Fable - Ask Along Came A Spider

[Victoria Von Fleet]

It was a normal sunny, chirpy happy day. A town outside of Vel Anir bustled with daily activity. The sound of laughter and chatter filled the streets as the town of Eastwold went about its routine. A figure with a painted face and black dress wandered the streets. Her wedged soles dug into the dirt as she made her way through the square. She swung her spiked Morningstar aimlessly.

Victoria paused and looked around her, the crowd slowly becoming overwhelming. The seed of paranoia had always been in her, and today in this cheery happy town, chaos would erupt from it. Her red eyes scanned the people around her. To her it looked as if they were all staring, pointing and laughing at her. In her mind they were calling her ugly and useless. She grew angrier and angrier as she began to stalk her way closer the the central building.

By the time she reached it, she was full of rage from her imaginary taunts. She gripped her weapon tight as dark tendrils began to slither from her. "Alright, you people wanna mock me. I'll make you pay, you won't get out of here alive." Her lips split into an evil grin, her head tilting as she summoned her power. She would not let people mock her, point and laugh at her. No, they would suffer.

One moment, the birds were chirping and people were bustling. The next, a darkness covered the town. People stopped what they were doing, puzzled. Victoria cackled as she made her way into the central building, climbing up to the very top spire. She opened the window and climbed onto the roof. From here, she would see all.

The puzzlement from the villagers would soon turn to terror. Screams would rend through the town, and the sound of fleeing families would fill her ears. No, they would never escape. If any were to venture close to the town, they would see it trapped in a dark and swirling mass. Walking through it would feel like walking through oil. Once inside, it is nearly impossible to leave.

 

[Kalix]

“HUH?!” Kalix wasn’t yelling, but in the open hall his voice boomed as if he had been. Okay he had been yelling, but that was just because he was surprised by what he had just heard.

“Kalix just get your dumb ass into MR3,” Proctor Palahniuk growled, purposely knocking his shoulder into Kalix’s as he strode past him. “Now.” He added, not evening turning back to look and see the rage that was blooming over Kalix’s pretty, feline features. Because Kalix knew better to say something back to Proctor Palahniuk, instead the irascible young man spat a large wad of spit onto the floor where the proctor had been standing.

And for added measure, flipped him off with both hands. Might as well if the proctor was just going to walk away like he owned the place. But regardless, Kalix was going to do as he was told. At least that meant he could skip his test on runes that he didn’t study for.

---

Victoria Von Fleet was batshit crazy! Kalix couldn’t help but grin. What a fucking psycho bitch, he thought to himself. She had balls bigger than most of the proctors at the academy! Who would have thought Vicky would go to a town and plunge it into a world of darkness and nightmares? Those normies had no chance! Kalix wouldn’t be surprised if nearly all the villagers were dead. Suckers, that what you get for being weak. Kalix couldn’t relate.

Of course, the academy had to clean up this mess as fast as possible. But unfortunately, many dreadlords didn’t seem to be available. Or at least none of the good ones. Which was probably why they had sent in Kalix. He was strong and tough and a badass. A great match for Vicky Von Fucking Crazy. Also. They got along better than one would expect.

After all, chaos enjoyed chaos.

 

[Alistair Krixus]

Chaos enjoyed chaos...and then there was Alistair standing next to Kalix looking at the poor town that found itself trapped in nightmares. How the hell had he ended up here? Had it been a punishment? No, they had called it an honorable mission. Honorable mission, my ass.

"So, how exactly do you plan on solving this?" He looked to Kalix questioningly. "To get to her, we have to walk through and enter a domain of nightmares...Doesn't sound fun."

Alistair had never really had a problem with Victoria. She was psycho, but that was just kind of how most of the dreadlord kids acted. Only a select few were what he would call 'normal'. That being said, Alistair often found himself staying away from Vicky, because they tended to be opposing forces. Give off the wrong vibe to her and he was likely to get attacked for no reason...That was pretty much the same case with Kalix, though.

 

[Draven Helmer]

It seemed Vicky had finally spanned and spectacularly so, Draven stared at the ball of spiralling shadows that had enveloped the town. He hadn't spoken much with the girl they had only been together a handful of times usually either in the same mission or class but he would catch glimpses of her looking at him, he didn't exactly know but he had suspicions, at very least she liked him so maybe that would count for something here.

"The only thing we can plan for is to get to her and talk her down or knock her conscious since we have no idea what we will be facing on the other side of that barrier" those were only objectives they reasonably could have. He would approach the barrier. "nothing gained nothing ventured" He would say to the group before pushing through it.​

 

[Liza Newcastle]

The proctors who had assigned her to this mission were trying to kill her. Liza was sure of it. There seemed to be no other explaination for it. Having survived her years at the academy by the skin of her teeth, they must have finally decided it a good idea just to kill her off. That's all there was to it, in Liza's mind at least.

