[center][H1]Bog[/h1][/center]

[hider=Bog]
This is the part of the scene where Ingrid goes to the bog and has a fight with the bog monster. She tries to greed but ends up playing the good guy, stopping people from being poisoned, saving Niallus, and acting as a potential Guardian for Desmond and Esmii. Then as Ingrid is about to launch the final attack to kill, she gets taken to Bog Gaiden

From the east, Ingrid came riding in on Ökeneld, her dune-sea Frobase. From her viewpoint, she spotted a Yasoi man in what remains of the town. She came here in search of treasure but all that lay here was filth and ruins. But there was possibly something to grab even if it was damaged. She told Ökeneld to stay overhead as Ingrid plunged from the sky. Only when breaking through the tree line did Ingrid feel the stares of something? She levitated above the statue and glanced about for what was watching her. 

Either way, she cautiously tried to sweep away the muck with kinetic magic to pull the statue out. 

The statue was heavy, heavier than it seemed. Like it was resisting her. Or, maybe, it was bound to the bedrock quite firmly. Still, it budged, and with that came an upset to the bog itself. Little waves reverberated throughout and air bubbles rapidly pooled around the stony masterpiece. The energy and concentration required were immense, to the point of taxing Ingrid's levitation spell, but it was working.

[color=36AE36]“Wow, you actually made it budge!”[/color] A deep voice of Kerreman origin called out to Ingrid. It was the muscular blonde man with all his equipment on him. [color=36AE36]“I never thought I would find someone with the RAS before their place either completely floods or the real vultures arrive!”[/color] he flashed a confident grin at the sanguinaire endeavoring to dig out the mysteries behind the sunken statue. [color=36AE36]“Let me help.”[/color]

Out of his bag was an iron crowbar, or at least it looked like one. Once placed in the fissure, and with a single push, the statue budged again, falling even more diagonally and progressively exposing a hole under it. [color=36AE36]“You know, the big Don was staking out this statue before biting it, they say.”[/color] he remarked, eyeing Ingrid once more with a face half-smeared in swamp water. [color=36AE36]“Come here for the final push, you need all the energy.”[/color]

Sooner or later, they would uproot the statue. The rock itself had very little of value and was far too damaged. What was under it, however, writhed. A massive accumulation of vines and roots coiled there, wrapped around something that stood out. Something not as "organic" as the rest of the unnatural pond they were investigating. 

The man drew his large hunting knife. [color=36AE36]“The honor's yours, dear.”[/color]

[color=8882be]"If you want,"[/color] Ingrid accepted the help and focused on removing the statue from the swamp. She soon lowered herself closer to the water as it rose, [color=8882be]"Is Don his name or a moniker? And what of yours?"[/color] Ingrid asked him as she binded away the filth to look closer at the statue. [color=8882be]"It really is a shame what happened here,"[/color]

As she looked at the weird wad of vines, she accepted knife after equipping some leather gloves, [color=8882be]"Thank you~"[/color] Ingrid heated the blade so she could slice through with ease.

[color=36AE36]“Felix.”[/color] answered the Kerreman, arms crossed as he gave the honors to the dame with the big RAS. [color=36AE36]“And, personally?”[/color] he leaned in conspiratorially before she went to chopping. [color=36AE36]“I don't even think he was Torragonese.”[/color] a bellowing laugh soon escaped him as a couple of steps back were taken to let Ingrid work.

Ease she certainly had. The vines were like butter and the excessive steam sizzled almost satisfyingly. All went well. Until, of course, it didn't. Perhaps it was a specific vine or a pocket of gas, but as Ingrid cut just enough to notice quite the oddity - something metal-like that stood out from the waters, plants and rocks - a spray of dark-green acid jetted her way. The liquid came with a noxious gas.

Luckily, the Eskandish had the reflexes and the chemical basics to neutralize the acidic agent, but the gas it? Its oily consistency latched onto the skin and just enough of it was inhaled to prompt a coughing fit.

Felix rushed in to help, giving pats on her back and attempting to cleanse her with his, admittedly, better chemical magic. The results were middling, with Ingrid's lungs burning up still. But she was fine.

The pain wasn't for nothing, however, as the tightly bound treasure within the bag of vines revealed itself. With a little bit of Kinetic magic, the prize was theirs to claim.

Ingrid giggled along with Felix as she set to freeing whatever was in the mass. Maybe she was distracted or careless but Ingrid could only manage to offset what could've happened. She focused on protecting her eyes and mouth, as taught by Zeno Durdovin earlier in the year. Still, some found its way in and it burned like lye and stuck like glue.

She coughed and spattered trying to get it out but it was of little use. The intense pain was gone and now a burning tingle remained. [color=8882be]"Not... my brightest moment,"[/color] Ingrid wheezed out as she patted Felix on the shoulder, [color=8882be]"I should be fine."[/color]

She tried to take some deep breathes and hoped that whatever got in would leave in due time. Until then, she took her prize carefully, using a stick to prod it to avoid repeat incident, [color=8882be]"I've never seen this before,"[/color] Ingrid glanced up at Felix to see his take of it. No matter what though, Ingrid didn't dare to touch it and instead lowered it into a leaded bag for safe keeping using a touch of kinesis.


Felix proceeded to douse both of them with a cleansing agent, although there was little he could do about the lungs. Gently, after taking the pat, he pressed his palm upon the young woman’s shoulder blade and took a deep breath. [color=36AE36]“Your lungs should be fine, but I would see a professional soon if I were you. I’ve seen bad things to those exposed to this place for too long.”[/color] he explained, a tad grim.

His eyes then drifted to the foul piece of metal. [color=36AE36]“Ah, scheisse!”[/color] he growled, taking a quick step back as he recognized the darbonite. [color=36AE36]“Foul Metal, we call it. And-”[/color] with Ingrid holding it, he squinted. [color=36AE36]“You’re not sick.”[/color] he remarked, looking surprised but also not that surprised. [color=36AE36]“The …”[/color] he leaned in just a little and brushed his gloved finger over the peculiar chunk. [color=36AE36]“Swamp has changed it. It’s has a coat of sorts. Maybe you should store it safely a-”[/color]

Immediately cut off, a shriek captured both of their attention. It felt pretty close, too.

