Post by Grail Brisk on Aug 28, 2017 15:48:12 GMT
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Grail Brisk
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Grail Brisk
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Base Powerlevel | Transformations | Current Powerlevel | Gain Modifiers | Tags |
20,000 | N/A | 20,000 | N/A | TAG PEOPLE HERE |
Ocariin City had really been laid low in recent times; that much was fact. The entire rule of Maximillion had been a front for some dark cabal, and when a conflict had arisen that had dislodged them from the position of leadership things had taken a turn for the worse. No doubt Grail felt that Plato and his allies at the time had been of great help in exposing those who would have abused the Konatsian people to the extreme...but their execution of the operation to take out Maximillion and Dr Breech was incredibly sloppy. Openings were left, and Dr Breech had managed to detonate the strange technologies he had implanted in many of the citizens, resulting in widespread city damage and casualties that the city had yet to completely recover from. The current Council had done what they could to help the matters resolve themselves, but the recent attack by one of the cabal that had escaped before had left them paralyzed. Worse yet it appeared that the reason that the creature that had attacked the Throne Room had done so because Plato had been killed out in the galaxy at large, some great conflict happening out there that was beyond anyone else on the planet to even attempt to affect.
Plato's power had been frightening to the extreme to most of Konats, and Grail himself had viewed the power that Plato had managed to acquire with respect...yet, there were beings out there capable of ending his life in open combat in a single scenario. Crushed by pure power greater than his own. It was terrifying almost to think of such monstrosities that were out in the greater galaxy. It made most just want to crawl into a hole and hope to hide away, escaping the notice of these towering pillars of strength and hoped they weren't crushed by accident. However Grail was not such a being. For him the knowledge that the former protector of Konats was killed through power was...galvanizing. It made him realize that there was something that he should be doing if he valued his life, or perhaps if he valued the lives of his fellow Konatsians. For although Grail had never received much warmth or kindness from his kinsmen, he understood completely the mindset that had been the driving force behind their actions.
Even when he was young he had the intelligence to realize the what and why behind a person, and it was simple when people acted out of fear. The reason behind that fear had been told to him by his mother, when he had first asked why he had no father like other children. She had told him of the story of her arrival on the planet, of the contamination she carried within her and how it had eventually killed his father. He had wept then, but he knew the reason he was hated and feared by the other children was due to this fact. Grail had asked his mother who was responsible for this contamination, but his mother had refused to tell him, saying that he should not give into the hatred that had afflicted other Kagami. Grail had sighed, saying he understood the mindset behind the actions of the other's, and for the sake of his mother had declared he would not hold it against them, but that he could never forgive those that had been truly responsible for their suffering; those nameless beings that had caused his mother to carry the contamination.
So Grail knew that what he had to do was gain power, both to protect the people that were kin to him and his father, but also to take his revenge on the people that had made him and his mother suffer so needlessly. Of course gaining power was not a simple task, it required many many things to come into alignment. Grail had to first gain resources; which on Konats meant money. There were a great deal of ways to gain money on Konats, but one of the more lucrative that Grail had access to at the time was through hunting. The number of truly strong Konatsians was small, and the dangerous creatures that inhabited the deserts of Konats had bounties on their heads for the sake of protecting the citizens, beyond that one could sell the body parts of certain creatures for even more money. It was by far the best option that Grail could find, as much as a social outcast as he was. Perhaps in the future when he had dealt with people enough to be known as a reliable contractor would the Konatsians get over their fear and loathing of his diseased appearance and let him into the circle of merchants that held most of the wealth in Ocariin city. Perhaps.
Probably not, though.
Regardless it meant that Grail was going to have to travel out into the desert sands to search for lucrative beasts to hunt down and sell off for parts. Preparation was simple. Plenty of rations, some tools made to cut and separate flesh cleanly for collection, and a few sturdy sacks and glass containers for storage of said flesh. Grail didn't need any more than this simple selection. No armor or weapons beyond his staff and sword; his magical prowess would cover for any other deficiencies his gear might present to him.
Yet which location should Grail choose to search at first? The deserts of Konats were massive, covering the majority of the planet's surface, and yet very few of the areas contained much in the way of vegetation which limited what sort of creatures could be found just out and about in the desert. If one were to go looking for things to hunt down they had to check around the various oases, as most animal life congregated around these sparse sources of water and plant food; which was also a reason why monsters were hunted so avidly by Konatsians. These sparse water sources had to be kept clear for travelers coming to and leaving from Ocariin city from the outlying settlements. Perhaps that was the answer he was looking for there?
