Welcome to Gaia! ::

They passed through an archway of a natural tree, and another fallen diagonally when they noticed the change in atmosphere. Normally they would just notice the scenery change, bouncing from forest to forest. But this time it was different. Everything was darker and hazy, trees were dull and dead, black as though burned but not charred in the slightest. Isabelle stopped. "This must be the edge of the fray. It feels almost the same as the Prince's shrine this morning." Come to think of it, this morning was close to a day ago now, Izzy couldn't help but think of all the 'jet lag' she'll be suffering after finishing this mess. "Must be the Grey Witches hiding their asses." Together the two of them pressed on, passing through a barrier almost invisible to the naked eye. But their glowing weapons and the Are'anna trembled as they passed through it, as if attempting to force the magic away. After a few moments the glow subsided, almost as if Izzy's wishes to stay dark and concealed were heard. She then looked up, noticing how the sky was black, without stars or the moon, in places the blackness would fade and be almost grey, as if a taint of the In-between was invading the unnatural night sky. After a few more minutes they came to the edge of a cliff, perfect for scouting out the area.

And that was where everything was revealed. The cliff they laid upon was just at the edge of a giant circular wall, some of which was embedded in the cliff-side beneath them as Izzy leaned her head over to check directly beneath them. This place was an age-old stronghold, made of dark grey stone, as if carved from a gigantic rock, all of it, barely any of it was made of bricks. There were some ravines of dull water that carved stone bridges crossed, and against the great outer walls were some towers that overlooked the whole area. This place... it was once build for war. "Strange... " Izzy said, scouring her eyes over the multiply fires lit up across the expanse. There were Grey Witches just like the three they met before around all of them. Small clusters of them all around, eating by fires, dancing by them or practising chants. "They're just loitering the place... like they moved in and- and they don't care this place is built for an army. They have guard towers, there's open spaces for troops to stand. In fact the more I look at this place the more it looks like it's been re-purposed... several times" She looked now to the centre of the Fray. There was a giant ziggurat of similarly grey stone. It was in tatters, like most of the others buildings were here. One of the towers was completely obliterated, and there were some other spaces on the ground that looked like openings to underground crypts, or there had once been rooms above them but were now gone. But the most confusing part was how on one side of the ziggurat most of the rock had been smashed away to make room for a lighter stone stairway, leading directly to the top. Lighter stone was also atop this space to create a gigantic rectangular gateway on the flat roof. That too looked as thought it was crumbling away, with one corner almost missing, but it was gigantic.

"This place has seen so many ages of corruption and death. No wonder the Elves are afraid to kill anything near it." The Prince of Crows said, standing not far behind them with his arms crossed, his grey eyes watching over the great witch cult below without too much interest. "Aren't you both impressed? After so long, you are both finally here, ready to make a change. But what... do you do? I wonder. Many decisions have been made here, you will just add to that long list of changes the world has seen. Have you missed these discussions, Rur'adika? Isabelle... I long to see how the Valiant work during their darkest of hours. I would normally lay out all your choices, but tonight... I think we three have the same thing in mind. Kill these bitches and off with their bloody king's head, hm? Mathias Kebab" The Prince gestured with his hands as if holding a stick between his thumbs and forefingers. His lips showing no grin or grimace, only a disinterest that was hard to believe considering how involved he always was.

((Hopefully this will excite you, the Prince returning for a quick chat and finally. FINALLY... the downfall of Mathias and some answers to Xantho. The end is near.))

Adika was completely right, Izzy nodded whilst clenching her jaws together, her cheek muscles tightening as she did so. The grey witches down below could be heard cackling over small talk whilst fluttering there hands abound, perhaps casting or practising incantations. Isabelle wasn't too sure, this was all quite a bit different than the demons she was used to killing. It was particularly different from most magic folk she's had to deal with on Earth too. She couldn't help but wonder what it was gonna be like down there when they get involved. As for the Prince of Crows, he could only let out an almost interested huff in return to Adika's remark.

