“Fascinating,” mumbled Willow as the test confirmed the broad scope use of Heavenstone. It would require some more experimenting to figure out the finer points of it as well as its rate of… Willow could feel herself becoming a nerd, instead shifting her attention to Manon who now pressed against her ready to dance. “The new material, I mean, not…”
Eryl ushered their attention through action and word, and Willow snapped to quite promptly but without time to shift. Thus through the forest they flew in a display that felt somewhat dizzying at first, but soon became entrancing as the Brit focused herself and put on her game face. When at last they came to rest, Willow wasted no time in joining the triclops as the older woman scouted the approach.
It was proper gloomy, much the way Willow had imagined. Scanning from left to right she took in as much detail as she could; wraith numbers, terrain, a sleeping bint, and Nightmare on Elm Tree. For added security, the allomancer burned Copper to veil the group from magical detection as they got a feel for the situation.
“Eryl,” came Willow’s hushed voice. “What was the fight against the other gods like when Miss Smith and the others fought them?”
Was it the most pressing question given the threshold they stood upon? Probably not, but Willow suddenly found herself feeling hyper aware of what she was about to do. As such, doubt prickled in the back of her mind. It wasn’t alarming to her, nor did the presence of doubt make her worried. It usually poked its head into her business, and she dealt with it by psyching herself up. So the psych method for the Vengeance fight was to visualize her superiors, and figuring out just how high of a hurdle she needed to leap.
[The Dorms] A Perilous Acquaintance
Re: [The Dorms] A Perilous Acquaintance
"Fascinating," answered Manon, breathlessly, before they were whisked away.
Eryl's three eyes tensed as Willow spoke, wincing from a pain that only memories could inflict. Black hair whipped sharply as she caught sight of a wraith coming close. Her hand snapped up and a small charge of energy filled her palm, but before she could will the spell, the wraith moved on like a fish catching sight of something else. Others followed suit, and eventually the energy in her hand was saved for something else, leaving the lodge witch to wonder why the creatures couldn't sense them.
"Each time, we were ambushed," recalled Eryl in a steady whisper, finally turning to look Willow, "set upon by gods hunting anything still alive. When I was a girl, any mages who failed to escape the ending of the Elementalia were hunted to the last. When I nearly killed Mr. Caxton the first time, I turned them on the Menagerie... they hadn't been much younger than you. When I returned to atone, they were waiting for us in every place."
Her hands made a little skritching noise as she clenched her fist over the dirt, "Ms. Kagami and I nearly died in the first fight. Ms. Laoise was run through. A terrible start. Mr. Flynn was shattered, robbed of his sister right out of the gate."
A few tears skittered down her cheeks as she blinked.
"This," Eryl gathered herself, "is a prize moment. We are perfectly aware of how dangerous Vengeance is, and we know where she is."
A heady aroma filled Willow's senses, a flowery and full scent that the she would recognize from the first time she met the shade. When she had smelled it the first time, it had put her at ease, and offguard. Now it was hitting her when she was poised in a position of advantage. Manon sidled up next to her, shaking her head.
"Does anyone feel az tho' we are expected?" whispered Manon, bumping Willow's hip with her own. Horst crawled his way up between Eryl and Willow, eyeing another spriggan walking across the clearing. The small rootling approaching the sleeping girl at the base of the tree was carrying what looked like a particularly shiny shovel. It stopped short of the pile of offerings, and reverently offered to her, ignoring the gnarled tree and its wraiths. For a couple of minutes it waited, fidgeting, before it stood up and sadly trudged away.
Eryl's three eyes tensed as Willow spoke, wincing from a pain that only memories could inflict. Black hair whipped sharply as she caught sight of a wraith coming close. Her hand snapped up and a small charge of energy filled her palm, but before she could will the spell, the wraith moved on like a fish catching sight of something else. Others followed suit, and eventually the energy in her hand was saved for something else, leaving the lodge witch to wonder why the creatures couldn't sense them.
