Josh woke up at yelling of sorts and turned to look out the window to see paladins charging into the Gians. He smiled to himself, maybe we werent doomed after all, and it seems this is a good time to stop hiding and help out. A quiet noise came from a corner and Josh immediatly realized it was his black widow.

Several bodies were just inside the doorway, his black widow summon was missing about three legs and had several cuts. It had served him well and he had fallen asleep. He smiled for it and unsummoned it.

Josh came out of the tower and rushed for the paladins and tried helping them with his dagger and what energy he had for his bio magic.

After a more time, Darik sat to rest again.

I suppose there is no hurry. I can't fight them until Laccolith is back.

Darik grasped the figure on his necklace. How are you doing, Little Brother.

Not stronger yet.

I'm not in much better shape, myself. That guy whacked me on the head pretty hard.

Hurt?

No. Just a little light-headed, that's all. How much longer until you are stronger?

When stronger.

Not big on the details, I see. Anyways, join me as soon as you can.

Darik once more stood, and waited for the slight twirly senstation to pass. "I'm getting pretty close to the battle. Might as well get properly prepared."

As he walked, Darik went through the spells he knew in his head. He'd be prepared for a fight this time, and wouldn't go down so easy...that is, if Laccolith came before he got to the battle.

"Alright Angelith, hold on." Kelvin said as she sat down in the middle of the Chimera. Kelvin stood closer to the neck, then sat down.

How are we going to hold on? Just grab the fur?

You guys will only grab a little bit, so it won't matter.

Then Chimera started to back up a little bit. Then took off running expanding the wings and then hit the air. The Chimera glided over the forest for a little bit then started to gain altitude. As Kelvin looked over he saw a bandit camp pass over them as they went up. He wondered if that was where Angeltih came from, but decided not to dwell on it as Chimera flew even higher.

Two-Moon, The False God
 

As the first rays of sunlight eked over the hills of Camenport the ancient church bells began to toll their ancient summons, calling the villagers to morning mass. As the townsfolk dutifully trudged their way atop the church's hill a strange disquiet fell over them. This was just one day in many, nothing marked this day out amongst the others and yet there was a longing quality to the air, that of great or terrible deeds as yet undone.
As the villagers reached the summit a peculiar sight greeted them, the church doors, always kept flung open in welcome, stood near shut one door askew. Their trepidation building they pushed inside the dark building and what they saw struck them in the depths of the soul.
The priests lay slumped in the pews, there faces awash with passed horror. Instantly the townsfolk muttered amongst each other, uttering short prayers against whatever force had done this, then one spoke the fateful words, those that would be remembered as the first sign.
"On all this earth, what could do such a thing?"
At these words the torches surged in to life, the censers began to leak a faintly perfumed smoke and the bells tolled again. More fantastic than each of these events was His appearance, he floated wraithlike above the dead priests. In his left hand he carried a flaming sword and in the right he held an olive branch, he was glorious to behold and an impossible brilliance issued from his very being and incandescent wings fluttered softly. His mere presence set their souls afire with holy ecstasy, little did they no this exultant feeling came from no divine source but the perfumed smoke that even now invaded their lungs.

Fear Not People Of Terra
You Witness Naught But Our Most Holy Judgment
You have Long Been Deceived By False Priests.
You Have Been Turned From The One True Light
Your Souls Are Kept By Darkness Clothed In False Light

The villagers are taken aback, shocked at this dark proclamation of their beloved church of the Highfather.

Here Me!
I Am Soratur Of The High Seraphim And Voice Of Our True Lord
See The Truth Of Your Highfather As He Stands Before The Light Of Our Lord

The being extends his two hands and light begins to fill the church. The statue of the Highfather begins to shudder and creak, dark shapes oozing from the old stone, writhing in agony before the holy light. The statue shudders again and explodes, sharp fragments hailing down as the light dims and re-enters the Angel.
The townspeople prostrate themselves before the Holy Messenger praying for forgiveness and mercy.

Fear Me Not People Of Terra
I Bring Retribution Only To The Dark
And Rebirth Only To The Good
You Have Been Misled
Tricked By A Demon Clothed As God
If You Are True You Shall Be Forgiven
Denounce These False Priests
Denounce This Church Of Demons
Offer Your Prayers Only To Our True Lord
For He Is Merciful And Just

The villagers cluster closer the Angelic figure hands outstretched asking for redemption.

