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Post by Chani {♥} on Jul 7, 2007 19:39:56 GMT -5
ooc;; The plot is pretty obvious. The "Desert Demons" are characters I plan to make in the future, so we can't slaughter them all. ^_^ Especially not the sorcerer. But give them hell and make them retreat! BWAHAH.
ic;; Iliad unstrapped the flask from his belt and took the final swig reluctantly. Instead of just his sheathed broadsword, a jingling pouch and two flasks were strapped to it. Well, one was, the other was in his hand, shaking out the last few drops of water. He replaced it and continued trudging through the sand. The sun was bright and unforgiving. In order to preserve water, he had been traveling at night alone, but the mistaken thought that he was close to an oasis and the fact that he had not found a shady, hidden spot to rest had caused him to continue traveling today.
Finally, shadows appeared on the horizon. As he drew closer, it appeared to be an oasis. 'It could just be a mirage. I'm not going to waste my energy running,' he decided.
He continued toward it, despite. It took a little longer than he would have expected due to the flatness of the terrain, but it turned out that it was not a mirage at all. Thirsty and hot, he was glad to see a few trees providing shade next to a small pond. Unfortunately, there were ten or so men surrounding it. Being asocial, he avoided them and found a stream leading from it. He rested under a tree, out of their view, lying down and drinking from the stream by cupping his hands.
"...Have you heard of the Desert Demons?" one of the nomads was saying to the others.
"Who hasn't?" replied another.
"Me," someone stated. "There are demons around here?"
"No, they're a band of skilled thieves," answered the first. "They have a sorceror in their party. He creates a sandstorm..."
"And the thieves, immune to it somehow, rob the startled travelers," the second added.
'Desert Demons...,' repeated Iliad mentally.
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Post by valter on Jul 8, 2007 10:39:58 GMT -5
With the Umayyad mountains to his back now, Zihan padded through the soft and shifting sand in a mile-eating trot. His four paws beat across the sand, finding a foothold and then springing away, as the white tiger continued his journey. Bolted stripes of electric blue crisscrossed Zihan's fur, shining brightly in the sun, which, to Zihan, was pleasantly hot. Also reflecting the sunlight was the Zanbato sword strapped across his back, and the hilt of the red katana dangling from his left side.
The tiger also held a jingling pouch firmly between his teeth as he ran, the wind blowing through his fur so that the heat was bearable. Yeah, this is the life. Zihan thought happily as he cleared a dune. Suddenly, his ears pricked up. I hear rustling leaves... and the air smells wetter here. he thought. Sure enough, as he continued to pad across the sands, the shadow of an oasis came into view, prodding Zihan to double his speed, pushing his tigershape to the limit.
After ten minutes, the blurry outline of the oasis cleared, and Zihan could see the pond, the trees, and about 10 or so men alongside the water, and further along... a centaur?! A smile lit up his furred features as he dropped his tigershape, which he'd held for three full days over the mountains, and changed into his humanshape, feeling his fur shrink into his skin or change into his purple robe, except for the ears and tail. He'd had a friend among the centaurs while in Gigantii, a strong fellow named Tavros, and so he'd naively assumed that this centaur would be just as friendly when he stepped up behind him and spoke. "Hiya! I'm Zihan, who are you? Are you on a journey too?"
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Post by Chani {♥} on Jul 9, 2007 21:24:15 GMT -5
Iliad, hearing Zihan coming, had tensed. Not rightfully so, as it was made apparent, for it was just a curious boy. Iliad examined him carefully. He appeared to be an anthro of some sort.
"I am Iliad," he replied shortly. "And yes, I'm on a journey. There isn't anything in the world that could keep me here for long." He cupped his hands, took in more water, and splashed it on his unshaven face, running a wet hand through his hair. Then he turned his head, continuing to listen in on the conversation the men were having. But it had turned from Desert Demons to something else entirely. They were whispering... He looked at them and noticed that, thanks to the boy's audacity, the men had noticed him and were now pointing and talking into one another's ears. He decided to fill his flasks and take leave.
ooc;; BWAHAHAH. It's about Desert Demon time. xD
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Post by valter on Jul 9, 2007 21:39:42 GMT -5
"Aw, why?" Zihan asked. "The desert's not that bad of a place, I mean, Tavros likes it, and he's a centaur too." he said with an upward flick of his tail, which symbolized that his (flawed) logic had come to a decisive conclusion. He remained oblivous to Iliad's discomfort, or the fact that the other men around the oasis were pointing and whispering.
