Postlude to Holocaust VI: Strangers - Part 2

[Redwing]

((Correcting error in Deac's post: The edge of the floating landmass and the shadow below is right next to the group rather than 'in the distance'. Also, they didn't appear above a dark chasm. Just thousands of feet in the air.))

 

The Other Side

 

*As the group crosses over, each appears in midair. Below, far below, a canvas of green and brown lies. To their rights, the horizon. The left, the underside edge of an immense floating mass of land. Underneath, a wall of dim shadow. Surrounding them for the split second before they start falling is a rift in the air laced with blue fire.

 

The Asgardried falls through as the last of the Aesir do, along with the remainder of the group.

 

They fall.*

[Writer]

"Um..." Elaina mumbled. Then, louder, she said, "Well, I'm not sure if anyone here really knows, but are we... supposed to be falling?"

[Redwing]

*As the Force users fall further from the rift they feel a near-complete separation from the Force, replaced by the equivalent of a deafening static buzz*

 

K'Warra: *coming up from underneath her, gliding on his wings* Well, you came through a dimensional rip, a rip that just happens to open a few thousand feet in the air. What took you so long? Had a problem with the terminator-twos?

 

*Guy shakes his head and seems to recover. He presses a few controls on a device on his arm, and his ship's engines activate.

 

Marin begins morphing in midair*

 

K'Warra: By the way, you ought to know that there's a Blade watchtower posted at this location. Now that they know you have a ship, they'll be sending a pair of their own to intercept us. We have about thirty seconds.

 

*The group continues falling.*

[Kuuki]

Irvine "So says Mr. I'dProbablyWouldn'tCareIfILandedHardCusTheSuddenStopItWouldn'tPermanentlyKillMe." *while freefalling*

[Admiral Odin]

*With a reverberating bang the Asgardried crashes near the edge of the ground*

 

Idona to Eliana: It doesn't really matter if we are suppose to be falling or not... However, it seems like we should end this freefall and get to ground.

 

*Idona glaces upwards to Heimdall, who gives her a quick nod. Heimdall then pressed his arms against his side, straightened out his legs, pointed his toes and angled his body so it was near perpendicular to the ground head first. This caused him to rocket towards the ground, the other Aesir follow suit.*

 

Idona: Try and follow are lead.

 

*Idona then imitates Heimdall, heading quickly towards the ground. Roughly eight seconds later Heimdall and the other Aesir arch their backs and spread their arms, and legs changing their orientation so their feet now faced the ground, their speed rapidly slowing then coming to a halt about twenty feet above the ground, before dropping straight down.*

 

Heimdall over his comm: Thank you for the catch.

 

Asgardried: Your welcome, I would have hate to have seen splatter yourself on the ground.

 

Heimdall: Like yourself?

 

Asgardried: I'm perfectly fine, I just wanted to make my mark on this place.

 

Heimdall: I see. Catch the others then go into hybernation.

 

Asgardried: Do I have to? Can't I let say one of them fall to see if they bounce?

 

Heimdall: All of them, even Sir vin.

 

Asgardried: And I was going to take bets to see how high he bounced.

 

Vidar *coming up beside Heimdall*: Just do it and be quick about it.

 

Asgardried: Fine, destroy my fun at least for now...

[Redwing]

*A thicket of low-growing foliage covers the ground. Much of it is made up of what look like normal trees, but tiny veins of blue run through them.*

 

Guy: We can't stay here. I'm going to try to use my ship to lead the Blades away from our location. But we have to get as far away from here as possible as quickly as possible. K'Warra, where is the Blade watchtower?

 

K'Warra: How about I just lead you out of here? Listen carefully, munchkins. I'm not going to say this twice.

 

*K'Warra points to the place where the shadow of the hulking landmass above stops* See that? Pretend it's a line. For now, we're going to hug the line. If you go into the shadow you will die. *He points into the shadow-murk to the left, too thick for a natural shadow* There's things in there that will reach out and grab you. If something does, you will die. Oh, and stick around the plants. They're producing and feeding on magic. That will hopefully confuse sensors unless they get too close. You can't take your ship. They'll be looking for vehicles. Also, if you move at a fixed rate you'll be easier to pick up in this territory.

