~ Broken Kingdoms: Requiem of Heroes ~ O/A ~ Winter 1, 809

[Starlight Flower]

Ara

20/97 HP
Attack+9
Defense+5
Magic+1
Magic Defense+1

Ara watched Ephraim until the pod stopped. Every time he showed signs of sadness, it pained her. She couldn't figure out why. She was beginning to care for this man for he was all that remained of Veela or at least that is what she keeps telling herself.

They finally came to a stop. She was going to take the first step but Ephraim did instead. Her eyes searched the room until they landed on the podium in the center. It seems that is what he wanted to show her. Hearing Ephraim's words and losing his hand, Ara suddenly felt nervous. Her body remained locked in place and her eyes fixated on the center of the room.

After a few seconds in silence, she finally took a step forward and then another until she finally reached it. She looked down at the object. At his heart. She stared at it in silence until looking back at the demon. He had his back to her and yet he still directed her. She listened to his words and turned back to the podium. SHe could see the same type of nodes that EPhraim had worn before.

She leaned down and picked them up. Part of her was too afraid to see but she had. SHe had to understand why she had all these locked away emotions. SHe had to figure out what happened to the man in the garden. So, she listened. SHe placed the nodes over her heart and neck.

[Azure_Leryn]

ζɸɾɗ Εϸɦɾɑɩɱ
Guardian of Veela
❖

90/90 HP
attack+10
defense+4

Location: unknown
Party: none

❖

The cold metal lay flat upon Ara’s skin as if the nodes were forming to it. A quick buzz of voltage grasped at her muscles, but was more startling than it was painful. A quick rush of air was forces into her lungs, and a subtle flash before her eyes created a sky-scape mask before her.

“Ara…?”

A voice crept through the depths of her sub consciousness. It was Ephraim, but much gentler and youthful. There was a pleasant melody to his voice- the voice that one had when he or she spoke true words of care.

“You’re alive…! Blessed, you’re alive!”

Before her eyes, the Man from the Garden appeared in a beautiful array of lights that continued to gleam even after he had fully appeared. Ephraim’s clear blue eyes fell upon the young child who he long since seen. His oval face held a grateful smile as his cheeks curved his eyes into joyful expression.

“Oh Ara, it warms my heart to see that you are well. You have grown into such a beautiful woman. You have your mother’s magical eyes… How proud she would have been to see you now. How I would have loved to see you grow and mature. My dear Ara, you’re alive!”

Ephraim’s eyes trembled as a stray tear trickled down his sparkling, ethereal face. Overwhelmed, he lifted a hand to his chest while reached out his other towards her. But before he could touch her, he recoiled his hand and suddenly drifted back a short distance. His eyes frowned, but he continued to smile.

“You… you shouldn’t be here, Ara. You shouldn’t be here with me…”

He looked off to the side, struggling to maintain his smile.

“I’m…. I’m not a good person. I have sinned far beyond what is excusable. I am dangerous, Ara. In my grief, I am the darkness. I thought I lost you.. I thought I lost everything. I am sorry, Ara. You should not be here. It is too late. I have become mad. There is no stopping what I will do. Please forgive me, my sweet…beautiful… innocent Ara… I do not want you to see me like this. I am ashamed of what I’ve become. You must go. You must go where I cannot find you.”





Starlight Flower

[Azure_Leryn]

(( r,si,le,tia,ta,k,tahl,ty,l,te,as,s,c,c))

╔═══════════════════════════════╗
-Event Battle: Battle at Teghelm-
Minions of Greed regrouping...
[FIRST WAVE CLEAR!]
0/150
attack+2
defense+2
magic defense: 2

Target: East Wall
attack:
defend:
tot: -6

Target: Silmeria
attack:
defend:
tot: -33

Target: Nimue
attack:
defend:
tot: -38

Target: Tahl
attack:
defend:
tot: -16

Target: Tikiya
attack:
defend:
tot: -10

Target: Nadya
attack:
defend:
tot: -7

Target: Tyko
attack:
defend:
tot: -23

Target: Leaf
attack:
defend:
tot: -0

Target: Teryn
attack:
defend:
tot: -17

Target: Koran
attack:
defend:
tot: -4

Target: Alexis
attack:
defend:
tot: -4

Boss: Greed Troll// One of Three
4/70 (-19)
██████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████
attack+7
defense+7

