Fandom Power Rangers Divine Knights

[Lady Insanity]

An end had been put to Wolf's insane chase and all could catch their breath, get up from where they'd fallen or in Chloe's case she could put away treats she's just pulled from the pantry. Warthog panted for her breath and blew a raspberry at Wolf in a...friendly way? Victory is hers. By the way, ever hear a pig blow a raspberry at someone? It is too precious and fart-like. 'Precious' and 'fart' should not be in the same sentence, let alone the same paragraph.
Vince picked himself up and dusted off, cringing as Wolf planted himself among the contents of the gym bag. So that's where he left it. Scratching the back of his head and then scratching Wolfie, Vince apologetically chuckled. "Sorry, Wolf. I need to get better at not leaving my crap around." He couldn't help but laugh, however. Nice to think about Wolf and sweat rather than Braxton and sorrow.

Chloe panted as well, holding her breath in the pet pantry. Animal treats smell just weird. Sometimes they almost have an appetizing scent but most of the time it's just a mix of other animals and processed stuff that isn't in any relation to actual food or nutrients animals need. She was taken back at Wolf's burst of wanting outside. Wildcat walked in just as he walked out, pouncing up onto the counter and perching like a bird. "Dogs are so odd. I'm gonna just take a nap right here on the counter and nobody's gonna stop me," she said, curling up in a ball of fluff and demon-fighting claws. Chloe giggled and pet her on the head, shrugging her shoulders and following Wolf out. "It might be fun?" She asked the guys.
"Sure, why not? Clear our mind a bit while we think of a way to stop Pride. Can't do that on a stressed out mind. But let's use a real frisbee this time, last time I think Raijah nearly went through a tree tryign to catch a shield... sorry buddy," Vince mentioned a previous play time with animals. Dang it had to be awfully painful...thank God it wasn't him! Off to outside with a plastic Frisbee!

Peter shamefully peered around the doorway behind Mellany. His stealth wasn't very stealthy. Leave that to the rogues. Rubbing his arm, he waved slightly as he'd been discovered and invited into the bedroom. Sitting on the bed he took notice of the condition. Tension seemed high. Anguish and a lot of confusion from the one person who always had it together so far. Peter had been taken back at the sheer sight of Braxton's face as he turned around and revealed himself to them. He paused. "Braxton everybody makes mistakes. It's part of why you're human..." Peter reassured. Goodness his dad is better at this than he. If only he were here.

 

[marorda]

"Can it not?" Mellany asked. "You look pretty hurt." Was she being snappy? Yes. Did Braxton deserve that? Yes. She was honestly putting an effort in to be nice, and still the best he had to say was how she's supposed to be below him and that she's inept? She inhaled deeply and sharply through her nose, biting back some really nasty words. And to slap him for being such an ass even after finally being put in place, something that was long overdue. In general, she could hardly stand Braxton. But now that he was acting so pathetic over having made a simple mistake? She really couldn't stand that. Part of her just wanted to walk out and leave him to his misery. And yet... yet she stayed, maybe having given up in her effort of being nice since that only resulted in Braxton being snarky in an emotionless tone (which honestly was rather unsettling), but more because.. well, she had to. They were all on the same side here, and him being the other mage sort of gave them kinship? Maybe? She crossed her arms and gave a half smile to the Guardian. "Peter is right. There's nothing wrong with making a mistake. It only helps us learn and grow." It looked like he had been crying.

Raijah chuckled at Wolf ending in the bag of Vince's stinky clothes. Impressive how the warrior managed to lose that or forget where he put it... It smelled really bad! Going outside was nice. Play with the Mounts for a bit and distract their mind from a sad mage and a strong demon. He chuckled again as Vince mentioned the last time and scratched the back of his head. "Raijah not catch. Raijah crash," he said. Running face first into a tree trying to catch the shield was painful indeed. It had taken days for the bruises to heal and the last splinters being pulled out. Not the worst the tribe-born rogue had had, but unpleasant nonetheless. "Let's go play."

 

[PenBlade1326]

Failure is not an option, echoed through the hollow depths of the mages' normally full mind. His mother and father's voices echoing repeatedly.
"Magic is not a tool but a powerful force we barely understand. It is the fabric of our reality, it is the quintessential force in the universe that creates and destroys. It does not serve man, truly. It does not rule. Magic is a mystery few dare to unravel farther than those before them. My bloodline demands that I harness this energy and learn to wield the blade of arcane might to protect life. My first breath at birth was my oath, my promise. Hubris played on the foundation of my very core. Mistakes may be human but Knights do not conform to the limits of normal people. I am supposed to be strong, willed, mentally unbreakable. A demon has sunk its fangs into me and now feeds. Cancerous, demons are." Braxton monologued.
He arose to his feet and stood by the window, now watching Wolf play shield frisbee with the others. Without glasses on, still, the bruised and beaten down mage carefully looked for every small flaw or mistake in their movements. Wolf had been tossed the disk only to miss it by a long shot. Nevertheless he just picked it up and continued, no sweat off his back from it.

"Don't you see? My ancestors before me were powerful mages. It was them who the King could turn to for magical advisement in times of strife." Braxton continued with genuinely no disrespect meant towards Mellany's ancestors. "I have been bested for the first time in my life in matters of the arcane. Hubris beat me. Knowing demons, he will suck the energy from me and move on to another one of you until we and all of humanity are gone," trailing into more silence, Braxton's fist clenched and punched the frame of his window inside. It had gone without saying that currently Braxton is letting loose a lot of mental weight. From the time he was a boy he had carried the weight of the world on his shoulders because he knew it would be his duty. Not alone does he bear the burden. But until the other four are in his eyes fit for their King's arrival, Braxton sees himself as the sole protector of goodness. Panic attacks don't happen to him at all. But maybe he's having one now. He's ceased speech. Instead he just stares ate the others down playing with Wolf as he feels the weight of the world crumble around him, Hubris' dark magic eating at him from the inside. Pride consuming him to his downfall.

"Victor and the rest did not understand..." he whispered to himself. Another flash of memory hit him.
Library full of students, fancy attire and fine literature at their disposal. In the back of his mind Braxton continued meditation, honing in on mystical entities and his future as a Knight. Young enthusiasm from his Knighting ceremony to come still chilling his spine as a teenager. Meditating distantly did also distance him from his group of friends. They trying speaking, they try reaching, somebody finds a runic symbol on one of his notebooks, Braxton shuns himself aside for their safety before they find anything out. He's labelled an outcast behind his back. To his face they try to get through, Victor wonders why his friend is not the same person anymore...
Another punch to the window frame. "Leave." He uttered.

Wolf, oblivious to upstairs, wagged his tail and tongue while tossing the shield back toward Vince, flopping around as he did so. Not a care in the world at the moment! Sunset made the sky pretty, Wolf barked at every toss of the shield, wondering who it would go to next and when it would be his again! Slobbering might be an issue, but these guys have had demon guts on them...or have they? The costumes of armor get dirty! "Imagine how many firsbees I could catch if you let me become giant!" Zord Wolf playing fetch with three average height people....fuck. How's that for extra?

