Vault Hunters (Finished~)

[Katsuya]

- Isa Bianchi -​

“Yes, my name’s Isa.” He grinned before staring back at the fire. A gleam of melancholy and acceptance shone in his eyes as he answered Mrs. Kettlewhistle’s questions. “I’ve lost two people when I was a child and searched for years . . . But I’ve found them again here.”

He thought of his mother and Manuel. For once, he didn’t feel anger or sadness. Hate nor emptiness. He felt peace in his silent grief.

” . . . They are in the Southern lights now.” Isa mumbled quietly as the fires crackled, watching the spirits fade away with Yaxkin being the last to go. Leading them to the Southern lights, no doubt. He sighed, listening to Mrs. Kettlewhistle crying as the two orbs went off with the others. A sense of relief washed over Isa, relieved that he could give this bubbly tough woman closure, along with the others in Barad Eithel.

Speaking of which, they started to crowd around him and the purrsian mother. He peeked over his shoulder to see what the Templars are up to. No doubt, they would have heard the change within the mourners, especially now that they somewhat stopped crying and asking questions. He sighed again, already knowing that the Templars are going to figure out why, and faced the crowd. Not standing up yet from his spot as he grinned lightheartedly. ” . . . “ He pondered.

People here know his name already, thanks to the bounty posters. “My name is Isa and I’m an acolyte under Ancient Loki’s veils. No, I can’t revive the dead. It’s against my morals and my oath to Ancient Loki to keep the balance between life and death.” He heard a small child’s voice and his grin softened. Spotting the little purrsian girl.

“Yur brothers went with the other spirits, in peace. In my town, we believe that the spirits live in the Southern lights. Letting us know that they are watching over us and guide us when we need help. I’m sure yur brothers are in this land’s version of the Southern lights and are watching over ya right now.” He said warmly, showing her a tiny version of what the Southern lights look like within the palm of his hand before he took a deep breath. Gently blowing the illusion away and looked at another citizen of Barad Eithel.

”Yes. We came to help.” Isa answered. “Now I must go help a friend and figure out how to stop the manna spilling from the tree.” He looked at Mrs. Kettlewhistle before staring at the crowd. “Please do not mention to the Templars that I was here. I rather they not track me while I search.” He asked politely, standing up to respectfully bowed his head, silently pleading to everyone.

”Please.”

Zer0

 

[Zer0]

- West of Barad Eithel -​

"Of course, I'll protect you. Thank you, that was . . . I needed that, Mr. Bianchi." and Kettlewhistle bowed at him. A couple of folks from the crowd also reassured him that they won't tell, but that he's got to go now because he was drawing a lot of attention. "Thank you for blessing our dead." Many of them said. A wave of thankful murmurs rose from the crowd, nodding and bowing at Isa, and the small kids smiled at the younger ones who were crying, saying that their parents are still here watching over them.

There didn't seem to be any Templars around yet, at least not the lighter skinned ones that had been guarding the dome when their minds were not their own. Isa had noticed that most of them were around the larger camp east of the shattered dome where the healers tents were. There had been recovered corpses there too, a few covered in bracken and fungi, though they were not laid on funeral pyres and were lying covered by their cloaks on the sand, all bearing the emblem of a silver tree.

As Isa left, he saw Moss on Okami in the distance with Pluplu behind them, bounding towards where they had talked about where Vidya, Magni, and her mother were camped. They had some books and clay jars strapped to their sides. After they spent time together, Moss told Isa that he was going to get water and food for them in Vidya's camp, and also share some books so that they can get her and her mother's help figuring out how to stop the well.

Katsuya

 

[Sisyphus Happy]

Health: Healthy
| Toughness: Background Ability (10) + Armor (1) [11] | Spell Power: Background Ability (14) + Knowledge (4) + Equipment (1) [19] |Manna: Background Ability (4) + Knowledge (4) [8/8]
Condition: 1 | Roleplay Points: 1

Χάρων ​

Charon sighed heavily out of relief when he didn't find the bottom half of the coyote fused to this pile of rubble by transmuted flesh or the like. Gently, he cupped Nava's face and touched his forehead to hers. In spite of the overwhelming need to comfort her, cute doggo, he did not think this was the place or time and pulled back after a moment, pointing toward the door. He looked her in the eyes for a few moments to make sure she was paying attention to him and said, "gooooo," while reaching down to try to extract the bodies from under the coyote and pick them up. The wind held his wild hair to his head and rustled his clothes constantly. It quickly became chafing and uncomfortable, but he had to try to begin delivering these corpses, at least of Shaara and these two. Shaara for his own peace of mind and these two for that of Nava. After he uttered his request, he gently pushed on her side to give her a physical indication to start moving.

Briefly he considered the idea of taking her with him, permanently, but there must be, he reasoned, some coyote tender with whom she is better acquainted. The idea of trying to take care of a giant coyote on his boat seemed all bad to him. The food, refuse, eventuality of death after a long period of attachment. Plus, he had every intention of staying around to study this manna phenomenon and feared the effects it would have on any sentient creature staying around it for too long. In his case, he did not feel any sort of trepidation. What would the whirlwind do, mutate him? After a second of manually pulling at roots, he searched for any kind of sharp implement to aid his surgery. He was too distracted by his charnel duties to actually study what exactly the nature of all of this nature was, even if it intrigued him.

