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| [Graded]Beneath The Surface; Artesia | |
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| Topic Started: Dec 23 2013, 02:24 AM (1,563 Views) | |
| 竜 Mazohyst | Dec 27 2013, 01:59 PM Post #21 |
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Stay the course.
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It would appear that the old addage of the third time being the charm was quite accurate in this instance. That was fine by Artorius, but frankly he would have preferred if they skipped the whole charade and shenanigans that came before it. Though, there wasn't much room to complain since neither of them were hurt in any way whatsoever. No harm, no foul. Though, after they had struck down the final inscription it appeared that the giant chains had a use after all. An ungodly loud series of gears and other rusty mechanisms groaned as they sprung to life, pulling the chains together, and bringing this end of the cavern closer and closer to the other. It wasn't like one end was being pulled to the other, instead both were being dragged closer to one another. Strangely, the closest analogy that Artorius could think of in relation to all this was a wound being stitched up. But, in this case, it was quite the repugnant, gross, festering sort of wound. Fortunately, it wasn't too literal in these regards. Nevertheless, under the light of Artesia's lighter they made their way forward, finding a narrow tunnel which they would navigate through the darkness into the unknown. So far, they had seen all manners of strange beings, but nothing too unusual given the nature of the place. Ruins and ancient catacombs typically featured the same sort of scenery and obstacles. However, what the two were about to encounter was quite unusual indeed. As the pair reached the end of the dark corridor they would find a bright light that would only grow in size and luminesence as they traveled towards it. Eventually, it proved bright enough that they would no longer require Artesia's lighter to guide them forward. Eventually, after they traveled through the blinding light, they would find themselves in a remarkably unusual scene. It lacked the tell-tale signs of illusory magic of any sort, so either it was a powerful magic or it was real. Whatever it was, it was momentarily unbelievable even though they were experiencing it with their own eyes. A calm but warm breeze swept across their skin, just as it swept through a field of wheat and grass. In the distance, a red tree provided shade over a wooden cabin. Overall, it was peaceful, the scenery looked highly reminiscent of a painting. Shaking his head and rubbing his eyes, Artorius blinked a few times to affirm that it was real. Though, to add to the realness, the man procured a flask from one of his pockets, unscrewing the top before taking a deep swig. Just a moment later, he passed it towards Artesia. "Well, this one should be interesting," Artorius murmured beneath his breathe as he wiped his lips. "Looks like we don't have any other option besides the cabin it would seem."
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| Lightning | Dec 28 2013, 03:58 AM Post #22 |
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Steel your mind. Run on instinct.
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You know what you didn't expect to find when you were walking through dark tunnels and the like? A freaking field of wheat and a sunny sky that's what. Artesia found herself blinking rather strongly as she tried to make sure she wasn't succumbing to some kind of gas that was floating around in the tunnels, when it remained though and she noticed Artorius having the same reaction she figured she wasn't just seeing things. Or, at the very least she wasn't the only one seeing things. Odds were the whole scene was some kind of illusionary based magic and for that exact reason the woman kept her guard up, the last time she had found herself in a similar situation a nice fluffy looking sheep turned out to be a giant toad, she wasn't going through that again. Do you know what it's like to think you are patting a soft sheep only to find out it was a slimy toad? No, didn't think so. Just take my word for it when I say it was both embarrassing and humiliating in ways she never wanted to endure again. Artesia took the flask being offered to her without hesitation and without taking her eyes off of the cabin in the distance. Ignoring the fact that by drinking out of it after Artroius himself had they would be sharing an indirect kiss she lifted it to her lips and took a swig. She didn't have any idea of what she'd find to be in the flask before she tasted it but she found herself pleasantly surprised. So Artorius had some good taste when it came to his whiskey, how interesting. Living up to her reputation and her habits Artesia had downed the rest of the contents of the flask before Artorius would have had any idea was had happened and when she handed it back to him she immediately started walking away towards the cabin ahead of them. "Not bad," Artesia said turning around to face him while walking backwards. "A little smoky but not bad. With that said she turned around once again to face the way she was walking to wait for the moment he realised just how empty his flask had become, she had the feeling she'd get a bite of out of him but the fun was waiting to see what kind. Luckily the field of wheat didn't throw any snakes or the like at the two thieves as they made their way through it and soon enough they were standing outside the cabin which sat in the middle of it with a lone tree. The tree's leaves were a brilliant example of autumn foliage despite the fact it wasn't actually autumn at all at the given time and the closer they got to the cabin and the tree the more of its leaves lay scattered around on the ground. Careful so as not to step on any and cause unnecessary sounds the pair approached the door and out of instinct Artesia took a position beside it, "Count of three?" Artesia whispered extremely softly to Artroius. The woman they were after was one they wanted to seek aid from but it wasn't like she would know that, odds are she'd think they were there to kill her or something. It was safest and smartest if they kept their guard up, at least until she knew they meant no harm and they knew she wasn't going to try to kill them for some stupid reason. Edited by Lightning, Dec 28 2013, 03:59 AM.
