Fantasy That Time the Demon Lord Killed our Party Leader: Ic

[Nessi]

Eleanor

Eleanor woke up, and her entire body felt like it was on fire. She rose from the snowy ground slowly, her legs shaking a bit until she could fully stand up. Around her, were mountains of dead nightmare beasts.
“You did well, Eleanor.” Paimon said, but Eleanor didn’t respond. She was searching through the bodies, and the trees, until she found exactly what she was looking for.
Beneath her, laid Parzival, who was propped against a tree, blood flowing out of his eyes, mouth, and stomach. His breathing was faint, but still there, barely clinging on to life.
Eleanor got down on one knee, and took one of her gloves off, before taking Parzival’s hand into her own. To her surprise, the vampire gripped back, and there was a long stretch of silence between the two.
“We’ll make a better place, a better world. A place where people can live peaceful lives, and never allow such an atrocity to occur ever again.” Eleanor promised.
“Heh, don’t show pity on me, wretched human.” Parzival croaked. Despite such a defiant statement, Parzival held a genuine smile on his face. As his body dissolved into ash, the vampire held his smile, and eventually, all that remained in Eleanor’s hand was ash, and bone.

What remained of Parizval was Fala’s cloak and sword, but there was also the gray gem from the memory, as well as a ruby, both gems glowing brightly in the pile of ashes. Eleanor set the gems aside, and with her bare hands, began to dig a hole. Once she had created a sufficiently sized hole, Eleanor buried Parzival’s bones. She didn’t care if her fellow heroes ridiculed her for her actions. They might have simply seen an enemy whom they had put down, and they would be correct, but Eleanor saw something else completely. She saw a man who was molded by the failures of their predecessors.
Eleanor stood up, and turned to face her fellow heroes. She was bruised and battered, bleeding from the head, and her entire left arm was limp. But still, she stood tall, with confidence, and with a renewed sense of purpose.
“It’s not enough to just beat Tiryan, we have to be better than they were. In order to prevent someone like Parzival from being created ever again.” Eleanor stated. She took Parzival’s sword, the blade of his lover, and shoved it into the ground, marking his grave for the rest of time.

“Well Well Well! The little dragon wasn’t lying at all, the heroes are indeed alive and well!” A voice boomed.
Eleanor tensed up, and turned her body towards the new voice, believing that they had yet another enemy to deal with, at a horrible time as this one. But upon seeing who’s voice it was, Eleanor relaxed, and let out a sigh of relief. For the first time since being freed from the prison, she was meeting an ally, rather than an enemy. The man who had just spoken was none other than Ragnir Brynjolf.

His blonde hair was wild, spilling onto his face, almost covering up his eyepatch and singular, blue eye. His armor was black, and a large fur cape adorned his shoulders. In his hand was a large spear that looked to be made of bones, with a red jewel nestled at the center of it the blade.
Despite his menacing appearance, and the fresh blood dripping from his spear, Eleanor couldn’t have been more relieved to see allied faces. “Lord Ragnir, it has been too long.” Eleanor said with a smile.
The King of Jorvik laughed, and swiftly got off his horse. “I suppose it has been quite some time hasn't it, Heroes .” He replied. His eye passed over each and every one of the heroes, and a tinge of disappointment washed over his face, if only for a split second. “You’ve been reduced in number significantly, aye? Well…we’ll just have to make do with what we have.” Ragnir said solemnly. He let out another sigh, before turning to face his men. “Alright! I want these fine ladies and gentlemen on some horses! It’s time to go home!” Ragnir shouted. Before Eleanor followed the rest of the group, she was sure to grab Fala’s crow cloak, and the two gems that appeared when Parzival died.

 

[Nessi]

Chapter 2: Renewed Purpose

Parzival, the lost, a vampire who fought against the crimson king alongside his allies and Solomon. It was a tragedy, what had happened to him, what had happened to vampires across the continent due to the mishaps of the past heroes. But as the heroes rode off with King Ragnir, they left with a new sense of duty instilled within them. To create a better world, one stronger than the place that Solomon had left behind.

With the heroes gone from the battlefield, there was a certain level of stillness and silence that was almost unsettling, especially with all of the death and destruction that was apparent. However, that silence was broken by the flapping of wings that came from a crow. Its age was apparent, as it made its way across the battlefield, and eventually began to slow down, landing right at the base of Parzival’s grave. It hopped closer to the blade, and set itself down. The bird's eyes closed, drooping lower and lower, until the bird's eyes were closed. Its breathing slowed down, until eventually, the bird passed away, leaning against the blade that marked Parzival’s grave.

With a victory on their backs, the heroes were treated as legends upon arriving in the capital of Jorvik. Despite they’re injured appearance, the people still called out their names in celebration, praising them for a job well done, and welcoming them back to the fray. Things would persist like this for the next few days, even as the heroes tried their best to rest. But eventually, the excitement would subside, and the heroes would finally be able to roam the capital to their heart's content

 

[CasualTea]

Parzival

Parzival grit his teeth as he defended against Rohen’s azure assault. He could hear her venomous words, but ignored it, he didn’t expect a human to understand the struggle of a vampire anyways. Instead, he sent a flaming dragon her way, simultaneously intercepting Rohen’s watery projectiles, and hitting her square in her chest.
Before he could follow up with another attack, Parzival could hear the whistle of the spear flying towards him, causing him to backstep in order to dodge the attack. But he didn’t expect Tiberius’s second attack, he couldn’t sense it at all. There was no heartbeat, no sound of life, only darkness, a gap in Parzival’s senses. The spatha dug deep into his shoulder, but it wasn’t enough to stop his rampage, and similarly to Eleanor, Parzival shot Tiberius away with a fiery blast.

Rings of fire from Nel’s Tandava clashed against Parzival’s black flames, and ultimately consumed them, the old vampire, and one swirling inferno.
“Enough!” Parzival roared, dispelling Nel’s fire, and raising his hand toward the sky. The ring of black flames grew larger and larger, until the entire market was within its radius.
“This. Is. Over!” the old vampire screamed, black fire raining down on everyone present in the marketplace. As he floated over the heroes, he could hear the heroes yelling in pain, and couldn’t help but let a feeling of confidence wash over him. “Gods, hear me! See the weapon I have become!...Watch as your precious heroes die!” Parzival cackled.

“The only person who’ll be dying…is you!” A familiar voice yelled out. It was Eleanor, but a version that had not been seen for months now. Her hair was completely white, and her eyes now solid gold, the same color of the wings that now adorned her back. Her typical longsword now was now Paimon’s Talwar, and without hesitation, She used her wings to go straight to the epicenter of this nightmare.
Parzival fired off several of his black flame dragons, but instead of evading them, Eleanor reinforced her talwar, and slashed straight through them. Like a golden comet, Eleanor approached Parzival, getting closer and closer, until she was right in front of him. Her blade glowed even brighter as she raised it over her head. Parzival stared at the angel in front of him, trying to think of a way to avoid the incoming attack.
“Parzival, it’s time to let go.” Fala’s voice echoed, causing Parzival to freeze up.
“Fala?” Parzival said meekly, before Eleanor’s blade cleaved straight through him.

The illusion began to crumble, and the vision of all the heroes began to turn white.
“Thank you.” Fala’s voice echoed to all the heroes, before they were returned to their bodies.

"Shit...!" Rohen exclaimed as she saw the dragon charge towards her, deflecting her water daggers. Since she was in full charge, she couldn't counter her momentum nor redirect it to move out of the dragon's way. Instead, she came to a hard skidding halt before she raised her water spears in defense only to take the full force of the flaming dragon. Fire. She never thought she would actually be set on fire some time. The pain was excruciating. Even if it they were just in a sort of spirit realm, she was in great pain. She let out a shriek, one filled with a mix of panic and rage. In spite of it, her rage blinded her to the point where she didn't even notice she was redirecting that fire energy into her own magic and created something with Tiamat: A fiery bladed arm-axe.

"Well, this is a new feeling... Rohen?" Tiamat commented before Rohen charged once more and jumped into the air. Despite her allies' attacks on Parzival, she made it clear that her battle raged-state is not doing her any favors. Luckily, the attacks stopped once she was able to land her attack. Sadly, Parzival was already in the air when she finally connected her attack to the ground, punching her fist into it. It took quite a bit of effort pulling it out and it wasn't until she saw the almost molten hole she burrowed and then her arm. She created something she didn't even intend. She knew she practiced some fire magic before, but she never knew she could work that magic almost identical to her Water's Edge. She was almost in awe of her accidental creation.

"Rohen! Get a grip!"

She wasn't given time to admire her new found ability before Parzival initiated his next attack. Black fire was raining down on them and there was no way to dodge them. Rohen hurriedly tried to create a water shield but it wasn't enough. Parzival's black flames were going through her shield as it wasn't fortified enough and her allies are also suffering damage, all of them burning. A new adrenaline surged within her before she lunged towards her allies and attempted to plunge her fist into the ground. She felt like she couldn't do much else at this point for herself so she was almost content with her death. But her allies? Someone needed to pass the torch. Even though she wouldn't get to see it, she would want them to survive so that they can make the world a better place. She was willing to sacrifice her being at that moment to provide a shelter for her allies made of all her Earth and Water magic. Her cutting her own cheek on accident with her new axe-arm made this especially apparent that she valued her comrades' lives over her own.

Her body was burning, her blood running rampantly, a cold wind biting at her skin. Too cold in fact, she can feel the water in the air and against her skin.

Water?

She opened her eyes and saw the white sky again as well as the trees that towered around her. A foul smell of corpses. Her body was shaking. Was it due to the cold or the excruciating pain she just felt. With a groan she rolled over from her back side to her front, using her arms to prop her self up so her face wasn't buried in the snow. Was that finally over? She heard the crunching of snow and looked up towards its direction. It was Eleanor. She remembered vaguely that she heard her voice amidst her pain, even if her ears were still ringing. Hold on a minute...

She was content with dying just then, wasn't she?

What the hell was she thinking? Why did she think like that? It's not like her to do something like that. Did... Arlux do this? What did she do?! Her thoughts raced but stopped when she didn't hear Tiamat. She looked at her arm to check that she was still with her and she was. Guess nothing is to be said. She got up with a bit of struggle before she trudged through the snow to follow Eleanor. She looked around and took in her surroundings. Piles of nightmare beast corpses and her allies recovering from their states. She stopped when she saw Eleanor and Parzival at a distance from her. She just stood there trying to catch her breath. A dragon to the chest is not easy to recover from, even saying it out loud should be self explanatory. She watched Eleanor reassure Parzival, him passing peacefully and Eleanor properly burying his remains.

"...And I thought you were going to ask why Eleanor was showing a modicum of respect towards him." Tiamat commented. Rohen shook her head. "Sure, the guy's kind of a piece of shit. But they're both right." She said. "Both?" Tiamat questioned. "Obviously I wouldn't understand a vampire's struggle, I'm just a mercenary. His death is all that mattered." "A mercenary, but whom was willing to sacrifice herself---" Rohen gripped Tiamat a little with her other arm. "Don't. I don't know what came over me, but I rather not talk about it." She said as she felt Tiamat nod her head. "As for her, a burial is just proper. After all, he is a piece of history. He at least deserves that much."

Eleanor decided to give a quick warning and lesson reflecting on the events they just went through, which Rohen swore that she reminded her of Arlux. Maybe she didn't get the memo, but perhaps she'll be this party's new leader. She wouldn't mind it. As soon as she gets to Shadow Company or her benefactor, she has some questions regarding her contract with Arlux. Soon, the presence of another voice caught her attention and she put her hand over her holstered flintlock to draw. Luckily, she didn't draw it or else she would've drawn it at the King of Jorvik and his army. She recognized some of the soldiers' faces, mostly from her coming to Jorvik often for business. Eventually, she was given a horse and was given a little help despite her slight protest, saying it was okay and that she could get on it by herself.

For celebrations, Rohen could hear the people cheering for her allies. But for her, they gave some quizzical looks. It was clear they were asking who was she. She looks like a mercenary, what are the rest of the heroes doing with a mercenary? Soon after though, she could hear some calling her name. She looked over and it was some of the traders she helped on her business contracts as well as some Shadow associates who dressed to blend in with the crowd. It made her break a slight smile on her face as she awkwardly waved toward them. She wasn't used to such grand celebrations anyway so she didn't know how to respond. She could only do this much just to acknowledge her acquaintances.

The next few days were once again a blur all with the excitement, formalities and so on. She suppose it's not often something like this happens. Often being just this once so far. Better be the last. It was then she found out she hated being in such a big spotlight. Usually secluded herself from such celebrations so she can have a peace of mind, even though some of Jorvik's people would still be able to find her to meet her. There better not be some fanclub or rumors about her being so cold and mysterious that it's attractive. She wouldn't hear the end of it from her benefactor in her organization, if benefactor even suits someone like her.

After all the excitement died down, she finally could have some actual time to herself. Their lodgings being King Ragnir's house, there was a training ground nearby, which was where Rohen decided to start her morning. "All this down time, finally and you go to the training grounds? I don't understand you sometimes." "...I need to train. I need to be better." Although it was already occupied by Jorvik's soldiers, she found herself an opening to train by herself. She remembered that her water was easily broken through by Parzival's fire and that it wouldn't be the best defensive magic she can use. Of course, she has Earth magic but it's just solid rock. If the opponent's magic was strong enough, it could be broken through just as easily. "Hmm, doubting my gifts to you? That's rather insulting." Tiamat teased. "No! It's just... I need something more." She needed something else. She needed to learn other magic to increase her combat and survival capabilities. But what could she use? Her Water's Edge can only do so much and Earth just wasn't good enough. Something else...

"Why don't we ask Parzival? That dragon was quite impressive." It was at that moment she remembered the fire that broke through her water, she remembered she took Parzival's flame and made something out of it. That arm-axe. She held out her left arm and inspected it. "Recalling something?" "Goddess Tiamat, can I have a moment please?" She could do it in the spirit realm due to an accident stemming from rage and adrenaline. But what if she could do so at command? She supposed this is where she could learn that technique as it seemed to be a great way to penetrate defenses as well as cause some devastating damage as a whole outside from slashing about. She could probably take down bigger opponents this way with a lot of force.

She began meditating. She needed to recall the feelings she felt during that time. Rage. Absolute rage. The need for someone's death. She made a fire ball in her hand and clenched it. But nothing happened. Sighing, she gave it one more go. "Let me guess, you're going to say "one more time" hm?" As she recalled those memories, she over stepped those boundaries and thought of what she felt trying to protect her allies. But it felt like Tiamat's intervention. "Tiamat, please! Let me concentrate!" "But why did you wish to throw your life away, child?" She pushed. Rohen still didn't know why she did it. "I don't know.." She wanted to stop thinking about it but those memories just kept flashing in her mind, bothering her.

"Child, when I thought you were going to sacrifice yourself for this duty I didn't think you'd throw your life away." Tiamat kept pushing.

"No! Kugh.. It's not like that..!"

"Why did you feel the need to throw it away for your allies, mercenary?"

"I said I don't know. Fuck off!"

"You're capable of protecting yourself and the others at the same time, you know? What do you think you could accomplish by throwing yourself into situations that could prove fatal for yourself in your current state?"

Eventually, she let out a shout shaking off those memories and pulled back her arm before she swung her arm down to finally throw off the thought. "ENOUGH!!"

But she felt the trigger.

A heat emanated beside her as she saw the fiery axe blades she summoned once before. That same awe she had before presented itself again. "...Remember, I'm here to help you Ro. I know you usually work alone, but now you have allies. You also have me. Whatever troubles you have, you can talk to me about it. Perhaps, even your allies will lend an ear. From what I've observed, they are trust worthy companions. Even if some are a little... Odd from their upbringing." Tiamat assured. It gave Rohen a sense of relief. She slowly moved and inspected her axe arm, studying it. "...Thank you, Tiamat."

She looked towards the dummies that she had set up prior. They were just regular dummies being wearing an armor plating. "...Alright." Rohen said before she charged at the dummy and swung her axe arm into the dummy. While the range of this attack was short, the damage made up for its short coming. The fire blade had penetrated through the armor and lodged itself into the dummy's core. Rohen forcefully yanked her arm out, causing extra damage upon the blades exit from her target before spinning around giving her more momentum as she cut straight across the dummy with her new found weapon.

