Beliefs

[Zerrif]

OOC: First "cameo appearance" of some friends of mine! I have a lot of these planned. :3.

Also: I need more dark allegiance characters for a cameo later on. So if you're dark and interested, hit me up in game.

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"G-Get away! There's-- in the caves-- it's--!! Too strong, aaagh!" Cried some adventurers, in the middle of dashing out of the cave. They ran right past Gerik, Bascht, and Muarim-- who looked at each other with worried looks. True, they had been told that monsters from the second and third floors of the dungeon were coming up to the first-- but that wasn't THAT big of a worry, was it? The party that ran past them seemed at least more
capable than they did, in dispatching the monsters found deeper within Payon. So why run away?

"Come on." Gerik said, snapping them out of their worried reveries. "Let's go inside. We're not accomplishing anything just standing around." Bascht nodded, following the Acolyte into the darkness, but Muarim hesitated for a second.

Something really wasn't right here...

---

"Hey D! How've you been doing?" The Payon Blacksmith said, as the traveling one entered his store. The blond looked around at the store with a sort of furtive glance, heading right to the other. Outstretched was a slip of paper, which the Payon resident happily took, and nodded. "Thanks, mate. Another order from the guild, I see. I'll be sure to get this one done as soon as possible. Anything I can getcha?"

"Actually..." D said, looking around again. He noticed a few people in the corner that seemed kind of... shady. They had been talking amongst themselves and eying him the whole time since he'd entered. "Yeah... was wondering if you had any extra Oridecons I could buy? Or some extra materials in the back I could take a look at?" He asked, casually.

The Blacksmith caught on, and nodded. "Yeah, sure, come into the back. I've got some stuff that you can take for the right amount of cash." He lied, leading D into the back. The blond shot the group in the corner another side glance before they left, and he felt a shiver crawl up his spine.

Something really wasn't right here...

---

"Oh god... we're getting mauled down here!" An Archer cried, as yet another was easily overrun by the Tendrillion. It had made its way up to near the first level of the dungeon at this point, and the weaker, less experienced adventurers that had come to help were being overrun. He knocked an arrow and fired it, but the beast easily sidestepped it.

"It's too fast!" Cried a Thief, as he started to turn tail and run. Before he had even taken a step back, the Tendrillion had deftly jumped in front of him, and turned around, snarling. The vines that composed its' body writhed and flared as if signaling a strike. The Thief dropped his dagger, and his legs buckled under pure fear. "Oh... oh my god--" He looked down, feeling the beast loom over him. The shadow grew on the ground as it pounced at him, flying with all its might.

"Shield Charge!" Came a cry from further up the cave. The Thief looked up to see a Shield whirling forward, striking the Tendrillion and pushing it further into the cave. He didn't need to be told twice about getting up, and running again. He scooped up his dagger and scampered-- running past a rider on a Peco Peco. He stopped to say thanks, but the Crusader just shoved him aside. "Run. Thanks later." He said, sternly. His voice was a clear, commanding baritone.

"Go on, dear. We'll handle things here." Came a soft, serene, female voice. A priestess stepped out of the shadows, dressed in a light purple robe and dark purple tights. Her long, pink hair was held in an elegant ponytail, and held still by a Maiden's Hat that sat on an angle of her head. She nodded at the Crusader, before quickly endowing him with divine Blessings and Increased Agility. "Shall we, love?"

"And hey--" Came a third voice. A wizard, dressed in pure black robes, with long, flowing black hair under a black Wizard's Hat "--If you're in need of a guild, talk to me later, kay?" He winked as the thief dashed past him, before turning his attention. "Well well, what've we got here? A big, untamed kitty? That won't do."

"You know..." A fourth, and final voice piped in. A small Amistr came out of the darkness, the sheep-like Homunculus bounding up beside the Priestess, bleating cutely, it's tail flicking around wildly. The owner of the Homunculus soon stepped forward, dressed in a brown cape, and sporting a brown, wide-brimmed hat. "Do you really have to pitch that everywhere we go? Sometimes, it just isn't necessary."

"Enough banter." The Crusader scolded, as the Tendrillion came back into view. It let loose another menacing roar, making the small Amistr dig it's heels into the ground to avoid being reeled away by the sheer force of the sound. "It comes!"

---

Gerik stopped as the roar resounded through the caverns. His legs instantly locked up, and he froze. "What on earth was that!?" He exclaimed. He looked around, to see Muarim just as frightened. He knew that beneath the mask, too, Bascht didn't exactly look pleased to hear the roar either. That roar sounded far fiercer than anything he'd ever heard before-- he could nearly feel his heart palpitate within his chest now out of pure adrenaline.

"Do you hear that? There's sounds of fighting down that tunnel." Bascht said, point off to the side. Another roar came, and as the three turned, they were blasted with a wall of sheer sound. They looked at each other again, and nodded. "There's no turning back once we go in there."

"I didn't intend on it." Gerik replied, before he started to march into the darkness, Bascht silently following behind. Muarim hesitated again. How the hell was he so fearless? How did he just walk into danger--; the words of that Star Gladiator rang through his mind yet again.

Gerik was... alone in the world. He had no one to return to. No one waiting on him. He didn't have to go back to any place, because he didn't have a place to go back to. But that wasn't a reason to just throw away one's life! Muarim grit his teeth, and ran after the Acolyte and Mage. If he had anything to say about it, he'd make sure that he'd have a place to go back to.