The high pitched scream of a voice they would barely recognize. As more eyes lay upon the imminently gruesome sight, they would discover it belonged to none other than Cawuio Zast. Dangling high in the hair with a thick and long vine-like appendage impaled through his abdomen. The thing stemmed from the pile he had been diving in, lured in by a stone, and now he in turn dangled as bait. 

Tremendous pain was in his screams. Endless. But the auditory horror would very quickly come with a visual one: The pile of rot shifted and churned until ripples in the water became waves that splashed onto all those within its area. Appearing first as a large, muddy lump that pushed out, they would soon see where all the organic matter had gone - where the bodies were taken. 

The unholy monster of the Bog emerged with its many red eyes lined inside its multi-layered maw. A single swing of its tree-sized right arm, its only arm of such a size, prompted a second tremor that awoke its dormant appendages. It stood at the same height as its appendages, although its width was prodigious, to say the least. Most of its features remained veiled by the vegetation and mud, but more and more limbs could be seen protruding from the monstrosity. 

The fight was a vicious mixture of horrific decisions and terrible outcomes. The weak were killed despite the attempts of the strong. All Ingrid could manage is keeping Niallus, Sven, and Desmond alive through it. All sorts of wicked magics kept the beast alive but they were making slow progress to its destruction. 

Unfortunately for the creature, Ingrid found her rhythm and she was allowed to build a nuclear cannon to destroy the beast. It was all going to be over. They were going to live. They were-!
[/hider]
[hider=Bog Gaiden]
[center][h2]Bog Gaiden[/h2][/center]

As Ingrid charged up her attack, suddenly there was a portal—and just as abruptly, complete darkness in all directions, an empty expanse of nothing as far as the energies she wielded could illuminate. There was nothing and no one, and no monster. The attack that would have surely found its mark no longer had any mark to hit.

Then, there was a singular voice: a gruff, gravelly, masculine voice that Ingrid could've swore she'd heard at least once before.

[color=dimgray][i]*Hi-hooo, hi-hooo...*

*...straight to hell we gooo...*[/i][/color]

It came from every direction, especially the ones where Ingrid wasn't looking. Then, it came from directly behind her.

[color=dimgray][i]*You know what happens when you die, right?*

[b]***Miss   B l o o d s u c k e r?***[/b][/i][/color]

Another portal opened up beneath her, and blue flames aggressively poured forth from it. Then, however, she was dropped, not into the hell of Dami, but back into the hell of the bog, into shallow water and some rocks. The illusory flames dispersed and sound returned, first in the form of maniacal laughter—then, Ingrid could faintly hear the sound of her comrades still fighting a few miles downriver.

The figure who teleported her—ostensibly Xiuyang—stood at the edge of the river. The mask was removed, and what remained in its place was an eerie, too-wide, sharp-toothed grin. The tomboyish girl's visage had been used as a disguise for whatever kind of demon this thing was.

[color=dimgray]"I'd feel bad for ya—really, I would!—but setting aside the disguise, trusting a Solari to begin with is pretty stupid, yeah? The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, after all..."[/color] The smiling demon leaned on Xiuyang's lance—which seemed to be the genuine article—and swayed back and forth mockingly. <@235903628630687744>

Her calm had held when fighting the monster but now broke as the darkness consumed her. It was eerily similar to her last time in the void except now she was alone. It teased and pulled at her mind, making a simple darkness feel so much more. 

She drew at the flames but found nothing of substance as she dropped onto the rocks. She could not say if this really was her world or just another trick. All that mattered not as she faced her attacker.

There was no feeling as the monster presented itself, only mild interest on how it obtained Xuiyang's staff. [color=8882be]"Trust? Maybe you have trusted a Solari but I just like Xuiyang, I don't trust her."[/color] she chuckled, as she used what binding and chemical she had to mend her aliment. 

[color=8882be]"Does the demon that faces me have a name?"[/color] Ingrid asked.

[color=dimgray]"Riiight, right. 'Course ya don't! Nobody who associates with the Twin Emperors could ever be a sucker. I knew ya was built different."[/color] He tilted his head both ways, cracking his neck. [color=dimgray]"I doubt it'd mean much to ya, since humans don't read their history an' all. But since you asked! I'm of the Smiling persuasion, as ya can see."[/color] He pointed to his most obvious feature.

He narrowed his eyes, leering. [color=dimgray]"Ya wanna know how I got my paws on this, don'cha?"[/color] he accused. [color=dimgray]"Might jog my memory if we go a few rounds. 'Course, ya could try ta get away and save Shvenny, but I'd get there first, and, gosh, that'd just be a darn shame, I reckon. Khhk-khhk-khhk-khhhhhk!"[/color]

She knew well that returning was not an option. Its proficiency with dark magic made her weary to return. One dark bolt is all it would take to end her or her allies. [color=8882be]"A few rounds? I don't think I have it in me, mind if we do rain check?"[/color] she felt her connection with the gift manifesting again.

[color=dimgray]"Rain check?!"[/color] the Smiling Demon replied incredulously. Feigning confusion, he put his hand out and looked up at the sky. [color=dimgray]"Rain check!"

...

"...Nope!"[/color]

He then teleported behind Ingrid and swiped at her with the lance, cackling like the madman he was.

[color=8882be]"Worth a shot,"[/color] Ingrid mumbled as she shattered the earth around her and reformed it to a weak barrier. It crumbled from the swipe but gave a crucial moment to move away.

She backpedaled, exploding the water into a fine mist before freezing it around the demon.[color=8882be][i]Great, more teleporting,[/i][/color] Ingrid's jaw clenched with worry.