Liza stared at the town overrun with darkness and nightmares. Not only did the small group have to rescue the townspeople, they had to take down the psychotic Victoria. Liza feverently wished she was anywhere else instead of this nightmare.

She stepped closer, probably too close, to the other inititates. Her mind and body screamed at her to run. Telling her that this was futile. A suicide mission. Liza tried to fight against her instincts of self preservation telling her to flee and not look back, but anybody who looked at her could see that she was shaking like a leaf in a strong breeze. Swallowing the lump of fear that had formed in her throat, Liza unwillingly followed the others through the barrier.

 

[Victoria Von Fleet]

Victoria was overlooking the town, one that had faded into absolute silence. Anyone here was either dead or hiding. They would only be able to hide from their nightmares for so long. She could feel the power of fear building, fueling her even more. It made her power swell and grow to unimaginable heights. She slowly lifted off the roof, sitting in the air with her legs crossed. A grin of malicious amusement was on her lips. It quickly faded into a frown as she felt her barrier disturbed, they were entering though. The grin returned, and she sent nightmares out to greet them, her laugh echoing throughout the enclosed town. "Little flies come to play in the spider's web. I'll wrap them up nice and tight, and have them for dinner!"

The group of initiates, as they entered, would feel the oily press of the barrier on their skin. The would be greeted by silence, at least for the first few steps. A wet slap would greet their ears as the made their way further in. There would be more, and it would increase in frequency. If they listened well, they would hear the sounds getting closer, slowly, but deliberately. The next corner they would turn would reveal to them monsters made of bulbous flesh and teeth. Mindless and searching for their prey.

 

[Kalix]

“Hey, hey, hey listen up!” Kalix hollowed after some of the initiates had gone through the veil. So of course he ran through it as well— but oh, OH GOD GROSS! Kalix growled, expecting to see oil or slime or sludge or whatever it was that he felt. But nothing was one him. Huh. Strange. Was it just a part of the illusion? Unfortunately for the group, Kalix was no thinker. Never had been and never would be. He had survived at the academy due to pure brutish strength and malice. And he’d survive this too based on those two facts alone.

“Since I’M THE TALLEST I’M THE LEADER!” He then turned to point at Liza. “You’re the shortest so you can’t be the leader at all.” He then looked at Alistair and Draven, and was about to say that one of them could arm wrestle and be the leader if he were to die— fat chance of that though— until he heard a large duck waddling over.

Only, it wasn’t a duck. A seal? Kalix turned to see a fleshy monster charging towards them. And there were plenty of others all around. Kalix grinned. And took hold of his pernach, bringing it off of his waist and holding it securely in his left hand.

“Alright here we fucking GOOO!” A final shout that turned into a roar of joy, Kalix dashed straight ahead. These monsters were super ugly, but they also looked so squishy and weak. Focusing the gravity at the base of his weapon, he swung, hard and fast at the closet part of the monster to him. A second later, blood and viscera were shooting out, a large gaping hole looking back at Kalix.

But the initiate didn’t stop at one swing. He did it again and again, making sure that everytime his weapon hit the monster, it felt like five-hundred tons of force was striking it so that eyeballs popped, teeth were disintegrating and flesh and blood were flying all around him. And of course, the entire time Kalix was manically laughing and talking trash to it.

 

[Alistair Krixus]

Alistair followed the other reluctantly into the veil. What was the problem with planning things out? Still, he had come prepared. A rune on his bracer began to glow. It was a rune of tranquility. It was meant to calm the mind. He had originally made it after Victoria made him piss himself during a sparring class. Ever since then, he had been using it to help study. It did not completely remove his fear, but it did slow the fear down just a little.

The rune was first put to the test when they spotted the nightmarish abominations. It was a strange feeling, to say the least, Alistair could feel the fear boiling up in his emotions, but it was like there was a barrier protecting his mind. They needed to move quickly as he did not know how long such a barrier would last.

In that regard, Kalix was perfect for this. He was just too dumb to be afraid of any of it. The best plan was to just let Kalix push forward as far as he could. The others could come in afterward when he got tired.

 

[Draven Helmer]

Draven didn't say anything about Kalix anointing himself leader, it was better to let fool think he was in charge than to challenge him to a pointless fight. then a monster appeared and Kalix did what kalix 's does best, committing bloody gratuitous violence.

whilst Kalix dealt with creature Draven moved forward, going around the both and moving further into the town. Time was not there side they couldn't afford to be bogged down so if that meant leave kalix to do his thing so be it. he didn't give shit whether he lived or died the feeling was likely mutual.