Had Hector any less restraint, he'd likely have blown apart the goggled man's skull and left his brains splattered against a tree. You're welcome, random nameless (yet somehow familiar) mud man. But there was no time for that, given that more of the Makara burst from the water. Narrowing his eye, Hector would land a clean shot, penetrating the skull of one of the Makara approaching the front line, just as two managed to slink past and slam into the tree he was perched up in. Hurriedly, he would reach into his belt pouch to draw the bayonet free from it, Herne hissing and keeping its eyes trained on the two beasts.
Hector scarcely managed to fumble his bayonet onto the end of his gun before a large tentacle formed and swatted the beasts away. Lapis had managed to save him from becoming a marsh-monster-meal, and it seemed that her and Tilnak had erected the barrier! With a gap formed in the Makara's formation, Hector would figure that the strange mud-enjoying man might have a point that they should move. ...Also, his jokes were terrible. Not able to descend and run in the mud without risking being eaten, Hector would holster his rifle and leap from the branch he was perched on, Herne coiling tightly around his wrist and deftly wrap around branches as Hector followed both Scarlett and the goggled man. The blinding light from the stranger's bomb had knocked out Hector's sight, but thankfully Herne was seeing for him.
A sharp hiss signaled that it was time for Hector to land, the marksman hurrying to his feet after barely sticking the landing. They would huddle inside of an abandoned shack that reeked of...something. Something acrid and foul. Unnatural scents manufactured, not born. Bringing the collar of his coat to his mouth, Hector would cough twice. "What a stench... he said, trying to see if he could identify any of these chemicals. He'd learned to mix medicine a few times in the army, and thought that, perhaps, he could at least inform the party if there was any danger in staying here. "Be careful not to touch anything. This might be why the Makara are-"
His words were broken by Scarlett gathering materials rapidly, her arm still not regenerated fully. As much as Hector wasn't a fan of her, he didn't want her to bleed out or die form her injuries. As such, he'd approach from her side and intoned his basic Healing Prayer spell, giving Scarlett's regeneration a boost. Well, he didn't know that at least. He was just hoping to staunch the bleeding on what would be, to most people, a permanent injury. She would fix her hair and give Hector a shock by revealing a third eye...and then another shock came when blood vessels burst from her arm to open a barrel.
And a final one came when the alchemist savage dunked her entire head into the drum of hazardous chemicals. Mouth agape and expression matched by Herne who, admittedly, was also EXTREMELY confused at her course of action, both master and summon would grab Scarlett by her shoulders to attempt to pull her out. "What are you doing, you fool!? Who knows what's even in there?"
Renee Terfiel and Lanus Retily Interactions: @AzureKnight
"No problem," Renee replied, glancing at the magus. "You can keep casting and we'll back you up." She fired another one of her arrows, deleting one more unfortunate abomination with the explosion.
Suddenly, the ground underneath her shook. Terribly. She let out a yelp, quickly balancing herself on the spot by shifting the weight of her body. It was a skill most fey would have from growing up as keeping your balance while navigating through tree tops was something that was absolutely necessary if you didn't want to humiliate yourself by falling off.
Before she could let out a sigh of relief, a giant skeletal hand erupted from the ground. She let out another yelp before gritting her teeth, jumping away from it as she aimed her bow towards it.
And, to her horror, it wasn't just a skeletal hand.
The full set of bones now stood in front of her. It called upon its abhorrent brethren, summoning more and more of the creatures from before.
"Stand back!" Lanus yelled to Renee. "Let me handle the small fries! You focus on taking out the big guy!"
The female fae nodded, a panicked look displayed on her face. She jumped backwards, flashing her panties as her skirt flipped upwards. Lanus' perverted eyes didn't miss the show for he was all too familiar with the many in combat pantyshots she would give, being her partner at all. Still, even as he ogled her, he wasn't distracted in the slightest. One of the creatures tried to ambush him, only to receive an upward slash from his sword that sliced it into two. And he did it without even looking at it.
"Nymph! Don't let them surround us!"
"On it, Master!"
The summoned spirit would then aid the group by creating a defensive line that the abominations couldn't pass. If they did, they would be erased by her water in an instant.
However, it was clear as day that they were slowly but surely being overwhelmed. The wave of abominations wouldn't stop. Not to mention Rose with her wound, a terrible thing to have in a miasma-infested place like this.
”Funny, pretty sure this fucker wasn’t in the report that we received.” Ruecian spat at Rana. ”I-I’m sorry! I swear to you, that thing wasn’t here before. I have no idea what that thing even is!!” She exclaimed.
"Ladies, don't fret!" Lanus flashed them a grin. "We'll make it out of here for sure!"
He knew that this was the exact situation he warned of before they got here. But there was no point in saying "See, I was right!". It wouldn't make their situation any better.
Thankfully, he did have a plan for this. Though it seemed Rue had his own plan on the ready.
"A combined attack. I like it!" He smiled at him. "Rana, need any assistance in healing her?" He switched his glance towards the two. "My Nymph can heal wounds too, you know."
Channeling azure mana around him, Rue began to conjure a shape beside him. The shape then became a large, blue serpent that was larger than the summon that Roze had called forth. ”Mizuchi to me!” He called out. ”Sublimate them.” He coldly said. His summon began blasting a large volley of icy breath at the skeletal beast and its disgusting minions, signaling for the couple to join in. Hopefully, their efforts would be enough to give Rana time to treat Roze’s wounds.
Nymph quickly joined in the assault, firing off high pressure water towards the skeletal beast. It pierced through its minions before hitting the big guy himself.
Renee, on the other hand, fired her arrow on an overhead trajectory, skipping past the minions, landing right on top of the giant skeleton with a loud boom.
Duck. A one, two punch combo. Move to the side. A nasty right hook. And just like that, Einer had knocked out two bandits with weapons far more advanced than his knuckles. The bard gritted his teeth for this was a battle, but was he actually smiling?
Einer felt the rush of a fight. To be the master of his own violence, not needing others to do it for him. Here comes a new challenger for the bard to test his mettle against. A thug with a sword that hissed with machinery. Step to the side to evade the vertical swing, then a jab to the face--
*SLASH*
Einer did not expect a follow up to the vertical slash with one that went upwards. Even so, the bard believed himself quicker and would have landed the jab before the bandit could do anything else. But he was wrong and now, Einer felt his burn with pain. He dropped to his three limbs, with one hand clutching his wound. He looked up and saw the thug ready the killing blow. He was on top of the world mere moments earlier, how could this all happen? Einer cursed it all. Why was he born helpless?
”You should be more careful, you’re a sitting duck like that!”
The blow never came. The sword bandit dropped after getting hit by a vermillion bolt of magic from Evelyn. Still, Einer silently cursed. To be saved once more by those more capable. He was trapped in this kind of life, wasn't he? He would always be that one guy that needs protecting. No, no. Now was not the time for despair. The bard reminded himself with patience. He can find something in the Eon Tower to change his fate. Heck, maybe he could find something here.
Einer pulled himself up back up, just in time for the thieves' trump card. A dark purple orb held by a particularly armed bandit glowed eerily, its aura dispelling all the magics of the Reavers. Evelyn, having fallen from the air, attempted to cast another spell that barely manifested. "Magic nullification..." Einer muttered.
The brigands came again, but the magics of their weapons were nullified too. They were still weapons, however, and Evelyn was forced back behind a rock before any of the thugs could open fire. She was joined by the wounded Einer who held up his knuckles. "Sir Leon seems to be... targeting the source of this magic-nullifying aura. I shall try to gain their... attention while you... do whatever you need to do." The pain was still burning, causing hisses between the words, but Einer threw himself back into the fold.
His fistfighting used no magic, so Einer's meager combat abilities was not affected. And now, there was no one to help him. No one to save him... and no one to humiliate him. The bard grit his teeth again, both from pain... and from joy. He was master of his fate once again. It was morbid to be thankful of the enemy's dark orb, but he was. Einer gripped his knuckles as the brigands came.
There were ranged gunners, though, so Einer would attempt put the melee fighters between them and him as he fought. Ducking and weaving and counterattacking, he may be bleeding from the side but Einer never felt so alive.
The onslaught of makaras didn't quite end with the first wave and Shavis called her familiar back to her side for extra claws on the case as her repressant began to fade which led some of the makaras to finally pay attention to her. As bubbles began to surface near the lake, Shavis prepared a strike before pulling back when a man emerged from the waters. Electing to ignore him for now, she turned her attention fully back to the makaras to aid her own familiar with holding them back. Thankfully, Lapis had come to aid them but even with their added numbers, the beasts were quickly overwhelming them.
"I appreciate a sense of humor in these trying times!" Shavis commented to the peculiar man. She stayed behind the group, making sure that none of the makara would grab someone from behind. A shack soon came into view and she rushed inside with the others and immediately let out a cough as the stench of chemicals assaulted her senses. She began to wave the air in front of her in a futile attempt to expel the smell.