Target: Rinoa
attack: 20
defend: 14
tot: -10

Target: Silmeria
attack: 26 [crit+2]
defend: 17 (1 damage)
tot: -1

Target: Lenneth
attack: 18
defend: [ctr check] (14 magic damage)
tot: -14

Target: Nimue
attack:
defend: --
tot: -16

Target: Tiamat
attack: 19
defend: 25
tot: -12

Target: Talus
attack: 21
defend: 22
tot:

Target: Koran
attack: 9
defend: 25 (4 ctr damage)
tot: -4


Target: Crimson Riders
attack: 14
defend: 25
tot: -9

Boss: Greed Troll// Two of Three
DEFEATED
attack+7
defense+7

Target: Tahl
attack:
defend:
tot: -20

Target: Tikiya
attack:
defend:
tot: -9

Target: Nadya
attack:
defend:
tot: -25

Target: Sehaera
attack:
defend:
tot: -11

Target: Crimson Riders
attack:
defend:
tot:

Boss: Greed Troll// Three of Three
21/70 (-9 )
██████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████
attack+7
defense+7

Target: Tahl
attack: 14
defend: 22
tot:

Target: Tyko
attack: 14
defend: 11
tot:

Target: Leaf
attack: 24
defend: 16
tot:

Target: Teryn
attack: 17
defend: 15 (5 damage)
tot: -32

Target: Alexis
attack: 11
defend: 19
tot: -6

Target: Aspen
attack: 22
defend: [ctr check] (4 magic damage)
tot: -11

Target: Sehaera
attack: 12
defend: [crt check]
tot:

Target: Crimson Riders
attack: 9
defend: 26 [ctr+6]
tot:

Teghelm: East Wall
65/75
attack+2
defense+4

Target: Minions of Greed
attack:
defend:


╚═══════════════════════════════╝

A flash of orange light came from the skies, yet the Dragonkin had grounded and turned to her humanoid form. A large fireball came crashing down like a star from the heavens and exploded at the back of the troll’s head. The embers poured over its shoulder and ignited the ground with a magic flame before they were doused by its conjurer.

The twin sister came into view as the troll roared and stumbled. The volley of projectiles and strikes assaulted the giant, and its wounds had its body bloody and burned. The Troll snarled and spat as it backed up in a wounded stupor. It flailed its arms and belted a few warriors in its way. Silmeria was in position to endure a blind but still brutish blow. The giant collided with the fortress wall. Its eyes burned as bright as the Valkarie’s flame but displaced with pure anger.

From the backline, a company of lesser minions ran behind a sudden surge of shielded demons. They pierced the defense of the Crimson Riders like a wedge and suddenly dispersed into battle as they cleared a path for rusted wagons holding large bolts similar to those of a ballista. They crashed into the wall recklessly; throwing them at the feet of the two trolls still standing. The first grabbed a few and threw them at those who attacked it from range. Then it grabbed another and swung it around like a lance about the warriors who remained within long range.

A company of soldiers rushed down to Tikiya and Nadya and bowed.

“We will take you to safety. The city is still clear. We have been sending the wounded to the infirmaries. This way, Princess!”

The soldiers urged them to follow as they rushed into the heart of the city. They ran passed the last of the three trolls just as Teryn scaled its large body. It turned back and forth and reached its hands behind its back, but grasped at nothing while Teryn ducked under its gruesome clutches. Her blade sunk into its neck, and the giant roared. With a quick dip it tossed the woman from his shoulders and stepped outward as her allies went for its knees.

With malice, the creature reached down and grabbed two lances from the wagon wreckage- each weighting hundreds and carved with the girth of tree trunks. It charged at the warriors with heavy feet which were steered slightly off course by the flash of light from the elfin healer. It snapped and shook its head from its daze before swinging the lances through.

[Starlight Flower]

Ara

20/97 HP
Attack+9
Defense+5
Magic+1
Magic Defense+1

Ara gasped at the sudden jolt of the voltage. She took in a deep breath and as she released it, she heard a voice. It was a familiar voice but it was softer. Ara looked around. Trying to find the source of the voice. Finally, she caught sight of him. Her mother's eyes stared at the familiar face.