Here Me
This Place Carries The Taint Of Demons
It Must Be Cleansed
Offer Your Prayers To Our True Lord As The Light Of the Sun Graces The Altar
Gather All Images Of The False Demons And Cast Them Into The Deepest Well
Go Forth Into The Graveyard And Free Those Interred For This Is The False God's Most Heinous Evil, For In That Dead Earth The Souls Lay Severed From His Divine Grace
Let No Follower Of The Demon's Church Lay Foot Upon This Ground For Their Touch Will Awaken That Which I Have Bound

The townsfolk cast their arms towards the placid figure offering clamorous thanks for his mercy.

Be Still
Their Is One More Duty I Give To You
One Has Escaped Our Lord's Judgment
He Is One Of The False God's Tainted Warriors
And Walks In The Shadow Of A Demon Garbed In The Cloth Of Angels
He Must Never Return Here!
If He Returns Darkness Will Fall
Drive Him Out!
Fear Not, The True Lord's Blessing Will Be With You

The Angel begins to rise, the assembly raising their voices in a chorus of thanks and compliance.

Fear Not
We Shall Come Again
Remember My Words
Cast Out The Tainted Warrior
Cast Out He Who Calls Himself Gabriel!

OOC: LOL, looks like you're in a fit of trouble Raiden. You win the battle in Endorville, you're going to have some problems when you get back to the church. You lose, and you'll STILL be in trouble. XD

(OOC: F#%k. Well, we better not lose here, then.)

"Wow!"
Angelith looked down at the scenery. Having never flown before, Angelith was thoroughly impressed with the whole concept. As the creature had climbed higher, Angelith loosened her grip on Kelvin's torso, feeling a little embarrassed about holding him so tightly.
"By the way," she said, her platinum blonde hair whipping at the wind that tugged at it, "where might we be going?"

Resolution
 

OOC: To fix this as soon as possible, I'm putting everything as the one post. If anyone wants to add anything, put it as a flashback. By the way, you should keep totally OOC posts like that in the discussion thread.

Quetzacotl and Catharsis' attacks both hit Bahamut, the disc of air splaying on him as he twists in the air to take the brunt of the blow on his armoured chest. It disintegrates in a blast of howling wind and then Quetzacotl's lightning and the second part of Catharsis' Divine Wind engulf the great dragon in a crazy whirlwind of barbed lightning and bladed air. Bahamut roars with pain and outrage as hostile magic crackles across his massive form.

Yet even then, Bahamut's mind is still set upon purposeful destruction. Gathering the remainder of his power to him, he breathes a devastating lance of pure destructive force to nail Quetzacotl to the sky. The battlefield is rocked by the mid-air explosion as Bahamut fades away, the magical lightning and wind still seething violently where he had been.

As Tarathiel clambers to his feet from where he had been knocked down to avoid Manda, he feels a sudden feeling of loss. Quetzacotl is gone - Bahamut had taken his enemy down with him. There's no time to think about that though as Mikay moves forwards and Kithar charges headlong towards him, face transformed by fury. Mikay holds back as Kithar attacks fully on the offensive and Tarathiel is hard pressed to do anything but defend himself. Kithar swings his sword in great, rage-fueled vorpal arcs, each one potentially fatal. He smashes the elven summoner's sword aside and it looks like the end is nigh.

Then there is a sudden moment of coursing shadows and Tarathiel is gone, whisked away by dark wings. As Darkwraiven ascends into the sky, attempting to get beyond the reach of unfriendly arrows, Mikay walks up to Kithar's side, the snake-skin necklace once again around her neck. Kithar's face is momentarily blank and then focus comes back into his eyes as he watches Darkwraiven make its way to the castle carrying the two Terran summoners. He slumps slightly, letting the tip of his sword brush the ground.

"So you've returned to yourself." are Mikay's first words. After a moment of uneasy silence, Kithar replies,"Yes..." A moment later he continues on a tangent, "We could not have expected so many opposing summoners. We overcame them but until they are dead, they are still a threat."

