• Solo • Creeping Frost

[Crevil Arivuz'Arix]

Previously
7th Trial of Vhalar, Arc 719 - Remote Settlement - Viden Country Border

Quest

As a deserter, you can only rely on yourself, and whoever is fool enough to run with you on your escape from duty. Even that is a toss-up, as other deserters can prove equally untrustworthy.
Even so, things are such as they are, and you have to make do with the situation at hand.
For the past several nights, you hear a gang of dogs barking in the distance, as if hunting a scent on a trail. One night, you awaken to their loud barking, accompanied by the sound of their masters' voices. They appear to be chasing quarry. Perhaps they are chasing a boar, or a rabbit, maybe even a bear.
Will Crevil wait to see if that is the case, or will he make to flee from them? What if that causes suspicion among the hunters? Then again, what if he's their quarry?

Shortly after his ritual cleansing of the oils and dirt; and the abnormal discovery of such a jagged scar-marking across his right eye, the boy promptly returned to his room. Although his mind was a flurry of gongs and throbbing pains when he first awoke, it was becoming more apparent now as to the circumstances of why.
Despite the nature of his kind, with the spark of Rupturing tethered to his soul and a sort of clarity that exists in a bubble around his persons; there was now something ever so slightly more. As if there was something hidden to him all this time, and is now revealed- familiar, yet fresh and new. It felt as if an extension of his mind existed, if only barely reaching but never connecting to something- or someone... And there was a nagging deja-vu that invaded his thoughts; there was a plethora of new-found information, but it felt as if he had already known it; despite his memory suggesting he knew nothing of it the night prior.
"... Whatever that was-- Did not cause for a pleasant sleep at all." A groan escaped along with his self-directed words, perhaps a means to help him ground his mind and body back into reality- Or at the very least, confirm he was no longer dreaming.

Having found himself in his room in the inn, the outpost was fairly quiet; dead even, with only a handful of people actually present. Most of which were not much different than himself- save for being estranged to his home-city; they were all quiet folk, each with their own reasons why they were living so far from civilization, and generally- all respected that fact for everyone else around and avoided prying.
With a drawn exhale, the young man habitually wandered to a covered bundle in the corner of the room; it was difficult to see the illuminating glow that emanated from beneath. Removing the cover revealed his set of ... Permanently borrowed armor, tienite plate-set and arms and armaments. While he could feel the movement around him down to an incredibly amount of alacrity, the room next to him did not shift often; it seemed his companion was still asleep. It gave him time to don his gear, since it took him far longer to piece together his equipment than Raven took.

Some time later...

Looking out the window, the early morning sun had been blotched out by a thick swathe of greyish cotton tufts, a furrow crossed his brow observing it. An unfortunate turn of circumstances, given today was the day the pair had wanted to depart once more to continue their journey through the perilous wastes of Viden's arctic lands; even though, he could tell his friend had only just begun to awake, with shifts of her movements suggestive of sitting across the covered wall. While this had drawn his attention for only a moment; a new sight had drawn a cause for concern.
Looking beyond the flimsy windows to the outside landscape, knitted between the scarce trees and knotted foliage in the distance was a group of three individuals... The matter of them people was not what caused a dawning of sweat to trickle down the azure of his face-- No, they were each donned in Ranger gear.

A cold chill slithered through every muscle and fiber of his being, as if a sprite of ice had giggled and breathed a cold breath down the length of his spine. A lifelessness consumed him for a hairs millenia-- Terror. "Hunters."

[Crevil Arivuz'Arix]

7th Trial of Vhalar, Arc 719 - Remote Settlement - Viden Country Border

Quest

As a deserter, you can only rely on yourself, and whoever is fool enough to run with you on your escape from duty. Even that is a toss-up, as other deserters can prove equally untrustworthy.
Even so, things are such as they are, and you have to make do with the situation at hand.
For the past several nights, you hear a gang of dogs barking in the distance, as if hunting a scent on a trail. One night, you awaken to their loud barking, accompanied by the sound of their masters' voices. They appear to be chasing quarry. Perhaps they are chasing a boar, or a rabbit, maybe even a bear.
Will Crevil wait to see if that is the case, or will he make to flee from them? What if that causes suspicion among the hunters? Then again, what if he's their quarry?

