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Post by Deleted on Apr 1, 2014 5:05:34 GMT -5
Phalanx could hear the grumbling behind her. Fillydelphia was being even more of a downer than usual, Sapphire seemed like she was still in shock from Watermark's disappearance, Hoplite still wanted to rush ahead to try and save the battlemage, and Phalanx herself just wanted to go home. There was no way this day could go perfectly, in her mind, considering it was already going absolutely terrible.
"You could go back, Filly," Phalanx remarked, "I won't stop you." Mostly because I'd do the same, she thought to herself.
Hoplite grumbled, "I don't think we *could* kill a golem," he commented.
"I don't think we *should* kill a golem, even if we could. It's bad enough that we were going to grab a few, I think the Golem Maker would be extra-mad if we killed even one," Phalanx added.
"Well, last chance to leave," Hoplite added, conjuring a look of confusion from Pahalnx. So much for being all gung-ho. What happened, Hoppy?
"No need to be dramatic, it's only a room we'll probably die in~," Phalanx snickered as she took the lead further into the hall.
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Post by Red Charge on Apr 18, 2014 2:55:50 GMT -5
"Don't worry Sapphire," Fillydelphia said, "I have some useful spells that would help against golems, I believe." The emotionless mare walked next to Phalanx, she looked as apathic as always, though she was obviously not happy. Something about her seemed... reckless? If Fillydelphia could ever truly be reckless. Maybe not having a plan made her seem that way, maybe she was just very determined to see the end of this one way or another.
Not a second later they heard a very loud clash and Phalanx, Hoplite and Sapphire were telekinetically thrown to the sides. Where they had just been standing a massive golem made of tempered iron now crashed. The massive armored diamond-dog shaped construct began to sizzle and smoke, for all intents and purposes, it was dead. As dead as a construct could be anyway.
It was also covered in blood, a lot of it. Fillydelphia was standing to the side, having been able to dodge the creature's landing. "Everyone alright?" She asked.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 18, 2014 17:52:16 GMT -5
Phalanx looked back to Fillydelphia, actually glad the mare didn't run out on her. She wouldn't dare admit it, but she knew she'd need not only her brother, but the two militia ponies with her in that maze.
Suddenly, the room rang out in a loud metallic crash! Phalanx could barely make a cry of surprise as she was picked up by a magical force and lobbed to the side. She did make a grunt of pain upon landing, though. She slowly got to her hooves, noting that Hoplite was a bit slower on the uptake and was still trying to get his hooves under him. She turned to where she had been standing moments ago, "Okay, any particular reason I was thro-..."
She paused in her sentence, looking to the smoking, blood-covered wreck of a golem that now occupied the space she had been in mere seconds ago. "...I'll take that as a 'yes'," she finally finished. She looked to Fillydelphia, "A bit battered, but better than being squished..."
Hoplite slowly approached the hulking, sizzling mass. "Okay, uhh...is it normal for huge armoured golems to bleed?" he asked nopony in particular.
"Somehow, I doubt that...any answers there, Filly?" Phalanx asked.
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Post by Red Charge on Apr 18, 2014 18:02:29 GMT -5
"That blood is not coming from inside the armor, the spray pattern indicates that a wound was inflicted that caused it to..."
"I think she means whatever bled this, it wasn't the golem. It was whatever he was fighting and I shudder to imagine what could bleed like that and still throw a two ton hunk'a metal out this far."
"We won't know if we won't advance, hopefully whatever it is, it'll be weakened enough for us to defeat."
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Post by Deleted on Apr 19, 2014 2:18:15 GMT -5
Phalanx nodded grimly, "Something that could do that, I'd *prefer* if it was on our side. Like you said, I'd rather not imagine trying to fight whatever could do...that," Phalanx idly pointed to the broken golem in emphasis.
Hoplite was already turning into the maze, "Then let's get going already," he commented as he stepped forward.
Phalanx picked up her pace to move next to the earth pony, "This can only end in more blood, huh?"
Hoplite shrugged, "I sure hope not."
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Post by Red Charge on May 2, 2014 15:08:26 GMT -5
A short walk across the corridor revealed to them what exactly was causing the fuss, though they wish it hadn't. The thing quickly ducked around a corner, not because it spotted them, but rather because it seemed to have important business elsewhere. They only caught a glimpse at the thing, a massive bipedal construct of sort. What exactly it looked like they couldn't tell, what they could tell however was that it was red and oozing... much like a skinned body.
"I don't want to go on anymore." Sapphire said, stopping in place, "This isn't natural, it isn't. Did you see that thing? That was nothing made by the goddesses, I don't want to go on, please let's go back, please!" She began backpedaling.
"Get it together Sapphire," Fillydelphia said, "Without Watermark, we're doomed either way coming out. Or you think you can fare better in the Everfree by yourself?"
