The Age of Summoners: Chapter 2 - Friend or Foe

[Kildare]

OOC: Umm....this is the new thread. Chapter hasn't actually finished yet, so please finish up with the battle quickly. Don't prolong it too much.

Anyway, link to old thread is

http://www.nuklearforums.com/showth...7&page=1&pp=10

[Rhiya Ravenwing]

It did not matter whether or not Kelvin made it in time to aid the chimera. It was already too late.
Kithar seemed to crouch, then leap as suddenly the earth beneath him literally erupted. The jaws of Manda shot out like a lightning bolt, closing around one of the Chimera's wing and snapping it. Yet, Manda wasn't done. Even as the Chimera roared in pain and retaliated with all three heads, Manda's own head whipped around, ignoring the pain, and slammed the chimera into the ground, stunning the legendary creature momentarily, and sending Kelvin flying.

"Kithar!" Mikay cried as Manda continued to rise out of the earth as he mercilessly bashed the Chimera, "On!" she indicated with a single word, urging him to climb onto Manda as the giant snake continued battering the stunned Chimera.

[Inbred Chocobo]

The Chimera finally managed to overcome the stunned state and grabbed with one head the snake where it was coming out of the ground, and another head lashed out at the head. The final head grabbed a little bit about the first haed and attempted to break the snake's back. Though the broken wing kept the Chimera forced on the ground, so it wasn't moving much besides that.

Kelvin, had managed to land on his feet, and came rushing back the the Chimera, where he suddenly had the strangest conversation.

You there warrior, I need your help.

With what

I can tell I'm not going to survive this battle, and I doubt that the castle will survive either. I need a master to be able to come in this world, and since your the only friendly one around, you get to be the lucky one.

Alright then. What do I need to do?

Get back on top, you will fell the power going into you. Once you have it, unsummon me.

Kelvin then managed to get back ontop of the summon, where he suddenly felt different, as if some type f magic was inserting itself into him. He suddenly felt it stop, then heard Unsummon me, now! focus on the thought of me going away, and then thrust your magic into it, and that will do it. Kelvin then did what he was asked, and then the beast started to disappear into sort of a magicular way. The the magic started to go into Kelvin, and after a few seconds the Chimera was gone, and all that was left standing was Kelvin and the giant snake, now even ore pissed due to the damage done my the Chimera.

[Rhiya Ravenwing]

OOC: you have ANY idea how BIG the fricking snake is? Manda's as thick as 3 chariots riding side-by-side. I don't think you'll be able to even get HALF WAY around his body.
BTW, Kildare, I will, no matter WHAT you say, hold that THIS time lightnign will be weaker against earth.

BIC:
The full length of Manda's head slammed once again into Kelvin, sending him flying, and perhaps breaking a few bones as well. The giant snake wasn't happy, as his injuries began to sting.
Gah, that creature was such a pest.
"Yes. Watch for the lightning bolts, three-o'clock," Mikay warned as she drew up her arms and prepared to make a cross with them. The lightning from the new threat danced towards them.
As soon as her arms connected... and the lightning struck a shield of thick, viscous mud, immediately directed down into the earth and nullified.

But, noticeably, there was another difference. No snake. Within the modified Cradle of Earth, Mikay grinned as she fingered the bruised snakeskin necklace once again nestled around her neck. Manda will heal quickly in this form. Kithar stood next to her in the comfortable, earthen darkness that protected them from lightning.
You have done well, Manda. I applaud you for your effort.
Anything for a free meal afterwards, Manda replied with dry humour.

~~

Above... no. Below them, within the dancing shadows, Catharsis hid with Darkwraiven acting as a living cloak. She watched with anticipation as the Gaian's plans slowly unravelled, and the Terrans seemingly gained the advantage. She wondered briefly how that idiot man was doing.

[Lumaes]

OOC: I always thought "Pacting" a Summon would take a lot more effort than that, Especially since its only known of your existence for a minute at most, and you haven't really done anything to earn that much respect.

The priests watch as the stranger slowly strolls the grounds, he reaches the graveyard and he shudders suddenly, his body convulsing as if in retching, one hand clamped over his mouth. Two priests rush across the church steps, their robes swirling the mist that had settled late in the day.
As they reach the stranger he seems to have regained composure, he turns to one of the priests, a portly fellow who acts as tutor to the young squires who where sent here to train, and asks softly,
"How long has the graveyard been this way?"
The priest is puzzled and says as such.
"How long have the graves been... sterile?"
The priest seems releived, "Oh, Our High-Paladin is quite an inspiration in his cleansing of the demons," he lowers his voice almost conspiratorily "he has an angel on his side you see, quite the pride of the church."
The stranger looked away from the jovial face of the priest, one fist clenching and unclenching at his side, when he speaks his voice is controlled carrying a steely edge,
"I see..."
The priest is clearly taken aback by the response and, looking flustered, gathers up his robes and hurries back up towards the church, his companion in close pursuit.

TwoMoon sighs, he may have just compromised his disguise, but these graves were an abomonation, as soon as he had stepped over their threshhold he had been overcome by the sterility, nothing lived in the graveyard, nothing!
Beneath the surface of the soft earth he could almost feel the eyes of hundreds of corpses, trapped in a false death. The creatures which recylcled the life of the dead had been killed or driven out. These people would never rejoin the world, the Way had been perverted,
life to death and death to life
Nothing was constant it was a cycle, and it had been broken here. He was more sure than ever that this world would have to be destroyed to preserve his own. An Angel had helped in this perversion!? He hated to think what twisted ideals the Angels of this realm upheld. Thinking these thoughts he delicately fingered the vial of yellowish powder in his pouch, even if the Summoner didn't return he would lay this Church of Demons to rest himself...

