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| Sands, stones and surprises; open | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Apr 27 2009, 02:37 AM (808 Views) | |
| Nickle | Apr 27 2009, 02:37 AM Post #1 |
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The road in front of him was hazy with raw heat, shimmering before all of those on the sandy street. Everyone was clad in turbans and robes, moving between different vendors who were busy advertising either some sort of jewel or trinket, with the occassional fruit stand beneath a small tent covering. With everyone wearing cloaks or robes, Terado blended in perfectly. The wind blew his cloak forward as he made his way down the sand covered street. He was on the outskirts of the city now, moving towards the tourist attractions, such as the various ancient tombs and houses from Ancient Egypt. Part of his duty about maintaining balance in the world, was to ensure that harmony was kept in all manner of forms. Throughout the world he had hidden the totems of past Sentinal Chieftans, in an environment they would be comfortable in. He hadn't been to check up on this particular totem in a while and it was about time he did so, lest someone accidentally stumble upon it. Totems themselves were very tempremenatal things. One could simply not use its power. They lashed out at anyone they came in contact with and only if they could survive and represent certain prerequisites that would make them worthy of a totem. Terado was safe. As he already had possession of the eagle totem, he would be allowed safe passage. The area he had hidden it was now rumoured to be a no-man's land. Needless to say several deaths that had occured there had aroused police suspicion, but also stories of it being some kind of mummy's curse. Despite how much he was honoured to defend the balance of humanity and otherinity, he couldn't help but facepalm at how stupid some humans could be. Edited by Nickle, Apr 27 2009, 02:38 AM.
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| Lawman | Apr 27 2009, 03:10 AM Post #2 |
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In her human disguise, Lavender weaved her way through the crowds on the busy Egyptian streets - people dressed in the native garb of loose-fitting robes and turbans milled about, although every now and then there would be tourists or locals dressed in Western clothing such as business suits or T-shirts amongst the crowd as well. Lavender herself was dressed in a loose-fitting button-up shirt of white cotton, with the collar button and top two buttons unfastened, revealing a green tank top underneath, and a pair of gray cargo pants and leather hiking boots. The sun glinted off the lenses of her violet-tinted glasses as the instructor from the SEED instructor paused to take a look at the goods peddled at one of the many roadside vendors setting up shop along the street in their sheltered makeshift kiosks, peddling all manner of stuff from trinkets and jewelry to fruits and local delicacies. With her mission in Morocco ending inconclusively in which the elusive Nemesis had managed to give her the slip, she had been taken off the case by the higher-ups in the OASIS foundation, who had decided to assign a different operative. Either way, the Nemesis case was no longer her concern, and Egypt would be Lavender's last stop in North Africa before heading to Cairo to catch a plane back to Nova Oasis. After several days of dry heat and sand, Lavender was only too glad to look forward to returning to Nova Oasis' pleasant Mediterranean climate. But first, she could get a few souvenirs for her colleagues and at SEED Institute and the GLADIUS Corps. "What?" Lavender spotted from the corner of her eye a black-cloaked figure moving rather swiftly through the crowds - she had to admit that his garb made him blend in very well given the locals' prevailing fashion styles, but there was something about the way he carried himself around; could be his body language - his posture, his walking gait... but no matter the case, it was kind of hard to miss him ever since the assignment in Morocco. Darting past the human traffic, Lavender kept a bead on Terado, following him through the streets - it would appear that her return to Nova Oasis would have to wait. |
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| Nickle | Apr 27 2009, 03:35 AM Post #3 |