The demon's smirk remained a permanent feature as the rest of him was encased in frost. In short order, it was melting and crackling as his muscles bulged grotesquely from a combo of arcane and internal chem. In the loosening slush, his head began to thrash around, as if it had no neck. If it were possible, his smile got wider.

[color=dimgray]"Always so cold. Just like that white-walled tomb you maggots fester in. Hey, have you seen your friend lately? Or did she run away crying and quit your magic preschool because of a little chaos and dark magic?"[/color] He threw a dark bolt to emphasize the point. [color=dimgray]"Actually, is she even alive?"[/color] he pretended to ponder.

Ingrid started to swell energy, pumping herself full of stimulants to dash out of the way of anti-reality. [color=8882be]"No clue, I assumed she was still stuck in Ciro's bed,"[/color] She fired a light beam at its legs. She tried to play it off as if it did not alarm her but the real staff lent credence to its stabs.

Her RAS recovered with every moment it took to speak with her, [color=8882be]"Why are you here anyway? Just a Demon that hates Sanguinaires or are you related to the demon monkeys at Ersand'Ernise?"[/color]

The demon hopped back and howled with laughter. [color=dimgray]"Heyyy, you ain't bad, kid! By which I mean you're horrible, which is terrific."[/color] He twirled the lance that held Ingrid's attention. [color=dimgray]"Ciro's still entertaining her, huh? Then again, her ancestors were well-practiced Jiang cocksuckers. I'm sure she's a natural."[/color]

He stalked forward tauntingly, pace less than urgent. [color=dimgray]"Nah. I don't hate sanguinaires. Why would I? You guys are the best, actually. It's the one thing we and the gods agree on: humans are most useful when they're suffering!"[/color]

[color=8882be]"pfft,"[/color] Ingrid let the smallest of chuckles go. [color=8882be]"Apologies, but at least they built a name from cock sucking, unlike the shit you choke on,"[/color] a small rock in her back started to heat up and glow a sickly green.

She remembered the illusions it made when she was coming out of the portal, there was little doubt that it was trying to pull the same stunt. Radiation rolled off and away from her, outlining her area.

[color=dimgray]"Losersayswhat."[/color] blurted the maniacal creature that inched closer to the Eskandr. Simultaneous to his fake out were its dark, beady eyes looking right above Ingrid. Was something there? It could be a trick.

It wasn't. A portal had suddenly opened with a Xiuyang-like inflatable befalling her. The dummy looked like a pillow and inflated in size every inch closer to the ground. It was about to blow!

And from the front came a brazen assault from the demon. Its wicked grin salivating for the suffering it reveled in. Except he wasn't moving forward - it had a Xiuyang piñata about to pop after all - and instead his spear seemed to extend. Indefinitely. [color=dimgray]"Staaaaaaand still! I need you dead real quick!"[/color]

She directed the radiation around her into a field of fire above her, dashing further away. [color=8882be]"What the-"[/color] it popped before she could fully make out the deception it had laid and the spear made contact with her side. 

It cut deeper than she wanted but she couldn't let the moment escape her. The radiation grew and gathered, pulling from the surroundings and the energy she wasted moments ago. Forming a thick, potent shell of radiation around her hand. She grabbed the spear in attempt to burn, fracture, and break it. The less tools it had, the better her chances Ingrid believed.

The spear snapped a bit too easily. A keen observer would notice that the Xiuyang doppelganger had yanked the metal weapon in a manner that faciliated its severing. And then, with the jagged, broken new tip it extended it once more right into Ingrid's abdomen. [color=dimgray]"KHKHKHKHKHKH! Stupid fucking human making my job easier!"[/color] that massive grin suddenly turned into a gigantic frown. [color=dimgray]"A bit too easy."[/color]

His idle hand swung toward the heavens,  and with that motion the many clouds that obscured the sun had been split. From that thin fissure came the afternoon light of the sun angled right for the clearing Ingrid was in. [color=dimgray]"Oh well. If you intend to have me melt, I may as well return the favour, **bloodsucker.**"[/color] a long, mucus-covered tongue whipped out of the unnatural grin and licked not just the lips but cheeks, neck and even parts of its torso.

The spear slipped from her hand and stabbed into her once more. As the sunbeam came down, Ingrid moved away from it with her skill in enhancement and supernatural speed. Whatever light managed to reach her, she tried to absorb and refract it into a blinding light at it.

[color=dimgray]"Nyeh. Quit iiiiit."[/color] his idle hand shielded the eyes from the beam of light while the other twisted the speak that had impaled the Eskandr's stomach. [color=dimgray]"Hey, hey, tell you what sucky succ!"[/color] Ingid wasn't the only one drawing, though, and the light beam was also being repurposed into a counter - a counter to the counter, though it remained mere light. [color=dimgray]"Lemme have my way with you, and I'll save those poor sods from what's coming! Mmkay?"[/color] suddenly, the demon's form unleashed a burst of light as if he was a flashbang, minus the loud sound. Light from the sun, one might add.

Ingrid smashed the water up to weaken the light but the sunlight still grabbed her. It flared her sanguine blood, inflaming her body and slowing her. The pain was manageable on its own but it only added to the growing list of injuries she had.

[color=8882be]"Parting the skies is like asking for divine punishment,"[/color] while it was directing the sun she brought forth a heavenly lance enveloped in sunlight towards it.

The demon wiggled his fingers and flashed an exaggerated face of dread. [color=dimgray]"Ohhh noooo. I'll be double damned."[/color] and with that came a simple thrust of the spear, not quick enough to extend to the Sanguinaire but just swift enough to fire a discombobulating air-shot, one akin to the ability it used to split the clouds.

It was important to note that the demon, while powerful, was not perfect. And in his hubris had done a miscalculation. Ingrid's aim was tripped up, but she was both a Sanguinaire and seasoned. Her shot wasn't entirely misfired. With that mistake came the lower left of his face completely scorched off, completely mangling the smile the smile he was proud of.