Mikay's reply holds the same note of determination, "Next time we will be ready for them." The two of them watch the battle progress for a while in silence before they head to where the Gaian army had set up camp.

*

As the afternoon shadows lengthen into twilight, the last of the elves are swept from the outer wall. There is little opportunity for the elves to launch counterattacks for they must fall back to the inner walls or risk being taken apart piecemeal by the advancing Gaian elements. As night falls, parts of the city are ablaze, as trapped pockets of resistance slow the invaders. Past midnight, relative calm descends. Both forces are wearied by the day's battles but even now quivers are restocked, swords sharpened and other preparations made ready.

*

With dawn's first rays comes the charge of the paladins. They had marched through the night to get here while the Gaians had rested, if not entirely peacefully. The Gaians are not caught completely unaware. They had known some had managed to break through the siege and would possibly bring reinforcements but they had not expected it so soon, not even a small force like this. The paladin's charge had been slowed and they had been forced to withdraw soon into the battle lest the Gaians recover from the surprise and organise their vastly superior numbers to crush them.

But in a sense, the paladins' have been successful. The commanders of the Gaian army along the summoners Mikay and Kithar who had been attached to the force as a special unit, decide it is pointless to get drawn into a war of attrition. There is the possibility of additional reinforcements for the elves and the chance of more enemy summoners appearing is deemed unacceptable. The defenses of the elven city has been greatly comprised and it is highly unlikely they will be able to deploy their army in any significant numbers in the field without endangering the protection of the city. When the time comes, the city should fall easily to the main body of the Gaian army.

That day, the Gaian force begins its withdrawal.

OOC: There we go, sweet, sweet resolution.

Andrew turned to Thunderpaw and nodded towards the Gaian troops.

"Guess we had best follow them and find out if they need our help for anything else."

With that, they set off towards the army. Since the army had more equipment and had a larger group, they were able to catch up fairly quickly. At one point when the army had stopped to rest Andrew left the cover of the denser forest and walked up to someone who seemed to have summoning power.

((this is assuming that summoners can somehow sense if other people can summon))

"Excuse me, do you know who is in command here? I was just sent through and I was told to meet up with you guys as soon as possible to follow whatever orders I was given."

"I'm headed to a town near a church I've resently been to. I'm sure they have an inn we can stay at." And what he said then was true. It was morning now, and all the villagers had left for the church and here he stood in his room. He thought things would be weird if he got just 1 room with Angelith, so he had gotten 2. He was also going oer the small conversation they had, about each others pasts. Since they were travelling together, they decided to attempt to get to know each other.

After stretching a bit and putting on his clothes and armor, he decided to get Angelith out of her room and see if she wanted to head to the church. He was curious if Gabriel had made it back, but first things first. "Hey Angelith. You up?" He shouted as he knocked on her door.

OOC: Finally.

BiC: Tarathiel did not even feel anything as he was swept away from the battlefield only to be let down unto the parapet tower. Thoroughly shocked by the sudden void in his mind and soul, Tarathiel could not even begin to move an inch.

"Hey, you...." The summoner who had followed him nudged him in the shoulder. "Are you alright?"The summoner asked. But Tarathiel did not respond, as his mind was somewhere off reality.

Quezacotl! Tarathiel searched the depths of his mind for a response.

No answer.

Was the demigod................dead?

The shocked elven summoner called out the demigod's name again. But still no answer. He tried to rise, but his muscles and body felt numb, as if his mind refused to send any response to the nerves of his body. And suddenly, Tarathiel felt his strength go weak, and he fell onto the floor.

The last thing that the elf saw before the darkness came was the face of the other summoner reaching out to him.

The Paladins all gathered around Gabriel, cheering and raising their swords and shields into the air. There were very few casualties in the Paladin ranks, which was very good, considering a large number of the Paladins there were simply Paladins-in-training. They had been in their first battle.

And Gabriel knew from experience, every adventure they'll have for the rest of their lives will be compared to this day.

"ArchAngel. Let's go home."

"Yes, let's. I feel a need to be back at the church. I sense...I sense that something is wrong."

Gabriel looked into the sky in the direction of the church.

"Really? Well then, let's hurry."

Angelith opened the door for Kelvin, having bathed and changed her clothing. After years of substandard washing and far too much wear and tear, the robes were barely appropriate wear for even a peasant village's church.

