Re: Viemera: The Essence of Deceit [Complete]

[Guilty Carrion]

Tal

The laughter echoed around them, and Tal found himself mentally swearing as he tried to pinpoint the girl’s location. Whose idea had it been to make all these trees so damn big? Was it Raewyn’s? If it was, they were going to have a very serious talk about reasonable growth patterns. Assuming he didn’t end up a frozen shis-ka-bob first. The soft slicing of air alerted him to the approaching attack and he dove to the dirt to dodge the barrage, a few barely grazing the exposed skin of his back. This wasn’t going very well, and he hadn’t even had a chance to retaliate yet!

Darren grunted in anger, shaking his sides to get the small shards that had lodged themselves there out. As small as they were, they did little more than annoy the great beast of burden, but Tal didn’t want to know what enough of them could do. Another barrage sounded, and the wanderer pulled himself through the dirt as fast as he could (although he suddenly seemed a bit lighter for some reason), the shards riddling the ground behind him, before one stray shard sliced across the joint of his summoned armour.

Sitting up with a yelp, he watched as the girl emerged, and told him of how bleeding was a bad idea. Well, when was it a good idea? All colour drained from his face as she sucked the very life out of the tree and formed it into a ball. Oh. Bleeding was suddenly a very, very, very bad idea.

“How about we play catch now?”

She lobbed the ball at him, but the vagabond grinned beneath his helmet. Leaping to his feet, Tal ran forward, eyes glinting like a madman, as the ice ball continued on its crash course with his chest. Pulling his head back slightly, he hopped just barely off the ground, before slamming his helmet straight into, and subsequently through the ice ball, shattering the attack into thousands of harmless little pieces.

“I’ve got a betta game we can play, little miss! I like to call it…” Spin in a powerful arc, he lobbed his war hammer at the tree beside her, before racing off to the opposite side, his footsteps carrying him far faster than they normally would, but for whatever reason, he felt like a young man, and it showed in his stride. “Dodge tree!” The dead wood posed no resistance to the mighty hammer, carving its way into the oak with ease, just before Tal crashed his own body into it from the side opposite to Arina.

Splintering wood sounded, as the dead sentinel started its voyage to the earth, black shadow looming over the small ice magi. Tal hopped a few steps back, hefting his war hammer over his shoulder as he watched the sides for her to escape. She would escape right? He wasn’t trying to crush her, just trying to…scare her off. He fidgeted nervously in place, eyes quickly locking with Darren in worry.

[quakernuts]

Jake

As he rushed forward towards his intended target, he couldn't get over the fact that something was wrong. He was sprinting towards his the man, but he made motion to move, or any other sign that he even cared that a human tank was on his way to crush him into tiny bits. Halfway through his charge though, Jake decided to simply follow it through, and see what happened. If it was a trap, then the only person who he could blame would be himself, if not, then this was the dumbest assassin he had ever seen. It was about when he was within ten feet of the man that it clicked. The man seemed to shimmer, and continued to do so as Jake's spike-arm went clear through his head. He was confused, and stabbed the head a couple more times just to make sure. "What the fuck...?" It was about this time that he noticed a small light appearing up in the woods.

It dawned on him about half a second before it hit him. He brought up his arms to cross in front of his chest, and summoned extra armour on them. That process took but a thought, and the light hit him just as he finished, pushing him back and creating deep gashes in the ground as Jake struggled to stay upright. The beam was powerful, and knocked Jake into a tree, pinning him in place as his arms started to fall backwards towards his chest. Obviously the man was aware of the heightened powers here, and was using them to the full extent. Jake knew this too though, and gritted his teeth through the pain and exertion as he pushed himself off the tree and back into a standing position. With a final sweep of his arms, he dispelled the beam, and stood there for a moment. His arms were bare, burns present on his forearms and fists, and smoke drifting from his elbows where the earth armour still clung to him. With a shake of his hands and head, the armour appeared around his arms once more, and he stepped forward with vengeance on his mind.

"Fuckin coward! C'mon, be a man and grow some balls! You can't take me! None of you can take me, and you know it! If you could, you would be out here right now!" Jake took a few more steps forward, watching the tree line for any sign of the man, and heard rather than saw him behind him. Jake stepped to the side to have a small sword swipe at where he had just been standing. Jake launched out with his fist/spike, only to have the attack go through the man once more. With a roar of anger, Jake stabbed a tree, and ducked as a sword went flying over his back. He kicked backwards, only once again, to have the image of the man dissolve.

"When I find you, I will rip your fucking arms off, shove them down your throat and have you wipe your ass with them, do you understand me! I will kill you!" A couple of throwing knives came out of nowhere, and buried themselves in his armour, almost hard enough to penetrate it. Without thinking, Jake dug them out, and threw them randomly into the forest. He was tired of these games, he was never good with anything requiring patience, but this was worse. He heard a whistle come from behind him, and turned around to be greeted by five of the man. His glowing green eyes from behind the armour seemed to radiate fury as he started to walk towards the men, intent on gutting all of them.

That is when he noticed it.

There was a brief glimpse of movement to his left, almost indiscernible to the surroundings. He pretended to ignore it, and watched as the landscape started to move from the corner of his eye. He smiled inside his armour, and laughed at the group of men in front of him. "Word to the wise, I'm a lot more perceptive than people take me for." Jake then launched himself to the left, stabbing his spikes forward intent on simply spearing the man into submission.

[Digital Muse]

Tsume was glad to see that T’yang’s 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?”

T’yang was thrown off her feet when Tsume’s spear butt slammed into her chest. Tumbling back away from her lover, T’yang lost her hold on one of her fans and it skittered a few feet away from her. The blow against her chest had cracked her sternum. She could feel it click and grind as she tried to catch her breath. She began to scramble to retrieve her lost war fan when Tsume’s spear cut through her shadow construct’s back. It writhed soundlessly, but T’yang felt the blow as if he’d cut her. She screamed and arched her back at the feel of the spear’s point cutting through her construct’s torso.

Panting heavily, she reached back to touch her neck and was shocked to feel a slight trickle of blood under her fingers! How can that be? Her mind whirled. Her constructs were far more powerful than she’d ever dreamed under the influence of the ley lines. But, did it also mean she gave more of herself when creating them? She lifted her eyes to Tsume, tears evident in their glistening black depths. “I do this because you are deluded, Tsume. You must see the truth! This child is not the goddess! There is no goddess any longer!"

Snatching up her fan, she snapped the pair open and took up another stance, preparing for another attack. As she did, T’yang spoke another soft prayer-like request and this time, the giant construct dissolved and splashed over the ground as if someone had dashed a pitcher of water to the ground. Everywhere a splash of darkness fell, a child-sized new construct of pure darkness rose. Within seconds, Tsume was surrounded by a dozen small, inky opponents. T’yang smiled gently and murmured, “Bring him down, my children.” As one, the shadows flowed forward fluidly, meaning to swarm over Tsume and bear him to the ground by sheer weight of numbers.

[Silvan Arrow]

Eri/Arashi

Eri initially feared she had made a fatal mistake by taunting Jasper and Kuresh into the skies when the dragon’s takeoff literally shook the canopy with the force of his wings. Gripping Arashi’s feathers with one hand and Gale Cleaver in the other, she shifted her weight forward and knelt low against his neck as she sent him downward into the dense cover of the trees again. Her head throbbed with a pressing aura of suffocating Essence, telling her their adversaries were close. Rifle shots rang through the forest, and Arashi zigzagged, ducked, and wove amongst the trees to avoid them. Mistress, I can’t see where the bullets are coming from!

‘Here, share my eyes,’ Eri replied, opening her senses and widening the bond that connected their minds. Eri’s left eye turned the same crystal blue as Arashi’s, while the eagle’s right eye changed to the jade green of his mistress. Now they could each see half the field of view of their partner, giving them an almost 360 degree vision of their surroundings. Eri turned her head back so she could keep visual tabs on Jasper and Kuresh, and through Arashi’s eye, she got a close-up of the weapon in the other Summoner’s hand. ‘That’s impossible! I destroyed his rifle!’ However, she didn’t get a chance to wonder about how that had happened, as Kuresh’s head reared back and his mouth opened in lethal warning. ‘Incoming!’ Even with the duo sharing their sight, Arashi was barely able to avoid the inferno as a whole section of the forest went up in flames. Eri could sense Arashi’s instincts commanding him to retreat to the open sky and away from the fire, but she knew that Jasper and Kuresh would be counting on that. Tightening her grip on his feathers, she kept him under cover by sheer force of will. ‘Trust me,’ she insisted, putting as much compulsion into her mental voice as possible.

They managed to escape the range of the fire and wound up in a thick spot in the forest canopy, and it was only thanks to sharing Arashi’s sight that Eri was able to spot Kuresh through a tiny gap between the leaves. Unless they also had enhanced senses through their bond, there was no way Jasper or Kuresh could spot them. ‘Here’s our chance!’ Arashi wheeled upward and burst through where the canopy was thinnest, though Eri still sustained a number of shallow cuts and scratches. He didn’t waste any energy on a battle screech but instead threw himself into the act of raking his talons across Kuresh’s face. The blow, though not fatal, threw Kuresh off balance, and Arashi broke away to do a strafing run while Jasper reached for his revolvers. Eri swung her sword to shoot another shockwave of air but nearly fell from Arashi’s back as he suddenly jerked sideways and gave a pained shriek. ‘You’re hit!’ she thought with instinctive dread.

Don’t worry about me. It isn’t serious, Arashi replied, though his mental voice was strained from keeping the pain from leaking across their bond. The bullet had pierced through his left wing but luckily had hit where the muscle was thin and had missed any vital organs or bones. However, it bled profusely, which would become problematic if the fight lasted too long. Eri’s shockwave bought them precious seconds while Jasper regained his balance. Does the dragon not care if his Summoner should fall? Arashi asked in an indignant tone. Is not a Summon charged with protecting his Summoner?

Eri raised one eyebrow as Kuresh dived after them with an enraged roar. ‘With a temper like that? Doubtful. Maybe we can use that to our advantage.’ However, all thoughts of an advantage flew out the window as Japser unloaded another round of bullets at them. Eri shared her vision with Arashi to help him dodge, but the freshness of his injury kept him from moving as agilely as possible. It was only a matter of time before they struck another hit…

…and then salvation literally came flying down from the heavens in a blur so fast Eri would have missed it if she hadn’t been looking directly at it. Loki, blessed Loki, dive-bombed Kuresh like an avenging angel raining judgement from the skies. He struck the back of Kuresh’s head with a super-heated katar in a blow that made Eri’s heart swell with pride, and at first she thought it was game over. No living creature could have survived a blow with that much speed and force behind it. But then the illusion of salvation melted into a nightmare as Loki’s katar snapped and he barreled away from the dragon, which gave an enraged but still very much alive roar, with a shout of pain.

“No!” Eri didn’t actually mean to shout aloud, but the horror of seeing Kuresh actually live combined with knowing Loki had nearly ripped his arm from his shoulder in a near-suicide attack temporarily robbed her of all sense of reason.

Mistress! Arashi’s desperate call brought her back to the battle, and she channeled the anger over her student’s injury into energy that she shared across their bond. And his attack hadn’t been in vain. Kuresh’s scales had saved him from decapitation, but the sheer force of the blow had still thrown him off-balance and probably given him the dragon equivalent of a concussion. Even at a distance, she could see the burn mark where Loki’s katar had struck.

‘Enough running. Let’s take the fight to them this time.’ Eri drew both swords and sent Arashi into a sweeping arc to come at the addled dragon from behind. She alternated her sword swings and sent shockwave after shockwave of slicing air rocketing toward Kuresh and Jasper, particularly the dragon's wing membranes, with the goal of keeping them off balance so she could come in close. With her right hand she struck out with her father’s sword, aiming for Jasper. Somehow at the last second he managed to bring up a dagger to parry her blade. With her left hand she channeled slicing wind around the blade of Gale Cleaver, sent Arashi into a barrel roll to avoid Jasper’s attempt at gutting him, and struck a clean hit in the same place as Loki. Once again Kuresh’s scales saved him, but now the combined force of both blows had actually left a bleeding wound.

Eri quickly sheathed her metal sword and bent low against Arashi’s neck as they went into a spiraling dive to retreat from the thoroughly enraged dragon. ‘How are you?’ Eri was concerned about Arashi’s wing. The blood flow had slowed somewhat, but the constant movement was making it difficult for the wound to clot properly.

I’ll be fine. Eri still wasn’t totally convinced. What about you?

Weariness began to beat at the edges of Eri’s senses. ‘I don’t think I can handle another volley like that, at least not right away.’ Even with her Essence levels increased from training and the effects of the leyline, that string of shockwaves had drained her at an alarming rate.

I hope you have a plan.

Kuresh’s vengeful roar gave her an idea. ‘I do. Make him mad.’

What?!

‘Trust me.’ Eri glanced upward toward the cloudbank. Oh, she had a plan. It was a fool’s plan that may just get them both killed, but it was probably their only chance. ‘Get ready. Here they come again.’

Arina

Once again, Tal surprised Arina as, instead of running from her ball of ice, he charged toward it and shattered it with his head. She resisted the urge to smirk at his sudden cockiness. Didn’t he know that she was in the charge of this game, that she decided when it was over and who won? Of course she would win, but she didn’t need to tell him that yet. “I’ve got a betta game we can play, little miss! I like to call it…” He rammed his war hammer into a nearby tree and then threw his body into it so it fell toward her. … “Dodge tree!”

Arina waited until the last second as the tree plummeted toward her and then belted out her best blood-curdling scream as she danced back into the shadows. If Tal wanted to play scare tactics, then so could she. She remained hidden and out of sight for longer than necessary, just to make him wonder if he had actually crushed her. The reports had pegged him as a big softie, which was why Lord Udonis had instructed her to go after him. His weakness would be his undoing. She put on her best imitation of childish sobbing and stumbled out from the dust cloud created by the falling tree, rubbing her eyes with her fists like she were crying. “You’re such a meanie! I only wanted to play!” As she continued the façade, she called upon her inner well of Essence and gestured with one hand. Her voice dropped to a dangerously dark tone, and her expression turned acidic. “Looks like I’ll just have to be mean too.”

Without warning, the shards and puddles of water created from when Tal shattered the ball of ice sprang to life. Trickles of water and half-frozen ice slithered across the ground at frightening speeds and wrapped around Tal and Darren’s feet and legs up to their calves before instantly freezing and trapping them in place. Arina laughed venomously at their sudden surprise as they struggled in vain to free themselves. “Did you fools really think that I didn’t have a Plan B? Here in the leyline, water or ice of any kind is practically mine to command!” She held up both hands and gestured with her fingers in a ‘come hither’ gesture. Water vapor from the air coalesced into spear-like ice projectiles the size of her arms. Conjuring ice from the air like this without a liquid source consumed a lot more Essence, but Arina still had considerable reserves left thanks to the effects of the leyline. A dozen ice spears floated above each palm as she took aim at her opponents, who still couldn’t move. She didn’t focus on any vital spots but instead aimed for nerve centers that would cause the maximum amount of pain.

“This might hurt just a little,” she sneered before blowing on the spears and launching them towards Tal and Darren. They only had seconds to react…

[Loki]

Tsume heard T'yang scream out as he struck her construct deeply, a sound that rocked him to his essence. He only wanted to stun her so that she would talk and hopefully see reason, had he known she felt what her constructs felt, he probably wouldn't have been able to defend himself from her attack. Even then, he felt it would have hurt less to take her attack rather than inflict such pain upon her.

“I do this because you are deluded, Tsume. You must see the truth! This child is not the goddess! There is no goddess any longer!"

"What do you mean T'yang? I've see her potential with my own eyes and you know as well as I that the tattoo never lies. What aren't you telling me? What has the organization told you?"

In the next moment, the monk thought his lover was considering telling him valuable information he needed to know. It wasn't until she called out to her construct that he realize he had once again allowed his emotions to get the best of him. Tsume turned around just in time to see a swarm of shadow figures lunge at him. With all the skill of a master wielder, the monk spun his spear with one hand with such speed that its movement was a blur while the weapon gained momentum. Once the figures entered the range where his blade could cut them asunder, he went to bring his weapon to bear. At that instant, the image of T'yang writhing in agony flashed through his mind bringing his attack to an abrupt halt.

I can't do it. I can't hurt her.

With that, the tide of shadow figures slammed into him, clinging to him while trying to bring him to his knees. He tried thrashing around, throwing his weight and shifting in an attempt to fling the creatures off his body to no avail. There were too many and he couldn't gather the balance he needed for any sort of acrobatic feat. Both hands moved to the staff of his spear, the only thing keeping him aloft as the constructs forced his knees to buckle. Once one of the constructs swatted at the base of the spear, kicking out his last firm leg, Tsume dropped to his knees to be held down by the shadow figures.

"Now what do you plan to do to me now that I'm subdued? Kill me?" Tsume's voice was full of frustration, knowing that he had the opportunity to end this with that one thrust of his spear. Had it been anybody else, the monk would have disposed of his opponent and been back at Raewyn's side where he belonged. Instead, he hesitated for a second time that only further prevented him from doing his job. What's worse is that he wasn't sure if he was entirely regretful for such a thing.

[quakernuts]

Jasper/Kuresh

There had been a slight hinge in the plans. What should have been an easy ending to a half decent fight ended up bringing in unwanted attention in the form of an incredibly suicidal little child. As round after round left Jasper's rifle, he only managed to catch a glimpse of the kid as his katar sliced into Kuresh's neck. A normal blade would not have done a single inch of damage like that, but Jasper's eyes actually went wide when he saw a gaping wound within the scales. Through their link, Jasper knew that Kuresh had actually been injured. His summon roared with pain like he had never heard before, and even as he took the time to realize what happened, another blur of motion caught his attention. Eri was back, and she was going on the offensive. Normally, this would have been foolish beyond all reckoning, but the kid had bought her time with his suicide bomb attack. Her shockwaves, aimed at the wings managed to keep Kuresh off balance long enough that Jasper couldn't get a shot off, and they could close the distance. He holstered his rifle, and instead brought out his dagger just as Eri's sword came flying down on him. He parried the blow off to the side, but heard another scream of pain from Kuresh as Eri scored a hit in the weakened section of the scales. Blood was flowing freely from the wound, but given a few minutes would clot. That was not the problem. The problem now was that Kuresh had a weak spot where originally none could be found.

Jasper steadied himself, but was nearly thrown off as the roar of anger overcame that of pain, and Kuresh launched himself after the bird. 'Calm yourself now Kuresh! You are doing what they want!' There was no answer as Eri and Arashi flew into the forest, only to be followed by Kuresh and Jasper. Arashi nimbly flew between the trees, while Kuresh simply blasted them aside in strength built from rage and hate. Eri tried to launch waves of air back at them, but they proved ineffective against Kuresh's thick hide. It was a two way street though, because Jasper couldn't risk leaning up for a shot, or he might have his head taken off by a tree. Even now he was suffering shallow cuts as the trees shattered before the dragon. 'Enough! We keep chasing her like this, it will allow them to plan whatever they like!' When there was no answer once more, Jasper leaned forward and punched the wound. There was a slight grunt as the pain reminded Kuresh what he was doing. 'Go up.' Jasper commanded with the utmost authority. Kuresh snorted, but finally obeyed as his powerful wings took him up and out of the forest in one swoop. They took to the skies, and hid among one of the lower hanging clouds.

Jasper looked down into the forest, keeping his eyes alert for another sneak attack, but instead found a spot where he could perform his own. Eri and Arashi had stopped in a small clearing, obviously clueless as to where they had gone. 'Down.'Jasper ordered, and this command Kuresh took without hesitation. Kuresh dive bombed down to the ground, catching Eri and Arashi off guard. Kuresh immediately lashed out to Arashi, forcing Eri off of her summon, falling to the ground. Jasper leaped from the back of his dragon, doing a roll to minimize the shock from his landing, and took out his rifle. Shot after shot erupted from the barrel of the rifle, favouring attack over defence, which seemed to be a bad idea as it turned out. Eri managed a roll to the side, avoiding the initial volley, and started lashing out with wind slices. Jasper was forced to back away, having to shoot through a blinding force of nature in order to get to his target. They blinded his vision so much in fact that he didn't realize Eri was upon him until her sword was raised in the air.

Jasper raised his rifle to attack rather than block, and watched as it was sliced in half before him. Eri kicked him in the chest to knock him off balance, and followed up with a thrust to the midsection. Normally he would have taken his blade out in an instant, but something within him forced him to hesitate just that slight second too long. The moment he hesitated, he knew it wasn't him. He never hesitated, ever. It was too late to bring out a weapon as he got by that though, and brought up his hand to try and deflect the damage to his arm rather than his chest. Instead, a ball of fire shot out from the palm of his hand, and he watched in surprise as Eri was caught full blown in the chest. She was pushed backwards, and dropped to knee for a second as smoke floated from where the attack had hit her in the chest. Her clothes were blackened, but it had not pierced beyond that. Considering Jasper had no idea about this particular ability, he didn't care how effective it was, it had just saved his life.

Instead of dwelling on how this was possible, his right arm was engulfed in flames, although he felt no heat, and he launched fireball after fireball towards Eri . She rolled, she dived, and even some she cut in half with wind slices. It was a stalemate as both members of the fight continued to lash out at each other's chosen element, until Eri saw something that Jasper didn't. She suddenly lashed upwards, and Jasper glimpsed at the slice, only to see it cut right through a branch hanging above him, forcing him to roll back behind the tree. It was a good move only because he hadn't been observant enough. Instead, a wave of pain seemed to overcome him, and he stumbled and placed a hand on the tree. He looked up to see Eri planting her summoned sword into Kuresh's wound, but soon found herself on the receiving end. Kuresh twisted his neck, and sent Eri flying into the air. Opening his mouth as if to swallow her whole, only to have Arashi appear and literally pluck her out of the sky with his talons. Kuresh roared and breathed fire after them as they went, but he made to move to follow. Even in his enraged state, he still knew he depended on Jasper to live, and fight.