 

[Lady Insanity]

"I thought I made it clear we were using plastic...not a real shield..." Vince groaned as Wolf went ape shit over the flying disk in between tosses. Wolf had a hard time grasping onto simple instructions beyond fighting. Hey, he's a big play pup, where's the harm in that? Not like there's any children around that could be hurt as a result. Chloe counted as a child, but a teenager at age 16 is hardly anything to worry about. Some countries count that as the entry to adulthood. Vince, also unaware of being watched, caught the shield from Wolf, ran far along the edge of their play space with the shield. He wished it were plastic. Iron is like a low grade metal compared to everything else, though, so it would only hurt a fraction as bad? Vince's form was that of a football player carrying the ball across the field, getting too comfortable in his strength when Chloe swooped in around a tree and took it. Damn rogue! "Hey, that's cheating!" Vince laughed. This is just a game of catch, not a competition!
"I can't one-up you if I don't cheat big bro! Love youuuu!" Chloe replied, nearly tripping over a rock on the ground. She did half fall but she caught herself, just going along with it, not faltering over a mistake. Vince, though bested, continued playing along and ran after his sister now for payback. Chloe tossed the shield but not very well...oops. Vince caught it, no need for a witty joke as he focused on Raijah, hopefully not getting too near another tree. "Raijah! Go long!" Vince shouted and tossed the disk his way. The shield caught wind...God, please don't go up into a tree and tempt him... Wait, the Mounts' feeding stock is also nearby. God Raijah don't get caught in anything! Vince slipped after tossing it, landing right in a pile of mud. Gross. Chloe laughed, Vince didn't laugh. At first? The mud and catching stuff really gave them a nice distraction. One thing made them pause. "you are not allowed to grow big unless something giant starts stomping around," Chloe said to the canine.

Peter blinked. He took a step back. Actually since he's sitting down he metaphorically took a step back. Braxton's unshakable faith in their order and the legacy they're all apart of is admirable. Peter knew he had more training compared to the others based on his upbringing but not about his complex. Silently Peter debated on what to say. One slip up and it's like Braxton just lost all concepts of his honor. "I do not believe one demon hitting you one time is reason to see your training and everything you've worked for in vein." Earth will still be here after this. Braxton just...had a hard time with it. Peter is not judging him.
"Nothing has gone according to plan so far. King Ascelin isn't here. Neither is the Guardian, anymore. Not really. Hubris hasn't won yet. He's still out there, so are we. He can be defeated and the world can go on. It isn't all up to you. Mellany is here. Vine, Raijah, and Chloe are here." Peter reminded him.

Jumping back at the window frame being hit, Peter slowly stood up off of the bed. Victor? Who on God's earth is Victor? He got the feeling he shouldn't find out, though. Peter nodded slowly and respectfully, looking at Mellany to find common ground. Already they disrespected his wish to be alone. Maybe they had ought to go. Give him room.

 

[marorda]

Mellany crossed her arms and listened to Braxton's ongoing monologue. Geez, who thought he could be such a drama queen? Honestly she thought he just had to get over himself. People make mistakes. Just get up and move on. Learn from your mistakes and continue where you left off instead of that constant wallowing in self pity. She rolled her eyes at him behind his back. Not that he would be able to see it anyway: he still wasn't wearing his glasses.
"So you're just going to stay here wallowing and let Hubris suck the energy out of you? Right now you're just making it easy for him. Hubris won't succeed unless you let him.. Rest up, get back to your feet and beat the crap out of him like we've done to all the others so far. Hubris is no different than what we've dealt with so far." Bear with her here, she's trying to be motivational. Possibly sounding like a bitch, or at least a tad inconsiderate, but the gil's trying and she's had enough of this.

Aaand... now he's just completely lost it, hasn't he? Victor... Was Braxton so far gone that he's forgotten the name of the warrior down there? Last time Mellany checked, the dude's name was Vince. She glanced at Peter sitting on the bed. Poor kid seemed taken aback by seeing the other mage so unlike himself. One slip didn't mean the end of the world, but Braxton sure made it seem so. She could imagine how frighting that must be for Peter. She smiled as the boy tried encouraging Braxton too, but seeing how lost the mage seemed to be in his own mind just made her sigh and shake her head. Especially since Braxton just told them to leave. "Let's just go," she told him. "Seems like nothing's really going to get through to him anyway." Plus, outside the others were having fun. And they, too, could use some distraction.

No plastic, but actual shields being tossed around again. Brought back memories of twigs and leaves getting stuck in funny places. To most people, that would induce a shudder or two. But not to the wild, Tribe Born rogue called Raijah. He was born in the open... well... a healers hut, but still. He'd been climbing trees pretty much before he could even walk! He laughed as Chloe outsmarted her brother. She was learning how to be a rogue just fine. It made him a little proud. Raijah ran for the disc as Vince tossed it, focused, running. Cue the sound of something crashing, and Raijah looking very confused. The disc went through a window into the stock, and obviously knocked things over in there. "Raijah not crash!" he alerted his friends on the other end of the stock. No, Raijah stopped just in time. But where the shield went...? Raijah leaped up, trying to hoist himself through the window... and forgetting it's a few feet down without any planks. Cue another crash. "Raijah crash a little!" he now alerted the other two. But now... to find a shield between the mess of all the things that had fallen over...

 

[PenBlade1326]

Desultory thoughts inhabited Braxton's mind as it raced rapidly. He knew he was not alone. He would not let a demon feed off of him so easily. In ways not put into words he felt as if he were more alone than ever. The only comparable feeling had been that of losing a personal belonging after years of leaving it in the same place after use. Braxton lost his assurance after wielding it so surely for too long. He can't make them understand.
The bedroom door shut behind Mellany and Peter as they left. Magic. Relaxing his hand and uncurling the fist from the window frame, Braxton took into consideration what they told him. Sliding down the wall he hugged one knee and let the other leg extend outward. Unlike Wolf he is not able to bounce back and free himself so easily. Damn it, all... I can not afford to wallow like this. She was right... But if I fail again...
---
Braxton remained in a sole position for hours. The sun had gone down. Wolf played with the others a bit longer after they helped Raijah find the shield in the mess he was in. Wolf had licked the rogue to make up for having no real way to help due to the lack of thumbs. His snout is good at grabbing things but nobody wants a thing covered in slobber. Or in his giant form, a thing covered in lighting!
The moon shone brightly in the night sky to illuminate the entire farmhouse's exterior. Westfield had a lovely night view as well but it is far too clouded by street lights and signs. Out among the trees it is really something else. Secluded among stars and faint trails of cricket echoes. Nearly midnight and the Knights should be ready for bed at this time. Dinner had been served. The plate set for Braxton remained untouched. He'd been in his room for hours by himself. His food is cold. His favorite meal, too. Wolf knew food made people happy. So to see it untouched made him sad. Wolf barely enjoyed the slop he'd been fed. Slop to people but gourmet food to him and the other Mounts! Circling around the couch downstairs with everyone as they tucker out from today he sat against the arm of it and lowered his head with a puppy wince. "How do we make him come down?"
---
As promised to Lusa, Hubris waited for nightfall. Westfield harbor at night by the water made a perfect entry point into the city. Night workers startled met Hubris' lighting whip to stun them cold. Thralls might make that permanent. Reveling in the misery of humans Hubris collected their suffering for the master Disciple. Leeching himself to the mage today provided him an almost unending food source. Still he weeps for himself; pathetic.
"Ha ha ha! A perfect night for a duel if I say so myself. Lusa, Torth, prepare to witness a duel for the ages. Before sunrise we will have four Knights remaining with one less primary color in their ranking!" Hubris pridefully smitten with his plan.
---
Blue Ranger. Come to me. We duel for your life, your Pride as my weapon and your pathetic heart as your own. Hubris sent a mental message to Braxton from the harbor. But this is usually around where Peter would get his headache alert on demon attacks so he might intercept and hear it as well. Settled in the darkness of his room, Braxton's eyes slowly opened. His lids felt glued shut. He'd meditated for hours in a most uncomfortable position. Sighing and rising to his feet. He'd grabbed his glasses and morpher before heading down the stairs. Pausing st the foot of them he half expected his comrades to comment on his demeanor. "I'm going to Hubris."
Another flashback (next round) crossed him. Victor and the others from before. Mellany and Peter ringing in his head. Something lit the fuse of his mind. Just...