The demon froze for a moment, head lowered spear still firmly held. [color=dimgray]"You little shit."[/color] said the creature shorter than her. [color=dimgray]"H̷̊̎o̷͌͝w̶͛̚.̴͂̍ ̷͍͂Ď̸͋a̷͐re. Y̸͑́Ó̷͘U̶?!"[/color]

[color=8882be]"Ooh, damned by Ipte for sure."[/color] She grinned through the pain at its disfigurement. Meanwhile Ingrid weakly sealed the hole in her abdomen and tried to create some distance, creating fog to cover her movement. Last time she pissed off a demon she became well acquainted with the fine masonry of Ersand'Ernise

[color=dimgray]"And you still blurt out quips."[/color] as Ingrid faded into the mist, she could still see the hateful, red eyes glaring at her through the fog. Then, they were gone. He had lost her.

Or rather, she lost him.

From above her emerged the malformed face of the demon, emerging out of guttural roar. This scream came with a spew of black substance that, upon seeing its effects on nearby matter, was a potent acid. [color=dimgray]"Y̴̒̎O̵̽͒Ü̷͋ ̴̛̈S̸͌͆H̵́͝Ȏ̴͌U̸LD HAVE LI͚͠S̶̠̈́T̶̏ENED TO ̵̀̌T̴̛H͂Ĕ̸͊ ̴̆̍C̶ROWN!"[/color]

She hid and slithered in the fog as long as she could but it was not long until her sensing failed her. Its energy had dissipated and the scent of its blood was obscured. Out it came with anger and vitriol, acid spewing about. Luckily she had some very recent experience stopping acid. [color=8882be]"I just said no!"[/color] Ingrid yelled at it. Turned the fog around her into a blizzard of icy razors. She had to keep moving, find a way to escape and survive.

Running was an option, but how effective it was came into question when one's pursuer had portals under its employ. As Ingrid retreated back, the moment she turned around to see where she was going, there stood the demon. It still kept some of Xiuyang's likeness, most notably the clothes, but its features were stretched. Especially the limbs, making it taller than the Eskandr.

Its face was still mangled but that hardly seemed to limit it. The smile was contorted into something truly uncanny. [color=dimgray]"You're done."[/color] he growled, its arm stretching out as Ingrid recuperated from downright crashing into the adamant monster. It went for her neck and did not hol back for the sake of playing with its food anymore. [color=dimgray]"L̵͆̆a̸͑͒s̷͙͌t̸͗͆ ̶̋͑w̵̒͐o̶̓rds."[/color]

She was faced with an overwhelming opponent, over and over she had faced it. Too many demon, dragons, knowers, and foes have spilled her blood from here to Xochi. It was quicker and stronger than her, harboring magical arts that she could rarely fathom. She has existed by luck and fortune since her first time meeting Hugo. And now there was a Demon at her throat and she was on her own.

It came close. Salivating to watch her life go dark but she still fought, [color=8882be]"I will revel in Videl's failure."[/color] The stone to her side fractured and dissipated into a spell taught to her by a demonic tome, Infernal Majesty. [color=8882be]"Wither and die Demon."[/color]

The good half of the demon's face formed what looked like a smirk. And yet, it started to wither. That smirk didn't have time to turn into a frown as the demon quickly melted and had essentially been killed after being lured into Ingrid's range. 

All signs pointed to this not being an illusion. But this certainly felt too easy. Of course it was.

[color=dimgray]"Surprise bitch!"[/color] right in front of her, over the leftovers of the body. It had done a simple temporal anchor, a trick Ingrid was familiar with during the Quantum Upta fight, and this time the monster made its opening by sucker punching Ingrid into submission. [color=dimgray]"You really thought for a second, didn't you?"[/color] he cackled like a hyena, stretched arms binding Ingrid's neck and ready to slaughter in less than a second. [color=dimgray]"It's been fun, but the hourglass' running low, sooooooooo!"[/color]

With a simple squeeze, it could crush that neck into nothing. And it was about to do that. Except, as it was busy gloating, it did not notice the observer in the air. Ingrid did, if her vision hadn't fully faded. It was her partner, the dragon that had been seeking her out. And just as the demon noticed, a stream of flame descended upon the demon. On Ingrid too, but at the very least she could do something about it. The attack would, even if brief, offer the Eskandr a final chance at escape.

She had hoped so desperately that it was the actual demon that died but those feelings were misplaced, she should have been preparing for the waypoint to take place. She was not learned nor skilled enough to counter temporal magic. She merely played with the energies of the past and future.

Ingrid's legs burned from exertion, she couldn't protect herself from its slick punch. She weakly grasped at its arms, doing little more than feebly resisting. 

She was alone, her comrades having died or given up on looking for her. But through her fading vision, she saw Ökeneld, still trying to save her like Sven and she had taught it. She had to use this moment.

She focused her drake's fire, pulling from the waste and fueling it with the decay of the bog. She didn't need a stream but an impact. She layered them over with precision though she believed it not to be enough. the next thing she could do was temporally accelerate it, taking from the future what she could use now. 

It's all she had left and if it were to fail, she would die here. Her last moment at an escape.

Infuriated, the demon had lost his prey as he needed to dedicate a considerable portion for a last-second reaction to the aerial bombardment. Ingrid slipped, and ...

[color=dimgray]"F̶̊̑ȯ̴̼r̵̐͝e̷̊͛s̷̘̒t̴̀̔ä̶́́l̴̫͑l̶̾͆.̴̽ ̶͋Forestall. FORESTALL!"[/color]

It swelled with dark energies. And, once again, it appeared as though there was no real exit. The Eskandr could feel its evil gaze on top of her. 

And here it was, in front of her again. No more smiles. A dark bolt was being conjured and the dragon couldn't get there on time. [color=dimgray]"Bye."[/color]

But then it stopped. Its head trained toward the direction of the main bog. [color=dimgray]"Time's up."[/color] it remarked without a shred of emotion. [color=dimgray]"How disappointing. Oh well."[/color] a portal opened behind the demon, and once again it smiled at Ingrid as if taunting her.

