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Fantasy Descension (C.DEX x Notorious)

"Sinna, you should stay here." Balor said. "We don't know the state of how the outside world is going to be after this time. What we had done up there may very well have resulted in a few different things. The streets could be completely empty around the bar, as per the usual, or it could be crawling with Seers and reinforcements." he summised. Surely enough, Sinna's face contorted into anger. She was unlike her brother, however; instead of shouting or yelling, her thoughts came out clearly in the face of her mentor.


"No way. I'm at least going to wait in the bar. Not like most Seers can see through walls, anyways, if I hang back everything will be okay. We have to get out of here as soon as possible. No offence, Amara, Moira. I like you guys, but I ran out of stuff to read halfway in, and I'm getting tired of eating pickled food." she said, looking sternly to Balor. He regarded her with pursed lips, unsure entirely if he even had the ability to disallow it. She caught his look and her frown deepened. "Come on. The quicker we get out, the quicker we're going to find Orin and Gunnar. We've been stuck in the bunker for how long ... a week? He should've arrived at the Church by now, a while ago." she said, bouncing up and down on her toes.


"Despite your composition, you really are a child, Sinna." Balor remarked, with a heavy sigh rattling out of his chest. "That's fine, then. But wait in the bar, and if I say go back down, then go back down." he said. She gave a quick nod to him, a small smile appearing on her lips. He looked to the portalling Caelilan, who had recovered enough mana during their time in the stay to open it once again.


"Keep your hands and feet inside of the portal perimeters at all times. Last thing we need is your thumbs and toes getting caught inside the concrete, and all that." the Caelilan said. "Bending space has that result sometimes, and it's never pretty." he said, winking toward Balor and Sinna, causing them to sigh in unison. "Scouters come through first. Moira's orders. Sorry, kiddos, rest of you gotta stay behind until it's safe." he said, looking past Balor and Sinna to the Shades and Forbiddens that had taken up shelter there, the same as everyone else.


Then, he raised his hands. Eyes glowing, the Caelilan man's hands seemed to shift and contort. In his hands, a small orb of what looked like the compacted, birds-eye view of the inside of the upstairs closet appeared. The children ooh'd and aah'd as he let it go, the orb expanding and unfolding in front of their very eyes. With a chuckle, he sat down, taking his place near the portal in order to maintain it.


Sinna looked to Amara, lips contorted into a small smile before they had gone through the portal. "Did you think about what we talked about?" She asked, letting Balor step through first out into the other side.
 
Amara yawned next to Sinna as Balor went through after the scouts rushed out first. They were top trained men and women trained almost exclusively under Sombros. If the little Shades were lucky that's what they had to look forward to, to become the very same people that had helped them survive for so long. If they were even luckier this conflict would be over before they had to make such a sacrifice. The elvish woman looked down at Sinna who asked her a question, one referring to her tagging along with her and Balor when regrouping with Gunnar and Orin. Sinna seemed more focused on regrouping with Orin, while Amara shamefully wanted to see Gunnar again.


"If it means I get to destroy that viking... then yes." She replied quietly as Balor stepped through the portal and entered the other side. "No one has ever humiliated me so deeply. A human... besting an Elf blessed by the god of war in combat? I am a disgrace... This week trapped in this bunker has done more than enough for me to stew on such a failure." Amara seemed to be avoiding the girl's real question even when answering it, Amara had taken note of Sinna being friendly with her ever since they played the table top game from before and Amara had even caught herself being chummy with Sinna unintentionally. She hadn't had a friend before, so, she replied as she typically did. "Plus your training is going good. I wouldn't want Balor to ruin it by making you stay out of trouble now." She then nudged Sinna with her elbow, a faint smile appearing on her face.


Before too long, Moira came walking up behind them. The short stature woman barely drew their attention as she stood inbetween them and let out a chuckle.


"Good to see you two are getting along now. Now then, I suggest you two go up for some fresh air. It's what I'm going to do."


"Don't you have to be down here to protect the sanctuary?" Amara asked, not knowing how Moira's cloaking magic worked exactly. The Midas woman let out a laugh.


"The magic follows me and it never stops. I am needed upstairs with so many walking out of de building, the sanctuary down here will have residual cloaking while I'm gone for a few hours. Luckily for me I'm a Midas, what yew two find claustrophobic I find cozy. Now then, go!" She slapped both Amara and Sinna's legs forward and the two women headed upstairs. They passed through the portal to find Balor at the top bar with several of the scouts already missing. Preliminary reports weren't looking good. A thick black smoke came pouring through underneath the front door and gathered in front of them all before forming into a Lamian woman.


"Mother Moira." The woman spoke, "We don't know the full spread of influence from central but... This town is looking a lot different than it did last week." She spoke with a deep sadness in her voice, "They have garrisoned at least a hundred men and have begun to build structures along the walls. They are fortifying this position and I imagine only more will be coming soon. What are we to do?"


"That is not a good sign..." Moira said, deep in thought. "We can either stay here and fight to reclaim our homes or... We move everyone out. It is the riskier of the two options and I would hate to lose our foothold in this territory but it may be necessary."


"We must stand and fight." Amara growled, "If we do not, then the Shades that arrive in this area will be enslaved or killed. We are the only ones out here in this territory for them. This is their home and it's in a strategic position. We give this up then the Blazing Isles and Central may go to war... I can smell it on the air." She said, hiding her secret pleasure in thinking that a war might actually be happening. But, her natural urges aside from being born under Onyx, she knew what was best for everyone there overall. "We must defend their homes with our lives and take what these new soldiers have brought us."
 
"We can't lose the town." Sinna agreed. "We're one of the few places near the Blazing Isles where Shades turn up seeking refuge from the Isles. If we lose this place ... all of the Shades that flee from there are going to be delivered right into Central's hands, and killed." She said, with sadness. "All of those innocent lives will be lost."


"What do you expect to do? If we are to revolt, then all of the innocent lives here will be lost. Those that we already have a hold on." Balor replied, knowing well that the first reaction would be to jump up and fight. He looked to Amara. He couldn't argue with her words, either, but taking on an entire military settlement was not the way. From inside of the bar, Balor peered out of the window. Men in slick, fastidiously made armor roamed the streets, advanced Prismatic lanterns in hand. Weapons on their belts that looked as if they had been crafted by Master smithies, though a part of him had wondered if they had been mass-produced, given the rigid sameness their guises had taken on. He snapped back, looking to Sinna, Amara, and Moira again.


"This isn't a request that I give lightly. You must call for aid, or you will be fighting a losing battle." He said. "A war between the Isles and Central ... is inevitable."


"Well, what do you expect us to do then, Balor?" Sinna asked. "We can't just let everything we built up here crumble. Moira's nook here is essential to the effort." She said, defiant. The thought hit particularly close to home for her, being a Shade herself. While Balor opted for safety and carefulness, she was slowly teetering on the side of Amara.


"Put out a word to the other Shades and Forbiddens within the network." Balor replied. "We need their aide. Before the walls go fully up. I'm not disillusioned to the point where I think this can be done peacefully, but if there is a particularly large show of force, Central forces may count their losses and leave before blood runs too heavily in these streets." He said.


"What if they send reinforcements?" Sinna asked, seemingly willing to listen to him now that he'd conceded on at least one point.


"It's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when." Balor said. "I'm not entirely certain of the capabilities of the Shade within the network ... but on the Isles, massive elemental walls are created in order to ward off intruders. It is how they keep a tyrannical government without having it crumble under the weight of a single assassination; a crack in the foundation, if you will." He concluded. "You all would have to become more organized to pull off such a feat, but if change would not happen within Central, then... it may be necessary."


They all looked to Moira. Really, her word was law. She was the organizer, the planner. She controlled the network, and any talking amongst themselves didn't mean much when it came down to her.
 
"Central will not just count their losses and leave easy. They want to dominate the entire Eye of Mana and to defend it. This is a strategic foothold that they need, we'd have to utterly dominate them to secure this place." Moira wanted more than anything to control this area but her thoughts were clouded by the children's safety in particular. Though she seen that Balor was willing to compromise for once, even sounded like he was willing for them to fight for this city's citizens and to protect themselves from central. "So, we have to act fast." She said suddenly, looking out herself to see the Central troops mobilizing. "We will have a few days to prepare. Sombros will be in the sky in three days... With mostly shades at our disposal we could use the advantage. I will contact the other sanctuaries for reinforcements... They will get in and by then they will finish their wall once they are inside."


"Don't you want the wall to not get finished?" Amara asked. "If they are able to create elemental shields then... Once that thing is up they'll be able to block anyone they want out. Even a siege would be hard pressed to break such magic down."


"Exactly." Moira said, her eyes narrowing. "Those who are protected by the shield are perfectly fine. On the outside they might as well be trying to dig a hole with a toothpick. We get our reinforcements inside the city and hide them and wait til Sombros' constellation appears. We use your enhanced magics to then combat Central, trapping them inside the city. It will be bloody but... They will learn they are trapped in here with us and not the other way around. Then, those who wish to retreat will leave through the gates and run home."


"Why would we let them go?" Amara asked, not completely sold on this plan. "And you are just going to use this wall as a trap is it?"


"No. They don't realize it now... But they're building it for us. We will release them because they will no longer be a problem and warn the others." She said with a smirk, revealing what her plan actually was. "When the wall is finished and we secure the town we effectively have a new sanctuary. One that can be self sufficient and siege proof. They can not control the wall if they are outside, we will be protected by it not them. It will be the start of those who wish to be free from Central's control. It will be a start against those who oppress those under forbidden signs and beliefs. It all starts here." Moira spoke, barely containing her excitement to finally be preparing what she had wanted to do all her life. It all fit together perfectly, now it was time to execute. "We will then study how they make these walls and go from town to town and secure them with our people using this technology. Others will see what we are doing for freedom and join our cause..."


"This would mean war, Moira." Amara replied, "Not that I have a problem with that but... We may get caught in the middle of the Blazing Isles and Central fighting. Does that not worry you?"