He spoke of her mother and how she would be proud but this, this was a lie. She knew better. She had killed so many. Instead of seeking peace, she wanted revenge. Her heart was full of hatred. Her father's blood was taking over. She couldn't let the hatred consume her.

"I don't understand." She whispered. It was difficult for her to grasp how Ephraim was in two places, seemingly two different people. She understood the connection to his heart but if the real Ephraim was here, who was out there? An empty vessel. No, she saw emotion in him.

Then he made the comments that hurt her. She shouldn't be with anyone, is more or less how she felt. Not for her own sake but for them.

"No." She tried to cut him off. "If I go you will only become darker. If I go, I will only become darker! You'll search for me. How many more cities need to burn for you to have me? How many cities will I burn if I change?" These words came out harsher than she expected. A lot of guilt had racked itself inside her. "I need you just as much as you need me. I am here now. You haven't lost me! We both lost my mother! We both lost a piece of our heart that day. I came back. You found me and now you want me to leave? Ephraim, without you, I'll become the darkness you fear. The darkness I am so afraid of becoming. He's inside of me. You keep him back. You keep me safe. I don't want to turn. I don't want to become mad. I need your help. We need each other. Ephraim....I am terrified of what I could become. "

She took a step back. "Put your heart back. Leave all of this. We'll go away. We can rebuild Veela. We can rebuild it to how she would want it." Ara's voice cracked. Tears were building up in her eyes. She reached her hand out to him. "Ephraim, please. Don't do this. Stop all of this. I forgive you for all your sins. Stop this. Stay with me. We can rebuild Veela. We can fix your heart. We can fix each other. We don't have to be monsters."

[Azure_Leryn]

ζɸɾɗ Εϸɦɾɑɩɱ
Guardian of Veela
❖

90/90 HP
attack+10
defense+4

Location: unknown
Party: none

❖

The blonde elf gazed upon her with troubled eyes. Her trembling eyes sparkled like starlight in a clear sky. Ephraim clutched his chest as she spoke and winced before he began to move closer. He reached forward slowly to wipe tears from her cheeks with a caring hand should one or two become astray.

He looked to her with a sincerity that displayed the pain of his heart. The feeling was too familiar. The blond elf grimaced as if enduring torture, but his smile somehow remained in effort to comfort the sweet elfin child from the rainbow skies.

"Ara... This darkness consumes me. Hearing about your father... It relinquished my will to live. The shadows fed on my grief, and had it not been for you, I would already be dead. There is an evil in your blood, that I know you can feel. But that evil will not consume you as it has me. Your mother... Serenity... Somehow saw through it. She saw the Light of a once great Guardian of Arlen. As much as it hurts- and it hurts so so much- your mother saw something in that evil that was promising and pure... and she has passed that onto you.

You... the most precious of all creation... will be the one to destroy the greatest evil of the world that dwells inside you. You have been given the terrible burden of the Goddess's salvation."

Ephraim embraced her, though his body did little to provide warmth once again.

"My child... years ago, I would have not hesitated to leave with you. I dreamed of such fantasy in my darkest days. But I am afraid it is too late.. My heart.. keeps Veela alive. Without it, the city was fall. I am.. a Guardian. If Veela vanishes.. so do I. This heart... I ripped from my own chest to stop the pain... has now become the only thing that keeps our Garden. It keeps our Library. It keeps our memory. Without that, I am truly nothing.

You are meant to save the world, Ara. That is what I have believed since the day you looked at me with those beautiful eyes and smiled so lovingly. You have such a terrible burden and I wish to help you through it. And at last... there will be no more need for the Man from the Gardens... You will create a world that is full of Gardens of Peace.

You have such a terrible burden. The evil is so strong. The dragon... The dragon will awaken. But you will purify it. I want to help you... I need to save you.. but.. I do not know if I can be saved.."




Starlight Flower

[Starlight Flower]

Ara

20/97 HP
Attack+9
Defense+5
Magic+1
Magic Defense+1

Ara watched him with great pain. Everything he said only hurt her more. She felt hopeless, helpless and alone.