Her body nearly collapsed as its attention changed. She slumped back and began to heal her body. If she could think, she could heal herself. The sense of relief that she was given from its ire turn from her to the bog was immense. Her life was saved.

But the moment she closed her eyes, she saw the two people. Sven and Desmond. They were still there. They could be dead and she could leave to mourn them. She could finish Desmond's business and personally deliver the news to Sven’s family before. Tend to what they loved and pursued in memory of them.

But when her eyes opened, [color=8882be][i]But they could still be alive.[/i][/color] She couldn’t close a portal but what she could do was send a dark bolt to tear at the portal and the demon. She stood strong and upright, [color=8882be]”Come on, scared I’ll take a bite out of you?"[/color] She grinned oh so wide and sharpened her teeth with illusions.

[url]https://youtu.be/hlrKL7m8gi0[/url]

A sanguinaire throwing its life away for others? A preposterous proposition. Especially this one, the 'apology tour' girl with a reputation that made the chronic smiler cackle in delight. A perfect example on why humans deserved everything it inflicted upon them. 

And yet, its smile once again contorted into a baleful scowl. The insect did not run and instead suppressed the sadistic horror. It was so unexpected that its reflexes nearly let it get struck once more. It wasn't, but it was forced to retreat. There was no portal-forming either, as the distance it had to cross was considerable enough to require a focused cast. And each time it tried, the Eskandr shot back.

[color=dimgray]"W̵̄̎ ̶͌̚H̴͑̚ ̵̩͂Ó̵̈́ ̵̓̂R̶̽̀ ̶̕E"[/color]

There was no more  Xiuyang resemblance, the creature was an accumulation of black sludge, not too different to the Bog monster in some ways, with its wicked red eyes and massive row of teeth flashed in an exaggerated frown. A horror that would burn in the minds of the weak willed, but Ingrid had proven to be anything but.

[color=dimgray]"Ñ̶͝O̶̓̆ ̴̾̓N̵̉͆O̷̔̀ ̴̈́̈N̵̽O NO NO NO!"[/color]

It looked panicked. Suddenly, it appeared right before Ingrid, emerging right out of her shadow. Its power was disgustingly massive, the drawing nauseating even to a powerhouse like the sanguinaire. With a rapid, near sonic-speed thrust of its long arm, it jabbed right into the injured girl's chest. A stab empowered by a dark bolt of its own, seeking to leave a heart-sized hole right where her cold pulse still beat.

No more sadism. No more control. Desperation was in its inhuman expression. Desperation to be rid of something it had constantly regarded as lesser. It fretted over a bug. Pathetic.

Ingrid seemed to revel in the demon's anger and frustration. Shrugging off the insults because it was not not true. It was when the frustration turned to panic that she prepared for the worst, all people either shut down or turn to violence when stressed. 

She launched herself back like a rock on a trebuchet, rolling through the air, creating illusions of herself to distract the angry monster. A broken bone or two was a greater price than a dark bolt to the chest. She needed to build herself for just a moment longer. She whistled for her dragon to blow fire at the forest. The more energy flowing, the better she could hide among it. It had proved it wasn't infallible and she hoped that it prove that again.

The demon did not entertain all these illusory theatrics and ploys. When  Ingrid made the slip, she was immediately shot with an insidiously high dose of venom via internal magic. No more games, the Sanguinaire's veins were going to burn as if she had been under the sun for hours. 

Then came the 'shots'. Its elongated fingers pointed in her direction and unleashed thin beams of black energy - a variant of the dark bolt, a tad more precise like a laser but also thinner. Sadism was put aside in favor of fatal wounds. Except for the head, it remained partial to pretty faces, oddly enough.

Her veins filled with an unknown venom, she could irradiate and turn it to waste but that would only slow her. Little did the demon know that Ingrid still had a trick up her sleeve. Sven's talents used against the contagion were held within her Scepter of Ahn-Shune and she released it now, curing her of the venom.

She dove and swished out of the way of the laser, launching a blinding light mixed with another heavenly lance at it. She started to curve, trying to stay within the fiery forest.
[color=dimgray]"A̷̳͋n̵͋̈́n̵̊̚o̴͛́y̸̍͊ȋ̵̕n̵̓g.."[/color]

The flames provided ample energy for the demon and seemed hardly bothered. What concerned it more was the injured girl's swift dodges and preparation for another big spell. Soon it molded into something familiar - the same strike that harmed it. The Smiler had learned and just opened its mouth. Jaw unhinged made to drop like a boa's. The lance entered into the abyss that was its gullet.

And reappeared right behind Ingrid. A wormhole within the flames of the forest, another abuse of the space-time and the VOID by this hateful menace. If its own death shots weren't going to do the job quickly, then the atomic mages would be the coup de grace.

Her own light hid what the demon had done and before she could predict another attack, a hole had taken her from knee to rib.

She crashed down into the ground as she lost the power pushing her forward. Tumbling forward until she eventually ran into a tree. Her dragon kept trying to burn the demon as it had no master and no more forest to burn.

The demon cackled. [color=dimgray]"Now wither and die."[/color] it uttered with a voice almost identical to Ingrid's. 

With the Eskandr struck and down in the midst of flames, it trained its eyes to the heavens where flames descended upon it. Aggressive drawing shielded it briefly, then came a wall of stone to cover the demon's retreat. Killing the dragon was a waste of time - time it had run out of. A large portal was once again conjured and a hurried Smiler abandoned its mark, believed to be dead, for its true objective.

Leaves and vines went up in flames with the rest of the bog. Slowly they fell upon Ingrid’s corpse, singing what remained of her and soon the branches and trunks would follow suit. But she felt none of it. The heavenly lance ripped through her spine and left side, cutting just below her diaphragm. The wound was singed shut but as her body kept trying to pump, and reconnect with itself, blood found a way through the horrid cauterization. 

