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Hannsel knelt his head down upon hearing the girls words. A bit of anger flared up within him and his body trembled because of it. Though as soon he was about to let out his rage several words came into his mind. They were commands from his master. He didn't have much longer to stay in this place. His rage died down and he got to his feet. Walking over to Tessa he literally took his finger and flicked the tip of her nose. "With an attitude like that your not going to make it anywhere. This being asked you to prove yourself and your not going to try. Maybe you don't deserve to hold onto your life anymore. You would just waste it." His attitude changed completely. Now he was more spiteful and serious rather then being a joker. He hated the living who just simply made their lives forfeit. In this case she basically did just that with her little speech. "Good thing for you I believe in second chances." Slowly he began to vanish from reality becoming translucent. He faded away leaving a cold chill in the air around the girl. A small whisper came to her ear. "If this guardian isn't yours by the next time we meet. Then I will take your life. This is a promise I will surely keep." The breeze picked up around both the guardian and the phoenix flare mage. With that Hanns was gone leaving no trace that he was ever there.

As Jax followed Raiden into the forest, he was enjoying the scenery at the same time. The beauty of this place never ceased to amaze him. As Jax was daydreaming, Raiden had already stopped and was waiting for him out in an open-ish field. The Half-Dragon shook his head as he watched Jax get a hold of himself and brush off a leaf. I swear sometimes he's such a moron... The dragon said before landing on the ground and gesturing Jax to come closer.

As Jax walked closer he wondered what Raiden would teach him. The first trick of black lightning was great! But he knew there were more secrets to be unlocked before he could call himself a master. Alright Raiden what're we doing today? Jax asked the dragon, bouncing on his toes to get his body awake and ready to train. The dragon then smiled and pointed his finger at a tree. Watch and learn... He said before firing a thin beam of black lightning at the tree. Nothing happened for a moment before the tree suddenly was split in half and slowly slid to a fall.

WHOAH, That was Awesome! Jax exclaimed like a little kid watching fireworks. Pointing his own finger out, Jax focused and attempted to fire a beam of his own. But of course, this backfired drastically and all it did was create a mini-explosion from point blank range. Coughing through the Smoke, Jax grunted and tried again and again with no prevail.

The dragon watched him for a moment before stopping him in his tracks. No no no....You're doing it all wrong you're imagining something of an explosion right? Raiden asked rhetorically before continuing. Try imagining a sword that extends infinitely coming from your finger. Its called the black lighting slice, the silence and stealthiness of the attack is the trick. Raiden said before demonstrating again on a boulder. The top half of the boulder then slid off its base and hit the ground with a loud thud.

Raiden then looked at Jax with a smile. Alright now give it a go... He said, letting Jax take the imaginary stage. As Jax took a step forward, he closed his eyes before pointing at a tree about 30 meters away. Focusing and imagining a sword, Jax sent a thin beam at the tree. A thud was heard and you could see the roughness and weakness of the shot. The tree was only cut about 3 inches in and it was a crude hole. Grunting, Jax got to work on perfecting the technique.

After a few hours of firing crude beam after crude beam, Jax finally got the hang of it and sent a thin slice at the tree. It wasn't a complete cut but it was something right? Grinning, Jax got back to work before finally cutting a tree in half with one slice of the technique. Raiden I did it! Ya! Jax said, running over to the chunk of wood now laying on the ground. Raiden just grinned and gave him a thumbs up before picking up a pebble. Now for a speed test... Raiden said, tossing the rock up and catching it.

Jax raised an eyebrow before catching on. Alright then, Im guessing this is a game where I try to catch that stone from you? He asked, charging up his fists and preparing a suprise attack. But Raiden wasn't stupid, he saw right through it and charged his own body with his black lightning. As Jax attempted to pounce on him, Raiden jumped back and an almost unreadable speed, re-appearing in a branch above. Tsk Tsk....To slow my friend, you see...Black lighting is a much faster lightning magic then almost any other, whether it be mastered or not. Raiden said with a sly grin.

Jax just gritted his teeth and charged his body even more. He then attempted to catch the small dragon again but failed miserably, faceplanting the branch that Raiden was standing on. Raiden just floated in the air while laughing at Jax's crude attempt to catch the stone. Oh and during the whole time, Raiden was still tossing the stone up and down.

Thinking:...
Mood:...

Status | Active
Weapon | Stolen Sword
Hitpoints |
Mano Slots | 50/50

The Anima scum are at it again. And they were. As they did every day towards dusk, the shadows on the far end fo the horizon began to shift, streaking across the plain in multiple directions with evil intent. Steele had neither the speed nor the will to catch those stragglers; most likely they would find themselves in much trouble if they made it to a village or outlying area with more than one Divine present. It was the main host he was concerned with. Ther were enroaching on the protected lands, so the law granted him full rights to dispose of them

Silhouetted against the dying light, the crippled man took the route under a cover of trees. A single figure on a landscape of black was easier spotted than a flood of men, and Steele knew full well that the only advantage he had on his side was the element of surprise. Normally, he'd have counted his lack of fear for the dark in as well, but these Anima warriors were beings of darkness. Lack of light could hardly deter them from their course.

