|
Post by Jukka Canola on Dec 7, 2007 21:15:01 GMT -6
Jukka slowly slid the door open. As he was taking a deep breath, he felt a hand shove him and he flew out onto the caboose deck and the door slammed shut following a roostery "See ya later!" from Kysho. Jukka's anger flared at the thief and he instinctively raised his spear. A meteor crashing a few feet behind the caboose brought him back to the reality that he was outside. In a meteor storm. The explosion caused the caboose car to shake violently and Jukka grabbed onto a pole supporting the deck roof to steady himself and looked back.
The tracks that should have been behind Jukka were now in a fiery inferno. Apparently the meteor had hit the tracks. The train was moving fast - the explosion soon grew to a small orange glow in the distance. Hopefully the train wouldn't need to be coming back this way. A muffled voice caught Jukka's attention. He heard Kysho screaming through the caboose door at him.
Bribery...dirty thief. Jukka thought for a bit - nothing would be happier than to exact revenge on him. Thoughts were interrupted by yet another nearby meteor explosion, sending Jukka to the railing of the deck and almost over. He pulled himself together and looked around. A hole in the opposite wall...perhaps Jukka could make use of that. He grinned and shouted through the door. "Kysho! I'll give you whatever! Just open the damn door!" Jukka quickly pulled out a throwing spear and took his place, crouching in a throwing stance opposite the hole waiting for Kysho to step through the doorway.
|
|
|
Post by Presea Combatir on Dec 10, 2007 16:58:58 GMT -6
Kysho's face grew into a content grin, and he stepped back from the door, tapping his chin with his index finger in thought. "First of all, when we get to the next city I want you to buy me a five course meal with all the trimmings, everything included." Just thinking about food made the boy hungry, and his stomach responded with a low grumble. "Shut up," he mumbled, rubbing it impatiently. "How much money do you have on you? I'm not stupid; I'm not gonna open the door until we reach an agreement, and it looks like you have the short end of the stick what with being trapped outside and all."
He situated himself on the ground beside the door and began to tap on the floor in a random rhythm as he waited for Jukka to reply. "I'm open to anything above a thousand, FYI. You didn't think I wouldn't milk this for all it's worth, did you?"
~
Ailyse watched Serene and, seeing how she was acting, regretted saying anything at all. She always managed to say the wrongs things, and sighed as Ceileuse plopped into the seat across from her. She clutched the arms of her chair as the train buckled again. "I got nothing," she stated bluntly, flinching after another rickety shake. "I'm open to whatever, though, if someone manages to come up with something."
"Magic probably won't help on this huge scale phenomenon," Ceileuse muttered calmly, not bothering to grab onto anything as the train bumped. He sat there placidly in his seat, scratching his head in thought. "I have something that could probably be used as a last ditch effort to escape, but we'll save that for later..." As his voice diminished, he glanced down at the glowing dragonstone hanging from his neck, a bright, burning crimson color, and pursed his lips.
|
|
|
Post by Jukka Canola on Dec 10, 2007 17:52:37 GMT -6
Jukka still sat in the corner, listening to Kysho shout through the thick door. The muffled voice was requesting anything - and everything it seemed - above a thousand. Cute, real cute. But Jukka was patient. A meteor rocked the train a few cars up, sending a rather large shake, reminding Jukka that it was probably crazy to be patient at a time like this. He stood his ground however as Kysho continued placing orders through the door. Jukka couldn't help smirking at how desperate he was. He wouldn't get anything from Jukka now though, not after this.
Kysho paused, waiting for a reply from Jukka. And still he sat, silent and still in his corner, spear in hand lined up with the hole opposite him. He just needed curiosity to get the better of the thief and he'd be in business. If not however...Jukka looked to a ladder that led to the train roof...it would be a pretty wild ride getting back into the train.
|
|
|
Post by Presea Combatir on Dec 10, 2007 18:05:50 GMT -6
Kysho frowned at the silence outside, getting to his feet to put his hands on his hips. It didn't seem like Jukka was going to be saying anything, and the thief rolled his eyes exasperatedly. He was a very impatient person and heaved a sigh. "Well, I'm outta here. I"m not a very caring person, per se, and I have abandoned compartments to loot." Pulling the dagger from its leather hilt tied to the side of his knee, he twirled it around his finger, whistling casually as he left the car, locking this door behind him as well.
