5.3 - The Shattered Sword
Voting said:
Gamemaster said:
The following weekend saw Erin and I make our way out to the forest near her house, her shadowy butler tagging along silently behind us. The deeper we encroached, the darker the woods became, thick branches weaving overhead to block out the light, though the sun stood high in the sky.
"There's definitely something off here. Something punched a hole through from the inner side of the world – No wonder the outer layer of my wards got scraped clean."
"Any thoughts on what it could be?"
"No. Something decently powerful. I suspect it allowed quite a few Others through in the process before the world mended itself. It left a mark though. These woods have a narrative on them."
"A faerie tale," I said dryly.
Erin shot me a sharp look, though her lips quirked upwards. "You could say that, yes. A lot of Others have likely taken roost here – those related to predators or the wilderness."
"A good thing you did not bring a red cloak along."
"I think, if either of us is the archetypical red riding hood, it would be you, Elaine."
I grimaced. That was true enough. Elaine had several inches on me and her hair had the strawberry tint to it that mine lacked. "I generally prefer blue, given the option."
"Oh good. I'll let any and all wolves know that you're actually Little Blue Riding Hood instead."
"In that case, I have no further objections."
Erin laughed, though the sound was dampened, as though the oppressive darkness of the forest worked to deny any sort of joy. Silence settled on us as we walked, only the sound of our footsteps to break up the monotony.
As such, it was not surprising that we heard the wolves before we saw them. Though the beasts did not howl, they nevertheless were reckless and loud as they lunged through the underbrush, an entire pack of them. Like the one I saw months ago, these too were emaciated, their ribs showing through their pelts, though they did not lack for vigor considering that fact. A wild and crazed look dwelled in their eyes as they lunged at us.
Elaine invokes passion: Heroism: 14 | 16 = Success
Modifiers:
Elaine: Inspired (+5 to Melee) (+5 Opponents are Reckless) (-10 Multiple Opponents)
Elaine Melee1: 13 | 15 || Wolf1 Reckless Bite: 20 | 12
>Elaine Damage (8d6) = 32
>>Wolf1 takes a Major Wound.
Elaine Melee2: 11 | 15 || Wolf2 Reckless Bite: 14 | 12
>Elaine Damage (8d6) = 31
>>Wolf2 takes a Major Wound.
Elaine Melee3: 6 | 15 || Wolf3 Reckless Bite: 13 | 12
>Elaine Damage (8d6) = 28
>>Wolf3 takes a Major Wound.
Modifiers:
Elaine: Inspired (+5 to Melee) (+5 Opponents are Reckless) (-10 Multiple Opponents)
Elaine Melee1: 13 | 15 || Wolf1 Reckless Bite: 20 | 12
>Elaine Damage (8d6) = 32
>>Wolf1 takes a Major Wound.
Elaine Melee2: 11 | 15 || Wolf2 Reckless Bite: 14 | 12
>Elaine Damage (8d6) = 31
>>Wolf2 takes a Major Wound.
Elaine Melee3: 6 | 15 || Wolf3 Reckless Bite: 13 | 12
>Elaine Damage (8d6) = 28
>>Wolf3 takes a Major Wound.
We were immediately swarmed. This was no single wolf, but an entire pack. However, just as these wolves had joined together, so too did I have my allies. Erin immediately fell back, a thorny vine forming in her hand and striking at the nearest wolf like a whip, while her shadow shifted in front of her, protecting her from the ambush. It did not punch or batter the wolves, yet whenever it would touch a wolf, the wolf would simply fall over, as if its very life force had been drained from it.
Neither was I helpless. I was no longer armorless with a make-shift stick as my weapon. I had my sword in my hands, and with it, I lunged forward to meet the wolves' charge.
The first lunged for me and I ducked under it, allowing its weight to carry it past me as my sword cut upwards, carving a path through the creature's belly. The next pounced at my face. Still crouched, there was no repeating my previous action. Instead, I ripped my sword free of the first wolf and bashed the pommel into the second's snout. The wolf recoiled, pain interrupting its attack. A quick turn saw my blade pierce its neck.
I had hardly finished the movement when a third leaped for me. I kicked it, feeling teeth snap beneath my boots. The wolf fell, whimpering. My sword had lodged itself in the second wolf. Rather than fight to pull it free, I simply allowed it to vanish and reform in my hand, ending the third's misery before it could recover.
Erin had likewise finished with the three that had attacked her, looking none the worse for the wear. I glanced down at the viscera that had stained my jacket, and then back up at her.