"Not with those walls it doesn't. We will be on neither side, a third player in the war to come. The one that they will underestimate, the one that will silently take back what is ours and make the world right again like in the days of old. Not one person will command us but many like minded people, a guerrilla faction that brings balance to the world." She let out a soft sigh, "You lot talk among yourselves and think about what I said. I have to go send word now." And with that, Moira darted back under ground into the sanctuary to begin her plans.
 
...

The reinforcements came in the night, as it were. Under the sign of Sombras, Central forces were forced to split their efforts in the main cities, as they often had to when the forbidden signs hung in the night sky. In a land far away, children were being ripped from women's hands, their fates particularly grim. On those nights, blood stained the uniforms of Central forces, and for the children who weren't immediately thrust into death, the Shade network grew ever so slightly. In the defensive town in which Sinna, Balor, Amara, and Moira stayed, however, there were no grieving mothers. Those had long since fled to safer spaces after the initial attack, and with good reason. Now, the town marched along with a military coldness that was akin to a well-oiled machine.


Brick after brick was laid, reaching those once dilapidated walls up to a distance that even the best climbers would find daunting. Braziers illuminated by magical fire, burning every color, sat along the walls, defying the night. A darkness hung in the air that night, almost seeming to make the air thick. A black fog had taken the town, a curse that Sombras had bestowed upon the lands whenever his sign hung proudly in the sky. In the middle of his constellation laid the same void that he had represented; a dark, blackened absence that hung directly above the heads of the denizens of the planet, that night.


And that is when they marched. The Forbiddens. Those whose existence had been cursed in their entireties. Whose only crimes, at least upon first joining the planet, were being born. And so, slowly, they trickled into the dark recesses of the town, finding themselves congregating in Moira's small network until the bunker itself had felt suffocating even for the Midas amongst them.


Every day, status updates came from the scouts like whispers from the night itself. The tension built in the hearts of the Forbidden network as the wall's construction would soon come to a close. They would soon need to attack; to come into action. One last set of travellers had come within the walls, barely making their way inside without getting caught. Two forms, a massive, cloaked one, and a much smaller one. A Ceram and a Gnome. Each had carried a fairly decent amount of supplies with them, draped over their forms like matching versions of one another. Then, as the bar aboveground had become lively with the tense grouping and arming of the attack party, a loud knocking had resounded on the door. The Shades had all gone silent, their whispers had ceased as they had all gripped their weapons.


"Oh be quiet!" a small voice came. "You think you'd be the one born under Turbas with how loud you are. It's a wonder that we even got in here without blowing the entire operation." he hissed, reaching up with a walking stick a fair ways larger than him in order to open the door. As they had come in, the whispers had started up once again, hands easing around the hilts and grips of their preferred weapons. Still, some eyes lingered on them. After all, even in the realm of darkness, it wasn't often that one saw the same massive metal amalgation that had walked into their dwelling.


A massive metal beast dwelled near the entrance, having to duck in order to even find itself inside Moira's bar. As it moved its neck to look around, blackened sockets observing those in the room, the low grinding of metal had emanated from it. This drew the gnome's attention, causing him to snap his gaze upward and prod at the beast - almost disrespectfully - with his stick. The golem turned its neck, unintentionally catching the gnome's stick in the process.


"I swear I'd shaved you down just yesterday. Mutants these days." the gnome grovelled, jumping up and snatching his stick away.


For a while, the two fussed with each other. Occasionally, a low, grovelling, grinding sound that almost sounded like a bad imitation of a voice had resounded from the beast's chest. Then, looking through the small crowd, the gnome had found a similarly heighted set of eyes.


"Moira!" he said, pushing his Ceram companion forward and forcibly parting a way for them to walk. "Boy, you are looking ... quite fetching." he said, grinning. Balor, Sinna, and Amara looked from Moira down to the gnome and up to the golem, reactions mixed.


"Who is this?" Sinna asked, smiling patronizingly.
 
"Ahh... Ortec, as always you are looking quite the opposite dear. Did you get in a fight recently? I don't remember you looking quite so ugly, or so short." She teased back, though secretly relishing in the gnome's compliment. "Chett! My friend." Moira called out to the metal golem standing awkwardly in the room. The Midas woman pushed past Ortec and embraced the Ceram's arm, patting the cool metal beast with affection as she was pleased to see him. "I am pleased to see you are taking care of our little friend here. You and I both know he needs it, eh?" She laughed as she turned to Sinna, "These two boys are trouble makers. I didn't think either of you would make it here but... Teasing aside I appreciate ye coming. This is Ortec, or as his friends and many others call him Tec."


"You called him by his full nam-"


"Amara dear, you should know me by now. I say precisely what I mean to." Moira replied instantly, causing Amara to shrug as she stated the obvious as usual. "And this handsome giant made of metal is Chett, or Varchett. These two have helped Shades and others born under forbidden signs for years. I may give Ortec a hard time and I may be too fond of this metal hunk here but they're some of the best we have. And, they owe me one. So, when I called them to take part in a suicide mission to take over an entire city well... They both seemed to jump at the idea." She gave Chett a big smile as she looked over to the others. "Ortec, Chett, this lovely Ifritian girl is Sinna. She has an iron will, a tongue of silver and a heart of gold. She's one of my new favorite Shades, but don't tell her I said that... Otherwise she might ask for special favors during our tabletop game." Such praise coming from Moira was surprising to say the least but she meant every word of it.


She then turned her attention to Balor, smiling softly at him. "This is Balor, a devote follower of Prisma and a dear friend of mine." Moira almost immediately went down the list however, things still somewhat rocky between her and Balor as expected. "And this adorable, yet scary, elf is Amara. She may seem a little intense at first but she too has a heart of gold. She-"


"You need to be trimmed down, golem." Amara said, a smirk as she looked at the golem's overgrown plates. "How are you going to fight when you're grinding into yourself like that? Some Ceram you are, not taking care of yourself." She walked over and held out her hand and placed it against an overgrown plate and practically wiped the metal away as she smoothed out a particularly jagged part. "Good to meet you, fellow follower of Onyx. Even if you are a piss poor one."


"She also can be a bitch." Moira finished, looking less amused at how Amara was treating the new comers. She didn't seem bothered by Moira's comment as she took a step back and nodded at Chett and Tec. Moira let out a sigh, "The others are gathered in the sanctuary but to be quite honest things are getting a bit crowded. You may want to stay in here, I doubt poor Chett could fit in that damned closet anyway." She let out a huff, "I trust the journey was without trouble? There is plenty of it here for the both of you. We have one more behind you and then we await for the wall to be finished, I sure do hope he gets here on time..." Though she looked in the distance for a moment as if to reach out with her abilities to find the straggler she quickly snapped back to the two newcomers. "It is very good to see the both of you."
 
Chett looked down to Amara, and it almost seemed as if he had smiled for a fraction of a second, despite his face remaining mostly motionless. He opened up a hand in front of him, showing Amara the small seedling within his fingers. Within an instant, it burst from its shell, blooming within his hands. A small red flower had found itself within his palm, a tributary to the elven woman in front of him. He handed the small flower to her, seemingly unphased by her rather rude comments.


"Oh for the love of - Chett, that isn't a thing to be wasting your mana on. We are in limited supply." Tec said, knocking on the gentle metallic beast's leg with his stick. He seemed quite irritated for what had been a small, simple gesture. "His people were typed under Onyx a long time ago, but his particular sign is Stand, if you will, Miss Amara. And he can't trim himself, that is unfortunately a task allotted to me. As it happens, he was his town's gardener."


Tec continued on, his gaze flickering back to Moira, expression softening a slight bit more. "Dearest Moira, every second I am away from you, I fade. I should be back to my normal, handsome self within minutes of your company." He said, winking toward the beautiful Midas woman. Chett observed him quietly, creating another flower within his palm on behalf of his small friend and proffering it to Moira, as well. With a small sigh, Tec took it in hand, bestowing it to Moira himself with a bemused expression. Then, they had looked to Sinna and Balor. Before Chett could do any more, Tec reached up, knocking the seeds out of his hands.


"A pleasure to meet the rest of you as well." Tec said, offering his hand toward Sinna. Her hand dwarfed his, a facet which made her smirk ever so slightly. "So many Ifritians down here by the coast, I swear it. It isn't a bad thing, mind you, lovely Sinna. Just an observation." He said.


"It's nice to meet you, Tec. And Chett." She said, taking the Ceram's hand and shaking it. Tec nodded, moving onto Balor, who had to bend down to shake his hand.


"A pleasure, Ortec, Varchett. Interesting to see a Ceram this far North, but I suppose we're all from different pots, here." he said. Then, he turned to Moira, a little less mystified by the presence of the Gnome and Ceram than Sinna. Before he could open his mouth to speak, however, something came from Chett.


"Nice ... to meet ... you." he said, voice like groaning metal and not particularly kind-sounding to the ears.


Balor looked back to Moira. "Where will you have us, then? I am willing to supplement, and heal wounded Shade." he said.
 
"Nice to meet you too..." Amara replied to Varchett, smiling back at the giant golem. Surprisingly the sound of the metal didn't bother her at all as she looked closely to the flower he had gifted her. A pang of regret filled her as she realized how rude she had sounded to Varchett but overall he didn't seem to mind what she had said to him, in fact, he simply handed her a flower even after the fact. Moira had held on to her's but didn't pay as much mind to it, simply sticking it behind her ear while smiling at the giant metal creature.


"Well Balor dearest, I'm only going to ask you do what you do best." Moira said, nodding at the Lamia while she turned away from the gnome and the Ceram. "But I ask that you heal all of our own. I won't require you to go into battle but... It may be necessary you leave the safety of our bunkers and safe zones in the city to heal in the midst of battle. I wouldn't send you in alone, you would have a group of shades to protect you but... If it comes down to it I may need you in the thick of it if you can." She sighed, "I don't want to lose any of our own but it's an inevitability, with you here we might be able to soften those numbers."


