Lord of Azure Flame: Chapter 16: Fracture

[Phoenix]

OOC: This beats any cave related horror movie to death with a stick.

The Attack

With just enough time to react, Shanice dug his hand into Cess' ice block forming a handle and pulled the block in the way like a sliding door! The impact shattered some of the ice and left the tomahawk planted so deep that it barely avoided Cess' head! Seeing Kelas making runs back and forth, Shanice laughed!

Shanice: You can't save everyone! Just ask Katie! We've had her since you last saw me hahaaaah!!

As soon as the wave of spikes came, Levski dragged Isotov and Irina to the ground, and the spikes harmlessly passed over them before colliding with various wall surfaces! As the two siblings stood up only to be ambushed by Megae!

Iso: Sh*t! Irina get back!

Iso moved to her defense and tried to summon Proxima for his next attack! This also got Shanice's attention!

Shanice: (Hmmmm ...)

[-Cynthia-]

Ruby partially dodged the axe, letting it embed in her shoulder instead. "Hey, that actually hurt! Ah, well payback's a bitch." Ruby opened her palms wide and set a column of fire over Alferis, incinerating him.

[Psych]

Rita:

"Ha! Too slow!" Rita had dropped her sword, and back flipped out of the woman's reach, narrowly missing the roof. She picked up her sword, and sheathed it, before drawing her serated Armorslayer.

As she had gone for Irina, Rita gave a heavy blow into the woman's head, before jumping right on her back.

Edited August 12, 2010 by psychout50

[Dark Sage]

Alferis's screams of pain filled the cavern as he dropped to the floor, his hair burning, his flesh charred. He rolled on the floor, trying to smother the flame, but failed and with a gurgle, fell unconscious.

[Psych]

Pary:

Seeing blood leaking from Rita's arm, and her on top of the woman, he lookd at the distance. He staff was certainly not a Physic, but it could reach. He walked over to Iso and Irina, to be sure, then lifted his staff and the energy seeped into her wound.

[-Cynthia-]

Not too difficult Ruby thought, conjuring more smoke from Alferis's charred body to obscure what she was doing. She leaned over to Reika and began the severing process...slowly the knives came to her.

After seeing the burst of flame, Charlotte decided to go in. He's helped protect me before, I can't abandon him now. She went into the smoke looking for him, but it was hard to see. Eventually her foot caught something on the ground. "Alferis?" she stumbled around, applying her healing staff to the body.

[Inactive Account]

"Huh." Megae's head was made of stronger stuff than a human's, but the blow did keep her sword from passing through Irina's throat; instead it grazed her cheek as Megae struggled for a moment to regain her balance. She flipped up, hooking a foot around Rita's ankles and dumping her to the icy floor, and pinned her hands to the ground with her blades. "Not red, now dead," she sang, planting a solid kick in Rita's ribs, knocking her wind out and leaving her for the ice to do its work. She pulled her swords out of the ground, then spun to cover Shanice's back again.

"<Die, hellspawn-->" Kelas shouted, loosing another arrow, but to no avail: one of Megae's blades whipped up, slicing it perfectly down the middle. "Irina get OUT!" she called, sliding towards the siblings.

[Balcerzak]

"Arrin, you okay there?" Tessa called out, as the mage sunk to his knees to her side. Chaos had exploded inside the cave, alternating between ice and fire. The combination of steam and smoke rendered visibility from the mouth of the cave where they were to zero.

"We need to hold the entrance, just make sure they can't escape. You can do that with me, right?" The troubadour unsheathed her sword, and took a defensive posture, ready to bar exit to any foe that might try to venture forth.

[Psych]

Rita:

Feeling the breath knocked out of her, Rita gasped for air. But she wouldn't lose again. What time in a row was this? 5? She stood up, and picked up her sword. The woman was attacking the nomad, and she had to save him. Arrows flew, striking the demon in her leg. Rita gave a deep stab to her back, before jump in her back again, tackling her to the ground. She felt something in the back of the woman's shirt, and stuck her hand down there.

