Post by Tim Curry on Dec 27, 2010 19:44:48 GMT -5
(OOC: Check the plot discussion thread for the general storyline of this arc.)
The wind softly caressed the city, causing material to sway and cracks to whistle.
It was the dead of night, the crescent moon was the only source of illumination on the outside of the castle.
It shone brightly though when looked at it was revealed that it was a crimson moon, striking yet harrowing.
It was almost as if the heavens themself had arranged themself in order to warn those below of the birth of a demon.
Zansatsu stood atop a building in the shadow of the castle, looking up at the imposing silhouette of the stronghold.
The guard were watching out for trouble while pacing back and forth.
The walls were at least 50 meters up with the only entrance being the front gate. It had been designed to ward off those outside it's walls but once you have entered it is very inviting, tempting you to go further in.
Zansatsu was not intimidated by it's overbearing presence, rather this only fueled his will to gain entrance as it made it all the more likely to contain the riches that Zansatsu had been informed about.
According to rumour there is a Jewel purer than spring water and larger than a boulder.
It's magnificence is enough to enthrall any man, it was even used as a test of a mans loyalty in the old days.
But it was housed in the royal chambers inside a case made of near impenetrable transparent metal.
Zansatsu didn't worry about how he was going to get the Jewel, he only worried as to how he could transport it.
If it's size matched up to rumours then it would be very hard to carry with haste.
But with only as much information as he had Zansatsu could hardly set up plans lest they be thrown aside once the true situation is revealed.
Certainly Zansatsu speculated, but he made sure not rely on them, instead use them to speed up the inception of any future plot.
Satisfied that he was sufficiently prepared, Zansatsu made his way towards the wall he was closest to.
This first obstacle was relatively easy to overcome, using a set of sturdy knives Zansatsu began scaling the walls vertically.
He kept as silent as was possible and wore a black cape so that he could blend into the shadow of the wall if any guards were to look down.
He kept a cloth above the two knives so that they could not reflect the light of the moon and reveal his position.
After roughly 40 minutes Zansatsu reached the top of the wall and carefully looked out for any guards on patrol.
As luck would have it the guard was at the furthest position on his route from where Zansatsu got up, so he had plentiful time to get his bearings on the area.
He looked around and spotted what was likely to be the royal chambers.
There was a balcony jutting out from a reasonably tall chunk of the castle with banners flowing down from it.
Most likely this was where the king engaged in his royal speeches to the citizens and as such was connected to his room.
Zansatsu would have to get down there first as it was both on the other side of the castle and a good 20 meters down from the wall.
He might just make that descent without too much damage due to his agility but it would certainly be loud enough to alert anyone nearby.
The balcony was a further 15 meters down from the roof of the building, making it difficult to climb down to.
As such going up to it would likely be the only option left.
While the outside of the walls had been purposely paved over in order to stop people climbing it the inner side of the walls offered many cracks and crevices to be used as footholds, the problem was that it would take another while.
Luckily Zansatsu had allowed for this possibility by starting the invasion earlier than necessary.
While his stamina was now being tried Zansatsu descended much swifter than he ascended, which was good as it left less of a window for him to be spotted.
Zansatsu dropped to his feet and entered a creeping position so as to not alert the guards.
Overall the operation was going smoothly but that could turn around without warning as luck is a fickle woman.
Taking care to avoid any guards Zansatsu soon came upon the balcony and quietly climbed over the Bannister.
It was just as the rumour suggested, the jewel and the security system were just so.
As a man void of feelings Zansatsu felt no greed while looking upon the jewel, rather he saw opportunity as the money gained from selling it would go to good use.
However a strange sensation swept through Zansatsu, he felt an insatiable curiosity towards the jewel, almost as if he and it were one and the same.
Zansatsu involuntarily walked towards it until he was but a foot away.
Zansatsu had to consciously keep his breaths short and silent as he looked through the case.
Upon closer inspection a peculiar character was revealed of the jewel, it had a hollow center though it was mostly pure ruby.
Zansatsu then realized the connection he felt with the jewel, it was hollow inside, just as he was.
He was suddenly snapped out of his trance as a shout came from a doorway to the side of the room.
