Storage Mines

Alastor gently plopped Flis into his inside jacket pocket. “Ok, she should be safe there. And yeah, a break sounds fine. Just gotta store away the snake corpse so it doesn’t start to rot before we get to work on it.”

Alastor wrote:Alastor gently plopped Flis into his inside jacket pocket. “Ok, she should be safe there. And yeah, a break sounds fine. Just gotta store away the snake corpse so it doesn’t start to rot before we get to work on it.”

Kisara nodded. "Yeah sounds good to me, my shoulders are killing me, haven't had to dance like that in a while..." She stretched, as she bumped gently into Alastor.

Slipping in, Flis silently curled up inside the warm pocket. She was glad to get out of these mines... especially with that silver haired guy, Virgil, still lurking. The cat may be a bit on the... air head side, but both shared a general distrust in that guy... Yawning, and thinking about it later, she closed her eyes and let herself get rested up.

Virgil remained in the tunnel, the voices of the three quickly becoming fainter... before boots, heavy boots headed his way. He glanced over, to the woman in black. "Lady Crowe, glad to see you... the beast did not spit its poison, so there is no need for the mask."

The woman was tall, curvaceous, gloomy, raven haired, red eyed... and not really his type.



"Sir Formidable, you know I cannot do that. I see you have done well to rid the beast..." The woman says, her vestments flowing as she walked over to inspect the scene, the crow mask making her voice sound eerie and somewhat muffled.

"You give me too much credit. I was only damage control. The three you passed on the way in did most of the work... They saw no interest in the ruins of the sublevels of Castle Despar, nor the Forerunner Seal which locks those areas off." He explained. The woman sharply turned her head to him as she was knelt down by the beast, her body small compared to the round girth that made up one of its necks. "Three?" She questioned.

He nodded. "Yes. A snark was among them, I don't blame you for overlooking the Neko had...ample places to hide her. I don't think the Snark found a way around the seals, or any other side passage ways." Sir Formidable replied.

Her crimson eyes glanced him over, and she stood up quickly and approached, bringing up the leather wrapped cudgel and leveled it under his chin as she pressed herself against him in a firm manner. "Are you quite sure of that? You have been a Shadow Hunter for a few years now, since you converted to the Hazorian Faith and pledged to uphold its true traditions... Are you absolutely, 100% sure, the little devil hasn't been in deeper chambers? Are you a mind reader, Sir Formidable...?" She pressed, her voice wheezy, excited. Her cold hand against his wrist, while the cudgel raised his chin higher than her, forcing the man to look down at her. "Well?" She pressed.

Virgil, all the while was not at all intimidated by the senior agent, the senior Shadow Hunter and member of the Hazorian Church's higher echelon. He simply smiled. "...I will investigate further, but I am something of a people person milady. If she had, I would know."

"That so?"

"If you want a sample, I know that you should keep a tighter lock on your windows and doors on the things you do when you're not in vestments."

She stood there for a moment, her bored eyes becoming sharp and deadly. "That...so?" She repeated.

"Just a suggestion, really. To be honest, I'd rather not delve further into this my lady, for in the end there is only disappointment." He explained, reaching up, and yanking the cudgel from his chin away and looked her evenly into her large red eyes. "The irony's of a disciple of Hazoria..." He says, brushing past her, arms behind his back.

Lady Crowe remained there in silence for a few moments without turning around, before chuckling darkly. "I want further investigation into the Snark. No deaths unless necessary. After all, with the Mayor... due to arrive, we'll be ready for further investigations of the Despar Manor."

He nodded, as he kicked the snake's corpse. "Very well Madam. I shall do as you request... heh, even Chesluk has his uses." He chuckled.

"Yes... remember our code. Also, when you can, look into our missing Exorcist, Sister Busujima. She has expelled the evil in Danton, but... on route to intercept Subject L, she has vanished." Lady Crowe began.

He shrugged, looking over to her. "That seems like a problem for the Shroud, or the Exorcist Division."

"Its a Church problem, which means it is our problem as well. She's one of the best we have to expel the demons, and is like Hazoria's Aspersion to the demonic hordes. The Superior wishes that she is found, her status updated. Should we lose such a member to our flock... it would be seen as a win for the demon kin ilk." She explained.

He sighed, shaking his head. "I'm certain one of my skill supersedes the errands meant for a errand boy, or choir boy if we want to be more specific." He chuckled.

"That would be a Superior's issue."

The pair silently chuckled after this, before he shrugged. "So you want me to find Lady Busujima on top of delve into the activities of the Snark? I'm certainly not the only person at the Church's disposal now, aren't I?" He asked.

To this Crowe turned to face him again, her hat covering her crimson eyes. "You do what is told, for each division of the Church may have its different codes... we are all Hazoria's children. We protect our own."

To that, Sir Virgil turned to face her. "That so...? Shall I recount the Ballad of Count Despar?"

To this they both remained silent. He smiled, while she remained stock still. They remained that way for a few moments before the sound of boots echoing in the tunnel. "That sounds like the clean up crew. I can stay and help if-" he began with a cocky tone when she cut him off.