 

[Katsuya]

- Isa Bianchi -​

“Of course.“ He quietly reassured Mrs. Kettlewhistle.

With a grateful smile from hearing the crowd’s reaction, Isa nodded and walked off. Peeking over his shoulder to make sure none of the Templars are following him. He knew that they were mind controlled just like the Drows, however he still doesn’t trust them. So the redhead had decided to stay quiet and be more mindful of his actions. Especially since he noticed that the paler Templars were at the east, in the larger tent close to the healers. Then he looked towards the makeshift tent where he saw Moss on Okami, Pluplu following behind them as they headed to Vidya’s tent.

He remembers the plan to solve the well, believing the answer might be within those books. He wondered if he should go to the dome now, letting everyone in his group know that they could let him know if they find anything while he tried to stop the manna from spreading more. Considering he was grabbing attention and wanting to avoid giving said attention to Moss, Isa headed towards the dome. Pulling the thin dark hood over his head to block the sun’s rays, checking one more time if he brought his staff and bag underneath his ragged dark cloak.

”Love~” Isa mumbled, sending a message as he followed a group of Barad Eithel citizens that’s searching for bodies or survivors. “I’m going to the dome to where the well is. If ya guys find anything, let me know if ya find ‘em.“

Zer0

 

[Zer0]

- Shattered Golden Dome -​

"I will, luprisca!" said Moss' giddy voice. "I'll have a nice big brunch ready for you soon too~ Do you want me to give it to you in the dome?"

* * * *​

Inside the dome, Nava licked the side of Charon's face, sniffing him, tail wagging, as he touched his forehead to hers. She rolled over showing her belly and pawed at him.

She looked at the door, looked at him absentmindedly, then licked his hands as he began pulling the corpses. She immediately got off, wagging her tail and licking the lichen covered skulls of the fallen Purrsians. They weren't rooted to the stone and were pulled off easily. Nava circled around Charon restlessly, then stood still with the saddle next to him and crouched.

The boughs of the white tree began to rustle a little louder. The wind slightly picked up. And then little white tendrils of light began seeping out of the white roots and branches growing out of the rubble, like strings drawn up to the sky.

Outside, Isa would see people point up and exclaim at the clear blue sky. Faintly, a rainbow halo, glowing white at the edge like misty stringy clouds was slowly forming, stretching wider and wider.

Upon entering the engine blade chamber, he'd find that there was a white tree there, the base of its trunk forming and unforming, revealing the well of magic inside. And all around, about sixty feet from the well, just outside the radius of the flying swirling leaves, white strings of magic were floating up towards the sky.

There was only one other person inside. Charon in new pants and tunic, pulling at bracken covered corpses next to a giant coyote.

Katsuya Sisyphus Happy

 

[Sisyphus Happy]

Health: Healthy
| Toughness: Background Ability (10) + Armor (1) [11] | Spell Power: Background Ability (14) + Knowledge (4) + Equipment (1) [19] |Manna: Background Ability (4) + Knowledge (4) [8/8]
Condition: 1 | Roleplay Points: 1

Χάρων ​

Charon tossed a terrified expression toward the intensifying magical effect which caused him to gently pull away from Nava's affection. Uncertainty and the overwhelming need for caution gripped him, stifling the affectionate emotions rising in response to the winsome creature. When the wind intensified and began pushing on him, he gasped and quickly scooped up one body in one arm and one body in the other, hoping they were going to keep it together in response to the sudden jostling. As far as he knew, dead bodies were not so necessary for the soul's continuation of the journey. Gingerly, he stood straight up and sidled over to the crouching coyote. This time, his stiff anatomy could suffer stepping up and over the creature without the presence of a swathe of restricting cloth. It felt nice, the intrusive thought interrupted, to be able to lift one's leg sometimes. Especially in the presence of an imminent danger. The belligerent movement of his collar while it slapped his neck provided yet another of a number of mounting sensations to distract his mind, unused to the feeling of loose clothing. Shakily, he sat down onto the coyote and hugged the creature's torso with his legs. After a moment of horror caused by the realization that he is using both hands, a contingency took place which appeared to be him leaning down toward the saddle and biting down on a leather-wrapped peg which seemed to serve as a handle.

With that, he gently tapped on the hind of the ribs of the coyote to indicate his reluctant readiness, two corpses whose weights have been quite reduced by the wonders of corpse-eating plants tucked under his arms. It was only then, his sharp teeth digging into a leather-wrapped wooden peg, that he noticed the form of Isa. Of course, it probably turned into a vibrating blur. Between Nava's probable takeoff and the admission of even more debris into the air, his current situation did not allow for the kind greeting he wished to give. It did not even allow him to properly express the soothing cool feeling of relief which spread through his chest. Two heads are usually about twice better than one, after all.

