|
Post by Nayru Al-Saiduq on Aug 23, 2014 12:44:46 GMT -6
Heat and light consumed her world as a massive torrent of scathing flame arced overhead, the dragon barely able to drop to the ground in time to avoid what she had no chance of intercepting. This was the power of mortal magesmithing? She had always envisioned the Scouring as fought between elemental dragons and men wielding iron and steel, not clashes of elements on this scale, much less in the hands of mere bandits. Granted, this outfit was anything but 'mere bandits...'
Well, no time to feel sorry for herself. Nayru relied on her instincts to keep her moving, keep her alive; she was completely out of her element as an individual, but even the least dragon knew the business of butchery as if it was engraved into their souls. Already the armored giant was charging again, axe brandished high, but there was motion and sound to her right. Nayru hurled herself backwards as quickly as she could, rewarded by the vision of several barely-visible blades of wind slicing through ice and leaving furrows in the earth as they lanced through the area she had been standing in mere moments before. The mage? She caught a glance as she righted herself, crouching low to steady herself. Yes, he was definitely doing something magical, not that she was much of an expert on WHAT.
Nor did she have the opportunity to worry about it much. The fire-wielding swordsman, a lightly armored but tough-looking man, was already on her with a diagonal slash that she met with a burst of living lightning that erupted into a shockwave of its own. Nayru couldn't honestly say that she knew what she was doing, but in the fugue state she found herself in, it felt almost - natural, as if it was something she had always been able to do. Lightning coursed through her body and mind, figuratively and literally in equal part. It was clear that the man was caught off guard, and a second followup punch, accompanied by the rumbling of thunder as fist met steel, sent him flying bodily.
Intoxicating power that numbed the mind... it was getting harder to retain control, she realized dully, knowing the fact but not quite comprehending it. And the pain was building. This body would tear itself apart if she went on much longer. No human frame, no matter how well it was forged, could take power of that level for long - and this body was a mere doll, forged clumsily by a mind that did not even understand itself. Perhaps in her original...
The iron giant was on her again, trampling through the ice, and she met his downward blow with a rising strike that exploded with a thunderclap and sent them both reeling. But it wasn't the tingling pressure in her arm that forced a reaction; it was the accompanying rumbling of thunder overhead that signaled the fast-approaching end to the battle, one way or another, that gave her pause.
"...Veigue!" Her voice was unusually hard, tinged with a line of desperation that he might well never have heard from her before. "Take Hayle and get out of here!"
While it might look like she was doing pretty well for herself, Nayru knew better than anyone else there that it was no more than a momentary reprieve, one that came at a cost far too great to contemplate. The beginnings of an idea that was stupid even for her were slowly drifting into place, but she couldn't risk those two sticking around for it.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 27, 2014 11:13:12 GMT -6
Each of his steps felt like he was taking a few more, not entirely realizing how quickly his legs and arms were moving. As he charged his way through to Nayru, the swordsman made it his top priority to get over there. The more he kept getting into encounters with bandits blocking his path, the more he either struck them quickly to stun them or maneuvered around them. An archer was caught from the corner of his eye, and at the right time, too. Eh, a quick one wouldn't hurt. The moment the bolt was fired, Veigue flexibly bent backwards as the arrow bolted past his nose. The archer was partially shielded by a another swordsman...with a silver sword. Well, at this point, Veigue didn't have to worry about their superior weaponry as long as he didn't get into a confrontation with any of those magic weapons. His skill was all that was required to defeat them, not his weapon that was vastly inferior in every way.
After the swift dodge, Veigue twisted around his foot and body to face the duo before dashing forth, meeting the sword bandit head-on. When he swung his sword the same time as his opponent, he feigned his attacked before crouching down and evading the horizontal slash from his opponent entirely. Seeing his window of opportunity, he brought his sword up with an upwards strike as his blade ran through his opponent and dropping him to the ground terribly injured with a large, yet very lengthy vertical wound from his stomach to chest. Once that was done, he realized the archer had already distanced himself and readied an arrow. With Veigue able to at least clear his mind again, he only had one technique in mind that could close the distance without getting hit by a second arrow.
Once the bolt was shot again, the swordsman quickly tilted his head when the arrow flew past his ear, his chance presenting itself now. He tightened the grip on his sheath as he took off with another frontwards charge. This caused the archer to raise his eyebrow in confusion, but soon after grinned as he readied another arrow. But then Veigue himself had a trick up his sleeve, literally tossing the sheath at the man while still running as the makeshift weapon spun viciously. Taken off guard by this, the sheath collided with the archer's face as it then bounced off upwards. At the same time of impact, Veigue leaped in the air in near perfect sync as his twisted around once after regaining the sheath. With his sword ready, he dropped back down as he swung his sword horizontally and aimed for the side of the man's neck, severing the head from body due to the sheer force of his momentum alone. The body helplessly dropped to the ground as Veigue managed to regain his footing after landing. One of his clan's more advanced techniques...about the only one of the few that he managed to get a hang of so far.
