Fantasy As the World Burns

[Juju]

As the world burns...

...stars fall from the sky​

All across Aegisea, a brilliant flash from the cosmos announced the arrival of a new star. Like a second sun, its rays illuminated the land below in a cool, mystical glow. Even the cosmos seemed to stir into a dance, flushed out in billowy dust-clouds of pinks, blues and purples. It appeared on the night horizon for those on the mainland, but for those in The Land Beyond, it appeared directly overhead.

On the battlefield, smoke and the harsh light of wyvern flames had blackened the night sky into a dead, inky expanse. Yet this new star pierced through the fog of war like a lance. Troops on either side of the field raised their gazes in awe at the celestial display. Elvish magi uttered prayers of reverence. Dying warriors let out their last breaths in peace. Even the spirits and their allies halted their struggle to observe this unusual omen.

For the first time in hours, the bloodshed halted for one brief, fragile moment.

Then, just as abruptly as the star had appeared, it split into a shower of smaller stars. They shot down from the sky and left trails of glittering radiance in their path like so many silver threads. Once again, the battlefield was launched into chaos as this time projectiles from the heavens spurred them into action. A spirit pounced on a mage as she watched the sky, a knight took his opportunity to cut down a distracted opponent. And so the battle continued.

Two wyverns, once dominators of the skies, now swerved and dove to spare their wings from the cascade of falling stars. One, with scales the color of ash, was struck straight through its webbing and spiraled to the ground along with the stars, crashing into an outcropping of crumpled ruins near the edge of the battlefield.

As the star fragments fell to the earth they made small craters across the battlefield. A soft, pale mist rose from them.... and strange figures.

You were among them.

The memory of death was still fresh in your mind, or perhaps confusion as all memory leading up to this point was missing. One thing is certain; you are not where you belong, and if you want to keep this precious new chance at life... you will have to survive the battle raging around you.

 

[Juju]

Life is Chaos. Chaos is Opportunity... But what is death?

【 YsFanatic AtTheEndOfEverything jmann seasonedcat ThatWhichShouldBe Solirus keyboard violence 】​

Your eyes open much as they would from after a long slumber, and yet you cannot tell if it is the waking world to which your eyes see, or that of a dream. Without much bearing, it can be hard to tell.

You remember your death as if only seconds had passed, yet no longer do you feel the same pain you once did. Perhaps there was no memory of it at all, and you lie confused in this cradle that steamed with pale blue mist.

Recollection. Answers. Life. All these things could not be obtained by staying here. And so you rise.

Fire and blood choke the air as you stand or sit from within your crater. As you gather your bearings you come to realize you are in an unfamiliar landscape; a sprawling meadow, at least what remains of one. In a happier time it would have been a rippling sea of pale blue and green in the moonlight. Now the vegetation has been ripped apart, blackened by flame, swarming with two opposing forces. Smoke rises above it all in a thick, nauseating miasma. You feel the heat of the walls of flame scarring the horizon, hear screams of humanoids mixed in with the howls and screeches of something else.

After a moment of observation, you can see that the battle had two clear sides to it.

The larger force appeared to be a mix of humans and elves, the prior making up the bulk of the frontlines while the former were almost exclusively in groups of magi. A blue flag had been raised above the troops, a large white star emblazoned on its centre with three smaller stars surrounding it (coloured red, blue and green). Any soul native to Aegisea would easily recognize the insignia as belonging to the Astellian Dynasty.

As for the opposing side, not even souls native to Aegisea would recognize them. While they were smaller in number, their ranks were dotted with unusual creatures with a distinct aura. Most were beastly in nature with appearances that were close to animals but with unusual traits.

So far the battle seemed to be mostly in favour of Astellia, judging by the swaths of burnt grass and hoards of blackened bodies. The object of this battle seemed to be a temple, or perhaps a small city that sat on the shore of a large lake. The defenders had been pushed relatively close to it, though were holding on for now.

The battlefield was in chaos, though you could spot 4 distinct points of interest. The Ruins, The Frontlines, The Astellian Flank and The Temple Gates

Information
The 4 points of interest are scattered around the battlefield and take 1-2 posts to get between them. You can spawn anywhere in the battlefield, but cannot spawn directly in the middle of one of these fights. However, you can choose to spawn near one and move to and interact with any point within your first post. From one point you can vaguely see what is happening to the other points, but you cannot make attacks or actions that affect them, as they are too far away. (of course, you can move to them if you want, which takes 1 post of 'moving' and then the second post will be the interaction)

In your posts you are able to control lesser npc troops. These would be ordinary soldiers/magi or low tier spirits (akin to spectral wolves). These troops will be very easy for most characters to defeat (assuming they have the skill/power). You can be attacked by either side as you wish, though know that the defenders/spirits will target anyone who looks like an elf or casts mage-like spells. That is, of course, unless you show your support for their side first.

---

• The Ruins
• Frontlines
• Astellian Flank
• Temple Gates

• 
  
  ​
  You feel a shift in the air above you, an unnatural wind mixed with the roar of a massive beast. Looking up, you can see some sort of draconic creature struggling to stabilize its flight only to spiral ever downwards. Its scales were a warm black colour with an underbelly and webbing of tan. Flames that matched the colour of its scales flickered from its mouth as it let out a higher-pitched screech of pain and fear
  
  Should you look closely, you would notice that one of its wings has been badly damaged with a wound that glows a faint pale blue, much like the crater that contains you. Has something struck it? If you had any knowledge of shooting stars or meteorites, perhaps you could piece together a series of events; you must have fallen from the sky, just like whatever had hit the dragon. Could you have hit the dragon? If not, was there someone else?
  
  Try as it might, the dragonkin crashes into a crumbling stone structure at the edge of the battlefield. Illuminated by the moon overhead, the crash site appeared to be a ruin of sorts. An old tower collapses from the impact, and bricks tumble down. Dust and debris rise up in a cloud, joining the already oppressive clouds of smoke.
  
  Before you can wonder if the dragon survived its fall, a burst of black and red flame erupts from behind the ruin, followed by yet another roar. It seems that the beast has some fight left, although whatever is fighting it is obscured behind the fallen town and crumbled walls of the ruin.
  
  It makes you wonder what could even threaten a beast of that size. Then again, it was heavily wounded. Perhaps it would be easier to kill now that it was earth-bound. A single one of these creatures were bound to be irreplaceable war machines. Killing one would certainly change the balance of this battle and many more to come.
  
  Perhaps you could investigate The Ruins, though you would have to pass through the battlefield first…
  
• 
  
  ​
  The battle raged fiercest in The Frontlines. It was clear that although one side lacked numbers, they made up for it with a collection of powerful, yet outlandish creatures. They stood out among the battle, scattered like islands in a sea of chaos.
  
  One such creature was a tall, regal entity that could only be vaguely compared to a bull or other bovine creature. It had powerful haunches and four long horns that curled into sharp points. At full height it easily stood at over twice the height of a human. It may even be mistaken for a large beast of blood and flesh, if not for a few unusual features. A large red orb, pulsating with light, hovered in its chest cavity while outcroppings of a stone-like substance made up its front legs. Overall the creature had an ethereal, outlandish aura about it.
  
  The creature was leading a charge into the enemy ranks with a calvary of humans following its hoofsteps. Swinging wildly, its horns made quick work of any who were unfortunate enough to stand in its way. Like a sledgehammer to glass, it had managed to break through the Astellian front lines.
  
  Its rampage would have continued if not for the flight of a greatsword. The blade shot like an arrow through the smoke, striking the Bull-Beast’s front leg with fiendish precision. Stone shattered, blade shooting right through, and the beast tumbled forward. The crash took out several more Astellian troops, but also brought the calvary charge to a screeching halt. Some tripped up behind the leading Bull, their mounts falling over and their riders crushed or thrown in the chaos. A few calvary riders who managed to avoid the crash continued forward only to be cut down by three other sword strikes.
  
  A figure stood in the path of the Bull-Beast, a woman wearing an oversized coat like a cape. Her hair was silver and judging by the lines on her face she must have been at least 60 years of age. For a human, she looked pretty fit for her age.
  
  “Shame, that one. Was hoping for more of a challenge…” the woman said disappointedly while she adjusted the fit of one of her leather gloves. As if pulled by an invisible thread, the greatsword she had thrown at the Bull returned to her and sunk into the ground beside three other swords.
  
  The Bull-Beast was still alive, though struggled to get up.
  
  “Spearmen, kill the demon.” The woman shouted, ordering the Astellan troops behind her, “The rest of you fall back in line and push outwards."
  
• 
  
  
  
  

  Spoiler: spectral wolf reference

  
  Farther behind Astellian lines, chaos had been sewn. An unexpected force had joined the fray and laid siege to the flank of the elvish backlines, made primarily of magi. A pack of semi-transparent wolves had rushed from the tall grass and charged at the Astellian’s Flank.
  
  A freakishly large wolf, as big as two horses, led the pack. Its pearly white fur was decorated with golden ornaments and a set of majestic antlers grew from its head. Long talons topped each of its huge paws, which were used to rip into the elvish soldiers who were struck unawares by the sudden attack. White fur turned crimson and snarls mingled in the sound of screams.
  
  A man was riding on the wolf’s back. In his hand he held an unusual lantern-staff, its light casting a burst of frost to counter a magi’s fire spell. The spectral pack rushed in behind their leader, leaping onto the Astellian backlines. Bolts of magic flew at the spectral wolves, but as one fell two more rushed in to take their place. Overwhelmed by sheer numbers, the mages and archers fell in swathes to the wolves and their terrible leader.
  
  As new blood and gore soaked the ground, a rider broke off from within the inner ranks of the elves, parting the troops in her path with a wave of magic. She rode sidesaddle, an impressive feat in itself without even considering that her steed wore no saddle or barding. Then again, it was no ordinary steed. As the elvish rider broke off from the main force her steed came into clear view.
  
  Even in the dusky fog of smoke its silvery hide glinted in the faintest moonlight, wild mane thick and flowing. Powerful hooves tread though the sooty muck and lifted off in a graceful leap. A pure, white light gathered at the tip of the single horn crowning its head, growing in intensity before it was unleashed in a brilliant flash mid-jump.
  
  The spectral wolves whined in pain, their nocturnal eyes blinded by the unforgiving light.
  
  Unicorn and rider landed in their midst and soon a new light began to spread across the bloodstained ground. A large arcane sigil burned itself into the ground, its light engulfing the wounded and dying elves. As soon as the magic touched them, their wounds began to mend within the soothing glow. Spectral wolves, who had once been latched onto their prey, burnt away in the rays of light.
  
  The mage chanted, raising her staff, "Take heart, brothers and sisters! The light of Astell herself shines down on us. It is an omen of victo-"
  
  It was not long before the Alpha recovered from its blindness, and in hearing such words was lulled into a rage. Bloody fangs lunged towards the elvish rider, only to be held back by a sphere of light. Claws raked across the shield's surface and frost spread across the ground. Still, the shield held.
  
  "Monsters!" The Figure on the Alpha's back shouted, "You disease this pure land! Only your blood will wash it away!"
  
  In his hand he summoned a spear of ice and launched it at the light shield, shattering the magic. The Alpha crashed through, and in one quick motion slashed at the unicorn and rider. Silver blood sprayed across the ground as long, black claws ripped into the unicorn's neck and chest. The man on the wolf’s back made a stab for the mage with his dagger, but found only the blunt of the mage’s staff.
  
  The unicorn reared and screamed in pain, throwing its rider off. She landed with surprising poise, one hand supporting her wide-brimmed hat while the other clutched her staff. Spectral wolves rushed at her, but were sent flying back by a blast of arcane magic.
  
  The mage then slammed her staff into the ground, once again creating a barrier of light between the wolves and the injured magi. She called to them in a calm yet fervent tone, "Her children shall never fear the demons of night, for we are protected by Astell’s light!"
  
  Hoping and snarling, the spectral wolves and their leader crashed against the barrier.
  
• 
  
  
  ​
  As far as you could tell, the battle seemed to be over a city, or perhaps a temple, that sat on the shore of a large lake. While the defending force seemed to be holding their own, the Astellians clearly had them pushed them back. Try as they might, there was little they could do to stop the flight of a full-grown wyvern. While one had been taken down by a stroke of fate, the remaining wyvern turned its sights on The Temple far behind the defender’s line.
  This beast had scales the hue of opulent sapphire, and the flame it unleashed matched. A blue inferno fell upon the temple walls, the beast swooping low to unleash its wrath upon the lines of archers stationed on the temple walls. They hardly stood a chance. With a mighty roar, the sapphire wyvern landed on the temple wall it had cleansed in blue flame. Carved stones fell and crumbled beneath its weight, and a statue depicting some winged creature shattered and tumbled down to the ground far below.
  
  A figure jumped down from the dragon’s back, landing on the blackened stone. They were wore heavy armour that was the same colour as their dragon, and when they unsheathed their sword it blazed with fire. With steady, unhurried steps they made their way along the walls. A few warriors challenged them, only to be cut down by the fiery blade. Any who got within sights of the blue wyvern were slaughtered by either flame or fang.
  
  The wyvern and rider seemed unchallenged, at least until a stream of water buffeted the knight back and caused them to stumble. Someone wearing an outrageous fish costume was sliding down the roof of the temple, feet surrounded by bubbles of water held together by what could only be magic.
  
  “Now, Shem!” she shouted, raising a multicoloured orb high above her head.
  
