The Collector is Coming

#76

Evil Swix's eyes fluttered open at Coolpikaaas concerned yet cautious words, and she fixed the electric rodent with a glare. Why wouldn't he just go away and leave her to rest in peace? It's not like she couldn't use it right now.

"Yah? What?" the young woman snapped irritably, before raising a finger to point at the hole in CP's side "Don't you have your own wounds to tend to or something? Want her to catch you out in the open whilst you're injured do you? Maybe she'll make you look more like Swiss cheese than you do now, I'd like-ugh"

The dark woman had more, but her head was once again not cooperating. She really had to get this looked at soon.

#77

"I be fine." Coolpikaaa said, rushing to the downed woman's side. Unfortunately, he body seemed to have a very different point of view, and chose that second to have a fierce spasm. Forced to crouching on all fours, the electric rodent gave the woman a smile, enjoying the irony of it all through to pain. He had to wonder if Swix was even still conscious to see it, though.

"Swix. Swix! I need you to stay with me okay? You have to keep awake! It's very important." Coolpikaaa said, getting back to the concern at hand. "After all, you wouldn't be dumb enough to fall asleep with a head wound would you? You'd think something like that would be in a Evil Council training manual or something..."

He hadn't wanted to insult the woman, but maybe anger could fuel her conscious enough that something could be figured out to work.

"Swix? You got Bandages? Medical supplies? Anything like that in this bag?"

#78

CP might well wonder if she was conscious, as ES didn't even let out a giggle at the rodent being forced to walk on all fours due to his injury. Her eyes were again closed, she'd given in to the temptation once more.

Not even CPs insistence she stay with him got a reaction-nor that it was important. She'd spent so much time on the important things, why couldn't they just leave her alone too?

Calling her stupid on the other hand-that got a reaction. Swix's eyes fluttered open again and she refocused on the electric mouse with even more effort than before, just so she could glare at him angrily.

"I'm just... tired that's all" she said, with a half sincere sneer "just looking at you without feeling nauseous is exhausting" There, that was a bit better.

ES stared at her red bag as CP mentioned bandages, ever since that incident with the merc when she first got here she'd made sure to keep some in there-and she'd been so preoccupied with not getting her neck snapped and getting as far away as she could that she'd forgotten about them. But it was in the main pocket of her bag... that could be risky.

"Yes, there are bandages... a certain mercenary taught me it was better to have them handy... Better I get them out" still staring at it, ES opened the red bags main pocket and immersed her entire arm in it looking for the strips of material. Eventually she pulled them out-mostly cream coloured material, but there were a few black bandages misxed in, and threw them at the rodent, irritable once more.

"There! Not that it'll help you much" she snapped, before shutting her bag properly-and leaning against the tree once more. This time though, she kept her eyes open, still glaring at the electric rodent "Rat"

((Crazy Swix is crazy ^_^))

The black paper that had been attached to the knife remained blank-but it wouldn't stay that way for long.

#79

"Ah... Swix..." Cp said softly, looking into her eyes. It was mere hours after The Collector had arrived, and both of them were nearly dead from injuries. What would happen later when The Collector had finished with her current toys and moved on into the world? He could imagine the chaos now... blackened forests, teeming with corrupted life. The Encampment? No more.

"Dammit... I'm a woodland creature... not a Doctor..." he mumbled, grabbing a roll of black bandages. He assumed these strips of cloth of come from the collector's realm itself, judging by their color. Perhaps they might treat Swix's injuries better than normal cloth? It was a possibility, and good to know the manifestation of all evil cared for her minions, anyway.

"So... Your head..." he mentioned, unrolling one of the black strips and gesturing he could wrap it up for her if so needed. Hopefully she would accept his medical in-expertise without deciding to throw anything this time.

"And uh... if you don't mind, I'll take one of these." he said holding up one of the white rolls. "I'm... obviously hurt too, and these normal ones are less likely to strangle me in my sleep..."

#80

Swix just stared at CP the whole time, her eyes mildly glazed. Although she wasn't 'gone' as she waved her hand dismissively when CP asked if he could keep a hold of the normal bandages she'd stashed "Do whatever you like with them, I already told you I don't care" Then, her expression twisted into a near hateful one. "Give me that you idiot!" she snarled, snatching the black roll right out of his paws. Swix rapidly unrolled the whole thing, pressed a part of it to her injured forehead-wincing as she did so, and let go. For a few seconds, nothing happened-it just hung there. Then the material moved, quickly wrapping itself around the needed area like a bizarre snake. It brought a soothing sensation to the humanoid, but the electric mouse was quite right-they were from The Collectors realm and probably would strangle him in his sleep.

