Egg Hunt

#16

When the egg was taken from Neros helpless hands, the former Alignment curled up on the floor in a fetal position from the intense pain and covered his face with his hands. That was... horrible, so horrible. He felt so weak-what the hell was in those eggs? How did humans deal with this sort of thing?! Truly Nero the man was vulnerable in this state, horribly so, and that just compounded the fact.

If-or when-he managed to get the strength or the courage to get up he'd have to tell Damian it wasn't his fault. A strange thought to cross Neros mind indeed.

<hr />

The man called Russel showed up then, heading through the doors in his sandy coloured cloak that rattled, he seemed to be in an amazingly good mood than his usual dour attitude. He stopped however when he saw 'Nero' curled up on the floor and the very old woman seemingly trying to meld herself into the wall of the Inn.

"What happened to them?"

#17

CP sat on the wooden stairs of the Horn and Halo, leading up from the bar to the guest rooms. Something very odd was happening below, and rather than get directly involved at the moment, he thought it would be best simply to gather information for now. He watched Tom pace around with an old lady he had affectionately called Grandma. He watched the weird man overly obsessed with a paper cut on his finger. None of it really made sense, but it was amusing to see. The bar hadn't been this strange since before Nero cast protection on it.

"Nero, is that you? What happened?"

Nero? The injured guy? That didn't-

"She isn't touched by Au'Marui. She is Au'Marui. As this is me, in this body. This... body... I can feel dying all around me while this opening on the tip of my finger screams at me and leaks."

What? The Grandma was Ariel? This day had definitely gotten so much weirder. CP couldn't figure out why Ariel looked like an old lady, and Nero seemed normal, but that was more or less beside the point. The real concern was that they had somehow both become human... no... mortal. While that was troubling as it was, at least they both seemed alright. No one had capitalized on their mortality and tried to kill one of them off... yet.

CP quickly ran through a mental list of the Gods he knew, and where they would likely be. Shiri and Mirri, if his theory held true, would probably be normal wolves. Zeredah and Gravitia... human. But he didn't expect them to be in any immediate danger. Zaphira... was Zaphira. She'd probably sleep through the whole thing anyway. He wracked his brains trying to think of more immortals, when suddenly...

"Oh Gods." CP exclaimed loudly, revealing himself on the stairs. He raced up to his room, grabbed his things, and ran down the stairs. "Oh Gods... Oh no... oh crap..."

"Sorry!" He shouted, bounding over Tom's shoulder, before racing out the doors, and running full sprint for the Corrupted Woods.

The Collector · #18

When CP gets to the Corrupted Forest, he'd find that the place looked... different. That sense of wrongness and evil that normally exuded from the place was still there, but diminished. As was the sense of being watched. That had disappeared completely.

There were also pockets within it that were of trees and grass freed from the Alignment of Evils Corruption, each circular area having an egg in the centre.

He'd also hear... a woman screaming from deeper inside. Seems his worries were not unfounded.

#19

"Oh Damnit... C..." The electric mouse swore, pausing on the edge of the Corrupted Woods. It all felt... off somehow. Like the sense of dread was gone. It was likely to still be more dangerous than any other forest on Pax, but it somehow felt... reduced.

CP noticed the first egg almost immediately after moving into the area of corruption. The tall, black grass on the edges of the forest clung to his fur, trying to climb up his nose, and into his mouth. Then suddenly, it didn't. Normal, green, sweetgrass danced in the wind in a circle around him, no longer moving on it's own will. In the center of the area lay the Easter Egg... It didn't take a genius to figure out what was happening.

He left the egg, not desiring to be left powerless in a place that still held many predators, and ran directly for the screams.

The Collector · #20

CPs run woukd have the mouse running directly for the centre of the forest, past quite a few of the spots with sweetgrass and the strange eggs.

The screaming stopped before he'd come into sight of his target. The destination was that of one of the normal spots, with corrupted wolves circling around outside the spot whilst normal wolves scratched at and jumped up at a tree there.

The tree contained a human looking woman wearing a black suit, with tears on the fabric of her trousers that were covered with blood from lacerations. The black haired, tan skinned and red irised human woman looked terrified as she stood on the branch out of reach, one hand gripping a broken branch for use as a club.

