I know I still need to finish Ebony and Ivory, but I wanted to start this RP up. Anyone can join in.
The scenario is that Noctuis, the infectious owl, attacks Quad and damages his brain. The RP will involve interacting with him in this state as well as trying to find a way to cure him.
Official Themesong:
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He had been stalking the blackbuck for quite some time. Patiently waiting for the right time to strike. The antelope was an obvious threat, and he now knew why Iugulare had so much trouble taking over this world.
Noctuis accepted the challenge. Quad had to be nullified, in one way or another, if he was to be successful in his own conquest of the galaxy.
The night was just beginning, and Quad settled in on his pillar at the Ruins. Above on the stone structure was the infection, he glided in silently and watched as the blackbuck closed his eyes for the night. "Hoo...Hoo...", Noctuis' quiet calls gave an ambiance of the surroundings. Quad ignored the sound, as he had heard owl calls often at night.
In one strike, Noctuis was on him. He grasped his claws into Quad's back and immediately began to bite him in the back of the neck. "Wh--?!", Quad tried to call, but his voice was immediately muffled by an infectious white wing, wrapping around his face to silence him. "Too easy.", Noctuis chuckled, the wound on the back of Quad's skull now open enough for the virus to enter. The blackbuck struggled and writhed to break free, but his oxygen cut off, he slowly lost consciousness, his body going limp and sliding off the pillar. He hit the ground with a sickening thud, and Noctuis let go of his body. The infection was deep within his head, attacking and rotting him from the inside. The antelope's body went into shock, and out of instinct, he let out a deafening cry that could be heard through the Forest.
It would be luck if someone heard...
((Anyone can join in now, comment below to participate))
Foxglaive was in the middle of disassembling his decoy accessories while Hex, the star reader, foretold what would take place. "Action with bran flakes," he muttered to himself. "Today, we should proceed with cautious. It is prepared to help Quad like a coat that can only be put on when it is wet!" When no one responded to his comment, he clarified: "A staircase."
He looked around the group gathered there. "Lettuce go to the oak, yes? And help Quad, who is like a brother for it. A brother for all ... [Xeh], [Maep], [Thap], [Tilosram] and ..." Foxglaive's strangely-colored eyes blinked as he looked at Quad without his standard blackbuck appearance, lacking his usual coat coloring, antlers and mask/facial structure. "Ahh! Please to be forgiving ... who you are again?"
Quad blinks for a moment, forgetting he had lost his appearance earlier. [=red]"I am...Quad...aren't I? Hmm...I remember fixing this kind of thing before...", the 'naked' antelope says, as he sits for a moment, "Concentrate...concentrate...", he mumbles to himself, squinting his eyes for the time being. A second later, his appearance changed, the Pond's magic effects wearing off. The 'naked' deer shrunk down to his normal size, his antlers compressing into thin antelope antlers, his mask and pelt color reappearing as well. He simply had to remember what he looked like.
"Come on, everyone! Quad's got the best of the best to stand with him. Let's go to the Oak and face the owl. With all of us, we can't surely lose!", Pema said with funny excitement in her voice, leading them off to the Oak. The others followed behind, leaving Hex behind, as the blind doe was in no position to fight with them.
And as they leave, the seer listens to the wind blow past the grass. She closes her eyes and listens, a chill going through her spine. ”I’ve sent them to their doom…”, she sighs.
But the doe then opens her blind eyes and looks to the sky. And in that moment, her eyes fill with light. For in that very moment, a meteor shower filled the night. The doe watched in wonder as the streaks of cosmic light brought her a warm and beautiful sign of hope. She smiled with wonder, her body quivering at the omen.
“No. The High Priestess is mistaken. This night will not end in defeat. I have faith in the Magician, though he will cower in fear before Death, he is not alone in the fight. For the Empress shall be a selfless defender, and the Hierophant in his glory will not back down, even in the face of Death himself. The Fool is there in his brilliant foolishness to trick Death and cheat him in his own game, and there even the Hanged Doe will keep their hopes and faith from dying. Even the Devil will come and stand by their side to fight.”
She closes her eyes as the meteor light fades. ”And when one light is extinguished by Death’s cold grasp, the Magician will blossom into the purest flower of life, and with his magic he will be untouchable from the darkness. Life will place it’s flag in the ground, Death conquered…”
She had been standing in the background, watching, listening, waiting for a verdict.
Now her gut twisted in fear at the seer's words. The insightful doe seemed so sure of her own prediction. Martisol considered the circumstances. She wasn't much of a fighter. Always more of a protector. Not very experienced with these entities and the "infections" that went with them. Her eyes were bright with hidden fear and worry, but her expression remained the same under her mask. She was good at playing brave, at least.
She looked at the others, considering them. They all seemed to have some sort of special "something" about them. Even the little doe who relied on strings from above seemed confident in them all.
But what could Martisol offer? What special abilities or characteristics did she have. She could be a decoy. That's all.
She looked briefly at the Twin Gods statues, watching them from atop the nearby hill. They glowed brightly, even in the night. They seemed to call to her, telling her everything would be alright in the end. They were there to protect what was their own.
She sighed under her breath, inaudibly, and giving a polite bow of the head to the seer doe, she followed behind the others loyally.
Path bows his head respectfully to the Seer as the group begins to move out to the Old Oak. "Your words will be well heeded." he speaks firmly, before turning to follow the Talux and the other modley companions. Instinctively, he has the vague wish that they would have spent some time to prepare for the oncoming battle. However, to wait would be to risk Quad achieving permanent brain damage.
Walking at the back of the herd, he momentarilly pins back his sharp ears. While he could not see him, he could 'sense' the near presence of creatures less than pure. One certainly had to be their Noctus, only as far away as the Oak... Another however would be his demented younger sibling. He had a tendancy to avoid crossing him, as did the other. The two being so different, there existed the tendancy to enter certain conflict unless there is reason for alliance.
For the time being, he focuses on their more imminent enemy. Glancing at Martisol, he notices her discontent. "Do not be afraid. Few outcomes are written in stone. You are not likely to be a victem this day." that grandfatherly tone etches into his voice again as he speaks.
(I'm so tempted to drag Dark in to help. He considers Quad a friend after all. XD)
As they walked closer toward the Oak, they found an unexpected surprise. A stag was struggling before them, covered in black goo. "Oh gods! Infection! Quad, please, use your powers to save him!", Pema at once called.
The blackbuck approached, but only stood there and stared at the struggling buck. "I...have powers...?", Quad asked them.
At this point, the infection zipped off of the buck, nearby Iugulare appeared and merged with the goo. She stared at all of them, disappointed, "I was afraid this may happen...", she speaks, "If Quad cannot use his powers...if he's forgotten how to be the Grand Talux, we have no chance to defeat Noctuis...", she emphasized the word 'we', making sure they understood she was in this fight alongside them.
Path looked thoughtful. "It may be wise to stop and help him at least recall what power he has. Often, such things will come back when they are really needed, but it's not certain to happen." he decides. Now knowing of the way light affects the infection, he had the potential to help if the Grand Talux needs it. Of course, they needed Quad to be able to fight in the first place. He pauses, looking away for a moment as another deer begins to approach. The sound of clattering chains is unmistakable, along with the prominant smell of decay.
On the path from the pond to the ruins, often Dark would have to pass this same general direction. It was more by chance than anything that he'd be in the area, but once those multiple eyes of his caught the sight of the modley herd he simply had to approach. He recognised Quad among them, and so his intentions would not be as hostile as otherwise.
Having overheard Igulare on his way over, he lets out a brief snort.
"Am I... right to... un..der...stand... the... Tal...ux... has... forgot...ten... ev...ery... thing?" he rasps. If all that past training had gone to waste the past year... oh, he wouldn't be too thrilled. Though he'd be willing enough to attempt to respark the memories.
Quad simply stared at Darkweaver, slowly approaching him and walking around him without any kind of fear. The blackbuck stops before him, "Dark...weaver...?", he finally got someone's name right.
The name sparked deep memories for him, of the training Quad spent with Dark as well as many other deer, learning how to fight and defend himself. "I remember you...I remember you...why do I remember you...?", Quad began to question.
Iugulare slithered toward them, impressed, "Interesting...it seems he remembers some things. Maybe he still remembers how to fight, though it will be our luck he has forgotten how to use his light powers.", the stoat mused.
Quad closed his eyes, "Dark...weaver...please...I remember learning how to fight under your guidance, but the owl still terrifies me...please come with us...please help me confront my fear...", the blackbuck begs his friend and mentor.
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Hex opened her eyes for a moment, and one final streak of light filled her blinded perception, as one last, though bright, meteor shot across the sky.
"...Six...no...Seven....Seven...Another has joined...ahh...it is the spirit of Judgement...", she smiles, "Seven fates now...and the stars already know the outcome..."
(If you haven't figured it out, Hex has assigned a major arcana tarot card to each player in the story. I had to add one more for Darkweaver )
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((OOC - After Zerg posts with Darkweaver's response, we'll head over to the Oak for the confrontation. Hopefully when we get to that point, the roleplay will pick up and be a bit more exciting.
Also I've been trying to find a song fitting for the fight, and found these two:
Not sure if I like a mellow song or a more fast paced song for it... XD ))
(Ahh! Here is one it suggests if you have a looking for [sicum] of the instrumentation type. It have everything! Concerning over Hex's fortunes, scary villain music (or scary people show up for the helping?), battle music and then the Quadnod omlette powerup, which happenings starts at 2:35-ish)
(Lol sorry, I was waiting for anyone else to post before I did again. Or at least give time for others to keep in this. <3)
Darkweaver nods stiffly. A set of eyes meet Quad's, as though seeing into his need and fear. Four extra eyes glance at the rest of the group, searching for any that might dispute his joining. He wasn't exactly the most beloved creature in the forest after all... Yet, not the absolute most feared or hated. He was approachable, and simple enough to befriend when not first approached with hostility or fear.
He pulls the fuzed flesh holding his skull mask together over his decayed face into his form of a smile. "I will... a...sist... you... my friend."
"Then we all welcome you, brother." Pathweaver welcomes him.
Iugulare looks among all of them, former enemies, new faces, all in this together. "Come, let's get this over with.", she speaks to them all, and led the way to the Oak.
Pema nodded happily, "With all of us working together, we can't lose!", the stringed doe pronked and followed behind.
Quad watched the others following, one by one, the caravan going to the Oak. He was the last to walk with them all, as he thought...'They're all doing this for me...maybe...maybe I need to be strong for them...'
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When the group arrived, Pema was the first to point to the top of the Oak, "Look, up there!"
On the top of the tree was Noctuis, who was perched on the highest point. He peered down at them, "Ah...so the mob has come to fight for their precious Quad...", he chuckled.
"Noctuis! Come down here, we have unsettled business!!", Iugulare called to him.
The owl stayed on his perch, "Ah yes, I bet you would love me to swoop down to your level, but it appears...you have business of your own to attend to...", as Noctuis speaks this, four stags appeared from the Oak, their bodies covered with the white infection, their eyes glowing red.
And as they saw the infected minions, Noctuis let out a loud "Hoo hoo!!". This immediately sparked a fearful response in Quad, whose legs shivered from the sound. "The owl!! No...!", he started to back away, and as they turned around, they saw Quad sprinting away in terror.
"Quad! Quad!!", Iugulare called to him, but he would not stop running, "Dammit! We're on our own!", she turned toward the infected stags, the little stoat snarling.
As the minions appeared from the dark interior of the hollow Oak, Martisol could feel her already quickened heartbeat begin to pick up speed. These deer must have been normal at one time, innocent and oblivious. The situation made her stomach twist. She didn't want to hurt someone innocent...
But then, realization hit. That owl had tainted them. Had taken their innocence and purity from them. He turned them into these monsters that stood before her now.
Buried deep inside her, believe it or not, was a hard-suppressed fighting spirit. She used to be one of those who would bravely stick themselves between fighters, attempting to stop them. But that part of her had almost burned out, and was now only seen on rare occasion. Fueled by disgust for the white creature, the fighter inside her was beginning to rise up. The sharp toes of her only true weapon, her hooves, dug into the soft forest ground, bracing themselves to rise up in an instant if need be.
Her thoughts were interrupted by Quad's running off. Not a good sign, she thought.
Green eyes, seeming brighter than ever, fell on the distant bridge as she started to turn her head back to the Oak. No doubt her brother was somewhere over there sleeping. She wondered if she should call to him, to gain another fighter on their side. But then, what if it was too late? What if he did not here her call?
She turned her head back to the enemy, bracing herself for the fight ahead.
((As mentioned above, I can get Marti to bring in Validus if we need another fighter.))
((I have no problem with it. ^^ Brought in Darkalark after all to help fight. XD))
Pathweaver cringes slightly, more inwardly than outwardly at the infected deer. He wasn't one to harm innocents, though it is difficult for him to think of these infected deer as being completely innocent. Not when they're perhaps what one could call mind controlled by their infection, by the owl.
In contrast, Darkweaver had no problem with the same predicament. He had killed innocents before, including fawns and sleeping stags for the sake of a meal. Lowering his head and stepping forward toward the four stags, he flashes his demonic teeth and adjusts four of his six eyes to watch each opponent. A fifth eye turns in bewilderment as Quad suddenly abandons the group.
