Welcome to Gaia! ::

For a brief moment, there was a pained look in his eyes, as Teira spoke.

Within his mind, he was stricken hard with the choice that had been made...she would force his hand, and what he had hoped would not come to pass...would inevitably be done.

"I offered you a choice. Don't say I never did..."

Ra'kar was locked with Teira, and he simply turned away from her now, oblivious or perhaps uncaring to the fact that she had tried to run him through just a moment ago.

"M'lady...we're done here...take her if you want-- but it's time to leave." His eyes glanced in the direction of a particular set of trees-- even as another bumbling idiot made his presence known (not that Victor couldn't tell there were several others in the area already). The sphere within his open hand would be crushed-- even as the source of the heavy pressure in the area would be revealed; on the forest floor itself, painstakingly carved within the earth-- was a single symbol.



As it alighted in flashes of black, crystalline formations would appear from the air slowly forming a tight radius around Victor, Ra'Kar, and her follower.

The symbol of the Forgotten One...carved into the very floor of the Dead Forest-- would serve as a catalyst to summon the cadre of Shade Pawns and Rooks that had been waiting for just this moment.

(5 Rooks, 10 Pawns)

Coming into being within the Forest floor, the Shades would immediately seek out and assault any living thing not associated with Victor.

The crystalline shards forming around Victor were a 'magic' of his own making, utilizing Murmillion glyph work, the structures would provide walls of force to shield them as he readied another glyph; one that would provide transportation to what was now above them all.

Eden.

Breaking free of the Void, and crossing over into the material plane that was Gaia, the ruined Isle was now floating several hundred feet in the air, above the Dead Forest. It could be seen for thousands of miles around, and blotted out the very sunlight itself from touching anything beneath it.

If I'm of no more use, then why make such a fuss? Why the false pretenses and ultimatums?!

Teira growled, shoving her weight against the demoness and driving her back a step as she yelled at Victor. His words spread a hot anger through her veins,

"Don't you DARE make this MY CHOICE. This is YOUR CHOICE. YOUR DOING! I DON'T WANT THIS! AND IF YOU DON'T WANT IT EITHER THEN STOP!"

As he walked away, her whole being bristled with anger as she shouted louder,

"COWARD!"

With a snort, Ra'kar was suddenly a lot harder to move. That one step she took back would be the only ground Teira would gain. The demoness, still holding Teira's sword in a bind, released it suddenly and knocked it to the side, leaving the shadowling open.

Aelael Thosi made a stab at her unguarded torso--

Anyone with less skill would have been disarmed with such a maneuver, but Teira held on and used the momentum of her own body and brought her left leg up around in a kick, balanced by her extended sword arm.

- WHAM! -

Teira's boot caught Ra'kar in the arm, just above the elbow, but even as it caused her to grunt-- her sword found the shadow's leg and swiped viciously across an unprotected area on her thigh with a stinging hiss.

"HGNN!"

It hurt. She might not have a mortal body, but she still felt pain-- but that pain only drove her harder. Something dark flickered to life behind those big doll-like eyes and as her leg came back, bleeding inky black all down it. She had recovered her balance, and a nick like this was trivial compared to the pain she'd be in if she'd taken a gut wound.

The demoness likely knew that she wouldn't die. And so she knew that Ra'kar would not be gentle in trying to incapacitate her.

That woman wants me to go to Eden for whatever end, she doesn't care how she gets me there or in what shape!

Ra'kar grinned and as if she knew what Teira was thinking,

"The fact that you must come is non-negotiable. The condition in which you arrive is up to you my little dancer."

And this was punctuated with with a diagonal slash that drove Teira back. She was pushing her back, a large boulder behind her would effectively corner her and it was at the edge of the clearing so there was enough undergrowth that would make flitting off into the air difficult. Besides, Ra'kar too had wings and would not allow her prey to escape.

Teira who had been trained to be aware of her surroundings could see what the demoness was doing and growled in frustration as she dropped and dove, rolling to the right, coming up in a guarded crouch, putting the rock to her side instead of her back. If she could skirt around the demoness, she'd be back in an open area.