 

[Katsuya]

- Isa Bianchi -​

As he separated from the search group, Isa walked closer to the dome. Then he heard a mumbling amount the search group, sounding as if they were confused or concerned or both. So he looked up and raised an eyebrow. A Glory, the phenomenon that happens when there are tiny ice crystals inside the cirrus clouds, reflecting back the sun’s rays, creating the rainbow circle around the sun . . . He may not know much about it, but he is aware that a glory can happen when there’s moisture in the air but they were in the desert and it hasn’t rained-

Moss’ giddy voice broke his thoughts. Isa smiled, pointy ears turning a soft pink. His eyes stayed wearily on the halo as he walked closer to the ruined dome. “That sounds lovely~“ He thought about it and hummed quietly. “If it’s possible for ya, Love. I think something weird is happening again, based on that Rainbow circle thingy in the sky. So be careful.”

As he entered the engine blade chamber, the redhead looked away from the sky and looked inside-

“Charon?” Isa questioned, standing by the entrance, confused as to why he was inside here. Then he saw the corpses near the coyote, realizing that perhaps the boatman wanted to help the search party. His eyes moved to the well, where the tree is growing from. He saw the strands of magic flowing, gracefully dancing around as they went up into the sky. Is . . . Is the tree giving manna in the sky?!

”That explains the rainbow outside . . .” Isa mumbled, seemingly casual and calm in his approach as he walked inside. Pocketing his hands inside his pants, his dark cloak billowing from the strange winds. He made sure he didn’t accidentally step on the edge of the sudden flourish of moss, grass, and mushrooms as he neared the boatman. He noticed how frightened Charon seemed for obvious reasons and the redhead decided to ask. Wanting to know in case he was wrong.

”Charon, what are ya doin’ here?” He asked curiously as he kept an eye on the well and the manna strings. Trying to see if any of the bodies within was Kawooa, wanting to see if there was a familiar tuff of golden fur. However, it seemed like the corpses close to the well are covered with plant life. So he looked around the ruined chamber, wondering if there were any clues for Kawooa’s whereabouts left behind.

Zer0 Sisyphus Happy

 

[Zer0]

- Shattered Golden Dome -​

'What weird rainbow thing in the sky? --- oh. Isa, be careful too.' Moss' voice turned serious. 'Whatever you need, you can message me, okay? And come home safe!'

* * * *​

In the dome, the giant coyote bounded pass Isa, and through the broken chamber doors. Just one look around the place and Isa could see that there were no other corpses except for the ones inside the radius of the swirling leaves. Compared to yesterday, this radius seemed to have grown wider by about two feet, and the mound of corpses were almost completely covered by bracken and fungi now. They were adult sized corpses too. There was no sign, as he looked through the rubble, of any bleach-furred child size corpse.

Meanwhile, outside, Nava stopped at the threshold of the dome's main entrance, and then looked at Charon expectantly. Then her ears perked up and she barked at the sky.

There was a halo rainbow in the sky. An odd one, with wispy cloud edges glowing white a little, like the whiteness of the magical threads floating up from the white tree. The halo was stretched, probably five miles across over Barad Eithel.

Suddenly streaks of light cut across the rainbow, the way light glints on metal, slashing across the sky. And wherever they slashed, the shadows of small dots started to fall down like rain, but much bigger.

They were shining. They were water. The size of children's toy balls. And the rescuers beneath the steps were exclaiming and running for cover; Nava backed into the shadow of the dome's main hallway.

The water balls rained, bouncing on the steps and sand, some bursting water cackling with manna when they landed on pointy rubble and sharp branches and metal. In the distance where the pyres were burning, the crowd was moving away, back towards the main camp, some to the nearby sand boats.

The water balls jiggled and rolled, moving across the rubble, sparking when they neared each other and then shlop combined as one. They were attracted to each other, the bigger ones pulling in the smaller ones, forming jelly blobs that got stuck on dips. These jelly balls thudded over the roof.

Splash

Nava backed away, as one burst near her, splashing her paw. Immediately, it greyed, cracked, freezing into stone. And she hobbled, whining, as small plants and fungi started to sprout through her fur.

* * * *​

In the engine blade chamber, rain drops the size of children's toy balls began to rain down the tree, but slowed and slid off before they touched the white canopy, as though some invisible umbrella was covering it.

The balls collected and gathered together, as though magnetized by each other in the dips and crevices of the rubble, some splashing when they landed on pointy metal ruins, and Isa saw the water cackle with magic upon bursting.

The tree was repelling all of this strange rain sixty feet away from it, approximately thirty feet away from the swirling flying leaves, so that a wall of blubbery water, becoming bigger and bigger, as more balls rained down and rolled down the hills of rubble towards the tree, was forming around the edges of its 'invisible umbrella'. It didn't touch Isa since he was in between the flying leaves and what seemed to be the edge of this repelling force.

The tree's leaves were also starting to turn autumn red.