Pathweaver turns his head to face Quad as he runs, looking momentarilly discontent. He faces the stags again and lowers his grand white horns. A soft white glow surrounds his horns, spreads along his neck markings and filters out of his eyes, giving off a pale light. It's not as intense as the Talux using his powers, but it would be useful none the less for now. The wind seems to pick up around him, blowing his long beard behind him.
"Hnn... We should... deal with... these... four... first." Dark rasps, feeling that going after Quad first would in a sense be no different from waving a white flag and calling defeat.
((Fine with me if you'd like to, also PLK if you'd like to have your character appear you're more than welcome to. The more the merrier I would say, though expect Noctuis to send more infecteds to fight if you do))
Pema was the first to run at the infected stags. Her body being made of fabric and stuffing, she could take a few blows. The first stag stabbed into her, which made her grimace, but she quickly used this to her advantage and wrapped around the stag with her strings. Tangling him up, she called out, "Come on, guys, let's deal with these stags one by one, just like Hex said!", she called.
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Quad hid behind a tree and peeked out. He saw the owl was staring right at him, and when their eyes met, he hid and shivered, "Please don't kill me please don't kill me please don't kill me...", his whispers of sheer terror completely blocked out any thoughts of helping or being courageous.
When the group approached the Oak, Foxglaive's attention turned to a flower that had sprouted from the ground. "Ahh! The great out doors," he said before bending down and picking it up by the stem using his mouth. As he glanced up, he tilted his head at the sight of Noctuis and his infected minions. Realizing the seriousness of the situation, he turned to face Quad, speaking from one corner of his mouth - "Nothing happiness unless first a dream, Quaddo." But then he blinked his eyes in surprise to find that Quad was no longer ther "Quad? Quadnod? ... Er ..."
He dropped his flower to the ground and did the first logical thing he could think of - Foxglaive crouched down slightly and barked like a dog at the infected deer. "ARF ARF ARF! Hello! It is friendly dog! My favorite bone is in your arm!" But when he caught sight of Pema's strategy, a moment of realization dawned upon him. "Ahh! Of course! One by one! Or one and one ... and zero!"
Foxglaive singled out a single infected member of the group and bowed at him. "Listening to life," he said as he slowly walked backwards. "You will hear the voices of life crying ... bees!" Once he had pulled this one away far enough, Foxglaive put his plan into effect. He looked upward and called out to seemingly no one, "[Doorpart!] 0110010001101111011011110111001001110000011000010111001001110100" Yet, nothing happened. The deer started to sweat a little as his infected enemy growled at him. "Ahh! It didn't not even work ... wait! It got its lick backwards! ... Trapdoor! 0111010001110010011000010111000001100100011011110110111101110010" Foxglaive's pictogram glowed a strange color for a moment, then created a beam of light onto the ground in front of him - directly upon the area where the opposing deer stood. The soil opened up, revealing a previously unseen trapdoor, catching the infected there. "Everyone! It will tend to this one - please to be taking care of the rest, yes?" Foxglaive checked his bag and began his full-blown breakfast assault by dropping an assortment of breakfast items into the pit. Before long, the captive infected was surrounded with toast, marmalade, eggs made over-easy, lox and bagels, corned beef hash and several types of cereal. "Ahh! Silence if virtual," said Foxglaive, "Especially breakfast time from telemarketers!”
Darkweaver momentarilly looks at Foxglave with his sixth eye, giving the stag a weirded out gaze. A part of him wanted to turn around and eat the stag, though with his older sibling so nearby in this alliance he found it the better option to simply tolerate as usual. Licking the largest section of teeth in his long maw, set directly in front, he slicks them with saliva... a decent enough lubricant to make his bite all the deadlier in flesh. Swiftly rearing up on his hindlegs, he tosses his head back and lets out a high pitched screech before lunging at Puna's target, aiding her in her strategy. Tilting his head sideways as he charges, he demonstrates one method he once taught Quad himself. Bulldozing directly past the first infected, he uses his great single cresent moon shaped, deadly tined horn to slice into the infected stag; Leaving a greatly bloodied gash along the creature's side. In the midst of completing his pass, he raises his hind legs and strikes with a doubled up kick to send it forward onto it's face. He turns to face the infected once behind him, wanting to sink his teeth in now, but hesitant at the nature of the infection.
Meanwhile a stag not yet under assault makes his charge toward Pathweaver. Standing his ground, he locks horns with the other. As tine locks with tine, he begins to push out the light from his body to begin burning the infection in the stag at close quarters.
(Meh. I'll only bring him in if I have to. And I'm just gonna give some fighting music specifically for Marti because I can :> [Tell me if the link doesn't work!])
Martisol examined the scene: Pema and Darkweaver battling a single infected, Foxglaive and his trapped enemy, and Pathweaver with his opponent. Each of the infected stags were now occupied.
Except one. Who was now staring the golden doe down, red eyes burning against a white background.
The two stared each other down for a few moments, the stag taking a few threatening steps closer to her, head lowered, while Martisol matched him, stepping backwards in unison.
She couldn't run. He would catch her. No doubt the infection gave him unlimited energy and strength. There had to be a strategy that would work for her. Something clever...
That's when her rump hit a tree, and she had no choice but to stop. An idea came to her mind. But it was so very obvious. Would it really work? Well, only one way to find out.
She braced herself to leap as the stag suddenly barreled toward her, roaring out in a blind rage.
The timing had to be perfect, right before the stag's large antlers reached. Luckily, she seemed to get that timing right. She leapt to the side and the infected stag's head ran through thin air and his front tines became somewhat lodged in the tree. Attempting to tug himself free, his situation would keep him occupied for a moment.
This gave her a second to collect herself. Her plan had worked! The infected stag was not a very quick thinker, but she could use his blind stampeding to her advantage. But she couldn't keep this up forever, she had to have a destination in mind. Somewhere the stag would slip and fall into his defeat. Somewhere nearby.
The Pond. The high cliffs on this side of the body of water were too perfect.
Freeing himself of the wood, the stag charged at the gypsy once more. She leapt away again, this time less prepared and earning her a close call with his antlers nearly grazing her side. She watched him slide to a halt, stumbling a little.
The doe smirked. She knew what she had to do. As the stag turned to glare at her again, she just shook her wooden mask off to the ground and lifted her head high.
"Olé." She said before the stag ran toward her again. They continued in this manner, Martisol slowly leading the stag in the general direction of the Pond like a matador would lead a raging bull around an arena.
Silent steps were slowly leading a lonely stag towards the ancient temple structure. His old grey pelt made him almost invisible in the bright moonlight, which covered everything in silver shades. Everything except his large antlers, they stayed in pure white, shining to distance in this nighttime.
When Silun finally reached the Ruins, he immediately knew something was wrong. There were no other deer around, which was nothing unusual for the stag, but he already learned something terrible has happened here. He entered the aisle and listened to the voice only a few have heard and even fewer could understand. A voice that sounded like carving in stone. The image of what has happened slowly showed in his mind. "An ambush?" he questioned as he was trying to understand, "The Protector got attacked maliciously from behind... How spineless villainy!" that did really upset him, especially here on this place. This temple should be a sanctuary, the safest place all around. "What? He got... poisoned?" That was the best way he could explain to himself what the white owl has made to the buck here.
"This would not happen if you did not dismiss me." A simple accuse, seemingly directed to no one. "I would have take care of it." One stone pillar on the left squeaked.
Silun walked out and continued to the front, where the three idols gazed somewhere far into the forest. "So now he needs our help, I suppose. To regain his strength. Hmm...". The statues of hard rock did not say a syllable as he passed along them right into the shrine with the massive altar, where this stag once used to spend whole days. "I can not change it," he spoke to the altar, "but even the least I can do, I will do." The ruins remained silent as the old one bowed so deep down that the tips of his antlers touched the sacred stone. He prayed.
He prayed for Quadraptor.
He prayed for all the deer living here.
He prayed for the Peace to remain in this Forest.
The Gods did never spoke to him, never showed to him, they did never give him any signs, but Silun always remained faithful. For he believed that they do hear him.
Pema, now dislodged from the infected stag, was hurled back at the time Darkweaver thrust his antler into him. The marionette's strings now caught in the tall branches of the Oak, she dangled helplessly and watched as Darkweaver began to pummel the infected. "Wait! Wait!!", the marionette cried out, "We're not trying to kill them! Just knock them out! They're innocent in this fight!!", she hoped her words would reach the already enraged Irish elk.
The stag fighting Pathweaver grimaced as the infection burned off. He began to collapse to his ankles, hissing and howling from the painful effects. The infected, however, maneuvered and made Pathweaver back up, and with his last bit of strength, he thrust his antlers forward and slammed Path into the solid base of the Oak. The infected, making a 'fight or flight' response to nearly being purged of the infection, prepared to ram his antlers into Path. He charged at full force...
Meanwhile, the infected close to Foxglaive was snarling and trying to climb out of the trap. He did not understand how he suddenly fell, but he was clawing and foaming at the mouth, inching closer and closer to becoming free from the trap.
As all this was going on, Iugulare began to climb the walls of the Oak, her liquid body able to maneuver swiftly up the tree. She was nearly at the top when Noctuis already saw her, and smirking, the owl spoke, "Always the one to leave friends behind, hmm?"
Iugulare finally climbed to the lowest branch of the Oak, a considerable height now climbed. She stared deep into the owl's golden eyes with her own silver ones, "I have no friends, but it just happens we have a common enemy.", the stoat inched closer and closer.
"Is that so? Perhaps you are, how shall we say...on the wrong side then...", Noctuis replied, making a few steps on his branch toward her as well, "Perhaps we can make a deal. You fight for me and infect your little 'friends', and I'll find somewhere else to infect on this planet. You'll get your little Endless Forest all to your own.", he offered.
Iugulare chuckled, "...I suppose the Goxi Royal Military never taught you about loyalty?", she asked, before pouncing at the owl.
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"Quad..."
"Quad...please..."
"Please, just open your eyes..."
The voices filled his head, he was curled and shivering, afraid to even look at the battle going on. The blackbuck's ears perked, he listened to the voices. It was Silun's prayer being answered.
"Wh...what can I do...?", he asked to seemingly no one. "I'd...I'd only get in the way..."
It was here he opened his eyes, and a vision stood before him. A glowing creature, a wolf, with four white angelic wings.
"Quad...do you remember me...?", the vision spoke.
"I...", he stared deep into the wolf's eyes. "There...there was a...a human...", he began to speak.
"Yes. You remember him. I came to him when he was in need. And now, you are in need, and your friends...they are in trouble...", the wolf spoke to him.
"But what could I do? I'm no hero. I can't just charge in and save the day.", Quad sighed.
The wolf approached and kissed him on the forehead. "That's exactly what you need to do...because that's who you are. You are a hero, Quad."
"But...you're me...", he said with a frown, "Who am I kidding...? I'm talking to myself here...", and with that, he closed his eyes. Opening them again, the wolf was gone, but the words echoed in his mind. "You are a hero, Quad..."
He slowly peered from behind the tree, seeing all that was happening...
(I'm just gonna put this here. I know it's a Resurrection, but this seemed like the proper time, and I am feeling a little sentimental tonight.)
"Quad! Get in there! They NEED you! You're OUR HERO!" Only an echo of a voice, but Phion resounded in Quad's ears. Only a Ghost, but she still wanted to offer help. This was a fight she had fought alongside the Talux, and she would not let him lose. Not if she could still watch him and offer the encouragement.
Dark could hear the stringed one's voice. He could hear her footnote that these were innocents. However, the black and red tendrils in his mind... that bloodlusting madness that so often set in at the very sight of a hostility or in the face of any threat... almost distorted her voice and words. It was no more than background noise. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he could hear her voice mistaken as Spill's laughter. A distant sound, like a memory not yet lost. He stands still, looking at the infected he knocked over. Shaking his head to each side, he tries to clear the madness out before he loses himself. He had been doing well for around two or three years now in not snapping like he had so often in the past, including when he killed Wesker. He didn't want to break that streak today. He lowers his head to the stag before rasping to it. "Stay... down."
That's all he needed to say in warning, but he had to emphasis with action. Turning away from the infected, he swings his long, snake like tail overhead and whips it across the forehead of the infected deer, aiming to purely knock it unconcious.
Looking up with a middle eye, he notices a faint blue glow. The glow takes on the shape of a familiar, medium sized raven before flying not to, but through him. Almost instantly, the red and black clears from his vision, returning his world to normal. Taking to the sky after passing through it, Laghodessa's spirit perches sideways on the trunk of the tree.
Meanwhile, Pathweaver had found it as being caught off guard. He had been forced backward into the old oak. Granted, he had to credit the infected for pulling such a move off with him. The infected now charging, the ancient one thinks quickly and forms a simple conclusion. His eyes and markings shift colors, all becoming a bright green color. He leans backward into the solid base of the old oak... and his body passes through it, as though joining with the bark and becoming one and the same with the tree, his great white antlers sticking out of the side of the tree like two powerful, yet comparitively small branches in sight of the trees grand size. The light continues to radiate off those antlers, though now sharing in that green glow. He didn't need to dodge to make the infected run into the tree... he could stay right there and step back out once it knocked itself out. Meanwhile, under the ancient one's power, vines begin to grow rapidly out of the ground and spreading out around that section of the tree, reaching out to ensnare the infected once it's out, to ensure it won't simply get back up and keep fighting.
