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Re: Sole Survivor (Grave)

N-no, w-we're going there, quickly. Nillien says with some alarm in her voice as she starts moving off in the direction of the town, not even bothering to see if grave is following. She also begins to raise up her petals protectively around her body as she moves, not giving any further explanation.
 

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Re: Sole Survivor (Grave)

Grave began to follow Nillien, moving fast enough to match her pace. He realized that she sensed something bad - perhaps the town was in danger, and she wanted to check it out. Staying with her right now seemed to be the best idea - Nillien's reaction suggested that the danger was real, and Grave found out through personal experience that she was quite capable of putting up a fight, or at least restraining potential enemies. Cynder also stayed on guard - he didn't want anyone to catch him by suprise. He remained silent as he walked.
 
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Re: Sole Survivor (Grave)

After some time, walking through the forest right behind Nillien, she and Gave reached the town the alarune likely spoke of.

It was almost terrifyingly quiet. This was something Cynder would likely never call a town, rather, a ghost town of what used to be. Doors were broken off of their hinges, various marks on the ground suggested struggle, and battle, while the whole town looked to have been raided by a wild, and powerful force. Some dried blood was on the ground, but no bodies were found to explain the blood, nor was there anyone alive to explain what's happened to this peaceful, turned ghost town... As if everyone was stolen away...

While Nillien looked scared before, now after seeing the town in it's state, she looked horrified. Bad, bad, bad, bad, bad, bad.... She repeated over and over, before her petals went up protectively around her, and suddenly her vines started moving her away with surprising speed, as she began to run away from the town, at a speed that Grave would likely have a little trouble keeping up with.

That's not to say, Cynder himself didn't feel anything either. A very creepy, eerie feeling was vibrating from the trees, and the town itself felt haunted by an unknown evil, which spoke unheard whispers to his soul, sending chills through his whole body.
 

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Re: Sole Survivor (Grave)

At first, Grave payed no attention to Nillien as he stared at the scenery. It was nearly unfathomable. What could have happened here? And what was that horrible presence? He could feel it clearly... However, Cynder was used to thinking logically all the time, and never really believed in magic. The creatures he met on the island didn't shake this belief too much - he assumed that there was a logical way to explain their existence. Thinking that this eerie sensation was nothing but his own fear, Grave didn't retreat. However, he was so absorbed by the sight, that he forgot about Nillien, and didn't even try to catch up to her. Instead, he moved forward, exploring the town.

'Ok, let's look at the situation... The town was raided, and since no one's here, it seems that the inhabitants lost after putting up a fight... However, there are no bodies... Which means that whoever assaulted this place, was definitely after the inhabitants. Slave hunters? Most likely. I should arm myself, and proceed with caution... Altough it's probably unlikely that they'll visit this place again, at least not soon, considering the fact that it's completely empty. The attackers must have been much stronger than the defenders, or they cared about the bodies, which is unlikely. At least they don't kill. However, I need to know more... Perhaps I'll find something important if I poke around.'

Grave took a look around. The best place to start looking for clues would be a building that housed something or someone important. Which meant that he was going to look for a big building that looked like the chief's house, a place of cult, or any important-looking building, and explore all of these places, looking for anything that could provide information or be useful... Or edible.
 
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Re: Sole Survivor (Grave)

Grave noticed two buildings that stood out from the others. One looked very large, and seemed to be responsible for housing many people, possibly an Inn, from the looks of it. And the other, was the mark he was looking for, a building not like the others in any way, placed in just the right spot to suggest to him that that was where the head of this village likely lived, although it was smaller in size than one might have expected a leader to house themself in.

Investigating the one room chieftain's hut, Cynder saw a few things of interest laying about the room. There was a map on top of a wobbly looking end table, which was written in black ink, and didn't appear nearly as professional as most maps he might have seen. However, it did seem to have a fairly decent layout of the area, and even seemed to show that something of interest was to the North of the town he was in now. (A closer look might reveal more)

There was spear leaning against the side of the hut. While the shaft seemed to be made of wood, which meant it could break if damaged, the blade seemed sharp, and would make a decent weapon, that would certainly be better than having no weapon at all.

And finally, there was a delicious looking apple on the same table as the map. It looked fresh, and just like the ones on the mainland. And even while Nillien's nectar was nutritious, Grave could feel his stomach craving for something a little more solid, and growled at him when he saw the red apple, a feeling of hunger pulling at the back of his mind.
 

