Unsteady Ground [IC]

[Icaelus]

Viv looked to Cier, smiling as he placed a comforting hand on her thigh. It was nice of Cier to care. It was nice..being shown sympathy for once. Instead of all the harsh insults and blows she had suffered at the hands of the witches.
"Thank you, Cier.."
Viv reached out, patting Cier's hand gently. He and Xierante were definitely a whole new well-mannered breed of demon, unlike a certain someone fighting down there right now.. She glanced down at Razajin. She hadn't missed out his insults to Jered before the fight. They had mentioned raping an angel or something along those lines. Viv looked back to Cier, then to Xierante. Definitely not something both of them would do..
The Margrave simply imbibed from his wine, approving their request with an almost lazy inclination of his head. He, would remain to watch over the battle. It did make sense. Xierante couldn't be expected to lead them to Meesa and leave his guests, could he? Viv watched him receive a rather expensive looking cigar from a servant, lighting it with a dark flame that burned to life from his finger. Very fancy.

"Okay. Thank you, Margrave."
Viv nodded gratefully, a smile crossing her face. Now that Xierante had mentioned it, she did remember Meesa's lab..they had passed it before when they had been climbing the stairs to Xierante's office. Well, it definitely looked like a place where demonic sorcerers busied themselves..it was all..magical and mystical? Cier extended a hand, offering to help her up. Well, Cier would probably know the way..
"Alright."
Her hand clasped around Cier's hand, letting him pull her up from her comfortable seat and guiding her back towards the door where they had entered the spectator box from. Cier seemed anxious to leave the arena, pulling her along at a pace where she had to nearly jog to keep up with him.
"What's..the hurry..?"
Viv asked, breathless as she kept her attention on the steps of the labyrinth-like stairs, which Cier was pulling her down at a ridiculously fast pace. Miraculously, Viv managed not to trip herself over and actually make it out of the place, led by Cier out of Now outside of the coliseum, she stared dumbly out at the expanse of buildings, stretching out in all directions. Wow. If she could, she would actually bet on herself getting lost the moment she entered the city. .
And getting lost in Tear Stone alone by herself would not be a pleasant experience.
Definitely not.
Vivienne thought to herself as they walked on one of Tear Stone's many stone walkways. A girl of her..diminutive stature wouldn't exactly have a good time if she were to say...fall into the hands of other demons. Cier and Xierante were true gentlemen. Not any of the other demons, in any case. They were murderers and rapists and you would be daft to trust them. Viv broke away from her thoughts as two nearby SVN soldiers marched up, stationing themselves at their sides. Cier was quick to dismiss them with a wave of his hand, saying that he and Viv would proceed by themselves instead. The soldiers nodded, withdrawing back to their previously assigned posts without as much as a word, leaving them to themselves.

As they walked, Viv drew closer and closer to Cier, shying away from the numerous stares directed towards her from the demons they passed by. The stares well quite filled with intent..some simple curiosity..far too many had darker intentions. Once again, Viv was thankful for Cier's protective presence. The demons did have reason to gawk, though. Coupled with her rather..outstanding thigh-length hot pink hair and the pure mystery of her arrival. She had arrived with one of the most important demons of Tear Stone, the Margrave's son, on Nilgalos' back. She had then gone on to become a guest of the demon Margrave, Xierante without as much as a word. She was pretty much an enigma to the demon populace and there was bound to be some whispering about her. Her hand clasped around Cier's..
"Um. Just..staying close."
Viv mumbled, looking away. Cier seemed a little calmer now though, she'd noticed. In the relative quietness of their stroll, he had slowed down to a pace where she didn't actually have to half-jog to keep up. It was still a rather brisk pace for someone of her height, though. They soon reached the main keep, Cier throwing open the doors as they stepped within reach.
"More stairs?"
Vivienne groaned as Cier began to climb the steps. Meesa's lab was pretty high up..that much she could remember. Oh well. The time she would use complaining would probably be better used on climbing those damn steps anyway..
They proceeded on in silence, Viv mostly concentrating on the steps she was climbing. Cier's voice broke the monotone and Viv blinked, looking up from the stairs to Cier.
"A place you wanted to show me..?"

Vivienne looked confused for a second, then realization struck her and she visibly reddened, though her pixie-like features now had a rather mischievous look to them. The girl tugged on Cier's hand, grinning impishly at him.
"Are you asking me out on a date, then..?"
Viv giggled, shaking her head slowly before restoring some degree of seriousness back to her face.
"Okay, okay. Sounds fun."
She smiled at the look on Cier's face, nudging his ribs with her elbow. He was such a shy guy at times! Still, thinking back..it was exactly this same shy guy that had more or less saved her...probably from herself. She had been amnesiac and completely alone with no knowledge of the going-on of the country. Viv would've probably either starved to death or probably captured again, if she hadn't stumbled across Cier. And to think..all these had happened like what, a few hours ago?
"Um..Cier? I just..wanted to thank you for finding me. I mean, even with that little poke up my skirt.."
Viv's voice took on a playful tone, then abruptly turned serious again.
"But..yeah. Thanks. I probably would've died out there..let's face it. The previous me..that naive little girl wouldn't have survived."
She looked up at Cier, staring him right in those crimson eyes, irises the color of blood.

[Sortaix]

Sortaix was thoroughly enjoying Marquettes delicious body, when she pushed him back against the wall. He wondered what she was planning when she pushed his hands and mouth away from her warm and inviting flesh, only to lower herself down to his manhood. He gave out a few groans of pleasure as she gave his manhood a few strokes, leaning back against the wall behind him.His hands ran through her beautiful hair as she gave his cock head a few licks, before taking his shaft into her mouth. He caressed her face gently a few times as she looked up at him, her magnificent eyes sparkling in the magic light. Her mouth was magnificent on his cock, she was clearly an expert at this. Sort leaned back, gently caressing her, as he let her work.
"Oh damn, why do the bad guys always get the good women? All I ever got was a few glares and even a slap from the women on my side of this fight. Oh, your doing great."

[Reaver]

Razajin snarls at Jered, finding his answer pitiful and sad. "That's where you and I seperate Jered. At the end of my path I found retribution and satisfaction. They people weren't angels but to me they represented everything they stand for. They killed in the name of the Angels and were never punished. They only recieved punishment when years later I found them and made them match my families screams, sound for sound. Where were the angels to protect my family or millions of others that pray and beg for their help? No where because in the end Angels don't give two shits about us, that's why you are here in this arena. That is why Skylia is corrupted and in the hands of the demons. Because at the end of the day they're too weak to protect themselves let alone humans. I know murder won't bring my family back but I know doing nothing won't do anything either. I'm not trying to justify my actions with the slaughter of my family, but I realized at that age that humans need new guardians. You will never understand why I fight with the demons. The demons are strong and strength is needed to protect the ones you love. Strength is needed to lead, it's needed to control and it's needed to kill. And it is what I will use to defeat you."

Razajin tightens the grip on his trident, angry that a simple warrior has made him tell his family history. He's mad that some demons look down on him even though he's proven himself several times and has accomplished more than others. But he's enraged that some guy thinks that protecting a few and saving the weak will save the world. "This world is already doomed all you can do is stand back and watch the fires burn." He shifts his foot forward, watching Jered make his first move. As Jered starts running forward, Razajin grins and sprints to meet him. "Lets see what you got!" He holds his trident out in two hands, the tips pointing forward with shadows dancing on the tip while the middle part rests against his ribs.

He figures that Jered is probably going to try being a clever asshole and not politely impale himself on trident. But that's fine because Razajin has been wanting to try something new. "Time to give him something he won't expect" Razajin thinks as the distance closes and he takes a deep breath. Razajin will hold his breath until his trident is 5 feet away from Jered and the chances of escaping are slim. Then he will unleash a torrent of acidic fire out of his mouth, spraying the arena in front of him from left to right. "How's that for a cretin you punk."

[napsii]

Jered v. Razajin [Part II] -

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

The wordy battle of morals and ideals has the crowd glistening with excitement. Crescendo's of "ooh's" and "aah's" at the fiery words have even the noble court jittery with the drama, but many kept their fingers crossed, hands clenched in nervous anticipation of the next attacks. The nobles in particular are left stroking their chins over the history between you two, seeming to favor neither but express an intense interest in both of you. Whether you intended to ham it up for them or not, it's clear you've both got the dramatic angle of these duels covered...

As you two leapt forward, the crowd exploded again, cheers and screams the backdrop to your charges.

Jered surges forward with great speed, but Razajin is naturally quick enough to leap forward as well, both combatants' weapons ready to attack or guard...

