JPHiP Forum
The Hello! Project Fanfics => H!P Fanfics => Topic started by: meowz on December 28, 2010, 03:58:33 PM
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Hello, new writer here. All these years I've been trying to write all these fic ideas I have but they never seem to go anywhere. BUT! Finally I just might have something I can post! XD
This fic was inspired by the lyrics of Fantasy ga hajimaru from the newest album. I couldn't think of a title just yet, so the song title will have to do for now.
Enjoy! Hope you guys like it.
Chapter 1
The midday sun shone through the thick canopy of leaves of a forest that looked just like any other. Except that wildlife was conspicuously absent in this forest and all was silent.
The unnatural quiet of this still forest was shattered by the sounds of heavy boots pounding on the forest floor and clinking of thick armor. This unsettling cacophony was punctuated with guttural growls and snarling.
Three small figures cut through the brush and forest trails swiftly, gradually putting much needed distance between them and their larger, lumbering pursuers. The leader of the trio made an abrupt turn into the bushes, “Follow me! I hear running water!”
“I’m surprised you can hear anything at all with that racket behind us!” The second gasped, following hot on her heels.
“You won’t be hearing anything anymore if you don’t pick up your pace, Tanakacchi!” The last of the trio snapped. “They’re gaining on us!”
After stumbling almost blindly through thick underbrush for what seemed like ages, the trio finally broke through to the sounds of rushing water.
“Uso, Ai-chan, its way too deep to cross safely.” Risa panted heavily, resting her hands on her knees. Ai had crept as close to the bank of the river as safely possible to examine the situation. The current was strong, whipping up white froth that spilled onto the mossy rocks by the edge. It was strong enough to easily deter their undead predators, but how could they cross it? Could they perhaps make a stand here and try to trick them into falling into the water? She looked back at her companions. They were completely exhausted, being on the run for a day and a half, and she herself was drained of energy. It was far too risky to try taking on four undead creatures at once.
She peered uncertainly into the river, but the water was moving too fast and it was difficult to tell how deep it went or if there were sharp rocks awaiting on the river bed.
A thunderous howl piercing through the roar of rushing water sent the three scrabbling into action once again. “We’ve got no choice but to try crossing the river.” Ai rushed to Risa, “Get the rope, we’ve got to link ourselves together in case we get separated.”
Whipping out a small bundle of rope from her haversack, she wasted no time knotting it around each of their waists. Cursing lightly under her breath as her sweaty fingers fumbled with the knots, the foliage behind them suddenly burst out in an explosion of leaves and branches. Four lumbering rotting corpses clad in heavy, rusting armor stumbled through, hacking away with their broadswords. The three girls let out terrified yelps and Risa’s fingers slipped on the very last knot. They hastily scrambled for the river as one, tethered together.
With glowing blood-red eyes focused on them, the zombies followed, jaws unhinging to let out triumphant growls. The fetid stench that accompanied them wafted over, sending Reina into a gagging fit.
Ai plunged feet first into the rapids, hanging onto the slippery rocks with all her might, the freezing water forcing the air out of her lungs in a gasp. Reina followed suit, pulled along by the rope connecting them, in turn dragging Risa slowly in as she rushed to secure the final knot.
Noticing that their prey was getting away, the zombies charged with a furious roar, sending Risa tumbling desperately with a yell into the relative safety of the water. Ai let go of the rock and the trio were instantly swept down the river. The undead soldiers stumbled to a halt at the bank, howling in frustration. They dared not touch the water.
For a moment it seemed as if they’d given up, just watching the girls float away. But they slowly began to stalk alongside the riverbank following the current, tirelessly and relentlessly, they would continue to hunt their prey.
