ic Industrial Strength

[Supercape]

GM

 

And later...

 

The flat ice, the snow, would not stay flat for ever. For their was a mountain to climb, and not merely because it was there. 

 

"A mountain" was perhaps an overstatement. It was true that it was raised, but this would not be a climb, at least for the most part. It would, instead, be a hard slog uphill, over icy rocks. 

 

And it was deemed sensible to rest this night. Best to walk over icy rocks in daylight. A solid six hours till dawn, and most of them with the spectacular Northern lights overhead. 

 

As a fire was started, and stocks and provisions unloaded from the now-redundant sled, the Black Knight now felt the strain of metal and destiny. Excalibur, or this worlds version, was near. 

 

And then, to cut through the still chill air, their was a howl. 

 

Dogs? Wolves?

 

No...

 

"Bears!" mumbled Mr. Crowbolt, Esq. And fear swept the camp. A Polar bear was a fierce opponent, let alone more than one. 

 

"The wolves been acting crazed here, I s'pose the Bears will too..." he said. He pulled out his pistol, a veteran revolver of copper and brass. 

 

"I wish I had something bigger..." he muttered. 

[Exaccus]

Ah adrenaline was a heck of a thing to be sure, all that weight of looming problems and fears melted right off in the face of a problem that was already happening, aldonite practically thrummed in his grasp, ready and eager for more suitable uses of its strength drew near.

 

He wasted only a few seconds worrying about arna before he remembered she was perhaps better equipped to deal with a polar bear attack than he himself was as he walked out over the ice giving a nod of acknowledgement to Mr Crow-bolt as he walked past, breathing out in a sedate, tired voice "cover me, sir and i will keep them off our group as best i can."

 

Aldonite blazed to life with light as it roused from inactivity to readiness as he prepared for the combat to come, he would not allow the sword to use its most ruinous powers on living creatures usually, but this was different, something of the swords doing he assumed, a reaction to Aldonite's approach, an attempt to kill its wielder before he could destroy it much as aldonite had detected it in the distance.

 

"Stand back, Stay Calm and focus your fire!" he bellowed out behind him as nervous hands shook with weapons in them "i will prioritize the bears that are closest, you focus on the ones in the rear, shoot to kill but don't waste bullets on one that Has been driven off! if you see a bear call it out, we don't want to get flanked." 

[Supercape]

GM

 

The snow was still light, and the Northern lights shone ahead. Visibility was none too good, but neither was it bad. The worst of it was the monochromatic landscape. It was hard to see white on white, especially in the dark. 

 

"There!" cried one soldier, who panicked and shot off his revolver in the dark. 

 

"Fool! Do that again and I'll shoot you myself!" screamed a livid Lord Crane who seemed more angry than frightened. And yet, the two emotions so oft went hand in hand. An unpleasant marriage. 

 

"It was nothing...nothing..." said another much more scared soldier, holding his cold firearm tightly. 

 

Arna, for her part, maintained a steely silence, senses alert. "I am not sure those peashooters will work on a bear..." she said. "We usually carried high powered rifles...."

 

Lord Crane confidently pulled out his side arm. Long, slender, and magnificent. "This was crafted by the finest smiths of Walter street. It will surely suffice..." he said. But the point was well made...

 

And then, another roar...

 

Something...or somethings...came bounding through the snow!

 

[Exaccus]

"Three bears! 100ft that direction! Rabid by the look of them!" he yells as he gestures with the glowing aldonite held leveled with the lumbering ursine's heads as they galloped across the ground with eyes bloodshot and wild with rage and madness that raged within their heads, no doubt the swords doing. "Coming in Fast!"

 

Perhaps a swift death would bring these once noble creatures more peace than a brutal slug fest ever could, he would have to see when the lines crashed together what mercy might look like when it reared its mournful head.

[Supercape]

GM

 

And so they were. Coming in fast and rabid. 

 

The enormous creatures pounded their way through the ice and snow at full belt. 

 

"Fire!" yelled Lord Crane, with what he assumed was complete authority. 

 

It was not authority that pulled the triggers, but fear. Crack crack crack-crack...came the intermittent fire. It must have carried miles in that cold pure air. Lord Crane took more careful aim, fully concentrating, and managed to hit one bear. 

 

The Sailors spluttered and fired their weapons, some too fast, a few too slow. But mainly too fast. Ammunition would be spent, chambers would be empty. But one thing for sure, as Mr Crowbolt gritted his teeth and fired all six rounds at the bear of his choosing, he caught one smack in the eye. 

