Re: Viemera: The Essence of Deceit [Complete]

[Loki]

The more Owen spoke, the more Loki felt his innards knot up and darkness consume his mind. His focus was no longer upon their surroundings, but rather maintaining his meek composure. ”It’s none of your business. Stay silent and invisible like a good kid. You are much too naïve for adult matters such as these and butting in would only force my hand upon you again.” Loki’s stared harshly at the ground beneath him, allowing his hair and shorter stature to hide his expression while his hands were clutched into tight balls. Despite all that he had been through, he realized that he had not yet escaped the lessons etched into his mind from a past life. The past few days had stretched into what felt like a year, but in spite of all he had experienced, he was still no different from before. He had been so distracted that he almost missed the excursion to the inn.

The walk was a welcome distraction, allowing those thoughts to unravel. Slowly, the tide of his suppressed rage subsided back to the pit of his stomach leaving only a faint residue that numbed him. It had been a while since he’d felt that sensation that pressed his sanity, before he had come into his powers. Those escapes to the woods of his village had been the most therapeutic exercise for him especially in the wake of his mother’s exile.

Loki’s sense of relief was short lived; it had only been seconds upon entering their room before Owen had continued with his rant. He was thankful that everybody’s attention was focused upon Owen so they didn’t notice him facing away from the group as he struggled to suppress his emotions that had come back with vigor. The sound of the scything tone from Owen forced memories from his past to surface, causing him to grip a tuft of hair in each hand in some futile way to anchor himself to reality.

”I know from all of your actions that you all were only children and have no idea what it was like grouping up with an older brother who was always better than me.”

”He made a fool of me in front of my congregation!”

”You know he didn’t mean it. He was just being a boy.”

It felt as though somebody had jabbed a serrated sword into his gut and began twisting the blade as the arguing continued both in the room and in his mind. Loki gritted his teeth, forcing back his cries with eyes pressed shut as if he somehow hoped to block everything out.

”I had to earn every inch of respect from my father who endlessly compared me to the ‘lost perfect son’.”

”It’s just like you to defend him. You’re only encouraging the behavior that will ruin all that I had worked hard to build!”

”Are you even listening to what you’re saying Janus? Loki may have side-tracked the mood your sermon, but it is hardly detrimental to your reputation.”

”They were laughing at me Ahnassi! You heard them!”

The imagined sound of his father’s fist burying itself within the plaster of the hallway caused Loki to flinch. A lump lodged itself in the back of his throat as he desperately tried to bury his emotions, fears, and memories.

“No one truly knows me nor will they ever and now you demand to know everything!”

”Janus… your hand…”

”Move Ahnassi… He needs to be punished for his actions.”

”…No…I will not allow you to harm him any more…Loki needs to be a child or he will never grow up to be a strong man.”

A sharp pang of realization hit him when he recalled his mother saying that. No matter what he had been through, he had always been the weak one in need of saving. He was a burden upon the group and only managed to get himself hurt in a futile effort to stand up for himself. Was his mother right? Had his father robbed him of being as strong as she had seen him capable of? Loki felt tears begin to well up in his eyes as the pain in his stomach intensified forcing the slightest squeak of discomfort that was inaudible amongst Owen’s voice.

”What about the rest of you!?”

”I will not tell you again, woman. Move!”

”Never!”

”My past haunts me…”

Mom…

"every…"

The sound of stomping footsteps.

”single…”

The footsteps cut short and a brief moment of silence stretches into an eternity.

”day…”

The sound of flesh brutally impacting flesh quickly followed by a effeminate cry before a mass crumpled to the floor just on the other side of his bedroom door.

”GOD DAMN YOU!”

Loki’s emotions exploded so suddenly and violently that nobody could have foreseen what happened next. In a flash of shimmering light, two tendrils arced along the room and caught Owen around the ankles pulling his feet out from under him. By the time he had landed on the flat of his back, Loki had closed the distance between them and planted his knee upon Owen’s chest while two other tendrils snaked their way between the grooves in the floorboards, binding the man’s outstretched wrists to the floor. Hovering just above Owen’s throat was the length of Loki’s katar, its edges glowing a faint pink as the metal superheated from the amount of raw energy being forced through it with visible aura. His mind was so overwhelmed that he could not feel his the burns caused from where the weapon contacted his hand.

“How dare you!” Loki cried out, his voice hoarse as a tear dripped off his cheek and landing upon his blade with a hiss as it evaporated upon contact. “You talk down to us as though you’re the only one with a troubled past? You bastard. I’ve told you all about my past the day we met without reservation! An alternate reason for helping Raewyn? You joined this group because you sought revenge, I joined this group because the only people I had left in my life, the only ones I could possibly turn to, were five complete strangers!”

Loki’s head fell to his chest for a moment as he struggled to hold back a series of sobs, but failing. “And how dare you speak about the relationship between me and my father like you knew. At least you had an idea how to hope appease him, had a goal to strive for in order to be acknowledged by him. The only way I could have made my father happy was to never have existed. I cannot tell you how many times I wished that to be the case so that my loving mother would not have to take his beatings in my place!” He struggled to pull in a deep breath past the lump in his throat that constricted him. As he continued, his voice no longer trembled though the edge of his blade continued to do so. Loki’s icy glare locked with Owen’s gaze without falter. “If you truly wish your death, give me the word and I will cut your head from your body and see to it that not even your new ability will bring you back. That what you are wanting, isn't it? Or you could stop being such a child and live your life with some fucking dignity.”

A long moment of silence stretched throughout the still room until Loki finally pulled himself off Owen, releasing the hold he had upon him as he sheathed his weapon and walked towards the door. He could now feel the searing pain in his arm, his flesh red and blistered in the very pattern of his weapon’s restraints. Loki stopped next to the doorway and glanced back over his shoulder to Owen. “If you still only have 30 days left to live, then I suggest you spend it living for yourself for a change. Stay with us or not, but if you charge into battle intent on dying know that I will leave you to rot should you get your wish. I can think of no worse form of desertion than committing suicide in the middle of a battle, at least if you left now we would know not to expect you to come to our aid the next time a blade descends upon us.”

“I’ll be in the lobby whenever you’re all ready to head out.” Loki said wryly as he slipped past Jake through the doorway without another glance back.

[Digital Muse]

Raewyn winced as James…or Owne shouted at them all, but the truly terrifying thing was how Loki simply exploded. So much pent up rage, pain, despair spilled out at once. The unfortunate target, James was grabbed and then pinned to the floor by the tendrils of Loki’s power before any of them could even so much as move. His power screamed in Raewyn’s mind. Loki was dangerously close to losing control of his Saturate abilities and she could feel it all. The bleed off of was intense and raw. She wanted to stop him, but she feared even trying to touch him in the state he was in.

Loki screamed and sobbed and threatened Owen, daring him to live. Daring him to do more than simply accept his fate. Suddenly Raewyn realized that he was really speaking to them all in some manner. She felt shame for her selfishness and demanding of special treatment. Her heightened senses heard Loki’s heart hammering, his blood rushing and she could smell the flesh of his hand burning as he held his katar.

When he finally released James and simply left the room, they were all left in a stunned silence. Loki had been the quiet child-man who followed, he never questioned the others, never spoke out on his own. And today, the damn had broken and a lifetime of pain and hatred had spilled over. Suddenly, the obedient puppy had become a wolf.

It stunned Raewyn intensely. She looked between each of the others and then fled out the door after Loki. “Loki! Wait…please.” She had no idea what she meant to say to him, only that she needed to go to him.

[Silvan Arrow]

Everything happened too fast for Eri to comprehend or for her to react. She mentally cursed herself for her inattentiveness to her student. She should have noticed the signs of emotional unrest during the trek back to the inn, should have at least spared a passing glance at him while Owen screamed at the group for prying into his life. Loki was normally quiet and reserved, yes, but now the aura hanging over him reeked of suppressed hatred and inner turmoil. Arashi barely had time to screech a warning in her mind before Loki had Owen pinned with his wings and body and his katar at his elder’s throat – a katar that she had taught him to use, no less.

Eri was too stunned to move as Loki unleashed a lifetime of sorrow and rage on his helpless captive. The past few days that she had trained him, she had allowed his calm, mellow personality to lull her into a false sense of security. But seeing him now, enraged and broken in front of everyone, made her realize that she had not taken the time to actually get to know him as a person. She felt like she had failed him as his teacher and, more importantly, as his friend. In the end, she still knew next to nothing about her student, and if he snapped and took Owen’s life, his blood would be on her hands as well.

Fortunately, the encounter ended without bloodshed, a testament that Loki still possessed some measure of control. “I’ll be in the lobby whenever you’re all ready to head out.” Loki slid past Jake and left the room and its occupants in a stunned silence. And then the situation got even more volatile as Raewyn dashed after him. Normally Eri would have no qualms about Raewyn approaching Loki alone; the two got along quite well, and he had acted like nothing less than a gentleman around her. But now that she had seen this new, darker side of Loki, Eri didn’t want to take any chances.

Before anyone, particularly Tsume, could make a move to pursue the Goddess, Eri spoke up, “Let me take responsibility for Loki. I’ll make sure Raewyn is safe around him and then stand watch outside.” Shouldering her bag, she slid past Jake, making sure to avoid eye contact, and went in the direction Raewyn had gone. She found the young Goddess in the hallway peeking around the open doorway that led into the lobby, where Loki was standing and presumably waiting for the others. She looked unsure of what to do and met Eri’s gaze as she sensed the Summoner’s presence. Eri gave her a reassuring smile and rested a hand on her shoulder. “Let me talk to him just to make sure he’s back in control.” Her smile twisted into a teasing smirk. “Tsume would have my head otherwise.”

Eri reached into her pack for a tin of cooling salve for burns and a roll of soft bandages and assumed a mask of careful neutrality before approaching her student. She made no attempt to hide her Essence signature or to soften her footsteps. She stood in front of Loki and said, “Give me your hand.” She carefully inspected the burns and blisters before gently applying the salve to the broken skin with her fingertips. “You know, I’ve been dying to do something like that to him ever since he started going off about his death and legacy. Looks like you beat me to it.” She gave a light smirk at that last statement. “I had hoped you wouldn’t pick up on my masochistic tendencies, though.” She paused her ministrations and held up her bandaged hand, which she had accidently sliced in a fit of rage when Owen first made his announcement, for emphasis. “Looks like we’ll need to work on control in your lessons.” She wrapped his hand in the bandages to protect the blisters from infection and then treated his other hand in the same manner. “Raewyn’s worried about you,” she spoke under her breath and indicated the Goddess standing in the corner with a tilt of her head. Satisfied that she had patched up her student as best she could, Eri shoved the supplies back into her pack and turned to head for the door. “I’ll be outside waiting for the others.” She glanced back over her shoulder and held Loki’s gaze. “Don’t ever forget that your voice is just as important as anyone else’s in the group.”

Eri stepped outside to give Loki and Raewyn some space to talk. That inn had felt too crowded and confining anyway. She casually leaned back against the wall, crossed her arms over her chest, and tilted her head back so the sun’s rays could warm her face, her eyelids nearly closing in pleasure. ‘Heh…kids…’ she remarked dryly to Arashi.

I’m not sure I follow, Mistress, Arashi replied in confusion.

‘It’s strange. I’m only 20 years old. Most women my age are obsessed with handsome young men and pretty dresses, but look at what we’ve gotten into these past few days. I feel strangely…old for some reason.’

Comprehension echoed across their link as Arashi grasped what Eri was saying. Age doesn’t necessarily correlate with wisdom. I have only existed for a few short years, for instance. In many cases, one’s experiences lead to more growth than simply duration of years.

‘Yeah, I guess you’re right.’ Eri allowed her senses to meld with Arashi’s as they scanned the crowds of passersby for any potential threat. As the minutes passed, she started getting that same uneasy feeling of being watched just like when they were leaving Fuuren. Her skin crawled as a shiver ran down her spine. ‘Arashi?’

I know, Mistress, but once again I can’t sense anything.

'Tch.' Eri sighed in frustration as she pushed off the wall and let her right hand drift to her sword hilt while sparks of Essence tingled painfully in her left palm in case she needed Gale Cleaver. ‘I hope the others hurry. We need to get out of here. Now.’

[Sunwolf007]

”GOD DAMN YOU!” Loki screamed. He saw the rage in the kid’s eyes and knew he was hurting. That wasn’t the only thing he saw in the kid’s eyes. He saw that even though he was full of rage the kid still had control. He wasn’t going to go wild but that was more inexperience than anything else. Owen knew from the look in the kid’s eyes that he was no killer so Owen allowed him to complete his attack. Owen could have easily used his time manipulation powers and countered but he refused. He wouldn’t fight this group. They felt to much like friends. Owen felt like gambling his life on Loki’s control.

He felt himself be tripped and thrown to the floor. The kid’s attacks are solid but they wouldn’t work against me if I was fighting back. I would ball lightning this room before I would let someone pin me. Owen listened to Loki’s rant. Kid you don’t know it yet but this isn’t the end of this conversation. Owen stared the kid in the eyes daring him to do it. Daring him to end his life and put in motion Owen’s legacy. I am not afraid of death. But you are kid and that makes me a better fighter. Loki quickly left the room and headed to the lobby. Raewyn and Eri soon left to deal with Loki as Owen was left with Tsume and Jake. Owen stood after a moment. He moved to the door with his hands clenched tightly into fists.

“Where are you going?” Tsume asked.

“I have to set that kid straight. He made some slanderous remarks that I must refute.” Owen said angrily. Rage was still partially blinding him and he was not thinking clearly.

“You are not to say anything to Loki. He has enough problems right now.” Tsume said.

“And I don’t? Any one of you could tell my family what I told you and that would seal my fate. I would be disowned. Then everything I have lived for in the last few years would have been a waste. Not all of us are perfect human beings like you Tsume.” Owen said

“Sit down.” Tsume said.

“I don’t take orders from you monk. Not anymore.” Owen said.

“You will cool your anger and not approach this kid or I will make sure you do.” Tsume said.

“Don’t you dare threaten me.” Owen yelled.

“I am not making threats. Just telling you facts.” Tsume said as he blocked Owen from the door. Owen glared angrily at Tsume for a moment. He allowed himself to take a few deep breaths. He didn’t sit like the monk ordered but he tried to regain his rational thinking. We really need to leave. We have stayed way to long.

“All right. I wont talk to the kid yet. It will happen thought.” Owen said. Tsume followed Owen out of the room to the lobby. He found Raewyn and Loki sharing what seemed like a rather private moment. Well, the least I can do is completely screw over his romantic advances on the goddess. Owen boldly walked up to both of them followed closely by Tsume. Tsume looked ready to stab Owen in the back if he started trouble.

“We need to go. Now. And don’t think that our conversation is over kid.” Owen said his voice trying to hold back the anger he felt. He looked back at Tsume who was annoyed that Owen had spoken to Loki. Without saying any more Owen walked outside. The fresh air did nothing to calm his mood. He found Eri waiting outside leaning against the wall to the hotel.

“The dying who are living other people’s lives have a right to be somewhat selfish right?” Owen asked. The rather random attack by Loki had somewhat forced Owen back into reality but he was still struggling with his anger. He was angry at himself for allowing the attack, angry at Loki for attacking him blindly, angry at the slander Loki had said, angry at everyone else for not stopping Loki and most of all he was pissed that no one empathized with his suffering but rather looked to help Loki. He was the one who was dying and risking everything for this yet no one thanked him for explaining what they demanded of him. Part of him knew he was being unreasonable and part of him didn’t care. Part of him needed them to be on his side and part of him wanted to ditch this group and run as far as he could. Depending on what happened in the next day depended on if he would stay with them or not. He would leave all the money they needed to make it to the temple but he didn’t know if he could continue to travel with them if they couldn’t understand him after this.

[quakernuts]

Jake had been waiting out in the hall, not wanting to intrude on anyone else's thoughts on the matter by re-entering the room. That, and he was really getting tired of having arguments with everyone around him. Sure, he knew he liked to swing first and ask questions later most of the time, but when it was nearly every time they stopped someone was yelling at someone else for something or other, he got just a teeny bit bored. He was almost tired of waiting for them to move, when suddenly a voice that normally wasn't heard broke through the walls towards him.

"GOD DAMN YOU!"

Jake rushed to the door, and was met with a scene he had not thought possible. Loki had actually taken the initiative, and was now the one yelling. Of all the people here, Jake thought he would be the calmest out of all of them. Well, that was obviously wrong as everyone was too dumbstruck to stop Loki from verbally assaulting Owen. Jake half wanted to pull Loki off of the man, but he also wanted Owen to hear that he wasn't the only one with a troubled past. This big deal that he was making about him, his parents, and his brother was getting past the point of annoying. Yes, he had a difficult past, but nothing that couldn't be over come.

Loki finished with his assault, and casually got off of Owen. He told them he would be in the lobby is they needed him, and he walked right past Jake without a second glance. Jake was trying to keep a smirk from coming to his face for the display put on in front of him, and looked around at the other's faces. They were just as surprised by the sudden outburst as he was, and it wasn't until Raewyn ran after Loki that anyone really even moved. Eri took responsibility for Loki's actions, and walked past Jake as well, doing her best to avoid eye contact. Jake was used to that by now. He however, decided to stay with Tsume and Owen, leaning against the frame of the door to hear what Owen had to say to the attack on his person.

Now, Owen was lucky that Jake wasn't hyped for a fight at the moment, or what he said might have ended with an axe imbedded in his skull. He had to set the kid straight? That's just the thing though, Loki was just a kid. A kid, who came from an abusive family, and was tired of hearing someone slander his past when they had no idea what it was like. Jake wanted to say something, but Tsume pretty much said it for him. After their little fight, Jake moved to let them pass and he fell in step with Tsume. Loki and Raewyn seemed to be talking, and Eri was nowhere to be seen, most likely outside. Owen walked up to Loki, and let him know that the conversation wasn't over. Jake could see the slight anger rise up in Tsume, and put a hand on his shoulder before moving ahead of him and following Owen outside.

"The dying who are living other people's lives have a right to be somewhat selfish, right?" Jake caught the question as he stepped outside, seeing that Eri was leaning against a wall. He quickly turned his attention back to Owen, his anger surprisingly controlled.

"The dying have to rely on the selflessness of others to be cared for, honoured, and remembered. What does it say about you to those people when you only care for your dying self?" Jake leaned against the wall, opposite side of the door from Eri and staring Owen down. "You are acting more of a child than the ones we have inside. You need to learn that this world does not revolve around you and your problems, nor does it revolve around us and ours. We do what we can do to get by, and that is all we can do. If we manage to change something, for better or for worse, in our travels, then so be it. A quest of revenge is one I know all too well, but I can tell you for sure, it will not get you your brother back. No matter what you do, he is dead." Jake got up from the wall, ignoring Owen's stares of violence among him, and walked around him slowly.