The clothing Angelith wore now wasn't bad at all. "A gift from a friend" was what she had called it. It was mostly just leather and cloth, kept together with laces, and while Angelith didn't exactly look innocent in it, she did look charming in it, as though she was made to wear peasant clothes, even ones as revealing as these. She looked a little tired, but was no less aware of her surroundings. "Yes, I'm awake. What's going on?"

"Seems to be a church gathering. I'm going to check it out, if you want to come then let's get moving. Though last time I checked, there was someone threatening the church. So I'm going more for protection reasons rather than religious." Kelvin then started to head out, though he stopped for a second. "Your welcome to pick up something to eat first though, I'm sure nothing has happened."

Two-Moon had been sitting under the rotting roof of a long abandoned cottage that lay just in the forest surrounding the crest of Camenport. It was there he had seen a strange winged shape swoop over, one that had quickly materialized into a strange multiheaded creature. A creature that had suddenly vanished, leaving naught but two figures standing in the half-light. From under the dappled forest canopy Two-Moon had watched them walk up towards the town. At least one was a summoner, how else to explain what he had witnessed, the other so far was inconsequential. Yet if he could turn a terran summoner to the 'True Faith', oh how he still revelled in that ingenious deception, he could strike hard at the very heart of this land. If the summoner wouldn't join him? Then that problem would have to be...erased

Angelith stared out after Kelvin from the door, then nodded. "Just a moment." She ducked her head back inside her room, then quickly emerged, staff in hand. 'Threats' sounds a lot like 'bloodshed' and 'fighting' to me, so I think I'd better go along, if more because I owe you than because I simply want to help people."

"Good, let's get going." Kelvin said as he lead Angelith out of the inn and ontop the road that lead over the hill and too the church. As they walked, he got a good look at his surroundings. The day seemed peaceful, but something was off about it, though what it was, he couldn't place it.

Chimera, something seems off.

I believe it is because you don't here anything coming from the forest. Your probably expecting to hear maybe a bird chirp or a squirrel run. But all that greets you is silence.

Any ideas why the forest would be quite?

It usually means trouble. But it doesn't nessicarily mean trouble for us.

I'll keep that in mind.

After his short conversation with Chimera, they had reached the church. Kelvin goes up and creeps open a door, gazing at the sight within.

OOC: Lumaes, I don't know if your 'holy angel' is still there or not, so would you be so kind to describe the sight for everyone.

Catharsis swept back her midnight blue hair and wondered what to do. It was obvious that this elven summoner is suffering from major exhaustion and is in such a vulnerable state that he may die to further exposure. She snatched at the sleeve of a frantically scurrying elf guard.

"Excuse me, sir, but I believe this man needs assistance. Is there a healer nearby?"
The elf's eyes widened as his eyes fell upon the unconscious Tarathiel, and he rushed off immediately, calling for a healer.

He is severely weakened, Catharsis, but he will live. The one he calls, the one he commands, it too is weakened. I have tried to contact it, but it makes no reply, Darkwraiven commented as he cradled Tarathiel within shadowy, solid wings. He looked at the elf with eyes so dark it seemed to drain the light from its surroundings, before turning those endless pits to Catharsis.
It seems you have saved the life of an important figure, friend. I sense royal blood in his shaky aura, he added as the healer, attired in traditional white, arrived.

~~Mikay~~

Kithar has never seen Mikay so tired. He knew it was the after-effect of using her ability to both summon and use the earth to a phenomenal degree, but normally, her opponents were swept away usually in her first attack. Now, as she leaned heavily on her spear-tipped staff, watching the withdrawal of the Gaian troops through sleepy eyes, Mikayarashka looked twice her youthful looks.

