Into the Dark with the Unknown

[Heroic Bilby]

With his black knight armour baring a fresh scratch on the back Henry toppled backwards into the dark realm's corridors, dragging a skeletal rhino-like beast with him. The portal closed behind them both and the child had no idea of what had occurred in the wake of it or if anyone else was really going to come and help. He'd check back there again before going to Radiant Garden to see the three he'd managed to whisk away.

But right now he had another problem to deal with.

The Black Knight stood up fairly slowly, keeping its eyeless gaze on the monster that had come in with it. Through nothing but black could be seen left, right, up, down or diagonally, the two occupants of the darkness were able to see each other clearly as if perfectly lit. Actually, that may have only applied to the monster. Henry was just as visible, but since his suit matched the environment it did make him a fuzzier image to view in this place than usual.

'OK, I guess I'll just have to find out if this thing is so tough without the lights from the sky,' Henry thought, pretty confident that the strange metallic thing glimpsed briefly in the hole in the clouds before wouldn't be able to reach them here in his 'safe haven'. After all, even if one entered the corridors actually finding someone in them could take eternity. If these things were any different he figured he'd just have to wait and see.

Henry had no ax to fight with anymore, he quickly remembered with a flinch. He'd have to improvise.

[Shinn]

The dark knights efforts in getting these creatures away from the unconscious victims while valiant would prove to be a foolish move.....


As the skeletal creature slowly got up it began to breathe heavy as if it was out of breath. Its body soon began to radiate darkness from it. Its eyes soon turned a bright purple color and its grayish skin changed to a more dark blue tint. It then began to grow bigger and bigger with each second its bones seemed to become thicker as well. Once it had finally stopped with its transformation it was now three times the size it was before towering over the dark knight like a building. It let out a demonic growl as it slammed one of its claws into the ground causing the ground to shake.

Was this place somehow causing the monster to become stronger? Or was it something else? For now it would appear as though the young knight would have to take care of this beast and do it alone.

[Heroic Bilby]

The head of the black knight, nearly invisible against the matching backdrop, tilted upwards as the beast before him grew in size and stature. Clearly SOMETHING had set it off. He'd either brought it to a place that it agreed with or taken it away from one that didn't.

'Well.... that's... an interesting...'

Unfortunately Henry was far too terrified to finish his internal monologue before the now-giant monster slammed the ground and caused his armour shell to stumble and fall backward on to its behind.

'I'm doomed, aren't I?'

The silence that followed in his head seemed as good as an audible "yes" to the tiny child. So then... why was the knight armour still getting back up, guided by Henry's heart? Did he really have the courage to do more than curl up and die just because he was in his suit?

Maybe not much more, but it was still a bit of hope to hang on to.

[Shinn]

The beast looked down in the direction that Henry was standing. Even though his black armor made him hard to see the beasts senses could pick him out if he were in a crowded dark room even. It slammed its foot on the ground again and swung its head downward towards Henry aiming to ram its giant horn into him.

In this realm where darkness seemed to dominate everything and a boy who relied on the power of the darkness within his heart to fight was his chances of winning a fight like this high? It would most likely not be even be close to it.

But perhaps his heart would prove to be full of surprises and ensure him victory.

[Heroic Bilby]

Crash!

'Ow!'

Crash!

'Ow!'

Crash!

'Ow!'

After flying several feet away and bouncing heavily a few times before coming to a stop Henry wasn't sure how happy he was any more about having kept from falling over from the second stomp. Maybe he could have ducked the horn if he had. At least he had managed to dodge just enough to be knocked away by a glancing blow rather than rammed hard into the ground. The thin-framed boy inside hadn't actually had to endure the monster's direct strike, though he did get bumped around inside of the armour during his landing.

Dazed but still technically all right the Black Knight stood up again. Henry reasoned that even if he had his ax would it do him any good here against... whatever this thing was? He'd already used up some of his heart's strength to get the armour into fighting shape back in the islands[3 turns]. He wouldn't have much time left before he turned into a statue if he started doing it again here to battle the beast[7 turns remaining].

Maybe he should just run... but... could this rhino-like thing leave the corridors at will as well? It certainly seemed to be in tune with the darkness. If it went out into a world with this kind of power then the Black Knight would be the one responsible for unleashing it!