"I know I am the least likely, and least qualified person to be talking to you about emotional troubles, but I have to say something. Loki was abused as a child from a father that never cared for him no matter what he did! Raewyn was taken from everything she ever knew and told that she has the power to change the world! You don't think this has some sort of effect on them? You sitting here, endangering the entire party for selfish thoughts of revenge is not helping the situation. You want to go after you're brother's killers? Find a way to do it without putting people who have no involvement what-so-ever in harms way!" Jake let this sink in for a moment before continuing.

"I don't care about your past, what you did, or who you were Owen. The man that stands before me is all that counts. He is the product of those experiences, of those traumas, of those disasters. I would like to believe that he is a talented person, a great fighter, and a decent person, but you yourself are hampering these images...Owen." Jake made sure to emphasize his name so he would get the point. However, Jake decided he had been talking for a bit too long, and decided to wrap it up.

"So get over yourself Owen, you're not the only one. Use your time manipulation to boost yourself to the present, because you're living far too much in the past." Jake went, and leaned against the wall once more, getting comfortable for waiting for everyone else to continue.

"If you want understanding, we'll understand. If you want a pity party, go to a monastery."

[Loki]

Loki knew he had to get out of that room; he was not sure how the others respond to his outburst, but felt it best to avoid being in the middle of it. Though no blood was spilled, he still lashed out against a member of the group even if it was justified in his mind during the heat of the moment. The die had been cast and it was just a matter of waiting to see what fate befell him for his actions. He walked down the hall at a brisk pace, his mind focused on shoving all those horrible memories back behind the mental wall that had held them back for so long. With that dark portion of his past dredged up in his mind, he felt like an injured animal who sought solitude while he nursed his wounds.

“Loki! Wait…please.”

The first instinct he had when he heard Raewyn call out to him was to run and hide. He felt a longing to return to his shell of anonymity where nobody would notice or care that he was around. Although such an existence was a lonely one, it was where he was the most content. At least that was the case during his old life. Loki was well aware that things have changed drastically for him and returning to his old self was no longer the best option. Despite the voice in his mind telling him to do otherwise, Loki reached the lobby and leaned with his back against the wall, head hung low to help hide his expressions.

Loki was surprised when Eri was the one who rounded the corner instead of Raewyn, the feeling of regret redoubling. By using the very weapons she trained him with to lash out against an ally, he felt he had failed her completely. The casual and compassionate way she spoke while tending to his burns helped his spirits slightly, but he could do nothing more than give faux smiles when she spoke to him. He felt as though he should apologize and make amends to her as well as everybody else who had watched him lose control. Although some part of him also felt Owen deserved an apology, he would only be able to do so for drawing his weapons against him, but would never take back his words.

“Don’t ever forget that your voice is just as important as anyone else’s in the group.”

A small lump formed in his throat when he heard Eri say those words, which he managed to remove with a slight cough. Before he could thank her for being so kind to him, she had already exited the inn. With Eri gone, Raewyn walked around the corner from where she was lurking. The two of them stood in an awkward silence as neither knew what to say. Loki did find some comfort in her presence; it’s been a while since anybody had been so concerned for him. It was a long moment before he managed to think of what he wanted to say.

“I… I’m sorry about the way I acted… The way he spoke just reminded me of-“

In the background, Loki watched Owen step through the doorway with Tsume and Jake following closely. His gaze was full of malice and Loki wasn’t sure if the other two were there to join the group or to act as escorts to keep Owen from seeking retribution. At that thought, he realized that Owen was the sort to do so and didn’t dare think about what would happen had Tsume and Jake not been present.

“We need to go. Now. And don’t think that our conversation is over kid.”

Loki turned his head away from Owen in disgust, a snarl forming at the corner of his mouth as he felt pure resentment for the man. Or rather the person whom the man represented in his mind. Even after the three of them exited the building, Loki could feel the pain and anger begin to well up in his chest causing his breath to tighten. His vision was distorted slightly through tears that hung in his eyes, but he could make out the concerned expression on Raewyn’s face. With a forced deep breath, the tension in his chest eased enough for him to speak, though his voice was still a little hoarse.

“No matter how far we travel, there is just no escaping my father’s contempt.”

---

Tsume couldn’t believe how quickly the group was deteriorating from the inside. Although things seemed civil at the moment, he feared that it would only take a single catalyst to turn their weapons upon one another rather than at the enemy who is following us. Perhaps this is why they haven’t made their move yet. Allow our personality quirks to weaken the group to the point where all they would have to do is deliver the finishing blow… The monk pinched the bridge of his nose and took in a deep breath to clear his head. He noticed that Raewyn and Loki had joined the group, though Loki seemed to be taking extra care to put as many people between him and Owen as possible.

“Right, time to get going. We are only a few days away from the leyline. That is our next checkpoint.”

The sooner they got moving again, the better off they’d be. Or so he figured. As far as he could tell, things between the group never worsened while they traveled; it was only when they stopped that things went to hell. He needed to think of something to reunite the group or it was likely that they would not make it much further than the leyline.

They hadn’t traveled much further than the town’s limits before he noticed a significant laze to Owen’s stride that quickly intensified. Tsume sighed and moved through the group until he was at Owen’s side. A moment after he did so Owen collapsed and only avoided falling on his face because the monk intervened, catching his weight and easing it to the ground. “He pushed himself too hard. I’m surprised he made it this far.” There was the briefest moment where he considered leaving him there because of the potential danger he had put the group through by accepting the duel. Ultimately, he knew that doing so would only set a precedent that would be devastating in the long run. “We’ll keep going, Alco will carry him until he is back on his feet.”

With Jake’s help, the two managed to lift Owen’s unconscious body onto his summon. He’s been running on empty since the duel. If he had been foolish enough to attack Loki out of retribution, he would basically have thrown himself onto a spear. Loki would have likely defended himself without realizing his opponent was basically sleepwalking; hell, Owen didn’t even realize it. Tsume shuddered at the thought of where they’d be had things played out just a little differently.

---

It was the second night after leaving Janik and Tsume had saw to it that Owen was never given a moment alone with Loki. The man seemed too eager for confrontation while Loki seemed eager to let the event of two days prior remain in the past. I guess that is the epitome of their differences. Darkness had fallen and once again the group had set up camp and consumed freshly hunted game retrieved by their summons. Conversations over the campfire the past two nights had been rather sparse, but the monk was glad to see that Eri and Loki continued to train together. At least there are a few bonds that remain strong…

A twinge of adrenaline coursed through his body when he watched Raewyn’s gaze snap towards the woods from where they had come. Her eyes scanned though the darkness at whatever sound she heard and Tsume realized that her senses were the keenest out of all who were present. By the time Tsume heard the first crackle of twigs in the distance, Raewyn’s eyes widened in alarm from whatever she had seen. The monk leapt to his feet and called his spear into existence, poised for conflict as he called out into the darkness.

“Who’s out there?! Identify yourself!”

A cheerful laughter answered his call, the sound of which nearly knocked the monk back with surprise.

“It can’t be…” Tsume said to himself, his spear lowered into an idle grasp as he strained his gaze to see through the darkness. A massive silhouette emerged from the tree line and Tsume instantly recognized the beast of burden knowing of no other since their species had been wiped out with the sinking of Demora.

“I don’t believe it!” The monk called out in a rich, friendly voice as his spear dissipated from the material realm. “My skills must be slipping. How else could I have not sensed ten tons of hair and leather trailing us? It is very good to see you again, Tal, surely you did not stumble upon us by chance.”

[Digital Muse]

Raewyn had hoped for some time alone with Loki after his outburst. But, first Eri and then the others in succession kept interrupting any chance of that happening. Owen was deeply angered by the attack, Jake was disgusted with Owen. Tsume just seemed to be trying to keep the party in one piece. The atmosphere was thick with tension and for the first time, Raewyn was no longer sure they could protect her anymore.

At Tsume’s behest, they left the Inn immediately, trying to get as much distance between themselves and their enemies as they could manage. They barely made the edge of the city before Owen collapsed. The last reserves of his strength finally had been used up. Raewyn chewed the inside of her cheek in worry while Jake and Tsume loaded him onto Alco’s back.

The next two days’ travel did not dissipate the tension among the group much at all. Eri and Loki continues to train, Eri and Jake continued to avoid one another for reasons Raewyn couldn’t figure out. Tsume spent his time between Loki and Owen. It wore heavily on Raewyn. She felt all their emotions far too sharply. Her own fear and worried probably bled over despite her attempts to control it.

She found herself walking near Loki as much as she could during those two days. His outburst made her realize how stupid and foolish she’d been and she was ashamed. She’d felt that a lot since she’d left home. It was a feeling she didn’t relish. But knowing the hard life Loki had come from, made her want to do something. It made her want to…something. She really didn’t know what. So she just walked with him, sat near him in the evening when he wasn’t training and tried so very hard to think calm thoughts when near him. The pair spent a great deal of time together and yet silent. Just being near one another seemed to calm wach of them.

Then when the cooking pot started to boil on the second night, the strong sense of Essence wafted over Raewyn. Whoever it was, was a very strong Summoner. Her heart leapt into her throat. Had they been found already? Would they be attacked? She unconsciously sniffed at the air, then blinked. What was that? She wondered. Tsume, tuned to her as he was, leapt to his feet and peered into the trees. Raewyn rose instantly as well, and moved behind Loki apprehensively. The boisterous laughter that greeted Tsume’s challenge was a surprise to say the least.

Finally, a gigantic gray, horned creature emerged from the trees with a dark, shaggy-bearded man astride it. His laughter was…infectious and inviting. Raewyn and Loki traded a look before relaxing slightly.

[Silvan Arrow]

Eri instinctively tensed as Owen exited the inn, followed closely by Tsume and Jake. She didn’t know what had transpired among the three men after she had left to tend Loki, but now she could feel the tension rolling off of them in waves. She maintained an expression of passive neutrality as Jake confronted Owen and basically told him to get over himself. Despite the tension between them, Eri found herself mentally agreeing with Jake, especially when he spoke about Loki and Raewyn, but she didn’t allow her expression to change or any words to escape her lips. She didn’t want to take sides or accidently provoke anyone to violence. There had already been enough of that today, thank you very much.

Her gaze traveled to Loki and Raewyn as they exited the inn and didn’t miss the slightly disappointed expression in the Goddess’ eyes. As clueless as she might be about relationships with the opposite sex, even Eri could sense the affection Raewyn had for the boy. And it made sense, considering the makeup of their group. She and Loki were closest to each other in age, and no doubt Loki’s kind and gentle disposition had given her a sense of security when she had initially been thrust into this new life. Eri felt rather guilty for not giving them more time in the lobby, but she also couldn’t let Loki’s burns go untreated.

Finally Tsume called the group back to order and led them out of town, much to Eri’s relief. ‘I need to take a step back from all this interpersonal drama,’ she thought privately. For a few blessed hours, she pushed all thoughts of her tension with Jake, Owen’s revenge, and her personal issues out of her mind. She just needed to focus on protecting Raewyn and Loki and making sure that she and Arashi were strong enough to fight on their behalf when the time came.

Unfortunately, the first night ensured that her mental respite didn’t last long. After Owen collapsed on the road, he was out of commission for the rest of the day, leaving Tsume, Jake, and Eri to take the night watches. She had the last watch of the night, and the few scant hours of sleep that she caught were riddled with nightmares induced by the events of the past few days…

Duck. Parry. Block. Strike. Steel danced and sang in the air, moving almost of its own accord, as Eri’s sword tasted the fresh blood of its latest victim before moving to the next opponent. They poured out of the shadowed forest like bees from a hive, faceless hooded swordsmen and Saturates with murder in sets of eyes that shone like glowing red embers. Conscious thought no longer mattered. All that existed was the battlefield, the enemies, and the simple fact that it was kill or die. She didn’t pause to look, but somehow she just knew that Loki and Raewyn were somewhere behind her, and if she stopped fighting or fell, that they would surely die.

Jake, Owen, and Tsume were nowhere in sight. She didn’t know if they had fallen in battle or had simply abandoned the others to their fate. Even Arashi was absent in her mind. And yet still she kept fighting, despite the numerous bleeding wounds on her arms, legs, and torso that mixed her blood with the blood of her opponents on her sword hilt.

Suddenly an innocent, child-like voice called out to her from the shadows. “Why are you still fighting, Eri?” She gasped and turned toward the voice, and her foes, both living and dead, faded into the darkness. Raewyn stood before her, hovering inches above the ground, in a flowing white gown that emitted its own luminescence. “Can’t you see it’s pointless? Everyone has left you.” Before Eri could ask what she meant, Raewyn pointed, and Eri turned to see Loki lying facedown in a pool of his own blood.

Loki’s name wrenched free from Eri’s throat in a horrified scream. She ran to his side and knelt beside him, gathering the lifeless body of her student in her arms as tears poured down her cheeks and gut-wrenching sobs shook her frame.

“You failed him.” Eri looked up to see Tsume standing before her, his arms crossed over his chest as he gave her a disapproving expression. “Just like you failed the rest of us.” Out of the corner of her eye, Eri watched Owen glare at her with pure malice before taking off into the shadows as if chasing an unseen foe. Before she could say anything against these accusations, Tsume also vanished, and Loki’s body dissolved in her arms into nothing.

Once again Raewyn stood before her, but this time she wore a black dress with a hood and glared at her with an expression far exceeding her youth. “You can’t trust them. You can’t trust anyone. They’ll only end up turning on you sooner or later.”

“YOU’RE WRONG!” Eri screamed, leaping to her feet and lunging for Raewyn, but she too vanished into thin air, leaving the young Summoner utterly alone in the darkness. Her face dropped into her hands in despair, as if she could shut out the world simply by not looking.

“Eri…”

Her heart stopped for one painful, shuddering beat as this new voice washed over her ears in a mix of agony and relief. She knew his voice better than any of the others, and despite his annoying tendencies, she couldn’t deny that a small part of her cared for him and was growing larger and more vocal every day. Just like before, those same powerful arms wrapped around her with unyielding strength and gentleness and pulled her against a well-toned chest. Her hands fell away from her tear-streaked face and fisted against his shirt to anchor her to reality as she whispered his name brokenly. “J-Jake…”

“You’re in so much pain, aren’t you?” he continued in an unchararteristically gentle tone of voice. “I know what can take your pain away.”

“What?” she asked, practically pleading. At this point, she would hold on to any promise, any word that gave her the smallest modicum of hope.

Jake took one arm away from the embrace, and Eri’s eyes widened in sudden, ice-cold dread as she heard the bloodthirsty whisper of steel of his axe being pulled from its sheath. “Death,” he replied simply as he plunged the blade into her back.

Eri awoke and bolted upright in her bedroll with a strangled scream, immediately clapping one hand over her mouth and drawing a dagger from her boot with the other. Her heart fluttered uncontrollably in her chest, and her body was soaked in a cold sweat. Arashi’s mental voice washed over her consciousness like cooling balm over a festering burn. Mistress, are you all right?! I could sense your distress but could not reach your mind.

Instead of answering with words, Eri took several calming breaths to get her racing heart back under control as she allowed the images from her dream to flow through their mental link. ‘I don’t know, Arashi. I don’t know if I’ll ever be okay at this rate.’ She knew it would be useless to try and go back to sleep, so she got up and took a quick walk to collect her thoughts before relieving Tsume and taking her night watch.

Eri was unusually silent the rest of the day and mostly kept to herself except during her training sessions with Loki. She felt as if her mentality was coming apart at the seams. And the most frightening part was that it had happened so quickly. She had never been prone to emotional breakdowns during her travels…until she had joined this group and her emotions had started to resurface. All the inner tensions between the group members were the cause of her fragile mental state, and she knew that had a hand in many of them. She had allowed Jake to get under her skin. She had violently opposed Owen’s plans for a legacy. And she had no idea how to make things right. Somehow she had to find a way to make peace with them, or else she feared that they would not be able to work together in their next battle. Or even worse, that the visions in her dream would become reality.

That evening, the group was finishing dinner, once again courtesy of Arashi and Alco. Eri hadn’t dismissed Arashi yet and instead sat on a tree stump, absentmindedly stroking his feathers while the eagle crooned in contentment. He radiated calm, acceptance, and unconditional love both through their bond and the physical contact to try and soothe her and banish the images from her dream. However, they both snapped to alertness upon sensing Raewyn’s unease and seeing Tsume summon his spear.

Eri jumped to her feet and wordlessly called Gale Cleaver to her hand. ‘Arashi, into the air. Wait for my signal, and then get the drop on the enemy from above.’ The eagle silently obeyed and lifted into the air, diappearing into the forest canopy. Pure, concentrated Essence blasted her senses like a sledgehammer. ‘Holy…did you feel that? How many of them are there?’ she asked in bewilderment.

As far as I can tell, it’s just one Saturate.

‘Only one? But it’s so powerful!’ Had their enemies finally decided to close in for the kill?

The Essence isn’t just coming from a person. I sense another Summon creature, and its Essence is masking that of the Summoner. It’s…powerful. Now even Arashi sounded worried.

Eri tensed, her grip tightening on her sword hilt as she strained with her enhanced sight to catch a glimpse of their opponent. Her eyes widened as a massive hulking shape melted out of the shadows and approached them with pounding footsteps. Even more surprising was Tsume’s reaction. “I don’t believe it!” Tsume knew this Summoner?! “It is very good to see you again, Tal, surely you did not stumble upon us by chance.”

Eri was so taken aback that she lost focus and Gale Cleaver vanished back into the elements. A massive horned Summon stood before them carrying a bearded man who simply smiled and laughed like he didn’t have a care in the world. She could only stand there in rooted, dumbfounded silence as she waited for the the stranger to speak.

[Guilty Carrion]

The message had come out of the blue, one fine afternoon under the warm glow of the sun. The bearded man had been napping peacefully in the shade of an apple tree, dreaming of warm beds, cold ale, and the finest jokes a man could ever hear, when the hawk landed quietly on his war hammer’s handle. It had been quiet, for but a moment, before screeching to alert him of its presence, but his reaction was less than dignified. A low grunt was his reply, his hand blindly groping at the grey bandanna strewn across his face. Pulling it off, he glanced about in a vain search for the bird, before a second screech drew his gaze to it. Tying the bandanna into place, after messily stuffing his greying hair under it, he set about dealing with the insistent bird, which looked about ready to screech again.

Sitting up slowly, he wiped the small dribble of drool from the corner of his mouth before addressing the avian with a humoured smile. “A Temple hawk? As good as any other alarm clock, I suppose.” Rubbing the crust of sleep from his eyes, Tal took the small note from it gently, stroking its chest in an appreciative manner. “Now, best get along. Wouldn’t want ye to get caught in any bad weather now, would I?” With a quick flap of its wings, the bird was in the air and back off to its handlers. He watched until it was nothing more than a speck on the horizon, before yawning loudly.

