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Post by Red Charge on Jul 9, 2012 18:32:24 GMT -5
The skeletons however did not move, apparently limited to just looking around. Perhaps some sort of advanced alarm system? Either way it was obvious that whatever dwelled within the palace knew they were there. The end of the corridor across from the dining room was a large blocked gate, certainly beyond their ability to blast open, nor would Hind Sight ever forgive them if they did. The only choice left was to climb up the stairs, that or go back.
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Post by Selenia on Jul 9, 2012 19:01:30 GMT -5
"Huh." Selenia said as she lifted her horn as the glow subsided. "I thought for sure these guys would be all over us." She tentatively pulled one one of the bones in the skeleton with her magic. It popped free and the skeleton crumbled to the floor, the armor clattering aside. "Welp, he's not coming back to life."
Her eyes landed on the gate at the far end of the room. "That's way too tough for my magic to busy down. And making a racket is the last thing we would want to do here, so... That leaves the stairs. Unless you want to go back, that is."
Her last sentence had a bit of a teasing tone to it, running off the lack of enthusiasm Klepto had, now that they had made some rather gruesome discoveries. Selenia herself was a little less keen on exploring further, too, but they had a mission to do and a leader who would expect something from them when they returned to the rendezvous. "I guess it's the stairs, then."
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Post by Klepto Moonlit on Jul 12, 2012 12:32:40 GMT -5
Klepto eyed the newly-formed pile of bones and armor on the floor before shrugging. "Whatever. I'm perfectly fine with the dead stayin' dead." The thief waited until Selenia had begun exiting the room before taking a step back towards one of the tables. Quietly, he slid one of the ornate plates into his bag before following her out the room. He hadn't planned on leaving the first good room they found empty-hoofed, and besides, it wasn't like the diners were using it.
"Trust me, Klepto said, responding to Selenia's remark about turning back, "If that last room was as bad as the others, I'd have half-a mind to." Klepto paused to look over at the gate before continuing. "The stairs? You give up way too easily. Nine times outta ten people don't open a locked door just because they think it's locked. A sign that says 'Gate is Locked' is almost as good a security system as a padlock these days. Well not for me. I've never met a door I wanted to go through that I haven't at least tried to open."
By the time he had finished, Klepto noticed that Selenia was already partway up the stairs. He quickly increased his pace until he had caught up with her. "But I mean, we can take the stairs first if you want. I'm just sayin' that we don't forget about the gate. After all, it's probably locked for a reason. Likely where they keep all the really good stuff."
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Post by Red Charge on Jul 12, 2012 16:44:47 GMT -5
And then Selenia felt incredible pain, it was as though she was being electrocuted. She could not move, she was burning with electrical heat and she could not even formulate a proper thought.
What a clever trap, the skeleton guards were not supposed to be alive, they were supposed to make one think they were. Any invader from the Equiterian Era would blast them first, by either hoof or magic and ask questions later, which would trigger the trap. It would trace back the one who attacked the skeleton, by magic or otherwise and electrocute them. It was delayed by a few moments this time around, but was just as deadly, capturing Selenia in an electrical field. Burns began to form on her body.
They were too far away to hope any of the others could hear them, that is if they hadn't encountered their own problems.
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Post by Klepto Moonlit on Jul 16, 2012 15:07:05 GMT -5
Just as the two reached the top of the stairs, Klepto saw Selenia suddenly cringe in pain. "Selenia! You alright?" He had no idea why he asked that, however, because it was very clear that Selenia was not alright. It looked almost as if she was being electrocuted, though by what and how Klepto had no idea. Had she stepped into some invisible trap? And more importantly, what was Klepto supposed to do to get her out of it?
The others were on the other side of the mansion, much to distant to get their help. And if the burns forming on Selenia's body were any indication, Klepto didn't have that much time anyway. "Okay, okay, what do I do? What do I do? What do I do?" he thought to himself frantically as he tried to get his thoughts straight. What were you supposed to do when someone was being electrocuted in front of you? Hit 'em with a broomstick or somethin', right? Knock 'em away from the source. Klepto didn't have a broomstick on him, but he would have to make do.
As quickly as he could, Klepto took off his bag, grabbing the strap between his teeth. "This better work," he thought as he forcefully swung the bag towards Selenia, hoping to knock her out of reach of whatever was zapping her.