"Can't be worse than that, can't be..." Sapphire mumbled, "It was like it was made of meat, meat!"
"Well let me tell you, getting squashed is a lot less painful than what those dogs outside have in store for you." The lack of emotion in Fillydelphia's voice was unnerving to say the least, but her statement seemed to come from personal experience.
"I'm not leaving here without completing this mission." She stated, more to the other two than to Sapphire.
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Post by Deleted on May 2, 2014 16:43:14 GMT -5
Phalanx looked about the hallway more nervously than she wanted to let on. If the maze they had left was any indicator, there could be just about anything waiting for them hidden in the walls. Add that on top of the looming threat of giant golems, and even Hoplite seemed to show a hint of fear.
Then they saw it. It was a brief glimpse, sure, but that was enough for them to take in what it was. "Uhh...that was...macabre," Phalanx commented, "Maybe we should go..."
Hopilte shot her a look. It was still clear he wasn't any less afraid than Phalanx was, yet he was trying a lot harder to hide it. "Forward. Keep going forward."
Phalanx blinked at the interruption, "Uhh...right, sure, let's keep going further into the maze filled with flesh golems on the off chance we can find a switch to free Watermark."
Hoplite turned to Sapphire Bomber, "If you want to wait for us by the exit, then feel free, but I don't doubt there'll be a time in here where we'll need your help."
"Never hurts having a pegasus around in a pinch," Phalanx added, "But if it's too much, I won't stop you."
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Post by Red Charge on Jun 9, 2014 12:48:15 GMT -5
"No... I don't want... please..." Sapphire pleaded, "That... thing is an abomination!" The pegasus said, visibly shaken from what they had seen. She wasn't being very rational, whatever it was could follow them back if it wanted to, as most of the doors were more than big enough for it to go through.
"Well we're going to need you." Fillydelphia said, "You and I took an oath when we joined our militias and there's no way I'm letting you break it. As the highest ranking militia member here I order you to move on." The mare appeared very aggravated with Sapphire's behavior. Technically she was correct, as Phalanx and Hoplite were no longer affiliated with the militia but instead were Watermark's bodyguards, which meant they had no jurisdiction over either Sapphire or Fillydelphia. "Now you'll either come with us or face the penalty of battlefield desertion." Fillydelphia threatened.
"You're going to kill me?" The pegasus replied defiantly.
"No, I'm going to paralyze you and use your immobile body to distract that thing when we need to get past it." Fillydelphia replied. Phalanx had never seen the two fighting before. Apparently all of the emotions Fillydelphia was suppressing all of the time with her robotic demeanor, an intense vileness, was beginning to reach the surface. Seemed like all of her repressed feelings regarding her family's death were about to break forth and this made her seem very dangerous, it was hard to believe she wouldn't pull through with her threat.
Sapphire too seemed to have felt this, because she backed down and complied. Moving on to the next corridor they were exposed to another jarring sight, the walls were covered in writing, inked with blood.
"The Father has forsaken us." Sapphire wasn't sure what scared her more, the fact that whatever used so much blood could think and write, or the fact that there were many different hoofwritings on the wall, implying much more than just one writer.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 9, 2014 23:44:43 GMT -5
Phalanx watched the two arguing in abject curiousity. Her wit had left her as two mares she found to be friends were starting to break down. Sapphire was in a state of terror and Fillydelphia's fuse finally seemed to be lit. Even Hoplite seemed speechless at the mares' interaction.
Phalanx adjusted her spear at her side and continued down the hall, "This whole thing's gone to Tartarus..." she muttered. She half-expected Hoplite to make some sort of comment on the matter, or even just a reassuring glance, but the stallion was silent still, ever focused on the mission Phalanx wanted nothing to do with.
The group stopped as they found the wall covered in writing. Once again, the macabre atmosphere hammered itself into Phalanx. "Oh g-good, f-f-flesh-golems bleeding profusely, n-now cryptic b-blood writing," Phalanx found her speech stuttered as she tried to lighten up the mood "W-what next? Zombies?"
"Not funny, Fal," Hoplite grunted, turning down the hall of writing and moving slowly down it.
Phalanx looked to each of the written phrases, pulling her spear closer to herself, How'd the writers last long enough to write these sentences? she thought grimly to herself. Better yet, what made them bleed so much?
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Post by Red Charge on Jun 10, 2014 0:33:39 GMT -5
The next corridor they were in split into several others and a spiral downwards ramp. Conviniently near the ramp was a stairwell landing. The other corridors were each leading into different sections. The group noticed that the lighting changed on those corridors, one was red, the other green and the last purple. Though it was likely that the lighting had some sort of significance, it was unclear to them at the moment. There was absolutely no sign of the earlier abomination, nor did it leave any indication where it had gone. Quite the feat considering how much it was bleeding.
