Fantasy A Guild of Heroes: Song of Champions

[Fable]

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[/div][div class=flex][div class=text][div class=header]Veth[/div]
[div class=tags]Location: Guild Stables > Cyrus's Study > Reception | Interaction: Holo-Cyrus ( Birdsie ) Ellis ( Birdsie ) | Nearby/Mentioned: Emily ( Alteras ) Bem ( Noble Scion )[/div]
Veth listened as the duplicate Cyrus finally stated what exactly her mission was. Of courses he had heard of the plane of Feywild, though what she had heard made her a bit wary. Faeries were tricksters and those tricks could have serious consequences. She'd have to be very careful to avoid getting caught up in some prank. This mission seemed to be one of investigation to see what was going on within that realm and probably report back to the guildmaster if it was beyond her ability to resolve whatever issue was there.

"You are friends with King Oberon," she asked with minor a inflection of disbelief. "That must be an interesting story as to how you two managed to meet. While this one is pleased she had your trust to go on this mission alone, she doubts her being an elf will play an important factor."

She inclined her head slightly as she agreed to do as he requested and give the book to this Elsimore Bellathriel. She at first wasn't sure who Cyrus spoke of until he mentioned he had yelled at him before Xhorhas fell. Elsimore... Ellis? She would have preferred if he had told her this before she was already ready to leave the Fort, as now she would have to go back, retrieve the book and locate Ellis. She let out a soft sigh as she tucked her guild seal away on her person, giving her horse a gentle pat before entering the Fort to do her task.

She easily made her way into Cyrus's study. What took her time was locating the book as she hadn't exactly told her where in his study it was located. Once she found the book titled Essence of Blue and Silver, she grasped it firmly and left his study to go find Ellis. She had heard overheard about the chaos going on at the reception area and one of the described persons in the area sounded like it was Ellis. She calmly made her way over to the reception desk just in time to hear Ellis demand to be stopped called a 'demon-lover.'

Emily was now giving both Ellis and Bem a lecture about their rejection of magic, threatening to beat them. Bem was accepted as a new guild member and Emily began to lecture Ellis on where he needed to improve, stating she was taking him into the library.

"Elsimore Bellathriel," Veth said plainly, stepping forward to halt his steps before she had to follow him all the way back to the library. She held out the book towards him, "Cyrus wishes for this one to give you this book. He says the information within shall teach one how to summon the Silver Dragon of Tirisgarde, which he says you are unfortunately the only person who shall be able to make use of it. It also holds all his knowledge of the arcane and of spellwork." [/div][/div][/div]

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[Noble Scion]

Bem the Apianian - Reception - Birdsie Alteras Fable

Spoiler: Appearance

"I do not deny magic, I just believe power should come from the user, not through the contracting of the creatures of the abyss. Does that not seem fair?" Bem growled in response, only to be shocked that her wounds had disappeared. "D-don't do that again.. You'll curse me with some sort of demon illness..." was all she mumbled as she wrapped her slightly-bloodied scarf around her neck before grasping the seal and sticking it in her bag, feeling rather unsatisfied with only being appointed apprentice rank, whatever that was. Bem shared a dark glare between both Ellis and Veth before walking off, back to the outdoors that she had become accustomed to over the past week.

Her wings opened up as the apiana flew off into the air, to held calm her writhing mind, allowing the rush of cold air to calm herself. She had expected to have felt better about joining in the strange group, but it had simply left her with the feeling that she wasn't truly supposed to be there. After flying furiously for several minutes, she returned to the fort, still as unhappy as before and simply lay down against the outer stone walls, hugging her stinger to her chest and lamenting on her exile from home once more. Never again, was she to see her family, and now she was surrounded by war-mongering humans that worshipped demons around every corner. She had not been prepared for this. She had expected a wonderful paradise of friendly apiana that understood her ways, not this babbling bunch of demon-wannabes. It almost made her want to cry at how wrong she had been, and embrace the action she did. The prideful warrior was a snivelling wreck in a moment.

All she wanted to do was go home. She needed some friendly company.​

 

[Birdsie]

Ellis | Fort Black, Reception > Library | Alteras Fable Noble Scion

In a flash, the pain was gone from Ellis' head and chest. Emily split them up before further conflict could erupt, effectively defusing the situation. Spiteful, Ellis controlled himself. Patience, just keep patient. You've promised to be better, he told himself, but he felt deeply hurt. It was unjust that Bem could ignorantly spout nonsense and get away with it.

He listened to Emily's victory debrief closely, then shrugged. "Don't have money for adamantine of any kind," he admitted, not commenting on the latter as that was what he already intended to do.

Without a word, he followed Emily and narrowly grabbed the potion she threw. Mana potions. How could he forget something so useful? He uncorked it and gulped it down. The taste was fleetingly pungent, but it was bearable. As soon as he did it, his body seemed to have calmed down. His breathing returned to normal and so did his heartbeat.

"Why are we going to the library?" he asked, then froze in shock.

Ellis spun on the spot, distraught. His eyes slowly fell on Veth, his pupils widening every second. He was going to ask her how she knew his name, but the use of the word 'Cyrus' explained all of it. After she was done, he looked at the book and slowly shook his head, taking it as he slowly recomposed.

He opened it, skimming the first few pages, then moving to the middle, skimming a few pages, then going to the end and closing it. He raised his head at Veth. "This is years above my level. Does he think I'm an archmage? Learning these rotes..." -- he flipped across the pages again, tracing through the lines with his eyes.

He clenched the book, closing it loudly. He closed his eyes, breathed in, then looked Veth in the eyes. "It's ridiculous. He's out of his mind. I can't cast Minor Creation, let alone conjure a dragon!"

Begrudgingly, Ellis put the book between his belt and pants, then buckled it in with a strap. He turned and followed after Emily, not having anything else to say to Veth.

He'd consult Cyrus about this later, but for now, he thought the old man was insane. He didn't tell anyone, but the mana parameters for the dragon required a grand ritual or some form of high-thaumaturgy. Where did Cyrus find the energy to do all that? Clearly, the old man had some kind of secret trump card...

 

[Alteras]

[div class=EmilyFlex] [div class=EmilyImage][div class=EmilyImageInside][/div] [div class=EmilyTitle]Emily Chevalier[/div] [div class=EmilyMentions] Character Sheet
Location:
Guild of Heroes
Library of Fractional Memories
Interactions:
Birdsie Fable [/div][/div] [div class=EmilyContent]Emily ignored what the Apianian said. She began to think of ways for Ellis to control his magic. She was frustrated, as an Arcanist, and more so as a Mage, at Ellis's lack of ability despite his inborn talent of Silver Fire. All her life, she held magic with high regard. Even though she routinely breaks the common sense of magic with her spellweaving, she is a stickler when it comes to Arcane Etiquette. "Just go ask for one from the Quartermaster then or something. Adamantite is great for spell casting."