 

By the way, your prisoners ran away while I waited for you to show up. Some people just have no manners.

 

*K'Warra bounds off into the undergrowth*

[Deac]

*Orthos follows the group, sword out*

 

Orthos: Well, I joined up because I wanted to travel.

 

Gortick: I didn't join anything. I mined because I wanted to eat.

 

Elella: Boarding school for me.

 

*Both turn and stare*

 

Elella: Your b*tch auntie was rich, ok?

[Kuuki]

*Sir-vin looks outwards to the right, then towards the shadow, and then follows K'warra.

 

... a moment later what remained of Sir-vin's shadow leaps into the shadow-murk.*

 

 

--------------------------------

 

???

 

*Inside a black void bestow a single pillar of light, contained within was a life-like replica of Sir-Vin afloat in the air. This replica was exactly like in every detail that he is currently, with the exception of thereof lacking of clothes.

 

In the darkness just outside the light were men, one standing and the other sitting backwards on a wooden chair, facing Sir-vin.*

 

Standing man *elderly sounding* "I still don't see your logic in bringing someone like that into this. This could have lasting reprocussions on the conscienceness."

 

Sitting man *young and bitter* "I still don't see your logic in which you want to keep complaining on 'what's the better for the conscienceness'. Like he could hurt anything. We've made enough changes already."

 

Standing man "He's got your hair."

 

Sitting man "He's got my father's hair."

[Admiral Odin]

Asgardried: You are not leaving me behind again.

 

Heimdall: You have to stay here, or we will attract unwanted attention.

 

Asgardried: I'm coming with you, I'll just leave my bulky clothing here.

 

Heimdall: Your what?

 

*The entry ramp lowers and a droid about the height of Heimdall made out of mithril exits, the droid is armed with a rifle over his shoulder and a two lightsabers at his belt.*

 

Heimdall: Let me guess you borrowed my mithril plate and made yourself a droid.

 

Asgardried: Yup, I got tired of being left behind. You know how rude to leave me somewhere waiting all alone? Besides I felt it was about time my minions were able to bask in my regal presence.

 

Heimdall: I see, and your lightsabers?

 

Asgardried: I borrowed a few of yours...

 

Heimdall to Vidar: We should have known better then making our ships this smart.

 

Vidar: This should be interesting, lets get going.

 

*The aesir follow K'Warra*

[Redwing]

((Sorry about the radio silence. I'm back now.))

 

*Guy stumbles along, following K'Warra by mentally targeting his magic signature.*

 

Good thing silence isn't a requirement. Even with magic flooding this place, I can still barely navigate...

 

*On the other hand, he could "see" the shadow line clearly... something about the magical composition of the area changed as it passed into the shadow. He concentrated on following the line.

 

The others follow K'Warra nearly blindly, still recovering from their ordeal and given no time to think.

 

Through the trees, bright lights flash in the sky.*

 

Guy: The decoy ship worked.

 

*K'Warra stops, ahead*

 

K'Warra: Okay, time to go into the shadow. Stop a moment first, though.

 

Chere: What? Didn't you just say we'd die if we went in the---

 

K'Warra: That was to keep you out of the shadow until we had to go into it. Otherwise, we'd have things already waiting there to attack us. Now we have maybe a few seconds before we get pounced.

 

Raschel: Hold on. What are we talking about here?

 

K'Warra: There's an underground cave passage hidden just inside the shadow line. The passage is warded to keep away the nasty things that live on the shadow edge. However, the path to the passage is not.

 

Marin: What is behind the shadow?

 

K'Warra: *smiling* Quicksand. Swamp. Bugs. Oh, and plants. A ****load of plants.

 

Chere: Huh? Plants?

 

K'Warra: Everyone ready?

[Writer]

"To go through dangerous plants, plunge into quicksand, be eaten alive by bugs and sludge through swamps?" Elaina clarified, a look of more than mild disgust on her face.

 

"Interesting way of building morale," Tanara scolded her sister softly. Elaina smirked.

 

"Not my job," she answered, just as softly. Then, louder, she said, "Well, if we've got to, then let's get it over with."

[Kuuki]

Sir-vin "Thats nice. Hey K'warra would it be fesable to have some sort of lantern when we go in there? Just so that we can see is theres something coming?"

