Scene #5746: Wounded Deer Stumbles Home

Owner	Pose
Empty Tidings	Thousand Dragons Lake is an enormous body of water abutting the foothills and mountains that lie along the southeast of An-Teng, a coastal province in the South of Creation. It's fed by at least four major rivers coming out of the mountains, and empties to the west in the River of Queens, a wondrous lifeline through the heart of the province. During the day, it's a beautiful sight. But the sun has set, and now the dark things roam. The lake is dark and forbidding. The shores, though dotted with the light of civilization, gather shadows. The signal on Empty Tidings' transponder leads to the lake. A natural warpgate lies in the High Lands to the east, tucked away in a grove growing in a secluded valley. The signal itself comes from an island near the base of a massive waterfall, the flow forking around the wedge-shaped chunk of rock, soil and trees. The keen-eyed can spy flickers of fire-light flashing and vanishing amidst the trees, over and over again. Figures on horseback approach from the north. It's hard to miss them; they're carrying lanterns, banishing the night with a golden glow... and are bee-lining for the island. Whatever they ride for, they ride with purpose.
Ryu	Something soars overhead on wings seemingly made of light. It moves much faster than any bird and perhaps any man-made machine. It had broken the sound barrier a while back while approaching the location. The dragon takes a wide arc and flies down to come to a stop over the island, appearing there in an instant. Ryu suspiciously glances toward the glow of torch light, and squints in that direction with a light frown. He hadn't heard of anyone else coming to investigate this, besides Kohler's Servant. The dragon continues his approach toward the transponder, but slower. He's slow and careful now, because slamming into a tree would be painful. "I hope I don't have to fight anyone today," he complains mostly to the empty air.
Atalanta	Atalanta was bored. Boredom means following and looking for lost people and things! As a huntress, the lion-eared and tail'd Archer was actually rather good for situations like this, stepping through the natural warpgate with a twitch of her eyes. Following what seems like Empty's transponder heads to the lake, where Atalanta frowns. She pulls out her Godly Bow, stepping silently through the trees. "Fire." She says, flatly. "You may be out of luck." She informs Ryu, before she takes off towards the trees.
Dapper Avenger	The Avenger moved through the trees, the leaves rustling beneath his feet. He'd already been here before, and now it was the time to fulfill what he had set up, a wave of the hand as he lept out of the grove. He was dressed in a coat and a hat, his long white hair making him look a bit ragged, but overall noble - as if a nobleman had spent years in prison but his coat hadn't gone to rags. Moving faster than a normal human has any right to, Avenger approached the lake, moving towards the waterfall to try and get the closest to land in an attempt to swim as briefly as possible. The men coming from the north get a glance in the direction of the fire, but otherwise, the Avenger doesn't react to them. Instead, he moves to turn on his radio, all the while glancing up at Ryu flying overhead. That's interesting to him. The only question is if they are allies or enemies.
Empty Tidings	The group on horseback approaches the shoreline. They fan out along the length of the small island, carrying spears and bows. One of them, wearing an embroidered buff jacket and a helmet with a golden plume, gestures to the others. Half their number start to ford the shallows, gradually circling around towards the other side. The leader raises his voice and shouts into the night: "Demon!" he yells. "Your purification is at hand! Show yourself! Face the light of judgement and meet your end with honor!" A voice issues from the trees. It's a woman's voice, haughty but with the slightest rasp of age. It's coming from somewhere inside the bounds of the little island, but it's not clear where. Watching the scene from above makes it easier to spot the flecks of fire-light on the island, briefly highlighting a shadowy shape visible from the air. "Demon? What nonsense! And I shall do no such thing. Begone from my home, before you bring misfortune unto your lines!" The man shouts back, "We will not fall prey to your lies, demon!" One of the others with him leans over and murmurs something. They start scanning the skies -- probably for the glowing light hovering above it. They start fingering their bows cautiously...
Ryu	Ryu floats on down from the sky. His wings carry an incredible light, and his form is very obvious as he flits on down and hovers there above the water... between the island and the hunters. He doesn't attack, but he does stare them down. His eyes flick between each of them as if sizing them up. When he speaks, his voice is loud and clear, and it booms over the open space with clear confidence. "Explain. All of you. Why do you think this is a demon?" Ryu was not lying, he doesn't want to get into a fight. Notably, he doesn't ask the 'demon' to explain, because credibility is relying on a pool of people overwhelmingly against the accused. He is, however, going to play Demon's Advocate, apparently. He doesn't seem intent on letting them past until they talk to him.