She was about to answer his second question when Veth came and gave something to him. Emily waited for their conversation to end and resumed walking. "You want to conjure a dragon? I'll show you how." They entered the Library and continued to the center of the vast building. As soon as they stepped onto the center, blue light glowed from the crevices in the floor, and a circular platform parted from the surface, carrying the two downward. They decided several depths until the walls of stone opened up to cold air. The sound of water flowing filled their ears and blue mystical light filled their eyes.

"Welcome to the Library of Fractional Memories. A place that only a few people are even allowed to know exists." Emily stepped off the platform as it came to a stop, and slowly made her way through centuries old shelves, books, and tomes. "This Library is the most precious collection of knowledge in the world. A wizard could waste an entire lifetime just decoding a single page from any of these tomes." They eventually came to where the water was flowing, blue light flowing everywhere. Emily waved her hand and two seats emerged next to the water.

"Let's have a talk." Emily said as she sat down and stared at the glowing blue water. "Beautiful, isn't it. It is the externalization and metaphysical realization of the leylines that flow beneath Castle Black. In other words, a Source. That water is only just the end of the source. It goes much much deeper." Emily smiled at it, as she briefly saw her own reflection and her journey so far as a Arcanist. Her face grew serious as she looked back up at Ellis's face. "Tell me. Why do you deny magic?"

Spoiler: Music to Go Along with the Mood

[/div][/div] [class=EmilyFlex] width: 100%; max-width: 1000px; margin: 0 auto; justify-content: center; align-items: stretch; display: flex; flex-flow: row wrap; box-sizing: border-box; [/class] [class=EmilyImage] position: relative; width: 300px; max-width: 100%; min-height: 300px; background-image: url('https://orig00.deviantart.net/f69c/f/2013/081/9/3/da_brocade_custom_box_background_by_gasara-d5ag4ls.gif'); background-color: rgb(218, 212, 218); background-blend-mode: multiply; background-repeat: no-repeat; margin: 5px; [/class] [class=EmilyImageInside] position: absolute; top:0; bottom: 0; left: 0; right: 0; background-image: url('https://www.rpnation.com/media/3822838135964a2c83e4ec0027-1499767526_waifu2x_art_noise3_tta_1-png.36357/full'); background-size: 120%; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-position: center 0%; [/class] [class=EmilyTitle] position: absolute; bottom: 0; height: auto; width: 100%; padding: 5px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; text-align: center; font-size: 45px; font-family: 'Cormorant Upright'; color: #e73359; background-color: rgba(218, 212, 218, .5); [/class] [class=EmilyMentions] position: absolute; width: 100%; height: 100%; top:0; padding: 5px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Philosopher'; color: #e5e5dd; opacity: 0; background-color: rgba( 0,0,0,0.65); transition: opacity .5s; [/class] [class name=EmilyMentions state=hover] opacity: 1; [/class] [class=EmilyContent] position: relative; min-width: 200px; flex: 1; height: auto; padding: 0px 15px; margin: 5px; font-family: 'Philosopher'; [/class]

 

[LostHaven]

Faust Windfallow -- Ragna's Workshop -- Interacting with Ragna ( Reinhardt )

"My name is Faust. The Guild of Heroes' vaultkeeper." Faust answered, adding jokingly: "and I clearly do and good job at it." Then, there was then matter of what he wished to eat. "I physically cannot eat..." He replied. "I am a bloody skeleton, it will probably fall through me... How about souls of the innocent?" While the last statement was meant as a joke, Faust had and strange suspicion Ragna would seriously have his maid serve him a sealed soul on a plate.

Reaching into his cloak, Faust produced a small bag, that contained the shattered pieces of his mask. "I want this mask put back together. And twelve bars of adamantite. That shit is hard to buy outside, I'm sure such a skilled alchemist such as yourself will have no issue transmuting adamantite." Next, Faust retrieved a small, decorative metal box, with an intricate mana lock. Faust placed his finger on it and channeled a specific amount of mana into the lock. Runes on the box began to glow, and the lid clicked open. Inside it, was a purple cushion with a key-shaped indent, where a single crystalline key sat. "I guess this is sufficient to prove who I claim to be. As payment, I offer you a vault artifact. A machine puppet, powered by magic. I think we nicknamed it 'The Eviscerator Puppet' or some shit. That aligns with your own interests, yes?"​

 

[Birdsie]

Ellis | Fort Black, Reception | Alteras

"I didn't say that," he denied when she offered to teach him how to conjure a dragon. He didn't want to tell her that the dragon specified could breathe silver fire, raze a city of undead forces, and probably the city itself if the user wished so.

They stood in the middle of the library for the fraction of a minute, Ellis growing confused. Then, blue light shivered through the floor crevices and they were descended on a lift. Ellis' eyes widened a millimeter as they were met with the sight.

He was astonished by the venerable location that his gaze was honored by. He listened to Emily's explanation intently, walking two steps behind her and looking to the right and left sporadically, taking in the view.

When she said how difficult it was to decode the books, Ellis interjected, "Could, or wastes?" He had a feeling she threw in the word 'could' in there for comfort and the truth was much more brutal. He also noticed the word choice. Decoding these tomes was a waste?

"If it's such a waste, why didn't any of these jackasses come up with the idea of making constructs or even growing homunculi to do it for them?" he asked, deeply refusing to believe that all of the wizards lacked the inventive drive to overcome a limitation beset by the world around them. That was the point of magic, or so Ellis thought.

He sat down opposite of her. Asking if he thought the water was beautiful, he looked down into it and squinted. The place was beautiful in visual terms, yes. It was wonderful in that regard. It was also magical, but only literally, not figuratively -- at least not to him. All in all, the place's visual presentation meant little to the bard, but he answered anyway. "Yes," he said sincerely, although he felt that this place wasn't evoking the same tranquility in him that it seemed to produce in Emily.

Then she asked him the big question. Ellis stared at her blankly, eyes or brows unflinching, for fifteen seconds straight. He found it hard to answer that question to himself, let alone someone else. Why did he deny it? When did it start?

Well, it began with the bullying, I suppose. His eyes moved down as he mused, then back up. Finally, he shifted uncomfortably and placed his hands on his legs. He answered determinedly, in a voice devoid of doubt. "It brought nothing but pain and sorrow into my life, so I began to hate it."

 

[Alteras]

[div class=EmilyFlex] [div class=EmilyImage][div class=EmilyImageInside][/div] [div class=EmilyTitle]Emily Chevalier[/div] [div class=EmilyMentions] Character Sheet
Location:
Guild of Heroes
Library of Fractional Memories
Interactions:
Birdsie [/div][/div] [div class=EmilyContent]Emily watched Ellis freeze, fidget, and resolve him himself before answering. Emily sighed. Ahh, right. He isn't the type to give out his life story. Hmm... Emily looked back towards the library. "In the eras before those scripts were created, magic was primal, uncivilized, unrestrained. Mages casted unforgiving curses to any who slighted them, Wizards played with the natural order of life for fun, Warlocks slew deities for power. That kind of magic brings pain and sorrow." Emily watched Ellis's every movement.