 

[Lady Insanity]

Vince cooked dinner for everybody after the sun went down. Chloe checked Raijah for concussions thoroughly. Jacob had enough where she knew what to look for. Only Raijah's face isn't punchable like Jacob's. Unless somebody an have multiple at once; that, she does not know. Taking cooking advice from a wolf questions sanity but nobody here is a psychiatrist. Calling Braxton's name didn't make him come down. Vince must be a bad cook if that smell didn't warm up the mages day. Tasted great! Cooking isn't really his forte but it's something he's been able to do for a while since he got into high protein based things that didn't taste like powder or butt. Healthy food doesn't have to be nasty. There really are a lot of great things out there, or at least great ways to spice things up. Chloe took the plate up to Braxton's room and knocked but that didn't work either. She brought it back down once she and everyone else finished eating. Wildcat and Warthog enjoyed slop with Wolf inside. Perks of being the only Mounts that fit indoors. Well technically all of them do but only these three fit in scale of house pets. They'd really ought to build a ramp or a window for the other Mounts to feel included.

"Wish I knew, Wolfie," Chloe told the Mount in distress. Sad puppy is sad. Tapping her lap she offered him cuddles in her fizzy PJ pants. It's so late that she'll head to bed soon enough. Vince emerged from the kitchen once more and joined his sister on the couch after grabbing a glass of water and a banana. He, too, dress in his comfy lounging clothes as it's near bedtime. "So weird not having Braxton walk around the house. I miss him judging every little thing we do," Chloe told the others. After Discord she got a really close feeling to everybody.
Peter sat in the recliner with books in hand reading up on Pride demons some more. Nasty monsters they are. "I've read this book maybe a thousand times and still don't know what to say..."
"Pete I keep telling you it's insane expecting different results on a re-read of the same book," Vince told him.
"Alright, true," Peter closed the book, "but I am not about to go talk to Braxton again. You didn't see him before. He's not himself..."
Vince sighed and compassionately patted him on the back. "You and Mellany did your best," he encouraged, offering the second half of his banana (he tore it, not bit it off) to anyone that wanted it. "Don't suppose bananas near midnight call for a speech do they?" Braxton loved his speeches...
---
Torth cast a ball of fire in the air to brighten the scenery. So dreary, the night time. Day time is far better since you can see whom it is you're tormenting. "You are awfully confident, Pride demon. I do you you are not wasting our time. I have fended against the blue mage before and he will not bow so easily to your whims," he reminded the creature. Evil, is the Disciple of Fire, but his hatred of the knights is nothing compared to that of hatred for know-it-alls.
---
Instantly Peter let out another pain-stricken cry and gripped his head before falling into the floor. Vince and Chloe jumped to his side, knowing what was wrong. Funny, he didn't get one of these pains at school today. "Hubris...he's in the city...the harbor... He wants Braxton alone..." Peter informed them all, eyes shut and seething in pain. Poor fella. The mage coming down the stairs surprised everybody. Peter groggily looked over while Chloe helped him up. Vince slowly peered around the couch into Braxton's direction. He's going?
"You aren't going by yourself, I hope you know that? Hubris is after you, he won't stop until you're dead..." Vince warned.
Satisfied Peter was alright, Chloe chimed in. "We're in this together. Right?"

 

[marorda]

Raijah didn't quite understand what Chloe was trying to do, but he just let her do it. Didn't seem like she was trying to trick him or harm him. Why would she? They're friends! She said something about helping him, but the tribe born rogue isn't quite sure how this is helping him in any way. Other than confusing him, which made that headache worse. Braxton still didn't come down. Not even for food! And that even somewhat surprised Mellany. Braxton was always all about being so proper in every single way... and now he was skipping dinner? The food was good. Clearly something high protein that athletes would eat on a regular basis. Although Mellany really got quite far in gymnastics, she never got so far as to be put on some special nutritious diet. Thankfully! Meant she could still snack and just be a kid/teenager without constantly having to worry and pay attention to every little detail. And to Raijah... the food was just food. Tasty!

"He's not going to come down soon, I think," Mellany sighed. "As Peter said... He's really not acting like himself. Seems like he just lost his entire sense of self, in some way. Mumbling about some "Victor" and just moping...." She pulled up her knees and wrapped her arms around them. She was comfy in her onesie, and like the others just about ready to retire for the night and get some well-deserved sleep. "That not sound good," Raijah said. Though... moping... isn't that what you do to the floor? What causes Braxton and Mellany to shout at him because he walked in with muddy feet? HE glanced at Vince as he offered the second half of his banana. Raijah is always hungry! Well... no, but he can pretty much always eat. And he likes fruit! He took the second half and chewed on it, petting Wolf with his free hand.
---
Lusa deeply breathed in the night air of the harbor. Such a lovely night. Pretty moonlight, screams of terrified humans, a whiff of suffering... Perfect. Such a shame Torth had to ruin it with his extra fiery ball of light. There was already a ball of fire up in the sky for many hours in a day. The night was for the moon, and it shouldn't be accompanied by fire. Unless it was the fire of burning homes and people. But that's a... different kind of fire. "Such a beautiful night indeed," Lusa agreed. "Perfect for suffering. But Torth is right. The Knights won't be so easily defeated."
---
Mellany and Raijah leaped off the couch as Peter started screaming in pain. Poor kid... They all knew what was wrong by now, but it didn't make it any les terrible to witness. "Well, we're nog going to give a demon what they want," Mellany huffed and crossed her arms. Raijah nodded in agreement. They turned around in surprise as Braxton (finally) made his way down the stairs. "You're not going alone," Mellany said in agreement with Vince.
"You not alone," Raijah said, agreeing with the rest as well.

 

[PenBlade1326]

"Have confidence. It is the hubris of men that leads to their downfall. The Knights are so proud of their lineage and their King? They will show. And I will cut them down," Hubris ignored the Disciples warnings of the knights and the blue one in particular. History has shown that more prideful creatures are at fault of their own undoing. The Shadoji pride is different for it feeds of off mankind. Their pride is power. Power over worthless mortals. Hubris had this mage wrapped around his finger and intended on every once of power draining from him by the witching hour. Venturing forth into the harbor, Hubris lashed out at night dwellers of Westfield in lightning chains.
---
Braxton's eyes blurred. Thinking back to a time before in school.
Arcane matters only to him and only to him. Colleagues in school see signs of this and feel their bond with him lessening. Growing like a weed, resentment formed between them and Braxton the more and more time he devoted to his secret studies apart from their own. To this point he'd made no mistake in his magic at the expense of being the one thing to crumble the natural order. Weight of his shoulders gets heavier in adolescence. Braxton messes up maintaining friendships with people. Mundane things such as this do not apply to him. They can't. He's almost an adult and needs to grow up, friends are usually distractions anyway. Victor knocks on Braxton's dorm door, the two speak. "Everyone is worried about you. You're secluding yourself more than you already do," he said.
"I am fine. I have pressing matters I need to attend to in my off time," Braxton retorted. Victor firmly gripped his shoulder thus forcing the mage to listen.
"You watch us all a lot when you see us passing by. Seeing Macy trip and keep walking, or Flynn admitting to doodling in science class and lowering his grade. Macy recovers and Flynn learns. You're distancing yourself like you need to for whatever it is you have to do. You're only human. I think everyone makes mistakes, and you're making one by not talking to us. Just please remember that, Brax..." Victor ended on Braxton's former nickname among friends. The mage tensed at the sound, fading to black in memory back to reality...