It was a slow, withering death. Ingrid’s body was dying and even if she could heal this, it would be malformed from all the radiation she now had leaking from her blood. So deathly even if the tree she laid under were to survive the fire, it would not survive her corpse. 

The blood poured from her now. Some pooled near her back and some trickled into the water. But a small volume held tight to her arm towards the weapon she held even in death. Ingrid claimed it from the Star of Yarsoc after besting him in battle. It was only right to carry something of someone so strong. The history of the weapon always alluded her but the strength it lent her to defeat Upta and demons was ever strong.

Her wayward manas reached out to it, trying to sync up with it as they had in battle, the manas inside were trusted and resilient while hers were quickly dying. As the dyeing mana called out to it, the great staff shot back into her hand and a great deal of energy flooded out of it to Ingrid’s wounds.

Insects, trees, moss, algae, stone, and water turned gray and amorphous. It slumped over her body, warming and taking over her faculties. Her heart was pumped and her lungs filled with air. It cleaned her body of toxins and recycled the damaged cells. Then the amorphous blob started to take form, slowly growing denser and more complicated. It became her, creating new organs bones, muscles, and skin. Ingrid’s mind revived and started to come back into a deep haze.

The burning vines crackled and curled above her hazy head. Flames danced and formed into endless halls and stairways. Ingrid floated through them one by one, hurling her through distant memories. The bitter and sweet, the romantic and tragic. Every proud moment was doubled by embarrassment and struggle. It felt ever so close but so distant, passing through her fingers like a flower in the wind. She longed to make more of these memories. 

But that was not in the cards for Ingrid, rooms and memories snuffed out with a hideous smile. Laughter bellowed out and consumed each memory, bitter and sweet. She ran up the stairs and it gave chase. It gorged and stuffed its toothy mouth until it overran with glutton. It ate until there was nothing but spent ambers. There was nothing but herself and the laughter; Ingrid and her leg. 
[/hider]
[hider=The Return]
[center][h2]The Return[/h2][/center]

She shot up in a panic, feeling for her side and leg. They were there. She was still in the bog. The demon was gone and she was alive. She breathed in and out, crying as she could only be thankful that she was alive, [color=8882be]”Thank the gods I’m alive!”[/color] The euphoria fled from her as she came sinking back into the bog. [color=8882be]”Gods, I’m alive.”[/color] She was still in the bog and her friends she had died for were still in danger. She stood and whistled for her dragon, expecting no response. But much to her surprise Okenald was still flying, seemingly spared by the demon. [color=8882be]”It’s me Okenald, I’m okay.”[/color] She petted the side of its face to soothe it. She mounted Okenald, [color=8882be]”Just a little longer, okay?”[/color] Her hand trembled at the reigns, thoughts filled with facing the demon again. Scared wouldn’t do for how she felt. She could simply run and, and… [color=8882be]”No, they could still need you,”[/color] she said to herself as she took off from her grave. 

Ingrid had come as strong as she could, reaching levels that she had only fathomed when viewing Benny and the time she had raided the Forked Tower. But none of that lent her even an ounce of resistance as that 'thing' was summoned, sacrificing Sven with it. 

A deep throbbing pain took her as Okenald fell to the ground. It grumbled pained chirps and clicks, asking for release. But she had no comfort for it, she tried to keep her eyes on whatever it was. That fucking crooked mouth cocksucker was lapping up its entrance and she hated it. She couldn't kill it nor could she stop its plan. 

Another step to resurrecting Vedil. 

She had been robbed of her agency like a dozen times before but this was different, there was no futile resistance to be had while under the demon’s influence. He was much stronger than any demon she had faced. There was no hope from her end but Desmond and Laska seemed to create a moment where what little she could do allowed her to run through a tear in space. She managed to launch an arcane lance at the demon, not that it mattered.

She landed on the floor, skidding on the muck she dragged in from the bog. She tried to rise quickly in case they gave chase somehow but she was overtaken with nausea from the jump in space. She held to the floor for longer than she wished and could only sense Laska's cold presence and the near nothing of Desmond's mana. No one else made it through. 

She came back to try and she didn't even have the chance. She just had hatred for that fucking demon. It toyed with her, killed her, and then still fucking won. It had its victory and all she could do was watch. It wasn't like her other failures people she cared for died. 

She sat up, finally making eyes with the other two. They truly were the only people that had made it through. She wanted to mourn for her 2 kinsmen but she couldn't. Her voice was hollow and light, [color=8882be]"Are you two alright."[/color] Ingrid rose to offer assistance to either of them. Right now Laska wasn't a Rezaindian, but a survivor like her. She looked around the room.

The interior was utterly rich and well traveled. It would almost raise her curiosity but danger still lingered in her mind. But the curios and distinctive eclectic collection of furniture lent itself to the conclusion that they were in Don Cojones hideaway. Where it was she could not say but maybe there was something to gain here for a potentially long journey.

Desmond came flying out of the portal like a bullet. He rolled across the floor for a moment as he dispersed the force of his fall. He looked around for a moment before he took Ingrid's hand, [color=gold]"Mostly"[/color].

He sighed as he was hoisted up. His eyes glanced around as he began to inspect the place. [color=gold]"So this is Don Cojones' place hu?"[/color]

Desmond nodded his head, taking in the area around him, [color=gold]"Not bad"[/color].

Edyta felt the breath fill her lungs. She felt the warmth of a nearby fire on her skin. [color=6ecff6][i]Still,[/i][/color] she thought, [color=6ecff6][i]you have need for me, sinner that I am.[/i][/color] She curled her fingers and took a moment to become reacquainted with herself. Ingrid was speaking After a moment, there was Desmond as well. 

[color=f26522][i]A devil has come into the world.[/i][/color] She wasn't certain who had been there at the end. She'd known she was outmatched. She'd known that she'd failed. Had it been Mother Madrona herself? Had Bartek been with her? All at once, Edyta sat up. [color=6ecff6]"I'm better than dead,"[/color] she told Ingrid after a brief pause, glancing about her surroundings as Desmond remarked on them. 