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Is something about zombies what I just read? Zombies?! :w00t:
:cow: OH YES :cow:
You just caught my attention with this! We have Ai, Gaki and Reina running around like crazy pursued by evil zombies! Zombies with armors! I LOVE THE IDEA! :heart:
But there is too many questions now. Like... why were they being pursued? (for one day and an half! :shocked Those girls sure have stamina) They are just normal people just running away or are they some kind of zombie hunters? From where are they running? Why there are zombies around to begin with? Where are they going? OH, THE MISTERY. I'm excited now XD
Interesting choice of characters there. Ai still being the leader, os so it seems :heart: Reina being her yankee self despite the situation the girls are in XD And for some reason I love the image of Gaki slipping the last knot in the rope and then rushing to do it properly when they are getting into the water.
Ai plunged feet first into the rapids, hanging onto the slippery rocks with all her might, the freezing water forcing the air out of her lungs in a gasp. Reina followed suit, pulled along by the rope connecting them, in turn dragging Risa slowly in as she rushed to secure the final knot.
In fact, that whole part was like whoa whoa :w00t: I loved it :heart: Yay for the tension and the hurry and everything!
But you are an evil person who finish the chapter with evil cliffhangers XD You have me really really curious about what this whole story is about. So, inspired by the lyrics of the song, uh? I'll look at the translation later to see if I can speculate with it :lol: I wonder if more characters will pop up later...?
I want the next chapter soon :heart: I'll be waiting for it, update soon :cow:
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Hmm,definatly an intresting start to this fic, will definatly look out for more! :twothumbs
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Well, I could tell that this was going to be well written after only a few sentences, but what really dragged me in was the magic word.
Zombies.
I love zombie stories. Games, books, comics, whatever it is as long as there are undead featured in them, it's instant awesome. In fact, I just finished reading World War Z and the Zombie Survival Guide resides on my bathroom counter. My dresser is littered with multitudes of video games that include zombie enemies, each one lovingly and obsessively played through.
What I'm trying to say is, you have my attention. XD
Also including my Top Three guarantees that as well, btw. :lol:
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Ooooohhh~!! Do I smell adventure?? Yes, I do! :lol:
Anyway, I like the start of this story! :w00t: A cliffhanger I see? :shocked :O :P2
Omg, why are zombies going after Ai-chan, Reina, and Gaki? :panic:
**Waits for next update** :cow:
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oh my god. zombies. everyone loves zombies.
you've really got us good now- we'll hound you day and night until we get our undead fixes.
Whipping out a small bundle of rope from her haversack, she wasted no time knotting it around each of their waists. Cursing lightly under her breath as her sweaty fingers fumbled with the knots, the foliage behind them suddenly burst out in an explosion of leaves and branches. Four lumbering rotting corpses clad in heavy, rusting armor stumbled through, hacking away with their broadswords. The three girls let out terrified yelps and Risa’s fingers slipped on the very last knot. They hastily scrambled for the river as one, tethered together.
i can't quite tell which period you're writing in. I mean, are we ever going to see a shotgun blow off rotting faces or what? shotgun wielding GoRokkies are getting me so excited I actually might need a potty break. and maybe I overshared, but i'm really looking forward to the next installment.
welcome, new writer.
from another new writer,
~grac
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Nyahaha I had originally intended for this chapter to be longer and the whole story to be a one-shot thing, but I had to do some work I had been procrastinating for a while :( so I had to stop there. Sorry for the cliffhanger guys!
@Tightrope: Patience, my friend, all will be revealed in due course. :glasses: I’m glad you could feel the pace and rush of the story, I was worried it wouldn’t get across. The idea came to me while listening to the song, but it’s quite loosely related actually. It’s just this one line that jumped out to me. Let’s see if anyone can pick it out as the story progresses ;)
@oddball: And more will be coming for sure :)
@rndmnwierd: Whoa, I didn’t think Zombies were that popular. Hmm well, I still have a couple more main characters that haven’t appeared yet…
@kano-chan: You ‘ll have to wait and see XD
@HashirePomeranian: :shy2: Thanks, I’ll try not to disappoint. The zombies here run. Fast. And they’re smart (well, relatively). :kekeke:
@gracula: Lol sorry to burst your bubble, no shotguns in this era.
