Subnixus - The changing planet

*Ni-Ni, however, takes out a sterile medicine spoon, made of an improvised stainless steel*

*She begins eating extremely quickly*

Ni-Ni: Tasty~

*Tim begins the trek down the mountain*

[ Kernian Sea: ]

Sieg: ... *Gently lowers bowl, spoon still floating in the soup* ...

*Folding his legs and staring down, he thinks Rain's question over and over in his head*

Sieg: ...Honestly...I have no idea. No clue as to where I was born and raised, at least... *Tongue darts out, then back in*

*Looking up at the sky blankly, he continues in a slow, quiet voice*

Sieg: ...My furthest back memories come back in nightmares...Of my exile... *Tail coils around* ...

*He briefly looks at Rain, before shifting his gaze to his tar-stained, stinging hands*

Sieg: ...Volcanic tunnels...I had to eat rats and fungus...And I want two things...

*Looking to Ni-Ni, then back to Rain, he speaks in a firmer voice*

Sieg: ...I want to know who ordered me exiled...Something...

*He gives a quiet hiss, tail seizing a bit, before eventually finishing*

Sieg: ...Something, buried deep in my memory...Doesn't fit.

*Falling silent, he goes back to eating*

*Rain smiles*

Rain: "Sounds similar to my story. I want to find out who made me forget everything, and why. Perhaps we are looking for the same person? We'll have to ask a Guardian once we find one..."

*he continues eating silently, waiting for the thought to seep into the minds of his newfound comrades*

[ Kernian Sea: ]

Sieg: ... *Rubs at head* ...

*Finishing his soup, he heads over to the railing*

Sieg: ...My memory is not...Wholly erased. I remember certain experiences...

*Peering down into the water, he seems to be looking for something*

Sieg: ...A name...Is... *Pauses* ...A name is sticking in my head...Sometimes, I get bits and pieces that don't amount to anything. In fact, that's what usually happens...

*Tongue flicking out and back in, he scowls at the stinging which he's just now noticing again*

Sieg: ...Is there some kind of sea beast named..."M'rullu?"

*He holds the side of his head, looking very confused about his thoughts*

Sieg: I'm seeing...Pincers...Fins...Horns...Something doesn't feel right...I can't...

*Sighing loudly, he slams his fist onto the railing in anger*

Sieg: I remember...Folk tales like this. Sometimes it's an immediate danger...Sometimes it doesn't matter until weeks later...There's several of these 'flashes' that haven't bothered me once physically all this time after awakening.

*With another sigh, he curls up in his corner - He gazes out balefully*

Sieg: Cheh. You must find me a madman...From what I can piece together, I was some kind of 'genius.'

*He gives a wry chuckle, pinching the bridge of his nose exasperatedly*

Sieg: ...I doubt that I am or ever was a 'genius.' Were it not for you two, I would have died a loser dog death at sea.

*Lowering his hand, he stares at his palm hatefully*

Sieg: And why would I have bit it like some weak, loser dog? Because I didn't think to read a damned map.

*Popping his neck a bit, he lays down on his side languidly*

Sieg: Well, I'm sure neither of you hold a desire to hear my whimpering all this evening.

*Moving a lock of hair away from his eye, he looks between Ni-Ni and Rain*

Sieg: ...Where are you two headed?

...

OOS: I figure we'll run into a sea monster eventually. If not now, then maybe later.

I'll hold onto the name in case you like the sound of it.

M'kay~?

[ Kernian Sea: ]

Ni-Ni: We're headed for Kerna, then we go across Hie and arrive at Nharvarda.

*She giggles and finishes her food*

Ni-Ni: Okay, my blades are thirsty, what is there to fight?

*She looks out at the vast sea*

Ni-Ni: Might be mermen, juuuuust might be... Lets see-

*She pulls out what seem like some vibrator tongs connected to some earplugs, and both puts the tongs into the water and sticks the earplugs into her ears*

OOS: Don't worry, she isn't just pulling this stuff from midair, I forgot to mention that she hasn't discarded her med-pack from when she was disguised as a nurse.

