The Instrumental (Started/Still Accepting/PG-13)

[John A. Zoidberg]

OOC: [url="http://forum.yugiohcardmaker.net/topic/270763-the-instrumental-startedstill-acceptingpg-13/#entry5698250"]http://forum.yugiohcardmaker.net/topic/270763-the-instrumental-startedstill-acceptingpg-13/#entry5698250[/url]

In this world, men and women are not bound by morals, not by gods, not even by themselves. Rather, they are bound by The Music. The Music is played throughout the world, in the wind, in the sky, in the stars, in the howls of the world's creatures- The Music is everywhere. The Music creates a symphony in life. Humans are no exception. A simple conversation of love could be considered a beautiful melody, furthering the undeniable beauty of the silence in one's home. As a child, one cannot know The Music, as they are young and arrogant. They cannot appreciate the beauty, and thus cannot create their instruments. However, the moment they reach the age of sixteen and transfer to adulthood, they can know The Music. On that day, all new adults travel to the Forest of Melody with a block of wood made from a Red Tree and a carving knife. The Music slowly moves the hands of the new adult and makes them create their Instrument. When they get their Instruments, they can only fall in love with one who has a similar Instrument, as that shows that The Music wants them to be together. Then, they choose one of two things:
1. They settle down, have children, and start a family to live happily ever after between themselves and children.
2. The two go off together and spend the rest of their days adventuring together, defending each other with their lives.
It is beautiful. The world is perfect.

Or was. One day, The Music stopped, and new adults could not build their Instruments in the Forest of Melody. This caused distress throughout the world, and inevitably caused the uprising of those wishing to find out. No one knew. The adventurers began realizing something: he who solved the problem would be famed. They would be known as the "Savior of Humanity." Many wanted that fame. Thus began war. Men and women alike crafted weapons to fight. As well, they realized the true power of their Instruments. The Instruments each have a special power infused withing them, that when certain songs are played, the user will be benefited or injured as such. The war continued, but still no found why The Music stopped, and no came upon any hints.

First post below given the fact that it will probably make a double post anyway:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Vayne sat on a rock nearby his hometown of Cecivi Village towards the end of a particularly warm day. He smiled and strummed a chord on his deep-black colored guitar, acknowledging the markings riddled without it. His dog, Vholmus, sat beside him, happy as well. The stopping of The Music didn't put a damper on Vayne's mood for the most part.
"Well?" Vholmus said, nudging Vayne with his paw. Vholmus spoke fluent English.
"Well what?" Vayne replied, taking a break from the simplistic song to pet his loyal shaggy-white-furred friend, "I'm just trying to take the sunset, can't you do the same?"
"I'm just shocked that you don't want to try to find out what's going on with The Music," Vholmus said, "After all, it [i]is [/i]entirely threatening to the youth, is it now? That less than a year ago, the last generation of new adults received their instruments? Technically, marriage is impossible for that generation until they can get their instruments. Childbirth is not, but marriage is."
"Yes, well, I get your worry," Vayne said, taking the guitar off and leaning it against the rock, "But we'll figure it out in time. I mean, think about it, how many people are trying to find out what's going on? We'll hardly be any help."
"Regardless," Vholmus said, stubborn as ever, "We should at least try to aid those who search."
"Well, what if we get attacked?"
Vholmus bared his teeth and barked. His white teeth were long and vicious, despite how kind of an animal he truly was. He was threatening in battle, and loving in friendship.
"You," Vholmus said, retreating back to his normal disposition, "You can leave that to me. Your music and my strength are more than capable of winning a fight."

[---------------]

"MOMMY LOOK A DOGGY!"

A young girls voice rang through the air outside Cecivi Village. Before Vayne or Vholmus could realize, a small violet haired girl ran up to the dog and hugged it, running her small hands through it's fur. Almost immediately, a woman came running after her, telling her not to touch the dog. She was carrying a harp in her right arm and reaching out her left to grab the girl. "Anna, don't touch him," the woman pulled her daughter away. She turned to the owner, "I apologize for my daughter. Please forgive us." The woman looked unapprovingly at her daughter, and the girl knew what it meant.

