Fantasy ✧ Starhunter ✧

[JadeGreen17]

"Well, I suppose I my food will have to wait just a few moments. How can I refuse." Alduir said with a pleased smile, gladly taking polly up on the offer he started to smoke. Most everyone else was in fact greedily devouring their food at the moment with very little in the way of conversation conversation. Khy didn't even bother comment on the the thick noxious plumes of black smoke Alduir produced.

...

Deyvid had landed in the woods, just a few dozen yards from the border of a town called Bloodbrook. A pitiful copy of Red River, which at least had some semblance of urban planning and growth. The only buildings in Bloodbrook with concrete foundations were the bar, the general store and an arcadian chapel with a crooked steeple. The rest were trailer homes or wood shanties; poor excuses for farmhouses, their shingles peeling off in the increasingly tumultuous wind. Most of the men from the farming town were waiting out the storm in the bar, with women and children vulnerable in their homes. There was also no shortage of livestock in poorly regulated pens; if any at all. A wild pig scrambled past, seeking shelter from the growing storm.

The mouse simply scurried off. It was after all, just a regular mouse with the brain the side of a pea that promptly forgot the telepathic exchange and wanted desperately to hide and escape the storm. Until it didn't. The creature sized just before it could retreat under a fallen log and was pulled up by an invisible force. It was difficult to register at first but the tiny creature seemed to be in almost incomprehensible pain. It thrashed about and squeaked and squealed and cried as its tiny body twisted and convulsed.

It dropped to the ground, grimacing with a mouthful of unnatural sharp teeth and white rings in its eyes that almost seemed to glow. It then darted off, tirelessly sprinting with intent and purpose to fulfill its mission.

Then the thunder seemed to speak; in a booming and all encompassing voice, yet audible only to the vampire.

"Normally I would not be so direct. But I can see that our interests are aligned, so I have made that creature your servant."

 

[beymozo]

"Simples tricks, that's it. Of course, I can pull off plenty more... Card Tricks, Magick Fireworks, conjuration of Animals, even launching Fireballs is something I can pull off for Paradise's sake." Pollyanna was flipping through the pages in her tome of magick, no gap was left open from spells, incantations, tricks, formulas, alchemy circles, diagrams, runes, and many other things written on the pages. Magick ran within not just her species but her entire world as a whole, it made up the very fabric of her universe's reality, a permeation of willpower and imagination.

"Funny I'm about to say this in a dying world, but I haven't felt this alive in forever. Ever since that day..." She let out a relieving sigh of happiness and complacency, reflecting upon the older days as she went to town on her food and drink. Pollyanna was thoroughly enjoying the hospitality.

...

Deivyd's tone shifted from sorrow to inquisitiveness as he witnessed the transformation of Templeton into such a hideous aberration. He grit his fangs as he reached into his coat, slowly but steadily pulling out what appeared to be some rather bulky firearm. Something was clearly offset to him, this sudden removal of equilibrium became even more apparent as the voice of Endtropy called out to him.

Deivyd's tattered cloak bellowed, a murder of crows flew out from underneath it's shade, dispersing in all directions. The eyes of the crows were blood red, being controlled by Deivyd as nothing more than drones used to find out exactly what was going on.

"I have not a single clue who or what you are... but know that you have already made a grievous error on your part by doing what you just did to Templeton." Deivyd hissed, his eyes were glowing a blood orange as his form was beginning to shift before ultimately reverting at only a glimpse into his hideous transformation. The crows squawked and cawed as they fluttered about frantically within the fierce storm, lightning shattered the sky and lit up the fields in a blaze of white hot ardent flames that clashed with the immensely stronger downpour in a losing battle.

 

[JadeGreen17]

Alduir couldn't perceive everything, as she too was an esper. But he could perceive enough from her inflections, her face, her general aura. He topped off her glass of Ahab's ale.

"I understand if its difficult to talk about... just try and enjoy yourself for the time being... and get some rest. You've been through a lot. You're the first interdimensional traveler this world has has in at least three millenia, and from what I can gather your journey was neither easy or intentional.

Tomorrow we'll discuss what we're going to do. Our jobs are never ending. But it does the spirit good, to relax and remind ourselves of what truly matters."

Alduir finished the cigarillo. Even though it was some magically summoned object, he stubbed it out in the ashtray before raising his glass to a toast.

"They do... toast where you come from? Right?"

...

The sky had no response for Deyvid, but to intensify the downpour. Endtropy saw little worth in arguing with insolent children. The wind would whip against his clothing, throwing sheets of warm spring rain into his face. The flames now all but extinguished. A strong surging gale broke loose a branch from a maple tree that had fallen ill. A speeding pickup swerved to avoid it, going into a hydroplane and striking the spruce pole which held the town's phone and electrical lines. The truck had rolled on its side, and the pole peeled over with a creak. The wires plucked from their sockets one by one and as the hamlet was bathed in darkness.

The passengers of the truck, two cages full of chickens which had busted open. The surviving chickens scattered in a mad panic. Running in circles as cracks of thunder on all sides continued to startle them. The truck's driver was a fat farmer wearing a stained sleeveless top and crawled away from the wreckage. One leg was badly broken, with a bone protruding from the skin. He crumpled to the ground.

"You! You there! HELP! PLEASE!"

...

The mouse wove through the forest with ferocious drive and purpose. Its tiny legs worked well beyond exhaustion; the muscle fibers tearing themselves to shreds and mending a moment later. In spite of the unrelenting tempest it sprinted. Eventually it came out onto an open road on the outskirts of red river. Promptly scurrying into a manhole cover that was not fully replaced it tumbled down into the hidden world of urban plumbing.

Fortunately this was a sewer, not a storm drain. And at least in Red River, these were distinct and separate systems. The smell of waste was putrid and choking, but the tiny animal cared not. Its instinctual reflexes numbed by its new inhabitant. It negotiated the rafts of refuse, wary of the pestilince-ridden waters before finding the particular pipe he so desired. A small one which broke from the main sewer and led uphill quite some ways...

 

[beymozo]

"We do toasts." She toasted Alduir's glass, giving a crooked smile before gulping downing the Ahab in one go. "Now that's what I'm talking about!" Pollyanna gave a long drawn out belch of relief as her cheeks turned a bright, violet color. The alcohol was finally beginning to hit her in all the right ways... Her vision was getting blurry, fingertips going numb, and pupils struggling to dilate right as she began to speak with a slur.

"Yah, so I said I'd speak of this story at the table, and I'm going to now. Should be a bit of a shortie." She hiccupped while pouring even more of the Ahab's. "Just saying... this stuff is good." She raised another toast in a half ass manner before downing a second glass and moving onto what she wished to speak about.

