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...Injured with pain and sadness, the you that cannot be healed
Shoulder the burden of the past that cannot be erased; don't throw away your will to live...

Chaos was an entirely appropriate description of what he emanated. His sundered existence seemed to bristle in response to a chilling arrival, one that did not necessarily frighten him but to some extent captured his fascination insofar as he would express. Only slightly did he acknowledge her approach, scarcely turning his head a few degrees. He had permitted her residence more out of respect than charity, although it would suffice that previous encounters and...interactions had been enough to soften the mage up a bit.

"Yes, children...keep destroying them..."

He heard it (was he supposed to? He was never certain about his own senses any more) but made no remark, keeping his sights on the battlefield steady. His own children were embroiled in a senseless conflict with their visitors. The gargantuan minotaurs, the obsidian-skinned gargoyles, all leaping from their positions to meet their blood-ridden fates. Creatures of Magvel were not exactly his, but they were allies to him nevertheless, and the sight of them dropping to the sands one by one tempted him to turn his nose up. This, he did not do. He opted to endure the suffering that his abominable companions underwent.

"Isn't it great, the realm your alter personality has created? Surely you feel as well as I do the pure, unrestricted chaos attuned to both our forms, raveling around our souls as the finest threads, our own to control. It beckons us, pleads to us, calls upon us to wrap our hands around and guide like the ultimate puppet master. It's nothing short of amazing."

Amazing. Well, he couldn't take all the credit. There was something more at work here after all, something deeper, something far more refined and beautiful that churned beneath even these surreal surroundings. The mage remained as impassive and unmoved as ever. The enchantress did present a point: the experience was empowering. To finally be free, omniscient, indomitable, untouchable. At what cost? Every. Single. One. Of course, the many consequences faded in and out, but the benefits were far more constant.

The battle raged across the screens of his eyes, bathed in crimson and rose red. And that battle echoed into itself and produced the memory of another battle, and that one echoed into yet another, and that one into another, and another, and another, and another...

"I think it's about time I intervened. Monsters can only provide so much quintessence. And, the seals grow weak upon this mask. The time is nigh."

This time, he deigned to properly address her with his attention, observing as she mounted the ledge of the balcony.

"I really do thank you for your help, dear Soren. We will speak again."

And then she was gone, spirited off by her forbidden ambitions and impossible aspirations. The woman's reflection fell away from his eyes and into the bloodletting below. Soren found he was really rather fond of this figure, whether it was Vika, the enchantress, or both combined. Tragic figures spoke so clearly to him. And a smile tugged at his lips, teasing, compelling, beseeching. But he did not smile, denying even the godless Night the grace of his mirth.

"Yes," he whispered in tones unfathomable, reverberating down the planes of finest existence, "we will speak again."

Silently, Soren retreated into the tower behind him, stepping back cautiously as though he might suddenly stagger and collapse unconscious. Gradually his form entered the formless murk, blackness greedily swallowing away the further he went, ripping at the pieces of his discordant soul and gulping them down bit by bit. Soon he had completely vanished into the tower to mourn for the children who would perish.

They were getting nowhere with this.

There was a circle of corpses around Roy as he took a knee, his breaths fast yet shaky. His arms felt like iron weights. His legs felt like jello. His entire body screamed of exhaustion. But he couldn't stop here. Not now. There was someone waiting for them inside, and it wasn't just his father. They came here for Amara, after all. He knew there was precious little time left for the girl. The average adult human could go three days without water before they died, in normal conditions. This sure as hell wasn't normal conditions, and they sure as hell did not have an adult that was the victim here. They had to hurry.

He dove out of the away as a demon surge was sent towards where he was kneeling before, only to roll near a Gargoyle that was waiting for him to draw close. The young lord brought his sword up quickly to try to block, but the lance struck with a sweeping motion and the boy was sent flying back a bit, back towards the center of the circle of corpse. He slowly got back up to his feet, his traveller's cloak cut horizontally across the chest area. Gah, it had gotten him pretty good.

Arrows flew from all sides from the various skeletal monsters and the half-beast, half-horse creatures. He dodged as best as he could, but some arrows struck him. One in his shoulder, another in his left leg, a third had grazed his cheek.

"Gnnh!" he groaned, trying to stay on his feet.

