Private Tales Into The Wilds

[Gabrielle Selana]

"Considerable amount of time, yes." Exactly how much? She wasn't really sure. "If I started at first light I could be finished by dusk, assuming nothing went awry." And assuming she wasn't interrupted by any more hunger driven monstrosities.

"I've never tried to do something like that while moving, let alone riding a horse. Perhaps?" It required an immense amount of focus to create things with magic, and the more intricate it was, the more focus and energy was required. This went beyond her gauntlet's ability alone. It would drain that, and her.

"I can try. But I would prefer to have a night's rest first."

Performing something like that in ideal conditions would tire her, but on the move, on horseback, and with danger looming all around at all times with nowhere especially safe to go? That was a lot of pressure piled onto the task.

 

[Jorg]

Jorg nodded. She hadn't outright rejected the idea at least, and there was still time before dawn. He doubted that with the scent of a Basilisk about that any other creature would come and bother them, but there was always a chance of a mate showing up.

"Well, there's no way we can spend an entire day out here while you create it, not sitting around." Staying put in the Wilds was tantamount to suicide unless you found a cavern or something you could easily tuck your way inside of.

Eventually ones scent would permeate the air, and once that happened...every creature within five miles would come.

"I'll stay up." He told her. "Get some rest, we'll figure out the rest tomorrow."

Though a warden sounded pretty damned good.

 

[Gabrielle Selana]

Several days had passed until finally the ruins came into view just over the ridge. The sheer magnitude of the sight was intimidating. This was by and far the largest of any Gabrielle had ever seen. It seemed to stretch across the horizon with a central tower reaching upwards towards the heavens. Gabby dismounted from her horse, looking out towards her destination. The trip thus far had been long and difficult, but now that they had made it, she felt it had been worth the trouble.

At her side was Jorg, as well as the golem she had created several days prior. It had been instrumental in warding off creatures to allow them each to get some rest along the way. How Jorg had managed to maintain pace the whole time she rode was still a matter to be discussed though, she hadn't forgotten about that.

"It's enormous." She commented, staring out towards the valley. "I've never seen anything quite like it before."

Several pathways led into what appeared to be an old city, overgrown and forgotten. Spires both large and small seemed to encircle the main tower at the heart of the ruin. Vines had snaked their way around the walls in areas, while other parts appeared eroded from time. The air was eerily silent here. It gave Gabrielle an ominous feeling in her gut, but she spoke nothing of it to Jorg.

"Ready?"

 

[Jorg]

"If I had an Anirian Crown for every time I heard that..." Jorg said quietly under his breath, not wanting Red to hear him.

It would have undercut the moment for her.

Even with the joke, Jorg couldn't help but agree that the ruin before them was nothing short of magnificent. The city itself was massive, at least the size of Mallian and perhaps another half more. It seemed to sprawl with rising towers and spires.

Most of it had been slowly reclaimed by the jungle, but a great part was utterly free of anything green. A painter would not have been able to do it justice, not in a thousand years of trying.

His gaze flickered away from the city and towards Gabrielle, his head nodding as he adjusted the sword on his back.

As they began to walk the jungle slowly thinned out, their feet finding one of the paved roads that had not been utterly destroyed by the roots of trees. Ahead of them lay a gate, or what would have been a gate at one point. "Maybe we'll find an Inn."

He said cheerily.

 

[Gabrielle Selana]

"I'm sure we'll find something."

Gabrielle wasn't sure they would find an inn, or what at all they would find, but given the lack of ambience surrounding the ruins, it gave her the hint that at least something they would find would not be welcoming to their arrival.

"We should head for the central tower."

It seemed the logical choice, given that the city appeared to have been built around the massive structure. Perhaps it was an ancient library, or seat of whatever government had ruled over the city. Or maybe it was a mage tower, perhaps this civilization was built upon ancient magic. It was hard to tell, but once inside they could make that determination.

 

[Jorg]

Jorg didn't argue. He had lead her through the Wilds, and he figured his job had now switched over from Guide, to bodyguard.

It was a role that suited him just as well, and as they approached the gate he tried to take it as serious as possible. Eyes flickered quickly across the ruins, watching for any sign of movement or hint of organic life. When all he saw was plants he continued forward.

The gates, or what had once been gates, had completely rotted away over the years.

Gabrielle and Jorg stepped through the massive archway ahead of them, finding a town square on the other side that was slowly being overrun by weeds and vines. The buildings reminded him of paintings he had seen before, though what they had depicted he couldn't recall.

