When the gods arrived... (Gothic Lovecraftian MLP roleplay)

[Julien999]

If you hear and look carefully, there's leaves on the trees shaking. Seems like that something is hidden on the tree and follows the soul.

[thexcrimsonxghostie]

Lumine focuses and drowns out the sound of the hell hounds and hears the tinkling of little bells within the leaves. "Soul bells!" he gasped, "Under the tree! The bells ward off evil."

[annosrules]

Blazing Legend makes a daring leap to the cover of the tree. "Who in their right mind would leave soul bells hanging around?" he questions openly.

[waaaaaaah]

Book Keeper ran to the tree as fast as she could.  "Somepony who wanted to make a small haven, perhaps," she answered Blaze.

[annosrules]

"If there's one thing I learned, it's that if it seems to good to be true, then it probably is," Blaze answers pessimistically.

[thexcrimsonxghostie]

Lumine could hear the snarling Tartarosian canines approaching. "Do not open your eyes!" Lumine commanded, "no matter what happens do not look at them for any reason!" Lumine jammed his eyes shut as he heard the sizzling foot falls of the hellhounds' paws as they progressed towards them.

[waaaaaaah]

Book Keeper was confused by Lumine's command, but she shut her tightly anyways.

[annosrules]

Blaze ignores Lumine's warning and stands firm, staring hatefully at the hellhounds.

[thexcrimsonxghostie]

A great wind rushed through the trees as the song of the soul bells had gently rang through the leaves. With that, the hellhounds could only retreat and Lumine listened for their voices to recede into the forest. Then silence had taken over. "Okay, we're safe." Lumine whispered. Upon opening his eyes he saw Blaze standing before them all as though he were ready to strike only moments before.

"You looked at them!" he cried, "You looked at them and now you are cursed..."

[annosrules]

Blaze turns around and faces the rest of the party, his expression being of determined anger.

[waaaaaaah]

Book Keeper frowned.

"My information was inaccurate," she murmured thoughtfully,  turning to face Blaze. "I would like to know why you did not heed Lumine's advice."

[annosrules]

"Because I'm sick and tired of running from these things. Besides, we have these protective bells don't we?"

[waaaaaaah]

Book Keeper face-hooved, and then she face-hooved again.

"Most protective magics focus on a particular area, and do not serve as a catchall for every possible threat. So while these bells kept them from attacking us physically, apparently a mental barrier wasn't included. And it appears that you are now cursed."

[thexcrimsonxghostie]

"You will be taken before your time friend... and most unexpectedly. I'm afraid there is nothing that can be done to dispel it either." Lumine added.

[annosrules]

"So be it, I was just going to die unexpectedly and before my time anyways," Blaze says before stomping off in the direction that the party was headed.

[Julien999]

We hear a *crack* on the tree then the mare falls on Lumine. "ouch... hmm?" And she didn't know it. Thank you tree, we should be careful with our weight when we are on a small branch.

[thexcrimsonxghostie]

We hear a *crack* on the tree then the mare falls on Lumine. "ouch... hmm?" And she didn't know it. Thank you tree, we should be careful with our weight when we are on a small branch.

"Madam... I'm afraid I'm not the tree." Lumine responded. He then picked her up as they continued on their way from the Everfree forest. They'd left the heart of the dark wood, to where the trees began to clear a bit. Lumine still thought about Blaze all the while. There was no telling how or when he would die, and none could out run the reach of the reaper. For all he knew he might wake up and find Blaze simply lifeless upon the ground cold as stone.

As others carried on he felt sorrow for his cursed companion. It was right as the evening mist began to rise that they had reached an old town. According to a splintered and rotted sign they were in Ponyville; once a beautiful, small, and lively town was a shadow of it's former glory and rife gloom and shadow as it had appeared abandoned. Yet, Lumine sensed it was not uninhabited. "I can sense others still living in this desolate place... hidden." Lumine observed.

[Julien999]

The mare is speechless when she sees Ponyville... "... how... how could this possible? And when all this thing happened? How much time did I left Ponyville? I... I remember nothing... all I remember is just..." Well, she hides her face with her hat. What did you expect?

[thexcrimsonxghostie]

The cleric looked to his saddened ally. "You must have been gone quite awhile as the gods had done this years ago during the invasion and many have gone into hiding since then."

[annosrules]

Blazing yells back to the party from a sizable distance away, "Are we going or not?"