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| 竜 Mazohyst | Dec 28 2013, 04:49 AM Post #23 |
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Stay the course.
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The man studied the female thief observantly as she took a deep swig from his flask and took gulp after gulp of the contents down her throat. Not bad? Artorius thought to himself, musing slightly over the hilarity of the comment in regards to his choice to drink. "You say that, but then you drank the whole thing. Are you sure you're not part camel? You've definitely got the humps," Artorius smirked as he screwed the cap back on and pocketed the flask. Frankly, he wouldn't have bit into her with his words like that if she didn't drink the rest of the contents. There was easily more than half of it. Though, at least it wasn't so bad. It's not like they were dying out in the desert and she guzzled down his canteen, leaving him with nothing to drink but disappointment and sadness. Still, Artorius hoped neither of them would get injured as they now no longer had a reliable disinfectant to cleanse a potential wound. Looks like they would have to try extra hard not to get cut or scraped then. Nevertheless, the two approached the cabin and entered on the count of three. Caution and care was completely necessary here as they didn't know what sort of tricks or dangers were within. However, a huge part of the reason for such levels of caution was because of what had popped out at them before in the catacombs and crypts that lay buried beneath the surface of the ruined cathedral. As they entered, the two would find that the cabin's interior wasn't what they expected in that, if you just saw it as a simple cabin, it was exactly what you would expect. The interior of the cabin was a stark contrast to the shades of lighting outside of it. Whereas outside there was a warm sun, artificial sun perhaps but warm and bright nonetheless, the interior was dark and dimly lit. A few candles were lit, illuminating the way. But, one of the sources of light was brighter than the rest -- a lantern, which seemed to sway and dance in the relative darkness as if something were carrying it or at least pushing it along. Seconds later, the source of the light grew brighter and brighter. It was even accompanied with faint footsteps that grew louder with each movement. Eventually, the lantern was placed on the wooden table, and with a touch, the lantern suddenly illuminated the entire cabin to a blinding degree. The two had found themselves momentarily blinded but also the light itself seemed to penetrate through them, as if judging them with its radiant display of power, studying their shape and their form, and even their intentions. But, at no point did it feel painful or harmful. Following this, the lantern was turned down with a second touch, leaving the interior of the cabin looking much like night time, but now with a luminescent source of light. This revealed two things. The first was the cabin itself. Books were scattered everywhere. Much of them were on the shelves which lined the walls, and countless others were stacked and piled on the floor. Magical glowing particles flowed freely in the room, like dancing bluish-white fireflies which meandered about. Scrolls and maps were sown about, and pots containing preserves and other basic foods could be seen. The cabin was warm and generally seemed like a nice place to live in, suitable for an isolated scholarly wizard or mage. The second thing that was revealed was that isolated scholarly wizard or mage that made their home here. A woman, dressed in a light white dress with belts and buckles secured onto her holding pouches and vials onto her form. She wore a gauntlet in one hand which seemed to glow when she touched the magical lantern. Momentarily, she held a book in her other hand before she placed it back onto the shelf. Her skin was pale but had a slight hint of a tan. She turned towards the two thieves who, based on the stranger's carefree and disarming actions, had disarmed themselves, taking their cautious and careful hands off the handles of their blades as she spoke to them. "Relax. I know why you're here. The light revealed a lot to me. Among them were your intentions. You're not here for a fight, that much I know," she said to them, her voice calm and warm, serene and almost motherly. Pushing a lock of dark brown hair out of her face, she gestured towards the two to sit. Though, there was no place to sit at the time, but as they would begin to settle down chairs had sprung up beneath them, offering a great deal of comfort. So too did the woman sit across from them. ![]() "Who, or rather, what are you?"Artorius questioned her with a studious and curious expression. "It's polite for a guest, especially a gentleman, to introduce themselves first," she spoke with a smile. Frowning slightly, the man shook his head as he shifted forward in his seat. "I'm Artorius. Artorius Sidonis. This is Artesia. We were sent here to find someone, a woman, who knows about this organization that has been tailing us. A friend told us to come here, a friend who is no longer with us. They've killed him, as if he were nothing but a pawn to them, using them as a way to get to us." "Oh, I do know why you're here. I did say the light revealed many things, such as your intentions. Moreover, I had the pleasure of seeing you two find your way towards this place," she grinned mischievously, touching the lantern with her gloved hand. A moment later, the lantern projected a magical image on the wall, showing the two as they threw flirtatious quips at one another. It appeared that she had been observing them the whole time. "Now, as for myself... You may call me Cassandra. I know much of the group who have been searching for you. Once, they looked for me too, and even now they likely scatter at the sound of my name. You've come to the right place, but, you've also come to the wrong place too." |
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| Lightning | Dec 28 2013, 06:44 AM Post #24 |
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Steel your mind. Run on instinct.