[Phoenix]

The Second Run

Shanice: Heheheheeheheheeheeeeh-

Shanice eyed one spot above Isotov and Irina that was on the ceiling! This spot was smooth like any other spot, but with a quick gesture, Shanice drew an imaginary circle with his hand, and suddenly cracks formed in the ice in a similar shape, freeing up the piece to fall right on top of them! As it fell, Shanice abandoned the ice block and rushed into the smoke! Iso looked up in time to see the block coming and shoved Irina into Levski causing them both to lose their balance and fall! Shanice dove and Iso was dragged away from the ice chunk as it shattered against the icy surface!

The two slid twenty feet across the ground, and Shanice quickly wrestled Iso to keep him on the bottom! As their slide came to a stop, Iso freed himself, leaped to his feet, and readied a fire spell! The cold was finally starting to get to him however, and he could barely move. Shanice on the other hand was limber and quite comfortable.

Iso: Where's Katie?

Shanice: ... around. Like Megae said, she's broken, but not dead ... yet.

Iso: Bring her back, or I'll burn you to ashes right here!

Shanice: Weren't you gonna do that anyway? Before I kill you once and for all Little Iso ... why don't I let you in on a little secret huh?

Iso: Hm?

The ice demon still had Katie's face, and its expression became so dark and twisted that Iso could barely recognize her anymore.

Shanice: Aleksandr ... Natasha ... Adrian ... Cole ... Miranda ... ... those are the people I killed that you never confirmed. Now you don't have to ask them when I send you to meet them.

Iso stood there frozen for a full second, the longest second he'd ever experienced in his life! Aleksandr, his father ... Natasha, his mother ... Adrian and Cole, his closest friends ... and Miranda, his beloved teacher, all by the same foul demon standing before him! The very next second, Iso was screaming at the top of his lung with fire in his eyes!

Shanice: (Oh good! An opening! Couldn't have asked for more!)

Shanice moved in an instant and slammed his elbow into Iso's stomach hard knocking the wind out of him! As Iso fell backward, Shanice's arms drew out the azure flames and Proxima was doused!

Shanice: Ten years ... ... hahah! TEN YEARS AND IT ALL COMES DOWN TO THIS!!!

Irina was struggling against Lev who was keeping her from going back after Iso! The blood on her cheek was beginning to freeze over in the intense cold but she couldn't bring herself to leave, and Lev knew he wouldn't be able to keep his balance on the ice with the extra weight over his shoulders!

Lev: Dammit, Irina! We have to get outside before we fight!

Irina: No!! Iso just got knocked deeper in there! Come on!

Lev: Dammit, girl, you're gonna get frostbite! Urgh!

[Inactive Account]

Kelas skidded, dropping to her knees and narrowly avoiding Shanice's attacks as it went through a sickening progression of forms. "Amari!" she shouted, calling for the mare to come help her, as she dragged one of Isotov's arms over her shoulders and tried to run with him.

Amari sidestepped away from Arrin and charged down the hill, leaping right before hitting the ice and skidding as she landed. She slid, slamming Shanice with her whole weight: this thing was the most wrong thing she'd ever seen, the scariest, but she'd face it, for her rider.

"I think I've got a shot," Arrin said quietly, sending out a bolt of lightning that arced up one of Megae's swords. The other blade had found Kelas' side, but the gash was shallow and she tried to keep running, slipping and skidding.

"Damn pests!" Megae spat, leaping again to intercept Irina's attempt to help as the lightning drove her away from Kelas.

edit: added "away from Arrin"

Edited August 12, 2010 by The Clockwork Alchemist

[Psych]

Rita:

A book? Rita grabbed the book from the woman's shirt, before she was able to fling Rita off a second time. She flew straight at Viveka, begore sliding across the ice towards the exit.

[Script]

OOC: Well, here we go, time to dive into the fireworks and all that. Let us hope it doesn't seem too out of place.

The 12th Patrol Cavalry out of Directus , composed of seven mounted soldiers, was well outside of its normal route. Like most of the other active units in Directus, they had been sent out to locate a missing person. An old friend of Councilmen Richtor, a friend that was very punctual and that made Councilmen Richtor very worried. The foulness in the sky and the earthquakes that and nearly leveled the entirety of the western wall of Directus added their own insurances to the man's worries. So instead of helping to repair the city, or increase nearby patrols, the 12th Patrol was out further than they had ever been wasting their talents. As one of the patrol so constantly exclaimed.

