Fantasy 𝕃𝕖𝕘𝕒𝕔𝕪 𝕌𝕟𝕓𝕠𝕦𝕟𝕕 - ɪᴄ

[Dicentra]

Heartless Theme

Night Of Fate

home

1

2

3

• 0001
• 0002
• 0003
• 0004

• 
  

  

  
  
  

  "Be Prepared" - The Lion King
• 
  

  Group 1: Xathos (1), Axiron (2), Leox (3)
  The static faded into a hush, and an almost unnatural silence filled the air. The members stood still, realizing the quiet was too profound - there should have been some communication from the rest of their team. At the edge of the maze, the trio hesitated.
  
  Suddenly, one by one, vines snaked around their ankles, yanking them back into the hedges. Despite their struggles, the vines' grip was unyielding. They were dragged relentlessly, unable to break free, until all three were pulled back into the heart of the labyrinth.
  
  Converging at the very center, the trio now faced an enormous, animalistic flower, its chest emblazoned with the iconic Heartless emblem. It appeared that this beast's tail was what had pulled them all back in. The creature bared its teeth at them, clearly upset by their intrusion. It smacked its tail against the ground angrily, shaking the earth beneath them.
  
  With a roar loud enough to echo throughout the entire maze, the beast turned sideways to face them, its immense form casting a threatening shadow over the trio. The tail, thick and sinewy, began to lash out like a whip, cracking through the air with a force that could shatter frames. Each swing sent a gust of wind that nearly knocked them off their feet, and now the tail was coming straight for each of the trio.
  

  
  
  
  
  
• 
  

  Group 2: Dauxine (1), Xirene (2), Zexal (3)
  First the static, and then, a hush - a quiet embrace. It was peaceful even in the long corridors of the maze - maybe even hopeful that they would get out soon enough. They moved with a cautious optimism, listening to the occasional rustle of leaves and the whisper of the wind.
  
  Then, a distant pattering, a sort of trotting, began to drift through the air. At first, it was easy to dismiss as a harmless creature or the wind playing tricks. But the sound persisted, growing louder and more distinct with each passing moment. The pattering transformed into a rhythmic thud, as if something with considerable weight was moving swiftly toward them. The sound closed in, echoing off the maze's walls.
  
  The trio exchanged uneasy glances, their previously hopeful thoughts dissipating into a cloud of dread. The trotting was no longer a distant noise; it was here, surrounding them. Before long stood the creature, a Heartless adorned with the emblem on its head, a bizarre amalgamation of floral features and sharp sickles in place of hooves. Its movements carved deep gashes into the ground as it shifted its weight. Despite its lack of eyes, it seemed to fixate on Xirene, then on the flower clutched in their hand, and back to Xirene again. With an agitated snort, the creature scraped its hind hoof against the ground, building momentum as it prepared to charge, driven by a primal urge for vengeance, perhaps in response to its distant kin.
  
• 
  

  Group 3: Xanthe(1), Valyrixis(2), Axrael(3)
  As they scrambled out of the deep pit, their hands and knees dirted from the effort, a disorienting static filled the air, threatening to distract them from their desperate climb to freedom. Each member fought against the urge to lose their grip, knowing that failure meant being consumed by the darkness below (again). But against the odds, they all managed to reach the top, gasping for breath as the warmth of the sun greeted their skin. The oppressive static abruptly ceased, replaced by a soothing silence that brought a glimmer of hope to their weary hearts. For a fleeting moment, they dared to believe that their ordeal might be nearing its end.
  
  Yet, just as quickly as hope had risen, it faltered. The sun, which had begun to revive their spirits, dimmed ominously. At first, they dismissed it as a passing cloud drifting lazily across the sky. But as they glanced upward, their eyes widened in alarm. High above them loomed a colossal shadow, blotting out the sun with its formidable presence. The realization dawned on them like a chilling gust of wind - this was no mere cloud. Whatever cast this shadow was massive and undoubtedly menacing, its intent unknown but its power unmistakable.
  
  Before them loomed a fungal knight, its massive weapon fashioned from gnarled tree bark, poised to strike with deadly intent. The weapon descended swiftly, aimed directly at the group, leaving them little time to react.
  

coded by weldherwings.

 

[Zariel]

♛ZEXAL♛

The sound of trotting, growing louder and closer, caused Zexal to perk his head up. It wasn't a familiar noise, certainly not one that belonged to another member of the organization. But whatever it was sounded big.

Soon enough, something emerged from the corner ahead, rearing its ugly head into their path. A floral abomination lumbered into view, its body armoured with lethal spikes and scythe-like claws that scraped furrows into the earth with each step. Atop its head bloomed an ominous sanguine flower with a distinctive emblem at its centre.

The creature's head bent and twisted, its eyeless gaze locking onto Xirene, seeming particularly interested in the flower she held. The creature kicked its hind legs and charged like a raging bull.

"Look out!" Zexal exclaimed, his head snapping over to his comrade.

Fortunately, the Trickster was quick on their feet. With a swift roll, Xirene narrowly avoided the creature's initial attack, though, the tenacious thing was relentless, continuing its pursuit.

The silver-haired man narrowed his eyes.

"I'll try to grab its attention!" he said, swiping his arm in a wide arc, summoning a gust of wind that rushed toward the Heartless monster.

The powerful current of air crashed into the creature's hooked hooves, causing it to trip. And for a moment, it stumbled, teetering on the brink of collapse, yet, much to The Scholar's chagrin, it managed to recover its balance just before toppling over completely.

At least now, it turned its attention to Zexal, letting out an ear-piercing screech that reverberated through the maze. The man winced at the sound but remained focused, steeling himself before his next move.

Just as it was about to charge once more, Zexal was the first to strike, and lunged forward, propelling himself with a jet of wind that shot him towards the beast at the speed of a hurricane. He aimed his blade at the creature's leg, hoping to cripple it, but his strike was intercepted by the creature's sickle-like claws.

The creature retaliated with a series of rapid, consecutive slashes, that were difficult to parry. Using the power of the wind, Zexal blasted himself out of harm's way, dodging to the right, then to the left, and finally into the air, narrowly evading the creature's vicious attacks.

Now with the aerial advantage, he imbued his sword with his elemental power as he unleashed a fusillade of Wind Blades at his opponent. The creature roared in pain as the razor-sharp air sliced its spiked body.

Zexal glided back to the ground beside his allies, landing with a feathered step. His breath came in sharp gasps, but his mind remained as sharp as ever.

"That won't be enough... Gaaaah!" he spat, shrieking in pain. It was then that he felt a searing sting along his left forearm. Glancing down, he saw that his sleeve had been torn, and there was a gash along his flesh where the Heartless had managed to land a hit. "Darn it... The cursed thing actually got me. Heh!"

/* ------ credit -- do not remove ------ */

© weldherwings.

 

[Steve Jobs]

♛XIRENE♛

“I just think that the flowers here have to have some similarities to creature like is, ” Xirene shrugged, inspecting Weylxfor’s head for signs of a pore or follicle. Unlike a daisy or poppy, an Iris without its petals had less of a face and more of a slit where its mouth and eyes were.

“Come on Zexal, I'll prove it to you when we get home. ”

Suddenly the ground shook in threes–first to alert the wildlife, second to reveal itself, and third to split the ground.

It was a Heartless bearing the head of a desert rose and an emblem where its core ought to be. The creature appeared to be a chimera with its equine body, spikey back, and shadowy pelt. Sharp sickles replaced flat hooves while its shrieks divulged killer intentions.

"Why is he mad at me?" they asked, throwing an accusatory finger towards Zexal, "he's the one who cut your friend open!" Unfortunately, the Heartless didn't seem capable of higher level reasoning so The Trickster had very few options open.

"Look out!" Zexal exclaimed, his head snapping over to them.

Xirene grabbed onto their diadem, barely rolling away from the beast before its lunge could make purchase. Of all the useless talents they had, running away was certainly in the top ten. Though Axrael outran him on most occasions, The Trickster knew how to make use of their dexterity.

They zigzagged across the grass, evading the Heartless’ strikes. The lashes across the ground made it easy to gauge the creature’s range, which meant that as long as Xirene kept a clear head, he could avoid massive injury.

By now Weylxfor began regaining consciousness, though its vision remained woefully fuzzy.

“Wha…where am I?” The flower lifted a leaf over its head, rubbing its face before coming to an awful realization. A second leaf clutched the top of its head before a great whimper left its throat.

“My…my petals...”