No. Henry knew deep down that he couldn't let this thing walk away. One way or another. And so, perhaps bravely or perhaps foolishly, he began to direct his armour legs to walk forward at a confident stride, returning to the enemy at hand.

[High's .Valentine.]

“We are lost.”

“Perhapseies~”

“That was a statement-ma-jiggy, dunce, not a question-ma-jig!”

“Well, I was responding your statement-ma-jiggy with my own statement-ma-jiggy, rags!”

“You can’t answer a statement-ma-jiggy, Big Ears!”

“Yes I can!”

“Shush! You hears that?”

There was a momentary silence, interrupted only by the roar of a strange beast that must most certainly belong to such a dark realm. Pounding…light!

“There! There!”

“Don’t run towards it!” A high pitched voice wailed shrilly as a dimmed figure began running towards the source of the weak light, right towards the challenging bellow of a hostile creature, no doubt. The voice continued to shriek protests, no doubt giving away its position as it approached the purple glow. As the dimmed figure approached the tiny pinnacle of lights, a fuzzy blur of a pair of magenta boots came into view. Gold earrings dazzled under the glow.

Wham!

Lune de Villefort slammed into something her light purple eyes couldn’t quite detect. It made a loud clanking, like unwanted metal thrown into a rusting pile, as the two slammed onto the ground with a grunt. Lune groaned, rubbing her nose, which had smacked right into something hard and cold. Reaching out, she felt the strange cold thing. She could see a faint outline against the thick black backdrop. It looked like a…man. Regardless of that, the Black Knight’s ‘rescuer’ stood up and, still rubbing her nose, kicked the hunk of metal. Once, twice, three times.

“Owie! What was that for?” For good measure and emphasis, Lune kicked the stupid tin pile once more. “Dumb-dumb junk! Good for nothing piece of rott-rotting tin pot!” Stopping halfway, the girl felt her nose again to check for possible dent. “My nose is all reddy and bented now!” Stomping on the torso of the armor, Lune turned, about to march off.

“Rio…big monster’s staring at me…”

“I told you running towards the light is bad-bad stuffies. Like voodoo.”

[Shinn]

(I....wasn't expecting that. Well a very short post now.)

The gigantic beast took a few steps forward continuing its ongoing attack on the dark knight. It lowered its head and saw another person had arrived to either assist Henry or hurt him as well. But the monster payed no attention to that nor did it give it any thought to it. She was just going to be another victim of the beasts wrath.

Instead it raised its leg upwards and positioned it right above the two before bringing it down so that it would crush them going at an alarming speed considering it's humongous size.

[nascent]

The titanic beast was mere moments away from turning both the young child and the black-armored knight into flattened piles flesh and metal. This, the warlock decided, would not do. He had hoped to remain an observer only, or at least do so for a while longer, but now...

Now the shadowmage would have to step into the fray.

Directly in-between the creature's front legs a ripple in the darkness emerged... an opening, it would seem. From this emerged a man bearing a reaper's blade the very color of carnage, the weapon glowing brightly with an unnatural aura against the stark midnight backdrop. His hands were swift, leveling two rapid slashes at the creature's offending leg and then casting one set of leather-gloved digits towards its underbelly. In the vast dark overhead a light sparked, searing in its intensity, and then came crashing down like a solid pillar upon the creature's backside. Thunder rolled across the grim dark as the lightning struck, followed closely by the harsh echo of the mage's own words.

"Run, you fools!" Magus commanded, turning only briefly towards the girl and her armored 'friend'. He braced his scythe, Dream Reaper, in readiness for another strike.

[Heroic Bilby]

OK. Heroic walk back to face the monster head-on was ruined. That's was OK. Henry could deal. Whoever had slammed into him from behind was kicking his suit now. Also fine. Not like he could feel it. He didn't APPRECIATE it, but they... maybe it was his own fault for being practically invisible? Guess he'd have to take the high road on this one. What was it that he couldn't' handle then? Mostly the giant foot heading for them both.

'Look out!' Henry screamed but only in his mind. The girl Lune would hear nothing from the person she'd knocked over, though it would push her hard out of the way in a sudden burst, leaving itself to its fate. Henry turned and crossed his arms over himself, hoping that a armour would be tough enough to not get crushed flat with him inside it.