Jasper walked forward, stepped on the edge of Kuresh's curled tail, and was lifted upwards onto the back of the dragon. Another flick of his wrist, and the rifle came back into his palm completely repaired and re-armed. 'That bird is starting to annoy me.' That was the closest Kuresh had been to ever admitting respect to another warrior. It was also an embarrassment to the dragon, and Jasper could feel it.

'The reason you keep losing, is because you keep submitting to rage. You know this, yet you let it happen.'

'I AM NOT LOSING!' Kuresh roared back angrily, and quickly launched back into the skies. Jasper looked to the wound to find the sword gone, most likely re-summoned. So, he smacked it the end of his rifle to get the dragon's attention.

'You are so! Deal with it! A defeated ego is better than a dead one. Take them seriously, expect cunning attacks and suicidal acts of bravery. They are proving to be all that the portfolio marked them out to be. You will do this, or I will simply take them on myself.'

'We both know that isn't possible.' Kuresh said in a voice that sounded a lot more calmer than that of before.

'I would rather take them on myself than die because of some reckless act of rage.' There was a moment of silence between the two.

'Point taken.' Was all Kuresh said, and all he needed to say. He was in pain, but the rage had shut it out, and now his training did.

'Good, now go. They have a head start, we don't want to disappoint.'

[Loki]

You never answered me young Goddess. Maeve continued to coax fatigue into Raewyn's body through the link that bound them. When have I ever lied to you? I promised you power, and only moments later it was granted for both you and your friends. If it's not power you seek, then we can grant you freedom. Freedom from the burden of responsibility that comes with being a Goddess. Join us, Raewyn. Your life will be so much easier if you do so.

---

Loki's arm hung weakly as he continued to his search for the Magi that Raewyn referred to as the Dream Walker. With the effects of adrenaline dissipating, sharp pain lanced along his bicep as he noticed an odd shape to it; he wasn't sure what was worse, the notion of misshaped muscle or the constant pain that came with it. He had begun doubting whether it was wise to press ahead with his objective considering he was down one weapon and clearly injured. On top of that, he could not make out anything but the lush green canopy below him. How the hell could I possibly find anybody through all that? I should turn back...

Almost as if sensing his hesitation, beams of energy weapons burst through the treetops beneath him catching him by surprise. Loki thrashed around as pulses of energy struck him in the wings in an attempt to send him crashing to the ground just as it had before, but this time around he could feel his body absorbing them. I still have my shield! A fresh burst of adrenaline coursed through him along with a drive to prove himself to the others. With a powerful stroke of his right wing, Loki tucked his wings closer to his body sending him into a barrel roll as he careened towards the canopy. More shots rang out, but were unable to hit anything but the protective wings that embraced him.

It wasn't until he was moments before crashing through the lush canopy before his wings unfolded and unraveled into their individual tendrils now that the shooters didn't have a clear line of fire. Small branches snapped and leaves rustled as Loki plummeted through the greenery, tendrils either shielding his flesh from cuts or guiding his decent to avoid thicker branches. It was a rough landing when Loki hit the ground in a roll, but he commended himself for being able to do so without injuring himself. Of course his arm strongly opposed the landing and reminded him not to do that again in the near future. Even before he brought himself to a complete stand, his guardian wings wrapped around the entirety of his body save for a narrow slit for his eyes. It would have been impossible for him to blend in with anything from the light that encompassed him, but it was time for him to go on the offensive now that he was already spotted.

It didn't take long for the rain of energy beams to start up again from multiple directions, both from the canopy above and the ground around him. They felt like weak nudges as they hit him, unable to break his defense. I must be getting close to the Dream Walker. Loki took off into a sprint towards what he felt was the right direction, doing his best to move out of the line of fire but only managing to soak up shots like a sponge. He could make out silhouettes in the foliage as each round pinpointed their location, but could never seem to close the distance despite his best efforts. He hadn't traveled more than a hundred feet before he began to feel nauseous, noticing that his wings were starting to take on a faint violate hue, similar to the energy beams that constantly struck out at him. Despite the effects of the leyline, he was absorbing too much impure Essence and it was starting to take a toll on his body. Loki staggered for a few more paces before dropping to a knee, the world around him beginning to shift and wobble. Now that he was stationary, he was getting lit up by gunfire as each round only furthered his desire to drift into unconsciousness. Doubt filled his mind as he realize he had gotten in over his head and had nobody to throw him a lifeline this time around. I'm sorry... I just... can't... Again, his balance wavered and Loki now dropped on all three good limbs as the purple hue became more pronounced.

It was that feeling of helplessness that reminded him of being back home. It was exactly how he felt every time his mother took his punishment for him. Loki gritted his teeth, feeling rage and defiance well up inside of him forcing back the nausea with sheer determination. They're counting on me, just as mother did. I will not let them down! His mind went to Eri's lessons of control that was the focus of his training after his lack of control caused his own katar to burn his hand.

I have to get rid of this energy... There's so much... Loki forced himself back into a kneel and pointed the outstretched palm of his good arm towards one of the origins of gunfire in the canopy. It took considerable concentration as he directed all that impure energy into his hand, the purple hue visibly transmitting across his body and up his arm where into a deeper color as it became more focused. In the same gesture he would to transfer his Essence into something else, though with considerably more effort, Loki dumped all that absorbed impure Essence at once. The result was a single blast of raw Essence comprised of the power behind the dozens upon dozens of shots he had absorbed. It was enough to bore a hole through anything that got into its path approximately six feet in diameter that passed clear through the trees and canopy in a cleanly formed tunnel opening to the sky.

With that, the gunfire paused as the attackers became uncertain of the effectiveness of their strategy. Meanwhile, Loki once again rose to his feet his wings once again pure white and the feeling of nausea gone without a trace. His initial reaction was to run, but his instincts told him to stand his ground and prepare for battle. Logic told him that there was no way he could evade or outrun them, and in his condition it would only tire him out and make him more vulnerable. As things stood, whoever had fired upon him were knocked off balance by his demonstration and that uncertainty would be his best weapon. Showing absolutely no fear in his stance, Loki wielded his katar and lifted it in challenge. He heard the faint whisper of steel being freed from its sheath before charging footsteps rushed towards him.

[Guilty Carrion]

“James use such a cowardly tactic? No, he was above such petty tricks. Are you blurring the lines between yourself and him? Did those mercenaries have any chance, I wonder? Did you sit in the trees, hiding like a newborn babe as others fought and bleed for you?” Branom paused in his stride, looking back at the tree Owen hid behind. This wouldn’t do, but there were ways to get him out.

“No, I know how your brother died. A dramatic duel, a twist of fate, and a brother’s hand were the instruments of his death. A bright beacon of the future…of promise, snuffed out by jealous hands. Why, Owen? Did the Order indoctrination prevent you from seeing reason? From seeing the potential? Never were one for business, now were you?” The robed Magi disappeared behind a tree himself, and fell silent. His eyes pulsed ice blue, before the figure lurking in the shadows above dropped down in front of Owen, a mirror image of the magi.

“Come now…just picture that I’m your brother. Kill me. Or I’ll kill you.” The robed figure lashed out with its blade, barely missing as Owen dived to the side, leaving a deep score in the wood of the tree. It rolled to the side, dodging the counterattack before pressing the assault again. “What? Why are you running? Are you afraid to die, Owen? Do you quake at death’s approach?”

A powerful leap carried the robed man over the gun dealer’s head, and he spun around, pulling a revolver from the depths of his robe, clicking back the hammer as he pressed it to Owen’s head. “Kill me!” The revolver was violently pushed aside, just as its barrel barked, missing its target by mere centimetres, before a hand roughly smashed the cloaked figure back as the other brought forth a powerful blast of ball lightning. The hood fell. For a brief moment, the past long buried stared back, before radiant lightning shattered it into a spray of a thousand pieces. Soft clapping sounded, as Branom emerged from the opposite side of the tree, a maniac grin beneath his wrappings

“Is it addicting, Owen? You certainly seem to crave it…” His eyes pulsed blue once again, as the shattered body rebuilt itself. “That’s no way to treat your own brother, now is it?”

James stared quietly at his brother, retrieving his revolver with a fluid motion. “So, what do you say, Owen?” The voice flowed smooth, a perfect image of it’s past self. “One last time. Prove you deserve to be me.” An elegant spin of the blade in his hand, and he lunged forward, Branom vanishing from sight once more.

[Digital Muse]

Raewyn
Raewyn had become so attuned to the others in her group over the past days, that now, with the added surge of power from the ley lines, she felt as if each was merely an extension of herself. She felt Eri’s determination and Jake’s frustration. Even though she’d only known Tal for such a short time, she felt him holding back against the unhinged Ice summon. His natural reluctance to hurt a child, even one so dangerous would put him at a great disadvantage. She had to help…somehow.

But, Maeve’s carressing thoughts pressed closer into her mind, urging her to sleep. “You…you didn’t give me power.” Raewyn protested. “It was mine all along. I am the goddess. I’ve seen the proof. You’re trying to trick me.” Raewyn wanted to press closer to Maeve, but she feared what the Dream Walker said was true. If she touched the woman’s mind, she’d be far too vulnerable to Maeve’s power. She had to hope that Loki could reach her.

While she fenced mentally with Maeve, other parts of her mind seemed to section off, like rooms in a huge house, Each room showed her the battles her friends were fighting. Eri and Arashi came so close to the terrifying dragon, again and again. It terrified her. Desperately, Raewyn watched as Jasper lifted his rifle to fire at Eri’s exposed back. “NO!” she shrieked in her mind and somehow, it made Jasper hesitate ever so slightly. It was so brief but, enough for his aim to be spoiled. It provided Raewyn with a flash in enlightenment she could help!

So focused on her new strategy, she never noticed T’yang’s approach. She felt Alco’s distress only peripherally when she went back to the ‘room’ that she’d left Maeve’s presence in. Grimly, she stood there, metaphysically, speaking, arms akimbo and full of challenge. “You’re not here to help me, Dream Walker. You’re trying to kill my friends. I know the truth now!” She shouted. “Marinik was a liar! You’re all liars!” So strong was her indignation that her anger buffeted Maeve as if she’d been slapped on the face. It caught them both by surprise.

Raewyn continued, “You can’t give me power and you can’t take it away from me, either.” She pushed at Maeve again, a playground challenge of a shove, “Can you?” She left Maeve there and entered another of the rooms within her mind. This one, the running battle between Jake and the light manipulator could be seen. The Light manipulator seemed the exact opposite of T’yang, She using the darkness, and he using light. Briefly, Raewyn wondered if they were partners in some way. Raewyn watched the light manipulator create copies of himself trying to force Jake to lose control of his anger and make a mistake. Raewyn reached out mentally and though she couldn’t affect the Saturate in a large way, she could give him a headache. A big one. She reached out and concentrating, she willed the image of one of her Mother’s knitting needles and jammed it into the mind of Roshan. Raewyn knew she couldn’t hurt him physically, but she could make sure he stopped a moment and give Jake an opening.

No sooner had she done that when she felt Loki’s sudden feeling of helplessness. It was so sharp and desolate, she nearly wept. And suddenly she felt it. The huge blast of raw essence power released from Loki’s body tearing through everything in the path. The intensity of it rocked Raewyn and she prayed Loki was alright. She then felt his presence once more, confident, ready and powerful. But when the men raised their guns once more, though thoroughly shaken, Raewyn sent a powerful suggestion to enhance their fear; increasing it tenfold. Those that stood their ground shook uncontrollably, one threw his rifle down and fled in panic.

She didn’t feel T’yang’s presence behind her until it was too late. Her utter calm had kept her hidden among all the chaotic emotions flying in all directions. Before she could react, she was engulfed in a darker than night cuccoon. She screamed, but no one could hear her.

T'yang
T’yang watched as the shadow-children clung to Tsume like tar, dragging him down to his knees and holding him fast. She watched dispassionately as he struggled futilely. “Kill you? No.” She whispered softly. “I couldn’t kill you, Tsume. Not even after what you’ve done to me.” She shook her head sadly at him. “No. But I will not let your delusions trap you. I love you still. Too much to watch you embrace your captivity the way you do.”

As she spoke, her eye lifted to where Raewyn knelt on the ground, sitting back on her heels in the deepest concentration. T’yang snapped open her fans and glided along the uneven ground toward the vulnerable girl. It would be easy. And Tsume would see he had been wrong. That there was no goddess and he would be free of his self-imposed obligation. In her mind, it was the greatest gift she could give him, even if he hated her for the rest of his days. He would be free.

Standing immediately behind Raewyn, poised to strike, something wormed its way into her consciousness. What had Tsume shouted at her? The thought stayed her hand briefly. The tattoo; the guidepost that located the goddess. Tsume said that it did not lie and she knew that to be true. She could prove him wrong without the death of the child. Spinning gracefully on the balls of her feet, T’yang returned to stand before Tsume. She caught his gaze and held it for long minutes. The sound of the battles that raged all around them faded from her consciousness. There was nothing but the two of them.

Though the thrumming power of the ley lines coursed through her, she controlled the shadow-children with the most delicate of touches. “Expose his arm.” She murmured softly. Under inky black fingers, Tsume’s tattoo was revealed. She gazed at the three concentric circles with a line dividing the one at the very center. But, what she paid particular attention to was the straight line that would point directly at the goddess. To her utter disbelief, it pointed directly at Raewyn. Her face revealed nothing, but all color drained from it. A sharp flick of her wrist jerked Tsume’s arm to the right. The line moved smoothly to point toward Raewyn. Another twist of her hand and Tsume was dragged off-balance by the shadow-children to point in another direction and once again, the line in the center circle of the tattoo moved to point toward Raewyn.

T’yang’s eye glittered with unshed tears. She’d been wrong. About everything. She scarcely dared to breathe for fear she would shatter. She couldn’t lift her eyes to meet Tsume’s. “Please. Forgive me.” She whispered and directed the shadow-children to pin Tsume more firmly to the ground. Turning her back on the monk, she stalked toward Raewyn once more, the edges of the fans glinting coldly.

Through the entire encounter, Alco had remained steadfast in his protective stance near Raewyn. He felt the doubt and heartache through his link with Tsume, but knew there was nothing he could do. When the shadow-children bore Tsume to the ground, he took a few impulsive steps toward Tsume in fear. He listened to T’yang plead with Tsume, and mentally cautioned Tsume unnecessarily. Finally, T’yang left the monk pinned to the ground and she approached Alco, who stood between her and the goddess. She remained poised for a time and murmured another prayer-like whisper. Tar-like shadows rose from the very combatants all around them and flowed toward T’yang and the Griffin. Roiling at her feet, she stared at Alco. “Stand aside Alco. I don’t want to hurt you.”

Alco stood his ground, “I can’t do that, Mistress Bin. You know I can’t.”

T’yang nodded, a little sadly. “I feared as much.” She lifted her hand, palm up and the dark pool at her feet swarmed up Alco’s limbs faster than thought. He was engulfed almost instantly with the shadows and they then began to squeeze. T’yang kept up the pressure until Alco was forced to his knees, like his master. But T’yang didn’t stop there. She kept pushing downward, and the shadows opened a great hole in the earth beneath the Summon. The dirt and rocks were pushed aside as if it were nothing more than loose sand. Alco was pushed down into the hole and then more shadows pushed the dirt back over him, burying the griffin to his head in solid earth.

Throughout the encounter, Raewyn hadn’t moved. She seemed unaware of the danger she was in. T’yang gave one last look toward Tsume and then to Alco before turning her attention to her original target, the helpless Raewyn. “Cover her.” She intoned emotionlessly.

The darkness welled up like a tide of death and formed a bubble over Raewyn, hiding her from the trapped Tsume’s sight.

[Loki]

Tsume watched in horror as Alco was pulled within the earth and quickly realized that Loki was nowhere in sight. "Loki! Stop her!" The monk called out only to go unanswered. Why did he abandon his post?! He struggled to try and break free of the clutching hands only making marginal headway. "T'yang! Please stop! Don't do this!" Then the darkness built up around the Goddess from her assassin, sending a desperate surge of adrenaline through his body. Diplomacy had failed and it was the moment where he had to take action or fail all that he sought to achieve. Tsume spun his spear and thrust the tip into the earth, channeling his energy through the conduit.

The next instant, stone spikes lunged out of the ground immediately surrounding the monk. They were so numerous that they had encaged him, coming so close to his flesh that had he moved while using the ability he would have suffered the same fate as the shadow creatures that had previously clung to him. Every one of them was now skewered upon the monk's deadly defenses, writhing in agony if moving at all. He heard T'yang cry out, but could not afford to feel sympathy for his actions. It was his hesitation that endangered the Goddess and he could not let it happen again. The spikes receded into the earth as Tsume withdrew the tip of his spear, leaving the motionless shadow figures encircled around him.

The monk didn't waste a moment as he took off at a dead sprint towards T'yang as fast as humanly possible. Whatever she was planning, the pain from disposing of her minions had bought him time; he glanced at his tattoo to check that it hadn't faded, marking the demise of the Goddess. With all that momentum, Tsume planted the butt of his spear into the ground and pole vaulted himself towards the assassin in a powerful flying kick that landed cleanly between her shoulder blades. The force behind the kick knocked T'yang from her feet, her torso leading the way until she impacted the barrier with a heavy thud before sliding along it as she fell flat on her back. No sooner had she come to rest than had her barrier failed, splashing to the ground as though it had been turned to liquid before being consumed by the sunlight.

Before she had gotten a chance to recover, heavy hands made of solid unyielding granite reached from the ground and clamped down upon her arms and legs pinning her in place while one pressed over her mouth to keep her from speaking. Tsume stood over her with her abdomen between his firmly planted feet. The look in his eyes were cold and unforgiving as he beheld the sight of what his former lover had become. For a fleeting moment, he glanced over to Raewyn to ensure she was shaken but still alive before returning his gaze to T'yang. The edge of his spearhead at the side of her neck. "Have you grown so calloused to this world that you would be willing to take a young girl's life out of spite of me? If you are so fanatical about killing the Goddess in order to have me, then you leave me no choice T'yang. I am going to make you feel pain like you have never felt before."

Tsume could see his lover's eyes fill with terror as he repositioned the spear so the blade pressed against his own throat just enough to pierce the skin to allow a small rivulet of blood to trickle down its edge. "We both know that I cannot kill you, so the only way I can save Raewyn is to take my own life. With me out of the way, you will have nothing to benefit from her death. But you are going to watch, so you can witness what your avarice had wrought." He could only grit his teeth as he seen tears well up in her eyes, trying to speak despite the construct that muffled her voice; it took considerable effort to push his emotions deep into the recesses of his mind where they would not interfere. There was only room for cold logic, which reminded him of his duty to protect the Goddess even if it meant he had to lay down his own life to do so. Tsume set his jaw and took in a deep breath to bring him resolve as the muscles in his arm tensed for the lethal motion.

"STOP!"

The sound of Raewyn's voice caused him to hesitate, though the edge never left his flesh. "I'm sorry Raewyn, but it's the only way I can protect you from her. She-"

"She was protecting me!"

That threw Tsume off guard. "What?" Disbelief and skepticism was heavily concentrated into that one word. It seemed likely that the Goddess way lying in order to keep him from sacrificing himself.

As if reading his thoughts, Raewyn shook her head to the negative. "I heard her thoughts. She was shielding me, protecting me." Her eyes flit to T'yang, who'd closed her eyes in resolution. "Please! work with her....I...I have to stop the rest!"

Tsume's hand trembled as he had removed the sharp blade from his throat, a tidal wave of emotion slammed into the wall he had built in his mind, threatening its integrity. The stone hands loosened their grip slightly as the one clamped over her mouth returned to the earth. "Then why... why did you subdue Alco and myself?"

T'yang coughed trying to regain her breath, "Because you would not have trusted me..." She flowed to her feet smoothly. "Go now. I will protect the goddess." She couldn't meet his eyes. "I swear on my life."

"Of course I would have trusted you." He said, doing his best to reinforce the emotional block in his mind. The hands released T'yang and returned from whence they came. "I've never stopped caring for you and I could always tell when you are being honest with me." He offered his hand and helped her to her feet, noticing that Alco had managed to utilize his own level of earth manipulation to free himself from his prison. "You will be here when I get back... right?"

Still T'yang wouldn't look Tsume in the eye, "I will protect her." was all she would say.

Tsume felt a knot form in his chest when she would not answer his question; he didn't want to lose her again, but also knew that the others could use his help. Reacting on impulse, he placed his hand on the back of her head and pulled her in for a fleeting kiss on the lips; a physical reminder of the feelings they had shared all those years ago. "Please wait for me." Without another word, he spun and returned to the fray.

[Silvan Arrow]

Eri/Arashi

Arashi had never questioned Eri’s decisions before. She had always thought things through and proceeded with caution, and years of working together meant that they had a rapport of unbreakable trust. But now…

…now Eri had completely lost her mind.

I…think Kuresh is plenty mad enough as it is, Mistress, Arashi remarked dryly as Kuresh dived for them again.

‘Not enough. Not yet,’ Eri urged as she gave him the signal to climb.

Arashi’s eyes widened. Was Eri insane? Yes, he could understand her outrage at seeing Loki injured and the emotional turmoil she had endured these past few days, but now was not the time for those matters to start clouding her judgement in battle. So for the first time in his short summoned life, Arashi broke orders and dived down for the cover of the trees.

