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#Post#: 27796--------------------------------------------------
Re: Sanctum/Twisted
By: Zenwarrior54 Date: October 14, 2015, 8:22 pm
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Melissa
At 10 sharp the outer lights went out. The only natural color
outside was a dark blue, lit dimly by the moon; at this
elevation, Melissa could catch a glimpse of the milky way above
her.
As she readied herself for bed, she felt a creeping itch on the
back of her left hand. When she touched it to scratch, she felt
a dreadful shiver echo through her veins.
W... what was that? She touched it once more, rubbing it
slightly, but the shivering returned and intensified. She
resolved to leave it be and ask about it the following morning.
The ominous incense, smelling faintly of apples, lulled her into
a deep sleep. She did not dream.
#Post#: 27797--------------------------------------------------
Re: Sanctum/Twisted
By: Zenwarrior54 Date: October 15, 2015, 12:48 am
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[center]Chapter 3: Gifts[/center]
Melissa
Why... do I want to stay here?
Melissa asked herself a question shortly after waking and
remembering the previous day. She'd taken a mysterious
invitation to an unfamiliar castle without so much of a second
thought. The more she thought, the more she realized that she'd
fallen victim to her own curiosity and, though she hated to
admit it, fascination with the mystery of the magic guests and
the Victorian architecture.
The era of top hats, corsets and industrial progress had always
fascinated her. It had been a rigid time of few rights and many
issues, but the charming imperfection of it all was what set it
apart from the renaissance or prior times. The twain, turmoil,
the divide between the desperate workers and the callous nobles,
and the advances of civilization intertwined between it all were
what defined the era and the fictional stories placed within it.
In short, it was a heaping mess, but a mess most beautiful.
Her thoughts drifted into the aforementioned tangent until they
were abruptly cut short by a knock on the door.
Lorenzo?
"Hey, you in there, Melissa?"
Lorenzo.
She sighed, smiling. "Yeah, I'm awake." She spoke through the
door. "It's, like, uhh..." She turned around to sneak in a look
at her clock, only then realizing just how sound a sleep she'd
gotten. "...Ten... fifteen. Yeah, 10:15."
"Aw, sorry!" His muffled voice paused. "Uh, so, do you play
tennis?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Well, they've got a great court out on the southern side. Wanna
play a match after breakfast?"
"Sure thing!"
"Yeah, so I found a uniform in my closet. You should have one
too. Well, see ya there!" The voice ceased. Lorenzo had left.
"Hmm..." Melissa stood in front of the wardrobe and slowly pried
it open, almost afraid that something would jump out and attack.
Rather, she found a small collection of fair skirts and dresses,
on the far left of which was a cream-colored cotton shirt with
its corresponding skirt; below was a standard racket.
When she reached for it, her hand brushed against the other
clothing, releasing the same shivering feeling from last night.
She drew back and clutched her wrist. Under further examination
she discovered that where the rash had been were a few stray
yellow markings.
Is this... a skin condition? Ugh, not now of all times...
She carefully dressed herself mainly with her right arm and made
her way downstairs for a swift breakfast.
#Post#: 27915--------------------------------------------------
Re: Sanctum/Twisted
By: Zenwarrior54 Date: October 27, 2015, 12:25 am
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Melissa
"Alright!" Lorenzo cheered. "That's 30 for me!"
Melissa, still scored at 15, was up to serve. It was at this
point the second game of the set of three; though Melissa knew
the details of the rules of tennis, they still played rather
informally. She lifted the ball with her right hand and hit it
squarely with her racket, giving off a satisfying PLOCK! and
sending it clear over the net. They exchanged for a few moves
until once when Lorenzo had returned it, the ball took a curved
route and struck her left hand.
The world seemed to pause for a split second, when the
surrounding court colors of blue and white burst with shades of
a sinister blend of magenta and deeper hues of purple,
accompanied by a violating pulse and a powerful shivering
feeling. Her joints seized up and she fell to the ground in a
fetal position. Her feeling wasn't quite pain, but closer to an
internal tickling sensation, and a largely unwelcome one at
that.
She felt as if she could hear a breeze, though closer in feeling
to that of the innards of the catacombs rather than the
surface's rustling leaves and billowing currents. It was low,
even seemingly cold, but in audio only. The shivering slowly
went away as the colors returned to normal, so all that was left
was the furious beating of her heart; it too began to settle as
she saw Lorenzo rush to her aid. It went without saying that
their game was cancelled.
