Mercenary on the Winds Posted May 9, 2023 Author Share Posted May 9, 2023 The final push from Kisara, now bolstered properly by Tio, Elisa, and Mikoto, and the combined efforts of everyone else around. Mercuria held tight, but the force of their combined efforts was just, ever so just, enough. The grip that she'd had on both Alvira and Lani slipped ever so slightly, enough that both Alvira, and Lani were finally able to pull themselves away. NO! NOOO! In an instant, Mercuria released a powerful blast, trying to re-establish the link. "Not! A fucking! Chance!" Almost as soon as the words left Tio's lips, Kisara was already moving. The two perfectly in sync, and the four powering the circuit partially blocked the blast. The shock of the attack knocked the three women back, and the pendant away from Lani, and Elisa. Thank you. That's more than enough. The blade flashed one last time, and within Alvira and Lani's minds. Something appeared before them as Kisara had. So this is what I once was. Beings like you... but given the chance to ascend beyond... an Overarch. And you, Mercuria, Divine Spirit of Water. One meant to choose. How far you've strayed from your path. Children of the Spirits. I set you free from this suffering. How poignant, Mercuria, you are undone by your own machinations. I need not remember everything to know how to end this. Stop! Stop you fool! Don't you see! I can save you! I can save us all! This world is wrong! You know that you should not exist here! You will forget once more! You will be doomed to serve these failures! Sever the link and you shall die again! Remember that it was you, and Alustrona who put us all to death. I do not remember why, but I do know this. These are the people you swore to protect when you exorcised us. The Overarch ended that fateful day. Yet, it appears that you have become what you sought to destroy. I cannot destroy you, but I can set you back. Without the power of the boundary... You will not return here. You will not continue your assault on this child of Fomalhaut. You will not continue your assault on this child of Gaia. Your grasp on me, and these people... ends now! NOOO-- The blade pulsed, and the link vanished. Lani, and Alvira both seemed to return into the real world as the forces trying to pull them all away from the blade worked all at once. Alriana's tackle, sending the two afflicted into a heap, and those pulling at the sword in yet another direction. With that final action, the blade's light, now back in Diya's control, faded. Before that, the looming heavy presence of Mercuria had completely vanished from the area. Leaving the room only with the field of light. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scorri Posted May 9, 2023 Share Posted May 9, 2023 As Sophia wrapped her hands around the hilt of the blade, around Diya's hands, tightening the grip the rabbit had, but also increasing the pain in her right hand, Diya gritted her teeth holding tight and pulling away from the mercenaries. There was a lot of talking going on, but Diya couldn't focus on it. There was too much going on, the magic wasn't what she needed to focus on. The mages would handle that, she just needed to focus on getting the blade back. All of a sudden the blade flashed, and there was a scream in her mind, before the blade flashed again and Diya found herself falling backwards, sword in hand. She let go with one hand, trying to catch herself, landing in a heap with Jesse and Sophia with a sharp yelp of pain as she caught herself with her injured hand. Her left hand was flung to the side, keeping the blade away from her and her companions, Escaflowne in the air and unharmed. "Ha... Ah." She slowly pulled herself away from the other two, wincing slightly, before looking back at her commander. "Lady Celine... Now, now what?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluemask 96 Posted May 9, 2023 Share Posted May 9, 2023 (edited) Gean had spent the brunt of the situation holding onto Renais. She was not versed in matters of magic, but what she could sense gave her nothing of bad vibes. Fortunately for all, the combined efforts of everyone present were enough to break free, and the feeling was gone, the sword returned to it's normal state. Looking down at the girl in her arms, Gean was quick to act. "You should check on them, see if anyone needs healing." Gean took a survey of the room, most folks were either in the two resulting piles, or still on the sidelines. One person who wasn't in the main effort that looked to be bad. "Mom!" The mermaid rushed over to Tasha's side, embracing her. "We're done, everyone is fine. The healers are gonna check up on Vira and the rest." Gean never seen Tasha this distressed, and held the tiger tighter. Jesse was using all her strength to pull back Diya, so she wasn't ready for the release of the blade, nor was she ready for Diya and Sophia to fall back on her. The young knight's armor clanged on the floor as she let out an "Oof!" The situation was over at least, or at least that's was Jesse thought. "First we should get your hand checked. Ren? Are you here? We could use some healing!" Jesse's call was slightly muffled being under two people, but hopefully the call would be heard regardless. Edited May 9, 2023 by Bluemask 96 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MRDRHAWK Posted May 9, 2023 Share Posted May 9, 2023 (edited) Sophia wasn’t prepared for the whole pile to end up tumbling, but she wasn’t at the bottom, at least. Poor Jesse… she’d have to make it up to the girl later. For now, though, she hadn’t quite watched where she grabbed onto the sword from, and ended up hurting Diya more, so she needed to take it upon herself to fix Diya’s hand again, clasping her wrist gently and pulling the hurt hand towards her. ”And hoooooooold stiiiiiiiiiill this time.” Sophia pouted as she attempted to bandage Diya’s hand, properly this time. “If youuuuuuuu get huuuuuuurt