[Redwing]

K'Warra: Actually, you're more likely to be eaten alive by the plants. Sir... whatever your name is today, you have a lightsaber, don't you? By the way, I'm surprised that between all the Jedi wannabes in this group, no one's wondered yet why it's so hard to access the Force. Also, don't step on the vines.

 

Raschel: Vines?

 

*Now that the group is standing still, it becomes more noticeable that plant tendrils are creeping along the ground out from the shadow line, vines whose growth is sped up just fast enough that you can see it. They spread in a random pattern, not aiming for any one of the group in particular*

 

K'Warra: Just a tip: If you step on anything here past the shadow line and find out you can't move, don't struggle. It won't help.

 

Chere: This is nuts. This is insane. What are we doing here? Why are we following you?

 

K'Warra: Feel free to leave if you want. I'm not keeping you here.

 

Raschel: Wait. Has anyone even looked at the map we're carrying? Who has the map, anyway?

[Admiral Odin]

Heimdall: I have the map, and the fastest way to our destination is to go through this shadow.

 

Idona*To Elaina*: It is also not your job to lower morale. Stay close and keep your head and you will be fine.

 

Vidar *to K'Warra*: Perhaps they know why its hard to reach the force, easiest explanation, is that we are not in tuned with the force that exists in this universe which could be for a myriad of reasons. Of course there are always other explanations as well.

 

If everyone else is ready I say we go now and get to that cave now. I also wouldn't recommend using lightsabers unless needed. The light can attract attention, and make it harder for us to see further out.

[Redwing]

K'Warra: It doesn't matter how much light you produce inside the shadow, assuming you can control your pretty laser swords without the Force. On that subject, trying to use the Force in this place both won't work and will attract plenty of attention. So don't. I'll explain why later, unless you're all dead by that time.

 

*He looks at Guy*

 

K'Warra: You. You're lighting up like a ****ing beacon. Shut off your overactive senses before you get us killed. Someone take his hand and lead him, please. Marin, stop the shapeshifting. I don't want to deal with dragging animals out of quicksand or overgrown flypaper traps.

 

*K'Warra raises his hand, cups it, and produces what appears to be a small ball of glass. The ball levitates to a point directly over K'Warra's head, then ignites with color-shifting flames.*

 

K'Warra: This is your beacon. Follow it.

 

*K'Warra turns, crouches down on all fours and bounds across the shadow line.

 

After a few hundred feet, the mists obscure him. However, the beacon remains visible.*

[Writer]

Elaina nodded thoughtfully at Idona's words and wisely chose to keep her next thought to herself. Inside her head, Teri offered a few encouraging words and Elaina headed into the mists, following the beacon. Tanara followed after her sister, incredibly grateful that Kira was holding her tongue for once.

[Kuuki]

*Sir-vin leaps right after K'warra, attempting to keep up.*

[Admiral Odin]

Asgardried: Oh yay, my first time going into the shadow. Will it be alright if I pick flowers along the way, I want something to remember this by.

 

*Heimdall just looks at the droid before entering the shadow, Idona keeps by Elaina's side*

 

Idona to Elaina and Tanara: If you have any misgivings about something feel free to voice to me or any of the other Aesir. Just try and keep in mind the effect of what you say will have on the others...and remember the Asgardried is with us this time, you may really want to watch what you say around the droid....

 

Asgardried: I heard that, I grant my minions the freedom of speech while they are in front of my godly presence, though I do understand if they are left speechless as they gaze upon my awe inspiring body.

[Writer]

Elaina smiled at the Asgardried's remark, but said nothing. She wasn't sure how the ship would react to knowing he'd lightened her mood, especially since she had no idea how serious he was trying to be.

 

"Freedom of speech, perhaps," Tanara said, smiling slightly as she spoke to the droid. "But with many words come consequences... and these, you have not addressed. Therefore, it seems Idona's warning is reasonable."

 

Elaina chuckled softly, seeing her sister take the droid's words even a little seriously, but still kept her mouth shut.

[Redwing]

*Under the shadow, the area is half-obscured by mist, and insect noises fill the air. Though the mist obscures most of the sunlight past the shadow line, there are patches of ambient illumination that allow some kind of visibility. The ground is muddy with shallow pools of water scattered here and there. Plants are everywhere.

