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Fandom Power Rangers Divine Knights

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Lady Insanity Lady Insanity marorda marorda

Quest 05: The Pride of Men

Looking back four years into the past, a time before moving to Westfield for his purpose in life to be fulfilled. Where he called home as a boy. Braxton of only 17 years in age walking through the halls of his private high school in his final year. Prestigious honor decorated his dorm room in medals for academic mastery, certificates, a pre-owned diploma from early college courses giving him a degree before even graduating high school. Photos with teachers, letters from acclaimed geniuses in the educational system, a manifesto of brilliant minds displayed on a wall shelf over top his bed. This is the element where Braxton truly felt he belonged. Intellectuals all around, well dressed and behaved youths, structure, not an ounce of madness skulking about the campus. He would be graduating at the top of his class in one month at this time. Alone in his room he sat on the floor, meditating on a specially made mat. ON said mat were runic symbols of magical value; incantations to be practiced and special charms to focus his energy. All while studying in private education, he worked on his magic behind closed doors in secret. Eyes closed tightly Braxton concentrated on harnessing the power of ancient-- knock knock knock.
Interrupted, Braxton's eyes flew open and covered the mat, blowing out the candles. "Yes?"
"Braxton? Victor and the others are going to study in the library. Join us," a friend spoke from the other side. Braxton nodded, picking up his book bag. Study session? What fun! Oh boy! Braxton delightfully joined his colleague--yes, 'colleague' because friend is too casual for his liking--and company to study in the library.
---
Fast forward to the present day. From highly esteemed schooling, a nice uniform and his absolute prime of his life Braxton has transcended into--! Into... a quaint shopping center near downtown Westfield. Yes, after spending his childhood and all formative periods of his earlier young perfecting his art of magic and academics,the bright mage landed himself shopping for groceries on a joint credit card with people he lives with on a farm. His clothing at least stayed nice and more presentable, at least. Sure he is 21, but he is not a child. Adults from all ages should look as presentable as possible. More presentable than most, as is obvious. Not so obvious to some company.
In their household, not only were groceries a top priority, but also toiletries, small things for the house, food for the animals, essentials to living! It is Braxton's turn to go out for groceries, however he encouraged Raijah, Mellany and Vince to accompany him into town. If they divided all of the shopping among them it would be much easier. He wouldn't ant all of that shopping in one trip dumped onto one of them alone, so he expected the same courtesy. It is noon, so Chloe and Peter have the privilege of attending school on this dry Monday.

The morning before going out, however, Braxton made sure to at least help everybody else with their assigned chore of the day so nobody would argue that coming with him is unfair. Braxton didn't really need them coming with him, but honestly who can be bothered with so many shopping lists at once?! Inhumane. On their way to the shopping center, a small square of space downtown, Braxton did make sure to go over a spell with Mellany in the backseat. Basic protection. Her barriers needed work, so he obligated himself as senior mage to guide her on her less-than able barrier spell. She can't have arrows or magical bolts piercing her skin can she? He also took the liberty of ensuring Raijah would be wearing at least sandals while they were out in public together shopping. And Vincent? Braxton prided himself on playing with Vince's slightly feeble mind. Warriors aren't much for wisdom, all brawn and hitting things all of the time.

That being said, Braxton evenly split the lists. The smaller half would be to run to the general store for toiletries, basic items and animal feed. That task was given to Mellany and Vince. The food being the much larger job was taken by Braxton, and sadly, Raijah. The smaller half given to the warrior and other mage at least wouldn't strain their tiny little brains. Alas, Braxton will watch as Raijah struggles with reading labels in the grocery store just across the parking lot. Sad. Entertaining but sad. He didn't hold the reading against him, for Raijah was just brought up differently. You do not expect a person born to learn Chinese writing to instantly pick up on English, do you? "Now Raijah, please try not to get lost in this store. I'd hate to scare you by calling you over the loudspeakers...again," Braxton humbly noted the first time he and Raijah went shopping together. Poor Tarzan wasn't fully used to this yet, so hearing his name form the roof startled him. Or so Braxton would have thought. "Here is what I need you to get. Once you find them, find me and put them in our cart," he said. Simple things like milk, eggs, stuff they would be able to but don't produce on their farm. Braxton headed off to locate canned goods and whatever small items anybody had added to the list outside of things they really needed. Like Braxton was going to pick up gummy bears. Not needed, but he liked to snack on them occasionally as he was sure the others did.
 
Since the removal of toxic people in her life Chloe's been a lot happier. Discord is a bad thing and she had been swimming in it for a long time. High time she got out of the pool and dried off! Waking up for school that morning, cuddling Wildcat in bed and even little tiny Warthog who is just the cutest thing in the history of literally ever, Chloe basked in the joy of her new room decor. It really is silly of her to have considered giving up cheer. Why do that when instead she can continue being on the squad with a newfound set of balls? Figuratively speaking definitely. Jacob can't look her in the eye and Brooke? Brooke is too busy being bombarded with a lousy reputation among the student body. She even got kicked from the squad through a unanimous vote! Chloe would have been new cheer captain, but Kelsey, the girl who was told she was getting fat, was chosen instead. Per Chloe's input, in fact. She had more important things to do now, and Kelsey is a nice girl. The cheer leaders, even the ones who religiously followed Brooke, were more unified now. Sure some of the girls are still bitchy, but they keep t to themselves. Chloe is well liked, so that's happy too! Plus, Ingrid's fitting in well enough with her new friends. She and Chloe were becoming besties, and Peter is such a nice boy. Safe to say, all's going pretty well for the teens despite social hell that is High School. Chloe's stuck in algebra class.... screw math! Misery commence!

How had he been roped into this? On his chore chart, Vince's little tab had 'clean the living room and kitchen' written in the black dry erase marker. Not 'go with the mage to the market'. Peter did not just scribble the household duties for fun. Plans of putting together a fitness montage on body building forums were down the drain. Lately, Vince had been into that. He likes film and staying in shape, so why not combine the two into something great? He's a member of several different fitness media, all of which have good bases for sharing that kind of content. Already he had taken many shots of himself outside doing exercises, flexing his muscles, low key modeling and putting a diet together for other trainers out there in the world. Instead of doing more of that today, and making a training greatsword that isn't flimsy, he's stuck going out doing Braxton's job for him. In hindsight, it's a fair game he's playing here. A lot of shopping for one person, but really just the groceries is enough, Braxton didn't have to go all out and proclaim they must get all of the things. Just that, all of the things! So many things! Aside from good, really all Vince knew they needed was many some shampoo or something? Chloe needed one thing, but that's something she could get on her way home from school. It's a personal thing! How weird would it be to see Braxton buying it for her? Vince is chill about buying feminine stuff, though, he isn't afraid of his masculinity dropping.
At least Braxton did help clean a bit. So Vince wasn't too upset about piling all together and going. Dressed in one of like a million v necks and jeans, he ventured into the city with them, splitting with Mellany into a general store.
"I feel like Braxton gave us this part of the shopping because he wants us to not mess up and get the 'wrong brands' of certain foods," Vince said as he and Mellany walked through the store.

He plucked one of the things on the list from a shelf, made sure it was what they needed, or what Braxton wrote anyway, and set it in their basket. Most of the words had less than three syllables on this list....hey, wait a minute! Braxton! Gyah! Then again, he's smart as anybody else, but... lord this will be embarrassing considering who he's with at the moment. Leader of Divine Knights, warrior, second to their King Ascelin and... well... "Hey Mellany. I uh... can't reach something," he noted. Taller than her, he is, but there's still a shelf or two in this store he can't reach. Those super tall ones you need a lift to get to! "Should we like... I don't know, piggy back you on top of me to get it? Or we could go without toilet paper for a week."
 
Grocery shopping wasn't the most horrible chore to have living at the farm. And it was more fun when done together! Honestly getting the groceries shouldn't even be a job to be done by one person. Six people, the Mounts... that's a lot of things to be needed. Lots of food, toiletries, animal food.... and somehow everything had always run out by the end of the week. Mellany strolled into the general store beside Vince. The past few days had been fairly quiet. Chloe had cheered up again, and she had changed. Well... only in the way she had decorated her room, really. She was still fairly vain and an annoying teenager. Or rather... just a typical girly-girl teenager. Mellany hadn't been all that different in high school. Sure, she was less into make-up and beauty and more into gymnastics and shooting arrows at targets... but she knew the mindset of a teenage girl. And now, in the present, she was a mage getting groceries with a warrior in order to supply a bunch of knights in their fight against demons. Life can take odd twists, no? If you'd tell high-school Mellany that this is what she'd be doing a few years after graduation.... she'd laugh in your face and continue her merry way. ... Pretty much the same way how Chloe had reacted when she figured out that.... Damn, the two girls really were more similar than Mellany had initially thought. Anyway! Thoughts back to the present day.

"Wouldn't be surprised," she chuckled. "Or he thinks we're too dumb to get the rest. After all.... Braxton is kinda..." she left the end of that sentence hanging in the air. Everyone by now should know how she generally viewed her fellow mage. Sure, it was... kind he wanted to help her with her barrier spell... but did he have to do that in the backseat of the car before getting groceries? Why not do that during training? They were just gonna get some damn groceries, not attempt to take Faye Castle back right this instance! As if magic missiles would suddenly come flying out of the aisles while shopping! She mentally huffed. No wonder Braxton didn't have any friends. Okay, that was mean, even for her.... but let's be fair here! She dropped some items of the list into the basket, frowning as Vince said he couldn't reach something. Vince, the big warrior significantly taller than her couldn't reach something. And he needed the help of the shortest person on the team to get it. She could just.... No, it wouldn't be right to use her magic to get the toilet paper. People might be watching. And try to explain large levitating packages of toilet paper!
"Well... the other option is to use your towels. They can't smell worse than they do anyway," Mellany shrugged, sending a quick smirk up at Vince. She's not a total bitch. She's just teasing, really! Or maybe not. You'd never know with her. "Piggy back it is."

