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Post by Red Charge on Mar 30, 2013 13:54:00 GMT -5
Starling finally spoke again, "Well I wouldn't have mentioned it...." He said quietly, "Except that we're right in front of the tower." At that, he pushed the thicket outside with his hoof, revealing a sturdy but ancient looking stone structure, eerily lit by torches with blood colored flames. The mighty doors of the tower were shut and looked unbreakable even to the mightiest of ponies. From the upper floors of the tower they could see ugly griffon statues perched on ledges staring down at them malevolently, from thin windows eyes glinted down at them. The stone monolith seemed menacing, towering above them with its obsidian surface and dark red illumination. The very nature of this tower was deterring, let alone its creepy guardians.
This tower was not small, however it was not a surprise that it was completely invisible outside of the Everfree Forest. Everfree looked completely different from the outside, it was a part of the woods' magic. Massive structures could vanish into the the trees, despite being taller than them. Many mysteries were hidden in this forest, many monsters and many treasures. These cursed woods were, after all, the last place someone would want to come looking for lost treasure.
Something took off from around them and sillouettes of large flying creatures flew up towards the top of the tower. "There's no need to worry." Starling said quietly, "They know we're not here for the tower, they'll let us pass." At that, the Field Marshal began to move past the tower, slowly, the group could feel the tainted eyes following them as they passed the tower, careful not to take even a step too close.
"They keep watch, until she returns."
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Gilda
Griffons
Acolyte Griffon
I'm half-eagle, half-lion and all awesome!
Posts: 213
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Post by Gilda on Mar 30, 2013 14:36:05 GMT -5
Gilda ignored Draft's comments, instead her focus was at the ancient tower just revealed before them. Her gaze went skyward, watching the silhouettes circling above. It was a strangely macabre sight. The crumbling statues of grotesque and disfigured griffons had an almost maliciousness to them that reached out from their perch to snap at the heart of those below. The place itself let off a type of perverse hate, a vile savageness that Gilda would only believe be reserved for things of the most horrible of legends - it lived up to the story Starling told.
Gilda fell back to the ground, landing with a thud on all four. She took a few steps forward, her gaze still to the tower. "Hope you're right, Starling." She followed after Starling, her eyes still flickering up to the tower as they passed around it. She felt that her steps were steeped in something wet, swearing it was blood though she refused to look. Then something cross her mind. She looked back to Draft Design.
"Hey, dare you to ding-dong ditch the tower." She said, pointing to the large, impenetrable double doors of the tower. "Come on, don't be a dweeb. It'll be fun. Swear, Starling and I will be here cheering you on the whole time."
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Post by Draft Design on Mar 30, 2013 17:26:28 GMT -5
Draft looked at the ominous-looking tower Starling had revealed, taking particular note of the eyes looking down at them. There was definitely something inside. But like Starling said, as long as they left the tower alone they'd be fine. The pegasus followed behind Gilda and Starling, giving the large, flying creatures a passing glance.
Draft had to bite his tongue to keep from snapping back at Gilda. He didn't want to risk having to bring down some ticked off, supernatural creatures because this griffon wanted to be entertained. He didn't need her approval.
Then again, he really wanted to shut her up.
The pegasus flew to the front of the large doors, floating in front of them. It was a small risk that the tower's guardians would do anything. It was a sturdy door, and like Stsrling said, surely they knew Draft had no intention of entering. And if anything did show up, he'd deal with them.
Without hesitation, the pegasus gave three strong, solid knocks on one of the doors, then turned around and flew back to Gilda and Starling. "Satisfied, Feathers?" he asked.
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Post by Red Charge on Mar 31, 2013 1:33:03 GMT -5
Starling stared silently at the tower as the Rainlock soldier stepped away. There was no retaliation, just the same eerie silence as before. Draft made his way back to the group undisturbed, whatever was in the tower knew that the group had no intention of entering, so it did not bother with them. However they still felt the malevolent stares on their backs long after they were out of the tower's sight.
They continued onwards, and not far away from the tower they reached a large, perfectly round pit in the ground, about the size of a small city. Inside rose up a hive of what appeared to be hardened green resin. Wings were needed to reach the hive, proper. It attached itself to the sides of the crater by use of the sticky resin, but there was no option of reaching it from the ground and the sides of the pit were too steep to climb. The only two options of getting inside were either trying to climb on the strands holding the hive in the air, or flying towards it.
Naturally, both ways would leave them exposed and easily spotted.
However, the hive was obviously damaged from the undead attack. Whole sections of it were exposed, walls crashed down into the pit and there was an obvious buzz of repair and construction around it. However, oddly enough there were no changeling corpses nearby.
"They claimed the bodies." Starling muttered.
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Gilda
Griffons
Acolyte Griffon
I'm half-eagle, half-lion and all awesome!
Posts: 213
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Post by Gilda on Mar 31, 2013 15:50:50 GMT -5
Gilda was completely flabbergasted by Draft's actions, not only had she not actually intended for him to do that - which she thought was clear by her extremely sarcastic remark about cheering him on from a distance, but he was actually doing something cool. That didn't stop her from watching the creatures overhead for any sign of malicious intent so she could bolt. When Draft returned, unharmed and with nothing now wanting to rip them limb from limb, Gilda gave the pegasus a friendly punch on the shoulder. "That was pretty cool, I take back what about you being completely lame - now you're just sort-of lame." She teased.
When they came upon the Changeling crater and their bilious hive, Gilda could only utter, "Whoa..." At the sight. She expected something akin to insects but not something appeared almost entirely alien, like from a moving picture. "We completely certain the undead didn't win?" She inquired, the damage was extensive after all. "And I vote for flying, all this walking is getting annoying." She said in a hushed tone.
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Post by Draft Design on Mar 31, 2013 17:07:41 GMT -5
"Certainly looks like it," Draft said in response to Starling's comment about the Undead taking the changeling corpses with them. The Necrolord's forces had certainly done a number on the hive, as evident by the large chunks missing. All the better for the three of them.
The pegasus examined the strands holding the hive in place as Gilda spoke, trying to weigh their best option for entering. Flying would be easiest if it wasn't for Starling. Taking the strands wouldn't be any less safe, unless there was some triggering system that would alert the bugs to their presence. But they were going to have to deal with the bugs eventually, and Draft didn't want it to be while he was carrying Starling over a massive pit.
"We take one of the strands, or at least Starling does. But we need to stay close," Draft said, turning to face Starling. "If we need to enter the hive at a more strategic location, we could fly you up once we've crossed, provided we're not spotted first."
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Post by Red Charge on Apr 1, 2013 1:42:49 GMT -5
Starling listened to the two as they talked, he never before encountered an undead changeling. He never even considered the possibility of one. A live changeling cannot change into an undead form, but can an undead changeling change into a live form? Would that not revive them? The implications of such transformations were beyond terrifying. Could the Necrolord manufacture changeling hives that way? The thought of the reversal of death by transformation into something that lives made him shiver. These were subjects even he felt were unnatural, he should probably research this later on.
"The Necropolis wasn't trying to exterminate them, just send them a message." The armored pony explained, "A warning shot, if you will." Of course, the 'warning shot' seemed more like carpet bombing. The earth pony had to wonder exactly how many changelings died in the process. Did they try to fight, or hid in their hive cowardly?
"You two stay here, when you see the signal, you fly to the hive. I'll distract the changelings long enough so you two won't get noticed going in. Don't worry, I'll catch up." Starling ordered, beginning to trot around the side of the pit.
The two had to wait quite a bit as the field marshal disappeared on the other side of the pit, but their signal came in loud as clear as the ground began to shake on the other side, the hive shook violently as one of the strands holding it up collapsed. How Starling was able to collapse such sturdy resin the size of a large highway was anyone's guess, but he sure did a good job distracting the hive. Like an angry swarm of bees, a cloud of changelings rose up from the hive and shot towards the other side of the round canyon, probably at the fearless stallion. If there was ever a perfect time for Gilda and Draft to cross, it was now.
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Gilda
Griffons
Acolyte Griffon
I'm half-eagle, half-lion and all awesome!
Posts: 213
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Post by Gilda on Apr 2, 2013 18:21:09 GMT -5
”This was only a warning? Wonder how say ‘buck you’.” Gilda uttered. The devastation left in the wake of the undead attack appeared so much more than a mere warning in Gilda’s mind. She’d have to take Starling’s word for it however, she knew little more than the stories that circulated about them. The stories rang with a hint of truth if the damage was any indication. She shuddered at the thought. With Starling gone, Gilda glanced over to Draft. ”You gonna be able to fly fast enough to get lift with that tin-suit, Drafty?” She inquired, betting it would slow him down to practical crawl. Then again, knowing what she did about Rainlock, it probably had some technology that cheated.