Well, Darren, what do ye think they need? Farmhands? Construction work? Or some muscle? I wager its farmhands. The vagabond moved quietly down the road, not even turning his head as the massive form of his summon blinked into reality, his eyes focused on the parchment held loosely in his hand. The rhino moved slowly to match Tal’s stride, his massive head casually swaying with each step.

Muscle. I have sensed…something these past few days, my friend. This letter is far too convenient to just be a coincidence.

Coming to a stop, Tal grinned at the beast of burden, his bearded chin moving slightly as a light chuckle bubbled up from the man’s chest. Keeping secrets? Not very nice of ye, Darren. How would ye like it if I kept‘em, aye? A snort was Darren’s reply, nudging the man with his snout to hurry up. “Alright, alright, I’mma opening it keeps yer horn on.”

Unfurling the letter, he took a quick moment to read it, before pausing, and reading it over again. Darren was still, seeing the contents from Tal’s mind eye and finding himself just as stunned as his companion. The goddess? She has been found? Disbelief sounded in the normally calm summons voice, before it snorted loudly. If this is true…

Stuffing the note into his pocket, Tal jumped effortlessly onto Darren’s back, settling into the small of the back with the grace of a seasoned rider. Well, a seasoned rider after a couple drinks, but a seasoned rider nonetheless.

“If it’s true then we best not waste any time getting there. Figures Tsume would be the one to find ‘er though. Always was so absorbed with his work, that one. C’mon. If I know that monk, and I do know that monk, he’ll head to Janik. Fastest way to get to the temple. We’ll catch up with ‘em there.”

The rhino started to move again, lumbering off in the direction of Janik for a moment, before abruptly stopping. Tal?

“We don’t have time for chit-chat, Darren!”

“Where’s your hammer?” A moment of silence followed, before a strangled swear escaped him. It’s still under the tree, isn’t it?

“Aye.”

A quick detour later, and the pair were off on the road to Janik and the Goddess.
________________________________________________________________

The journey had been gracefully quick, nice weather and clear roads making their progress far faster than Tal had hoped. Darren had even shrugged off his normally sluggish ways, traveling well into the night and starting out before the first rays had even danced across the horizon. And as they lumbered through the woods, Darren seemed only to be growing more and more eager to reach their destination.

I don't think I've seen ye this excited since...since ever, actually. Who lit a fire under yer belly this morning? Tal chuckled to himself, pausing in his rest every now and again to dodge a branch trying to dislodge him from his position on the rhino's back. A snort was the only response he got, as the summon once again picked up speed as they moved deeper into the woods. Alright, alright...I get it. Yer not in a chatty mood, ya grumpy oaf.

Faint glimmers of fire light began to trickle through, and Tal found himself leaning forward in his seat as they drew closer to the source. Had they actua-

"Who's out there?! Identify yourself!" The order echoed loudly through the woods, and Tal's grin grew into a smile that threatened to crack his face in half twice over. Ha-ha! We found'em, Darren! I'd recognize the old monk's voice anywhere! His laughter roared like thunder, as they emerged into the clearing to the group.

“I don’t believe it! My skills must be slipping. How else could I have missed ten tons of hair and leather following us? It is very good to see you again, Tal, surely you did not stumble upon us by chance.” He laughed, looking over the weary group with a warm gaze. He stood up upon Darren’s back, jumping clear over the rhino’s head and landing with a thud in front of Tsume, before roughly pulling the monk into a death grip hug.

“Be kind! I’ve been working hard to lose some weight, can’t ye tell?” Releasing the monk he took a step back, his chest still rumbling with laughter. “It’s been far too long, old friend. The temple sent a little birdie to draft me to yer cause, and I came a’ running as fast as this old rhino would carry me.” Thick ivory glanced over to the young woman who was staring somewhat incredulously at him and Darren. “But, I suppose I best introduce maself before someone decides to do me in, aye?”

Stepping past Tsume, Tal looked to the people gathered in the clearing for a moment, before bowing deep to them all, thumping a fist on his chest as he did. “Ullo. Ma name is Tal Kaperray, professional vagabond, and this is Darren, ma summon.” He chuckled at the small joke, before continuing. “Sorry to interrupt yer suppa’ but the temple sent for me to come help ye all escort the goddess to the temple.” As he finished, silence took over the camp, the group still wary of the newcomer, save for the desperado who seemed absolutely fascinated with Darren, although the rhino was simply ignoring the man in return.

The journey had no doubt been brutal, judging by the exhaustion that seemed to cling to their very skin. The young woman looked particularly bad in that regard, as if she hadn’t had a good night’s rest in months. What had happened in the days since the letter? What exactly was he getting himself into?

Scratching his beard absentmindedly, the vagabond paused when he heard a rather disgruntled snort from his summon. Glancing back, he found the desperado had moved in, and was pulling rather stubbornly on the rhino’s horn. Chuckling, he called to the man. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you, friend. Darren isn’t very fond of people touching his horns. He’s more likely to-” With a powerful flick of his head, the summon knocked the man down onto his ass, before stomping one of its hooves. “More likely to do that.” He finished between chuckles, trotting over to the man’s side and hauling him up to his feet.

After a quick round of introductions, Tal found himself standing next to Tsume with a look of curiosity stretched across his face. With one last glance at the others, he smiled. “Well, it’s a pleasure to meet all of ye.” Placing a hand on the monk’s shoulder, he motioned towards the edge of the clearing. “I dun suppose ye’d be willing to fill me in on what’s happened so far, would ye?”

As they moved, Tal allowed his mind to wander for the briefest of moments, and found it locking onto the young girl, Raewyn. Barely 14 years young, and swept up in this mess. Such a waste of a childhood…

But she’s the goddess, I suppose. Normal is the last thing they get to be, isn’t it?

An unfortunate, but necessary sacrifice, Tal.

Still don’t make it right. A sense of solemn agreement flowed through their link, before Tal allowed a chuckle. Never figured I’d see a goddess. I always pictured something more…I d’nno, extravagant? Lightning? Eyes of glistening moon tears? An aura of sheer power? And yet she’s…as normal as you or me. Just don’t make sense.

Strange how much power can reside in such a small girl, isn’t it, Tal? Perhaps her one small blessing. She’s still human. Darren’s gaze was locked on the pair, although it would be difficult for anyone to truly tell where the rhino was looking, his beady eyes virtually unnoticeable on the girth of his head.

I suppose. The conversation had been near instant, and as Tsume looked ready to start, Tal returned his full focus to the monk and grinned wide. “Ye always do have the best stories, Tsume.”

[Sunwolf007]

"I know I am the least likely, and least qualified person to be talking to you about emotional troubles, but I have to say something. Loki was abused as a child from a father that never cared for him no matter what he did! Raewyn was taken from everything she ever knew and told that she has the power to change the world! You don't think this has some sort of effect on them? You sitting here, endangering the entire party for selfish thoughts of revenge is not helping the situation. You want to go after you're brother's killers? Find a way to do it without putting people who have no involvement what-so-ever in harms way!" Jake let this sink in for a moment before continuing. I did! It was you all who came and found me when I specifically told the Goddess not to intervene. I gave you as much space as I could without drawing attention to the Goddess.

"I don't care about your past, what you did, or who you were Owen. The man that stands before me is all that counts. He is the product of those experiences, of those traumas, of those disasters. I would like to believe that he is a talented person, a great fighter, and a decent person, but you yourself are hampering these images...Owen." Jake made sure to emphasize his name so he would get the point. However, Jake decided he had been talking for a bit too long, and decided to wrap it up. If you didn’t care about my past then why are you following me around suspecting that I am going to kill the idiot kid. My past was there before but now that you know of it you treat me differently. How hypocritical! And you can’t use my name in public!

"So get over yourself Owen, you're not the only one. Use your time manipulation to boost yourself to the present, because you're living far too much in the past." Jake went, and leaned against the wall once more, getting comfortable for waiting for everyone else to continue. The present is all I have. My past may influence my actions but my future is forfeit to this disease. Because this group now knows I am involved with you I can’t go home or back to work. All I have left is the time now and I don’t want to spend it arguing with you!

"If you want understanding, we'll understand. If you want a pity party, go to a monastery."

“From all I have told you and all that has happened I can see that you have no understanding when it comes to me.” Owen said. He left leading the way towards the next destination before anyone could respond. His rage boiling inside and just barely being kept in check by his rational side.

Owen didn’t make it very far until he collapsed. He hadn’t even noticed his exhaustion until he woke up the next day. From that point on he was followed everywhere by someone especially whenever he got close to Loki. He knew he needed some space for a while before he would continue his talk with the boy. They treated him like a common murderer and this was starting to annoy him. I specifically tell them that my image is the most important thing to me yet once they find out about why that is they think of me. They view me like I am the least trustworthy person in the group. Hell, I don’t think I could ever truly trust that monk since I have been in the order and know how they tend to deal with unpleasant situations. It’s not like I am going to kill the kid if we talk or in his sleep. I only kill people who aim to kill me or my friends. After all I have done and said they still can’t see that. All I want from the kid is for him to say that he didn’t mean to slander me. I don’t need him blindsiding me again if we are going to have a problem I rather it be in discussion form instead of a physical form. He spent the time on the travel cutting his arm every 15 minutes during the day and then used his time manipulation powers to see how far back he could regress his body. He was up to 6 hours but no longer.

I wonder if I can only use it on myself or if I can heal other people by the same process… I doubt anyone would volunteer to help me find out now. Not only that I should be able to speed up time around myself and run faster than a normal person. This would be quite dangerous with my illness but as long as I regress myself to the state I was at after the battle all negative effects should be temporary. Well, in theory, if I go too far ahead that I can’t subtract the time later then I will be in trouble but as long as I keep it within 6 hours I should be fine.

He was lost in thought surrounded by people who wouldn’t stop glancing at him when they started to react to a presence. Owen quickly stood and pulled out his shotgun and a revolver. He guessed the direction of the attack from the way the monk was yelling. He was about to activate his time manipulation and quickly flank the attacker when it looked that Tsume knew the approaching man. He rode in on what Owen knew must be his summon. The beast was unlike anything he had ever seen before. The man looked like a wondering workman who would sell his skills to anyone. Owen returned his weapons to their holsters not wanting to give the guest the wrong impression. But if the monk knows him… could be another from the temple. In which case I should really leave. The last thing I need right now is to let them know that I was banished from the temple.

During the round of introduction Owen made sure to introduce himself as “James Colston of Colston weapons.” Despite dirty looks from everyone else no one blew his cover yet. He hadn’t explained to them yet that whenever in public it was imperative that they address him as his brother. Now this should be the best chance I get to talk to the kid. Although they wont let me go unsupervised.

“Monk while you bring our guest up to speed I suggest you skip over the minor details and give him the core details. It is a long story even with doing that. As I have lived through all that before I really don’t need to hear about it again. I do believe Loki and I were not finished with our discussion on a certain topic. Eri can accompany us if she must but I intend to be civil and expect as much from the kid. If both of them find this acceptable I will be waiting over there.” Owen said. He walked outside of earshot from the rest of the group and waited. He created a small ball of lightning for light so that he could see well enough without running into a tree and as a beacon for anyone following him.

[quakernuts]

"From all I have told you, and all that has happened, I can see you have no understanding when it comes to me."

"Oh for fu...Get your head out of your ass man!" Jake yelled after Owen, tired of this whole situation. He doubted the man heard him, and if he did, he showed no signs of it. Jake simply shook his head, and hit the back of his head against the wall. He was at a loss of how to take this man, and make him see the big picture short of threatening his life and forcing him to grow up a little. He closed his eyes and smirked to himself slightly. He had always been the most irresponsible and childish man he had ever known, and now he was telling another man to grow up instead. Man, the irony in that was enough to kill an elephant. It wasn't until Tsume made his way outside that he bothered to lift up his eyelids. The order to move was probably the most needed thing at this time. Everyone needed travel to get their heads on straight before someone actually did kill someone. He knew for a fact that he had a safety in place, in case he ever did something like that, casting a small glance towards Eri.

The travel had been quiet, as expected. Jake filled it with whistling, and the occasional swinging of the axe. Anything that got rid of the silence even momentarily. Everyone probably thought he had ADD or something like that. It was during this extremely long feeling walk that Owen decided it was a good time to have a nap. He started lagging behind, Tsume fell back with him, and then he collapsed. He had probably exhausted his Essence with all the power usage and emotion filled actions. Jake rolled his eyes, and fell back with Tsume. If it had been his call, they would have left him. His attitude was starting to get on Jake's nerves, and when that happened, usually the problem was dealt with in a very violent manner. T decided to keep him with them however, and Jake helped put the man on Alco to be carried. Jake grunted, but not from exertion. As soon as Owen was on the summon, Jake walked away from him. He was T's problem now.

During the night, he did his best to avoid any dreams that might find their way into his head. So, he simply waited until exhaustion took over his body, and passed out without a single thought going through his head until he was woken either for his night shift or to get going in the morning. He continued to experiment with his earth armour power, and felt that he was a lot more comfortable with it. He wanted to test it, to see if he could run and summon the armour at the same time, but he didn't want to wake the rest of the group. So, he settled with increasing his speed at gathering his armour. So far, if he concentrated solely on the armour, it only took a couple of seconds for the full effect of armour to take place.

The second night ended up being a little more exciting. Everyone was sitting around the camp, being quiet, avoiding each other and having a bit to eat before settling into sleeping and shifts. He had been enjoying his...rabbit? He really didn't know what it was once it was cooked, only that it wasn't going to kill him and it was tasty. Suddenly, a huge blast of essence nearly made him lose balance on the log he was sitting on, and seeing T grab his spear from thin air, Jake summoned his armour around his arms, making them long spikes. It looked slightly strange, as the earth stopped around his elbow, making him look half human, and half earth. As soon as the laughing started though, Jake just had the feeling that whoever was out there was not their enemy. T only solidified this by speaking out to the very man who was out there. When he came into view, Jake dropped his spikes, and his jaw.

The man came riding in on a RHINO! It was a real life, or at least, as close to a real life Rhino he was ever going to get close to. The man was saying words, but Jake paid no real attention to him. His name was Tal, he was an ally, and that was all he needed to know not to kill him and steal his Rhino. Summon or no, he would take this beast somehow, someway. Jake wandered up to the Rhino, who seemed to completely ignore him. He looked completely badass, and Jake wondered just how solid he really was. He grabbed one of his horns, and gave a slight tug. The Rhino gave a snort, and Tal began to say something.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you friend. Darren isn't very fond of people touching his horns. He's more likely to-" Jake looked up to hear what the man was saying and the beast gave a shove towards him, unexpected and knocking him on his ass. He was surprised by the strength of it, as it had been awhile since anyone had really knocked him to the ground without either swarming amounts of people or an ambush. Tal came by, still chuckling about the whole thing. "More likely to do that." Tal helped him to his feet, the burly man having no trouble at all with Jake's weight. Jake gave a cocky smirk, and looked back at the Rhino.

"He caught me off guard, he couldn't take me if I was expecting it." Jake let it go at that though, and quickly taking a look through the group, he noticed that Owen was not among them. He could see a ball of light in the woods a fair distance away, but knew better than to go chasing him. If he wanted to go have fun in the forest, let him do it. Maybe he'd get lost, and they would have to move on without him. He let the thought slide, and returned to where he had been sitting before Tal had come upon them. They would be upon the Leyline tomorrow, and he wanted to be rested and on a full belly when he came upon it. If the enemy had any intelligence at all, that's where they would be.

And they'll get an autographed ass-kicking from yours truly.

[Loki]

”I do believe Loki and I were not finished with our discussion on a certain topic. Eri can accompany us if she must but I intend to be civil and expect as much from the kid. If both of them find this acceptable I will be waiting over there.”

Loki growled in annoyance under his breath when he heard Owen speak as though he had little choice in the matter. As far as he was concerned, the matter was done and over; Owen had been the first to speak his mind, which in turn forced Loki to speak his. Both had their say and dwelling on this matter would only fuel the flames of resentment rather than let them burn out. The fact that Owen insisted on holding it where there would be no witnesses other than those involved was not settling in the least. Fuck it. If this is what it’ll take for him to finally get over himself, then let’s get it over with. At least I’ll have Eri by my side. He looked to his pack and eyed his weapons for a tempted moment before deciding to leave them there.

He stayed by Eri’s side as they followed Owen from a short distance. There was no telling what was going to happen next or what Owen’s intensions were. Although he spoke of civility, his actions were contradicting his words. One does not commonly speak of peace while luring his audience to a secluded location with a weapon held at the ready and in plain sight. Eventually, Owen found a place that he deemed adequate for their chat and turned to face them.

“Before you say whatever it is you intend to say, Owen,” Loki spoke sharply before Owen had a chance to say anything, “there are going to be some ground rules. One. Don’t you dare talk down to me or refer to me as anything less than an equal. If you insist on calling me kid then I shall start referring to you by something just as condescending. Two. If you decide to yell at me or do anything that I take as a sign of you asserting some form of dominance over me, I’ll tell you where you can shove your ego and head right back to camp. Three. Don’t even think about giving a lecture similar to the one you gave back in town. I’ve heard more than enough of that and I refuse to get into a pissing contest over whose life was worse. I am sorry for drawing steel against you and will be the first to admit that doing so was wrong, but I will not apologize for what I said. That statement stands just as resolute as it did then and although I will listen to whatever it is you have to say, I highly doubt that you will be able to change that.”

Loki let out a calming breath to clear his mind to better listen to whatever it is Owen had to get off his chest. "Let's hear what it is that you deem necessary to bring us all the way out here to share."

[Digital Muse]

A co-post between Loki and DigitalMuse

Suddenly, Raewyn found herself forgotten. Loki, Eri and Owen had stalked off into the trees for whatever words Owen/James still needed to get out of his system. It made Raewyn bite her lower lip with worry. But, Eri was going with Loki, so hopefully everything would be alright. Her brow furrowed in consternation, but Raewyn had to trust to Eri. Turning her head she watched Tsume, Tal, Jake and the fantastical beast called Darren. They were deep in conversation as well and it didn’t really seem to involve her directly.

She was somewhat at a loss of what to do with herself. She was desperately curious about what was happening with Loki, but feared alienating him by trying to eavesdrop on his conversation with Owen/James. Tsume and Jake seemed engrossed with talking to Tal. While she’d love to join that conversation, she felt rather out of her element there as well. She felt her young age more than usual when she watched Tsume and Tal talk and reminisce. Sighing, she kicked a small stone absently before she wandered back toward the fire so sit alone.

In the blink of an eye, the world around her took on a grey hue as all motion around her stopped. Even the individual flames of the campfire froze in space; their unnatural stillness was very unsettling. It wasn’t until the figure in the grey shirt, his head shrouded by a hood, moved that Raewyn’s attention was suddenly diverted from the unexplained lack of motion to the unexplained presence. His clothes were odd; both the material and the style were unfamiliar while the workmanship behind them seemed flawless. It didn’t seem possible that even the finest loom operated by a master seamstress could make stitches so fine and so regularly. His dark blue pants looked more rugged than their unfamiliar material seemed capable of with how thin they appeared to be.