 

The great beast threw into a death spasm and stumbled, quite dead, sliding across the ice as an elegant corpse. 

 

"Gotcha!" snarled Crowbolt...

[Exaccus]

Walking forwards from the camp with his sword in hand he moved in as fluid a motion as possible, bringing the blade up by the hilt, over his front and round to his back, this particular use of the swords strength was brutal but one of the few options he had at such range and rather than waste the flare gun now on this tom foolery he opted to go with it.

 

following through with the gesture and swinging the blade diagonally down over his shoulder he loosed the ruinous magic within that made the night look grey by comparison as the whirling wall of blackness raced out in front of him in a screeching tide of razor sharp tendrils of entropic power that ravaged the area in front of him, shredding the rocks and felling the foliage as it coursed across the landscape, a particularly well placed blow saw the end of one bear, separating its crazed head from its shoulders in a swift rush.

 

The remaining bear however was more, or perhaps less lucky than its comrades and escaped the wave of devastation, only slight gashes and cuts being bore into its hide more like the wounds it would have from a particularly vicious whip than a sword that did little to slow it down or end its suffering.

 

He would have to see to this the hard way it looked like, at least he was the closest and most appealing target now, all he had to do was not die himself.

Edited September 4, 2017 by Exaccus

[Supercape]

GM

 

"By all the Gods!" exclaimed Lord Crane, holding fire. 

 

A few cracks of gunfire whizzed through the air. The last Polar Bear had no time for fear or pain or indeed bleeding. The huge ursine predator ran across ice and rock with surpsing agility and speed, and threw himself at the Black Knight. A little to slowly, or a little too clumsily, it seemed, for it was a swift but nerve wracking side step that would spare the Black Knight a colision. 

 

A few more bullets screamed through the air from panicked sailors. Lord Crane screamed "Desist! You will hit him!" and perhaps this order entered frightened skulls and permeated into frightened fingers, for the firing stopped. Perhaps it was not the order but the simple fact that the revolvers only had six shots, and most if not all of said rounds had been expended in a salvo of panic. 

[Exaccus]

his reflexes hadn't completely dulled it would seem or at least fear hadn't rusted his common sense solid  his arm moving almost on its own as he twisted out of the charging bears attack, and sunk the now ethreal blade into its flank, no blood or wounds resulted but the very essence of the beasts dimmed life force flickered as it was flayed off and pulled into the sword like a gossamer film caught on the edge.

 

He felt himself somewhat reinvigorated as the bear staggered and stumbled from the strain of the blow, had he been injured he knew that felgir's power would've seen that harm done would be undone to the same degree as he continued his deadly dance with the massive predator now hampered.

 

the swing that followed however fell short, some mix of physical exhaustion, the bears staggering posture and the darkness that abounded no doubt lead to Aldonite not finding its mark, there was little to do now other than withdraw from the combat and give clear shots whilst he caught his breath and steeled himself for the reprisal.

Edited September 7, 2017 by Exaccus

[Supercape]

GM

 

The Bear was bloodied and battered, but had furious rage in its veins. It stopped a horrible moment, eyes black and narrow, teeth bared, growling low. 

 

It was crouched, claws scraping against ice that was second nature to the beast. Then, with a huge power in limbs, a huge weight to its bones and flesh, it slammed into the Black Knight. 

 

It seemed to care little for its own life, it was simply determined to take the head off the Black Knight and chew the marrow from his bones. The bear literally fell on to the Black Knight, one mighty paw swinging with fall, in an apparent attempt to part head from shoulders and send it spinning across the ice...

[Exaccus]

It was with a mighty clang that the bears heavy paw slammed into his collarbone, where it not for the heavy steel plating of his pauldron and the mystical reinforcement wrought upon them he's certain that the blow would've separated head from body even as it sends him skidding across the ice , bits of shaved snow flying from his greaves as he slid back.

 

his head ringing like a bell he was unable to keep his footing and collapsed onto his back with a dull thud and for the briefest of moments he considered just staying there,  he was just so tired before he called on his reserves and hauled himself bodily from the ground

 

aldonite blazing to life in his hand as it bloated with its wicked power another swing of his arm sent a raging wall of destructive energy racing out across the ice like the shock wave of an explosive. crushing what was too soft to withstand its pressure and scouring deep furrows in harder substances

 

He wanted to hold back, truely he did, this bear was just another victim of Excalibur, of destiny and fate but he was just so tired and honestly feared for his life and the lives of those with him so with a heavy heart he threw everything the sword had into the attack and it collided with the bear with murderous force, collapsing the bears skull and crushing its bones with sheer force of impact as the wave rolled over it.

