Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]
Add Reply
Names in the Earth; 10th Sekkian Wyrmling Haunted House
Topic Started: Jun 24 2018, 12:50 PM (118 Views)
CloakAndDagger
Member Avatar
Roll To Equip Butter

[Warning: Themes of Horror, Violence, Suspense, Mystery, and Death. Potentially there will be killing and/or the paranormal.]


When she saw it the first time, she wasn’t sure just what it was. She felt sure that, at least at some point, she could have spoken aloud what it had been, what it appeared to be, but that would have been too long ago. It would have been before her. It would have been before her parents. Before her grandparents, and maybe farther even than that, but it was hard to comprehend such a timescale when one had but fourteen years to call your own. For her, things were on ranges how far to reach to touch it, if you could walk there and back before you got homesick, if you could remember how to hum it. This was so much more than that. Looking out, as her line of sight traveled from the edges of the overgrown path toward the unbearably tall field of thorns and rugged grasses, passed the tumbled walls of stone, passed the barbed gate, passed the ocean of grey and brown fields listlessly parting in the wind --there -- something infinitely old seemed to look back at her between the holes of the wooden siding. Where there should have been the shape of something known and familiar, there was something different and crooked in its place, like an inverted face in the mirror. And it stood tall. And she could almost hear the weight of the world groan underneath it’s heavy, ruined presence.

There had to be tools for this, had to be a word, a name for this. And she knew, best of all, where all the most interesting words were kept. So, her attentions swept wide toward the Archives as they crossed back towards the growing familiarity of the academy and away from these untouched edges, but there were some things that were not meant to be understood. While Avalon had stared long and hard towards the massive, blighted thing at the end of the fields, the great green king behind her kept his eyes not looking to it, but beyond it. He recognized a limilal place when he saw one. And he knew what sorts of things crossed that threshold.

It was an unusual mystery for her; this was something beyond dragons -- a territory unmapped -- and as her fingers clawed through old pages and documents of dry building registrations, a deep seated anxiety began to take root somewhere beyond conscious thought. The more she traced the memory of seeing it, the louder something began to yell within her head. It was a sense of foreboding -- a warning written in fear. And there, deep within the bones of the archives, a tense hand came down to a single line on a crumbling, yellowed paper.

East Crop Settlement 26. 2888 b.r.

The rest of it was too degraded to make out and when she took the single, warped sheet gently to the Librarian, no amount of magnifying could illuminate what was lost. However, the old Air at the other side of the station leaned over after casting a keen, gosspy ear towards their plight. And she, feathers smoothed and smile wiley, had a few choice words to impart upon the young seekers. So she leaned in closely and began to whisper.

The building was old. Very old. Older than anyone living at the academy now, especially since the disappearance of Kazuko. And, to the best of anyone’s memory, it had just always been there -- not in its current state, but perhaps not that far either. Before Sekkai was the whole empire it was now, the settlement had been a homestead for sharecroppers and Academy personnelle who farmed the land before it became graze for cattle. The building was large enough to be open to those of two and those of four feet, save perhaps for the largest of dragon breeds. However, as the needs of the academy grew, it was slowly phased out of use until one day, no one could remember anyone alive who had worked there, lived in it. But that wasn’t the heart of things. No. Even before it was taken out of use, there were empty beds waiting. Empty chairs, empty tables. At night, the stoves and fireplaces were ablaze, but the light never seemed to travel well. It was always taken into the open maw of the land beyond and just lost in those reaches. If you had wit or station, it was easy enough to change a posting there, but for some, there was no twisting out of a station there and, for the sharecroppers, there was no other option. So all you could do was just talk. And talk spread.

Everyone knew the stones spoke there. They trembled, as if under footsteps without anyone to pass by. Sometimes holes would just open up in the dirt big enough to swallow a man to his torso. And, from the woods beyond, people said things toed the edges of the light at midnight. The details were all lost, but the story remained the same. It was always the same: People went to that place, but they didn’t always come out. And if they did come out, they didn’t always come out the same. That’s just how talk goes. You get to the meat of it, and leave out the boring bits where everything was probably normal. Even the disappearances were never enough to warrant investigation. When a crop year was bad, some people just took their belongings and left without another word spoken. It was always assumed, especially when there was nothing left behind.

“But,” the white whiskered Air dragoness hushed, “there’s no rarity in luck. And everyone knows that’s where some of the bloodiest battles in the area were, year after year. It’s no wonder somebody stuck around beyond their tenure.”