"You asked earlier why those decoding the tomes couldn't just create more magic to unlock its secrets. It's because those writings were meant to seal away the magic those authors saw generations before their birth. The moment wizards and magicians decided to hide their powers for the sake of this world, they were subjugated, not just by other magicians who sought to maintain their power, but also by non magic users, as vengeance for an era of pain and suffering. Just the mere fact that they could use magic brought them ire. They could've abandon magic, hide their status, and leave the world without a trace, so that magic could be sealed away —and who knows how many did— but they safeguarded their knowledge, treasured it, and expanded upon it. By all accounts, they suffered, lost family members, even sank into insanity, but they never stopped pursuing magic." Emily waved her hands, and blue spheres of light emerged from the water before rushing through the library, illuminating each and every bit of knowledge. "All that you can see around you is living proof that they loved magic."

Emily paused for a moment. "Do you hate magic because you hate the magic that you can create, or do you hate magic because you are hated?" [/div][/div] [class=EmilyFlex] width: 100%; max-width: 1000px; margin: 0 auto; justify-content: center; align-items: stretch; display: flex; flex-flow: row wrap; box-sizing: border-box; [/class] [class=EmilyImage] position: relative; width: 300px; max-width: 100%; min-height: 300px; background-image: url('https://orig00.deviantart.net/f69c/f/2013/081/9/3/da_brocade_custom_box_background_by_gasara-d5ag4ls.gif'); background-color: rgb(218, 212, 218); background-blend-mode: multiply; background-repeat: no-repeat; margin: 5px; [/class] [class=EmilyImageInside] position: absolute; top:0; bottom: 0; left: 0; right: 0; background-image: url('https://www.rpnation.com/media/3822838135964a2c83e4ec0027-1499767526_waifu2x_art_noise3_tta_1-png.36357/full'); background-size: 120%; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-position: center 0%; [/class] [class=EmilyTitle] position: absolute; bottom: 0; height: auto; width: 100%; padding: 5px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; text-align: center; font-size: 45px; font-family: 'Cormorant Upright'; color: #e73359; background-color: rgba(218, 212, 218, .5); [/class] [class=EmilyMentions] position: absolute; width: 100%; height: 100%; top:0; padding: 5px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Philosopher'; color: #e5e5dd; opacity: 0; background-color: rgba( 0,0,0,0.65); transition: opacity .5s; [/class] [class name=EmilyMentions state=hover] opacity: 1; [/class] [class=EmilyContent] position: relative; min-width: 200px; flex: 1; height: auto; padding: 0px 15px; margin: 5px; font-family: 'Philosopher'; [/class]

 

[Birdsie]

Ellis | Fort Black, Library of Fractional Memories | Alteras

All throughout the history lesson, Ellis maintained a frightfully cold expression.

When she asked him the question, he blinked and thought for a second, then answered, "I hate magic because others hate me because of it. If I were to be born without it, I'd have everything I wanted right now. Others might enjoy it, but it's a curse, not a blessing for me." That was his excuse. He was unable to play with the cards he was dealt in life.

Why did he receive the Silver Fire? He didn't even show talent. He was an infant when his first sorceries manifested so was it far-fetched to assume that Mystra predicted based only on his soul that he would become a master magician? And then, she seems to have abandoned the idea altogether, like it was a cruel prank from the start.

Or maybe it was a whim? Emily said magic brought pain and sorrow when it was unrestrained and chaotic. His stomach sank and his heart turned. A chill fell over him, a small mote of terror. Was the Weave playing with him?... No. Of course not. Magic isn't a sentient force, it's a law of nature. A chaotic, sometimes destructive, mutable law of nature, but not sentient in any way.

He looked up at Emily hesitantly. She wore clothing like a bird trying to show off its plumage and was confident about everything. How could she cope? What was different between them? Was it that she was never ostracized for her abilities and he was?

"Is there anything wrong with that?" The question was more directed at himself than her, but speaking it out loud indicated she was the only one who could answer that.

 

[Alteras]

[div class=EmilyFlex] [div class=EmilyImage][div class=EmilyImageInside][/div] [div class=EmilyTitle]Emily Chevalier[/div] [div class=EmilyMentions] Character Sheet
Location:
Guild of Heroes
Library of Fractional Memories
Interactions:
Birdsie [/div][/div] [div class=EmilyContent]"Yes"

Emily said confidently and immediately. She has seen enough of this self pity in numerous people who walked through the doors of the Guild. Self pity that blames what they have for what they could have. If they had what they wanted and not what they had, they would be just the same. They will never truly take control of their life.

"Do not think for a moment that you would be fine if you didn't have magic."

Emily knew that he was in self reflection, but if he continued his self reflection, he would only hate himself. A mage without self confidence, without ambition, without pride, is no mage at all.

"Never look down upon what you have. The moment you do, you are no different than those who look down upon you. Those people, who spend their days throwing stones at others for what they don't have, do so because they can't see past what they lack. They will never rise to any inner talent, they will never reach a better status, they will always look down on others because they refuse to fix what shitty lives they already have."

Each word came out with force, disdaining all the words of many she had heard in the past. No mage is given the keys to the world upon birth. No magician is granted all consuming power with magic. No man can reach greatness without effort.

"Is the magic you wield not your magic? Are you not the one who draws out its power? Can you truly say you are Ellis the Neonate, Ellis the Guildsman, Elsimore Bellathriel, or even Ellis without your magic?!"

Emily stopped, drew a breath, and relaxed. "I spent the majority of my life practicing, training, improving my magic to where it is. I was never born an Arcanist, nor was I guaranteed my position in life. Even now, as a Spellweaving Arcanist, I have never stopped expanding my magic. The moment I say that my magic is complete, I lose all right to call myself Emily Chevalier. Magic isn't something you gain or are gifted. Magic is something you have to earn for. Will you put yourself to it? Put in the effort for it? Will you continue to grasp and struggle and face everything in your way so that you can wield your magic, the Magic of Elsimore Bellathriel with full pride? Or do you intend on letting some old man give you his magic and hope that you'll be able to use it too?"

