The North Sea

[+Ark1002]

Araha sensed something change. She didn't know what, but something had changed. She walked up to the man. "What did you do?"

@xinoehp512

[xinoehp512 he/him]

Rotcennoc shot a glance towards Araha and Damaya, then turned back towards the gemheart. He reached in and strengthened the connection between it and Royeta. Idly, he noticed that the power in the glove was nearly out. He queried the island for a direct channel of Investiture.

After a brief delay, he felt the energy boosting what he had stored. He frowned. The island seemed distracted.

Royeta?

~~~~~~~

Kate saw the fall of the alleycane with mounting anger. It may have been unnamed, but that didn't mean it didn't deserve to live. How could the island just sit there while the birds devoured it?

But, of course, she knew why. Why incite the wrath of the birds when it didn't have to? It was far easier for the birds to take down alleycanes than islands, especially unnamed ones. And when the alleycane fell - for it inevitably would - the two alleycanes that had just shown up could deal with what was left.

As the storm gave its last blow and disappeared, Kate's rage boiled over.

I will not wait! she shouted at Michael.

And with that, she charged the island.

[+Ark1002]

Araha didn't know what to do. She shook her head. Finally, she rushed up to the man. "Please. What did you do?"

@xinoehp512

[xinoehp512 he/him]

Rotcennoc looked up at Araha. His irises had begun to fade to their usual color, but they still glinted with shadow. "Are you sure you want to know the answer to that question?"

Edited January 13, 2019 by xinoehp512

[+Sorana she/her]

"Yes, just tell us."

Damaya followed Araha.

[xinoehp512 he/him]

Nogard stood up. "He killed it."  He shot a look of hate at Rotcennoc.

[+Sorana she/her]

"He killed what?"
Damaya asked quietly, her fingers curling up into a fist.

Edited January 13, 2019 by Sorana

[xinoehp512 he/him]

Nogard gestured at the gemheart. "The new island. He destroyed it."

[+Sorana she/her]

Damaya fell silent, thought about everything that happened. Forcefully opening her hand again. She went through the words of the island and then shook her head. Rotcennoc had killed the new island, but he hadn't been alone.

She looked at Nogard and Araha and then pointed down.

"This island told me, that Rotcennoc is here to help them. So this island approved of killing the other one."

Hesitating she looked around and then shook her head.

"I'm sorry, I don't know enough about all of this to really draw any useful conclusions."

 

[+Ark1002]

Araha stepped back. She wanted to kill the man, the island, but she wouldn't. But she wouldn't stop anyone else...

@Sorana @xinoehp512

[xinoehp512 he/him]

"It was a child, Damaya. A newborn, basically." He shook his head. "Why the island would condone killing her own child, I don't know. But I don't want to be part of it."

[+Ark1002]

Araha felt her vision go red."You killed a child... AND YOU THINK THAT MAKES IT BETTER?"

[xinoehp512 he/him]

Rotcennoc frowned. This was going south.

He stepped forwards. "Do not get upset. I can explain..."

At that moment, the alleycane hit.

[+Sorana she/her]

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So we basically have a storm inside our cavern right now?

 

[+Ark1002]

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Uh, yeah, crap. I need an explanation here.

 

[xinoehp512 he/him]

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Sorry. The stuff inside the cavern took a bit longer than I expected it to. The relevant post is at the top of the page. The storm is hitting the island from the outside. It's not within the cavern.

 

[+Sorana she/her]

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so Kate is another storm?

Rotcennoc stepped forward:
"Do not get upset. I can explain..."
he started and then stopped himself when another storm hit the island.

Do not get upset. Do not get upset. Do. Not. Get. Upset. He could explain. Damaya laughed. He'd just killed a child and the mother/ father whatever islands prefered to call themselves had agreed. She ignored the storm, they were inside, and if there was any significance to the fact that it hit the island now, it was lost on her. Instead her eyes focused on Rotcennoc. He had killed the little island. And storms, if it was only an island, Nogard had told her, they were sentinent beings. It could have been alive. It could have developped a mind and a goal, it could have lived. It could have grown up. Tears rolled down her face and then she lost it completely. Without noticing she had formed a fist again, covered the distance between them, pulled back her arm to punch him with everything she had.

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to avoid any godmodding here, I've switched to the more duel like describing her intention part, and not the action including the consequence.

 

[xinoehp512 he/him]

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Yeah. A different kind - stronger - but yeah.

Nogard moved closer in towards Rotcennoc as he began talking. An explanation? It had better be a good one...

He felt Investiture flow into him suddenly. He stopped, surprised. 

He had but a moment to wonder before the alleycane hit.