[Astral Harmony]

Angelith kneeled before the small alter that Jurahd had his minions construct for her. It was done badly, but it was practical for the purposes Angelith needed. She doubted that these bandits knew of the god she worshipped or had any skill in carving rock to begin with. Angelith knelt before the altar and started to pray.

She didn't pray for rescue. After so many weeks spent on that very issue, it's obvious that rescue was too much to hope for as of now. She merely prayed for her continued well being and the ability to understand Cerberus, though the latter wasn't too necessary. Whatever Cerberus was trying to tell her, it wasn't good. It was most certainly bad, and in a major way. Angelith hadn't felt this vulnerable since her first moments as a captive of the bandits. She counted this as a blessing. The capture hadn't been too rough, and she was thankful that they didn't simply kill her. Apparently, the fact that she was beautiful played a major role in their decision. The other main factor was what she could do with her magic and her summon. Maybe they'd thought they'd be cursed for slaying a priestess. Angelith shook her head to silence her wondering thoughts and focused more of achieving peace within herself.

[Raiden]

Gabriel remained in the courtyard, defending the innocents from the invaders. He fought until he was sure that every woman and child had fled to the forests. When they were gone, he yelled out to the interlopers.

"INVADERS! I know not why you come here, or what your business is with slaughtering the weak and the innocent! But now, the innocent are gone. None remain but us!"

Gabriel lifted his black sword into the air, and tapped it loudly against his shield.

"MY NAME IS GABRIEL! I'M THE HIGH PALADIN OF THE HIGHFATHER! I PERFORM HIS WILL, AND PURIFY THE WICKED! THE HIGHFATHER HAS JUDGED YOU TO BE UNPURE!"

Gabriel pulled his cloak from his back.

"Prepare to be purified."

He floated the cloak in the air around his body, then tossed it into the air. The cloak began to twist and change, eventually becoming the shape of ArchAngel.

"ArchAngel. Let's begin!" ArchAngel agreed silently from behind his mask. As ArchAngel flew forward into the mob of foot soldiers, Gabriel took on the ones directly surrounding him.

[Arhra]

While Kelvin clambers to his feet, undoubtedly still reeling from Manda's blow he sees Kithar approaching him and cannot help but gasp. It is not the half-elf that Kelvin gasps at, but rather what he is holding. In his right hand he clutches his sword, a keen blade of dark metal that is clearly made by the same hand that forged his ornate armour. But in his left hand... In his left hand he holds the Blade of Reflection. The blade that had been hurled to try to protect Chimaera. Kelvin's sword.

Even as he had been attacked, Kithar had recognised that the blade thrown at him had been an item of power. And in the confusion and desperation of the battle to aid Chimaera, his attacker had not recovered it. When Mikay's protective shell of earth to ward off the lightning had subsided, he had looked to see where it had landed and saw the sun glinting off it in the long grass. Immediately he had taken his chance and claimed it. To think this rash human who had wielded it had the ability to become a summoner. Chimaera had clearly been desperate. With his death the Summon Spirit would once again be unbound and that would further the Gaians' grim purpose. Overhead Bahamut battles with Quetzacoutl, currently holding well against each other. With Chimaera no longer a threat, they would be able to turn their full attention to other threats. All that remains is to finish him.

Kithar approaches with a ponderous inevitablity. From how he holds the swords he clearly possesses the skill to fight with both at once. An unarmed opponent has no chance. He does not halt to speak any threats or taunts but immediately lunges forwards with a heavy downward slice, intending to end this fight with a single blow. He is hardly overconfident however and does not overextend himself. Attempting to battle him in melee unarmed is suicide.

[Toastburner B]

((OOC: Sorry about the wait, Newb, I don't get much of a chance to check the 'Net on the weekends.))

When the man declared "zap him", Laccolith sprang into action. Out of the ground, the miniture chasm appeared, and Laccolith sprung out...just in time to shield Darik from Thunderpaw's attack.

Pain flashed through the part of Darik's mind where he communicated with Laccolith.

"Little Brother!" Darik roared.

Anger filled him, fed by the battle rage of Laccolith. Fired formed around Darik's hand, and he flung it in a warning shot, the flame landing to the left of the man walking away.

Pulling his sword from his scabbard, Darik cast another spell, and magic fire wreathed the sword. "If it is a battle you desire, I will be more than happy to serve as your opponent."

In the background, Laccolith roared. Darik felt his summon rally itself and launch a counterattack.

((OOC: Newb, check your PM. I'll send you a message on Laccolith.))

[Kildare]

As soon as Quezacotl had made his appearance, Tarathiel immediately rushed out of the castle into the fray of battle. Despite the appearance of two demigods, the Kandaran elves were hard pressed to hold out against the Gaian invaders. As he came into the full scene of battle, however, the first thing that caught his eye was the gigantic form of a monstrous snake slamming into the body of a strange warrior, who seemed not to be of this land. Up above, Quezacotl was engaged in furious trades of lightning and flare blasts and could not do anything to turn the tide of battle. Caught in a dilemma, Tarathiel was unsure who to help, Quezacotl or the unknown stranger. A well-armed Gaian, the warrior whom Tarathiel recognized to be the one who rode the powerful dragon into battle, advanced upon the fallen warrior, sword raised to strike.

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend," Tarathiel whispered to himself. Raising his sword, he pointed it at the leader of the Gaians.

"Nimtha!(Purge)" Tarathiel shouted out the spell words. A sizzle of static energy suddenly overwhelmed the Gaian summoner, and he soon found himself encumbered and his movement hindered, which Tarathiel hoped would give the fallen warrior time to escape.