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[Steel Samurai]

OOC: If you have other things to finish off, feel free to do so, we assume this thread takes place a day or two after each of the others.

For the second time the Imperial Army of Koridai marched forth, banners of red and black and gold undulating slowly in the soft breeze as the tramp tramp tramp of the troops' boots echoed across the Diamond Steppe. The dry grassland stretched for miles around the army, barren and treeless save for the occasional herd of wild horses native to the region. Scouts had warned that Calatia was a mere two days' travel away, and it would soon be time for the entire army to break for camp. Steel rode beside the main column, his black armor dusty from the days' travel. The Praetorian surrounded the Empress, though tired, their backs were still stiff and proud in the knowledge that today they might fall for the sake of their beloved Empress. He approached Volkrim, his black destrier trotting easily beside that of his second.

"How is the morale of the men?"

"Excellent, my Lord. They have no fear while they are with the Empress. Their hearts ring as true as the steel they wield."

Steel suppressed a smirk. Good goddess. The man was an excellent warrior, but he did spout cliches like a whale surfacing to breathe.

"See that it stays that way, Sir Volkrim."

"Of course my Lord."

Steel scanned the horizon, the setting sun turning the sky to crimson before him to the west. There was no sign of the enemy. Not yet. But soon enough. Soon enough.

[Selena]

(still in control of lovely little Rhia for the time being, as she's still AWOL in the real world)



“Chikara's with them.”

Biggest downer ending to a scouting mission ever. Rhiannon felt her nerves ring out in alarm, but was able to keep her feelings suppressed for the sake of the others. Wasn't Chikara supposed to be sitting in some regal palace, watching her grand army sacrifice itself for her sake? This wasn't fair. They had all heard rumors of Chikara entering the battlefield against the remnants of the Alliance, but no Calatian had seen proof of such an action. Rhiannon had entertained the thought of it being true, but assumed it was Koridian propaganda for the sake of her own sanity.

“What should we do, Princess?”

She sat on a fallen old growth log in silence, the sun's rays piercing through the canopy of the surrounding woods and bordering either side of her like curtains of gold. Unless Selena could pull a rabbit out of you-know-where, then this was going to go downhill fast. She was taking too long. Didn't she know that Chikara was ready to fight? Well, perhaps she did. Maybe she was going to lure Chik away. But how?

“We're going to stay right here,” Rhiannon said. “The enemy cavalry will wipe us out if we go on the open steppe. If we stay on the border of the woods, then they won't be able to ride properly in here. Making them march further will wear down their energy a bit more. That's good!”

The Nuun Highlands was home to a dense forest – one not so impressive as either the Faron Woods to the east or the old Lost Woods, but still a beautiful piece of scenery. It gave Calatia's soldiers a good view of the steppe below. They'd see the Koridians coming from miles away if the weather was in their favor.

“We'll put my heavy spearman at the edge of the woods,” Rhiannon said to her surrounding warriors. “Their horses will have to charge up the hill and they'll slam right into a shield wall. We can move in archers on either side to start picking off troops. The rest of the army waiting within the trees. Do you all agree with that?”

“Yes, ma'am!”

“As you wish!”

Rhiannon didn't have an official combat group of her own, unlike Leo and his Snakeheads, but had spent most of her time in the war against Koridai leading an elite troop of well-armored spearmen. She'd gotten comfortable with their company. There was a great deal of trust there. The rest of Rhiannon's army had come from all over Calatia, drawn down from the mountains and foothills to support their leader in battle.

“We can start moving boulders at the top of the hill. When Koridai gets close, we can push them down to help take out soldiers. I can move them with my powers.”

“I'll get on it,” said one of her soldiers.

Rhiannon bit the nail of her thumb. It'd give them a fighting chance against the mere mortals of the enemy army, but what about Chikara? There was no stopping her. No, no. Couldn't dwell on that. She would retreat if necessary. Or perhaps she could turn herself in as a prisoner in exchange for her troops going free.

She stood from the log, brushing stray leaves and moss from her lightweight armor. She pulled her blonde hair back into a ponytail and walked to the edge of the forest. She looked down at the steppe, the Koridians still out of visual range, and began to ponder how they might try to ascend the hill. Which paths, at what speed, and what points would be good for traps.

If she was going to die due to Chikara's presence, at least she could take a good chunk of the enemy army with her.

The absent Calatian elite coming up with a way to distract Chikara would be a hell of a lot better, though.



(People in Call of the Cursed: Hang out there for a bit longer. You'll have action over there soon enough.)

[Chikara Nadir]

Chikara was as restless as her whinnying mustang while waiting for some sign of the enemy, all the moreso while stuck in the middle of her throng of Praetorian guards. So hard to concentrate when there was a thick human wall moving alongside you.

Well, she knew they were close. That much could be felt like the prickling of evening air on her cheeks, the rest of her body far warmer than she liked in the cloaks and regalia that she was forced to endure. Well, the enemy couldn't kill her by any means, but a little extra armor couldn't necessarily be a bad thing if she actually came up against someone worth fighting. Healing took up time and energy better spent slaughtering the mountain cockroaches. Then again, being encumbered in full war armor, while dangerously beautiful, also kept her from moving as quickly as she might like. Her horse didn't seem to enjoy the extra weight, either.

"Sir Steel," she shouted out, raising her chin to indicate that he draw closer. "I cannot feel Selena nearby. She's…" Somewhere far too dear to Chik to utter the words. But why? To distract the goddess from the battle at hand? To draw out ancient underworld powers to use against her? "I think she may be holding back, perhaps as an ace up the sleeve to pull once we've put the rest of these Vikings out of their misery. I would rather use as little energy as possible in that case."

She raised her dainty gauntlet-covered hand, pointing along the far horizon. "They have the high ground, and thus the advantage. I do not intend to move forward the entirety of our forces with my magic. It would not only weaken my magicks for later, but also put the enemy on edge. A proper ambush needs stealth."

The goddess smiled, not concerned at all about how many would be lost on this day. Those who were strong and worthy always climbed to the top and refused to fall. "Continue forward with the main forces and expect us to hit them within an hour. But gather your best men and have them fall behind along with me. Hopefully we can have this affair over before breakfast."

The cool wind rose up against the silver plateau, pale grass blowing loose as a last sigh in preparation for the grounds to rain blood down upon them. Yet Chikara herself shuttered for a moment, scarlet eyes staring into the distance with the keen attention of a hawk. What are you doing, little Lena?, she thought. Certainly up to no good.

[Selena]

A Calatian scout was perched in a tree at the edge of the Calatian encampment, huddled over like a bird trying to avoid the eyes of a potential predator, and fixed her spyglass to the east. She was very still and very calm despite the grim situation, years of scouting experience having conditioned her to suppress her emotions for the sake of avoiding attention. Although the enemy was still a fair distance away, near the base of the hill, the Calatian camp was silent as they prepared for the battle. The scout whispered her observations to Rhiannon, who was standing at the base of the tree.

"Not standard cavalry. Praetorian. Plenty of regular infantry, but also Vanguard forces. One of the female officers. Can't tell which one. Their formation has split into two halves. The elite have formed behind Chikara."