"And with me, you increase the other's deceased." Amara said, turning her attention from the flower to Moira. "I wish to lead, Moira. I know not all strikes are going to be from the shadows, not every fighter that has arrived her uses stealth to their advantage. You need someone blessed by war itself to lead the front line. I will strike them hard and fast." She crossed her arms, "I can do it, you need me." The intensity on her face was unmistakable and neither was her determination but putting Amara on the front lines caused a risk to both sides.


A risk that Moira was willing to take.


"Very well." The Midas woman said with a soft nod. "Those who wish to bring the fight directly to them will join you. You will NOT foolishly fight in the front lines however. You will fight smartly, guerrilla tactics with a team made up of our non-shades. You will protect them all with your life and ensure that they all get back to their families. Is that clear?" Amara nodded with confidence, her heart beginning to race that she was finally going to be sent out to fight instead of cowering in a bunker. "Chett dear, step to the side. Our newcomer is standing right beside you." Moira said, causing the Ceram to sluggishly move to the side while sure enough someone was standing behind them all who quietly walked into the bar. "It's good to see you, Jad."


The Molt standing before them nodded silently at Moira, its facial features a complete guess as his insectoid features didn't hint much at what it was feeling. Wearing nothing that resembled clothing, the exo-skeleton covered Molt was almost as strange looking as Varchett being a foreigner to these lands but he was welcome none the less. Many from the coast never seen a creature like Jad before, having four long insect wings sprouting from his back that looked more armor-like than a proper wing. At the end of his abdomen a long, curled tail trailed behind him that ended in an intimidating stinger point.


"Sorry for being late." The Molt spoke, his fangs moving hypnotically as he spoke their tongue. "Would have been here sooner but my ship was shot down a few weeks ago. You surface dwellers don't care for my kind too much, do they?" Before they could reply Jad bowed his head to all of them. "I am Jad... My real name is much longer but just Jad works for you surface dwellers. Something about your tongues don't work well when saying Molt names. Here for fight."
 
"Then that's what I'll do." Balor said, bowing his head slightly to the Midas woman. "Wherever you need me, that's where I'll be. I will draw from the stream for the cause." he said, a familiar Blazing Lamian expression gracing his words. He was happy to simply not be thrust into a combative role. Healing he could do. Albeit hindered, especially given the decimation of his church. A small part of him had wanted to see the Central intruders burn, but that very same part had scared him. So, he stowed his theoretical blade for another day, already having had enough bloodshed for the month.


"Join front fight." Chett groaned, looking down to Amara. Tec gave him a wistful sigh as he'd spoken.


"Well, it seems he's already enamored. Leaves me behind the moment he finds someone that can shear him faster than I can. I'd say I'm jealous, but ..." Tec said, smirking to Amara and Chett. The golem looked down at him in confusion, tilting his head. With a wave of the hand, the gnome had dismissed him. Then, he grabbed hold of the plating on the Ceram, pulling himself skillfully to the top of him, kneeling down on his shoulder. The bar was hardly big enough for him to make it, but he had. Small fingers went up to his cap, pulling it off and setting it on the Ceram's head, making for a rather hilarious image. "We'll join you on the front line as well, if that's okay with M'lady Moira."


"What do you guys ... do, exactly?" Sinna asked, looking to the golem and the gnome, the latter of which quirked his brow at lightning speed. It was as if he had been waiting a millennia to be asked the question, as he wrapped some sort of harness around Chett's arm and pulled a device from his side. With a snap of his wrist, it extended into a lance, the end of which sparkled with electricity.


"As it happens, gnomes aren't afraid of using others' height advantages, unlike the Midas. With my own inventions, Chett's conductivity, and Turba's blessing, we've taken out Sang'rok. And more. Really, my question is..." he looked down to the Molt, enjoying his newfound height advantage as he'd taken a more comfortable seat on the golem's shoulder, fastening the harness around Chett's arm like a small saddle. "What does he do? I don't think I've seen a Molt this far ... well, I don't want to say South. Longitudinally South? ... in, well, ages." he asked, curious, pointing his lance toward Jad, though he sat a comfortable distance away.


Sinna scooted toward Balor after nodding at the new recruit politely.


"Am I helping you?" she asked.
 
"Yew may join the front lines you two, jus' be careful. Amara here raises more hell than you'd think she does by just looking at her. As for you Sinna... I'd prefer it if you went with Balor on the count that you've only just started training combat. Otherwise I'd have you up front with Amara to see the result of you training hard like that but..." She frowned, "I can't have your death on my hands for putting you in too early. If you feel you're ready I won't stop you from making that decision all I ask is that you be safe about it. Okay?" She was being lenient with what Sinna did, partly because she wasn't sure exactly what she was capable of really. "As for Jad..." Moira mused, looking over to Tec as she decided to answer his question for the rather quiet Molt. "...His people have built in weaponry. That tail of his I've seen kill an entire group of soldiers by just hovering over them and piercing their necks. His clawed hands are lethal as well as his fangs but-"


"My people have fought Avars for countless years." Jad said softly, his eyes blank as he gazed off into the distance. "Avars fly... Only lucky Molts under Arcadia can glide or fly for short amounts of time. When not using my hatch-borne skills... I use these." Jad then opened his wings up where he stood, as he could only use his wings to glide being born under Arcadia he actually used his wings to conceal his weaponry. On the inside several mechanical looking crossbows lined his wings. He had enough to continuously fire longer than most archers out there, relying on technology as opposed to an Avar's natural grace with a ranged weapon opting for quantity of hits over quality. Having four arms also helped as his lower set reached back to grab one of the cross bows and seamlessly passed it to the upper set. "I will assist the front line from the roof tops. If things get bad, I will join you side by side." He looked to Moira, "Does the sanctuary require any repairs until the time comes for battle?" He asked, changing the subject as he tucked his crossbow back into the slot in his wing.


"We unfortunately don't have the level of technology the Molts have." Moira said with a frown, "I doubt there is anything but if you wish to look you-" Before Moira had even finished Jad had entered the portal looking to preoccupy his mind before the battle. "Okay..." She said, "Molts. Always having to work. Well then... I'm going to go sort the others out down stairs. You all are free to do what you please, being that the wall won't be finished for a little while longer. Our scouts will inform us when to mobilize so relax, say a prayer... Enjoy these moments with each other. I'll be back up soon." She then entered the portal as well, entering the sanctuary and leaving the others to their own devices up in the rickety old bar.


"In that case..." Amara was left alone with Balor, Sinna and the Ceram with the gnome riding on his back. She promptly walked over to Chett and began smoothing out where the gnome had neglected to chip down before the battle. "If you both are going to be joining me in battle I need you in your best condition, understood?" She didn't exactly ask permission to shear Varchett but after being given the flower she had immediately warmed up to the massive creature and decided to return the favor. Working the metal like clay, Amara began to clear off any jagged metal bits and smoothed out the golem's joint plates first. "You said you can use Chett here to conduct electricity? That's an interesting tactic Tec... Very interesting." She looked up to the gnome, "Does that hurt him or can he channel it just fine? Because I obviously have the same abilities." She said, showing that her hands were also coated in the metal now as she worked on the Ceram. "If it won't hinder my ability to battle, I give you permission to zap me if need be." Amara suppressed a smirk, asking to be zapped nearly made her laugh.
 
"Well, it doesn't really hurt him, but as far as I'm concerned, Ceram nerves work differently. More of a ... alert, than a pain. I mean, hell, I'd had to result to melting his plates down in finicky situations. But also, he's made of metal. I wouldn't be able to say whether it'd hurt you or not, given your sign, but ... Lets just say it's hurt the few times I'd touched it." Tec said, smiling down at Amara. He held in the handle on his lance, turning it upward. It clicked back into itself like an expandable baton, and he placed it back on his person. Then, he climbed back down from Chett, landing squarely on his feet and leaving the saddle attached to his arm.


With Tec off of him, Chett began to move the joints that Amara had shaved down. He rolled his shoulders back, the joints gliding together without grind or trouble. He nodded to Amara, giving an appreciative grunt.


"Ceram don't seem to inherit the same powers from being mutated under their signs. His plates grow quickly, but he can't manipulate them the same way that you can. As a positive, however, nothing short of a searing, lava-smocked arrow is getting through them." Tec said, seeming almost proud of what Chett could do. It was almost as if he'd talked about him like property, but that couldn't have been right. "He was born under Stand. And there was either very little mana in the air when he was ... born, eroded, whatever - or he just chooses to simply grow flowers in the meantime, but ... he was the town gardener, before Central had found his people and -"


Chett reached forward, placing a hand onto Tec's shoulder. He looked back up at the beast, who gave a slight shake of the head in order to indicate that he didn't want him to continue. "Not for friends." he said.


"Where you go is up to you, Sinna." Balor said. "I would prefer you stay back and heal with me, but it may very well be just as dangerous as being in battle itself. I could use the help." he said. "There will be injured; this is Central, and it's war."


Breathing in sharply, the Ifritian girl looked to Amara.


"What do you think?"
 
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"Do whatever the hell you want to do." Amara replied bluntly, grinding her hands deeply into Varchett's leg plates. The Ceram didn't seem all that bothered by her actions as she was quite literally molding him into something Tec couldn't possibly have crafted. She noticed deep pock marks on his plates from battle, with a wave of her metal infused hand she simply painted over it as if a canvas reinforcing the metal. "I'm not your mom. I'm not your sister. I'm not your friend." She continued, making sure the golem's knees were more mobile now than ever before. "I'm simply your instructor, I'm also certainly not your babysitter. You're a big girl now, make your own god damn decisions."


While Amara was rattling off about what Sinna should do, she took great pleasure in spiking up the Ceram's footplates. When he kicked now it would result in a devastating gore attack, rather than be the dull forceful kick he was capable of before. All that chipped metal had to go somewhere so she had begun to redistribute it to the Golem's weaker areas or absorbing it herself and turning it into blood thanks to Ichor's traits. It meant that she was getting more amped up and ready for battle the longer she worked on Varchett, hence why her mouth was a bit more snappy to Sinna. She took a moment to realize how that sounded and let out a long sigh.