For a breadths moment he was caught still- they were far enough away that even with the illumination of both his armors- but too the motes of flickering lights that danced in his eyes would go unnoticed for the time being.
"Calm yourself Crevil." He washed the emotions of his dread, and steadied himself- he knew he was far from an expert in not only himself, but dealing with those beyond the scope of his own hands; this was no time however to fall victim to fear and the feeling of ineptitude. Act a command ushered through his mind, one of his own- But a reminder a will that seized himself to move.

Swiftly stirring to action, he rushed to the wall of the room where his friend readied herself for the day ahead. Banging on it loud enough to catch her attention; with her head twisted to the sudden noise. A porthole of magic ruptured into existence with a small 'pop' sound. Wasting no time for apologetics or courtesies, "Viden Hunters are here, double-time! I will make an opening, escape while you can." Without waiting for a response, the hole dissipated just as abruptly as it arrived.

He too, wasting to time was quick to turn heel and rush to his backpack and assorted movable goods. He knew he would have to come back for some of the items if he were to survive; but for the time, it was grab the necessities for survival and live with the potential loss of luxuries they'd attained through the trials prior. With quick-work, and practiced habit the tools of survival were strapped on, tied and ready to go in only a passing of moments. No later, a cloak thrown over to help guise the radiance of his gear, and a cowl to obscure his facial features and too, the glow of a plated head-gear. Approaching his door, a controlled breath inhaled and exhaled in the same fell swoop it took him to open the door and slip out.
Crevil was far from quiet; but the inn was awake and there was the clanging of pots and pans, quiet chatter from the floor below and the miscellany of ambiance that helped him blend within' the environment. With the sensation that gave the young rupturer a sort of perception of the area around him suggested that no new presences had entered the facility gave the young-man some relief; it was only a temporary buffer before they arrived and had the potential of stopping, killing or capturing him... None of which he was eager to entertain.

Sparing only a momentary glance down the hallway that slowly faded into darker hues of saddle-browns of the finished woods. He felt Raven was rushing; Good. He mused mentally. Twisting his attention to an opening that held beside the stairs, it lead to a small room that opened up to the foyer of the inn. Quickly positioning himself down the stairs and through the opening, his sight locked to the front-door and then the window that held fast beside it. Through the glass, he could see the three people making their way towards the door. A drive of intuition had seized the boy's mind and will; with his eyes finding home of one of the three. A tethering occurred-- He thought, some sort of bonding to their mind... Check the cellar around back. no later, did his eyes lock to another further back and Check the storage off near the stable.
Despite the strange seizing of his control, it felt as if-- Or had it just been him?

What did matter, though; is the thoughts that conjured had also lead to two of those in the back to nod to each other and split up-- Judging from their directions, to the landmarks that were transposed through the mind. Acknowledging the opportunity of only having to evade one person in the confines of the inn he smirked, a sense of confidence had washed his dread. And such confidence leashed his actions and ushered him to wander through the back-ends of the inn; while simultaneously hearing the front door open carefully.
Though he noticed the counter-attendant go to stop Crevil, the arrival of the newcomer Hunter at the entrance had caused a moment of conflict for them. Though only momentarily he was certain, it did grant Crevil time to maneuver through the dark of the storage and head towards the backdoor. While he hadn't had a true mapping of the inn; the bubble that guided him some ten-odd feet out in any direction helped give him a grasp of direction as the motion of the world around this expanse was enough to provide intuition enough information to move him with purpose.