Rhiannon controlled her breathing, pushing back the urge to panic. "She going to try something. She could come in from behind via teleport while her main army attacks us straight on. She might break through the lines, then have her soldiers finish us off once it's safe. But it's okay! I'm sure we can improvise no matter what she does. We survived one cataclysm, so we can get through another if we have to!"

"And you've been dead once already," whispered one of her spearmen. He smiled in spite of his fear. "It's just a minor setback, right?"

"You can walk it off," Rhiannon said.

One of the archers looked back. "I'm sure they know we're here, but should we start firing to bait them up here early? So they won't have the luxury of getting prepared on their own time?"

"Can you shoot that far?"

"Won't be too accurate, especially in the dark, but we can get a few of them," replied the archer.

"Sounds good, then," Rhiannon said. She looked to her right. "Spearmen ready?"

"Always!"

A little louder, so the ones in the back could hear her. "Swordsmen ready?"

"Yes, ma'am!"

She waved to the archers. "Fire when ready."


* * *

It was a flicker in the dark - something dark against the light of the moon. Possibly just a bat or a bird flying overhead. Then, they heard a whistle. There was a pronounced 'thunk!' as something slammed into the ground ahead of them. Another. That was when they saw the threat. An arrow slammed into the ground between two Koridian soldiers marching at the front of their formation. The men and women of the Empire began to raise their shields to protect themselves from the surprise volley. The clattering of arrows against wood and steel sounded like a hailstorm from hell. One soldier fell as an arrow struck him in the shoulder. Another was hit in the leg. The losses from the first long-range volley were slim, but first blood had been drawn.

* * *

Lena's response was like a child playing coy. Nooothing!

[Chikara Nadir]

The redheaded matron of the Koridaian troops may have seen the volley of arrows approaching with her scarlet hawk eyes, but for her mortal companions she could do little to prevent the full scale of damage. She raised her arms a half of a second short -- those of her Praetorian guards close to the front of the undulating mass of military began to lift their shields or armored hands to defend themselves, but halfway into the rain of arrows, the weapons had began to disappear mere feet from meeting their marks.

Those who stood in the aim of the fastest borne from the quiver, and those furthest out in the front, had little choice but to endure the shock of attack and the pain of snapping in half the thin, feathered sticks that pierced their armor and flesh. But as for those that Chikara had caught and made seemingly disappear…

Her hands were outstretched, thumb to thumb and fingertips spread as her palms faced the entire mass of missing arrows. They had been reorganized to face outward, one hundred thick and all ready for as though held against an invisible bow.

"Steady!" She shouted, not one to let her men strike out in retaliation without command. "Steady…"

She closed her eyes, focusing her age-old telekinetic energies. And contemplated her attack. This battle would not be so simple as once upon a time.

In retrospect: all the best things Chikara had taught Selena as her second-in-command had returned to bite her in the ass once the two found themselves blade to blade with the splitting of her forces from the Labyrinth, and especially since the rise of the two opposing nations here to the south of the great mountains. How to divide her soldiers for the advantage in battle, what to do in single combat against any given weapon, and how to always achieve the element of surprise - these were the agendas of which she had ground into Selena's brain, and which in turn the Viking leader had made known to her own center of command.

Her favorite time to attack had always been night, which not so long ago was also the expected time for the enemy to be sound asleep. Not anymore; she was aware of the fully awake and prepared Calatians in the distance, ready for every combat move that the old queen had in her book. If not for the new blood to enter her fold, Steel and Drake coming first to mind, her strategies might be at a great loss. However, with them on her side she felt unstoppable.

The small woman inhaled slowly, initially appearing to do so in order to bide her strength - until she opened her mouth to release an ear-piercing scream, bound not by her lungs alone but by the force of a psionic quake. Through the sky her voice ripped with the shrill taint of the howling arctic wind, first bombarding the arrows back toward whence they came with the force of a musket blast. Loose grass across the field spread outward as though needle-thin projectiles, and the gravel and dirt below the very cliff-face of the steep hill avalanched downward. A few unlucky Calatian scouts and archers at the head of the army found themselves swept down under the tide of thousands of pounds of rocks and debris…and Chikara simply smiled.

"Kaylin, continue your forward ascent!" she motioned toward the rocky cliff faces before them, oblivious to the fact that she had never quite memorized the Vanguard commander's name. Still, in this age of uncertainty she could always appreciate a strong woman, faithful to the cause and more than able in the battlefield. "Lead your men to the hem of the avalanche, but let the wolves come to you." It would be tough travels even for the mountain dwellers to go down that hillside with any speed, let alone the calvary guard on their skittish horses, ears still ringing from the blast.

"The Praetorian will stand at the ready and wait for my next command. As for the rest of you to the head - fan out to the left and right. Any fools who hope to attack us faster by moving on the outskirts of the hill will be sorely mistaken, and those who move from the center can be swallowed in the middle of our forces!"

[Steel Samurai]

OOC: Guys I am so sorry about how long this has taken. School has been eating up every hour of my day, and it's all I can do to get on here and have a look see around. I will do my very best to make sure the next post comes a bit sooner.

"Sir Steel, I cannot feel Selena nearby. She's…I think she may be holding back, perhaps as an ace up the sleeve to pull once we've put the rest of these Vikings out of their misery. I would rather use as little energy as possible in that case."

He nodded, raising his metal encased arm high above his head. The praetorian formed tightly around Chikara, their black steeds snorting and pawing the ground. The main forces continued their ascent towards the hill, slowly but surely making their way up the shale slope. The calatians, cowed by the display of Chikara's power, remained out of sight, fearful of that which was arrayed against them. Steel's eyes narrowed as he scanned the horizon. Under any other circumstances an assault against that slope would have been suicide. From the top even a small Calatian force could rain death down upon attackers, making the ridge a costly piece of real estate to capture. But the power of the goddess changed all of the rules that previously applied. Steel looked at the sun. The plan should be executed momentarily.


* * * *


Juvenal was clearly agitated.

"Why has she not come? She should have fallen for the bait by now." Long fingernails scraped against the wall, carving a deep furrow in the ancient stone with apparently not a whit of effort. He materialized next to Selena. "You did it, didn't you?" He turned and floated off without waiting for an answer.

"Enough. If she will not come to the Labyrinth, the Labyrinth will come to her."

[Chikara Nadir]

ooc: Sorry for taking matters into my own hands a little to move us forward. Steel, you can still feel free to have Juvenal create anything and everything you deem fit against Chikky if you want to make a greater assault.

Chikara spread her arms wide, moving as though she were making swimming strokes against the blank air before her. Any other individual might be thought mad for this momentary display, but those of the Goddess' fold had learned to know better over the last two years.

"The time for playing with these meddlesome wolves has passed. Let us bleed them dry and take their realm as our own, so that late into the night we may drink of Calatian wine in the warmth of their burning capital!" So bold a statement was not uncommonly heard from Chikara's lips - nor did she think it the least bit impossible to achieve. She was the queen of a fallen militant regime long before taking residence in this land, after all, and carried eternal the Spartan conviction of warring against all odds, conquering all enemies, and smiling through the thick of every battle with the everlasting knowledge that hers was the true way and no opposition could tame her, let alone kill she and her people.