But it was then that she noticed what Victor was doing-- He drew the sigil and just like that, they were swarmed. They looked like shadows--- but she WAS shadow and she would be able to tell if they were. They didn't feel like any shadow she'd ever felt. Whatever they were, they and she were not the same--

And then she saw the faces. That haunting, single eye. They looked like smaller lesser versions of Mr. Omikron and that thing that her Nii-chan was fighting...

It was the latter comparison that made her chest feel tight.

She caught glimpses of a few more of the people peeking into the clearing now, one she recognized from HoH. They'd talked briefly when they'd arrived at the hotel hadn't they? But what had he said? She couldn't remember--- He was the captain of another team, but one they hadn't fought. She didn't know him or why he was here, it was possible he was a foe?

Rain came tumbling through and it was all she could do, to suppress a groan. She'd been informed that he no longer wished to kill her, but if he saw her here, with them-- who knew how long THAT would last.

Another--- she was pretty sure she'd seen him too. A spiky orange haied fighter...

But her inventory was somewhat comforting. Everyone present, was a fighter. If they were an enemy, that could prove bothersome, but if they were innocent of all this-- then at the very least they weren't defenseless and she didn't have to worry about protecting anyone... did she?

Are they capable of handling this?

"Stop worrying about everyone else Princess, you can't save them if you're dead!"

Ra'kar's blade glittered as it cut the air dangerously close. It was enough to startle Teira back into action--

She was on her feet in a flash and her own blade sought to take a bite out of the demoness' shoulder, but as her arm extended, she felt the sharp metallic bite of a weapon all too familiar to her.

The demoness' tail wrapped around Teira's wrist, a tail spine similar to the shadow's biting into any bare flesh that was not protected by her bracers. But the intent was not to injure so much as it was to snare.

Teira's own tail lashed out to strike at Ra'kar across the face, but her sword was there to meet it and so it wrapped around that instead, leaving both their weapons snared in a mirror image.

And like a reflection of one another, each of their free hands shot across the small distance between them. But instead of grabbing one another's throats, Ra'kar had anticipated the action and instead grabbed Teira's hand with crushing force, twisting it an awkward angle.

"They are going to die anyway, what difference does it make if it happens sooner than later?"

Teira, tried to twist her hand free and was rewarded with a sickening crack as the demoness twisted two of her fingers.

- Crrack! -

"NNGGGHHN!"

They would heal easily enough, but the pain was quick and severe. It was then that she noticed the crystalline forms circling and she realized what was happening.

Ra'kar had attached herself to Teira so that when she left, Teira would be taken along for the ride. She had a brief moment of panic which she swallowed quickly.

The demoness merely laughed.

"Ahh, now you realize.

What? Don't give me that look. You wanted answers didn't you? You want to do something don't you? Then you would have found yourself at Eden's gates in the end."

Silently she reached out to Sali, a brush of the mind that let the elemental know it was time to leave.

Ra'kar turned slitted eyes and glanced from Rain to Kain with a sneer on her lips as she practically purred. She outmatched Teira in strength and the shadow's body, while not mortal, was far more fragile than her own. The demoness held her firmly even as the shadowling twisted and strained against her grip, her efforts of course in vain.

"Well, well. Kain and Rain too? With my little 'token' from Meria it's almost as if the team is back together, how sweet."

She laughed and regarded Rain with amusement.

"Let her go and fight you? Surrender my prize? For what? You're useless to me. You have nothing I value... where in that punch drunk head of yours, do you surmise that you are even close to her worth that you dare to address me so?"

She watched as the shades seized him and tossed her hair over shoulders with a pitying shake of her head.

Only a few moments afterwards, the tank would drop the the ground as he took a powerful jumping side kick to the head.

Alright, alright! When in Ichigo's body, think like Ichigo.

At least, that went as far as helping others out. When it came to how he did it, Kon was going to think for himself.