Those words looped in Avalon’s head as she sat on her bed and she stared vacantly towards the cold, grey stone wall of her room. Her hands were clasped to her cheeks, as if she was trying to figure out how best to acknowledge this mixture of terror and awe prickling her hair. Her knees were to her chest. Her feet perched at the edge of her mattress. Her hands moved to cover her mouth. She was seeing the sloping, lopsided steps that jutted up towards the dark, closed doorway below the fold of a broken porch. She was thinking over the terrible windows. She was remembering the warped glass. She was remembering the bars. And all around it, the looming presence of encroaching wilderness. Even now, the ancient wilds were reclaiming it.

It wasn’t so much a word she needed as a phrase. And now the uncomfortable gloom made an awful sort of sense. As the emerald creature took in her reaction, the young rider finally spoke. She got straight to the point.
“Oh my gosh. It’s haunted as heck.”

The earth’s voice ran like old ivy. “And how should we approach this challenge?” She looked back at him as if he’d spoken in tongues. Of course, that was answer enough, but he wasn’t having it. The axeblades along his tail glinted in the firelight as night began to fall, and the green of his body seemed to deepen.

Moments later, she’d found herself knocking on the doors of those other wyrmlings around her. Her fingers squirmed as they rapped. Five months and she didn’t even know all their names, or even most of their names, but this was not a task to do alone. It required an army of the sharpest courage. It required the brave. The bold. The unafraid.

“So,” she said to who would listen. Her fingertips anxiously ran along the tips of her nails. “I found a house on the edge of the fields. It’s really, really big and old. And it’s really, really, really haunted.” She gulped. A green nose nudged her back. Press onward. Confront.

She was asking they walk with her into the unknown, into the dark. With. No. Adult. No permission.

“Uh, so, anyone want to spend the night?” She asked sheepishly.


And how should we approach this challenge?
“We meet it,” Glasach said.



And while the Air in the library cackled to herself about spooking some baby wyrmling, there was a portion of truth to every lie. Perhaps, something would be there to meet them too. Maybe something had been waiting.

Back on the endless fields, nearly at the farthest point of the Academy lands, an old house sat against a looming, wooded hill. Around it, rubble and debris littered the lawn as the weeds rose high to coke what little grass remained. The broken line of a stone border was in shambles, but a hastily raised wooden fence ran the perimeter to kept the cattle away, but nothing wandered here. An iron lock, rusting, thumped against the old wood as the wind caught the gateposts. The building creaked. A shutter banged.

And the front door slowly, slowly hinged open.





Welcome to my terrible Haunted House! Enter if you dare! Spooky things afoot! Beware! Beware!

It’s been a long time since the Temple thread and an even longer time since my old Jungle thread, and I’ve been itching to try another one. So, I’ve worked with some old favorite themes of mine and baked you something slightly more kid-friendly (only slightly). Your characters will not be in mortal danger, unless you’d like them to be. For now, only 10th Sekkian Wyrmlings may participate, but there will be places for Adult Sekkians later, if you’d like to join with them. I am not sure how long this thread might be, but I will keep posting as frequently as possible to make sure it doesn’t lose steam! I’d like to see this through. <U<

G-G-G-Ghosts, Scoob!

What you know

  • Avalon and Earth Glasach found a spooky house at the very edge of the fields.
  • It seems to have been there since 2888 b.r., which was over 400 years ago!
  • Not much information about it in the archives, but a librarian was happy to try to scare her about it.
  • Now Avalon is convinced that it is haunted, and Glasach refuses to let her get out of confronting it… with friends!
  • She has knocked on all the wyrmlings doors in an effort to gather a group to spend the night tonight! If they walk really fast, they’ll get there before it’s fully dark.


What you don’t know

  • There is no concrete evidence of malicious goings on, and it’s hard to say if the building is really haunted or if the Librarian was just being a jerk.
  • Just because it was built in 2888, doesn’t mean it wasn’t totally fine until just a few years ago?
  • When did the hauntings start, if they actually happened at all?
  • Why the heck was a wyrmling pair that far out?
  • Should we tell our parents?
  • (Snitches get stitches.)


