Complete Private Eastern Brisshal The Far Shore

[Ash Vargold]

The scent of blood was sharper in this land than in the world of the living. It glowed with vitality.

And it drew the attention of the vultures, who did deign to notice the souls surfacing from the river. Their eyes shone bright, and one might imagine they would salivate if they possessed the ability.

Life's blood...

The bone vulture was enchanted. Unaware of even Madison's threat, it approached Jin, blue gaze fixed upon the fresh source of blood bleeding from his hand. A chattering noise echoed from its beak, echoing the mindless hunger stewing within its shell.

Oh, Deathless one... if you would offer, then I shall gladly take it!

The bone vulture lunged with a hoarse cry, aiming to snap Jin's hand right off.

At the same time, the brown vulture moved towards what it perceived as the weakest of the group - Ash. Wings spread and claws outstretched, it managed to rake his chest before he could lash out with his sword. It met only feathers before the brown vulture rose, spiraling above as it sought a weakness.

Oh, my beloved, so fraught with hunger...

Perhaps in the end, we could expect nothing more from one who walks with a reaper.

Ash hissed, clutching a chest that bore no visible wounds, but still seemed to ache with something deeper. He glanced at Madison, still too startled to pick his next action. "Think you can hit a flying target?"

@Madison Freebird @Jin

 

[Madison Mortiere]

Okay, hold the fuck up.

Let's throw on Deadeye for a moment and really think this through for a second.

Did Ash really just ask me that? Did he?!

Psssh. Pssshhh!

PSSSHHHH!

This Anime Sword motherfucker listening to the squawking of two birds who made the conscious effort to meet him in a realm where none of us belong, giving them enough time to deliver their little speeches and size us up for a snack... Did he really, truly, madly ask if I--who had thrown so many of her experience points into Hyper Awareness to I could spot a target, Chronomancy so I could slow them down to a crawl, and Ranged Weaponry so I could blast them seven ways to Sunday--could hit a moving target?!

I didn't even have to tear the awful look I had fixed on Mr. Blue Hair away to do it.

Time snapped back into its rightful place. A thin trail of smoke breathed out of the barrel of a single-action revolver held tight in my grip. Bits of dark blood and skull fragments scattered through the air. And before Feathers could cry out, I was already admonishing Ash.

"Of course I can! I'm the goddamn Sheriff!"

Feathers was only stumbling around, of course. We were in Synra's realm. Ain't much here that can die, as they're already dead. But they can feel pain. Incredible, intense, blinding amounts of pain. The kind of pain that'll make you look at your plan of tricking a couple gullible young lads into binding themselves to you in an effort to level up a little bit and go, "Well golly gee, you know what? Maybe this isn't such a good idea after all; not while the spooky woman with the big irons is around!"

@Ash Vargold @Jin

Rolls

Sharp 1d100 (64) + 50 + 30 = 144 144 damage
Ranged Weapons | Madison Freebird | 1630

 

[Jin]

Jin watched, transfixed. The birds gave themselves over to temptation, and would could blame them? Such an occaison was beyond rarity, and someone now dangled meat in front of carrion birds. Regardless of what their nature had once been, now, they were reduced to baser instinct. But instinct was commendable in its own right.

The Feathered fowl that moved for @Madison Freebird was dealt with easily enough by the Sherriff's sharp shooting. Jin knew he didn't have to tear his gaze away to help her. At every juncture he'd seen the woman, she proved herself more than capable.

It was when the beak collapsed on his flesh that the real fun began. Pain blossomed from the point of impact as the bone buzzard severed flesh and tore to bone, releasing arterial spray far greater than the small amount of blood Jin had released. The warmth fluid spurted into the creature's greedy maw, its just reward for indulging the Bloodsworn's own amusement.

"You sweet, dull creature, it must have been so long since you had something akin to real sustenance."

Rather than fear, it was rapture that burned in his blood colored eyes. Jin wore a languid smile as he not only failed to reel from the loss of his hand, but in fact, lifted the stump for the creature to see.

"You promise power," Jin intoned, "but you know what power really is, don't you?"

Jin let his arm fall to one side. "You sought to steal from a god because of your arrogance. The god took your humanity as a consequence, and robbed you forever of your freedom. But you haven't learned anything, have you?"

The creature that gorged itself on his blood would feel it, the cruel heat of that fluid in its mouth and throat and gullet as the Curse took root. Jin tilted his head, smiling all the while.

"You take a hand, and for a time, your hunger will be satisfied," he allowed as the magics swirled in his wrist and began to recreate bone, sinew, flesh. "But you drink of my blood, and your soul belongs to me."

@Ash Vargold

 

[Ash Vargold]

Ash winced at Madison's sudden outburst. He hadn't realized he'd touched a nerve until it was too late. "Okay, sorry..."

The brown vulture fell with a pain-filled screech. It writhed in a way that seemed far worse than the

"Oh, this... this is pain. How long has it been..."

The blood that oozed from its wounds was black and cold. The vulture was not truly a dead thing, but it certainly was no longer a living thing. But the dead Jin had summoned were not picky. They began to claw and creep, long arms growing longer as they clutched for the bird's feathers.

The birds had never fed from the river, but not because they could not. It was because they knew the truth: that the river would swallow them first. Slowly, inexorably, the brown vulture was dragged

"These two... we must flee. Help me, my love!"

The bone vulture did not react as it pulled back with its prize. Blood sullied its bright feathers and dark bones as the heat of Jin's Curse spread. There was no throat to swallow, no stomach to digest, but the hand disappeared down its beak all the same.

"Ha... haha! If I must trade one binding for another, than so be it!"

Its voice crackled, fading, but it had the time to turn one blazing eye towards the brown vulture.

"Oh, my beloved, my beloathed...

Now it is your turn to learn how to rot"

Final words spoken, final words heard. One soul claimed by the river, another soul taken like a game-bird.

And as the river took its due, the world began to blur...

---

Eastern Brisshal - Synra's Temple

Hidden in the woodland is a quaint temple to Synra, built right up against the Blue Rapid river. The temple is occupied by a priest and priestess, who take care of the temple and its surroundings, welcoming any interested passerby with a respite from their travel, a warm bench, a beautiful scene of the river, and some refreshing water. Worshipers often come to buy a small boat to release down the river as an offering to the goddess of death.

The three awoke in the sitting room.

The smell of incense had long faded, replaced by the sharp sting of smoke. The sky outside was dim - time had passed, and rather more time than they had spent within that waking dream.

The chill of the river still clung to them. They bore no wounds, but the memories were still sharp as reality. Ash found himself checking his chest, still expecting to find some cut or wound, but... nothing. He took a deep breath, feeling more confused than when he'd come here.

...but it was quiet. Quieter than it had been in a while. Whatever company he'd come with had stayed with the river.

The priestess had left, perhaps long ago. But she hadn't left them quite alone. A tray of cookies, still fragrant and warm, sat on the table where their teacups had been. Next to them were three pouches of familiar potpourri and a note written in a curling hand.

The food will restore your spirit. The incense is a gift you may find useful.

I can only show you the way. May it lead you to the answers you seek.

@Jin @Madison Freebird