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For some reason the fact that the inside of the cabin was normal by all interior standards was a strange thing to find, even stranger was that it hadn't been ravaged by time like everything else in the catacombs. Because of the large change from the bright light outside to the much darker inside of the cabin the pair of thieves had to let their eyes adjust before they could take in all of the details around them. What was also unfortunate was that just as their eyes had begun to adjust a bright light which came from a lantern decided to rob them of vision once again. The light wasn't painful like most that could blind you proved to be but it held enough in the way of power to momentarily immobilise the pair that were caught in it much like rabbits were to headlights. Artesia could make out the sound of footsteps growing closer but for the life of her she couldn't seem to move and panic set in as her instincts told her that they could very well be under attack, once the light faded though and she could see everything clearly again it was obvious she'd felt the adrenaline for no good reason. A single woman stood behind the desk in the room and she didn't seem like she had any desire to attack them. The lantern was responding to her touch and so it was obvious she was at least responsible for the light that had blinded them, somehow though Artesia got the feeling that it was for more than just making a grand entry. Books were scattered around the cabin and various other materials which a scholar would find useful also dotted various shelves and cabinets, strange blue wisp like things glowed and hovered around in the air and overall the place felt like it held no real danger. Well, unless those wisps were like secret attack dogs and would -at the blink of the woman's eyes lashes- shoot up the thieves nostrils and down their throat choking them.... yeah, that would be terrifying. Good thing that the odds of it happening were so close to next to nothing. As a conversation was sparked with the woman it became obvious to the pair of thieves that she was a mage and not just your ordinary run of the mill mage either, she was a powerful one, one to be weary of. As she spoke of knowing their intentions and what not thanks to the light she'd shone on them and that she also had been watching them on their journey to her Artesia couldn't help but feel somewhat violated. There was something about having your every movement watched that made the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end and frankly Artesia wasn't a fan of it. The fact that she'd been completely unaware of the magic watching her and the mage behind it only drove home the fact that the person across the table from them was far beyond their level in terms of magical ability, thank goodness she was a friend and not a foe right? Settling into the comfortable chair that had popped up behind her and bumped into the back of her legs to make her sit Artesia stroked at its soft covering before glancing back up to the woman who named herself Cassandra. "Why am I not surprised to hear that. " Artesia said while leaning back into the seating beneath her completely and with a slight sigh, "As I'm sure you know though we didn't have the easiest day out to come here, so I'm sure you know that you'll have to elaborate on things a little more than that." There was no way she was leaving that cabin until they found out what they needed to know, at least not unless the chick threatened to get violent. |
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| 竜 Mazohyst | Dec 28 2013, 07:27 AM Post #25 |
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Stay the course.
