Fandom Power Rangers Sentinels

[PenBlade1326]

"In fairness, none of us really signed up.  We followed Erin in here after getting attacked, saw you as a child, ran after you to help you, and now we're holding weird mystical gemstones in a Coven that houses a woman who can change into an owl."  Benji said.  Well....damn, that's a pretty real statement.  Really, Dylan wanting to sign up was fine but Benji was just one over the coo-coo's nest.  And now they're all needed....great.


Clay adjusted his hat yet again, listening to Fate and Dylan say something about a Cassandra, whoever that was.  Did he miss something?  Or was that a reference to legends?  He didn't know for sure.  His stomach growled again.  "Hey if we're, needed, let's go be needed now.  I'm 'bout as hungry as a hog."  He said. (somebody get this man some food xD)


Benji shook slightly at the mention of big leagues.  Big...big leagues?  Like....those Spawner things, but worse?  Great.  And of course, they were meant to do it all.  Actually, did Novus mention possibly one battle?  And if they didn't want to anymore, they could just...drop out of this?  The charms could find other people.  "That's the best news I've heard all day.  One and done."  Benji said.  Clay socked his arm.  "Aye, now, don't be like that."  He nagged, southern.  Benji grumbled.  Just because Erin and the others were crazy didn't mean he was.  But he was going along with it for now.


"Great, more demons and teleporting," Benji said, walking over with Clay and the others.  Maybe another shock wave would occur and they'd get tougher.  How could this tiny little gems help them?  Sure they made Benji and Clay feel...different, but would it be enough?


Stepping on the pentagram, pedestal, whatever, they were all teleported to the city again, as if by....no, by magic.  And indeed, Spawners were attacking, and it was bad.  Clay clenched his fists.  People running, monsters attacking....he wasn't too smart with mythology and magic and stuff, but when he sees stuff like this, he can't help but feel compelled to help.  Benji took a deep breath.  This is crazy...but...


They nodded at Erin.  "Let's send the varmints back to that light!  Yeeeeeeehaw!"  Clay yelled out, running right into a line of Spawners, using his arms to tackled a couple down.  Not even with a special feeling, just natural cowboy strength.  Spawners fell back like a stack of bowling pins.


Benji sighed.  "Time to go run to death."  He muttered to the others, running forward, not wanting to, and pushing a Spawner away from him, kicking and punching as Erin did.

 

[Lady Insanity]

April massaged her temples again.  Fine.  They're needed, and....big leagues...the very mention of possibly bigger foes than those Spawner things?  Yikes. And gross.  The smell might be even worse on those things.


Benji seemed like he certainly wanted out.  Possibly able to give up after this and let someone else handle it in his place?  Seemed up April's ally.  "Right there with ya, Benji.  I've certainly had enough of this timey wimey bibbly bobbly mumbo jumbo for one day."  She commented silently in agreement with him.  After they did whatever the weird lady and her friend wanted, they'd be out of this nonsense.  Maybe April would even ask for a new roommate...one who didn't get her into trouble like this.


April stepped onto one of the five points of the star on the pedestal, bracing for impact as another teleport came to be.  Gosh.  Dizziness and nausea aside, she felt relieved to be transported back into the city.  Magical...really, magical.  What wasn't so magical, was the sight of all of the Spawners running around and being insane again.  Where were they even coming from?  That dark light again?  Didn't this Vorkalth guy learn anything last time they stepped in?


"I hope every day isn't gonna be like this."  April said, raising up her fists.  Erin and Clay sure seemed determined charging in first for a fight.  Benji was reluctant.  Running to death indeed it would seem...at least the smell of it.  She hadn't smelt a corpse before, but damn that's what it must be like.


She let out a breath and followed suit, running after her roommate and new...friends, she guessed?  She kicked into a Spawner, feeling it a bit easier to do so.  Maybe thanks to what happened before?  Still, she wasn't used to this.  She swung her fists around, landing a few hits, hopefully getting these things a message to just back off.

 

[Steel Accord]

"You say that like attracting weird is a bad thing. 'Normal' is a setting on a washing machine." Dylan said to Erin.


"Poseidon, Loki, Grendel, . . . the Jersey Devil." Dylan said to himself crossing his fingers and praying at least one of them was being referred to when Novus and Fate mentioned the bigger threats. All of whom he had a serious bone to pick with in regards to their actions or natures. Hey, if they were fighting magic monsters and Cassandra was confirmed to be someone Fate knew, all other bets were now officially off. 


Dylan felt another shimmering as they teleported only unlike his own powers, this felt more "sparky" and electric as opposed to fluid. Once again faced with the spawners. The others even got into the fight before he did. "Hey! Save some for me!" He said. Like nothing he launched himself into a cartwheel axe kick against a spawner. That was crazy, it usually took him a good wind up before he could do that move. Two were on him, Dylan switched to his Wing Chun style and deftly blocked their strikes, a wall of fast movements. He pounded one in the head with rapid fire punches. Blocked the second one's desperate attack and finished it off with a straight punch. He spin kicked another spawner into his buddies. Blocked and side kicked one trying to be clever and getting at his side. Then one grabbed him from behind. The ones he kicked away got up to charge him but Dylan leaned back in the spawners grip and kicked them away before throwing his head back into the spawner's face and breaking its hold on him. He then finished it off with a roundhouse kick. Two spawners both tried to come at his side and he flowed around their strikes, causing them to hit each other before he knocked them both out as well with a one two punch.


He did a quick scan to see how his friends were fairing.

 

[marorda]

Erin kicked one Spawner and punched another, tripping one over before jumping aside to dodge the incoming attack of another one. She eyed her new.. friends, she presumed. All of them had joined the fray, though one more reluctant than the other. Still, good to know that once again, she wasn't alone in this. Though Benji and April had stated to be likely to drop out after this fight was done, Erin knew she could count on Clay and Dylan to be at her side. Or should she say she and  Dylan were at Clay's side, considering he was the Son of the Archon and all? Ah well... There had been some confusion regarding that, anyway... All things that would be sorted out once they had send the Spawners back to... literal Hell, most likely.


The five bravely fought on, doing a decent job at keeping the Spawners at bay. But the demonic creatures kept coming and coming. Endlessly... well... spawning. And though Erin could still feel the lingering effect of the shockwave earlier, it seemed it was starting to wear off. Or maybe... maybe she was just getting way too damn tired. This was much more physical exercise than she was used to. Less of her punched and kicks were landing, and in return, more and more were landing on her. A hard kick in her side sent her flying into the sidewalk. Erin groaned and rolled around in pain, hardly getting a chance to get up by herself before one of the Spawners had already pulled her up and kneed her in the stomach, nearly knocking all breath out of her. Erin scrambled away from the creatures, trying to catch her breath. she was shivering, beaten, bruised, downright exhausted. "We can't... keep this up..." she said slowly, taking deep breaths with every pause. Even more Spawners appeared, driving the five of them together like cattle, their weapons threateningly up in the air.


---


"Yes, yes,"  Vorkalth nodded. Things were starting to look good again, thank the old Gods. Those insolent humans should know their place. Mere mortals, apparently chosen to become the new Sentinels... it didn't even seem like all of them were willing to accept that destiny. Good. It would only make his rising easier. Yes, he needed to regain more power, and yes, he knew were to find it, so he couldn't use another generation of Sentinels to get in his way, now could he? The mortals were severely outnumbered, and once they were dealt with, he would simply have the Spawners take the Charms from them. More power for him, and at last no more Sentinels ever again!