"Each time, we were ambushed," recalled Eryl in a steady whisper, finally turning to look Willow, "set upon by gods hunting anything still alive. When I was a girl, any mages who failed to escape the ending of the Elementalia were hunted to the last. When I nearly killed Mr. Caxton the first time, I turned them on the Menagerie... they hadn't been much younger than you. When I returned to atone, they were waiting for us in every place."
Her hands made a little skritching noise as she clenched her fist over the dirt, "Ms. Kagami and I nearly died in the first fight. Ms. Laoise was run through. A terrible start. Mr. Flynn was shattered, robbed of his sister right out of the gate."
A few tears skittered down her cheeks as she blinked.
"This," Eryl gathered herself, "is a prize moment. We are perfectly aware of how dangerous Vengeance is, and we know where she is."
A heady aroma filled Willow's senses, a flowery and full scent that the she would recognize from the first time she met the shade. When she had smelled it the first time, it had put her at ease, and offguard. Now it was hitting her when she was poised in a position of advantage. Manon sidled up next to her, shaking her head.
"Does anyone feel az tho' we are expected?" whispered Manon, bumping Willow's hip with her own. Horst crawled his way up between Eryl and Willow, eyeing another spriggan walking across the clearing. The small rootling approaching the sleeping girl at the base of the tree was carrying what looked like a particularly shiny shovel. It stopped short of the pile of offerings, and reverently offered to her, ignoring the gnarled tree and its wraiths. For a couple of minutes it waited, fidgeting, before it stood up and sadly trudged away.
Re: [The Dorms] A Perilous Acquaintance
Taking everything as it was presented, Willow began thinking through the details of how the group was to approach. It was daunting even before hearing how the corrupted gods had the Menagerie on the backfoot the entire campaign. While she had never really met Miss Kagami she had heard about her performance in Hawaii with the main group while Willow was off with the others; so to hear the older woman had nearly died was… alarming. The baroque mental image of Mister Flynn holding Miss Laoise’s broken body didn’t help. That said, it grounded her apprehension. To face the varied group of mages Miss Smith ran with, the fallen gods would likely need to be varied as well, both in style and skillset. So while Willow might hope Vengeance would just use her big ol’ sword, she would also go in anticipating some weird plant magic given the Amazonian dryad’s vibe during their first encounter. Willow’s nose wiggled a bit.
Something wasn’t sitting right. The fallen gods had ambushed the Menagerie in each encounter, by Eryl’s telling. The big lady had even ambushed Willow once before; had that one just been due to the strong emotion Willow had felt at the time, or did Vengeance have some other form of prescience? Vengeance knew Willow was stalking around, and yet the little troupe was able to weave their way to her doorstep. Then there was that scent in the air that sat in contrast to the area they were in.
As Horst joined and the other spriggan became a focus up on the platform, Willow dropped back down into the gully. A couple things bothered her, and she wanted to address them before committing to a plan; two statements that rankled a bit.
“...we are expected?” and “...we know where she is."
“Are we, and do we?” Willow asked herself as she grabbed the hilt of her saber. Making sure she had a enough room, Willow conjured a mental image of Vengeance and in a hushed tone spoke her name as the orihalcum blade hissed from its sheath.
Something wasn’t sitting right. The fallen gods had ambushed the Menagerie in each encounter, by Eryl’s telling. The big lady had even ambushed Willow once before; had that one just been due to the strong emotion Willow had felt at the time, or did Vengeance have some other form of prescience? Vengeance knew Willow was stalking around, and yet the little troupe was able to weave their way to her doorstep. Then there was that scent in the air that sat in contrast to the area they were in.
As Horst joined and the other spriggan became a focus up on the platform, Willow dropped back down into the gully. A couple things bothered her, and she wanted to address them before committing to a plan; two statements that rankled a bit.
“...we are expected?” and “...we know where she is."
“Are we, and do we?” Willow asked herself as she grabbed the hilt of her saber. Making sure she had a enough room, Willow conjured a mental image of Vengeance and in a hushed tone spoke her name as the orihalcum blade hissed from its sheath.