"ALRIIIIIGHT!" he shouted, his fist pumping, "Come on you slimy little shadow-puppets! Now you're gonna deal with the one and only KARAKURA KIIINNGGG!!!!"

He struck a ridiculous pose and, only visible to the audience, Kon's fighting spirit manifested in the form of a giant stuffed lion assuming the same pose.

...

Damnit! This really ISN'T as good without Don Kannonji and those kids! I need some wingmen!

He looked to Rain and Kain.

"Hey, you guys! Don't just let 'em take you down like that! That lady in there's fighting her own fight, isn't she? You think she'll like seeing you guys get hurt trying to---"

A Shade Pawn charged Kon in mid sentence, trying to run him through with a short black sword made of a shadowy substance.

Eh?

Spinning on the ball of his heel, Kon's left arm made contact with the outside of the charging arm as he turned, moving him out of the line of attack as he delivered a spinning back kick to the Pawn's side, sending it tumbling back.

"Lemme finish, you jerk!" The modsoul sighed. "Ahh, screw it! Just kick their asses already!"

With Kon able to tap into the larger potential of Ichigo's body, he wasn't useless against the Shades. Now that Victor was gone to Eden and Ra'Kar was fighting Teira, Kon had at least enough strength to handle these smaller shades.

And so did Rain and Kain.

Hopefully, if Kon's message got through to them, their morale against the Shades would increase Teira's morale against Ra'Kar.

With the various extra senses present in Gaians it couldn't be said that Kael fully expected to remain unnoticed in his cover, but certainly no traditional sight was going to pick Kael out from the clearing- not until, as if on cue, he stepped out and forward after the shadow and the demon's blades struck.

Steel against steel was not something to be idly overheard.



For an armored man marching on the congregation in bold stride, the figure looked the part of neither the savior nor the destroyer- plain and unadorned plates, dull and steely, covered the body, and where openings were left for flexibility heavy leather could be seen. There was no cloak, no crest, and even the helm was nothing more than a plain steel dome with mask obscuring all but a small, slitted view of the eyes. Next to the pristine garb of the forces of Eden on the scene it was downright dreary, dreadful, and the mud-spattered boots almost obscene.

Appearances were worth even less than any thousand words at the moment though. The wheels were in motion.

I've been holding off, playing cautious this whole time...

They danced the bloody dance, nimble limbs and flashing blades in their superhuman grace urging on his stride, the shadow soldiers and their titans already materializing by the time the unidentified armored figure stepped into this clearing that housed the chaos.

While initiative has been the only thing in my favor.

One shadow was cast, greater than all the living ones together, swallowing the stage in a wall of foreboding. His head rose in that instant of respite, light shining off red eyes slowly blotted out. Land swept down and they all grew to insects, caught within that shadow, rushing up and up throw open air to show them shrinking beneath until it climbed to heights of the shadow above.

An island in the sky.



His head dropped to level again quickly. The shades were swarming in each direction, and while two rooks and five pawns remained unaccounted for in the mass collecting right by Ra'kar and Teira's side, they weren't all rushing Kael at once, not with that tasty target, the confusion, and the rest of the area to at least sweep and make sure was empty right now. A single Rook and two of the lesser shades made an advance on him, smaller forms leading, but even as his stepped forward his attention was elsewhere. Fitted past the creatures to the mass surrounding the dueling elves, unable to touch them, burning feeling rising in his gut as it became more clear what was going on.

She seemed trapped, separated and locked in place. For a moment they both looked immobile to Kael. Teira seemed helpless, cut off and trapped, but slowly he started to connect the pieces.

"Caged so easily, little bird!?"

A strong voice, obscured by the helm but still booming out to rise with the rest of the clatter- with some composure trying to force itself just high enough to match the rest of the din, to reach one set of sensitive ears. It was bitter in tone, sharp and almost mocking, though it'd be impossible to match that to the frustrated baring of teeth and snarling as his shoulders and head came forward and he ducked and darted. Right at the first shade approaching him and to the side, moving by as heavy fists flew at the armor and clattered off, forcing him to stumble to one side and slowing him, but failing to make direct contact or take hold. The Pawn turned around to pursue him as he darted by, directly at the next.

