Infinite Powers

[FreddyCast]

Hadrian Solis / Maximius

(Maximius follows a shady man with a black robe outside the tavern, taking care to stay a few steps behind. He walks with his ruby-tipped cane hitting the ground, making loud thumbs as he moves towards the black robed figure. He intentionally makes these loud thumbs to create an ominous and creepy atmosphere as he closes in on his target. Once Maximius feels he has closed enough distance between them he calls out to the black-robed figure...)
Maximius: Demi-god, was it? Then let me introduce myself. I am the God of this world and I’ve been waiting for the one who would speak for me....Arachni. (Maximius grins a little) Being grandiose is not my style, but....I guess it’s mandatory that all recognize who I am. Pardon me, my name is Maximius and I’ve been waiting for you.

[Wolfsong]

/Pierce/Arachni/
Arachni paused, listening, then turned with his regular smirk affixed. "The god, eh?" he said, smiling faintly. "I see. Well then, I guess I'll be working under you until things are...settled. Very well then, Maximius. Where do we stand now, and what is my first movement?"

OOC- I just realized what your character's last name is, Freddy. What, triplets?

[Banana Lobster]

OOC: Yay, Wolf's back!

IC:

Sage Shade

Shade shrugged. "I don't who the money comes from, so long as I get some cash in exchange for my services. Grab the extra sail, and toss one end over the edge. I'll take care of the rest." Turning, she ran and vaulted easily over the ship's railing. Standing on the waves below, she sent a large wave to crash into the sea monsters while she waited.

[FreddyCast]

Hadrian Solis / Maximius

Maximius: Straight to business, I see. Well, that is why we’re here. Follow me, I’ll explain along the way. (The two walk sided by side towards a teleporter as Maximius explains the situation)
Maximius: I won't give you any details just yet, but we’ve gained a foothold in each faction in this world. Nescala, Tiera, and even the IFF, as you can see from me. Slowly our strength has been rising, placing ourselves in positions of power as well as gaining followers in all the factions. I think you’ve already noticed, but the volatile conflict that’s been grasping the lands of Nescala and Tiera is...not what it seems. For now, what we must do is make you known, quickly. No one trusts the current leaders, since most are veteran players. But if a new comer rises up from the conflict with the “solution” to this conflict, everyone will follow him. Most players are so tired of the conflict that they don’t even care if it’s a demon or a saint that comes to power, as long as he’s the one who ends this conflict. (Maximius grins evily) We’ll give this world a “Savior” that they deserve. (Maximius turns to look at Arachni who has been listening in silence) So is there something else you wish to know before I throw you from obscurity and into the limelight?

Sage Blaze, Saint Reave, and Priestess Elian

(As Kiari runs into third opening, Reave calls out to her with an outstretched arm)
Saint: Kiari, wait...(Sage interrupts)
Sage: Let her go Reave. If she’s so eager to die then let her go.
Saint: But brother, I swear I saw her almost in tears.
Sage: Then, let her deal with her own demons. It’s none of our business.
Saint: But...(Elian puts a hand on Saint’s shoulder in order to reassure him)
Elian: She’ll be fine, Saint. We must go our own way now. (Sage begins to walk towards the first opening without saying a word. Saint calls out to him)
Saint: Brother, Aren’t we going to play rock, paper, scissors to see who gets which? (Sage responds without looking back)
Sage: The last time we did that, we ended up jailed in prison. (Sage raises his right hand up to signal his departure. Elian looks at Saint with a confused look on her face)
Elian: You two were jailed in prison? For what?
Saint: Oh, uh, it was back in the real world. We, uh, tried to decide who would punch our uncle on the face.
Elian: Haha, for what?
Saint: He insulted a good friend of ours.
Elian: And who was this good friend of yours? (Saint tilts his head down feeling a bit upset)
Saint: She, uh, was someone I cared about. Her name was...Eilis. (Elian looks puzzled over this name and says in her mind: That’s the same as my name)
Elian: I see. I bet she was happy that you defended her.
Saint: I’m not so sure. (Saint clenches his right hand into a fist and brings it up in front of his face) But, at least Hadrian deserved what he got.
Elian: Hadrian? Who’s that?
Saint: Oh, uh, that’s our uncle. (Elian’s eyes widen just a bit and says in her mind: No, it can’t be them)
Elian: I’m guessing you were the one who punched him. (Saint has a big grin on his face)
Saint: We should get going. We wouldn’t want to make Kiari or my brother wait. (Saint runs into the second opening as he waves goodbye to Elian) Seeya Priestess. Stay safe.
Elian: You too. (She waves goodbye with a smile on her face, but it soon fades as Saint is no longer in her view) These brothers, do I know them somehow? (Elian shakes her head to get rid of an unpleasant thought) I must focus what’s in front of me. (She enters the fourth opening) Still, I can’t shake this feeling.....

[Koneko-chan]

Khaleesi/Meeka

She nodded nervously "Yes, of course." Meeka glanced at Aeon and squeaked as the boat rocked slightly again, stumbling a bit, and got in a steady stance.

OOC: We missed you, Wolfie! *Glomp*

[Oddood198]

OOC: Well, I would have posted sooner, but I was court-marshaled and hung. Set me back a bit. Anyway, welcome back, Wolfy, good to see you're still among the living.


Aeon had just come out of his cabin inside the ship to see what all the ruckus was about, only to find the ship being tossed about by a storm, the crew in a panic, and the captain asking him and the other passengers if they could fight. His cloak was being blown around madly by the wind, but his hood stayed up.
Aeon sighed, agitated, the last thing he wanted was to get caught up in some quest or event or whatever this was, he had places to go and things to do. But, it didn't seem like there was an easy way out of this, so he was going to have to participate, just like the rest.
He stepped forward, drawing his sword, and looking out into the pelting rain, "So, what are we fighting?" He asked no one in particular, just looking for an answer.

[ClaecElric4God]

/Karissa/Kenji/
Kenji gaped at Regal's retreating back. What? How could he? How had Kenji's plan gone so horribly wrong? Regal was supposed to feel bad for wanting Kenji gone and offer to make sure they didn't get separated while Kenji was logged off. That hadn't worked at all...
Kenji shrugged. Oh, well. He'd just have to persevere. Kenji forced his horse into a gallop, though Regal had already put a bit of distance between them. He looked at his horse's options, and realized he could command the horse to follow Regal. Nice feature...Kenji hurriedly chose the command, then sub-logged out. Hopefully he'd be back in a little while anyway. At the last minute, he heard Regal laughing in the distance.
That man is pure evil, Kenji thought to himself.

/Eric/Zare/
Zare chuckled.
"It's fine. Anyway, I really should be going now. But message me anytime you want help with a quest or anything. If I'm not busy, I'd be glad to tag along and watch you get beat up by a monster again." Zare smirked, then waved as he walked away, opening up his menu to log out as he went.

[Wolfsong]

OOC- I forgot to tell you Odd, you've been pardoned. Oh well, we'll drag your corpse down and give you a burial with all honors. (I'm assuming this is Dox I'm working with now?)

/Pierce/Arachni/
He listened what Maximius said with interest, thinking hard on everything mentioned. Fortunately, the information given wasn't much different to what he was currently in the know on. Well, now that he was officially back in the game, it would be easier to get the current goods.
His contact's last words made him smile. Ah, from obscurity to the limelight...his favorite position. Soon he'd be back in the thick of things... "No...just an interest in news." He tilted his head slightly, eyes on Maximius. "What word on the old heroes of the Cataclyst? I hear tell they've almost destroyed the Slaver's Guild, if not ruined it utterly."

/Stephen/Ashimatya/
"Stephen! Steeeeeeeephen!"
Stephen glanced up, his writing hand pausing. He brushed a strand of brown hair out of his face, thinking. Should he answer? Heaven knew it would be easier just to ignore her.
"STEPHEN!"
He winced. Or not. She sure had a pair of lungs on her. "Like a siren," he commented to the calico cat seated on his desk, watching him through half-lidded eyes. "Sounds like Cathrine, doesn't it?" he continued. Sighing, he left his homework, saying, "Now stay off my stuff, okay? Mr. Bransold did not appreciate all the cat hair on the pages I turned in last time."
The cat yawned, stretched, and promptly settled on his book. Stephen couldn't help but smile. "Impudent little ****," he said fondly.
"SSSTTTEEEPPPHHHEEENNN!!!"
"Alright! Alright!" he shouted as he opened the window. He looked hard at the platinum-dyed blonde haired girl down on the sidewalk. "What is it this time, Cat?"
Catherine, or informally Cat, smiled enduringly up at the unfazed man. "I need some help, Stephen dearest," she said in a voice that was probably supposed to sound coy. "Can I come in?"
He glanced at the calico cat. "What do you think Monica?" he asked with a sly grin. "Should I let her in?"
The cat stared at him with a blank expression.
Cat, meanwhile, was having hysterics.
"MONICA?! Who is Monica, Stephen?"
"Only the nicest girl in the world," he replied cockily.
Cat shouted some rather unladylike things and ran off sobbing into her bright red Mustang. Seconds later, she was gone.
"Actually, I think you are the best girl in the world right now, next to my mom," he said to the cat. He sat back down, sighing. "You know what? Maybe being the lucky billion-dolloar-lucky-lottary winner isn;t all its cracked up to be." He gently stroked her fur.
The cat purred her agreement and pleasure, leaping into his lap and behaving all sweetly. After all, its not often a cat beats the human girls to a man's heart. Victory.