#Post#: 27916--------------------------------------------------
Re: Sanctum/Twisted
By: Zenwarrior54 Date: October 27, 2015, 12:49 am
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Lorenzo
"Oh, god, I... I'm so sorry!"
"N-no, it's fine..." She slowly turned around and laid on her
back for the moment. "I don't really know, but... my hand's been
really sensitive. You know anything about this?"
"Uh, I think so." Lorenzo initially had no plans to mention his
apparent 'skin condition' to the rest of the guests, but upon
finding out about Melissa's same situation he obviously no
longer found a reason to hide it. "I've got the same thing." He
held out his left hand, revealing the faint yellow markings.
"Allow me to shed some light." Raphael approached. He was a
spectator up until now, and had Melissa not collapsed he
would've soon lost interest and been on his way; nevertheless
he'd now found a clear way to flaunt his knowledge. "I know
exactly what these are... Here was the last of places I'd expect
to see it, mind you. These... are some abominable mockery of
command seals."
"Command seals?! As in, from the Sanctum Wars?"
"The very same." Raphael rubbed his chin.
"We're off-season, though. Last war was only nine years ago. Was
the key wielder killed?"
"No, he's perfectly safe. I confirmed this the moment I saw my
marks first form. I say that we get some answers at lunch; that
boy, what was his name, Benjamin? He ought to have some
answers..."
#Post#: 28212--------------------------------------------------
Re: Sanctum/Twisted
By: Zenwarrior54 Date: November 13, 2015, 12:58 am
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Melissa
Lunch. Her hand was still sensitive, but she had made a quick
recovery since the unusual incident during her game of tennis
with Lorenzo. What bothered her, however...
Some... war? She assumed it was another term used by mages, but
their tone of voice when regarding it, as well as the wording
itself, frightened her. These apparently were mages, individuals
who had accustomed themselves to some occult power hidden among
them, and yet this "war" put even them on edge.
She found herself unable to order from the menu; she read the
words, but her mind refused to comprehend them. She set it down
flat and shivered for a moment.
"Are you sure you're alright?" Lorenzo spoke up. He sat across
from her.
"A-aahh..." She nervously tapped her fingers. "Yes, thanks." All
fear and logic told her to back out and request to leave the
vacation early, but at this point her curiosity far surpassed
any remaining glimpse of reason. She'd tasted the world of
mages, and despite the danger she resolved to take in the entire
meal.
"Hey." His face was changed. He was, for once since his arrival,
dead serious. "I can tell when someone's nervous. What's wrong,
Melissa?"
"Can I speak to you in private?"
"'Course." They got up from their seats and stepped off to the
side behind a pillar. Tucker eyed them suspiciously.
"I don't know the first thing about magic." she whispered, as if
her statement could have had her hanged.
Lorenzo simply nodded. "Yeah, I could tell that as well." They
were silent for a few moments. "Do... you want to leave? I'm
sure Mister Conzette would let you."
"...No."
"Hmm?"
"I want to stay. I'd like to know more."
"Huh." He seemed surprised. "I didn't expect you to be the
adventurous type."
"Less adventure, please. I just feel like..." She rubbed her
hand nervously. "After I've gotten this far into this, I've
gotta know the full story."
"I see what you mean." He smiled, but shortly his expression
became stern again. "But... I wouldn't want you to get hurt."
"Hurt?" Her eyebrows furrowed.
"Well, it's a whole different world we're a part of. Once you go
in, there's no way out."
"Oh..." Her thoughts once again became conflicted.
"...In all fairness, though, we are on vacation. This may as
well be the exception!" His mood brightened again. Lorenzo went
back and sat in his seat after getting a nod of confirmation
from her.
"Maybe." She muttered, looking down at her hands. She blinked
when she noticed that during the conversation she'd been rubbing
the sensitive portion. It felt different, somehow.
#Post#: 28228--------------------------------------------------
Re: Sanctum/Twisted
By: Zenwarrior54 Date: November 13, 2015, 9:28 pm
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Melissa
A few minutes had passed. After calming down she reclaimed her
menu and ordered. At the adjacent table she could see Raphael
looking back and forth. Apparently he was looking for the first
opportunity to talk with Benjamin, but wasn't willing to openly
pursue him. Across from him sat Tucker, checking his watch. At
the third table were Claire talking to Jack, while Violet sat in
silence.
Jack seemed to be worried about something.
As they ate their meals Melissa made idle conversation,
occasionally glancing at Violet. Something about her seemed...
off.
Finally, as their dishes were taken away Benjamin once again
appeared to say his daily hello. From the right side of the
pavilion he walked in, followed by seven staff members holding
packages wrapped in a fine cotton. Melissa looked around
quizzically as one was specifically handed to each of them.