[John A. Zoidberg]

Vholmus look at the little girl and her mother and said, "Oh, that's quite alright, I get that reaction more than you would probably think." Vayne chuckled at the reaction of the little girl seeing a talking dog. "Oh!" Vholmus said again, "Where are my manners? My name is Vholmus DuVall, companion of this man here, Vayne DuVall."
Vayne stood up and smiled. He felt too tall in the situation. Regardless, he bowed respectfully and shook the woman's hand. "I apologize if my friend frightened or surprised you in any way. My name is, like Vholmus so kindly introduced me to you as, Vayne DuVall," Vayne said, giving the woman another friendly grin, "Yours?"

[---------------]

"Uhhh.... yea." The woman uttered, weirded out by the situation. "My name i-"

"MOMMY I WANNA PET THE TALKY DOG." Anna yelled out, making the currently stressed woman even more stressed.

"No, Anna. Enough." The woman said sternly. "I'm sorry about her," she said to Vayne, "my name is Stelarinna Trinity. Pleased to meet your acquaintence." Stelarinna looked to Vholmus, not sure whether to shake his... er... paw, or something. Instead she just nodded at him.

[Grunt Issun]

Erian walked calmly down the road of a town called Cecivi, tossing a colorful, smooth rock in the air as he hummed a merry tune, occasionally looking over at the sunset and thinking how he should rest at an inn soon. After a bit of walking he saw a small group of people and a dog standing together. One was a woman with Azure hair, another a man with Dark-Brown hair, there was also a little girl, and a White dog. The man callled himself Vayne, and the woman called herself Stelarinna, intrigued by this group all of the sudden, Erian dived behind a nearby building, peering over the edge as to eavesdrop on their conversation, he noticed noticed the man looked like he could be of use to him in one way or another, so wanted to deduce all he could before approaching him.

[John A. Zoidberg]

Vholmus got to the ground peacefully and allowed the young girl to pet him. "Pleased to meet you too!" Vholmus yelled out as the little girl ran her fingers through his thick, curly, white fur.
"Yeah, uh, what he said," Vayne said, scratching the back of his head, "So what brings you here, Stelarinna? Have you lived here your whole life?" Vayne realized he'd probably asked a bit too personal of a question of someone he'd just met, "Er, sorry. It's just that I've lived here since I was born and I'd never met you before. I was just a little curious is all."
Vholmus still graciously accepted the kind little girl's gesture of a friendly pet. Afterwards, however, he stood up and walked over to Vayne, sitting by his side. The little girl followed, still petting Vholmus.
"You see," Vayne said, "Vholmus and I kind of want to find out what happened to The Music. He and I are a bit worried about the future generations and whatnot. It really is a scary thing to think about in the long run. You know. We're going to leave within a few days. To be honest, it'll be the first time I'd left Cecivi since I crafted my instrument." Vayne pointed to the guitar that was still leaning up against the rock.

[---------------]

Stelarinna laughed at Vayne's awkwardness, and listened to his story. "Is that so?" she asked, "My daughter and I have the same objective. Our destination is the Forest of Melodies. We hoped to procure an explanation, and possibly, a solution as well." On saying 'solution', Stelarinna rubbed the head of her little girl. Unknown to the quartet, they were being watched. No, not just by Erian. By another group of travelers, wanting the fame of the solution. They could not allow these people to have it...