Emily waited and watched his reactions. I know I won't be able to get to him with just a single speech. But he has to understand, magic is one of many things that will define him. Until he can learn anything else, until he can improve his magic, until he can get stronger, he has to acknowledge the magic he holds. [/div][/div] [class=EmilyFlex] width: 100%; max-width: 1000px; margin: 0 auto; justify-content: center; align-items: stretch; display: flex; flex-flow: row wrap; box-sizing: border-box; [/class] [class=EmilyImage] position: relative; width: 300px; max-width: 100%; min-height: 300px; max-height: 668px; background-image: url('https://orig00.deviantart.net/f69c/f/2013/081/9/3/da_brocade_custom_box_background_by_gasara-d5ag4ls.gif'); background-color: rgb(218, 212, 218); background-blend-mode: multiply; background-repeat: no-repeat; margin: 5px; [/class] [class=EmilyImageInside] position: absolute; top:0; bottom: 0; left: 0; right: 0; background-image: url('https://www.rpnation.com/media/3822838135964a2c83e4ec0027-1499767526_waifu2x_art_noise3_tta_1-png.36357/full'); background-size: 120%; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-position: center 0%; [/class] [class=EmilyTitle] position: absolute; bottom: 0; height: auto; width: 100%; padding: 5px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; text-align: center; font-size: 45px; font-family: 'Cormorant Upright'; color: #e73359; background-color: rgba(218, 212, 218, .5); [/class] [class=EmilyMentions] position: absolute; width: 100%; height: 100%; top:0; padding: 5px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Philosopher'; color: #e5e5dd; opacity: 0; background-color: rgba( 0,0,0,0.65); transition: opacity .5s; [/class] [class name=EmilyMentions state=hover] opacity: 1; [/class] [class=EmilyContent] position: relative; min-width: 200px; flex: 1; height: auto; padding: 0px 15px; margin: 5px; font-family: 'Philosopher'; [/class]

 

[Prince_]

Natalie Arcanecrylhik -- Interacting with Viska ( Archdemon ), Sir Tybalt ( Pure Calcium ) and Auriel ( LostHaven )

Natalie would look at Viska, as she said she would honly hinder them. "Don't worry... I wouldn't come out here, and go looking just for you if I didn't think you could help." Natalie then looked at Tybalt. "Also... you do realize this will be a quick mission. We probably won't get too much gold. Anyways, we should be going sooner rather than later. So... you going to come with us?" Natalie asked.

She twitched for a second, and D'izzour decided to comment "So... we going, or not? The longer we sit here and waste time, or will we just hurry up? Natalie wanted to find you, Viska, so just enjoy the fact that she wanted you to come with us." Natalie's body twitched again, and then she came back to control. "Sorry about that... she's normally not this talkative. But... we need to hurry."

 

[LostHaven]

Auriel -- Courtyard -- Interacting with Natalie ( Prince_ ), Tybalt ( Pure Calcium ), Viska ( Archdemon )​

Auriel simply nodded. Viska didn't seem all that confident in her own abilities, and Auriel couldn't help but agree to her words. "Indeed. You may very well be a hindrance." She whispered out without any regard to what Viska could be feeling. Then, she glanced at Tybalt. "Sir Tybalt The Honorable is much too long. I think I shall shorten it to just Tybalt." She told the knight.

"The banshee has a point," Auriel muttered as she gazed over the rest of the group once more. "The enemy too, is after this artifact. I believe we should depart now." She held up her Guild Seal, indicating that she was ready to leave. "Shall we leave?"

 

[Fable]

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[/div][div class=flex][div class=text][div class=header]Veth[/div]
[div class=tags]Location: Reception > Great Forest | Interaction: | Nearby/Mentioned: Holo-Cyrus ( Birdsie )[/div]
Veth did not comment to Ellis's remarks about his own skill level not being adequate for the content within the book. He still took the item from her, allowing her to finish her task and continue towards whatever this mission in the Great Forest was. She had ignored Bem's glance towards her and Ellis, she had tried to give the bee-girl advice, but it seemed she was still misunderstanding others, though Veth couldn't say she was skilled in that either.

She went back to the stables then, mounted her horse and set off westward towards the Great forest. She had packed for at least three weeks, hoping it would be enough should she encounter problems or become delayed. If not, she'd just have to use her survival skills for food and water until she managed to complete her mission. Once she got to border of the forest, she would summon Cyrus.[/div][/div][/div]

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[Birdsie]

Ellis | Fort Black, Library of Fractional Memories | Alteras

At the end of her speech, even after everything she said, he remained unconvinced. The grasp of doubt clutched at his mind, trying to push him in the right direction, but he was completely uncertain of everything at this point.

Ellis planted his tired face in his hands, then slid them through his hair while looking down, before they rubbed their way back. "I'm just not sure of anything anymore," he sighed.

Her words tore a hole through his soul. How could she even say all that without knowing him? Were her words meaningless because of that, or did they gain in meaning because they were unbiased? He never really cared about gaining 'arcane might' or 'researching the weave.' Why would he? All it would bring him was more pain, or so he thought. How can she even ask if he'll wield his magic with pride when in his mind, magic is nothing to be proud of?

And maybe that was the mistake. Was his thinking infected by the way others thought of him? Did his poor opinion of everything supernatural come from self-defiance that started with wanting to be normal? Having friends? And then it only spiraled into uncontrollable malice. That would have been painfully ironic. Those who threw stones at him because they didn't have what he had achieved their goal by taking away what made him different.

Different, because up until now, he would not have said either unique nor special.

Ellis stood up, with a newfound determination. It was shaded by his internal doubts, but the spark of purpose was lit. He tried to search his heart for any form of pride and ended up with a tone approaching half-hearted contentment, as he said, "I'm going to study now." He turned to leave.

 

[Axel The Englishman]

Erald Wimstanton
[ The Guild Infirmary | Kylesar1 ]

Gunny was unsure of his luck, having just landed him in an infirmary that just so happened to have a pirate skulking about. Last time he checked, pirates were the scum of the sea. Far too cunning to be trusted, pirates only lived to kill and plunder and steal. “I pirate, you say?” He begun with an abrupt, firm tone to clearly express his distaste for this individual. “I find it hard to believe that a pirate would have any care for a simple, injured man such as myself. Frankly, I find it difficult for a pirate to care for anything, fullstop. We won’t be having this conversation, so if you’ll excuse me...” Gunny shifted onto his right side, leaving the pirate out of view and out of mind.​

 

[Pure Calcium]

|Name: Sir Tybalt|

|Location: Guild courtyard|

|Interacting with Auriel ( LostHaven ) Natalie ( Prince_ ) and Viska ( Archdemon )

The knight raises his sword up into the air and says with extreme enthusiasm "LET US DEPART!" The knight seems to like vanquishing evil very much.

 

[Alteras]

[div class=EmilyFlex] [div class=EmilyImage][div class=EmilyImageInside][/div] [div class=EmilyTitle]Emily Chevalier[/div] [div class=EmilyMentions] Character Sheet
Location:
Guild of Heroes
Library of Fractional Memories > Reception Desk
Interactions:
Birdsie [/div][/div] [div class=EmilyContent]Emily watched Ellis leave the place. She knew that it was gonna be something like this. It always is something like this. He may be lost, but at least he isn't walking in circles. Emily watched the blue water shift the lights that glowed in that place. Hmm, next time I should show him the Golden Gallery, well that's if he wants to know more about magic. His reaction to the Spring of Knowledge and the Era before Time was a bit... lackluster. Oh well. She stood up just as she could hear the platform begin.