"I do not suppose that you have any spells that aid in cleaning?" I asked.
"I have vinegar, laundry detergent, and bleach," Erin replied blandly.
"Tsk." I clicked my tongue and allowed my sword to vanish once more. "What is causing this then?"
"I mentioned before that some more minor Others likely escaped to our side with whatever caused the more major breach. I suspect one of them is responsible for the wolves. It's likely a spirit of hunger. A wendigo."
"Have you any thoughts on how we go about tracking it down and banishing it?"
Erin frowned and crossed her arms, tapping a finger against her elbow. "We won't be able to just track it through the forest. It takes solid form, but it is fundamentally a spirit. I'll have to design a spell to find it."
"Which means we will need to leave and return later."
"Unfortunately."
"Very well." I glanced out to the forest. The spirit may evade my retribution this day, but not forever. The two of us turned to begin the trek back towards Erin's mansion. "I have a theory about what caused the breach here."
"Oh? What's that?"
"When I was in England, over the summer, I happened to visit a certain lake…"
Gamemaster said:
•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•
Erin was, understandably, not happy to know that Morgan had been able to co-opt all of her work after a single glance. She was even less thrilled to discover that Morgan had possibly chased me into the modern world and created her own incarnation. She had started muttering imprecations under her breath when I left her at her mansion.
As it turned out, her shadowy butler doubled as a taxi service. The dark-tinted windows of the Porsche hid the both of us from view as it made its way back into the city. It was a good thing, as I could not continue using Victoria as a personal taxi for meetings such as this. Hopefully, once my birthday came and I had my license, I would be able to transport myself instead.
I spent the rest of the afternoon at home, allowing my mind a brief respite, before setting out again once the cover of night had fallen.
"So, where to tonight? Victoria asked as she landed next to me, three blocks out from my house.
"Midtown." It was one of the safer areas in the city on average, but it was important to protect our current holdings, not just venture out to conquer new ones.
"Righty-o." Victoria crouched over and I hoped deep within my heart that no one was around to see as I clambered onto her back. We launched a moment later, gravity losing its hold upon us as we soared into the night.
Unfortunately, while I'd prefer there be no witnesses to my riding Victoria's back like this, I knew there were already a handful of photos circulating on Parahumans Online. Amy had outright laughed at us as we had returned from a patrol last week. The only consolation I had was that there had yet to be any photos of the times Victoria had instead carried me in her arms.
Fortunately, this late at night, no one was likely to see us once we were up in the air. We floated through the darkness, searching for signs of life on the darkened streets.
Gamemaster said:
A flicker of motion caught my eye. I frowned, searching for it again. There – Four monsters ran through the streets, individuals riding bareback atop them. I called out to Victoria, raising my voice to be heard over the wind, "I see something!"
"Where?"
"There!" I pointed, and Victoria flew in the direction I indicated. As we flew she squinted, finally spotting what I had.
"I recognize them! The Undersiders – They're a new group of thieves that popped up recently!"
"Then it is likely they are planning a heist tonight! Shall we interrupt them?"
Victoria turned her head to grin at me. "You know it!" she said before zooming downwards.
As we dove downwards, I tensed. We had the advantage of surprise and aerial superiority coming down like this. I could drop on top of one of these 'Undersiders' and pull them free of their mount before they even knew I was there. However, they all looked lightly armored. Only one of them even wore a helmet at all. Dismounting them would carry a high risk of injury under those circumstances.
Gamemaster said:
I leaped from Victoria's back, landing not atop one of the Undersiders, but instead simply dropping into their chosen path. A whistle immediately went out, their mounts skidding to a stop. There was a moment of tense silence as I took them in.
Their vanguard was a tall, broad shouldered man dressed in dark leathers. A motorcycle helmet painted with a skull emblem protected him. Clearly, the most sensible one in the group. The next in line was a blonde girl in a tight-fitting purple catsuit. She smirked at me knowingly as my eyes passed by her. A boy wearing a loose blouse, twirling a scepter in his hands. A girl in a dog mask, her teeth pulled back in a snarl.
It was a motley crew, as bandits were wont to be. Still, it would not do to underestimate them. I turned to the man . "Good evening. I take it that you lead this group?"
"I do," the man said. His voice was hollow, echoing as if from a great distance away, though I had no trouble with hearing the words. "Who are you supposed to be?"
"Pendragon!" The blonde spoke up cheerily. "A new vigilante on the streets. Minor Brute – No flight powers, so Glory Girl is definitely waiting in the wings."