Swix eyed Coolpikaaa shrewdly "You know, for a woodland rat with such big eyes you are incredibly blind" she told him, sounding quite disappointed "and I'm almost out of time. Just tell me you at least know what I was trying to do-don't say what though" she resumed her staring, although this time it was much more focused. Intensely so, in fact.

#81

Swix expected an answer, but for now, Coolpikaaa looked downward in silence, tying bandages across his wound. What was she trying to do, exactly? Was she hinting at the items she had thrown, as Coolpikaaa had suspected?

It only raised more questions.

If passing these tools on to the Guardian was what she wanted, then yes, he did understand her purpose in throwing them. But why? The paper was blank, it's darkness seemingly being the only thing separating it from any average scrap. And the knife? It might have some other worldly purpose, or tie if it was the implement Swix had used in the summoning. It certainly seemed close.

But why? Why give him these objects if he had no where to start with them? Clearly Swix wasn't going to blurt out instructions to end the shadow that literally owned her.

Coolpikaaa looked back, matching the woman's intensity. Swallowing doubts, he nodded- shortly.

#82

Swix closed her eyes, a brief hint of relief flickering over her face as she leant back again. So he wasn't as clueless as she'd thought he might be. The black clad woman stood up with a little difficulty, looking thoughtful. "Just so you know, I didn't want to do this. Not after I found out what it was anyway" she said, then pointed at him "After the next sunrise all your efforts will be in vain. Stay away from me, I will be even less friendly than I am now if we meet again tonight..." ES paused, putting her hand down and closing her eyes briefly before opening them again "...and now I really am out of time"

The living darkness that possessed her body showed itself, quickly spreading from the humanoids fingertips up her arms, and her booted feet up her legs and over her dress. "She's awake..." Swix told him, as the darkness covered her body and moved up her neck "and she can see you"

Swix looked like a living silhouette of herself once more, only her eyes showing any colour. More fluidly than she should have been able to in her state, the woman turned and walked off into the forest with a purpose she hadn't had before, leaving only the knife and the black paper behind.

Speaking of the black paper, spidery red writing now appeared on it as though some invisible person was putting pen to it. It said:
'Well, well, dear interesting one, If I didn't have to punish my little minion for what she's done I would have had her finish you off. I never realised she was the type to lose things as important as this, but I'm sure I can find some way of fixing that.
You know, I should be more angry than this, well, I am angry. Very angry. And I owe your friend Guardian some pain before he dies.

But, this will make things sooo much more fun! Don't you think?'

#83

"...and now I really am out of time."

Coolpikaaa shivered as the darkness took over Swix, corrupting her form and forcing the woman to her feet faster than he could have anticipated. He half expected the new Collector controlled Swix to attack him right there, and she probably would have won. He simply was no match for the woman in his current state, especially with C- boosted moves.

Yet, she didn't, and he didn't know why.

The electric mouse stood, gathering his inventory; the bandages, blade, and black paper. He was just about to fold them away when the note spoke to him. Well, not spoke per say, but communicated... somehow.

"Wha-?" Cp exclaimed, dropping the others to hold the paper firmly. He read the note, quickly once, then again, soaking in every word. So the collector knew he had the slip, and could somehow use it to talk to him... interesting. The bit about Swix being punished however caused him a deep twinge of grief. What could they collector do to her with her own body? He didn't even want to think...

"But... now what?" he mumbled to himself. He had nothing to write back with... and was running out of time if he wanted to keep the The Collector focused on him and not everyone else she needed to "punish".

Perhaps there was something nearby?

#84

Though CP looked hard, there was nothing nearby that he could write with-not unless he wanted to try using a stick or a rock to scratch a message onto the paper. The plants were getting more corrupted by the minute, the very essence of the other realm bleeding through. He could even try using a thorn-they too were getting bigger by the minute.

There was something else on the ground too-a heavy groove passed through this part of the forest, as though some giants cartwheel had rolled through the place.

Since his eye was turned to searching, he'd notice something else when he went back to his items. The ceremonial dagger the woman had thrown at him wasn't completely clean, one of the edges held spots of dried, silvery blood.

But, as it turned out, he didn't need to find something to write with-The Collector had written him another note, the words before completely replaced with new ones'

'What was that, you'll have to speak up a bit. How am I supposed to gloat at your failure if you can only mumble? If I didn't know better I'd think you being so close to my doorway was affecting you. But I do know better, so that's not right.

I can hear everything you say, go on, ask me anything.

I dare you'

#85

"Anything?" Coolpikaaa said, studying the odd large rut in the ground he had found while (uselessly) looking for a writing instrument. Somehow, the paper could hear him, a slight blessing, indeed. Yet, although he now may be able to freely communicate with the woman, CP had to wonder if it was really useful at all. He could ask anything at all, but to her, he was now an old toy with more interactive features. Anything said could just be a lie to use him as a unwitting pawn.