She noticed the concerned glance from Kithar.
"You shouldn't drain yourself so," he commented after a moment. Mikay didn't reply immediately. When she did, it was a carefully worded reply.
"Every time I push myself, I make myself stronger. To be stronger means to win our lives. The lives of our world. If I fail to win myself in the process, it will merely mean my return to the cradle of my element." Mikay stopped, as if finished. But Kithar knew, and waited. The elf started again, "This war, Kithar. I'm beginning to doubt our ways. In battle, I am surging with adrenaline, full of battle-readiness, and hence ignorant of the woes, but now, while I am drained, I feel that what we are doing isn't right. I am wavering in what we have committed ourselves to. This crusade begins as something righteous and then turns into a slaughter. Yes, I believe that if we do not do so, then it will result in our destruction, but... I believe I am not the only one that is contemplating our motives. Besides that, the destruction of the denizens of this world would not mean our world's salvation. It would only postpone the slow decay of the Well for what? Another millenia before more Well-users spring forth and begin the drain again? Will we have to repeat this... purging again in the future? And what if this world isn't what is draining our world? Wouldn't that mean this slaughter is for nothing?"

Save your talks, Mikay. You may not enjoy sacrifices as much as me, but slaughter feeds me and my lesser kinds.

You only think about your stomach, Manda. There is no way I can argue with you when you only consider us as dainty morsels.

Pah! Elves are too stringy. The ones I swallowed were mere skin and bones. Give me plump humans any day, Manda replied goadingly, causing Mikay to smile a bit at the sheer single-mindedness of her summon.

Kithar's reply hints that he has thought about this issue himself, "The Summon Spirits uphold and guard the Well of Creation. While they do not lie, they do not volunteer information either. However, they have told us that the flow of energy from the Well has decreased and is no longer sufficient to sustain two worlds. Our sages and mystics own tests have also shown this. To save one world, its twin must be sacrificed."

"How could there be some malign will behind this change? It would have to be able to evade the Summons Spirits' awareness and influence the wellspring upon which creation itself is founded... It would have to exceed the gods themselves in power!"

Kithar is silent for a few moments as he composes himself, "The fate of two worlds hangs upon our heads. It is only natural to hesitate. But we must remember that if something is not done, it will mean the end of both worlds. We are not on a path of glory nor of honour. We are on a path of survival."

There is a bleakness to Kithar's tone that shows the resolve he has to accomplish this if necessary. He hides his own reservations that gnaw endlessly at him deep down. What if there is an implacable will behind this decline? How could mortals hope to stand before something that the gods can not. Deeper still is the treacherous thought of what if this is the fate of the world - doomed to die by the hand of an uncaring creator. And deepest of all, locked away in recesses where hopefully it will never surface from, is the awareness of the possibility that even if a entire world is sacrificed - by his own hand no less - that it will not avert the final doom of Gaia.

Josh looked up at Andrew from his book, hearing his question and sensing his ability. He smiled, "Well if you cant tell by now", he said while pointing torwards Gabriel, "Then I dont think you ever will". He watched as Gabriel took off for somewhere, probably the church. "I dont know where the army is headed but I assume where they came from", think of the summoners that were in this battle he thought if this could possibly be an enemy, even though he didnt seem to be, "May I ask you name?".

OOC: *sigh* i'm beginning to hate writing dreams....

BiC:

He was floating............

Floating? Where?

It was dark. Total darkness in a faceless void. Tarathiel's mind awakened to the sight of utter blackness - all except for a tiny little speck of light just ahead of him.

What was it? Tarathiel could feel the overwhelming sense of power overflowing from the glowing object ahead of him. He was unsure of the distance between him and the mysterious object, but he definitely could fee the tremendous energy emanating from it. Too tremendous to be real. So strong that it burned him.

Nonetheless, his floating form continued to drift towards the object. Somehow, Tarathiel sensed that he knew what it was. But the memory evaded him as he continued to float towards it.

Minutes passed. He was close now. He could feel it.

But suddenly, he stopped. Something was wrong. Something was here. Something evil.......something TERRIFYING.

And it was watching him.

He awoke with a scream.

Gabriel arrived in the village that held the church, after dropping the paladin army back at the academy. He strode through the streets in a relatively good mood, considering the circumstances. He walked by a corner shop owned by a lady he had saved from a house fire a few years back. She was always there with a smile and a good word. But not today.

"Hello, Mrs. Gandarin. How are you today?"

The woman spit on the ground, and went back to her work.

"Um...okay."

As Gabriel walked down the streets, he got more of the same response. There was spitting, insults, thrown food, and even a dog attack. When Gabriel got to the end of the road, he stopped, turned, and saw something that saddened him greatly.