Her leather-gloved fingertips snapped with a dull thud, and the air before the Praetorian split with a static crackle that could easily have been mistaken for the sound of the cloth of reality being ripped asunder. For fifty feet on either side of the redheaded magician, a gaping black mouth stood large enough to swallow her men and their horses whole, its ragged edges framed by shimmering colors from the background of reality beyond, like the haunting shapes of a mirage in the heat. To their enemy, as well as any Koridaian soldiers standing ahead of the Praetorian, only an occasional wavering tone to the air was visible to give away the secret of her dark conjuring.

"Through the portal lays the backside of the Calatian army above us! Hurry, lest our ambush be in vain!"



The woman kicked the sides of her horse with her heels, willing it to rush forward, but the beast hesitated, then clenched up entirely. It whinnied, stamping one front hoof hard into the dry dirt, and refused to move another step. "Forward, you dumb animal!" the holy one shouted, most of her soldiers already rushing ahead into the portal to attack the enemy. She never was the greatest fan of riding horseback, feeling that even with greater size and speed, her mobility on the battlefield was limited by her dependence on an animal that could easily be spooked or struck down. And now, with her glorious powers at full force, the one beast that could stand holding her without fear had lost its courage at this vital moment?!

The imperial goddess struck her tongue against the back of her teeth and let out an angry "chh!" tone, putting her weight into her arms so that she could vault off the back of the horse and land neatly beside it. She gripped the hilt of her sword and began to step toward the dark abyss, but stopped a few feet short, her legs refusing to carry her further.

"Lord Steel…" the lady called out, her voice wavering with a sudden uncertainty unbefitting the woman's personality. He was the one man she could rely on to stand back and wait for her, guarding his empress as though his own life depended on it. "Something's amiss. Not here, not this - the path is sturdy, and I know already that beyond it our men's blades ring true."

"Then where…"

Selena, what the hell are you doing?! Even mentally the snarl in her tone was fiercely apparent, 99% spiteful rage…with a drop of worry that only a soul who had known her for centuries might pick up on.

"Defend yourself, Lord Steel!" Chikara screeched suddenly, making a complete about-face and dropping to the ground, burying her arms elbow deep into the ground with magical skills she had mastered long before she dreamt of controlling the power of Lazu, instinctually sending high into the air a wave of rocky soil as a defensive wall.

Against what? An assault she had not seen, but only sensed, dark and dreadful as the shadows that caused children to awaken with nightsweats in their beds. And even as Chikara tried to gather her wits about her, they began to climb over and around the edges of the dirt wall -- beastly creatures with no resemblance to human men, made of shadows darker than black, alongside ragged bones barely held together by rotting meat too far removed to possibly allow them to move. Then the giant insects, tall as horses in dark cockroach scarlets and scarab greens, moving forward amongst dark snakes -- no, giant millepedes, making shuttering noises as they rubbed against one another in a thick, poisonous mass.

"Don't…don't defend me!" she warned her faithful commander, waving her free hand behind her to motion him to keep back. "Have your men protect only themselves. Otherwise…"

Chikara gulped hard. They could provide no harm to the woman herself, only an insult, a non-verbal threat that she could ignore no longer. Their physical forms were nothing compared to the stench of hate and insanity that seemed to linger in the air wherever the creatures moved, the scent of which was painfully familiar to the Labyrinth dweller, digging into the crevices of her withered heart. Her only hope was that they were not a pathetic manifestation of something greater. "They're here for me."

She made a single step forward, pressing her heeled boot into the ground as she slowly took a single breath, soaking in the sweet air and what little was left of the smell of grass and wildflowers that were quickly being inundated with the stench of poison and rot. Then forward the redheaded warrior leapt, grabbing tight her sword in one hand and the molten trident she called her spark in the other. She ripped into the hides of the beasts as she ran, clenching her legs to jump high above her dirt wall before continuing straight ahead in the direction that she could feel they all had come from. The closer she stepped, the more she could taste death on the back of her tongue. The further she looked, the more the voices in her head sang out in excited laughter, giddy from feeling the temperament of the Cursed Lands so impossibly close.

Who could possibly have opened a portal besides herself, especially without her knowing it? Selena? And if so, why to there of all places, the graveyard of so many of their friends and memories? Whoever it was, she would make them pay. No...Lazu would make them suffer.

[Selena]

ooc: Call of the Cursed people, we all go in here now!

--



The situation erupted quickly. Juvenal, impatient for Chikara's arrival, had sent his swarms of Cursed and their deformed beast companions through a massive portal situated in the upper levels of the Labyrinth. Selena, waiting with the others in the coliseum, then readied herself for battle. She could feel the rage of her rival-friend in the great distance, their mental link proving most helpful. There was something else besides the rage - a hint of fear that was well buried within the other woman's psyche. The last thing Selena wanted to do was prematurely trigger Lazu's self-preservation instincts, so she hadn't briefed Chikara on every aspect of the operation and had kept her mind silent on such matters. The Cursed pouring through a giant portal to the southern battlefields where Rhia's army was hunkered down was a surprise to both of them. That was now going to be an unpredictable situation. The Cursed would no doubt attack Imperial forces to start with, but what about after it was all said and done? Would they turn on Calatia as well? The domains be damned, Rhiannon was going to be caught up in a potential crossfire. Selena wouldn't be able to go rescue her - at least not likely. Perhaps she could send Turtlelot on it. He was awfully fond of her.


Selena, what the hell are you doing?!

Hackles were raised and fangs were bared. Chikara was losing her fight against Lazu's influence, it felt like. That was good. Chikara might have fought as she normally would have if in full control of herself. Lazu would be far more tempted to split the shadow avatars off to deal with the whole group at once. It was all about bringing Chik to the mental breaking point, but then re-establishing trust with her after the foul god was disposed of. It was going to be a wild battle that could take many unexpected turns.

Selena tried to make her mental 'voice' as loud and clear as possible.

I'm in the coliseum of the Labyrinth, you blundering idiot. Are you too afraid to show up for the grand duel?

Juvenal warped back into existence behind Selena, though she didn't turn to look at him.

"Where is she?!"

"At our doorstep," she answered. There was a flash of light on the far side of the coliseum, and the distant wall became crippled with a plague of unnatural shadow. Selena could feel a sudden change in the air, and it was clear that the goddess herself was going to emerge from the dark portal at any moment. Selena raised one of her hands and raised her voice so that the whole group could hear her. "Here she comes! Steady yourselves, because there's no going back! This is the day Lazu returns to his divine prison!"

[Crimson Lego]

ooc: Hooah.

As the remainder of the Calatian grunt forces filed out of the area, Leo gripped both the Kao and Noreshang axes tightly as he felt the feeling sweep across the area. It’s finally time. He had waited over 2 years for the chance to get revenge on the one who had destroyed everything dear to him, and it seemed as though that possibility would come into existence. The dwarf knew that there was a large possibility he could die during the fight, but was surprised to see that he felt little fear about it. It seemed as though the anger burning through his veins was countering that effect, giving him the courage to do what had to be done.

