Wow, this was lucky

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The sun was high and morale low. Arete and Leila traveled together to Ace of Spades to visit a friend that promised a job with a heavy jewel reward. Since the universe works it's own ways, while they were traveling a commonly used pavel route through the stifling desert, a gale of wind picked up and with it millions of stinging sand particles and all around vision loss. They stumbled across the desert, grasping each other and some other travelers wandering the path along with them to say together. Eventually, they reached a rocky outcrop which looked like a giant boulder carved down by wind and sand. The group, Arete, Leila, and a few other dropped down into a hole that looked good enough to stay until the storm ended.

Well, that was what happened up until now. Arete sighed in relief, and relinquished into stone behind him. There was a fire in the distance, but he wanted to recover for now. (162)

The environment around you along with the weather can be one's greatest enemy. Leila knew that very well, as she was an experienced traveler who at some point at least walked through most of this continent. If you were to be caught in something like this unprepared, that could have easily be the end. Thankfully this storm was still petty tame, despite the fact that they could not see where they were going at all. But with a little stumble and tumble, they found themselves in a cave system that would provide shelter from the outside elements. It was also at times like these that the girl regretted not taking father's heavy utility coat with her. That thing was made out of quality leather and capable of protecting anyone from just about any weather. But for now, that specific item was kept in her world, Gardens of Eden safe from everything that could damage it in any way. She loved it, but she couldn't be stuck in the past like that forever.

Looking around the cave now, however, caused a mild panic attack for the girl as she jumped up and started looking around. These halls, the stone that was used to reinforce them... this was not just a cave, it was a tomb. And one that she had visited before! "Don't tell me I managed to wander into here again!" Last time she found this place, she was hiding from a heavy rainfall. And this time she got here because she was hiding from a sandstorm. Apparently the universe was trying to tell her something.

Arete looked around, “You’ve been here before?” before he lifted himself up, using the long stick he called a lance as a prop. The cave cracked and heaved under the pressure of the sandstorm outside and the others cowarded. Arete looked around and at the fire in the distance. He thought for a second, then peered down the long corridor with curiosity. “We should see what’s further down the hallway, maybe somewhere for safe,” he said, directed at Leila. He looked to his left, right, and starting walking down the pathway with a hand on the sandstone wall. Arete held his lance close in his right hand and used the left to tuck his sunglasses onto his forehead. He then reached where the fire originated, a standing scone which looked as if it were just lit. Behind it was a circular aperture with a stone block, already dislodged but it still blocked the door nonetheless. He touched his arms to the old stone and pushed it to the side to reveal whatever was behind it.

HP: 100/100
Mana: 125/125%
Active Effects:
Passive Effects: Quiet Burn (*0.25 Spell Effectiveness); Magician's Spirit (*1.25 Spell Effectiveness, *1.25 Total Mana) = (*1 Spell Effectiveness, *1.25 Total Mana)
Spell Cooldown(s):

Word Count: 337/750
Roll Number: 1
Post Number: 2/10

There was a barely audible gulp as Arete asked that question. He wanted to know if the girl was already in this place once in the past? She wanted to know that for sure herself, so for now she just simply nodded without letting out any words at all. She did the same for his other question as well, just meekly following him as they moved further into this labyrinth. But soon, she would feel a magical presence. Not really caring for what her partner would think of her, she pushed past him as soon as the chance presented itself and with hurry sprinted ahead. And soon, she found herself in a familiar looking corridor with familiar looking faces. Or rather bones in this case. "Just as I thought... the curse is still active!"

With those words, she would clutch her bow tightly and without waiting for anything, start shooting forward. Her arrows managed to conquer one of the skeletons that were heading towards her, but she wasn't quite fast enough to take down the other two as well before they would reach her. At the last moment, she would block the sharp looking sword with the silver weapon she was holding and kick the monster back before performing a flip and crushing it's skull, along with the helmet into the ground. Another strike, but she dodged. Well, there was now a small red line on her left hand as the sword actually hit her a little bit, but that was nothing serious. Another couple of precisely aimed arrows supported with wind magic managed to tear the enemy's skull apart once more and the place was safe. "We should hurry forward... I have a bad feeling about this." She would speak to Arete once he managed to catch up.

Arete nodded and lead the way down the brittle hallway, coming to a wooden staircase leading into the ground and to a stone door. With such a material, Arete heaved against the door to open it, to which instead of opening on the hinges like it should, it fell over, directly onto one of the inhabitants of the next room, one of four hellhounds. Great. They seemed to be having a good time chewing on the various tents and eating the fire like real, tame dogs. The one on which the door landed on scrambled out of under it, slow enough for Arete to hit with a twist of his torso and the blade of his spear. It fell, whimpering as it hit the cave wall. It soon sprang it its feet and blew an angry spout of smoke from its nose. It growled and summoned its three other friends to aid it. Arete breathed out, his body producing light that culmunated into a shield in front of him in time for all four of the hounds to breathe out their fiery words onto him. The shield sputtered, cracking and disappeared for two of the breaths to hit him. Ouch. Whatever was left of the shield sprang to life and exploded with the energy put into it to break, shining throughout the room, knocking out the door-befallen hound and weakening (slightly) and blinding the others.