She hopped on Vince's back, reaching up as far as she could, leaning further and further forward in an attempt to reach the packs. And still they were too small. Geez! How tall were those shelves? You'd need a Zord to reach those shelves! But the shopkeepers probably wouldn't appreciate it if suddenly giant bears, wolves, deer, horses, or wildcats strolled in to just casually grab some toilet paper and be on their merry way out. What a sight that must be to see! "I... can't... reach!" Mellany said, trying once more to grab it. Screw this! This wans't going to work. They were going to need a little bit of magic here. Mellany quickly cast a levitation spell in order to "grab" one of the packs. But as what is to be expected when you abuse magic for personal reasons.... it backfired. An avalance of toilet paper came tumbling down. Mellany's eyed widened. Oh, this was going to be one of those days.
---
In another store elsewhere in the city, Raijah wandered behind Braxton, wearing khakis and sandals. he wiggled his toes. Shoes were still far from his favorite thing in the world. Now he couldn't feel the ground! But by now he had learned wearing shoes was something people here in the city expe--... WAIT A MOMENT! That person over there isn't wearing shoes too! Raijah tapped Braxton on the shoulder, pointing at the shoe-less man. "Raijah wear shoes because must... why that man not wear shoes?" He really didn't understand. There were so many things he didn't understand... Like that last time he and Braxton went shopping together. Braxton reminded him of that last time.... No, Raijah better not get lost. Or else the scary ceiling voice would shout his name again! He had nearly knocked over a shelf. And the people had looked at him very strangely when Raijah talked back to the ceiling voice. Or well... He actually just shouted "RAIJAH IS HERE!". Was he more scared of the ceiling voice? Or were the other people more scared of him at that moment? Raijah didn't know, and he never would.

Raijah wandered off with the list Braxton gave him. He still couldn't read, but Mellany had taught him to just look at the scribbles and see if the scribbles on the package had roughly the same shape. That's how he found the book too! Now... let's see.... Milk came from cows... And that thing over there had a cow on it! Water is see-through,.... just like that bottle! Continuing the rest of the list following similar logic, Raijah made his way back to Braxton, arms full of groceries. "Raijah got it!" he said proudly, putting everything into the basket. "Milk", eggs, "water", cheese, a whole chicken, "laundry detergent", a "melon", "sour" cream....
As you might guess, the things between quotation marks weren't exactly what they were supposed to be. Instead he dropped into the basket: A large carton of yogurt, a bottle of vodka, fabric softener, a lemon, and whipped cream. Not entirely wrong on some parts, but definitely not right either.
 
Truth be told, Braxton had no idea as to why another man in the shop was not wearing footwear. Internet memes involving people in public places being rather strange may as well be the mans motive. Hopes of being the latest viral superstar in a superficial and shallow world? Possibly. Whatever the answer was, Braxton had nothing to sate Raijah's question. Instead he browsed aisles of the supermarket. Picking up the essential items and marking them off as he went, careful to not miss a single thing on the list. Pridefully so, he gathered everything, even items the others claim to not find on their trips to the market. Nobody knows how to look. Seriously, they would not survive without him. Being the only one truly prepared for Knighthood at the start apparently meant he was the only one fit to be a self-sustaining adult, as well.
Just as he'd picked off an item from the 'not needed but would like' part of the list, Raijah approached him with a handful of things. "Ah, Raijah, good timing. I was about to... what have you got there?" Braxton looked at the items in his arms. "Raijah... what is this?" Braxton asked, pointing out all of the wrong items. So all of his items, actually. "This is yogurt, not milk. Fabric softener, lemon, whipped cream....vodka?!" Without actually scolding him, Braxton scolded him whilst sorting through them one by one. "Care to explain as we put all of this back and get what we actually need?" Minus fabric softener. That can stay, because they do need some of that, too. Maybe a less expensive brand, however. Seriously, incompetence at its finest, ladies and gentlemen.
---
The Knights are sorting their shopping extravaganza, Faye Castle is sorting their next attack.
Gardens never seem to be filled with dead flowers, do they? Rogana had certainly been making sure her garden stayed that way. Dead. Dead and loving it. Sniffing the crispy pedals, Rogana basked in her leisure under the sunlight. "Yes, do bake these ugly plants into something dark and dry. How lovely a gift they will make to my master and the fair Urla, not to mention grave decor for the Divine Knights."
Humbly patrolling the courtyard whipping his Thralls into shape, Andero's militaristic guidance led the Thralls to assume position and enter a combat ring, putting their skills to the test. Whomever wins the round gets a reward of only 3 lashings. Loser gets 100 lashings. Best way to manage the footsoldiers. And the Thralls love every minute of it.
Around the Disciple's Honor, a most valuable and sacred object, Dumanax' six loyal Disciples were called and gathered, now stood round and illuminated the runes along the rim. Master to Thralls Andero and the illusive Rogana joined their brethren in watching a rune plucked by magic into the black water, expelling a new demonic addition to the main hall under their Supreme Disciple.

"Pride," Andero read the runic symbol out loud. Pride being the chosen force to reckon with. From the magic of the Honor, An iridescent blue and dark violet figure emerged. Male, bulky arms with large pointed elbows, eight eyes on its big head, massive claws, long stretches of leathery black armor over its limbs and torso, and arched legs for serious hunting. The body is scaly yet smooth, rough but flexible, durable and beautiful. Embodying Pride, the creature turn to its new masters. "I am Hubris. Pride of mankind, Pride of the Shadoji, I am to feed off of humanity's pride, ultimately leading to the downfall of all who oppose the Shadoji demon army." Hubris carried himself pridefully as one should expect of the literal embodiment of Pride.
Andero and Rogana both observed the demon in stride. "Oh now he is a lovely one. Humans take pride in far too much. Said pride does lead to mistakes. Please, my master, allow me to accompany this one I beg of you!" Andero bargained and bowed before Dumanax.

Tch! "Oh get a grip. Slaves and Pride do not mix. Pride is a mystery for those who seek it, and a curse for those who bathe in it. I should accompany him," Rogana argued. Hubris is a popular one, it seems.
 
Sweet sounds of a bell ringing alerted Chloe and all other students having lunch at this time of day that it was time to eat. Packing her things and stopping by her locker, she met up with Ingrid and Peter. Now they'd all been given the same lunch, so this is at least one point where the three of them get to hang out. Bored out of her mind after class, a conversation with real friends is hat she needs! By the time she had gotten there, Peter and Ingrid were already waiting. She passed Brooke and the other snobs at a table on the way. "Hanging with the losers now?" she asked. Chloe stopped and looked back. "Still dating Mr. Overcompensation?" Chloe retorted, making Jacob awkwardly fumble and...check himself. Damn, what did she ever see in him again? He's cute, but that's where it ends with him!
Sitting down with her real friends, waving at the cheer leaders sat at a different table, she smiled at Ingrid and Peter. "Oh, Mac N Cheese, looks good," she said while observing Ingrid's tray. Yum!

Sniffing his arms because of a now-crippling doubt, he checked his scent. His towels are not rancid! Hers would stink too if she spent more time working out and becoming a puddle of sweat rather than bitching about everything and sometimes being nice to people only when they're at a low! But even that aside, Vince likes Mellany for some reason. Who knows? "I'm not stinky..." he muttered under his masculine breath, holding up her weight as she piggy backed to the TP. He could tell she was kidding, though. At least he thought she was. Damn, she is harder to read than a fine print Stephen King novel. Like his stuff isn't already hard to read because it's always either lame or just plain weird. "How's it going up ther--" Vince had almost asked, but judging by the fall of every pack of toilet paper on top of them he could tell it hadn't gone right. The avalanche made Vince fall down with Mellany still on him, landing in a most...intimate and awkward position if you know what he means. "Well. Looks like we're stocked up for taco night?" Vince joked. A joke, but considering how Mexican food makes everyone after it isn't a far off thing!
---
Urla admired herself in one of her many mirrors atop her tall tower in the castle. "Mirrors, mirrors, on the wall. Whom is fairest of them all?" Urla asked the inanimate objects. Hearing no response is a sign she has not completely lost her sanity. Also a little depressing having asked for an answer but never getting one. Means she gets to just make one up. She is in charge of the room. "Oh stop, I know. You're making me blush!" Urla's reflections was so kind to her. Or the things it tells her! Like how massive her eyes are, how perfect her form is. Sweet sweet reflection!
Torth's study lit up by his flames, writing down accounts of events past and recording it for the books. All shall know the tales of the Shadoji against the Knights. The new Disciple, the 7th, will one day have to be educated as Lusa was recently treated in her indoctrination. Educating new generations is important. He still needed to research how they would accumulate their new ally in time. But as history repeats, it will come.

Dumanax silently--of course--observed as his followers used the Disciple's Honor to summon the pride demon, Hubris.
"Beautiful! I do declare this creature is magnificent. Something so prideful deserves something beautiful," Urla grazed her fingers up and down Hubris' arm, Torth stepping in. "Pride is passion, passion is fire. Anybody but Zaken should accompany him. He's already proven he is not fit to fight just yet," he judged the Chaos Disciple. Dumanax pondered, leaning forward and tapping his fingers together. All the sound he could ever make.
 