The fire didn't last long as it vanished. "Now that you know how it feels like, perhaps this training session won't be so fruitless like I had thought it would be before." Tiamat said before Rohen returned to the center of her training area. She practiced summoning her new fire arm axe and maintaining it, as well as moving around to get familiar with its limitations to see what maneuvers she can do with it and how not to move in specific ways to avoid hurting herself from it. "Keep practicing, but I expect one of your allies will come visit you. If they do, go ahead and welcome them." This possibility halted Rohen a little before she continued with her training. "Maybe not. I did leave such a... disgusting impression. Let alone the fact about my prior work before prison. I doubt they'd want anything to do with me after that."

 

[Nano]

Enthyskana Rhoda

Interactions: Kaida ( Beann ) | Ragnir

Mentions: Aaxir ( LazyDaze ) | Hargred

Blood dripped off a scaled brow and into the dragon’s eyes, further blurring the veil of exhaustion which obscured her vision. One of those damned beasts had gotten her good, leaping up from behind and digging its claws and fangs underneath the scales lining the back of her head. The beast’s saliva burned, and her nostrils flared at the horrifying stench of its rotting breath. She swung her head violently, slamming them both into a nearby earthen pillar, and the nightmare beast released its hold from the pain. Its body was unceremoniously slapped away like a rag, and Enthy took the most recent assault as a sign to return to her humanoid form. There weren’t too many of the beasts left, and she had exhausted all of her magic, so her current form only served to be a larger target for the enemy.

As soon as she’d settled into her smaller form, Enthy deftly flipped in a neat arc over another charging beast and whipped her blade at the back of its neck. However, the sound of its decapitating head falling upon the snow was accompanied by the thunderous sound of a rain of footfalls marching in from the horizon. With the icy grip of dismay weighing down her heart, the dragon swallowed nervously as she considered her options. There had to be something she could do.

That something would end up becoming unnecessary, and a familiar figure leading the charge swung his mighty spear to swiftly do away with a monster at the edge of the pack. A powerful voice carried a command over the troops rallying up behind him, and soon enough the battlefield was swept clean by the reinforcements brought by none other than the King of Jórvik himself.

“Many thanks for your assistance, Your Majesty,”

Enthy said with a small salute as Brynjolf trotted his horse towards the dragon before dismounting. Though his figure towered above her and his black armor lined with furs made for an intimidating man, the kindness evident on his face allowed the dragon to relax for the first time since the start of their run-in with Hargred and Parzival.

“I only wish I could have arrived earlier. Are you…the only survivor?” the blonde said hesitantly, as if not knowing whether or not to be cautious about broaching the topic. Enthy didn’t blame the man. Any other who chanced upon this scene would have assumed the same.

Enthy shook her head.

“They’re sleeping.”

Strangely, her words only seemed to garner a hint of pity rather than relief. Fortunately, the man would quickly shed light upon his thoughts, though his next words made it difficult for the dragon to tamp down her exasperation.

“There’s no need for euphemisms,” Brynjolf said.

“No…”

Enthy muttered with the palm of her hand held to her forehead,

“I apologize. That was my fault for not explaining things properly. They’re truly asleep. It appears Parzival of Tiryan’s Seven Hands pulled them into a dream. I’m not sure why I of all people was excluded, but I trust in their capabilities. They should be back shortly.”

No sooner had Brynjolf nodded in understanding than the heroes’ breathing patterns showed a sudden shift, heralding their awakening. Eleanor was the first to come to, but Paimon’s champion ignored those beside her and stalked off past the army of mangled corpses littering the ground. Their broken bodies oozed all manners of fluids, and much of their blood had already congealed from the gelid temperatures of the frozen tundra. However, none of that seemed to phase the woman, and Enthy watched intently as Eleanor reached for the hand of someone truly unexpected. The two appeared to come to some sort of understanding amidst the silence, and they parted with a smile, unbefitting of one sending off a mortal enemy to the afterlife.

She knew not of the heroes' struggles or what they witnessed within the royal vampire’s land of nightmares, and as such she remained quiet as Eleanor gave Parzival the most respectful burial they could manage with what they had on hand. Perhaps she would never understand, as she hadn’t been there to witness it all first-hand. Whatever occurred within that pocket of the spiritual realm appeared to have had a truly profound effect on the woman, and when she turned back towards the heroes, Enthy saw a renewed brilliance that she hadn’t seen in the hero’s previously dull eyes for a long time.

“It’s not enough to just beat Tiryan, we have to be better than they were. In order to prevent someone like Parzival from being created ever again.”

Unfortunately, the meaning behind Eleanor’s speech was lost on Enthy. Who were the they that she urged them to rise above, and what had turned Parzival into the monster whose visage he wore up until he drew his last breath? However, her inquiries would have to be put on hold. The booming voice of Brynjolf once again announced his presence to her fellow heroes, urging them onward to the capital. She ignored his appellation of her as the “little dragon” (wasn’t she older than him, or was he referring to her height?) and provided aid to any of the heroes who were struggling with their horses. The physical and mental exhaustion had no doubt taken a toll on them, and the grim atmosphere made it clear that now wasn’t the time to ask for a recount of their collective dream.

The blanket of gloom would quickly dissipate under the fanfare in which they were received and Jórvik’s hospitality, but Enthy herself found her mind preoccupied by other matters. Hargred, for one, was one of her biggest concerns. In spite of the destructiveness of his power, it became readily evident that not only was he young in mind but in age as well. Thirty was old by human years, and Enthy herself had been raised according to this assumption during her earliest years. However, Aaxir had kindly informed her several years ago that it was futile to liken the age of a human to a dragon (though he held an oddly prideful twinkle in his eye as he said this). When Enthy had been around Hargred’s age, her adoptive parents had thought of her as a twenty-some-year-old with the responsibilities of an adult, but it was clear that those standards didn’t apply here.

Hargred was still far too injured, and Enthy had yet to broach the topic during her visits. However, the more she looked at the prone figure of the child, the greater the feelings of guilt that pricked at her conscience. Still, she pondered upon the words that would make up the explanation of the benefits and consequences of signing a non-aggression pact that would be easy enough to understand for a child. Though he had no doubt won the sympathy of a handful in their group, others such as Khatiy were still very much displeased and distrustful of the dragon. The best course of action would be to deliver the young dragon to the safety of The Ancient Forest, but they were still a fair way from the region and she doubted they’d agree to allow the dragon to travel in their midst without some form of safety measure in place. She just hoped that she wouldn’t spook the boy too much and that Tiryan’s influence had abated a bit over the past few days.

Enthy sighed and sheathed her blade. With so much weighing on her mind, rising early in the morning to train had amounted to little more than mindlessly swinging her sword back-and-forth. Nonetheless, she had still worked up a sweat and opted to visit the hot springs that one of the locals had very much helpfully pointed her towards during the first day of her stay.

Upon gathering up an extra change of clothes, bathing supplies, and a miscellaneous assortment of small food-items, the dragon made her way out of their current lodgings and towards the direction of the hot spring. However, she’d end up spotting a familiar nest of fuzzy tails on the way and decided to extend an invitation to the fox.

“Good morning, Miss Kaida!”

Enthy exclaimed,

“I’m off to take a bath at the springs, but would you like to join me?”

Company was always appreciated, and she’d offer the same to any others whom she happened to bump into.

The hot springs were an open air bath which provided a surprisingly warm area to take a soak in spite of the eternally freezing temperatures of Jórvik. It was a rare oasis of greenery amidst long stretches of white, and much like during her last visit, even the wildlife of Jórvik enjoyed the soothing quality of milky waters. This time, the dragon had come prepared, offering up peeled chestnuts, bamboo shoots, and an assortment of fruit to any of the monkeys who were curious enough to investigate the goods she showed them. Had she had access to bananas, she would have packed those instead, but the lack of availability had made her resort to testing the waters and checking what they liked to eat by trial-and-error. At least, she hoped they were content with her small offerings.

It was only after she had emptied her satchel of snacks that she finally took a dip into the springs and sunk herself underwater up to her nose. She closed her eyes in contentment. It wasn’t often that they had the opportunity to take such a comfortable bath due to constantly being on the move. However, when she opened her eyes and her gaze wandered towards Kaida, she was finally reminded of the question she’d been meaning to ask the heroes for the past few days.

“Err,”

Enthy popped her chin back above the surface of the water and awkwardly tucked her knees closer to her body,

“If it’s a topic you’d rather not discuss, you don’t have to answer, but what happened in the Walpurgisnacht?”

 

[Worthlessplebian]

Tiberius Helvian, Longinus

The Gladiator's blade bit and drove into Parzival's shoulder, splitting muscle and meat as it went, however, his assault was sundered when the vampiric Hand blasted him away. His body tumbled, twisting in the air as Tiberius crashed into a merchant stand, a shower of wood flinders scatter around him. He balls his fists, kicking off the ground and sending the shrapnel off him. Examining his chest and arms, finding the skin littered with splinters. It didn't matter to him, even if this moment was not an illusion, the Gladiator had delved too deep within his soul to care now. An outstretched hand called upon his spear to return to him, but just as the cool, brass-coated haft touched his warmed skin, Eleanor had already done the finishing move. His visor, which smouldered with the blue glow, sparked as he watched the golden comet shatter Parzival's defenses, cleaving through the fiery dragons and then, as he did, heave the talwar above Parzival's head. Tiberius' shoulders slumped, his chest relaxed as he knew, intimately informed by his combat senses, that this was concluded.

Then the false sky shattered like the walls of a castle being slammed by the stones loosened from an onager. Tiberius stepped forward and watched as the sky-chunks crumpled which then spread out, cracks snaking down the surface. His sight turned white. He feels meat-hooks dig under the veneer of his skin, his breath catches in his throat before being yanked out of the illusion, soul screaming through the aether, he was vaguely aware of spoken words, but could not recognize them. They indeed were warm though.

He awoke. His face felt the cold smush of snow against it, while his back was lapped by the windy chill. Azure eyes pried themselves open, only to be stung by the film of snow. He jerked his head up, arms trembling as he pushed up. His body was numb. The porcelain sheet around him was terribly cold and he'd been in it for an hour or more, feeling the wind whip against his back. The leathers and furs he wore were torn to shreds, likely from his transformation with the Goddess' divinity. He stammered to his feet, noticing the water which had pooled at the edges of his limbs and head. Just as he took a step, however, a warm pulse of pain overtook his senses, dripping down the left side of his waist and thigh. He takes another then stares as his knees give way and his body falls forward limply into the thick frost. Face once again buried in the snow, Tiberius groaned with pain and annoyance.

He shifted, clenching and unclenching his hands and toes, trying to work the feeling into them. The ache was an abominable reminiscent of the pits, those gladiatorial chambers, he remembers them so vividly now and how his body was subjected to the whips, the boards, the blows or worse for his-their failures. Mind and body drilled incessantly, his gaolers and trainers seeing the potential. The three-pronged claw gash on his back strives for his attention, jealously. His body burned feverishly, assaulting the gladiator's mind with unremitting stimuli, he grit his teeth hard and began to drag himself through the snow. And blood. His own and that of the hundred or more beasts around him.

Then laughter. Coy, mischievous, and high. His God had been laughing in his mind, presumably at him. "Hilarious." Tiberius remarked coldly. The laughter continued unabated, before melting as the hoarfrost against the sun. "Is it not, my blessed gem?" Qin asked, her shadow dancing in the corona of his periphery. Tiberius grumbled, before a dry smile played his tanned, scarred features. He did not admit it loudly, but the Goddess may have had a point. He watched as a gauntlet, dark as the night and trimmed with the violet of the galactic nebula, stretched down to his face. Tiberius angled his head, blond locks drifting down his broad shoulders. "Hello again, Polux." Tiberius grasped his friend's gauntlet, the metal fingers gently pressed down on his hand helping him to his feet.

He leaned against the giant, but his smile faded as the memory of his sojourn into Parzival's ghastly past breached his awareness. They were sited to the forefront, rather his role in the sordid ordeal. The hollow, detachment that he experienced harrowed him, he truthfully did not know such a thing were possible, least of all from him. That form of his—no, it wasn't a form, it was an idea. He squeezed the cliff-like shoulders of Polux as he bent down to assist Tiberius. The gladiator kept pondering at the concept, this mould that he became, a hundred-thousand warriors in his image, marching ceaselessly from war-camps across the world, beholden to no masters, slaves not to their emotions such as compassion, empathy, or pity. And he saw how powerful that would be, and it terrified him. It galled him that he could become the first patient of that disease; a legion born and bred in war for war. Endless War. He promised to himself and in the names of his companions, that he would not let such bleakness see the light of day, for his sake and their own.

Even now, his Goddess soothes his mind. His brow loosens and he drinks in that cold-air while still bleeding out of his back. "Kai." He mouths the name, Tiberius could only stem the bleeding, but if he wishes to heal a wound of this magnitude, he'd need the healer's magical touch.

Inch by inch, he walked with Polux by his side. Rejoining the allies, newly-arrived by horseback, and his compatriots. Steadily pacing past the congealed bodily fluids of the corpses around them, their carcasses smelt rancid already, only the wintry temperature stemming their decomposition from bacteria or parasites. Eleanor seemed to have one focused goal, that much Tiberius was certain. He watched as Enthy did, though unlike the feathered dragon, Tiberius looked on with fitting context to their display. Once the wound was closed, Tiberius would at least assist Eleanor in digging the hole for Parzival's burial. All the while his thoughts focused on Walpurga's dementation, the biting air mirroring his inquisitions. He leaned back from his work, stepping away as Eleanor hauled the bones of the deceased vampire.

"Would I be ordered to do such a thing?" He pondered, an edge of worry to his thoughts. "And lo, would you?" The gladiator was left speechless, turning his gaze away as if he could not face his Goddess, one that wasn't there at all, could not match her gaze for a moment. He had no answer for her retort. Compounded by the singular fact of the impartiality that he used to, almost, cleave Parzival in two.

He gave a sidelong glance at Eleanor as she began, her speech was breathtaking, however, Tiberius held his own reservations about it. "A noble promise," He said lowly whilst also recalling the words of a general, whose name eludes him at the moment, he pondered on them in the shadow of the tree that stood vigil over Parzival's bones. The evils of war were not simply done by their enemies, and no matter how diligent they were, they would be staining their hands with the bloodied deed as well. He supposes then, that it is not something that can be achieved fully, but something to strive for, always and forever. It could be another shackle to their feet, one that may weigh them down in the end. His azure eyes gleamed passionately for a moment, before returning to their usual dullness.

He gazed idly at the King of Jorvik, Ragnir Brynjolf, a respectable man if Tiberius recalls from the few visitations that he managed before the Siege of Tiryan's fortress. He was urged to take a horse. Tiberius did nothing.

Until he sighed and mounted one, wrapping its reins over his calloused digits and worn-knuckles. The gloom that hung over them like a dark cloud of black ice seemed to become meltwater at their feet, lapping at their psyches until eventually receding altogether. Aided by Jorvik's thunderous celebration and warming geniality, hailed as conquering heroes, though they've done little except survive these past few months. Naturally, Tiberius took to the ground as though a bird took to the sky or a fish to the water, bathing in their heaping of glory. He would've almost felt nostalgic for the Coliseum, were it not kept in check by his discipline. Still, he was not one to deny fanfare.

In the coming days, Tiberius would rest within Brynjolf's selected residence while also maintaining his skills sharp by the supplied training grounds. A vast improvement to the shack they occupied just weeks ago, yet strangely, Tiberius almost preferred the reclusivity and homeliness of the hunting lodge.

Mind raced with adrenaline as his spatha slashed, stabbed, and cut from all guards. The muscles in his arms screamed as he delivered a final cleave right down the middle. He huffed, warm breaths steaming up from his mouth and nostrils, sweat dripping down from his pores. He concerned himself with their next task, amassing a force from Jorvik alone would be a fruitless endeavour; too small a force, and as much as Ragnir pledged to their cause, Tiberius doubts he would blindly throw away his army. In the stillness of the moment, Tiberius wondered how Hargred fared. He's upheld a portion of his promise to him, bandying words back and forth. Counselling him from the Emperor's venom is not an easy task, Tiberius knew that, but with each word that left his lips, he was curious as to how Hargred took it. Interpreted him. Alas one such as he was not able to sunder a man's skull and pick at his brain. Regardless, Enthyskana was his steward.

Tiberius began cracking his neck one, two, three, four times side to side with closed eyes. When he opened them, he spotted the person he had last mentioned. Sheathing his spatha, Tiberius nodded a greeting to the dragon before being offered a peculiar proffer. Relaxation in a warmed spring? The gladiator rubbed his left shoulder as droplets of sweat dripped down his nose. "Very well," The few words betrayed his restrained enthusiasm. A potential to ebb the sharpness that surrounded him, Tiberius gladly took the opportunity.