  A flash flood of water rushed down the side of the temple, racing towards the knight and his dragon in a miniature tidal wave.
  
  A giant fish was inside this flood, its thrashing tail seeming to enrage the water around it into one large tidal wave. Flames were extinguished and the water washed the knight off his feet and made the dragon lose its grip. To ensure it fell, the enormous fish leapt from the water and in one flailing motion, slapped the dragon's face with its tailfin, causing it to tumble off the temple walls along with its knight.
  
  The girl and her fish friend rode the tide of water down the side of the temple, the girl laughing with glee. It quickly turned into a yelp as she soon realized the trick hadn’t fully taken care of the problem. She ducked just in time to evade the knight’s sword-swing and propelled herself forward in a slide across the soaked ground.
  
  Water had filled the area, leaving an ankle-deep flood zone around the dragon and rider. Despite how shallow it was, it seemed to be just enough for the enormous fish to wiggle around. It probably could have attacked or struggled away, but instead it flailed around in a panic when faced by the angry wyvern.
  
  The wyvern, now recovered from its fall, took in a deep breath to unleash yet another breath of flame. Strangely, only sparks and muted flame released from its mouth. It seemed that the flood had affected its breath in some way. For the time being, the wyvern lunged for the giant fish with its fangs but was held back by the fish’s wild thrashing.
  
  It seemed that both woman and fish were slippery combatants, each avoiding their attackers in a watery dance. The knight’s strikes were evaded by the woman, who much like her fish friend, would spin and slide along the water’s surface as if it were an ice rink.
  
  Unfortunately it could not last forever. The blue wyvern slammed the fish with its wing, pinning it to the ground, then sunk its teeth into its tail. The wyvern pulled the fish from the water and began to swing the fish back and forth in a death-shake.
  
  “NOOO!” The girl cried, her eyes turned to the horrific scene. The brief distraction left her open for attack, which the knight wasted no time exploiting.
  
  Steel came down quickly, and although the girl reacted just in time to prevent her head from being lobbed off, blood dyed the water below her crimson. A deep cut was rent through her shoulder and upper arm. The girl cried out in pain, clutching her peculiar orb as she stumbled back to gain distance.
  

 

[seasonedcat]

Zareth | The Ruins
all the pain, all the agony, had finally stopped. There was nothing; Zareth had finally, truly become nothing. He could finally rest, no more duties, no more effort. He could finally stop trying. But, as quick as this rest came, it was lifted. His eyes were met with light again as he let them flutter open. He could feel his body again, pain echoing around his skin as he reached up and scratched at his right eye. A slight noise of pain fell from his lips as he did this, pulling back and almost expecting to see blood from how sharp it had been. Though his hand was clean. He struggled to focus as he looked down at his hands, his vision bouncing between clear and focused. As he reached up to cover his throbbing eye, he was relieved. A native Astellian swear slipped from his croaky voice at this. Covering his good eye, he could only see blobs of blurry colour even when right in front of his face. Zareth let his hand fall back down with great effort as he continued to lie where he was. How easy it would be just to lay here.

it was a loud crash that jolted Zareth back into thinking again, glancing around the area to the best of his ability. He, of course, couldn't recognize anything regardless of his poor vision. Though it did look similar to the Unknown ruins he had read about a few times, he couldn't see it being it as it didn't have a dragon- Zareth's eyes fell on the raging beast for a moment, gaze rushing to its wings before letting out a sigh of great relief. A wyvern, he was safe. Or, well, it's safer than dealing with a dragon of legends. Though for his life, Zareth couldn't remember how he got here. For all known means, he should be dead; he felt himself die. So, how was he here in this ruin of unknown origin, paired with a raging wyvern?

thankfully, his staff was still here. Zareth slowly grasped the trusty thing, wincing at the effort to maintain his grip, the symbols on his fingers flaring up in pain at the movement. With an even greater effort, Zareth slowly rose to his feet, his knees shaky and weak from pain as he did so. He was unsure what to do next, though only one thing came to mind. Staggering over to some of the ruins nearby the creature, Zareth took out his book and began scratching down notes and images. Who knew when the next time he was to see a wyvern this close? He would not let this 'luck' go to waste.
mentions | Juju
interactions | n/a

 

[Solirus]

Rodal​

Tonight was peaceful, an unusual but pleasant feeling for Rodal. Sounds of the night harmonized along the crackling campfire, providing warmth and light. How long had he fought for this feeling? Most of his life perhaps, now he simply needed someone to share it with. His family had received letters of his homecoming, Rodal could imagine their sense of worry and dread wash away upon receiving those letters, they had only themselves for company and Rodal had left at a young age.

Wielding his wooden spoon, Rodal scooped up some veggies from his bowl of stew. It was a taste that reminded him of a home, of peace and simplicity. "I'm glad you don't stop me from using spoons" Rodal spoke softly. Silly goose, it's cause you can't kill someone with a spoon, shouldn't you be an expert at this? Leva's voice echoed through his head. He felt the need to prove her wrong, that even wielding a spoon, Rodal could take someone's life, but he would rather still hold his utensils, "I guess you are right." of course I am! Rodal chuckled, finishing his stew and kicking some dirt into the fire, extinguishing it.

Rodal laid on his mat, tonight was a full moon and it shone brilliantly while assaulted by the uninvited stars. Rodal had always disliked stars even if shown their worth and value, it seemed illogical even to himself, perhaps such things could remain mysteries. "Good night" Rodal said shutting his eyes. Better night, Leva responded smugly.

Tomorrow would be his twenty second birthday but at his current pace he would arrive home in two days. A shame he'd be unable to celebrate it with his parents, I'm sure they wouldn't mind, he told himself as his mind slowly faded into the darkness of sleep.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
​

The stench of blood arose Rodal from his slumber and the cries of warriors left him awake. He found himself standing on the center of a small crater, blue mist lightly streaming from his body. With a few glances around Rodal couldn't recognize where he was, but he did know he found himself at the epicenter of a battle with two clear sides. "Where are we?" he asked softly as nearby troops from both sides stared at him for a few seconds before fighting for their lives again. I... don't know Leva responded hesitantly, she usually had an idea of locations back home even if she got the names wrong, but to have her unsure meant that this place was either very far away or not at all their own world.

Rodal cursed lightly, but forced himself to not overthink it. He was in danger and he needed to act quickly before he was another corpse. "Who should we fight for?" Rodal asked, unsure as to which side to join, even when one side seemed to have the edge in battle, a part of himself didn't want to simply join the winning side. Hmmm, I don't like those with the colorful banner, gut is telling me they're bad stuff. Her reasoning didn't matter too much, it was akin to flipping a coin in certain situations, but it felt different here.

"Very well" Rodal said to himself stepping out of the crater. He'd spotted more craters around with individuals who contrasted their environments. He was certainly not alone in this, but he couldn't contemplate much. Rodal made his way to the frontline where a great beast from the side he'd chosen to assist fell wounded, their charge halted by what appeared to be some commanding officer. If Rodal could save the creatures life and pressure the frontlines, perhaps he could wreak havoc on the enemy camp and threaten the leadership.

One thing at a time however. Rodal dashed towards the Bull-beast, circling around it and placing himself in between it and the spearmen who were caught off guard for a second. His eyes carefully inspected them, they did not seem exceptional, but their commanding officer did, she had four blades placed on the ground, one soaked with the blood of the beast that stood behind him. She wasn't close enough to have stabbed the blade directly, it was more likely that she threw it and then recalled it. Tricky and problematic, but not invincible. The blue mist finally faded from his body as he extended his hands outwards, both to protect the beast behind him and to goad the enemies to attack. At the very least he needed to cause a distraction to prevent enemy reinforcements.

Mentions: Juju

 

[YsFanatic]

((This first bit is Juju approved))

Instead of laying in her bed with the morning sunlight shining through the windows like she expected, Sarah had opened her eyes to find herself standing in a dark blue void with a bright white light shining in the distance in front of her. For a moment she was confused until a wave of what she could only describe as being some kind of foreign emotion washed over her and for a moment saw a vision of a gigantic darkness floating in space, surrounded by legions of dark gods and enslaved space ships. It was an image she had seen dozens of times in recordings of the final battle against the Supreme Darkness and its minions that happened just shy a century ago.

Between the vision, the wave of foreign emotions, and what her daughter, Dana, had reported from sensing from the heirloom sword of Neilgo, the Neiblade, Sarah was able to piece together what was going on. “So the Great Light, or a piece of you anyway, is personally greeting me when age finally caught up with me? A bit of a surprise, but I’m honored.” A grin cracks the woman’s weathered face as she crosses her arms. “So what’s next?”

Another wave of emotions washed over her, ones that she was having trouble deciphering even as two ghostly images appeared before her. The image to the left showed the planet Neilgo with her family standing in front of it, and the one to the right showed the dark blue sword she had inherited from her father, her precious Cleria Sword. Staring at those two images for a few moments, Sarah slowly unraveled what the Great Light was trying to tell her. Something wanted to bring her to another universe, perhaps even a different multi-verse, to help deal with something or another. But the Great Light had insisted that she’d get the chance to decline because of everything she had done and been through over the decades, and that no matter what happened that her soul would return home once her new adventure was over.

Sarah’s grin took on a hint of eagerness as it grew larger. “I’m sure my answer is of no surprise,” she remarks as she firmly grasps the hilt of the Cleria Sword and light fills her vision.
—-------
In reality a minute earlier

Dana was the last to approach the casket and say her goodbyes. She had known that due to her age that her mother’s death was only a matter of time, but that didn’t make things any easier. As Sarah had previously requested a small, private and informal gathering for whenever she died, there was just shy of two dozen people in attendance, her family and closest friends. Furthermore, everyone wore what was most comfortable to them or what felt appropriate, the main concession to Sarah’s memory was that everyone wore something that had red in it. While it wasn’t exactly her favorite color, she had worn red underarmor for most of her adult life in memory of her father, a man that had hair the color of flame.

For Dana’s part, as was fitting for role as Neilgo’s Protector, she wore a tunic and pants cut and sized for combat, colored in various shades of blue. A red arm band was attached to her left arm and a sword was strapped to each of her hips. On the left hip was sheathed the Cleria Sword, the blade that Sarah had used for her entire adult life until she retired and gave it to Dana, worn as another reminder of her mother. On the right side was the Neiblade, a holy weapon that was an important part of Neilgo’s history, and as Sarah had fallen in love with the world and made it her home it seemed only fitting to wear it as well.

As the purple haired woman leaned over to take one last look at her mother’s body, grief and a bit of amusement flashed over her features. Grief at the loss of a parent, and the amusement because of the fact that she was reminded that Sarah had requested to be cremated in whatever she had been wearing at the time of death. In this case this meant a thick nightgown and underwear, nothing more. It was a little something that would fly against the traditions of most royal families, but it was 100% her mother’s style.

“Mom, we’ll miss you,” is all that Dana whispers before reaching for her mother’s hands. The only thing that would not go into the incinerator was Sarah’s wedding ring, and as one of her requests was to have it turned into something that could be used by a Protector in service of Neilgo as it possessed incredible powers, it was Dana’s responsibility to remove the ring. Once that was done she gave a nod to the funeral android, which promptly closed the casket and started the sequence that would move it, and Sarah’s body, to the incinerator.

Before it could even be lifted from the ground, Dana suddenly became aware of something that left her baffled. She didn’t have the ability to sense souls, but could have sworn that was exactly what she had just felt, her mother's soul being moved elsewhere. Gripping the hilt of the Neilblade as she watched the casket being moved, she felt waves of emotion, purpose, and an image of Sarah standing on a new world before it went silent. While the message was extremely brief, it conveyed enough that Neilgo’s Protector could piece together what had happened. “One last adventure, eh Mom?” Dana thought to herself, a hint of a grin appearing on her face as the casket entered the incinerator. “Give ‘em hell!”

--------
The present, at the fringe of the Frontlines

The moment that she woke up, Sarah immediately got up into a crouching position in the crater, the old woman's mind racing to take stock of the current situation upon which she made some realizations and discoveries. First, there was a battle raging nearby, she could hints of movement above the rim of the crater in addition the sounds of fighting. Second, she was only wearing the bedclothes she died in, no weapon or any other piece of gear on her person. Third, she couldn't feel her spiritual power at all, only her magic and that felt radically different then she was used to. Fourth, or perhaps a continuation of the third, her spiritual sense seemed to be gone since she couldn't use it to detect the strength of the soldier that just crested the top of her crater.

The soldier appeared to be an elf, and a young one at that from what she could determine, but there wasn't time to really think about it as the elf raised a sword after a moment of surprise and charged at her. There was no hesitation as Sarah raised a hand, willing mana into it. While she didn't get the fireball she wanted, a blue blast of pure mana leaped from her fingers and slammed into the soldier's left knee, sending them sprawling to the ground not far from her position, their sword dropped during the unexpected injury and fall. Taking advantage of this development, Sarah poured mana into her body akin to what she used to do with her spiritual energy before springing forward. While the empowering of her body was not nearly as massive as she was used to, it was enough to grant her body enough speed where she land on the soldier, her arm against their throat while she grabbed a knife from their belt and brought it up so the tip was not far from their face.

"Why did you attack me?" The question was simple and Sarah's tone left no doubt that she would not brook any form of disobedience, or hesitation, from her new captive.

