Minotaur de Force
| Minotaur de Force | |
|---|---|
Yoohoo? | |
| Players |
A supposed knight waits in the middle of the trod in the Glass Forest, awaiting any that would challenge him. His face has yet to be seen, and no one knows exactly what he is. What is known is that he has already assaulted a handfull of freehold members, and threatens to start doing worse if his challenge has not been met. |
The path here has barely been laid. A passage travelled by the newest and youngest of the Lost, those just now setting down roots in this most august of cities. However, a wrench has been thrown into the relative peace to be found. A so-called knight seeking challenge and strife. Chaos to make themselves stronger, and test their metal and mettle against the Lost of the city. They've set up themselves in a trod along the glass forest, and has already beaten down and maimed a few of the freehold's members. Their chaos matches the dangerous nature of the glass forest as the wind shakes the trees, and it sounds as if a hundred chimes all resonate at once. The knight themselves isn't immediately seen, but their presence is unmistakable. Heavy footprints left in the earth, splashes of blood in the earth that doesn't dry just yet, and the heavy cling clang of armor in the distance. Solomon isn't Summer. But he's never been able to resist either the chance to learn something interesting and new about the Hedge denizens...or a good brawl. Even if it looks like the professor has already _had_ one of those. His right arm has a thickness under his shirt that suggests that it's got bandages on it, and hangs rather limp at his side. Solomon doesn't seem particularly bothered by this, though, and is doing his best to keep his mind focused and optimistic, so the Hedge doesn't eat them all. He does stop at the splashes of blood and sniff the air cautiously, his little feelers twitching back and forth. "What are the chances that this turns into a Monty Python skit," he asks, with a thin little smile, although his eyes are wary and alert despite the quip. Logan's not exactly Summer either, but he is curious and sometimes his curiosity gets the better of him, particularly when it comes to his somewhat protective nature. And so it is that he finds himself in the glass forest with a few others approaching the sound of clanging armor and noting the blood already on the ground. The smell of it hits his nose and he lets out a low growl of a sound. "Low," is Logan's answer to Solomon's question. Rachel is moving at Solomon's side, and even a little bit in front of him most of the time. The look she's chosen today could best be described as military surplus store punk. She's got combat boots, camo fatigue pants, and a flak jacket on over a shirt. There's a pistol strapped to her hip, and rucksack on her back loaded up with who knows what. Her hair is tied back in a ponytail, and she's forgone rings and bangles, though her hamsa remains on it's cord around her neck. Today her physical fae traits, often mutable and changing from one moment to the next, are decidedly insectine. What look like small dots above her eyebrows are actually additional compound eyes, and a quartet of dragonfly wings have sprouted from her back, somehow seamlessly folding over her flack jacket and to either side of her rucksack by bands of chitin, and her dextrous fingers are sheathed in retracted chitinous claws. She looks ready, but also relaxed, holding a paper to-go cup of presumably coffee in one hand. She smirks at Solomon's rhetorical question, shrugging and adopting a faux British voice to delcaim, "It's only a model," before raising the cup to her lips and training it. "Mm. Thanks for the coffee, Doc. I'll getcha next time." It's important to acknowledge debts. Gait casual, Coquette follows the group with one hand on the hilt of a sword at her hip. Her cool gaze slips from speaker to speaker as they converse. "Regardless, it would be amusing," she says, lips quirked up on one side. Crouching, she runs her fingertips through the blood. Lifting her hand, she runs her thumb through the smear, studying it thoughtfully. Kenny has come along with Logan and nods to the others as they form up. The Summer Court elemental is already crackling with electricity (primal glory), and dressed in comfortable clothing for hiking with a shield held in his left hand, already prepped and with a large summer hat to keep his face shaded. He doesn't speak yet as he stands looking around and seeming to let Logan speak for the both of them. There are many eyes on the collection of Changelings. Nothing too unusual for the Hedge. Various hedgebeasts and