Requisitioning the appropriate necessities, Tiberius followed along the fluffy-tailed fox and the dragon of ardent justice to the hot springs. It almost seemed like a mirage to him, the greenery betokening a type of hardened defiance that the man greatly appreciated. The waters called to him, promising a taste of peace.

He dipped the toes first, felt the warmth spread to his heels to his shoulders before slipping down into the spring. The water came at his scarified pectorals and he closed his eyes, tilting his head back to fully experience this sensation.

The peace of the gentle waters were disturbed by Enthy's question, though it seemed to be directed at Kaida, Tiberius thinks that it was a question for all of them. "It was..." He trailed off, finding the words to describe what they saw. "A night of horror. A memory from his past, both as a warning and a desperate attempt to kill us. Walpurga, a hero, had begun to euthanize the vampires, mages, and alchemists of the city, there were... many unpleasant sights." The words were bitter and acerbic from Tiberius slips. He cupped the water in his hands and splashed it against his face.


Interactions: Nano (Enthy), Eleanor, Ragnir, et cetera.
Mentions: Beann (Kaida), Bloody_Death (Kai), Hargred.

 

[LazyDaze]

AAXIR THE RED

Interactions:
Mentions: Nessi
Aaxir watched as the heroes shot passed him like shooting stars in the night sky granting the impossible wish of peace. If he believed in making a wish, he would have asked to join them in the sky. He locked eyes with Eleanor...well he would have, had she not been so determined to finish Parizival. In that brief second, to his surprise, Aaxir could tell that her spirit had made its way back, and not just her...everyone. They weren't the broken heroes back in the prison. Perhaps they really could defeat Tiryan. Ironically, Aaxir couldn't help but feel as if he was the one being left behind. Even now, he could barely comprehend what had happened, but he knew he had not been himself lately. Fumbling over his thoughts, unsure of himself...watching the others. He didn't really know his allies all that well, nor did he want to; at least that is what he kept telling himself. Yet, in this moment he was calm and at peace. On a whim, he put his faith in "strangers". When he thought about it that way it was so ridiculous that even Aaxir couldn't help but laugh. They weren't really strangers after all were they....

"Why the hell would I leave it to them," he asked with a smile.

As soon as he said that, a solider wishing to fell a wounded target drew his blade against Aaxir, only for Aaxir to catch the blade and shattered it with his hand. That was right. They were still in his world. They weren't out of the woods yet, so useless emotions such as fear, pity, and empathy would be on hold until everyone was safe and if they thought that Aaxir would be easy kill in close quarters, they would be gravely mistaken. Without moving from his spot, Aaxir swept the soliders leg with his arm before snapping the solider's legs on his way down. That short exchange was enough to invigorate Aaxir to hold off the soldiers while his allies finished the job. He ruthlessly defended his position, not allowing anyone to move him from his position, occasionally fighting against blacking out. He cursed himself for his pathetic performance, but that only served to aid in his brutality, and then....they won.

*****
​

Aaxir woke up to the sound of crunching snow and nothingness. The storm was over, the nightmare faded. Instinctively, he looked toward the sound of moving snow crunching beneath the feet of none other than Eleanor and watched her peculiar interaction. That was when the former wayward blade said something that Aaxir would never forget as long as he lived.

“It’s not enough to just beat Tiryan, we have to be better than they were. In order to prevent someone like Parzival from being created ever again.”​

Could he be better than Tiryan? Many emotions flooded the usually headstrong Aaxir: guilt, shame, pride, relief. He merely glanced at his bloodstained hands. Without the distraction of violence, wailing, and death...the shadows of doubt no longer nipped at his feet but threatened to swallow him whole as he finally acknowledged what he saw......and what he felt in that world.

The peaceful days melded together as they often did. This time, an ally was brought to their ranks, Ragnir King of Jorvik. He was neither overly friendly, or respectful to the King but at the very least he wasn't trying to kill them so that was enough for Aaxir. Upon their arrival in the capital, Aaxir was unmoved by their praise, in fact, he had been rather unmoved by many things as of late.....even for him. The people of Jorivk cheered....and there were times he wanted to kill them all. A part of him might even enjoy it. Given his usual irritability and hostility, it was easy to mask this behavior through his usual quips and behaviors, but there was definitely something bubbling beneath the surface. He hadn't had a good nights sleep in days. It was the same dream every night. Of course there would be a few alterations here and there, but he couldn't blame Parzival's magic on this one. To make matter worse, his days were full of stabbing introspection due to the recent events which often left Aaxir in a daze, or unusually quiet. Everyday it only seemed to get worse culminating in last nights dream...he murdered one of the heroes. The events through Parzival's spell crescendoed into an unbearable burden. Eleanor's words echoed in his conscious from time to time, but he wasn't sure if he could live up to them. What did that even mean? Hargred, Parzival...he truly could have ended up like any of them. Walpurga while rutheless seemed to only be his own reflection. There were times he thought of erasing humanity. There were times he took pleasure in that thought. What if he had the power of the elders, of a god? Was he only settling for traveling with this band of scattered heroes because he was too weak to truly enact his will?

​

"...Am I...evil?" Aaxir asked himself with a confused, but sincere look on his face. Aaxir couldn't help but wonder what would be at the end of the road if he achieved everything that he wanted. Just how far would he go to satsify his ideals? How far would he go before he lost himself, or was it already too late. Would he be able to kill his allies if they opposed him for whatever reason. He told Hargred to create the world he wished to see himself, but now Aaxir was no longer sure what his world looked like, or what it should look like.

"Ooooh......The Red Brooding Dragon looks off into the distance..."

Maybe...maybe he should have never left-

"The mood is heavy, but only someone of his amazing stature can carry that enormous chip resting on his shoulder."

"Tutu Pele......shut it...."

"Hmph, ABSOLUTELY not. You have been a somber puddle for days darling. Would it kill you to smile and wave? You are in the great city of Jorvik representing none other than the great, and beautiful Tutu Pele. You are without a doubt the droooooooopiest volcano I have ever laid eyes upon."

Aaxir made an obscene gesture before telling everyone and no one that he was going outside.

"You! How dare.....Oh dear...this is definitely stage 2 brooding. Aaxir! AAXIR THE RED!"

 

[OldTurtle]

Fel Petri

Interactions:

Mentions: Eleanor ( Nessi )

Fel revived to darkness and ice. For a painful moment, he struggled to breathe entirely, the shock of such a sudden shift -- from scorching flames to freezing snows -- threatening to collapse his chest. He rolled onto his side and clawed at the snow blindly as his vision blurred until, with a great heave, the mage wrenched his screaming lungs open once more. The rush of cold air stung as he breathed it in but brought with it a sudden bout of clarity. Coughing and hacking, he blinked the haze from his eyes and found himself laying half-buried in a particularly large snowdrift, just behind an unnaturally jutting pillar of stone. Using it as a crutch, Fel struggled to his feet and upon spotting his staff laying a few meters away, stomped his way through the snow to retrieve it.

Its worn surface felt rough and gnarled against his palm. The dark wood was spotted with flecks of drying blood and a long, thin crack ran along the lower third. The magical medium had suffered much abuse over the years and the stress was beginning to catch up to it -- but even considering the copious repairs Fel performed, it was a testament to its make that it had survived for so long. He squeezed the staff fondly as a rush of magic helped restore a bit of feeling to his numbed extremities. With his reinvigorated senses, however, came an acute awareness of the below-freezing temperatures. Fel quickly sparked a fire, his body wracked by great, tremulous shivers. As the warmth began soothing his chilled body, Fel hunted around in the snow for his fallen cloak. Shorn short as it was, any protection from the elements would be appreciated. He recovered it from nearby and dusted off the powdery coating as best he could, then draped it over his shoulders. Frankly, he made quite the silly sight in the snow, all bedraggled and hunched over a little flame, with a much-too-short cloak hanging no further than the base of his spine. Casting a glance around at the others, however, this disheveled state appeared to be something of a shared characteristic at the moment.

Nearby, Eleanor marched past the fields of dead nightmare beasts, looking like death on two legs. Fel followed her with his eyes, watching as she neared a crumpled bundle of black and red. Only when it stirred upon her approach did he recognize it as Parzival -- or rather, the remains of Parzival. Even if the old vampire still lived, Fel could tell he wouldn't be for much longer. The last blow Paimon's hero had struck was a fatal one, even for one as powerful as him. Mouth pressed firmly into a tight line, the elven mage watched on as Tiryan's Hand, one of their greatest enemies, a monster who had caused thousands of deaths, crumbled to ashes in her hand and the young woman began to dig him a grave. The sight of such camaraderie with someone who was responsible for the deaths of several of their own made his stomach churn unpleasantly and Fel turned away with a huff. Eleanor was too soft.

“It’s not enough to just beat Tiryan, we have to be better than they were. In order to prevent someone like Parzival from being created ever again.”

Compassion was a valuable trait, but utterly worthless on the battlefield. Fel understood well enough that Parzival was the product of his circumstances, effected by the cruelties of a hero long gone. He wasn't heartless. But the failures of their predecessors in no way discounted the vampire's own self-determination and there wasn't an ounce of pity or sympathy in Fel's body to spare. Just as no amount of killing could bring back Parzival's loved ones, his death and the deaths of the other hands -- and Tiryan -- wouldn't resurrect any of the good men and women they'd lost. But by Hades, he going to enjoy every last one.

Ayao's familiar presence pressed up against his mind, firm and comforting, but he brushed it off.

How utterly naive of her. How many had died for this war? How many had the heroes and their allied armies cut down over the years? What of their friends, their families? Even long after the war ended, the pain would remain and fester into a bubbling hatred. If Eleanor wished to take on the burden of their future, then so be it. Let the yoke of responsibility hang heavy from her neck until it drags her head down from the clouds.

The King of Jorvik's sudden appearance jolted Fel from his thoughts and he quickly mounted an offered horse. He took the reins in stiff fingers and followed the other heroes and Brynjolf's entourage through the dense woods and down into Jorvik proper. The journey passed quicker than he expected, though the overwhelming fatigue that threatened to send him falling from the saddle into a deep sleep certainly helped dull the passage of time. Fel managed to stay awake as they rode into the capital, where throngs of people greeted them with much fanfare. Their vigor was misplaced with very little real success to laud, but the news of even a few heroes surviving must've been enheartening after the assault on Tiryan's castle had failed. Even while reeling from their wounds and at a fraction of the strength the party had originally possessed, they were still heroes, still symbols of hope for the common folk. So Fel gripped his horse's reins tightly and remained upright, refusing to let his exhaustion show.

Once they'd arrived at the king's residence, Fel dragged his body off into the closest bedroom and collapsed onto the bed, still caked in sweat and blood. He woke several hours later to the sight of Ayao standing over him, a steely look in her dark eyes. Fel rolled back over and stuffed his head under the sheets. It did little to prevent Ayao from dragging him up and verbally lashing him until his ears stung. He knew he'd be in for the lecture of a lifetime, but couldn't it have waited until he'd fully rested?

In the coming days, Ayao set Fel upon his usual regiment with a renewed zeal. He rose with the sun and slept long after it set, devoting almost every waking hour to some form of training. Despite his usual reluctance, Fel complied without complaint. Their efforts finally saw a marked improvement in the condition of his mana circuits. It was almost hilarious how much more progress he made in Jorvik compared to the weeks in the cabin, but some space and no longer having the looming possibility of an incoming Olrodian attack did wonders for his mental state. Jorvik, even with all its poor weather and questionable cuisine, was a much-needed respite.

This morning, Fel sat on a rocky ledge overlooking the nearby training grounds. A number of other heroes swung their swords or practiced their arts down below, but Fel basked in the rays of the forenoon sun. He'd taken to more frequent meditation sessions lately at Ayao's insistence, trying to determine and purify the source of his recent ineptitude. Frustratingly, he found nothing. His goddess concluded that it was an affliction of the mind rather than the soul or body, and had taken it upon herself to tend to it. Fel appreciated the effort but he wasn't sure if Ayao had the faintest clue on how to do that.

"-observed change of place is caused by a motion of either the observed object or the observer or, of course, by an unequal displacement of each-"

Reading out the latest treatise on astronomy certainly wasn't it. Fel bit back a sigh and peeked at his goddess as she sat across from him, working her way through a thick sheaf of parchment. Beside her was another towering pile, reports on anything from improved agricultural techniques to comparing common styles of pottery from across Veita. All of varying interest to him, but not the sort of material he wanted to delve into when the sun had just cleared the treetops.

"-constitute the space common to all things, it is not at first blush clear why motion should not be attributed rather to the enclosed than to the enclosing, to the thing located in-"

Fel wept silently and prayed to every other deity for a swift end.

 

[Dawnsx]

Nelumba

Interactions: OldTurtle

Mentions: Nano

One moment, Nel was burning under Parzival’s black flames. The next, she couldn’t breathe, she couldn’t see, and she couldn’t feel her body anymore. Was this what death felt like? It wouldn’t be so bad then, if it weren’t for the searing pain moments earlier.

Looks like this is it for the Champion of kindness, love, and life. Sorry Shiva, but you’re going to have to find a new hero…

”You’re not dead yet, but you will be if you don’t get out of the snow,” Shiva said blandly.

”Bwuh?” Nel sputtered as something wet and cold got into her mouth. She managed to move her head enough to see – oh. They were back in the real world. She tried to get up, which was harder than expected with her limbs being practically frozen solid. And her face had been in the snow the whole time! No wonder she couldn’t breathe!

She didn’t think Enthy was in the illusion with the rest of them, but she must’ve been too busy to make sure Nel could breathe!

Nel managed to sit herself up just in time to witness Eleanor bury Parzival’s remains. And boy, Eleanor took the words right out of Nel’s mouth! Nel was only the Champion of kindness, love, and life because she met Shiva and so many nice hero buddies. Maybe if there were more good people out there, then Parzival wouldn’t have turned out like this.

Well, good thing that he was dead now. Dead people didn’t need to feel sad or hurt anymore.