"You're strong and naturally gifted. You learned what most people take months to get a-hold of in a week and you obviously have had some training before hand to be able to keep up with what I had to teach. Have you ever killed before?" She said, her eyes narrowing in on Sinna. "Do you know what it's like? To take another life? Balor over there would say that such a deed would taint you, corrupt you for the rest of your life. I disagree. It's a part of life. A necessary..." She paused, " 'Evil' that we must commit in order to make this world better. Are you willing to stand alongside me and kill whoever stands in our way?"


Amara was finished sculpting the Ceram, standing up and giving him a quirky smirk before patting him on the shoulder. "In battle I may manipulate your plates to better suit you. I am thinking turning your hands into massive spikes, it's a trademarked move of mine. You can copy me when we get there." She gave the golem a wink before turning back to Sinna, "I need to know those on the field have my back no matter what the cost. If that means you have to slice someone's throat and bathe in their blood I expect you to. You may be ready but only you can truly know that. If you can't do that now though I'd rather you stick with Balor and be safe." There was some concern for Sinna's safety on Amara's face, she couldn't deny that. However, she definitely didn't want her on the front lines if she wasn't ready. "What do you say?"
 
When Amara first snapped back at Sinna, she had frowned. Perhaps it was the look on her face, though, because the woman's words suddenly grew less harsh and mean. Having combatted with Amara, however, she'd gotten a little used to the spiteful words. Her mouth pursed, looking with seriousness to Amara. "Yes. I've killed before." she said, words grim. Perhaps Amara had struck a nerve, because the girl had looked away, eyes darkening slightly. Then, knowing that her reaction wouldn't inspire great confidence in the woman, she looked back up, fists balled slightly. Balor looked between Amara and Sinna, noting their tense interactions. He gave a deep sigh.


"I wouldn't say that, actually, Amara." he corrected. "If I did, I would ... I can't believe that. I recognize the evils in this world, and the necessity in them. I have my own trials, and I believe that others can be redeemed after the act. For some, for the warriors, to defend their own when it's necessary, while not permissable under Prisma's name herself, is necessary here." he said, looking softly to Sinna. "You are a woman, Sinna. Amara is right. It is your choice. As much as I would like to, with the church burning down, with you stepping up, with your brother leaving ... I can't tell you what to do. But I do hope you'll make the right decisions. If you ask me personally, I'm not entirely sure that you're ready. But I don't think we're all ever really ready to take another's life."


He gave a deep sigh, knowing that his words would irritate Amara.


"Yes, yes. I know that's cheesy." he said, smiling slightly. "To your credit, I don't really believe you're ready to be taking lives, either. But those are opinions for another day." he said, somberly.


"Okay. Well," Sinna started, looking between them. "I'm going to start with Balor. But Amara, if you need me, let me know. Bal, I'll defend you and the people we heal, so you don't have to shed any blood yourself." she said, giving a small nod to him. He smiled back, the tenseness of the situation dissipating a little with her small pledge. "I'll do whatever it takes to defend my people, by the way, Amara. If that means killing ... it's not something that I want to do, but if I have to? Then yes. I will. I have before, for the people who are important to me."


Chett looked at his new limbs, clinking them together. He lifted his foot, dragging his clawed foot across the wooden floorboards. His pointed feet were sharpened to such points that it had caused the floorboard a deep scratch. A deep metallic laugh had come from his chest. He'd enjoyed his upgrades. "...I have not been ... fixed like this since I was with my people." he said.


"Discredit me, much?" Tec commented, quirking a brow.
 
"I haven't been given such a pretty flower before without hurting the man who gave me it either." Amara replied back, smirking at Chett. "I don't like owing anyone, for such a gift I gave you one back big guy. Don't discredit Tec though. He's just jealous I have magic hands and he doesn't. Besides, it's not every day you meet someone under Onyx especially in this day and age. We're hunted down like dogs, probably because we can do some of the best things." She held out her hand and it formed into a sharp metal spike, similarly to how she had done so when her and Gunnar took on the citadel together. "Who wouldn't be jealous of this?" With a sigh she retracted the spike and her hand reformed. She looked over to Sinna and actually offered the girl a smile, "I'm glad you made your decision. It fits good. We'll need to take care of our wounded and Balor can work best with some proper back up. Remember what I taught you... And, since you're no stranger to death, show no mercy on the enemy. They won't show any with us taking the city from them."


The group continued to chat among themselves afterwards, though it the socializing seemed to come to a quicker stop than they originally thought when they all heard a massive whirring noise. Peaking out of the shuttered windows, Amara spotted the final pieces of the wall going up and the magic shield being activated finally. An almost transparent dome swallowed the city whole, protecting even the open air as the wall had been finished. Using pieces of the original city wall, the Central garrison had managed to form a stone wall that wrapped around the entire city that was really just the conduit for the magical shield enhancement that just activated. This meant the city was sealed in and that Central controlled all of those who entered and left the city now, effectively controlling the population by being able to lock them in against their will.


While the shield had originally appeared for a moment it quickly vanished into thin air aside from a slight shimmer to the air that was honestly rather beautiful even during the black fog that had rolled into town because of Sombro's constellation hanging in the sky. No magic or physical attack could pass through such a barrier without being severely weakened by countless attacks, Central had developed the perfect defense and it showed when this defensive city garrison had been given the same technology.


"It's time." Moira said, phasing through the portal with Jad close behind her. "My scouts have already returned, our portal specialist has opened several different ones throughout the city so we can disperse wherever we see fit." She said, smiling. "It means our sanctuary will be closed off again sooner rather than later with the mana he is expending but hopefully the city will be ours at that old basement will simply become my vacation home. Now then... ye all gather round 'cause I am only gonna say this once." Soon, all of the gathered warriors of different races and creeds circled around Moira who stood in the center of the room. Several of her Shade spies and rogues had appeared behind all of them, the constellation causing every Shade to feel a massive burst of energy further enhancing their abilities. "We don't fight for ourselves today. We fight for them... The people that have been persecuted since day one. Nay... Before day one. Before any of us were even breathing those with forbidden signs have been hunted down like rabid animals. Today is a monumental moment... A moment that will cry out throughout history as the starting point of our fight for freedom and equality. No longer will we hide in damp cellars, huddled together in fear..."


The Midas woman clenched her fists, she even began to float before them as she grew more and more passionate about what she was saying. "Today we strike back. For all the men and women that have fallen... for all the poor, innocent children they have taken." Tears began to form in her eyes as her rage began to build, the air feeling thick in the room as the psychic looked at each and every one of them. "We all have a job to do... Tonight... We fight for them!" The room practically shook as the Shades behind them all erupted into a war cry, Amara in particular roaring at the motivational speech. The old rotten bar in the corner of town had never had such a commotion in it before, drawing the attention of a nearby guard patrol. "Make haste my friends... Enter the sanctuary if you wish to take another portal to be taken to another part of town. Amara... Start your reign of terror here."


"Gladly..." The Elvish woman spoke lowly, her arms slowly turning into the familiar spikes. With the extra metal she had sapped from Varchett they were longer and serrated, looking much more deadly than ever before. They heard the stomping of boots outside and instead of letting them get the drop on them, Amara kicked open the rotten wooden door to the bar and ran right into the alarmed guard patrol. They didn't even know what hit them as their limbs and heads were hacked away from their bodies in a flash. Eight men all crumpled to the ground in an instant as Amara began her onslaught. "WE GO TO THE CITADEL!" She ordered to those who were going to join her on the front line, following in tow as Amara started to lead a war path directly through the center of the city.
 
Those all huddled within the building and the bunker dispersed like waves, with the frontline assault practically breaking the already dilapidated exit of the bar as they had all streamed out. While what looked like a formidable small army would disperse a little as they positioned themselves throughout the city, according to Moira's plans, they would still remain a force to be reckoned with. Because, really, Central had spent so long capturing and killing Shades and Forbiddens that they didn't study them. They didn't know how they fought. They didn't know to look into the dark corners of their cities, their neglected streets and pathways that the lesser fortunate and lesser illuminated had taken. And that's where they struck from.


The first to fall had been the Central soldiers unfortunate enough to have been trawling the streets when the Shades melded into the shadows near the bar. There were barely even cries - in fact, little warning had been given to those soldiers unfortunate enough to get caught in the first wave. A small party had walked along the streets leading out from the rendezvous point, their glaives resting in an off position on their shoulders, small lights emanating from the crystal lanterns that hung on their sides. They illuminated the area, walking as white-smocked guardians of the streets, etching away at the darkness.


Little did they know, Prisma wasn't an enemy to the God in the sky that night.


As the assassins grew closer, their figures shimmered in the light. For half a second, before their blades had met the throats of the Central soldiers. After that, sharpened senses had rotated around, smelling blood on the air and hearing the gurgles of their friends. The Central soldiers would give them a fight. A fight that they hadn't found in the local soldiers and small platoon that Amara and Gunnar had slaughtered. One of the three remaining soldiers of the small platoon backpedaled, drawing something from his side. It was a small device, runed with the insignia of Turbas. It had begun to admit a drone, intending on alerting any of the soldiers in the surrounding area. Before he could utilize it to its full extent, however, the soldier's body was wracked with electricity.


The droning stopped. He fell. Behind the other two soldiers, now surrounded on all sides by a massive metal golem, a gnome with a charged lance, several Shade assassins, and Amara.


"Anyone else got a fancy clacker they want to sound?" Tec asked, voice hushed. He looked menacingly down to the Central soldiers, whose hands had long since gripped tightly around their weapons, pointing their ends toward those who had surrounded them. No mercy had been given, however, as there was no time. The gentle beast that Amara had seen from earlier disappeared, as the spiked gauntlets she had given Chett were soon laced with blood. They had easily passed through the armor of the soldiers, ending out on the other sides. Tec whistled. "That Central emblem sure hits a soft spot, huh, Chett?"


