Ladykylin

Galis coudln’t help but smile at the scream that followed. “To hell with locks, I’m trying brute force and ignorance,” Galis said, unsheathing the blade and bringing it down in a tight arc at the arm of the solid rock chair, it was entirely unlike cutting butter, in his hand the blade seemed to writhe agaisnt the stone, vibrateing in his grip, but it did not bounce off the stone instead it bit into it like it was the tough hide of a beast.

Zephane looked at him with alarm as the screech of solid rock being cleaved filled the air, on a deeper lower tone was the rumble of the room callaposing not so slowly. “If you have a better idea I’d love to hear it.” Galis yelled over the noise, or tried to he wasn’t sure if he was heard, he certainly didn’t get an answer back. Why did rock have to be so solid anyway.

short post is short.

“Right find the dreamer,” Galis muttered as he took off again, spareing a glance at Selken, as far as Galis coudl tell the cat was uninjured, of course with the flurry of sand around it was next to impossible to tell, the wolves had not fared near as well, unbleeding cuts and flayed flesh made thier shaggy coats seem to be unraveling. From within the wind their screaming wounds were muffled but still unpleasant.

He took to a fast walk following his gut as much as any real sense of sound, over the din of battle he coudln’t hear the quite moans of Zephane.

“You can’t be here.” Zephane said, as Galis approached, winceing just from the effort of speaking, the entire left side of his face was burnt.

“Glad to see you in one peice to.” Galis replied, pulling off the blindfold, fully seeing how damanged the mage was, though the plathroa of gashs in his robes a dark posion was spreading and the many spots it’d been adminshed the skin was peeling like old paint. “well mostly,” he muttered far quiter."

“But he killed you, and the the tower, he it just can’t be. " Confusion and desperation muddled his speak.

“Well I am here and I am going to get you out of this.” Galis said, sheathing hte bladea s he inspected the stone chair Zephane was bound to but finding little his skills could work with, the stone seemed to have formed aroudn him. There wasn’t a lock, or a key hole, or even a hinge.

“He killed her, he had her circlet, but how, it’s been so long. I you. Your dead.”

“It’s been 2 days, not even, since I stole the blade, I’m very much alive.” Galis said with certainty. Feeling for something that could open the chair and realease his friend. There had to be a way, there was always a way out. That’s just the way it was.

“We’ll see how long you remain so,” a sly voice said from directly behind,“I wouldn’t do that” It said as Galis started to turn his hand going to the hilt over his shoulder, the cold of steel drawing a small trickle from the side of his neck convinced him that it wasn’t a good idea to keep moveing. “Drop your hand away from that hilt and turn around slowly.”

“Isn’t this quaint, you just need darker skin and you’d almost be able to pass for his younger brother,” a smirk beneath a terribly broken nose returend Galis’ glare.(Somehwere I have to establish that Galis slowly started to dress like Cornell(or the nomads in genral) in dreamscape.)

“Your the Jackel.” Galis said meeting his gaze fiercely. His now lowered hand resting on the htoughed hide pants, finger entwineing around a bone dagger hidden amoungest the layers. “Your just a cowardly jackel even here you just get scraps,” His whole body was tense, waiting for the blow that his life would depend on missing at least partly, “Waiting while your biggest failure matchs your damned emproer.”

Behind him Selken gave another room shakeing triumphant cry. Only this time the room didn’t stop shakeing, dust fell at first, Galis blinked as Elrcik blinked back tears trying to wash his eyes of the grit. His hand moveing in a praticed perfection and the dagger, more of a dart then a melee weopon, flew, though not completetly true, be it the shakeing ground or the still spreading numbness it missed its mark and caught the inquesitor in the ear, tearing though and leaveing a bloody mess behind.

Galis coudln’t help but smile at the scream that followed. “To hell with locks, I’m trying brute force and ignorance,” Galis said, unsheathing the blade and bringing it down in a tight arc at the arm of the solid rock chair, it was entirely unlike cutting butter, in his hand the blade seemed to writhe agaisnt the stone, vibrateing in his grip, but it did not bounce off the stone instead it bit into it like it was the tough hide of a beast.

And it’s bed time now. Enjoy Tere.

The dark ended at a door, tall omnious, and in the place of a knocker or handle was a gastly contorted head, with liveing reptialin eyes that blinked at them, it’s maw growling silently jagged teeth ready to bite as Galis tried to open them. “Ideas?” Galis asked, it wasn’t excatly a lock he could pick.

Selken padded forward and let out a mighty roar and it opened wiht a gush of warm wind.