Scarlett immediately went to work. She was much more familiar with these things but Shavis also kept in mind that she was likely doing this for her own sake— did Scarlett even properly feed? While she was doing this, Shavis walked over to the mysterious man. "So, what's your deal? What are you doing, all the way out here with these aggressive makara around?" She asked, crossing her arms and eyeing the man warily.
As Hector said, these chemicals might as well be the reason why the makara were rampaging. This was a laboratory in the middle of a swamp. Could some chemicals be leaking into the swamp? If that was the case, then whoever owned this laboratory was at fault and they were honor-bound to put this entire operation to a stop. "And how'd you know about this place? You mentioned this being a... 'home field advantage?'"
Before she could even continue with that train of thought, Scarlett had dunked her head into a vat of chemicals, and Hector immediately moved to get her out of there. It took a moment for Shavis to process what was happening and she couldn't help the smile that cracked on her face, removing her from the serious matter on their hands. "Scarlett, you know you shouldn't be sticking your head into mysterious vats of chemicals!" She attempted a reprimand but her tone was more amused than anything. Still, she made sure to keep herself close to the man to be able to quickly move onto him if he did anything suspicious.
"Oh, sorry about the smell. It's toxic waste... well, toxic magical waste. I got hired to get rid of them." The goggled man replied. "Name's Keith. Keith North, world-class mercenary and a guy-you-hire-if-you-want-something-done kind of guy."
At his answer, Lapis would look at the man as if he were in dire need of a mental evaluation. ”Toxic waste??” She pressed. ”First of all, of all the places you could’ve dumped these chemicals, you chose a populated ecosystem with magical beasts? Second, who hired you to dispose of this gunk in the first place you scoundrel?!”” She was going to yell further, but she nearly gagged and held her nose. The smell of the waste was too strong, which was made worse by Lapis having a stronger sense of smell than others. Shavis also joined in the interrogation, thinking it was strange that he had access to this location in the first place. ”Ugh… Ms. Shavis, how can you tolerate this smell??”
Scarlett had completely ignored the stench and began inspecting the laboratory thoroughly. She paid special attention to the various drums that likely were filled with the toxic substance in question. What she did next, however, shocked everyone in the room, including Keith. Lapis, herself, was left speechless by the side. A part of her felt that Scarlett would quickly expire as a result, but given what she’s seen of her perhaps there was a method to this apparent madness.
When Scarlett dumped her head into a vat of the waste, Keith would join in on the panic. "Hey, whoa, whoa! That stuff's dangerous! Not edible!" He then shrugged. "Well, I mean I haven't tried. Maybe it is and if you like it, I guess I can give it to you. It'll save me all the trouble."
”You know, my teammate may appreciate your sense of humor, but I don’t care much for it!” She said, breaking her silence. ”Ms. Shavis, I don’t understand how you can be so calm about it. Is there something about Scarlett’s biology that you’re aware of that we aren’t? ” She asked, honestly curious. Hector had , in Lapis’s opinion, a much more reasonable reaction to the situation as he and Herne promptly worked to pull Scarlett from the drum.
Fed up with the current state of events, Lapis took it upon herself to escalate the matter. ”I believe it’s obvious to anyone that you’re the source of all the problems that have been plaguing this area! Because of you, the Makara have gone rampage and in turn disrupted the lives of the locals!”
Keith opted to take a stance to defend his character. "Hey, now! I was hired to throw this stuff away and now I'm throwing it away in the place everyone agrees to be the nastiest: The swamp." Keith retorted. "And who cares if the Makara gets messed up, they'll get it out of their system in the next fifty years or so. Not that long, to be honest." He replied, seeming to not care one lick about the ramifications of his actions.
”Your short-sightedness is making me more ill than all this filth you’ve stored in here!” She spat. ”Since it’s clear that you won’t be backing down from this point, I’ll gladly deign to persuade you by force.” She said coldly. Hachigan grew into its monstrous form, with Lapis channeling watery mana in her palms.
With Lapis already prepped for battle, all Keith could do was rub the back of his head and shrug. Following suit, Keith assumed a defensive position, letting the Reavers make the first move. "Aww, and we were just getting along."
Hector seemed to still be busy with Scarlett, so it was left to Shavis if she decided to aid Lapis in her imminent confrontation with the merc.
_______________________________________________
Difficulty: ⭐⭐⭐ Reward: 3000G, New magitech inventory available in shop
From the safety of her rock, Evelyn looked on at Leon as he made quick work of more of the thieves. With deft acrobatics, Leon unleashed a fluffy of slashes and punctures via throwing knives; The grace the Fae boy displayed made it appear as those he was flying. That guy…he’s not bad, actually… She said to herself. She then snapped herself out of her stupor, focusing on the task at hand. This may have been her only chance! Her instructors at the academy had taken steps to ensure their students had practiced certain CQC tactics in the event where magic either failed them or was unavailable to them at the time. Evelyn felt that she was decent enough at such maneuvers, though this was the first time she’d have to put it to real use.
Her thoughts were broken by Einer, who hobbled up beside her. She immediately noticed his side wound, blood slowly dripping from it. His speech was labored as he spoke, eyes squinted as he strained to fight through the pain. ”...Eh? Perhaps you should stay back, you look like you’re about to keel over.” She said. ”After already saving you, I’d rather not have your death on my conscience…” But, it would seem that the witch’s words fell on deaf ears, the young bard brandished his knuckles and again threw himself into the fray. Though, perhaps things wouldn’t go too bad for him. Thanks to Leon’s efforts, the herd of bandits had been thinned out and retaliation had greatly weakened. If anything, she was more worried about the look Einer had in his eyes as he went back into the fight. He looked like he was enjoying himself…
She didn’t have time to focus on that though, she had her own matter to worry about. Taking full advantage of the diversion created by Leon, Evelyn had made a mad sprint toward the hooded brigand holding the orb. He as well seemed too distracted by the fae boy to notice the witch coming at his flank, being too busy barking orders at his incompetent lessers. By the time the man noticed her coming, it was too late. Wielding her staff in both hands, she gave the man a harsh bludgeon to the back of the head. Making a pained grunt, the man toppled over and dropped the orb to the ground. ”I’m not a fan of it, but I can get my hands dirty every once in a while!” She taunted. She made a dash for the orb that was now rolling on the ground, but fell as the hooded man grabbed her by the leg. ”Waahh?!” She let out in surprise as she fell. The man, now unhooded, revealed that the mask was part of an elaborate helmet he wore, it absorbed some of the impact of Eve’s whack. Though, it was cracked and the man’s head was bleeding a bit.
”No you don’t, you little shit!” He spat, not letting go of her leg. However, unfortunately for him, with the orb no longer in his hands it wasn’t active. Looking at him with a vicious glare, that was the last thing he remembered before being enveloped by a bright vermillion light. Eve blasted him several yards away with her now restored magic. ”I’m SO over this. Time to clear out the herd…” She uttered. Eve blasted away the mob that Einer was dealing with, then ensured that he and Leon stayed out of the way. ”I’d advise the both of you to steer clear. To be honest, I don’t have much experience with this technique.”
Letting go of her staff, it floated behind her and began to glow a hazy indigo light. Eve made a strange sign using her hands, this seemed to cause the glow to grow in size until it enveloped the rest of the bandits. Soon the glow began to change into a darker color, and starry constellations formed around the vicinity. The bandits found themselves unable to move much at all in this field, seeming unable to even lift up their weapons in retaliation. Their firearms ceased to work at all, either appearing to jam or the bullets immediately fell to the ground upon the trigger being pulled. With confused and fearful gazes, they could do nothing but observe the young witch, wondering what type of spell she was conjuring.
”Void Domain: Nebula Field. Plasma Fall”
After stating this incantation, the stars that formed above the brigands began to grow in size, growing in a shining brilliance. Soon the doomed bandits were subjected to a barrage of large star blasts, the impact of which drowned out their panicked screams. After a little bit, the entire force had been completely decimated. Satisfied with the result, Evelyn dispelled her field, and the surroundings turned back to normal. All that was left were the bodies of numerous criminals that littered the ground, which was covered in a multitude of craters of various sizes. With there apparent leader defeated and their forces decimated, it seemed that the Eon team won the night.
From the charred entrance of the stronghold, a young man slowly came out in a sheepish stride, holding his shaking hands in the air. It was the worker from the factory. ”I surrender, please mercy!” He pleaded with the team of reavers. ”I’ll give back the equipment that was stolen, I’m sorry…” Recognizing him, Eve began walking over to him slowly, her walking appeared to be more like limping. ”All right you dolt, you’ve caused us a lot of trouble tonight, so…you’d…bet-” Unable to finish her sentence, Eve stumbled face first into the ground, kicking up a bit of dirt as she made a thud. It seemed that her technique used up the remaining mana she had in her reserves. Barely managing to lift her head up, she turned to Leon. ”H-Hey, Fae boy. I may have…made a small miscalculation and used up too much mana with that last attack. It’s not like I need it but, I certainly wouldn’t mind a little bit of help either…”
The young worker looked at Eve with mixed emotions of surprise, concern, and perplexity. At any rate, now that the thieves were defeated it’d probably be wise to follow the young man into the stronghold and recover the lost goods. The orb that the hooded man from earlier used was also lying on the ground, free for the taking.