like that, you wooooon’t be able to protect Cec-Lady Celine.” Boy, was it ever a struggle to stay formal, here. Edited May 9, 2023 by MRDRHAWK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanami Touko Posted May 9, 2023 Share Posted May 9, 2023 (edited) Alvira wasn't sure what was going on. She was seeing the vision and understanding the words, but with how focused she'd been, it wasn't completely sinking in. She wanted time to think on it, but she wouldn't be given any at the moment-- with a final blast of magic from both sides and the sword, the connection was cut, Alvira and Lani both getting blasted back from the sword! Versaris reacted as quickly as he could to the sudden rush of motion, hoisting Miria out of the way of the conga line that crashed into one of the inn tables, huffing as he set her down. "Okay... I, guess... I guess, it worked?" Miria seemed fine, which left, "Alvira, Alriana, Tanya, are you alright!?" He rushed to their side, hoping the tackle hadn't hurt either of them beyond measure... Syta was tossed along with Laniva, groaning as she collapsed next to the cat, trying to sit up before flopping, the shockwave too sudden for her senses. "Owwwhhhnnn... Nhhh... Ahh, L-Laniii... A-Are you, okay?" She finally managed to sit up, staring at her friend, hoping any injuries were from the blast and nothing else. "Did... Did you succeed...? Is, whatever that was, gone?" Syta wasn't sure what had happened, just that Kisara had to be a part of-- "Kisara!" Her eyes were suddenly darting for her necklace, spotting the green gem across the floor, scrambling over to it and collapsing over it, squeezing it into her hands. "Hey! Hey, are you okay!?" Magic collided with her essence and shredded through her, her consciousness fading, but from what she could tell, they'd succeeded. The sensation that had been bombarding her slowly began to fade. Ahh... What, an experience~ Despite the pain, the loss of feeling, the sudden quiet and darkness, Kisara felt a certain sense of bliss. To experience a God, to confront a God, to defeat a God... It was a rush. Elation. Something she only wished she'd been stronger for, had more time to study, to see, to understand... The darkness around her was overwhelming, though. Deafening, even. She couldn't hear anyone, see anyone. They were all gone. I suppose this is a fitting end. I think I'll quietly disappear... It wasn't a good life, but I'm happy to have done something good with my last moments-- "Hey! Hey, are you okay!?" A dim voice, distant, muddled. It was Syta. Of course it was Syta... The gem glowed faintly in Syta's hands, Kisara struggling to respond. Syta... Why aren't you looking after Laniva? You're ridiculous... "What are you talking about!? Of course I'd come for you first! You've been with me for years! You've kept me safe... You'd helped me so much... ... ... Are..." Syta didn't want to ask, but she had to... "Are you going to be okay...?" She felt herself tearing up. Kisara was a horrible person; she'd learned as much recently and it had colored her feelings, but in the end, she'd still been there for her during her travels and done everything she could to help. Information, her magic, her powers, just being there so Syta never felt lonely... "Please be okay..." ... You stupid girl... Kisara sighed. Just as things were going to fade away, that tether to Syta struggled to grasp onto her again. I'm going, to sleep... For a while. I don't know how long, but... I did something foolish. Too foolish... But if you're so, desperate, to keep a monster like me, around... Then, just keep me, on. I'll take a little bit. Every now and then... And maybe I'll come back. "You'd better come back, damn you! You'd better... Khhh..." Syta pulled the necklace close to her chest, gripping it tightly, biting her lip. "Don't you dare leave me..." Foolish... Girl... Mmm... Goodnight, Syta. I will try, to... Sleep, well... The glow on the necklace faded, Syta letting out a pained whimper. Alvira groaned, hard. Her head felt like it was splitting. She'd gotten a full night's sleep, but was already exhausted... Weight. Alriana was on her. She did her best to squirm out of the pile of bodies, sitting up, staring at Versaris. "Mmuhhhh... I... Feel, like shit. Ughhn..." She looked down at her claws... No sword. She double took between Versaris, her claws, glanced over towards the group, back to Sari, back to her claws, her smile growing with each glance. "We... We! We did it! We did it! HAHA! Fuck you! Fuck you, you worthless ice queen! Choke on your pride! Fucking choke on it!" She couldn't help her excitement, struggling to her feet. It didn't feel real, like this was a good dream she was about to wake up from... What did feel real, was a sudden sensation of warmth emanating from inside her. She gasped, her excitement turning to confusion and something like hope, staring down at her claws again and focusing... before a tiny flame manifested in her hands. It wasn't the same as before. It wasn't everything she'd had, all those years ago, but... It was more than she'd had ever since she'd been linked to Mercuria. She collapsed to her knees, sobbing, holding her flame close to her. "It's baaack! It's been six years! six years...! It's finally, back...!" Versaris let out a tiny huff and held something of a smile. Alvira would be fine, it seemed... More than fine. "Aly, Tanya, do you need a healer? Should I call over Renais?" It was around this point that Iris snuck around, sitting next to Alriana. She'd been too afraid to act when everything started happening, but now that it seemed over... "S-Sister? Are you okay? You're... You're really brave..." Ren was already at Diya's side once everything had concluded, staff in hand, concern written all over their face. "You certainly didn't need to grab the blade by its blade! Goodness... Let me focus, sit still." They channelled their magic into the staff, slowly fixing up the wound, looking