Eri’s breath left her in a whoosh, and the abruptness of Arashi’s dive nearly flung her from his back. She scrabbled for purchase and grabbed hold of his feathers with a painful death grip. ‘Arashi, what are you doing? Break off and climb! That’s an order!’ But her words fell upon a steel-clad mental wall. Arashi’s primal survival instincts had taken over, and now Eri was just along for the ride. She ducked low against Arashi’s neck as he zigzagged amongst the trees while Kuresh pursued, bulldozing the massive forest sentinels like toothpicks. She decided to try and take advantage of the situation by aiming more wind shockwaves back at them, though it did practically nothing against Kuresh’s armored hide. Luckily, the dragon’s destructive rampage kept Jasper from leaning up to aim a clear shot with his rifle. All the while, she kept battering at Arashi’s mental defenses, desperately trying to reach him before he did something foolish that got them killed. Without warning, Kuresh broke off the pursuit and climbed skyward, which gave Eri her chance. ‘Arashi, they’re not following! STOP!’

Their mental link screeched to life as Arashi abruptly backwinged in a clearing, jolting Eri roughly and giving her whiplash. ‘What the HELL were you thinking? If Kuresh hadn’t already been half-mad, we would be dead by now! The only way we can pull this off is if we fight together!’

Sorrow and regret flooded the link, but before Arashi could apologize, Kuresh’s shadow filled the clearing as the beast dive-bombed them from above. Caught completely off guard, Arashi barely managed to roll to the side and avoid a fatal blow from Kuresh, though the sudden movement flung Eri from his back. She landed roughly on her side, dazed and disoriented, but Arashi’s warning shriek in her mind forced her to alertness before Jasper unloaded his rifle at her. She dug Gale Cleaver’s tip into the ground and used the sword as leverage to force her into a roll to avoid the deadly bullets and get to her feet. ‘Enough running,’ Eri thought savagely. Her frustration over Arashi’s disobedience combined with being inside the leyline again had done wonders to refuel her Essence reserves, and now she lashed out with another vicious series of wind shockwaves to counter Jasper’s bullets. The ferocity of the shockwaves actually succeeded in deflecting the volley and kept Jasper off-balance enough that he couldn’t line up another shot.

Eri used her shockwaves as cover and charged Jasper headlong in the wind’s wake. She could tell she had caught him off-guard, as he raised his rifle to try and club her instead of switching to his dagger. Eri sliced his rifle in half – yet again – with Gale Cleaver and whirled her body to follow up with a sidekick, planting her heel into his chest to send him stumbling backward. At that moment, when she figured he would have reached for his dagger, a familiar, potent Essence aura filled the clearing and suffused her senses. Jasper hesitated for a half second as if bombarded by a force out of his control, but Eri recognized the Essence instantly. Raewyn, that crazy blessed child, was somehow influencing his mind from a distance. Eri closed the distance between her and Jasper and aimed her blade for his torso, fully intent on finishing him for good. Jasper raised his arm in a seemingly futile attempt to block her summoned weapon, and an explosion of FIRE blasted Eri square in the chest and pushed her backwards. She cried out in surprise and pain and landed on one knee, half-expecting to look down and see a bloody hole blasted through her torso. Luckily, the fire had only burned her clothes and not touched her skin. Her eyes widened in shock to see Jasper’s right arm covered in flames, though they did not burn him.

Eri didn’t have any time to ponder how Jasper had obtained User abilities, as he immediately launched a volley of fireballs while she was down. She rolled and dived to dodge the first onslaught and launched additional shockwaves to slice through others. When the fireballs kept coming, she drew her father’s sword and dual-wielded to shoot off even more shockwaves in rapid succession. She knew she couldn’t sustain this use of Essence forever, though. She could already feel her breath coming in short gasps from using so much Essence, even when surrounded by the leyline, and knew she had to end this stalemate quickly. She managed to spot an opening and directed a shockwave upwards, slicing off a massive tree branch hanging above Jasper’s head. Jasper dived back to avoid the deadly obstacle, and Eri took off at a dead sprint for Kuresh, who was grappling on the ground with Arashi. Seeing her summon on the defensive, Eri managed to come at Kuresh from behind and drove Gale Cleaver’s blade into the wound behind his head. Roaring in a mix of pain and rage, Kuresh reared his head back and tossed Eri into the sky. Eri’s empty hands scrabbled for purchase in the void, and she screamed in fright as she looked down to see Kuresh’s open mouth below her. Her mind reacted out of instinct. ‘ARASHI!!!!!’

Salvation came from above as Arashi was suddenly right there and plucked her from the sky with his talons. A familiar chuckle echoed in her mind. You called?

Eri had never been more relieved to dangle from Arashi’s talons. ‘Thanks, I owe you one.’

Anytime. In a deft maneuver, Arashi flipped onto his back mid-air, tossed Eri straight up, and completed the roll to have her land squarely between his shoulder blades. A quick flick of her wrist dismissed and re-summoned Gale Cleaver back to her waiting grasp. I am sorry for earlier. You’re right; the only way we can overcome these foes is by fighting together.

‘So you’ll follow my lead into even more crazy stunts?’ Eri teased, though Arashi could tell she was dead serious.

Even to death and beyond, Arashi vowed. He suddenly lurched in flight as a wave of unfettered emotions and Essence – Raewyn’s without a doubt – blasted his and Eri’s shared senses. She had unknowingly forged a bond that tied her to each member in the group, though Eri, being a Summoner, was particularly sensitive to mental links.

‘Dangit, she’s in trouble,’ Eri thought grimly, her rage simmering just beneath the surface. However, she couldn’t spare any more thoughts for her comrades, as Jasper and Kuresh were once again in hot pursuit. She would have to trust in Tsume and Loki to keep her safe until she had finished off these foes first. Despite Arashi’s efforts to shield her, his pain beat at her senses. That last volley with Kuresh had left him battered and bruised, and blood trickled from various shallow cuts from broken branches in the forest. Eri’s Essence reserves were starting to flag as well. They needed a few moments to regroup. Eri shared her vision with Arashi again and looked back to keep visual tabs on Jasper and Kuresh. ‘Buy me some time. Hopefully we can frustrate Kuresh into losing control again.’

Hold on tight. Arashi took on an unpredictable flight pattern, zigzagging left, right, up, down, and every direction in between to keep their foes guessing. Eri spotted an incoming volley of bullets – that was one troublesome rifle –, and Arashi tucked his wings and went into a freefall straight down before leveling off and using the momentum of the dive to go into a steep vertical climb. Meanwhile, Eri held on for dear life with both hands, having dismissed Gale Cleaver, and mentally willed her Essence levels to return.

‘Hang in there, Arashi. Soon we’ll have them where we want them.’

Eri just wished she had an easier time believing her own words…

[Guilty Carrion]

Tal paled at the scream, and found himself scrambling to the side of the tree to check for the small girl. A distinct absence of any blood gave him pause, before the sobbing form of the girl emerged from the tree line again. Gritting his teeth, he watched her closely for any sort of threat.

“Darren…we need ta do something here! I can’t hurt a little gurl! His expression turned to panic when her voice darkened, and the ice shot up to encase him and Darren. He tried desperately to move, but the ice held him tight. “Now would be a wonderful time for some ideas!”

“Tal, think. What’s out of place in this fight?” The summon eyed its summoner cautiously, all too aware that their time to plan was precious, and that the girl wasn’t going to stand around and not kill them all day. “The leyline has done more than just make me stronger, my friend!”

“What are you gibbering about you daft beast?! All I’ve don-”

“You SOARED through a canopy of tree not five minutes ago, you idiot! I watched you bull rush across a clearing faster than you’ve EVER moved in your life! Unless you’ve suddenly gotten a lot fitter…”

“Oh, so you want to make jabs about my weight now?! Well, you’ve certainly gained a few tons there, champ!”

“Tal, I think you failed to realize the gravity of the situation we’re in. She’s going to KILL YOU.”

The girl summoned up a large assault as Darren’s thought finished, her face a mixture of diabolical enjoyment that sent a chill straight down Tal’s spine. Maybe that was the ice. Hopefully. He didn’t want to tell anyone about being intimidated by a child. “Well…this is going to ge-wait. Darren, what did you say?”

“She’s going to kill us? Do I really need to remind you?!”

“No-no…the other thing.”

“The gravity of th…”

“Gravity.”

His panic faded, and a wild man grin spread across his face. “Fancy ice cubes ya got there!” The assault raced in, and his fists tightened inside their restraints. “Let’s get heavy.” The essence surged outward from his body, a barely visible glow of deep violet purple that washed over the clearing in seconds, before the change occurred. The very air itself seemed to crush down on the attack, forcing the lethal projectiles from their course into the dirt, before shattering them under the immense weight.

The ice around the two fared no better, unable to endure the pressure suddenly placed upon it. Stretching as he dusted the last ice crystals from his frame, violet glow vanished back into his body, and the vagabond grinned. “Aren't youngins supposed ta respect their elders?.” Darren snorted angrily at Tal’s side, happy to be free from the constricting ice.

“We need to make her run.”

“How?”

“Darren…ya trust me?”

“With my life.”

“Then you don’t need a how. S‘time for you to fly, old friend.” Before the girl could recover from their sudden escape, Tal’s eyes pulsed that violet hue, before a similar aura shone over the form of his summon. Grabbing hold of the massive beast’s horn, he spun in a powerful arc twice, before lobbing the titanic creature high into the sky.

“This is the last time you make the plan.”

Wasting no time, he leapt forward towards the girl, launching a barrage of strikes with the butt of his hammer seemingly at her, the hilt glowing with a violet glow as they smashed powerfully into the earth, cracking the ground around her feet.

She lashed out with an icicle, gashing across his chest, but his work was done, and he leapt back from her before she could press the attack any further. “Good hit.” His smile grew wider, stretching across his face despite the rapidly replenishing arsenal of sharp pointy things around her.

Glancing up, his eyes flashed dark violet, and he motioned for Arina to follow his gaze. "Mine's betta." Whether or not she did, he didn’t know, as the massive form of Darren smashed back into the ground not five feet away from the girl, sending shock waves through the already weakened earth. Darren bellowed loudly, although it was little more than another distraction. Small ice shards pelted his side, the girl flinging them rapidly to try and keep the beast away from her. The uneven ground kept her from getting far; meaning Tal could easily pull of his next trip.

“Nice trip?”

“Almost hit an eagle on the way up, and a dragon on the way down. What do you think, Tal?”

“Heh. Fun trip.” Tal, utilizing the shock caused by his partners sudden reappearance, pushed out with his power, focusing the lighter aspects onto the slab beneath her feet, while pushing the heavy into his leg. With a grunt of exertion, he hoisted the limb into the air, before releasing it to drop into the earth. It crashed, painfully he might add, into the ground, the shockwave caused the slab to buck violently tossing Arina to the ground as Darren quickly moved over to her side, staring down at her prone form darkly.

“Member! We’re trying ta scare her, not hurt her!”

“I won’t touch her, Tal.”

“Better not…one tap of your clumsy foot could crush the poor thing.”

Despite the nagging pain in his ankle (He really hadn’t thought this damn plan through, had he?) Tal made his wave over to the girl’s side and place a powerful stomp inches from her head, sinking into the earth from the impact of his stomp (Now both his feet hurt, just bloody wonderful). “I think you need to reconsider this plan B of yers, aye?”

[Digital Muse]

T’yang bled from several deep wounds that she’d suffered when Tsume destroyed her constructs. She was exhausted, battered and had several broken ribs from her battle with the monk. But, when Tsume had drawn her close and kissed her lips suddenly, she’d forgotten it all. That simple gesture nearly broke her. But before she could speak, he’d spun away from her, confident in her promise, and raced to help his companions.

The Shadow assassin stared after Tsume momentarily before the sounds of the deadly battles that raged all around them penetrated the fog in her mind. T’yang turned her tear-stained visage toward the goddess; the ordinary little girl that stood nearby.

Raewyn stared wide-eyed at the woman that had come so close to killing her, then nodded. “I have to…” she tapped her temple gently. “I have to get back and help.” Brown eyes met T’yang’s black ones and Raewyn smiled, “Thank you.” She said simply before kneeling once more and closing her eyes to the world around her.

A gentle gesture from T’yang’s slender hand called the Shadows to her once more and they flowed into a dense, opaque black dome over the goddess, isolating Raewyn to the distractions of the battles going on around her. T’yang looked up to the skies to see the Dragon sail overhead with a wild screech. She felt much the same as the dragon; powerful, unstoppable and out of control.

Inside her darkened cuccoon, Raewyn calmed her wildly beating heart and delved into the mindscape she’d been jerked out of by T’yang’s attack. She spends the first few minutes sorting out the chaotic bombardment of the emotions her companions send out unwittingly. Then she feels out the harsher metal states of the other Saturates and Summons. The hatred, self-loathing, ambition, even psychoses of the Magi hammer into Raewyn’s mind and she struggles to isolate each battle into separate compartments as she had before. She touched Maeve’s mind briefly, but shied from engaging the powerful Dream Walker for the moment.

Tal’s desperate dilemma in dealing with the Ice Saturate put him in deadly danger. The odd inner dialog between Tal and Darren would have made Raewyn laugh in other circumstances, but not today. The powerful stomp that weakened the very ground beneath Arina and Darren’s spectacular crash landing had knocked Arina to the ground, shaking her momentarily. She felt the sharp tang of fear from the girl. Raewyn latched onto that emotion. It was one she understood intimately. Raewyn reached out mentally, pressing her consciousness against Arina’s fragile mental state. She wormed into the Ice Staturate’s deep memories, shuddering at the slithering feeling of the invasion. Raewyn pressed deep into the girl’s memories until she found something dark and hidden. Grabbing hold, Raewyn pumped her own fears into the memory, feeding it, bringing it to the surface as a fisherman might tease up a huge old fish. She set the hook, mentally and poured all her own fear and pain into the Ice Saturate mercilessly.

Just as she completed her assault on Arina’s consciousness, Maeve pressed harshly against the neatly segregated mind. Raewyn swayed slightly in reaction. Her brows broke out in a cold sweat. The effort of compartmentalizing her mind, the attack on Arina and the prolonged defense against Maeve’s intrusion was taking its toll. She was beginning to feel genuine physical fatigue and though she didn’t notice it, her nose began to bleed from the intense effort.

”Just what do you hope to gain, young goddess?” Maeve’s soothing voice flowed through her consciousness. ”They are trying to control you, can’t you see it? The monk tells you where you are going, how you will act, how you will spend the rest of your life.” Maeve tsked. ”We never tried to dictate terms to you. We would work with you, let you do as you wished. We only wish to guide you and help you to realize your greatest potential.”

“No.” Raewyn replied with some effort. “You attacked us. I can sense the hatred and violence in the minds of your people, Dream Walker. You lie.” Raewyn desperately wanted to check on her friends, but with Maeve pressing against her mind, she couldn’t risk dividing her attention.

Maeve smiled, her image within Raewyn’s mind mimicked her flesh self’s expression. Unlike Raewyn, Maeve had no difficulty keeping track of everything happening around her and the young goddess. The Dream Walker kept pushing Raewyn, keeping the girl’s attention focused on her. ”Are you so sure it is the emotions of my people you sense, young goddess? You are still learning and what you sense may be old resonances left from the atmosphere of the leylines. You have never experienced such power before. It is very disorienting if you are not careful.” Maeve paused and her voice dropped to a gentle plea, ”I have not attacked you, though I certainly could. I have not tried to force you to do something you didn’t wish to do. You must listen to me, Raewyn. I’m trying to save your life.”

Without Raewyn realizing it, Maeve had found her seed of doubt and fed it. She was far more subtle than Raewyn had been when she fed Arina’s sense of fear. It caused Raewyn to push back, she approached Maeve’s place in the dreamscape and momentarily forgot about the desperate struggles going on around her. “If…if what you’re saying is true….come to me…I mean physically. Let me see you face to face.”

Maeve smiled again, she had the young goddess’s complete attention. ”I would be killed, if I exposed myself, Raewyn.” Maeve’s voice sounded full of regret. ”I am no warrior. No more than you are. We only defend ourselves.”

Raewyn shivered involuntarily, “What about T’yang? She attacked me! She wanted to kill me!”

Maeve nodded, ”You must get away from her, Raewyn, she is unhinged. It is I who holds her shadows at bay. She is dangerous. Please. Come to me, I beg you!”

A cold chill slithered along Raewyn’s spine…had she been wrong? Was T’yang’s apparent defection all a ploy to get close to her and kill her? Raewyn opened her eyes sharply and though she didn’t know it, Maeve altered her perception, making it difficult for her to breathe within T’yang’s cuccoon of shadow. “Oh! Oh spirits! I..I can’t breathe!” The more Raewyn panicked, the harder if became to catch her breath. Aloud, she tried to scream, but couldn’t and Maeve kept up the pressure to keep the young goddess off-balance.

[Digital Muse]

*Roshan I. Pierce*

Roshan I.Pierce’s smile never quite reached his cool, blue eyes. But, he was amused. The Earth manipulator was far too predictable and really, quite dull. He created several copies of himself, enticing the rash Jake further and further into the wood and away from his friends. Separating the blindly foolish Earth manipulator from his companions was ludicrously easy. Roshan could finish him, but he wanted to make the fool scream in frustration when he realized he was going to die.

He watched as Jake barreled toward the five copies of himself, he’d set up as the preoverbial red cape that hid the sword in the matador’s hand. He drew his wakazashi and prepared for Jake to waste even more energy against nothing but air.

"Word to the wise, I'm a lot more perceptive than people take me for." Jake then launched himself to the left, stabbing his spikes forward intent on simply spearing the man into submission.

Roshan’s eyes widen when Jake suddenly changed direction and leapt for him where he was hidden behind a half-fallen tree. Dense, sharp spikes of Earth extended toward Roshan as a lethal extension of Jake’s armor. Roshan only barely managed to slip to the right, and thrusting upwards, took the full brunt of Jake’s crashing body on the point of his sword. The Earthen spikes tore through the lapel of his own jacket , barely missing his flesh.

Roshan grunted heavily at the weight of Jake impaling himself onto his sword. Unfortunately, the Earthen armor bore the brunt of most of the lethal blow and while it tore away, it deflected the razor-sharp blade. Rather than stabbing Jake through the stomach, it speared through the muscle along his side, cutting a deep, ugly gouge.

Crying out in pain, Jake rolled to the side, landing heavily on his back. He grit his teeth and stared up at his would be undertaker. “Tag! You’re it!” Kicking up to his feet with a low moan of pain, Jake moved more Earth to coalesce about his fist creating a huge hammer of mud and rock. Swinging a devastating haymaker at the Light Manipulator.

Jake’s impact onto his wakazashi made Roshan stumble back. His lips peeled back from his teeth in a feral, dangerous grimace. His dopplegangers of light evaporated and he watched Jake, assuming he would die of his wounds. He growled softly when he saw that he’d only injured Jake and the man’s impudent jibe his eyes narrow. Starting to step forward to finish the fool, he saw the huge Earth hammer heading for his head. Ducking beneath the blow lightly, Roshan pivoted on the balls of he feet and unleashed a hastily built beam of intense red light into Jake’s back, sending him stumbling forward and blasting chunks of the Earth armor away from Jake’s shoulders.

He didn’t wait for Jake to stop moving before he shimmered out of sight and quietly began to move around the troublesome Earth Manipulator. He couldn’t resist a dark chuckle, “Tag.” He taunted and kept moving deeper into the forest.

[quakernuts]

Jasper/Kuresh

'What are they doing?' Kuresh asked his more strategically adept summoner. Jasper watched as his chosen enemies first took to the air, only to dive downwards, and use the momentum to shoot themselves upwards into the clouds. Jasper had taken back control of his summon for the time being, and instead of recklessly taking after them like last time, simply sat and observed for the moment. Ranged warfare was not Eri's chosen path of combat, and Jasper felt no danger from sitting still and witnessing the event happening before him. As she started heading upwards, towards the clouds, the plan started formulating in his head.

'They are going to use the clouds for cover. Seeing as they are far more agile than us, they will have the advantage.' Jasper replied, making sure his rifle was fully loaded.

'So we go in after them, make sure that they know they cannot hid-' Kuresh was cut off when an object went flying in the air, and they both stared upright for a second. 'What was that?' Kuresh asked once more. He quickly found out as a Rhino came down nearly on top of Kuresh's head, who twisted to avoid the collision. They both got a good look at what had nearly hit them though, and they answered in unison to the event.

'What the fuck?'
'What the fuck?'

'A...Rhino?' Jasper thought, dumbfounded by what had just happened in front of him.

'I am losing my airspace to land mammals now?! They will all die!'

'No, stay calm. We already hav-'

'DIE LAND MAMMALS!' Kuresh made to move, only to be stopped by Jasper's thought.

'Maybe you have a point.' Kuresh stopped out of confusion, and felt the plan forming in his summoner's head. 'How far would she go to protect one of her own? Down.' Kuresh complied, but he still didn't have any real idea what was going on. At least, not until he saw the target they were going after. He snorted flames out of his nose in appreciation for the plan as he closed in on what looked like an Earth manipulator fighting one of their 'Allies'.

'Let's see how many heartstrings we can pull. Kuresh. Kill.'

---

Jake


Well, to be honest, he had seen the son of a bitch. What Jake hadn't expected though, was to nearly get a sword through the gut. He had nearly had the Magi, nearly killed him outright, only to be robbed by a timely save of dodging to his left. A sword came up to meet him, and there was no time even for his reflexes to dodge the weapon. He felt the weapon hit his armour, get past that, and felt the incredibly painful burn as it sliced through skin and muscle as it was deflected by his armour. Jake gave a slight cry of pain and rolled to his side, landing heavily on his back, adding to the pain now coursing through his side. His eyes gleamed dangerously, as if something was hidden right behind the glow of green.

Jake returned to his feet surprisingly fast, and started forming mud and clay around his hand. "Tag, you're it!" Jake yelled at the man, who was stepping forward as if to finish him off. Jake came around with a devastating haymaker...had it connected. The Magi was no longer there, and instead had pivoted behind him, and hit him with a weakened version of the beam that had nearly burned him alive a little whiles back in the battle. Jake whipped around, his green glowing eyes blazing with fury as he tried to spot his foe, only to meet with nothing but trees and grass. Jake roared with anger, and smashed his fist into the ground with surprising force.