"-Begone. You've done enough. Carry out your missions and report to the Council and to the Superior once they are complete." She waved him off, and turned to the Forerunner Seal, the doors set in place by the heretical beings who aided Count Despar. Virgil smiled, bowed mockingly. "As you wish, Milady." He then stood erect, and turned away from the woman, holstering the double rifle he made his way past the Hazorian Priests and Priestesses that made up the cleaning crew. His smile never fading.

Squish, squish, slush, crack. Bilse Svine paused mid step listening to the strange sounds coming from around a darkened corner of the cave he had entered from his Tower home in the demon realm. Quickly the bulky boar man walked to the edge of the corner around which the noises were coming from. Peaking around the corner his inner rage sparked his vision blurring red with rage.

In the blink of an eye he charged around the corner bowling over the first to priests in his way busy with the removal of the hydra’s remains. In the space of three heart beats he was slamming his butchers block against the skull of one of the priestesses mercilessly hammered her skull into an unrecognizable lump. Paste dripping from the butchers block that was once the head of a Hazorian Priestess, hit the cavern floor as he turned on the remaining members of the cleaning crew. A half roar half grunt slipped between his bared tusks as he charged down another member of the clean up crew beating each member into pulp before moving on to the next, all in a matter of moments, the last member of the clean up crew slide back across the ground of the cavern floor trying to back away without being noticed.

Without even looking up to see the cowardly priest trying to flee Bilse Svine flicks his wrist and arm backwards tossing his butchers block through the air toward him. No sooner did the priest make it to his feet and start to run then the butcher’s block flopped open revealing pages and it’s true shape and nature. The priest looking over his shoulder to see if he was being chased caught a face full of Demonic Book.





And the book devoured the last priest completely as Bilse Svine raised from the mush he left the last corpse in and turned to the remains of the Hydra. Shaking he walked to it kneeling down beside it as the book burped loud and clear as it swallowed the last bit of Hazorian Priest. Only the clean up crew had been present left to do their work alone, but that would never happen now as Bilse Svine reached out a hand to the remains of the hydra, shaking, every inch of the way. His hand gently stroked the central head of the dead beast trailing along its neck back to the main body.

“Marcy, you poor thing, you deserved better than this. I.. I’m sorry old friend. I couldn’t return sooner. Well maybe...

Yes I’ll use that, I was saving it for something more monstrous but I think this would be better you deserve it old friend. I’ll sacrifice the Eye of the Blind Demoniconist for you instead of my revenge Marcy. My late wife loved you most of all out of all her pets. Now then let’s see the heart, where is it.”

Bilse slides his hand along the remains of the creature until he finds the spot where the heart is and cuts it out. Sliding the organ into the case he brought along from the Tower. Sealing it tightly he picked up the Demonic Book as it settled down returning to its dormant state of a butcher’s block appearance. He walked toward the sealed door where Virgil had been earlier and now no one was around to see it open as he touched it.

Access granted he stepped through into a stone room bare of anything of note. Bare and empty, just walls, a floor and a ceiling. As theForerunner door seals shut behind him, he presses his hand against it’s now exposed backside.

“Count Despar access to the sublevels is granted. Please remain still while being scanned for final verification…

…

Your identity has been verified Count Despar your last visit was…

Beep… buzz… buzz…

does not compute…

Thankyou for waiting. The access door will now open, have a pleasant day Count Despar.”

The identity scan and computer systems of the forerunners base of operation from their former alliance with Count despar was highly advanced and still functional as Bilse Svine waited for the cavern walls to swivel around. The opening from which he came now blocked off by the wall he had faced upon entering. A stair well downward was what greeted him as illumination started to flare into existence as he walked downard. Each step produces a reactionary glow in the next step and the walls and ceiling around it. Lighting his way as he walks with no apparent source, other than his footsteps to attribute to the glow. As he reaches the bottom level he comes into the first of many rooms, that he will work through. In the center are two strange metal disc on the floor which flare and spark to life, as two images appear one floating above ach metal disc.








“Count Despar welcome back, it has been far too long.”

The first image spoke as the second nodded before adding in his own questions.

“What has taken you so long to return? The last we spoke you were heading out to confront a sect of the demons along with King Valour and Sir Ten Nick. Neither of which returned here afterwards either.”

“Ambushed by the Hazorian church and the hero Scar’d. It was a set up, far too many life times ago to bother with now. I need to know if this base has been accessed since we left and whether or not anything has been removed.”

“No Count Despar our ai’s have not been activated since your departure. No one has accessed this base as far as our database is aware. All of your possessions are still in your personal quarters. As for the Forerunners belongings, most of them were taken out when you left on your hunt. Little remains besides your few possessions, nothing of value anyway.”

“Very good, I’ll be here only long enough to collect my belongings and access the databank. I’ll be needing a couple for use outside of the base.”

“As you request Count Despar. If I may be so bold do you know what happened to the men we were modeled after Sir Ten Nick and King Valour?”

“We are both curious as it has been so many years since we had contact with anyone other than ourselves.”

