Barton Forest

[Kitsune]

((Thank you. I'm gonna need it. ^-^; Well, off to bed I go. Night if you aren't gone already.))

The defeated magi fall from the air and hit the ground as piles of ash, slain by the powerful blasts from the illusory glowflys. Several guards had noticed that the magi were attacking the strange statue and so they quickly follow-up the attack. Charging at Tenshi with their halberds leveled with her body, they aim to shatter her into tiny pieces like any statue. Several daemon wolves leap at them in an attempt to stop them, but this only phases them for a moment as they continue their charge for the disguised kitsune.

The battle in the hall intensifies as the restless spirits conjured by Tenshi, begin to act more violently. Seeing that this battle is practically a stalemate, the remaining magi in the hall resolve to push it in their favor. The only real source they can pin this battle on is the strange moving statue the guards are headed for, so that will serve as their target. Flying up into the air, they cloak themselves and begin firing off random blasts of tainted magic, striking the fox erratically with the same energy-draining magic previously used. Consealed and constantly moving around, the invisible magi could pose a serious threat if they are not somehow dealt with.

....

Kitsune flicks her tails slightly and grins. The mage nearest her had halted his heal spells the moment his companion had been thrown aside by some invisible force. The Forager easily made quick work of the mage and proceeded to cleave it apart. The waiting kitsune took this as her cue to attack. Leaping up, she grabbed the floating mage by its arm and landed on top of it, snapping the fragile limb out of its socket and ripping it off completely. Spitting the limb from her mouth, she went on to dig her claws into the mage's body and rip him to shreds. The scrappy mage didn't even bleed much to her disappointment. Growling, she steps aside and watches the bitter-tasting thing turn to ash.

Her attention quickly shifts back to Anubis. The dark god is still struggling to break free, but his great power has already been reduced to almost nothing. Grinning to herself, Kitsune pads up to his throne again and slips around next to one of his limp wings to examine the feathers. Now is the perfect time to initiate the second part of the plan: finding Anubis' treasure keep.

[Tenshi]

[.the distressed kitsune recoils in pain at the second wave of shots from the Magi after Shifter had spared her from the first group. She had not known the other magi in the hall had caught sight of her as well. Looking up to find the guards charging at her, the Kitsune spirit leaves the statue, having finished off the Mage below her. The statue however, continues to mimic its previously controlled form, allowing the Kitsune some time to seek a temporary sanctuary. Greatly weakened by the Magi, she manages to hold her invisibility while fleeing from the scene, and controlling the dragon statue, which would no doubt, be destroyed shortly. Swiftly using what was left of the slaughtered mage's spirit, she quickly feeds off its energy, using it to her own aid. She dares not seek refuge near her other two companions, for fear of revealing them as well. Instead, she remains cloaked by illusion, and lopes further down the hall, towards another unfamiliar room. If they somehow managed to follow her, hidden or not, at least she would be able to draw them away from the Throne room, and aiding their master.

Yet another spell is conjured from the fox, as she uses her own magic to get a reading of the general location of the invisible Magi. She could sense their energy sources, therefore pinpointing their positions in the air.

Even more spirits were summoned, (for there was a plentiful amount in the area,) and soon, the small room broke into all chaos. Several large serpent-like spirits fought close by the Throne room, slaughtering all that came near. These hostile creatures had been found slithering throughout the forest, and were always ready for a battle in which a meal was included. Now, they served in place of the guards, letting none pass, so as to keep the Magi and servants from aiding their master as well. However, they were strictly instructed not to harm the Nogitsune, for, as she bluntly informed them, there were worse things than death.
The dark wizards moved toward the last known placement of the Magi, conducting a spell of their own, as Tenshi instructed them to deal with these pesky magic makers. She would have their ashes for her own, if it took every last bit of her energy to get it.]

[Lt. Commander Miyu-Miyu]

(( Uuah! Gone for a weekend to see all this gonk But, I guess it doesn't affect me, so I shall go on with my uninhibited naive life. But I'll watch OOC with interest XD ))

Laxmi looked up, noticing for the first time that the sky was darkening. She sighed. It was hard for her to stay concealed at night, especially if there was a bright moon. She had-- luminescent-- tendencies due to her white fur and horn.

She'd lost track of the louder one of the two she'd been watching, but contented herself with keeping an eye on the second. She followed him, delicately picking her way through the foliage with amazing stealth for someone who seemed a bit ungainly. She stamped a hoof in frustration as he moved into a clearing. She had to settle for observing from the treeline.