She was smiling in an almost-playful way, an adrenaline-packed exhilaration fueling her on to keep toying with the infected stag. Charge, leap, repeat. Martisol could see the Pond nearing now, her heart beating faster than she thought possible. She was so close now.
But at that moment, another one of her paranoid thoughts attacked her conscience. The attacker was truly innocent beneath the infection. What if he fell in the Pond and drowned? Would that make her a murderer? Or would he survive and swim out, still a threat?
She froze for a split second. A split second too long.
When her attention returned to the situation at hand, she barely had enough time to move. She let out a cry in surprise as she attempted to leap out of the way, but she was not so lucky this time. A couple of white-covered tines sliced across the doe's left shoulder and lower neck. She found herself on the ground, the injury stinging and burning slightly.
Knowing she had to stand to survive, she tried to lift herself up, but to no avail. Her front left leg gave way under her as soon as she was up, causing her to fall again. She could feel the infected minion's stare, his red eyes glaring into her soul. She closed her eyes, willing it to be over with.
"Marti!"
Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
THUD!
She heard the infected fall to the ground.
Bright green eyes opening wide, Martisol saw her younger brother standing over her, the infected stag before him, trying to stand back up. He must have woken and heard the commotion going on in the distance. He had come to her rescue.
"Don't you dare touch her again." Validus spat out as the minion rose to his hooves again.
The silver stag and the infected began to battle it out, antlers clashing, the sound ringing through the trees. It was rare to see Validus in a blind rage, but this was one of those moments where he seemed bent on injuring the other stag.
The golden doe laid where she was, her only thoughts going to the injury on her shoulder. She dared not look at it. The burning increased and her eyes closed tightly again as she tried not to cry out in pain.
(I... Just going ahead and offering Marti as the sacrificial lamb to be the one who falls unconscious. She just seemed like the most obvious victim. And I don't mind injuring her now and then xD)
Iugulare and Noctuis were locked in a struggle, infection wrapping around infection, their liquid bodies coiling and trying to dominate. It was here that Iugulare was shoved off, and reaching out, she could not grasp one of the branches as she began to fall. The owl stretched out his wings and flew at the stoat, grabbing her and making her fall faster and faster. In a moment, she was slammed into the ground, the stoat being turned into a splatter of infection on the ground below.
With most of the infecteds dealt with, the owl flew above them, "Clever, clever...but did you really think I would make it this easy for you?", he asked, as they saw a line of white deer approaching Martisol and Validus. Now they were of all ages and types - stags, does, fawn, elders...their bodies covered with the infection.
There were too many to fight them all, too many innocents to injure. Pema, being the peacemaker she was, called to the others, "They need our help!", her strings finally detaching as she raced to the aid of the fallen doe and her brother. The infecteds were beginning to surround them at the pond, there was no time to wait.
(I think I kinda hinted at it earlier o-o. Oh, and I'd also like to apologize to anyone who finds these super-long replies of mine annoying. Especially for this reply. I don't know where it's all coming from I swear |: And I also decided to get this one over with since there was very little other interaction than between Val and Marti. AANNDD sorry for all the edits. I have a bad tendency to rewrite stuff if I get the chance ^^;)
After some struggling and clashing of antlers, Validus eventually gained the upper hand against the infected stag, shoving the creature down one of the steep hills in between the Oak and the Pond. The white-covered deer tumbled down, eventually running into a tree. Hopefully, that at least knocked it out for a while.
Racing back to Martisol's side, he found her in a pained position, small whimpers escaping bared teeth between loud gasps for air. He nudged her head up slightly.
"C'mon Marti... We need to get you up. You can't just lay here..."
"Can't... move. Can't feel... shoulder and leg." Martisol's voice was hoarse and raspy, filled with fear. Validus looked at the wound on her shoulder.
The cuts were not extraordinarily deep, but they looked plenty painful. Blood was running down her golden pelt, staining it. But what stood out the most was the white that was showing through near the cuts at the base of her neck. The stuff seemed to be going into the wounds.
"W-What is that... white stuff?" Validus stuttered out. Martisol opened her eyes briefly and finally looked at the wound, her face seeming to pale.
"Oh god... It's the infection. The stuff that those deer are covered with. No..." She began the writhe in pain as the burning on the wound increased. She was finding it harder and harder to breathe. "No no no no no..."
"Shhhshhhshhh... It'll be ok. We'll get out of this together. I won't let you get turned into one of... them." He finally lifted his head to see the army of infected deer heading in their direction, little Pema running to their aid as well. There were more infected than even Validus could fend off, of all ages and sizes. And all of them were innocent.
He could only think of one word to describe how he felt in that moment: Crap.
Positioning himself over his fallen sister, he listened to her quickening gasps as the infected army came nearer and nearer.
"We need a miracle..." Validus said, swallowing hard.
Martisol seemed to freeze underneath him for a second, bright eyes wide as she stared into some spot in the distance. A memory came to her, a memory from earlier, when Pathweaver's light burned away the infection on Quad.
"Light. We need... Light."
Everything was quiet for a moment, before the doe suddenly gave a blood-curdling scream. The wound was burning hotter than ever. Validus could barely make it out, but it seemed like she was trying to scream words. The only words he caught were "burning", "hurts", "Rutilus", and his own name. She gave one last screech in pain.
Then she fell silent.
"Marti! No!" Validus yelled down at her, but to no avail. She did not answer. He looked back up at the enemy.
"Light..." But where would a big enough light come from to stop all these infected deer?
((It's fine XD!! I want Zerg and Foxglaive to respond before I post the next part, I didn't want Quad to jump in without them getting a chance to reply to what just happened))
[=10]((Yeah I feel kinda bad about posting that already without their replies. I'm sorry if it looks like I'm rushing or anything like that ^^; I promise I'm not. And I'll shut up now.))
Only materializing from the bark of the tree after hearing the satisfying thunp of the infected running headfirst into the tree, Path looks in Pema's direction. "Allow me but one moment." he speaks, then turns back to the infected and lowers his head. His eyes flash white, and light radiates out of his horns as he lowers them to the infected to finish burning the infection out of it. Only then, once the white is off the poor deer, does he raise his head and make the dash for Martisol and her brother. He had the time to finish removing the infection, only because he knew he could move fast enough to reach the others in time.
Darkweaver looks up at Noctus as he flies overhead. A low snarl escaps him as he tracks the creatur with a set of eyes. The white alien creature had only been just out of his potential reach, leaving the thought of simply eating it out of the question. Looking ahead, a front eye catches Martisol's heat signature, increasingly surrounded by the signatures of the infecteds. Without hesitation, he charges for the swarm of infected deer. Head lowered, he charges straight into them like a ball into bowling pins.
Path however is the first of the two to reach them. Upon reaching the infecteds, Pathweaver leaps high over them and lands between them and Martisol and her brother. The light continues to pour out of his eyes and horns, and down the markings on his chest and neck. However, it is only as powerful as the light of the moon above, and not as intense as it might've been in daylight. He wouldn't be able to simply stop the infecteds himself, but his light may be enough to slow their advance, if not cure those who get too close.
Darkweaver meanwhile plows into the infected creatures, turning their attention away from the fallen doe at least partially. In an impressive display of physical, demonic prowess, he bludgens infected stags left and right, only using his deadly horn and demonic teeth as necessary between self defence and aggression. Mainly he sticks with violent kicks and horn snapping stomps to cut the infected creatures weapons to size, or whipping the infecteds off their feet with his serpantine tail and fetlock chains. While he does not kill, he certainly injures as is necessary. He does his best however to not harm the does involved.
The last words of prayer had been said and the Forest around silenced. The old stag at the altar backed a little and sat down on the oblong stone slab in the middle of this shrine. With his eyes closed, Silun meditated deep into his thoughts, meanwhile the cold from the stone beneath him slowly drove his energy away, making him now feel much older.
Then he realized. It was the silence, which was so strange now. Silun always lived in such solitude, that only rarely he got to a noisy situations and yet he would be glad for any tiny sound now. It was far too quiet for him here. And the cold he felt, no, it did not come from the stone, it came straight from his heart. He is needed elsewhere.
Standing up again slowly, one leg, then another, he still pondered what for terrible things must have been happening that the Forest remained in such silence. However, he was about to learn that before long.
As he turned around, he noticed another deer there, standing outside and watching him. This deer was a true impersonation of Silun's strange feelings. That white pelt, which seemed to be like covered with something or what. And the look, so lacking of anything. Almost like if this deer was watching through him, somewhere in the far and not even noticing there is an old stag standing just a few steps away.
One way or another, this deer was driven into this place by anything but good intentions. Standing still in the entrance to the shrine, not letting Silun go out. "Leave." Not an order or a threat, just a simple word in its plainest meaning addressed to the newcomer.
Foxglaive was fixated on trying to rehabilitate the captive infected with his barrage of breakfast benevolence that he barely noticed the scene taking place nearby. So many items had been dispensed into the pit that the white-coated deer was able to climb up on them, almost within biting distance. Foxglaive was oblivious as he pulled a waffle iron from his bag. But he stopped, his ears perking up, as he heard Validus cry out to his sister. When he realized what had transpired, his mouth went agape, "Martisol, no!", dropping the waffle iron in the process - directly upon the infected's head. His attention turned back to the deer, who fell backwards into the pit. "Ahh! Please to forgiving it! ... Ahh? What's this?"
He caught sight of Darkweaver in action, plowing into the enemy deer. Foxglaive looked back to the unconscious deer when a realization hit him. "Ahh! Yes! ... Bonk!" he said as he looked to where the others were gathering. "But it is not where it is supposed to be! Yes, having dots up on every time!" With that, Foxglaive chose to run to the center. He nodded to one of Darkweaver's many eyes and said, "Bonk, yes sir! Let's handle it!"
The deer approaching Silun hissed. He reared and charged, though stumbling clumsily as he ran. In the distance, Silun would have caught a glimpse of a fawn using a pelt spell on a sleeping deer. It was almost a miraculous clue to what could help fight off the infection.
------------------------------
Quad watched the group surround the others, he watched as they fought his friends. He shivered, seeing Noctuis flying overhead.
But then something clicked for him - hearing Martisol let out a cry, his eyes widened. He started seeing visions in his head, of what had happened in his life, fighting Iugulare and her Rock Hounds, becoming the Grand Talux, the feelings of death and rebirth...
"Oh my gods...what am I doing?", Quad questioned, his body bursting into a brilliant light, his back growing wings. "Hang on, guys! I'm coming!!", he cried out to them as he ran and took off from the ground toward them. His body was glowing almost as brightly as the Sun, making the land appear almost like it was broad daylight, despite it still being night time.
He landed within the crowd, his fur shining brilliantly and wildly. The infecteds hissed and cringed, falling back while the virus on their bodies began to burn away.
While this was going on, Quad ran over and stood above Martisol, the light concentrating on her body. He looked down to her, "Fight it, Martisol! Don't let the infection take you over! Fight it!"
As the silver stag defended the golden doe from the oncoming enemy, he seriously wondered if this all would end in tragedy. Had he been too late to save her? Would this small group of warriors be able to fend off an army of infecteds?
Validus's thoughts were interrupted by an unnaturally bright light. Closing his eyes tightly, he could hear the sounds of infected deer crying out and hissing in pain. Noises that normal deer would never make. The sounds he heard send a shiver through the brave stag's spine.
He opened his eyes again to see the blackbuck standing in front of him and.... glowing? Validus almost jumped back in surprise, until he realized Quad's attention was on his fallen sister. Of course! Light!
Looking around, he saw the infected deer had stopped attacking, giving them a moment to attempt to revive Martisol. Taking one bound, Validus was suddenly at his sister's head, kneeling down beside her.
"Please Marti, Please wake up. Fight it, like he said! I know you have it in you..." His voice was pleading, desperate, frightened.
Inside Martisol's head, a different story was going on.
She had been contently floating in the darkness, as if floating on the most gently ocean or river. It wasn't nearly as bad as she had thought. Was she dead? Asleep? She couldn't tell. The only thing she knew was that her eyes were closed. And she was lost. The darkness was perfectly peaceful, but at the same time it was maddening.
But her peace was interrupted when she felt a light against her blind eyelids. Was it morning? Had it all been a dream?
Fight it! Please wake up... Fight it! She could hear voices... Familiar voices. One she knew somewhat and one she knew much too well...
She wanted to reach those voices, back to the safety and familiarity of the light. With much effort, her emerald eyes fluttered open as she came back to consciousness, expecting sunlight.
Seeing the bright light just above her, she took a deep, gasp-like breath. Then feeling returned to her body.
Her throat and shoulder were burning. The infection must have reached into the wound there and found her lungs, cutting off her air supply and causing her to faint like she did. If Quad had not acted so soon, it could have reached her heart. The light was slowly burning away the infection both on and inside the wound, but it was making it hurt that much worse. She let out a loud whimper in pain, but then tried to remain silent and still while the light did it's work. She felt her brother's mouth up to her ears, whispering words of encouragement as she fought the urge to fall back in the peaceful turmoil of the darkness she had just witnessed.
It felt like her heart was about to leap out of her chest.
