originally posted in:The New Dojo
[i]The soldiers of the white uniform wouldn't notice her yet, instead continuing down upon that dirt road that was their only pathway.[/i]
[i]Soon, the path would end, arriving to an abyss of clear, fresh air and several paths floating throughout the skies. Abnormal dragon-like birds flew throughout the hazy red air, with fire flickering off of their wings, their scales a light pinkish and ruby hue. They seemed particularly friendly, flying past and near the unnoticed Rose and the Tribune soldiers.[/i]
"...Three on the left path, two on middle. We'll meet up again." [i]The Tribune soldier who commanded the force would say, as two paths lead onwards throughout the sky, towards a hulking mass of rock and forest.[/i]
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That left a right path untreaded by them, are Rose took it once they left. The birds caught her attention, as she found herself distracted by them in the beginning, but she continued on her way, keeping an eye on the soldiers.
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[i]As the troops would carry on into the forest, all was silent until the yelling kicked in. Yells and gunfire ran throughout the forests, cut short by stomps and slashing noises, as if bodies were torn in half.[/i] [i]Whatever was within was making short work of them, as the trees rustled with violent action.[/i]
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What the hell could that be? Was that all of the soldiers? Either way, she couldn't tell right now, instead continuing forward, whispering Niki's name to herself, an edge to keep her moving forward.
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[i]Rose would be able to find a path that both lead into the forest, where the Tribune soldiers had fallen silent, or perhaps head around, walking on the edges of the forest. A shadow could be seen within the forest, with brief flickers of white scales and a tall, lean frame. Something was within, indeed.[/i]
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She grimaced, not wanting to go up against the thing, instead taking the path to go around the forest.
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[i]There, Rose would find some peace and quiet. She found an empty encampment, with a torn down tent and an old fire pit, alongside a large, tattered backpack. What was someone doing, out here?[/i]
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A but confused, she assumed it was one of the Tribune soldiers, or Niki's. Either way, she went about searching it.
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[i]The backpack would contain the most info: two pages of an incredibly described diary, belonging to.. the name had been scratched out, but the condition suggested that it was very new. A Tribune badge was stuck upon the first page, with that white fist emblem rising above what appeared to be a distant, black horizon. Interesting symbol.[/i] [u]Day One[/u] Lost in this.. place. For now, I will call it the Garden. There is something deeply wrong here. I can feel it, all around me. A tense hatred, a hidden lust for power, accompanied by the masquerades of peace and love and fertility. I've made camp here, so if anyone stumbles upon this diary.. I'm either hunting, exploring, searching for.. or just dead, rather. [u]Day Two[/u] Screaming and gunshots filled the air, all that I could distinguish was a name "Rose", over and over again. Something is within the forest. I'm heading in, to investigate. [i]Rose would also find a small storage of food, some Tribune outfits without badges or emblems, and.. panties. The camper was female. She could wait on her to return, or set up a trap of some kind.[/i]
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If the soldier was still alive, she would try and wait. The diary was recent, she could tell. Carefully, she placed it all back inside, organizing it the way she pulled it out, and put the bag back. Whoever this soldier is, she might have answers. Backing away then, she waited in a nearby grouping of bushes.
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[i]Only a few minutes later, and Rose felt a pistol barrel against the back of her head.[/i] "No sudden movements." [i]A feminine voice spoke up. It was.. analytical, but nervous and light too. Even then, it was collected too, so Rose would likely have to follow these orders.[/i]
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She slowly set her rifle on the ground then, raising her hands. "Eeeeasy. Nobody needs to die here, alright?" In truth, most likely someone would, but at the moment, she was the one in danger.
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"I.. I get that. Okay, I'm gonna.." [i]The handgun's pressed barrel would then leave the back of Rose's head.[/i] "...You're Trayven. Right? I'm.. well, neutral at the moment. Both sides haven't been kind. M-My gun's still raised, so.. don't try anything. Okay?" [i]Persuasion would work, against the nervous woman.[/i]
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"Neither side will ever be fair. Got a name?" She had to ask, and she would tell hers. The truth, she was the "Rose" that was heard in this hellish plane.
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"...Clea. You aren't buddies with that.. man, are you?" [i]"Man" seemed to be an odd way of describing someone.[/i] "His pitch black eyes and jagged blade, yet he spared me. My companions were.. stunned and beaten and knocked out entirely."
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"Rose. And what man? All I heard from a far was the savage sounds of some beast." There, ball dropped, her name was out now.
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"A Trayven man. Another scout, I'd guess, someone like you but.. he was a complete terror. And that thing.. it wasn't a beast." [i]Clea added, sighing.[/i] "Twas.. a woman. White of garb and tall. She carried a younger woman, a screaming one.. no, she drug her. The screamer yelled.. your name, I think. I'm sorry, but.."
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Rose's face went pale then. "I need to find that woman." Niki, that's who it had to be. She needed to find her, now. But a gun to the back of her head made that hard.
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"...I can help. I.. I think." [i]Clea lowered the pistol, sighing.[/i] "I really haven't gone through this place much. But I can get you through, I promise."
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Rose slowly stood then, taking the chance to do so. "Well, what are we waiting for? I have someone important to find.,
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"We should pack some of this stuff up, first. I'm.. er.. a traitor. Technically speaking."
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"Well, so far your fine in my book. Just don't shoot me in the back, is all. Wouldn't go by well with the person I'm looking for." She shrugged, glancing around the camp again.
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[i]At that, Clea would nod as she began to pack her things up from the camp, though she would hide her tent away in a bush.[/i] "So.. this Niki's the Trayven princess. Right?"
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"I suppose so. Special to me though, for other reasons." She waited, and once Clea finished, she motioned to lead the way.
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[i]Clea would nod as she would begin to traverse through the red and white woods, her boots crunching over the crimson leaves underneath them. In the distance, muffled roars and the flapping of wings would be heard, as great shadows rose and fell in the clouds.[/i] [i]In the distance, they would be able to see some sort of ivory tower, or at least the top of it. Clea kneeled down, studying the tower before the earth began to quiver.[/i] "What the.." [i]Without warning, the whole forest would begin to awaken, as birds escaped their nest as the tremors began, beasts rushing through the trees as if running. The quakes seem to come from the tower itself, before it then exerted a beautiful, white energy, of which had begun to pierce and contort the sky itself. A familiar energy: Niki's runic energy, something that Rose would recognize.[/i]
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Something wasn't right, that was her guess, something must be going horribly wrong. And she needed to get into that tower. "Clea! I need a way into that tower, now!" Niki was in there; she was so close yet so far...