With so much momentum behind Jered, it was non-negotiable for him to have dodged the sudden blast of toxic breath which surged out from Razajin's mouth, spraying the area where Jered would have passed with a thick curtain of shimmering greenish fumes. Unable to hold his breath in time, Jered inhaled in the fumes through both his mouth and nose as the gas beat down on his exposed skin and clothing, igniting an intense burning in his face and throat that had his eyes nearly watering from the enchanted plague gas. His head would pound with pain, though he would see no real damage from the gas, instead finding his focus unbalanced enough he would be forced to grind to a halt for just a split second.

Razajin, meanwhile, would find the effects of his plague breath chew at him immediately. Besides the bad taste that would occupy his throat, his lungs would feel almost shriveled and incapable from the plague choker's toll on his body. Stamina leaked from his body, but with his charge still carrying him forward and trident at the ready, he would be able to pass through the curtain of gas to deliver a strike to Jered with his weapon while the tiger man's guard may have been weakened.

Razajin's thrusting trident would find its way toward Jered's right arm, but the tiger man would have been ready enough that his sword would have semi-deflected the attack; rather than a grievous blow, one of the trident's prongs would have sliced into Jered's bicep -- reaching muscle -- as the rest glided past, erupting a small spray of blood (60 damage) quickly quelled by the cauterizing burn of shadow magic (10 damage) that although would not leave Jered out of the fight, would impede use of his right arm somewhat.

Razajin's entire upper and body would be left completely open for a counterattack as the effect of the gas would disperse from Jered, leaving them but the several-foot length of the shaft of Razajin's trident away from each other. The trident prong was still partially wedged in Jered's wound.

Jered HP - 380/450 (getting exhausted)
Razajin HP - 370/400 (out of breath)

Vivienne -

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Cier shrugged, feeling your distaste for the stairs. Demonic fortresses were often wired with portal gates and magicians with spells of teleportation, but Tear Stone seemed an ironic exception when it came to its longest and most sluggish staircase.

He stiffened, though, as your curiosity piqued. Clenching his jaw, he moved a hand to rub the back of his neck, seeming a little flustered by how quickly you were closing in on his intent. He tried to chatter out a few failing words between your inquisitive glances, only to find himself looking awkward. His ears twitched, and -- perhaps most stunningly of all -- his cheeks began to brighten ever more into a pink hue as you made mention of a date.

"W-whuh... uh... w-well..." stumbled the wolf boy, practically tripping up the steps. He cocked his head away, visibly embarrassed by how you had received his proposal. He squeezed your hand back tightly, though, relief consuming his body language and his ears perking up when you nudged him in agreement.

"It would be my honor." he managed to say at last on top of a deep breath. He was silent for a while after that, absorbing your comments about their first encounter with another degree of embarrassment and regret etched onto him.

"Uh... yeah, sorry for that. I just thought you were really... _pretty..." he apologized, "...But I promise I won't ever do that. Uh, dad would have killed me if I just left you behind. He thinks that it's good not to abandon a potential ally." he tried to grin. Any debate would have been put to rest, though, as the thick, rune-decorated door leading into Meesa's lab stood before you but seconds later. Despite being sealed, the faint aroma of potions and salves leaked from behind it.

"Well, anyway, here we are. Meesa might be a little weird, but don't worry, he's honorable. And really talented." he spoke, pushing open the door...

The rather dark lab -- the lone window on the far side of the room blacked out by enchanted shadows -- screamed magic from but the first glance. Lining the dark stone walls were shelves and desks of old scrolls, empty potions and other tools pinned to their desks by more tools. Near the center of the room, a long, wide table was the foundation for a scarily complex beehive of tubes and boiling flasks feeding various colored potion and liquids into other receptacles, while the dead center was dominated by an etched circle of giant runes that glowed lime green and burned with magic: a rather elaborate arcane circle, used for focusing and casting some spells. From the small birdcage sitting atop a nearby desk a tiny, unusual bird whose rainbow feathers luminescent with bright neon colors squawked and chirped, providing a song-like ambiance to the quiet chorus of bubbling and clicking that came from the alchemy equipment.

You almost didn't notice the lone figure in the room on top of all this: looking thin and wiry with a strongly hunched back, a figure glided about between two tables on the far end of the room, cloaked in a pitch black robe that obscured all of his body save for the four very long and bony fingers that protruded from each of its hands. Meesa? He hummed sibilantly, drawing Cier to speak.

"Hey, Mees-?" the boy was cut off.

"Oh, yes yes! Do not worry, Son of Margrave. Meesa sees you. But he is busy. Give Meesa one moment, if it is possible for Son of Margrave and Mortal of Pink Hair to do so." cut off Meesa in a strange, clacking voice, spending a long minute poking at his collection of odd tomes and alchemy gear before suddenly turning to face you and gliding over quickly as if he were hovering. Clasping his hands, the sorcerer bowed politely and indicated for you to step in. He waved a hand, and the door shut behind you. You noted that Meesa's pale green eyes glowed from under his hood, although none else of his long face was visible...

"Meesa welcomes you back, Cier! And Meesa also notes he has already produced many breakthroughs with the tainted Soul Essence, yes. Mortal of Pink Hair is also welcome." he spoke, bowing again. Glancing past Meesa's shoulder, you observed the chalice of Soul Essence you found earlier in the day floating above the arcane circle, licked at by tendrils of green energy.

"What can Meesa do for you today? Meesa hopes you remember Meesa's personal tenet 'Only do things which have a point to them!', yes." nodded the mage.

"Her name's Vivienne, just as a heads up. But umm... she wanted to know if you could like... do something with her power...?" Cier shrugged, turning to you to explain yourself.

Clife -

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Your call to the Silverwood is met with an awkward reply. The tree's power flowed through you without a moment of thought from it, but its silvery magic seemed to retreat from the shadows restraining you just as they touched them, instead flowing back to the earth and treading along the grass, back toward the base of the tree. Even over your plight, your sense for the arcane still quaked under the sudden surge of magic which blasted from the tree's roots. And yet nothing happened. To make it doubly worse, the trio of archers had managed to cut themselves free from the Silverwood's restraints, and stumbled back to their feet just in time to load their weapons and take aim...

Reila and Jegen lit up with sudden concern for your dilemma as they continued to dance about with their own victims, Jegen in particular sensing your plight and delivering a strong haymaker to his opponent to knock him down to the floor (20 damage; stunned) and turning with all rapidity toward you and Lenore. Reila, meanwhile, continued to buck and growl as her own opponent fell to his knees, rapidly choking out from the girl's assaults. He loosened his attempts to resist her for just a moment, and with a thwick the girl swung her body weight toward the floor, breaking his neck (70 damage) and leaving him to slump to the floor, defeated.

Lenore tightened her grip around her command rod, her eyes manic with hate while the shadow magic on her thigh worked to knit the wound back together. Jegen continued to sprint, but Lenore sensed this sidelong and sent a blast of shadow magic his way, forcing the portly trader to roll hastily to the side, where he backed on his back. Snarling, the purple-haired woman clamped down on her rod and swung it back toward the earth...

"FIR-" her lunatic words never reached her mouth.

A glimmer of light pierced through the air, soaring over Reila and brushing over Jegen as Lenore boomed the order to fire. The archers, momentarily distracted, turned toward the sailing missile, but just as they set their eyes on it, three more sparks blasted out from behind the Silverwood, whisking the air from your lungs as they screamed past you mid air to strike the three crossbowmen dead on in the neck, erupting a spray of blood (200 damage, 200 damage, 200 damage) as their heads snapped back from three... knives? Three vicious steel throwing knives lodged in their necks as they crunched back to earth, the last not drawing Lenore's attention in time for her to dodge the blade which sailed past her guard, ripping into her wrist and lodging itself there, forcing herself to drop the command rod in a spray of blood (80 damage).

Again, the woman screamed, and the restraints around you collapsed quick enough for you to spy the figure in white who lunged out from the Silverwood's branches, blonde hair aflying, clothes caked with blood and steel knives wedged between her knuckles....

Beatrix?

With inhuman speed, the woman flew back to earth, dashing forward at Lenore as a blur just as the purple-haired girl raised her katana. But before her arm could come down, Beatrix collided with her, a palm colliding into her chest and blasting the air from the girl's lungs to send her flying backward (20 damage), slumping to the ground in a crumpled heap with her eyes needle sharp in shock.

Lenore coughed, raising her uninjured hand. Effortlessly, Beatrix procured a knife and hurled it with lightning speed into Lenore's palm (40 damage) stopping her.

A loud scream erupted from behind the white-garbed woman. The last surviving demon swordsman! Her her eyes steely, the woman simply procured another knife, tossing it lazily over her shoulder at the charging armored man whose eye was quickly ripped from his head by the steel knife as it lodged in his brain (instant kill), sending him down to earth for the last time. Beatrix looked wordlessly back to Lenore, who lay there shaking and bloodied from her wounds. The purple-haired girl coughed.

"Y-you... f-f-fuckers... I'll... f-fucking kill you..." she choked out, and with a blast of purple shadow magic, the woman was gone, leaving only her bloodied katana behind and the bodies of her soldiers.