Atalanta	Atalanta is not far behind Dapper, maybe even keeping up too or ahead of him as the huntress speeds into the area that there is a 'demon' in. "Okay. You stop." She says, tail flickering. Honestly, she might look like a Lunar to people in creation, her gauntleted fist creaking as her grip tightens on her bow.
Dapper Avenger	As the demon hunters approach, Avenger climbs atop a tree that overlooks them, listening to their speech. He takes a moment to glance at their weapons and defenses, trying to get an idea of how much of a threat these guys are - though they have numbers either way. Having communicated with Ryu and Atalanta, and now clearly spotting Atalanta's presence, Avenger speaks aloud as they start fingering their bows, trying to draw attention to himself. "Ah, may you stop your quarrel for one moment? I seek Empty Tidings of Brass and Verdigris, and I know one of your groups can lead me to her. I will support whoever will aid me in such a fashion. Allow yourselves a moment to think over it and consider, or I will choose whichever side seems to best fit my goals." It's not the most subtle way of going through the challenge, but Avenger's not entirely trying to be subtle. He wants what information, and this isn't important enough to him to set up some wild and crazy plan. "And answer me one question, soldiers. To what are you fighting for? To whom do you owe your conviction?"
Empty Tidings	The riders halt when Ryu comes down. Shortbows come up, raised and drawn without hesitation. The leader doesn't draw one; he instead plucks a spear out of a holster on his saddle, laying it across one shoulder and looking up with a stern look on his face. The lantern hooked to a ring near the end apparently isn't one at all: it's a big yellow crystal, glowing with some kind of inner light. "Who are you to make demands of us," starts one of the archers. The leader silences him with an offhand gesture. He falls silent. "Because it is," the leader says. He looks the trio over from atop his horse, considering them. They outnumber them about four to one. He might be weighing his options. He decides it is best to address Avenger's question while he's at it. "I am Due Giang. We are the Golden Brothers, and it is our duty to safeguard An-Teng from the forces of darkness. Can you not smell the stink of it?" He gestures across the water with his free hand. "It crawled its way here from the north. We have been tracking it for a day and a half." The older woman's voice calls across the water. "Ah, yes! Empty Tidings is a name I know well! Remove these intruders, and I will tell you all I know!" "More lies from a demon's filthy mouth," Due Giang says flatly.
Ryu	The answer 'Because It Is' is the quickest way to bring Ryu from zero to violence. He doesn't like people throwing their authoritative weight around, and he really doesn't like when he's stuck between an outnumbered 'demon' and a bunch of well-armed soldiers. He comes for a slow landing in the shallows of the water, and a low rumbling rolls from his chest. "Wrong answer." He vanishes. Rather, he pushes off the ground under the shallow water so fast and so firmly that it sends an explosion of water up in a huge wave behind him. In a blink, he is right on top of one of the arches, instantly whipping his tail to snap it around their leg, and try to use them as a human flail to hit anyone near them at that very moment with a swirl of force that might break the poor guy's leg. It happens in a fraction of a second with a lot of mist and a loud BOOM and whipcrack, the dragon not wasting time here.
Atalanta	"Don't kill them. THey still might give us answers." Atalanta says this smoothly as she raises the bow that is nearly bigger than she. One hand runs down the string, glimmers of green light coming from her pinching fingers as arrows spring to life from the action. Each arrow is fired without wasted motion and so quickly she's shooting off attacks like a shot gun, the arrows reappearing as she fires through the original set.