"All I'm saying is we'd be better off back home!" the complaining sword-men Fargo whined for the hundredth time since the patrol had been sent out.

"And that's another reprimand for you," the Captain of the Patrol, Luc Altair, said for the 99th time. "Would you care to go further with this or obey orders?"

"Some orders," Fargo said not caring about any punishment. He was already stuck at Private for the rest of his life and nothing save his own death would relieve him of service. "Find some old pal of the Councilmen? I mean, yeah, the Councilmen's great and all. But man, we really shouldn't be so far away."

"Do not presume to know what our missing person is valued for Private," Luc lectured his subordinate. Assumptions were a nasty habit to have. The missing man could be of far greater importance than any of them knew.

"Same old circle, and-" Fargo stopped and looked about the treeline. "Hey, anyone else see smoke?"

Luc and the rest followed Fargo's gaze upwards. Amongst the disgusting green the sky had become there was still a whisper of smoke trailing from somewhere ahead.

"There are no settlements around this area," Corporal Jess reminded the unit.

"Perhaps that's where our missing man is, we ride to investigate! Helmets on! Especially you Fargo!"

The others (including Fargo) answered with a "yes, sir!"

The 12th Patrol Cavalry kicked into as best a gallop they could in the woods. Luc with his ax in front, the lancers Jess and Tom and his sides, behind them were Fargo and Zachariah the swordsmen, between them the mounted archer Canna, and in the rear of them all the Troubadour Anna-Seline.

Were Luc a man who relied on feelings, he would have heeded the cold feeling he felt in the bottom of his stomach and led his Patrol away. But feelings had no place in his tactical thinking, and he pressed the unit forward.

OOC: Any bets on how long the fodder NPCs last before I have them butchered hm?

Edited April 24, 2012 by Script

[-Cynthia-]

Having secured a crimson weapon, Ruby looked around the cave Don't see any more wielders, except for that fire mage, but I can't get him without Shanice and Megae noticing... She warped a short distance away, close to the entrance of the cave. A young, blonde haired girl blocked her path.

"Move it." Ruby ordered, swinging her sword at the girl in an attempt to kill.

[Phoenix]

Inside the turmoil

As Kelas pulled Iso away, Shanice's grip never left the energies surrounding Proxima, and the crimson tome was completely severed by the time the two enemies were separated! Iso lost consciousness the instant he was severed and went completely limb as Kelas moved him away through the rising smoke!

Shanice quickly transformed into a wolf holding the tome in his jaws and made a mad rush for the exit hoping to get the tome out of the storm of chaos before his luck ran out!

Having never experienced so much ice before, Viveka, Jasmine, and the two pegasi had slipped and fallen! Jasmine was knocked out by her fall, and Viveka was hurt too badly to even try standing again. Fortunately for her, the demons were concentrating on the crimson weapons and not them specifically!

Beyond the Caves

Just outside the cave entrance, the wyverns stood beside Tessa and the others watching helplessly for signs of their riders, suddenly a dark symbol appeared on the ground glowing brighter than a magical spell normally could! It was a small distance away an seemed to be an alchemic circle! Suddenly the form of a man materialized from the ground up right on top of the circle! With his head materialized it was clear to see that the person was Ixion! His face was that of a somewhat drained person, and he steadily approached the cave entrance with a determined look in his eye.

[the_whistler]

A few tense moments had passed, and Heinz was left looking warily at the two mercenaries and the mute mage until suddenly both wyverns burst into roar, the sound rapidly echoing within the cave. Heinz winced, covering an ear with his right hand while he swiftly removed a knife from his belt with the other. Looks like it's time to see how well these new knives work... Though it seems like that axe hurt a lot, grinning slightly at the sound of her reaction.

Heinz blinked in surprise however, when the demon stood up and began encasing the entire cave in ice. Hurriedly he scrambled to pick up his cloak from the floor, frowning slightly when he realized it was still damp from the rainstorm the night before. "Looks like I can't stay warm," he muttered, putting on the cloth anyway.