Beatrix sighed, stowing her knives back onto her person as if nothing had happened. She looked down to you, then the stunned Jegen and Reila who stood nearby, scratching their heads in silent amazement.

"None of you are that injured. I'd get up before more of them come." she said flatly, brushing a lock of blonde hair from her face.

Clife HP - 165/250
Reila HP - 95/100
Jegen HP - 265/300 (bleeding stopped)
Beatrix HP - 600/600?

Sortaix -

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Sensing how deeply you enjoyed this, Marquette took more of your length in her mouth just as quickly as she'd began, her face contorting a little bit the strain of effort from trying to go down on your girth. She did try to smile, though, at your compliment. After a short while longer, she pulled your cock from her mouth, her hot breath huffing down on the head of your cock as she used one hand to continue stroking you. The necromancer girl's face was lit up mischievously.

"You're.... heh... pretty big." she complimented, leaning in closer and kissing your manhood before her hands reached up toward your body. Roughly, she pulled you down to the earth, pressing you up against the wall so that she might gradually straddle on top of you, the tip of your cock brushing against her soft white underwear which was already damp from her excitement. She pressed her chest to yours, her hands running up and down your chest to slide off your shirt. She raised an eyebrow suggestively, pressing her crotch further against yours.

Flim + Flam -

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

It took all of Talkea's composure not to doze about and collapse onto her face as soon as the stranglehold of Flim's magic was released from her mind. Obviously dazed and fatigued, the girl's eyes rolled about, but her handle on reality returned just quickly enough for her to knock her senses back into place and double her grip on the bottle of product. A few curious patrons blinked, but were allayed enough by her short skirt and corset to dismiss the moment of confusion.

The girl up top frowned intensely, her concern visibly infecting a few of the crowd -- namely the armed militiamen who probably arranged for the camp's defense -- who stirred with mounting distaste in the lull of silence that followed. Their hands fingered their weapons...

The mage girl blinked with surprise as Flam questioned for her name, the crowd having at least tenuously believed that Zugong's Zip was that powerful. The mage girl's naivete burned at that instant; it was obvious enough to you two she had been expecting a harsh, standoffish reply and not your slick charm. She stumbled with her words for a moment, tightening her grip around her staff. The tip of it burned with a brief cyan flame. Not a very experienced mage, either. At least not a member of the Mages' Guild.

"Whu-- me?" she blinked, "I'm Iieli and I'm the leader of this encampment, because I'm the only mage here!" declared the girl, Iieli. Despite her age, you found this believable: magic held immense sway among mundane peasants and it was not uncommon for magicians -- even weak ones -- to be accorded titles of power in small villages for their talents.

"And I don't want any of you trying to get us to waste our money. It's too important! We need food and water and stuff." Iieli's nose crinkled and the crowd stirred with another wave of concern. It was clear she held some sway here... better do something before she barred her followers against buying your stuff!

[jayjaycaps]

Flam, still on one knee looking up at the mage, grabbed her hand and kissed the back of it like a true gentleman. "Iieli! I should have known. A beautiful name for an even more beautiful woman." He said, stealing some lines Flim had used earlier on Talkea. Brushing the dirt off of his pants and fixing his vest (Flim did the same), Flam walked back over to the cart. Grabbing a bottle of Zugong's Zip, he marched back over to Iieli, presenting the bottle to her.

"Well my dear, being the only mage her I can understand your apprehension to allowing us to sell this ale. You're responsible for all these people! You have to keep a clear and sharp mind at all times in order to run this place!" Flam hung one arm around Iileli's shoulder, pulling her in tight. "Ale is no good for a town down on it's luck, with enemies on all sides! But you see my dear, this is no ordinary ale. Zugong, a fantastical mage himself, made this ale to better himself as a magician! He's entrusted the Flimflam Brothers, two of his best and most trusted mages with his last batch of ale. We wouldn't sell this stuff if it didn't work!"

Flim was pretty impressed with Flam's work. Not only was he getting chummy with Iileli, but he also let it drop that they too were mages. Not nearly as good as Flam had said, but they didn't need to know that. They've lied about worse things. "Now I can already hear you! 'Flam,' you say, 'how does ale help mages?' A very good question, Iieli! You see, Zugong's Zip gives you more energy, and helps focus your mind. I don't need to tell you how tired us mages can be after performing grand spells, and this bottle of ale is here to give you that pick me up to help you out. But that doesn't mean only mages can use it, no! Iileli, I noticed your soldiers are looking awfully tired. Wouldn't take much to bowl them over, right? Give 'em a bottle of this stuff and see just how effective it is. They'll have the strength to fight for days! So..." Flam uncorked the bottle she was holding, and moved it up to her lips. "Waddya say, Iileli? The first one's free."

[Reaver]

Razajin's eyesight goes red for the second time in a few minutes. Never less he's able to smile and cough a few words out. "Got you bitch. May you squirm in the ground like Skylia did." His voice barely sounds like his own. More like the gravel that he has walked on, but that's the temporary price for surprising your enemy. He gives Jered a sinister grin as he tightens the grip on his trident and pulls the trident back. The prong would have ripped out of Jered's arm, the barbs causing more damage on the way out. The thought causes Razajin to grin even wider and he moves the trident to the center of Jered's body. He doesn't try to thrust it back into Jered but instead keeps it a couple of centimeters away from his chest. He gives Jered a small wink, gaining great delight from his next action. He releases all the pent up shadow magic, through the tips of the trident, towards Jered's chest. Tapping one finger on the trident's length, Razajin focuses and releases the trappings keeping the shadow magic within the trident. He does his best to direct them forward, right into his most hated enemy.

[Icaelus]

Viv gave a small giggle at Cier's reaction. It was kinda fun to tease him like this! Still..better stop before Cier died of embarrassment. If such a thing was possible, Cier might've just accomplished it, by the look on his face. She had sort of calmed down from Cier's abrupt request that she had interpreted as a date just now, but his next sentence completely blew her out of the water.
"W-What? P-Pretty? Me?"
The girl stammered, surprise written all over her features. She had no idea Cier had thought of her that way, that him picking her up was honestly more or less just out of curiosity. To be truthful, it was actually her that had found Cier..
Her suddenly jumbled and confused thoughts finally straightened out to the original objective that they had braved all these stairs for; meeting Meesa. Of course. Right. Cier had thrown her off so much she had nearly forgot. Viv lightly tapped her flushed cheeks with both her hands, trying to will her embarrassment away. The concept of..love was pretty damn alien to her at the moment..still.. Vivienne sneaked a look at Cier. Yeah. She could get used to that..
"I'll take your word for honorable.."
She muttered, stepping into Meesa's lab after Cier. Her first impression was..no prizes for guessing this right; magic! Of course it was magical-looking and all. It was a magician's workplace, for damn's sake. And the room was rather dark too. Meesa liked the darkness, hm?
Viv pushed all the random thoughts aside, trying to concentrate as she glanced about the room, her gray eyes taking in the surroundings. Experiments, potions and drawn runes were all about the laboratory. Whatever Meesa had been doing, he sure was busy. A bird's chirp caught her ear and Viv turned to look at the source of it, a minuscule bird with brilliant rainbow feathers, singing from a small birdcage. It lent the otherwise dark room a certain lighter feel to it.
All of this nearly made Viv not notice the cloaked figure that seemed to glide to and fro, busying himself. Now that her attention was on what was probably Meesa himself, she didn't fail to notice that Meesa wasn't exactly human. An extremely hunched back and four long and bony fingers that even the long sleeves of his robe couldn't hide. Meesa hummed, giving no sign that he had noticed them, prompting Cier to speak and then get cut off.

Vivienne raised an eyebrow, glancing to Cier as Meesa finished speaking. Obviously Cier was the..Son of Margrave, as Meesa somehow managed to insert capital letters into his speech to make it so important while she was..
"Mortal..of Pink Hair?"
Viv sighed. Of all things she could be known by, it was her damn pink hair? Meesa suddenly moved over to them with surprising speed, startling Viv into politeness as she stood straight and looked right back to Meesa's eyes..his pale green eyes, glowing from the shadows of the hood. She noted that Meesa seemed friendly enough, though he was a tad weird. But hey, she could shoot laser beams from the moon. That wasn't normal too, was it? Viv perked up, interested as the demon sorcerer mentioned his work with the tainted Soul Essence. A quick glance past Meesa's shoulder revealed the same exact chalice of Soul Essence that she and Cier had painstakingly brought back from the bandit fortress. The chalice floated above an arcane circle, tendrils of emerald energy licking at the container.

"Um, hello, Meesa. You can just call me Viv, if you find it tiring to call me..Mortal of Pink Hair."
Vivienne said, smiling despite herself at the odd name that Meesa had addressed her with.
"I asked to meet you because..well, I have this magic that's..kind of unique. I can harness lunar energy, calling beams of moonlight down."
The girl glanced towards the single window in the room.
"I can't do it indoors, however..would you like a..demonstration?"

