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Post by Deleted on Aug 12, 2018 22:40:49 GMT -5
Strange new worlds and the war within them. Alexandria had been born anew. The rebuilding process hadn’t been completed fully yet but overall, the town and the castle had been brought back into a new life. And it had come at the hard work of everyone; soldier and villager alike. Rarely was it seen the combination of people working together towards a single goal and Beatrix had been more than proud to have taken part in it. Despite her rank and title, the General had put aside watching the workers and had dove right into the hard labor a number of times. The men and women of Alexandria were putting callouses on their hands to rebuild their home; why shouldn’t she? It had been refreshing to be working again; it reminded her of when she was still a trainee in the Alexandrian army. Simpler times, she had thought to herself then and even now.
But at the same time, her heart ached. Steiner and Princess Garnet had gone off with the rest of the band to help find Kuja and put an end to his treachery. That was some time ago and the only update she had received at all had been during her brief day off. She had wandered through the town, looking over the new renovations when she had run into Zidane and Tantalus’ leader Baku. It seemed the princess had run off and couldn’t be found. It hadn’t taken much thought for Beatrix to guess the one place that she would find solitude at; Queen Brahne’s grave. She told Zidane as much and gave him Garnet; the gemstone that had housed one of her removed eidolons. She had been holding onto it for some time, hoping after everything had come to an end, she could return it to the Princess as an inauguration gift. But the present was always a better time than the future and Zidane never returned in failure so she assumed he had found her.
While it had been… quaint to see Zidane, she truly longed to see Steiner. They had left things at such a strange place after his letter, in light of Kuja’s attack on Alexandria. Her feelings hadn’t changed for him and she could only hope his remained as strong too. But at the same time, she understood it could never be. After they had dealt with Kuja, after Alexandria had been completely healed of its wounds, she would have to leave. She was the last infected part of Brahne’s former rule and it was imperative that she remove herself so that her country could heal completely. That day was coming sooner than she had imagined and she just wanted to see Steiner one more time, even if it was briefly.
Yet until she could, she had a duty to uphold. And it seemed that, while they had successfully cleared out the Mist creatures from the town and beat them back during the construction, there was still danger lurking about. She had heard from her soldiers that some kind of creature had been traipsing about the woods to the easy, near the farmlands that they had first used as a camping ground. No one had gotten hurt nor had any livestock been taken but a shadow clung to the edges of the treeline and made not only her soldiers but also the farmers wary. Was it some kind of monster or perhaps an agent of Kuja’s? Whatever the case, it was worth investigating.
Beatrix had headed off right near sunset, leaving the command of the castle’s guard to Arnis. The lieutenant had insisted upon coming with her, stating that such unknowable circumstances required backup. Normally she was correct but Beatrix countered her, explaining that the protection of the townspeople was far more important the singular life of hers. That and she was confident she could handle whatever it was that felt the need to cower among the trees. Even as the shadows crept in from the horizon, the General kept her gait even and consistent, her attention focused on the world about herself. The woods stretched up towards the darkening ceiling as she approached them, silent statues that towered over her with natural authority. She was only about sixty or so yards from the treeline when she saw movement among the bushes; a dark shape that dashed inwards once it saw her approach. Her hand swiftly when to her sword and pulled it free, arming herself as she picked up the pace and took off after the runner.
The chase was on.
Credit to Melusine at Pixel Perfect |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 18, 2018 16:47:29 GMT -5
Strange new worlds and the war within them. The woods held an aura about them, especially late at night. An intimidating pressure that threatened to break the psyche of anyone that dared enter it. It had to do with something about the looming trees, with their shadowed limbs stretching up into the darkened canopy and down towards one’s gaze. Or the dead silence that was hummed about one’s ears as they focused on the world around them, trying to make out distinctive noises. There was a reason that one of the trials as a trainee in the Alexandrian army was to spend a night with the rest of your squad in the woods. It could very well make or break one’s spirit and courage.
Beatrix had braved these woods many years ago, as far as back as her teenage years. She could remember little from the trip but she knew that she had come out of it unblemished from its terror. The rest of her squad had made it out alive as well, though none of them had rose through the ranks as quickly as her after. She hadn’t quite put it together before that, after that trial, she had separated herself from the pack at an even more alarming rate. Maybe she had solved that riddle subconsciously, thus reaffirming her choice to continue the trials even to this day.