around the room. "That certainly was something... The magic here always manages to surprise me. I can't say I've ever felt anything like whatever that presence was... You all seem fine, Diya's wound aside. Anything weird going on in your brains?" Mikoto was launched back with Tio and Elisa, her tails luckily absorbing most of the impact of the blast. She immediately sat up and scanned the room, looking and sensing for anything of the presence of that ice witch... Nothing. She was, for the moment, well and truly gone. Whether or not she would return remained to be seen, but given her personality, she seemed the type to hold a grudge. "Hahh... I can't say that fighting a Goddess was on my bucket list... But here we are. Tio? Elisa? I assume you're both fine?" Elisa was the one she was more concerned over, given she'd been channelling the connections... "I need to get stronger... She will surely return. She felt like quite the petty woman~ I assume you're already thinking of ways to handle her..." As everything finally came to a close, Marigold slipped out of the shadow of the furthest table in the room, finally looking somewhat startled. "Alright! You people are crazy! Guess it makes sense you'd agree to go after Kazran after something like this, fuck..." Edited May 9, 2023 by Nanami Touko Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MRDRHAWK Posted May 9, 2023 Share Posted May 9, 2023 Tanya landed on the ground with a hard thud, caught between groups and crashing to the floor. “Mrowwww?!” She hollered out, practically jumping onto the table and hissing at her own pain. Huh. She hadn’t done that since the last time Max tried to tie her tail against the dining table, the big jerk. ”Huh? Who- what- oh, uh… I’ll be okay. Bit sore, but… just, uh. Yeah. Gimme a bit.” Tanya felt embarrassed as hell, now. Hopefully she wasn’t… uh, too loud. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xinnidy Posted May 9, 2023 Share Posted May 9, 2023 Watching the sisters bicker a little was all good, but even Üllr couldn't ignore the altercation by the sword. The presence that loomed the air was distressing, and then all of a sudden there was shouting and struggling... With Alriana and Iris reacting, so did Üllr, approaching right behind Iris. "What was that...? It's gone now." From people's talking, Üllr could piece it had been someone, though the details were lost on him. At least Alriana seemed okay for now, so Üllr focused his attention on the others. "You okay, Miria?" She seemed very involved, surprising him. "What... who was doing that?" He wasn't the most connected yet, so it was nice that someone he got to know a little could help him out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoldsbroTSG Posted May 9, 2023 Share Posted May 9, 2023 Miria heard loud and clear Mercuria's desperate attempt to achieve whatever goal she had planned, but it was met with deaf ears. Something Kisara, and Escaflowne had done, had defeated her, and everyone encircling Alvira and Laniva were thrown in multiple directions. Miria could've gone just like several others and been thrown across the room, but she was safely cushioned by Sari's hold. She gave a hefty sigh when things started to cooled down. She powered down, and had a warm smile hit her at Alvira's excitement. She didn't know what she did, or really a lot of the situation, but Alvira was happy, so, the cub would chalk that down as a win. She stood there, to herself, when suddenly approached by Üllr, who was curious of what had happened, "Oh, Üllr, umm..." She scratched her head, "I'm not sure how to explain it without sounding ridiculous but, a lot was just going on with... I guess a goddess? She tried using Alvira and Lani to, I assume, steal the Escaflowne, and somehow, we won? It seems like we did." She gave a small shrug. "I won't lie, a lot of it was actually new to me, it was all happening so quick and she made me really mad, so, good riddance." She gave a small laugh, trying to lighten the mood now that everything had settled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy12510 Posted May 9, 2023 Share Posted May 9, 2023 Syndra was pissed. There was a massive ripple of magical energy throughout the room centered around the Escaflowne, and by the time it died down, it had knocked around most of the group that had gathered around it trying to get it back from Alvira and Laniva. Syndra hadn't gotten involved, not because she didn't want to, but because she felt as if she couldn't. The magical presence she had felt was overwhelming to her, and it felt that if Syndra had tried anything to help it would've backfire or make things worse. She channeled some ice to cover her fist and then slammed it on the table. Damnit! Everything I've been learning over these years just to prove my father and all them wrong, and I'm STILL not able to help the people close to me when it matters... She hated both whatever it was that created that presence that caused the group to forcibly react the way they had, and her own inadequacies in the face of such overwhelming power, but the worst feeling to her was just not fully understanding what happened. What could even exist in this world to cause this in the first place? And how did it find its way here? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scorri Posted May 9, 2023 Share Posted May 9, 2023 "Look, I, ah... I'm, used to wearing gauntlets..." Diya was mumbling, a faint blush creeping its way onto her cheeks as Ren looked after her hand. They were kind, but still giving a bit of a lecture, before asking about everything that had happened. "It was... Strange. There were voices in my head, voices I've never heard before. Never heard anything like before... I need to talk to Lady Pan about it. Obviously, I need to talk to Lady Celine about it first, but there's more going on here than we realized at first..." She tried to stand up before abruptly half collapsing back down to sitting again, her head woozy. Ugh, not now body. You can't give up on me here. Push just a little longer and then you can rest. Just a little more. She pushed herself back up again, this time going at a slightly slower pace, though she sped up slightly as she realized she had been sitting on Jesse the whole time. "A-ah, Jesse, sorry. And thank you." Cin had watched everything unfold, helpless on the sidelines as magic beyond his comprehension unfolded. As everything finally seemed to come to an end, something caught his attention. There was a flicker of fire magic, a sensation he was only used to feeling from his own flames and from Elisa in this group. It wasn't his though, and the Evoker wasn't casting any fire magic that he could see. He looked around and then spotted it. Alvira, on her knees crying, a flame dancing over her palms. "I'll be back." He stood up, leaving Siorel behind as he rushed over to Alvira, kneeling down beside her. "Your flame... You found it again! What happened... How did you? No, sorry. Questions can wait. I'm so happy for you. Your prayers were answered." The sight of his friend crying tears of joy brought some tears to his own eyes. She had her fire back. Koba fidgeted uncomfortably in his chair, watching the scene. Something big had gone down. Something bigger than he could begin to understand. It was making him feel very small, and out of place. Yesterday they had fought against a royal from Lufiria. Today they were fighting against magic swords and presences inside of them. He looked down at his hands, clenching them into fists when they wouldn't stop shaking. I really don't belong with this group... Maybe Tio will allow me to work for Lady Celine... Or maybe I can just, disappear. Go back to Glacies or somewhere else. Leave these big things to people better suited to them. What good am I against these things anyways? His hands still wouldn't stop shaking. He was so far out of his depth it was almost laughable. "I'll just put all of them at risk by staying..." The words were quiet, an admission meant for no one now that he was alone at his table. He buried his hands in his pockets, looking out over the scene. Useless... Guess people have been right about me all along... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mercenary on the Winds Posted May 9, 2023 Author Share Posted May 9, 2023 Mercuria wasn't going down without a fight it seemed like, as Tio felt perhaps the most powerful blast of magic that she'd ever felt in her entire life. She, Elisa, and Mikoto were flung backwards, she unceremoniously landing on her bottom, and the pendant that was housing Kisara was flung out of Elisa's hand. Tio quickly scrambled to get back up, but then, the presence of both blade and Mercuria vanished. Alvira, and Lani were finally removed from the blade's pull, being tackled to the ground by Alvira. The blade was finally pulled away, and, once Alvira found herself to sitting... a small flame appeared in her hands. Tio flopped back on the floor the field of light slowly dissipating, "...Fine is a word... I probably would not use..." A single glancing blow of that energy, pure mana, and Tio realized that had Kisara, Elisa and her not been working together during that first attack, any of them would have been crushed. Even with the addition of Mikoto all four of them still were blown away in the end; Syta's concern over Kisara seemingly showing how well she was holding up. "Fucking gods..." Tio sat back up, slowly, regretting the weight in front of her for once. "Elisa... are you alright?" Elisa had been maintaining the link to empower Kisara, and with Mikoto's last moment addition, Elisa had to manage a link that she'd never performed before. If that blast took this much out of her, Elisa had to be worse off. At least we now know that it's possible... And that Mercuria, powerful as she is, is not all seeing... But having to do that again... We're not going to get that lucky again. Tio held her hand out, and conjured a ball of light in her hand, which was surprisingly taxing as far of one of her caliber was concerned. "...It's been... a very long time... since my magic has been strained to this degree... Is everyone else... holding up well?" So it was over then... Alvira and Lani were removed, the presence gone, and the Escaflowne back in Diya's hands. Ren and Sophia were already tending to Diya's hand, so that left her to deal with Syta. She trudged over behind the girl, clutching the pendant to her chest, and laid a hand on her shoulder, "It's... alright, Syta. I, I frankly don't know what to say, but... I don't think the Evokers would have let something happen to something close to you. I... figured back from when we met... that there was something that you were keeping from me, and I'm glad that it was someone as capable as this." Celine noted the lack of glimmer from the pendant in her hand, "Until... that person returns, we'll... have to stand along side you as knights, and friends. No one leaving, I promise." Celine turned back to look over the group. It was something special to behold. To see two sides of the coin. Fear, and paralysis, unsure if any action they could take might have mattered, and the almost foolhardy push forward... Her eyes returned to that blade, the center of everything. What on Amaranth does all of this mean... That was an honest to goodness god, wasn't it...? Then why now? Why with the Escaflowne, and why with this group? A thought ran through Celine's head for a moment, before quickly dashing it. Leaving the Escaflowne with them was... out of the question. It had to be returned to where it was meant to be, but something told her that things in this realm weren't over. They couldn't be. Well... if I had any doubts about my request before, they're gone now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanami Touko Posted May 9, 2023 Share Posted May 9, 2023 (edited) "Cin!" Alvira looked up at him with