[John A. Zoidberg]

Vholmus began to growl. He sensed it, there were enemies nearby. It was obvious to him, given his adept sense of hearing and smell. Something was amiss, and so he ran from the group of humans near him to scope it out. Then, just as he'd initially suspected, there was a group of bandits, standing there, plotting.
"Ah!" a big, stupid-looking one bearing an axe and a small wooden bongo-drum, "So sum moa' adventurers are aroun the corna' there, eh?! Wot do yu lot say we get 'em?!"
"Aye!" the other four said in agreement. They were all odd looking, riddled with scars. They all wore the same damaged iron armor and helmets. There was the one with the axe, another one of them had a large bow with arrows, presumably poison-tipped, another had a mace and a spiked shield, the third had two short swords, seemingly steel, and the last had a staff of some sort. They actually all had drums like the stupid one.
All of the men then charged in and confronted Vayne, Vholmus, Stelarinna, and Anna.
The stupid one had a dog-like grin resting on his face. "Get, ready to die, little heroes!"
"Stelarinna," Vayne said, "It was nice meeting you, but you need to get your daughter to safety! Vholmus and I can handle this!"
Vayne ran over and played his signature song, [i]Biind Vile[/i], staring straight at the archer, who collapsed at the power of the tune. As Vholmus tore away at the limp body of the archer, Vayne drew his dagger and coated it with poison from his vial, charging up and stabbing the dual sword warrior, who fell to the ground as the poison slowly and painfully ended him.
However, none paid attention to the man with the staff. He cast a strong flare spell and knocked Vayne to the ground, the flesh of his arm burning up from the wizard's power.

[Grunt Issun]

Erian smirked when he heard of the man's desire to recover The Music, which grew wider when he heard the woman had the same intentions, [i]'Well now, these people could certainly be of use to me' [/i]​he thought, then began to think about how he could casually join the conversation without revealing his eavesdropping, when some bandits came around the corner and started to try and attack the group, the man and his dog were able to take down a few, but the man was knocked down by the wizard. Seeing his opening, Erian drew his pan flute from his jacket, and let of a quick tune, the Minuet of Destruction, and once he finished, an explosion erupted beneath the wizard. Erian ran out from behind the building and went the the man's side, "Hey, name's Erian, explain later" he told him quickly, then drew his Gilded Cutlass and stood at position to defend against the remaining two.

[John A. Zoidberg]

Vayne sat there, allowing the man to drag him behind the building. Hearing the introducing words, he panted. "I... I'm Vayne DuVall... I... please, go out there and help my dog." Vayne gestured to Vholmus who was in the middle of a fight against the mace and shield fighter. Vholmus went under the shield and chomped at the man's stomach, who fell in agonizing pain as blood dripped from the bite-marked wounds. The man was still alive, though.
Meanwhile, the only man left struck down with his massive axe, but continuously missed his target, Vholmus.
"That's enuff!" he yelled, throwing the axe to the ground and pulling out his bongos, "Get ready!"
He played a song on the drums and suddenly, a circle of earth rose around him. It spiraled around him and suddenly, began to shoot at his opponents. One strike his Vholmus on the head and knocked him unconscious, leaving only Erian, Stelarinna, and Anna to fight the large man, who now had a shield of pure rock around his body.

[---------------]

Stearinna picked up her daughter and ran off to the side, near a tree. She set Anna down. "Wait here, sweetie." The daughter did as told. Stelarinna ran back to the fracas. Vayne and Vholmus, and also a new person, had subdued three of the assailants. One, with an axe, was playing a drum. He was charging up a spell, and it looked big. A ring of earth rose up around him, and a chunk of rock was shot at Vholmus, knocking him out. Just before he could chuck a stone at Lyra, she started playing [i]Meltdown. [/i]The stone defense subsided. The axe-man tried again, but it didn't work. Stelarinna look at her comrades. "ATTACK, NOW."

[John A. Zoidberg]

Vayne stood, dagger in hand, ignoring the pain, and charged. The dagger pierced the chest of the man. "You..." the man said, "Yu'v bested me... I guess it's... time..." The man fell to the ground, dead, as Vayne pulled the dagger from his body. It was over.
Clutching his wound, Vayne looked to the others, "So, all of you, explain yourselves to me while we wait for Vholmus to awake." Vayne walked back over to the rock and sat down, concealing his blade once more and staring at the others with a focused grin. The dead body was still over where he died, and the many citizens checked it, realizing that either Vayne was attacked, or he was now a murderer. Honestly, no one knew which.