On his shoulder, the crow uttered a soft caw, and latched a clawed foot onto Steele's clothes. Face impassive, the man removed the bird from its perch and transferred it onto a gloved finger, before sending it in the direction of the approaching group. The bird flew off on silent wings, arcing off into the night and disappearing entirely from sight for a moment. Then it circled high over the mass of Anima and alighted on a branch. Just in time, too. A fork of lightning split the sky and sent a ripple of unease through the approaching host, which began to slow its place slightly. Under the hooded jacket that he wore, Steele smiled blandly, making for a tree in the vicinity. As the drizzle started, he gripped the rough bark of a tree, lifting himself up by the arms so that his crippled leg sat comfortably. He would be moving soon enough; his current position was merely to observe the advance, nothing more.

From the dark, his crow cawed in a frenzy. Steele spurred himself into action, dropping from his vantage point to his feet, landing more heavily on his uncrippled leg. He took off, as fast as his legs would allow, while wisps of grey began to curl around both hands. The smokelike substance began to drift from his fingertips and surround the outer edge of the trees in an intangible cloud-barrier. He took the route back and forth three times, until at last he was done, and the wispy substance seeped into the trees. At first, it almost seemed as if the rain that was coming down harder was washing his work away, but after a particularly heavy gust of wind, the trees could be seen burning with grey fire. By this time, he could already hear the tramp of the approaching footsteps, of these fools who thought they had no need for stealth and silence in the night. Perhaps they thought that their sheer numbers would push any smaller group or solitary opponent back. And perhaps they could.

Suddenly, the darkness loomed, still and close. They were almost on him, vis-a-vis with the faceless figure that was Steele, when he simultaneously cast Gibbet Break and Vortex. The result was an endless, seething, writhing mass of black birds, darting and pecking and darting and pecking. Though Steele felt the first sting of blades at his throat, his arms, and his legs, the assault soon stopped as the men began to chase after the crows instead. There were cries of surprise as the men began to close in on the swirling vortex, as he'd predicted. If they were expecting to find the cause of the attacks in the center of that storm, they would be sorely disappointed. Steele sent the column of birds further out into the trees, feeling the ache of exertion slowly cut into his focus as the wispy grey smoke slowly healed him. It was a losing battle between losing and gaining energy, but the exchange would keep him going for long enough.

He began to pick off stragglers, one by one, with short bursts of grey fire to render them broken, disabled, or injured. At the same time, the pointless chase continued, his enemies' vision clouded by the unstoppable wave of crows and the pelting rain. Though he was fairly confident that he wouldn't be located amongst the darkest branches, Steele kept an eye and an ear open for stealthy movement. And not a moment too soon. The man felt the warm trickle of blood and a cool rush of rain before the agony that was his shoulder being sawn from his torso. Without so much as pausing to think, Steele put a hand behind his back, sending a short pulse of grey energy into the space behind him. He was glad to hear the thump of two bodies simultaneously hitting the ground, before the night suddenly came alive with noise around him. With deft movements, he twisted around and grabbed the weapon that had impaled him and a small rock. This he tossed at a point some seven metres away from him, where it struck a tree and bounced off. There was a stampede as his opponents followed the noise, but by the time they had arrived, the crows were already there. And so the slaughter ensued.

Ten minutes and many more deaths later, the black cloud of crows ceased to stay in formation, instead dispersing into thin air, as did the grey smoke. Too tired to move, Steele sent a concentrated orb of grey at the nearest defeated enemy, who lay groaning on the ground. What little of his life force ebbed away as the grey energy created a physical link between the two. At length, the man on the floor grabbed his right leg, gasping, and died. Steele glanced around briefly, allowed a crow to settle on his shoulder, and then limped his way back into town. The lights were low, but still welcomingly bright, and an old woman smiled upon seeing him arrive.

"Mr. Steele, it's good to see you back. How many did you catch tonight?" Steele followed her into the inn, his gait a little slower and more awkward than hers. In response to her question, he cast a look over his shoulder, waiting, watching. A sudden flash of lightning illuminated the deathly scene outside; figures sprawled all over the length of the forest and the fields beyond, some running away, most never to walk this earth again. A fierce smile came over the old woman's face, before it faded upon noticing his injuries. She bade the man to stop where he was standing, before fetching a medical kit and dabbing at the wounds gingerly. The larger cuts she wrapped in clean bandages, but the large, zigzagging mark that was still welling blood like a fountain she cleaned and cleaned again with wine, packed with a mixture of herbs, and bound his entire shoulder and chest. With eyes as dark as her expression, the woman searched Steele's emotionless, masked face. "You will be staying inside for a bit, to let that shoulder heal."

The man shook his head. When he spoke, his voice was a bass growl, but still easily understood. "I'll be leaving at first light. Tell your boys." His words were clipped, but not unkind, and he gave her a searching glance before making his way into his room for preparations. After all, it had been a long time, and he was finally returning, if only for a day.

Decrepify



Gibbet Break

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