"Still trying to process all of it... but like..." She paused to think. "Oh! Like twelve years ago... One night, lying in bad... Got a horrible vision. Hopped out of bed the next morning and headed out with my husband to the city... As we were planning to move out a few weeks later... That was a mistake." In less than the span of a few minutes, Pollyanna's expression changed from that of a high spirit drunk to a lost soul as tears flew down her eyes.

"But when I got home... the estate, it was burning, there was blood and guts everywhere... Mattaton he was struck down by a beast with silver hair. My children, all but one were gone... I can't help but rue the day I came upon my dear little Gwyneth's bloodied remains. The last thing I ever saw was my husband, Maxyll charge in to the inferno, screaming at me to run away as fast as I could." She began to shiver, unable to hold back her pain anymore.

"From that day forward... I ran and ran and ran!" She screamed out loud and threw her glass to the ground, shattering it completely. "For twelve whole fucking years, I've been running from the same goddamn man, and I don't even know what the piece of shit wants from me! Soon, he'll come here, and he'll do to you what he's done to the rest of those I seek asylum from... by sticking your severed fucking heads on spikes and letting what remains become surplus for a pack of wild dogs. Deivyd leaves nothing but a trail of scorched and bloodied corpses down the road he walks. The man is nothing more than a monster, a shell of what was... or rather never was!" Pollyanna was losing her mind, consistently swearing like a sailor from all the anguish and pain of it all.

"If I wasn't such a weak piece of shit... Maybe none of this would of ever happened, maybe I could have driven a stake through that worthless vampyre's heart..." She relaxed, slumping back into her chair, exhausted. Her own spells used to block out psychic divination were beginning to wane enough to where Alduir could finally get a glimpse of who she truly was. None of it was a fluke, every ounce of emotion she poured was raw and unadulterated.

"Sorry about breaking your glass..."

...

Deivyd beckoned his murder of crows back into the safety of his cloak. "Hmmph... Who or whatever you are, better not stand in my way. I'm warning you." He stated outloud, easing his gun back into his coat before slowly striding over to the injured farmer. Deivyd kneeled down and examined the man's injuries with an open jaw, salivating at the ripe fruit lying helpless before him. His fang's protracted out and he hissed, a scowl darker than note over his eyes... and just as he was about to strike his prey, Deivyd pulled back, retracting his fangs.

"No... Unless you are willing to join my ranks among the those that have chosen the undeath, I shall spare you the mercy... Besides I can tell you have a love for nature anyways, to me that is reason enough to help." Deivyd chuckled as he pulled the farmer aside and pressed a hand against the frightened man's injured leg... With an excruciating twist and pull, the Vampyre re-orientated the man's bone back into place. Although painful, he would gain the ability to finally stand and walk once again. Deivyd used this opportunity to not only feed on the man's blood, but to do so just enough to where he stopped the bleeding altogether all through vampyric touch alone.

"Need help gathering the rest of your hens? I am willing to do so." He stood up, his cloak flowing in the wind. Endtropy ramping up the downpour was a mild inconvenience at worst, but even then, his specie's ability of having secondary translucent eyelids helped a lot by all around mitigating the downsides.

 

[JadeGreen17]

"Polly..." Alduir tried to interrupt. Khy, then Maxell, Pyt and Wendy all abandoned their food and hastily excused themselves from the meal.

"Polly-"

"Polly!"

"POLLYANNA!"

As her blind rage subsided, room was empty but footsteps could be heard elsewhere in the house. Only Alduir remained. The glass had vanished. Everyone else's food still sat on the table growing cold and abandoned. It was uncertain if she had ever really broken the Arcadian antique. But Isaac sweeping glass shards out of a dustpan in the next room confirmed that it had indeed happened.

Alduir let out a sigh. He took long rasping breaths, removing his spectacles and massaging the bridge of his nose. Without his spectacles he looked tired. Outright exhausted even. He took out a Cigarillo. A real cigarillo, not one conjured via magic and lit it up. He took a long drag, blowing a puff of black smoke.

"You're an esper. One who can block me out, obfuscate even my omniscient eyes. Normally I can tell when someone has something like this on their mind, and I could counsel you ahead of time, but you are so deep in your own denial it built up inside of you until you had an outburst. All of us. Even those you might not expect, like Isaac. We've had strange and morbid histories. We've lost friends. We've lost family. To ruminous powers and..." He glanced at the portrait of Marcus in the next room "...deprived people..." He trailed off, taking another long drag on his cigarillo and then coughing a few times. "...we hack we will understand."

He topped off her Ahab's ale in a fresh unbroken glass.

...

Templeton wormed his way up out of the drain into the claw footed bathtub. The rodent scurried up the shower curtain and under the door. Down the hall the clashing of oak bow staves. Two individuals talked under their breath between clashes.

"Its just dumb bullshit. Of fucking course she's got baggage. Of course she's gotta bottle it up till it erupts like yellowstone. Of course she's gotta ruin dinner."

"I'm not saying I blame her for being upset... but why she gotta fly off the handle with zero provocation during dinner?"

"I know right. Lost my appetite."

"Whatever, Alduir's taking one for the team and talking her through it. He deserves a medal for dealing with everyone's nonsense..."

That wasn't who he was looking for. The mouse scented something more familiar, negotiating the stairs. There they were, seated in the dining room.

Bingo. This had to be the Loreon Deyvid was looking for. But what were they talking about.

The mouse watched for a moment As Alduir poured her a drink. Unaware of two emerald green slitted pupils watching from under a small stand in the hallway, shimmering with a vibrant sheen. The small white cat twitched her whiskers and primed her haunches for a pounce...

...

The man looked around. Despite his leg being fixed and he managed to rise to a hobbled standing position. Deyvid's vampirism had become apparent. He was not the most educated man but he was no idiot... and his face was wild with disbelief and confusion at the sight of what was so obviously a real vampire. No amount of costuming could achieve this look, these feats.

"So... you're saying... I have a choice. I either serve you or die??" He swallowed. "A... alright. I'll do it. Turn me into one of you. Please just... don't kill me." He said flinching away, bracing for a painful bite.

 

[beymozo]

"I. I'm so sorry, it's just... it all sort of built up. I was intending to clue everyone in on the ordeal in a calm manner, but the emotions finally got to me. I have hope that maybe with a bunch of strong folks like you, that Deivyd may not stand another chance, that maybe I don't have to see another innocent person die with a nail driven through their skulls and hung up on a wall." Pollyanna gladly took the drink Alduir poured for her and had just a small sip. She wiped her face with a napkin and coughed before biting her pointer finger with one of her canines and beginning to write symbols on her arm. From it, she dropped the shield that was preventing Alduir from truly reading her.