"Yes." he replied.


Meanwhile, Sinna had taken up the arm of Balor, turning him into the shadows. They walked with less urgency, working their way toward the local alchemist's shop. "How do you expect to heal anyone without time to prepare?" she asked, her voice hushed, but not wanting to draw attention to the direness of their situation.


"I've made better results in worse situations. As should you be able to do. You've reread those books how many times, stuck in that small hole near the lab? Worse comes to worse ... we do it the old fashioned way. I am a healer, but I am not of Fiai. Rags, heat, and knives will do."
 
As chaos erupted in the city the Citadel still had not been alerted to the actions of the ambushing Shades and their allies. Moira had been planning this several stage assault for months, bordering on years as the assault laid siege to the soldiers trapped inside the newly erected magic barrier wall. It would only be moments before the Central garrison caught wind of the invaders but it was enough time for them to push through the civilian wards and split the city in two. Moira's strategy was working perfectly, she was able to protect civilians from the cross fire as the Shades and their allies secured that portion of the city within the first moments of the attack. The Midas woman herself stood on top of a rooftop overlooking the battle as if she was a general leading a grand army, the Molt warrior Jad standing next to her with both sets of his arms crossed. They seen as Amara's war party tore through the center of the city and entered the heavily populated town square. Central kept a heavy guard population in the center of town as well as further in towards the citadel, willingly giving up civilian wards in favor of their own. It wasn't out of cruelty or being bad defenders, it was simply favoring more important sections of the city rather than the slums.


"Help them." Moira said to Jad, her eyes darting around the city as she quickly took in information about the battle as quickly as she could. Small skirmishes had erupted by different Shade parties but most were dealt with quickly, the element of surprise being key to getting this far into the city so quickly. That however was going to soon stop being a factor and it would be more of a head to head battle with even numbers. "Cover them from the rooftops, Amara must break their center lines." Jad nodded firmly before spreading his wings and gliding to the next rooftop, followed by him leaping high into the sky to reach the next roof as he proceeded to get to a vantage point above Amara and her war party.


Amara was a leader who led with actions, not words. She led the entire pack refusing to let a single man or woman of her's to push past her as she wanted to be the first one to draw enemy blood. It ensured that her people would stay safer as a result, the first contact almost always the most dangerous. Her eyes homed in on the town square where a garrison of Central troops were. They all populated the buildings and the streets around the center as it was the only direct path to the Citadel where the Central command was located. The element of surprise was soon eliminated as the Central checkpoint up ahead spotted Amara clawing her way through the black fog, her pale skin making her look like a phantom racing directly towards them. Soon behind said phantom though was a massive Ceram tearing right behind Amara with a man riding on his back, followed more by a group of mixed Shades and freedom fighters alike.


A massive war cry split through the night as Amara jumped forward and sank her metal spikes into the neck of the first Central soldier she seen. She jumped with such force she had landed with both of her feet on the man's chest. The elvish warrior kicked off of the man's chest and vaulted high into the air, the display disorienting all the soldiers reaching for their weapons but it was far too late for that. A Ceram came charging in with Amara's massive distraction. She landed behind Tec and placed a single hand on Varchett, causing the metal spikes she had grown on his hands and feet to begin to appear on his arms for additional offensive power.


"No mercy." Amara growled to both Chett and Tec, jumping off directly into the battle once more landing on the ground with a roll. When she reached the apex of her roll she thrust forward with one of her blades, impaling a soldier the spike piercing through his body and bursting out the other end. Blood rained down on the soldier's comrades as Amara popped him like a zit, spinning around only for her other blade to slice another's throat. Yanking her blade back, she slid backwards on the ground and outreached her foot towards a rather gung ho soldier that charged back at her. Her foot disappeared for yet another metal spike in which the soldier ran right into. He went pale as Amara kicked away, her foot and armor reforming fluidly. While she had taken care of so many so quickly she began to wonder where the archers were. Why weren't they being hit by spells or arrows?


She seen her answer, gliding across the rooftops. Jad had already played his role well, the Molt pilot having a crossbow in each of his four hands. The self loading crossbows we're of molt innovation, using bolt racks to fire multiple bolts in succession without reloading. The Central archers had no idea how to combat such a man, one who could glide away from their arrows whilst also firing three or four of his own in the time it took them to fire once. Bolts littered the rooftops and walls the archers were posted on, Jad's fangs glistening as he gritted his teeth as he continued to kill archer after archer.


Central wasn't without victory however as the Shades began to notice that their armor and weapons were superior, their formal training outclassing most of the normal freedom fighters. Without Amara and Moira's select few this assault would be terribly one sided. They had a narrow chance at victory here and none of them wanted to waste it. Several flares were shot into the sky by the Central soldiers, alerting the Citadel of what was happening.


It was war.
 
As the flares pierced the night sky, somewhat shrouded by the thick influence of Sombras, the Shades had a calling of their own. Amara wasn't able to take on a whole city of reinforcements, and even if she were, it wasn't something that her people had been interested in letting her doing. Each of them had a reason. A dead brother, sister, mother, father. Disfiguration. Being chased out of their homelands. Being chased since birth. Shades without names, Ichor with gashes on their backs from flogging so deep that their own blood wells had nearly run dry ... An Onyx golem, whose people left him as the last of his kind. The kind, flower-creating Ceram who had graced their presence beforehand was no longer present.


This was particularly evident as he charged forward, voice screaming out something that sounded like the drawn out extension of swords clashing. The Ceram surged forward, causing the gnome on his shoulder to yelp out and hang on for dear life. His body impacted with several, running down two Elven Central soldiers and a Midas one unfortunate enough to be standing in the way. They didn't die, not immediately. Help wouldn't even come as the assault continued. The golem looked to the fallen soldiers, who had the same fear and distress in their eyes that he'd seen in dying Shades.


"Got new fancy arm spikes and you're galloping around like a fucking showhorse!" Tec screamed out. He had been rattled by his mount's zealousness for battle. Moira's speech had gotten to them both, however, as they continued on again.


But Central wasn't the only one taking casualties. Balor and Sinna followed the fighting shortly after breaking into the locked alchemist's shop, dragging implements and potions behind them. They had little time, and certainly not enough to stock up or make a station. Soon, they'd find themselves in the midst of battle. They followed the flares, ironically using Central's own maneuvers to see where they had to go. Other Forbiddens followed suit, sending in their own reinforcements to back up the front line.


"I'll go in and grab the wounded." Balor said. "If someone attempts to hurt you... Feel free to call on me, Sinna. I won't let it happen again." he assured her, hands busy in front of him with pouring reagents into others. As they grew nearer, Sinna grew more weary, drawing her weapon of choice - which happened to be a hatchet - from her side. Her knuckles turned a lighter shade of red as she'd gripped the handle.


"If someone tries to hurt you, Bal, call on me." she said. "I've killed for Orin and I'll kill for you. There are two sides of this war, and I think that you understand that, as well."


"Your words are too mature for what you are." he said.


"And I know you regret that. But -" suddenly, the area was alight. Yellow crystals had been sent toward their feet, popping brightly and loudly and illuminating the area. Sinna instinctively covered her eyes, the needlessly bright light disrupting her own magic for the moment. Luckily, she had a Prismatic with her. Balor grabbed onto her, enveloping them both in light in tune with the flashes. He held out a hand to the crystals, charged with both Prismatic and Turbas energy. Then, they stopped.


Balor and Sinna ran, breaking away from what would inevitably be an assault on the both of them. They ran straight for the flares.
 
As Balor and Sinna fled away from the direct assault on them several Shades came leaping and bounding through the fog to take on the source of the shards of light head on. Just when they thought they were alone other Forbidden signed warriors came in to assist them, ensuring that their medics were able to continue their job uninterrupted. Unfortunately for Balor and Sinna, they finally came across someone that needed their help more than ever. On a dark street corner the Prismian light crystals overhead had been shattered, it was a miracle either of them seen the poor boy as he was bleeding out on the ground underneath that very same broken lamp.


"Please... Help me..." The Ifritian boy whispered to them, barely catching their attention as they rushed by. What they seen truly disturbed them, the poor boy had been at the wrong place at the wrong time. He wasn't even a Shade upon closer inspection, he was simply a young boy out for a walk when the fighting erupted. "The guards they... they stabbed me..." He managed to stammer out, tears running down his face. He was just a little younger than Orin, the sight pulling at both of their heart strings. "I didn't do... I'm not fighting I- ugh...." He groaned, trying his best to stay awake. "Save me." He begged, looking up at them pleading for their help. He wasn't a freedom fighter and they'd be wasting resources and time helping him, perhaps several of their own would die if they took the time to help the boy. "Please don't leave me."


Back on the front lines, Amara and her forces had dug deeper into the city center. The freedom fighters had spread out now, covering a wide section whilst dragging out the main bulk of the military forces in town. Amara and the main war party was technically supposed to be a distraction, one that let the hidden Shades reach deeper into the city while the war party took on the bulk of the city's defense. Moira had traveled alongside the roof tops, sending out orders by Shade messengers who rushed all over the battlefield as it progressed.


It all felt so surreal, watching as the city she had lived in for years was on the precipice of being liberated. All of the work she had put in to saving those people was in effect now finally and while it was good to see them handling their own so well each Shade death she seen broke her heart again and again. Soon, Moira couldn't stand watching from afar anymore. Floating down to the city center where Amara and her team had gotten locked up, Moira walked through the battlefield relatively unnoticed due to her height. That was until Amara nearly cleaved her head off as she danced through the battlefield. The metal blade barely stopped as she recognized who it was.


"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" Amara roared, "IT IS NOT SAFE FOR YOU!"