"... I guess I'm staying here for another minute. Let's see, where was I?"

Emily gave up and walked to one of the shelves and pulled out a scroll. She unraveled it, revealing a intricate and ornate drawings, writings, and imagery. Mana flowed through the ink that should've dried ages ago. "The Ensemble of Time... One day, I'll grasp upon your knowledge." After a few minutes, Emily left the Library of Fractional Memories and returned to her desk. [/div][/div] [class=EmilyFlex] width: 100%; max-width: 1000px; margin: 0 auto; justify-content: center; align-items: stretch; display: flex; flex-flow: row wrap; box-sizing: border-box; [/class] [class=EmilyImage] position: relative; width: 300px; max-width: 100%; min-height: 300px; background-image: url('https://orig00.deviantart.net/f69c/f/2013/081/9/3/da_brocade_custom_box_background_by_gasara-d5ag4ls.gif'); background-color: rgb(218, 212, 218); background-blend-mode: multiply; background-repeat: no-repeat; margin: 5px; [/class] [class=EmilyImageInside] position: absolute; top:0; bottom: 0; left: 0; right: 0; background-image: url('https://www.rpnation.com/media/3822838135964a2c83e4ec0027-1499767526_waifu2x_art_noise3_tta_1-png.36357/full'); background-size: 120%; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-position: center 0%; [/class] [class=EmilyTitle] position: absolute; bottom: 0; height: auto; width: 100%; padding: 5px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; text-align: center; font-size: 45px; font-family: 'Cormorant Upright'; color: #e73359; background-color: rgba(218, 212, 218, .5); [/class] [class=EmilyMentions] position: absolute; width: 100%; height: 100%; top:0; padding: 5px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Philosopher'; color: #e5e5dd; opacity: 0; background-color: rgba( 0,0,0,0.65); transition: opacity .5s; [/class] [class name=EmilyMentions state=hover] opacity: 1; [/class] [class=EmilyContent] position: relative; min-width: 200px; flex: 1; height: auto; padding: 0px 15px; margin: 5px; font-family: 'Philosopher'; [/class]

 

[Kylesar1]

Erald Wimstanton
[ The Guild Infirmary | Kylesar1 ]

Gunny was unsure of his luck, having just landed him in an infirmary that just so happened to have a pirate skulking about. Last time he checked, pirates were the scum of the sea. Far too cunning to be trusted, pirates only lived to kill and plunder and steal. “I pirate, you say?” He begun with an abrupt, firm tone to clearly express his distaste for this individual. “I find it hard to believe that a pirate would have any care for a simple, injured man such as myself. Frankly, I find it difficult for a pirate to care for anything, fullstop. We won’t be having this conversation, so if you’ll excuse me...” Gunny shifted onto his right side, leaving the pirate out of view and out of mind.​

Annette Braveheart Stansfield
Infirmary​

Annette silenced the nun before she could speak. The nun's face was red with anger.
"I wouldn't be in the Guild of Heroes if I plundered and killed needlessly. Your mindset spits in the face of the Guildmaster, who entrusted to me the matters of the sea." She spat in disgust. Pirates were big on the chain of command and this guy was firing off assumptions based on a first look and stereotypes. He was questioning the Guildmaster and his inner circle, which was what judged her physically, magically, mentally and emotionally capable to take on these missions. That's what was getting her worked up. "Disgraceful, and I can easily see why you're here in the infirmary. That emotional unintelligence probably speaks to your capabilities on the field. It's fine. You can sit here in pain."

Annette shrugged. She had nothing to lose by leaving his ass in there instead of getting him advanced medical attention. Her nun was part of her pirate crew. "Lay them down and heal them up. I have to finish my report. Ignore the ignoramus." Annette took a seat at a nurse's desk and began finishing off her report to the Guildmaster.

 

[Graystone713]

Wobb Gooblesplatsh
We keep living anyway.
Guild reception, interacting with Emily ( Alteras )
​

Everyone thought Wobb was just this bottomless well of confidence, this... Indomitable spirit. But it was hard not to be depressed. Everyone in the guild, every hero on the road, and every guard acted like they were up for the gallows. He'd heard of towns pardoning any criminal who would sign up for the armies and militias. He'd heard of the armies of Albion trying to gather strength and reinforce the border. And he'd heard about people considering abandoning Albion altogether, even though many of their neighbor states were under siege and unprotected by truce. He'd even heard of a great deal of refugees coming in from those nations. Everyone, from every walk of life, seemed to think there was no way out. But Wobb had the special silver fire stuff. It was a part of him, now. He knew that's why Turenval had Cyrus. That's why the people at the guild thought Ellis was important. That was one way out. Wobb wasn't sure what else could be done, though. He just kept on with his original plan for becoming a hero: Get bigger. Get stronger. Get better at fighting. He'd been on monster hunt after monster hunt for this past week, and hadn't slept much. Even with his new swords, and his armored bag thing, fighting was hard work. He should be resting. Instead, he was warping back to the guild and slithering to the reception desk. He was a little less than five feet tall and was a little thin when this week started. Now he was a little more than seven feet tall, and quite thick. He was becoming more solid of late, too. Maybe it was his diet. Monster flesh was pretty tough, after all. But he still had the teeth that would serve as his proof. He plinked them into a little bowl and spoke to Emily, exhaustion in his voice.

"Dun... Any mowe... Contwacts?"

and made a burbling yawn. He knew he was pushing it. But Turenval and his undead army didn't sleep, so he couldn't afford to either. If he spent any time resting instead of preparing, wouldn't they be more prepared than he was? More ready to overrun Albion's armies, which were faced with the lingering threat of desertion? What sort of hero would he be if he slacked off at a time like this? He... He had to be strong enough. He couldn't slow down now. He could keep going... Maybe.

 

[Prince_]

Natalie Arcanecrylhik -- Interacting with Viska ( Archdemon ), Sir Tybalt ( Pure Calcium ) and Auriel ( LostHaven )

Natalie would look at Viska, as she said she would only hinder them. "Don't worry... " Then Tybalt yelled "LET US DEPART!". Natalie recoiled, and then said. "Oh well... I guess we're going. So, er, if you want to join us, best if you do so quickly, and via guild seal." Natalie grabbed her guild seal, and readied to depart.

 

[One Mean Ghost]

Ki'Tavi

Location: Somewhere in the castle
Interacting with: Elvis Birdsie

Kit took a few more moments to get himself ready, pulling on his shirt and gathering his equipment for the day. Once he was ready, he produced his guild-seal to summon a certain old mage. When Cyrus appeared, Kit wasted no time.

