Darkness of the Unknown III

Sun Feb 19, 2023 1:57 am

Dark Cloud
Ash 70th, 122nd Year, A.o.S
(Continuation from here)

"Don't go too far, Wolfman!" Hanna warned him with a brief stagger in her step, clearly still exhausted from the last wave of shadows she'd barely managed to fend off. "Something happens to our magic when you do..." She sounded certain of herself and yet, Telion could only look from her to Rickter with widened eyes. The wolf had only noticed that issue when the eclipse reached a certain point of the day, even then, it had usually been other mages that experienced the problem. But even his own packmates?

He looked to the sky once more in consideration, pondering the significance of it and its connection to the shadows themselves. "How far away before you noticed?" He inquired aloud in thought as he waited for the answer, the breaths he heard Hannah take growing prolonged and steadier with each cycle.

"About several blocks at least. The further away I got the more noticeable it became, I'm not even sure how far ahead Pat was." The rogue answered with a steady grip of the elixir pulled from her belt, the bottle then tipped to allow her to sip down one dose of the anodyne.

"If my nose is correct, then he's only twenty meters further up." Though from the smell in the air, he could trace the scent of both alcohol and blood in that direction. "Telion. I want you to erect one more barrier while Hannah catches her breath."

"I can still fight-"
"But we should stick-"

"It'll only be for several minutes." He briefly intervened before they finished their statements. "Hannah, you need that time just to recuperate, and when that time does pass, the both of you can rush in to help us as we push back the next wave. Gauging the distance between here and there, you should be close enough to still have magic. Even so, use one of the Illumite dragonshards to charge the barrier."

He knew well enough the shadows wouldn't be able to get past that, and that he and Patrick would undoubtedly be at it for a while against the next wave. The two ladies would come in to be their support when the timing was right, but as of right now, Rickter didn't feel comfortable leaving Patrick alone any longer than he'd already been. "Catch up as quick as you can, alright? You two are going to be invaluable in the battle ahead." He could tell that the ladies weren't too sure about letting him go on, but, they also understood the levity of the situation.

If he could at least get just close enough, then Patrick might already feel his magic useful again. Ironically, the flash of crimson bolts past the buildings ahead proved to be that sign. "That's definitely him!" Telion called out over the low rumbling that echoed in the dark clouds.

"Go, Rickter!" Hannah urged him with a serious look in her eyes. The wolf stared for several seconds before he gave a firm nod, and once more the aura he radiated flared with a silver radiance. Telion's aura brightened a little as well when she focused, the smell of lilies filling the air as the wolf traced the aether she generated for the ward. With just a single step forward, Rickter released a current of aether beneath his feet. Dust and air soon parted from where he dashed as the wolf zipped through the air, gliding over the surface of the ground to maximize his rate of travel.

More red thunderbolts assaulted the blackened skies the closer the wolf drew, until he started to feel Patrick's aetherial pressure weaken a little. "Hold on, mate!" In just a few minutes, Rickter would be there to lend a hand.

"Common" "Synskrit" "Norvaegan"
"Rickter" "Telion" "Hannah" "Patrick"

Mon Feb 20, 2023 2:10 am

Things had gone from shitty to shittier the closer he had grown toward the court, and in all honesty, Patrick didn't even intend to be the first out of the bunch to actually make it this far. Hell, he'd been under the impression that he'd fallen behind Hannah and then the big guy himself. Yet as it turned out he found himself near the entrance into the gilded courtyard ahead, only to be blocked off by unwavering droves of shadow entities. "Well this is just my luck..." He realized when the crossbow bolts he once had were now all gone, used up by the constant moving and shooting he did, albeit at the expense of having to sip on his Jorvmandr's Elixir twice already.

Even his Illumite shard had been incredibly drained from the venture here, and it was of superior quality compared to the normal stuff the Atinoran found on the market. Were it not for the wolf's consideration in providing that, Patrick most certainly would've been a goner probably a few times by now. Yet it was when he hacked with his steel handaxe that he pulled back from the wave of shadows closing in on him, that he felt a shift in the air which prompted an immediate reaction against his enemies. As he faced down probably twenty or more of them bastards, Patrick noted the charge he felt coming off him suddenly, and released a roar of desperation that would turn into a sign of hope.