Ruecian did his part in holding back the newly formed beast and its bony minions. Lanus certainly wasn’t a slouch either, not faltering once during the sudden development and directed Renee to assist the azure Belua in attacking the beast while he dealt with the lesser creatures. His nymph created a barrier of water that dissolved any monster that got near it, buying Rana more time. The Fae couple then combined their attacks with Rue’s to create an all-out barrage against the giant creature. The creature seemed to be taking a decent amount of damage, covered in singe marks and rime that made it hard to move its large limbs. It was still standing, however, and with a hideous roar began to blow wretched air at the team of magus. Thankfully, Rue’s summon Mizuchi and the barrier that Lanus’ nymph made shielded them from the attack.
Rana looked to Lanus in response to his offer. ”I think it’s better that you focus on killing that thing! I should be almost done here.” At that moment, a hand grasped her wrist, stopping her healing magic.
”You’ve done quite enough, we’re ending this now.” Said Roze, the effects of miasma poison having been purified from her.
”Wait!” Rana protested. ”You’ve been purified, but your wound hasn’t fully closed.”
”It won’t be a problem.” Roze solemnly responded. ”All we have to do is win. Come to me, Icarus!” As the jewel in her staff glowed a bright emerald glow, her giant armored bird familiar materialized before her and Rana. The latter seemed to be rather impressed with the level of summon Roze possessed. ”Icarus, dance your great wings, and rend this fell creature with your frenzied winds! With a great shriek, Icarus flapped its wings with such speed that they appeared as a blur, The gale force winds generated combined with the blast of frost and hydro to create a large blizzard to hit the creature with. The creature bellowed in agony at the blast, attempting to flail mindlessly in a vain maneuver to mitigate the damage. After the snowstorm cleared, the creature was little more than a pitiful mess of its former self. Missing both arms and having half its head blown away, it may one last small snarl before falling to the ground in a large crumble. The lessers around it followed suit, whatever others were already vanquished by Ruecian and Lanus’s efforts.
As the creature dissipated, it revealed itself to be made up of countless malfested corpses. As Rana looked on, her eyes widened in bewilderment as she caught a glimpse of some of the bodies. They were ones she recognized from that night. She began to shudder, having memories of that skirmish flood her head.
”Gods above, we’re finally done.” Rue said, stretching his arms. ”Nice one on that whirlwind, Roze. I’ll admit that got a little dicey, but that just comes with the job. Gotta say, Lanus and Renee, you guys kicked some ass on this mission.” He said, complimenting the couple.
”I’m inclined to agree, despite the sudden development, you both adapted quickly and responded impressively. Roze added. She winced as she held her side, now on one knee.
”Shit, Roze! Rana said that your wound hadn’t closed, don’t over do it! Hey, can you continue healing her?” Rana didn’t respond to Ruecian, only continuing to shudder. ”Hey, c’mon, I know you heard me! What’s your problem?
Rue got a bit uncomfortable, realizing he came off as being insensitive. ”Uh, look, I’m sorry about your fallen comrades. But, it’s not your fault! You did the best you could given the circumstances. Besides, this way they’ve been put out of their misery.”
”You think this is mercy.,, huh?! She snapped, her sudden anger catching Ruecian off guard. ”Is it mercy that they initially gathered a bunch of ragtag magus with no real battle experience as an expendable team to assess a situation they weren’t equipped to handle?! What a joke?! She said, sobbing.
”Rue, you never were good at pep talks..." Roze chimed in. ”Godsdammit Roze, you’re not helping! Rue retorted in an exasperated tone. ”Lanus, can you heal Roze? I’ll…try and help Rana.”
Regardless of the situation, the mission was now over. The matter of fully purifying the area was best felt to the encampment, who should now go undisturbed with the bulk of the monsters having been destroyed. There was also, of course, the matter of fully healing Roze and Rana’s current mental state to think about.
ATTN: @Polaris NorthDespite her face being buried in the toxic sludge, Scarlett's ears were above water, so to speak, and she was listening to the stranger. As Hector pulled on her shoulders in a futile bid to raise her head, he would be witness to the creeping crawl of iron sand pouring out of her shoulder, and formation a shoulder-mounted launcher with a series of gears and pulleys to interact with the chain links growing out of her exposed blood vessels, which were assisting in winding the thin veins into a thicker coil. Before Hector could do much else, the gears would be released and the built-up pressure unleashed to fire the coiled chain length from the static weapon platform.
The puesdo-spear whipped past his head - the wind pressure like that of a bullet - and a loud squelching sound would be heard, followed by, likely, Lapis's scream and Shavis's shock, as the blunt attack whiffed Keith's head - her intended target - and slammed into his solar plexus; the chains embedded in the man, and undulating, as if... swallowing.
"Hrm..." Scarlett grumbled, as she raised her head. "Sho yure leik meh, den? Shaffish, Lappiss, Heckdoor, hessa regic - hic~! - a regee - hic~! - rebodymaker! HIC~!" she drunkenly spat, turning around and slapping the drum over, as she ripped her chains back, so Keith could regenerate and prove her point.
"Ofufufu~!" Scarlett's drunken ojousama laugh was punctuated by her regenerating her arm, before forming a morph that turned her right hand into a bladed gauntlet - strangely enough, it appeared like an oversized paw of a cat with oversized nails. "Fite! HIC~! Fite! Fite!" she cackled, dropping to all fours, as iron sand formed into fluffy cat ears and whippy tail, as she shed her cloak.
"Nyahaha - hic~! - ha!!!" Scarlett laughed, showing that her canines had elongated into proper fangs, as the iron sand form sharp claws on her left hand fingers and her toes.
Her feral transformation seemed complete...
Poisoned, severely, Scarlett was in a state of crisis, and functioning on second personality, while she addressed the problems at hand.
In a snap, Shavis would remember something she was told before Scarlett was handed off to her:
"A final notation, Miss Namista. You weren't chosen at random for this task. This is an assignment you were exclusively chosen for. Inside that woman's head is a Creature from the Void, like a Malfested. A bridge between Miss Ishval and whatever put it there.
It took the form of a feral cat, for whatever reason, and we believe with your force of personality, you can assert Alpha Dominance over it, long enough to subdue it. Should she become a threat, neutralize her, and keep her bound until Miss Ishval regains control.
Lastly, you'll know this Malfested is free, if Miss Ishval forms a bladed gauntlet like an oversized cat's paw. Once it's complete, it's on your judgment on how to proceed."
Her body stiffened at Keith's answer— toxic magical waste. That answer solidified the theory that it was the reason why the makaras had become more and more aggressive— they were losing territory to whatever this was. Lapis was quick on the draw, anger flashing as she began to interrogate the mercenary before stopping and gagging at the stench. She scrunched her nose. "I'm trying to hold my breath as long as possible." She muttered as an answer. "It's best to get this over with as quick as possible."
She fell back to Lapis's side, the events taking a toll on her mental state. Shavis couldn't blame her. If she hadn't been handling Scarlett for a while now, even she would have been shocked at the sudden turn of events. "Let's just say that Scarlett is a bit different from us." Shavis wasn't personally privy to too much information and she wasn't sure if she was even able to share it with anyone else. It was Scarlett's choice to tell anyone about it and she was going to respect that.
Now her attention was split.
Lapis was actively pressuring Keith and the situation was quickly devolving into a fight. Normally, Shavis would have been all for it. The moment Keith said that it was him who had dumped the waste and his disregard for the ecosystem, Shavis was ready to punch the living daylights out of him. However, another problem had arisen. Her ear flickered for a moment when the sound of something being fired invaded her senses and she quickly moved out of the way, not that it was aimed towards her.
The blade had gone straight into Keith and she blinked. "Oh... fuck."
Like Scarlett, or the Malfested Cat, had mentioned, Keith was regenerating at a faster rate than normal. Way faster rate. Before them, the wound began to stitch itself back together. "Lapis, Hector, make sure Keith over there doesn't get away." Shadar had stalked inside, sensing the danger that was now even more present. "If I start getting beat up... please help." She told her companions before extending a hand towards Shadar. Slowly, the familiar began to fade and its magical energy began to fuse with Shavis's.
While Scarlett got closer to the ground, fully adopting a feral cat's form, Shavis placed herself between her and the others. She wasn't sure what this so-called Alpha Dominance was. She had thought she would never have to use this knowledge. But hey, if it's anything like subduing animals, then she just had to make sure the other party knew she wasn't terrified of them.
"Stand down, Scarlett." Shavis commanded, summoning all of the authority she could muster from inside her as she stood firm and tall before her feral charge, exuding the combined magical energy of both herself and her familiar. She studied Scarlett's movements, ready to defend and retaliate at a moment's notice if she decided to do something.
”I’d advise the both of you to steer clear. To be honest, I don’t have much experience with this technique.” -Evelyn
"Steer clear? What are you implying? You can't just cast a spell without knowing what the result is.. that's just insanity!" Just as Leon was about to reprimand the floating witch's casting her unstable spell halfway. His danger sense suddenly triggers.