The young man’s eyes widened behind his long, dark locks as he looked at Raewyn. “Wait. How did you do that?” His gaze darted around in a panic as though he had become lost in an alien world before falling upon an object on his wrist that glowed in a dim blue light. “Wait…” He then began mumbling to himself, his mind preoccupied as though he was working out a hard math word problem from memory. “If I… Then we….” He blinked then returned his gaze to Raewyn’s, although he looked no older than Loki, his eyes had dark shadows beneath them as though he hasn’t slept in days.

“Uh….” His expression turned somewhat embarrassed though there was still a visible sign of tension behind it. “This may seem like an odd question. Have you seen me before now?” Immediately after asking that question, his eyes lowered from Raewyn’s only slightly. Whatever he saw obviously alarmed him as he began to shake nervously before quickly looking around once again. His hand shot into his pocket as though feeling for its contents, his anxiety easing only slightly as he found whatever he was looking for only to redouble once he recalled some important fact. “Oh shit!”

In an instant, he disappeared into a singularity quickly followed by some brief blur of a shadow that was darker than the night itself. Once gone, the color returned to the surroundings and Tsume’s voice could once again be heard over the crackling fire.

Raewyn’s honey-brown eyes widened when she realized everything around her had simply…stopped. The utter silence made her more aware of her thundering heartbeat. She met the eyes of the strange, dark-haired young man and blinked at his very odd question. “No…um…I don’t think….” Her response was aborted when he started to nervously delve into his pocket looking for something. “Who…?” But he was gone in an all-consuming flash of darkness.

The world returned to its unexpectedly loud and vivid normal state, leaving Raewyn shaken and disturbed. She scrambled to her feet sharply and sniffed the air. Yes. Someone had come. His scent lingered and was as distinct as any of her companions. She’d sensed his use of Essence, but it seemed…wrong. Or different somehow, she really couldn’t put her finger on it. And that, more than anything frightened her to her core. “Tsume!” She squeaked as she ran toward him. “Someone was here! Someone…someone stopped everything and came here!” Her fear made her stammer almost incoherently.

In the moment before the monk’s name could leave her lips, the world once again took on a grey hue as everything around her once again became motionless. Raewyn turned to see the stranger standing where he had been moments ago, though his expression was at ease despite the signs of sleep deprivation. “There you are.” He said, his voice calm and natural as though he had simply passed by her in the market. “Do you have any idea how long I have been waiting for you?” There was a brief silence between them before he scratched the back of his hooded head, blushing slightly. “I really wish that was a hypothetical question…”

Raewyn skidded to a halt when she realized the world around her had stopped again. She looked around at everything as if it were in a dense fog, frozen in the midst of a breath or blink of an eye. And then the young man appeared once more, addressing her in a very different tone this time. He was more assured. Raewyn hugged herself protectively. “You leave me alone.” She warned the oddly-dressed man. Her brows knitted together in confusion, “Who are you? And no! I don’t even know what’s going on.”

He didn’t so much as react to Raewyn’s protests to his presence. It wasn’t until she finished that his expression changed with a raised eyebrow. “On? What do you mean by ‘on’? You’re not making any sense.” With a shrug and a shake of his head he dismissed her statement. “I was getting concerned that I missed you again. I certainly didn’t want to wait long enough to see that massive wave w—nent like it said in—lls. Read—thin—ing that ominous wall o—hand—terrifying.” As he spoke, his gestures and words jerked so quickly that they had simply existed in one place at the first instant then jumped to a different location in the very next while ignoring the distance between. Despite this anomaly, his gaze remained distant on some memory that literally made him shudder once he finished recalling it. “I feel sorry for what you all will go through…”

Raewyn frowned at the young man, “Wait…stop! You aren’t making sense!” She looks askance at the very still Tsume and Jake and Tal. This experience was terrifying, and irritating at the same time. “You’re jumping around too much! Slow down!” She ordered testily. “What do you mean by missing me again? Massive wave of what? And what will we be going through! Tell me!” She approached the young man incautiously. She had to know what he knew!

The stranger jumped back when she moved closer to him. “Holy shit! I didn’t know you can teleport!”

That stopped Raewyn briefly. “Teleport? No…I can’t…” She paused and stared at him. “OK.” She held her hands up placatingly. “I’ll stop moving. Tell me what you’re talking about! What’s about to happen? Who are you?”

He swallowed nervously with her reply. “You… can’t teleport?” With a flick of his arm, the sleeve rode up his wrist enough to reveal a small band around it. When he pressed something on the side of it, Raewyn could make out a handful of numbers and letters illuminated in a soft blue glow. It didn’t take long for her to realize they were representing time, but she had never seen .anything .like that before. The stranger crunched a few numbers in his head and began muttering to himself pressing his hands against his forehead. “I haven’t lost much time… Breathe… Relax… Focus… I will not be trapped.”

Raewyn shook her head slowly, “No. I don’t…I don’t think I can.” Her gaze fell to the glowing blue item on the man’s wrist with fascination. She looked up at him again, “Trapped?” She stamped her foot in utter frustration. “What are you talking about! Tell me this instant!” She demanded petulantly.

“If you couldn’t tell,” the stranger began in a strained tone, “we’re kinda frozen in time at the moment. Although everything around us remains in stasis, we’re still aging. It isn’t exactly appealing to me to potentially age fifteen years in the blink of an eye.” He took in a deep breath and slowly exhaled it and muttered to himself once more. “Come on Ian, you’ve got this. Just do what you need to and get out before…” Ian’s face flushed white when he looked to where he had first stood only a few paces away. Two black mantis-like claws jutted through space as though it were paper; simply existing on one side and not on the other. The claws wrenched and pried the invisible opening wider and wider allowing it to slowly squeeze more of itself through the rift.

“Fuck! It found me!” His gaze fell upon Raewyn realizing he was out of time for pleasantries. “Sorry, but this won’t be of any use to you. Trust me.” With a blindingly fast motion, he reached out and tore Tsume’s necklace from around Raewyn’s neck with a subtle pop of the clasp breaking. “I on the other hand,” he said as he dropped it into his pocket, “have a dire need for it.”

A low airy hiss came from the tear near them, much too large to be a snake and far too menacing to not be sentient. The sound caused Ian to back up several more paces until he stood next to the campfire. “Don’t worry, it’s only after me. Once I leave, it will follow. It will not do anything to harm you of all people.” By now the claws were a good six feet apart and the creature was finally able to pull itself through the rift. “Shit! Sorry for everything!” Just before his vanished into a singularity, he shot a gaze towards Tsume who was still frozen in time. The expression on his face held a grim secret.

Even after he left, time remained frozen as the creature finally freed itself from the tear in space revealing something that was both alien and insect like. Its entire body was blacker than any darkness imaginable, save for its eyes, which glowed crimson so brilliantly that they left short trails of light that traced their movements. It stood eight feet from the ground with another ten slithering along it. Despite its bulk, it moved far quicker than expected for something without feet as it traveled the short distance to where Ian last stood.

Its gaze moved from the open space to where Raewyn had retreated. Its mandibles contorted in a way that could only be described as the creature’s equivalent of a grin. In its inhuman airy voice, it called out in a greeting. “Ssssssseeeeed muuuuuutharrrr.”

With a forceful jab, its claws pierced the freshly made rift where Ian had disappeared into and viciously tore it open in a single powerful motion. Without another sound, it threw itself into the opening in hot pursuit of its quarry. The moment it left, time and color around Raewyn was restored as though nothing had happened.

Raewyn tries to dodge when Ian reaches out to snatch the necklace from about her neck. But he snatches it from her. The time traveler races away, apologizing as a horror tries to tear its way into Raewyn’s world.

Just as the young man disappears, the creature rends a portal into the clearing and stares at Raewyn. She screams in utter terror, barely registering what it hisses at her. She remains screaming even after it shreds another hole into space and disappears after Ian. When the world around her returned to normal, her terrorized shriek seems to start from mid scream to those near her.

[Sunwolf007]

Owen listened to Loki’s little speech and couldn’t help but be reminded of himself when he was younger. Articulating his points and demanding concessions to even have a discussion. It was a trick that Owen had done many times in his years of discussion with people. He was impressed at the way the kid had cornered him with the speech and put him on the defensive. Owen had also expected something like this and was glad to be on the defensive since his words might sound better if he didn’t speak first. All I need to know is that this problem isn’t going to spiral into future problems. I don’t want to have to fight such a young and promising kid. Especially since most of the fights I am in end up with people dying.

“Good. We are on the same page then. I don’t make it a habit to apologize for being myself and I don’t intend on forcing someone else into it. All I required from this was two things; one that you were not going to blindside me in an upcoming battle and, most importantly, two that you should know that I don’t presume to have a monopoly on the world’s suffering, just my own.” Owen said. At that is why I never duel with a second. That is why I never ask someone to do something I wouldn’t do myself. This needless problem would have been avoided if they all would have just listened to my instructions.

“I think we should try and put this behind us as best we can. We both lost our tempers and you should know I had no intention of insulting you.” Owen said. It was as good as an apology as Loki was going to get from him. He suddenly felt something strange. Somehow he had felt something very strange over at camp. Whatever it was vanished quickly yet returned again. This time he felt it more so than last. Whatever it was must be powerful to appear so close with no one noticing. Then he heard a scream that could only have come from the goddess. He reacted instantly and without thinking.

He used his time manipulation to speed back to camp arriving moments after he left Eri and Loki. He had his sword drawn in his right hand and his revolver with armor piercing bullets in his left. He felt as if he had run twice that distance in the same amount of time it took for him to get there. He had arrived first on the scene but not by much as the others closer to her were almost in place to defend the goddess from a threat. I must remember that this speed running isn’t all that fast. Also it puts more strain on my body than if I would have ran over normally. He looked wildly around for the source of alarm ready to defend the goddess at all costs. She looked utterly terrified and took no notice to Owen’s quick response.

“What did you see? What happened?” Owen asked nervously awaiting the answers. He didn’t like fighting the unknown and if this threat had a greater ability that he hadn’t encountered before they could be in some trouble.

[Silvan Arrow]

Whoever this stranger was, he obviously knew Tsume well enough to give him a big bear hug as he explained how he had found them. Eri shifted uneasily as his ivory gaze glanced over her. “But, I suppose I best introduce maself before someone decides to do me in, aye?”

‘Sheesh, what is it with people thinking I’m going to kill them on sight?’ Eri wondered silently, remembering Jake’s joke about wanting to skewer him and feed him to Arashi.

“Ullo. Ma name is Tal Kaperray, professional vagabond, and this is Darren, ma summon. Sorry to interrupt yer suppa’ but the temple sent for me to come help ye all escort the goddess to the temple.” Eri came very close to laughing when Jake learned the hard way not to mess with Darren’s horns, but a tiny smile was the only evidence that she found the situation amusing.

When the introductions took place, Eri stepped forward to speak for herself. “I’m Eri Kiryakov,” she spoke in a neutral tone. At that point, Arashi flew down through the canopy and landed behind her, wrapping his wings around her briefly as she reached up to stroke his face. “And this is my partner, Arashi.”

A pleasure to meet you, Arashi added in a warmer tone. Now that Arashi could see for himself, he took the opportunity to study this new Summon creature. He shuffled forward until he was face to face with Darren and cocked his head to one side, crooning in curiosity. The image was almost comical. While the two Summons were about the same height, Darren’s massive bulk dwarfed Arashi completely. Darren simply snorted in reply, and for a few moments it looked like they were exchanging mental words. Whatever they said was clearly friendly, as Eri about fell over in surprise at what Arashi did next. With a few deft flaps of his wings, he perched on Darren’s back and started preening his feathers without a care in the world.

Eri was completely dumbfounded as her face took on a horrified, embarrassed expression. “Er…um…sorry about that,” she stammered to Tal. “Arashi has this strange fascination with meeting other Summons…” In her mind, she exclaimed, ‘What in the name of the Goddess are you doing?!’

Arashi paused in his preening to meet Eri’s gaze with one eye. Making friends.

‘And you think you can accomplish that by using him as a perch?’

He doesn’t mind. Indeed, the rhino had settled comfortably on the ground and paid no heed to the white eagle perched on his back. In fact, Arashi was probably a featherweight compared to Darren’s sheer bulk.

Eri knew the argument was long lost. ‘Fine fine… Just…mind your talons or whatever.’ It was a weak attempt at best to try and exert some control of the situation; Darren’s hide looked easily thick enough that Arashi’s talons wouldn’t even faze him.

After the introductions were out of the way, Owen once again insisted on speaking with Loki. Eri’s gaze flicked uneasily from Owen to her student as her protective instincts flared. “Eri can accompany us if she must but I intend to be civil and expect as much from the kid. If both of them find this acceptable I will be waiting over there.” That said, Owen left the clearing, using a ball of lightning as a lantern. At first Eri wanted to adamantly refuse in the interest of keeping Loki safe, but she also knew that Owen was smarter than to risk provoking the others to violence by hurting him. Besides, this would finally give her a chance to try and make her peace with him before she lost it completely.

Feeling Loki’s gaze on her, Eri met her student’s questioning expression and said, “I’ll leave it up to you whether you want to talk to him, but I will be coming if you say yes. I also wish to speak with him about our personal differences.”

She saw the inner battle wage on Loki’s face before he left his weapons behind to follow Owen. However, since she already had her sword strapped around her waist, she saw no need to set it aside. As Eri turned to accompany Loki, she saw Arashi stiffen and take on a guarded expression. Mistress?

‘There’s no need for you to come as well. You just keep…making friends and whatnot.’ She sensed him return to his preening through her mind’s eye, though he kept at least one eye on the trio just in case tempers went awry.

Eri stood off to the side and maintained a respectful silence as Loki and Owen exchanged words. While she still sensed some residual hostility in Loki’s temperament, she was proud of him for standing up for himself. She initially feared that Owen’s anger would resurface, but luckily he seemed to have regained control and was perfectly civil. “I think we should try and put this behind us as best we can. We both lost our tempers and you should know I had no intention of insulting you.”

After a brief pause, during which tensions finally seemed to abate, Eri took the chance to speak. “If I may also speak my mind, Owen?” She took a breath to gather her thoughts. “I know we haven’t been on the best of terms lately, and I truly hope we can both move past it. I haven’t…been…myself since the ambush,” Eri gestured as if she were fumbling for the right words, “and your announcement about your illness and desire to die was the last thing I wanted to hear. I know I wasn’t exactly diplomatic in expressing my disapproval, but please know that it was my rather misguided attempt at trying to look out for a friend.”

Before Owen could respond, Raewyn’s scream pierced the silence, and Eri summoned Gale Cleaver and took off sprinting back toward the campsite with Loki at her side. ‘Arashi! To the Goddess!’ He screeched in alarm and flight-hopped off Darren’s back to crouch behind Raewyn protectively as Eri arrived and scanned the area for potential threats. Owen looked shaken, as if he had sensed something that the others had missed. She feared what might happen if Raewyn accidently lost control of her powers due to her frightened emotional state. Already she could feel the Goddess’ emotions leaking out and clouding her thoughts. “Loki, stay near her and keep her calm,” Eri said, knowing that Loki had the best chance at calming her so they could figure out what had just happened to frighten her so badly.

[Loki]

Tsume quirked a brow at Owen’s advice. How are you going to be able to hear about it if you’re going to be wandering in the woods?[i] He didn’t like the thought of Owen isolating Loki from the safety of the group, but it was ultimately the young man’s decision and he felt reassured by Eri’s involvement. Had there been any doubt that the man before him truly was Tal, the bear hug was all the credentials he needed. Only the true Tal would have been so bold as to do such a thing to a Temple Monk. Despite what Owen wished, Tsume gave his old friend a detailed account of what had happened from the moment he was sent to the southern part of the continent in search for the Goddess’ pursuers as well as the Goddess herself up to the moment Tal showed up. Tal was going to be risking his life alongside the rest of the group; Tsume could think of no better reason to share every detail including ‘James’ true identity. He doubted that they would make it through the night before somebody let the real name slip, so the monk decided it would be best to include that part and allow the blame to fall upon him rather than one of the others.

“It’s been a mess.” Tsume said, summing up his report. “Despite our best efforts, they always seem to always know where they will be able to find us. Then again… You didn’t seem to have much trouble tracking us down… Misdirection was never my—“

A shrill scream of terror interrupted him, causing him to instinctively turn towards the source and search for the reason. There was no doubt that Raewyn was responsible for the cry, but no matter how much he stretched his senses, he could not find the cause. “Raewyn! What is it?!” Adrenaline surged through his veins as his frustration to find the hidden enemy continued to build. It was a few moments before Alco’s muffled thoughts managed to be heard in the monk’s troubled mind. [i]The Goddess is terrified!

The message may have been brief, but Tsume immediately understood its meaning. It wasn’t his fear that he was feeling, but Raewyn’s. Whatever scared her was enough for her to lose control of her ability and fear was radiating off her with such intensity that he didn’t have a chance to realize what was happening. With considerable effort, he drew in his will and built up a mental wall to hold back the hammering tide of emotion. With his senses back in check, he resumed looking for any source that would have caused her outbreak, but found none. Raewyn was hysterical and whatever she was saying lacked any coherency. We need to calm her before things get really bad.

---

“I think we should try and put this behind us as best we can. We both lost our tempers and you should know I had no intention of insulting you.”

Are you serious? I was all ready to do that, but you were the one dragging it out for days for the sake of saying that we should do what I was trying to do to begin with. What was the point of brining us all the way out here just to say that? Although the logic behind this meaning eluded him, Loki was just glad that there was finally closure to this matter. Even though it wasn’t much in the way of apologies, he knew stating so would be the definition of hypocritical. As such, he accepted it without a second thought.

Moments after Eri finished speaking her peace; Loki heard the scream that he had no doubt belonged to Raewyn. As they dashed back towards camp, he felt naked without the presence of his weapons and cursed himself for not bringing them. He had been so focused with the potential danger from Owen that he hadn’t considered the possibility of being attacked by whomever was following them. The moment he neared the camp, he could feel an emotion wash over him with the same alarming surprise of walking through an unseen cobweb. It was that very reason he was able to resist the brunt of Raewyn’s mental influence, allowing him to press forward as he continued to remind himself it wasn’t fear that he was feeling. He wondered for the briefest of moments if he would have had enough resolve for such a feat only a few days before.

“Loki, stay near her and keep her calm.”