Thanks for the encouraging comments guys, I’m really motivated to get the next chapter out soon. I’m trying to make the next one longer cuz I don’t want the story to drag for too long.
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^No shotgun? D: Well, one vote for the crossbow then. Because crossbows are the shotguns of the medieval era. :D
And I must say, I approve of zombies. Even though they are my worst fear (due to a certain friend linking me to certain articles that led me to conclude that we aren't so far away from such a possibility :X). :lol: Can't wait to see more, your style of writing is commendable!
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Now this is awesome. I've been craving some action fics lately, and this totally got me. Can't wait for more~~~ :twothumbs
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no shotguns?? :mon whine: Well, there better be crossbows in faces real fast.
Tho, i'm sure crossbolts would just probably stick outta zombies and annoy them. Unless... they're FIREY crossbolts! That's the ticket!
Happy new year. :P
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meowz!!! I think you need to introduce yourself in the... intro thread. :lol: You'll find that in the Writer's Cafe. :)
But YAY for new author! :nya:
And most importantly... GREAT FIRST CHAPTER. :w00t:
I love how it's fast-paced, it's different, it's well-written and it's already managed to raise a bunch of questions (which is what I think a first chapter needs to do to be compelling enough for readers to want to follow). :thumbsup There's so much we don't know; but you've set the scene (and mood) for the story very well. I'm excited to see where this is heading, what sort of developments you'll be crafting into the story... (are you going to have the time to weave a bit of romance into this??? :shocked:). Good luck in that respect!
Zombies that run and are relatively smart.... .... :mon curtain:
How this trio managed to land themselves in such a predicament... I'm so very curious to find out. And knowing it's not set during a modern era. Hmmm. No time travel involved?
This fic was inspired by the lyrics of Fantasy ga hajimaru from the newest album.
Can you share the lyrics with us? I have no idea. :?
I've only ever actively searched for the lyrics to a few Momusu songs and I don't even know where to begin now... :nervous
They were completely exhausted, being on the run for a day and a half, and she herself was drained of energy.
Wow, are these girls inhumanly fit or what? A step up from their strenuous concert workouts, that's for sure. Yikes! :panic:
For a moment it seemed as if they’d given up, just watching the girls float away. But they slowly began to stalk alongside the riverbank following the current, tirelessly and relentlessly, they would continue to hunt their prey.
Nice end to the chapter; I got a real menacing, forboding sense right here *shivers*
I've always really been into zombie movies (not games, I find them kind of mindless, though Left for Dead co-op play with all my cousins is heaps of fun)... I prefer watching them to vampires or werewolves and like. So this is good stuff.
Also wondering if other members will make an appearance. Would be funny if one of those undead creatures end up being somebody we know...
So all up, exciting start, and know you have another follower in me... :cow:
Hope to see an update soon! :heart:
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@Estrea: Ooh what articles? Care to share?
@SarangAi: Thank you! I've just been reading your fics too and I'm loving it XD I'll be posting a comment in your thread soon, promise.
@gracula: Hmm firey crossbolts...sounds intriguing. I could work that in somewhere. To be honest I'm just winging this as I go along, not much planning ahead I'm afraid.
@Beecubed: Ah yes, I've forgotten about the intro thread. Thanks, I will pop over there asap. Someone posted the english translation to this song on their youtube video. It's pretty accurate. I'll just put the link here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=mICmrz0RKg4 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mICmrz0RKg4#ws)
Would be funny if one of those undead creatures end up being somebody we know...
Oh... you're giving me ideas I don't have space for! :twisted:
Okay, finally, the second chapter. As usual, things never go the way we want them to. But oh well, enjoy.
Chapter 2
Flailing her aching limbs wildly, Ai finally managed to break the surface for a lungful of much needed air. She had been pulled under by the current soon after leaving the riverbank and totally disoriented, unable to tell which way was up. They hadn’t been in the water for long, but it felt like ages and they seemed to have travelled miles downstream. They were lucky not to have smashed into any thing yet, but Ai wasn’t willing to push it any further.