Braxton cleared his throat. Victor's old words rang like Mellany and Peter's. Mundane things he's messed up before. But he learned and got better. Magic is something he's not humble about because humility is a luxury he can not afford for the sake of all at stake. But he failed before. His barrier shattered. He succumbed to Pride. Instead of being angry or confused, the other Knights showed the same resilience his old friends had. They grew up raised with humility. He grew up with strict rules leaving little time for mundane feelings.
"Of course I am not going alone," he snapped his fingers, changing everybody's attire from PJs to street ware. "You all looked ridiculous. We're facing Hubris. And I am going to finish him. You wouldn't understand if I elaborated more, but..." he paused. Braxton almost sounded broken, still. "Just I need to be the one to end him. It is my duty, it is my debt to the five of you in this room. I have to stop him. I will not let him leech any longer. I'm ending him. And we are driving the demons back." Braxton clenched his fist and ended on that note, heading to the mirror downstairs. Sounds like Mellany and Peter had an impact! Wolf howled happily!
---
Appearing through the network of glasses connecting them with the world, Braxton and the Knights approached Hubris with Lusa and Torth galloping in the night sky among Thralls and fearful people. While he appeared confident once again, Braxton immediately trembled at the sight of Hubris. Like his magic would not be good enough again. He hated that feeling, for it was not a feeling he'd grown accustomed to. He hinted that Mellany should conjure a barrier, thus enabling the escape of the civilians being chased down by Thralls. "Shadoji! Stringent behavior you have, turning up when not wanted."
Hubris laughed. "Ah! I am impressed you had the courage to follow us out here. Showing up really doesn't shock me. But I see you turn to your lesser for barriers again, mage. Your magic is nothing to mine. You are nothing," Hubris taunted, Braxton visibly taking a hit but shaking it off. He glanced over at his four comrades and rose the medallion into the changer.
"Divine Change!" Braxton led a morph call. No witty comeback to the demon. Straight to business.

 

[Lady Insanity]

Deep inside, and that means deep inside, Braxton clung on to whatever feeling of discomfort it was drawing him back to Hubris. Elaborating further didn't seem like it had to be done since his eyes and general tone said more. Plus Peter gathered a lot earlier and passed it on to everyone. The page open in one of the books he had was actually on Pride demons and their power. All of it very very bad but something in his gut feeling reassured him it'd be alright. Braxton did seem to have another flashback, however. Geez how many of those can he have in one day?

From pajamas to normal wear, Vince and Chloe felt the magic tingle of fabric dawning from nowhere. Jeans especially were awkward. Vince had something riding up that was not at all comfortable. Better adjust that while nobody can see. Cognitive functions rang like alarm bells warning that Braxton's normal stoic or prick-self was being flagged down by this power Hubris had over him. Hey, he may be a jerk sometimes but Braxton is far from evil, and Vince would never want to see him be hurt. He doesn't want anyone hurt. Almost too comfortably he patted and gripped his shoulder like a bro, noticing the mage's body language and sensing a little bit of stress here. "You got it. Hubris is going down. We've got your back," Vince told him with a leading expression and nod.
"Totally!" Chloe cheered up, hand in the air like it would be for any cheer routine. She and Vince both followed him down, waving Peter goodbye as the Guardian made a B-line for some aspirin.
---
Through the looking glass is taken a little too far, here, but walking through magic glass never gets any less weird. Torth among Hubris and Lusa, who must be livid right now, fed on fear and dread of humans running from them all. Disciple of Fire means he is the one to see the world burn. Poetic meanings come later, as of now it just means he's so intelligent it burns and fire from his hands at any given moment. Like...now! Tossing flame at fearful humans! Should they not be tucked into their soft beds already? Looking at the Knights' entrance he let out the same laugh as Hubris. "Yes. Yes it is funny, mage, how you cower even now. Your predecessors would be ashamed! They had backbone, at least. They're all dead, but they still have stronger ones than you!"
Before changing, something had to be said. "Hey! Braxton is more than you will ever be. His family line is strong, and so is he!" Chloe yelled back at the demons from afar.
"That's right. Mess with one of us, you mess with all of us," Vince added on. Both he and his sister added their medallions to the changers and hit #1.
"Divine Change!"

 

[marorda]

Mellany and Raijah gave a small nod. Seemed like the mage they loved/hated/loved to hate was at least somewhat coming back to his senses and being himself. With a little bit of magic they were changed from wearing their comfy pajamas to streetwear. Raijah yelped slightly as his clothes... or well, just pants, really, appeared on him. Sometimes, magic still scared him a little bit. Especially when he didn't see it coming like now. Mellany just shuddered a little. From comfy pajama's to suddenly have different fabrics appearing on you is strange. A little itchy and just not as comfortable as when you'd not-magically put some clothes on. Either way, they were now dressed in day-to-day clothes and ready to follow Braxton and take down Hubris. As long as it was the mage who'd deal the finishing blow. But something still seemed off about him. As if a lot more things were bothering him than Braxton was letting on to. You didn't need to be a genius to see he was feeling stressed, maybe a little scared.
"We're in this together, from the first day to the last," Mellany added in. Raijah feverishly nodded in agreement, which really only made him dizzy and have a headache again. The rogue scratched the back of his head and grinned.
---
Through the Magic Mirror on the Wall they went, taking the magical network to get precisely where they needed to be. Mellany couldn't help but briefly wonder something she'd wondered before. How many Mirrors were they? What if they'd step out in the wrong place, either on purpose out of curiosity, or by accident? So many thoughts, and hardly a moment to think them before they'd arrive... in the harbor. Facing against Hubris, Torth, and a very angry Lusa that the beautiful night was being ruined by a ball of fire in the air. Seriously! Balls of fire only belonged in the air during that dreadful bright daytime. For now she just directed that silent fury at the humans, casting her most foul hexes on them and watch them suffer. She turned her gaze to the Knights as they arrived, laughing along with her fellow demon-kin. "So sad. The oh-so-strong and competent mage can't even cast a barrier properly and needs to turn to his inferiors to do so," Lusa taunted "It's a miracle you've lasted as long as you did. But that ends tonight."

Mellany snorted as she took personal offense to Lusa taunting Braxton. "I'll show you demons how an "incompetent" barrier looks like," she grumbled, summoning her barrier once again and allowing the civilians to escape the nightmare they had faced at last. She then turned to Hubris with half a grin. "Oh? You're not shocked, are you? Maybe not just yet. Braxton here will give you something to be shocked about!" Lightning pun!
"We look after each other. Not like you," Raijah said. "You're cowards." It was true, wasn't it? They always fled and left their own when things turned sour. The mage and the rogue then added their medallions to their changers, pressed the one and...
"Diving Change!"

 

[PenBlade1326]

"A Mage's Unparalleled Magic! Divine Blue!" Braxton burst out from the light draping across the five, power now surging through their veins, striking the silly pose.
"Knights with Unbelievable Courage! Power Rangers Divine Knights!" While he may normally call out the not-needed puns, it felt strange hearing the others speak. Incompetence is running rampant among them as usual. He's never failed to remind of them of what they do wrong and how they can whip into shape to be the quintessential Knights for their king when he awakens and comes to them. So valiantly and surely the others defended him while the demons sought to tear him down. He's never wanted to or had to rely on others before. Not since... He shook his head at the thought. Moonlight glinted off of his reflective visor to symbolism his eyes staring down Pride, Night and Fire. His Pride indeed had been insulted. But more than that. His ability, his purpose, his reason for existing and his entire lineage is being insulted. More than insulted. He will not take this lying down.
"Tch! Knights with unbelievable stupidity, more like. I'll use Blue's pride to destroy you all. He'll keep trying and trying because his pride is too heavy! I'll use that to kill him and the rest of you!" Hubris announced, whipping lightning in their direction. Sparks lit at the Rangers' feet. Braxton flinched for a moment but did not falter. "Thralls!" Hubris commanded the grunts. Mindless yet organized they ran for the Knights full speed, hording them by storm as Andero conditioned them to do.