Raijah nodded as he tagged along with Braxton to put all of the groceries he had found back. He had tried so hard, but still he had mostly failed in getting the right things. "Raijah thought, milk comes from cow. This has cow on it," he pointed at the little cow on the yogurt. "So Raijah think, that milk." And so he went on to explain to Braxton why he had brought the things he had. The fabric softener, for one, had that machine on it that makes clothes clean again. So it had to be cleaning stuff, right? Water and vodka are both see through and look the same. Lemon and melon have the same letters in there. Just two switched around. And what's the difference between whipped cream and sour cream anyway? It's both cream, right? What mattered is that Raijah tried with the best of intentions, and he was getting better at going for groceries! Just this made very clear why one wouldn't be able to entrust the groceries-duty to Raijah alone. The house would be full of strange and wrong groceries in no time. Plus.. Raijah driving a car? That ought to cause some interesting scenes, and likely an arrest. Ah well... for now it was just following Braxton around, hearing how he was dumb, and getting the right things the Knights actually needed on the farm.
---
Aww.... did the widdle mage girl just completely crush the ego of the big bulky warrior? That's adorable. Less adorable was them both falling down, landing in the most awkward position imaginable... while covered in packs of toilet paper. Not how Mellany had expected her afternoon to go down. Not. At. All. She scrambled away from underneath Vince, dusting herself off and looking at the mess. Well... at least they hadn't fallen forward and knocked over the entire shelf, causing a domino effect in the store where one shelf after another fell down and everything broke. That sorta thing really only happened in movies, right? She chuckled at Vince's joke about tacos. "If we bring all of this back.... Braxton is going to murder us. Might as well use all the TP to mummify ourselves after he's done with us," she noted. "And even then the rest would have enough toilet paper left to last the rest of the year." So much toilet paper... They'd better try and put the packs they didn't need back before they'd be rushed by upset store employees. Mellany picked one of the packs up and set it aside, then looking back up at the tall shelf. Now how were they going to put the remaining TP back up on there if even together they weren't big enough to reach it and using magic would likely get them caught?
---
Lusa enjoyed the cool of her dungeon, reading up on moon rituals and lovely hexes to make the lives of the Knights most miserable. "Hmm... most interesting," she mumbled, stroking the pages of a tome full of hexes from well before her time as a Disciple. Hexes that would trap victims into their worst nightmares, letting them relive their worst memories and make their deepest darkest fears come true. All in a most powerful version of their own minds. Left to suffer until they could only beg for the end or would be left miserable sobbing fools. Torth might know more of these hexes in particular, their use and effectiveness. She ought to speak to him about that sometime.
Zaken had confined himself to the war room, thinking of new strategies, beating up training dummies and the Thralls send by Andero that deserved a punishment worse than lashes. Whatever was to come soon, he would not leave Faye Castle for a while after failing his master. Zaken knew he wouldn't be send, and knew he didn't deserve so until he either proved himself useful or more other Disciples would fail in their attempts of taking the human world and dispatching of the Knights.

The two gathered with the others around the Disciple's Honor, looking at the newest creation spawned from the runes and the water. Hubris, a truly magnificent being to behold. Pride, something flowing deeply within every creature. But humans.... humans bathed in it. Basking in their every action, claiming themselves to be better than others even among their own kin. Humans might be even fuller of pride than they are of discord. Zaken lowered his head as Torth said out loud what he had already figured out for himself. He was not fit just yet, so he would not join this magnificent being into the mortal realm.
"Nonsense, all of you. It is I who should accompany Hubris into the human world. I take pride in my faith and my destiny as High Priestess of the Moon. As Torth pointed out, Pride is mystery, and there is nothing as mysterious as the night."
 
Contrary to reputation, Raijah's logic and Braxton's response to it was not very negative. He knew Raijah's upbringing was different, nodding along as he had things explained to him. Both painful to his set mind but also a little fascinating, Braxton just kept quiet and corrected him on his mistakes. "Perhaps I'll print off pictures to go on your half of the shopping list," he suggested to the tribe-dwelling Knight. Hey, that honestly did not sound terrible. If he isn't going to learn the written language to its perfection, that would be a nice little method of working things. Braxton did pride himself on being fluent in English and a couple of other languages, so he could teach Raijah.... but something in his gut told him that would be both mind numbing and physically painful.

After collecting the proper items and returning the first items to their original places in the store, Braxton took Raijah up front and paid at the register. Their cart was jam packed with food. Feeding five people and the animals meant food was pretty costly. Heavy, too. Vincent should have come with him instead, he's good at lifting heavy things. Right as Braxton pushed the cart to the van, the others would make their way as well. He waved for Raijah to begin putting their groceries away in the back floor of the open van, taking it upon himself to stick the keys in the ignition and let the AC cool it down inside. Nothing would melt or spoil on his watch. Slipping the very long receipt into his pocket to write down later in the checkbook, he noted Vince and Mellany after they had finished their shopping as well in due time. "Now you see why I had you all come along to shop with me?" Seriously, this is a lot! Imagine only one guy doing it all!
---
Fluttering a small fan, Rogana burst into a fit of laughter. "Lusa, darling, if Pride is such a mystery then it is clearly I who shall accompany him. Have you failed to see that my specialty came up while you boasted yourself? After all, you still have much to learn, dear," she fitfully put the latest Disciple in her place as any being with seniority would.
"Please, wenches, measure your egos at a later time. We must focus on making the human world our slaves through the folly of their pwn pride!" Andero defended. Hubris rose his hand upward to silence the bickering group of Disciples. Such an honor to be so fondly appreciated!
"Allow me to sort out your dispute. I am after all, quite proud to be here and feel as thought it is my duty to dispatch punishment to the human race. Pride is passion like fire. But it is also a indeed a mystery...like the moons power. I would like Lusa and Torth to accompany me, guide me through the human realm and feed of the perfectly prideful creatures that inhabit it." Hubris spoke swiftly but as fierce as a thousand whispers. "I would ask you to say yes or no, but you can not. Come, Disciples, there is victory at hand!" he so proudly said to Dumanax with nerve! Then, Hubris escorted his chosen aids out of the castle and into the human world. Clever and manipulative, Andero would have been a better one to choose, surely?
Nevertheless, Hubris fled with fire and night at his side, as well as loyal Thralls, hungry for Pride and humanity's ultimate sin.
---
Getting their items sorted out and put into their vehicle, Braxton closed it up and promptly returned the cart to the store. Nagging his fellow Knights as they all worked as one to put everything away, reminding them to keep heavier things on the bottom and more delicate items on the tops of any piles or stacks. If anybody our the loafs of bread under a bag full of canned soup, they would not hear the end of it for a week. Nag nag nag, Braxton could be someones mother-in-law. "When we are home, we will all put away the things we had bought from the stores." Not even a request, more so a general statement of chore authority. In all ways but official, Braxton was responsible for managing chores. He didn't make the chores, but he could very well be a manager for them. He stowed away in the front seat, taking driver's side, waiting for everyone else to load up inside before driving away and onto the main road.
 
"Mummifying in two-ply toilet paper. Hmm. Could be worse ways to preserve dead flesh," Vince actually sounded like he was thinking about it! Nobody would go so far as to really mummy them up in TP... would they? Realistically getting all of these packs of toilet paper is out of the question, but if this is the mess that occurred getting them down they would need a plan B for putting them back on the shelf. He tapped his toes. Glancing over at her he did think about the most awkward position they were in a moment ago. Did she feel as awkward and mildly uncomfortable as he did? Usually he's all for a lady getting so close to him but having that woman be somebody he's supposed to be working with is a different story. Breakfast tomorrow morning will be interesting.
Still, they needed to get this all back on the shelf before getting swarmed by alarmed employees. As if anybody working in a general store is really that passionate about something people wipe their asses with. "Got it," Vince purposed, "I'll just toss these back up there. Not as organized but they wouldn't be all over the place. He picked one up and threw it back up where it belonged. Worked! Now all he had to do was toss the rest up like basketballs, save for the one they actually intended to buy. Just as he'd reached the last one, he showed off a bit by tossing it up using that special warrior strength. Luck is not on his side. He overshot it, launching the last pack of toilet paper over shelf and hitting someone over in the next aisle. Wouldn't hurt someone, so no law suits incoming. "Hey!" Sounded like a grumpy dude about their age. Face white but chuckling like a kid, Vince hurried with Mellany and got the hell out of there! Paying for their items and leaving before the dude was the wiser.

Walking to the van out in the parking lot with her, Vince tried not laughing hysterically at just how awkward their shopping experience was. "Yeah, this is a lot." Honestly, if Braxton did do this by himself it would have taken hours. So much shopping should be split like this. "We had fun, although I can't say the same for some dude in the aisle next to ours..." Vince handed over their receipt as well, letting the blue mage handle the checkbook because that's just how this was going to work apparently. Come to think of it... the next aisle over had baby stuff in it. Shit, good thing there wasn't a baby being bombarded with TP!
---
Such nerve, the gall! Urla should not be ignored like this! Nobody even acknowledged her beauty this time. Hurtful Disciples, what do they know of beauty? It is in the eyes of the beholder, truly. Charlatans like this all must be blind!
Torth had not anticipated such radical behavior. "You can not do this. It is our Supreme Disciple who chooses who to assist the works of our power. Not you, a vial spawn of the Disciples Honor! You shall be punished for this, you shall burn!" Torth lifted a fireball in his hand, prepared to deal with this insult upon their masters honor! Dumanax dulled the flame with a swift motion of his finger. Gulp, the power in such a silent being is terrifying.
Hubris even dared jest over his lack of a voice. Ever so kindly, he nodded for the two Disciples Hubris wanted to go with him. Such pride is to be rewarded. Only because his master said...or implied to, rather, Torth accepted and left with Hubris. Damned creature better watch his tongue. Nobody dares insult Dumanax in this fashion! Not even one of their own forsaken creations!
---
Vince put away his and Mellany's half of the shopping list away in the van, letting her go inside the vehicle and cool off if she wanted to. Really, he could handle it himself. It wasn't a lot, not for him anyway. Constant prodding by Sparky over there did annoy him. "Like I would actually put something heavy on top of delicate things?" Did he think so little of everyone else? Shutting the van door, Vince put the cart in one of those parking lot rack things before climbing in. "Jeesh, I thought my mother was at home with dad, not a mage with a big ego," he whispered softly so only the others could hear. Made him feel like a kid saying something he shouldn't around the grown ups. Wait, isn't he older than Braxton by a couple of years?
 
See? Raijah wasn't an idiot. he had tried, and maybe he failed but at least his logic made sense in a way. Raijah had been taught bits and pieces of the city-dwellers' culture back home, all in order to prepare him for that day he would eventually go there and fight for King Ascelin. But everything they had taught him could never have fully prepared him. Especially not when the two mages showed up early! If they had been later, perhaps the Chief and the Augur would've had the time to teach him the basics of reading. Now he was just trying to catch up. Raijah started to recognize some of the scribbles by now, but it was still fairly complicated. He nodded as Braxton suggested to print off pictures the next time. "That maybe help," he said. Then he'd just have to see if the pictures matched with the product. Add the scribbles and he'll learn two things at the same time!

