Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

Towards the buildings, towards escape and safety... As River ran, she simply had to place her feet upon the broken bricks and metal, scaling them as simply as she would a staircase as Jessica jumped up to the roof from the ground, the sound of smashed wall and crumbling debris sounding less then a second behind them as one of the cherubs barreled through the wall River had just scaled before glaring up at them and shrieking again, the pounding foot steps of more on their way getting louder... and it sounded like a lot.

River could see the Tower, she was still moving in the right direction, they just had to keep going, and from the looks of things, River had scaled right into the edge of Hell's Central. Convenient.

The building shook below her, she had to move, Now, and she was free to head in just about any direction, except back the way she had come.

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

River ran up the sloped wall, scrambling up with hands and feet out of habit more than necessity, hearing the creatures below hammer and scream, unable to chase her.

Looking out at the horizon, she recognized the features of Central between her and the tower, cracked and crumbling parodies of the rooftops she was so familiar with. The building underneath her shuddered, more creatures closing in as the ones already down there hammered at ground level, trying to bring it all down. "No time to waste, still. They should lose us three or four rooftops in, if not earlier." She offered to Jessica, taking a step back and then sprinting forward, crossing the first gap with her customary mental hesitation, standing and patting off some of the dust and grime of the place after, a reminder that these were not the buildings she knew so well.

On they went, the dry and hot wind battering at the pair as they went, stifling and opressive. River felt it less, the darkness clouding her form shielding her from it somewhat, feeling the wind and the texture of the building as if through a glove.

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

Leaping across the rooftops, River and Jess continued to move across the risen highway of shattered stone and steel, soon managing to put a block of distance between themselves and the now enraged cherubs, still screaming behind them though unable to find their prey. Seemingly in the clear for now, The Tower continued to loom ever closer, each building bringing them one step nearer their goal, until a line of flames, hot enough to blister Jessica's face rather badly, erupted along their path, a taunting voice calling out to them from the street some ways ahead even as Jessica fell to the ground, clutching at her left side in pain and hissing through clenched teeth.

Well well well... Trespassers in Hell, Now that is a rarity? More lackeys from Hervo maybe? I do so love the betrayers pets. You know, his power only protects you from the lesser creatures that inhabit this place, but it's just your luck I'm here today. Because nothing will save you from Me.

The voice belonged to what could only be a man, if a man had 6 foot wide wings, and a lashing, spiked tail, dressed in a well tailored suit with close cropped brown hair, his eyes flashing with red light before the building they were standing on was literally sliced in half.

I'm going to enjoy toying with you, before I enslave your souls little ones... I bet your terror is... exquisite.

Separated by the now collapsing building, Jessica still trying to recover from the blow, River was forced to dive across and grab her, rolling down into an alley and landing with a painful jolt, her armor protecting her somewhat, and spreading out to absorb the brunt of the fall.

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

River let out a curse as the jet of flame erupted in front of them, a bit faster than the vampire at backing off, though the light itself burned her second skin to some extent, a jolt of pain running through her.

"I know the man, but-" She started in reply to the demon, before the man's eyes flashed and the building started to crumble. She missed most of his last words over the noise of grinding concrete, keeping her balance as she looked for an out.

Jessica was still rolling in place, so River dived over there, taking hold of the vampire as the entire roof started to slant to one side. She gripped Jess tightly, running and jumping down a the alley as the building crumbled, trying to get as much sideways momentum as possible for the landing ten or fifteen feet below. Landing hard on her shoulder, the started to roll immediately to spread out the landing and get them distance from the crumbling building, taking her companion with her, the added weight making the hard landing impossible to negate entirely.

They finally came to a stop with River on top, the woman barely pausing. "Get yourself together, I'm gonna need help. Get a hold of Hervo, or hit him yourself when you see an opening, but try not to wait too long." She muttered quickly, jumping up and facing the demon, trying to get into the more open street so she had room to move, and draw attention away from Jessica.

"You wanna toy with me? Tell me about Hervo there. Tell me what I don't know." She shot back, pacing around the thing in circles as much as it would allow, ready to jump aside again if it tried anything else.

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

The Demon had raised it's hand, a shard of steel flying forward, before stopping inches from River's face, probably having been in the air since before River had dodged as Jessica groaned and ducked behind a building, shaking her head to clear it.