"Come out you little cloak and dagger bitch! You will die by my hand, I will make sure of it!" In Jake's enraged state, he didn't happen to notice a certain shadow starting to take shape underneath him. It wasn't until a gust of wind took him by surprise did he turn around and get met with a mouthful of teeth. The dragon simply tried to pick him up with it's mouth, only to be startled as Jake grabbed some teeth, and dug himself into the ground. The dragon plodded forward, Jake's feet creating deep gouges in the earth as he was pushed backwards. With a surge of strength, Jake forced the dragon's head sideways, and slammed it into the ground, much to the surprise of the beast and it's rider.

Jake then charged forward, but was met with the clawed hand of the dragon trying to pin him to the ground. He caught with both hands, only to have the beast try to crush him with the other one. Jake re-summoned his armour quickly, and then shifted as much of his inner essence as he could into his strength. He caught the other hand with his other hand, and they were effectively at a stalemate for the moment. Kuresh attempted to reach down and bite him, only to have Jake very nearly dodge by twisting himself in a way that suggested he was near the breaking point. Jasper attempted to get a clear shot at the man, but with Kuresh constantly snapping at the man, no shot was able to connect.

It seemed to last that way forever in Jake's mind as sweat beaded on his face from the exertion of simply keeping the dragon at bay. He thought he saw a blur of motion from behind the dragon, but that didn't get his attention as much as the intense heat on his back did.

While Jake had been distracted, Roshan had used the opportunity to power himself up, and hit Jake dead on in the middle of the back with a beam of light. It slammed into Jake with the power of a freight train, and bolted him halfway across the battlefield. Kuresh was re-engaged by Eri at that moment, but it was too little too late. Jake lay unmoving from his spot in the dirt, smoke rising from his back where the beam had hit, and his armour all but destroyed. Small bits of it still clung on in certain parts, but for the most part, he was completely vulnerable.

His vision had turned completely red and black, the beating of his heart in time with the pulsing of his vision as he tried to simply suck in a breath. Was he dead? No he could still feel pain, which meant he was still very much alive. It didn't feel like pain normally should though, a sharp, unpleasant sensation that would jolt adrenaline into his body. Instead though, it was simply a dull throb covering nearly the entirety of his back, and he felt as if all of his strength had left him. He gave a weak cough, and managed to get his arms underneath him, but they shook as he forced himself up to all fours.

"Losing not part of the plan, Mr. Unbeatable?" Jake looked up to see the all too familiar face of his alternate side. The black shadows swirling around his form as if dancing to some unheard music. The sadistic smile was back, but this time it seemed almost too overbearing. Jake was weak, he couldn't even manage a reply as the figure knelt down, it's eyes meeting his.

"Contrary to popular belief, Mr. Tyier, I don't want you to die. For if you were to be killed, I would no longer exist." The figure reached out with one hand, and grabbed Jake by the throat, and lifted him up to his feet. "So get up! I command you...to...get...up! You will fight! You will win! And may no mercy fall upon any of those who DARE to harm my vessel!" Jake found his eyes locked in his doppelganger's. It was only a moment, but with no strength left in himself, he quickly felt himself consumed.

His other side had taken control.

Jake gave a deep breath of air as his body finally managed to revive from the hit, but something was different. A cold, uncaring, and sadistic smile was planted on his face as he shakily forced himself up from the ground. His back had been burned badly, and in parts it looked as if it had nearly gone right down to the muscle tissue. Yet, despite this massive injury, Jake cocked his head to one side, then the next, and turned around to see the very surprised and concerned look of his adversary, Roshan I. Pierce. The armour started to reform around Jake, but there was something wrong about it. It seemed to form an offensive shell, rather than a defensive one. Spikes seemed to rise at random intervals on the suit, making it difficult for anyone to grapple the man, should they have chosen to. On top of this, his eyes which normally glowed green, were now the darkest shade of black, absorbing the light around them and making 'glowing' an inadequate word to describe them. As the armour formed around his face, the last sight of his sadistic smile could be seen as he simply started to walk forward with the confidence of a god.

Pierce tried to hit Jake with another blast of light, only for it to be sidestepped by Jake. Another one, and a similar reaction while Jake continued his walk forward. Roshan was starting to backpedal by this point, and weaker ones were used to simply try to keep him at bay while Pierce did his best to retreat back into the forest. As one blast came directly for him, Jake sent more armour to his fist, and simply punched it into dispersion. Another with the same results. Beam after beam came after him only to meet their fate at the end of Jake's fists. It wasn't until Jake was only a few feet away before Pierce finally applied the disappearing trick, and faded from view.

Jake looked around the clearing, his black eyes seeming to see all that was surrounding him. His stance was different then before though, he was calmly searching the clearing now, rather than getting angry and yelling insults. "Come on out little Magi." His voice was light, playful, but at the same time, downright creepy and scary. This was not the Jake the others knew. "Stop your little hide and seek game. I will find you." Jake walked slowly around the clearing, pausing every so often when he thought he saw something.

"Show your face, and let's see how well I can remodel it."

---

Jasper/Kuresh


As they had launched their assault on the man from a surprised angle, both Jasper and Kuresh were astonished at the man's strength. He had single handily stopped them dead in their tracks when Kuresh had tried to swallow him whole, and had actually slammed Kuresh's head into the ground. Well, what little control Jasper had on the creature at that point in time nearly evaporated as rage once more set in and he took on what the profile labelled as Jake, and tried to simply crush him with pure force. Instead, Kuresh was met with nearly identical strength, and had it not been for the fact that he could attack with his head also, they would have been in a stalemate. Sure, they could have simply roasted him alive, but he was only bait. They both knew that, and as Jasper looked back to see a bullet coming down from the heavens, and very small smirk found it's way to his face.

'Bait taken.' Kuresh didn't answer as Jake was blasted away by Pierce. Kuresh glared at the man, but did nothing else as Eri was nearly on top of them at this point. With surprising speed, Kuresh turned around, and managed to grapple with the bird, much to it's surprise. They had acted in haste, and now it was costing them as Kuresh tried desperately to get a firm grip on the summon. Much to Arashi's credit, he had a lot of fight in him, but Eri had a different idea in mind.

She jumped from Arashi's back to Kuresh's, and started dealing pain to Jasper in order to draw the attention away. At this point, Jasper was now favouring the revolver/dagger approach. Revolver in left hand, and dagger in the right, parrying and trying to get a clean shot at the woman, who seemed to predict his movements and move only a fraction of a second ahead of him for him to miss completely. It continued on like this, slash, shoot, dodge for what seemed like minutes. It wasn't until Eri managed to pivot herself and send a slash through an exposed section of Jasper's torso. A bloody cut made it's way from his left shoulder down to his right hip, but it was nothing more than a flesh wound. He had partially seen it coming, and had taken that crucial step backwards in order to avoid it. Kuresh grunted as he felt the pain that his summoner had taken, and that was all the opening Arashi needed.

Arashi went berserk, breaking free in the moment of hesitation from the dragon and launched himself almost in a kamikaze attack on Kuresh's face, landing several hits, and leaving deep trail marks in the scales. Kuresh roared in defiance, and threw the bird off with a powerful twist of his head. Eri disengaged, and jumped onto Arashi's back as he flew by. Jasper went to use his rifle to pick at the now exposed targets, but the sudden shift in movement from Kuresh threw him off balance, and he quickly got a hand in a scale as the dragon took off, launching fire and rage after the summons.

'You are losing control again.' Jasper fought to regain control, but it was too late. They had followed Eri and Arashi into the clouds before Kuresh had cooled enough to listen to reason. Jasper looked around, noting the lack of visibility, and obvious vulnerability. Kuresh breathed fire in all directions, attempting to flush them out of hiding. Jasper didn't bother stopping him this time, knowing that they had triggered the trap.

'Where are they!' Kuresh roared, his anger evident in everything he was doing. Jasper let go, holding his rifle loosely at his side as he peered through the clouds. The words came out of his mouth.

"Don't worry...they aren't going anywhere."

[Sunwolf007]

Owen was stunned at what he saw. There is no way that can be my brother. I checked the corpse’s pulse myself. Owen evaded the next attack and backed off. He kept dodging and avoiding combat. This has to be an illusion. Yet the movements are too fluid. They are the movements of a real body. But how? He holstered his revolver and blocked James’ attack with his sword.. He desperately tried to avoid James, who kept coming forward. Owen used his sword to deflect a few attacks. Each one had force behind it. It HAS to be an illusion or in my head or something else… He thought.

“What’s a matter Owen? Afraid to fight? You never turned down a fight before, especially with me.” James called out to him.

“No.” Owen answered. See how much he actually knows. Does he have use of his essence ability? He should have used it by now if he did. Owen kept ducking and deflecting James’ attacks. He has to be real. There is no other way… but how? Suddenly his body was filled with pain. He had missed deflecting the next blow and took a glancing blow to the head, which poured blood down his face and chest. Stepping back he tripped over a root and fell.

James wasted no time in raising his sword for a deathblow. Owen worked on instinct, grabbing the stock of his shotgun, he lifted his leg and shot at James right through the holster in his desperation. Unfortunately, some of the buckshot hit his leg. He gritted his teeth in pain. Suddenly, Owen felt something pressing against his mind. He couldn’t hold it back.

Watch out! There are two of them over there!

Was that Raewyn’s voice? Rolling, he dodged another attack. Two? Who else was here with James…if it was truly James? He had to find them and quickly!

Owen aimed and shot the other shell in his shotgun causing more pain to flow through his body. He could no longer stand and he knew he had to heal himself. Taking a precious few moments, Owen regressed his body 5 minutes as he whipped out one of his revolvers. He fired, keeping James back and under cover. Owen felt the exhaustion start to sink in but he had to mentally pushed it aside. I have to be sure. Owen jumped to his feet and ran back to where the fight began. He picked up his rifle knowing it still had a few rounds left. Taking cover he reloaded his shotgun. He only had a few minutes at most, so he opened the breach of his revolver and quickly reloaded that as well. He could almost feel James out there somewhere, yet he still couldn’t tell if it was his brother. If what Raewyn said was true, he had two enemies not just one. Whether it was James or not would have to be worked out later. But…wait…because of his essence abilities James always knew where people were.

“Why prolong the fight brother?” James yelled.

“Because I can,” Owen yelled back. He is not your brother! He can’t be! He thought harshly.

“Why prolong the inevitable? Because we exist we must fight. It was the fate we were dealt.” James voice echoed in the trees. “Come. We have unfinished business.”

“Nothing is inevitable. It was you who taught me that.” Owen yelled. He quickly ran deeper into the woods. He wouldn’t want to engulf his friends in his ball lightning explosions by accident. From the sounds and flashes of the fight Owen could tell they were giving their all. Once I pull them out of position I can counter ambush. I have to make sure I don’t blow us all sky high though.

“You think you can change this? You don’t have the power.” James voice echoed through the trees again.
He’s buying time. Can’t let them get away with that. Owen created a ball of lightning the size of his thumb and made it fly behind him for a few seconds. A second later a blinding white light filled the sky with a sound wave that should incapacitate anyone within a certain distance. Owen leapt from behind a tree and scanned for a stunned James. There was no one in sight. Gripping his rifle tight Owen proceeded to look for James.

Seeing movement out of the corner of his right eye Owen quickly turned and fired. But, James suddenly appeared to his left. Owen turned to fire, but James knocked the rifle from his hands. Owen saw a brief opening and threw a well-aimed punch at James’ head. His fist hit nothing but air as James ducked.

KABOOM!!!

Both men were lifted off the ground from the force of the explosion. Owen bounced off a tree and landed on his back. His surprise attack was mostly successful as most of the blast was absorbed by James’s body. Unfortunately, though mostly unscathed, Owen had been temporarily deafened by the blast. Thankfully, the attack itself was designed to knock the breath out of a person, but not kill them. He got up shakily and pulled out his sword. Owen stumbled as he continued to run from James. I can’t let them get position on me. Not yet. Where is the other one Raewyn said she saw?

“Why do you keep running!?” James voice roared off the trees.

“Must you ask? You’ve seen this before James.” Owen yelled, though he could barely hear after the explosion. How had James recovered so quickly?

“What lies are you spouting now?” James responded.

“Maybe this will help.” Owen said as he turned and fired a bolt of lightning from his hand. The attack missed James and sliced through a tree. Owen didn’t waste any time but continued running on his new course. He could feel the fatigue starting to make his body weaken dangerously. This is taking too long. I might not make it. Owen picked his next spot and turned. Time to use a trump card. His sword’s edge began to glow white. He waited the few seconds it took James to catch up with him. James slashed at him but Owen blocked with his now glowing sword melting right through James’ sword and cutting off the last 2 inches of the blade. Owen instantly countered but James jumped backwards. The cloak that was wrapped around him had a burn mark where the blade almost cut him. Owen grimaced. Damn. I was hoping for more of the blade.

Without giving his bother time to get set, Owen raised his arm and shot another lightning bolt at James. James threw himself sideways to avoid the attack and it blasted through two more trees causing them to fall. Owen then sliced through the tree that James had leapt behind. It also slid sideways and fell towards James. Owen used the chance to keep running. Breathing heavily he felt a warm trickle of blood running down his lip. His nose was bleeding from the strain his body was under. His brain began to ache from all the strain on it. I’m at my limit of my control. I have to do this now.

Dodging around trees, Owen finally reached his ultimate destination. The three trees he had purposely cut down had landed in a triangle pattern. Quickly he used a small ball of lightning to blast a hole in the triangle. He jumped in and found the hole to be only waist high. It’s going to have to be deep enough. He wished he still had his rifle but he knew staying alive was more important than a rifle.

“This was your plan all along? A defended ambush point. You disappoint me Owen.” James said with disgust. He approached Owen cautiously this time.

Just then, an enormous roar sounded through the trees along with a white hot flash of light. Trees were torn from their roots like so many twigs. Dried leafy loam on the forest floor burst into flame and quickly burned out. Smoke filled the clearing where he and James had run to. Owen could only hope he’d also managed to get the second Magi as well.

Looking up after a few minutes, Owen stood, leaves, dirt and shattered wood fell from him as he looked about for James….or whoever he was. The fatigue made his bones ache and he had to lean against a tree to keep himself from falling to his knees. He remained alert, despite his exhaustion. He bled from a myriad of cuts, and could have slept for a week. But he had to check on the others.

[Silvan Arrow]

Eri/Arashi

Eri risked a glance backward to see if Jasper and Kuresh had taken the bait. Are they following? Arashi inquired, his beak agape and panting from exertion.

‘Not yet. Dangit…’ Suddenly a flicker of movement caught the corner of her eye, and Eri’s heart leapt into her throat as a massive object came flying straight up from the trees at them. ‘Arashi, evade!’ She gripped his shoulders with both hands and used her momentum to help throw them into a steep barrel roll to dodge whatever-it-was, and only then did they identify the unidentified flying object. They mentally exclaimed in unison:

‘Darren?!’
Darren?!

‘Er…what?!’ Eri asked in disbelief.

Don’t ask, Arashi deadpanned. Well…now I’ve seen everything. Giant flying rhinos…

Darren’s gravity-defying trip so unsettled them that Eri didn’t even notice that Jasper was no longer pursuing them. Arashi circled around and found the dragon diving toward the ground. ‘Is he running?’ Eri wondered.

Arashi’s voice choked abruptly in horror. Mistress…look… Using their shared sight, Eri followed Arashi’s gaze and zoomed in on what her partner had seen. Her heart stopped for one painful, shuddering beat.

‘Oh Goddess…’

They were going after Jake…

Adrenaline surged through her body like a jolt of lightning, and the spike in her emotions went screeching through her link to Arashi. Rage, protective instincts, and…something else…burned in her chest like a toxic cocktail. Primal instincts overrode logic, and Eri’s mind reacted on its own. ‘Dive! Go, go, go!’ Arashi screeched in compliance, reinvigorated by the rawness of his mistress’ emotions, and tucked his wings to dive like a deadly arrow. The effects of the leyline had strengthened Eri’s natural telepathic abilities, and she followed the emotional link that she had unknowingly forged with the cocky Manipulator to broadcast a warning into his mind.

‘Jake! Watch out!’

Despite Arashi’s speed, they were too late to intercept Kuresh’s attack. Eri thought she was going to watch him die in front of her eyes, but to her utter shock, Jake actually held Kuresh at bay, even to the point of slamming his head into the ground with his earth armor and bare hands. It was utterly insane but completely Jake. However, Eri’s breath left her in a whoosh as a red beam of light blasted Jake in the back, shattered his armor, and sent him flying halfway across the clearing. “NO!” The sound was more torn from her throat than a voluntary cry. Eri’s enraged mental voice shrieked in Jasper’s mind. ‘YOU WILL PAY!’ Arashi fed off Eri’s emotions, converting them to energy and radiating them throughout his body as he descended in a rage on Kuresh, all wings, talons, and beak. Kuresh whirled to meet the assault, and his front claws locked with Arashi’s talons mid-air. Their initial onslaught gave Eri the opening she needed, and she leaped from Arashi’s back to Kuresh’s, a sword in each hand, while Arashi spun away and grappled with Kuresh at a distance. Eri’s face was a mask of stoic rage and calculating coolness now, but her mind was in torment as she desperately tried to prod a response from Jake. ‘Jake! Wake up! Please!’

Eri continued calling to him mentally even as she charged forward to meet Jasper head-on to keep his attention on her instead of his vulnerable target. It was practically a suicide attack, but despite her raging emotions, her mind felt oddly clear, as if she were watching the fight from the sidelines and calmly directing the action. Sharing Arashi’s sight, one eye blue and one eye green, allowed her to predict Jasper’s movements more clearly as he alternated between shots from his revolver and thrusts of his dagger. Even so, she barely stayed one step ahead of him. Finally she spotted an opening and managed to block his revolver and dagger both with Gale Cleaver. Now it was just simple physics, ingrained into her mind from years of practicing with her father. A deft movement of her wrist forced the weapons aside to leave Jasper’s torso vulnerable, and she pivoted to deal a painful flesh wound from his left shoulder to his right hip. Only Jasper’s quick movement backwards saved him from being cleaved in two. Kuresh grunted as he shared in his summoner’s pain. ‘Arashi! NOW!’

If Arashi had been enraged before, he absolutely exploded now. He broke free from Kuresh’s grip and threw himself into a suicide attack on Kuresh’s face, leaving deep, bloody gouges in the scales. Kuresh roared and tossed him aside, and Eri broke away from Jasper to leap back onto his back and take to the skies again. She spared a glance backward and was relieved to see Jake on his feet. However, a sudden chill ran down her spine as she and Arashi both felt waves of cold, sadistic emotions rolling off him like dark clouds. Even his armor looked…wrong, evil even, all wicked spikes and a black glow to his eyes instead of the relatively cheerful green color. She briefly flashed back to that time when she thought she had glimped a different side to him. It was a memory mixed with pain and pleasure.

“If I ever, ever lose control. I mean to the point where I willingly attack one of our group, I want you to put me down…for good.”

“I want you to keep fighting against whatever force makes you lose control.”

‘Oh no…’ She had never seen it in full force, but somehow she just knew. Jake’s darker side had taken control. She pleaded in his mind, willing the rawness and desperation of her emotions to reach him. ‘Jake, listen to me! This isn’t you! You have to fight it!’ She had no idea if it would even reach him, but she at least had to try.

“I don’t relish the thought of killing someone who is important to me…”

Arashi broke into her mind and severed her link with Jake, jerking her back to the fight. Mistress, now is not the time! We must finish this first!

The reality check had the same effect as a bucket of ice water to the head, and Eri blocked everything else from her mind except the battle at hand. Kuresh was now in a full-blown rage, which was what they had been waiting for. ‘Arashi. Climb.’ Her voice was now deathly serious and full of lethal intent. The thick clouds reached out their arms to welcome them into their chilly embrace, and Arashi’s keen sight was the only thing that kept them from being completely blind. Eri sensed his hesitation to fly when he could barely see, but she urged him higher, higher than they had ever flown before. ‘Higher. We need to be higher.’ And so he trusted her and kept climbing, despite the chill that numbed their limbs and the lack of oxygen that forced them to gasp for air. They broke through the top of the clouds into the frighteningly clean, sharp atmosphere above. Spots danced in front of Eri’s vision from the thinness of the air, but she only needed a few seconds. Below them, the clouds glowed an unearthly orange as Kuresh lit them up with his flame. She visualized her plan and sent that image to Arashi. ‘Do you see it?’ She felt his grim affirmation. ‘Then let’s fly.’

Jasper and Kuresh had fallen into the trap, and now they tried to peer through the dense cloud cover to spot their foes, though Jasper was decidedly calmer than his summon. Kuresh’s fire had done nothing to flush them out of hiding. Then realization struck Jasper, and he looked up a half-second too late. Arashi dive-bombed them from above in a blur, his body shrouded in dancing blades of slicing air – the same technique he had used against Marinik, only much more powerful thanks to the leyline. The eagle slammed head and beak-first into Kuresh’s back, concentrating all the force of his assault into a single point to force the mighty dragon down below the cloudbank again. Kuresh screamed in pain and indignation as he plummeted, and Jasper held onto a scale with grim determination while the winds buffeted and tore at his clothing, leaving deep, bloody gashes on his arms and legs. But something wasn’t right.

Where was Eri?

The answer, once again, came from above. Eri broke through the bottom of the cloudbank in a free-fall above the summons. She fell belly-down, her arms and legs outstretched and a sword in each hand to slow her fall. Even so, she only had seconds to time the fall just right. She swung her swords downward, using twin gusts of air to break her fall so she landed on Kuresh’s back in a crouch while Arashi broke away. She ran up along Kuresh’s wounded back, and Jasper met her charge halfway, a revolver in one hand and his dagger in the other. The two fought in a deadly dance of gunshots, parries, and the scraping of metal against metal while Arashi harried Kuresh from above. Jasper lashed out with a series of fireballs followed by gunshots to force Eri backward, which she barely managed to dodge. Even so, a bullet left a deep gash on her forearm and a fireball scorched through her tunic to burn her shoulder, but she was so pumped with adrenaline that she barely felt the sting. Kuresh roared in frustration as he realized that he couldn’t move much, lest he accidently throw Jasper off-balance or from his back entirely, so Arashi had free reign to shred his wing membranes with his razor-sharp talons.