[Zender_Solarheart]

Just before Razajin releases the plague breath, Jered mentally recognizes his error. To have assumed that one such as Raz would goad him to charge, without some dirty trick up his sleeve, was a bad move. By all rights, he should've known better...It's a pity he realized this one step too late. The fumes don't seem to damage him directly, instead wracking his body with pain for a moment, particularly in the lungs...

...unfortunately, that moment was all Razajin needed.

The pain from the gas is soon joined by a sharp, piercing pain in his right bicep. Reflexes had brought up his sword to partially deflect the thrust, preventing any fatal damage. However, the combined cutting stab, and cauterizing shadow essence, both proved to do a number on the outer muscle of his bicep, causing an impediment in his right arm's usability. Good thing he's left-handed...

With the prong still partially wedged in his right bicep, however, Jered has an opening of his own on Razajin. If there's one thing he's learned from this blunder, it's that he should stop horsing around, and deal a decisive blow while he has the chance. "Too slow!" Jered shouts right at Razajin's face, before bringing his sword up to point at his enemy's collarbone, using the stuck trident prong to hold him in place. As sharp as it may be, Raz will need a bit more "oomph" to get its momentum going again, since there's still a little flesh holding it in place. Jered knows this, and while the prong's impending removal will cause a little more damage to his right arm, it's a price he's willing to pay.

Once Jered's blade's tip is pointed right on-target, he'll spare no hesitation in firing a point-blank electric bolt right at Razajin. The close range they're at will make dodging it hard enough for the shady demon-servant, but since Jered was aiming at the collarbone when he fired, evading it without any other spots taking damage will be nearly impossible. Even if he does manage to evade it, Jered will rush back in after it, using his superior reflexes to send a diagonal strike heading for Raz, set to cut from his left shoulder down to his right hip. He needs to press the attack as much as he can; the moment he lets up on Razajin is the moment he loses what small advantage he has.

[MiscChaos]

For a moment, Clife allows herself to hope. She acknowledges that the Silverwood can’t help her because of the Shadow magic that binds her, but she sees Reila and Jegen burst from their attackers to confront Lenore. That hope dies when Jegen is forced to slow down to dodge the woman’s burst of Shadow magic and the Command Rod starts to lower. Not wanting to see it or the raging hate about to order to end of her life, Clife closes her eyes and waits for the end.

And then it doesn’t happen. Instead she loses her breath (good thing too or else she would’ve screamed) as a barrage of projectiles blast past her and make meaty thunks as the find targets. She opens her eyes to find the Archers all dead with knives in their necks and Lenore stopping her command as a knife lodges itself in her wrist.

“Who…?” she asks breathlessly before the culprit reveals themselves by smacking Lenore into the next century. Clife once again loses her breath, but this time out of sheer shock.

’How the fuck is she alive!?’ she asks herself as the woman killed in the first wave of artillery strikes, Beatrix she thinks her name was, saves her ass, making short work of opponents they had to fight tooth and nail to whittle down this far. She gives a passing worry to making such a powerful enemy want her completely and utterly dead, but that’s eclipsed by Beatrix speaking again and proving this isn’t an illusion. Picking herself up after being let go of by the Shadow magic, Clife catches her breath and asks the question that must be on everyone’s mind.

“How!? We saw you after the artillery strike! There was enough blood there pulsing from you to paint a fuckin’ fresco!” she shouts, having to get her moment out of the way.

[Sortaix]

Sort was quite happy with his life right now, as the beautiful woman pushed him down and removed his shirt, before nudging her wet panty covered crotch against his. He then helped her remove his shirt before reaching down to slide his fingers across her womanhood. He then spent a few second just caressing her lips and her clit, before pulling her underwear to the side and brushing the head of his cock against her entrance. He would then grab his cock and put the head just between her lips before moving it back and forth between her lips teasing her entrance with his head. He did this for a few more minutes as well, before placing his hands on her hips and letting her slide down onto his cock.

[napsii]

Jered v. Razajin [Part II] -

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Having been hooked on a painful chunk of flesh and muscle, Razajin's trident dealt a scorching returning blow as the assassin pried it from Jered's arm, painfully taking a chunk along its barbs and erupting another spurt of blood (20 damage) that would have the injured arm seizing with intense pain, although not quite deeply enough to stun Jered completely. Razajin reared his trident back quickly enough to face Jered's chest, but the tiger man's own blade went rather unimpeded toward Razajin's collarbone. The two opponent's weapons touched against each other's bodies almost in synchronization, drawing a breathless moment from the crowd as they stood unblinking. Razajin's shadow magic crackled from his arm down the shaft of his weapon, flecks of purple energy spraying from the weapon as the surge powered into the tips...

Jered's own bolt of electricity surged forth from his arm, and the two combatants collided again.

The brunt of Razajin's magic exploded across Jered's chest like the fist of a giant, sending shards of pain through his ribs (40 damage) as the ground lifted out from under him, the sheer impact sending him careening backward without reservation. Just the same, Jered's own haphazard strike seemed to explode as an enormous fist of magic (critical hit) as it blasted into Razajin's chest, layering on a sizzling burn to send the assassin likewise flying backward off his feet a solid twenty feet (70 damage), slamming to a halt across his back after sliding across the earth on his back, in a daze but not totally stunned. Similarly, but perhaps to more pain, Jered would fly into the southern arena wall, leaving a star burst of cracks into it as his body slammed into the solid beige stone (100 damage). Stars danced before his eyes, but his willpower kept his vision from fluttering shut for good.

Another roar drew up from the crowd as the combatants would likely find themselves back on their feet...

Razajin's chest stung with pain. The electricity had singed his skin through his clothing, which seemed rather crisp and black from the strike.

Jered HP - 240/450 (wounded right arm, dazed, medium fatigue)
Razajin HP - 300/400 (dazed, medium fatigue, light torso burn)

Vivienne -

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Meesa caressed his fingers, nodding with keen -- almost unnaturally curious -- interest for your little story. He hummed, raising a hand to pause you as he glided noiselessly back toward a table laden with tomes. Without any gesture from him, a large book bound with red leather hovered from the innumerable stacks into his hands, where it flipped open to a rather particular page. Cier squeezed your hand a little tighter, as if concerned for what route this investigation might lead you two down.

"Mmm, I see, yes! Meesa hears you, and knows how to reply, yes. Lunar energy." he stated. Cier's face flickered with a hint of knowledge, but Meesa continued on nonetheless, "Lunar and solar energy, yes. That is what I sensed from you the moment you walked into this building. Meesa has an intuition for these energies, you see." he nodded, powering through the pages of his tome to a page with a dimly-illuminated graphic of the moon and sun.

"The moon and sun in your mortal realm is different from ours and the Angels', yes. Our underworld, as many mortals like you call it was always cast in shadow, until many Angels created an illusion of light in our land! They thought their false light would civilize us, oh yes, but it is not a real sun. It is a spark in the sky. And the Angels' land knows no darkness. Any shadows in their land are but magic, Pink-Haired Vivienne. But your mortal realm is real! Both your moon and your sun are real, but too far away to touch. So they give off energy..." Meesa paused to flip through the pages.

Cier scratched his temple thoughtfully. "Ever since the Angels created the Underworld's fake sun thousands of years ago, lots of us have tried to destroy it just to spite the angels. Nobody's ever succeeded, but there were some great Margraves and Archdemons like Urun who blocked some of it out. It's why the Underworld randomly switches between normal light and pure shadow, depending on where you go." he commented. Meesa hummed in confirmation.

"Meesa admits he has little experience with lunar and solar energies. Your mortal realm is one of the few realms where it is abundant, because our worlds have no sun or moon, yes, yes. But if Meesa had to make an educated guess, he would think it is not hard to tame these energies. Though he thinks the mortals' moon and sun are giant, stubborn beasts, and that their mood may affect your magic!" he explained. The tome in his hand slammed shut and hovered back to its shelf. Gliding over to a nearby shuttered window, Meesa waved away some of the shadow curtain keeping the light out. For a brief instant, a downpour of blinding light blasted a large stretch of the dark room only for a razor-thin pane of purply-black to snap back over the glass, filtering it out.

Meesa motioned you over. The view from here was almost frightening: from Tear Stone's tallest keep, every yard of this side of the enormous castle was visible. Even the arena, far down below, glistened with specks of light as the combatants inside presumably traded blows. Looking across the stone and wood complexes, you did spy one in particular: what looked to be a large barracks had deep and intimidating claw marks that glowed a deep purple running through its surface, obliterating most semblance of a building. Talphalos and Nilgalos, perhaps. Meesa indicated far down below, to a small and lifeless courtyard. Perched atop a tall wooden pole was a flag with a mortal crest on it fluttering carelessly in the breeze.'