"Tell you what, Iliad, let's travel together!" he said, making a snap decision. "I'm a handy guy to have around, and you seem frie-" He froze in the middle of the word. The wind had shifted, subtly, it's temperature and currents changing direction. "There's a sandstorm coming along the way." Zihan said sharply, darting his head up and looking around. "I can feel it in the wind, but... it doesn't seem natural somehow." he mumbled, wrapping his hand suddenly around the hilt of his katana. He'd never felt anything like this in Gigantii, and it was best to meet the unknown armed and ready.
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Post by Chani {♥} on Jul 9, 2007 21:53:47 GMT -5
Iliad smiled at Zihan's comment. It was obvious that, in his childishness, he had decided that all centaurs must like deserts since his one friend did.
"Tavros was probably more acquainted with heat than I," Iliad replied quietly, standing. At Zihan's comment, he turned to face the wind. He could sense nothing unnatural about it, but, of course, he did not live in the desert. He decided to trust Zihan, though he was a child, as the wind picked up. "Let's get further into the trees," he said, "to protect us from the sand." He put a hand on Zihan's shoulder to steer him. If the so-called Desert Demons were going to make an appearance, he wanted to water down their advantage as much as possible, and their advantage was sand. "Do you have any gold with you, Zihan?"
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Post by valter on Jul 10, 2007 9:10:51 GMT -5
"Um, sure thing." Zihan said, stumbling a little in the sand as Iliad guided him under the cover of trees. Once there, he gently detached his shoulder from Iliad's hand, and leaned back against the tree, eyes shut. His tail jerked from side to side, betraying his agitation as his ears strained for a clue as to where the sandstorm would strike, or when, or how strong it would be.
He opened his eyes suddenly when Iliad spoke next; in all his sensing and focusing, he'd quite forgotten he was there. "Um, yeah, I've got loads!" he said, hoisting up his pouch, which jingled a bit as the coins hit each other. "At least, Tana called it gold. I don't know what it's used for though, you can't eat it or drink it." he said, tilting his head to the side. "But a lot of guys in the mountains wanted to fight me for it. They didn't do too well though." he said, nodding slightly.
In moving towards the shade, they'd moved directly behind the other men, and Zihan saw the men pointing and whispering for the first time. A couple were pointing at him, which he could understand, as only Tigerwild Torphs were allowed to leave Gigantii, but the rest were pointing at Iliad, and made faces at each other. Zihan was just about to stand up and smack them round about the head for being rude, when a telltale blast of hot wind blew over his ears. "There!" he said, turning and pointing to a spot on the horizon where the sun was going down. "It'll come from there, but I'm not sure when. Normally, two minutes." he announced.
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Post by Chani {♥} on Jul 10, 2007 12:37:59 GMT -5
Iliad smiled at the kid. His eyes had betrayed what he wanted to do to those who were making faces at him. "Keep it close," Iliad informed him about the gold. "It's valuable in the outside world and probably going to be the reason for this battle. If you let the enemy get it, then they will escape. We must slay them." He could sympathize completely with Zihan's ignorance. He had been there himself not long ago, living in the Umayyad Mountains all his life and then venturing out into the world.
Iliad began to tingle with anticipation, then the wind picked up. It came harsher than ever. A couple of the men let out cries of displeasure when sand hit them in the eyes or grazed their skin harshly. They stood, mumbling about the sandstorm, and took to doing what Iliad and Zihan had; hiding behind trees. Only they were hiding out of cowardice, not strategic preparation.
The wind was hot and any who left their cover would surely receive burns from the abrasive, swirling sand. It was impossible to see through, not that Iliad dared try. The tree did not cover his large body from the sand completely, but he took to covering his bare chest and face the most, letting his horse-body's coat defend itself. The sand's sting did not hurt bad in comparison to the large amounts of pain he had endured before, but it was quite annoying. Soon, he had to close his eyes even from behind the tree and cover himself better. His arms began to burn as the fierce wind lashed out at him and it seemed to penetrate his coat of fur even. His irritation soon became adrenaline, leaving his pain forgotten and focusing his mind on the enemy more than ever.
"Do the best to keep the sand out of your eyes!" he shouted. "One blinding pinch of sand gets in one of them and you'll be done for!" He didn't know why, but he trusted this child's skill in battle. The way he had talked about the men in the mountains, perhaps, or maybe he just had an aura about him of some sort. Whatever it was, it reassured him that the kid would not be in the way of battle. Even if Zihan did, he decided he would do his best to defend him. He didn't usually make such promises to himself, perhaps because of empathy and having so much in common with the boy. It was hard to tell what was stirring in Iliad's mind besides battle.