 

it was over, at least for now, and with a heavy sigh he allowed himself to crash to his knees and catch his breath.

Edited September 7, 2017 by Exaccus

[Supercape]

GM

 

A round of applause came from the sleds, although Lord Crane seemed to be clapping a little slower and softer than the sailors. Professor Littlefield hardly seemed to respond at all, wrapped up in a blanket of academic superiority. 

 

"Well done" she said, without enthusiasm, in a barely audible voice. At least, at some level, acknowledging the efforts made. 

 

The sailors reloaded their guns, on order of Crowbolt, in case of another attack. Some whispered about turning back, but Lord Crane would have none of it. 

 

"Nonsense! The threat is over, and we are as near to our prize as we are to the ship. Besides, we have plenty more bullets, and a stout sword in case of further attack" he said, bluntly and with full authority. Despite mumblings of discontent, there was no suggestion of mutiny. 

 

The ground ahead looked progressively steep, with broken rock everywhere. They might be near, but the going would be hard. A few caves and crevasses ahead. And...

 

"Hot springs" said Professor Littlefield, with the certainty of an skilled geologist. 

 

This raised spirits; the prospect of heat and warmth, and even a dip in the pool, whilst snowflakes gently fell from the magnificent sky, still alive with the northern lights. 

 

 

[Exaccus]

Jonathan found himself unable to allow himself this brief respite, his body ached and his brain throbbed within his skull and he had no doubt that the waters would've helped him relax and alleviate some of this but it would also leave him vulnerable, whilst his ancestral enemy plotted against him high overhead, its malicious intent so strong as to warp the minds of animals with murderous and directed rage against him and whilst Aldonite had not yet crossed edges with Excalibur he was none the less locked in an unrelenting contest of power with the sword and its slaves.

 

That is not to say he didn't allow himself small comforts such as hot tea and company when she had finished enjoying the hot spring

[Supercape]

GM

 

The Sailors quickly dipped into the relaxing spa, scuttling a little to avoid the female gaze. Arna was tempted; these were four antiquated sailors. 

 

"But I must" she explained to the Black Knight. "I can't die knowing I missed bathing in hot springs with the Northern Lights above me, with snow on my face, in a different universe!" was her reasoning. 

 

Whether it was her bold nature, the presence of Lord Crane, or the fact that her boyfriend had just killed two Polar Bears virtually single handedly, the Sailors turned away. Probably. Maybe a quick furtive glance was risked as the tall Arna dipped into the pool, quite naked, and with a sigh of pleasure. For the pool was hot. 

 

Lord Crane did not look. He was a gentleman, it seemed. At least on this occasion. Instead, he kept look out. But whilst he did have his long slender pistol in his hand, he also was more intent on studying the maps of the region. They were rather elegant but inaccurate, with large areas vague or missing. This was a map hand drawn, with meticulous craftsmanship and via excellent cartography. But this was not a world of satellites, and hence it was rather minimalist. 

 

Behind Black Knight, there was a crunch of rubble under boot. The man had been careful, quiet, but this was awkward terrain for sneaking. 

 

He was a big man despite his stealth. Well over six foot, and broad. A cowboy, by the looks of him, with a bushy moustache, unkempt rough hair, and a belt full of bullets, with two heavy dull iron pistols on either side. They had a curious, imposing feel to them, as if they had purpose and gravity. 

 

"Ah shoot..." mumbled the man in a Texan drawl. 

 

Despite the cold, he was dressed in but a thin shirt and pants, more suitable for a hot Texan sun. But he seemed to not mind the cold at all. 

 

He gave the Black Knight a look, and pressed his finger to his lips. 

[Exaccus]

It was with an eyebrow raised that he beheld the stranger that had seemingly materialized out of nowhere, he refrained from raising the alarm, perhaps this was just another dimensional refugee trying to get by in this mess that had pulled him and Arna away from their holiday in their worlds Greenland.

 

His primary concern was as ever Arna's safety, sounding the alarm might make this man armed with two large and heavy guns that could possibly penetrate the wards on his armour react badly and exhausted and slightly battered as he was from his battle against the polar bears he wasn't at his best anyway so he favoured cautious optimism.

