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"Heh," Lucind grinned, directed towards Sunstrike," I wish I had some rum left - 'cause this here won't be...nice. Everybody hold on to something...anything...but hold on tight!"

With that, she slowed down the car a wee bit (and it was to be hoped that the magical speed enhancement, which the Siren didn't notice as such, wasn't going to interfer with her using the brake) to then yank the steering wheel around, guiding the hummer in a sharp right turn off the road.

This maneuver would result in even more discomfort - not to mention the potential bruises coming from itself - since the car was then racing along an area which was anything but paved.

The question of interest, though, was: was there any change in the rift's direction?

Maximos cringed.

Digusting...

He lipped in silence, it was some sort of many many legged spider tree being. It had wooden branches for legs and all sorts of vermin living in its long leafy branches. Whatever world it was from, Maximos wished he never had the displeasure of meeting it.

It seemed this book not only had fauna, it had flora! And more so, now over half way through Maximos began to recognize that the annotation near the title of each entry, was a dimension!

Lilicore, Ves Lilder...Lilly....

He turned the page and his face froze in shock. That picture was un-mistakable.

Life...Leaf?!

A thousand questions flooded his mind like the bubbles from a wave crashing into shore. Who wrote this? When? How? What was Aria like now?! Or when this was written?! This book, had obviously made the trip back from the other world! But how?! And....why....

He found as he tore his eyes away, from the pages. Why was Sunstrike staring at him like that---

He heard it way before he felt, and felt it even still before he saw it. A pulse of white ignited from his right eye giving him a glowing view of the hollow expanse spreading out beneath the steel magic box, even as it accelerated. That just...was not good. The book shut and found itself lodged between his leg and the car wall.

Maximos saw the books true owner go down, but had no means to help him, and he seemed to be alive. Without warning the car jerked to one side, and Maximos' right arm rose to hold back any sliding passengers that may smoosh him.

Sun was still staring....but no...not at him....He could take a hint.

Maximos whipped his head around out the window and squinted adjusting his glasses up the bridge of his nose even as a plume of white rushed from his eye past the side of his face. His vision was quite good, especially at night. But that didnt mean he would like what he might see...

He knew nothing of how the vehicle works, so assisting it technologically was impossible. Though more crude idea's ran in his mind. Such as launching it up a ramp, and making it sprout large shadowy wings, feet, ideas flowed with no direction, but his fingertips twitched eagerly.

There was a flash of something arcane, and suddenly the massive shadow would rear itself up again, and turned right towards the angle the jeep was taking.

A red light would flicker at them, then shut itself out. Only Maximos would be able to truly see what the creature was.

A Rook, full sized, which put a giant to shame. Heavy fists slammed back into the earth, making the jeep vehicle jump as the resulting shock threw it into the air. How it landed, wheels spinning, was a miracle by it's own right.

Sun couldn't make out the creature more then the hill shape, but he knew enough to see it was trouble.

"Keep going forwards Lu, it can shake us about, but it's not spilled us yet."

The little black cat that had been pretending to nap under Sun's seat was now quite obviously awake, as made apparent by the yowling shriek that she couldn't help but to let out... between Scarker's spell making her fur all stand on end and the bouncing she was feeling really car sick by this point, and the only thing she really had on her mind was trying her hardest not to be sick all over Maxi's shoes xp Rae really didn't like car trips....

Hono on the other hand, was clinging to Anuksu as if he was her new best friend, proving yet again that she didn't really give a damn about appearances or being too forward with someone she technically didn't know at all sweatdrop ... closing her eyes tight she was busy concentrating on Lucind with her empathy, knowing that she would be able to feel the moment that disaster hit a lot better than just trying to watch for it. "Sunny.... what the frell is that?" keeping her voice calm was almost as hard as keeping from throwing random spells at the big a** clump of power that her inner eye was screaming about being behind them stressed

... when scared out of your wits ask a stupid question, that always makes people feel better! xp

"You sound pretty optimistic," Lazenca said pretty much in Sun's face. And it's too bad there wasn't any more space really, or he'd probably get out of Sun's lap by now.