"Very well..." that was all what Silun could say when the infected deer charged at him. There was no more time for words, only for actions. Burying his hooves in the ground to stand firmly, Silun lowered his head putting this way his large antlers in between him and the attacker. He intended to deal with him the same way as he did with all of those, who dared to desecrate this ancient place of worship.
The white one already rushed into the old stag, but instead of the noise of cracking antlers a pure bright light flashed from Silun's forehead, hitting directly his opponent.
He waited a while, heavy breathing. This incident was quite a shock and he first wanted his racing heart to calm down a little. But then another light appeared in the distance. Almost like a sunlight, bringing colors, not like the silver moonlight with its gray shades. Serious things are happening tonight, he should not turn aside of them. "Watch your steps, you are on sacred ground." he gave an advice to his opponent before leaving the Ruins, walking far above a little frog hidden in grass, who used to be a large deer just moments ago.
Quad flew above them all, his light shining brightly. The infecteds burned and ran, their bodies purging in the light. When the last of them fled, Quad extinguished his glowing fur and hovered, his wings flapping gently. "It's over...it's all over...", he sighed.
"Hoo hoo!!", the terrible sound distracted him long enough, as the owl swooped onto him, latching onto the back of his neck and forcing the antelope to crash to the ground. "Oh no, Quad! This is only beginning! I should have killed you when I had the chance!", Noctuis snarled and began to bite into the back of his head. Quad cried out, struggling to break free, but shivering with fear, the sound of the owl's call terrifying him once again.
"Get off him! He belongs to me!", Iugulare cried as she sprinted at them, bounding into the air and slamming into Noctuis. The stoat pinned down the owl, the two locked in a struggle, their infectious bodies melting and burning one another. "Quad! Get rid of him! Do it!!", she yelled.
The antelope struggled to his hooves, staring at the infectious creatures as they bit at one another. "But you'll--", Quad began, but Iugulare snarled at him, "Dammit, Quad! This is your chance! Do it!!"
And Quad did so, his body bursting into light. He closed his eyes and cried, while his wings stretched out and concentrated his powers upon the stoat and owl. Pema and the others looked away while the blinding light burned the aliens' bodies.
"No! No!!", Noctuis cried as he boiled and fizzed. Iugulare stared down at him, the stoat chuckling at first, then bursting out into a loud cackle while her own body fizzed away. A moment later, the two exploded into a mist, that rose and vanished into the air.
Quad's light subsided, and collapsing, he curled and wept.
Pema approached him, the stringed doe giving him a nuzzle, "Quad...please don't cry...", she whispered to him.
The stag mustered a few words as he continued to sob, "...Why...why must it be...like this...? Why do...I bring so much...suffering...?"
As Quad's final light faded away, Validus watched as Martisol relaxed, the burning gone. She looked up at her brother with a gentle smile, an unspoken thank you. But he knew it had not been him who saved her, it was Quad who had truly been the one who saved her from falling under the infection.
The silver stag looked up then, glancing over at the others, seeing the blackbuck on the ground, weeping. Although he didn't fully understand why he was upset, he caught the older male's final words. Scrambling to his hooves, he walked over to the fallen buck, head bowed in respect.
"Mr... Quad, sir." He started, politely. "You haven't caused suffering. In fact, you've saved us. You saved my sister. And I can never repay you for that."
Martisol, who was listening in the background, stood up shakily when she realized what was going on. She understood when she noticed the dark stoat and white owl were nowhere to be found. She walked toward them, her shoulder sore and making her limp somewhat. She came to stand next to her brother, both of their heads bowed.
"It's not your fault, Quad. You had no choice. But you're a hero. You're our hero. You saved us from much more suffering." She glanced over where the stoat and owl burned away. "I'm... I'm so sorry Quad..." She spoke the final sentence quietly, almost inaudibly.
As Quad's glorious light pierced the night, Darkweaver had to stop short in his combat to close his multiple eyes and turn his head away. He was more built to thrive and bare the advantage in the dark. However, in the light such an advantage as multiple visual spectrums is more of a liability. He opens the most normal-seeing set, the far back two to look and see the infected deer fleeing and losing their infections.
Pathweaver meanwhile stood strong, fighting back infected deer until the light shone. As light fills the air, he turns his gaze skyward. For a moment, the light he himself had been producing intensifies, reacting to the brightness produced by the Grand Talux. His eyes and markings had become as golden as the sun for all but a moment as the infected deer fled and burned. As the light faded, so did his own.
With the peace after the battle, the brothers take notice of Quad weeping. "Hnn... Exs...ist...an...ce... is... suf...fer...ing." Darkweaver rasps, more statement than fact. This statement, he finds footing with under the memories of having spent time with even buddhists in his youth. Such was a fundamental belief to said religion.
Pathweaver approaches Quad, looking very much like an old grandfather figure. Dark meanwhile looks on, knowing himself to be poor at giving proper comfort. He does feel obligated as Quad's friend to try however, and so he steps toward him after a few moments' delay. "Calm yourself, Quad. You are a hero this night. We would not have cleansed all these innocents of their infections without you." Path assures Quad. "Hnn.." The old demon sits beside Quad. "If you...are wor...ried... about... Ig...ulare..." his voice breaks for a moment, only from the strain of speaking. [/]"If I... know... her at... all... I am... sure she... will... re...turn."[/] he affirms.
He takes in their words, before slowly standing. Wiping the tears from his eyes, he nods, ”You’re…you’re right. I’ve spent too long trying to deny what I am. And all it seems to do is make things worse…when I run all I am doing is denying my friends…all of you…the protection the Twin Gods trusted me to give…”, he sighs, shaking his head, ”I put you all in danger, because I was afraid of being hurt myself. But when I saw that you would fight to protect each other and this Forest, despite the pain that would come from it…I felt so ashamed of myself that I ran. Well no more…no more running.”, he stops his hoof here, his confidence starting to burn inside of him, ”I’ll be your hero, without any more selfishness. When I am needed to stand up against the plagues of this Forest…I’ll do it without question.”
The stag looks at them all, each of their faces, all different, all having their own histories and reasons to fight for their lives. ”But please…I may have fought off the infection tonight, but it was you…each of you…who saved me. If it wasn’t for you going out of your way to rescue me, I…I don’t know where I would be, or if I would have ever been the same…”, he bows to each of them, then stands with his head high, though his eyes start to tear up, ”Thank you…thank you for being my heroes.”
As he says this, Quad turns and starts to walk away. ”Where are you going, Quad?”, Pema asks.
The antelope stops and smiles as he turns back to her and the others. ”I could use a drink of water…to clear my head…”, he says before continuing on toward the Pond.
--------------------------------------------
Quad quenches his thirst, dipping his mouth into the cool water. He raises his head, staring up at the moon and stars, wondering a bit…
”Aww…how touching…”, a familiar voice speaks.
Quad blinks, ”I-Iugulare? Where are you?”, he asks, looking around but seeing nobody there. It is here he starts to feel a tight pulse in the back of his head, where the wound Noctuis had caused was. The blackbuck then remembered that Iugulare put her own infection in, and cleansed the wound of Noctuis’ powers. He should have known better that she would have left her own virus there.
The black goo starts to seep out of the back of his head, running down his neck and onto his shoulders. As it globs onto him, the stoat’s head forms from it, rising up, ”I’m starting to think you really do care for me, with the crying you just did.”, she said with a smug grin on her face.
”Watch it, Iugulare! I’m not in the mood for another one of your schemes!”, he growls, already starting to glow just a bit.
”Oh relax, Quad! After all that, I would have expected at least a ‘thank you’. After all, I did help get rid of Noctuis as well, didn’t I?”, she slips off of him, reforming into a very small stoat. Since she lost most of her body earlier, she is not nearly as big as she usually is, and must find a host to feed off of to grow to her normal size.
Quad’s light subsides, and turning away, he begins to leave. As he walks, he trips over something metal, and looking down, he tilts his head, ”What’s this doing here?”, he asks.
Iugulare approaches and looks at the thing as well. ”Ahh…this must be one of those…’frying pans’ that humans use. I’m not sure how it got here either, hey Nekumbra, get over here!’, she calls out. Soon the spider doe was there, lowering herself from a tree before scurrying over. ”Yes dearie? What can I do for you?”, the doe asks with a polite bow to Quad. ”Go toss this somewhere so it will be out of the way. We don’t want anyone else tripping over it, hmm?”, Iugulare instructed.
Nekumbra bowed and picked up the heavy frying pan, and using her spider legs, she carefully climbed up a tree. They watch her dissapear, though noticing her straining with the thing in her mouth.
Quad chuckles a bit, ”Oh Nek...she’s quite a character.”, he says to Iugulare.
The stoat nods, ”Mhmm…”
There was an awkward moment of silence there, before Iugulare continued, ”I guess our little truce is over, then.”
Quad nods, ”I guess so…”, he replies, and starts to walk off when he hears a loud crash in the distance that makes him jump. ”What was that?!”, he questions.
Iugulare chuckles, ”Ah…Nekumbra must have dropped that ‘frying pan’…”, she shakes her head. ((Anyone who wants to do something with this, please feel free. I threw it in as something extra ))
Blinking, Quad slowly turns and walks away. Iugulare watches him, and before he rounds a hilltop, she calls out, ”You could always be my hero, you know!”
Quad stops and looks back at her, awkwardly, before shaking his head and vanishing on the other side of the hill. Iugulare sighs, ”Oh well…I suppose I will have to deal with him the hard way then…”, before turning and going the opposite direction.
Directed by
QuadRaptor
Written by
QuadRaptor, Zergarikiaka, AnimalArtist, and Foxglaive
Based on the characters created by
Tale of Tales
Produced by
QuadRaptor
Executive Producers -
Zergarikiaka, AnimalArtist, and Foxglaive
Director of Photography -
Quad
Production Designed by -
Pema
Edited by
Martisol, Pathweaver, Darkweaver, Pema, and Foxglaive
Special Thanks To
Zergarikiaka
AnimalArtist
Foxglaive
PLK217
GlobalBeauty
Music
"Walk" perfomed by the Foo Fighters
"The Beginning" performed by the Parlor Mob
"Here We Are Juggernaut" performed by Coheed and Cambria
"Never Gonna Give You Up" performed by Rick Astley
"Fireflies" performed by Owl City
Filmed on location in the Endless Forest
No animals were harmed in the making of this film, but they were infected.
Copyright (C) 2012 QuadRaptor Industries, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
”This form has disappointed me. Flight has it’s benefits, but it appears against that foolish antelope and his friends, I would be better equipped with sheer power instead…”
“I suspect they wouldn’t be surprised if I had a failsafe, to make sure I didn’t perish for sure on this disgusting planet.”
Noctuis snarls, adjusting to the new body, though it would take time. He lays low, hiding in the deeper parts of the Forest, until he is fully formed and able to start another army of white-infected minions.
”They’ll keep their eyes to the sky, looking for an owl…but they will never expect to see a boar that starts the next epidemic!”
The boar chuckles before going out into a loud cackle….and then vanishes into the Forest to scheme…
Detecting a noise, Foxglaive looked upward to find the object falling towards him. "Ahh! Mister Frying Pan!" Klunk! The sound was deafening to the stag.
Foxglaive stumbled to the ground, muttering “Marmalade?” before passing out. When he opened his eyes again, he saw most everyone involved standing before him. Suddenly, everything went dark … except for a single spotlight, which appeared over Quad. Strangely enough, music began to fill the forest, as if being played by unseen performers. Quad bobbed his head to the music, as if waiting for a cue, then, to Foxglaive’s surprise, he began to sing. The fight is over and our side has won
I’m glad to have you all to depend on
I’ve got this great big feeling that everything will work out fine
We’re done fighting … it’s time for healing
I’ve got this great big feeling … I think I’ll start a chorus line
Once he was finished singing, Quad proceeded to perform the traditional Endless Forest dance. The light remained on blackbuck as a secondary spotlight opened upon Pema the fawn. Realizing it was her cue, she started to sing. Even when everything hangs by a thread
Working together will get us ahead
I’ve got this great big feeling that everything will work out fine
Even when I bump into the ceiling
I’ve got this great big feeling … I think I’ll join your chorus line
With her part done, she moved into position next to Quad and danced as the third spotlight appeared over Silun. My turn, eh? All right, well, here goes…
The infection’s gone? Well that’s a relief!
We pulled it off through fighting and belief
I’ve got this great big feeling that everything will work out fine
Before the idols, you’ll find me kneeling
I’ve got this great big feeling … I think I’ll join a chorus line
Hex looked upward – more likely to the stars than her spotlight. They told her that it was her time to sing, so she did. I did not fight, but I feel good inside
To give direction and serve as a guide
I’ve got this great big feeling that everything will work out fine
Whether reading stars or cards I’m dealing
I’ve got this great big feeling … I’ll try to join the chorus line
Validus walked over to Hex and guided her to the rest of the spot-lit group as they got into formation, only to have his spotlight appear shortly after. Even though they tried to take us by storm
We turned them back, brought things back to the norm
I’ve got this great big feeling that everything will work out fine
Guess there’s no reason to be concealing
I’ve got this great big feeling … I think I’ll join a chorus line
Martisol blinked in disbelief at the sight before her – the assortment of deer singing and even dancing in formation. Her spotlight appeared and she spoke, not realizing she was speaking in a singing voice at first. I’ve returned from my infected slumber
To find them in a musical number?