Adika then brought up a very good point, it at least made Izzy forget the Prince's remark a moment ago. "Right. Firstly we've been told not to kill unless we need to" she shot a glance at the Prince, who stared back blankly, "I think the best choice we have is to infiltrate the core of this place and locate him. Take out any witches we can't sneak past along the way, and when we find him, confront him. Once we've got our answers, he's not leaving alive. He's one exception." She looked to Adika this time, hoping for a good response. She then gestured down towards the ruined citadel. "On the right" she said quietly, "there's a tower we can descend from. Judging by the ruined wall over there" she gestured to the left, it was a wall half shattered, exposing walkways and rooms inside. "we should be able to traverse unseen inside the walls. After that we've got to try and get to the ziggurat in the centre if we haven't learned anything along the way. I bet Mathias is in there. And you, our Pr-" Isabelle turned to face the Prince, but alas, he was gone already. She let out a sigh and rolled her eyes, "I hate him already. Let's go."

Isabelle didn't want to waste time. Now that she had concocted a plan she was adamant to win. Right now she was thinking and acting like a Valiant, she was treating this just like any other mission she'd be sent on. Only problem was... this was potentially going to alter the future of Absolute. They headed along the cliff's edge, it was mostly wet black rock, sometimes the light of the moon would reflect off of it, but the curse over the land which the elves used to conceal it seemed to make most of the light lacklustre. Isabelle kept reminding herself this place was a magical mess whenever she looked up. She could see the shimmer that would fool most magic and non-magic folk. When she breathed in she could smell the stench of old magic gone bad with age. The tower clung to the cliff's edge, the top was falling apart, causing the room to be openly looked over the cliff. When she got there she saw a lot of rubble and a hole leading down, it looked to be half destroyed, once being a lot smaller. She came to a stop beside it and looked down. With a sigh she whispered "i wish we could storm the place, but we don't know how many witches there are... let alone demons..." Izzy then pulled out her obsidian. The palm-sized stone began to glow between her fingers and she held it over the dark hole, peering down for a second time. "There was probably a ladder here ages ago, we have to jump through". With that said she pushed her legs over the edge and slid down, being as quiet as possible. Inside the room below it was larger than she anticipated, it seemed to extend beneath he cliff a little. Whatever had once been here however was in ruins, and had been for centuries. When Adika came down though she did notice one thing. She held up her obsidian to a wall and looked towards the ground. "Bones" she said, gesturing towards scattered bones all along the edge of the floor. "And... armour. Elven, but... it's so much older than anything I've seen before. I'm not sure what happened here, but I get a feeling the elves were lying when they said no more killing."

Together they traversed the ruined tower until they reached the long and slightly curved corridor that took them along the outer wall. They then came to a small opening in the wall, and as they neared it they could hear the sound of witches, fire crackling and the wind eerily sweeping through. Isabelle knew they were still perhaps one floor to high to be on the ground, so she carefully darted across the opening to the other side so they each had a side of the giant hole in the wall to observe what was going on on the ground. When she peeked she saw one of the large fire's they saw from above. Isabelle's brows narrowed as she noticed at least a dozen witches in a circle around the fire, each of them beginning to sing, a sort of humming theme in the lead up to song.

Song

She exchanged a glance with Adika, one of confusion, before putting her cheek against the bricks to investigate some more. The witches were like the others they saw, all wearing dark clothes, weirdly folded or wrapped around them in a kind of modern-victorian theme. But some of them had black coming from their eyes, like black blood, or the same from their mouth of from their fingernails leading up their arms. Three of the witches however wore tan thin sheets over their bodies. They were grinning, as if happy to be here, happy to hear and indulge in the song. Their skin appeared to be normal too, without black markings or black blood like the others had. And then one of the chanting witches began to sing.

"After sparrows
Three times called
After gull does
Three times fall

Come, maiden, mistress, mouse and hen
Come, fisher, farmer
Frog and wren"

Isabelle could feel the centre of her stomach going strangely cold, it was a feeling she wasn't used to. The song was strange, it didn't particularly make sense either. It was almost seductive, like it was attempting ti lure someone in. One of the other witches, not the one singing or any of the others chanting walked towards the three women. She had a glass bowl in her hand, it had dark water within it and without having to be told Isabelle realised something seriously bad was about to happen. She glanced again at Adika, mouthing black water. When she looked back the three women were voluntarily drinking from the bowl, the liquid dribbled down their mouths and neck. Before the foul poison could start working the women threw off them sheets, exposing their body to the heat of the fire and the orange glow. Then the fire extinguished, becoming replaced by a grey glow within the embers of the burnt timber. The girl's heads began to hang and their eyes closed, but their bodies hung like puppets and the singing grew louder.