"And what do you think it did to me?!" She nearly shouted at him. "The man, who killed my mother, the man who is responsible for the downfall of Veela, he is in my blood! I am not as strong as you seem to think I am! How do you expect me to fight this alone?" She wanted to say more but she felt his embrace and her body went weak.She sobbed into his shoulder. Her hands moved forward and wrapped around his waist and she squeezed tightly.

"Stop." She didn't want to believe anything he was saying. She shook her head as he explained the situation. "You are wrong. She was a fool. You are wrong. You can stay with me."

After a long few minutes, she pulled away from him. "You are selfish." She sniffed. She pulled her arms away from him and to her neck where she hoped the nodes would be. "And you are a fool. You will leave me again. You will continue to seek peace through violent ways. You'll blame it on the mad man out there. Is all that pain worth all of this? I came here to kill you long ago but over time I chose to save you. " She gripped the wires. "I still intend to do that." She pulled the wires off.

When she returned to the room, with the heart, she stared down at the beating object. She tightened her grip on the wires that she held at her side. She didn't look back at Ephraim. Paralysed, she thought about everything that has happened. It seemed so strange to her that this object was what held everything together.

"Veela doesn't exist anymore." She whispered but loud enough for Ephraim to hear her. "It has been destroyed. It has become dark. The Veela name is no longer what it once was. It killed so many of its allies. It is dark. It is evil." She took a step towards the heart and placed her hand on the case. Inhaling deeply. "I want to save you but what does that mean?"

Her fingers pressed hard against the glass until they balled into a fist. "Take it back. None of this is worth it. None of this is worth the pain we've been putting others through. Let Veela rest like it should have long ago. We have to stop tarnishing the name. We can go down together."

She uncurled her fingers and reached down to lift the glass case. Her arms suddenly became shaky. Her body became weak. Her knees buckled beneath her and she fell to the ground. "This isn't what she wants! We destroyed it! She DOESN'T Want this!" She reached up and lifted the glass, placing it beside her. Her hands trembled as she reached forward. "We need to stop this."

[Starlight Flower]

Tahl
50/55hp
4 atk
3 def
attack: 14+4=18
defend:14-9=5

Tyko
49/62hp
Atk+4
Def+4
attack: 16+4=20
defend:14-24=0damage (+5 counter bonus)

Leaf
40/51 HP
Attack+2
Defense+3
Attack: 15+2=17
Defense: 24-23=1 (+9 counter bonus)

Aspen
14/36
Heal +6
Adept +2
Defend 22-2=20
MA: Fail (8+2=10)

Sehaera
24/31hp
Heal +4
Adept +3
defend:12-5=7
MA: 14+3=17 Success
Magic Damage: 11/2=5.5 (6 damage)

The sudden chaos that followed the healers attack allowed for the males to get out of the way and counter their attacks. Each one was successful and only minor injuries were dealt. The one mistake they made in fighting as a team was leaving their healers open. Tahl immediately realized this and tried desperately to get between Aspen, Sehaera and the deadly stumbling troll.

It was at this minute that Teryn was tossed from the trolls shoulders in the direction of the dark haired elf. He instinctively stepped to catch her but the force took them both to the ground. He protected her from the harsh impact of the ground. He quickly looked her over to see if she was injured before setting her down.

He scrambled to his feet but it was too late. The healers took the hit. Aspen, taken the hardest, flew further than anyone had in the entire battle. She hit a pillar and fell to the ground; limp. Sehaera had managed to catch herself as she was tossed to the side. She quickly stepped between the fallen Aspen and the troll. She raised her hands and shouted out something in a strange language.

"Kasalataka!" She screamed. A bright blue flame shot from her hands and hit the troll in the throat.

[Starlight Flower]

Crimson Riders

Warriors of Rothenal

63/100hp (-6)
5Atk
4Def

Target: Troll 1/3
Defense: 14-(18+4=22)=0damage
Attack:4+5=9


Target: Troll 3/3
Attack:11+5=16
Defense: (8+4=12)=0damage

The crimson riders did not falter. They stood their ground. They would not allow the minions to enter further into the city. There was enough damage already. The city would not fall. Not when all the kingdoms stood together. Not this day.

