Location: The Wilds of Attima When: Takes place after Lock & Key Setting: The Wilds of Attima as haunting as they are disgusting brilliant. Golden veins run along the ground that shine amongst the shadows. Trees of obsidian bark are capped with leaves of gold and diamond. Their long branches dotted with unyielding thorns. What grass that can be seen gleams like an emerald and feels hard to the touch. The entire environment is a disgusting recreation of earth's forest but made far "better". Everything is larger, more imposing, and any color that is used will be saturated to an obnoxious point.
How will this thread work: The party is going to be hunted by a myriad of beasts intent on killing them. These "Hunters" will have different approaches to their combat from fast, opportunistic strikes to pure, brute strength. All roleplayers are free to pick the creature they wish to fight and control them. This first set will be relatively easy for the party even in one versus on situations. Really, this thread is meant to be a fun way to let loose and show off each character's powers.
What to know about the Hunters: The Hunters are creations of Tiamat meant to test any soul that takes upon the challenge. These creatures do not fear death and will continue to fight to the very end. The first Hunter that reaches its prey will attack relentlessly while all other hunters will avoid the area. Running from them is possible but there is no escape. These creatures can sense one's very energy like a trail. They are unwavering and do not tire. There is a nigh indestructible core at the center of each one that can be ripped out. Ripping out the core will render the beast lifeless.
Also, these beasts are giant. They are meant to challenge full on dragons. So these things are the size of a bus.
Take control of them and defeat them as you see fit. No need to wait for me to approve of how the fight goes. Your character's Hunter is fully in your control.
Special Note: Given the party is so close together, the Hunters will try to drive them apart into various 1v1s. Let me know if you're looking to have your character get split entirely from the party.
Physical Attacks do work on all things in this realm even though it's a "spirit realm" While physical attacks work, none of Attima's inhabitants actually bleed. (Dragons, Hunters, and any others.)
The First Set Elemental Beasts
Icy Behemoth Details: A beast whose back and legs are covered in an icy armor. A chilling aura constantly radiates out of this creature as the very ground beneath its feet is chilled. It chooses to rush targets like a rhino with its heavy form. The underside is more vulnerable but still holds a thick hide. If one chooses to stay at range, the beast will whip its tail around and launch several frozen quills.
Lightning Spider Details: A creature that likes to create opportunities by staying at range and launching electrified webs at its target. It will lunge in when it believes that the target is vulnerable. A bite from this horrible arachnid will send a blindingly painful shock through anyone's system. It is fast but also frailer than its counterparts. Will try to set up traps.
Lava Serpent Details: This hunter is fast and durable. The heat radiating out from its body will burn up its prey if it is ever able to wrap them up. It has a ranged attack where it will vomit up lava towards its prey but this has a very obvious wind up. Opponents will find its rocky hide to be hard to break through.
Earthen Brute Details: The brute will rely on the very nature around the user to bring them down. When the brute slams its hands into the ground, it will take control of the environment. Trees will launch their thorns at the prey, roots will shoot up from the ground to grab them, and earth will tremble split underneath their feet. Getting in close is also terrifying as the brute has a thick hide and a powerful build.
Phoenix Details: The only elemental beast that can actually regenerate during combat. The phoenix will rely on a flame breath at range and quick, swooping tries to take out its prey. It can leave a trail of fire behind it and constantly radiates an oppressive heat. A solid strike to its head will be needed
『 It's in the air and it's all around 』xxxxx xxxxxxxxxx Location: Wilds of Attima xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Company: Zen, Levi, and Ed. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Internally: Can't even think straight! xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Wearing: Fancy suit
Listen very closely and heed this warning for I will not repeat it. Squander your first century sympathizing with the vermin if you wish. Play pretend to your heart's content as they waste away right before your very eyes. Then let their insignificant lives serve a purpose in death by reminding you what you are. A dragon. After that, I will turn you into a son worthy of standing before Tiamat when you make the final trip to our home. No Isernia will be found wanting... Even you, boy.
Mephitis never truly understood those words when he was younger. It wasn't the part about him outliving those around him. That was a horrible fact that was drilled into every dragon child's head as soon as possible. It was the second part. What had his father meant by being worth and the final trip home? Typhon had said it in such a way as if those things were just common knowledge, but Mephitis was clueless. While the father would have refused to clarify, the son had been to afraid to ask anyways. It was only during his time at the Capitol that Mephitis learned the truth. Tiamat Clan did not see this world as their home. Not while the blight of humanity resided here as free men and women. They could only reach their true home upon death. Radiant, perfect Attima. Tiamat had named it herself. Everything a dragon did was for this promised paradise. The competitions amongst kin were a way to prepare for the trials of combat. The sacrifices of gold, blood, and magical items a small hope that the mother goddess would aid them or give them free passage. Your hoard, your lands, and your standing, all of it belonged to her. In return, she would grant you the privilege to bathe in her radiance... Quite literally.
"What the fu-" Mephitis coughed out after taking his first step into Attima. The world around him swimming around his eyes like an obsidian and golden blur while his hands and feet tore at the ground to keep himself moving. Why hadn't Aella experienced this torturous shift? Was it Tiamat's curse at play? No, that would mean Aella would have experienced this as well. It couldn't be because he was a pure-blooded dragon either given every dragon had to come here after death. The weave? It's the only thing that Mephitis could think of. Being so in tune with the magical energies around him was now... Detrimental? He wasn't sure if that was the right word. It was just different really. Sickening for now but he was adjusting slowly with every step that he took within this horrible, divine realm. Still, it wasn't the time for this bullshit when Aella was in danger.
All those that came after Mephitis could see their draconic party member still clawing at the ground and doing his best to get back up onto his feet. Those large, brilliant wings even pressing themselves into the ground below the man, trying to force him upwards. He was moving at the very least but not in the right direction. So thrown off by the forces around him that he was charging forward into a...
"Ah! ********> A tree. The poor fool was most certainly fine given he was in half-dragon form and scales made sure any thorns couldn't pierce into him. However, it most certainly hurt and felt absolutely humiliating when he realized what had happened. His head rearing back to gaze at the tree for a moment while his claw grasped onto it. Yep, it was real and he had just charged right into it like a damn idiot! Whatever. It could at least help him stand. Both hands grasped the tree before him and pulled the stumbling dragon back onto his feet. His head turning this way and that as he did his best to reorient himself. Unfortunately, his body was still adjusting to the world around him so his senses were in disarray and mind clouded. His eyes flashing a brilliant gold as he continued to scour the area around him.
Meanwhile, another Hunter had been roused to its eternal duty. The beast charging through the forest to greet the newest visitor.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxx xxxxx 『 With a taste of a poison paradise 』
The Panda Samurai
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Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2025 11:34 pm
tab ❧ I'm the violence in the pouring rain.
Aella's side burned with every stride, the half healed wound tearing wider each time her heels struck the gleaming earth. The black mini dress clung to her slender form, still soaked at the hip where blood was beginning to dry on her skin, cold and sticky. Each breath scraped her ribs like fire and though she pressed her hand hard against the wound, it didn't seem to help much. Her strength leaked away with every pounding heartbeat, every desperate step. Why was she so damn tired??
Unfortunately, this strange land showed no mercy. Obsidian trees loomed like monoliths, their trunks veined with molten gold that pulsed as though the forest itself breathed. Diamond-edged leaves fractured the faint light into shards that stung her storm-bright eyes until tears blurred her vision, turning the world into a cruel shimmer. Even the grass betrayed her- emerald and gleaming, but sharp as stone beneath her heels. Nothing here was meant for her.
And still, it followed with a silence that was unbearable. A creature that size should have torn the forest apart, should have thundered through the trees with roars and splintered earth, but this did not. Its pursuit was soundless, wrong, a weight pressing against her back. When she dared a glance, nearly stumbling, her stomach dropped. It was closer than she had imagined, hulking and patient: a nightmare stitched from moss and jawbone, its massive frame bound in ivy that swayed with each silent step.
