Corpus Rahkshi

IC: Hoto - Causeway

She sighed with relief as he told her about his own level up. He didn't sound resentful. There would no longer be that nagging feeling that something was off about him.

But she didn't know how to respond to his sudden declaration. "Oh... I..." she struggled to begin. No, words would be useless. She shoved the hand aside and gave him another hug. She had to admit she missed it too.

"Th-thank you," she mumbled uncertainly. "I... I'm sorry for... all the trouble I... know I put you through. You... you don't need to thank me. Just the fact that... you came and... you're still here shows me all I need. So... thanks."

IC Kat(Backstab):

I nodded, seems like a good plan.

"Era, you think you can weaken some of these supports?"

IC Vaalku

Oh, he nearly had a heart attack when the rainbow Rahk sprung on him suddenly. Flipping backwards with a cry, he ran into the wall and slumped to the floor.

"Good to see you too." He grumbled. "And did you say Talent Show?"

IC: Silver - Visorak wilds

I felt Vorjak near me. I tried to say something, but no sound escaped my mouth. My eyes brightened and I flashed him a thumbs-up. I slowed down and started to stick to the shadows of the trees, staff ready to strike at the faintest sign of an enemy.

IC: Blitz - Hallways

The Rhotuka hit me in the faceplate, its effects washing over me almost immediately.

"Ayyy... how am I supposed to get grub like this?"

IC: Lucid / Courtyard

Why was he so jumpy? Sheesh, it wasn't like she attacked him or anything. She watched skeptically as he flipped himself backwards and then into a wall.

"I think I did. But can anyone truly know the past?" she replied mysteriously.

* * *

IC: Shark / Team Doublecross / Visorak Wilds

Shark nodded, then held up a hand to signify: stop.

He lowered the silence field and stood, unmoving, for it would not pay to make any avoidable noise. But now they would benefit from speech. "We should see about getting a look at their base," he whispered. "If I am correct," he looked to the stars for guidance (not the esoteric kind Lucid saught, but mere navigational advice), "it's that way." He pointed in the general direction of the blue base.

"If you need to speak, do this." He held up his hand, his first two fingers pointing up and the rest clenched. "Then I'll let up the silence field. Okay?"

* * *

IC: Jayar / Causeway

Jayar grinned contentedly and hugged Hoto back. "These moments make it all worthwhile," he whispered back.

IC: Deadeye

The mace hurt. A lot. It didn't help that when Deadeye got up to attack Tube, Whak immediately punched him in the face, knocking him straight back to the ground. 

IC: Silver - Visorak wilds

I stopped and nodded. Vorjak was showing to be an important ally.

"Hey, can you climb?" I whispered and set my foot on a nearby tree. Climbing them would be easy, if a little slower, and it would definitely gain us an advantage.

IC: Shark / Team Doublecross / Visorak Wilds

"I can, but to what end?" replied Shark. They didn't need to climb trees, they needed to move closer to the enemy base.

And further from theirs. Shark had not forgotten his murderous ambitions, of course. But they needed to be in the middle of nowhere for him to make a move, preferably such that the death would appear a tragic accident. It shouldn't be hard in such treacherous terrain.

IC: Illusive - Empty Dorm Wing.

The anger wouldn't fade. I couldn't shake it, couldn't push it down, couldn't suppress it. And finally, I realised why: this wasn't my anger at all. I snarled, rising to my feet and looking around for whoever was causing this. 

And there they were, peeking out from the end of the corridor. I drew Serpent-Fang and advanced on them, ready and willing to give them a taste of their own power. 

IC: Silver - Visorak wilds

"Well, for one, it would give us the advantage of height and more stealth, especially when your silence field is active." Then my face brightened.

"Hey, what if we hid the flag in the trees? Maybe disguise it in a natural-looking nest? We're not too far away, we could come back, tell the others, and then resume our mission? Sliver will also have a great place for sniping Backstabbers."