"Let me cut to the chase... I need you to tell me everything you know about Anti-Magic..." Frankly, It was readily apparent that Turneval's forces had insane magic at their disposal, the magical nukes not being the least of their concerns. They needed ways to counter it, and that meant Anti-Magic. If Kit could unravel how to use Anti-Magic, he could potentially devise a spell that would give them an edge against Turneval's forces, if only temporarily.

Holo Cyrus, for his part, didn't seem all that pleased at being summoned. "I have limited processing power, Kit. I can't be in three places at the same time -- two at most. Go to my study and retrieve the book called 'Five Magic System' and skip to page one-hundred and sixty. Read from there. Any questions you have, I shall answer." Kit barely let Cyrus finish before he picked up the seal. "Thanks" Kit murmured, striding out of his room and to Cyrus's study, ignoring anyone else as he passed. The gears were turning in his head, ideas, concepts, plans... He needed Anti-Magic in his bag of tricks.

Once Ki'Tavi entered the study, a lonely Guild Seal on the table in the middle of the room flared up in blue and produced a one-foot-tall hologram of Cyrus, smoking his pipe. "Ki'Tavi," he greeted deadpan. "While you're here, could you do me a favor? My staff is in that corner. Please, give it to Elsimore Bellathriel: that boy I scolded a week ago." He pointed at one corner of the room, then flickered out.

Kit blinked for a moment. Elsimore? The one he scolded? "I hope he meant Elvis, because I have no clue who this Elsimore person is..." He muttered, remembering the drunk bard he'd met not too long ago. He scoured the shelves for a few moments before he came across the book he was looking for. Tucking it under his arm, he also picked up Cyrus's staff, feeling the weight of it in his palm. To most, it would be an ordinary staff, but something about it told Kit it was significant, not to mention why else would Cyrus care to pass it on?

He set out from the study, shutting the door with his heel behind him. From there, he wandered around the Castle looking for the little drunk bard he was supposed to pass the staff along to. After a few minutes, he spied the young man. "Oi, Elvis!" Kit called making his way over. He noticed a different look upon the lad's face. He almost looked determined. Or he was constipated, hard to tell sometimes...

"Holo-Cyrus asked me to pass this along to you" He remarked flipping the staff once in his hand before holding it out to the young mage. Should Ellis look, of course, he'd notice the book Kit was about to delve into. Even as Ellis was about to start his studies, so too, was the Phantom Captain. Even now, the cat was trying to sway the odds in the coming war.

 

[Birdsie]

Ellis Bellathriel | Fort Black, Training Yard | One Mean Ghost

Ellis experimented in the training yard. In front of him, an empty field. On a table next to him lay, a book titled: 'The Enchiridion of Moderately Advanced Arcane Spells.' Long title, but very accurate and descriptive. It was open in the middle. Next to it was another book: 'Guide to Metamagic.'

He held his hand out and it ignited like a torch. The Burning Hands spell loaded a charge of arcane flames into your hand, then unloaded it into a cone. Ellis made the fire sticky, added the concept of concussive force to it. And then, he uploaded an additional force. Ellis focused and shut his eyes, and the fire changed color to white-silver, with bits of blue at the edges.

Clenching his hand into a fist, Ellis swung. The fire poured from his hand, leaving it and creating a directional explosion of all-consuming, burning fire. The concussive force added strength to the attack. Making the fire stick to whatever solid surface it touched was hard, but not impossible. The ground would burn for at least five minutes or until he lost concentration, which he did, when he was approached by a familiar face.

"Ellis," he corrected Kit. Ellis stared at Kit for a moment, noticing that he was being handed a staff.

"This is from Cyrus too? Not so long ago, Veth delivered the old man's spellbook to me. First, he scolds me for using magic improperly, now he's giving me his most prized possessions. The irony is brilliant."

Ellis took the staff in his hand. It was oddly balanced. The top wasn't carved, though the entire length of the staff seemed to be made from ironwood, or some other hardy wooden material. At the tip, a beady silver orb glared at Ellis like an eye of judgment. He felt the power from the staff, like another, kindred soul... soul. A soul.

Ellis pinched the bridge of his nose in disappointment. "Now I get it," he said, directing the blame at himself. "That's how he summoned the dragon. This staff is an artificial meridian with increased rotational power. A mana generator, and a catalyst for magecraft. Of course. In theory, I could do it, if I learn the heaps of incantation and self-suggestion for it."

Ellis let go of the staff, trusting that it would stay in place if he let go. It indeed has. Cyrus thought of every function, from stilling to returning to the user. Ellis took the book 'Essence of Blue and Silver' in his hands and opened on the page with the dragon, reading line after line.

 

[Ms. Sparrow]

Andrew Tamborlin​

In all his years, getting lost was never even an idea-much less a problem. He generally knew where he was, and took pride that he knew where he was in the world at all times. He had traveled much, and he had traveled far. From begging in the streets, to the top spot in the university, to getting expelled on charges that just covered the fact that they were scared of him. He had covered thousands of miles, and done so in record time. He had stolen, cheated, lied, and killed. He had helped, hurt, sacrificed, forgiven, and loved. Not in any romantic way, but he had come to take a group of people as family, and their deaths haunted him as vividly as his own parents. Still, he had done so much, even at a young age. Throughout the time, he had kept his wit, sanity, cloak, and direction. Never had he lost them once-despite many different spells to fly and teleport.

So when he was plowed into from behind while playing "The sound of the wind" (as he called it), he was very surprised to find a...healer...as he turned around. Before his astonishment could take place, he was no longer at his nice camping spot, but in somewhere entirely new. Sure, he had been in new places, but he had never been teleported not under his own command. And thus, he found himself lost for the first time, staring at some creature from a story; and yet still playing the lute. He had grown so accustomed to playing, he could be playing and having a conversation without realizing the strings were still moving.

While he tried to get a hold of himself, he focused on taking deep breaths and imagining sinking whenever he exhaled. It seemed to work, as he began to calm himself. Of course, he didn't show his panic (much of it, anyway), as he was an adept liar. Still, the one staring at him now, gold eyes burning into his, was unnerving enough for him to lose his cool a bit (though not enough to stop him from playing-in fact, not enough to stop him from finishing the verse he was on).

​

He stared dumbly for a second, before finally finding his wit. Mortal? Damn it was one of those people, calling someone Mortal like they were better. He was about to give her a piece of his mind, both of them, for sending him here, when he saw her teeth. Alright...well he wasn't quite sure that calling them out at this time was a good idea, especially because he believed he was looking at a Blackfire witch-something of storybook. Certainly beautiful, but a terror to anyone that was caught in their clutches. Wherever he was, she was here, he'd best be careful.