The elf looked about as confused as they did disgusted, "Why? This place is to be civilized under the light of Astell." They gave Sarah a once-over, expression baffled, "Do these demon-worshippers enlist the elderly and infirm now?"

"Oh, this is one of those wars," Sarah spits out in disgust, the things the elf said making it clear to the old woman that they were part of some religious invasion. In her experience, the invading religious force would almost always commit terrible and cruel acts against the natives and pretend that it was alright to do it since it was against non-believers. Well, she wasn't going to stand by and let it happen, that was for damn sure. She stabbed the elf through the face with their own knife, ending their life before they could get any thoughts on how to escape or injure her.

Ignoring the blood that had sprayed on her face, she quickly got to work of stripping the corpse of immediately useful items, namely the belt which she tied around her waist, the boots so she wouldn't be barefoot, and finally the sword. While the blade was a bit smaller and lighter than Sarah would have preferred, that wasn't going to stop her from fighting. With the weapon firmly gripped in her right hand, the gray-haired woman finally stood to her full height, taking in the battlefield for the first time. Thankfully it appeared that she was on the fringe of the main battle, which explained why more soldiers hadn't stumbled across her yet. That also gave her the needed moment to take a quick look around to get an idea of the situation and almost immediately she spotted someone of interest, a woman with four swords stuck in the ground around her, acting like an officer to soldiers dressed in the same manner as the one Sarah had killed, which meant that she was the spellblade's next target. With her new objective in mind, the elderly woman started to walk towards the heart of the battle.

(( Juju Nearby: Solirus ))

 

[AriAriAbabwa]

The Astellian Flank
Juju​

Doi Murakami was in a realm of white. No longer was the monster's maw dug into her skin, thrashing her into the air like a rag doll. The pain was no more. She looked at her hands; a pure ivory. Doi dropped to her knees in prayer, waiting to hear His voice.

Her work was not done. She summoned Him, but He still needed direction to save the world of chaos and disorder. But there was a reason she was pulled out—she was certain of it.

Then a deafening ring akin to tinnitus. Doi clenched her eyes shut, and the light penetrated through her eyelids.

In a second, everything stopped.

Replacing the ringing was the roar of thousands. Craters being carved into the earth by weapons of destruction. Cries from those lost in the battlefield using every weapon at their disposal.

When Doi opened her eyes, the world had changed, but in a philosophical sense, it hadn't. Her breath quickened, and her body felt weak. This violence. She had seen it all before. The news; front lines of countries held by terrorism. Homes torn apart by minute differences in its people. A desire of conquest, filling the air with the stench of blood and death.

She was still on her knees, running her hand over the charred dirt. She hammered her chest, feeling for the partner she bonded her Aura with... but she could tell right away he was not here. Usually, that put a 2nd Variant like herself in immediate risk, but the heart attack-like sensation never came. Doi's legs shook and trembled as she forced herself up, the new reality settling in as the scene of war continued. She checked her pocket, satisfied that her grandfather's diary was still there.

Doi couldn't allow herself to panic. He sent her here for a reason, so she resolved herself.

And while Sage and Kenjiro were nowhere to be seen, His will had to be delivered. That mattered the most. But He hadn't spoken to her yet. He must've wished for Doi to find her purpose on her own, much like last time...

Finally, rising on the lone plot of land she was on, Doi watched over the masses. She'd seen similar sights; the Beasts back home provided similar uses for her religious movement, but these creatures? They weren't mutations or malformations; they were their truest forms.

Her gaze fell on the nearest conflict: off to the side, where what looked like archers and fantastical casters lay dead. Their killers were the rampaging wolves, led by a man circling a desperate mage. Doi's heart ached at the sight. It was this sense of powerlessness she so desperately fought against in Japan... Why did He send her all the way back? What lesson was He trying to teach? The questions filled her mind as she made her way over.

The walk left her out of breath, vision dizzying. But Doi had only made it to the floors of the dead. The Wolves, the Mage, the Figure, and the Unicorn were still a ways away. Some of the cadavers' long ears didn't even register to Doi; not with every other mind-numbing sight. She knelt to one corpse. He appeared young—might have been below the age of 20. It seemed no matter what realm, it was the young who fought the old's wars.

Doi grabbed the boy's hand. She shut her eyes and muttered a prayer. A brilliant yellow light shined from him.

For the 19-year-old human mage, Aaron, he awakened to an angel.

He took a sharp inhale, coughing built-up saliva and blood. But when that was out of his system... he felt fine. He clutched his throat, memories of the wolf ripping it out resurfacing. It was still there, unmarred.

"How do you feel?"

The voice, silky and gentle, made Aaron feel at ease. The speaker was a beautiful girl who perfectly matched the cadence. It was like a beam of radiant white light—the light of Astell... For just a moment, he forgot he was on the battlefield. She didn't look like one of their own; she hardly looked fit enough, catching her breath on the floor and looking as though she'd snap like a twig against their weakest soldier. "F-Fine," he said. "I thought I was dead..."

"You were," she answered with a smile. "But you didn't deserve it. You didn't ask to fight this war, did you?"

"I..." Aaron bobbed his head. "Just doing what's best for my home..."

She'd heard this before. Soldiers returning from combat and bringing mental troubles back with them. Brainwashed by their leaders by patriotism and nationalism. Doi would normally refute their words and speak the truth of their manipulation, but now was not the time.

The two looked ahead, where the mage and the rest of the troops defended against the spectral wolves' onslaught. "We need to help them," Aaron said, rising.

Doi grabbed his arm. "I can only save you once," she stated. "Are you sure running back into danger is what you want? What your family would want?"

That gave him pause. Memories flooded back from before he was sent away. He was bragging to his mother and father that he'd bring back trophies. They said they'd hang them over the fireplace and show off to everyone who visited. How stupid he was, thinking this place would be his finest hour...

"It's not your fault. It's the people at the top who are sending you to die."

Despite her gentle nature, Aaron felt an inherent punch from each word. Not directed at him, but filled with some hidden vigor... Not that he disagreed. "We still have to do something to save them." He wasn't going to back down.

Doi nodded in understanding. "Regrettably... I lack any fighting prowess. You'll be on your own..."

Aaron's heart sank against her gaze. How long has it been since anyone looked at him like an actual human being? Worried that he might not make it back? He smiled just to assure her. "They caught me off guard. But now I get to show why they called me 'Tempest' back in training!"

At that, electricity writhed around his wrists. He made a few steps toward the central conflict, and the ball of lightning surged and grew into a blinding spell. He thrusted, and the bolts shot across the land, creating a miniature explosion in front of the Mage's shield. Electricty arced across the floor and into the wolves.

Doi smiled. Bringing Him into Japan likely brought the world of peace she foresaw. And now, as His prophet, she would save this world, too...

 

[AtTheEndOfEverything]

For a brief moment, the Half-Soul knew peace. However fleeting, it soothed him, rest long forgotten by one such as him. Bisection was surely not meant to be so peaceful, but for the restless Hero of Hell, it was a blessed end to a life doomed by the circumstances of his 'birth.'

Then, as suddenly as he died, he lived. Crashing back to life hadn't felt nearly so hard the first time he had been reborn. Awaking in a crater, it was the invasion of Hell come again.

The Earth was burning. Fire surrounded him, accompanied by the cries and lamentations of mortal souls, leaving this life to enter the next. It seemed as if the stars themselves were falling, leaving burning streaks in their wake. Apparations and spirits danced all around him, imitating the flames that threatened to consume him.

The World was ending anew, its culprits evident in the Last-at-Bat's gaze. The legions of Hell surrounded him, and overhead, it seemed as if Bune, the Draconic Necromantic Duke of Hell, had returned. His blue scales reflected fire as he soared, demonic hellfire billowing from his maw.

It did not occur to the Abomination that this Draconic creature had only one head and not three, nor that his flames did not raise the dead as charred legionnaires for the sundering of mankind. The Half-Soul's mind was still of Earth, what he had seen, and what he had done.

Mortals morphed into Demons, Undead, and Revenants, laying waste to all he had known in his previous life. His Human ancestor within him despaired at the sight, while his Demonic forefather could only think of spilling blood. For once, no conflict seemed to fester within the bat-wielding devil hunter.

His purpose renewed, his conviction tempered. Though he lacked the tools he had built up in his journeys through Heaven and Hell, he still had the will and determination to succeed. He had killed Bune once before and would do so again.

Blessed be those who would stand in his way, for their naivety and curiosity would be their final mistake.

The Abomination, The Last-at-Bat, the Satanic Sultan of Swing, the Hero of Hell himself stood once more against the Legions of Hell.

As Bune perched itself upon a wall, there was nothing less than assured death within the Hero's thoughts.

Time became nothing to him, his reduced to shapes beyond the Duke of Hell in front of him. He could not recall how long his approach had taken him nor if he had met any resistance.

As he closed in, the Dragon fell from the wall alongside an armored Demon from his legion. He summoned a baseball into his grasp, intent on getting the soon-to-be dead infernals' attention. The trance which had overtaken him was breached by a mortal's cry. The fear and pain in its voice pierced through the madness that permeated his very being.

The mortal fell before the Demon, its repulsive blade tainted by the blood of an innocent.

The Blood...

'My Blood...' echoed within his mind, stirring memories up.

"My Blood..." his mumbling voice sounded weak.

"My Blood!" his voice rose with his emotions.

"MY BLOOD!" His voice became a roar.

"MY BLOOD BOILS!" His voice echoed across the battlefield, his powerful lungs projecting his rage and hatred.

The Ball in his hand was a blur as he tossed it in the air and hit it with all his being. The mighty crack that emanated was louder than his voice had been, and the force of his swing sent it rocketing at the Demon.

As soon as he recovered from the swing, he began his march anew, rushing towards the infernals intent on their deaths. His bat steamed from the force of his blow, and his eyes gleamed with malcontent for the targets of his ire.

He would show them that Hell could be a place on Earth.

---
Mentions: Juju

 

[Juju]

VVitch & Flub

✩ Nearby: seasonedcat keyboard violence ✩​

“I’m so sorry, everyone.” The words left her lips so softly, so sincerely, and yet she wondered if for once they were true.

Light faded. Sensations dulled. All that was left, gone, snatched by the unstoppable whirlpool.

In her heart of hearts she knew the answer...and it terrified her.

── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──​

Is it over?

The thought was so preposterous that she could scarcely believe it to be true. Still, the unusual peace she felt said otherwise. All fear, all pain, all that darkness had been wiped clean. She couldn’t remember the last time she had felt this content.

The realization of this led to another question without answer; how?

Above her she could see the familiar tendrils of smoke, hear the screams of conflict, yet beyond it all was something so bizarre that she quieted her confused thoughts just to stare at them in awe. Stars dotted the night sky. Actual stars! Could you always see so many? Clouds of smoke and ash blotted out most of them, but off in the corners she could glimpse a few brave lights dotting the horizon. It was enough for her.

She lifted a hand as if to touch them, a smile creeping across her lips. Then she noticed the rings on her fingers, the sleeves of imitation-leather. She felt the luxurious lace of her dress where it laid upon her legs. Off to the side, her iconic hat sat against the shallow wall of the crater, waiting.

VVitch blinked, ruby eyes finally called back down to the earth. She sat up, flowing locks pooled around her like a puddle of cotton candy.

“Flub?” she called out quietly, looking around for her faithful companion.

No sooner than the name left her lips than a blob of slime bounced up from under her, forming into the brainless creature everyone knew and loved. “There you are!”

The creature bounced up and down excitedly, bringing a genuine smile to the magical girl’s face. She grabbed her hat and placed it on her head. Even when waking up in a strange crater one should always look presentable. It was uncertain who was watching.

She extended a hand in front of her, the gesture summoning a hovering AI assistant. “ACE, check the livestream.”

An artificial voice responded to her question, “Offline. Unknown error. No network found. Crash report is corrupted. Diagnosing…”

The ACE AI was quite bland compared to most, appearing as a simple tablet with a 2D face more similar to a text emoji than any human face other AI could produce. Very professional, which was to be expected. Still, she preferred ACE to any companion AI she could legally obtain. Sure it didn't have any modern features and it was a hassle to bypass most of the built-in restrictions, but there was just no replacing history, and ACE had been there with her from the start.

No matter how old it got, she doubted she would ever have the heart to replace it. That and the fact that she'd have to figure out a way to completely destroy it and all data it stored. Overall, a giant hassle. Maybe she wasn't as attached as she thought.

VVitch stood up, her gaze scanning the horizon. She didn't even wait for the diagnostics report to ask yet another question, “Where are we?”

“Unknown.” ACE responded.

It was all the answer she needed.

VVitch turned around, surveying the strange surroundings she had found herself in. A battle raged around her, the combatants two fantastical armies Wren would have compared to some video game. Swords and magic, classic. Only the latter piqued her interest, an old habit, and she found her eyes drawn to the spells that shot through the air, saturating it with their essence. Still, she didn’t feel the need to pursue it. A rare sensation indeed.

Quietly, the magical girl held onto the device, the screen dark for the first time in a long while. An error code had replaced her online status, and the floods of messages had dried up completely. Not a single peep. She looked up. If this really was a different reality, a different world. Perhaps…

She dared not even think it for fear it would be jinxed. Wishful thinking was dangerous in her experience.

Still, she had no obligations to anyone anymore. It was a monumental loss, one that hadn't sunken in just yet, but the unknown held something new. She and Flub could go where they pleased, as whoever she pleased. If she didn’t tempt fate then maybe, just maybe, this feeling of freedom would last.