Having reached the back-door, he heard the chatter of the Hunter and the attendant- They'd only gotten to asking about the present residence, and facing some opposition to submitting that information so carelessly-- Good, it was something in his favor; though he was certain once the Hunters imposed their ranking and power in the Rangers, that attitude and tone would shift quickly; less subjecting him to a more aggressive hunt.

One inhale... One exhale... With protected fingers wrapping like snakes around the metallic handle to the exposed outdoors, he calloused his mind and prepared his body for the agonizing buffeting that was to come from the howling winds and unforgiving bite of the shearing colds. He never liked the feeling of the cold, he was used too it; but it was no friend.

"Now." He commanded under his breath; he had sensed the cellar door swing open nearby, and too the body of the hunter descending down within'. At that moment of reprieve, the door of the back creaked open and gave him ample room to slide out.
The crunching of the snow was no cause for alarm, despite it sounding deafeningly loud to him; he knew that the wind drowned the sound out like a typhoon to screams. With his eyes scanning the vertical-plane, he knew he could try to retrieve his horse; but having to ride the horse bare-back and un-protected would simply lead to the unnecessary death of a creature that had no part in his crimes. No... He had to escape--

So he did what was in his power, and started running.

[Crevil Arivuz'Arix]

7th Trial of Vhalar, Arc 719 - Remote Settlement - Viden Country Border

Quest

As a deserter, you can only rely on yourself, and whoever is fool enough to run with you on your escape from duty. Even that is a toss-up, as other deserters can prove equally untrustworthy.
Even so, things are such as they are, and you have to make do with the situation at hand.
For the past several nights, you hear a gang of dogs barking in the distance, as if hunting a scent on a trail. One night, you awaken to their loud barking, accompanied by the sound of their masters' voices. They appear to be chasing quarry. Perhaps they are chasing a boar, or a rabbit, maybe even a bear.
Will Crevil wait to see if that is the case, or will he make to flee from them? What if that causes suspicion among the hunters? Then again, what if he's their quarry?

For what felt like hours, the rapid stifling crunch of each hurried step underneath him acted as if they were bells tolling for his own mortality. Although the snow offered traction in the arctic landscape, it too; also offered opportune steps to track his movements.
And even though he went the way he saw the hunters come from; the extra set of foot-prints would eventually be discovered and any number of the hunters would be on his tail. He knew this, yet it didn't help his creeping paranoia. For every few passing minutes, he caught himself peering over his shoulder to the looming greys that entrapped the horizon; the tell-tale glowing motes of light flickering listlessly in his eyes each time.

Not much later, young Crevil had found himself placed in a rather perilous spot. He could see some thirty meters ahead was a cliff-edge, the snow curled near the edges as the wind had swept it down the drop, not a foot-print in sight from animals or the like-- Clearly a sign that the area itself imposed a rather significant danger, though the drop was not visible itself; one could only imagine that for it to be this devoid of signs of life, it were deep.
However, despite the new setting; he was winded, having been travelling in the harsh climate for some time; his lungs had stung of needles. With the cold wreathing his internals for each breath, it kept him awake but it staked a pain for each passing breath. While he sucked in air and steadied his mind and body to continue his travel, both arms had carefully found themselves propped atop his knees as he lurched over just barely to help support the aching muscles that shouted in protest to his mind.

".How much farther will I need to go to get them off my tail.." Breathless words escaped, weary from exhaustion and barely audible. "Jeez-- Who's to even say they're following me... I might be getting too paran--" Like daggers to his lungs; an alien crunch of snow abaft his position echoed. Cutting his breathing still, he turned one last time to peer to his rear; there a silhouette loomed, legs waning to continue much farther with each of the man's walking steps. At first, the young-man's mind betrayed him and sought to comfort him with the illusion that it was a mere hallucination.
But as the figure closed with each passing step and their form not fading into nothing; the more he was convinced from his own lies. Too he noticed, that as the day longed and night began to loom the motes of light that danced from his eyes gave a gentle light to his own face and form. Curses.