After a moment of silence for Parzival, Nel stumbled to her feet and joined her friends. She hoped that King Ragnir had some warm blankets for them. Brrr!

~~~

Nel stuck her tongue out as she focused on forming a bubble with her water magic. It was tricky, making sure it didn’t pop before she was done imbuing mana into it! But she had spent the past few days working on this new move, and she was already getting the hang of it! After another moment, a perfectly round bubble sat in the palm of her hand, and it sparkled in the sunlight, just like her wings!

”Are you certain this is the best use of your time?” Shiva asked in her mind, though the resignation in his voice told her that he didn’t plan on arguing against what she was doing.

”This’ll be fun! You’ll see!” Nel chirped. She looked up at Fel, who’d been sitting up on a ledge over the training ground for a while and looking miserable. Maybe her new technique’ll cheer him up a bit! She jumped and waved her free hand wildly to catch the elf’s attention. ”Hey Felly! Over here! Watch this!”

She bounded toward a training dummy, then curled up into a defensive ball behind it.

”Alrighty everyone! Steer clear of the bubble! Aaand… Let it rip!”

She tossed her creation back over her head. It floated languidly and unassumingly through the air, much as a bubble should. Once it was a fair distance away, it abruptly suspended in the air. White, fern-like pattern unfurled upon its surface. With a snap of Nel’s fingers, the frozen bubble bursted, sending dozens of tiny icicles flying in all directions.

If not for the training dummy blocking several of the icy projectiles, Nel would have turned into a pin cushion.

”It worked!” Nel cheered, leaping up from behind the dummy. She shouted up at Fel, ”How was that, Felly? I’m still working on controlling when the bubble starts freezing, but not bad, right?!”

 

[Beann]

Suzuki Kaida

The fight with Parzival was finally over. Despite his horrific recounts of injustice via illusion, the heroes were quick to end his suffering. Molded by the hatred and despair of historical events, it almost made sense as to why Parzival was the person he was now. While Eleanor properly buried his remains, Kaida silently mourned. Despite being their captor and pursuer, he earned a bit of sympathy from the kitsune after learning about his circumstances. Even Ryushi seemed to have calmed down from his rage, recalling the injustice that had led to his demise when he lived. They lived in an unfortunate world, but Eleanor's words sparked the desire for change. The desire to go beyond Tiryan.

The moment ended as soon as it came as their anticipated ally, The King of Jorvik, extended his support. He was certainly a pleasant sight to look at. Kaida's tails curled and swayed as she allowed a moment of distraction before the group of heroes followed the King through the forest and toward the capital.

The rest of the journey felt like a blur. She remembered smiling and waving as the citizens of Jorvik welcomed them with cheers. The feeling of appreciation for their efforts made her cheat swell with pride. However, not much of the rest of the day was remembered as she quickly went to sleep once they were presented with lodging. It had been a rough couple of months but now that they were among allies, she felt like she could finally relax.

The next morning, Kaida was greeted by (arguably her favorite dragon) Enthy. "Good morning, Enthy~" She flashed a clearly well-rested smile. Her head tilted slightly at the invitation to the hot springs, her smile only growing wider at the thought. "Yes, that sounds lovely. Let me prepare my things." After gathering her own bathing supplies, she accompanied Enthy and Tiberius. The gladiator's presence earned a more personalized smile his way but she kept most of her actions under wraps in consideration of Enthy.

The transition between the cold air of Jorvik and the hot spring water was an unusual, yet welcoming feeling as she submerged her body. Kaida let out a sigh, content with the temperature as her muscles began to relax. Her tails swished happily underneath the water, creating gentle ripples. “Mm?” she looked at Enthy, nearly forgetting that the dragon was not included in Parzival’s finale. Kaida thought for a moment, thinking of the easiest way to explain the events in the Walpurgisnacht. However, Tiberius was quick to answer for her. She nodded her head in agreement with his summary of events, “it was definitely a sight that would have invoked anger from the hero of Veritas,” she offered a solemn smile. “Despite the trouble he gave us, I do feel some remorse.”

 

[CasualTea]

"Jega!"

Rohen was still practicing her new found skill with her neglected fire magic. She was getting pretty good at it but later she heard Tiamat sigh. "What, was it sloppy that time? I mean, I'm still learning it." She said, a little confused with her discontent. "True, but you don't have to perfect it. Besides, fire isn't what you're especially good at. Is it?" She asked.

Rohen stopped her training and sat on the ground, sort of in a meditative state just so she can communicate with her goddess better within her head. "You're telling me to just continue using water?" She asked. "Remember that my water wasn't even enough for that black fire that Parzival used? I need a stronger defense." She could feel Tiamat shake her head. "Then... Wouldn't it make sense to improve on it? Better yet, the only reason why your shield wasn't enough because it wasn't given ample time to fortify. You could practice fortifying it faster or if you think water shields would deteriorate, you can try Earth. It's the most easiest to fortify." She offered. "Or perhaps... You can learn something more advanced than water that you're well on the path to already." Rohen raised a brow. "Such as?"

Tiamat giggled a bit to herself. "Take a look around you." She said. "Right now is the perfect weather and place to start learning. Better yet, you can borrow the surroundings." Rohen squinted a little. She wasn't privy in the ways of magic. She only knew water since that's just what her master told her and what she spent most her time around. She didn't understand what Tiamat was trying to say.

"Snow is beautiful, isn't it? A white covered sheet on the face of this world." She started. "Of course, snow doesn't just appear this way by itself. It just needs to be cold enough for it to form the way it is now." Tiamat continued hinting as Rohen was still trying to figure out where she was going with this. "...I-I'm stumped. What are you trying to imply?" This made the goddess sigh. "For the Mad Orca to not know their own habitat."

"Ice."

Rohen raised a brow. "Ice? That's a magic type?" She felt Tiamat nod her head. "Indeed. Though, you still have quite a path before you get to that stage. For now, perhaps just honing what you have to prepare for what you will have later?" She offered.


Rohen thought about it for a minute and reassumed her meditative posture. She then put her hands together on her lap as she sat up in a relaxed form. Soon, a wavy circle of water formed around her, seeming to cycle and move in one direction. She seemed to transition into a deep state, getting the feel for her water and manipulating it with her eyes closed. "Yanmie..." She incanted as she soon opened her hand, her palm facing upwards. A spear with blade heads on both ends then formed and was surging with fast and flowing water within it while keeping a hard surface. As Rohen meditated, the speed of the water would either slow or accelerate. Condense or spread to other areas to give it the spectacle of it seeming to have a surging glow.

Tiamat was going to stay silent for the time being as she didn't want to disturb Rohen. However, she'd warn her if someone approached. Interrupting Rohen during her meditation was fine, only if they did it subtly. If they tried even touching her, she might attack them on accident. To prevent that possibility, Tiamat was also looking out for Rohen and would let her know of anything approaching her.

 

[Nessi]

King Ragnir Brynjolf

“You aren’t the best at masking your feelings, Aaxir the red.” A voice called out, followed by a large, rough hand patting his shoulder. Aaxir would turn, to see King Ragnir smiling at him, his signature cloak draped over his shoulders. “Walk with me, young dragon, the bitter cold can sometimes help a troubled mind.”
Ragnir led Aaxir away from his abode, and could hear the snow crunching under his boots. “I know that look on your face, I know it well. Anger. Self-Doubt. They’re old friends of mine.” Ragnir began, continuing to walk about the capital. “I’ve heard a lot about you, Aaxir, about your tenacity, about your dreams of changing the world. I have to say, it’s quite ambitious, but I’ve never heard specifically about the world you want to create…unless you yourself don’t know.” Ragnir continued.

A group of children ran past the pair, and Ragnir stopped to watch as they darted around, a smile growing on his face.
“You see that? The youth may not seem like much now, but they hold an endless amount of potential. The world I want to create is a place where the young can prosper, for in the end, the future of this world will depend on them.” Ragnir admitted. He placed a fist on Aaxir’s chest, and looked at him directly in his eyes. “Aaxir the red, what are you fighting for? What is it that you want to protect? If you cannot answer, then I’m not quite sure that you change the world in any way, young dragon.” Ragnir concluded, taking his fist off of Aaxir.

With that being said, Ragnir marched off, allowing Aaxir to truly think about the words of wisdom. The king of Jorvik didn’t make it far before running into yet another hero, or rather, a hero landing directly onto his shoulders.
“Oof, such broad sturdy shoulders, not a good landing spot, especially for my back…” Yi Nuo groaned, causing Ragnir to break out in laughter.
“To be graced to carry the legendary mentor, what do I owe the pleasure?” Ragnir inquired, using his hands to stabilize the old moon elf.
“Your letter. You said that we could only stay here briefly for reasons you’d explain when we got here….and well we’re here.” Yi Nuo reminded Ragnir.
The King’s smile slowly melted, and a deep sigh escaped his lips. “Ah…yes I remember.” Ragnir muttered. He turned to face the snowy forest that surrounded the capital, and there was a bit of silence. “There…this isn’t an easy thing to admit, as you know that the people of Jorvik are a proud people…but…the war has been long, and the winter never ends here. With the heroes gone, the Alliance has crumbled, and we don’t have enough supplies to continue fighting. We’ve…had to surrender against Olrodia.” Ragnir admitted.

Yi Nuo was silent, rhythmically tapping her chin on the king’s blonde head. “This….isn’t good.” she muttered. “Word will spread, it won’t be long until Tiryan comes to kill us, and to punish you for harboring heroes.” Yi Nuo lamented.
“I’ve sent word to the isles, a representative will be here in a few days, and you all will leave with him as soon as he arrives.” Ragnir explained. “And when Olrodia comes, the warriors of Jorvik will fight against them until the last man!” Ragnir proclaimed proudly.

 

[ThatWhichShouldBe]

Huang San

Huang San considers the situation thoughtfully. Jorvik had surrendered. Tiryan would be here to punish Jorvik for harboring heroes- And Jorvik's warriors could not hold. He considers the King's words. Jorvik's warriors would die in a hopeless battle to hold- and what then? Tiryan would exact his vengeance on Jorvik's people. It was an absolute truth, with the kind of man Tiryan was. Was this an acceptable resolution? Was this an acceptable future?

No. No it wasn't.

A ghostly hand manifests on his shoulder, Wukong's visage at Huang San's side, the God grinning, for he knew his champion's heart. The farmer finally speaks up, rumbling, laying out his proposal in simple terms.

"... No, King Ragnir. You delayed our departure for several days so that Tiryan would have the time to catch us. For the sake of your people's safety, you betrayed us."

The god's grin widens, his hand patting Huang San on the shoulder.

"And when we discovered your deception, we beat you within an inch of your life, fought our way through your guards, and fled towards the isles- Certainly not to meet the representative mid-way. Your complicity in our safety was only in service to Tiryan."

Huang San looks the king in the eyes firmly.

"Anything else would mean Tiryan's wrath falls on you and yours."

 

[OldTurtle]

Fel Petri

Interactions: Nel ( Dawnsx )

Mentions:

"Hey Felly! Over here! Watch this!"

The heavens hearkened and answered Fel's prayers in the form of a diminutive Fae with several undiagnosed psychological disorders. Whether this was a curse or a blessing remained to be seen. In any case, it certainly could've been worse -- the sun could've exploded, the earth could've split in twain, Khatiy could've woken up on the wrong side of the bed.

In his haste to escape, he practically leapt from his seat and dropped down into the training ground with a hastily constructed excuse as Nel's palm-sized sphere began to float across the yard. Ayao, sighing wryly and recognizing that Fel had just about reached his limit for now, gathered her papers and carried them back into Fel's room, where they would await his return -- there was a considerable volume of dry reading in his future. Cheerfully unaware of his dreadful fate, the mage swept over the smooth earth of the training grounds. His breath cast up opaque clouds of white in the wintry morning air. Fel drew the weight of his thick cloak closer around his shoulders just as the hovering bubble shattered, sending numerous small, razor-sharp projectiles careening in every direction. Several shattered against harder obstacles formed from thick stone and iron but most pierced deeply into the first surface they encountered.

"How was that, Felly? I’m still working on controlling when the bubble starts freezing, but not bad, right?!"

Fel paused for a moment to take measure of the destruction. Crouching beside the training dummy Nel had used as a makeshift shield, he pressed his fingers into one of the many punctures in its body and carefully extracted the crystalline needle within. He examined it for a moment, then the dummy that more resembled a particularly threatened hedgehog, then the spike again.

Though the slight icicle was dwarfed by the length of his palm, it had pierced deeply into the manufactured man's torso. Only Jorvik workmanship and a few scant inches of leather and hay had spared the small mage a similar fate. Fel fought off the growing migraine he tended to develop when exposed to concentrated doses of Nel for extended periods. Still, despite his grievances over her (lack of) safety measures -- and sanity, something inside him added--, Nel's display was actually rather impressive. He dropped the projectile to the ground and crushed it underfoot.

"Not bad at all, Nelumba," Fel praised not dishonestly, slipping his staff into the crook of his elbow and clapping his gloved hands together lightly. "Maintaining complex incantations at range is far from an effortless task, much less one of ice magic. Good work, but it could be much better. Though it may have some use against tight groups of common footsoldiers, that incantation is much too conspicuous. Only unintelligent training dummies and Chrome would ignore a large, slow-moving bubble of dubious nature traveling their way. It needs to be either faster-traveling or utterly indiscernible -- though preferably both."

Fel stared down at the short woman, his pale, gold-framed eyes glinting hawkishly in the light. With his face set into that firm, unyielding expression that more and more resembled Ayao's by the day, he hefted his staff again and walked across the training field, stopping about two dozen paces away.

"Spar with me," he demanded, his tone brooking no argument. "Try your incantation again, this time with a target that will reasonably inhibit you. Once you've cast the incantation, I'll begin to fashion a defensive measure. If you can complete your attack before I finish or you overpower whatever I use, then I'll consider it adequate. If you cannot, then you will repeat this until you can." Fel's eyes narrowed into slits. "I have little desire to waste away my day here, but I will if I must. Do not disappoint me, Nelumba."

 

[LazyDaze]

AAXIR THE RED

Interactions: Nessi
Mentions: Worthlessplebian Nano
Aaxir delved deeper into the abyss that was his thoughts, if only to submerge himself at a depth that would filter out Tutu Pele's endless prattle. However, an unfamiliar voice from a familiar face was just the thing to rouse him from his dark daze. Every hair stood up on his body as his muscles tensed at the massive hand resting on his shoulder; nevertheless, Aaxir managed to suppress instinct and keep his hands in his pockets. "...Ragnir," Aaxir grumbled to himself, turning to see the mountain of a man smiling back at him. Aaxir was not in the mood to talk to anyone, but as fate would have it he had worn himself out to such an extent that could do nothing to stop anyone from intruding into his bubble of self pity and doubt. Aaxir's only defense to this headstrong assault was to mentally roll his eyes and sigh as he took a long stare before giving in to Ragnir's suggestion like demands.

Hard pressed to admit it, but after days of self bashing and confusion, Aaxir found it strangely comforting. "To what do I owe this honor," Aaxir said without a smile. Despite the snarky remark, Aaxir willingly walked with Ragnir. He found it a bit jarring to be called "young". Given the mixed races of the party, he was older than most in a general sense; moreover, he was the eldest of the dragons. This often led to him taking on the role of an "elder brother", looking after Enthy even when he wasn't always quite sure of things himself. All in all, these factors made Aaxir feel much older than he actually was, but to be called young dragon...it was actually a relief. Perhaps it was the peace of the city after a long battle, the purity of the snow, or Ragnir's strength that eased Aaxir's tension, but his head seemed much clearer ever since this unlikely intrusion, so Aaxir continued to entertain Ragnir's suggestions. As the two walked through the city, with Aaxir mostly listening, he would do his best not to scrunch up his face, or furrow his brows while the great King of Jorvik read him like a children's book. This was most likely due to the earlier assertion that Aaxir could not hide his emotions. Seeing it as a challenge, he tried not to reveal anymore than he already had, but failed miserably. He spoke on many things, but one thing Ragnir said stuck with him. It was so simple, but eye opening at the same time. What was he trying to do? Aaxir wanted to become strong enough to change the world that much was certain; however, what was it that he wanted to change? Did he want dragons to rule over all? Did he want humans to die? There might have been a time where that was true. When he initially set off on his journey he imagined a world where the human race would be subservient to the superior dragons, but traveling with Arlux and the others had altered some of his original plans. Yet, he felt chained to his earlier ideals; they were what set him on this path after all. It would be like stepping into the abyss if he were to let go now. He wrestled with these thoughts while Ragnir looked upon the future of the world, explaining their purpose. Even Aaxir would have to admit that he wasn't so cold as to wish death upon children...even if one was in severe need of a handkerchief for their nose. A chuckle even escaped his lips. Perhaps the cold was doing good to warm his heart.

Aaxir raised an eyebrow when Ragnir placed a fist on his chest. This man was truly out of his mind, but Aaxir met his eyes with his own all the same. Oddly enough he reminded him of two people. An annoying gladiator breaking silence with roaring laughter a mirth and a headstrong uncouth woman. Yes, it was strange for someone to act so familiar with him, a human no less, but not entirely bad.