The warriors pushed the minions back into the dark crevasse in which they came. They kept the path clear for the injured to escape. They kept the minions from the civilians. They did their duty as allies. They would not let any more Madoran cities fall.

[Azure_Leryn]

ζɸɾɗ Εϸɦɾɑɩɱ
Demon Lord of Thunder
❖

90/90 HP
attack+10
defense+4

Location: unknown
Party: none

❖

Ephraim's smile faded and turned into a frown as Ara pulled away from him. He looked upon her with widened eyes as her emotions started to flare. She lifted her hands to her heart and her neck. Just before she tugged at the wires, Ephraim lifted a hand and opened his fingers in a simple farewell. He smiled to her, and his sadness trembled in his eyes before he quickly turned away vanished.

The low hymn of the electrical buzz restored the elf's perception as she stood before the pedestal. The windows to the outside were clear, revealing the blood moon to the west. The Demon Lord of Thunder had not moved. With his back still turned, he stood there without a sound or a movement.

The beating heart contracted at a more rapid pace when the protective glass was removed. It's four chambers alternated, feeding the wires that were plugged directly into it. The wisps converged towards the podium and swirled around Ara while pouring over the beating heart. And it began to beat faster and more intensively. The wisps shrieked and swarmed, but only orbited the elfin woman as she collapsed to her knees.

"Can you...? Can you put an end to this, my sweet child?"

The Demon Lord spoke, but still remained several paces away. His head turned slowly towards his shoulder, and his serpentine eyes fell upon her.

"Do you believe that there IS an end? There is none for the darkness of this world. Darkness preys on those who are weak... and none of us are free of weakness. Our Veela... is what will endure. As mortals throw the world into war over their petty differences, Veela remains. Do you not see why I must do what I was destined to do? Did the Man from the Gardens not tell you why his heart is no longer in his chest? The world will be restored. Not by men... not by demons.. not by elves or demikin. It will be restored by us. Like the antidote to a plague it must be done.

I will protect you... You will not be taken. You will not be harmed. You will excel where your mother has failed."

Ephraim turned and the shadows darkened. A low bellow groaned in the deep as the panel boards flashed feverishly in all colors. His voice boomed and overtook all.

"YOU ARE NOT HIM!! HE WILL NOT HAVE YOU!! NAGENDRA THE DEMON KING IS DEAD!! HE IS DEAD AND WILL NEVER RISE AGAIN!! HE IS DEAD AND GONE!!!"





Starlight Flower

[Starlight Flower]

Ara

20/97 HP
Attack+9
Defense+5
Magic+1
Magic Defense+1

Target: Ephraim 17 Success
Magic Damage 10/2=5 +1 =6

"Those mortals are my friends. Ara's friends!" She said sobbing as she cupped her hands at the base of the heart. She had yet to touch it. "There is no world if they are gone! How is your philosophy any different? How is this not petty differences?" She asked staring down at the pulsing heart through the tears that filled her eyes.

She listened to him speak as if the man she had just spoke to was not him. This angered her. "Who are you?" She tried to hold back a growl. Her eyes slowly changing. "Bring him back! You are a coward, too afraid of the pain. You are watching others who are strong enough to fight and endure the same kind of pain and then belittling them because you think you are better than them, why? Because you can't feel the pain. I am no different than them. I felt pain. I suffered through it. I created hate out of it. I used this to hunt you down. I had every intention to kill you. To protect those you wish to destroy. So what is stopping me?"

Finally, she touched the heart. She didn't go any further than a simple touch. She felt her mouth go dry and a lump catch somewhere at the back. "What's the point if no one is left to live? What is the point of living if you can't feel anything? You aren't alive any more. You are trapped in a different world just like Veela. You have to stop pretending."

Ara's face crinkled in pain at the mention of Serenity's failure. This made the sobs in Ara's voice grow louder. She hung her head down with her hands still resting near the heart. Her hair fell forward, concealing her face from Ephraim."She never failed, Ephraim. We did. Even as she was killed, she still held love in her heart. She never lost that. She never ever stopped loving. We did. So long ago. I hated you all my life. I forgot the love I had for you. I want to love you but you've changed. You've become......" She refused to say the words that hung on her lips. The name she was called only days before by someone she thought a friend. Ara's hands pulled away slightly. Her fingers curled in and then extended as if pain guided her muscles.