"That is where you are wrong, Amara. It is not safe for them here..." The Midas woman said darkly, hovering in place as she began to use her abilities to levitate ever so slightly. "We have to keep pushing, take Tec and Chett and push through. The others will follow suit... I will take care of these bastards here." Amara didn't question Moira, although worried for her safety she was too engaged in battle to stop her. Amara rushed back in, slamming into a Central soldier so hard he dropped his weapon. With a war cry Amara slammed her foot onto the soldier's helmet, denting it in. She then manipulated the metal to seal tightly around the man's head, cutting off his air way completely. With no way for him to peel the helmet off he was stuck suffocating whilst writhing around on the ground.


As Amara rushed forward, leaving her back open to attack Moira began lifting her hands up to the heavens. Her eyes began to glow faintly with psychic energy as she began to levitate abandoned swords and other weaponry in the air. A platoon of Central guards began to head straight for Amara's blind spot, only for them to get shredded by a volley of floating swords. Moira hadn't used her abilities for combat in a long time but she quickly got the hang of it, using debris and any weapon she could levitate as her own. She was a safe distance away, orchestrating a volley of metal and junk that she slammed again and again into the enemy.
 
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It wasn't even a question for Balor. Looking down at the Ifritian boy who resembled Orin, he then passed a glance to Sinna. She had known what his answer was. "Go ahead of me." he said. "If we can divide our forces then it won't be a hamper to the cause. But don't tell Moira."


Nodding slightly, Sinna took up her supplies again while Balor kneeled to the boy. They had split their own means, meaning while they would have half of the supplies each ... well, they wouldn't burn through everything right away, would they? Of course, it opened up both Balor and Sinna to attack, but they had silently agreed, without even speaking to one another, that perhaps healing would be more important. "I won't let you die." Balor said, cracking a half-hearted smile for perhaps the first time since the whole ordeal had started. The face of assurance, he began work.


"I'm going to move you. It's going to hurt, but we need to get out of the main streets or we may very well be attacked again." Balor said. He pulled a small light crystal from his pocket, the size of a coin, and placed it into the boy's blood-addled hands. "Don't let go of this." he said, tucking hands underneath him and pulling him deeper into the alley. Then, Balor dropped his bag. His hands sifted for alchemical reagents as he monitored the boy's condition. His eyes were closing. "Hey. Stay with me. Keep your eyes open, and focus on holding the light. What's your name?" he asked, wanting to keep the boy talking and awake while he worked. "Don't give up."


"S...Sam." the boy replied, weakly. His hand gripped around the light, beams escaping from his fingertips. It negated the point, but it wasn't as if Balor couldn't create his own.


"Sam. I'm Balor." Balor replied, passing another smile upwards. He poured the chemicals of one of the potions into one hand and then pressed it into the boy's wound. When the boy didn't even react, Balor's brow knitted. The chemical seared his skin, causing a less-than-nice scent to waft into the air.


"I ... I c-can't - I can't feel -"


"I know." Balor replied. "That doesn't mean anything now. Just focus on the light. Where do you live, Sam? Near here, I hope?" he asked, wondering briefly what he even could do after he'd treated him. He certainly couldn't leave him in the alley. No one would find him, and even if they had, he wondered briefly if the boy would get caught at the backside of the blade again. Balor reached for bandages, but quickly realized that Sinna had taken them all. With no other choice, he brought his sleeve to his mouth and tore a strip from it, fastening it around the boy's waist where he had been stabbed. He pulled tight, but not before packing the wound. "Do you have any other injuries, Sam?"


"I d-don't..." Sam stammered, his words fading with bloodloss. He'd mumbled a few more, before his eyes had lulled into the back of his head. He wasn't dead, no, but he certainly wasn't there. Balor pulled him from being slumped against the wall, resting him onto the dirt beneath.


"I will come back for you, okay?" Balor said, standing from place. There wasn't much else he could do for him without a proper bed and rest. He'd just passed a silent hope, wishing that he'd done enough, but unsure if he'd even be able to keep his promise.


Sinna had long since left Balor, running with fire under her feet to get to the source of the battle. She had caught up with Amara and Moira, just in time to see all of the Central men and women fall to an onslaught of psychically-jaunted blades. But they weren't the only ones to have fallen. The Ifritian girl looped around the side of the battle, not wanting to get caught up in what would inevitably be a stampede of reinforcements if she didn't act soon enough.


Her eyes fell on the battle. Amara, Chett, and Tec had been leading the way, with Shade and Forbidden falling close behind in order to siege Central's defenses. Then, her eyes flitted upward. The familiar form of Jad had been dancing along the walltops, taking out archers and casters alike. However, while he had been doing so, several Central soldiers had made their way up to the previously uninhabited archery tower. It hadn't been fully built yet, but it still provided the defensive standpoint for their frontline to be seiged.


Before Jad could stop them, they had bows drown, bolts and arrows cocked, and they were firing. "THE TOWERS!" Sinna shouted out. But it had been too late. Blood splayed the front line, breaking its siege for perhaps the first time. It didn't come from Amara or Chett - no. Instead, the gnome placed neatly onto the golem's shoulder had been impaled. "TAKE COVER! Chett, come to me!" she shouted.
 
Time seemed to slow as Amara turned back to check on her men only to see Ortec be struck directly by an arrow, impaling the poor gnome. The arrow pierced through his flesh and was embedded into Varchett's back plate, the gnome warrior stuck to the back of Chett as Sinna began to shout to the Ceram frantically to get Ortec medical attention. The elvish warrior felt a rage she hadn't felt during this battle yet, a deep seated hatred towards Central for hurting the kind gnome. She hadn't realized it in that moment but it was mostly because of his connect with the Ceram, how he took care of the golem. She was going to do everything in her power to ensure that Ortec made it out of here alive.


"CHETT!" Amara roared, flinging herself across the battlefield and landing in front of the Ceram. "Move to Sinna, the little Ifrit girl over there MOVE!" With a push she began to urge the confused Ceram forward who couldn't have possible known what had happened just yet. "Tec is hurt!" She urged, waking the Ceram up and forcing him to go over to Sinna for help. Amara didn't follow however as she looked up toward the archery tower. She noticed the Molt swiftly moving over to the new position but having arrows rained on him now, preventing him from defending the area properly. "I'LL KILL YOU ALL!" Amara screamed, giving deeper into her rage as she vaulted up to the roof of a nearby food stall. She then leaped higher, accessing a normal roof, followed by an even higher one. The archers watched in horror as not only a monstrous bug-like creature was raining bolts down on them but as the same woman that had been leading the charge was racing up to meet them head on.


The roof tops were riddled with arrows as Amara made her ascent. Her spiked arms had took the form of shields, the Onyx warrior bashing her shields into the air to deflect the onslaught of bolts and arrows. While ascending, Jad was doing his best to duck and weave through the storm as he began to slowly float down to the ground. He too had to kick off of a roof to continue gliding about, moving just a hair faster than the archers could shoot causing them great frustrations when trying to shoot at the moving target. Jad soon ran out of ammo on all four of his crossbows at once, so, he placed two of the crossbows back into their holsters followed by grabbing two new bolt racks with his now free hands. With a flick of his wrists the reloaded crossbows were sheathed as well, the two spent ones meeting his hands followed by his lower set of arms reloading them simultaneously. It was a hypnotic display, watching the Molt man reload four weapons at once only for that same display to become frightening as within seconds he was continuing to return fire faster than they could fire.


Even with his ability to fire much faster than the other archers his accuracy was lowered for wielding the weapons this way, he needed Amara to help immediately. Soon the Molt was beginning to get hit, the arrows impacting his natural made armor and bouncing off of him but soon his exo-skeleton was beginning to crack. He glanced over just in time to see Amara jump from a far away roof top and practically glide herself over the divide to the tower. The archers all tried to fire at her but it was far too late for them, she was already standing in front of them.


"ATTACK!" One of the archers roared as they began to pull out their melee weapons but again, it was far too late for them. Amara was burning up with so much rage and anger for Ortec being potentially killed, leaving her new Ceram friend alone, that she exploded into a literal harbinger of death. Both her shields gave way for the twin familiar metal spikes she had used to kill so many and soon those very same spikes were coated in crimson blood as she began to dig into the very archers that had taken not only Ortec but dozens of shades all within their first attack. The elvish woman was screaming wildly as she began to carve her way into the archers, their features blurring as she gave into her rage and tore through man after man, woman after woman, soldier after soldier. She couldn't even tell what race their were, whether they were Ifritian like the locals or even elvish like her. It didn't matter in that moment. All that mattered was that each and every one of them paid for what they had just done.


This was all second nature to her as she clashed blades with multiple warriors at once, her terrifying visage striking fear into the hearts of the Central archers as they all desperately tried to fight back. On one side several of the archers were turned around, returning fire to Jad. On the other side, they were quickly being mowed down by a woman with a little too much experience when it came to killing men and women alike. The Central guards were caught in a meat grinder, with one side being littered with arrows while the other side was being impaled, torn apart and decapitated left and right. The chaos was too much, so much so that the Central archers chose a death at their own hands as they began to jump off the side of the tower to their inevitable deaths.


Moira witnessed this as Amara and Jad defended the Shades and other freedom fighters with their lives, fighting wildly to ensure victory. She took this time to lead the war pack, floating in front of everyone during her psychic onslaught.


"TO THE CITADEL!" Moira shouted, broadcasting her voice louder with her abilities causing all of the freedom fighters to roar in unison as they pushed even deeper into the city. The Citadel was preparing for a direct assault now as they grew closer and closer to pushing Central out of the city and back into the furthest reaches of town. "KILL THEM ALL! AVENGE OUR FALLEN AND TAKE BACK WHAT IS OURS!"
 
Even through metal plating, Chett felt the wetness of his gnomish friend's blood upon his shoulder. Tec didn't have much time to react, looking down to the arrow embedded in his chest. He didn't feel off; adrenaline was coursing through him. And to be taken out so early in battle would be a mistake, to say the least. After all, it had just started, hadn't it? But as realization dawned on him, so too did the tunnel vision of being wounded. "I'm fine, I'm fine." he reassured Sinna and Chett, voice low, entirely unsure of if his words were true or not. "Just some salve for me. Got a poker? Somethin' to cauterize the wound. We need to get back out there. Come on now, girl, hurry." he said, unbuckling himself from his friend's shoulder. Sinna looked in awe to them both, stunned for a moment.