“Right!” Loki acknowledges the command, using the objective as a reason to ignore the fear that grew as they moved closer to Raewyn. Without his weapons or time to retrieve them, that meant his role had to be defensive. Once he had enough space, he outstretched his wings and took flight to close the remaining distance between him and Raewyn while using it as a means of making it more difficult to listen to the shouting voice in his mind telling him to flee. He landed between Arashi and her, using the summon to protect the exposed portions of his back and wrapped his arms around her. Lowering her into crouch along with himself, his wings enveloped the two of them in an obstructing veil. If something or someone was to attack, they would not have a clear shot from a distance and should they move in close, he would be able to convert them into a protective mesh of his guardian wings. It wouldn’t be a flawless defense, but it would hopefully buy them the time needed for the others to come to their aid.

“Don’t worry, we’re here now. Try to get your power under control. I won’t let anything hurt you.”

[Digital Muse]

Almost the instant that the world around her returned to normal, the terrified Raewyn was surrounded by her companions. She knew she was losing control of her emotions, but she couldn’t help herself. Loki wrapped himself about her beneath the ever-watchful Arashi and she allowed him to lower her into a crouch near the ground while the others gathered around trying to find the threat that had frightened her so much.

Raewyn fought to bring herself under control because she feared that she might actually hurt the others if she wasn’t careful. Slowly, she managed to stop screaminf. I left her feeling stupid and childish. Her hammering heart, however simply wouldn’t bend to her will and slow down. Pressing a hand to her chest, she was reminded that the necklace Tsume had given her was gone. She felt it’s loss more deeply that she’d expected.

Stammering slightly, Raewyn tried to explain what had happened. She fought not to rush through the telling and to give as much detail as she possibly could; even to showing the slightly red mark about her neck from where Ian had snatched the necklace from her. When it came time to describe the creature, however, words failed her. She did her best to relate parts of it; the snake-like tail, the insect-like mandibles…but she was positive the others wouldn’t believe a word of it. She ended her rushed description of what had happened with the look Ian had given the frozen Tsume and the words spoken by the creature when it had spotted her.

Even after relaying her tale, Raewyn still struggled to control her terror. Being held by Loki was remarkably soothing and even though he was only a few years older than she, Raewyn felt more drawn to him than any of the others. She respected and even liked the others, but there was more to it than that for her when it came to Loki. She didn’t understand it…but it was there. She rested back against Loki. She knew she should stand on her own, get herself under control…but she didn’t want to. Not yet.

[Loki]

Tsume was relieved to feel the terror pressing against his mind subside. Even then, it took her several moments before she was able to communicate what had frightened her. The notion of a full-fledged time manipulator being after them sent a chill down his spine. Although he’s never met one in person, all the accounts involving them pegged them as unpredictable at best and mentally unstable in general. Place that on top of being able to do whatever they want literally, whenever they want and you have something that could very easily destroy the present, past, and future in one simple gesture.

If he was able to do anything, even kidnap the Goddess without so much as a fight, then why did he just want the necklace? It’s valuable, sure, but only aesthetically and there are dozens like it. Such a thing would be impossible to fence and apart from getting a glimpse into a terrifying past, it holds no power. Even in the possession of a time manipulator, it made no sense. The monk wanted to believe that Raewyn had simply dozed off and had a vivid dream, but the evidence only supported her claim. The creature she described only added to his confusion. Tsume didn’t have an encyclopedic knowledge of all beasts of lore and power, but something that could speak human tongue and rip holes through time would have surely come up somewhere in his lessons. He made a mental note to bring it up to the elders once he returned to the Temple.

---

A day had passed since that night without incident. Tal’s cheerful demeanor was a very welcome change in atmosphere, and whatever had transpired in the woods seemed to have eased tensions between Loki, Eri, and Owen. Tsume was relieved to see that the group had regained some of the unity that had been lost. The time around the campfire that night was just as cheerful as the group got to know Tal and about the times where his path had crossed with Tsume. As was expected from such stories, there were countless embellishments, sarcastic remarks, and friendly mocking between the two of them. Considering they were just half a day from entering the leyline, the monk couldn’t have been more relieved to see their resolve return.

Tsume took a moment to wipe the tear off his cheek as he struggled to breathe from his rolling laughter. He had just finished telling one of his favorite tales of when Darren got stuck in an especially muddy field while plowing and instead of resummoning him elsewhere, an inebriated Tal decided it would be ‘more fun’ to get him out ‘the old fashion way’ with the help of Tsume and a half dozen farmhands.

“You should have seen the look on his face when he fell face first while trying to push Darren." The monk said through gasps of laughter. "It took him weeks to get all the clumps of mud out of his hair!”

"As I recall it, ye were right there in the mud beside me, Buddeh. I tell ya, shoulda left the mud on yer head. Made ya look like a young man with a head full of hair."

“I much prefer the convenience of a clean shaven head.” He said, running his hand over his scalp realizing he had not shaved it since their journey began as he felt the layer of dark stubble. “Though not everybody can grow it like you. You’re sporting three days worth of growth now, aren’t ya?”

"Ha! Only two! And don't be hard on yerself. I can thank ma daddy for this." He grinned wide, stroking the length of his beard as he laughed.

The fire gradually burnt down to a low crackling flame as night had taken over the sky, but was still young. Conversation had dwindled as the uncertainty of the next day began to weigh over them. Nobody knew what to expect for certain, but it would have been foolish of their adversaries not to take advantage of such an opportunity. “We should turn in for the night.” Tsume began, his voice sounding more paternal than anything. “Tomorrow is going to be a long day; we won’t stop moving until we make it across the leyline. It’s risky enough passing through it during the day, spending the night there would be downright reckless.”

---

That next day, the group made it to the leyline shortly after noon. The moment each of them stepped onto the rift in whatever barrier locked Essence inside of the planet they could actually feel vitality radiating into them. Each one of them felt more attuned to their abilities while the summons soaked up the extra energy making them significantly larger and stronger. Tsume watched as Alco’s back went from approximately shoulder height to a solid foot over his head in a matter of moments. The griffin craned its head to look back at the monk with what could only be described as a smug grin despite the sharpened beak.

”Uhhhh… Tsume?”

He looked back in response to the young man’s voice to see nearly all of Loki’s body wrapped in a brilliant white glow. ”I can’t… ummm… they won’t go invisible.” Tsume sighed when he realize his oversight and took a moment to compare his ‘armor’ to that of a mummy’s wrappings.

“Of course not, they are drawing the energy from the planet now… Do you usually keep them wrapped over your clothing like that?”

Loki nodded bashfully. ”It makes it easier to use them when speed is important… Plus the last time I had them underneath, I lost control of them and they shredded my clothes…”

“Ah.” Tsume said simply, seeing the logic behind it. “Is there any way you could hide them under your clothing?” Loki shook his head while blushing even more, ”Not when they are in this state, at least not without taking the time to take off my clothing and putting them back on over top. And the shredding thing should I need to use them…” The monk grimaced. As it stood now, Loki was a walking beacon to their presence, which was all the more reason they had to make it through the leyline before nightfall. On the other hand, whoever was following them seemed to have little trouble locating them to begin with and with a potential ambush, every moment they were in the leyline only gave their pursuers more time to get organized. “Alright, don’t worry about it then. It’s better for you to be ready than to be hidden at this point.”

The next few hours they traveled in wary silence, doing the best they can to be on the lookout through traditional means since the radiating essence made it impossible to sense other saturates. Tsume felt a tug on his robe, the silent signal that Raewyn either heard or saw something that was not the local fauna. Everybody prepared themselves for an attack as they continued forward for several more yards.

Tsume nearly dropped his spear when he saw a ghost from his past step out from behind one of the massive trees in the form of an elegantly beautiful woman. His mind told him that she was there to help, but his instincts screamed the exact opposite. “T’yang?... Is that you?”

T’yang lowered her lashes when Tsume spotted her. She held both fans in her hands easily. They were closed and her stance appeared relaxed. She appeared alone, but in truth, her shadows cloaked the presence of the other Magi sent with her to confront the group of champions that surrounded the girl. It seemed everyone had been duped into believing this child was the Goddess reborn. T’yang didn’t believe it for a second. And she was going to prove it to the others and most especially to Tsume. Looking up, T’yang kept her eyes on Tsume. He was the most dangerous. He was the one she’d come for. “Hello, Tsume. It’s been a while.” Her voice was soft, even seductive. She wanted him to remember, wanted his heart to skip a beat.

The monk shivered the slightest degree as his mind wandered to distant memories for the briefest of moments. Something wasn’t right; it was obvious that she was expecting him, but did not know to what end. Of all the people in the world, it had to be the one whom he held an undying candle for. His first and only love. He knew he had broken her heart years ago and was sure she still resented him for it, but to associate herself with whomever was after them wasn’t like her. Tsume’s mind was raging an internal battle with his instincts; one telling him to embrace her, the other telling him to remain alert for danger. “What are you doing here?”

Still ignoring the others that surround the child, T’yang smiled gently. “I’ve come for you, Tsume. I know I ran away…I should have stayed. But I was angry, I was hurt.” She paused when the emotions threatened to betray her. She fought them down and continued speaking, allowing the other Magi to get into position within the dark shielding she provided for them. “I came back for you.” There was not lies in what she said, she just didn’t reveal the entirety of the situation. As she spoke, she deliberately made it sound as if she were seeking forgiveness, as if begging him to understand. But it was all a lie. She wanted him to be off guard. She was fast and deadly, but he was her match and she didn’t know him and his ability as she once did.

She… wants to come back to me? After all this time she… No… It still doesn’t add up. How did she know where to find us? Slowly, his mind was beginning to adhere to his instincts as holes began to appear in her words. He had to know for sure, the more time that was wasted; the more time a trap was able to be set. It was not something he wanted to do, but he had to know, he had to test the wound in her heart to see if it was as healed as she claimed it was or if it still felt the pain from the memory accompanied with it. “So,” he said, his voice shaking slightly as he fought out the words that could hurt the one he loved, “you are here to forgive me for picking my life as a Temple Monk over a life with you?”

And there it was. The direct question she’d feared he would ask. It was easy to lie when one could skirt the issue. But, Tsume’s question made her think hard about how to answer him. “I am here to give it another try between us, yes.” She hedged gracefully. Finally, T’yang let her eyes drop to the girl standing so close behind Tsume. She was almost surprised by the very ordinariness of the child. Surely, the true Goddess would stand out in some way? It only strengthened her resolve to free Tsume of his delusions. Looking back to Tsume, she sighed softly and began to approach him slowly. “You have a life that waits for you, Tsume. One I would be a part of. If you’ll simply reach out to take it.” Her voice had dropped to a pleading whisper. She prayed he would make this easy. That he’d acquiesce to the desires of his heart.

As she approached, Tsume felt himself wanting to go to her and experience the life he had passed up once before. It was a decision he had doubted countless times and now he was being presented with another chance. He glanced back and could see the uncertain expressions of the others, coming to rest upon Raewyn before turning back to T’yang. He let out a heavy sigh, knowing that others were still relying upon him for guidance and protection. It wasn’t his sense of duty that made up his mind. The people who stood behind him, protecting his back, were friends that were counting on him. “I’m sorry, but I cannot. I have sworn my loyalty to these people who have fought by my side and follow me through this journey.” Tsume stood strong and resolute with his decision, his voice giving no hint of doubt. “I must see this through to the end before I can give in to my own personal desires.”

Twice! He’d rejected her twice! T’yang’s hatred rose within her, threatening to choke her. Gritting her teeth as she fought for self-control, the veil of shadows she’d used to hide the other Magi became visibly transparent. T’yang looked from Tsume to Raewyn and back once more then made a fateful decision. “Very well, Tsume. If you won’t free yourself. I will do it for you.” To the horror of her allies, T’yang had dropped her shield of darkness around them prematurely. But, worse, they watched as she snapped her razor-sharp steel fans open and pivoting on the ball of her foot, danced around Tsume’s broad shoulder intent on separating Raewyn’s head from her shoulders.

That was the reaction Tsume had anticipated and it was the one he despised himself for coaxing. She gave him no other option. In the brief moment his attention moved to the now revealed adversaries, he heard the click of her weapons preparing to shed blood and he knew who the target would be. He could practically feel her presence as she danced around him to strike down the Goddess, which only made targeting that much easier. Before she had a chance to bring the weapons upon Raewyn, a pillar of earth sprung from the ground and slammed into her side like a massive stone fist that shoved her dozens of yards away before collapsing under its own weight.

“Loki, Alco, protect Raewyn! Everybody else, take the fight to them!”

With the enemy revealed and objectives defined, Tsume charged his lover intent on keeping her on the defensive so she cannot make another attempt upon the Goddess’ life though he doubted that he had the will to land a debilitating blow against her.

[Silvan Arrow]

The waves of unchecked emotions pouring from Raewyn staggered Eri as much as physical blows. Her ears started ringing, and her head throbbed with the intensity of a migraine. She scrunched her eyes shut and brought one hand up to her temple out of reflex as a grunt of pain escaped her lips. Slowly, the splitting headache subsided thanks to Loki’s calming influence over the Goddess. Eri threw up mental barriers to block the last tendrils of Raewyn’s emotions so she could survey the situation. Arashi crouched over the huddled forms of Loki and Raewyn, his wings forming a protective canopy over them. Eri could feel that Raewyn’s emotions had agitated him too, as he continually glanced from side to side, glaring at anyone who tried to come too close and screeching a warning. Right now, all he could think about was that the Goddess was in danger, Eri’s student was with her, and he had to protect them from everyone, including potential allies.

Eri slowly approached her Summon and laid a hand on his side, using her touch to transmit calming, rational thoughts. With a start, she discovered that he had completely shut down all his mental pathways, effectively shutting her out as well. His primal instincts had risen to the forefront in response to Raewyn’s distress, which meant he could turn on anyone in a moment’s notice. “Easy…” she spoke aloud. “It’s me, Eri. We’re with friends.” The lethal edge in Arashi’s eyes subsided, but he didn’t relax out of his crouch, just in case any outside threats still lingered outside of the group. However, she breathed a sigh of relief at feeling his thoughts open up to hers again. ‘She’s getting more powerful than I expected,’ Eri thought grimly. Without even trying, Raewyn had rendered Arashi completely unresponsive to his own Summoner. A worst-case scenario briefly flashed through Eri’s thoughts. If Raewyn intentionally tried as she came into her powers, she could probably command Arashi on her own and override Eri’s influence.

Eri forced those thoughts to the back of her mind and instead focused on Raewyn’s rushed explanation of what she had seen. Her story seemed so far-fetched and impossible that at first she didn’t want to believe it. ‘What do you think, Arashi?’

By now, he had regained control and continued to shield Loki and Raewyn to provide a sense of security for the young Goddess. I sense no falsehood or deceit in her words. However, as she described the creature, Arashi actually started to tremble.

‘What is it?’ Eri asked in alarm.

She has not completely mastered her fear and continues to broadcast her thoughts unknowingly. I can see the images through her mind’s eye.

‘Show me.’ She felt Arashi reluctantly comply, and she actually gasped and staggered backward as the image of this…monster seared itself in her memory. She bumped into something and whirled around in surprise, only to freeze as she met Jake’s eyes for a split second. “S-sorry…” For once, she forgot about her spat with him and just tried to master the fear that no doubt showed on her face. She turned to Tsume and spoke, silently cursing herself that her voice trembled ever so slightly. “She speaks the truth, Tsume. Arashi picked up her mental images of Ian and the creature while she was regaining control of her powers. He…showed me what she saw.” She shivered again as she recalled the image of that terrifying monster. ‘No wonder she’s so scared,’ she thought.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Eri didn’t have guard duty that night, so she spent the night tossing and turning and occasionally mumbling in her sleep. Images of the creature scattered with visions of battles and fires plagued her dreams. However, the horrific images of her comrades betraying her were thankfully absent. She also felt significantly better emotionally after speaking her peace to Owen and seeing the tension ease between him and Loki. And Tal’s infectious sense of humor was like a breath of fresh air after all the disagreements and tension from the past few days. Eri tried to keep a poker face most of the time, but even she couldn’t help cracking a smile or a laugh when he and Tsume swapped stories around the campfire the next night. She also saw a different, light-hearted side of Tsume as he laughed and carried on with the older Summoner.

As for Arashi, he carried no trace of whatever had happened to render him unresponsive while protecting Raewyn. In fact, he didn’t even remember the incident, other than the Goddess had been frightened and he had tried to help. He was secretly thrilled to have yet another Summon companion and would often perch on Darren’s back in companionable silence when the group stopped to rest. Eri kept him out more often to scout for ambushes from the sky as they neared the leyline, so he had plenty of chances to converse with his fellow Summons.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The next day, as the group crossed into the leyline, Eri suddenly felt her Essence reserves increase dramatically, and her body literally hummed with the extra power flowing through her veins. Gale Cleaver leaped into her hands with the faintest whisper of a thought, and tendrils of air started swirling around the blade and her hands as her User abilities were magnified. She took a deep breath and felt the air fill her lungs and hum through her body with an almost electric current; the sensation was positively intoxicating.

Her renewed sense of vitality leaked across her bond with Arashi, who was flying overhead keeping watch. Mistress…this power… Eri watched through their shared vision as his size and strength also increased in a matter of seconds. By her estimation, his height had increased from his usual six feet at the wingjoints to nine feet. However, the thrill of this increased power also raised concern. If they ran into enemy Saturates here, which was practically a given, they would also have increased abilities.

Loki, however, distracted Eri from her musings. He was, for lack of a better term, glowing, thanks to his guardian wings. Eri cracked a half-smile in amusement at her student’s somewhat embarrassed expression but quickly snapped to alertness when a tendril of fear from the Goddess leaked past her barriers. ‘Arashi, to me. Quickly.’ The eagle immediately complied and dived from the sky to land silently in a flanking position behind Eri, Loki, and Raewyn, his wings half-spread in a shielding gesture.

What Eri didn’t expect was for Tsume to actually know the woman who melted out of the shadows to face them. “T’yang… Is that you?” As he and the woman exchanged words, she quickly put the pieces together behind their shared past. Apparently they had been lovers before Tsume chose his life as a Temple Monk. Oh, such a cruel twist of fate that they had to face each other now… Sensing a fight was eminent, Eri sank deeper into a battle crouch with Gale Cleaver held in front of her while she scanned the area for other threats. Surely this T’yang was not so foolish as to come here alone. But where were her allies? The answer became all too apparent as some of the shadows flickered out of existence revealing a whole new group of Saturates. In a matter of seconds, the battle was underway. Tsume summoned a pillar of earth to repel T’yang’s initial attack aimed at the Goddess and charged, spear in hand.

“Loki, Alco, protect Raewyn! Everybody else, take the fight to them!”

Eri itched to spring into action, but she didn’t want to just charge recklessly without a target. She saw several enemy Saturates lurking in the trees, and one wrong move could let them gang up on her at once. And while she trusted Loki and Alco to keep Raewyn safe, Eri didn’t want to leave her unprotected for longer than necessary since Tsume had already begun his battle. Therefore, she held her position for a few split seconds while she waited for the right opportunity, or for one of their foes to single her out.

