Fantasy [Private] El Stories

[Breakthrough]

"My master? Yeah, he basically took care of me since he found me when I was young. He was a war veteran. Said he was in the last Velder war and some of the ongoing demon invasion in Feita. He was part of the Royal Guard. Lost his family and his arm during the war, however. I was 12 when he found me." Arya explained, scuffling her feet slightly into the sand as they walked. "When he found me, I couldn't remember anything but my name. Said I had a nasty fall and that I had amnesia. My memories would come back in time, whether I liked them or not. He raised me the past few years and taught me how to fight. Even with one arm, the man was a monster. He died recently, however. I was told to deliver some things to a man named Lento, and take his weapon," Arya patted the weapon strapped across her back gently, "To his brother in Velder. He wanted it to be buried with his wife and daughter."

Late Phant0m

 

[MementoDei]

Lara heard Dust's words solemnly. She sighed and replied:
"I see. Well, that gives me a reason to go to Altera, just to get back my amulet. You can choose anyone you want to give it to me. Also, Dust, I don't think that when the time comes for you they'll let you have your free will for long if they suspect you. You'll become not so different from what I was years ago. I think you know what that means, our deal can't stand for long."
Lara's ears captured the vague sound of a voice singing and supposed it was Rain's. She'd have to go back soon before it looked suspicious.

"If we face each other in Feita and Rena is with me, I'll look for a way to break your link with the demons. I know a way, but, if you're beyond salvation or if Rena doesn't say anything, I'll show no mercy. That said, I'm not that afraid of demon assassins, how many do you think I've killed just to stay alive for the past four years? I'm only keeping myself alive to take my revenge. Don't underestimate me. Farewell Dust; and may your chains be broken soon."

Lara went back to the camp and informed Rain that their way was clear. She sat down, leaning her back on a red rock and began to hum the last poem Darhan had composed for her. It got her thinking of a possible translation to the human language. Its tone would have to be different, but languages were something easy for her. She visualized the syllables and the translation in her mind. After fifteen minutes of silence and imaginary note-taking, the Soul Priestess began to sing softly:

"Round...
like a circle in a spiral, like a wheel within a wheel
Never ending or beginning, on an ever-spinning reel
Like a snowball down a mountain, or a carnival balloon
Like a carousel that's turning, running rings around the moon
Like a clock whose hands are sweeping past the minutes of its face
And the world is like an apple, whirling silently in space,
Like the circles that you find...in the windmills of your mind."
(From: Windmills of your mind by Dusty Springfield)

She looked up to the afternoon sky and realized she had almost composed a new song of her own. It had been no translation, because nothing could've replaced the emotion and artistry Darhan always gave to his creations. She smiled and felt like crying, but instead of weeping, she chuckled. She remembered what her father had told her many years ago when she was a child: "Laugh and the world will laugh with you. Cry and..." her memories were getting foggy and the remains of her curse muffled her father's voice with its claws and covered his face with a black veil. She couldn't remember what followed. What happened when she had cried? Nothing. She had cried and the world turned her back on her. That was it: "Cry and you'll cry alone."

Her smiled faded away and she decided to approach Rain.

"What's the plan. I mean, I know we'll take Mr Allegro to Feita, but how long we'll help him before heading to Altera? It can be a long trip, so I'm just curious. Just to have an idea of how to manage our resources."
Her voice was blunt and the look in her eyes was as cold as ice.

Fume Heavengiver

 

[Late]

"I see...well hopefully we'll survive through this mess. My home is somewhat close to Feita, off the trails and deep into the forest. The whole area from what I remember is unexplored. I just pray that the demons don't find the entrance. Of course, trying to pass by them won't be easy at all but we are a small group. Maybe we'll sneak by them," Xavier mumbled. "Let's take a break for now."

The three took a break next to a group of rocks as they were still in the desert, Komodo looking bored now as he lay over one of the rocks. Xavier fumbled around with the El Shard in his hands, watching how it shine lightly under the sun light. He slowly started to frown.

"...If all fails, I'll get you two to safety," Xavier said to them after minutes of silence passing by. "I'll try to stop any outside force trying to get you two, whether the demons attack us or the dragons become aggressive. It's...the least I can do for you coming with me on this."

Breakthrough Phant0m

 

[Phant0m]

The priest stared at Xavier for a moment in silence, and then he smiled lightly. Xiopetec gave Xavier her respect, and basically conceded to Phantom's choice of coming along. "Hey now," He said, "We all share the burden of keeping each other safe. We're a small group after all."