---


Novus watched worriedly, and so did Fate. A downside of (most) people no longer believing in magic was that they had no idea what to do. Granted, neither of the two had said in detail just how they were supposed to become more with their predecessors, how to use the magic in the crystals that had chosen them. But it was so obvious, wasn't it? "Come on, you guys!" Novus called out, pulling his hair in frustration. "You know what to do. You've always known. Remember what I said!"


---


Erin could swear she heard Novus' voice calling out to them, as if he were standing right there with them, amidst a horde of Spawners. But he wasn't here or anywhere around. He was in the Coven. Was that actually even a real place in this world, or was there some strange parallel worlds thing going on around here? Erin was pretty certain she had seen it on TV somewhere, once, when she was younger. (Totally not a Mystic Force reference XDD) Ah well... That wasn't important right now. Surviving, that was what mattered. Remember his words... always having known what to do... Her thoughts raced, going from just about everything she had once read in books on mythology, fantasy novels full of magic, clouds on an airplane, her arrival in Ebongrove... Everywhere, trying to find that one thing she should know, that thing that had been there, right in her face, so obviously there it was overlooked.


Remember his words... Remember... The shockwave was what had empowered them that first time, no? How did they call it ...


The awakening of their essencia. Awakening... Essencia... Hey, that thought seemed to spark something. Well... it was all or nothing now.


"Essencia Awaken!" Erin called, gripping the Charm, holding it to her chest. The warmth of her gem, the same feeling she had when catching it, spread through her entire body, refuelling her energy. The gem glowed a bright red, the powers inside the gem swirling wildly, eager to escape. It surrounded her, seemed to slightly toy with her. The... whatever exactly it was,, swirled around her, bottom to top, and where it left, a new outfit was left behind. Bright red... and with a skirt... oy. Yet still... this felt just right. As her full new outfit, including helmet, had materialized on her, she felt a long cloak flowing behind her. "Scorching Fire, Red Sentinel Ranger!" The heat of the fire had now spread into every nook and cranny of her body and soul. Daaaaaamn... This felt... she didn't even know if there was a right word to describe it. "Right" didn't quite seem to cover it. But above everything: It worked! It had actually worked! Now it was up to the others to follow suit... hehehe.... suit... (oooh boy, bad puns galore again XD) She struck a pose, standing sideways but head forward, right foot before the left, hands apart as if she were conjuring a large fireball between them.


"Power Rangers Sentinels!" she called in unison with the rest after they had all morphed as well.


Refuelled, and feeling as if her very soul was burning with the heat of a thousand flames, she turned to the Spawners again. Though they were demonic, they appeared to be... almost afraid by this sudden change. Under the visor of her helmet, Erin could hardly stop grinning. She rolled her shoulders and popped her neck. "Right," Erin said. "Round two. This better have turned the odds in our favor."

 

[Steel Accord]

Dylan kicked back another spawner and backed up, lining up with his friends. Erin was right, they couldn't keep this up. They needed more . . . power. Like the awakening wave from before. Dylan pulled out his charm. It was warm and gleaming, like a bright sea shell taken from the tide. "This is it. Now or never. Time for what you've always wanted. Your whole life." He held it to his heart and said aloud.


"Essencia, AWAKEN!" In imitation of Erin.The words themselves had power as Dylan felt them echo back into his body. Shaking him to his very core. The charm stayed planted where he placed it over his heart as it liquefied and flowed over his body. It returned, that feeling. That immensity of the ocean, only now it poured out of him instead of pooling inside. The boots, the helmet the . . . cape? . . . Cape! "I have a cape!" Dylan internally cheered. Externally, he cheered, "Surging Water, Blue Sentinel Ranger!" He felt it. The power that covered the entire planet and housed most of its life. The streams that had fed the earliest of civilization that they gave thanks to. The rains that brought food from the ground. The essence of vitality and healing that saved and soothed souls and was thought to grant eternal life. The power of Poseidon, Ryujin, Mazu, Sobek, Leviathan. This power was what he always wanted. His fantasies washed away though. He was not ecstatic, he was, satisfied, content, at peace. So he of course did his Tai Chi. He widened into a horse stance, ran his hands past each other in part the horse's mane, then transitioned into single whip and high pat on horse.


"Power Rangers Sentinels!" He said in unison with the others.

 

[PenBlade1326]

Punching the face of one Spawner, Clay managed to knock it into another.  He swung his fist around, right-hooking another one that got too damn close to him.  He felt confident that the shockwave from before was still helping, but his arms and legs were getting tired from all of the constant working of the muscles.  He was hitting Spawners left and right, but couldn't help but feel limp as time progressed.  So limp, that a Spawner kicking him in the chest, knocking in into the direction of Erin, where all of them were being forced over to.


Benji dodged about 5 or so swings of the Spaweners weapons, causing him to run out of breath, constantly ducking making him tired.  He got in a solid kick before being grabbed and thrown over to the others, placed randomly in line with Erin in the middle.  


Erin was right, they couldn't take more of this.  "Now you see why I was so hesitant.  This is insane."  Benji groaned, getting back up.  Clay nodded.  "C'mon now, there's gotta be something we can do with these flee-ridden varmints."  He said.


Jesus Christ, is that Novus' voice?  How in the Hell can they hear him here?  He's back at the Coven...isn't he?  If they're just hearing voices, that's a bad sign.  But he said to remember....remember...like that feeling when their....what was it?  Essencia?  When it woke up, essentially...That's it!  With Erin taking the lead, Clay and Benji grabbed a hold of their charms, tightly gripping them and doing as she and the others did.  Clay felt like it was just...right.  Benji, on the other hand, thought it was weird.  But also....it felt like he was supposed to do it?  Really, anything to save their skins right now.


"Essencia Awaken!"  They both called out together with the others.  The charms in their hands felt like pure Earthy home and crisp grass, surging through their bodies.  Clay felt a rushing sensation of...power.  Like the Earth itself had merged with him, feeling as if the Earth was just wrapping around him from top to bottom, feeling like he was just at home.


Benji felt something similar from bottom to top.  The smell of freshly cut grass, leaves tickling his skin, like jumping into a big pile of them.  This energy inside the charm was eager to escape, swirling around both of their bodies, chills coming to their skin.  And now, Clay was adorned in boots, gloves, a cape, a whole new outfit.  And it was brown!  Benji had the same, only in green.  The helmet should have felt smothering, but it didn't  It felt....good.


"Solid Earth!  Brown Sentinel Ranger!"  Clay yelled out, swinging his arms around and curling them in front of him as if he were flexing, lunging his left foot forward and bending his knee, flexing his biceps in a curved position with his arms down while lunging forward.


"Sprouting Nature!  Green Sentinel Ranger!"  Benji called, feeling as if a rush of leaves were dancing around him.  He spread his legs apart slightly, extending his right arm out with his fingers spread out, his left arm covering his heart, fist clenched and elbow bent.


"Power Rangers Sentinels!"  They called out with everybody in unison, almost like something compelled them all to do this stuff.  Like they knew what to say...the feeling of power, certainty...it was incredible.  


"Yeeeeeehaw!  Man in these new digs, I feel like I could push back a freight train!"  Clay exclaimed.  Benji just looked at his body.  Hmmph.  "This is so weird...but cool!"  He admitted.  "Let's see what this power can do!"  he said enthusiastically.  Clay nodded, eager and eyeing the Spawners like a one-eyed chicklet does a big bag of bird seed, jumping up and down, refreshed and willing.  Wait, what?  Nevermind.  

 

[Lady Insanity]

April hadn't much luck in the whole fighting department.  Every time she threw and punch or anything at all, she missed.  Spawners slammed their fists and feet into her, knocking the wind out of her every chance they got.  She yelped, grunted, and growled at them all, desperately trying to fight back like before, but she was either too weirded out to focus, or just exhausted by this point.  Physically and mentally.  If only it could all just be over already, if only she'd just never followed Erin into those woods...