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Post by Selenia on Jul 16, 2012 22:22:50 GMT -5
Halfway up the stairs Selenia felt electricity. The air smelled of ozone and it gave a faint magical sizzling. Her eyes went wide. She must have triggered a trap of some sort. Hopefully Klepto wasn't caught in the trap, too. Otherwise there would be a major problem with alerting the others.The field intensified and Selenia knew she was in some major trouble. She tried to turn around and warn Klepto. That's when it started to burn.
It was immediate and searing heat. No doubt electric in origin. Selenia's muscles tensed and refused to move, her eyes cinched shut and she bared her teeth. it didn't help. She thought she heard Klepto say something. She wasn't sure, though. The pain was too intense to even think about that. She would have screamed, but she couldn't make a sound.
She squinted one eye open and saw Klepto chucking his bag straighat at her. She had no idea how that would help, but she hoped to Luna and Celestia that it would stop the pain.
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Post by Red Charge on Jul 17, 2012 22:17:49 GMT -5
The skinny Selenia was easily dislodged from her spot by Klepto's swing, despite the electrical current going through her. Once the circuit was no longer closed, the electricity dissipated and the trap's mechanism ended. Selenia was alive, but suffered extensive nerve damage. Their healing potions would easily cure the burns, but the nerve damage was something altogether different. Selenia would find, until receiving proper care, that she has a hard time controlling her movements and even her magic until such time, and otherwise suffer from ticks and fatigue.
Klepto's quick action pretty much saved her life.
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Post by Klepto Moonlit on Jul 18, 2012 22:18:00 GMT -5
Klepto's bag had made direct contact with Selenia, knocking her away from the spot where she was standing. Slowly, Klepto walked up closer to the unicorn, examining her as he did so. The shock going through her body seemed to have stopped, though she was still twitching a little. The burns didn't look like they had done much more damage, and hopefully could be healed fairly easily.
"So...," Klepto said after reaching Selenia and looking at her for a bit longer. "You uh... you okay?" Klepto was sure she was doing much better now that voltage was no longer coursing through her body, but he still wasn't entirely sure of what condition she was in. "Sorry if my... improvisation caught you off guard. Hopefully I didn't hit you too hard."
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Post by Selenia on Jul 20, 2012 11:59:55 GMT -5
The instant Klepto's bag hit, the electric field and burning heat dissipated. He must have knocked her out of the field. That was smart, and he pretty much just saved her life. She laid a few feet away from where she was previously rooted to the ground, panting heavily. The air still smelled of fresh electrical discharge and her brain felt like it was fried, which it probably was. She could still think clearly and had all five senses working up to par, so it wasn't any permanent damage.
Selenia moved to try and prop herself up and was instantly assaulted by the longing throbbing pain of her still fresh burns. She looked down at her skin and they were bright red with a crackled, shiny sheen of seared flesh. Those would be nearly incapacitating until healed. After much struggle and pained outcries, she managed to get herself up. She had trouble maintaining her balance, but managed to stand upright and walk a few steps before stumbling again.
"Yeah... I'm good." Selenia responded to Klepto without turning to face him. Tiny orange bolts and sparks shot up and around her horn every few seconds, too. No doubt the electricity had probably shorted out her magic. That would have to wait for the hospitals in Canterlot. She sighed. Now she was more of a liability than an asset. She could provide some assistance, but if she and Klepto ran into trouble, his best option would be to run for his life and leave Selenia behind. "I'd rather have a bruise from your bag than be dead. Thanks, Klepto." She hoisted one of her forelegs up and patted him on the back with a smile. "Anyway, we still have a mission to finish, and from now on, we don't touch anything."
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Post by Klepto Moonlit on Jul 22, 2012 18:53:51 GMT -5
Klepto watched as Selenia struggled to stand up, wincing a little at her outcries. The shock had certainly done a number on her skin while her horn gave the occasional fizzle of sparks. And if the outside was any indication, than her muscles and what-not probably weren't in any better shape. Soon enough though, Selenia was able to get back up. "Yeah, not touch anything," Klepto repeated after she had patted him on the back.
Cautiously, Klepto put his bag back on, pressing against the side to feel for the plate he had taken. As expected, it was still there. He now felt a little guilty about taking it, especially if it could have been what caused Selenia's electrocution. But hey, it's not like he had known any different. All it meant was that the Equiterians had one heck of a good security system. From now on, he wouldn't grab anymore stuff in this dusty old mansion.