Next up: Reply to this thread and, on my reply, we’ll go out to see just how spooky this house is. This response doesn’t have to be long! Just be like: Hey, I’m no coward and I’ll totally punch a ghost. Fite me.
Online Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Mythborn
Member Avatar


Acar and Soliloquy OPEN

For once, it was not Acar who answered the door when a knock was heard. Soliloquy was already up, sitting before the floor-length mirror that her rider had insisted on installing on the wall between her nest and his bed, polishing her scales. Acar had offered to help, but when she refused, he had retired for a nap. That was unusual for him, but so much was unusual about him that the Sonic wasn't sure what to do about it, or even if she should do anything about it.

At the knock, she glanced over at Acar, but he seemed not to have heard. Also unusual--he was a light sleeper, most of the time. Something dark stirred at the edge of their connection, like an low note on an oboe shuddering through the air. Soliloquy's whiskers twitched, and she went to the door. Outside was a girl and the emerald Earth that was her partner, two of their classmates.

Avalon said her speil, and Soliloquy sighed. Acar was asleep. She could say no, and he would be none the wiser. Except that this was precisely the sort of thing that his friend Bas would enjoy, and if Bas and Opochtli went and told Acar they had been invited and Soliloquy had declined, then her rider would be...displeased. Bas would likely be outright annoyed.

"We will be along, Avalon, Glasach."

It took only a moment of searching her memory to recall their names, and she nodded to them as she closed the door again and crossed the room to her rider's bed. She put a forepaw out to wake him but paused before completing the action. It was strange to think that, not so long ago, she had been small enough for this man to easily pick up and carry, had she been inclined to allow him to do such a thing. A delicate snort brought her mind back to what she had intended to be thinking about, and she let her hand complete the journey to Acar's shoulder.

As soon as she touched him, the hand that was attached to the shoulder she had gently grasped came up to latch onto her wrist in a long-fingered, iron grip. The other hand came up just as quickly, to take a reversed grip, but just as strongly. Acar's dark eyes flicked open wide, accompanied by a twinned note in the bond, brassy and shrill at the same time, like a trombone mixed with a flute, as his fingers settled on her scales as though anchoring himself to her. As soon as he registered her face blinking down at him, he let her go.

"Apologies."

"Nightmares, Acar?" The shrill note felt like fear to her, though she wasn't sure about the brassy tone. Both were gone now, replaced by the neutrality that was so much more usual for Acar.

"It is nothing, Soliloquy," he replied, sitting up and tugging his clothing into their proper places. "They come and go. They have all my life."

"What are they about?" the Sonic asked.

"Why did you wake me?"

Soliloquy sighed. There was no point in pressing the issue, Acar would not tell her if he made up his mind not to. What she didn't realize was that Acar would have told her, if only he knew. He could never remember, only that he didn't sleep well when he had them.

"The girl who bonded to the green Earth--"

"Avalon and Glasach."

"--says she has found a haunted ruin on the edge of the fields. She asks if we would like to go with her to spend the night there."

Acar's eyebrows rose. He didn't believe in ghosts, of course. But it might be interesting, and it was exactly the sort of thing Bas would want to do. And she would be disappointed if he didn't go along. He rose to stand before the mirror, making sure he was in proper condition to be seen in public. As ever, it took only a few tugs of fabric to put himself in order.

"Do you wish to come with me, Soliloquy?" He paused at the door to look back and ask. He would never assume that she would simply come along. Often she didn't.

"What does haunted mean?" the Sonic asked instead of answering.

"It means that people believe there to be ghosts and spirits at the location, the remnants of those who have died but not passed beyond the world of life."

"Are they real?" Soliloquy asked, alarmed. That was something she had never considered.

"I do not believe in them," Acar replied, shrugging. "But many do."

"Let us go and see for ourselves, then." It was one more piece of the world to put in its place in her mind. Her reply earned her a small smile.

"Yes, let us."

He bowed her out ahead of himself, pulled the door closed behind, and immediately began looking for his best friend and her bulky Water partner.


Koale and Deimos OPEN

"Again."

Koale placed a deep bowl of water in front of Deimos and walked away--they had learned that sometimes these experiments were dangerous. He'd had to stitch up a slice in his calf when he'd been standing too close and Deimos' power had turned the water into rocketing shards of ice.

"Try to think of all the possibilities," the young man continued, sitting across the room on his bed. His voice was low and soothing, an accompaniment to the calm he was pushing over their bond. "Each time we do this, we find another one. Keep them all in mind. Pick one, and focus."