As the cart was back at the van, Raijah started packing the heavy things. He's a pretty strong guy. Might not win from Vince when they'd arm wrestle for whatever reason, but he was definitely one of the strongest people here. No surprise, seeing as how the others were a scrawny mage and two girls. Not to say girls were weak... but city girls aren't known to be physically strong.
----
"Well, you never know. If Braxton doesn't kill us, he might at least zap us. Or turn us into toads and call it an improvement," Mellany shrugged. Honestly she wasn't too worried. Braxton would nag at them for at least a week, but he probably wouldn't harm them. Probably. Their respective ancestors held... different views when it came to magic. In her case the view was that magic was to serve men, but never rule over them. But that's ancient views. After all, hadn't Mellany just used magic for her own benefit? Although that had been to help out.... hmm... Pondering aside, she watched Vince toss the packs of toilet paper back up onto the shelf. She rolled her eyes as Vince showed off. TP isn't heavy, and tossing them like that was just silly. Granted, it was the best way to get it back up there. The eye-roll turned into a chuckle of her own as Vince massively overshot and apparently hit someone in the aisle behind it. Time to urn off before they'd get caught! Although with any luck she might just use a little bit of charm... you know, looking like an innocent little girl, not abusing magic. Not at all! See, she hated to be called a little girl, she hated the fact that she was indeed a tad on the small side... but sometimes it would come in handy. And then she'd make handy use of it!

"Yeah, getting groceries for six people and a bunch of animals is a lot," Mellany nodded. The five knights, peter, an always hungry wolf, a bear that ate as if winter was almost upon them all year around... at least Wildcat, Deer, and Stallion didn't eat that much. Warthog didn't eat much either. Not yet anyway. After all, aren't pigs known for their appetite too? She chuckled again. Yeah, that guy didn't have as much.... fun as they did. Falling over and getting in a TP avalance. Such fun! At least the guy in the other aisle only got one pack of TP thrown at his head on accident.
---
Lusa turned around to Rogana, blowing her a raspberry. Take that! The power of the moon is more mysterious than the Disciple of Mystery. Hah! But now dare Hubris speak like that to their Master? Pride and arrogance go hand in hand, it seems. Such insolence ought to be punished with the worst of the Hexes Lusa had at hand! Even Zaken reached for his blade, ready to deal out some punishment. He was the oldest Disciple, and even he would never dare to speak like that to Dumanax. Yet watching their master snuff out Torths fire as if he were a mere candle made him step back. Their Master approved, despite of the insolence. Zaken glared darkly at Hubris. Lusa humbly bowed and left with Hubris and Torth. Time to punish humanity!
---
Mellany wouldn't let Vince handle packing the groceries alone. Or rather... she wouldn't be alone in the van with Snarky McSparkpants. She remained outside, helping the other guys getting all the groceries in the van. "Weeeeeeell...." she said as Vince mentioned not putting something heavy on top of something delicate. Giving a quick nod back to the store. Granted, it was an accident... and that phrasing made things very awkward... but let's be completely fair and obvious here. He is significantly larger and heavier than the small mage.
"Your mom a mage?" Raijah asked, eyes wide in surprise. Yes, he knew Knights inherited their status from their mother.... but if Vince's mom was a mage, then how was he a warrior? Raijah scratched the back of his head in utter confusion. Mellany just burst into laughter, both at Raijah's confusion and Vince's statement.
 
Incident with toilet paper? Now why is he not the least surprised? Safe to say Braxton's equally as surprised that Raijah misunderstood Vince's comment. So what, it is not Braxton's fault he is the more responsible and mature of the group. If that makes him a parental unit then so be it. Everyone should be so lucky to have intelligent and sustaining parents. His own had raised him from the time he was only a young boy to be mature and level in the head. Not so brash and silly as a warrior flinging tissue paper onto a poor man or another mage snickering about it. They should have at least apologized to the man for it. Incompetence reigns supreme once again. Lots in life never get picked by the people they're given to. Braxton certainly didn't pick this. His time in school was missed.
After they'd gotten everything together, it was high time they return home to put everything away. Braxton drove the van himself once everybody filed inside. Carefully, he pulled out of the parking lot going en route to the farm where they would put everything away and resume their day. If anybody had to make a stop along the way, they should either speak up now or just get over themselves and go out themselves at a later time. No way they had to stop any time soon.
---
Hubris gallantly escorted Torth, Lusa and their Thralls through Westfield's streets. A large fountain by an office building splashed with water and flooded with coins. Wishing wells weren't so common anymore, but fountains with fancy detail and a lot of public admiration did the job. So proudly did people toss their change into water and expect a wish of fortune to come true. Whether it be wishful thinking or legitimate wonder, it is a fools notion.
Sight of the demons sparked a panic among civilians, fleeing for their lives as Hubris strolled through them. He whisked a ball of electric energy toward a number of people, sparks flying up and knocking them down. "Scurry along. I seek the Divine Knights, worthy opponents for my power, Run, worms!" Hubris proudly blasted again, this time the ball hitting near the road and catching the attention of a certain van with certain people in it.

The blaster caused Braxton's vision to be obscured, forcing him to stop the vehicle and pull over, jerking the wheel to not lose control. "What the blazes?" he asked and looked out. Figures trouble was a foot. New demon, Thralls, along with the night and fire Disciples. "Shadoji never learn. Let us take care of this and be done with it," he instructed everybody. All he worried about really was frozen food maybe going bad if this took to long. Should he cast a spell to keep everything good? He could leave the engine running, not like anyone's going to be here to steal it if they all flee the area. The mage shook his head and ran ahead of his peers, ordering a halt of this menace to society.
"Demon! Why am I not surprised?" Braxton called out.
Hubris stopped and turned on his heel, allowing the downed people to escape. "Ah! You must be the Divine Fools I've been told of. I am Pride incarnate, Hubris! Challenge me if you dare. I am too powerful for you," Hubris egged them on. Some game he was playing with them. Playing on their pride? Well that's fitting, given his theme. Braxton rolled his eyes and folded his arms so impatiently. Why do they never learn?
"I'm a pragmatic man, Hubris. Your comrades should tell you we've beaten you all before and it will not be any trouble once more," he beckoned out. Hubris stoked his chin.
"Oh, now I sense real pride from you. Come, Shadoji, attack!" Hubris sent the Thralls forward. Unmorphed, Braxton ducked under ones weapon and swept his arm around, kicking another to the side and pushing the first attacker back. He seemed intent on going after the new demon, but Thralls would manage for now. Disciples such as these two would liekly cower back. If they didn't want to be met with previous fates.
 
"My mom isn't literally a mage, Raijah," Vince laughed and gave the forest-born rogue a hearty but friendly shove. Working on English is his priority, that or some of the others should carefully explain what metaphors and the like are. All of the laughing really did shadow the redness of his cheeks to the implied heavy on light things Mellany low key addressed. Movies showed awkward moments like that all of the time and then they wouldn't be talked about afterwards. Granted that is left to romantic comedies and even though Vince likes her, he isn't trying to initiate a romantic thing here. God, imagine what others must see? Cue running gags about this sort of thing. Would make a cool short film, though. That and being on the receiving end of the toilet paper incident, so mortally wounded you become a super villain. Vince chuckled and shared the following thought while piling in the van with the others as Braxton drove them. After getting the basis sorted, he jokingly said to her, "the guy is just so taken back that he becomes TP Man, a super powerful criminal with the ability to piss people off and annoy the shit out of them...wow that was more disgusting out loud than in my head," he so maturely shared. But, laughter is common ground for friendship right? Toilet humor is globally funny. Hey... TOILET HUMOR! HA! Now that's funny.
---
Several times this is how they had entered the city. Wandering and attacking. Never did they just get to their plan or attempt attacking the Knights' home base once again. Instead they draw a big storm out and all sorts of attention. Erratic like fire, one may think Torth is behind that way of thinking. Quite the contrary is that he prefers steady plans. The hottest flames are the ones that burn the slowest. "I do hope they show themselves. If you intend on dueling the Knights soon we should give them more incentive to come." Torth set many spaces aflame in Westfield, burning the immediate area to ward off the civilians and burn any who got too close for comfort. Let the heroes come while their city burns!

Jerking in his seat, Vince grunted as Braxton wildly stopped the van. If not for the big boom outside, he would have yelled at the mage. Driving like that is only excusable when there's an attack on the van or someone had really bad Mexican food and needs a gas station pronto. What is it with the insane amount of toilet related jokes today? New monster, old faces, bunch of the generic things running around scared people. Should Vince text his sister that there is an attack or... Well she is in school at the moment. Alright, if things get really heated he'll call her. Rogues should have an easy time sneaking out or making an excuse. But that does not mean he supports skipping school! Even if he did it a couple of times! Nyah!
Running out of the van with everybody Vince stopped, nearly running on top of a downed civilian before gently pushing them to run away. Catching up with Braxton he slowed his breathing. "Man, since when do magical types go on the front lines so fast?" Skinny mage is fast! Whoa, that sounded like a Raijah line!

"Tch! Wretched humans. This is a fine and genuine Shadoji creation. We will have no word of your insignificant opinions on the matter. Like we did your ancestors many times over, we will slay you here and now," Torth prided himself a bit. Must be in the air with Hubris standing there. Popping knuckles and his neck, Vince ran into the foot soldiers. Should weapons and armor (if you call what they have armor) be used here? After all they are really outnumbered and are missing one person! While Chloe's snacking at lunch with her friends the others are fighting with bare hands!
Still, Vince rammed his arm against the Thrall grain, knocking a bunch down on top of each other. Elbow to the face and leg in the air he swiped more of them down all while Torth began firing small flames to burn them alive.
 
Raijah tilted his head slightly. If his mom wasn't a mage, then why did he...? Oh, this was one of those "medapoor" things, wasn't it? Mellany had already repeatedly tried explaining it to him. Raijah wasn't completely oblivious to those! Same went for sayings. Just... well, in the Tribe they had a whole different set of sayings and expressions. The things he was hearing here were nothing he had ever heard of, so logically those confused him. Mellany laughed too, patting Raijah's arm. Poor guy had a lot to learn. And... was Vince blushing?! Gods... Now things were awkward. Mellany had just meant to tease the warrior as she'd tease anyone here. And then Vince hit everyone in the van with his ultimate toilet jokes. Mellany scoffed lightly and shook her head, but her face showed a grin. Toilet humor was a little boys thing, really, but this was so out-of-this-world silly that she couldn't help but grin. Raijah, on the other hand, just looked horrified. Taking things literally in this case probably led to some strange visuals in his mind of people soiling themselves in the presence of a giant Toilet Paper roll with a face on it. And peeing on people to show dominance! That's what wild animals did. Not humans... but maybe monsters and demons did do that? Cue his thoughts trailing further and further off.
---
Lusa still most definitely didn't like the sun. As stated many times, it burned her skin. That, and the sun was the polar opposite of the Moon, her one and only God. She remained in the shadows, mostly. Testing out some new and older hexes on the humans that crossed her path. Slow and painful, just as she liked it. Shadowy tendrils keeping the people in place, hexes that caused excruciating pain. Let the screams draw out the Knights and lure them to their location. "Surely they will show themselves soon enough," Lusa said. "Those pathetic Knights cannot withstand the sounds of terrified and tortured mortals." Truly, make some mortals scream in pain and fear and soon enough the Knights will show up. A weakness that just begged to be exploited.

