Onward: Purple

[voidtreckermods]

The second night of their trek is interrupted by the shaking of the ground. It only lasts a few moments and all the tunnels hold, but it is enough to be a frightening experience.

And it seems to have agitated the monsters. A wave of crabs attack not long after the shaking has stopped, emerging from the rocks around them.

They are close to one of the sandbanks and as they emerge, for a moment out of the caves they will find darkened skies and choppy seas. There is a feeling of a storm approaching. It is cooler then it has been.

But that is the least of their problems. As they cross the sandbank, wading in the water a giant squid attacks. Tentacles reaching out of the sea, to wrap around limbs and pull the voidtreckers and those they are escorting off the sandbank and into the ocean depths.

The tentacles at least seem to withdraw if damaged enough, hopefully they can be fought off before anyone drowns.

Comments

[achickenformylove]

"Bichen is a strong spiritual weapon. Not many spiritual weapons are able to do what it can do."

He said as he attacked another crab. Why not talk about his sword while doing so.

The light did seem to be attracting the crabs, which was fine with him. If others could get by and move further away and let only a few deal with them, he would not complain.

[laurefindil]

"Did you get the sword because it was special, or did it become special because you are?" he asked.

Glorfindel managed to hit one just right, knocking it onto its back. He got distracted by another, then turned back to the first...which was flailing, unable to right itself. "Look at that!" he said to Lan Wangji.

[achickenformylove]

"Cultivators have spiritual swords made for them. Bichen was made for me with secret techniques. It's strength of abilities is surprising."

But not unwelcome. For how thin it was, it had survived so much including being used as a shovel by WuXian. So much for "avoiding worldly matters" as its name meant.

WangJi had stabbed another crab when he turned around to see what Glorfindel had seen when he spotted the crab on it's back flaiing around. "That is one way to slow them down."

[laurefindil]

"See, Elves also have secret techniques," Glorfindel said with a smile. "I've had mine since shortly after I was reborn. There are times, like today, that I really miss it."

"It might be a bit faster, too," Glorfindel offered.

[And as soon as I figure out his sword's name, he is totally going to tell you.]

[achickenformylove]

"I suppose I am lucky that mine was in my qiankun bag." It made it so much easier to have his own weapon with him in that case.

"Yes... and less destructive." WangJi would prefer not to wipe out an entire colony of crabs that were only doing what nature told them to do. So... he would do the same thing and try flipping one of the crabs over using Bichen. Well, it should work long enough for everyone to get passed them.

[laurefindil]

That bag was truly magical. Glorfindel politely coveted one.

"We can only eat so many, after all," he pointed out. "Though I do wonder if next month we will have crab."

[achickenformylove]

There were a few politely coveting his qiankun bag. He was not someone with knowledge of making them so at least for the time being, there were very few of them on the train if any others.

"I wonder as well. It would be strangely fitting." And morbid. But then again, WangJi was vegetarian. He wasn't going to eat them anyway.

[laurefindil]

"Wouldn't it be nice if next month we could be attacked by carrots, or maybe some nice melons?" Glorfindel sounded a little mournful. He ate meat, but usually quite a bit less frequently. What he would give for a nice salad.

He managed to flip over another crab. If it were not for his Elvish stamina his arms would probably start to get tired soon. He checked around to see how his human team mates were fairing, then remembered that Wangji was one of them. "How are you holding up?"

[achickenformylove]

"Carrots and melon would be stranger to be attacked by, but would have less desire to avoid harming them." They were the product of a plant. They themselves wouldn't be able to feel pain or sense anything about the world around them. A plant would, but a melon would not.

WangJi flipped over another crab. He wasn't fatigued from this in the least and even if he was, he wouldn't have allowed it to show. He had held Gusu Lan's assassin string technique for six hours to kill the Tortoise of Slaughter and free WuXian. He had the stamina to knock over crabs.

"I am holding up with no problems. And you?"

[laurefindil]

Glorfindel laughed in delight. "Like I said, Elf with Rounded Ears. I am going to have to start calling you brother-elf!"

[achickenformylove]

"I would not object to such a name."

There were certainly worse things to be called than that. Probably all of them had been thought by Jiang Cheng at some point so it was good that WangJi did not have telepathic abilities.

WangJi flipped over a few more crabs. Between their efforts and those of others it looked like they were taking care of the problem.

[laurefindil]

Glorfindel's eyes were not affected by the power dampening. "I think I see light ahead. We might be nearly through the cave!"