About Hervo~? About the Damned Man? Ahhh, The Soul Jumper? Prison Breaker? Lucky Little Shit? I prefer the last myself, because that's all it was... He said, pacing to match River as if he didn't have a care in the world, even as River continued to look around at the surrounding buildings. At least she had options, she could see 2 more avenues of escape, if not attack, and this thing seemed to be able to wreck whatever it could see... she was at a disadvantage right now, even as he continued to speak

What is there to say? I take it he's happy with his human life? Thaumaturges break most rules, but Hervo... He crossed lines not even those before him had dared to break, some taboos are there for a reason you know. Ahh, communing with a demon, even consorting and loving one, for a mortal? That's a grave offense, and it was my distinct pleasure to drag him, kicking and screaming, to his own little private corner here, and making him watch as we killed his lover... in a rather.. Hellish Fashion? Poor thing, she screamed for days, and she was used to it! Ahh, Mellodrama. He continued, grinning from ear to ear as his steps took an odd, off time bounce, like a swagger or slow dance.

19 days, 23 hours, 6 minutes and 58 seconds, took him that long to slip his chains, and twice that to find his way out... Still not sure HOW exactly, but, I wont make the same mistake again with you two, don't you worry one little bit. Because once I have you, i'm going to break your minds like desert bleached kindling, and then you're going to help me drag him back. He finished, suddenly stopping cold, and snapping his fingers, River just barely managing to roll behind a wall before a thick segment of chain smashed into the bricks.

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

River ducked and went to slap at the shard of metal when she righted herself and saw it flying in, the act unnecessary when it stopped anyways. Her eyes darted around under the black of her armour, trying to come up with a plan as the demon talked.

She had to find some way to even the odds. Stall for time, wait for the place to get darker, find a basement to draw him into or something. Jess had stumbled off out of sight, time would grant her benefit there as well.

And then he was done talking, River barely getting to cover before the thick chain smashed into it. "Yeah well, don't expect me to make it easy on you." She called out, bolting for the alley next from where Jessica had gone. She had to stay somewhat close, but she needed to find somewhere she had advantage. more dark, make the quarters close enough that she didn't have to get through much of his attacks before she could close herself, something beneficial.

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

River's sight seemed to shift as she desperately tried to find more shadows, more darkness, more for her to use and a way to turn this fight around, and as she darted into an alley like a black blur, she heard the wall behind her smash apart before her eyes fell onto the sewer grate, the darkness calling to her the black... She would be a god in hell within the darkness...

In the depths of the alleyway, even now she could feel her outer armor repairing itself, and even those shadows urged her down into the earth, into the deep... Would the demon dare follow her down, or could she attack up through the ground... And then there was Jessica, who was probably even now trying to accomplish the same thing.

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

The woman ducked a chunk of concrete from the smashed building behind her, seeing the sewer grate and diving for it feet first, the shadows giving her the strength to break the grate and slip inside.

There was a brief thought about the massive worm creature they had seen earlier, hiding underground, but she needed the dark to fight this demon, she would take her chances.

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

Once down inside the sewers, River would find them empty, well, mostly. Around the walls were these strange, dark red, growths, that although pulsing softly, and filled with some kind of fluid judging from their motions, and what the shadows were telling her, seemed harmless. And may as well have been to River, surrounded once more within the shadows that beckoned, her will stretching to encompass all of them, and them her, as her thoughts turned back to the demon above, and Jessica, still hiding somewhere.... She could hear him whistling above her... But now, she had everything she needed... She could go on the offensive down here...

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

The woman spent a few seconds acclimating to the sewer, the shadows gathering around herself comfortingly, before she spread them out again, flattening them to the walls around her and leaving herself with only what she had before.

She heard the demon whistling out in the street, and flattened herself into an alcove, letting some of her nervousness out, letting her breath come heavy into the blackened sewer. Her trap laid, there was nothing left to do but remain in her impromptu lair and wait, ready to move if the demon simply attacked her through the ground, like he had downed the building before.

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

She could hear him getting closer, step by step, even as River noted the presence of Jessica also somewhere within the sewers, her light footsteps almost impossible to make out if not for her own personally incorporeal army alerting her to every motion, she was close...

YoooOHoooo~! This is Innnnteresting~! Usually I can pinpoint EVERYTHING in my district, but not you... Not you little Wraithling... What are you really? I mean, we have a name for you here, the Korrixal, such a rare breed, but Never have I seen one before... Hahahahahaha This is Amazing~! Where are you Hiding Little One~! I want to taste your flesh...

Gods and Demons he was close, River could feel him, maybe 10 feet to the north, and 20 above her, almost see him glancing around, feeling for her, Jessica all but forgotten in his mind, before River heard and felt a smash through the ceiling nearby, the feelings of Jessica diving out of the way before fading into the shadows again.

What will you do when I kill her... Your little friend... I wonder. Will you cry!? Will you RAGE AND SCREAM~? WHERE ARE YOU ABOMINATION!

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

River let out a curse as she felt the things going on above her. Much as she wanted to wait things out, the demon would find Jess before he came down to her trap.