IC: Shark / Team Doublecross / Visorak Wilds

Shark shook his head. "Too late to discuss hiding the flag; we left that job with Sliver. Now our job's to see if we can find a good route to the enemy base, and gather any other important information, so that we can formulate a plan of attack. As for climbing trees... not likely to work. It will be impossible to get from one to another; if we try, we'll just wind up crashing to the ground. I'd rather find that labyrinthine tunnel system that's supposed to be around here somewhere." Because in a labyrinthine tunnel system, no one would even need to find the body.

IC: Silver - Visorak wilds

I narrowed my eyes, and the branch I had laid my hand on started to dissolve.

Not now.

Then I nodded slightly and followed Vorjak. He'd shown his intelligence and prowess time and time again.

IC: Shark / Team Doublecross / Visorak Wilds

Shark reactivated the silence field and made his noiseless way through the forest. The land grew heavily sloped in places, and occasionally dropped off altogether in a cliff or crevice. Other places thick thorny scrub blocked the way. It was a hard land, bursting with easy opportunities to eliminate his comrade - but not yet. Shark would wait until he felt the time was absolutely right, or he would lose his opportunity forever, to act.

IC: Silver - Visorak wilds

I followed, perfectly alert. In my mind's eye, I imagined the map of the island shown to us in the crawler. If Shark had judged correctly, we were already about a third of the way to the enemy's base. Just in case I kept my eyes peeled for a blue flag. It was a very small chance, but 'better safe than sorry'.

IC: Era - Team Backstab (Farsholt Village).

I stepped forwards, hands raised, and started feeling along the wall. "Could you please help me put my hands over the spots so I know I'm attacking the right areas?" I asked Kat. Surprisingly, I was no longer ashamed to ask for help from others. 

IC: Hoto - Causeway

She felt like she could stay in his arms forever, especially if it would prevent a certain crazy Rahkshi from carrying out his plans. But they might as well take this chance while everyone was gone.

"Did you want to try another lesson?" she asked softly. "No one would be around to watch, and it will be quiet."

There wasn't much else she could do. The Gym and the Library held no appeal for her anymore.

IC: Tube - Library

Tube stood over Deadeye, breathing hard with frustration. As Whak came up to get a punch in, Tube looked back to her eagerly. "Are you okay?" they asked.

IC: Rain - Starhorn Range (Team Doublecross)

The keen eyes that had served her so well for painting minute strokes would be just as effective at scouting. That is, if she could focus on scouting for more than a few minutes. Her hands shook and scratched at the X's on her face. They reached for her bag as if with a mind of their own. At last, she couldn't take it any longer, and the paints were in her hands almost before she realized what was going on.

I have to focus! I'm scouting! I'm... oh, look at that mountain peak...

She roughed in a few lines, then lifted her eyes to take another look. As they searched for her place, she caught a few branches shaking. They were close to the Doublecross base. Surely the enemy couldn't have gotten that far, it must be their own scouts.

But the worry did snap her back to her self-imposed duty. And it also helped remember a certain fact:

Scribbler is out there...

IC: Whakatio

"I'm fine." Whak said, slamming her foot down on Deadeye's chest before he could move again.

IC: Shark / Team Doublecross / Visorak Wilds

At long last the two scouts came to approach the base of the mountain range. Here, free from the obtrusive mountains, the jungle intensified into a sort of frenzy of ominous greenery. Clearly the terrain was still going to be difficult to navigate, though. He let the silence field down a moment. "Keep an eye out for any sort of caves - entrances to the Low Way," he whispered to Silver before reactivating the field and continuing into the jungle.

* * *

IC: Jayar / Causeway

Jayar considered Hoto's offer for a moment. That lesson remained one of the most revered memories Jayar had accrued in his brief life so far. But as much as would like to return to the quiet hallways and learn the secrets of navigating without sight, what was the point? Within Sontiri, he had learned everything Hoto could teach him.

"There's no need," he said, his voice bittersweet. "When we were... Sontiri.., your knowledge was mine. I... I already know."

It would be too disappointing, though, to pass up such an perfect opportunity. "But - I can always use practice," he added hopefully. "So... we can do another lesson, if you still want to. It'll just need to be... more complicated."

IC: Silver - Visorak wilds

I nodded and followed.