Re: [The Dorms] A Perilous Acquaintance
A few times since she had arrived in this strange land, Willow had accidentally communed with Manon more than she'd probably admit. There, in the Elementalia, Manon was a creature of divinity and therefore plugged into the soul circuitry of the world. Laoise had even hinted that Percival could be prayed to, and even summoned him in her own special way. The smallkin of the land used to worship and ask of him before he tried to strip memories of himself away. In that moment, Willow found that Vengeance was also a creature of divinity.
"Heart of she," resonated a deep, dark, velvet voice, "I knew you would return to me."
A soft warmth spread over the Allomancer's chest then and spread further as it felt like something had crawled upon her. The world around her came to a standstill. Then, the form of Vengeance revealed itself, pressed against her, weighing her down into the earthen wall of the gully. Her hand brushed Willow's golden locks back, as her own leafy hair formed a curtain of privacy where only they could see each other.
Two heartbeats, Willow's own and Vengeance's, marched in a steady cadence together.
"Just as I thought," spoke the shade-god, with a face so familiar, now that Willow could see it up close, "they get along. These two hearts."
Vengeance looked just like Gold, nearly the spitting, leafy image of herself. As the realization hit her, the images of violence filled her mind. Strangling the witch that hurt Drysi. Brutalizing the man who nearly killed them after they saved them. Casting her mother out, literally throwing her out of her life. Every violent and passionate urge spilled into her mind in a cavalcade of destructive self satisfaction.
“Life before death. Strength before weakness. Journey before destination," intoned Vengeance, "You are a knight, a champion. You have always been. Be my knight. Protect me."
"Heart of she," resonated a deep, dark, velvet voice, "I knew you would return to me."
A soft warmth spread over the Allomancer's chest then and spread further as it felt like something had crawled upon her. The world around her came to a standstill. Then, the form of Vengeance revealed itself, pressed against her, weighing her down into the earthen wall of the gully. Her hand brushed Willow's golden locks back, as her own leafy hair formed a curtain of privacy where only they could see each other.
Two heartbeats, Willow's own and Vengeance's, marched in a steady cadence together.
"Just as I thought," spoke the shade-god, with a face so familiar, now that Willow could see it up close, "they get along. These two hearts."
Vengeance looked just like Gold, nearly the spitting, leafy image of herself. As the realization hit her, the images of violence filled her mind. Strangling the witch that hurt Drysi. Brutalizing the man who nearly killed them after they saved them. Casting her mother out, literally throwing her out of her life. Every violent and passionate urge spilled into her mind in a cavalcade of destructive self satisfaction.
“Life before death. Strength before weakness. Journey before destination," intoned Vengeance, "You are a knight, a champion. You have always been. Be my knight. Protect me."
Re: [The Dorms] A Perilous Acquaintance
“Nooooo. No no. No no no. Fuck,” Willow began to curse as she felt herself being pressed down. There were a number of more articulate thoughts trying to say anything useful, but alas she ended up with what she got as Vengeance grew around her. A matter that didn’t improve as the Brit was startled to see Gold; to see herself though slightly altered. The resulting cascade of raw emotion was almost too much for her. As the scenes played out in such detail that Willow could practically feel her knuckles cracking against flesh, accompanied by that familiar thrill of not just fighting but conquering her opponents. Then came the oaths.
“Cats… If I was still in Primary, getting the title Knight of Vengeance would probably have been enough of a sell. That said, I’m in my Hedge knight phase,” the word sounded strained, but gradually became stronger as she braced herself against Vengeance’s weight. “My life is mine, to bend to another is the death my self. My strength is the faith my friends have put in me, to abandon those would be weakness. And my journey is my own, I’ll figure out the destination eventually.”
“Cats… If I was still in Primary, getting the title Knight of Vengeance would probably have been enough of a sell. That said, I’m in my Hedge knight phase,” the word sounded strained, but gradually became stronger as she braced herself against Vengeance’s weight. “My life is mine, to bend to another is the death my self. My strength is the faith my friends have put in me, to abandon those would be weakness. And my journey is my own, I’ll figure out the destination eventually.”
Re: [The Dorms] A Perilous Acquaintance
"Heart of she," cooed Vengeance, not looking at Willow in the eyes, but at where her heart would be, "Heart of mine."