But he lacked the time to actually think back on how he perfectly executed it, continuing his sprint until he noticed the battle ahead with Nayru and the magic weapon users. As he took a glimpse back and forth to watch his back, his companion spoke to him...and he didn't exactly like the sound of it. "...The hell are you saying?" It came out a little rushed, but with them likely to be surrounded soon, it was expected. What would she accomplish with both of them high tailing it out of there? "This is one situation where you will die if you fight alone. Knowing that, I can't leave you. Besides, even if we tried, Hayle and I would be struck down the moment we try to escape..." With the "bandits" being smarter than the average ones, it was obvious they weren't going to let a single one of them escape. Who knows how many more archers are still hidden in this chaos.
|
|
Hayle
Archer
Posts: 55
Profession: Lone Traveller
Affinity: Wind
|
Post by Hayle on Aug 29, 2014 4:35:10 GMT -6
"Do what you need to do, I'll cover you as best I can."
Hayle hoped this came out at least somewhat confident and optimistic sounding. He really wasn't feeling either confident or optimistic at this point. What was hoped to be their deus ex machina was now an ugly looking pile of scrap, the bandit/soldier/whatevers kept on coming at them like a tidal wave and Veigue was running off to try and fetch Nayru's proverbial bacon out of the proverbial fire. Or maybe it was literal fire, considering the spellslingers and magical weapon wielding maniacs she was currently entertaining.
They were in a rather rough spot. And frankly, Hayle knew that as the least experienced fighter of the group, he was also the least help. But the whole ranged thing was a point in his favor at least.
Veigue had leapt off after Nayru, sword moving in a steely blur as he swung, parried and feinted his way through a group of axe and spearmen. It was rather a hypnotic sight, reminiscent of the snake/mongoose paradigm, a whirling dance of steel and death and blood.
The winded axeman on the ground was a perfect target. Limbs splayed as he struggled to catch his breath, it was a shot that was practically calling to Hayle.
Arrow left bow and met flesh with a meaty sounding impact, soldier sprouting feathers from the shoulder. Picking up the axe would prove most difficult with that injury impeding movement and the sudden attack would hopefully, draw the attention of the other stunned foe.
"Veigue is right, Nayru! It's got to be together or not at all, we don't stand a chance on our own!"
|
|
|
Post by Nayru Al-Saiduq on Aug 29, 2014 15:28:03 GMT -6
Again the axe came down, and while she met it head on, her strength failed as Nayru had to focus her power on repressing herself rather than pouring it outwards. This time it was her who was sent reeling, and the icy eruption a moment later sent her flying backwards, battered and bleeding from the sudden protrusion of glacial growth.
She wasn't dead, at least. A quick glance suggested her guts weren't spilling out or anything, either, though there were more than a few gashes and slashes across the front of her body and along her arms that didn't exactly look healthy. The dragon managed to right herself and land on her feet a good three or so meters away from the iron giant, landing not too far ahead of Veigue... and the closest she was likely to get to a reprieve before the enemy forces reached them again.
Now or never. She wasn't used to having time constraints, for what was the passage of years to one who did not age? But since joining with Veigue she had learned much of the importance of the moment, and Nayru was thoroughly aware that her body was already beginning to tear itself apart in the wake of her atrociously-planned powerup. She had the beginnings of a plan, but none of the time needed to convince Veigue of its value.
She skidded to a halt close to Veigue, her right hand outstretched as if to bar him, and spoke immediately, without any attempt at pretense or preamble. "I will buy your passage in blood and fire, but I cannot do so while you two remain here. Just... run while you still can. And no matter what you do, don't look back."
Not that it really mattered, the distraught dragon absentmindedly thought to herself. It wasn't like they wouldn't hear the noise and put two and two together. But as selfish as it was, she still wanted them to remember her as a companion and friend, not the nightmarish monster from legend that she was. But if they didn't get moving soon, there was no guarantee they would be at a safe distance before... it... finished with the prey here and noticed further victims nearby.
Nayru's voice dropped from the near-shout she had used a moment before, talking to Veigue directly, though she did not turn towards him, nor could she have met his eyes if she did. "...Please, Veigue. Let me do this... to atone for my past sins."
