Re: WormXWere Part 2 | Rated M

[Wormgod]

((It's funny! I like the surfer turtle!  
I dunno. My dreams are preeety fucked up, but usually in a funny way!

Oooh! Maybe they can find one of those blind gigantic penguins from the Elder Thing's city in the Antarctic!))


The Wyrm was really enjoying sniffing Svenja. For some reason, the were-bear smelled really good. Maybe it was the homey smell of the tunnels, or the scent of blood, or the hint of humans on her. Or possibly, she just had a nice smell. Not a tasty smell, like food, just...nice. But then Svenja poked her on the snout and scolded her, and the Wyrm hissed in annoyance and shuffled away. She was getting tired from the cool air here. She was cold-blooded, and this dark, dank room wasn't a nice place. The Wyrm coiled up to preserve her body heat and watched the dim silhouettes of the group members move around.

Lambda listened in the dark, his eyes closed, his other senses trained to the city as a whole. Everything was silent for now, minus them, but that weird aura still stayed. It was nothing like Vortigaunt magic; their magic was nature-based, made of chants, group rituals, and magical items--like the antlion extract, used to raise the recently deceased--while this magic was much too old to understand. It may not even be magic at all; it might be the remnants of some religious significance, or possibly even a revolution. Emotions left the same mark on the Vortessence as magic.

Sha-Ulud was speaking, which snapped Lambda back to their room. His voice was calm, with no trace of anger, which was good. Lambda still didn't like him, but he was too exhausted and he had no choice but to accept every ally he could get. Sha-Ulud spoke, describing the aura, which to him came as a smell. Something like the "nightmare portions of the Revierie". Lambda opened his main eye, confused.

"The what? Lambda has not heard of this place." He asked. He didn't know much at all about Sha-Ulud's world, or even his section of the galaxy.

[Weredrakka]

((YES. That, and the cleaner shrimp! I love the cleaner shrimp!
Mine are just fucked up in the weird-as-hell way, but that can be funny in its own way!

Oooh! That would be interesting, just because of the portents involved... *grins*
Also, you know what character I've been wanting to revive...?))

Hearing the Wyrm's hiss of annoyance, Svenja sighed as she realized that the proto-dragon hadn't been looking to make her a meal. Now she felt bad for scolding the Wyrm, even if she had somewhat-just cause to assume the worst when it came to the venomous, serpentine monster.

Hearing the hissing sound of scales rubbing against scales, Svenja used the sound to triangulate the position of the dragon-creature, and walked carefully over, so as not to tread on the Wyrm's tail. Crouching down an arm's length away from it, the were-bear extended a hand into the gloom, a gesture of peace she remembered from long ago. "Sorry..." she murmured into the dark, regretting her scolding. "You and I; friends, yeah?" Speaking in a form of pigin, to try and make the meanings of her words as clear as possible, Svenja waited for a reply to come from the darkness, either in the form of being bitten, or not.

Sprawled upon the ancient flagstones, Sha-Ulud had managed to flatten himself quite admirably to the ground, his bulk being put to good use as he tried to pick up any distant vibrations with his body. Ears perking at both Svenja's murmured speech, and then at Lambda's directed questions, the leupak answered the Vortigaunt's question without raising his head from the floor.

"The Reverie," he repeated, then chuckled softly. "I'm not surprised you don't know it by name. I don't know your species, and so I don't know if you even find your way there. The Reverie is the realm of dreams, and the original home of all leupaks. Some parts of the Reverie are more pleasant than others, and this seems like one of the more unpleasant parts," Sha-Ulud finished, opening one indigo eye to stare back at the glow that was Lambda's main eye. "I don't spend much time in the Reverie, because I tend to stumble upon the bad patches. They feel like this, but weaker. I'm not sure if whatever built this city was of this earth..."