A terrible pain wracked the Allomancer's chest, as Vengeance tried to press her hands into flesh. Her jade colored digits dug in without drawing blood, and there came the alien sensation of fingers wrapping around Willow's heart.
"Mine," snarled Vengeance, a bitter face that Willow would have recognized in a mirror, "you have no right to keep what is rightfully mine!"
She pulled.
"You got to know Dad."
And yanked.
"You got friends who admired you."
And tore.
"You got to fall in love."
As much as Vengeance tried, nothing could wrench Willow's heart free. In the Allomancer's faith and resolve, the strength of the deity waned sharply. The still world around them began to spur to life.
Manon's hand shook her out of the communion.
"Willow," hissed Laframboise, "now iz not ze time for shell shock."
Vengeance was gone, leaving only the gentle hiss of wraiths and the creaking of dead tress to fill the void. Eryl was still watching schools of them fly off towards the direction of the Leaf village. Some of the resident wraiths, big and small, were getting agitated, but Maelgwyn didn't seem bothered
"You just need to get the staff to the platform," clarified Eryl, "is that right?"
A terrible pain wracked the Allomancer's chest, as Vengeance tried to press her hands into flesh. Her jade colored digits dug in without drawing blood, and there came the alien sensation of fingers wrapping around Willow's heart.
"Mine," snarled Vengeance, a bitter face that Willow would have recognized in a mirror, "you have no right to keep what is rightfully mine!"
She pulled.
"You got to know Dad."
And yanked.
"You got friends who admired you."
And tore.
"You got to fall in love."
As much as Vengeance tried, nothing could wrench Willow's heart free. In the Allomancer's faith and resolve, the strength of the deity waned sharply. The still world around them began to spur to life.
Manon's hand shook her out of the communion.
"Willow," hissed Laframboise, "now iz not ze time for shell shock."
Vengeance was gone, leaving only the gentle hiss of wraiths and the creaking of dead tress to fill the void. Eryl was still watching schools of them fly off towards the direction of the Leaf village. Some of the resident wraiths, big and small, were getting agitated, but Maelgwyn didn't seem bothered
"You just need to get the staff to the platform," clarified Eryl, "is that right?"
Re: [The Dorms] A Perilous Acquaintance
Manon’s voice snapped Willow out of her trace. The Brit could feel cold sweat on her forehead as her eyes refocused, but that was almost unnoticeable compared to the phantom pain in her chest. Of all the injuries she had imagined getting she had not had Temple of Doom priest on her Bingo card. Shit that had hurt. As she gathered herself, Willow felt the pain shift into a distinct sense of irritation. Clearly Vengeance wasn’t actually Gold, and due to weird dream chicanery was just using Other Willow’s, her own, face as a way to mess with her head. It wasn’t the mind fuckery that irritated her though, more it was the gall to use Gold’s face. Gold had tons going for her, and to suggest the other wanted vengeance against her was absurd… right? Rubbing her chest where the shade had reached for her heart, Willow gave a shake of her head and turned to Manon.
“In theory? I’d guess I’d need to do something with it once I’m up there,” started Willow after clearing her throat. “We should assume we’re expected, though; or at least anticipated.”
Returning to the embankment, Willow watched the other spriggan as it made its offering. Whispering back to Eryl, Willow continued,
“Caxton said the staff is the key to exposing Vengeance to attack.[/b”
The words were to the best of her memory, which followed with Caxton’s note that the staff was a conduit to the world. It had felt more aligned with his instruction of using the staff to summon the artisans, but could it tie more into Vengeance? Maybe if she had practiced with summoning on the road like Caxton had suggested she might have a theory about anti-summoning or some bologna that would be more useful in the moment. How could she use a conduit for the world to undermine a vengeful god?
“So… How do I go about getting to the platform?” Willow asked with a wry smile towards Eryl, and it drifted South towards Horst, her own personal spriggan. “What constitutes a gift to the Slumberer, Horst?”
“In theory? I’d guess I’d need to do something with it once I’m up there,” started Willow after clearing her throat. “We should assume we’re expected, though; or at least anticipated.”