"What in the world do you--...!" Mellany started as Braxton so abruptly slammed the brakes. It took her a split second to realize just what had caused him to do that. Big boom, lots of fire, and screaminf coming from outside. That could really only mean one thing here in Westfield: Shadoji. New demon, old Generals. Chaos all around. Must be Tuesday. In all seriousness, Demons showing up was a more than legit reason to drive like this. She eyed Raijah beside her. Poor rogue looked a little pale and as if his breakfast was about to make a 180.
"Raijah did not like that," he said before glancing at the window. "Raijah don't like that too." Demons were bad. Look at all those people being hurt and afraid! Someone had to do something. Now, if only there were colorful heroes that just so happened to be in the area. People with Knightly morals and who saw it as their Divine duty to do something. The rogue and the mage piled out of the van and rushed towards the scene, catching up to Vince and Braxton who somehow decided that it was a good idea to charge in first. Squishy mage should stay at the back! Now that was a Raijah line. Or rather a thought. But Raijah did agree with the omniscient thoughts that the skinny mage was fast.

"Hah!" Mellany laughed in Torth's face... from a distance. "If you had truly slain our ancestors, none of us would be standing here now, would we?" she retorted. Really... she had a point there. The lineage of these knights traced directly back to the first knights. So their ancestors couldn't have been slain... Or maybe after they had kids... but that didn't count. Torth's prideful bragging came right back around to bite him in the.... Suddenly Mellany's thoughts were silenced as it felt like many sharp daggers were planted in her gut. She yelped in pain, gasping for air. Lusa chuckled from the shadows.
"Know your place, mortal," she said. Oh, she very much enjoyed this hex and the pain on the face of the female mage. Lusa signaled for the Thralls to attack now that the mage was still stunned.
"Mellany!" Raijah leaped in. She was hurt. The Shadoji was hurting her without visibly attacking! Now that was scary. The Thralls weren't so scary though. Raijah kicked back the Thralls coming too close, defending his friend now that she couldn't do it herself. Hopefully the spell would wear off soon.
 
Furrowing his brow and pinching the bridge of his nose, Braxton ached at how Mellany's own words got her into trouble with a hex on her. If she had learned a proper barrier spell she could have not only prevented Lusa from even casting on her but she could just easily protect herself while clenched over. Incompetence! Now instead of tackling the demon situation... "Figures, I have to keep you up. Instead of running your mouth, please be careful," Braxton suavely parried a Thrall'His sharp tendril-s motion and drove it into the ground, cupping his hands together, spinning on his heel and releasing a delicate beam of light toward's Mellany, lifting Lusa's hex from her, a glyph trapping Thralls who dared to pray upon an incapacitated Knight so that they would be rendered immobile. Sighing and shaking his head, Braxton pointed to Lusa. "Your hexes are as strong as a infant lifting a war hammer, you harlot." Dang, Braxton's got a little bit of sass. Dear, this is from all the simpleton exposure...

Lightning from his palm, Braxton silenced Torth for a fraction of a second. "Slaying ancestors? Way to brag on something no relevant seeing as we're all alive and standing here today. I beloved you to be the intellectual of the Disciples?" Braxton prayed upon pride of Torth, demonstrating his own as well. He's on a roll. Marvelous! Catching a glimpse he noticed Raijah falling back to protect Mellany. Goodness, he should know that Braxton--while not eager to--is perfectly capable of curing her aliments in an instant. He is after all the quintessential mage.
Gazing from afar like a star-crossed lover, Hubris nodded in appreciation. He had sought a challenge and one had been delivered to him. His sharp tendril-styled body tingled in the sensation of Pride. Remarkably he'd been given a pure specimen in the blink of an eye. Four eyes, in the case of the near-sighted mage spewing Pride like a fountain. Rumbling and tumbling all around him and Hubris decided to calmly approach Braxton on the field of battle. Walking as if he were on his way to meet an old friend in town, strolling through crowd of other people to get to them. It was when Braxton had virtually sent Thralls flying into the big fountain with magic he noticed the demon of Pride coming near him.

Snapping at attention, everything he had ever learned rushed through his cerebral patterns. Perhaps it is time to shed some colorful light on the situation. Notably blue. Hubris took a big breath as if he were smelling freshly made pastries in a bakery. "You there, lad. Your aroma is so delightful. Dare I say you should take pride in it?" Hubris perversely implied Braxton was prideful. Scoff.
"Silence. All I take pride in is my ability to take you demons down without touching you," falling on deaf ears it almost sound like Braxton was only proud of his magic. Magic and nothing else. Dig deep enough and that might amount to something. Procuring his staff from thin air, Braxton pointed it toward the demon with disdain. "Begone!" Chains of lightning and blue light erupted from the tip onto Hubris, a display of the mages power truly to be admired! It must have looked so incredible and inspiring to his peers, despite personal opinion. Exerting all he cared to, Braxton lowered his weapon.

But instead of Hubris on the ground in pain, he stood perfectly still. What? Absurd! Braxton's magic, not perfect, hadn't been so well matched before! Visibly shook, Braxton inched forward with eyes wide, one even twitched a bit. "Ah. You gave me what I want. Your power is amateur at best yet you take such pride in it. Now, allow me to return the delicious favor," Hubris balled up a wad of his own electrical energy, whipping it out in a darting motion towards Braxton. Caught off guard, stunned beyond belief, Braxton threw up a barrier in front of him that would surely defend against it. He'll show that demon who's prideful! Nevertheless, to complete and utter shock, he took the full force of the ball of energy. His barrier shattered and himself unmorphed and vulnerable, Braxton cried out a most dark cry of pain, his staff flying off, his limp and stunned body rolling down a small flight of stairs nearby as he go overhead the others. Braxton now lay nearly unconscious. Hubris laughed and laughed, cackling maniacally. "Pitiful! I expected a challenge. I suppose you three will do!" Now his attention was on the others. Balling up more electricity, Hubris fired a second wad of it at Braxton's body wide enough to finish him off while he's down and possibly shock the others. After him, he'll kill the rest of the Knights no problem.
 
Insolent girl, how dare she question the Shadoji legacy with such dishonor. Generations upon generations have they slain the Knights as is their due. From the time their foolish ancestors started this war they had only responded as any life would. Survival. Lusa's hex was well placed on the cold mage girl. Someone had ought to burn her mouth down to match her height. Then it would never be an issue for anybody. Fire in hand, Torth prepared a fierce blow before being stopped by the male mage. Sparks from his body landed on the ground. "Who dares?" the Disciple of Fire shall not be ignored in such capacity!
Fist clenched and thrown down, he shook it at Braxton. "Such impudent behavior from a mediocre mage! My flames have turned your predecessors into ash, just as I will let befall you!" How dare he be spoken to in this regard. They'd better know their place, these filthy Knights. Their precious Ascelin is not even awoken from his slumber yet they dare challenge them?

Tribe-born Raijah had the right idea when Mellany had been hit. Quickly, Vince grabbed a hold on a Thrall and used it as a portable battering ram to get through others, driving a path through to his friend just as Braxton disabled the hex and paralyzed the Thralls. "Whoa..."
Way to take his breath away. Say what you will, Braxton's magic is impressive. He's trained his entire life, and it really does show. "You alright Mel?" Vince asked her following up on Braxton's snide remark about Madame Night's skill. "I thought you were the one to sass the bad guys?" First, don't ask why he thought of Madame Night. Second, valid point. Uptight mage is uptight, not witty. Is he the one who'd laughed over toilet humor a moment ago? Didn't think so!
A weapon coming in astray, Vince ducked his head and shoved it away from Mellany while she rested up, bashing Thralls back with his unmatched strength until he felt okay to leave her side. Taking one's weapon he sliced up as many Thralls as he could in a few seconds before Torth began flashing fire balls his way. Like he didn't have enough to worry about.

Noticing the light show aside from them all, Vince and Torth stopped what they were doing to watch as Braxton dealt with Hubris on his own. Torth chuckled. Such pride going against a pride demon? "I believed you the most intelligent of your ilk," Torth muttered in reference to what Braxton had said about him earlier. Surely this mage had to know not to combat a demon with its own power source? Adding jam to already-jammed bread does not lessen the jam amount already on the wheat product. Vince just stood in awe as smoke settled and Hubris remained unscathed. Trying again, Braxton's barrier had been ANNIHILATED and his body flung about like an old toy. He's a total prick but Vince didn't want to see him hurt! For all of the nagging, he's still one of them! "Braxton!" Vince yelled in terror seeing the mage point blank shot with enough power to take out ten men. Reacting the best way he knew how Vince insamorphed by slipping his medallion into the slot, running over with his massive greatsword to defend the downed Braxton. He shook his body slightly to see if he were still alive. "Braxton? Braxton?! Stay with us, come on..."
Cackles to match Hubris' own, Torth took the demon's side and began pelting the Knights' direction with fireballs. Vince put his weapon up at act as a shield, blocking the fire but it would be not match for Hubris blast. If a barrier from Braxton of all people can't withstand it, what can?

He defended Braxton's body vigilantly, not budging an inch, preparing to take a big blow from Hubris incoming blast. It scared the shit out of him to see Braxton so easily beat! "Hmm, now he reminds me of his ancestors after we were through with them!" Torth spoke in an ironically cold demeanor.
 
"Why you insolent..." Lusa stomped on the ground in frustration as Braxton both lifted the hex she had worked so hard on, and then dared to call her weak. She ought to place her most painful hex on him the next time. After a nice paralyzing glyph so he wouldn't lift the hex so easily. Hah, at the very least she'd put the other mage well in her place.