Magic.

Red lightning bolts surged from his body as they cracked and tore at the beings nearing him, their darkened claws dissipating just centimeters away from his skin upon the shocking release of his aether. At last! Earlier he'd found it impossible to even materialize his Pact weapon, but now, it was about to be on like a prime ape of the southern continent! He had only a moment to glance down at his hands in awe, realizing the window of time he'd bought himself with just that desperate cast. "Shit yeah! Let's go!!" He called out with a flick of his arm, materializing his pact broadsword while he rested the handaxe at his belt.

Even if he felt tired as shit from all the physical exertion, his aether reserves felt charged and ready to rumble now! Besides, he had a feeling that somebody had to be getting closer to him by now. And Patrick wasn't going to allow the wolf to show him up either, not when he liked to play the hero every now and then! Thus the Atinoran focused on the wave of shadows, as the next entourage surged his way with the intent to overwhelm. Funny, it seemed like these things were working together, almost like some sort of hivemind-like mentality between them.

Not that he really suspected as much, but the tenacity behind their numbers was already disheartening. Thus, with the flare of his aura, Patrick became coated in crimson light, as sparks of electricity danced off his figure with every move he made. In the blink of an eye he lunged forward, flashing into a spark that sizzled straight through the air, before the secondary flash followed with him appearing to spin into a rounded strike at his enemies all around. Red lightning roiled through the air from where he traveled, as the shadows caught in the line of trajectory were hailed with bolts of electricity.

The Atinoran twisted around to swing his blade in another sizzling cleave through the air. Crimson sparks danced from his blade as the wave he cleaved through pulled back, giving Patrick just enough footing to move forward into his next combo against the shadows before him. With a heavy cleave from one side of his body to the other, the Atinoran even stepped with the swings to grant them enough force. The resulting clash of the two-step combo produced a wicked clap of thunder, generating enough light and sound to nearly induce a sonic boom against the creatures. "How do you like this!?"

Finally he brought his blade back around to perform another hefty cleave, this time in an upward arc from below as he generated another sonic boom. This time, however, the rumbling flash of thunder pulsed forward, scattering many of the shadows before him as the front lines of the wave receded. At last! He'd finally be able to cut his way through, and he didn't even need the help of his wolven leader at all!

Though using that much force already started to tucker him out a bit, enough to where Patrick halted his advance and monitored the shadows' activity. They all only continued to frantically crawl and move about near the courtyard entrance, as what felt like thousands of eyes watched him from where he stood with unwavering courage. Or so he wanted to believe. Truth be told Patrick was now starting to feel afraid, mostly because he had no idea what these things were doing, nor why there were so many of them clustering about within the gilded court. But the numbers that teemed behind the Atinoran suddenly paused with a stir in their gaze, drawn to something that approached with a speed not unfamiliar to Patrick.

The roar of the wolf had been the first signal of his arrival, as Rickter's momentum carried him heavily along the surface of the street. In just the singular motion he slid across the ground with, the wolf cleaved at a number of shadows found between him and Patrick. The hearty Atinoran scoffed a bit knowing that his backup had just arrived, quick to relieve him of the shadow mob lurking at his rear flank side. The wolf's stop ended with a slide on his feet, before he pivoted on a heel to perform a hectic slash in one full rotation. From his blade the fires of Dawn burned with a silver radiance, brandishing into a wave of light that surged outward from the force of his swing.

All around him shadows were being culled, a feat that impressed Patrick well enough, if not daunted him considering his prior difficulty to count such numbers. "Look who's late for the party!" The Atinoran remarked aloud as he went in for his next strike, the swing of his broadsword unleashing sparks of electricity that cracked through the air. As the wolf pulled himself around from the spin to bring his sword over, Rickter poised it above his head before swinging it downward before him. In doing so, he released another wave of aether that lashed all around him.