Nodding to himself Grail decided that that was the best course of action. He would ask which of the routes had the most trouble recently, and take down what was responsible. With that he could get the bounty, which was sure to be higher than normal, the pay for whatever body parts he could harvest, and a bit of respect of the community by dealing with a threat to the people. So he moved from his usual location on the outskirts of town into the trade hub of the city, going to his usual contacts for information. Grail did not bother with the majority of the traders there, for they all viewed him with distrust anyway, with only the more open minded or seedy traders willing to deal with him.
Triffle the clothier apparently had been having problems getting a hold of the special silks he used to create his high-class merchandise, citing that travel from the Eastern Mountains had dropped off recently due to seismic activity making the area unstable, a rather unique problem on the planet of Konats.
Merin the Palace Cook lamented that she couldn't find anything worth cooking in the market lately, and when she had asked others they said that the farm to the Southeast had been losing stock to some desert beast that attacked during the night and made off with two or three animals at once. The farmers were naturally trying to get military help, but due to the recent chaos it was unsure if they would ever get the help they needed.
Speaking of the military, Bavar the Watchman had said that travel from the North had stopped altogether; with no-one coming in and the Captain of the Guard issuing a decree to restrict travel that direction. The reason wasn't given, but the City Watch was on high alert, stationing more guards to the walls despite their need elsewhere.
Banh, the old fortuneteller, had declared to Grail that darkness was looming in the distance; and if a source of light wasn't taken to it; it could spread to engulf Ocariin whole. Normally Grail wouldn't take their words to heart but the piercing glare that Banh had given him while speaking had a touch of magical power behind it to Grail's senses, leaving the old man weak and exhausted from the effort of just speaking it. Signs of an actual Foretelling.
And finally, Bebin the Caravan Trader had said that his Caravan had been attacked on its way to Konats, losing several guardsman to a large worm-like creature that seemed intent on devouring them all. It had attacked at night, limiting visibility, and had a hide so tough even the strongest guardsman with the Caravan couldn't get his sword to pierce it without extreme effort. It was the last caravan to arrive from North of the City.
There were other accounts by other people, but Grail knew that the information he had gained on this particular set of circumstances were all related. He had his suspicions on what kind of beast he might be facing, but without more concrete evidence Grail had to keep his mind open that it might be something else all together. With as much information as he could gather with his contacts obtained Grail just had to get on with it. It was obvious there was something nasty traveling through the areas around Ocariin city, starting from the Southeast and moving Northwest, running through the eastern edge of the Southern Farms, moving North through the mountainous terrain and causing the area to become unstable through seismic activity, and then finally it had headed to the North of the city, perhaps completely cutting off all travel to the area or making it so dangerous the City Guard deemed it too unsafe to travel that direction altogether.
So it was to the North for Grail, and despite the warnings of the Guards (who honestly didn't try too hard to stop Grail from leaving; if the crazy diseased outcast wanted to head out to his own death they didn't feel like trying to bodily restrain him) headed out of the City Gates along the caravan trail that led into the Northern farmlands. The travel was easy to begin with; Ocariin city workers had laid down a sandstone road in the sandy wastelands that led North out of the city, extending miles and miles, ending near the more rocky area that the farmlands were situated on. The constant use also meant that most animals knew to stay away from this road as well, for anything that got too close to a caravan was put down by its guards in a hurry, with only the most threatening of Konats denizens being strong enough to overcome the guards.
Despite the known safety of the road Grail still kept himself on alert as he traveled. Who knew how brave the creature had gotten after its successful attack on the caravan earlier? It might be making its way closer to Ocariin city, and if Grail was caught unawares it could be the end of him before he even knew what he was facing. Still, the trek managed to be almost completely peaceful, only a Sandshark troubling Grail at one point, but it was easily dispatched with a wave of shadowy energy from Grail's palm. It was only two-thirds of the way to the Farmlands that Grail even came across a hint of his quarry. It seemed an almost innocuous rumbling in the sands, easily attributable to a high wind gust causing an unstable dune to collapse, except that it kept going for far longer than such an event would. And it seemed to be getting louder for a few moments before it began to fade again, the sound traveling away from Grail.
Leaning on his staff listening to the sound Grail had nodded to himself and checked his gear at that point, consuming a small portion of his rations to ensure he would have the energy for a fight soon, and ensuring his sword-belt was secure. It wasn't going to be long before his hunt was through, he felt.