Glancing first at the man he would be fighting the avatar Pook alongside, Leo then took another look at the rest of his companions. Synile, Turtlelot, Catterick, Khallos, blonde, Jordan, Selena. Taking another deep breath, he turned back in the direction Selena was facing and prepared himself for whatever was to come.

[Chikara Nadir]

Follow me at your own risk, there may be more traps beyond this ambush, Chikara's voice warned silently in the depth's of Steel's brain, rattling inside his ears for the very first time since she had allowed him to be inundated with so much of her godly powers. She could not be sure that he had the ability to respond likewise, but already her greatest concerns were that he or her other soldiers would be trampled underfoot when her powers and those of her unseen opponents crashed in an inevitable hurricane of blood and destruction.

She continued to leap forward, zipping casually from side to side like a gory hummingbird, her blades singing against bone and exoskeleton as she slaughtered the foul beasts that had been sent into her land. The portal was up ahead…so close, and leading to someplace so far away. No, it couldn't have just been Selena. She could be a strategist, yes, but if she were capable of such magicks the woman would have snuck her army into the midst of the Arbiter's Grounds under dark of night ages ago. Both women were centuries old, but neither had patience as a particularly strong suit.

Traitor, Chikara's mind now hissed at Selena herself, a tone that would be accompanied by deathglares and spitting in the woman's face, if they were in person. You dare tell me to fight on the graves of our friends, threatening my home with redeads and poe to force me into your trap, rather than meeting me face to face like the worthy adversary I thought I had raised you to be. If I must kill you to rid your presence from our home, then so be it.

There the portal stood before her, licked with black flames and spewing out monsters like the vomiting face of hell. What was she honestly supposed to do? Make a calculated plan whilst slaying these creatures, never knowing whether they would rain eternally upon the fields until she had quelled their source? No, that would be a fool's errand, and certainly not her style. Instead, the goddess did exactly what her enemies might expect of her, clenching her sword and polearm tight and jumping straight into the abyss without any forethought of what might be on the other side.

The problem, as far as Selena, Juvenal, or either of their forces could dream of, was that Chikara was quite a unique creature, the traits of which had made her stand alone for so many centuries amongst the traitorous warlord that wished to fell her throughout her ascension and reign in the Labyrinth. When she got angry, she did tend to act rashly. However, when she felt cornered, the woman also was able to perform at her peak.

She did not appear on the other side of the portal, as the Calatian elite expected. The doorway shimmered with light, then the wall attached to it was inundated in inky darkness, but nothing more became immediately obvious.

Until they heard laughter.

This was not a direct guffaw from a petite woman standing ready for attack, but rather, the walls of the subterranean colosseum began to rattle with the tremors of a minor earthquake, accompanying an echoing cackle that rang from every shadowy corner. One man readied his bow, hearing the sound of footsteps from close by, but nothing came out…or was he mistaken that it was only falling rocks?

Then the footsteps sounded again, from the opposite wall. Tiptoeing slowly at once…then from another wall they sprinted forward, but never actually showed themselves. Again she laughed, enjoying the pure adrenaline running through her unnatural body at the thought of unnerving these mortal soldiers, standing at the ready like sheep for her slaughter.

"Fools," a female voice called out from the walls, deep and relaxed but by no means lacking a hint of condescending spite. "Who tricked you into entering the depths of the Cursed Lands, hiding out in the center of the Labyrinth, under the guise that it would prove the most effective way to destroy me? I am LAZU! This realm was torn asunder by my strength, and this dark city rose to glory from my power!"

"I am mother and father to the Labyrinth, controlling every inch of its domain," the voice continued, rattling the walls and floor again to express how much power the being indeed had here. "Chikara, Selena, Jinn, Veteran…they and all the other great warriors who called this their home suckled from my power, yet even the height of their strength was less than that of babes to me. If I could crush any one of them under my feet, if I could destroy your entire known world in a heartbeat, why ever would you think that you could control me here and now?"

Abruptly the echoing voice dissipated, and the surface of the floor beside Selena's feet rolled with the intensity of boiling water. From it rose the imperial goddess herself in full war regalia, not a hint of dust or dirt on her pale form as she came up and stood somberly next to her daughter and rival. Acting as though there were not a thing in the world wrong with this decision, Chikara looked back directly at Juvenal, nudging her chin toward him and asking in an even tone, "So, he's the one responsible for this act of disgrace?"

[Sir Deimos]

Synile stared around at the cavern as it quaked and groaned, announcing the arrival of it's former master. The Calatians unfamiliar with the Labyrinth and its' ways had their fear painted across their faces. The voices in Synile's head rang out in a non-stop chatter. His own thoughts might as well have been lost in the din of his mind. Instinctively Synile violently drew his nodachi from his back with enough force to cause the scabbard to finally split under the years of use. Synile looked down at his nodachi in his hands; the blade seemed to tremble in his grasp, a dark purple aura seemed to emanate from the blade. Synile could sense the flow of power surging into his body. "You've made your decision then...?" Synile looked up and saw the source of the voice.

The figure that stood before him was... himself. It was an image of himself clad in robes of white and gold. Synile, wide eyed, stared at the image before him in disbelief and stammered, "You aren't real." The figure smiled.

"There is nothing I can say to sway you from the path you've chosen for yourself. And it seems you've chosen to suffer. Are you still trying to temper yourself after all the centuries of warfare?" The being never moved its' lips, but every word echoed deeply in the recesses of Synile's mind.

"Yes. I have decided."

"The past is the past. The present is the present. The future is not guaranteed. Are the bonds you have formed now weaker than the bonds of the past? They are ghostly tendrils of days passed that stain your sanity, and taint the clarity of your mind. These Calatians are your brothers in arms now. Would you cast them aside based on how you remember the past?" Tears seemed to run down the hallucination's face. "There may be no returning from this decision."

"The decision is mine and I have made it!" Synile took a swing with all his might. His mind screams as the nodachi slices through the image of himself.

Synile turned to see Chikara rise from the floor next to Selena whilst holding back tears. They mean to kill her. And I cannot let that come to pass.

Chikara looked back directly at Juvenal, nudging her chin toward him and asking in an even tone, "So, he's the one responsible for this act of disgrace?"

Synile didn't give Juvenal the chance to respond.

"Chikara, he means to have them slay you in your own home." Synile wanders towards the goddess slowly, as if in a daze. "I swore fealty once. To a regal, yet terrible queen." Synile stops a few feet in front of Chikara, and looks deeply into her eyes. "I can't let them do this. Not to you." Synile lays his sword down upon the ground and drops to one knee, and bows his head deeply.

"I am your knight to use, now as always... What are your orders, my lady?"

Edited by Synile, 22 October 2010 - 12:18 AM.

[Paladin Anthony]

The echoes and groans pouring from the walls of the labyrinth was of little concern to Aiden. The labyrinth was all illusions and trickery, and often acted as little more than an evil child, taking pleasure in instilling fear, but little else.

Or so it seemed to the age old warrior. Aiden simply took this as the labyrinth itself rejoicing at the return of all it's old inhabitants. Chik and Lena back together in the heart of the labyrinth, the evil child had no idea the havoc this battle would wreak.