"I trust you enough, so I've put an exception within the incantation preventing folks from reading my mind. As you can see, a lots going on up there. Bet you can see that bastard named Deivyd as well yeah?" Images of Deivyd standing in front of the blistering remains of the Cross Estate were burnt into her scarred yet hopeful mind. Despite all the pain and all the torment, Pollyanna remained optimistic that one day she can ascertain the full entirety of the situation and push her own nemesis back into the bowls of pandaemonium.

"I can hear everyone's voices around us, they're all sour and confused... And I got myself to blame for that, my bad... I'm guessing you deal with these kind of problems often, eh Al?" She gave an amused yet defeated chuckle, taking another sip of her Ahab's. She was at least cheering up a bit more, her tone of voice being less sorrowful and more just of a slightly uplifted melancholy.

. . .

"Are you sure you truly wish to become a Vampyre? Where you live out your days bathing in eternal darkness, forced to walk the earth without a sun? Do you truly wish to become a monster who will manipulate and slaughter your own kind in order to feed? Are you certain you are that depraved and devoid of purpose in life that the only culling is to become one of us? Immortality is not all it is cracked up to be... I should know for you are a thousand years my junior after all.

So I will ask you once again, are you sure? If not..." Deivyd wanted the farmer to confirm whether he truly wanted to walk down such a path of undeath, where he will never get to bask in the light of day ever again. His tone was grim and hollow, he clearly sympathized with the man yet was conflicted, seeing the farmer as nothing more than livestock, ripe for a feeding.

 

[JadeGreen17]

"This is about a once-every-two-weeks occurrence." He returned with a savage honesty, finishing his second cigarillo for the evening and placed it in the ashtray. "What do you say I help you settle this... Help you to confront your fear of this depraved man once and for all."

"Yeah sure." She nods.

Alduir would lead her upstairs through the maze of corridors into his bedroom. Only mildly untidy with purple and gold decor. He retrieved an incense burner and lit two sticks. Contrasting the putrid smokesticks he was so often attached to; the incense was sweet and unintrusive, a smell of flowers and herbs designed to aid one in spiritual meditation. The manor had thick walls and the auditory voices of the other hunters could not be heard.

"Now..." He sat in lotus position "...empty your mind. Don't worry about the others. Don't worry about them... don't listen to their mental chatter... and focus."

Suddenly she would feel her corporeal body fade away. The numb pain of her numerous injuries recede, as though she were now in a lucid dream of sorts. Alduir's soul a vivid purple projection; a third eye in the middle of his forehead and swaying tendrils reaching off into oblivion, while polly's was a more mild lavender. The ether was a miasma of colors, dark purple mists like the nebulas of space dotted with glimmering gemstones which floated past. A void.

"Now... bring forward your fears of him. Pour all your negative emotions into the shared dream. Do not worry, I can take it. We are safe here. he cannot hurt us."

...

Templeton scrambled up the stairs. The tiny white cat tearing after the rodent as he negotiated the maze of hallways alerting the home's various inhabitants with the thud of her galloping paws. The mouse scurried up a table, and the cat followed suit; sending a relic urn crashing onto the floor. The chase continued, the mouse desperately searching for an exit. But the house was robust, thick stone walls and fine metal registers. No cracks or empty walls in which to hide.

Finally the rodent was captured. Snowball's fangs locked down on the mouses' neck as he squealed and writhed. The cat was a spiritual guardian, and had the urge to present the malignant intruder to the residents before disposing of it. But was also... a cat and not the most intelligent creature.

...

The man thought for a moment, fighting through as a fresh surge of pain came from his mended but still injured leg. The rain was still pouring down on him and he was now thoroughly soaked. He was hardly a scholar of psychology, but he was no idiot. He caught the vampire's hungry gaze, and seemed to contemplate something. He frowned, before his brow perked. Another message from the twisted heavens. This one not intended for Deyvid.

The fat farmer's face twisted into a vindictive scowl.

"Yes. And we shall celebrate my transformation with our first feast. My wife. That fat cow is cheating on me with a Lawyer from Decago... Robin Kuto... I just know it. She plans to take any excuse to cut me off, take the kids and leave me with nothing. And he's a Lawyer, what am i gonna do to avoid getting a raw deal..."

 

[beymozo]

Pollyanna closed her eyes, all the hate, all the fear, all the rage slowly trickled forward. Her own spirit vibrating like an earthquake swapping between colors of black, red, and blue as the all pent up anxiety crawled it's way out of her being. A line of thick black ooze extended outwards from underneath her own two feet, bubbling into a thousand spikes which twisted and contorted into the form of a humanoid monster made of pure vantablack, the only thing visible was his pale cracked face and long violette hair.

"Right..." Her breathes were slow and dramatic as she slowly stepped towards the beast. She was sweating and on the verge of tears, clearly distraught in the presence of the figure. Although the details were not refined nor perfect, the pale imitation of Deivyd was close enough to the real deal. Pollyanna stood there for minutes on end, frozen and unable to approach her fears. She broke and reached out a hand to the imitation, laying it against his cheek which was cold as a desert night. Tears were flowing down her eyes as she wept and mourned before finally coming her senses and sucker punching the imitation square in the face sending it crashing to the ground.

She beat the copy of Deivyd senseless, smearing the vampyre's blood all over her hands before standing up and feeling as if she could finally take him on.

. . .

"So then... That is your decision. Then you must certainly be aware that the only way to become a vampyre is... no... I will." Deivyd's eyes flashed a blood red as he thrust his hand through the farmer's chest and out the other side. He had a clutch on the man's own still beating heart. "You must die." Deivyd savagely crushed his vital organ and immediately sunk his teeth deep into the man's throat. The Vampyre kept a tight hold of the frightened man's arm, squeezing it so hard that it was practically crushed and severed all the while, through gulp after gulp he fed on the man's own lifeforce, draining him of ever ounce of blood.

"What a ripe little apple." Deivyd hissed, a wicked smile across his fast as the farmer's limp body made of nothing but hardened bone and drained tissue fell to the ground, crumpling into dust and scattering through the wind. He sighed. "I can feel and see his memories... He was telling the truth." Deivyd held his arms out and began to laugh in an almost psychotic trance out loud, his wails of amusement scattered about the torrential winds. "They're vulnerable, all too vulnerable... Time for a bountiful harvest starting with your miserable wife and that decrepit lawyer." He yelled before hopping onto his horse and riding deep into town, towards the farmer's house.

 

[JadeGreen17]

"Are you feeling better?" Alduir questioned for a moment. He seemed distant.

"...are you ready to face the real thing?"

With his proposition the dream ended. He rose.

"While you were fighting, I saw him. The real Deyvid... He's somehow transited to our world, and he's not far from here. He's threatening the lives of innocents; something we cannot allow."