 

wordlessly jerking his head towards a more secluded section of the area indicating to the man that they could discuss things over there without any need for misunderstandings he excused himself vocally, trusting crane to be too absorbed his his project to look up and clanked steadily away in his armour, granting the stranger a covering sound, glancing over his shoulder to see if he was being followed.

[Supercape]

GM

 

The cowboy nodded is head, his face pretty well concealed behind a gambler's mask and thick moustache. He followed; quietly, slowly, his hands on his guns. 

 

Once behind a rock of ice and cold stone, free from inquisitive gaze, he tipped his head. It was a subtle gesture of thanks. He spoke quietly, raspy, a smoker's voice, deep and quiet. Imposing and forceful. 

 

"You sure don't look like those Englishmen, boy-ah" he murmured. "Something odd about you, I reckon..." he added, scratching his stubble. He caught sight of the Black Knight's sword and he instinctively started his hand towards a pistol, unconsciously. He caressed the handle with a vibration. 

 

"And that there sword. Don't see many of them these days, not with black powder and steam cannons..."

[Exaccus]

"I am not from around these parts, I am known as The Black Knight in my homeland and what might i call you?." he stated, opting to keep his cards to his chest the man seemed content to talk even as he caressed his weapons wooden handles, he couldn't blame him in all honestly, this situation was very stressful even for him

 

"I'm a pretty old fashioned guy...but i can see you're more of a fan of newer things." he carefully and slowly moved his sword to a more neutral position  blade pointed down, hands on top of the pommel like a walking stick"I don't see any reason for us to be quarrelling sir, though I'm quite curious as to what brings you to our camp? if you'd like i'd be more than happy to give you a more formal introduction."

 

"Myself, I am here to lend aid in exchange for passage back to civilization for myself and my beloved, our journey was..." flashes of the spinning plane and the horrific sound of metal's shrill screeching as it parted under pressure "Waylaid and we are otherwise stranded here."

[Supercape]

GM

 

"The Black Knight, eh? Sounds like somethin' meddy - eevil" pondered the cowboy. "Well I ain't got no quarrel with you, boy. Unless you get in mah way. Then I gotta do what I gotta do" he smiled. It was not exactly a nice smile. A bit cocky, even. 

 

"Mah name is Joe. Joe Powder, to be givin' ya it in fuhl" he said. He had at least one tooth missing. Another was silver capped. 

 

"Ah come here to destroy somethin'. Yah know there be a meteor landin' near here? Ah came here to destroy that. Ain't right for man to get his hands on it. And ah' bet those Englishmen want to get their stuck up hands on it. Ahm I right?" he demanded. 

 

"Ah'd be guessin' you know what their intentions are..." he added, insistent now. 

[Exaccus]

"what is in that meteorite is largely unknown to these people." he stated calmly, certain as anything this man was in on the secret he felt he could tip his hand slightly to him.

 

"I know what it is, I know what it wants, I know that it cannot be allowed to exist any longer than nessicary for the sake of this world and all others, I know it has to be destroyed." he states with grim determination to the cowboy "if this is what you're after i will help you but I'd ask you let me try to dissuade them from disturbing it before we turn these men against us, they known not what forces they're unwittingly being drawn in by a lot of these men are just doing their job, pressured into service by people with great wealth and influence."

[Supercape]

GM

 

"Ah see" said Joe Powder, not used to taking a diplomatic approach. But he was not opposed to it either. 

 

"That's a fair deal, pard'ner. Ah never killed a man if I could help it. Now truth is, it often can't be helped, and ah be doubtin it can be helped today. But I ain't gonna stop you trying. No sirree...."

 

He spat in his hand and offered it to the Black Knight. 

 

"I'll be followin'. From a distance, behind you. See if you can't get things done your way"

 

He narrowed his eyes slightly, keeping his saliva-tainted hand out in expectation of a handshake deal. 

"And yah don't want to be crossin' me, pard'ner. Nobody want's to be crossin' Joe Powder, and that goes double when ya makes a deal with him..."

[Exaccus]

"If I did, you'd have to get in line." he says simply, unintimidated by the man's offers of violence, he knew there were worse things out there, he'd experienced many and inflicted a few on others in his short career, though he didn't hesitate to take Joe's Offered hand and shake it firmly in solidarity.