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Whereas Artorius furrowed his brow in slight annoyance at the dark-haired woman's preference for vagueness and cryptic wordings, Cassandra smiled innocently, enjoying herself to a fair degree. Her years in solitude had dulled her ability to interact with others in a sense, manifesting in her preference for confusing phrasings. So used to the silence of her home she had become. However, she remained curt and otherwise pleasant, speaking calmly and warmly to the others. Nevertheless, the two thieves were right. They had a difficult journey to reach this far, and she couldn't keep them from the answer that they so desperately sought. Besides that, she had expected this day for quite some time. "Very well. I suppose I can't keep you as my guests forever. All things eventually come to pass," she responded to the two, her voice sounding quite melancholy when she started, but she quickly cleared her throat as she began to explain everything to them. Though, as she spoke, she gestured towards the lantern. As the two looked towards it, they would find vivid images reflecting what Cassandra spoke of. "Once, there was a man. Raza Lamora. A greedy man, but charming nonetheless. He was charismatic, and men and women would come to listen to what he had to say. Eventually, his greed manifested in a desire to hoard wealth, soon growing into a wanton desire to control the people beneath him. When his charm and guile failed to sway people to his side, he would use magic, dark and sinister magics, to encapture their hearts and minds. A mere thief who dared call himself King, the Gray King he was known as." The woman paused, staring in grief at the visage of the twisted man in the lantern's display. But, she quickly swallowed her emotions and continued. "Once, this Gray King visited a seer. A so-called prophet, blessed, or some even would go so far as to say -- cursed, with the power of foresight. As much as the Gray King hoarded wealth and power and servants, there was one thing he simply could not avoid. Time, and the inevitability of death. You see, the Gray King asked, begged even, of the seer to see his death. And, in an image like the one you see before you, the Gray King suffered, he suffered so much that he cursed, he spat, and he threatened the seer. But, the seer could only see, not change what was to come. Yet, as the Gray King cried in agony, he turned back towards the image displayed in the light -- the seer had a part to play in the King's death. And so, he hunted her to the ends of the earth, til he could no longer find her. She was his most trusted adviser." Her voice trailed off, sounding solemn and momentarily filled with grief. But, her tone and expression quickly changed as she continued. "Weeks ago, the Gray King found another seer, one who found different vision of the King's death he so desperately tried to avoid. This time, it was not a seer who had hand in his demise, but a man of silver and brown, and a woman of black and red. From this, he searched for them tirelessly, endlessly, to capture and kill, or perhaps to recruit and make his own. In the end, he saw not two different visions, but merely the same vision at different points in time. It's an inevitability, you see. You may fight fate and destiny, struggle like a worm caught by the bird, but what happens happens. The results can't be changed. You two will play an important part in the Gray King's life to come. Whether you kill him or not, your actions will, directly or indirectly, change him forever. Regardless of if you like it or not, the Gray King will hunt you two down to the ends of the earth, just as he tried to hunt me down. He won't give up. And he won't forget." Frankly, this was a lot to swallow. Artorius always hated the notion of per-destined shenanigans and things like fate. As a thief, no, as a man, he enjoyed the idea of free will and his own choices affecting his life. To be drawn into something like this was complete bullshit to him. However, there was truth in what Cassandra said, and frankly, this part was the only one he cared about. "I don't care much for prophecies and visions. I only focus on what I want and what is right before my eyes, no parlor tricks or anything like that. But, I know one thing for certain. If what you say has truth to it, then this mad bastard will hunt us down," Artorius spoke astutely, rubbing his hands and biting his lip as he continued. "I won't pretend like I believe in fate and destiny. But, I know that if someone is pursuing me so vehemently then I have a choice to make -- I run, and I run forever. Or, I meet him head on. And frankly, I don't know about you Artesia, but I'm tired of running." |
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| Lightning | Dec 29 2013, 07:59 AM Post #26 |
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Steel your mind. Run on instinct.