---

"This thing is so bloody fast!" The Alchemist shouted, gripping the end of a potion in his hands. "Potion Pitcher!" He uncorked the top and swished it around, before lobbing it over the Crusader. The potion hit a low, overhanging stalacitite, the healing essence splashing over him.

The Crusader hopped back, glaring down from above his Peco Peco at the beast. It barely looked phased. Before he could even ready himself for another assault, the beast roared defiantly yet again. He spurred his Peco Peco forward, shield at the ready. "Endure! Reflect Shield!" He cried, giving himself the holy enchantments of defence. But as soon as he'd finished, and before his bird had placed it's talons on the ground yet again, the Tendrillion was off in a blur of green.

"Kyrie Eleison!" Came the Priestess' chant, as the Crusader looked up just a split second too late, to see the beast above him. Sharp claws raked at him, before they were hampered by the shield that she had just bestowed. Sparks of sheer magical force began to fly around, as the invisible shield shattered in a cascade of glass-like yellow, sending both the Crusader and the beast flying backwards.

"I call upon the great wrath of the Gods in the Heavens, rain down your malevolent fury upon this tortured soul!" The Wizard started chanting, a red aura appearing around him. The Alchemist pointed at the beast, sending his Amistr in yet again. While the Crusader was still stunned and reeling from the strike, the beast was already primed for another assault-- the only thing standing in its way from rending the rider asunder, was the small, yet fearless Amistr.

"Maeh~!" It bleated, as the beast came at it. The Alchemist winced as claws tore through the Homunculus rather easily, the Amistr giving a defeated "Baa" before it disappeared into thin air. The creator, however, was already encased in a pink light. "Resurrect Homunculus!" He shouted, the split second his creation had been destroyed, a fresh one soon standing in the beast's way again. "This is endless!"

"Meteor Storm!!" The wizard shouted, his voice ringing through the darkness. Glyphs appeared on the cavern ceiling, and molten chunks of rock rained down upon the beast, with deadly precision. Those that missed created large explosions of fire and threw rock around viciously. "This thing barely feels it... we're in over our heads."

"But so long as we can ensure the others get away, we've done our job." The Priestess reminded, as she quickly knelt by the Crusader. A ring on her left hand began to glow, and one of the rider's hand seemed to react in kind. She placed her hands on her heart, and shut her eyes. "I love you." She whispered, transferring some of her own energy to him, before he stood again, offering her a hand to get her on her feet. The four of them stared at the beast, who seemed to just be shaking off the effects of the meteor strike. She opened her arms out and began to sing, not relenting in her cause. "Anima mea Dominum, et exsultavit spiritus meus in Deo salutari meo-- Magnificat!"

Angels appeared each one of the four, granting unto them blessings of rejeuvenation. The Amistr retreated back beside it's owner, and the four of them effectively made a wall between the Tendrillion, and the earlier parts of the caves. She was about to get ready for another strike, when she heard footsteps behind her. "Mistre-ess!" She heard, causing her to turn around.

"No!" The Crusader scolded, but the beast already took it's chance. It lunged at the Priestess, taking her down to the ground. And as it raised it's open maw to quickly, and viciously tear our her innards, another sort of green flash surged in-- before the Crusader could even react.

"GET OFF HER!!" Muarim cried out, heaving his cart high above his head. He did a small twirl on the heels of his feet, striking the beast right in the face with his cart. "CART REVOLUTION!!" The Tendrillion flew off surprisedly, retreating back a few steps; the Merchant knelt beside the Priestess and helped her up. "Are you alright, Mistress?"

"Heal!" Came another unfamiliar voice to the Priestess. She was bathed in a green light, and looked up to see an Acolyte smiling down warmly at her, a Mage standing right behind him. "Should never turn your back on the enemy." He said, as she accepted the help from the Merchant, facing the beast again.

"Muarim, what are you doing here?" She said, no longer taking her eyes off the beast. "You shouldn't--"

"You should keep one of those whistles for yourself. You're lucky I got here." He joked back, although the Crusader didn't look all too amused. He would have bowed respectfully, but he figured now wasn't the time-- giving him a nod of acknowledgement, and receiving one in return.

The Tendrillion now realized that it was far outnumbered, and let out another horrendous cry. The Alchemist's Amistr bleated fearfully, hiding inside the Wizard's black robes. "Hey hey, get out--!" The caster started, though the beast roared again.

The vines along it's body began to undulate like angry waves upon the open sea. Then, they separated from it's body, reaching out like snakes along the ground. It was feeding it's own vines into masses upon the ground, which soon took form as other four-legged beasts.

"It's summoning Hills Lions!" The Crusader exclaimed, bringing up his shield again. He looked over at the Priestess. "They're cute, but they're deadly."

"What?!" She said, surprised. "Why tell me that?" A smile crossed her lips. "Muarim... I want you to get out of here. Take your friends with you, and go. We could barely take the Tendrillion alone-- and now that it's also made a group of it's own, we won't--"

"I'm not leaving you. Not like this." Muarim said, defiantly. "Punish me, hate me, be angry with me later. But right now, we all leave, or none of us leave." He tightened his grip on his axe, stepping in front of the Priestess.

"Yeah yeah, sappy stories later." Bascht piped in, coldly. "Listen, I'd really rather that we all left, instead of none of us-- so hurry up and come up with a plan, so we can get out of here!"