Staff whirling out, the blue mage tapped his end on the ground, a glyph forming under Thralls' feet. The glyph glowed, catching their attention before teleporting the foot soldiers up into the air, then dumping them back on top of their three commanders from about 25 feet. Hubris and the Disciples might as well sing "It's Raining Thralls!" The Weather Girls' song not being under his copy written rights, of course. "Everyone," Braxton said post-display of magic, "please leave Hubris to me." With that one request, Braxton made a B line for Pride incarnate. Hubris laughed after dusting Thrall dust off of him. Now all of them lay on the ground, stirring like sleeping cattle. No matter. Hubris ran for the mage as well, The two colliding in the middle of the docks area.
Hubris pounced like a panther, his wide limbs nearly taking off the mages head. Braxton ducked, melee attacking with the staff in hand. Twisting on heels he faced Hubris, meeting a bolt of lightning at him for a change instead of dishing it out. Braxton now knows how bad it stings.
"Intolerable filth, you are. Even now you cling to your pride as if it will save you. You can not prove yourself to me or anyone, for the truth is known. You are weak. A liar, a snake, and a disappointment to all who know your name," Hubris taunted again, feeling Braxton's personal pride emanating out of his body. "The world is yours to protect. But you can not do it. Everyone will die because of you! You apprentice level mage!"

Braxton recouped from the blast and stood. Final straw. "An entire world rests on the shoulders of no one man. I am not alone... I have them," Braxton admitted. Pan to Vince, Chloe, Raijah and even Mellany. "We stand together or not at all. You will never know this feeling, demon. And you will no longer plague our world with your stain of a footprint," Braxton retorted. In a turnaround he cast a chain lightning to Hubris. The demon lashed out against it, meeting with good promise but ultimately feeling the weight of the mages magic. Sparks lit up and Hubris yelped. He fired at the mage again. Braxton this time dodged and went in for more. To the death!

 

[Lady Insanity]

"A Warrior's Unmatched Strength! Divine Red!"
"A Rogue's Undying Cunning! Divine Yellow!"
The siblings Vince and Chloe called respectively among their lineup, taking a follow position while Braxton led for a change. "Knights With Unbelievable Courage! Power Rangers Divine Knights!" Fanfare expected if there were a crowd to see them off. Adoring public and villagers were some of the few to cheer on Knights of the past. Less posing and role call with more emphasis on bettering skill and taking down the threats in front of them back then, though. Modern times mean a modern approach. Hell it's why Peter's dad invented the blaster pistols fr the team to use. Blades were traditional, but adding guns just upped their chances in a pinch. Arrows don't pierce all armor. Torth could scarcely believe it was these five that derived from worthier opponents. "All of this comradery and friendship makes me ill," he stated. The Thralls will shape these Knights out enough for him to go in and burn them all into...a...crisp? The Thralls just vanished under a glyph.

Vince and Chloe readied themselves for a fight with the Thralls, Vince rising the Divine Caliber and Chloe the blaster. "Eh?" Chloe asked and tilted her head, weapons down and put away. "Braxton, where did..." she started to ask as the cannon fodder fell down on top of Torth and the others. Torth gasped and shoved off those that landed on him. "Blasted sods, if you weren't so useful to me I'd have you all cooked!" Torth sniveled at the foot soldiers. Chloe smirked, Vince giving Braxton an approving shove. "Nice move, Braxton! Getting your swing back already!" he said, muscles flexing under the suit ready to tear apart the first demon coming his way. Leader he may be, but he is also the defacto brute. Nice to see the mage getting his shit together. Nicer to watch Torth and the others scramble under Thralls like kids in a ball pit. Balls made of heavy adult-sized fighters are heavier than those little hollow plastic things. Less colorful, too. And there's no giant talking rat, what's the deal here? Yikes! Zappy feet attack! Not cool!
"You got it. Do what you have to do," Vince said to Braxton's request after chilling out from the lighting. If he wanted this one, he can have it. Besides, there's two other freakshows to handle. He just prayed that Braxton wouldn't fair badly... seeing his barrier shatter today is stuck in Vince's head. Looked really painful.

Quickly, Vince tapped Raijah on the shoulder and began running over to Torth. "You and me, buddy," he said to him, red and black blurs making Torth uneasy as the villains dispersed. Oh how he'd get his hands on them and crush their skulls with scorching fury! Disciple of Fire fired at them vigorously. Vince weld his massive greatsword like a shield, blocking the incoming fire and instead locking into Torth's side. He pushed him back while running into a wall, heavily slashing at him and giving Raijah an entry point before he got flashed by fire point black and fell back. Gonna singe! "Die!" Torth shouted.
Chloe drew her bow in a long shot from Lusa, firing the single arrow at the fat Disciple. "Looks like it's just us girls, then," she said, noting she and Mellany where all that were left. Not teaming with Raijah felt weird, but she isn't against this. Again Chloe fired at the 'countess of shadows' with unmatched accuracy, landing a single one on the woman's torso. "I was aiming for that bee hive you call a hair due!" Is that hair? Hard to tell on monsters, everything all solid and almost costumey.

 

[marorda]

"A Rogue's Unending Dexterity! Divine Black!"
"A Mage's Unwavering Willpower! Divine White!"
Said the Raijah and Mellany respectively in the line-up. This time under Braxton's lead instead of Vince's.... or Chloe's like recently. . "Knights With Unbelievable Courage! Power Rangers Divine Knights!"
In old times, they wouldn't have morphed. Everyone would have known who the Knights defending the world were. But times have changed. Some things have improved, like no longer dying of preventable diseases. Other things have gotten worse. Extremism, corruption, the planet dying... Things have gotten more modern with the blasters as an addition. And being morphed granted these Knights some form of privacy. Raijah probably disliked this modern twist as much as Braxton. Not for the wanting to stick to traditions, but more because well... he's raised differently and plenty of things here still scare him. It probably scared him as much as it sarcastically scared Lusa to face off against these five. Compared to what they had fought in the past these Knights were just so... pathetic. Nowhere near their ancestors were at the "same" point in time. "I agree," she said. "All this sweetly emotional talking... it's nauseating." The Thralls would just make short work of the Rangers, and then they would be finished off by fire and painful hexes. Unless... where did the Thralls go all of a sudden?

Raijah held the caliber, ready to slash into some Thralls. Mellany did the same, but with her staff. And then the Thralls just vanished. "Wha....?" Raijah lowered the blade and looked around in slight panic. Did the Thralls just turn invisible? Did they teleport behind them to slash them in the back? Where'd they do?! Mellany just chuckled in approval, having spotted the Glyph. "Three, two, one... and theeere they are," Mellany chimed as the Thralls rained down upon Hubris and the two Disciples. "Good thinking," she said to Braxton.
Lusa pushed the ones that landed on top of her off. How dare they land on top of a lady? "Why you worthless...!" she cursed. "You're even more pathetic than those blasted Knights!"
"Understood," Mellany nodded as Braxton took after Hubris on his own. Still two Disciples to deal with, anyway! Raijah nodded. Both of them hoped that this encounter would fare better than the one of this afternoon. Seeing the barrier shatter and Braxton being flung around wasn't something they'd like to see again. Not even Mellany.

Raijah turned to Vince, grinning under his visor. Together they rushed at Torth. Funny that it was red and black. Those colors are commonly associated with fire, aren't they? Raijah ducked in order not to get fried by the fire, using Vince and his greatsword as cover. Once Torth was somewhere he couldn't escape too easily from, Raijah leaped into the air, summoning his daggers and slashing at Torth as he came down in deadly flashes of metal. The moment he landed he turned to Vince. "You okay?"
Mellany gripped and twirled her staff, pointing it towards Lusa. "Seems like it, yeah," she said. "Time to show what some girl power can do, no?" She created a glyph in the air in front of herself, slashing at it with her staff to summon a cone of sharp icicles flying towards the Disciple of Night.
Said Disciple yelped upon being hit in the torso by an arrow. "How rude!" she called. "I will make you pay for that! Both of you." While some icicles definitely hit their target, several definitely missed. And as the last burst came towards her... Lusa cast a hex to send the icicles flying straight back to where they came from. Only now they looked more like iron needles rather than ice. Yikes!