Phantom pulled down his hood and he stared at a rock with a contemplative expression. "I find that being worried about what's happening in the moment is more important than worrying about what might happen. We'll worry about the demons and the dragons when it comes to those points. Now, we need to worry about managing our resources and how we're going to function as a group."

Late Breakthrough

 

[Heavengiver]

Rain
​

Her uneasiness only increased. It was nice hearing that song after so long (she first heard it from her other self when they were in Elder), but after seeing Lara approach her with a cold stare, all Rain wanted to do was to shrink away.

"Don't be like that. Answer her."

"I plan to help out until I'm sure there are no dimensional warps in Feita. It would really only last one or two days of scanning the nearby area. Of course, I have to make some money for the mercenary that I hired, so I'll be doing that as well. The same for Altera once we get there. Right now...the only thing holding the group back from just entering Time and Space are the locations of the entrance to it and my memories..."

Her other self takes over suddenly, pushing her body up and dusting off the dirt on her skirt. She whispers her next words.

"I..am at the point where the demon threat is not at bad as the extinguishing of the El. Everything I've fought until now will kill the others if we enter Time and Space now. My apologies if you're somewhat impatient on that part."

Allegro stares at them weirdly. Time and Space? Extinguishing of the El? What nonsense is she speaking? Rain catches the unsure look on his face and gives him a rather off-setting smile.

"No worries, Allegro. I will keep my word. Now, shall we get going?"

MementoDei

 

[Breakthrough]

Arya took her seat as well, brushing the hair that clung to her forehead out o her face and sighed softly. Taking a chance, she reached over and patted Komodo, rubbing her fingers gently down his spine and scratching softly. It looked like a particularly tough spot to scratch on his own without help, and she figured he wouldn't mind too much. She hoped so, anyway. "I agree with Phantom," Arya agreed absently, tilting her head so Star could walk across her shoulders and settle down beside her. "It won't do you good to worry about what might happen. What will be, will be."

"Right now, we need to understand everyone's strengths and how we can make up for any weaknesses we might have. A small group can rival the strength of an entire army if we stick close together, trust each other and know where our limits are and react fast enough." Arya replied. She smiled softly. "I don't know about you, but I kinda like this better. It gets too hectic in large groups. Too much going on and you can't focus on everything. This way we have three humans, a goddess and two dragons. Everyone's got their charges covered. All we have to worry about is working together, not staying out o each other's ways."

Late Phant0m

 

[Late]

"...right, both of you are right," Xavier sighed. Still, he was always the type of guy to think ahead about the future. But it would probably be better if he didn't focus about it, even though he is strangely good about predictions.

Komodo perked up slightly when he was petted, his body slightly arched in reaction so he can be scratched a little bit more. Xavier slightly smiled at his dragon's reaction.

"Well, this is probably the best to say this now since Phantom haven't witnessed it but I do get out of hand with my powers. Sometimes I lose control and its rather hard to snap myself back in. Worst case scenario, I could possibly turn against you two. I can say that water is my weakness. It doesn't hurt but I believe I became a bit sensitive to cold liquid, even in hot water I feel a bit drained. I guess this is why Rain managed to stop me since I suddenly became aware of my weakness being in front of me. So please, don't take things too personal if I suddenly gave you a punch to an arm," Xavier joked. "Or if I try to rip you apart, my rage doesn't last too long." He paused after noticing a few nervous looks. "O-on the bright side the demons would probably get scared too. Plus I work better in close combat battles. I guess I can do ranged but some of my skills are usually large and not so precise."

Breakthrough Phant0m

 

[KizayaTaishuro]

Carna

A favor, huh? He was fairly strong enough to deal with demons. It shouldn't pose a problem. He just wondered if he was strong enough to deal with two threats. Since not only the demons would be a problem, but the monsters from the Void would come for him. If, whenever, he wavered from being Henir's puppet, the monsters from the void would reappear. But his conviction was clear, and his resolution would not waver this time. They would come barrelling into his life once more and it was up to him to make things right.

Fume

 

[MementoDei]

Lara sighed and combed some of her hair backwards, Rain had totally the wrong idea on her mind. She wasn't getting impatient, on the contrary, the later she would enter Henir's trials, the better it was. Luto's spirit was not under her complete control yet and the wounds on her body were reopening.

