The Belly of the Beast (SilverJonas) GMed by Rathuris

Spread out before Eena was the ruined buildings and the high walls of what had been the Necropolis. The building showing signs even this far out of magical scars and the ravishment of some great beasts. The one mighty walls now tarnished and laying in a crumbling ruin as it circled around the once great city. As the fading light of the sun continued to vanish, small groups of lights could be seen amidst the wreckage. The lights the faint glow of eyes awaking to the gathering darkness and becoming alive to hunt for prey. Even from where Eena stood, she could only make out groups of alien beasts stalking through the rubble, a few even flying overhead like some mighty overseer.

It had been a week since Eena had been kicked to the curb on the fool hardy quest to search for her lost cousin. After having spent much of the day traveling she had finally drawn close to the city that had once housed her once glorious house. The sun was slowly setting as Eena stood out of sight and hopefully the alien's range as she surveyed what she was likely to come up against. Judging from the sizes of some of the roaming bands of aliens, going at it alone would likely be a challenge without some sort of tactic to limit their number.

Still what she chose to do was up to the warrioress, despite her aunt's urging to find her lost cousin.

Re: The Belly of the Beast (SilverJonas) GMed by Rathuris

She hadn't thought it would be this easy to reach the capital. Yet Eena knew that most roads were built to lead back to this place so it would be the easiest to get to. Though entering...She could practically taste the danger emitting as the countless dead men warned her "Do not enter." This was her quest however to save her cousin and return to her previous life that's all she needed to do just find one man or his remains.

She stepped forward her eyes darting from one end to the next casually wondering 'would my ancestors be more bold I can imagine how brave they would be...laughingly cutting all that stood in their way. Though why can't I? I have a sword and shield I can be just as brave so you know what!?' She thought bravely thought for a few moments but found herself still daunted by the gravity of her situation and chances. So she ducked into empty an abandoned house. "Still I'm only a small person best not stick my head out where it can easily be chopped off...Just slowly now." She muttered trying her best to be as quiet as possible as she entered into the belly of the beast. She headed toward since that is where her uncle fell while commanding the defense and one of her cousins objectives was to bring back his body.

(Sneak toward the eastern garrison.)

Re: The Belly of the Beast (SilverJonas) GMed by Rathuris


As Eena drew closer to the ruined eastern garrison it became quickly evident that there was likely no longer occupants besides those of the aliens that occupy the Necropolis. The once strong walls now lay scattered like along the wide street, the rubble strewn about like rice at a wedding. Still, despite her spot in a ruined building, she could see plenty signs of fierce battle and blood. But eerily there was a lack of dead bodies or rotten corpses. After a few moments of watching the garrison her foot brushed against the remains of a camp fire.

The building she had hidden in had once housed at least a dozen figures at one point. The signs of the camp were recent, though she couldn't really tell how old or how long it had been since it had been used. Glancing up, the warrioress would see the grey bodies of aliens slinking past the battlements at the top of the garrison gatehouse and a few even roving amongst the wreckage of the walls and buildings.

Re: The Belly of the Beast (SilverJonas) GMed by Rathuris

"Mmmnnnghhh..." Eena groaned in utter fright seeing a few of the horrible alien creatures roaming around her intended destination. "Now, now Eena you can do this just be silent like a shadow..." She got on all floors crawling to the guardhouse with the utmost caution until finally the tower was in near reach. "Better try to some other entrance going through the front door sounds well a bit dumb." Eena muttered trying to find some sort of window or backdoor available.

She just has to find her uncle's command room maybe if her cousin made it this far they'll give some clue where he is. 'Or maybe anyone for that matter there should be thousands of corpses here by the looks of the battle scars that lay on this land...' She thought a bit worried about the possible hazards that would befall if captured by these creatures.

(Search for another entrance to enter the guard tower)

Re: The Belly of the Beast (SilverJonas) GMed by Rathuris


Eena could see that something powerful had blasted the top half of the tower off, leaving it a ruined pillar of stone. She would find that like most walls and defensive structures the door was on the inside and behind the crumbling walls. As she got close to the gatehouse and the ruined tower she could make out the hiss of one of the grey scaled aliens above her on the wall. Should she glance up she wouldn`t be able to see the alien the sound had come from. She could how ever hear it scrambling down towards her spot, and it wouldn`t be long before it was upon her.