"Once a king dressed in red
Warmed by the flames on feather bed
While all the town starving cried
Chilled by winds, the Month of Ice"

As soon as it started, a blackness crawled out from the grey fire pit and shot outwards in all directions. It consumed the floor and stretched no further than the ring of witches. As it touched the unturned women, it crawled over their skin, covering them entirely in black and after that it crawled into their mouths, reaching down within them. Above the fire pit, the grey light fluttered upwards and began to vaguely show images of some kind of event that matched the song. A grey man, shimmers of red covering his body looked over a large gathering of other grey people. He gestured something, and then the people seemed to be angry.

"Eat them of frost
Eat them of snow
The monarch decreed
To them below

Up on a spike
They perched his head
Cursed his name
Burned his stead"

Suddenly the grey light appeared besides the three women, now completely black, almost like liquid statues. The man in red appeared as tall as them, he held up an object in his hand, it glowed red and the people flooded the area in grey light, they looked shocked, angry, frustrated. The image faded, and collapsed into one. A single spike with a head upon it. But behind the spiked head there was another figure. One that was familiar to Adika and now Izzy. At first Izzy scowled, unsure if she was seeing correct, but as she focused more she saw a grey figure, with long grey hair under a hood. The figure grinned and looked see-through, more so than the other grey figures they'd seen so far. As if he was watching the event, but was not actually there. Izzy took in a breath, "The... prince?" she whispered. The grey light vanished and the black liquid began to retreat from the bodies of the poisoned women, their posture straightened and their skin was revealed. As they opened their eyes, black blood dripped from their eyes and mouth. They had been converted, they had been blessed with the echo of the Prince of Crows power. Izzy saw it now, she could have understand. All she knew was that from all her love and fascination with Magic Earth history, there was one king that adored red more than any. The Tyrant King, the last king during the Jewel War and the end of the royal family. His people turned against him and killed him. But... why was the Prince of Crows there?

"Well... well. It would appear we've learned exactly how they're stealing my powers" the Prince whispered in Adika's mind as the fire put reignited with orange flames. "They've collected all the rumours... all the little bits of information and put it into song. In a place as cursed as this, song becomes powerful enough to invoke history. It's fascinating, isn't it, to see history played out before you. Yes - I was there, me and the King were quite... close you could say. Like you and me, yet he was much more eager to see the world burn. And I... well. I was alive."

Isabelle had no qualms with Adika's choice. Killing Matthias was her quest, it was always going to be her act to do ever since he endangered her and the Valiant in Absolute. Adika was dragged into this mess and no one knew she would become the centre of it all. And Adika was right about being the only one too, he was marked by the Prince of Crows, he had powers that none of them could understand, just like Adika did.

Isabelle watched the scene with bated breath, she could only make out most of what was going on still, but she thought she understood the overall story. None wore red better than the Tyrant King. As Adika glanced for the Prince, he was not there, once again it was just herself and him in her mind. The Prince didn't reply at first, but then after a long wait he finally said "It was after the Tyrant King was killed by his people that the people of Occulas came for me. Shortly after I knew there was no more life waiting for me - and so I left. Fooling the world into thinking the 'Dark Wanderer' was dead. I was neither."

"Right" Isabelle said quietly as Adika mentioned moving on. Isabelle quickly twirled and continued down the dark corridor, she could see the opening in the wall by the ground. With a gesture Izzy led the way. She felt her heart beat faster when she saw the flicker of fire on the ground beneath her. The wall here was reduced to rubble, spread far and wide across the open expanse of the Fray before them. The ground was so misshapen here that mounds of dirt and stone made it easy to hide from other groups of witches along their way towards the central ziggurat. The Grey Witches from the ceremony minutes ago were spreading, a few of them coming their way. Isabelle raised her first and clenched it shut above her head, from the gaps between her fingers came a piercing black glow. She waited with bated breath, holding it until she couldn't hold back anymore and then stepped out in front of one of the witches, who was now speaking to the other witch. She stared between the two of them... and they continued to speak as if she weren't there. Isabelle quietly let go of her breath and took in a steady breath. The spell worked, they were completely invisible as long as they stayed close, just like in the City of Crows prison. She didn't have to gesture to Adika, they both knew what the plan was already.

As they sneaked past, one of the witches said "I remember my turning ceremony like it was yesterday" she licked her lips, reciting the memory. The other witch with long brown hair twirled up into a hive above her head replied "If only the Deathless Prince would hear our call and bless us properly. It doesn't matter now anyway, the All-Father has promised us the Valiant city in days to come."
"Finally, we can leave this forsaken place. I'm getting tired of the dead elves interrupting my chants."

