Post by Champ on Oct 2, 2012 2:17:21 GMT -4
((OOC:The 2012 Halloween RP! I'm not going to lie, I'm a little rusty since it's been a while since we've RPed, and this one will probably be paced more slowly than most of our works, but it's been a while since we've done a Halloween story, so I thought we might as well give it a shot.))
They should have turned around yesterday. Henry couldn't help thinking that as he pressed on with his team through the wilderness. They had told everyone they'd be returning within the next day, and they were already two days walking distance from home, but he had to press on. He had a feeling about this place, like something was waiting for him there, even if he had been warned by the natives that the land in this valley was haunted. He had a feeling that something in this place was calling to him, something that would finally give him the taste of excitement he had always wanted. Not that he told the men that. He just told them that they were just scouting ahead to see if the valley might be a fit place for a new town. He wasn't entirely lying about that, the land in this area was far more fertile than everything they'd passed through, and while the nearest town,Tremorton,was hardly reaching the limits of it's small population he had a feeling that settlers were going to start moving this way soon. There was something that drew the adventerous in these wilds, Henry knew, and before long the call to explore these uncharted lands would call more souls like him. He was just glad to have beaten the rush.
Behind him the men panted, tired from the long walk. They were mostly older surveyors, who had come to Tremorton to wind down the last days of their careers in quiet comfort. None of them had ever expected to take a journey like this again, and they had expected to only survey the area closer to Tremorton, but Henry had convinced them that the valley was worth examining before they left, especially since it was technically part of the land purchase they'd been sent out to place boundaries for. They all knew that the odds of this land being used any time soon was slim, but they also knew the implications of not figuring out where the government's land ended and the natives' land began, so they treked onward with their young leader, despite the frustration they felt, and the knowledge that if they didn't return quickly enough people in town would ask questions.
Henry was aware of all of this as well, but almost none of it concerned him. There was no one in town he was close enough with to make them worry about him, and while he was aware of the importance of marking the boundary of this land it wasn't really his focus. He was simply trying to find something, anything here that would allow him to carve out a name for himself in this wild land. After all, he had come here seeking adventure and fame, and he had hoped that this job would bring him both. So far that hope was a bust, but as he trekked farther down the hills into the valley he had a feeling this trip was going to be the one that changed everything. There was just something in the air, as if the very wind were whispering in his head that greatness was here for the taking.
It was the change in scenery that brought his attention back to the land. It wasn't sudden, but it was certainly noticeable. The further they got into the valley, he noticed, the more damage there seemed to be done to the treetops to his left. As he pointed this out to his colleauges they agreed, and instantly began hypothesizing as to what did the damage.
"It looks as if something collided with them at high speed," Langford, one of the oldest of the group noted, "Like a large bird, or something propelled through the air."
"No," Hawkins, a man barely into his 40s, argued, "There's burn marks on some of them. It was probably a fire."
Langford shook his head, frustrated with this explanation.
"If that were true the damage would be visible on more of the trees, and the bases would also have burns," He said, "Unless it was an exceptionally large meteor or something of the like."
Henry was barely listening to any of this, as he was more focused on the fact that his heart had skipped a beat. He'd had a feeling he'd find an adventure here, and sure enough here it was. As the other continued to argue he started to quicken his pace, turning to find he'd already put enough distance between them that he had to shout.
"Whatever it is,"He called back to them, "We'll likely find more evidence of it further down the hill!"
As he started walking faster, practically running he heard Langford call for him to wait, but there was no chance of that. There was something waiting in this valley, he just knew it, and he wasn't going to let anyone stop him from finding out what it was. As he ran he followed the damaged trees, watching as the damage went from small marks on the tops of trees to entire trunks ripped in two. It wasn't long before he reached the base of the hill, and what he found waiting there left him breathless.