Katsuya Sisyphus Happy

 

[Katsuya]

- Isa Bianchi -​

Grabbing the edge of the hood, Isa pulled it closer to veil his reddening face. Smiling bashfully. “Okay and I will~ Ya stay safe too.” He muttered back, happy at the thought. Coming back to Moss. The sentiment made his heart dance in joy~

“Love ya, mi Tesoro~”

*****

The redhead didn‘t try to stop the coyote as it ran outside with Charon, shrugging his shoulders as he stayed where he was. Just at the edge but not touching it as he wanted to study the place-

His brows raised high as he spotted the water drops sliding off the tree’s leaves- not even on the leaves. It slid off this ‘shield’ on top of the canopy and landed just around the area. The redhead reached slightly behind him and under his cloak, grabbing his staff in case something happened. Watching as some of the orbs popped from a pointy rock or broken metal, a crackling of manna. It‘s becoming more and more dangerous around him (Having the manna filled area on his left and the crackling manna rain on his right) and yet the orbs haven’t touched him since he is within the ‘umbrella‘. Still he summoned Shadow claw from his leather armor, climbing on top of it, and hovered safely.

What weirded him out is the magnetic effect these orbs have with each other. Watching them clump together on their own, even the oozing cackling waters is absorbed into the group. Creating a wall. Isa hummed as he sat down, legs crossed as he continued to watch the odd phenomenon.

He wondered . . . What would happen if he stayed inside this odd area-

Isa paused, blinking owlishly at the new sight. The white tree . . . I-it has red leaves . . .

Curiosity over took him, wondering what on Leor is going on but he promised to stay safe. So he shall wait for the information and watch what will happen; once Moss let’s him know if their findings—if any— then Isa will risk to go closer to the well.

Zer0 Sisyphus Happy

 

[Sisyphus Happy]

Health: Healthy
| Toughness: Background Ability (10) + Armor (1) [11] | Spell Power: Background Ability (14) + Knowledge (4) + Equipment (1) [19] |Manna: Background Ability (4) + Knowledge (4) [8/8]
Condition: 1 | Roleplay Points: 1

Χάρων ​

He found himself in front of the door of the ruined dome. Balls of water rained from the sky. Charon became mesmerized, the sensations filling his mind, power winding through the air thickly. A dizziness came over him like deja-vu induced vertigo, a lapse in concentration while his mind grasped at the odd palpitation of manna filling him and the ruined stones. A ball of water sailed past, giving off the strangest feelings, something uncanny, like seeing the shadow of a familiar figure. Charon's heart leapt into his throat once the water which entranced him burst and set Nava's flesh to verdant stone and he reacted as quickly as he could muster. He dropped a body and reached around to stop her by pressing on her chest while sliding off and pushing with his legs against the rough stone. Gently, he supported her injured side and pulled her back into the building, his tail reaching behind and wrapping around the body in order to drag it along with him as an afterthought. Only when the tangle of limbs, dead and alive, rested for a moment under the roof of stone did he get a sense of what happened, vertigo tipping his senses once more at the sight -- no, the feeling of the paw turned to stone. His shoulders heaved with heavy breath at the exhilaration and exertion. The pitted surface dotted with growth peered back at him, it seemed, he blinked rapidly as a scene thrust itself into his head.

More a feeling than a scene. That feeling which visited him once a long time ago. Red skies and water filled his mind again. A slender boat cast in red light cut the blood-like water of that shoreline somewhere once again and as it passed, its head began to turn toward him. His senses became nothing next to that feeling, and time slowed to a crawl while he saw it and the subject of his gaze simultaneously, not superimposed, just simultaneously. Din of screaming and confusion slowed and faded away, motes of dust slowed and stilled in the air between him and the transmuted flesh. The screaming and splashing was replaced by a faint high pitched whine at the back of his head which began, then grew in volume as time seemed to slow, it became unbearably loud like a boiling kettle inside his skull until the void of a face which from time to time guided his thoughts finished turning toward him and all the sound in the world around him slowed until it stood in the air in a way he would never be able to recount. In the same way, the screeching stopped and the feeling emanating temporarily from that paw stood in the air like sound, and he could see the flesh which was spun like thread into stone, the way that manna coalesced around it. It would be a stretch to say he truly understood the process and how this curse was bestowed. The vacuous face of that boatman turned away from him and a mote of dust began to dance once more before him. Screams slowly returned to him as though he were breaking the surface of water after being submerged. Inspiration came to him as well. He turned emptily toward the nearby workers and stammered out in his restricted tone, "s-staaay... inssside..."

He turned down toward Nava as well and knelt gently, kneading her ears, to mumble "sssstaayyy," authoritatively, making sure she looked him in the eyes before he left with a few more affectionate pats. Rising with a distracted purpose in his eyes, his lips moved silently as though narrating to himself while his eyes roamed restlessly around toward nothing, it was clear he was not looking at his surroundings. Nonetheless, he broke into a run back toward the hall and as soon as he figured he was close enough to be heard in the chamber if he shouted, he screamed, the volume of air trespassing his mutated voice box somehow aiding in the formation of sound when something akin to a reptilian roar echoed down the hallway, "donn't toouch waaaaater!"

After a few moments of running, he would repeat again until he could see for himself that Isa acknowledged him.

 

[Katsuya]

- Isa Bianchi -​

Isa perked up, surprised to hear Charon’s voice from the outside. He was yelling. So he yelled back.