"Meesa wishes for a demonstration of this rare power. The flagpole, perhaps, makes a good practice target. Meesa apologizes for the lack of fodder. General Xierante is most picky about his castle exploding." Meesa tapped his fingers together, nodding to himself.

Cier squeezed your hand tighter, suddenly seeming worried over how this power of yours would play out.

Clife -

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Beatrix spit a globule of blood from her mouth, inhaling a cautious breath. Seeing little more than corpses, she stowed her knives away into her bloodstained cloak that dried of its red splotches and streaks with an almost arcane speed. Reila and Jegen seem to share your sentiment of shock, looking across the lithe and deadly Beatrix with renewed shock, in between checking their own wounds. Feeling he had little place in the conversation, Jegen sauntered off to collect the shreds of his torn coat while Reila backpedaled away, glancing dumbly over her shoulder every other moment as she danced off to the crashed wagon she'd been eyeing earlier.

"I already died once. I can't again... not for now," shrugged Beatrix tiredly, looking to Reila and Jegen. You acquired the impression she was more than used to that kind of shock. "And if it's any consolation for your nature-bending ass, I had help from the Silverwood." added the woman crudely. The gem-like sheen of the Silverwood's bark pulsated brightly, sending a message of acknowledgement through your mind from the ancient tree. Beatrix adjusted her white-and-red cloak, looking toward the distant tree line with critical eyes. She kept a hand on a blade, beneath her clothing.

"Figures you brought company." she commented rather peculiarly, until you looked likewise to the trees and sensed the oncoming stampede of newcomers, pushing their way through the grass on the edge of the burnt forests nearby. A loud cacophony of horns sounded, like those you would hear from a charge of troops, and many after many, crudely-equipped men, dwarves, orcs and other species began to charge out of the wilderness wielding maces, cleavers, pickaxes, bow and arrows and even a few crude guns. Red facepaint and banners adorned their figures, and loud screams and excited roars erupted from their mouths as they charged ever closer.

Across the way, Jegen took another sip from his flask and raised a hand, waving. Reila, likewise, poked up from the ditch the wagon had been in and whistled. Oh, of course. They were bandits. At least 18 of them, all rolling to a stop across the area. A gray-skinned orc stomped over to Reila, giving a quick salute.

"We come! What be your orders?" he questioned, fingering his iron sword.

"Ain't dat aw-vious!? Start unloadin' the blue stuff or woteva it is." commanded Reila. On her word, a number of bandits stowed their weapons and pounced on the wagon to pry it open for its contents, drawing an irritated growl from Beatrix as they trampled over dead bodies to do so.

"Hey." she snapped, a steel knife sliding into her hand. All eyes turned to her. Reila's troopers weren't expecting opposition by now, it seemed.

"Get your hands off that. I didn't say it belonged to you." she said, now rather exhaustedly. Reila's nose crinkled and the bandits began to reach for their weapons. Jegen, meanwhile, was too distracted tailoring his sleeves back on with a line of thread to notice.

"HAY! We helped ya fite 'em off, can't we 'ave a little 'eward?" demanded Reila as the bandits behind her stood still with the vials of blue liquid in hand. Beatrix rolled her eyes.

"In case your ego made you forget, it was your mistake which caused all this," Beatrix nodded to the demons she'd slain, on top of the blood pool where Lenore had once lay, "I could have fought them off easily." she declared. A rivet of fear pierced the bandits' ranks and even Reila herself grumbled with annoyance. The woman sniffed, wiping the back of her glove across her nose to clear the bead of blood dripping from it.

Reila groaned, turning to you.

"Look, just woteva does it matter if she's some crazy unkillable gal? WE NEED MONEY! And woteva this is... well, it looks sorta like blue money. What de ya think?" she queried, tapping a foot on the grass. Beatrix sighed again.

"Hmph. You didn't look like the thief type to me." Beatrix denounced, looking at you critically for your answer...

Sortaix -

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

As Marquette settled on top of you, her hands wandering across your muscular body all the while, she hummed.

"You know, I don't want to kill the fun, but you've -- ah -- you should finish up soon. I don't want to be -- ah! -- exhausted all day." she warned as you slid down her underwear. You could feel her heart racing as your cock touched ever closer to her, drawing soft shivers up and down her body. She exhaled contentedly, biting a lip as you slid into her tight, inviting passage. "Ah, wow..." she grinned, gripping you tightly as your length penetrated rather deeply into her, drawing a number of moans from the necromancer girl. Her blue eyes pulsed for a moment and you felt a sudden lance of hot pleasure cruise through your lower half, drawing you tempting steps closer to orgasm.

She paused for a moment to adjust to your presence before slowly, but surely, beginning to move her hips up and down pleasurably on your length. She winced, grinning down at you as she tucked closer.

Flim + Flam -

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

"Er-- uh-- wheh?" Iieli blinked, rather flustered, as Flam settled on a knee to look up her in the classical courtly fashion. She turned her head away, obviously not used to such a gesture of swindling charm as he complimented her name. Her cheeks tinted pink ever so slightly: the first and most certain sign on a road to swaying a girl as naive as her, it seemed. But her willpower redoubled, and she bit down on a lip to avoid acting out. She shirked a bit, then, as an arm was draped around her shoulder and she nervously avoided Flam's proactive gaze. She fumbled with her staff, rather nervously.

The townsfolk below where caught on a tightrope of divided opinion, most just shuffling about and keeping quiet with eyes fixed on you three. With Iieli having found her way back into the image, it was obvious their attention and respect for her as a leader would be the deciding point in this sale. Iieli's face crinkled under Flam's tempting words. She could not find words to argue, but hearing of another magician didn't exactly seem to enthuse her. Slowly but surely, she began to inch from his grip until the bottle of Zip was hawked under her nose. The mage girl froze, blinking between the tempting bottle and the villagers.

"W-well-- err..." she stumbled, scratching her staff absentmindedly, "Okay, I'll try it, b-but you better not me tricking me." she puffed up her chest, trying to look authoritative as she took the bottle in hand, sniffing experimentally before finally downing a quick drought. She coughed, recognizing the god awful taste almost immediately. That was wiped away, though, by the concealed drug that had her gaze starting to lose focus in less than 15 seconds. She fell silent, compulsively taking another sip as the drug inside altered her perception of the drink's importance to her.

"Yeah, it's... good..." she said foggily. The villagers blinked at each other, and then shrugged.

"Well, then I guess I'll have some too, if Iieli is."

"Me... too, I guess? can't hurt."

"Yeah, okay. Looks good!"

"I forgot where I put my glasses."

"I'll buy some for sure."

More nods of agreement were seen in the crowd, and soon enough coins were flying from coinpurses as the crowd shuffled in closer toward your wagon, shoving their coin out toward you.

Well, lucky you two!

[MiscChaos]

The answer doesn’t exactly satisfy Clife, but Beatrix is right; they don’t have time to play 21 Questions right here when Lenore could bring reinforcements at any moment. Well, she doubts Lenore herself will be showing up with injuries like hers, but she IS worried about another artillery unit. They only survived that because of the Silverwood’s influence and she’s not willing to ask for so much more help so quickly, especially if it had a hand in reviving Beatrix, who in turn saved her ass.

“Well, I’ll shove any other questions for a time where we’re not waiting for more enemies. And thanks for keepin’ my nature-bending ass above ground. That really should’ve been the first thing I said.” She says. Then she sighs when Beatrix points out Reila’s reinforcements. Clife had completely forgotten about them and remembers her words earlier about having to calm down Angels finding Reila ransacking their stuff. Well, looks like that time has arrived. She lets the argument play out, wondering just how getting blown to kingdom come made this their mistake, before she interjects her opinion.

“I’m not a thief against my allies. I’ve done a few questionable things since I escaped the nunnery, but never against someone I was allied with. Reila, I know you need the money to rebuild what you lost, but making enemies out of the Angels to do it is a bad idea unless you intend to make friends with the demons. And we don’t have time to fight over it; the demons could be back at any moment. And with how Beatrix cleaned house earlier, I don’t doubt she could take your men, especially since she’s got that unkillable thing going for her. So basically it comes down to give the Angels their stuff and find cash somewhere else or try to take it and have Beatrix slit your men’s throats and have to get more from somewhere. And Reila’s men? Have more respect for the dead. Try not to step on their bodies next time.” She says the last part with a bit of anger, really not liking the fact that they’ll likely have to move on without burying the bodies.

Then she whispers to Beatrix, “Beatrix, I wouldn’t push it. You seem exhausted right now and I don’t know how good you’d be in your current state. I don’t doubt you could kill quite a number of Reila’s men but if that number is any less than all, you’re dead again and I’m gonna have to step in. As much as Reila annoys me, I’d rather not have to step in. I might need them again at some point.” She doesn’t mention that she’s starting to feel strings of comradery due to the battle they shared and that Jegen was in her good books anyway. The more objective she sounds, the better is what she figures.