"Shut the fuck up," Mellany hissed under her breath. Did he have to be his snarky self right now? Geez, he couldn't even try to show some concern, could he now? Just brag brag brag about how much better he is than everyone else. Sure, she was grateful the painful hex was lifted, but he could have done it without snarking. At least Vince and Raijah stood by her side to protect her. She nodded at the two guys fighting off the Thralls trying to take advantage of her being temporarily immobilized. "I'm alright, I think," she said. "It hurts a lot, that hex, but it doesn't seem to do a lot of actual damage." Might just be worse though... an attack that hardly did any physical damage but caused nearly unbearable pain? She shuddered lightly. Figured that demons would come up with something like that. Since when was the shady lady the Disciple of Torture? Please tell her that one doesn't exist. Oh god, what if that's the new one to wake up this century? If Lusa was this bad already, how bad would a Disciple with that specific domain be?

Just this once... or by rare exception, Raijah didn't think what Mellany was saying was particularly bad. Braxton wasn't being very nice. Yes, he helped Mellany, but the way he acted was not nice at all. Raijah patted Mellany on her shoulder as she sat there and rested, summoning his daggers to keep protecting Mellany from the Thralls, fighting by Vince's side. They would defend their friend until she could get back to her feet and didn't look so awfully pale anymore. He and Mellany watched Braxton attempt to take Hubris down on his own. Mellany furrowed her brow. So much Pride and then facing off against a Pride demon? Wasn't he the one to scold everyone for being in so much Discord around a Discord demon? Yes yes, Peter had had a hand in there too... but Braxton as well! And now he's fueling a demon at such a rapid speed the demon might burst! So unless that's Braxton's plan.. he's being particularly stupid right now.

Lusa giddily laughed as Hubris sent the four-eyed mage flying, knocking him out in a single blast. Oh, such a lovely sight to behold. She stroked Hubris' arm in appreciation. "How foolish to think he could take you down. It would appear that pride was this mage's downfall." One Knight down, three more to go and then there was just that little girl left. She shouldn't pose too much of a problem with the other four out of the way. Lusa prepared a nice new hex, one to paralyze the remaining Knights and make sure they would be rendered defenseless against the more lethal attacks of her two companions.

Raijah rushed at Braxton too as he was send flying backwards and left Braxton knocked out on the ground. He followed Vince's example of insta-morphing and standing ready to defend Braxton from whatever might be coming their way. Torth's fireballs were blocked by Vince's shield for now, but at any moment there would be more magic incoming, or hordes of Thralls very keen on knocking them to the ground.

"Called it..." Mellany mumbled under her breath, forcing herself back to her feet. Torth was giving her friends a hard time over there.... and Hubris attempted to throw a ball of magic again too. One that would surely kill Brat-ston if it hit him. As much as she'd considered having him be demon food earlier... She knew they couldn't afford to lose him as a member of their team.
"Not on my watch..." she mumbled. She might not quite feel strong enough to instamorph like Vince and Raijah... but there was something else she could do.
Quickly she drew runes in the air, pulling up a magical barrier just before Hubris' magic would make impact. And.... her barrier held. It made Hubris' wad of electricity fizzle, as well as make Torth's incoming fireballs go out like simple candles in a gust of wind. She glared down the three demons on the other side of the barrier.
"Just head back to Hell already," she said to them, cold as the ice she'd usually conjure up to pelt them with. Shame she can't both keep a barrier up and pelt the demons with ice. She'd love to take out Torth's flame. Or get some revenge on Lusa... because as the saying goes: "Revenge is a dish best served cold".
 
Time froze, heaven burned and pigs flew. Under attack by massive energy and fire, the stronger of the two mages was already down and overcome by the strength against them. Huddled in what surely should have been death the Knights braced for impact. Until a single mage erected a barrier of her own--the very spell Braxton said she needed work on--and won. Fireballs simmered down and Hubris' magic faded out, residual blast waves striking back at him and the two Disciples. Such a sight made Braxton's barely conscious eyes widen in disbelief as the apprentice outdid the superior. Not saying she is his apprentice, just on levels of skill that's how he depicted them. "How.." Braxton uttered before falling into a sleep from the pain he was in. Cuts and bruises were all over him, his forehead looking like he'd come from an MMA fight.
Bewildered and impressed, Hubris limped back one step under Mellany's counter spell. Stroking his chin Hubris laughed as he inched closer towards the Knights.
"Impressive, White Mage. I detect a power in you. Not as prideful as your superior on the ground, yet a will all your own. It seems if I am to challenge any of you it will be someone other than him. For all of his pride he is certainly pathetic. Until we meet again," Hubris waved his hands and magically transported he and his fellow Shadoji away in a swift motion.

With demons gone, Braxton now needed to be taken home immediately. The hospital would ask too many questions and take too long. Magic is needed here, not medicine. The cut on his brow let a little red life material out onto his skin, Braxton about as conscious as the sun is cold.
---
Hours later, Braxton now resides on the couch down in the living room of the house after being tended to by the other Knights, whomever decided would help him as anyone else put away the stuff from the shopping center. Can't let the frozen stuff go bad. Without a shirt on you can see how badly he is in shape. Well, his build is perfectly fine. More that he's got so many bandages and bruises he has seen better days. Hubris must have exhausted him because he hasn't woken up. No spell or amount of alcohol on a cut would wake him.
Wolf is a true pup in that he had not left his side since they came home. Wincing and crying, Wolf balled up by the mages bedside. Or couch side as the case may be. "He'll be alright won't he? I need him to be alright. He's my mage. My mage has to be okay. I need my mage. Mage is mine! For the love of bacon someone tell me he'll be okay!" Wolf beckoned for the others to hear. Dramatic, are we? But understandable. The mage may have less of a personal attachment to the wolf than the wolf to the mage, but the Mount cared greatly for him.

Braxton had been out cold for a long while. Whatever was going on around him, with or without anyone noticing he was waking up after being left alone for so long. If anyone's talking or doing anything else nearby they may be too busy talking with Wolf as the sad pupper wanders around the downstairs of the house. An eye opening, the mage listened for anything going on around him, confused.
 
"Whoa, Mellany..." surprise and awe detected in Vince's speech. Braxton took a massive hit to the magic but she just repelled it like rubber bands on chain-mail. Squinting for impact under cover of his weapon, he rose his head past it and relaxed as things died down. Now that was epic! Patting her on the arm enthusiastically he half expected her to either lose it in a fit of joy or have a little pride and end up like Braxton down on the ground over here. How was it she deflected the spell and not him? Nothing against her, she's a fine mage who has proven herself just Vince saw her and Braxton's dynamic as something different. But with that said, he's proud of her! He really is!

"This is not over, Knights. I'll filet you still yet," Torth promised, marking his words in their minds as he carried away along side of Hubris. A hefty deed it must be to withstand the combined might of Pride and Fire. Perhaps the short-fused short girl is more than she seems. Pity that the one in blue couldn't hold up to his own predetermined reputation. Pathetic. Trumping the Knights is such a pleasant way to send the afternoon.
Demorphing and once again praising Mellany, Vince noticed Braxton falling totally out of consciousness. Shaking him slightly, Vince took the mage in his arms. "We have to get him home," he said. Stating something they already knew but had to be clear on. Holding the injured magic-user close, he carried him back to the van where he would then drive them all home.
---
It was Vince who helped bandage Braxton up and get him on the couch. He didn't do much for healing, but bandaging and cleaning him up was good enough. Keep a damp rag on his head to keep him cool, all that sort of thing. Maybe Tarzan and Elsa know a thing or two about natural healing or mythical kind. Great, since Braxton isn't awake to call them that, Vince is doing it now.
He'd let Chloe and Peter know over text what was going on so that when they came home they would be ready to help. So much time had passed that school was not out of session and they were stepping through the mirror downstairs now. Together they came up the stairs where Vince filled them in fully. Chloe set her bag down, going to pet Wolf on the head. Poor thing's so upset. Loyalty of a canine is incomparable to any person. "I think he'll be okay... Want a treat to cheer you up?" she attempted distracting with food.
Peter had to know what happened again. "So this Hubris of Pride attacked and Mellany's barrier is what stopped him from doing more harm?" he asked. Vince nodded. "Yeah, Mell was amazing. I don't know how you did it, but you really came through. And he said you needed work on barriers!" Vince complimented her.
 
Neither Lusa nor Raijah could believe their eyes as Mellany's barrier successfully kept the evil magic out. "Impossible!" Lusa stomped on the ground. The White Mage shouldn't be capable of such magical feats! Just moments ago she was crying out in pain under her hex and barely able to keep herself on her feet. And now she did this?! HOW?! Lusa should've taken care of that girl sooner. Or used a worse hex rendering her incapable of doing anything! Ah well... at least they still won today. The Blue Mage, the stronger one by far, was down. But today the little girl had proven to be obnoxious in more ways than one. Certainly not one to underestimate. She let herself be teleported away by Hubris. Today had been a good day, so far.

Raijah, on the other end of the surprised spectrum, was happy to see Mellany's barrier succeed. "You saved us!" he exclaimed, also happily patting Mellany's other arm. He was happy, he really was. After Mellany had repeatedly stated Braxton should be demon food, he might have been slightly worried that she would choose not to save the other mage. But she did. Hubris' electricity and Torth's flames had done nothing to them at all!

