open Expedition into Uncharted Land

[HunterTSN 1,444]

@@Unicorncob,

@,

 

It wasn't long until the forest opened up into a small clearing, in the middle of which lay a small pool of shimmering water. Listening, she could still hear the shuffling of her followers as they struggled to keep up with her over the unfamiliar ground. Slowly she began to wade into the shallow pond, her hooves stirring up the silt that covered the bottom of the long undisturbed pool, the water lapping at her ankles and filling her with energy. The pain in her back left pastern faded instantaneously as it was submerged. By the time her short-term companions entered the glade, the water was already brushing against her belly. They needed only a single hoof to touch the water and it would be end-game. Still silent she watched them, waiting for them to join her.

Edited February 17, 2015 by HunterTSN

[Nameless Knight 1,001]

@@HunterTSN,

@@Unicorncob,  

 

Chronos stopped at the edge of the lake. If he steeped in there he would sink. "I am not getting in there, I will sink!" He said wondering why she went into the lake. He looked at the pony and before turned to Tyra "Don't go in... " He then looked at the water, something told him that this was clearly a trap. "You! why did you want us to follow you! Speak!" He yelled at the silent mare

[Unicorncob 5,694]

@

@@HunterTSN

 

"Why can I not step in?" Tyra inquired, narrowing her eyes at her rippling reflection below. She dangled a hoof over the water. "Is it poisonous? I would not be surprised."

 

She returned her hoof to solid ground and lowered her head slightly to the edge of the lake, peering closer back at herself. "It looks naught but regular clean spring water to me..."

[HunterTSN 1,444]

@@Unicorncob,

@, 

 

Nymphaea was starting to become frustrated by the armored stallion's stubbornness. Gradually she began to speak, slowly and cautiously so as to not stumble over the unfamiliar words. 

 

"The water... is... clean" she said firmly, unaware of the tiny flash of fang that appeared over her lip as she did so. She pawed the water in a beckoning motion.

[Nameless Knight 1,001]

@@HunterTSN,

"So you can speak... " He said before looking at the water "why did you lead us here?" He asked, he dipped his hoof in the water for a few seconds before quickly pulling it out. He looked at his hoof, nothing. The water seemed harmless... something in his mind said to not trust the mare but another part was saying that he was just paranoid. 

[Unicorncob 5,694]

@

@@HunterTSN

 

Tyra splashed at the water with her hoof, distorting her reflection. She felt a pleasant coolness from the droplets, which she quickly shook off. But not before taking an experimental lick of lake water.

"Perhaps she led us here for a drink?" She suggested with a shrug of the soldiers, "Though, I have the feeling she is even asking us to bathe with her." She added with another inquisitive tilt of the head.

[HunterTSN 1,444]

@@Unicorncob,

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Nymphaea growled, baring her snaggletoothed fangs angrily. With a flash, the perfect white coat was replaced by muddy green skin, the shimmering pearl mane and tail becoming knotted and unruly swamp weeds caked with muck and pond scum. In the blink of an eye the new creature went from the center of the pool to the edge, and before either of the ponies on the shore could react, the thing lunged the front-half of its body out of the churning water. Its teeth immediately went for the neck of of the stallion, fangs cleanly punching through the steel plating, however they stopped before reaching his flesh. Just as quickly as it jumped up, the creature recoiled, emitting an earsplitting and unnatural screech that pierced the forest for miles.

 

'I know that taste' Nymphaea thought bitterly as she retreated a short distance from the shore. 'Iron, he must be wearing some sort of iron shielding underneath his plate. Oh why can't things ever be easy for once?'

[Nameless Knight 1,001]

@@HunterTSN, 

Chronos quickly covered the holes in the chain mail on his neck with his hoof, she didn't bite into his throat which was good. He readied his sword and shield and put it up ready to attack the creature "What are you, beast!" He said. He no longer saw her as a mare but as a creature, an animal. He stepped back and had his sword pointing at her like a spear. He was surprised that she didn't just break through the chain mail if she could break through the steel plates.

[Unicorncob 5,694]

@@HunterTSN

 

Tyra narrowed her eyes at the creature and lifted the axe from her back.

"A foul shapeshifter!" She snarled through her teeth. She lowered herself back down, preparing to leap into the lake and challenge this new opponent single-hoofed. "You will be vanquished for your deceit, and nopony shall die of bathing at your hooves!"