Isabelle felt alarmed as she weaved between the two of them and made it to cover of a rubble mound that overlooked the ritual area with the large bonfire that was now extinguished. She turned to Adika and mouthed in days to come?!. She shook her head and then clenched her jaws together, her cheek bones becoming apparent as she did so. Izzy turned again, looking up at the slope leading to the pinnacle of the ziggurat. It was an ancient building, far older than anything else she had seen. The flat road leading up to it here however was added afterwards, made for many people... or things to scale it quickly from top to bottom. It was cracked and falling apart now however. Whilst observing the structure Izzy caught sight of some other witches walking through a rectangular opening in the side, her instincts told her there must be something within the mega-structure. She quickly followed them, holding her fist high still to conceal themselves from any watching witches.

As they got inside the corridor the atmosphere changed. They hid in a small alcove together as she dropped the spell, she could feel some of her energy drain as she did so. She wouldn't be able to conceal them again for a short while, so it's now or never to find Matthias and learn where Xantho was and what exactly he was doing. Izzy looked round the corner, there was a room. She couldn't quite tell how big the room was however thanks to the barely lit walls. These witches seemed to just loving roaming the shadows. She could count three witches altogether and they stopped in the room to talk with each other. She could hear them from here. "The squirming Valiant will have no hope when the All-Father comes."
"I can't wait to watch their body's crawl with black water."
"Do not worry sisters, there won't be a toad on the Earth that won't croak in our victory. Absolute will be in Lord Matthias' hands soon enough."
"I am lord Matthias, bow to my humble offerings, drinking from my blessed palms. I, the one touched by the Deathless Prince will make everyone deserving of the same touch."
"Mirerva... you could get your tongue cut off for such a mockery"
"It isn't mockery when it's adoration."
"Hurry now you two, you must get ready for our final preparation. I will wait here before we head down to Lord Matthias below."

After the three of them had finished, two of them vanished from the room in a blur of grey magic. Isabelle whispered "have you got the Aré'anna?" as she looked over her shoulder, noticing how two of the witches were gone following the distinct sound of magic. "Damn it" she cursed under her breath. Noting that Adika still indeed had the elven crystal she felt more at ease heading into the next fight. They couldn't sneak past this time. She stepped out into the corridor and summoned her whip and extended her arm. The demonic weapon stretched across the corridor with a quiet burning sound as it wrapped around the witch's leg. Isabelle pulled and the whip pulled the witch backwards, her chest plummeting down to the ground as her head hit the stone floor. Isabelle pulled again and the dazed witch was dragged towards her. She then pulled out one of her long elven daggers and the glow of the Ae'anna imbued within the blade lit up the walls as she forced it down into the woman's skull. The air escaped the witch's lungs with a gasp and a golden light licked her skin clean of the tainted 'tattoos' etched into her skin from becoming a Grey Witch. What was left behind was the image of a once attractive lady with sunken features.

The two of them continued into the dark room and as they did so the braziers on the walls became to light up with grey flames. The room was in fact a large hall, it almost looked like an empty throne room but instead of a throne there was a tall platform at the end overlooking the rest. There were no bodies save the one Izzy just made moments ago. But everything was covered in cobweb and dust. Old debris was everywhere too. The walls were covered in chains, as if the room was like a jail at one point. In the centre of the room was a gigantic crystal laying on it's side, it seemed to be a dull blue, completely sucked dry of most of it's colour. It was attached to four chains held tight in the floor around it. Isabelle had no idea what any of this was four, but it seemed the Grey Witches weren't using it either. There was suddenly the sound of magic as two Grey Witches, the ones that left earlier, appeared above them ona chandeier together. Isabelle raised her fist and cast the cloaking spell as quickly as she could, but she held her hair at the same time feeling the toll of casting it so soon. "Hmm. Odd." One witch said, peering down at the ground to see the room fully lit.
"Sandris, where is Emilias?"
"Over there!" Sandris then vanished in a blur, appearing next to Emilias' reverted corpse, gasping. Isabelle looked to Adika, she had to dispose of these two quickly. "I'm dropping the spell" Isabelle whispered. "We must protect Matthias!" Mirerva shouted from atop the chandelier, pulling out two black water-cursed daggers. Sandris saw Adika and Isabelle for a split second as the cloaking spell finished and the witch instantly hissed at them like a pissed-off cat. Sandris, with the black marks of claw wounds down her cheeks dived forwards, becoming tall bird-like creature. Sandris was a tall and creepy humanoid covered in feathers with the head of a raven. In her hands were two khopesh swords. By the way she was swaying on the spot, her battle-tactic would involve a lot of jumping and diving for quick and confusing attacks. Mirerva above let out a screech, a powerful blast of energy that swept Isabelle off her feet. Sandris tilted her avian-head and leaped into the air as she threw a khopesh imbued with black water directly at Adika before spinning into a dive towards her as a follow-up attack.

