blade letting the ring sing out. The blade was near Hjaldi's size and the width of the blade far thicker then even a blade of this size should be ! Runes lit up as the lightning soared through the sky and it's light embraced the blade for mere seconds, but the runes stayed lit for a second longer. Pulling the blade up it reached up to the sky and looked as if it could even cut the air as it danced through the air. Such a simple beauty to it, a simple elegance. Hjaldi was ready now! True he could not see him But he could hear footsteps. and Fafnir would be able to catch the steps better then Even Hjaldi could. "Fafnir i need you! Protect the girl!" Hjaldi called out in his native tongue once again voice boomed louder then a roll of thunder that followed the lightning which lit the blade again.
The wolf lunged forwards from behind the girl where she had sat the massive wolf landed right in front of her turning around and stepping over her and lowering himself as to add protection from above as all sides. Hjaldi was impressed Fafnir would choose to defend her as such, he must like something about her he thought. Hjaldi thought as he burst with all his might to join Fafnir. "Don't worry girl Fafnir wolf he smell like you!" Hjaldi yelled to the Yun. Turning around as he sided the massive wolf who was still massive beside Hjaldi The fog shot forth covering them in a dense fog the wolves of the mist could be seen running to them at their defense as they ran unearthly howls, growling, and barking was heard all around then as the dense bright blue mist converged over them covering them completely there was silence. No thunder, nor light from the lightning even the ran had stopped. Hjaldi turned to the girls position.
"It okay we are in other realm... my realm." Hjaldi looked forward he could hear the footsteps he only hoped what e planned would work...
[ooc: xD It's okay! I derp basically ALL THE TIME. >_>]
Yun felt like she was slowly going mad. Or maybe not slowly, because things were escalating faster than she could keep up with! The old man wasn't an old man, but that horrible, tentacle-faced monster! And there were two of them, for the corpse wasn't a corpse! She whimpered as he spoke of being in their heads and she shook her own head, covering her ears and closing her eyes.
She didn't open her eyes again until she heard the octopus-creature's voice, and there he was, right before her!
Wasn't safe with the giant? She didn't feel safe with either of them! The octopus one looked like a monster, and the giant looked like, well, a giant! With a huge wolf!
...A wolf that was soon standing over her as a fog rolled in, the rain stopping, the thunder fading to nothing.
Yup. Yun sure felt like she was losing her mind.
She curled up into a ball, hugging her knees burying her face against her legs. "Stop, stop, stop!" she said, trembling. "I just wanna go! I just wanna get to Kunata! Alive! That's all I want so please! Please just lemme go!"
Kruz'Iik looked at the spirit animal, standing over Yun and barking like the wild beast it was. He was standing mere inches from its snout, but it didn't know he was there. A testament to the weak minds of beasts. Still, there was some fun to be had. He slowly backed away from the girl. "If you do not wish for my help, then I will leave you alone." He said, and then lifted a finger to point at the barbarian. "He has trapped us in a spiritual realm, I will do my best to get us out. Once I do, I will direct you to the nearest city and let you be on your way" He added, and he put his full attention on the barbarian. He had to admit, the fog was an impressive trick, and so were the wolves, but he had seen it all before.
"It's not a bad realm, I must say." His voice echoed throughout Hjaldi's head. "Surely, you didn't think you could escape me with this, could you?" His voice came again, this time from within the mist, from all directions. "Allow me to make a few...additions..." He said with a malevolent twinge in his voice, and the trees seemed to recede from the area, exposing the night sky. The moon looked normal for a few moments, before it parted down the middle, as if it was an opening eye. It turned into a giant octopus eye, glaring down at Hjaldi and Yun with all the malevolence of an angered god. "~I see you!~" Kruz'Iik said in a sing-song voice.
OOC: Fafnir is a normal wolf not a spirit
Hjaldi started to swing towards the voices in a panic. He had a flare in his eyes when ever the voice spoke he flinched lunging in the direction trying to land a blow! Fafnir growled and barked at the voices also. Even the wolves within the mist started to dart about trying to attack the voice. Hjaldi began to stumble the jumping and swinging was wearing down on him but he would get the creature he would cleave the beast in two let earth drink his blood!
"You are a coward fighting while in my mind not letting me see you where you are how you are! i will piss on your corpse when i am done with you!" Hjaldi bellowed out in rage. "Fafnir do not let the girl be harmed!" Fafnir stood his ground lowering over the girl as she screamed. Hjaldi knew she was scared of everything even Fafnir. that is why he never had the fog and mist fully engulf her in fact it only surrounded her an Fafnir. Hjaldi hoped she would notice that he was trying to protect her... he needed to dispatch this beast and get out of the forest ... Hjaldi had many ways but none seemed to work it only proved this creatures power more and more. Which made Hjaldi panic slightly.