The young Chaos tried. Drawing a deep breath, he let his thoughts trickle away except the various things that the water had done, and other things that he thought it might do, given the chance. On the exhale, he picked one, that the water might simply not be there, and let the other options slide out of his mind, too. On the second inhale, the light of his runes began to build, and at the same moment, a knock sounded on the door. The light flared, too bright, and for a moment, the water was gone, then it exploded into a cloud of steam, shattering the clay bowl it had been in and then dropping in a patter of drops to the floor.

"Sard it!" the Chaos snarled, and Koale sighed. Distractions were still Deimos' biggest problem. He had to learn to tune them out. Unfortunately, Deimos wasn't ticklish, so the way Koale had learned to tune out distractions (most of the time) was out. He'd have to think of something else. Deimos' paws curled, the claws scraping against the stone floor as the pink light of his magic flickered, causing the water to ice and melt and evaporate in rapid succession.

"Be right there!" Koale called to the door, crossing past the shattered remains of the bowl to pull open the door. Deimos, taller than his rider now, came up behind to peer with teal eyes at the girl who had knocked on the door.

"Haunted?" Deimos rasped the word after Avalon had said it. It intrigued him. Koale professed not to believe in the supernatural, but neither Deimos nor Koale himself were exactly certain of that.

"We're coming!" he glanced over his shoulder at the Chaos and grinned. It sounded like fun, after all. He'd spent a night in the graveyard at the monastery, to prove there were no ghosts there. "I wonder if Kahin and Eir will come."

"I'm sure your minnock--"

"Don't call her that!"

"--would come if you asked her."
Edited by Mythborn, Jun 24 2018, 05:48 PM.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
GothicThylacine
Member Avatar


Tuli and Rufflesia joining in. Open for interaction

It had been a while since Tuli visited the Library. Which she did scold herself over, but becoming a smidge wrapped up in some sort of brewing resistance took even more time than she had anticipated. But she hoped there would be a decent payoff…or at least that she and the others would not get in trouble. But hey, being sneaky and crafty is why it took so much time. What little time she could go to the Archives was purely for lessons over pleasure. So indeed she had missed the exchange that had led to the events of this day.

When the call came, Tuli was tired still, and when the knock came, she thought t may be Devi with another scheme. The Fire rider was good at cooking those up. But to her surprise, it was the Earth rider, Avalon. Tuli had remembered her dragon well as she stood out among his breed with his vibrant colors. “Oh, hey Avalon” Tui greeted, always happy to socialize.

The Earth rider began to explain, quickly, as she had other doors that needed to be knocked. But the gist of it was there was some creepy as fuck house she had found and wanted company to spend the night there with her. During this time Rufflesia had risen and stood behind Tuli listening carefully. When Avalon finished, Tuli blinked and stood for a few seconds before looking back at her dragon. When she turned back to Avalon, she said simply “I’ll get my bag”

She packed as fast as she could as Avalon went to gather more Wyrmlings. As light as possible, primarily a change of clothes and some rations. And Rufflesia put a blanket and pillow in her make-shift saddle bag Tuli had crafted. Finally she hopped on Rufflesia’s back and they headed out just in time to see the gathering of a few other Wyrmling pairs. It seemed Avalon was a convincing sort. “Do you think anything will actually happen?” Rufflesia asked.

“I dunno. I’ve heard many a ghost story but I’ve never seen anything that has proven to me they are real. But who knows. Either way I’m sure this will be fun”

“I’m starting to think you just like rebelling,” Rufflesia said with a chuckle as they joined the group awaiting their next move.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Silverfeather
Member Avatar


Kahin and Eir to Koale and Deimos

The small ghost of a child hadn't expected to be out this late, but there had been something they had wanted to finish in the archives before they were shooed out to go to bed. While the archivist had been sweet and nice, she also knew that they had lots of chores and lessons and would need the sleep. Eir didn't mind the extra help in dragging her bonded out of the archives for sleep. The trip from the large room to the barracks was a short one. Eir didn't mind that the feet dragging or the pauses Kahin took to shake herself awake. They had been out later than planned. Of course, the more they walked, the more Kahin woke up. The young rose figured though, that it wouldn't be to hard to get the young girl to fall asleep again.

Assuming, that there wasn't anything to interrupt them, or drag them out like the last 'party' they attended. Eir wasn't sure how she felt about it, but as long as there weren't too many rule-breaking parties, she would live. It would be the last one.

Alas, Eir's assumption was going to be wrong.