Ai angled her body towards the opposite shore in hopes they could drift close enough to get out, all the while fighting to keep her head above the water. But the other two tethered to her were slowing progress dramatically, yanking her in different directions. It was like dragging along rocks, and the rope was starting to chafe.
She wasn’t sure how well they were holding up either. The one time she could turn back far enough to see, Risa’s head was just bobbing up and down wildly and all she could make of Reina was a wet ponytail sticking out of the water.
Shit. Reina doesn’t know how to swim.
She suddenly remembered with dismay. They had to get out now before she drowns. If she hadn’t already.
Fueled with determination, Ai forced her weary and battered body to move. She literally threw herself towards the left riverbank with a manly scream added for morale. A current nudged her closer to the bank and Ai threw her arm out to catch on to the rocks lining the riverbank. Dragged on by the water, her fingers clawed against wet stone for purchase. She ground her teeth as her hand burned painfully, the raw skin splitting open into full blown cuts, but the unforgiving river continued to pull her along.
Just when she thought of giving up, her hand slammed into a small rock outcropping and she reflexively wrapped her arm around it, coming to a halt hugging the riverbank. A sudden jerk around her waist brought a flaring pain as the rope tightened around her sore abdomen. She had come to a stop, but the other two girls had drifted further downstream before being yanked to a halt by their safety rope.
The force of the pull was starting to slip her off the wet rocks. Using both arms, Ai struggled up the bank, ignoring the stinging pain in her left hand. Blood oozed down her arm, making vivid stains on the rocks.
Once fully on solid ground, she wasted no time grabbing the rope to pull the others out. Risa, still conscious, tried to help by swimming up against the current towards Ai. She hooked an arm under each armpit and was heaving an unconscious Reina onto shore when she felt the rope behind Reina go slack. She looked up and Risa was gone. She dropped Reina and quickly hauled in on the rope, but the empty end flopped tiredly on the wet bank. The last knot must have come undone and Risa had been swept away.
“Risa!” She got up stumbling along the riverbank but her legs failed her, sending her crumpling onto the grass. She watched helplessly as Risa’s head broke the surface and was carried away, unable to do anything.
No…
It wasn’t until a rasping cough sounded behind her that she woke from her shocked stupor. Tiredly she turned and pushed Reina onto her side, almost robotically slapping firmly on her back, coaxing her to cough out the water in her lungs. As Reina choked and retched, throwing up all the water she’d swallowed, Ai’s mind was spinning in a crazy whirlwind, trying to think of what to do. But she was so tired, she could hardly focus. They were all running on adrenaline by now.
Calming down somewhat, Reina pushed herself up into a sitting position, wiping the spit from her chin. “Ahh I thought that was the end of me…” She croaked and looked around, “Eh? Where’s Gaki-san?”
“…Swept down the river.” Ai replied, her voice barely above a whisper. Sitting there staring blankly at the grass by her feet, Ai remembered something. A necklace she had given to Risa on her sixteenth birthday. It appeared to be a plain, unassuming metal pendant engraved with their names. But Ai, then still an apprentice mage, had imbued it with spells for protection and strength. For Risa was about to start training with the Sentinels, the elite regiment of fighters who were tasked with guarding their forests and patrolling the borders of their kingdom. And like a worried parent sending their child to school for the first time, she had made Risa promise to keep it on her person at all times.
Among that, the gifted mage had weaved in something of her own making. A marker spell that allowed her to locate Risa, or rather, the pendant wherever it was. Her vision blurred away as she focused deeply, drawing on the magic within her.
There!
She could feel it somewhere on the edges of her consciousness, just beyond her reach. Ai concentrated further reaching out, but a sudden wave of nausea overtook her body and she snapped back to reality, pitching forward onto the grass. Black spots were clouding out her vision.
“Ai-chan!” Reina’s voice sounded muffled and far away. Ai was on the verge of fainting, wanting to vomit but nothing was coming out. She barely felt the arms around her shoulders, shaking her.
