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The Cage: Part Four
Posted: Fri Jun 12, 2020 8:32 pm
by Taelian
6th of Searing, Year 120
"The sun is setting, guys," said Destian.
"Could an observation be more astute?" Iridith sarcastically replied.
"It's cold," Taelian responded. "Don't you love it when people inform you of the weather that you're both mutually experiencing? Opens my eyes every time."
"Taelian," Iridith began to respond, though she paused for a moment and looked back at him. "You've commented on the temperature around six times since we met this morning. It's like you've never experienced a summer before."
"Not an Atinorin one," he replied. "It's pleasant. Not overbearing; fairly moderate. Particularly in Grimholdt, I've noted, though Grimholdt had a pleasant Frost and Glade as well. Atinaw is a pleasant country. Almost as pleasant as Daravin was."
"And in many ways," she began to respond, "...more pleasant than Daravin is. And more pleasant than Daravin will ever be. That land has been stooped in blood for two thousand years; sunshine and a summer breeze won't cover for that. Atinaw and the Imperium are both societies of reason and order. They are nothing like the realms of Turoth. Far better to live here."
He sighed. Unfortunately, she was right. Turoth only had three realms -- all of them were steeped in turmoil. The few outsider realms, populated by local governments not consolidated into nations or even cities, were equally rife with turmoil. War was Turoth's state of being, and it had always been that way. It was a place of tension, ideology, and the flux and flow of power. And it had always been the source of great change.
"Look," the woman said. "A trail of blood leading off the path. It's black. Is it--"
"It's the creature's," Taelian answered preemptively. In terms of color and texture, it resembled the Dranoch the being had been modeled after. There was no doubt.
"I doubt it's very far away," said the Thespian. "I'll send my Irothar to track it. Taelian: do you have Semblance?"
"No."
"Then we'll just have to wait until they're engaged," she replied. "Prepare your Pyromancies. If it's here, it should only be a few moments before we find it."
The Siltori raised a brow, and nodded his head. They weren't really anything he needed to prepare, but he found no use in correcting her. It wasn't like she would learn them herself.
"This is all mad," Destian added. He appeared fairly giddy, interested in seeing what was to occur. What followed in the next few moments, though, was more than disheartening. It brought Iridith no small level of anxiety. She felt the aethereal link to her Archetypes sever, the contracts disbanding. One, and then quickly the other. Within seconds of one another, and seconds after they began their fight. They were only Vrannik... but, at least a step above the norm, and there were two of them. And, they were Irothar; sturdy and defensive Archetypes. Not so easily vulnerable to destruction.
It became clear to her that the beast was fast -- and highly lethal. Though Taelian imagined as much from the beginning.
Re: The Cage: Part Four
Posted: Fri Jun 12, 2020 9:50 pm
by Taelian
"They're both dead," she admitted. "Or banished, rather. I don't know where the creature is; they fell too fast."
Standing at the center of the road and surrounded by nothing but mid-length grass, with a small treeline leading northward, they were at least difficult to ambush. Their position was chosen intentionally by Taelian for that reason, and fortunately it paid off. Though it was a brief flicker, they saw the beast move through the tree-line. It was enough to be moderately ready, though the alacrity with which it moved was astounding. Taelian felt even himself becoming anxious.
It was here. A hundred meters away -- fifty, twenty...
"Ah!" Iridith roared, channeling a kinetic blast. The creature roared as it was pushed back, with the aether surrounding it and applying pressure to its form. Only now could its form clearly be made out; it was a dog-like creature with short, clipped ears, three long tails, organically-armored legs and a red crystalline-like shell padding its underside. It was colored seemingly black, though in reality it was covered by a dark brown shade with crimson undertones. It had long claws, spikes emerging from the joints of its mid-legs, and strangely-lidded eyes. The colors of its irises were an almost chromatic, misty shade of blue.
It didn't look that much like a Dranoch. The misty eyes and the colors were somewhat similar, but, it was evidently a beast of far more complex craftsmanship. It wasn't incredibly large either; perhaps the size of a well-bred horse, only more muscular and expansive in shape. A little taller, with long legs. Its tails were perhaps the most odd and intimidating elements -- they all appeared to have strange holes across their form, and were clubbed at the end. They were likely able to be used for killing.
The creature began to unhinge its jaw. That was Dranoch-like; no doubt about it. Destian reeled in disgust, while Iridith stared curiously and harnessed her aether, ready to attack reactively. Taelian did the same, getting into stance with an Enkindled Ard Fuil gripped handily, his five silver daggers floating around him.
He noticed something, then: his Beacon appeared to be resonating. Radiating a sort of affirmative sigh of energy. It wanted him to kill the creature before him -- wanted him to. It was a compulsion; one that was enough to nearly force him to act impotently, without strategem or warning. Luckily, it was dull enough to resist.
But the creature drew nearer. Iridith sent out another kinetic blast, but it managed to dodge it, rapidly leaping from the ground with its strong back-legs and landing forward. It was now perhaps twenty feet away from Taelian; Destian took the opportunity to start running during their stand-still, but the creature seemed to move far faster than any man could run. And it was eager to prove that.