Kahin had no need to knock on the door, slipping in quietly after her partner to shut the door. Kahin wasn't hard to surprise, but it was a bit odd not to see Koale already in bed, but they had mentioned needing to work on Deimos's control. They looked to have been discussing something. Eir's pink eyes glanced over them, they looked like they had been having a serious conversation about something. Whatever it was, it probably didn't concern them. At least, Eir thought it didn't.

Kahin blinked as both glanced over at her. Koale looked like he had a question, but he also looked like he was ready to go out and do something. What on earth could they be needing to do this late at night? Of course, She wasn't too overly worried--after all she had spent a good deal of time than she should have in the library. But she smiled at them. Kahin wanted to know, she felt like something was up. And if they didn't answer, well, then. She wouldn't pry. But it wouldn't hurt to ask. Koale never seemed to get mad at her no matter what she did anyways.

"What's up? Did training go well today?" Her voice was soft, as she set down her own notes on her table and started to take off her shoes. Might as well get ready to turn in for the night, right?
Online Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Saileene
Member Avatar
The One True Wong

Devi and Cauldron, ready for some mischief. Devi antagonizing Tuli (In a friendly way)
@Goth


The dark pair had settled in for the night, Cauldron stretching himself in front of a fire. Gold edged plates glinted, reflecting the warm light as the fire danced. Devi had settled down for the night, her hands fumbling as she worked on mending the holes and tears that snagged the fabric of her shirts and pants. Where some in their class were able to simply purchase new clothing whenever damage was bad enough, she thought it a waste of coin. There was a small allowance provided to her by the academy, but whatever she didn’t save was sent to lihn to help her family. If she was to be a lackey for the Empress, she would at least do what she could to help her blood.

From the hall, a low series of knocks could be heard, low voices following. Strange, she thought. Most of them retired early given their mostly full days and random lessons. She was quick to forget the sounds that made their way under the heavy wooden door, focusing on not sticking herself with the poorly threaded needle as she closed a snag that had grown to a full blown hole thanks to Cauldron’s sharply plated back.

A light snore from the Fire as each mouth took turns breathing in and out. The sudden knock on the door startled the wyrm awake, a small lick of fire and puff of smoke emanating from four nostrils. The eyes along his neck rolled wildly as they cracked open, his dual-spade tail rising to study the door as he remained sprawled across the cool stone. The sound startled Devi too, the girl driving the needle through the linen fabric and directly into one forefinger, “Son of a --!” She cut off the curse and she put the finger, topped with a pinprick of blood, into her mouth. Setting her work aside, Devi walked herself to the door, cracking it just enough to recognize a fellow wyrm and the large Earth that accompanied her.

Golden eyes narrowed, finger still stuck in her mouth. It better be good, if they were going around waking all of the other wyrms up. There was no moment of hesitation as Avalon, whose name Devi truthfully couldn’t be bothered to remember, began her long monologue about some haunted house on the grounds somewhere. Cauldron had risen after her, and was now trying to fit both faces into the crack in the door. Unable to do so, he settled for peering through the crack with the third eye nestled between the two faces. Devi had to fight back a laugh at the girl’s plight. There was no such thing as spirit or apparitions, they were simply figments of overactive imaginations.

Still, the option to leave the wyrmling housing for the night was something she couldn’t pass up. If this house was truly as abandoned and secluded as Avalon implied, perhaps its location could be useful to her in the future-- especially if the others were convinced it was haunted. “Sure, Cauldron and I will accompany you and your band of merry wyrms tonight. Just don’t bring a bunch of cry babies along.”

She closed the door, perhaps a little rudely, and grabbed a rucksack. It never hurt to bring a few supplies along, and if half of these people were superstitious, it was likely they’d scare themselves into falling down a flight of stairs. A small medical kit, a few raions of dried meats, a water skin, and the blanket from her bed were all crammed in there, then slung over her shoulders like a backpack. Just in case, she slipped a few chakrams over her wrists, three on each and one larger chakram around her neck, and a bladed bhuj was slipped through a holster in her belt. Caulron put one wing down, and Devi considered heavily before climbing up his wing and sliding between two plates, just in front of his shoulders.

The hallway, usually empty at this time as the wyrms put themselves to bed or finished their own chores, was busier than Devi had ever seen. Many of the pairs were at least recognizable from their classes, though Devi hadn’t put much effort into getting to know any of them. She hoped to be here for as short a time as possible, and the fewer people to notice their absence when the time came the better.