He was probably gonna go flying out if the car kept jumping about like that, anyway.

"I wonder how smart it'd be for me to jump out and stall it... then say something heroic like 'I'll hold it off, and meet you guys there?' Anybody?"

Despite apparent lack of space, Lazenca turned his body so he was sitting up with his head facing Sun... before shifting Transitional. Of course, this would have him stradling Sun's lap, legs to either side of his thighs, forearms planted on the cushion behind the salamander.

He was rather thinking of something he could actually do, and not how awesomely sexy this looked for any yaoi fangirls. The only move he could attach Solar to was close range, and he didn't really want to get close to that... Rook. He doubted highly that he could affect it with ice or water, and while a short absorption of its element might be 1/20X6 possible, he know he'd meet the threshold immediately.

"...Shaaaaaa."

Maximos didnt speak.

It wasnt because he was angry or extremely intensely in thought, but rather because he knew one course of action and it required no words. It had been rehearsed a thousand times, on a hundred different horses.

Maximos moved.

His left hand moved first, quickly rolling down the window beside him before he bolted to the right. Then immediately the hand moved to his breast pocket and pulled out a black paintbrush which seemed to drip magically with a black sort of ink. He drew a plain circle on the car roof above him. A circle which immediately soaked its black ink into the roof fabric and made a matching shimmering circle on the top of the car. And then with no explanation he said.

No one sit here.

A right hand dropped down and scooped up a black kitten by its underside and placed it directly on his shoulder. A thought burst through his mind, he thought it loudly so that hopefully the listening psychic could hear it, and not claw his eyeballs out.

Excuse my rudeness but, Rae I need you for this.

Its a shade Hono, a Rook, and it means to put us in check.

But he didnt stop. He pushed his way through Scarker's telekinetic mush field, using its mushy nature to help stabilize him as best as possible, as the car was tossed airwards. Though he still found himself rather clumsy and in more than a few awkward positions. His knee found itself precariously on another mans lap, who's he wouldnt stop to check. His right hand landed entirely too high on Hono's thigh, higher than any gentleman should ever be before a first date. His face would have been beyond red if he took the chance to realize the position, but he didnt!

No, in a few seconds and in a spectacular display of Car Fu, Maximos found himself at the Hummer door, undoing a lock and swinging the speeding vehicles door open.

"I wonder how smart it'd be for me to jump out and stall it... then say something heroic like 'I'll hold it off, and meet you guys there?

Maximos turned. His right hand on reaching through the door and onto the roof of the car, the opposing hand holding the door frame, paintbrush between two fingers, as he looked Lazenca in the eye and said.

I'll hold it off, and meet you guys there.

And then moved to jump! Only to pull with his right arm, flip his legs over his head so as to land on top of the car instead, saying.

Just kidding! Everyone hold on to something!

As two knocks signified he landed in a knelt position on the hummer's roof. Rae at his shoulder, likely holding on for dear life. Maximos would be sure to raise a hand to hold her if he felt her slip. His left hand burst into motion, moving with all the speed and grace of the swordsman that Maximos was. He drew a circle, and then an octagon inside that circle, immediately followed by dozen smaller shapes with magical text filling them, lines connecting those, and a few glyphs for good measure. Even as they were being draw the paint dried a deep black, and yet shimmered a brilliant purple. Near the upper rim of the array was a single circle, with a line through it. It was the same circle Maximos drew inside the car, leaked through. One would think Maximos' mind was on the task at hand, but they would be only half right, half his mind was on the past.

On a past occasion, many, many, many years ago. Maximos, Hono, and Jonathan Tomorrow were adventuring for a magic hammer. Rae may remember the event was before her switch. They walked through a cold and frozen mountain, and as they walked Maximos drew in a sketch pad. He was new to Lunoc back then and Rae, may remember that he was working out an equation she helpfully looked over his shoulder and pointed out a mistake in his array. Which is to say, she proved she had a firm grasp on runic magic, and Lunoc workings. Maximos was relying on that knowledge to allow the kitten to see what he had drawn and recognize it for what it was.