And so they waited, an waited and as they waited, Gilda grew increasingly bored. She was laying down upon the hard dirt, chocked with scorches of battle, doodling with her talon, etching crude and obscene graphics into the clay. She looked up periodically from her artistic endeavor, hoping to see the signal. When it did come, it startled her to her feet in an instant. ”Guess that’s it, let’s jam.” Gilda ran forward a few steps then leapt into the air, her wings spreading wide and with a few strong beats, she was soaring quickly and effortlessly. It only took a few moments to transverse the expanse and find an opening into the hive. She swooped under the opening and crawled her way up to it, peaking inside to make sure it was clear. With nothing in sight and cat-quick, she slipped in. There, in the ominous an chitinous corridor, she waited for Draft.
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Post by Draft Design on Apr 2, 2013 20:07:04 GMT -5
"Deadliest warning shot I've ever seen," Draft commented, peering over into the crater to look at one of the hive-chunks sitting at the bottom. The pegasus pulled back as Starling explained his plan. The corporal wanted to object, but Starling had already started making his way around the crater before he could get a word out. So much for not getting separated.
"He knows what he's doing," Draft told himself, watching as the field marshall continued his way around the hive. The important thing now was that Draft and Gilda stayed together. The last thing they wanted was for all three of them to be in separated locations at once. "Don't you worry about my ability to fly. Just focus on finding Chrysalis, and staying together."
Minutes inched by as the two waited for Starling's signal. What in the world could have been taking so long? Draft kept his eyes peeled, looking for any sign of their cue. Suddenly, the ground from the other side of the crater quaked, and the hive reacted as one of the strands of resin holding it up was severed. There was the signal.
Gilda didn't need to tell Draft it was time to go. The pegasus took off moments after the griffon had, maintaining a distance of less than a few feet behind her. No changelings intercepted them on their flight to the hive, just as expected. Draft pulled himself into the hive right after Gilda, looking around at their new surroundings. "Don't trust the first Starling you see," he said, just loud enough for Gilda to hear.
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Post by Red Charge on Apr 3, 2013 16:37:32 GMT -5
The two were standing in an intersection between several corridors. There was an ominous clicking and buzzing sound reverberating all around them. As though they were invading a hive of gigantic angry bees. Whether or not it was their presence or Starling's distraction that caused all of the buzz was not clear.
They had a choice between several peripheral corridors or one main corridor. From what Rainlcok had said, the queen is likely to be at the center of the hive, as it is the hardest spot to reach and naturally the center of all hive life. However, it was also the most protected area. Starling's distraction be as it may, would probably alert the queen's guards, that is if she had any left after the undead had their way with them.
They could hear the sounds of conversation from down one of the peripheral corridors. "Why are we needed here?" Asked a changeling, they were not spotted yet, and could still move down any of the other peripheral corridors or down the main one (which likely lead to the queen's chamber).
"Because it may be a distraction. Besides, you don't want to doubt the Queen's most trusted, do you?" Another changeling asked.
"You two talk too much. What if someone got in the hive and are standing down the corridor listening to us? You've given them enough warning to know where we're coming from." Another voice said.
"Even if there are intruders in the hive, I doubt they'd just be standing in their entry point waiting for us to finish our conversation." The second voice replied with a slight harrumph. It would only be another moment before Gilda and Draft could get spotted by the changelings, they had to move.
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Gilda
Griffons
Acolyte Griffon
I'm half-eagle, half-lion and all awesome!
Posts: 213
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Post by Gilda on Apr 3, 2013 18:26:23 GMT -5
Though the bugs appeared menacing in their actions, story, and picture, Gilda was however finding them to be bordering on affable. Were they really talking about this, openly, even referencing the very fact they were probably being infiltrated as they speak? We’re they retarded? Who was controlling these things, surely they must have more brains than that stuffed into whatever they had that constituted a skull. She almost felt obligated to lay in wait for them to come around the corner so she could knock them up one side of this hive to the next for being such complete imbeciles, not that Drafts would approve. Best then to move on before they were upon them.
Gilda signaled Draft with her claw, forward she suggested, into the main corridor leading to the Queen’s Chamber. Figuring Starling would be moving quick to meet up, best to focus on the goal rather than wander about like two lame dweebs on a Sunday stroll through the deadly insect infested countryside that was this slimy hive. She quickly moved into the other corridor, pushing her back against the shadowed covered wall closest to where the voices were emanating from. She signaled for Draft to follow – they only had a few moments.