It side-stepped Taelian and began to sprint for Destian. The Ebon Knight grimaced, though he knew that he had the ability to pursue it. He was a mobile fighter, and always had been.
The Siltori used Reverb, his body becoming surrounded by a thick teal energy as he zipped through space. Within a near-instant he was behind the creature, the Transposition energy subsiding as he swung Ard Fuil, which appeared to be hastily drawn to the creature as if his arms had gone lighter and his focus had increased. Mid-way through his swing, Taelian channeled Emblem into his blade, which no longer appeared to slow his swing either. His five daggers danced and flung forward one at a time, seemingly controlled with the same precision as before - if not moreso - but without requiring focus. Something had changed. His Rune had evolved.
Ard Fuil did not hit its mark, but Emblem did, managing to graze the beast with a burn as it rapidly strafed to the side. The daggers pursued the creature, flinging at it with immense alacrity. Taelian even found that he could make them lighter; increase or decrease their density, control them finely. The five daggers were now roughly as quick as the beast itself, and they chased after and even preempted his every move. Taelian was dumbstruck; he was notably stronger than he once was. Particularly in dealing with creatures like the one before him now.
He was a master of the magic now. It was clear.
Re: The Cage: Part Four
Posted: Sat Jun 13, 2020 10:06 am
by Taelian
Taelian's strategy became clear, and so did Iridith's. He would continuously assault the bloodleech with his daggers, reducing its focus and precision, and Iridith would restrict its movement with her Kinetics as much as she could. He would then - with Emblem affecting his blade - focus his bladework on the creature, contending with its limited movements with his sword and attempting to cut into its limbs and tendons while applying a steep burn to the beast's interior.
The more damage it sustained, the more it began to focus on evading and eventually, running. Unfortunately, Gallow Warrior's range appeared to expand to sixteen meters in pursuit of the beast, and Taelian could continuously chase after it with Reverb. Emblem expended nothing, and Gallow Warrior next to nothing, so he could focus the use of his aether on Reverb, which was already a minimal technique. The beast had little opportunity to actually evade; it attempted to regenerate external damage dealt, but the Shrivenflame still razing its body prevented any such healing.
It was dead before long. Taelian chased after it with one more Reverb, after it had managed to hide behind a dense brush in the treeline. He used Spatial Perception to scan its location, Reverbed to the face of the brush and performed Cleanse to finish the creature off, Spatial Perception allowing him to aim at its precise location. It was only now - in the face of such a high-speed and aggressive duel - that he realized how strong he'd become. Taelian finally felt that he deserved to be among them: the Thespians, Covenant. The higher brass of the Ebon Knights.
"I've killed it," he said, softly. Taelian exhaled a few quiet breaths, his chest rising and falling slightly. He had only extended himself a mediocre degree; he wasn't close to over-stepping. It was a fairly quick and clean fight, given that Iridith was supporting him. And his Rune found hunting these creatures to be its forte.
"Destian -- would you like to join the Covenant?" Taelian turned and asked him. The boy had nothing left; no home, no family, no peers. Just a dead blood-covered beast, slain by mages. With magic that he clearly admired, even aspired towards. The Ebon Knight had seen the glint in his eye.
"I did not realize you were our recruiter," Iridith pointed out, coldly.
"I'm not. But--"
"I'm not interested, Taelian," the boy replied. "It's not the life for me. And it's dangerous; not just the initiation, but... all this. Seeing all of this made me lose any interest I might have had. I want to stay here."
"...Okay," said the Silver Elf. "Then live on your father's farm and be well. Iridith... we should go."
"Yes," she replied. "We should. Destian -- let me portal you back to your home," said the Jastai. As she opened the portal before her, though, she glanced sternly to Taelian and gestured her head towards the beast. Her request was clear: burn it to nothing. Ensure it can't be examined. No one could know it was intentionally constructed by Necromancy.
He waited for them to go, and then he did. Iridith didn't come back for him, though that was alright. He was in the mood for solitude -- a lot had happened. A lot he felt wrong about, a lot he needed to contemplate. He wondered, yet again, if he had made the right choice in becoming involved with these individuals. Their goals seemed to become colder by the night.
Re: The Cage: Part Four
Posted: Thu Jun 18, 2020 12:21 pm
by Leliana
Taelian Ela'Rannoch
[indent=30]Experience: 5 points for Transposition
[indent=30]Knowledge: Transposition: Using Reverb in pursuit
[indent=30]Transposition: Spotting hidden enemies with Spatial Perception
[indent=30]Transposition: Following Reverb with an assault
[indent=30]Sigilic Pyromancy: Emblem: Becomes weightless with true mastery
[indent=30]Sigilic Pyromancy: Ebon Paladin
[indent=30]Sigilic Pyromancy: Knight of the Pyred Bedlam
[indent=30]Injuries/Overstepping: You're too untouchable for that sort of stuff. 
[indent=30]Comments:
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Welp, it's official. Taelian is scary AF. I wish I had your dedication to be able to just sit and write all these amazing solos you do. They are such a great read, and motivating. Be gentle with us mere mortals. Since you're already a master of Sigilic Pyromancy, go ahead and put all of the points into Transposition... which you will be master of as well soon.