Across the growing pairs, Devi recognized a certain crossbreed, a sly smile pulling her lips back. She nudged Cauldron forward through the pairs, a bee-line for Tuli and Rufflesia, as Avalon and Glasach knocked on the remaining doors. “Well well, if it isn’t my little jailbird.” as she approached, her voice dropped to a hushed whisper so the others might not over hear, “Was aiding and abetting the enemy not enough for you? Gotta sneak out at night to get that same rush?”
Edited by Saileene, Jul 1 2018, 06:00 PM.
Online Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
blue
Member Avatar


Opochtli agrees; Bas is dragged along; Here Catch Acar!; open to interaction, Opochtli definitely banged into someone.

Early to rise was the tendency of the water pair, and even though they were young and still capable of those all nighters, early to bed remained their prefered habit. So by the time that the knocking began and the waking began, Bas was already flat on her back, half on half off of her bed, snoring away in a fairly deep sleep. Opochtli, already well on his way to fifty feet of length, most of which was heavily muscled chunk, was curled almost entirely around the bed, the bits of Bas that hadn’t managed to stay on the bed supported by Opochtli as he dozed. His tail, grasping fingers and all, was flopped across his neck, fingers twitching from time to time, and his head took up the place on the bed that Bas was not, his whiskers flailing from time to time as he dreamed.

The knock came, and Bas shot up with a start, snorting into wakefulness and trying--failing--to settle into a defensive move. The fact that one leg was wedged between Opochtli’s coils was the only thing that kept her from falling flat on her face, however, and he gave a low growling rumble of displeasure at the disturbance. Bas, however, grumbled and pulled her leg free, stomping over to the door in nothing more than an ill fitting long-shirt (she wasn’t entirely sure it was hers; she didn’t pay much attention to laundry days) and undergarments mostly hidden by the length of the shirt. With her short hair in more directions than normal and drool on her cheek she looked quite the articulate, not-grumpy-at-all individual as she stared blandly at Avalon, her blue eyes occasionally dipping to look at Glasach as well.

Bas didn’t answer the girl, staring ahead emptily with a dazedly sleepy expression, but Opochtli--who had been keenly listening despite his refusal to awaken--pulled himself to his feet elegantly in the shadows behind her, his heavy, lean muscles shining around the bioluminescent blue of his spots, and his eyes glowed as he stood over his Bas, whiskers framing the girl as he bared his teeth in a wide, grin. “We will attend.” He rumbled, frills rippling with the sound, and with that he pulled Bas back in and shut the door.

A few minutes later the pair was rampaging through the halls, Bas considerably more clothed (though not considerably cleaner) and draped awkwardly across Opochtli’s shoulders, looking quite like he’d thrown her there rather than she’d mounted herself. She was armed, her hammer swung across her back, and was wearing her more general practice armor, the crisp blue of her family’s sparrow showing at the shoulders. She wasn’t fully awake yet, but seemed accustomed enough to Opochtli’s barreling as he stampeded around the corner and skidded into the other wyrmlings, not bothering to slow his speed before he set his haunches down and slid past. At least one of the others had to have been impacted by his vaguely bulky stop, but the water dragon didn’t seem to care as he carefully dragged Bas off of his shoulder with a mixture of tail hand and mouth, and more or less dropped her onto Acar, figuring they’d figure it out somehow.

He, meanwhile, gave a rumbling greeting to Soliloquy, and set to observing the group, making notes of the ones bold enough to show up with eager excitement. He wasn’t entirely sure what a haunted house was--and Bas was no where near functioning enough to explain it--but it sounded like something he could stalk and fight and that was very solidly in his wheelhouse.
Online Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
CloakAndDagger
Member Avatar
Roll To Equip Butter

Walking the Way
The lazy, summer eye slid below the horizon and, with it, there threaded a brief flicker of red and gold. It clung to the overhung canvas before the light of the world was dimmed to shadow. Around them, the familiarity of the fields and the low calls of cattle both began to slowly surrender to the night as they walked along the rough, unworn paths leading from the safety of the academy walls. Their feet cast out rocks and gravel as they went and, at first, the sounds seemed to tickle the grass. Fireflies flit among them lazily. Behind them, the gargantuan stone mountains of their sanctuary began to drop away and fade. With it, their safety and their security and, for many, the promise of real sleep in warm beds. Sleep packs were well enough, if you had one, but there were other things to keep you up at night. And, as the grasses grew taller and wilder, so too did the path become more overgrown. Great roots from long-gone trees ran the path in dead, contorted rivers, and the looming dark brought an unruly chaos to the way forward, as if to purposefully obscure the destination, but, for all of the things Avalon was, lost was not one of them. So, even if the fields themselves were holding her back, she led the brave band onward through the undergrowth to where none had trod in some time.