"You want your flower back so badly? Be my guest!" Xirene yelled.

“MY PETALS!”

Weylxfor sailed through the air, colliding against the Deathbloom's face with a satisfactory splat. Shuddering, the Heartless scratched at its face to remove the flower, only to find The Trickster zooming away.

"I'll try to grab its attention!" Zexal announced, gathering wind around himself.

Xirene saluted him as they beelined toward their healer.

Wind whipped around the gray-haired Nobody, taking him to the skies and towards the Heartless. Unperturbed by its earlier stumbling, the Heartless clashed with Zexal. Combined with Dauxine's earlier shot and their own (admittedly) measly contribution, the Heartless ought to have been torn to bits; however, the beast stood tall.

"I thought you were supposed to be a genius, Zee," Xirene scoffed, using one of the maze's walls to stand up. "The nerve of you to underestimate that thing."

She brushed herself off and affixed her diadem, which somehow stayed in place during the entire chase. It was only a matter of time before the next attack and she was sure the Deathbloom was hungry for more.

/* ------ credit -- do not remove ------ */

© weldherwings.

 

[Dicentra]

♛VALYRIXIS♛

Many thoughts raced through Valyrixis's mind as she stared up at the beast towering before her. First, she marveled at her rotten luck: not only had she fallen into a literal pit, but she had also encountered one of the largest Heartless she had seen in quite some time. Second, she recognized the challenge of her sluggish speed against the rapid oncoming attack. Acknowledging her limitations, she quickly decided not to risk running out of the hole for better coverage. Instead, she ducked back down into the pit, hoping to avoid the deadly swing.

The mere gust of air from the weapon's swing above her head nearly dislodged Valyrixis from her precarious grip on the edge of the pit. She clung on for dear life, using the metal claws of her armor to dig deeper into the ground, anchoring herself against the force that threatened to send her flying. Despite her predicament, she quickly glanced around to check on her teammates. She didn't have much time to spot them, though, as the monster's next attack was surely imminent.

"Get ready for the next swing!" Valyrixis shouted as she hauled herself out of the pit and onto solid ground once more. The monster, due to its immense size, appeared to be gathering strength for another attack. Valyrixis seized the opportunity, leaping backward to create some distance. In one fluid motion, she drew her sword, the blade gleaming in the dim light as she prepared to face the monstrous heartless head-on.

With her sword firmly in hand, Valyrixis channeled her energy into the blade, setting it ablaze with a fierce, crackling fire. Before the beast could react, she dashed toward its towering legs. The monster was a giant compared to her, its head far out of reach, but its ankles were within striking distance. She aimed her fiery sword at the creature's ankles, determined to bring it down to her level.

With a sizzling hiss, Valyrixis's sword burned into the beast's thick muscle. Though the creature didn't topple from this single strike, she could see the damage was done. The scent of scorched vegetation filled the air, and the beast let out a pained roar, its movements slightly more sluggish as it tried to retaliate. Valyrixis gripped her sword tighter, readying herself for the next attack, knowing they had managed to wound it but still had a long battle ahead.

/* ------ credit -- do not remove ------ */

© weldherwings.

 

[ZyncredibleHulk]

♛Axrael♛

Axrael stood dumbfounded about the creature he saw in front of him. Axrael has seen plenty of heartless before but this one seemed different. Well it obviously was bigger than all he's seen but the size didn't bother him it was the sheer ominous aura radiating from it. He was scared as much as he was out of breath just from seeing it. After Axrael gathered his thoughts he stood firm, grabbed his sword and prepared to attack with his group. Before Axrael could think the monster lunged at the group Axrael dodges the first attack with dart like look in his eyes this is go mode he has to go all out in order to protect his friends and the people he cares about with what looks like a flash of light he strikes his foe aiming for a vital but only slashing his chest. Looking for his teammates but struggling to see in the dust Axrael begins to worry but he can't let down his guard for a moment if loses focus. The group could suffer because of his carelessness and he couldn't bear to see that happen and looks at the cut he gave the creature and noticed it hasn't really done a lot of damage but before he could even think more on that. Axrael notices Valyrixis with such power and force behind his fiery blade bolt for an attack on the monster’s ankle delivering such heat that even Axrael was starting to sweat a bit. Axrael then started to wonder how Xanthe was doing even though they didn't have many interactions and he all around kind gave him a dark and mysterious kind of vibe he was her friend and was worried about her well being so the KeyBlade Wielder looked around frantically for his comrade is the hecticness.

/* ------ credit -- do not remove ------ */

© weldherwings.

 

[mogumogu]

♛Leox♛

Leox trying to not look lost in the maze, was walking a little faster than Axiron and Xathos. Leox noticed the flowers and vine creeping in on them from the sides and behind so he yelled at the two "Guys, I think we really need to pick up our pace. It looks like the maze doesn't want us in here for too long." Leox winced in pain as he noticed one of the flower looking thing bit into his arm. Leox quickly grabbed it and ripped it from the wall and threw it to the side. Leox heard Xathos say something along the line of him being able to see something down the corridor to which Leox just sprints towards, leaving the two to try and catch up.

When Leox, when reaching the clearing, saw some shadow figure standing there. Leox stood still as he waited for his eyes to adjust as the light was very dim. The figure looked like it was something out of some fantasy book. Looks almost like a big hound with a head of a flower, its body made of it's roots and tail of another flower. Leox also noticed a pungent smell emitting from the heartless which almost made Leox vomit but quickly was able to recompose himself.

When he noticed the other two finally beside him, Leox cracked his hands and whispered "We need to kill it to move in, right?" To which Axiron and Xathos both nodded. Leox preparing to run at the beast, quickly willed the earth to envelop his whole arm. Leox smashed the ground around the beast and made some platform directly above the beast and Leox quickly went onto these platform and looked directly down at the beast to which the beast looked back at him. Leox jumped down and punched the beast to to which Leox assumed it was it's face but the beast countered with it's thorny tail, hitting Leox's chest and leaving a big and deep wound. Leox winced at the pain and quickly ran back to the others to catch his breath and regroup.

/* ------ credit -- do not remove ------ */

© weldherwings.

 

[mizton]

♛ Dauxine ♛

It wasn't often that Dauxine found herself in the field.

Whether it was a lack of practice or discipline, it tended to be her mind that faltered the most when it came to making split-second decisions. In today's instance, when met with a charging quadruped Heartless, Dauxine flailed. Like it were a burglar, she flung whatever was in her hands—her healing staff— towards the path of the massive beast.

It was odd. In the moments prior; when she'd been ambling such rigid twists & turns of a maze they'd all found themselves in, humoring Xirene's speculation of the nature of the flower-being she held in her palm; never did it cross her mind that the crackling static & distant trotting might've been a sign of danger. It was only when her allies beside her took cover did Dauxine think to, as well. When Xirene rolled off to a side of the beast's lane, Dauxine could only dive toward the other to cower.

With hands now freed from the decidedly unnecessary weight of the only item that could channel her—a healer's— healing abilities, Dauxine was able to bring her hands over to cover the top of her head & dampen the sounds of strife with hiked shoulders. Were it not for the beast's pawing or Zexal's sharp gusts of hurled wind, an ear close to the woman's form might've even heard her self-soothing: "We're fine... We're okay... We'll be okay."

& they were!

By that point, The Scholar had managed to momentarily curb the creature's murderous appetite. By appearance, it resembled a hibiscus if its petals ended in barbed tendrils. A fan of flowers more so than monsters herself, that was all that Dauxine really took note of; it was the sight of Zexal's major gash that instead held her attention when they'd reconvened for a brief moment there. Like a fire'd been lit under her boots, the healer sprang to a sudden stand in seeing the injury.

In an instant, her hand hovered over just inches above the lacerated forearm. Her eyes left the wound's sight only to search for her previously discarded staff. With a scan of the area, there came a realization that it'd landed behind the flower beast's—the Deathbloom's—hind legs. At the guardian who stood between her & her ability to heal her ally, furrowed her pink brows for but a moment before returned her regard of Zexal.

An attempt was made, definitely. A soft light gleamed from her palm but, without a spout, the rosy flecks of magic were as indiscriminate as rainfall & shot out in all directions aside from where she'd wanted; a healing mist instead of the shower her staff allowed for. There might've been slight relief on The Scholar's part, but nothing enough to close the wound. With a frown, she turned to Xirene beside her & told her, "We have to get my staff."

/* ------ credit -- do not remove ------ */

© weldherwings.