A strong pulse pounded in his head and saw a vision of its outcome: a symphony of stars exploded in the area and the aftermath of a decimated field after the smoke clears. A walking disaster in the form of lightning and fire unleashed.
Definitely, Don't want to get caught in that!
"On second thought, I think that's a VERY good advice. I suggest you do the same Mr. Einer." without waiting for the scrapper bard to reply, The fae rogue nodded and made a mad dash towards safety, running past the numerous bandits who were unfortunate enough to get caught in her spell.
What follows was a series of flashing lights violently erupting on the battlefield like the 4th of july along with a mixture of hapless screams that goes with it.
Leon didn't even dare to look back at the explosions behind him.
Everything was a blur as soon as Evelyn finished her destructive spell.
Leon shielded his eyes with his cape from a safe distance and was amazed he was even alive after this whole mess.
"So much for subtlety. In any case, i count this as a job well done.. i think?" Leon muttered, scratching the side of his cheek and looking at the devastation the cosmic witch has caused, wiping off the enemy forces in the process.
"To the victor goes the spoils. I hope mr. Kiff appreciates this." The rogue picks up and held the troublesome orb in his palm.
With one tap of his knife, he manages to chip a fragment of it and imbued one of his daggers with its shard, Making an anti-magic dagger for himself, and the rest goes to the collector as promised.
”H-Hey, Fae boy. I may have…made a small miscalculation and used up too much mana with that last attack. It’s not like I need it but, I certainly wouldn’t mind a little bit of help either…" - Evelyn
For the first time, Leon was lost for words. He wasn't in the mood to retort a witty comeback nor blame Evelyn for her crazy antics. Instead, he was relieved that both the bard and the witch are safe.
He simply releases a sigh of relief and extends his hand to help the fallen witch, picking Evelyn up by his side and looks at Einer, putting up a thumbs-up gesture to express his approval.
"I think i have had it with explosions and crazy people for one night, let's go retrieve those stolen goods."
Hector probably had something poignant and witty to say to Keith's absurd disregard for the environment he'd ruined, but before he could he'd let out a panicked yelp as Scarlett's newly formed spear shot right past his nose and into their moronic adversary's chest. "A...rebodymaker? ...You mean he regenerates?" Hector asked, thinking he understood Scarlett's words. So, even if they somehow blew him away, he'd just come back. ...Unless, of course, there was some way to neutralize that regeneration.
...The absurdity of the scene wasn't lost on either Hector or Herne, as they watched Scarlett morph herself into a large, strange woman-cat. Whereas Shavis was a cat-woman, this was...something, to be sure. Hector assumed that Shavis meant to back her up if Keith was beating her, but then she suddenly started getting between them and Scarlett! ...There wasn't time to ask questions, as Herne slithered along the length of Hector's arm as the magus took his rifle back in his hand. With the added balance from Herne he would point it at the door, whispering a spell's name under his breath before firing a shot that exited the barrel, then immediately stopped mid-air with a faint purple glow to the casing. Then another two inches below. Then another in quick succession between himself and Keith. His free hand would go for the bayonet at his belt, the serpent on his arm keeping its eyes trained on Keith. "Come along quietly and we can sort this out. No need to do something foolish."
Three shots at different angles, all to prevent Keith from moving without suffering damage. Hector only hoped that, if Shavis had trouble with Scarlett, that he and Lapis could subdue Keith. Keeping that in mind, Herne would follow a mental command from Hector to pull the syringe Scarlett had given him before and inject it into the marksman's neck. Now was the best time to use it.
Utilizing Leon's distraction, Evelyn managed to get the jump on the bandit holding the anti-magic orb. The device turned off as it escaped the brigand's hand, returning magic into the air. And with magic back, Evelyn wasted no time casting her powerful spells; blasting away Einer's and Leon's enemies before summoning a starry constellation above the battlefield which paralyzed the thugs, barely even able to move even a muscle. Even if they tried to use their firearms, they found it was all broken.
Einer watched in awe as the stars above grew in size before blasting the hapless bandits, leaving bodies in its wake. Only one of them seemed to survive the ordeal - the 'worker' whom the Reavers followed from the factory. He had surrendered and told the Reavers that he would give up the weapons.
Evelyn was about to respond, approaching the mole, but then tumbled to the ground face first from exhaustion.
”H-Hey, Fae boy. I may have…made a small miscalculation and used up too much mana with that last attack. It’s not like I need it but, I certainly wouldn’t mind a little bit of help either…”
"I think i have had it with explosions and crazy people for one night, let's go retrieve those stolen goods."
"Indeed, I think our little fight there got a tad more intense than anticipated." Einer replied, having bandaged his wound with some first aid looted from an apparently prepared bandit. Still hurt like hell, though. "I think I know just the song to calm our nerves." With his lyre, Einer began playing the Song of Este as they entered the hideout. The mellow tune began soothing the injuries of the party and relieving fatigue.
Renee Terfiel and Lanus Retily Interactions: @AzureKnight
"Impressive!" Lanus proclaimed once he saw the monster withstood their attack. "You manage to stand even after taking all that attack!"
And then, he noticed the creature moving for a counterattack.
"Nymph! Barrier! Renee! Brace for attack!"
The watery summon reacted to his command just in time to protect the group from the hideous roar.
”I think it’s better that you focus on killing that thing! I should be almost done here.”
"Very well, if you insist!" Lanus replied. "Nymph! Ready a second attack! Renee! Launch your arrow on my mark!"
Sure enough, right after, Roze recovered from her wounds.
Realizing that she was about to do an attack, Lanus instructed Renee and Nymph to attack at the same time as her.
And once again, the creature was overwhelmed by their combined spells. The wind Icarus summoned combined with ice and water, creating a fierce blizzard that froze the creature to its core.
And then Renee's arrow finished the job, shattering its arms and head in one explosive strike.
"Well done everyone!" Lanus proclaimed as he stabbed his sword against one of the remaining mooks. "Now, clean up!"
It didn't take long until the remaining abominations were exterminated. And when they were all gone, Renee couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief, placing a hand on her chest to calm her racing, adrenaline-filled heart.
"You alright there, my dear?" Lanus approached her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You look a little pale."
"I-I'm fine." She looked up to his face. "Just… tired, that's all."
"I can imagine that." He smiled. "This is the first time we fought something like this, isn't it?"
She nodded.
"Good work. You keep your calm. That's what's most important in this job of ours."
Renee's gaze then traveled back to the creature. To her horror, it was made up of countless malfested corpses. She gasped, covering her mouth with her hand.
"An unsightly scene, is it not?" Lanus placed a hand on her shoulder to comfort her. "This is why we fight these abominations. So others won't have to suffer the same fate those people did…"
Gotta say, Lanus and Renee, you guys kicked some ass on this mission.” He said, complimenting the couple.
”I’m inclined to agree, despite the sudden development, you both adapted quickly and responded impressively. Roze added.
"Why, thank you!" Lanus replied with a smile, followed with a bow. "You two are no slouches either, that's for sure!"
Renee on the other hand didn't feel quite the same as her lover. She still felt quite overwhelmed in the combat before and she couldn't help but feel she was in over her head. All this time, she depended on Lanus' guidance in combat, and without him, she knew she wouldn't perform quite as well.
In short, she still had a long way to go as a magus.
”Lanus, can you heal Roze? I’ll…try and help Rana.”
Lanus nodded, ordering his Nymph to do so. The Nymph does it by submerging her wounds in her water, lessening the pain and promoting their rapid healing.
He didn't say anything to Rana's lament, knowing full well he was not skilled enough to comfort her. After all, once, he too felt the same…
Renee, however, was a tad more sympathetic. She walked forward to Lana, looking at her right in the eyes before starting her speech.
"I lost my entire village to these creatures…" She spoke, her voice barely a whisper. "And there was nothing I could do. Nothing other than hiding from them like a coward." She clenched her fists, her voice shaking. "Even now, after all these years, I still can't say that it wasn't my fault, that there was nothing I could do."
"You may carry that burden with you for the rest of your life. But that doesn't mean you can't move forward as well. Life is a series of misfortunes intertwined with happiness. And you must always seek for the next happiness waiting for you in the corner."
She didn't come up with that speech. It was Lanus'. He gave that speech when he first found her in the ruins of her village.
"Uwaaahh!" Keith let out a girly yell as he was struck in the chest by Scarlett's tendril-chain. It was then pulled out of him as Shavis confronted Scarlett, but Keith was still standing with his wound slowly closed as the seconds passed.
"Sort this out?! Do you not see the hole in my chest courtesy of your buddy?!" Keith replied to Hector. "I'm afraid that ship has sailed, my good sir!"
The mercenary moved to the side and threw several shurikens at Hector, while also throwing one for each bullet that he suspended in the air. He then switched targets, unsheathing two swords and going after Lapis. Twirling his blades in the approach to deflect any projectiles or to slice away any of Hachigan's tentacles that neared him, Keith would slash at the azure esper once he got close enough.