IC: Hoto - Causeway

"Oh... of course," she murmured. Why wouldn't he know it all? She had... remembered a few things from Era while they were in Dekako. She just hadn't thought about it. Especially since Sontiri wasn't even a distant memory to her. It was just Jayar's story, the story that made sense and couldn't be a lie. 

"We can try... I... I guess." More complicated... How complicated should she make it? What did he want to try? She hadn't even thought about lessons that far in advance.

IC: Tube - Library

Tube didn't bother to look back down to Deadeye. His pain was well deserved. "Good!" he piped up. "We should go before he gets mad again. He wasn't very nice."

Ic Kat(Backstab):

"Yeah, I need some frequency..... here" She tapped the spot on the support beam.

"Here..." a second support.

"And here." A third and final support.

"And then I need you to get clear, okay?"

IC Poly:

Our blade flashed, plunging toward the eye of the netted and disoriented foe.

IC Vaalku

Right, you're talking to the sociopathic nutjob. Vaalku pulled himself up again. "Yes, you did." he said. "But who would want to host a talent show, what with people killing each other left and right?"

OOC: Sorry, for some reason I just forgot to do Lucid, Ghidora. I'll get her written up and either edit in or post separately.

IC: Jayar / Causeway

Jayar sighed. Yet another way fate conspired to use the ways Sontiri had brought them together to try push them apart.

"Well, do you want to?" he whispered kindly. "If you'd rather find something else to do, we don't have to. I guess... the really great thing about the lesson was just being off on our own, working on something together. We don't have to force another lesson if you don't think it'll work out."

But at Corpus Rahkshi, if you weren't training, researching, eating or sleeping, there wasn't much else to do. Apart from maybe recuperate from life-threatening injuries in the Infirmary, and thankfully neither of them needed that.

Unless, by a remarkable coincidence - or decree of fate? - a boat suddenly showed up, ready to take them to Malebranche, and Grossh. But that was too good to possibly happen, surely.

IC: Era - Team Backstab (Farsholt Village).

"Okay, here goes nothing," I placed my hand on the first of the spots and sent a pulse of sonic energy rippling through it, then moved on to the next two areas Kat had indicated. I could feel the weaknesses in the stone beginning to give way as they crumbled apart. 

"Alright, it's done!" I scurried backwards, giving Kat room to finish the job. "Go for it!" 

IC Kat(Team Backstab):

My eyes blazed, and I drew my fist back.

"Here goes!"

I launched it forward at a spot on the ancient wall my body surging with power and technique.

It slammed against the old stone, shaking it heavily.

For a moment, it seemed the plan had not worked. Birds flew off into the distance as as the dull thump reverberated through the area. My eyes narrowed. A  dull crack could be heard, followed by the grinding of stone on stone and the clatter of earth and rock. The entire building wobbled, shifting back and forth as it collapsed in on itself, burying the blue flag under even more rubble.

I turned flashing a wide grin.

"And that is how it's done~"

IC: Lucid / Courtyard

Seriously, why was this guy so tense around her? Lucid had to be one of the least intimidating Rahkshi in the entire school - she didn't carry a weapon, she didn't look burly or intimidating, she probably couldn't concentrate long enough to devise a scheme or plot. For Kojol's sake, she was painted like a rainbow. What was less frightening than a rainbow?

Anyway, though... "A guy called Metal, he's over there," she answered the paranoid Rahk, and pointed to that Porter she kept annoying. "As for why... maybe he thinks a friendly gathering of artists would counteract the hate and anger? I don't know."

IC: Blitz - Hallways

The thin sword passed through my eye's socket as if it was made of the refectory sludge, squirting Rahkshi blood.

"Ayyy..." and then the poison's full effects kicked in and all went black.

OOC: I don't want him to die just yet, at least not at the hands of Poly. Just a heads up.

IC: Exxan - Team Backstab (Farsholt Village).

I looked around, comparing this ruin to the others nearby. Around half the buildings in the village were partially or completely collapsed, and this one blended right in with the others. The condition of the stone and bareness of the earth gave no indication that this building had been knocked down more recently than the others.

It would be impossible for the enemy to figure out that our flag was here; we'd won.

"Well done," I couldn't help but smile at them all. "Now, let's set up a nice surprise for any enemies who find their way here." 

