Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

Jessica chuckled, swallowing a large mouthful of Lo mein before washing it down with another blood pack. Gaaahd I love food, only get it once a week though, otherwise I get sick. My advice... Don't get hit? You cover your whole body with that odd suit of yours, can't you harden it? or us it to attack things that get to close? I mean, I watched you port around, you're already fast that way... Otherwise, I'm not sure, most things that take down one of us, do it because they're good at hiding and ambushing, not by matching us blow for blow...

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

"I can make it solid, but I'm not sure by how much, compared tot he strength of things I saw on the terminal. and yes, I can port, but that is not a place I want to go to every time someone tries to clock me." She answered, shuddering a little.

"I must prefer to avoid rather than soak, as a general rule. Guess things may be different now, eh?"

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

Let's hope not in all fairness, I'm gonna hit the hay, I'm sure Hervo will help explain some things, he's not that cruel. Good night River. Jess said, killing the lights and wandering off to bed, clothing flying willy nilly before she flopped and started snoring.

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

"See ya in the morning." River said simply, offering a wave from the couch as Jess wandered off into her room.

She called up her powers once she was alone, sitting up on the couch for a minute as she extended feelers about the room, simply testing how many different things she could keep track of at once in the dark. a pair made sure the blinds were closed, more cleaned up the food mess, collecting all the plates and such on the counter, some simply reorganized the things she had strewn about the room. After a few moments of that, however, she let out a yawn, ending her experiment for the time being, so she could sleep herself.

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

River found that she could indeed summon a great many tendrils, and morph them liberally into just about any shape she desired, the feeling oddly pleasant as she experienced the sense of touch in each of them, and found keeping track of them rather easy. cleaning the room in a short matter of a few minutes, and tidying up, River soon passed out, feeling, all in all, like today had been a good day, dreams of her using her powers running through her mind and sending a soft thrill up her spine.

The morning came, as it always did, in a slightly less annoying fashion, and River, looked rediculous. As more and more light bled into the room, in small slivers from the closed blinds, and from other rooms, River's tendrils reached out for more things in her sleep to cover herself, like hitting a snooze button, and before she woke, Jessica would just watch as a tendril slid out from under a massive pile of blankets, couch cushions, and even a newspaper, to flail around for one more pillow, sealing a gap in her defenses before another snore rattled out from under the pile of debris.

Giggling, Jessica went around and closed all the blinds, and made sure the lights were off, before nudging River awake by sitting on the large cushy bundle. Wake up sleepy head, time for a shitty day.

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

River jumped awake as Jess sat on her, just holding back the reaction to simply shove the vampire off, which would have worked far too well in her powered and half-conscious state. "Can't you wake someone up like a normal person?" She asked in an irate tone, letting the shadows fade before climbing out fromt he pile of things she was buried under.

"What the fuck is up with all the crap? I tidied the place before I fell asleep." She asked, stretching as she went for a shower.

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

You covered yourself in them like a mole to hide form the sunlight, it was really rather cute. Jessica answered giggling softly as River made a beeline for the shower, looking like her usual, disheveled morning self.

The shower, was warm, and inviting, and did wonders to relax her as she enjoyed the hot water so early in the morning, soon a clean and organized River, with jess showering after her, and other morning problems being tended to, Jess calling down for two bloodpacks for breakfast. Guh, I really need to get back on a regular schedule, this awake during the day crap is making me hungry for something other then this manufactured stuff. It's just not the same.

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

River already had her own breakfast ready when Jess came out of the shower, a simple bowl of cereal and an apple.

"I bet, faked food is generally worse stuff." She said with a nod, shrugging. "I'm just glad I don't have to do anything like that, I'd rather starve, I think."

"So, shitty day, huh? Is he one of those drill sergeant kind of teachers?" She asked once she had ordered her own breakfast.

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

No... he's the. "Here's your job, try not to die" Type teachers. He doesn't care how you complete your task, only that you do. Though I think he wont actually allow you to die, he wont stop much else. and there's some nasty stuff down there. Jess answered, sucking down her fake blood with a mild shudder.

God damnit, they forgot to warm it, must be a new cook. Guh, that was awful. Fair warning, may ask for a drink later, if you know what I mean, Hervo isn't the type to let you take a lunch. Says its about learning to work together and compliment. Still, I'm sure it's your first day, it wont be too bad.

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

"I'll deal, I always do." She said softly, heading from the door. "You mean a drink from me? I'm almost completely certain that isn't a good idea, Jess." River warned, letting the vampire take the lead once they hit the elevator, punching in 109 as they spoke.

"We don't have any clue at all what that may do, I think it would be better just to stop by the kitchen and get you a warm one, or something."

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

I have no idea either, but I can smell it... Still, not like I'm gonna jump you, don't worry. Jess answered, chuckling as they punched in 109. The elevator ride was hellishly fast, and rediculous as always, and as the doors opened, they found themselves looking at a dark room, no doors, and a single black stone rising up maybe 10 feet with a glassy mirror smooth surface.

Hervo, wandering out from behind it, nodded at the pair of them, before cutting his hand with a small, silver blade, and running his blood down the front. With a sound like thunder, the stone split, before a red light poured from it's center and he just smiled. Let's not waste any time, we have a lot of ground to cover. He said, stepping into the light, and promptly vanishing.