"By the depths-- Kid... Yo'er and yer' girl friend are devils to catch." With a voice, came the truth that this form was no mere illusion; but a fact-- And that they too, were strained on breath and tolled by the suffocating blanket of the cold. What were reassuring, if one could be reassured; was that it was only one hunter.

Gulp

"I... I don't want to do this, just leave us be!" Crevil, not immediately drawn to hostilities felt a tone of desperation in his own plea. The words had cast the hunter to stop in his tracks, at this point Crevil was able to discern the man was easily a few inches taller, his build a bit more focused in bulk than speed... And that there was only some odd twenty feet from the two of them. "'Fraid kid, you're gonna have to come back with me. Orders 'er dead or alive. -- I'm sorry." With the brief pause in his sentence, the man drew a blade of steel; his tone too, carried some emotional dissent. While holding fast, the man drew the blade forwards and gripped the two-handed long-sword with both hands; it was clear he was practiced, but far from a master. "For my sake, and yours... Make a decision, if you choose to come peacefully- Drop your arms. If you choose to resist, wield your honor- and I will await it to be ironed."

The choice he knew. Was to resist; to yield would be no different than being submissive to your own execution- The hunter, he knew would honor returning him to Viden. But from there he would be subject to indescribable torture and experimentation not long before his own timely death by the hands of some cruel man or woman.
A chilled whimper caressed his lungs and escaped his lips, not loud enough to submit his own succumbent cowardice to his opponent. But certainly loud enough for him to hear, and understand that his fear was palpable to the fates. Curtains drawn over his eyes as he reached to his side, a chilled but trained hand gripped and drew out the tienite blade. Upon it's full reveal, the glistening radiance of blue and white had illuminated the darkening field of crystalline water at their feet. Stunningly beautiful did the shimmering lights create the scene, all to be wasted for a despair of blades to clash and taint the snow with crimsons.
One more gulp, as he lifted the blade's edge nearest to his nose; he prayed to no god, but the pose suggestive of such-- Instead, he prayed to his kin, his friend and himself- deigning his will to the threads of fate to grant him some fictitious power to overcome what the challenge lie before him. As he felt content, or fooled; the blade slowly drifted down to his side, the tip just scratching the surface of the clotting snows at his feet. With his left hand, he reached up and unbuckled the cloak; with pinched fingers he tugged it off his mantle and placed it to the ground, stamping his foot down atop it as to ensure it did not blow away with some rogue wind.

With that, the young Eidisi mutt had no more to prepare; for he stood like a youthful angel of death, armor and arms abound in an ethereal radiance of silvers and blues streaking across the darkened snows. A buckler unencumbering his left hand had been positioned carefully to his direction of engagement; blade had been lifted and rested atop his left's wrist granting him some reduced weight on his general whole of the body. A technique to help him maintain balance, but to maintain stamina reserves throughout a fight.

Passing the field of snow and tree, a chilled wind whispered across either combatants armors and skins. A voice of death from nature; no doubt. "Let it be known. I choose to resist; not to wish your injury, but to seek my own sanctuary in lands I choose my own." Pursed lips push out a calculated stream of air. The battle was about to begin. "Very well." The sound of setting metal announced to the field that the man was prepared.

[Crevil Arivuz'Arix]

7th Trial of Vhalar, Arc 719 - Remote Settlement - Viden Country Border

Quest

As a deserter, you can only rely on yourself, and whoever is fool enough to run with you on your escape from duty. Even that is a toss-up, as other deserters can prove equally untrustworthy.
Even so, things are such as they are, and you have to make do with the situation at hand.
For the past several nights, you hear a gang of dogs barking in the distance, as if hunting a scent on a trail. One night, you awaken to their loud barking, accompanied by the sound of their masters' voices. They appear to be chasing quarry. Perhaps they are chasing a boar, or a rabbit, maybe even a bear.
Will Crevil wait to see if that is the case, or will he make to flee from them? What if that causes suspicion among the hunters? Then again, what if he's their quarry?