“This beats any nightmare I’ve had by a long shot.” Galis said, mezerized yet somehow not terroized by the inhuman scaled form that was Alten.

“You, Your the the little silver eyes thief,” It smiled, a humourless grin of pointed teeth, a deep red glow comeing to the inhuman eyes that looked out from an almost human face. the hint of scales and the shimering dark of it rid it of any hope of it’s owner being human. Somewhere in the back of his mind Galis was glad he still wore the blindfold, he didn’t need his eyes playing tricks on him.

“That’s right, me.” Galis said, the words comeing out before he had even thought of them as they so often did. “And what are you going to do about it snake boy.” Galis was certain at times his mouth opperated seprate of the rest of him, becuase as much as he was talking big he certainly wasn’t feeling it. Barely standing to the creatures chest and in no way a fighter he had no idea what he was going to do.

Selken let out another roar, his size growing as a gust of warming wind followed it, the room shuddered from the sound.

“Hellow Jackel,” Cornell said, his voice fierce, and if Galis wasn’t mistaken pleased.

a moan of miserable hope came from deep in the room, “Get Zephane out of here.” Cornell said, strideing forward, drawing the sand stone blade from his back.

Galis moved to comply and halted when a blood curdling howl peirced though the air, his heart missed a beat and began to pump double time to make up for it’s lost time. Two sets of twin yellow wolfin eyes came from the dark, shifting shaggy fur slowly comeing to light as they approached. With little hesitation Galis drew his own blade, it matched Cornell perfectly, the hilt though he was surprised felt smooth as glass in his hand despite the rough appreance. But then he’d never touched the blade bfore, only ever the sheath. But before they could even get close enough for him to see thier whole form Selken pounced past him, the massive cat towered over them, they circled it wairly, not quite willing to risk makeing the first move.

:Watch your self thief: a voice within the swirling sand called and the red eyed thing approahced with a slow gait that spoke of a complete lack of worry.

“Small little thief, you really must have something wrong with you if you thought you steal from me here. It’ll be easy for the guard to find you when your trapped here.” The thin inhuman smile never fadded, he grew as he came closer, the taloned hands growing crueler.

“They still wouldn’t be able to find me, " Galis retorted, “They can’t find thier own shoes half the time, why do you think they all wear the same ones.” It certainly wans’t his most clever joke, or a work of brillinace, but it was better then the other option, which was silence. “They coudln’t find me when there was 2 dozen of them chaseing me and I didn’t even leave the square.”

“I think the stink of your rotting corpse would be enough,” Alten returned, the protetive carapace around on his arm cracking as it grew to match his size.

Galis swallowed hard, his grip tighting on the blade, feeling it’s warmth in his hands, it was not a weaopon of cold steel. “I still wouldn’t be that confident, they really are a thick lot, and who wants to find a rotting corose anyway” he didn’t let the image linger, he was not going to die here, he wasn’t going to die yet, and that was all there was to it.

Much to his own surprise he didn’t move back when the thing struck, but forward, years of dodgeing guards teaching him just when to move to avoid a good cuff on the neck. Another retort died in his throat as a stinger ended tail struck him. An uncomfortablely warm sensation followed by an akward makeing numbness flowed though him. Behind him he heard Cornell yell as he stumbled his knee buckling beneath him in a sudden lack of agility. “I am not falling for a stupid trick,” He breahted though clenched teeth, with a deep breath he steadied himself, looking behind him he could see Cornell matching the alien thing move for move.

“Right find the dreamer,” Galis muttered as he took off again, spareing a glance at Selken, as far as Galis coudl tell the cat was uninjured, of course with the flurry of sand around it was next to impossible to tell, the wolves had not fared near as well, unbleeding cuts and flayed flesh made thier shaggy coats seem to be unraveling. From within the wind their screaming wounds were muffled but still unpleasant.

He shrugged as door opened at a push, it was dark past the threshold, the stone didn’t show any color, even where the door met the wall was erroded by the dark. Without pause Cornell delveled into the dark. Galis with slight reluctant followed, his hand trailing on the cold, dank wall. The smell was less then plesant. “Do you have any idea what to expect down here?” Galis asked, the complete dark makeing him want ot hear something other then his own breathing.

“Nightmares and thier mothers, perhaps a terror wolf or three.” Cornell answered, somehow finding his way in the dark. “walk to your left and let Selken guide you.” Galis complied, his hand reaching down as he left the slight comfort of the wall, his fingers entwining into the sand textured fur as he followed though the seemingly endless depths of the deep dark.(Allteration for the win)

Galis didn’t try to hide his grimace as another scream tore through the air, followed by a desperate whimper, “We have to be close.” Their pace quickened, the cold got colder, and Galis was certain if he hadn’t been walking at the punishing pace he would have be shivering.