I’ve got this great big feeling that everything will work out fine
To sing and dance … Well, it sounds appealing
I’ve got this great big feeling … I think I’ll join a chorus line
Next, a light appeared above Darkweaver, though he did not respond to it. …
Foxglaive walked up and bowed to the skeletal-faced deer. Ahh! [Wearevkrad]! Needing a help with your lines, yes? … Noo. Ahh, but here it is for helping! Here… Glad to have friends who go the extra … … … mile! And being with friends really makes me … … … smile! Ahh, but the next part is easy, yes? … Yes.
I’ve got … this great … big feel…ing that every…thing will … work out fine
When evil comes … I will send it reel…ing
I’ve got this … great big feeling … Noo. Well, okay!
Foxglaive watched Darkweaver wander into the darkness, his own spotlight turning on while Darkweaver’s turned off. Kindly thanking for fixing Quadnod’s brain
But now it time for being entertain?
Its got this great big feeling that things are beings work out fine
Mmm! Ahh! Potatoes! It should start peeling
Its got this great big feeling … thinking to join the chorus line
Foxglaive joined the other dancing deer as they began to form a triangular formation with Quad in the front. Pathweaver watched them with some amusement until he found himself illuminated as well. A finale? Will wonders never cease …
Well, it’s done – we’ve finally found some peace.
I’ve got this great big feeling that everything will work out fine
I suppose that I don’t mind revealing
I’ve got this great big feeling … I think I’ll join a chorus line
He joined them and with everyone in formation, they marched forward and sang together:
We’ve got the greatest feeling … how else can we go and explain?
We’ve got the greatest feeling … because we’ve learned … to … walk … again!
The group bowed in unison as the mysterious lighting dimmed out. Two had watched it all unfold and applauded the group for their efforts from their vantage point in the branches of a nearby tree. Hmm … There’s nothing like a great musical number. You’re right. That was nothing like a great musical number. WHO-HOO!
Pfft Foxglaive, that was awesome! Bravo! *clapclapclapclapclap*
And thanks to everyone involved in the roleplay, this was a lot of fun and I hope you guys enjoyed it as much as I did!
A few notes - Quad will be more confident from now on, and will try to be brave in difficult situations. And Noctuis is officially a shapeshifter, and will turn into any albino animal. Though his set form will be the boar/warthog now, expect to see him as an owl again as well as other animals.
Lastly...
Next roleplay - Noctuis kidnaps several deer and traps them on an uncharted island of infected animals, who are constantly hunting them. And there's no chance to swim away, for infected beluga whales infest the waters around. Will the deer make it out alive? Or will they be hunted down and turned into Noctuis' minions, one by one? Stay tuned for the next roleplay - Noctuis' Infectious Island!
XD I think of the little drawings I did in the credits, Martisol is my favorite. I don't know why but she just looks so adorable.
I'll have to decide how Noctuis is able to transport people to the island. Then again, Iugulare knows a bit about teleportation (since she was able to teleport Anirapio from her home world to Earth), so maybe it will involve some coercion.
Oh gosh, Foxglave, Quad, that was awesome from both of you!
*Cracked up at Darkweaver in that musical number.*
I'm afraid his voice is one most unplesant in song. XD Makes it all the funnier. Such a lovely stick in the mud for not joining the line. XD
One little thing if I may request - if anyone's got any suggestions for a themesong for Noctuis' Infectious Island, please feel free to post it up here! I'm looking through my music library now, for something about survival or being afraid, ect.
Might find something from Amorphis, Sirenia, or Nightwish...*maybe* Sonata Arctica...or if all else I'm sure I could find a good instrumental.
And about the transportation to the island, it can be very easy. All he has to do is to use the reversed universe, the inversion of Endless Forest, where there is an endless sea and only on the place of the Pond lies a small island.
Just an idea...
Hey thanks for the suggestions, I really like the ones you picked. The "Sector 6" one is my favorite of the three.
I also came across this and thought it was pretty fitting for the story:
I like your idea about the inversion/reversed universe, but for what I want to do, the area that the Pond takes up isn't big enough. I want the island to be mountainous and covered in a dense jungle. Thanks for the suggestion though, I think I know how they'll get there.
I also found this one...
The middle gets a little weird, but I can kind of see it working. I really like this song, it was kind of what I was going for - something slow and sad.
Foxglaive was in the middle
He looked around the group gathered there. "Lettuce go to the oak, yes? And help Quad, who is like a brother for it. A brother for all ... [Xeh], [Maep], [Thap], [Tilosram] and ..." Foxglaive's strangely-colored eyes blinked as he looked at Quad without his standard blackbuck appearance, lacking his usual coat coloring, antlers and mask/facial structure. "Ahh! Please to be forgiving ... who you are again?"
Quad blinks for a moment,
"Come on, everyone! Quad's got the best of the best to stand with him. Let's go to the Oak and face the owl. With all of us, we can't surely lose!", Pema said with funny excitement in her voice, leading them off to the Oak. The others followed behind, leaving Hex behind, as the blind doe was in no position to fight with them.
And as they leave, the seer listens to the wind blow past the grass. She closes her eyes and listens, a chill going through her spine. ”I’ve sent them to their doom…”, she sighs.
But the doe then opens her blind eyes and looks to the sky. And in that moment, her eyes fill with light. For in that very moment, a meteor shower filled the night. The doe watched in wonder as the streaks of cosmic light brought her a warm and beautiful sign of hope. She smiled with wonder, her body quivering at the omen.
“No. The High Priestess is mistaken. This night will not end in defeat. I have faith in the Magician, though he will cower in fear before Death, he is not alone in the fight. For the Empress shall be a selfless defender, and the Hierophant in his glory will not back down, even in the face of Death himself. The Fool is there in his brilliant foolishness to trick Death and cheat him in his own game, and there even the Hanged Doe will keep their hopes and faith from dying. Even the Devil will come and stand by their side to fight.”
She closes her eyes as the meteor light fades. ”And when one light is extinguished by Death’s cold grasp, the Magician will blossom into the purest flower of life, and with his magic he will be untouchable from the darkness. Life will place it’s flag in the ground, Death conquered…”
She had been standing in the
Now her gut twisted in fear at the seer's words. The insightful doe seemed so sure of her own prediction. Martisol considered the circumstances. She wasn't much of a fighter. Always more of a protector. Not very experienced with these entities and the "infections" that went with them. Her eyes were bright with hidden fear and worry, but her expression remained the same under her mask. She was good at playing brave, at least.
She looked at the others, considering them. They all seemed to have some sort of special "something" about them. Even the little doe who relied on strings from above seemed confident in them all.
But what could Martisol offer? What special abilities or characteristics did she have. She could be a decoy. That's all.
She looked briefly at the Twin Gods statues, watching them from atop the nearby hill. They glowed brightly, even in the night. They seemed to call to her, telling her everything would be alright in the end. They were there to protect what was their own.
She sighed under her breath, inaudibly, and giving a polite bow of the head to the seer doe, she followed behind the others loyally.
Path bows his head
Walking at the back of the herd, he momentarilly pins back his sharp ears. While he could not see him, he could 'sense' the near presence of creatures less than pure. One certainly had to be their Noctus, only as far away as the Oak... Another however would be his demented younger sibling. He had a tendancy to avoid crossing him, as did the other. The two being so different, there existed the tendancy to enter certain conflict unless there is reason for alliance.
For the time being, he focuses on their more imminent enemy. Glancing at Martisol, he notices her discontent. "Do not be afraid. Few outcomes are written in stone. You are not likely to be a victem this day." that grandfatherly tone etches into his voice again as he speaks.
(I'm so tempted to drag Dark in to help. He considers Quad a friend after all. XD)
((Go for it!)) As they
As they walked closer toward the Oak, they found an unexpected surprise. A stag was struggling before them, covered in black goo. "Oh gods! Infection! Quad, please, use your powers to save him!", Pema at once called.
The blackbuck approached, but only stood there and stared at the struggling buck. "I...have powers...?", Quad asked them.
At this point, the infection zipped off of the buck, nearby Iugulare appeared and merged with the goo. She stared at all of them, disappointed, "I was afraid this may happen...", she speaks, "If Quad cannot use his powers...if he's forgotten how to be the Grand Talux, we have no chance to defeat Noctuis...", she emphasized the word 'we', making sure they understood she was in this fight alongside them.
Path looked thoughtful. "It
On the path from the pond to the ruins, often Dark would have to pass this same general direction. It was more by chance than anything that he'd be in the area, but once those multiple eyes of his caught the sight of the modley herd he simply had to approach. He recognised Quad among them, and so his intentions would not be as hostile as otherwise.
Having overheard Igulare on his way over, he lets out a brief snort.
"Am I... right to... un..der...stand... the... Tal...ux... has... forgot...ten... ev...ery... thing?" he rasps. If all that past training had gone to waste the past year... oh, he wouldn't be too thrilled. Though he'd be willing enough to attempt to respark the memories.
Quad simply stared at
The name sparked deep memories for him, of the training Quad spent with Dark as well as many other deer, learning how to fight and defend himself. "I remember you...I remember you...why do I remember you...?", Quad began to question.
Iugulare slithered toward them, impressed, "Interesting...it seems he remembers some things. Maybe he still remembers how to fight, though it will be our luck he has forgotten how to use his light powers.", the stoat mused.
Quad closed his eyes, "Dark...weaver...please...I remember learning how to fight under your guidance, but the owl still terrifies me...please come with us...please help me confront my fear...", the blackbuck begs his friend and mentor.
-----------------
Hex opened her eyes for a moment, and one final streak of light filled her blinded perception, as one last, though bright, meteor shot across the sky.
"...Six...no...Seven....Seven...Another has joined...ahh...it is the spirit of Judgement...", she smiles, "Seven fates now...and the stars already know the outcome..."
(If you haven't figured it out, Hex has assigned a major arcana tarot card to each player in the story. I had to add one more for Darkweaver
-----------------
((OOC - After Zerg posts with Darkweaver's response, we'll head over to the Oak for the confrontation. Hopefully when we get to that point, the roleplay will pick up and be a bit more exciting.
Also I've been trying to find a song fitting for the fight, and found these two:
Not sure if I like a mellow song or a more fast paced song for it... XD ))
(Ahh! Here is one it suggests
(Lol sorry, I was waiting for
Darkweaver nods stiffly. A set of eyes meet Quad's, as though seeing into his need and fear. Four extra eyes glance at the rest of the group, searching for any that might dispute his joining. He wasn't exactly the most beloved creature in the forest after all... Yet, not the absolute most feared or hated. He was approachable, and simple enough to befriend when not first approached with hostility or fear.
He pulls the fuzed flesh holding his skull mask together over his decayed face into his form of a smile.
"I will... a...sist... you... my friend."
"Then we all welcome you, brother." Pathweaver welcomes him.
Iugulare looks among all of
Pema nodded happily, "With all of us working together, we can't lose!", the stringed doe pronked and followed behind.
Quad watched the others following, one by one, the caravan going to the Oak. He was the last to walk with them all, as he thought...'They're all doing this for me...maybe...maybe I need to be strong for them...'
--------------------
When the group arrived, Pema was the first to point to the top of the Oak, "Look, up there!"
On the top of the tree was Noctuis, who was perched on the highest point. He peered down at them, "Ah...so the mob has come to fight for their precious Quad...", he chuckled.
"Noctuis! Come down here, we have unsettled business!!", Iugulare called to him.
The owl stayed on his perch, "Ah yes, I bet you would love me to swoop down to your level, but it appears...you have business of your own to attend to...", as Noctuis speaks this, four stags appeared from the Oak, their bodies covered with the white infection, their eyes glowing red.
And as they saw the infected minions, Noctuis let out a loud "Hoo hoo!!". This immediately sparked a fearful response in Quad, whose legs shivered from the sound. "The owl!! No...!", he started to back away, and as they turned around, they saw Quad sprinting away in terror.
"Quad! Quad!!", Iugulare called to him, but he would not stop running, "Dammit! We're on our own!", she turned toward the infected stags, the little stoat snarling.
I ponder whether it's still
It's just a pity I didn't have time for this before.
As the minions appeared from
But then, realization hit. That owl had tainted them. Had taken their innocence and purity from them. He turned them into these monsters that stood before her now.
Buried deep inside her, believe it or not, was a hard-suppressed fighting spirit. She used to be one of those who would bravely stick themselves between fighters, attempting to stop them. But that part of her had almost burned out, and was now only seen on rare occasion. Fueled by disgust for the white creature, the fighter inside her was beginning to rise up. The sharp toes of her only true weapon, her hooves, dug into the soft forest ground, bracing themselves to rise up in an instant if need be.
Her thoughts were interrupted by Quad's running off. Not a good sign, she thought.
Green eyes, seeming brighter than ever, fell on the distant bridge as she started to turn her head back to the Oak. No doubt her brother was somewhere over there sleeping. She wondered if she should call to him, to gain another fighter on their side. But then, what if it was too late? What if he did not here her call?
She turned her head back to the enemy, bracing herself for the fight ahead.
((As mentioned above, I can get Marti to bring in Validus if we need another fighter.))
((I have no problem with it.
Pathweaver cringes slightly, more inwardly than outwardly at the infected deer. He wasn't one to harm innocents, though it is difficult for him to think of these infected deer as being completely innocent. Not when they're perhaps what one could call mind controlled by their infection, by the owl.