((You can deal with these witches as you wish! Matthias comes next, he'll be standing in a room downstairs somewhere waiting for the witches to arrive. It's up to you if you want to surprise him however you like in your reply to begin the confrontation. He'll be completely unaware.))

At the mention of sickening him the Grey Witches scowled, how dare she tell them that?! Just because she is touched by him, blessed by him, she thinks she can proclaim his disappointment. As they attempted to attack the intruder Adika threw out her arms, sending a dark wave of energy booming. It swift them off their feet, made them roll across the ground and skidding once they got a grip with their nails. That was when the magic turned for the sinister, becoming a strangulating device for Adika to get the information out of them that she wanted. One of them finally divulged the information, in the hope of staying alive. But instead their necks snapped in unison.

Isabelle watched the whole scene, she was both impressed and in awe. She couldn't ignore the weight of Adika's power, the darker side was something else. It was the opposite of what the Occult had wanted to ask of her. However, Isabelle saw it as fighting fire with fire. She stopped thinking and immediately went on to follow Adika towards a staircase in a large circular room. When they emerged into a deeper room, Isabelle's heart skipped a beat. Mathias! she thought, seeing his silhouette at the other end of the throne room. She wasn't sure if it was a throne or alter, actually. Both? She wondered what kind of evil being would want one for both. Worship? Sacrifice. It didn't matter. That was history long forgotten. Isabelle took position, moving silently to hide beside Adika as she summoned up a dark bow and arrow. Isabelle felt the breath escape her as Adi released the dark arrow. It flew through the air most silently, quieter than any arrow she had heard before. Before she could breath back in she heard the distinct thud of flesh being penetrated, and the impact of force against bone. Mathias let out a low rumbling gasp and arched his back, looking to the roof of the large room. His cry echoing back towards the girls. A large book before him flopped to the ground, old pages falling out and floating across the ground as Mathias leaned forwards, putting his hands on the book stand for support. Isabelle surely had thought they had mortally wounded him, but then he began to let out a war-cry and suddenly erupted into a flurry of large insects with dark red bodies on the underneath, long red needle-like faces and two pairs of buzzing wings. They spread out along the wall and eventually touched the ceiling at the other end of the hall. "... Rur'Adika..." Mathias' voice came from the explosion of bugs. They were beginning to amass, swirling and smashing towards but never leaving the other side. "I should have known you would find me... How... I might never know-"
"Your witches are bad at keeping secrets!" Isabelle shouted out, gritting her teeth and clenching her fists so tight she could feel her nails digging into her palms. The swarm buzzed louder, and Mathias said "They're not the- smartest. I know. But they... their loyalty is endless!" The swarm spiralled and quickly began mounding together, bugs splatting into one another, forming a basic shape, wings slowly collapsing, bodies popping, as Mathias reformed and took some steps forwards. Isabelle noted how a bug crawled into his eye-socket and from it an eyeball pushed forwards. He was clenching his arm, and as he let go Izzy saw the distinct ghostly glow of a long mark on the outside of his forearm. It dulled completely to black as he finished reshaping. "What happened to Trenton? Did he run like his Aunt? Did he finally give up this futile mission of yours to doom the Occult?!"
"You're dooming the Occult, you b*****d" Izzy muttered. But Mathias grinned, then winced, as he put his hand to his chest. The glow of his mark came back as his chest began to move by itself, as if something under the leather of his clothes was crawling. Izzy heard the distinct buzz of bugs quietly within him. It was all he could do to stop Adika's wound from getting worse, he had to partly divide himself into bugs. His voice vibrated as he replied "Am I, dear... miss Statem? I've never seen the Occult so... assertive in it's actions to find- Xantho."
"OUCH!" Isabelle shouted, arching her back before looking over her should to hear a buzzing sound. One of those bugs, it was the size of her hand, had forced it's needle-like face into her back, just beside her neck. She reached back and pulled it out, she heard the sound of blood splatter across the ground behind her as she threw the foul creature to the ground and stamped on it. The result was a splatter of blood and black ichor around her boot. Izzy hissed. "Last I heard - the Prince doesn't bestow his lucky experiments with Black Water anymore, perhaps its too quick to kill..."
"Give me that crystal!" Izzy hissed, kneeling on the ground and clenching her teeth, "then kill that b*****d!" Mathias clenched his hand tight and momentarily stopped the transformation in his chest to use his powers from the Prince. He thrust his hand to the ground and all around him erupted dark black, jagged, curved spikes that randomly erupted closer and closer towards Adika. He stumbled and held his chest again, turning into into foul insects to keep him alive long enough to even attempt destroying the gypsy! "Do- do you remember, what I said, gypsy?! Die Dunkelheit ruft, it means the darkness is calling. And it appears you've given in!"

