Description: After the close call in Majigen, Aranha and his sister find themselves transported just outside of Bastion Village. After he makes his report of what has been going on the street level of Majigen Series, he's given access to the Village and word that they would protect his sister, Aranha makes his preparations to return to Majigen.
Wherever evil doth raises its ugly head.
We shall be there to stop it.
Wherever a cry of help raises out from within the depths.
We shall reach out to pluck them out.
Such is the duty of the Full Moon Society, no matter where it may be, and no matter who it is that seeks their aid, they shall provide it to their best of their capacity.
An old promise, never forgotten; whisper my name into the feather and I shall come to your help, is fulfilled. Even from the bowels of the Hell on earth that is becoming Majigen, a bright light of moonlight descends from the heavens to engulf those who have spoken then name of the speaker of the Society. A blinding flash of light later, the owner of the feather, and whoever happens to be near him at the time, will find themselves in a place far removed from the turmoils of Metro City.
A dark forest, far more full of shadows than most, and yet strangely welcoming is their new sight. The dark blue sky can be seen just above, peeking from between the tree tops that cloud most of the view beneath. A strange but familiar sight indeed, perhaps something that had been seen in another life.
A crackle of light is seen just up ahead where a bonfire crackles and a man dressed in wolf skins sits behind on top of a small rock, dead gazeless eyes staring back.
When the pale moonlight descends upon Aranha and his sister Kelly in a location that didn't have it before, it was at this point that he realizes that Nightwolf truly meant what he said and that it wasn't just the ravings of a mad man.
Then again, after all the things that happened these past three weeks things became easier to believe. Plus after the predicament Aranha was in, believing it was something that he needed. Desperately so.
No longer in that eerie otherworldly light that didn't fit in the cityscape of Metro City the darkness of the forest is welcoming and the relief overtakes the exhausted, blood covered capoeirista to the point where he practically falls to knees. Yet he is still careful with his little sister who is just as bloody and possibly moreso.
It takes a few moments for Aranha to register the bonfire and the man wearing wolf skins close by. But fatigue and pain from the fight with Tessitore had caught up with him and needs a few moments to rest before he rises to his feet once more and carries his severely wounded sister to the campfire and after he gently places her down, he collapses back down to the ground again.
"Thank you."
Believing.
Such an integral part of this business, and there are currently so few that are willing to take that first leap of faith. Many potential warriors that could benefit greatly from the Society have the strength and the will, yet lack that one crucial aspect of true defenders of the realm. You have to believe, you have to see what is beyond your eyes.
If there's one good thing that has come from this Metro City incident, is that at least it has surely made a lot of people into believers.
Aranha would recognize the man in the wolf pelts easily enough, it is Nightwolf, who seems a tad stranger when he's not out there shirtless and in the ring. Few would guess that this guy is actually a professional fighter dressed as he is, though then again, he's clearly far more than what he appears.
"I knew you would come eventually." Says the shaman as he stands up and ambles around the fired. "You are hurt, come and sit close to the fire, we shall tend to your wounds." First things first, the two can talk about business after Aranha and his companion are put out of danger. Nightwolf doesn't even ask who is the girl that the capoeirista has brought along, he is here and that's all it matters.
The Sin Eater makes a gesture and from the shadows an actual tree starts to move, or a man? A man tree?
It's an Ent and it begins to approach the two guests of the Society with a stretched branch arm. "This is our healer, he will bind your wounds." Explains Nightwolf.
"No. I'll live."
He glances down towards the girl. "Please, take care of her first. She needs the help more than I do."
This is one of the rare exceptions to Aranha looking out for self before anyone else. More often than not, if one sees Aranha perform an act that on the surface seems selfless, it will be for the most self serving of reasons.
For a few moments he stares at the tree creature, not knowing what to make of it but as far as things go, he'd rather have the tree creature taking care of his sister than he would 'Dr.' Tessitore. After all she attacked both of them fiercely all in the name of forcing both to stay in Majigen. Kelly is barely hanging on because of the spider doctor. And there's no telling what she would do if they had stayed.