/Carter/Valerian/
He looked around, then saw them. Scuttlefish, a couple of flying monsters, various sea creatures on their way. He pointed. "That." He pulled out two of his knives and side-stepped a panicing passenger.

/Zara/Kiari/
With but seconds to spare, Kiari dove into a small crevice in the rock wall, just as the massive tail came down. It lay there, covering the opening. Kiari took the opportunity to down an herb and takes some much needed breaths. What she wouldn't give for an analyzer. She'd been hammering at this thing for what felt like hours, and it was still going strong. She leaned back against the wall, breathing hard.
"Confound it! If this thing doesn't have the Ruby I'll....curses!"
The tail moved away. Kiari froze, moving not a muscle. She heard a loud hissing, saw the flickering tongue as it scented the air, and then the first of the Dragon's massive heads came into view. Cat-like in muzzle and shape, but similar to a dragon in appearance, it was a dark, irredescent green in color. Its large eye came into view then, and focused on her.
Screaming bloody murder, she flung herself at that eye, driving her knife deep into it.
With a roar to shatter her eardrums, it head jerked back, xccarrying Kiari up with it. Bracing her feet against its giant head, she yanked her dagger free and fell. landing lightly on her feet, she bolted between its legs, trying to move to a better spot. As she leapt into the rocks again, the second head followed after her, mouth agape. At the last second, she dove aside, its jaws snapping shut just an inch away from her face.
Sighing, she unequipped her knives and pulled out her rings. "Time for something big," she said to herself. The two headed dragon loomed overhead, snarling now. Where it had been annoyed before, it was angry now. "Maybe that means its almost dead," she hoped. Arms crossed, she held out her weapons, waiting as the beast came closer, closer. Both heads' mouths opene wide. It was time.
"Begin," she told herself. Instantly, whirling quickly, she summoned her energy. "Whirlwind Rush!" she cried, releasing the special move. The rings in her hands multiplied, and shot off in all directions. She thought she saw one go straight down a dragon's mouth, but she couldn't be sure. However, as hoped, the beast reared back, roaring in pain.
"Final act," she said, grinning. Time to see if she learned her last spell correctly.
"Rival, rise and make your stand!" she cried. An archane circle formed on the ground. She raised her hand. "End it!"
A loud howling from nowhere, a brush of a cold wind, and the dragon's painful roaring echoed in her ears. Next thing she knew, it lay dead at her feet, and its heart was on the ground before her. Paling, she controled her gag reflex and turned away.
"Not quite what I had in mind," she said shakily. "On second thought, maybe I'll not use the summon spells anymore."
Up ahead appeared a door. Curious, she entered.
There was a pedistal within, and in it was something. She couldn't tell exactly what. "Oh, its the room containing the reward for the monster slayer!" she realized, laughing. She walked toward it. The pedistal opened slowly, and the glowing object came out. Kiari reached into the light, her hand closing on something solid. The light evaporated, revealing...a sword.
Her eyes widened in disbelief. It was a splendid sword, with a long slim blade. The hilt was simple, ebony black with a dark green ribbon around it. The blade itself was pure white, and still glowed. Kiari saw something on the pedistal, an inscription, and read it slowly.
"This is the Mani Katti," she read. "Containing a sacred spirit, it will bond to its wielder, melding to their destiny." She looked at it, hefted it, then shrugged. "O-kay, whatever. I don't really use swords...maybe I'll give it to Saint." putting it into her inventory, she walked out.

[Banana Lobster]

Sage Shade

Shade bit back a sigh. Was was the point of asking her for help if they weren't going to listen? Maybe if she took out those sea monsters they'd remember. Rolling her eyes, Shade turned to the oncoming monsters and equipped her scythe.

With the ease of practice, she gathered the water around her, launched herself at them, and chopped off two monster's heads with one swing of her scythe. Some of the monsters, the older monsters, those who had seen her in action before, turned and swam quickly away. Throwing her two knives, Shade hit another monster in the eye with one, and slit its throat with the other, before using the rainwater to quickly bring the knives back to her hand.

[FreddyCast]

Sage Blaze

(Sage reaches the end of his path and enters into a wide open space. The rocky cave-like chamber is riddled with ancient looking symbols and images. On the floor he sees various different sizes of circles all arranged into what seems like a bulls-eye target, and between these cirlces is an ancient middle eastern-language, some of which resembles the language engraved onto Sage’s own clothing. He stands at the edge of the chamber observing everything)
Sage: So where is this demon? Must I summon it? The Priestess didn’t tell me anything about calling it out or anything?....(Sage moves closer towards the center of the chamber and stops half way.)
Sage: YO, DEMON! SHOW YOURSELF! I DON’T HAVE ALL DAY! (Suddenly a voice echoes in the chamber)
Voice: I am the infernal spirit, formed from the spilt blood of the innocent, who wanders the desert and take on many forms. You have entered my domain. (The dust on the ground begins to move towards the center and whirl in circles. Sage looks on, unfazed and showing no fear, as the whirling dust turns to whirling flames and a figure begins to take shape within the flames)
Sage: So you finally show yourself. What is your name demon? I’d like to know who it is that I have defeated. (The figure manifests itself with an even deeper, more sinister voice than before.

LINK

Ifrit: HAHAHA. My name is IFRIT. And it is foolish of you to declare your victory before we have even begun our battle. Your arrogance will be your undoing, as it was with every soul that has dared to stand against me.
Sage: Ifrit! So my opponent is fire user as well. How wonderful, fighting fire with fire. I’m going to enjoy this. Whatever power you possess...(Sage stretches out his arm forward and clenches his hand)...I will make it my own.
Ifrit: Your eyes show no fear and you’re filled with so much confidence, the likes of which I haven’t seen in any other soul that came in my path. It will be my pleasure to break that spirit of yours and make you weep for your life to end. (He says this as flames begin to manifest under his feet)
Sage: I welcome your challenge. (Sage grins, eager to begin the fight and stretches out his arms to his side, engulfing his arms in flames)
Ifrit: HAHAHAHA. COME THEN FEARLESS ONE. (He raises his arms to his sides and above his head as flames burst out in all directions) LET OUR FLAMES DO THE TALKING!
(Sage charges at him as he attacks with his flaming fists, trying to land a blow on Ifrit. Ifrit blocks his fists with ease and straight kicks Sage’s chest, making Sage fly back. Sage tries to stop himself by using his feet as breaks, sliding back until he slams on to the wall.)
Ifrit: What’s the matter Fearless One. Has your spirit left you yet.
Sage: As long as my body stands, I will endure.
Ifrit: Then how about I burn your body until it drops. (He sticks out his right index finger and creates a huge fireball. As it grows to the size of a wrecking ball he fires it towards Sage. Sage engulfs himself in fire and teleports out of the way as the fireball explodes against the wall.)
Sage: You’ll never hit me with those poor excuse for fireballs.
Ifrit: Did you think I fired only one? (Suddenly a huge fireball comes down from above and hits Sage’s position, exploding on impact. Ifrit moves his eyes to the left, seeing that Sage barely escaped in time, but not without some harm)
Ifrit: How long do you think, your teleportation trick will save you. You didn’t come out of that unscathed. (Sage looks at his right shoulder seeing a darkened burnt mark. Sage then speaks to himself)
Sage: I wish I was fast as my brother Reave. I never come out of fights unharmed. *sigh* Well, you don’t go through life without gaining a few scars. (Suddenly Infrit fires multiple wrecking ball-sized fireballs. Sage dodges them with his teleportation. He then teleports behind Ifrit and roundhouse kicks Ifrit’s face from behind. Yet, Ifrit stands unmoved by Sages sneak attack and grabs Sage’s leg, lifts him up in the air and throws him to the ground. Sage’s body rolls a few distance from the impact to the ground and his body lays motionless for awhile)
Ifrit: Your pathetic kicks can’t hurt me. I’m immune to normal attacks and any weapons such as swords. (Sage slowly gets up)
Sage: I see. It was my mistake then. It won’t happen again. (He looks at his Ring of the Pheonix) I’ll be sure to hit you with my flames then. Pay attention, because I’m only going to use this once. Once is all I need. (Ifrit grins at Sage’s boasting) PHEONIX BLAZE (With incredible speed he hits Ifrit with his flaming fists multiple times, charging at him in all directions, and zigzagging around Ifrit while he lands blow after blow. The attack works as Ifrit is brought to his knees. Sage stops to catch his breath as he puts some distance between Ifrit and himself)
Ifrit: You think speed will help you win. (Ifrit slowly gets back up to his feet) It’s clear I shouldn’t be playing with you anymore. How about I show you my true form. (Ifrit’s body begins to bulge and distort itself as he grows bigger and transform himself into something more sinister, all the while flames ooze out of his body and burst forth in all directions)