Returning to the embankment, Willow watched the other spriggan as it made its offering. Whispering back to Eryl, Willow continued,
“Caxton said the staff is the key to exposing Vengeance to attack.[/b”
The words were to the best of her memory, which followed with Caxton’s note that the staff was a conduit to the world. It had felt more aligned with his instruction of using the staff to summon the artisans, but could it tie more into Vengeance? Maybe if she had practiced with summoning on the road like Caxton had suggested she might have a theory about anti-summoning or some bologna that would be more useful in the moment. How could she use a conduit for the world to undermine a vengeful god?
“So… How do I go about getting to the platform?” Willow asked with a wry smile towards Eryl, and it drifted South towards Horst, her own personal spriggan. “What constitutes a gift to the Slumberer, Horst?”
Re: [The Dorms] A Perilous Acquaintance
"Gift? You mean offering," were Horst's first words in a day or so. He massaged his throat in an attempt to find his voice, "Anything can be offering, if you believe it will wake Vengeance. Folder probably would've done it, but we'll never know now."
Manon tried not to show it, but Horst's presence did irritate her.
"Speed," answered Eryl in the lull, "the longer we linger in the open, the more resistance will build upon the path to victory. Assuming nothing apperated on top of us, we should take the straightest path."
The straightest path was a lengthy distance of low grasses and rocks that filled the space between them and the platform. The gully was the last landmark until the very center, but Vengeance had placed herself in the middle of a very open glen.
"Usually more of the Monster Queen's monsters here," commented Horst, "like big cloud of death. Clear skies today, scattered clouds at worst."
A distant warhorn, a clarion on the winds, signaled where the wraiths might have been. It sounded like the kind of brass canidaer carried.
"I can provide defense," Eryl motioned her hands to telekinetically draw her daggers into the opposite hands and bring forth her staff, "I am a well rated Abjurer. If you push ahead of me, I can ward attacks. Ms. Laframboise can hold the rear..."
"Hon hon."
"... and intercept threats as they arise. But, the most important thing is that you get to the platform with the staff. If Vengeance isn't exposed now then we need to ensure that situation precipitates itself."
Manon tried not to show it, but Horst's presence did irritate her.
"Speed," answered Eryl in the lull, "the longer we linger in the open, the more resistance will build upon the path to victory. Assuming nothing apperated on top of us, we should take the straightest path."
The straightest path was a lengthy distance of low grasses and rocks that filled the space between them and the platform. The gully was the last landmark until the very center, but Vengeance had placed herself in the middle of a very open glen.
"Usually more of the Monster Queen's monsters here," commented Horst, "like big cloud of death. Clear skies today, scattered clouds at worst."
A distant warhorn, a clarion on the winds, signaled where the wraiths might have been. It sounded like the kind of brass canidaer carried.
"I can provide defense," Eryl motioned her hands to telekinetically draw her daggers into the opposite hands and bring forth her staff, "I am a well rated Abjurer. If you push ahead of me, I can ward attacks. Ms. Laframboise can hold the rear..."
"Hon hon."
"... and intercept threats as they arise. But, the most important thing is that you get to the platform with the staff. If Vengeance isn't exposed now then we need to ensure that situation precipitates itself."
Re: [The Dorms] A Perilous Acquaintance
The back of Willow’s mind was split between trying to formulate a clever plan, berating herself for not being able to formulate a clever plan, and telling herself to proverbially kick down the front down and kick the party off with some energy. How would the Menagerie have handled this? Did she have time to ask more questions? Damn you Percy for quashing the natural urge to barge through problems like a bull.
“Hang back,” Willow spoke with what she hoped sounded like authority, burning a bit of Zinc to boost feelings of faith in her companions. “Horst and I will head to the platform with the staff. I’m not saying we are going to be a distraction, but we can get a litmus test of what to expect before committing our entire squad. If we just get rushed by wraiths I can blast the hoard with a wave of apathy again while you two move in to assist. If Vengeance shows herself… then similar plan but with me shifting my focus to her.”
A deep breath.
