ENDLESS JOURNEYS (O/A)

[Rikki Tikki Travi]

When no response came, Alec surmised that the local fauna didn't have reason enough to risk their lives for the Dragon-kin. He knew there was one last thing he could try, but it was going to anger Kerana something fierce. Better angry than dead, he thought.

He balled his left hand into a fist, save for his small finger. With his right hand he reached into his pouch and produced a dagger he used for defense when they first started their project. He placed his left hand into the dirst and said, "Mother Earth, Terra, Gaia, and all names that you have recognised...I beg of you to accept my sacrifice. By my flesh and blood...please lend your children's aid to these people."

With one swift motion, he dug the tip of the dagger into the soil and dragged it through his small finger, severing it and spilling blood onto the ground. He bared his teeth and graspaed his left wrist, dropping the dagger. As the beast that was approaching them was joined by two others, he prayed for Kerana's safety.

Sil raised her right "hand" and reached out to Trinity's face in a tender manner. But before her deadly digits could make contact the stone shards in her chest cavity bdgan to sink deeper into her body until they could no longer be seen.

Her eyes became concerned, and them terrified. Her claws began to desolve and turn to smoke started from the tip.
She raised the tentacles that made up her left arm and they were doing the same. She then lost her balance and fell on her steadily dissipating elbows and knees. She looked up at Trinity with her silver eyes one last time, and then they were overtaken by the disease. Her mind was given to the madness caused by the stone's corruption.

Ger voice would've rattled the walls, had there been any. Her body evaporated before Trinity's eyes, but the smoke did not disperse. Rather, it began to gather into a maelstrom of darkness. It hovered a foot off the ground and collected itself until the storm subsided into a malevolent cloud. From within the dark collective of fog pierced two yellow orbs. They were her eyes.

"Come, Trinity, contemplate your life as you gaze into the abyss." the cloud echoed.

From within it's shadows erupted five shadow tendrils.
Two for Trinity's arms, two for her legs, and one for her neck. The dark essence of Silhouette was going to slowly drag Trinity into an inescapable void of eternal darkness.

Kerana

PixelMuse

Nova Blancke

 

[PixelMuse]

Trinity’s guard was down as Sil reached out to her in a tender manner. She felt as though she was doing the right thing by shattering the stone and thought that this was her way of forgiving her. But she never felt the touch on her face, something happened. Trinity backed away watching what was happening to Sil. Dear gods… what have I done …. At the sound of her voice she covered her hears but got the sense of what she said.

Then before she knew it her arms, legs and neck were being pulled into an even deeper void. “No. It is you that needs to contemplate your life embodiment of dark serenity. If I hadn’t known better I’d say you are the one who is the embodiment of dark chaos” she continued to struggle. Trinity had sought for answers elsewhere after praying to Umbra turned out to be a bust. She only found that Umbra had a daughter and a son. They didn’t know their names but knew the daughter was serenity and the son was chaos. That day she concluded that she may have been visited by Umbra’s son. She was hoping that the sibling rivalry was strong enough to reach her.

[ EDITED ]  

[BeaMichelle]

Nova Blancke

Like before in the coliseum the sky began to darken as clouds quickly gathered. Lightning struck the beast closest to him.

"Sorry, I was....disconnected. What happened?"

Keleth paused for a moment and gawked at Nova. She'd heard stories about Nova from her elders, but it was something else to actually witness it.

She shook the awe from her mind and replied, "The wiggling arms are gone and now we have these big cat things to deal with. What the Hell are they? That ine you scorched just, like, skipped and avoided my hammer.  

[Nova Blancke]

"Displacer beasts. They play tricks on your senses appearing where they are not. Their footprints and sounds give away their real location. If that's too hard to focus on...well...just trash their surroundings in one go." Nova responded.

He was using more mana than before to maintain himself. He needed his armor.  