Word Count: 572/750
Roll Number: idk
Post Number: 3

Sighing with concern, Leila realized that it would be for the best if the two of them remained grouped together for the time being. After all, this place was rather dangerous and who knows what other monstrosities they would encounter. If the skeletons still roamed these halls, then surely anything else could too. Thankfully the girl also remembered that there were not that many in terms of their numbers, but anything could have been changed in all of that time. For now, she would let the man lead them to a door that revealed a big, open door with something that appeared to be an old camp. Probably one from the time when she explored this place for the very first time. Though some of the present equipment appeared to be strangely new for that. What was more concerning, however, were the beasts that were hiding in this room as well. Hell hounds. Oh, she remembered those too. They were major pain the one's bottom, as they were both strong and fast.

Arete quickly took action, and so did the girl. While he was dancing with them through his own means, she started sprinting around the room to get behind the buggers and start shooting arrows at them from an advantageous position. The fact that they were blinded by Arete's magic really helped too, as they did not realize more attacks were coming that way, the blue projectiles of magic riddling their backs and almost making them look like really odd colored hedgehogs. But even that did not manage to bring them down just yet, it seemed. "Tsk, as annoying as ever... it's your chance while they're still blinded, go for the kill!" She shouted across the room, hopefully drawing all of their attention towards her with the loud voice as her partner would take the chance and once more use the tactic of attacking from behind!

Leila shouted from the opposite corner of the square room, voice echoing off of the walls. The remaining dogs charged whatever might was left in them and rushed towards the her, stumbling throughout the cumbersome process. The arrows bouncing and swaying, clinking against each other. Arete squatted, squinted, gripped his lance was deadly intent. He gripped the front end of the spear, and ran forward, jabbing the curved end… In a rather unpleasant place, and pulled out, swiping the foul beast to the side where it disintegrated into ashes. The others, noticed, and before they turned around, Arete gave a wide slash and followed up with a spout of light that knocked over another one. With one more left, he clenched his teeth, and dug it into the back of the hound, predicting the white-hot heat that seeped into the sole of his shoe. He sighed, pushing it into the ground, and applying enough pressure where a ‘crack’ of whatever the shit was made out of broke. That too disintegrating into ash and he walked away, waving his shoe in the stale air in attempt to cool it off. He looked over at Leila and began stepping over to the next room.

Roll: Boss time.
Word Count: 774/750 (Word count has been reached.)

And just like that, they were victorious in this small encounter. Though the way Arete ultimately dealth with the hounds was quite... well, Leila decided to ignore it and try to not think about it too much. They were not humans after all. And she had slayed them in the past herself, so what was the problem? Perhaps she just learned to value life little bit more after everything she had lived thrugh. In any case, they were both ready to proceed and so they did. And as they moved through more, this time perfectly empty, halls of stone, the girl heard something strange. As if a chatter between men with the same voice? Rushing ahead, she spotted thing most curious.

Somehow, they managed to find a way towards the end of this tomb that was shorther than the one she herself took in the past. For right now, they were at the end where the grave of famed pirate lied. And next to it, a man somewhat crazed looking muttering to himself. So that was why, he talked to himself out loud. "If I just return it all, they won't be mad, no no... ooooh, it's you! You did it all, you brought about the curse! Perish!" But as one would have it, he noticed the girl midway his own sentence. Grabbing the long weapon sitting beside him, he would jump forth and start spinning around. In the last moment, Leila managed to block the blow with her bow at the cost of being knocked back into a wall.

Unfortunately for her partner, she wished to end this as soon as possisble, seeing how this individual somehow had a thing against her. So as he slowly stopped spinning and tried to regain his balance, she was already prepared to strike him back. Wind quickly started embracing her arrow, almost forming a small tornado around it. "I have no idea who you are, but I'll have you sleep for a bit! Wolf Shot!" And with that, she fired. The shot itself was so fast that one could barely see it with naked eye, only noticing the line that it left behind. A ine that went straight through the man. It did not actually penetrate his body, as the arrow seemingly phased through him via some unknown means. But it was enough damage to put him down.

With a sigh, the girl would nod towards her partner who most likely witnessed it all, hoping he would not mind. Now, what exactly was this guy doing her? The tomb should be empty from the last time she was here. Curious, she went to the grave itself and looked into it, only to be surprised once more. "Oh, for the- those are my things!" The pirate's garp and inscribed stone. They were both in there. Recollecting what he said, the girl figured out what was probalby going on here. After her own death, this one managed to find some of her old equipment and knowing what it was, he tried to return it her for a fear of being cursed by the dead pirate... or something to that effect, probably. "Well, I'm taking this back. There's probably something for you as well, but... seems like we cleared this place. Good job~"