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 29, 2014 18:49:49 GMT -6
"...." He was beginning to say something in response to convince her to not do anything stupid, but he didn't know what to say. There was no way in the world she would survive. She was basically telling them she'll die just for them to escape. And what happens after that? He'd feel terrible for leaving her to save his own life. He couldn't do that to anyone. And he didn't want anymore broken promises either. While he may not fulfill the one he made to Lena, he still failed the one he made to his mother horribly. History continued to repeat itself over and over, as Veigue realized it would keep repeating itself unless he gained the strength to break the repetition. This was definitely not the time to have another failure. He absolutely refused it.
...But Nayru was dead set on this. He knew it. Anything he'd say would result in them wasting more time arguing, but the fact that he had to run away just continued to flail over his head. But something clicked in his mind as Nayru spoke to him directly, and his expression just shifted completely, keeping a frown, but dropping his shoulders as he was uneasily calm for some reason. The things she's done in her life that she claimed to be crimes...he couldn't possibly tell her, "no, that's a terrible idea." as he too knows the feelings of guilt. But atoning this way in her own blood wasn't something he liked at all. And the other thing that clicked in his mind...was her power and their other promise. He was not seeing things when he saw her combating the warriors earlier. It was possible that the time was now...he seriously didn't know what to do.
However, he had no time to be indecisive. At the end, he doesn't want her efforts to go to waste. To run was a stain on his vow, and he couldn't fool himself into thinking that he actually agreed to do so. But he didn't say anything as he turned around, walking a bit as he stood next to Hayle, only making eye contact with their ally for a couple of seconds before looking away. Hayle very likely didn't know what might happen at this point, and Veigue at least owed him an explanation. Hell, even he didn't know what was going to happen. It would have to wait until they were at least at a safe distance, though. "...I can explain things. Let's not make her efforts be in vain." He spoke in a low tone as he kept his emotions in check while speaking, allowing his tone to remain completely calm as he looked back over his shoulder at his friend one more time. It was like abandoning her, but at least getting to a safe distance would give him some more time to think of something as he tries to break things down quickly. Whether or not Hayle responded and would agree to follow, the sacaean dashed off to find a safe spot.
|
|
Hayle
Archer
Posts: 55
Profession: Lone Traveller
Affinity: Wind
|
Post by Hayle on Aug 30, 2014 22:31:45 GMT -6
Well. Crap. Clearly something big was about to go down and Nayru was seeminly both catalyst and epicentre for it. Veigue seemed to be in on it too, which admittedly, Hayle found slightly... well bothersome for lack of a better word. He knew that they had only known each other for a short time and that it was hardly expected for all secrets to just be openly spilled in the first couple days.
Heck, he was guilty of that himself.
Trust was going to be what saw them through this, and the pair had trusted him up until this point.
Standing around umming and ahhing wasn't going to help though. Clearly, whatever was about to happen was going to happen regardless of his standing around and it was going to involve lots of blood and screaming.
Self-preservation grappled with personal honor and ethics for a couple of seconds. Self-preservation won of course.
"...Just make sure you don't die or anything. I've lost enough friends as is."
With those gruff parting words to the bloodstained, thouroughly disheveled woman standing in front of him, ready to risk her life in a hopefully not pointless effort, Hayle turned and hightailed it after Veigue.
The hint of dread remained at the back of his mind though. Something was about to happen, but what it was, he had no idea.
|
|
|
Post by Nayru Al-Saiduq on Aug 31, 2014 11:28:52 GMT -6
Post soundtrack. You are welcome to use the list of times below as a rough guide to link song to parts of post as I did in my head, if you like. Also, this is about the best I could find for the clouds as they started forming. 0:00-0:35 the start up to when she starts talking 0:35-0:55 leadup to transformation beginning 0:55-1:14 lightning strikes, transformation begins 1:14-1:22 dragon body begins visibly forming 1:22-1:29 transformation finishes, roar ---------------------- Her composure cracked as Veigue walked away. Nayru wanted to pretend to be brave, pretend to be courageous, pretend to do this without any regrets - but in truth she was terrified, for herself as well as for Veigue and Hayle, and after so many centuries of running from all her problems, actually mustering the willpower to confront them head-on was all the more difficult. She wanted to run away and never look back, and if not held back by the bonds of blood that Nayru had forged in the recent months, she might well have. Bravery was not a concept she was familiar with... only cowardice and instinct. The raised arm dropped to her side as she straightened up, hearing Veigue and Hayle speak quietly, then get moving. A deep breath, slightly shuddering, as pain wracked her body. But she refused to show weakness. Not now. She had done that for too long, and she would not be remembered as a coward in what might well be her final hour. ...If only she had actually had a chance to say goodbye. Whether or not she survived, Nayru knew full well there was no chance of her ever being able to meet Veigue and Hayle again. They would know the truth, and