 

[Nano]

♛Xanthe♛

Had Xanthe known their little saunter through Wonderland would involve a maze, falling down a pit, and having her eyes scarred by the hideous lamellae of a shroom when she had expected the sun, she would’ve made up whatever excuse it took for the organization to leave her cloistered in her room that morning. Excluding The Elder, there were eight (eight!) other members of the organization present. Surely none of them would miss her presence. Except maybe The Scholar, but what did any of that matter when they ended up separated anyway.

To make matters worse, Grumpy McFungus here poised itself to strike the moment the three of them popped their heads out of the pit like little moles. If you weren’t invited, the least you could do was have the manners to give a polite greeting instead of trying to smash someone’s head in with a club.

A quick flip and a roll granted Xanthe safe passage through the fungiant’s legs and away from its unwieldy weapon that would no doubt crush a bone or three were anyone foolish enough to take a direct hit from it. The gnarled tree bark groaned under its strong grip as the club sent violent tremors rippling through the ground, and The Replica didn’t need a second warning to quickly get back on her feet.

The shadow beneath her sprung to life, splitting into tendrils that creeped up her legs and wrapped around her body like black ribbons. Within the dark haze, her skirts and the frills of her sleeves were pulled taut to her body, and as the shadows began to morph, one arm reached forward to grip the long handle of the axe wavering before her. Before the behemoth could recover from the recoil of its first swing, Xanthe took two steps forward and a leap. She soared higher and higher, enough for the axe she held poised by her side to become level with the back of what appeared to be the head of the Heartless.

The torque of her body added to the swing of her arms cleaved through the haze, revealing the armored figure within. All soft edges had been eliminated, leaving behind only a black carapace which shone coldly in the sunlight. Her first rotation sent the head of her axe swinging into the collection of bright amanitas crowning its body, while the second rotation forcefully pulled her weapon out of the Heartless’ body and allowed her to kick off of its back.

Though The Replica hadn’t gone in with much of a plan, she pretended that she struck with similar intentions as The Kingpin who’d likely sliced at its legs to knock the Heartless down. Aim for the legs in the front and the head at the back to knock it prone. Of course, of course.

As she fell, Xanthe made sure to do a quick scan of the condition of the other two. The Kingpin was as poised as ever while The Keyblade Wielder… Oh, what had him so concerned this time?

/* ------ credit -- do not remove ------ */

© weldherwings.

 

[lycanplant]

♛Axiron♛

Axiron stayed in the middle of the three as the trio walked along the hedge top. Xathos continued taking the lead with the intention of leading the three to the other six members. Leox stayed in the rear, but this time remained close to the group. The maze was slowly growing silent, even those rampaging winds from Zexal were nothing more than a breeze. The only consistent noise was the hedge leaves rustling. Why were the others so silent? From this vantage point it should be easy to spot any one of the other six– but it was if the others were swallowed by the foliage labyrinth. With each petal-weighted step forward the silence grew ever louder, ever deafening. That comforting sound of leaves rustling in the breeze started to become ominous. It must be the lucid effects of this dream like wonderland, where the leaves gave the aura of being stalked. No, that wasn’t right. It was deathly silent except for the rustling of leaves. A calm before the storm. Leox was the first to react, grabbing a gnawing flower by the stem and ripping off of his arm. Axiron tried to respond in haste but was found to be immoble– they weren’t stopped by fear but the very hedge they had considered safe. Vines and flickers of yellow petals ambushed the trio from the depths of the hedge, pulling them into a hedge filled nightmare. The shock of being pulled through what seemed like miles of bush broke their concentration, ending the effects of their levitate ability. The vines that snared the trio abruptly whipped them into an open area. By reflex they twisted their body to land on their side. Using the momentum of the slam to roll right back onto their feet. A deafening roar followed several more slams and flickers of yellow. A titan of a heartless towered over the three, angry its territory had been invaded. Keen on defendings hedge domain. They never thought a dandelion, a common plant associated with hope and wishes, would become the predator of this horrid nightmare. This wonderland was making them wonder why the hell they came here to begin with.

The heartless was massive. Its body made from the very same vines, branches, roots, twigs, and bark that composed the walls of the hedge maze. Its head consisted of a massive mane made from dandelion petals, with the petals contorting into razor sharp canines– fitting this soulless heartless lacked any eyes. Roots turned into claws on each four feet. The only semblance of a normal dandelion was the tail, the very same flower that pulled the trio from the top of the hedge. That normal looking dandelion tail was the cause of the slams and the earth rumbling. Had the comforting rustling Axrion heard this entire time was the lion in front of them stalking the three? Disguising its movements as nothing more than leaves rustling in the wind. There was no time to ponder the nightmare fuel flower. Xathos lived up to his sovereign title, drawing the attention of the heartless. Engaging in a duel with a creature several times the nobody’s size. Was this to protect the others or be the center of attention? He was no tank, but took to arms beautifully. Keeping the heartless’ attention away from Leox and themself. Axiron quickly started to move, running away from the perceived face of the beast. That’s when the smell it them. As the beast slashed, clawed, and slammed its tail wind was created with each movement. A rancid, rotten odor started to travel across the open space: advanced decomposition. Beyond the stages of rigor mortis, where the flesh melted from the bones and blended into the soil. It was a smell so abhorred in nature that the memory was ingrained into their very soul. The three were not just the dane-lion’s meal, but substance to main this entire hedge maze. They wondered when this nightmare would be over– a reminder to never go down a rabbithole. Leox smelt the pungent odor at the same time, but fought through it. Bending earth to his will creating a rock solid gauntlet around his arm. Earth started to float from the ground forming various platforms. With Xathos and Leox taking mid and close range combat, it was best for Axrion to go long range. They used the floating earth to climb up higher. Jumping from earth platform to hedge wall, making use of their rock climbing skills to scale the wall. Xathos and Leox were doing a marvelous job keeping the heartless undivided attention. They transformed their weapon into bow form and pulled out a broadhead arrow. Using their gravitational pull to instantly draw the arrow back to its maximum and then a little further. Saving their remaining strength to breathe, focus, and find their mark. Like any lion this heartless had powerful claws, muscular arms, and defined shoulders. The shoulders moved with every swipe, and they used the motions to target right between the shoulder blades. Finding the heart of the beast. They waited for the optimal time– this was their one shot while unnoticed. The lion reared up and slammed both front claws down, pinching its shoulders back and together. Axiron found their mark and released the arrow. It shot through the air like a firework, its cream piercing through the beast’s roars and landing dead center. The creature whined in pain as the broadhead made quick work of the vines, but the arrow lost momentum as it started to hit thicker bark. It was stuck half way into the beast’s back, not deep enough to pierce the heart. Axiron quickly transformed the weapon from bow to sword, running along the hedge tops once more. “Keep its attention!” Axiron called out to Xathos and Leox.

/* ------ credit -- do not remove ------ */

© weldherwings.

 

[khai.]

♛ᅠXATHOSᅠ♛

It was all too sudden; not enough time for him to have made sense of what has happened.

Something had latched onto his ankles, ornery and voracious, and the moment he had felt its grip dig onto his legs, the next second had him preoccupied with the ground on his back, dragged by the feet across turns ever-winding. A hiss escaped Xathos' clenched teeth, the burn that he felt on his dorsals peripheral to the urgency that overtook his arm, securing his hold onto his weapon in spite of his skidding.

Bucking his legs only had tightened the assailing tendril's clutches, stubbornly pulling him deeper and deeper into the labyrinth—as if swallowing him. No, them. He found Axiron and Leox being dragged alongside the sovereign, their silhouettes bleeding into the blur of the horizons barely recognizable as the vines pulled them faster and faster. Blade brandished, his inability to wrest free from ensnarement provoked a bastard cleave onto the assailing green. The bite of his steel cut true, digging into the flora's stem.

A smile flashed, his satisfaction was also slashed in kind, as he heard a guttural roar roiling in the distance as if in response to his attack. The growl was deep, the timbre running through the grass and right into his core. Realization gripped the skies of his eyes, gaze intense from adrenaline. They weren't being haphazardly dragged by a stray monster. This was a predator. No, this was the labyrinth.

"Brothers!" The blonde bellowed, shouting with his chest to alarm his comrades. He could feel an infernal energy closing in fast as the hedges seemed to open its maw to them; its heart. "Brace for battle!"