“Aaxir the red, what are you fighting for? What is it that you want to protect? If you cannot answer, then I’m not quite sure that you change the world in any way, young dragon.”

Aaxir answered with silence. His family, Enthy, and Hargred flashed in his mind. There was a point in his life where that would have been all, but then there were an unlikely few that the heart called to memory causing Aaxir to laugh at the absurdity. It was all true...he didn't know what he was fighting for, and perhaps that is why he had been so unsure in the battles leading up to now. Without Arlux, Aaxir once again was forced to find an answer he once knew, an answer altered. The two would depart but Aaxir would call out to Ragnir one more time. This time Aaxir uncharacteristically placed a fist in his chest, his face seemingly made of stone save for the softness in his eyes. He really was bad at hiding his emotions after all. "...You're not bad for a human."

With that, Aaxir let Ragnir set off on his path while he returned to forge his own. He could not help but wonder what it would have been like to battle such a man, he wondered what stories those fists would tell.

"What am I fighting for now," Aaxir pondered looking toward the sky as he hesitantly toyed with the thought of releasing the threads that tethered to a past version of himself and flying into the unknown abyss of who he was and who he could become. Despite having more questions than answers, Aaxir the Red felt a weight leave his shoulders as he quickly returned to the others. "...Not bad for a human at all."

 

[Bloody_Death]

KAI NAKAYAMA

With Chrome and Hargred safely through the portal Kai closed the portal and gave a sigh of relief. The familiar sight of the peaceful garden was so much more welcoming than the suffocating smoke and firey air. Though...there was a concerning amount of sleeping bodies present. He might have thought about it more but he was occupied with the two patients he had. He made sure to heal Chrome fully and then numb any pain Hargred might of been feeling. Just like he promised. He figured that they would hang around in the garden with Kai occasionally checking outside to see if they would still be in the firey world, but suddenly their separated souls would join back with their bodies right there. And that seemed to be reason enough that it was time to go. He left the young dragon in the garden under Wanga's, not so careful, eye. He knew for a fact Enthy and Aaxir were the ones who were fighting against the dragon... surely one of them were the one who restrained him rather than kill him. He'll have to ask what exactly they planned to do. But for now, he gets to chill in the garden with uncle Wanga!

Upon stepping through the portal, and bringing Chrome along with him, they were met with chilly white landscape they were met with before the nightmare unleashed upon them by Prazy. He gave a small sigh of relief. Giving Wanga the okay before closing the portal and turning sync off. All the heroes seemed to be waking up as well. So he made a few rounds. Making sure everyone was okay and healing anyone who needed it. He made sure to pay his own respects to the fallen vampire. Regardless of how terrible someone is, no one deserves to hold such a memory. To all those who lost their lives that night and those who are still alive with this memory, he wishes them eternal peace in the next life. And that such events never end up repeating themselves. After that, they were welcomed into Jorvik with welcomed arms and by the king himself!

•°•°•°•°

The celebrations, while very nice, were exhausting. He would love to have a nice little hibernation after such a battle, but that wasn't much of an option during the first few days. When things finally started calming down did he finally get in some proper rest. But only for a bit. With Wanga actually having to be responsible for once, that being making sure Hargred was fine in the garden, it made him a lot more demanding. 'Get me this. Go do that. I'm hungry. I'm tired.' Ughhhh! He was going to lose his mind at this rate! But he really couldn't argue. Over the last few days he made frequent trips to and from the garden. Delivering food and goodies Wanga requested. Along with making sure Hargred was well fed and content. Even if he didn't heal him fully, just remaining in the garden allows him to heal faster than if he was anywhere else. He also made sure to tell Enthy about his whereabouts. Explaining to her what happened and that Wanga agreed to let Hargred remain in his garden till it's decided what they do with him. "If you ever want to talk with him or see him just let me know so I can open up the portal for you." Is what he told her when he finally got the chance to.

He had meant to tell Aaxir as well...but he could tell something was wrong. And he wasn't the only one. The events they saw impacted them all. But it impacted some a lot more than others. Aaxir was one. Another notable mention was Rohen. He wasn't sure what was wrong but he could tell things were seriously bothering them both. And it frustrated him. That they were hurting and he couldn't help them. Or more, he wasn't sure how to help them.

As the new morning came around, Kai was up fairly early as usual. Setting out of King Ragnir's home to head to the market. He browsed from stall to stall. Looking at all they had to offer while also greeting a lot of the villagers. A lot of them offered gifts or free items as thanks for what they've done, but Kai made an effort to decline all that he can. Insisting he pay for any goods like any normal person would. But those that were very persistent would soon have their way with the healer. Kai simply didn't have the heart to reject others so stubbornly persistent on being nice to him. It didn't take long for Kai to attract a bit of a crowd around him. Even before he became a hero he was quite well known, although he was more of a myth or rumor that blew from country to country previously. The flowing wind that saved those caught in its path. Those who approached him either wanted to give their thanks, give gifts, or ask for help in healing those who were sick or injured. So much for relaxing. And thus, his quick and relaxing shopping trip quickly turned into a hectic mess. Thankfully, some had noticed how he seemed to grow tired and convinced the others to leave him be for a while to rest. He was such a pushover. The day had barely started and he was already exhausted.

He finished up the last of his shopping and quickly opened up a portal into the garden. Stepping through and finally letting himself relax. Away from the bustling market.

"I always seem to forget how popular you get around others. That looked exhausting. Are you sure you're resting properly?" Kai's eyes glanced up towards Wanga who was waving him over to where he was sitting. Soon making his way over to set the goods on the table.

"I would have preferred to sleep more. But a certain someone was whining about how hungry they were. Maybe I should have just ignored them and slept more."

"Hey hey hey. Now that I think about it, you don't look nearly as exhausted as I thought!"

"You're actually the worst." Kai could only sigh as his patron god laughed happily as he went through the bag of food.

"I'm kidding I'm kidding. Thanks for the food! This all looks great!" He held out a baked good for Kai to take before eating one himself.

"Yes yes, of course. What would you do without me." Kai spoke cheekily. Taking a bite out of the baked good and smiling. It really was delicious. "Anyways. I won't be staying long this time. Make sure you don't eat everything and share with Hargred, alright? I got food for both of you." He warned as his eyes glanced around for the young dragon. He was still injured but no longer restrained. So long as he didn't cause trouble he was free to wander around the garden to his heart's content.

"Alright. I'm going now. Hargred, if you need anything just tell Wanga. Then he'll tell me because he's too lazy to do it himself." Kai called out towards the dragon. A smug grin soon gracing his face the moment those words left his mouth.

"Rude. I'm right here you know? At least wait for me to turn my back first."

"Does it really matter? We both know the truth and he would have figured it out. If not already. I'm just saving all us the trouble"

"Wow. I would never! I've been taking care of the little dragon perfectly! Ain't that right, Haggy? We're like best friends now." Kai could only roll his eyes before laughing at such a statement.

"Of course. Well, you two best friends have fun. I'm heading back out." He gave a wave to both Wanga and Hargred before stepping back out the portal. Back into the freezing cold. It didn't bother him as much as others. But he would prefer if it was a bit warmer.

But now the real question came up. What did he want to do? He overheard that some of the heroes where heading to the hot springs. He actually really wanted to visit. So that was probably where he was heading to next! However, he paused when he noticed a familiar dragon heading back towards their lodging space. Of everyone here...he seemed to be one of the ones most troubled by something. But in this moment...he seemed pretty happy. Or at least lest stressed than before. After closing the portal and dropping out of his sync he made haste towards the dragon. Only catching the last of what he was able to say when he finally arrived. "Who's not bad for a human?" He suddenly asked, now walking alongside his fellow hero with a curious smile. "The Great Aaxir the Red has actually gone a bit soft for a human? Colour me surprised! I never thought I would see the day." His tone was lighthearted and teasing. Clearly not meaning anything bad by his words.

"You seem to be looking better today. Something was bothering you every since our battle with Parzival. So I was a bit worried, but it seems someone helped you sort your thoughts out, right?" He was glad. A lot happened that day. And he wasn't even present during the entire battle. He could imagine how much worse the situation got once they reached the center of the city. "Mmmm, I don't think I'm the best with words, but I am happy to listen. Not all wounds are physical but wounds are still wounds. And as a healer I want to learn how to heal all of them. Even ones that my powers can't fix." He explained before letting out a small hum. "You might not trust me enough to confine in me, but the offer is always available if you ever need time to vent." Kai didn't necessarily like everyone in their party. But that doesn't mean he doesn't care. Everyone in their party are his prescious comrades that he treasures and wishes to protect. It would be nice if everyone else felt the same, but he wasn't that optimistic or delusional.

"Ah! But there is actually something I've been meaning to talk to you about. Two things. First is Hargred. I'm not sure if Enthy has told you anything, but currently he's staying in Wanga's garden. I'm not sure what you or Enthy plan to do with him, but Wanga has allowed him to stay there till...well whenever there is someplace else for him to go." He wasn't sure how long that was though. Would Hargred even be able to walk around with them in public? What if he got attacked by angry people? "If you ever want to see him just let me know. I'll bring you there." He reassured before moving onto the next topic.

"Now for the other thing. It's been awhile but I never forgot. First was the words you said to Eleanor when Baba first came and saved us. I'm sure...that wasn't all directed towards her. But you have to admit that it was an unnecessarily mean thing to say. You know that because you said it yourself. You were wrong. Have you actually ever told Eleanor you're sorry though? Or that you regret saying what you did?" He questioned while raising a brow at the dragon. "Admitting you're wrong is the first step...but how good is it when the person you hurt can't even hear you? You didn't hurt my feelings. Yet I was the only one who heard it. That is not the most sensical choice of action, correct?" This was all starting to sound like a bit of scolding that Kai had pent up over the last few weeks.

"Alright this is what we're going to do. We're going to get you to apologize. Properly. While she is aware and able to hear it for herself. But don't you fret your little cherry like head about it! Your trusted companion Kai is here to help you. Knowing your pride you might drag your feet to the point where an apology would be pointless. I'm here to make sure you finish this before it's too late." Kai was determined about this. And if he was going to have to drag this dumb dragon around all day, then he'll do he it! Even if it means missing the hot springs..."Since we're by the market you should get her a gift. Nothing too crazy but still something nice. To show that you're serious about apologizing." With this pan in mind, he circled the man and began trying to push him back towards the market where all the stalls were.

---

Interactions: LazyDaze (Aaxir) || Nessi (Hargred)

Mentions: Nano (Enthy) || CasualTea (Rohen) || Nessi (Eleanor)

 

[DSLIX]

Chrome Van Der Linde

Nessi OldTurtle Dawnsx Everyone within earshot
Chrome’s bloodthirsty trance was rudely interrupted by a sudden rush from Parzival feeling a sudden heat bang through him and he quickly tried to eject the armor off his body yet it exploded into flames a second before Chrome could react and Chrome grits his teeth as he braces himself for the evident assault. The palm Parzival dished out wasn't nothing too bad but the follow-up slashes did burn considerably but didn't cut too deep. Though it didn't help crashing into a tree head-first causing a terrible headache for Chrome. Once he hits the ground he slowly starts to roll to get into a better position and try to put out the fire when a hard and deep voice rung throughout his ears "You truly embarrass me despite my benevolance towards you."Chrome ignored his god's provoking words as he had no energy to waste on some voice in his head. Though seems like Chrome didn't have much to worry about as Kai rushed to Chrome dropping an ungodly amount of water onto him making his nose burn from the water crashing into his nostrils and choking him for a few seconds and creating a strong shock and pain to shoot throughout his body as the fire is put out feeling his muscles spasm uncontrollably for a few seconds and his body sizzle as chrome's body was covered in 1st degree burns except for the 2nd degree burns caused from the heat of Parzival's sword luckily cauterizing the wound. Chrome coughs up water as Kai heals him not really responding to him as his dead and burnt skin slowly peels off as clear and new skin slowly forms under it until he finally soothes most of the Chrome's burns before Chrome only says "PSH not even top 5 most painful experiences." He jokes with Kai to soothe his worry though Chrome is quickly brought attention to the situation around him and it doesn't take him long to realize what's really happening. "This stench.....those people....an illusion?" He mumbles to himself wondering what has Parzival done before the voice in his head speaks again "An illusion replicating a memory it seems. Interesting move should not matter to us though...get up." Chrome sighs and rolls over before trying to stand but his muscles just send a sudden shock through him before shutting off on him making him collapse again. Chrome smacks his teeth and starts to slowly drag himself before Kai comes and helps drag him but what Chrome didn't notice was that Kai was about to summon Wanga's Garden to throw him in to heal.



Once Kai and Chrome slowly drag him to cover Chrome starts to focus on the pulling the blood from a nearby body but stops suddenly when he notices that it's still moving but upon closer look Chrome felt his heart stop as his teeth started to quiver realizing he's draining the blood of a small dying girl. Chrome felt his chest twist inside out and felt his throat stiffen up leaving him unable to speak as he locks eyes with the child. A pang of pity mixed with shame washes over Chrome as he stares at the child somehow alive despite being half crushed by debris from the destruction feeling great shame that he can't even stand on his own feet to somewhat ease the suffering child as he himself is in not much better state than the child. Unconsciously Chrome slowly reaches out to the child and to only make him feel worse the child weakly does the same. Chrome opened his mouth to say something......anything.....his throat was locked up and his muscles refused to listen to him still in somewhat shock despite some of the damage being healed. That's when Chrome looked to Kai and saw Wanga's Garden opening which filled him with dread "No..no...please no...not now of all times." As Chrome turned back he tried to pull himself away from Wanga's grip but a deep and familiar voice whispered in from the back in his mind and it caused him to freeze in place at it's monotone voice "She's already dead" sadly enough as soon as that's said the half collapsed house surrounding the child decided to finally give out seeing a tear run the child's bloodied and bleeding face before it was then buried with the rest of her. Chrome felt his heart ache with increasing pain, but he stood there silently staring at the crumbled house letting himself be dragged and placed into the garden his thoughts clouded with pity as the aching in his heart makes his thoughts only worse. He soon found himself facing the sky of the garden surrounded by a field of flowers his mind confused and clouded until a thought just popped into his head the words of his old monk mentor back before Chrome met Hanuman “A hardheaded young man like you would be much greater if you took the time to think and cultivate your mind. You think your so big but you’ll see how easily you can lose to someone who wants it more than you.” The words rang in the voice that brought back such fond memories and almost brought Chrome to tears as in this moment Chrome felt the weakest he’s ever been as he truly missed the simplistic life before this. Chrome arises to wander deeper in the garden when he crosses a resting Hagred, Chrome feels a flair of bloodlust radiate off of him like a flame but he quietly wanders by his fist clenched as he ignores the young dragon not wanting to get on bad terms with Wanga and Kai. Finally finding a place of peace and quiet he sits in his old mediation pose stretching his arms out as he starts to now practice his breathing technique a warm feeling envelopes his body and he feels some of his fatigue fade away. Chrome slowly finds his pacing as he slowly recalls the breathing technique to follow through with meditation replenishing his mana and ridding his fatigue as he steadies his mind and slowly starts to block out everything around him slowly becoming more immersed in his own mind trying to organize and silence the random and excess thoughts out of his mind. Chrome’s meditation is interrupted by Hanuman’s voice calmly echoing through his mind “Your breathing technique is terribly practiced I just want you to know.” Chrome loses focus for a second but quickly locks back in ignoring Hanuman. Hanuman speaks again “Your inhaling too much air focus it in your lower abdomen.” Chrome instinctively follows along with ease and Hanuman continues “Good job, now stop exhaling so slowly let your lungs push the air out for you.” Chrome continues to follow without fail and Hanuman chuckles deeply in his mind saying sarcastically “Well if anything you have a talent for breathing so perhaps you can be saved.”