For around two hundred yards the earth was scorched and the trees were flattened. It almost looked as if a giant foot had flattened this patch of Earth and then lit a fire to make sure that nothing was left standing. As Henry stared, trying to figure out what could have done something like this the others finally caught up with him, panting as they finally saw the damage done to this patch of forest. For a moment none of them spoke, they simply took in the stunning decimation before them. Then, finally Hawkins managed a word.
"I told you," He said to Langford, "Fire. No other explanation."
"That still doesn't explain the trees further up being split without being burned," Langford argued, "The damage is too much like something hit them, clearly there's more to this than just a fire."
They continued to argue but Henry had tuned them out, as he found himself moving further along the decmiated patch, once again feeling like something was whispering in his head, calling him onward. The others didn't seem to notice that he was continuing on, as they were still caught up in their argument. They didn't even notice as the ground beneath his foot gave way and he found himself sucked into the cold Earth itself.
When his fall ended he found himself in a cavern with slick stones on all sides. This didn't surprise him, as falling into caves was not entirely unheard of, but the fact that he could see did. And what he saw shocked him even more. Embedded in the rock several feet ahead of him was a massive object made of a metal that emitted a strange silver glow. He had never seen anything like it, and he stepped forward to look at it further without thinking. As he did he heard a voice in his head. His heart froze when he realized it was not his own.
"How did you find this place?" It asked.
The voice was not unpleasant or threatening, but it disturbed Henry, both because it was an unwelcome intrusion into his mind but also because it left a buzzing sensation in his brain, as if there were bees in his skull.
"I...I fell," He said to the air around him.
"Who are you?" The voice asked.
Henry looked around, trying to find the source of this voice. Part of him was afraid the fall had hurt his head and that he was hearing things.
"Henry Ashton," He said, "Who are you?"
Something stepped in front of him ahead in the passage, but the pale silver light did not fully illuminate it's features. Henry was glad that it didn't, because whatever was in front of him, it was clearly not human.
"We are the Amaretis," It said.
For a moment Henry was silent. He wanted to scream, wanted to find some way to escape this horrible thing that had entered his mind, but he knew there was no escape, and that screaming would do him no good. As these thoughts left him he also realized that the creatures now knew all of that too.
"We have no reason to hurt you, Henry Ashton," The voice in his head said, "In fact, we require your help."
Ashton nodded quickly, willing to do almost anything to escape this horrible prison he had fallen into.
"What...what can I do?" He stuttered.
"We are stranded in this place," The voice said, "Our vessel is damaged. Tell me, Mr.Ashton, are you a man of science?"
Ashton shook his head furiously, although he knew it might mean his own doom. He could almost hear the voice sigh in his mind as he revealed his own ignorance.
"No," It said, "You are not. But you can bring us men who are."
A chill ran down Henry's spine at the statement, but he knew that whatever they though he could do it was likely the only thing tht could save him.
"What do you mean?" He asked.
"You came here to seek land for a town," The voice said, "And the nearest town is full of many men of learning. If you build a town here and bring men like that to us we will make your wildest dreams come true."
Henry stared, his heart sinking at the revelation of what these words meant. Not only could these creatures probe his thoughts, he realized, but they could even go deeper into his mind without him knowing. His heart fell further as he realized that they were likely the reason that he had come here in the first place. The voice that had pulled him here was likely that of the Amaretis.
"How?" Henry asked, regretting the question as soon as he'd asked it, "How can you guarentee me that?"
The creature said nothing. It simply lifted one of it's arms. For a moment there was a trembling in the cavern, and then Henry could only watch in awe as he watched one gleaming gem after another poke their way through the walls of the cave, pulling themselves into the air in front of the creature and assembling themselves into the most startling necklace he had ever seen.
"We have powers far beyond those you have reckoned of in your world," It said, "There is little we cannot do."
Henry stared, pulling the necklace from the air and looking up at the sillouhette of the creature in front of him. He was about to speak when he heard something from the other end of the cave. It was Langford,calling to him.
"Ashton!" He shouted, "Ashton, are you down there!?"