Just as the friction he had sustained across his back almost broke skin, the vine that choked his ankle relinquished its clasp. Dust clouds lazily rolled, trundling past stray blades of grass freefalling in the air as the group eventually found their footing back. As each man stood, Xathos' brows furrowed deep as he brushed off dirt that hugged his person with dancing droplets that raced across every stained bracer, fabric, and metal. Clean, first and foremost.

He chuckled, incredulous and amused, eyes trained on himself before he cast them towards the heart of the maze—a twisted four-legged Heartless that bore the petals of dandelions as its mane. The vine he had hacked prior slithered back, coiling and twisting into its sister appendages as it began to form what appeared to be the beast's tail. In the sparse light, he could see formidable musculature formed by similar brutal vines, all twitching and undulating as if it were the monster's own bizzare tendons.

Its cruel mouth opened, the lion rearing back before casting a roar that rattled not just the party but also the hedges around them, thrashing its tail onto the ground. Xathos stood tall still despite this display, glancing at his fellow warriors, pleased to see them just as unfazed. "It is an honor to fight alongside those as courageous as I." With elegant, trained motions, the sovereign—the vanguard—Xathos gestured to the boss; a simple sword dance that formally invited the beast to a duel. "I promise you. We will show no quarter." he grinned.

With a loud and lavish en garde! from the sovereign, he launched first. He tastes glory. He yearns for a fight. Moisture hissed past him, rushing just as the beast met his initiation with a pounce of its own. Grinning vindictively, he lurched downward onto the ground, a saber of water launching forward in his place that sailed across air, plunging into the skin of its unsuspecting target. Underneath the massive beast, Xathos pierced its exposed belly, leaving behind a shallow but nasty slice across its gut as he slid further out.

That caught its attention. Xathos, splattered in its own ichor, merely shot it a cocky smirk. Finger taunting it to bring it on as he began unleashing his three Gymnopédies, the monstrosity began to indiscriminately launch itself onto the Nobody, each claw and baleful bite seething a fetid stench that permeated the area. Training burnt into every part of his body, Xathos continued to parry, riposte, and dodge its attacks as he felt the ground beneath his boots crag and shake.

Grass seemed to crunch into bare rock as Leox entered the fray, eliciting a pleased expression from the blonde as he saw his comrade land a decisive haymaker onto the side of the Heartless' head, a heavy rock gauntlet concussing the beast. He pressed the advantage without hesitation, following up the disciple's blow with lacerations on his end. Making use of the uneven terrain, the fourth weaved into unorthodox vantages to continue his attack; with every heavy strike that would cause the lion's attentions to fix onto the more fragile fighter, Xathos would rend and tear into his target until its rancor focused on him instead. . .

. . . until a shrill whistle pierced the skies, culminating into a harsh crackle as a large arrow impaled itself right between its shoulderblades. A hand hurriedly wiped the sweat on his brows, vision tracing where it came from until recognition claimed his features, just as the monster had also reared its head onto who had shot it. "Axiron!" he shouted elatedly towards the high vantage they had climbed. Understanding their words, he was already rearing to return the favor.

The beast's line of sight on the iconoclast was obfuscated, or rather, threatened by Xathos' swords; a triumvirate of vorpal water whose tips were all trained onto it mercilessly. "Eyes on me." he cracked.

/* ------ credit -- do not remove ------ */

© weldherwings.

 

[Dicentra]

Heartless Theme

Night Of Fate

home

1

2

3

• 0001
• 0002
• 0003
• 0004

• 
  

  

  
  
  

  "Be Prepared" - The Lion King
• 
  

  Group 1: Xathos (1), Axiron (2), Leox (3)
  With vicious fangs bared at The Sovereign, the beast released another battle cry, a guttural roar that echoed through the clearing, challenging its opponent. The arrow lodged in its back bent its spine inward, a testament to the force behind the shot. Yet the creature seemed more enraged than weakened, its eyes locking onto The Sovereign with a primal intensity.
  
  The beast, sensing the challenge from its onlooker, leaped back to gain distance, preparing for its next move. The ground shook as it landed, and it used the momentum to its advantage. Pawing at the earth, the heartless charged up, muscles coiling in anticipation. The air crackled with pressure as the creature readied itself for a powerful pounce, its every movement a display of raw, untamed power.
  
  With one more war cry, the Heartless launched itself at The Sovereign, its roar reverberating through the air like thunder. Its claws dug into the earth as it propelled forward, leaving deep gouges in the rocks that Leox had dismantled earlier. The sheer power of its leap sent fragments of stone flying, and each mark left behind was a testament to its ferocity. The creature's eyes burned with a malevolent glow, locked onto its target with stubborn focus. It bounded from one rock to another, its powerful limbs propelling it with a fearsome grace. The Heartless was a blur of movement, a lorry of rage and power hurtling towards Xathos, whose taunt had clearly struck a nerve.
  

  
  
  
  
  
• 
  

  Group 2: Dauxine (1), Xirene (2), Zexal (3)
  Deep gashes traced against the beast's legs as the winds summoned by The Scholar sliced through the air with deadly precision. The rest of the attacks, however, barely scratched the surface. The creature stared down with its presumed eyes at The Sage's staff, seemingly more confused than hurt by the airborne baton. Meanwhile, the attack from the flying flower inflicted more emotional damage than anything else.
  
  Between the howl of the winds summoned by The Scholar, the screech of the flying flower, The Sage's cry of fear, and the beast's own guttural wails — the area surrounding the trio erupted into a discordance of chaos. The creature, momentarily distracted, flailed its head wildly as the flower slapped against its face. Bereft of arms to fend off the assault, it thrashed about, its roars echoing with what could only be interpreted as what might have been its version of "ewww". Each frenzied movement sent shockwaves through the ground, temporarily rendering the beast vulnerable in its frantic attempt to shake off the unwelcome embrace.
  
  
• 
  

  Group 3: Xanthe(1), Valyrixis(2), Axrael(3)
  The knight stood tall, its immense size making it seem more like a small tower than a heartless. Each of its movements was accompanied by a groan, a sound akin to unsettled earth. It remained mostly still, almost sentient in its economy of motion, conserving energy for its attacks. As Axrael's sword slashed against its chest, each wound exposed spores that sprayed out. At first, the follicles seemed harmless, but with each subsequent slash, they grew more numerous.
  
  The air gradually filled with a yellow haze of spores, creating an increasingly concerning atmosphere around the combatants. With each breath, the burning sensation in their throats intensified, as if they were inhaling smoke. If nothing was done quick — their eyes would begin to water, vision blurring as the irritants took hold.
  
  The attack of spores only intensified as the battlists' blades connected against the beast's soft hide — each strike released more of the smothering cloud. The monster, massive and formidable, finally began to falter. Its ankle was stricken, forcing it down onto one knee, while a deep gash marred the back of its head. Despite these grievous injuries, it remained unyielding. Half-grounded but far from defeated, the creature swung its massive arm in a wide arc, aiming to sweep the combatants off their feet. The sheer force of the movement sent a shockwave through the air, dislodging loose debris and anything that stood in the arc's way.
  

coded by weldherwings.

 

[Steve Jobs]

♛XIRENE♛

"Oho you can't be serious," Xirene cackled, throwing her head back, "I can't believe that worked!"

Beyond the absurdity of The Scholar's attacks causing the flower to further adhere to the monster's face, the notion that a Heartless, a being of pure darkness, could have any feelings was laughable. For what reason would it have to care about Welyxfor? To consume its heart too?

It must be nice to care, fully and authentically about something, they mused as they hopped over the Deathbloom's tremors. Though Xirene tacitly cared for some of the members within Organization IX, he lacked the deep connection portrayed in cinema...or even the anger. Even their most intense moments were tinged with emptiness--it was not unlike the bitter aftertaste of saccharine.

She wiped a tear from her eye, all semblance of caution gone from her face. What had they been worried about? This Heartless lacked a killer instinct.

Nonetheless, they couldn't ignore Zexal's injuries--well they could, but Dauxine would not.

"We have to get my staff," she whispered, earning a nod from Xirene.

The Trickster sprinted with an ear shattering boom. Mana became sparks; sparks became static; static became lightning. Blues and yellows singed the grass, leaving behind a minefield for the Deathbloom that finally removed its fallen friend.

Try as it might, the Heartless' slashes only met air as The Trickster slid under the beast. A quick roll brought him to Dauxine's staff and with a quick "Dauxine, catch!", they threw it across the battlefield.

They gave Dauxine a knowing look before watching her strike the creature, the perfect taunt.

The Heartless turned towards The Sage, legs coiled to strike its new target.