[Wormgod]

((Oh my god, that crazy French shrimp! XD

Ah, the giant Godzilla-esque monster living Behind the Mountains? I pictured that Godzilla, or The Thing lived there and ate the Elder Things.
Hmm....The slightly human female one? *giggle* ))

The Wyrm had shut her eyes and listened to her allies speak. She sorta understood human languages, but English was one of the worst. She had lived for a long time in Europe, before it was known as that, and picked up the more ancient languages. She fluently understood Latin, Greek, and Old English, but only got the gist of modern English. Plus, most words in any language made no sense to her; she was only about as smart as a five year old.

Svenja was moving in the darkness. The Wyrm picked her head up and titled it slightly, listening with one ear-hole. She could see Svenja extend her arm out in the darkness and speak to her, asking to be friends. The Wyrm gave a happy growl and shifted to reach out with one of her own hand-like claws. She picked up this gesture from Charlemagne's reign. Back then, it was used to assure no one had a knife hidden away, which she found funny, since her claws could cut someone just by shaking hands. Although, she was careful with Svenja's.



Lambda heard Sha-Ulud shuffle in the darkness, as if he was getting into a resting position. Lambda shifted as well, pulling his legs up to his chest. It was getting a bit chilly for him. He hoped they could leave this room and find a better one, maybe one with light, or working furniture, at least.

Sha-Ulud described the Reverie--a home dimension, it seemed, for his kind--and his interactions with it. Lambda nodded slightly, that made sense. This place seemed rather ethereal, too. He assumed it had a religious significance--which made sense, as many ancient cultures paired religion with everything. In fact, his culture still did--and said he wasn't sure whatever built this "was from this earth." Lambda was confused, "As in, the city was not made by humans? Why would another species build something so far away from that species home?"

[Weredrakka]

((YES. He's amazing! He gets quoted so much in my house! XD
"I am ashamed..." XD

I was thinking just the immediate danger of shoggoths, but that works just as well, if not better!
I was thinking her son, but I could probably resurrect her, given sufficient chanting and sacrifices. XD))

Hearing the whispering sounds that heralded the Wyrm's movement, Svenja froze, not wanting to startle the deadly creature. When her hand wasn't bitten off, the were-bear held her hand out resolutely, correctly interpreting the growl as a happy one.

As the tail end of the growl vibrated through the air-waves, she felt something akin to a dagger being gently rested in her open hand. Svenja, given the circumstances, was fairly sure that this was one of the Wyrm's natural weapons, and closed her hand carefully around it. Shaking 'hands' with the Wyrm, Svenja waited a moment before chuffing a greeting, falling back on older forms of communication.

Ears twitching in the utter darkness, Sha-Ulud could hear Lambda's shifting around, the scraping of the Vortigaunt's bone 'toes' grating against his sense of vibration. The leupak didn't blame the alien for being cold in this odd space; apart from the vague dampness, this city had an unearthly chill that tore at the mind and heart. The dankness wasn't enough, however, for Sha-Ulud to be in serious pain, and so he remained where he was.

"Yes, precisely," the leupak answered, his voice slightly muffled due to the fact that his lower jaw was pressed against the floor. "Because whatever built this city wanted to expand their empire. Humans do that all the time, don't they?" Pausing for a moment as he began to pick up distant vibrations from beneath him, Sha-Ulud continued to speak, his voice seeming almost anxious now. "I'm not worried about their motives for building this, though. I'm more worried about whatever got left behind..."

((Stumbled across something horrifying last night. The behaviour of those fishermen is deplorable, and I would mark them as abominations against the world. I don't often ask this, but please, spread this knowledge, and maybe a change can be made.))

[Wormgod]

((XD

Which one? I was saying a lot of your characters are slightly human females. Yamir? XD))

((What? Tuna fishermen killing dolphins?))

The Wyrm waited for Svenja to make a move. The scent of fear came from her, then dissipated as she seemed to calm and 'shake' hands. The Wyrm was happy. She just made a friend! She uncoiled herself and scooted close to Svenja, then coiled against the furry humanoid's side. She felt warmer and more alert now, thanks to Svenja's body heat.

Lambda rubbed his arms and legs as Sha-Ulud spoke. It made sense, some empire out in the stars increasing their range by taking over an "uncivilized" planet. He imagined humans did that. The Combine certainly did.