a failing smile, crying too hard to have it show through properly... "I... I-I don't, know! She... She showed up. I got answers and she showed up, I figured she'd show up, she has nothing fucking better to do the worthless bitch, but... Then she tried, to make me and I guess, Lani, she tried to make us obey her, command us to bring her the sword-- which, fat fucking chance, you guys would've stopped us, is she crazy? She's fucking nuts! Whatever-- that's not the important part, I, that, woman, fox? Who? I don't know, she--" Alvira finally glanced at Syta, her jubilation fading slightly, sniffling back some of her tears. She could glean the pendant from where she was, its shine gone, the woman clutching it tightly. "... She, stepped in the way. Of me and Lani. Managed to hold Mercuria back long enough for the sword to start doing something, and when they both did, Mercuria turned her attention away from us... I... I guess they succeeded. Because, I can't... I can't feel her. Wait, let me..." Alvira kept her fire in her right claw, like letting it blow out would make it disappear forever... In her left, she did it the same way she always did, attempting to cast an ice spell-- And it worked. "... No, it's different." She felt the strain this time; the tug of magic coming from her, rather than some unknown source. "Okay... I don't know if some part of me is still connected to her... Still with her, but. This, is my magic. This ice is coming from me. So... So, for now, I'm free. I'm free! I'm free, my fire is back, I... I'm so happy..." She let the magic in both claws fade, wiping at her eyes, getting rid of her tears. "And I have things to do. I need to get to Lufiria. This isn't over until Fomalhaut is freed from her grasp... And the sword, the Escaflowne, told me where it had last seen the spear... In Lufiria. The best I can do is... Is, get to the capital. Somehow... See if I can find it. Get my claws on it. That's what I have to do, now. Only then, can I hope to try and stand at a level where I can stop her. From... From whatever it is she's doing. She tried to tell the sword that she was fixing things, that she could save them, but, the sword denied her. Something, something about, her straying so far from what she was meant to do..." Alvira clammed up, thinking over the words. They were slowly falling into her mind now that the pain was gone... "Mercuria. Divine Spirit of Water... Then... If Fomalhaut is, the Divine Spirit of Fire, and, I'm one of the people he, chose... The sword said Mercuria was one meant to choose. Is she just, a renegade spirit? Did she learn something that twisted her way...? I... We don't know enough. Whatever the case, she's a rotten piece of filth and if she had some righteous cause, she lost my sympathy for it when she decided to become cocky, petty, and use me for her own amusement. If she was so just, she wouldn't have been so puerile... So. I need to get to Lufiria. After Kazran, that's my goal... Even if I have to say goodbye to the Tigers for a while." Alvira slowly stood up, brushing herself off. Her head was pounding, but her determination had never been higher... The Escaflowne saved me. Now, it's my turn to save one of them. Fomalhaut, I'm coming. I'm coming for you. I will set you free... Syta flinched when the hand touched her shoulder, glancing up at Celine, slowly nodding. "... her name is, Kisara. She's a kitsune. Like, miss Mikoto over there... But... She's, locked in here. She... She did some really, evil things. Long ago... But... Even if I can't excuse her or, be the one to forgive her, she, was there for me. I left home, alone, to travel. I lucked my way into holding onto this necklace and... I almost died, far from home, fighting beasts I couldn't handle. Kisara, saved me. She's never really said why... I've never really, asked, but since then... Since then..." Syta felt herself crying again, choking back another sob, sniffling and trying to stifle herself. "Since then I wasn't alone...! I wasn't, doing all of this by myself. I had someone to talk to and lean on... And she just... Don't sacrifice yourself, you idiot..." Syta managed to look over at Alvira, the scene of the dragon, elated by her fire and her freedom from the presence. Something amazing had happened. Kisara would be okay, or so she claimed... "I hope this was worth it. You're not getting rid of me that easily, Kisara. Not like this." Wobbling, she stood, taking a deep breath. "Thank you. Celine... You're more than I could've asked for." She wiped away her tears and turned back to Laniva, smiling as best as she could. "Lani! You're okay, right!?" Edited May 9, 2023 by Nanami Touko Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluemask 96 Posted May 9, 2023 Share Posted May 9, 2023 Jesse finally sat up and removed her armor. "No worries. Gosh I feel like I worked the fields today. Other than that I'm fine." Jesse felt tired but nothing she couldn't shrug off. "As long as your ok now L- Diya. I'm gonna help the commander." With that Jesse rose back up and found Celine, next to where Syta was. Syta for that matter seemed to be really panicked about everything, and Jesse wish she could alleviate some of those feelings eventually. "Alright Lady Celine, back up we go." Once again both women were upright with Jesse supporting the knight Commander. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRoon Posted May 10, 2023 Share Posted May 10, 2023 Everything happened so fast, and it all spiraled out of control just as quickly. As Renais slowly went back to her seat with Gean, she sensed a spike of magical energy from the group around the sword. Before she could react to that however, Mikoto rushed past the two and told them to stay safe. and it was that point when the pinkette knew the calm had shifted into the storm. Renais' eyes landed firmly before the group as they more or less crowded around the dangerous sword, trying their damnest to save Alvira and Lani. "!" Renais stared in disbelief, even the Evokers and Mikoto had trouble. She huddled close to Gean, despite wanting to help she had to respect Mikoto's wishes. She wasn't sure what she could have done anyway. With enough efforts from everyone around them, Alvira and Lani seemed to be safe now, but the impact had thrown Mikoto and the Evokers against a wall. "MIKOTO!" When Gean rushed off to check the others, Renais rushed to Mikoto's side and kneeled by her. "Mikoto, talk to me...are you alright?" She pulled out her staff. "Wherever it hurts please tell me, I can fix anything!" Though deep down Renais kicked herself for not being able to help, it was a situation beyond her experience and it frustrated her. All the more reason to get stronger, I have to... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanami Touko Posted May 10, 2023 Share Posted May 10, 2023 "Renais? Ah, mmm... Nothing to worry about. I joined in late and my tails absorbed the wall more than well enough... I appreciate your concern, though~" She smiled, a bit sheepishly, gesturing towards Tio and Elisa. "They're much worse off than I am, so if you could, I'd turn your attention to them... I'm sure Tio would appreciate her favorite student helping her recover, no?" Mikoto gently shifted Renais towards the women before flopping back onto her tails, sighing. "What a mess... It seems like it paid off, at least, given Alvira's reaction, but we certainly couldn't do that twice... Far too powerful..." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRoon Posted May 10, 2023 Share Posted May 10, 2023 Renais still gave a look of concern to her kitsune companion, but as soon as she took a look at the Evokers she knew where she was needed. "...alright, Mikoto. Just don't push yourself, please." She rubbed her shoulder for a brief moment. "I'm not entirely sure what just happened, but I'm glad things worked out." She also hoped they wouldn't have to deal with something like that again, but all things considered she had a feeling they would. Either way, the pinkette picked herself up and quickly rushed to Tio and Elisa. "Tio! Elisa!" She kneeled by their sides. "I'm here. Where does it hurt? What do you need me to do? I'm ready for anything." She lifted her staff up, and did her best to put on a strong face. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JakezuGD Posted May 10, 2023 Share Posted May 10, 2023 With the powers of a god came the complex of a god, it seemed, Elisa hearing the wailing protests of Mercuria as the Escaflowne and the empowered Kisara managed to break her hold on the weapon and the two handling it, but subsequently being thrown back with the goddess's desperate last attempt to get things going her way. She landed next to Tio, and couldn't do much more than lay on the floor, her just now bright pink hair returning to its usual strawberry blonde sheen rather quickly. "Ugh... Stupid, uppity bitch goddess... You can't just do whatever you want, not if I have anything to say about it..." She mumbled venom under her breath, feeling rather drained thanks to what she just did. That was the single largest throughput of mana she'd ever had to deal with, and very likely also the strongest attacks she'd had to weather, while not even being the primary target. It didn't take too long for Mikoto, and then Renais, to inquire about their condition, and though Tio was sitting up well enough, Elisa wasn't getting up just yet. "If she wouldn't say fine, I think I might just sleep here for a moment. I feel like I just ran around the whole damn island without breaks, but without my muscles feeling sore..." The offer for help was all well and good, but she honestly didn't think there was much that standard healing magic could do to help. Whatever Mercuria had done wasn't a typical sort of attack that would cause visible wounds that could be treated normally. Meanwhile, Natalya could finally feel her body relax some, her breathing starting to come down to normal now that that dreadful pressure was no longer present. She was still too out of it to even notice how jubilant Alvira was with regaining her fire, only raising a hand to her neck to feel her heartbeat, racing as if she'd just been in battle, spending a moment to simply get herself to a calm normal. But as that moment dragged on, as she looked over to her girlfriend moved to tears and holding both a flame and ice cube, she became acutely aware of how she'd just done absolutely nothing when she'd specifically said she'd do anything, if there was even a small chance that it'd help. Instead of joining Alvira in her moment of revelation like she probably should've, Tasha pushed her plate aside and leaned onto the table, burying her head in her arms, ears and tail still drooped limp. No sound came from her, but only because she was trying so, so very hard not to beat herself up more than she already was. As much as he'd been told to help and watched the matter, Ferid didn't budge from where he was, even once the abrupt shock of magical interference was over with. It was at that moment he realized he should check if someone besides the expected people had been watching, too, because surely something this unusual would be worth quite a lot in terms of intel. He scanned the room, then turned around, seeing nothing unusual, but just to make sure, he walked out to briefly check the immediate surroundings as well. Thankfully, his search turned up with nothing, and as far as he could tell, the Knights and Tigers were the only people who were there to see the event take place, returning to his place behind the other Knights afterward. "I checked our surroundings. It's likely nobody else saw this happen." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcd900 Posted May 12, 2023 Share Posted May 12, 2023 There was a burst of energy - a sudden intense force, and then a blur; there was the feeling of voices, voices from all around, this time not ethereal, but distinctly physical, audible, people's voices, awash with concern, fear, anger, frustration - but, in a heap on the floor, Laniva could only make out the array of colors in front her that stubbornly refused to focus for several moments. There had been a terrible sound at the moment they had all come apart; and she wasn't sure if the noise was magic, or the sound of several armor-clad figures collapsing to the ground in one place or another, but either way she had a headache... Ugh, my... my head, she was in my head... She stirred, finally, seeing Syta rise with Kisara's pendant, turning to check on her. "Mmh... I, I'm okay..." She'd caught the tail end of what Syta was saying before she turned; the fox hidden away in her pendant was turning out to be a rather short-lived secret, but all things told she wasn't much enjoying having to keep that particular secret tucked away anyways. She grumbled up at Syta from the ground; not for her concern, but for her rather significantly battered state so early in the day. "Ughhh... t-too much magic, and gods, and... mrahh. I'll... I'll get up, in a second..." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluemask 96 Posted May 12, 2023 Share Posted May 12, 2023 Tasha made no words, choosing to rest on the table. Gean knew best not to pry much further, and chose to just give her maternal figure a hand, softly rubbing her back. One of the knights had just come back, reporting that only the folks in the room had been aware of what happened. That was a bit of relief. "Alright, I guess we got some answers out of this, and a lot more questions. Do we need a break after all of that?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xinnidy Posted May 13, 2023 Share Posted May 13, 2023 "A goddess?" That was hard for Üllr to even put into perspective. His understanding of gods was very basic, not something he ever had to think to interact with. "And you... stopped her? That's good." It was definitely weird and sudden, but at least they'd handled it quick. "Taking control of someone sounds scary..." He didn't like the thought of having to fight someone against their will, especially someone he liked. "I hope no gods try to bother us again." Shaking his head to drive the thought away, Üllr returned Miria's giggle with a weak smile. It had to have something to do with the sword, right? He could feel something from it when the group was arguing, leading Üllr's gaze to slowly fall towards it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanami Touko Posted May 14, 2023 Share Posted May 14, 2023 Alvira finally caught sight of Tasha, slowly moving her way. "W-We can talk more about this in a bit, Cin, I, uh... Yeah. But, thank you, for checking on me, and congratulating me... This feels like a dream, and I hope I don't wake up." She gave him a tiny wave and moved over to her girlfriend, her boss, someone she trusted so very implicitly, slowly sitting down next to her, putting a claw onto her back and giving her something of a backrub. "Hey. Hey... Are you okay?" It was beginning to dawn on her that Tasha hadn't jumped up to help like they'd discussed, which was a bit worrying, but nothing they couldn't talk about... Right...? "I got my fire back! Completely... It feels a bit weak, but I'm sure that's just because I haven't used it in so long. Still... I can feel that warmth inside me, again. And I can produce fire magic. It's great! It's absolutely wonderful... But... Are you...?" Alvira took a deep breath and let it out, scooting closer to Tasha, leaning in some. "Mm, are you beating yourself up for not doing anything? If you are... Well, I won't tell you to stop, but I will tell you that I'm not upset. What happened, it... I don't think a tackle would've helped. Aly's final little push was well timed, with whatever the sword was doing, but you might've hurt yourself if you'd rushed in, so... I'm just glad you're okay." Alvira couldn't help herself, slowly hugging her tiger, nuzzling against her. "I'm glad we're okay..." "Mmmm..." Mikoto looked over Tio and Elisa. It didn't seem like healing would bring them any recovery, leaving the fox sighing. "Looks like I'll be the one keeping the Tigers safe for the time being, until you two can recover from that. I'm glad it doesn't seem unrecoverable, at least... Thank you, Elisa. I'm sorry for jumping in at the last moment, but... I'll admit, I was afraid. I just... Couldn't sit idly by, with Kisara doing all of that. Hmph... I hope you don't believe that this absolves you of what you've done, but... It's good that you want to change, I suppose." Sigh slowly picked herself up off the ground and immediately hugged Renais, giving her a tight squeeze. "Give me a moment, I'm recharging... Mmm... Especially if you don't need to heal them, I need this 'healing' from you instead..." "Oh, Lani..." Syta quickly put the necklace back on and tucked it into her top, sitting down next to Laniva, gently petting the woman's head, but avoiding her ears for the moment. "You were really brave to do this. And it looks like it worked out... So I'm glad you powered through. You're so strong..." Syta let a breath out, melting some, staring down at the floor and thinking about a lot of things. "This is pretty crazy... But... Mmm. I think I'm gonna talk to Celine about... Seeing if I can go with you all. Yeah... I don't want to take Kisara away from all of this and... I'm a little worried about you, Lani, getting pulled into these things... Is that okay?