nothing could change that. This was goodbye no matter what turn of events Fate had in store for her. But she would not allow some nebulous 'Fate' to decide how she met her end. This would be her choice, her decision, and she would meet it standing. One step forward. Head held high... the first step was always the hardest, wasn't it? The dragon could feel her face twitch, a massive electrical charge playing up and down her body and nearly paralyzing her entire right side outside of reactive muscle jerks. Another step when the charge subsided enough for her to move again, then another. The first step really had been the hardest. But her courage was already flagging, and she desperately wished she could see Veigue one last time. But if she turned her head now, it would be too easy to flee, and she could not risk that. Not now. So she turned to distracting herself, to speech. An old Sacaen line, one she had heard hundreds of years ago, that likely held no meaning now, but she had liked it at the time. And it was appropriate now, wasn't it? Where once criminals had spoken the same words before atoning for their sins in blood... now she took did the same. Treading the same ground, atoning for the same mistakes... no, hers were far greater in scale than any mortal outside of a mad king could claim. "May Father Sky forgive me the crime I must make him witness..."Her voice boomed through the clearing, to the slightly-confused bandits and to the fleeing duo and the skies above, as unnatural clouds began to form overhead, blotting out what had been a previously blue day. There was nothing normal about them, or the atmosphere itself, electrically charged both figuratively and literally. It was getting harder to breathe, she absentmindedly thought, as her essence continued to turn in on itself, a cacophony of catastrophe that would only grow worse with time. She had to hurry. Was this enough time for Veigue and Hayle to get away? Nayru wasn't sure. She didn't know how long it would take to obliterate the fort and all its inhabitants, or even what direction her rage might turn after that deed was done, nor how her rampage would end. Usually they seemed to be relatively short, mere hours, but some had lasted for days... and in such close proximity to Ilia, she would not have the luxury of 'days' before Ilian pegasus knights arrived to investigate the strange weather and found a rampaging beast of legend to put out of its misery. "...And Mother Earth swallow the evidence of my sins."Her voice was the thunder itself now, not a shout, but amplified far beyond human - and there was something ancient in it, the reverberations of something infinitely larger than the silver-haired woman that stood tall in the storm, a creature that curdled the blood and froze the mind by its mere presence. The storm crackled overhead, an endless sea of lightning that danced between clouds and raged against the heavens, as the air around her twisted and distorted, streaks of electricity erupting from nothingness and zig-zagging through the air before impacting the earth and the walls in searing impacts. Her flesh rippled and seared, making the bliss of nothingness all the more alluring, but she persevered nonetheless. More time... Veigue had to be at a safe distance by now, right? How long had it been? Seconds? Minutes? She could feel the power begin to take her left arm, the skin tearing as it began to transform. What a waste. It wouldn't matter in mere moments anyways. Nayru had no concept of the passage of time as the world tore itself apart both within and without, crippled by pain and fear alike. Had one of the bandits the presence of mind to do so, they could have killed her on the spot - but in the face of something so far beyond mortal comprehension that even the magic users cowered, resistance was replaced with reserve as they shrank from her. Or... not her. Nayru smiled serenely, the irony of the situation amusing in its absurdity. She didn't know what "her" was. She never had. What 'Nayru' actually was... had been shaped by her nature, her existence, more so than her upbringing or her birth. All her life she had known the unrelenting hatred and rage gnawing at the corners of her mind, struggled to contain it; while Erim had given her a chance at life, every time she lost her temper and threw a tantrum, every time she felt along amongst 'normal' children, she had tasted that temptation once more. And she had given in to it out of weakness too many times since leaving Arcadia. It was only fitting that she pay for it in the end. "Veigue... I'm sorry." Her words were silent, a whisper that barely even made it to her own ears. The words she had wanted to tell him so much... a bit late now, but at least she had finally mustered the heart to say them. He wouldn't hear, of course, which lessened their impact... but at least she felt a little better about it. And she was breaking her promise to him. Two of them. Was it two? Thinking was getting hard enough that she was having trouble remembering. There was the one about their weapons... WAS there another? In a way, it was almost fitting. She apparently cared so little about all these important promises that not only was she throwing them away like so much garbage, she couldn't even remember them. "...I might not be able to keep that promise."Heh. She brought one hand to her earring - her Dragonstone. Might not. The roiling clouds reached their boiling point, a living storm of light coalescing into a single point as lightning came from every surface. Nayru looked upwards, and almost as if nature itself had simply waited for her, a colossal pillar of light and sound and fury descended from the heavens, the combined strike of hundreds of bolts of lightning striking simultaneously as if judgement day had arrived. There was a moment of tranquil warmth as it consumed her body and mind, and then