The cogs were turning.

"Stopped like nothing- what happened to that ferocity!?"

The emphasis lay heavy on the last word, urgency picking up as he raised his right arm ahead of his head like a shield, charging the next pawn. Fists flew and this time they solidly thudded off, adding new scrapes and small dents to his breast plate, and a dull, throbbing pain under a larger indent into the plate over his forearm. He didn't stop moving though, instead slamming his right shoulder directly into the Pawn and stopping dead against it's mass. Frozen for a moment, until with a spatter of thick black liquid and some thrashing his knife, drawn with his left cleanly off his back, thrust up into the creature's large red eye and twisted, his body pivoting as he pushed the head backward and forced it to the ground, stepping past and pulling the knife back out, returning it to it's sheath just in time to stumble backward from a massive fist lashing out at his head. His heels dug in, trapped as the first Pawn closed in on him from behind. The massive Rook swung it's monstrous hand again-

Just hoping she was hearing.

"FLY FREE!"

His right hand clasped the hilt of the long sword at his side and carried in an arc outward and upward like a spreading wing, hard steel sound crying out as it struck the hulking shade's armor-like flesh and the sword and fist flew off course harming no more than each other. He rotated on the balls of his feet, spinning and finishing the motion, lashing out and downward ahead of himself from where the sweep had left it, lashing out at the Pawn's head. This shade's arm showed some actual sign of injury as it was forced backward by the blow, still well functional.

You'll have to understand it. That's all I can offer you right now-

He backed up rapidly, maneuvering to keep the shades from pressing him between them again, well aware that he'd have to kill one or both quickly or else he'd have more than he weather at once falling in on him. Even then, the single Rook was going to be dangerous enough for him- he was only lucky the thing was without the massive blades they usually whipped about one handed or his only advantage would have been in it's favor instead.

I can't fight with you if you won't fight!

Implacable, perfect machines and very nearly perfect soldiers, the shades fell in on him again without hesitation, following after the armored swordsman without giving him time to catch his breath. He still hadn't managed to get as close to the rest as he'd wanted, bit it was a start at least.

You're going to have to help yourself out of this one, or it could well end right here.

His left hand joined his right on the hilt, and somewhere hidden inside the helm, the edges of his mouth began to draw upward.

Teira could hear them, what they were saying. She wanted to yell at Rain, to tell him that she'd be okay, she'd decided to live and this wasn't going to change that decision. In fact it only strengthened her will.

But she couldn't spare the words right now as all her attention was turned on her enemy. There was no running from the past-- and while Teira wasn't Sierra, she had seemingly inherited her enemies.

Well that makes sense I guess, why have all this fighting ability and nothing to fight? Heh.

"You--"

If Teira were mortal, she'd probably be panting and heaving, having to collect herself and catch her breath, but she was spared that. Instead she braced herself against the inevitable pain that was going to accompany this little trick.

"--haven't earned--"

She straightened and brought her head up to look Ra'kar in the eyes, her whole body emanating contempt as she went rigid.

"--THE RIGHT, TO LOOK SO DAMN SMUG!"

Her tail released Ra'kar's sword so suddenly, that the demoness barely had time to ready a block.

Except Teira had no intention of attacking the other woman. Instead her tail turned in on hersel, like a wild animal who would gnaw their own limb off to escape a snare-- the vicious blade at the end, sliced easily through her delicate hand below where the demoness held her and above where her bracers protected.

-SHLP!-

"HRRRRRRAAAGGHHHH!" She shrieked in pain even as she jerked her injured arm back into her body. If Ra'kar sought to regain a hold on her, the tail would turn on her with more viciousness than she'd just inflicted upon herself.

But Ra'kar still had her tail wrapped around her other wrist and she knew that weapons such as the tail spine were equal parts armour, lest they had the appendage severed. Instead a twisted smile crept onto her pained face as she laughed...

Kael! Tch! I swear I'm going to smack you after all this is over!

