Aster glanced at his feet as he was scolded, gripping his staff. "I was being careful... but someone had to do something. Im sorry I worried you Bellah."
“Oh Honey...” Gemma put a hand on Daemon’s shoulder in sympathy. “Maybe we can find a bookstall in the city and you can buy a new book to write in. What was the story about?”
“Couldn’t we just...” Genii quickly glanced back to check Serenity wasn’t listening/watching “... use your subversion (inversion) stone again... like, while she’s sleeping or something?” He said to Cate.
Erras walked at a leisurely pace at the head of the group, leading them up a well worn path.
Bellah frowned down at Aster’s red hair for a moment, then sighed and smiled.
“It was amusing when you struck the Myrk’taa (Serenity) and demoness with your staff. Is this how you deal with the corrupt spirits?” She smirked and started to walk.
He looked up and blushed a little. "Well ...depends, sometimes it works other times I have to resort to being more hands on with my methods."
@Legendofgenii @DelythThomasArt
(Bellah and Aster need to get a room! Lol
Okay sorry to interupt. Just wanted to say that Jet will be over the mountain side waiting for the group. ... mostly because of how long ive been away from the thread. And so everyone will see this post. Okay see yas on the thread after Monday!)
"It was about a mute protagonist." Daemon explains. "They were on a journey to seek out the creature who stole their voice. "
"Uhhh, yeah...about that..."
Cate gets the inversion stone from her bag. Unlike the first time it appeared, the colours were gone and it was black like coal.
"After overloading it with so much power, the stone has been depleted of its power."
"A creature stole their voice? That sounds exciting." Gemma smiled. Daemon's description made the stories back at the tavern sound quite dull. "Hopefully you can remember it... or the main parts anyway."
"Never mind, at least it worked the first time." Genii said, staring at the black stone in Cate's hand. "Can... can I have that... I mean, if you don't need it anymore." Genii asked. For some reason he wanted to keep the thing.
After just a short walk the group were getting to more rocky and uneven ground, and there wasn't much in the way of plant-life as they got higher.
Erras changed direction and proceeded to lead the group along a thin ledge (just wide enough for Manka) with a sheer drop on one side. Clouds of mist occasionally blew across and obscured the path, but if they copied Erras and kept a hand to the basalt cliff on their left they would be fine.
"Hands on?" Bellah repeated Aster as she followed the rest of the group.
"Uhm... sure? It doesn't do anything but, if that makes you happy, go for it." Cate hands the (now useless) stone to Genii.
"Thanks Cate!" Genii took the blackened inversion stone from Cate and looked at it in more detail.
"Daemon collects all these trinkets and mementos from his adventures. I thought I could do that too." Genii explained as he shoved the rock in his pocket.
An hour or so into the hike, there was a shout from up ahead.
Erras had stopped and stood staring down at where the mountain path used to be. A large section of the ledge had collapsed, leaving a wide gap (about 4 meters) missing from the path in front of them.
Erras didn't want to have to trek back and find another route if they could help it, they were already behind schedule due to the cave incident. The ledge suddenly sank where he stood and he stepped back before it crumbled away.
"Any suggestions?" He said, turning back to the group.
The cliff drop was about 200 meters down to the rocky ground below.
“We could fly across?” Genii said. He was thinking of the feathered folk, and the Metals and Cate.
“I could help a few people who can’t.” He added, trying to figure out who would be light enough. “... I don’t think I can lift Makna though.” He definitely couldn’t.
Gemma rubbed her arm looking nervous. She hadn’t flown for well over a decade and never this high up. She had a quick look over the cliff edge and gulped.
“... what are you thinking Andrew?” Erras asked as he watched the sorcerer peering over the ledge.
Bellah was looking at the basalt columns in the wall beside them and wondering if they could climb across, but Makna might struggle to do that.
"I have an idea." Andrew starts focusing and channeling his inner overlord powers. Cate sees what he is going to do and steps on her broomstick to catch him just in case he messes up big time.
Once he focused enough, fleshy protrushions erect from his back and start to envelop him. It was at this point, that Andrew jumped off the ledge.
“That’s a great idea!” Genii pointed at Aster. “Fly across with the rope, land on the other side and tie it to something... then people can get across...”
Dangling on the end of a rope? That idea terrified Gemma.
“That could wor-“ Erras was suddenly interrupted by Andrew declaring he had an idea, which was great... but the sorcerer didn’t share the idea - he just jumped off the cliff.
“What are you doing man!?” Erras bellowed after the Andrew. Gemma screamed and covered her eyes.
Bellah peered over the ledge to see what the fire breather was going to do.
Genii got closer to the edge too and was ready to jump after Andrew if he needed to.
It was tough, but the transformation was managed to be completed before Andrew hit the ground below. A fully grown red overlord, Vermillion, emerges from the flesh cocoon and lands on the ground with a tremor.
It turns around and starts to take off with its four wings. Vermillion (Andrew) was heading straight for the ledge gap. Clawing his way in the mountain right between the ledges to form a bridge with his shoulders.
Cate smiles as she witnesses Andrew, looks like he didn't need her help this time around.
The ground shook as Andrew hit the ground below, but the tremor didn’t dislodge more of the footpath luckily.
“Hah! Awesome!” Genii said staring at Vermillion below them. “Gem...” he waved to his sister who was whimpering behind her hands (afraid Andrew had splatted on the ground below). “... come and look... he’s fine.”
Gemma sniffled and clung to Genii by the edge of the path so she could see.
Genii, Gemma, Erras and Bellah all watched the red creature climb the cliff side and moved back once it reached the path.
“What is that thing!?” Gemma was squeezing Genii’s arm so tightly he complained about it.
“... that’s Andrew.” Erras had seen Andrew transform before back at the Niduu tree. “Look he’s bridged the gap. Let’s get across... one at a time.”
Andrew had anchored himself into the cliffside. His shoulders were big and able to be used as a bridge, though riddled with rock-like protrushions. People needed to watch their step while crossing.
“Gemma...” Erras offered his hand to help the Siren onto Vermillion’s shoulder.
Gemma hesitated at first, but stepped forward, took Erras’ hand and hopped over the slim gap between the ledge and Monster-Andrew. She whimpered and clung onto Vermillion’s protrusions as she carefully made her way through them. There was a similar gap once she reached the other side so she took a deep breath and jumped across it.
“Alright... that’s one, who’s next?” Erras gestured for the others to follow Gemma.
Aster looked impressed, but some more warning would of been appreciated as Makna growled heckles raised. He patted the land dragon coaxing her to stand and get inline to make the crossing.