[Grunt Issun]

After everyone was dead, and Vayne asked them Erian and the woman explain themselves, Erian smilled, "Gladly" he replied, "As I told you, my name is Erian. I happened to be walking down the street when I saw those bandits attacking you," Erian lied, "So I decided to help out a little. Anyway, I've been traveling most of my entire life, I come from some village whose name I can no longer remember, probably to the south or the east or the south-east of here..." he trailed off, "Anyway, I left home to study the path of... er... everything" he went on, "But none of that's important, what's important is, I overheard you saying you want to find out about the music, right? I do too. I'll keep my reasons to myself for now, but what's important is we have a common goal, people with common goals work together, therefor, we should work together, no?"

[---------------]

Stelarinna retrieved her daughter from behind the tree just in time for Erian to finish. "Our town was at a state of distress. Rival "adventurers" fought to the death in attempts to reduce the competition to be the 'Melodic Messiah', as some put it." Lyra put her harp on the floor for a minute. "Instead of learning damaging songs, I learned protective songs. But our town became too dangerous for Anna to live in. So, we headed out. But in every village the situation was just as critical. This violence wouldn't cease unless a solution was releaved. So, we set a course for the Forest o Melody, hoping to find... something! Anything!" Stelarinna sighed.

[John A. Zoidberg]

Vayne nodded. "Well, then I guess I'm the only one that's actually from here. Stelarinna, I'm headed to the Forest of Melodies as well. Would you care if Vholmus and I joined you? Oh, Erian, you're welcome as well!"
Just then, Vholmus stood up, stretched, and yawned. "What exactly just happened?" he said, staring at Vayne, "And how are you not dead with that fire wound?"
Vayne acknowledged the wound once more. "I'll be fine if I place some bandage on it," he said nonchalantly, "Regardless, thank you for your help, Vholmus. You're as loyal of a friend as you've always been. I appreciate it."
Vholmus grinned as best he could, given he was still delirious. "When will you learn that you'd be dead right now if it hadn't been for me?"

[---------------]

"I don't know." Stelarinna said reluctantly. "I don't want to put Anna in danger, but..." Lyra squated down to the level of her daughter. "What do you say, sweetie." she said tenderly. "Do you wanna go with the man and his dog."

Anna gasped. "CAN I RIDE THE DOGGY? PLEASPLEASPLEASPLEASPLEAS."

"No! Anna, that would be rude!" Anna broke free of her mom and hugged and petted Vholmus. In doing so, she unbalanced her mother, making her AND the harp fall over haphazardly. Lyra tried to collect herself while still looking dignified, but failed horribly.

[John A. Zoidberg]

Vayne helped Lyra up and handed her the harp. "Are you alright?" he asked, making sure there was no damage to the harp.
"If it's all the same," Vholmus said, looking at her, "I don't mind if your daughter wants to ride me. I mean, if I'm strong enough to kill men then I'm easily strong enough to carry a little girl for... uh... hey Vayne, how far away [i]is [/i]the Forest of Melodies?"
"It's quite far. I remember how horrible of a journey it was when I went. It's on the other side of the province, essentially. I'd say, oh, eighty miles away? It'll easily takes us a week or so to get there, if not more."
Vholmus' head sunk, "I figured it wouldn't be as easy as it sounds... Regardless, I feel as though we should at least stock up on necessities before we leave. After all, the next town is Bargameesh, and it's a good ten miles out."
"Bargameesh, you say?" Vayne said, scratching his head, "Isn't that place generally thought to be 'barbarian'?"
"Why yes, it is," Vholmus replied once more.
"Do you all think we should go there or what?" Vayne said, "Given that last encounter, it may be even worse there."