ACE was dismissed with a wave. Cautious as ever, VVitch looked for an appropriate spot to disappear. She could see a large silhouette on the horizon, the one a falling dragon had crashed into. It was large stone structure she could only assume to be some ancient ruin, hopefully abandoned. There didn't seem to be anyone in that direction either, which made it the obvious choice for discretion.

VVitch turned her back on the combat and walked through the tall grass towards the ruins. Ahead of her, Flub bounced up and down through the grass like an overactive dog. Excitement of her own bubbled up, and she could hardly keep herself from hopping with joy.

Then it hit her; she was walking through grass, wasn't she? Was it real? She stopped in her tracks to run a hand along the blades. It felt fake, but she didn't really know what the real thing felt like. She broke off a piece and held it up as she continued walking. A fragrant sap glinted in the grass stem. Most organisms bled, but this could easily be simulated. She spotted a nearby flower and picked that too. She held the bloom to her nose and was disappointed by how dull the scent was. Perfume was much better.

Still, it was pretty, so VVitch held onto the flower as she walked a little faster towards the ruins.

 

[ThatWhichShouldBe]

HAN LIUYANG - THE KING OF THE RISING SUN
Before Death...

The stars were falling from the sky. The world's skin boiled and contorted, heaving like the death throes of a mighty beast. All around him, warriors and mages, heroes and footsoldiers, gods and demons- They fought and they screamed and they died. The apocalypse had come, horrors beyond sanity and beyond sight boiling up from every seam and every hole and every wound left in reality's flesh. The world had girded itself in belts of brotherhood, stood back-to-back... And here, now, perhaps, it would die.

The King of the Rising Sun is coated in blood. His own. His enemies. His allies. Han Liuyang's eyes are turned heavenwards, as he sees yet another sign of the end. The Moon, her domain- it had shattered. He could see it slowly flying apart, falling to shards- and those shards being consumed by the writhing force of unreality just as quickly. One less Word reinforcing the bones of reality.

From where he floated, high above the battle below, he could see it all laid out. How the forces of the world were drawing back, step by step, a ring of defiance against the tides of hungry abominations that shrank with every passing moment. Time itself was distorted now- They had gnawed too deeply on Reality's bones for the Great Clock to turn its cogs smoothly. He could feel each second pass with each beat of his heart. Tik-thump. Tik-thump.

And so, Han Liuyang made a choice.

With his face raised heavenward, Han opened his mouth to draw air into his ragged lungs. With a voice that shook the earth and the sky, he spoke his Word, and the World turned gold with sunlight's kiss.

The King does not remain to see it.

---

THE TEMPLE GATES - BEHOLD THE DAWN THAT WALKS
The King opens his eyes to a world at war- But it is not his own. The seconds pass without delay or interruption, and his heart is light and unburdened by the not-presence of Unreality. Whatever this place was, it was under no Apocalypse- no Doom had befallen it. Well. Probably, anyway. He does see the strange demonic being striding out to face the wyvern and its rider, and the battle beyond. This place, this temple, was under attack. It was not one of his temples. It was not, strictly speaking, his fight. But even so...

Han looks upon the girl who had charged into battle against a warrior by far her superior, and simply does what comes to him. It was not a choice, really. There was no... decision involved in it. He was the King of the Rising Sun. The day that he ignored a child coming to harm before him was the day the Sun fell from the sky. What followed was as natural as the turn of the tide, summer to fall, and a river's course to the sea. There is a crack of thunder, as Han bursts from his place upon the wall, quickly reaching the girl's side as his arrival throws water up into the air. He'd allow the infernal warrior to have their fun with the Knight, but as for the Wyvern- Ah.

There it is. That hollow, missing feeling. He shouldn't have been surprised. He'd spoken his Word. Of course he'd never feel its light again- Only embers and ash where once was flame. His halo thrums and burns, pulsing, as Han Liuyang gives the girl a grim grin. He'd caught her as she stumbled, a gentle but firm hand on her back helping support her up after that nasty cut. He gives her a look of some concern, making sure that the wound wasn't going to outright kill her, before looking out towards the Wyvern, the Knight, and the wonderfully furious demon-warrior charging out to face them.

"Tell me, is it usual in this world for people to attack temples, or is this a special case? I've only just arrived so I've no idea what all this-" Han Liuyang gestures to the battle "- is all about."

 

[Juju]

• Ruins
• Frontlines
• Astellian Flank
• Temple Gates

• 
  
  
  seasonedcat​
  It did not take Zareth long to find a comfortable vantage point with a clear view of the scene below. The fallen wyvern laid on its side, one wing pinned beneath the tower’s crumbled remains. It struggled against the tower, fruitlessly tugging at the stone which only resulted in more screeches of pain. Judging by the odd angle it sat at, the wing was most certainly broken. Even a non-anatomy nerd could discern that.
  
  A knight dressed in black armour stood with their back to the beast, sword lowered and stance alert and tense. They faced the opposing side of the ruins, head turning this way and that as if to follow something in the grass. With his poor vision, Zareth couldn’t tell what it was the knight was worried about, but he could hear the disturbance. Ethereal growls rose from the darkness beyond the ruins. The long grass swayed, betraying the creatures that skittered through them.
  
  Black flame engulfed the knight’s hand, growing into a ball that was launched into the grass. It ended with a yelp, then the roar of flames as the grass was set alight. It illuminated the creatures as they burst from their cover and charged at the knight.
  
  
  
  The beasts were canine in appearance, though did not belong to a species Zareth was aware of. They were a semi-transparent black colour with a deep purple mist that made up the non-corporeal parts of their body. Eyes glowed a molten gold and horns grew from their head.
  
  They were similar to the beasts Zareth had seen on the battlefield, allied with the defending force, while at the same time completely different. Few would be able to spot the difference, but it just so happened that Zareth was among those educated in the higher spheres of magical arcane knowledge. Along with a few unique life experiences for good measure.
  
  At a glance he could tell that these creatures were in fact imbued with raw arcane magic, the sort that came directly from leylines, however this arcane energy was clearly abnormal. Something was amiss. He could just barely begin to search his memories when something would cut his thoughts short.
  
  One of the beasts had crept up on his blind side, its eyes gleaming with malice. He would have completely missed it had it not been for his innate sense for the arcane. It made a leap for him, only to be shot down by a bolt of black flame. The heat stung against Zareth’s face for a moment before the wolf evaporated in a puff of purple smoke.
  
  “Careful, you lummox!” The knight shouted across the ruins, blade slicing down a wolf mid-leap. It was a feminine voice, thick with the accent of Wyvveria. Strangely, she spoke to the elf as if he were an ally, “Did Lyaras send you? Forget me and Baelarys, you need to warn everyone that another swarm’s approaching. The battle must have attracted them!”
  
  The wyvern behind her stopped struggling against its rubble prison to unleash a blast of flame into the field. More of the canine beasts could be seen, many of them now crawling over the rubble. Those that managed to avoid the wyvern’s breath regrouped around the dragon’s back, attacking its tail and hind legs now that it was pinned and unable to defend itself.
  
  Swearing loudly, the knight charged at the monsters, unleashing a slash of black flame at the ones that had jumped onto her companion. More took their place, surrounding the lady knight and her wyvern. She ran across the wyvern's back, fending off the monsters as they attempted to swarm the wyvern. Meanwhile, the wyvern struggled and snapped, crunching the ghostly wolves between its teeth or swiping them away with its tail.
  
  Despite the knight’s assurances, it seemed that both she and the wyvern were in a dangerous, perhaps deadly situation. Then again, her wish for him to warn others, whoever those may be, seemed rather urgent. Of course, doing so posed the risk of leaving her and the wyvern behind to what could be a brutal fate.
• 
  
  
  

  Spoiler: reference for the calvary mounts

  

  Solirus YsFanatic​
  Rodal plunged himself in the midst of the battle, halting the troops on either side of the large Bull-Like beast. Indeed, the sudden intrusion had created a significant diversion as both sides tried to decide if he was friend or foe... and why he stood unarmed in front of a butcher.
  
  “There we are, much more interesting.” The commander said, her grey eyes surveying the new arrival in the same manner as an eagle might size up an intruder upon her territory.
  
  She held up a hand, and in that one small motion all the spearmen under her command halted their approach towards Rodal. Most of them appeared to be human, but there were a few elves scattered into the mix, mostly the soldiers behind her. The human majority wore shades of wine-red just like the woman, with the insignia of a raven on their chest. It looked to be some family crest, or perhaps a faction entirely. Being from a completely other world, Rodal would sadly be unable to recognize it.
  
  With a flick of her wrist, warriors on either side of the commander pressed outwards into a defensive formation.
  
  “You’re not one of these–” she cut herself off momentarily as one of her swords shot at a cavalryman sneakily readying an arrow, skewering both man and beast like a moth beneath a pin, “Mannerless wretchs. Are you a mercenary? Unlikely? A deserter? More unlikely. Whoever you are, stand aside, or better yet pick up a sword and fall in line. You don’t want to throw your life away over monsters, trust me. I'll only ask you once, boy.”
  
  It seems Rodal had gotten the distraction he had wished for and had halted the Astellian advance. Battle still raged to the left and right, but at least the area immediately around him had come to a momentary standstill.
  
  Rodal could hear the Bull-Beast behind him stir, rising back to its full height. The stone that made up its front leg had slowly reformed chip by chip. A smell like fertile soil rose up with it, and a deep voice like tumbling rocks followed, “Indebted to a foulblood? Preposterous.”
  
  The Bull lifted its head to glance back at the calvary riders who survived, "Riders... we shall crush them under hoof!"
  
  The woman paid this little mind, her stance as casual as ever though the red gems embedded in the hilts of her swords glimmered with life. Her eyes flickered to Rodal one last time. It was clear her patience her mercy had its limits. Any further inaction would cause her to strike. She partially raised a hand, the spearmen behind her already preparing for the bull's inevitable charge.
  
  Sarah could see the scene partially unfold, though a line of spearmen and Astellian troops stood between her and Rodal, the Bull and the Swordswoman. In all the chaos, it seemed that none of the following could notice Sarah yet.
  
• 
  
  
  
  AriAriAbabwa​
  The white mage held her staff in the ground, her face lifted in a confident smile despite the sweat that beaded her brow. “Take heart, my friends! Rise and let us fight the onslaught as one!”
  
  Slowly the magi she defended rose to their feet, wounds pieced back together.
  
  With another howl, the Great Wolf slammed against the barrier with its claws. A thick hoarfrost had spread across the ground, coating the nearby grass in powdery white. The beast spoke in a low, guttural voice that was more growl than words, “I can smell your fear, elf. Delay all you want. Soon my children shall feast on your innards.”
  
  “Do you hear this demon, Silvyrmyst?” The mage said, her composure cool despite the struggle to maintain both her barrier and healing sigil.
  
  The unicorn named Silvyrmyst trotted to her side, the savage wound on its neck still visible, yet no longer bleeding. It snorted, “Hmm, typical. Wolves were always vulgar creatures! Absolutely lacking in manners!”
  
  Despite the concentration given to maintaining her spell, the white mage cracked a small smile. She afforded herself a sidewards glance to her mystical companion, “Assist the wounded so they might fight again. I cannot hold the barrier much longer. They must be ready when it falls!”
  
  “My pleasure, Lady Lyaras” said the unicorn, dipping its head.
  
  It turned in place to face the wounded magi behind it. Light sprung from its horn to the wounded and recovered, a blessing placed upon them.
  
  Then the unicorn’s sight turned to something else, a miracle that had occurred behind their lines. One of the fallen mages had risen from his untimely demise by the actions of a would-be angel. Silvyrmyst's ears perked up, posture straightened. The unicorn trotted up to the girl.
  
  “My dear, what remarkable magic you possess! From a human, no less. Oh, but I do not recall your face among our magi?” It turned its head to the approaching wolves, “Alas, introductions must wait! Quickly now, stay within the Lady’s protection! We may yet have need of your talent!”
  
  The unicorn nudged Doi with its nose, directing her towards the barrier of white magic.
  
  The explosion of lightning struck the ground, buffeting the wolves away and completely dissipating the unlucky ones caught near the front. As for the Giant Wolf, it leapt backwards, sparing it from the brunt of the attack, though the energy had singed some of its fur a dark black. Aaron’s magic had dealt a significant blow to the pack, enough to have drawn the attention of one of its leaders. The man riding the wolf turned his gaze towards Aaron, eyes narrowed and gaze malicious.
  
  “Great Oshaka, allow me to strike their flank.” he growled, leaping down from the wolf’s back. He waved his staff in the air and chanted as he ran. Wisps of light poured down from the staff's snowy orb, solidifying into more spectral wolves.
  
  He then charged with them along the side of the magical barrier, sights set upon Aaron. Another mage had stepped in the way, attempting to dispose of the man. He ducked below an incoming fire bolt then followed up with a stab to the mage’s throat. The spectral wolves followed at his heels, leaping upon any others left outside of the barrier.
  
  Once again, a spear of ice formed in his hand as he winded his arm back in preparation to toss it at Aaron.
  