Henry turned, racing to the spot where he had fallen through and staring up at his companions.
"Yes," He said, "I seem to have fallen into a cavern of some sort. Have you any way of getting me out?"
"Hawkins went for a rope," Langford answered, "He should be back any minute now!"
Ashton nodded, turning once more to face the being that was promising him the glory he'd always wanted.
"I'll bring you these men of learning," He said to the beast, "But tell me this:what brought you to our world?"
The creature almost seemed to laugh within his mind.
"The same thing that brought you here, Mr.Ashton," It said, "The desire to explore the unknown."
A moment later the rope was before Ashton, and he took hold of it, watching the cave fade away as he ascended to the scorched Earth above. As he finally rested himself on the cold ground the other stared at him, their faces filled with worry.
"Ashton," Langford asked, "Are you alright?"
Ashton smiled, pulling himself up and dusting himself off.
"I'm more than alright," He said, "I'm inspired."
Before the others could ask anything else he held up a hand to silence them, feeling the need to speak before they could distract him.
"I think this is the perfect place for a new town," He said, "This land is already cleared, the area around it is fertile, and it's close enough to Tremorton to allow trade."
He smiled as the others stared, confident that by the end of the trip home he'd be able to convince them.
"In fact," He said, glancing once more at the hole he'd fallen through, "I think I know the perfect place to put a church."
***
Colette yawned as she turned the final corner to Tremorton High, stretching as she did to try to wake herself up. It was no good she knew, it was far too early to be at school. As she glanced at the dull grey sky she noted that even the sun agreed with this sentiment, as it had failed to even rise yet. As she walked through the gate to the back entrance to the school she opened the duffel bag she had slung over her shoulder one last time, nodding approvingly as she found her laptop, hologram projector, and various tools she'd need to fix up the latest version of the Vector suit waiting inside. If she was going to spend three days out on a school trip, she thought, it was best that she made sure she had the essentials. After all, while she had no doubt that the history of Neverton and it's famous witch-trials was exciting, she had a feeling that the town itself was hardly one of the most thrilling destinations.
Ahead of her most of the students had already arrived, and were waiting impatiently in the cold to get on the bus. Colette was disappointed to see that Brit and Tiff were among the early arrivals, and even more disappointed to realize that they were already talking.
"You know, dearest cousin," Brit said as Colette got within earshot, "The best part about the days of the witch hunts was that they didn't have any of these pesky robots walking around. If they did they'd have declared them demons and had them driven out of town."
"Even if they did have them," Tiff said, "They'd be runnin' on steam."
The two laughed at this, drawing annoyance from Jenny, who was in line before them, but before the teenage robot could retort Colette took care of it for her.
"That's awfully funny coming from the queens of the witches," Colette said as she walked to the back of the line, "Tell me, when we get to Neverton are you guys going to try to pick up more Eye of Newt or what?"
The two scowled after her as she got into line behind Champ and Azure, exchanging a fist-bump with Azure as she did.
"The other good thing," Brit said angrily as Colette turned to face her again, "Is that they knew how to uphold the law. In those days Ms.Mogg's father would have been hanged as the murderer he is."
It was all Colette could manage to keep herself from walking back to the front of the line to punch Brit at that point, but thankfully Champ decided to end the argument before she could manage it.
"Y'know," He said, rubbing his eyes partly because he was tired but mostly because he was annoyed, "If there's one thing I think people back then and people now could agree on it's that no one should be as obnoxious as the two of you this early in the morning, so do us all a favor and keep your stupid comments to yourselves until AFTER the sun has come up."
Brit opened her mouth as if to respond, but resorted instead to scowling and turning back to face the bus. Colette smiled, glad that Champ had kept her from making an idiot of herself. It was nice to know her friends could keep her out of trouble. Mainly, she had to admit, because it was always to nice that she had any friends in this town at all.
"Thanks for shutting them up," Colette said.