He snapped his fingers twice. Polly could hear everyone stir in their bedrooms, hastily making preparations for a hunt.

...

"Oh... Fantastic" Isaac grumbled feciciously as he put away the last of the pizza from the abandoned dinner, only to catch snowball crunching on a dead Templeton.

Devouring the poor creature with the crunch of tiny bones and the tearing of flesh. Its insides black and rotten. Nearly as soon as she finished; the cat began to wretch, projectile vomiting a large mass of twisted organs and crushed bones draped in black stringy tar. The housekeeper turned around, retrieving a generous heap of disposable towels.

As his back was turned, and the cat gleefully ambled away to sleep somewhere; the mass began to slither and move like a lava flow, finding its way up the counter and into the sink. When Isaac turned to see it was already beginning down the drain. He watched agape for a moment before the rest of it was gone. Shrugging, and re-rolling the paper towels.

...

Robin was a tall and handsome man, wearing an Arcadian star around his neck. Who had locked the farmer's wife in his embrace, the two kissing passionately in the front room of the house. The man withdrew.

"Robin..." she pleaded. "Do you have to go?"

"Yes, unfortunately." He took out a pocketwatch. "I've got a new case coming in that I have to read up on... It's a big one. One that I cannot afford to lose..."

He planted a kiss on her cheek, and gave her a whispered "I love you". and headed outside for his car; An elegant white coupe out of place with virtually everything else in the town. And more expensive than virtually everything else in the town combined.

 

[beymozo]

"Figures he'd be close by... Well, let's hope whatever happens, he doesn't get even an ounce of my blood." Pollyanna stated, a fiercely determined expression on her face as she ran up towards the door and grabbed hold of her stuff. She hastily through on her heels and cloak, stashing her book of magickal arts onto her belt, wand sheathed away before reaching into her bag. Polly took hold of that same wooden handle from earlier and activated it. The petrified wooden unfurled into a long staff in an impossible manner, revealing an electrum blade edged with silver and coated in enchanted gold. She stepped on over to where the group would be coordinating at.

"At the ready when everyone else is, Al." Pollyanna was clearly antsy about the whole situation, having practically rushed getting herself to the point she was the only one fully ready.

. . .

Robin was about to back out in his white coupe as another white hot flash of lightning hit the ground at the end of the driveway; Deivyd appeared within the flash, his soaked hair blowing in the rain as only a single orange glowing dot and his wicked smile could be seen within the shadow obscuring his pale face. He stood there in Robin's way, preventing the lousy man from driving off any further.

"Think you can spare a moment to talk, cattle?" Deivyd inquired with an amused chuckle, his father's crucifix gleaming in the light of the storm.

 

[JadeGreen17]

"Then perhaps its best if you stay here, and go back to sleep. We're going to be the psychic artillery..." He paused for a second, flagging her down. "Hanai. You're better at driving than me. Take the RV to Bloodbrook. You know what to do."

"I'm staying here!" Raiah shouted. "I'm going to fire up the prototype defense matrix. You said it was... Bloodbrook?"

Alduir nodded.

Hanai scrambled to get to the RV, with Satri, Pyt, Hyuna, Khy and Manei piling inside. She was one of the last to board, flagged down by Isaac.

"Madame Khyagusa... are you sure driving in the storm is the...safest idea...?"

Hanai snapped around, snarling like an enraged bear. So thoroughly overcome with fear, for a moment, Issac shrank into a quivering diminutive form.

Raiah scrambled into her workshop. A tangle of wires, vacuum tubes, pipes and assorted equipment formed some primitive but functional computer system with a single green text command line monitor. She threw several switches on an overloaded power strip causing a few racks to come to life. She worked the keyboard; salvaged from a typewriter for a moment before a screen appeared.

Anti-Endtropy Defense Grid V0.3
Radio Relay: Err Offline
Ground Towers: Online
Tesseract Monitoring System: Err Offline
Detection System: Err Offline
Planetary Shield: Err Offline
RR 1: Online
RR 2: Online
RR 3: Online
RR 4: Online
RR 5: Err Offline
RR 6: Err Offline
RR 7: Err Offline
Robozord 2: Err Offline

>MD

Enter Coordinates:

>44.54.08N 72.38.24W

Configuring all units for autonomous detection and hunter-killer protocol
Deploying RR1…
Deploying RR2…
Deploying RR3…
Deploying RR4…

A small launch bay opened out of what appeared to be a tornado shelter. Four streaks of sapphire flame launching into the bitter tempest. Almost completely unmoved by the gales and torrential rains.

...

Robin came to a stop, sliding out the far side of the car Cautiously into the rain. His suit quickly became drenched. He looked Deyvid up and down covertly withdrawing a collapsible silver greatsword. He took a fighting stance.

"Stay back, demon... or by the power of Nex, I shall smite you..."

 

[beymozo]

"Right. Psychic Artillery, that's a way to put it... Now's just getting me to sleep." Pollyanna stood collapsed her staff back into nothing more than a wooden stick all the while with a disappointed look in her face. She pulled over a chair and plopped inside of it, arms and shoulders relaxed as she sighed.

"I can feel you've got something... now put me to sleep will you?" She requested.

. . .
Templeton hastily slithered back off into the shelter of the forest. While agile, it's clear he would take a few moments to fully arrive. In the meantime, Deivyd faced down the scumbag paladin, licking his lips he broke out in another symphony of laughter.

"You'll smite me? Pathetic. You think you're hot shit, yet you're about as hopeful as a pig wishing to escape a slaughterhouse, may-" Deivyd was seemingly cut short as Robin swept the vampyre's head clean off. "Fly." Deivyd finished as his decapitated head rolled into the mud, a smirk across his face as he began to still speak, proving the move to be plainly ineffective.

"You're really in over your head... you know that right?" Deivyd's head sprung into the air as roots made of flesh sprouted from the stump, his body acted separately in tandem as from the tips of his fingertips came a flash of sparks followed by bolts of ethereal hot white lightning jetting out and pouring inside the paladin's chest. It tore his shirt open, leaving a searing hot black mark on his chest as the attack cut through every fiber of his being, the pain was unlike anything he would ever feel as his literal soul was ripped apart on every level.

The paladin fell to his knees, screaming and clutching his chest from the unyielding pain as Deivyd's head crawled on to the man's back.

"Now, let's feast shall we?" Deivyd hissed as his jaws unhinged and his tongue launched out skewering the man through his own neck as every ounce of blood was drained from his body and he was converted into a pale ghoul sent on a simple mission to enter the farmhouse and slaughter his former lover like cattle, spreading the infection all across town. Deivyd meanwhile reattached his head and moved on deeper into town, smiling as blood smeared the window from inside the farmhouse, the screams of the farmer's wife ringing through the old vampyre's ears like a soothing children's lullaby.