Hobs that find their off-kilter and different kin of interest. One stands out among the eyes and heads that poke past the glass trees. An overlarge body with the head of a bull, although it's on the body of an avian thing that sits in the trees. Light reflects off one of Rachel's compound eyes; there's all sorts of reflections and refraction in a forest made of glass, she just adds to the noise. But she does tilt her head and lift her chin as if to point. "There's our knight," she points out. "Of course. I plan to order a Venti," Solomon teases Rachel about the coffee he's owed. He flashes a toothy smile to Logan. "You're probably right, but a man can dream." Despite the light tone of his voice, his eyes are in constant motion, picking out what he can of the various watchers. When he notices the very large watcher, he lets out a long, slow breath. "Interesting. Bird and bull at once. Who wants to go over and say hello?" Logan's dressed as he usually is in faded jeans, steel toed boots, and a plain grey t-shirt beneath a flannel. He does not _look_ particularly intimidating or well-armored. Those sharp teeth are visible when he speaks, the elongated canines. The claws on his hands give some evidence to the fact that he's not completely unarmed. "A man can always dream," Logan agreed with Solomon, the faintest quirk of a smile touching the edge of his lips. "Bullfinch?" What. It's a type of bird. Usually much smaller. He glances over at Kenny to watch him crackle with electricity before raising a brow and glancing over to Rachel. "Then where's the fighting coming from?" Since they can hear some sort of altercation nearby. Coquette's gaze shifts up to the creature in the tree. "Can't say I've seen one of those before. Wonder what their song sounds like," she muses, lips turned up in a smirk. Drawing her blade, just in case, she adapts a more defensive stance. Eyes shifting to Solomon, she nods to him. "I'll go if it need be just one of us." She hesitates though, curious for the answer of Logan's question. Kenny nods to the others then grins at Logan. Shifting his shield to be worn on a strap across his back he looks down to his hands and focuses some of the electricity to shoot between his fingers like a classic mage showing off a trick of chain lightning. Focusing on that electricity crackling between his hands he draws the power out while separating his hands to form a long elemental weapon, a spear of crackling energy that looks like a long lightning bolt. "I can challenge it if need be..." Holding his spear at the ready he looks to the others. "I'm sure it's moo-ving," Solomon deadpans to Coquette. There's a brief shake of his head to Logan and he eyes the glass forest with suspicion. "I don't know for certain, but you get strange sounds in the Hedge. This is a place of battle and strife, now. Wouldn't be surprised if it attracted more fighters and conflicts." There's a brief gesture towards Kenny; no arguments here. Rachel's not waiting for the discussion. Solomon asks, and Rachel responds by walking forward. (The pauses a bit to let everybody get their say in, but apparently she's just going for it.) She raises her right hand high in the air, palm forward and fingers out, "YOOHOO!" She calls out to the creature in a sing-song voice. When the faux avian creature has been spotted its head cocks to one side. They can just barely make it out, but it appears as if its mouth is moving - speaking to something or someone out of sight. However, as Kenny bransishes a spear the bird liofts its talons off the branch it was standing on, and glassy leaves hit the ground and shatter. Those massive wings start to flap hard and fast, driving the chimerical beast northward. As the winged creature suddenly takes off toward the north, Logan glances over toward Kenny and says, "I think you may have just issued a challenge." But then he nods in that direction and begins to follow the direction in which the beast is headed. "May as well find out what's going on up there." He steps up to follow Rachel since she's already moved forward. Coquette nods to Rachel as she steps up to take pointe. Moving to back her as well, she watches with dismay as the creature takes flight. "Might as well," she agrees with a sigh. She flicks back a bit of bangs out of her view, following the direction the beast flew. Solomon makes a low hissing noise when the creature takes off, careful to stay wide of the shattered glass. To Rachel, he mutters, "Yoohoo?" then chuckles and follows along with the rest. "What?" Rachel says aside to Solomon with a grin, "If all they wanted was death and destruction, they wouldn't have issued