"Ok, Rain. Mind my cold attitude, it's just that..." Her calm expression transformed into a rictus of pain. She couldn't keep the secret any longer. "Rain...you're a healer, right? Mind...helping me before we go on? Sorry to drag you down. There was just...a situation I had to deal with...yesterday, while I scouted..."

She was losing her balance once again and her vision was getting blurry. She put her arm on the ground and absorbed its mana, turning the rocks grey. She felt slightly better, and the wounds began to close for themselves. It wasn't enough. Luto had put some kind of poison in that spear, so the healing would always be superficial.

"Henir needs you, Lara. I'm just trying to convince you of it."
Luto's voice echoed in her head, convincing the priestess that she had made a huge mistake by swallowing his soul. Lara shook her head to silence it and managed to stand up, but her legs were trembling.
"Please Rain. I won't ask you to do it again. I can handle it on my own later."

Heavengiver

 

[Heavengiver]

Rain
​

As soon as Rain sees some of Lara's wounds reopen, she was instantly at her side.

"Unfortunately, I'm not a healer but..."

"I am. Don't worry about asking me to heal you. It's my job, after all."

She places her hands in front of her and starts to hum. Water particles swirl around the girl, dancing around in the air before gliding over her wounds. Lara starts to glow a light blue as her injuries slowly disappear. Rain winces once she discovers that Lara's been poisoned.

"I can't imagine someone like her would randomly get poisoned out here, especially by the local creatures. What happened?"

"Maybe someone or something attacked her while she was scouting. But why?"

She attempts to remove the poison, but as soon as she does, a repelling force threatens to break her concentration. Sweat starts to break out from her skin and the water particles surrounding Lara cluster together, flowing away from her wounds.

"W-what is this? This feeling-!"

"What's wrong? Why are we having trouble getting rid of it?"

"This signature...is it Henir's energy?"

"Tch...no choice...sing that song."

"D-Don't move. I-I'll get rid...of that for you."

Rain emits a light purple and blue aura, reminiscent of the sky that domed Time and Space whenever she was able to take a break. Her purple eyes glow brighter. Her mouth opens to sing, and the song she releases did not match with the image of the fragile girl. Her ethereal voice echoes throughout the land as the water swirling around reflect a tint of lavender. As the healer continues to sing, Lara's body begins to shift back to normal, while Rain's body begins to acquire the same wounds as she did. The process didn't stop until they had swapped body conditions. Rain falls to the floor as her wounds overwhelm her.

"D-Don't worry...my body will heal itself shortly. Give me a second...to recover."

MementoDei

 

[MementoDei]

Lara watches with a feigned concern how Rain lays on the ground. She had now no arguments against Rain's identity as Henir's creation. She was greatly surprised, but knew that if she had agreed to unite herself to Henir's cause before talking to her, Luto's soul would've stopped haunting her.

"Thank you, Rain. Sorry to put you in such a condition... I should've thought about it before going that far." She mumbled her last sentence, praying that Rain wouldn't hear it.

Heavengiver

 

[Heavengiver]

Rain
​

"N-No problem. I've only done this one other time. Why do you have a wedge of Henir's energy inside of you? I understand me, but..."

She coughs as she talks. Lara's wounds were grievous, and she mentally cursed herself for not noticing earlier. Rain sees Allegro running over to her in order to help her up. Water particles continue to circle around, slowly soothing the healer.

"S-so it was true...that you saved Dan like this."

"I-I couldn't let him die...not if I can help it. Let's get moving now that you're better, Lara."

Rain shoots them both a timid smile, intending to alleviate their worry. She finally stabilizes on her two feet, but she is now walking with a visible limp. The poison sweeping through her body felt familiar and foreign at the same time. Henir's energy was difficult to identify for her because her world is associated with it. Everyone, everything has a piece of Henir inside, and Rain never thought differently about it until now.

Dan, the boy she had saved when she first landed in this dimension, was an energetic boy. His parents constantly had a hard time keeping him under control, which led him to trouble with the local creatures and the occasional demons. One day, though, he was kidnapped by a hooded figure. Dan struggled as best as he could, but he was stabbed in the leg and his arms by his kidnapper. It was his cry that awoke Rain after she collapsed from landing in the nearby area. When she found the disciple trying to tame the crying boy, she instantly apprehended him, impaling him with daggers before he even had the chance to counterattack. In fact, he could only stare at her with a horrified look as she save the boy. His parents begged the town to save their son, but the people were hesitant on rescuing a boy who caused nothing but trouble and worry. Outraged at their decision, Rain took it upon herself to shoulder his wounds, to give some of her life to him. The next day, he was bouncing around the house helping his parents take care of the injured and passed out stranger. Feita quickly swept away their skepticism and apologized to his parents.