• 
  
  
  [NOTE: AtTheEndofEverything has DMed me about leaving temporarily and coming back perhaps in a month. For now I shall control their character's actions!]
  ThatWhichShouldBe​
  The Demonic Pitcher cracked a shot at the knight, the ball of infernal energy soaring through the air. Instead of following up with an execution on the priestess, the knight turned on his heels. Blue flames sprung to life across his blade, leaving a ghostly afterglow in the arc he swung, slicing the projectile in half. The two pieces fell into the shallow water below, sizzling out. He glanced at the pitcher, considering it, then ultimately turned back to face the girl. It seemed she was the more important target, despite the threat posed by the half-demon.
  
  The priestess stumbled back, but just when she was about to fall, a hand caught her.
  
  "Who…?" The girl's eyes widened, surprised that someone had come to her aid.
  
  She did not recognize this stranger, nor the unusual attire he wore. From her bewildered expression it was clear she must have first thought him to be one of the outsiders attacking the shrine. Her eyes lifted to the halo above his head and confusion turned to recognition and something else. Awe? Fear? It was difficult to tell.
  
  His question spurred her into a panic. She nodded her head quickly then winced as the motion caused a new jolt of pain from her arm.
  
  “It's-it's. They're after the Cloud-Home and Illuminated Eye," the priestess managed to say, choking back sobs of pain. "After this."
  
  Weakly, she raised the orb in her hands, its surface slick with red. The movement made her cry out and lower the orb again, "It's why they attacked Three-Rivers. Can't give them the key.N-not after everything!"
  
  Blood gushed from the wound in her shoulder, a deep rent between her shoulder and ribs. She was quite fortunate not to have her arm chopped off, but it looked like the wound still might take her life in the end.
  
  "W-who are–?" She looked at Han again. Curiosity had seeped into her pained expression, but before she could ask about Han's identity the blue knight made his advance. The priestess shouted, "EEK! WATCH OUT!"
  
  The knight was swift in his strike, sapphire flames blazing around his blade and arms. Once again, despite Han beside her, the knight's strike was aimed at the priestess. This time he was determined to execute her, the blade's arc decisive and brutal. Unless Han acted against him, she would doubtlessly die. Of course, it was not the in the Dawn's nature to leave the girl to her fate.
  
  The priestess scrambled back only to collapse onto her rear, the blood loss already showing. Desperately, she closed her eyes and hugged the orb in her arms, whispering some prayer under her breath.
  
  Ripples of movement spread out across the water's surface around her. At that moment, sparkles of electric blue exploded around the giant fish creature held prisoner in the wyvern's maw. Hissing, the beast struggled to hold onto the bloody fish against the force now seeping out between its fangs. It saw the Half-Demon Pitcher targeting its master and quickly acted in defense. With one giant swing, it tossed the enormous fish, still shimmering with unknown energy, at the half-demon.
  
  Somehow, it only made the pitcher grin. He knew exactly what to do. Digging his heel into the ground, he lifted his bat in preparation for the brightly glowing fish that sped towards him. An explosion of blue sparks and white beams was born from the collision, the aftermath sending both the fish soaring overhead and the pitcher flying in the exact opposite direction with the same force. It was almost as if the damage had been reflected, or perhaps duplicated with Holy energy. The half-demon flew over the temple walls and out of sight, his fate unknown.
  
  The wyvern then began to make its way towards Han and the Priestess, its wings lowered to stabilize it. Each of its steps shook the ground and sent the water spraying around it.
  

 

[YsFanatic]

As Sarah stalked towards the core of the battlefield she took stock of what she was up against. In her experience, the average soldier in an army barely knew the basics of whatever weapons they were trained with, especially if they were conscripted versus having signed up voluntarily. Which means the only real danger she had to worry about from them was the sheer numbers. But if she could break their morale, their numbers would no longer matter.

One of the spearmen at the edge of the formation spotted Sarah and shouted a warning before lunging at her with his weapon. A fatal mistake as she simply twisted her body a bit to avoid the bladed tip before pulling on the shaft of the weapon, the additional momentum to his attack causing the poor soldier to stumble into easy range of her sword, the blade cutting cutting across his throat in one smooth motion. Several others turned towards the old woman in time to witness the death of their fellow and shifted positions to deal with this unexpected attack, stabbing out at her as the swordswoman broke into a run towards them. But much like the first soldiers, their attacks betrayed a lack of skill and experience as Sarah was able to avoid or parry them without any appreciable effort on her part. Their valiant efforts were rewarded with a swift death, Sarah's attacks having no wasted motion as she closed the gap and started cutting them down one after another, each strike hitting a vital location.

This sudden disruption in the formation caused others to quickly turn their attention from their preparations to deal with the cavalry attack only to find a weathered old woman walking forward with the bodies of six of their fellow soldiers scattered around her. The blood covering covering her body and nightgown, combined with the sheer intensity of her gaze that was focused on their commander and how her movements conveyed a graceful lethality they had likely never seen before made it seem like Sarah was a predator and the commander her prey, with the rest of them not even worthy of being a distraction. Fear swept through this group of common soldiers as many of them started to back away from the grey-haired warrior, their formation breaking apart bit by bit until Sarah was within easy shouting range of the commander.

She didn't even slow her walk as a Mana Bolt was flung at the commander. It didn't matter if it hit or miss, the entire point was to get her attention, and once she had it Sarah issued her challenge. "Hey bitch! I'm gonna kick your ass!"

Juju Solirus

 

[seasonedcat]

Zareth | Ruins
as Zareth struggled to copy down images of the two before him, he found himself distracted by trying to get his damn eyes to focus on what the knight seemed so scared of. Of course, his stupid eye would not cooperate; even when he closed the damn thing, he couldn't quite make out what he was seeing. It wasn't until the knight offered some light on the field that he saw what they were. Arcane beasts? Zareth of course began to scribble down even more notes on the new subject, though was quickly interrupted by the hair on his neck standing up. Though, of course, before he could process the fact he was sensing arcane magic a bolt of magic seared past his head.

Zareth let out a yelp, his face quickly turning a deep red that spread all the way to the tips of his ears. Embarrassment spread through him, quickly turning into anger at his own stupid mistake. Gripping his book tight to his chest he glared down at the knight, "I will have you know I am no soldier, I am a scholar! I am a student at Tasorths Acadamy of the Arcane, and am in no way a mere errand boy for soldiers! Though I do have to admit, I am not sure how exactly I got here..."

though it is likely that most of his ramblings got lost on the fighting knight as more beasts seemed to come at her. Zareth tore into his lip as he looked at the situation, alone this knight would surely fall, even her allied wyvern was down. If he remained he would be attacked shortly after, if he left it was likely he would find himself in the middle of a battle field. Not to mention considering the fact he was assumed to be a soilder, the Astellian forces must be involved. Which means he would easily be smited down by the first enemy force he would see. Even if he wanted to report what she had told him, he had no idea who or where he was supposed to report to.

"hmph, you should be lucky, you have one of the best mages in the Acadamia here to help! Now don't die on me meat sheilds..." he muttered the last part under his breath as he readied up a familiar spell. The light glow of his markings shone a bright, regal blue as he readied the spell, the ball of ice forming in his palm as he held the tip of his staff to his hand. With a practiced throw he tossed it into the mass of beasts, sticking to the amount of them who wasn't already on her to save her from the majority of the blast. She would feel a little cold from the sudden drop in temperature though. The spell bounced, exploding the beasts near the center easily, before exploding again shortly after, even more of the beasts getting caught as they tried to move once it was safe. The ground was coated in a thick sheet of ice and frost as Zareth tried to even his breathing. Using half your mana is far from a pleasant experience, the weakness of mana depletion already beginning to form in the back of his mind. He only hoped that there wouldn't be too many more or else he was going to find himself without any mana.
mentions| Juju
interactions| Juju

 

[ThatWhichShouldBe]

HAN LIUYANG - THE KING OF THE RISING SUN - TEMPLE GATES

The Knight is a great warrior, his blazing blade reaching out to take a life with grace and poise. Any common man would be helpless before the blow- Unable to stop its inexorable, inevitable journey to take the Priestess's life. But Han Liuyang was far from common. Han Liuyang is not as he was, but he burns still. The Knight's sword is stopped in mid-air by a saber of shining silver, formed from the flowing, shimmering wraps around the Dawn's arms, Han bracing himself to take the blow, grinning fiercely.

"At least have the dignity to respect a conversation."

And then he's gone, as suddenly as he blocked the Knight's blade. In the next moment, he's by the Priestess's side, scooping her and the orb up in his free arm as he crouches lower to the ground. He looks to the Knight and the approaching Wyvern, and comes to a snap decision. The Priestess would probably die if she wasn't healed quickly, under these conditions... And while he was without the divinity, the power to help her, Han could yet make a gamble.

Was it a good gamble? Eh. He'd never worried about that kind of thing anyway.

"Let it never be said this King does not hear a prayer! Noonday Step!"

And then Han is soaring through the air, the full force of his body propelling himself and the priestess through the blue skies. With this alone, the two of them could not reach the fish, and even if they did, they would only crash into the unforgiving earth, and be assuredly die from broken bones. With this alone, they were, all of them, doomed. But even with mere embers left in his soul, even with a body not a tenth as mighty as it once was...

The King of the Rising Sun could yet perform miracles.

His next step is not on earth or wood- but on sunlight itself, a flash of gold as their trajectory alters in defiance of the laws of gods or men. Han Liuyang laughs as they fly towards the fish, soon to reach it. Their momentum imparting onto the fish, and together, all three of them flying towards the great open body of water.

"Water-Spirit! Your Priestess is going to need some healing if she wants to survive this!"

 

[Solirus]

Rodal - The Vessel of War - The Frontlines​

Rodal had performed the correct move, a feeling of relief washed over him confirming that this world wasn't entirely alien from his own. The officers response to his arrival was of note, she seemed to be here for sport, not taking the situation as seriously as she should. After taking down a sneaking cavalry man, Rodal noted that she was quick at reacting, she would be most troublesome to handle along with all the other soldiers. Her next words however almost perplexed Roldal, she was loudly voicing her thoughts and even suggested, no, commanded Rodal to fight for them instead. He'd already made his intentions clear without uttering a single word and yet she didn't seem to notice, a certain part of Rodal found that irritating. Perhaps he should announce how he was planning to kill each and every one of them specifically so that she would comprehend that Rodal was her enemy.

The Bull-beast behind rose once more, their legs healed. The beast believed itself indebted to Rodal, that could be useful if the beast survived. The word foulblood held certain importance, it described him and perhaps others, he would know what it meant, but he would have to figure out later. Finally Rodal lowered his arms and in that moment, and old and withered lady burst forth from the corner of his eye, she wore a night gown and the boots of a soldier, slashing through the necks of several soldiers with a short sword. Her form was excellent, but it felt as if there was a better weapon for her. That didn't seem to hinder her lethality and the opportunity she brought forth as she blazingly challenged the officer launching a bolt of magic at her. It didn't matter that she'd come from a crater like he did what mattered was that this solidified his role in the battle.

Spearmen remained shocked for a second as this woman near death's door had torn through their lines and threatened their commanding officer, they looked confused almost as if awaiting for further orders. That was the moment of opportunity as Rodal dashed towards the wavering line, only a few managed to regain their attention, thrusting their spears at the incoming attacker. Their stances were poor and their thrusts lacked practice, these men likely didn't want to be on the frontlines, throwing their lives away for a nation that hardly cared for them. Rodal moved ever so slightly dodging the thrust and with his entire momentum he lunged himself to the soldier, knocking him to the ground as his knees crashed upon his chest causing all the air to rush out. With a single strike Rodal crushed the man's throat, it was by no means a quick death, but the soldier was as good as dead. Two other soldiers struck at Rodal at the same time, judging by the face of one, Rodal had just murdered their friend. Forcing himself up, Rodal dodged the strikes and redirected one of the spears to pierce through the other mans neck. The spearman's strength however messed with Rodal's aim and pierced his friends eye instead. That would have to do.

Rodal made his way to the back of the formation hands behind his back, taunting the soldiers. His goal in this battle was to weaken the wall spears so that the cavalry may trample these men. You should summon a weapon. Leva spoke within, It'd be a lot easier to kill them. On the surface it was a sound idea, The less they know of my capabilities, the better. Rodal responded in his mind, as a different soldier swung his spear, aiming for his head. Rodal feinted a back dodge before dashing forward delivering a kick to the man's jewels, a yelp of pain escaped the man as he fell to his knees.

That was dirty.

Are you unhappy?

Quite so, my wielder shouldn't rely on such cheap tricks. But I will forgive this transgression.

Leva was being insufferable again, but that just added to the legitimacy of his action, he didn't want to play fair, he wanted his opponents to rage about it, to feel as if they weren't fighting a noble warrior, but a bastard, to focus their anger on him and forget the wave of death that would soon sweep them.

Juju YsFanatic

 

[jmann]

GAMMARIAH | Astellian Flank
Juju AriAriAbabwa

Blood pooled around Gammariah's hand. His own thick crimson congealed between his fingers. Then he blinked.
Without sound or signal he was plummeting from the sky. No blood stuck to his fingers, only the whistling wind ravaging his uncovered skin. He came in and out of consciousness as the ground blinked towards him faster and faster. Gammariah winced for the impact, but felt nothing. He was lying in a crater as if he had awoken there from the beginning. The stars, what few he could see of them, were dimmer than he was remembered. Perhaps something about lying in dirt made it feel different. A horse leapt over the crater.