The dark ended at a door, tall omnious, and in the place of a knocker or handle was a gastly contorted head, with liveing reptialin eyes that blinked at them, it’s maw growling silently jagged teeth ready to bite as Galis tried to open them. “Ideas?” Galis asked, it wasn’t excatly a lock he could pick.

Selken padded forward and let out a mighty roar and it opened wiht a gush of warm wind.

The next scream was louder and clearer and the tempratrue was dropping, infront of them a far more macbre mansion rose then that of the palace. Jagged spires rose, broken fingers reahcering for a stromy sky that let nothing through. They hid the crying moon from view.

“Somehow I’m certain we have the right place.” Galis said as their pace slowed

Cornell didn’t say anything simply approaching the monolith of a keep. (I’m not really sure what a monolith is and I will look it up at some point) The light grew dark, and that dark grew to physicalthing, an almost solid mist, some bizaree fusion between water and charcol that carried a cumbersom weight.

“Do we have any kind of plan? Like looking for an easy way in?”

“There won’t be, This place is to old.” Beside him Selken tensed, sand colored fur sticking on edge as the massive cat readyied itself.

“Old places ussaly have more.” Galis said, he did noit want to go though the front gate, (Okay pov switch Galis is so much easier to write) it wasn’t just that it was a bad idea, it wasn’t the dead bodies contorted though the portcullies that looked they had been speared there, it was mostly that it was completetly agaisnt his nature. “And haveing the element of surprise is never a bad thing.” The walls looked scaleable, though what would be up there he didn’t know, wasn’t sure if he wanted to know.

“You don’t have to come.” Cornell said, takeing silent steps forward though the dark mist that obscured everything, the malvolent glow of the towering fortress setting everyting in a hautning light.

“Yes I do, and every where has another way in. " Galis said, the question was if he could find it in this mist, it didn’t make seeing any easier.

Cornell didn’t seem to hear him, instead he walked onward Selken following him down the cracked cobblede stone path. Galis was certain he could hear something comeing from beneath the them, it was the beat of a heart. He didn’t want to think of what. (I think I want ot somehow link that sound to the one in the wave room scene.)

They puased at the threshold before the twisted portcullies, and to Galis’ horror he realized not every body there was dead, nor were they silent. “What the hell is this place?” (I’m beggining to wonder if I should consider this a horror fantasy instead of a fantasy epic….Everything keeps ending up really dark..)

“You answered your own question.” Cornell said, not giveing the tortured a glance.

“Can’t we do something about them?” He couldn’t stop looking, the contorted faces were damning, the hoarse scream reached him, and he wanted to do something about it.

“Not now.” Cornell kept walking, Selken puased looking behind him, his green eyes looking at Galis from the other side of the portcullie. With a grimance of apprehension Galis managed to tare his eyes away from the unfortuante twisted figure and followed. Despite his efforts his steps were loud, sound carried far easier then it should have, and far longer.

“Stop thinking about it and focus on finding him.” Cornell admondished, how he could be so calm in this place Galis didn’t know.

“Have you done something like this before?” He tried to focus on the thought of finding Zephane, of getting ot the bottom of this wretched place but it was diffcult, everything he saw turned his thought dark, and deadly.

“Yes.” Conrell answered, “It’s easier without sight.” Selken didn’t seem to mind.

“In that case,” Galis said, the setence trailing off as he thought for a momment, and tore a long peice of cloth from shirt and blindfolded himself. “I’ve delt with not being able to see before,” He said, though he doubted he was as good as the nomad.

He did not as he expected find himself completetly blind with the blindfold in place, but rather in a world that seemed to be made out of undefined imperssions, the stone before him was muddled, like it coudln’t quite decided just what it looked like, the walls were dark, tall, and for somereason he could see they were unpassable. “Is this how you always see?” Galis asked.

“Here yes.” Cornell answered, a calloused hand traceing the metal braceing on a door that had revealed itself on his touch. “In real scape I am blind, mostly. With Selken’s help I can see much like this.”

“Let me guess, it’s locked?” Galis asked, half expecting to be told to stop talking, the air was so quite, he wanted to hear something even if it was his own voice makeing him sound like a nervous fool. He shrugged as door opened at a push, it was dark past the threshold, the stone didn’t show any color, even where the door met the wall was erroded by the dark. Without pause Cornell delveled