#21

"C!" The electric mouse shouted, spotting her up in the tree. He had never seen her like this before. Vulnerable... injured... human. But somehow he knew it was her. Evil itself, trying to fend off one of her own creations before it ate her. There was probably some kind of poetic irony in that.

"Back off, Bozo!" He charged, zapping the wolf with a powerful jolt. He meant business.

The Collector · #22

"... CP?" the woman said, recognising the voice. She really hadn't expected anyone to come in here, never mind looking for her like this. She'd figured everyone would just leave her in here whilst whatever it was, was happening, as their vengeance.

The zapped wolf yelped at the electricity coursing through it's body before collapsing there, paralysed-for the moment.

#23

"Jump down! Before it gets back up!" He called up to her. "We have to get you out of here, these egg thinks negate immortal power."

He blinked. "Why do you look so stunned? I realized you would be trapped in your own creation as soon as I figured out what was going on. Maybe try making this place less of a deathtrap in the future..."

He smiled.

The Collector · #24

"... Because... Why would even you come running after all I've done? It's not like I've ever done anything to endear myself.." The transformed woman said, before staring down at the ground in some trepidation. Jumping was going to hurt... she should just stay up here. But then.... There were the flying corrupted creatures... Definitely best to get down. Swallowing, C did as she was told for once and jumped, landing hard and stumbling as the wounds flared and bled at the impact. "Agh" she yelped, like any other human being would have.

It hurt. It hurt a lot. But then, The Collector in a mortal body had a thought. These wounds hurt, and this body wanted nothing more than to stay where it was and tend to them, but it was nothing compared to having the Sanity Blade slice through her true form in the past. She'd worked through that, she could work through this too. Internally berating herself at the moment of weakness, C pressed forwards to CP as the wolf behind started to wake up.

"... I think we have worse problems than that one normal wolf" she said when she got to him, using the branch as a crutch, and pointing outside the green circle to the pack of circling, Tainted wolves with their glowing red eyes and tendrils of darkness sprouting from backs and maws "He didn't come alone... " she paused "And fine, I'll consider changing it. Should we get out of here alive"

#25

H&H

Tom chose to ignore the pokemon - he also still had issues with the whole "pokemon are real" thing - and focus on the situation at hand.

When Damian returned, Ariel was still pressed against the wall, but had stopped screaming, returning to her rocking and muttering.

Tom was trying to help Nero up into a chair - for an immortal he was fairly heavy. He kept saying things like "up you go" and "Are you going to let us mortals do this better than you?" trying to encourage him.

After getting Nero back into a chair, he turned his attention to Damian.

"Is that all of them from around the H&H? If so, I need you to take them and put them in the storehouse on the edge of the village. Then I need you to get any friends you have and try to find as many from the village as you can and put them there. I want to see a giant mound of them there."

Then, turning to Russel he said

"We have a mess. It appears easter eggs have appeared that are turning the gods and other such beings mortal. That over there is Ariel, and she is actually crazy for once. Then there's Nero, which I think just got his first feeling of mortal pain....he didn't take it to well, ironically enough. I'm trying to gather all the eggs in one place. But that's not my main concern, it's about time they got a taste of what it's like. My main concern is that our normal safe places here are vulnerable. IF something were to attack right now, we'd have no place to hide. I hope we don't see that giant rock guy before we can get that problem fixed...."

--------------------------------------------------------
Corrupted Forest

Nearby lay another clearing of corruption. Large Boulders lay within and around it, some of them having crushed another pack of wolves. This was fortunate as in the center lay an unconscious man, breathing and alive but definitely worse for the wear....

#26

"Endear... yourself?" CP stared at the woman, as she debated jumping from the tree. It really wasn't that far of a drop. Yet, he had to realize, C probably wasn't used to ever injuring herself. When she fell, he moved closer to her, shedding his backpack.

"Look. In the very least, you're the mother of my egg. That's pretty endearing. Plus I've always thought you were... interesting." He explained, looking up at her. He left a paused moment of silence. "Besides. If you die, won't that destroy the universe or something?"

The electric mouse glanced around, watching as corrupted wolves surrounded the circle of purity they stood in. Great... time for the big guns already.

"Abi, I... brought you something." Cp opened his pack, rummaging inside. "If we are going to survive getting out of here, I need you at your best. I don't know how much more it will do... probably one big thing and a handful of smaller changes..."