LINK

(The monstrosity that appears makes Sage’s eyes widen)
Ifrit: Is that the look of Fear I see on your face, Fearless One? (Sage smiles sinisterly)
Sage: No, I’m just feeling a big rush. This fight is exhilarating. The flames, they’re amazing. (Sage begins to laugh uncontrollably with arms wide open, which starts to annoy Ifrit)
Ifrit: I am not here to entertain you. I’m here to end you. I am going to wipe that look off your face. This is what true speed is. BURNING FLASH!! (Suddenly, Ifrit attacks Sage repeatedly with his flaming claws at blinding speed. Sage then falls to the ground with most of his clothes almost ripped off)
Ifrit: You’re finished Fearless One. You were a worthy opponent, but no one can stand against my true form. (Sage struggles to get back up)
Ifrit: So you still got some spirit left in you. (Ifrit walks toward Sage and stomps his back with his foot, taking the breath out of Sage)
Ifrit: STAY DOWN! (Sage moans in pain) Where is your confidence now? Where is your arrogant smile and laughter now? Did I not tell you, your arrogance would be your downfall? (Sage starts to laugh. Yet, his laughter is muffled by his face facing the ground. This enrages Ifrit.)
Ifrit: Arrogant to the end. Hmph. This is the end for you. (Ifrit lifts his foot to stomp on Sage’s head one last time with all his might. As Ifrit is about to land the finishing blow, Sage grabs Ifrit’s other foot and yells...)
Sage: EXCHANGE!! (Suddenly Ifrit is laying on the floor with the same injuries that Sage had, while Sage is standing on top of him where Ifrit was)
Ifrit: Wha..what is this? What did you do to me? (Sage has a sinister grin on his face)
Sage: Nothing, really. This ring here did all the work. (He shows his right hand pointing to the ring on his middle finger) The Ring of Exchange. It gives you my damages in exchange for your health, as well as swaps my current position with the target’s position. In this case, you. How does it feel to be under my foot?
Ifrit: GRRRAAAARRRRRHHHHH (Ifrit’s wrath explodes as he jumps from the ground making Sage jump back, but not far enough from Ifrit’s reach. Ifrit then swings his left arm hitting Sage with the back of his hand. Sage flies back but stops himself as he lands on his feet and slides back.)
Ifrit: DO NOT THINK YOU CAN MOCK ME WITH YOUR CHEAP TRICKS. (With stretched out hands he fires multiple beams of fire from the tips of his fingers. Sage is able to dodge them, but one catches his right foot making him trip and fall.)
Ifrit: INFERNAL IMPRISONMENT!! (Bars of flames surround Sage from all directions, blocking any path of escape) THIS WILL FINISH YOU OFF...SOLAR BEAM (Ifrit puts both his hands together and shoots a huge beam at Sage)
Sage: This isn’t good. (Sage puts on the Gila Beast Armor at the last second before the Beam hits him. As the beam dissipates flames cover the entire chamber and Sage’s location is lit up like a huge barn fire)
Ifrit: It’s over...(Ifrit takes a breather, but soon a voice is heard within the flames)
Sage: Man, that attack completely destroyed my armor. I liked that armor. (Sage slowly emerges from the flames transformed entirely and manifesting a ball of fire on his right hand)

LINK

Ifrit: How can this be? You should have been incinerated.
(Sage says in his mind: A good thing I used this Ruby Stone I obtained in Slarg’s Lair. It completely changed me and strengthened my powers ten-fold.)
Sage: How should I put this? I am Fire itself.
Ifrit: It makes no sense. Y...You shouldn’t be this strong. Y...You shouldn’t be alive.
Sage: Am I detecting fear in your voice, Ifrit? (Ifrit stays stunned in disbelief at what he sees) No matter, I’ll end your miserable existence here and now. (Sage prepares himself to use the Ring of Pheonix) I wonder how much more powerful this attack will be? Care to find out Ifrit?
Ifrit: Tch! You can’t defeat me. (Both of them take their stand as they ready themselves to use their final attack)
Ifrit: BURNING FLASH Sage: PHEONIX BLAZE
(Sage’s attack proves too powerful as Sage’s ball of fire tears through the side of Ifrit’s upper body, leaving a gaping hole. Ifrit falls down to the ground and disintegrates into ashes. However within the ashes a figure, like that of woman’s, lies on the ground. She get’s up to her feet and flaming wings appear. Sage transforms back to his normal form and approaches her.)
Sage: Who are you?
Nuriel: I am the murdered soul from which Ifrit was born.
Sage: Are you the reward for my victory?
Nuriel: I am your weapon. You may call me whenever you need my aid. Just call on my name and I will be there for you.
Sage: And what is your name?
Nuriel: My name is Nuriel. (As she finishes giving her name she disappears)
Sage: An angel NPC ally. Now that is very useful. I guess I should return. But going back half-naked is not a good idea. (His clothes rematerialize on his body) Hmm...well that’s convenient, I guess now that I won the fight my clothes have returned. Brand spanking new too. (Sage leaves the chamber and heads back the way he came.)

[Wolfsong]

/Zara/Kiari/
Kiari exitted the cave, only to find no one else was there. She thought a moment, then shrugged. "Might as well. Been on a while now."
Settling herself between some rocks, out of sight and hopefully reach, she closed her eyes, sub-logging out.

(Note! There are two types of logging out: sub-log and the regular log out. The sub will eject you from the game, but leave your body where it last was. The normal log takes you out avatar and all)

"What..."
There was no sign of anyone in the house. However, a note was pinned to the fridge. Zara stared at it a long time, part scared, part excited, and part fury.
'Hi Zara! Sorry for leaving without tell you, but you seemed so intent in your game I didn't want to bother you. You dad called, he said he wanted to discuss some of the conditions of the divorce. Here's hoping he changes his mind. ~love Mom ~ P.S. dinner is leftovers, so take your pick.'
Zara slowly took the note down, stared at it a long time, then tore it. Eyes tearing up, she grabbed an old cookie from a jar and chewed viciously on it as she returned to her room.
Punching a pillow isn't very satisfactory when you're mindlessly angry. No, you want something solid you can tear apart. Zara quickly logged back into Infinite, ready to vent her anger at her Dad, at her "friends" who thought this was all okay, and at life.

Kiari breathed in deeply, then slid out of the crevice. No one yet. Hissing, she dove into a nearby clump of vicious man-eating plants, wrecking havoc as she let her anger flow. Yes, there was nothing like a living thing to destroy when you're mad.
Finally there were none left, just scattered vines and mouths. Kiari stood there in the field, breathing heavily. Funny, she felt so cold now. She turned back and walked to the clearing before the four entrances. Sage was coming out of opening 1. He seemed like he'd just gone through almost nothing at all. She opened her mouth to say something, but the lump in her throat choked it, so that it came out sounding like a strangled sob. She coughed, managing to make it sound completely natural, to cover it. Her face remained smooth, and as she spoke there wasn't a waver in her voice. The only off-key part was her eyes, which were rock hard. "So what did you find?"

/Rowan/Caesar/
Caesar smiled when he saw the outpost ahead. It was fortunate timing, as his horse's energy had been worn down by the long ride, and his virtual body was in need of sustinence. Thus he rode right in.
In a very short while he located an inn. Dismounting, he gave the stableboy a coin and instructions for the care of his horse. Then he entered the establishment. It was one of those simple, charming places that made you feel instantly at home. The man at the counter, the owner obviously, was a jolly soul by the way he smiled, laughed and chatted with the customers. Not the sort of person Caesar liked to deal with, but he needed a place. He needed a safe spot to log out in. He entered...
...and froze.
"...so you don't have to pay," the innkeeper was saying to the man at the counter. "We all appreciate your efforts to cleanse the world of those scumbags."
Wolf ears twitched slightly as the man, a huge sword on his back, laughed. "My thanks, good man! I've had a long day."
Cyrano! Caesar felt the sweat beading on his forehead. He daren't walk back out, that would look suspicious. No, his only chance was to try and bluff his way through. Straightening his shoulders and fixing his winning smile in place, he walked confidently forward.
"Good afternoon, sir," he said, taking a stand right beside his arch enemy. "Would you have any spare rooms?"
He could feel Cyrano's eyes on him. Grimly, he steeled himself for a fight.
"I'm afraid not, sir," the inkeeper replied. "Last room was just taken. You'll have to-"
"We can share the room." Cyrano said suddenly, quietly. "It wouldn't be any trouble," he added, cutting off the choked comment Caesar was trying to make.
The hearty man laughed. "Well aren't you the lucky one! You get to share a room with the great Cyrano, dragonslayer, hacker's bane and destroyer of the slaver's guild himself!"
It took all the self-restraint Caesar had to not run screaming from the room. As it was, his eyes were quite wide, focused on his enemy. No doubt about it, the coldness in Cyrano's eyes openly revealed that he knew. So why...
"This is going to be a long night."