Champ smiled tiredly.
"No problem," He said, "Hopefully they'll keep quiet until we get on the bus. At least if they start insulting people then I can just go to sleep and ignore them."
They should have turned around yesterday. Henry couldn't help thinking that as he pressed on with his team through the wilderness. They had told everyone they'd be returning within the next day, and they were already two days walking distance from home, but he had to press on. He had a feeling about this place, like something was waiting for him there, even if he had been warned by the natives that the land in this valley was haunted. He had a feeling that something in this place was calling to him, something that would finally give him the taste of excitement he had always wanted. Not that he told the men that. He just told them that they were just scouting ahead to see if the valley might be a fit place for a new town. He wasn't entirely lying about that, the land in this area was far more fertile than everything they'd passed through, and while the nearest town,Tremorton,was hardly reaching the limits of it's small population he had a feeling that settlers were going to start moving this way soon. There was something that drew the adventerous in these wilds, Henry knew, and before long the call to explore these uncharted lands would call more souls like him. He was just glad to have beaten the rush.
Behind him the men panted, tired from the long walk. They were mostly older surveyors, who had come to Tremorton to wind down the last days of their careers in quiet comfort. None of them had ever expected to take a journey like this again, and they had expected to only survey the area closer to Tremorton, but Henry had convinced them that the valley was worth examining before they left, especially since it was technically part of the land purchase they'd been sent out to place boundaries for. They all knew that the odds of this land being used any time soon was slim, but they also knew the implications of not figuring out where the government's land ended and the natives' land began, so they treked onward with their young leader, despite the frustration they felt, and the knowledge that if they didn't return quickly enough people in town would ask questions.
Henry was aware of all of this as well, but almost none of it concerned him. There was no one in town he was close enough with to make them worry about him, and while he was aware of the importance of marking the boundary of this land it wasn't really his focus. He was simply trying to find something, anything here that would allow him to carve out a name for himself in this wild land. After all, he had come here seeking adventure and fame, and he had hoped that this job would bring him both. So far that hope was a bust, but as he trekked farther down the hills into the valley he had a feeling this trip was going to be the one that changed everything. There was just something in the air, as if the very wind were whispering in his head that greatness was here for the taking.
It was the change in scenery that brought his attention back to the land. It wasn't sudden, but it was certainly noticeable. The further they got into the valley, he noticed, the more damage there seemed to be done to the treetops to his left. As he pointed this out to his colleauges they agreed, and instantly began hypothesizing as to what did the damage.
"It looks as if something collided with them at high speed," Langford, one of the oldest of the group noted, "Like a large bird, or something propelled through the air."
"No," Hawkins, a man barely into his 40s, argued, "There's burn marks on some of them. It was probably a fire."
Langford shook his head, frustrated with this explanation.
"If that were true the damage would be visible on more of the trees, and the bases would also have burns," He said, "Unless it was an exceptionally large meteor or something of the like."
Henry was barely listening to any of this, as he was more focused on the fact that his heart had skipped a beat. He'd had a feeling he'd find an adventure here, and sure enough here it was. As the other continued to argue he started to quicken his pace, turning to find he'd already put enough distance between them that he had to shout.
"Whatever it is,"He called back to them, "We'll likely find more evidence of it further down the hill!"
As he started walking faster, practically running he heard Langford call for him to wait, but there was no chance of that. There was something waiting in this valley, he just knew it, and he wasn't going to let anyone stop him from finding out what it was. As he ran he followed the damaged trees, watching as the damage went from small marks on the tops of trees to entire trunks ripped in two. It wasn't long before he reached the base of the hill, and what he found waiting there left him breathless.
For around two hundred yards the earth was scorched and the trees were flattened. It almost looked as if a giant foot had flattened this patch of Earth and then lit a fire to make sure that nothing was left standing. As Henry stared, trying to figure out what could have done something like this the others finally caught up with him, panting as they finally saw the damage done to this patch of forest. For a moment none of them spoke, they simply took in the stunning decimation before them. Then, finally Hawkins managed a word.