 

[JadeGreen17]

"Alright. Steady your mind. Its going to take most all of my energy simply to connect to a mind as strong willed and deprived as his, particularly at this range. I'll force the door open, but it will be all you from there."

Alduir didn't use his sleep-snap. Instead he eased her into sleep gradually. A vast twisting portal of indigo tendrils before her, a great psionic umbilical reached across dimensions through the stormy dark to Deyvid, reaching him and twisting like a drill; yet invisible to mortal eyes. Alduir hammered into the vampire's head with the full brunt of his psychic might, fighting to open a passage into his mind such that Pollyanna could follow through.

Meanwhile other, more physical combatants were arriving. A quartet of sonic booms. The Automatons arrived, and lingered in a semi-circular formation above Deyvid, displaced about fifty feet off the ground and from each other and floating on spikes of cold blue flame. They seemed largely unperturbed by the ferocious tempest. A bolt of lightning struck one of them, and the machine was almost unphased by the tremendous surge of electricity, only momentarily wavering before finding stability in the air once more. Priming a salvo of ranged attacks, they set their sights on the vampyre's eyes. From Raiah's messy cave of electronics she caught a glimpse of the depraved villian through a primitive screen, giving a confirmation order to engage...

 

[beymozo]

"What the..?" Deivyd had hold of a dead man, his lifeless head hanging by a thread from his bloodied stump of a neck. The old vampyre was confused at the sudden sight of the robo raiahs, "Indroids?" he thought to himself, a cocky smile across his face as he tossed the man's corpse aside and proceeded to throw an arc of spectral lightning square at the old fashioned automatons.

". . ." Deivyd's eyes lit up a blood orange, his expression switching from outright confident to greatly confused as the spectral lightning seemingly did nothing to the robo-raiahs, leaving nothing more than hot black burns imprinted on their metal chassis, brief trails of thin smoke jetting from the impacts. Deivyd snarled, baring his fangs as he unfurled his cloak, the shadows underneath boiled and weaved into an overgrowth of vantablack roots which sank into the now shaking ground. Purple light erupted from the terrain below their feet as a horde of undead humanoids and beasts plucked themselves from out of the cracks and began to immediately move about within the storm, ready to cause total chaos.

On the other end, Alduir's psychic probing proved to be quite ineffective even with such a brute forcing... Deivyd's own indomitable willpower far outshined the mighty esper's current output of psionic energies. However, although it caused nothing in comparison to the pain of losing one's own limbs, Alduir managed to pour a bit of his power through the vampyre's thick skull, just enough to cause Deivyd to step back and recuperate as he attempted to figure out what was happening, caring little about the fact he may get mangled and ripped to shreds in the next few moments.

"Got it, I'm going in!" Pollyanna exclaimed as she wormed her way into Deivyd's own skull, forming a link with the Vampyre. Her own two eyes shot out beams of white light as they rolled into the back of her head. She was cast deep into the very abyss of her enemy's decrepit mind. Pollyanna's projection shattered through the glass of Deivyd's broken mind, as her soul fell for an eternity through the unending darkness of her subconscious. She could feel every ounce of his being piling onto her... His Guilt. His Sorrow. His Laughter. His Optimism. His Cynicism... Deivyd's hatred. It was overwhelming, as if being drowned in a lake of hot boiling lava. All of his vindictiveness had a cause, a reason. It was as if she had stumbled upon a great big spider's web.

After falling through the inferno... Pollyanna finally woke up, only to find herself lying under an apple tree, having been sent back a millennia ago. ". . ." She had no words to describe what was going on, only the undeniable fact that she was about to stumble upon the hydra that slumbered deep within the crevices of Deivyd's own mindscape.

 

[JadeGreen17]

Alduir withdrew with a grunt. His work was done, and his energies were spent; at least for the moment. Pollyanna had her link into Deyvid's mind. Now he simply had to place his faith into her to put an end to this conflict. He simply observed through his astral form as the physical confrontation got underway.

The heated lasers strobed. Machines fighting with efficiency in mind, rather than glory they began to gun down the undead without breaking their formation. Fast strobing bolts of laser leading to quick and efficient headshots against some of the lesser creatures, searing neat holes through their rotten flesh. The undead vampyres proved a bit more difficult, able to sustain hits from the beams they were forced to engage in melee combat. These reverted into wild melee engagements. By no means sqaush fights, but fights that were still clearly biased in their favor. The unrestrained flailing and biting yielding little more than scratches in the plating; and losing out to swift and calculated salvoes of rocket-assisted punches. With two of them splitting off to handle the newly spawned horde of undead and feral vampires, the other two were left to face their master.

Barreling towards him, they released their beams at full power; aimed at his eyes as they primed melee weapons. A moment later they would bring their hammers down in a symmetric unison; one which would if avoided, easily splash the solid ground like water and leave a sizable crater.

...

Hanai snarled as she drove through the rain. Her foot firmly forcing the gas pedal down as far as it would go. Narrowly evading a panicked driver fleeing the devastation of Bloodbrook and driving down the narrow forested road in the opposing direction; causing the RV to hydroplane. Its back end fishtailed to either side of the country road as she fought to regain control, letting off a full salvo of profanities as she did.

 

[beymozo]

Deivyd took hit after hit, his body being mangled and beaten bloody. Despite the agonizing pain of having his eyes and consequently his whole head blown to bits, it didn't deter him whatsoever. Thick smoke poured from the battered crevices of his body as first his bone reformed, flesh weaving it's way back together, followed by his skin and hairs rolling into place. The fabric he once wore scattered into the wind and disintegrated as a new set of the same old clothes took the old one's place.

". . . " Bloody tears flowed down Deivyd's face as he pulled that same firearm from earlier from under his coat and aimed it square at one of the Robo Raiahs "I'll reduce you to nothing more than scrap metal, insolent automatons." he stated before pressing down on the trigger. In the span of only a mere second and with such supernatural speed, nearly ten rounds were fired at an alarming speed from the barrel, the cold iron bullets tipped with adamant screamed like lost souls as they traveled through the air, leaving a shockwave behind.

Deivyd's mindscape was rather tranquil and calm; As the great blue sun rose in the white sky, there was a light morning mist covering the grassy field, a gentle breeze swaying dew off the cyan flora. Pollyanna overlooked a dirt road down the small hill she was situated on top of, the serene scent of nature filled her senses as she sat up against the apple tree and gazed upon the blues ahead.

"Come on Violette! Quite bein' a slowpoke will ya! We're going to miss the sunrise." Coming towards Pollyanna was a younger Deivyd, roughly in his early 20s, he looked so much friendlier, and wore rather dashing clothes out of the medieval area; And although he lacked the scars embedded on his face, he was missing each and every one of his limbs, cut at the elbows and knees, all of them were replaced by simple wooden prosthetics.

"Cut it out Deivyd, I can only move so fast in a dress you know!" Behind Deivyd, a woman in her early 20s as well, she staggered behind, having to hold her dress as she practically skipped her way up the hill after Deivyd. She had long red hair and violet eyes, a single beauty mark under her left eye. The two sat down next to one another underneath the tree, paying no mind to Pollyanna as they spent their youth together in love. Deivyd and Violette shared a passionate kiss as the sun turned a violent red and began to engulf Pollyanna's spirit. She was thrown forward in time, this time situated in the sight of a brimstone altar in the midst of a burning, gore-filled town.

"Goddamn you!" "Let her go right now!" "Please! No!" "Don't do that to her!" "Violette!" Deivyd, this time in his later sixties, struggled and screamed as Violette was tortured in every inhumane way before his very eyes; Having been pinned to the ground by two figures in ashen robes, Deivyd was forced to watch the decrepit, barbarous acts before him. Unable to bare the sight before his eyes, Deivyd blacked out, his hand reaching for his own lover as she breathed her last breath…

After a while he awakened again to the sounds of rain, he was washed ashore on a muddy river bank. Looming over him was the silhouette of a man extending a hand to the grieving boy.

"You're dying out here, alone... young man. Would you like some help?" The silhouette was revealed to be a much older Loreon man in a rather fancy suit and tie, he was tall and lithe with blood red eyes and jet black hair. He wore a constant smile across his face as he looked down upon the mentally decimated boy.

"Without your purpose... or rather the one you love... where shall you go next?"

"You feel weak and wish to seek revenge on the ones who have wronged you? Am I not correct?"

"Fear not. I can guide and give you purpose if you wish…
"I can grant you the power; Power that will see the limbs you lost at birth regrow. Power that shall make you unkillable by any and all means... Power that shall allow you to maim and gore those which violated your beloved... Yes... power."

"All that I ask is for... is a taste of your blood. Whether you choose to live or die by my hands is your choice." The man gave Deivyd a choice, to live a long life of treachery or to lie there and die as cattle. Deivyd did not hesitate, and with a sinister look painted across his face, he reached out his hand towards the elderly man who promptly lifted Deivyd up and hugged him. The man rubbed Deivyd's back comforting him before finally sinking his teeth deep into the boy's neck. Everything went back to black, Pollyanna's heart sank at the memories as she soon felt herself standing in a room of pure white glass; before her Deivyd stood there.

"Done snooping around in my head... Pollyanna?" Deivyd turned around, giving Polly a crude smile.

"Deivyd... Was that all true... Did it all really happen? Please tell me you're not doing what-"

"What? Do you really think I would commit so much senseless slaughter over nothing? No, it all has a purpose, a meaning behind it."

"Then what do you want? What is there about me that you desire so much? Haven't you already gotten your revenge?"

"It's quite simple Pollyanna... the forbidden knowledge in your blood."

"Why so you can destroy our wor-"

"Why would I wish to destroy the world? That's childish... No. All I want is to bring my dear Violette and I back to life. That's all."

"Then why couldn't you have done that peacefully then! I would've gladly taught you how to use the Art of Resurrection if you all did was ask... Instead you waltzed in and murdered my loved ones, you goddamned monster!"
"I'm a monster, I get that... Honestly I am not sure why I didn't try to do anything peacefully... Maybe it's that I've become a pale reflection of who I once was... or perhaps I love the feeling of causing chaos and bloodshed, treachery has become my calling in undeath after all."

"Deivyd... Why... Couldn't you have just been a better man... I wish I could've saved you." Pollyanna began to tear up.

"Don't know... I'm no better than the fools who took my dear Violette away from me... and perhaps... it's best it stayed that way, you're a millennia late... Pollyanna. I'm too far gone." Deivyd shrugged, his sorrowful eyes obscured by the darkness of his very soul. Pollyanna faded to white and Deivyd turned to black, their two halves mixed into an illustrious grey as Pollyanna awakened in her chair next to Alduir, clearly distraught at the conversation that had taken place. Pollyanna face palmed as she couldn't hold back the tears any longer, feeling a mix of rage and sympathy towards her own enemy.

 

[JadeGreen17]

Alduir still sat as though he were meditating. Simply recovering from the ordeal of being a psychic booster for Pollyanna for a few moments. Carefully managing his energies and concentration back into line. He spoke calmly but sternly.

"Why did you withdraw...? When you could have struck him down from within his own mind?"

...

The machines reeled for a moment. Each shot which managed to connect reported off with a rapturous clang as splinters of cold iron littered the battlefield. The duo which had engaged rose from the hits via the rockets in their shoulder blades, like mummies rising from the dead. One had been struck gravely in the head, cracking open the dome which functioned as its eyes and means of ranged attack. The other had been disarmed, in a rather literal sense. Two arms missing on the same side. The marks of other rounds that had found their marks on the plates and narrowly denied penetration had left deep and warped craters in the metal. Ultimately their plating had held, if only barely.

But it was only a moment. They continued without pain and without mercy. Though it was ultimately a futile effort, a delaying action if they could not counter their foe's regeneration, they only needed to distract him long enough for the team to arrive. The one which now lacked use of its arms continued a salvo of ranged attacks. Blasts of its heat ray. While the other, lacking the ability to engage with its laser lunged in to a melee duel. Setting aside the hammer, which rocketed away to allow another to dual wield it lunged in attacking with its bare rocket-propelled fists.

The others, for the time being were finishing off the last of Deyvid's undead army. Yet another was engaged in a one-on-one brawl with the Worg. The brute he had summoned to be his minion was less than a match for the machine. It danced around him with all the grace of a skilled martial artist. The beasts' swipes and bites had a very real potential to do damage to the machine, and though they came close; he could not land a single solid hit. It let out a ferocious roar in frustration. While each punch in return was accentuated by a meaty crack and a circular puff of mist. The automaton taking no reparations with striking the throat, the groin, the kidneys, the eyes or any other anatomically vulnerable beast.

The fourth and final droid was holding off the remainder of the horde. Assorted citizens of the sleepy hamlet had awoken from their slumber to a tempest very distinct from the storm. Some were fleeing, while others stood and watched from windows. A cluster of drunk men stood gawking outside the bar. The Machine directed the flying hammers, sending them hurtling into the larger forms. The smaller rats and vermin, presumably quite dangerous to a civilian, were rapidly sniped with small precise bursts of the heat ray.

"YOU IDIOTS!" Raiah's shrill, semi-serious voice rang through with some interference from the storm. "STOP STANDING AND WATCHING! THIS IS HELLA DANGEROUS!"

 

[beymozo]

"I just didn't have the heart to do so..." She was practically bawling her eyes out. "I saw it all, all of what made him who he is..." She breathed rather heavily, shifting around in her chair as she wiped the tears away. The whole story was quite heartbreaking to Pollyanna. Such a man who was so vile and evil had been unraveled before her eyes. It broke her.

"I think I understand him now... However, I still can't forgive him, nor can I shake my hatred for the man. To have everything torn away from you like that... it's gut wrenching. I can't save him just as I couldn't strike him down, I was born a thousand years too late." Pollyanna sighed before standing up.

"However one thing I realized after sifting through his memories is that I don't think I needed to break his mind in the first place. Deivyd all his life has run away from his problems, all he'll do is stand against the automatons and once the others arrive, he'll run away. I'm sure of it. He has a habit of kiting every situation... if he didn't, I would've been a prune lying back where you had found me, Alduir. He's confused and hesitant, even after a millennia of committing such dirty deeds." Pollyanna felt assured in her assumptions as back on the battlefield she too witnessed the fight unfold in her own astral projection beside Alduir's.

Deivyd stepped out of the way of the heat rays, narrowly missing almost all of them but one which managed to hit him right in his foot. He immediately buckled under his own weight as the second robo-raiah struck him square in the face with all it's might, the automaton showed no mercy to the higher vampyre as it should; In the midst of it's onslaught, Deivyd managed to plucked himself free of the robo-raiah, revealing his face to have been beaten so hard that it had caved in, smoked jetted from every corner of his bloodied face. Several more heat rays were sent in and out the other side of his chest as he went flying back.

Deivyd recuperated and rushed towards the melee centric robo-raiah with supernatural speed followed by him thrusting his hand towards it's head, anticipating the chance to reduce the damned automaton into nothing more than a pile of scrap. Meanwhile, Templeton arrived at Bloodbrook, the little mouse turned abomination had taken a lot longer to arrive due to the sheer violence of the storm. The sounds of the shots and screams going off made Templeton rather weary... becoming even more so as he peeped around the corner, witnessing Deivyd caught up in the midst of an onslaught. For the meantime, the mouse thought it was best to run back into the forest and hide until the coast was clear.

 

[JadeGreen17]

"I see. And I understand... more than you know." Alduir swallowed, the subject was difficult for him as he often had many of the same feelings. Compassion even for the most vile of monsters. "... but you must understand, no matter how tragic his past. He is a danger to countless others... if he continues to exist in this world and wreak havoc there will only be more stories like his... because of him.

It is our responsibility as hunters... as the guardians of this world to rid it of entities that threaten its balance. We can try... try to coerce some back to the light. But there are beings." An image of Rythe would flash before them, standing, holding Kubikezzere in its disguised form. He grew more vivid with each heartbeat like a pounding drum. as he seemed to grow closer until all that was visible was a simmering white ring in an ocean of inky obsidian.

"Now that you have failed to follow through, there is a very real argument to be made that the blood of everyone he murders henceforth is now on your hands... provided we cannot take him out..." He paused, rising for a second. He mouthed some inaudible words, speaking to his teammates.

...

Hanai brought the RV to an abrupt stop, just below a sign which read that Bloodbrook was two miles away.

"What wait... why are we stopping?" Prompted Satri.

"Al says this guy's gonna make a break for it when we get close. So instead we're going to try to take him out from that ledge..." Hanai pointed at a nearby outcropping a few hundred yards away that overlooked Bloodbrook. "Stay low to the trees and don't take any lights, we cant let there be any indication that theres a sniper." Most of the team split duties and broke into the woods. A harrowing affair as it was nearly pitch black, pouring down rain and howling winds. Vastly less than ideal conditions.

"Hyuna. Carry the slowpokes. Manei, soulfire arrow. Strong one. Pyt, we need your third eye. Mom, you and me make the shot."

"Just like Seoul..."

"Just like Seoul."

"Wait what do I get to do?" Satri asked.

"Watch the RV. Make sure cops don't give us a ticket..."

...

Deyvid's melee centric combatant was caught by the strike, caving in its already damaged head. It was no glorious decapitation; the machines were vastly too durable. But it was enough to destroy the controlling electronics and send the android on an ungraceful tumble into the crooked steeple of the arcadian chapel. To the tumbling form of a machine forged of dense and durable materials; the pine timbers snapped like balsa and the structure ketered over, narrowly missing a crowd of gawkers.

Raiah too had received Alduir's instructions. She knew what he was planning. She knew she'd need him pinned for a moment, but not just yet. But every fight was like a game of chess. Intelligence, as well as brute force. Her machine had been destroyed, she had viable reasoning to change her strategy for a few moments. Play more defensively while she waited. She tuned the programming of the remaining three; the other two had finished their engagements with his undead horde; having sustained negligible damages. All of them committed to an areal assault. Flipping and tumbling unpredictably like rocket assisted gymnasts, strafing their target with searing blasts from their heat rays.

 

[beymozo]

"Damn... This is starting to become rather fun." Deivyd smirked, seemingly enjoying the Hunter's attempts at defeating him thus far. Despite the amount of flesh he was losing and regaining from the robo-raiahs constant onslaught, he felt oddly whole. Deivyd begun sidestepping, dodging the heat rays as his form began to distort. His now ugly face was covered in wrinkles, nose scrunched up like a bats, teeth and fangs rodent like, ears pointed, and his glowing orange eyes were bloodshot with veins on a canvas of black sclera; his gaunt stature increased by a single meter as his nails became longer and sharper.

"Unfortunately for you... I'm going to be the only one leaving this town alive whether you like that or not." Deivyd's voice had become distorted, filled with a rich demonic presence; blood sprayed from his back as he sprouted a pair of boney wings, thing wire-like strips of flesh connecting between each segment. Deivyd immediately took to the skies and headed straight for the second most injured robo-raiah. If such an attack succeeded, he grab the automaton by it's face followed by a mighty slam back down to earth powerful enough to part the damp ground like a body of water.

. . .
"Yeah... I apologize once again... Let's just hope he doesn't you know... go after anybody. Especially..." Pollyanna had been lost in deep thought before she spoke up. Clear meditating on her sudden flippantness as of lately. She felt rather guilty still following the incident during dinner. "...Since he's entered his higher vampyre form." she sighed, both worried but idiotically hopeful that Deivyd won't continue his onslaught on the Hunters any further after taking down the robo-raiahs.

 

[JadeGreen17]

The android was similarly put out of the fight, buried under a few meters of muddy topsoil and a sickly potato crop which had gone unharvested last season. Now reduced to two the drones continued to kite their target for a moment longer.

"Bullshit!" Raiah cursed as a second drone went offline. With its limbs missing it had less than ideal thrust vectoring, at least that is what she chocked it up to.