Prepared Grail stepped forward after the source of the rumbling noise, his legs taking on a shadowy form, lengthening and becoming thicker to better facilitate quick movements. Just a bit of shapeshifting to let Grail up his pace to keep up with the creature ahead. Once his legs were finished with their transformation the darkness would fade from them, leaving them shifted into an inhuman configuration, and Grail would put on a burst of speed he normally was incapable of performing, whipping across the sands faster than any Sidewinder was capable of. As Grail expected however the creature ahead also picked up its pace, trying to evade him.
The chase was on! The creature ahead was both quick and agile, moving beneath the surface of the sands like a viper, but Grail had the advantage of his magical senses, and he had already locked onto the life force of the creature, his brows knit in concentration as he focused on the hunt. The creature was unlikely to lose Grail, but it couldn't know that so easily, and for an entire hour it attempted to shake Grail off of it, but something happened that neither Grail nor the creature had expected. Others were hunting the creature, and had managed to set up an ambush.
Grail would feel the release of magical energies as a symbol of power had been discharged, and the smell of ozone would fill the air as lightning sizzled through the sands, electrocuting the creature hidden below despite going against normal physics. A great scream tore through the air, and the trio of mercenary Konatsians that had created the ambush were thrown away as the creature rose up out of the sands into the sun, screaming in irritation more than pain, revealing...
A monstrously sized worm with an incredibly thick purple hide, rows upon rows of fang like protrusions covering the inside of its circular mouth, and a saliva so corrosive steam rose from the sand it touched. It was a unique terror of the Konatsian deserts, the Black Blood Worm. Of relation to the more common Purple Worm it had very similar characteristics but with a few key differences including; a higher aggression rating and hunger, greater length by almost double, and its eponymous Black Blood. Black Blood was a corrosive substance that was the creature's actual blood, usually causing both acid burns and a painful paralysis in most other creature's on Konats, and combined with it's massive size, agile quickness, and thick hide was enough to net a Black Blood Worm a solid position at the top of the food chain.
Even worse than a normal Black Blood Worm this one appeared to be an Elder example of the species, being even larger and with a thicker hide than normal. Reaching nearly three-hundred feet in length with a maw large enough to swallow five men at once and gulp them down in a moment it was a terrifying visage to behold for any Konatsian; it would truly be classified as a catastrophe level event for a Black Blood of this power to get anywhere near Ocariin city! Even if the Konatsians threw their entire military at the creature it wasn't likely to fall for days, and the damage it could do....to the already weakened city of Ocariin its scream of fury would be the deathtoll.
”Gods no! A Black Blood Worm. Cloot, Blank. We need to withdraw; there's no way we can handle this thing!” Grail heard the shout of a strong female voice filled with, yet not controlled by, panic.
However another voice, this one male, was obviously close to hysteria as they screamed back in response, “Where are we going to run this thing can't follow Kessa! Oh Gods, this thing's gonna swallow us whole...!” The third voice only seemed to babble incoherently in terror at what they had tried to ambush.
Grail merely thought to himself that this sort of work wasn't suited for everyone; and even an experienced hunter would turn tail and run at a Blac Blood worm. Not Grail however, and it wasn't because of some sense of heroism or duty to his people. He was terrified of strong monsters as much as the next one...it was just... he really was the best person to deal with a Black Blood. In his mother's womb he had been exposed and had adapted to the minute traces of Destron Gas that had killed his father; and if his poison tolerance wasn't supreme grade before; his connection to the Nightwalker, a being made of pure shadows that could absorb the deadliest toxins as if they were candy had ensured he was immune to the effects of Black Blood.
The Worm roared once more, its open mouth flinging spittle at the three mercenaries, and the male screamed in desperation, even the woman had given herself up to death but she at least faced with a grim determination. The Worm dove forward, ready to devour the mercs, but even as it descended a great black claw rose up to meet it, the five digits as wide as the creature's own body, the claws digging into the edges of the leathery hide, black blood oozing onto the monstrous hand. Which of course belonged to Grail. The Worm froze, and the three Mercenaries froze, a for a few long moments no one could react as Grail slowly walked forward, a determined look upon his face as he thanked the trio for their “help”.