And then... nothing.

'I'm saved?'

Peeking out of the Black knight's "eyes" the child within saw his rescuer as a flash of lightning lit up the corridors... well, one tiny part of it at least. the light discharged from the bolt seemed to be swallowed up by the all-encompassing darkness before it could radiate too far. There wasn't exactly anything needing to be lit up anyway.

Run? Yes. He would run. but not away. Henry already made his choice. If this... magician... guy... was willing to help then he'd certainly appreciate it, but he couldn't depend on that. others had no reason to risk their necks here. It was his responsibility.

And so the Black Knight got up and ran. Not away, but around. Past the side of the beast towards its rear, keeping just enough distance to react if it lashed out again.

[Shinn]

The beast roared out in agony as the reaper came and ended its attack on Henry and the young girl with an assortment of attacks. It quickly shook off the pain from the lightning bolt although it still had a small remainder of static electricity run throughout its massive body making it hard for it to move as fast as it normally did. It was now angry or at least looked the part anyways and went back to the offensive.

The beast opened its mouth revealing its sharp hollow inside as you could see right through the beast. But soon something formed in the beasts mouth. A thick green fog began pouring out of its mouth shooting out about twenty feet in front of the beast. The dark knight would be lucky to have avoided the green fog but the reaper would be hit head on with the fog. And as for the girl, she would also be fortunate to not be hit with the fog as well due to the quick instincts of the dark knight.

The fog wouldn't hurt him in any way physically or mentally. Instead all it did was stop all of the reapers movements rendering him briefly petrified. This now gave the monster a chance to attack him while he was unable to move. The beast raised its head to the left side then swung downwards in a crescent motion striking Magus with its horn sending him flying far to the sidelines.

With him out of the way for the moment the beast now set its sights on the girl. It scuffed the ground and snarled at her like a raging bull. That was when it just sprung from where it was and went charging for her at full speed.

[High's .Valentine.]

[Expect the unexpected!! D< ]

“Running! Running!” Lune cried, pushing herself to her feet and preparing to split. This place was no fun, none at all! She could not concentrate enough to teleport herself out of here [not that she remembers how to anyway], and there were skeletal beasts with no meaty on its bones, and crazy tin armors that move. At the roar of a voice full of authority, she was ready to comply. He didn’t even need to yell at them for her to know what she must do. Run and don’t turn back.

Lune could not even spare a breath to mimic Rio’s high pitched scolding anymore. Her whole mind was set on surviving.

Yet…surviving wasn’t what fate had in mind for her. Cruel, cruel fate. Glancing back, Lune squeaked and tripped over her own red boots at the sight, or the sound, since it was so hard to see. Skeletal monster with no meaty on its bones charging right at her! Those vehement violet eyes…

Before the gaunt animal could run her over, something caught onto its head and flung it to the side as far as its giant girth can go, deterring it from its path. A pair of deep purple eyes stared mercilessly at the monster. And that was it. Nothing else could be seen except that standing below the pupil-less eyes was the girl, her puppet in hand.

She grinned sheepishly at the fallen monster. “Big Lune says Hi.” And with that, she threw her puppet hand out, all the while bringing down Rio’s tiny stuffed paw in the monster’s direction. There was a whoosh but nothing could be seen due to the darkness of the corridor. If it had struck, the monster would have felt three blades enter through its side.

[nascent]

The mage didn't have enough time to evade whatever foul substance erupted from the beasts maw in a cloud of frothy green, and though he attempted to shield himself from it with his cape there was no mistaking the numbness that spread throughout his body as the vapor engulfed him. Painfully aware of his own inability to react, Magus knew only one thing could follow...

WHAM!!

The skeletal beast's strike sent him flying, toppling head over heels as he was cast off to the sidelines. He hit the ground and rolled awkwardly like a rag-doll before coming, finally, to a halt. A groan escaped his lips; the beast certainly had brute strength on its side, along with a nasty trick or two. From the way he was laid out he was unable to see what happened next... but he couldn't mistake the cold chill that ran the length of his spine and echoed like a thunderclap through his mind. Something had emerged on the field of battle... something dark, but dissimilar from the darkness that surrounded them now.

Magus was many things, but ignorant of his own trade was not one of them. He knew a shadow when he sensed one. With the paralysis gradually giving way, he struggled to his feet and looked out to see a pair of immense purple eyes glaring out of the dark at the necrotic beast.