”I WON’T.”

Sisyphus Happy

 

[Zer0]

- Shattered Golden Dome -​

Nava whined when she saw the body drop and hobbled forward jaws outstretched as if to tug on the bracken leg, but relaxed when Charon pulled it, and allowed herself to be pushed, licking her nose nervously, as the two backed away deeper into the safety of the hallway.

There was a shout, and one of the rescuers, a drow was yelling at someone outside while his fellows pulled her back. There had been a handful of folks caught in the rain, and now there were statues blooming with plants and white branches, frozen, mid running up the stone steps. Some were calling for help, showing petrified shoulders, arms, parts of their legs that were turning grey in the pattern of splashes and drips. Wherever the bursted water fell, it was turning their flesh into stone, though it had no effect on their clothes.

The drows who heard him were momentarily taken aback by his appearance, before vigorously nodding. "We definitely will. What is going on here, Lysanthir?" the drow turned to the one with the gash on his face who had warned Charon earlier.

"No doubt it is from that well. It seems it is not safe to stay here and mourn our dead. We have to leave and go back home, rest their bones in Windshear. Not rot in this place as food for plants." said Lysanthir.

Meanwhile, Nava had started licking and carefully picking off lichen from her paw. She looked up at Charon when he spoke and closed her eyes when he petted her. She didn't move from her spot when he left, and instead pulled the two corpses close to her and laid protectively on top of them.

* * * *​

There was a span of about ten minutes before Moss replied. He sounded overly excited. 'I love ya too, Luprisca! And Isa!" He seemed in disbelief. 'James is here! And Vashur! They were in the left room that we didn't check in the library! Vidya says don't go in ---' And the spell lacked enough words to continue.

A beat later. '--- don't go in the right one. Nothing dangerous, just the anthroparions might give you nightmares. Also, we want to know if you are safe from the rain? It's petrifying people!' He sounded too casual, voice too high pitched. As though he was forcing himself to be calm.

Katsuya Sisyphus Happy

 

[Sisyphus Happy]

Health: Healthy
| Toughness: Background Ability (10) + Armor (1) [11] | Spell Power: Background Ability (14) + Knowledge (4) + Equipment (1) [19] |Manna: Background Ability (4) + Knowledge (4) [8/8]
Condition: 1 | Roleplay Points: 1

Χάρων ​

Charon heard Isa's response but didn't slow down. He was in a bouncy stiff and unbalanced run when he entered the chamber. Coming to a halt frantically over the course of a short skid, two short hops and an unsteady wobbling lean, he reached behind his tunic and reached around under the hem for a few moments before producing with some difficulty the head of a wooden oar in his hand. He pulled on it and drew its long form slowly out and tapped the rear of it onto the ground, a dolorous woody thunk echoing through the chamber and the faint sound of distant water lapping against a shoreline. Where usually there would be the faint visual of water, the manna was so dense here that the watery illusion did not even appear.

He allowed a moment of calm before his sense opened up more formally to the feeling of magic about him. During that moment, he commented hollowly, "theeee waaaterrrr.... turnssss people to ssstone... I... it fffeelss ssstrannnge," a haunted look on his face. Luckily for him, the cavernous feeling which opened up in his chest upon realizing that he might understand how to reverse the effects. The feeling cast off of Nava's petrified paw, never mind his feelings, the sensation the magic gave off, with horror he realized that there was a sort of intuitive understanding of the deviation from the norm presented by the effect inspissating in his mind. It was approximately then that the spell completed and he inspected it for some kind of indication of what was going on, with the well and the water.

 

[Zer0]

- Shattered Golden Dome -​

Charon sensed a wild mix of necrotic and transmuting gale within the radius of the swirling leaves, and conjurating wisps from the floating white threads. All around this necrotic and transmuting influence hung in the air like mist, thickest near the well, extending way beyond the dome and out of the broken wall that led to the remains of the courtyard. This mist was creeping ever so slowly down the dome. For now it had travelled halfway it seemed, and beyond its influence the stone rubble and smears of battle were untouched by plants.

Except where the rain turned people into stone. The water was thick with transmutation magic, yet it was a little different in feeling from the mist of the tree. It was much, much weaker, and even as he looked it was evaporating as the desert morning became hotter.

Looking back at the well, the power from it was also primal, like the leylines of Leor, and Charon sensed something else mixed into it, a presence. Like being close to something large breathing. Something much older, as ancient as the earth right inside the well, surrounded by thousands of others. These others felt like a mass of crawling limbs, alien, or human warped into something other. And Charon has only ever felt this feeling from soul stones.

Sisyphus Happy

 

[Katsuya]

- Isa Bianchi -​

Today is full of surprises, ain’t it? Isa thought humorlessly.

James is here and he’s with Vashur, the white tree is making the sky rain while turning red, and the rain itself is the size of a ball with manna sparking inside. Now the rain petrifies people. What else is gonna happen? “I’m safe. The tree made this shield aura around the area it spread and creating this umbrella effect where the rain won’t touch me by standing near the edge.” Isa replied. Then he faced the tree, puzzled and alarmed, now that he thought more about it. Turning off his logic for a moment.

