The Package [Quest]

The day started after the mission with the leader of Arachnid Orchid, Riza, and the worst treasure hunter ever to grace Fiore with his presence, Keith, and Zenshin was just taking a stroll through the forest, recovering from some injuries he had sustained on that mission. Man, they aren't called A rank jobs for nothing, I almost lost limbs on that job... Whatever, at least my pockets are twenty THOUSAND jewels richer than they were before. That Keith guy was an idiot, but he was a rich idiot. Zen thought with a smile. Almost out of nowhere, and most likely about to disturb his day off, a messenger came without warning, handing Zenshin a package and telling him that it was for his eyes only. Looking down at the box, then back up to tell the man that he didn't recognize the "SM" initials on it, couldn't, because the delivery boy had just, vanished. Oh, that's just wonderful...

Whatever, might as well open Pandora's Box since its right here in my hands he thought while putting his back to a nearby tree and sitting down on the leaf covered dirt. Picking up the dusty brown journal that was inside, he squinted his eyes to make out Sam-e- -a-tin on the cover of the thing. Blowing all the dust off and into a small grey cloud in front of him, he looked back, Samuel Martin. Samuel Martin, huh, I feel like I know that name somehow... Eh, whatever, time to get myself educated in whatever this book holds Zen thought to himself while opening up the journal to page one. Skimming through the various journal entries, Zen was upset to see that it ended after the sixth one, as that was when it started to get rather intriguing. Without another thought, he went back in the box and picked up the recorder lacrima that was inside, hopefully that would shed some light on this whole thing. I wonder what happened to the other pages...

Zenshin was horrified at what he had just heard with the whole, liutenent Jacob Lard situation had occurred in the forest, and as soon as the recording ended, Zen felt as though a dark fog had found its way around him. This is really, really interesting. I sometimes wish that I wasn't as curious as I was, that I could just leave things be... But, I have never felt this unsettled, I have to find out more... Getting up, he put the journal and lacrima back in the box, and then the box in his bag, he then proceeded forward, through the forest that had just been covered in thick mist. It wasn't long before the first of the strange things happened, branches started falling around him, startling him a little, but it would take a lot more to break such a mentally conditioned mage such as himself. But then, the weirdest thing happened, he could have sworn he saw a tall man, more like a silhouette really. Feeling a bit unsettled by that, he turned around to see the same thing standing and staring from right above him...

The member 'Zenshin' has done the following action : Dices roll

'Monster Dice' :

Zenshin was sprinting from what he had just saw, was that a man, a monster, a demon, or something that was much, much worse. Oh my, this... this, is strange, what's this feeling I am having that makes me wanna look over my shoulder every five minutes, knowing something's there, behind the trees... is this. Paranoia? he thought, taking a rest behind a tree. Closing his eyes for a second, he realized he was alone, and that faint, but still, thing, that he knew was watching him, would have to be killed in order for things to go back to normal. A few more tree branches violently shook and fell around where Zenshin was, cheap tricks like that aren't going to get me, damn demons... Slowly getting up, regaining his composure, he opened his eyes, looked ahead, and walked forward through the mist, only to catch a glance of two of those tall, eyeless creatures starting at him from the edge of the mist, causing Zen to turn the other way and speed walk in that direction.

The member 'Zenshin' has done the following action : Dices roll

'Monster Dice' :

Zenshin felt as though that if he saw any of those tall, demon things, again at a later time, he would probably feel even more freaked out that what he had just experienced. He was aware that the things following him wouldn't cease until he defeated whatever was tailing him, watching him, studying him... With each passing moment, his composure was starting to come back to him. All the running around was tiring him quickly, and he really needed to find out what was going on in this forest. What happened to all of the Rune Knights that were sent out to search for the girl? Seeing as how a lieutenant of the Rune Knights and his entire team were taken out, he knew that this was a bit more dangerous that he had wanted for the day, he also didn't really plan on losing his sanity today either, no, that would be a special day. Before he could look around for any clues, he heard a sharp screeching noise in both his ears, causing him to hunch over and over them with as much force as he could.

The member 'Zenshin' has done the following action : Dices roll

'Monster Dice' :

After the noises subsided, Zenshin stood back up straight, shaking his head from the sheer intensity of the noises he had just heard, if I don't get out of this forest, I am eventually going to lose my mine... This could break the toughest of men, no doubt. Zen walked blindly through the ocean of trees, searching for what was impossible, the thing stalking him. He wasn't planning on actually finding it, he was just planning on being prepared when it finally decided to rear its horrifying head and try and kill him like it did the others. Zenshin had never felt such a way before, so, terrified would be the right word, by something that he couldn't even see, just what left and came to the corners of his eye. Turning around after hearing a loud noise, he realized that some pebbles were being flung in his direction, probably those damned poltergeists again.

The member 'Zenshin' has done the following action : Dices roll

'Monster Dice' :

Zenshin was able to take a breather, as the paranormal happenings were slowing down a bit, this wave consisting of just some echoing laughter from behind a thicker part of trees. When I'm glad that the whatever is going on here has limited itself to making me beyond paranoid, there is a big problem. "Throw anything you have at me forest! You can't break me! No one can!" Zen yelled pointlessly at the top of his lungs, trying to convince himself more than the forest. And now I am yelling things into the wind to try and convince myself that I am not going to go crazy inside the forest. I can almost feel the controversy... Slowly breathing in, then out, he decided he was ready for whatever else this forest had to throw at him. Well, I won't be ready for whatever it is that's following me if I don't start moving now.