”I thank you for your aid. This thing had been giving me a great deal of trouble attempting to corner it until your timely rune distracted it. Given the situation though, perhaps you would all...back up?” Grail gave the trio a level look before motioning with his right hand at the Worm, his staff pointing at the creature for a moment. It was struggling with great force to break free of Grail's grasp, and it was flinging little globules of its corrosive spittle and blood all around, coming dangerously close to the position that the Mercenaries were, a glob of blood even striking Grail in the face, who casually licked the substance off himself with an elongated black tongue, for effect.
The two men of the trio quickly scrambled backwards, putting as much distance between the Worm and themselves as possible. The woman Kessa hesitated, looking at Grail with a look he had seen countless times before, a look of distrust and concealed loathing, although at least her reason wasn't for his mere appearance, as it was at his magically altered limbs that she frowned at, her eyes passing over his face and torso with no such feeling present in her eyes. She disliked his magic, not his appearance. Interesting. She would be dragged out of her reverie by one of the men, who quickly pulled her by an arm with a barely coherent comment about getting the HFIL out of there.
With the distraction removed Grail merely focused himself on the beast before him, the grip of his magical claw tightening on the Worm, the energy invested into the claw strengthening, slowly forcing the Worm's mouth closed. Grail would then raise his right hand, aiming the tip of his staff at the creature. At the tip of the petrified rod a black flame would burst into existence, giving off a great sense of....hunger...
An emotion besides concentration finally crossing his face, Grail gave a nasty sort of grin as he muttered the name of the spell, ”Blightfire.”
The small black flame suddenly shot forth into a great spray of fire, covering the entire face of the Black Blood Worm, it's screams of rage turning into cries of agony as the black flames burnt away at its very lifeforce, the worm thrashing even harder as it attempted to free itself of the terrible pain assaulting its senses. His hand let go of the monstrosity who merely continued to thrash in pain, and he wondered aloud to himself, ”Ah, I see. Mutual restraint. I can withstand the toxins it can produce, but it can withstand my Blightfire. An effect of similar magics colliding. This must be why old Banh said a source of light was needed. I can't kill the beast with my magics alone. Luckily, my father left me...this blade..”
His hands returned to their normal shape Grail would use his left to unsheathe the sword at his belt, raising it up in front of his face as if to inspect it. He had already memorized every scratch, nick, and dent in the metal of his father's sword however, and instead was muttering a quiet prayer, asking for forgiveness that he was going to use this sword without knowing the proper technique.
His left hand took on the black hue once more as Grail gripped the blade tighter, raising it above his head and turning the sharpened blade on the thrashing Worm. His muscles bulged and elongated, his arm becoming several times larger than normal, his shoulder and torso enlarging to handle the change in balance. With a final command of ”Die.” Grail let the blade swing down, the force and size of his arm holding the blade causing a small gust to fling sand in all directions as the blade bit into the Worm's face, cutting it through on one side.
Grail wasn't going to end with just one swing however, and continued to hack at the Worm for several more swings, turning the front end of the worm into a bloody stump, killing the beast in a brutal fashion. When it finally lay still, Grail carefully took a portion of the cloth from his cloak and wiped the blade clean, tearing the cloth free and letting it corrode into a bubbling pile on the sands. He inspected his sword for damage then, and finding none he sheathed it and dusted his hands.
Turning back to the trio who had helped him to hunt this beast Grail looked them all over, “Now. Have any of you desire to aid me in dissecting this creature for its heart, liver, and hide? I assure you it's very lucrative work. No? As you wish..” Grail gave another nasty smile as the two men backed away with hands raised, and he could finally see that one was dressed as a traditional Konatsian warrior, and the other was obviously some sort of scout or hunter. What drew his eye however was the woman Kessa, for now that he could look at her properly Grail realized she was dressed in finery suitable for a respected mage, a symbol of a lightning bolt imprinted on the left breast of her dress. A Guild Mage; a High-Grade one at that. That explained things. She disliked Grail's magic because she actually knew what it was, what it entailed, what Grail had to be to have that magic. She had been the one to cast the Lightning Rune earlier.
”Ah, a Guildmage. Perhaps you would prefer rights to the bounty? You are, after all, the one to aid me by casting that Rune, correct? Perhaps, in exchange, you might pass along my....competence to the Guild, Hmm?”