[HunterTSN 1,444]

@@Unicorncob,

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Nymphaea cursed in a snakelike voice, a language with which neither of the explorers were familiar. The stallion was a lost cause, he was probably tough and stringy from carrying around so much armor anyway. The mare on the other hoof was rash, impulsive, and nonthreatening. Nymphaea slithered through the water silently as she began to move back towards the shore, hissing as if to dare her adversaries to join her in the water.

[Nameless Knight 1,001]

@@HunterTSN,

He took off his helmet to look the creature in the eyes. His head was covered in a chain mail coif (hood) 

@@Unicorncob, 

"Don't jump in the water... That is what she wants..." He said putting his hoof in front of Tyra to keep her from jumping in. "Stay on land... lets have her come to us" He said, smirking before putting back on his helmet and reading his weapons. "come out of the water, you snake!" He said, hopefully to tempt her into attacking.

[Unicorncob 5,694]

@

@@HunterTSN

 

Tyra gave an angry snort through her nose, not moving an inch but still obeying Chronos' direction. She knew he was right, that she was baiting her, but she'd challenged her! She couldn't just run away from a fight; what would her village think?!

 

Nonetheless, she stayed behind, but kept dragging a hoof on the grass like she was preparing to charge.

"You can walk on land like he and I! Face us on even ground, trickster!"

Edited February 18, 2015 by Unicorncob

[HunterTSN 1,444]

@,

@@Unicorncob,  

 

Nymphaea's eyes met the armored stallion's in an angry glare.

 

"Must you ruin all" she spoke in fragmented Equestrian, her dialect heavy with an unfamiliar accent. Suddenly she pounced without warning, her front hooves meeting the small mare square in the chest. Fortunately for the mare, Nymphaea overestimated her target's weight; instead of pulling the pony back into the pool as planned, both of them ended up rolling backwards onto the forest floor. Nymphaea lay on top, however she needed a moment to recover from the unexpected maneuver. 

Edited February 18, 2015 by HunterTSN

[Nameless Knight 1,001]

@@HunterTSN,

Chronos grabbed the kelpie and threw her off of Tyra. He then tackled Nympaea, he had his blade to her throat and said "stand down or I shall put your head on a pike in the middle of this lake!" He said, he was pinning her down so she could not get up to strike him, and he was ready to decapitate her. "now, shall you surrender peacefully or shall I spill your blood, You cur!!" He said, He  looked her in the eyes, He hoped not to do any avoidable killing, but if he had to, he would kill her.

 

(Just so you know; Chronos has a deep voice with a slight old English accent)

Edited February 18, 2015 by Times Hay

[Unicorncob 5,694]

@

@@HunterTSN

 

As soon as she was free, Tyra rolled onto her front and grabbed her axe in her teeth, smirking as she planned to attack the creature. She frowned and sighed through the hilt as she saw Chronos already had her pinned down. Another opportunity gone.

 

Instead, she trotted over to the two, and sat down next to them. She spat out her axe and positioned it upside down so her hooves were leaning on the hilt.

"I could have taken her myself," she pouted, glancing away, "but, my thanks to you regardless."

 

She looked down and met the kelpie's eyes. "A Shatterhoof does not go down so easily, creature. You'd be wise to remember that!"

Edited February 18, 2015 by Unicorncob

[HunterTSN 1,444]

@,

@@Unicorncob,  

 

((I want to apologize if this may seem OP. I'm trying to follow traditional kelpie lore to the best of my abilities, please let me know if I need to tone it down in future posts.))

 

Nymphaea needed only a second to recover from the shock of being tossed around by the heavy stallion. Making direct eye contact with the pony on top of her, Nymphaea's face split apart into a wide grin that put her many gnarled and uneven fangs on full display. 

 

"You're funny ponies" she hissed. Suddenly there was a whistling sound as the blade at her neck began to slowly sink into her throat, almost as if it was being swallowed by the rubbery green skin. The sword was held fast where it had fused with her body, almost as if she and it were forged from the same piece of steel. With surprisingly strength, the kelpie launched the fully armored stallion off of her chest and shot to her feet, the steel blade remaining attached at her neck. 

Edited February 18, 2015 by HunterTSN

[Nameless Knight 1,001]

@@HunterTSN, 

(it is okay)

 

 

Chronos got to his feet and used his magic to bring his sword back to him. "You are a beast of many tricks, at least I have a challenge..." Chronos said. He grinned, and sheathed his sword. He held his hoof out, pointing at the Kelpie's throat, "You will either die here like and animal or you will stand down, final warning..." He said lowering his hoof and unsheathed his sword. This creature was sentient, so it could possibly help him if this could be ended without blood shed. He raised his blade and looked at Tyra "Thank me later, just help me deal with this beast..."