Dapper Avenger	Well, the answer settles that. Avenger knows exactly what he's going to do, as he stands up tall from the tree. "Well, then. As laudable as that is, you have failed to give me what I desire, while your 'demon' will. Therefore, you must die." There is no 'don't kill them' switch. There is simply a grin, a flicker of those red eyes towards the Golden Brothers, and suddenly, a leap off the tree. Avenger's hands are suddenly soaked with black flame, as he moves to grab one of the Brothers and burn into him, as a show to the others. It's not meant to kill him fast or peacefully whatsoever, trying to burn through him in a way that'll cause excruiating pain, before throwing him to the side. "I am the black flame of grudge that burns brightly only via hatred and revenge. I am the Avenger. Tell me, Due Giang. How far will you go to protect your An-Teng? Are we your forces of darkness? Will you give up and surrender if I tell you that if you do, I will burn An-Teng to the ground? Make your decision, and make sure you don't regret it." As he says this, Avenger moves to rush the soldiers, striking at them with his flaming fists to burn into them. He has no actual skill with martial combat or brawling, but the flames are exceptionally hot, deal highly painful wounds, and are backed by superhuman strength. His goal is to kill, preferably in a way that scares the rest of them.
Empty Tidings	The water explodes upwards, and the Golden Brothers are abruptly joined in battle. Ryu's immediate attack drags wrenches one of the hunters off his horse and swings him into a second. Both topple. There's a shout from one, and an awful snapping noise from the second. The others loose their arrows, showering the trees where Atalanta and Avenger momentarily reside in shafts. The return fire is more effective. Atalanta's swarm tears another trio from their saddles, either killed instantaneously or as good as dead. Horses panic and start to scatter as Avenger charges in, or are wheeled around so that the Brothers on them can draw spears and meet him as he charges. He finds three hafts thrust at him immediately -- and gets under one, grabbing his first victim. The scream rends the night. The man ignites, writhes, grasping his flaming brand of a leg, and is unceremoniously flung aside. His fellows don't fare much better, but they have the benefit and drawback of mounts to keep them above Avenger's hands. He gets a second like the first. He closes on the third... Due Giang is there. A halo of shimmering, fiery light ignites around him momentarily, flashing out in an arc over Avenger's third victim. A shield of light intercepts the dark flame, giving the rider time to wheel his horse around and look to Due Giang for guidance. "Ride," he shouts. "Ride!" The rider -- barely out of childhood, a boy among men -- spurs his horse on, ducking low and galloping back down the shore the way they came. The scattered few charge back in, skilled spearmen rushing Ryu to run him down, stabbing with steel-headed spears. They're skilled combatants, but they're only mortals. It won't take much to shatter their weapons and lay them low. Due Giang leaps off his horse, spear spinning, and comes down on Avenger spearpoint-down like a falling star. The head of the spear glows yellow from the crystal light latched onto it. Up close, he can see that the entire haft is tightly wound in a brown cloth cover. The fiery halo that surrounded him vanishes the moment he's off his horse. "Let me get my hands on you," Due Giang growls, "and I'll tell you if you're the sort of monster I fight!" Atalanta can hear the sound of laughter from the island behind her.
Atalanta	A rider, on a horse. Atalanta looks up, and gauges the age of the child, and her face goes from placid contemplation to utter, outright hostility as she turns her gaze on the rest of the party. "You dare involve children in a life of terror?" She spits at them. "How dare you. I am Archer, and I claim the child as protected, and you will not use him in your games." The bow is slung over her back, and then Atalanta darts through the trees. She has no fear of losing the horse and the boy - she is superhumanly faster than the horse is, after all. The Servant, when she does catch up to the pair, however, goes immediately for the reins to pull the horse to a stop.
Ryu	The dragon lets the limp fellows drop after the attack, looking down at them with an imperceptible frown. He hears Atalanta's words ring in his head, and his eyes lid for a moment. He went overboard, and he can tell... and that means that he will have to fix this later. He makes a mental note to heal and revive the fallen later, his head momentarily turning as he overhears the sound of the demon over there laughing. He frowns a lot more pronouncedly-- and it means he's distracted when a spear comes at him. It jabs him and he jerks back, blue blood dribbling from his body in a messy spurt. He hisses and snarls, but the wound IMMEDIATELY seals, leaving only the blood there from where he got stabbed as proof it even happened. Then he whips his tail around and snaps the spears in twain, sending wood shards all over the place. The tail moved faster than the eye could see, and gave off a loud BOOM!! Then he promptly struck each of the soldiers with vicious force with a follow-up swipe of his tail, sending out a blast of air. He didn't wait to think about it.