As the train rumbled beneath his feet, he debated on whether to go back to the room with Ailyse and the other lame people. Who knows, maybe the train was going to blow up. It's not like he actually knew what was going on. He didn't want to admit, but just maybe he needed help, and the scoldings he would receive would be nowhere near as bad as dying. The brunette scowled as he reluctantly headed back for the compartment with the others, not before quickly taking a peek in the room to his right for any valuables left behind.
|
|
|
Post by Jukka Canola on Dec 11, 2007 17:23:27 GMT -6
The muffled shouting stopped. Dammit... With a sigh, Jukka got up, put his spear back in his quiver, and walked cautiously to the ladder. He grabbed a rung and shook it. The whole ladder shook easily - it must have taken a hit from a meteor sometime during the storm. Still, there was no other way. Jukka swung himself to the other side of the rail at the end of the deck, and began ascending the rickety ladder.
The ladder was on the verge of breaking, so Jukka hurried and scurried to the roof as one of the rungs snapped off and fell down past the tracks, disappearing in the darkness. Jukka looked forward now - the train seemed to be going at insane speeds. The wind made Jukka's eyes tear and he looked back to wipe them away. His hand left his vision to see a meteor headed straight for him.
Reactions kicked in and Jukka got up and sprinted up the train roof as the meteor crashed into the spot where Jukka had been sitting. He kept sprinting, his progress impeded by the wind. Up ahead Jukka saw a small hole in the train roof, perhaps made by a small meteor. He sprinted on.
His legs were burning. 15 more meters. He looked up into the wind. His eyes grew big - another meteor headed straight for him. Yet the hole to safety was towards the meteor hurdling towards him. He made one last push and leaped. He felt his arm catch the edge of the hole and the rest of his body followed suit and tumbled through the hole as he felt the heat from the meteor pass over his back. He landed with a crash into the messy compartment.
|
|
|
Post by Aleu on Dec 12, 2007 16:54:59 GMT -6
Aleu shook her head. "I don't think we'll need anything like that; at least not right away. The train seems to still be working fine, and besides:" she gestured out of both windows. "Where will you go?" To the left was the immense moon, hanging like some massive fruit in the sky, and to the right was a solid wall of mountain, reaching up and up and out of sight. And of course, below was the star ocean.
Amid the silence, Serene seemed to draw out of her reverie, turning the face the group with her back, cushioned by feathers, pressed against the wall. "We could just wait it out. Kapu and Aleu have this car protected nicely, though if something hits the engine we're in a bit of trouble."
At this point Jukka thumped down from the roof, into the compartment next to the group. "Rather nice to see you again," David muttered, opening the door to let him in. "I see you don't have that thief with you; did you throw him off the train?" He eyed the soot on Jukka's clothes. "I suppose it was the other way around."
"Sit down, grab onto something sturdy. We're trying to figure out where to go from here."
|
|
|
Post by Presea Combatir on Dec 17, 2007 19:10:15 GMT -6
Kysho watched silently as Jukka was welcomed into the compartment with the rest of them and scowled. Great, now if he went in they'd all be on his side and crap. At least his loot bag was full from searching the other cars, and he shuffled towards their compartment, leaning on the wall beside the door. He let friction slow his fall as he slid his back down it until he met with the floor, sitting down. The thief slipped his dagger back into its sheath and heaved a sigh, folding his arms tightly at his chest. From through the wall, he heard them talking inside, and rolled his eyes. Noticing a stray tuft of coffee brown hair dangling between his eyes, he blew at it, watching amusedly as it drifted up, settling back in the same spot. He blew it again, beginning to get frustrated as it landed again even closer to his eye. Too lazy to move it with his hands, he continued to blow at it impatiently. "Stupid hair. I should shave my head bald."
~
"I guess anything's fine with me," Ceileuse replied to Serene. "I doubt something would be so perfect as to nail the engine exactly the right way to blow it up and make us screwed. Then again, maybe that's just what I'm hoping." Though the train continued to grumble below and buckle, he still didn't grab onto anything, watching as Ailyse continued to clutch her arms, starting to grow pale faced. "You okay, 'Lyse? You get train sick and stuff easily-"
"Shut up," she hissed as the train's bumping seemed to grow more and more violent by the second. It might have just been her mind playing tricks on her, but she struggled to keep her breaths calm. She didn't want to embarrass herself and hurl in front of everyone, but her stomach began to squeak. She hoped it was just something she ate before in that salad.
|
|
|
Post by Jukka Canola on Dec 18, 2007 21:39:30 GMT -6
Jukka was helped into the safe compartment by the David man again. Jukka stood near the door as it was slid shut. He looked around the compartment to see everyone else sitting down and holding themselves in. The ride was getting more and more wild, and it sure seemed like they had picked up speed. Unless that was just the sensation of being on the rooftop with the wind and meteors flying at you. Yeah, that was probably it.