Before staring at the others for too long, she began to study
her own item. "What's going on?" She asked. Her fellow guests
were similarly curious.
"Gifts!" Benjamin warmly smiled. "What's a vacation without
something to take home? Feel free to open them. We've given each
of you something we know would suit you."
Tucker whispered something to Raphael, while Lorenzo shrugged
and opened his package. Beyond cloth there was a polished wooden
box; beyond that, he found a scented candle. He giggled. "Not
quite what I suspected..." He gave it a quick sniff. "It smells
heavenly... I-" He stammered. The candle dropped to the table.
"What's wrong?" Melissa asked in a bit of alarm.
"Ugh..." He appeared to be quite dazed. "Nah- nothing. I must
have had a woozy spell, kind of like what you had before lunch.
Uh, so what did you get?"
"Well..." She looked down at the unopened box. "Let's find out."
She lifted the top and carefully placed it to the side. Inside,
she found a jet-black feather. "Hm?" She lightly lifted it.
No reaction.
It should have gone without saying, but it didn't fire upon her
the psychological attacks she'd expect from a mage's gift. It
was a pleasant enough ornament, large enough to perhaps place in
one's hair.
It was only when she placed it back into the box that she felt
its power assault her. The world darkened once again. Time
stopped, her heartbeat along with it. It felt like torture for
her; it was a feeling not easily described with any human
alphabet. The closest thing she could explain it as would be a
hot, heavy breathing upon the front of her neck, chin and lower
lip, and a stench never sensed before, and never thereafter. Her
shivering returned with a vengeance.
"Melissa?" Lorenzo's faint voice echoed. "Hello?"
In an instant the universe returned to her, shivering gone,
heartbeat completely normal. The feather was replaced delicately
in the box.
What in the... What the hell was that?!
"Hold on for one moment." Raphael's sharp voice silenced the
pavilion.
He held a silver scabbard.
#Post#: 29018--------------------------------------------------
Re: Sanctum/Twisted
By: Zenwarrior54 Date: December 28, 2015, 1:27 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Melissa
"What was that your father said about ulterior motives,
Benjamin?" Raphael firmly planted the metal object on the table
and leaned in forward.
Benjamin quieted down, adjusting his collar. "...Like I said
before, these are gifts. Nothing more."
"What sort of gifts?" Jack was similarly concerned. Next to his
plate sat a flint arrowhead. "Are these... catalysts? Are you
trying to start some twisted iteration of the Sanctum War?"
"No." His response was immediate. "However, these objects do
harbor power. Great power. You seven have been trusted to put it
to good use."
"What are they, then? What of these command seals?"
Melissa, sitting a table away, shivered as she noticed
Benjamin's eyebrow twitch. The boy seemed to release a wave of
apprehension in the air. It was thinly veiled under his innocent
demeanor, but she could almost see the shell begin to crack. She
found it intriguing- entertaining, almost, though she knew not
quite why.
Benjamin's voice became calm once more. "It is true, these seven
items have ties to the Sanctum Wars."
Raphael slammed his hands against the table and stood straight
up. "You-"
"However." He adjusted his collar. "However. These gifts harness
the power of the servants in a different way. If such magical
technology as this can be used practically, magecraft as we know
it will undergo a metamorphosis."
"Soo..." Lorenzo folded his hands. "We're your guinea pigs?"
"You're our audience, Lorenzo. All of you. We've tested this
before."
"Are you gonna start a business?" He chuckled. "So much for
vacation."
"No business, no profit." Benjamin smiled innocently. "They're
yours to keep. All my father wants is a little company, that's
all." He checked his watch.
"But-"
"Oh, my apologies. There's somewhere I must be."
"Hold on!"
"Don't worry, it's all safe. More will be explained tonight at 5
PM! Remember, the clock tower!" He briskly walked off.
Raphael looked back down to the scabbard. "...I've changed my
mind. I'll place some faith in this boy."
"So soon?" Jack was concerned. "We've but just met him. I doubt
any of us have any idea how to even harness this 'power' he
speaks of."
"I can feel it..." he ran his hand along the length of the
surface. "The power will come to us. That Benjamin boy spoke of
harnessing the power of the servants in a new way. This, Jack,
is the future." He firmly gripped it with both hands and held it
close. "Seven servants, seven of us guests... And I am the
chosen one. I am the Saber."