In contrast, Darkweaver had no problem with the same predicament. He had killed innocents before, including fawns and sleeping stags for the sake of a meal. Lowering his head and stepping forward toward the four stags, he flashes his demonic teeth and adjusts four of his six eyes to watch each opponent. A fifth eye turns in bewilderment as Quad suddenly abandons the group.
Pathweaver turns his head to face Quad as he runs, looking momentarilly discontent. He faces the stags again and lowers his grand white horns. A soft white glow surrounds his horns, spreads along his neck markings and filters out of his eyes, giving off a pale light. It's not as intense as the Talux using his powers, but it would be useful none the less for now. The wind seems to pick up around him, blowing his long beard behind him.
"Hnn... We should... deal with... these... four... first." Dark rasps, feeling that going after Quad first would in a sense be no different from waving a white flag and calling defeat.
((Fine with me if you'd like
Pema was the first to run at the infected stags. Her body being made of fabric and stuffing, she could take a few blows. The first stag stabbed into her, which made her grimace, but she quickly used this to her advantage and wrapped around the stag with her strings. Tangling him up, she called out, "Come on, guys, let's deal with these stags one by one, just like Hex said!", she called.
--------
Quad hid behind a tree and peeked out. He saw the owl was staring right at him, and when their eyes met, he hid and shivered, "Please don't kill me please don't kill me please don't kill me...", his whispers of sheer terror completely blocked out any thoughts of helping or being courageous.
When the group approached the
He dropped his flower to the ground and did the first logical thing he could think of - Foxglaive crouched down slightly and barked like a dog at the infected deer. "ARF ARF ARF! Hello! It is friendly dog! My favorite bone is in your arm!" But when he caught sight of Pema's strategy, a moment of realization dawned upon him. "Ahh! Of course! One by one! Or one and one ... and zero!"
Foxglaive singled out a single infected member of the group and bowed at him. "Listening to life," he said as he slowly walked backwards. "You will hear the voices of life crying ... bees!" Once he had pulled this one away far enough, Foxglaive put his plan into effect. He looked upward and called out to seemingly no one, "[Doorpart!] 0110010001101111011011110111001001110000011000010111001001110100" Yet, nothing happened. The deer started to sweat a little as his infected enemy growled at him. "Ahh! It didn't not even work ... wait! It got its lick backwards! ... Trapdoor! 0111010001110010011000010111000001100100011011110110111101110010" Foxglaive's pictogram glowed a strange color for a moment, then created a beam of light onto the ground in front of him - directly upon the area where the opposing deer stood. The soil opened up, revealing a previously unseen trapdoor, catching the infected there.
"Everyone! It will tend to this one - please to be taking care of the rest, yes?" Foxglaive checked his bag and began his full-blown breakfast assault by dropping an assortment of breakfast items into the pit. Before long, the captive infected was surrounded with toast, marmalade, eggs made over-easy, lox and bagels, corned beef hash and several types of cereal. "Ahh! Silence if virtual," said Foxglaive, "Especially breakfast time from telemarketers!”
Darkweaver momentarilly looks
Meanwhile a stag not yet under assault makes his charge toward Pathweaver. Standing his ground, he locks horns with the other. As tine locks with tine, he begins to push out the light from his body to begin burning the infection in the stag at close quarters.
(Meh. I'll only bring him in
Martisol examined the scene: Pema and Darkweaver battling a single infected, Foxglaive and his trapped enemy, and Pathweaver with his opponent. Each of the infected stags were now occupied.
Except one. Who was now staring the golden doe down, red eyes burning against a white background.
The two stared each other down for a few moments, the stag taking a few threatening steps closer to her, head lowered, while Martisol matched him, stepping backwards in unison.
She couldn't run. He would catch her. No doubt the infection gave him unlimited energy and strength. There had to be a strategy that would work for her. Something clever...
That's when her rump hit a tree, and she had no choice but to stop. An idea came to her mind. But it was so very obvious. Would it really work? Well, only one way to find out.
She braced herself to leap as the stag suddenly barreled toward her, roaring out in a blind rage.
The timing had to be perfect, right before the stag's large antlers reached. Luckily, she seemed to get that timing right. She leapt to the side and the infected stag's head ran through thin air and his front tines became somewhat lodged in the tree. Attempting to tug himself free, his situation would keep him occupied for a moment.
This gave her a second to collect herself. Her plan had worked! The infected stag was not a very quick thinker, but she could use his blind stampeding to her advantage. But she couldn't keep this up forever, she had to have a destination in mind. Somewhere the stag would slip and fall into his defeat. Somewhere nearby.
The Pond. The high cliffs on this side of the body of water were too perfect.
Freeing himself of the wood, the stag charged at the gypsy once more. She leapt away again, this time less prepared and earning her a close call with his antlers nearly grazing her side. She watched him slide to a halt, stumbling a little.
The doe smirked. She knew what she had to do. As the stag turned to glare at her again, she just shook her wooden mask off to the ground and lifted her head high.
"Olé." She said before the stag ran toward her again. They continued in this manner, Martisol slowly leading the stag in the general direction of the Pond like a matador would lead a raging bull around an arena.
(well, here it
Silent steps were slowly leading a lonely stag towards the ancient temple structure. His old grey pelt made him almost invisible in the bright moonlight, which covered everything in silver shades. Everything except his large antlers, they stayed in pure white, shining to distance in this nighttime.
When Silun finally reached the Ruins, he immediately knew something was wrong. There were no other deer around, which was nothing unusual for the stag, but he already learned something terrible has happened here. He entered the aisle and listened to the voice only a few have heard and even fewer could understand. A voice that sounded like carving in stone. The image of what has happened slowly showed in his mind.
"An ambush?" he questioned as he was trying to understand, "The Protector got attacked maliciously from behind... How spineless villainy!" that did really upset him, especially here on this place. This temple should be a sanctuary, the safest place all around. "What? He got... poisoned?" That was the best way he could explain to himself what the white owl has made to the buck here.
"This would not happen if you did not dismiss me." A simple accuse, seemingly directed to no one. "I would have take care of it." One stone pillar on the left squeaked.
Silun walked out and continued to the front, where the three idols gazed somewhere far into the forest. "So now he needs our help, I suppose. To regain his strength. Hmm...". The statues of hard rock did not say a syllable as he passed along them right into the shrine with the massive altar, where this stag once used to spend whole days.
"I can not change it," he spoke to the altar, "but even the least I can do, I will do." The ruins remained silent as the old one bowed so deep down that the tips of his antlers touched the sacred stone. He prayed.
He prayed for Quadraptor.
He prayed for all the deer living here.
He prayed for the Peace to remain in this Forest.
The Gods did never spoke to him, never showed to him, they did never give him any signs, but Silun always remained faithful. For he believed that they do hear him.
((Here's my contribution of
Pema, now dislodged from the infected stag, was hurled back at the time Darkweaver thrust his antler into him. The marionette's strings now caught in the tall branches of the Oak, she dangled helplessly and watched as Darkweaver began to pummel the infected. "Wait! Wait!!", the marionette cried out, "We're not trying to kill them! Just knock them out! They're innocent in this fight!!", she hoped her words would reach the already enraged Irish elk.
The stag fighting Pathweaver grimaced as the infection burned off. He began to collapse to his ankles, hissing and howling from the painful effects. The infected, however, maneuvered and made Pathweaver back up, and with his last bit of strength, he thrust his antlers forward and slammed Path into the solid base of the Oak. The infected, making a 'fight or flight' response to nearly being purged of the infection, prepared to ram his antlers into Path. He charged at full force...
Meanwhile, the infected close to Foxglaive was snarling and trying to climb out of the trap. He did not understand how he suddenly fell, but he was clawing and foaming at the mouth, inching closer and closer to becoming free from the trap.
As all this was going on, Iugulare began to climb the walls of the Oak, her liquid body able to maneuver swiftly up the tree. She was nearly at the top when Noctuis already saw her, and smirking, the owl spoke, "Always the one to leave friends behind, hmm?"
Iugulare finally climbed to the lowest branch of the Oak, a considerable height now climbed. She stared deep into the owl's golden eyes with her own silver ones, "I have no friends, but it just happens we have a common enemy.", the stoat inched closer and closer.
"Is that so? Perhaps you are, how shall we say...on the wrong side then...", Noctuis replied, making a few steps on his branch toward her as well, "Perhaps we can make a deal. You fight for me and infect your little 'friends', and I'll find somewhere else to infect on this planet. You'll get your little Endless Forest all to your own.", he offered.
Iugulare chuckled, "...I suppose the Goxi Royal Military never taught you about loyalty?", she asked, before pouncing at the owl.
--------------
"Quad..."
"Quad...please..."
"Please, just open your eyes..."
The voices filled his head, he was curled and shivering, afraid to even look at the battle going on. The blackbuck's ears perked, he listened to the voices. It was Silun's prayer being answered.
"Wh...what can I do...?", he asked to seemingly no one. "I'd...I'd only get in the way..."
It was here he opened his eyes, and a vision stood before him. A glowing creature, a wolf, with four white angelic wings.
"Quad...do you remember me...?", the vision spoke.
"I...", he stared deep into the wolf's eyes. "There...there was a...a human...", he began to speak.
"Yes. You remember him. I came to him when he was in need. And now, you are in need, and your friends...they are in trouble...", the wolf spoke to him.
"But what could I do? I'm no hero. I can't just charge in and save the day.", Quad sighed.
The wolf approached and kissed him on the forehead. "That's exactly what you need to do...because that's who you are. You are a hero, Quad."
"But...you're me...", he said with a frown, "Who am I kidding...? I'm talking to myself here...", and with that, he closed his eyes. Opening them again, the wolf was gone, but the words echoed in his mind. "You are a hero, Quad..."
He slowly peered from behind the tree, seeing all that was happening...
(I'm just gonna put this
"Quad! Get in there! They NEED you! You're OUR HERO!" Only an echo of a voice, but Phion resounded in Quad's ears. Only a Ghost, but she still wanted to offer help. This was a fight she had fought alongside the Talux, and she would not let him lose. Not if she could still watch him and offer the encouragement.
"Please. The forest needs you."
And again she was gone.
Dark could hear the stringed
That's all he needed to say in warning, but he had to emphasis with action. Turning away from the infected, he swings his long, snake like tail overhead and whips it across the forehead of the infected deer, aiming to purely knock it unconcious.
Looking up with a middle eye, he notices a faint blue glow. The glow takes on the shape of a familiar, medium sized raven before flying not to, but through him. Almost instantly, the red and black clears from his vision, returning his world to normal. Taking to the sky after passing through it, Laghodessa's spirit perches sideways on the trunk of the tree.
Meanwhile, Pathweaver had found it as being caught off guard. He had been forced backward into the old oak. Granted, he had to credit the infected for pulling such a move off with him. The infected now charging, the ancient one thinks quickly and forms a simple conclusion. His eyes and markings shift colors, all becoming a bright green color. He leans backward into the solid base of the old oak... and his body passes through it, as though joining with the bark and becoming one and the same with the tree, his great white antlers sticking out of the side of the tree like two powerful, yet comparitively small branches in sight of the trees grand size. The light continues to radiate off those antlers, though now sharing in that green glow. He didn't need to dodge to make the infected run into the tree... he could stay right there and step back out once it knocked itself out. Meanwhile, under the ancient one's power, vines begin to grow rapidly out of the ground and spreading out around that section of the tree, reaching out to ensnare the infected once it's out, to ensure it won't simply get back up and keep fighting.
She was smiling in an
But at that moment, another one of her paranoid thoughts attacked her conscience. The attacker was truly innocent beneath the infection. What if he fell in the Pond and drowned? Would that make her a murderer? Or would he survive and swim out, still a threat?
She froze for a split second. A split second too long.
When her attention returned to the situation at hand, she barely had enough time to move. She let out a cry in surprise as she attempted to leap out of the way, but she was not so lucky this time. A couple of white-covered tines sliced across the doe's left shoulder and lower neck. She found herself on the ground, the injury stinging and burning slightly.
Knowing she had to stand to survive, she tried to lift herself up, but to no avail. Her front left leg gave way under her as soon as she was up, causing her to fall again. She could feel the infected minion's stare, his red eyes glaring into her soul. She closed her eyes, willing it to be over with.
"Marti!"
Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
THUD!
She heard the infected fall to the ground.
Bright green eyes opening wide, Martisol saw her younger brother standing over her, the infected stag before him, trying to stand back up. He must have woken and heard the commotion going on in the distance. He had come to her rescue.
"Don't you dare touch her again." Validus spat out as the minion rose to his hooves again.
The silver stag and the infected began to battle it out, antlers clashing, the sound ringing through the trees. It was rare to see Validus in a blind rage, but this was one of those moments where he seemed bent on injuring the other stag.
The golden doe laid where she was, her only thoughts going to the injury on her shoulder. She dared not look at it. The burning increased and her eyes closed tightly again as she tried not to cry out in pain.
(I... Just going ahead and offering Marti as the sacrificial lamb to be the one who falls unconscious. She just seemed like the most obvious victim. And I don't mind injuring her now and then xD)
((Sure, if you wanted to
Iugulare and Noctuis were locked in a struggle, infection wrapping around infection, their liquid bodies coiling and trying to dominate. It was here that Iugulare was shoved off, and reaching out, she could not grasp one of the branches as she began to fall. The owl stretched out his wings and flew at the stoat, grabbing her and making her fall faster and faster. In a moment, she was slammed into the ground, the stoat being turned into a splatter of infection on the ground below.