I summoned my sword to my hand and planted it in the street in front of me, resting both hands upon the pommel. "You have me at a disadvantage. You know who I am, yet I have not heard of you before now. Would you care to introduce yourselves?"
The group shared a look between each other, uncertain. Finally, their leader spoke up again. "I'm Grue. This is Tattletale, Regent, and Bitch," he said, nodding to each in turn. I tilted my head at the final introduction, but the girl in question showed no hostility – or at least, no more than she already had – so it must truly be her chosen name.
"Very well. As your compatriot pointed out, I am Pendragon. I am given to understand that you are a gang of thieves. As such, I must ask that you surrender yourselves into my custody."
"Fuck off," Bitch said.
"Yeah, what she said!" Regent called out a moment later.
"You make me sad. So be it."
Tattletale snorted out a laugh. "I think you're on the wrong side of the road for the Black Knight routine."
"True enough. Still, if it must be said: None shall pass."
"I'm afraid we'll have to pass." Tattletale's eyes glittered as she placed a hand over her mouth, a taunting smirk hidden behind the gesture. My hackles rose. Why was that so familiar?
What makes you think you can protect a country, when you can't even protect yourself, Sister?
A cold laugh, colder than the one Tattletale had made. But that gesture. I recognized that gesture. I grit my teeth, my hands tightening on my sword's hilt. Tattletale's eyes widened, realizing something was wrong even before I had lifted my weapon.
"Crap – Grue! We need to split! Now!"
Elaine invokes passion: Heroism: 11 | 16 = Success
Modifiers:
Elaine: Inspired (+5 to Melee) (-10 Blinded)
Elaine Melee: 18 | 5 || Tattletale Evade: 20 | 22
Grue Brawling: 7 | 16 || Elaine Unopposed
>Grue Grapple (6d6) = 22 || (Elaine's SIZ) 13
>>Elaine is Thrown (1d6) = 1 Damage (38/39 HP)
Modifiers:
Elaine: Inspired (+5 to Melee) (-10 Blinded)
Elaine Melee: 18 | 5 || Tattletale Evade: 20 | 22
Grue Brawling: 7 | 16 || Elaine Unopposed
>Grue Grapple (6d6) = 22 || (Elaine's SIZ) 13
>>Elaine is Thrown (1d6) = 1 Damage (38/39 HP)
Grue's head swung around to look at Tattletale. I charged, raising my sword, but a dark cloud had already begun spilling out of him, obscuring the street in inky black. There was no light, no sound, nothing but the sensation of paved asphalt beneath my boots. However, I remembered where they were. If I could make a strike before they could escape, I could take at least one of them prisoner.
I struck – and hit air. Those monsters they rode must be more agile than they looked. Before I could attempt a second thrust, a pair of arms encircled me from behind. I squawked my indignation, but Grue – and it must be Grue as I felt myself lifted into the air – did not hesitate to spin and toss me to the ground.
I bounced once, twice before rolling to a stop. I immediately scrambled to get back to my feet, but – there was no follow-up. No attack to take advantage of my vulnerability. When the darkness cleared to reveal Victoria also lying in the middle of the road, the story had become clear.
The Undersiders had taken their victory in our exchange and then fled.
Victoria met my eyes and gave me a weak grin. "Sorry. I flew down to try and help once they put the cloud up, but something went wrong with my flight. I crashed. You alright?"
Sighing, I offered a hand to help her to her feet. "Tis but a flesh wound. Worry not. We went in underprepared this time. We will be more successful when next we encounter them."
"You got that right. We'll need to ask Gallant if he knows anything about them."
I pursed my lips. "It feels so strange calling him that."
"Just a part of cape life you'll need to get used to, Pendragon," Victoria winked at me. "Anyways. Climb back on and let's get back to it."
Silently suffering the indignity yet again, I climbed onto Victoria's back and we shot off once more into the night.
Gamemaster said:
•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•
The next day saw me knock on the Dallons' door. To my surprise, it was not Amy or Victoria who answered it, as was usually the case during the day. Instead, their mother looked down at me with an eyebrow raised.
"Elaine? What are you doing here?"
"Ah… Hello Carol. I was looking to take Amy out for a bit."
Carol frowned at me. "She hasn't mentioned anything to me about going out with friends."
"It is not a planned excursion. Just something spontaneous on my part," I replied, though I tilted my head slightly. Friends, Carol had said. Had Amy not told her we were dating yet?
"Hmm. Well, alright then. Amy does need to get out of her room more. Just make sure not to stay out too late."