Re: The Belly of the Beast (SilverJonas) GMed by Rathuris

Eena's eyes darted up at the noise but saw nothing, but the movement she heard within the tower made her shiver with fear. 'No...nonono!' She thought frightfully to have already been discovered. She moved her body to find the nearest destroyed wall to hide behind.

Bringing up her sheathed sword to where both hands now held it, she tried to ready herself but couldn't stop her shaking. She had practiced but this was a real encounter with an actual alien, she almost lost all her nerve just to not bolt then and there.

'Don't see me...Don't see me...Don't see me!' She silently prayed closing her eyes tight to listen to every step of the monster. Either noticing how far away he was going or maybe the closer he had become.

[Hide]

Re: The Belly of the Beast (SilverJonas) GMed by Rathuris


Eena could hear the clicking of claws upon stone as the creature drew ever closer to her hiding spot. A soft hiss coming from it as it peeked into a ruined building next to hers. After a moment it hissed even louder as it smashed some rubble to bits, some bouncing and skittering against her own cover. The sounds dieing down shortly after the fit to leave Eena alone with the sound of her pounding heart and the wind.

Suddenly a clacking of claws could be heard on the other side of her hiding spot, the creature having somehow moved around it silently. The clicking drawing closer, a faint sound of sniffing coming from the creature that was unaware of her. For the moment.

Re: The Belly of the Beast (SilverJonas) GMed by Rathuris

Eena tried to hold her breath as the creature prowled just over the other side of the destroyed wall. She heard a constant snorting which confused her at first. 'Is it sniffing? Can it smell me?! Oh no it's only a matter of time then!' She thought pressing her back against the wall as it shuddered just a bit. A sudden idea came to mind of trying to use the crippled wall to crush the alien! Trying to stifle her grunts with her left hand and keeping her sword handy in her right. Eena put all her back into pressing upon the wall, she hoped it would fall quickly, yet even with it's structural damage there was no guarantee the wall was that weakened or Eena had the strength to do the deed.

'Fall...Fall...Fall damn you!' She shouted in her mind trying with all her back could give her to make the wall splat on the alien.

[Attempt to use wall to crush Alien]

Re: The Belly of the Beast (SilverJonas) GMed by Rathuris


Eena can feel the wall give beneath her efforts ever so slightly as she pushes against the wall. With a greater amount of strength as she heaved her body into it, she could feel the wall begin to shift and move with a stoney groan. With a loud crash, the sound echoing up into the darkening sky, the wall fell to the ground in a cloud of dust and crumbling stone.

To the side stood a grey scaled reptilian alien, it's eye glancing beside it where the wall had narrowly missed it and the now very visible Eena. Growling softly as it readied it's self like a cat about to pounce. From behind her, Eena could hear some noises coming from the wall, some of the aliens alerted by the sound of the wall crashing to the ground. It wouldn't be long she figured before they were going to be upon her.

Re: The Belly of the Beast (SilverJonas) GMed by Rathuris

The crash was a glorious sound indeed. "I did it...I can't believe it! Heh maybe this adventuring business is going my way after all!" I boasted until the smoke cleared revealing the beast had narrowly escaped a flat end through a small hole in the damaged wall.

'Hehe just a small hole...What're the odds...Gods help me...' I thought as I stared at the beast who seemed to have nothing but malice in his eyes. There was a silence between us as we stared at each other but the beast was the first to assume a pouncing posture. There was movement in the distance too, other creatures probable coming to investigate the falling wall. To fight here was to invite encirclement so there was only one option left to me...RUN and don't stop!

I attempted to get out of there with all the power my legs could give me. I wouldn't stop this time until I was clear out of the city in it's entirety. Though it was inviting a surprise attack by my current opponent or if he choose not to, I would likely have a hunting party on my heels. Nonetheless I had to flee this place there was no hope now of getting any farther at least on my own.

[Attempt to run away]

Re: The Belly of the Beast (SilverJonas) GMed by Rathuris


Rolls

The reptilian alien stared at the shaken woman, quite surprised by seeing her and the very near miss it had just avoided. Having nearly been turned to paste shocked the alien but for a moment before it pounced towards Eena, the large body sailing through the air beside her as she took off into a run. Behind her should could hear the thing crash into the remains of another wall before giving chase.