With most of the infecteds dealt with, the owl flew above them, "Clever, clever...but did you really think I would make it this easy for you?", he asked, as they saw a line of white deer approaching Martisol and Validus. Now they were of all ages and types - stags, does, fawn, elders...their bodies covered with the infection.
There were too many to fight them all, too many innocents to injure. Pema, being the peacemaker she was, called to the others, "They need our help!", her strings finally detaching as she raced to the aid of the fallen doe and her brother. The infecteds were beginning to surround them at the pond, there was no time to wait.
(I think I kinda hinted at it
After some struggling and clashing of antlers, Validus eventually gained the upper hand against the infected stag, shoving the creature down one of the steep hills in between the Oak and the Pond. The white-covered deer tumbled down, eventually running into a tree. Hopefully, that at least knocked it out for a while.
Racing back to Martisol's side, he found her in a pained position, small whimpers escaping bared teeth between loud gasps for air. He nudged her head up slightly.
"C'mon Marti... We need to get you up. You can't just lay here..."
"Can't... move. Can't feel... shoulder and leg." Martisol's voice was hoarse and raspy, filled with fear. Validus looked at the wound on her shoulder.
The cuts were not extraordinarily deep, but they looked plenty painful. Blood was running down her golden pelt, staining it. But what stood out the most was the white that was showing through near the cuts at the base of her neck. The stuff seemed to be going into the wounds.
"W-What is that... white stuff?" Validus stuttered out. Martisol opened her eyes briefly and finally looked at the wound, her face seeming to pale.
"Oh god... It's the infection. The stuff that those deer are covered with. No..." She began the writhe in pain as the burning on the wound increased. She was finding it harder and harder to breathe. "No no no no no..."
"Shhhshhhshhh... It'll be ok. We'll get out of this together. I won't let you get turned into one of... them." He finally lifted his head to see the army of infected deer heading in their direction, little Pema running to their aid as well. There were more infected than even Validus could fend off, of all ages and sizes. And all of them were innocent.
He could only think of one word to describe how he felt in that moment: Crap.
Positioning himself over his fallen sister, he listened to her quickening gasps as the infected army came nearer and nearer.
"We need a miracle..." Validus said, swallowing hard.
Martisol seemed to freeze underneath him for a second, bright eyes wide as she stared into some spot in the distance. A memory came to her, a memory from earlier, when Pathweaver's light burned away the infection on Quad.
"Light. We need... Light."
Everything was quiet for a moment, before the doe suddenly gave a blood-curdling scream. The wound was burning hotter than ever. Validus could barely make it out, but it seemed like she was trying to scream words. The only words he caught were "burning", "hurts", "Rutilus", and his own name. She gave one last screech in pain.
Then she fell silent.
"Marti! No!" Validus yelled down at her, but to no avail. She did not answer. He looked back up at the enemy.
"Light..." But where would a big enough light come from to stop all these infected deer?
((It's fine XD!! I want Zerg
[=10]((Yeah I feel kinda bad
Only materializing from the
Darkweaver looks up at Noctus as he flies overhead. A low snarl escaps him as he tracks the creatur with a set of eyes. The white alien creature had only been just out of his potential reach, leaving the thought of simply eating it out of the question. Looking ahead, a front eye catches Martisol's heat signature, increasingly surrounded by the signatures of the infecteds. Without hesitation, he charges for the swarm of infected deer. Head lowered, he charges straight into them like a ball into bowling pins.
Path however is the first of the two to reach them. Upon reaching the infecteds, Pathweaver leaps high over them and lands between them and Martisol and her brother. The light continues to pour out of his eyes and horns, and down the markings on his chest and neck. However, it is only as powerful as the light of the moon above, and not as intense as it might've been in daylight. He wouldn't be able to simply stop the infecteds himself, but his light may be enough to slow their advance, if not cure those who get too close.
Darkweaver meanwhile plows into the infected creatures, turning their attention away from the fallen doe at least partially. In an impressive display of physical, demonic prowess, he bludgens infected stags left and right, only using his deadly horn and demonic teeth as necessary between self defence and aggression. Mainly he sticks with violent kicks and horn snapping stomps to cut the infected creatures weapons to size, or whipping the infecteds off their feet with his serpantine tail and fetlock chains. While he does not kill, he certainly injures as is necessary. He does his best however to not harm the does involved.
The last words of prayer had
Then he realized. It was the silence, which was so strange now. Silun always lived in such solitude, that only rarely he got to a noisy situations and yet he would be glad for any tiny sound now. It was far too quiet for him here. And the cold he felt, no, it did not come from the stone, it came straight from his heart. He is needed elsewhere.
Standing up again slowly, one leg, then another, he still pondered what for terrible things must have been happening that the Forest remained in such silence. However, he was about to learn that before long.
As he turned around, he noticed another deer there, standing outside and watching him. This deer was a true impersonation of Silun's strange feelings. That white pelt, which seemed to be like covered with something or what. And the look, so lacking of anything. Almost like if this deer was watching through him, somewhere in the far and not even noticing there is an old stag standing just a few steps away.
One way or another, this deer was driven into this place by anything but good intentions. Standing still in the entrance to the shrine, not letting Silun go out. "Leave." Not an order or a threat, just a simple word in its plainest meaning addressed to the newcomer.
Foxglaive was fixated on
He caught sight of Darkweaver in action, plowing into the enemy deer. Foxglaive looked back to the unconscious deer when a realization hit him. "Ahh! Yes! ... Bonk!" he said as he looked to where the others were gathering. "But it is not where it is supposed to be! Yes, having dots up on every time!" With that, Foxglaive chose to run to the center. He nodded to one of Darkweaver's many eyes and said, "Bonk, yes sir! Let's handle it!"
The deer approaching Silun
------------------------------
Quad watched the group surround the others, he watched as they fought his friends. He shivered, seeing Noctuis flying overhead.
But then something clicked for him - hearing Martisol let out a cry, his eyes widened. He started seeing visions in his head, of what had happened in his life, fighting Iugulare and her Rock Hounds, becoming the Grand Talux, the feelings of death and rebirth...
"Oh my gods...what am I doing?", Quad questioned, his body bursting into a brilliant light, his back growing wings. "Hang on, guys! I'm coming!!", he cried out to them as he ran and took off from the ground toward them. His body was glowing almost as brightly as the Sun, making the land appear almost like it was broad daylight, despite it still being night time.
He landed within the crowd, his fur shining brilliantly and wildly. The infecteds hissed and cringed, falling back while the virus on their bodies began to burn away.
While this was going on, Quad ran over and stood above Martisol, the light concentrating on her body. He looked down to her, "Fight it, Martisol! Don't let the infection take you over! Fight it!"
As the silver stag defended
Validus's thoughts were interrupted by an unnaturally bright light. Closing his eyes tightly, he could hear the sounds of infected deer crying out and hissing in pain. Noises that normal deer would never make. The sounds he heard send a shiver through the brave stag's spine.
He opened his eyes again to see the blackbuck standing in front of him and.... glowing? Validus almost jumped back in surprise, until he realized Quad's attention was on his fallen sister. Of course! Light!
Looking around, he saw the infected deer had stopped attacking, giving them a moment to attempt to revive Martisol. Taking one bound, Validus was suddenly at his sister's head, kneeling down beside her.
"Please Marti, Please wake up. Fight it, like he said! I know you have it in you..." His voice was pleading, desperate, frightened.
Inside Martisol's head, a different story was going on.
She had been contently floating in the darkness, as if floating on the most gently ocean or river. It wasn't nearly as bad as she had thought. Was she dead? Asleep? She couldn't tell. The only thing she knew was that her eyes were closed. And she was lost. The darkness was perfectly peaceful, but at the same time it was maddening.
But her peace was interrupted when she felt a light against her blind eyelids. Was it morning? Had it all been a dream?
Fight it! Please wake up... Fight it! She could hear voices... Familiar voices. One she knew somewhat and one she knew much too well...
She wanted to reach those voices, back to the safety and familiarity of the light. With much effort, her emerald eyes fluttered open as she came back to consciousness, expecting sunlight.
Seeing the bright light just above her, she took a deep, gasp-like breath. Then feeling returned to her body.
Her throat and shoulder were burning. The infection must have reached into the wound there and found her lungs, cutting off her air supply and causing her to faint like she did. If Quad had not acted so soon, it could have reached her heart. The light was slowly burning away the infection both on and inside the wound, but it was making it hurt that much worse. She let out a loud whimper in pain, but then tried to remain silent and still while the light did it's work. She felt her brother's mouth up to her ears, whispering words of encouragement as she fought the urge to fall back in the peaceful turmoil of the darkness she had just witnessed.
It felt like her heart was about to leap out of her chest.
"Very well..." that was all
The white one already rushed into the old stag, but instead of the noise of cracking antlers a pure bright light flashed from Silun's forehead, hitting directly his opponent.
He waited a while, heavy breathing. This incident was quite a shock and he first wanted his racing heart to calm down a little. But then another light appeared in the distance. Almost like a sunlight, bringing colors, not like the silver moonlight with its gray shades. Serious things are happening tonight, he should not turn aside of them.
"Watch your steps, you are on sacred ground." he gave an advice to his opponent before leaving the Ruins, walking far above a little frog hidden in grass, who used to be a large deer just moments ago.
Quad flew above them all, his
"Hoo hoo!!", the terrible sound distracted him long enough, as the owl swooped onto him, latching onto the back of his neck and forcing the antelope to crash to the ground. "Oh no, Quad! This is only beginning! I should have killed you when I had the chance!", Noctuis snarled and began to bite into the back of his head. Quad cried out, struggling to break free, but shivering with fear, the sound of the owl's call terrifying him once again.
"Get off him! He belongs to me!", Iugulare cried as she sprinted at them, bounding into the air and slamming into Noctuis. The stoat pinned down the owl, the two locked in a struggle, their infectious bodies melting and burning one another. "Quad! Get rid of him! Do it!!", she yelled.
The antelope struggled to his hooves, staring at the infectious creatures as they bit at one another. "But you'll--", Quad began, but Iugulare snarled at him, "Dammit, Quad! This is your chance! Do it!!"
And Quad did so, his body bursting into light. He closed his eyes and cried, while his wings stretched out and concentrated his powers upon the stoat and owl. Pema and the others looked away while the blinding light burned the aliens' bodies.
"No! No!!", Noctuis cried as he boiled and fizzed. Iugulare stared down at him, the stoat chuckling at first, then bursting out into a loud cackle while her own body fizzed away. A moment later, the two exploded into a mist, that rose and vanished into the air.
Quad's light subsided, and collapsing, he curled and wept.
Pema approached him, the stringed doe giving him a nuzzle, "Quad...please don't cry...", she whispered to him.
The stag mustered a few words as he continued to sob, "...Why...why must it be...like this...? Why do...I bring so much...suffering...?"
As Quad's final light faded
The silver stag looked up then, glancing over at the others, seeing the blackbuck on the ground, weeping. Although he didn't fully understand why he was upset, he caught the older male's final words. Scrambling to his hooves, he walked over to the fallen buck, head bowed in respect.
"Mr... Quad, sir." He started, politely. "You haven't caused suffering. In fact, you've saved us. You saved my sister. And I can never repay you for that."
Martisol, who was listening in the background, stood up shakily when she realized what was going on. She understood when she noticed the dark stoat and white owl were nowhere to be found. She walked toward them, her shoulder sore and making her limp somewhat. She came to stand next to her brother, both of their heads bowed.
"It's not your fault, Quad. You had no choice. But you're a hero. You're our hero. You saved us from much more suffering." She glanced over where the stoat and owl burned away. "I'm... I'm so sorry Quad..." She spoke the final sentence quietly, almost inaudibly.
As Quad's glorious light
Pathweaver meanwhile stood strong, fighting back infected deer until the light shone. As light fills the air, he turns his gaze skyward. For a moment, the light he himself had been producing intensifies, reacting to the brightness produced by the Grand Talux. His eyes and markings had become as golden as the sun for all but a moment as the infected deer fled and burned. As the light faded, so did his own.
With the peace after the battle, the brothers take notice of Quad weeping.
"Hnn... Exs...ist...an...ce... is... suf...fer...ing." Darkweaver rasps, more statement than fact. This statement, he finds footing with under the memories of having spent time with even buddhists in his youth. Such was a fundamental belief to said religion.
Pathweaver approaches Quad, looking very much like an old grandfather figure. Dark meanwhile looks on, knowing himself to be poor at giving proper comfort. He does feel obligated as Quad's friend to try however, and so he steps toward him after a few moments' delay. "Calm yourself, Quad. You are a hero this night. We would not have cleansed all these innocents of their infections without you." Path assures Quad.
"Hnn.." The old demon sits beside Quad. "If you...are wor...ried... about... Ig...ulare..." his voice breaks for a moment, only from the strain of speaking. [/]"If I... know... her at... all... I am... sure she... will... re...turn."[/] he affirms.