/Carter/Valerian/
Facepalming for forgetting, Valerian did as Sage had told him, then rushed the first calamari trying to get on deck. A loud squeel was heard as the little monster was returned to the sea. Val glanced over the side to see some of them set to feeding while the others struggled for deck, oversized beaks clacking. His face a little pale, he launched another skuttlefish into the sea. "Hope we reach land soon. I'm rather looking forward to ending my first sea voyage."

[FreddyCast]

Maximius

Maximius: The old heroes of the Cataclyst? Yes, the Slaver’s guild is almost at it’s end. However, there have been no news of them lately. I wouldn’t worry about them. Come. Let us enter the fray, shall we. (Both Maximius and Arachni enter the teleporter and teleport at an IFF outpost, overlooking a valley, where a huge PvP war is occurring between Nescala’s forces and Tiera’s forces.)

Sage Blaze

Sage: Why am I not surprised. *mumbles* Why is my idiot brother taking so long? (He turns his attention towards Kiari) I found an ally. That’s all you need to know Ms. Blue Wonder. (He observes Kiari and sees something weird) Why are you covered in vines and leaves? And what’s up with that fake poker face? I can feel your rage coming from your eyes.

[Koneko-chan]

Kha/Meeka
She paled slightly, then deciding to help out, she summoned her frost energy. Frost began to grow at her feet until it covered both, then she floated slowly a couple feet, she stared up at the monsters in the sky, she launched a ball of frost up into the sky at one of them, solid pieces of ice were speeding around in the frost, steaming slightly. The dry ice burst out of the frost before it hit the monster, it roared in anguish and shock.

Landon/Arystar
Sighing, Arystar wandered a bit, passing by people until his eyes landed on an inn. Ary shrugged, thinking 'Why not?' He stepped in the inn. He was staring at everyone in the inn and bumped into someone "Agh." He rubbed his head "Sorry."

[Wolfsong]

/Zara/Kiari/
Blue Wonder? That was a new one. Funny, didn't bother her as much as it normally would.
She blinked, then stared down at herself. Yes, unfortunately, there were pices of vine and bits of dried green something on her clothes, tell-tale traces of her lost control. However, covering up was something she was good at. She grinned, her entire face moving naturally into it, even her eyes.
"Accidently leaped amidst some flytraps when I left the cave," she explained, pointing to the carnage nearby. "That's all." Ignoring the other question. She wasn't sure how to answer. THen, suddenly, she came up with a round-about answer. "Two bosses left. I wonder which has the Ruby," she said in an agitated manner, dropping a 'hint' to his answer. Now if only he would bite...

/Pierce/Arachni/
Arachin nodded slowly. It was disappointing that there were no finer details on his old 'friends', but he supposed he could look into it later. Right now, he needed to focus on getting into his position. He needed something secure to stand on when they discovered he was back. He followed Maximius into the teleportal.
The battle, he realized quickly, was fairly one-sided. Nescala, through force of arms and men, had quickly surrounded the Tieran force. The Tierans, however, were refusing to surrender, determined to take down as many as they could.
All this Arachni figured out in mere seconds. He walked to the edge of the ledge, surveying the field. "Well then," he said, smiling. "How shall we begin?"

/Carter/Valerian/
He blinked, watching the monster fall into the sea. "Remind me not to make you angry," he said sidelong to Meeka.

/Rowan/Caesar/
Cyrano had to grab Caesar by the shoulders, turn him towards the door, and start pushing him to make him walk. The innkeeper laughed, said something about shock, then moved on to another customer. Dazed as he was, Caesar almost didn't notice when someone bumped into him.
"Its okay," he said, struggling to wake up. He needed to be alive, had to stay alive! He couldn't let Cyrano beat him. Not here!
"Arystar!" Cyrano said. "Good to see you. How are you doing?"

[Koneko-chan]

Khaleesi/Meeka
She cracked a smile at his comment.

Landon/Arystar
Arystar's eyes widened in surprise "Cyrano. Good to see you too." He glanced at Caesar with a raised eyebrow then back at Cyrano. "Good-- great actually. How about you? And what brings you here?"

[ClaecElric4God]

/Karissa/Kenji
Karissa rolled down her sleeves, sighing contentedly. Luckily, her mother had decided to take a long nap and hadn't even noticed her longer-than-allowed absence. And on top of that, she'd managed to convince her to let her go back online after doing a few chores. Karissa looked at the dish rack, piled high with dripping plates, cups, bowls, and assorted silverware. Dishes were done, laundry folded, and she'd even cleaned her room! All she had left to do was log on.

The first thing that caught Kenji's attention was the notification message.
"Your mount has encountered an obstacle. Unable to continue on current route."
Meanwhile, Kenji's horse was pacing back and forth in front of the door of what appeared to be an inn, while a stableboy frowned at him off to the side. Kenji quickly cancelled the command and backed his horse up, dismounting next to the stableboy.
"Hey, there, young whippersnapper!" Kenji said jovially, handing the boy a coin (a real one this time). "Take good care of my beloved Dulce. He's my very closest friend, and I'd be shattered if something happened to him. He likes to be sung to sleep, and make sure you don't put anything purple near him." Here Kenji leaned closer and whispered, "He's terribly afraid of purple, but don't tell him I told you that."
The stableboy looked at Kenji skeptically, taking the horse's reins and backing away awkwardly. Kenji just smiled and waved as the boy walked away, then entered the inn. If his horse had been trying to enter, chances were that's where Regal was. Sure enough, there he was, holding a conversation with the inkeeper and...
Kenji had opened his mouth to call out a greeting to Regal, but quickly shut it again. Wasn't that Cyrano? Regal had said they were enemies, so why were they so chummy all of a sudden? But on closer observation, Kenji realized that Regal looked extremely uncomfortable - uncharacteristically so. Kenji hung back, unsure of what to do next.

[FreddyCast]

Maximius

Maximius: It’s simple, really. I want you to destroy them all. They’re fighting on newly established IFF territory. We cannot let this conflict reach our lands. The fool who staged this battle will pay for his insolence. But for now, I want you to destroy these two armies. Why don’t you have some fun while you’re at it. Make it look as if you came to rescue the Tierans, then once they think you came to rescue them, destroy the Tierans’ hopes by destroying them as well. Let everyone one know that the IFF will no longer tolerate an out of control conflict. Do this, and you’ll be the talk of every hub in Infinite Powers...Oh and take this one-time use gem. It will increase your powers a hundred-fold. It’ll make your job a lot easier. And did I forget to mention that for every person that you defeat in that field, you gain his/her powers. It’s a “minor” glitch in the game. (Maximius grins after saying this)

Sage Blaze

Sage: Flytraps? Riiight....Well, you can have that Ruby junk, it’s caused me nothing but trouble. By the way, how long have you been here? Was your opponent that much of a weakling. The reward must have been disappointing, I bet.

Saint Reave

(Saint finally reaches the end of his path and arrives at chamber that is pitch black)
Saint: Man, it’s so dark in here. It’s starting to feel very creepy in here. (Saint starts hearing strange noises and lightning starts crawling up the walls of the chamber till they all intersect at the center of the ceiling. Then the lightning comes down and strikes the ground with such force and intensity that it blinds Saint for a second. Once the light dissipates smoke billows up and at the center stands a tall imposing figure with huge horns and wings as dark as the night)

LINK


Saint: Are you my opponent? (The demonic figure doesn’t say a word) If so, what is your name, demon spawn? (Saint approaches the demon until he is 20 feet away from him.) Can you talk? (Suddenly a voice from behind Saint is heard like a thousand voices speaking)
Unknown voice: His name is Samael. (Saint looks back with a serious and cautious face)
Saint: And who are you, my friend? (All that Saint can see is glowing eyes and a big monsterous mouth that looks like it’s smiling. A dark and sinister laughter echoes like a thousand laughs from this voice)
Unknown voice: We are Legion!
Saint: Show yourself demon spawn.
Legion: As you wish. (Suddenly flames burst from the ground with such fury that it lights up the whole chamber, which is filled with chains and skulls. Saint then feels a great pressure on his shoulders and Legion reveals himself to Saint. Saint says in his mind: This presence! It feels so heavy.)