[Icaelus]

Vivienne opened her mouth to speak further, but Meesa raised a hand for pause as he moved back towards a table laden with various tomes. She half wondered how the hell did the table even manage to support the weight of that many books, but the answer was pretty obvious. Magic, of course. She watched on in fascination as a red tome floated down from the uncountable stacks of books into Meesa's hands, flipping itself open. Cier suddenly squeezed her hand, drawing a curious look from Viv. What was he worried about this time? Her attention quickly returned to Meesa as he resumed speaking. His next words had her full attention as he mentioned sensing solar energy from her.

"Solar energies? Are you certain, Meesa?"
Vivienne asked, her tone polite. Under her mask of calm, she was thinking furiously. Moonburst of course had an influence with the moon itself, so it would make sense with lunar energy with her. But what was that about solar energy? She had nothing to do with the sun. She didn't even like sun-tanning, if that counted. Vivienne took a breath, exhaling slowly as Meesa continued, going into a story about the various suns and moons of the Underworld and the mortal realm. She listened on in interest..after all, every word was information and she needed to know more about Autum. The witches hadn't exactly bothered to keep her updated in her imprisonment.
Which I can harness. Well, at least the moon's energy.."
Vivienne monologued as Meesa paused, riffing through the tome's pages. She looked over to Cier as he picked up where Meesa stopped. It seemed like many demons had tried to destroy the fake sun that the Angels had created in the Underworld, but none were ever successful. Even the great Urun only managed to block out some of the sun..
"I don't like how the Angels just push their ideals like that.."
The girl muttered, shaking her head. It didn't matter if the Angels thought they were right. Everyone thought they themselves were right when they did stuff like that.

Meesa spoke up again and Vivienne immediately looked back to the mage, attentive. She briefly imagined the moon as a great big dog that could fire moonbeams when Meesa finished his thought and despite herself, she grinned at the thought. Probably would've made an awesome pet. It had looked a little too much like Cier in her thoughts, though..
The demon mage hovered over to a nearby window after he had sent the tome levitating back to it's original shelf, waving away the shadowy curtains that had been blocking the sunlight. Sunlight flooded the room and Viv turned her head away from the glare until a pane of tinted glass snapped over the window, dimming the sunlight. Meesa gestured to her to come over and she obliged, giving Cier a brief smile as she stepped over to the window, looking out of it.
"Whoa."
That word pretty much summed it up. "Whoa" perfectly described the view she had from this window here. She looked around a bit and a certain building had some very deep claw marks that glowed purple..probably Nilgalos' doing. She wondered how the two dragons were doing, turning her mind back to the task as Meesa requested for a demonstration of Moonburst, asking her to target that flagpole in that empty courtyard..that was easy enough.

"It's fine.."
Vivienne muttered, giving Cier a quick nod as he squeezed her hand again in his worry. She raised a hand in the direction of the flagpole, closing her eyes in concentration. It was always the charging of her mana that would take the longest time, the first Moonburst beam to land. Subsequent beams would come faster with her mana built up, but she couldn't just keep casting and hope not to collapse or something. The physical strain on her body could be immense if she just continued. Thankfully this time round, she would need but one beam.
Vivienne opened her eyes. They flared the bright blue color of mana, signifying her magic prowess. A column of white moonlight descended from the heavens, all but instantly vaporising the flagpole into dust, give or take a few flakes of ashes.
"Done."
Vivienne spoke, her voice layered with magic. She closed her eyes again, exhaling. When she opened them again, they had returned to their usual shade of gray..
"So, how was that?"

[jayjaycaps]

Flam had done it. He had convinced Ileli to drink the Zip, and had effectively stopped her from interfering in their sale. It seemed the villagers were on board too, seeing their leader take a sip. The twins gave each other a devilish grin and a knowing glance, seeing the drug take affect on the mage. Sharpen your mind, their asses! It was the exact opposite.

Taking a tentative step forwards, Flim eased his way over to Flam. The world had stopped spinning so much, and his headache wasn't AS bad as before. Eventually making it over to Flam, he draped his arm around Ileli's other shoulder. "There you have it folks! Zugongs Zip, now 100% Ileli approved! Everybody step right up, there's enough to go around! No shoving, wait your turn! We'll collect your payment soon enough! Everybody make a nice and neat line, thank you! Say, Talkea. Think you can handle this here? We've got some ahh... OTHER business proposition to discuss with little Ileli here." Flim gave Talkea a wink, knowing it didn't matter really if people paid. This town would be full of mindless slaves soon enough, and they could take their sweet time in draining it of every coin it held.

For now however, they had other matters to tend to. Turning around, the boys moved Ileli over back behind some buildings into a dark alley. Seemed rather fitting, Flim thought. Shady business, shady alley. Flim pushed the poor girl into the wall in front of them, not caring for her safety. Moving in on her, the twins boxed her in, pushing her against the wall. "Now then, Ileli... You know that drink wasn't free, right? EVERYTHING has a price, just like everyBODY has a price. You stole from us, whether you knew it or not. You have to pay. We don't like it when people steal from us, do we Flam?" Flam began cracking his knuckles, a small smirk on his face. He always hated this part, but had to at least LOOK intimidating. Taking a naive girl like Ileli, charming her over just so they could gain from her trust? Somewhere deep down inside Flam, he knew this was wrong. He could hear Ileli's voice, begging them to let her go. Half of him wanted to help her. Get the drug out of her system. Stop others from drinking it. But the other half knew that even if he did help her, she would hate him. They all would hate him. Flam quickly glanced over at Flim, who had a devilish grin on his face, enjoying the moment. Flam bet Flim never had these moral dilemmas... Actually, Flam wasn't sure if Flim even had any morals at all.

[Reaver]

Razajin grunts as he tries to stand up once again. He gingerly touches his crisply chest, wincing at the pain. He leans heavily on his trident as he corrects his stance. Taking a breather and inhaling, Razajin looks up at the crowd giving them a wide grin. He blows a few kisses to a few pretty faces in the audience before advancing towards Jered's fallen form. Razajin keeps his trident in one hand while drawing four throwing knives in his other hand. "So is this what the great champion of light has to offer? You're failing just like last time." Razajin throws one of the blades, aiming for the leg but not trying too hard. "Is this what happened with your family? You were too weak and they all died? I bet you had a sister too! I would have liked to meet her." Razajin chuckles at the thought of killing and raping Jered's family. He twirls the next knife between his fingers before narrowing his eyesight and aiming at his wounded arm. He stops half way from Jered and takes the last two daggers, lining them up with his eyes. "You are going to fail again....and the worst part is Skylia won't be the last person to count on you." Razajin focuses a little shadow magic into the remaining daggers before shooting them at Jered's chest. Razajin then grins as he takes a defensive two-handed position with his trident.

[Sortaix]

Sort leaned back happily as her hot and wet womanhood welcomed him inside. His hands raced to squeeze and grope her breasts as well and tease her nipples, for a few minutes. He felt something jolt his lower half and push him closer to coming than he would have wanted, but it sounded like she was in a hurry. So he just went along with it, teasing her breasts and nipples for several minutes before reaching down to where the two were joind and pinching her clit, as he rolled it between his fingers. He then pushed his face into her breasts as his hand then moves around to grope and squeeze her ass, before giving it a few slaps. He let her ride him like this for several minutes, before pushing forward, making her fall gently onto har back as his hands to place on either side of her, and he began to thrust into her. His thrusts were now hard and fast, close to climax. He fucked her for several more minutes, while she was on her back, before he thrust up as hard as he could and sent a rushing flood of seed into her.

[Zender_Solarheart]

Jered looks up hatefully at Razajin, wincing in his own pain. That motherfucker sure knows how to put up a fight...and once again, Jered seems to be the one on the ropes...though, Raz must be pretty arrogant, to talk that big with such a burn on his chest. Wait...did he insult Vela? No...oh HELL no...no he didn't...

(You...fiend...that's it. You think you're so high and mighty? You think this world is your plaything?! That every soul in it, dead or alive, is only there for your amusement?!! I'll destroy you...I'll vaporize every bit of your flesh! Your abominable visage will be banished from this world forever!! And when you fall headfirst into Hell's darkest pits...remember the wrath of Jered Alkaid!!!)

(BGM: http://youtu.be/AUfc4Wel_Dk)

With unprecedented fury, Jered practically explodes off of the ground, propelled almost 30 feet into the air by an EM burst. His whole body seems to blaze with electricity, as he then channels every bit of what he has left into his blade, sending a hyper-charged Storm Wing straight down at his enemy. Even if Razajin were to dodge it, the sheer force of it impacting the ground is enough to fling him around like a rag-doll, most likely headfirst into a wall. That'd be a pain he won't soon forget...and live or die, Jered won't let him forget this. Even if Raz does survive, Jered will see him dead sooner or later. No simple arena match could ever settle their quarrel...