Panic clawed up her throat. She forced herself faster, snowy hair whipping into her face, teeth clenched against the scream tearing from her side. Branches lashed her bare arms, thorns raked her skin, but she didn’t slow, she couldn’t. Every tree was the same, every path curled back on itself, the golden veins in the soil winding her deeper into the maze. Her chest heaved in shallow sobs, her pulse hammering louder than her footsteps. With a sick drop in her gut, Aella realized she wasn’t simply fleeing- she was being herded. Her steps faltered with the realization, muscles quivering, knees threatening to buckle as her stormy eyes swam, vision glowing at the edges as though she were already half gone. She pressed her palm harder to her wound, fingers slick, crimson gleaming black under the golden light and the ground ended.
The frightened girl stumbled to a stop, breath ragged, staring wide at a sheer wall of obsidian rising before her that was smooth as glass, endless to either side, and too seamless to climb. Veins of gold pulsed faintly within it, mocking her for thinking there had ever been a way forward. <********> Aella turned, back pressed against the wall. Strands of snowy hair clung damp to her cheeks, her black dress torn and shining with blood. She was trembling, heels slipping slightly on the jagged earth, but she forced herself upright, hand clamped to her side.. Think Aella, think! But the beast emerged, blotting out the glow of the forest. She was out of time!
It coiled, muscles taut, and pounced. Aella’s breath caught and her instincts erupted. She dropped low, one hand still pressed to her wound, the other slamming into the golden-veined earth. The ground convulsed, molten cracks racing outward like lightning. With a deafening crack, the soil split and leapt skyward, three jagged walls of obsidian tearing upward and snapping together at their peaks. In an instant, she was entombed, sealed inside a misshapen pyramid of stone, its edges leaning inward like broken teeth. The beast crashed into her barrier, shaking the walls with thunderous force. Dust rained into her snowy hair, clung to her lashes. She dropped to her knees, slender frame trembling, her storm-lit eyes flashing in the dark. Claws raked the stone and the creature's roar bled through, rattling the pyramid to its base. Aella pressed her back against the far wall.
Had she made herself a shield?
...or a tomb?
Where: floor With: meph and errybody Doing: not dying Wearing:
Do not fall in love with people like me. I will take you to museums and parks and monuments and kiss you in every beautiful place, so that you can never go back to them without tasting me like blood in your mouth. I will destroy you in the most beautiful way possible. And when I leave, you will finally understand why storms are named after people.
Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2025 9:20 am
﹄O, Death...Become my blade once more﹃
‘Thank you’… Those were the final words that the dragon said to him before they ventured past the mysterious veil between them and Tiamat’s draconic realm. What was said prior, the lethal warnings of trial and tribulation, didn’t remotely shake him… but those two words did. He didn’t want to be thanked by Mephitis. Rationally, Zenith was very well aware that the dragon pariah’s gratitude stemmed from him helping with this rescue mission given all that had transpired between them…but his irrational mind and wounded heart kept trying to persuade him that Meph was truly grateful for acquiescing after being a victim. Fu**, things would be so much easier if they just hated each other…if the same poison that polluted his thoughts swam in the veins under those brilliant blue scales. Zenith said nothing in return before walking into the portal.
There was a moment where the Sword Saint’s vision was stolen by a blinding white light, but it almost seemed like it faded just as quickly as it came. Additionally, there was a rough pulling sensation in the passage between realms, yanking him from the white void he was momentarily in and thrusting him into unfamiliar territory. Zenith’s feet crunched into emerald blades of grass that were more unyielding than what he was used to and he caught himself on a singular knee to brace himself during the abrasive dimensional transition. A slow, purging breath brought back some semblance of homeostasis as the swordsman’s sight returned to him. As blurred amorphous structures steadily regained their clarity, the opulent gardens of Attima were finally captured in those hazel eyes of his. It was stunning, but at the same time… it was disgusting.
A dense onyx colored forest where the light above refracted off the thin golden or diamond membrane of the leaves overhead…shimmering gilded veins that branched just above the soil and stone beneath as if this whole place was alive. All of it catered to the luxury and privilege that the dragons felt entitled to. Steadily, Zenith lifted himself to his feet, soaking in the remaining features around him as the other had…until his gaze settled on the thrashing form that was Mephitis. Those hazel eyes narrowed harshly as the dragon haphazardly clawed at the ground beneath him until he eventually lurched into a tree. Without a single word, the former assassin moved to the dragon’s side.
“I don’t understand what you're going through, but I need you to get it together as fast as possible,” Zenith stated plainly, “You need to understand that you are the only one here with a ‘connection’ to Aella that we can use to find her. So hurry and do what you need to ground yourself...” God he hated hearing those words coming out of his own mouth… speaking aloud just how critical this man was to Aella’s livelihood… speaking on how this ‘bond’ between them was important with everything going on. Zenith buried the volatile emotion that dared to bubble to the surfice…locked it and buried it deep. He didn’t have a choice. Either he let himself be seduced by stupid and self destructive anger or be carried by unfeeling efficiency. The choice was simple.
The sword saint’s eyes snapped away from the disoriented man as the cracking sound of bark splintering and the thudding vibrations beneath his footing indicated that something large was already rushing their position. Zenith had a feeling that this place wouldn’t spare them many moments of rest. “And I’ll handle anything else in the meantime. When you can, take the others…I’ll catch up.”
“GRAAAUUUHHHHHHH!” A deep deafening roar shook the glittering leaves on the trees as the mysterious creature was just barely visible through the dense trees. The colossus was massive, a beast with a hulking form that could crash through the solid trunks of the trees between it and its prey. But, in an instant, Zenith would steal the advantage. Zenith suddenly vanished from Mephitis’ side, leaving a small gust of wind in his wake as his sudden absence left a vacuum where the air flooded into…then-in the fractions of a second that occurred before one could even recognize some variable of change-Zenith warped right beside the beast mid charge. His posture was so calm and straight when compared to the feral monster beside him; He didn’t even look to size up his new target and kept his gaze looking past nature’s behemoth scouting for any additional enemies…and then…he simply touched the creature’s leg while it was still in motion.
Gone… the both were gone and the air was sucked into the space where they both vanished. “Graaah!” The earthen titan was suddenly several hundred feet in the air, looking over Tiamat’s gardens from a bird’s eye view before gravity quickly seized it. The large monster began to plummet…faster… and faster, flailing those dense arms. Its dull grey fur fluttered wildly as it spun out of control to the ground beneath. But the inevitable crash wasn’t the worst of its fate because Zenith was also falling beside it. Without feeling any danger or urgency, the sword saint steadily summoned his cursed blade to his hands…and then his foot seemingly found purchase on a small platform of air. It was a simple spell that allowed casters to spring on the sky for aerial mobility, but with Zenith’s newfound speed and dexterity in this new body of his it turned him into a much more lethal threat than he had ever been in the past. The ex-assasin sprung off of the invisible platform with blinding speed, cutting the beast across the neck in a flash of blinding steel that caught the light of this realm. After Zenith made his first pass, he teleported to another position and repeated the strikes over and over during the titan’s descent. If one looked up towards the falling beast-around 50 feet from where mephitis and the others were-they would see a large antlered beast surrounded by bright gleams of reflected light until it eventually was reunited with the earth.
The impact created a concussive boom that made the ground tremble nearby as dirt and splinters created a cloud of obscurity that cloaked the condition of brute…and then Zenith warped gracefully just outside the cloud’s radius…sword still drawn in his right hand. Those glimmering hazel eyes narrowed on the beast… replaying his coordinated attack in his mind as he looked down at his stainless blade before lifting his gaze to the settling curtain of debris. There was no blood…nothing that drained from the creature after each lethal cut was carved across presumed vital points across the large form.