Nayru simply ceased to exist as her body literally exploded outwards, human flesh consumed in an instant as something vastly larger exploded from its mortal shell - the tiny core of her true essence finally freed from the shackles by which it had been constrained for so long. There was no gentle release, but the all-consuming light of the storm as a transformation far more violent than ever before took place, Nayru simply relinquishing control of all of herself rather than the tiny fraction of Self she had managed to retain in past transformations. The actual transformation was rather quick, perhaps fitting for her nature as the natural avatar of lightning. Quick, but as violent along the way as it had begun; rather than simply unfurling as some dragons might, it seemed to be forged from the storm's fury directly, a colossal, bulky frame that shattered the ground and split the sky as the pure whitish-white of the lightning tinged blue and gold as flesh and scale formed from it, constantly bathed in the same harsh light that had destroyed one her and birthed another. No elegance was to be found in the hulking, predatory frame of the creature that formed, turquoise scales gleaming bright with the unfathomable flow of magic as golden ridges and spikes grew to armor the already-impregnable body, encasing its thick legs and protruding along its spine like so many serrated blades. Lightning played along its length as white fur - fur that was every bit as downily soft as what had begun to become her hair back in that burning village with Veigue - grew like an enormous mane along the creature's neck and back, some even where the golden armor met turquoise scales along its arms. One last cascade of lightning from the skies above, and then it ceased in an instant, malevolent life blinking into the creature's eyes as it hurled back its head and ROARED with a sound so great it was a literal force that shook the earth and walls of its temporary prison. There was nothing of Nayru within it, no humanity or restraint - only hatred given life and form to extract its due from an unsuspecting world.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 31, 2014 18:31:06 GMT -6
After the short time had passed, Veigue finally found higher ground that was at least a good distance away from the combat. But something didn't feel right as the skies themselves blackened. Quite the random time for bad weather. But he had this ominous feeling as he gazed back towards the battlefield...something was happening. Just as he was about ready to try and explain things to Hayle when he got there, it was then that the roaring lightning began. This storm sure wasn't natural, and that only meant one thing...it started up moments after they made their escape. Even know, that just brought more confusion to the table as he honestly didn't know what to expect now. Tornadoes? Well, it hasn't started raining yet...though not like that needed to be happening for a twister to come.
"...What?!" ...But hearing Nayru shout of familiar Sacean words, the young man clenched his fist as he lightly gasped. That saying was only used by Sacaeans who desired to atone for their sins and breaking their honor...by death. He wasn't too concerned about where she learned it, but more so on that it was something that wasn't supposed to be ignored. But it wasn't like he had enough time to think back on the subject, as at first he thought Nayru literally exploded...until the truth had finally been revealed to him when the enormous figure appeared. He wanted to say Nayru was gone, but you'd have to be a complete fool to doubt that the dragon over there was her. Especially after the swordsman finally pieced everything together for why he couldn't figure this out. Even as he stood there, he could say it should have been obvious, but at the same time...it wasn't. And it wasn't because Nayru still kept secrets. It was simply because it was something that he didn't think was a possibility. Dragons eventually faded into myth, but he didn't doubt their existence. He was right to believe that, at least, but wasn't here.
...Even though most people would have crapped their pants and ran away the moment Nayru changed, Veigue found himself just standing there...experiencing that same feeling as before when he had to leave her behind. He was not finished here. Dragon or not, that was the same person in the end. While it wasn't anywhere near what he expected, he accepted the reality of it all. Nayru was the same friend he made promises to, and to add more to it...it went beyond a promise now. When she shouted those words, a strong sense of duty slowly began to overwhelm him. It was still too difficult to jump to a decision right away without knowing what was going to happen next, but it was obvious at this point that what Nayru meant by losing control. Did he make another mistake or was he simply too late to save her at this point? He couldn't take comfort in the fact that he didn't know this was going to happen, as his indecisiveness with the whole situation was to blame. He just didn't have the temperament to kill a friend. Though this wasn't someone he could just defeat normally. He was no Scouring hero.
But he did know one thing. He couldn't continue to second guess things. Decisive action was well-required now or else she'd just suffer more, and while it conflicted with both his feelings and morals, his decision was becoming much more clear now as he rested his thumb on the guard of his sheathed sword. "...So this is what I'm forced to do. So be it."
|
|
Hayle
Archer
Posts: 55
Profession: Lone Traveller
Affinity: Wind
|
Post by Hayle on Sept 4, 2014 3:23:29 GMT -6
The storm that blew in suddenly was far from natural. Indeed, it was if some sort of malevolent eldritch spirit had taken hold of the skies, causing black clouds and ominous thunder to come rolling in from all sides.