[napsii]

Jered v. Razajin -

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Jered's dramatic leap from the earth drew hundreds of eyes, and the crowd fell into stunned silence as he soared through the air. The tiger man would feel immense power bubbling behind his limbs, but as gravity worked its way to bring him back down to earth, he'd already feel his vision swimming and his body growing ever weaker. Razajin's shadow daggers, naturally, did little to halt this onslaught and so the already dazed assassin was left open to Jered's own super Storm Wing, which would collide head on with him in an enormous corona of electricity that sent him reeling backward, flying dramatically into the backing wall of the arena with his body twitching (299 damage). The crater rending the wall was palpable, and Razajin would slump down to his knees, weapon still in hand moments later.

But it was hardly a victory for Jered.

Just as soon as his feet touched the ground, he felt his entire body cave in as if his beating heart had been ripped from his body. His vision seemed to short out and all of his senses drained away as he collapsed to the earth. He might taste blood in his mouth as a surge of black bile poured up from his body, leaving him pale. The electricity about his body crackled and shifted in color wildly as the arcane energies cut loose, eventually collapsing down on him in a great shower of sparks that assaulted every inch of his body, leaving behind great burns and intense pain. (239 damage)

The phenomena of arcane overload had set in. When a magician pushed themselves too far past their limits, the energies natural to their body were unleashed and very often killed them. But Jered did not die. Instead, he might slowly find his way back to his feet as his senses returned, extremely weak, but still able to stand.

Razajin, too, might rise to his feet. The entire arena fell silent, the crowd breathless as everything seemed to move in slow motion. A single hit might fell one of you, but you were both too weak to reach for magic, and your bodies wee reeling with pain and exhaustion....

One more strike will end this duel.

Jered HP - 1/450 (dying)
Razajin HP - 1/400 (dying)

Vivienne -

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

"Whoa!"

"Mmm!"

Cier and Meesa expressed their surprise for your Moonburst simultaneously, Cier himself shirking back to nearly trip over an ottoman whose padding shifted and squirmed; probably a Mimic. Meesa stroked his unseen chin with a long finger, looking down to the yard below. No remnants of the flagpole could be seen, except for the cracked depression in the earth and the columns of flowers nearby that smoked and steamed, having been crisped.

"Very powerful, yes! I have rarely seen such powers..." remarked Meesa. Without a gesture from him, another tome flew down from a shelf and he brushed through it to a particular page. Cier, meanwhile, inched a little closer to you, seeming stiff with curiosity as ever as he bumped shoulders with you.

"That was really impressive..." he tried to smile, his large and naive red eyes alight with thought. His mouth then slanted with sudden confusion, and he looked to Meesa. "Although, I'm not sure how you... hey Meesa, how did she penetrate the barrier?" he questioned. You recall that a large magical barrier shielded Tear Stone from large sieges.

"Mmm... Tear Stone's magical ward does not cover the whole castle, oh no no. General Xierante placed numerous gaps in it. He is very wise. He knew that the Divine Ones would make their own entrance if the castle was shielded, and that could place them somewhere very inconvenient for the defenders, yes, yes. He knows the Divine Ones would cross through those gaps if they attacked, mmm. This is why most of Tear Stone's defenses are aimed toward certain spots. Lady Vivienne's moon magic beam passed through a gap." explained Meesa. He shut the book, looking to you.

"Meesa does not wish to offend, Lady Vivienne Pink-Hair, but he would gladly remove many of his limbs for the chance to study you! Your magic is very rare, yes. Very... unique," you got the impression Meesa's shadowed face was smiling from underneath his hood, "But Meesa does not know what he can do for you. I am only a humble servant of the great General Xierante, and in turn, his liege the Archdemoness. Meesa can tell you that you are mighty, but that is all. If you seek true wisdom..."

Cier bit the inside of his cheek, knowing what Meesa was about to say.

"...then Meesa would humbly suggest you visit the Margravine Shinei. She is a close colleague of General Xierante, and our mightiest spellcaster! She is far more talented than Meesa." he finished. Cier rolled his eyes, looking down out the window. Already, a small crowd of demon soldiers and bewildered onlookers were gathering to ponder the mystery of the disappearing flagpole.

"Shinei's domain over this mortal realm is around the east, covering the northwestern lands and the border to the icy wastelands. Son of Margrave can show you how to operate the portal gates. However, Meesa must warn you... Shinei is not quick to anger, but she is thirsty for knowledge and your gift is rare indeed... now, I do not wish to be rude to Lady Vivienne or Son of Margrave, but Meesa must return to his own devices. But please, Meesa wishes for you to return if it is believed he can help you!" with that, Meesa gave a formal bow, and turned back to a shadowy corner of the room laden with books and scrolls.

Rubbing the back of his neck, Cier indicated for you to follow him toward the door. When you stepped out, the door clicked shut behind you of its own accord and Cier breathed a sigh. The air out here felt cleaner and purer than inside Meesa's lab.

"I don't like Shinei, but Meesa's right. She could help you. If you want, we can go there tomorrow. it's getting kind of late." remarked Cier as he looked out the window. The sun was beginning to dip under the horizon. With that, he walked off for the lower levels, the twisting keep's floors passing by one by one. About four floors down, he stopped at one room in particular. Its metal-bound door was blue, and runes were inscribed into its face. Cier raised a palm, which flashed red, and the door hissed before sliding back to reveal the room beyond.

As far as Tear Stone's decadence went, this was rather plain. It was another circular, windowless room with neatly cut gray stone walls, magic torches illuminating the high ceiling and no real decor to be found. A raised pedestal in the center of the room gave prominence to what this had obviously been built for: to house the enormous, glowing portal gate within. The gate was an enormous, circular shaped ring of gnarled, knotted black-blue metal material, inside of which shimmered a surface of multi-colored energy. Images of places and people seemed to swirl within from time to time, and as Cier stepped in, it pulsated.

"Um, like I said before... there's just one place I wanted to show you. This a portal room. We have lots of them all around your realm now, and the Angels do too. If you have a specific portal's 'name' you can use another portal to warp to it. Just like casting a spell," Cier explained, stepping up to the portal and raising a hand to it.

He whispered a few words, and your ears tickled. A moment later, you found that you could not get the words out of your head...

Vivienne got: Arcane Gate: Tear Stone Castle - An incantation in demonic identifying the portal gate on one of the floors in Tear Stone Castle's central keep. Recite this incantation at any similar portal to warp to this portal gate.

"Do you want to see it? Um, if you still want to, I mean." Cier's ears twitched as he waited for your answer.

Clife -

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Both Reila and Beatrix turned away with a dejected "hmph".

The bandit girl shifted, her men likewise seeming to feel a little awkward while Beatrix listened impassively to what you had to say. She was thoroughly displeased, but recognized the wisdom in your words nonetheless.

"Yeah, fine." she mumbled, turning to the procession with blades in hand. The bandits looked her up and down cautiously, and even Reila seemed a little scared of her now. With a few gestures, she indicated for the men to be careful and they followed suit, picking their way over the corpses toward the overturned wagon. Beatrix, meanwhile, did a sweep of the area and set about the grisly task moving all of the bodies into one place so that she might prepare them for burial.

"Thanks. But they had better keep their fucking wits about them." she mentioned to you as she rolled one bloodied corpse over, saying the last part out loud for the others to hear.

Everyone was just mumbling to themselves now, but it seemed like the hostilities had calmed. Your wise words helped to defuse the situation peacefully. (+10 alignment)

Meanwhile, Jegen was examining the blue liquid up and down. His face sparkled with realization after giving it a sniff.

"I recognize this. It's part of an alchemical formula of healing..." he mused over the neon blue goo, "This is mixed with a similar compound and then burned slowly. The healer then inhales the resultant smoke, and blows it onto the wound... according to rumor, it can seal up even the worst of injuries. Interesting to find so much of it in one place." he said thoughtfully, putting the compound back down.

"I don't really care for that shit, since I wasn't part of that caravan... but I know they were taking it to some camp to the west. It explodes if it touches arcane energy, so they were transporting it by cart." Beatrix commented.

"'Ow valuable is it? I bet we'd make lotsa coin!" Reila questioned giddily.

"Well, compounds like it aren't too rare, but if memory serves, it's worth enormous amounts in large quantities since it doesn't require any education to use and is powerful for its purpose. I've never seen so much in one place, like I said." replied Jegen.

Beatrix just grunted, seeming annoyed that they wanted to sell it for their own purposes.

"Well, great. Let's load it up, then!" Reila said. Jegen procured the horn and blew it once more, summoning two large carts pulled by mule out of the tree lines. Instantly, the bandits set to work finding the casks of liquid that hadn't been broken and loading it into the wagons.

