ticklefarte

Sorry online lectures hit like a truck, lol. I should have something by this weekend!

Still writing mine. my pace slowed down though and I'm sorry about that.

So what's the status of Mone's Skin, right now? Like has it been weakened at all?

Lol, Will would go for the back. More surface area to push against there. Haha his butt would be hilarious though

Uh assuming Mone counters the flames in a way that dispels them, but doesn't affect Will, he'll try to drive the bolts into Mone and do some damage. I wasn't sure what the counter would look like so I stopped there. Also not even sure if Will can't pushing the bolts through the stone skin.

Gonna hope that Luke can handle fire, because Will got out of there.

Death reached desperately for him. It shot out fast. yearning to close the distance between them. Will blinked and suddenly the skeletal hand was gone. He blinked again and Luke was there, speaking to him. Gods what was that? And why was he feeling so...lively? His limbs were limber. Lungs full of life. His head no longer hurt and he found that, while the wounds he'd gotten in the pipes were still present, their aching was a vague memory. Present, but in the background. That made sense. In the foreground, there were more pressing problems. "Understood," Will gasped, still shocked from the boost. He felt for his quiver, eyeing Mone as he dispelled Luke's magic smoke. The wizard was fast, clearly a master of his field. Will grit his teeth and swept his gaze toward Pierre. Was it you? Did you make me stronger? It was a gut feeling, but Will gave the mage a nod and advanced toward Mone. He had five bolts left. None of them were enhanced, and the crossbow was certainly not strong enough to pierce the stone that coated Mone's skin right now. What to do, then? Could he do it? This strength was unreal. He could feel it as a comforting heat, eager to be used. Could he generate more force than his crossbow? Enough to crack rock? I'm still human. He's a wizard. Getting close could hurt. But they needed him to move. Luke had said so. It took some time to build up the nerve, but in a flash Will threw down the crossbow and seized two quarrels from his quiver. He wielded with a tight grip and sprinted toward the wizard just as the cellar began to shake with magic. Mone saw him. Will knew he did. Was this in response? Hail? Gods, why? A cloud coalesced near the ceiling, large and ominous. As Will charged Mone, sleet fired out and pelted him fiercely. His legs carried him quickly, but the ice hit harder and harder, building up strength like a real storm would. He cursed as one him in the head, blood pouring out of the gash and blurring his vision. He kept moving. The distance was getting smaller. Will was faster than ever. He moved like a force of nature in his own right, wild and unrelenting in his pursuit. With each footfall, he poured everything he had into lengthening his stride. Everything he had into getting closer. He was getting warmer. The strength was hot now, his body aflame. What had Pierre done to him? He just barely caught hint of a new source of light. Fuck, move! Out of instinct, Will slid to the side as he realized that he was preceding a wilder kind of magic than a power increase. The flames unfurled from Pierre, curling and licking like amber tongues at the cellar floor. The sleet melted immediately, turning into rain upon entry due to the drastic temperature change. Will skidded across the stone floor, stopping once he found purchase. He turned to look at the attack. Luke...could he survive the flames? Could Mone? Banking on the wizard having a counter, Will launched himself after the column of flames, hoping to surprise Mone with a secondary attack.

@Dolor Aeternum this sounds cool. I'll go back in the thread for context but I'm definitely interested.

Will swept his gaze in a wide arc, scanning for...anything. The fog was thick, just as expected. He couldn't see farther than a few feet, and even then his ability to concretely identify things was weak. They'd been walking for quite a while, and his body was starting to feel the effects. It wasn't the journey, specifically, but the lack of of an obvious destination. Sure they'd gotten to Whitewood, but now what? How long until they found the Tempest Vine? His questions were silent. They would go unanswered when Anywhere broadcast their announcement. Will's blood ran cold. Another conflict. Could he handle it in this fog? A bowman without a clear line of sight was dangerous to others. Swallowing hard, Will eyed a low hanging branch and grasped it tightly. With a grunt he pulled himself up and into the tree, scaling it until he could peer above the fog. The chitin would be invisible to him on the forest floor, but the fallen knights were tall. He could see hints of their figures as they approached. Grimacing, Will tried to get settled in the tree and began to aim. A moment later he would begin firing.

edited. Will never makes it out of the cellar. rip

Oh that's dope. Lol I'll edit

When you say the way out, do you mean the door outside? or does will never make it up the stairs

lemme know if I should edit. Kinda took liberties with Mone and the armor so I completely understand and will adjust as needed.