Eri locked eyes briefly with Owen, Tal, and Jake, as if assuring both her and them that she had their backs. Her gaze lingered on Jake for a half second longer. ‘If we both survive this battle, I swear I’ll at least try to make things right again,’ she vowed silently.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Arina Motkova smirked in sadistic pleasure. This plan couldn’t have worked out better. With the Temple Monk distracted and clearly lovesick and T’yang shielding the others from sight, they would have no trouble springing the trap. Her clear blue eyes sparkled in anticipation on a face too young to have experienced the things that she already had since becoming a Saturate, and Essence rose in her body as the moisture in the air began to freeze around her hands.

Then the plan went awry. Whatever Tsume said to T’yang clearly got under her skin because the shield suddenly flickered out of existence as she unfurled her fans with a deadly click and charged for the Goddess with every intention of killing her. The sixteen-year old cursed silently under her breath; so much for T’yang’s reputation for self-control. The goal was to capture the Goddess, not kill her! At least she would stick to her part of the plan. Arina's long blonde hair whipped silently behind her as she stuck to the shadows and crept towards the group, searching for a suitable target. Honestly, this group looked more like a beat-up, ragtag assortment of half-trained Saturates than seasoned warriors. She noticed the female Summoner with the eagle and wished she could watch Jasper and Kuresh make fried chicken out of them.

Finally she spotted what looked like a fun battle – a scruffy older man with a giant rhino for a Summon. Yes, they would entertain her most delightfully. She giggled childishly and casually skipped out of the shadows, her arms swinging at her side like a rag doll. Grinning innocently at the Summoner, she spoke in a deceptively playful tone of voice, which was only betrayed by the lethal intent in her eyes. “You look like fun. I hope you’ll play with me for a while.” Facing the Summoner, she held her hand palm-up in front of her face and blew gently. Hundreds of shards of ice crystals the size of hailstones, as if frozen by her breath, shot forward like daggers towards the man and his rhino. From Arina’s perspective, the game had begun. The question was how long she would be able to play with her new toy.

[quakernuts]

Jake had spent a little time getting to know Tal, acting as he normally did before this whole adventure began. His comments were cocky, sometimes smartass, but all made in good fun. If Tal took any of these comments personally he either didn't show it, or Jake didn't notice. Jake had watched carefully as Eri, Loki, and Owen all left to go into the forest. He wasn't happy about it, and felt like he should have stopped it, but he let it go. If anyone was qualified to make sure Owen didn't do anything stupid, then it was Eri. Jake returned to listening to Tal and Tsume reminisce about times past, and couldn't help but laugh at the development of Tsume's lighter side.

It wasn't until the Goddess started screaming that they broke up. It was weird, to Jake at least, to how the scream sounded. There had been no intake of air, or even a warning that she was about to scream. It seemed that she was halfway through it before everyone turned towards her. Jake let the thought go, he didn't want to over-think anything right now, and simply pulled his axe from it's holster, but held it at his side rather than the ready. He hadn't sensed anyone nearby, and with veterans and summons nearby, only the most skilled would have been able to even get close. Owen, Eri, and Loki all came flying out of the forest, all concerned for the well being of the Goddess. Eri ordered Loki to Raewyn's side, and then it hit him like a hammer.

The emotions flooding into his mind caused him to grip the bridge of his nose and squeeze as he threw up mental barriers to attempt to shut out all the extra power seeping from the Goddess as Loki did his best to calm her. Jake took deep breathes to avoid letting the emotions somehow convince him they were his own, and soon the headache stopped, and he looked back at Raewyn. As she started to slowly calm down, she tried to explain what happened. When she mentioned something about time stopping, Jake shot a glance over at Owen, but immediately realized that it was impossible for him to do such a thing. His power had only been self-enhancing, so he let the thought of betrayal fade away.

When she started to mention the monster, Jake flipped the axe upside down, planted it in the dirt, and used it as a leaning post. A confused expression took place on his face, and he wanted to say 'bullshit' but dare not, since whatever she had seen had scared her enough to let the bleed out of emotions nearly cripple him with a headache. As the description ended, Eri seemed to get frightened by something, and backed right into him. As she whirled around to see what she had bumped into, Jake simply raised an eyebrow. "S-Sorry" She said, which was enough for him to tell she had actually been frightened by something. She never would have said that to him had she been in her right mind. She turned to the others to confirm what Raewyn was saying through her link with Arashi. Well, that was enough proof for Jake to understand it was real and had happened, but what was he supposed to do about it. After all, he had been frozen in time when this had happened apparently, so he didn't feel he could rightly defend against it. For now, the situation had defused itself, and Jake returned his axe to it's holster and his smile to his face.

---

Around the campfire that night, Jake couldn't help but continue to laugh at the exploits of Tsume and Tal. They seemed like the oddest set of partners you would ever see, but it was obvious they got along well, and had fought beside each other before. When it came to the story of pushing Darren out of the mud, Jake made a passing comment about how he could have lifted the Rhino out himself, but he doubted anyone even noticed it. It didn't matter, sooner or later, he was going to prove it, if only to himself. As the night died on, and the welcome change of pace in attitude lifted the spirits of everyone, Jake resigned himself to guard duty. It was his turn again, and even though he dreaded not getting much sleep before the possible big fight tomorrow, he also rejoiced in the fact that his dreams would not return to haunt him any time soon.

As he sat there, looking out into the forest to catch any signs of movement, he had his axe in one hand and his boot in the other carefully leaning against a tree. A look of concentration was seen on his face as he slowly moved the axe against the sole of his boot. "J....JA....JAK....JAKE..." As he finished cutting his name into the bottom of his boot, he stopped to make sure there was no mistake, and that it was deep enough to imprint into something, say, like a face. He replaced the boot onto his foot, and stepped into the ground lightly. The word was faint, but it was there, and with more force, would become obviously apparent. A cocky smile lit up his face as his axe hung limply by his side. Why didn't I think of that sooner?

---

The next day, after having gotten just the minimum amount of sleep, the group started to cross into the leyline. Jake had been here before, so when veins started to bulge in his arms, along with getting slightly bigger, he was not concerned or even surprised. He looked about to see the summons getting larger, and Eri's weapon start to fade in and out with her wind power circulating around the blade. Jake heard Loki's voice, and looked back at the boy. His wings were positively glowing, and Jake couldn't help but let a laugh loose. They looked so cool, and he was complaining that they wouldn't go invisible. "So what, I've been itching for a fight for days, this will just make it happen sooner!" It was about this time that Jake saw a fleck of dirt somehow levitate past his face. He raised an eyebrow as he watched it go, then saw another, and another, and another. As he looked down, he saw that the bits of earth were actually circling him. "huh..." He grabbed one, and threw it to the ground only to have another raise up to take it's place. He simply shrugged and continued walking with the group. At least he wasn't a walking beacon like the little one behind him.

Jake saw the subtle movement of Raewyn tugging on Tsume's robes, and readied his weapon and adopted a cautious stance. Sure, he was foolhardy and reckless, but not until he actually saw his enemy. It wasn't until Tsume stopped dead in his tracks that Jake got a good look at who was tracking them. "T'yang?...Is that you?" Really? Now you know some random chick who wanders out from behind a tree where we are expecting an attack? Jake thought this to himself, but didn't say anything. She didn't look like she could handle herself well in a straight up fight, but then again, few did when it came from Jake's point of view. As Tsume and T'yang talked back and forth, Jake tried his best to reveal the positions of others behind her. This was an obvious set up, even to Jake, and he wanted to find something to fight. Jake turned back to the conversation just in time to hear the last little bit.

"I must see this through to the end before I can give in to my own personal desires."

"Oh bitch, you just got rejected with a capitol R!" Was all Jake had time to say before T'yang replied to Tsume's comment.

"Very well Tsume. If you won't free yourself, I'll do it for you." Instantly Jake knew what was happening, and made to step in front, but she was a lot faster than she looked. She pivoted around Tsume, aiming her razor fans at Raewyn, only to be stopped by Tsume's earth manipulation.

"Oh, rejected twice! That has to hurt emotionally, and now, physically!" Jake looked into the forest where T'yang had been moments before, and now saw the crowd of saturates ready to fight them. Jake let out a laugh, and took a step forward, letting Tsume deal with the woman and ignoring his words but still following his commands.

"Alright my little assassin bitches, who's first?! My boot is signed, and ready to give out free autographs to my finest fans!" A man stepped from the shadows, seemingly frail to Jake, but from what T'yang demonstrated, would obviously be skilled. Jake let a half smile form on his face that looked more evil than anything. "Your funeral!" Jake holstered his axe, and flexed his hands slightly. Instantly armour covered his body, and even though he was using the lighter form of it, it felt thicker. Most likely from the excess essence around here, but he wasn't about to think about that. His arms transformed into spikes as his green glowing eyes looked right at the man. "Please put up at least a half decent fight, I don't want to get bored!" Jake let a little laugh leave him before he started charging across the battlefield to reach his target.

---

Jasper watched in disgust as T'yang used her past with the leader of the group as a weapon. It was such a backhanded way to do anything, and also a weak one. If the leader of the group, labelled as Tsume, had half a brain. He could easily use their past as a weapon himself. He scoffed, but didn't bother to say anything to anyone else. They were all Udonis's champions, but Jasper cared little for the others, and even less for T'yang since she was only contracted to for the attack. So long as he got his money and power that he was promised, he simply didn't care who lived and who died. When Jasper looked up he saw the slight hesitation as Tsume stated the right question to the wrong statement. Jasper's eyes narrowed, but it was hard to tell since his brow often overshadowed his eyes.

She is a fool. A thought entered his mind, and the raspy, venomous tone to it was very hard to mistake for anything else. Kuresh had yet to actually be summoned, but his very being was still held inside Jasper, and he could see what Jasper could see.

I agree, but until we reveal ourselves, she is necessary.

I don't need an advantage! Let me loose, and I will kill them, and her just as an example!

No, she can be used to distract some of the combatants. Rag tag as they are, they are very skilled. The portfolios made that clear. There was a moment hesitation as the conversation seemed to take a turn for the worse. Jasper scowled as he saw what was about to happen. On second thought, I will let you kill her after this is all over. The shadow fell prematurely and T'yang moved to attack. It was reckless, and emotionally induced. Jasper held his rifle in his hand, letting it hang and nearly touching the ground with the barrel. As he looked, he saw a woman with a very large eagle, and Jasper could feel Kuresh's disdain in his mind. In his mind, any summon that wasn't as large as him, was immediately worthless.

Let us kill the girl, and show her what a real summon can do! Jasper simply nodded his head, and walked towards the woman, his head held slightly low, and his eyes completely masked in shadow. His face remained stoic and grim as she looked towards him, her sword held at the ready and her summon ready to attack on a moment's notice. Suddenly, a pair of red eyes glowed from the shadows of the trees appeared a few feet above Jasper's head behind him. Kuresh stepped into view, his black scales absorbing any and all light and making them both seem darker than was physically possible. Jasper saw the slight hesitation take place in the woman, the portfolio placing her as Eri Kiryakov.

Smoke floated out of Kuresh's nostrils, and without warning, launched a wave of fire at Eri and Arashi. To their credit, they were incredibly fast, and easily dodged the fire. The eagle launched itself at Kuresh, who was taken back by the quick recovery. Kuresh, however, was stronger, and after several attempts, managed to bat the creature away while Jasper took aim at Eri and let loose with his repeater rifle. Rounds flew through the air as he calmly took aim and made sure to keep the distance between him, and cover only a few feet away. Supposedly she was better in close quarters, but reports also indicated wind manipulation. How that was possible, he didn't care, he only didn't want to be cut in half by a blade of air slicing him through. Kuresh launched himself ahead, intent on taking the eagle on while Jasper worked on keeping Eri pinned behind a tree.

Easy money...

[Silvan Arrow]

Eri

Within a matter of seconds, chaos had erupted in the clearing as members of the group broke away to take on individual opponents. Tsume was already locked in battle with T’yang, Jake summoned his armor and charged another man, and Tal was under siege from a young girl wielding ice. Eri considered trying to back up one of them on the off chance that they had the enemy out-numbered and started to inch toward Tal.

That’s when it hit.

A wave of Essence more powerful than any she had ever felt, barring the occasional waves of unchecked emotion from Raewyn, blasted her senses like a freight train and nearly brought her to her knees from the intense throbbing in her skull. This presence felt…evil, like a poison that slowly seeped through her veins and chilled her to the bone.

Mistress... Eri followed Arashi’s mental prompt to see a blonde-haired young man striding out of the forest towards her, his gaze downcast. At first, he wasn’t much to look at. At a glance she could tell that he was shorter than her, with a wirey frame and numerous burns marring his face. However, the thick, suffocating aura that shrouded him like a cloud was unmistakable and even more potent than Tal and Darren’s.

Eri and Arashi tensed in unison, knowing an attack was imminent. ‘Be ready for anything. We don’t know what powers he has.’ As if on cue, a pair of eyes glowing red-hot like coals appeared above the man’s head, and a massive Summon melted out of the shadows, its black scales drawing in the light like a vacuum. Eri’s eyes widened in shock. ‘A dragon…’ The beast’s red eyes pinned her in place, like a predator sizing up his prey, as smoke rolled from its nostrils. Despite Arashi’s growth spurt, the dragon was still larger and covered in heavily armored scales. ‘This won’t be easy.’

This new Summoner wasted no words or time on taunting remarks. Instead, his dragon suddenly unleashed a lethal jet of fire at Eri and Arashi. ‘Watch out!’ Eri dived to the left and rolled so that she landed on one knee, Gale Cleaver at the ready, while Arashi flew over the blaze and launched himself at the dragon with an enraged shriek. He may have been a bit smaller, but he was twice as angry and fully intent on protecting his mistress. He managed to catch the dragon off-guard with the sudden attack and scored a few hits on the beast’s face and neck with beak and talon, though none of the injuries were serious enough to do much damage. As the two Summons exchanged blows, Arashi managed to glean two names that leaked unchecked from the dragon’s mind and passed them along to Eri: Jasper and Kuresh.

Meanwhile, Jasper unloaded with his repeater rifle, forcing Eri to take cover behind a sturdy oak tree. He was definitely a seasoned warrior judging from the way he deliberately took aim instead of wasting rounds haphazardly. ‘Well, he’s not the only seasoned warrior around,’ Eri thought fiercely as she drew her father’s sword with her right hand and held Gale Cleaver in her left. But first she had to take care of that pesky rifle. Facing Jasper while keeping the tree between them, she raised both swords above her head, summoned wind, and slammed the blades against the ground as hard as she could on either side of the trunk. “AAAAHHHH!!!!” Twin shockwaves of slicing wind erupted from the impact and raced toward Jasper, dragging gale-force gusts in their wake. Eri followed with a head-on charge and could see that the wind had blown the rifle out of Jasper’s hands and smashed it against another tree.

Before she could close the distance and force Jasper into close-range combat, Arashi’s mental warning echoed through her thoughts. Mistress, duck! Eri flung herself backward as another punishing jet of fire ignited the ground between her and Jasper. Somehow Kuresh had managed to force Arashi off him and simultaneously keep Eri away from his Summoner. Eri realized that she and Arashi didn’t stand a chance as long as the fight continued on the ground. The thick stands of trees restricted Arashi’s movements moreso than Kuresh, and the dragon could quite easily roast another of her comrades if he kept spouting fire like that. It was risky, but they needed to fight this battle on their terms, and that meant taking to the sky.

Needing a distraction, Eri flung her swords to the ground again, aiming one shockwave at Jasper and one at Kuresh. ‘Arashi, to me!’ He screeched in compliance and flew low to the ground in the wake of the shockwaves so she could fling herself onto his back. She crouched low between his shoulder blades and held on tight as he nimbly arrowed his way through the dense forest canopy and into the mid-afternoon sky. She and Arashi joined their mental voices and forced a message into Jasper and Kuresh’s thoughts, knowing they were literally taunting death.

‘Come! Dance the skies with the eagle if you dare!’

[Digital Muse]

T’yang was flung away from Raewyn, her fans whirring dangerously close to the young Goddess’ hair when the Earth fist slammed into T’yang’s ribs. The young assassin landed on her back heavily and she kept rolling to come up on one knee behind a shield of steel fans. Who had dared to interfere? Not one of the Magi. None controlled the Earth. Her dark eyes narrowed as she looked back to Tsume just as he charged her. She knew how to handle his head on assaults.

Rising fluidly, she met his charge in a whirl of steel fans. She gave ground, redirecting the force of his blows. She retreated, bent like a willow, deflected his thrusts to the side. Each time he came within range, she cut him with the edge of her fans. “Don’t force me to do this, Tsume.” She gritted out under a new flurry of attacks. “Please, just come with me. We can forget all this.”

When Tsume just kept coming at her, T’yang murmured a gentle phrase, almost prayer-like in its feel. Darkness slithered from everywhere and coalesced around T’yang. Gentle urging formed the inky darkness into the enormous, vaguely humanoid form. At her command, the darkness reached out with a huge imitation on her own fans sliced through the air where Tsume had been standing only seconds before. T’yang and her dark construct began to circle Tsume, entrapping him in a whirling cage of sharp, deadly war fans. T’yang cried out with near joy at the power she was filled with. “Tsume! You were always stronger….but always failed before me in the end. You know you cannot hope to defeat me in this place. Not anymore. Not ever! Lay down your weapons and come to me!”

[Loki]

Tsume was glad to see that her skills in combat hadn’t waned as she deftly parried his lunges. His goal was to keep T’yang focused on him rather than the Goddess, hoping he would make her see reason. If that meant he had to absorb the shallow cuts from her counter attacks, then so be it. Raising his weapon against the one he loved was hard enough, but if he were to land a significant blow then he wouldn’t be able to forgive himself.

“Don’t force me to do this, Tsume. Please, just come with me. We can forget all this.”

“That’s just it,” The monk said as he moved to avoid one of T’yang’s counters, only to be caught on the wrist by the slightest of margins as a small trickle of blood seeped from the wound. “I can’t forget about this. These people are depending on me to get them through this and I cannot simply let the Goddess fall into the hands of people who wish to corrupt her! Can you not see that this thing is bigger than us? Even if I did run off with you, we would be living on borrowed time until another corrupt Goddess came to power.”

The movement of shadow caught the corner of his eye and he instantly switched into a defensive position until he knew what T’yang was up to. Tsume managed to tumble back before the construct could fully bring around its attack. With his spear held up in a defensive pose, he watched as the pair encircled him in a torrent of blades, poised to deflect and react.

“Tsume! You were always stronger….but always failed before me in the end. You know you cannot hope to defeat me in this place. Not anymore. Not ever! Lay down your weapons and come to me!”