This place was a testament to the worldly vanity of one man and was both charming and forbidding at once. She wasn't sure how to feel about it. [color=f26522][i]But a devil has come into this world.[/i][/color] She didn't have the luxury of exploring. People needed to know. She needed to get out of here, wherever 'here' was. She got to her feet, perhaps a bit less gracefully than she usually did. [color=6ecff6]"Not bad at all,"[/color] she agreed, stretching briefly and checking her weapons, [color=6ecff6]"but I don't intend on staying. Belthagor has come into the world."[/color]

From the other room, she could hear muted voices: Roslyn and... the second set her nerves on edge. It was Sven, but he'd been taken by the grand demon. She'd hoped against hope that Niallus and Esmii had made it, but she couldn't hear them. Certainly, there were treasures here - rich ones - but she made first for the direction of her fellow students. Unless there was something useful among them, Don Cojones' items were mere baubles. Dimly she registered a pretty dress, an ugly doll, and some form of book. She brushed past, though, in a hurry to see who else had made it.

Knowing the demon’s names was helpful if not utterly terrifying. Ingrid's failure to stop that bastard weighed heavier on her mind. She died trying and she couldn't even slow him down. [color=8882be]"I tried to stop the demon that showed up, but I wasn't enough on my own."[/color] There was a hint of self-pity in her voice but Laska was right, they needed to get out of here. 

Before Ingrid could follow Laska, she needed to change her clothes and that pretty blue dress was the only bit of fabric around. She grabbed it and would change into it when they needed to leave. She followed behind Laska as she seemed to pick something up, It was Sven. Ingrid rushed towards the voice, ignoring what she saw in a desperate hope that he was okay.

The moment Ingrid's digit met with the dazzlingly blue fabric, the dress disassembled itself into a myriad of ribbons. They all latched onto the Eskandish's form, constricting rapidly, leaving her head and the very end of her extremities untouched. But just as it seemed danger was afoot, the tightness loosened like a sudden exhale of relief. The royal blue color had deluded into an unremarkable beige. Or was it brown? No, it was greener, actually. The coloration was changing and so was the form of the "dress".

All un-enchanted clothing worn by Ingrid had been drawn upon and devoured by the dress, making way for a dark-green, baroque-style ball gown, although with less volume from the waist-down. The textile it simulated glimmered in the light of the hideout's lanterns. It felt easy to move in. In fact, it felt easier than usual to do the most mundane of movements and tasks.
Desmond nodded to himself as he began to look around, [color=gold]"Let's see if we can find a way out of here"[/color].

[i][color=gold]'Gods know we got work to do'[/color][/i], Desmond thought dimly for a moment as began to move around the place. He saw in a room there were trophies. Heads of great beasts, yet more so there were decorative weapons. Blades, guns, and other things. While none were magically enhanced. Desmond knew he needed to replace what he had. And a man who had gone above or below would worry not for his mortal tools. Desmond knew this enough.

Desmond began to drop multiple belts of blades, guns, and other instruments of warfare. Each instrument was on belts placed in areas and ways that if hit would act as small pieces of armor. And in exactly that they served their purpose.

He saw multiple of his blades were shattered in their sheathes and scabbards. guns jammed, damaged, or otherwise inoperable. Desmond sighed to himself as he began to look around. Taking replacements for things he had, leaving what he had taken off, and doing his best to not leave a mess.

In the center of the room was a single item that seemed of some interest, a book.

Desmond couldn't think of really any use it could give in this situation. Yet if anything, it could have some information on creatures.

And if Desmond knew anything about the magic he has and possibly what a Grand Demon could have, creatures becoming monsters is not outside of possibility.

He took Don Cojones' Guide, and placed it into his bag before heading out. Seeing Laska and Ingrid had rushed towards a door.

When Ingrid saw Sven, all she could muster was a quick embrace. [color=8882be]"Good gods, you’re alive,"[/color] she said, trying to process why or how he was here but couldn’t. Her eyes welled with tears on the mention of Esmii and Niallus, [color=8882be]"I don’t think they are with us anymore."[/color] she cried to herself before coming too, [color=8882be]"But we have to keep moving Sven, we can cry together when we’re home."[/color] Her words continued to betray her actions as some loose tears still fell from her. This was unlike her, this was all too much for the young woman. 

[color=8882be]"4 Wyverns,"[/color] Ingrid corrected Roslyn, wiping the remaining tears from her cheeks. [color=8882be]"Okenald is waiting in the other room still. You can ride on Okenald with me, don’t worry, he can handle it if it’s just us."[/color] Roslyn’s anxiety almost felt palpable and Ingrid could certainly understand why. [color=8882be]"We’re not leaving anyone behind."[/color] she said solemnly. 

Roslyn relaxed when Ingrid eased her inner fears. It must've been easy to see her on her expression causing to reply quickly. [color=#cbc66d] "Thank you. When we get back, I owe you a mug of beer. I am just hoping Niallus and Esmii made it out."[/color] 

Rubbing her tattered dress, hoping this nightmare was over once and for all.
[/hider]
[hider=Unsavory Proposition]
[center][h2]Unsavory Proposition[/h2][/center]
Ingrid was walking past by Lowenbrandt Place, the least used of all campus buildings, brought here for her Orredes afternoon class on Cartography, which had just concluded. It was automatic, at this point, to use some chemical magic to stifle her sense of smell as she passed the lavatories, which were the oldest in Ersand'Enise and smelt like it.

From her pace to her body language to the general lack of her usual effervescence, it was clear that something was weighing on the unusually tall Eskandishwoman. Then, into her near-somnambulance, a voice: [color=9e0039]"Hey!"[/color] it whispered loudly. [color=9e0039]"Ingrid, I'm so sorry to bug you."[/color]

She twisted to regard a yasoi girl - Tyrel, or was it Miret? - peering out of the doorway with a distinctly uncomfortable expression on her face. If she could not see their legs, the cousins were near-impossible to tell apart and, though they were not students, they were fairly common visitors to the school.