“GRRAAAHHHHH!” The primal roar blasted away the last wisps of dust and revealed the earthen brute decorated in cut and gashes that spilled no bile or blood. It seemed unfazed by every single one of them-but Zen had already come to this conclusion. Thus, when it went on the offensive, slamming its massive claws into the ground to muster the aid from the nature around it, the swordsman wasn’t surprised. The trees launched their thorns and tendril-like roots erupted from the soil beneath the man to tangle him long enough to be skewered…but Zen was seemingly gone before the intent was even there. The sword saint reappeared further out, but still visible to the brute to ensure it didn’t try to pursue the others. This thing didn’t bleed…and thus Zen’s most lethal trait was neutralized… or at least that would have been true years ago.
In that moment…the faint sound of chains rattled across the realm…
“ha…hahahAHAHAHAHA,” the insidious laughter echoed in the confines of Zenith’s mind as he intentionally reached out to touch the demented magics that had taken root in his soul. “Go ahead, Keybearer. Become the messenger that delivers the Ocean unto the denizens of your realm! Let it strip flesh and marrow from those in your way until only the screams of their eternal agony are trapped in its tide!”
The dragons were very well acquainted with Destined death…a devastating curse that crippled their kind…but this aura taking root in their divine kingdom-while similar-was far worse than that. This malefic arcane presence was alive and malignant…seeping into the saintly soil of Attima and draining it of life and vibrancy. The adjacent trees began to wither and crack…the treasure-like leaves sapped their luster. From the splintering trunks of the obsidian trees…a viscous black bile began to drool out…and even more horrifying…was that those deep wounds delivered on the brute…also began to gush with that vile miasma. A vile green began to slither over the hazel of Zen’s right eye as he became the conduit of something truly wretched.
As the last of the men had stepped through, the last sight of their world could be seen through the door they had come through. A single Ofuda or sealing tag was held up by a thick pin, lodged into the wooden floor like a stake. It would shiver with energy, giving off small wisps of mana. It was the only connection to their world, keeping the portal open from the other side. Shingen joined the others by bringing up the rear only to be greeted by what he could only describe as a vivid dream. “Feels like I stepped into a painting....” He started as he looked around. Then when he noticed Mephitis transforming again, his tone changed. ”...or someone’s nightmare.”
There was still much that he didn’t understand about Mephitis even after all this time. In fact, it was safe to say he didn’t understand much of the man’s physiology at all but what he did grasp was his expertise and knowledge of where they were now. He was their best bet on finding Aella. Zenith quickly went to his side but it looked like there wasn’t much he could do. Shingen had never seen Mephitis this way and he seemed to fit in with the world they were now in. There was no time, however, since just as Zenith had reached him, something was fast approaching.
“He’s right. Let’s get after Aella. I can’t imagine she’s gone far.” Shingen said over to Mephitis before glancing over to Zenith who was already turning to readily face whatever was crashing through the uncanny foliage. Once they were on the move, Shingen looked back to see the battle unfolding, remembering Zenith’s lethal speed and technique. He must have been taking it easy on me back at the club...
Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2025 9:52 pm
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Location: Attima With:The others Mood:Tense Condition:Good Current Outfit:[Outfit]
Édouard has stepped through and felt surges of different realities, though he wasn’t terribly sure just how to categorize what he was feeling, passing through him as he transitioned from the world he knew. His foot emerged on the other side and into this new world and firmly set upon the ground. The blonde man was there and now that he was in this strange place, he took stock of what he could. It was full of odd sensations and strange smells. He felt out of place there but that was hardly surprising. It was not a world meant of his kind and just the latent energy of the environment let him know his being here was an infection. That was why he was certain there would be a sort of immune response to them arriving soon.
He gazed over at the others and rested his eyes a moment on Meph and his struggles. He was taken by surprise to see the young dragon having such issues but then, he knew so little about any of them that who could say what the reason behind it was? Besides, it didn’t take too long for him to blunder into a tree, a feat that was more-or-less standard Meph. He found Shingen’s painting comment to be an apt description but the nightmare bit worked too. However, Zen was right. They were there to find Aella and Meph was the key to doing that. He was about to agree to the sentiment when the distant approach of something unfriendly sounding caught his attention. His eyes narrowed a bit as he glanced in the direction their dragon was now facing.
Just at the beast’s approach, the assassin again went about his work. Zen had vanished from the dragon’s side and preemptively engaged this enemy. Édouard watched as the massive brute was sent airborne and before it could respond was again set upon by the attacks of its foe. He made no commentary, verbally or otherwise, just made note of what Zen was doing. At last, the mighty creature came crashing down and was close enough that Édouard launched himself upwards to avoid getting caught by stray debris from the impact. Shingen was trying to assure them that Zen was right; they should leave the fight to him and find Aella. That was their primary objective and as he watched Zen begin sucking the life out of the very world around him, he was inclined to agree.
However, loitering just above the trees to watch this brawl had meant he had left the cover of the forest around them and was a very tempting target. He suddenly became aware of a creeping sensation running up his back. Something was watching him. He spun around, his cold eyes dancing over the mystical terrain to see if he could spot whoever or whatever had turned its focus to him. He was just about to head back to the ground below and to the rest of the group when he caught the glint of something just in his periphery. He instinctively dropped down so that his feet were grazing the tops of the trees as something shot above him where he’d been just a second before.
He didn’t stay stationary; moving left he kept trying to see who this mysterious opponent was but again from the dense foliage he could only catch a moment’s flash of light as he ducked out of the way of another airborne assault. This time, he dropped into the trees and as he did, the canopy was suddenly coated in a silvery substance that crackled and snapped with discharging electricity. He landed on the ground once and took a step back to examine it. It looked almost like a web had been up spun up in the treetops and he realized now that whatever had taken pot shots at him was likely spider-like and he had no doubt becoming ensnared in its web would be an electrifying experience. But it wasn’t upon him just yet. He was still close enough to the group to see them and the fight with the brute. He moved through the trees and returned to the scene to see the beast oozing the strange miasma. He wasn’t sure what was happening or what effect it would have on the creature but it reminded him a little of the stuff he’d encountered in the museum long ago. He shook his head a bit and looked toward Meph and Shin.“If we’re going to find Aella, we’d best get moving. He’s got a handle on that thing and it’s not alone. We’ll be surrounded if we stay here.” He said taking that moment to look toward the direction the webs had come from. He was certain it would be making its way in their direction just as he was certain it wouldn’t be t he only one to do so.
『 It's in the air and it's all around 』xxxxx xxxxxxxxxx Location: Wilds of Attima xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Company: Zen, Levi, and Ed. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Internally: Focus xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Wearing: Fancy suit
How blessed Mephitis had to be for him to experience the power of this realm before meeting his final day. Such a divine gift it was to be bathed in the Mother's radiance that any other dragon would have killed for the chance. However, it was truly maddening for the poor young man as he clung to the tree before him. He was already far too in-tune with the magical powers around him, and he now stood within a realm brimming with her aura. It was like that disgusting golden presence was poisoning the threads of his soul from afar. The well of infinite mana that poured out from him further tainted thanks to his draconic lineage. It called upon something more primal within him. Had it always been there? There was no time for this. Not when Aella's life was on the line.
Zen, “I don’t understand what you're going through, but I need you to get it together as fast as possible,” Shingen, “He’s right. Let’s get after Aella. I can’t imagine she’s gone far.”
"Do you not think I know that?" Mephitis hissed out with pure, venomous anger. Eyebrows knotting closer together and golden eyes narrowing as he cast an unfocused gaze in the party's direction. That harsh look waned as fast as it came though. They were all right and he was wasting precious seconds. Anger and panic had overtaken his heart thanks to the sudden, unexpected shift in energy, but he needed to push through that. So, he steady himself against the tree and took a deep breath. The tips of his claws raked across the tree he held as if to expel the anger and panic he felt in one last display. The center of his eyes slowly shifting back to that chaotic chromatic display as the gold receded towards the very edges of his irises. The dragon using his singular task and his connection to Aella to ground himself once more. However, that was difficult given everything else he could sense.