a challenge, posted up somewhere it could be found. Nah, whoever, whatever our bullfinch friend is? Wants something more than just to beat on Changelings." Seemingly entirely sanguine with her own knowledge, she strides forward, not //quite// skipping, into the glass forest in pursuit of their errant knight. "But just in case, stay behind me." Kenny shakes his lightning spear in the direction of the departing creature with a soft sound of displeasure. Watching as it flies he shakes his head and then winks to Logan, "Just wanted to be ready for the worst." Watching the others for their reactions he starts to move with the group, giving his companion Logan a playful nudge of his shoulder to his as they move. "Aye, stay behind her." Grinning as he teases he follows along. The bird travels on for almost half an hour without resting. Despite being about the size of a vulture it's much faster than anything its size should be. It moves and twists to avoid its horns hitting the trees, but when it does force its way through a brance it leaves a rain of glass behind. As it leads them on they can hear the screaming of a woman in the distance, the nearer they get they can see something behind the trees. More like someone. Massive, gleaming against the light of the sun, and clutching something as big as the largest of them that's dripping blood. "My suspicion is that they want to beat on Changelings //with style//," Solomon says. He makes a noise, brief and noncommital, at the directive to stay behind Rachel. It's definitely not a 'yes', but he seems content to trail her for the moment. He eyes the glass trees as they pass, glancing up at those lovely, sharp leaves. His expression is thoughtful. But as they hear the screaming, he tenses up, all pretense of playfulness falling away. Logan smirks at Kenny slightly but then nudges him back with his shoulder before focusing on the path forward. He keeps pace with the others, following after their flying guide deeper into the glass forest, winding between the trees. There's a furrow that creases his brow at the sound of the screaming, though, and he picks up the pace until they break out into the area where the massive someone with the massive blood dripping thing is. It's only then that he comes to a stop long enough to assess the situation. "Exactly," Rachel says to Solomon, "So is it gonna invite us here and ambush us? Nah, that's a cheap move. Nah, there's a protocol to all this. A chivalric code, or some immitation of one." The mirth and good cheer in Rachel's tone dims a bit as the screaming starts cutting through the woods, but she strides onwards. Kenny is careful of the glass the flying creature left in its wake. Even with his shoes on it's still avoided as he moves with the group. "Well if we need to fight this thing and it flies. We'll need to figure out how to ground it or we're going to be in a world of hurt." Speaking to the group he then motions ahead as he comes to a stop beside Logan. The changelings come to find one of their own on the ground, coughing up blood and barely remaining conscious. The woman is currently and just barely moving, slowly dragging herself across the ground towards a faintly glowing blade that's been knocked aside. Her feathery features potentially mark as some kind of Beast, and the shimmering light around her betrays her as a warm Summer. Her opponent, is much more difficult to make out. They stand somewhere around three meters tall and about a wide as any of the gathered Changelings. The warrior is adorned in blue-green armor that jingles with its every moments. Atop the head is helmet polished to perfection with two equally large horns jutting out on either side of it. From the narrow slit where the eyes should be are two glowing blue orbs currently pointed at the Changelings. In its hands is an overlarge club that looks like it was cast out of the side of a mountain. Currently, it's coated in fresh blood whose trail comes from where the now defeated Changeling lies. The "knight" hefts it up to their shoulder, looking down on the group as the bird lands on a tree not too far from the horned warrior. "Will you people be the next to limp away, and cry to your mothers?" it asks, its voice a rumbling baritone that sounds like thunder "Shit," Solomon says, not exactly under his breath when he takes in the scene. His eyes flick from the woman on the ground to the warrior in its jingling armor. There's definitely no playfulness in his face, now. He mutters to the others, "Make sure we know what we're agreeing to. Single combat could be problematic against this creature, but," his eyes flick to the bullfinch, "a