"Show yourself coward!" Hjaldi screamed in rage as he swung his massive blade again. as it swung cleaving thick branches and even a tree it soared through the mist singing a lulling song whispering as it sliced through the air and fog. Then the trees moved and opened up to reveal the moon and also reveled the eye! "~I see you!~" A voice ran out thorough the fog Hjaldi looked up pausing in horror... "No..."
Kruz'Iik watched Hjaldi's despair from a nearby tree. Of course, none of the things Hjaldi was seeing were real actually real, but Kruz'Iik always prided himself with his mind games. He leaned against the gnarled bark of the tree, crossed his arms, and continued pressing into Hjaldi's mind.
The giant eye's pupil focused on Hjaldi, narrowing its searing glare on him. "You trifle with things you don't understand, boy. Leave this forest, before I destroy whatever semblance of a life you THINK you have!" He bellowed, his voice coming from the stars. The center of the eye started relaying images, images of Hjaldi's past life burning away under the heat of a star. Finally, one image froze on the pupil. It was Fafnir's bloody, severed head, held aloft in Kruz'Iik's hand. The stars all split as well, and they all became eyes, displaying the same image. The wolves in the mist stopped to stare at Hjaldi, their features twisting into tentacles and eyeballs. "Leave." They all chanted simultaneously. "Leave. Leave. Leave. Leave"
Hjaldi suddenly stopped looking straight up to the tentacled creature, Swinging with renewed vigor at the base of the tree causing the man beast to fall Hjaldi grabbed his leg and threw him to the ground with a sick thud "You are in my realm, you have no power here!" Hjaldi smiled "You are a slippery one i couldn't sense you at all until i started to use the fog. This is my realm and i control it. So when the fog touches something other then the forest i know! You almost had me but now you are done!" As Hjaldi explained all the spirits began to gather around them.
"I told you that you cannot get into my head, let me show you why..." Hjaldi looked to the nearest spirit. "Thank-you for your sacrifice brother." The wolf lunged to Hjaldi diving into the half giants chest! As Hjaldi turned he himself became as the fog and yet he was still there able to grasp it's leg. His form was ever shifting from a decaying skeleton to the broad half giant! "You cannot enter the mind of that which is neither alive nor dead!" Hjaldi voice was echoing through the fog. all the wolves began to howl in ceremony. "You are not prepared, so how about you leave?!" Hjaldi voice echoed through the creatures ears and clung to them not leaving having the leave repeat in multiple voices and tones, as if a hundred spirits of insanity were in his head screaming and ranting.
Hjaldi raised the massive blade once more His deathly grip firm on his leg. There was no way this was an illusion the fog would pass through an illusion which it did not, and now that Hjaldi had consumed the should and become neither a wraith nor living his mind was in a different plane all together so he was safe from things he could think he saw. This was the creature. As This transpired the fog reacted to Hjaldi's whim and surrounded them in a dense wall keeping Yun from being able to see them completely.
"Fafnir take her to a safe distance..." Hjaldi's voice haunted through the fog. Fafnir dropped his head snapping his jaws making a sickening crack. "No go i need to not worry about her." With the words emerging from no where and everywhere, Fafnir stepped over till he was beside Yun. The mountain wolf dropped and moving his head as if to try and make a motion to get on his back to carry her.
As soon as Kruz'Iik hit the ground, a chuckle escaped his lips. He was seemingly unimpressed by his display of power, and found it amusing how he repeatedly asserted that he was apparently immune to being screwed with, just by being in a state of life/death flux. The trick with the voices was nice, he supposed, but he barely acknowledged them before dismissing the effect. "You have a mind and conscious thought to go with it. Whether you are alive or dead doesn't matter, neither does the location of your mind. Once I put in a link, it tends to stay" he stated plainly, and his prone form sank into the ground without leaving a trace, and immediately after he walked out of a tree like it wasn't there. He lifted one hand to the sky, and the giant moon-eye started glowing. "You want to fight me? Fine. I've given you one too many chances anyways. Prepare for a battle of the minds!" He yelled, and he swung his hand downwards to point at Hjaldi. The moon eye's pupil crackled with black electricity before it released a massive black lightning bolt, heading down straight towards Hjaldi with a sound that could only be described as hellish laughing. "Your mind will be mine!"
OOC: think undead army from lord of the rings just a light blue :P for my form.
The lightning struck Hjaldi passing through him Hjaldi shook with violent shaking then dissipating into mist...