There were more Hunters. Distant for now but they were quickly approaching. If the legends were true, it would be one for each of them. However, that didn't provide any real comfort. The legends also said that simply killing one didn't end the trials. The longer they stayed in the wilds, the more dangerous things became. However, that wasn't what actually disrupted Mephitis from his task. It was something far more sickening. He could hear it so clearly. The sound of chains rattling... Then he felt it. An aura even more disgusting than Tiamat's radiance. It chilled him to his bones, churned his stomach until he wanted to puke, and made adrenaline rush through his veins as he felt like his life was in danger. A harsh, judging gaze locked itself upon Zenith in that moment. Draconic eyes staring at him as if he were the enemy for just a split second before turning away once more.
Ed, "We’ll be surrounded if we stay here.”
"Ed, I hate that you're always right. Even..." Mephitis let his words trail off as he refocused on his connection with Aella once more. A yearning from deep within his soul for something lost. It guided him whenever the two of them were just close enough and he actually took the time to focus in on it. The dragon wasn't graced with her exact location because of it, but it did give him direction. That was all he needed. "This way! Follow me and keep your eyes out. More Hunters are coming." The young man warned them before yelling out, " If you fight one, try to rip the core out of its body." He made sure to say it loud enough so that Zenith would hopefully hear him. The dragon had hoped that they wouldn't need this information, thinking that they would just grab Aella and get out. However, it was becoming clear that they were about to be in a fight for their lives as the Hunters were responding far too fast.
Mephitis' claws dug into crystalline grass that broke beneath his clawed feet and crashed through brush of golden leaves as he rushed through the forest. The world around him a blur of glittering, saturated colors. The young man relying purely on his speed rather than his own perception to escape any Hunters that might be laying in wait. The way he moved through the forest was unique given he'd occasionally leap into the air and use his wings to glide around various obstacles. Although, it also showed how frantic he was. There was no caution in his step as he was far too tunnel visioned on getting to Aella. He'd have to count himself lucky that he hadn't been caught off guard before reaching Aella's location or, perhaps, he'd have to thank his companions.
And then he saw it. The Hunter that had been stalking Aella from the very beginning. A hulking form that was covered in the deep green moss and vines, almost like a thick hide upon it's form. Gnarled branches brimming with razorsharp thorns rose up high from its back while some continued on to form a tail. Two molten eyes burning beneath the moss that covered its face. Through the greenery, there were glimpses of dark and dirtied bones. Was the beast incomplete or was that its real body beneath it all? It was impossible to tell from a quick glance and that was all Mephitis was going to really get right then. The beast was raking its massive claws over a huge spire of obsidian, trying to break it down to get to the girl within. The power of each strike shaking the earth beneath it as it continued its assault until a rampaging dragon finally caught its attention.
Mephitis had no idea that even before he had broken through the treeline, the beast knew that he was there. The dragon had not roared out to announce himself to this realm or even said another word to his party members. Instead, he had rushed in towards the horrific Hunter with clear intention of ramming into its side... Which was strange given Mephitis was a mage. Aella's knight in shining armor wouldn't get the chance in the end. His body crashed not into the mossy-covered Hunter but rather the ground below. The beast had whipped its body around with a speed that betrayed its size and swiped its front right claw down onto the dragon as he flew through the air. The man was pinned! Mephitis back and wings were locked down against the earth with a gigantic claw pressed down upon his stomach and legs. Sharp talons were digging into the earth on either side of Mephitis.
"Come on! Focus on me, a*****e! I'll rip that damn core out of you for even-" Mephitis' draconic eyes widened as he looked up at the beast above. The sound of breaking branches and snapping vines filled the area as the creature actually revealed its sharp, disgusting maw beneath it all. Each side of its jaw cracked upon and widened in this disgusting uneven manner as if it was fighting its own body to open its mouth. Suddenly, its head turned to one side with a snapping sound before diving down towards its newest prey. Mephitis had to thank the heavens for his luck as he was actually able to use his arms to stop the creature. The dragon reached out and grab onto the inside of the Hunter's mouth. His left hand taking the top part of its mouth while the right held back the bottom. His hands set between the monster's teeth so that he could hold it back but the sharp edges dug into the sides of his hands. Still, Mephitis forced the Hunter's maw to stay open. How long could he hold it back though?
TL: DR:
Mephitis hisses out at Zen and Shingen for pointing out he needs to focus up. He tries to lock in on Aella but Zenith's use of Destined Death distracts and sickens him. He tries focusing again and then runs off towards Aella. Warns the group about needing to rip out the monsters cores while doing so.
Mephitis reaches Aella's position and rushes in foolishly. Aella's Hunter slams him down to the earth, pins him, and tries to bite his head off.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxx xxxxx 『 With a taste of a poison paradise 』
Posted: Sat Sep 20, 2025 11:40 pm
tab ❧ I'm the violence in the pouring rain.
The jagged stone walls shuddered under each strike, dust sifting down in steady showers that tangled into her snowy hair and clung to the sheen of her black dress. The golden veins webbing the obsidian pulsed faintly but held firm, unbroken no matter how the beast tore at them. It was solid. A cage of her own making, and it would not fail her—at least not yet.
Aella crouched low within the cramped space, one hand pressed hard to her bleeding side, the other braced against the wall for balance as the ground trembled beneath her heels. Her storm-lit eyes flicked toward the narrow seams overhead, but there was no way out, no way to see beyond the jagged prison. All she could do was feel—the pounding impacts rattling through her bones, the earth reverberating with every furious blow.
Then, a new tremor. Not the Hunter. Different. Heavy. Deliberate. She froze, breath catching, and then the muffled dark split with the sound of impact—claws raking soil, the guttural roar of something ancient and furious.
Meph?
Her chest tightened, her slender frame curling forward as her pulse rattled against her ribs. Of course. Foolish, reckless, impossible Mephitis had come charging into... wherever this was as if brute force could fix it. Does he even think before he throws himself at things ten times his size? Stupid question, of course not. She pressed her palm flat against the cold wall, as though sheer will might let her feel what was happening beyond—but the stone, unhelpful as ever, gave her nothing.
Dust rained harder, sprinkling into her hair and lashes as the walls quaked from the clash outside. She could hear it all muffled but clear enough to recognize: branches snapping, vines tearing, the grotesque creak of a monstrous jaw forcing itself wide, and then his voice. Strained. Furious. Fighting with a recklessness that could only end in disaster.
Aella’s storm-bright eyes narrowed, her lips curling into something between a grimace and a laugh. She had no control over these walls, which left her—what? Caged. Useless. The word burned hotter than the wound at her side. Her bloodied hand slid down her thigh, smearing crimson across the dirty surface of her bare thigh.
Her pulse hammered against her ribs, fury rising hot beneath the fear. What was she even doing here? Bleeding out in a gilded nightmare while my idiot dragon plays knight? She bit down hard, the taste of iron on her tongue, and let her head fall back against the stone. Sitting in a self-made coffin while Meph gets himself shredded outside. Brilliant. Absolutely ******** brilliant.
Where: floor With: her thoughts Doing: not dying Wearing:
Do not fall in love with people like me. I will take you to museums and parks and monuments and kiss you in every beautiful place, so that you can never go back to them without tasting me like blood in your mouth. I will destroy you in the most beautiful way possible. And when I leave, you will finally understand why storms are named after people.
They had begun to move again, tracking the direction that Mephitis was leading them when a hulking mass of moss and dross dropped in on Mephtitis. Even with his new dragon form, Meph looked to be having trouble keeping up with the monster. Shingen quickly rushed in to help out when he suddenly felt something hit him in the back and stopped his movement. Before he could turn around, he was being yanked backwards with great force. He reached out to whatever he could try and get a hold of but couldn’t get a grip on anything. He legs flailed in front of him as well as he was violently removed from the group.