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Terado for once was not on high alert. Egypt was one of the few places that Terado knew he was safe. The region was as ancient as he was and he had made sure that it was free of any and all major threats. So as Lavender approached him, he genrally didn't notice, even if he was downwind of her. He cloak blew out in front of him as the corners of his hood flapped around his face. This place had been difficult to liberate, but at the very least it had been safe since Napolean's invasion. Since then Esper and Other activity seemed to just plummet. It was a perfect hiding spot for the totem. Terado then felt his stomach growling. He stopped, patting his belly and then letting a small smile creep onto his face. A little bit of lunch wouldn't hurt. He turned back, moving towards a stall he had just passed, one that was selling some sort of roasted tuber with an odd sweetening. Terado spoke to the man in arabic, but what caught the man by surprise was that Terado was speaking in an Egyptian dialect. Clearly seeing this from a foreigner, the man was wanting to chat and enquire about it. Terado saw no reason to lie to the man and told him he had lived in Egypt for several years and had studied at Alexandria. The conversation was short, all the while the exchange of momentary and consumable goods was taking place. Giving the man a nod goodbye, Terado took one of the soft, yet oddly firm, sweet-tubers out of the packet and popped it in his mouth. "...Tangy." he said simply, before moving back down the street. |
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| Lawman | Apr 27 2009, 03:54 AM Post #4 |
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"He's got contacts?" Lavender wondered as Terado stopped to converse with a local, a man running a food stall, selling roasted tubers. Although at the distance she couldn't make out what the two of them were talking about, until Terado paid the man some money and bought... a packet of roasted tubers. So much for being paranoid; well, nothing like a little snack, isn't it? The purple-haired Esper almost facepalmed at her own silliness. Pausing briefly at the same stall Terado visited a moment ago, Lavender bought a pack of tubers herself and tailed the lycan, taking a bite out of her snack as she followed him. Mmm... sweet. She thought, which suited her fine, as Lavender had quite a sweet tooth, and the sweet, starchy flavor of the tuber suited her palate well, savoring the firm outside but tender center. She had no idea what the lycan was up to, but she figured that it had to be more than just shopping, and unless her superiors at the OASIS Foundation gave an explicit order to pull out of the case, this was something she decided to investigate personally. Edited by Lawman, Apr 27 2009, 03:55 AM.
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| Nickle | Apr 27 2009, 04:08 AM Post #5 |
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Terado happily ate his little snack. He was still prone to naturaly urges at the end of the day. Slowly as Terado proceeded, the market district began to thin out and became replaced by an old residential area, with high buildings made from mud bricks and staned various cream and brown colours. Terado was getting closer now. Moving off the main street he moved towards an alley way, following it. It was a long straight road, the areas above Terado's head were lined with washing lines and windows with various pot plants outside. This alleyway had several twists and turns, very easy to get lost in. But if you knew the way, you'd be inside the ruins within no time. They were nothing in comparison to the pyramids of Giza or the Valley of the Pharohs. However the tombs that were there were perfect. Private graves that were able to be purchased by those without royal blood. Not really worth mentioning anymore since all the artifacts had been retrieved. They made the perfect hiding spot. Terado had sealed them up himself, so many of the locals here today, didn't even know about them. Taking one final turn, Terado took a seat on some old decrepled steps. The tomb was nearby. There was no one else around here. This was a perfect oppurtunity to finish his food before going to see how the Totem was. He could almost feel its power oozing out from where it was sealed just down the street. |
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| Lawman | Apr 27 2009, 04:24 AM Post #6 |
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Following in Terado's wake, the crowds soon began to thin out, the hustle and bustle replaced by a quaint, rustic silence as the bazaar gave way to an old residential district, aging high-rise buildings of baked and white-washed mud. Taking a bite of another roasted tuber, Lavender noticed the lycan turn away from the main street and into an alleyway. The entering the straight lane, the air was considerably cooler thanks to the shade provided by the buildings that flanked her left and right, while above her hung clothing lines and resting on the window ledges above were various potted plants. Was he trying to lose her trail? Old towns such as this were known for their maze-like alleyways, which were rather easy for one to lose their way in. Either Terado was trying to shake her, or he might very well be heading to somewhere of importance to him. But either way, as the leader of the GLADIUS Corps' field operations, Lavender has had years of experience in shadowing targets under her belt, and wouldn't be so easily shaken off. Seeing that no one was around, Lavender utilized her ability to levitate, floating up to the roof of a nearby building to allow her to get a view of the streets below. Found you. Lavender thought as she crept along the rooftop, spying on Terado below, sitting on a flight of weathered steps and eating his snack. Lavender took the time to finish her own snack and observe the lycan's movements, trying to anticipate his next move. |
