Soul Calibur: Immortal Rivalry (IC/PG 13/Accepting)

[VictorSempra]

OOC Thread: http://forum.yugiohcardmaker.net/topic/298539-soul-calibur-immortal-rivalry-not-startedpg-13accepting/

 

 

The air crackled with electricity around the corrupted castle of Ostrheinsburg, the smell of death and decay following it. The ground was purple and dead, with nothing but skeletal trees with skeletal forms hanging from them, some in pieces.At the heart of this barren land stood the castle, in itself a horrific sight. The walls were covered in what could only be described as large pulsing veins, making the evil place seem alive, and at the heart of this nightmarish citadel, deep in its' bowels, sat a lone figure. From the chest of the castle's master sprouted these vein-like protrusions, wrapping both him and his throne into a fleshy cocoon, until such time as he were to be reborn. For this to happen however, he required souls, and lots of them. And for this task, he projected his will unto the denizens of the dead lands, corrupting them with shards of his unnatural sword Soul Edge. These corrupted beings, or Malfested, went forth and slaughtered thousands of innocents, collecting souls so their master could once again rise, and the time of his return was nearly at hand. Nightmare, the scourge of the world and owner of the wicked blade Soul Edge, was growing ever stronger, and once he had enough souls and the fragments of his sword back he would raise hell itself to seek revenge against those who stood in his path...

 

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Alexander Metzger, or 'Metz' as his new allies took to calling him, decided today was a fine day to travel. He hoisted his pack up over one shoulder, his lance Aufstechen against the other. Schwarzwind had set him out on a mission: there was a large group of Malfested gathering nearby, and it was sort of a 'trial by fire' for Metz to deal with them. It would be his initiation, and he was promised  "a chance to join the group" if he was successful. He took a deep breath, putting on a smile as the sun shone down onto him, as he began his walk. Of course, he didn't intend to do this alone, as even just a handful of Malfested could end up being a problem for a lone warrior, as happened to the hero Sophitia. He headed down the trail at a brisk walk, heading for the nearest town to start his recruiting mission. He rifled through his pack as he neared, cradling his lance in the crook of his arm as he pulled out some flyers, posting them around town. They weren't recruitment posters for Schwarzwind, but rather for "the adventure of a lifetime", and a location where he could be found. He made his way to the market of the town, checking his supplies to make sure he would have plenty for the quest ahead.

[Thar]

Jake Fischer, lead carpenter of the town he was in, had cut his hand. "AH, SH*T!" he bellowed, grunting with every step he took towards the nearby water supply to wash the cut. Blood trailed along the edge of his palm and dripped onto the ground, leaving a trail.

 

"You alright there, Mr. Fischer?" one of the carpenters shouted.

"Ah, I'm fine. Just another character cut." Jake loudly responded so that the carpenter heard him.

 

Jake wrapped a cloth around his cut and walked back to work. The building was still a wooden frame, but its general layout was already raised. One of the carpenters walked up to him with a look of curiosity.

 

"Sire," he said, "how did you get this job? I mean... aren't you just a scavenger who lives beyond the mountains?"

Jake sighed, "I call that place home, yes, but I'm no scavenger. I am a freelance worker and I happened to land an opportunity to make enough money to buy the supplies that I need."

"Aren't there plenty of materials in the mountains? You do mine, right?"

"Mining is a dangerous task, albeit rewarding. Occasionally I will find a chunk of valuable ore, break it off, and extract it in my workstation, but there is not much on the outside."

"But what about the ins-"

"I refuse to explore the caverns for such a trivial ordeal, however," Jake's interruption made the carpenter break eye contact. Jake put a hand on his shoulder, "I appreciate the advice, but believe me, until you have experienced those mountains for yourself, you have no idea." Jake's hand slipped off the carpenter's shoulder and they both went back to work.

 

As Jake walked out amongst the town on a water break, he noticed a man with a lance putting signs on the buildings. He waited until the man was a fair distance away before reading a sign he put up:

 

"...the adventure of a lifetime..."

 

A location was included below the text. Jake turned his head towards the man who put the sign up, curious as to why he would need to recruit in such a town. The man stationed himself by the market, where Jake's protected weapon and crafts stall stood empty from lack of business due to other occupations. Jake's name was even engraved on the top.

 

"Mr. Fischer?" The carpenter shouted from the construction site, "you coming back to work?"

Jake sighed, "Nah, we're taking the day off." The carpenter could not believe it at first, but he replied, "Okay, sire. You're the boss!" and went home with his supplies. Jake knew he would be causing friction between him and his client, but he didn't care. Curiosity flared in him as he approached the man.

 

"Recruitment signs, eh?" Jake said to the man, "What might this be for? What kind of adventure?"

[VictorSempra]

Metz looked up as the carpenter approached him, slinging his backpack back over his shoulder as he looked the man over, sizing him up.

 

"Oh, yeah, those," he said nonchalantly, armor clinking as he turned to face the man fully, offering a small smile. "I'm looking for people to help me with a mission. I was tasked with something quite important that I cannot accomplish alone. Have you, by any chance, heard of the Malfested?" he questioned, however the purpose of the question was two-fold.

 

One, he needed to know if the man had any idea what he might be getting into, and two he need a bit more information before he sought to head out, to fully understand the situation himself. After all, not much was known about the source of the Malfested, especially since it was believed Soul Edge had been completely destroyed.

 

"One other thing," he added rather quickly, shifting Aufstechen a little bit as his eyes glanced over the man's weapon. "Is that for fighting, or playing?" He chuckled a little.

[Thar]

"I'm looking for people to help me with a mission. I was tasked with something quite important that I cannot accomplish alone. Have you, by any chance, heard of the Malfested?"

 

Malfested... the term rang in Jake's head but felt insignificant to his conscience. "The Malfested..." he repeated, "I've heard of them, and I believe I've seen them before..." He thought for a moment, resting his head on a knuckle while murmuring the term repeatedly to himself. A few seconds later, it came to him, "Ah, yes, those corrupted beings running all around the area. Yes, I've seen a few. They were dragging something..." Jake thought some more, trying to enhance the rough image in his head of two limping figures dragging-

 

A body.

 

"Ah, now I remember," he sighed, "they're running all around the area killing people. Mass homicide. For what reason is beyond me."

 

"One other thing. Is that for fighting, or playing?"

 

"What, this? Oh, this axe has been with me since the very beginning of my life as a refugee worker. My father passed it down to me before he left town for military service. Haven't heard from him since, but I'm sure he's okay. But I use this axe for pretty much everything; From fighting to opening beer kegs, it's been there."

 

Jake cleared his throat, "Let's cu to the chase, though. I'm guessing this... 'adventure' has something to do with the cause of this whole 'Malfested' mess. Is that right?"

[VictorSempra]

Metz stroked his chin for a moment, thinking about what the man had said. "Seems nobody knows much more than I do," he mused for a moment, before turning his attention to the newcomer.

 

"Well, one could assume that, from my question. It appears they're gathering in force nearby, my commanding officer told me to put a stop to whatever they might be doing. He wouldn't tell me what they were up to, however, I was hoping you might have some idea," he sighed softly, running a hand through his hair before changing the topic.

 

"So, have you named it? The axe, I mean. Every warrior I've come across has had a name for their weapon, something symbolic to them and their travels. This lance here is Aufstechen, named by my idol when she handed it to me. It means 'to pierce'." He smiled a little, attempting to make small talk. "My name is Metz, by the way. A pleasure," he extended a gauntleted hand.