The tree is causing people to turn into stone-!

”Moss.” Isa muttered, already making his choice and readied himself for possible pain. “Imma go close to the tree and read the well.”

Zer0 Sisyphus Happy

 

[Zer0]

- Shattered Golden Dome -​

Moss' voice spoke in his head immediately. 'Wait, is it safe? Should I go get L and Vidya and we'll go there?'

Katsuya

 

[Katsuya]

- Isa Bianchi -​

“It’s probably not safe, but imma try.“ Isa‘s grin tensed. “Only if ya want to, just be careful from the rain. Maybe wear something for the rain?”

He reached out, having the Shadowy claw float closer to the edge, and he had his gloved fingers poke inside. Where the billowing leaves . . . billow. Wanting to see what will happen.

Zer0

 

[Sisyphus Happy]

Health: Healthy
| Toughness: Background Ability (10) + Armor (1) [11] | Spell Power: Background Ability (14) + Knowledge (4) + Equipment (1) [19] |Manna: Background Ability (4) + Knowledge (4) [8/8]
Condition: 1 | Roleplay Points: 1

Χάρων ​

Charon became entranced by the sensation. Submerged in the expanse, his eyes gained a distant look. The urge to analyze and pick apart the cacophony of magic and... death, and... the change laced in it. Or the change of death, or the death of change. His penetration of the mystery was by no means logical; even if it were, he would have been caught up in the odd, in his opinion unnerving and unintuitive mashup of magic. No words came to mind to describe it. More unnerving than the cocktail of worrying magic was the presence in the well. The overwhelming power of the leylines washed over him, unabated as it always is. But the presence, wretched and mutated more than himself. A coldness bloomed in his chest when he spied it, a disgusted expression contorting his face.

Out loud, a tone of abject disgust in his voice, "whhaaat... hhave theey dooone?" growled from the back of his throat.

His eyes blinked and darted around as he entered the moment once again. They roamed over the visual components of the tree, its magic, its border, and glanced over Isa's form, its arm outstretched. A hunch took root in his mind that he might need to drain the well of its taint before the magic could calm down, like a tumor holding the valve open. Wait -- his eyes darted back to Isa's outstretched hand and he gulped, chills running down his neck while he quickly added, "n-nneccrootiiic," stammering, the absence of agile speech more obvious now than before, his impediment stifling his ability to explain quickly. He could only watch Isa's hand in horror.

 

[Zer0]

- Engine Blade -​

'Proba---?!' Moss' words were lost the moment Isa's gloved fingers poked inside. The swirling leaves immediately rushed down swirling like a windblown school of fishes around Isa's fingers. It was like pushing through a stack of cold invisible pillows, soft, a little springy, and this springy force made Isa's skin beneath the leather tingle as though hundreds of worms were wriggling inside. And the sensation was burrying up his arm. As he watched, the gloves were dusting away, showing his skin rotting as grass sprouted through muscle and nail, and then pulled back in, the grass dying, muscles cording back together, skin knitting itself closed, leather reforming back into the glove, before before being destroyed again, and remade once more.

Isa could feel his own magic keeping him together, trying to fight against this soft but deadly touch. And it was working, with effort, it seems possible to survive going in.

In Charon's eyes, he'd see the arcane gale within catch a breath, and gather around the finger like a curious little hurricane, the thousand 'others' swirling around the fingers, and then there was a pulse of magic like a heart beat detected only by him within the well. There was a creak, the rustling of red leaves, as the tree ever so slightly bent down. The ancient presence was stirring.

Katsuya Sisyphus Happy

 

[Katsuya]

- Isa Bianchi -​

Alarmed by the message cut off, Isa watched with fascinated horror as his finger tingled violently. Like the worms from the nightmare he had as he escaped with Loki from Theosebia’s clutches, but inside his body. Not outside. Pulling his finger back, the redhead decided to calm Moss. Knowing that he is panicking. “Moss, Moss. Love~ I’m okay. I just poked it and I’m okay.” He comforted the merman as he watched his finger reconstruct again, grateful for his manna working hard. “I’ll be okay, promise. A little weirded out but okay. I’m okay and I’m going in.”

This is going to be a weird experience, isn’t it?

So with a deep calming breathe and a prayer to Loki, Isa stepped inside the affected area. Yep. Weird experience. It was like stepping inside a pillow and he was pushing himself deeper and deeper into the odd force. The leaves billowed around him like a trancing dance as his body grew fungus and moss only to not have them anymore. His clothes also dusted away only to come back to normal. Like a cycle of life and death. That was the first thing he noticed. The second thing he noticed is the manna strings in this place. Sure, he was seeing a few stick out like someone forgot to cut off the stranded thread from a cuff or hemline of the shirt, but inside the affected area is more. The leaves were following the swirling and twirling manna strings, all of them swirling out from it’s source; the well. He even saw why he felt worms inside his body. Those same strings were entering his body, causing the tingles; just like how they were doing to the corpses right now. The difference is that his own manna is pushing them out. He can see it right now as he lifted an arm to watch the process before looking at the well.