Kessa gave a long sigh, taking a step forward she placed hands on hips in disgust, ”Cut the crap, Hermit. We both know full well you just saved my life there. Gods above, I never expected to be saved by the Grim Hermit of all people. Aaah, I can't stake a claim on the bounty of this thing. I'd have to explain the whole scenario and look like a fool during it. I'd be the laughingstock of the Guild. Go, take your damn bounty, Hermit, you earned it...and..for my life....thank you...” Grail could see the strain it took for the woman to bend her pride enough to say those final words, and it brought a genuine smile to his lips as he turned back to the dead Worm, the last twitches of its form having just stilled.
It was nice to receive a thank you, especially from a beautiful woman, and even though Grail knew he was bound to get a great deal of money from the bounty and body parts of this beast; he honestly felt it was worthless compared to the gratitude of his people...
Plato's power had been frightening to the extreme to most of Konats, and Grail himself had viewed the power that Plato had managed to acquire with respect...yet, there were beings out there capable of ending his life in open combat in a single scenario. Crushed by pure power greater than his own. It was terrifying almost to think of such monstrosities that were out in the greater galaxy. It made most just want to crawl into a hole and hope to hide away, escaping the notice of these towering pillars of strength and hoped they weren't crushed by accident. However Grail was not such a being. For him the knowledge that the former protector of Konats was killed through power was...galvanizing. It made him realize that there was something that he should be doing if he valued his life, or perhaps if he valued the lives of his fellow Konatsians. For although Grail had never received much warmth or kindness from his kinsmen, he understood completely the mindset that had been the driving force behind their actions.
Even when he was young he had the intelligence to realize the what and why behind a person, and it was simple when people acted out of fear. The reason behind that fear had been told to him by his mother, when he had first asked why he had no father like other children. She had told him of the story of her arrival on the planet, of the contamination she carried within her and how it had eventually killed his father. He had wept then, but he knew the reason he was hated and feared by the other children was due to this fact. Grail had asked his mother who was responsible for this contamination, but his mother had refused to tell him, saying that he should not give into the hatred that had afflicted other Kagami. Grail had sighed, saying he understood the mindset behind the actions of the other's, and for the sake of his mother had declared he would not hold it against them, but that he could never forgive those that had been truly responsible for their suffering; those nameless beings that had caused his mother to carry the contamination.
So Grail knew that what he had to do was gain power, both to protect the people that were kin to him and his father, but also to take his revenge on the people that had made him and his mother suffer so needlessly. Of course gaining power was not a simple task, it required many many things to come into alignment. Grail had to first gain resources; which on Konats meant money. There were a great deal of ways to gain money on Konats, but one of the more lucrative that Grail had access to at the time was through hunting. The number of truly strong Konatsians was small, and the dangerous creatures that inhabited the deserts of Konats had bounties on their heads for the sake of protecting the citizens, beyond that one could sell the body parts of certain creatures for even more money. It was by far the best option that Grail could find, as much as a social outcast as he was. Perhaps in the future when he had dealt with people enough to be known as a reliable contractor would the Konatsians get over their fear and loathing of his diseased appearance and let him into the circle of merchants that held most of the wealth in Ocariin city. Perhaps.
Probably not, though.
Regardless it meant that Grail was going to have to travel out into the desert sands to search for lucrative beasts to hunt down and sell off for parts. Preparation was simple. Plenty of rations, some tools made to cut and separate flesh cleanly for collection, and a few sturdy sacks and glass containers for storage of said flesh. Grail didn't need any more than this simple selection. No armor or weapons beyond his staff and sword; his magical prowess would cover for any other deficiencies his gear might present to him.
Yet which location should Grail choose to search at first? The deserts of Konats were massive, covering the majority of the planet's surface, and yet very few of the areas contained much in the way of vegetation which limited what sort of creatures could be found just out and about in the desert. If one were to go looking for things to hunt down they had to check around the various oases, as most animal life congregated around these sparse sources of water and plant food; which was also a reason why monsters were hunted so avidly by Konatsians. These sparse water sources had to be kept clear for travelers coming to and leaving from Ocariin city from the outlying settlements. Perhaps that was the answer he was looking for there?
Nodding to himself Grail decided that that was the best course of action. He would ask which of the routes had the most trouble recently, and take down what was responsible. With that he could get the bounty, which was sure to be higher than normal, the pay for whatever body parts he could harvest, and a bit of respect of the community by dealing with a threat to the people. So he moved from his usual location on the outskirts of town into the trade hub of the city, going to his usual contacts for information. Grail did not bother with the majority of the traders there, for they all viewed him with distrust anyway, with only the more open minded or seedy traders willing to deal with him.