"Fucking thieves. Ayrenis requested that so he could heal his soldiers..." muttered Beatrix as she procured a spade from the ground. The name Ayrenis rung in your head. If you recalled correctly, he was a rather famous Archangel and associated with justice and fortitude in many religions. The city of Iyren, most famously, was named for him centuries ago.

...

An hour later, the bandits had all but tidied up the area. Beatrix had taken refuge in a section of field near the roots of the Silverwood tree, digging grave after grave for the fallen caravaneers in silence. Reila, meanwhile, waited impatiently for her men to finish up. Sooner or later, though, the bandits were just about ready to depart and Reila had hopped onto the wagon. Beatrix, putting the finishing touches on the last grave by dropping some blue flowers onto them, tossed away the spade and procured a small leather bag that had been lying against the tree, throwing it over her shoulder. Looking off into the distance, the blonde-haired girl seemed to sigh before making for the road.

"Haaaayyyy, Clife! We're ready and about to leave. Hop on, yah!" Reila yelled to you from the front of one of the wagons. Jegen had taken a seat next to her.

Without a word in your direction, though, Beatrix seemed to be making for the road to the west, while the bandits' wagons seemed to be turning toward the east.

Who do you follow?

Sortaix -

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

"Hnnnh... damn... you're... heh... not that bad..." panted Marquette as she lay sprawled out on her back, hot breath visible in the air.

For a good ten minutes she laid there and relaxed with you, visibly pleased. After a time, she did stand up, quickly repairing her dress and pulling her undergartments back on. Splashing water on herself from a bowl on the table and using a towel to clean up, she whistled as she looked at you, seeming cocksure. Suddenly, you felt a little queasy, and your limbs seemed to crawl with numbness. It was hard to describe, but suddenly your convictions felt less sharp -- less certain than before. Even though you hadn't been appreciated by those you had saved before, it seemed now as if it were easier to let go of the Seven Virtues the land's religion had established. (-15 alignment)

"Oh, don't worry. It's not like I made you into a zombie or anything. In any case, feeling better?" Marquette mentioned, procuring a fresh apple from a basket and biting into it. The ill feeling resided after a few seconds, leaving you feeling good as ever. The necromancer girl took a few more bites of her apple.

"I really do have to say, though... it's a shame I didn't find you earlier. You've got a really nice gift down there. So, still planning to bring me in to face justice? Or do you want to let me get on with my work?" she questioned, taking a seat in a nearby chair and folding one leg over the other.

Judging from what she's told you, letting her proceed could bring on great chaos. But what do you do?

Flim + Flam -

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

"Oh... nnh... yeah... you're... right..." the hazy-eyed Iieli said confusedly as she swayed about, her balance seeming upset by the drug. Below, the people seemed to collect by the dozens, orbiting around the wagon full of the liquor with coin in hand. Talkea nodded to Flim, quickly putting on her best smile and leaping to the top of the wagon to accept the little bags and coinpurses of coin in exchange for the liquor. Despite there being dozens of cases of the stuff, they were emptying rather quickly. Iieli placed the collected coins into the empty crates, which filled up just as quick as they had emptied. In the frenzy, none of the folk even seemed to notice that Iieli was bobbing about, her look unfocused and her body nearly limp.

She didn't resist much as she was led into the alley, seeming a little unaware that anything was even going on around her.

"Oh, yeah... hnnh... so... what's this... about?" she questioned groggily before her lips twisted into a frown. She shut her eyes tightly, shaking her head with obvious discomfort.

"Nooo, nooo... what do you want? I'll give you... whatever... just... stop with this..." she said weakly.

Meanwhile, Talkea had spent the next ten or so minutes emptying the last of the Zugong's Zip into the hands of awaiting customers. Inspired by the rhetoric, many partook almost immediately, clanging their glasses together to celebrate their new buy. Men and women alike downed their glasses with vigor quite obviously expecting the claimed effects to set in immediately.

...of course, it didn't take much longer than two minutes for the camp to turn from an organized society into what resembled more like a graveyard full of zombies. Hazy-eyed and dizzy, many began to wander around the makeshift houses dizzily with the liquor in hand, seeming aimless...

Talkea took a proud seat on the edge of the wagon, seeming unnaturally amused.

[Reaver]

Razajin looks up in the sky with a mix of amusement and defeat as what looks like a electrical meteor races towards him. "Well......Fuck." He thinks right before the Storm wing blasts him off his feet. He watches the floor become more distant with every second before his head hits the wall with a loud crunch. At least the sand gave him something semi soft to blackout on for a few seconds. "Fucking people can't take jokes." Razajin mutters while coughing his blood up. He drags his chin upwards through the sand to see how his buddy Jered was doing. It takes his eyes a couple of seconds to focus on the fuzzy, blurry blob that must symbolize Jered who happens to be on the ground too. Razajin has a small cough of satisfaction at the situation before pulling his punch daggers out. He rolls over onto his back before slowly standing up. The pain from taking one step forward felt like twenty lances ripping through his gut, but Razajin kept walking. "I better get a damn title and a weapon. Maybe five slave girls too. Wait no! thirty slave girls!" He keeps muttering about what he deserves for fighting for the Margrave's and the crowd's pleasure until he reaches Jered. He stops right out of his sword's reach while taking a few deep breaths to steady himself. Razajin gives Jered one last wink before throwing himself at Jered's body. He keeps one dagger up to try deflecting an on coming attack while keeping his other forward to stab him in the gut. "It's over for you Jered! One way or another."

[MiscChaos]

Clife sighs a breath of relief as both parties back down without a fight. She then spends the hour it takes to get everything loaded up not really knowing what to do with herself. She didn’t want to be an accessory to what Reila and her gang were doing, but she had the sneaking suspicion that Beatrix wouldn’t appreciate her help burying the bodies, so she was left with nothing to do. So she decided to supervise, make sure no demons were coming and no bandits did something stupid to disturb the shaky peace she’d brought on. When that got boring, she searched the bodies of the fallen demons, looking to see if she can scrounge something valuable off of them. They’re not her allies after all, so she has no qualms stealing from their corpses. She decides to bury them too though after she’s done using Nature magic to part the ground to drop them into and cover them up, just because only select few people deserve to rot above the earth for the carrion to feed on. That and the area could probably use the nutrients.

Part of an alchemic healing formula, huh? Learning that formula would make her travels a lot easier, spending less energy on healing the broken herself, but she has to wander if something like that doesn’t come with a side effect. The easiest solutions to things are usually the worst in the long run in her experience. Still, couldn’t hurt to pick it up, even if that means running into Ayrenis. Due to no fault of his own, Clife holds a small grudge against the Archangel, he being one of the main foundations of the nun order she was raised in and whose actions and teachings they dwelt on often. She knows it’s a stupid grudge and that he doesn’t deserve it, but it’s still there, bothering her.

Then just like that, it’s time to go and she has to choose who to go with. On one hand, she knows Reila and Jegen and it’d probably be a good idea to follow along just in case the Demons target the wares again. But they’re bandits and it’s not a great idea to hang around such scrupulous people for very long. But they’re headed east with one half of the alchemy formula, so she could both learn what it is and help apply it to Ayrenis’ wounded soldiers while she’s with them, even try to get Reila to sell it at a lower price back to them cause she knows now that Beatrix has said she doesn’t care what happens to the shipment, the bandit girl’s going to sell it. There’s just no stopping that now and it’d be a waste of energy to try.

On the other hand, she needs to report in to the Angels about her failed mission earlier and Beatrix is likely her best chance at doing so. The woman is cold and doesn’t seem to want the company, but since she was willing to spend an hour burying a dead caravan that she supposedly didn’t care about she can’t be heartless. And if the Silverwood helped her, she can’t be bad either. She’ll lose Reila and the healing alchemy, but she’ll get a new Angel mission to help out with and that may help more people in the long run. Well, she won’t lose the healing alchemy formula per se because at least one Angel must know how to make the stuff, but she won’t have the raw ingredients like she would if she goes with Reila. But that’s not really a problem either since Jegen himself said the ingredients aren’t all that rare. And she’ll admit to a good heap of curiosity helping to guide her decision. Beatrix seems to be a warrior for the Angels, but that’s all she can really tell at the moment. Maybe between that and Clife pissing Lenore off, they’ll make a big enough target to draw Demons away from the bandits. She fights with herself for a few more moments before deciding.

She turns and bows to the Silverwood, saying, “Thank you for all of your help. I hope to meet again in the future.” Then she turns to Reila and says, “Sorry, but at the end of the day, I’m with the Angels. Gotta report in and see what they need done and all that. Hope we cross paths again someday though. Just try not to piss anyone too important off, alright? Hate for my next assignment to be to come after ya'll.” She’s surprised to find that she actually means what she says about hoping to meet again. The bandit must’ve grown on her a little or something. She gives a small bow of farewell before turning to the west with Beatrix and following her. “So where to?” is all she asks for now. She still has many questions for the woman, particularly about the specifics of how she came back to life.