"I told you," He said to Langford, "Fire. No other explanation."
"That still doesn't explain the trees further up being split without being burned," Langford argued, "The damage is too much like something hit them, clearly there's more to this than just a fire."
They continued to argue but Henry had tuned them out, as he found himself moving further along the decmiated patch, once again feeling like something was whispering in his head, calling him onward. The others didn't seem to notice that he was continuing on, as they were still caught up in their argument. They didn't even notice as the ground beneath his foot gave way and he found himself sucked into the cold Earth itself.
When his fall ended he found himself in a cavern with slick stones on all sides. This didn't surprise him, as falling into caves was not entirely unheard of, but the fact that he could see did. And what he saw shocked him even more. Embedded in the rock several feet ahead of him was a massive object made of a metal that emitted a strange silver glow. He had never seen anything like it, and he stepped forward to look at it further without thinking. As he did he heard a voice in his head. His heart froze when he realized it was not his own.
"How did you find this place?" It asked.
The voice was not unpleasant or threatening, but it disturbed Henry, both because it was an unwelcome intrusion into his mind but also because it left a buzzing sensation in his brain, as if there were bees in his skull.
"I...I fell," He said to the air around him.
"Who are you?" The voice asked.
Henry looked around, trying to find the source of this voice. Part of him was afraid the fall had hurt his head and that he was hearing things.
"Henry Ashton," He said, "Who are you?"
Something stepped in front of him ahead in the passage, but the pale silver light did not fully illuminate it's features. Henry was glad that it didn't, because whatever was in front of him, it was clearly not human.
"We are the Amaretis," It said.
For a moment Henry was silent. He wanted to scream, wanted to find some way to escape this horrible thing that had entered his mind, but he knew there was no escape, and that screaming would do him no good. As these thoughts left him he also realized that the creatures now knew all of that too.
"We have no reason to hurt you, Henry Ashton," The voice in his head said, "In fact, we require your help."
Ashton nodded quickly, willing to do almost anything to escape this horrible prison he had fallen into.
"What...what can I do?" He stuttered.
"We are stranded in this place," The voice said, "Our vessel is damaged. Tell me, Mr.Ashton, are you a man of science?"
Ashton shook his head furiously, although he knew it might mean his own doom. He could almost hear the voice sigh in his mind as he revealed his own ignorance.
"No," It said, "You are not. But you can bring us men who are."
A chill ran down Henry's spine at the statement, but he knew that whatever they though he could do it was likely the only thing tht could save him.
"What do you mean?" He asked.
"You came here to seek land for a town," The voice said, "And the nearest town is full of many men of learning. If you build a town here and bring men like that to us we will make your wildest dreams come true."
Henry stared, his heart sinking at the revelation of what these words meant. Not only could these creatures probe his thoughts, he realized, but they could even go deeper into his mind without him knowing. His heart fell further as he realized that they were likely the reason that he had come here in the first place. The voice that had pulled him here was likely that of the Amaretis.
"How?" Henry asked, regretting the question as soon as he'd asked it, "How can you guarentee me that?"
The creature said nothing. It simply lifted one of it's arms. For a moment there was a trembling in the cavern, and then Henry could only watch in awe as he watched one gleaming gem after another poke their way through the walls of the cave, pulling themselves into the air in front of the creature and assembling themselves into the most startling necklace he had ever seen.
"We have powers far beyond those you have reckoned of in your world," It said, "There is little we cannot do."
Henry stared, pulling the necklace from the air and looking up at the sillouhette of the creature in front of him. He was about to speak when he heard something from the other end of the cave. It was Langford,calling to him.
"Ashton!" He shouted, "Ashton, are you down there!?"
Henry turned, racing to the spot where he had fallen through and staring up at his companions.
"Yes," He said, "I seem to have fallen into a cavern of some sort. Have you any way of getting me out?"