With a roar like doom made physically manifest, the midnight clouds split and an arcane bolt of gigantic proportions arced down from the sky, connecting Nayru with the heavens above.
Mouth agape and ears temporarily out of commission from the obscene noise, Hayle stood dumbfounded.
"Mother of Elibe... a DRAGON?"
The tone to his words were equal part shock and fear. Of all the things he'd been through, all the things he'd expected to happen when Nayru told them to leave in what he thought would be her valiant last stand, he'd never expected this.
"The bandits were bad, but now a dragon to deal with?! Is she even on our side anymore or did we just sign our own death warrants?"
Okay, maybe that came out a little harsh towards his comrade but honestly, this job was just getting worse and worse as the minutes ticked by. If push came to shove and they had to fight the beast that once was Nayru, Hayle wasn't sure that he'd even last 3 seconds. Besides, if he'd known that today he'd be eaten by a mythical creature from the darkest history of Elibe, he'd have dressed up or something for the occasion.
Hopefully if this all went pear shaped, Sere would be safe and taken care of. Odd that what could potentially be one of his last thoughts was of an obnoxious little cat that was in all likelihood fast asleep right now, but the whole situation had been a ride from start to finish regardless.
|
|
|
Post by Nayru Al-Saiduq on Sept 5, 2014 0:08:49 GMT -6
Post soundtrack: youtu.be/a8AmSWc6mm8Breath attack: ~0:55 to 1:05 of this videoThe clouds above began to dissipate, but as the living engine of destruction came fully to life, the truth of its nature came ever clearer to light; what had begun as mere crackles of electricity running along its body became a veritable storm of light, wicked bolts of lightning arcing off the glowing scales and scathing the earth around her in vicious displays of heat and shocking force that left only fire and scorched earth in their wake. The bandits, for their part, were still paralyzed by fear. They might have once been trained soldiers, but after so long forced to scrounge for themselves and value life above duty, the sight of something so clearly impossible and inhuman was enough to crush what morale had remained, and the seething storm of crackling lightning did little to lure any of them into being the first one to get fried. It didn't really matter, though. What had once been Nayru was now nothing more than an avatar of annihilation, and rather than wait around for its foes to move, it was already well into charging something massive before the shocked bandits began to attempt a reaction. The blast itself dwarfed the transformation, a solidified beam of unfathomably intense light that carved through everything in its path as only a dragon's breath could - while hers covered a far smaller area than most breath attacks and could be avoided rather more easily than those of her kin, Nayru's was in a class of its own in sheer piercing power for reasons unknown to her. The battered stone and mortar of the fort was no match for the sustained blast when it unleashed; the ray impaled the walls of the fort with trivial ease, carving a molten path of absolute destruction as its head declined. The sound of screams was dwarfed by the sonic tempest of the ongoing roar, and the dragon's work was just as merciless as the stream of light reached ground level and evaporated each bandit it swept through instantly. By the time it subsided, the entire frontline of the bandit army had been erased from existence, the axe-wielding juggernaut and the fire sword wielding swordsman alike blotted out and one of the remaining mages existing as nothing more than a few tattered scraps of cloth.
|
|
Hayle
Archer
Posts: 55
Profession: Lone Traveller
Affinity: Wind
|
Post by Hayle on Sept 5, 2014 4:18:53 GMT -6
Hayle's normal stoicism crumbled in much the same manner as the stones of the fort did under the onslaught of sheer magical power being emitted from the raging dragons mouth.
"Veigue... seriously friend, I know I took charge somewhat in that forest but I think this is a little bit more than I was prepared to deal with today...!"
The ground in front of the dragon was scarred and smoking, the signs of her awesomely destructive breath evident everwhere by the deep trenches carved into the landscape with the sheer fury of the elements. The giants icy axe was all that remained of the once mighty foe. Even that was affected by the dragons rage, the arcane power once contained within serving to protect it from becoming so much melted slag, but now sadly gone, leaving behind a still barely usable weapon, only good for a few more hits.
Tiny fragments of stone rained down upon the surrounding area, all that remained of the once proud fortification. Hayle barely felt them at all, the shock, fear and even sadness at what had happened to his friend still vying for control over his emotions.
Was it pure luck that saved them from being vaporised along many of the former bandit frontline warriors? Everything directly in front had been eliminated, with many of those not caught in the blast either running or collapsed upon the ground in fear. They'd be easy targets for Hayle and Veigue to take care of, but attempting to do so would likely draw the ire of the beast.