[Brother-elf it is! In Quenya, the word for sworn brother is Otorno :) ]

[achickenformylove]

"That is good. Then we have nearly taken our charges where they need to go."

That was the hope at least.

"Come, let's see if we can keep moving."

Even with all of the crabs that were around still.

[laurefindil]

Glorfindel nodded and moved forward, bit by bit, flipping over crabs to neutralize them, with the help of the team.

Finally making it to the mouth of the cave, he stared out at the suspiciously empty beach and across to where to caves opened up again. He sighed deeply. "I don't think we're there yet."

[achickenformylove]

WangJi sheathed Bichen as they finished with the crabs, holding the sword properly in his hand as he walked despite not wearing the robes that would have made it the image complete. It was just how he was raised, everything proper.

"No, I don't think we are. It seems there is still some distance to go."

Thread wrap or onward to the squid?

[laurefindil]

Glorfindel felt a little frustrated by the muffling effect this world was having on his natural elven abilities. Plus, not being familiar with this world, he didn't know if the smell on the wind indicated everything was fine, or there were monsters lurking in the waves, just waiting to pounce.

Well, only one way to find out. His eyes did not spot any movement on the land side, so he signalled that those they were escorting should stay as close in as they could while Purple Team protected them.

"Shall we?" he asked.

Sure, let's continue

[achickenformylove]

WangJi didn't have such senses as to be able to tell if there were monsters hiding in the waves like that. But there was not much that he could do since even if he had those abilities, they would have been muted by now.

WangJi waited silently as Glorfindel signaled to the others.

"Yes."

Yes, they shall continue.

Re: Sure, let's continue

[laurefindil]

Walking out onto the sand, his steps light enough he didn't leave a footprint, Glorfindel scanned the sea, the sky, the cliffs to the landward side, everything as the party moved forward. He knew everyone else was likely doing the same.

Nothing.

Nothing.

It was hard. Usually he could spot an ambush coming, but right now he couldn't and it was very uncomfortable. His instincts, honed over millennia told him there was something coming, but he didn't know WHEN. Or where.

Nothing.

Noth...wait, what was that?

[achickenformylove]

WangJi was careful as well, trying to make as little sound as possible as he walked. He was good at that at least. It was another thing about being a cultivator, moving quietly and him especially. His gaze shifted around their path as they moved, looking everywhere to see if he could spot anything untoward.

He saw nothing. For the longest time, he saw nothing.

But then... they were not alone. Rather than speaking, he pointed with his sword in the direction it had come from.

[laurefindil]

Glorfindel nodded, then made a gesture of invitation before turning and racing toward the Giant Squid that was reaching out toward their party. This was what he was reborn for, to fight and to protect. But it was really nice to have comrades.

[achickenformylove]

The faint blue light that Bichen emitted made it easy to see where WangJi was, not waiting around as Glorfindel charged the squid, also making his own attack. He stabbed at it, attempting to wound it or at least slow it down so it did not attack those of their team with less fighting experience or those they were escorting. It was rather difficult though, given how easily it could move.

[laurefindil]

It was refreshing not to be the only thing glowing on the beach. Though the blue glow does make him look around for orcs for a moment, but he doesn't have too much time before that first (and second) tentacle were reaching for him. Timing was everything.

He hit the first one with the flat of his sword, knocking it to the sand, and he ran up the tentacle to get further back before he sliced, so to deprive it of a limb by making it to short to use.

[achickenformylove]

Yes, Bichen’s glow was surprising even in their world as many swords did not glow the same way that Bichen did. But it was a special sword and distinctively fitting right now when they were working partially in the dark at times.

WangJi dodged one of the tentacles that came swinging in his direction before landing for a brief moment, only to stab the offending tentacle.

[laurefindil]

Right now, Glorfindel was definitely lighting up the beach. He knew it made him a target, but better him than the party. It was a very Purple mindset, he felt, after having spoken to some of his team mates.

He took out the tentacle he was standing on, riding the thrashing that ensued when he hacked at it with his sword. Well, the sword he had. If it were his sword it would have been done in a single stroke. Or maybe two.

He leapt for another tentacle as the one he was on finally fell to the sand.

[achickenformylove]

It was a similar method to what WangJi was trying to do, intentionally putting himself in harm's way in order to protect others from their group, especially those less capable of fighting. It was easy for the creature to follow him, Bichen glowing faintly blue which allowed himself to be seen more easily.

WangJi easily used Bichen to slice off the tentacle that he was standing on before jumping to a new vantage point. It was a distraction, trying to get the creature to focus on him so Glorfindel could attack.