By the time she had these thoughts, a Spawner swept the blunt side of its weapon across her face, making her shriek and fall over, rolling off to the others on the far side of a line with them, Erin in the center.  She rolled around, groaning and holding her face, teeth grinding.  She hated these Spawners.  She just wanted to see them burn!  Not just for hitting her, but also for stinking up the streets, and for hurting innocent people.  She just...she just....she just heard Novus.  Literally, like he was in her head?  Novus, get out of my head, you creep!  She thought.  But he had a point. As she slowly stood back up with everyone, she heeded his words. Remember...knew what to do.  Did they really?  Well...something felt right.  She followed suit with everyone, tightly gripping her charm from before.  Like a rush of knowledge just hit her, she knew exactly what she had to do.  To save herself, and to save everyone around her.  This was really fucking weird, but right now, anything seemed possibly.  Hell, even Benji's going with it.


"Essencia Awaken!"  She called out.  In an instant, she felt a gust of wind encompass her, her charm practically bursting with eager energy.  A swirling sensation enveloped her from bottom to top.  Now she REALLY felt wind on her skin, blowing her hair back, tingling her spine and cooling her down.  Real power had overcame her, as if she was flying!  At he end of this burst, she noted she was in a totally different outfit.  A white suit, complete with boots, gloves, a skirt, and a weird helmet.  Even a super cute cloak!  Or cape, however you call it.  She was in street clothes just a second ago...now?  She was like a superhero!  And she knew again what to say ad do.  Like she wasn't even doing it.


"Soaring Wind!  White Sentinel Ranger!"  She called out, turning to her side, the opposite direction Erin had turned (so basically if the girls stood together, they'd be back to back).  April then bent her knee in a 'girly' way, arching her foot up, swaying one arm to the side nearly gripping the edge of the cape, the other resting her hand over her chest, very delicate.


"Power Rangers Sentinels!" She called with the others in unison.


She took a minute to really look at herself and the others.  "Ohhh!  This is cute!  Nice outfit!"  She said, geeking over the fashion.  She looked towards the others.  "If this is what Fate had in mind...man I don't mind this one bit!  I feel like I can do anything!" She said, really energetic, thrusting her arms up in the air like a cheerleader.  Why was she coming off as ditzy, here?  Maybe she's just excited.  

 

[marorda]

All just knew what to say... so how could any of them still have doubts this was what they were meant to do, somehow? Sure, Erin wasn't quite sure about her being the Red Sentinel, but that was for a large part due to the look Novus and Fate had given her and Clay. Maybe they should have switched Charms before heading into battle? Would that have changed anything? She shoved all those thoughts far to the side of her mind. No time to think, just time to act. Seeing her new friends change in the same way she did... calling out a team name together and striking poses.... As silly as it might be, it rallied her up. Like April, she felt like she could do anything right now. This power... it was amazing. Memories filled her mind, fragments of battles she had never fought, but all memories of battles against these Spawners. It was as if her body was acting on her own, moving over the battlefield, kicking, punching, tripping, flipping, swirling. She was like a fire, raging, heated. Her soul was burning, burning with memories that weren't hers, a desire to send the Spawners back to Hell, and although she hadn't seen him yet, to deal with Vorkalth once and for all, so that he would never do his evil again.


This second wind, this new power, it made fighting the Spawners much easier. Though hits still landed, it seemed they just didn't get through to her as much anymore. She felt the pain, but more briefly, and less... painful? The kicks and punches she landed on these things though? Much more effective. But... then Erin made a swift kick to the head of one of those things, knocking off its mask. and by the Gods, did she wish she hadn't. Underneath was a rotted skull, covered in worms. The Spawner made a sound at her that sounded between a hiss and a growl. With a yelp, she jumped back, falling over. She stared at the thing in horror. Well.... it certainly explained the smell. And the goo... "What the crap?!" she called out, startled by the ugly appearance. "And here I thought you guys couldn't be any uglier!" she scrambled back to her feet, eyeing her friends to see how they were doing.


(aright, this is a really short one from me, compared to the rest I've posted so far. Just wanted to give everyone a proper chance to shine in their new powers before I move things on again )

 

[PenBlade1326]

(hey the really short ones from you aren't short at all xDD not a bad thing but I do like getting to read just enough to get right to it xD)


How was it they all knew what to do?  Maybe Fate really did play a part in this...not even the person, but the force of fate.  Granted, it seemed they were both one in the same, according to the meeting they'd all just had with her.  


They'd all transformed, wearing similar outfits only in different colors.  Clay noted he was in brown and Erin red, remembering how confused Fate and Novus were earlier.  Did this matter?  They're just colors...and they must have felt the same, too.  Like memories they didn't have were in their heads.  Past Sentinels, this power, the history, just pieces of another life they'd had or something.  


And their bodies were almost out of control! But in a good way!


Clay stormed the Spawners like a raging bull, his arms extended outward, catching Spawners left and right, knocking them all down with bone-crushing force, it seemed.  He stopped and skidded to a stop, leaving skid marks on the ground, almost cracking the pavement.  "Yeeeeehaw!  This right here is something else!"  He yelled out, riled up after the silly poses and role call, shouting that name with everyone.  It was just wild, and somehow exhilarating!  He swung his arm around, bashing a Spawner's face in and knocking it back a good 30 feet away.  His strength felt so amplified!  Like a walking mountain!  Better than before, it would seem!  He charged again, this time bull-rusing the Spawners, his cloak flowing behind him ans he jumped up and stomped on the ground, an almost seismic erupting following him, Spawners going down all around him.  He whistled to himself.  Man...he's like an earthquake.  (not really using the element power yet, here, just displaying strength.  I only do what Erin does so far xD)


Benji's mind raced, his heart pounding and his soul just...sprouting with knowledge!  Like he wasn't in control, but he knew what he was doing all at once.  This power, this...POWER!  There wasn't another word for it.  He just felt...powerful!  "Alright you uglies, time to go back to the swamp!"  He taunted at the Spawners.  He didn't feel afraid or weirded out in this instance...just right.  Fate truly brought him here, though he still wouldn't admit that.  He glanced over at Erin as she knocked a mask off one of these things and revealed its real face. "Eeeew."  He said, a disgusted and comical look on his face under his visor on the helmet.


He snapped his head around, dodging a Spawners weapon just barely.  How rude!  He then swung his leg up and kicked the creature in the face, sending it spiraling back a few feet.  As if he were raised in a jungle, Benji pulled a Tarzan and leaped upwards, landing on a Spawner like a gorilla would pounce from a tree.  If they pounced at all.  He rolled off of it, tripping a Spawner that got too close and socking his fist into ones face.


Both of the guys looked around at the others.  They're like a legion of real warriors...this power is amazing!

 

[Lady Insanity]

About 3 hours ago if you were to have told April that any of this was going to happen, she'd have looked at you like you escaped the third floor of the hospital.  Where they keep the mentally ill people.  And now?  She's in a powerful suit with four other people after talking to two shape shifting beings in the woods.  Did she mention she's fighting ugly monsters?  Did she?  Now she has.  As she and the others were...morphed, she felt a rush of past knowledge in her mind, like she'd known these things all her life, just locked away somewhere in her mind.  This charm was like the key!  The key to awesome power!  Now if only the Spawners weren't here....she and her friends can take care of that.  This is like the wave from before, but better.  