Then they were falling. Kuresh’s wings were tattered to the point that they could no longer hold his massive bulk aloft, and Eri and Jasper were torn from the dragon’s back as he fell in a jumbled, writhing mass towards the ground at frightening speed. Despite this, they remained locked in the deadly embrace of their fight, still lashing at each other with blade and gun. Eri was so engrossed in the fight that she almost missed the final moment, where she forced Jasper’s revolver aside and managed to sink Gale Cleaver’s blade home in his chest. Jasper merely grunted, though Kuresh screamed as he felt the deathblow just as profoundly as his summoner. A sudden chill ran through Eri’s limbs as her breath was knocked from her lungs, and she looked down in horror to see Jasper’s dagger embedded in her stomach. Somehow, with the last of his strength, he had managed to get past her guard. Her body went lax, save for the hand that still clutched the hilt of her father’s sword, though she managed to see Kuresh writhe in agony as his form permanently dissolved into a cloud of black smoke. She never saw what became of Jasper’s body, for her vision was already starting to fail her. Her mind vaguely registered Arashi plucking her from the sky only for the duo to crash roughly through the forest canopy to land roughly on the cold, unforgiving ground.

Eri revived briefly to find herself lying on her back in a heap on the forest floor, Jasper’s dagger still in her stomach. Arashi lay in a crumpled, bloody heap a few yards away. Through their link, she could tell that both his wings were broken, he was bleeding internally, and numerous deep gashes, both from his own attack and the sharp branches of the trees, scored nearly every inch of his body. She had just enough presence of mind and Essence to dismiss him before he succumbed. At least he would not have to die in pain but would instead fade away peacefully within the confines of her mind. With that last act accomplished, she let her head fall back. Oddly enough, she didn’t feel the pain as sharply as she had feared, only a dull, cold throbbing – probably the blood loss.

Within Eri’s mind, Arashi could feel the life slowly leaving his mistress. He beat his wings and threw himself frantically against his mental confines. Eri, stay with me! You must stay with me! The desperation of his emotions screamed into the minds of all their companions. Someone! Please! Help her! He threw open the mental pathway he had forged with Tsume. Tsume! Help! He could also feel his strength flagging along with Eri's, as his life force was tied to hers.

Eri barely registered Arashi’s frantic cries. It was getting harder to breathe as her lungs and abdomen filled with blood. She coughed weakly, tasting blood on her lips and tongue, and feebly grasped at the dagger hilt protruding from her stomach while her other hand maintained its death grip on her father's sword. 'Dad...' Words she wished she could say to her companions floated through her mind, even though they couldn’t hear her. ‘I’m sorry, Jake. I couldn’t make things right… Loki, take care of Raewyn…’ She added in a softer mental whisper, ‘I’m so sorry, Arashi. Thank you…for everything…’ That said, she closed her eyes as her breath came in shorter and shallower pants, waiting for death’s cold embrace to claim her...

[Loki]

Steel chiming upon steel rang out as Loki was locked into combat with the first mercenary, adrenaline readily flowing through his body. It was significantly more difficult than with his sparring sessions with Eri, much of it having to do with his injured arm and only one katar. A fact that only helped to erode his confidence. He had managed to deftly deflect the first two strikes, but without his alternate blade, was unable to follow up with the counter he had trained to do. There was a heavy impact against his lower back as another adversary had closed the distance and had slashed with his blade, though the steel edge wasn't able to pierce Loki's guardian wings. Reacting quickly so as not to be hit by another, Loki dodged his way from between them and watched as the two remaining enemies had joined the ranks.

Loki's retreating steps matched the menacingly slow advance of the mercenaries he faced. He spared the quickest of glances over his shoulder to ensure there was none sneaking from behind, looking back in time to deflect a quick swing while a second caught him in the ribs. Once again, his armor prevented it from rending flesh, but the impact was more than enough to make him wince. The pain was a sober reminder to just how out of his element he truly was. Loki struggled to hold his own against a single opponent within the safety of a sparring ring where life didn't hang in the balance. Any one of them could take me in this condition, there's no way I can beat four. No time to fly and no chance of outrunning them. For a moment, he desperately wanted to call out for help, to seek protection among his friends.

"You're useless."

The familiar voice of his father echoed in the back of his mind. Loki gritted his teeth as he felt familiar emotions weigh upon his shoulders.

"Weak."

I'm not weak... Although he thought those words, there was no resolve to them.

"A disgrace. A burden. A leech."

Loki couldn't even think the words rebuke that thought as it struck home, causing his retreating steps to slow.

"Give up boy. You can't win. They're better off without you."

His steps stopped all together, the desire to fight faded. Loki didn't want to be a burden to his friends anymore. Despite his attempts to become stronger, it wasn't enough. The mercenaries exchanged a bewildered look as they recognized the sudden look of resignation on Loki's face.

"My Loki..."

Tears welled in his eyes as he recalled the last time he was with his mother. Two mercenaries moved to his flanks, clamping down on either of his biceps before kicking the back of his legs to force him to his knees. A third had a vicious smile on his face as he stood over the boy, slowly lifting his blade.

"You're not alone in this world. I will always love you and the day will come where you find others who care for you just as strongly. Who will love you as a son. As a brother. Even more than that one day. There is no doubt in my mind that you will grow into a strong and just man. Your father cannot see the potential inside of you like I do. You are destined for big things as long as you never give up."

The mercenary gripped tightly with both hands upon the hilt of his weapon in a blow that even Loki's armor couldn't ignore. His eyes intent on the back of the boy's head.

"As long as you fight for them."

The tendrils exploded from Loki's body in a torrent of lashing and ensnaring light. The would-be executioner fell back as whipping tendrils lacerated his face, causing him to drop his weapon in order to clutch his wounds. The two that restrained him found themselves constricted by the wings. With a feral sneer, Loki gripped the strands of light in each fist and with a grunt of effort, aided the strength of his wings in bringing the two of them to slam heavily into the third. The bodies met with a sickening cracking sound as bones broke and vital organs bruised, if not ruptured from the impact. All three of them fell limply to the ground; two of them had crushed skulls from colliding into each other while the third's chest had an odd shape causing his breathing to sound labored and wet.

The tendrils slid free of the bodies and floated idly at his side as Loki stood to meet the startled gaze of the remaining mercenary with one of menacing challenge. He turned to flee, but something made him reconsider. Reluctantly, the man faced Loki, uncertainty showing clearly in his entire posture. After a moment of hesitation, the mercenary threw his sword at Loki while using the forward momentum of the attack to propel his charge forward. Loki's katar swatted the missile out of the air with contempt before bringing his other hand forward and closing it into a fist. In reaction, his wings rushed forward, catching the assaulting mercenary before he could close the distance in a cocoon that, save for a few gaps, completely enveloped him. They're counting on me. I cannot fail them. With a snarl, Loki clenched his fist tightly, commanding his wings to do the same. The mercenary cried out only for a moment before it cut out abruptly as the cocoon visibly shrunk a few inches in every direction with a wet crunching sound.

Loki turned before dropping the broken body to the ground and continued southwest.

---

Maeve grinned with delight as she felt the chaos within Raewyn's mind. She was actually enjoying this quite a bit. It was a light in her peripheries that caught her attention, frowning as she saw the boy with the wings moving between the trees a few hundred feet away. Even though it was going according to plan, she had hoped to be able to toy with the Goddess's mind a while longer. The next moment, her smile returned much darker than before as she realized she still had time for one more jab. The time for deception had passed now that their bait had been delivered by the Goddess herself.

Foolish Goddess. You have played right into our hands.

---

After jogging for a few more minutes, Loki could make out a figure sitting with her legs crossed just ahead of him. That has to be her. He slowed to a cautious stalk, seeing that the woman's head was bowed in concentration. If she had detected him, she hadn't shown any signs of it. Cautiously, he pressed forward, keeping alert for an ambush while making sure not to alert the Magi before he could get her within attacking range.

His heart froze in his chest when he was no more than thirty feet away as she looked up with a devious smile; her gaze meeting his fully aware of his presence all along. Loki took the first step in what would have been his charge, before another figure stepped out from behind a tree between him and Maeve. His eyes widened with terror as he beheld what had gotten in his way. Although its proportions were human, it's appearance was anything but that. It had to be at least twelve feet tall, but it's body seemed too muscular to be physically possible for even the most dedicated of body builders. The creature was the embodiment of strength and power. And its malevolent gaze was focused entirely upon Loki.

Whatever it was, Loki knew he couldn't give it the chance to strike first. At once, his wings lashed out and ensnared the creature, wrapping around its massive body. It was nowhere near enough to cover it, but it was not Loki's intention to crush it like he had the mercenary. This was the first technique he'd ever used in self defense and its lethality is only matched by its ferocity. Loki bared his teeth in determined effort as he poured energy through his wings, causing them to glow brilliantly from the heat that even his katar would not have been able to handle. If there was smoke from charring flesh, it could not be distinguished from the intangible darkness that radiated off the creature. Either way, it shown no apparent signs of discomfort and simply stood there. Gritting his teeth in frustration, Loki lifted his fists, palms outwards with knuckles bent and with a grunt of effort, forced them apart as though he was forcing open a set of sliding doors. In response, his wings tightened tremendously upon its target with all the lethal intension as loops of piano wire being pulled in every direction at once. He could see the binding constrict and try to bite and burn into flesh, but where whole trees would have been cut through like a heated blade through butter, the creature only let out a mild groan. Loki couldn't tell if it was from discomfort or annoyance.

The creature's muscles flexed and it managed to pull its arms away from its body with sheer force and only marginal effort. Loki put more effort into the grip, but it didn't seem to make things any more difficult for the creature. It then reached forward and moved its arm in a circle, collecting all the tendrils into his grip. That was when Loki realized he was literally tethered to it and at the mercy of the creature's power. With a twist of its body, Loki was thrown off his feet hurling in a long arc by the creature that swung him like he was a rag doll on a string. Loki watched helplessly as he sped directly towards one of the massive leyline trees. There was a flash of impact and his world went dark.

---

You see there, young Goddess? Maeve spoke through their link along with sending the vision of Loki's defeat by the monstrous creature. He lay limp on the ground, his wings once again becoming transparent as he lay unconscious. You gave us exactly what we came for. Sent him to us without anybody to protect him. Now he is ours and it is all. your. fault.

With a wicked laugh, Maeve wiped the trickle of blood from her forehead, severing the link between her and the Goddess.

[Digital Muse]

Roshan was greatly irked when Jake’s armor deflected the sword thrust only to wound the irritating Earth Saturate. He dodged the devastating haymaker Jake threw at him easily. Jake was growing more and more reckless in his anger; just as Roshan had intended. Roshan backed away under his cloak of invisibility and began to circle his target when the great Dragon, Kuresh, streatride
ked out of the sky and tried to swallow Jake whole!

Damn you! Roshan thought. He’s mine! The Light-user seethed in his mind. This was why he worked alone. That damned dragon might have killed me too. He watched with some satisfaction when Jake managed to grapple the Dragon to a stand-still and pile drive it’s head into the earth. Serves them right. He thought grimly.

Not above taking advantage of a perfect opportunity when it was served up so beautifully, Roshan backed away from the titanic struggle between Kuresh and his target. It had the added benefit of allowing him to power up to throw a devastating light beam into Jake’s back. He unleashed the gigantic blast, fairly sending Jake flying through the air with its tremendous force. His target’s Earthen armor was blasted away like so much tissue paper and Jake landed still and unmoving with smoke rising from his burned body.

Kuresh was attacked with renewed frenzy by the Eagle Summon, leaving the downed Jake to Roshan’s mercy. He had none. Stalking forward without the benefit of his invisibility, he knew Jake wouldn’t be getting up…wait. Roshan frowned heavily. That bothersome bastard refused to die! He watched Jake climb to his feet unsteadily and then begin stalking menacingly toward him.

Roshan got the fleeting impression that Jake had reached the point of no return and he began to stride forward menacingly. The Light Summon backed away, throwing blast after ineffective blast at the undeterred Jake. Something was different. The Earth Summon was no longer brash or impulsive. He was now deadly serious and far too focused for Roshan’s comfort. What was going on? This was entirely out of character for the man. Roshan kept dodging away, backing toward the trees so he might once again begin his cat and mouse tactics. When Jake simply punched through one of his light blasts, Roshan decided it was time to disappear and he shimmered from sight.

Rather than roaring with rage as he had before, Jake stopped, turned in a cautious circle and called to him playfully. "Come on out little Magi. Stop your little hide and seek game. I will find you. Show your face, and let's see how well I can remodel it. As Jake paused to peer into the forest, Roshan caught it, the Earth Summon’s eyes had changed; rather than a bright green, they were now a depthless black. What did it mean? He wondered. Was someone else interfering in his fight? Maeve? He’d kill her if she thought she could set him up this way. Growling under his breath, Roshan carefully worked his way around to Jake’s left, keeping just ahead of the seeking gaze of his target. He took his time, he needed to gather every bit of power he could manage and then a bit more to blow this bothersome target into nothing more than bits of bone and flesh.

[quakernuts]

Jake

While the fight on the outside was troublesome at best, the fight happening inside his head was most likely the hardest one Jake had ever fought in his entire life. The shadow of his darker side continued to hold him in the air with one arm, his eyes locked onto his in such a way that it sapped the will to fight right out of him. The smile was ever present, a constant factor in just how sickening this part of him really was. Even as he desperately grabbed at the Shadow's arm in a feeble attempt to break free, the Shadow said nothing and continued with his staring. Trying to bend his arm was like trying to bend a steel girder. There was no give to the muscles of his darker self, and part of him simply wanted to give up and stop making embarrassing attempts of control. Even as he thought this, there was a small flash of victory in the red glowing eyes of the Shadow, and Jake redoubled his efforts. Doubt was a weapon that it was using. Jake intended to deny it to him.

Back in the real world, Jake's cold black eyes surveyed the scene in front of him. His senses stretched to the limit, he stood completely rock still. Jake knew all he had to do was present a target, and the man would show himself to eliminate said target. Then he caught it...a subtle movement off to his left, along with a very weak glow hidden by the Roshan's cloak. Instead of charging at the man, Jake simply turned his head, and stared directly at where the small glow was originating from. There was a half a second of stillness between the two of them before Roshan shed his cloak, and sent another beam full of power towards Jake.

Except Jake was no longer there. He rolled to the side, and in a few quick strides was within arm's reach. The man brought his sword up, and managed to parry the first few strikes, effectively shedding them off to each side while constantly stepping backwards to make some room between the two of them. It was obvious that in order for Roshan to win this fight, he had to stay out of direct conflict. On one parry, Jake managed to make a stab which, had Roshan not moved out of the way, would have pierced his heart and killed him. Instead, a nice gash appeared on his shoulder through his clothes, and blood quickly stained his arm. He gave a weak energy blast at Jake, making him stop cold, and cloaked once more to evade and hit from somewhere else once more. Jake stood there, his arms by his side as he looked into the forest. No words were said, but the aura around him had completely changed. If you looked closely, dark swirls of air could be seen floating around his person, a side effect of the Leyline, enhancing his very essence. His very figure seemed to suck the light around him as he stalked forward into the forest, choosing to take the man on in his own territory.

"What are you doing?...He will kill us!" Jake pleaded to his Shadow, who looked at Jake with disgust. The Shadow spit at his feet, and smiled once more.

"Come now, I thought you were better than that. You have to give the man fake confidence, make him believe he is in control. When that moment happens, when his fake confidence hits it's apex, he will show himself, and he will die by our hand."

"So, like the fake confidence that your in control of this body?" Jake replied, cringing at the Shadow's condemning laugh.

"Dear boy, I don't believe I'm in control. I know."

Jake wandered into the thick forest, completely isolated from his friends. The sounds of battle were dying out, and instead silence started to rein over the area. Jake paused for a moment, taking in the scene before him. Roshan could be anywhere, and with his irritating hallucinations, this was not something that would be easy to do. Jake started his slow march forward, his eyes staring straight ahead, but surveying everything within vision. As Jake passed the first tree, a sword swung out. Jake caught it, twisted, and headbutted the hallucination into dispersal. With that one done, Jake continued his walk forward. As he passed another tree, another flash of a sword appeared. Jake sidestepped, and plunged his spike hand into the head of the hallucination, watching as it disappeared like the previous one. The walk continued like for several minutes, Jake passing by trees and eliminating the hallucinations as they came at him.

It wasn't until he snapped the neck of his tenth one that a fleeting glimpse of shimmering air did Jake finally know where he was going. He walked forward, pretending not to notice the shimmer in the air. When the timing was right, and he had brought himself just those few steps closer, he lunged over with both spikes leading the way. Roshan was forced out of hiding as his swordplay once again saved his life. Jake had brute strength in favour of the fight, but Roshan was obviously an experienced swordsman. He parried each attack rather than block, and sidestepped at the most crucial of times to put Jake slightly off balance. Roshan summoned more hallucinations to help him, and now there was a squad of the man surrounding Jake.

No words were said, no taunts were given, and no remorse was to be had. As all of the Roshan's attacked, Jake proved his worth and his ability by besting each of them in turn. Even though a few of the hallucinations managed to land a hit on him, it appeared that they were nowhere near as dangerous as their real counterpart, and only chipped at the armour rather than cleaving through it. Jake's arms slowly transformed from spikes into dual sided blades, just as sharp as his axe, and started making a path through the numerous light dummies.

Finally Jake got lucky, and managed to side-swipe the real Roshan, leaving a bleeding wound along his stomach. The man stumbled back, and tried to go back into a cloak once more, but Jake wasn't having any of that. He bulldozed his way through the hallucinations, and kicked Roshan so hard he flew backwards, hit a tree, and slumped into a sitting position. The hallucinations continued to pester Jake while the wounded Magi attempted to get out of his situation. Jake walked over, his confidence in the situation matched by his brutal slaughter of the hallucinations as they tried to stop him from killing their creator. Once he was close enough, Jake planted a boot on the man's chest, easily cracking several ribs as the man groaned in pain.

"He's done...Just kill him and give me back my body!" Jake pleaded to his Shadow, who only seemed to stare past him now.

"I'm not done."It replied.

"What do you mean you're not done?! He's down and out! Finish him a-"

"I'M NOT DONE!" The Shadow yelled at Jake's face, the black mist surrounding him flaring in intensity and his red eyes blazing with fury. The grip around Jake's throat seemed to tighten as he was drawn closer.

"Don't you get it you fucking moron!? This is my body now! It's mine! I'm never giving it back, so shut the fuck up and submit!" Jake's eyes went wide, but was followed slowly by a small laugh, much to the confusion of the Shadow.

"Over my dead body." Jake broke out into laughter, whether from madness, or simply seeing the ironic joke that funny, the Shadow couldn't tell.

Jake lowered his face to Roshan, leaving barely inches between them, and let the armour fall around his face. The smile, the sadistic and unnerving smile, was planted firmly on Jakes face as he stared directly into Roshan's eyes. "I told you I would find you. I told you I would kill you." Jake stood back up, and re-summoned the armour on his face.

"But I never said how fast."

Jake kicked Roshan so hard in the chest, his rib cage must have collapsed inwards. He gave a yell of pain as Jake then kicked his shoulder and listened to the bones breaking as it was forced into an unnatural position. The Magi gave another yell of pain, but this one was gurgled. Blood must have been seeping into his lungs, but Jake wasn't quite done with the man yet. He punched the man in the jaw several times, breaking the bones more and more with each hit until the man could no longer scream. Faint wheezing indicated that the man was still alive, and Jake picked him up by the throat. Giving one last stare into the man's eyes, he plunged a spike into the man's stomach. Blood splattered onto Jake's armour as Roshan feebly attempted to remove the spike from his abdomen. Jake then inserted his other spike into the man's stomach, simply holding him above him, waiting for the pain to seep in a bit more.

"In a world of pain and suffering, you didn't think you would have gotten off easy, would you?" Jake gave a small laugh as the man's hands started to go limp. Jake looked up at the man one last time.

"You lose."

With a quick and brutal movement, Jake ripped the man in half crosswise, sending his torso flying into a tree, and legs sprawling on the ground. Blood soaked Jake's armour as he stood there in his glory, victory obvious in his posture as he flexed his spikes into hands once more. There was an awkward stillness in the air, something that the Shadow was starting to hate quickly. The glory and finality of battle was something he enjoyed, and was addicted to. The whole situation quickly became aggravating to him as he nervously looked around for something else to fight. Seeing nothing within the direct vicinity, he walked over to Roshan's torso, and started dragging it back to the clearing by the arm.

If he couldn't fight, he at least wanted to bring back a trophy.

[Silvan Arrow]

Arina

A co-post between SilvanArrow and Digital Muse (indicated in yellow)

At first, Arina thought Tal had finally accepted his fate – and perhaps lost his hold on reality – when the panic on his face was replaced by a mad grin. “Fancy ice cubes ya got there!”

‘He’s such a fool,’ Arina thought sadistically as a simple flick of her fingers sent her ice spears hurtling towards their intended targets. Then all chaos broke loose. A deep violet dome blanketed the clearing, and the very weight of the air crushed her ice spears into the ground and freed Tal and Darren from their ice prison. He didn’t give her a chance to recover either but instead enveloped his Summon in the same violet aura and actually TOSSED him into the sky! Arina never would have believed such a thing possible if she hadn’t personally witnessed it. She suddenly found herself on the defensive dodging blows from the butt of Tal’s war hammer while the ground cracked and groaned beneath her feet. She slashed him across the chest with a quickly conjured icicle, but she had already fallen into his trap.