 

Guy: I think I know where we---

 

*A mass of green rises around Guy and Raschel, and the two disappear into a tangled mass of plant.

 

Simultaneously, the air fills with a volley of barbed darts that whisk through the air from the undergrowth, aimed completely indiscriminately.

 

Ahead of the group, Sir-vin’s foot abruptly sticks to the ground and refuses to come loose. A vine is underneath his trapped foot. Immediately more vines curl towards him.

 

The ground under Elaina and Idona collapses. The two fall and land with a splash about ten feet down, two feet of which is a viscous, sticky liquid which instantly begins solidifying like glue.

 

A ghostly flying form that seems to be made half out of mist sweeps out of the undergrowth towards Orthos, Gortick and Ellela*

[Kuuki]

*A dark wisp flys up towards the tangled vines holding guy and raschel, it seems like it extends a long transparent pole with a faint glimmer of a long blade at the end of it, and swings it at the roots of the vines.

 

Sir-vin's foot squishes down.. He struggles to get loose, but he feels the vine wraping up around his ankle.*

 

Sir-Vin "Who was it again whom came up with this bright idea? Oh wiat, its all dark here! It's not bright at all!!"

 

*The darts scream right at Sir-vin, and at the right moment, Sir-vin almost instictively grabs his lightsaber, ignites it and deflects.

 

But he was shocked that he was able to do it... He didn't even think about it, it just happ...

 

He thought about his foot again, but suddenly a wisp flys by and a chuck of the ground next to him and literaly 'cut' where the vine grew that was holding him.

Sir-vin leaps from that spot and continues...*

 

Next the wisp flys at the ghostly form with its 'weapon' out and ready like the first time.*

[Admiral Odin]

*Heimdall glances down the at Idona and Eliana, and says a few things to Vidar. A moment later a rope is tossed down, Idona grabs it with one hand with her other she takes a death grip on Eliana's arm.

 

Slowly the two are pulled upwards, the "glue" trying to keep them imprisoned eventually gives way as the two come to the edge of the whole. Heimdall, and Svafa grab them and pull them up*

 

Heimdall: Not sure where the others are, but we had best get moving. Guy was moving that way last I knew, same with K'Warra. Hopefully the others are there.

 

*The Aesir begin heading out, stepping lightly and never staying in the same spot for a few seconds*

[Writer]

When Elaina and Idona fell, Tanara nearly stopped, but Kira's voice kept her moving. You can do nothing for them. Don't stop! For once, Tanara agreed with her unwilling Sith companion and pressed onward, chasing after K'Warra.

 

Meanwhile, Elaina gasped as the earth gave way beneath her and attempted to grip at the ground as she fell. But she failed to catch anything and plunged into the 'glue' with Idona. When Idona gripped her arm, she winced slightly, but did not struggle and breathed a sigh of relief as they were pulled free of the 'glue'.

 

"Thanks," she says, rubbing her arm slightly, following after the Aesir.

[Redwing]

*Two other ghostly flying forms, shaped like monstrous rays, sweep down from the mist overhead. One wraps halfway around the 'dark wisp' before it reaches the first ghostly form, halting its progress.

 

A smoking hole appears in the plant mass covering Guy and Raschel as a blaster bolt punctures it from within, then another, then another. Then the plant mass rips apart from within as Guy slices through it, his staff’s tip glowing white.

 

Ahead, the Aesir reach a cave opening. K’Warra’s beacon hovers in front of the cave. K’Warra is no longer there.

 

The Aesir, then Elaine and Idona, are caught up in a swarm of small flying creatures. The creatures start to plaster themselves over their bodies. Along the ground, large centipede-like creatures wind towards the group.

 

Behind them, the ghostly forms scatter abruptly as K’Warra bounds out of the undergrowth, issuing telekinetic blasts from his palms, and covered in what seem to be leeches*

 

K’Warra: Keep going, don’t stop to fight them! Run, don’t walk!

[Kuuki]

((I take it this is what you mean red...))

 

*As the ghostly forms scatter the wisp turns and heads towards Sir-vin grabing onto an arm and pulling him out speaking to him as he goes*

 

Wisp "If you can't help yourself, WHO can you help??"