Then, she remembered, kicking back into gear, that lives could very well depend on her. Especially as arrows fired down from the towers, impacting Shades and taking some out with one barrage. Sinna pulled her hatchet, putting it into one hand. "Bend over, Chett." she said, and the golem had obliged, looking worriedly to his friend. The arrow that had gone through Tec was embedding him into the golem's platings, but the Ifritian girl hacked the shaft, sharpness of her blade freeing the gnome. She helped him down, but he'd collapsed soon after.


"Go back into battle, Chett. It isn't necessary for you to be here." Sinna said, brow knitted.


"I'll be joining back up with you in a moment there, Varch." Tec affirmed, to which the Ceram had given a hesitant nod. As Moira shouted, he followed her voice, head dipped back to look toward Tec and Sinna. Then, he looked forward, rage driving him onward. Then, he ran, uttering a metallic roar that itched at all of the eardrums who'd been fortunate enough to have had it grace them. Of course, Chett didn't want to leave his friend, but he was the frontline. And he could not give up. He slammed his fists into the very foundation on which they stood, metal impacting impacted stone, and then launched himself forward toward the Citadel. Knowing the doors would be boarded, knowing that crossbows soon would be lining the fortified castle and barrack, knowing that if they took any more time, their numbers would certainly fall, Chett did something a little crazy.


He slammed into the wall. Stone debris flew, and it seemed almost as if the citadel itself had shaken. A sizable dent had been put into the masonry, and while Chett's shoulder didn't crack, he slowed. But it didn't stop him. And he did it again. And again. And again. He slammed into the wall, until his roaring, raging, pissed form was on the other side. He opened up the way for the rest of them, only taking a moment to recover and then barrel through the enemies, allowing their swords and their weapons to get caught within the folds of his joints and his plating. Putting pain aside, he mowed through the smaller forms of the Central soldiers, carving a path for his own people to get through.


Behind them, Balor had just caught up with Sinna, who had been kneeling to the propped Tec. Tec, who was sweating, swearing that he'd catch up with them all, and almost enraged that he was missing the meat of the battle, but without the energy to do anything about it. The clammy-faced gnome stared past the Ifritian girl, allowing her to work, but not in silence. Balor found them both, but immediately saw the other fallen, rushing past them to get to those Shades that had fallen.


"If you are injured, take yourself to the side of the battle, your wounds will be treated there! Staying here only clouds our vision of those who are more wounded!" he commanded, shepherding the injured toward where Sinna had set up. Once they had cleared, the more injured had been shown, some struggling to get up, some entirely unconscious, and some beaten so badly he wasn't sure if they were dead. He pointed out a Forbidden of their own, bleeding badly from the shoulder. "You! Help me take the grievously wounded to the side. Those without serious injuries, expect to be helping the others before you're treated!" he said, organizing them all with a fervor that had matched those who were in the battle themselves.


Finally, Sinna had finished up with Tec. He was breathing erratically, sweating, but ... his wounds were bandaged. Unsure of how much damage he'd taken on the inside, she said, "You really should stay still. You can aggravate whatever's gotten pierced. You're a gnome, not a Sang'rok, Ortec. Your organs are closer together and the arrow that hit you was bigger than you know. You lost a lot of blood." she said.


"Oh, don't..." Tec started, still fighting with her. He stood, bracing himself against the wall. He didn't look well, skin with a palor that had alarmed them. Suddenly, Balor walked toward them.


"Sit. Down." he commanded, "I don't have the time or resources to be fighting with you. Sit down, or I'll use the extra alchemicals to make you sit and stay." he said, kneeling. Tec furrowed his brow, Balor's words making him more irritated than ever. Still, a threat was a threat, and perhaps it had been the words he'd needed to put aside his ego. Ortec stopped at the behest of his commands. Balor checked Sinna's work quickly, realizing that it was good, and he couldn't do much more. So he moved on.


"Check for heartbeats, Sinna. And check good. A small one is still a beat." he said. "And help organize the others."
 
The tower that had once been filled with archers was now a horrific scene of blood and grizzled flesh. Not a single archer left that tower alive after Amara and Jad worked together to clear it from Central. It had been too little too late however, the archers taking a massive chunk out of the freedom fighter's lines while only losing a few themselves in the grand scheme of things with them taking out the archers. Amara looked quite literally like a demon, her usual pale skin was completely coated in dark red blood. Her black hair was matted to her head in a disgusting mess giving her a terrifying appearance. Jad was miraculously able to overlook that entirely as he landed on the tower and walked towards the fuming Amara.


"Look." The Molt warrior said, pointing over to the Citadel which they could barely see through the fog. What they could see however was massive rays of light being shot into the sky to try and see the battle raging on, everything shrouded in the black fog that had consumed the battlefield. "The Ceram breached the Citadel walls. We must hurry. We-"


"Pick me up." Amara said, her hands morphing before the Molt's eyes back into her normal, physical hands. "We can glide over there and land on the walls. They will line archers up and send our men into a killzone, move!" She ordered, remembering what had happened to her and Gunnar when they were fighting in the citadel only over a week ago. It had been so long in that sanctuary it had felt like a life time ago even for an elf. "WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?" Jad hesitated, only because he had never met anyone willing to trust him to fly them like this especially when he could only simply glide.


"Your funeral." Jad said, shaking his head as he got behind Amara. He then grabbed her by her armor with all four of his clawed hands, latching on to her. "Run." He instructed, Amara not hesitating and simply ran and jumped right off the side of the archery tower. Jad kicked off as Amara jumped, going horizontal in the air as his wings spread out and caught the wind just at the right time sending them gliding across the city straight towards the citadel. The fighting happening below them was frantic and desperate, the Shades and Forbidden ones fighting with everything they had while the Central guard unit was doing their best to repel wave after wave of freedom fighters. They were sent here to garrison a city but also fight a war, granted not one from the inside however.


Moira stood back a safe distance from the destruction Varchett was leading, assisting those still in the city as the forbidden ones rushed in through the golem sized hole in the Citadel wall. They were all fighting in the courtyard now and sure enough were getting absolutely riddled with arrows as they entered the main open air area of the citadel. Most of the archers were lined on the walls as Amara said they would be, learning from her past experience fighting in that very same courtyard. Shade after shade was ripped apart by the archers while the Central soldiers on the ground were even having a hard time avoiding friendly fire from their own. The Shades began to drain the mana of those they were fighting, giving them a fighting chance even under the terrible circumstances.


Varchett was in the middle of it all, the Ceram cutting a path to the inside of the Citadel so the shades weren't going to be totally decimated by archers. Then, their reinforcements had arrived. Amara went plummeting to the ground, Jad dropping her off high above the Citadel. The archers didn't know what hit them when Amara coated her entire body in metal, crashing directly into the wall they were posted up on. The wall barely held her weight as she crashed into them like a shot from a catapult, the bricks of the citadel wall splintering off and exploding as Amara landed. The onslaught from the archers suddenly halted as they all turned to see the woman slowly morph back into her organic form before their eyes. The terrifying look on her blooded face was enough for all of them to begin open firing right back at her as she charged right back into battle with Jad hovering from above covering her. It was a repeat of the archery tower, the two of them working together to wipe out their war party's biggest threat.


Back in the city all wasn't as secure as they thought however. With Moira commanding all of their men forward that left their backs exposed, more specifically, their medics and their wounded. A platoon of Central Soldiers came flooding in from the back, a ruthless group that had flanked around and had dished out the most causalities to the freedom fighter's side. With Amara back on the field Moira turned back to check on Balor and sinna along with their other medics only to see the soldiers sneaking right in behind them.


"BALOR! SINNA!" Moira cried out, pointing towards the group of men that were slaughtering the wounded as soon as they arrived. "HELP!" She shouted, rushing forward herself now to assist the wounded that were being mercilessly slaughtered.
 
Balor looked up to see a platoon of soldiers marching on their position. White eyes widened, with pupils like pinpricks. He saw a familiar sight. Only, now, he wasn't on the marching end. However, when he and Sinna had gone into the alchemist's shop, they had accounted for the fact that they might very well be attacked. His hand went to a reagent on his side, marked with the rune of Pyrit, glowing emblazoned in the night. His nail dug into the cork, opening it, and then he stepped forward, dashing the liquid in the soldiers' paths. As soon as it had made contact with the floor, it began a line of magical fire, holding the soldiers off for then lest they want to be cooked in their armor. It came at the cost of cutting off a few of their wounded, but those that had been that close to the soldiers had already been descended upon. They were already dead.


"SINNA!" he yelled. Her attention had already been caught by Moira's cries, however, and she'd long since drawn her hatchet. The bookish Ifritian had taken on a grimace, her brow permanently contorted in anger at the sight of her fellows being slaughtered. She stood in front of Moira and Balor, eyes growing dark with the influence of Sombras, teeth gritted, scared, but prepared to fight if that was what was necessary. Any moment now, those same Central soldiers would snake around the fire; there wasn't enough time nor enough enchanted fluids to make themselves a moat.


At the same time, Balor had taken up. Only, his hands were empty. He held them to his sides, mana flickering at his fingertips. The space around them began to shift and contort, vision becoming confusing fractals. He was bending the light itself not only to make an illusion, but one that would confuse and bewilder the enemy. It was all a distraction piece, and those who would get past it would have to deal with Sinna. That normally wouldn't be a large threat, if she hadn't been able to use her voided sight to see through his illusions. It didn't hurt being a latent Seer.


"Move the wounded back toward where our forces are advancing. NOW!" Balor shouted back at Moira, commanding the very same respect that she had before. They were sealed in the illusion, a confusing jumble of things-not and things-so, Balor effectively trapping the soldiers that had decided to come in. It was a perverse, strange use of his powers, and it was certainly nothing any of them had seen from a Prismatic as of thus. They did not have the time to question it.