Dapper Avenger	As he takes out the two men, Avenger notices several arrows stuck in his leg, ripping them out in a way that'd be painful if he could actually feel it. The moment he takes to pull them out as the boy escapes, who Avenger doesn't pursue, seems to be a bit of a mistake. Due Giang's spearpoint nearly slams straight into Avenger's skull, and instead impacts upon Avenger's shoulder as he weaves to the side, drawing blood and impaling him. Avenger stumbles briefly, mouth curving downwards as his eyes narrow on Due Giang. "You have gotten far over your head, Due Giang. Burn in the fires of Hell!" Avenger's arms and fists coat again with the black flames, as he moves to strike Due Giang, trying to force him and the spear back, gripping onto his shoulder to sear the painful flames into him. If Avenger manages to break free, he leaps upwards, moving to kick into Due Giang's face with flame-covered feet before flipping backwards onto a tree to survey the situation, watching for a chance to strike again.
Empty Tidings	Ryu's tail-whip shatters spears and bones. He topples one horse and knocks the rider off the second, sending him sailing into a tree further from the shore. The other stays pinned under his horse, struggling to get out from under it and only managing to reduce his plight to moaning in agony until he passes out. Atalanta takes to the trees. She catches up to the boy on horseback. She can see he's carrying bags and parcels -- food and water, maybe? -- and a bow of his own. He's got a spear sized for him, too, and is wearing hard leather armor that barely fits him. She gets close and stops the horse, and he looks at her with eyes wide with alarm. He jumps off the horse immediately, fumbling the spear on the way down, and scrambles to pick it up and get off the ground. Due Giang stands practically nose to nose with Avenger. Avenger makes a proclamation about his burning in Hell -- Due Giang punches him in the nose as hard as he can. He rips the spear out. The flaming hand grazes his shoulder and hits the haft of the spear. His jacket burns through instantly and the spear's covering burns, coming loose. Due Giang flings it into Avenger's face, jumping backwards and reflexively clutching his burn wound. The kick connects, but not full force, or the man would be dead on contact. It instead staggers him mid-hop, causing him to stumble and jab his spear against the ground to catch himself. The spear itself is transparent glass. It's one solid piece, an expertly-crafted weapon that is nearly invisible in his hands. The golden glow from his crystal lantern illuminates the length of it, making it look like a shaft of sunlight held tight in his grip. "You're not the spawn of darkness," Due Giang states, his voice pained. There's a burn across his face, and one eye is closed tightly where he was kicked. "What /are/ you?" He glances around the field. It's just the dead or dying. Due Giang whistles sharply, and the horses suddenly go into a frenzy, the few left kicking up a cloud of dust as they turn and bolt. He darts into it, breaking into the trees and dousing the golden glow that follows him the instant he's off the shore. He's as good as gone. The battle is over as soon as it had begun.
Ryu	Ryu grunts to himself as the last of the hunters fall. There's no reason for him to stop Due Giang, not when Avenger is attacking to intentionally kill by his own confession. The dragon settles down from his own violent fury, and frowns in a pronounced way at Avenger for a few seconds. He closes his eyes, briefly, and looks to the dead or dying strewn about this impromptu battlefield. He'll come back to them later, and bring them back from the dead a person at a time, but it will be an exhausting process that will take until the daylight hours to fully accomplish. He may even lead them back to where they live, if they don't fuss about it too hard. For now, though, he approaches the island anew to find the source of the voice, rumbling his displeasure at having to hurt these people just trying to improve the world.
Atalanta	Atalanta shoots at the spear before the kid can pick it up. Her aim is EXTREMELY good. He will not get hurt. "You can either run, or come back with me and answer questions." She informs the child. "If you come back, you will be under my protection, and no harm shall come to you. THis I swear."
Dapper Avenger	The punch leaves Avenger off-kilter as he retreats to the tree. He has to force himself to stay upright, wounds regenerating slowly but not capable of healing his discomfort, imbalance, or the burning regret that the man got away before Avenger could answer him with something clever and witty, like 'I am vengeance'. This clearly means Avenger will have to meet this man again someday to confront him and tell him exactly what he is. For now, Avenger leaps off the tree as everyone is dead, soon to be dead, or running away to not be dead. He moves to approach the 'demon' and their last known location, speaking aloud. "Now then, I have done as you asked. Tell me what you know about where I can find Empty Tidings of Brass and Verdigris. We have a business arrangement to discuss, and she has been late to communicate, and gone like the wind through every avenue I have tried."