Gathering her shadows again, she felt out for where Jess was hiding, concentrating on a nearby shadow and blinking through to it as fast as she could manage. Making herself seen to the vampire, she motioned to keep silent, drawing the shadows around them both and trying to usher them both deeper into the sewers, trying to get distance from the demon while they seemed to have a successful way to hide.

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

Stepping through the shadows, River found herself in that odd space between places again, though this time it was empty, dead... it had none of the life it had held before, as if it was all simply gone, or sleeping. She could feel something Far deeper then she dared to go, but everything else simply wasn't there before her head popped out of the wall next to Jess, scaring the vampire half to death.

Jumping nearly out of her skin, Jessica gave a little squeek, before being wrapped in the shroud that River created for them, before they traveled together into the sewer, heading deeper and making some distance between themselves, and the insane creature above them, hunting them... Still trying to track them down.

The pace that River could force down here within the shadows was... impressive, and she realised as they moved, that if they truly wanted to, they could bypass the demon completely, beat him simply by refuse to play his twisted game and head to the Tower from here, remembering that it had a sewer access point that Jessica used on a fairly regular basis...

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

They travelled in silence for some time before River felt safe enough to pause and speak, barely above a whisper and with the two of them still enveloped. "Fine giving this guy the bird? Or do you need some revenge?" She asked softly, checking on how well the vampire was healing, able to see plenty fine in her own cloak. "Did you contact Hervo, is he going to fly at the thing and need backup?"

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

Please, like I'd willingly fuck with that guy, And no, I can't reach Hervo, we should probably just get the hell out of here unless you had some kind of plan, I don't relish the idea of being turned to ash thank you. Jessica answered, appearing no worse for wear at the moment, though she was still a bit shaken.

If you wanna just get out of here, I think I know where we are, Towers about a mile that way she finished, pointing, the silence surrounding them even more unsettling then the madman before if anything.

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

“Just making sure, i‘d rather avoid a fight too.“ River admitted, “Let‘s just hope we don‘t run into one of those worms down here, and the sewer itself is intact. You probably know the way better than I do, go ahead and lead.“ She said, keeping them cloaked and following closely.

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

Jessica nodded, immediately heading off down a path to theirr right, River's shadows seeming to spread around them into a rough sphere they could see through, shimmering like an oil spill against the air as Jess tried to keep as hard a pace as she could set with River in tow. she'd have to learn the sewers better, she could only imagine how fast she could travel around down here if she knew the layout...

They could hear the Demon smashing around above them, now enraged and out of patience as a hunk of building smashed through the ceiling near them with a cacophany of sound and debris, light lancing in and almost giving them away as the pair pressed tightly against the far wall, before continuing.

it took about 20 minutes all in all, so far having not been bothered by much of anything, although the throbbing, red... Things... Growths, were getting bigger and more active as they got farther in. At the end of the trip, both women were wet, sweaty, annoyed, and standing in front of a broken set of blast doors, that Jessica started to pry apart.

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

River waited patiently as Jess muscled the door out of the way, eyeing the odd growth on the wall suspiciously. "Any idea what these things are?" She asked softly. From the sounds above as they traveled, they had left the demon behind some time ago, the sounds having faded as his rampage was distanced from them. She kept a wary eye though, the increased density of whatever was on the walls made her feel like they were headed into some sort of nest or something, and put her on edge.

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

With a final shove and a screech, Jess managed to force the doors open, a wash of heat and humidity blasting out for a moment before she looked around. Inside the basement level of the towers, it was dark as well, but a soft red glow was coming along thin veins in the now thick flesh that covered the floor and walls. I don't know, I don't want to know, I just want to find the damnedable elevator shaft, and head up. You can fly or something right? Or Climb really fast?

River, as she entered, was finding her cloak starting to fade from the pair, within the next 5 minutes or so it would be gone because the light was starting to slowly pick up and she could feel it. Ahead of them was a part of the Tower that River had never seen before, even stranger given the softly pulsing and hot flesh that seemed to have spread across whatever surfaces it could reach, and down the hallway there was a split stair way. Elevator should be to the left... Should be broken given the look of everything.

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

"I don't wanna know what counts as really fast in your books, but yeah, i can climb decently. Done a couple elevator shafts before, they usually have a ladder but i dealt with one that didn't." She explained, her shadows dispersing. She could keep it longer, but the rising light was already starting to hurt. "Getting too bright in here as well.."

She followed along until they reached the shaft, keeping an eye out for movement and doing her best to avoid stepping on or disturbing the veins and growths around. "If buddy can still sense this far out, he's probably on his way be now, we should hurry."