He walked towards the well, probably looking like a walking form of moss and fungus, and took his camera out from his bag. He noticed the tiny beginnings of moss gathering in the corners but other than that it’s fine. Once he was close, he took pictures of the well, deciding it might be best to not stay inside for long.

After he had enough photos, he tucked them inside of his bag, and tried to translate the well. “Ancient Loki, May ya hear me. I’m doing something dumb and Gramps with Moss might ring my ears.” Isa muttered under his breath.

“Is there a way to stop this flow or at least calm Titan’s spirit?” Part of his soul, he corrected. Part of his soul is mixed in there. He started to hum before muttering the lyrics. His lullaby is slow yet purposeful, sounding a bit haunting as the billowing vibrated his voice, making it seem like he was howling in an echo as he sang quietly.

To Charon, he would see Isa’s figure walking towards the well. Sometimes the white manna would flow inside his lanky figure only for indigo threads burst the white threads out. Repairing the redhead.

Zer0 Sisyphus Happy

 

[Zer0]

- Engine Blade -​

Surprisingly Moss did not reply this time.

When Isa began to sing, the leaves slowed. The thousand wriggling worms under his skin gradually calmed, as the cycle of destruction and creation faded to the slow blooming of green sprouts. A shadow loomed over him and he could see above the white creaking tree bending down. Its branches drawn to him.

Charon felt the ancient thing awake as the trunk livened with white light . The others around it shrunk away, afraid, and for a brief moment he felt something like lightning clap. Wrath. Like staring up at a looming thunder storm. But as Isa continued to sing, the wrath faltered, the leaves slowly turned back to white, and the gale hushed, as though it was listening.

It was the first time the chamber was without the rustle of leaves.

Red flowers buds sprouted on the glowing bark of the well, the white roots on either side of Isa's boots and peeked out of the branches above. They had indigo blue throats, and all were turned to him. The petals opened, and ever so slowly, they closed and then opened again. The flowers that remained open, they formed a path that led all the way up to the well.

Charon felt the others flicker longingly. Felt the ancient presence move up the trunk of the tree, saw it move up the trunk as bright white light. Only to abruptly stop where the gap in the trunk was endlessly being destroyed and created. As though its own power barred it. He felt the thunder storm rising under the surface again. Held back with so much restraint. And he understood, that it was restraining because of Isa. It was longing for something. All of them longed for something, and were trying to hush, waiting.

Meanwhile Isa felt a strange tugging heaviness in his magic. The golden glow was not lighting up, but he could see the leaves flickering gold, only to die out like a candle struggling to stay lit against a wind. Something much greater than he was fighting him, and yet if anything, the tree had never looked so calm and welcoming.

Katsuya Sisyphus Happy

 

[Sisyphus Happy]

Health: Healthy
| Toughness: Background Ability (10) + Armor (1) [11] | Spell Power: Background Ability (14) + Knowledge (4) + Equipment (1) [19] |Manna: Background Ability (4) + Knowledge (6) [9/10]
Condition: 1 | Roleplay Points: 1

Χάρων ​

When Isa began approaching, Charon stared, bewildered. The man's magic was matching the pull and push of the stormy death to maintain his form. Such a delicate operation had to take concentration, or something, and all of the what-ifs began piling up. Skipping over analysis-paralysis, he shoved the fingernails on his right hand into his mouth and began chewing desperately and pacing around the perimeter of the phenomenon, his tail twitching all the time. He winced when one of his sharp teeth caught the flesh on the tip of his finger and pulled his hand away. Isa's... flesh? Clothing? All of it seemed to be streaming off of him and flying with the wind only to be put back together. Nearly, he opened his mouth to inform Isa that something is in the bubble with him. However, that something began reacting to Isa in a sentient manner. Charon's heart dropped when it gathered and power rose, expecting to watch this new acquaintance get turned to dust by some angry, inchoate beast made of... souls? Or, maybe it was a soul? He had neither seen nor learned of any such creatures.

But it waited. Charon waited too, holding his breath while it seemed to watch Isa. He couldn't quite interpret want from it, nor anything, but it was clear something was being held back. When Isa began singing, his jaw dropped slack. Sure, it was nice, but was this really the time to be singing to something? His fingers went back into his mouth, his eyes growing wide with confusion when the events began to unfold. Of course, having access to a stronger sense for magic than usual, he squinted through the maelstrom to see the singing was some kind of magical effect. Oh. Well, that's good. Oh, those things are holding the power back, like holding a breath. If it were alive and stupid, even if the deadly storm seemed to lessen, an intruder might set them back to square one, or less. Risking Isa's life wasn't on his agenda for the day and so he drew close to where the storm was and waited, his left arm clutching his body and his right arm keeping his fingernails in his mouth. The memory came back to him, of the faint signature of a messaging spell being used suddenly cut off in contact with the storm. It led him to believe that perhaps the maelstrom was less volatile and more a source of interference. Reassuring, but somehow worse, after a few moments of thinking about it. He thought about messaging that merman but perhaps he would save that for when he has to drag Isa's dissolving body out of an angry whirlwind.