[Grunt Issun]

Erian sighed, [i]'That little brat is going to get REALLY annoyin[/i]g' Erian thought bitterly, [i]'But I can't pass up these allies' [/i]he reminded himself, "Yeah, that sounds good to me" Erian said, replying to stocking up on supplies, "Also, it's nearly night, would it not be better to travel in the morn, when we are well rested and have food in our bellies?" he asked rhetorically. When Vayne mentioned the barbarian lands, Erian smiled a bit, "I don't think that will be too much of a problem. Barbarians are dumb. I'm pretty skilled as a diplomat, so we should be able to speak peacefully with them, if not, I'm also pretty good with quite a few blades, so they shouldn't pose all that much of a threat in a small group. Infact, if it comes to it, I've spent a little bit of time learning..." he thought carefully for a moment, "'Slight of hand' we'll call it"

[John A. Zoidberg]

"If they're as stupid as the last group," Vayne said, "then words alone won't shut them up. Keep in mind, this is supposedly an entire town of them. People just like that. Vholmus and I were almost killed by a group of five of them. This would be dangerous if we entered the town without some form of plan. We'd have quite a fight unless we managed to disguise ourselves. I guarantee they'll try and kill us if we don't blend in, or at least show them that we're stronger."
"I have an idea," Vholmus said, chiming in and slightly pushing the little girl away, "We leave immediately. We run, try and get there. It's only getting dark since the seasons are changing. We could easily make it by eleven PM. When we get there, we capture and interrogate a villager to find out who the leader is. Then, we capture the leader and kill him."
"T...that seems a bit grim, don't you think?!" Vayne yelled, staring at his companion, "I mean, we could just as easily buy a tent and avoid the town in general!"
"I know," Vholmus said, "But we have two choices: kill there leader and sleep peacefully for the night, or risk getting killed in [i]our [/i]sleep out in a tent somewhere. I'd prefer to live."

[Grunt Issun]

Erian shrugged, "Meh, I guess that works too" he decided, "It's much better than the disguise plan, that's for sure" Erian said. He thought what it would be like to have to take off his elegant outfit and put on some brutish clothes like what they would wear, or even worse, have to cover himself in dirt, and shuddered. Erian did some thinking, then nodded, "Yeah, that sounds like it'd be the least amount of trouble" he decided, [i]'And we could probably take some stuff from there once we kill their leader, so we won't be low on provisions' [/i]Erian added to himself, then turned to the woman, "Whaddya you think?" he asked.

[~Tico~]

OoC: I'm the newly accepted member of this RP, if anyone's wondering.

Alistair Faulkner stood at the edge of a low cliff overlooking an area of leafy forests and small towns alike, staring up at the clear sky. His thoughts were wandering, to a time when his life hadn't been so complicated and he was free from the anxiety of these times. Now everyone, it seemed were obsessed with becoming the "Melodic Savior" or however they put the term. Alistair himself was also searching for any clues on the ceasing of the Music, although more out of curiousity than anything. Although, he thought, holding his long silvery hair in place as a brezze swept it upward, it may have been that he just wanted something to do, to get away from those haunting memories that besieged him when he stopped to think for too long. "Alright," he said aloud, "Enough dawdling here. Let's go, Xeen." The white-furred fox leapt atop his shoulder, and together they headed onto the trail off the cliff, ready to face a new day.

[---------------]

"Vholmus, these are people, not wolves," Lyra rebutted. "There would be a horrendous uproar if we just up and took out their head. I'd rather just get a tent and avoid the town. We could take shifts sleeping if you are worried about getting attacked at night." The last thing Lyra needed was to put her daughter through a town of barbarians wanting to kill them. She felt thoroughly convinced that avoiding Bargameesh in general would be their safest option. Anna was still preoccupied with the talky doggy's fur.

[John A. Zoidberg]