This would prove to be the case, as Hachigan’s appendages did little to stop the onslaught of the merc’s swordplay. Now on Lapis, she attempted to block Keith’s slash with an ice bolt. It worked, but he quickly kicked her away into her own summon. Knocked back a bit, with a groan she regained her stride, but she quickly looked over to Scarlett. In a seemingly delirious state of mind, Lapis looked on with shocked eyes as the iron-blood alchemist took on a more feral form. Lapis had an ominous feeling in regards to the mana that flowed out of her, she’d never felt anything like it…
She then shot a glance at Shavis, who combined with Shadar and prepped to stop Scarlett from going rampant. That only left Hector to assist Lapis against the masked sellsword. Amongst the conflict, however, there was a menacing snarling sound that could be heard coming up from outside. Accompanying it was a sudden rumbling of Keith’s makeshift safehouse, the walls shocked and creaked while the floor quaked beneath them. ”It’s the Makara, they followed our trail!” Lapis exclaimed. Due to the fighting, she only now was able to feel their raging ids, if it weren’t for that she could’ve warned them sooner. With a cracking explosion, a scaled claw erupted from the floorboard, slashing Keith’s leg in the process. The wound began to heal as soon as it was cleaved, and the merc had the presence of mind to quickly move out of the way before the entire beast was on him. More soon followed, and at that point roughly five of the creatures were on the party and Keith. Two jumped at Shavis, who was still focused on Scarlett. Another made its way toward Hector, who at first had his gun pointed at the merc. The other two continued their attack on Keith, with Lapis being added to the list. Keith slashed at one, the deep wound exposed pale tissue from which ran crimson blood. This, however, did not deter the beast and it already had Keith pinned to the grow before he could prep for a second attack. With its strong jaws and claws, it began tearing the merc’s body apart; one of his arms already rolled over to the side. With his girlish screams, Keith struggled in vain to break free. The fresh smell of blood immediately attracted the second Makara, and the one that was originally stomping toward Lapis. Rushing the squirming Keith, all he could do was make panicked yelps as the crocs made a supper out of him, eventually his yelps were drowned out by the sounds of snarling and tearing flesh. Soon, much of the floor was covered in red, and whatever parts of Keith the beasts didn’t care for.
”You see, this is what happens when you don’t respect nature!” She yelled at the now deceased Keith. She said that, yet on the inside Lapis felt sick to her stomach. She only attacked him in self defense in an escalating situation, and she certainly didn’t mean for him to die in such a gruesome way.
The group had another problem, with the feral stomping of the beasts the shack would likely give way. If they didn’t think of something soon, the entire hut would come crashing down on them.
_______________________________________________
Difficulty: ⭐⭐⭐ Reward: 3000G, New magitech inventory available in shop
With a reluctant smile, Evelyn took Leon’s hand and was thus helped off the ground. ”You’ve my thanks.” She said, ”It seems you have some manners, after all. You’re alright for a shady rogue.” ”Ha! Well, I could’ve fought on for even longer. I would’ve made you lightweights feed your lunch at the Tower to me for a year if I had to pick up your slack!” She said, replying to Einer’s and Leon’s statements. She could feel her scrapes and bruises fade away at Einer’s healing tune. Although her wounds were healed, the mana she lost still hadn’t fully replenished.
”Come on, follow me inside. No tricks, I promise.” Said the conspirator.
Following the worker inside, much to his word nothing was amiss. It seemed that all of the bandits who were inside came out to deal with the reavers. Eventually, an assortment of crates and burlap sacks came into view. ”Don’t worry about those, they’re just supplies.” He said. Walking past them, they made their way into a large spacious room in the back of the cave. It looked to have been converted into a makeshift safe house. Over in the corners of the room were casings with see-through glass, of which various weapons could be seen. They also bore the company insignia of the company.
”Alright, as promised, here are all the stolen goods.” Said the worker, turning to the group.
”So…are you going to explain why you decided to go gallivanting with a bunch of thieves and throw away your job? Not that I care…”” Evelyn interjected, still leaning on Leon for support. ”Were you press-ganged into working for them, or…” Her eyes narrowed. ”Did you sell them out on purpose?”
”It’s…more complicated than that…” He said, unable to look at the group at eye level. ”Josef, he’s…he’s not as good a person as you may think he is…” Evelyn looked at the man with perplexity.
The party could press the man further for his thoughts, or they could just leave his fate with the authorities and collect the stolen goods.
Roze would quickly feel the lingering pain from her wounds dissipate as Lanus’s Nymph did her work, the gash closing up almost completely. ”Thank you, Lanus.”” She said to the Fae invoker.
Ruecian, on the other hand, wasn’t having as much relief in consulting Rana. That was when Renee came up to her, making direct eye contact whilst detailing her accounts of dealing with the effects of miasma first hand. She seemed to be more receptive of Renee’s words, snapping out of her depression for a moment. She wiped the tears from her eyes and began to address her. ”Even so, things didn’t have to be this way.” She said. ”They put us in a position where we couldn’t refuse this mission. But, thank you. To you as well, Ruecian Valeniquen, I suppose…” She referred to the latter with a more sober tone.
”Uh, sure, no prob…” He replied, scratching the back of his head. Roze was now up and seemed to be walking fine, walking over to Rue, Renne, and Rana. Acknowledging her presence, Rue turned to the group as a whole. ”I think we’ll go ahead and call this a day then, let’s head back and report to the statesman.” He said.
–
Appearing back at the base camp, they explained the situation to the statesman in charge. He seemed to understand, and was satisfied with the results. ”Well met, I see this Tower of yours has no shortage of talented fighters. I look forward to seeing more from you, perhaps I’ll even have the luxury of relying on your services in the future.” He said to the group, handing them their payment. He then gave an apathetic glance at Rana. ”You’ve fulfilled your role here as well, Rana Schuellen, you are dismissed.” He then left the group and began making preparations for fully purifying the area. Rana was surprised by the apathy displayed by her former superior.
”Hmm, Rana, what do you intend to do now?” Rue said to her.
”Well.” She began, ”I originally took this job so I could acquire more funds for research. But with all that’s happened, I’m not sure about that anymore…” Her tone was one of defeat and uncertainty. ”There's no reason for me to stick around here, not that I would. I suppose for the time being I’ll travel back to Morgenröte with you all, after that…I’ll figure something out.”
”You could come to Eon with us.” Roze interjected. ”I don’t doubt that you’d be welcome there. ” Rana went wide-eyed for a moment at Roze’s statement. ”I-I don’t know about that. I mean, why invite me there when-” She cut herself off, her face full of an unknown guilt. ”Nevermind. Besides, that Irvin man is gathering those with exceptional talent and resources. I don’t see why a b-list magus like me would be welcome there…
”We won’t twist your hand.” Rue said. ”But, you should know that Arteus isn’t like what you may think.” Rana glanced at Rue after his statement, but went back into her own world not a moment after.
With everything settled, the group was set to load up back into their vehicle and return to the Tower. It was early evening, and would likely be nightfall by the time they returned. They were free to head back if they so desired. They could inquire further into what may be on Rana's mind if they wanted to pry...
Renee Terfiel and Lanus Retily Interactions: @AzureKnight
Roze would quickly feel the lingering pain from her wounds dissipate as Lanus’s Nymph did her work, the gash closing up almost completely. ”Thank you, Lanus.”” She said to the Fae invoker.
"No problem, my fair lady!" Lanus gave a quick bow with a smile.
"Urghh, you really are a womanizer, aren't you?!" The nymph huffed. "That's it, I'm leaving!" Her body then fell to the ground, reverting back to a puddle of water before being absorbed entirely by the thirsty dirt.
Lanus shrugged. It was time for her to leave anyway.
Ruecian, on the other hand, wasn’t having as much relief in consulting Rana. That was when Renee came up to her, making direct eye contact whilst detailing her accounts of dealing with the effects of miasma first hand. She seemed to be more receptive of Renee’s words, snapping out of her depression for a moment. She wiped the tears from her eyes and began to address her. ”Even so, things didn’t have to be this way.” She said. ”They put us in a position where we couldn’t refuse this mission. But, thank you. To you as well, Ruecian Valeniquen, I suppose…” She referred to the latter with a more sober tone.
Renee smiled. At the very least, she managed to give her some semblance of comfort.
–
Appearing back at the base camp, they explained the situation to the statesman in charge. He seemed to understand, and was satisfied with the results. ”Well met, I see this Tower of yours has no shortage of talented fighters. I look forward to seeing more from you, perhaps I’ll even have the luxury of relying on your services in the future.” He said to the group. He then gave an apathetic glance at Rana. ”You’ve fulfilled your role here as well, Rana Schuellen, you are dismissed.”
"...That's it? That's all you have to say to her? Unbelievable! You know she has lost her entire team, right?" Renee declared, her hands placed firmly on her hips. What a cold and unsympathetic man!
”You could come to Eon with us.” Roze interjected. ”I don’t doubt that you’d be welcome there. ” Rana went wide-eyed for a moment at Roze’s statement. ”I-I don’t know about that. I mean, why invite me there when-” She cut herself off, her face full of an unknown guilt. ”Nevermind. Besides, that Irvin man is gathering those with exceptional talent and resources. I don’t see why a b-list magus like me would be welcome there…
”We won’t twist your hand.” Rue said. ”But, you should know that Arteus isn’t like what you may think.” Rana glanced at Rue after his statement, but went back into her own world not a moment after.