Through tree branches and foliage, he was pulled until he finally came to a strange sticky halt. His arms and legs were outstretched with only his head being able to lift up and look around Shingen had been caught in a large silvery web set off the ground between the trees in a denser part of the forest. There was a humming to the web around him and he could feel a tingling sensation coming from it at the same time. He began to pull against the web, his eyes glowing with the exertion of the dragon’s magical strength all to no avail. Looking around, he tried to find the creature behind the web when something caught his eye up above. A shimmering, large arachnid that appeared to be made of pure energy was slowly creeping onto the web from above until it could tell that it had been spotted.
Blue circular saw blades appeared around Shingen and cut him loose by spinning around his body, dropping him down to the ground below. Looking up, he was face to face with one of the hunters Mephitis had mentioned, eager to test his resolve. A wave of electricity washed across the web he had just been on and the spider disappeared. Silver web then began to shoot across the area in all directions, entangling the trees and closing in the immediate area. Shingen tried to track the spider as it flashed across the trees when web shots fired down on him from different directions.
Shingen instinctively put up shielded panels up just to have them shatter upon impact. He began to move. He had to keep moving now. Large blue needles appeared around him now and began to rotate quickly. They would chip away and break when hit but would also begin to fire off towards the spider whenever it stopped. The movement was lightning fast but Shingen could sense some kind of complex pattern. The two would exchange fire as Shingen began to move across the ground as fast as he could. His movement was fast enough to lose tracking of the naked eye but not as fast as the spider’s.
Eventually, the spider’s webbing had made it down by the ground level and Shingen had to watch where he moved, having to leap and dive over the webbing now. It was crackling with energy that he simply knew would fry him if he made contact. Landing just after a dive over one of the cables, the spider was on top of him. There was a flash and it turned to one of it’s sides and all four legs tried to spear him almost all at once. A flash of blue sparks shot out from the impact of a dense blue magic spear Shingen now held in his hands. Before he could counter, the spider disappeared and flashed across one of the threads. Like a highway system or network, the beast travelled across the web it had left behind. It would then ambush him from all directions, forcing Shingen to continue to spin around and fend off it’s attacks while simultaneously avoiding the electric tripwires.
It was enough to overwhelm anyone and Shingen knew he couldn’t keep it up. The dust on the ground then began to rise ever so slightly as the spider stopped on the other side of the clearing. Blue electricity then shot across the ground towards him, forcing him to leap upwards. Then, as if expecting his movement, the spider swung across the air to catch him but Shingen turned in the air and landed against a panel of his making at an angle and pushed off of it, changing the direction of his movement. He zig-zagged upwards towards the tree tops as the spider began to close in on him in the same way.
Just before the spider caught up to him at the apex of his maneuver, Shingen landed onto a panel facing downwards and crouching, quickly threw one of his shining pills into his mouth and swallowed. His eyes began to glow blue before a hundred or so needles manifested above them and Shingen shot himself downwards toward where he thought the spider might land next, bringing down a storm of his blue needles down through the webbed area. They would tear at the webs and snap some of them. The spider welcomed his incoming attack and prepared to strike him when Shingen lunged a straight jab toward it, encircled by a set of needles with their tips enjoined and spinning like a drill.
The spider suddenly threw up it’s arms in defense and was pushed off it’s perch by the impact. The two fell down through the air as Shingen maintained his drilling pressure until he brought forth another drilling left punch. Crashing through the branches and weakened webbing, the two eventually landed on the forest floor again, except the spider had lost three arms in the process and reeled from the fall. Shingen gathered himself and stood back, then crossed his forearms in front of him with open palms and pulled his arms to his sides in one motion. Blue threads that resembled the spider’s own webs appeared around them now.
Shingen charged the beast while it struggled to move about, being restricted by Shingen’s web. It was then that it began to fire webbing at him again but Shingen manifested a naginata and deflected it’s attacks on his approach. It kept him at a distance for a few moments as he deflected and fire his own needles at it, hitting his mark here and there. When he arrived, he moved to it’s side, cutting at the spider’s leg joints. It scrambled and poked out at him but could not maneuver normally. One leg after another was lopped off as longer, denser spears began to gather in the air above. Once the final leg was chopped off, Shingen followed the motion through to clear the spider when countless spears screamed down, piercing the spider through it’s entire body.
Posted: Tue Nov 11, 2025 6:56 pm
﹄O, Death...Become my blade once more﹃
Fear is a core emotion seated deeply within the mortal coil that plagues humanity. It’s not a complex topic to digest; A man dreads the consequences of not following a supervisor’s demands, a little girl is frightened of what may lurk in the darkness under her bed, a mouse-during its final moments-is paralyzed with fear when staring into the hungry jaws of a predator. It’s superficially simple…and yet so much more complex when you get to the marrow of it. It's a linking emotion that ushers in some of the most dreadful stimuli related patterns and behaviors that exist. It's biologically inescapable, no matter if it’s intellectual or primal. What the Earthen golem felt, however, was something that the word ‘fear’ couldn’t quite capture in its entirety; It was much more than that…
What it felt was unbridled terror…
Tendrils of barbed horror, the kind that carves irreversible mental lacerations on the psyche, touched its once near-mechanical consciousness and warped it into something not only self aware, but also wracked with the concept of pain and death. It didn’t have the elevated intelligence to dissect the complexities of its sudden elevated awareness though, causing it to comprehend the affliction through a feral lens. Every muscle went taut and the creature managed to groan anxiously between its now rapid ventilations-even though the golem didn’t have a functional necessity to breathe. “Gruhh…*pant*...Gruhh.” One of the beast's colossal hands dipped to the largest gash across its abdomen… and when it pulled the limb back, those depthless sockets in its skeletal visage saw the claw drenched in that putrid black miasma it was bleeding. “Grah, GRAAAAAAAHHH!!!!” It was almost instantaneous, the absolute agony that radiated through every cut decorating its thick hide once the degree of its injuries were recognized. The giant began to claw frantically at its wounds, as if it could brush away the mental and physical sensations that it was afflicted with. Each swipe flung globs of the desecrated ichor across the drained soil of Attima around Zenith’s proximity, some joining growing pools of the necrotic sludge that drooled from the splintered trees around them.
Then, amidst its panic, the earthen brute’s gaze settled on Zenith…Who was sheathing his blade slowly as if the fight had already been decided. That was it!…all of this…All of this was his doing! T-That meant that all the golem had to do was kill that human and it would be freed of this vile curse! It was a simple and rash deduction-primal really… but that was all it was capable of. Without wasting any more time, both massive claws slammed into the earth beneath it as it converted all that dread festering within its core into a wretched roar that shook the once glimmering leaves of the surrounding trees. “GRAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!”
Every nearby trunk that still barred its thorns ejected them with lethal force while massive roots erupted from the ground around Zenith like limbs of hidden giants. Zenith was fazed in the slightest, however, as gaze lifted and observed it all with absolute apathy. The first truck rose in a dangerous arch before slamming down with monstrous force upon where the swordsman stood…yet all he needed to do was warp beside it. His position was so calculated that all the scattering debris from the nearby impact also missed his standing form. He made it look so effortless, which only served to aggravate the Earthen Brute further. Another root shot out to bind and crush Zenith, but this time he teleported on top of the thick wooden cord in a crouching position. Oddly enough, his position was also in line of a speeding thorn that had been shot from a nearby tree. Without hesitation, Zenith dextrously flipped back…his feet vertical to his head when the thorn flew by below him. He then reached out…and touched the thorn while it was passing by…and warped its position, effectively altering its trajectory as well. CRASH, the thorn warped several feet above the earthen behemoth and plummeted straight through one of its taloned feet.