Adika showed him so much more power and skill that he had ever expected. Her voice felt like a blasted, both resolute and beautiful, as well as deafening and full of chaos. His spears were no use against her, they were obliterated in a flash and so easily it made Mathias scowl and clench his teeth together. "Lost... my way?!" Mathias shouted back, clenching his side, "you've by far lost your way, Gypsy!"

As soon as she explained being the pinnacle of neutrality, the words rang out in Mathias' mind. He stared into her black-gold eyes, it was like staring into the eyes of a fallen angel. That wasn't even close enough to describe it, Adika was something else entirely, something beyond anyone's imagination. Mathias turned his face and was shocked to see the Prince of Crows standing beside him, arms crossed, head tilted down and grey eyes piercing. "Do you feel it?" the Prince said, vanishing for everyone except for Mathias as he appeared again behind Mathias' shoulder, "it's the cold grasp of death. Hm." He then grinned, and Mathias slowly looked over his shoulder as the Prince said "... good to see you again... Mathias. Such a pity your story became so dull."
"Kill him!" Isabelle shouted, seeing Mathias' hesitation to do anything. "There's witches coming!" Izzy then spun on her heel, flicking out her wrists to summon her demonic whips. She looked down the dark corridor, hearing footsteps of witches coming down the staircase, she could also hear the distinct sound of temporal blinking, tiny teleportation between short distances. "I don't think they'll let the walls stop them either!"

To Izzy's warning Adika simply explained that her barrier would keep them at bay for a short while, at least long enough to deal with Mathias. Izzy looked around her, as if she thought she could somehow see through the walls. Adika's greatness never surprises her, having already cast a barrier around them to protect them, everything happens so quickly, as if simply by thought. She needn't mutter a word, or lift a muscle to make a gesture. Her will alone creates what she commands. Isabelle finally turned to face Adika, watching her as she raised up her gleaming weapon. It was as if it were made of sunfire, solidified light of the Heavens itself. There was no doubt it was the mythic spear of Zuriel, the High Angel of Vigour. "I won't argue with that" Isabelle replied, coming forwards and keeping her whips by her sides, each one slithering around in the air near her ankles with a calm mind of their own.

With each new attack and blow, Mathias grew weaker, his movements became slower and less fluent. With that considered, he still managed to dodge one of her attacks and the force of her attack made her skid behind him. Isabelle could then see it, the realisation in Mathias' eyes as he saw Adika take the force of her barrier being attacked. It was as if watching a flame catch from a spark, and Mathias' fear that had just set over his face was gone. He looked up, a grin on his face as he saw Adika ready her attack. At first, he chuckled painfully. Then her spears came, he knew it would hurt, Isabelle could see that too, but he was accepting it. His body flinched and twisted with each spear flying past him, each shard causing a new cut, a new graze, a new puncture in his vessel. Isabelle stepped forwards, attempting to get a better look as she noticed, between each opening of the flying spears, she saw it, Mathias whispering, muttering painfully between gasps and cries. Izzy was beset with a sudden feeling of doubt and fear as she turned and shouted "ADIKA" but as she did she heard it. Adika's magical barrier shattered, sending a shiver across the room as dust fell from the ceiling, followed by the shrieking cries of several dead, and charging witches. Adika staggered, and Isabelle turned back to Mathias, unsure of who to attend to first. Should she kill Mathias, ruining Adika's chance at revenge, or should she go to Adika, potentially letting the both of them get swamped by witches?