 

[PenBlade1326]

Raging against the mage, Hubris deeply laughed with a finessing whirl of his energy around Braxton's body. Tightening on him, the mage felt crushed by its power, air barely getting into his chest. Freezing in place Braxton sunk to his knees, dropping the staff into the ground. Gasping for air between pulsations of Hubris' energy around him he focused on his aura. Magic serving his whim, rewarding his studies and his faith. He channeled power from within only to have it cursed with every tightening grip Hubris had on him. Sparks began to hit, straining the mage of his endurance. "Face it, mage. You failed before just as you shall now. Nobody can save you now," Hubris played on his pride once again. Fists clenched and Braxton got up one foot at a time. Angrily, he shook his arms in place while concentrating on breaking free of this hold Hubris had. Both physically and mentally.
"I do not need saving..." Braxton muttered, a faint glow enveloping his body underneath. "I... I..." Braxton let out a painful shriek, fully determined to break free and not let this stain of a creature have any further hold on him. Hubris stepped back after a pause. He can't believe what he's seeing. Braxton slowly but surely conjured up a barrier from within the grasp of the magical reigns around him. "I am...a Knight!" Braxton yelled, breaking free with a barrier within on the final word. Now it was Hubris' magic shattering! Like glass the magic broke, residual blasts knocking him on his demonic ass.
Rolling to the side, Braxton took his staff from the ground and thrust it forward, telekinetic energy blasting and binding the demon down to the ground. He arose renewed, free of the bond between him and this demon's clutches.

"I-i-impossible!" Hubris snarled.
"No, what is impossible is for a demon to think it withhold my inner strength. Before I faltered. Now I am better. Better to finish vanquish you!" Braxton retaliated against Hubris by casting a thunderous roar from the sky down onto the demon. Hubris lit up in sparks and energy, too hot too handle! The mage knows who he is and what he is capable of. But... he knows he is not alone. "Everyone! Now!" He shouted for the others during their battles. They need only send him their energy, simultaneously attack Hubris from a distance. Forming more glyphs, this time four individual ones for the others to send attacks through, he positioned the four around Hubris so that the attacks would land just in tome for him to go as well. With his staff he ended this nightmare.
"Divine Swarm Attack!" he called, landing one final hit among the others, his staff casting energy into Hubris' core.

Hubris felt crushed under the might of five angled assaults. "Damn you all!" Hubris cursed, going up in an eruption of fire. Braxton let out a heavy breath, inhaling and exhaling to signal his exhaustion and the sheer amount of force behind it. But this isn't over yet...

 

[Lady Insanity]

"Good to go," Vince responded to Raijah, thumbs up and all. Is anybody okay really, after getting fire to the face? First degree burns aren't something you can just be okay after. They burn in the first degree! Hence...wow what thought train is this exactly? Picking up where they left off, Torth snarled and recouped after daggers into his flesh. Vince split the blade into longsword and shield and tapped on it to taunt Torth like a mad bull. Bulls hate red! But Torth is far from a bull. More like a hot-headed bulldog. Minus the dog bits, obviously. Only dog around here loves bacon and grows into a big blue form.
Giving the 'lets go get him' gesture, Vince ran in for Torth again. He's an evil mage, no chance against them. Vince swung the sword down, Torth spinning from its reach, a funnel of flame engulfing Vince's shield. Hot shield is hot. Dropping it due to not wanting his fingers to fry off, Vince huffed and shook his hand. Not cool.
"Foolish Rangers. You're toast, just like your Guardian's father," Torth said and expelled more flames their way. Fire hit Vince and Raijah, sparks shooting out but not knocking him down personally. He did not just go the 'dead dad of fried' route...
"You'll regret that one, hot wheels," he said, running by Torth and slashing red into his side. Vince kicked him forward from behind so Raijah can tear him up! The Disciple yelped on his comeuppance.

Chloe exaggerated a gasp when icicles turned back on Mellany as iron. She jumped out in front of her, taking half of the shots intended for her right in the back. Chloe yelped pitifully and fell onto the ground. She rested for a second, leaping off of the ground after a minute or two and using the bladed limbs of the bow's dagger pieces to cut down on Lusa's arm and loosen her grip on the weapon she carried. "Girls rule, demons drool," she said as she kicked off of her hard.
Her back stung like a bee sting after taking the hits but she wasn't going to quit. Not to somebody with a bad hair due.
"Right!" Chloe and Vince both yelled as Braxton asked for help. Glyphs at their side, Vince fired a shot from his Divine Shooter into his, Chloe a bursting arrow from the bow. "Divine Swarm Attack!" They called with Braxton's finisher to Hubris from afar. Boom! Boom goes the dynamite! Or the...demon!

 

[marorda]

"Good," Raijah said, glad that his friend was okay. Even after taking fire to the face. That's bad and it really hurts. Probably when they get back someone should cast a healing spell.... or someone should rub some good ol' tribal medicine against burns on the Warrior's face. People in the Tribes get burned at least once... per year. That's what you get when you have big fires all around all the time. Someone's bound to trip over... or forget that a kettle is hot. Again Raijah nodded, getting the hint of Vince's gesture. He ran towards Torth again, watching as he made the shield glowing like red-hot iron. Good thing Vince dropped the shield in time. Really not cool, demon. Not at all. Also not cool: Torth mentioning Alexander's death in this context. And being hit by fire. Raijah yelped and staggered back, staying on his feet, but being in pain. Now he also needed the burn medicine!
Raijah glared darkly at Torth, eagerly twirling his daggers as Vince kicked the Disciple his way, once again slashing into him. Many slashes in a rapid pace, feel the fury of an angered Tribal warrior! Well... Raijah's a rogue, technically, but you get the point. Hunter might be the word he's looking for there.

Mellany yelped at the needles hitting her. They came flying back so fast that she hadn't had the time to conjure a barrier. Ironically, since that's what saved them before. But what's worse than her not seeing this coming? Chloe taking a part of the blows for her. Mellany gently placed her hand on the girl's back as she rested, both in a sign of gratitude as well as to cast a quick healing spell on her. It would still hurt, likely, but it wouldn't be too bad. Mellany promised to herself she'd cast a proper healing spell on Chloe once this was over. After all, it's a bit her fault that the girl's gotten injured. Mellany cast one more spell to freeze Lusa in her place. That should, hopefully, keep the Disciple from doing more harm. At least for now.
She and Raijah nodded as Braxton called for their air. Raijah swung his daggers to build up some speed, tossing them into the Glyph with all his strength. Mellany cast a cone of snow and ice at hers.
"Divine Swarm Attack!"

 

[PenBlade1326]

Torth tumbled, Lusa frozen, Hubris blown away, the Knights claim victory on land. Assured the Disciples had been bested for the night, Braxton regrouped with everyone. "Pray to your moon all you want, Lusa. Both of you better return to Dumanax before he loses his precious Disciples." Br...Braxton didn't say that? Then who did? A disembodied voice from the abyss? A ghost? Third party out of nowhere? Or that gathering swirls of dark energy around where Hubris had been executed. Swirls gathered, reforming him into his second life as a giant-scaled beast. Bingo was his name-o. Hubris from beyond spoke to them, telling them to leave and flea to Dumanax' side before it's too late. Hubris roared and stomped, the harbor shaking under a thunder stomp. He'll destroy the entire city now!
"Everyone?" Braxton said, flipping open the morpher and hitting 2 to summon Wolf, then 3 to combine. Wolf appeared among the other Mounts. "Knew you could all do it!" Wolf howled as he appeared and ascended in size. He howled again on transferring into arm mode. All five combining, Braxton joined the other Knights inside the control center. "Warthog, you too," Braxton inserted the pink medal into his morpher to summon her. Oink!
Pink pig on the mecha, it is complete. "Rhythm Knight Megazord!" Braxton announced with the others in a single space. He stand sin the shared piece with Mellany, magic flowing between them. Immediately, Braxton silently led the attack, strumming the lute in their arms. Sonic waves struck Hubris, disrupting his charge on the city. Moonlight glinted again off of him.