It was the voice of the king, he had seen Zansatsu through the mirror positioned so that the king could keep watch over the Ruby at all times, even while in bed.
At this noise two guards burst through the door at the other side of the room, directly parallel to the kings chamber.
By the time the guards were inside Zansatsu was already sprinting for the balcony, bracing himself for the drop down.
He guessed that it was about 15 meters down to the ground, give or take.
It wouldn't be too bad as long as he rolled properly but it certainly wasn't going to be easy either.
Hesitation in that moment would have killed him, luckily he stayed cold as always and leapt without hesitation, performing the roll perfectly.
It stung for a while and then went numb soon afterwards but it could have been a hell of a lot worse.
Zansatsu made a perfect transition from rolling to standing and sprinting as the guards shouted out behind him.
The gate was locked down but this was all part of the emergency escape plan, Zansatsu ran towards the tower containing the spiral staircase up to the top of the wall.
Chased all the way, Zansatsu had nearly reached the level of the wall only to find his path blocked by a brutish guard.
Without feeling even a hint of remorse he threw a blade inbetween the eyes of the guard only to kick him in the stomach and use him as a step, leaping and increasing his speed towards the edge of the wall.
For this to work he would need every bit of speed he could get.
He quickly thought to himself that he should have tested this out beforehand but there was no time for retrospect.
Zansatsu stepped on the raised side desgined to stop people falling off the wall and pushed off it with all his might.
Zansatsu glided gracefully upwards for a moment, leaving his pursuers in awe, until he began to descend.
At this moment Zansatsu stretched out his specially desgned cloak and continued gliding, though descending at a rapid speed all the same.
He continued to bolt onwards and downwards until he was mere feet above the ground, as luck would have it the contraption did not break during the descent, though it had gotten close near the end.
The speed at which he was going down was worrying however and his legs were already damaged from the previous drop.
Zansatsu made a descision and released the connection between the two wooden structures beneath the cloak, causing it to collapse into itself.
Just as he did this he moved hi weight forward and began his roll in mid air, this time he landed on his shoulder, tearing clothing and skin from it, and then continued to roll uncontrollably until he fell flat out onto his back.
Zansatsu looked up at the moon as the crimson shade faded to a white.
"Well that could have gone better."
The wind softly caressed the city, causing material to sway and cracks to whistle.
It was the dead of night, the crescent moon was the only source of illumination on the outside of the castle.
It shone brightly though when looked at it was revealed that it was a crimson moon, striking yet harrowing.
It was almost as if the heavens themself had arranged themself in order to warn those below of the birth of a demon.
Zansatsu stood atop a building in the shadow of the castle, looking up at the imposing silhouette of the stronghold.
The guard were watching out for trouble while pacing back and forth.
The walls were at least 50 meters up with the only entrance being the front gate. It had been designed to ward off those outside it's walls but once you have entered it is very inviting, tempting you to go further in.
Zansatsu was not intimidated by it's overbearing presence, rather this only fueled his will to gain entrance as it made it all the more likely to contain the riches that Zansatsu had been informed about.
According to rumour there is a Jewel purer than spring water and larger than a boulder.
It's magnificence is enough to enthrall any man, it was even used as a test of a mans loyalty in the old days.
But it was housed in the royal chambers inside a case made of near impenetrable transparent metal.
Zansatsu didn't worry about how he was going to get the Jewel, he only worried as to how he could transport it.
If it's size matched up to rumours then it would be very hard to carry with haste.
But with only as much information as he had Zansatsu could hardly set up plans lest they be thrown aside once the true situation is revealed.
Certainly Zansatsu speculated, but he made sure not rely on them, instead use them to speed up the inception of any future plot.
Satisfied that he was sufficiently prepared, Zansatsu made his way towards the wall he was closest to.
This first obstacle was relatively easy to overcome, using a set of sturdy knives Zansatsu began scaling the walls vertically.
He kept as silent as was possible and wore a black cape so that he could blend into the shadow of the wall if any guards were to look down.
He kept a cloth above the two knives so that they could not reflect the light of the moon and reveal his position.
After roughly 40 minutes Zansatsu reached the top of the wall and carefully looked out for any guards on patrol.
As luck would have it the guard was at the furthest position on his route from where Zansatsu got up, so he had plentiful time to get his bearings on the area.