LINK


Saint: Are the both of you my opponents? (Legion merely laughs in response, while Samael snarls at Saint. Saint gives a faint smile)
Saint: Hah! I see. So there were more than four demons. More like a thousand and four demons. Well then...(two swords materialize on Saint’s hands)...looks like I’m going to have all the fun.
(Samael summons a huge claymore with a blade as dark as night, while Legion conjures up chains in his hands)
Saint: The sword of Hector, Durendal , and the sword of Attila, Scourger. They served me well. And they’re more than enough to defeat you two.
Legion: We shall see, dark elf. (Legion whips his chains and lunges them at Saint, but the chains are stopped by a barrier erected by Durendal. Samael charges at Saint and swings his giant sword straight down at Saint, but Saint blocks the attack by intersecting both his swords, stopping Samael’s momentum and push him back. Samael uses his wings and flies up. While Samael attacks from above, Legion attempts to grab a hold of Saint with his chains. The double team against Saint begins to wear him down until one of Legions chains wraps around Durendal and yanks it from Saint’s hand.)
Saint: Scourger, BRING DOWN THE WRATH OF GOD. (Saint strikes the ground with the sword Scourger, ripping apart the ground and causing the whole chamber to quake. Legion loses his balance and falls to his knees. A piece of the ceiling collapses on top of Samael who then falls down to the ground. Saint charges at Legion and swings his sword downwards. Legion captures Scouger with his bare hands and with brute force breaks the blade. Seeing that Saint has lost both his swords he takes a step back)
Legion: What was it that you said? That those two weak swords would be enough to defeat us? Hehehehehe. (Saint summons another sword)
Saint: Kusanagi, gives me command of the wind and cut down my perils. (Legion conjures up flames and directs them towards Saint, but Saint cuts through the flames and with the swing of Kusanagi, wind blows towards Legion sending him flying and crashing against the wall. Samael gets up from the rubble and flies straight towards Saint, intending to strike him with his claymore, yet with the swing of Kusanagi he directs the wind to blow Legions’s flames towards Samael. The flames then engulf Samael, bringing him down to the ground and moving violently back and forth trying to get rid of the flames surrounding his body. Legion emerges from the walls)
Legion: No more fooling around. How about we let our dark children play with you.

LINK


Legion: Go children of darkness. Rip his flesh apart and tear him to pieces. (Monstrous creatures run towards Saint. Yet, Saint uses Kusanagi to cut them in half. Suddenly Samael comes out of nowhere and swings his claymore at Saint. Saint stops Samael but the claymore proves too powerful for the Kusanagi and breaks in two on impact.)
Saint: I can’t keep on losing my swords. I must try to fight some other way. (Saint creates some distance between him and Samael.) I got it. I’ll use the Fists of Slarg. I’m no brawler, but I don’t need to be one judging by how strong Slarg’s fists were. (He equips on the Fists of Slarg. Legion sends more children of darkness at Saint)
Saint: It’s time to stomp the living heck out of these guys. (With great speed Saint takes down every single child of darkness, leaving a trail of carnage and destruction behind him as the Fists of Slarg tears apart everything it hits. Samael then confronts Saint and both charge at each other. Samael flies down and swings his claymore down on Saint, while Saint jumps up towards Samael and throws a fist to stop his claymore. Fist and sword collide, creating a big explosive wave on impact and sending both Saint and Samael flying back. Saint impacts the ground while Samael crashes into the ceiling. Saint struggles to get up, but Legion whips his chains around Saint, binding him down and leaving him defensless. Legion charges at him and punches Saint straight in the face, sending him flying and crashing to the wall)
Legion: We wonder how your brother Sage is holding up? Ifrit is doing quite a number on him.
Saint says in his mind: How does an NPC know about my brother?
Legion: And your ex-girlfriend isn’t faring any better.
Saint: Ex-girlfriend?
Legion: That Priestess. Or did you not know who she was? HAHAHAHA, the look on your face. Priceless.
Saint: You son of a....
Legion: How long do you think it would take this time before she gets loose with your brother again? (Saint’s anger explodes as he rips apart the chains that bound him and charges at Legion, but just before Saint can reach him, Samael comes flying down and stomps Saint down with both his feet. Saint lays motionless on the floor)
Legion: None of you are coming out of here alive. We’re going to enjoy ending you and your brother once and for all. (Samael has Saint held down to the ground with his foot)
Saint: You’re not NPC are you? You don’t even belong here in this lair. Samael should have been my only opponent. Who are you really?
Legion: Hehehehe. Samael, finish him. We’ve grown tired of him. (Samael lifts his Claymore up, preparing to bring it down on Saint.) Your uncle sends his regards. (From afar Saint can see Durendal laying on the ground. He stretches out his arm calling it back to his hand. At the last second Durendal returns to Saint’s side and a barrier is erected around Saint’s body, stopping Samael’s claymore from plunging down on him and pushing Samael back. Saint gets up)
Saint: It’s time I end this. (Saint lifts up Durendal over his head) DIVINE DEMIURGE, GIVE UNTO YOUR SERVANT THE BLADE OF JUDGMENT (Suddenly the ceiling chamber cracks open, exposing the outside sky, and lightning comes crashing down on Saint) THUNDERBOLT, rain judgment upon the wicked. (Saint is now carrying a huge golden claymore with a brilliant diamond blade. He points his sword at Legion and lightning burst forth from the tip of the blade, hitting Legion and electrifying him until he can no longer stand. Saint walks over to Legion laying on the ground)
Legion: You...won’t win...one day we will destroy both you...and your brother.
Saint: Tell my uncle, His nephews send their regard. (Saint lifts up Thunderbolt over his head)
Legion: W...WAIT! (Saint cuts Legion down.)
Saint: *whisper* You're next, uncle. (Saint then faces Samael who was watching from afar)
Samael: Thanks for freeing me from his control.
Saint: So you speak, demon.
Samael: Shall we end this, noble warrior.
Saint: Yes, let’s end this ( Both of them point their swords at each other and charge at each other. They both land their final blows, but Saint comes out victorious as Samael falls to the ground defeated. Then a set of black-feathered wings appears at the far end of the chamber. On the wall is inscribed, “Here lies the wings of Samael the Fallen”)
Saint: Wings of the Fallen. THIS IS AWESOME. (Saint shouts in excitement) This means I can use these to fly like a bird. OH YEAH, I’M DA BOSS. I’ve got to get back to the others. Hopefully they made it out. (Saint runs back to the entrance of the Lair.)

[Wolfsong]

/Rowan/Caesar/
Oh good. Cyrano was occupied by the new kid. Caesar glanced around quickly for any means of escape...and saw Kenji. At first he was startled and annoyed; hadn't he lost Kenji back at the border? Then he wondered if perhaps he could use Kenji as a means of escape. No, Kenji was unpredictable, there was no telling what he would do.
"I'll have to do this alone," he realized. "I have no one I can trust."
"Good to hear," Cyrano was saying. "As to the other...I have some business I need to care for. Would you wait a moment? I'll be with you shortly."
"Someone help me," Caesar thought frantically as Cyrano led him away.

/Stephen/Ashimatya/
Ash breathed deeply of the cold, crisp air. Not many people came here, for this place was dangerous for the unprepared. It wasn't like the Wilderness, as this place was more civilized (which wasn't saying much) and had less monsters in it, but the ones who did live here were the dangerous high-level sort.
Welcome to the Tanmul Mountains.
Breathing out, Ash considered his job. Yes, Ash had a job. Normally he'd turn such things down, but an old friend called in an old debt, and Ash had a thing about repaying old debts, within reason. This friend had asked him to look into the Independant Flight Force, look in on their leaders and all that stuff. His friend was suspicious about the IFF for uncertain reasons, and wanted Ash to look into it. Symbols glowing, Ash had agreed.
Now here he was.
Softly, he faded into the shadows cast by some odd dark clouds. Time for business.