"Hawkins went for a rope," Langford answered, "He should be back any minute now!"
Ashton nodded, turning once more to face the being that was promising him the glory he'd always wanted.
"I'll bring you these men of learning," He said to the beast, "But tell me this:what brought you to our world?"
The creature almost seemed to laugh within his mind.
"The same thing that brought you here, Mr.Ashton," It said, "The desire to explore the unknown."
A moment later the rope was before Ashton, and he took hold of it, watching the cave fade away as he ascended to the scorched Earth above. As he finally rested himself on the cold ground the other stared at him, their faces filled with worry.
"Ashton," Langford asked, "Are you alright?"
Ashton smiled, pulling himself up and dusting himself off.
"I'm more than alright," He said, "I'm inspired."
Before the others could ask anything else he held up a hand to silence them, feeling the need to speak before they could distract him.
"I think this is the perfect place for a new town," He said, "This land is already cleared, the area around it is fertile, and it's close enough to Tremorton to allow trade."
He smiled as the others stared, confident that by the end of the trip home he'd be able to convince them.
"In fact," He said, glancing once more at the hole he'd fallen through, "I think I know the perfect place to put a church."
***
Colette yawned as she turned the final corner to Tremorton High, stretching as she did to try to wake herself up. It was no good she knew, it was far too early to be at school. As she glanced at the dull grey sky she noted that even the sun agreed with this sentiment, as it had failed to even rise yet. As she walked through the gate to the back entrance to the school she opened the duffel bag she had slung over her shoulder one last time, nodding approvingly as she found her laptop, hologram projector, and various tools she'd need to fix up the latest version of the Vector suit waiting inside. If she was going to spend three days out on a school trip, she thought, it was best that she made sure she had the essentials. After all, while she had no doubt that the history of Neverton and it's famous witch-trials was exciting, she had a feeling that the town itself was hardly one of the most thrilling destinations.
Ahead of her most of the students had already arrived, and were waiting impatiently in the cold to get on the bus. Colette was disappointed to see that Brit and Tiff were among the early arrivals, and even more disappointed to realize that they were already talking.
"You know, dearest cousin," Brit said as Colette got within earshot, "The best part about the days of the witch hunts was that they didn't have any of these pesky robots walking around. If they did they'd have declared them demons and had them driven out of town."
"Even if they did have them," Tiff said, "They'd be runnin' on steam."
The two laughed at this, drawing annoyance from Jenny, who was in line before them, but before the teenage robot could retort Colette took care of it for her.
"That's awfully funny coming from the queens of the witches," Colette said as she walked to the back of the line, "Tell me, when we get to Neverton are you guys going to try to pick up more Eye of Newt or what?"
The two scowled after her as she got into line behind Champ and Azure, exchanging a fist-bump with Azure as she did.
"The other good thing," Brit said angrily as Colette turned to face her again, "Is that they knew how to uphold the law. In those days Ms.Mogg's father would have been hanged as the murderer he is."
It was all Colette could manage to keep herself from walking back to the front of the line to punch Brit at that point, but thankfully Champ decided to end the argument before she could manage it.
"Y'know," He said, rubbing his eyes partly because he was tired but mostly because he was annoyed, "If there's one thing I think people back then and people now could agree on it's that no one should be as obnoxious as the two of you this early in the morning, so do us all a favor and keep your stupid comments to yourselves until AFTER the sun has come up."
Brit opened her mouth as if to respond, but resorted instead to scowling and turning back to face the bus. Colette smiled, glad that Champ had kept her from making an idiot of herself. It was nice to know her friends could keep her out of trouble. Mainly, she had to admit, because it was always to nice that she had any friends in this town at all.
"Thanks for shutting them up," Colette said.
Champ smiled tiredly.
"No problem," He said, "Hopefully they'll keep quiet until we get on the bus. At least if they start insulting people then I can just go to sleep and ignore them."