He looked around and spotted what was likely to be the royal chambers.
There was a balcony jutting out from a reasonably tall chunk of the castle with banners flowing down from it.
Most likely this was where the king engaged in his royal speeches to the citizens and as such was connected to his room.
Zansatsu would have to get down there first as it was both on the other side of the castle and a good 20 meters down from the wall.
He might just make that descent without too much damage due to his agility but it would certainly be loud enough to alert anyone nearby.
The balcony was a further 15 meters down from the roof of the building, making it difficult to climb down to.
As such going up to it would likely be the only option left.
While the outside of the walls had been purposely paved over in order to stop people climbing it the inner side of the walls offered many cracks and crevices to be used as footholds, the problem was that it would take another while.
Luckily Zansatsu had allowed for this possibility by starting the invasion earlier than necessary.
While his stamina was now being tried Zansatsu descended much swifter than he ascended, which was good as it left less of a window for him to be spotted.
Zansatsu dropped to his feet and entered a creeping position so as to not alert the guards.
Overall the operation was going smoothly but that could turn around without warning as luck is a fickle woman.
Taking care to avoid any guards Zansatsu soon came upon the balcony and quietly climbed over the Bannister.
It was just as the rumour suggested, the jewel and the security system were just so.
As a man void of feelings Zansatsu felt no greed while looking upon the jewel, rather he saw opportunity as the money gained from selling it would go to good use.
However a strange sensation swept through Zansatsu, he felt an insatiable curiosity towards the jewel, almost as if he and it were one and the same.
Zansatsu involuntarily walked towards it until he was but a foot away.
Zansatsu had to consciously keep his breaths short and silent as he looked through the case.
Upon closer inspection a peculiar character was revealed of the jewel, it had a hollow center though it was mostly pure ruby.
Zansatsu then realized the connection he felt with the jewel, it was hollow inside, just as he was.
He was suddenly snapped out of his trance as a shout came from a doorway to the side of the room.
It was the voice of the king, he had seen Zansatsu through the mirror positioned so that the king could keep watch over the Ruby at all times, even while in bed.
At this noise two guards burst through the door at the other side of the room, directly parallel to the kings chamber.
By the time the guards were inside Zansatsu was already sprinting for the balcony, bracing himself for the drop down.
He guessed that it was about 15 meters down to the ground, give or take.
It wouldn't be too bad as long as he rolled properly but it certainly wasn't going to be easy either.
Hesitation in that moment would have killed him, luckily he stayed cold as always and leapt without hesitation, performing the roll perfectly.
It stung for a while and then went numb soon afterwards but it could have been a hell of a lot worse.
Zansatsu made a perfect transition from rolling to standing and sprinting as the guards shouted out behind him.
The gate was locked down but this was all part of the emergency escape plan, Zansatsu ran towards the tower containing the spiral staircase up to the top of the wall.
Chased all the way, Zansatsu had nearly reached the level of the wall only to find his path blocked by a brutish guard.
Without feeling even a hint of remorse he threw a blade inbetween the eyes of the guard only to kick him in the stomach and use him as a step, leaping and increasing his speed towards the edge of the wall.
For this to work he would need every bit of speed he could get.
He quickly thought to himself that he should have tested this out beforehand but there was no time for retrospect.
Zansatsu stepped on the raised side desgined to stop people falling off the wall and pushed off it with all his might.
Zansatsu glided gracefully upwards for a moment, leaving his pursuers in awe, until he began to descend.
At this moment Zansatsu stretched out his specially desgned cloak and continued gliding, though descending at a rapid speed all the same.
He continued to bolt onwards and downwards until he was mere feet above the ground, as luck would have it the contraption did not break during the descent, though it had gotten close near the end.
The speed at which he was going down was worrying however and his legs were already damaged from the previous drop.
Zansatsu made a descision and released the connection between the two wooden structures beneath the cloak, causing it to collapse into itself.
Just as he did this he moved hi weight forward and began his roll in mid air, this time he landed on his shoulder, tearing clothing and skin from it, and then continued to roll uncontrollably until he fell flat out onto his back.
Zansatsu looked up at the moon as the crimson shade faded to a white.
"Well that could have gone better."