 

"one last thing." he adds with a cool, unflinching tone to his voice "that lady you've probably seen me with, she's the light of my life." he says a brief feint smile crossing his lips as flashes of his time with Arna "Kill me if you have too, but if you so much as put one of her hairs out of place for any reason, good or bad I will climb out of whatever bowel of hell I land in, I will find you in whatever place you might be and i will make you pay for the rest of eternity with everything that matters to you in descending order till there's nothing left for either of us but murdering each other, over and over again till the sun burns out."

 

He allowed himself a shakey exhalation as he allowed his body to calm back down from the mind numbing rage that merely thinking about it "This is a professional curtsey to you as a fellow victim of fate." he adds "I would like very much that we be allies in this; If crane lays a hand on the sword, we will do what we must."

[Supercape]

GM

 

"Ah saw her" said Joe Powder, a faint glint in his eyes. "No red blooded men could miss her. Now, I don't be meanin' no disrespect. You are a lucky man, sir. Just plain speakin' that's all. I ain't fancy with words" he added, keen that the Black Knight not take offence. 

 

"I ain't be havin' no intentions towards your lady. I got a job to do, and so have you. And I'lll look after your lady, if it comes to that"

 

"So we have a deal my friend. My fellow...now what did you call it?" he furrowed his brow. "Victim of fate? Yah, you speak true words. Truer than you know. Ahm bound to my guns, and ah gotta hunch jes' like you bound to that sword. Am I right?" he asked, a penetrating question. 

 

And on this matter, the Black Knight knew. 

 

In this dimension, his sword was a pair of six-shooting pistols strapped to the belt of Joe Powder...

Edited September 15, 2017 by Supercape

[Exaccus]

"Aye, the sword is bound to me, I dare say you and I are cut from the same cloth." he mused "but it doesn't need to consume us, we can have lives outside of our dark destiny." he added with firm determination 

 

"then It is settled." he says solemnly "Go now and prepare what I fear is going to prove inevitable." he said, his exhaustion now weighing on him again as the adrenalin had begun to fade "it has been a long day and i would like to enjoy the interlude a little before the next battle."

 

a short nod of his helmeted head in acknowledgement he headed off back to his party.

Edited September 17, 2017 by Exaccus

[Supercape]

GM

 

Lord Crane looked rather irritated at the delay. He had not bathed, and he was impolitely demanding the sailors - and Arna for that matter, remove themselves from the blissful warmth and jolly well get on with the mission. In this endeavour he was successful. The sailors were grumbling but compliant. 

 

"And where the devil have you been?" he snapped at Mr. Hale, Esq. He was uncharacteristically vexed. 

 

"The mission if vital to me...the empire" he said, his cool exterior seemingly eroding as they approached the meteor.

 

"I believe, as does the good professor, that the metal composition is of extraordinary value. Something in it...could power our industry for decades. Centuries! We need to maintain our industrial strength!" he explained, monologue style. 

 

"So get a blinking well move on! Where were you?" he demanded of Mr. Hale insistently. 

[Exaccus]

"Attending to the swords needs." he says uninformatively but evenly as possible "I did mention that it has something of an awareness to it, it will not function or worse Lash out if not sufficiently appeased." he explains,  a shade on the truth, the sword had since calmed down now that he and Joe Powder had made their plans.

 

"Less haste is more speed, my lord, Imagine the delays that a slipshod attempt would cause with injuries and wasted provisions." He reasoned, not really expecting the man to take any of it to heart but it was worth trying he felt

 

"Not to mention that there might be greater struggles ahead than a few rabid beasts....who may have had their minds twisted by this meteorite's influence."

[Supercape]

GM

 

Lord Crane calmed down a bit. Arna was getting dressed. Perhaps that got him calm. Or hot. Or both. 

 

"Yes, well. Chop chop then lads!" he said, trying to instil some encouragement in the four sailors. 

 

It was not long until the men got out. The snow was beginning to fall more heavily. 

 

"I fear the weather is against us, Lord Crane" said the Professor, stiff and cold. "Maybe even a blizzard..."

 

"Nonsense! Nothing a bit of grit and determination will not overcome, dear Professor. You underestimate us!" said Lord Crane, high spirited. 

 

"I think you may underestimate the weather" said Arna, not meeting his eye. 

 

"Shut up! I don't know why I agreed to take you!" exploded Lord Crane at Arna, furious but not violent. "Why, I have half a mind to send you back to the ship! I probably would if it was not a treacherous night!"