He offered her the paintbrush, completely serious.

#27

Without much warning, a kick came at the front door of the H&H, followed by a bleeding but uncaring Zerexe of all people, a nearly blinding golden Aura whipping and crackling around her from sheer energy pouring out of a wound on her chest. Her voice was an outright yell today, demanding attention and dripping with anger and frustration, as was the normal, yet it seemed more so today. "All right! What the FUCK is going on here and why did an egg fall out of the sky and hit me in the chest? I want to know what the FUCK is going on here?" She lifted her spiked club over her shoulder glancing around the room. She had noted the aura was gone and the two in poor shape right now. Lacking a cause, she still deduced that the two were mortal; she recognized the rough feeling and smell, thanks to her animalistic instincts. At that, she looked outside and let out a deafening yell.

Mere seconds later, the distinct form for Xemnex dropped form above, wings tucking in over her black and red armored scales as she looked around, gaze settling on Zerexe. Following her was...the long not seen form of Aggrex. The armor fell out of the sky in a small black cloud, oil dripping down it from every joint as it reached back and took hold of the grip of its massive blade. Zerexe looked back to the others, holding herself tall as their leader. "All right, something is happening, and I want answers. Those two might smell like humans and this place has lost its wards, but we three are still ourselves. It sounds to me like you don't have many competent options right now."

Aggrex let out a choked, slow laugh. "It sounds like...it's time to break some heads again. I've missed this so much." If that thing could be grinning, it would have wrapped all the way around the head of that armor.

Lulubelle · #28

The blonde-haired boy set his supply of eggs down on the floor. He gently rested his hand on top of Nero's and smiled feebly in an attempt at momentarily comforting the wounded man. He looked like he was in the greatest pain imaginable, and though perhaps it was about time that the immortals begin experiencing the same pain as mortals did, he couldn't help but pity him. Then taking his hand away, he turned to Tom's attention. "Yes!" He nodded. "Yes, yes. I can do that," he said assuredly. He liked having a purpose to fulfill.

He picked up all of the eggs he had set down. As he was about to leave the H&H once again, he was startled by the entrance of the three powerful beings. He backed away from the door but found that he couldn't escape the profound energy of the golden Aura. It filled the room, overwhelming his senses. The intimidating woman towered over him. Measuring at only over two feet, Damian was quite the pipsqueak in comparison.

"Please? Out of my way?" The biggest and he brightest smile he could muster formed on his face, directed at Zerexe. "I need to go get more eggs! Lots of eggs."

#29

Nero had found just standing up after the egg had been taken away was an immense struggle thanks to the drain-and the pain-that had been inflicted on him. The now human slumped there with something of a mixture of agony and frustration on his face when he felt Damians hand on his. Ah. So that's what a comforting touch was.

He should thank the boy, but he seemed to have temporoaily lost the ability to talk.

He clapped his hands over his ears at Zerexes yelling however and tried to block this extra unexpected assault of pain.

<hr />

Russel blinked at Tom as he explained, stared, blinked again, and then stared at the two now mortal immortals before a slow grin spread across his face. It didn't take a genous to realise that 'Ariel who was crazy for once' was the Goddess of Insanity laid low "... You mean that they're finally having to deal with what we do and they can't handle it? Well this is the best Easter ever!"

A pause

"... You mean that this negated all the safe spots? That's a shame... "

Then the human man cringed at Zerexes yelling, mirroring Nero lopsidedly by slapping his left arm over his left ear since his right had been missing from Feastday. "... Ouch..."

Even that could not dent Russels grinning.

The Collector · #30

C stared at CP, and at the brush, just stared there in disbelief using moments that they didn't have. Then just as suddenly snapped out of it and took the brush. Back to her at last.

"Yeah. Something like that" she said evasively to the universe question. "I only need one charge... "

Abi started painting, forming a shape it was unlikely for CP to have imagined that she of all people would pick. It didn't take long for the reality altering instrument under Abis expert hand to form a creature.

Of all things that she could possibly have picked, it was that of a majestic black unicorn that whinnied impatiently once she was finished.

Which also happened to be about the same time she spotted the man in a patch of purity not far away from them.

"She will get us out" she indicated the unicorn with her head before mounting it "And he is coming with us" she pointed at the unconscious man in the midst of the rocks.