Well... maybe...
"Well, anyways, I'm sure they'll be able to get you all patched up when we're done with this dirty old mansion. I mean, if the ride here was any indication, our worker's comp outta afford the best doctors in Canterlot." Klepto began walking down the corridor, not going too fast as to allow Selenia to keep up. "Alright," he said, looking around for doors or anything of interest. "Where do we go next?"
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Post by Selenia on Jul 25, 2012 11:10:09 GMT -5
Selenia gave herself time to get used to the pain of moving as Klepto retrieved his bag. Hopefully he wouldn't have to use it on her again. She took a few tentative steps and looked around while Klepto went on about when they got back home after the mission. Selenia sighed, these injuries would get in the way of her plans to stay in Griffon territory after their mission and enjoy a bit of vacation. That was a small disappointment, but she felt like horseapples and was not keen on waiting for proper medical treatment.
Selenia shook out of her train of thought as Klepto finished speaking. She cracked her neck with a groan and looked up the rest of the stairs. "I guess theres only one way to go from here. Lets hope we don't actually face any hostile skeletons, I'm not in real fighting shape anymore." She started trudging up the stairs once more. Perhaps her unstable magic would overcharge a simple concussive blast spell and actually prove useful should she need to resort to it in combat. That could be fun.
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Post by Red Charge on Jul 26, 2012 21:37:41 GMT -5
As they continued up the stairs, they noticed they were in an upper walkway overlooking a large hall which seemed like a conference room or court room. There was a large mural on the wall opposite of the entrance below them, but from their position they couldn't see it all. To their right were three doors, to their left was a short stone wall and archways which served as windows. The archways ended slowly after the first door, after which was another room with a door. They could see two skeletons standing side by side near the door on the left down the hall.
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Post by Klepto Moonlit on Jul 27, 2012 22:09:01 GMT -5
Reaching the top of the stairs, the first thing Klepto noticed was two more skeletons standing by a door at the end of the hallway. "Lucky for you, these two look like they're just more decorations," he said to Selenia. He then walked over to one of the archways, looking down into the room below them. It looked like some sort of courtroom... or something. Maybe this was where that gate led.
"They got some sorta mural down there. Maybe Graphite should of come with us," he commented. At this angle, though, he couldn't quite see the whole thing, let alone tell what the mural was supposed to be of. But whatever. Murals weren't exactly the type of priceless artwork a guy like him was interested in. "Anyways," he said, turning back towards the center of the hallway, "Guess we stay consistent and start with the closest door." The thief trotted over to the first door on the right side of the room, turning the handle and giving it a push.
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Post by Selenia on Jul 31, 2012 8:05:55 GMT -5
Selenia followed Klepto up the stairs and instantly smiled as they reached the top. One of the walls to the corridor was replaced with stone arched windows, offering a view into a hall below, and another corridor identical to theirs on the opposite side. She hated being stuck inside cramped corridors, and having a little breathing room went a long way to letting her keep her head. With luck, the far door in their corridor would lead to a central room at the end of the large hall. She continued to scan the room and noticed a motley of doors, both in the room and in their current hall, as well as two more stationary skeletons, which Selenia promptly scowled at.
"Maybe after we clear this wing and meet up with the rest of the team, we can let Graphite know about the mural," Selenia offered. She noticed Klepto was pleased to see some art, but it wasn't the kind of art he could smuggle out the door. He hid his disappointment well. She followed his attention back to the hall they were in, and she nodded in approval at his query. "The more organized and methodical our search is, the quicker we finish." She stood behind Klepto as he pushed the first door open.
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Post by Red Charge on Jul 31, 2012 9:44:31 GMT -5
(I don't think you got me right about the description guys - the corridor they are now in on the second level has no left wall, but arches showing the hall below them, the one Hind Sight, Graphite and Tunnel were heading towards, but they have no way to get down there from where they are. On the other side of the hall there is another second level corridor that Horizon and Zipfyre would have gotten to from their side. The 2nd level corridors proceed past the end of the hall however, and there is another room behind the mural, which is facing the entrance to the palace and stretches over two stories and thus is not fully visible from the sides where Selenia and Klepto are. Just confirm that you've understood that, if not I'll draw you up what it would look like to them)
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