Triffle the clothier apparently had been having problems getting a hold of the special silks he used to create his high-class merchandise, citing that travel from the Eastern Mountains had dropped off recently due to seismic activity making the area unstable, a rather unique problem on the planet of Konats.
Merin the Palace Cook lamented that she couldn't find anything worth cooking in the market lately, and when she had asked others they said that the farm to the Southeast had been losing stock to some desert beast that attacked during the night and made off with two or three animals at once. The farmers were naturally trying to get military help, but due to the recent chaos it was unsure if they would ever get the help they needed.
Speaking of the military, Bavar the Watchman had said that travel from the North had stopped altogether; with no-one coming in and the Captain of the Guard issuing a decree to restrict travel that direction. The reason wasn't given, but the City Watch was on high alert, stationing more guards to the walls despite their need elsewhere.
Banh, the old fortuneteller, had declared to Grail that darkness was looming in the distance; and if a source of light wasn't taken to it; it could spread to engulf Ocariin whole. Normally Grail wouldn't take their words to heart but the piercing glare that Banh had given him while speaking had a touch of magical power behind it to Grail's senses, leaving the old man weak and exhausted from the effort of just speaking it. Signs of an actual Foretelling.
And finally, Bebin the Caravan Trader had said that his Caravan had been attacked on its way to Konats, losing several guardsman to a large worm-like creature that seemed intent on devouring them all. It had attacked at night, limiting visibility, and had a hide so tough even the strongest guardsman with the Caravan couldn't get his sword to pierce it without extreme effort. It was the last caravan to arrive from North of the City.
There were other accounts by other people, but Grail knew that the information he had gained on this particular set of circumstances were all related. He had his suspicions on what kind of beast he might be facing, but without more concrete evidence Grail had to keep his mind open that it might be something else all together. With as much information as he could gather with his contacts obtained Grail just had to get on with it. It was obvious there was something nasty traveling through the areas around Ocariin city, starting from the Southeast and moving Northwest, running through the eastern edge of the Southern Farms, moving North through the mountainous terrain and causing the area to become unstable through seismic activity, and then finally it had headed to the North of the city, perhaps completely cutting off all travel to the area or making it so dangerous the City Guard deemed it too unsafe to travel that direction altogether.
So it was to the North for Grail, and despite the warnings of the Guards (who honestly didn't try too hard to stop Grail from leaving; if the crazy diseased outcast wanted to head out to his own death they didn't feel like trying to bodily restrain him) headed out of the City Gates along the caravan trail that led into the Northern farmlands. The travel was easy to begin with; Ocariin city workers had laid down a sandstone road in the sandy wastelands that led North out of the city, extending miles and miles, ending near the more rocky area that the farmlands were situated on. The constant use also meant that most animals knew to stay away from this road as well, for anything that got too close to a caravan was put down by its guards in a hurry, with only the most threatening of Konats denizens being strong enough to overcome the guards.
Despite the known safety of the road Grail still kept himself on alert as he traveled. Who knew how brave the creature had gotten after its successful attack on the caravan earlier? It might be making its way closer to Ocariin city, and if Grail was caught unawares it could be the end of him before he even knew what he was facing. Still, the trek managed to be almost completely peaceful, only a Sandshark troubling Grail at one point, but it was easily dispatched with a wave of shadowy energy from Grail's palm. It was only two-thirds of the way to the Farmlands that Grail even came across a hint of his quarry. It seemed an almost innocuous rumbling in the sands, easily attributable to a high wind gust causing an unstable dune to collapse, except that it kept going for far longer than such an event would. And it seemed to be getting louder for a few moments before it began to fade again, the sound traveling away from Grail.
Leaning on his staff listening to the sound Grail had nodded to himself and checked his gear at that point, consuming a small portion of his rations to ensure he would have the energy for a fight soon, and ensuring his sword-belt was secure. It wasn't going to be long before his hunt was through, he felt.
Prepared Grail stepped forward after the source of the rumbling noise, his legs taking on a shadowy form, lengthening and becoming thicker to better facilitate quick movements. Just a bit of shapeshifting to let Grail up his pace to keep up with the creature ahead. Once his legs were finished with their transformation the darkness would fade from them, leaving them shifted into an inhuman configuration, and Grail would put on a burst of speed he normally was incapable of performing, whipping across the sands faster than any Sidewinder was capable of. As Grail expected however the creature ahead also picked up its pace, trying to evade him.