Almost the entire populace of the village was standing in a mob behind him with all kinds of weaponry.

"What is it, my friends?"

"Friends, nuthin! You and yer' church have been lyin' to us! An Angel told us so!"

"What do you mean! We have never lied!"

"Of course you did! An angel told us of your lies, told us to free the imprisoned dead in the graveyard, and told us to be rid of you."

Gabriel's eyes widened. He turned and looked toward the church graveyard. Sure enough, the bodies had been piled out from their pure lying places. And with his special training, Gabriel could see the Death Demons gorging their fill on the dead. Some believed that it was germs and bacteria that broke up dead bodies. No, it was the Death Demons. Every bite they took of a dead body was felt by the soul that rose with the Highfather. It put them through much pain, which is why Gabriel tried to protect them from it. But these fools unburied them! Gabriel turned back with anger.

"After all these years of protecting you, sacrificing for you, BLEEDING for you! After trying to keep you pure and protect your souls, you turn on me. You turned so simply! All it took was something to claim that it was an angel, and you turn on the Highfather!"

The mob rushed forward, their weapons ready. Gabriel only momentarily considered fighting back. But he figured against it. Instead, he ran.

((OOC: I finally thought of a way to get myself in the same general area as some of the character. Unfortunately, it isn't going to go well for me :rolleyes: ))

Just like home. Darik thought to himself.

He walked through the wreckage of the once proud city...a city that suffered the same fate as his.

Unbidden, memories flood in

Fire. Fire everywhere. Monsters roaming the street. Laccolith clears the path for me as I rush home...but I'm to late. The body of my father is there...what's left of it. The family blade is in his hand. I take it just as another monster enters.

"No!" Darik hissed to himself. "I can't do this now."

The sound of cloth rubbing together made Darik turn, just in time to see the flat side of a sword strike. Pain exploded in his head, then he blacked out.
*****

"...im wondering through the city." a voice said. "Probably looking for more children to kill."

Ahh, man. Darik thought weakly to himself. What do people have against my head today?

He woke up on a cold stone floor in a sitting position. His arms were above him, chained to the wall behind him. His head pounded, and his arms were stiff from their uncomfortable position.

"He's waking up." Another voice said.

Darik opened his eyes, then immedately regretted it. The light seemed to make his head pound more. However, he forced himself to look around...not that there was muc to look at. He was in a small cell, a barred door a few yards ahead of him, and he saw three elves looking into his cell.

"I wander through the forest for a day and half trying to find this place." Darik slurred, "and all I got out of it was another wack to the head."

One of the elves looked darkly at him. "I say we kill him and be done with it. His kind killed destroyed our city. It would be justice to kill him now."

Dandy...

"I'm not an invader." Darik said, despite the protest of his pounding head. "If I was, why in the name of the High Father would I have been out in the city by myself after the rest of my army left?" Darik said.

Another elf shook his head. "Why would be here otherwise? You are not a paladin, and you were not with any of the others who assisted in our defence."

Darik opened his mouth to talk, but groaned instead. Talking made his head hurt even worst than he though possible.

"I was was tracking someone." Darik said. "An invader. He caught me unawares in the forest, and he beat me. I figured he was coming here to the rest of his army. I wanted a little payback."

The third elf sneered. "How did you know about the army if you weren't part of it?"

"I stumbled across here yesterday, and I saw the battle. I had no place in the battle on either side, so I left. I warned him of the battle, and he attacked me."

Darik coughed hard, and it brought up some blood. As he did, the necklace that had the stone figurine of Laccolith came into view.

"Hey, didn't notice that before." the elf in the middle said. He opened the door and came in. "Where'd you get that?"

"Home." Darik said.

"Which is?" the elf asked.

"Oasiantia." Darik said.

"Bah! That city was destroyed, her inhabitants slain!" one of the elves in the back said.

"You don't have to tell me that. I was there." Darik said. "The aftermath looked much like what happened in your city."

Angerily, the elf who came in reached out to grab the figurine.

"Don't touch it!" Darik warned.

It was too late, as the elf touched it, the began to glow bright right. The elf yelp and pulled his hand away. His glove was burned through, and Darik saw the burn on the palm of the elf already begin to blister.