"Andrew Tamborlin, at your service" He said with a low bow, composing himself. "Whatever that may be. He hated the way she looked at him. He tightened his cloak, and shouldered his lute. "I seem to have lost my...well...entire camp site, along with most of my things. Can I ask where I am? And perhaps who you are? And..." He was going to ask what the hell happened to her, but decided against it. She might be crippled at the moment, but he still wasn't quite ready to start clashing wits with her until he knew how hostile she would be. "And if you wanted to hear a song?"
Ms. Sparrow

Asterin Blackblood​

Location: Guild Hall - Quarters

She watched both outsiders equally, the girls fear, which she hid, but hung in the air like an paint smear filled Asterin’s senses, and she was delighted to a certain degree. And the man... she grinned as he tightened the cloak around himself, clearly uncomfortable, as any sane person would be. She inspected her unbroken hand, examine gleaming chromium claws as they retracted into normal finger nails, although still chromium and a bit on the sharp side, they were no longer 4-inch long death sentences.

Her tone was cool as she spoke, “You are standing in the Guild Hall of the Guild of Hero’s.” She glanced up, seeing and both sensing the lack of surprise from the Fae girl, before she went back to scrapping the blood blood — her blue blood—from her nails. “I am Asterin Blackblood, Heir to the Blackblood witch clan.” She glanced back up with another terrifying grin, each razor-sharp tooth glinting in the torchlight. “You can play a song,” she purred coolly, “as long as you don’t mind having you’re entrails string about like ribbons afterwards.” Her gold eyes flashed to his, a faint smirk decorating her lips.

“Why would they let YOU in here?” The Fae girl beside the man blurted, even having the gall to clench her fists, Asterin’s eyes flicked lazily to her, an expression of boredom written all over her perfect face as the Fae girl continued.

“My mother told me stories about Blackfire witches. You’ve killed innocents! Slaughtered countless Eleven kind!” The Fae girl spat each word, her face turning pink and seemingly unaware of the gathering holy magic in the palm of her hands. Asterin’s lack of reaction enraged the girl further, and the girl’s tone went to a deadly calm. “My mother believes you had hearts. But I know better. You’re just monsters.” She spat the last sentence, and her breath hitched as she caught the look in Asterin’s eyes before she struck. Asterin, despite being injured moved unnaturally fast, as quick as a viper, her arm lashed out as she lunges forward and grasped the girls chin, giving the girl little chance to react.

Her other arm was already holding the Fae girl’s wrist as she yanked her arm up, showing the girl the holy magic that had been building during her little tantrum. The healers holding her stretcher gasped in unison.

The girl looked ashamedly at the magic she seemingly couldn’t control. “And how many people have you harmed with you’re little gift?” Asterin said in a low, deadly growl. The girl’s face tinged with red in embarrassment and shame. “Maybe I’m not the only monster in the room.” Asterin hissed, her nails digging into the girl’s chin, just enough to draw a drop of blood before she pushed the girl back Witch a careless shove.

Asterin focused her gaze back on the bard. “Unless you wish to join, I’d suggest leaving at once. If you do want to join, you’re an idiot to.” She said cool but firmly. With everything going on with Turneval. Anyone wanting to join was stupid enough to believe he could be killed by such a useless band of idiots, or they were looking for a quick death. Asterin flicked an icy glare on the Fae girl, “The same goes for you. Though I doubt you’d be useful” she remarked with indifference. With once last glance to Andrew, she grinned one last horrifying and winked, “See you around, Andrew.” She purred anusedly, still a hint of ice in her tone before the healers quickly rushed her off in the stretcher, heading up the flight of stairs for her quarters.
—————————————————
(Will skip to next week in next post)

Interactions: Andrew Inheritance​

 

[Noble Scion]

Bem the Apianian - Training yard - Birdsie One Mean Ghost

Spoiler: Appearance

Bem, after spending an undetermined amount of time thinking on her life and the events that had led to the current moment, eventually found the will to stand up, even though she didn't particularly feel like it. Everything felt heavy, yet she didn't exactly want to stay there, moaning to herself while huddled down next to wall of the fort, and with that thought, she began walking. Where she was walking, she was unsure of, why she had suddenly gotten up from her little spot of solitude, of that too, she knew not, all while the reasons for her depression continued to elude her. "Bloody demon-worshippers" she growled to herself, determining it as the only reason for such emotions.

Her thoughts varied greatly on her small walk, moving between wondering why the humans decided on such methods to attain power, and why the social customs were so strange, but her thoughts were cut-short as her legs appeared to have carried her to a new area of the human hive. It appeared to resemble one of the training areas they had at home, but to her dismay, it was occupied by two people she much rather would much rather stay well away from. The irritable human that enjoyed insulting her for seemingly no reason, and the cat-human that had injured her pride earlier by undermining her combat abilities.

Bem, in a strange battle between being lost in her thoughts, her legs willing to move forwards and her general exhaustion from how sad she had been, simply fell over, face-first into the ground. Bem groaned into the dirt, but made no effort to get up, seemingly lacking any and all motivation to continue on in the humans' world, yet being unable to return to her home. "Whyyy-" was all she moaned, uncaring for the two people she consider semi-enemies that were there.​

 

[Birdsie]

***
Interlude -- The Essence Between​

Spoiler

Turenval was done for today. He had extracted some of Cyrus' mana for analysis in the laboratory, then ordered the old man to be returned to his prison. A pair of skeletal guards took Cyrus away by his arms. The old man didn't resist at this point.

The wizard was violently rushed into his cell and the door locked behind him. Indifferent, he sat down on the ground and prepared to fall asleep. His mind had dulled, due to a lack of stimuli, conversation, or even research. And speaking with the Grand Lich himself didn't help his mood.

He felt dead inside, probably because death was certain for him at this point. Turenval would remove any chance of resurrection or reincarnation. There was only oblivion waiting for him on the other side of the stilled heartbeat.

Cyrus had some regrets. He could only trust that his recorded-self told the truth at one point... Yes, he would have to. Cyrus held onto that hope; it was heartening to know that maybe he could've done at least that much.

The old man made peace with himself. Hours of silence passed by, until a voice asked him,"Hey. What you in for? Not celestial murder, I presume?"

His eyes opened sluggishly, then drifted to locate the source of the noise. A man, in the opposite cell. Cyrus furrowed an eyebrow; it took him a moment but he decoded the meaning of the words. "Mastering the essence that is between," he replied without hesitation.

The man, as if the two were speaking in code, responded last: "And neither above nor below. For it is in between that we find the essence of who we are..." A second of silence. Cyrus finally smiled, and the figure in the darkness did too. "Cyrus, it is good to see you, my old friend."

"You're abjured, I trust?" Cyrus asked, then stood up, his chains rattling.