"Yes, you should come with us, Rana!" Renee grabbed her hands. "The Tower can use a magus like you! We can use a magus like you! Right, Lanus?"
"But of course!" He replied with his golden smile. "We can always use a lovely woman such as you!"
"Lanus!" Renee scolded. "This is no time for your perverted jokes!" Turning back to Rana, she then said, "Don't worry. He may be a pervert but he's a good guy at heart. He'll keep you safe for sure."
ATTN:@The Irish Tree, @Polaris North, @PaulHaynek, & @AzureKnightScarlett hissed, as Shavis approached her, and attempted to assert dominance over her. It was annoying, because the Tigress Belua was chosen specifically for her ability to generate lightning and her overwhelming might - a battery of lightning strikes would magnetically charge Scarlett's body, and her blood could be slowed down to the point that Shavis's brutal strength could easily overpower her made fragile body. However, before Shavis could do anything, Keith broke out fighting, and took on Hector and Lapis, as Lapis took to the offensive; perhaps she was planning to create an opening for the sniper, or she just wanted to show off like Evelyn did.
Whatever the reason, it would overrode by the burst of wood and spray of blood, as the Makara broke through the floor, and eviscerated Keith in simple, but horrific swings of their bestial claws and fangs. Scarlett's third eye dilated in full, as the bloody smell filled the room, and she was free of her moral compass - the leg that heralded the bloodshed disappeared into her hand, and was drawn into her mouth. Silver fangs dug into the muscle, and ripped it from bone, once she tore the clothing off with said teeth; blood washed down her throat, and she swallowed the raw meat. Immediately, she was dove on by the feral beasts, but her body didn't move as claws struck metal - her skin growing plates of iron, thick and bulky, but protective beyond normal armor.
Suddenly, spikes erupted out of the plates without rhyme or reason - skewering those closest to her, and grievously wounding those further on, before retracting; each dripping an electric-blue liquid. Something had been injected into the Makara, as the more wounded seemed to be reverting to a simpler beast, and retreating like wounded animals would. Lapis could tell their minds were clear of their poisoned fury, and refilled with instinctive fear. A fear that Scarlett capitalized on, as she threw herself forward and tackled one; ripping its throat out with her fangs, and tossing its corpse at the wall.
It was easy to corral them, as she rushed the exit, and slashed them with her metal claw - her armor didn't slow her in the slightest, and only reinforced her swinging, as she sheared through flesh and bone with the weight behind her swings, as she cracked the floor with her palm. However, she wasn't killing them all blindly, but specifically as she seemingly allowed some to slip away and live. It was fair to think she did care to take them all, until she started ripping open abdomens and retrieving stomachs of those she had killed; dumping the glistening organ into a bloody pile. Carefully, she retrieved the remaining pieces of Keith, and split the stomachs open to dump their contents out.
She was retrieving the meat that had been eaten, as she crammed pre-chewed pieces of Keith into her mouth, and selfishly ate the man; enjoying her meal, as she tossed whatever she didn't want to eat into the swamp.
After gorging herself fat, Scarlett grew lazy to complement, and an iron tail thumped on the floor, as she lay her naked body on a bed of stomachs and blood; curled up, she relaxed and iron spread out, forming into floor-mounted gates, familiar to the trio.
It was the same kind of gate she had used to change her snake summon into an iron-clad creature; only, the gates were dripping with that liquid that had caused the Makara to regain their facilities and run for their lives - even if they were forfeit for most part for eating her meal.
It was all unfortunate timing really. Putting all her attention on Scarlett, fully believing there was only one remaining enemy on the battlefield, was not her best decision in life. As the ground shook and the makara that had been following them, driven practically insane by their aggression and the toxins that had infiltrated their system, burst through the floor, Shavis had to turn around to look at what had happened. There the mercenary was viciously torn apart by the makara, spraying blood and guts across the floor.
But that was not her immediate concern. It should have been Scarlett, in all honesty, but the makara had something different in mind. Two had begun to go after her and Shavis jumped back, the instinct to protect herself overriding the danger that was Scarlett. She reared back a hand, lightning enveloping her fist and drove it into one of the makara, releasing the gauntlet's energy into it and sending it into the opposite side of the room. At the same time, a Shavis clone split from her body, vaulting over her and driving her elbow into the other makara. The clone grew claws, more reminiscent of Shadar rather than its actual form, and began to claw into the crocodile while the clone was still above it.
Shavis could barely breathe, feeling the exhaustion of battle crawling into her, especially in an environment that assaulted her senses at every turn. She raised her arm against her nose, hoping it would at least give her some reprieve as she turned her attention to where Keith had been. Scarlett had taken the initiative to join the feeding frenzy, striking some of the makara with her spikes. Iron and excrement mingled with the poison-filled air around them and it took Shavis's entire willpower not to vomit on the spot.
However, the makara's demeanor seemed to have shifted. Instead of their outward aggression, they were now backing off and trying to escape like they were reminded that they were not the bigger predator in this neck of the swamps. Not right now, at least. Whether or not Scarlett realized this, or she had done this all on purpose, she continued to feast on the makara that had been trying to escape.
"That's... one way to calm her down, I guess." The brawler mumbled. Her own familiar split from her, the white tiger stepping onto the ground and standing beside his master. Scarlett laid there, content with her meal, and Shavis wondered if she would have to carry her all the way back. The mission itself seemed more or less a success even if they mostly failed on their secondary mission of not harming the makara while they were investigating. "Any bright ideas on how to get that antidote to the rest of the makaras?" Shavis asked, gesturing toward the electric blue liquid.
”Ha! Well, I could’ve fought on for even longer. I would’ve made you lightweights feed your lunch at the Tower to me for a year if I had to pick up your slack!” - Evelyn
"As much as I love to see another calamity unfold. I suggest you should take it easy and stop squirming until we get there, Mrs. Evelyn." Leon deadpanned and continues to press on, tracking down the path ahead. It's like babysitting a ticking time bomb waiting to blow up at any moment.
He limps his way down the cave below, dragging the worn-out Evelyn along with him. He can feel his body rejuvenating from the magical tune Einer is playing, giving him strength from his exhaustion.
"A man of violence and healing, You're a strange one kid, I'll tell you that" The rogue scoffs, slightly forming a smile on his lips, amused by the mellow melody surrounding him.
"In any case, I owe you one, a thief's honor," He said to Einer.
~
Upon arriving at the thief's treasure trove, The worker/bandit made an unprecedented confession before the reavers can extract the stolen goods from their casing. The fae esper can see the fear and reluctance in his eyes. His employer must have got him whipped good.
"Mr.Josef, your supervisor? color me intrigued. Shame you have to confess that, it's a habit of mine not to leave loose ends until the contract is complete." Leon said with a sharp yet deadpan gaze that could cut skin, curious about where this is going.
"A man of violence and healing, You're a strange one kid, I'll tell you that. In any case, I owe you one, a thief's honor."
"You are very much welcome, Sir Leon. I do appreciate being appreciated." Einer replied. The words were true... if he had been doing something else in the battlefield. "But I doubt the 'strange' part, however. Surely, others of similar profession would do what I did when faced with what happened back there."
---
Without any more deception or tricks, the traitorous factory worker lead the Reavers to the stolen weapons. They were in separate glass casings, indicating they were highly valuable compared to the run-of-the-mill magitech weapon. Einer's song died down into silence as the musician became entranced with the intricate designs of the stolen weapons. If he could wield them, oh, the possibilties were endless. Einer almost salivated, but the other Reavers questioned the worker.
Allegedly, their robbed client seemed to be robbed of morals as well.
"Mr.Josef, your supervisor? color me intrigued. Shame you have to confess that, it's a habit of mine not to leave loose ends until the contract is complete. Tell me what kind of man is he?"
"I concur with Sir Leon. Your claims make me curious as well." Einer averted his gaze from the weaponry and on to the interrogation. "Do be truthful, of course. I may be forgiving of lies, but I cannot say the same for my compatriots."
In an instant, the situation was completely changed. Keith proved more agile than Hector was expecting, even proving able to throw bladed projectiles precisely to knock Hector's suspended bullets off course. Harmlessly, the touched shots would ricochet into the floorboards, while Lapis was pressed by Keith's assault. Rushing in to help her with his bayonet-in-hand, Hector would barely have time to react once the Makara burst into the building.
One would rush towards him, the marksman having to think fast with a nearby beam of wood to keep the Makara from crunching down on his head...only for that beam of wood to get crushed in an instant. Letting out a noise that could best be described as "the mating call of a cockroach" while flushing all the air out of his lungs in shock, Hector would be saved by his spirit's quick thinking, Herne's body lunging up at a lighting fixture to pull Hector up. There, he had a lovely view of Scarlett gorging herself like a nobleman's fat child at a church-event buffet. Hector would cling to the chandelier while watching the nightmare unfold down below, wincing on hearing the continual snarling and consuming of Keith, who's screams had since died out. Even if he could regenerate...no, rather, BECAUSE he could regenerate, Hector couldn't imagine a worse ending for him.