“Listen to yourself T’yang! Are you truly so eager to end my life?! All because you want to be the only thing in my life?!” Focusing his fury though his spear, Tsume slammed the butt of his weapon into the ground at his feet, causing the earth to ripple like the surface of a pond. The sudden shifting ground caused T’yang and her construct to stagger for balance, providing the opening Tsume needed. He expertly spun his spear to bring it to bear and lunged forward with a powerful thrust that caught T’yang center of mass. It would have surely been a lethal blow had he used the tip of his weapon rather than the butt. Tsume didn’t wait for T’yang to fall back before continuing his assault. He jumped back, tucking into a lateral flip bringing the edge of his spear blade to meet the nape of the constructs neck cutting diagonally across its torso. Against a person, it would have struck just about every major organ, but against the construct, it just left a deep mark within the shadow’s form as it writhed in apparent agony.

“Why are you doing this, T’yang?” Tsume said as he stepped towards her, weapon ready to defend rather than attack. ”Why do you side with the people who desire to kill me and those whom I vowed to look after?”

[Guilty Carrion]

With a snicker, Tal watched Darren and Arashi ‘bond’ before looking to Eri as she stammered an apology. “Not to worry, Miss Eri. He’s far too lazy to care about yer bi-Eagle. Eagle.” He raised his hands in a placating manner towards the summons, before watching Eri head off with two others to go have a ‘chit-chat’. Probably important. Just like learning what was going on. With that in mind, he let Tsume begin.

Tal took in Tsume’s story quickly, never once interrupting, nor asking him to repeat. Stories were something he had learnt to remember, and to remember fast. Many years wandering had taught him that a good tale was as good as a wad of cash with some folks, and he had taken it upon himself to gather quite the collection. As the monk concluded, he drew a breath to speak, only for a deafening scream to shatter the still from nowhere, not only for his ears but it seemed in his mind as well.

Thick pulses washed over him, sending adrenaline dumping into his veins and tensing every muscle in his body for a fight, even though there seemed to be no cause for this sudden panic at all. Heart thumping in his chest, the vagabond forced his gaze over to the others, watching them fall into a protective circle around her, searching for the source of her distress. A heavy stomp from Darren drew his attention, as the summon hurried over to his side, although the normally calm beast obviously had been spooked, but was fighting the effects as best it could.

Even as the scream itself subsided, the shrill sound ringed in his head, pulsing and pounding and crashing about like a tempest. Tal dropped to his knees, pressing his thick hands over his ears, just before
His helmet flared up around his head in some vain effort to keep the ‘sound’ out, but it kept rushing back the moment it ‘vanished’.

“-al! It…th…godde…focu…” His summon’s voice flickered in and out of his mind, struggling to be heard over the ever dominant ‘sound’. Slowing his breaths down, the summoner dropped his hands to the ground, small beads of sweat dripping off his face. Darren came to a stop by his side, rubbing the man’s side with his nose in a strange attempt at a soothing rub. “Are you alright, my friend?”

After another moment or two of silence, Tal placed a hand on the rhino’s snout and chuckled. “Aye. Just a little…shaken s’all.” His legs nearly buckled as he rose to his feet, although his ears were focused in on the perplexing ramblings of the young goddess, followed by the confirmation from both Owen and Eri.

Well…let’s hope she stays calm the next time…I dunno if I could handle another burst o’ that any time soon.

_____________________________________________________________________________________


The mood improved quickly, after Raewyn had finally calmed down and the group had a chance to unwind. Almost immediately, Tsume started launching into stories of their past encounters, spinning tales of their battles and work, earning more than a few laughs from the memories. Tal found himself lost in the reminiscing, and joking, thought the warmth of the fire didn’t help any either.

The mud story came up, a warmly remembered classic from one of their earlier meetings, and Tal fought off chuckles as Tsume regaled the others with his drunken shenanigans.

“You should have seen the look on his face when he fell face first while trying to push Darren." The monk said through gasps of laughter. "It took him weeks to get all the clumps of mud out of his hair!”

"As I recall it, ye were right there in the mud beside me, Buddeh. I tell ya, shoulda left the mud on yer head. Made ya look like a young man with a head full of hair." The memory of the stack nearly sent him sprawling in a fit of laughter, but he managed to contain himself to a low thunderous laugh.

“I much prefer the convenience of a clean shaven head.” He said, running his hand over his scalp realizing he had not shaved it since their journey began as he felt the layer of dark stubble. “Though not everybody can grow it like you. You’re sporting three days worth of growth now, aren’t ya?”

"Ha! Only two! And don't be hard on yerself. I can thank ma daddy for this." He grinned wide, stroking the length of his beard as he laughed. It was well known by the friends of the Kaperray family that, without fail, the men would be shaggier than a dog, and there was nothing that could be done to stop it. Potent family traits, his father always called it. His mother didn’t care much for what it was called, so long as it was kept tidy.

As the stories died down, and the fire started to fade, the group slowly began to turn in for the night, and, despite wanting to help out and take watch, Tal found himself leaning against the dozing form of Darren, eyes slowly flickering shut. Musta…been all the… A long yawn escaped him, as his eyes closed. Excitement…

_____________________________________________________________________________________

The walk to the leyline had been uneventful, although earlier on in the walk he had noticed a slight sag in the young goddess’s step, as she tried her best to maintain her speed with all the ‘seasoned’ folks around her. He slowed down beside her, and gave the small girl a smile. “We still gotta ways to go yet. ‘Ow about I put ye up on Darren’s back so ya can rest yer feet for a little bit, aye?”

She had practically tackled him with glee, and the vagabond laughed before hoisting her up onto Darren’s back, only for the rhino to grow astronomically moments after he settled the goddess in. “Darren…I thought ye were big before but…ye gotta watch what yer eating, ma friend.” As they continued on, Tal found it slowly starting to get harder and harder, and harder to lift his legs. He began to sag behind the group, despite his best efforts to keep up, and before long they had a noticeable lead on him.

“What did I eat for breakfast? Lead? Rocks? A mountain?!” As the group came to a sudden stop, he forced himself forward to catch up, and by the time he reached them, he was already panting heavily. “Ye…guys…need to…slow down…I’m not in the best shape…” He choked out, before glancing forward to see what had caused them to stop. Tsume seemed spellbound, as he and the mysterious woman exchanged words, but there was something…odd about this situation.

Why was there a woman that Tsume obviously knew (and likely cared a great deal for) standing out in the middle of the woods for no apparent reason? Had they just stumble across her? Was she looking for the monk? Darren snorted cautiously, letting Tal know that the young goddess was no longer atop his back, instead by the side of Loki. Before he could think another thought though, all hell broke loose. The woman lunged forward, only to be stopped by Tsume’s lightning fast earth attack, as he bellowed the order to charge.

A lone man zeroed in on Eri, before a massive black form emerged from the woods, making even the titanic form of Darren look average in comparison. “By the breath of the north wind…” He muttered, before a young girl bounced out before him. Blinking once or twice in surprise, he took a step towards her. “Hey! It’s not safe here, little miss! You should get out of here bef-”

“You look like fun. I hope you’ll play with me for a while.”

Ivory eyes full of confusion, he watched as she seemingly began to blow him a kiss…only for his jaw to drop down slack as a barrage of hailstones solidified from thin air and rocketed towards him. “Oh bloody hell.” His helmet flared to life, along with a pair of dark gauntlets that covered the length of both his arms. He pushed back with his feet to try and get a better footing, only to find himself rocketing up into the air backwards. “Bloody hell!” Flailing wildly, the vagabond crashed roughly through several branches before landing on the ground some ways away from the clearing with a thud.

“That…that wasn’t supposed to happen.” Slowly picking himself off the ground, the summoner dismissed Darren before quickly resummoning him back to his side, although there was none of the usual exhaustion that accompanied it. “Alright…let’s see if we can’t work a little smoother this time, aye?” With crack of his neck, he shouldered his war hammer, and slowly started into the woods again, eyes vigilant for any sign of his wee assailant.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

The cloaked figure stood farthest away from T’yang, cold eyes watching the group as she spoke with the monk. Pale fingers drummed against the shaft of his scythe, picking his mark out from the protectors. Beneath his facial cover, Branom smiled, although it was far from a pleasant thing. If the contents of the dossier were correct, and he was extremely confident in the information, then Owen wouldn’t prove to be of any difficulty. In the back of his mind, a second set of senses fed him information, laying in wait for the order of its puppeteer.

A minor escalation in the voices brought his attention back to the present, and the Magi took a step forward, watching T’yang with cold, glowing eyes. Surely she wouldn’t risk the ambush for her petty feelings?

All she needs to do is g- His thoughts were interrupted by T’yang lunging past the monk and aiming at the goddess with her bladed war fan. Fool! You’ll ruin everything! He side-stepped in behind a tree as the darkness covering them vanished, keeping his location as much of a secret as possible, although most of the damage was done. Their ambush had just been ruined. Jasper and his dragon launched their attack head on, whilst Arina had taken to a more stealthy approach like him.

Tsume and T’yang traded blows, and the manipulator found he was silently rooting for the monk, hoping he would dispose of the problematic woman and save him the trouble. If she survives this day, I swear she won’t survive its night.

Pulling his sword free from its scabbard, the Magi swiftly darted behind another tree, slowly working his way round the group to reach the side that Owen occupied. The sounds of battle grew louder, as another of the defenders raced headlong into the fray. A ghostly chuckle slipped past his cracked lips, knowing the futility of their struggle. The Magi each had their mark, and knew full well how to defeat their given target. Their opponents were running blind, and straight into an inferno. Despite T’yang’s incompetence, there was little chance of failure.

As he neared, Branom’s gaze zeroed in on the target, taking note of Arina drawing away the rhino and his summoner. Perfect. One less cretin to worry about. Stepping into the light, he chuckled darkly at Owen, taking a long look at the man. “Isn’t it adorable to see the runt trying to fill his brother’s shoes? Tell me, Owen, how does it feel to know you’ll never be quite as good as him, hm? To know that he would have changed the world, if it wasn’t for you and an itchy trigger finger?” Laughing darkly, the Magi started back into the woods, eyes glinting darkly. “Everyday you bear his name is an insult to a great man. I shall enjoy removing your stain from his legacy, exile.”

Disappearing behind a tree, swift steps carried him deeper into the woods, hoping that his words would override the reason. Come now, little wretch…take the bait.

[Loki]

Loki couldn’t believe that there were people who had such power to be able to bend time itself to their will. The thought was very humbling as he listened to Raewyn’s account of what caused her to become overwhelmed by fear. And that creature… Is it possible that things that powerful are around us like that without us even knowing. If they are able to move between seconds, who’s to say that there aren’t dozens of them swarming around us at any given moment? That line of questioning sent a chill down his spine and he made an effort to keep his mind as far from such a notion as possible.

The stories over the campfires that night had served well to allow Loki to accomplish that goal. Once again, the group felt reunited with only a few exceptions. He had always wondered about Tsume, but never had the courage to ask. The way the two old friends went on brought a wide smile to Loki’s face; with such infectious laughter, how could it not? Loki had completely forgotten about what was to come the following day until Tsume concluded the night with the reminder. Even though the anxiety of what awaited them ran rampantly though his mind, the emotional assault Raewyn’s outbreak had laid on his mind left him more exhausted than he had expected and he slept soundly throughout the night.

---

A charge of raw energy shot up through Loki’s body the moment he crossed the invisible threshold into the leyline. It was unlike he had ever experienced before, the energy felt as clean and pure as if it were his own; a huge contrast to the energy that he felt when he absorbed the Essence man had managed to ‘refine’. Loki wasn’t sure if the others could feel the nuisances of the leyline’s radiating power like he could. It was exhilarating. He felt invincible with all the potential coursing through his body and he felt eager for confrontation.

It was then that he realized the light in his lower peripheries. When he looked down and seen his wings illuminating on their own his mind was taken aback and he had only managed one thought that was spoken aloud. “Uhhhh… Tsume?” He felt his face get hot as he noticed everybody turned towards him, each giving their own look of surprise. ”I can’t… ummm… they won’t go invisible.”

“Of course not, they are drawing the energy from the planet now… Do you usually keep them wrapped over your clothing like that?”

He could feel the heat in his face intensify and instinctually looked down to avoid eye contact lest he die from embarassment. ”It makes it easier to use them when speed is important… Plus the last time I had them underneath, I lost control of them and they shredded my clothes…”

“Ah. Is there any way you could hide them under your clothing?” Loki shook his head, feeling his blushing somehow increasing even more. ”Not when they are in this state, at least not without taking the time to take off my clothing and putting them back on over top. And the shredding thing should I need to use them…”

“Alright, don’t worry about it then. It’s better for you to be ready than to be hidden at this point.”

At least that was some level of comfort before they continued to walk. If Tsume felt that it was nothing to worry about, then he felt better about letting the wings do their thing. Plus, he doubted he could have hidden them even if he had tried.

---

Loki could feel his balance waver as he peaked out from behind the line as far as he could managed to get a look of T’yang. A woman capable of winning over Tsume’s love could not be left as a voice alone. Whatever past the two had together, it was painfully obvious that it didn’t end on good terms. When she pivoted around Tsume with amazing speed and grace, Loki hadn’t realized until it was too late that her intensions were to harm Raewyn. His body locked up as his mind tried to process what to do, knowing it was already too late for him to prevent the inevitable. All the while he was well aware of the revealed ambush and awaited for the tide of death to overtake them after the initial strike. It wasn’t until an earthen fist surged from the ground and sent T’yang hurtling back that he was able to release his breath and realize that the Magi were just as taken off guard as they had been.

“Loki, Alco, protect Raewyn! Everybody else, take the fight to them!”

No sooner had Tsume given the orders than everybody took to battle. Loki wanted to jump into the fray with the others, to put his heightened powers to the test and be of some help for a change. He wanted to prove to himself that his training had paid off and that he was as vital to the operation as any of the others. He wanted to prove that he was no longer the weakling he had been when this all began. Loki hadn’t realized that he had already drawn his katars and had assumed a ready stance at the side opposite to Alco.

The sound of conflict rang out at once as forces moved in to clash, the clearest of which was the barks of gunfire. That was when he felt it, the sensation of a sledgehammer catching Loki in the shoulder forcing him into a quarter turn as one of the rounds was caught by his natural armor. Before he could fully recover, he felt several impacts along his back as stray shards of ice also impacted his defenses. The cry of pain was caught in his throat by the second attack that robbed him of balance. Loki saw this as a blessing as he squared himself again, feeling his desire to fight increase with the hits he had already taken.

---

Several hundred yards away from the battlefield, Maeve sat in her usual trance pose. A fresh streak of blood was smeared over her forehead, using the life energy within to the one who shared a very similar energy. It wasn’t as good as having a sample of Raewyn’s blood, but a direct relative would more than suffice. She cast out the lines of her influence, guided by the link upon her brow and felt the tension of a successful connection. Raewyn… Maeve sent her thoughts through the bond along with the subtle energies that would coax the Goddess to sleep. It does not have to be this way. Join us and we can make all your desires come true.

---

Raewyn watched T’yang seemingly appear from nowhere and was shocked when Tsume addressed her. Tsume had a lost love? Oddly, she had a hard time thinking of the monk as human, despite the softening effects Tal had on the monk’s personality. She listened to the conversation between Tsume and T’yang and felt a pang of sadness at the heartbreak so evident in T’yang’s voice. She sensed the girl was using a lot of Essence…or was there more? She began to look around just as a burst of anger warned her of T’yang’s treachery.

Many things happened at once; the shield that had been hiding the other Magi dropped to reveal the entire confrontation to be a trap, and out of instinct, Raewyn ducked just barely in time to avoid having T’yang’s steel-edged fan from decapitating her. The rage, the insanity, the evil of the Magi and a summon rocked the young goddess.

Tsume slammed T’yang away from her with an Earthen fist and she was once more within the glowing protection of Loki’s wings, but this time with Alco backing him. She tried hard to keep her heart from hammering out of her chest. She felt the Magi, felt their abilities, felt their hatred, she knew what they did and how. Just as she sought to warn the others, she felt it. The caressing, inviting call to sleep. The dream weaver. Maeve was back! How tired she was suddenly. She just wanted to lay down…

---

Adrenaline continued to pump through his veins as Loki gritted his teeth, wanting to help the others in the fight. For a moment he had forgotten the reason why he had to remain. It was practically a smack to his face as his rational side reminded him of his duty. His head snapped around to make sure that somebody hadn’t taken advantage of the instant his attention was elsewhere. Loki let out a relieved breath when he saw that Raewyn was still there, but quickly realized that something wasn’t right. How could she be ready to sleep in a time like this?

“Raewyn! What’s wrong? Don’t fall asleep on me.”

[Digital Muse]

A co-Post between Loki and Digi

Several hundred yards away from the battlefield, Maeve sat in her usual trance pose. A fresh streak of blood was smeared over her forehead, using the life energy within to the one who shared a very similar energy. It wasn’t as good as having a sample of Raewyn’s blood, but a direct relative would more than suffice. She cast out the lines of her influence, guided by the link upon her brow and felt the tension of a successful connection. Raewyn… Maeve sent her thoughts through the bond along with the subtle energies that would coax the Goddess to sleep. It does not have to be this way. Join us and we can make all your desires come true.

Raewyn watched T’yang seemingly appear from nowhere and was shocked when Tsume addressed her. Tsume had a lost love? Oddly, she had a hard time thinking of the monk as human, despite the softening effects Tal had on the monk’s personality. She listened to the conversation between Tsume and T’yang and felt a pang of sadness at the heartbreak so evident in T’yang’s voice. She sensed the girl was using a lot of Essence…or was there more? She began to look around just as a burst of anger warned her of T’yang’s treachery.

Many things happened at once; the shield that had been hiding the other Magi dropped to reveal the entire confrontation to be a trap, and out of instinct, Raewyn ducked just in time to avoid having T’yang’s steel-edged fan from decapitating her. The rage, the insanity, the evil of the Magi and a summon rocked the young goddess.

Tsume slammed T’yang away from her with an Earthen fist and she was once more within the glowing protection of Loki’s wings, but this time with Alco backing him. She tried hard to keep her heart from hammering out of her chest. She felt the Magi, felt their abilities, felt their hatred, she knew what they did and how. Just as she sought to warn the others, she felt it. The caressing, inviting call to sleep. The dream weaver, Maeve, was back! How tired she was suddenly. She just wanted to lay down…

Adrenaline continued to pump through his veins as Loki gritted his teeth, wanting to help the others in the fight. For a moment he had forgotten the reason why he had to remain. It was practically a smack to his face as his rational side reminded him of his duty. His head snapped around to make sure that somebody hadn’t taken advantage of the instant his attention was elsewhere. Loki let out a relieved breath when he saw that Raewyn was still there, but quickly realized that something wasn’t right. How could she be ready to sleep in a time like this?

“Raewyn! What’s wrong? Don’t fall asleep on me.”