The chase was on! The creature ahead was both quick and agile, moving beneath the surface of the sands like a viper, but Grail had the advantage of his magical senses, and he had already locked onto the life force of the creature, his brows knit in concentration as he focused on the hunt. The creature was unlikely to lose Grail, but it couldn't know that so easily, and for an entire hour it attempted to shake Grail off of it, but something happened that neither Grail nor the creature had expected. Others were hunting the creature, and had managed to set up an ambush.
Grail would feel the release of magical energies as a symbol of power had been discharged, and the smell of ozone would fill the air as lightning sizzled through the sands, electrocuting the creature hidden below despite going against normal physics. A great scream tore through the air, and the trio of mercenary Konatsians that had created the ambush were thrown away as the creature rose up out of the sands into the sun, screaming in irritation more than pain, revealing...
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THE BLACK BLOOD WORM
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THE BLACK BLOOD WORM
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A monstrously sized worm with an incredibly thick purple hide, rows upon rows of fang like protrusions covering the inside of its circular mouth, and a saliva so corrosive steam rose from the sand it touched. It was a unique terror of the Konatsian deserts, the Black Blood Worm. Of relation to the more common Purple Worm it had very similar characteristics but with a few key differences including; a higher aggression rating and hunger, greater length by almost double, and its eponymous Black Blood. Black Blood was a corrosive substance that was the creature's actual blood, usually causing both acid burns and a painful paralysis in most other creature's on Konats, and combined with it's massive size, agile quickness, and thick hide was enough to net a Black Blood Worm a solid position at the top of the food chain.
Even worse than a normal Black Blood Worm this one appeared to be an Elder example of the species, being even larger and with a thicker hide than normal. Reaching nearly three-hundred feet in length with a maw large enough to swallow five men at once and gulp them down in a moment it was a terrifying visage to behold for any Konatsian; it would truly be classified as a catastrophe level event for a Black Blood of this power to get anywhere near Ocariin city! Even if the Konatsians threw their entire military at the creature it wasn't likely to fall for days, and the damage it could do....to the already weakened city of Ocariin its scream of fury would be the deathtoll.
”Gods no! A Black Blood Worm. Cloot, Blank. We need to withdraw; there's no way we can handle this thing!” Grail heard the shout of a strong female voice filled with, yet not controlled by, panic.
However another voice, this one male, was obviously close to hysteria as they screamed back in response, “Where are we going to run this thing can't follow Kessa! Oh Gods, this thing's gonna swallow us whole...!” The third voice only seemed to babble incoherently in terror at what they had tried to ambush.
Grail merely thought to himself that this sort of work wasn't suited for everyone; and even an experienced hunter would turn tail and run at a Blac Blood worm. Not Grail however, and it wasn't because of some sense of heroism or duty to his people. He was terrified of strong monsters as much as the next one...it was just... he really was the best person to deal with a Black Blood. In his mother's womb he had been exposed and had adapted to the minute traces of Destron Gas that had killed his father; and if his poison tolerance wasn't supreme grade before; his connection to the Nightwalker, a being made of pure shadows that could absorb the deadliest toxins as if they were candy had ensured he was immune to the effects of Black Blood.
The Worm roared once more, its open mouth flinging spittle at the three mercenaries, and the male screamed in desperation, even the woman had given herself up to death but she at least faced with a grim determination. The Worm dove forward, ready to devour the mercs, but even as it descended a great black claw rose up to meet it, the five digits as wide as the creature's own body, the claws digging into the edges of the leathery hide, black blood oozing onto the monstrous hand. Which of course belonged to Grail. The Worm froze, and the three Mercenaries froze, a for a few long moments no one could react as Grail slowly walked forward, a determined look upon his face as he thanked the trio for their “help”.
”I thank you for your aid. This thing had been giving me a great deal of trouble attempting to corner it until your timely rune distracted it. Given the situation though, perhaps you would all...back up?” Grail gave the trio a level look before motioning with his right hand at the Worm, his staff pointing at the creature for a moment. It was struggling with great force to break free of Grail's grasp, and it was flinging little globules of its corrosive spittle and blood all around, coming dangerously close to the position that the Mercenaries were, a glob of blood even striking Grail in the face, who casually licked the substance off himself with an elongated black tongue, for effect.