Now, the entire group was in a pinch, pressured and on the verge of defeat with the numerous Makara swarming them from outside. Then...Scarlett did something unexpected. She seemingly...cured them of their aggression. Rather violently one might add, but...also, ew. Now she was eating Keith and...just...
Hector couldn't help himself as he vomited in his hand, shuddering as he realized that Scarlett just ate human remains. ...She really was some strange breed of savage. But, her serum seemed to be working. With a clear spot, Herne would have Hector land by releasing the chandelier, the marksman wiping spit and vomit from his chin. Herne would slip free of his arm and dive into one of the "gates" Scarlett made, seeming to understand its purpose. Hector however, did not. "Herne, get out of that! Who knows what that's made of!?" he shouted, before his spirit companion emerged changed, thin blue veins of blue running from his fangs down his throat, possessed of the antidote that Scarlett had made. Just as small and transparent as ever just...a little bluer in the face.
A soft hiss emerged from Herne’s throat before he pointed at the still-lingering gates, then to Hector. Wordlessly, the snake asserted himself as the brains of the operation, which Hector was fine with. A spirit knew more about spirit matters anyhow. "...Leave the Makara to me and Herne. Hasven'ra, sajik…”Hector started, a dull lilac fog rolling in from around his feet. One by one, small, rather pathetic looking snakes barely the size of a finger, but each would eagerly dive into one of the gates and emerge with azure-stained fangs and diving after the Makara. One by one the puny fangs would sink in to inject the pseudo-antidote Scarlett made, while Hector leaned against a nearby collapsed beam to support himself. ”I…have never…made that many…” he said, on the verge of collapsing. But, his part was played. His veritable army of snakes would march and bite, to cure the unclean taint within the Makara.
Lapis, having further witnessed the handiwork of Scarlett’s rapacious transformation, was made rather sick to her stomach right along with Hector. Apparently, cannibalism was another skill in the alchemist’s repertoire; she looked away as she started to chow down on the now deceased mercenary, honestly she felt that the poor man had been through enough already. Despite his blatant disrespect for nature.
She then turned her attention to the surrounding Makara that still encroached on them; Using her body altering alchemy, Scarlett had a multitude of spikes jet out from her. The eruption of metal barbs pierced the flesh of the aquatic beasts. As the skewers retracted, strange electric blue liquid was revealed to be dripping from them. Hector and Herne did their part as well, as the serpentine spirit jumped through an alchemy gate that Scarlett had generated. After he emerged, his fangs were dripping with the same blue liquid that the metal thorns had. Hector responded to Shavis' inquiry by deciding to take care of the raging beasts himself. With a chant, Hector summoned numerous smaller snakes to his side, and had each of them jump through the gates to be imbued with the antidote. They then bombarded the Makara, sinking their liquid infused fangs into their flesh to cure them.
At that point, Lapis could then feel the minds of the impaled beasts start to simmer down, reverting back to how they were originally. ”I think I can finally communicate with them now.” She said.
Lapis made a sign with her hands and her eyes began to glow an icy blue, and soon her whole body was enveloped with an azure aura. Creatures of the still waters, please be at ease. Your lands are safe now, and no longer shall they be plagued by toxins. I beseech you to return back to your territory, for we are not your enemies. While Lapis was outwardly silent, she was mentally communicating with the Makara in an attempt to calm them. Thanks to the antidote that Scarlett had concocted, her method was successful as all of the beasts - wounded or not - retreated from the hut and back to the parts of the swamp that usually inhabited. With her magic accomplishing its task, the glow around her died out and her eyes returned to normal. She let out a deep sigh and turned to her comrades, looking around at the nearly destroyed hut.
”By the Scions, I thought this was supposed to be an easy mission! Apparently, fate had other plans for us today!” She whined. She looked over at Scarlett, who was now comfortably resting on a pile of blood and viscera, much like a cat that had just got done eating a delicious meal. ”Ms. Shavis, is your friend…always like this?” She said to her feline compatriot. ”I honestly don’t even know where to begin with her, so I’ll just leave her to you for now.” She spoke in a defeated tone.
”Mr. Hector, you aren’t looking too well.” She said. ”I can help with that.” Gathering water in her hands, she let it gently seep around the sniper, which coiled around him like a snake. Hector would feel some of his fatigue fade away, as well as his mood improve ever so slightly. ”It’s nothing too special, but I can heal the body a bit with the purifying properties of water, plus I can ease the mind with my esper abilities. Hope it helps!” She said with a cute smile and friendly wave. ”Herne was very brave to have just jumped through that gate like that. I don’t really trust Scarlett, so no way am I having Hachigan jump through anything like that.” She said, rubbing the spirit gently on its head. With the battle now over, Hachigan returned to its petit form and hopped onto Lapis’ shoulder.
”I do believe that our job is done here. So, if Miss Glutton over there wants to give off her lazy butt, I vote we head back to the village and meet with the chieftain.”
–
The trip back to the village was thankfully uneventful, the Makara now calmed and deigning to avoid interaction with other beings for the time being. They had not too long arrived back at the chieftain’s hut, where they explained the situation. Lapis was careful to leave out the part where Scarlett transformed into a feral-like mode and ate the remains of another person.
”My goodness, it sounds like you all had quite the ordeal! Well, I’m just glad that you’re all unscathed and that Makara have calmed down as well. We really can’t take you all enough for your efforts. Said the chieftain, rubbing his beard. Grabbing a mid-sized pouch that sat beside him, he handed it to Lapis. The clanking jingle made it obvious what the bag was for. Please accept this payment from me, along with the other citizens of our humble little hamlet. You’ve certainly earned it. He said in a cheery tone.
"It's all in a day's work sir! I'm just glad that the ecosystem's been restored, I wish your village well chieftan."
The mission was now officially over, and was a resounding success. Unless any of the Reavers had any unfinished business or questions, they’d best head back to the Tower. The sun had almost completely set and it would likely be dark before they got back.
_______________________________________________
Difficulty: ⭐⭐⭐ Reward: 3000G, New magitech inventory available in shop
”There’s a whole lot I could say about that pompous charlatan of a boss.” Spat the man. ”He claims to be the director of a magitek plant, but has no actual idea of how to run the damn place. That’s part of what made it so easy to plan a sabotage and theft.”
A look of solid anger overtook the young man’s face as he continued to speak. ”Josef is the perfect example of how nepotism can ruin a business, and make everyone involved lives miserable. He was only made director of that plant due to his father’s connections; He comes from a family of wealthy aristocrats, who often support entities delving in magical technologies. His hand shook as he gritted his teeth. ”Taking advantage of young researchers trying to establish a foothold in the magical world, which is more like a battle royale than anything. Making false promises and mismanaging every aspect of the work environment, and all I can do is wonder why I didn’t try anything sooner. You can ask my other coworkers, and they’ll tell ya that they feel the same way. Those criminals…” He began to trail off a bit, his anger now being replaced by a sudden somberness. His statement about gaining a foothold in the world of magical advancement seemed to have elicited an emotional response from Evelyn, her expression becoming more serious.
”I think they were hired by a rival company, who was spying on this sect for a while now. They sought me out; a disgruntled worker like me was easy pickings. They said that if I helped them steal some magic equipment and sabotage the factory, I’d and my other coworkers would be guaranteed positions at the company that hired them. With better pay and benefits of course.
”So, what, you just believed them? I get that you were desperate, but I can’t feel too sorry for you. Especially with all that’s happened…” Eve finally decided to chime in and give her two cents.
”Heh, no offense taken. Not like it matters now anyway, I’m sunk no matter what happens now. Gonna end up taken in by the authorities, with only rats and roaches to keep me company. I had hoped that the brigands could take out whatever muscle Josef managed to hire, but I guess you Eon guys are no joke huh?”
”Hmph, obviously. As if those charred mooks outside weren’t enough of an indicator.” Eve proudly exclaimed.
Despite the situation he was in, the boy’s mood appeared to be improving. ”I heard a little bit about that place, that Arteus guy’s the one who made it right? He’s supposed to be a legendary sage or something, so I guess I should’ve expected that he’d only have around some heavy hitters. Anyway, like I said, it doesn’t matter. I’ll go back with you guys quietly and face the music.” He said in a defeated tone.
”Alright, time to head out!” Evelyn, her strength now restored thanks to Einer, had enough energy to cast a spell that made moving the weapons a bit easier By utilizing void, she was able to levitate the devices around the party, which they would then carry back to the plant.
–
Having returned to the factory, Josef was standing just outside the entrance with some Association officers, waving at the party as they came into view.
”Hey, I’m glad to see you guys made it back in one piece, with all of the stolen goods no less!” He said. His face quickly turned sour as he noticed the lone worker with the party. ” How dare you tarnish the company’s reputation with your reckless antics! You jeopardize the safety of your fellow workers, not to mention yourself! You have anything to say to these officers before they cart you off, criminal?”