[Koori no Kitsune]

Nova Blancke

"Displacer beasts. They play tricks on your senses appearing where they are not. Their footprints and sounds give away their real location. If that's too hard to focus on...well...just trash their surroundings in one go." Nova responded.

He was using more mana than before to maintain himself. He needed his armor.

Rikael and his trusty steed and friend Faerun, we're flying in the sky, His pure white hair whipping around his face, even though it's in a ponytail high on his head and his loose, white, long sleeved shirt whipping around as well. His dark brown pants encased legs gripped tighter to the Pegasus's side as he turns it slightly, his dark brown boots flexing in the stirrups. Faerun's powerful, and unique white that faded into black at the tips wings propel them through the air at a nice speed, his muscles working along with his rider to keep them balanced as it's pure white coat reflects the sun a little.

Rikael looked around, his milky, violet eyes scanning the horizon as they fly in the general direction of the town that they found on their map. While flying, Rikael notices something odd in the distance, and letting his natural curiosity come out to play, turns Faerun towards it and pulls his lance off of his back, getting it ready just in case, having learned his lesson a long time ago about not being ready.

As they near, he starts to notice the dark sky around them, cursing silently at himself for not noticing it before and can see that the group he was seeing was a couple of people surrounded by rather big cats. He doesn't remember what the creatures are called, but knows that they're dangerous. He takes a few moments to pick out one of them, then flies up into the air, about 20 feet up and then angles down, having Faerun dive towards the beast he had chosen as his target. As they near, he tightens his grip on his spear and thrusts forward as his mount smashes it's hooves into the beast, smashing it into the ground. His spear sinks into the beasts side silently as Faerun stomps into it again, before he yanks the weapon out of the beast and makes his mount jump into the air again and back over the beasts. As they land, Faerun neighs a challenge at the beasts, flaring his wings out in an intimidating manner as Rikael stands in his saddle, readying his spear with a fierce look in his milky violet eyes. The beasts snarl and turn towards the two of them, seeing them as the current threat as the pegasus snorts at them.  

[Rikki Tikki Travi]

Kerana

Kerana looked to Alec as he started the incantation “Alec, wait… what are you doing? No. Stop.” Then Alec does it any way as if she hadn’t she hadn’t said anything.

This irked her so much. Her hands curled up into fists, “How! DARE YOU!” Her eyes were glowing with a tinge of yellow, her body was in flames there was a wave of telekinesis with every step leaving a small crater and an invisible dome that would repel anything that came near her. Trees bent away as well as all plants. “After all of this time. I thought you knew me, I thought you’d understand! How dare you make such a sacrifice! I treated you as more than a guardian, but a close friend. I thought I would be more than just some helpless charge! How helpless is this!” She held her hand out thrusting Alec against the closest wall rendering him unconscious. She picked up the severed finger. She let go of the fire and telekinesis, approached him and attempted to heal the finger back onto his hand. Why did you have to do this? You couldn’t try summoning something else? There are so many options we could of considered together. Why did you do this?

Alec barely had time to put his arm up before he was thrown backwards against a wall. He couldn't believe it. Never did he expect she would attack him like that. He supposed that's what would happen with no fear. The silent contemplation was short lived, however, as his mind faded into black.

Much like before, his wolf spirit didn't take kindly to being pushed to the forefront by the pup being rendered unconscious.

A wind kept the finger from being reattached. Another wind lifted Alec's body back into a standing position. His lids snapped open to reveal eyes that were not his own.

"Ignorant Child!" boomed the voice of Zephyr. "Though the pup has always had you first in his mind, he is performing his duty vastly beyond what is required of him, beyond you. Helpless, he prayed you'd have to courage to safely care for the two of you in his weakened state. In this instance, he is not just your guardian, but the guardian of this land's people."

In response to the new flying, spear wielding threat, the creature produced dozens more displacer beasts. But those who were sensitive to it could feel something else coming.