Packing the lute behind, Braxton extended the Wolf arm forward. From the fist he cast a spell. "Thunder Punch," he said, lightning wrapping around the fist as it plunge into Hubris' head. Sparks flew, the demon stumbled back as their weapon returned. "Do you really think you can beat me? I am Pride, mankind bends to my whim! You got lucky this time, and only this time, mage!" Hubris shouted.
Braxton snickered. "Please, spare me the semantics. My Pride is in this generation. My generation. All we'll do is defeat your band once and for all," he replied. "Shall we everyone?" he asked around. Empowering the Zord with magic, Braxton tuned up for the end result of his 'pride' which before harmed him.
"Rhythm Knight! Victory Chord!" Strumming the lute once more, pink waves attached to Hubris in a freezing and loud melody. He paused, once more erupting in sparks. Hubris fell once again, cursing as he stayed down for the count. "Divine Knights, victory is ours," he repeated the words from before again. Cheese.

 

[Lady Insanity]

Torth stumbled into Lusa post-slice at the hands of the masculine Knights. Wretched humans, all they know is how to enrage the Shadoji. No mortals are allowed to cross them in such a manner. They must have their heads for this. But again, the Knights have driven them back into shame. "Even from his death, Hubris irritates me. Come, Lusa, our master awaits us. Do not fail again, Pride!" Torth swept them away in a spell. Will Lusa pray to the moon? Unrequited love is such a pitiful act.

Vince and Chloe engaged in Braxton's motion. 2, 3, massive animals dawning armor to combine into a humanoid shape. Warthog tagged along, as well, oinking a most melodic and beautiful oink. "Rhythm Knight Megazord!" repeated the siblings in their pieces, Vince alone and Chloe with Raijah. Braxton seemed to be on top of things for the most part. Having your pride played with and your entire purpose challenged must fuel a vendetta pretty freaking well. Automatically he went on the attack. Chloe gave Warthog over easily, now trying to help the legs move along and finish this creep once and for all. Vince helped with the fight as much as he could, but.. "Boy, he's motivated," he commented to the others as Braxton punched forward with a lot of lightning charged up! Had to hurt. Seems like Hubris' own boasting pride is being played. How ironic. Invigorating to hear Braxton admit he takes personal pride in them as a whole. Vince grinned, Chloe smiled under the visors. He likes them! He likes them, he liiiikes them. Nodding out of joy, Chloe and Vince staged the last hit.
"Rhythm Knight Victory Chord!" they called, that same rockin' tune that slew Gakono slaying Hubris. An explosion! Vince rose his arm in victory, Chloe cheering that cheer leader cheer. Now someone else has taken Vince's new line..again.

 

[marorda]

Lusa cursed upon being frozen to the ground. She yelped a little as Torth stumbled into her after taking quite some hits himself too. At least the two stood side by side now. She I hauled sharply as Hubris spoke up from the beyond, telling them to flee. She hadn't considered him annoying before, but now... never give her the feeling you're poking fun at her prayers to the moon. She would pray, but she would do so later. "We wouldn't want to be stepped on, indeed," she agreed as Torth swept them away to the Castle. Dumanax was not going to be pleased.

Following the lead of the rest, Raijah and Mellany pressed 2, then 3. Out came the bear and the deer, along with all the other giant animals that formed a giant robot big enough to crush a building as if it were made out of cardboard. Giant demon facing off against a giant robot. Just your standard Saturday morning... At night. "Rhythm Knight Megazord!" The two repeated in their pieces. Mellany from the one she shares with Braxton, Raijah from the piece with Chloe. Hubris was dealt with quickly, taking a fist full of lightning to the face. See? Mellany has said Braxton would give the demon something to be shocked about. Odd to hear him say he was proud of them all, in a way. Deep, very deep down inside the blue mage might just care about them all.
"Rhythm Knight Victory Chord!" Mellany and Raijah called. Cue another explosion, and Hubris going down forever. Raijah clapped in excitement, Mellany nodded in a approval, letting out a relieved cheer of her own. Once more, the day was saved.

 

[PenBlade1326]

Time to disengage and reflect. Following Hubris' demise and the exit of the Mounts from their helpful state as warrior beasts, the promenade called to Braxton for a chance to unwind in the night. Harbor might be a little messy, but magic or a clean up crew can take care of that in no time. Exhaustion ran him limp, leaning on the rail of the peer, which was all that stood between him and cold night time water at the harbor. Air escaping past his lips, the first bit of relief washed over him for the first time in a long time. Ever since he was a child and began his training in the arcane, his parents laid strict laws down about perfection being key. Serving the King and slay Shadoji were what mattered. He's been good at that. Never failing, never having a problem, always coming out on top. "Victor... I swear the things you've done are somehow to blame," he said to himself. Again reminiscing to the past in school. His first few friends exposed him to things other than perfect grades and studies.

Not far behind him he left the other Knights. He wanted to lean on the peer for a moment alone. "Thank you, everybody. Truly I... Well you would have all been far worse off if I hadn't gotten my head on straight. It will not happen again. I will not succumb to a demon's power again," he said, turning around. Not even getting a proper 'thank you' out of him. He's him again. Gratitude is pretty but there are far better ways to show it than to say it. He's going to show it by never slipping up again. "I will live up to my blood line. We can not afford another incident like today," he said. Weight of the world is not his alone to bare. Lighting it are four others beside him. But he must continue on his path. After all of that he retains his lack of humility in his humanity. Authenticity at its finest.

 

[Lady Insanity]

Stretch those limbs and get that bad energy out. It's been such a long day that mattresses will be truly adored tonight by all in the Hart household. Popping bones and joints or yawning while rubbing crusties out of the eyes, Chloe and Vince were in for a long sleep tonight. This did happen right as they would have gone to bed... If cranky enough, better believe they didn't need to morph to take down the baddies. Sleepless individuals are vicious. Chloe texted Peter to ;et him know he didn't have to wait up for them. He could go on to sleep, thankfully. Something by how he read the text., started replying, and then nothing gave her an inclination that he's already passed out on the sofa most likely. Carry him to bed later or leave him there? If he's not already trudged up the stairs.
"He's been quiet all day... Now he's alone on a peer?" Chloe said to the others, rubbing her arms in the brisk breeze passing by. Don't get it. In the end he won, he broke a spell with a barrier, he should be happy. Hell how is Mellany saving the day earlier not coming up at all? Has Braxton completely lost his mind in seclusion? Tranquility is a factor of his personality but not to this extent. Vince saw more pain than that, thought. Like he still hang on to some sliver of torment on the inside. He shouldn't. He's a hero! Without him they may not have won so easily. As Braxton is...definitely saying to them now, is Vince paying attention?
Mage man started thanking them but directed it as more of a lecture wording. Self lecturing on how he'll never slip up. Sigh...

"Braxton, I nor the others expect you to be perfect. We're all learning every day, improving. I get that your upbringing said otherwise but it's okay to make a mistake to not be perfect at something. That's how we learn," Vince reassured, arms folded, bags under his eyes. "Be humble."
Chloe grinned and nodded at her brother. Rare that ever happens. "You're only human!"