It was no different now. If it helped someone to live their life to the fullest, then she doesn't mind shouldering the pain.

"That kind of thinking will get you killed one day. You'll become too self-destructive, and then once you accept something you can't bear..."

"I understand that that might happen, but I know myself and my body's limits. Sometimes, I have to push those limits."

The siren says nothing else. Her body had fully diluted the poison, and now she only needed to focus on the open wounds.

MementoDei

 

[MementoDei]

Lara sighed, knowing that there was no way of hiding the truth any longer, or at least a part of it.

"I went on my own to scout last night. I couldn't sleep. I stumbled upon one of his disciples and... I fought and won. Or so I thought. I think I really owe you my life, Rain. I don't know how to repay this."

Their walk continued and Lara kept a close eye on Rain, looking how her body melted the poison away and closed the wounds like they were scratches. Those were very helpful things to know before claiming her final reward. But if she did claim it, a part of her goal would go unfulfilled. She sighed and told herself that she'd have more time to think about it, but knowing that she was already having doubts on something that looked so certain months before was a clear sign of her own greed.

Heavengiver

 

[Phant0m]

Xiopetec changed her mind, and Phantom flinched when she started yelling at him "Ow! Quiet down! I'm getting a headache," He snapped as he rubbed his temples.

"Sorry... Xiopetec just decided to scream-oh don't you turn this around on me! I'm not the one screeching up a storm!" The priest huffed and he folded his arms. "I'm sort of the opposite of you Xavier. I'm all about range." Phantom grabbed his staff. "See how long my staff is? Even if I use it in it's scythe form, it's still a long-ranged weapon. I can do close combat with it, but it's defensive."

The priest hummed as he stared at the gem decorating the top of his staff. "My magic is short-ranged, and I give a lot of poison damage. I also heal too, so I might be doing more healing than fighting since we're a small group and if all of us are injured then we'll be demon fodder."

Breakthrough Late

 

[Breakthrough]

"I'm a purely close range fighter," Arya explained, with a nod. "Although I have Star, I don't know if she can breathe strong enough flames to do that much damage. But as she grows, I'll have a bit of range. So that's a thing. The only strong skill I have that's ranged is Dragon Wheel." Arya frowned.

Late Phant0m

 

[Late]

"Hmm...I guess Phantom will mostly have our backs with healing and long range. Komodo can help whenever he finds the chance as for Star...she is young, maybe too young for powerful flames but maybe she can be taught to use her fire at the fullest strength if she meets with the other dragons. She could learn from Komodo though, in case we really need more support from range," Xavier commented, looking at Komodo.

He was basking in the light and realized the attention was on him. Komodo blinked a couple of times before shifting his head under his wing.

"It's not a bad last resort," Xavier mused. "Well let's keep moving on then. The sun is halfway up and usually at night time it's hard to get around the area. Hopefully, we won't have issues with that." He got up from his spot, stretching out his arms.

Thus three continued to travel. They encountered no issues with the wild creatures, often they would run away after being hit once or don't bother at all to attack as a few were unfortunate to be hunted down and eaten. As they continued on, the sun began to go lower and slowly the land began to smoothen out, plants were showing up more frequently among the lands. Xavier took note of this and paused for a moment.

"I believe we crossed over the land now. Everyone should be high alert now, it's not certain if the demons made it around here or not but I doubt they did by how it looks around here. Still, just keep an eye out for anything out of place," he warned the group. "The dragons should stay close too." Xavier looked down at Komodo who looks tempted to explore but didn't do so as he hasn't heard a confirmation whistle from Xavier. "We still got some land to go through. Hopefully, we'll find my home before it becomes too dark..."

Breakthrough Phant0m

Somewhere deep in a forest...
​

"...He is dead, stop being so persistent that he is still alive."

A dark dragon, black scales with numerous of spikes jutting out of the back of his head and going down his neck, gave another dragon a dead look. He was annoyed, eyes narrowed with a purple orb in his claws. They were in a cave area, mostly underground as there were roots hanging from the ceiling. In this area, there was numerous of books and rare objects scattered around, as well a dead corpse deep in the area. In front of him was a smaller dragon yet fierce looking, having multiple of horns and white pearly scales that looks like it can blind a man if under sunlight. The fierce dragon has six eyes and multiple of under and overbites. It was hard to tell of the emotion from this dragon yet the voice spoke for itself.