"While..." Is that a he, a she, an it? "Ummmm... While the healer takes care of my sister's wounds, I can at the very least tell my end of the story."
Nightwolf knows this about Aranha well enough, he can see things about the Capoeirista that aren't as evident to other people. Part of the reason why the shaman offered the chance to the young man to join the Society. He could see the real good in him through the tough veil of a thief that he had constructed around himself.
The Ent nods respectfully and gets to work on Aranha's sister first, slowly so she could adjust to his strange visage. Once given permission to approach, the Ent would hover his branch like limbs over her skin and slowly start to bind her wounds through what seemed magic. Blood would slide back inside, skin would stitch itself together, vitality would return and flow through her veins..
Nightwolf then turns to Aranha as the Ent gets to work and he nods. "I know much of your exploits in Metro City already. Some of our members have been working hard to push the forces of darkness back." Says the Shaman. "But by all means, tell me.."
"What did you see?"
"Well... There probably wasn't a report on what I had just escaped from."
He watches as some Kelly's residual blood that was left on him from when he was carrying her practically floats back inside of her. His mouth drops open for a few moments before he gets himself together long enough to actually get started on the story.
"When I first joined the Majigen series, it was only to find her. Apparently because they were publcizing the fights, Kelly knew I was down here looking for her and she was in turn looking for me. Both of our searches led us to Slam Masters Arena where people heading back to. But something wasn't right. Those returning looked as though they had some type of compulsion on them. They were as docile as sheep unknowingly heading to slaughter. There were people in tubes."
He reaches into his black drawstring backpack and pulls out a thermos of water starts sipping before closing it and putting back into his bag.
He continues on with the story. I saw one of the doctors poking her and causing her pain as she was trying corral her. So I attacked. As we fought, she eventually recognized me as the Champion of Majigen series which I apparently won on a technicality since I was unconscious when my final opponent conceded. And the prize was for me to be transformed by Jedah Dohma. Similar to how this doctor was transformed with her web spinning and spider legs, I guess. Now that I knew where my sister was I told her that I intended on leaving. The doctor attacked us both severely wounding us. I managed to secure an escape route and I didn't want to risk taking her on any longer and risk more blood loss out of my sister."
He slams his fist in the ground. "Some protector I managed to be. She attacked my sister because of me. Said the best doctor available in the area was her and that I would have no choice but to stay."
Nightwolf nods thoughtfully and rubs his chin, white eyes narrowing from under his wolf hood.
He had indeed not heard of these incidents that Aranha told him. Though the allies of the Society are many, he had only heard of Cage and Hayabusa's exploits, those of who still have their feathers with them and are active. These were grim news indeed, but also very informational, since it helps Nightwolf greatly to know just who exactly is behind this and who is he working with.
He takes a deep breath and tells Aranha of what he himself knows.
"I've fought Jedah Dohma before, and I can tell you first hand he is a formidable opponent." Well, that's reassuring. "Though still in the realm of being bested. Although he put a fierce battle, it was he who got the worst of the encounter when we last fought. This darkness can be defeated, as well as whoever he is working now." The Apache looks up, staring at Aranha's face.
"You saved your sister's life and she can have safety with us. That much should make you thankful."
"Take heart, Aranha. Though the forces of darkness seem poised to consume us all, you have chosen wisely in heeding my summons. There far stronger forces that even these dark lord Jedah."
"Take a look at this." Nightwolf turns and walks a few steps away from Arahna, putting his hands up and placing them on what seems to be the air itself. However, something looks and seems odd, the air itself ripples as if Nightwolf was touching a body of water, suspended in the air.
The shaman's hands slide sideways and it's like he's moving a curtain of reality. The trees and the lands part to give way to a large village hidden behind an illusion, a massive oriental like building standing at the very center. A village that seems to be full of.. monsters.
"These are those who deny Jedah's claim. Not all whom are labeled as Darkstalkers have evil in their heart. Just as humans do not all ascribe to the darkness within us."