But inner, philosophical discoveries weren’t the reason she had journeyed in here this evening. The mysterious shadow that had been scaring the locals were and she needed to keep her focus sharp if she hoped to find it. So the shadows that seemed to stretch down from the branches had to be ignored, unless any of them decided to come down in a surprise attack. She levied her gaze forward, expanding her good eye wide so her peripheral was at its maximum range. None had managed to surprise her before a battle to this day and she wasn’t about to fail in her streak when it mattered most.
Her steps were careful, each footfall meticulous in thought and planning despite of easy and smooth it looked. She moved fluidly through the woods, moving around barriers and avoiding areas that would make noise under her feet. Her prey was being just as silent as her, which meant they had entered a game of seeing who made a sound first. A deadly game when it came to the protection of a country against a possibly violent force. But despite the silent movement, Beatrix did very little in terms of hiding herself. She walked among the tree trunks like a local denizen, marching through the open valleys without pause or attempt to flatten herself. She refused to be hide when it was entirely possible her target was putting more distance between themselves and her.
She neared a clearing in the wooded area, a patch of open field that was completely encircled by trees. It wasn’t in a perfect circular shape; in fact, it seemed more curvy than many other areas like this that she had seen. Her brow furrowed slightly as she looked around the entire perimeter of the new area. What was far more strange was that she couldn’t remember seeing this open area before. She knew this forest fairly well and she’d never laid eyes on the shape and outline of this expanse. Yet coupled with that missing knowledge was the overwhelming feeling of… familiarity. Deja vu of the strangest strain muddled her thoughts for a moment before she shook it away, even more curious than before.
After taking a moment to survey her surroundings, she walked out of the woods and into the clearing. As she continued inwards towards the center, the pressure of the silence around her seemed to dissipate. The leaf-filled branches that reached from the edges faded away into the night, swallowed up by the darkness. She came to an abrupt stop, having found the exact center of the glade. She turned in a circle slowly, her eye searching out for any sign of movement. But it seemed her former surroundings had faded away. In fact, it seemed the onset of nighttime was making everything much harder to discern. Even her sharp eye would have issue seeing movement in the thick miasma of the evening. Luckily she had packed a torch for this exact reason.
She pulled the long piece of wood from her belt and bent down into a crouch, stabbing the end of the torch into the ground. With it secured, she reached into the small bag attached to her belt and pulled out a flat stone and flint. She got it arranged in her hands and brought it close to the oiled top of the torch. One quick strike against it would create the spark she need and she dashed her hand forward, dragging the flint across the rock in perfect practice. But… no spark came. Not even a visual hint that she had struck it, beyond the small crack of stone hitting stone. She paused for only a moment to wonder before she repeated the action, putting a bit more force into the next strike. Yet still, no spark came. What in the name of Alexander did this mean?
“Let me get that for you.”
Credit to Melusine at Pixel Perfect |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 18, 2018 16:48:43 GMT -5
Strange new worlds and the war within them. The words that had broke the eerie silence hadn’t come from anywhere near her -- she liked to think she would have sensed the presence of a body if they had. But as soon as they came, the flint and stone were forgotten and Beatrix was on both feet again, her hand smoothly drawing out Save the Queen and putting it in front of her. As she did so, the ground beneath her feet suddenly ignited with blue flames. They didn’t rise up like a wall of fire but instead scorched across the earth in a... deliberate direction and speed. They weaved through one another and then curled away, only turning as they reached the boundaries of the meadow. The area she had journeyed into came into better clarity as the fire trails drew their lines swiftly. And once they had completed their task, they fizzled out, leaving only a glowing line of azure. The lines were clearly magical in nature, as clear and crisp as the chalk lines of an alchemy board. Yet they hummed and cast the clearing in a strange light, if one could call it that.
Beatrix’s white duster was practically glowing as bright as the lines in the soil, making her a beacon in the darkness. But that didn’t stop her from staying on guard, her eye deadset into the abyss from where the voice had come. It hadn’t been near her, that much was true, but she could clearly pick up where it had originated. And her suspicions were confirmed only a moment later as a figure walked out from the edge of the lit area, stepping onto the board as it were. The voice had definitely been masculine, though the figure before her was clad in a cloak. It was devoid of any insignia or identifying embellishments, looking more like a black woolen blanket rather than an article of clothing. The hood of it was pulled low over the man’s face but she could very clearly make out the makings of a mask covering the lower portion of his face, the metal of it glistening slightly from the light.
“In the name of the Princess Garnet, future queen of Alexandria, I order you to identify yourself,” Beatrix demanded, her voice even and direct.
“Future queen, sure. But for how long? Life lines are fickle; people don’t really understand that a world’s existence is nearly as fragile as a mortal’s,” the man responded, shrugging his shoulders slightly. “As such, what’s the point of names? We’re passing figures in a never-ending stream of existence.”