Empty Tidings	The spear gets neatly pinned to the ground in a manner befitting a showboating Servant with a job to do. The kid backs away from it, and then... pulls a knife from his belt. It looks like the sort you'd use for eating on the road rather than for self-defense, but he holds it in both hands and does his best to not look terrified. It isn't a good job. "W-wh-why should I trust a d-demon?! You'll just kill me when my back is turned!" The island is a tight cluster of trees and rocks around a central clearing. The voice is coming from there. Inside it is what must be the demon, for there is no other explanation for what he sees: a five-foot trunk of petrified wood, split open as if by an axe. A second glance makes out the shape of gnarled suggestions of limbs, stuck to the trunk as if it were a homonculus that were pinned to itself. The middle of it where it's split looks like a torn-open rib cage, with an exposed heart of pulsing emerald fire shot through with lines of whirling shadow. A tragedy-mask, upside-down, is affixed to the top of it, and creaks as it turns to regard him. "You have my thanks for dispatching them, child." The voice is the same, but there's an edge of discomfort and pain to it that wasn't present in the proud shouts. "I do not think I could have run for much longer." It tilts its mask back a little, as if it were trying to incline its 'head' politely, but it's as inside-out as the rest of it. "I am called Three-Part Tragedy. Be welcome in my domain... such as it is." The demon's head groans with the sound of straining wood as it regards Avenger. "The would-be poisoner, who avenged himself upon the nobility in such a grand fashion. I remember you well." The mask suddenly bears the impression of a smile. "I am afraid the Princess is presently missing. I would not be here if she were present... or," she adds, a touch ominously, "if she were intact."
Ryu	Ryu finds the demon quite foul to look at and to smell, but only because the power it exudes is quite obvious to anyone with the right magical sense. He closes one of his eyes as he slows his approach to a stop, and he gives the creature a really critical look. It's something approaching uncertainty and disappointment. "I don't think I'll have a problem bringing them back to life to watch them kill you if you don't tell us how to find her as soon as possible," he tells her, his tone about as grave as his words would suggest. "You're obviously a huge problem around these parts if you've got hunters frothing for your blood. And I don't have time to play games with demons, which you obviously are to anyone with two eyes in their damn head." He opens that closed eye and waits for the demon to spill the beans. "Get to the point," he emphasizes.
Dapper Avenger	Avenger leans against a tree as they approach the clearing, taking a breath. He tips his hat down over his eyes, lifting one foot up against the tree as he listens to Three-Part Tragedy's speech. "I am the Avenger. It is a pleasure to meet you, Three-Part Tragedy." The fact that the Golden Brothers are right doesn't fail to cross Avenger's mind, but it doesn't actually matter to him. Instead, he smiles as Tragedy recognizes him. "Ah, so you were there. It was quite a spectacle, was it not?" Straightening himself up against the tree and lifting his hat back up, revealing his red eyes, Avenger frowns briefly at the reveal about Tidings. "Well well, well! That won't do at all for such an important person to have vanished, no! She must be found, so that we can continue our discussion from that fateful night. What happened to her, to be scooped up like so?"
Atalanta	"... ah. Well, then." "I haven't killed you yet, have I? Anyways. I'll make things easier on us both." If the horse has remainded nearby, a quick slap on its' rear and Atalanta makes to send it running, before she starts heading back to the forest. He'll stab her. Or he won't. Either or.