Finally, something happened. A loud grunt that sounded as if it had came from one of the men was heard, then a jingle of something that sounded oddly like gold. It had came from behind Iliad. He turned his back to the sand, having to endure the burns but being able to open his eyes a little. He saw only a silhouette of a brawny man moving about... He was moving toward Zihan...
ooc;; Perfect place to leave it off for you. XD
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Post by valter on Jul 10, 2007 13:41:10 GMT -5
Ooc: Thanks much! XD
Bic: Suddenly, the wind picked up, rising in volume and force. Fighting in a sandstorm, huh? Alright then. Zihan thought cheerily, drawing his blade with a *chink*. The trees had offered some cover, but not enough, as the hot winds kept changing, blowing sand in every direction. This wind seemed tainted with some sort of aura unfamiliar to Zihan, but he didn't have the time to think about it.
"Do the best to keep the sand out of your eyes! One blinding pinch of sand gets in one of them and you'll be done for!" came Iliad's shout, and Zihan smiled. He'd already shut his eyes against the wind by experience; sandstorm fighting had been a constant part of his life.
With his eyes closed, Zihan then proceeded to dim some of his senses. The howling wind seemed muted in the darkness of his mind's eye as he dimmed his sense of hearing. At the same time, the scents around him became more distinct, he could smell Iliad a few feet away, along with the distinctive smell of the other men, and a sandy, gritty, coarse smell mixed with sweat.
A man fell behind him, he could smell his scent fading, and then felt the thud of footsteps as another man came towards him, with that sweaty desert scent. He caught the familiar metal smell of a cutlass, raised behind him, coming up with a mental picture of his assailant. Turning rapidly on the spot, he skewered the man, feeling a warm liquid splash across his hands. He shuddered slightly, but forcibly brushed it off as he withdrew his blade, shouting, "They're here! Enemies, all armed! They're here!"
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Post by Chani {♥} on Jul 10, 2007 20:38:19 GMT -5
Iliad sighed with relief as the kid struck the thief. He grabbed the hilt of his blade and yanked it free of its sheath, taking in the sound of metal scratching metal. He hated this sand. It was a blasted curse. The wind changed directions suddenly, now giving Iliad the proof that it was no normal storm. He closed his eyes and hurried to the other side of the tree. The wind slowed a little after that, giving Iliad time to look about without the worry of it getting in his eyes. A man had just cut one of the human men's throats and was searching him for coins. Iliad looked about, then decided it'd be best to charge.
There was no way to do this quietly when you had hooves, but it was certainly quicker. He bolted toward the man, stopping just short of him. And swinging his sword. Metal met metal, the clink rang out, the metal scratched as both men drew their blades again. This time, the other man swung first. It was Iliad who thwarted the attack, but he realized only too late it was a fake. Not being able to move his large body quick enough, the sword cut into his side. He groaned, taking the opportunity to shove his blade into them man's gut. He fell, dead, taking his sword with him. Iliad stomped on his head with a heavy hoof and hurried behind the tree, realizing that the wind had again picked up while he was fighting. The sand got into his gash, it seemed to be ripping it further apart. He knew this wasn't possible of the sand, but the pain was immense. He blocked it out again, looking to Zihan to see how he was doing and readying his sword for another foe.
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Post by valter on Jul 10, 2007 21:59:19 GMT -5
"This isn't good..." Zihan muttered, eyes still shut against the fluctuating wind. He scented at least 20 gold-stealers, and realized that of the 10 men that they'd had remaining, only 4 of them, Iliad and himself included, were armed. "I hope Iliad's doing alright..." he muttered as he padded slowly across the field of senses, the heavy Zanbato limiting his movements. He'd felt his centaur friend rush out to combat with a gold-stealer, and scented that sticking scent of blood trickling from his wounds.
A flash of silver filled his mind's eye. Steel blade! Coming fast! he thought quickly, holding his katana perpindicular to the ground and sweeping it across his front, batting the sword away. He cut immediately afterwards, slicing his opponent's shoulder, and felt the red stuff splatter right onto his face. The scent was overpowering, and Zihan actually let out an involuntary whimper, taking a step back and slipping suddenly in a wet patch of sand. He tumbled over, realized he'd fallen over a body, and almost whimpered again. His senses were useless now, all he could smell was blood, from the body beneath him, from all around the sand, the wind howling, and the screams of pain....
This body will not have me as a companion! he thought fiercely, suddenly, and his eyes snapped open, presenting him with an image of a swarthy faced, thick-set man leering above him with a scimitar. With a yell, Zihan leapt up, swinging his sword high. Sparks leapt from their blades as they collided, and then Zihan feinted low, and spun around and hit high, cutting into his opponent's neck. Withdrawing the blade, he stabbed again through the eye, putting the man out of his agony.