Zephyr easily dispatched the beasts that were closing in on Kerana's position with but a motion of his arm. He looked down at her and motioned all around them. "Look, Kerana. See what your beloved's sacrifice, and love, has brought forth."

Nova Blancke

Kerana

 

[Rikki Tikki Travi]

PixelMuse

Then before she knew it her arms, legs and neck were being pulled into an even deeper void. “No. It is you that needs to contemplate your life embodiment of dark serenity. If I hadn’t known better I’d say you are the one who is the embodiment of dark chaos” she continued to struggle. Trinity had sought for answers elsewhere after praying to Umbra turned out to be a bust. She only found that Umbra had a daughter and a son. They didn’t know their names but knew the daughter was serenity and the son was chaos. That day she concluded that she may have been visited by Umbra’s son. She was hoping that the sibling rivalry was strong enough to reach her.

Silhouette's mind raced in response to Trinity's words. She suddenly remembered what her brother had done. The stone, her body, and his mad cackling.

But her motivation wasn't swayed, just her actions. She held Trinity aloft and rumbled, "You're words fall on mostly deaf ears, girl. The two of you must've conspired against me. As I am, I can do nothing to him, but you can. If I cannot have your life, I will have your body."

The abysmal mist that comprised Sil's body slithered into every orifice in Trinity's head, but then she felt something block her. No, not just blocked, but repelled!

With a blinding flash, and a deafening screech, Silhouette dropped Trinity and swirled out and away from her.

"NO! How is this possible? How has your light-"

Then it hit her. She had given the girl a shadow that only served to amplify her light. Sil had given Trinity a light powerful enough to repel her.

"NO! NOOOO!!! DAMN YOOOU!!! DIIIIIIIE!" the Ancient bellowed as she launched countless tendrils at Trinity.  

[PixelMuse]

Her words only proved that she was wrong. That she knew very little about this realm and the creature that has trapped her in here. As she felt her proceeding to take her body, she squirmed and struggled wondering how would she get her out.

Suddenly she was back out she was able to breath easier like a chest cold had cleared up. Then she watched as Silhouette gotten frustrated with herself. That’s when she knew, “The darker the shadow. The brighter the light. It was you.”

The tendrils of darkness wrapped around her body before she could react. She struggled to break free while in her grasp. She stopped for a moment and closed her eyes just as one of the tendrils covered her face. There was something that prevented Silhouette from taking my body. The darker shadow. The brighter the light... thinking about it caused her body to glow. It was her holy energy she did not transform. In a burst of light she freed herself from the tendrils that once held her so tightly. Her glowing green eyes looked to her. “Look… you given me something that has greatly enhanced my dormant ability to take down the darkness. You had a reason to do this. You used to believe in this cause and now you wish to destroy it. What will you gain, what will you lose if I should fail?”  

[Rikki Tikki Travi]

PixelMuse

“Look… you given me something that has greatly enhanced my dormant ability to take down the darkness. You had a reason to do this. You used to believe in this cause and now you’re now you wish to destroy it. What will you gain, what will you lose if I should fail?”

Silhouette's eyes became violently manic. "It does not matter any longer! I will kill you, and the Necromancer can do what he wants! All will be consumed! This world will die! You shall witness all you hold dear burn from the realm of the dead!"

With one last piercing screech, the mass of darkness that was Silhouette lunged at Trinity. The creature no longer feared the girl's light. She was beyond reasonable fear.
There was only hatred. She was determined to swallow the girl and cast her into the endless dark, where no light could possibly exist.  

[Rikki Tikki Travi]

Kerana

“Tell him he doesn’t have to worry about protecting me anymore, just focus on the people. I can take care of myself. Something I’m sure he’ll struggle to believe considering his recent sacrifice.” At that the fox girl walked off not worries about the beasts that surround her. She cast a cloaking spell invisible to those around her including Zephyr.