“Not sure, I’ve been locked in a ring, trapt in the demon realm and lost on a hidden island continent for longer than I care to admit to. Are your data banks current and up to date?”

“No sir, we could update our information with the current time period and access the world’s networks.”

“Do that while I collect my things, I’ll be leaving as soon as I’m done and the data is ready.”

“Very good sir.”

Bilse walked through the room into the back toward the smaller isolation rooms, set aside for Forerunner officers and himself. His room was locked and coded too, so only he could open it or the Forerunner King or Queen. Inside there was a modified forerunner armor, and more importantly the thing he came for.





The Gladius of the King, once a weapon of King Valour the leader of the Forerunners, long ago passed to his hands, as a part of the price for sealing the pact between the forerunners and Count Despar against the demon hordes, and the other was a way to rid him of Hazoria, and perhap Sirius if it came to it. A way that was sadly flawed and used against him instead by the Wargoddess herself on that fateful day. Sliding the sword into its sheath and tucking it under his arm he made his way back to the Artificial Intelligences that maintained the base's information network and general technical functions. He reached over to the ai’s and took the data they had created for his use. Looking at them one last time he prepared to leave.

“Activate officer clearance and above security clearance for the time being. I do not know if I will be returning to this base anytime soon. And the Hazorian church is still snooping around. Best to guard the Forerunners secrets from them and anyone else who chances upon this place. Access restricted if anyone other than officers and up are present, in fact I would recommend status dormant until being activated by an officer rank or above to be safe, reinitiation only if the base is locked down and no unauthorized personnel within the base. No sense in taking unnecessary risks.”

“Goodbye Count Despar, may you find what you seek.

“And may it be what you are after Count Despar.”


“I swear I just don’t know where you got your personalities from, it sure as hell wasn’t from King Valour and Sir Ten Nick.”

With a wave of his hand in goodbye to the two artificial intelligences that operate the base beneath his former home the bunker began to shut down and go into standby state, awaiting the day Forerunner Officer rank members and above return to reactivate them and breathe new life into the old forgotten base. Chances were the two AI’s would never be reactivated but that wasn’t his concern. Nor was keeping the Forerunners secret, but if he could keep them to himself then that would count as a win against Hazoria and her followers. Following his pathway back up to the concealed passages entrance he waited as the gateway system re-identified him and closed the base's entrance so he could leave. With a last look at Marcy the Hydra’s remains he patted the small case with her heart and the Eye of the Blind Demoniconist inside of it before leaving through the doorway that lead back to his Tower in the Demon Realm, the doorway vanishing just as suddenly as it had appeared when he arrived and stepped through it in the first place. The doors were a magic of the Tower’s creation and it tended to hid them from the eyes of all but it’s occupants.

Crisis Rocan wrote:

Epic post:

Viv was talking with Patricia when the raging boar came down upon them. She had been smacked uselessly onto her back when the huge monster crushed Pat's head into an unidentifiable pulp! Unsure what to do, one of the priests, Marcus, decided to push Viv inside one of the neck stumps of the deceased hydra! With only minor protest before the slippery body fluids amassed around her body, Viv was swallowed up by the deceased hydra head first! The thick smell of blood assaulted her nostrils and she protested till she was pushed inside... the young priestess however went still after the screaming outside. She heard Willard screaming, then... the crunch of bone and sinew... gulping. Silence. She was too scared to move now, and suddenly... felt something grip at the walls of the hydra. She dared not move an inch as the monster who massacred her allies outside began to weep at the sight of the mythical beast's corpse. She bit her lip, as it cut into the scaly flesh and yanked out something she couldn't make out... then there was silence. Then voices... odd ones. Then the creature returned... and then left.

She didn't know how long she stayed in the esophagus of the beast, she was too scared to exit... but when it was silent for a very long time, she slowly pulled herself out of the beast. She was covered in blood, and so was everything else in the cave! "Dear Hazoria..." She grimaced, looking around. She couldn't recognize any of her comrades in their current state! She had to inform Lady Crowe... others in the Church of what happened. She did her best to heal her allies, try to revive them... but their bodies were curse touched... their spirits irretrievable. "Dammit..." She sobbed. She was still alive however... but her luck of recent had been on the low side. Her last mission saving some campers in the Amain had turned deadly... she returned alone from that one. She had to remain calm... and make her way back to the church. She looked for the radio they had carried, but couldn't find Willard anywhere... so she assumed what ever it was that killed them must have done something vile to him, radio and all. "Damn!" She spat, shivering, covered in hydra blood and saliva. She looked at the Forerunner Gate and saw it was now shimmering with golden light... That was new. She didn't want to look into it further, being the sole survivor again, she wanted to get the hell out, but as she turned to exit the way they had entered... she saw a faint, shimmering to her left. Something...dark, obscene was standing in the darkness. Rectangular in shape, like a door... it was the direction now, she recalled, that the beast who tore into her friends had appeared from. "This bodes ill... I must inform one of my superiors... I have to survive." She told herself shakily, and began to leave the cave! Hoping whatever had killed her friends wasn't still lurking nearby!