Swift splashes of snow licked the air behind the hunter, with practiced motion he had begun his advance. Foregoing sprinting for educated pacing, the distance did not take long to traverse, nor did it exert an excess of stamina.

In felling motion, the steel streaked through the air in a vertical slash seeking to bypass the plates of the radiant tienite and to seek refuge in the young Eidisi's cervicis for a fatal blow. Crevil with the glimmer of light soaking the area around him had a clear sight of the steel in the darkening of day. As it reflected the ethereal radiance, it too gave him the foresight of the blow. Twisting his right hand to the sky, and angling his body to side-step to the left; placing himself on the Hunter's vulnerable side. This all actioned in the blink of an eye, as the crack of metals echoed the stunted nights; a gentle spark illuminated in choir to the clashing blades and the momentum of the Hunter had pushed forwards, as Crevil re-positioned himself to the left.
Wasting no time, Crevil advanced; with his left foot forwards one step, followed by his right and simultaneously he had thrust the blade towards a seemingly vulnerable place in the Hunter's torso. Given the momentum from the Hunter, and Crevil's positioning. It found mark, if only barely; with a scraping sound of fiber and hide, a fleshy resistance was met nearing the end of the thrust; it didn't dig- but only cut the edges of the man's rib. Enough to tear a yelp from the Hunter, but far from halting him in his tracks.
This became terribly apparent, with a maneuver of the torso; the Hunter had turned in a swift motion and the flat of the man's blade had tore through the air and met in dazing force across Crevil's face, cracking against the metal plate that offered only minor protection to his forehead and cheeks. Nevertheless, he found himself tumbling through the air for only a passing breath afore he became mutuals with the snow.

Though the romance of his face and snow was short-lived, Crevil knew better than to accept the seizing of equilibrium as an untimely end. As he purposed his training, a quick motion stirred him to rolling on his side away some two feet, with some minor footwork he twisted and angled his body where his feet would catch the momentum to the snow and prop his torso out of the snow some inches. Forcing his right and left hands to the ground pushed him to his feet.
From there, he came witness to see that had he stayed in place; he would be addendum one extra sword in his body. It was then, he noticed too that he was at a loss of something in his right hand. Found some feet on the other side of his opponent lie his blade in the snow, glistening in radiance as ever. Curses.

It was then, the moment of fight or flight seized the day. And ushering his body to move, he had aimed to distance himself from the hunter and began to run towards the opposite direction the hunter. No later that he realized was towards the cliff, and hot on his tail was the Hunter- Except the hunter had longer, and stronger legs; for only seconds he managed to flee afore the overbearing size of the hunter tackled into him, and sent both sprawling to the snow. Though separated, the hunter waited no time to lunged atop the young Eidisi and sent a flurry of punches to crack against his face. To Crevil's sanctuary, his buckler and forearms of tienite plate offered substantial defenses to the man-made blunt force. For given reasons, the Hunter changed tactics and fished for his blade.
With the opening from being pummeled, Crevil broke his defenses in favor of winding back his left hand and sent it firing forwards. Aiming the tienite buckler straight for the hunter's face; both blinding and causing an audible crack in the air, as a seepage of crimsons splattered on the snow and both their attires. With the Hunter falling back and no longer curtailing Crevil's movement, he pushed with both feet to break some distance between the two. Snow shuffling hastily to get away from the pressure exerted by both combatants; Crevil's mind had begun to flood with an excess of adrenaline and a mixture of both fear and instinct.