“Are you threatening Alexandria? Gaia? Are you an agent of Kuja’s?” She turned it right back on him without a moment’s hesitation.
“An observer doesn’t threaten, he simply… observes? I can see the path this world -- your Gaia -- is on and, as it is, it will all come to an end. Kuja has the means and the anger to do just that. Sorry about that. I know it’s a bummer to hear that.”
Beatrix scoffed lightly. “And why should I believe a word you’re saying? What proof do you have to backup your ‘observations’ beyond just spouting out words at me?”
He gestured to the ground, to the glowing lines that lay beneath both their feet. “Do you think I would waste all my time and effort to get you out here for nothing? For showmanship? I am far less extravagant than that. At least normally -- sometimes I like to think outside the box.”
“So this… clearing is your doing?” She asked quietly, glancing away for only a moment. Then she went further, “what do you mean, ‘get you out here’? Were you trying to get my attention?”
He snapped his fingers and pointed at her in a single finger-gun. “Bingo, kid. I was wondering just how many reports of a ‘skulking figure’ in the woods you were going to get before you finally came. I was almost worried we were going to run out of time. Luckily you proved your exactly who I was looking for.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Nothing is etched in stone, despite what a lot of loony philosophers will try to tell you. Fate is fluid and can easily be pushed one way or another with a little influence. Trust me; I’ve seen plenty of people claiming to be agents of fate left standing with their jaws dropped in utter shock at what transpired. That’s why I would never claim to be one; I hate being wrong. It’s also against my nature. I simply see possibilities, different routes, alternative paths. And the people that can help change them.”
“And… what? You think I’m someone that can help with that?”
“Not just you alone, no. No one person can do anything impactful without some influence. Sure; a singular being can be the catalyst of change but that comes about because of the impact that others have had on them. A family member that you reconnect with after some years, friends that you’ve just made, a handsome knight-captain you’ve grown fond of. You just, generic examples. The group that is trying to stop Kuja now; they never would have been able to do it by themselves. They needed impressions put on them by all the forces around them -- good, bad or whatever in between.” He raised his hand and pointed at her with a single finger. “You’ve already changed. You embraced empathy and risked your career and your life to save Princess Garnet. You always had a large heart, General Beatrix, but you’ve actually opened it up now. Amazing what can happen when you do, isn’t it?”
“Enough!” Beatrix snapped, her tone sharp. “I didn’t ask for a verbal breakdown on philosophy or my personal history from a stranger who draws fire symbols in the forest at night. I asked for your name.” Her hands shifted, bringing the point of Save the Queen down a bit more so it was pointed directly at the man.
He sighed dramatically. “Always the little things…” He grumbled before he righted himself. “Fine. You can call me Rax’tan. And for your information, I didn’t create this symbol. I simply brought it into the light. This entire area was hidden away behind a veil. Though… you should know that.”
Her brow twitched slightly at that comment. “What do you mean by that?”
He chuckled. “What, are you telling me you don’t remember? I would have thought you would never forget something like that.”
“Enough of this. You will surrender yourself to me and will be further questioned once we return to Alexandria.” She shifted once more, taking a single step forward towards Rax’tan. “Do so peacefully and no harm will come to you.”
“Unfortunately I have prior commitments so I’m going to have to turn you down on the offer,” Rax’tan said with another shrug. “But you’re more than welcome to try and make me.”
“My pleasure.”
Credit to Melusine at Pixel Perfect |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 26, 2018 23:00:05 GMT -5
Strange new worlds and the war within them. Rax’tan spoke with an authority that wasn’t fitting; one that would have insulted a lesser person than Beatrix. She had long moved past verbal jabs and attempts to rile her up (or so she believed). But he was resisting her taking him into custody and that was unacceptable. His riddles weren’t true answers to questions and she knew that she needed them. He had not-so-subtly threatened her country, her world and she needed to get to the bottom of that.
So the General launched herself forward, swinging her sword at the mysterious man. She brought it forward with the blunt-side leading, only wanting to knock him down and out. She had moved with such speed and power she knew it was going to be over before he even knew what happened. Or so she believed; her sword suddenly stopped before it connected with Rax’tan and as her eyes snapped down, she saw that his gloved hand had come out blocked it with a knife-edge. It was true she was not using her full strength but halting a weapon’s progression like that was…
It would have been impressive, if it weren’t by a possible enemy. She pulled the weapon back in a smooth motion and brought it back around the other side, taking a far more sharp swipe at him. He would certainly balk at the possibility of trying to block the sharp edge. But he didn’t and his hand stopped the blade in its spot again. There was no hint of the edge even cutting him, nor slicing open the glove he wore.