/Pierce/Arachni/
He listened to Maximius' directions with interest. Ah, destruction and mayhem. His favorite. Ah well, he decided he would consider this part of establishing himself. He took the offered gem.
"Very well then," he said. "I'll be with you momentarilly." and he stepped into the shadow of one of the rocks. He held up the gem, staring into its depths, assessing it. Slowly, a twisted smile formed on his face. "Let it begin." He equipped the gem.
He felt strength and power flooding through him, abilities and gifts of great magnitude. Knowledge, the most important ingredient, for what good are abilities if you don't know how to use them effectively? He let his body sink into the shadows.
Visibility was different here in the shadow realm. Light was pain, piercing and unforgiving. He could see the warriors below, and glided toward them.
Emerging from a shadow on the ground below, Arachni regained human form and stepped from the spot. Intent upon their victory, the Nescalans failed to notice this newcomer, who watched them with an amused smirk on his face. He raised a hand.
One cannot move the unerring clock to make day into night. However, one can create darkness. Dark clouds moved in, blotting out the sun, casting shadows dark as night itself. The fighters paused, looking about for the cause of this. Then one Nescalan spotted Arachni, his hand still raised, and instantly nominated him as the cause. Shouting for his friends to follow, the paladin rushed towards Arachni, raising his sword to strike Arachni down. From the ground around him emerged writhing black tendrils of shadow, which wrapped themselves around the would-be hero and dragged him into the earth. When they were gone, so was he.
Before his companions could recover, Arachni brought the darkness in the sky upon their heads like a great fog, hiding from view the horrors within. One by one, shrieking men and women vanished into the dark cloud, screaming in horror as their lives were drained from their bodies. As the spell ended, Arachni decided he did not want to see the fruits of his work, so when the black clouds receeded, they took their victims with them.
The Tieran force, huddled together, was crouched low to the ground, as though that would have saved them. Slowly, one by one, they stood, surprised to find they were alive. All eyes turned to Arachni, and hope bloomed in them. They all milled toward him, some even calling him their Savior.
He watched with contempt in his eyes. "Like foolish innocent children," he compared mockingly. "Nausiating. I am a Savior," he said aloud. "But...at the moment, not yours." He raised his other hand, and brought the two together.
The clouds he had gathered and the shadows stretched out on the ground suddenly all came together around the Tierans, surrounding them as a massive dome. The sun, freed from the clouds covering it, shone determinedly upon the dome. Arachni watched as the dome shrank and eventually disappeared. However, its work had been done. There were the dead, NPCs and players alike, as proof.
He paused a moment, savoring his new powers. Not the gem-gifts, which would soon leave him, but the skills and abilities of the fallen players. Windmasters, shapeshifters, beasttamers and more, all were his now. He smiled softly; now he could almost truly be called a demi-god.
The gem suddenly broke, shattering into hundreds of pieces which vanished the moment they contacted something, anything.
That wasn't a problem. He used his new control over wind to rise, and ascend to the cliff ledge. Below, some of the bodies disappeared, signs of a player recovering and relogging into the game. His smirk broadened.; word would soon be out. As he alighted on the ledge beside Maximius, he said, "Perhaps a little too showy, but I believed you wanted a spectacle, so..." He smiled disarmingly. "How did I do, oh god of Infinite?"

/Zara/Kiari/
"Easy? yeah, i suppose you could say that," Kiari said slowly, eyes on the openings. her mind was on the summon spell, Rival. It was able to do massive damage, and had a one-out-of-a-hundred chance of instant death, effective for any foe or boss. She'd gotten that small chance, but didn't feel like mentioning that, mainly because (a) it felt a little like cheating and (b) the spell had made her feel rather uncomfortable, so she really didn't want to talk about it. Then again, Sage didn't look like he'd been through much eitehr. Maybe he'd cheated too.
"Nah, the reward was okay," she said, peeling vine pieces off of her clothes. "It was a sword. The inscription claimed it was a spirit weapon that bonded to its wielder and melded to their...destinies or something but...I encountered no spirit and nothing about it seemed different after I picked it up, so...I might have picked up a dud. Oh well," she shrugged. "It'll look good on the wall, I suppose. Or maybe I'll take lessons in swordplay. I dunno."
Kiari raised her head to see Saint coming out of his opening. Smiling, for even though he was kinda stupid he was certainly better than Sage, she walked over to him. "So how'd it go?"

[Oddood198]

OOC: So... Many... Posts... I'm falling a little behind, but that's probably because I was hung, and it took a while to get back into the 'swing' of things. Funny. Ha. I'll read all these new posts when I have time, but for now, I think I at least have everything relevant to my characters.


Lydia stuck her tongue out at Zare's last comment, then grinned and waved, even though he had already turned his back to her. "'kay, I'll message you sometime, promise." She said, then watched him log out.
Once Zare was gone, she turned to Relly. "Well, buddy, you 'n me now. What do we do?" Relly just gave her a look that she translated as, you're the player, don't askme. Lydia grinned, "Don't you take that tone of face with me., mister." She said, then started walking out of the forest.


Flying fish. Sea-folk boarding the ship. Utter chaos all around. What could go wrong?
Aeon held his weapon with one hand, while surveying the area to find the least defended spot in the ship. Once he found that area, a section of the deck that was out of everyone else's area of effect, where the monsters were starting to gather, he started walking to it, not seeming to be on guard as the point of his sword was aimed downward, and his armored arm simply rested at his side.
The enemies looked to him, then began to move to him. There were probably at least a dozen, a few of them being the flying ones, some were humanoids with tridents, and one was just an overly large fish flopping around on the deck. The tip of Aeon's sword moved, just slightly, and then... that was it. He was standing in the middle of a pile of fallen monsters, all dead and starting to disappear. Aeon ignored the notification of gained gold, experience, and items, anything from these would be worthless to him. He looked back to the rest of the battle, seeing how the others were faring.

[ClaecElric4God]

/Eric/Zare/
Zare put on another burst of speed. He'd had more real life business to attend to than he'd expected, and when he'd logged back on, sure enough, he was late for the scheduled skirmish. His division was working together with a couple others to confront a Tieran force that had been threatening one of their posts for some time. Zare knew he'd never hear the end of it for being late. He cringed when he remembered the message that had been waiting for him when he logged on.
Where are you, Zare? This is your last chance, so you'd better get here in the next three minutes.
Four minutes later, Zare was still racing toward the rendezvous point. If he really wanted to, he could blame Lydia for delaying him, but helping her was a choice he'd made, and he wouldn't trade the fun he'd had for anything. No, his group would just have to deal with it.
As Zare neared the fight, he could hear the clash of steel on steel, and the battle cries from both sides. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw huge, ominous dark clouds gathering. A storm? This region wasn't really known for its storms, and it was coming on way too fast. When the clouds became so thick they blotted out the sun entirely and made everything as dark as night, Zare knew this was no ordinary thunderstorm. He slowed his pace a bit, hesitating.
With his cat-like night vision, Zare was able to see as the black fog engulfed his comrades and extinguished them, the screams echoing in his ears. Zare cringed in horror. As the clouds dissipated, he surveyed the battlefield, then caught sight of the culprit - a man in a black, flowing robe. Judging by his appearance and his powers...Dark Elf? Regardless of his race, Zare was incredibly angry that this guy had just taken out an entire Nescalan force without batting an eye, and he was going to pay for it. The Tierans had officially gotten on Zare's nerves, using an invincible trump card like that. Where was the sportsmanship?
Zare quickly closed the distance between them, determined to use the element of surprise to his advantage. But then the elf turned to address the Tierans, and before Zare could register what was going on, the Tierans were engulfed in a huge dome of darkness. Zare skidded to a stop, watching intently. Was this some sort of mass teleportation; and what was the point? He watched as the dome shrank and disappeared, leaving behind the fallen Tieran forces. Zare's eyes widened in disbelief, and he suddenly had second thoughts about taking on this guy. He quickly darted behind a nearby boulder, crouching in the shadows. A sudden wind picked up, and Zare peered over the boulder to see the Dark Elf rise into the air, ascending to a nearby cliff.
Zare shifted into human form and sat in the shadow of the boulder, thinking. If that guy wasn't Tieran, what was his affiliation? And what had he hoped to accomplish by wiping out two major divisions? He'd just made enemies of the two biggest factions in Infinite. Who was this guy? Zare had a feeling things had just gotten a lot more serious.
Suddenly, Zare was perfectly willing to blame Lydia for delaying him. He couldn't ask for a better friend.

/Karissa/Kenji/
Kenji watched as Regal and Cyrano headed farther into the inn, presumably to a room. Suddenly he had a brilliant idea, and his face broadened into a mischievous smile. He waited till they'd rounded the corner, then followed. At the inkeeper's questioning look, Kenji put a finger to his lips and whispered,
"I'm just here to visit a friend."
Kenji backed against the wall, craning his neck around the corner to see which room Regal went into. When they shut the door behind them, Kenji rushed down the hall to the room, pressing his ear against the door. Finally, he was going to find out something about Regal. Kenji couldn't help but smile proudly at his incredible genius.

[Wolfsong]

/Stephen/Ashimatya/
Ash breathed in sharply, stunned by what he had just witnessed. Had that man really just wiped out all those people? Ash recognized the man this killer reported to, Maximius, one of the many heads of the IFF, and perhapos the most prominent. Well...maybe not that, but his was certainly a voice heeded and obeyed.
For a long moment, Ash considered his options, crouched behind a rock on the field. What to do...he was stunned when a massive cat suddenly bounded beside the rock next to him. Obviously though, it had not seen him, as Ash was currently "hiding" in the shadow. He crouched a little lower, hoping the bloody, doubtless flee-bitten beast would go away.

/Rowan/Caesar/
Caesar, as the door closed behind him, breathed in deeply to try and steady himself. WIth his back deliberately turned, he walked over to the window.
"Nice place," he remarked causually. "I hope this intrusion isn't any trouble?"
"Not whatsoever, slaver."
Caesar nodded slowly. "Thought you remembered. So why didn't you just shout out who I was so the town could enjoy a lynching?"
"Heaven knows I considered it. But then I decided..."
A quick pause. Caesar thought he heard the sword. "Decided to kill me privately," he mentally finished, thinking quickly. A quick thrust perhaps, if he was fast...he turned.
Cyrano was leaning the massive sword against the wall, watching him "I wanted to talk to you, head of the guild."
So he wasn't going to die just yet? "What about?" he asked.
Cyrano grinned. "Your new job, ex-head."
Now Caesar was openly surprised. "I beg your pardon?!" he gasped.
Cyrano, grinning still, glanced cautiously at the door, then walked over to Casear, standing directly beside him. Caesar stiffened as Cyrano began whispering into his ear. Moments later, he moaned and collapsed against the wall, his face in his hands.
"You can't do this to me," he whimpered.
"Its that or the block," Cyrano replied.
Caesar shook his head frantically. "No, no, no, no, no! I won't play your games! Unlike you, I've a life to live! I'm not a hero! No one expects this stuff of me!"
Cyrano shrugged. "Whatever." He walked purposely toward his sword.
Caesar lifted his face, grinning. With Cyrano's back turned, he suddenly lunged out the open window. "See ya later, hero!" he shouted.

