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Cross chuckled and slightly shook his head, his nonchalant attitude was quite the contrary to what he really felt. The decision to be made was simply to choose the lesser of two evils, Laos with his anger issues or Vermillion whom...well something about the situation surrounding him seemed odd. Sure he knew Laos got mad somewhat (using that term lightly) easily; and regardless of failed logic reporting to Laos did seem like the easy way out of a task, which didn't at all seem unappealing.

Yet, Vermillion (who obviously had a sense of cockiness) had to add insult to injury taunting his intellect and denoting him to the status of a mere slave (which he took personally regardless of whom the comment was actually addressing). It was indeed quite amazing how he even managed to remain calm, and to counter Vermillion's words with a mere chuckle.
Forget about bargaining, forget about tactics and schemes, forget about how powerful Vermillion brags he is, degradation was the last straw.
"Well, ya know what. You're gonna get your reply alot sooner than you expected" He unsheathed his blade swiftly and walked slowly towards Vermillion, rage flashing through his dark eyes.

((Well lookie' there you got him angry, now I get to watch Vermillion do some sort of wierd uber-armageddon combo xp ))

Auren triggered the teleportation spell, and landed in a crimson pillar of light, at his destination.

He stood in the middle of the battlefield, and looked at Cross, and looked at Vermillion, and looked back at Cross, before walking up to him. "Do you mind if I help? My task is complete, and I need a bit of... retraining." Auren turned back to Vermillion, and looked him up and down.

"Hm. That was a different time, Toleranth..." Auren proceeded to ignore the Toleranth summon.


Meanwhile, Auren cast a slight spell, that allowed him to speak to Vermillion.

Hey, just for your information, I had no choice in the matter so... He sent an apologetic emotion to him as well.

"However, if you want me to fight you... Lord Toleranth... Then it shall be." Auren drew both his bleeding edge and Mishizuri, while starting to run a course of protective spells that Arkayid taught him in their downtime.

Laos lounged on his throne, Sibel the sorceress at hand off to his left. Despite her powers only the demon lord could see the thin line of red that was attempting to penetrate the iron like barriers protecting his mind from intrusion. His grey eyes lit up with savage curiousity at whatever message the
thread of power bearing Lord Vermillion's message had to say.
After a moment of intense listening, his laughter echoed throughout the throne room. Forming his power into clawlike projections he latched on to the pathway into the foolish Lord's mind.
My my Vermillion, a clever ruse but nonetheless pointless. Perhaps you could have pulled it off had you not attempted that last trick.
Despite the great stretch between the two lands his deep timbre reverberated throughout the conjured plane.
His lips widened into a greedy grin. With a nidge of his mind he allowed a trickle of his tainted power to begin flowing down the cord of intertwined magics into Vermillion's mind. The small exposure was subtle, but insistant and unless something was done soon Vermillion would be rendered unconscious. Then again, he would have to notice it first and by the time that happened it would probably far to late. Laos chided himself over the foolish sense of pride, he had underestimated his enemy's before at a great cost to himself and all the progress made after centuries of work.
He had no doubt Cross and Yamishiro could handle this job, especially with the aide of Auren Shiro who had joined the duo much to Laos's surprise, and delight.
He surveyed the scene almost casually. Shavas crounched on the floor clutching at her throat. Her golden eyes burned with animalistic furiosity, while young Nadira had, if possible, grown another few shades paler and fingered the tip of her dagger nervously. It was hard to make out the others. Since most of the others had neither come within close range of him nor been fathered by a demon they were shrouded in a hazy mist that blurred their features, and distorted their movements.

Vermillion laughed, Laughed with large roaring voice, his trick had indeed worked. Thre was no longer a need to fight, no longer a need to keep anything but himself in danger. "Father forget it, Auren is not worth the effort, proceed to phase two immediately, and good luck."

Tolly nodded as the blades of Auren were stopped cold by sudden increase in gravity. The result, a nice cut int he stone at Tolly's feet. Backing off dispelling his attack spells, and concentrated one one single spell. the five other dragons dispearsed fromt he battlefield as well. "Destruction!"

In a bright flash, all that remained was Vermillion, Auren, Yamishiro, and Cross. Vermillion laughed himself right intoa calm state. He raised his fingers and snapped them, they were back in the hall, the transdimensional illusion gone, but Vermillion was no match for them now weak as he was. The cost of trickery was his life, or at least the free part of it now. He set himself into a defensive stance and awaited his fate.

---------------------

The Others arrived in a massive underground cavern, in prolly the last free patch of standing room, as thousands of other dragons mingled about, Tolly looked at them calmly as he wiped the mark from his head. "If your gonna be alright I must go back, I must go and kill Vermillion, you'll be safe here, this cavern is protected by my very elaborate barriers. Finish what you set out to start, but finish it quickly."

Tolly formed the magic to leave, but was interrupted by a messenger.

(now is your chance to take vermillion, force him to death, and bad things happen.)

((God guys, rampage much?))

Yamishiro summoned a barrier that surrounded him as he let Cross go to work. Vermillion suddenly changed courses, just when things were starting to get interesting...he sighed. Vermillion's offer was anything but convincing. To go back to Laos empty handed would mean an eternity of suffering, he'd take his chances, as unlikely as they were. He was sure that Laos would not be happy with the interrupting either way.

As Vermillion tired, his bluff came to an end. Yamishiro stepped down from where he had been hovering, his wings beating lightly to keep himself balanced. He stood behind Auren Shiro and glanced down at Vermillion before looking to Cross. "That didn't go exactly as planned." He said, noting that they had not captured Empress Lyra. "Laos won't be pleased." He added, frustrated that one mere human had put a damper on their plans.

((So basically, Vermillion stalled so everyone can go into hiding and then he dies...at least that's what I've understood thus far. Well, Blonde posted so that means I can post now (was waiting for Yamishiro's response) ))

Cross frowned as he looked at Vermillion, he hated to admit it but the dragon was a genious. The entire thing was an illusion, that's why a logical conclusioon couldn't be deduced; and better (well maybe not better) yet the three girls beside him disappeared. The entire thing was a giant mind-game and they fell for it, but then that brings into question of if he actually attacked Vermillion during the illusion (which he never got the chance because of Auron's interruption) would've broken the spell. And although he had only himself to blame for the hesitation, he couldn't help but feel a tinge of spite towards Auron from the interruption.
Yet....the message Vermillion sent to Laos....was that an illusion? The more he thought of the situation the more it fusterated him, he was not the one to fall more mind-tricks. Yet, (appearently) Vermillion was already dead and there's no fun in taking out fustration on a corpse...well at this point who cares about fun he just wanted the dragon to scream in agony.
"Well then, we'll just have to find where he sent them. No purpose in dwelling of past mistakes or lost time, the best way to correct this mishap is to let the dragon's death go to waste.", he wasn't in the mood for jokes anymore as soon as the empress' hiding spot was reveiled everyone else was gonna suffer far worse than death.

((I'm not exactly sure how big of an army they have, but if it's indeed thousands of dragons well.... -evil snicker- ))