The train made a quick turn which caused a little shake in everyone. Jukka looked around - no ideas had really been passed around. Jukka turned to David to say that they should explore any areas of the train that any of them hadn't seen so far - perhaps the front car? As he opened his mouth to ask, something else struck him, and his curiosity got the better of him.
"Who are you? I mean..I didn't see you before this all happened, you were the first one out of all of us who awoke, and you seem to be quite calm about it all!" The words spilling from Jukka's mouth gained speed as the sentence went on, and he ended it with a huffy breath. He probably sounded like a jerk - but he just had a not so pleasant experience, and this David guy was kinda getting on his nerves anyway.
|
|
|
Post by Aleu on Dec 19, 2007 0:18:35 GMT -6
"It's a good question, I have to admit," David said, spinning his blade casually before leaning against a row of seats. "Let's take your questions one at a time.
"You didn't see me because I like my privacy while traveling. The dining car was unbearably crowded, so I decided to just skip dinner for the day. A simple enough reason, no? Regardless, it's easy to forget faces of people you don't know, especially," here he pulled the brim of his hat over her face with a little grin. "If you can't see them."
"Second, I was the first awake because I hadn't gone to sleep. There's nothing wrong with being late to bed. It's only a little after midnight, anyway.
"As for your third question..." David flicked his hat up, looking grim. "There's a more interesting answer to that. I think I do have an idea of what's going on, even though I've never seen something like this before. I am not sure where we are or where we are going, though I have a hunch. But I do not believe we are in any immediate danger, regardless of what's going on outside.
"Because you see," he said with a glint to his eye. "That's not her style. I'm not sure yet what's going on..."
There was a squeal of applied brake pads.
"But I think we'll find out soon."
|
|
|
Post by Aleu on Dec 22, 2007 12:42:47 GMT -6
Sorry to break the tension, but this just had to be done: Drawn by Rakory of Gaiaonline.com
|
|
|
Post by Aleu on Dec 30, 2007 10:31:29 GMT -6
((TRIPLE POST))
The track, running directly alongside a set of mountains, suddenly took a sharp turn directly into the rocky crags, slipping behind a large outcropping of stone into a large tunnel dug into the mountainside. The train screeched around the bend, tilting precariously to one side, before righting itself and slowly entering the darkness.
Headlights flicked on, and a grim, pale-red glow began to emanate from the walls. Looking to either side, the group could see long, jagged grooves gouged into the rock, though they gave no indication of what had made them. Occasionally, there would be a deep spiral sunk into the stone instead of a ragged line.
The train slowed to a stop. Outside, a long, straight platform had been carved out of the moutain, in the style of a subway station or similar.
"Hello, everyone," said a voice; cool, feminine, with a twist of seductiveness. It seemed to come from everywhere at once, like the bloody glow of the stone.
|
|
|
Post by Jukka Canola on Dec 30, 2007 10:52:58 GMT -6
Jukka was on the floor, breathing heavily. He got to his feet after the female's voice spoke. The soft red light made everything seem hazy. The others were slowly regaining balance and getting to their feet. Looking out the window, Jukka saw the platform. At least we're getting off this train... He checked to make sure all his spears were still with him and then began helping the others up.
He began to wonder what had become of Kysho - it was a pretty nasty turn the train had taken, and Kysho wasn't in the safe compartment. At this point, Jukka didn't really care - damn thief would get what was his if he came around.
"Okay...so..who is 'she'?" Jukka asked David. Jukka still couldn't help but feel he was hiding something from the others.
|
|
|
Post by Presea Combatir on Dec 31, 2007 17:02:24 GMT -6
As Ceileuse climbed off the ground after the tumble, he stabilized himself before scratching his head confusedly. It was interesting how a peaceful train ride could turn so weird so fast, and he waved his hand around the air, marveling at the mysterious red glow. "Hello to you, too," he called out in reply to the voice and watched as Jukka helped the others up. "How're you today? It's been a very awkward trip for me, myself."