“You tried to do magic, didn’t you?!” Reina scolded, “You should know better.”
Indeed she should. Overdrawing on magic energy had dire consequences. One would end up tapping into their life-force, slowly weakening. And when that ran out, one simply died, shriveling up like an empty husk. She shivered, what a terrible way to die.
Reina let out a loud sneeze, then sighed tiredly. “Come on, we’ve got to dry ourselves before we catch hypothermia. Let’s get some rest and search for Gaki-san tomorrow. It won’t do her any good if we die of exhaustion…Besides, she’s a Sentinel, she can handle herself.”
Despite herself, Ai couldn’t help but agree, setting aside her worries and allowing Reina to help her up. They staggered into the trees, leaning heavily on each other for support.
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omg Aichan is a mage. this is getting so good XD
And Risa is some sort of fighter patrol i assume? can't wait to see what reina is... :D
and i'm so happy you read my fic! hope you're enjoying~ :lol:
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For some reason, Reina's ponytail sticking out of the water made me laugh. And DarkMagicks!Ai is excellent.
Firey crossbolts = PO'ed zombies FTW!
great update!
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I don't like zombies but Mage Ai has got me under your spell, no pun intended :lol:
Risa will be fine right? It's too early for her to die in this fic. And can we expect a certain bunny? Perhaps as an evil witch? That'll be hot! :twisted:
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Oh man, I'm so excited about this story! :cow:
with a manly scream added for morale.
I laughed. :lol:
Oh no, Risa! But what is this? A Sentinel? *imagines Gaki kicking zombie butt* :w00t: :inlove: All the same though, I want Ai and Reina to find her quickly. So sleep, preferably high in a tree, then locate!
can't wait to see what reina is...
Werecat? :lol: :lol:
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LOL I'd die loving it. XD XD :twothumbs
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-comes out of the corner-
I do not usually post my comments about the fics that I'm stalking* yes, I'm a fanfic stalker XD* but ... I'm lovin' this story so far ... :wub:
Zoombies + magic + Gaki as warrior = :3 I'm a happy reader ...
Please keep updating :twothumbs
-back to the corner- :ph43r:
*sorry for my bad english
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:cow: Chapter 2! YaY for longer chapter! :cow:
You know, if before I was interested and intrigued now I'm a lot more. This magic-and-warriors-verse is awesome. I absolutely love that. And also, like I said before, ZOMBIES :heart: I'm liking more and more your writing style by the way, you are good meowz :thumbsup
I said it already, but I can totally feel the tension in the river scene. The struggling to leave the river withouth drowning at the attempt while trying to help the other two. I loved all that, and it was very well written. And poor poor Reina, with her ponytail only visible out of the water, it was hilarous. I'm sorry Reina, but that was just too funny. I guess kitties and water don't get along too well, uh XD Oh, and this...
She literally threw herself towards the left riverbank with a manly scream added for morale.
:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:
I love her, really, I love her so much XD Ai-chan manly screams are epic win!
BUT. :cry:
Gaki-san!! You let her alone! In the river! Swept away! You broke TakaGaki! Zombies are coming! Noooooooes ~ :panic:
I should have known better, when I read about Gaki doing that damn knot in the last minute before entering the river. It was clear that this was going to happen, that the rope wouldn't endure it, but... but...! I didn't notice. I was too focused on the awesome zombie pursuit, and I thought it was too early for more drama to come. But I was wrong... You evil meowz, you did it on purpose! :cry:
But well, I forgive you. Just because I can spy a TakaGaki pendant, and because a dramatic separation means a rabu-rabu and fluffly encounter later on. So yeah, I'll be waiting for that :heart:
And like I was saying, there is magic here! AWEEESOME :cow: I totally approve the magical TakaGaki pendant thingy. And I found very, very interesting the fact a mage can die if the person is not careful enough with her magic. Seems like Ai-chan isn't very careful with herself when her lovely Risa-chan is in danger... I hope this isn't going to result in a dramatic situation later. But I have a bad feeling about it :cry:
I like how you let us know little by little about the world the girls are in this time :heart: But now I have even more question than before :lol:
So... Ai-chan is a mage! :w00t: Gaki seems like some kind of warrior! :w00t: I want to see her kicking some zombie butts with her Sentinel's skills :kickass: I'm very curious too, about what is Reina. And curious about all the whole mage/sentinels/what-more-"jobs"-there-are. Really, this grow more interesting with each chapter.