Bow and arrow in either hand, clutched in an all too tight grip, Hayle didn't know how much more he could take.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 5, 2014 12:01:49 GMT -6
Well, that was a lot more destructive than he imagined. Veigue wasn't even sure if being afraid would even help him right now. Bandits that could probably take out an entire squad of an army were being fried where they stood with ease, and the battlefield around them seemed like it was going to be turned inside out at this rate. And then the fort was nearly obliterated as well. He tried to at least look on the bright side first, the bandits were being taken care of. Not like how he imagined, but the job was getting done. However, he wished that it didn't involve his friend losing her sanity. Hayle's reaction was actually quite normal, Veigue himself wondering if Nayru was still in there somewhere. From the looks of things, him trying to fulfill his promise looked close to impossible. He didn't want Nayru's efforts to go in vain, but he couldn't leave like this.
But the immediate task at hand was to help Hayle and put him up to speed with what he had to say. With Nayru's transformation, it really simplified his incoming explanation. He didn't turn to his companion, instead keeping his sights on the battle from afar. He was still unusually calm. Too calm. Veigue began to question his emotions at this point, unable to grasp why he wasn't freaking out or anything. Well, not because of the obvious fact that it wasn't like him to do so anyway, but the fact that this was something that was going to force him to make a decision...and said decision was going to be one he had to choose wisely, as his friend's life was on the line. "...This is definitely a situation where we have to think very carefully about our next move. However, there's something I have to say first." The usually laconic realized he would have to speak more than necessary, but he couldn't leave out the slightest detail. He folded his arms, maintaining his composure while speaking clearly.
"I wasn't aware of her being a dragon, but Nayru always told me that she couldn't control a great power of hers. Now seeing the true power she spoke of today, I can see why. She asked me to...kill her if she went out of control, and we formed a promise around it. Granted, I didn't really know what I was getting into exactly, but at the same time, I knew stopping her wasn't going to be something easy. Both due to her formidable strength and the fact that I have to murder our friend in cold blood." He allowed a silent sigh to escape him, knowing this was much harder to say than he thought. "To be honest, I'm still not comfortable with killing her. I told her I'll still find a way to save her without taking her life if I can. While that's looking more and more unlikely, I can't find that solution if I just give up now. I doubt I'm even capable of even knocking her out, let alone inflict lethal harm upon her. But I have to try regardless."
Veigue now looked towards Hayle from the corner of his eye and beyond his shoulder, for some reason already knowing his answer to handling Nayru when he was able to say all of that aloud. "Those two lines she spoke before she transformed...that's an old Sacaean saying for those who seek atonement for sins or breaking their honor by atoning in their own blood. While my main priority is saving her, it's my duty to answer to her atonement. I just thought you needed to know all of this before making a decision. I won't look down on you at all if you want to escape. It's a logical and more sane decision that what I'm trying to do, and I know you don't want to hurt her either." This whole situation was the hardest thing he ever had to deal with, but Veigue was prepared. He turned back to the destruction as he let his arms down, prepping himself for the difficult task. "...I'm going to try and talk to her. To see if she's still in there somewhere. If I can just talk her back to normal somehow while avoiding her attacks, then I won't have to harm her. But if I can't reach her in the end, then...I'll just have to die trying to stop her the hard way. Even if I die for nothing, I can't run. And I'll feel guilty leaving her behind and would have to face judgment one day anyway, so it's better if I do it all at once. I'd rather go out like this anyway."
The swordsman didn't entirely know what he meant on that last bit himself, but...out of all the things and people that want him dead, he'd rather die while trying to save Nayru than to let Jaquio take him out. And this was a test of his own. To see if his life was really worth anything at all. Nayru risked everything to see he and Hayle out alive, but the swordsman was still not convinced that his own life was worth saving, and it was better if he didn't drag Hayle down with him. Veigue had nothing else left to live for other than his...own survival. And if Nayru eventually came to, at least she'd have someone around for her when he's gone. With his resolve strongly reflecting in his eyes of fire, the sacaean unsheathed his sword, standing by as he waited for the right opportunity to dart off, though waiting for Hayle's response first.
|
|
|
Post by Nayru Al-Saiduq on Sept 5, 2014 17:53:19 GMT -6
Integral to human psychology in times of stress was the archaic concept of fight of flight - a deep-seated response, as well as a test of a man's mettle. Cowardice and bravery, survival and suicide - two sides of the same coin. Most of the bandit force never had the chance to choose before being consumed by the wrath of nature, but there were those among them who held fast to stolid training, to idle dreams of glory as dragonslayers, to courage in the face of adversity. Perhaps it was simply the view of what had happened to those that attempted to run. Nonetheless, while there were but few remaining, the few remaining were those who refused to go down quite as easily as their kin.