The monsters were drawing closer. They weren't going to let him through without a few wounds, were they? He didn't have any intention of going down, not when he had come so far. Not when he had people waiting for him back in Eyris. Not when he had both his Mother and Father waiting for him in separate locations. He couldn't falter now. He could not.

They were closer now. He could hear the faint sounds of combat around him. The others were putting up a fight against the monsters. Well, if they could keep going, he certainly could too. The flames erupted once more around the SoS. He could hear the Gwyllgi growl at him, the fluttering of Mogall wings, the creaking of skeletal bones as they all drew near. The flames intensified. His resolution was made.

The young lord spun fiercely, the cloak kicking sand up everywhere, just as they prepared their attack to finish him. The sword spun with him, flames reaching out all around him. The concentrated flames struck the sand, creating glass. Glass spikes pierces the Gwyllgi that dared lunged at him as raw glass shards pelted the Mogall and skeletons. The flames had forced the lone gargoyle near him to back away to safety, though a long-range burst from the SoS put it out of commission too.

The young lord then took a knee, just as he heard a voice.

"I-Incoming...!"

Roy grit his teeth as he knelt in the center of the circle of glass spikes and monster corpses, looking up at the sky. Now what?!

It seemed as if the kidnapper had made her appearance at last.

Razevi fell like a hurtling bullet, but as she drew near the bottom of the spire wings flapped, slowing her descent, flipping her around so she would land gracefully. This wasn't her body, but she was tied into Vika's motor system enough that it was not hard for her to control the unfamiliar aviation systems. So she fell closer and closer to the ground until she paused, flapping wings in midair, staring at all of those below her who would wish to kill her. All this, for a child. Really? She would have applauded their camaraderie had they not stood directly in the path of her goals. However, she did not wish to kill them. There was already enough raw quintessence floating about for Bramimond to collect and refine later. But a war at the base of her fortress would hardly be conducive to the spells and rituals that would occur within. They had to leave now.

"Welcome, all!" she called to the bloodthirsty group below. She hovered a fair distance up, so that all could see her clearly but none could reach her with a direct weapon. "You've all been such a great aid to my quest. However, I think it's about time you all left." Her wings stopped flapping, and she fell to the ground below. She remained motionless, but fingers were wrapped tightly around the hilt of her sword, just in case.

Ganon was hanging back, air whipping around him as he manipulated the wind around them. Quite suddenly, wind swept up behind Roy and swirled around the Sword of Seals, swirling upward and carrying its flame on through the air with it! There was a certain chill radiating from the bard as he played a new kind of song he was struggling to master: offensive/supportive bardsong. This was bardsong that allowed him to manipulate his environment and support his teammates at the same time, but it was very difficult to maintain. At the moment, it was radiating energy into certain allies who were attuned to it, giving them a boost in combat.

The swirling wind he created began to carry flames from the sword and engulf the corpses that were advancing on the bard, setting them alight and boiling their flesh as he lunged away from their claws. He was panting as he sawed at his violin, fire swirling around him, carried on the air to protect himself.

[Fugue of Hailstorm: Increased Strength and Speed for Wind, Ice, and Thunder affinities.]

"Yes. I believe that was my request the first time. You see, I'm not quite finished with her yet. To give her back now would be...well, foolish. However, I applaud you for your effort in reaching here. You've already been a great assistance. I can let you leave peacefully now, or I can remove you myself. It's your choice, really." She pointed her own sword at Alihi, her expression almost mocking as masked eyes stared at her.

Shaking now,trembling,is a light all alone not a thing to heal the pain...it disappears

"I am not one to make threats" Ephraim spoke up from behind. Their goal was to bring back Amara..bring her back SAFE. If this..Vika wasn't going to give her back, then take her back by force is what they'll do.

"Unless we have Amara with us, none of us will be leaving. he extended his arms, noting all the people around them that were here for the little girl "Its a simple request, you want us gone? Give us the girl, We're not leaving anyhow" Yes, a very simple request. Needed her for something else? What could Amara have that this person needs?

The answer was the same. Ephraim shook his head, why was it always the hard way? "Not going to make this easy is she?" of course not, things were NEVER this easy in the first place.

Round 2 anybody?

((Craptastic post..whee~))

with no return, the memories flow all being swept away toward the end of this world