"They're closer to wolves than they are to humans," Vholmus said, his head to the ground, "I would know. I've been there before."
"Huh?" Vayne said, confused, "You didn't tell me that, Vholmus, what happened?"
"N... Nothing," Vholmus muttered, "I... no. Let's just avoid it, she's right."
"Seriously Vholmus, what happened?" Vayne said. He wasn't going to let it go, "If something bad happened that makes you think we should go, then tell me. I'm all ears."
"Follow me," Vholmus said to Vayne, "The rest of you stay here, we'll be back soon." Vholmus lead Vayne to a small spot under a tree that looked as though something was buried there.
"What's this place?" Vayne said, scratching the back of his head."
Vholmus let out a deep sigh, the kind you could obviously expect to come from a canine. He dug his right paw in the dirt patch and began to speak. "It was thirty years ago, before you were even born, before I even knew your parents," he said. He clearly had wished that he would never have to speak of this. "I had a friend- more like a brother, actually- named Sinfell. He was a human like you all. Outwardly kind, and just pleasant to be around. He was my companion for longer than I'd cared to recall. One day, we traveled in the direction of Cecivi for trade, he and I. On the way, we grew weary and noticed a small village. Before we got there, he told me to hold something of his. A small pendant that he didn't have room for in his bag. Anyway, this village was what I would later find out is Bargameesh. We stopped in and asked for a bed for the night. They were not so accommodating to our request. A big one- possibly seven feet tall- snapped his fingers and Sinfell was grabbed from behind. They tied his hands and feet and threw him to the ground. I was afraid. They were not paying attention to me, though one said they should grab me and eat me after they "slaughter the adventure man." I attacked the one that said that, took a chunk of his leg out, actually. He howled in pain."
Vayne and the others sat in astonishment.
"They didn't take it lightly," Vholmus continued, "They tried to hit me, but I broke free and ran away. I didn't even think about Sinfell. The last I saw was when I looked back to see an axe being driven in to my best friend's chest by the large brute that ordered them to bind him in the first place." Vholmus' eyes began to grow cloudy with tears, and some of them spilled out. "He died because I was a coward!" he snapped, "And I want them to pay! These aren't people, they're monsters!"
Vholmus' paw was still in the dirt, partially digging it out.
"I... how come you've never told me?" Vayne said, "You know that it's me and you, we're in whatever we get in together."
"I thought you'd leave if you knew what I'd done..." Vholmus said, his voice shaking, "I thought you'd be disgusted." His paw got deeper and deeper into the dirt.
"I would never-" Vayne was stopped. Vholmus had dug up the dirt patch entirely and reached his head in. When he retreated from the small hole, there was a pendant in his mouth.
"Vholmus, I... I don't know what I can say," Vayne was speechless aside from that remark.
"Your mother and father took me in, raised me like their son, loved me" Vholmus said, "I couldn't have been treated better. But I live every day with the regret that I ran as he was killed...
These aren't people, they're monsters. They don't deserve to live."
Vayne nodded and walked back over to the others, leaving Vholmus to his thoughts. "We're going to Bargameesh. We have to."

[Grunt Issun]

Erian gave a big sigh, "Well that's our plan then is it?" Erian asked, raising an eyebrow, "Then let's just do it, let's go murder whatever kind of person leads those dumb barbarians, and then continue on our way" Erian said. He looked at the sky, "We've got no time to waste, so let's just do it" he went on, then looked at Lyra, "And NOT ask any questions, it's better that way" he explained, "And if there is such an uproar, then we'll just kill the lot of them, I have faith in myself to be able to kill most of the stupid bastards if it comes to it" Erian boasted, at the same time, letting it be known that he has no quarrels with killing anyone if the need arose, "So then, are we ready? Or are we going to waste some more time?"

[John A. Zoidberg]

(OOC: I guess I'll post since Atman lied about posting next)

Vayne cracked every knuckled, his neck and popped his shoulders. He then stretched. "I'm ready," he said, yawning aloud, "Dunno about Vholmus, though. I have no qualms with slaughtering the lot of them upon entry."
The others looked at him puzzled.
"Oh, nothing. Yeah, nevermind. Diplomacy and whatnot," Vayne's voice trailed off as he looked behind him to see a sullen Vholmus approaching. "Hey, we're going to the Bargameesh, are you ready?"
He was about to cry, but then he perked up and looked at Vayne, smiling, "Entirely. What about you all? Vayne and Erian seem ready, but what about you, Stellarinna? You seem... reluctant. You don't have to enter if you're afraid for Anna."
Vholmus smiled at the woman in an understanding manner.