Ephraim's voice raised and Ara's body tensed. His words did not hold truth to her. She still believed she held part the dragon in her. His personality, his greed, his blood.

"SHUT UP!" She screamed at him. The images of the dragon continued to replay over and over again in her head. He continued to scream and she continued to cringe. "YOU ARE DEAD! VEELA IS DEAD! EVERYTHING IS GONE!" She suddenly reached forward and gripped the heart. "Take it back!" She grabbed the heart and pulled it towards her body almost possessively. "Give him back to me!" Only a few wires disconnected as she clutched his heart. "GIVE HIM BACK, You demon" Ara held the heart tightly against her. She curled her body around it almost protectively. Her body began to glow a strange purple colour. She tried to ignore the dark presence around her. "YOU NEED TO STOP THIS!" She shouted but she wasn't sure if it was at herself or Ephraim. The light around her pulsed like the heart she held with care. The light suddenly shot out in a burst of energy towards Ephraim. Ara heard it and quickly lifted her head to see herself glowing. She uncoiled herself and looked down at the blood on her and the light that engulfed her. "What is this?!"

[Azure_Leryn]

ζɸɾɗ Εϸɦɾɑɩɱ
Demon Lord of Thunder
❖

59/90 HP (-6) (-25 event damage)
attack+10
defense+4

Location: unknown
Party: none

❖

The wires sparked and created a orb of volatile lightning as Ara took the heart into her hands. The voltage spread over her arms and over her entire body, but the woman endured as her own like engulfed the web-like streams of flashing lights. The Demon Lord of Thunder watched with serpentine eyes while Ara shouted and gripped the heart.

She pulled it towards her, and not an instant after the first wire’s needle was disconnected, a deafening crash was heard for miles in all directions. The panes of glass cracked and the floor bellowed in a violent tremor that could easily knock even the most balanced of legs over. Lights flashed and sirens sounded into the depths of the ship, and the shadows shrieked as if hell were being unleashed upon the earth. The wisps swarmed and swirled- crying and shouting and screaming in grotesque violent pitches.

The ground that stood on began to compress and bend as if the walls were caving in amidst tremendous weight. Ara’s light shone brilliantly but terribly and when her energy could no longer be contained, she threw it over to the Demon Lord of Thunder. Ephraim’s upper body was pushed back as it tore through his body. His black blood exploded, and his right arm was severed completely off, leaving only a fleshy nub where his arm had once been. His eyes flashed, and he turned his body back. Ephraim leaned slightly to his left and the floor shook again. The panel boards erupted in flames and suddenly dropped to uncertain depths. The dented floor panels began to drop along the outer perimeter of the cockpit.

“NOOOO!! ARA!!!”

Ephraim shouted and made his way forth on the shaking ground. The heart beat feverishly in her arms as the voltage sparked and snapped all around it. Then a sudden pressure began to lift them. The great Veelan ship began to plummet to the ground. The wisps swirled around Ephraim, tearing at the loose bits of flesh and purple cloth. A dark spot began to grow at his chest and blood soaked at his feet. Still, he made his way to Ara one stride at a time.

“ARA!!!”

He roared and threw his arm around her just as the wires arched and a bolt of thunder crashed down over the top of them. Ephraim clutched the elf, forcing her body against his bleeding bosom as the thunder continued to stream down upon them. A thin stack of smoke began to rise from his ears, and soon rose from the rest of his body. He held her tightly, squeezing his hand against her back. His voice fluctuated back and forth.

“T-Take…me….instead…!! Take me…. Leave my… Ara… Alone… you beast!!! LEAVE HER!!!”




Starlight Flower

[Innocence of Silence]

(def, mag, adp)

"ȡеɑϯɧȡеɑȴег"

HP 119/147
Attack 10
Defense 10
Magic 4
Adept 3

Target: Greed Troll #1
Atk: ---
Def: 24 (no dmg)
Adp: Pass
Mag: 9 magic dmg




"The summer of peace has come and gone, the fall of revolution nears its end."