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Post by Draft Design on Apr 3, 2013 19:50:04 GMT -5
Draft's ears pricked up at the sound of changelings approaching from one of the peripheral corridors, but paid little attention to their small talk. He followed Gilda into the main corridor, the most likely path to the queen's chambers. They were here for Chrysalis. The two would inevitably have to deal with changelings, but there was no point in taking the long way to their goal. Hopefully the queen would be in her chambers.
Draft nudged Gilda forward after she had stopped in the main corridor, silently telling her to keep moving. There was no point in slowing down now. The pegasus took the lead, continuing down the corridor but always making sure the griffon was in close tow.
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Post by Red Charge on Apr 4, 2013 14:17:01 GMT -5
Waking down the main corridor the two could hear more voices down the line, Gilda could see far down the hallway. A group was approaching them, but these weren't changelings, they were Diamond Dogs. Very well armed Diamond Dogs. The two were easily able to take off towards the high ceiling to remain out of sight, landing on the sticky resin above and waiting for them to pass.
"So why are they here again? I thought we ditched these guys as soon as they ticked off the Necrolord?" One of the Diamond Dogs asked, obviously one of the elite if he could actually talk in full sentences.
"Trying to extend the deal? Maybe put some pressure on the queen." Another said, "But why do they need US here? Not like they can't handle anything that comes by."
"Guess they felt the Hive was too valuable, it makes sense really. Without them we have no information, bringing a garrison of Diamond Dogs to secure the hive is probably the best way to keep it safe."
A third Diamond Dog carrying a halberd, trailing a bit behind the first two asked, "You think, uh.... maybe they've got a little of the bow-chicka-wow-wow going on?" The two immediately halted to stare at him worriedly.
"What?" He asked.
"What are you stupid? If she hears you she'll gut you! If you even THINK something like that she'll gut you."
"Fine! I'll shut up! Sheesh!" The Diamond Dog threw his arms in the air, his halberd poking Gilda right in the keester without the dog noticing, naturally it pricked through the flesh, leaving not a small wound on Gilda's rear.
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Post by Draft Design on Apr 4, 2013 15:10:51 GMT -5
Part way down the corridor, Draft heard the sound of approaching voices, again. He and Gilda had quickly hidden themselves up near the ceiling, out of sight of the approaching... diamond dogs?
Draft's first thought was that they were changelings disguised as Diamond Dogs, but just by listening to their conversation, it quickly became clear that the dogs were as canine as they appeared to be. But what were they doing in the changeling hive? Hadn't they taken a step away from the bugs after the undead attack?
Moments after the last dog had unknowingly stabbed Gilda in the keister, Draft had flown over and wrapped his arm around her beak, trying to keep her from squawking. He didn't know the griffon's tolerance for pain, but he sure wasn't going to risk revealing their location to the diamond dogs.
Draft finally let go of Gilda long after the dogs were out of sight, landing back on the floor. "Looks like we've got more than changelings to worry about. How bad is it?" he asked, motioning towards her fresh wound.
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Gilda
Griffons
Acolyte Griffon
I'm half-eagle, half-lion and all awesome!
Posts: 213
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Post by Gilda on Apr 4, 2013 21:11:29 GMT -5
Great, first bugs now dogs. Were they in some sort of alliance, Gilda wondered, as she peered from her perch and hunkered low in the shadows above them. Perhaps they were some mercenaries, dogs of war to bolster the Changeling hive after the attack by the undead. Their conversation confirmed it, definitely some sort of alliance. This certainly made things more interesting - wonder what they were talking abo- *poke*
Gilda's eyes lit up as the toe of halberd jammed up into Gilda's backside. She gritted her beak together, suppressing a yelp just as Draft grabbed her around the beak. She light snorted into his forehoof and once the trio were out of ear shot she nipped at draft. "Get off me loser, I'm fine." She softly scolded as both plopped back onto the ground. Gilda then inspected her backside at the mention by Draft, she'll live. Just a very minor scrape; startled her more than anything - the blood never even soaked through her fur. "It's nothing, had worse pricks. Lets just keep going, alright?"
Continuing onward the way they had, Gilda thought fondly on how the next time she crossed paths with that diamond dog, she'd make that halberd a permanent part of his posterior. She chuckled devilishly to herself as she entertained the notion.
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