The dwarf at his side seemed to have steeled his nerves better than most. Aiden simply nodded to him then took a step forward. A bright light faded into existence around him and grew brighter with each and every step. Before long the entire coliseum was filled with a holy light, emanating from no where in particular. Aiden was never as good with this particular trick as Ayden, as he could blind people with it, but Aiden's light had at very least calmed the rumble of the labyrinth in turn calming the Calatian soldiers.

Aiden then watched as one of their own knelt before the queen. "I'm sure Chikara knows why she was summoned here. Why else make such a grand entrance?" Aiden spat in a blatantly rude tone. He turned his gaze to Chik, smiled, and nodded. "Greetings again. I do not wish to insult your intelligence, m'lady" his tone mocking and cynical, "so will you kindly give your dear knight his orders so that we may begin?"

Ayden was in shock, ^ARE YOU TRYING TO PISS HER OFF?!?^

^Basically.^

Ayden, if he had control of his physical form, would have buried his face in his hand. ^I really regret your existence.^

^And I yours.^ Aiden was blatantly enjoying himself.

[Sir Turtlelot]

Turtlelot could sense the dark presence approaching the coliseum. His eyes opened as he snapped out of his meditative state.

Standing up, he slowly walked from where he had been sitting while they waited for Chikara's appearance, and walked next to Leo & Aiden. Turtlelot stared coldly at the portal and waited for the goddess to appear. After playing mind games with the Calatians, she finally rose up from the earth. The android was not fazed by her entrance, he had seen much more impressive in his time.

A familiar voice was spoke up in the back of his head She is your objective, eliminate her and anyone who stands in the way.

"Yes my master." Turtlelot mumbled to himself.

After Chikara finished speaking, Synile threw himself before her, pleading to once again serve her. Traitorous swine... Turtlelot thought to himself.

That was when Aiden spoke up, mocking the goddess. A bold move, and yet quite amusing.

Unsheathing the Sword of Diel from his back, Turtlelot stood, waiting for the imminent attack.

Edited by Sir Turtlelot, 22 October 2010 - 10:17 AM.

[Chikara Nadir]

The age old queen of the Labyrinth sheathed her fiery trident and pressed her gloved fingers to Synile's head, smiling gently at the man with an expression that might easily have been mistaken for warm maternal love. No, such an emotion was not hers to give. Certainly she was proud of the insane warrior for proving faithful to her till the bitter end, even if his mental capacity had often limited his capacity as a reliable soldier. But moreover, she was proud of herself for being adored still even by a current-day enemy, by default of having been his supreme leader not three years prior.

"My own men need not be reminded of their allegiance," the woman responded cooly to Aiden, not even raising an eye to glance at what she considered an obvious non-threat. "In this hallowed chamber, you are not Calatian, nor am I the Koridai incarnate. The division of our ranks is far more simple: Either you are of the Labyrinth, or you are an outsider. And outsiders, especially traitors to the Loddie way, must be crushed."

She leaned down a few inches, all it really took for the petite woman to meet face level of the kneeling katana-wielder, and whispered in his ear plenty loud enough for others to hear, "You have made many enemies with your brave words. Defend yourself first and your queen secondly, and I shall reward you greatly."

Many already had their weapons ready before she had even made her grand entrance, yet the redheaded warlord thought little of it until now. She could easily teleport herself a dozen times without taking a second breath, sneaking just out of their blade's reach for fun if she had no intention of actually striking back.

However, the time for games was quickly coming to a close. Chikara was very much aware of the number of threats in the room, any of which could prove actually problematic if used wisely in a group assault. Some of the men and women who had come to attack her she already recognized from various battles on the steppes that made up the nearly constant battlefields between Calatia and Koridai, but they all must have been particularly strong-willed to stay sturdy and sound for longer than a few minutes here in the depths of the Cursed Lands.

Of particular concern to her, naturally, was Selena, her greatest and longest foe. She knew every trick Chikara had ever used in her centuries as a mortal, and plenty of her newfound abilities as a goddess. Moreover, there was little doubt that she'd spread as much logistical information as possible to the rest of the Calatians before coming here.

Secondly, Juvenal. Without even knowing so much as his name or origin, or rather, especially because of these factors, Chikara gave him a wide breadth and a vigilant eye. From Synile's words, he seemed to be the one responsible for this entire rendezvous, also capable of some form of teleportation or gateway creation over great distances. He insulted her home by putting all of these undeserving people in the middle of it, when the coliseum should never have been entered by anyone other than Loddies and their worthy victims. Was her daughter so hellbent on destroying the queen that she was willing to team up with so dubious a man as he?

Finally, Lazu kept pulling at her brain to pay attention to one corner of the edgy crowd, demanding that she glance over at one particular man out of many who kept his sword ready to slice her to tethers. Why him? Turtlelot, the name lilted on the tip of her tongue, that was what they called him. He may not have looked ordinary, but in such a growingly strange world that didn't bother her. It was what he held…yes, his sword, that was what Lazu seemed so perturbed about. Was the god demanding that she strike him down so that the blade might be added to her collection? Or was there actually something more menacing about it that the deity wanted to warn her about?

Inside her head the chaotic god rattled, desperate to be let out to play. With so massive a display of might, it was plenty clear enough that the Calatians felt they were prepared for Chik to do so, idiots who seemed to have forgotten how easily Lazu had razed the ends of every nation connected to the Alliance only two years ago. They would all die nobly, but each would inevitably fall to her nonetheless. For now she would wait, only letting the immortal's power out if it became necessary. After all, the moment Lazu took over, Chik's personal brand of fun and play would be entirely replaced by the havoc of past millennia of insane warrior kings and queens. She wanted to personally enjoy the battle at least for a little while.

Always one for teasing, the small woman twiddled her fingers against the hilt of her sword, winking to whoever might be looking at her - which was, of course, everyone - and shouted with a cheerful guffaw, "Well, what are you waiting for? Come and get me!"

[Kwicky Koala]

Catterick spat on the ground and strode forward, undeterred by Synile's damascene defection. "We're not here for just you, my Queen. We want to see those 'shadowy figures', the former avatars of Lazu."

He spoke formally but firmly, trying to coax the consciousnesses out with jibes.

"We know that they lurk inside you even now, dead men hiding in the body of a woman. Let them come forth and match blades with a younger set."

[Selena]

Ah, the sweet chaos of the show's overture. Synile had a tiny sliver of loyalty to Calatia at best, and he'd always been drawn more to the queen of the Labyrinth than the heir, so Selena was not surprised at his betrayal. Out of the corner of her eye, she could tell that the rest of the Calatian team had less than decent reactions to losing him. Synile may have been batshit insane and obnoxious to deal with, but he was good at stabbing things. And someone good at stabbing things was very helpful to have in their present situation. Selena clicked her tongue in disappointment. If only Synile knew her real motivation. Sometimes you had to be cruel to loved ones in order to be kind. Ah, well. His behavior made the situation seem more genuine. It would help her to believe.

The rest of the team knew that they had shadow avatars to slay, but baiting Lazu into waking and summoning those avatars could be a war in itself. The less experienced warriors might run out of stamina by the time the avatars were summoned, and Selena anticipated that the seasoned warriors would have to pick up slack here and there once things were underway. Chikara was a skilled fighter, so sword and arrow alone might prove less than effective in waking the god of chaos from his slumber. Chikara's mental state, however...