Ni-Ni: Ahhh... Yeah, those are mermen alright... Two big ones...

*She springs back from looking over the ship and looks up at the other two*

Ni-Ni: So who wants to kill some mermen with me? They got some pretty good loot~

[ Kernian Sea: ]

Sieg: *Rises up, drawing an object*

*It appears to be a fairly large kukri dagger*

Sieg: Count me in. Killing things always makes me feel better after a crap day.

*Flicking his tongue out, he lightly feathers it across his kukri's blade*

Sieg: Especially with knives. I like knives. They make me feel all...Tingly.

*Done inspecting his knife, he steps over closer to Ni-Ni*

Sieg: What's the strategy? Do we kill a seagull and use it as fishing bait? Can you do a convincing mermaid song?

*Peering into the water, he seems to be watching something; however, his eyes have clear squint*

Sieg: ...I draw a clear line at hostages. Honestly, let's wait and see if they attack first.

*Etching some kind of designs into the railing, he muses quietly*

Sieg: In my experience...Some mermen are little more than beasts, while some are leaps and bounds smarter than the common human. Let's see whether these are the rampaging animal distinction.

*He continues etching in the railing*

[Kernian sea:]

Ni-Ni: Strategy?

*Ni-Ni laughs loudly and steps up onto the edge of the boat*

Ni-Ni: These have to be the dummest humanoids in this area, Harpies keep them as pets sometimes.

*She pauses*

Ni-Ni: Now if they were mermaids, we would be in trouble, but, seeing as this isn't mermaid season-

*Ni-Ni does a double backflip off of the boat and crashes into the water*

*Rain finishes his soup, and looks at the others*

Rain: "You're fighting something that hasn't threatened you......I don't understand...."

[ Kernian Sea: ]

Sieg: ... *Flicks tongue out* ...

*He sighs, leaping up onto the railing*

Sieg: I hate sea water. *Takes a plunge downward*

*Dropping into the water, he looks around*

Sieg: *Searches for Ni-Ni*

[ Kernian sea, underwater: ]

*Ni-Ni glides into Seig's view and pulls a silly face*

Ni-Ni: *Bubbling noises*

*Two large mermen can be seen below, they seem to have not noticed Ni-Ni and Seig, and they continue talking to each other in mermish tongue*

*Ni-Ni points to the two big, burly Mermen and makes a cut-throat action, giggling and turning away*

*She slowly sinks downwards and pulls out her two dancer's chakrams*

[ Kernian Sea: ]

Sieg: *Sigh* I'm starting to regret this...

*He proceeds to inhale several deep breaths, before holding it*

*With that, he sinks below the water and proceeds to swim downwards, towards the Mermen*

Sieg: *Readies both kukri knives, eyes narrowed...*

*Wilder walks out of the hospital studying his tome, and when he glances up at the mountain, he sees someone climbing down*

Wilder: Will travellers curiousity never end?

*Starts flicking slowly through the book till he finds the right page, and holds out his left hand*

Wilder: Lux orbis, Dirige viam.

*An orb of light appears, shining brilliantly, and travels quickly to that person*

*Wilders projection emanates from the orb*

Wilder: Do you not know that this place is sacred and forbidden? Mount Auris should not be peaked at any time. Now, follow I will show you the way down.

*Rain stays silent in his chair, when a sudden thought occurs to him*

Rain: "Guardian....Guardians....must be stopped. Truth is not in tyranny."

*he stands on the table*

Rain: "Come at me Guardians, and see a true challenger!!"