~~~~~~~

Rotcennoc felt the impact of the alleycane jostle the island. At the same time, he felt the island channeling the power of the storm through the gemheart to steady them all, to keep them from harm. It made sense, he supposed. The islands by nature were inclined to protect all who lived on them. From what he could tell, having plants and animals on an island was what gave it sentience, so in a sense, the inhabitants were the island.

He just wished that this particular island hadn't decided to keep this particular group of people safe. It was making his job a whole lot harder.

He ducked the punch and stepped out of the way, moving towards the other end of the cavern and trying to get away from the others.

~~~~~~~

Michael pulsed in dismay and followed after Kate. Sister, stop!

Edited January 15, 2019 by xinoehp512

[+Ark1002]

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Are you sure that's realistic? Radiants have enhanced speed.

@xinoehp512

[xinoehp512 he/him]

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He's getting a slight boost from the island. Plus, he can see Damaya coming, which gives him time to dodge.

Oh, and I got some more worldbuilding done. Doesn't really have relevance to the current plot, but whatever.

Spoiler

Geography of the North Sea

The North Sea is ringed by the Wall of Sky, a circle of nearly impassable mountains. Among the few passes that exist are the Pass of Silence, which leads to the Alleycity; the Pass of Waves, which leads to the Great Eastern Ocean; and the Pass of Dreams, which is suspected to lead to the Ring of Death. The mountains are not limited to the Wall; there are several volcanic islands that were not awakened at the coming of the alleycanes, although noticeable eruptions are rare.

 

The Oceans of the North Sea

Visitors are often surprised at the temperature of the water, which is nearly tropical in warmth, contrasted to the generally frigid climes of other poles. For this, we can offer no explanation other than the general strangeness of the Alleyplanet. The temperature is certainly not the most noted thing about this ocean. The creatures that reside in its shallow depths are both varied and plentiful, but there are two of particular note. The Underwater Singers - While most of this race lives in the Great Eastern Ocean, many have moved here because of the Great Reef, which extends in a chain along the remnants of many islands that gave up their stationary existence to take to the skies or roam the sea. These reefs provide shelter to many a singer who looks for a simpler life than can be found in the Eastern Ocean. The asha - The asha are a species of shapeshifters that usually take the form of brightly colored fish. They, like the island, feed on the investiture of the alleycanes, but they also require coral from the Great Reef in order to survive. On occasion, the fish will use their powers of transformation on another organism, usually one that would otherwise drown. These cases are rare, and no pattern has been identified for which the asha choose to save.

 

The Origin of the Shadow-Birds

The shadow-birds were originally mere Aviar that had been mutated to be able to feed on Investiture. These proto-shadow-birds flew in “hives” with “queens” (similar to today’s shadow-birds), but did not attack storms or islands. There were less than twenty flocks, and none had more than a hundred birds. The birds did not gain their dark aspect until Xenarel the island succumbed to the dark forces of shadow-breaking he had attempted to harness. One flock of birds had bonded with the island and became dark like all the rest of the creatures. Unlike the others, however, the birds adapted to their new state, quickly mastering the dark forces that had destroyed Xenarel and putting them to use attacking both alleycanes and the other islands. The attack was both unexpected and devastatingly effective, and within the space of a year the size and number of the flocks exploded. Many, if not all of the original flocks were found and converted. After a year, however, the islands and alleycanes had adapted enough to this new threat to begin fighting back, and the birds were both contained to the North Sea and limited in size. But the threat did not go away; along with Xenarel, two other islands were turned to shadow and became breeding grounds for the birds.

 

 

[+Sorana she/her]

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Damaya is no fighter. It's fine for him to dogde her. If she really had managed to hit, she would have broken her thumb.

Regarding the enhanced speed: As we're not standing directly in the storm, I didn't have her breath in any stormlight (accidently) so her abilities aren't enhanced right now.

Regarding the world building: Now I feel even more sorry for the islands... And it's great, because Damaya has no clue at all about everything behind.

Damaya followed Rotcennoc.
"You killed a child."
she called at him, tears streaming down her face.
"How could you kill a child?"

[xinoehp512 he/him]

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You are actually in an alleycane right now. Two, in fact, at least by the end of this post. The island's getting better at absorbing the shock, especially with two gemhearts at its disposal.

Rotcennoc moved evasively, switching his gaze between the members of the party. "Don't you understand? I need- we need this power. This is for the good of all. Some sacrifice is necessary. All good things require sacrifice, after all. You know this, right? Surely you do."

He became aware that he was babbling and stopped. Surely, he didn't care what these shortsighted fools thought of him. Didn't he?