Mellany kept her barrier up, glaring at the demons on the other side. She knew she had power, and a pretty darn strong will of her own. But she also knew she had a lot to learn, still. No reason to act more superior than the other Knights. That's one of the points where she's very different than Braxton. She kept her barrier up, not saying another word until both Disciples and their demon friend had finally left. Mellany exhaled a slow, deep breath, calmly letting her barrier down. As she did so, Mellany could only describe her feelings as... odd. Strangely calm. A bit proud, of course, but not overly prideful nor even overjoyed. Perhaps she was even somewhat... surprised? Not even three hours ago Braxton was going on and on about how her barriers needed work and how she was inferior to him (the last thing perhaps not put into words, but the intention was obvious), and now... Now she had pulled up the barrier to save all of them from being obliterated by Hubris and company. She smiled to herself and to Vince and Raijah who happily patted her in gratitude for not getting fried. What she'd done here just now was purely acting on an instinct, pulling up the barrier to protect her friends and fellow knights. However the damage done to the barrier did take its mental toll. She rubbed her temples and hauled herself back into the van. She was going to need some meditation back at the farm. Especially since the magical healing would fall upon her too once they'd get back.
---
Once back home and after the things had been put away, Mellany rested up a bit. A strong barrier had exhausted her somewhat, and she knew she was going to need more magic very soon. Bandages are fine as they might be, but some magical healing to speed up the entire progress was always welcome. Just she didn't want to over exhaust herself and be rendered unable to help when the demons showed themselves again. As she was sure she had rested enough, Mellany wandered to the couch where Braxton was, still out cold. "Now who's keeping who standing?" she asked softly, without a trace of sarcasm or irony or scorn. But let's still face it. When he needed to cast the spell to save her from the hex, he felt the need to point out he was the one keeping them all save and alive. And now? Now the tables had turned.

Raijah knows about natural healing, alright. Not much, but about enough. Still... Braxton probably wouldn't appreciate being force fed some bitter root and funky herbs. No, he'd rather leave the healing to the magic and the bandages. "He be okay," Raijah reassured Wolf, stroking the Mounts fur and scratching him behind the ears. Any puppy would love that!
"I'm not even sure myself how I did it. Cause as you said, he felt the need to thoroughly stretch how my barriers aren't good enough and how I'm a pathetic excuse for a mage in general," Mellany sighed. "Now look where we are."
"You saved us," Raijah pointed out again.
 
He sniffed her hand. He heard her offer. No treat can cheer him up. Curling like a sad dog because he is one, Wolf curled up on the floor at Chloe's feet and whimpered. He's sad about his mage Knight being hurt. "I want extra bacon strips with dinner tonight..." He howled up at her, head bopping around like the husky dogs you see in internet videos being the derpiest of derps. Not even ear scratching from Raijah helped, any. Masters to a pet, or to a Mount here, are like deities to followers. Held in the same esteem more or less and deeply affecting them in times of hardship.
Group effort went into praising Mellany for her quick thinking and marvelous barrier spell. Did no body think to check on the mage who'd been battered and rolled down some stairs? Or is he really so mean sometimes to the extent that when he's hurt...they don't care?

"Yes, look where we are," Braxton called from the couch, rising up slowly, his entire body aching. He reached for his glasses on the coffee table but his arms hurt too badly to even stretch them a bit. Magical healing or not, the body needs time. Slowly he arose from the couch where he looked at the four knights, one guardian and depressed Wolf. Ears perking up at the sight of him, Wolf jumped up and ran over to lick Braxton up and down! Yay! But the mage had him called down. "Down, Wolf. I'm no fan of affection like this but it's the pain that bothers me more," he explained. Wolf winced but understood. He apologetically licked his hand. "Well done, indeed, Mellany..." Braxton said. But his eyes were blank. Tone blank to match. He had no expression on his face. Honestly, the sight was a bit scary when you're used to seeing Braxton always look smug or annoyed. "Your barrier saved us, whereas mine crumbled like wet tissue paper before Hubris' power."

Disbelief washed over him. Look carefully and you can see Braxton's hands shake. Like he's having a...panic attack of some degree. "In-coherency is what I should feel. Instead I feel nothing. I have... I have never messed up a spell. Never gotten one wrong, not since I was a boy." Braxton blankly told his fellow Knights this. Can that even be true? He hasn't messed up since he was little? But everybody makes mistakes. Not him, apparently. He isn't boasting. He's genuinely baffled, stunned, afraid. Afraid. Without emotion or reaction he stumbled over to the stairs, unaware of his surroundings and bumping into Mellany and Peter along the way.
"I will be upstairs for the duration of the evening. Please do not disturb me for I wish to be alone," he requested. Braxton quietly walked up the stairs without word. His body language was off. He didn't look or sound like himself. He'd always been the one where if someone has a question or magical need in and out of battle he is the go-to. Now the lesser-experienced one surpassed him and proved better. He's shocked. Cognitively it is as if Braxton has... shut down.

Wolf winced. "He isn't okay. I know it, he's really upset. He even left his seeing-thiny's down here!"
---
Hubris returned to the castle with his master awaiting him. "Dumanax, Supreme Disciple, the mage with unparalleled magic has proven ironic." Hubris sounded so glib. Proud. He played on pride and sought a challenge. Dear did he find one. And he won. Rogana twirled the umbrella with delight and Andero clapped his hands softly twice together as any amused noble demon would.
"So you put the Blue Ranger in his place have you? My, I would have thought that difficult. He's always been so prideful! Good work," Rogana appraised. Hubris laughed and paced around the main hall of the castle.
"Men are prideful as we demons are powerful. It is easy. Discord may have failed previously, but Pride is everlasting. Confidence easily morphs into it, my spiritual other-half so easily manipulated. When I shatter pride in others, the challenge becomes set. Next time we meet, I will have the Blue Ranger's head on a pike."
 
"No matter what was said, you pulled our ass out of the fire," Vince told her. Mellany did a good thing today and she shouldn't forget that. About time somebody showed the other mage who's boss and upstage him a bit. Even if he'd been upstaged while incapacitated so it may not count but screw the facts. "You saved us," Vince repeated Raijah. Lucky to get away from those demons, too. Next time they show up they've got a good barrier to keep Hubris from turning them into puddles of bright color! Peter took it all in stride. Mellany performed better than Braxton in a spell. Not impossible but the first time it's happened since he's known either of them. He knew she was a great mage, he knew it!
Poor Wolf. Chloe's offer didn't help. But somebody was getting extra everything tonight with dinner, poor thing. She scratched behind his other ear and gave Raijah a sad look. Animals being depressed is more depressing than children being depressed in a way.

Warthog sniffed around, prancing her tiny body through the living room. "Someone die or something?" she asked in her cuter voice. Braxton rising up startled her, causing her to squeal and run outside comically. Vince, Chloe and Peter all looked over as Braxton woke up and stood up. He's okay! Thank goodness.
"Braxton, glad to see you're up and awake," Peter said, stepping forward but stopping dead in his tracks. He didn't look good for being alive.

Admitting he was bested is odd. No snarky remarks or anything. Did Hubris flip his forever-annoyed state off or something? Just how hard did he get hit? Vince tilted his head and crossed his arms, Chloe and Peter feeling a sinking degree of unease. Did he just say he's never gotten a spell wrong? His hands are shaking, he looks pale... he doesn't look right? For as long as Peter's known him, Braxton has always been collected. Now he appears to fall apart in a way. "Braxton?" Chloe asked, watching him go up the stairs silently, leaving his glasses behind, too. She looked at the others. "Guys, he's not himself at all..." She said the obvious.
"You're telling me. Never got a spell wrong? That even possible?" Vince wondered.
---
Dumanax approved. He very much approved of this. Urla laughed and gently skipped around Hubris. Torth stroked his chin. "It was quire marvelous, indeed." Getting to see that bothersome pest put down like a rabid dog. Nothing satisfies the ol' ivories such as that. "Using the power of the pedestal is a brilliant tactic. Drawing out humanity's sins and using them against them. Now we have a target above all others. I smell roasted Mage for dinner!"
 
Mellany smiled at the others. Yes, although the circumstances were... odd and far from good, she had bested Braxton in a spell. The very spell he'd said she needed to work on because it didn't match up to his standards of "proper". And now... She just really couldn't feel good about it. Yes, she saved them all and that was much better than all of them having been turned into puddles... but... At what cost here? She glanced at Chloe and Raijah, petting the very sad wolf. Poor overgrown puppy definitely deserved something extra delicious tonight.

Raijah answered Chloe's sad look with one of his own. He really felt for the Mount. Honestly he really cared about all the living things around him, but the talking Mounts really had a special place in his heart. In a way they sometimes understood him even better than the other Knights. Wolf was loyal as can be, so seeing him so heartbroken over Braxton being injured was... well, it really just was damn sad. He continued scratching Wolf behind his ear, also thinking that the poor thing definitely deserved loads of extra bacon tonight.

Mellany nearly jumped as Braxton suddenly spoke up from the couch. Had he been awake this entire time? How much had he overheard? Enough, clearly. "Never thought I'd say it, but I'm glad to see you're up gain," she said to him. But.... it still wasn't right. He sounded scary. No tone of voice, no expression... just blank. Had he been hit on the head so hard that his emotions had been turned off or something? So he's never messed up before and now he's been bested... yes, she could imagine that was a bit of a shocker... no pun intended there. She jumped aside as Braxton bumped into her on the way to his room. "This is not good," she said.

Raijah looked from Braxton to the others and back, watching him walk off and having completely shut down. He shuddered lightly. Not having emotions was really bad. Having shut down to that point... definitely not a good sign. It would seem the demon had left more marks on him than just the physical ones from the battle. "This really not like him," Raijah agreed with everyone else coming to the conclusion something was horribly off with their Blue Mage. If he even left his glasses down here... Braxton would never forget those.
"I'll go bring his glasses after him. He can't see shit without them," Mellany said, walking over to the table and grabbing his glasses off it.
"But he said..." Raijah started.
"I know," Mellany interrupted. "But he needs those. And if he tries to attack... I'll just pull up a barrier." Whoa whoa whoa there!

Glasses in hand, she walked up the stairs and headed for Braxton's room. "Knock knock," she said. "You forgot something."
---
Lusa laughed giddily and stroked Hubris' arm. "Oh, today has been absolutely wonderful," she said. "You nearly obliterated the mage with the so-called unparalleled magic. He was no match for you at all." Now that the Knights were down their most powerful mage, they ought to be much easier to destroy. The other mage might have saved her friends today, but she was nowhere near as powerful as the other one, Lusa thought.
 
"That was uncalled for... " Wolf commented on Mellany's barrier comment as she walked up the stairs and into Braxton's room. His tongue hung from his jaw, tail wagging slow but swift, ears still perked for scratching and petting by rogues. Seeing his Knight so down and grey is saddening. It's the same as when Chloe found out her friends at school were just shallow butts. Or what could be imagined if something happened to Raijah and Bear, reactions unclear form either end of that hypothetical scenario. Warthog's appearance and then exit provoked him to bark and run after her in a Tom & Jerry styled chase sequence around the first floor of the house. "Sad mage, but I must catch the piggy!" Wolf was determined! Maybe too determined, however? Dear, someone should catch him before he breaks something. Or gets his bacon fix a little too raw.

