Hunting At Night [solo/job]

Spoiler:

Azix Niraj, the disgraced former Zou Prince, was wandering the streets of Reim at night. He wore a long cloak over his usual attire. A black shirt and pants covered his body, his feet laced with boots padded to muffle his steps. A face mask covered his neck up to his nose, a black eye patch over his left eye. His left eye was an inky purple orb, the result of a failed attempt to change his eye color when he was younger. The cloak's hood cast a shadow over the rest of his face. At his hip, Azix carried his Deviant and his Staff of Refraction hidden within the folds of the cloak.

He was passing through the business district when he heard people shouting. Azix turned to the source, following several other curious people. As he rounded a corner, Azix saw a shop owner talking with a pair of guards.

"It was that thieving Dormunga Creeper! He stole one of my red rubies! Why won't you guards do anything about it?" The shop owner was clearly distressed.

"Settle down! We have been looking but no one can ever find it," One of the guards replied in a gruff tone.

People in the crowd murmured, concerned that the Dormunga Creeper had struck again. Azix had heard rumors about the small black creature as of late, but thought it was a fable. Now, he wasn't so sure, but Azix intended to find out. If he found the creature, Azix thought he could get a hefty sum for the find. Where would the creeper go with the ruby though?

Azix began searching the back alleys within a three block radius, thinking it might be close by. If it was, it would be hard to find during the night. If anything, if it still carried the ruby, light might glint off of it, revealing the creeper. Several guards seemed to be searching the area and Azix made sure to keep himself tucked in the shadows as they passed by, not wanting to be noticed.

[342/1500 word count]

Azix heard a skittering noise as he came to an empty lot behind a building along the alley. Taking a closer look, Azix noticed the glint of an object behind some boxes. Approaching closer, he reached an arm behind the boxes and heard an angry warble. A creature turned its head around, glaring with red sparkling eyes at the orange magician. Azix gasped in surprise at seeing the Dormunga Creeper with the ruby in his hands. With a sound near a hiss, it let out a fart before melding into the wall. Azix was astounded but he didn't have much more time to react before the most revolting smell hit his nostrils. Even through the mask around his nose and mouth, it seeped through, causing him to start heaving. Thankfully, he was able to pull down his mask in time before copious amounts of vomit began spewing from his stomach.

The Dormunga Creeper's gas overpowered the rancid smell of stomach acid and undigested food, but the wet splattering sounds it made as it hit the ground sickened Azix further. His spine seemed to convulse in horror at the sight of body fluids, causing him to spew more vomit. He dropped to his hands and knees in an expanding puddle of vomit at the force of his violent eruptions. Prayers were made to many gods as he continued to chokingly breath in the noxious fumes in between his heaving.

[580/1500 words]

Dormunga Creeper:

Azix curled into a ball atop the filmy, chunky puddle in agony. Mentally, physically and emotionally Azix was disgusted. An idea surfaced from the back of his mind that laying within the smell would make things worse. Azix began to intermittently crawl away from the smell, heading towards the alley, in between discharges.

He didn't get far before the Dormunga Creeper appeared again, a shimmer of light passed over its creepy red eyes. With a warbling sound it made a flying kick to Azix's face, but was stopped from the magician's Borg. It promptly shattered but it seemed to have discouraged the creeper. With an angry noise, the creeper took off into the shadows to retrieve the ruby, and ran down the alley. Azix began to crawl towards it, but vomited again.

[712/1500 words]

After either crawling far enough or the smell dissipated, Azix was able to breath properly again without making himself further sick. He removed his cloak, cleaning himself up the best he could with what was still clean on the cloak. Normally, he would be overcome with such disgust he would have to go home, but the Dormunga Creeper had made this personal. Azix was extremely agitated with the little creature now and was determined to kill it.

He continued in the direction that he had last seen the creeper head, keeping an eye on the walls and shadows. Azix now knew that the creature had the ability to meld into the walls, as well as the shadows and that the smell of its fart was disgusting. He suppressed a shudder and dismissed the memories, Azix need his full attention on finding the Dormunga Creeper. Azix slid his Staff of Refraction from a loop on his leather belt. The oak staff was a meter and a half long, two serpents wrapped around each other up to an orange gem that they held in their fangs.

If the creature was prone to use the shadows as cover, Azix decide to remove them as an obstacle. Azix whispered some commands to the Rukh, conjuring his Flicker spell above his staff. Magoi streamed from his staff to form a blue orb of light, lighting up the path and pushing the shadows back. As an orange magician, Azix had an affinity with the light, recently discovering shadow magic, so he had experience with them. His work as an espionage agent also assisted with his knowledge of the shadows.

As he wandered through the alley, he thought he heard a noise. Preparing himself, he kept his staff in one hand and held his nose with the other, he wasn't sure if that would even help. He started to edge around a corner when he noticed a small black spot on the wall. It appeared to be a shadow, but Azix had a light shining on the wall. He started to move towards it before he heard an angry warble. The Dormunga Creeper burst from the wall into Azix's chest.

Azix fell backwards, hearing a bone crack from the force of the blow. The creeper began to skitter away, but Azix kept the light shining on it and quickly cast Kage Youshiki. A black shadowy mass flew to its feet forming a shadowy seal underneath it. It was engraved with dark purple light and stretched in a fifteen meter diameter. Fifteen tendrils grew from within the seal and Azix commanded them to bind the Dormunga Creeper.

They quickly tied the creature up, binding him for a few minutes while cutting into the creature's limbs where they wrapped around. A maddening urge threatened to take over Azix's psyche and it took Azix a moment to take control of it, ready for it this time. It was a strain to calm himself while maintaining the two spells but he managed, he was angry and determined enough to do it. Cautious to keep a ten meter distance, Azix looked upon the creature. It appeared that the creeper had hid the ruby, but that would be another matter to deal with.

Azix blinked when the creature vanished, but through the connection to the magoi, he still felt the creature within the tendrils. They still appeared to be curled around the creeper's limbs as well. Having a couple invisibility type spells himself, Azix figured the creature must have a similar ability as well. He was impressed the cunning creature had so many tricks up its sleeve.

With the surprise gone, Azix lifted his staff, aiming it at the creature. With a scowl on his face, Azix whispered more commands to the Rukh, forming a Piercing Light in front of the staff. The one meter beam of light shot towards the creature quickly from Azix's Staff of Refraction. The beam hit what Azix assumed was the center of the creeper's mass and it let out a howl. He could smell flesh burning and it continued to make loud, angry noises.

[1399/1500 words]

Dormunga Creeper:

Azix:

With Kage Youshiki sustained, Azix commanded the tendrils to cut deeper into the Dormunga Creeper's muscles, blood now flowing freely down the shadow constructs. Azix wasn't finished with the pesky creature yet though. He released the Flicker spell and began to cast Bright Beam. A wide beam of light formed in front of his staff and sped forward into the shadow spell and the creeper. It dealt further second degree burns to the creature and its cries died down as Azix heard a sizzling sound.

Checking that it was dead, he began searching for the ruby he had seen before. After a few moments of searching he located it and put it in a pocket. He slid his staff back into the loop on his leather belt and made his way to the shop owner.

When he arrived, the guards were gone and the shop keeper was closing up. Azix slid the ruby on the counter, "I took care of that pesky creature and returned the object he stole. I hope to never run into one of those again." The shop owner looked wide eyed at Azix, unsure how to react to the vomit stains along the magician's mouth and clothes. He slid some money out and handed it to Azix, thanking him profusely for his kindness. Accepting the money, Azix nodded and began the long walk home to bathe.

[exit]
[1500+/1500]
[145/250 magoi]

Azix: