The Darkest Shadow Can Be Found

Once an isolated and dying township, an influx of academics, adventurers and thrill seekers have made Scalvoris Town their home. From scholars' tea shops to a new satellite campus for Viden Academy, this is an exciting place to visit or make your home!

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Lavana Tharn
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"Fuck the sack dress ! Ill ran-sack a dress instead" Lavana let off sort of a sinister giggle that erupted into a feignt bout of laughter. As she listened and took her friends advice of putting some damn cloths on.

Lavana had her pick as she scavenged shoes and clothing from the corpses, after all they wouldnt be needing them anymore. However the thoughts in her mind of what had just happened still lingered.

How quickly and efficiently the twins dispatched there adversaries, this couldnt be overlooked she needed them; there loyalty.

The diri whispered things, everyone around her killed to survive but she had gone a step above and beyond. She needed to rectify this promptly needed to navigate these uncertain social waters, as a leader she needed to own her actions before they felt she was inadequate and opted to end her as a liability to the group.

When Lavana was garbed she continued gathering cloths as she noticed one of the twins was still bare herself, as they took lead the mortal born couldnt help but empathize. When they stopped at the four doors Lavana approached them, she lifted the cloths up as an offer. "Listen i get it I really do, all you in here call me what you wish. Im the bad guy, but remember if I hadnt killed that woman your sister might not be here you Max might not be here. I made my decision and ill sleep with no regrets. Im glad you three made it." She shook her head, and ran fingers through scarlet soaked hair. All four had been baptized in blood. Lavana had an understanding of loyalty and sought to achieve it. "I have a soft spot for twins, im one myself. My sister is Valtharn and my mother is Raskalarn, if you swear your loyalty to the imperial empress on my honor I will do everything in my power to see you all through this. Pray to the holy trinity, ask my mother and sister for there blessings. Have faith in her mortal born child Lavana. And when this is over, you all may have a place at my table." Lavana an imperial princess made an all to real offer to all of them that sounded far fetched but in reality was a real proposition, shed either give them spots of seniority in her cult or if she redeemed herself spots in her royal imperial court. Max had met her before, she had seen things that might make her believe she was indeed a mortal born.

"You can run to the authorities if youd like, but you wont be safe on the island without me." Nodding in the direction of the flame room and the flickering flame element medallions. "Should all should be thanking me, old woman was probably an agent of theres." Lavana smiled trying to use deception and Leadership to absolve herself of fault. " Wanna take a shot at that hot stuff? Maybe your boy toys in there?" As she jested at Max"Never did get his name"

Lavana made her decision, on the water room. She took a moment and breathed in, she was Raskalarns greatest failure. Shed needed to steady her nerves for the task at hand, it was an exercise of trust as she observed the scene, she nodded to herself "that will do" as she formed a tactic to arm there team.

"Bitches tear some cloth and stay sharp, Max watch my back that water wench is gonna want to break a piece of me off." she nodded at the tank with the mer as she stepped down into the water. She walked down submerging herself into the mers lair, Lavana wasnt going to play games. Sack brick, wet, cold, bruised, asaulted possibly violated she was salty as fuck shed had enough. The mortal born of brutality, butchery and slaughter wanted blood on her terms as she swung that sack at the glass, crinkling in webbing splinters with every shot shes keep hitting like shed kept working with Vega that morning. Keep hitting like she was at war with herself, kept hitting as her blood lust filled her gaze at the masked men. Kept hitting with determination, struck with vigor struck with unadulterated rage. Every blow the tank started to give as water poured through the cracks.

She was depending on Max, if the Mer got her shed most certainly drown.

Lavana was focused on the glass until finally the shit gave out shattering but as this happened the force of the tide pulled her under, and swept through the opening as the water gave out.

She rolled on broken glass that cut her and stabbed her form. Lacerations and wounds from miniatures shards, but her hand moved it quaked in pain her body rolled as she quivered and quaked in agony and disorientation. But just like in that cold morning she endured, as she pushed herself up off the glass on the floor. Her palm being stabbed, her minor lacerations a small price to pay for survival.

There was an arsenal on the floor that glimmered like diamonds. If the girls had listened they could grab them with cloth and not be cut. Her objective was clear as day, cut them open like wild game. Shed provide herself as a barrier so they could collect there gifts.

Had the crashing glass and tide of water been enough to sweep the masked men off there feet as well?
Last edited by Lavana Tharn on Tue Feb 27, 2018 6:30 pm, edited 1 time in total. word count: 917
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Max
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Max loosened the noose and slipped it from around the corpse's head to recycle the weapon. Upon turning, she was relieved to find that her chosen allies had elected to follow her lead. The twins stood over their kills with an odd calmness. Their composure after killing suggested this wasn't their first round of bloodletting. That made them dangerous indeed. The Rusalka's brow raised a bit when her eyes spotted them licking their oddly long nails clean like a pair of animals savoring the fruits of a hunt. Their adept fitness for the slaughter was one she doubted even Lavana had rightly anticipated to this degree. In any case, their captors seemed true to their word. With the survivors cruelly chosen, the gate rose.

Max obliged her friend by taking the offering of cloth. While the blood-soaked woman spoke, the Rusalka was content to listen from a distance as she took the initiative to enter the next chamber. It was odd the way the woman seemed adamant on ruminating over doing what everyone knew had to be done. If she hadn't killed first, Max would've certainly been the first to ensure her own survival. She was highly skeptical the twins wouldn't share a similar sentiment. No one was trying to die tonight. Yet Max's interest was piqued only when Lavana started speaking of Immortals.

Her sister is Valtharn and her mother is Raskalarn? She's a fucking mortal born?

Max grimaced with her back turned, pondering the revelations while she surveyed the next chamber. The oddities about Lavana seemed consistent with her claims, and the necklace the Mixed Race herself wore now provided further evidence to what she already knew to be true. Maxine had no love for Immortals. None had commanded the love of an orphan throughout a tumultuous childhood. Though she was marked by Chrien, their alliance was better described as a mutual exploitation of what the other could provide. It was just business. Raskalarn had done nothing to warrant even such a basic respect. Maxine bent the knee to no one. Thus she seemed to ignore participation in the call for fealty altogether, and focused on the opened doors she gathered they must choose.

The first door wasn't so bad. The whirling sands and pugnacious thwarthide creature weren't exactly appealing, but it was certainly a preference compared to the room with the bottomless chamber. The third was the truest gamble of them all with the spouting flames and lengthy run for safety. Max frowned at the nameless mention of Merces. If he'd been there, every one of the masked devils would've been experiencing a more gruesome end than Lavana's first kill in the original chamber. She swallowed hard and balled her fists. She was going to return to him. It would have to be the damned pitch black bath that brought her back.

"Just watch where you swing that thing," Max murmured her tease to Lavana as she eased down the steps behind her. "Break something off me and I'll let her have more than a piece of you." The Mer was smaller than the one the Rusalka had slain before. Granted she'd had the luxury of a proper weapon in that confrontation, but the lack of novelty provided just a little assurance they stood a solid chance of success. Her vision drifted to the frail glass beside them, and it seemed Lavana shared her ingenuity. While the Mortal Born beat upon the glass like an angry drummer, Maxine ushered the twins backward until they were on the safety of the steps.

While glass splinters flew, the Rusalka's face was aglow with anticipation.A wicked grin spread across her face. Indeed the barrier blew, and Max could do little but watch as the initial water and glass swept her friend away. The Biqaj part of her alerted her to the Mer's approach despite the blackness. Her dark eyes glanced at the shimmering glass and then toward the Mortal Born, blood draining from her face.

Fuck!

"Don't move!" Maxine commanded the twins before she stupidly rushed back into the water. "Lavana!" Adrenaline kicked her into full throttle. Time was of the essence, and the Rusalka was intent on wasting none of it. She crossed the short distance and slipped through the barrier, grasping a hold of her foolhardy friend and practically dragging her back where she'd left the twins on the steps. Now it was her turn to force her strong ally behind her out of the water, leaving Max to stand with her spread fingers hovering low toward the water at their feet. The change was almost instant.

One moment the glass-ridden water was disturbed only with the ripples the Mer and the "Soiled Ones" made. In the next, it had turned like a furious storm had gathered above. The turbulent water thrashed about, swirling and seeking to overwhelm those unlucky enough to fall into its grasp. While Max wasn't sure who might've been subject to her wrath, she hoped they'd either be torn to bits by dagger-like shards or drowned in the angry tides that manifested at her will.

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Sephira
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The mage braced herself as she opened the door, suddenly realizing that several teamsters were upon her just as she cracked it open. Dread reverberated through her chest as the men quickly rushed to the door and shoved it open, threatening her as they did. It suddenly struck Sephira that she had never faced a real confrontation like this. She stumbled back a couple steps with her gloved hand clasping her saber so tightly that her fingers were going numb. Sephira felt herself trapped between two terrible decisions; fight and possibly kill any of the workers or allow herself to be taken prisoner. The latter was unlikely but she trembled at the thought of taking the life of a stranger. What right did she have to be judge, jury and executioner; perhaps these men were only following orders. Maybe this was all a misunderstanding. The conflict boiled under her skin as the gaggle of men filled the entrance to the loft.

“I’m with the Elements…” she whispered so faintly even she barely heard the words. It was so easy to be headstrong and daring in the practice ring, but to face the reality of using her sword and magic against common men brought bile to the back of her throat. Her rupturing spark evidently picked up on her emotions as well, the core of her magic vibrating with anxiety. Suddenly a blink portal erupted behind her without Sephira casting any magic as she stumbled into the scarlet gash in space.

Her recent brush with her first mutation had been full of surprises but this was the least enjoyable effect. Her spark loved to snatch her up and randomly throw her into a Blink portal when she was frightened. The mage didn’t go far from where she had been standing and was instantly flung vigorously out of the spontaneous Blink portal into the back wall of the loft with a loud thud. Pain blossomed across her head and shoulders and her vision swam. Sephira might have been deeply embarrassed at her lack of self-control if a cloud of yellow noxious gas was not slowly billowing through the broken window she had recently come through. Fighting disorientation she tried to gain her footing before the sulfurous air reached her and sent her collapsing to the floor. Barely aware of her surroundings the mage fought to open a single silvery eye as the gas took its effect. Within half a trill everything fell to darkness.

Pain was the first sensation that Sephira felt as she groggily returned to wakefulness. Her head was aching terribly and a sickly sweet taste of honey clung to her tongue. It was only a trill later that the mage realized that she was still armed with her saber and strangely there was now a metal collar encircling her neck. Rage rumbled deep in her core at the thought of being chained like a slave; Pinned to the ground like a helpless fawn beneath the weight of a wolf.

Realizing that she was not alone Sephira leveled her head at the fiery red-head next to her who was working to pry her chain apart with her weapon. The Element recognized the woman from the alleyway, though she had never seen her face, she would recognize that frizzy head of hair anywhere. The feisty woman was very succinctly letting their captors know that she would be more than happy to kill them if they came near to her. Sephira had to admire the woman’s spirit; at least she was not the only one who was not going down without a fight.

“I’m with you.” The mage said with seething black eyes; her gaze darting back and forth between the masked figures. The presence of the Element’s pins was not lost on her and a curious mixture of fury and suspicious boiled inside her.

She turned toward a line of the masked individuals, her spark flaring as it fed off her anger. Forcing herself to ignore the urge to use Rupturing to escape Sephira closed her eyes and reached instead for her softer, quieter spark. Attunement was still like trying to wear a poorly sized pair of boots, but her grasp of it was improving ever trial. It was the gentle songbird to her rupturing spark’s widely roaming eagle. In truth it was a struggle to choose this over the chance of immediate escape but the Element desperately needed information. Drawing in ether Sephira would resume her broadcast of Static to distort her own frequency. The last thing she needed was another Attuner realizing her intent.

Focusing on one of the nearest masked individuals the mage would begin attuning to their frequency, hopefully to gain some insight into who they were. Were they violent, or secretive? Did they see their cause as noble or did they just have some deep seated grudge against women that led them to imprisoning all those here? These were all questions that might be answered if she was lucky.
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Kura Wolfsdotter
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Kura smiled at the Element that opened the door. "There was a scream in the alley? Did you hear anything?" she asked, biting back a retort when the soldier she was talking too switched out for his replacement. Not her place, though she was increasingly feeling she needed to talk to the Militant about the competency of his soldiers. She was about to speak to the new guard when someone burst out from the hold, barreling past her and the new guy. Kura looked after her for a second in surprise, then spun and punched the new arrival right in the jaw and went to draw her bow. Before she could, however, the area filled with smoke. She didn't have enough time to react and everything went black.

She couldn't have said how long it was before she woke up, but she very deliberately didn't move when she did. Fortunately, she could talk to her familiars without actually speaking out loud. Psychic connections were a huge boon sometimes. "Everyone, report in." she said in her mind, the voices of her familiars coming through in her head.

"Still watching over the Mauve Maiden. Didn't see you go missing. Where are you!?" Speck said, the owls voice concerned.

"Missed it too. I've been trying to find a physical route to you, so that I can lead you out." Rahmet said, his deep voice less concerned, but more tightly controlled.

"I'm still with you, Kura. Still phased out, followed you down. Ready to go on your command, but you're chained down, same as the rest. Vega's here too, and it looks like at least one of the Elements isn't a crazy cultist. Think we're going to have to tear our way out of here though." Phelan said, a growl in his voice.

As they spoke, she heard Vega and another woman talking. Letting out a sigh, Kura looked up at the room, her icy gaze surveying the room. "Rahmet, look around for any large group movements. I don't want to be caught unawares down here. Speck, go try and get Padraith's attention. They can raise an alarm if one isn't already up. Phelan, you stay between us and these bastards." she said in her mind, standing up and drawing her bow. She got an affirmative from her familiars, then turned her attention back to the matter at hand.

"I'm with you too, Vega." she said, pulling five arrows out of her quiver. Even with multi-shot, five arrows was too little to kill everyone in the room, but it would help. It looked like about 100 or so death-seeking blackguards, none of them armored but all of them armed. They weren't moving to kill anyone yet, but she wasn't one to just sit around. To keep what she was doing hidden, Kura turned so that her body was between her arrows and the cultists, then started charging Multi-shot, feeling the arrows in her hand grow more and more infused with her Power. "So so so, looks you lot are havin' a death wish. Really, if you wanted to die, you could have just come knockin'. Less embarrasin' for you. So, what's all this, then? Large scale suicide pact?" she said, her tone bordline mocking.
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"Seems our guests have awoken with a fury."

The man of the air mask was pointing toward the women with one of his daggers.

"Do you think we would leave you with your weapons if we were concerned that you might shoot us down? That the high and mighty Kura was a real threat to us? You're a well known factor, love. An expected one, always putting your nose into others' business. We've had to speed up our plans thanks to you. And to your little pet there from the Elements. She must be new, I don't even know her name. No matter. She'll come around like so many others already have. But please, take a seat, enjoy the show."

While Rahmet was snooping around, he'd be able to find that the people in the room were the only ones present. No external guard, no additional forces were present in these underground catacombs. But a clear exit was also not found. Every way in was sealed and hidden. Stone lined every ceiling, wall, and floor. A closed tomb. And while Phelan was on his guard duty, he'd be able to sense, not in a traditional way of sight or smell, but rather, just gain a feeling of another being nearby, something similar to himself.

Sephira's attempt to attune to a man's frequency would take time. Five bits or so in order to glean anything, and required so much concentration that anything else would break her focus. But if she should manage to establish the connection, she'd be overwhelmed by the notes within the man's frequencies. Hope. Fear. Pride. Doubt. This man believed in the cause, but was unsure about the ritual at hand. And he wasn't alone. This note of doubt and fear resonated heavily through the crowd.

After all, every man there had a woman in their lives. A wife, girlfriend, lover, mother, sister, daughter. Women of Scalvoris were not lesser creatures like some truly archaic people might believe. If anything, the extreme natures of Scalvoris forged women and men alike of a higher, tougher caliber. Bred an oxymoronic, adaptable stubbornness. They were a people too tough to just give up, to lay down and die, to always become stronger. A call for power. That was the note that resonated so heavily within the crowd, the vibrations shuddering against Sephira who'd reached out.

And the man she'd chosen was one who wore a mask of Earth. And there, within him, connected to the rest of the Earths was a profound note. Disapproval. Disapproval for all of this.

The moment Vega's chain broke, part luck to poor craftsmanship, part due to her own surprising strength, and part due to the lingering effects of her sword being touched by the Death Forged Rose. And while that power was not available, it had helped strengthen her weapon, by burning away impurities within it, tempering it. It was a subtle effect, one that likely would go unnoticed for some time, but in this moment, it aided her cause.

"Stop."

This time the man in the Fire Mask spoke, pointing his sword toward Vega. "You. What are you? I sense the touch of the Inferno on you." He broke rank, moving closer along the dirt floor, looking up at their balcony, "Come, show me your Inferno. Do so, and you may choose one companion to go free, alive and whole. Refuse me, and I slay one here and now, and I make you show me." The man's sword lit up in flame, though was a far cry from the Death Forged Grasp Vega had.

Earth Mask stepped forward, "What are you doing Flame? We cannot afford to lose any of these women. The ritual demands it."

Flame rounded on Earth, pointing his blade, "This ritual is a far cry from that demanded by the Pures, Earth! You know this to be a desperate bastardization by Wind's lack of discipline! But she!" His sword pointed back at Vega without looking at her, "She is a Touched One. Pure. She is not soiled like all the others, like we are. She has the answers we need! The rest are just cattle to a pointless slaughter!"

"Calm down or be put down Flame."

The Water Mask gripped his spear, when a loud rush of water could be heard from one of the open four doors. The Flame snickered behind his mask, "I told you that your trial was a farce."

Water stalked off through the door, clearly agitated by Flame's taunting. Flame turned once more toward Vega, "Forget the rest of them. Only those of us who've seen true fire know its power. Help me unless it. It is why you are here. Not as a prisoner, but to be our Priestess. Join us, the rest go free. Refuse, I kill you, and your Inferno runs wild once more."

The Water Mask entered the drained chamber just in time to see Max's storm subside. The Water Mask had been around the seas more than enough to have met a Chrien marked or two, and this one must be new to her abilities. With the chamber emptied of water, spread out all through the viewing room, as the subordinate Waters shurked back from the fight, it meant that the water was no longer deep enough for the Rusalkis to swim in. Chrien doesn't acknowledge puddles. They were beneath her. And so, the magic cut short, and the four women found themselves face to face with a dozen Waters, the Water Mask, and of course, the unscathed mer.

Unlike Flame and Wind, Water wasn't a bit talker if it could be helped. And he looked on at disgust at his subordinates who had balked away from the broken trial, and had not yet secured the women. Those cowards would be dealt with later. The Water Mask summoned the released water to him, forming it around his body like a suit of armor made of whirlpools. Four women could be dealt with easily. And the Chrien marked was his first target.

After all, those that ally with Immortals are scum. Immortals were but babes when compared to the elements of the world. Puppets playing puppetmaster. Did they even know how weak they were? He launched forward in a charge, his legs pushing off with the swirling water powering him, a whirlpool punch heading straight for Max.

Meanwhile, the twins had already moved the moment the storm had subsided. They'd heard Lavana's words. A mortalborn was a powerful ally, and the pair had the morals to always pick the winning side. And having a daughter of Raskalarn owe you one, each, was a powerful favor. The twins began collecting the shards of glass, and started flitting them into the crowd just as quickly. Glass found itself embedded in eyes, necks, faces, all about, providing cover fire to keep the peanut gallery in check.

For the Mer smelled blood, and the beautiful Siren Class (Category 3), began to sing, a bone dagger in hand. She bounced lightly on the balls of her webbed feet as she attempted to lure any of the women forward toward her. Her sharp teeth glinted from the torch light, and the song continued to haunt the women.

And in Lavana's mind, she'd hear a voice she knew too well. One that had recently accused her of being the greatest failure, "Prove yourself."

Back in the chamber, there was silence after Flame offered Vega his proposal, Wind had other things in mind. He sent forth a blade of air toward Flame's exposed back. But it never struck. Flame's fire Guardian awoke, and ignited the blade of air. Wind Mask shouted, "Winds, subdue those women. Kill the fire touched!"

And Earth stood by passively, watching as Flame turned on Wind, and the two began their duel. His thick arms were crossed, and he yielded no ground as the fight started. His own units, to the women's left, did not move from their seats either. The Winds, twenty or so in all, began making their way toward the women's balcony, from the women's right. There was a stairwell behind the women that connected to a circular hall, that led to the other balconies in the amphitheater. And the majority of the Winds were restricted to this mode of travel. But a few, gifted with the power of Wind Defiance, leapt from their balcony, aided by their element as they flew toward the women, weapons drawn.

The powder keg had been lit.

And yet, Earth remained passive, calm, stoic. Watching, waiting. A stray burst of fire shot toward him errantly, and he didn't flinch as his Earth Guardian raised a pillar to stop the blast. He just watched and waited. And then he nodded his head. Stone hands reached up out of the floor beneath Vega, grasping her violently by the legs, one around her left knee, the other around her right thigh, and a loud crack of bone could be heard. In the brief moment before she could be seen, her left leg could be seen bent sideways at the joint. And as fast as quicksand, the hands yanked her through the stone floor, leaving Sephira and Kura alone in their defense.

Moments later, Vega floated up through the stone dolmen, her clothes tattered and torn, her skin heavily scraped, cut, and bruised from being dragged through the stone and soil, and the stone hands held her down by all four limbs.

"Flame. Wind. Enough."

The two leaders stopped, though the Wind Troops advancing on Sephira and Kura did not. Daggers and sword were sheathed away, and Flame chuckled. "Always so simple Earth. Flames, let's begin the ritual."

Every Flame troop stood up, some of them defiers, some of them mundane. The latter pulled out fire bombs, and threw them down in the arena along the edges, creating a ring of fire. The defiers took this flame and fed it, and began to send it in closer and closer to Vega. Wind and Earth encased themselves in their element's armor, wearing them as avatars for protection from the spreading inferno. As the flames raged and grew closer to Vega, the heat intensified, stifling.

The Flame Mask removed his visage, and Vega would see his blonde hair and bright smile, but would not recognize him. He stepped through the inferno toward her, letting the flames burn away his clothes but leave him untouched. He walked up to the dolmen, placing a hand upon Vega's cheek, "You've seen it haven't you. The Pure Flame? You'll have to show me one day, when I'm worthy. But first, I must give you a part of me, to appease the Pure Flame, and if it is pleased, it will visit us. And you will be it's Priestess."

As the flames closed in on the dolmen, the man could be seen touching his chest. And when he pulled his hand away, Vega could tell that he held something, though it was not within the spectrum of sight. But she could feel it's existence. He gifted this unseen object to the flames, and they danced in joyous glee. It strengthened them, their colors shifting from oranges and yellows to blues and whites. And the flames rolled over the top of the dolmen, and over Vega, burning away her clothes, enveloping her in the unyielding heat. And she was gone, lost in the bright white flames, and the inferno raged all through the center of the amphitheater, leaving Kura and Sephira truly on their own.














Until Vega heard the voice of her captor, "Give yourself to the fire. Let it in, or let it consume you. Either way, the flames will be happy. Life of the flame or death by the flame. Let it save you."
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This is a combat scenario. But I will allow it to be run a bit differently than most. You are free to choose your failures and successes within your immediate vicinity, so long as you do it within the ability of your skill sets. Teamwork is essential in this stage. Because of the sheer difficult of the setting, as well as the additional freedoms granted, each of you gain 5 Questions to use to further your own side of your story. These questions and answers are not private this round, and if able, I would like to see them used in your next post.
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Vega
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"Oh jog on, you loser," Vega said to him "I'll show you my inferno when I shove it right up yer jacksie." When he and the Earth guy started arguing, Vega turned and tried to break through the chains of the women next to her. First Kura, then the woman, Sephira. "I'd say you're the touched one, mate, but thanks," she spoke the words, not really concerned with them at all, but she just saw an opportunity and she took it. Slicing through the chains of first Kura and then Sephira, She kept listening, though, to the voice of the Flame guy and Vega frowned. This was that bloody death forged rose and all that went with it.

And then he made her an offer and Vega turned and looked at him. "Did yer mother drop you on yer 'ead when you born, you steamin' asshat?" She listed her sword with a sudden, trained and fluid movement and put it against his throat. "You want me. Me an' my pure fire untainted an' all that ferret-dung yer talkin'? Let 'em go, an' we can talk." She pushed the point of her sword forward, aiming to cause his throat to bleed, just a little. "Or I can kill ya. Whatcha fancy?"

It was the slightest inclination of his head, that was the only warning she had and, in that briefest of seconds, before the hands grasped her, Vega pushed her sword forward. Whether it did anything or not, she didn't know because she felt pressure wrap around her and she cried out in pain as she felt her knee snap on her left leg, her right leg also grabbed and she heard, and felt, that snap too. She screamed into the night, but that was stifled as she got pulled into the earth. Dragged by the legs, pulled and in already screaming agony, she felt the rocks and stones cutting at her, ripping her and she closed her eyes against the claustrophobic sensations, the urge to breathe growing and growing and the indescribable pain was overshadowed by the need to take in air. As her broken body was deposited on the dolmen, her burning lungs gasped in air. That most wondrous of all things, she drank it, greedily, in great whooshing breaths. Even as the air stung the hundred lacerations and tears on her skin, through the screaming agony of a snapped knee and thigh, Vega looked around, trying to see what was happening. "I am gonna KILL YOU!!" She screamed in fury and agony, hot tears of pain pouring down her face, leaving a trail behind them, revealing her clean skin beneath the earth and mud which covered her. "Let me GO, you cowardly scum!! I'll kill you, I swear to Xiur!!"

When he reached and stroked her cheek, Vega turned her head and bit his hand, hard. She did it so that her teeth embedded as much as they could and then she turned her head away with as much force and momentum as she could muster. Then, she spat out the chunk of his flesh which she took with her, tasting his blood in her mouth she snarled as even that moment made her head swim. "Gerroff me! Gerroff!!"

But, of course, he didn't.

And the flames wrapped around her. As they did, Vega screamed in fear and rage and pain. What she did not do, though, was give in. She fought, defiance and stubborn determination with her every trill and each movement. She did not give in to the fire and it would not save her, because she would save herself. Arlo would save her or Xiur would. If she had to, she would die on her feet, but she would not live on her knees and so, as the flames licked over her once again, Vega's screams filled the place, and she fought until death came for her, if that was what it took. She reminded herself who she was, who she had around her, what she had done and what she had yet to do.

And she was not gone. She would not be consumed by the heat, nor would she allow it to beat her. She was Eva Lei'nox, blessed by Xiur, loved by a man unlike any other on Idalos and she was stronger than it. Than all of them.

She remained sure of that, even as her screams filled the place and the fire consumed her.
word count: 753
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Vega's skin has a reflective metallic sheen with a red glow. Her eyes still swirl biqaj colours, but one colour is always bright red which glows like fire. She has a bright red glow in her chest, situated directly under the mark of a heart (Daia mark) in the middle of a glowing silver dragon on her chest (Xiur). She's unnaturally warm to the touch
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Lavana Tharn
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The daughter of devastation smiled laughing wildly with devilish delight as the carnage unfurled around her like a beautiful garden, as amber eyes swept across the field of war. The twins throwing shards of glass, her Valkaryies that set the ambience of violence. The duet were magnificent vanguards that held the front lines with courage and valor.

All the while Lavana felt her blood trickling as the pain thrilled her, made her feel so alive. Her hand tightened around the burlap sack as it began to taint a shade of sanguine from the wounds that wept from her form.

Eyes fell upon Max, an Angel of mayhem and death. She closed her eyes and took a steady breath, she felt dark tranquility within the eye of the storm she knew the thunder in her the rusalkas heart the Mortal Born had faith in her mettle and tenacity. The girl was a fucking artist with hands and steel, her sweet baroness of scarlet sunsets.

And all at once it flooded her mind, to crush the infidels that had strayed. Her mother's voice echoed within the core of her being and the sweet whispers knelt in submission. With clarity she saw her conquest, the Siren that sang.

The mer could abscond to her castle of fear with vocal notes that fluttered in capricious fashion nothing more then a fine swansong. The siren could run; but never hide.

It burned turbulently in her wild eyes. As Raskalarns greatest failure she would rise to claim her birthright as she lusted for blood to stamp her royal seal of approval. As Lavana boldly proclaimed annihilation of her quarry.


"Nothing will remain....

Not your memory ....

Not your name....."


Lavana would do what she did best, a head on furious assault a total disregard for her safety, when it was her time shed be reunited with her mother. But Raskalarn would always remember that she took a stand.

Swinging wildly, the sack brick whirring like a malevolent flail. As the Siren bobbed and weaved, overhand strikes sailed through air as the nimble bitch evaded her every murderous intention. Returning the favor with swift thrusts, she didn't have the speed to match the deft strokes that parted Lavanas flesh as she tried to match her adversary she could prevent being stabbed but not fast enough to evade those serrated edges.

It hurt severly as that bone dagger flayed cloth and skin wisping missing there mark thrusts but so fast they'd keep catching her on the way out, as Lavana tried to dodge and evade the far faster adversary.

Shed keep her futile tempo; a death knell. But fuck Famula shed die smiling. The mortal born was a demi god of demise, shed never forget this as her body was starting to succumb to pain slowly fading growing darker but shed burn bright.The mer danced on the balls of her bare feet, avoiding her rampage.

That glimmer of light in the Sirens eyes as she was nearing her mark. Until suddenly her eyes had become alight with horror, as she bounced onto the broken glass as her feet pressed into shards like knives. Lavanas tactic had worked as her feet in shoes found some measure of safety.

That moment of grimacing flinch, enough for Lavana to strike her in the face with that brick. But her hand weakened from blood loss had lost her grip as it fell to the floor.

No matter, shed press her the advance and strike while the iron was hot. But her careless abandon would prove a wicked adversary indeed as she underestimated her disoriented adversaries will; a blunder. It was sharp as she felt the knife slide into her chest, but there was still a fight in her as Lavanas body grimaced her legs trembled going weak as her knees bent as shed been stuck like a pig.

The final push for her life as she treaded closer to her final resting place. Lavana grabbed her assailants hand, and as the bitch tried to bite her with venom drenched fangs the Mortal Born gripped her throat. The siren was a featherweight as she found strength to push her off the ground feet dangling in the air before she dropped her on the glass edging that hadn't fully broke in the tide.

It was quick and gruesome as the sheet of glass had acted like an inverted guillotine, between the sirens bare legs the the mer slid through groin first. Not enough measure to cut through all the way as her ass hit the floor. The glimmering sheet edging it's way into her stomach as it slice its way throug, split down the middle bottom up. The sirens intestines and insides began spilling out on either side. The mer was trembling in shock and disbelief trying to no avail to pull herself to her feet while fingers bled on the weight of her struggle, as blood was gushing from a once beautiful mouth her body desecrated. A sight for sore eyes as she cried out with beautiful blues to be finished, but there was no coupe de gra; mercy was for the birds.

"Filet, Of Fish" Lavana cackled, watching the life bleed from her mortally wounded foes eyes as she slid down the razors edge further and further as chriens failure slipped away to famula.

She turned a king of kings, ready to make the ultimate sacrifice for her red queen as she wobbled over to a wall to hunch over. The mortal born was exhausted as sweat beaded off her form, the salt stinging her wounds. She watched as she felt the dagger, it hadn't been a deadly blow but she was tapped out as she breathed heavily trying to regain composure.

Hand gripped the blade as she closed her eyes, as she whimpered aghast as she tried to break it free. It was so painful she had to stop but as she did, she thought of the consequences.

Steady breaths, she dug deep and yanked it free. As it went toppling on the floor, she didn't have the strength to get up and get it. She instead used her foot to slide it in and kick it out towards the rusalka mercenary she adored.

Lavanas foot stroke innaccurate as the dagger skidded on the wet floor some distance behind Maxine as it twirled like a compass gone mad as it spiraled out .

Shed clutch herself breathing, bleeding. Trying to tend to wound. Trying to rip cloth to try, with teeth and claw to rip a piece off and plug the wound.
word count: 1108
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Sephira
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Sephira was lost in notes, in the frequencies reverberating off the masked Earth Elements. Her mind shivered as the discordant music washed over her. The mage had to maintain contact with the Element’s frequency, she had to push out the distractions around her if she was to glean anything from the notes that gently swirled in a lilting waltz with her attunement spark. Her spark seemed to sing a wavering melody as she gave herself, everything she had to drawing out the answers she sought.

The distant sensation of movement fluttered in front of her, near the chain that was latched to the collar at her neck. Sephira ignored the movement, recognizing only that for a split-trill that the tension of her neck suddenly vanished as though the chain had been broken.

She was free.

In the next moment notes began blossoming in her mind, emotion clung to them; feelings of hope, fear, pride and most startling: doubt. The latter flooded her senses so strongly she gasped, her hands curling into pallid fists. These men doubted: more importantly they did not approve of what had been done to the women...what would be done to them. Sephira focused on that singular note. She searched through the frequencies of the crowd to find every ounce of doubt they felt. The mage sought the emotion until it seemed as though she could taste its acrid flavor on her tongue. These men did not approve of this...they had women in their own lives that they loved and cared for: sisters, mothers, daughters, and lovers. The moment this thought occurred to the woman she broke contact with the frequencies, quelling her spark’s curiosity as she snapped to her feet; the shattered chain dangling loosely from her neck.

The Flame Element rounded on the Earth troops who lay hidden beneath their masks. She could now see that there were two Defiers swiftly headed their way on woven currents of air; and not far behind them a slew of other Air Troops followed on foot. Her time was terribly short.

“You do not believe in this!” she roared at the top of her lungs, climbing atop her seat as her onyx rage filled eyes glanced worriedly toward the oncoming Defiers. Sephira unsheathed her saber, the metal hissing as it emerged from its dark leather sheath before she pointed the gleaming steel blade at the Earth Elements.

“I know of your doubt! I know that each of you holds love for a woman in your life...you’re mother, your daughters, your sisters...your wives!” she screamed bitterly at them before pointed her blade toward the women still shackled to the ground.

“How can you imprison those here...how can you condemn them?!”

The pair of Defiers had crested the air high above the balcony.

Crimson and black swirled in her eyes; hope poured into her...hope and fury. If these were the Elements...her Elements...then maybe they had one small shred of decency still in them.

“Save them.”

There was a plea in her voice, a helplessness that could not be hidden. Sephira was one person, one mage, one Element; there was only so much she could do. She could not protect them alone.

Suddenly the first Defier was upon them and slammed into the mage who barely got her blade between herself and his own longsword before sending them careening to the ground. Women around them screamed in terror as they scattered away from the fray as far as their chains would allow. Pain flared on Sephira’s head as they impacted the ground. Blood leaked from a gash on her forehead, dribbling down her temple, dizziness racked her mind while the mage tried to push the Defier off her chest. He was bigger than she was, and possibly stronger but luckily for her his weapon had clattered a few feet to the right as they landed. The masked man reached for his sword, grinning maniacally as the chained women shied away from him. It was hard to get a breath as his weight pressed against her burning lungs. Sephira did not trust nor had the time to employ the use of a portal to escape. Her mind was too fuzzy...to distracted to risk magic.

Suddenly without warning a large gloved fist delivered a vicious uppercut to the Defier and sent him tumbling off the mage to land dazed on the ground and possibly unconcious. Sephira’s vision had begun to clear and she recognized the owner of the fist as a member of the masked Earth Troops. He only gave her a gruff nod as he unceremoniously stepped over her and stalked after the Defier. Roughly five other Earth Troop members walked behind him, giving the dazed mage a humble nod as they spread out around the captured women in a protective circle.

“Thank you.” She whispered after them, both in thanks for saving her life and risking theirs in betraying their comrades. Clambering to her feet the mage snatched up her own weapon and focused on gaining her bearings. She would need everything at her disposal to survive and that included having the clarity to use Rupturing without killing herself in the process.

The second Defier had drifted around the edge of the balcony, watching the scene unfold before landing several paces ahead of Sephira and brandishing a leather whip with steel needle-like protrusions at the end. The rupturer glanced at the weapon, the Air Element swinging it menacingly through the air before snapping it down to produce a loud concussive crack that somehow combined with the Defier’s magic. Wind battered the mage after the whip cracked, pushing her back on her heels and forcing her to raise her forearm up protectively over her eyes. This was different than practicing with Keim’an, she had known he never wanted to harm her intentionally but this man clearly had other ideas. The whip snapped again as another gust of wind slammed into her, her booted feed losing purchase and sending her down to a knee. Sephira blinked with bleary eyes at the other mage, carefully taking note of the space around him and the distance between them.

Sephira had never killed anyone before, nor had she ever attempted to do so but in moments like these you didn’t have time to consider the morality, you just had to survive.