April found herself standing amidst a cluster of the Spawners, as ugly and smelly as ever.  She looked around her, doing a 360 with her eyes.  She grinned under her visor...sure of herself, feeling extra confident that she'd be alright in the end of this.  "Ya know, white isn't really my favorite color.  Oh but trust me, it won't be your guys' either!"  She said to the Spawners as if they understood her.  They must have, because they charged at her.  She gripped the edge of the cape/cloak behind her and began to twirl as if she were in the skating rink.  She spun like a tornado, minus the actual tornado effects and wind and all.  But she spun, spun and spun, her cape and fist grabbing it swatting away at the Spawners, knocking them back and keeping that at bay.  She finally let go of the cape and flung it back, running up to one of them and kicking off it it, doing a major back flip in the air over top the rest of them all gracefully.  As if she were as light as a feather.  She landed behind them gracefully again, this time thrusting her hands forward and pushing them down in a group with ease, dusting her hands off each other.  "Well that was easier than expected."  She said with pride, looking at the others as they kept it up.  Man, the one Erin unmasked was....ug-ly!

 

[Steel Accord]

Dylan glided into battle like the tide rolling in. The spawners crumbled as he broke against them like a wave. His long fist form struck deep and kept them at bay but this power. He now felt like he could do more, so much more. He switched instead to his Muay Thai stance, his fists high. He broke into a run, jumped, and drove both of his knees into two spawner heads with a satisfying crunch. He followed up by zig zagging through the melee, a flurry of fists, knees, elbow, and kicks. He was fast, he was strong, they couldn't even land a hit on him. Every strike that came his way he would block and then counter with barely the space to blink, punishing the attacker for even trying to match him. One of the spawners was standing atop a car. Dylan bounded into the air and sent the necromantic numbskull to the street with "THE PEOPLE'S KNEE!" Except . . . Dylan had never taken Muay Thai lessons. Okay, maybe a week or two but that was not enough to be pulling off the kind of techniques he was firing off seemingly from muscle memory. That feeling he was used to, but only with Kung Fu, the style he had practiced most of his life. Now it was like years of training and refinement in whatever he wanted could just be conjured for him. Maybe something more fitting to this whole essencia thing . . .


A spawner tried to swipe at his legs but Dylan blocked with his shin, reached down to brace himself on the enemy's shoulders, flipped off the car with the spawner as support, and still gripping the shoulders, flipped it over his head and into the other guys. Dylan then started to sway back and forth, but oh no, he was not sick. No now it was time for a samba! He could almost hear the music playing. He got into the grove and soon Dylan was in the dance that some would be familiar with as capoeira. With two long steps, he was in striking range of the spawners. The third step became a wide kick even though Dylan's stance was still very low. He back flipped from a spawner trying to rush him, dug his toes in, and launched himself head first like a missile. Upon seeing what Erin revealed to them all, Dylan had a similar reaction to it as the others, that of flippant disgust.


"Ugh, thanks for doing us the courtesy of covering up, guys." He said as he cartwheel kicked another spawner to the ground before bringing his shin down hard on its face to silence it. As three came at him at once, he did a little break dance twirl that sent them all flying back. "Looks like we have a winner!" He said. Block, kick, somersault over into a group of spawners before falling into another break dance-like twirl. It was like a whirlpool, a vortex of pain!

 

[marorda]

Together they went through the Spawners as if it were nothing. Empowered by the Charms, it seemed they could take on the entire world. The Spawners went down by bushes, barely getting a chance to scramble back into the portal through which they had come. Erin smirked, and couldn't stop herself from continuing to smirk as she rushed from one side of the group to another, kicking, punching, tripping. She jumped into the air, backflipped over a Spawner and kicked it in the back. Whatever Spawners remained clearly had had enough of the fight and made a run for it, diving through the portal which once again closed behind them.


"Whoop!" Erin cheered, jumping up and down like a happy child. "That. Was. Amazing. We were amazing. This just... No words."


Once she managed to calm herself down a little, she held her hand over her heart again. "Power down." The energy surged around her again, in reverse order this time. Now, she was simply holding the Charm in her hand again. It still felt warm, pulsing like a heartbeat. Was this what the Essencia was? What it could do? Amazing didn't even begin to cover it. She looked up at the others, grinning. "Well... I guess we're heading back to the Coven now? Tell Novus and Fate whether we're in or not." She knew damn sure she was in! Now that she had felt the power, felt how... right... it was, there was not a chance she'd give it up again. And judging by how they had fought, April and Benji had changed their minds also. But... that might just as well be the adrenaline speaking there.


---


In the Underworld, the portal opened itself again, Spawners pouring out, stumbling, piling on top of each other on the floor. Though they did not have much of a facial expression, one could assume they looked embarrassed, knowing they had failed their masters. Vorkalths eyes flared up. He was furious. With the Spawners, the Sentinels, Novus and Fate. "Damn them! Damn them all!" he shouted after screaming several rather colorful curses (no pun intended there) in languages long forgotten. "Those wretched Sentinels have returned once more. But at least there seems to be come division and confusion within their ranks." Though he had no way of knowing what Fate and Novus had said in the Coven, he could easily tell something was wrong. And likely, so could his generals. The Son of the Archon, meant to lead the Sentinels... something was off. Either the Son was not their leader, the leader had changed color, or... The Son of the Archon was a girl. Whichever of the three would turn out to be true, it was laughable, truly. At least there was some kind of silver lining to this defeat. "Generals!" he commanded. "I want you to work even harder. Find any and all sources of magic we still have down here, prepare our forces. The Sentinels must be stopped before they grow stronger. Our Spawners were defeated this time, but we shall reign victorious!"


---


Back up in Ebongrove, another portal opened before the Rangers. But this one didn't quite scream "DOOMY DARK EVIL HELL PORTAL". Rather, it looked inviting, a warm soft yellow to golden light, like the sun. A portal back to the Coven, so that they didn't have to walk all the way back into the woods, down staircases and mysterious sudden and unwarned teleportations. "Well... shall we?" Erin asked, but without really waiting for an answer, she hopped through it. If this was a portal to some wrong place, she'd be in a looooot of trouble. Really, someone should probably teach her not to hop through random portals.


This time, however, they were lucky that it was a portal "home", so to speak. Behind it, Novus and Fate waited on them, both grinning. "Aaand?" Novus asked, his eyes darting to Benji and April respectively. "I'll keep my word. You fought the battle I asked you to, so if you want to leave you're free to do so. Just hand me back the Charms." The two patiently waited for everyone's responses. Any other explanations would soon follow, once they would know whether all were ready to accept their destiny.

 

[PenBlade1326]

The Spawners were making a full retreat.  They'd had enough of these...what did they call themselves?  Power Rangers?  Something Benji only thought be in comics and whatnot....not real life.  And certainly not him.  Clay, on the other hand, still wanted to know just what the Son of the Archon really was...and why there's confusion over it all.  He still to get a few answers.  But for now...


"Power Down."  Both the guys said, following suit to Erin, hands over their chests, energy surging around them in reverse, reverting back to normal.  The adrenaline...that power!  Something about it felt so different but so right.  They weren't all the most experience fighters, let alone not with demons.  But they managed to survive, nonetheless.  Sort of a miracle.  


"Guess we should."  Clay said in agreement with Erin.  Better head back and tell those two what was up.  Clay, for sure, was in.  He'd have to get a place closer in the city of Ebongrove, though.  An apartment, or move in with someone he knows.  He lives a bit far just to come in and out whenever for this sort of thing.  But that can be worked out.  Benji, on the other hand....he enjoyed doing all of that.  But for the long haul?  He wasn't so sure...he'd have to think about it on the way back to the Coven.