[FreddyCast]

OOC- I'll post some more after I return from the theater.

Sage Blaze and Saint Reave

(Saint sees Kiari running towards him smiling at him. This triggers a flashback of Eilis running towards Trent while she smiles, The flashback suddenly ends once Kiari says: So, How’d it go?)
Saint: Oh, uh...It went good.
Sage: It's about time. It took you long enough.
Saint: Sorry brother, I had more than one opponent. It took me longer than expected. But look at you, you look as if you went through nothing. Did you cheat, brother?
Sage: Cheat? Hah, why would I need to cheat? I may look untouched, but my fight was very troublesome. I got banged up a few times, on purpose I might add, and I lost my Gila Beast Armor, the only reason why I’m like this is because I used my Ring of Exchange to transfer my injuries to my opponent in exchange for his health. Plus, the ruby gem helped a lot.
Saint: I see, well you were always more cunning than I ever was.
Sage: That’s because you don’t use your head, numbskull.
Saint: Can’t argue with that. (He turns to Kiari) So how’d it go with you Kiari?

[ClaecElric4God]

OOC: Hope I'm not letting Kenji know more than he should...

/Karissa/Kenji/
Kenji stiffened. Head of the slavers' guild?! He leaned in closer, then growled with frustration when he could just barely hear a hushed whisper, too soft to be discernible. Then talking again. Apparently, Regal was very disturbed by whatever he'd heard. The last thing Kenji heard was an upbeat farewell from Regal, and when said farewell wasn't followed by the door opening in Kenji's face, he suddenly realized what had happened. Kenji sprinted back down the hallway, barged through the door, and ran around the side of the building where he knew Regal must have made his grand exit.
"Hey, buddy! I'm here to rescue you!" He shouted as he ran toward Regal.

/Eric/Zare/
Zare suddenly felt like someone was watching him. He whipped his head around, staring into the shadows of a nearby rock.
"Who's there?" He hissed. "Show yourself." If it was that elf freak, Zare was in big trouble. Either way, Zare wasn't going to turn his back till he knew who was watching him.

[FreddyCast]

Priestess Elian

(Elian arrives at her destination. She reaches a chamber that looks like a dark gothic throne room. As she moves forward she sees a throne at the end of the chamber. She stops and inspects the room with her eyes analyzing everything that she sees)
Elian: A throne room? I wonder who sits on this throne. It’s huge and very unsettling...HELLO? DEMON? I’VE COME TO CHALLENGE YOU. PLEASE COME OUT.
(A voice is heard behind the throne)
Lilith: So a daughter of Eve has come to challenge me. (A queenly figure with a crow on her left arm appears as she slowly walks around and sits on her throne.)

LINK


Elian: Yes, I’ve come to challenge you. (The crow flies away to the ceiling where it takes refuge in a crack on the wall)
Lilith: I wonder if a daughter of Eve will be a better opponent. The sons of Adam that faced me in the past were pathetic excuses for opponents.
Elian: It is common courtesy to ask for an opponent’s name before a duel. So may I ask for your name?
Lilith: You wish to know my name? (She smirks) Heh, I am Lilith, Queen of the demons. And who are you my dear?
Elian: I am Priestess Elian, servant of the Divine Demiurge.
Lilith: The Divine Demiurge? The despicable being who created me and tossed me aside like a rag doll. (She slams her fist on the side of her throne and gets up) Your face reminds me of Eve. (She gives a hate-filled gaze towards Elian) I HATE HER.
Elian: I see you’ve had a history with my Master and our Mother. But all that is irrelevant now. (She takes a stance and points her staff at Lilith) Lilith, come down from your throne and face me.
Lilith: DO NOT GIVE ME ORDERS YOU INSOLENT WENCH. I will show you what happens to the children of Adam who dare to be so impudent with me. (She floats a foot high from the ground and approaches Elian. She theen shows lifts her hands and chants)
Lilith: Come, dark puppets of the night and obey my words. (Suddenly, many dark figures come out of the walls like ghosts.)

LINK


Lilith: Kill the Priestess. (The Dark monsters charge at her)
Elian: Divine light, illuminate my staff and let no darkness overtake me. (Her staff glows with light and begins to attack the dark monsters with her staff which now glows with light, easily defeating these dark monsters as the staff of light goes through them and evaporating them like fading smoke. Lilith then summons a horde of bats to surround her. The bats encircle her in a tornado of bats until she is no longer visible. However, Elian unsheathes her sword hidden with her staff and like a furious whirlwind she cuts down the bats enveloping her.)
Elian: No matter what creatures you throw at me, they will fall, just like you, demon spawn.
Lilith: Do not think you’ve won just yet, daughter of Eve. (She shows Elian her hands and instantly her fingernails grow to the size of 12 inch knives. She then quickly charges at her and strikes at Elian, but she avoids Lilith’s sharp knife-like hands. Yet, Lilith is relentless and keeps chasing after her hoping to land a blow. She finally is able to leave a scratch on Elian’s arm. Lilith is back at her throne and Elian stands a few feet away feeling very dizzy)
Elian: What....what did you...do to me? I can’t...(Elian drops to one knee holding herself up with her staff)
Lilith: You feel it coursing through your body, don’t you? The poison is slowly disabling your movements. You won’t be able to escape this attack now. (Lilith fires a dark matter beam. Elian struggles to get up and move out of the way, but suddenly more dark monsters come out of the ground and grab on to her feet, holding her down. Elian is then hit by the beam, exploding on impact, destroying the dark monsters, and sending Elian flying back and crashing to the ground)
Lilith: I thought you would be more of a challenge, daughter of Eve, but you’re just as weak as all the other children of Adam I’ve faced. (Elian then glows brightly and gets up. The light engulfing her then dissipates)
Elian: I was hoping to use this healing as a last resort.
Lilith: Tch! Do not think you can escape your defeat a second time. (Lilith takes out two skeleton-like swords and charges at Elian, but Elian blocks all her strikes with her staff. Elian then unsheaths her sword from her staff and puts Lilith on the defense. She then erects a barrier to stop Lilith from going back and strikes Lilith on the abdomen with her staff sending her crashing through the barrier and falling in front of her throne. Lilith gets up from the floor and joins both her swords together, turning it into a double-pointed spear.)
Lilith: I will cut you in half, daughter of Eve. (She swings her spear in a wheel-like motion, moving it from side to side. As she attacks, Elian is now put on the defensive trying to block her every move with her staff)
Elian: I must stop this soon or I’ll be struck by her spear. (Elian breaks off from Lilith’s offensive and summons orb-like lights to appears everywhere) STARS OF THE DIVINE, FALL ON MY ENEMY. (the orb-like lights then fly towards Lilith from all directions)
Lilith: HAH, yout think I’ll let you hit me with those balls of light. (She cuts one orb and it explodes on impact, sending Lilith flying back. She regains her footing and is left surprised)
Lilith: WHAT?
Elian: The stars are very sensitive to anything that touches them. (More orbs follow Lilith as she tries to avoid them.
Lilith: I’ll just shoot them all down. (With her dark matter beam she hits all the orbs in her sight, but then appear out of thin air fly towards her) Just how many are there?
Elian: As many as I want. (Elian says in her mind: actually I can only make as many as my spiritual energy allows)
Lilith: FINE. TWO CAN PLAY THIS GAME. (Lilith summons more bats to surround and protect her in a tornado-like formation. All the orbs then explode as the bats collide with them and Lilith is left untouched)
Lilith: How long do you think you can last, Priestess. (Elian sees that she is getting nowhere so she stops the barrage of orbs. Elian then charges at her with her sword unsheathed again as she takes down the last of Liltih’s bats and comes straight at her.)
Lilith: HAHAHAHA, come at me, Priestess. (She points her spear towards Elian as she waits for Elian to get closer) I’ll cut you down, insolent wench. (As she plunges her spear forward, Elain yells...)
Elian: MIRROR REFLECTION (Elian teleports behind Lilith looking in the opposite direction and plunging her sword behind Lilith’s back and straight through her chest. Lilith is in shock)
Lilith: Wha..how did you...
Elain: You’re finished Lilith.
Lilith: It’s...IT”S FINISHED WHEN YOU’RE DEAD (Lilith pushes herself forward, freeing herself from the sword and turns around to plunge her spear at Elian, but Elian jumps in the air and moves out of the way as the orbs of light which were hiding behind Elian come flying straight at Lilith)
Lilith: NOOOOO...(the orbs of light collide straight in her face and they all explode, compleltely destroying Lilith in a great big ball of fire. Then, from the throne, a ruby gem appears. Elian walks towards the throne and inspects the gem)
Elian: It, it really is, the Ruby gem with the dragon symbol on it. I should get back to the others immediately. Everyone will be overjoyed. I just know it. (Elian then leaves the chamber, heading back to meet up with the others.)