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There was something 'off' about how a seer that could supposedly see the future in an absolute manner couldn't see exactly how the two people before her would be involved in it and this discrepancy was something Artesia didn't fail to notice. Much like Artorius the red haired thief wasn't much on prophecies or the notion of something being fate, she liked to believe that what happened was because of her choices and not because of some kind of pre-destined tale long ago written. Despite the fact Cassandra was spouting nonsense about such things Artesia remained silent deciding that whatever she used to reason things in her mind was fine, what they cared about was the facts and they were that the guy after them was someone who wanted them dead for no real reason. Well, for no real reason yet, they hadn't even done anything to the guy yet. The idea of hunting someone down and killing them because they MIGHT be the ones that someone saw in a vision of the future was crazy, it was too bad that despite that it was actually believable. People in the world could be idiots, this both of the thieves knew all too well. The sentiments which Artorius gave were pretty much exactly those that Artesia would have, well the wording might have differed but the points were the same. "Running's never been my thing." She smirked. For some reason the expression on Cassandra's face as she heard the replies from those seated across from her made it seem as though she'd been expecting it, "I didn't think you had come here having decided to run." She said with an all knowing expression and tone of voice, "You wouldn't have sought me out if that was all you wanted to do." Well, that was true, there was no denying that much. Neither of the thieves had actually said to one another that they wanted to tackle the organisation that was after them before this moment but now they knew they could feel secure in that much at least. At least it turned out they were on the same page, how awkward would it have been to be there before the woman arguing of what course of action they were going to take? Yeah, pretty embarrassing. "The vision of the Gray Kings demise which I was privy to did not show just how you two would be involved, in fact if you are even the two that the second seer saw still remains to be seen." Cassandra moved to stand from her seat causing the chair beneath her to creak as it slid against the hard wooden floor it rested upon. "I do not believe it to be a coincidence that you two found your way to me however I do wonder if you both possess what will be needed to truly bring defeat to the man who holds the throne." As the woman stood she reached her hand towards the lantern which rested upon the desk in front of her, "But do not worry, the light will reveal all." Before Artesia or Artorius could make a move they would find themselves being engulfed once more by a brilliant and blinding light. The light had come from the lantern upon the table like previously but there was something slightly different about it, this time it felt as though they were moving, as if they were flying through air. Edited by Lightning, Dec 29 2013, 07:59 AM.
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| 竜 Mazohyst | Dec 29 2013, 09:32 AM Post #27 |
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Stay the course.
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The two quickly found themselves being engulfed in a tremendous display of light, being momentarily blinded. Quickly, they would feel as if the ground beneath their feet disappeared, before they would suddenly finding themselves being quickly dropped. As they hit the ground with a thud, the two would find that they had actually landed in the field of wheat outside. However, in the process, something else was dropped alongside them. As it fell, it created much more than a single thud, but a loud rumble. Following this, it roared with a loud crackle of thunder which surrounded its form. Its face was brown, but tinted red due to the combination of its blood-thirsty eyes which peered through from behind a metal mask, as well as alongside a red crystal on the center of its head. After examining it more closely, Artorius realized it was the form of an immense golden lion, easily four meters tall, whose body was eternally surrounded by lightning.![]() The beast's fury was intimidating, to the point where a single roar forced either of the two thieves to stabilize their footing or else they would be tossed aside. A moment after this roar, an immense bolt of lightning struck the ground near them, scorching the land and setting the field in the immediate area on fire, creating a ring of flame that trapped them with the tremendous beast. "This... This is our test?" Artorius spoke as he pushed himself up to his feet, regaining his composure after the fearsome roar and bolt of lightning which had struck close to himself. This situation was beginning to remind him of his time with Mokalure, where a bolt of lightning had signaled the start of a great battle. Though, this time it would appear that Artorius was on one end of the fight instead of being a bystander who wanted nothing to do with it. Still, right now, as least as far as he saw it, he had no choice but to defend himself. "Well, looks like we have no choice. Besides, where there's fire..." Artorius paused for a moment, sucking in a huge amount of air. The air was warm and dry as he took it into his lungs, but Artorius needed to level with this beast if he intended on making it through this alive. Finishing his charge up, Artorius turned narrowed his gaze on the golden lion in front of him. "...there's also smoke. Kemuryū no... Hōkō (Smoke Dragon's Roar)!" Artorius roared, sending forth a stream of silver smoke right at the lion, striking it on its chest. However, while the beast was pushed back by the blow, it was mostly undeterred and stamped its food hard on the ground, sending a bolt of lightning to come crashing down where Artorius stood. Quickly, the man leapt out of the way, just narrowly avoiding being struck. This battle wasn't going to be easy. Not only was it powerful, but it could take a blow with ease as well. Besides that, the ring of fire surrounding them was making it difficult to move, and Artesia would find breathing to become difficult due to the smoke. Edited by Mazohyst, Dec 29 2013, 09:34 AM.
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| Lightning | Dec 29 2013, 10:11 AM Post #28 |
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Steel your mind. Run on instinct.