---


Foolish Spawners!  They came back on top of each other like dogs in a slaughterhouse!  Whoa, even for a bad guy that's graphic.  And dark.  Avlazor's master wasn't happy.  He was mad.  (gee great analysis)  "Stupid Sentinels are back!  But Master Vorkalth is right, they aren't so put together.  And me wonder why Red Sentinel has boobies.  Do sons of Archons have those now?"  He asked...naively, and stupidly.  It;s a good thing Avlazor is strong as can be, otherwise Vorkalth may have killed him ages ago.  


He jumped slightly and nodded. "Yes master!  We work hard to make the Sentinels dead before they get strong!  We will win, and they will lose!"  He said in response to his master.  The bloody Sentinels won't win again.  The Legion may have lost the battle.  But the war is only just starting.


---


When the light yellow portal opened, Benji and Clay both got nice vibes from it.  It looked inviting, at least.  Warm like the sun.  Hopefully not as hot as the sun, otherwise that would buuurn.  It was a portal to the Coven, they could feel it.  Nodding to Erin and taking a leap of faith, they walked through.  


Sure enough Novus and Fate were there to greet them all.  


Clay shook his head at them both.  "I did fight the fight.  But after feeling that and doing some good, sending those critters back to their unholy home?  Bet your britches I'm sticking to this for the long haul.  Can't let that Vorkalth guy have the world, can we?"  Clay said, gripping his charm and smiling, tipping his hat to them.  "And if I'm the Son of the Archon...I have to stay.  Maybe we'll find out why there's confusion, too.  It'll work out."  He said, positively.


Benji shrugged and looked at the charm in his hand.  "I'm not sure.  It was cool and we did win...but surely there's someone better suited for this.  It's too weird for me."  he said, looking down at the charm again.  The smell of grass and the tickling of leaves got him again.  He reached over to Fate and Novus, ready to hand over his charm.  He hesitated and pulled it back.  "Maybe I'll stick around a little longer.  Just to see what goes on...count me in, I guess."  He said.

 

[Steel Accord]

"Power down!" Dylan said. Even this felt exciting as the energy around him excited before collapsing back into his hand held charm. His charm felt smooth and cool. Again, like a shell or something you plucked out of the shoals or by the river.


"We shall." Dylan responded, chipper-like, from Erin's offer for the portal.


Back at the coven and presented before them with the choice to join, Dylan accepted. "I've said yes before, and I'll say it again. Yes! Yes! All of my yes! This is everything I've ever wanted and more."

 

[Lady Insanity]

Well, that's over already...Spawners are running back to their own home in Hell, and it looks as if the city is safe enough for the day.  "Yeah you better run!"  April called out to the Spawners as they fled.  Stupid losers!  Man...being a Power Ranger is pretty...awesome.  Not at all what she expected for herself today or any day, but here she is.  With other people, having just beat up a bunch of bad guys, and wearing a super cool outfit.  Speaking of which...time to get out of it.  She followed the others' actions.  "Power down."  She said, hand over her heart, reverting back to her original form.  Back in street clothes.


"What a rush.." She muttered.  April joined the others and nodded in agreement, ready to go back to the Coven.  Time to give Novus and Fate a final verdict.


---


Nenet cursed and lashed out at the Spawners as they returned like pitiful mongrels.  "Fools!"  She shouted at them.  The Sentinels have returned and access their power.  It is only a matter of time before they seal the Legion away or worse...destroy them!  Nenet looked at Avlazor and smacked the back of his head hardly.  "Fool!  The Son of the Archon isn't a son at all.  Perhaps this is the Daughter of the Archon.  A twist of fate, truly laughable."  She said, wickedly laughing at the thought of the Archon's child being a girl.  Dear Fate got that one wrong, it would seem.  


She bowed at her master.  "Yes, Vorkalth.  We shall use every ounce of power against the foolish humans.  We will not submit to their power, we will rise up and be invincible!"


---


Another portal?  Great.  But it was warm and yellow-ish, inviting.  Must be a way back to the Coven minus the long hike to get there.  April took a deep breath and went against her old mindset.  She walked right though, back to the Coven with the others and greeted Novus and Fate with a soft smile.  she looked at the others, then back at the two of them.  She gripped her charm in her hand, feeling the cool rush of wind from it in her palm.  Clay had already agreed to stay and see this through.  Benji was hesitant, but agreed also.  For now at least.  And Dylan?  Damn, he certainly accepted this destiny.


April took a deep breath.  "Erin, you're my roommate.  You led me out to this.  I have the feeling you're gonna be in this for a while, too.  And since everyone else seems to be in this...I am to.  Wherever you go, Erin, I go."  She said.  She hasn't known her long, but already deems Erin a friend.  Almost a sister, in some ways.  Or at least that kid of bond will come over time.  For now...just fast friends.


"And like Clay said.  Can't let this Vorkalth freak just take over.  If we can make a difference...why not?"  April questioned.  She didn't want to be a Sentinel, really.  But after all of this...how can she not be one?  


"But I will say.  I can't see myself just carrying a charm around on its own.  Ohh, maybe we could all put the charms in matching bracelets?  Or coils, something to wear them on our person but conceal them, too."  She suggested.  Really?  Putting fashion into this?

 

[marorda]

"Well, then it's official," Fate nodded. Of course they had all chosen to stay. She had known it all the time. After all, hadn't it been her to predict the Sentinels would rise up time after time to stop Vorkalth when needed? Sure... some things didn't quite end up, like Clay and Erin apparently having their Charms reversed, or her prediction somehow being wrong... But that, that was an impossibility, or rather... imPROBABILITY. It didn't quite add up. For now, Fate just shook her head.


"Today marks the day the Sentinels have returned to the world," Novus almost chanted. "Together you shall take up the fight against Vorkalth and the Legion."


Erin almost seemed to glow, both inwardly and outwardly. When all the adrenaline would wear off, she'd likely just flop on her bed and fall into another three day coma if everyone would let her. She glanced at April and nodded. "Bracelet, necklace, anything to make it easier to carry around and less suspicious than some odd folks carrying a gemstone wherever they go... I see where you're coming from and it definitely makes more sense than anything else we've seen today."


"That can be easily done," Novus said, and with a simple gesture, the Charms changing into either bracelets or a necklace, depending on the Rangers' personal preference.


"Sweet!" Erin looked at her charm, now dangling down an elegant chain.


"Sentinels, you have a long road ahead of you. There is a lot you will have to learn before you're truly ready to face Vorkalth," Fate said. "But for now it's only fair that you return to your homes and rest. It has been a long and intensive day for you all, and you will need to be well rested in the things to come."


"Training and lessons will begin shortly. But as Fate said, for now you've more than earned your rest," Novus agreed.


And with that said, with the rebirth of the Sentinels official, and a gloomy dark lord having awoken, this day had come to an end. Bring it on, Vorkalth, for the Power Rangers Sentinels will not let you take over their world. Sure, they have plenty to learn, but they will stand their ground and fight you! Soon enough, they would learn much more of the powers slumbering within their souls. For their Essencia had Awakened. The road the five were going to take was certainly one of those roads less traveled, and they were all in for one hell of a journey.