As Tiamat had expected, her arrow didn't even scratch the troll's skin. Well, no surprise there. These things were quite hardy and it would take more than a measly arrow -even an energy arrow- to pierce their nasty, leathery hide. Well, if that's what it took, then maybe she'd have to put in a little more effort. These boring, lesser creatures didn't warrant the use of her full strength but she'd have to get a little more serious to dispatch these things quickly. She had stuff to do, after all.

The troll was already quite worn out and weak. Another sure blow would topple it and she intended to deliver just that. Tiamat's jet black wings sprouted from her back and she took the skies, hovering just slightly above the city walls. She lifted an arm above her head, palm facing towards the sky, as energy began to gather in the air above their general location. Thunder echoed throughout the city as lightning began to briefly flash in the sky.

"Darkened heaven's light, bear this name as you open the gates of hell!" Tiamat's body glowed with a dark aura as she spoke, the static in the air becoming more palpable now. Tiamat looked down at the troll, her blood red eyes shinning malevolently. "Suffer in the darkness for all eternity! Indignation!"

A bolt of unnatural lightning as dark as night fell from the clouds above Teghelm, striking the troll right above the head. The magic spread through his body, visible in the shape of small arcs of electricity that ran down the considerable length of the troll's body, corrupting his flesh and soul in the process. It was black magic and Tiamat knew it, but she wasn't one to be concerned about people's opinions of her because of the tools she used to fight. Besides, it was an amusing spell she hadn't used in a while. If this didn't kill the thing, she'd have to get more drastic and that actually required effort. She wasn't in the mood to put too much effort into this fight, not when it seemed like it was so close to being over.



"Make no mistake. Winter is coming."






Azure_Leryn

[Eternal Aether]

def-s, atk-s, def-l, adp-l, mag-l

╰ ѕтαтѕ ╮
30/65 (-23) ✥ 45/53
Atk +5 ✥ Mag +5
Def +3 ✥ Adpt +2 / Def +1
~Valkyrie's Blessing~

Silmeria
Target: Greed Troll 1
Attack Roll: 2 + 5 = 7
Defense Roll: 3 + 3 = 6 (23 damage)

Lenneth
Target: Greed Troll 1
Defense: 18 + 1 = 19 (No Damage)
Adpt: Fail
Magic: -

Silmeria was barely able to move out of the way as a giant fireball came from the sky and struck the Troll. "I know that spell..." She mumbled softly upon landing and shot her head to the sky. Despite the smoke and clouds, she could clearly see the gold dragon with the small, blue mage standing on the saddle. "Lenny!" Her happiness, however, was short-lived when, upon her distraction, the Troll, smacked her very hard and sent her flying back -with great force- into the ground. It was in her bad luck that a misplaced sword cut her side, opening a large gash that bled profusely. The young knight flinched and bit her lip, struggling to get up as she heard the flapping of wings above her before a hand wrapped around her arm and she was swept off her feet and onto the saddle of the Dragon.

"You made me miss my spell, Silly!"

Lenneth was frowning as she tore a piece of her cloak and used it to press it against her sister's wound. The latter returned the frown and smacked her on the arm, flinching from the movement. "What do you mean I made you miss your spell? I just got slapped by a troll!" Silmeria snatched the piece of cloth from Lenneth and wrapped it around her ribs, tying a knot on one side. "Are you alright to continue? Glaedy and I can always drop you off within the city walls and you can rest. That's a nasty cut, and from what I saw, I can bargain there's a few broken ribs in there too." The young knight found herself doubting that she might be of much help now, but seeing so many people fighting despite the harsh odds made her shake her head. "No, we'll continue. You did bring the bow, right?" Lenneth nodded her head and reached into the saddle bags, pulling out a beautiful, black bow and a quiver with white swan feathers. "Alright, time to see if I can still shoot this." Silmeria placed an arrow on the string and pulled back, releasing the bolt towards the Troll. A pang of pain shot through her side, causing her to flinch and glance back at Lenneth. "Guess not. Prepare another spell..." She said as she readied another arrow.

"You got it~!"

╰ ℓσcαтιση ╮
Teghelm
╰ ¢σмραηισηѕ ╮
Glaedr
╰ fєєℓιηɢ ╮
Determined but in pain ✥ Happy and ready to fight!
╰ OOC ╮
Bad rolls are bad

[Starlight Flower]

Ara

20/97 HP
Attack+9
Defense+5
Magic+1
Magic Defense+1

(Heals Ephraim +8 )

Ara fell forward as the ship began to tremble. She covered the heart from any falling debris. She closed her eyes as she prepared to die.