Gammariah's ears tuned in slowly to the sounds around him, steel clanging, shouting and screams, wet meat slapping the ground. It wasn't until his nose attuned to the rich scent of blood trickling down into his crater that he snapped into focus. Battle. That was the word he was looking for.
But he was supposed to be dead. He died, that wasn't a dream that was a memory. It was as real as the blood congealing between his fingers again, this time not his own. This had happened before. The Astellians called them Miracles, his people called them Seers. Perhaps this meant he was a Seer now, a portent of supernatural will. His fight was not over, the Astellian Dynasty had not fallen so he would be sent to battles to fight his lifelong foe.
Gammariah leapt to his feet, each muscle filled with energy from beyond. The fighting was everywhere, the only thing to draw his attention was the barking of wolves on the outskirts of the fight. An arrow barely missed his arm, a stray ball of fire bounced off his chest as a dozen others hit the ground around him. He had to move. Gammariah put one foot in front of the other until his body did the rest and he found himself running between soldiers, dodging spears and arrows. His efforts were better spent seeking magi, not fighting on the frontlines. Gammariah slowed to a walk a short ways out from the flank. Spectral wolves surrounded a shielded mage as a unicorn nudged another mage to safety. Gammariah knew his target like the back of his hand. Magi were selfish and rigid. They were entirely without honour and fought as if they were reading from a tome. Fighting one was never easy, but he was the Leading Light, and he had a responsibility.

Gammariah stared down the mage and drew his two curved swords. He placed them together in a cross shape pointed directly at the mage. With a loud ring he slid the blades apart in a shower of sparks. In his home, it was a display of intent. There would be no doubt about his intentions and there could be no claim he fought unfairly. Gammariah stowed his swords and picked up a javelin from the battlefield. It was of a solid elven design. As much as he despised how the magically transfigured metal and wood felt in his grip, he could not deny the effectiveness.

His Marks fuelled his bones as he broke into a full sprint towards the mage. Gammariah leapt up to the barrier and slammed his open palm into the shield. Magic rippled across its surface and a small crack formed where he struck. The Mark along his right forearm lit up with a soft glow as magical energy swirled through his body. He hit the shield again, then again, then again. Each strike expanded the crack in the shield as his Mark grew brighter. When at last it seemed like his Mark would sooner burst than glow brighter, a portion of the shield caved. Only the size of a fist but that was enough. With all the speed he could muster, Gammariah switched the javelin from his offhand to his right, and threw it with full force through the closing gap in the shield.

 

[AriAriAbabwa]

The Astellian Flank
Juju jmann​

Doi stumbled on her bottom at the approaching unicorn—she stared in awe as it spoke to her; complimented her ability. The ash-stricken Beasts of her home were the most similar to this creature, but none were as intelligent. She was snapped out of her momentary trance when the unicorn nudged her toward the mage's barrier. "Y-Yes... of course," she uttered, clambering to her feet.

However, she spotted another man joining the attack, hammering at the mage's barrier and cracking it with each strike. The sight made her apprehensive, but a quick glance around told her there was no other place to shelter. Such is the cruelty of war; the plague casted by those in power... What they see here is far worse than the media outlets dare to—

"We need to go, ma'am!" The voice belonged to Aaron Bennor, who moments earlier, felt his spine rattle as the opposing leader locked eyes with him.

The wolves cut off their escape, and he followed the spear of ice that formed in the leader's hand. Aaron scrambled to the ground, performing a spell, sending a prayer to Astell, and braced for impact. But, as the spear came inches away from Aaron, a flash of lightning engulfed the boy in a circle. The spear disappeared into shards, and the lightning circle disappeared only seconds later.

Aaron was a sitting duck out here; he needed to regroup with the elven mage—but not without his savior.

Cut to present, and he gripped her with surprising ease in one arm. He couldn't help but notice how thin she felt to the point he felt her bones more than anything. And the way she curled up like a frightened kitten, planting her face into his red hair... was she really fit for this war?

Aaron spared a grateful nod to the unicorn, then preparing another spell. Doi watched in fascination as light shuddered around them again. As the wolves closed in around them, lightning grew from Aaron's free hand. He sprayed lasers of electricity at the wolves, sending them away to clear a path toward the mage.

He let go of Doi, thinking she'd run beside him... only to find she was out of breath halfway to the barrier. Whatever judgment he had, he didn't say it. Instead, Aaron grabbed her again and dragged the girl to the barrier. The two slid inside, feeling a wave of relief as the troops within the barrier set to the two survivors.

Doi looked to the boy with a saintly smile. In her softest voice, she said, "Thank you."

Aaron cleared his throat, turning away the moment his cheeks felt a flush warm. "We're even, now," he said blankly. But there was no time to rest. The man joining the wolf leader breached a hole into the barrier, and he didn't look the type to be wanting to say hi. "By the goddess..." Aaron rushed forth, unsheathing his blade which surged with electricity. He swung at the elven javelin, swiping it away before it struck a mage. Aaron aimed his offhand at the hole, and his eyes glowed a sparkling white. Lightning arced around his arm, forming a beam at his palm that shot at Gammariah through the gap.

Doi sat cross-legged, and she shut her eyes, meditating.

 

[Juju]

• Ruins
• Frontlines
• Flank
• Gates - Lake

• 
  
  
  seasonedcat​
  Most of Zareth’s ramblings became lost in the sound of sword strikes and howls, but the knight must have heard some of it as she soon shouted, “Quit talking and do something!”
  
  The spectral wolves tore at the thin webbing of the black wyvern’s wing, their fangs unable to pierce its scales. A few tried to go for the wyvern’s throat, only to find the sharp points of bigger fangs and a quick end.
  
  More wolves came from the edge of the ruins, but this time instead of fire they were stopped by a large bolt of arcane ice. Zareth had aimed for the heart of the oncoming pack, taking out a huge swath of them while others were blasted away or left injured and half-fading from this realm. Those caught in the center of the blast were entombed in ice, their silhouettes becoming sculptures of ice after their temporal forms shattered and dissolved.
  
  Ice stuck to the sides of the surviving wolves as they turned tail, retreating back into the darkness of the field.
  
  With Zareth’s help in thinning their ranks, the wyvernknight managed to cut down the remaining wolves that plagued her wyvern’s back. Any who remained soon fled off into the darkness, merging with the pack as they retreated.
  
  The knight lowered her blade, though still kept it firmly in her hands. “That’s some serious magic. Huh, guess you weren’t just talk after all...”
  
  She then turned her attention to her wyvern’s wings, inspecting the damage dealt by the beasts. Seemingly content, she leapt down from the wyvern’s flank and walked up to its enormous head. Gently, she patted the creature’s jaw.
  
  Steam rose from the beast’s nostrils, puffed out in a long breath. Growling, it continued to fight against the rubble in an attempt to shift it off its ravaged wing.
  
  The knight then turned back to Zareth, sheathing her sword onto her back. She made a half bow, “Name’s Dame Taenirah of Redtower. You have our thanks.”
  
  She paused for a moment, her voice somewhat amused, “Still, I should punish you for ignoring orders…but then again I’m not the best at following them either. Our secret, alright? Your name was what again? Zaro?”
  
  A long, haunting howl broke through the friendly introductions.
  
  The sword was back in the knight’s hands before her body had turned around to face the dark field once more. “Again? Is there no end?”
  
  This time instead of numerous dark shadows skittering through the grass there was an obvious, large mass heading towards them. It did not hide, and the arcane energy that seeped from it made it plainly obvious to both the knight and Zareth.
  
  
  ​
  
  An enormous three-headed wolf prowled out from the shadows, a pack of smaller wolves at its heels. ts three sets of jaws snarled and snapped, a three-way glare set upon the mage, wyvern and the knight. The monstrosity was almost half the size of the injured wyvern, with massive claws and fangs that looked adequate enough to pose it a real threat.
  
  Once again, Zareth did not recognize this beast, but a memory clicked as soon as he laid eyes upon it and the unusual swirls of arcane it possessed. (check your DMs bih)
  
  Despite the promise of a difficult fight ahead, the knight was not prepared to abandon the injured wyvern. She readied her stance as black flame danced once more on her blade’s edge, “Well, Zaro, I hope you’ve got more tricks up your sleeve…”
  
  The wyvern roared at the approaching threat and raised its one free wing in a defensive display.
  
• 
  
  
  Solirus YsFanatic​
  “An obtuse lack of dignity and honour.” The woman retorted the moment Rodal sprung into action, disgust littering her features. “In my homeland, there is a price to pay for such things.”
  Just as Rodal had predicted, the woman saw him as everything less than an honorable combatant. He had played the part well, enough to have ushered in a new scene of the play.
  
  The swords surrounding the commander pulsed. At this moment, all the blood Rodal spilt during his attack merged together into a bright red ruin beneath his feet. It flared for a moment, then vanished, leaving nothing behind.
  
  Rodal felt a sharp discomfort in his chest the moment it vanished, as if a hand had squeezed his heart. Some sort of bewitchment had been placed upon him. Of what, he could not say. His legs felt heavy and his skin crawled, as if ants were running within his veins. His movements would be slower and he felt a feverish warmth.
  
  “One must always mind their manners. Especially around one’s foes.” the commander growled, the hilts of her swords flashing a stark red, as if in agreement.
  
  Rodal’s vision blurred for a moment and he heard a disembodied whisper as if it were breathed into his ear. “Dicourteous thralls should be punished...~”
  
  Only Rodal would be able to see a silhouette of red mist that now stood in front of him. It had long, flowing hair and a smaller frame, but he could not see any features beyond that. The edges of its silhouette twitched and shifted, like something seen behind a desert mirage.
  
  It dropped quickly and pounced at him, fingers warped into impossibly long points. They slashed at his leg, tearing through fabric and flesh in an attempt to send him to his knees. He heard the voice giggle again, “Hehe! If you apologize I promise I'll be gentle…”
  
  While Rodal struggled with his demons, Sarah tossed a mana bolt and barked out a challenge. It distracted the commander, who blocked the bolt with one of her swords. She glared at Sarah, “Better, yet brutish and vulgar. I accept your challenge nonetheless.”
  
  She pointed to Sarah and one of the gleaming swords shot towards her, red energy swirling around it. The moment it hit something, either Sarah or the ground, it exploded into a vicious swirl of red-hued magic that slashed at everything caught in the twirl.
  
  Emboldened by the actions of Sarah and Rodal, the Bull reared up, swinging its head from side to side in triumph. “Riders, charge! Follow after the Foulblooded!”
  
  Those riders who remained gathered around the bull, charging forward. They held wooden spears and bows and wore very little armour. Most looked to be hunters rather than a trained and well-funded militaristic force such as the Astellian Dynasty.
  
  “Wardens, on your guard!” the commander shouted to the red-garbed soldiers behind her. Unlike the fodder near the front, these raven-crested soldiers were better armed and armoured. They stood their ground against the beast’s charge, shields and swords at the ready. While many fodder soldiers broke their rank and fled in fear, these so call 'Wardens' stood their ground even as arrows from the outriders fell. Dutifully, they waited for their leader's signal.
  
  Two of the swords rose up, plucked by unseen hands, and lashed forward at the approaching Bull. They took to either flank, tearing into its sides before spinning outwards in a U formation back towards the commander, slicing at the oncoming calvary charge. Thick mud fell from the wounds in the Bull's sides, but it continued its charge. Many of its calvary warriors fell or were left bleeding and wounded. Some of the bovine mounts, now left without a rider, bucked or ran off.
  
  Those who survived the commander's attack crashed into the line of Wardens. The line held for the most part, though some gaps had been made. The main threat was the Bull, who charged directly for the commander. Her two swords returned to her sides just in time for her to hold them in each hand and use them to block the bull's horns. The two stood interlocked, the Beast pushing against the twin swords, their edges wreathing in a pulsing sanguine energy. The commander held her stance, dirt piling up behind her heels.
  
• 
  
  
  
  AriAriAbabwa jmann​
  The unicorn snorted in surprise when Doi sat down and began to meditate, “My word, has she gone daft? Lest this be yet another spell of unknown origin? In that case, I shall ensure you remain unbothered by these ruffians!”
  
  With a circular motion, the unicorn summoned a small ring of flowers around Doi, each coloured a soft peach and giving off a delightful scent. Lush, newborn grass grew within the ring, springing up below Doi. It was a tiny sanctuary, big enough only for her to sit cross legged.
  
  “It is done,” the unicorn stated proudly, “Leave it not until your casting has come to an end, and woe to all who intrude.”
  
  Satisfied with their blessing, the unicorn turned their sights upon the wolves. Lowering their head, the unicorn charged at an oncoming wolf, skewering it into a puff of ghostly fog. As for the others, a swift kick or two was enough to keep them well away from the meditating woman.
  
  With Aaron retreated into the mass of healed magi, the man leading the lesser wolves was forced to avoid chasing after him. Instead, he turned his sights to the unicorn at the vanguard, swiping a dagger at it. Sylvyrmyst managed to gracefully leap out of range, their horn glowing brightly. The two combatants danced around each other, both locked in a battle of agility and magic.
  
  Meanwhile, the white mage held the barrier for as long as she could but it was clearly failing. Parts of it had already begun to wane, something that would very soon prove to be an opportunity for an old adversary.
  
  Gammariah had joined the fray, an old challenger in a new battle. The gesture he made was an ancient one, but it had an unusual effect on the white mage holding the barrier. Recognition flickered in her eyes, along with a distinct shade of fear.
  