The member 'Zenshin' has done the following action : Dices roll

'Monster Dice' :

Breaking into a quick jog, he looked around for anything suspicious, well, suspicious by the standards of this forest anyways, but nothing. He had just been running around through thick fog for what seemed like hours, doing something that he shouldn't be, just to satisfy his curiosity. Then again, it wasn't like the monsters of his mind and the forest itself were giving him much choice in the matter. His biggest wonder was why on Earth did the package come to him specifically, was it the demon's way of reeling in its victims. Probably, that makes the most sense... Zen thought as he walked along the straight path before being tapped in the back of the head by what seemed to be a tentacle. Startled once again, Zen jerked his entire body around, his arm out and already shooting a barrage of ice shuriken, only for them to hit the trees, nothing was there.

The member 'Zenshin' has done the following action : Dices roll

'Monster Dice' :

"Ice make, peregrine falcon! I'm outta here!" he said while spreading his arms behind him while sprinting forward, the falcon flaying out a magic circle between his arms behind him. Raising his right arm, he grabbed its wing and flew up, up high, even higher until he heard a loud, thundering noise from above, forcing his falcon to dive down through the mist that now surrounded them. Now back at the forest floor, he heard the screeching in both ears, causing him to hunch forward again covering his ears.

While this happened, three invisible tentacles grabbed hold of his legs and dragged him into a nearby bush, Zen powerless to stop them. "No! Get off!" he screamed before being dragged out of sight of the road. .......... the site mortified of the grotesquely empty this in front of him. Zen had just came face to face with the disproportional monstrosity that had always watched from a distance. its hollow eyes staring into his very being. Before he could push it away, the thing put its fingerless hand against his neck and pushed him down to the ground. Vision blurry for a moment, Zenshin blinked and it was gone, leaving him there, shocked.

The member 'Zenshin' has done the following action : Dices roll

'Monster Dice' :

Zenshin was seriously spooked by that, it was almost as if the forest was getting more and more hostile towards him, leading up to the point where the stalker finally reveals itself and finishes the job. Quickly stumbling to get of off the ground and brush the dirt off him, he decided not to use any more spells unless he absolutely had to, thinking that that was the reason he was attracting more attention. After a while, he felt a small object hit him in the back, and before he knew it, he was surrounded by the screams of the condemned and being pelted by rocks at the same time, all the while thinking how this was all just an illusion and how this forest wasn't going to break his mind before his dark ice. I just have to hold out a little longer, I can feel the thing closing in... it's... only a matter of time

The member 'Zenshin' has done the following action : Dices roll

'Monster Dice' :

Zenshin was not panting from all the mental strain he had been put under, but that was the price he had to pay to sate his curiosity. That was the price anyone had to be willing to pay for knowledge, their very life, and if they weren't willing to put their line on the line for the secrets held by ruins or parallel universes, they deserved to be ignorant. Zen believed strongly in that as one of the many things that drove him, like his loyalty to his guild, or his want to get stronger and become the greatest ice maker who ever lived. If I plan on making as big a name in the magic world as dad, I can't let this monster get to me, I have to keep pushing on he thought, re-strengthening his composure, even under the screeching voices that continued to follow him as well as the invisible tentacles whipping at his legs.

The member 'Zenshin' has done the following action : Dices roll

'Monster Dice' :

Pushing on, he felt three more of those damn tentacles starting to fling themselves quickly and snap as soon as they hit him, much like a whip, but this didn't bother Zenshin, oh no, not anymore. He was too focused, too determined to let these mere, 'illusions", get to him, this, "paranoia" he was feeling slowly, but surely faded. Zen knew that something was following him, he knew he wasn't seeing things, and he also knew that the moment it decided to jump out and attack him would be the moment that it would be its last and he would be free from this world that would probably end up to be some nightmare that he would wake up from. On his way through the thick fog that seemed to get thicker as time progressed, he saw one of those, "things" again, at the edge of his vision, triggering his flight repose, as Zenshin did NOT want to fight those creatures.

The member 'Zenshin' has done the following action : Dices roll

'Monster Dice' :

There was no sight of the disproportionate creature that frankly, scared the living daylights out of Zenshin, so he was glad about that. He was also pretty content that he felt he could conquer anything else that the Spooky Forest had to offer, whatever it was, he was ready for it. While walking between to parallel trees, he felt those things wrap around his wrists and ankles and secure them to both trees, leaving Zen dangling like an "X". The voices returned, but they weren't screams or screeches this time, no, that would be too predictable. This time, they were audible words, "You are going do die here. This is going to be your grave. I WILL break you" played over and over again for a few seconds until he felt the tentacles release. It's like it knew my resolve strengthened, so it tried harder to strain my mind... what exactly is this horrible place...

The member 'Zenshin' has done the following action : Dices roll

'Monster Dice' :

After that little, ordeal, he continued on, not phased by the voices as he was before, since they couldn't really do anything to him, they were just words, they were just empty threats made by an entity who fed off fear. At least, that's what he thought. Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through Zen's ears as the loudest of the screeches went through Zen's ears, rattling his head right to his brain while he felt a lot of small, but sharp cuts all over his body, enough to cause minor lacerations anyways. It's starting to get real violent. I can't believe that was so loud that I'm bleeding from my ears... At least I can still hear my thoughts he thought, slowly getting up but stumbling onto a nearby tree. Is that all you got? It can't be, what happened to all that stuff earlier? Can't beat my mind so you beat my body? You coward!