She screamed in her head with frustration even as she continued to laugh aloud. She could see clearly what he was hinting at. But there were a couple of problems with flying away--

Her enemy had wings. The SAME wings. And not only that... As long as Ra'kar had hold of her, she was effectively earthbound.

She had to shed her anchor.

Tendrils of shadow flame erupted from the blade and licked outwards in both directions. It wound down the blade, twining around her wrist and spreading to the demoness' tail. Where the tail was protected, it could not burn, but it seared the tip and followed along it's length traveling toward her body.

She WOULD let go. Or for the first time, the b***h was going to learn what it felt like to be burned.

"You little--! TCH!"

She bit off a curse as the shadowling half freed herself in a move that she hadn't anticipated, but should have.

She's crafty, no questioning that. The question is, can her potential be harnessed? Or is she simply a threat that needs destroying?

But Ra'kar still had firm hold of her. She was going nowhere.

But the demoness eyes widened in alarm as the black and violet tinted flames licked towards her. They washed over her tail and the tip which was partially uncovered burnt like kindling 'causing her to shriek in unfamiliar pain.

"NNNGGRRRAAH!"

She had to make a choice. Let go or hang on and chance the flames?

Her eyes bled malice and fury as she seethed at Teira who was smiling at her in cold satisfaction.

No flame should be able to harm me! What is the meaning of this?!

"Oh... Does it hurt?"

Teira asked with a smirk, knowing full well that it hurt and was about to hurt a whole lot worse.

The flames licked closer and she was a fraction of a second away from releasing her when

- CRACK! -

Tellus struck from behind and it was Ra'kar's turn to smile in satisfaction. Her Synmalthin. Her lover. Her pet. And a failsafe.

Teira's eyes went impossibly wide as the elemental weapon struck her in the worst possible place in the back of the head and light energy crackled through her being in a kind of pain she'd never fathomed.

"ARRRRRRRRRGGHHHHHHHHH!!"

It sent a jolt through every vein, every limb in a blistering, burning pain that seared itself into her mind until all she could see was the blinding white of light. Her knees were the first thing to give out as she could feel her body closing down. Completely breaking down in places...

As her legs went out from under her, refusing to work, she managed to catch herself on her sword, stabbing it into the earth and leaning heavily upon it as she fought to remain as upright as possible.

But she couldn't see. There was nothing except the blinding white of a light so hot even her mind recoiled from the searing pain.

For a moment her flames fanned, lashing out angrily as the pain was fueled directly into them, feeding them. But as she lost control of her body, so too thoughts failed and without concentration-- there was no fire. They dimmed and flickered out of existence.

'How?! Wha--'

Cracks spread outwards from the point of impact to show glimpses of that unholy light penetrating and corrupting her internally.

Fighting to hang on, she could only shriek in agony until finally the white hot light ebbed away and her world went dark as she toppled over, laying face down in the soft moss of the forest floor as inky black pooled around her, bleeding from the wound.


As the flames fanned, they licked across Ra'kar's side in a painful heat that until now, had been foreign to the demoness. An avatar of flame, what was happening should have been impossible! But where the flames touched she was burnt and singed. Thankfully the fire died quickly and she stood there, slightly blackened and shaking in a combination of pain and fury.

Shaking off the shock of being burned, even as her mind continued to seethe in outrage at the offense.

It is simply unforgivable.

"HOLD."

She glared down at the collapsed shadow. Even the sight of her felled and in agnoy could not erase the fury that she felt at this moment. She would pay. Ra'kar would see to it that she paid dearly.

She began to laugh and turned to Tellus.

"Beautifully executed pet, I am well pleased."

She would extend her hand to her and pull her into her good side, kissing her hard on the lips and nipping lightly. A small hint of the pleasures to come. Ra'kar would let her pet experience her pleasure in the flesh and not simply mere words. But first thing was first, drawing back from Tellus' lips she asked as her eyes flicked to the gateway Victor had opened.

"Can you carry her?"

Teira was taller than Tellus but her shell was light and Tellus, as she had just proved... was no weak thing.