"That makes sense." He mumbled. Lambda didn't have much more to say.

[Weredrakka]

((Yes, Yamir! XD))

((Worse. Shark fin-catchers slaughtering dolphins to use as bait to catch endangered sharks.))

Smiling to herself in the near-total darkness as she wasn't eaten by the Wyrm, Svenja felt her body enveloped in the coils of the proto-dragon's sinuous body. Deciding to trust the creature not to eat her, the were-bear let out a happy growl of her own; in Svenja's mind, she was the lucky one, for she now had a blanket of sorts!

"In a way, I suppose; I'm not one for conquering. I just want my desert territory, and that's all," Sha-Ulud replied with something that sounded oddly like a chuckle.

Suddenly, the leupak stopped chuckling, his ears flattening against his head as he flattened his body to the ground. It was his turn to growl now, the sound low and feral; Sha-Ulud had felt something, a vibration from deep below the rag-tag group. Getting to his feet, he limped to the Vortigaunt's side, his eyes fixed upon the doorway to further depths of the city, as if he expected something to emerge from the unsettling portal.

"Lambda," he whispered, trying to keep his voice low. "We're not alone here. There's something else, in the deep places..." There were anxious undertones in the leupak's voice, along with a deep-seated hatred, as if the animal side of the dream-beast was incensed by whatever lurked below.

[Wormgod]

((I think I called Yamir a girl in that last post...XD

Whaaat? Why not just toss some chum into the water, or a dead tuna or something? Or better, one of those seal-shaped wooden boards with some seal blood poured on it? That'll get you a Great White. Hell, I can catch a Tiger Shark with a freaking license plate tired to a fishing lure!))

Well, this blanket was rather...odd. The Wyrm sniffed Svenja's hair this time, but a bit less rough than before. There was some dried blood in the were-bear's hair, and the Wyrm casually set to licking it out--making sure not to salivate any venom, lest she accidentally kill her new friend. Oddly enough, her tongue was similar to a cat's, and made quick work of the matted hair.

Lambda was starting to get tired. He didn't want to sleep again, as Vorts barely slept once every three days. Too much sleep will dull his senses. But, all this running and stress, and the fact that he hadn't had a good meal ever since the damned humans caught him, was starting to take its toll. Sha-Ulud's warning sent another pang of fear straight to his heart. His eyes snapped open and he extended his sixth (technically fifth) sense down into the ground. That aura was gathering there, fresh and new, as if something was suddenly borne into the world. Maybe there was a portal down there, and something came out...Oh dear Vortessence.

"The aura is far away. The aura will not find Lambda's allies yet. If it comes closer, we can kill it." He whispered, hoping Svenja might not hear. He didn't want to cause her any unnecessary worry. She needed to be calm; if not, she will not heal properly.

[Weredrakka]

((You know, I don't think it's the first time--nor will it be the last--where he's called a girl. XD

Because these assholes are hunting the oceanic sharks that prey on fatty, blood-rich animals; they're fishing for blue sharks, and the endangered thresher sharks, and probably mako sharks, as well. These guys are out of the range of most white sharks, and tigers. Unfortunately, they're not out of the range of the pelagic dolphins, and they don't want to spend the money on official baits...))

It didn't take Svenja very long to realize that her new blanket was an odd one. Trusting the Wyrm to not bite her, or do anything detrimental to her, the were-bear sat still as the primitive dragonoid licked her matted hair clean. Vaguely amused by the concept that she was being groomed by a very dangerous dragon, Svenja chuckled softly, unaware of the danger below. For now, she was blissfully ignorant of the lurking danger, and of Lambda's fear.

Taking half a step back as Lambda's eyes snapped open in response to his warning, Sha-Ulud dug his claws into the cracks between the flagstones, feeling for any new vibrations resonating through the stones. Looking up as he heard the Vortigaunt's whispered words, the leupak nodded, the tip of his tail starting to twitch across the suspiciously-clean floor.