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| Nickle | Apr 27 2009, 04:46 AM Post #7 |
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Terado finished eating his meal, grateful for the carbohydrates being in his system now. They'd give him enough energy to last for a couple more hours. Slowly he rose up from the steps, moving down the road and stopping at a wall. Out of all of walls and structures here, this one seemed to be the most ragged and most likely to collapse out of the lot. Needless to say it was because Terado had to rebuild it several times. He had to put a blood seal on it in order to keep the totem from emmitting its energy out and manifesting into someone. The thing with totems is that if they were sealed within an item, no longer free to soar across the earth in ethereal form unhindered by physical matters, they had a deep burning desire to explore. They longed to part of living, breathing organism, as opposed to always being cooped up inside something metal, like a ring or medallion. If these items there were sealed in, were not sealed themselves, the totems power would reach out to weak minded individuals that they could posses. The totems themselves were harmless, even when they lay manifest to someone's body. The problem was that they often transformed their host into a hybrid of an animal and a humanoid. Which naturally caused people to scream, shout and attack, thus causing the totem to get angered and retaliate. Terado still remembered when he had to quell the buffolo totem in the praries of america. That was a very messy situation. Terado lowered his hood, letting the white talon marks of his eagle totem appear as he did so. He raised his hand to his mouth, biting his thumb and making a shallow wound, enough to draw blood. He began drawing markings on the door, an ancient language known only to Others of days long past. Lastly, Terado bloodied his opposite hand with the blood, placing it in the centre of the markings. The requirments completed, he allowed the wound to be healed and close up. Slowly he began to mumbled a chant, "Rana bedeno gora to, rana bedeno gora to," and so it continued 5 times before the stones began to rumble and slide apart, revealing the entrance to the tomb. Terado entred inside, out of view from Lavender up above. |
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| Lawman | Apr 27 2009, 03:30 PM Post #8 |
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Lavender wolfed down the remainder of her snack after seeing Terado make a move after finishing his, following him along the rooftops and shadowing the lycan's moves as he made his way down the street until he stopped at a wall - a relic from the ancient Egyptian times which had been preserved as a historical site, although it certainly looked more weathered than the ones that were popularly-frequented tourist sites, presumably due to city authorities not putting in the budget and manpower to keep the relic maintained. "What the!?" Lavender wondered as she felt a familiar buzzing sensation inside her shirt pocket. Unfastening the button which kept the pocket's contents secure, Lavender reached in and removed the Mentor's Stone, which was now glowing brilliantly in her hand, the blue color of its glow indicative of a powerful E'S potential in the vicinity, other than her own, that is. And she knew that Terado, like Nemesis doesn't trigger a response from the Mentor's Stone... so whose E'S potential could it be? The purple-haired Esper had no time to ponder as Terado began to perform some kind of blood ritual, drawing some blood from his thumb by biting on it and marking a stone door with symbols - some kind of language, Lavender presumed, although she couldn't be sure what kind of language it was... it doesn't seem like it originated from any of the known branches of human language, archaic or modern. As Terado's marking process neared completion, Lavender took out her smart phone, a Model F74 from Frostfire Communications, a member of the Frostfire Industries group, and activated the phone's digital camera to take a snap shot of the door, with the intention of bringing back the picture to the OASIS Complex once she gets back so that the eggheads at the ALPHA labs can study and hopefully translate them. Lavender watched as Terado smeared his other hand with the blood from his thumb, before placing said hand against the door, right in the center of his ritual markings and reciting an obscure chant, "Rana bedeno gora to, rana bedeno gora to," which he repeated five times in all before a faint rumbling noise was heard, and the stones that made up the wall began to part, revealing an ancient gateway into which the lycan disappeared. Wasting no time at all, Lavender jumped off the rooftop, controlling her descent with her levitation and landing harmlessly on her feet - she had no idea how long the opening will stay open, and moved quickly on her feet, darting into the darkness beyond. Edited by Lawman, Apr 27 2009, 03:30 PM.
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| Nickle | Apr 27 2009, 03:40 PM Post #9 |
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No sooner had Lavender entered, did the doorway slowly rumbled closed. She was in darkness now, complete and utter darkness as the last rays of light vanished. It could be problematic to most, but due to Terado's low light vision, it didn't hinder him. Although Terado was relxaed before, as soon as he began creating the markings, he had gone on high alert again. If anyone was nearby, he needed to be sure of it. And Lavender was still wearing the same perfume, not only that, but in this heat she was sweating possibly as much as she did in the train in Morroco. Terado was leaning against one of the walls, watching her move in the darkness. "You're an awfully persistant one. I'll grant you that." He was not worried about the totem just yet. There was still another door further down that it was locked behind, so it hopefully wouldn't manifest with Lavender. "Who are you and why are you following me?" There was no way for Lavender to get out of here without Terado's assistance, so he hoped that she answered his questions. After all, from what he'd seen, they were both air users, so he powers could be countered by his, at the end of the day, he had an advantage. |
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| Lawman | Apr 27 2009, 03:59 PM Post #10 |
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"Awww... bollocks!" Lavender cursed under her breath as no sooner had she followed Terado into the ancient tomb the sound of stones grinding together was heard behind her as the walls began moving again, sealing the entrance behind her, shrouding the interior in darkness. Although that didn't hinder Lavender - a good GLADIUS commander never allows herself to be caught unprepared, and the violet-haired instructor reached into a side pocket in her trousers and removed a LED torch - a surprisingly powerful source of illumination at low energy consumption. The still air inside the ancient mausoleum was warm and forboding, and already she could feel beads of sweat roll down her forehead and neck as she swept her surroundings with her flashlight. "You're an awfully persistant one. I'll grant you that.", a voice called out nearby. Jumping backwards and landing in a roll before raising herself into a half-kneel Lavender shone her torch in the direction of the voice, which revealed the cloaked figure of the lycan with whom she had battled the vampires together on the train to Tangier, who appeared to be calm and composed - which was understandable; in the dark and narrow confines of this tomb he had a complete tactical advantage. "Who are you and why are you following me?" the lycan asked. Lavender sighed - she was trapped, and really saw little point in hiding anything from him. "All right sir, you got me..." the purple-haired Esper said as she dispelled the illusion created by the orichalcum talisman, seeing how it was pointless to maintain the disguise anyway. "My name is Lavender, an agent for the OASIS Foundation... I thought that things weren't quite over yet after the incident on the train, so I figured I could find out information from you," Lavender replied earnestly. |
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| Nickle | Apr 27 2009, 04:16 PM Post #11 |
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Terado lowered his hood, unafraid of the light and let Lavender see his human face for the first time, as opposed to a partially or fully transformed one. "OASIS, I've heard about you lot. But tell me Lavender, what exactly has your investigation told you so far?" Terado the let his cloak slip off him, as opposed to keeping it on him the while time like he did in the train. Beneath, was tanned skin, rippling with muscles that were by no means a product of any gym work. All of it was sheer, physical prowess. Terado wore sandals, no shirt and a pair of white pants, which his long black hair swirled around. "What did you hope to discover by following me?" This girl, had powerful magic residing within her. She seemed elven, although there was no way of confirming that. Terado never had been on good terms with the elves, even back when he really was young. However this girl, she seemed to have a knack for aeromancy, without the help of a totem. Terado needed to still be careful, even if he already had seen her in action. But, she did seem to at least understand the situation she was in. |
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| Lawman | Apr 27 2009, 04:42 PM Post #12 |
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Lavender watched Terado intently, being mindful of any sudden moves the lycan might make as he raised his hands... to lower the hood of his cloak, allowing Lavender to catch sight of his face; the one he wore in his human form, followed by the rest of his cloak slipping off his body, showing off his tanned, rugged physique - all the more obvious by the fact that he wasn't wearing a shirt beneath his cloak, only a pair of white trousers. "OASIS, I've heard about you lot. But tell me Lavender, what exactly has your investigation told you so far?" He asked as Lavender turned pink at the sight of his exposed torso - while she has had nothing against partial or even complete nudity, she was certainly not used to seeing someone, regardless of gender, undress at random, and needless to say she found that a little awkward, her earlier serious and calculating expression replaced by one of stunned innocence. "Well I..." Lavender tried to avert her gaze from Terado's body as she replied. "So it seems that the... Others are still pretty active, I see..." She continued; it has been ages since the OASIS foundation heard anything about the Others - the original paranormal superpowers of the world - and for all intents and purposes they were believed to have gone underground ever since powered humans began to experience a population explosion, but the incident in Morocco had proven the organization's theory dead wrong. "What did you hope to discover by following me?" he asked again. "I... well, you disappeared rather suddenly after our last meeting on the train, and I hadn't even had to chance to thank you for your assistance," Lavender replied plainly. After all, without Terado battling the vampires by her side she wasn't sure if she'd still be here right now. "It was really pure coincidence to run into you here... so I wondered what you may be up to..." She answered awkwardly. |