She bared her teeth, sharp white fangs flashing. If there was one thing she liked about being a Daywalker, it was the fangs - even if they were useless. Mathias got up, his body bleeding, and raised up his arm with the last of his strength. His elbow cracked, and his shoulder, dislocated, hung oddly as he attempted to point his palm at Adika. He used his other hand to hold his bicep, blood tricked down and dripped to the floor as he clenched his teeth. At his palm, something black and sharp began to grow, and it forced Izzy to act on a whim. Her whip cracked with energy, sending out a small arc of red lightning to the floor that crackled and scattered as she flung up her hand, forced it forwards and flicked her wrist. As if in slow motion she saw it, her demonic whip soaring through the air towards its target, latching onto Mathias' wrist just as whatever dark magic he was conjuring was interrupted, causing a cascade of black needles to exploded outwards. She pulled his arm aside, throwing him to the ground. As his body touched the floor, it shattered, into a thousand black, reflective shards. Izzy was not sure what to think, was it fear that struck her? Had a witches thrust its knife through her gut, or was it just confusion and anxiety twisting in her stomach. She ruled out joy, there was no way it would be this... quick. He couldn't be dead, this has to be another trick from the Inbetween, another trick of the damned Prince!

Amongst her confusion, the witches began to appear. One at a time, then two at a time, Grey Witches appeared from nothingness in the corner, on the chandelier, on the broken column, near Adi, near her. First sound would deplete for a split second, then the floor would go grey and with a small thrum of energy another cursed lady would appear, howling out, peering down at their dead master, cackling with a strange kind of ecstasy. She looked then to Adika, and in the matter of seconds that had passed she really hoped the gypsy had recovered because they were about to be surrounded, entirely. She looked into Adika's eyes, desperation screaming out. The Valiant knew too well when the odds were not in her favour, she had always been too careful- no. Trent had always been too careful to make sure this would never happen. And here they were fighting without him.

Again, another diminishing wave of emptiness, this time from behind her, but with an after glow of white light as she heard the distinct sound of Valiant metal coming to life. Time could have compressed a thousand times when she had the gut-wrenching realisation of what it must be. It was the sound of Valiant steel, the bestowed, inescapable mineral named Eternas. Blessed by the runes of the Eternal that made the Valiant, turned into something... stronger, with light that not even the soul of a demon can run from, the very same weapons that Xantho has been weakening. Isabelle turned, breaking eyes with Adika as she saw Mathias knelt by the tip of her whip, hovering beside her. He was holding a dagger of pure white light, and plunged it into her whip. It began to writhe and screech, as if in agony, before being snuffed out quickly and turning into ashes that exploded across the room. She watched as the whip in her other hand quickly turned to ashes, falling delicately to the floor without it's sister it keep it alive. "What are you without your demonic, pact?! What... w-w-what makes you different from me?!"

The witches then charged for Isabelle, ignoring Adika as they latched a hold of her as she tried to throw them off, still in a daze. She caught glimpses of Adika just as she heard a voice speak to her. Between her and Adika, she saw the Prince, just in flashes between witches, blocking her view of Adi. But Adi could not see him, the Prince had made sure not to reveal himself to her, but it was obvious. The distracted look on Isabelle's face whilst being pummelled by witches gave it away. He was speaking to her.

"Choices... that you made up to this point, makes you different. Isabelle Statem. But I have one more choice for you, kin of mine." Just as she threw a few witches off her shoulder she took in a massive breath, pulling an odd expression when she looked passed Adika, at the other end of the hall as the Prince looked directly at Izzy. He whispered, as if close, "... you know I can return them. Whips... neither demon, nor Eternas. But... In-between.

The Princes offer of a mark, he offered it to her. Amidst chaos, amidst doubt and desperation, that was when he offered, that was only when he offered. But some tiny, miniscule part within Izzy prayed Adika could save her, shake her from the cage of witches, pull her mind from the temptation to get what was so suddenly lost back so easily with such a price.