The two men of the trio quickly scrambled backwards, putting as much distance between the Worm and themselves as possible. The woman Kessa hesitated, looking at Grail with a look he had seen countless times before, a look of distrust and concealed loathing, although at least her reason wasn't for his mere appearance, as it was at his magically altered limbs that she frowned at, her eyes passing over his face and torso with no such feeling present in her eyes. She disliked his magic, not his appearance. Interesting. She would be dragged out of her reverie by one of the men, who quickly pulled her by an arm with a barely coherent comment about getting the HFIL out of there.
With the distraction removed Grail merely focused himself on the beast before him, the grip of his magical claw tightening on the Worm, the energy invested into the claw strengthening, slowly forcing the Worm's mouth closed. Grail would then raise his right hand, aiming the tip of his staff at the creature. At the tip of the petrified rod a black flame would burst into existence, giving off a great sense of....hunger...
An emotion besides concentration finally crossing his face, Grail gave a nasty sort of grin as he muttered the name of the spell, ”Blightfire.”
The small black flame suddenly shot forth into a great spray of fire, covering the entire face of the Black Blood Worm, it's screams of rage turning into cries of agony as the black flames burnt away at its very lifeforce, the worm thrashing even harder as it attempted to free itself of the terrible pain assaulting its senses. His hand let go of the monstrosity who merely continued to thrash in pain, and he wondered aloud to himself, ”Ah, I see. Mutual restraint. I can withstand the toxins it can produce, but it can withstand my Blightfire. An effect of similar magics colliding. This must be why old Banh said a source of light was needed. I can't kill the beast with my magics alone. Luckily, my father left me...this blade..”
His hands returned to their normal shape Grail would use his left to unsheathe the sword at his belt, raising it up in front of his face as if to inspect it. He had already memorized every scratch, nick, and dent in the metal of his father's sword however, and instead was muttering a quiet prayer, asking for forgiveness that he was going to use this sword without knowing the proper technique.
His left hand took on the black hue once more as Grail gripped the blade tighter, raising it above his head and turning the sharpened blade on the thrashing Worm. His muscles bulged and elongated, his arm becoming several times larger than normal, his shoulder and torso enlarging to handle the change in balance. With a final command of ”Die.” Grail let the blade swing down, the force and size of his arm holding the blade causing a small gust to fling sand in all directions as the blade bit into the Worm's face, cutting it through on one side.
Grail wasn't going to end with just one swing however, and continued to hack at the Worm for several more swings, turning the front end of the worm into a bloody stump, killing the beast in a brutal fashion. When it finally lay still, Grail carefully took a portion of the cloth from his cloak and wiped the blade clean, tearing the cloth free and letting it corrode into a bubbling pile on the sands. He inspected his sword for damage then, and finding none he sheathed it and dusted his hands.
Turning back to the trio who had helped him to hunt this beast Grail looked them all over, “Now. Have any of you desire to aid me in dissecting this creature for its heart, liver, and hide? I assure you it's very lucrative work. No? As you wish..” Grail gave another nasty smile as the two men backed away with hands raised, and he could finally see that one was dressed as a traditional Konatsian warrior, and the other was obviously some sort of scout or hunter. What drew his eye however was the woman Kessa, for now that he could look at her properly Grail realized she was dressed in finery suitable for a respected mage, a symbol of a lightning bolt imprinted on the left breast of her dress. A Guild Mage; a High-Grade one at that. That explained things. She disliked Grail's magic because she actually knew what it was, what it entailed, what Grail had to be to have that magic. She had been the one to cast the Lightning Rune earlier.
”Ah, a Guildmage. Perhaps you would prefer rights to the bounty? You are, after all, the one to aid me by casting that Rune, correct? Perhaps, in exchange, you might pass along my....competence to the Guild, Hmm?”
Kessa gave a long sigh, taking a step forward she placed hands on hips in disgust, ”Cut the crap, Hermit. We both know full well you just saved my life there. Gods above, I never expected to be saved by the Grim Hermit of all people. Aaah, I can't stake a claim on the bounty of this thing. I'd have to explain the whole scenario and look like a fool during it. I'd be the laughingstock of the Guild. Go, take your damn bounty, Hermit, you earned it...and..for my life....thank you...” Grail could see the strain it took for the woman to bend her pride enough to say those final words, and it brought a genuine smile to his lips as he turned back to the dead Worm, the last twitches of its form having just stilled.
It was nice to receive a thank you, especially from a beautiful woman, and even though Grail knew he was bound to get a great deal of money from the bounty and body parts of this beast; he honestly felt it was worthless compared to the gratitude of his people...