"I have already pasted the test." Darik said, looking up at his burn-scarred hands. "And I wouldn't wish it on anyone."

The elf drew his sword. For a second, Darik considered casting a fireball on the elf.

No, it wouldn't do any good.

The elf turned. "Go tell the masters we have captured an invader, and he some sort of magic with him. They will know what to do."

The elf turned, and, once again, the last thing Darik saw before darkness swallowed him was the flat side of a sword coming a hit head.

(OOC: Just to make sure that this thing doesn't die.)

Gabriel ran through the streets of the village, trying his best to avoid the mob. He was getting tired, and he knew that sooner or later, he would have to fight them.

Just before he turned a corner, a hand grabbed his shoulder and pulled him inside a small house. The mob ran by the building, and continued onward.

Gabriel looked at the man who grabbed him. It was Zachial, a man that lived in the village.

"Zachial? You aren't trying to kill me too, are you?"

Zachial shook his head.

"No way, Gabe. You know better than that. Those other fools may be easily tricked by some fancy tricks, but I know better. I've seen a real angel, ain't that right, Arch?"

"Zachial. It's good to know that we still have one friend in this place. What happened?"

Zachial frowned, and scratched his chin.

"Not entirely sure, m'self. All I know is, some creature claiming to be an angel told the village that the Belief of the Highfather was a load of crock, and that they should destroy anything that was linked to it. Including you two."

Zachial spat on the ground.

"It amazed me how easily the people turned on you guys. I watched it all. The villagers entering the church, and dead bodies lying everywhere. Suddenly, some angel form appeared and began to convert the others. I didn't trust it. There was something...off about it. Plus, there was no way it was a good entity. I saw the dead bodies. Whatever killed them was both painful and cruel. The Highfather does not believe in inhumane death, and only to bring death to those who seek it. Never the innocents."

Gabriel looked at the windows, and hung his head slightly.

"Woah there," the melodic voice of Catharsis penetrated Tarathiel's senses, "the healer here tells me you're Tarathiel, heir to the elven settlement's throne. Calm down, you're in the cradle of your castle now."

Tarathiel lay on a double bed, posts erecting sheets of silk that draped down to caress the elf's body on soft mattress below. Catharsis, with her sweeping hair of midnight blue, sat on a simple high-backed chair along the wall closest to Tarathiel, while a white-cloaked healer, half-rising in surprise at the royal member's outburst, sat close by his bed.

Somewhere near Catharsis, a shadow shifted, independent of the shadows cast by the many candles lighting the spacious room. It shaped itself, before detaching itself from the wall, becoming solid, a compact, bird-like creature.
Ah, looks like he's awake, Darkwraiven mused, though the words that were perfectly understandable to Catharsis, it came out as a melodic, eerie, dark song towards those that do not understand the language of shadows. The sound played over the room, soothing Tarathiel slightly.
There is good news, Prince Tarathiel, He directed at the elf, and Catharsis translated, your summon is well. We communed a little while before you woke.

**Mikay**

"...Survival..." Mikay echoed Kithar's words wearily. She closed her vivid green eyes for a moment, absorbing Kithar's words before her eyes snapped open again. She straightened, as if shedding a burden, and stood proudly over the battlefield from which their troops are retreating from.

"If the sacrifice of one world is the cost, so be it."

TwoMoon perches at the edge of the woods surveying the town that lay just below the crest of Camen's Hill. Camenport, a strange name if you did not know of it's origins. From here TwoMoon could clearly see the snaking ditch that once marked a mighty river. This town had once been wealthy its coffers swelling with the trade that came along its banks, but that wealth was not long lived as with the decline the river withered and eventually shrivelled into nothing, he knew that the townspeople craved to restore their former greatness and that was indeed something he could use to his advantage.
TwoMoon turns his thoughts back to the work at hand, his eyes gently scanning over the cramped scrawl that covered a page of his planning book, never gifted with a full education it was part iconography and shorthand for concepts that TwoMoon's limited literary vocabulary could not express.
He puzzles over how to deal with the Summoner's (he had gleaned that they both had the gift) arrival. They had indeed trecked up to the Church on the second day of the New Faith. They would have witnessed nothing sinister, just the power of prayer and faith unconstrained by ritual. A far more tenous issue was the return of the "tainted warrior". That had gone perfectly to plan, he had known that the man could not strike down the villagers he had long lived amongst. TwoMoon was not idle, he had been going amongst the villagers using the full extent of his training to remain unseen and watching. There was still danger, the New Faith was still fragile and he had been watching for defiance and he had found it in a man named Zachiel. Scrawling a few notes TwoMoon began to sort through his remaining alchemical materials, he would need to restock soon but he had enough to deal with a troublesome townsperson...