"Of course. Heavily layered, encrypted abjuration spell. Virtually undetectable, but we don't have much time." The man stood up and left the darkness, walking into the embrace of torchlight. He was in his late fifties and wore medium robes; slightly ceremonial, but practical enough that they wouldn't impede movement even in harsh environments. He held a delicately carved staff from oak wood.

"I'm breaking you out of here. All of the archmages are gathered in a pocket dimension connected to my staff through an unbreakable dimension door. If things get out of hand, we're not alone."

Cyrus shook his head, then grappled the bars. "No, Adrian! If you break me out, there is no telling what Verraketh shall do. He could resume the war."

"You expect Verraketh to keep his promise? As soon as he's done with Espania, he's going after Albion. And saving Albion doesn't change anything." The archmage faced Cyrus sternly, believing he was right despite Cyrus' age and experience.

"I'm giving thousands of people entire months to live, where they would die in weeks. That's a start."

Adrian crinkled his nose, blown back and offended. He shook his head in frustration and disappointment. "You of all people, Cyrus? You? The one who always told me delaying the inevitable is a fool's errand?"

"Only when--" "--only when there are other options. And there are," Adrian interjected. "We can win this."

Cyrus nodded grimly. "Maybe..." he muttered, then halted. He sank into deep thought, but was broken from it rather abruptly. Adrian phased through the bars of his cell like a ghost, then through the bars of Cyrus' own cell. He placed his hands on the collar on Cyrus' neck and it burned away without harming either archmage.

"What's the plan?" Cyrus asked reluctantly.

"Summon your dragon and scorch all of Coorhagen. Around half of Turenval's troops are still here," Adrian explained. Instantly, Cyrus cursed under his breath. He had left his staff back in Fort Black and summoning it into the Dark Forest was risky; it could be intercepted.

"I don't have the mana for that," he explained. Better to play it safe.

"Then I'll back you up." Adrian was a sorcerer from birth, with over sixty inborn meridians, all of exceptional quality and output. His power would definitely be sufficient to form the dragon, but not at full strength. Especially that Cyrus was still drained. The resultant dragon would lack some of its signature abilities; its breath would be weakened and it wouldn't be able to use it as often.

Cyrus nodded, then followed Adrian. The two archmages shredded the guards of the prison, one magic missile being an adequate force for each piece of scum. They created a dimension door to warp to the rooftop. As expected, when they started killing guards, the city awoke to their presence. The clanging of metallic footsteps rang in the streets down below. The two archmages peeked over the ledge and saw archers.

They stepped back.

Volleys of archer fire showered them. Adrian raised a wall of wind, firing them back with meager force. He looked at Cyrus expectantly. Cyrus nodded, cleared his throat, prepared his mind, concentrated with all his wits and began to incant, "Lava i' beleg sgiathatch fain-y' aha ikotane belakkor tanya ilya ho fos gurtha!"

Adrian put his hand on Cyrus's shoulder and their souls worked in tandem. Meridians rotated at dangerous speeds to generate energy for the spell. In the end, this proved insufficient to manifest the dragon at full strength. Cyrus made the same adjustments he made at Xhorhas, finalized the spell, and restlessly hoped for the best.

The heavens screamed and the earth shook. A gargantuan beast covered in silver scales emerged with an explosion of silver-white wind. It roared terribly. All of the sapient undead ran away, scurrying through the streets and toward their homes, or just as far away as they could. The enslaved ones; the dumb zombies and the thoughtless skeletons stood their ground and foolishly attacked, not having enough autonomy to form a proper strategy.

The dragon roared and lashed out. With a mace-like strike of its tail, several buildings and a platoon of soldiers were crushed to bits. With another, wider arc of the tail, several towers were knocked down and obliterated countless foes on the streets.

Cyrus and Adrian watched the resultant carnage. The dragon tore his way across a block of the city, crushing numerous buildings and destroying squads of enemies without any meaningful resistance. Cyrus transferred a mental command to the beast, ordering it to attack the Grand Fortress of Thar Amphala, in the middle of the city. The great, obsidian spire that loomed above them all.

The gargantuan monster bellowed, then released a line of silver-white energy. It rolled across the dark city and bits of the spellfire burned off the rooftops of various buildings and even washed some of the streets, purging them of any undead creature; be it soldiers, drakes, giants, or any other monster of the night. The greater part of the attack, however, struck into Thar Amphala's core. The fortress resisted, its shields deflecting the assault. But this one strike of magical energy had lowered them to a half of their output.

Three more similar breath attacks and the fortress would be destroyed. The dragon prepared another one, but before it could do any meaningful damage, a meteor fell from the sky and impaled its chest.

On top of Thar Amphala stood Verraketh, having just teleported back to the city as soon as he heard of a 'monstrous, legendary creature.' Behind him, a dark, ominous, hooded figure with a gleaming crown of gold embroidered with colorful jewels. It comfortably wielded a black staff in one hand, with a carved onyx skull at the top.

Verraketh pointed his finger at the dragon, like a cruel god casting down judgment on something he deemed unworthy. At a moment's notice, all rubble the dragon knocked around thus far picked up and drifted high into the air, thrice higher than the dragon was tall. It roared, then lashed out at the floating bits of rubble, burning them with fire, hoping to melt them.

Verraketh didn't let it. Like cannon bolts, the rubble all fired from various directions at one, specific target. The mighty beast was knocked into the ground, its bones broken and the wound in its proud chest bleeding. It released another, muffled roar and exploded with spellfire in all directions. As a last act of defiance, it fired a line of spellfire at the fortress that Verraketh and Turenval stood on.

The shield cracked and the outer wall crumbled, but it didn't have enough power to do any significant damage. Verraketh gestured and said one word and the clouds in the sky darkened with a midnight penumbra. Lighting cracked through them, then hit the dragon, once, twice, thrice, six times in a row.

Verraketh was utterly disappointed by the monster he was facing. Deciding to finish it off, he swung his hand. It released a fast-moving cloud-like red gas. It hit the dragon and destroyed it on contact, leaving behind naught but a pile of carpet-sweepings. Verraketh mused if this was truly the creature that beat his underlings.

By the time that the fight with the dragon was concluded, Cyrus and Adrian were already outside the borders of the Dark Forest, having used safe, previously prepared dimensional doors for this specific escape to ensure they couldn't be intercepted by the forest's dark magic.

Now, they had to discuss their next steps.

 

[Archdemon]

Viska
Location: Guild Courtyard
Action: Deciding to go help recover some artifact

Viska sighed, she should go with them it's what a hero should do. She looked at Natalie and nodded.

"I'll come along, besides I've been meaning to use some new spells I've been experimenting with."
The little Kobold girl stood next to Natalie and held her arm, ready to be teleported by the Guild Seal. She hoped her new magic would help while searching for this artifact.

Pure Calcium Prince_ LostHaven