It might have had feelings, but this confirmed what The Trickster already knew--it wasn't capable of higher level reasoning. A single move caused the creature to careen across the grass, barely catching itself with its sickles.

It wailed in pain, spasming with each misstep onto Xirene's ley lines.

"Come on, just a little bit more," Xirene huffed as the lightning dissipated from their body.

/* ------ credit -- do not remove ------ */

© weldherwings.

 

[Zariel]

♛ZEXAL♛

Zexal winced as the pain seeped deeper into his skin, flesh, and bone. The gash along his left forearm throbbed with relentless malice. He clenched his jaw, trying to focus, but the searing sting was unyielding.

Of course, even the faint-hearted Dauxine understood her role in such circumstances. Her nurturing nature kicked into gear as she approached The Second, concern etched on her dainty visage. For a moment, she inspected Zexal's injury with a trained eye before hovering her palm above the laceration. A soothing light sprinkled softly over the wound, providing a transient glimmer of relief, easing the pain.

But the relief was fleeting, nor was it enough to heal the wound completely. As the light dissipated, the anguish returned, sharper than before.

The Scholar nodded in appreciation, but when he glanced down at his arm, ready to push through the pain, he noticed something alarming. A plum discolouration was spreading around the laceration, forming a cloudy contour on his skin. A burning, tingling sensation accompanied the unnatural colour, spreading outward from the wound.

"What the-?!" Zexal muttered, his voice strained with a mix of curiosity and apprehension. Is this... poison?

He felt the burning intensify for a moment, and then... nothing. The pain vanished, replaced by a numbness that slowly suffused through his arm. He flexed his fingers experimentally, but, to his dismay, they responded sluggishly.

Dauxine pleaded for her staff, which she carelessly hurled at the Heartless earlier, likely frantically, without thinking. Without it, her healing abilities were no better than a cheap painkiller.

In a heartbeat, Xirene bolted off, a trail of lightning crackling in her wake. She moved with blinding speed, leaving the monster barely any time to react, swiping at thin air as The Trickster effortlessly evaded its attack and retrieved The Sage's tool.

The heartless creature lurched forward, its twisted form wracked with jolts of pain as it trudged through the field of gold and azure sparks. Each step through the field sent painful reverberation through its body, but with aggravating tenacity, it marched on, determined to reach its quarry, albeit not unscathed.

Despite the toll on its damaged form, it raised both its sickle-like claws high above its head. With a lethal downward swing, it brought them crashing down, aiming to pin its injured target into the ground. Zexal reacted instinctively, thrusting his arm up to block the creature's attack with his moon blade.

But something didn't feel right.

As he held his arm above him, he noticed more of his skin discolouring to a sickly purple. The poison was spreading rapidly, its insidious tendrils creeping further up his limb. His arm felt increasingly heavy, the muscles becoming stagnant and unresponsive. The numbness spread to his fingers, and he could no longer feel them. His arm was slowly becoming paralysed.

"It's spreading, fast," he growled, glaring daggers at the towering beast looming over him.

He strained to hold his arm up, the weight of his own limb and the pressure from the creature's claws pressing down on him. The poison’s effect accelerated, sapping his strength with each passing second. Soon, his arm lacked the strength to push back against the creature, and he felt the oppressive force rapidly weighing down on him.

Unable to sustain the block for much longer, Zexal was forced to yield. He narrowly managed to roll backwards out of the way as the monster's claws nailed the ground where he had stood moments before. The exertion left him breathing heavily, the numbness spreading further up his limb.

As Zexal slowly rose to his feet, he tried to grip his blade, but his fingers refused to obey. His hand unwillingly relinquished the weapon, and it slipped from his grasp, embedding itself into the ground at his feet.

Looking down, the Scholar's right eye twitched in rage, and he snarled.

I'm not done... I can still fight... I still have one card left to play...

/* ------ credit -- do not remove ------ */

© weldherwings.

 

[ZyncredibleHulk]

♛AXRAEL♛

After the dust settled Axrael located both of his comrades they were saved or as safe as one can be battling a giant monster. But Axrael looks at the creature and notices it. It looks weak or weakened he should say without hesitation Axrael takes up his swords and looks for an opening running around the creature and trying to give his team a chance to strike. With wavered confidence Axrael leaps in for a brutal slash as he gets closer the monster notices Axrael and swings and knocks Axrael from the air. As Axrael is unconscious in the air falling towards the immediate ground a backflash from his time training with the elder blurs into his mind. He remembers something the elder told him. “Axrael you can't rely only on your own physical prowess you must learn to lean on others.” The KeyBlade Wielder hated the thought of needing other peoples help it's not that he unwelcomed it he just felt like he was being a burden on others when that happened and that is one of Axraels deepest fears. If the Wielder of light couldn't be the beacon of light for his team what good was he to the team. Axrael thought they all looked at him when things got dire or were rough; he always smiled his way through it all. With Axrael finally hitting the earth after what must have felt like an eternity he woke up in a daze of some sort seeing his friends still fighting but his body unable to move thinking to himself that he is weak and worthless just praying that he could get up the pride of light. Slowly dwindling into nothing but a dim flame able to be put out with a soft breath Axrael then slowly goes unconscious again.

/* ------ credit -- do not remove ------ */

© weldherwings.

 

[mogumogu]

♛Leox♛

After regrouping with the group, Leox decided to stand back and rest as he was wounded. Although the wound wasn't deep, it still prevented him from doing as much as he wanted to. Leox relaxed his gauntlet and control around him. He stepped back a bit more so he would not be in range of the beast's tail or any attack. Leox remembered he had some leftover bread in his pocket, to which he took out and ate while he watched Axiron and Xathos go in and attack the beast.

Leox noticed that the two may be in danger so he quickly formed a sort of a barrier around the two with the rubble in hopes it would protect them. Leox just watched as Axiron finally slays the beast and lets out a sigh and walks up to the two and gives them a pat on the back. "Should we continue down the maze or should we rest up a bit" Leox asks, seeing how disgruntled and injured they were. "We should keep moving on and try to find the other" Xathos replied. Leox and Axiron nods and makes their way further into the maze.

/* ------ credit -- do not remove ------ */

© weldherwings.

 

[Nano]

♛Xanthe♛

Spores, spores, spores galore. Well-placed as they were, each slash into the Heartless’s body was about as effective as cutting into bags of flour. That is, they got the job done, but not without the complete and utter deterioration of the air quality in the vicinity.

The dark-armored knight fared much better than the other two—at least until the spores began to creep through the visor of her helmet whenever she inhaled. Still, she ignored the light dusting of yellow coating the inside of her helmet and stubbornly kept her helmet on, fearing the consequences of direct exposure to the air. Even with her added layer of protection, the spores had already started to irritate her nose.

“ACHOO!”

Right on cue, Xanthe let out a loud sneeze, reflexively squeezing her eyes shut and effectively obscuring her vision. The timing of her sneeze would prove to be most inopportune, however, and The Replica soon found herself being swept off her feet. A giant arm came crashing right into her midsection, knocking the wind out of her though she thanked her creator that she at least didn’t feel the familiar sting of broken ribs through her armor. Up and then down she went, sailing through the air with pieces of broken hedges, furniture, and metal accompanying her trip. In the midst of the chaos, a flash of purple cut through the ever thickening blanket of spores.

The Replica’s axe barreled through the air, following an arc that ended somewhere vaguely in the direction of the Heartless.

/* ------ credit -- do not remove ------ */

© weldherwings.

 

[mizton]

♛ Dauxine ♛

Met with Xirene's, Dauxine offered her own determined nod that only faltered when there rippled a tremor underfoot.

At it, her stance widened; stable only for a moment before, like a whip, thunder cracked. Her arms again clammed close to her body to block her ears from the deafening boom. Like a leaf toppled over, it was the sudden gust of wind, compounded with the ground's quaking, at her side that doomed her again to her knees. The discordance now muffled, Dauxine could only watch in panic at the burst of blue & yellow that remained in Xirene's dust as he bolted toward the Heartless.

Made louder in her own head by covered ears, she cried out—"Xirene, wait!"—but there was little use. By the time she did, flew back toward her the staff she'd long ago discarded. In her defense: something flung that fast was something to be repelled so repel she did. Like it were a pillow thrown at sleepover, her arms came outstretched to, with a pitiful wince, bunt the scepter from connecting with her face with a thwack. With her staff now softly cradled by the grass tuft just before her, she scrambled to it & then to a stand.