grand melee also has its risks." He lifts his voice. "May we bring the woman to safety before the next bout starts? You seem to be finished." "I don't think the bird is the one we're here to fight," Logan says as they come upon the knight and its current target on the ground. "Which is.. unfortunate, since I'm not much good without a can-opener in this one." He's a claws and teeth kinda guy and this.. this is going to cause a toothache. And so it is that he hangs back a bit, not running immediately into the fray. Instead, he moves in the direction of the woman on the ground, waiting to see what the answer to Solomon's question is. If he's allowed, then he'll go forth and assist her, if she'll accept it. Rachel frowns, but doesn't say anything just yet. She's interested in the answer to Solomon's question. In the meantime, she unholsters her pistol and ejects the magazine, catching it in her other hand. She glances down at it to confirm that it's full of bullets, then slaps it back up into the mag-well of her pistol and performs a brass check, pulling back the slide to make sure there's a bullet fitted into the firing chamber. She releases the slide with a snapping sound, and holsters the pistol again. The great thing slowly shifts its stance, and turns those glowing eyes to Solomon. It puffs its chest up, and huffs in noted disgust. "Do with her what you will." It shrugs a shoulder and lifts the weapon to point it down at its last victim. "She is just like the rest of you, like babes hoping to reach your betters in the stars." Kenny looks to Logan, then Solomon and Rachel before he pitches his voice to them. "We can hit the bird if we think it'll attack? Down it, then strike the big one?" Pulling the hat off his head to hang around his neck to slide down his back he looks around. "I'm not sure what that bird has to do with this all but something in the air isn't ideal to fight against." Looking to Rachel's gun he laughs, "Never mind, we got it covered." Solomon breathes out a sigh of relief when the creature allows the Lost to be fetched. Seeing Logan heading in that direction, he does not. Instead, he keeps his eyes on the creature and asks, "What are the terms you propose, sir knight? And what benefit is there for us should we bring you to yield?" Logan seems far less concerned about the bird than he is the knight. "I don't get the impression that it will, but if it attacks, then yes." He nods toward Rachel as well. Gun and wings. He makes his way over toward the woman on the ground and offers her a hand to help her up, surveying her wounds. He's not exactly a medic but he'll help bind them as best he can until someone with greater skill can assist. "Yeah, what's the deal?" Rachel calls up to the knight at Solomon's side. "Who are you, and what's your game here?" "I am The Bull," it responds. "I am that with charges and stamp out whatever challenges before me." It grunts, and steam comes out its helmet. The initial question is met with a stare back to Solomon. "My purpose is to test you people, and see which of you is worthy for Her." It grunts again. "Are you worth?" it asks, lifting the gargantuan mace to point in their directions. "Probably not." Another grunt. "You may use who or whatever you wish, but I will fell you - one or all." "In that case," Solomon glances at the others, "I very much suggest _all_. Unless anyone thinks they can solo Sir Bull, here." Fairness, clearly, is the farthest thing from his mind. His teeth bare. "And see if we can't thrash a name out of him for this 'Her', to boot." He falls into a combat-ready posture, claws curling on his...one good...arm. Surely he's got a plan for that. Surely. Kenny listens to the green knight then shakes his head. Stabbing his lightning spear into the earth beside him he lifts both hands to the sky and roars out as his inky blue skin cracks and breaks open to pulse with power, the lightning and electricity that dances about him shift to an angry red color that grows into a pulsing glow that mixes with his summer mantle. Grabbing his spear he growls out to the others, "Let's end this thing." Looking to Logan next he nods to make sure he's good with the changeling that was pulled to safety. "I'll cover high," Rachel says while she shucks off her rucksack. Somehow the chitinous bands holding her dragonfly wings to her back simply flow around it's straps. She sets the bag down, and opens a flap to dig around inside it, "If the birds show up, be careful; their feathers look a lot more than decorative to me. I think they're armor." She produces a pair of goblin fruits; one a ball of worms with a chunk of apple sticking