Her rupturing spark flared to life as she began desperately seeking out the pockets of ether around the other mage. He was slowly moving toward her now, sending a howling gust of wind at her every few trills to keep her pinned down; The crack of his whip deafening to the point that Sephira’s ears were ringing. She tensed her muscles, timing the trills between the gusts of wind before reaching out, her spark purring in delight as the mage grasped at a pocket of ether just behind and to the left of the Defier. Her aim would need to be perfect and her casting aptly timed. Sephira took a deep breath; her anger was like a distant murmur of conversation that lay beneath a layer of sharpened focus. Her thoughts about the Elements taking part in this damned cult would have to wait.

Ether ignited like embers dancing over oil; her free hand making a sharp sweeping motion as the blink portal opened immediately in front of her. In a flash the mage was on her feet and she hurled herself through. For a split-trill the roar of action and battle around her dissipated before slamming into her senses again, but this time at a different angle. Sephira flew from the exiting portal that opened just behind and to the left of the Defier. Her saber snapped down in a wicked slice across his back as she emerged in a booming flash of scarlet light.

His scream split the air, a red weeping gash appearing along the length of his back. The Defier collapsed forward and lay twitching upon the ground. Sephira stood there stunned for a moment, blood dripping from Wyvern’s blade. It was before she could consider the result of her actions that the rest of their Air Elements began arriving. Though they were far more mundane in nature they had plenty of reason to be a threat for she and the other women trapped on the balcony. Wiping a smear of blood from her forehead Sephira squared herself off against the oncoming enemy combatants, the half a dozen Earth turncoats standing at her side.
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Last edited by Sephira on Mon Mar 05, 2018 8:54 pm, edited 1 time in total. word count: 1437
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Max
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Just as soon as the waters had turned turbulent, her power over the element dissipated with its rapidly lowering levels. Maxine's heart sank just as the Water Mask made his menacing entrance into the chamber. The only success the women seemed to achieve was keeping Water Mask's apparent subordinates at bay, and even then, the Rusalka figured that grace period could only last so long. The Mer was unsurprisingly left unscathed and continuing to stalk their way. Yet, as terrifying as the sea creature was with its bone dagger and fangs, Maxine found her gaze locked upon the quiet authority figure that seemed to command the room without so much as a word. It wasn't long before she realized why.

Water jumped up to cover his being in vast collections of swirls like a shell. Her dark brown eyes went wide, body and mind briefly paralyzed as she realized a defier of Merces' caliber was rushing toward her. The whirlpool punch struck her before she managed to come to her senses. The Rusalka flew back in a wave of water, her back landing solidly upon the cold stone behind the steps. She gagged, spitting up water and hastily wiping the droplets of the element from her eyes. Water Mask seemed set on giving her no reprieve.

As soon as he'd discarded his liquid armor he coaxed it back around his form again. More water was drawn up from his feet as he moved closer, increasing the volume of itself around his fist and behind his heel. The Rusalka swiftly found her feet and brushed her soaked black hair back from her face. Her fists balled at her sides. History reminded her that she was no match for a skilled defier. That wouldn't keep her from putting up a valiant fight. Over the mage's shoulder, she spied both the twins hurling glass and Lavana drawn into the Mer's siren song with bagged mortar swinging in hand. She grit her teeth and Water Mask burst forward again to put her in her place.

Maxine managed to sidestep and pivot away from the initial spear attack, and from her new position at his flank she moved to punish him with a well-timed right hook aimed for his chin. It should've been the perfect strike. Instead his guardian intervened and she was cast away with a quick jet of water. Her back struck a stone wall and a sigh of pain and frustration exhaled from her lips. The irritated Rusalka ricochet quickly to begin their deadly dance again, but each time it seemed to end the same: either he managed to strike an element-aided blow or his guardian activated to viciously beat her back. She could feel the side of her face swelling and various parts of her body already starting to ache. Both their chests rose and fell with the onset of exhaustion, and it was only her ability to weather a beating that kept her rising from the ground time and again.

It was during their fisticuffs dance that Max made the mistake of looking behind her enemy. A stray glance at her surroundings proved to be a detrimental mistake. From a distance she spied the Mer's bone dagger find purchase in her friend's chest. "No!" she found her voice raising despite herself in her moment of distraction, and Water Mask's spear managed to slice her flank when her step off-center began a half-trill too slow. Max cried out and stumbled back a bit. Blood began to taint her clothes shortly thereafter, but there was no time to dwell on the pain. The spear came again, and while she narrowly succeeded in avoiding injury again, the roundhouse she threw toward his head was an utter failure.

Once more she was sent skidding along the ground thanks to the percussion of water the guardian threw at her. She coughed up more water, desperately trying to recover while Water Mask summoned more element to his body and stalked toward her. Maxine tried to create distance in vain by walking her hands backward upon the wet stones. That was when she found her fingers wrapping around some sort of hilt. Her dark brown eyes glanced toward Lavana where she was hunched over, noticing the lack of bone dagger protruding from her bleeding torso. It was a stupid, stupid thing to remove such a weapon from one's body without a healer present. Suicidal, even. Why would she have done that? Her grip on the dagger became knuckle-white as raw fury surged throughout her body.

Maxine quickly found her feet and Water Mask followed up his first punch with a spear jab. The Rusalka swung herself to his dead side and grasped the spear shaft with her free hand. She tugged him closer, and much to both their surprise, the guardian refused to protect the abusive water defier when she buried the bone dagger in the base of his throat. As soon as she realized his kin had seemed to abandon him even briefly, she wasted no time repeatedly stabbing him with the weapon about the face and upper body with angry shrieks. There was no finesse to her blade-work. The murder was fueled by nothing but emotion and the deep desire for personal retribution. When she'd finished her chest was heaving and body gently shivering thanks to being repeatedly soaked in cold water. Maxine abandoned the dead in favor of her fallen ally.

"You god damn idiot," she cursed the Mortal Born when she'd arrived at her side. She ripped her cloak off her own shoulders, balling it up to press it against the bleeding chest wound with a furrowed brow. "That was a stupid fucking thing to do." At the sight of their fallen master the rest of the masked waters seemed to flee, thanks to the fatal work of the ingenious twins. Max was focused solely on keeping Lavana's blood in her body where it belonged when she heard a scream that made her face go white. It was the sort of scream she'd heard from the many people she'd watched Merces burn alive. While that in itself was troubling, it was the strange familiarity of the woman's cry that left her so deeply unsettled. Why did she believe she knew the owner of the agonized yell? Why did she care?