Chrome stayed in the garden listening to Hanuman chant mantras and help refine his meditation. Chrome feels his mind lighten and thoughts become more clear and focused his senses no longer dulled by his personal feelings and focuses on his old goal to fulfill his own potential and more. His thoughts quickly filled with delightful interactions he’s had between his allies and remembers he’s always started fighting to protect them as well. Chrome resolve to win and focus seem to increase simultaneously causing Chrome’s mana to refill at a much more comfortable pace than before. After some more time in his meditation he finally arises in the middle of the flowerbed with a slight smile on his face. Chrome simply asks Hanuman “How long has it been?” Hanuman snickers and says “A few days battle ended long ago.” Chrome slight smile only lets out a entertained snicker and turns to look around the garden before yelling in a deep echo “WANGAAA ITS TIME TO LET ME GOOO.” A short while later a portal to god knows where but Chrome trusted Wanga wasn’t that lazy. Chrome has a reality check when he realizes Wanga opened a gate above the city and is quickly forced to spread his wings and glides atop one of the capital’s buildings which he then sees Fel and Nel crowding a open field seemingly for training and quickly leaps from the roof to glide and land smoothly in the middle of the field. Feeling rather excited to see his companions and having a strong urge to warm his muscles he yells in a loud and rumbling tone “THOSE WILLING TO FIGHT LINE UP. ” He immediately calls out everyone on the training field a carefree smile adorned on his face as he makes his presence known

 

[LazyDaze]

AAXIR THE RED

Interactions: Nessi
Mentions: Nano Nessi

"What should I do now," Aaxir asked himself as he trudged through the streets of Jorvik. This time he wasn't speaking philosophically, but in a practical sense. Aaxir originally planned on spending this time to clear his head, but through Ragnir's brutish efforts Aaxir had recovered from Parizival's final attack and was suddenly faced with what felt like an eternity of free time. Last time, he received a mighty scolding for training after immediately escaping their prison, it was the one hobby he could rely on. Even his closest friend, Arlux, was a relationship built on the foundation of him attempting to defeat her on a daily basis. Quite frankly, Aaxir had been so fixated on ascending to the ranks of those before him that he had forgotten how to relax, or hang out. "Training it is th-"

"Who's not bad for a human?"

Aaxir's shoulders visibly tensed up, as he immediately recongized the voice and dreaded the words it echoed. The overly familiar, jovial tone might as well had been nails ripping through a board. Twice now, an unlikely face had interupted his thoughts. Aaxir had half a mind to scream to the heavens that the practical jokes had run its course. Aaxir's face transitioned through a variety of emotions as Kai continued, shock, disgust, anger, confusion, anger....anger. He had an entire rant built up inside; however, Kai continued on before he could respond.

"Do you have a death wish," Aaxir asked, legitimately concerned for his fellow hero's well being.

Kai continued to ramble, if you could even call it that. The information was actually important, yet he was able to leap from one subject to the next seemlessly. Everytime Aaxir tried to interject and get away from the jovial healer Kai would say something else either intriguing, annoying, or...annoying. One of those things being an attempt to be Aaxir's shrink. Despite having Ragnir do just that, Aaxir refrained from choking out the party's main healer. Nevertheless, a small part of him was actually surprised that someone had been worried about him. He would have thought no one would notice anything...or care. The conversation then took yet another detour as he began to speak about the baby dragon harboring the strength of 10 hurricanes.

"No she didn't tell me," Aaxir said as his mind drifted back to the battle. He had been so fixated with what happened with Parizival that he had nearly forgotten about the other tragedy that was Hargred. Aaxir wasn't quite sure what to do with Hargred, but ultimately it wasn't his decision. "Hargred has to decide what to do with Hargred," was all Aaxir said. While he would love to talk to Hargred and give the young dragon guidance along the way, Aaxir couldn't help but feel that the powerful dragon had let others decide his fate for far too long even at this age. Aaxir smiled at the thought of that "crybaby" becoming a rival in the quest to lead the dragons into the future. Nevertheless, it was reassuring to know Hargred was safe in Wanga's garden, but then the conversation completely went off the rails.

"Eleanor?"

"Eleanor?"

Even Tutu Pele was shocked by the direction of this conversation. Aaxir did his best to connect the dots. What did Kai, himself, Jorvik, Eleanor and anything under the sun have to do with each other. Aaxir's faced was colored with confusion until Kai started to explain in the art of lectured rambling that only he knew so well. Aaxir couldn't believe he was actually hearing the words that were coming out of Kai's mouth. He had half a mind to ask why the hell he even cared enough to carry this memory this entire time. Just how long had Kai been meaning to say this; in fact, Aaxir didn't even remember saying anything to Kai. Aaxir did remember practically spitting on Eleanor's lifeless body with his cold words. He remembered Eleanor flying past him time and time again to face danger head on since that time. Truth be told, those words bothered him as much as it bothered Kai...maybe more. That sad part, was that no one would understand why he said it in the first place, and Aaxir was not the best at explaining his thoughts.


We're going to get you to apologize.
"....Huh."
But don't you fret your little cherry like head about it
"Cherries?"
"Since we're by the market you should get her a gift. Nothing too crazy but still something nice."

"A GIFT? Can't I just punch her shoulder or something," Aaxir exclaimed while his face started to live up to his moniker, The Red.
It all happened so fast. Faster than the human eye could blink but somehow, someway, Aaxir found himself being pushed toward the market, preparing for an apology for something that happened weeks ago. "Alright Kai hold on," Aaxir said as he stood his ground. He placed a hand over his face, to hide how embarrassed he was, looking away despite facing toward him. Suddenly he felt a strange longing to chat with Nel, Tutu, The Hag and even Tiryan himself. Kai in this state was nearly invincible.

"And I-I didn't forget. I was simply waiting for the right time so no one annoying would butt in," Aaxir lied. "I-In fact, yeah....In fact, I was on my way to pick up a gift now before you made me forget what I was doing."
Aaxir gave Kai a few hefty pats on his shoulder, not at all with a hint of spite in them. "Since you're here you might as well help me. My taste might be too refined for the likes of a human, so I probably will need your opinion on choosing said gift." Aaxir said nodding his head in approval. "Also..., you tell anyone about this and I'll kill you." Aaxir said while attempting to burn his gaze through Kai's very soul. The weight of these words to a hero of Wanga is unknown, most likely meaningless, but the thought of being seen as Aaxir the softy was not something he was actually prepared for, even if he was in better spirits.
The unlikely duo would make their way to the shopping district while Aaxir did his best to hide how uncomfortable the entire ordeal was making him. Aaxir held up an onion...wondering if it would make a good gift. He saw weapons, but wasn't sure if that was something that really said, I'm sorry. After awhile Aaxir grew increasingly frustrated, nearly crushing the onion that was in his hand.

"AAAAGH, Can't I just say sorry and challenge her to a death match?! Is this really necessary?! Also, I already apologized, it's her fault for not being awake. Humans make things so complicated."

Aaxir folded his arms and snorted, smoke practically coming out of his nostrils almost as if threatening to throw a tantrum over the entire ordeal.

 

[Bloody_Death]

KAI NAKAYAMA

Oh. So he didn't know. The momentary look of pure confusion on the dragon's face was enough for him to know. Aaxir was completely lost. But at least he seemed to remind him about the whole thing when he started explaining. Yep. There was going to be a lot of work to be done today. He wondered if trying to get Aaxir to properly apologize was going to be easier or harder than trying to get Khatiy to get along with Kaida.

"What??? No? You're trying to apologize. Not start a fight. No hitting." He reminded. Letting out a loud huff when the other was easily able to hold his ground against the healer. With Kai trying even harder to push the red-headed, and now red-faced, man. He was a lot stronger than Wanga. That was clear. He was ready to protest when he was told to wait. The day was young it was better to get this done now! But when the other was so obviously trying to lie right through his teeth, he had to resist the urge to laugh. The childish prideful lying was endearing. Though he really needed to work on his excuses. "I didn't say you forgot though." He spoke out, a grin spreading on his face when Aaxir seemed to be giving in. Ceasing his pushing when he got those pats to his shoulder.

"Oh, I bet. Just like how I actually came here to ask you to spar with me." That sarcasm was heavy with those words. Kai would never ask Aaxir to spar. Unless he really did have some sort of death wish. He clearly wasn't buying the lies and feigning confidence. He wouldn't directly call him out...but that didn't mean he wasn't going to give him a hard time. "I'm pretty sure there are no shops in the direction you were heading. And if I had to guess what you were actually going to do before I showed up. You were heading back to train." Kai was sure he's never seen the man do anything else with his free time. Eat, train, and sleep. That had to make up at least 80% of his life.

"Yes yes. I'm here to help you, Aaxir." His smile remained but was slightly strained. 'Too refined for the likes of a human' God, he was trying really hard to not openly cringe at such words. Even a child wouldn't say something that childish. He was almost glad to hear the threat at this rate. Slightly rolling his eyes before crossing his arms. "I wasn't going to tell anyone. Don't worry. It'll be a secret between us." The heated glare and threatening words would scare anyone! But this was Aaxir. Not that the dragon couldn't kill him, because he easily could. But it was more like, when is he not threatening someone? It was like hearing a pastor preach about god for the umpteenth time. You'd be more surprised if it didn't happen.

Once they arrived back at the market, Kai looked around. He would prefer for Aaxir to choose his own gift rather than having to choose for him. It would mean more if Aaxir chose himself. But everytime he peeked back to see what the dragon found...please tell him he wasn't actually considering getting an onion as a gift. What happened to his refined taste too good for humans? He sighed when it seemed a tantrum was on its way if Aaxir was left on his own for any longer. Quickly coming over before there was splattered onion all over the place.

"No. Oh my god. No hitting or challenging battles to the death. You can do all that after apologizing. If Eleanor even enjoys doing stuff like that." He really hoped she didn't. "She was unconscious. She wasn't asleep by choice. It's your fault for thinking that was good enough." He grabbed the onion out of his hand and placed it back. Offering an apology to the store keeper for almost destroying it before looking back at Aaxir. "Alright. I've thought of some gift ideas that might be nice. You'll want to give her something that she can either enjoy. Such as food type gifts: fruits, sweets, et cetera. Onions don't count. Or something she can easily keep on her person. Like charms or a little amulet." He explained while turning to look at some of the stalls.

"There's a nice bakery here. Cookies or even cake make excellent gifts. Course that also means you have to know what she actually likes. I saw a shop selling some fruit. They also offer fruit bouquets. That's a very good choice as well." He looked around more. Spotting some stalls that looked to be selling trinkets or charm. "Good luck charms or protection amulets are also very nice. But you're the one who has to choose." He should actually get some for himself. Or maybe as a souvenir for his parents or brother. Yeesh...how long has it been since he's actually seen or written to them? He hoped they were alright and not worrying too much...Ah, he shouldn't start thinking about this now. "This is your gift to her. I'm helping you think of ideas but I can't pick for you. Of course, you don't have to use my ideas. If you have your own, go for it! Just don't involve violence or questionable presents. Please." At this rate they'd be stuck looking for a gift the whole day. If he had to be honest, this was the bare minimum. Aaxir was the one making everything so complicated!

---

Interactions: LazyDaze (Aaxir)

Mentions: Nessi (Eleanor)

 

[Kibaa]

Khatiy of Usaama

The battle had been long, and not without casualty. Somewhere amidst the chaos, Khatiy had sustained a significant blow from Parzival's blackfire which rendered her out of commission. Although the physical consequence of this blow was easy to remedy through the likes of medicine or healing magic, the Usaaman had also sustained some kind of spiritual injury that even someony like Kai would have trouble diagnosing. Becuase of her mutated physiology and the spirit-curses embedded into her body, Khatiy had always been a rather troublesome patient when it comes to injuries. It was fortunate that the lord of Jorvik had arrived to escort the party to safety, where all of them could recover.

Khatiy awoke on the wrong side of bed that day. Not just in a metaphorical sense, no. Something was wrong. Two tired eyes fluttered open to the sound of an ominous voice taunting her inner thoughts. The voice of a monster, its influence over her only aided by the darkness of the dimly lit bedroom. "Betrayal..." The monster spoke, prompting the Usaaman's features to frown and fold as she rose slowly from her bed, grimacing at the pain in her abdomen. The physical burns there were treated with bandages that found themselves wrapped around her midriff, but she placed a hand upon her heart, which seemed to beat with an inexplicable irregularity, as if her body was acting on its own right now. "The enemy... Lives.."

A low and sinister growl escaped the woman as two sore legs moved to leave the bed, and then the room, dragging themselves slowly over the wooden floors of the hall. Her head and gaze remained low, with long, voluminous locks of black hair draped dramatically over her features as she walked somberly, guided only by the sensitivity of her nose. Out she walked, in search of an answer...

Despite never having set foot in Jorvik prior to now, the easterner stepped through the streets of the country with certainty, as if she knew exactly where she was going. The scent of her prey was unmistakeable, after all. But, the sight of the woman slowly moving through the streets leading to the markets was nothing short of bizarre. She appeared almost like a ghost, impervious to the cold environment, taking such slow, dramatic steps forward with her eyes barely focused on the path in front of her.

Her senses had led her through the streets and into the market, where Khatiy had come upon Aaxir and Kai. Nevermind the ominous aura that she currently emanated, it was clear to see that something was wrong with Khatiy right due to other, more obvious reasons. Firstly, Khatiy was never one to venture anywhere without donning her royal jewelry, or her weapons, for that matter. And, more importantly, it was already very well known among the party how deathly allergic to the cold Khatiy is, and yet, here she stood, dressed only in a thin night gown. She hardly seemed like herself as she approached the trio, a low growl audible from her features, which hid behind her thick waves of hair.

"Yuko wapi?.... (Where is he?)" A beastly voice spoke, in particular aimed at Kai. "Nini maana ya hii, Nakayama? (What is the meaning of this, Kai?") The Usaaman stepped ever closer, her aura becoming only ever more devilish by the second. And.. As her gaze would rise to finally glance upon the trio, it would immediately become clear to those involved here that Khatiy was not herself right now. Her eyes, usually golden and proud like those of a lion, currently radiated with a terrible, dark red aura that made a nearby guard draw his weapon in an instant. Two devilish, animalistic canines were protruding from her mouth, spilling rivulets of blood down her chin. "Kwa nini unamsaidia adui...? Umemhifadhi..." (Why do you aid the enemy? You have harbored him.) ...

The Sultan lurched forward, clearly intent on acting as her gaze pierced into Kai. "Yuko wapi?! FUNGUA LANGO!" (Where is he?! OPEN THE PORTAL!)" Khatiy yelled, her voice hardly belonging to herself at this point. As, an athletic arm would rise, only to quite suddenly burst, mutate, and morph in grotesque fashion, shapeshifting into a furred, animalistic limb that bore 5 razor-sharp claws. In one dastardly motion, the possessed stranger swung her arm, intent on clawing into Kai...

...

Blood splattered and stained the snowy floor with red as the growl of a feline pierced the air.

A flash of light had intervened, and when it all faded, Kai would find himself unscathed, with the Usaaman brought down onto her knees. The growl came not from Khatiy, but from two armored Guardian Sphinxes that had manifested, one of them sinking its jaws deep into Khatiy's left shoulder and keeping her restrained, while the other sphinx had chomped into her mutated arm, keeping it restrained as well. Behind Khatiy and the sphinxes stood the ever elusive Lady Bastet, whom the party has hardly ever seen, for she is not usually one for public appearances. To have her here, present now, indicated that Khatiy's situation was serious.

"Hidden Seal: Sphinx Dreamcatcher." Lady Bastet chanted, completing the intervention ritual that she had sealed into Khatiy for contingencies like these a very long time ago.

Bastet gazed down onto Khatiy with looming eyes, disapproval evident in her godly features, as Khatiy's mutated arm seemed to writhe in the jaws of the sphinx that had it restrained. "You still allow the Curse of the Lion Monarch to control you, even after all of the effort we have gone through. You disappoint me, Lady Khatiy."

Khatiy growled and shrieked in pain, her monstrous arm shaking and writhing, attempting to claw back at the Sphinx. Only for Bastet to swing a clawed hand down devastatingly across Khatiy's shoulder, at once removing the cursed limb from the rest of her body once and for all, before her curse could further manifest. The arm, surpisingly, continued to move with a lif of its own, doing its best to crawl and scurry away across the snowy floor, before Bastet would raise her staff, channeling sunlight through the hoop of its Ankh to smite the cursed arm and incinerate it quickly.

All Khatiy could do was scream in pain as the Sphinxes kept her trapped, with Bastet raising a foot to push upon Khatiy's shoulder, making her lean forward. "You would dare lay a hand upon your fellow heroes? Unspeakable. You were chosen to preserve life whenever possible, not to take it. Do not lose your way, young Sultan." Bastet reprimanded the Usaaman, utilizing a claw to tear away the back fabric of her night gown.

Her feline eyes gazed down observantly at the marks that were present over Khatiy's back. "It is possible... That the months you spent in prison, as well as the spiritual conjunction that occured during Parzival's Walpurgisnacht... May have weakened Deemeetheresu's Spirit Seal." The goddess of cats mused, then, seemingly talking to herself, but also being courtious enough to explain her hypothesis to Kai and Aaxir. "Part of the spirit's mana may have leaked into your mana circuits. They have become corrupted again."