He takes in their words,
The stag looks at them all, each of their faces, all different, all having their own histories and reasons to fight for their lives. ”But please…I may have fought off the infection tonight, but it was you…each of you…who saved me. If it wasn’t for you going out of your way to rescue me, I…I don’t know where I would be, or if I would have ever been the same…”, he bows to each of them, then stands with his head high, though his eyes start to tear up, ”Thank you…thank you for being my heroes.”
As he says this, Quad turns and starts to walk away. ”Where are you going, Quad?”, Pema asks.
The antelope stops and smiles as he turns back to her and the others. ”I could use a drink of water…to clear my head…”, he says before continuing on toward the Pond.
--------------------------------------------
Quad quenches his thirst, dipping his mouth into the cool water. He raises his head, staring up at the moon and stars, wondering a bit…
”Aww…how touching…”, a familiar voice speaks.
Quad blinks, ”I-Iugulare? Where are you?”, he asks, looking around but seeing nobody there. It is here he starts to feel a tight pulse in the back of his head, where the wound Noctuis had caused was. The blackbuck then remembered that Iugulare put her own infection in, and cleansed the wound of Noctuis’ powers. He should have known better that she would have left her own virus there.
The black goo starts to seep out of the back of his head, running down his neck and onto his shoulders. As it globs onto him, the stoat’s head forms from it, rising up, ”I’m starting to think you really do care for me, with the crying you just did.”, she said with a smug grin on her face.
”Watch it, Iugulare! I’m not in the mood for another one of your schemes!”, he growls, already starting to glow just a bit.
”Oh relax, Quad! After all that, I would have expected at least a ‘thank you’. After all, I did help get rid of Noctuis as well, didn’t I?”, she slips off of him, reforming into a very small stoat. Since she lost most of her body earlier, she is not nearly as big as she usually is, and must find a host to feed off of to grow to her normal size.
Quad’s light subsides, and turning away, he begins to leave. As he walks, he trips over something metal, and looking down, he tilts his head, ”What’s this doing here?”, he asks.
Iugulare approaches and looks at the thing as well. ”Ahh…this must be one of those…’frying pans’ that humans use. I’m not sure how it got here either, hey Nekumbra, get over here!’, she calls out. Soon the spider doe was there, lowering herself from a tree before scurrying over. ”Yes dearie? What can I do for you?”, the doe asks with a polite bow to Quad. ”Go toss this somewhere so it will be out of the way. We don’t want anyone else tripping over it, hmm?”, Iugulare instructed.
Nekumbra bowed and picked up the heavy frying pan, and using her spider legs, she carefully climbed up a tree. They watch her dissapear, though noticing her straining with the thing in her mouth.
Quad chuckles a bit, ”Oh Nek...she’s quite a character.”, he says to Iugulare.
The stoat nods, ”Mhmm…”
There was an awkward moment of silence there, before Iugulare continued, ”I guess our little truce is over, then.”
Quad nods, ”I guess so…”, he replies, and starts to walk off when he hears a loud crash in the distance that makes him jump. ”What was that?!”, he questions.
Iugulare chuckles, ”Ah…Nekumbra must have dropped that ‘frying pan’…”, she shakes her head. ((Anyone who wants to do something with this, please feel free. I threw it in as something extra
Blinking, Quad slowly turns and walks away. Iugulare watches him, and before he rounds a hilltop, she calls out, ”You could always be my hero, you know!”
Quad stops and looks back at her, awkwardly, before shaking his head and vanishing on the other side of the hill. Iugulare sighs, ”Oh well…I suppose I will have to deal with him the hard way then…”, before turning and going the opposite direction.
Directed by
QuadRaptor
Written by
QuadRaptor, Zergarikiaka, AnimalArtist, and Foxglaive
Based on the characters created by
Tale of Tales
Produced by
QuadRaptor
Executive Producers -
Zergarikiaka, AnimalArtist, and Foxglaive
Director of Photography -
Quad
Production Designed by -
Pema
Edited by
Martisol, Pathweaver, Darkweaver, Pema, and Foxglaive
Costume Designer -
Zephyr
Visual Effects Supervisor -
Iugulare
Music by -
Pema
Music supervisors -
Thich and Rumi
Casting by –
QuadRaptor
QuadRaptor
Zergarikiaka
AnimalArtist
Foxglaive
Learning to Walk Again
QuadRaptor Industries Presents
In associaton with Headtilt Films
A Marleon Takenawa Film
Unit production manager -
Martisol
First assistant director -
Anirapio
Second assistant director -
Nekumbra
Associate Producer -
Darkweaver
Cast
Quad - QuadRaptor
Noctuis - QuadRaptor
Martisol - AnimalArtist
Pathweaver - Zergarikiaka
Pema - QuadRaptor
Foxglaive - as himself
Iugulare - QuadRaptor
Hex - QuadRaptor
Darkweaver - Zergarikiaka
Validus - AnimalArtist
Silun - PLK217
Quad Wolf - QuadRaptor
Phion - Global Beauty
Nekumbra - QuadRaptor
Infected Deer - as themselves
Stunt Coordinator -
Pema
"Quad" Stunt Double -
Zephyr
"Darkweaver" Stunt Double -
The Big Zombie Deer
"Foxglaive" Stunt Double -
Himself
Set Designers -
Michael and Auriea
Props Coordinator -
Foxglaive
Camera Operators -
Anirapio and Nekumbra
Costume Supervisor -
Zephyr
Costume Coordinator -
Zephyr
Tailor -
Zephyr
Seamstress -
Zephyr
Costume Construction -
Zephyr
Hairstylist -
Martisol
Unit Publicist -
Hex
Photography -
Quad's Candid Camera
Rigger -
Pathweaver
Key Grip -
Validus
Breakfast provided by Foxglaive’s Catering
Edible Fawns provided by Nekumbra
Assistant to Mr. Raptor -
Brandy the Dachshund
Special Visual Effects and Animation by
Pema
Special Thanks To
Zergarikiaka
AnimalArtist
Foxglaive
PLK217
GlobalBeauty
Music
"Walk" perfomed by the Foo Fighters
"The Beginning" performed by the Parlor Mob
"Here We Are Juggernaut" performed by Coheed and Cambria
"Never Gonna Give You Up" performed by Rick Astley
"Fireflies" performed by Owl City
Filmed on location in the Endless Forest
No animals were harmed in the making of this film, but they were infected.
Copyright (C) 2012 QuadRaptor Industries, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
”This form has disappointed me. Flight has it’s benefits, but it appears against that foolish antelope and his friends, I would be better equipped with sheer power instead…”
“I suspect they wouldn’t be surprised if I had a failsafe, to make sure I didn’t perish for sure on this disgusting planet.”
Noctuis snarls, adjusting to the new body, though it would take time. He lays low, hiding in the deeper parts of the Forest, until he is fully formed and able to start another army of white-infected minions.
”They’ll keep their eyes to the sky, looking for an owl…but they will never expect to see a boar that starts the next epidemic!”
The boar chuckles before going out into a loud cackle….and then vanishes into the Forest to scheme…
Detecting a noise, Foxglaive
Foxglaive stumbled to the ground, muttering “Marmalade?” before passing out. When he opened his eyes again, he saw most everyone involved standing before him. Suddenly, everything went dark … except for a single spotlight, which appeared over Quad. Strangely enough, music began to fill the forest, as if being played by unseen performers. Quad bobbed his head to the music, as if waiting for a cue, then, to Foxglaive’s surprise, he began to sing.
The fight is over and our side has won
I’m glad to have you all to depend on
I’ve got this great big feeling that everything will work out fine
We’re done fighting … it’s time for healing
I’ve got this great big feeling … I think I’ll start a chorus line
Once he was finished singing, Quad proceeded to perform the traditional Endless Forest dance. The light remained on blackbuck as a secondary spotlight opened upon Pema the fawn. Realizing it was her cue, she started to sing.
Even when everything hangs by a thread
Working together will get us ahead
I’ve got this great big feeling that everything will work out fine
Even when I bump into the ceiling
I’ve got this great big feeling … I think I’ll join your chorus line
With her part done, she moved into position next to Quad and danced as the third spotlight appeared over Silun.
My turn, eh? All right, well, here goes…
The infection’s gone? Well that’s a relief!
We pulled it off through fighting and belief
I’ve got this great big feeling that everything will work out fine
Before the idols, you’ll find me kneeling
I’ve got this great big feeling … I think I’ll join a chorus line
Hex looked upward – more likely to the stars than her spotlight. They told her that it was her time to sing, so she did.
I did not fight, but I feel good inside
To give direction and serve as a guide
I’ve got this great big feeling that everything will work out fine
Whether reading stars or cards I’m dealing
I’ve got this great big feeling … I’ll try to join the chorus line
Validus walked over to Hex and guided her to the rest of the spot-lit group as they got into formation, only to have his spotlight appear shortly after.
Even though they tried to take us by storm
We turned them back, brought things back to the norm
I’ve got this great big feeling that everything will work out fine
Guess there’s no reason to be concealing
I’ve got this great big feeling … I think I’ll join a chorus line
Martisol blinked in disbelief at the sight before her – the assortment of deer singing and even dancing in formation. Her spotlight appeared and she spoke, not realizing she was speaking in a singing voice at first.
I’ve returned from my infected slumber
To find them in a musical number?
I’ve got this great big feeling that everything will work out fine
To sing and dance … Well, it sounds appealing
I’ve got this great big feeling … I think I’ll join a chorus line
Next, a light appeared above Darkweaver, though he did not respond to it.
…
Foxglaive walked up and bowed to the skeletal-faced deer.
Ahh! [Wearevkrad]! Needing a help with your lines, yes?
… Noo.
Ahh, but here it is for helping! Here…
Glad to have friends who go the extra …
…
… mile! And being with friends really makes me …
…
… smile! Ahh, but the next part is easy, yes?
… Yes.
I’ve got … this great … big feel…ing that every…thing will … work out fine
When evil comes … I will send it reel…ing
I’ve got this … great big feeling … Noo.
Well, okay!
Foxglaive watched Darkweaver wander into the darkness, his own spotlight turning on while Darkweaver’s turned off.
Kindly thanking for fixing Quadnod’s brain
But now it time for being entertain?
Its got this great big feeling that things are beings work out fine
Mmm! Ahh! Potatoes! It should start peeling
Its got this great big feeling … thinking to join the chorus line
Foxglaive joined the other dancing deer as they began to form a triangular formation with Quad in the front. Pathweaver watched them with some amusement until he found himself illuminated as well.
A finale? Will wonders never cease …
Well, it’s done – we’ve finally found some peace.
I’ve got this great big feeling that everything will work out fine
I suppose that I don’t mind revealing
I’ve got this great big feeling … I think I’ll join a chorus line
He joined them and with everyone in formation, they marched forward and sang together:
We’ve got the greatest feeling … how else can we go and explain?
We’ve got the greatest feeling … because we’ve learned … to … walk … again!
The group bowed in unison as the mysterious lighting dimmed out. Two had watched it all unfold and applauded the group for their efforts from their vantage point in the branches of a nearby tree.
Hmm … There’s nothing like a great musical number.
You’re right. That was nothing like a great musical number. WHO-HOO!
Pfft Foxglaive, that was
And thanks to everyone involved in the roleplay, this was a lot of fun and I hope you guys enjoyed it as much as I did!
A few notes - Quad will be more confident from now on, and will try to be brave in difficult situations. And Noctuis is officially a shapeshifter, and will turn into any albino animal. Though his set form will be the boar/warthog now, expect to see him as an owl again as well as other animals.
Lastly...
Next roleplay - Noctuis kidnaps several deer and traps them on an uncharted island of infected animals, who are constantly hunting them. And there's no chance to swim away, for infected beluga whales infest the waters around. Will the deer make it out alive? Or will they be hunted down and turned into Noctuis' minions, one by one? Stay tuned for the next roleplay - Noctuis' Infectious Island!
I gotta thank you for letting
And Foxglaive, that was really great. I especially loved Validus's lines. Seemed fitting for him. Thank you so much for that c:
We'll have to keep an eye out for that wily Noctuis when he strikes again!
XD I think of the little
I'll have to decide how Noctuis is able to transport people to the island. Then again, Iugulare knows a bit about teleportation (since she was able to teleport Anirapio from her home world to Earth), so maybe it will involve some coercion.
Oh gosh, Foxglave, Quad, that
*Cracked up at Darkweaver in that musical number.*
I'm afraid his voice is one most unplesant in song. XD Makes it all the funnier. Such a lovely stick in the mud for not joining the line. XD
One little thing if I may
Might find something from Amorphis, Sirenia, or Nightwish...*maybe* Sonata Arctica...or if all else I'm sure I could find a good instrumental.
What about trying some of The
Some of what I like:
Mass Winnings
Where Do These Tubes Go
Sector 6
And about the transportation to the island, it can be very easy. All he has to do is to use the reversed universe, the inversion of Endless Forest, where there is an endless sea and only on the place of the Pond lies a small island.
Just an idea...
Hey thanks for the
I also came across this and thought it was pretty fitting for the story:
I like your idea about the inversion/reversed universe, but for what I want to do, the area that the Pond takes up isn't big enough. I want the island to be mountainous and covered in a dense jungle. Thanks for the suggestion though, I think I know how they'll get there.
I also found this one...
The middle gets a little weird, but I can kind of see it working. I really like this song, it was kind of what I was going for - something slow and sad.