Good job with all of it! I'll be waiting for more :heart:
Would be funny if one of those undead creatures end up being somebody we know...
Oh... you're giving me ideas I don't have space for! :twisted:
:shocked: :shocked:
I love and hate this idea at the same time, so SO much XD
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I AM HOOKED!!! Both to the song and your fic! I can't believe you ended there though. As much as I want Gaki to be able to take care of herself after getting separated from the others, my sadist sides hopes for her to be hurt :P
Ahhh magic eh. This is getting to be too awesome! You are such a great writer and like I said before, I'm sucked into this story. Please don't keep your adoring fans waiting too long. We might not be able to endure the wait ^^;
EDIT: New page gets! :twothumbs
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Sorry for the wait guys, I’ve just been so tired after work and I’ve had to work last weekend as well and this coming one so I haven’t had much time to write. I had enough written for a third chapter but it hasn’t covered everything I wanted to put in and the rest of my main characters (very important ones!) haven’t even appeared yet. I’ve been sitting on this for a week already, so it’s definitely coming up this week. I hope the story isn’t progressing too slowly.
@SarangAi: Yes you’re right, as for Reina…one of you has given me a great idea…
@badsaints: You are close, very close.
@rndmnwierd: There’s an excellent idea there, mind if I…
@nana777: No worries, keep stalking ;)
@Tightrope: lol I just had to put the manly scream in somewhere.
@lil_hamz: Ah yes, the infamous killer-taxi lil_hamz, I haven’t had any plans to torture Gaki or any of them yet lol I’ll see what I can do, no promises though, they actually aren’t the main focus (say what?)
Thanks for your comments guys, this story is being helped along with your great ideas since I haven’t actually got it planned out.
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@rndmnwierd: There’s an excellent idea there, mind if I…
Holy crap :lol: Go for it!
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I'm back with the next chapter! I hope this answers many of your questions. Reina's character took the longest time to be decided. I didn't want to make her fully a werecat, cuz then it'd be one more race to complicate things. I'm just starting out so I thought I'd keep it simple and stick with humans (and zombies/undead) for now. Most of my time was spent fleshing out the background of this world and trying to make it believable. This story has a number of influences from world of warcraft actually (and other fantasy fiction/movies), don’t know if anyone’s spotted that yet. Lol. So anyway, disclaimer: I don’t own some of the ideas here.
Oh and excuse the ridiculous place names, too much time was spent thinking up fantasy place names etc, and I’m not too creative in that department.
Chapter 3
Shivers wracked through Risa’s body as a gust of wind buffeted against her. As luck would have it, she had been propelled by the current into a rock sticking out of the river. It was fortunate she was floating on her back, feet first or she would’ve cracked her skull open. Quickly, she’d scrambled onto it and was now lying above the boisterous white spray, taking a breather and feeling the chill. She tried pulling her sodden cloak around her, but the wind just cut right through it.
When she finally felt ready, Risa pushed herself up into a low crouch, careful not to slip off the wet rock. Taking a deep breath, Risa launched herself towards the bank. She’d only barely made it, her hands making contact with the grassy edge. Swiftly kicking her legs back up over her head, Risa brought her body into a full somersault, landing flat on her back with the breath knocked out of her. She lay still, gasping as relief flooded in, relishing the feel of solid ground and soft grass beneath her. Risa let out a joyful wail, flipping over onto her stomach, windmilling her arms and legs.
Minutes later when the euphoria wore off, Risa remembered she was still in hostile territory. And alone to boot. Her training kicked in and she got up, moving on, a little embarrassed at letting her guard down even for a moment. Her hand reflexively went to the hilt of the longsword belted at her waist. She loosened the sword in its sheath, ready to be drawn in a moment’s notice.