"There is something...Ominous about this place." He could feel that the Wolf didn't like it.

 

[Gabrielle Selana]

Gabrielle wasn't certain she felt relieved or anxious by his validating what she too, felt.

"Lets not move too quickly." Caution was smart. Smart kept people alive. "There must be a reason for the silence surrounding this place." Hazel eyes peered across the expanse of ruins, her body turning slowly in a full 360 degrees. The world around them here felt lifeless and empty. As if a terrible tragedy had swept across the land and left it barren for centuries.

Gabby examined once more the spires, noting their positions taking up four corners, each one seemingly precisely built in both height and distance from one another, and from the central tower. By her calculations this was no coincidence, but one of significance. There was a reason behind it. Though what that could be was anyone's guess.

"Come on, let's head for the tower. Hopefully we'll find some answers inside."

 

[Jorg]

Jorg fought the urge to reach back and grab his sword, deciding that drawing the blade would have absolutely no effect aside from making himself feel better.

"Tower." He agreed as they slowly made their way through the city.

There was an odd silence to everything, and as they continued Jorg realized what it actually was. His lips thinned, and the hairs on the back of his neck slowly began to stand up as the discomfort in him grew. The Wolf was practically snarling.

"There's no birds." Jorg said softly as they drew closer to the great Tower. "No lizards, nothing."

It was...off. This was the Wilds, there were always monsters.

Always.

 

[Gabrielle Selana]

As they walked Gabby began to feel a slight vibration beneath her feet, as if the earth itself was trembling. Jorg surely felt it as well. Dust and debris began to free itself and fall from the spires. Moments later an eruption of energy from each of the four smaller spires collided with the central tower, merging into one impressive beam that shot upwards into the sky. As the energy pierced the clouds it seemed to fall back towards them, expanding and stretching out over the expanse of ruined city.

All light was snuffed out, leaving everything in darkness.

"That...Can't be good." Gabrielle spoke in only a whisper.

The woman outstretched her hand, the sapphire gem on her wrist illuminated, casting both her and Jorg in a dim blueish light for only a brief moment. If he looked he would see the culmination of fear threatening to boil over.

"It's not working." She said quietly, "I can't cast magic."

The sapphire's glow faded. Her hand fell to her side. "Something's preventing it."

As if on cue, hazy green wisps fell throughout the city from above, sinking into the soil all around them. Moments later dozens of skeletal figures clawed their way free from their former graves. It hit her as she looked out to the horde of undead. "This isn't a ruin. It's a blightland. Cursed by dark magic."

There was a reason nobody had ever returned from this place. Her voice was quickened now. "Get to the tower, we can't possibly fight them all out here."

At least inside they had a chance. Or so she hoped.

 

[Jorg]

FUCK.

Why couldn't it be a normal Ruin? Why couldn't she have found a nice shiny gem, why couldn't they have just walked out of here with a goddamn airship. A groan escaped him as dozens of skeletal warriors began to crawl from nothingness, their hands clutching rotted weapons.

"GO!" Jorg yelled at the top of his lungs as he suddenly slapped Gabrielle's horse on the rump.

The Creature let out a loud whinny and then suddenly began to gallop forward. Skeletons were crushed and broken between the mounts weight, pushed aside as Jorg followed after her in a quick run. The sword on his back was drawn, flicked forward as he slashed at whatever he could reach.

The Skeletons clattered, but a second later they simply formed together once more.

Jorg knew it was hopeless, knew that all they do was run. A roar escaped him, bestial and inhuman as he slid his sword back into it's place and began to sprint after the Engineer.

 

[Gabrielle Selana]

Gabby sprinted towards the tower, drawing her small blade as she ran across the vast stretch of ground to defend herself with. The golem was much slower than the two of them, though it hardly had anything to fear of skeletons. It was constructed of pure stone after all. Large fists smashed against their bodies, crumbling them to the ground as it followed after its master.

Her blade was used only as a means to parry the few skeletons she rushed past on her way to the large iron door at the entryway to the tower. Barely able to see beneath the cover of darkness, and with little reach, the hope of her actually hitting one of the undead was minimal. At least she was faster than them.

Upon reaching the door her body slammed hard against cold iron, forcing it open. To her surprise and luck, it swung inwards, and she nearly fell to the smooth stone floor beneath her. "Come on!" she shouted at Jorg as she quickly spun around to peer outside.

 

[Jorg]

Jorg had a little more trouble.