Maximius

Maximius: I'm impressed, Arachni. You did just as I expected, and then some. Come now, let us leave to meet up with the leaders of IFF. We must get you accepted by them, so that all IFF will acknowledge you for your "heroism" (he grins). Of course one will be missing from the meeting. She'll be taken care of soon enough. Once you have been acknowledged for your deed today, then we'll get rid of them one by one. (They both leave and enter the teleporter)

[Wolfsong]

OOC- no, its quite good, Claec

/Zara/Kiari/
Kiari crossed her arms behind her head as she listened to the two brothers' talk. Funny, it seemed more amusing than annoying now...when Saint turned to her, she shrugged, saying, "Well, I fought a two headed deagon, and judging from you two, I guess I got the runt of the liter." She once again skipped over the summon spell.
In a nervous gesture, unusual for her, she twisted one of the rings on her finger. These rings...these were the keys to her summoning. If she spoke using the correct formula before fighting a particular spirit monster, and then afterward, the spirit would give her a ring, normally a silver band, with its particular gemstone afixed on it. Without the rings, she could not summon those spirits.
After an awkward pause, she asked, "So...what did you..." Then she saw Ellian...and what she carried. Her eyes went wide. "You found it?!" she gasped.

/Rowan/Caesar/
Caesar found himself wishing he had looked before he leapt. The stable happened to be on that side, and he just had to hit some rotting boards, which broke under his weight. At least the stall was clean, and unoccupied.
He rose quickly; Cyrano would be after him right away, so he didn't want to hang around. He exited the stall, just in time to see Kenji burst in.
"Hey, buddy! I'm here to rescue you!"
Quickly deciding to have his nervous breakdown elsewhere, he managed something that sounded like a thank you as he mounted his horse. Bending wind to open the stable doors, he left the stables, Kenji following on his heels, just in time to see Cyrano burst from the inn.
"Stop that man!" he was shouting.
Caesar found himself grinning as he swerved around some people in the street. one person tried some sort of flying tackle at him. Caesar suddenly grabbed his hands and hurled him over the side of the horse into the arms of his friends. He started laughing after dodging some flying pottery.
As they rode from town, he turned to Kenji. "Thanks for coming by," he said. "But I'd thought you left..."

/Stephen/Ashimatya/
Ash debated revealing himself. If he remained still, the cat would pass through him and never know he had been there. Then again, this animal/human might have some word on this battle that at least might help explain this. Slowly, he let his body remanifest so that he was visible to the creature.
"My apologies for startling you," he said in a polite tone. "Howver, after witnessing such destruction, can you blame me for lying low?" He glanced up, trying to see the man again. "Why do you suppose he destroyed both Nescala and Tiera?" he continued. "Surely he knew that would earn him antagonism from both sides? Unless...maybe that's what he wanted? Say, who's territory is this anyway?" He turned questioning to Zare. "And who are you anyway?"

/Pierce/Arachni/
Arachni performed an elegant bow at Maximius' praise. "I look forward to meeting these leaders," he said. "If they are as esteemed as yourself, this shall indeed be fun." After a moment, while following him, he asks, "Who is the absent one? What are they supposed to be doing?"

[ClaecElric4God]

/Karissa/Kenji/
Kenji laughed.
"I had every intention of breaking all ties and sparing you the misery and tragedy of my company, to save you from my tragic past and the misfortune that follows me wherever I go. But then, a voice in my head told me that you were in danger, and I rushed here to rescue you. Good thing I arrived when I did, or you would most certainly be in the hands of that villainous Cyrano. I am at your service." Here Kenji bowed as best he could while riding a galloping horse.

/Eric/Zare/
Zare relaxed, only a little. He still wasn't ready to let his guard down. He debated shifting into cat form, but if this guy was going to attack him, he wouldn't really have time. And in this tense of a situation, expressing hostility probably wasn't a good idea.
"Yeah, you and me both. I have no idea what happened. I assumed he was working for the Tierans, until he wiped them out too. I'm as lost as you. He had to have a reason for getting on everyone's bad side. No one would be that ignorant unless they were doing it on purpose."
In answer to the last questions, "This is Nescalan territory, right on the border, actually. I'm Zare, a Nescalan massenger." Zare cautiously offered his hand.

[FreddyCast]

Maximius

Maximius: Kiari is her name. She’s been here almost as long as I have. But she is well respected by the others. She’s on a mission to find those dragon gems in order to gain Fafnir’s egg. It’s a fool errand, brought about by me. But, enough about her, she’ll be dealt with shortly. (As they walk towards a huge golden hall, a shadowy figure teleports infront of them)
Legion: Master Maximius!
Maximius: What is it Legion? Was your mission a success? Were the four nuisances taken care of?
Legion: N..no sir. We...we failed in eliminating the targets. Th..they were just too powerful. They...
Maximius: Enough of your insolence. (Suddenly Maximius opens a vortex to the void)
Legion: MASTER, PLEASE.
Maximius: There is no place for failures in my presence. Be gone. (Legion is sucked into the void, never to be seen again) Forgive the interruption shall we continue.

Sage Blaze, Saint Reave, and Priestess Elian

Elian: Yes, Kiari. We’ve finally found one. We’ve finally found a dragon gem.
(She hands it too Kiari. Meanwhile, Saint is a bit nervous and takes a step back, not wanting to get near Elian)
Sage: What’s the matter, Reave? Looks like you’ve seen a ghost. (Saint starts to lose his composure)
Saint: Wha..what? No, I haven’t. I..I’m fine. It’s nothing. I...I got to go. (Saint equips on his Wings of the Fallen and flies away)
Sage: REAVE, WAIT. WHERE ARE YOU GOING?
Elian: What’s wrong with Saint Reave?
Sage: I don’t know. I’ll see you two later. (Sage runs after Saint, leaving Elian and Kiari behind looking at each other all confused)

[Wolfsong]

/Zara/Kiari/
She smiled as she took the gem into her hands, feeling its vibrant pulse. "Thanks Ellian."
When Saint flew off, Kiari took an involuntary step toward him. "Saint, what on earth..." she watched him and Sage go, then turned to Ellian. "I wonder what that was about...you wanna go after them?"

/Rowan/Caesar/
Caesar found himself smiling. Funny, he actually liked Kenji, up to a point. He wondered how long that would last. "Misfortune? I'd believe that. You are an exceedingly odd character." Smiling faintly at Kenji's last words, he replied, "Yes, I'm sure I would have been lost. My thanks for your service and your little voice." after a while of riding, he remarked, "You know, I have absolutely no clue where to go from here..."

/Stephen/Ashimatya/
Ash nodded his agreement to the catman's assessment. "Nescalan? Are you certain?...I'm not so sure. Something must have provoked him."
"My name is Ash, though most people know me as the "Dark Angel"," he smiled as he named his nickname, taking the offered hand. The Dark Angel...he'd been called that after betraying several old friends, acquaintences, both factions, as well as several people who thought they could trust him. His reasons for that were personal secrets, and he intended to hold them till his dying day. He wondered if this person would recognize the title.

/Pierce/Arachni/
He raised an eyebrow. "You are quite final with your assistants, aren't you? That's good. No weak links." After a moment, he added, "So I suppose then Kiari still lives? I hope she has no clue of your involvement." He steps through the teleportal with Maximius.

[Koneko-chan]

Landon/Arystar
"Uh, sure." He said a bit hesitantly, his eyebrows furrowing as he watched him lead the other guy away.

Some time passed, Arystar crossed his arms, curiosity was eating at him.

OOC: Eek! Late and short, sorry!

[ClaecElric4God]

/Karissa/Kenji/
Kenji pondered.
"Hm, I don't know where to go, either. You don't have a plan?" Kenji barely resisted adding, "head of the slavers' guild". Maybe it would be better to keep quiet about that for now...

/Eric/Zare/
Zare started slightly when he heard Ash's title, but it didn't phase him at all. So this was the Dark Angel, eh? Zare wasn't sure whether to be honored or not. It didn't matter to him, because he hadn't been betrayed by Ash. And until he was given reason to believe otherwise, as far as he was concerned, Ash was the epitome of honesty and loyalty. Zare wasn't going to entrust his life to Ash, but he wasn't about to reject him, either. Ash's personality was his business. Infinite was a game, after all.
"Nice to finally meet you. And I have to admit I'm glad to hear you're not Tieran. I'm not in the mood for a fight, after all that."