"You can't be serious...how can you be so blunt about this," the smaller dragon snarled, her voice deep yet elegant. Yet there was sadness in her voice. "Fujin was your friend, too!"

"I'm not friends with idiots who think they can save their human friends!" the black dragon snapped. "His foolishness got him killed, he was unable to save those in Sander thus being shot down from the sky by the demons. He gained nothing. Please be reasonable, Athena."

In anger, Athena swiped at the black dragon, her claws ripping off scales of his face. The black dragon was stunned at the attack, giving a rather surprised look as he felt blood dripping from his face yet slowly it began to heal himself at a rapid pace. Newer scales were replaced and he eventually stopped bleeding.

"...why you selfish-"

"Cornelius!"

A different female voice echoed through the room, stopping Cornelius from counter-attacking. Yet Athena took her chance to leave, growling low under her breath as she walked past a beautiful, blue dragon who entered in at the right time.

The blue dragon and Cornelius stared at each other, Cornelius being first to look away.

"Love is going to blind her, Octavia. It won't be long that she'll run off just like Fujin did to save his homeland," Cornelius grumbled in annoyance. "If it happens we need to stop her, she'll give away our locations to those damn demons and it's too soon to lose another dragon." He shifted his gaze back to the orb. "I never thought we'll end up being cornered...reminds me too much of the past."

Octavia quickly walked over to Cornelius. "Don't say that. You forgot that we do have an ally out there," she reassured him.

Cornelius growled at her, causing Octavia to back up. "The human boy? If I recall the last time, he was crying from his wounds and unable to control his magic," he sneered.

"Because you scared him! You nearly cut up his arm," Octavia retaliated. "His magic was unstable because he was afraid."

"Afraid of what? Us?" Cornelius countered, leering over Octavia. "Or becoming like us?"

"...I just know he'll help us," Octavia grumbled. Cornelius clicked his tongue and eventually looked away from her. "He wouldn't leave us here like this..." Her voice trailed off.

Cornelius huffed and focused back on his orb. "There is only five of us now: you, Ivy, Aagron, Athena, and I. Maybe it is time for our race to fade away. Perhaps it was meant to be after the great explosion..."

Octavia lingered a bit longer in his domain before turning around to leave. She poked her head out to look around the large tunnel before stepping out, following the trail. The end, she got into a large cavern that was big enough to hold a large town. There was a pond close by and jagged rocks hanging over the pond, few droplets of water falling down into the liquid.

Octavia looked to the left to see the other dragons were close to each other, having idle conversations with one and other as Athena was silent. Octavia sighed and walked towards the pond, laying down next to the body of water and closing her eyes to rest. Everyone was uneased and on high alert, fully aware of the events that had happened. Alas, they were stuck, knowing very well about Feita being in a tight spot from the last scout report. It won't be long that they'll be found out.

 

[Phant0m]

Phantom looked around and he nodded. "We did cross over," he confirmed. The lay of the land looked familiar to him, and the priest looked up to the sky. "Well, of we don't find your home Xavier, we need to make camp. I think there's a cave we can take shelter in, or a clearing in the forest. Since we have to worry about demons, I don't think we should build a fire."

Phantom then grew quiet, not even responding to Xiopetec's concern as he walked. He started to furiously fidget with his staff, or rubbing his fingers on his cloak as he looked about. He remembered the fun little adventures his older siblings would take with him as they wandered away from their parents-no, don't let the memories go too far. The priest shook his head, it was all in the past now.

"Calm down," He sighed as Xiopetec continued to press on, questioning Phantom's well-being, "I'm fine." The priest continued to fidget in silence.

Late Breakthrough

 

[Heavengiver]

Rain
​

"D-Don't mention it. I'm really glad that you're okay."

Her wounds have disappeared by now. She does an inspection of her body, hoping that she doesn't have to use up more mana. After doing an experimental twirl, the dancer smiles and continues to travel with her small group to Feita.

"So how is Dan doing?" Rain asks, hoping to fill the silence a bit.

"G-Good, Miss Rain. He's quite helpful actually, bringing food to the wounded."

"That's kind of him. I didn't expect the people to actually let him though."

"Well, his parents opposed it at first, but then he said that he wanted to be like you. He really admires you, Miss Rain. He's even acquired your habit of humming and singing when things get too quiet and awkward, although his singing at first was rather odd."