"I said you were in my realm now..." The creature heard this plainly from behind, then suddenly a sharp pain in his side a dagger protruding from him it also had a ghastly look to it as if it were also made from the mist "As i said this is my world and all the fog tells me what you are going to do your mind tricks don't work." Hjaldi then Thrust the Giant blade into his arm pushing it through blood falling to the ground. Hjaldi's face grew close to the creature. and in a calm whisper. "You act composed where most would flee in terror i admire that..." As he spoke his face contorted and twisted in the fog revealing bone, muscle blood vessels. "Devour..." Hjaldi spoke emotionless the wolves of the fog began to rally and go into a ravaging rage... the fog grew thicker taller till it bloated out the sky completely there was no natural light only a light ominous blue light and the light almost white/blue eyes of the wolves for seconds could be seen.
OOC and also when i imagine your RP character thing all i can imagine is your cat GIF ... lol
Kruz'Iik paused for a moment. Not because there was a dagger in his side, but because he noticed Yun was still cowering under the wolf. His eyes flashed over to her, and then back to Hjaldi, who seemed pleased to start showing off his "amazing" powers of self mutilation and soul absorption. All this power seemed like a bit much for him to handle, and Kruz'Iik estimated the barbarian just might burn out soon. He just needed to keep him busy for a bit longer, something he had no trouble with. He touched a hand to his side, and held it out. "Oh look, I've been stabbed. Tell me, did you really think I'd stand in front of you, just waiting for you to strike me? Idiot!" He said, and his form faded into dust, scattering into the wind. He completely vanished once again.
"You keep saying this is your realm, and frankly, I couldn't care less. Why don't we clear things up a bit, hmm?" Kruz'Iik's voice said as it came from the fog. The sky returned itself to normal, except for the large moon-eye, which started glowing white again. It got farther and farther away, and then a second one appeared next to it. Kruz'Iik's form was outlined by the stars, and he became a giant constellation in the sky. "Time to clean up!" the constellation bellowed, and his eyes started glowing a bright yellow before his gaze showered the area in a golden white light. Everything spiritual caught under his gaze would start burning away with the heat of a star, and that included the blue fog and Hjaldi himself.
OCC little god mode aren't you... ?
Hjaldi looked to the creature "What do you not understand we are not in the living realm!" Hjaldi pointed to the sky the moon was now no more then a wisp of a cloud as was everything around them, and all the creature had done was inert and only a show of power true it would have worked if they were not in the life after realm. Hjaldi smiled devilishly. "Waste your powers all you want for you have not even truly faced me in this realm!" Hjaldi explained further. "I am mist and fog but the real me is near.. These wolves are mine and can shift they will not be harmed by your attack. Your attacks are happening... only they are happening in the wrong realm and there is nothing you can do about it!" The fog quickly surrounded him again and the wolves started to shift lunging at him biting at the tentacles of the creature. Whenever the beast would try and shift the fog sensed him and would follow to where he would appear next.
Hjaldi stood in a safe area watching this creature fighting the fog he had formed into himself. he was getting tired slightly and would need to enter the battle soon. Hjaldi watched carefully for weaknesses. He noticed the creature fought using range and would try to escape from close attacks. He would use that to his advantage. Hjaldi had a plan he knew would work. if his strength would hold up anyway. This creature seemed to be on par with gods... Hjaldi knew he just hadn't found it's weakness yet.
Yun couldn't move. She was frozen in abject terror, so when the wolf lowered himself so she could get on him, she only whimpered and curled up into a tighter ball. Her heart was beating rapidly, her breath coming in short, panicked bursts, and despite her quick breathing, she wasn't getting enough air. She began to feel light-headed, the world tilting and getting fizzy around the edges, then darkening at the corners of her vision. Her hearing began to falter, and her fingers began to tingle.
She was gonna pass out. She was gonna pass out.
It was all too much for her. The fog wolves, the eye in the sky, the burst of golden white light...
She could handle it.
She couldn't breathe.
Finally, her mind shut down and gave her some sweet, merciful relief from the nightmare. Yun's eyes rolled back into her head and with an airy sigh, she slumped over in a faint.
( I dunno, you kept automatically saying that you grabbed my character and assumed that your mist-dagger hit, so felt like a bit of reciprocation was in order)
The constellation shaped like Kruz'Iik laughed. "My intent never was to fight you. All these attacks have been nothing but illusion, designed to keep your simple mind occupied as I acted on my true intention. Did you really think you could defeat the most powerful psion on your planet? Don't make me laugh!" His voice boomed out. "I can travel between the realms using sheer force of intellect, so don't think i'm trapped here, either. As a matter of fact..."
The constellation winked out, leaving a pitch-black sky, leaving no trace of his existence. A hand emerged from the ground next to where Yun passed out, wrapped around her wrist, and she disappeared altogether, along with any trace of Kruz'Iik. They were gone.