A blood curdling shriek tore through the air around them as unimaginable pain shot straight up the behemoth’s entire leg. Both claws wrapped around the large muscular thigh of the leg and pulled on it once…twice…then a third time before it ripped the impaled foot free, tearing the flesh down the center from the midfoot. Inertia sent the monster hurdling back, crashing into another rotting tree before it collapsed. “GRIII-” the beast tried to howl, but now the dark bile was surfacing through its mouth at this point, turning every cry into a sputtering gurgle. It scrambled, desperately trying to regain its footing, but it collapsed immediately once the needed pressure was applied to the now useless foot. A wet crunch came from the gruesome split as the golem toppled over.
The brute knew its demise was imminent, but its consciousness-that had manifested just moments ago-wrestled futilely with the thought of dying. Pat…pat…pat. The sound caught the attention of the beast as its gaze snapped to the source: Zenith…his steps unhurried and calm… stalked closer and closer like a reaper. The creature’s attention was then pulled to the faint sounds of ghastly whispers and hisses that… seemed to originate from its bleeding wounds across its body and, upon investigating, it could see the beginnings of mortal arms growing from the gushing gashes-so many of them!…they were all the darkest of black and drooling with that unholy mucus that bled from Brute's wounds. Some of the hands sunk their fingers into the matted fur of the beast and began tearing into its flesh with uncanny ease-as if the once thick hide was tender meat instead. There was only one thing left to do. It sputtered another fruitless cry before it made a last ditch effort to flee, crawling as fast away from Zenith as it possibly coud…The horror the swordsaint bestowed upon it…had sunk into its core…and before it could even understand that giving into the terror was worsening the curse-it was too late. Like ghastly flowers, the arms blossomed from the beast all at once…some now bursting through the undamaged parts of its body. All at once that bent back into the golem…hands ripping at the monster’s flesh. The golem quickly collapsed as the haunting howls of the Ocean grew louder and louder as it was gruesomely dismantled by the wretched limbs…The wet squelch its meat being torn asunder was deafening, and the agonizing gurgles were practically swallowed entirely…until they eventually stopped. The arms sank back into the putrid pile of what once was a golem…wet with the Ocean’s miasma…and eventually vanished…and atop of the mess…was a cracked core that had thin inky black tendrils pulsing from the fractures.
Pat…Pat…Pat… Zenith stopped mere feet from the unidentifiable slop of fur, earth, and flesh. Without a word, the sword saint let the blasphemous power sink into the desecrated remains. Purpose and direction pulsed within the putrid energy…and then…the core began to glow ominously…and the flesh around it began to move.
Location: Attima With:The others Mood:Tense Condition:Good Current Outfit:[Outfit]
Édouard had been about to say something to Meph when the dragon took off. Gazing in the direction he was heading he could see the creature that was after Aella. So they weren’t all that far after all. But his old schoolmate had rushed in and quickly found himself outclassed. Shingen hurried off after him and he started to follow as well. The flash of danger in his mind caused him to leap upwards again into the air as webbing shot past him and latched onto his companion. He was ripped away so quickly that despite his efforts, the man wasn’t able to even grab a handful of leaves to attempt to arrest his departure.
Édouard looked back at Mephitis now under the mighty moss-covered creature and then his blue eyes darted off in the direction of the fight between the assassin and the Brute. From what he could tell, that fight was going better than the one between the hunter and the dragon. Shingen? He had no clue what had happened to him or where he’d been taken so decided he should help Mephitis with his ordeal and began to head that direction. He was almost to the beleaguered dragon when a wave of fire came crashing down in front of him from the sky. He diverted away just in time to avoid the scorching head of the flame but it had cut him off from helping Meph. He twisted to face the sky above and after a second he saw it.
It was gaining altitude again, likely to reacquire him and try again. He cursed under his breath. This thing wasn’t about to let him help Mephitis and if he tried it would swoop in to try and burn him to a crisp. He narrowed his eyes and a rush of wind came out from him sending dirt and bits of plant material scattering. He rose upward, slowly at first as he stared down this flying creature. But as he realigned himself in the air, a brief shimmering crimson aura danced around his form and with a crack almost like thunder he erupted from the foliage to meet this beast.
The move seemed to surprise this airborne hunter but that lasted a brief instant. It quickly tucked its wings and began to drop toward him. As they were on the crux of converging, the hunter’s peak opened and another stream of fire belched from the beast. Édouard ducked down and then came up, corkscrewing around the fire jet’s left and finally over it as the end rushed past him. The two met. He was above it and upside down as it shot past him at an amazing speed. What followed in its wake was more than just disturbed air. Searing heat and a trail of fire came with it and had the rush of wind it created not pushed him away some, he might have been signed by it.
He groaned as he twisted his body around to face the hunter, a phoenix that looked as though it had flapped its way out of a mythology story right in front of him. He didn’t hesitate. Soon he was rushing after this fire bird and it craned its head to the side to see him already advancing. It began a sweeping left turn but Édouard was going to be inside its turn radius and just out of its firing arc. He wasn’t sure just what he was going to do considering the tremendous heat the thing radiated but it rolled over, turning its belly to him and changing direction to try to get a bit more room to let off another ranged attack. He swung his legs out to the left to match the direction change and try to cut it off.
It was clear he was more maneuverable than the hunter but it was no slouch. It knew it had to gain separation from him so it flapped its large wings with great force and pulled straight up. He followed it upward wondering if it was going to try to lure him into going too high. Just then it’s right wing folded in on itself and the great fire bird pin-wheeled around and was diving straight at him. The streamer of flame was almost immediate and had he not rolled to his right when he did, he’d have been incinerated right then and there. Suddenly a second blast, he rolled the opposite way to avoid it and then had to do a fancy maneuver to avoid its wing.
The heat was so great that his sleeve began to smolder and would have caught fire had not the pressure wave that trailed the beast not been strong enough to blow out any potential fire on his person. He spun a few times from the pass and as he regained himself, the Phoenix arced over and turned back toward him. That’s when an idea struck him. Perhaps there was a way to use this spicy over-sized chicken to his advantage. If he stayed far enough out, it would keep trying to spit fire at him. He could see its beak opening again and he waited until it’d committed to the attack before shooting up and above it. He was well clear of the wake it left and the heat and fire that followed this time and he turned and let out a laugh. “It doesn’t matter how strong you are if you can’t hit me!” he chided. He had no way of knowing if this creature could hear his words or if it’d even understand them if it did. Still, it began to bank right to come after him again and this time he turned and began diving for the ground. If he timed this right…he slowed just a little so the Phoenix could begin to slowly close the gap between them and get into prime firing range. He saw what he was aiming for below him and approaching fast. Now at treetop level, Édouard increased his speed again just ever so slightly and as he glanced over his should he could see the hunter’s beak begin to open.
What is more appropriate and famous than a brave knight riding out to take on a massive, powerful dragon? These are the second set of Hunters that every dragon must face in order to attain their promised afterlife. Although, they are much, much larger than their human counterparts. In fact, these knights are gigantic golems that stand perfectly still amongst the brilliant foliage of Attima. They really are just statues until one Hunter from the first set is killed. Upon a core from an Elemental beast being freed, a knight will come to life. A brilliant energy surging outward from its core and blessing it with power. Unlike the elemental beasts, these knights approached combat much like a fully trained warrior would. They will even adjust their fighting styles.
Rune Knight of Frost Details: Wielding a massive hammer covered in runes and shining with energy, this Hunter can freeze over any battlefield with his attacks. Each strike of his hammer will caused frost to cover the land beneath and spikes to rise up from the ground. He can even wield ice magic to throw ranged attacks at his opponents. Getting in close with chill anyone to their very core.
Rune Knight of Fire Details: Much like his icy twin, the Rune Knight of Fire can use his flames to their fullest for melee or ranged combat. Each swing of his sword will send out of fiery slash that gives him a terrifying reach even if opponents try to keep their distance. The heat rolling off his body is nearly unbearable.
Knight of Steel and Stone Details: While this knight hasn't been given any elemental powers, he is not to be underestimated. His body has been crafted to be stronger and heavier while still keeping an inhuman level of speed. He will take more blows than his brother and charge forward confidently with his shield raised.