The way he said the last word made her laugh. She was glad that Dan grew up just a little.

"Is that so? Has it gotten better?"

"Surprisingly, yes."

Rain chuckles again. She can't wait to see how he's doing. The rest of the day was spent reporting to Allegro of what she's been through ever since leaving Feita. Allegro was shocked by several points in her story, including the loss of her companion, the Nasod inspector in Elder, and the demon attack in Ruben. As they exchanged information, the sun began to set, darkening the bright orange of the desert canyons. Rain looks up ahead to see an ominous tower piercing the clouds and frowns at the sight.

MementoDei LegenDarius I iFlipTables

 

[Breakthrough]

Arya gripped the handles of her weapon tightly at the mention of demons. Her trip to Altera was already bad enough, now she had to deal with demons. From what her master had told her, they were highly intelligent and their armor thick. They were uglier than lizardmen and made horrible sounds to boot. She frowned and followed Xavier and Phantom quietly as they talked about making camp. She didn't mind where they did, as long as she didn't have to face demons any time soon.

Late Phant0m

 

[Late]

Xavier stayed quiet for most of the time, only deep in thoughts. He noticed the trees were different from the last time he was here. They seem a bit more darker and had a strange dead feel to it. He assumes one of the dragons haven't been checking their garden. Xavier wonders how long they stayed in hiding.

Even though they're wandering in an unmarked territory, Xavier had a strange feeling of being watched. He had to nudge Komodo with his boot and made a small gesture to the dragon when he looked up. Komodo nodded his head at Xavier before quietly running off and disappearing into the bushes. Finally Perkisas spoke in his head.

"You know this is a mistake, right? You know what happens when you get killed? I get completely erased from this world. I'll be dead," Perkisas hissed angrily.

'Have a little faith, Perkisas...'

"Faith? Little fire, you are going to be extinguished. You're not me, you may have my strength, but you can't handle an army of demons." Perkisas paused for a moment. "If your family are in hiding then I doubt they want to help either."

Xavier never really thought about that. Before he could talk back to Perkisas he heard a shift within the bushes from the side. Xavier eyes slightly widen in alarm and noticed Komodo was up in the trees from the bushes, looking alarmed as well. He quickly tugged Arya and Phantom aside to hide in the thick bushes away from the moving ones.

It wasn't long that three individuals stepped out into the clearing that the group were once standing in. They were demons, confused soldiers as if they looked lost when they stepped into the area. Xavier watched in hiding as they took a pause from pushing onwards, talking in their native language. For sure they were lost, Xavier observed how they pointed out the terrain and the trees, as well going over their map that they seem to carry. They kept on talking until two of them suddenly started to raise their voices at each other in anger. Probably in a disagreement. The third one didn't seem to look so interested on what they are saying yet was busy getting a look around their surroundings. It came to a point that the third one had to hush the arguing two. Xavier wasn't sure how long they plan to stand there.

Breakthrough Phant0m

 

[MementoDei]

Rain's exchange with Allegro was as she had expected. Nothing about her true nature was mentioned. Allegro was surprised to know Lara had been with Rain for longer that the healer mentioned. The priestess was even thinking that Feita's alchemist had already a good idea on her identity, the look on his face grew somber when he mentioned that almost all of Hamel and it's surroundings had also fallen to the hands of the demons despite the Red Knights' efforts. Allegro looked at Lara and knew who she had been. Who hadn't heard of Lara Tureen, the sub-commander of the Red Knights, the fastest sword in Fluone. The only non-human knight among their ranks and the one who had defended justice during Elrios dark period of incessant rebellions? Lara Tureen had given most of her years to the service of the whole continent. Even in her death, her sense of duty still lived on, Allegro was certain of it. He got closer to Lara and asked silently one of the many questions his mind:

"...Miss...Lara. Are the Knights....still there?"
It was odd just to call her by her first name, but he knew that she didn't want her past to be revealed, not after what had visibly broken her mind once. If they had been alone, he would've called her sub-commander Tureen.

"I have no idea. I haven't traveled to Fluone in forever. I haven't seen them elsewhere."
Her voice was blunt, but had no traces of ill-will in it. She just stated it matter-of-factly, just like one would talk about the weather when surrounded by strangers. Her eyes however, revealed something Allegro interpreted as worry.