"Would it be objectionable if she ended up sleeping at my house?"
Carol pursed her lips, thinking it over, before finally answering, "That's fine, just make sure you call me if you end up deciding to do that."
Yes, Amy definitely had not told her anything. If Dean had asked something similar for him and Victoria, there was not a chance this side of Hell that Carol would have allowed it. I would not ruin her secrecy however. If she had chosen not to tell her parents, then that was her secret to share, not mine.
Gamemaster said:
In truth, I had not told my parents either. I had heard a few too many comments over the years about homosexuals being sinners to feel comfortable in broaching the topic. Perhaps they would accept me. Perhaps they would not. For now, I allowed the topic to lie undisturbed.
"Amy's upstairs. You can go ahead and head up to," Carol said, letting me inside.
"Thank you." I nodded and stepped past her into the Dallons' house. The clinking of cookware came from the kitchen – it must be one of Mark's better days. Most of the time I was over, he stayed in his room and left us teenage girls to fend for ourselves. I vaguely knew the reasoning behind it. A chemical imbalance in his brain leading to lethargy.
In Artoria's day there had been similar individuals, but they had believed to have been fae struck, consumed by ennui in the absence of whichever fae had enchanted them. Individuals struck this way often just wasted away, age catching up with them faster than it had any right to.
Pausing, I stared at the kitchen, before turning away to head up the stairs. As much as I pitied the man for his affliction, there was little I could do to aid him in it.
Reaching the top of the stairs, I found Amy's door jammed shut again. I put my weight against it and shoved, forcing it to slide open. Once again, the room was dark, the curtains closed, though this time Amy was in front of her computer instead of in her bed. She yelped as I stumbled into the room and hurriedly turned off her computer's monitor.
"Ellie! I didn't know you were coming over today!" she said, voice oddly high-pitched.
"I thought I would surprise you." I stepped forward and leaned down to press a kiss to her forehead. "And perhaps to take you out for a bit, if you are willing."
"Take me out?"
"On a date," I said, smiling.
"O-Oh." She shot a glance at her computer and surreptitiously placed a finger over the power button to shut it off entirely. "Yeah. That sounds good."
"I am glad you think so. You may wish to consider changing clothes before leaving the house however," I said, glancing meaningfully down to the overly large shirt and little else that she was wearing.
Amy turned scarlet. "Yep! Got it! Just uh. Just give me a minute to change and I'll be out!"
A laugh escaped me as I stepped back out into the hallway, closing the door behind me. Amy really was just too easy to tease.
Unfortunately, my plans went awry from almost the moment the two of us stepped out the door. Amy squinted against the harsh glare of the sun, a frown of displeasure crossing her face at having to brave the outdoors. I crossed off my plans to take her for a picnic. Instead, I took her to a cafe on the Boardwalk.
Well, more accurately, my family's chauffeur took the both of us. Once again, I found myself eagerly awaiting the moment I could legally drive myself instead of relying on others to taxi me everywhere.
We took a seat by the window, looking out towards the Bay, the shimmering forcefield of the Protectorate Headquarters shining in the afternoon sun. Perhaps the food was not to Amy's taste, however, as she seemed to mostly just pick at it.
"Are you still not feeling well?" I asked.
"Hm? What do you mean?"
"After Homecoming, you were sick for a while."
"Oh, that. No, I'm feeling great lately, honestly. A bit of insomnia – I can't seem to fall asleep at night, which means I'm tired as hell during the day usually. Weekends are nice, they let me sleep in. None of that's really new though."
"Is that so?" Elaine had always been a morning person and Artoria had hardly slept at all to begin with. The current me, whoever she might be, seemed to fall closer to Artoria's side of things. I got a bare four hours of sleep a night and found it a tremendous luxury. I knew however, that I was not the norm in that respect.
Reaching across the table to take Amy's hand, I said, "Perhaps I simply need to tire you out during the day then?"
"Please, no more batting cages."
"Very well. No more batting cages. Perhaps we could instead–" Something caught the corner of my eye. I turned to look, scanning the crowds of the Boardwalk. There, a girl with long, dark hair and large glasses was staring at Amy and me. I did not recognize her. She was no one I knew. So why was she…?
Her eyes met mine. I was held in place, pinned by that stare. Then, the crowd shifted, hiding her from view. When the space opened up again, she was gone.
"Elaine? You okay? You just cut off mid-sentence there."
"I – Yes, I am fine. I apologize, I just thought I saw something."
"What is it?"