"Hopefully," Sha-Ulud added after a moment, readjusting his stance as new layers of his skin moved like amoebas to cover the wounds on his flanks and belly. "I'm not sure Svenja could stand against something like this..." His voice was growing increasingly agitated as the sensation of lurking terror grew, the leupak's body readying for a fight-or-flight response.

[Wormgod]

The Wyrm soon got Svenja's hair as clean as she possibly could. It was still knotted , but now it was as least free of blood and dirt. Then the Wyrm gave a huge silent yawn and lay her head in the crook of Svenja's neck. She was tired, but didn't feel like sleeping yet.

Lambda didn't want to respond to Sha-Ulud's comment on Svenja. He was right, she could not handle something like this. He might not, either. All of them, together, might stand a chance, but they still had no idea what it was and what it was capable of. Lambda gave a slight sigh and felt hard for the odd aura, hoping it stayed far beneath their feet.

[Weredrakka]

((So, what--or who--are we throwing in here?))

Holding as still as she could while she was bathed by the draconic being whose coils she was firmly ensconced in, Svenja tried not to giggle as the Wyrm's tongue tickled the hairs at the nape of her neck. When the Wyrm yawned, so did the were-bear; cleaner, warmer, and feeling the delusion of safety, Svenja was ready to allow her body to come down from its adrenaline rush. Snuggling down into the Wyrm's coils, she closed her storm-grey eyes against the events of the past few days, and slipped into a light sleep.

Taking Lambda' silence as the Vortigaunt agreeing with him, Sha-Ulud remained standing by the alien's side, waiting for a command or piece of advice. Hearing Lambda's sigh, the leupak turned his attention momentarily from the ominous portal, to the Vortigaunt by his side. After a brief mental battle, Sha-Ulud unhooked his claws from the floor, and sat next to Lambda, his massive and warm bulk forming a physical barrier against the terrifying clean emptiness of this forgotten city. Together, the quartet sat there, waiting for an unknown mystery.

[Wormgod]

((I guess whoever you want! Anyone would cause significant terror and giggles for us.))

The Wyrm shifted her coils a little so Svenja could lay her head back and sleep like mammals do. She was fine coiled up around a good source of heat. The proto dragon shut her eyes again and fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

Lambda lurched, surprised by the sudden appearance of a huge bulk next to him. All his senses had been trained below, and he didn't expect any change here. He opened one side-eye to see the silhouette of Sha-Ulud, laying on the floor, or otherwise close to the ground. The Vort relaxed again and shut his eye. He felt glad to have such a massive creature on 'their side'.

[Weredrakka]

((Hmm... We could put Yamir in, or a shoggoth, or something along those lines...))

As Svenja and the Wyrm slept, the feeling of fear and otherworldly horror continued growing. To the leupak that lay alongside Lambda, the feeling that was growing in the back of his mind was like a more malevolent version of the feeling he had been the recipient of near the Worm Queen. Whatever lurked beneath the unlikely quartet seemed to be scratching at the back of Sha-Ulud's--and likely Lambda's--mind, as if looking for a way in...

[Wormgod]

((What about a Yithian?))

((I don't think I should post until the creature is decided...))

[Weredrakka]

((We could do a Yithian. Or, we could do more than one thing. That might not be a bad idea.))

[Wormgod]

((What would you like the most?))

[Weredrakka]

((Anything, really, providing it's creepy as hell!))

[Wormgod]

((Bleh! But I don't have a real prefrence either...Maybe a shoggoth.))

[Weredrakka]

((Shoggoths are good. Let's have it be a shoggoth. You want to start?))

[Wormgod]

((Hmm... We could put Yamir in, or a shoggoth, or something along those lines...))

As Svenja and the Wyrm slept, the feeling of fear and otherworldly horror continued growing. To the leupak that lay alongside Lambda, the feeling that was growing in the back of his mind was like a more malevolent version of the feeling he had been the recipient of near the Worm Queen. Whatever lurked beneath the unlikely quartet seemed to be scratching at the back of Sha-Ulud's--and likely Lambda's--mind, as if looking for a way in...