There was no path now, only the great expanse of a dark sea. With every breeze, the tide rolled and swam and, within it, creatures broke the waves in the darkness. The moon, however, was a silver boon granted them by kind fortune. It’s fullness cast an aquatic glow over the expanse. The grasses dipped and prayed. The weeds, devout, bent. And there, for whatever luck it was, a pitch figure began to take shape against the bruised sky.

Some distance away, her feet remembering where they had rooted before, Avalon stopped to look at the massive building ahead. Without a doubt, it was worse. The cruel shape, nearly a lone figure against the flat of the fields, seemed to drink the darkness. Near to her, the axe-bearer’s pennants chimed.


The House
Civilization had left this place for dead years ago. The house, and it was a house despite how desperately massive it felt anchored in this dark sea, was an ancient ruin. It stood with a crooked back against the very edge of the Academy grounds. Built halfway into the hill of wild trees behind it, the stone foundation peered up from the earth like dirty bones as the elements slowly weathered the ground around it, exposing it. Atop those cemented ribs, a dull, broken wooden exterior hunched and glowered. It was two stories, but each floor alone looked ready to swallow up all but the biggest of breeds. The ceilings must have been enormously tall, but there was no sense of scale out here in the silent, breathless night. There were no fireflies here. No clatters of feet besides their own. No signs of life aside from the tough grasses that were even slowly edged out by tougher, stockier weeds. And yet, somewhere, somehow, a pair of eyes began picking the gathering over.

Out from the forested hill, the farmhouse loomed as a broken structure. Stone steps, possibly built into the foundation, rose up from the thick of the weeds to meet what appeared to be the front door. The first floor, set several feet over the actual flat of the ground, spread out in a broken rectangle. It’s wood was rotten and crumbling. It’s windows, parallel to the double front doors, yawned with partially broken glass. Above them, the second story’s windows seemed to almost angle downwards under the weary, curving roofline. But those were not the only glints. Near the stairs over the exposed foundation, two windows narrowly eyed them, but seemed to partially disappear into the ground and, when looking at them, there seemed to be a second door set into the left side of the stairs.

The house, however, was protected by a moat of debris and thorns. Looking out, they could see strange, sleeping shapes in the field, but it wasn’t clear just what they were. They could easily make out the first border -- the crippled stonework that rose and fell around the house in what would have been a mighty wall centuries ago. Along those edges, nettles and thorned vines constricted the already cowed rocks, squeezing the strength from them. However, nearest to the wyrmling group, a half-hearted fence-line ran what appeared to be the perimeter of the property, and although it looked old, it was not nearly as old as the house. It’s range was unbroken and it’s only point of entry was a gatepost locked by a large, iron padlock.

In the dead summer night, the old farmhouse groaned. Every door ahead was shut. And every possibility still left tingling with terrible potential.

“Absolutely Haunted.” Avalon shakily put her hands on her hips.




What You Know

  • This is the edge of the Academy grounds and, by the way the path was overgrown, no personnel have been here for a very long time, at least not routinely.
  • Wildlife also wants to GTFO
  • House is Old AF and, ghosts or not, potentially still a deathtrap
  • House could have held both people and small/medium dragons
  • There’s a whole bunch of ??? laying about near the front of the house. Some are too big to be human bodies.
  • Beyond the house is a bunch of broken stonework in a tall field of weeds, stinging nettles, and thorny vines.
  • Beyond the broken stone wall is an actual wooden fence that seems pretty sturdy, but is only shut by a single lock.
  • The Moon says you should def go for it.


What You Don’t Know

  • Why nature doesn’t like this place.
  • What that stuff is on the front lawn.
  • Besides the Fence lock, which is actually locked, if any of the other doors or windows are locked. (Because the door opening before was thematic and may have been shut by the wind.)
  • What the inside or the other sides of the house look like


Next up: Reply to this thread with how you surmount/break/open the wooden fence and how you get through the nettles/vines/tall weeds. Then, do you look at the stuff laying around, do you investigate the other sides of the house, or do you go straight for the door? I’ll reply with what you find or more information on the door.
Edited by CloakAndDagger, Jul 1 2018, 06:47 PM.
Online Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
GothicThylacine
Member Avatar


Tuli/Rufflesia making their way to examine one of the odd "things". Tag Devi/Cauldron and everyone else!