As Bastet would summon a papyrus scroll into her hand, Khatiy screamed once more, doing her very best to free herself from both of the beasts that held her restrained, her blood painting the snow red... but to no avail. She knew what Bastet's intention was, but there was nothing she could do to stop it at this point. Bastet unfurled the scroll, which contained a sealing script authored in Alkebu glyphs. Perhaps Kai could make these out to be something along the lines of "SPIRIT CONDUIT - MANA INHIBITOR". Finding an untainted part of Khatiy's skin to apply the scroll onto, Bastet lowered it onto her back, burning the seal into her body and completing the ritual rather quickly. Her gaze would rise, then, to glance at Kai and Aaxir individually, without much to say. Perhaps, they could see the hesitation in Bastet's eyes. Deep down, even the goddess knew that this was not right. That this was only a temporary fix, a band-aid, and that Khatiy was truly troubled beyond Bastet's own capabilities. She looked back down to Khatiy. "You leave me no choice but to block your damaged circuits once more. I can only hope that you will not fail again." Removing the scroll from Khatiy's back, Bastet withdrew, then, stepping away. In another flash of light, the goddess vanished into thin air, offering no further explanation. Perhaps it was guilt, perhaps she had other matters to attend to.

The two sphinxes would finally release Khatiy, her limp body falling onto the snow as blood continued to pour. One of them would fade away and vanish too, but the other one, with a little curiosity, would stay, stepping towards Kai. The sphinx glances to him, observing him, studying him.

"You are Bwana Wanga's chosen." The Sphinx spoke, and it would appear that its voice was like that of three, one masculine, one feminine, and one abstract. "I pray that you will forgive my Sultan." The sphinx continued. "As you may already know.. Lady Khatiy has known only darkness all of her life. The hatred within her is.. dangerous. I beg of you, do not fault her for it. The Lion Monarch, whose energy had been sealed inside of Khatiy, is powerful, beyond the control of even Lady Bastet. When Lady Khatiy's emotions are stirred, she may lose control... You, the heroes of Veita, are kind people." The sphinx added, addressing Aaxir now as well. "Your kindness, I believe, is what has helped Khatiy become the person she is today. I can only ask that you forgive her, and continue to accept her, and show her how your kindness will change this world." In speaking, the Sphinx hoped that Wanga and Tutu Pele were listening too. Nevertheless, the sphinx retroceded with a back-step, vanishing then slowly, returning to Bastet's realm.

What remained of Khatiy, lying there on the bloody snow with tears falling down her features, was truly a sad and depressing sight to see. It was clear that it was not her real intention to hurt Kai or anyone else-- but what was more concerning, even more concerning than her now missing arm, was her back. Its most prevalent feature was the large Spirit Seal at the center of her back, the one that had been forced onto her at birth. It was surrounded by many, many different supplemental seals, all of them burned onto Khatiy's back with varying degrees of size, intensity, and age, indicating that this has been an issue for the majority of Khatiy's life, if not all of it. These seals were also authored in different glyphs, many of them from Alkebu-Lan, but the party members here could also observe that some of the glyphs were from Aztlan, Kalmar, and even Bharata, indicating the extents to which Bastet and Khatiy's contemporaries have gone to try to address what her grandfather did to her.

The outright cruel number of seals that have been placed onto her, combined with the tattoos of the Sages of the Savanna that mark her back, have left barely any clear skin on her back anymore. Evidently, her body and mana circuits have been tampered with to a barbarous and dangerous degree-- Khatiy had been nothing short of a human lab experiment, certainly against her own will if what Bastet just did to her was anything to go by, and so with this in mind, perhaps now the party could understand what the Sphinx was trying to say. Nevertheless, there would be time to contemplate all of this later. Right now, Khatiy was in need of medical attention, lest she bleed to death.
Interactions: Kai Bloody_Death Aaxir LazyDaze

 

[Worthlessplebian]

Tiberius Helvian, Longinus

Tiberius' body was loose. Weeks of exertion melted away into these very waters. The water around him was hot, and he felt the geothermal heat surge up from ground rocks beneath. He'd took immense pleasure in this, to bathe and allow the spiritual tiredness to be swept away. It would've been better, however, if the water had been ice-cold. Before he would've aligned himself with his companions, himself and the gladiators cleaned themselves with buckets of gelid water and animal soap. It tightened his muscles, quickened his circulation, and relieved the pains from the day's entertaining bout between them. The gladiator swung his head back, sinking lower into the spring, the warmth lapping at his collarbones. The darkness had been the focus of Tiberius' attention since he answered Enthyskana's question. Specifically speaking, the emptiness that it represented had been the locus of his meditation. He simply could not cease contemplating what he had felt back then, only worsened by Veritas' dragon dredging up that question like a fisherman with a prized catch. Out of the depths of his mind, an armoured figure appeared. An armoured shell of dark grey and black-sheen, a dark mirror of the armour that he wore. The figure began walking forward. Tiberius' scarred features scrunched, eyelids squeezing hard. A glimmer, brief as a mayfly's life, sparked in his mind, its moribund light picking out the features of the approaching figure. Scaled plates hugged his torso. His helm, spewing an oily-film from the visor, sunk low in his heavy-set shoulders, peering over the top of a wicked gorget, he stared blankly at Tiberius. He could not tear his eyes away, he met the mirror's blank stare with his own. Impossibly, Tiberius felt cold in his stomach; a sickly chill which made him queasy, but he swallowed his unease, he had to, it was his duty.

"Oh, Tibbyyy~" He heard a voice call his name, dragging him away from the edge of the abyss. It's familiarity was immediate, his Goddess' voice rang in his ear. Rarely, would she ever interrupt his meditations. When the gladiator was disconnected from his allies—friends, he spent his time in silent company, often joined by Pollux or the Goddess herself. Quietly making observances, he'd barely noticed their presence unless they moved to interact. Like now. He frowned. "Yes? He asks. "Tell me, why do you despair so? Is it because you oh-so stoically decided to guard this new fear from your companions? Do you fear it or them discovering that?" A flicker of irritation crossed his scarred face as he opened his eyes to watch the fuzzball monkeys. "The answer is yes. You do raise the solution indirectly, though." "Have I-" Before the Goddess could even finish her thought-cant, Tiberius shifted in the water, stretching his arms in a windmill motion. Savouring the power in them. He remembered the hungry, ravenous maws of the beasts that he fought. Remembered the words of Parzival and his own retort in action alone.

Emotions were dangerous. Also powerful. His soul a lit flame, flared and dimmed as necessary, but it will never burn out and it will never be smothered. His head shifted, the soft steam parting to reveal the blond locks which stretched down his shoulders. He would not be a prisoner of these proclivities. He matched his gaze to Enthy and Kaida, deciding to speak. "When I fought Parzival in his... Memory-realm, I had unintentionally slipped into a mental state. I was neither furious, nor was I delirious with combat-highs. I simply was. It was if my soul had perished and an obsidian-edged, metal-deep hardness occupied its place. Driven by singular purpose. I do not know what it was, but I do know that it should not be trusted. It is too... dangerous." His words were soft, but deceptively clear. Qin smiled satisfactorily, again just out of the corner of his eyes. "I've heard tale of states like these. Jorvik, in particular, have mention of warriors imbibing drink and fungi to enter into a raging state of unmatched fury. But never to the extent or polarity that I entered. It unnerved me, made me reel once I recovered in the snow."

"You may tell the others, I have no qualms about sharing this knowledge." His shoulders relaxed, arms spreading against the basalt rim of the hotspring. "A man of action as ever," He allowed Qin's jabbing words to hem him to this course. He suspects that it would've been inevitable anyway, if he enters such a state during the waking world, surely they, at least Kaida of all people, would notice the change in his soul. Better to dispel awkward, unnecessary questions now, rather than deal with them at a later point. He wondered if this oblivion of the shadows could be stemmed at all. Although as always, the gladiator brimmed with that annoying brand of hopeful optimism of his. "Quite a predicament, wouldn't you agree?" He smiled. Through it all, through the prospect of losing that which gives life to him, which identifies him, becoming naught but an automaton, he smiled softly.

Interactions: Nano (Enthy), Beann (Kaida)
Mentions:

 

[Nano]

Enthyskana Rhoda

Interactions: Tiberius ( Worthlessplebian ) | Kaida ( Beann )

Mentions: --

Walpurga the hero and the vampire Parzival’s connection to the night of a witch hunt. It wasn’t difficult to combine Tiberius’s account and Kaida’s empathy with the vague murmurings Veritas graced her with to get a general idea of the bitter memories they’d witnessed. Nothing could absolve Parzival of the grave sins against his own kin, yet it was difficult to say with certainty that Enthy herself wouldn’t have followed suit in his descent into insanity had she been in his shoes.

When Tiberius opened up about his personal experience within the chilling memory of Parzival the Lost, Enthy stopped blowing bubbles into the water and popped her head back above the surface. A quick shake dislodged the droplets hanging onto her hair, and she wiped the water dripping off her chin with the back of her wrist. She looked down pensively at her reflection upon the water’s surface, quietly wondering if this face of hers would one day be twisted by walking too deep into the wrong path in her pursuit of justice. Her only solace was that she had faith that though Veritas was willing to allow her to stumble, he would never allow her to forsake the oath she’d taken during their first encounter. And she was sure that Qin would do the same.

“It’s not often that you speak of your troubles,”

Enthy said while turning towards the gladiator,

“Lord Veritas has warned me many times that I must never settle into the apathy that follows the numbness of witnessing the same tragedies over and over. I can’t say it’s the same as what you’ve experienced, but I’m sure Lady Qin prefers you as a person over a soulless weapon. If anything goes awry, I’m sure she or the others will knock some sense into you just as you might do.”

Though the young dragon spoke with an unusual confidence and levity in her words, perhaps in an attempt to lift the mood, she scratched her cheek awkwardly.

“That is…um. I’ll make sure to apologize afterwards.”

However, her expression was quick to turn solemn once again.

“I just…as much as I disagree with Parzival and Walpurga, it’s hard not to imagine that perhaps it’s the build up of incidents such as this and a lack of support from those around them that caused their flawed ideologies to develop in the way they did, as cliché as that sounds.”

“Justice comes in many forms, and it’s true that the goddess Astraea’s purge could have prevented the second coming of the Crimson King. She was simply nipping the problem in the bud,”

Enthy finally said, even if she knew most would likely be horrified at her words.

“However, where there’s a will, there’s a way. Someone would have eventually found another way to do what Tiryan’s doing. Most importantly, it’s too harsh of a punishment to have the majority of the world pay for a hypothetical stemming from the sins of the few. Is it worth living in such a world? I just don’t understand how Astraea and her hero didn’t see that…”

However, before Enthy could continue that train of thought, the chittering of the monkeys sharing the hot springs with them suddenly grew louder. A few swam closer and sniffed around the heroes sitting in the water, and one was even bold enough to climb up Tiberius as if he were a tree. The small simian patted the gladiator’s face with its wrinkled hand, then it moved its attention to the blonde locks adorning the crown of his head. As if searching for fleas, it sifted through each hair, scrutinizing his scalp carefully. After roughly a minute of sitting atop his shoulders, the monkey made a chattering noise akin to a “tsk” and hopped back into the water with a splash.

Strangely enough, the monkeys had converged back into a group huddle, “speaking” among themselves while one of them held up the empty shell of a chestnut for all to see. Then, they all simultaneously turned their heads back towards the heroes, causing the hairs on the back of Enthy’s neck to rise. That…couldn’t be anything good.

The monkeys broke away from their circle, swam right past Enthy (much to her confusion), and proceeded to mob Tiberius and Kaida. The same monkey that had initially lifted up the chestnut shell shook it angrily in front of the fox spirit, while many monkeys at the forefront of the gang smiled up at the two, teeth and all. However, though they looked friendly enough, she could vaguely recall that when a primate “grinned” and showed its teeth, it could only be a sign of aggression.

If they didn’t appease the monkeys quickly, it was clear that they would make good on their threats. Were the snacks she’d given them not enough? But she didn’t have any more on hand!

Amidst her panic, the young dragon missed a faint blue glint that flashed for a split second from within the leaves of a nearby conifer. The creature sitting atop the branch took off to the skies silently, returning from whence it came, only leaving behind a singular buff feather which slowly floated down onto the snow below.

 

[LazyDaze]

AAXIR THE RED

Interactions: Kibaa Bloody_Death
Mentions: Nessi
Aaxir grumbled under his breath while folding his arms in protest. As Kai continued to throw out various verbal barbs laced with actual useful advice, Aaxir's intrusive thoughts took him to a world in which Kai's head rolled off his shoulders mid sentence. He shook his head to bring him back to reality when Kai mentioned he was actually on his way to spar with Aaxir, though his tone said otherwise. At the very least this would be between just the two of them and that alone helped ease his tension; nevertheless, he was still unable to find a gift. Moreover, Kai seemed to dissapprove of any and every idea Aaxir conjured up. No fighting, no weapons, no onions? ONIONS? What else was he not supposed to get? "Grymfjsf, of course you wouldn't understand," Aaxir grumbled after the onion was taken from him. Aaxir didn't respect many people, but he had gained a bit of respect for Eleanor as a warrior. When he found out all of her tenacity, strength, and drive was seemingly an extension of her devotion to Arlux he felt betrayed. Aaxir was helping her in the only way he knew how, and that was honesty. Though now he could see it was a bit cruel, even for him, he had only wanted to make sure she didn't become an Arlux puppet forever in shambles but someone with her own will. Though she never asked for the burden of his respect he selfishly felt slighted that she could not live up to his expectations. Though now he could see he was not even living up to those himself.

As frustrating as it was, he had to admit that Kai was right. Maybe he wasn't exactly the best at these things; however, Kai still seemed adamant that Aaxir choose the gift for whatever reason. It all seemed paradoxical and overly complicated when clearly Kai knew how this whole apology thing worked. Besides, it wasn't a matter of not knowing what to get, it was that he couldn't know. He spent most of his time training and distancing himself from the party save for a select few. Most people only knew him as the dragon who got his ass kicked by Arlux every other day. The only things he knew about Eleanor was that she was brave, foul mouthed and reckless, but he had no idea what kind of gift she would want...things she would like. Other than training, she would probably find the whole ordeal annoying. "Somehow, I doubt she would accept my apology," Aaxir said with a shrug of the shoulders this time now magically having garlic in his hands despite the fact that they moved to a bakery. The more Aaxir thought about these things, the more frustrated he became. Why was he doing all this anyway? He was all but ready to blast the bakery into smithereens before eventually releasing his tension in a sigh. Blowing up all of the vendors wouldn't solve the problem, and Kai would like haunt him from the spirit realm pestering him about this damn apology the rest of his life. Just why did Aaxir ever decided to slip up in front of this guy. "In any case, you seem to be ver adept in the art of apology. Just how many people have you pissed off in your lifetime," Aaxir asked with a sinister smile. As fate would have it, that question would be answered admittedly.

"Is that...Khatiy?" Aaxir said with a raised eyebrow after catching her silhoutte from the corner of his eye. Didn't she hate the cold or something? Aaxir's eyes slid over to Kai's direction, wondering if he recruited her on this mission to force Aaxir to apologize. It would make sense that he would get someone else to do the heavy lifting just in case Aaxir went rogue, but the more Aaxir studied her appearance and mannerisms, the more he came to the realization that she wasn't on a shopping trip. Moreover, he fought in enough battles to notice killing intent and hers was leaking throughout the entire city. H Aaxir's entire demeanor changed. Whoever this person in front of them was, it wasn't Khatiy. It was as if he was looking at an incarnation of a mindless beast with the sole intention of devouring it's prey itself and for some reason her prey seemed to be Kai. He wondered if Kai himself noticed. She yelled many things in a language Aaxir didn't understand. She appeared distraught, and even hurt?

"Kai," Aaxir said calmly while slowly moving forward as if not to alert the dangerous animal, but it was too late. The Beast lurched forward with what was clearly lethal intent and Aaxir moved all the same reinforcing his scaled arms to match the power of hers in order to take the brunt of the attack while moving Kai behind him with the other hand. "Damn it, watch out!"

He prepared to take on her curse then push her back. Reasoning with a wild animal was not an option and Aaxir was not so soft as to not consider severely incapacitating her, especially with Kai nearby to undo whatever damage was done. Moreover, he wouldn't be able to stop her if he didn't approach the battle as such, but to his surprise a spray of blood scattered before his eyes; it was not his own. Aaxir's heart raced as he snapped his head back toward Kai, but once he was sure that Kai had not suffered a fatal blow, he turned back to see that Khatiy was now bound to the earth, struggling in vain. Aaxir remained silent unsure of what exactly what was taking place. At this point he let his instincts take over, ready to react to anything that could come their way.

"Would you look at that, the almighty Bastet finally makes an appearance. Having a falling out with Khatiy?" Tutu Pele said as if sensing that Aaxir was no longer concerned with questioning that which was around him, temporarily acting as his voice. This information did well to calm him once he realized they were dealing with Khatiy's patron deity. As the scene before them unfolded, Aaxir's anxiousness, turned to relief, confusion...then anger. He helplessly watched as Khatiy was violently restrained, dismembered and treated like a piece of meat while on the cutting board. Like a slave to the gods. Then they ripped open her gown, exposing her back. What happened next explained how most of those marking got there as her screams echoed throughout the market. Aaxir snapped. He couldn't call her a friend, but Aaxir refused to let the gods do as they please. Aaxir's mana's spiked as he prepared an attack...aimed at Bastet...everyone who was his enemy. Get off of her was the only thing he thought for he was too angry to speak or give reason to his assault. Considering only Khatiy, Kai and any bystanders as his ally, his dragon flames would incinerate all...just as they did to her arm. As futile as the act would be, Aaxir could no longer control himself. Suddenly, Tutu Pele flashed in front of him, her face unusually stern, but unusually understanding. Aaxir met her eyes as he continued to charge his attack before her eyes gave him the command to cease his attack and that she would take care of it. The two knew each other well enough to speak without words and Aaxir reluctantly quenched his flames.