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Lions could be scary and intimidating at the best of times let alone when they were four metres tall and surrounded by electricity, add in some red glowing eyes and you can understand why Artesia wasn't exactly too thrilled to find it roaring at her. Somehow Cassandra must have teleported the pair of thieves outside the cabin for they found themselves in the wheat field which surrounded it once more, either that or they were in some kind of illusion of some kind but you know what? She didn't feel like testing things to find out which it was, dying because she was wrong didn't really sound like a great option to be frank. Landing alongside the thieves in the wheat field the giant and electrified lion in question roared with might and physically knocked to her knees by the force of it Artesia could tell that what was to come wouldn't be simple. The roar did more than simply knock the thieves down and called forth from the sky a mighty bolt of lightning struck the ground near Artorius and Artesia both setting the dry wheat surrounding them aflame. It was obvious that the fire which burned was not intended to simply eat up everything in its reach though as the only wheat that it took a hold of took the form of a ring, their enemy most definitely didn't want them to run that much was made obvious. Stabilising herself and forcing herself to her feet Artesia gave a scoff of amusement and replied to Artorius, "Feels more like a pop quiz if you ask me." A test was something you were told was coming, it was something you had the time to prepare for, or at least most were like that anyway. This, well this was more like one of those annoying pop quizzes you had sprung on you because someone felt like being a jerk wad. The fire that burned surrounding Artorius and Artesia may have been content to remain in a circle without travelling further and consuming more wheat but for some reason what it did burn didn't seem to turn to ashes like it should have. What they had was a fire with intense heat that threatened to burn for what seemed to be an indefinite period of time and as it did so it spewed a black smoke into the air, one which as it thickened began to cause Artesia's eyes to burn and water in response and her throat to burn and dry up. Artorius might have felt perfectly at home in a cloud of smoke but for humans which didn't have the luxury of being a smoke dragon slayer it was kind of hard to breathe. Watching on as she covered her mouth with the sleeve of Artorius's hoodie in an effort to filter out as much of the smoke as she could Artesia couldn't really see things as clearly as Artorius himself could, that didn't mean she wasn't aware of how failed the attack he'd launched at their enemy had been though. Artesia shielded herself with her arms as the second lightning bolt struck the ground where Artorius had been standing and as she did so she felt them getting pelted with chunks of dirt and grass but at least she'd prevented any of it from getting into her already suffering eyes. As she lowered her eyes and looked to the giant lion who showed no signs of being phased in the slightest by the attack it had been hit by she couldn't really think of much on her own accord, the smoke was taking up too much of her focus. "I don't think your bad breath is going to be enough to take this one down Artorius, any other plans?" |
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| 竜 Mazohyst | Dec 29 2013, 11:31 AM Post #29 |
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Stay the course.
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Their attacks were ineffective. This thing was superior in speed, stamina, and sheer striking power. Right now, Artorius couldn't think of any imaginable way they could defeat or subdue this thing. Then, that's when he realized. They didn't actually need to defeat it, but instead they just had to subdue it somehow. Artorius recollected the moments in the past, particularly those in the Lancarri Jungle. Back then, when the man was seemingly trapped in an ancient crumbling fort, the two giant statues fought each other vehemently. That moment echoed this one, with the huge enemy clashing against another, and its start signalling with the violent crack of thunder and lightning. But, as Artorius' flashbacks of that day moved forward, he recalled how Mokalure tricked him, or attempted to, stringing him along with illusions and the like. Not everything is how it seems. Sometimes, there are things that lie beyond the veil of what you see, and beneath the surface of your own perspective. That's when Artorius realized it. By that, I mean that's when he realized why and how this was a test, and what it was testing. Defeating this enormous beast through sheer force simply wasn't possible, at least not with their current level of strength. But, through guile and wit, by thinking outside the box, they might just have a chance. And right now, as Artorius stared the creature in its crimson eyes, he realized just how much those eyes stood out. It was quite like in that ancient crumbling fort those months ago with those pedestals and the like. Artorius just had to go for what stood out, and if his gut was right, then it was that mask that stood out. Based on the rest of its appearance, the mask on the lion didn't look natural at all, as if it were possessing it somehow, enraging and invoking its ferocity. Nevertheless, right now Artesia was suffering under the effects of the smoke that was surrounding the battlefield. If the man didn't help her she would die. He had two options. He could try to pull off some sort of miracle stunt on his own and hope to rescue Artesia. Or, he could do what he didn't want to do, and consume the smoke before her eyes. Artorius didn't want to disclose the nature of his magic for good reason. He didn't know for sure if he could trust her yet, at least with not that part of him. Not only that, it was possible that she might have some sort of agenda against who, or rather what he was. However, there was a slim chance that he would actually defeat this thing and save her on his own. So far, Artorius had to admit that there was no reason to distrust her, as so far she seemed reliable and loyal, more so than his old friend. Balling his hands in tight fist, Artorius dug his nails into his palm as he drew in the surrounding smoke, drawing it towards himself and pulling it into his lugs. Swallowing it whole, the smoke in the area began to clear, but soon the fire would produce more smoke. So, they had to act fast. "Artesia!" the man called out to her frantically. "Get that mask off of it's face. I'll buy you some time!" Quickly, panting after consuming so much natural smoke, Artorius hurled a three pronged harpoon at the beast, hitting it right on its foot. However, he managed to momentarily trap it's foot, holding it down with the prongs beneath its toes and digging into the ground. It was now or never. |
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| Lightning | Dec 29 2013, 12:32 PM Post #30 |
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Steel your mind. Run on instinct.