Zephyr sighed. The girl may be invisible, but her scent, and her body's disruption of the winds, let him know exactly where she was. He held Alec's finger up to the sky. It turned to a fine dust and became one with the four winds. He hoped the girl would take the time to see what was about to happen.

Alec's dispursed essence called to the beasts of the Dragon-kin lands.

Nova Blancke

Kerana

 

[PixelMuse]

Rikki Tikki Travi

Silhouette's eyes became violently manic. "It does not matter any longer! I will kill you, and the Necromancer can do what he wants! All will be consumed! This world will die! You shall witness all you hold dear burn from the realm of the dead!"

With one last piercing screech, the mass of darkness that was Silhouette lunged at Trinity. The creature no longer feared the girl's light. She was beyond reasonable fear.

There was only hatred. She was determined to swallow the girl and cast her into the endless dark, where no light could possibly exist.

Trinity tried to channel her holy energy to her glaive but that wasn’t working but her whole body was glowing. Instead she ducked hit the sickly yellow glowing area. One could see the impact of holy light placed in that region causing her to fall. She then rushed up and thrust her fist in her upper back causing Silhouette to thrust toward the ground. Her other hand caught her by the neck and a glowing, finely ornate chocker appearered burning Silhouette’s neck. This was not Trinity’s doing but the goddess within her eyes were glowing white. Understanding her intentions they spoke in unison. “By the Light you are sealed in the Realm of Shadow until the Prophecy of Shattered Darkness is fulfilled.”  

[Rikki Tikki Travi]

PixelMuse

Trinity tried to channel her holy energy to her glaive but that wasn’t working but her whole body was glowing. Instead she ducked hit the sickly yellow glowing area. One could see the impact of holy light placed in that region causing her to fall. She then rushed up and thrust her fist in her upper back causing Silhouette to thrust toward the ground. Her other hand caught her by the neck and a glowing, finely ornate chocker appearered burning Silhouette’s neck. This was not Trinity’s doing but the goddess within her eyes were glowing white. Understanding her intentions they spoke in unison. “By the Light you are sealed in the Realm of Shadow until the Prophecy of Shattered Darkness is fulfilled.”

Silhouette shrieked in pain as she was brought to the ground. She couldn't fathom what was happening. Trinity's light had actually managed to not on pierce but also grip the shapeless mass the ancient had become.

She writhed and thrashed in an attempt to free herself, but the Godess' power had trapped the creature. An ornate glyph appeared beneath her and released chains of light that bound Silhouette. It burned to no end, but she wasn't actually being damaged by the light. She howled in rage as it finally sank in: she was going to be bound and tortured until someone freed her.

Her eyes looked deep in to Trinity's as she mewled, "Mark my words, Trinity! One day another like you, a woman who walks the shadows, will find me and free me! When that day comes, I will find you, or whatever descendents you may have spawned, and they will suffer endlessly for what you have done to me!!!"

With the last of her strength, she forced what shadow beasts she could manage into the dragon-kin lands. The great wyrm that had emerged from her transformation began to ungulate and convulse as it screeched it's final cry. It arched and fell to the ground in a great heap. It didn't take long for it to begin evaporating in the daylight.

However, the monsters that Silhouette had released in her final act of revenge joined in with the displacer beasts and attacked any living thing that wasn't of the shadows.

Zephyr sprung into action and engaged the enemy with great blasts of wind that sliced, spun, and threw them.

He felt the ground rumble beneath his feet. He looked to the volcano and saw that it had become...angry. Great molten boulders burst from it's core and launched to the battle. In what could be seen as a tactical strike, the boulders impacted on only the shadow creatures. Once they had settled for a few seconds they began to stir. The boulders fell apart, and the pieces of them began to take the shape of wolves.

Zephyr went to the ground on all fours and howled. The charred and blackened wolves howled in response and spread out to attack the shadow beasts. Alec's prayers had been answered. The Volcano had brought forth Cinder Wolves in response to his sacrifice.