"Nothing," I shook my head. "Just my imagination. Are you ready to leave, or would you like to stay a bit longer?"
Amy frowned and took one last long slurp of her coffee before setting it on the table. "I'm ready. Let's go home."
•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•
We spent the night at my house, curled up in bed. My laptop sat to the side, playing movies, but Amy did not seem particularly interested in what was on the screen.
"Nn–" I let out a groan of pain as her teeth sunk into my neck once again. "What is your obsession with leaving hickies on me?"
Gamemaster said:
She had gotten somewhat handsy once we had gotten into bed, but I had put a stop to that. It was not… unpleasant, by any means, yet I had found myself tensing up with every caress, memories of Artoria's one experience during her life interfering with my own enjoyment of the situation. Amy had settled for kissing me enough that my lips felt bruised, before moving on to my neck.
"Mm… It's kinda hard to explain. You don't really go on PHO at all, do you?"
"No?" I said, wondering where this was going.
"There's all sorts of weird speculation on there. A lot of people shipping you with Vicky. As a couple, I mean. That recording of your voice during the modeling shoot started making the rounds and some people thought you were a younger guy and started shipping you with Vista instead, even though the two of you have barely even met."
"Why should that matter, Amy?"
"It doesn't. It shouldn't. It's just… I'm your girlfriend. But I'm a normie girlfriend. I can't go on PHO and announce we're dating, because that would out you. So all these strangers get to go around imagining you with anyone they can except for me."
I sighed and spun around so that I could wrap my arms around Amy. "You know I am not interested in either of them, yes?"
"I know. It's just… this is my way of putting some small claim on you. Of announcing to the world that you're mine. Even if no one is going to see it."
"I imagine some people are going to see it at school," I said dryly. Amy had not been shy about how far up my collar she had left her marks.
"Good. They can know you're spoken for and back off also. You're mine," Amy growled.
Ice trickled down my back.
You're mine, Sister. Now and forever.
I awoke in the middle of the night. Amy was noticeably absent – my bed was not made for two people, but we had squeezed in anyways. Groggily, I raised my head, only to notice her standing by the window.
"Amy…?"
She turned towards me, cool wind causing her hair to dance behind her. Her eyes seemed to almost glow in the moonlight. "Go back to sleep, Elaine." There was an odd note to her voice, pitched as though she were singing. "I'll rejoin you soon and be yours come morning."
"I–" I am not sure what I intended to say. Sleep claimed me first. In my dreams, Amy kissed me with bloodsoaked lips and caressed me with fingers of ice.
The memory was gone come morning.
Gamemaster said:
It is October of 2010.
What adventure do you pursue next?
[ ] [Adventure] Raid the Azn Bad Boyz
>A local vigilante, Haze, has offered to lead you to an ABB stash to raid them. It would certainly deal damage to their operations, and there may be the opportunity for looting.
[ ] [Adventure] The Damsel of Distress
>The villain known as the Damsel of Distress is causing trouble in a nearby town, Durham.
[ ] [Adventure] The Uncatchable Undersiders
>The Undersiders have proven to be masters of escape. Can you catch them?
[ ] [Adventure] Takedown the Clown
>Circus is out robbing various stores. A clown can't be too hard of an opponent, right?
[ ] [Adventure] The Dog Rings
>Hookwolf supposedly runs dog fighting pits. Close him down.
[ ] [Adventure] The Goblin Nest
>There's a goblin infestation somewhere in town.
[ ] [Adventure] The Wendigo Spirits
>Spirits of Hunger are stirring things up in the woods.
We'll also need to decide where you're patrolling with Glory Girl:
[ ] [Patrol] North End
[ ] [Patrol] The Docks
[ ] [Patrol] Midtown
[ ] [Patrol] Downtown
[ ] [Patrol] Stratham
Midterms are here. You currently have two relevant passions to be used, but six classes to pass. You'll need to decide which classes to use them on. Choose TWO options:
[ ] [Midterm] English Literature
[ ] [Midterm] Math
[ ] [Midterm] Biology
[ ] [Midterm] History
[ ] [Midterm] Computer Science
[ ] [Midterm] Physical Education
Choose someone to spend time with.
[ ] [Social] Dean Stansfield
[ ] [Social] Victoria Dallon
[ ] [Social] Amy Dallon
[ ] [Social] Chelsea and Megan
[ ] [Social] Erin Archelot
[ ] [Social] Theo Anders
[ ] [Social] Tammi Herren
[ ] [Social] Vedika Dhawan
[ ] [Social] (Write-In)
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