"We are not good for this world, Ephraim." She whimpered. Holding 'him' tightly. "We will see her soon. We will be with mother again." She felt his body against her and the strange dampness that came with it. There was too much noise for her to fully understand what was happening but she felt it was the right thing to do. She felt it was the right thing to do until she felt his protective embrace. She hunched her back just enough to expose one of her arms. She reached across her chest to find his hand around her. She touched his fingers with her before trying to look at him through the lightening flashes. Her red eyes full of tears. The light around them turned from purple to green. The same green light that would shine from her mother when she cast spells. A strange warming sensation would fill Ephraim.

"I love you." She stared at him until her eyes returned to normal. "Please, stay with me.We will see her again. We'll be happy again


"Protect her, Ephraim." A familiar yet distant voice entered into his mind. Through all the chaos some light managed to make its way to the troubled duo. "Protect my child, Ephraim. Please. Man from the garden. Protect her and we will all be together again. Do not let her fall to the darkness. If the vessel falls, you will too. She will not die but the darkness will consume her. You must live for her."

[Azure_Leryn]

ζɸɾɗ Εϸɦɾɑɩɱ
Demon Lord of Thunder
❖

41/90 HP (-25 event damage) (+8 )
attack+10
defense+4

Location: unknown
Party: none

❖

Ephraim clutched tightly onto Ara as the thunder continued to crash down like a pillar of catastrophe. The arcs made a pulsing sound as the elements broke through the constructs of physics and space. It poured over the Demon Lord, but he did not let go of his hold. He closed his eyes tightly while his only arm shook and smoked.

Ara moved her hand onto his and brought it to her. His eyes opened slowly through weak lids and he stared back unto her. Her eyes flashed from those belonging to her father to those more pure. Her blood soaked into his torn purple suit, and though his eyes longed to close, they were fixed on her. Then they opened widely when she spoke those three words that he had long forgotten the meaning of. And yet, they were all so familiar.

Ephraim squeezed her hand and hunched over her as the uncontrolled thunder continued to crash over him and his heart in Ara’s arms. The Demon Lord of Thunder did not wish to move. Should he fall, he would do so protecting the only thing that mattered anymore.

Then a voice came to his mind, and it struck him more directly than any of the bolts could hope to do.

“Seren…ity….”

He could see her. Ephraim could see the queen before him as clear as day. He could see her standing there with a hand on her daughter’s shoulder. Yet he could not be seeing such things. Her plea was all that he heard before he lowered his head on top of Ara’s. He grazed the uppermost strands of hair with his burnt lips and he howled.

A dome of black shadow erupted from his feeet and formed a protective orb around them both. The darkness shot out and countered the thunder with the same volatility and violence. They weaved with each other- two powerful forces waging a battle to void the other. Ephraim arched his head back and parted his lips. A black swirl-like shadow reached down from the orb and entered his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. It bleed into him and he grunted as a new limb formed at his severed shoulder. The arm, made completely of the dark, reached between them and grabbed the heart from Ara’s grasp. Ephraim spun Ara around and guided her hands onto his shoulders before he nearly fell over the pedestal. He placed the beating heart back onto the cushion and weakly grabbed the loose wires.

His skin began to dissolve. Particles rose from his hand and face while he worked to reconnect the intricate wiring. Then the atmosphere cleared and the chaos ended. A loud bellow roared as the engines were activated and were removed from freefall. The walls had halted their collapse and the red lights and sirens gave way to normalcy once more. Ephraim reached down and placed the glass casing over the pedestal once more before he crumbled to the side of it. The podium then retracted down under the floor and the floor panel slide over the top.

The Demon Lord, exasperated for breath, wheezed like a fish without water. His chest convulsed and he coughed as he lay on his back. His eyes flickered a spring blue for only a moment before they closed for a long moment. When they opened again, it had reverted to its bloody demon red that searched for Ara’s gaze.

“I..will not.. abandon you… This… Love…"





Starlight Flower