"......Ahem....It is I the great Tutu Pele, charmed I'm sure, but before you take your leave my dearest Bastet," Tutu began, sensing that Bastet would leave now that the deed had been done. "I have a good idea as to what has transpired and as as a fellow deity....I have to say that I find this entire ordeal abhorrent, embarrassing and wholly mishandled. This is your hero, but should a better solution not be found...we all may need to have a discussion. Do not let this have to become my business for I Tutu Pele will not have my name sullied with a incompetent Pantheon. Again this is your chosen hero, please take some pride in it before your problems spill over and dishonor us all.
Her words cut deeper than blades, and her tone was much different from before. She walked back to her chosen hero, placing a hand on his arm to calm the still seething Aaxir who looked upon the many seals seared into her back. Through gritted teeth he listened to the Sphinx's words. They meant well that much was certain, but so many atrocities were created through good intentions. Nevetheless the Sphinx's words helped sooth the savage nature of Aaxir's rage. "First Walpurga and now this...just what the hell are heroes anyway?" Aaxir said with balled fists.
"And that is precisely why I chose you. I believe you can change the world..." Tutu Pele said before flashing a genuine smile and then she turned towards Kai. ".....Oh...hello Kai, the pleasure is all yours I'm sure...."

With that Tutu Pele dissipated and left the situation for Kai and Aaxir to handle. Aaxir rushed over to Khatiy, taking off his haori to cover her exposed back and likely freezing body. He saw the markigns from afar but they seemingly tripled once he was at her side. It made him wonder just what the other heroes were shouldering. Like Parizival, like Hargred...they too all had something that drove them. The thought had crossed his mind before, but now he really wanted....he wanted to know them. "I'll never bow to them Khatiy...you don't belong to them, to anyone." While at her side he did his best to generate a moderate amount of heat, slowly melting the snow while awaiting for Kai to treat her. "......Kai....you might need my help with your apology," Aaxir whispered

 

[Bloody_Death]

KAI NAKAYAMA

Kai gave an exasperated sigh at the Dragon when he mumbled at him. What was there to understand? An onion was a terrible gift. It was as simple as that! Even if you liked onions, why would you want one gifted to yourself? Was this some sort of culture among dragons that he didn't understand? But in what sense would a ball of onion be something that anyone would want? "I'm sure Eleanor isn't that stubborn. Plus, you won't know unless you try. The sooner you say sorry the more likely she'll accept it! Don't worry. If you get rejected I'll buy you a nice onion to make you feel better-" Wait. He glanced at the dragon's hand. Just now noticing the garlic he was no holding. "Why do you have a- no. No, nevermind." He shook his head. Shooting the dragon a displeased look when he accused him of pissing people off! He makes an effort to not make enemies with people first and foremost! He opened his mouth to talk back, only to pause as he noticed Khatiy as well. Looking...a lot worse for wear than he remembers.

"Khatiy...? What are you wearing!? You're going to get sick. Are you okay-" He blinked. Taken aback by the question and the tone before frowning. The look and the air that surrounded the lioness was one that he'd never seen her wear. Unlike the direct threats Aaxir made to him, right now it really felt like Khatiy was here to kill him. Was the issue with Hargred really so important to her? He knew she didn't like the idea of keeping him alive...but he wouldn't be able to hurt them or others so why is she so upset? "Khatiy, bado ni mtoto. Anaweza kujifunza kuwa bora zaidi. (Khatiy, he is still a child. He can learn to be better.)" He spoke back, despite the uneasiness and fear creeping up on him, he would hold his ground. Genuinely believing in protecting him and giving him a chance to live properly. However...trying to argue back with someone so feral would prove to not be the best choice of action. Everything next happened so fast. He could tell he was about to be attacked. Already reaching for his fan so he could at least try to defend himself, but he did not expect her arm to suddenly turn into that of a beast! So, much for trying to shield against that! Suddenly he was moved behind Aaxir before seeing blood splatter onto the ground.

"Aaxir!?" He exclaimed. Assuming the blood being spilled was his! But the way the dragon's head snapped back towards him in such a panic, it didn't seem like he was the one who got hurt. He looked around the man only for eyes to widen at what was happening in front of him.

"Woah! Kai what's wrong why are you so stressed...oh. Oh. Yikes." Even Wanga seemed surprised at the display that was happening right now. The brutal treatment from Bastet towards her own hero. It was clear there was a reason for this, but was this really the only solution they were able to come up with? The many seals littered all over Khatiy's body. And if they were all the same type of seal that was currently being put on her...how is she able to use her mana properly? Do they forcefully shut her mana circuits every time something like this happens? The screams of agony from his fellow party member were really painful to hear. He chewed at the inside of his cheek. Not even noticing how Aaxir was getting ready to lash out and attack the goddess. It was only when another patron god made her appearance. Finally able to tear his eyes away from the scene in front of him. And to his surprise, she wasn't the only one. Wanga would soon appear as well. Wearing a smile that wasn't as joyful as his usually carefree look. One that looked more sorrowful. Before Kai could question what he was even doing here, he got a little jab to the forehead before getting an okay sign from the god. For once, he seemed like he was being reliable.

Wanga gave a small chuckle at Pele's arrogance. Crossing his arms as he looked between the two goddesses. "I'm going to have to agree with Pele. It's clear you can't fix this problem by yourself. What good is a temporary fix that only ends up causing her to suffer more? Not to mention those poor mana circuits. If you can't ask the other gods for help regarding this, whether that be because of pride or something else equally stupid, do you really care about your hero? I know a lot of them are far too stubborn for their own good, but most are not completely unreasonable. But regardless. If you were to ask me, you're the only one who has failed. For letting this go on for as long as it has, Bastet." His words might not have been nearly as harsh or direct, but they showed his disapproval. And an odd sense of seriousness that should be illegal for the lazy god to show. He waved the goddess off as she blinked away without even saying another word. He soon returned to Kai's side. Leaning against the healer before flashing him a grin. "I was pretty cool, right?" He asked, that momentary seriousness completely gone in a matter of seconds.

Kai gave a sigh. He did feel a bit more relaxed. He wasn't seething with anger like Aaxir. But it was clear to see he was not only unsettled but also disturbed at such a scene. "You were cool. But then you had to ruin it." Was all he said as he was addressed by one of the sphinxes. Instantly stiffening up as he was spoken to. "Ah- It's alright! It was clear she wasn't herself. It's true, that we disagree on some things right now and she may be upset at me. But this wasn't her who tried to hurt me." He spoke with a small frantic ramble.

"If it makes you feel any better, I forgive her too." Wanga added on to try and lighten the mood a bit. But that earned him a small jab to the side from Kai. Which means it worked! "Nice seeing you too Pele." He managed to get out before she left as well.

"Nice to meet you..." It was a bit too late, as Pele was gone but the sentiment was there!

"Well! I won't bother you two anymore. I'm heading back to..." He glanced at Khatiy...deciding not to mention Hargred knowing that it was part of the cause for this whole situation. "Let's just say I have a responsibility waiting for me! Mister Red, do come to the garden and bring Pele with you. I'd love for all of us to have a nice tea party. All it's going to cost you is one snack~" He smiled, giving Kai an encouraging pat on the head before smacking the dragon's arm. "See you both later." And with that, it was his turn to finally blink away from the scene. Back to the garden to babysit Hargred!

With everything left in their hands, he was quick to rush over to Khatiy. Right behind Aaxir. With the dragon draping something over her to make sure she wouldn't be freezing to death, he began his work. Focusing on stopping the bleeding before she lost a life-threatening amount of blood. Once he was able to stop the bleeding he quickly sealed up any other open wounds before focusing on forming a new arm to replace the one she no longer had. Watching as the streams of water surrounded her arm. And it was like her arm was slowly beginning to regrow right in front of their eyes. "I don't like what she did either, Khatiy." He spoke before offering her a small smile. "It's okay. When I'm done, you'll be as good as new." He said softly. Trying to interject some optimism. Gently wiping away some of the tears with his sleeve. With how cold it was, even with Aaxir being their personal heater, he feared those tears would freeze on her face. However, that gentleness vanished instantly when Aaxir spoke to him and offered help. Letting out a scoff.

"Yeah. If I want to embaress myself. Are you going to suggest I gift her a basket of onions? Or garlic?" He whispered back while shaking his head. "Mmm, but thank you Aaxir. Even if Khatiy was stopped before anything happened I do appreciate how you stepped in to protect me. When you do manage to reach godhood, I think you'll be a pretty cool god. You might have to relax on the arrogance a bit though." It was quite embarrassing to have to be protected like that. But he was grateful. If both Aaxir and Bastet weren't there...well he doesn't know what would happen. He'd probably be shredded to pieces. He did not want to think about that. But he was still a bit bothered by it. His eyes soon glanced down when he realized he was finally done healing. Khatiy now had a brand new arm! The only proof that she even lost an arm was the copious amounts of blood that was colouring the snow. "Alright...that was all of the wounds. But it probably isn't enough..." He couldn't do anything about mana circuits. "That seal Bastet put on her was a mana inhibitor. And assuming a lot of her other seals do similar things...it's really damaging to have your mana circuits tampered with like that..." He was talking more to himself than to Aaxir. There really wasn't much more he could do to help. He gave a groan before standing up. If there was one person he could think of who might be able to help, it was Nel. She should be able to see circuits right?

"We'll have to postpone the rest of this shopping trip. Let's head back to King Ragnir's." He spoke. Slowly standing up and looking at the dragon expectantly. He...most likely would not be able to carry Khatiy all the way back. And he didn't want Khatiy to try and walk even if she was healed. "Since you're so strong and cool! You should totally carry Khatiy back to the manor! We can keep talking about gift ideas while we walk too." Even if this was a bit hiccup in his plans, there was still much they could accomplish! In terms of preparing Aaxir for his apology to Eleanor.

---

Interactions: LazyDaze (Aaxir) || Kibaa (Khatiy)

Mentions: Nessi (Eleanor)

 

[DSLIX]

Chrome Van Der Linde

Interactions: Kibaa Bloody_Death LazyDaze OldTurtle

Before Chrome could allow the other's to react to his sudden arrival the scent of blood fills his nostrils. He didn't worry to much at first expecting someone to just have either gotten hurt or cut from training, but when he really pays attention to the scent of the blood his body shivers with a sudden coldness enveloping him. He looks to everyone at the field with a casual smile despite his worried state and says simply "Hold that thought actually." Chrome then immediately sprouts his wings and blasts off into the air rushing straight to the center of the scent of blood whispering to himself "What the hell is happening Khatiy?" As Chrome approaches he hears the feline growls of an enraged Khatiy and lands on an nearby roof to spot a disappointed Bastet standing over Khatiy, while burning a symbol into her back while she flails in pain restrained by Sphinxes that did little to keep her comfortable. Chrome was honestly enraged at the sight but didn't question it as Aaxir and Kai stood by idly until he see's Aaxir's mana slowly start to build and radiate off him aggressively which had Chrome charging up himself readying to fire a nice hot orb of blood straight through Bastet's pretty feline skull. Though as he parts his mouth to finish the incantation to his surprise Tutu Pele appears in front of Aaxir and has an expression that seems to calm down Aaxir before the goddess starts her speech. He smirks and slowly talks the more Tutu speaks finding a newfound respect for the goddess he didn't know he could have. She boldly scolded and insulted Bastet's way of handling Khatiy and this makes the wicked smirk on Chrome's face grow. Nonetheless, He couldn't help but curse seeing Khatiy in this state as unlike her fiery and vigor-filled attitude she seemed merely like a helpless girl now and his love and respect for her screamed at him to help her. Though luckily once Bastet and her posse left Aaxir and Kai quickly stepped in to treat her which Chrome smiled and was ready to return to the training halls until he heard Kai mention taking Khatiy to Nel for her mana circuits which if he remembers correctly the pink ray of sunshine was actually at the training hall. Chrome used his wings to quickly swoop in next to Aaxir with a sudden gust of wind while quickly saying "Pardon me" before he uses his large wings to cover him and Khatiy while providing the warmth of his wings on Khatiy's covered but weak body as when he sees Aaxir's haori around her and he smiles while taking it off and replacing it with his thick black coat that covers her like a blanket. He then lifts her up gently into his arms while gazing down with a saddened expression at her state saying to her in a soft tone that most didn't even know Chrome could muster "I'm sorry for the wait little Lioness, but rest easy good ol Chrome will keep you safe now." He wipes some of the tear marks and blood off her face before emerging from the cover of his wings with a slight smile as he looks at Aaxir and Kai "Good work guys but I happen to know where the pink ray of sunshine is so I'll take her from here." He approaches Aaxir before dropping Aaxir's haori over his shoulder to return it saying with a stern tone "Tutu reason for choosing you is the same reason I believe in you as well Aaxir so never forget that sense of righteousness because you'll always have an ally in me with it.."

Then nods his head towards the two before holding Khatiy tight against himself and cradling her head into his chest before saying to everyone around to see the incident "I APOLOGIZE FOR MY ALLY FOR CAUSING SUCH A SCENE. FEEL FREE TO CONTINUE ON NOW AS THE SITUATION IS HANDLED." Chromes voice echoes throughout the market place with a deep but friendly tone. He then looks down to Khatiy one more time before saying "If you can hear me, hold on tight little Lioness." Chrome spreads his long bat-like wings before launching off into the air with a sudden flap of his that creates a strong gust of wind. Chrome wastes little to no time flying to the training field where Nel and Fel we're zipping through the a bat out of hell while keeping Khatiy as snuggled and warm as he could. He then arrives after maybe a little over a minute as he drops in suddenly between Nel and Fel standing off in the middle of the field Khatiy still tightly clutched against him saying loudly so both of them can here "Hate to interrupt so suddenly but Nel we actually need your help right now." He walks over to Nel and crouches down in front of the small woman presenting Khatiy and her scarred back saying "Her mana circuits we need to see the state their in as they seem to be sealing points off to prevent her from becoming possessed by The Lion Monarch but seeing how many times this hasn't worked I'm surprised her mana hasn't deviated yet." He explained the situation to Nel as best as he could ready to assist if he can.

 

[Dawnsx]

Nelumba

Interactions: OldTurtle DSLIX Kibaa

Fel’s praise and feedback were utterly clinical. Nevertheless, there was another big bubble forming in Nel’s chest – a bubble she called joy! Felly could be a bit of a prickly porcupine sometimes, but he sure was a smart porcupine! Plus, he acknowledged that her new trick could be useful!

Take that, Shiva!

Nel met Fel’s stern expression with a big grin, and the happy bubble in her chest exploded into a billion smaller excited bubbles when he proposed to spar.

"I have little desire to waste away my day here, but I will if I must. Do not disappoint me, Nelumba."

”Sir, yes, sir!” she said, bringing her hand to her forehead in a sloppy salute. ”And c’mon, you can just call me Nel! Or Nelly! That way we maaatch!”

This musta been the thousandth time that Nel had asked Felly to refer to her by her nickname, but this silly old man just wouldn’t budge! She won’t give up though! Even if he refused now, maybe he would say yes on the next try!

Without further ado, Nel got to work with making her new bubble. She repeated the now-familiar process of forming her death trap into a cute, rotund shape, all the while infusing it with her mana. Good thing she was faster with it now! Gotta add some extra ice-quills onto porcu-Fel before he blasted her to kingdom come!

She tossed her bubble forward. This time, it flew through the air more quickly, but halfway before it reached Fel, the bubble quite literally bent out of shape before bursting uselessly into frost.

”Aw, shitzles!” Nel cried out. Controlling the bubble’s speed while maintaining its integrity was harder than she thought! She fumbled to create a new one before Fel could roast her booty – or worse, yell at her – when a tall, dark figure abruptly descended between them. She squeaked and bounced back, her half-formed bubble popping in her hands. ”Oh, hi Chromie! And… wuh-oh!”

Nel covered her mouth with both hands when she inspected Khatiy more closely. She looked awful! And not just ‘cause she was all scarred and her gown was messed up! Just from brief glances in the past, she'd always thought that Khatiy’s mana circuits looked pretty wonky, but she hadn’t realized how bad they were getting! It was like… like a horribly rusted network of sewage pipes! They were completely blocked by gunk in some places, and darn close to breaking down in others. If Khatiy tried to use magic like this, would her circuits burst like clogged pipes? Her body would get flooded by yucky mana!

”Aww, Khatiy, you must be hurting lots!” Nel cooed sadly, stroking down Khatiy’s flyaway hair. Thankfully, no need for drastic measures just yet! Locating the worst of the damage in Khatiy’s mana circuits, Nel laid a gentle hand upon her body. Fixing mana circuits was usually an easy peasy piece of walk in the cake, but she’d never seen damage as bad as this! She pouted up at Fel with her best puppy-dog eyes. ”Sorry Felly, this is gonna take some time! But you’ll still help me out with my new move later, right? Pleaaase?”