But... With no leads at all, and time running out, did he even really have the choice to deny her help?

"Well miss Collector, you should know how much I would absolutely love to abuse your "ask anything" rule, but sadly we seem to be running short on time. Sunrise was it? Either way, I should get to the point then, the big question of the night..."

Coolpikaaa picked up the knife, flipping it in the air once. Strange silver flecks, now visible with due attention, coated the blade. Only a few things could leave that kind of residue that the electric rodent knew of- all exceedingly rare, none making this mystery any easier to solve.

With another flip of his new weapon, CP began to follow the large rut.

"... How is it that I throw you back where you came from?"

#86

The papers words disappeared, fading into the darkness. It remained blank for quite a few minutes this time. The Collector might well have just clammed up altogether, after all, why should she tell him anything about how to send her back? it would be much easier not to reveal anything at all and just move right into the world without any opposition.

The groove CP was following was uneven, and it meandered around trees that were in the path of the general direction it headed. It wasn't long before the rodent came upon a natural looking, but recently disturbed hole in the ground, the roof clearly held up by tree roots The rut led straight into it, going underground.

Finally, a new message appeared on the paper, writing itself as he watched:

'Straight to the point eh? Such a pity you don't want to play because of time. I was so hoping I could waste your time until the spell is finished-then come hunt you at my leisure. But it sounds like I won't need to, since you've clearly got no idea where to start as it is. I could leave you hanging now and not say a damn thing, but where would the fun be in that?'

'The literal answer to your question is that you couldn't throw me anywhere, so don't bother trying.'

The paper faded to black again, and laughter from somewhere echoed around the forest.

'But that's not really what you were asking, was it. Well, since I obviously do not want to go back I won't be giving you any straight answers. So, here's a poem you can puzzle out:

'i am neither dead nor living,
to both a link must be given.

An act of great evil sets the foundation,
Of the door to a shadow nation.

Three items more there are required,
To bring about what I most desired
.
Life and death go hand in hand, for two of these, as their roots demand.

One is simple, though here not so.
To something native you must go'

How you undo all this, well, surely you can figure that out if not do it before sunrise? Or am I overestimating you?

One more thing, don't go in the caves. You won't like what you find, I guarantee it'

#87

"..... A poem?" Coolpikaaa said flatly, expressing his discomfort with having to solve riddles with such a tight schedule. He hadn't really expected much from his new contact, but this almost seemed deliberately frustrating.

"Alright Miss Collector, I'll bite." CP said, standing at the edge of the rut-path where a cave opened up. The entrance itself looked entirely natural, but somehow... altered. Could whatever had dug the groove be down there? What if it wasn't friendly?

"Not dead or alive, so you need a link. That's... fairly easy to figure out. I take it my blood was unfortunately your tie to the living? Not sure what the great evil was, though. But my bet is to undo it, I'll need a great good, eh?"

Coolpikaaa moved carefully, stepping down into the tunnel.

"And the last part. Three items... but two are the ones from before? Life and death agai- AH!" The electric mouse exclaimed, slipping down a rough patch of gravel and deeper into the cavern. Luckily, the electric rodent escaped with only a bruised ego- and even more pain in his side.

"... So what was that about going underground, my trusty navigator?"

#88

The paper went blank again, but the poem suddenly appeared on the other side, for the time being permanently.

'Well, you'll just have to find out if your answers to what I've written are right when you come across them, won't you?' The Collectors writing paused, the old message faded before being replaced with a new one.
'Well, let's see-I said don't go into the caves since you won't like what you find down there, but I see you have ignored that and gone in anyway. You really won't like what you'll find in here-you should leave, quickly'

The cave floor was just as the floor outside-and other than a few bioluminescent mushrooms that lit up the path the groove followed, empty and dark. A sickly sweet smell pervaded the air, and there were other, darker paths leading off from the first.

#89

Flipping the paper back and forth, CP inspected the extra bit of effort in placing the poem in constant view. This would definitely be of use to him, and he had to wonder if The Collector would keep up this attitude of help and hinder.

"Find out if I'm right when we get there?! That's just... Gah! I could grab one of these mushrooms and we wouldn't know until you say so?!?"

Fuming, Coolpikaaa wandered deeper into the darkness, choosing a random path and heading down it. He was now determined to see what The Collector didn't want him to see.

#90

The paper faded to blank, once again it seemed that CP would get no more help from The Collector for this part.
The path he'd chosen twisted, getting darker as he went, until it seemed that the blackness in front of him would never end. Then he'd hear a low growl, not so far ahead of him, echoing in the tunnel.

The red writing on the paper suddenly flared up with a new message:
'Silly little mouse, did you really think there'd be no defences down here? Even Swix can't see in the dark'

Whatever was ahead of him, took a step forwards.