Upstairs away from the chaos of a wolf chasing a hog indoors had a much deeper mood. Alone, legs crossed sitting on the floor facing the wall opposite the door, Braxton meditated. Meditation can't be done when he's faking it, though. The meditation pose is supposed to get him in the spirit to do so. He can not meditate when his entire point of living is shattered. Literally, his entire life is about being a Knight. Just how he was brought up to think under his parents' roof. Knocking at the door did not alarm him, but stress him.
"I asked to be alone," he muttered in response to Mellany's introduction. "But I supposed I should get used to things going the opposite way for me from now on." Referencing his barrier shattering like glass under a boulder. Even now he does not sound annoyed by her. Emotionless and dead are more accurate depictions of his tone of voice. Whatever is going on in his head is something beyond measure from normal. "Tell me... How did you do it? How did you barrier surpass mine?" No emotion, still. Just asking a simple question, still facing the wall. As if sitting in his floor in the very well-kept room will trigger something for him.
---
Fondling Lusa's cheek, Hubris delighted in the defeat of a mage.
"Oh how I can break him. Now that I've locked on to the Blue Ranger's sense of pride over his ability, I can crush it and lessen the threat the Knights bare against our Supreme Disciple. One by one will I lock on to the Divine Knights and seek their pride. Whatever it may be in, I will crush their dreams slowly and painfully. But tonight, dear Lusa as I'm sure you'll be happy about, I will lure out the Blue one again. This time he will not endure as he did before." Hubris scheme to use pride as the perfect catalyst for dueling and destroying the Knights is well executed. So far he's tackled the arguably most able of the five servants to the King. Well done.
"Better to make slaves of them. When cracked, their frail shells of humanity will make nice Thralls," Andero commented.
"Tsk. Is that all you care about, dear Andero? I dare to think your dementia is showing worse than Lusa's over that unintelligent rock in the night sky," Rogana came after her fellow disciples. Shots fired!
 
Snapping fingers in Z formation! Wolf is right, Mellany's barrier comment is just wrong. But snap, that's lit! You can tell when it's Chloe's thoughts being interpreted. Teenagers and their weird lingo. Poor Braxton is going through a mix of emotion she felt a short few days ago. Abandonment by friends is different from failure of a mastered spell, however changing a couple of things around should level the playing field a but in terms of having sympathy. Going up to him when he asked not to be disturbed did not seem wise. Vince thought so, too. Poking an angry tiger is bound to get somebody mauled. Tigers with electricity out of the fingertips? Mauled and cooked slightly at 350.
Meat cooking figuratively for a metaphor must make Wolf hungry. Warthog squealed and ran all through the house. Hungry dog, fat but healthy piglet... uh oh. "Quick, get the treats, hurry!" Chloe ran after Wolf, but then after treats. Every time the animals passed her she pulled in another direction. Now this is Chaos. Zaken don't know shit...
"Hold on., I got 'em!" Vince beckoned and jumped to tackle Wolf until he got a treat. Wasn't he just sad over Braxton? Why is he suddenly seeing Warthog as a stack of ribs? Vince timed his jump poorly as he instead face planted onto the couch where Braxton's body spray, deodorant or whatever still lingered. Jeez, the guy even smells stuck-up.

Peter, instead of participating in the cartoon palooza, tip-toed up the stairs after Mellany and listened carefully as he neared Braxton's room. He wouldn't want to intrude but he had to see what Mellany was doing. She must be the last person he wants to see right now. They don't get along as it is! Sliding along the wall, the boy's ears became like those on a bat, listening in and waiting for the chance to jump in. He is no rogue so this stealth operation may go haywire.
---
Dumanax's silent hums approved as his fingers clasped together. Yes, the misery over the blue Ranger's pride shall be his undoing. He is a thorn in their side and must be plucked immediately. Destroying the Divine Knights as a collective is preferable, however going down the list of competence is no fools errand. Urla's giggles and twirls showed her approval as well, basking in the evil as ell as he reflection in a stain glass window on the nearby wall.
"You intend to battle him again? A duel by lunar light. Exquisite," Urla praised and twirled once more, clapping her massive hands ans tumbling around. "That Blue Mage really is a problem. But what if the White one and the other three are there? They always show up as a group, they never separate!" she mentioned.

"Alas, Urla. The White Mage is no trouble. I already have a fire brewing within that will melt her pretty little snow cones she may throw at us. Silence to all the rest of you, do you not see our master is pleased? Why spoil it with your bitterness. Save energy for when we feast on mage blood," Torth stepped in like a grandfather/wise professor. Already he could see the sun going down in their location, meaning where Westfield is will soon face sunset. Then nighttime. A duel for the ages, this might be. "Worry not about the others," Torth continued. "they will be dealt with should they appear. Consider them... well done." Cooking joke? Upping the game a bit, Torth.
 
"Relax, Braxton. I'm just here to bring back your glasses. Can't have you stumbling blindly down the stairs and injure yourself." Mellany walked further into the room, placing the glasses on his desk and turning to look at him. She remained silent for a moment and sighed. "If only I knew... I'd have told you." Honestly, she had no idea how she had surpassed him, especially not on something he'd just said she needed to work on. In the months she had joined the Knights, she'd gotten used to Braxton surpassing her in everything, and she hated that fact. She was never quite good enough, and now suddenly, out of nowhere, she had surpassed him. "Perhaps..." she pondered out loud. "Perhaps it's like when we were fighting Discord. We couldn't work together, so he could defeat us. Hubris is a pride demon, and you.... well..." she shrugged. It didn't really need to be said that Braxton was sometimes a little bit of a stuck up ass. If Discord feeds off the chaos of people not working together, then maybe Pride...? And unlike Braxton, she didn't exactly bask in pride. Not to say she had no pride at all. Everyone had, but in some it was clearly more apparent than in others.

As Mellany went up the stairs, Raijah just stared. She might not have meant it as such, but damn what she said there just now was wrong, seeing the circumstances. Not very nice, too. But it was true. She could pull up a barrier to protect herself. Still... Raijah's inner debate on whether or not he should consider Mellany's comment as a bad thing was interrupted by a squealing Warthog and Wolf running after her. That's no good... Wolf was hungry, and Warthog was pretty much made of bacon, his favorite snack. Raijah rushed after the two Mounts. He had to catch Wolf.. or Piggy and save her from being eaten. The chaos was real, with Knights running everywhere and Mounts rushing past them.
---
Lusa glared at Rogana as she poked fun at her God, but it was soon forgotten in the delight that Hubris would duel the mage again at night. "Oh, most wonderful indeed," she said. "With the blessing of the Moon you're certain to win and crush the knights where they stand." Zaken silently nodded in approval. "So far this plan has been going great. May tonight be the night where the knights finally fall. With their strongest asset crushed like an insect, it should be no difficult task."
 
Howl. Drawn out howl. Bark. Wolf made these sounds among others while chasing the pig and avoiding the three Knights coming after him. Chasing like this isn't in his usual play style. Could the canine be using this silly moment to distract everybody from how shocked they were about Braxton not being himself? Likely not since he's still a dog and dogs really love meat. Hungry dogs love meat plus anything in the way, really. Putting it that way makes him more of a threat than demons if dinner is interrupted. The mention of treats did spark his interest but he persisted after Warthog. Leaping over Raijah in a single bound like a superhero from another world, Wolf wagged his tongue from his jaw and--!.... Wolf didn't make the landing. He wound up on top of Vince's gym bag full of his most recently used sweat clothes. Sniffing things is unfortunately when dogs do. "MISERY!" Wolf dramatically howled, thus ending the chase sequence. Panting rapidly, Wolf got up and shook off the stench like a wet dog post-pool party. Bouncing back from it already and forgetting about Warthog being so tempting, Wolf wagged his tail happily. "Let's go outside!" he encouraged everybody, this time deliberately getting them all to forget about Bratxon so he could be better on his own. Running out the door, in good view of Braxton's window, Wolf ran around eager to be played with. Maybe...play fetch with daggers? Arrows? Smaller shields used as a frisbee?

Inhaling peacefully and exhaling the same, air drifted through the passages and calmed him. Braxton faced an internal struggle from the likes of which he had never encountered before. The first time he encountered a physical demon was less troubling. Picking up on what his fellow magic user said he rose his brow and broke his meditation to a more relaxed position. "You're implying Hubris is feeding off of my pride in my magic?" And Bingo was his name-o. "Suggesting that I have so much pride that I could physically empower a demon takes a lot of nerve. Pride can not be manipulated to hurt the prideful. It's something to mend and turn someone against their brethren. I am not about to turn on you. But somehow Hubris harbors the ability to draw something from within me and..." his voice trailed off from a tangent into silence. Realization that he was defeated set in again. That his magic of all people's had been stomped on, kicked to the curb, outshone.
Shadoji monsters present themselves to have a general theme. Fueled by human emotion, drawing it out and using it however they please. Verbal signs that he's mentally unraveling from this--not even being dramatic--showed in his hands as they grew clammy, his eyes going in and out of focus at the ideal of him not being everything he was raised to be.
"You are supposed to be lower in ability. For all of the gripe I give you I come from an educational viewpoint to better your inept spellwork. Yet when Hubris attacked, my barrier crumbled like wet tissue. Yours fully basted back on him. Mistakes are not common to me. Magical nor practical," he said. Then it fell quiet again. He has something else to say but it isn't coming out. More burdens to bear, no doubt.

"I know you are there, Peter," Braxton called into the hallway to the very obvious presence of the hiding boy. He's known him long enough to sense him, simply put. "Come in," he invited the Guardian. He unveiled his inner thoughts through his eyes, still twitching as a blend of stress and poor vision. Facing them, the under-eye portion of his face appeared...wet. Red, too. Never having made a mistake did take a toll on him. His... pride. Strength may be Vince's main attribute, but Braxton's inner strength is truly unmatched. Or it was. "For the first time in my life there is something I do not understand. I'm unaware of how to process this. How does anybody handle such an unbearable feat?"
 
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