Lambda wasn't very affected by the growing aura far underneath them. Mental attacks were ineffective on Vortigaunts; they thrived through mental power, and such an attempt to hurt them would nearly always fail. Soon the scratching in his mind faded, and Lambda gathered his power to send an investigation of his own.

Half-starved and wounded, it took longer than usual to fall into the trance-like state needed for astral projection. Lambda kept his eyes closed and lowered his head onto his hands. He slowed his breathing and heart as far as his body could take, and pictured the near-black room in his mind. Next to him were his allies, each carrying a glowing ball of light inside. Slowly, Lambda stepped away from himself and looked back. His body was there, but it did not carry the glow. Good; he was safely out of his body.

Lambda looked down at the floor. A light came far down, shining and rippling with power. He let himself sink through the ground, falling straight towards the magic. He passed at least a dozen more floors and rooms, similar to the tunnels he and Svenja hid in, but each different. The design changed the farther down he got. Large, cathedral-like rooms and faded murals filled the city. Some parts were collapsed or full of sand, signaling the end of this city. He passed through them quickly and kept his gaze on the mark of power below.

Finally he reached the floor with magic. He stopped and felt the ground turn solid beneath his feet. He was in another giant hall-like room covered in layers of dust. The walls were decorated with faded murals and carvings he couldn't see. There was a crumbled statue on a pedestal at the end of the room. All that was left were legs and half a torso. The pedestal was surrounded with the broken bits of the statue. In the center of the floor lay a gigantic, solid golden circle, half-covering a black pit. The circle was covered with images of cone-like creatures, large blobs, and many buildings, forming a ring around a green gem in the middle. Slurping, slithering noises came from the pit. Lambda recoiled, then regained his calm. Unless the creature was psychic like him, it could not see, sense, or hurt him. And, to keep in this state, he must stay calm, or risk death.

Lambda stepped towards the pit and carefully peered over the ledge. A large throbbing mass lay fifty or so feet below, just barely visible to him. It was an incomprehensible thing; with multiple appendages of all sizes and shapes stuck to the smooth walls of the pit. It appeared to be shimmying its way up to freedom. Lambda felt a pang of sadness; this thing must have been trapped under there for a long time. From the dust on the golden door, it hadn't been moved for a good hundred years. This creature must be starving. If only he could help...But, in this state, he can't touch or move anything. Plus, he's much too tiny to pull the gigantic blob out of the pit.

Maybe Sha-Ulud and the Wyrm can. They're large, powerful creatures. We can help this fellow prisoner! Lambda thought. All of him smiled; his soul and body, as he flew back up to tell his friends about the poor creature.

(("Hey guys, let's go save the shoggoth!" XD))

[Wormgod]

((*hugs the shoggoth* Gootchie gootchie gootchie gooo!))

[Weredrakka]

Lying fairly quietly by Lambda's side, Sha-Ulud had half-closed his eyes against the darkness of the chamber. It almost looked as if the leupak was falling asleep, but nothing could be farther from the truth; the odd creature was completely awake, using its entire body to pick up the stirrings from below.

Shifting slightly, his leathery skin rasping against the light layers of sand on the floor, Sha-Ulud seemed somewhat aware that something had changed in Lambda's demeanor. In reaction, he moved closer to the Vortigaunt's still body, as if guarding it against the harsh world, although there was no way he could have known where Lambda's mind was.

Watching the still body with one half-open eye, and seeing the smile that crossed the previously-still features, the leupak's eye ridge twitched upwards in curiosity. Raising his head off of the ground, Sha-Ulud opened his eyes, and shifted to face the Vortigaunt completely.

"Lambda? What have you found?"

((Oh, that's a brilliant idea... XD
Sha-Ulud: *gets confused* *thinks the shoggoth is another leupak*))

[Wormgod]

((Shoggoth: *envelops me like a gigantic amoeba* *attempts to envelop Sha-Ulud as well*
Ain't it? And it'll be like, "Thank guys, now I'm just gonna eat you and go about my merry way..." *eats*
Hey, where you been? School being tough?))