The silver lights whirled with such velocity that the shadows caught in the vicinity were immediately burned away. While Patrick performed a heavy stomp on the ground to generate a current of wind and lightning, sending the two elements barreling forward before him from his boot as dark entities were sent reeling. Once more, the Atinoran moved in to perform a hectic two-step slash with his blade, generating two loud thunderclaps in a row as the wolf pulled closer to unleash a barrage of holy flame. "That all you got?" He then chided as he stood closer to Patrick now, the two were back to back as the lingering wave of shadows continued hurling entities toward them.

"HAH!" The bartender loved a challenge when posed with one. In a combined effort with Rickter, who once again posed his blade in a downward arc, Patrick flicked his own sword in a circular motion before raising it. Whereas the wolf motioned his weapon downward to generate another current of aether, the Atinoran thrust his into the air before him to release his own blast of magic. Silver light danced in a circle that spiked toward the encroaching shadows, while crimson thunderbolts surged from the tip of Patrick's sword, striking at random the further entities waiting for their chance to approach.

When the rumbling sound of thunder combined with the ambience of light faded away, Patrick chuffed to himself once more before glancing over his shoulder. "I think we work well together!" The musing was short-lived when he realized Rickter's aura grew exponentially, and a sudden pressure fell through the air around him just from where the Atinoran stood. He'd seen the wolf when he'd engage with such aetheric pressure, such a sign did not bode well for them nor their enemies if it meant what he was led to believe.

The silver flames on his blade brightened, and even the aura radiating from Rickter burned with a greater brilliance now. "Focus, mate! We're not out of the woods yet." Though the low tone in the wolf's voice was near unsettling, Patrick focused on the horde of shadows surrounding them once more. It wasn't fair. How could he compare to the might of a demigod now? No matter how flashy he tried, the pack leader always had a way of stepping up his own game in the thickest of battles.

"You got it!" He assured as two orbs of silver light manifested, steadily dancing around Rickter in a synergetic orbit like before. The wolf was about to go full beast mode on his enemies, and Patrick counted himself lucky to be on the supporting end... rather than the receiving. The two duplicates of Way to Dawn materialized around the wolf, floating in place of the silver lights now as he held the actual weapon in his hand. With just the wave of his free hand, Rickter beckoned the two copies of his blade to surge forward. With mighty thrusts that emitted kinetic bursts of light, the blades danced in tandem with their repeated strikes, as Patrick performed another dash forward to flash into a spark.

When he came out of the tail end of the sparks trajectory, the bolts of lightning generated from his motion clipped at more shadows. He finished his landing with another stomp at the ground, unleashing another current of wind and lightning before him. Still, even with the might of their combined forces, the shadows did not relent in their advances toward the two. In fact, they seemed even more eager than before now, driven to try and overwhelm them now that the wolf had arrived. Just as the electric gust roiled out from his boot, however, more wind surged from above as it propelled his attack further out than before.

Patrick glanced past his shoulder overhead to acknowledge the arrival of the other two. Hannah and Telion. They stood atop the nearby jade-colored roof of a building, the gunslinging rogue quick to pull herself into Slipspace as Telion generated another bout of wind. Oh good, the cavalry has arrived! He'd have to remember to thank them later for also saving his hide, once this was all over and he needn't worry about kicking ass for his comrades. Hannah reappeared in midair over Rickter, cartwheeling from one portal to another, as she blasted her first barrage of castor shells at shadows leaping for the wolf from his outer flanks. Rickter himself moved his hand to gesture for the two blades to gyrate into a spiral with one another, dicing apart more shadows caught in the trajectory before he readjusted his direction.

While his blades moved into a spinning wheel going downward, Hannah cartwheeled through the air again from slipspace. More firebolts blasted out from her guns as they both clicked to their final barrels, and the rogue disappeared within the confines of Slipspace once again. Telion's barrage of wind allowed for her to hop down on the street between Rickter and Patrick's positions, before she focused on her comrades to provide them with better support. They both had their fronts covered and with Hannah moving around to snipe at any shadows in between, the healer took to a different approach and began to channel aether through her Negation rune for a moment.