The group of their fellow Wyrmlings grew rather quickly. In fact, Tuli spotted at least half of their class with possibly more to join. Probably best, a bigger group would provide more protection and resources when needed. She wondered if Devi and Cauldron would join in and pondered hunting them down but luckily there was no need. Soon enough the Fire pair made their way into the fray just in time as before Tuli realized it, they were heading out. And soon Devi was at her side, lovingly ribbing her and whispering in her ear. Tuli had to laugh.

“It seems not. And from rebelling and fighting the power to sneaking into a potentially haunted house for a sleepover, I’d say my life has become quite the thrill-ride. But I’m glad for it really” She said nudging Devi playfully. Rufflesia gave Cauldron a friendly nuzzle in greeting and rumbled happily at his arrival. As they reached the fields, Tuli felt something akin to the old feeling of when she used to sneak out of her home to go explore the forests only quite a bit more magnified. Back home she knew the woods. This was different, this was outside of the Academy. Like walking away from the grandest of castles to explore a dark forbidden cave. Which, really, was what was happening.

“So do you guys believe in haunted places? I really have no real opinion, but I did love telling ghost stories to my brothers and sisters. Maybe I’ll have a new one to tell after this” Tuli asked the Fire pair.

“I rather hope it is not true, I would feel greatly saddened of a spirit was trapped in our world being unable to pass on into paradise and only being able to stand idly by watching the living…” Rufflesia said in an oddly solemn tone.

“Damn Ruff….”

“Sorry, I do not mean to kill the playful mood. I am sure this will be fun” The dragon then said in a merrier way. It was shortly after that they could see their target in the distance. Right away Tui could see how people would feel the place was haunted even from a distance. This was magnified as they got closer. The group stopped to gaze upon the property…or, was it really even owned by anyone anymore? Nobody took another step forward yet. The overgrowth, fences, and odd shapes around the home gave everybody pause.

“Absolutely Haunted.” Avalon said. Several nodded in agreement. Rufflesia’s red quills stood up as she sniffed the air.

“There is something strange about this place. That much I can feel. We must be very cautious, haunted or not!” The crossbreed declared before urging Tuli to get on her back. The girl complied. Rufflesia sniffed and examined the first fence as the others also tried to find ways to proceed.

“I don’t hear any animals…like owls or…anything. That’s not right…” Tuli remarked looking about a tad nervously. She knew from her years wandering the woods that silence was an ominous sign. Rufflesia rumbled in agreement. Almost silently asking if they shouldn’t go on “No, Now I need to know why” Tuli said. With that, Rufflesia nodded.

“Then hang on. And keep your limbs from draping down my sides. I will try to make a path, but first-“ The dragon took a few steps back and then, with a short gallop, leaped over the fence. Tuli gripped on tight as her dragon made landfall. The sound and feeling of old growth cracking beneath her weight almost made Tuli shiver. Rufflesia paused again, examining the thorny growth around her. “Alright, I will try to make a path but there are thorns everywhere so as I said, keep tight on my back” She then began to focus. Rufflesia was young and not purebred Earth, but she still had some skills. The dirt before her began to shift and move as if a gardener was tilling a field. It uprooted many of the vines and brush which Rufflesia was able to push aside and slash with her claws. “Anyone may follow me if they wish, but it may take me a few minutes to clear away fully” She called.

The crossbreed pushed forward with her head down pushing both soil and plant out of her way with a mix of magic and strength. Surely if she was an experienced Earth or Forest, she would clear the way in no time, but her youth made the task a bit of work. Not that she minded. Finally, the thick brush thinned and the thorns lessened much to her relief. “Stay on my back still Tuli, at least until I know we are safe”

“Uh, I dunno if we’ll ever know that for sure at this place,” Tuli said. “What the heck are those shapes around the place?” Stepping out beyond the mess of weeds, Rufflesia froze to look out at the objects Tuli indicated. Quills up again, the crossbreed carefully took a couple steps towards one of the shapes. Feeling uneasy, she stopped before she got too close. Tuli looked behind her to check on Devi, Cauldron, and the others. Good heavens, what were they all doing here?
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous)
ZetaBoards - Free Forum Hosting
Enjoy forums? Start your own community for free.
Learn More · Register Now
« Previous Topic · Fields · Next Topic »
Add Reply