As his mind filled his body once more, Lambda gave a sudden jump and a huge spike in his heart rate; both side-effects of the sudden joining. He calmed down instantly after, and opened his eyes to Sha-Ulud. The leupak was closer to him than before he left, as if to protect him, or worried about his change in demeanor. Lambda smiled; that was nice of Sha-Ulud. He was certain this creature could help the poor trapped alien below.

"Lambda ventured with his mind below to see what the source of power was. Lambda thinks he found it. A creature below was trapped in an endless pit below this city. The trapdoor to this pit is now open, and the creature is trying to escape. That creature is having a very hard time escaping. Lambda believes it may have been trapped for thousands of solar-cycles, or maybe more. Lambda wants to help this poor being; for Lambda was once a prisoner, and cannot watch another prisoner struggle to free itself. Lambda knows the Sha-Ulud is strong, and can pull this creature out of its cell. Wyrm can, too, and maybe Svenja, if Svenja does not need sleep." He whispered to Sha-Ulud, with a certain self-righteous glow in his eyes. He really wanted to help the poor creature, and he knew the group could do it. And then, they could have another ally, possibly one who knew of a safe place where humans could not go...

[Weredrakka]

((Sha-Ulud: *just kind of sits there*
Exactly! XD
Life has been tough, yes.))

Lying as close as he was to Lambda, Sha-Ulud was very much aware of the moment when the Vortigaunt's mind rejoined his body, even if he didn't know what had just happened. Looking momentarily concerned by the sudden deviation from homeostasis, the leupak relaxed when he assured himself that the alien was alright. Shifting slightly to give Lambda more room, he waited patiently for the Vortigaunt to reveal what had happened.

Listening to the tale woven by Lambda about the nature of the lurking horror beneath them, Sha-Ulud's otter-like ears perked in wary interest. "Trapped creature? What did it look like, Lambda?" he asked curiously, nodding slightly. "I would be willing to try and aid this creature if I can, in either form. The Wyrm and Svenja would be welcome to lend a hand or paw, if we can rouse either one of them."

[Wormgod]

((Shoggoth: *a bit confused* *used to creatures running away*
Ah.))

Lambda beamed as Sha-Ulud agreed to help, and assured him that Svenja and the Wyrm would too. The poor thing would be free soon! He stood and looked at the massive silhouette of Sha-Ulud, with his head about a foot below Lambda's. He could see tiny movement on his head, as if he was moving his ears, or opening his eyes.

"What did it look like?" Lambda repeated and paused. How could he describe what he saw? He saw so little, and yet so much.
"It was...Massive. It constantly shifted in its center, moving and adjusting and breathing. Many appendages came out of it. Tentacles, or tendrils, or stalks. Lambda is not sure if he saw eyes; if Lambda did, the eyes were grouped together on its center, next to something else, possibly ears, or noses, or mouths. Not a pretty sight...Then again, neither is Sha-Ulud." Lambda spoke, with a chuckle at the end. None of the group members were appealing to him. The closest was Svenja, but she was so very different as well.

[Weredrakka]

((Sha-Ulud: *knows of a leupak that's kind of like a white shoggoth that lives in the Reverie* *isn't sure what's going on because of that*
Yep. Actually took Wednesday as a mental health day; otherwise, bad things would have happened.))

Seeing Lambda's change in expression mainly by means of the glow of the Vortigaunt's own eyes, Sha-Ulud's face twitched into a smile of his own. Raising himself to a sitting position, the leupak watched Lambda intently, absorbing the words like a reptilian sponge.

As Lambda told him what this creature had looked like, Sha-Ulud's blue-on-blue eyes narrowed. He had heard tell of a creature like the one described, but white; it was a leupak, like himself. "Hmmm," he grunted somewhat under his breath, allowing himself a moment of hope that he wasn't the only born leupak that had been trapped in this unusual world.

Catching Lambda's last teasing jibe at him, Sha-Ulud chuckled, then nudged the Vortigaunt gently with the tip of a massive claw. "You've got me there, Lambda," he chuckled, mouth curved into a smile. "Although, neither are you, from where I sit. Come on, now. Let's go see if the Wyrm will help us, and if Svenja's even fit enough to help."

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