Tec sat numbly against the building, struggling to pull himself up. As the fighting had progressed, he'd gotten weaker and weaker, unable to speak out. He worked his way toward Varchett and the others; it wasn't ideal to be close to the fighting, but it was the most fortified position they had. They were a mobile army. As those who could get up got up to do the same, Sinna and Balor held their positions. Then, they were joined. Forbidden and stubborn, a few of the wounded but still able to fight had taken up placed behind Balor and Sinna, mana flaring to their fingertips as well.


Then, the soldiers came through. Balor was barely able to keep his illusion up as he'd avoided the charge, but it still stood, blanketing the area and disorienting the soldiers. Quiet as the night, Sinna, black-eyed and vengeful, slammed her hatchet into the back of a passing soldier. He screamed out, drawing the attention of those who couldn't rely on their eyes to fight. They had rushed through the fractal fog to her position. Then, they had seen her through it. A Shade armed with a single hatchet, attempting to take out an army. She had been surrounded, prepared to be killed by a swift thrust of a sword. And so it had happened.


Only, it wasn't her.


As the soldiers fought, apparitions of Shades had appeared in their vision, taking the places of one another. Instead of killing the Shade, they were killing each other, unbeknownst as the illusions had distorted their senses to think they were doing justly. Only, when the illusion had faded, and the cover had gone, their numbers had become few. Balor, exhausted, had dropped his fog of deception.


Then, fighting erupted again. Now, the Central numbers had thinned enough for even the wounded to make a difference. One under Ichor, grabbing the helm of a Central soldier who'd sooner thrusted his weapon into the poor Forbidden, gave the very same treatment back. Blood had vacated itself from the Central soldier's body through his eyes, nose, and mouth. Then, he'd taken his hand to his own, ebbing his own bleeding down to a trickle by the grace of his God. It wasn't seconds later that he was attacked again, slashed down toward where even he couldn't recover.


Shades fought, some trickling from the frontlines where Varchett had been to divide their attention between bringing the wounded to a safer place and fighting themselves. Balor and Sinna had bought them enough time to do so. Then, when they had seen that their wounded were safe - though some inevitably died from the onslaught - Balor and Sinna ran. Balor stopped in front of Tec, snatching the wounded gnome up with ease, and ran toward the Shade army.


Varchett came running right at Balor and Sinna. It almost seemed as if he were going to collide with them, breaking into an animalistic, quadripedal run at last moment and propelling himself above their heads. He landed hard, metal screeching against the compacted stone flooring, unable to stop himself as he bowled into the remaining assault team that had attacked the wounded and medics. They had no choice but to converge on him, though even a massive metal golem couldn't slaughter a platoon without help.
 
Help he soon received as Amara herself flung herself off the Citadel wall, leaving the remaining archers to Jad as she lunged off the side of the Citadel itself. She landed on the ground hard, crashing roughly as she tried to roll to her feet. She was growing tired, quite literally starting such a big battle and carrying it on her soldiers the entire time as she had sprung from location to location defending several different fronts consecutively. She was running out of steam no matter how much she wanted to press on and continue to fight harder and harder. Amara stumbled to her feet, gritting her teeth as she did and charged right back into battle all the while throwing caution to the wind as she vaulted over her own people and ran straight for Varchett.


"Miss me big guy?" Amara said, scrambling up the golem as he held off an entire onslaught from the platoon in front of them. She knelled down where Tec usually sat and placed a hand on one of Chett's plates, fusing both of them together so she wouldn't get flung off. "You're going to have to make a ton of fucking flowers to pay me back for this..." She then held on tightly to Varchett as she began to manipulate the Ceram's metal plates from her position near his head. The spikes on his arms vanished for a moment and the broken bits in his armor had long since smoothed over since she had arrived, the people he was fighting seemed to actually gain the upper hand for a moment as Varchett lost all of his weaponry for a moment. It all changed right back in an instant however as his gauntlet-ed fists had received an upgrade. Rather than enhance his punching power, Amara made Varchett into a killing machine that frightened all nearby.


In place of his hand plates were now two massive giant spikes, similar to how Amara typically fought. They had flared ends with a few smaller spikes to catch those just out of reach of his primary weapon, meaning the Ceram could skewer those who tried to flee from him. His armor was refreshed at the cost of Amara's own energy, meaning she was nearly out of this fight. She groaned as she buffed Varchett as far as he could go, the monstrosity before the Central army being radically different than the already intimidating golem they had been facing before. With a roar the pair jumped into battle now, against all the odds Amara and Varchett continued to fight while the fighting had begun to die down all around them.


The final Central platoons were conflicted. They either fought Varchett and Amara, fought the other freedom fighters who were desperately fighting to end this war, or... they had the option of fleeing to fight another day. To the surprise of Moira and her people, an entire platoon from the citadel began to flood the area only for them to flee from the battle. The freedom fighters managed to nail quite a few of the fleeing targets but it was baffling when the gates to the newly erected wall opened only for the Central soldiers to go flying out of them, not turning back to look at the post they were abandoning. Just when the bulk of them had thought they had gotten away however, the doors slammed into their faces.


"LET US OUT!" They began to roar in unison, wanting to escape with every fiber of their being. Nearly twenty men stood banging at the gates, desperately trying to bust their way out. When they realized it was futile, they all turned, only to meet a lone Midas woman standing before all of them.


"Now now dears.... Ye should know it's cowardly to leave a battle." Moira said, walking slowly towards one of the final remaining guard units in town. "Especially against us disgusting, forbidden signed citizens. Right? The Central army is too powerful to be crushed." She mocked, walking closer and closer to the men who had no idea what was about to happen to them. "It is your duty to protect the people, not run from them... So why is it... That you are abandoning your posts when the people are striking back? You should lay down your arms and cower before them. They rule you. Not the other way around." When none of them budged the Midas woman smiled. "Very well then. I will lay them down for you."


Each one of their blades were ripped from their sheathes and began to float in front of their faces.


"I hate to do this to you cowards... You deserve a lot worse but- well... my people need me." Each sword that Moira possessed thrust itself through the air and impaled themselves right into the very soldiers that once wielded those very same blades. They all didn't die in an instant however, they would suffer a worse fate. Moira was in an unforgiving mood, so unforgiving that she walked over to the fallen platoon she had taken care of. "Now now... I'd be a terrible leader to let my enemies die peacefully... Especially after you all killed wounded?" She clicked her tongue as she placed her hand on soldier after soldier's head. It was an odd sight from the outside, but on the inside each of those soldiers were subjected to a worse fate than death. Death would come soon, but not after Moira shattered their minds and sent them spiraling into insanity as the psychic forced them to relive the travesties they committed over and over again and then some. There was a darkness to Moira, she had known the battle was ultimately won but she wasn't ready to let them off the hook so easily. Now, it was up to Amara and Varchett to finish the fight.
 
With the massive Ceram and Amara backing them, Balor and Sinna were able to stop running. With Tec in his arms, Balor joined up to the rest of the wounded, placing him down onto the dirt below. The gnome's eyes were half-lidded as he looked up and around to his friend. Then, he smiled. He was amongst others, wounded, but still cognizant enough to realize that the tides had been turning in their favor. And he was proud. That was enough for him as he closed his eyes again, intent on getting the rest that he'd so desperately needed.


Chett's arms had been morphed into giant spikes. He regarded them for a brief moment, and then thought on how to utilize them. Amara was melded onto his back, a heavier weight than what he was used to, but that was fine enough. He wasn't exactly surrounded - not anymore, with how many Central had fallen and fled. But that didn't mean he didn't intend on reaping the rest of them. Vengeful and angry, Chett sliced through the air toward a soldier. Then, to Amara's disadvantage, he began spinning. Soon, the golem and the Onyx woman had become a whirling hurricane of death, the reach of his arms so long that it had torn flesh from bone in instants. Soon, the cleaved versions of the soldiers around then had littered the floors. Then, silence.


He heaved, the rise and fall of the golem's chest betraying his exhaustion. He looked around, as did the others. Every skirmish was coming to a close. Blood ran in the streets. The medics worked feverishly, attempting to save those who had been wounded. The last clash of swords had sounded. Whimpers and cries had come from the fallen of both sides. A war had been seiged on the town, the very walls they had built to protect them sealing them in entirely. Dooming them to their fate.


Then, another cry erupted. Only, this time it wasn't of pain or sadness. A primal sound had left the mouth of a single Shade, one wracked with the emotion of pure victory. Then, it was joined by another. Cheering had left the throats of those who still stood, and some from those that hadn't. They had succeeded. With not a Central soldier in sight with the power to stand, Moira and the Forbidden had taken the town. Then, the able-bodied rushed to the wounded, leaving a portion of Forbidden to still wander around, hitting the fallen Central soldiers twice and scouting for stragglers.


Chett, whose now dizzied victim had the opportunity to unmeld herself from his shoulder, walked toward Balor and Sinna. He fell to a knee with a resounding slam in front of Tec, who had long since drifted into rest. His reached out a hand to him, quickly realizing the ends of them had still been pointed spikes. The golem uttered a groan of what could only be described as sadness, the murderous beast somehow looking quite soft in that moment as he gazed down at his injured friend. Unable to assist, a small blanket of moss had grown over Tec, the golem manipulating it to serve as a small blanket. He looked up to Sinna, who had been watching him with a frown.


"He still could make it, Chett." She said. Really though, she was unsure, looking upon the sweaty pallor of Tec's face. He was small, taking the force of a much larger man. She couldn't help but realize then that gnomes weren't built for fighting. "He needs rest in a bed." She said, attempting to reassure him while her hands still worked furiously on healing an injured Ichor beneath her.


Balor looked up to Amara and the approaching Moira. He looked particularly spent himself, with blood caking his hands up to the elbow, and decorating the fronts of his legs. He was more dedicated to saving them, however, than his own wellbeing. "Are you two okay?" He asked them, eyes shifting in particular to Amara. "You don't look well. What degree of the blood coating you is yours?"
 
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