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Re: Sole Survivor (Grave)

Grave approached the spear and picked it up. He wasn't a skilled fighter - in fact, he wasn't a fighter at all, and he had a feeling that using this effectively might require some training... On the other hand, at least it was long enough to keep things at a relatively safe distance when attacking, so a spear wasn't a bad choice. Afterwards, Cynder approached the table. He picked the apple up with his left hand and began to eat it as he focused his attention on the map. Even if crude, it'd still be useful. He was a newcomer, after all. Grave remembered the words of an old man he met once during his travels: Reject only evil and your ignorance, and you will survive.
 
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Re: Sole Survivor (Grave)

After eating the apple, nothing seemed out of the ordinary about it, other than the delicious taste, and mouth watering juices that made the apple a fine treat for any hungry traveler. Grave's stomach gave a pleased rumble as he felt the empty void in his belly being filled with good, solid food.

The spear had a strap attached to it, likely used for the hunters to hang it on their shoulders while their primary two hands were busy doing something else. And while Cynder moved to examine the map while eating the apple, that was where the tool went to await it's use.

And finally, upon reading the map, Grave saw something of note just to the North of the town apparently called, 'Waymeet'. From what he gathered based on the crude design of the map, it was some kind of settlement, perhaps similar to the town he currently was in. It was within the mountains, however, so there was little telling just what might await him, should he wish to travel there. As well, the map didn't seem complete, as Cynder knew this very odd island had it's limits, which this map did not cover.
 

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Re: Sole Survivor (Grave)

((Grave eats apple and recovers 20 stamina. Grave equips spear. Grave obtains map.))

Grave picked up the map from the table. It wasn't complete, but at least he learned something about the island from it. That's not all - since it was most likely made by the chieftan of this place, it meant that there should be some paper and ink in the hut as well. Cynder decided what to do. He should gather as many useful things as possible, then scout around the settlement in the mountains. Perhaps it'd be a suitable base for exploration of the island, or a safe haven. As he pondered this, Grave realized that something was missing. Or rather, someone. He was so used to traveling alone, that he forgot about Nillien. He ran to the door... Then stopped and sighed. She would have followed him if she stayed, to make sure that "her dick" won't get taken away. But she wasn't here... Which meant that she got scared and ran. And looking for her could be a problem. Cynder shook his head and returned to pondering his next move. He would look for a backpack or something which he could use to carry numerous items with him, then search this place for ink, paper and something to write with. Afterwards, he'd go to the building that looked like an inn and search for food, water and other supplies he might need, like a good knife, rope, blanket and other stuff he might need while traveling. Of course, the map and the spear would be taken as well.
 
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Re: Sole Survivor (Grave)

Finding ink for the map within the hut, there was little else of interest. While there was a bed, it seemed to be meant for an animal, as any human in his right mind would rather lay on the ground alone, rather than a bed of straw.

Leaving the hut, and heading to the largest building he'd seen before, which looked to be the Inn. Inside, it did look quite inviting, except for the fact that it had a few knocked over tables, as well as cum stains on the counter, the floor, and even some of the tables. No doubt where a great many people were raped. No blood stains were in this building, only the wet spots here and there, even while it seemed violence occurred...

Going behind the counter in search of supplies, Grave found a great deal of what he needed in the back of the room. Rope, a cooked mutton of meat, which should last for some time before going bad, as well as other fruits in large baskets and piles on the counter. And a little more searching deeper into the Inn, in one of the rooms to be exact, revealed a traveler's pack, which men and women on the road would use either on the back of a donkey, or on their own backs. It was light, and empty, and didn't look to have been used in a while.

And after searching a few rooms, and finding a very odd bedsheet made out of some kind of rare silk Cynder had never seen before, in one of the nearby rooms, the door to which, was slightly cracked open, he heard what sounded like sobbing, a little girl crying. While it wasn't out of control, and was relatively quiet, the sounds of sniffling was just loud enough for Grave's ears to hear...
 