Empty Tidings	The horse runs off. The boy looks flabberghasted. He looks between it and Atalanta, and eventually calls, "Wait!" There's a moment's hesitation. "Did... did you kill them?" "As point of fact," Three-Part Tragedy says, "I am not. Under normal circumstances, I am bound to the soul of the Princess, and under normal circumstances, I do not even have a body. That would make it terribly difficult to be some sort of scourge of An-Teng. Clearly," she laughs, voice pained, "these are not normal circumstances. Bad luck; that's all this was." "Dear child," she sighs, "if you can actually revive them, I invite you to. Such a wonder has not been seen in an Age. But think twice before you turn your roused hounds upon me, for I hold the key to making the Princess whole again." The eyes of the tragedy mask overflow with yellow-green tears. The demon-woman weeps. "Destroy me, and she will be lost and broken forevermore. What a tragedy! What a /waste/...!" The demon moves slowly. Tendrils of wood grow beneath it, gnarled, petrified fingers extending downward to the ground to nudge it forward. They burn as soon as they touch down, flickering with fire as they're reduced to ash, growing and being destroyed as the ten finger-growths propel it forward. It moves so smoothly as to seem to be hovering, if not for the parody of a cycle of life and death flickering beneath it. It stops close to Avenger, looking up at him. "An enemy took her," says Three-Part Tragedy, speaking in a hushed, angry tone. "A vile thief in the night, stealing her away. Our seperation was unexpected -- a contingency, you see -- and I hold her power and her bonds of duty until she can be found. I must be brought to her, to make her /whole/ again." The viridian-burning heart flares for just a moment. Three-Part Tragedy's shadows lengthen. She casts two. One is hers, a gnarled thing; the other, a woman's, silently reaching for something out of sight.
Ryu	Ryu looks pretty displeased that it keeps insisting it isn't causing trouble. He obviously rolls his eyes, easy to see because of how big and shiny his eyes are. Then he turns his head to look over at Avenger, whose intent here was clearly malicious. The dragon considered his options here, though, after the demon told him that he could go right ahead and bring them back. He looked at the creature in mild confusion, eyes following the trail of the shadow that doesn't quite match. "Fine. You'll get back to her, by one of our hands. I hope I don't regret helping her." The dragon then turns to set about healing all of the dead hunters and even their horses if they got hurt or killed in that big fight. He brings the dead one by one to lay down in a row, and begins bringing them back to life one at a time. The process is visibly exhausting for him, but he's determined to do this until he passes out if he has to. Thankfully, the weight of such small souls isn't as taxing as it would've been with someone more important on his stores of magical power.
Atalanta	"Not deliberately." Atalanta says carefully. "I'm real good with my shooting. You can see that." She nods her lion-ear'd head at his spear. "I'm going back, you can come if you want. My offer of protection is on the table, still." She turns and leaves the kid there to make his own decision.
Dapper Avenger	Avenger sees what is basically a plea for help, a request for a brave adventurer to make sure Three-Part Tragedy reunites with Empty Tidings. He takes his hands to his head, considers for a moment, and then puts them together and smiles. Sadly, Avenger is not that type of person. "While it is beneficial to me for her to be recovered, I have no reason or want to assist in rescuing her from these vile fiends. I have aided her more than she is already due by assisting you, and to do more would require her to repay my time in ways that I cannot be sure she will without communication. Having been stuck here, you must understand the value of time." Avenger's hands move behind his head, as he steps away from the tree, having regained his balance. "I will assist in making sure you get out of this place, and no more. In return, make sure that the Princess knows that she owes me." As he paces, Avenger tilts his head to Ryu. "Your proclamation to raise the dead interests me. What drives you, dragon?"
Empty Tidings	Atalanta retreats. A short while later, she discovers that she does not get a tag-along. Three-Part Tragedy sighs up at Avenger. "Fine. Then recover one of the crystals the hunters use as lanterns. I will use it for transport to wherever she has been taken. It is too painful to move far otherwise." Ryu is going to get a slew of really confused hunters. Some of them thank him. Some of them just bolt. It's a weird kind of day to be them. They'll definitely remember him, but it's hard to say what kind of impression he left...
Ryu	Ryu pauses briefly in his meticulous behavior to address Avenger. It's a curt response that really drives home his opinion of the vengeance-fueled murder machine. "Fuck off." Yeah, he isn't really interested in talking to Avenger right now. Someone's grumpy. But at least he's focusing on what he said he'd do.
Dapper Avenger	"Well then, someone's quite rude." Avenger frowns at Ryu, but brushes it off, instead moving over toward the corpse of one of the hunters he killed to grab their lantern, He's going to bring it to the others, head back to the warpgate with them as he said he would, and then run off with a tip of a hat. The others will handle the rest.