"You and your sister can always find safe haven here with us. No harm shall come to either of you. No matter who seeks to threaten you."
"For my sister, haven here may be temporary. She still has a life... Wait... He pulls out his cellphone looks at it for a moment... We're in Japan?"
The look on his face starts out in disbelief but when he thinks back to all the recent events, he just rolls with it. He's starting to get used to the idea that from here on out, weird is going to be his new normal.
He then glances around the village of Darkstalkers who clearly don't default to kill all humans on sight. It's a lot to take in for him but then he realizes he still needs to respond.
"Haven here for my sister won't be that easy. She still has a life in Metro City. She has school and foster parents that care about her. I hope they're okay."
His concern for his sister spills over to concern for them. After all, they looked out for his sister, better than their own parents. And while Aranha was too old to be raised by them, he respected them because they treated his baby sister well.
"At the very least, she can stay here until things blow over."
"It never hurts to have an extended family." Nightwolf responds quickly, aware that fully immersing into the life of the Society is not beneficial for everyone, particularly many of them who are very much human. Johnny Cage and the Hayabusa are perfect examples of these, distant allies, while still pursuing their own agendas. After all, freedom and individual thought is what the Society advocates above most things, perhaps only surpassed by the need to defend Earthrealm.
Digging inside his pocket, Nightwolf extends another eagle feather to Aranha. "Give this one to your sister. It will mark her as one of us, and whenever she may be in trouble, we will come to protect her."
Then Nightwolf's white eyes focus on the Capoeirista, sharp eyes staring cautiously. "You on the other hand.."
"There is much potential within you, Dancing Spider. I sense, that you are aware of our plight as you too have suffered on the hands of today's modern culture. You have struggled as we have struggled.. as I personally have too." It goes far beyond being just a Darkstalker, humans can be incredibly cruel to one another after all, sometimes for something as simple as skin pigmentation.
"You belong in our midst. I have known so for some time. Fight with us, Aranha, share our ways with us. I see in you the potential to become a legendary defender of Earthrealm. The darkness that has engulfed Metro City is naught but a taste of things to come, and we would be that much stronger working together."
"Will you join us?"
Aranha is silent for a while as he takes this all in. In all honesty, him accepting that second feather on behalf of his sister was all he needed to indicate his acceptance. When it comes down to it he values his sister's welfare more than anything in the world. More than any of the money he stole in his youth, more than jewel he stole Cannes, more than the power that Jedah Dohma was offering.
"I find these terms acceptable. I just ask that as soon as I recover, I'm sent back there. I have some business to finish back there."
The capoeirista is quiet once more though his fists curl into a tight ball with his nails digging into his skin. He has a strong desire to go back and raise a little hell of his own.
"And by the way, fuck being a legend. Legends are too well known. If I'm an unknown quantity, these fuckers won't see me coming until it's too late."
There's another nod and even a ghost of a smile on Nightwolf's otherwise somber face. "You remind me a lot of me when I was your age." Says the shaman in a not so cryptically fashion. He waves his hand over Aranha and the feather he has glows blue for a moment before returning to normal. "You are now one of us, Aranha. I bid you welcome to the Society of the Full Moon."
"May we grow stronger together."
The Ent announces that he's done healing up Kelly and if Aranha could just -stop- punching the ground for a moment, he'll be more than happy to heal him up as well. "That is more than acceptable." Answers Nightwolf to the eager Capoeirista. "I will inform our elements in Metro City that they now have a new ally."
"I myself would assist you in this journey, but there are matters here that I must attend to." Nightwolf feels that is better not to tell Aranha about the Hunters Guild encroaching on them just yet. It would just needlessly worry him, if he understands the perils at all.
Then there is a chuckle from the shaman when Aranha claims he wants nothing to do with the fame that comes from being a Hero.
"Good." Nightwolf says mysteriously.
"Most of us Defenders of Earthrealm remain unknown for all our lives and even beyond it."
"You'll fit right in."
Log created on 13:38:04 04/28/2015 by Aranha, and last modified on 08:25:22 04/29/2015.