A transmutation circle.

Because no sooner did he finish the circle than did he call out.

Rise from the shadow's Ankokuko!

The positioning of shadows, with Maximos is always important. The moon was up above, that meant his shadow was below, and that he could reach his right hand out beside him and catch the hilt of the sword as it rose from the shadow. He lifted the large weapon placing its tip directly in line with the line running down the circle he had drawn while inside the car. The moment the tip of the sword touched the array the entire thing began to glow a deep dark violet, a glowing color a king would be proud of. Maximos was no king. But he did look up to his shoulder, to a kitten and say...

Rae! On three I need you to shift to your avian form.

Strategy revealed! If Maximos went for Hono her avian form would be nearly as large as him, and flatten him against the roof of the car. But Rae, had proved in Sun's hospital room that her Raven form was smaller, more manageable.

One...

Maximos aimed the sword, getting it at the proper angle.

Two...

With a flick of his wrist, in and a masterful display of prestidigitation the paintbrush was gone, and his free hand moved to join the other hand on the hilt of the sword. He gave the kitten a nod. And then...

SHINKT!

Maximos would jam the sword through the line, turned slit in the array, all the way to its hilt. If anyone had not admonished his warning and was sitting in his seat...they would be getting impaled about now. Otherwise a complex series of magics were occurring. Maximos hands fell to either side of the sword, touching the runes and then pulling upwards, his hand began to stir as if kneeding some imaginary dough in his hands. Bubbling threads of black could be seen churning his hands by one woman, and one woman alone. And for anyone else, they would sense a touch of the divine in the magic works. Lunoc after all drew its power from a god. This was more cleric, or paladin-esque than truly arcane.

Ankokuko gave Maximos control over shadows equal only to his imagination and the darkness present, which at night was plentiful. Lunoc, such as the array allowed him to direct complex shadow formations, things more in depth than swords, rocks, and so forth. Together Maximos could have create...well...

Runes burst across the entire surface of the vehicle burning a brilliant violet color. Everyone would be able to see it, and hopefully everyone was holding on to something. Without a single warning Maximos threw his hands straight up into the air. And beneath the car, just 10ft ahead of its wheels rose a gigantic ramp, pointing at sharp angle into the sky. Moving at the speed they were climbing the ramp would not be difficult, the only difficulty would come if Lucind tried to swerve off the ramp. Otherwise, as his hands lifted Maximos would cry out.

Three!

And then smack both hands back down onto two circles of the array. If Raven played her part, she would shift, and she would indigo trails of magic lead from her, through Maximos across the tattoos on his back and arms, making them clearly visible through his clothes, and into the magical array surrounding the car. Rae would note however the massive pull in her transmutation. It was like trying to shift into a dragon, or something several dozen times her size. But no sooner than the weight reached her, than would Maximos, his essense, his assistance. He could not do this without her, nor...he expected...her without him. A team effort.

The passengers would suddenly note that not only was the car airborne. But that it was now jet black. And in a heartbeat, came the rushing sounds of a thousand and one book pages, or was a it a million feathers rush by? Or a billion wings flapping? It was a mixture of all of the above as the vehicle was encased in shadow, save for the windows, and a thousand feathers burst from the blackness in a single cacophonous accord covering its surface in rustling black, just before.

FOOMP!

The car door slammed and sealed shut as two jet black wings burst from either side of the hummer. They were enormous and as powerful as they were large and thick.

FOOMP!

They flapped a second time, and then several more times, the flaps lighter as it rose, gaining lift and air. The Hummer, was now a giant raven. From outside it was still somewhat box shaped, but covered and melded enough to look like a rather large boxy bird, flapping its way eagerly toward the Rook.

This ground business was going to get us all killed you see. You understand of course.

Maximos said to the Raven on his shoulder with a whily, yet childish sort of grin that showed he took way to much pleasure in doing something so excessive. It wasnt showing off that did it, it was the art in it all, the crafting!