[Kitsune]

((You also missed Leviathan's waking up. Maybe I'll wake him up again later on this week or something. >D))

The magi quickly fell to the attacking spirits. The two that remained, critically injured and bordering death already, made their way toward the heavy wooden doors at the end of the long hallway still cloaked by magic. Outside of it, they could hear the sounds of an impatient army waiting to get inside. Apparently, all the fighting and letting of blood had caught their attention. The magi cast a quick spell to unlock the heavy doors and open them wide since they haven't the physical strength to do it.

The charging guards had not noticed Tenshi leave the statue and so the mercilessly shatter it, scattering the pieces all around. When the attacking spirits continued their assault, even stronger than before, they realized that she must have gotten away somehow. They don't have time to think on it, however. Several of them are snapped up by the vicious serpent-like creatures and devoured armor and all. Anubis' guards stare at the creatures in horror, seeing that they are a greater threat than the wolves and wizards combined. Quickly turning toward the open doors, they seriously consider retreating until backup can arrive.

....

With the guards busy in the hall and the throne room empty of annoying magi, Kitsune weakens the magic keeping her scent from being detected. Grinning, she shifts into youko form and plucks a feather from the dark god's wing.

Yowling in pain, Anubis snaps his head around and glares daggers at the wall. His nose had caught a wiff of Kitsune herself and it both enraged and confused him. "You!? Show yourself!"

Kitsune chuckles softly and pulls her backpack around, pulling out the small vial filled with the concoction she had brewed up beforehand. Uncorking the bottle, she pours the elixer over the plucked feather and holds it up. The feather turns white and floats up into the air, twirling in place as it waits for a command. This feather will lead the way to his throne room since it has no doubt been there.

Turning to look back at Anubis, Kitsune drops her cloaking magic and grins. "Payback is a b***h, isn't it?" She steps around in front of him and smirks, "I've dreamed of seeing you like this ever since you so kindly told me that you were the cause of my suffering. But...this isn't enough." Her expression suddenly turns serious as her gold eyes narrow at the dying creature. "Seeing you slowly die was supposed to be satisfying, but...it isn't. It's rather disappointing, actually." She steps forward and grips the two braids hanging in front of his shoulders, being extra careful not to touch the throne or his actual body. "Yes...I won't be satisfied until your blood flows freely from your dead body." Cackling madly, she pulls her weight back on the braids, much to Anubis' dismay. With his body held fast in the throne and her pulling on his hair like that, it won't be long before either his hair rips free or his head snaps off. Unfortunately for him, it was the latter. The dark god's already weakened spine snaps as the skin and flesh tear away with a blood curdling sound, dousing Kitsune with blood and some unknown black substance. Anubis manages one last roar before his life slips away completely, the roar still echoing in the throne room above the rumbling thunder. The youko stumbles back a few steps as the severed head hangs from her hand by the braids, bleeding all over the floor and her feet. She blinks a few times and stares at the headless body still twitching on the throne. "This...this is..."

[Shifter]

Shifter drops his cloaking illusion as he focuses his chi in preparation for his next attack should the army break through the hallway early. Turning around in suprise at the sickening sound of tearing flesh and the loud death keel of the god, he looks from the roughly decapitated body to the severed head to the blood-drenched youko holding it. Blinking, he spends a moment just taking in Anubis' death before he finally has the mind to react. "Are you all right, Kitsune?" He had seen some nasty effects from exposure to the blood of the demon lord's minions and couldn't possibly guess what, if anything, would occur from being so close to that monster's death. He believed he was probably being paranoid but this world of death left him with a feeling of unease.

[Kitsune]

Kitsune had heard Shifter's voice, but she didn't understand his words at all. Her eyes were still focused on the body of the once mighty god, barely twitching now. "This is..." She takes an unsteady step to the side and rocks a bit on her feet, turning her head to look back at Shifter. At first his voice sounded distant and muffled to her ears, almost like she was underwater. Everything sounded that way. Shaking her head to clear it, she looks back at Shifter and growls, "This is...irritating my nose. His blood stinks. Keh..." She spits in disgust and turns away, her left eye twitching involuntarily. "Annoying even in death, eh, jackle."

She points at the feather floating in the air with her free hand. "That will lead us to his treasure room. We should get the stuff and get out of here before the guards overwhelm Tenshi." Her pupils shrink to tiny slivers as she turns her gaze toward the hallway, trying her best to keep everything in focus. "Are you going to stay behind to help her or come with me, Shifter?"