"Oh...I see. Miss Lara, I'm very grateful for what you did, but why were you on your..."
The question died on his lips when he saw once again the pained expression on her face, accompanied this time by unmeasurable anger directed at him. He simply looked down, knowing that he had unwillingly crossed the limit. Lara's expression softened and she gave him an apologetic smile.
"Sorry Mister Allegro. I've been on the edge lately." She lowered her voice to a whisper. "To tell you the truth, I was held in a dungeon, alone, until someone came to break my chains. That same person helped me escape, but I'm not even hoping to find her safe and sound when I come back. They've probably killed her or broken her mind. Thankfully, I was able to honour her memory by lending you a hand before." She fell silent and continued her dialogue in her mind "I'm not a saviour Allegro. You know that. I was useless here, in Velder, in Resiam, in Hamel, in Elder, in Ruben and God knows where else, so stop looking at me like some legendary hero I never was in the first place." Seeing her lost in thought made Feita's alchemist become aware of a pessimistic side of the sub-commander he never thought to be so tangible. Even in the bloodiest times of the Velder rebellion, the Knights never stopped protecting the innocent and moving forward, inspiring little kids and teens to be like them as soon as they could and made feel adults feel safe whenever they were there. They were proud, they were strong, they were unreachable for people that just weren't born with talent for the sword, undying perseverance and a big heart to sacrifice for a greater cause. Lara Tureen, however, was no longer wearing the red and gold cape that covered her back with the signs of the Red Mercenary Knights. She still had her brown hair, but the clear blue eyes that once reflected her kindness were frozen with a blizzard of neutrality Allegro had only seen in freelance mercenaries like the forest elf that was accompanying them. In fact, the armed elf looked more humane that Lara, but Allegro, amidst the storm of coldness that made shine Lara's face with an unnatural flame, could still see a glimpse of the sub-commander that kept the bandits from Velder's armed revolutionary movement away from his village and the others that used to neighbour it before the demons came to burn them to the ground.

What had happened to the heroes that had time and time again brought peace everywhere they went? What happened to her, their sub-commander, after she sacrificed herself and men to bring peace countless times? After the Velder rebellion, the Knights kept themselves in Hamel until the demon invasion succeeded in taking away everything they had swore to protect. All of this seemed taken out of a nightmare for everyone. The heroes of yesterday weren't there today and wouldn't be tomorrow for them. They had abandoned them, they had fled for the first time. Now, from the ashes of a forgotten world, there was still one of their members, giving her blade once more to protect the Knights' Oath. Hope still bloomed for this world, as long as Lara stood tall to take the Knight's flag once more towards victory. She had to, he knew it. It was her destiny and her duty.

"That kid is so pitiful, Mrs. ex sub-commander. Funny how you lost your purpose the day you mixed your mind with a demon's to gain greater power. Tell me, just how much souls can you absorb before you lose your own? The moment will come. Soon, so many souls will have been absorbed by yours that you won't be able to tell them apart from your own. Time to wake up, Soul Priestess. Only Henir's power can preserve your mind and you know it."

Lara ignored Luto's voice and looked up to the tower where Rain had stopped to frown at it. Lara vaguely recognized the area to be around Wenderwood village, but no traces of it were visible. Only the temple's turret, standing above the clouds like a beacon of misfortune remained visible in the horizon. Lara put her hand on her sword's grip and scanned the horizon with Berthe's demonic perception. They were there. A multiple squadrons of Glitter soldiers were hidden in the temple. Lara choked a small chuckle, seeing that everyone around her was tense and fearing the worst. She tightened her grip of her weapon and stated coldly:

"I'm no expert here, but I believe demons might be lurking ahead, maybe more than what we could handle without compromising our own safety. How exactly do you plan to help this town?"

"heheheh, You love being a bully, don't you? You want to break this girl, make her suffer until she understands that her fight is pointless. And you still think you're different from us, from what Henir wants. Just for how long will you keep telling yourself that lie? You don't even believe it yourself anymore, hahaha!"

Heavengiver LegenDarius I iFlipTables

 

[ChibiSkye]

Seeing that Dust was busy, Rena turned back towards Add and stared curiously at the equipment scattered around him. In the past few days, she had gotten to know Dust's other companions. The purple haired boy always seemed to be locked up in the lab, doing some sort of experiment. The only other time she saw him was with his recently reunited brother, Oblivion, or reporting to Dust.

"Hey, what are you researching about anyways?"