She stalked through the trees, her soft-soled boots barely making a sound, ears perked and listening carefully to her surroundings. Woodland survival, stealth and tracking were the key skills of a Sentinel. And Risa was undoubtedly one of the best.
She travelled back upwards toward the general direction of where Ai and Reina got out, but keeping well within the trees. Knowing the zombies were still following the river downstream, the last thing she needed was for them to spot her from across the river. Not after they’d gone through all that trouble losing them.
The sun was setting when she ventured deeper into the forest. Growing shadows around her forced Risa to quicken her steps and she began thinking about setting down for the night. She could make out a sort of cliff-face just beyond the trees where she could find shelter for the night. It was unwise to sleep alone at night in this forest. But it was not the wildlife to be afraid of, for there were none, but the undead. And night was when they were strongest, they preyed on life.
As darkness loomed around her, so did the uneasy feeling of being watched. Risa fought to keep her wild imagination at bay and focused instead on the immediate concern. Once again, she felt keenly the absence of Ai, for mages could sense when the undead were nearby. A sliver of worry crept into her heart when she thought of Ai and she quickened her steps unconciously. But knowing Reina, assuming she was still alive, was with Ai calmed her down somewhat.
Emerging from the forest, Risa examined the terrain before her. What she thought was a cliff was actually the base of a very large plateau-like mountain. Large, yawning crevices dotted the gently sloping sides which Risa thought would be a good place to settle in for the night. She took a quick scan around her whilst approaching the mountain-side. Certain there were no immediate threats, she sheathed her sword and climbed up, picking her way through the rocks. A couple of meters up from ground level was a cave opening, just about wide enough for two people standing abreast. Risa stopped and peered in. It was deep enough to camp out comfortably. Stepping in carefully, she dropped the small pile of twigs and branches she’d gathered on the way and examined the cave for any signs of inhabitation. The last thing she needed was to find she was sharing the place with the undead in the middle of the night and she wasn’t in the mood for surprises.
It was cold and damp, but otherwise pleasantly empty. But the cave extended futher into absolute darkness, making it impossible for Risa to explore any further. Unable to rest in ease, she returned to the entrance to light a torch. She peeled off the heavy, damp woolen cloak which had become uncomfortable since being soaked in the river and spread it out on the sandy floor to dry. Next she slipped off her pack and sat down next to it with a sigh of relief. After a whole day of exertion, it felt good to finally be able to rest her legs though she would have to get up again soon.
As she started to relax, hunger pangs came to the fore, reminding her that she hadn’t eaten anything since morning, which was merely a couple of hard biscuits and a handful of dried fruit scarfed down in a matter of minutes. She pulled out a wet package wrapped in wax paper tied together with a length of twine. The plunge into the river had soaked everything in her pack. At least the soggy biscuits were now softer and easier to eat. Risa tried to keep a positive mind as she stuffed a softened biscuit into her mouth. They were made to be dry and tough so they could keep longer for journeys. But now they wouldn’t last a day more. The rest that she could not finish would have to be ditched. Same goes for the dried fruit. The dried jerky was oddly missing, however, but she didn’t remember eating much of it. Puzzled, Risa rummaged through the pack. Curiously, her supply of biscuits didn’t seem to diminish one bit since they started out. She’ll have to think about that later though, pulling out the tinderbox, she set to work starting a fire.
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Ai and Reina sat around a small crackling fire they’d lit under a rocky overhang. Dressed in just their undershirts, their wet clothing were spread out close to the heat to dry. A thoughtful silence hung in the air as they both chewed on the remains of their waterlogged rations.