"There's nothing for it... I've got to change." Zihan muttered, shading his eyes from the wind and attempting to head for the trees. He could see Iliad a little further on, but then his area of vision was blocked by another gold-stealer, who'd taken advantage of Zihan's distraction by slicing a shallow cut in his thigh. With an audible growl, Zihan fell to blows with this new threat, gritting his teeth as the sand cut into his wound. Blast... it's not supposed to hurt this much! he thought grimly.
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Post by Chani {♥} on Jul 12, 2007 0:27:20 GMT -5
"Arrrgh!" a man groaned. Iliad turned just in time to thwart the man's axe with his sword. Thank goodness for his idiocy, he thought silently. I probably wouldn't have noticed him if he hadn't made his presence known audibly. He lunged only to be thwarted. These men weren't half-bad. It took several swings for him to behead the man, and then a brilliant burst of pain blinded him. Someone had struck his haunch. He turned, opening his eyes. Sand got in them, but he had had enough time to see the man raising a warhammer to strike him again. He cried out furiously and reared, hitting the man full in the face with a hoof and crushing his skull. He wiped at his eyes with his free hand. Then he heard a growl..
Turning and shielding his face with his hand, he caught sight of Zihan. "Zihan!" he shouted. Not that his shout did anything... except catch the attention of the boy's attacker. Seizing the opportunity, he closed his eyes, remembering where the man was going running forth. The wind changed direction again and he was able to open his eyes. He did so and swung for the man's neck. He hit him in the chest, breaking his sternum and cutting into his esophagus. Despite the pain from the bewitched sand and his wound he seemed to be holding himself together. There was a grimace on his face, but that seemed to always be there. "Are you alright?"
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Post by valter on Jul 12, 2007 11:39:12 GMT -5
The man he was fighting clearly had no desire to die, and with only one hand, Zihan was prepared for a long fight. He would have gotten one too, if Iliad hadn't rushed to his aid. "Thanks!" Zihan called as Iliad mortally wounded the man, and then nodded rapidly when Iliad asked if he was alright. "Yes, yes, it's only a scratch really." Zihan said. He didn't like people knowing about his hemophobia. "I'm more worried about you, that wound looks- look out!" he cried suddenly, hitting the sand.
An arrow zipped past, piercing the air where Zihan's chest had been and just grazing Iliad's flank. How can they still shoot arrows in this? he wondered grimly, as he sheathed his katana. "Iliad! I need you to cover me for a minute!" Zihan called from the sand, getting up a few inches from the sand on all fours. A blue-ish white dot appeared on his forehead, slowly expanding across his face and changing his features, changing skin into thick white and blue fur as it passed.
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Post by Chani {♥} on Jul 13, 2007 3:16:31 GMT -5
"Ah!" Iliad cried out, more in surprise than in pain. "What the... How do they...?" He shook off the questions. "Yeah, got it," he directed at Zihan, spinning the hilt of his blade in hand. He watched as Zihan transformed. He didn't seem surprised, but his face wasn't one to betray his thoughts. He winced, knowing that his body was going to be badly burned from the sand. He prepared to run after Zihan despite it, digging his hooves into the malleable sand.
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Post by valter on Jul 13, 2007 9:27:20 GMT -5
Zihan purred his thanks as Iliad charged near, realizing just too late how painful it would be to charge into the sand. Any eloquent apologies were beyond him now, his tigershape not fit for speech. The transformation was half-done, giving him the grotesque appearance of some kind of tiger and man fused together at the golden ring of light.
The Desert Demons were closing in, three or so moving to dispatch what remained of the other men, while the rest formed a circle around them, out of sight, but not out of smell. The transformation finally finished, the light fading around his feet, which had become clawed paws. The 200 Kg white tiger roared a violent challenge towards the thieves, feeling a few step catiously backwards. He spat out sand, (While his fur kept sand from hitting his skin or eyes, his mouth was a different matter) as he turned his head to the side, giving Iliad a wink that clearly said, 'They're toast.' With a war cry, the rest of the desert demons charged.
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Post by Chani {♥} on Jul 14, 2007 3:58:09 GMT -5
"Zihan, let me take the left," Iliad cried out through the wind, covering his mouth but trusting Zihan's sense of hearing. "You may be able to see in the sand, but I cannot, so I'll be blindly thrusting. I refuse to do anything that might put you in danger. We have enough enemies!" He used one hand to shield his eyes, spot out the Desert Demon he wanted, then closed them and swung with a furious groan.
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