By then, a backlines of sorts was formed with her position behind the other two in her unit. Now made a pink target from the line of action drawn & left behind by the motion of her stark white baton sent soaring to her direction, the Deathbloom bore eyeless daggers into her. At it, admittedly, there might've pooled tears at the corners of her eyes but they were blinked away in her next action.

With little consideration for the effectiveness of the attack & finding little else to throw in a primly manicured hedge maze, it was Dauxine's right boot that became ammunition to be tossed at the beast. With a shrill voice, she yelled, "Oh my—you know what? Take this!" Digging into her pockets, Dauxine whipped out the rest of her forgotten bread, courtesy of an earlier Leox. With a sharp pull back, she chucked the thing & called after it, "And this!"

In a moment, the object of desire within the Deathbloom's gaze changed from pink to purple as its attention shifted from the inoffensive, partially shoeless healer to the gravely weaker Zexal just a little ways away from her, with a bruise-tinged infection spreading across his arm. As the creature began its trek through Xirene's field of deadly static, it wailed the most awful sound that Dauxine had ever heard.

Like each step burned, the creature cried in agony but held to its path true like a pawn at war. When it bore its claws down onto Zexal's blade, it did so against all harm coming its way; to see that, on top of Zexal already struggling to fend the beast off. The sight brought tears to The Sixth's eyes. She cried out, moreso the electricity that bristled through the lawn, "Ugh! Alright, I think that's enough! Xirene! Zexal!"

Her previous avidity for harming the Deathbloom subsided, leaving in its place a dull ache for the beast — after all, no creature deserved to suffer. Her form deflated, though still upright thanks to her walking stick. Feeling rather helpless in the moment, crying for strife to end, she controlled what she was able & swung her staff to cast Salubrity. As was the nature of the spell, directed at Zexal, The Second might've felt a relief of pain but most notably: a slow, steady coolness washed over the infected area.

/* ------ credit -- do not remove ------ */

© weldherwings.

 

[Dicentra]

♛VALYRIXIS♛

Every breath scorched her throat like thawed flames, each inhale a cascade of searing spikes tearing at her insides. The pain was swift and suffocating, wrapping around her lungs and leaving her gasping for air, as if she were drowning in affliction. But what was she to do? The blaze on her sword was dwindling, and time was slipping away. Desperation clawed at her as she slashed at the air, hoping the spores would react to the dying flame clinging to her weapon. Nothing. No effect.

To make matters worse, the Keyblade Wielder had fallen unconscious. She couldn't be certain, but she assumed it was from collapsed lungs caused by the suffocating spores. Valyrixis bit the inside of her cheek, cursing silently. They had to end this quickly, or else the spores would claim them all.

She could feel the weight of the moment pressing down on her, each second a reminder of how close they were to defeat. This was her last attempt to harness the flames, a final, desperate gamble. If it failed, she would be left with nothing but a plain blade, her energy completely drained, and the spores closing in. She squeezed her grasp on the sword, and the summit of the weapon began to radiate with renewed color. Slowly, the tinctures intensified, casting a light, but it still needed more time to charge.

As her weapon charged, Valyrixis picked up Axrael with her spare arm, bracing against the monster’s incoming sweep. Fortunately, he was just as heavy as her sword, and she could manage his weight. As the wide arc of the creature's weapon swung toward them, she leapt upward, narrowly avoiding the deadly strike. She hadn't realized, however, that the weapon's swing generated immense pressure. Even after dodging it, the force sent them both hurtling backward.

As the duo tumbled through the air, Valyrixis glimpsed with dismay that Xanthe had unfortunately not dodged the attack. It seemed that even a minor movement like sneezing during battle could prove deadly.

"Xanthe! Are you oka—" Valyrixis began, but before she could finish her sentence, the ground rushed up to meet them. She landed hard, her body absorbing the impact to shield Axrael from further harm. The impact of the fall crashed against her back, forcing the last remaining air from her lungs in a violent cough.

"Damn." She grunted as she got up on her feet. The fall had exacerbated the pain in her back, as if her age wasn't already catching up to her. With both her teammates down, Valyrixis knew this was her moment to strike the beast. Failure meant succumbing to the spores. With intense concentration, she drew her sword back, its glow catching the sunlight.

With a deep breath and summoning her utmost strength, Valyrixis swept her sword in a wide arc, unleashing a torrent of flames toward the monster. The attack would have been perfectly on target, if not for the unfortunate stumble she took caused by tripping over Axrael's unconscious body. Valyrixis cursed her clumsiness — she always seemed to have two left feet at the worst moments. Well, at least it would hit, hopefully?

/* ------ credit -- do not remove ------ */

© weldherwings.

 

[lycanplant]

[/comment]

♛Axiron♛

Between Xathos’ rolling tide of swords and slashes, Leox’s quaking punch, and Axiron’s bullseye the Dane-lion was visibly damaged. Despite the difference in size and disadvantage in terrain the three nobodies had the upper hand. The heart of the hedge maze was covered in floating boulders, deep claw marks, with an echo of rustling leaves. This was no time to take a breath, the putrid smell of rotten flesh clung to the air as the dust cleared. The heartless roared in frustration before leaping back to gain more distance. Its face facing Xathos as it lowered its body. Building power in its legs. Claws burying into the earth as if to firmly hold itself in place. Was it changing tactics? Axrion was still on the high ground running along the top of the hedges. They felt uneasy with the amount of power the beast was charging. If it could grab the three from a distance then it most likely had long range attacks. The sovereign stayed true to his word. Standing at a distance from the beast, taunting it, with unshakable confidence. A colossal ego that grew bigger in the spotlight– after today that ego would be well deserved. They took this opportunity to try and land another decisive blow. If they could stagger the beast in at the heart of its concentration then they could stop that upcoming long range attack. Axrion moved as fast as their body would take them. Jumping from the hedges, to the top of the desomated massive gazebo, and onto the beast’s back. Tightly grabbing hold of the vines that created its body to hastily reach that lodged arrow. Grabbing the arrow shaft with body hands, twisting, and attempting to pull it out– their goal to stun the beast out of its charged long range attack. Firmly planting their feet and using their whole body to twist and pull. A smile crept on their face as the arrow started to give. One second they were on the beast’s back and the next they were flying through the air. Horror swept over Axiron’s face. How would they grossly misread the attack? The lion wasn’t charging for a long range attack, it was charging to pounce forward. Its full attention solely on Xathos like a lion ambushing a gazelle. Charing forward with enough power to uproot the earth creating earth pillars in its wake with its front paws. Back paws making use of the pillars to propel itself forward. The fallen earth platforms Leox had made were broken apart as if it was dust. The dane-lion was out for blood. Destroying everything around it, under it, and in its path with Xathos as its sole focus. It moved with such extreme speed that they felt as if they were falling in slow motion. Like falling off a cliff in a nightmare– slowly falling just to wake up before one’s body collided with the ground. This wasn’t a dream. This wasn’t a nightmare, but it certainly felt like one. Axiron hit the ground, using the motemum to roll backwards, and landed in a kneeling position. Immediately running forward after the lion. Trying to reach Xathos before the heartless did. Running at full speed and then some. Going head first into the dust storm left in the heartless’ wake. Jumping over the deep grooves left in the ground. Weaving around broken pillars of earth and remainders of floating earth platforms. They could squint their eyes and move forward. Following the lion’s deafening roar in hopes they made it in time. Xathos held his own this entire time, surely they could survive this ferocious charge. He fought with such regal grace. Surely he could dodge one more attack.