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoldsbroTSG Posted May 14, 2023 Share Posted May 14, 2023 (edited) "Yeah, I... was caught off guard too." Miria believed in the gods, but the thought one would be so malicious like Mercuria was so... off to the young cub. "I'm guessing, yeah, we did, but... I guess it was more Mikoto, the Evokers, and... well, the sword. I'm not sure I did I whole lot, but... all's well that ends well. For now!" She kept her smile despite looking around the room, seeing the Evokers downed, and even Tasha hiding herself at a table. "I'm guessing we could use some rest, though. A lot of us our down." She looked back over to Celine's group. She felt, it'd be too soon to try, but... "One sec Üllr, but you're free to come along." She walked over to the group sheepishly. "I'm sorry to bother you all, and Miss Diya, I apologize all that happened to you, but... I haven't heard the voice after all that. May I... check, to make sure Escaflowne is okay? If not, I... I understand." Miria gave a nod as she sheepishly asked what felt like too much at the moment. Edited May 14, 2023 by GoldsbroTSG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xinnidy Posted May 15, 2023 Share Posted May 15, 2023 "Right..." Üllr could follow Miria's feelings, at least, fighting a god like that was not something anyone expected to sign up to, unless they were really exceptional. "If that was a bad god, where are the good ones?" They would feel obligated to stop a meddling god like that, right? Concerning... Üllr decided to trail behind Miria, if only to watch that Escaflowne sword closer. He had no intent in touching it, leaving that to Miria --whatever gods wanted to mess with them, he wanted no part in it right during his meal. What is with that sword... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mercenary on the Winds Posted May 15, 2023 Author Share Posted May 15, 2023 Tio slowly made her way over to Elisa; clearly the better off of the two, and gently lifted Elisa's head placing it on her lap. "Not on... the floor you won't..." Tio looked up at Renais with a small smile, "Thank you for the concern, but we're not harmed... just... very drained. We got... very, very lucky that Mercuria was rash enough to run herself into trouble... had she taken us seriously, there's no telling what would have happened. Any or all of us could have died... but," She looked over at Alvira, who had been so jubilant over their victory, and the reclamation of her flame, now hugging the Commander--who appeared to have been shellshocked by all that occurred. Not surprising given the waves of magic that flowed from the blade, and the sheer presence of Mercuria. The fact that so many chose to step in was the unusual part; her reaction was the realistic one when faced with something that otherworldly. "The fight... was worth it... horrifically risky, but worth it." Mostly... This could have... Gotten... Tio looked over Elisa, brushing some of the hair out of her face. She couldn't help the pang of frustration over the whole situation. There wasn't anything else she could have done or said, but... she had been correct to worry over Mercuria's involvement. "I suppose we got to prove to Mercuria... that she's not that far beyond us... In any case," Tio waved her hand at Gean's suggestion, "I... think a couple moment of reprieve will be a fine idea, but we can't... tarry here for long..." Syta seemed to bounce back quickly, thanking Celine for her input. "I can't claim to know what this Kisara's has done... but I have seen what she did here, and so I can only offer my thanks." She ran off to go and assist Lani, leaving her to survey things. One glance at Tio was enough to tell that she was not entirely pleased with the situation; they'd won, but only barely, and it appeared that all three of Kisara, Elisa and Tio had been almost completely wiped out from their efforts. As far as Celine was concerned, they'd gained far more than they'd lost in this situation; she could feel Kisara's presence still, and both Tio and Elisa had deal with things approaching this caliber and had made it through. "I think a little time to gather ourselves will be fine. I believe the Commander will need a moment or two, and a request that I had has to be asked of her. I'm more certain of my request than I was to start." She looked over as Miria asked to check the Escaflowne, "...It's alright, Diya. She can check. Any answers we can take from this chance victory, we should." Before I have to return the Escaflowne, anyway... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MRDRHAWK Posted May 15, 2023 Share Posted May 15, 2023 Well, looked like everything was cleared up. Nyx took a bit of stock in everything, and how everyone was now just recovering from the whole mess with the blade now. Seriously, what the hell did Celine mean when she said that she had ‘more to do with this than she realized’? Were people deliberately hiding shit from her again? Speaking of people who were really good at hiding shit from her, Nyx spied her erstwhile lover getting pretty pissed about some stuff, and wrapped her arms over her back. The sword shit could wait; right now, she had a girlfriend to attend to. “Oi, Syn, y’good?” Nyx knew she wasn’t, but it was best to ask just to make sure. Having gotten Diya’s hand bandaged up again, Sophia looked somewhat proud of herself. Although, now she had one more personal thing to attend to… as long as he hadn’t snuck out like a shifty little thing, even if he was way bigger than her. ”Heyyyyyyyy.” Sophia tromped back over to the tall man who’d done precisely nothing to help once all hell broke loose. “You could’ve given us a haaaaaaaand, y’know.” She pouted at him until he’d mentioned something about checking their surroundings, and realized that he’d taken her spot as the rearguard while Sophia’d gone to help. Oh. Well, then. ”Uh… thaaaaaaaaanks. Sorry you had to stand guaaaaaaaard like thaaaaat. I just… really got worried for them, you knooooooow?” Sophia knew it was pretty bad of her to essentially leave her post - one that nobody but herself had given her, but that’s a minor detail - just because someone was hurt. But at the very least, she could be grateful to the person who’d taken her spot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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