[PLOT] That's no ordinary rabbit

[northrend]

Date & Time: All day Friday, December 14th and onward.
Location: Initiate Hold
Characters: All
Summary: The plague has taken hold and there are rampant, angry undead critters running around! Better get rid of them quick, before you attract the Scourge Horde.
Warnings: Undead attacks, localized around cute woodland critters.

[The death tolls of all the woodland animals had come around the same time. Some lasted longer than others, but for the most part, it appeared that most of the sickly animals had passed sometime in the middle of the night. The next morning, transports would awaken to find their furry friends looking...well, less than furry. Their eyes glow a sickly yellow, patches of fur fall off their body, and they continuously cry for help.

Help from whom? You?

Or the group of rampaging ghouls charging toward you?]


[ooc: Original plot post is here!. If you would like me to NPC ghoul attacks in your thread, please mark your subject line with three asterisks. (***) Otherwise, feel free to do it amongst yourselves! Please note that I won't be able to NPC threads until tomorrow afternoon.]

Comments

[ladyspitfire]

Elissa didn't have the stomach for it, wincing when he brought his boot down on the animal. "Don't mention any of this to Anders," she muttered. It was bad enough he'd gotten her to have a soft spot for more than just dogs. He'd be absolutely crushed if he heard what'd been done to a cat like Pounce.

She turned back to the room and gave it a much more thorough look around before stepping inside, pleased to see no more movement. This one was larger, with a long table pressed in the center, chairs stashed around it. It was more difficult to maneuver around to check the entire room, but it was one of the few essential pieces there. She made her way to the back wall to look for signs of a second exit first.

[ofthegrey]

"Why not?" His brows dip downward. Not that he had planned to speak of this to anyone, but if there was a specific reason, he wanted to hear it.

He cleaned the blade against one of the few relatively clean spots left on his skirting and sheathed it again. He pulled the door mostly shut behind him and hugged the wall closest to the entrance to explore to his right while she worked her way back.

He was careful with each step forward, a slight kicking out just in case there was furniture against the wall. He didn't want to stumble against something and make a loud noise.

[ladyspitfire]

"Cats," she said gently. "He's...very fond of them. He'll either fly into a rage that some were infected or be entirely crushed that we had to put one down. Just...don't mention it to him. It's not worth him getting upset over." And it wasn't going to be worth the run around that would be explaining Anders and cats to Duncan. Not at that moment. Later, perhaps, and only over several drinks.

In the dark, Elissa could spot one of the holographic machines on the table. If they could turn it on, it might be possible to use it as a minor distraction if they needed it.

At last, She found the door in the corner opposite their entrance, testing the handle. It was locked, of course, and she bent down to start picking it with the tools she had. It wasn't so difficult, though it was a slow process. The moment it was unlocked, she had to set aside her tools and grab her blade again as she opened the door just enough to look outside. It led to another hallway, empty. She closed the door. "Duncan," she called softly.

[ofthegrey]

"Ah," he said. "You don't have to worry. I don't plan on discussing this in any detail with anyone." Not even Fiona if she returned as he hoped she would.

He found nothing of interest on his trip to the wall to the right of the door. He could hear her working in the darkness, the unmistakable stealthy scrape of lock picks. He was already slowly on his way down toward her when she called his name.

He hastened the rest of the way. "What did you find?"

[ladyspitfire]

It was probably for the best. She didn't think many people would want to discuss seeing the living dead any more than the two of them might and if anyone didn't experience it, then there was no point in terrorizing them.

Elissa nodded as he knelt down, looking up at him. "It leads to another hallway. I didn't want to keep going without someone at my back." She didn't stand but opened the door once more, just enough so the hallway could be seen. Empty for now, quiet enough that it didn't seem like there was trouble, but she didn't know which one it was. For all she knew, it would lead right to the back of the building.

[ofthegrey]

"Give me a moment. I didn't lock the door behind us," he said. He felt a little foolish for not having done so. It was the little slip ups that could lead to big problems. Fortunately, nothing happened on his way to the door or back again. The hallway they had come from was quiet.

He drew his blade again and kept it in close, nodding to her. "Ready. I'm behind you. Watch for animals, too."

[ladyspitfire]

She nodded, grabbing the handle and bracing the door for his return. Her eyes were still on the outside, through that small sliver she allowed so she could keep watch. There didn't seem to be any movement, though she thought she heard scraping from time to time, an eerie noise in the quiet of the hallway. It left her unsettled to say the least.

Elissa turned back to him with a small nod when he came to her side and she opened the door the rest of the way, still kneeling. She took to her feet and stepped into the hallway, erring on the side of caution. The left side of the hall was hers to explore, head tipped so she could look into the next hallway and discern where they were. It was a side hall, she finally recognized, one that would eventually lead to the greeting hall.

[ofthegrey]

As before, he didn't stay too close. It was a narrow hallway. Encroaching would leave neither of them room to fight. He took the opposite side of the hallway. It didn't afford him the view she had. He trusted her to be the eyes for both of them around the bend.

When he drew near, he crouched lower so that both lines of attack would be covered if something jumped them. He shot a questioning glance at her without speaking aloud. Was there anything in the hall with them that she could see? She wasn't alone in finding the occasional sounds disconcerting.

[ladyspitfire]

There was nothing beyond the hallway and that, perhaps, was the unnerving thing. It was far too quiet; their foes couldn't all be gathered in one place, could they? It didn't make sense. The sound, too, hadn't gone away. As Elissa shook her head to indicate they were alone, she stepped out into the adjoining hallway for another look.

The sound was louder now and she finally discovered where it was coming from. She turned to Duncan and nodded her head to one of the air vents in the walls.

[ofthegrey]

He cautiously rose from his crouch and joined her, frowning at the direction of her nod. Did this place have no end of nasty surprises? What he wouldn't give for something straightforward at the moment, deep stalkers pretending to be stalagmites. Anything but this oddly sterile and yet somehow deeply unnerving hunt through the Hold.

Holding up a finger, he hugged the wall and turned his blade with the flat against it. He slid it down between the drywall and the vent cover to pry softly. It stayed firmly in place. "I have half a mind to say we should leave it," he whispered, "except it could find some other way out and catch us unaware. You want to do this?"

[ladyspitfire]

She didn't want to deal with it either. Anything they found in there was certain to be trouble. They shouldn't waste their time chasing it. But Duncan was absolutely right; it would come back to bite them if they didn't handle it while they had the chance. She sighed shortly and nodded. "I wish we could leave it. If we can't reach it, we can move on. But if we have the chance, we should take care of it now."

Elissa sheathed her sword and pulled out one of her daggers, moving to the other side of the vent to help him pry it open.