Axiron could hear the lion colliding dead ahead. It was hard to tell if the yelling from Xathos was a dominating declaration or a scream of pain. Whatever happened the lion and him were no longer moving. They were still running through the dust storm left behind. They couldn’t hear the clash of water blade and vine like before. At least they could still hear him in the distance. What sent a shiver down their spine was the heartless' silence. No more claws goring the earth with each stride. No slamming the ground with its dandelion tail. The roars were nearly mute, muffled by something in the heartless’ mouth. They finally made it through the dust storms to see the heartless was still pushing against Xathos. His blade in front of the beast’s mouth– the two were locked in a stalemate. It was a relief to see the sovereign standing tall, in a sturdy stance, and alive. As they got closer they could see something spilling from the conflict and pooling between him and the lion. Blood. Axiron cursed under their breath– Xathos was keeping the heartless still with flesh and blade. It was unclear from this viewpoint as what the damage was. It was a good amount of blood, but there was nothing else. No guts and gore. His blade must be protecting his arm from being completely bitten through. The duel changed from exchanging blows to who could endure the longest. He kept the attention of the heartless and the spotlight without hesitation. Thriving in the dire situation and utter attention from everyone in the battle. They needed to find a way to end this and quickly. There was a large pillar of earth near the dane-lion’s left side. It had enough height and was close enough to allow them to get back on the beast’s back. Axiron didn’t know what kind of strain using two abilities back to back would put on their body, but at this point they had no choice. Their best bet was to use one and quickly change to its equal and opposite. They weaved around the thrashing dandelion tail and over to the pillar. Activating levitate to make climbing and propelling off of the pillar a breeze. Drawing their blade during the ascent, putting it underneath their feet, firmly holding the handle, and steadying themself. They didn’t need to aim right for the arrow’s wound, just get in the general area. Right between the shoulderblades. Levitate switched to weight and they sank through the air like a harpoon– a human sized arrow for a titan of a heartless. Focusing the gravity magic on themself to further strengthen the plunge. True to his word, Xathos kept the beast’s attention on him the whole time. Giving them the perfect opportunity to land such a critical blow. The blade hit its mark center and true just like the arrow before it. Slicing through vine, twig, bark, and wood as if it were flesh. The impact echoed through the maze as if a canon had been fired. Another dust storm erupted from the ground at the impact. There was a hole where the beast’s heart should have been. Its body remained intact for just a few brief moments in the dust. Falling apart into a pile of vines and petals. When the dust settled Axiron was standing up on the handguard of their sword. Only a floating heart remained from the heartless. They ignored the holy heart behind them, sword still in the ground, and rushed over to Xathos. Pulling out their first aid kit from their hip and wordlessly tending to the gored, impaled hand.

/* ------ credit -- do not remove ------ */

© weldherwings.

 

[Dicentra]

home

1

2

3

• 0001
• 0002
• 0003
• 0004

• 
  

  

  
  
  

  "Be Prepared" - The Lion King
• 
  

  Group 1: Xathos (1), Axiron (2), Leox (3)
  The roar of the beast echoed through the clearing, a thunderous proclamation of its presence. With the ferocity of a lion on the hunt, the creature hurled itself towards Xathos. Though prepared for the assault, Xathos lacked the defensive armor to withstand the impending blow. The beast's muscles coiled and sprang, propelling it forward with grisly speed and force. As it closed the distance, Xathos braced for impact, knowing that the forthcoming clash would test the very limits of his resilience.
  
  Unfortunately, sometimes a battle hard fought can be a battle lost. The creature's teeth, jagged and bared, penetrating like daggers and as robust as steel, found their way into Xathos's arm. The beast clamped down with relentless force, each tooth cutting deeper into his muscle and sinew, the fangs travail against his flesh and the pressure building until he could hear the sickening crunch as the beast's bite marred into bone itself.
  
  The pain was excruciating, a white-hot sear that shot through his body. He could feel the blood pouring from the wound, warm and viscous, soaking into his garb. The beast growled downcast in its throat, its hot breath mingling with the scent of blood. But in exchange for Xathos's arm, Axiron was able to shoot their arrow into the beast's back with clear precision, a testament to their keen eyes. The arrow flew true, embedding itself deep into the creature's thick hide. With a roar of pain, it released its grip on Xathos and dropped to the ground, dissolving into ashes moments later. In the aftermath of the battle, Xathos had realized Leox had cast his barrier just in time. Though it couldn't save his arm entirely, the boulder shield managed to absorb some of the impact, preventing the beast from completely demolishing the bone in Xatho's forearm. The Sovereign staggered back, cradling his injured arm, the pain still intense but now bearable. Blood dripped steadily from the wounds, staining the ground beneath him.
  

  
  
  
  
  
• 
  

  Group 2: Dauxine (1), Xirene (2), Zexal (3)
  The Deathbloom was, to put it mildly, having quite a time. First, its kin were hurled at it, a betrayal from within. Then, it found itself stumbling through an electrified field of grass, each step sending jolts of pain through its body. As if that weren't enough, it had managed to poison a man, only to find itself under a barrage of the most unexpected weapon: bread. Piece by piece, the onslaught continued, leaving the Deathbloom bewildered and battered, facing an assault from every conceivable angle.
  
  Despite its war cries of attack, the beast could not get closer to the group. The electricity surged through its legs, buckling its knees and locking it in place. Each jolt seemed to further disorient the creature, eroding its sense of direction. The continuous barrage left it bewildered and unsteady, its legs trembling as if intoxicated. The beast staggered, swaying forward and back, its once formidable strength now reduced to a desperate struggle to remain upright. In one last desperate attempt to charge, the beast dug its sickles into the ground, muscles tensing as it prepared to dash. However, the combined effects of the electricity and its own disorientation caused it to stagger backwards instead. The force of its intended forward momentum turned against it, propelling the creature into a hedge of its flower kin.
  
  Unfortunately for the Deathbloom, the beast was now covered in the scent of Xirene's magic—an unfamiliar aura to the carnivorous flowers surrounding it. One of the flowers, drawn by the unusual scent, took a tentative bite of the beast, mistaking it for human flesh. The rest quickly followed suit, their voracious appetites compelling them to tear into the Deathbloom. The creature's roars of pain echoed through the maze, but the relentless assault of the flowers proved too much. As they devoured it, the Deathbloom took too much damage, eventually dissipating into ash.
  
  Well, all's well that ends well. In its own bout of shock, Welyxfor glanced at the group with wide eyes, horror etched across its verdant face. It raised its two leaves like hands in a defensive gesture, frantically waving them as if to emphasize its innocence, as if screaming it had nothing to do with what just happened.
  
• 
  

  Group 3: Xanthe(1), Valyrixis(2), Axrael(3)
  An incoming arc of blazing fire and a giant axe hurtled towards the Sporewarden. Its massive size and sluggish movements left it no chance to dodge the attack. Had it possessed any swiftness, perhaps it could have escaped, but alas, it could not. The giant axe struck first, cleaving through the mushroom muscle with auspicious veracity. As the beast roared in agony, the blazing fire followed, igniting its sliced form.
  
  Flames quickly spread, consuming the Sporewarden entirely. The beast's body melted away into a smoldering, liquefied mass, the fire reducing it to nothing but ash and charred remnants. And soon, the beast was reduced to the embers that marked the end of all Heartless.
  
  The battle appeared to be settled, with victory within their grasp, and it seemed safe to move forward. That was until Valyrixis glanced upward. Her eyes widened in alarm as she noticed the spore cloud that had drifted from the fire's fumes. The spores, now glowing forebodingly like fireflies, began to pulsate with a strange light.
  
  "Get dow—" The Kingpin began to shout, but before she could finish, above them the spores detonated like diminutive explosives, bursting with sudden, blinding flashes of light and scorching kindle.
  
  Well, hopefully (?) one of them would bring the Keyblade wielder to safety. Surely. Right?
  

coded by weldherwings.

 

[Dicentra]

Legacy Unbound

Scene 008

The battles had concluded, leaving behind the blend of injured and unharmed; the conscious and not. As the dust settled and safety was secured within the remnants of their battlegrounds, the maze began to alter. The walls trembled, the ground beneath them quaking as the bodies of the fallen Heartless dissolved into ash and gleams. Slowly, the maze itself started to collapse, its once-imposing structure crumbling into ruin.

Amidst the chaos, the teams were to find themselves moving towards any exit they could find, supporting the wounded and carrying the comatose, as the maze threatened to bury them all. One by one, the teams converged at what appeared to be the end of the labyrinth. The ramparts, now significantly lower, made navigation easier, allowing the groups to find each other apace. As they regrouped, members could notice the remains of the maze behind them, now nothing more than a pile of rubble.

For now, everything seemed fine. Some members were happy to see each other again, while others remained aloof and uninterested, focused solely on furthering their mission. Yet, drawn by something in the distance, all their heads turned slowly, eyes catching sight of a white blur in the corner of their vision. The hare.

The creature had impatience written all over its face, twitching ears and all. It held up its stopwatch, glaring at them angrily.

"Well, let's hurry along now. She's waiting."

Post Objective: Congratulations on completing the first battle! This week's posts are meant to help everyone relax after the intense fights of the last two weeks. Teams should focus on reacting to the end of their battles, regrouping with the organization members, and dealing with the rabbit. Next week, we will enter a new area.

