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Post by Monkey Monk on Feb 20, 2006 17:54:41 GMT -6
Hawk lifted his head as Istariel spoke to him. His ears perked as her words cascaded upon them. Those golden eyes looked at for a moment as more thoughts ran through his mind. After a few moments, he shook them from his cranium and kept walking, not wanting to fall behind. It took him a few moments to speak. "I'm not brooding.." His voice was all too convincing as he spoke.
Indignantly Phoebus puffed out his chest. The small hawk looked comical at best. "I'll have you know that I have been a guardian for many generations. I remember this one time I helped to fight off an group of bandits that attacked the family while they slept..." It was obvious that this bird of prey let his pride get the best of him at times. Yet despite his arrogant temperament, Phoebus could be helpful...when he wanted.
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Post by Felypsa on Feb 20, 2006 19:37:19 GMT -6
Istariel frowned prettily as Hawk all but stalked away from her, then returned her attentions to Phoebus. "I suppose that is a noble deed," she agreed. "But seeing is believing, eh?" Her eyes sparkled mischievously; it was clear she was teasing the hawk. She found his quirks and even his arrogance amusing.[/color]
Ammolite shook her head at Azarak but did not continue the conversation. She smiled at Hawk as he came closer. "We're almost there; we've been ascending for some time," she said. "I can almost smell the sunlight. Can you?" She did seem excited.[/color]
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Post by Monkey Monk on Feb 20, 2006 19:47:30 GMT -6
Hawk seemed to cheer up when Ammolite turned around and spoke. Yet it was hard to tell if his joy came from the smile he recieved, or the words she spoke. His nose rose up as he sniffed at the air, as if he was trying to 'smell the sunlight'. A small laugh came from his lips before he spoke. "I can't smell the sun. But I can smell the trees and the snow."
Phoebus glared at the princess slightly with his fierce eyes. He smirked at her words before 'accidentally' pushing his talons a bit into her flesh. "Oh sorry about that dear. These old senses. My reflexes are always on the run from me." However, the bird of prey seemed far from old despite his obious age.
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Post by Felypsa on Feb 20, 2006 20:00:21 GMT -6
"Of course not literally smell the sunlight," Ammolite said, chuckling at Hawk's efforts. "But I can feel its warmth on the rest of the world, which gives off a kind of scent...I can't explain it. Still, it's proof we're nearly there. I can't believe I'm so eager to leave the caves and return to the Surface world." She spoke wonderingly.[/color]
"I'm sorry, sir, I didn't realize you disliked being teased," Istariel replied, wincing at his talon scratches. "But as you dislike being mocked, I myself dislike being disrespected. I am not fond of having talons pressed into my skin, reflexes or no. So please refrain; I'd like to not lose my temper."[/color]
"Why must everyone gab so?" Azarak asked no one in particular. "Can't they tell that we might get lost unless someone pays attention to where we're going? Ammolite, stop sniffing the insubstantial and take a right. The left only veers back to the Lake. Istariel, please tell your passenger to stop stirring up trouble. 'Sblood, must everything be done myself?"[/color]
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Post by Monkey Monk on Feb 20, 2006 21:49:03 GMT -6
Hawk laughed softly at Ammolite's words. He glared at Phoebus warningly before returning to his cheerful demeanor. "We're very close to the surface. I can sense it." The warrior tried to look over the backs of everyone infront of him, wanting to see the warm sunlight before they stepped into it.
Phoebus released his talons from the princess and chuckled to himself. Slowly the bird shifted on her back to get more comfortable. "I bloody hope so! I yearn to stretch out my wings and fly through the skies. Maybe even find a nice lizard to eat." The bird of prey looked at Azarak before laughing again.