  “By the stars…” she muttered, eyes widened, “It cannot be.”
  
  Hesitation, doubt, disbelief. All these things combined lead to her delayed reaction, and by that time it was too late. The magehunter had broken her already weakened barrier, and from that hole he thrust through a spear of elvish make. How ironic.
  
  It might have pierced her innards if not for the quick actions of Aaron, who managed to strike it away. She blinked in surprise, and perhaps embarrassment that a human of all people had saved her a grievous wound.
  
  The mage regained her composure, though it was no longer the same assured poise she once had. It had become tense, uncertain, and deadly serious.
  
  “By light be banished!” she shouted. With a wave of her staff the shield’s remaining strength shattered outwards, the explosion buffeting the wolves back. She made a gesture with her hand and summoned a chain of light that wrapped itself around the Giant Wolf’s paw, immobilising it temporarily.
  
  As for Gammariah, she called out to him, “You… I know you, but that cannot be true. It is not possible. Tell me, what is your name?”
  
  The Great Wolf struggled against its bonds, teeth gnashed and fur coated in frost. A snarl rose from its throat, eyes suspicious and calculating as they turned towards Gammariah, “Are you too one of these invasive pests?”
  
• 
  
  
  ThatWhichShouldBe​
  The knight gave no response to Han's japes, his focus only on the slaughter of the priestess. If not for Han, he would have succeeded. In a quick movement, his blade slid from the moon-sash weapon, finding nothing but air where Han once was.
  
  There was only a moment of hesitation before the knight recovered and continued his assault, but it was enough of a break for Han to pick up the priestess and perform what many would consider a miracle. By stepping on light itself, Han had successfully reunited the priestess with the enormous glowing fish. Unlike the demonic pitcher, the harsh light did nothing to harm either Han or the bleeding girl in his arms.
  
  When the others crashed again it, the fish flailed yet again, this time with a loud glubbing sound in what could be considered a fishy version of sobs. A face emerged from the fish's mouth, along with two spindly arms. The face was vaguely humanoid, with large milky eyes that lacked any pupils.
  
  It began babbling incoherently at Han's request, "I-I… I .."
  
  One of the creature's disk shaped eyes turned to look at the priestess. She had her eyes shut but had stopped her prayers for lack of strength. Blood had stained her orb, though strangely left Han's clothing unblemished.
  
  "Oh, oh, Toko! Oh forgive me. This is my fault, my fault!!" The face sobbed. Thick globules fell from the fish's expressionless eyes in literal streams, trailing their flight in a small cascade. "Stupid Shem, cowardly Shem! Should hide in the deepest lake and never return!"
  
  The priestess, assumably named Toko, raised her eyes to the fish. Her face was pale but still she did her best to smile, "You were brave, Shem. You protected the others…!"
  
  "Oh, oh no you can't die, Toko! I-I can save-save you!"
  
  Shem reached out to the priestess with its strange mouth-arms. Water from its tears swelled up, glowing bright blue. Something was definitely happening, but it didn't seem to stop the bleeding much. Actually, on second thought it didn't look like anything was happening at all.
  
  "No no, work!" The fish blubbered, before letting out an ungodly screech and beginning to flail once again. Their healing (?) spell exploded uselessly in a splash of water.
  
  The source of the fish’s distraction was none other than the blue wyvern, flying in hot pursuit. The three of them could see the huge beast dive at them, flames bursting from its mouth, just before they crashed into the surface of the lake.
  
  The plunge sent them deep into the lake, suspending them in a world of clear blue and bubbles. Below them the depths of the lake yawned with shadow, above them they could see the dragon swoop low. It unleashed another blast of flame, boiling the surface of the lake. Resurfacing would be deadly, either through heat or the wyvern circling above.
  
  Shem panicked and darted down into the depths, leaving behind both Han and Toko. The latter of which was sinking lifelessly down into the depths. Clouds of blood made the otherwise crystalline water murky and dark. Her elaborate headdress had been knocked off and her precious orb had fallen from her hands. It sank quickly into the depths, the faint glow that surrounded it making it easy to see against the dark backdrop.
  
  Han could hear a humming drift up from the orb, the melody rising and falling in time with the pulsation of light. It felt familiar to him, divine in some degree. Just by listening to the hum he could somehow sense that it wanted something from him. It wanted to be held. It wanted the priestess. Only he could reunite them now.
  
  It did not want the darkness that waited far, far below them all.
  

 

[Juju]

Wren // VVitch

seasonedcat​

Much to her delight, not a single set of eyes noticed VVitch withdraw into a corner of the ruins and disappear. At last, things seemed to be going her way. Wren walked out from the shadows, a content grin on her face as she stretched out her arms. “See, Flub. Death wasn’t so bad, afterall.”

The slime critter jiggled up and down in excitement.

“Now, if we head that way we can find some town or something. Find a quest? I dunno, I’m kinda theory crafting here. Maybe scratch the quest thing, we should lay low for a bit.”

Wren turned her back on the ruins, but was soon ambushed by a strange canine beast. It burst out of a nearby bush and latched onto her leg.

“OFF! OFF!” Wren shouted, punching at the wolf that had firmly clamped onto her leg.

Through her skin she could feel the potent energy that coursed through the wolf-creature. It was altogether familiar and foreign to her, but usable all the same. It would be easy to consume it, but that would invite everything she was trying to ignore right now. Just thinking of it would summon it again, so she kept her mind away from it.

Flub jiggled in a panic, bouncing up and down on Wren’s arm as if to somehow help her in fending off the beast. He was as small as a cat right now, condensed down to conserve the precious energy she tried to keep dormant. She could easily use Flub to bash this stupid mutt to pieces, or gobble it up, but she stubbornly refused.

As more blood fell on the grass she was nudged closer and closer to having no choice in the matter. Just when she was about to give in, the wolf let go of her leg and sprinted off into the dark field.

Wren collapsed onto the grass in a sitting position, her leg throbbing with pain. She pressed her hands onto it, trying to stop the bleeding despite knowing it wouldn’t happen. At least, that’s how it was before. If this was a new world then just maybe it was different.

Flub bounced down from her shoulder and squeezed into her bag, coming back out with a bundle of gauze floating in his stomach. He spat it out beside Wren and looked up expectantly.

“Thanks, Doctor Flub.” She said hoarsely, her humour a mask for the deep frown of worry on her face.

With bloodstained hands she wrapped the gauze around her leg. Red seeped through. She wrapped it again, layer after layer, until there was no more gauze left. Despite all her efforts and supplies, the red spot began to grow until the gauze was soaked through and blood began to drip onto the grass.

Begrudgingly, Wren pressed her fingers to her leg and let it be rebuilt. She felt the mass of energy shrink, and with it felt the slow drain and decay that had been plagued her past life. In truth, it wasn't a total surprise. It had been there since she had woken up in the crater, but the sheer amount of mass built up had made it harder to tell the slight difference. Now she had no choice but to face the music.

In one fell swoop all her hope had been dashed.

Wren let out a long, defeated sigh. She should have felt more disappointed, but at this point it was all par for the course. Part of her knew it was too good to be true, which was why she had walked in the direction of the best area to suit her needs. She could sense several supernatural entities abound, but only one would be satisfying.

She stood up again, flecks of light swirling around her. Like bubbles of bright pink, purple and blue, glowing orbs were absorbed into her body until she looked to be made of light itself. Then her silhouette began to change, morphing back into the visage she had gone through all this effort to discard. In a sparkling burst, the light sprung off of her to reveal the beloved battle-idol herself; VVitch.

“It’s time to make our debut, Flub~!” VVitch said brightly, her smile a mixture of joy and anticipation. “Well, we shouldn’t keep them waiting. Not when people need our help!”

Her heels clacked upon the weathered stone, steps quickened towards the sound of battle. She could feel the magic in the air, taste it on her tongue. Flub was held in her arms as she ran through the ruins, cheerfully hopping from broken stone to broken stone. She even hummed a little tune.

At the height of the rubble pile she leapt into the air, and with an unnecessary backflip, bicycle kicked Flub at the approaching pack of wolves.

“Come on, Flub. Time to shine!” she shouted as she landed back on her feet with a flourish.

Flub flew through the air as a ball of slime, striking down onto the area of ice leftover by Zareth’s arcane blast. The slime-ball bounced onto it, absorbing the ice-magic instantly, and as he bounced up into the air he underwent a change. His colour shifted and the soft, jelly body hardened into ice crystals. Like a balloon, Flub expanded from his cat-like size into large enough to stand shoulder to shoulder with an elephant.

​

Flub smacked into the face of the three-headed dog, unleashing a blast of ice and causing it to stumble to the side momentarily.

With a delightful twirl, VVitch jumped down between the knight and Zareth. She gave an exaggerated wave to both of them and offered a cheerful greeting, “Hello everyone~! Looks like you need a little help.”

She created another ball of slime in her hand and playfully bounced it up and down on her palm, “My name is VVitch, and its a pleasure to meet you! Oh, I have so many questions but first lets start with a name. It makes battle a looooot easier. Oh, quickly now though. The murder-puppies are already grouping up again around Flub. Oops, I forgot to say that the big guy over there is with me. He's the sweetest~! There was one time-- oh wait I'm getting distracted from the battle. You'll watch my back, right?"

VVitch glanced at Zareth curiously, her eyes knowing a bit more then they should, "Hey are you alright? You look a little pale. You're running low on fuel aren't you? Scratch that, I'll watch your back. Don't worry, I've got you covered! Let me and Flub do the heavy lifting while you take a break!"

 

[ThatWhichShouldBe]

HAN LIUYANG - THE KING OF THE RISING SUN - TEMPLE LAKE


He dives, dives, dives- The water above him boils, the lake is cool and deep. The Fish was a little useless, frankly- But fine. There was always plan B. It wasn't his first choice, however, because it was a little blasphemous, and worse, quite rude. This was not his temple, that was not his relic- to hold foreign divinity was the height of taboo, a transgression against the basic social niceties that bind the Divinities and holy men of his world. Thankfully, however- Han Liuyang had always been a man of transgressions.

Han swims quick and swift, one hand grabbing the orb before he darts to the Priestess, his powerful muscles working as they descend into the dark. He holds his breath in his lungs confidently, without fear of drowning- For death had never been something he'd feared. In the span of heartbeats, he presses the orb into the Priestess's lifeless hands, and with the Priestess and the Orb in his grasp, maintains his depth in the water, staying out of the darkness below. And with that source of Divinity so close... Han Liuyang closes his eyes, and presses his own hand onto the Orb, on top of the Priestess's own.

His own fire was embers, but this- this was not embers. What Han could not wield of his own, perhaps he could...

Concentrate. Reach out. The Rising Sun. The Song of Waters. There is a common thread to both of these divinities, a shared nature- life. The dawn brings life, the waters bring life, hold onto that thread. Let it flow into the Priestess, bind her wounds, make her whole. Han had never prayed before- But now he finds himself on the verge of doing so, as he does his best to impress forth that command/thought/concept, trying to guide the Priestess's own faltering consciousness through the Orb, though his hollowed divinity, through whatever vestiges of his old self that he could bring forth. Pleading with whatever power was within that Orb to do as it had to, as it must. He had wielded Divinity before- What he no longer had, let him borrow, let him wield, even if just for a single moment.

Make. Toko. Live.

With a bit of the air was left in his lungs, Han speaks -

SHEM! SHE NEEDS YOU!

One more gambit. One more miracle.

 

[November Witch]

Autumn Ichor

Status: Weary, concerned, uninjured.

It was great food, as always. It wasn’t her normal meal, but it still tasted great.

She couldn’t even taste the poison.

Hours later, she laid down for bed, without a clue that an endless sleep was awaiting her…

__

Her eyes opened to find a starry night above her. Colors of reds, blues, oranges, yellows, pinks and purples streaming through the sky. It was beautiful. Like something she had never seen before. Until her own vision began to be engulfed by an orange view itself. It was then that Autumn realized she was weightless.

No, not weightless… Falling.

Her legs and arms out in front of her as she did so. Autumn closed her eyes, expecting to wake from her dream before she hit the ground. But that didn’t happen. In fact, when she opened her eyes, she lay in a crater. She hadn’t even felt the impact. In fact, it seemed like her body suffered no impacts of plummeting to earth either…

However, the cries of others, screams of beasts, metal clanging and wet sloshing told her all she needed to know. Even though she couldn’t see over the edges of the crater, she knew. It was a war. Something she prayed to avoid at all costs. Not just fighting, but getting her kingdom involved in one. But that didn’t make sense. How was she here and why? Where was here? What had happened?

Autumn sat up, collecting her thoughts and running through the most rational explanations she could perceive. However, a bloodied helmet shining with gore peeked over the side, and this spurred Autumn to finally move. She wasn’t particularly strong, in fact, it was her weakest point. But what she did pride herself on was speed. The armored silhouette had no chance of keeping up with her,

But now that the battlefield was in sight, even more questions ran through her head. But wars weren’t her thing. Autumn wanted to stay out of this mess and get somewhere else. Out of the battlefield, preferably. So she wasn’t seen as an enemy or attacked by either side.

However, she saw one thing that gave her pause. Something that went against every fiber in her being. A shield protecting the wounded and dying was punctured. While Autumn disliked war, she hated anyone who would push around, let alone kill, anyone who could no longer fight or even defend themselves. Autumn took a deep breath and ran.