Tough the Skeletons could not reach her on horseback, they could most certainly reach him. He felt boney fingers grasping, pulling, tearing at his flesh. Wounds and cuts opened as they reached for him, some even drew their blades.

His heart thundered in his chest, his fingers tightened, and he knew what was about to happen. It always did when he was on the edge.

Always.

There was a tensing of his muscles, a sudden flex, and then the shift began. It was not a total change, it never was. A tinge of yellow touched his eye, teeth grew, ears shifted, and his muscles seemed to strengthen beyond what was possible for a man.

Suddenly Jorg broke into a sprint, nearly dropping to all fours as he smashed through a line of Skeletons and practically bounded behind the door. "CLOSE IT!"

The words were more a roar than spoken.

 

[Gabrielle Selana]

Luckily for Jorg the darkness spared him the ability for Gabby to see what he now looked like. It also prevented her from seeing whatever injuries he may have already sustained, however she did as he commanded, closing the door as soon as he was through. The golem would be fine outside, and could keep a number of the skeletons busy in a no-win situation for both forces for quite some time.

That still left them trapped within the confines of the tower, and with whatever else may be lurking within. It was possible they had just leapt into the lion's den, or so the saying went. Still, for the moment they were safe. The iron door was well enough enforced to keep the undead at bay. They just had to figure out what their next move was.

"Are you alright?" She asked, slumping against the door and sliding to the floor, hands on her knees.

 

[Jorg]

For a brief second, for the slightest moment as he spoke and looked up at him Gabby would be able to see his eyes.

They were a golden hue, lit up within the darkness like bright little gems in the middle of a pile of rock. His hand quickly swept over them, Jorg turning away as he rubbed his face and took a few deep breaths to calm himself down.

There was a quiet crack, the sound of his teeth drawing into themselves, and then he let out a low grumble. "I'm fine."

He said quietly.

"Just a few scratches from those things." None of them too bad.

 

[Gabrielle Selana]

The redhead gasped, her head turning toward Jorg, though it wasn't Jorg, even though it was Jorg. Her hands braced the floor and she scooted herself back completely against the door, despite the banging against it on the opposite side by the undead looking to kill the two of them.

"Are you?" She asked, skeptically and fearfully. "What exactly, are you?" Now was both not the time to have this conversation and the time to have this conversation. "Human eyes don't do that. Humans also don't keep up with horses for days on end either."

Gabby had certainly not forgotten that.

 

[Jorg]

A scowl touched his lips.

Why did she have to question? Why did she have to ask? They were surrounded by a gods damned undead army, trapped in a dead city. Was this really the conversation she wanted to have? Did it really matter that much?

Anger welled up in his chest, his lips curling into a snarl. The Wolf leaked into hip, just a touch, just it's rage, but it was enough. "I'm a Werewolf!"

His shout echoed in the darkness.

"A monster!" Jorg snarled. "No different than whats waiting out there!"

Just as quick as it had come, the rage ebbed away. Regret pulled across his features, but he couldn't help but add. "Happy now?"

 

[Gabrielle Selana]

She recoiled at the sudden outburst, head turning slightly away as he screamed at her. Her eyes twitched in reflex, hand gripping the handle of her dagger a bit tighter involuntarily. Gabrielle sat in shock and silence, the only sound resonating after Jorg's voice ceased its echo was the clanging of bones and steel against the ancient iron door that separated the dead from the living.

For what felt like an eternity the redhead simply sat still, unsure of what to say, or do. There were tales of werewolves back home, farmers whose cattle were all but slaughtered beneath a full moon, children going missing after playing in the woods, but separating the truth from the myths was all but impossible.

Finally the woman pushed herself up from the floor. She was still in danger, and if she was going to survive, there had to be a means of escaping this place. Hopefully Jorg wouldn't get hungry between now and then.

Without so much as a word she began to walk down the corridor of the tower.

 

[Jorg]

Jorg cringed slightly as some of the rage in his chest slowly began to subside, a frown touching his lips as Gabby simply stood up and began to walk away.

His fingers folded slowly into fists, and he took a deep breath.

The monster in his head was often not very patient, and it did not like the undead. Creatures of flesh and blood it could understand. Monsters it could kill. Moving skeletons and zombies? There wasnt much for a wolf to like there.

His lips thinned, and he let out a quiet curse as he turned on his heel and followed after the Redhead.

Boots thundered for a moment as he caught up with her, his body visibly tense within the darkness of the tower. Guilt ate at him as he saw her posture, the tenseness and fear in her movements. "Sorry."