Death Knight Details: Do not be mistaken. This knight has no control over the powers of death or necromancy. It is a bone golem at most but still a terrifying opponent. The Death Knight rides his mount around the battlefield in a destructive, disgusting display. The "searing, green fire" rolling off its head and the hooves of its mount more like an acid that eats away at anything it touches. It leaves a trail of this corrosive creation whenever it rides by. The bone whip in its hands grants it an easy way to strike opponents as it passes.
『 It's in the air and it's all around 』xxxxx xxxxxxxxxx Location: Wilds of Attima xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Company: Zen, Levi, and Ed. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Internally: Focus xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Wearing: Fancy suit
(This was just a small aside to get my brain working again) Get up...
CRACK!
I gave you an order, boy!
Mephitis could still remember the searing pain from that cane.
Did you allow that golden brat to take something from you?
No. CRACK! Yes. CRACK!
And you dared to come home to cry about it? Do you understand how insulting this is!?
At the time, Mephitis didn't. He didn't know how a child's actions reflected upon the name of his family.
Did you even try fighting back?
He did but...
Bite him, claw at his eyes, spit poison in his face, anything to-
That old dragon always hated showing emotion. To him, it was weakness. Outbursts like that were rare.
Tomorrow, you're going to get it back.
What? How?! Cyrus was- CRACK!
Get it back or I will have a far worse punishment waiting for you.
How could he say that so casually? How was that monster able to slick back his hair, adjust his tie, and compose himself after doing that to him?
You're a dragon, boy. Start acting like one.
How was he losing against this monstrosity? Mephitis could feel his muscles screaming in agony as he forced the beast's skeletal, vine-covered jaws to stay open. Every second that passed only bringing more pain as the edges of its teeth dug into his claws while its foot pressed down harder on his legs. How was he losing to a Hunter of all things? Had fought the best of his kin and won? Had he not been king? How could he be unworthy of Attima? Was this one different? No, it didn't matter if it was. All dragons that took on the trial of combat were expect to defeat various hunters in order to pass on to the city. Was he that much weaker without access to his full draconic power? Question after question ravaged the young man's mind, and none helped to pull him out of this horrid situation that he was in. So blinded with anger and self-doubt that he forgot all the power within him.
Had it not been for an old friend. Mephitis might have lost his head quite literally in that moment. Édouard had angled the phoenix's next attack perfectly so that its intense flames came down upon the vine-covered beast's back. Branches and brush became the perfect tinder to turn the Hunter into a bonfire as it wrenched its head away finally. There was no cry of pain from the beast though. Could it even feel such a thing? The reason it had pulled back wasn't from being hurt. It had realized that the phoenix's flames would weaken its form enough for Mephitis to fight back. Better to give its prey a moment of freedom now than to allow its body to burn to nothing. So, the creature pulled itself away. That large claw pulling off Mephitis' legs and letting the panting dragon move once again. Granted, that didn't give Mephitis much solace after he saw what the monster was capable of.
As the Hunter retreated, it's body moved more like a blazing mass than a canine. Like a mound of snakes rushing to and fro while the bones beneath were just carried along. The earth below even answered its call as crashed around in waves. The dirt swallowing up the phoenix fire that had been threatening to consume its branches and vines before the tree were pulled in the whirlpool. Wood snapping so simply within an earthen grinder so that it could be reshape and used far more effectively. Within this swirling mass, Mephitis could see one thing. Those brilliant, searing eyes staring back at him constantly. The beast watched and readied itself for it knew what Mephitis did. It was healing itself or perhaps mending its armor. Either way, it was in a far weaker state that the dragon could actually take advantage of.
The mage had an entire array of spells at his disposal. Many of them could bring about a blaze that could ravage the Hunter just like the phoenix flames had done. Fire bolt, Immolation, Flame strike, and so much more. However, the so-called mage used none of these things. As he got onto his feet and stood tall once more, Mephitis took a deep breath. His eyes shined with brilliant gold as he glared back at the Hunter. This monster that dared to attack Aella. A draconic fury ripped up through his body as he opened his mouth and unleashed all that burning rage. Arcane blue flames with gold flickering at the edges poured out of his mouth and scorched the landscape before him. Its power even more intense than that of the phoenix... However, Mephitis had to actually hit his target.
The Hunter already knew that this attack wasn't something it wished to be hit by. The mass rushing wildly around Mephitis in a circle. It used rocks, trees, and whatever else it could hide behind in order to stop Mephitis' breath from touching it. When the dragon's arcane fire made contact with any piece of its form, the Hunter would immediately toss it away in its opponent's direction. So, it started to rain brilliant blue and gold fire around the young man but it went entirely ignored. Even though burning pieces hit him, it went entirely ignored. The dragon's kept turning his head and body, following the monster with his fire. It needed something else. So, the Hunter shattered one of the rocks during a pass and snatched up large chunks with its undulating mass. It would sacrifice a part of its reforming body for this, but that would be worth it.
A sharp spike as large as Mephitis himself ripped through the air towards the young man. It's jagged point aimed directly for his chest. There was no choice in the matter given the speed it was coming in at. The former king finally shut his mouth and pulled himself to the side. That's when he saw the rest. Suddenly, Mephitis was tearing across this broken arena so he could dodge a volley of rock shards. The projectiles shattering against rocks, trees, and the ground itself. Eventually, the hunter forced its prey to hide. Mephitis had rushed across the battlefield to take refuge behind the one thing that could take the brunt of this creature's attacks. The obsidian coffin that Aella had summoned up around herself.
"Ae... Aella!?" Mephitis panted out as he pressed his back up against the smooth surface. His head tilted to look around the corner before pulling back as another rock shard smacked the side. "Aella, please tell me you're okay! Say... Say anything!" Maybe he could focus if he knew she was okay. He could stop this horrible gnawing in his mind, right? Then he would be able to craft a plan for how to stop this Hunter. Shaky calls pressed against the obsidian as if it was something stable and reassuring. A small plea to just hear her voice.
All of the magical webs and their remains began to dissipate all around as Shingen slowly walked over to the downed spider. He was trying to catch his breath as he marveled at the luminescence of the creature’s body. It’s appendages twitched and it’s eyes still seemed fixated on Shingen as he approached. A blue spear blinked into existence just off his right shoulder and he took it from it’s place, underhanded for a throw. When Shingen neared, the spider tried to lift itself again, using it’s remaining stumps for legs.
At that moment, Shingen threw the spear through the center of it’s eye cluster, pinning it to the ground, and rendering it motionless. Shingen stood there for a moment, making sure it was truly dead, when he heard a sound. Something rhythmic, like a muted beating of a drum. It was steady and seemed to originate from inside it’s body. Shingen turned his head and leaned in to listen. It was a heartbeat! He stepped back in confusion. How’s that even possible? It doesn’t even BLEED!
The countless, nerve-like lines that ran through it’s entire body began to flash at the ends before the lit ends sent up a wave of light that converged at a central point. Shingen could then see the silhouette of an object between it’s thorax and it’s head. It too flashed with every beat. Suddenly, the spider’s limbs began to retreat in on themselves, following the lit electric pathways of it’s nervous system. Even the severed legs, strewn about the place, began to disappear. Piece by piece, the spider’s body rolled back into itself.
I’ve got, maybe ten minutes left on this pill. So whatever this is, I need to end it fast. Shingen opened and closed his right fist as he watched the clear, bluish hued mass condense itself into something that began to resemble a human form. The translucent skin of the monster solidified into a darker slate grey and horns appeared from this “man’s” head. Eight arms then unfurled from it’s chest and blood red lamps for eyes, opened to gaze at him hatefully.
There was a thick, palpable bloodlust emanating from the spider that held Shingen captive by dread. Then, as if he had blinked, the beats disappeared. His heightened reflexes from the pill had allowed him to see but a small trail of dust along the path he took, right up until he was on top of him. A fist flew down from one general direction and Shingen jumped back, scrambling to deflect as many punches that he could but it was his tow arms against the monster’s eight. Punches slipped through and caught him in different places. One here, one there, the ribs, the head, the stomach, the chin.