She was faster than almost everything on the battlefield, and thankfully due to all of her running and exercise in her previous life, she had plenty of stamina to keep it up. She outran pursuers, dodged swords and arrows, though just barely. One well placed arrow struck her tail. But it traveled right through the fur, leaving her only missing some fluff.

She saw a mage, a unicorn, and two other figures staring down a pack of wolves, a mount, and two others. It wasn’t her place to get between them. But what was her place was helping the injured and dying get away from this place, so that’s exactly what she did.

Autumn was aware that approaching as fast as she was would cause concern in the best case and aggression in the worst case scenario. So she put her hands up and slowed as she approached.

“I’m neither an enemy or an ally!”

She shouted as she closed in.

“I just want to get the injured and dying off the battlefield!”

Autumn was closer to the mage and unicorn’s side of the battlefield, seeing as they were the ones she was focused on helping at the moment. If it seemed like these people wouldn’t hurt her, she would approach the nearest wounded person, and begin to attempt to move them deeper into what seemed to be their controlled side of the battlefield.

__

Mentions: AriAriAbabwa Juju

 

[seasonedcat]

Zereth | Ruins
thankfully, Zareth's decision to help didn't blow up in his face, for now at least. Despite the beasts, what surprised him was when the complement fell from the knight's lips if you could even call it one. A deep flush overtook his face instantly; for the first time, his mind went completely blank. Zareth could not remember the last time someone had praised him if it even had happened. He found himself stuttering out a reply to the other, "I- w-well, of course, live up to expectations," he let out an awkward laugh, trying to control his stuttering mind.

"I am Uthh- I am Zareth, you can call me Zareth..." he trailed off for a moment, his gaze far off before continuing as if it didn't happen, "and you'd do best to remember it. And for the last time, I am a scholar, no soldier. I woke up in the dirt here and have no idea where I am or who exactly I was to report to. I need to get myself back to the academia to continue studying before I miss too much."

it was then that the beasts chose to return, Zareth once again readying his staff, "I have more than just simple tricks up my sleeve." he commented while biting the inside of his cheek roughly. He was low on mana; the most he could do was another one of the ice blasts or two of the smaller spells he had, even that would be pushing it. He had no idea if this beast would be the last either; there could be more lurking. He cursed under his breath as he tried to look around to see if there was anything to use.

as he did this, something in his mind clicked about the beast. This, of course, only did more to worsen his worry. He wished he could stop and study the thing rather than just kill it; he wondered how famous he would get if he captured it. Of course, he was in no place to consider something like that. He would have to leave his note-taking till after the fight was over.

it was then that a new player entered the field. Zareth watched the creature land in his leftover ice, sucking up the magic readily. His gaze took one of pure shook as he watched it unfold, including as the woman began to speak. Only once she turned to comment on him directly did he shut his mouth and glare back at her, "I will have you know I am completely fine! What type of mage gets worn out by one spell? I will show you!" he hissed at her angrily as he summoned three small balls of ice that each formed into spikes. With precision, he fired one near Flub by the smaller dogs, killing one dog with one swiftly. As the dogs continued to swarm flub, they stood over their fallen comrade without much thought. Closing his hand quickly, Zareth let the spike explode, taking down even more dogs.

"see, could some washed-up mage do that!" he said almost breathlessly, his defiant tone only slightly wavering from the tiniest hint of desperation that leaked into his gaze. He then fired a spike into the open mouth of one of the heads that went to bite Flub, quickly exploding it after it landed. It would likely not kill the beast but stun at least one of the heads for a little.
metions| Juju
interactions| Juju

 

[Astrylan]

Aryia
​

Gasp. Aryia breathed in hard as she woke up, realizing she was still alive.
"No, that isn't right." She realized after giving her surroundings a look. While she was alive, she was most certainly not in her original world. The air was different, and not just because she was in the middle of a battlefield. "This isn't Traygoria, or at least not the same continent. Where am I?" Staying still as she moved her eyes to look around, Aryia first noticed the temple, before she scanned the rest of the battlefield.
Or tried to. She realized she was in a crater, apparently of her own making; she just happened to land close enough to the temple that it was visible even at the bottom of the crater.

After laying still and listening for a few more seconds, Aryia got up and moved to the edge of the crater, towards the temple. She wanted to get closer to the wall, as she was near an overhang and could hide in it's shadow as she got her bearings. Unfortunately for her, just as she got a few steps from the wall, she heard steps from behind her and a loud growl directly after. Cursing her luck, Aryia turned around and pulled her daggers out. She blinked. The wolves in front of her were ghostly, and partially transparent. They seemed wary of her, but weren't attacking just yet. Aryia decided to slowly put her daggers away to show she meant no harm, and then sat down with her legs crossed, putting her hands in her lap and trying to seem like she wasn't a threat. She was willing to bet they weren't considering her as food, but purely as some kind of intruder, based off the little time she has had to glance around.

With a battle raging between two sides, and with the temple being the obvious object of contention, Aryia was able to tell that these spectral wolves were probably defending the temple from any attempts to sneak around the battlefield's edges. "I'm not an enemy. I'm just trying to get my bearings. I will leave once I figure out what just happened and how I got here." She didn't think the wolves could really understand every word she said, but the tone of her voice was important, and animals tended to be sensitive to lies, or at least they were back on Traygoria, and in her experience, speaking truthfully helped with keeping her tone sincere.

The spectral wolves began realizing that Aryia wasn't a threat, and calmed down, only for their anger to flare up again as they noticed someone coming from behind them. Aryia noticed it too, and had stood up to pull her bow off her should, stringing it with an arrow and aiming it at the figures appearing behind the wolves.

"Well, what do we have here, a bunch of demons cornering a poor young girl? As excepted of demons." The figure in front spoke first. Aryia could hear the wicked smile in his voice. He wasn't here to save her, no. He was here because he enjoyed what he was about to do next. Aryia also wasn't going to let that happen, either. "Back off. I don't know what's going on, or why you are fighting, but I trust these wolves more than I trust you." The wolves seemed to understand Aryia more than she realized, as the ones nearest her stopped watching her as intently, focusing more on the men that just appeared. "Tsk, tsk. I guess that means your with the demons. Oh well." The man shrugged, and waved his hand. "Kill them."
Aryia was in for a fight not 2 minutes after she woke up.

 

[YsFanatic]

A small grin appears on Sarah's face as her challenge is accepted and she starts feeding mana into her sword. Instead of the elemental energy she was expecting to shroud the blade with, a dark, almost black, purple energy coats it instead. But there isn't time to wonder about it as the enemy commander sent one of the swords flying her way. Thankfully her experiences lets her react in time, diving into a roll that gets her out of the way and ends with her in a crouch. From the corner of her vision Sarah notices the energy wave emerging from the blade now stuck in the ground and knows she can't get out of the way in time with her current physical abilities. Instead the elderly woman spins as she stands up, swinging the short sword in an upward slash. As she swings the weapon, she instinctively reaches for her now missing spiritual energy, intending on using it to release an energy wave that would split the incoming attack apart to protect her from harm.

Instead a vertical wave of the dark purple energy is released from the sword and flies forward into it crashes into the incoming wave of red magic. However, instead of splitting it apart, the energy released from Sarah spreads upon impact to encompass the entirety of the commander's magical attack before breaking it down so that there was nothing left. The swordswoman's eyes briefly widen in surprise, but there was no time to put much thought into what had just happened. Instead she sprung forward in the fasted sprint she could muster, deftly avoiding any obstacles in her way or flaws in the ground as she closed in on the now distracted commander.

Rather than coming in from the front, or even the side, Sarah angled her approach so that she came up behind the commander. As soon as she was within attacking range she struck with an expertly aimed attack at the back of the commander's knee where there was no armor. The goal was to neatly slice apart the vulnerable ligaments and muscles there, something that would cause the other woman's leg to buckle and thus greatly hamper her ability to hold back the bull-like entity she was in battle with. Of course Sarah was prepared for the possibility that her enemy had some kind of supernatural enhancement that would cause the attack to fail and was prepared to dodge out the way if there was a counter-attack.

Juju Solirus

 

[Solirus]

Rodal - The Vessel of War

Actions of the Demon were discussed and decided by: Juju
​

As he'd expected, his actions had been most effective at drawing the ire of his enemies. The officer barked at Rodal about honor, dignity and tradition. Rodal never liked tradition, it always seemed to be used as a tool to justify actions usually to cultivate power for the leaders at the very end. The more he inspected the woman, the more his anger rose, even if he dared not show it. He wanted her to show all her tricks and thus so one of her swords glimmered with a red light and the blood from the nearby fallen congregated around Rodal like a hex. His body shivered as a red mist appeared before him, in the next moment a figure lunged at him, aiming for his leg in which Rodal barely dodged, his legs barely grazed. He hadn't noticed it before, but his movements had been slowed down.

Rodal created some distance between himself and the crimson creature before him. Looking around none seemed to notice the creature which meant it was specifically meant to attack him. The thing then taunted him in acting almost sadistically. That was good, he thought if it had been a real threat it would've gone for his neck instead of his legs, it'd simply be annoying right now. "Is that all?" Rodal spat back, collecting blood from his recently injured leg and tossing it at the creature who seemed to absorb the blood itself and becoming energized from it. The creature seemed to be intangible to a certain extent however it's claws hat damaged his own skin, so perhaps in the small window of attack he could physically interact with it and if he couldn't, he would have to resort on Leva who was incessantly ranting at the crimson creature even as it broke into a sprint. With his limited movement, Rodal entered a peculiar stance, his posture lower than the creatures and his arms slightly outstretched. The creature did not stop as just as it reached him, Rodal would've been able to toss her into the air if she hadn't still been intangible. Her teeth aimed for Rodal's neck but his sudden movement caused her to bite his left shoulder instead, a streak of pain coursed through his body as his blood was being sucked out.

"Worthless" Rodal whispered to the creature, it had created itself a blind spot clinging onto Rodal's shoulder and he would not waste a second. Rodal opened his right palm and from it, did petals of blue manifest themselves until the gave way to a beautiful azure rapier which Rodal tightly gripped and with a cleave at the creatures neck, the creature made of blood was sucked into the blade. Laughs still echoed along with Leva's rant which had died down as he summoned forth Blooming Frenzy. The quantity of blood had been unexpectedly high and he could feel the blade blooming already, without a second thought he unsummoned the blade with petals of red enveloping the blade and soon fizzling into nonexistence. Potential allies were in the vicinity and even should they know of blooming frenzy, their deaths at his hand would make him an enemy to all. Rodal never liked Blooming Frenzy, but in this current situation it had proven useful.

Our next target will be the officer, Rodal thought inside his head checking his wound on the shoulder and still feeling the hex taking effect. We need to destory those blades most of all, then she'll be easy picking.

Seems like my knowledge is finally rubbing off on you. Leva responded approvingly to both Rodal's suggestion and her own comment.

Rodal first surveyed his surroundings, the charge had gone well but had been partially halted by the introduction of heavy infantry. In spite of that fact several cavalry men had fallen and left their beasts of steed without a rider. These beasts were larger, sturdier, and had a larger amount of fur, yet seeing them in action, the beasts seemed more than capable. Hopping onto the saddle of one, Rodal grabbed the reins of the beast with his left arm, it had gotten nervous when it's rider had fallen, but Rodal quickly comforted the beast with slow strokes on it's mane and fed it a piece of carrot which it ate almost reluctantly. With the beast relaxed, Rodal charged his steed towards the officer who was the center of his troubles. Though she seemed occupied, Rodal hadn't forgotten her reaction to a cavalryman attempting a sneak attack and was prepared to dodge any attack she threw at him.

Juju YsFanatic

 

[blankcanvas]

Temple Gates​

Everything just suddenly stopped.

One moment, they had been suffering from a tremendous amount of pain, the next they felt nothing. A vast emptiness of absolutely nothing. Was this what death felt like? Or perhaps this was before the inevitable, the imminent moment where the consciousness is about to be disconnected from the body. There was no use theorizing about it since they were about to become one with the ground.

…?

What was surprising was how long it took for the concept of ‘death’ to take into effect. Also, considering their current state, it was surprising that their thought was as lucid as it was now. Heck, they were becoming quite philosophical about matters that they never considered until this very moment.

Drip drip drip…

At this point, it was impossible to ignore the annoying and incessant something that seemed to be tapping at them on a consistent basis. What was so important that this individual couldn’t leave them alone and just had to pester them?

Rena’s eyes slowly fluttered open as a low groan barely slipped out from her throat. Before her vision could come into focus, she felt a sharp needle-like sensation searing through her mind. Holding her head, she gritted her teeth before letting out a few labored breaths. This was when she realized that her arms were free to move.

The blue-haired female moved her hands in front of her face and wriggled her fingers a few times. Not knowing if this was merely a delusion, or an expertly crafted virtual torture, she held her breath and waited for things to return to normal.

Drip drip drip…

With her free left hand, she swatted at her forehead and wiped away the odd liquid that was falling on her forehead. Her mind was now muddled with absolute confusion and anxiety as she felt her heart pounding against her chest. There were so many questions that ran through her mind, but the one thought that took immediate priority was that of safety.

Slowly getting to her feet, Rena ignored the cranky complaints her body was throwing at her and attempted to take a few steps. However, the new sense of gravity for this peculiar body had made her stumble to the side. Taking a few shaky breaths, the blue-haired female decided to take it slow while trying to get acclimated to her new situation.