”Yeah, actually. I have no shame in what I did, and I’d damn sure do it all over again if I could. Enjoy your station while it lasts, bastard. Sooner or later, your incompetence will show for itself. He then spat at Josef’s feet, which only served to make the director angrier.
”Get him outta my face!! He exclaimed.
”Do you have any conspirators who were a part of the operation among your coworkers? inquired one of the officers.
”Nope, officer, just me. I figured it’d be easiest to keep it a secret if as few people knew about it as possible.” the worker answered. The officer then walked over, cuffed him, then began walking toward the vehicle he and his partner arrived in. ”We’ll see how well your testimony holds up before the statesman.” Said the officer. Before being stuffed into the back of the vehicle, the worker turned and made one last look at the team of reavers. He wore a smiling expression that said something along the lines of “oh well”. With that, the officers drove off with the young man in tow, where he would soon start his new life as a prisoner.
Josef turned back to the others. ” Honestly, it’s so hard to find good help these days. I’d like to think no one else was in on this little heist, but I ought to find out who that punk hung out with while on the job and question them. At any rate, thanks again for all the help, the weapons and other devices are all safe and sound. Uh, except..” He began to scratch his head.
”One of the devices isn’t accounted for. It was a very particular item: an anti-magic orb. It’s able to disrupt mana flow in a given vicinity. Its purpose was to render apparitions helpless, and even outright dissipate them. It’s a rather important tool, and a powerful one, do you guys know what happened to it?”
”Oh an orb?” Evelyn said. ”I remember a masked man using it against us during the scuffle. I cracked his skull with my staff and made him drop it. After that, I think it just rolled on the ground…” Leon’s smooth moves seemed to have allowed him to pocket the orb without even Eve noticing. As far as she was aware, she was speaking the truth. After pondering for a moment, a sweatdrop appeared on the side of her head. ”Umm, oops. If it rolled onto the ground, then I probably accidentally destroyed it. I used my Starfall attack to torch all of the brigands. It, uh, probably got blown to smithereens haha… ” She said sheepishly.
”Seriously???” Josef could only shake his head and sigh. ”Well, better no one be able to use it than to fall into the wrong hands. That’s a heavy blow, though. A lot of money and research went into making that thing. That’s going to set us back quite a bit, but I’m sure we'll bounce back. Here, take your payment.” He said, handing a bag of money to Leon.
”It’s getting pretty late, so I won’t keep you longer than necessary. Have a safe trip back, and give Mr. Donovan my regards!” He said, waving while walking back into the factory.
With that, the mission was a success. The group was free to head back to the Tower now. However, Leon of course had the orb that Josef now thinks was destroyed, you agreed to give anything of worth to Kiff but was this really the route you wanted to take? You could also perhaps inquire more into Josef’s management of the plant, based on what the worker said, if it even mattered to you.
The state official, having heard Renee’s outburst, turned back to face her for a moment. ”Her losses are a tragedy. However, sacrifice is always necessary in our line of work. Those who can’t become accustomed to such things don’t really belong here, wouldn’t you agree. He then returned back to his tent, likely ignoring any further comments in regards to the issue. Rana didn’t respond to his statement, probably used to this kind of treatment, sadly.
Rana’s eyes widened after Renee grabbed her hands, being reassured that she would most definitely be welcomed at the Tower. Her eyes narrowed and looked down to the side, unable to meet Renee’s. Though she shot a somewhat annoyed glance at Lanus for a brief second.
These people seem…nice. But…that’s why, I have no right to… She began trailing off in her own mind. ”Thank you very much for the offer.” She said. ”But, I’ll have to think on it a bit. A lot’s happened these past few weeks.”
”Of course, it’s not like the invitation’s going anywhere.” Roze replied. ”For now, at least let us take you back to Morgenröte.”
The group loaded back up into the magitek vehicle and headed back to the Republic. It was quite late when they got back, the streets and buildings were lit with enchanting lights. The alchemic lighting that was generated by the various structures and lamps produced very little light pollution, allowing for the countless stars in the night sky to be completely visible. Rana was dropped off in the residential sect when they got back to town, and waved the group farewell. Now back at the Tower, Rue and Roze exited the vehicle.
”Like I said before, you guys did pretty well out there. When another job that requires clearing out monsters and miasma comes along, I’ll be sure to consider you two for it.” Rue said with a confident smirk. ”You guys are free to do as you please for now, but be aware that we start first thing in the morning! So, try not to do anything too crazy before you turn in for the night.”
”I think I’ll turn in for the night. See you all in the morning.” Roze said, entering the doors. Rue followed not too long after.
With that, the Fae couple were free to do as they pleased until morning. It was rather late, so perhaps it was best for them to simply turn in as well. If they needed to, some of the staff may still be available to double up with.
Renee Terfiel and Lanus Retily Interactions: @AzureKnight
The state official, having heard Renee’s outburst, turned back to face her for a moment. ”Her losses are a tragedy. However, sacrifice is always necessary in our line of work. Those who can’t become accustomed to such things don’t really belong here, wouldn’t you agree. He then returned back to his tent, likely ignoring any further comments in regards to the issue. Rana didn’t respond to his statement, probably used to this kind of treatment, sadly.
"Why you…!" Renee took a step forward, fully intending to chase after the man. Only to be stopped by a grip on her shoulder by Lanus, who then shook his head. The fae girl could only grab his hand back, looking at him with a forlorn expression.
He was right. There was nothing she could say to change his mind.
And, if they were to be truthful about it, he was right. Such was the fate of those who fought against the miasma.
All she could do now was to comfort Rana.
********
On the way back, Renee sat beside Rana, holding her hand with a sympathetic look on her face. Lanus, once again, opted not to say anything. He believed Renee was far more suited to comfort her over him. He might be a skirt-chasing womanizer but he knew when to back off when necessary.
Once they arrived back at the city, Rana was the first to be dropped off. Renee said her goodbyes to her, even climbing out of the vehicle momentarily to do so. Giving her a quick hug, she promised she would be welcome if she chose to join their ranks.
Afterwards, back at the tower, Renee and Lanus climbed down the vehicle after Rue and Rose did.
”Like I said before, you guys did pretty well out there. When another job that requires clearing out monsters and miasma comes along, I’ll be sure to consider you two for it.” Rue said with a confident smirk.
"Why, thank you!" Lanus replied with a smile. "I wouldn't have been able to do it without her help, that's for sure!" She patted her shoulder.
"Thank you for your praise." Renee lifted the hem of her mini skirt as she curtsied, inadvertently flashing a hint of blue stripes under it "I still have much to learn as a magus and I know for a fact that I still need Lanus' guidance in combat."
”You guys are free to do as you please for now, but be aware that we start first thing in the morning! So, try not to do anything too crazy before you turn in for the night.”
”I think I’ll turn in for the night. See you all in the morning.” Roze said, entering the doors. Rue followed not too long after.
Lanus turned to Renee and asked, "Well, what do you think? Should we turn in for the night as well?"
Renee stretched her arms upwards and yawned. "I think we should. I'm tired."
And so, the couple made their way to their shared dorm room. Normally, they each would get their own rooms, but they both agreed that they'd rather share a living space together. As such, they were given a larger room than usual.
"What do you think?" Rana spoke as she unbuttoned her cape, hanging it on the coat hanger near the room. Lanus then did the same with his jacket before taking a seat on the bed.
"Hmm?" Lanus raised his eyebrows while he unbuttoned his boots.
"About Rana." She made her way to the wardrobe, bending over to look for her nightgown. "Do you think she'll make a good reaver?"
"Ah, about that." Lanus smiled, his eyes ogling her exposed panties and behind. "It depends on herself, to be honest. Does she still have the drive to fight after that? Or does she wish to never gaze upon said horror ever again? Really, it's the same question I asked you before."
Renee stood up, a short black nightgown resting on her hands. Using her other hand, she unclasped her skirt, letting it slide down her legs to the carpeted floor.
She turned to face her lover, completely unfazed by the fact that her striped panties was now in full view.
"I'll check up on her once we have a day off," she declared with a concerned look. Unfortunately, they had another mission to do tomorrow.
"That kindness… that's why I fell for you, you know." Lanus grinned, putting his boots to the side before standing up. He then worked on his belt, unbuckling it from its place.
Taken off-guard by his sudden flirting, Renee's cheeks reddened. "Hmph! That's not the only reason why you like me, is it? Don't think I didn't notice you ogling my butt, you pervert!"
"A pervert, huh?" Lanus chuckled. "How about this?"
With one single move, he unzipped and unbuttoned his trousers, letting them fall to the floor.
Renee froze, her gaze locked to the black undergarments he wore underneath.
"See? You're a pervert too, my dear." He walked up to her and patted her head. "Now, let us enjoy ourselves for the night, shall we?" Earning a yelp from the smaller girl, he swept her off her feet and brought her to the bed.
And so, the fae couple did what couples do — make passionate love with each other. They always did it whenever they returned from fighting against miasma. Lanus always said that it was a good way to relieve stress. And to appreciate the fact that they got to live for another day.