Inside, Lucind would feel a change in the controls as they contorted and loosened in her grasp. If she pushed the steering wheel in, the bird would dive, if she pulled, it would rise. Side to side, and it would arch and bend. If she stepped on the gas, it would flap faster, brakes and it would slow. Despite the fact that her windshield was now where eyes should be on the large bird, she was still very much driving. Maximos felt absolutely horrible about not being able to take Damion airborne with them. But the islander had fallen close to the creature, while the hummer drove far past, he was actually closer to the action. And with any luck, the Rook would notice the flying magical bird-car over the small rock elemental.

Now.

Said, Maximos. His voice echoed inside the car, over the sound of wind as if it was coming down a very long hallway, very far away, with a bit of static. He stood. His sword lifting a few feet but remaining dug inside the roof.

He had a strategy here, remember? A car wasnt so different from a horse drawn carriage. He had no bow and arrow, or fireballs, and shades if anything like Shade Lord's needed a direct touch. He needed something from those below, to make it all go right. He adjusted his glasses, moonlight reflecting them off them, blocking out sight of his eyes, leaving only his grin and the sharp glow visible as the face of the triumpantly standing Shadow. And he spoke his masterful stratagem for all to hear!

Drive me closer...I want to hit it with my sword!

Ah a plan, Max was great for plans... Raven was more a fly by the seat of her pants kind of girl... luckily that made her highly adaptable to jumping into things xp

The black kitten had clung to Max's shoulder with all 14 of her little claws, hopefully not cutting the man to ribbons as she held on for dear life, but he had known what he was risking when he decided on picking up a sick and terrified cat! Luckily being outside of the car actually cured her car sickness, funny how that worked, eh? rofl


oh, poor Lucind... she is going to be rather unhappy with you over that I bet, most vehicle owners hate it when you scratch the paint! blaugh Rae watched and waited and actually started to review her knowledge of runes and linked spells before Max gave her cue and she shifted, having a moment in there to marvel at the fact that he had found a way to draw on what Munin had thought of as a natural adaptation when she created this avatar's body....


Of course, I never understood why were were driving in the first place... >< was it in hopes of attracting less attention? Because we can kiss that idea good bye if that was the case! The raven gave that little cackling laugh that usualy managed to creep out poets and children who have seen too many horror movies as she half fanned her wings, loving the feel of the wind in her feathers without the actual strain of flapping!

Anyone who was paying real close attention would note that the Hummer was not in fact strictly black in color now, the moonlight would show a high gloss finish with irridecent hints of blue and purple and even red to that inky new color... If it is a shade... would light have any effect on it?


Hono had managed to calm down enough to notice that she didn't need to choke Anuksu to death anymore to keep from sliding all over the place, instead studying what Maximos had done to the car and wondering what she would have to do to pull that off on her own sometime xd

She glanced at the mage with a dazling smile as she leaned back and twisted in Anuksu's lap in ways that a proper lady would never have even contemplated as she reached out to snag a corner off the mage's sandwich. "If you ask him nicley I bet he would be willing to explain the mathematics of it...but unless you plan on selling your soul to a god or two I doubt that you would be able to pull it off on your own without some serious prep work in advance." sweatdrop okay, that was being optimistic, Hono was not sure that even with the help of Munin and Nocturn anyone else could have managed to pull out another rabbit from the hat as Maxi just had... especialy since she knew that Munin was out of the god game and not liable to ever share the remainder of her knowledge or power with another soul and Nocturn was a twisted b*****d that was more likely to make your life a living nightmare rather than help you chose a tie to go with your jacket let alone give you the ability to manipulate shadows! xp

Sunstrike sputtered a few times, but finally had to admit a certain sort of open mouthed amazement as Max held his ground, and managed to change the vehicle around them.

The vampire laughed to see such sport and the dish ran away with the...yeah...

"That crazy son of a..."

Meanwhile, down below, the Rook stared, not stupidly, but certainly blankly, up at the flying contraption that had eluded it. Then the red disappeared...it seemed to be scrounging for something.

"You heard him Lu, take a dive...we have to get Damion."