"I think we should take the stairs." Fillydelphia said, "Watermark plummeted down, we're most likely to find him on the lower floors."
"There's something about those lights, you know what it reminds me of? The weather factory. All of the corridors there are marked with colors to signify where they're going to." She said, "One of these might lead to the golem workshop, or storehouse. We could get a golem there and then go after Watermark."
"And how do you suppose we use it? Do you know how to control golems? We need Watermark to complete this mission. In retrospect it would have been prudent to teach us how to control golems before we went in here, but it's pointless to argue the issue now." The unicorn turned to Phalanx and Hoplite, "Where do you think we should go?"
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Post by Deleted on Jun 10, 2014 0:40:28 GMT -5
Phalanx looked confusedly between the different coloured lights, pondering worriedly on their significance. The red lighting, naturally, dissuaded her from wanting to take that particular pathway. The green hallway was welcoming, yet the purple one wasn't exactly unwelcoming either.
Fillydelphia's comment roused her from her mental process. She shook her head when she was asked the question, "I can't imagine how many ways trying to control a golem ourselves could go wrong without Watermark. Besides, this whole thing was his idea. I vote down the stairs," Phalanx replied.
Hoplite nodded, "Agreed. We find him, then we see if we should get out or continue trying down here. All the same, Fillydelphia's comment seems rather accurate, he probably went downwards. If that doesn't work, I'd say the green hall."
Phalanx breathed a sigh, at least they had a better plan now. Looking down the other halls nervously, she started for the stairway, following Hoplite's lead as they traveled down the stairs.
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Post by Red Charge on Jun 10, 2014 0:52:53 GMT -5
As the group began descending the stairs they felt the small tremors indicative of something large passing them by on the ramp. Fortunately the stairwell was its own room and whatever was walking up and down the ramp could not see them, unless golems or abominations could see through walls. After descending about two or three flights, the stairwell abruptly ended. Not because they had reached a wall, but because the rest of the stairway had collapsed, leaving them in front of a pit. On the other side of said pit, was the rest of the stairwell leading down.
"Well, that's annoying." Sapphire said, "Phalanx take your brother, I'll carry Snuffle McMuffin over here." She said halfheartedly and took hold of the unicorn mare, flying her across the gap. Hoplite, however was far heavier than Fillydelphia and carrying him with all of his armor across that gap would prove a much more difficult job.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 10, 2014 1:01:43 GMT -5
Phalanx found herself looking around the stairway nervously as sounds and tremors hinted at something moving on the ramp they had passed. Whatever it was, she was glad they hadn't encountered it.
Seeing the gap in the staircase made her grimace. She hadn't made carrying her brother a common thing since she was younger, back when neither of them wore armour. The simple thought of trying to carry Hoplite over the gap made her wings ache. She sighed, looking to her brother as she holstered her spear. "Remember how we practiced when we were younger," Phalanx muttered, taking off a few feet into the air to grab Hoplite from above.
"Oh, I remember vividly. You dropped me on our house that one time, had that bruise for weeks," Hoplite chuckled at the memory, feeling his hooves being lifted from the ground and feeling the air being pushed by his sister's wings.
"Only 'cause you kept kicking and moving a lot," Phalanx grunted with the effort. Soon the two were directly over the pit, and Phalanx's strain became audible through heavy panting and grunting. Thankfully for the two, they eventually made it to the other side, the pegasus trying to catch her breath.
"I hope we find a different way out than this, else we're switching loads Sapphire," Phalanx joked as they continued down the stairs.
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Post by Red Charge on Jun 10, 2014 1:25:56 GMT -5
"We can use the ramp on the way back up I suppose." Fillydelphia said, moving downwards. When they finally reached the bottom of the stairwell they exited to yet another intersection with new corridors with different lights. One was yellow, the other indigo. There was another, darker corridor, the only one leading in the direction of where the entrance supposedly was above them. But it, like the corridors above was full of blood, bits of flesh and hunks of metal. Nothing recent however, there were no words scrawled on the walls with blood, only two red Xs on both side of that corridor. The other corridors looked surprisingly clean in comparison to the ones upstairs.
"I'm willing to bet my hoof that Watermark is down the plague-death-creepy corridor. You just know it'll be the worst of the bunch." Sapphire whined.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 10, 2014 1:30:36 GMT -5
Phalanx groaned, "As much as I'd prefer *not* going down the gore-covered hallway, you do have a point there, Sapphire," she commented as they inspected the three pathways they could take from here.
"Unless that's the corridor that turns down a different path that leads *right* to the Golem Maker's room, or something worse, I'd figure Watermark would be down that way," Hoplite added.
"Well, if the horror-show hallway doesn't yield results, we can always come back...right?" Phalanx questioned worriedly.
"Best if that question went unanswered, methinks," Hoplite grumbled as he started walking down the gore-coated hallway.
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