#Post#: 29459--------------------------------------------------
Re: Sanctum/Twisted
By: Zenwarrior54 Date: January 14, 2016, 11:58 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Melissa
Before long she was following Lorenzo and Jack, the later of
which had his arms stuffed full of large parchment documents and
heavy books. They were in Grande Maison, headed upstairs towards
the library.
"Seven masters, seven of us." Jack began, not waiting for them
to reach his destination to begin his speech. His glasses were
crooked. "And we can tell that Raphael holds the Saber class's
powers. I figured voicing my obvious concerns on the matter of
bringing mortals the power of the servants would be
inconclusive, so I suggest we make good time in deciphering
which of us remaining guests correspond to which class." He
huffed, finally reaching an empty table to dump everything in
his arms.
"What's all of this?" Lorenzo scratched the back of his head.
"My studies." Jack immediately went to work organizing
everything into stacks and piles. "I brought them here expecting
some peace and quiet so I could maybe learn a little more about
the Sanctum War. I hadn't bargained for it coming right to my
feet in the form of pseudo-command seals, though. Regardless, I
felt the books in the library would make an adequate supplement
to my studies to use as research materials. I say we begin
with-"
"Y'know, Jack, why don't we just find out naturally? Have a
little fun with it?" He fiddled with a dart he'd left out from
last night. "We are on vacation, right? Let's-"
"Let's not, whatever you were about to say. I say we should
never be too careful. Do you really think that Lord Conzette has
tested this thoroughly? The more information we have, the
better."
Melissa picked up a brown, leather-back notebook. "What's
this?"
"D-don't touch that, Melissa!" Jack snatched it back and held it
tight.
"I thought you said we'd be using your research to figure out
what's what with this whole magic whatchamajig war thing."
"Not this piece of research." He placed it to the side. "That
tome's tailored to me. If you toy around with it you might set
the room on fire!"
"Then why'd you bring it in the first place?!"
"I never go anywhere without protection!"
She took another look a it. No hidden blades or enough space to
fit a concealed pistol. "You're gonna use that old book to
defend yourself?"
"Yes!" He stared at her as if it was not out of the ordinary.
"And?"
She raised an eyebrow but didn't question further. "...Uh,
nothing. Anyway..."
"As I'm sure you two know, there's seven servant classes." Much
to Melissa's dismay he didn't list them aloud, but luckily he'd
already gone to work writing them down on a large piece of
parchment, spaced out enough to write notes in-between.
Saber... Lancer... Archer... She mouthed the words to herself
while looking over Jack's shoulder, waiting for the next few
names. Caster... Rider... Assassin... He stopped for a moment to
shake out his hand. With a smaller pen he wrote Raphel's name
under Saber and circled it as a completed set. To the side he
listed the guests' names. Oh, I know these. There's me, Lorenzo
and Jack all here. Claire, the blonde chic. Tucker, the tough
guy with the scruffy hair and that one little girl from lunch,
Violet...
"Lorenzo, what gift were you given?"
"Just this candle." He pulled out his giftbox, opened it, and
leaned in to take a whiff of it again, but Jack snatched it away
and scrutinized it thoroughly. "Wax, flammable... Fragrant.
Doesn't appear to be poison. No mana signature. You may be a
caster, Lorenzo."
"I already am a caster!" He giggled.
"Not- You know what I meant!"
"Yeah, yeah."
"As I was saying... generally miscellaneous objects can be
traced to casters. Nothing comes to mind of any who used
candles, so I'll have to look that up. Melissa?"
"Huh, what?"
"...Your gift?"
"Right... right..." She remembered the sensation from lunch.
"Uh, it's just a black feather."
"May I see it?"
"Uh, it's in my room. Sorry."
"Any special qualities?!" He was almost frantic.
"Nope, just a normal feather. I think it's from a crow."
Jack growled, facing the table. "Well, this wasn't the slightest
bit useful."
Lorenzo yawned. "Well, I'm gonna get some fresh air. Talk to you
guys later! Melissa, you wanna try tennis again later on?"
"Erm..." She felt her hand. "No thanks."
He paused for a second. "Hm, alright. Suit yourself."
Jack heavily sighed and picked up another pen. Melissa took
another look at the parchment.
Saber, Lancer, Archer, Caster, Rider, Assassin... That's only
six. "Uh, Jack?"
"Yes, Melissa?"
"What's the last one?" She pointed to the space where a name was
absent.
He shivered. The pen rested on the paper, but he hesitated to
actually write. "That seventh servant... Let's just say, it's
the reason I'm so wary of this experiment." He left the room in
defeat, leaving the space blank.
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