"Hm. Not so powerless as one would be led to believe." And just as well, he mused. Whatever this conjured power of the girl's was, the shadowmage was fairly confident it would be a match for the bony foe, which freed him up to attend to other matters. A rift in the dark emerged behind him, and with a flourish of his cape he turned and entered it.

Moments later, another dark portal opened on the same spot - or, perhaps it was more accurate to say that the gateway hadn't actually closed. What was certain was that someone new stepped through into the dark realm: a young woman in a white cape and armor, carrying an unconscious person. She stumbled as she stepped through into the dark corridors, breathing heavily and seemingly on the verge of passing out. Another step forward brought her instantly to her knees; it was there that Melana deposited the person she'd rescued, then turned off to the side and vomited. To her dismay, there was an amount of blood mixed with the bile.

Not far behind the wind knight, Magus returned, narrowly avoiding stepping into the woman's eruption. He scowled in disgust, then swiftly closed the portal with a gesture of his hand. He hoped bringing them here had been the right choice... even with the giant beast still on the loose, the girl and her rescued victim had a better chance of survival here than elsewhere.

Magus needed the victim if he was to unravel this mystery, and the girl had fought bravely. She, too, could be of some use to him.

[Heroic Bilby]

Woah. Henry didn't see that coming. Good thing the beat had run forward before "Big Lune" did its thing or else he'd have been squashed under its side when it was tossed over. Also good it didn't have a tail or anything to hit him since he still hadn't gotten that far being as slow as he was. Still, the thing had been knocked down. That was promising. For a guy who felt responsible for this thing's power-up he Black Knight wasn't particularly worried about how much he contributed, he just wanted the thing stopped.

Speaking of which, the armour suit now changed directions and ran towards the beast. He was running around to the back of the creature, thankfully not getting in the way of whatever the purple-eyes shadow was up to.

[Shinn]

Before the beast could get the chance to topple the girl an unknown force tossed the beast off to the side. It appeared as though the girl was a summoner of sorts and summoned another beast in the area. All that could be seen was its purple eyes which was more than enough for the beast. As soon as it had been thrown it instantly got back up and ran around the area avoiding the three blades from the purple eyed shadow beast. It ran around the area for a while before locking its sights onto Henry who was pursuing the beast.

It decided to run towards the black knight and ram into him. While it was headed towards him another person had entered the area. Bringing someone else from Destiny Islands Magus brought the wind knight who did not seem to be up for any fight. With her as an exception it was now three against one. It looked like they would be more than enough to take on the beast. But numbers wouldn't mean squat if their hearts weren't in the right place. If they didn't fight the beast correctly they stood no chance at ever defeating it.

[Heroic Bilby]

And so the hunter became the hunted, as it were. The large monster's head was aiming to ram right into Henry, but the boy knew he had a small advantage to such a direct method of attack. At least in this place. Even if he didn't, the knight was tired of running anyway. Too many people could be hurt by a monster of this size if it ever got out because he'd brought it here. For their sakes it had to be stopped.

As the skeletal monster charged Henry the Knight kept going forward himself and seemed to be bracing for impact. As it drew in however Henry commanded his artificial legs to jump and so they did. He let the body that couldn't feel pain slam into the head of the charging giant and grabbed on as hard as it could.

So, if all went according to plan, Henry would have just ended up clinging to the head of a creature several times his size and strength with no real weapon to do anything with? Why? Because regardless of what little he could do might amount to the Black Knight knew that he still had to do it. One arm would release a grip and make a fist so that the suit could slam its right hand down onto the forehead of the enemy as hard as Henry could will it, several times if turbulance allowed. It didn't seem like the attack stood a chance of hurting the thing, but that didn't matter. If he could hack off even a sliver of the creature's stamina while dealing with him, he would hack it. If he could serve as nothing more than a distracting decoy to give the other more capable people present time to take advantage of then he would distract it. If the thing hadn't already managed to fling him clean off by now then Henry would bring both hands of the armour up together for a two-handed downward smash, putting everything he had into striking this one part of the monster's head with the hopes of bringing it down against all odds.

And hoping that the others would at least take advantage of any time it spend dealing with him instead of them.