END OF TALE 1

 

[marorda]

@PenBlade1326@Lady Insanity@Steel Accord


Tale 2: Sentinel Spirit


Everyone was given a couple of days to breathe after their first leap into an adventure. They had had some time to hang out and get to know each other a little bit better. Today was the last day of summer break, but the Rangers could spend it all but quietly. All of them had been summoned to the Coven for training and learning more of the destiny that laid ahead of them. Erin glanced at the others. They were a nice bunch, all in all. Sure, for now they still seemed like a bit of an odd couple together, but at least they were getting along. That sure helped. Still, nobody had quite figured out yet why there was so much confusion as to why Clay was the Brown Sentinel, and she herself was the Red Sentinel. Erin hoped they'd figure it out soon though. Those odd looks were getting at her a little, making her feel rather out of place. Hell, this was even worse than when she had lived in Japan and was the only white kid in a class full of Asians. And to make things worse... her hair stood out as if she had wandered in straight from an anime. That had become a bit of a joke between her, Mizumi, and Masato though. Exchange student with odd colored hair, transferring after the school year had already started... The only thing that didn't fit the picture was the seat near the window. Anyway, back to the present: uncomfortable situation was awkward and uncomfortable. For now, though, it seemed to have been put off to the side in favor of teaching them some of the many things they needed to know.


"Essencia is an energy as old as the world itself, perhaps even older," Novus explained. He stood before the Rangers in the form they had last seen him in: the young man. Unbelievable this guy was several thousands of years old, right? "It flows through everything around us, connects the entire world to one another in ways far beyond comprehension of most mortals."


"Several cultures believe in a thing such as Essencia, albeit under different names. Chi, Ki, Life Force.. It's all one and the same," Fate added. "The ability to harness it, to control the Essencia flowing through the world around you, that's what gives you your power."


"So... let me get this straight," Erin started, making a face as if she was trying to comprehend rocket science instead of what she had been told now. "The Charms allow us to channel Essencia, and changes us into brightly colored costumes making us stronger and better capable of fighting Spawners... but it is not enough to defeat Vorkalth."


"That is a good start," Novus nodded. "But there is much more to your powers than simply transforming. The Essencia within the five of you has a much greater potential. To master that, you will need to tap into the Sentinel Spirit."


"If you're gonna pull out an Ouijah Board out of somewhere, count me out," Erin said. "No messing around with spirits. Let the dead rest and above all, stay dead."


"Oh, no. No such thing as... what did you call it? Ouijah Board? The Sentinel Spirits are the soul shards resting in your Charms. You need to become one with it in order to unlock the full potential of your powers."


"Sounds an awful lot like possession to me..." Erin mumbled under her breath.


(baddies likely coming again in the next post. Or at least their plotting. Just wanted to get this up before poofing for the largest part (if not all) of today)

 

[PenBlade1326]

Last day of summer break, and Benji was spending it in the Coven.  The pretty much underground and mostly done up in nature and roots Coven.  The past few days had allowed everything to sink in and let him think for himself on the matter.  Benji agreed to just let whatever happens happen and go with the flow for now.  He really didn't want this, but if there's really an all-powerful bad guy out there...might as well try and stop him, no?


Where Benji spent the past few days adjusting mentally, Clay was looking for some place to stay in Ebongrove rather than on the family's land.  If he's going to do this whole fighting evil thing, he can't afford the gas to go back and forth every day.  Sure portal exist and he could use them to get here and back, but he'd rather spend as little time going through portals and getting that woozy feeling as possible.  The search was ongoing, but he was close to nailing a place to stay.


Clay still wondered about the whole Brown Sentinel thing for him.  Seemed like Red should he his but he didn't understand why, exactly.  Just Novus made such a fuss about it.  Speaking of Novus...


In the Coven, everybody had been gathered to learn more about Essencia, train, and maybe get more questions answered.  None of them were raised to know this stuff, so Clay and Benji both only hoped Novus and Fate would go easy on them and understand that this is all new to them, it'll take time to adjust.  Essencia is old as the Earth, maybe older.  Flows through us, connects all life..."So Essencia is basically the Force in Star Wars?"  Benji mumbled under his breath.  


Erin made a valid wrap-up.  Brightly color suits, weird powers and something about their inner Essencia and all.  They beat the Spawners well enough but they probably didn't stand a chance against Vorkalth.  At least that's how it tends to go with bad guys.  Heroes never start out strong enough.  Not until a training montage, a few upgrades and a kiss from the love interest, anyway. Typical movie formula.  


I ain't using a devil board... Clay thought to himself.  "Alright I think I get it.  So these here charms have someones souls in them and they can give us more power?"  He asked, thinking he understood it.  A basic way to put it, but a simple way. 


"Sounds like it.  I have a theory...whenever I touch my charm," Benji stated, gripping his charm on the chain around his neck,  "...I can't help but smell grass and feel like I'm in a forest or something.  Is that related to this Sentinel Spirit?"  He asked curiously.  Not a far off question, and everybody seemed to feel something different with their charms, at least.  Plus they all said different things when they transformed, so...maybe?

 

[Lady Insanity]

What a past few days this had been.  First off, to end summer break, April met her new roommate, Erin, who seemed cool at first...and when she offered to show her around town, they two girls, and three guys, were attacked by and fought off demonic monsters called Spawners that are a part of some guy named Vorkalth's Legion, and she and her roommate were lured into the woods by a boy who went through hella puberty with an owl woman telling them they were all the new generation of powerful warriors called the Sentinels, and became Power Rangers.  All of the happened before April had even unpacked her underwear.  Granted the powers were cool and the fighting was easier done than she thought.  So it wasn't all bad...and these people she was with?  Not too bad.  Erin seems totally cool, if not a bit headstrong when facing the weird shit of the world.  Benji seemed level-headed to her, and they shared hesitance.  Clay was strong as Hell, and definitely seemed friendly.  And Dylan was enthusiastic, and he did come off like he knew a lot about certain mythos and martial arts.  April didn't know where she fit into this, but she wasn't complaining.


As of now, she fit into the spot she stood at in the Coven physically.  Getting a lesson on the Essencia and how it worked.  It flowed through them, everyone controlling it and the world around them.  In April's average waitress mind, it was a bit complicated.  But to anyone else?  Probably made a lot of sense.  She kept quiet on the situation, just listening and taking in what everybody was saying.  Souls being involved did sound like possession....maybe not on a devil board level, as Clay thought.  (not April saying that, me)  "I'm not keen on getting possessed with, Erin."  She whispered to Erin softly.  Being a Power Ranger?  Fine.  Fighting monsters?  Sure.  Possesion?  Back the Hell up.  Then she noted what Benji said, as well as Clay.  "Benji's on to something.  I feel like I'm in a gust of wind or something when I touch the charm.  Does it mean something?"  She asked Novus curiously.

 

[Steel Accord]

Dylan had been on cloud 9 for the past couple days with everything that had happened. Magic, myths, superpowers, becoming a power ranger. All of his dreams had come true seemingly all at once. He even busted out his wing chun dummy at home and went to town on it. He also broke one of its arms accidentally which taught him an immediate lesson in needing to modulate his new level of strength.


Of course he showed up to the Coven early, he was ready to get back to the real swing of things and learn more about his new world. Novus' explanation of what essencia was made a lot of sense. If even half of what he had read in say, Journey to the West was done by deified and enlightened humans, than what he and his friends did when fighting the spawners wouldn't be at all far fetched. And if essencia gave them their powers and it was the same thing that was called "chi" in China, than that connection made total sense. Hell compared to the feats of Sun Wukong and company, their beginner level Power Ranger tricks would have looked like a poorly rehearsed circus act!


"Chi, Ki, Life Force . . ." Novus said. "The Holy Spirit." Dylan muttered under his breath, good syncretic Catholic boy that he was.