[ Kernian sea: ]

*Ni-Ni silently takes down the left merman, most of the water around them immediately died red with blood*

Ni-Ni: Heheheh-

*Ni-Ni clamps down on the merman's neck with her chakrams, the head comes clean off*

*She begins spinning around, slicing at the merman's body at random intervals, in a few seconds all that is left is an unrecognizable cloud of blood and flesh*

Ni-Ni: *Giggles*

*The remaining merman wasn't looking at his friend when all this happened, he casually looks out into the deep water, completely oblivious to his surroundings*

...

[ Meanwhile on the boat: ]

*A voice can be heard all around the ship's surface*

???: Hah! You are either stupid or brave!

*The voice is suspiciously like a pirates, but distorted, as if a lower voice was talking at the same time*

???: Archyura likes a challenge! Tell ya what... I'll give you something special if you don't die. You don't have to win, you just have to be breathin' when it's over.

*The voice laughs heartily*

Archyura: Okay, a straight up fight, you three against me. If you survive against me for an extended period of time, the match ends and you get your prize.

*The water around the ship starts bubbling violently*

Archyura: Do we have a deal?

*Rain smiles*

Rain: "Yes, a deal."

*Unnoticed by Archyura, he crosses his fingers*

Rain: "While we wait for my comrades, I want answers, Guardian. Who am I?"

[ Underwater: ]

*The remaining merman is suddenly hit by a tremendous force*

Sieg: *Having slammed his tail into the base of the merman's spine, brings knives close to body*

*Next, he folds his legs up behind himself and coils his tail with them*

*In an eruption of bubbles, Sieg does an odd sort of kick to jet forward*

*All in all, the image of his lunge forward, tail whipping, and twin daggers plunging into the merman's back is strikingly reminiscent of a snake's lunge*

Sieg: *Swims away at high speed, listening to Archyura talking*

*Turning slowly, he tries to find the source of the voice while still watching the merman*

Sieg: *Thinking* Of course, if my memory - Dodgy as it may be - Serves, Archyura is Guardian of not only challenges, but also the sea...

*His eyes narrow and his tail curves in a semicircle around himself*

Sieg: *Thinking* ...How typical of him to arrive while I'm running out of oxygen in the sea.

*The snake beastman rapidly swims upwards, trying not to waste oxygen*

*Noting a disturbance in the water, he lashes the pursuing merman in the face with his tail*

Sieg: *Keeps his eyes on the surface*

[ Kernian sea: ]

Archyura: I cannot tell you who you are, for if I did, you would have changed so much that my idea of you would be wrong...

*Sieg is elevated out of the water, and flinged onto the ship's deck lazily*

Archyura: You two will face many a challenge in life, but in the end, those challenges will have crafted you into different people!

*Ni-Ni lazily bursts out of the water's surface, still having oxygen to spare*

Archyura: Hah! And the only one who remembers who she is, is two people altogether!

*Archyura gives a hearty laugh*

Archyura: Well, I might s'well reveal myself.

*A circular area of water, not a far distance from the ship, starts bubbling fiercely*

[ Aboard the Ship: ]

Sieg: ... *Sheathes his kukri daggers* ...

*From two horizontal sheathes - One on the front of his belt, one on the back - He draws two simple daggers*

Sieg: *Lightly kisses both blades* ...XXX-XX...XXXX-XX XXX-XXX. Amen.

*Having said that indecipherable prayer, he readies himself*

Sieg: Well, at least it seems I won't be bored with you two.

*He chuckles dryly*

Rain: "Likewise, Sieg. Now, Guardian, enough with the double talk. I am referring to my memories!"

[ Kernian sea: ]

Archyura: Hah! It seems it is not only yourself you have forgotten, but you have also forgotten how to respect your saviors...

*Archyura slowly rises from the surface of the water, around the same size of the ship (assuming that everyone remembers how Archyura looks), he chuckles croakily*

Archyura: Let me make another deal with you, you win, and I tell you who exactly you are...

*He gives another hearty laugh*

*Rain nods*

Rain: "Alright. And if I lose?"