Chikara had become unstable, more so than usual, by Lazu's growing influence in her mind. If Selena could pick at her personal weaknesses, especially while the others swarmed her, then perhaps she could push Chikara under the surface of insanity, allowing Lazu to break free.

"Don't pay attention to her boasts," Selena said to her companions. "She may have great power at her disposal, but she's still the same aging queen she always was. She is Lazu's toy, not his master. Her personality has been ripped to shreds, and only fragments of Chikara remain inside that hallowed-out body. When she does manage to collect herself, she comes to me to cry her eyes out and moan about her pitiful existence! The mighty war-queen of the Labyrinth is gone, and in her place is a frightened child trying her best to avoid her inevitable assimilation into the great chaos that is Lazu's spirit."

Selena, though not a dedicated mage, had a few parlor tricks of her own. Facing her palm to the dirt floor of the coliseum, she closed her eyes and concentrated while the others circled up and prepared to attack the goddess. Allowing Selena to learn necromancy from one of Vet's old tomes had come around to bite Chik in the ass. Her eyes snapped back open and the ground shook. The floor cracked open in many places, revealing rotting flesh and skeletal hands crawling their way up to the surface after decades and centuries of slumber.

Old members of the Labyrinth who had been unlucky in battle, along with many unaffiliated victims captured for the purpose of entertainment, scrambled to their reanimated feet. They swarmed forward, heading straight for the goddess in the center of the arena. Killing the undead would be no trouble for Chikara or Synile, but the sight of her former Loddies coming to attack her, and the sheer insult that it was for Selena to spit on their spirits in such a fashion, would enrage the goddess. The more emotion she displayed, of course, the more likely Lazu was to come out and play.


Selena pointed her new lance at her rival. She yelled to her Calatians, "Attack her now! Show no mercy, and don't let anyone get in your way!"

[JRPomazon]

What are you waiting for? She's there, she's right in front of you! You have the spears that can strike her down, you have the power to attack her, WHY AM I HESITATING?

But Jordan just kept looking, just kept watching, just kept waiting in the depths as Selena summoned warriors to fight Chikara along with Synile. Synile, how could you be so blind the what was going on? Why do you hold on to the past like that? The black, jagged spear in his left hand felt like it shook, Jordan looked down trying to see whether it was in fact moving on it's own. It appeared still, though the green clad warrior felt something. He looked over to Lazu incarnate, her loud barking of how she holds the reigns of the this world and all such talk of power. He was used to dealing with people like that, although it was uncertain whether she was still a 'person.' Same could be said about Selena, but that was beside the point.

He couldn't go ahead with the attack, something kept him still. Perhaps this was why Solomon and Steel held her in such high regard, her presence alone was commanding. He closed his eyes and focused on him for a moment. Don't do this, don't do this now. You've lived in these lands for two years, you've watched too many friends die, you've dealt with would be gods, insane inquisitors, monsters of all shapes and sizes and here you are. This is it. This is everything you've worked for. Everything you've been through has been for this. It's been for all those who didn't get a chance to get this far. Don't stop. Don't stop. DON'T STOP.

“Just go forward in all your beliefs, and prove to me that I am not mistaken in mine.”

Jordan opened his eyes and within a second he had dashed past the others with nothing but a gust of wind behind him. Past the undead warriors summoned for battle. Straight at her. At Solomon's goddess. At his ancestor's enemy.

He raised the spears of trust and betrayal and lunged at Chikara.

[Sir Deimos]

"YOU CAN'T TAKE HER FROM ME!" Synile roared as he swung with all his might to deflect Jordan's incoming attack. "Those toys Juvenal gave you pack quite a punch. But NOTHING will stop me!" Synile unleashed a flurry of attacks at Jordan. The nodachi seemed to amplify his speed in spite of the fact that Synile was fighting with unchecked emotion. Or perhaps because of it.

"You've fought to protect your comrades, well now I fight to protect mine. If you want her you have to come through ME!"

[JRPomazon]

That same radical passion, it was the same as Solomon. It was becoming increasingly more difficult to block and counter Synile's attacks. His nodachi's length made it increasingly difficult to get too close.

"So, we're really going to have at it this time, huh?" Jordan asked.

"She doesn't need protecting, it's us who need to protect ourselves from her. Stand aside or I'll do to you what I did to the head of Koridai's Inquisition."

Edited by JRPomazon, 23 October 2010 - 10:08 PM.

[Crimson Lego]

So this is what it all comes down to. As the events unrolled quickly in front of his eyes, Chikara’s appearance followed by Synile’s betrayal…and the attack, Leo gripped both his weapons tightly and closed his eyes for a moment. He was not a religious person, but murmured a short prayer that he hoped would give him some sort of advantage. Just a little help, Diel, thought the dwarf. That’s all we did.

Snapping his eyes open, Leo hoped that he would at least get a lucky break, and leaped past Jordan and towards the Goddess of Koridai, swinging both of his battleaxes directly towards her head.

[Sir Turtlelot]

Synile had lashed out at Jordan for attacking Chikara. It seemed appropriate for Jordan to be the one to finish him, considering the two of them them had been fighting one another for as long as Turtlelot had been with the Calatians.

Right after that, Leo dashed from the group and charged Chikara. Brave little bastard... Turtlelot thought to himself as he too charged Chikara.

After running down a few corpses Selena had brought back to life, Turtlelot raised the Sword of Diel above his head, and as soon as he came face to face with the dark goddess he brought the mighty sword down upon her with his superhuman strength.

[Sir Deimos]

"So, we're really going to have at it this time, huh?" Jordan asked.

"She doesn't need protecting, it's us who need to protect ourselves from her. Stand aside or I'll do to you what I did to the head of Koridai's Inquisition."

Synile ignored Leo and Turtlelot as they attacked Chikara behind him. It was foolhardy to think he could stop everyone from attacking her. And while she was still in control of her body, the queen would prove more than a match for Leo. The Sword of Diel was iffy at best, but Synile wouldn't allow himself to think about that. To let any doubt into his mind now would be the first step towards defeat.

"You expect me to toss aside several centuries worth of camaraderie in the span of several years? Were you so quick to toss off your bonds to Horace when he was shackled in the Calatian dungeon? And how long did you know poor Horace? I'm going to guess it was shorter than several hundred years." Synile firmly plants his feet on the ground and throws himself into another flurry of attacks towards Jordan. Keep him moving. Don't let him settle. Don't let him think. "So, lets see. The man that basically fled the Calatian prison in tears over the death of his comrade... is preaching to me about why I should give up my queen for dead."

"Or maybe that's not what this is about... Oh, I see how it is. You've gone along with this plan blindly, just for the chance to spill more blood for a 'noble cause'." Synile could feel the rage building up inside of him. "You'd rather just execute Chikara. No one has even entertained the notion of finding a way to free her from possession. You'd rather spill her blood. Admit it! All those lives you've taken in the Cursed Lands. A part of you has enjoyed it, you've reveled in every death." The voices in Synile's head were singing out in joy.