Gasps of breath started exhausting from both fighters. With the cold stripping them both of some of their strength and sapping each of their staminas in varying degrees, it had shifted the momentum of the battle quickly to nearly a scrap. As Crevil still on his back in the snow, he could sense something was off; his rupturing sense suggested that the edge of the cliff was drawing nearer and nearer- or they were getting closer. But before he could discern any further, the looming figure of the Hunter fell atop him once more. A glint of steel seen this time, smaller in form but suggestive of a dagger of some manner.
Dread surfaced, and in the moment; it felt as if time had started to drift into a lull. Things lofted and snow ebbed and flowed like gravity ceased to exist; a play of perception of course, but in the moment. A welling of force had begun to drag Crevil into it's current, the spark from within' had sought it's safety, and in turn; Crevil's safety. It gripped him and cornered Crevil's will to command an unprecedented amount of ether through the boy; stripping him of his usual limits. As his eyes seared a blinding azure, following such; a rip of space had formed just inches from Crevil's staving hands. Placed strategically between himself and the falling Hunter; to Crevil, this sensation of the portal ripping open with the shattering boom of a bomb was nigh addictive. It drew on all of his senses, and excited each and every one.

But it was brief.. And draining-- For what he knew, was just a portal was manifested; the purpose of why, or where was unclear. What became swiftly clear, was as the burning azure light faded and where it faded- the Hunter no longer was. To which it was replaced by the falling of snow from the blanketed black skies. And echoed by the fading sounds of a scream...?

Panic surged, as the boy followed the sounds and located their source to be from the edge of the cliff. Scurrying to the edge, against better-judgement; he peered over the edge. To see the Hunter falling-- And the fall was seeming endless, with an expanse of grey and black that obscured any sense of a bottom. "N-no.." Words no better filtered with despair could be conjured, for words didn't quite actuate what he felt. Where there was a burning passion of adrenaline and survival; now felt awash of guilt. Gripping and suffocating his heart and lungs.

--

He wasn't sure how long had passed since the ledge. What he could identify was he had gathered what he had brought with him, and started tracing his trail back to the outpost; his mind was fuzzy and his body drained of strength. His chest had felt nigh as empty as his head, and all that could come to mind- Over and over...

I killed a man...

[Abra]

Crevil Arivuz'Arix

Rewards

Knowledges:

Skill:

• Discipline: Pressing on without stamina
• Discipline: Fighting in the face of certain death
• Rupturing: Useful for moving people as much as it is you
• Rupturing: Basic defensive teleportation
• Combat (Long-sword): Sometimes an effective defense
• Combat (Buckler): Sometimes an effective offense

Loot:
Injuries: minor injuries that will heal within a seventrial.

Medium overstepping penalty for two seventrials – see feedback

Wanderlust: A moderate overstepping penalty, Wanderlust is a longer lasting (albeit fairly benign) condition. The Rupturer feels compelled to travel and will be unable to stay in one place for more than a handful of trials at a time. Usually this condition can last anywhere from one cycle to three, but the key difference between this condition and the normal flighty nature of the Rupturer is that they are compelled to travel and become emotionally dependent on the act. Forcing themselves to stay in one place saps their energy, their emotions, and their willpower. Some have even experienced an almost amorous draw toward those traveling or people preparing to travel.
Wealth:
Renown:

EXP: 10 rupturing

Feedback

If you go to the bottom of the rupturing wiki page, it tells you what is possible at novice level. Rupturers are typically only able to make small portals at that level, nowhere near large enough to fit a body. They can’t even blink until competent level and even then their sustained portals are window sized at most. Since your spark had to work so hard to transport the hunter, I assigned a medium overstepping penalty. Be careful in the future because some of the possible penalties are nasty!

Regarding the story, this is the first desertion plot that I’ve read and I think you did a good job. I laughed when I read “permanently borrowed armor.” I also enjoyed how Crevil handled the magic he casted. It must have been just as shocking to him as it was to the hunter… Some paragraphs don’t look like they were broken up properly. I couldn’t tell if it was accidental or on purpose. Otherwise no complaints… enjoy your rewards.