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Post by Felypsa on Feb 21, 2006 12:48:17 GMT -6
Ammolite obligingly took a right, and though the passage steadily climbed, she seemed to suffer no loss of energy. Before long, a single ray of sunlight - it must be midafternoon - cut through the dim half-light of the caves. Ammolite could not help but break into a relieved smile. "Here we are! We've returned to the Surface." As if emphasizing her words, a little breeze from the outside whirled in, playing with her fur.[/color]
Azarak rolled his eyes at the hawk. "I'm sure you will," he said under his breath, "if there's any lizard that exists that's slow enough for you to catch." Still, even the irritable lizard-demon seemed to suffer a lift in spirits as he saw the shaft of sunlight and felt the wisp of wind. "The next thing you will see is the Great Mountains," he announced. "I think we've even gone above the Surface a little...we'll probably emerge on the cliff of some mountain."[/color]
Istariel smiled as she saw the sunlight, but began to cough as the zephyr wound its way towards her. She squinted, her pupils shrinking, and she could not suppress a little gasp. She involuntarily shied away from the sun. "I believe I have run into an unexpected obstacle," she said. "It seems I cannot handle the sun. I suppose that's why my father never wanted me to journey to the Surface," she added under her breath. She nodded to Phoebus. "I fear, then, I must head back to my own home. You'll need to find another vehicle."[/color]
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Post by Monkey Monk on Feb 21, 2006 12:58:20 GMT -6
Phoebus leaped off her back bowed his beak to the ground. When he looked up, his wings extended slightly. "And a wonderful vehicle you made. Don't be a stranger Istariel. Seeing as how you know where Hawk here lives, I expect you'll come for visits? I'd love to see more of your home." The bird of prey hopped ahead of the group and into the sunlight. Yet after a few moments, his sqwuaks of pain and agitation filled the air.
Hawk quickly pushed passed Ammolite and Azarak, his body slinking to the side of the tunnel. Despite how annoying Phoebus was, he did not wish to loose the only thing that could tell him stories about his family. The warrior broke through the exit of the tunnel. Yet after his eyes adjusted to the bright light, he let loose a deep growl.
At the entrance to the tunnel stood the twin brothers Luke and Kindare. Kindare, who was larger one if memory served correctly, had a golden feather jutting from his mouth. Yet his left eyes was squinted from the wounds Phoebus' talons had inflicted. The smart mouth bird was circling above, shouting down angry curses. Luke however, slowly took a step to Hawk. An evil smirk pulled at the edge of his lips, the light gleaming off the golden fabric that hid his left eyes. "Well Hawk, it seems you've been up to alot. Exploring tunnels, making friends with princesses, even talking to old creatures. Yet it would seem that you know too much. Tagger killed you once, now it's our turn."
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Post by Felypsa on Feb 21, 2006 13:09:46 GMT -6
Ammolite was horrified by the sudden change of events, and backed away, deeper into the tunnel, until she was behind Istariel and Hawk. But she was also angry; these foul creatures, Luke and Kindare, had attacked Phoebus and now were planning on killing Hawk! These traitors seeking to add more blood to their pelts. Though her eyes were red with fear, they were also a blazing deep purple - hatred and fury. Her amulet began to glow in response to her sudden passionate feelings.[/color]
Istariel watched Phoebus fly out into the Surface world, disappointed that she could not do the same. She was about to turn back, when the hawklike shrieks brought her back. She coughed and squinted, but she could barely make out the bloody forms of Luke and Kindare. She remembered Zales' story, and knew who they were. She looked around wildly for Phoebus, worried for him. Well. She may be a princess, but she was a princess of cave-demons, and she was nothing ordinary. She straightened and spoke horrible words in a deep voice very unlike her usual voice. In response to her deadly command, wickedly stalactites rocketed down, aimed only at the forms of Luke and Kindare, ready to impale them.[/color]
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Post by Monkey Monk on Feb 21, 2006 13:17:27 GMT -6
Hawk snarled viciously in his anger. He'd tear the murdering brothers limb from limb. He'd splatter their blood across the cave walls! The golden creature was even more angrier than he had been at Zales. Fearlessly he pushed past Ammolite and ran towards the two brother's, not caring about the spire of rock that shot down towards them. Those two had murdered his friends! They deserved the die. Everything around went black except for those two mascus who he loathed with every fiber of his being.