It was roughly a week ago that they had lost all contact with, Camry, one of the surviving towns, about three days travel from Burslem. Facing the sea, with a major river running along its side, the town’s location provided it with some natural defenses against the dead. This allowed Camry to weather the neverending plague of undeath encroaching the lands for years. The three of them had set out to investigate, but had come upon a ruined town infested with the undead. Stunned and despairing over the loss, the trio were ambushed by a pack of undead and pursued this far. Fully armed and armored, those zombies were clearly part of an army. And Ai had a sinking feeling that they were going to have to prepare for war again very soon. It was imperative that they return immediately to warn the others of this new development.
Reina stared blankly into the night, chewing methodically on a strip of jerky while Ai was retracing their hurried flight the past day to estimate their current location and figure out the quickest route back to the city of Burslem, now the largest remaining pocket of human resistance. It used to be the capital, when there was still a Kingdom. There hasn’t been a King or Queen for eight years. With the last living member of the royal family turned to evil and the guardian of the throne gone missing, the Kingdom crumbles day by day into a darkness from which no one will rise but the dead.
Heaviness filled her heart and she suddenly felt weary beyond her years. It had been a constant struggle since the Great Betrayal that plunged the Kingdom into chaos eight years ago and threw upon Ai responsibilities greater than she was prepared to bear. Having just turned eighteen and knowing nothing but the stability of a peaceful and prospering land, the sudden turmoil and leadership thrust upon her young shoulders left her reeling. She would surely have given into despair if not for the support of Risa and the surviving mages rallying by her side. Rest still did not come easy for Ai, for when she closed her eyes, she could still see the images vividly in her mind. All around her the dead rising, swarming through the city. Caught unawares, the mages had desperately defended their Sanctuary with their lives, for if it fell into the hands of the dead, all would be lost. Confusion, panic, fear. Emotions and memories swamped over like the torrent of that powerful river.
A sharp pain on her arm brought her back to reality and she blinked to find Reina staring back at her with the slitted glowing eyes of a cat, her claws extended ready to prick again if need be. “You were staring weirdly into the fire again.” Reina laid back down next to the fire, her eyes turned out to watch the darkness. “It’s no use worrying about things you can’t do anything about now. Take a nap, I’ll be on first watch.”
While Ai was lost in her thoughts, Reina had shifted into her cat form. She was one of those gifted in the arts of shapeshifting, having a particular affinity for cats since her childhood. Reina had started out an orphan living off the back streets of Burslem, when her talent was discovered by a passing mage. She was taken in by the Sanctuary and the rest was history. Shapeshifters can learn to adopt the forms of any animal depending on individual ability, but Reina had stubbornly chosen to stick to her preferred feline forms exclusively. In her various cat-forms, she is indistinguishable from a normal animal, gaining all their attributes including keen hearing, acute sense of smell and superb night-vision. Perfect qualities for guard duty.
Deciding she was right, Ai made herself comfortable by the fire, forcing her troubling thoughts to the back of her mind, she attempted to sleep.
:ph43r:
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Ooo~! Shapeshifter is good! BTW, I'm loving the little hints o' Takagaki here and there. I can't wait for more.
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She lay still, gasping as relief flooded in, relishing the feel of solid ground and soft grass beneath her. Risa let out a joyful wail, flipping over onto her stomach, windmilling her arms and legs.
Oh my god, so cute.
Ai and Reina sat around a small crackling fire they’d lit under a rocky overhang. Dressed in just their undershirts, their wet clothing were spread out close to the heat to dry. A thoughtful silence hung in the air as they both chewed on the remains of their waterlogged rations.
What? No 'let me help keep you warm' scene? XD
Reina stared blankly into the night, chewing methodically on a strip of jerky...
So that's where Risa's jerky went. Reinyan strikes again.
It had been a constant struggle since the Great Betrayal that plunged the Kingdom into chaos eight years ago and threw upon Ai responsibilities greater than she was prepared to bear.
You mean when Mikitty got Friday'ed and left the group?
Cat!Reina- :wub:
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Reina as a shapeshifter, and well it just had to be something to do with cats didn't it! :lol:
Seems as though Ai has more trouble battling with herself rather than any zombies, I think perhaps accepting who she is could be the most important thing at the moment!