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Re: Sole Survivor (Grave)

Grave was quite puzzled by the chieftain's hut. There wasn't anything really useful there, except for the weapon, map and ink. And the "bed" was simply weird. Cynder quickly came up with a theory explaining it, though. He met a sentient plant-woman here, and was raped by an octopus-woman. Perhaps this place belonged to some kind of animal-woman, who was reasonable enough to become a chieftain... Or this village was exclusive to her kind. The second possibility was ruled out, though, as Grave explored the inn, gathering all the items he needed and taking them with him. This place was definitely suitable for humanoids, and quite comfy. Finding the traveler's pack pleased Cynder - all of the items he found so far landed there, including the silky bedsheet (he was quite suprised when he found this item, not expecting something like this in such a place). He was nearly done with the preparations when he heard the sobbing. Grave stopped at that point. He briefly wondered what to do. It seemed that there was a survivor - a small girl, judging by the sound if it. In other words, a pain in the ass. On the other hand, she could provide some helpful information... And perhaps she could be useful, in one way or another. For a moment, Cynder stood in one place, unable to make a decision. He really didn't want to take care of a child, but as he listened to the sobbing, he found himself unable to leave the place. He silently muttered a curse under his breath, then approached the door and knocked softly before carefully and slowly opening them further. He curiously looked inside as he did this.
 
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Re: Sole Survivor (Grave)

Looking inside the room, Grave saw a lone, tiny girl, who would barely stand about half his height. She wore mostly plain, tan clothing, had red hair with two braids on both sides of her head. She had pointy ears, and short horns sticking out of her head. She looked up through her sobs, startled as Grave walked inside the room. And when she saw him, her eyes fixed on him in a stare, as if she was either too surprised to say anything, or could not find words to speak...
 

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Re: Sole Survivor (Grave)

Altough self-control wasn't one of Grave's strenghts in a stressful situation, this time he managed to keep a poker face on. His thoughts, however, were a bit less impassive. 'Ok... What the Hell is she? A demon?' He remembered Nillien's vague description of things he should avoid here... But could this really be a demon? Cynder doubted it. He entered the room, leaving the door wide open. He took a deep breath, and remained silent. Grave simply had no idea what should be said right now. Asking 'Are you ok?' sounded stupid - she obviously wasn't. As for 'Can I help you?'... For some reason, he felt that this one didn't fit. Cynder sighed. If he stayed like this, this situation would only get worse. Better say something, anything instead of staying silent like that. "Hey... Are you hurt?"

Well, that didn't sound as bad as he thought...
 
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Re: Sole Survivor (Grave)

Suddenly, right after Grave inquired about the little horned girl's well being, she jumped off of the bed, running straight towards him, before she collided with him, planting her face against his waist, and gripping his clothing in desperate fists as she cried onto him. "It's terrible!" she wept during her waves of tears and sobs, "They took everyone! Jillian, Eilsah, Beatrice, they took everyone! Club couldn't stop them!" she told Cynder in a loud, distraught voice.
 

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Re: Sole Survivor (Grave)

Grave raised his right hand slowly and patted the girl's head gently. He remembered that some women used to calm their children like that. "Calm down... Maybe someone escaped." He lowered himself to a crouching position, so his head was on the same level as the girl's head. "Did you see what happened here? Do you know where all the people could have been taken?" Cynder's mind was working as he said that. If she was from this village, how did she avoid getting caught? And if she wasn't... How did she get here on her own? His constantly mistrusting part of mind already began to suspect an ambush...
 
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Re: Sole Survivor (Grave)

When Grave got down to the little goblin's level, he got a real good look at her. The girl looked like she'd been beaten, badly. There were a few cuts on her body, and a few scrapes on her elbows. There was a bruise on her forehead as well, the girl must have been through a lot.

The girl slowly lowered her head, shaking it back and forth slowly, "I don't know... Club tried to help, but Club couldn't beat them..." the girl, who's name was apparently 'Club', looked back up to face Grave, "Club was knocked out, and when Club woke up... Everyone was gone..." she said as she started to tear up again.
 

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Re: Sole Survivor (Grave)

Grave sighed. In her current state, the girl had no chance of surviving on her own. Cynder felt that he couldn't abandon her - she was just a frightened, lonely child. He knew what loneliness was, and even though he liked it, there were times when it was hard to bear. Club was suffering harder than him. "Listen. First, we'll have to patch you up..." Thankfully, traveling for quite a while forced Grave to pick up a lot of skills. However, he was master in none. "Then, we should probably start looking for someone who managed to escape. Do you know any safe places around here? Perhaps someone found a place to hide." Cynder raised to his usual height. It seemed that the mystery was solved - the girl in front of him was clearly the daughter of one of the town's former inhabitants, and she had no value to those who attacked. This thought reminded Grave of one thing. "By the way... Who attacked this place?" Judging by her appearance, she put up quite a fight. She had to see at least one attacker.
 