Meanwhile the others took up residence on the rocky outcropping. Had Alduir been there, he would have had the capacity to lay a psychic shroud, but Pyt was not so potent or proficient with his abilities. Still they lingered on the very edge of Deyvid's range, and had remained convert from more conventional eyes. Manei squatted amongst leaves and sticks, shielding a small patch of ground from the rain. Inducing heat into the exposed granite she drew up a lengthy arrow of quartz and fire. With the twist of her hand the flames changed from orange to a cold maroon.

"Ready..."

Mother and son drew the bow in unison, standing opposite one another. Each with one hand on the string and one hand on the grip. Manei hastily spent just one more moment, building the soulfire in intensity before she floated the arrow into position though the weapon was already primed.

"Aim..."

Pyt's eyes shined for a moment with a violet light, vaguely reminiscent of Alduir's powers. The rain and darkness seemingly melting away. Their target became visible. Both of the machines suddenly lunged in, clasping hold of his wings with all four arms. They shot down before clamping their feet into the pavement of the town square. They struggled. Motors whined and thrusters fired off as the machines tried desperately to keep him still.

"Fire!"

Two hands released the draw string. Embraced in two seperate magical auras the arrow shot fourth with a divine fury. For an instant the entire valley bathed in a reddish-violet light as bright as the noonday sun in july, a stark vector from the ridge and ending at Deyvid's center of mass. All fell silent as the rains subsided for a moment, momentarily repulsed by the power of the blast.

 

[beymozo]

"This isn't beginning to look good... but I have faith in the other Hunters. It's just... I don't believe they'll be coming out of this unscathed however." Pollyanna's eyes were glowing again, she looked down every conceivable thread within the web, attempting to predict the likely path. On the first thread just as the Hunters were about to draw their last breath, she went mad, pouting all of her emotions into an overpowering psychic attack which forced the higher vampyre into submission.

The second thread saw the Hunters' demise at the hands of Deivyd, their mangled corpses scattered about as he fed upon them, converting each and every one of them into his personal army.

Finally the third thread was the most hopeful... Just as the cackles of spectral lightning began to break their willpower to fight, the hunters let out a final move, one which caused Deivyd to finally vanish into the tempest until they would meet again. The predictions were vague and Pollyanna understood very little of what would truly happen, however she remained blindly optimistic that the Hunters would come out of this.

The rain resumed; it was at the moment when Deivyd broke free of the robo-raiah's clutches, snapping their arms off as for the first time in over two hundred years he howled in pain as his soul was suddenly engulfed in a blazing inferno by the soul fire. Deivyd fell to his hands and knees clutching his chest and gritting his teeth as he panicked from the agonizing pain.

"That's it... No more. No More. NO MORE!" Deivyd yelled as he stood to his feet, swiftly stepping out of the way of another soul fire arrow at the behest of Alduir. Deivyd immediately launched himself at one of the robo-raiahs, holding it with his left hand on the gut he clamped his teeth down onto it's neck and with a single pull, ripped off the covering and spat it out. He followed up with a finisher, hooking his right arm under it's top right shoulder, he grabbed hold of the t-shaped visor and with another swift move, snapped its neck by pushing it to the left.

Deivyd managed to swiftly dodged another soul fire arrow in the nick of time before moving onto the final robo-raiah to finish it off; it fired blast after blast into Deivyd's eyes which did little to deter him and with one tackle, he threw himself against the automaton and grabbed hold of its face, practically smothering it. Deivyd's molten brains and chunks of his skull were splattered across the ground, as in one final move the robo-raiah fired off a final heat ray before it's neck was also snapped.

"I can see you." Deivyd said creepily with a distorted hiss as he rose up from the ground, a smile forming on his regenerating face; He wasted no time and immediately charged after the Hunter's hiding atop the cliff face.

 

[JadeGreen17]

"STUPID GOD DAMN LAG!" Raiah shouted, pounding her keyboard in with her mechanical fists.

...

"He's coming." Pyt mumbled. "Physical attacks are inconsequential. Animus fire is the only thing that can feasibly damage him... Get ready"

Hyuna let out a bestial roar, grabbing his axe. He would redeem himself, for three centuries of surrendering to a vile and primordial instinct to kill. He alone would put down this malignant creature. So determined he completely ignored the fact that this strategy did not call for a head on attack. After a brief running start, the beast launched himself off the cliff at Deyvid. However he could not alter his trajectory in midair, while Deyvid could. He stepped off the Wendigo's head, using it as a boost to bring him closer to the cliffside. In doing so sent the beast downward into the forest below, where he impacted with a thud that echoed throughout the valley.

"Hyuna you moron!" Pyt shouted, now forced to alternate their strategy. Manei raised rocks from lower on the cliffside, an immense barrier half molten barrier of boulders rising between the two like a wave before seizing in place like a quarter sphere.

...

"I see it too." Alduir commented. "Unfortunately no matter what action we take... we would not be able to reach them before this fight concludes."

 

[beymozo]

"Yeah... I just hope they can pull out of it." Pollyanna stated as she began to get up out of her seat. "Don't mind getting into the kitchen now do you, Al?" She asked with a nice hot cup of tea on her mind.

...

"Hmph." Deivyd cockily ogled at the wall between him and hunters. "No need to be shy... I only wish to have a little drink." He licked his lips and pulled his gun back out, slowly reloading it. The hunters could here the sound of the empty mag hitting the ground, and the sliding of a newer one being placed in. Deivyd stepped up to the barrier and without hesitation phased his now long, distorted arm holding the gun through the wall. The burning sensation of molten slag was nothing compared to the pain he wished to set upon the hunters; he channeled spectral lightning through the gun and sent rounds screaming aimlessly on the other side, the silvery bullets laced with a soul breaking sheen.

Although he could use his vampyric senses to easily lock on and fire at the weak points of the hunters... Deivyd chose not to, instead holding back an inch so that he may enjoy hunting the prey before him.

 

[JadeGreen17]

"You will have to confront the mistress of the house about that..." Alduir mumbled. He seemed to fidget. Clearly the path this combat was taking was unlikely to net many results.

"Al!" Raiah shouted from downstairs. "They took out all my drones. Talk to me, whats going on?"

...

The shots were followed up by several loud clangs. Like church bells had been struck, tapering out to the effect of shattering glass. Spectral lightning seemed to arc off at random, largely dissuaded from finding its mark.

Pyt was not a psion on the level of Alduir, and he was forced to muster a great deal of energy to even have a chance of affecting his foe. Regardless with the snap of his fingers, he unleashed a powerful psychometric attack against the vampire; set to dull his senses and slow his reflexes. In that same moment an arrow with bright toxic-green flecthings shot around the edge of the barrier, curving with little regard for physics.