The glittering of gold caught his attention briefly, from the leaves. His chewing slowed and stopped and squinted, leaning in a bit more. Oh, they want out. That's right, they're trapped by the well malfunctioning, it seems. Isa is trying to let them free, but there's something preventing it. Charon bit his lip and looked down, assuming the well has some kind of function in that regard. Irritation took root in him. He saw the problem, or the shape of it, but no solutions were coming to mind. A vastly bigger picture began coalescing around this problem in his mind, worry mounted from it and overtook the irritation. Feeling his thoughts deviate too much, he shook his head and put himself back in the situation. He faintly considered trying to blow up the well, but it was more a way to vent frustration than a solution. He began focusing on the flow of energy from the well and tried to discern where everything was going. Anything going in and coming out and where it all went.

 

[Zer0]

- Engine Blade -​

The flow of magic came from the well, outwards like mist, and then up the sky through the threads like slivers of inverted rain, and then down as those bouncy balls, though the bouncy balls had the weakest aura. The well itself seemed to be endlessly full, wildly spilling, but mostly contained within the well, like being next to a storm, but seeing only a fraction of it through a small window.

There were still traces of magic from yesterday all around the chamber. They were blanketed by the magic of the well, but Charon caught glimpses of magical residue from fireballs, that ghastly potion, and the rune lines where energy used to flow around the chamber, powering it and the well before the flying dome crashed. He's seen these lines before on mechromancy machines powered by ragnite, linking enchantments on doors in buildings and barriers. These lines were of varying thickness, spread out like geometric veins, but the thickest ones led deeper down underground the chamber, and there were four of them. And all of them passed through the dais where one of those katulus had been controlling the well.

There was a hole where a giant gear had burst out from the ground next to that destroyed spider machine next to the dais. Its driver, the dead katulu that had been peppered by bullets had already rotted and was covered with fungy spread upon the seat of the spider. The area around the hole looked like it had been recently excavated, widened a little with a dangling rope tied on a jutting pillar, and there were old footprints and dragging marks. The odd rain was seeping through the hole like a blob. Its bottom, a heavy sac of sparking water, that eventually snapped loose from the top and fell down a deep shaft of rubble, metal, and half exposed rooms, dimly lit by whatever morning light was able to shine through the cracks. It seemed that the water can be avoided with some skill.

Sisyphus Happy

 

[Katsuya]

- Isa Bianchi -​

Anxiety punched his stomach, worry starting to wreak him from the inside, but he focused on the now.

Did something happen to his fiancé?

‘Focus’, Isa thought as he sang louder. Watching how the tree loomed over him, branches reaching out as flowers bloomed open. Leading him towards the well. So Titan’s soul really is down there, down in the well, and trapped. He peeked over his shoulder, spotting Charon close by before walking closer to the well. Now resolve fueling him as he needed to get this done as sprouts of green grew slowly on his rebuilt skin this time. One of them sticking out from the top of his autumn red head. He needed to contact Moss soon after this. He needed to hear him, make sure he is okay, and not petrified or caught by the Templars-

The redhead read the well’s runes, remembering what Manuel had wrote with Theosebia’s knowledge. A brow raised high as he read the ancient poetry, thankful that he was singing. It would be bad to read it out loud and activating the spell.

‘The red tipped bird soars through the fiery morning skies.’

’The black stallion ran free within the green plains.’

’The blue whale danced in the clear oceans.’

’The white fox plays by the snowy peaks.’

There were more to this poem. This reminded him of the portals, the poetry from the portal back near Sanctuary. It spoke of a horse too . . . He needed to think. He could rearrange the well, but the chambers would need repairs and none of them has the time and energy. Nor does Isa want to rebuild the horrible machine in case of another being having evil intentions. He could mess with the runes but he doesn’t have a blacksmith or have fire that’s hot enough to melt the runes nor is he willing to bring anyone to blacksmith this; they might accidentally trigger something with a simple line or two. After all, L needs the engine blade for some reason . . .

So option three: try redirecting Titan’s energy onto the spell itself.

He has done this before. He has redirected an obsidian pillar back to Malus, a bull Goliath, making it exploded. He has redirected a laser from another Goliath to burn off the triange thingy off of Gauis to have control. Perhaps he could do the same here, use his semblance to redirect Titan’s energy outside of the seal and destroy it like that. Freeing Titan. He just needs to find a source-

Isa stared at the well and the tree that resides in it. He stopped singing as he quietly offered to the ancient soul.

”I think I can help, get angry and strike at me with all your might.” Isa held his staff up, seeing the wooden parts growing tiny branches with red leaves. Grimacing as he stood, ready to get this right as Shadow claw started to leak out from his leather armor, in case anything happens. “I’ll help set ya free from here.”

Zer0 Sisyphus Happy

 

[Zer0]

- Engine Blade -​

The wind began blowing furiously, whipping Isa's hair. Worms crawled all over his skin, the cycle of destruction and creation was growing, he began to rot faster this time. And if Isa was willing, he can let his own magic go and let the gale destroy him.

This was . . . this wasn't like the beam he envisioned redirecting.

Katsuya