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Re: Sole Survivor (Grave)

Club frowned a little, seeming to fume up with anger, casting away most of her sadness, "It was a whole bunch of these... These weirdos with bat wings! And tails!" she told him, "They flew in, using some kind of weird power! Like magic, that does weird stuff to you!" Her explanation certainly placed whoever the attackers were as 'weird,' if anything. Club clenched her fists, and looked furiously angry, before she charged over to a wall to vent her fury, and punched it as hard as she could, shouting in anger the whole time.

After the wall suffered her punch, Grave might have been astonished at the display of strength, when most of the wall's foundation crumbled before him. Club not only made a small hole, but she utterly destroyed a wall any normal human might only be able to punch a hole through. "I hate them so much! Club will make them pay!" she announced rather enthusiastically.
 

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Re: Sole Survivor (Grave)

Grave was more than astonished. He was simply terrified. He quickly realized what it'd mean to get punched by one of Club's kind - and made a mental note not to give her any blunt weapons unless someone deserved a brutal, merciless beatdown. On the other hand, her small reach was a drawback - but it could be fixed. Cynder calmed down after a moment, analyzing the data he learned. The creature before him certainly wasn't a child (he considered it impossible for a child to posess such strenght) - just childish, which made her even more dangerous (Grave made another mental note: 'handle with care'). A band of these beast-girls would be a powerful unit on a battlefield, and if she wasn't a kid, then she certainly knew how to take care of herself, and certainly knew the island better than Grave, quickly changing her status from "problem" to "problematic yet very useful". She was fairly simple-minded, which meant that with some careful planning he'd be able to get on her good side and make his life easier. Club'd be the brawn, Cynder would be the brain. Now, the most important question was: were there more beings like Club living nearby? Someone like that little girl could easily overpower him, so he would be at their mercy... But if he played things the right way, he could gain a lot... And he had nothing to lose. He quickly changed his plans. Now, when Club was angry, she seemed to be more willing to act, and Cynder wanted to move out. Things seemed to be going fine for him at the moment. "Alright, alright... Let's get some supplies first, and find something to treat your wounds." Grave began to add details to initial steps of the rough sketch of a plan he had just come up with. He was pretty much improvising, but Hell - he had to. "We'll have to move out afterwards, and find someone who'll side with us, otherwise we won't do much. Do you know any other villages that are close to this one?" Cynder wanted to know this really badly - according to Club, the attackers were supernatural beings with strange abilities, which would explain why the little powerhouse was defeated. The girl described them as something close to demons - Grave decided that for now, this name was good enough. If this village had been raided by them, the other settlements could have suffered from similiar attacks. This would be a fatal problem.
 
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Re: Sole Survivor (Grave)

Club heaved a heavy sigh, before flopping down on her ass, apparently still tired after the events of what happened, which that powerful punch reminded her of. Club, with half closed eyes, looked at Grave as he spoke, listening to him quietly, before grunting as she shakily stood on her feet, a slight flush on her cheeks when he showed a little concern for her, just a little. "I'm fine!" she announced, rubbing her wrist along her nose while snorting, "Club's had worse! Club is strong! It will take more than an army of those stupid bat women to take Club down!" She announced. And the irony of it, was that it was, in fact, an army who she lost against.
 

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Re: Sole Survivor (Grave)

Grave sighed. "Ah, right. Silly me." Persuading her directly would be useless. He knew that type of people - they always acted tough - and sometimes, they were all talk. Club could back up her claims, of course, but without a doubt, it seemed that the battle exhausted her at least a bit. If Cynder wanted her to do his will, he had to carefully put a bait with some rope tied to it in front of her and let her run after it as he dragged it to the point where he wanted her to be, metaphorically speaking. "Well, unfortunately I'm not that tough, and I like to be prepared, just in case... And speaking of preparations, do you know any other villages around this place? Ones that would welcome us without problems?" Grave made his way towards the door. He wanted to continue his previous activity - looking for supplies. It seemed that it'd be a good idea to look for supplies for Club... Or at least some medicine and stuff like that for his little companion. And he hadn't picked up a knife yet. As he proceeded, it occured to Grave that perhaps Club wasn't from this village, and this could be the reason why she was spared. In that case, her village had to be nearby. But if that was true, why would she be here? She mentioned some names earlier... Was she visiting friends?
 
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