[Shifter]

"Just give me a moment.."

Shifter had planned on staying behind to keep the guards occupied and prevent them from breaching the defenses but Kitsune's obvious affliction from the fallen god's vile ichor demanded otherwise. He wasn't even sure she would be able to reach the treasure room under her own power any more, let alone fend off a division of demonic guardsmen should they find her.

Whipping around to face down the hallway at the breached gates and defending guards as most of his chi surfaces to the fore of his aura, Shifter takes a deep breath and mentally prepares himself as part of his focused chi begins to appear in front of him in a glowing sphere.

"Boryoku-tekihikari!"

He exhales the rest of the gathered chi into the sphere of energy as it shoots down the hallway and onto the celing near the entrance in an intense beam powerful enough to scorch the surrounding air. Working quickly with the precious time he would be able to maintain the attack but mindful of the raised spirits, he shreads the celing of the hallway around the entrance, melting the rock and supports above. Even if the entrance wasn't collapsed by the attack, forcing the army to delay its arrival by rushing to the next available entrance, he was sure that no one in their right mind aside from the golems would attempt to pass the pools of molten rock. In any case, he hoped Tenshi's task would have simplified at least briefly.

Having spent most of his spiritual energy in the past few attacks, he looks over at the awfully friendly looking scimitar lying next to the tattered mass that was the panther guard and walks over to take it as he changes into his youko form. Crouching slightly, he picks up the severed hand still clutching the handle in a death grip and slides it off with some effort before tossing it over his shoulder unceremoniously to land on the floor with a plop so he can hold the sword properly should the call arise.

((What does Anubis use for lighting in the castle? From this point in I am going to be sapping ki whereever I can. I would continue with this post but I think I have done enough for this move. ^_^; ))

[Kitsune]

((Lit torches provide 75% of the lighting in the palace. The rest comes from harmless (for the most part) glowflys or from passage ways that magically light up as you walk down them. The passage we'll use to get to the treasure room uses torches. The treasure room itself is one of those rooms that magically light up when someone walks in.

I'm gonna wait for Tenshi's next post before I make another one. I could post now, I know, but I have lots of studying to get back to so I'm gonna go now. Later!))

[Samantha Ralaey]

As Lara stared , perplexed, terrified, and curious all wrapped into one emotion, she never realized she was leaning out onto the end of the branch. Then, from out of nowhere, the branch snapped, and Lara found herself in one of those classic poitions with your feet hanging in front of your face. Her cheeks flushed bright red behind her fur, and she quickly straightened up, noticing a horse-like shape in the distance. She debated whether to call out, or not.

[Tenshi]

[.Tenshi pricks her frosted ears at the bloody sound of tearing flesh. She winced and recoiled, only hoping the large ripping sound was not of Shifter or Kitsune, though it sounded much too large to be either of them. Since the ravings of the godly beast ceased to persist, she assumed the task was complete, and Anubis lay slain within the Throne room. She stepped further out into the Hall to see what had happened to the ceiling, and grinned to herself as she spotted the molten rock. This surely would aid her in picking off the remaining defenders. Hopefully it had crushed a few already when the ceiling dropped.

Crouching invisibly in the doorway of her secret room, she mumbled a few inaudible words before attempting some fire magic, shooting fast, fiery balls towards the remaining Magi, hoping to scorch them to ashes. Knowing this attack would give away her position, she quickly moves to another spot in a room up the hall a bit, so if they moved where she was previously, they would pass her in the hall. Once in this new doorway to a room she did not know of, she crouched again, invisible to the eye, and scentless to all.]

[Kitsune]

Kitsune twitched a bit as she waited. The longer she is exposed to the awful smell of his blood, the stronger the urge to destroy something grows. As Shifter gathered up the energy needed for his attack, Kitsune silently steps toward the throne and stares at the body resting in it. The stones had long stopped functioning since they had sapped all of the power from the dead body. Her claws dig into the two braids still clinched tightly in her hand and she shuts her eyes. For some reason, she can't bring herself to drop the bloody head. Shuddering slightly, she flicks her tails and suppresses a low growl as she stares at the headless corpse. She can't help but wonder about this world, though. Without a ruler to dictate over them, what would the blood-thirsty army do? If left to their own devices it could prove devestating. But what can be done? Her ears twitch at the sounds of the battle going on in the hall and the sudden explosion. She turns to look at it with a slight grin.