“Good hit.” He grinned despite the growing numbers of icicles that Arina continued to summon around her hands. “Mine’s betta.” She followed his gaze and gasped in horror as Darren’s massive bulk plummeted back down to earth and crashed brutally into the ground around her. The force of the impact, followed up by Tal manipulating an entire slab of earth with his newfound power, knocked her to the ground in a crumpled heap and shattered her ice projectiles, littering the ground with even more broken icicles and water.

The odd inner dialog between Tal and Darren would have made Raewyn laugh in other circumstances, but not today. The powerful stomp that weakened the very ground beneath Arina and Darren’s spectacular crash landing had knocked Arina to the ground, shaking her momentarily. She felt the sharp tang of fear from the girl. Raewyn latched onto that emotion. It was one she understood intimately. Raewyn reached out mentally, pressing her consciousness against Arina’s fragile mental state. She wormed into the Ice Staturate’s deep memories, shuddering at the slithering feeling of the invasion. Raewyn pressed deep into the girl’s memories until she found something dark and hidden. Grabbing hold, Raewyn pumped her own fears into the memory, feeding it, bringing it to the surface as a fisherman might tease up a huge old fish. She set the hook, mentally and poured all her own fear and pain into the Ice Saturate mercilessly.

Arina cried out in terror as a fear that was not her own swamped her senses and battered the walls around her mind mercilessly. She forced herself to her knees and gripped her head in her hands to try and stifle the pounding in her skull. She clearly sensed the alien presence in her mind but was powerless to stop it, no matter how much she tried to fight it. ‘This power…is it the Goddess?’ she wondered amidst the pain. That the attack came from a Saturate and the Goddess no less just made the intrusion even more unwelcome. Her mind and body railed futilely against the assault. “Get…out of…my head…” Arina ground out between gritted teeth. Her efforts to fight back were met only with even more of that intense, throbbing fear, and she finally snapped.

“GET OUT!!! LEAVE ME ALONE!!!” she screamed at the top of her lungs. The intensity of her emotions leaked out across the clearing through her Essence abilities, and the shattered ice and water started writhing in a twisted, chaotic dance and reforming into snake-like formations of various sizes and lengths. Meanwhile, somewhere in the back of her mind, a lock came undone, and suppressed memories of her darkest days came tumbling out in one fell swoop.

Fourteen-year old Arina huddled in the far corner of her tiny cabin bedroom, shaking uncontrollably with fear, as her locked door shuddered under the onslaught of pounding fists, hammers, and other heavy objects in an attempt to break it down. They were after her. Her neighbors, her pastor, her friends, even her own parents. She had become what they feared and hated the most, and now she was little more than a demon that they needed to exorcise from their village.

The wooden door started to crack and bow under the relentless battering, and Arina’s hands came up to cover her face while the pupils of her eyes narrowed to terrified pinpoints of black that watched the scene unfold from between her fingers. The people she had known all her life and had trusted were going to kill her, and she could do nothing to stop them.

Or could she?

Just then, the door crashed inward, and the enraged hordes began to flood into her room. In that moment, her mentality snapped in two, and the fountain of her terrified emotions exploded to the surface and sent her newfound powers out of control.

“GO AWAAAAAAY!!!!!!!!”

Arina screamed it in real life at the same time as her memory, tossing her head back in a violent convulsion and clenching her hands into fists. Her Essence shrouded her body in a light blue aura and blanketed the clearing for several long seconds. The ice and water left over from her previous attacks sprang to life at once in response to her call and enveloped Tal and Darren in thick sheets of ice that only left their heads and Tal’s bleeding chest exposed.

The next thing she remembered was collapsing into a deep snowdrift on the outskirts of her village. She didn’t dare look back at the destroyed house behind her, lest she confirm what she had just done to be true. The log cabin had been reduced to a pile of shattered logs and splinters skewered with dozens of icicles as tall and wide as mature oak trees. All of the icicles were tainted red with the blood of those she had slain.

She had killed them all. Every last person in her village.

She was a monster.

Arina rose to her feet and glared darkly at Tal and Darren from underneath the shadow of her bangs while more words echoed through her mind, brainwashed into the very core of her being by the next people to find her after the massacre.

“You must kill them all, child. Saturates are abominations of the created world. It’s a sad fate that you must become an abomination yourself to do this, but it is a necessary sacrifice…”

“I didn’t ask for any of this!” Arina shouted, but whether her words were directed at Tal or the phantoms in her mind, even she didn’t know. She locked her gaze with Tal and spoke her next words directly to him. “All you Saturates do is cause more pain and suffering in the world, and the Goddess is the worst one of all. I hate them! I hate them all!” She stalked forward with deadly intent and held out her palm until it was less than an inch from Tal’s wound. Essence tingled in her palm as the water in his blood stirred in response to her summons. Her voice was as cold as the ice encasing her prisoners. “Any last words before I drain the life from your body and rid the world of another useless Saturate?”

[Digital Muse]

**Branom (at Plague's request)**

Behind Owen, the torn body of James rose brokenly. But, as if he also possessed his brother’s time regression, flesh mended, bones straightened and charred hair regrew as if nothing had happened at all. His robes, however, could not be mended and most of his upper body was exposed beneath the tatters of the blasted fabric. His skin held an unnatural pallor it had never had in life, though. James stood momentarily, unnaturally still, before nodding and running after Owen into the shattered forest.

Branom, hidden within his dark robes, lurked still as Death a hundred yards from Owen. His use of Essence showed only in the eerie blue glow about his eyes that he tried to hide within the folds of his dark hood. Unbeknownst to Owen, he was running toward Branom who had placed himself between the brothers who had been locked in combat and the rest of the party that were protecting the young goddess. Branom had resurrected James, once again restoring his body and sending him after his brother. And the Magi was becoming impatient with his puppet’s continual failures. If he had not been at the ley lines, Branom would never have been able to restore and control James so perfectly. Even now he felt the threat of fatigue from the extensive use of Essence from making James appear so life-like.

Positioning himself behind a large, columnar pine, Branon gripped his curved sword tightly. He was not above separating Owen’s head from his shoulders himself. He heard Owen’s approaching footsteps and timing it just right, Branom swung his deadly sword viciously. Something in Owen’s instincts made the time manipulator dodge to the side at the last moment. Branom’s sword imbedded deeply into the wood of the tree, trapping the blade momentarily.

Stumbling to the side, Owen smoothly drew his pistol and fired hastily at Branom, who had whirled behind the opposite side of the tree to avoid the bullet. Owen wasn’t given time to continue pursuing the Magi as James had closed the distance. “Where is your rifle, Owen? Just like you to treat your weapons with that kind of careless disregard.”

Owen gritted his teeth, seething. In his own mind, he was still warring with himself. Was this truly James? It’s just not possible! “What are you?” He shouted as he raced through the trees. “Who are you?” At least he’d found the second enemy. But, his energy was so depleted from using his ball lightning and regenerating his wounds, he was, essentially, on his own. He’d have to rely on his hunting skills.

“Surely you know me, Owen. You killed me! You took my name. My birthright!” Still the man pursued him, single-minded and seemingly unstoppable. James ran after Owen, sword at the ready. “Come on, Owen. Stand and fight. Don’t tell me you’ve become a coward as well?” He could see Owen just ahead of him. There was no emotion shown on his face despite his taunting words. He’d found his target and he had his orders. His prey was injured and slower than he was. He picked up his pace, sword raised high to end Owen’s life.

[Digital Muse]

Dark bursts of light danced before Raewyn’s eyes as another thought hurtled into her mind. You see there, young Goddess? Maeve spoke through their link along with sending the vision of Loki's defeat by the monstrous creature. He lay limp on the ground, his wings once again becoming transparent as he lay unconscious. You gave us exactly what we came for. Sent him to us without anybody to protect him. Now he is ours and it is all. your. fault.

And the link was instantly gone as if it had never been at all. Raewyn rocked forward to her face, coughing and choking as she drew in desperate breaths of air into her starved lungs. Her eyes snapped open in horror at the vision of Loki lying helpless under the creature that had defeated him. He was at its mercy and the mercy of Maeve and the others. Raewyn had been the one to send him after the Dream Walker rather than deal with her by herself. She screamed out in frustrated anger and beat on the opaque black barrier T’yang held her within. “T’yang! Let me go! They have Loki! They’re taking him!”

Outside the protective barrier, T’yang heard Raewyn’s screams of anger and demands to be released, but feared letting the rash child loose in the midst of the battle. “Please, understand young goddess. I cannot risk your life in that way.” But when Raewyn refused to quiet down and continued screaming about being released, she finally touched the barrier which opened a hole enough for her to enter inside with the child. The dark assassin was caught entire unaware when Raewyn rushed her and tried to physically beat her back through the now closed opening she’d just created. A deft swirl of her elegant arms and Raewyn was spun off her feet to land on the grass on her back. T’yang set herself for another clumsy attack which followed almost immediately. But again, Raewyn was dodged, redirected and dumped back into the grass. This time, T’yang’s closed war fan pinned Raewyn to the ground with gentle pressure. “What ails you?” T’yang asked with a vexed tone. “Do you mean to kill yourself and ensure that all your companions have suffered for you comes to nothing?”

Raewyn breathed heavily and she was slightly dizzy from being thrown off her feet so easily by the slight dark-haired woman. She sat up sharply, “No! You don’t understand! They took Loki! She said that’s what they’d wanted all along!” Her eyes narrowed suddenly at T’yang, sniffing and listening to the woman’s uncommonly calm, slow heartbeat. It didn’t change at all at the news. “Did you know anything about that? If they hurt him…” She let the unspoken threat lie heavily between them. When T’yang merely shook her head in the negative, Raewyn huffed in frustration. “We have to go after them! You have to help me!”

T’yang simply stared at the girl impassively. Goddess or no, she was still young, impetuous and given to foolish gestures. “We will go nowhere without Tsume and I will help you by keeping you alive until a calm, considered plan can be made.” T’yang stepped back, slid her war fan back into the sash of her robe and added, “Rushing into the unknown is the surest way to step off a cliff to one’s death, goddess.” That pronouncement delivered, she then lowered herself gracefully into a comfortable kneeling position on the grass to wait, allowing Raewyn room to get to her feet.

Raewyn simply didn’t listen she scrambled to her feet shouting at the serene dark-haired woman. “You don’t understand! They took him! It’s all my fault. We have to save him!” She threw herself against the inky barrier fruitlessly. “Let me out, damn you! Don’t make me hurt you.” She turned to face T’yang threateningly. The image of the Mercenary Captain slowly melting away under the unintentional use of her power made the gorge rise in her throat, but she fought it down ruthlessly. She held her hands out, “I’ll do it, I swear.”

The threat worried T’yang only minimally. She was quite certain she should restrain Raewyn without being touched even by someone as erratic and unpredictable as Raewyn would prove to be. Sighing softly and shaking her head, T’yang rose to her feet to meet Raewyn’s eyes, “You would try only.” She stated calmly. She took a few steps toward Raewyn, almost backing the girl against the dark barrier behind her. “Goddess.” She started, “Did you not think it might be a trap for you? That you are being manipulated even now by what you were shown?” She shook her head and smiled gently, “Your first lesson must be, sadly, to trust no one and nothing.” She then reached out to touch the barrier just behind Raewyn, melting it away with a whispered command. “If you swear to do as I say, I will search with you. But. Heed me. If you run away or do anything rash, I will encase us both once more until Tsume comes.”

[Digital Muse]

*Branom and Owen*

Owen’s energy was flagging. His lungs were on fire and his muscles were beginning to refuse to obey him. He knew he had to do something to end this and quickly. When James called out to him to stand and fight, he knew he had no choice. He stopped running and then turned to face his past in more ways than one. With a ringing sound, he drew his sword from its scabbard and stood in an easy stance waiting for his brother to close the distance. He felt calm. It was time to end it; here and now. One of them was not going to leave this place.

James paused when he came within 10 yards of Owen, suddenly suspicious of this new strategy. His eyes searched the surrounding trees for the signs of another trap, but found none. He looked back to Owen with a stiff smile. “You can’t run and hide anymore, can you Owen?” He narrowed his eyes, his sword coming up in a swift en garde. “It’s time to die, little brother.” With his slight height advantage, James lunged forward suddenly, aiming for Owen’s throat.

Owen, having expected more taunts, only just managed to parry his brother’s sudden attack. The swords sang as they slid along one another’s length. He didn’t bother wasting his breath with words. Now that he was closer to James, he saw that it was his brother, but somehow not him at the same time. Stepping back, Owen opened some space between the two of them and circled to James’ left, since his brother was left-handed. He tested his brother’s defenses with small slashes and feints to see just how much of his brothers skills remained. To his relief, it appeared he was still a better swordsman than James was, though he wasn’t so overconfident that he’d rush to challenge the man before him rashly.

The two men continued to circle one another with brief but brutal exchanges that left one or the other of them cut or off balance. Back and forth the two fought, and slowly, Owen’s skill began to tell. He continually forced James back, while James’ parries and blocks came more and more slowly, leaving a myriad of cuts over his body. As the pair dueled, James did not bleed or sweat as he should have and a faint realization began to seep into Owen’s tired mind. What has he become?

Branom’s skill in manipulating James’s corpse was being put to the ultimate test. The Necromancer hid behind a copse of small trees watching the duel, his eyes glowed a faint blue within the depths of his hood. While his puppet did not sweat with his exertions, the Mage most certainly did. It took a titanic effort of will and control to give James the fluidity necessary to fight his brother on such a level. Only the power of the ley lines allowed the Mage the ability to do so. Inwardly, Branom seethed that it had come down to this one-sided contest. Owen’s strength had to give out soon.

An effort of will sent James suddenly on the attack. He slashed and cut at Owen’s legs viciously forcing Owen to dance back in alarm. But, his exhausted body betrayed him and Owen tripped over an exposed root sending him crashing onto his back. Sensing victory, James ran forward, sword raised to impale his brother, staking him to the Earth.

When he fell, Owen struck his head, causing bright flashes of light to spark against his eyelids. His head swam and for a long moment, he couldn’t get his bearings. Pain, weakness and physical exhaustion all dragged him toward the abyss. At the last minute, he opened his eyes in time to see James rushing to finish him. He barely raised his sword arm in time for his brother to skewer himself onto its point and his momentum kept his body moving forward until he slumped on top of Owen and they lay still on the forest floor.

Behind the brothers, Branom doubled over in sudden agonizing pain as his puppet, James, took a mortal blow. Falling to his knees, he struggled to regain control of himself and after several minutes, he weakly climbed to his feet once more. He’d expelled so much energy, he was forced to lean against a tree for long minutes gathering his breath and trying to restore his reserves of Essence.

It was pure luck that Branom was momentarily incapacitated because Owen was utterly spent. He didn’t even have the strength left in him to shift his brother’s body. He lay in the deep loam and broke down to weep. Twice he’d killed his brother and it was more than he could bear. His heart and soul had been torn from him and it was only his promise to the goddess that forced him to make an effort to move. It was all he could to roll James off of him and stagger to his feet. The mere act of bending to pick up his sword nearly sent him pitching forward onto his face in sheer exhaustion. But, keeping his feet under him with effort, Owen began to head back to the clearing where he’d become separated from the others.

Before Owen could get more than half dozen steps away, however, Branom had recovered sufficiently to close the distance to James’ prone body. Extending himself almost beyond his own limits, he once again resurrected the corpse, though he no longer had the power left in him to heal him completely, he could make his puppet speak. Manhandling James to his feet, Branom forced James to call out to Owen. “Owen! Please!”

The plea froze Owen in his tracks. His very heart skipped in his chest. By the goddess! Will it never end? He paused, wavering, then turned to see James held with the blade of Branom’s huge scythe against his throat.

Branom brushed the hood of his robes back to reveal his face and smiled chillingly. “You failed, James. You knew the cost of failure. Your brother still lives.” The glowing blue gaze caught Owen’s stare and he murmured, “So you die once and for all.”

James screamed “Noo---!” But his cry was cut off as Branom swept his arm back, severing James’ head from his shoulders. A dark black ichor oozed from the neck wound as the body slumped to the ground and the head rolled into the leaves obscenely, its eyes wide and staring.

James’ cry was matched by an enraged scream from Owen. If Branom had hoped to bait Owen into a mad, rash act, he got more than he’d bargained for. Adrenaline filled Owen’s body and he rushed the Necromancer with little regard for protecting himself. His darkest fears had been confirmed. His brother’s body had been used as a weapon. His memory had been desecrated! A blind red rage filled Owen’s mind. It lent strength to his attack and momentum carried him through the Necromancer’s defenses as if they hadn’t even been there.

Branom swung his enormous sword up with a wild grin of triumph when his plan worked perfectly. But he hadn’t counted on the pure rage and hatred that fueled Owen’s attack. Owen was already inside the raised sword before Branom could bring it to bear. Owen’s hard fists crashed against Branom’s temple sending him on the defensive. He stumbled back under the relentless attack, unable to fend off the vicious blows. Nor could he bring his sword or scythe into the fray as Owen was right on top of him. Punishing blows were rained down on him, breaking his nose, crushing his left cheekbone, breaking ribs. Owen was unrelenting, unthinking and unstoppable. Branom finally fell to the ground with Owen throwing himself on top of the Necromancer intent on beating him to death.

Suddenly Owen felt a hard blow on the back of his head and his world went dark. He fell to the side of the broken and bleeding Necromancer. Lying in a pool of his own blood and coughing while he tried to get air into ruin lungs, Branom peered at the dark portal opened by the Mage Brycen. He scowled angrily when the young man helped him to his feet. “Finish him.” He wheezed at the Teleporter.

“No time. We have what we need.” Brycen gave the Necromancer no choice when he half-carried Branom through the portal and it winked out of sight, leaving an unconscious Owen on his face in the deep forest of the ley lines.

[Guilty Carrion]

Collaborative post with Silvan Arrow

Tal had no time to react, not even yell as the ice raced upwards, and encased his body in frigid ice for the second time. Ivory eyes flicked over to the struggling form of Darren, but even the mighty beast of burden couldn’t shake the ice’s embrace.

“She’s got us trapped again, but if I can get enough essence, I should be able to break us out…”

“Tal!”

Liquid cold shot through his body, and Tal’s body shook with barely constrained swears. Panting, he watched the small girl as she stared darkly at him, expecting…something, anything from him. His eyes softened, and the summoner spoke in barely as whisper.

“No one asks for the bad, little one. Nobody does, but it happens even to the best of us all. Everyone does suffer, but we all cause it. The Seedists. The Saturates. The Goddess. The Temple. Everyone.” Another shot of liquid ice caused him to cry out in pain, but he gritted his teeth, and spoke through shaky breaths.

“I’ve seen whole towns lock their doors in fear. I’ve had mobs chase me off just because I looked for a bed in a blizzard. Jailed for crimes I didn’t commit just by being around at the wrong time, hit by women I didn’t even know for looks I never even gave.” The cold was spreading, his hands growing numb and detached from his mind’s command, but still his eyes held the young Saturates.

“But just because the bad exists, doesn’t mean there isn’t good. There have been just as many great memories, Goddess knows, probably more great memories than bad. Kind farmers loaning a barn in a hail storm, and then cooking the best eggs in the world for breakfast, free of charge. A loaf of bread for a weary man napping under a tree. A tavern of laughing men, sharing stories until the sun rises the next day.”

Arina’s hand, hovering over Tal’s wound, trembled slightly as he spoke. Even though he was literally staring death in the face, his tone of voice carried compassion and perhaps evens a twinge of sorrow for the girl whose life had been turned upside down by the world of Saturates. She reflexively sent a burst of cold through his body to make him cry out in pain, but then his words started to paint a completely different picture of the world than what she had known for the past two years. Could there really still be good in the world, despite all the hurt and suffering? Sure, she had thought her village was full of kind, caring people, but anything having to do with Saturates immediately changed them into something completely different and frightening.

“You…you’re wrong… There’s nothing good about the world as long as Saturates exist…” Arina spoke in a shaky voice, but her facial expression showed that she was merely clinging to her views out of habit. And perhaps she had seen some of the good Tal had described even after she became a Saturate. Memories started flashing across her mind’s eye on their own accord from her recent journey to the leyline: a warm smile from a passing stranger, a young couple walking hand-in-hand through a crowded marketplace, Saturates and normal people interacting and bantering like old friends. Were these instances the exception or the norm?

Just as her resolve started to waver, Lord Udonis’ words, which had been ingrained into her psyche, echoed through her head: Saturates weren’t to be trusted, only exterminated. Arina’s palm fell away from Tal’s wound as both hands gripped her head and her pupils contracted to tiny pinpoints of black. “Who’s right? You can’t both be right!” Clouds of ice crystals formed around her, reacting to her heightened emotions.

“I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO BELIEVE!”

A sudden swell of Essence permeated the clearing, answering Arina’s instinctive call, giving Tal only a few seconds to react before she released it and ended both him and Darren.

A ghost smile spread on his lips, painful sorrow evident in his ivory eyes. The ice flared around him, thousands of little shards starting to dig into his skin as the ice around him reacted to the young child’s mental anguish. “I know. I’m sorry.”

The words were barely a whisper, as a jagged spear of ice leapt from a nearby pool of frigid water, driving itself up into the wound in his chest. A choked gasp escaped the summoner, a speckle of blood trailing down the spear as it snagged against the bone of his ribs. Grinding his teeth through the pain, Tal’s essence reserves surged with life, and with a mighty push of his resolve, the energy vanished from his body…

Into the waiting form of Darren. Essence swelling into the Rhino’s form, it roared a bestial cry at the sight of its friend taking the spear, as the thickened hide of the beast surged with power and swelled rapidly in size. The ice protested and cracked around the titanic beast, as the peaceful creature grew suddenly into what one could only describe as a titan. Blackened eyes narrowed on the petite form of the shaking saturate, and another bellow rolled from the monstrous summon like a thunder crack, echoing like a stampede through the forest.