Seeing the Jerdonian sworduser confront the ice demon, Heinz paused for a second when Morgan slipped and fell onto the ice. Jumping to avoid the spikes, he nodded curtly at the nomad dragging the shaman away. Figuring Reika and the ex-guide could take care of themselves, Heinz scowled as a giant ice block came loose and crashed into the cavern, obscuring his vision. Moving closer to the scene, he threw a knife at the ice demon uselessly as it transformed into a wolf. Damned transformations... can't catch up to him.

Moving as fast as he could without slipping on the ice, Heinz made his way to the entrance of the cave, throwing another knife straight at another demon, who was confronting Tessa.

Edit: Rephrased things, added some thought.

Edited August 12, 2010 by the_whistler

[Balcerzak]

Arrin had started firing some potshots into the cave, it seemed, and from the sound of the curses emitted, his efforts had met with a measure of success. Tessa was still on guard, when a black haired demon with red eyes appeared before her, and demanded she move out of the way. It was now her chance to do something.

The demon hadn't waited for an answer before swing its weapon directly at her, killing intent clearly propelling the blade. Executing a combination of both dodge and parry, Tessa stepped to the side while holding fiercely to her own sword, swung it in the path of the other weapon, in an attempt to deflect it sideways. Even in the event that she didn't have the raw strength to turn aside the blow completely, her movement should ensure that she would no longer be where the blow had been aimed at.

"Foul hellspawn! As a devotee of The Lady, and servant of the Light I cannot forgive your presence here, nor your assault on my friends. With all the power I possess I shall resist you, and not permit you to pass!" With a fierce conviction she called out her challenge, and made it clear she would not yield easily, and a glint of determination shown in the troubadour's bright blue eyes.

Edited August 12, 2010 by Balcerzak

[Dark Sage]

As Charlotte healed Alferis, some of the fire melted the ice and the water began to evaporate the flames and steam rose from his body. He was pinkish with a bit of his skin charred and his hair was singed. Although only a part of his face could be seen, it was enough to describe the rest of it. Above the eye, the fire burned off his eyebrow and his skin was charred black. The area around his eye and his cheek burned a few holes into the skin, while the area around his mouth was mostly fine, with some blotches. The healing energy had reduced most of the damage.

[Phoenix]

Run Dog Run!

The Wolf vamoosed and came to the entrance of the cave just in time to witness Ruby enter mortal combat with Tessa! The shapeshifter took its chance and leaped into the air straight over the dueling pair and ran off into the open plains trying to escape! As Ixion approached, Shanice ran right passed him not even taking a glance to see if it was actually the Dark Druid in person! He just kept on running!

Ixion stopped where he was and took note of a few oddities. The wolf was running with a very familiar tome in its mouth, it had purple blotches of fur, and it was far faster than any wolf should ever be.

Ixion: *sigh* ...

Ixion slowly turned around and began walking after the fleeing shapeshifter aiming to stop him.

[-Cynthia-]

As Ruby's sword was deflected by Tessa, she felt a knife slide between her shoulderblades. Damn, too many of them...I'll let Shanice and Megae handle them...need to deliver my prize anyway.

"We'll settle this later." Ruby said to steadfast troubadour. Lights and smoke equivalent to a small fireworks display appeared at the entrance to the cave as Ruby warped away, not back to Petros but to her true mistress.

[Script]

The 12th Patrol Cavalry arrived nearby the site of the smoke, far enough away to be safe, as they investigated the smoke-source and saw a cave as the source. Along with people dueling, a couple of wyrens, and a wolf running away from everything else, including the patrol.

"Damn, what the hell's going on over there?" Fargo asked the question they were all thinking.

Luc frowned beneath his helmet. The situation was a tactical nightmare and there were no easy orders to give. Either side -- if there were sides -- were unknowns, possibly even enemies. Those few he could see had nothing in common in forms of equipment, so picking the sides wasn't going to be easy if he decided they should interfere.

"What are we waiting for? Let's go!" Fargo went on.

"No," Luc commanded, "We know too little, charging in now might make things worse. We know nothing, and I will not risk our lives charging blindly into something that may be a trap."