 

[marorda]

A warm, comfortable bed was going to be so welcome once they finally got back home. Mellany suppressed a loud yawn. Raijah... not so much. The rogue yawned and stretched his tired body. He could just as easily plop down right here and now in the harbor. Fighting monsters when they were about to call it a day was not something any of the would want to repeat.
"Best to just leave him be," Mellany said. "We've disrespected his wish to be alone before. If he wants to keep standing on the pier for a little bit..." she shrugged. Yet a part of her wanted to approach him. Only to know some sense into him, mind you! The day was saved, he defeated the demon with the spell that was broken earlier on... High time to quit moping and just be himself again. Though maybe that's getting excited too early. Because normal him can't even properly say thank you without reminding them all how much better he is. Even if he was the one to be defeated and lay on the couch the entire day, all in seclusion.

"Exactly," Mellany nodded. "Everyone makes mistakes. As long as we don't repeat them all will turn out just fine in the end." She crossed her arms. Ice might be her element, but being out here at night is getting a little chilly. Or maybe she's just really tired and wants to get back to the farm as soon as possible. Raijah couldn't do anything but agree with the others.
"They right. You made mistake, but that's okay," he said.

 

[PenBlade1326]

Crisp night air kissed their skin. Piers make great spots to unwind, watch harbor-bound vessels or make a memorable night in high school after prom for stupid teenagers. Add in a space to eat junk food and you've got the entire set. Braxton comprehending something so mundane as failure is an enigma. He knows what it is and how it feels but he's never felt it. Like how he's never given birth but by reading he can get a detailed idea as to how painful it must be for mothers-to-be. Funny hearing idle words come out of everybody. Idle but meaningful at the same time. Intelligent as he is, social orders like this are an area he's not familiar with as odd as it may sound. Having had friends before, it's never been like this. And he can hardly say these four are his friends... but can it be that simple?

"I see what you're all saying. Forgive me for not reciprocating as you may expect me to. Human it is to slip up, but we have to be better than human if we'll stop the Shadoji," Braxton said. Hints of gratitude in there somewhere. Said before, he'd rather show something instead of saying it. Prideful he is, Hubris. But not Prideful enough to lose to a foul creature such as you. And now second person POV as stepped into play. How queer of a perspective. He thought back to times as a teenager once again. Feeling open to people, closed off to many, but higher up given his potential lot in life. Mother and father always told him to focus on his studies to get by in the real world as well as to succeed in his life's purpose. No room for mistakes. One man's mistake is one man's downfall. And one man's pride is...well, the pride of men made itself out to be a lot more complicated. "I'd like to go home, now. Let's go get some sleep," he said to the others, much to their sleepy satisfaction no doubt. Walking past them and ahead up to the nearest mirror leading home, Braxton folded his arms in seclusion up ahead once again. Mother, father, Victor, King Ascelin...forgive me for the things I can not change. Let it be known that I will continue as I am in hopes of guiding and fighting. But perhaps smaller cracks in the foundation will be less worrisome. Braxton pondered in his mind ahead of the pack. He found himself walking at least 20 feet ahead of the others and waited for them to catch up. Streetlights provided them all a safe walk.

"Thank you, everybody." He plainly whispered this under his breath just before they caught up. He'll show his thanks. That is a promise. For now, it's time they end the day and drift into deep sleep.

Quest 05 - Complete

 

[marorda]

Quest 06: Green-Eyed Monster

Mellany wouldn't tell any of these guys quickly, but more often than not she felt like the odd one out. The person not quite supposed to be there. It's always been like that, even when she still went to school. There was no time to maintain friendships with the expectations and pressure from home. Always be the best you can be, and strive to be even better. Words more often than not taken as "if you're not the best at what you're doing, you're not good enough." And that pressure is hard to deal with. Her parents told her stories of the Knights since she was a little girl, but it took a long time before they decided to prepare her. Truly prepare her. In hindsight they had been grooming her since day one. Just... it was never quite enough. Always in some way she'd stand out, not be a part of anything anywhere. Always trying her best, always alone. As a child she couldn't bring friends over, so it didn't take long for the children to stop asking her to play with them. So instead of playing with kids her age, her parents made her join a gymnastics class. She'd train five days a week so that there wasn't even time left to maintain friendships. Sure, it didn't take very long before she was agile enough to join a circus, but it didn't exactly mean she liked it. One tryout in particular still stood out in her mind to this day. She must've been about 8 or 10 years old at the time.

She was nervous. People were watching and among the watchers were her parents. This particular gymnastics class only had two free spots for prodigies. Kids who managed to enroll here would be trained for championships. It wasn't even uncommon for the older kids to participate in the Olympics. Two spots, five kids trying out. The pressure was high. She watched as the first kid performed her routine. Flawlessly. Mellany hadn't seen this girl before. Someone from another club in the city? Maybe even another one. This was the selection class from their entire district, after all. Another one went. The landing was clumsy, but she recovered herself just fine. It would cost her some points though. Then it was her turn. Young Mellany took a deep breath. She had practiced this routine over and over again, knew each step by heart. Speaking of her heart... it felt like it was about to burst out of her chest, so fast as it went. One more deep breath aaaand... jump. Handstand on the balancing beam. Slowly bending over to a bridge and back to her feet. Jump and split in the air, flying scissors followed by a turn. Going swimmingly so far. All that was left was a backflip and a twist-salto off. Mig-backflip she couldn't help but wonder if her parents were proud of how well she was doing. She briefly glanced in their direction, only to see they weren't even looking at her. That crushed her a little. But the real crush came as she missed her landing on the balance beam. Her grip missed. She landed hard - first on the beam and then next to it- and in excruciating pain. And that was it. The end of the routine. The end of her chance at a spot on the team. Cue a trip to first aid to get a cast around her broken wrist. "You shouldn't have lost your focus," her mother remarked. "That might be the end of you one day." That was all she had to say about it. No sign of even being a little proud that up until that point she'd been doing so well. No congratulations on being asked to try out. Just a remark that came down to "try harder next time". Even doing her best wasn't considered good enough. She clenched her fist as much as she could and dared and fought back the tears.

Back to the now, about ten years ahead in time and again she sat there, staring at the wrist that had once been broken. It had recovered just fine. And a year later she made the selection class anyway. Between that day and today she'd done her fair share of competitions and had the trophies to show it. But it still stung that the only times she'd heard her parents say they were proud was when she scored first place. Second or third place had only resulted in a tiny smile, but the look in their eyes said so much more. Could have been better. Since becoming a Knight she had given up on competitive gymnastics in favor of Arcane studies. But now wasn't really any different from then, was it? Now it wasn't her parents constantly reminding her she wasn't good enough. No, now it was her fellow mage constantly letting her know how she could and should be better. Truth is, she knows he's right. Braxton is more skilled in magic than she is. That's part of the reason why she just doesn't get along with him. Other than him being a complete and utter prick. As for the others... well... Raijah and Chloe were both rogues and getting along just fine. Chloe and Vince always had each other since they were siblings... Vince just seemed to get along with everyone and have his shit together no matter what. But Braxton and she? They didn't get along at all. Chloe reminded her of herself in a way, but unlike Mellany Chloe had been able and still was able to maintain friendships outside of the Knights and then there were several little things that made it clear the two could hardly be any different. And Raijah? He seemed to have not a care in the world. When there were no demons to battle he just didn't seem to worry about anything.

Today, a Saturday, had been freed up for training, and she had the feeling that once more she would just end up feeling like she wasn't quite supposed to be there. But hush hush, she wasn't going to let the others know about that anytime soon. This training session was going to be a big mashup. Not the standard duos but everyone cooperating in a set-up scenario. The villains? Animated dummies with an illusion cast on them to make it seem like they were Thralls. And a lot of them, too! Loss of focus due to this gigantic train of thoughts led to her being body-slammed into the ground by one of the dummies. "Oof!" she grunted as she hit the ground. See? Off to a great start.