He said quietly, knowing already that it wasn't enough.

 

[Gabrielle Selana]

As she walked along the corridor to the left and right torches of magical green flame illuminated the pathway one by one, as if responding to her presence. There were no rooms to search, nothing save but a staircase at the far end of the tower that crawled upwards further into the spire.

The woman said nothing in response to his apology. What was there to say? It's okay you're a werewolf? That hardly seemed genuine or even responsible. It wasn't okay. There were monsters outside, there was one beside her, and who knew what else was in this tower that they had locked themselves in.

Only thing Gabby could truly trust was the golem that was still outside. And she still couldn't cast a damn thing which left her feeling incredibly vulnerable. Reaching the staircase she peered upwards into the abyss, worried about what they might find floor after floor, and upon reaching the peak of the spire that had been the focal point of the dark magic's eruption.

 

[Jorg]

Jorg just followed after her.

There was really nothing else for him to say, nothing that he could think of at least. His fingers gently scrunched into fists at his side, lips thinning as he shook his head.

This was exactly why he hadn't wanted to tell her.

He could practically smell the fear coming off of her. It was an emotion scented very much like old earth, though explaining that to anyone would have been impossible. It stuck inside of his nostrils, though he noticed something else there as well. His lips thinned, and then he suddenly reached out and grabbed Gabrielle.

"Stop." The word came as he pulled her back and stopped her from stepping up onto the staircase. "It's a trap."

The smell was familiar; oil.

It was not just the torches, but came instead from the steps themselves. There was something beneath them that he caught the scent of, a firetrap of some sort.

 

[Gabrielle Selana]

Gabby nearly objected to hearing Jorg order her to stop until he added that there was a trap. Hazel eyes looked back, then around the room. First to the floor, then the walls, the torches, and the stairs. Her fingers traced along the edges of the archway that led upstairs, feeling the stone beneath her fingertips.

Still, for all her eyes saw it seemed to elude her.

"Are you certain?"

His sense of smell was likely better than hers given his...Affliction. But was it something he smelled? Or was it just a hunch because this whole place had seemingly been a trap.

 

[Jorg]

"Oil." He said sternly. "Beneath the steps."

Jorg knew it was there, the scent was so distinct that it almost blocked out the scent of fear still coming off of her. His lips thinned to a line, and slowly he unfurled his hand from her shoulder. "Likely a fire trap."

He'd seen them before.

"Can you use your magic to see a proper path?" There would likely be pressure plates somewhere in the steps. Jorg had way of finding them, but perhaps she would. He tried to keep some of the bitterness out of his voice.

For some reason he was insulted she was scared of him.

He was of course entirely ignorant that her magic wasn't working.

 

[Gabrielle Selana]

"No." She said flat. "I can't do anything. I can't feel anything. It's like it's just...gone."

No matter what she tried, it was as if something was simply blocking her ability to call upon magic. Surely it had something to do with that burst of energy and enveloping darkness that they now stood beneath. It was the only thing that made sense.

"There must be a means of preventing it from going off. A lever, a switch, something like that we haven't seen."

Surely the only way up wouldn't involve simply knowing exactly where to step, would it? If so, they were playing a very dangerous game.

 

[Jorg]

Shock colored his features. "That can happen?"

Jorg had never in his life heard of something taking magic away from a mage. He looked utterly bewildered for a moment, his brow furrowing in confusion as though he'd just had his mind completely blown. A frown touched his features.

His gaze cast around the hall for a second. Despite the torches that had been lighting themselves it was still pretty dark, and as he looked around even he couldn't see anything of real significance.

"The torches?" He asked silently. They were really the only thing that stood out to him. Slowly Jorg walked over to the closest one, reaching up and yanking on it.

As soon as he did a burst of flame exploded outward four steps up from where Gabby stood.

 

[Gabrielle Selana]

"I don't know."

She sounded confused and frustrated. "I've never heard of it happening before. Then again, I've never seen or heard of anything like what I just saw take place outside, either." It was clear why nobody had ever returned from these ruins. It was more than just ancient stone and structure. It wasn't that there were just beasts roaming the jungle surrounding it. The very ground they stood on was blighted, and by the time you had realized that it were a trap, it was already far too late.

"I would be very cautious pu-" As she spoke and Jorg pulled on one she felt the sudden surge of heat from not too far away. It was intense, and the surprise of it startled her. "Pulling on those."

The wrong one might send a burst of flame straight at them.