*Meanwhile, Tim enters Kenn*

Archyura: Well, to be honest, YOU can only lose if ya die.

*He smirks*

Archyura: So that'll be the punishment, won't it? Death. You won't die if you manage to stay alive until time is up though, even if you don't beat me.

*Ni-Ni giggles*

Ni-Ni: Sounds like fun~! Heheh, she needs to see this...

*She switches to her blue haired form*

Ni-Ni: Hehehee~! This is gonna be fun~

[ Kernian Sea: ]

Sieg: Hsssss!!

*He suddenly takes a flying leap, slashing both knives randomly for Archyura's face*

*Briefly lashing his tail at Archyura's neck - Not checking to see whether either attack was at all successful - He dashes down Archyura's arm and leaps off of the claw*

*Landing with a harsh thud! on the deck, he rises up to a crouch with agonizing slowness*

Sieg: ...I sincerely apologize for interrupting you, Guardian Archyura. I have bad nerves...I assume that's part of the reason I was exiled, but I di - Hgh.

*Coughing quietly, he goes right back to speaking*

Sieg: ...Please, do go on. I doubt I have any more interesting a story than some common highwayman, and it's most rude to interrupt a superior while speaking. Once again, I apologize for forgetting myself - I'm normally not so rude...

*Flicking his tongue out, he immediately goes to observing Archyura's body*

Sieg: *Thinking* I can tell he has size and strength, and I doubt he'd be so feared if he didn't possess speed...

*Hissing softly, he suddenly gives a smile that clearly lusts for bloodshed and stretches literally from ear to ear*

Sieg: ...But we'll see if inertia holds true for physical deities.

*His tongue flicks out and remains there*

*Sclera turning black, Sieg clearly begins turning into something horrible*

*Every pore of his body oozes with bloodlust*

Sieg: Kufufufu...

*Rain nods*

Rain: "Alright, that's a great wager."

*he takes out his kunais*

Rain: "Your move."

[ Kernian sea: ]

*Both knives are severely blunted by Archyura's skin*

Archyura: *Chuckles* I guess I should make this a bit more fair...

*He shrinks down to human size and drops down onto the deck of the ship*

Archyura: Let's start then.

*He begins to move toward Rain first, his tentacles are not very good for moving on hard surfaces, so his progress is slow*

Ni-Ni: *Giggles* Not a quick one, are you?

*In a blink of an eye, the Chakram Ni-Ni threw at Archyura's neck is smashed away with a large claw*

[ Ship's Deck: ]

Sieg: *Tosses several caltrops before Archyura*

*Sheathing the daggers from before, he draws a pair of dirk knives*

*Lunging in, he slashes both for Archyura's tentacles*

Sieg: Hsss... *Tries to strike Archyura's face with his tail*

*He makes ready to leap away...*

*Rain takes out his rifle, and fires at Archyura's face*

*he jumps away*

[ Kernian sea: ]

Archyura: Hah!

*All attacks successfully hit Archyura, but after a few seconds, the guardian phases into a pool of water*

*The water starts to bubble violently, and three large tentacles come out, immediately lashing out at the three*

Ni-Ni: *Is caught* ... What the hell?

*The tentacle starts waving her around in the air, while the other two pursue Rain and Seig*

*Ni-Ni begins to cut through the tentacle with a chakram*

*Rain leaps away from the tentacle, and slashes at it with his longsword*

Rain: "Crap!"

[ On Deck: ]

Sieg: *Slashes dagger to try and keep the tentacle at bay*

*Meanwhile, he attempts to get an opening so that he can assist Ni-Ni*

Sieg: *Thinking* This form would be hard to finish off...But it's doable.

*He begins slashing with more ferocity, using both daggers*

Sieg: *Low hiss* I never thought I'd see such a squirming visage out of a Guardian.

*Leaping in, he plunges both knives down towards the main part of the tentacle*

Sieg: *Prepares to stab a few more times to be sure*