Quickly the two brother's backed out of the tunnels to avoid the stalagtites. Their vicious snarls and barks echoed down towards the group. It was obvious that they were luring Hawk onto the surface where they could combat him much easier. Yet suddenly Kindare roared out in pain. A blur of gold had shot from the sky as Phoebus began to rip at the mascu's eyes and snout. Yet the small hawk had grown exponentialy in size. Now he was equal to a large eagle.
"Filthy blowhearts! God damn pups fresh from your mother's teat! How dare you attack me! I'll rip out your eyes and feed them to the buzzards!" Phoebus continued to tear at Kindare's face with his talons and sharp beak. Yet his attack was ended short as Luke struck the bird with a heavy paw. Quickly the hawk flew up into the air and prepared himself for another barrage of attacks.
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Post by Felypsa on Feb 21, 2006 13:26:12 GMT -6
"For the love of - !" Azarak cried. "Ammolite, you've got to get out there - Istariel can't do anything, she's allergic to sunlight...come on, Ammolite, hurry!" He nudged Ammolite's head as if trying to spur her on like a rider would a horse.[/color]
Istariel coughed and backed up, squinting in the sunlight. "Damn them, damn them, damn them," she constantly muttered under her breath. "If they were only within my realm, they would regret even thinking about attacking!"[/color]
Ammolite did not need a second invitation from Azarak. She rushed outside, into the blaze of sunlight. The sudden radiance threw her off guard, and she hesitated, disoriented. But soon her eyes adjusted to the familiar brilliance and she could see the fierce battle between the suddenly-larger Phoebus and the frenzied Hawk. She roared, sounding more like a lion than a wolf, and pressed her paws against the rocky ground. Her amulet was pulsing crazily, and her eyes were furiously inflamed. Now stalagmites, tall spires of solid rock, shot up from the ground, forming a circle around Luke and Kindare, unless they escaped their sudden prison. Ammolite felt possessed; never before in her life had she felt this way. She felt as if she had completely lost all control of her own body.[/color]
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Post by Monkey Monk on Feb 21, 2006 13:36:39 GMT -6
When the pillars of stone encircled Luke and Kindare, they trapped Hawk in with them. The warrior truly was going beserk. He leapt at Luke and slashed wildly at their face and chest. Yet the smaller mascu evaded several of the attacks. He leaped forward at Hawk, who in turn leaped back. It was a true deadlock between the two. They each knew the other so well that they could almost anticipate each other's attacks. Their bout seemed to be more of a dance than anything. Yet every so often one would inflict a wound upon the other.
Kindare took the opportunity to attempt an attack on Ammolite. His black wings extended and lifted him into the air. As he soared up, he fought off the angry hawk which continued to swoop down upon him and strike at his eyes and neck whilst shouting out colorful curses. Yet suddenly the mascu pulled his wings and shot down to the ground before the femme. The shockwave that his heavy body created shot snow up into the air like a mushroom cloud. As the white dust settled, the mascu slowly strode towards Ammolite. His hackled were raised angrily while saliva and mucus drippled from his snout like a rabid creature.
Again Phoebus swooped down at Kindare, hindering his approach on Ammolite. Those sharp talons of his tore at the back of the mascu's neck, spurting blood off in every direction. The crimson liquid dripped off the glossy, golden feathers of the creature. As he soared back up to avoid a snap from the foe, he shout out to his companions. "You fools! Get out of here! I can handle these two whelps. Run!" With a loud battle screech, the bird shot back down at Kindare. His words of anger filled the air as he tore at the mascu's flesh before avoiding another counter attack.