We've won, Phoenix.

No. You lost. In addition to that, the Terrans won. I don't see the victory here.

Ok, ok. We lost. But we managed to cripple the enemy. We've found their strengths and weaknesses. And we've found that there is still hope for some of them. Hey! Thats that one woman I saved!

She probably would've kicked Gabriel's ass.

Quiet you. Just take us down there, she's another summoner.

And Phoenix did. Soon, the bird landed and was unsummoned, with Novaras softly stepping onto the ground in front of Mikay and Kithar. "Hail, fellow Gaians and summoners." He said, bowing. "I'm here to join you in the fight, even though I almost missed the first wave. What are the plans now?"

OOC: We need a new thread.

Kithar's reply is curt and abrupt as he looks over the red robed summoner, "It was incautious of you to approach so openly, but nothing can be done now." He is still in something of a foul mood from the battle and his own musings. Realising this, he adjusts his tone a little and continues, "I am known as Kithar and this is Mikay." A short round of introductions follows and then Kithar elaborates on what the plan is.

"We are going to use my original plan of splitting off into several advance elements of a hundred or so warriors and use hit and run tactics. It will be nigh impossible to defend against as we'll simply slip around any organised defence and melt away if anyone comes after us. The bulk of our forces will be making the way ready for the main body of the army. If the reaver bands encounter any summoners, they are to disenage immediately and call upon us to deal with them."

OOC: so we do... so we do...

Mikay nodded towards the new summoner when she was introduced, her tired eyes glinting with faint recognition.

"It was nice of you to deal with that archangel summon of theirs," she added, after Kithar was done updating the man, "thank you."

There was a faint buzzing in the back of Mikay's mind, and it took her a moment to figure out what it was. It usually wouldn't take that long, but because she was worn out from the abuse of her power to stay alive and stay above the enemy, she was slower than usual.
Manda! What in the Goddess's name are you doing?
Communing with a fellow summon. That phoenix is quite a fellow, you know, Manda replied in good humour. Then the buzzing began again. Mikay managed to ignore it easily now that she knew what he was doing.

...As I was saying, Manda continued to Phoenix, who had begun to listen attentively, I was acquainted with my summoner when she dealt out a powerful attack to an impossibly strong opponent. Those two giants really didn't stand a chance against her. I thought that it would be best to align myself with her. I am amply rewarded for my efforts, as well. Mikay regards me as more of a companion rather than a summon, and I've developed fondness for her. It's not normal for one such as me - a large and very independent serpent - to find companionship in my meals. I'm almost more than a hundred-fold larger than her, but she makes good conversation when I'm bored being her necklace, Manda affected a mental grin. Anyway, enough of me talking. You are quite an amazing summon, Phoenix. How did you come to bond with your summoner?

Manda could be quite friendly when he's not killing anything.

"You're welcome. That twisted summon sickened me, anyway. Oh, I almost forgot to introduce myself! I'm Novaras." He bowed again.

As for myself, this man happened to have one of the last of my feathers. He put all his hope in a legend about me when he fell in battle, and managed to revive my power. I saw him as the one who successfully called my power, and we've been battling evil ever since. Novaras isn't the greatest of summoners in the world, but he's a powerful mage and knows what he's doing. When I'm unsummoned, I return to meld with Novaras's inner fire, making him nearly indestructable. And of course I can revive him whenever I've manifested myself. Phoenix laughed. We aren't the best fit in the world, but we know how to work together. Our goals are the same, and we can always count on eachother. My bond with him is stronger than any summoner I've had before.

OOC: OMG. You guys really wasted alot of time with the battle. We are barely into Chapter 2's plot yet. Sigh. I'll create the new thread immediately.


EDIT: Anyway, here's the new thread - http://www.nuklearforums.com/showth...815#post280815