out of it, the other something that looks like dewdrops hanging off a split bone. She quickly stuffs the apple in her maw, chewing swiftly, and then sucks the dewdrops (and marrow) out of the bone before tossing both aside. She pulls a water bottle from her bag and takes a healthy drink, only for moisture in the surrounding landscape to be drawn to her, whirling in beads and blades as they form a glittering mist like a wispy cloak. She stows the bottle, and straightens, dragonfly wings snapping out to the side, at the ready. She draws her pistol, as she scans the arena, looking for potential problems? or opportunities. Once Logan has the woman situated off to one side, he rejoins Kenny and the others. He looks at the knight and then he looks at the others, and then back to the knight. "Who is... Her, exactly?" He nods to Kenny. The other Changeling seems to be fine for now, at least not bleeding out, he hopes. For the moment he's hanging back. He's going to watch the initial volley before he jumps into the fray. For now, he assesses the situation and watches to see if anything other than the knight decides to enter the fight. They're doing this, it seems. Solomon's teeth are showing, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. But he doesn't leap right in for the throat. Instead, he circles around to one side, catching the Bull's eyes. There, he tries to show it predatory horrors and lock it in place; horrific images of slaughter gleam in his faceted eyes. While the others confront the bull, Logan begins to circle around behind the knight, spreading out the targets so that they aren't all neatly lined up in front of him and setting himself up for a possible rush, depending on what happens next. For the time being, he is stalking, moving with purpose and keeping his eyes on the battle at hand, gauging. Rachel shouldn't be able to fly with these gossamer dragonfly wings, physics shouldn't allow it. Faerie has never cared about physics. The wings quickly blur into motion and lift Rachel into the air as she takes her pistol in a two handed grip and the first gunshot of the fight rings out: BANG! Kenny checks with the others then roars as that rage boils within and is focused straight on that green knight. The elemental crackles with red electricity and thrusts hard right into the chest of the large green knight and when the weapon hits the loud clap of thunder can be heard as the power knocks the giant from his feet and the lighting elemental swings his weapon around to reset and prep for the next attack. Dragonfly wings buzzing, Rachel fires her first shot and draws blood, a smirk curling her lips. The knight lockes eyes with the multifaceted gaze of Solomon, and grunts. Looking into those azure pits reveals nothing, and the mettle of its soul stands as strong as its armor. It tries to ready its defense against the next attack, but finds itself knocked back on its ass with a loud clang. Before it can push itself back to its feet fully a shot rings out as a bullet bounces of its armor, although the grunt of pain that follows shows that some of it hurt. Logan watches as the bullet clangs off of the thing's armor and Kenny's attack strikes. When the bull falls, that's when Logan goes to make his move while it's trying to get back up. He lunges from his position behind and goes for the weapon. Grabbing onto the club, he wrests it from the bull and it clatters to the ground ineffectually.. at last for the moment. While the Bull is distracted by the other Beast tearing its weapon away, Solomon slides in on the other side. He's using his left hand, not the right, but his claws are still sharp. He leaps forward and rips at the Bull with one clawed hand. Nope, Kenny is not gonna let the Bull get up on his feet. As soon as the huge monstrosity tries, Kenny is right there again, bashing at a knee and then stabbing feriously, a burst of elemental power creating another concussive thunderclap that sends the Bull reeling dow into the forest floor again. The Bull's armor has proven tough to crack, but Rachel doubts she'd have better luck with her claws. And unlike Kenny, who is doubtlessly contributing the most to this fight (really, it's almost showing off at this point) she doesn't have an elemental weapon to summon. At least not one that would help right now. Her dragonfly wings buzz as she shifts to hover over the bull and points her pistol downward, firing another shot at him, BANG! The Bull, for its efforts, is knocked back down. The clanking of its armor rings out, shaking the ground and a few of the trees as its massive form hits the earth again. "I tire of this, and will use