"Stay strong everyone!" She encouraged while the Atinoran released a wave of electricity before him, sending many shadows flying after the cluster caught in the initial blast dissipated. Rickter's blades continued to work with synchronicity, the powerful thrusts they made followed up with another horizontal whirl together. However, in that shared motion the both of them dispersed into many smaller blades of light, each and every one of them spiraling outward to slash into targets further and further away. Hannah reappeared from Slipspace right next to Telion, her knee bent as she pointed each gun in opposition directions.

What looked like a quick aim at each of the boy's in the group, resulted in two small railway portals opening, and the release of her last shots into them as firebolts disappeared into the fold. While Patrick finished his combo with the thrust of his weapon, the resulting wave of gust and sparks unleashed combined with the firebolt that came out in front of them. While the front of shadows teeming the entrance to the courtyard diminished some, and the shadows at their rear finally lessened from Rickter's end, the dark cloud overhead finally rumbled before it's blackened mass lit up with red lights throughout the sky.

"Oh shit." the rogue cursed as she dropped her guns momentarily, with a flex of her fingers to perform another flux of kinetic energy over them. As she manually unloaded her guns with her magic, Telion finished the charge of her anchors and set them to reside on each of her companions. Rickter, Hannah, and Patrick all felt the weave of a ward lace over them, as the healer instilled them with physical protection from outside forces that might assail them. It'd be enough to at least dampen any more damage they'd receive, while the gang resolved to combat whatever else might come at them now. "Looks like a storm of 'fuck no' just hailed over us now!"

Rickter twisted from where he stood to assess the situation, immediately concerned with the size of the dark cloud looming overhead. "Oh fuck me..."

"Common" "Synskrit" "Norvaegan"
"Rickter" "Telion" "Hannah" "Patrick"

► Show Spoiler

Mon Feb 20, 2023 3:09 am

The dark cloud that swirled ahead acted with a mind of its own, as the entities that had once swarmed the place now seemed to accumulate within this rising storm. The wolf had never seen so many shadows swarmed in one place, and the fact he did now, well, he certainly wasn't ashamed to be rather terrified at the sight of it. "Well, shit..." The Atinoran remarked as he reached for the bottle of elixir attached to his belt, the healer of the group quick to notice him and stay his hand from it. "Allow me."

"So... before we fight that thing, can I just get some more shells, please? I'd just feel a bit more comfortable if I had another fifty or so." Not that even that amount would likely be enough, not without being a higher grade than the average ones they were using.

"Oh uh, me too, please?! Lexi already went through all the previous ones on the way here." The bartender weighed in as he raised his arms from his waist, allowing Telion to assess the areas that had been heavily bruised. The wolf could only sigh as he glanced over his shoulder to them, before the sound of the air above caught his gaze once again. He heard them! The cloud of shadows swirled into motion as it flew relentlessly down toward them, leaving only a small frame of time for the wolf to react against it.

"Get close!!" The warning was enough to signal them for action, and within a moment's glance, his companions all quickly huddled closer to him as Rickter clapped his hands together with force. Both of his duplicated bastard swords spun in a circular motion before him, while the main blade itself levitated at the back of his waistline, when he generated a layer of aether instilled with the fires of Eminence. Just as the barrier erected into a dome over his companions, the wolf growled fiercely as he braced for the impact he soon expected to feel. It was with a tremendous force that he felt the wave of darkness crash into him, as the wicked cloud of shadows surged into both the ground and the barrier above them.

Aetheric light immediately repulsed with Dawnfire as the wards became severely tested, the prolonged window of time he'd bought his companions now quickly diminishing. "Telion, let him have a dose of your elixir! Patrick-" He felt the crushing weight of force increase on his shield, and for a moment strained to reinforce it with another layer of aether. Rickter hadn't even the time to engage with his other defensive powers just yet, but he had to come up with something to get his companions out of this alive. "How many doses have you had already?!"

"Two!" The bartender called out over the roar of the shadows and aether.

"Hannah, reach for my belt pouch, right side, split the shells between you and Patrick quick-like!"