Anubis' guards are losing now, thanks to the fact the magi are getting picked off by Tenshi's fireballs. The few that escape them end up caught off guard by dark wizards and destroyed. Without the magi's assistance, the regular brutes are simply no match against the enraged spirits. Kitsune slowly turns to look at Shifter again, her gold eyes half closed. "Nicely done. Nowhere else for them to go now."

Suddenly, the feather stops twirling in mid-air and turns its stem toward a narrow hallway almost hidden in the dark shadows. Glowing and emitting a loud whistling sound, the feather speeds off into the dimly lit passage, heading straight toward the treasure room. Without glancing back, Kitsune bolts off after it. "Let's go. The enchantment is starting to wane."

...

Back in the main hall, Anubis' guards are starting to fall back as their numbers fall dramatically. Without back up, the remaining forces are easily being overpowered and destroyed. The few that had managed to slip away from the fighting in a hasty retreat ended up crushed beneath a pile of molten rocks as Shifter's attack melted the ceiling. Outside the palace, four golems slowly make their way toward the palace entrance, streams of lava coursing like blood throughout their large, stony bodies. The molten rock barrier has no effect on them as they step through it and enter the hall, crushing several daemon wolves under their heavy steps. Unfortunately for the army waiting behind them, the heavy beasts unintenionally jarred several support columbs as they crossed the threshold. Once the last golem passes through, the rest of the ceiling gives away and blocks the entrance completely. The four golems pay the avalanche behind them no mind as they make their way straight for the threatening serpents guarding the throne room, crushing friend and foe alike beneath their fiery feet.

The army outside is forced to use a different route to gain entry to the palace and the delay will cost them dearly.

[Shifter]

Scimitar in hand, Shifter charges off after Kitsune attempting to absorb what energy he can from his surroundings along the way. He figured the remaining guards could be dealt with later if not avoided alltogether. She seemed normal enough to him now though he was wondering why she had bothered to keep Anubis' head. He didn't recall her taking such bloody trophies from her foes in the past.

[Tenshi]

[.the busy kitsune slips around from room to room, encouraged by the final defeat of the Magi. Though, she couldn't help herself--the white fox charged to where their ashes lay, and scooped up the black sand into a tiny golden pouch, drawing the string tightly, before tying it around her neck, and burying it in her fur. Sensing the heat from the Golems, she twirls around, just able to see the last beast cross the Molten rock, and cause another avelanche from the ceiling. She snarls a vicious order to the wizards beside the serpant creatures, ordering blizzards be concocted as soon as possible. The cold would no doubt not kill the Golems, for they were too powerful for a superficial snowstorm to hold them back, but it would surely slow them down at least. If the serpants could not hold them, at least this would slow.]

[Kitsune]

The golems stumble as the blizzard winds suddenly pick up, dousing the flames burning on the outside. Growling, the beasts dramatically lower the intensity of their own burning cores, causing the lava to retreat within them and their body temperature to lower. They have no qualm against carrying the snow on their stony shells since that would be easier than contending with melted snow water. Now appearing more like possessed snowmen than golems, they march on toward the end of the hall, crushing and beating any wizards, wolves, or other hostile creatures that come near to stop them. The golems then grapple onto the serpents guarding the throne room and attempt to crush them with their powerful grip. Thanks to the fact they're made out of stone, any bites the serpents may inflict will do little damage.

....

Kitsune races down the hall, ignoring the nagging pain in the back of her head as she tries to keep up with the feather. "I should have enchanted something a lot slower... like a boulder. Or at least something that could carry us around...like a carpet." She mutters a string of curses under her breath as the torch-lit hall grows larger and larger as they move deeper into it.

Suddenly, a large viper-looking serpent slides out from behind a corner, its red eyes beaming as venom drips from its fangs. This creatures is the guardian of the narrow passages and Anubis' treasure room. Kitsune slides to a stop and stares at it. "Ever dealt with one of these, Shifter?" Behind the serpent, the feather continues deeper into the passage, its glow growing fainter and fainter as it gains more distance.

[Shifter]

Spending most of his concentration on trying to replenish his chi while on the run, Shifter calmly stops behind Kitsune and only then notices the oversized serpent. Staring at the beast's large dripping fangs, he responds to Kitsune in an absentminded manner as he mentally repeats to himself that he will not be going anywhere near those fangs and almost certain lightning fast reflexes without some trickery available. "I have never seen one before. And with fangs like that I won't care for fighting it in my current condition." He smiles weakly, never letting the serpent out of his sight. "I think I will leave removing this guardian to any ideas you might have."