[Paladin Anthony]

As Leo and Turtlelot lunged at the goddess, Aiden began to muster what little magic he had. Three consecutive bursts of magic, one fire, then ice, and finally light, flew toward the goddess at varied angles. He then sprinted after his magic with speed that made nearly everything in the room seem as though it were standing still. As he neared, he swung the short sword in an arc at this side, catching one or two of the undead reincarnations with the broad side of the sword and hurling them at the goddess.

He then planted a foot and shifted his advance just a bit to the left and finally came directly at the goddess, short sword still held defensively, waiting to parry an attack, while his dagger was poised and charged to strike with holy magic. Aiden knew that none of these attacks were of any major consequence, but through sheer quantity and some decent timing, he hoped to land a blow that could draw first blood. That's all Aiden wanted. More blood.

Ayden, however, saw the additional advantages. If they could simply wound her, Lena's chances increased. Ayden had power beyond reckoning to most in the room, but it had been so long since he had harnessed it, he wasn't even sure how. Best to leave this to the super powers of today.

[JRPomazon]

Jordan raised his spears and locked Synile's nodachi between their opposing blades. He was holding the blade back with all his strength, the chaotic properties of the Cursed Lands had made Synile even stronger than before.

"You shut your god damn mouth you antique bastard." Jordan replied, staring Synile straight in the eye.

"You're from here, you've lived hundreds of years, killing people left and right so you can get off on bloodlust. Out of everyone here, you should be the one who cares the most about what happens to us! To this world!"

Jordan backed off, the downward slice of the nodachi sliced down and slammed into the floor. Jordan thrust Abel Stozen at Synile, which was quickly blocked by the impressive sword he wielded.

"You've outlived your share of people, how many generations have you outlasted? How can you not see when those short lives come to an end, when they don't have to see war, or murder, or pain you'll still be here? The future means more to you because you'll still have to see this terrible world as you live on past most of us!"

Cain Kazen was turned around to it's forked end and slammed into the ground, pressing Synile's nodachi against it's two long prongs.

"You're scared! You're so scared of seeing the world change as you stay just the same that you HIDE away and drink the voices into sweet sumbmission. You kill people because the only thing you can control is that DAMN SWORD!"

Jordan raised Abel Stozen to Synile's neck.

"I have lost enough in two years than you have ever had taken from you in all the hundreds you've been alive! My home is a den of demons, my friends are either dead or fighting to survive and two years ago I made a mistake I can never forgive myself for! So don't you dare Synile, don't you DARE think to lecture me and project yourself on me. I'VE HAD ENOUGH."

Edited by JRPomazon, 27 October 2010 - 10:00 PM.

[Sir Deimos]

"See? NOW YOU SEE THE THE REALITY OF THIS WORLD!" Synile drew upon more strength from the cursed blade within his hands, and brought the hilt up to his head. The positioning both freed his nodachi and narrowly deflected the oncoming blow. Jordan's spear, instead of the direct hit it was seeking, wound up just scratching Synile's neck. A small stream of blood began to trickle from the wound.

"This world is nothing but a cycle of loss. You say I should have more stock in the future? Well, centuries have a way of making one apathetic to the plight of the normal man. In hundreds of years no one has been able to kill me. If you think you can succeed where countless others have not, then be my guest. Let me tell you that the statistics aren't very much in your favor." Synile was still smiling. Bleeding in battle was nothing new, but it usually meant the fight would at least be a good one. "But so long as I draw breath, you won't harm a hair on her head!" Synile swings at Jordan with the dull side of the nodachi. The attack serves to sweep one of the spears away from his body, and leave it exposed to the vorpal edge of the nodachi. This time it's Synile's blade that is aimed at Jordan's throat.

[JRPomazon]

The sword came at his neck in what looked like a flash, Jordan didn't have enough time to evade properly. He raised his forearm in front of him, the force of the attack knocked back the green-clad warrior back to the ground as the arm bracer took the majority of the hit. The metal was dented and scarred and there was a cut on his arm. The resistance from the metal prevented a serious wound, it was mostly luck. Jordan stepped back and called his spears back, looking at Synile's sword. He can't risk another attack on him, that sword's too dangerous. He looked back up and blocked another downward slash from Synile with the twin spears.

Enough defense.

The two spears Jordan came with were still on his back, slowing him down and making movement sluggish. He swung his arm, calling the spears from his back as they lunged at Synile. The labyrinth champion evaded the raining spears by stepping back as he got back on his feet, the silver spears quickly returned to their master's side as they floated in mid air at his sides. Jordan released the twin spears as well, joining the ranks of the other spears as the wind manipulator controlled his weapons remotely as they were carried by the wind itself. He had never controlled four at once before, better now than never.

Edited by JRPomazon, 04 November 2010 - 01:33 AM.

[Steel Samurai]

The black stallion was bred for power, not sure-footedness. The ground rose quickly, boiling beneath his iron-shod hooves. He stumbled, and then fell on the sandy earth, the steel armor intended to protect him unbalancing him, weight him to the ground. Steel jerked his right foot from the stirrup, but the left was caught, his greaves ever so slightly too wide for the metal shanks connecting the tread to the strap. He cursed under his breath as the weight of the massive war-horse fell on top of his left leg, making it even more difficult to pull it free. And then, he saw it. It shimmered for a moment in the air before him. Not from the heat, the day was mild. But then came a ripping, a tearing, a single black line growing in the air before him and giving birth to a litter of unimaginable horror. The ground had stabilized. Steel kicked the warhorse and, as the beast rose, adjusted his left foot and pulled it free. He got to his feet, drew his sword, and sliced through the body of a black, centipede-like creature in one smooth motion. It fell, not bleeding at all: inside its spiny carapace there was nothing to be seen.

"Defend yourself, Lord Steel!"

The ground before him writhed with innumerable creatures, the stuff of nightmares, ash grey shadows making no noise save the scuttle of their feet. Behind them, through the tear Steel could see a legion of the Cursed, massed, waiting for the beasts to do their work. Certain of the beasts seemed to shift, changing form to match the terrain or their opponent. The army was taking the brunt of the assault, the Vanguard spearheading an attack straight into the the middle of the hellish army. Steel looked behind him. The Praetorian had recovered from the shock, and formed up around Chikara on her steed. Steel remounted his horse, none the worse for wear, and kicked it forward. The beat leapt from the edge of the dirt cliff raised before Chikara, landing with a shudder near the Empress, the snap of a pair of arthropodic jaws just on it's heels.

"Don't…don't defend me! Have your men protect only themselves. Otherwise…"

Her slim gloved hand was thrust backward. He stepped back, wordlessly. Volkrim motioned the trumpeters, the clear cry of the Imperial horns rising above the din of battle. Steel reared his stallion, the horse's whinny echoing above the din of the battle in a rather unearthly fashion. All was still for a moment as Chikara took off towards the massive portal through which the beasts poured, Calatian, Cursed, and Koridaian alike beholding the flight of the goddess with awe in their eyes at the sheer power and chaotic majesty that flashed before their eyes. Steel inhaled deeply, traces of her power flowing throughout his veins, and he shouted, his voice imbued with preternatural power.

"PRAETORIANS! TO THE PORTAL!" He drove his heels into the side of his horse, the beast leaping forward with a bound, as if inspired by the Goddess' charge forward to strength beyond that of normal equinity.