[color=9e0039]"Ugh. [i]Damy[/i], this is so creepy to just like... solicit you like this, but I had an idea and I thought we could help each other."[/color] She regarded the staff that her human counterpart carried meaningfully. [color=9e0039]"Has to be done quietly,"[/color] she added at the end.

[color=8882be][i]Now to go wrap up my business in the workman's quarter, one less mess,[/i][/color] Ingrid planned the end of her day around her failing to find a leg. It consumed her mind and energy, leaving her going through the motions. Looking at her fellow students 'potential' and questioning her own life. No room to even process the death of her closest friend and old lover. 

She barely turned to Miret, forcing a smile, [color=8882be]"Hello Miret, good to see you return from your campaign,"[/color] Ingrid gave a cordial greeting. She readied herself for a short, hopefully sweet, conversation. She let off a little laugh, glanced at her staff, and then back to Miret, [color=8882be]"I don't mind, where are we going or are we meeting somewhere?"[/color] she asked, somewhat hesitantly.

[color=8882be][i]Is she here to claim the staff for Tarlon or herself? Either way, there was no harm in going along.[/i][/color] 

[color=9e0039]"Right here, friendo."[/color] The yasoi's eyes darted about suspiciously. [color=9e0039]"Where it smells awful and nobody will snoop."[/color] She beckoned Ingrid inside. [color=9e0039]"I know what that thing is and, unless I've lost my touch with reading body language, I know what you have to do. Now come. No more out here!"[/color]

Ingrid seemed genuinely surprised when Miret just openly said what was on her mind. Normally, Ingrid's suspicions would take over but there was a part of her that was comforted that someone knew. She sighed, [color=8882be]"Alright, alright. I'll follow you in."[/color] 

She knew that Miret had some kind of agenda, everyone does. [color=8882be]"Is the staff that famous,"[/color] Ingrid asked with a tired curiosity.

Miret shook her head. [color=9e0039]"No,"[/color] she replied, [color=9e0039]"so you don't have to worry, but my cousin knows something of it and so do I, as a result."[/color]

Momentarily, the yasoi reached over, closed the door, and hung up the 'Cleaning' sign on it.

[color=9e0039]"You need a leg and I want you to take mine."[/color]

[color=8882be][i]Vyshta girl knowing about the Vyshta Stick? Makes enough sense,[/i][/color] Ingrid let any further curiosity slip by as the door shut. But then Miret offered something unexpected. So unexpected that Ingrid just went silent for a good bit of time, staring at Miret

Eventually she got out a simple, [color=8882be]"Why?"[/color] She leaned on a wall. She wasn't relaxed but even trying to imagine why Miret, Tarlon soldier, Zarina's lover, sister of Tyrel, would give up a leg for her. 

[color=9e0039]"If I tell you, you're part of this,"[/color] Miret warned, [color=9e0039]"and while we know each other a bit and you seem like good people, I don't have a mind to bring you into a Tarlonese conspiracy and mortal danger."[/color] She pursed her lips and nodded slowly. [color=9e0039]"Suffice to say I've got a way of bringing this back when I need it."[/color] She tapped her right leg and forced a quick reassuring smile at the end for Ingrid's benefit. 

Ingrid nodded her head, it was [i]another[/i] conspiracy, [i]another[/i] plan, [i]another[/i] person just talking around her head. Gods it was annoying. Just another pawn. She could take it and leave, just have nothing to do with this but...

[color=8882be]"Your right one..."[/color] her mind clicked for a second and the color that had been lost rushed back. [color=8882be]"I see, I can accept your benevolence. Ismette and Tyrel had always been kind to me,"[/color] she gave quick thanks, [color=8882be]"I just wish I could return the kindness one day."[/color] A bit of pain sprung forward to her as she remembered Ismette or Leluun or whoever she truly was. The circumstances around her death was questionable but after the Smiler and who it is connected too, Ingrid's doubts have reemerged 

[color=8882be]"Are you ready for it now or do you need to finish some other business?"[/color] Ingrid asked to be nosy and get her mind off of Ismette.

[color=9e0039]"Ingrid,"[/color] Miret sighed, [color=9e0039]"I don't want you hurt. This isn't your fight, okay. This is... between us yasoi and..."[/color] She swallowed. [color=9e0039]"I've already lost too many people, okay?"[/color] She perked up a little. [color=9e0039]"I don't know exactly how the process works - Tyrel gave me only the essentials of what she knows."[/color] The yasoi traced a line across her upper thigh, hand quivering slightly. [color=9e0039]"This is where I need it."[/color] She shook her head. [color=9e0039]"[i]Gods[/i], this is insanity,"[/color] she admitted. [color=9e0039]"I just know I'll get it back, and we need this."[/color] She took a breath. [color=9e0039]"I have a few things to wrap up here, a few things I need to do."[/color] She regarded Ingrid evenly. [color=9e0039]"Two days time, by the Rolling Rocks up past Morrento? Under the big willow by the pond there?"[/color]

[color=8882be]"As nice as it is to hear you don't want to hurt me,"[/color] Ingrid smiled, [color=8882be]"I've lost people as well, some recent, some I don't even know when they left me."[/color] Ingrid didn't pity Miret nor did she romanticize her situation. She was given an attempt with the staff and it was worth it. [color=8882be]"You don't need to tell me what the depths of your mind and I won't pry either,"[/color] Ingrid nodded, accepting everyone had their part in someone's story. [color=8882be]"Just know that I am in your debt, Miret. Whether you call on that debt or not, is up to you."[/color] 

[color=8882be]"If you ever want to talk, you know how to find me. See you at the willow, Miret."[/color]

[color=9e0039]"Stay safe, fellow bloodsucker,"[/color] Miret replied. [color=9e0039]"I'll see you there."[/color] She waited a few minutes so that it was not too suspicious before walking away.
[/hider]