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

"I know, just think several times more than twice before you get any funny ideas, kay? You have a habit of just jumping me already, adding a nip at the end aint that big a stretch." She answered, just before the doors opened.

"I get the feeling he doesn't like me no more, he used to be so much more personable." River said with a chuckle, only half joking. She gave the vampire a shrug, then walking into the light as well, cringing a bit at the brightness of it.

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

As soon as River hit the light, she found herself somewhere else entirely. Looking up and squinting, she had to assume that she was outside somewhere. She seemed to be standing on a raised plateau of raised, red, shale like stone that held a metallic shine above a dark, and off color sun that looked sickly and more then a little unsettling. Hervo, standing at the edge and looking out over the chipped, and red shard landscape, didn't respond, simply waiting for them to come and take a look, a hot wind blowing ash and small sparks across the ground, like the very air was flammable.

As they moved to join him, River got her first real look at what Hell was. Down below, there stood the ruins of an ancient, and shattered city, rust and fire spreading across the steel and shattered glass like some kind of disease, and the motions of... Something, moving around down there were barely visible.

Grinning softly, Hervo gestured to what looked like the entrance to some caverns, and over farther into what could only be a dead forest made of black stone, the trees twisted and glassed as if made of obsidian. Welcome to 109. You have only one job today, that's reach the Monolith on top of the Tower. Simple, but far from easy. I've set things up so that if you die, you'll wake up outside, back in 109, you'll get no help from me. How you get into the city is up to you. I'll be watching.

Taking a second look, River realised, that the dead city she had been staring at... was her city...

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

River strode over to stand beside the man, looking out over the blasted landscape. It didn't take her long to reach that little revelation, frowning as she looked across the streets to the tower her pointed out.

"Is this place always like this, or is it your idea of a joke?" She asked, a hint of venom slipping into her voice, though she tried to keep it out. Already she was gathering the shadowstuff to her, testing the environment, finding the dusklike quality of the red skies workable, at the very least.

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

Make no mistake River, I didn't pull any punches today, you're not in my dimension, you're standing in the real thing. This IS Hell. I just took us about a mile out of our original point and anchored your souls. Hervo said softly, not reacting to her tone in the slightest.

The shadows, though obeying her here, felt dead, lifeless, unlike the ones she had been used to which pulsed with a life all their own, as if they'd been cut off from whatever source gave them such a thing in the first place. Still, as she gathered them to her, she could still feel them, cold, hungry, yearning for something... even the shadows here tasted of death.

Nothing here called to her like it had before, nothing felt the same, like she had been cut off herself, but her power was still hers, and if she concentrated REALLY hard, she could almost feel her body, lying on the cold stone of 109, but her body was here, that was simply where her soul still was... or was it the other way around... this was confusing.

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

"So, that's it, then? Welcome to Hell, figure it out? I thought we were friends, man." River said in a teasing tone as the shadows covered her, dead and dull things. She let out a bit of a sigh, picking out a possible route among the blasted landscape while she had a tall view of it. "See ya soon, then." She said just before her face was covered, turning away from the man to pick her way down from the plateau and get moving, keeping to an easy jog.

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

Hervo chuckled, rubbing his arm as he disappeared back through the gate, leaving them alone in this place as River took off, Jess keeping pace behind her. Here in Hell, River could feel the shadows still, creeping across her form, heavier then usual. The scale down the cliff face was easy for both women, making good time, River finding she could reach out and grab handholds that no normal person could take advantage of, and slow her fall that way with her shadows, as she had the night before, the tendrils of black invaluable in the descent.

Jess just jumped. Rocketing passed her to smack into the ground, landing on one knee before she stood and waited. Once they were both on the ground, jessica just kept pace with her, jogging behind her. Do you have any sort of plan River? She asked, looking around carefully, clearly not liking this place.

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

"Well, I don't know about you, but I don't know what kind of creatures live around here. I'm not expecting imps and pitchforks, seems a waste of time. So, my plan is currently get to the tower, and we'll see what happens on the way." River said slowly. "Feel like I kinda got tossed to the wind here, but this seems like a rather shit way to train for a group of mages coming after ya."

As they went, River collected from shadows as they passed, the opressive feeling of the dead things clinging to her adding to her foul mood as they pressed on.

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

Well... There are Mages here. But I bet this is more of a trial run, see what you know, what you need to learn. Hervo can't teach you much without figuring that stuff out. This is the best way. Besides, I'm here and I don't have this training completed yet either. So, together we go. Best believe he's recording everything and scoring us right now. Jess said as they simply moved across the barren landscape.

They still had about a half mile to cover, and so far, the only movement River had seen had been out of the corner of her eye, a fleeting shimmer, before it was gone again. Something was here, but as to what, there was no telling.

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

River shrugged, not seeing a need to answer.

She caught the glimpse of movement, turning to look, but seeing nothing. "Company, keep ready." She said, the flowing shadows around her hardening as she increased the pace. They were most of the way there already, the trip had been a far cry from the horrifying running fight she had expected so far, but she had a feeling things were about to change...