[Unicorncob 5,694]

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Tyra hopped back onto her hooves and scooped her axe up back into her teeth. She leapt to a position which had the kelpie between herself and the lake, with Chronos at the side. She could easily tackle her should she try to run, and returning to the lake would just have her even more cornered!

 

The tiny mare shot the stallion a bemused look. "What do you think I've been trying to do?"

[HunterTSN 1,444]

@@Unicorncob,

@,  

 

So the pony was at least somewhat adept with magic, that made things a little more interesting. Still it would be impossible for the duo to kill one such as herself, at least not with the weapons they possessed. She smirked as she picked up certain words from the ponies' conversation.

 

"You want a deal?" she asked mockingly. "One leg, each. I have eaten nothing but fish and rabbits for many years" she continued with what could only be assumed was a chuckle.

Edited February 18, 2015 by HunterTSN

[Nameless Knight 1,001]

@@HunterTSN,

(Prepare for a giant! maybe this will defuse the situation)

"HA! good one... no" He said as he backed up, he bumped into something and when he looked behind him, he saw two trees. He looked up and saw that the trees were connected and had arms, which were holding a tree like a sword, and had a face... Chronos turned around and started to walk backwards. The Giant creature roared and hit Chronos with the tree, launching him into the lake and braking 5 of his ribs. It then looked at the Kelpie, the green color, the skeletonal shape. The creature roared and mistaked the kelpie for a husk and reached to try and grab it and consume it. 

Chronos crawled out of the lake, coughing.

[Unicorncob 5,694]

@

@@HunterTSN

 

"Then perhaps we shall cut off your own legs and feed them to you!" Tyra snarled, then watched as Chronos backed up into the humongous creature. She gasped as it swatted him right into the lake, and started reaching for the Kelpie.

 

"Ah, finally a challenge!" She smirked up at the creature, and began running for its huge hand as it went to grab the Kelpie. She leaped into the air and brought her axe down hard on its wrist and embedding it into its wood-like skin. She used it as leverage to lift herself onto its arm, and harshly tore the blade back out.

"Prepare to fall, monster!" She bellowed.

[HunterTSN 1,444]

@@Unicorncob,

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Using the mare's attack as a distraction, Nymphaea quickly slithered into the pool. The giant would not have been able to kill her, still she didn't fancy the thought of being swallowed whole by the lumbering beast. From her position underneath the water she watched the battle, bitterly regarding the giant as it assaulted her would-have-been prey. The action only added reinforcement to her preexisting hatred for the simple-minded brutes, however she knew better than to get involve with the huge creature, unless it forced her hoof of course.

[Nameless Knight 1,001]

@@HunterTSN, @@Unicorncob,  

 

The giant grabbed Tyra, and tossed her away. The giant reached into the lake with it's root like fingers and it began to absorbing the water. It tried to grab the Kelpie. It had to get on its knees because of it size, when it couldn't get the kelpie it Roared and stood up, it started to walk into the lake, it's legs began absorbing the water like a plant. It truly saw the Kelpie as a husk, which was a major part of a giants diet. 

 

Chronos used his magic to heal his ribs and bring back his blade. He got away from the giant and said "Tyra! Distract it, I have an Idea!" He said grabbing a branch and two rocks and put some dry grass on the sticks and began hitting the rocks together, trying to create a spark. He looked up and saw the giant standing in the lake. "It is going after that creature..." He said to himself.

[Unicorncob 5,694]

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@@HunterTSN

 

Tyra rolled to a stop on the ground after a harsh landing, though with her tough body it did little more than rough her up a bit. Her axe landed next to her, blade in the ground. She shook her head and stood up, pulling out the weapon and watching the giant's desperate attempt to find the Kelpie.

 

She heard Chronos' instruction and nodded, charging right for the giant's exposed leg with a battle cry. She turned her head as she neared the giant, and drove the axe's blade into its ankle.

"I am not, so easily, defeated, beast!" She bellowed, taking pauses to swing at the creature, "Come and, try that, again!"

[HunterTSN 1,444]

@,

@@Unicorncob,  

 

Nymphaea slid around the giant's massive fingers like an eel, darting away the appendages before they could close around her. There was a firm tug on the kelpie's spine as she realized too late that her tail had been caught in the brute's tight grasp. Suddenly the water around her began to pull away and she was lifted high into the air by her tail, hissing and spitting madly as she went.

Edited February 18, 2015 by HunterTSN