Will sighed. "I gave you your chance. Without answers, you're not getting this ring." He wanted an explanation, but had already known that any story given would fall short of enough. This was fine. He was grateful to see Luke pocket the ring. It seemed they were all aligned on this and, while Pierre was being silent, Will was confident they could take the wizard with a bit of effort. Now what? In Will's head he could envision countless mad dashes for the stairs. Most ended in a metal fist slamming into Will's face, ending the escape permanently. Some had Will and the others under the duress of some complicated magic. Regardless, their success rate was low. He rubbed his face and watched Luke pick up a pouch of gold. The wizard had seen this too. "If I don't get the ring, you don't get the gold," Mone replied calmly. His armored suit creaked and moved to block the stairs. Will watched it carefully, frowning at its motion. The movement was clearly driven by magic, but still mechanically limited. "I want it. So give it." Was Will thinking clearly? An idea formed in his head. If they could get rid of the armor, Mone could absolutely use more magic to make their lives miserable. Could he count on Pierre to counter that? The goal wasn't to kill the wizard. It was to get out of here with the ring. And gold, preferably. He didn't give his troupe a warning. Couldn't afford do. After a sharp breath, Will raised his crossbow and pointed it at Mone. "You're a child," he said softly. In a fluid motion he swiveled and trained the crossbow on the armored suit. Specifically it's knee. Without joints, the thing would be immobilized, as a suit of armor should be. Will pulled the trigger and immediately tore after the bolt that shot forth. Pffthunk! It sank into the metal, obstructing rotation and locking the suit where it stood. As Will ran he pulled out another bolt and secured it in the crossbow. A breath later, he mercilessly fired again. This time the left knee joint was impaled and, while the suit didn't seem to react, as Will got closer it failed to advance toward him. He sidestepped as it tried and failed, its legs moving stiffly. It didn't take long for them to get caught on each other. It took even less time for the whole suit to crash against the ground, armored hands desperately clawing toward his boots but failing to gain purchase on the cellar floor. "MOVE!" he boomed at Luke and Pierre, before moving to ascend. He wasn't a match for the wizard's magic. Escape was the priority. Get into the daylight, then toward the pavilion to talk to the professor. This assignment was a mess, but if they made it out alive surely they'd pass. Who cares, MOVE. He almost ran face first into a stone wall. His hands slapped against it futilely. Rage filled him to the brim. "Fuck!" Will spat. He turned to face Mone. "You're not getting this damn ring. Not without telling us why you need it."

The night sky was something fierce tonight. Although the day had been overcast, upon sunset the clouds had retreated to give way to the moon and her stars. They glowed brightly, now, and helped show Karis the way. She blinked at the flagstone path she followed. It was slick with the moisture of the rainy day, cracks caked with wet mud and grit. Definitely not ideal terrain. Shrugging, she began to walk. Her footfalls echoed through the town, but there was no one around to be disturbed by it. No, it seemed the town's night life was centralized at the Inn. Fair enough. That made things easier. There was something freeing about being far from home. Mageside had its perks, but it lacked the rough edges that seemed to line Hydra's Haven. The people here knew a hard life. The town reflected this. A subtle grin played on her lips. Omar would never have appreciated it. No, he was more interested in people. She was the one who cared for aesthetic. Maggie's Inn, huh? In her hands, Karis held the listing that she'd seen on the bulletin. Hopefully all interested parties had seen what they wanted to. She tended to be forgetful and needed the post for reference. It wasn't hard to find. It was central to the town, with all roads leading past the town square and toward the Inn. She set off toward it, stride long and confident. The hydra in question... it wasn't in any of the Nextwin books she'd read but there was something about it that called to her. That kind of psychic influence could be mimicked with runes. The automatons at home were easily managed, but the art to using the larger ones was practically lost. As she reached the door leading to the inn, Karis sighed. She knew her own stake in this. What about the other members of the troupe? Could they be trusted? The building was bustling with activity. Just as she went to open the door a large man stumbled out, belching and laughing as his kind tended to do. Karis stepped swiftly to the side, aided by the enhancement rune on her back. Her eyes tracked his movement for a quick moment. He hadn't seen her. That could've been ugly. She chuckled dryly at the image of her being crushed by a drunk giant. "Not fun..." Her first glimpse into the inn gave her little information. Too many people. Some playing cards, others eating, others dancing, and a few kissing with chosen lovers for the night. One woman was doing all four. It was quite a sight, actually. Karis sidled in and cast her gaze around the room. She was looking for a man named Haywood, but had no way of finding him. As she waded through the crowd toward the bar, she kept one hand on her knife. Aside from the stylus, it was the only weapon she had on her person. At the bar she found a pretty woman with a stern expression. This was a lady who was used to being in charge. Karis approached her and gave a soft nod. "Hi there," she began. "I'm Ms. Nextwin. Here for a Haywood? Uh, Jared Haywood, according to this thing. Any clue where he is in this mess?" She laughed, which seemed to ease the bartender's face. The woman gestured toward a man. "The innkeeper will know. I'd ask him." Karis sighed and dragged herself to the innkeeper, who then directed her to a table with two men. She walked toward them cautiously, as they were in their own conversation. When there seemed to be a lull, she got closer and held up the listing. "Hello, my name is Karis Nextwin. Which one of you is Haywood? If this is to be an even exchange, I'm going to need names to place with faces, too." Her smile after that was hollow. It didn't reach her eyes which, while usually welcoming, were now as hard and sharp as a cut emerald. Something about them felt off. She didn't like off. She needed to be cautious.