From out of the blur and darkness that was the witches slashing and grabbing at her, Isabelle saw hope. Her connection with the Prince was torn into pieces as Adika appeared before her, tossing the witches aside before pulling her up and tearing open a portal above them. Isabelle saw then what Adika had become, a creature of the darkness, or a creature or the lowest circle of heaven, she could not tell. But she was not afraid. "W-what!?" Izzy called out, attempting to get loose from Adika's monstrous grip before she could be thrown through. Izzy's bloody hands gripped at Adika, "Adika, No! Please, let me-" but before she could finish she was through the portal, back at Absolute with Adika's last whispering words. Take care of him, the words rung out in her head as the portal closed and she threw her fists at the floor. "ADIKA!!!" she screamed out, suddenly grabbing the attention of the other Valiant Nearby who hadn't already seen the portal open and close in the middle of their Cathedral's courtyard. Isabelle got to her feet, though in pain and holding her gashed arm, she stood up and called out. "Someone, get my mother! Please! Get Adromeda, Ursa Major, somebody that can open a portal now!" Just as she called out her last word her leg gave way, one of the witches had left a nasty wound with a dagger still embedded, something she hadn't noticed until now. She fell to the floor just as one of the Valiant got to her side. "Isabelle, stop, calm down!"
"No!" she shouted, turning to her side to search for the crystal the elves had given her. Realisation dawned on her as she remembered the crystal was given to Adika. "Fu-" she bit down on her lip as she felt the pain crawl up her leg. The Valiant, now one of many attempting to help her, said "there's black liquid! Poison I've not seen-"
"Shut up and tear my trousers open!" Isabelle ordered, then pulling out one of the knives that have been blessed by the crystal's light back in Aurumvallis. Once her clothes were torn she took the other knife and held it in her mouth before taking the first and pressing the side of the blade against her wound. She felt warmth at first, and then excruciating pain as the Black Water was forced to recede from her body before it could take it's toll. With her teeth firmly clenched around the knife she let out as much of a scream as she could. By now Aubus had reached the courtyard, running faster than she had ever seen him run before. He ordered everyone to move to let him through. "Isabelle, what happened?!" he asked amongst the chaos, gesturing to the others to move as he attempting to pick her up in his arms as carefully as he could. "Adika, she's still there, somebody has to stop her! She'll keep fighting the witches, i don't know how many there were-"
"At the Fray? Listen to yourself, we do not know where that is, it is too far from here and none of our Sisters can open a portal there." Aubus stood up, turning suddenly to the Cathedral with Izzy over his forearms. She attempted to protest, still holding the knife to her leg as best as she could but Aubus shook his head. "Enough, Isabelle!" Aubus marched forwards and up the steps of the Cathedral, "we will worry about Adika as soon as you're stable! You are my priority right now, got it?! Adika has made her choice,a nd obviously she wanted to save you. For once-" Aubus stopped as he noticed his daughter's eyes began to close and her muscles cease to tense. He let out a breath and quickened his pace. "Get Sister Adromeda to the infirmary, now!" Aubus ordered.

Meanwhile, as Rur'adika unleashed hell, a resounding chill spread south from the ruins of Aurumvallis... from the ruins of Eden. Lady Emandruil was just then at the southern most archway of the great Elven Kingdom when she felt it crawl up her spine. She turned her face, and her blonde locks cascaded over one shoulder as she turned to a male elf, one taller than even she and more bold in his facial features. His hair was dark, and his eyes, orange. Lord Nethrillion, her lover, returned her gaze. Her face, suddenly turned pale, and her lips parted. All around them the elven guard continued to pack up some of their things onto some horses before getting onto their own before the trek ahead to England. Lady Emandruil looked to Nethrillion and through her mind whispered the eyes of Scholomance are open once more... Lord Nethrillion nodded slowly, and with his Lady's power managed to reply in his own mind, and soon with it, the eyes of Atlantis. He then turned to his guards, "we leave now, and close the gates after our party leaves. No one enters or get's out, and all communication with the other Elven Kingdoms will cease until we return." With that, he, his Lady, and a few of their guard moved out of the city on horseback, using the woods and the ley-lines as shortcuts to eventually reach their goal. Stonehenge. If silence were to fall, all that would be heard is the close-yet-distant sound of groaning, like air passing through a large cave, echoing through the tunnels and almost sounding human in it's song. Was it natural? Or was it the souls of the dead reaching out... or being torn apart?

As Adika's chaos began to calm, if such a thing was even possible. As the ruins became dust and almost beyond identity, a shimmering, ghostly blue glow emitted from very small, random locations across the Fray. Small shards of crystal, some just as dust, layering beneath the fresh dust, or mixed in, with a delicate twilight glow.