Max looked toward the opened door, noticing now the collection of voices that also seemed to float out between pain-filled shrieks. She bit her lip. After a couple trills of debate, she let her instincts lead. "You two," she called toward the twins. "Do not leave her side for anything, understand?" Next she coaxed Lavana's own hand to replace her own to apply pressure to her wound. Her apologetic albeit iron-like gaze settled on her friend's. "If you die on me, I'll fucking kill you. Stay safe." And with that she reluctantly departed from her side with stained bone dagger in her hand to find the source of the screams.

Max posted up against the side of the door into the next chamber, head slowly rounding to peer within. A new fray had already emerged. Hope swirled within her inner void that once housed only wrath. Much to her shock, it seemed that Element had turned upon Element. Earth masks stood now with other women that had been captured just as she and Lavana had. Bloody, bruised, half-drowned, and well-beaten, Maxine entered the room with a murderous stare set upon a new target. Yet another "Soiled One" had arrived to aid those that had been brave enough to have taken a stand.

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Kura Wolfsdotter
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Kura started to grin as the one in the wind mask started to talk, still clearly underestimating her. She was fine with that, honestly, and she wasn't going to make a move to correct him. Especially since, as he talked, her current five arrows finished charging and she slipped them into her coat pocket. As she did, she noticed that while there was a drain on her, it wasn't as strong. She suspected she'd get the full force of the drain when she fired those arrows, and she wouldn't be able to keep the drain up forever. Still, it was enough. "You offer a show, but no refreshments. I really must speak to the Militant about the manners of some of his soldiers, this is just dreadful. Really, my dear boy, it's quite rude to not even offer your guests a glass of water." she said, drawing five more arrows to charge the same way as the first five.

As she charged her arrows, she heard from her familiars. Rahmet was likely not a completely unknown factor, since she was known to have Sev'ryn blood, but she was still surprised to hear him report that there didn't appear to be any exits. That was an interesting complication, but they'd worry about that in due course. Phelan's report was also interesting and she filed the knowledge that there were likely other familiars or similar beings about. When the masks started to argue, she smiled but still didn't act other than to thank Vega for releasing her from her chain. That would have been annoying to have to try and work around.

She outright grinned when they started to fight, slipping her second batch of fully charged arrows into her pocket, but then Vega was yanked through the floor and the Flames started some strange ritual. The mortalborn let out a purely inhuman growl and her irises turned sold gold as she drew the first of the charged arrows from her pocket. "Enough of this farce, cowards and blackguards that you are, only able to face chained victims if you hide your craven faces to do it! Now you face an opponent that you can not, with all your numbers, hope to match!" she said as the first arrow took flight, aimed at a group of flames and one of the Fire Defiers. The moment it left her bow, her power triggered and she felt the drain hit as the golden cracks on the arrow burst outward, creating 10 more arrows that surrounded the first and flew in a similar arc.

Kura hadn't used Multi-Shot around anyone else yet, nor had she had the ability when she had given Treloar that rundown of her powers on the Immortals Tongue. The shock and surprise as her arrow multiplied was palpable throughout the room. The elements who saw her arrows take flight stopped in shock, save for the two fighting Sephira. Kura, trusting Sephira to hold her own, had the second and even the third empowered arrows in the air before the first had landed, tarted at three more of the Flame Element groups and the closest Flame Defier. Then the Wind Elements arrived and the Mortalborn changed her tack, taking a sharp jump away from her position in case the Earth leader had decided to make a grab for her, though she didn't think he would.

The moment she landed, she sent up another Multi-Shot arrow, this one aimed at the arriving Wind Elements. One of these was faster than the others and didn't notice the blessed arrows raining down on his fellows and instead rushed Kura, brandishing a sword. He took a swing at her that grazed her side as she stepped to the side and toward him. Reaching out, she grabbed his robe with her free hand and his mask with the hand she held her bow in. Not the best grip, but it worked well enough and she pulled him off balance towards her. Opening her mouth, she bit down hard on his throat, her fangs penetrating his throat deeper than any normal human bite would. Loosening her grip, she gave a solid push on the blackguard and he fell away, her fangs ripping his throat from his body with a wet tearing sound.

As the blackguard clutched at the bleeding, gaping wound where his throat had been, another wave of shock ran through the crowd. Not even the soldiers, those that were left, had expected such brutality from the normally well spoken Councilor. She used that to her advantage, dropping the cowards throat from her mouth to her hand and throwing it at the head Air mask. Drawing another multi-shot arrow, she chased the flying body part with one of her blessed arrows, sending eleven arrows at a single target. As those arrows flew, she drew her sixth multi-shot arrow and sent it up at the last group of Flame Elements and the defier they were, quite uselessly, attempting to protect.

She now had a quick moment to look around. The Waters had left, and the Earths hadn't acted against them yet, in fact some were protecting the helpless, so they were fine to leave for now. The Fire and Wind troops, however, had fallen to a man, except possibly the Wind leader, who was out of her view for the moment. But the slaughter wasn't without it's toll. Kura's vision was starting to blur now, she was seeing multiple of everything. She could blink and shake her head to clear her vision, but it was only for a moment. And the cut on her side, while shallow, was bleeding and painful. The Fracture scar on her arm was hurting like a freshly open wound as well.

But she had fought in battles, been Raskalarn's assassin, had hunted bandits, monsters, and even tracked her own kind in the past. She wasn't going to fall or stop fighting because her vision was kerfuffled or because she was hurting. There were innocents to protect still, and she would fight for as long as it took to make them safe. So she kept moving to avoid the Earth leaders guardian and put another Multi-Shot arrow to her bowstring, ready to start firing again the moment it became necessary.

Phelan hadn't been idle during this either, though he was no longer at Kura's side. Instead, the wolf had jumped onto the altar that held Vega. He was phased out when the flames started, so they didn't burn him. But when the Flame leader came in, the great wolf waited until he was distracted, then positioned himself and opened his mouth around the Flame leader. Then he phased solid and closed his jaws with all the strength he could muster. Then, as the flames started to burn him, he phased out again, taking some of the flames with him, which dissipated into the ether as they rode his form out of physical reality. Realizing this, and if the flames didn't dissipate from Kura's killing of the Flame defiers, he began to rapidly phase in and out, taking flames with him each time. But each time hurt and drained him and he wouldn't be able to keep it up forever. But he hoped he would be able to keep it up long enough to save Vega's life.
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