Session Start: Sat Apr 06 00:14:29 2002 *** GMAmy changes topic to 'Grandia: New Horizons | Chapter 24.1: Mitsuo Lude | Location: Tenkali Village, evening, July 4 | Lude Start' ==Lude Start== The next day dawned gray and wet, and the heavy jungle rain poured down so hard it made travel impossible. The Tenkali were more than happy to extend their hospitality for another day, though Mitsuo was too tired to really enjoy it. He had slept fairly decently, with no nightmares this time, but something wasn't quite right, still.... When evening arrives, Mitsuo retires early after not eating much dinner. He seeks his little cot in a small room of a tree cottage, owned by a young couple. He has this room to himself; his friends are housed in other cottages... * Mitsuo flops back on the cot, staring up at the ceiling. The rain pounds a steady staccato on the roof above him, and the soft sounds of the village can also be heard vaguely. . o O ( Such a long journey...They keep asking me if I'm all right...I don't know how much longer I can keep pretending nothing's wrong. But it should pass...Right? I don't want to be sent back... ) * Mitsuo closes his eyes, listening to the drum of the rain. . o O ( And when we reach the ruins, what then? Can we really face what's in there? Something about this seems wrong...but I can't put my finger on it... ) . o O ( That dream I had... ) Slowly Mitsuo drifts off, despite his worries, into a restless sleep. For a while there is nothing but a general sense of uneasiness, but gradually he becomes aware, as if he is waking up. Something seems wrong, however; it's completely dark, and the air seems close... * Mitsuo sits up in bed, rubs his eyes, and looks out the window. In the general direction of the window is only a dim grayness. Perhaps it's just before dawn? A low sound can be heard, disturbing and odd. It sounds almost like....a voice? * Mitsuo steps back, suddenly feeling very tense, "...What on...?" Suddenly the voice becomes clearer. It's Erellisae...and she's screaming! More shouts can be heard outside now as well... ...Oh my gosh! Erel! * Mitsuo runs to a chair, grabs his rings, and heads outside as fast as his legs can carry him. The ground seems unsteady and the air unnaturally dark and hazy. Outside in the dim, twilight gray rain, Mitsuo can see his friends backed against a building, down on the jungle floor below. A huge, massive shape looms over them, something big and black with claws and teeth and slime and razor-sharp edges. His eyes tend to slide away from it, it's so horrible, not wanting to see it. It reaches out with one clawed appendage, attempting to grab Erellisae. * Mitsuo wideyes, and screams, "S...stop! STOP!" * Mitsuo hurries towards the group! The monster turns to Mitsuo, reaches out a huge clawed arm to sweep him aside. * Mitsuo urks, skidding across the ground before coming to a stop several feet away. He quickly stands back up, ready to hurry back to the group. The monster once more reaches for Erellisae, grabbing her in a huge pincered hand as she screams and struggles, blood pouring from her sides. Tears running down her eyes, she bombards the creature with spells, but it seems unscathed and unconcerned. No!! * Mitsuo hastily begins to chant a spell, not giving up. The monster seems to grow tired of Erellisae's screams. It raises a bladed claw that glints eerily in the dim light... * Mitsuo throws out a burnflame spell in the monster's direction, trying to distract it! The monster shrugs the spell off as if it is nothing, then, unheeding Mitsuo as if he were a bug, it brings its pincer down, stabbing Erellisae's chest! Blood pours down as it drops her unconcernedly on the wet and muddy ground, a few feet from Mitsuo. * Mitsuo pales, and goes to shake Erellisae, knowing deep inside that she's already dead. Tears begin to form in his eyes. Erellisae has only enough strength to reach out and clutch his arm as he reaches her, before the light goes out of her eyes. The others look on in horrified silence, distracted from the monster for a moment. Seeing this, it advances on them.... ...Guys!! Look out!! It's coming towards you! * Mitsuo grits his teeth, and reaches out to gently close Erel's eyes, "...I ...I can still help the others..." Feray looks over at Mitsuo, her eyes filled with tears, as she holds her daggers in a defensive stance. "Mitsuo! Get out of here!" No! I'm not going to leave you all! You saw what it did to Erel! Nathan scowls and shouts, half-panicked. "You'll only get us killed if you stay!" What?! No! We're a group, here! * Mitsuo stands up and starts to look for an opening. I foresee only great suffering, Mitsuo... You'll only get in our way! Can't you see? Your physical ailments make you a danger to those around you! Feray slashes her daggers at the snapping pincers, trying to drive it back. * Mitsuo stops for a moment, "...Dylan...?" You heard him, Mitsuo! This is no place for *pant* children! *Slashing with her sword at the creature* This...this isn't the time to bicker here! Erel just DIED! And from the looks of it, you could too! I can't just walk away from my friends! 'At's right, you'll stay 'ere an' get us killed, 'stead! Feray makes a break for Mitsuo, trying to grab him and steer him out of the fray. Feray, don't! . o O ( You idiot! You're leaving yourself open! ) Feray tackles Mitsuo, driving him to the ground. Hauling him up by one arm, she starts to make a break for it. Mitsuo, you idiot! You're going to get yourself AND us killed! Now get OUT of here! The monster, seeing the sudden dash, lumbers toward the two of them... * Mitsuo looks back at the fallen form of Erel, then at the group, "...I...I..." The monster approaches, reaching for Feray. She draws her daggers, ready to slash at it. * Mitsuo glances at Feray again, wondering if he really is in the way, and if he should get renforcements or help elsewhere... In Mitsuo's moment of indecision, the monster suddenly slashes at Feray. She falls with a cry, blood pouring from her. In the next second, Mitsuo feels excruciating pain as he is caught between two pincers and lifted high into the air. * Mitsuo would scream, but feels his breath leave him, suddenly finding it near impossible to speak or breathe. There is pressure then, a strange crunching sound the screams of his friends, and then everything goes black. Mitsuo feels himself falling, falling... . o O ( I'm...sorry...I couldn't... ) There is a low, soft thud, but it doesn't feel as if he has fallen from a great height...more as if he were walking and tripped over something. Beneath him he can feel hard stone; in the distance is the steady drip of water. There is a musty smell, and that of green, growing things. The air is rather cold, and filled with the dust of ages. And something else... Suddenly Mitsuo realizes what is different. Now he feels with a strange certainty that he was dreaming before, and he is now awake. * Mitsuo stumbles to his feet, shudderimg, "...A dream...huh?" It appears he is now in some kind of ruins. O_o But how did he get here...? He is mostly soaked through, and he feels tired, as if he has walked quite a ways...behind him, through a crack in the stones, filters the gray light of early morning. The heck...? O_o * Mitsuo looks around wildly, "...Did I sleepwalk? The...hell?!" * Mitsuo blinks, and his eyes narrow a little, "Wait...were these the ruins that we were going to explore?" There seems to be a very strange presence here, and some extremely strange magic at work. Mitsuo can feel it as if it clings to his skin. * Mitsuo stands up, shivering due to the fact he's soaked, "Is someone here?" Off in the far distance, he can hear a similar call, almost as if an echo of his own...but this voice is decidedly female. "Hello? Is anyone here? * Mitsuo takes a few steps forward, "...Someone here? Anyone?" ==Session End- To be continued!== *** GMAmy changes topic to 'Grandia: New Horizons | Chapter 24.1: Mitsuo Lude | Location: Tenkali Village, evening, July 4 | Lude End' Session Close: Sat Apr 06 01:37:28 2002