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When no reply came from Artorius as to whether or not he had any other plans on how to beat the beast before them Artesia took a good hard look in his direction. He didn't seem to be injured and therefore his reasons for not replying would have had nothing to do with being unable to, it must have been because he was thinking, or so she hoped. The way that the man was looking at the lion with such intensity and focus only confirmed that which Artesia had been thinking on and so as not to interrupt him she remained silent, it was for the best anyway that she did so as breathing was becoming harder and harder to keep doing and speaking would only make it that much harder. As she waited and fought against her tearing eyes and burning lungs Artesia couldn't help but wonder just what her companion would come up with, what was it that he could see which she couldn't and how was it that he was so unaffected by the smoke which harassed her? She knew that elemental mages could develop a tolerance for the one of their affinity but to think they could to such an extent as Artorius had was somewhat amazing, too bad it made her feel a little inferior too when it came to how darkness wasn't something she could just see through. Little did she know that your ordinary smoke mage was far from what Artorius was. Things weren't looking too good for the pair of thieves up until the moment that Artorius's voice cut through the air sharper than any blade could have. His voice helped to draw Artesia from the haze her mind had entered thanks to the lack of oxygen the smoke in the air was allowing her to inhale and shouting out on instinct she made sure to let him know she heard him. "If you say so." The thought process behind the decision that the mask the lion wore had to come off was one that Artesia couldn't process in her given state and it was one that she would have to trust Artorius to have made correctly. Waiting for her sign to move Artesia had been expecting something to happen, what she wasn't expecting though was what actually occurred. The smoke began to thin and clear as it was sucked away by something, this in itself was surprising and amazing in itself but as it thinned enough for her to see clearly it became even more so. The cause for the smoke being drawn away from her and disappearing altogether was Artorius, the man was somehow inhaling it and in a rather dramatic fashion at that. There was no time to linger on it though and Artesia knew that, shaking her head to clear it and taking deep breaths of the fresher air around her she regained what she could of her senses and turned her gaze to the enemy before her. The harpoon that Artorius launched at it pinned its foot to the ground and as the beast leant its head down in an effort to bite at what held it Artesia saw her chance. "Here goes!" She launched herself into a dash and while the leap she made would appear as though it would fall incredibly short of the lions face she had a trick up her sleeve, or should I say under her boots? Artesia had never done what she was about to do before and so she was very much unsure if it would work, she could hope though right? As she leapt into the air she focused on creating a platform of solid darkness beneath her which she could use as a point to perform yet another jump, she'd seen Artorius do it so she had the basic idea down pat, there was just the execution that worried her. The moment that she felt the platform form beneath her feet Artesia's face lit up with a grin and as she thrust herself upwards using it to propel herself through the air a sense of pride shone from every pore in her body. There was nothing better than the feeling you got when you managed to pull something off you'd never done before, even more so when you looked cool doing it. With both hands Artesia grabbed a hold of the mask upon the lions face with all her strength and as she did so the beast flailed and stood back up to its full height taking her higher in the air along with it. Despite being thrown around like a rag doll as the lion flailed its head around Artesia remained clinging onto the mask and using her abdominal muscles and upper body strength she managed to bring her feet up to rest on the lower edge of it. "One, two, THREE!" On the count of three the woman pulled with her hands on the upper edge of the mask while pushing with her lower body upon its bottom and freed from the creature the mask went flying backwards along with Artesia herself. Why was it that she felt a sense of Deja vu as she flew through the air though? Edited by Lightning, Dec 29 2013, 12:34 PM.
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