Tal, panting from pain and exhaustion, ignored the cold gripping his body long enough to glance at his friend, smiling at the sight of his companion nearly the size of the dragon they had seen earlier. A brief thought flickered from his mind.

"Change of plans. Don’t hurt her."

"Tal? Tal!? TAL!"

No response came from Tal’s mind, and the summon found its body growing numb, the still form of his friend engraving itself in its mind. Deep inside the peaceful creature, something wicked snapped.

A shrill scream tore Darren’s gaze from his partner, locking onto the girl with a dark intent. Ice spears and pillars rocketed from the pools around him, digging into his thickened hide and smashing at his head with the force of a train, but the beast of burden flinched not once under the assault. Roaring again, he thundered forward, slow and lumbering at first, before momentum began to roll with his powerful steps, ignoring the relentless strikes as if they were mosquito bites. The girl panicked, fumbling backward as the beast’s massive strides brought it ever closer to smearing her from existence. She dove to the side, barely missing the rhino’s first charge, which bulldozed several trees into toothpicks, before it rounded about and began its approach anew.

Stumbling back, she cried out as the titan reared its powerful legs up over her head, intent on smashing her into the earth and beyond. Without warning, a powerful shout echoed over the crashing trees and snarling animal.

“STOP.”

Crashing back to the earth with all the force of a meteor strike, the rhino looked to its master, confusion swirling through its rage filled mind. The girl still lived, trapped between the mighty pillars that made up the summons legs, although every time she so much as twitched, the creature loosed a powerful and very clear warning in the form of a violent snort.

“Let her go, Darren.”

Another snort escaped the beast, as its mighty head lowered towards the girl, eyes watching her quietly. With a rumbling in its throat, the creature’s massive jaw slowly parted, thin trails of saliva connecting between its massive sets of teeth. Whilst the summon was plainly an herbivore, the massive teeth, almost the size of Arina herself, would make easy work of the poor girl if the beast so decided to use them.

“Let. Her. Go.” Tal’s voice was deathly quiet, his weakened frame radiating the threat lurking in his words. As if contemplating his choices, Darren was still for another moment, before his mouth closed, and the titan moved over the girl towards its master.

Tal’s stoic face cracked into a weak smile as the rhino worriedly approached, shrinking down to its usual self within the leyline.

"Tal, I…"

Dun worry, happens to the best of us.

Darkness and cold edged in on his senses, as the rhino began to break the ice gently apart with his horn. Tal’s vision flickered in and out, but with the last of his depleting energy, he forced his gaze to the spot the small child had occupied not a moment ago, to find nothing more than empty air. His smile spread wide, as the ice shattered and he collapsed in a heap on Darren’s snout.

“Good luck, little miss.”

Warmth filled his chest, and with a peaceful smile, he slipped into unconsciousness, his faithful summon gently carrying the vagabond off towards the group’s original location.

[Loki]

Tsume surveyed the area around him, looking for who most needed his help. Jake was the first he spotted, or at least he thought it was Jake. He knew of no other who could utilize the earthen armor, but never before had he seen it take such a menacing and foreboding shape. There was no time to analyze the meaning behind the form, once he seen Jake shrug off the Magi's attacks effortlessly, the Monk proceeded to seek another who was more in need. Thunderous booms rumbled in the distance, marking where Owen was fighting his battle, but he couldn't tell how he was faring. Given the intensity of the rolling thunder, he couldn't have been having too much trouble. There was still no sign of Loki; his absence both unnerving and frustrating since he was supposed to be guarding the Goddess. Not far off, the shaggy form of Tal looked like he was having a rough time of things. It only took him a moment to realize why; his opponent looked hardly old enough to have come into her powers. Tsume knew the vagabond well enough to know Tal would not be able to harm an opponent so young nor would he allow anybody else to do so. If it was a matter of subduing a Magi, the Monk decided Tal would need all the help he could get. With a glance over his shoulder to look back at T'Yang and the shielded Goddess, he considered if he would be able to trust her. Alco! On me! The summon had just finished pulling himself free from the ground that had encased him into immobility and strode towards the Monk's side. Master? What of T'Yang? I let her know that my fate is tied to the Goddess'. She knows that she will lose everything if she betrays me. And you trust her? Tsume paused to consider that question for a moment. I trust her enough not to do anything that would result in my death. It's a gamble, but the others need us.

He had taken no more than two long strides when motion in his peripheries redirected his attention. Eri and Arashi were plummeting to the ground with no sign of the Magi who had challenged her. Although he only got a glimpse of her before she disappeared in the canopy. Tsume didn't even consider his alternatives as he redirected his sprint to find where his fallen friend had landed. It hadn't taken long before he spotted her with no sign of her summon. That was one of the most disconcerting aspect that caused him to run as fast as he could to her aid if he still had a chance to help. Arashi not being present meant that he was either dismissed, killed in the fall, or that he was already too late to help her.

Without wasting a moment, Tsume dropped to his knees next to her quickly assessing her condition. Eri's clothing around her abdomen had been soaked through with crimson that had seeped out of the knife wound. A shimmer of hope coursed through him once he noticed the faint rise and fall of her chest; her breathing was shallow, but there nonetheless. His hands trembled as he tore the shirt open more to get a better look at the wound. The fall had only exacerbated things, causing the knife to wrench and cleave a wider injury. He didn't have the equipment necessary to treat a stomach wound; he could stop her bleeding out, but the damage on the inside would require more than simple bandages and antiseptic. The Monk's face went pale as his mind raced in an effort to think of something, anything to save her. She had volunteered to aid him, making it his duty to protect her life and he could not just watch as she died.

A flicker of opportunity came to mind, its chance of working as uncertain and frail as a candle flame before a torrent of wind. In his studies at the Temple, he came across a theory regarding a Summoner's ability to manifest living flesh from the Essence within them. The feat of creating circulatory systems, vital organs, muscle, and bone; everything from the details of the hair, feathers, or flesh to the complexity of the creature's brain in an effort that can become effortless second nature given even decent practice. The theory is that the ease of summoning a creature can be compared to specialized muscle memory and that with significantly more effort and energy, a Summoner might actually be able to generate living flesh that is not bound to their summon.

Tsume glanced back to Alco. "I'll need all the energy I can muster for this, so you get a chance to rest old friend." The griffin nodded in understanding before his being disbursed from the material plane. He then turned his attention back to Eri, breathing in deep before letting out a steadying sigh. One hand gripped the flat of the dagger's blade just above where it sunk into flesh while the other laid flat over the wound with the blade pinned between his thumb and forefinger. Although his eyes were focused upon the wound, his gaze was distant with thought as he focused on the task at hand. His mind analyzed the process of summoning Alco, breaking it down into its individual elements to dissect how it is done. Using that as a guide, Tsume began pouring his will and energy into the hand resting over the wound. The process could only be best compared to somebody using atrophied muscles that have never been used before; the strength behind them required monumental effort for even the slightest of progress. Had they not been in the leyline or had his battle with T'Yang been more taxing, Tsume felt confident that he would not have had enough to even attempt this.

Over the course of a few minutes, Tsume could feel the flesh and vitals beneath mending together as they sealed closer to the steel blade still within her abdomen. The bleeding slowed significantly as the gape of the wound narrowed until only a trickle escaped. Tsume could feel fatigue washing over him with the effort he invested into the mending, the endeavor causing his vision to blur and darken. Sweat beaded his forehead and his breathing became labored as though he had been running miles on end. Still he pressed on. Once Tsume could feel the mended flesh close against the blade, he slowly and carefully withdrew it from Eri's body. Millimeter by millimeter, the blade would withdraw just slow enough for the healing to keep up with the gradually retreating steel so there was a constant seal against it to prevent further bleeding.

More minutes passed until finally the tip of the blade was free, which Tsume tossed aside with contempt. He felt his balance waver for a moment before he shook his head and blinked several times, forcing his eyes to focus. There was still a cut on her stomach that trickled out a small rivulet of blood, but it was nothing a bandage couldn't take care of. His primary concern was mending the organs beneath, which he had accomplished; it would have been foolish of him to press forward and fully heal the wound. He doubted he would have been able to stay conscious for even the comparatively simple mending. Eri never regained consciousness, even now that the worst of her wounds were fixed; it was no surprise considering how strenuous her fight must have been. Her breathing was more hearty now, heavy with sleep and her skin looked a little pale as a likely result of the blood loss. But as far as he could tell, she was out of the worst of it. Tsume found her blade laying at hand, coated in blood that suggested her opponent hadn't fared much better in the exchange. He wiped the sanguine from the steel and placed it in the sheath at her side.

It wasn't long before the regenerating tendencies of the leyline restored the Monk's energy enough where he could stand and maintain his balance, though he wouldn't test himself by using his abilities just yet. Tsume slid his arms under the unconscious Eri and drunkenly hoisted her from the ground. His balance wavered for a moment before he centered himself and proceeded to walk back to where they had stood at the start of the fight and where his gear, the medical supplies within rested. By the time he got back he ached for a long night's rest. Unfortunately there was still work to be done.

Jake entered the small clearing shortly after he had and the Monk's mind struggled to comprehend what he was seeing. The man's eyes were... unnatural and his posture was just as foreboding as it had been when he was armored. Tsume's gaze followed along Jake's arm and noticed he was dragging a Magi by the wrist. It took a whole moment for him to realize that the defeated man was only half there as a streak of blood trailed it's progress from what was surely the lower half of the body. The brutal sight sent chills down the Monk's spine. Before he could confront the battle maddened Jake, Darren stamped into the clearing with a wounded and unconscious Tal.

Exhaustion blunted the feelings of doubt and dread. Tsume could feel the weight of desperation all the same as he hoped the man's wounds weren't as bad as they seemed. The Monk knew he would not be able to do another mending as extensively as he had done for Eri, that is if he could even do anything of significance at all. Still, he had to try. "Darren, bring Tal over here!" Carefully, he laid Eri upon the ground in the clearing and noticed the expression on Jake's face as he noticed the red that had stained her clothing. His eyes were still dark, but he had released his grip upon the dead Magi and there was a muted level of concern on his face. At the same time, the massive rhino laid his burden nearby; the fact that Darren was still there was reassuring. Tsume pointed in the direction where the rolling thunder of Owen's battle had originated, though now there was only silence. "I'll take care of Tal, I need you to help Owen. If the Magi is still a threat, don't let him get to us; buy us time until we can catch our breath. If the battle is over and Owen is still alive, guide him back here if he is unable to do so himself." The summon was clearly reluctant, but after a moment, did as he was requested.

Tsume looked towards Jake once more, his expression softening to concern slightly though his eyes were still unsettling. His gaze was still fixated upon Eri's unmoving body as he slowly approached, almost as if he was trying to decide if he could do so. The man almost looked as though he was in a daze of distant thoughts. "Jake." Tsume spoke, his voice clearly expressing his fatigue as though forming words had become a physical endeavor. It took a while for him to pull his gaze away from Eri, moving his head before his eyes snapped to the Monk. He looked uncertain and Tsume needed all the help he could get, he had to try to snap Jake out of whatever mindset he's in. "She still needs help. I fixed the worst of it, but the wound still needs to be cleaned and bandaged. I can't do it and help Tal at the same time, please help her."

Whatever happened within, Tsume noticed the sudden change in Jake. One moment his eyes were black and his body tense, then after a long blink they returned to their usual forest green and his posture more at ease. Without saying a word, he went to retrieve the materials to dress Eri's wounds. With that taken care of, Tsume wobbled to his feet and moved the few yards until he knelt over Tal. He placed his hand on the man's wound and forced his senses into it as he had done with Eri to get an idea of the extent of the injury. The effort of that alone was nearly enough to cause him to collapse from overexertion. There was a sense of relief as he got a sense of the wound before breaking the connection with a deep gasp as though he had been holding his breath to its capacity as he began to feel lightheaded. Cracked ribs and a deep laceration, but the injury had missed the vitals largely thanks to his ribcage. As long as he dressed the wound, Tal would survive without the need for mending; which was fortunate, because Tsume knew he didn't have the energy for it. At least not without using his last vial of Refined Seed, which is something he didn't dare risk using in the leyline. There was just no telling how that would affect the liquid's nature.

"Jake," Tsume said with a slight slur to his words from his exhaustion, "can you toss me a first aid pack?"

Tsume looked back to catch the small kit that sailed towards him, bobbling it a few times before securing his grip. Although it was clumsily done, the bandage was secured and the wound cleaned well enough for the moment. Once he had a chance to recover from his fatigue he would see to the wound being properly sutured closed, feeling that attempting to do so in his current state would only cause more harm than good. With the task done, Tsume allowed himself to flop back into a sit as a means of attempting to rest while still aware. Darren had returned by then with the limp form of Owen. "Is he severely injured?" The hulking creature set Owen on the ground before shaking his head in the negative. Thank Goddess for that. He couldn't be sure if they had fended off their attackers, but lacked the energy at the moment to actively check to ensure the area is secured. If they came back for a round two, the group would be hard pressed to survive. Three lay unconscious, one MIA, one too exhausted to fight, two who are battered but able to fight, and one who is uninjured but inexperienced in combat. Casualties would be all but certain if there was another wave.

It couldn't have been more than five minutes before the next issue presented itself. For whatever reason, T'Yang let Raewyn outside of her protective barrier and it was too soon for them to guarantee the area was safe. For whatever reason, the Goddess was irate and that did not bode well for his moment of reprieve. It took the Monk a few moments of effort to pull himself to his feet as his body protested anything that was not conducive to resting. He half shuffled-half walked toward the two until he was close enough to speak to them in his exhausted tone. "What is going on?" T'Yang looked as though she was about to answer, but was quickly cut off by the frantic Raewyn.

"They took him! We have to go save him!"

The Monk was aware that his mind was not as keen as it normally was, but still managed to follow the probable meaning to her words. "You mean Loki? How? Why wasn't he here protecting you?" The pang of remorse not only shown clearly on her composure, but it was intense enough to bleed through her control over her ability causing Tsume to feel its depth.

"I told him to. The Dream Walker was trying to get in my head and I couldn't fight her off. Nobody else was able to do it!"

Tsume winced at that. "So you sent him to take on a powerful Saturate on his own in what is surely an ambush? I'm sorry, Raewyn, but we're in no condition to track him down." His voice turned somber. "There's a good chance they've already killed him." There was another pang of remorse followed by a scorching wave of rage that caused the wary Tsume to stagger back a few paces from its intensity. Raewyn was now wailing with frustration, clearly taking sole responsibility for Loki's fate.

"No! No no no! They can't! They didn't! I saw it myself, she shown me what happened; they knocked him unconscious and said that he was the one they were after!" Tears began to well in her eyes and she physically began to tremble. "And I was the one who sent him into their trap. It's my fault they hurt him..."

The Monk blinked in bewilderment at that statement. They were after Loki? That doesn't make any sense. Is there something I missed? "Raewyn... They could have made up that vision of them taking Loki. They're trying to lure you into a trap so they could take you. Even if they did take him, there's no way we'd be able to find him if they intend on keeping him; otherwise they're just using him as bait. Right now they could be any-"

Tsume's eyes went wide as he watched with his own eyes as the tip of a knife appeared from thin air at the edge of a clearing, cutting a hole in open space as though it was canvas. Once it reached the ground, the opening yawned into a wide gape, revealing the interior of some sort of cold metallic room that contradicted the natural surroundings with emotionless industry. There was no frame or line dividing the two, just a sharp transition from one place to the other with a crisp edge where one left off and the other began. Through which stepped a young man who bore scarring on half of his face that could have been burn marks or some other excruciating experience, expressing nothing more than casual indifference when looking upon the group. Following closely behind him was a large monstrous figure as black as night and could be nothing other than a summon. At its side, draped unceremoniously over its arm as though it was a bag of potatoes was Loki. He was clearly unconscious. After a moment of surveying those present, Brycen addressed the group.

"Lord Udonis wishes to send his regards for how things turned out and that he is impressed by how you managed to match a group of his Magi. It is no light accomplishment to have done so. Though time for games have come to an end. Lord Udonis grows wary of playing cat and mouse. He wishes to address things directly from here on out." Brycen withdrew a manila envelope from his jacket and tossed it with a flick of the wrist towards Tsume, landing in the open ground between the two parties. "Travel along this leyline and you'll come across a ruined Essence refinery in five days at a moderate pace. That is where you can find us and Lord Udonis was even kind enough to provide you with a map and time needed to recuperate from the injuries you've sustained today."

"What makes you think we'd even consider going to your stronghold?" Tsume said petulantly.

A malicious grin spread across the Magi's face, though the scarring along his lip gave it more of a sneering expression. With a slight tilt of the head, he motioned towards Loki and the creature holding him. "Consider the boy a deposit. As long as travel towards the refinery, you have Lord Udonis' word that you will find him alive and unharmed. Furthermore, you will not encounter any more acts of aggression from us as until you arrive; from there we will address things diplomatically to see if we can come to some sort of compromise. If you refuse the offer, the guarantee of his safety will be forfeit and we will do with him as we please." Brycen shrugged indifferently before continuing. "Either way, we will not allow you to make it to the Temple. If you refuse to deal with matters directly, we will just increase our efforts to hunt you down. Thus far, our attempts to procure the Goddess have only been halfhearted as Lord Udonis addressed more crucial matters. I regret to say that time has passed and you now have his undivided attention. Meet us directly or be hunted down like wild animals, it makes no difference in the long run. We will get what we are after no matter what you do."

The two proceeded to step back through the rift in space and Tsume wanted nothing more than to run after them in an attempt to save Loki. He knew that it would be a futile attempt and it would take little more than a modest backhanded blow to render him unable to continue his efforts with as exhausted as he was. There was a subtle change in posture from Raewyn and he knew she was about to charge them. Before she could take her first step, Tsume's hand clamped down on her bicep restraining her from acting so foolishly. "Don't give them what they're after so easily."

Brycen's grin never wavered as the tear in space began to mend itself like somebody zipping a tent flap closed. "Lord Udonis is looking forward to meeting you in person. Until then, farewell." Tsume felt Raewyn struggling to break free from his grasp, crying out as she desperately tried to get to Loki before she lost her chance. Despite his weakened state, his grip never wavered until they were gone. Once the portal closed, he released the Goddess who dashed to where it had been in a futile effort to act. Hearing Raewyn's reaction caused a knot to form in his chest as he walked towards the envelope left behind and looked upon its contents.

Logic and common sense screamed at him that going to their stronghold was beyond foolish. Their mission was to get Raewyn to the Temple no matter the cost. Her safety was much more important than any one of them, even Loki's. Right? Surely the Magi was bluffing, why would kidnapping the Goddess be anything but a number one priority? They threw their best at us and failed. If we continue towards the Temple, we stand a decent chance of surviving. If we go to the refinery, we'll be on their home turf and at their mercy. We won't survive such an encounter.

"We must continue on to the Temple... It's too dangerous facing them directly..." Although Tsume addressed anybody who would listen, his words lacked any conviction or energy whatsoever. It was more like he was saying what had to be said, even though he didn't believe it was what needed to be done.

[quakernuts]

The entire walk back to the clearing was a struggle on the inside. Jake fuelled himself with mental stamina he didn't know he held. The arm of the Shadow remained solid however, refusing to give up it's ownership of his body, and Jake was almost at the breaking point by now. He was one of the strongest men he had ever known, yet he couldn't even get out of one chokehold. It seemed his physical strength did nothing to help him in this sort of battle, and it grated on Jake's last nerve. The constant struggling must have been getting on the Shadow's nerves as well, as he finally gave an exasperated sigh at Jake's efforts.

"Are you quite done yet?" The Shadow asked, it's tone bored rather than inquisitive.

"You know when I'll be done! When I stomp you fucking head into the ground!" The shadow gave a small laugh, and sighed even more.

"You know, if the thick head wasn't such a useful combat tool, I don't think there would be any pro's to even having it around. How many times must I say this to you before you understand? We are the same. You cannot kill me, without first killing yourself."

"Don't think I haven't given it some thought!" Jake pressed on, his anger overcoming his common sense. The Shadow continued to stare past him, concentrating on something far off in the distance that wasn't there.

"Keep lying to yourself, it entertains me."

"Beating you into an absolute fucking black smear on the ground will entertain me!" The Shadow shook his head, but said nothing. His attention seemed to be strained as Jake moved out of the forest. It took a few moments, but soon Jake himself felt it, and despite the very unpleasant sensation, gave a smile towards the Shadow. "What the matter? You can't deal with pain?"

"The body is damaged, adrenaline is wearing off, and I doubt we will be standing for much longer unless we get another boost..." The Shadow trailed off, but Jake knew what he was thinking. He struggled harder, and with the added effect of pain being brought into things, Jake saw the Shadow waver for the first time since taking over.

Jake walked back out of the clearing, still clinging to the half body of Roshan. The first person he saw was Tsume, and it took nearly all of Jake's inner power to stop the Shadow from simply lashing out at the man in a frenzy to get a fix of adrenaline. In fact, the most Jake could do was walk to Tsume as others started to slowly appear. T looked downright exhausted, but that was probably the least of their concerns. Soon Tal was brought out, unconscious aboard his Rhino, and T quickly started tending to him, sending the Rhino after Owen if he was still alive. It was about then that Jake's eyes fell upon Eri.

No words were spoken, the body of the Magi dropped from his grip, but the Shadow still refused to let go of the body he had fought so hard after. Jake was slowly breaking through, emotional and physical pain bringing the Shadow down to a more reasonable level, until it was at the perfect moment.

"You have feelings for her." The Shadow stated, making it obvious that he already knew.

"And if I do? What are you going to do about it?" Jake answered, realizing that his feet were touching the ground now. It wouldn't be long now before the Shadow was weakened to a point of breakage.