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Post by Felypsa on Feb 21, 2006 13:47:26 GMT -6
Normally, Ammolite would have run away, and very gladly, too, but whatever it was that had possessed her was not willing to let her go. She stood facing Kindare and bared her fangs at him as he approached. Her claws scraped the earth, and again her amulet flashed. A whirlwind suddenly formed in front of her, formed of blinding dust and little rocks as sharp as daggers. Ammolite directed it towards Kindare, intent on making him bleed and hurt.[/color]
Azarak had escaped the crazy battle, hurrying back to Istariel. There was still some business he knew he had to take care of - without interference of the insane, demented creatures outside. He hoped Ammolite would be alright - he was not afraid of the two wolves hurting her. He was afraid that whatever had taken over her would overwhelm her.[/color]
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Post by Monkey Monk on Feb 21, 2006 13:58:23 GMT -6
Hawk seemed to gain the upper hand over Luke finally. The smaller wolven began to back up as his elder struck his incessantly. Luke began to let loose yelp of pain as repeatedly his face and chest was struck with heavy paw. Suddenly, Hawk moved in for the kill. His fangs sunk into the soft flesh of Luke. The black mascu gurgled out in pain and convulsed as his life was drained. With a rough jerk, Hawk killed his foe. A loud roar of rage passed his lips as he flung the lifeless body towards the spires of rock. There was an audible crack as Luke's corpse hit the stone before crumpling onto the ground.
"Luke!" Kindare forgot about Ammolite for the moment. The tornado hit him full blast, ripping at his pelt and flesh. Yet he pushed the pain from the body as he dashed to stalagtite where his brother's body rested. Viciously, and yet futily, he tried to get around the rock to his brother. He couldn't be dead, yet he was. With a load cry of sorrow, the bulky mascu tried to tear through the rock. His claws broke as his blood covered the stone. The tornado Ammolite had sent continued to tear at him. Yet he did not care. All he wanted was to get to Hawk and tear his heart out. Soon the mascu realized he could not reak his revenge just yet. With a loud snarl he glared at Hawk and Ammolite before hobbling quickly off into the forest below.
Phoebus swooped down slowly, changing to his normal size as he descended. As soon as Hawk leaped over the ring of stones, the bird of prey landed on his back. "I say Hawk! You fought better than your father ever did." Yet instead of gratitude for the compliment, all the raptor recieved was stoney silence. The bird remained on the wolves back. Slowly Hawk walked over to Ammolite and looked at her. "You ok?" Blood dripped from several gashes over his body, covering his golden fur. Yet he didn't seem to be concerned for himself at the moment. Even though the battle had only been several minutes long, it had taken it's toll on Hawk.
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Post by Felypsa on Feb 21, 2006 14:04:05 GMT -6
Ammolite watched calmly as her rock-whirlwind tore up Kindare's flesh and pursued him down to the forest. She seemed to finally be coming back to herself, now that the threats were gone. When Hawk spoke to her, she blinked in surprise and stared at him. "I'm fine," she said, smiling sweetly, seeming very much like her normal self. A moment later, however, she collapsed, exhausted and drained by the efforts she had put forth.[/color]
"Those damn idiots," came a voice, and Azarak appeared, standing over Ammolite's fallen body. He looked down at her with concern, sniffed her, then announced, "She'll be okay. She's just really tired." He flicked his tail, which had two golden rings on the end. "I come bearing gifts from the princess," he added. "She had to go back Underground, but she didn't want to part without giving you these. One for you, Hawk, and one for Ammolite once she feels up to standing up." He extended his tail and one gold ring towards Hawk. "I think you put it on your leg."[/color]
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Post by Monkey Monk on Feb 21, 2006 14:10:24 GMT -6
Hawk seemed shaken up from the bout. He had helped to raise Luke and Kindare. And now he had killed one of them, the one who had been like a son to him. Kindare undoubtably had run off to tell Tagger what had happened and to recover from his wounds. For some reason, Hawk doubted this would be the last time he crossed fangs with the Darkblood family. When Azarak held up the gift, he bowed his head in gratitude. "Phoebus.." The hawk darted down and picked up the ring in his beak before flying up to Hawk's neck. The bird snapped a hole into the ring. Grabbing the gold item in his talon, the bird then gently pierced a hole into Hawk's ear. Gingerly Phoebus threaded the ring into the mascu's ear before closing it back up. During the whole event, Hawk looked over to Ammolite. When he spoke, his words were directed to Azarak even though he kept his concerned gaze upon the femme. "Are you sure she'll be ok?"
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