“How… ?” She asked, her eyes snapping up to where his face should be.
Rax’tan shifted his head slightly, the hood pulling back slightly to reveal more of his mask. It was unlike anything she had seen before and yet eerily familiar. It looked similar to a knight’s mask but flatter than it’s rounded counterpart. The t-space used for face wasn’t there, only a bar where the eyes were. That slot was covered in a glass-like substance that was tinted to near onyx. Red markings were painted down the front of it vertically, combining over the chin into one solid bar of color. “That’s all it takes to confound you? Maybe you aren’t as impressive as I first thought.”
More verbal jabs that fell flat. Beatrix yanked her sword back and then thrust it forward, aiming to stab him through the stomach. It was a calculated strike; it would certainly cause some pain and bleeding but it wouldn’t be fatal. It would just injure him enough to take him out of the fight… or it would have if it had struck true. Instead, Rax’tan leapt into the air in front of her and then came down, balancing on the blade with both of his feet like a trapeze artist. He crossed his arms in front of his chest as she looked at her bewilderment, the slight cock in his head telling just how smug he was. It was like he was as light as a weather and yet the General could feel his weight pressing on her weapon. No, it wasn’t the weapon; she felt it like he was standing on her shoulders and trying to push her into the ground.
She had known he possessed some form of magic but this was… unique. She pushed her shoulders up instinctively and then flicked both of her wrists, attempting to flip him off her weapon. He did so, back flipping with ease and landing back on the ground in front of her. He shrugged yet again, as if to ask her if she was planning on giving up. What a foolish assumption.
She snapped her sword to the side, transferring full control of it to her right hand. Her left snapped up and unleashed a flash of light, releasing magic from her palm at her target. The Silence spell wrapped around him, causing him to turn his head to the side slightly -- like he had spotted a fly in the air. Then she brought her sword back in from the side, attempting yet another slash at his side. This time he didn’t block it; instead, he jumped into the air once more and… wrapped himself around the source awkwardly. It was like he had become a fluid all of a sudden, swimming through the air around her sword and arm and then darting over her shoulder.
She spun around to find him standing before her, his arms still crossed. “You’re a quite the tactician. Assume I’m using magic so you take away my ability to do so. I was impressed before but seeing it firsthand…” He unfolded his arms and gave her a small clap. “Now, if you’ll let me finish--"
He had to stop before finishing his sentence as her sword swiped at him once more. He leapt back away from it but found her quickly in pursuit, her weapon now sliding through the air in front of her with ease. He was forced to backpedal, twisting his body every which way to avoid her slashes and stabs. He heard the loud screech of magic imbuing itself within metal, his attention focused on the blade as it began to glow. That gave her the opening she needed and she finally managed to land a hit -- a front kick to his chest that surprised him and knocked him back. It set him in the perfect position for her to leap up, her sword rising above her head and becoming a beacon of light within the dark world. And then she came down, her finishing attack screaming as it tore through the air.
It hit and the world around them exploded with magical power. Dust from a nonexistent ground shot up around her, swirling through the air as it blocked her vision. She held her footing carefully, her sword immersed in the smoke and her opponent, she believed.
But as the smog cleared, her eye widened slightly as she found Rax’tan standing there before her. Her sword rested in his grip, his right hand tightly wound around the blade. She tightened her grip around her weapon’s handle and attempted to pull it from from her hold to no avail. “Woo! Now that was some power; color me even more impressed,” he said jovially, like a child discovering a new toy. “You sure know how to put the pressure on.”
“Is this some kind of game to you?” She asked him in a hushed tone, doing her best to quell her anger.
“Oh no, I take this very seriously. If I didn’t, I would have simply popped you on the head and left you here. Or at least I think it would be simple; you’re definitely making me work right now.”
“Your mocking is futile. I’m not going to be incensed by drivel; don’t pretend to have exerted yourself when you clearly are the superior,” she snapped right back, her tone serious but unhurt. She knew when to acknowledge superior strength and he was obviously above her.
“Careful; you know what they say about assumptions,” he threw right back at her, giving her weapon a squeeze that was clearly meant to hard fix a point. That’s when he released her blade, the General quickly yanking it back and to her side. As she did some, something fell to the ground beside Rax’tan, a spattering of something. It was far too dark to distinguish any particular color but based on the way it dripped from his hand, she could only guess it was blood. So she had injured him.