"On it!" The rogue quickly agreed as Telion handed over her elixir to Patrick, the wolf's hands still clutched before him as he felt the force of the storm increasing. With deft hands Hannah picked out as many caster shells from the pouch, while the healer returned her elixir to her belt strap once Patrick finished his sip.

"Patrick, save your last dose for an emergency only. If one of these two go down, your aid in helping them back in the fight is crucial!"

"Aye sir!" He quickly agreed as Hannah gave him a generous amount of ammunition, the pair of them stashing their pouches full as everyone prepared for what came next. Telion drew closer to put her hand out near Rickter's left, and for a few seconds, the wolf gritted his teeth before generating one final layer.

"Save your energy! Get ready to warp away from here now!" That was all the warning he could afford them, knowing all of his companions could blink to safety the moment his barrier failed to hold up. Already the weight of the storm grew unbearable to hold, and they all had only just a few seconds left to react. Luckily Hannah caught on before the other two did, and holstered her pistols so she could take Patrick and Telion by the arm. Being the expert Traverser she was, it was probably easy to ferry them through slipspace to safety.

Regardless, her quick thinking enabled the wolf a moment to act. Just as his ward gave out and his duplicate blades shattered, the first and second line of defense quickly broke against the unwavering cloud of darkness. Yet there was still all the ambient aether that radiated off the layers that were burned through, and a singular moment necessary to enact his last resort against the wave of darkness. Through his intense aura, the wolf reached out to utilize Osmose, and draw all that reactive aether back into him to redirect it into one last barrier against the shadows. It was perhaps his ultimate defense against any force of nature thrown at him, granted it would've also likely killed him were he still a mortal attempting this as well.

Every residual trace of ambient aetheric residue burning out instantly started to be absorbed, and enabled Rickter to redirect it into the layer he generated through just his aura. The wolf burned as much of it off him as he could, hoping to avoid the heated effect he would soon feel from too much aether absorption. His plan didn't seem to backfire either, thankfully, as the magic 'armor' he generated around himself continued rebounding against the storm cloud. Rumblings and sizzling pops vibrated the very air for several seconds longer, before the tail end of the cloud seemed to finish phasing into the ground.

Finally! Rickter released the hold on his aether and the aura that he burned off, feeling a strain sink into his body as he barely held himself up by his fist. With one knee on the ground and the other used to rest his other arm, he noticed that the blade Way to Dawn had finally settled on the ground, and the pressure he'd instilled in the air earlier finally had lifted from his exertion. "Eikaen's balls! You okay man?!" Patrick inquired as he'd been the first to run up, Telion and Hannah following right behind him as they all displayed great concern.

Yet the moment Rickter looked over to try and ease them with comfort, he noticed a subtle pulse felt from beneath the ground, and witnessed the rise of the same dark cloud from the next block over. It was coming back. For him? For them? He no longer had the time nor energy to constantly hold back an entire tsunami of shadows. With a wave of his arm toward his companions, Rickter sent out a kinetic pulse to push them down with enough force, hopeful that their tumble to the ground would keep them safe out of the shadow's reach.

The moment all three of his companions staggered and fell, he reached for his blade and quickly flash stepped away from his position. Blinking from where he'd knelt to the entrance to the golden courtyard, Rickter eyed the approaching storm heavily as it spiraled through the air. Seemingly enough it didn't go straight after his companions, merely targeted him as it sought to crash into him once again. That was suspicion enough! His comrades would have to figure out a reactive plan from here on out, as the wolf immediately took to serve as the bait for this ominous cloud of shadows.

"All right then..." He murmured as he gripped the hilt of his blade tighter, the silver edges of Way to Dawn shimmering in response to him.

"Common" "Synskrit" "Norvaegan"
"Rickter" "Telion" "Hannah" "Patrick"

Sun Jun 30, 2024 6:35 pm

Rickter

Points: 8 XP
Loot: n/a
Injuries: Nothing that hasn't healed since the time this thread occurred.

Comments: N/A

Darkness of the Unknown III

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