"Dammit," Fargo conceded, "I hate it when you're right."

Luc nodded in acknowledgment and focused upon the trouble ahead.

Edited August 12, 2010 by Script

[Balcerzak]

Almost immediately after locking blades with the demon, a large wolf flew overhead! She'd failed to hold the entrance. Gritting her teeth and grimacing, Tessa had to ignore that for the moment, and concentrate on the task at hand. She couldn't afford half measures, if she slipped up, it could very likely spell her end.

However, she was yet again robbed, as with a flash of light, and accompanying percussive noise and smoke, the demon that had been engaging her vanished before her very eyes.

"Oh bugger it all! Arrin, can you hit that wolf? Curses, how many more are there... I don't even know." Shouting in anger and dismay, she turned back to the entrance and kept up the vigil.

Though... she started having some second thoughts. Undoubtedly some were injured in there, and the wyverns were nearby... No. Arrin seems so unsteady, and Charlotte and Pary should be enough for the moment. And I can't count on animals, no matter how well trained, to manage things well without some guidance. I need to stay here, and do what I have been. Maybe it will all amount for naught, but if I don't at least try...

She managed to reaffirm herself of her course of action, and quell the momentary indecision that had reared itself, niggling her with doubts.

Edited August 12, 2010 by Balcerzak

[Inactive Account]

Kelas looked back as she managed to get off the ice: the others were still in need of help, but Shanice was fleeing. Seeing that they had help, she kept her attention on helping Isotov, sitting him down outside the cave. "You injured?" she asked quietly, still keeping an eye on Shanice's fleeing form.

Amari had been thrown off-balance as Shanice transformed upon impact, becoming smaller and lighter. The mare's legs buckled and she skidded to her knees, sliding into the wall. She picked herself up, gingerly making her way out of the cave. Shanice was running too fast to catch... best to stay by Kelas. She stood by Kelas, watching for cues.

Arrin whirled, sending a jolt of magic at Ruby, but the demoness was already gone. Tessa called for him to attack Shanice's fleeing form, and he tried to, but the distance was rapidly becoming too much to aim over. Dizzily Arrin sat down.

Megae whirled, turning after Shanice. The druid after him was armed with spells that made her skin crawl... "I'll be back, Boss!" she shouted, readying to warp. As she leapt into void Rita's hands once more knocked her jacket, causing the tome tucked inside to tumble out. "Shit!" she spat, but was gone.

[Psych]

Rita:

Picking up the book the woman had dropped, she tucked it into her belt. She ripped off some cloth from a spare rag, and tied her hands to stop the bleeding. Someone could fix it later. She took her Armorslayer, and walked over to the block of ice Cess was still stuck in. She began hacking away at the ice, trying to free him.

[Phoenix]

Home free?

Shanice continued bolting as fast as he could heading to a wooded area with a bit of cover! That seemed to be the best place to wait for the others! He couldn't risk going back with Proxima and losing the tome after all the effort to acquire it. Killing Iso would have to wait! Suddenly he felt a tremendous energy enveloping the entire area! He slid to a panicked stop and looked around anxiously!

Shanice: (Crap! What if that was Ixion back there! Oh sh*t! What's he even doing here in the first place?!!)

Once Shanice had reached the wooded area, Ixion had begun running to save time, and had managed to catch up to the fleeing wolf. He came to a stop just shy of thirty feet from the panicked canine.

Ixion: Shanice ... at last ....

Shanice: (... at last? The hell?)

The ice demon quickly took his humanoid form. His hair was no longer tied back anymore. Instead it was draped over his chest shoulders and back in complete disorder.

Shanice: You here to help them?

Ixion: Hardly. I can't allow you to die however ...

Shanice: Say what?! Are you trying to help me or something?

Ixion: Hardly.

Shanice: Well then what the f*ck do you want?! Whaddya mean you can't let me die?! Who's side are you on?!

Ixion: Come now, Shanice. Talk is cheap. Hasn't being in Katie's shoes taught you that much? Now are you going to surrender, or am I going to have to subdue you with bone crushing force ... yet again?

Shanice: Grrr ... you can't have Proxima ... and you can't have me either.

Ixion: I'm not asking ...