“Our time is running out. You have a much more important place to be,” he said softly as he pulled the injured arm back and rested it behind his back.
“What do you mean by that?” She was quick to ask, her attention peaked even higher.
“Right now, the group of people you cherish is heading to their final hurdle. But they can’t reach their battleground unless you join the fray.” He didn’t wait for her to ask any questions, holding up his uninjured hand to stop her. “I won’t lie to you, General; the minute you walk out of this forest, this entire encounter will disappear from your memory -- much like the last time you were here. An unfortunate side effect of what is happening to this world. But memories are never truly lost; they are merely locked away. And if you can find a way to unlock them, free them from the prison in your heart, you may be surprised what you find. Now go; your queen and your beloved need you.”
“No. I told you that I was taking you back to Alexandria.” She pushed back against his words, bringing her sword back up. Internally her head was swimming, her mind trying to wrap around everything he was saying. It all sounded insane and yet… there was a genuine feeling from him that she just couldn’t look past. Despite her misgivings, she knew he wasn’t lying to her.
Rax’tan chuckled. “How about a rain check on that?” He turned his hand around and snapped, the sound of it echoing throughout the dark realm. Not even a moment passed before the light began to drain from the floor beneath them, returning the world to dark.
Beatrix glanced around quickly before she set her gaze back on him. She leapt forward, her hand reaching out to grab at his shoulder, his body, at anything she could get a hold of. But as the shadows swallowed him up, so did they with her. As the sound of rushing ear reached her ears, she was lost in the dark once more.
“Don’t forget; listen to your heart. It will tell you what to do.”
Credit to Melusine at Pixel Perfect |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 26, 2018 23:29:21 GMT -5
Strange new worlds and the war within them. Beatrix’s eyes suddenly opened, finding herself standing at the edge of the woods. The ominous dark of the forest loomed in on her, even as the shadows danced upon the bark of the the tree trunks. She looked up at the torch that burned bright in her hand, the fire growling softly as it flickered. She couldn’t recall lighting it… she couldn’t really recall anything from the last minute or so. She had come to the woods to investigate… something. “General!” Arnis’ voice cut through the air like a knife, causing her skin to prickle at the sudden noise. She spun around to face the approaching lieutenant, who was in a full sprint. The armored woman only slowed down when she was practically in front of Beatrix, clasping her knees with her hands as she caught her breath. “General, the scouts have reported Mist. It’s returned and its thicker than ever. It’s coming down over the mountain and it’s going to surround the entire city. General… it could swallow up the entire world. Mist? Where had it come from? How had it returned so quickly without their knowing ahead of time? The Eifa Tree had been the force that had generated the Mist in the first place and according to Steiner and them, they had defeated the beast protecting it and stopped the supply. Had it restarted once more? Something panged in her heart, like it was trying to tell her something that she didn’t fully comprehend. “Is the Red Rose resupplied?”Arnis blinked in surprise. “Yes, it is but…” “Gather the soldiers and round up the citizens outside the city. Bring them within the walls and secure them within the castle. Post guards at any entrance of the city and tell them to keep any monsters from getting in. Also send two of our soldiers to Lindblum and have them relay this message to the Regent; ‘General Beatrix is taking the Red Rose to the Eifa Tree to investigate the origin of the Mist. She kindly requests that he bring as many of his airships as he can spare.’ Hopefully with his air force and ours, we’ll discover the source of this new Mist.” She had begun walking back towards the castle, moving as quick as humanly possible without running. Arnis was right beside her. “Okay but who is going to crew the Red Rose with you?” “The Knights of Pluto. Their captain is at the Eifa Tree; I know they will want to help him.”“Captain Steiner is there? How… how do you know that, General?” Beatrix’s gaze flickered away for only a moment, curious herself. “I’m not sure. It’s just… a feeling.” There was no rational explanation to why she should possess that knowledge but she felt it, strong within her heart. She looked at her lieutenant. “I’m going to head to the docks immediately. Lieutenant… make sure you hold the city. We just finished rebuilding her; we cannot afford to lose her again.”“We won’t, General,” Arnis assured her, giving the ranking office a firm nod. Beatrix returned it, even as her gaze flicked away. In her memory was a blank slate, wiped away by something she couldn’t understand or even name. She knew she had gone to the forest to inspect something but all she remembered was right before leaving the city walls and then right as she was standing at it’s edge. She shook her head softly; she would have to think on it later. Now, she had to solve this far more glaring problem. The Eifa Tree was her target and, with any luck, her arrival there would help bring the campaign against Kuja to an end. --Finish Thread-- Credit to Melusine at Pixel Perfect |
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