“The three C’s; questions, comments, concerns?” the tone carried mirth that her serious face didn’t reflect. Then without waiting for a response she grabbed Horst by the scruff and sat him on top of the lip of earth before mantling herself up. Shrugging off the straps of her pack, she held it against herself with a pull of Iron as she gripped the staff in her left hand while her right rested on the hilt of her saber. Under her breath, Willow spoke as she took the first step towards the platform, towards Vengeance, “Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more; Or close the wall up with our English dead. Follow your spirit, and upon this charge Cry 'God for Harry, England, and Saint George.'”
“Hang back,” Willow spoke with what she hoped sounded like authority, burning a bit of Zinc to boost feelings of faith in her companions. “Horst and I will head to the platform with the staff. I’m not saying we are going to be a distraction, but we can get a litmus test of what to expect before committing our entire squad. If we just get rushed by wraiths I can blast the hoard with a wave of apathy again while you two move in to assist. If Vengeance shows herself… then similar plan but with me shifting my focus to her.”
A deep breath.
“The three C’s; questions, comments, concerns?” the tone carried mirth that her serious face didn’t reflect. Then without waiting for a response she grabbed Horst by the scruff and sat him on top of the lip of earth before mantling herself up. Shrugging off the straps of her pack, she held it against herself with a pull of Iron as she gripped the staff in her left hand while her right rested on the hilt of her saber. Under her breath, Willow spoke as she took the first step towards the platform, towards Vengeance, “Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more; Or close the wall up with our English dead. Follow your spirit, and upon this charge Cry 'God for Harry, England, and Saint George.'”
Re: [The Dorms] A Perilous Acquaintance
"Vengeance."
A powerful gust blew through wide glade once Willow got her feet on top of the ridge. Horst tightened his grip on a spear as the tree at the center began to move. Boughs began to split apart, revealing the uncoiling frame of a feminine figure in the wood.
"One by one, I watched them die," continued the dark god's voice, resonating throughout over wavy, sparse grasses, "the perverted, mangled forms of they I called family. It was my duty to protect him, and I died for it. It is because of my sacrifice that the world goes on, but I am still bound to service."
A small horde of Wraiths, circling above, began to lower like hungering sharks. Three Brutes, like the one Willow fought in the Yormundyaws, climbed from shadowy pits at the edge of the platform.
"Those who harm him must suffer, those who harm this land must suffer, those who harm me. Must. Suffer. I am Vengeance, and this is my oath. Stiffen the sinews, conjure up the blood, disguise fair nature with hard-favoured rage. The game is afoot!"
The agents of Vengeance surged, the wraiths descended and the brutes lumbered forth. By this point, Willow had come halfway to the platform with Horst. The spriggan braced his spear.
"You die Monster Queen," roared Horst in a loud rattle, "The real Vengeance will wake today!"
He tossed his spear, skewering a descending wraith. As he snatched up a knife from his belt, the allomancer could hear her name in Manon's voice, likely as she and Eryl broke cover to join her.
A powerful gust blew through wide glade once Willow got her feet on top of the ridge. Horst tightened his grip on a spear as the tree at the center began to move. Boughs began to split apart, revealing the uncoiling frame of a feminine figure in the wood.
"One by one, I watched them die," continued the dark god's voice, resonating throughout over wavy, sparse grasses, "the perverted, mangled forms of they I called family. It was my duty to protect him, and I died for it. It is because of my sacrifice that the world goes on, but I am still bound to service."
A small horde of Wraiths, circling above, began to lower like hungering sharks. Three Brutes, like the one Willow fought in the Yormundyaws, climbed from shadowy pits at the edge of the platform.
"Those who harm him must suffer, those who harm this land must suffer, those who harm me. Must. Suffer. I am Vengeance, and this is my oath. Stiffen the sinews, conjure up the blood, disguise fair nature with hard-favoured rage. The game is afoot!"
The agents of Vengeance surged, the wraiths descended and the brutes lumbered forth. By this point, Willow had come halfway to the platform with Horst. The spriggan braced his spear.
"You die Monster Queen," roared Horst in a loud rattle, "The real Vengeance will wake today!"
He tossed his spear, skewering a descending wraith. As he snatched up a knife from his belt, the allomancer could hear her name in Manon's voice, likely as she and Eryl broke cover to join her.