Clearly his friends were uncomfortable at the idea of the Sentinel spirits but Dylan was not as worried. So he tried to placate their fears a bit. "Well I might be talking out of my nose here, but to me, this sounds more like channeling than possession." His friends might need more elaboration than that. "Thing is, possession is only one kind of demon's influence on someone. There's also infestations, oppressions, and what you guys are referring to is more a demonic integration, where one invites the demon in. But given that the Sentinels of the past were all heroes and born human at least, invoking them is not necessarily harmful. Even with completely inhuman entities it's not always harmful. One can pray to angels to help them after all and they aren't human. Vodoun, and First Nation shamans do this all the time, praying that they may become vessels of benevolent spirits who are friends to humanity to empower the Shaman or layman to act in mutual goals. Then when the task is complete, the friend departs until it is needed again."


". . . . You know . . . if . . . the same applies here." He shrugged. The explanation he had given was quite straight and serious, with a total lack of his previous excitability.

 

[marorda]

"Yes, much like that indeed," Novus said to Clay before turning to Benji in confusion. "There's a war going on in the stars?" As if he had any clue it was a reference to some pop-culture thing. The guy had been slumbering in this Coven for Gods knew how long exactly.


"The first Sentinels gave their lives in order to banish Vorkalth. As a precaution, they put the tiniest fragment of their souls into the Charms," Fate elaborated. "Their knowledge had aided the Sentinels that came before you. After their last fights with Vorkalth, they left a piece of their knowledge behind in the Charms to aid those who would come after them."


"So it is indeed much like Dylan said. It's not like possession. We stay far away from such dangerous things. It never ends well for those who dabble in dark magic," Novus said, shuddering lightly as if he knew at least one or two people who had done just that.


"I get that feeling too," Erin nodded. "The cracking of a campfire, its pleasant warmth. Makes me feel all cozy inside."
This seemed to surprise Fate and Novus slightly. The two exchanged a brief look, making Erin huff again, crossing her arms. Really, if there was some issue someone just tell her already. Not make it this obvious and then yet still refuse to say anything! That was just rude.


"Each of the Sentinels had a unique bond to an element. Fire, Water, Earth, Nature, and Air," Novus continued the explanation. "Long ago there were more Sentinels, but I'm afraid they and their Charms were lost to time. We can try to track them down over time, but it will take a lot of effort."


"This world is not the only one to have been threatened by Vorkalth and his lackeys," Fate sighed, sitting down on a tree trunk. "There are other worlds beside ours, separated by a Veil. The Coven, for example, is not quite a place in your world. We're merely a gateway, connecting one place to another."


"Wait, you mean like parallel universes? Where we all exist over and over again, but where we've just made different choices?" Erin asked. First magic and demons, now other worlds beside theirs. Things were getting weird again.


"Yes and no. Although those worlds do exist, we cannot interact with them. But there is... other worlds. Worlds you all know of, through stories and legends," Novus said. He wandered over to the window and touched it for a moment. Where it had first been overlooking just Ebongrove, the window now split into several panes, one clearer than the other. Erin was convinced she could vaguely distinguish shapes of knights and an almighty forest, dark places that were likely to give her some nightmares, deserts under a blazing sun.


"By disturbing and altering one world, all other worlds will be threatened as well," Fate said, eying the window as if she was looking for something. She sighed briefly and lightly shook her head before turning her attention back to the Rangers. "Imagine a web. Destroy one thread, the whole structure changes. Destroy a few, and it will be beyond repair." She illustrated her point by drawing something that resembled a spider web, altering a few threads and destroying another few until the web was nothing but a tangled mess. With a simple movement of her hand, she swept the illusion out of the air again. "And so it is with this world and all those connected to it."


---


Deep in the Underworld, Vorkalth flipped through the pages of an ancient, dust-covered tome, both his generals at his side. The last few days had been quiet. They hadn't send any Spawners to the mortal realm in order to save up their powers for something bigger. Something that ought to deal with the pesky Sentinels, and soon. Although the chances were slim they had mastered their powers already, it would be best not too wait too long. The Sentinels had to be destroyed before they would be at their full potential. Only then the Legion would reign victorious and reclaim their rightful positions as rulers of all worlds. The tome was filled with all sorts of monsters, allies they had gained over the centuries. Basically, a database full of beings they could summon from the page in order to go on a rampage. "What do you think?" he asked his loyal generals. Although he would of course have the final say, he appreciated the input of his advisors, even if one of them was about as smart as the backside of a pig.

 

[Lady Insanity]

April didn't know to thin Dylan weird or awesome for knowing all of this stuff ahead of them.  To each his own, she guessed...it was kind of cool, though.  But explaining about possession only rectified something in her mind.  Possession is real.  Oy.  If 'rectified' is even the proper word to use.  She isn't a dictionary.


Air...yes.  "I guess the element thing explains why I feel like my hair's getting tossed around in a hurricane all the time."  She said, nodding her head slightly.  


She hung her head at the mention of Vorkalth being in other worlds and...threatening them.  Why did she get the feeling it was more than a threat to those worlds?  For someone built up as so high and mighty, he probably killed thousands in other worlds.  And God...THERE ARE OTHER WORLDS.  At least the Coven made sense, sort of.  A gateway to another place.  Basically, anyway.  


April raised her hand after the dimensional comparison of a spider web.  "Wait.  You said worlds we know through legend and stories.  I'm no expert, but does that mean places like...Asgard, Olympus, and other places like that are real?  So there could quite literally be a Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon out there?"  She asked, geeking a little.  She loves the Percy Jackson novels.  Only...if Nocus didn't get Benji's Star Wars reference...he may not know who Percy Jackson is as a fictional character.  She'd better elaborate.


"And that's a fictional character, Novus.  Just a story..." She said to reassure him and hopefully not confuse him.  


But Fate's comparison to the web troubled her.  Damage it enough and it's beyond repair.  A whole network of worlds is probably out there...and...is it really all up to them?  or are their more Sentinels out there?  Sure some have been lost in time, but surely there are others still out there!  maybe even new ones!  Anything was better thank thinking the universe was entirely up to them to keep protected...


---


Nenet tapped her fingers, kneeling before her alter and praying to the dark Gods.  The return of the Sentinels meant only one thing:  The Legion is in trouble.  They've transformed into...Power Rangers.  Even more worrisome.  She prayed that the Gods would give her and her master the strength to defeat them before they reached their highest potential.  As well as praying that the stupid being called Novus would turn into a squish-able insect.  And Fate?  Well...the world could always use a few owl feather pens.


When she was at her masters side, she turned toward her master, noticing his tome full of ancient evils the Legion had at their disposal.  Oh marvelous!  It was full of allies and demons they'd known over the centuries.  Surely something was in there capable of destroying these pests!  And Vorkalth wanted their opinions?  Probably a formal gesture, but most divine!  "Master, I would recommend something with the power to generate a storm inside a human heart.  Oh imagine the devastation a lightning storm inside a Sentinel's heart would be!  Oh the mess!  Marvelous!"  She said, hands together, as if she was an average housewife talking about diamonds.

 

[Steel Accord]

Dylan's "feeling" was like he was constantly floating in warm water. As weird and indulgent as it might sound, sort of like a hot tub, or like a nice cold shower, it varied.

"Each of the Sentinels had a unique bond to an element. Fire, Water, Earth, Nature, and Air,"

"Me thinks there is a bit of overlap between 'earth' and 'nature.'" Dyland said, recalling years and years of Pokemon "WHY is rock and ground two separate types?!" thinking.

"This world is not the only one to have been threatened by Vorkalth and his lackeys," Fate sighed, sitting down on a tree trunk. "There are other worlds beside ours, separated by a Veil. The Coven, for example, is not quite a place in your world. We're merely a gateway, connecting one place to another."