Code by Nano

 

[Zariel]

♛ZEXAL♛

Avoiding the claws of death by a hair's breadth, Zexal watched as his allies continued to attack the Deathbloom with anything they could get their hands on—quite literally, including chunks of bread hurled in a desperate bid.

... Seriously?

Xirene's bolts of lightning permeated the ground, sending agonizing jolts through the Deathbloom, wearing it down considerably. Their efforts were paying off. The Scholar's only qualm was that he couldn't finish the job himself, thanks to his incapacitated limb.

But that was about to change.

With an impassioned swing of her staff, Dauxine cast a spell. As her magic washed over Zexal, he felt the numbness in his arm cease to spread, and the sickly, discoloured purple began to recede, returning to its natural, pale shade. Flexing his fingers, he noticed there was still some stiffness, but a smirk appeared on his lips as he regained sensation.

"Thank you, Dauxine." he nodded. "Now, it's time I finish this-" he uttered, forcefully removing his blade embedded in the ground, only to raise an eyebrow as the hedge began to twist and contort. Unexpectedly, the man-eating flowers that had earlier threatened them opened their vicious maws and started to devour the Deathbloom. The creature screeched in pain and confusion, its six-legged form buckling under the assault, being torn apart. With one final howl, the Deathblood ruptured in a burst of ash.

"That was... unexpected... But I suppose it works..."

Then, without warning, the ground beneath their feet began to tremble.

"What now?!" Zexal growled.

The entire maze started to collapse in on itself. Hedges crumbled, leaves and branches snapping and falling in a chaotic cascade. The once-imposing walls of greenery fell apart. It was as if the maze itself was unravelling.

Clutching the upper forearm of his partially healed limb, Zexal raced for safety alongside the others. I must find Xanthe! he thought, feeling the earth shifting and shaking beneath him. As they ran, more of their allies, who had previously been separated, started to appear.

His mind racing, the Scholar's eyes flitted about, desperately searching for signs of The Replica. Then he caught a glimpse of an unmistakable blur of black and silver. His eyelids lowered over his darting wide eyes, and his alert expression abated with a sigh of relief.

Letting go of his arm, Zexal walked over to his creation.

"You made it out in one piece," he said, placing his hand gently on her shoulder. "Thank goodness," he added in a nigh imperceptible whisper. While Xanthe was undoubtedly tough, created to endure, the thought of losing her - his masterpiece - sent an unnerving chill down his spine.

Although, in spite of their reunion, it didn't take long before something else roused Zexal's irritation.

"This darn rabbit, again..." he scowled.

/* ------ credit -- do not remove ------ */

© weldherwings.

 

[Steve Jobs]

♛XIRENE♛

Though Xirene had seen many things across many worlds, he was still not prepared for the sight before him. It wasn't enough for one of the flowers to nibble--they had a whole feast. Tulips, belladonnas, irises, and every color of rose emerged from the hedges, eyes flush with hunger. Where Welyxfor had been slow to move, they rushed toward the downed creature drool spilling over their lips and sunk their drooling maws into the Heartless' flesh (if one could even call it that).

Not wanting to be their next target, Xirene dashed away from Welyxfor and shot it a rueful look as their former companion became Wonderland's next casualty.

"Goodbye Lyx, I hardly knew ye," they sighed after reaching Dauxine and Zexal. Perhaps satisfied with Welyxfor's sacrifice, the world rearranged itself once more. Branches snapped, flowers fled, and hedges fell until an exit revealed itself. The Trickster ran ahead, only giving a passing glance toward their other two teammates to ensure their safety. For all of the theatrics, the maze's collapse actually proved helpful in reuniting everyone.

Xirene thought themself lucky that they came out uninjured as the same could not be said for a few others. The Scholar was still recovering from the Deathbloom's poison, The Sovereign's beauty was marred by the bandages around his arm, and The Keybearer was...alive?

Goodness, can you people do anything? They snickered inwardly.

Seeing Axiron they shot him a wave and walked over. "Good to see you made it out alive."

"Well, let's hurry along now. She's waiting." The rabbit huffed, snapping his pocket watch closed.

"If she wanted to see us so badly, she should have sent for a carriage," Xirene retorted, "or called off this maze."

/* ------ credit -- do not remove ------ */

© weldherwings.

 

[Nano]

♛Xanthe♛

Tendrils of heat licked uncomfortably at Xanthe’s now exposed face, but she made no move to remove herself from the trash heap of debris she’d landed in. To her right, a short distance away, the goliath of a mushroom fell to the all-consuming flames of The Kingpin. The longer it burned, the more the smell of charred wood and ammonia suffused through the air, yet the foul smell would be far from the last gift the fungiant would leave them.

Spores glittered in the light, flickering like a fading star as it attempted to live for just a few moments longer before its inevitable collapse. Briefly, The Replica’s mind wandered to something she’d read about backdrafts, but she didn’t think this was quite it. Once the functional part of her brain caught up with her five senses, her arms and legs twitched as if preparing to roll herself to a safer location. Her feet, however, would bump into a fleshy figure.

Oh, right. The Keyblade Wielder.

As soon as The Kingpin began to shout something, Xanthe kicked out at the prone body lying near her. Should her rough attempt at evacuating The Keyblade Wielder from the blast radius connect, the white-haired man would be sent unceremoniously crashing through the broken hedges and on to the other side where he’d hopefully escape the brunt of the blast.

Blinding light filled her vision, and The Replica squeezed her eyes shut tight as she willed the shadows to wrap around her body tighter. By the time the bundle of darkness sent bouncing across the ground by the explosion finally rolled to a stop, her armor had lost its shape, much of it disintegrating into vague scraps that barely managed to keep her dress and hair from being singed by the intense heat.

Sore and wincing at the thought of the aches that would inevitably follow the moment the adrenaline wore off, Xanthe shakily got to her feet. With a scowl, she dusted the dirt off her dress and shot The Kingpin a nasty look.

Hmph. She should be more careful with her fire!

(Logic very politely informed her that her fire had been necessary to cull the Heartless and that it was premature to determine that the flames had caused the spores to explode, but that's besides the point.)

Fortunately, it wouldn’t take much more stewing in irritation and begrudgingly following The Kingpin’s lead for the trio to regroup with the rest of the organization members.

Puffing up like a proud animal poorly disguising her pleasure at her creator fretting over her wellbeing, Xanthe immediately left The Kingpin’s side to meet him halfway. The slight smile drawn on her face would immediately drop the moment she did a quick scan of The Scholar’s state. He looked…unwell. And that was putting it lightly. Which crusty monster had dared to harm him so?

Cautiously and hesitantly, her hands wove past the hand on her shoulder and reached up to examine his opposite, torn sleeve. All the while, she gazed at The Scholar as if mourning a great loss.

The rabbit’s (hare’s?) impatience, on the other hand, would twist her expression of concern and sympathy to a menacing glare. Whoever had sent the rabbit to fetch them, she could afford to wait. If she had a problem with it, then she could only blame the little bastard for being such a terrible guide.

“What do you think about braised rabbit ragout over polenta?”

she asked the man beside her through grit teeth.

/* ------ credit -- do not remove ------ */

© weldherwings.

 

[ZyncredibleHulk]

♛AXRAEL♛

What felt like a full week couldn't have been more than 30 minutes. Axrael finally woke up, his head still groggy, his thoughts still in a daze and his vision going in and out. After struggling to get on his feet and seeing the monster defeated looked down at the ground just with an unreal amount of pressure in his chest. Only thing he could think in his head was “I'm too weak to protect my friends.” Not wanting anyone to see him look upset or bothered he put the smile that his friends always see on. And begins to regroup with his team even though Axrael might've not dealt a lot of meaningful damage he was still wondering how or who could've put that creature down with such destructive force. So he asked the team what happened and he learned it was from no one else but our leader. Axrael knowing that now makes him feel more willing to follow her into battle and maybe even a little bit more frightened of the Kingpin. And even more surprised by the story of her throwing him out of the way he thought had a good amount of weight on her. And the part that Axrael only weighs as much as her sword she has freakishly human strength. Axrael is one of the biggest members in the group after gawking over what the leader told Axrael they begin to notice the maze opening up a little more and maybe drawing near the end of this labyrinth of hell. When lost in thought about the battle and his performance in it. Axrael remembered that damn rabbit that caused all of this. Getting ready to ask the Kingpin he catches himself because he notices the end of the maze and then the damn rabbit looking at the group with a smug face.

/* ------ credit -- do not remove ------ */

© weldherwings.