Hearing her name called by Loki, snapped Raewyn’s head up, her eyes frightened but alert once more. “The Dream Walker. She’s here too.” The girl scanned around, sniffing the air, but there were so many other people, Summons and torn up ground that she couldn’t find Maeve. She bit her lip not knowing what to do. Then suddenly, she made her decision. “Watch me, I’m going to find her.”

Without giving Loki much chance to argue, she sank to the ground on her knees and opened her mind to the woman, Maeve. The Dream Walker was there instantly. “I see you, Maeve.” Raewyn said. “I know you tell nothing but lies. You won’t control me. Not ever!” In her ‘dream’, Raewyn reached out experimentally and touched Maeve’s gown. It was real! She could feel it. Did that mean she could affect Maeve directly?

”Dream Walker?” Loki asked, having no idea what Raewyn was talking about.
________________________________________

A smirk spread across Maeve’s lips as she felt the Goddess’ mind reach back towards her own. When have I ever lied to you? Did you not get the power I promised you that very night? The others certainly seemed to have benefited from it, so I have no doubt that you’ve gained something even if it is less obvious. With a deep breath, Maeve drew in her focus and unleashed a glimpse of her true potential; something that is far more overwhelming than the more subtle style she began with. She could feel Raewyn’s mental presence lose its hold as the rush of fatigue nearly knocked her unconscious. Had it not been for the falling sensation of her wavering balance, she very well might have. By the way, Goddess. My mind is the epicenter of my abilities. The closer you get to it, the more you are at its mercy.
________________________________________

Two tendrils of light caught Raewyn by the shoulders, keeping her from falling to the ground while Loki remained poised to defend. “Raewyn, what’s going on? Is somebody out there trying to get inside of your head? Is that why you’re about to sleep, because of this Dream Walker?”.

Once again, it was Loki that kept her from falling under Maeve’s spell. In her mind, she saw the cruel smile on Maeve’s face and knew that what she said was true. But it also meant, that there was another way to get to the Dream Walker. Keeping her eyes closed, Raewyn nodded and described what she saw surrounding Maeve in quick, whispering words. Was Maeve strong enough to alter her surroundings as well as this link? She prayed not.

“You have to leave me Loki. You have to find her. I’ll keep her attention as best I can.”

Loki looked skeptical and torn, “I can’t leave you!.

Raewyn snorted in inpatience, “No time to argue You have to!”

“But…which way?”.

Raewyn lifted her hand and pointed toward the trees to the southwest. “That way…I can’t tell more.”

She delved back into the mind-scape where Maeve waited. She didn’t approach this time. She concentrated instead on the sounds of the battle. She heard the playful laughter of the Ice girl, the hiss of the dragon Summon and its companion. She sensed the quiet desperation of T’yang and then…there was another. One that was hidden and laying a trap.

She reached out with her mind to warn Owen. “Watch out! There are two of them over there!” She shouted in her mind.

[Silvan Arrow]

Arina

Arina couldn’t keep the wicked smirk off her face as her opponent, identified as Tal based from the profiles, went flying through the air screaming. However, something about the way he moved confused her. The reports had only described Summoning abilities, but that alone could not explain why or how he had gained so much altitude from his jump. Judging by his surprised cry, she guessed he didn’t know either. Oh well, it didn’t matter much to her. In Arina’s mind, it only made the game more fun.

The ice User watched as Darren disappeared and following the residual trail of Essence left behind by his dismissal and reappearance to pinpoint the duo’s location. It was almost unnecessary. Even to a normal human, their Essence signatures were potent and hard to miss. She crept noiselessly from shadow to shadow, her tiny frame making it easy to hide, until Tal and Darren were in sight. She giggled childishly yet with a hint of malice, her laughter seeming to come from everywhere at once. “Uh-oh, the big man fell down!” she exclaimed teasingly. “I hope you aren’t too hurt to play some more. I’m having such a good time!”

Arina blew a kiss into the air and unleashed another torrent of hailstones from the shadows at Tal. To his credit, he was surprisingly fast for such a large man and managed to dodge them. Undeterred, Arina danced from the cover of one tree to the next, releasing torrents of ice shards as she went to keep them confused and off-balance. She didn’t aim for any vital spots yet. She was having too much fun playing with them and watching them dance, like her personal puppets on strings. One such attack struck Darren squarely in the side, though she doubted it did much damage with his thick hide, while an ice shard grazed Tal’s right arm and drew blood.

Seeing the blood flow freely from the shallow wound, Arina giggled again. “Bleeding is a very, very bad idea, mister,” she continued in that same childish tone of voice that contrasted so starkly with her lethal intent. She casually stepped out from her cover and stopped beside a massive oak tree that she had incidently scarred with her ice projectiles. Sap flowed like blood from an open wound. “If you bleed and I touch you, I can do fun things like this.” Grinning darkly, she touched the gash in the tree lightly with her fingertips and then drew her hand away. All the water held in the tree’s tissues followed her hand in a snake-shaped stream and collected above her palm in a sphere the size of her body. The process only took seconds, leaving behind a dead, whithered husk where once stood a proud sentry of the leyline. “How about we play catch now?” she taunted, her eyes narrowing sadisticly, as the sphere of water froze instantly above her palm and she used both hands to “push” it almost effortlessly. The massive sphere of ice flew with frightening speed across the clearing in a beeline towards Tal and Darren.

[quakernuts]

Jasper / Kuresh

As Kuresh fought the bird, Jasper took the half second it bought them to reload. The woman wasn't moving from behind her tree, and as long as she stayed there, Kuresh could simply burn her to ashes. As the clicking of his rifle signalled the rounds were in place, he looked up to notice movement behind the tree. 'What is she doing?' Kuresh simply snorted a reply, his common reaction when he didn't particularly know. As he started to crouch forward, his rifle still spewing rounds, twin blades of air gushed out from either side of the tree. No swears came to mind, no self-chastising remarks were made, only a glare and a grunt as the blades of air whipped the rifle from his hands and his feet from the ground momentarily. He skidded to a stop, and watched as his rifle smashed against a tree. Looking back at the woman, he watched her try to close the distance, only to be rejected by Kuresh as fire erupted from his mouth and stopping her in place. He had managed to throw the bird away, but now the targets were fleeing from them through the forest. Unbidden, a thought entered both of their minds as they both sidestepped a couple of hastily aimed wind gusts.

'Come! Dance the skies with the eagle if you dare!'

'A fools gamble, she is hoping that their dexterity and speed alone will save them.' Jasper thought as Kuresh lowered his wing for Jasper to climb on top.

'Does it matter what they hope for? They will die either way, and the only thing they will be hoping for soon is a quick death!' Jasper replied with silence, knowing that nothing needed to be said between them to know they were thinking the same thing. As Jasper managed to get in place at the small of the dragon's back, he held out his hand towards his damaged rifle, and watched as it flashed back into his palm, fully repaired. He didn't bother to look over his rifle, knowing it would already be reloaded, armed, and fully functional. Instead, he looked to where Eri and Arashi flew off.

'Go'

Kuresh spread his wings, nearly dwarfing the clearing in shadow, and with a powerful flap of his wings, sent a gust of air throughout the clearing and them above the forest canopy. Jasper grasped one of the scales to secure a handhold, and held his rifle in one hand. As they flew over the forest, he caught glimpses of Eri and her summon flying through the forest, using the trees themselves as cover. Kuresh steadied out, allowing Jasper to use both hands to aim the rifle. Round after round was fired into canopy, but no matter how much experience and training he had, there was no way to get a secure shot through the forest at such a fast moving target. 'Fire' was all Jasper thought, and Kuresh went into a nose dive, launching a wave of fire at the dodging targets.

Tree after tree went up in flames, yet somehow their targets managed to evade the fire. Kuresh was getting angry that it was taking so long, but Jasper was calm and managed to radiate that to his summon. If he lost his head due to temper, it would only lead to death. Then, as they flew over an especially thick part of the forest, they temporarily lost them. Jasper's eyes quickly darted through them, only to have a giant bird fly straight up in front of Kuresh's nose, and smash him in the face. Kuresh had to stop and hover for a moment, allowing Eri and Arashi time to do a strafing run. As they turned around, Jasper let go of his handhold. The hovering dragon was moving, making it incredibly difficult to not fall off, but it was his only chance to buy time. He holstered his rifle, and drew out his twin revolvers, and let loose with a barrage of bullets. At the last moment, they broke off, but not before a wave of air came flying at him, and a screech from the bird broke through the skies. He had scored a hit, but was unable to think about it as the gust of wind forced him off his feet, and off the dragon. With a last grab, he managed to hook his hand in a scale, and was thrown back on top by a simple gesture of Kuresh.

'Hit. Are you done recovering yet?' There was no reply to the dragon as it snorted flames out of it's nostrils, and launched itself after the bird with a terrifying roar. 'Be calm! Do not take them lightly!'

'It is a bird and a frail woman!'

'Who managed to ambush you! Calm yourself, or you will get us killed.' As subtle as it was, the dragon's temper started to subside. Jasper returned to his rifle, and squared up his sights on the eagle. His eye looked through the crosshair, which lined up on the back of the rider flying through the sky. As the bird started to fly in a semi-straight line, Jasper let loose with another barrage of aimed shots. They had no cover up here, and no ranged weapons save the wind power.

They were sitting ducks.

[Loki]

Although Loki was hesitant to leave Raewyn’s side, leaving her with only Alco as a guardian, he was excited at the notion of getting into the fight. Feeling a little more comfortable with the fight having progressed away from their position, he allowed his wings to unravel from around him. He had not considered that along with being rendered in a constant state of tangibility that the leyline would have also increased their size. Fully outstretched, he guessed that his wingspan must have doubled from just under twenty feet to well over thirty. A notion that truly excited him as they wove together into wings that would grant him flight; with greater size comes greater lift that leads to greater speed. They were different than usual, retaining the same intense illumination as in their guardian form as opposed to their more vulnerable pallor. Does this mean I get both protection and flight? Loki looked up at the sky facing southwest of their location, his excitement building. Only one way to find out.

He lifted them straight up before bringing them down in one powerful stroke. The force generated by the oversized wings when compared to his weight was enough to hurl him through the canopy dozens of feet above with that single gesture. The sensation of that acceleration caused adrenaline to flow through his veins as he continued to gain altitude by yards rather than feet with each powerful stride. Never before had he flown so high, the figures below still discernible though small enough to look like living scale models of their true selves. The sensation was surreal.

It was then that he noticed a portion of canopy beginning to burn, knowing that Eri would be nearby. Loki glided and watched as the large eagle darted through the trees and blindsided the dragon. He could not help but feel some measure of accomplishment with that sight, knowing that is own capabilities stemmed from her teachings. A sense of urgency surged through him as he watched the Magi and his summon recover from the attack much sooner than expected, not giving Eri enough time to dive back into cover. My turn!

With yet another powerful stride of his wings, Loki flung himself at a steep angle seeking gravity to further aid in his descent. The speed was unlike anything he had ever experienced. Even with the time slowing abilities that a fresh burst of adrenaline had given him, his mind was still struggling to keep up. He watched as the speed caused his peripheries to expand, warping his vision to only what was directly ahead of him. The elongated neck of the dragon. The wind roared around him, stinging his skin as it deafened him to other sounds. Loki gripped tightly to the katar in his right hand, holding it to his side while he forced fury-inspired power into its edge. Even the abundance of air flowing over it was not enough to cool the superheated metal that had gained a faint red tint to it.

At the last possible moment, he brought its sharpened edge around with all the force he could muster, intent on severing the dragon’s head from its body. To the Magi, Loki’s presence was but a blur of motion that would have gone unnoticed had he but blinked. Loki felt the blade land home, striking the dragon on the back of its neck just below its skull. He could feel the scaled hide of the summon splinter under the combined impact of his momentum and superheated blade. He felt the edge bite into the tender flesh below before the strength of the scales unaffected by the initial impact resisted the strike and prevented the attack from being a lethal one. Loki then felt the snap of tension in his arm as the blade of his katar broke free from the hilt while at the same time feeling something tear in his shoulder with a faint pop, sapping all the strength from that arm.

Knowing that he had but angered the beast, Loki altered the angle of his wings to redirect the speed from his dive forward into a hasty retreat to the southwest. Although much of the momentum was lost with the impact, there was still more than enough remaining to escape the Magi’s line of fire before they had a chance to recover. Wind still roared past his head, but Loki was now able to hear the ferocious roar of pain from the massive creature he was leaving behind. Even though it wasn’t enough to have killed the beast, he knew he had given Eri enough time to avoid the Magi’s gunfire. Loki cried out in a booming triumphant battle cry as the toll of his attack finally registered with him.

“My fucking arm!”

[Sunwolf007]

Owen

It only took a second before his mental guard wasn’t enough and her fear flowed into him. He hadn’t felt unrestrained fear like this in more years than he could count. The actual fear of death, something he hadn’t known for years once again flowed through his body. Is this what it feels like? Is this what I am supposed to feel every time I have to fight for my life? He hated the fact that she could control his emotions. Never caring for abilities that were mentally based he still had to respect their potency. He said little when the group was trying to understand what she saw. Only speaking to confirm that there was a sort of displacement of unknown origin. Saying he was tired he retired early needing time to think.

“please know that it was my rather misguided attempt at trying to look out for a friend.” Why did she choose me as a friend? She knows my sins and yet wants me to live… Why? My life is irredeemable at this point. I don’t even have enough time to try to redeem myself. Or do I? If I keep regressing my body all the time in the day I shouldn’t age. That would only be delaying the inevitable? Or is death inevitable for me now? Friend? Me? Why? Owen’s mind went into overdrive mode trying to figure out all these new questions. He tried to find the answers but unlike many times before these answers were not easy to attain. When he finally gave up his search for the answers it was late at night and he only slept a few hours. Although all he ever needed was a few hours he still felt tired from all the mental work he did.

Although the looming tension was for the most part removed from the group Owen felt uneasy. The new addition was a cheerful fellow and the amusing stories about the monk worked wonders on restoring the groups unity. It did nothing that Owen wanted though. He had forced himself to think of all monks as untrustworthy men. The stories did the one thing Owen never wanted and that was make Tsume a human in his mind. While the rest of the group’s spirits were raised his plummeted. He covered his low spirits as best he could and hoped that no one would notice.

My purpose is to live long enough to get revenge on this enemy of ours. I must die in the last battle or at least die fighting nobly for the goddess. It is the only thing that has kept me going and I must complete my last mission. Friends shouldn’t get in the way of that. Right? I can’t weaken my position on this point. Or can I? His thinking went in circles the next few days as they traveled to the leyline. He did regress his body with his time ability every seven hours. In effect he made it so his body didn’t age at all. Knowing this stratagem actually worked he now knew the only way he would ever die is if someone killed him. His body wouldn’t age from this moment on if he had any say in the matter.

Once he crossed the threshold into the leyline he could feel the extra power flowing through him. His time ability wouldn’t be hampered nearly as much here. He could burn much more energy and get greater results. I could regress my body a total of years back. I could regain all the time I lost planning my revenge and extend my time left. My face would change and I could be a totally new person! He shuddered at the thought of giving up now of all times. He looked over to Loki and saw him literally glowing. The overabundance of power had enhanced the abilities and now his wings or rather extra appendages were permanently visible. I could be that young again. I could have more years than I do now. I would lose the time manipulate ability and be safer than I ever was. I could start over and live how I want to instead of how I need to.

The sudden appearance of someone who knew Tsume threw him for a loop. This is to convenient. This screams trap. Not warning the others he instantly began looking for the ambush forces. Where is my honor for my word? Where is my nobility!? My fate has been decided and I shouldn’t run from it like a common coward! Now where is my opponent!? He heard the trap be sprung and as he expected Tsume countered the first move. That moment the battle erupted and suddenly they were surrounded. Visual manipulation? Or was it telepath? Whose ability was that? Owen quickly moved off to one side to get a shot at an unsuspecting foe. Too late did he see the countermove by the enemies. Appearing in front of him was a man holding a sword. He could tell little about the man as he was covered in black robes and body armor. Although he couldn’t tell what the man looked like the actions of the man were clear. He wouldn’t let Owen take a sniping position easily. Damn! Wasn’t fast enough. I need to try and work around him to assist the others in a two on one.

“Isn’t it adorable to see the runt trying to fill his brother’s shoes? Tell me, Owen, how does it feel to know you’ll never be quite as good as him, hm? To know that he would have changed the world, if it wasn’t for you and an itchy trigger finger?” Laughing darkly, the Magi started back into the woods, eyes glinting darkly. “Everyday you bear his name is an insult to a great man. I shall enjoy removing your stain from his legacy, exile.”

I WILL KILL THEM ALL!!! WAIT! CALM DOWN! His mind raged at him as his anger started to flow through his body. He gripped his rifle tightly and tried to subdue the rage inside. He didn’t pursue the magi yet but did take cover behind a large tree to shield him from the chaos erupting behind him. Why is he running? James was more close combat and revolvers orientated than I ever was. Is he banking on that? It’s obvious that this was crafted to kill us so they must know something about us. That settles it I must be myself this battle and out strategize him. If I fall into yet another ambush I wont be able to kill him.

“Great man? How do you know I didn’t kill him in self defense? He could have tried to murder me in my sleep for all you know.” Owen yelled from his cover. I must find out how much he knows. Then I can work from there. I hope the others survive long enough for me to help them out.

Roshan

All the work I have done until now has come to this point. It’s time to change the world for the better. Roshan thought as he moved without being seen. He was used to this as it was an ability he also had. It was determined that he would allow someone else to hide him from sight this time. He argued that he could do it himself but had been overruled. This was one of the few missions he had taken where he was forced to work with a team. Mostly he was alone on a job. He relented only to try and get in the good graces of the others. Disregarding whatever was going on with the conversation he stealthy moved toward his target. This should be easy. I just need to make him mad by not letting him hit me and annihilate him with a powerful light beam attack. With the extra energy given to me in this area I wouldn’t have a problem killing them all let alone one man.

"Very well Tsume. If you won't free yourself, I'll do it for you."

Jumping behind a tree Roshan created an image of himself and made it walk towards the group. I knew I should have done this all myself! Knowing he could only activate two of his abilities at a time at best he didn’t turn himself invisible yet. He peaked around the tree and controlled his light puppet.

"Oh, rejected twice! That has to hurt emotionally, and now, physically!" his target spoke and then added, "Alright my little assassin bitches, who's first?! My boot is signed, and ready to give out free autographs to my finest fans!" How could a warrior of this stature ever have made it this far in life? After a second Jake noticed the light puppet.

"Your funeral!" the target spoke energetically as he put away his only weapon. Suddenly an earth shield surrounded him. He created spikes out of his arms. A frontal attack. How predictable.

"Please put up at least a half decent fight, I don't want to get bored!" the target said. Then he charged forward right into Roshan’s trap. Oh you have no idea how fun this is going to be. Roshan I. Pierce thought as he prepared to hit Jake with powerful light beam.

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