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| Nickle | Apr 27 2009, 05:04 PM Post #13 |
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Terado had no intention of making Lavender blush at his physical appeal. The reason for him shedding his cloak was to prepare himself for meeting with the totem. If one hid themselves from a totem, it would automatically cause distrust with the spirit. However he did not miss the smell of pheromones coming from Lavender, be them however small in amount. When she spoke of the Others still being active, and nothing more of, then Terado knew that she really and truely knew nothing of him or of ancient magics. "They have been for a very long time. They are just better at hiding there doings than modern day Espers." Terado began to approach her slowly. From what he knew of OASIS and its various sub-groups, they were not intent of domination over humans, most of their members being human themselves. However, this presented a perfect oppurtunity to test that theory. Although it would require some waiting. As Lavender explained herself for following, Terado nodded and returned her thanks, "I must repay my gratitude to you as well. Those vampires were stronger than the ones in Russia." Terado stopped about 2 meters away from her, now cleary in the shine of her light. "So, in thanks, I feel that I could entrust an OASIS member like yourself, with knowledge of days long past." Terado turned, walking down the only path inside the tomb. "I don't suppose you know what a totem is?" Terado was sure she'd follow, so didn't stop to look back at her. |
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| Lawman | Apr 27 2009, 09:46 PM Post #14 |
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"They have been for a very long time. They are just better at hiding there doings than modern day Espers." Lavender nodded at Terado's reply. She had to admit that the Espers she had faced in battle were hardly known for subtlety. "I must repay my gratitude to you as well. Those vampires were stronger than the ones in Russia." The lycan continued, approaching Lavender until her was a mere two meters away, standing directly in the glow of her torch. "You sound as if you've been fighting vampires for quite some time," Lavender mused. So far the vampire threat didn't seem so serious as to warrant direct intervention on the GLADIUS Corps' part - but this could either be due to the beasts being more elusive than she'd thought, or that people like Terado have been actively keeping their numbers to a more manageable size, preventing them from ballooning into a serious threat. "So, in thanks, I feel that I could entrust an OASIS member like yourself, with knowledge of days long past." Terado turned around as they took a path down a darkened passageway inside the tomb, with Lavender looking around, randomly inspecting some of the hieroglyphs and murals, maintain a two meter distance between herself and the lycan as he led the way. Without even looking over his shoulder, Terado asked, "I don't suppose you know what a totem is?" "A totem?" Lavender asked. "As in a totem pole? From what I have read in various tribal lore, totems are supposed to be spirits that animists from before the advent of organized religion believed to inhabit the natural world - trees, rivers, mountains, animals and such, isn't it?" She had known a native American mystic from the Cherokee tribe once, and some of the stories he had told her seemed quite close to what this lycan is speaking to her about right now. |
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| Nickle | Apr 27 2009, 10:09 PM Post #15 |
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Terado didn't speak of the vampires, he'd let her carry on thinking that there was just a small number. For the most half, there was a smaller number than in past ages. The seveteen-hundreds was when their last ourbreak had occured and Terado had done his utmost to ensure that they did not dominate the planet. It was during that time that the vampire's gave him a name, not knowning his real one, a name that represented everything about Terado's ferocity on the battlefield. That name was 'Omen'. However, Terado could recall those dark days at some other point in time. "You've got the right idea, but pretty much its the same that most people have these days. Totems are indeed spirits, you may call people who believe in such things these days as pagans. However, it couldn't be further from the truth. The ones who believed in totems, the real totems were others." Terado stopped, a stone door with a large set of carved symbols before him. They were similar to the ones he had drawn outside in blood. He turned around, looking at Lavender, "I feel that I can trust at least one person in this era with this knowledge, seeing as you have proven yourself to me on the train." Terado bent down a bit so that they were on eye level, "My name is Terado, I am the only surviving Sentinel from a time when this earth was still young and uncorrupted by machinary and science. I have been blessed with eternal life, by the king of totems and spirits. The earth king Gaia." Terado slowly stood up again, "It has been my duty for the past several hundred years to maintain the balance between humanity and others, with the help of the spirits of the earth. What I am about to show you is a spirit who calls himself Al-Aqran, one of the mighty guardians of the desert. I must warn you, not to speak, move suddenly or act until I have formally introduced you. Otherwise there's a chance he could kill us both." With that Terado turned around, touching his hand to his eagle totem around his neck. A light blue light began to shine around him, before accumulating in his hand. He touched the centre of the door and the carved markings began to glow, before rising up. The blue light spread inside and illuminated the room, running through long carved lines. At the centre of the room, was an altar with nothing but an necklace with a carved scorpion medalion. Terado turned and whispered. "Enter quietly and stand clear of the exit, stand just to the side of the door and don't move." With that, the Sentinal entered. |
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