Ailyse dusted herself off after Jukka's help off the ground and scoffed at Ceileuse. "Stop talking to it, crazy; it's not like it's going to reply." She was glad the train had stopped, since all the buckling back and forth had started to make her feel sick. Looking expectantly to David after Jukka's question, she waited for him to reply to the spear thrower before saying anything else.
~
Outside the compartment, Kysho had his back upside down against the opposite wall after the rough trip. "That was the sweetest ride I've ever had," he muttered sarcastically, managing to fall back right-side up to rub his aching head. The voice caught him off guard, and he stared down the empty hallway with wide eyes before quickly turning the other way, finding the other side empty, too. There seemed to be talking from inside the compartment again, and he debated on if he should go in or not. He cringed as he got to his feet, dragging them as he shuffled to the door and knocked on it.
|
|
|
Post by Aleu on Dec 31, 2007 22:03:13 GMT -6
Aleu put out a hand to Kapu, helping her brother back to his feet. Serene had stayed put in her chain during the whiplash around the corner, but was now pale, gripping the edge of her chair until her knuckles started turning white. "Wha...wha..." she stuttered, voice strained. Aleu laid a hand on her shoulder; Serene was shaking. The winged girl gulped heavily, releasing her clutch on the chair to wipe her face with her hands. "Sorry, sis... I don't know why I'm freaking out so bad... this place just... it's kinda... I feel sick and... well, it doesn't do any favors for the nerves either." Her feathers bristled a little in the red light, shrinking away from the eerie glow to wrap closer around herself. Serene buried her face in a sleeve, still shaking.
Aleu put an arm around her shoulder before freezing, feeling a similar nausea spread through her body. It hit her worse than Serene; her sister actually had to rouse herself and catch her as she collapsed. Cei seemed to get hit particularly bad as well, and Kapu and Ailyse straight up passed out. David gritted his teeth; he seemed to be mostly unaffected, as was Jukka.
Serene clutched Aleu's limp form tightly, trying to clamp down her own illness. What was this? She couldn't describe it other than... an intense feeling of dread, of... anticipation of something... incredibly bad... incredibly... evil.
"What on earth...," asked David. "I... shush," he said, waving a hand at Jukka. "Wait..."
The voice giggled at Ailyse's comment. "Don't be such a prig, dear. He's rather charming. Cute. Oh but I don't suppose you can really hear me, can you? I'm so sorry; I don't seem to be able to keep it down."
----
"But what's this?" Kysho whirled again, as the sound of gentle, floating footsteps began to echo behind her. Another giggle. "One poor child got lost... how sad, you poor thing." Kysho strained his eyes to try and see what awaited him. All that was visible was a vague red glow against the white of a small dress; it appeared that the owner of the voice had a rather small frame.
Kysho gulped and took a small step backwards. A jolt of nasuea ripped through him; forcing him almost to his knees. "I wouldn't want you to be lonely, now," she said, mocking concern. "Oh and it looks like you're not able to handle it either. I'm sorry. I'll stop it now."
Out of squinted eyes, Kysho couldn't see the details of the approaching woman, but did notice the dull red glow of something long beginning to form in her hands. Oh crap. "Goodbye, dear."
Zzzzzzzzng! The spear, crafted from bloody light, blasted at Kysho.
|
|
|
Post by Jukka Canola on Jan 6, 2008 9:28:42 GMT -6
[OOC: Sorry, little late >.<]
Jukka stood silenced by David, and gasped as the voice gave a response. It was listening? Who was listening? Jukka's mind was whirring with questions. Everyone else seemed preoccupied with finding a place to throw up should that time come, which for a few it seemed like it would come soon. The dull red glow gave a creepy look to the cabin, casting dark shadows everywhere.
Jukka paced around the small cabin, waiting for the others to get more steady on their feet. He wanted to go out onto that platform and find this woman. Or was she nearby? Her voice seemed to come from nowhere. He also wanted his question answered by David, who stood near the doorway. Then a knock on the door.
Jukka jumped, he had been deep in thought of possibilities (all of which seemed bizarre, but that was appropriate for the situation.) when the knock came. Jukka rushed to the door and seized the handle - he wanted to be first out. He had been ready for a while after all. Pulling out his large, combat spear he slid the compartment door open.
|
|