"As I understand, our mind is on a very fragile bridge hanging over a very deep cliff. All I need, in order to rid our mind of you, is to simply cut one end of bridge, and watch you plummet into the abyss which would be of your own sorrow and regret." Jake said nothing, his fury reaching levels untold by other men. The Shadow looked at Jake, trying to hide the weakness, but it was already known by Jake.

"You're going to watch yourself kill her...Jake." Jake let loose with a roar, slamming his palm upwards on the elbow of the Shadow, watching as the joint broke and black matter splattered across the redness of his vision. Instantly he was free, and he quickly started lashing out at the Shadow, who held him at bay with one arm for a moment, but quickly found himself on the ground, being repeatedly pummelled into the dirt. The Shadow's face changed from smug confidence to one of pure malice and hate.

"She will not be around forever to keep you from yourself Jake! You will learn that you are a walking time bomb! The only difference is that the timer is hidden from your view!" Jake heard, but didn't listen as he brought his boot above the Shadow's face only for the being to disappear into the far reaches of his own mind. He stood there, full of fury, but quickly cooling off as he realized he had finally won his body back. He hadn't killed that part of himself yet, but when it showed next, he would make sure that it didn't have time to retreat. Tsume's voice was the first thing he was able to hear once he managed to regain control, and instantly his eyes went back to their carefree green colour.

While the battle in his mind had taken what seemed like minutes to complete, not even seconds had passed as Jake realized where he was. "She still needs help. I fixed the worst of it, but the wound still needs to be cleaned and bandaged. I can't do it and help Tal at the same time, please help her." Tsume ordered Jake with obvious exhaustion in his voice. Jake took a moment to compose himself, nodded, and got right to it. It wasn't until he was next to her that the painful burning in his back started to set in, and he ground his teeth. His armour had been dispersed, leaving the burn open to the elements, and he half felt like bringing it back up to protect from what little wind was chafing against it. He didn't know how bad it was, but he could feel extreme pain in parts, and complete numbness in others. He didn't know off hand if that was good or bad, since he couldn't see the wound himself, but he hoped he could hold it off long enough that the others could be helped before he needed it himself.

Jake wasn't that great with dressings himself, considering he wasn't in the habit of getting himself injured, but he simply remembered fastening them on himself, and tried his best to applying it to someone else. He sat quiet while bandaging the wound, noticing that she was breathing fine, as if she was sleeping, and gave an inward sigh of relief. He couldn't let go of what the Shadow had said, and he never wanted to lose control of his own body like he had today, although it was probably the only reason he had bested Roshan in the first place, was through the Shadow's cold, calculating, and patient way of drawing him out. He shut that thought out quick, not wanting to invite another visit from the sadistic bastard, and looked at the bandaging he was doing. He was almost finished, not that hard since it was only one wound that he had to worry about. He looked at Eri's sleeping face, wanting to wake her up, but not wanting to subject her to the pain that this kind of damage would inflict.

"Jake, can you toss me a first aid pack?" Tsume asked, the slur to his words making it seem like he was drunk. Had it been different circumstances, Jake would have cracked a joke about it, but instead, he simply grabbed one and tossed it to T, watching as he fumbled with catching it. Outside of himself and T, everyone else was unconscious or not here. It was about that time he noticed a black orb like thing in the background. He was about to question what it was when the Goddess came rushing out of the orb unharmed, but watching as T's old flame came walking behind her. He reached for his axe, the very motion sending bolts of near paralyzing pain through sections of his back, which cause him to hesitate and literally bite his tongue until it bled. It was a good thing though, since it was obvious she was no longer the enemy...for now.

Raewyn came running forward, screaming they took someone. It took a moment for Jake to realize who she was talking about. A quick look around revealed that Loki was nowhere to be found. Jake narrowed his eyes slightly at the new woman, but did nothing for the moment. T was the leader, and despite his tired exterior at the moment, was better at rationalizing situations than Jake was. Her distress was evident in her lack of control over her emotional bleed over as Jake felt every single reaction from her almost as if it was his own. The rage bleed over was the worst as Jake took a physical step back, not for fear of her hurting him, but of him hurting her. Tsume was in the middle of explaining their possible reasoning when a giant tear appeared, quite literally, from nowhere.

The hole that appeared, along with the people who stepped out of it were nothing natural, and despite the pain, Jake managed to pull out his axe and took a ready stance. If nothing, he was going down swinging. It turned out quickly though, that this was not a fight. This was more of a threat and a challenge than anything else. Jake still held his axe out, but it was slightly lowered. He didn't trust the man, or his giant guard dog. Jake wanted to rush out, beat the shit out of both of them, and call it a day, but he knew he couldn't cover the distance before they stepped back through their portal, and forced himself to deal with resignation. He listened to the mainly one sided conversation between the man and T, and even a brain dead monkey could see that this was an obvious trap. Yet, even as the two of them went back through the portal, Jake knew they had to go. There was no 'or' in this option, and he only hoped their skills, however damaged they must be, would be able to pull them through.

Jake looked to T, listening to his empty words of them continuing to the temple. He looked to Raewyn, who was breaking down in tears where the tear in the clearing had been. He looked back over the group, injured and most unconscious. Out of all of them, save for the new woman who he would sooner kill than trust, he was the one who would be able to put up the best fight. He replaced his axe in it's proper place, seething once again as the pain brought near tears to his eyes. He sat down on the ground, and gave a deep breath. He hadn't fought a battle like that in a very long time, and last time it was more of a joyous victory rather than the morbid 'did we really win?' victory.

Jake was still for a long moment, his eyes sort of glazed over and burning a hole in the ground. Finally he spoke, but it wasn't to anyone in particular. "I'm going after him." Tsume looked down on him, not saying a word from either lack of conviction in his own words, or exhaustion. Jake stood up once more, drawing upon the last of his reserves to keep himself standing, and knowing he was going to be feeling this for quite a few days in the future. "I will not let that kid take one for the team. If you want to take Raewyn and head towards the temple, then go for it. He never said how many needed to be heading towards the refinery."

"You're betting on them letting him live on a technicality. Your plan is flawed Jake." Tsume said, his words coming slowly but with the same intelligence behind them as there was the first day they met. Jake thought it over, and grunted his resignation.

"Well in that case, consider this a done deal. I'm going to grab Loki, smack him across the head for going alone, and get him the hell out of there." Jake waited for any kind of response, and when he was met with silence from their supposed leader, he simply turned his back to him, and started walking in the direction the man said for them to go. It wasn't until he had taken a few steps that T finally got the strength to say something.

"At least let us rest for a day. We need to recover our losses, and tend to our wounded." Jake stopped, but didn't turn quite yet. He knew he would be able to do anything once he got to the refinery, but his stubbornness was winning over him once again, and he sighed. That one release of air brought with it a whole new wave of fatigue, and Jake could feel himself swaying where he stood. He slapped himself lightly on his cheeks to keep him up, and turned around.

"If we have to, fine. I vote that the bitch gets the fire going though." Jake turned to the woman, his eyes, although tired, told of his anger towards her. "Don't think that just because you happened to switch sides that I forgot which one you were on to begin with." With that, Jake sat down on the ground, keeping a mental reminder to not lie on his back. "Better hurry with that wood there, it's going to get dark soon."

[Sunwolf007]

Please tell me this is the afterlife where I can suffer differently than I just have, were Owen’s first thoughts. His body was racked with pain and he only had the strength to lay there. For moments he didn’t move, afraid of what he would see in hell. Knowing that it would be worse than what he suffered in life somehow even though at the moment he couldn’t think of anything worse than his life. I killed him again. Tears flowed from his eyes at the thought. He was broken from his sorrow by the sound of something large coming. He felt his body being rolled over and finally he summoned the courage to look at hell.

Hell is a rhino? Why is there a rhino in hell? Owen was completely confused at the sight of Darren. He felt the hot breath of the rhino as it sniffed him. Gently it nudged him to see his reaction. No way in hell am I going to do anything willingly in hell! Darren sensed he was alive and grabbed his leg. Slowly Owen was dragged along the forest floor. As his whole body was racked with pain he couldn’t feel the new bumps and bruises that were added to his battered body. What kind of sadistic torture is this? It doesn’t even hurt. After a few moments they arrived where everyone was gathering. It was then that Owen guessed the truth.

NO!!! Why can’t I just fucking die! Why am I cursed to continue this painful life of mine! What did I ever do to deserve this torture! Anger rushed over him but he still lacked the strength to move. His jacket was torn at the sleeve and for all to see his brand given to him by the order, marking him a traitor. Inches below the brand was the bullet wound that caused all his misery. Even knowing that no one should ever see the brand all he could do was watch as Tsume attempted to fix everything. Again I have proven to myself I that I am a wicked, evil man with no good. I killed him… Again.

Powerlessly he watched as Loki was used as a bargaining tool to lure them or just the Goddess into a trap. Right then he didn’t care. He felt the emotional intrusion of the goddess but his own sorrow was more powerful than her rage. He would be more of a burden on them from this point forward. They are serious about getting what they want. The next step is to tell my family I killed James and hunt me down with the law. I am too recognizable to continue traveling with the goddess. All I do is kill those I love and bring harm to those I have sworn to protect. I am a failure in every way possible and they should leave me to die before I get someone killed.

He saw Jake heading out to help Loki and how Tsume stopped him. If he had any energy left Owen would have considered going with him just so he could get his deepest wish granted. I could fight until I die and then it would finally be all over. If he leaves tomorrow I will follow him. Finally I might find myself in hell. Finally justice for all the wrongs I have committed will be wrought upon me. Final James will be able to rest peacefully for his murder will be avenged. Finally the mental pain as well as the physical pain caught up to him. Not wanting to feel it anymore he closed his eyes and drifted off into sleep.

[Silvan Arrow]

Cold.

Everything was cold. So cold. And dark. Nothing but cold and darkness. No conscious thought crossed Eri’s mind as she lay in a bloody, battered heap on the forest floor, her life spilling over the leaves in an ever-growing crimson stain. Perhaps she really had died and this cold darkness was the afterlife.

But then there was warmth.

It started as such a tiny thing, almost the suggestion of warmth rather than the actual sensation, but it slowly grew into a comforting, soothing radiance that blossomed in her belly and spread throughout her body. Maybe death wasn’t so bad after all and she would get to experience heaven instead of hell. Surely dying to protect the Goddess was enough to outweigh the sins in her life, right? Her breath slowly deepened and evened as her lungs were no longer filled with blood.

Then she was weightless, like her body had risen from the ground due to some outside force. Maybe she was flying to heaven just like in the stories her father had told her as a child. A tiny smile crossed her lips. Yes, everything would be all right.

She felt her body contact a solid surface again after some unknown length of time. Surely soon she would open her eyes and witness the wonders of the afterlife. Already the sensations were becoming clearer, as if she were only dreaming now. She experienced brief, fleeting sensations of hands moving over her body, but they passed almost as quickly as they came.

Then everything changed. A tidal wave of frustration and heart-wrenching despair that was not her own clenched her heart in an unyielding icy grip and plunged her frail consciousness into a whole new realm of horrifying images. Suddenly she found herself on Arashi’s back locked in battle with Jasper and Kuresh once again. ‘No! I killed them! I plunged my blade through his heart! I saw it!’ Eri’s thoughts railed against what her eyes beheld as the massive black dragon, now easily twice the size he once was, closed in on the fleeing eagle and opened his jaws menacingly. Then everything went black, and Eri felt herself wrenched from Arashi’s back and into the void as his agonized screech filled her ears. Then she was falling, her mouth open in a silent scream. She looked up to see a hideous, monstrous shadow melt out of the void, and draped over its arm was the unconscious form of Loki. Eri reached out with one hand and tried to scream her student’s name, but no sound passed her lips as she continued falling…

Eri’s eyes flew open as she jerked awake and a frightened cry escaped her throat. She instantly regretted the sudden movement as a dull, throbbing ache radiated from where Jasper had stabbed her, and her arm wrapped around her stomach protectively as she groaned in pain and curled in on herself. Then reality started to set in, and she touched her stomach with disbelief while taking stock of her surroundings. She was lying on her back on a pallet covered by a thin blanket and using someone’s pack for a pillow. Her tunic was torn and covered in blood, but her wound had been cleaned and wrapped in fresh bandages. But most importantly, the dagger that would have otherwise killed her was gone. Instantly Arashi’s voice echoed through her mind. Eri, thank the Goddess you’re alive!

‘W-what happened? How am I alive?’ she thought privately, still not trusting that she was really hearing Arashi’s voice. Perhaps the afterlife was merely playing tricks on her mind. Her eyes slowly grew accustomed to the darkness as everything started coming in more clearly. It was clearly nighttime, evidenced by the stars dotting the sky above her. Not quite trusting her wounded body to move yet, she settled for craning her head around to see a campfire a few yards away and several familiar figures gathered around it. She could feel their gazes and resisted the urge to fidget self-consciously. ‘I…didn’t die? Then how…?’ She mind couldn’t articulate the questions she wanted to ask. How had she not died from that knife wound? She had felt her lungs filling with blood, knew her internal organs were practically destroyed, and yet all she had to show for it was an aching, bandaged wound that would eventually heal with little more than a new scar.

“Welcome back.” Eri turned her gaze toward the familiar voice to see Tsume approach and kneel down next to her.

“Tsume…how am I alive?” Eri’s voice was barely above a whisper, and her throat was parched from dehydration and blood loss. She instinctively tried to sit up to better survey her surroundings, but a gentle, firm hand on her shoulder kept her still.

“Easy…don’t try to move too much yet,” the Monk cautioned. “I used a Summoning technique that I learned about in my training to repair your body, but you still lost a lot of blood and need to take it slowly.”

The explanation satisfied her for the moment, and she simply nodded as she peered around him to survey the rest of the group. Her eyes fell on Jake first, who was seated by the fire. He met her gaze momentarily, and she breathed a mental sigh of relief to see his eyes back to their normal green color. He was back in control of himself…for now at least. Owen lay on a pallet behind Jake, either asleep or unconscious, while Darren’s massive form lay beside Tal’s unconscious form, keeping a constant vigil over his Summoner. On the far side of the fire, partially hidden by shadows cast by the trees, sat the huddled form of Raewyn. Eri would have known her silhouette anywhere, but what she didn’t expect was to see T’yang sitting beside the Goddess, her legs crossed elegantly and her hands folded neatly in her lap.

Tsume must have noticed Eri’s bewildered expression, because he said simply, “T’yang is on our side now. You have no need to worry.”

It was then that Eri started to realize something was wrong. A nagging feeling had been bothering her almost as soon as she realized that she was indeed alive and surrounded by the others. Something about Tsume’s tone of voice just felt…hollow, but it was so subtle that she almost couldn’t detect it. She finally realized what was bothering her once she completed her scan of the group. “Loki…where is he?” she rasped.

If the group had been silent before, now it was deafening. Jake turned his gaze toward her again with a guarded expression, T’yang tensed slightly, and a soft hiccupping sob escaped Raewyn’s lips. Even Darren snorted uncomfortably. “Tsume,” Eri pressed, her eyes immediately narrowing as she injected what strength she could into her voice. “Where. Is. My. Student?”

Tsume’s gaze lowered briefly before, and a soft sigh escaped his lips before he replied in that same eerily calm, hollow voice. “I’m sorry, but he was captured during the fight by one of Lord Udonis’ henchmen. They are holding Loki ransom to make us fight on their terms.”

Eri’s eyes widened in disbelief, and she had to remember to breathe after several long moments where she hoped and prayed this was a bad dream. But Tsume’s expression did not change, nor did the hollow truthfulness in his gaze. Then something in Eri’s mind snapped as her body reacted seemingly on its own. “Well then…what are we just…sitting around here for?” she deadpanned as she forced her aching body to sit up. Tsume protested and tried to keep her still, but she shoved his hands away and drunkenly staggered to her feet. Arashi’s voice also echoed in her mind, trying to talk some sense into her, but she barely registered him. The sudden rush of adrenaline allowed her to ignore the lightheadedness from such a sudden movement after losing so much blood. “Why are you trying to stop me?” Eri rounded on Tsume furiously as he also got to his feet. “They. Have. Loki. We have to rescue him! He would do the same for any of us!” Her palm instinctively tingled with Essence, but even that simple action sent waves of pain shooting from her wound.

Tsume’s voice was infuriatingly calm as he tried to reason with her. “Eri, you’re in no condition to run off on a rescue mission. None of us are. We have to put the Goddess’ safety first. Loki would want that above all else.”

That’s when she lost it. “BUT HE’S JUST A KID!!!” Eri yelled. “He’s sacrificed everything for us, and we’re just going to let him die?!” Her rage melted almost as quickly as it appeared, only to be replaced a painful lump in her throat that threatened to choke her. “He nearly got himself killed saving me during my battle today, when I should have been the one saving him. I…failed him…” The last three words barely escaped her throat as a choked half-sob. A sudden wave of vertigo nearly knocked her off her feet at the same time a new wave of pain caused by her outburst made her groan and double over clenching her stomach. She would have fallen if Tsume had not gripped her by the shoulders and gently eased her back down to her pallet.

“I’m sorry…” was all Tsume could offer. They both knew she couldn’t slip away at this point, so he returned to his spot by the fire keeping watch over the group, though he kept one eye on her as well. But it wasn’t necessary. Eri couldn’t move now even if she wanted to. She could only sit there, staring numbly at the ground as despair – hers instead of the Goddess’ – clenched her heart in a painful death grip. Her eyes burned and stung, but she had no tears to shed. She hadn’t had any in years. All she had was the hollow ache of knowing that she had failed with the one person she had sworn to teach and protect…

[Digital Muse]

*T'yang*

The individual battles ended at varying times with everyone battered and injured, it seemed. She and Tsume seemed in the best shape, though he had done something since he left Raewyn in her care that had depleted his reserves of stamina in an alarming way. The gigantic rhinoceros Summon gently returned two of the party to the clearing and one she knew as Tal from her days at the Temple.

Her own injuries, save the one at the back of her neck were minor, so they did little but cause a stiff discomfort. The major cut at the back of her neck felt as if it had laid her spine exposed, though she knew that to be an exaggeration. While it still bled somewhat and continued to soak her robes, it didn’t appear to be life-threatening. In truth, the emotional tug of war she had experienced had drained her far more than her battle or her wounds had.

T’yang remained apart from the group while Tsume and the Earth user, Jake, tended to the wounds of their companions. The change that came over Jake was unnerving and she made a note to watch that one closely. She didn’t ask for bandages to tend her own wounds from that one. She doubted he would be so accommodating. Her thoughts were confirmed when he fixed her with a stare and demanded she fetch wood for the fire and tend to the camp like some servant.

Ordinarily, she would have bristled at his arrogance, but logic won out when she realized she was the only one still physically able to manage such menial chores. She was also the only one able to protect the young goddess at the moment.

Before she could decide what was best, the Mage Brycen returned with the limp form of the boy draped negligently over his shoulder. He told the group that the boy’s life was in the balance if they did not veer from their mission to take the goddess to the Temple. She watched Tsume, presuming he would put the mission before the life of the boy. But his tone shocked her. He intended to risk it all to save the boy! It sent her mind into a tail spin. He wasn’t willing to give up his life as a Temple Monk for her….but he would risk the goddess for a boy? It made no sense to her at all.

Later in the night when a camp fire had been built and the others rested, T’yang had taken a quiet seat near Raewyn, though the young goddess did not seek her out for comfort at all. Nor would T’yang know how to give it. T’yang was there for physical protection only. After darkness fell, the girl, Eri woke, confused and disoriented. She was also weak as a kitten. She reacted when she spotted T’yang, but Tsume reassured her. T’yang realized joining with Tsume on this mission was going to be fraught with conflict and she wouldn’t put it beyond Jake to attempt to kill her in his rage.

She found it interesting that no one questioned the need to walk into what was undoubtedly a trap for the sake of a single boy. She shook her head, in detached curiosity. But when Eri raged about having let her charge down, she reminded the warrior, “There was a reason the Mages that came were chosen. It was our mission to separate you. Had you not battled Kuresh, the goddess would have died. Had Tsume not fought me, she would have died. You must always think of the many. Not the few.” She paused, then added, “The boy knew the risks and chose to stay. Honor his bravery with courage. Not with the angry tears of a washer woman.” She knew her words would be far from welcome. But she truly didn’t care. Tsume would know what she was driving at. “Rest and let your guilt wash away. It is a poison. It has no place here.”

*Raewyn*

The gathering back together of her friends was at once a relief and a terror for Raewyn. She was relieved everyone was alive, but it scared her half to death that they all had come so close to losing their lives. That coupled with the realization that Loki had been taken as bait in order to drawn them all into a trap left her cold and numb. She sat near the fire T’yang built, lost in her own thoughts and barely taking in any of the subdued activity that night. She didn’t really notice that T’yang had taken up a spot near her, for the Shadow Manipulator was so eerily silent.

Well after a meal had been prepared, Eri woke from her deep sleep and Raewyn was immensely relieved. She started to speak, but a gentle shake of Tsume’s head made her wait to talk to Eri for the moment. She listened when Tsume explained what had happened to Loki. But, when Eri lurched from her blankets, Raewyn was also on her feet in an instant to help her reflexively.

T’yang’s cool, detached explanation that the needs of the many outweigh the desires of the few almost made her fly into a rage. “You…you don’t know anything!” She shouted at the assassin. “You’re part of the reason he’s gone. Probably hurt! I don’t care what Tsume says, you shouldn’t be here!” She made to lunge at T’yang. But the assassin, had already drawn a fan and before Raewyn got completely to her feet, T’yang merely pushed her over with its tip.

Raewyn landed heavily on her backside with a harsh rush of air from her lungs. “You don’t talk about him! We’re going to save him!” She looked toward Eri and the pair shared a look of agreement. “I’m sorry, Eri…I sent him after her. I thought we would get her….it’s all my fault. I’m so sorry.” Raewyn then sat up, brushing dirt and leaves from her jacket. “I promise we will.” She added under her breath

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