IC: Vlad / Courtyard

 

 

"Thank you so very much," said Vlad sarcastically. Bulleye's words did little to make him feel better.

 

Jump him, he's annoying.

 

No.

IC: Bullseye/Courtyard

Sarcasm was not lost on me, and frankly, I was offended. I frowned. For something like that, he should be surprised that he would be forgiven.

"You should at least feel gratitude to an actual apology, which I believe is something rare to receive for an action like that."

IC Vaalku

Metal... The name was very familiar, like he overheard it somewhere... But that was a porter.

"Listen, that is a porter. They deliver messages for Tridax and run errands as well. This "Metal" you speak of is most likely a fellow Rahk."

IC: Venom - Empty Dorm Wing

Busted...

Venom ducked back around the corner as she saw one of the Rahkshi approach her position, quickly stepping into one of the many unoccupied rooms as she closed the door behind her. Releasing the trio from the grip of her Anger, she silently crouched down behind an unused bed leaning up against one of the walls perpendicular to the door and began to wait. If she was lucky, he'd walk right by without noticing a thing, and she'd eventually be on her way. If he decided to walk in, however, the opening door would obscure her from his field of vision, and...

Well, the time he'd take freeing himself from being sandwiched between a fast moving piece of furniture and the opposite wall should provide her enough time to make a quick escape.

IC: Illusive - Empty Dorm Wing.

I heard the door shut, and was about to charge straight in when I realised that my rage had begun to fade. All that remained was my own anger towards whichever karzhead had made me angry in the first place. 

Now I could think this through rationally, it occurred to me that whoever I was hunting seemed to favour tactics similar to my own: they worked at a distance, turning people agaisnt each other. And if they shared any other qualities with me, then they were almost certainly preparing an ambush on the other side of that door. Why else would they corner themself like this? 

I pulled Legion off my belt and pushed open the door, flinging the light-absorbing chain inside and plunging the room into blackness dark enough to blind even Rahkshi eyes. Slamming the door once more, I stepped back and waited. 

IC: Whak

Whak began to retie Deadeye up, nodding at Tube.

Wrong place.

Ignore this.

ic

i think you are in the wrong topic brother goldierahks said solemnly.

-Tyler

IC Poly:

We pulled our blade out with a wet squelch as he slumped over, apparently dead. Our next target, The silent one. 

Some part of us recognised our anger fading, but at this point, we did not care. This place would be shown the truth, whether by choice, or through force. 

We stalked around the corner, bringing our rhotuka launcher up in time to see the silent one slam a door shut, as if waiting for prey. He would not get the chance. The energy disc hummed out at him, and we fololwed soon after it, a thrust aimed for the center of his chest.

IC: Illusive - Empty Dorm Wing.

I saw a flash of movement out the corner of my eye and reacted instinctively, ducking to the side. Turning towards my new foe, I swiveled Serpent-Fang, the teleporting blade springing into place just in time to block the sword strike.

I frowned at the other Rahkshi, regarding them quizzically. Why is he attacking me when the anger field is gone?

IC Poly:

Our swords locked, a mad gleam could be easily seen in our eye, as we pushed against the other.

"You will all see the truth, soon. Give in to us, and we shall show you!"

~KILL, MAIM, MURDER, DESTROY~

*THIS IS NOT THEIR PATH, IT IS OURS. THEY MUST SEE THE LIGHT OF SALVATION*

We pumped power through our rapier, hoping to induce enough nausea to give us our chance to strike the killing blow, bearing our own physical strength upon them.

IC: Illusive - Empty Dorm Wing.

Yeah, I don't think so... I felt the first onset of nausea and pulled away before the other Rahk's powers could take full effect. I took a few steps back, then pulled out the second net gun - Silencer's - and fired it at my attacker. You're going to regret this...

IC Poly:

Though our large frame would seem to indicate otherwise, given our chosen weapon, we were incredibly agile and nimble.The net fired off, rapidly expanding to swallow us like the maw of a great creature. We were not fazed, springing up and over in a high jump, tucking and rolling in the air to flip once over, coming down for a second stab aimed for the head.