By the time Shingen’s foot touched down on the ground again, they were gone. On the defensive, Shingen tried to keep pushing away, skirting backwards and upwards along the trees but the spider was too fast. As soon as he had gone airborne, the creature had already shot up and over him, catching him with a terrible straight jab from above. Aimed for his head, Shingen could only pull himself back enough for it to land on his chest. He could feel the shattering of his ballistic plate in his carrier and the follow through knocked all the air out of his lungs.
Shingen shot backwards through the foliage of the trees, curled into himself as he tried to catch his breath. He crashed into one of the trees, breaking his back plate in the process and feeling like he had his back broken into a million pieces. ”Guaaghh!” He gasped as the only thing going through his mind was pain and a self loathing for his habitual dependence in his barriers. He couldn’t see as the impact had caused a temporary black out but he could taste blood, the first hint of death.
The spider launched himself at him, wasting no time. Shingen instinctively threw up a large panel of blue mana in front of him followed by five or six more behind it. By the time the sixth had been erected, the beast was through the fifth one without a loss in velocity, shattering the panels like a bullet through glass. All he could do was put up his arms and cover himself with a skin close barrier upon impact. Dust and leaves began to be stirred up from the pummeling of the man in the crevice. The fists came like machine gun fire, burying Shingen deeper into the tree trunk.
Then, there was a large push, tossing the monster back a ways, revealing a battered and bruised Shingen, his clothing tattered. He was surrounded by a ring of blue arms that moved around him in revolutions. He emerged from the tree trunk, grimacing from the pain and wiped his bloody mouth. There was a cut above his left eye, causing him to keep it closed although he still had one good eye left. The beast assessed him for a moment before descending on him again. This time, Shingen met him halfway. The two clashed in mid-air, a frenzied exchange of blows and parries as they began to fall. Each would occasionally land a heavy blow, although blocked, it would send the other flying, leaving the other to follow just as quickly to re-engage.
The upper forest began to shake and tremble as they bounced off the tree trunks and barreled through the branches. Although Shingen beat him in hands in the fight, the enemy was definitively faster. His blocks and parries, however, had slowed the onslaught enough to establish a rhythm to the fight. Shingen could begin to be aware of a pattern in the spider’s articulative barrage. It was only a matter of time.
Blow met blow between the two, blue arms were broken into shards and new ones would appear in their place. Shingen would turn and try to attack from one of the spider’s sides but against such a speed and firepower, it seemed to put him more at a disadvantage himself. Shifting this way and that, they danced around the forest floor, appearing to the untrained eye only when these footing changes happened. After a moment of feeling that his arms were going to fail him, Shingen began to see it. The anatomically perfect undulation of his strikes that lent him his speed.
Turning away for a back kick, Shingen tried to “reset” him. Although launched as fast as possible, the worst occurred. The spider grabbed his foot at the ankle and whipped him sideways against a tree trunk. All Shingen could do was brace himself in mana. When he hit the tree, he spun sideways as if he had been him by a truck, blue shards everywhere from the impact. He was reeling and rose to one knee as the next fist arrived. Top right! The punch froze just before it struck his cheek. Left middle top! The next punch did the same. Then, like clockwork, each arm followed suit until every one of the monster’s arms were encased and immobilized in a thin coat of blue mana.
The beast, enraged, struggled against it’s bindings. Shingen could feel the leverage building as he used his legs to pull up against the barrier’s until they too were bound. Shingen wiped the blood from his brow as he walked up to the creature just outside of range from it’s lunging fangs. Falling on one knee, he held his side and raised his free arm. A blue circle sawblade appeared above them and began to rotate. It then grew in size and additional, extended teeth appeared on symmetrical points of the blade. ”Godspeed, spiderman.” Shingen uttered as he dropped the blade, cutting the beast cleanly in two.
The core at the center of the hunter could be seen, sawed in two within the halved creature’s body. There was no blood and no pain, only a frozen expression of rage on it’s face. Shingen gathered himself for a moment, taking off his broken plate carrier and moving back in the direction of the others. Precious time had been lost.
“Ae… Aella!?” It was muffled, distant, warped by layers of obsidian and chaos. Another impact shuddered through the wall- closer this time- and the voice that followed was clearer. “Aella, please—say anything!” She shrieked, hands flying up as the entire pyramid rattled, sending dust and grit cascading down her back and shoulders. For one wild heartbeat, she was certain the walls were about to crumble. Great, her mind supplied bitterly, Meph was going to die while she was buried alive in a rock tantrum.
That was just too ******** lame. She scrambled to her feet despite the protest of her wounded side, planting both hands against the wall and shoving with everything she had but the stone didn’t even creak.
“Move,” she hissed through clenched teeth, shoving again, heels scraping uselessly against the floor. Of course it was getting her nowhere, she didn't have super strength like the dragon outside. Her breathing broke apart and frustration bled into anger. Useless. The word attempted to cut her and for a heartbeat she just stood there shaking, forehead pressed to the stone, hating the walls, hating this place, hating herself. But she wasn't useless, she was just doing useless things. Think Aella. She thunked her forehead repeatedly against the stone as Mephitis struggled to survive on the other side until something tugged at the back of her mind.
The image of an arena in a draconian city that no longer existed the way it once had surfaced in her mind's eye. “Yes,” she whispered hoarsely, nodding to herself. She swallowed hard and lifted her head. “Yeah okay." She could do this. Or she would at least try.
Another blow shook the pyramid.
"Don't die!" Aella shouted, hoping he could hear her.
Okay. Focus.
Meph had tried to teach her before. She hadn’t exactly been cooperative, but there had been something there that worked for a moment. There was nothing to lose in trying anyway. Anger was wind. She remembered that much. And lightning never came when she was furious; it came when she wasn’t trying to tear the world apart.
His voice echoed in her memory, faint but teasing. "Let's just experiment a little. Even if it doesn't work, it'll be nice to meditate. Sooo, picture a place you love to go to. What is it?"
“Zen’s place,” she had murmured automatically.
The image rose unbidden—and with it, a sharp, unwelcome ache in her chest. Warm light. Quiet. Safety. Her jaw tightened and her chest clenched. Not helpful, fast forward.
She did however sit down and began box breathing the way Zen taught her and focused on trying to bring up details of the space. How it smelled, what the ground felt like beneath her felt like. In, hold. Out, hold. Again. She focused her mind on the cold stone beneath her palms, the grit clinging to her skin, the iron smell of her own blood. She reached inward, trying to remember how it felt when he provoked her magic with his own, searching for the reservoir of mana within her.
At first there was nothing but the echo of her heartbeat but then- there! Aella could feel something!
She couldn’t see beyond the pyramid, but awareness began to bloom anyway. The press of Meph’s body against the stone outside, the Hunter’s mass churning like a living landslide of bone and soil, the ground itself taut with tension... and she lurched toward all of it greedily. Of course, there was no way she could manage to control the unstable, volatile pulse of magic that she had called forth.
The response was immediate and violent.
With a thunderous crack, the earth beyond the pyramid erupted. Massive, randomly placed, jagged spikes of obsidian shot upward in a brutal spring like motion, veins of molten gold blazing along their edges as they tore free from the ground. They speared toward the Hunter’s position like the teeth of some colossal trap, locking into place with bone-jarring force.
The shockwave rattled her shelter, dust pouring down in choking clouds as the spikes settled outside. Aella gasped, bracing herself against the wall.
“…s**t,” she breathed.
Where: floor With: her thoughts Doing: not dying Wearing:
Do not fall in love with people like me. I will take you to museums and parks and monuments and kiss you in every beautiful place, so that you can never go back to them without tasting me like blood in your mouth. I will destroy you in the most beautiful way possible. And when I leave, you will finally understand why storms are named after people.