Fire and ice played across the battlefield as the remaining sage and two other mages attempted to counter the storm of light with their own elemental onslaught, waves of magical fire consuming the flickering flames in the wake of the dragon's onslaught as a storm of icy shards hurtled above the battlefield, some large enough to tear a man in half.
But the dragon was already in motion, a surging tide of muscle and seemingly-invincible scales that dashed through the fire and weathered the tide of ice without significant damage - more than it might first appear, in fact, but the mere sight of the juggernaut seemingly unscathed was enough to break the discipline of the lesser of the three mages, and when the dragon's massive jaws shut around his body and crushed it to pulp in an instant, he offered no resistance at all.
The grisly brutality was enough to give the remainder pause, but when it began to move again, the sage was well enough in mind to bring a wall of ice from the ground that gave the dragon pause, one that lasted only long enough for a deafening roar before it shoulder-rammed into the icy wall hard enough to break through and be upon the screaming sage before he could cast again. One swipe of the massive armored front paw, and there was nothing more than a thirty-foot-long smear of crimson on the landscape and the tattered, blood-stained remains of his robe hanging off its claws.
The rest of its attackers fared little better as another wave of intense light played across the battlefield, and arcing electricity from its body slew the one trying to sneak up on it in a shocking display of electrocution.
|
|
Hayle
Archer
Posts: 55
Profession: Lone Traveller
Affinity: Wind
|
Post by Hayle on Sept 6, 2014 1:09:48 GMT -6
"Well... we've already come this far now. I too cannot in good faith leave without trying to do something. The two of you have let me tag along with you when you didn't have to and it would be at the very least rude to abandon you now after that."
The words were bold but merely a facade, a mask that was slowly cracking under the enormous amount of stress they were facing. Stress that appeared to have no easily discernable end in the near future.
Nayru's powerful form continued to lay waste to the remnants of the once proud bandit group. The mages, despite all the awesome arcane force they possessed at their fingertips were no more able to stop or even slow the dragon. They would perhaps have a better chance of stopping the tides, a fact easily proven when despite their best icy efforts, the beast formerly known as Nayru turned their supposed leader into chunky salsa, strewn all across the landscape in a large arc.
This was going to be difficult. And that was putting it lightly. Hopefully Veigue had some sort of plan in mind that didn't involve being on the recieving end of electric-y death. Hayle gave a sidewards glance at Veigue's sword, metal gleaming on occasion when the energy lit up the area. In what he hoped was a conspicious manouver, he took a couple steps to the side, away from the sword. After all, metal did conduct electricity and there was no sense in giving the dragon a two for one deal.
Of course, the ambient electricity around the dragon didn't seem to discriminate in the slightest, but the simple action made him feel slightly better.
"No time like the present, I suppose. I'll follow your lead, potential electrical death or no electrical death."
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 12, 2014 9:13:42 GMT -6
"I appreciate it. If we live after this, I'll have to treat you to something." With a small smile in response before reverting back to a frown, Veigue pondered on actually getting close without getting obliterated like the bandits were. As much as it was probably best if he risked his life here alone, he did realize that he did need all the help he could get. He wanted to avoid killing Nayru, or harm her at all, and he wasn't really too sure he and Hayle even stood a chance anyway, considering the obvious light show and the slaughter of their previous enemies. Hordes of combat-honed bandits that they all struggled with together being killed left and right with ease. It really spoke for their fate if they did decide to fight her. Other than the chances of carrying out his promise being slim, Veigue was determined to get through to her. He had to look at it this way...if talking it out didn't work, then that just marked his deadly failure. He'd have to find some way to get Hayle out of there if it came down to it. If the plan failed, the sacaean felt he was the only one that had to go down for it.
As much as the current idea in his head pained him to do so, he had no choice. There wasn't anything he could do for the lives of their enemies. "...Let's get closer to the battlefield, but keep our distance and avoid detection. Nothing we can do to save those bandits, so we'll have to wait until the battle is over before we can jump in and talk to her." And without another word, the swordsman leaped from the small hill, hitting a sprint as soon as he recovered from his landing. Luckily these plains had plenty of places to take shelter behind, Veigue finding a huge boulder taller and wider than both he and Hayle combined. It was definitely closer to the fight, but just far enough to not be caught up in it.
It was still quite a sight though, despite the destruction. Mages and the warriors' attacks not inflicting the slightest amount of damage to Nayru as she tore through them all. All the more reason getting through to her had to succeed. It seemed like the closer he got to the battle, the more he realized how pointless it'd be to fight her head on. At the very least...this did take care of their bandit problem. None of them had the power to fight back properly. Hopefully all will be well and they could turn Nayru back to normal. It was wishful thinking, but thoughts he hoped came true.
|
|