Fume

 

[Phant0m]

Phantom tensed and stayed low, keeping the gem of his staff out of the vanishing light to keep the demons from discovering them. The position was awkward for the priest though, and he had to bite his cheek as his muscles started to burn. His limbs started to shake and Phantom felt himself grow unsteady, and he gripped Arya's shoulder to steady himself before he fell. With the trio in the forest, he didn't want to risk snapping a twig or causing anything that might draw the demons' attention to the three of them.

Late Breakthrough

 

[Breakthrough]

Arya involuntarily tensed when she felt a hand on her shoulder, but relaxed when she realized it was just Phantom. She was tense and on edge, not wanting to make any sound that gave away her position. She would constantly look over at Star on her shoulder and put a hand on the Hatchling's muzzle to silence her, shaking her head and pointing to the demons and warning her telepathically to stay quiet.

Late Phant0m

 

[Late]

Xavier kept on waiting for them to leave, knowing that Phantom and Arya were tensed and afraid to move. He glanced up to the trees to see thaf Komodo was still watching. The dragon had a nervous look in his eyes but suddenly it shifted as he watched the demons. Xavier focused back to the demons. The demons were starting to head at their direction, making Xavier's heart skip a beat.

Though he noticed a strange green fog moved in on them, causing the demons to stop and look where the fog had come from. They had their spears ready in their hands as they breathed in the fog. Luckily for the hiding three, the fog doesn't seem to travel over to them. Slowly, the demons' movements became sluggish and they often gave out yawns as they try to walk towards where the fog came from. Yet when they reached to the source, one by one the demons fell over and were deep asleep. The fog lifted after they drop and Xavier felt the ground shifted. He heard branches snapping and trees cracking as a large body of green raised itself from hiding, the scales flashing the environment's colors which indicate that it was in camouflage.

It took awhile for Xavier to recognize who it was, noting the darker shade of green scales and the long snake like body it drags with the sharp, razor-like wings on its back. Ivy looked different from the last time Xavier saw her. Yet her face never changed, having no eyes but smooth scales covering her face as great, rich brown horns stick out from the top of her head. She was still fascinating to look at.

Ivy leaned over to the demons and gave them a couple of sniff, grimacing from the smell as their body shifted from the force of her nose. Xavier wasn't sure how to exactly approach her. Its been too long, and his appearances had changed. Plus Xavier know that he smell more of a human than a one living with dragons. Even Komodo from up above was a bit nervous to go down. Though from the shade of her scales, Xavier knows she is sick. Whenever Ivy is sick, she can get rather aggressive at random points.

He thought about moving away. Maybe it was best to not approach her like this. Before he could gesture his friends to follow, the bushes they hid in shifted and suddenly was pulled away. They fell out of their hiding spot.

"I was wondering where the humans hid off to." Ivy shifted her head towards them as they were surprised to be founded out. The bushes reformed itself to a tail, something that Xavier forgot about Ivy. "Hmm...I think you three will do for a good meal. I'm getting rather tired of gathering up demons for food, though I do find it enjoyable to separate them from their group." Slowly her voice turned like poison.

"Ivy, wait," Xavier said as he scrambled to get back on his feet. Ivy paused her movements which gave Xavier some hope but he was eventually pushed down by her claws, holding back one that was aimed for his throat.

"A human knowing my name? That's rather horrifying. Do others know of our existence here? Or only you three?" Ivy pondered as she held Xavier down without a second thought.

Xavier struggled to hold back her claw. "Don't hurt her guys!" He warned them, mostly because he didn't want to enrage her.

Ivy shifted her head to "stare" at Arya and her dragon, noting the hiss coming from Star. "What's this? A human enslaved a young one? Ah, this is getting more horrifying by every second of it. Best if I get rid of you all. It'll probably do some good for all of us."

Ivy froze when she heard a roar from up above, in which Komodo was flying back down to save his trainer. She did pulled back after Komodo landed next to Xavier. Xavier relaxed when the claw was pulled away.

"Now that's someone I haven't heard for awhile," she murmured, leaning down to Komodo.

Komodo let off a series of roars and chirps at Ivy, in which the large dragon stayed quiet to listen. After he was done, Ivy's face shifted to what seems to be a frown. She slowly leaned closer to Xavier who was still in the ground, pressing her snout against him just to get a better smell. Xavier didn't necessarily like this as he was pinned down once again and for every sniff of him made her lips pull back to a light snarl. Ivy's multiple of teeth were showing and Xavier was in an awful position to get easily biten in half.

Breakthrough Phant0m