Thread: flectere si nequeo superos, Acheronta movebo (NoxRogue)

RE Flectere Si Equeo Superos, Achaeronta Movebo NoxRogue She looked ravishing in the clothing she had procured and he noted that, You look stunning Liliana. Why if I was any less of a gentleman, I would pilfer your clothing and leave you ragged with ecstasy. They went to retrieve the blade, which Yuri took from the blacksmith. He laid his hand on the hilt and extracted the sword from its housing, inspecting the blade. It gleamed in the light like a new piece and from his years traveling and fighting he knew just by looking at the edge it was razor sharp. The blacksmith looked to him, Soon that blade will be of no use young man. It has been sharpened many times. It will lose its integrity I say maybe with four or five more sharpens. Yuri looked to him, attaching the chain back to his left wrist, Well kind sir, hopefully this blade will retired after this excursion. Yuri replaced the blade and out onto the streets they traveled, toward the team that had been assembled. It was seven people, bringing the total to nine with him and Liliana included. Some were young, but there was one man nearing thirty. They stopped before them and Yuri gave them a nod of greeting. The oldest man looked to them, their rifles at the ready, but not pointed toward them. Then he spoke, You must be the mercenaries. Load of rubbish if you ask me. We are capable of handling this expedition. So all I ask is you shut up and do as I say. We don't need you showing out. Yuri listened to the man, but met him back with a commanding retort, Unfortunately, sir, that is not how this will be. Captain Michaelis appointed me as leader of this foray, and so it shall be. Would you disobey an order from a superior officer? I am in charge and if nothing more, there shall be no showing out from you. Now fall back in line and in my order, move. The man begrudgingly moved back into the line and waited for his orders. And they came swiftly. The path they traveled through the city was an empty one. People parted for their presence, allowing them to leave the northern exit of the city and out onto a dirt path. They happened upon a fork and once there, took the right path. The deeper they got toward the castle, the more ominous it loomed over them. Even the forest seemed to respond to the corruption. There were mazes of dead trees, like some horrible nightmare. He heard hushed whispers permeating them, as if converging on them. It was frightening, for a lesser man. Eventually they came to the wrought iron gate erected as a guard, so the speak, from outsiders into the castle. The men stepped forward, one of them releasing the bolt on the chain keeping it shut. An eerie creak resounded from the gate as the right side swung open. Yuri parted their ranks and stepped forward, Be on alert. Liliana, by me. Two beside her. Fifteen paces, the rest of the rank behind. Pull a full perimeter and keep your eyes trained. Nine enter, nine leave. I will not accept anything less than that. Yuri had always been a soldier through and through. He was an excellent combatant. She had seen this numerous times. While they might have lacked faith in his abilities, he knew Liliana would not question them. So with their formation fulfilled, they opened the double doors to the castle and into the abyss their descent began. The foyer was monstrous, leading up to three floors with intersecting staircases tailored with red velvet carpets. There seemed to be several rooms for them to explore running parallel to each wall on either side. Yuri looked down to the marble tile that glistened with the light of the sun beaming over it. The previous owner was well off, that was for sure. He took one step forward, I see not a trace of a barrier. Mayhaps the man, in his delirium, was incorrect? There was a groan from nearby, though Yuri was the only one to hear it with his preternatural abilities. He looked in the direction it came from as one of the soldiers broke rank and stepped toward the staircase, He said the barrier was-- Within that moment the man dissolved into ash. It was as if he had been exposed to a concentrated level of heat, leaving nothing but smoldering ash. Yuri jerked his head toward the man's ash, weathering the smoke enough to catch a fading glimpse of the barrier. Then a howl echoed through the hall. It seemed more of a wail, as if a woman was being tortured. Yuri fell back, laying his right hand over the hilt, Something wicked this way comes. There was a chaos of sounds as the hall began to be flooded by these...creatures. Pandemonium set in. She saw the gleam of the blade as Yuri swung it to greet their guests. The creatures were gangly and seemed to be made of sinew and...black ooze. They moved in sporadic jerks and twitches. Yuri was cutting a swathe through them, attempting to wrest one of the soldiers free from their grasp. In the chaos, their rank had broken. A sure sign of young, inexperienced soldiers.