Though the sounds of pursuit followed after her, they remained far behind as she zig-zaged through streets and rubble. After a dozen or so minutes she was once more far beyond the city and fleeing into the country side. The sound of pursuit disappeared after she had broken free of the city, the pursuers likely holding back in case there was an enemy force waiting outside and she was but a scout. With a glance back, she could see several aliens splitting up and scattering away from the city, likely scouts sent to search ahead.

Re: The Belly of the Beast (SilverJonas) GMed by Rathuris

"Haaah hu...Haaa" I gasped for air trying to calm myself as never in all my life had I run so hard. I had escaped the beast and what would've been my pursuers but what now? The city before me was my goal yet now that I rattled the nest you can be sure they'll be on guard...It's all for nothing...Pressing my back against a broken sign post I chose to take a short rest. They may be coming for me but I was just too tired.

I went deep in thought about the easy life I once had. Servants taking care of my every whim, fruits and veggies freshly plucked, and that curious funny man who always told such delightful stories at the town square...I started to sob for it all, knowing that now it'll probable never be mine again. I'll be trapped as an adventure chasing after my cousin's body for all I know could be well digested in those creatures! What more could I do...I guess I could join an army like the one my cousin joined, though i'm no soldier and I'm a bit terrified what would happen to me in a army filled with ruffians...What else, what else, what else...Then that only leaves creating a group of my own? I'd laugh at that idea if it weren't my only option...

I started to stir from my deep thought slumber, rubbing my eyes and yawning it seemed that quite a little time had passed.

[Take a short rest if unmolested, proceed to the nearest township.]

Re: The Belly of the Beast (SilverJonas) GMed by Rathuris


Eena's rest would go undisturbed for the most part as she fell into a light slumber. Though she would only manage an hour at most as the sound of some sort of creature moved through the grass nearby and stirring her awake. Looking about she would find herself quite and truly alone. Heading down the ruined road she found herself on was a small chore unto its self as the road had gone unmaintained and had allowed the nature surrounding it to try reclaim the road she followed.

After several hours of uneventful travel she came upon the sign pointing off to the north, though the sign was too badly worn and weathered to make out anything beyond the towns name starting with an S. Looking about she could see no road where the sign was point, or for that matter she could not see any more of the road past the sign in any direction beyond the way she came from. Given that she didn't quite know where she had wound up, she had no clue if the town the sign pointed to still had life or if it was as barren of life as where she now stood.

Re: The Belly of the Beast (SilverJonas) GMed by Rathuris

Suddenly it dawned on me while I was following the road...

"This looks nothing like where I started from...That means...I must be on the opposite from where I came?! If that's true I maybe heading deeper into those monster's territory?! Though I can't go back now just gotta keep following the..." As I finished my mulling's the road promptly ended along with my chances of maybe any hope I had for a clear direction.

"Where did the road go?! This is just unfair!" I almost screamed but being utterly paranoid that I was still being pursued by those capitol beasts I clammed up my frustrations. "There's has to be something here that can be helpful...Hmmm...A sign?" I happened upon the collapsed wooden post with a large S on it. Sadly all the other directions seemed to have been eroded or just completely snapped off.

"It's pointing into the wilds...Since it's fallen too, there's no guarantee that way is where the road used to be...Just have to be brave and forge onward...Gulp." The words seem to frighten me more than encourage. Yet I managed to push onward into the wild clutching my father's sword with an airtight grip.

"Maybe the S is for town called Safe Haven...Or maybe a warning for Spider's Lair...Sharktooth's Cove, Salamanders Desert, Savoi's House of unspeakable tortures and delights!...That one kinda got away from me...Just gotta remain calm remaaaaaain calm Eena." I repeated to myself as I marched following direction where the sign had pointed.

(Follow Sign's Direction)

Re: The Belly of the Beast (SilverJonas) GMed by Rathuris


Eena would find the trek through the dense wood tough going but doable with some effort.She would find the journey free from both pursuers from the city and other big nasties that might be lurking in the darkness of the woods.After several hours Eena stumbled out of the brush to suddenly find herself upon a ill kept path that she could tell had once been a road at some point before being overrun by the wilderness.

Shortly after stumbling upon the road and as the sun began to hide behind the horizon, she soon found herself with a small village. Though like the others in the area, it was empty of life and lay in ruins like the city it had at one time sent food to. Looking about she would be able to spy one house that was still in relatively good shape and would offer her some shelter for the night. It would at least keep her dry if it rained.

Alone Eena was left to herself on what she was to do next in this ruin of a village.