~~~~~~~

Nogard heard the man begin to stutter out an explanation and felt his anger rise. What this man had done... and he dared claim the greater good?

He felt the power crackling inside of him and inside of his gemstones. Might as well put that to use.

He raised his hand and shot a burst of fire at Rotcennoc, who yelped and jumped out of the way. Only it was more like flying; he cleared the gemheart pillar entirely, landing in the shadows behind the pedestal. 

He felt the island rumbling in dismay. Stop! Cease your conflict. Please.

[+Sorana she/her]

Damaya watched as Nogard attacked, as he called fire and took a deep breath, to calm herself. Only it didn't calm her. Stormlight filled her, it's rage mirroring her own, spurring her on. He had killed a child and he claimed it was for the greater good. This didn't work. There would have been another way. There always was another way. There had to be.

Stop! Cease your conflict. Please.

The island called out and Damaya slapped her hand against the gemheart, reached out for the island.

"You allowed him to sacrifice the little one. You let this happen. This is as much your fault as it is his. You chose the easy way out, instead of looking for an alternative."

Panting she stood there, her thoughts a whirlwind of fury and desperation, the storm inside her making it hard to think at all.

"Damaya."

Coru whispered hesitantly, fearfully.

"You are taking the easy way out as well."

"Go away!"

She snarled at him and he cowered on her arm, his symbols shivvering, huddling close together. Frightened, slowly crawling away as if to not anger her further. That stopped her, snuffed out her fury and left her almost empty.

"Without you nothing of this would have happened."

He continued to crawl away, beaten, seemed to look around for a place to hide. To hide. That's what he had done all these years, hidden in the dark, tried to not provoke her, to not anger her. Because she had pried on him, just as her parents had pried on her. Had taken him into responsibility for an oath she'd spoken. She knew she should say something, but she couldn't. Apologize, anything. Instead she softly covered his body with her hand and pulled him close, pressed her hands with him between them to her chest, a wordless plea to stay. And he did, buzzed softly between her hands.

She looked over at Rotcennoc:

"Explain yourself. Not that useless babbling about sacrifice, but a real explanation."

She stepped between him and Nogard.

"We'll listen. And then we can decide."

Stormlight glowed softly around her, evaporated into the air, as she didn't use it. Which was fine. She had no idea what to do with it anyway and as long as the storms raged, there was plenty.

 

Edited January 16, 2019 by Sorana

[+Ark1002]

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Oh yeah, I'm gonna work on the south if no one has any objections.

 

[xinoehp512 he/him]

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South what? South pole?

Rotcennoc sighed. "If I only had time to explain... Perhaps. My task is not yet finished." He turned towards her. "But I can try. There is a little time before the next stage begins." He shot a brief glance upwards, then returned his gaze to her. "There are people that live on these islands. You have seen little of them, I think." His lips turned upwards slightly. "They are not overly fond of strangers." He sighed. "Maybe it is because their life here is so simple. Being part of an island in that way..." He trailed off, a wistful look on his face.