your heads as my chamberpots." After rising it turns its gaze skyward to the flying Rachel, and then back down to Kenny. Solomon doesn't know what this creature has for skin, or fur, or blood, but whatever there is, he licks it from his fingertips and whispers, in Spanish (because just because you have to tell doesn't mean you want anyone to hear), "I am afraid of dying alone. What are you afraid of?" He tries to reach into the psyche of the Bull, pull and twist at its mind and heart. Kenny waits for his time to strike and makes his move running in and jumping while stabbing at the large knight. Already tired of the changeling's shit, the big knight bats the strike aside easily, knocking the changeling from the air to the ground without breaking a sweat. When Logan watches the knight smash Kenny out of the way he lets out a low frustrated growl and lunges for the knight's.. ankles? Yes, ankles. He grabs onto one and gnaws with an awful sound of teeth grinding on metal, letting out a low growl as he does so. Those fangs certainly look sharp, at any rate. It's not the most dignified of attacks, but he's giving it a solid try. "Hey asshole! Rachel darts close, dragonfly wings fluttering, and grins with a mouth full of too-many and too-sharp teeth, "You started this. If you're getting tired?" She darts back in an artful backflip, four dragonfly wings moving in ways impossible for a person her size but entirely possible for a dragonfly, "Just give up!" She taunts, as she levels her pistol again. She'd glimpsed a gap in his armor when she darted in, and now she fires a bullet right into it. The knight now stands on its feet, and is wrenching its arm back. As it winds up for the blow its about to deliver to Logan. However, before it can get to that Rachel's shot hits it clean in the neck. It tries to get out a word, but nothing comes down and Logan and Kenny may need to run. The bull teeters there for only a second. Trying to grasp at the back of its neck as an awful stench begins permeating the area. Black blood spills to the ground, and in the next second The Bull starts falling down like a giant redwood. Solomon scrabbles out of the way of the following Bull, letting out a crow of delight. It might be premature, but he's grinning. "Did it work? Is that it?" He might pump the air with a fist, but he forgets about his arm in his excitement and the gesture breaks off with a couple of curses. Kenny climbs back to his feet and scrambles out of the way of the falling knight. Holding his spear in one hand he looks to make sure everyone is ok then rushes forward to stab the knight in the neck to make sure it's down for the count. Stepping back he lets his rage flow away as the red fades from his body and the power lines that spilt his flesh slowly close. "Nice shooting!" He says to Rachel before he lets his spear fade back into the electricity bouncing about his body. "Logan, you got all your teeth!?" Smiling he moves to check on him. "Solomon, I like your style my man." "We're not done!" Rachel cries from on high, turning to face something in the distance. "The bird from before? It didn't stop, it's still flying off somewhere. I can see it from here," she squints, "And I don't want to lose it." Logan notices that the bull is beginning to teeter and makes a strangled sort of sound from around its ankles before scrambling out of the way and back to his feet to not end up flattened under the monstrosity of armor. He spits on the ground as he does so, letting out a bit of a snarl. Then he smirks at Kenny and says, "Yes, I have all my teeth." Not that his jaw isn't sore, but he's not going to mention that at the moment. Pride! He then looks over toward the others. "Nice.. well.. nice work.. everybody." But he keeps an eye on that knight. Not to mention the bird. Where is the bird? Then he glances up when Rachel calls out. "Don't lose it." Solomon chuckles, and shakes his head. "I contributed less than I would have liked. I wanted to get a glimpse of its inner self, but its protections were strong." He nods to all of them, "it was well done by the three of you, nonetheless." There's a sigh. "God, it stinks, though." His good hand comes up to cover his mouth and nose, lightly. As Rachel cries out, he frowns. "Chasing something into the wild Hedge is _not_ a good idea. It could lead us into the Thorns. Or an ambush." "Too many unasnwered questions. Why was the Bull here? Who sent it? Who is Her?" Rachel frowns, "There's too many threats to the Freehold right now. We can't ignore a chance to learn about one of them. I'm going after it. If there are any spoils from our victory, save me my share." | |