"Yes and no. Although those worlds do exist, we cannot interact with them. But there is... other worlds. Worlds you all know of, through stories and legends,"

"Yggdrasil. Tian. Mount Olympus." Dylan said with his fingers crossed once again.

He wandered over to the window and touched it for a moment. Where it had first been overlooking just Ebongrove, the window now split into several panes, one clearer than the other. Erin was convinced she could vaguely distinguish shapes of knights and an almighty forest, dark places that were likely to give her some nightmares, deserts under a blazing sun.

". . . Avalon?" Dylan guessed but it looked vaguely similar.


~ ~ ~ ~ 


This was far bigger than Dylan had even guessed. This wasn't just a cycle of fighting Vorkalth off again and again like Bast with Apep, it was a balancing act of several worlds bound together.


"So we aren't just protecting one world. We're protecting many."

So there could quite literally be a Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon out there?"

"April, we ARE Percy Jackson pretty much." Dylan said. Although he did share her uncertainty at the sheer scale of their duties. A punch up with spawners is one thing, all of Earth is another, even more worlds than Earth is off the scale entirely.

 

[PenBlade1326]

"No, there's no war between the stars..." Benji told Novus.  Wow.  Who knew that he'd take Star Wars as a title so literal?  And who knew that dead people's souls were living inside of the charms?  The first Sentinels died banishing Vorkalth, and passed on their knowledge this way.  Really, a note would have sufficed...


Elements...power?  The smell of grass...the feeling of playing in the dirt.  Nature and Earth?  Two of the five element mentioned, just now.  Benji nodded slowly, understanding.  "At least that explains a bit as to why I feel like I REALLY want to mow the lawn..."  Benji said to himself.  


Clay nodded as well.  "Wait...more Sentinels?  Like there were more people like...us?  But lost?"  He asked, tilting his head and scratching his chin.  Huh.  And on top fo that Vorkalth has threatened more worlds than theirs.  Maybe worse.  Shudder.  


Other worlds...like April said.  Asgard, for example...worlds known through legend and stories...is that what they meant?  "Dad gum..."  Clay muttered slightly, watching the window as Novus walked over to it.  He could see something in it, like Erin could...but he didn't know how to describe it.  Nor did Benji.


"I see.  The web...Yes.  Get rid of one link, then more until it all comes crumbling down.  And...the world is like a web?  Just what exactly is at stake here?"  Benji asked, not fully grasping the idea that more than just their world was at stake and likely depended on them.  (I'm so sorry this was short for me.)


---


In the days that passed, Avlazor had both punished and reformed the Spawners.  Running them through some exercises and picking at least one out of a big batch for others to beat on.  Had to whip those pathetic mongrels into shape somehow, right?  He wielded a large, heavy ax, the handle made of bone, the blade large and sharp.  If not a little...rigid.  It's seen some wear and tear.  Came i handy in combat, as well as a glorified walking stick.


He stood at his masters side, watching him flip through the pages of an ancient tome of evil.  "So many choices.  So many evil friends!  Nenet is smart, she want to make hearts go boom!  Avlazor thinks we should get the biggest and baddest!  Crush the Sentinels and ground their bones."

 

[marorda]

"You have all already felt the connection with the Sentinel Spirit and the Element that goes with it. That is a great sign," Novus grinned excitedly. From his words, one could guess things may not always have gone as smoothly in the past. Or that things would go smoothly in the future for them. After all, there was still an awful lot they had to learn. This generation seemed awfully well informed in things such as other worlds and magic and everything though. "And if there's no war between the stars, why would you mention a Star Wars?" he questioned, again confused. Man, this time era was weird...


"It's a pop-culture thing, Novus. Popular Culture. Movies, books, tv-series, that sort of thing," Erin started her explanation, only to realize books might be the only thing these two knew of the things she had named there. "It seems you have as much to learn of our world as we do of yours..." she said, scratching the back of her head.


"Yes, yes it would seem so," Fate nodded. She played her part in the worlds only occasionally and on a very minor scale. Just the few tiny things in all worlds that remained unchanging, like who was to fall in love and when. Still... people were good at avoiding her, perhaps in a part because so little people believed in a thing called Fate. And just because she had decided something had to happen, it didn't mean there was no... chance things would come out quite differently. Ah, Chance... She lightly shook her head.


"A common thing to think, but not necessarily so depending on what culture you look at," Novus explained to Dylan. "Take a look at the Eastern cultures for example. Wood is considered a different element there. It is much the same here. Earth limits itself to just the ground and the rocks, whereas Nature limits itself to the living things around: the trees and plants, vines, grass..." He then turned to Clay in regards of his question on the Sentinels. "Yes, there are, or were, more than five. Some stayed only briefly in great times of need, others were supposed to stay forever, but they disappeared over time. Possibly they are still out there, lost in one of the many worlds, possibly captured by the Legion. After a few thousand years it gets difficult to keep track of who's still supposed to be with us and who not. The five of you were the only certainty... that is until..." Novus glanced between Clay and Erin again, falling silent and scratching the back of his head.


"Are you ever gonna tell us why it is so damn...-" Erin took a deep breath. Better not lose her temper. But she guessed she just felt... fiery today. "... why you're so damn confused by this situation?"


April and Dylan posed similar questions regarding the worlds, making Fate smile lightly.


"Yes, quite so," she said. "You have already listed off several of them. Avalon, Yggdrasil and its nine worlds, Olympus, just to name a few. All are real, and all are connected to your world as well as this one in ways you cannot see. If it weren't for the Veil to keep the worlds apart, everything would have gone to hell long ago. Imagine the chaos if the Ice Giants wandered among the pyramids, Zeus would seduce any female he'd meet, Loki would steal Excalibur..." Fate covered her face with one hand and shook her head. Was it a scenario they had truly once witnessed? One she had seen as a possible future? Or was it just a figment of her imagination to illustrate how messy everything would get if the Veil was rendered?


---


Vorkalth tapped his fingers on the book, sending small clouds of dust up into the air with each dust. But he was undead, so it didn't bother him anyway. Nenet and Avlazor proposed decent ideas. The biggest and the baddest, as the Basilisk suggested oh-so-intelligently, would require more magic than they had access to right now. They would be limited to beings that were dangerous and strong enough to stand in a fight, but their most powerful allies would have to be saved until later. And a creature that could cause a storm in one's heart, like Nenet suggested... Oh, most evil, absolutely... but would a being like that be in the tome they currently had in front of them? Their lair was stocked with tomes full of beings. Searching through each and every one of them for the being Nenet suggested... it might take decades, unless they'd be lucky enough to stumble upon it in the coming few pages. As one might imagine, after having seen the Sentinels transform into Power Rangers, he didn't quite have the patience to wait very long in sending in one the first monster of the Legion. The only way to search faster, and to research faster for new allies, was to have some of the Spawners deemed to weak to fight search through the Tomes and the Mortal Realm. At least it would be a way in which they could make themselves useful.


He flipped another few pages, his glowing eyes falling on an ally that seemed... most fitting to summon the first. A being known to be an omen of death. After all... the Legion would rise again, and that was going to cost a few lives. As many as needed. And to a mere mortal the creature might look quite... terrifying. He chuckled lightly. "Perfect. This one is truly perfect. Nenet, work your magic. Avlazor: prepare the Spawners."


(I was almost gonna add another paragraph XD But I'll save that one for the next post. I fear it might get a little too long otherwise. Plus, I'd say there's enough to react to here. Lady: you worked Nenet's magic perfectly fine last time. Something along those lines is perfect here to summon the monster off the page. )


(By the way.... Bonus points if you know what monster it is One hint was in the text: the omen of death. Second hint: it's a creature from (northern) English Folklore. And also Dungeons and Dragons)