"Lances down!" Volkrim shouted, the trumpet's signal overpowering his own voice. The full strength of the most elite cavalry unit on the continent charged forward, rushing past the regular army, bearing down upon the front line of the Cursed, their forces driven back by Chikara's gory dash to the Labyrinth and the power and skill of the vanguard. The the charging horses and sharp legs of the cursed insects tore the dry grass to shreds and raised clouds of dirt, blocking the full effect of the sun and giving the air of the whole battlefield a brownish cast. Steel's blades snaked from their scabbards, and became like the wings of white hummingbirds at his side, reaping death and dismemberment to all of the beasts that came near. He was nearing the portal now, the Praetorian slowly falling behind him.

Follow me at your own risk, there may be more traps beyond this ambush. He knew. He knew exactly what lay beyond this ambush. I would not dream of leaving your side, my goddess. The portal was directly before him now, the edges shimmering in the sunlight, clouding the nature of what lay beneath the rippling surface. He sheathed his blades, the beasts around him not exactly knowing whether he was friend or foe at this point. Placing his hands on the pommel of his saddle, he pulled both feet from their stirrups and straightened his arms, holding himself parallel to the ground. Slowly, he moved his feet to a position directly under him, gradually shifting his weight onto them and finally standing erect. The shimmering dark surface grew closer, closer . . . With a leap and a yell, he threw himself through the bottom of the portal, which hovered nearly ten feet above the ground. His stallion continued on, dashing underneath it on into the sunset.



* * * *


Steel rolled onto smooth flagstones, blades flashing in his hands as he rose. Two of the human cursed fell to the ground, cloven in two. He looked around him. The chamber was mostly deserted, the bulk of the Calatian forces seemingly in whatever chamber Chikara was in. He took a pace forward. So. This was the fabled Labyrinth of Doom. For all his congress with Selena and the former members of the dorm, he had never stepped foot inside its halls. It seemed somewhat . . . rundown. Steel frankly wasn't sure what all of the fuss was about. It was like any other big, cave-like residence, with a healthy smattering of Lazu's power and . . . something else entirely. Like Lazu, but different and . . . imbued in the very walls. A sudden shout from a nearby chamber caught his attention.

"See? NOW YOU SEE THE THE REALITY OF THIS WORLD!" Without another thought Steel sprinted to the heavy wooden door of the chamber, leaping into the air and breaking through the rusty lock with a brutal mid-air kick. It seemed the portal's location was not permanently set. Mid-air, he closed his eyes, attempting to read the situation he was throwing himself into. Two auras were clashing, bright spirits attempting to take each other's life. One was Jordan, but Steel had never encountered the other. He opened his eyes. Synile. Devoted to Selena, or so he had heard. Had Jordan finally come to his senses? Steel rolled as he landed, blocking the weapons of each combatant as he rose, dualist blade fortunately stopping the spears of Trust and Betrayal, the enchanted Odachi blocking Synile's weapon.

Steel raised his bowed head, and looked straight into Chikara's eyes.

"What is the situation, my lady? Who would you have me kill?"

[JRPomazon]

Steel. Always with the flashy entrances. With Chikara here, he expected to see him eventually. Good.

The twin spears were blocked by the nodachi, but Steel didn't take notice of the other two spears Jordan usually wielded. They flew from Jordan's side and faced Synile and Steel, plunging just short of each of them. Steel instinctively backed away, Synile followed suit but Jordan could deal with the Labyrinth dweller later. As Steel backed away Jordan called his normal spears back and raised Cain Kazen towards Steel, close enough that a good swing could hurt him but not dangerous enough that if he moved he would die. Knives and swords had been closer to that man's neck before and even still that did not persuade him to falter and not slay the man who aimed to kill him. He wanted to talk, he wanted to entertain Jordan with an audience. He still wanted to be friends.

But the way he looked at her just now . . . he looked right at her. Jordan had entertained the idea to do so but he was compelled to look away. Feelings of uneasiness, discomfort. Jordan wasn't entertained that idea now, he was focused on Steel with a piercing gaze he had perfected during the days they served in the Fortress. He learned it from watching Steel. But the praetorion lord's eyes were still on her.

Take me seriously.

The other spears shot through the air and hung facing down from Steel's front and back. A twitch of the finger, a manipulation of the very air around them would send either of them hurling towards him at an unruly speed.

"Where is she, Steel?"

He finally turned towards Jordan.

"No half-truths, no lies, no fantasies. Just the truth. Where is Gwen?"

Edited by JRPomazon, 04 November 2010 - 01:35 AM.

[Paladin Anthony]

OOC: ZZZZZzzzzz....*notes that Leo, Aiden, and Turtlelot are still pretty much frozen in time* *Goes back to sleep*

Edit after SS's post: "Enough. Why do we rush her one by one? Everyone, assault her!"
...Three characters all attacking at once and just waiting on some sort of reaction or something... and we're being told by a guy who has essentially been standing there watching, not to attack one by one.

I'm sorry, I don't mean to gripe, but that's just frustrating.

Edited by Paladin Anthony, 04 November 2010 - 03:16 PM.

[Steel Samurai]

Odachi locked with nodachi, Synile apparently content to hold, for the moment. Jordan's spears hung threateningly above, but by Steel's reckoning they were still far enough away to dodge should they be put into action. Barely.

"Gwen? You fight against the greatest power the world has seen and you ask after a girl?" Steel laughed, the humorless noise hanging in the air like the peal of an unholy church bell. "And I thought you were a hero, unwilling or no. Make your choice, oh windswept one. I know roughly where she is. I have men, in fact, looking for her as we speak. But despite our long friendship I will not give information such as that to one who fights the Holy Goddess. Solomon is dead. A burden lifted from my shoulders the moment his final breath issued from his lips. And you are the author of his fate, unless I miss my mark. A great poison has been cleansed from Koridai, now. Join me and you will have your lover, I swear it. Fight against us and you may never know her fate."

* * * *

Juvenal squirmed, unusually uncomfortable in his shadowy throne. Chikara's proximity was not comfortable for him. He had come at last. Exactly what the inhuman shadow had been waiting for. A distraction. Hopefully enough of one to accomplish the plan.

"Enough. Why do we rush her one by one? Everyone, assault her! Assault Ahrem and kill him with your blades of divinity!" Juvenal himself rushed forward, floating above the flagstones at unearthly speed, his bright black blade extended before him.

* * * *

Steel turned to Synile without missing a beat. "The infamous Synile. Lapdog and unrequited lover of Selena Nadir, team-killer, and absolutely bat-shit insane. I've often wondered whether my enchanted Odachi was longer than your cursed Nodachi." Steel straightened his wrist suddenly while simultaneously locking the hilt of his dualist blade with that of the nodachi. The two massive swords were now side-by-side. "Mine, apparently. Though they've never said I was compensating for anything." He twisted his wrist again, and the Odachi pressed Synile's blade back. "You're fighting Jordan, which means you either switched sides for some reason or are off on another of your psychotic rampages. Either way I can't trust you, and if I can't trust you I will kill you unless the goddess says otherwise. Once a traitor, always a traitor."