sheep_game | Counting Stars

...

[ this silence sure says everything doesn't it! wow! good thing they've got the crackling of the flames over it. ]

Do you really expect me to leave you alone here?

You have to. That's how this works.

[ he's still clinging hard to Ananke's hand. ]

The doors have to be shut on both sides, or Gaea's monsters will keep spilling out into the world. So - you get the mortal side of things, and I get this side.

What—

[ shakes his hand aggressively, just once or twice ]

No. You were alone before you found me. If you needed a mortal you would've brought one!

I ...

[ it's true. Ananke is NOT wrong here, but maybe not for the reason he thinks. ]

Getting the doors closed on this end is the hard part. I figured if I could manage that, someone else would figure out the rest.

Then someone else can figure it out! I don't want to leave you trapped here alone.

[ he falls silent for another long moment; the trees ripple faintly, and faint pinpricks of light watch them as they walk. ]

We're almost there. It's not that much further.

[ indeed, the darkness of the forest is giving way to ... an even deeper darkness, and what looks like an ... elevator shaft? maybe? a great big one made of black iron. ]

[ The darkness has him pressing closer to Kevin, more unsettled by that than the chimera and endless heat from before. He frowns uneasily at the shaft, glancing back at Kevin ]

In there?

[ Kevin stops to look up at the enormous iron shaft driven through the hellscape. The iron gates themselves are being held open by an equally enormous set of chains.

Kevin nods, but ... a goddess boils up out of the darkness around them, interposing herself between the pair of them and the way out. ]

"Foolish demigod. You know this isn't right. You came here alone."

[ More scraps of darkness huddle at her feet, baring teeth and fangs at the two of them. ]

[ Automatically jerks back, tugging Kevin with him ]

It's not his fault! I got lost in here and needed help.

[ Kevin jolts as he's tugged along. ]

That's not -

[ The goddess waves a starry hand. ]

"It doesn't matter who you bring here. Or how many times you try to fix this. The reality is this: you will come back here, and you will never leave again."

[ That's about the time that the fuzzy demons leap at the two of them. Ananke especially has one with horns and great big snake fangs aiming to bite down on his arm. ]

[ The other thing Ananke never let go of is the sword he picked up ages ago. He brings it up now, trying to block that bite with the blade of the sword itself ]

[ the critter hisses as it gnaws on the sword, trying and failing to get at Ananke. But maybe the one going after his leg will have more luck?

Kevin is here swearing and swiping at two more coming at him from the other side. ]

Stupid - cacodemons -

[ man he really misses Scarab's armor right now

wrenches the sword and demon both to the side, trying to throw it to the ground to free the sword up to stab the one chomping his leg ]

Cacodemons?!

[ The first one sails off with a wail, and the second one gets stabbed pretty firmly. Neither seem capable of dying, but they are ABSOLUTELY capable of feeling pain, and very much not here for it. Kevin is having similar success slashing at them. The group winds up retreating just past the range of their weapons. ]

Children of Nyx. Generally unpleasant.

[ He eyes the doors just past the boiling mass of demon and goddess. ]

Can you get past them if I help distract?

[ Nods uncertainly ]

I think so, but can you really handle all of them?

[ He gestures and the ground rumbles beneath their feet. Enormous bones start to poke out of the ground to grab at the little swarm hissing at them. ]

I can do enough.

[ Glances down, equally startled and impressed ]

Okay. Okay—but I'm only closing them. Told you I won't leave you alone.

[ he doesn't get the chance to fire off in the pasture! he is STILL frankly not at full power despite the hideous array of calcium spiking out and spearing all of these bastards.

He nods sharply and waves him on. ]

Just move already!

[ Doesn't waste anymore time and sprints off, circling around the bone field to get to the doors behind Nyx and her little ones ]

[ The great iron doors stand open, and past them is ... an elevator? Something like it, anyway. There's the faintest whiff of fresh air that DOESN'T corrode Ananke's lungs every time he takes in a breath. A hint of sun and starlight ...

Kevin follows a few paces behind, alternating spearing his enemies with bones and stabbing the cacodemons that get too close. Nyx seems more keen on watching the show and laughing. ]

"You can run, but you can never truly leave this place."

[ He hits the door and hesitates a beat, staring hungrily at that elevator. But the moment passes and he moves to start pushing the doors closed, glancing back at Kevin to see how close he is ]

[ He's coming up right beside Ananke now, his back to the other teen as he picks off more cacodemons. There's still WAY too many of them. Even someone as strong as Kevin can't keep them back forever. ]

How close are we?

They're right here. Help me get them closed!

I'm here.

[ And he is. Pushing hard on the iron doors, summoning up more of this horrible acidic earth to -

push Ananke through the narrowing gap. ]

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