Elijah was recovering from last night's tournament, his wounds were minor and would likely be healed by sundown and he'd be ready to go at it again. Being number one for some low life fight club wasn't much to brag about but it kept coin in his pocket. He occasionally landed a high paying fight for the nobles who had a thirst for living on the edge and watching illegal fights in their manors. It was hard to deny the thrill of a good fight, his feral blood assured that but above all else, Eli was in it for the money. Since no one wanted to give him answers about his parents and what happened 24 years ago, he knew only large quantities of coin could grease the right hands. Getting a real job in the port would probably pay better but since being branded, he can never get a real job so fighting is all he has.

The wood floor creaked under Elijah's feet as he stepped out of bed, holding a hand lightly on his ribs. The Beggars Inn, it was just as hospitable as the name implied but it beat sleeping in the dirt outside so a portion of Eli's winnings went to keeping a room open for him. @ "98, 99, 100 gold coins." Elijah counted the contents of his coin pouch for the second time. He set aside a number of coins for the inn keeper to further secure his room, then another stack for meals, the rest went into his coin purse and was stuffed under his left bracer. Elijah stood at the window and looked out, watching the people scurry around the streets like rodents. Just then, the smell of fresh bread drifted through the window and caught his attention. "I could eat." he thought to himself, grabbing his cloak and money, then heading out to the streets with the rodents.

@=

At first there was nothing. Nothing but the calm sound of grain waving in the wind. The yellow field would offer both peace and quiet for anyone who decided to enter it. Yet at this moment no one did. Emptiness and bliss ruled here.

Then something happened…

Something… the size of a person… fell from the sky. Without being affected by wind or weather on this calm day it fell strait down like a meteor. Clouds separated like dry leaves before this incoming anomaly. Flocks of birds turned around terrified by the strange phenomenon.
As the figure came closer, the human-like features became more visible from the ground. The delicate, fragile shapes of a young woman falling became clear.
Closer and closer she fell…
Then, just as she was about to hit the ground, a broad and powerful set of wings spread out from behind her back. Instantly the blond woman was stopped and gently hovered down, until her bare feet touched the grain.
As heavy as she could fall, as light could she wander over the yellow field. She took a moment to breathe in the heavy air the surface provided and felt the soft grain between her toes.

Suddenly, with no warning, 6 men dropped down too. Like her they had wings, but these guys were not gentle. Their landings send dirt flying and created shock-waves - destroying any hope of harvest. Their fine tunics, sandals and leather-braces did not hide any of their muscle-definition. In fact the thin clothing only made their swelling biceps that much more visible.
All of them were carrying large, golden spears, which they were pointing in all direction. But as intimidating as they looked, a simple hand-gesture from the female was enough to bring them at ease. They trusted her counseling and guidance.

The breeze that blew through the field did not have any effect on the golden hair of Gabriella. Her long locks floated, as if gravity could not hold them down.
Gabriella, the female Archangel.
Gabriella the Brave-hearted.
Gabriella a Council-member of Crystal City.

She moistened her sensual lips before silently whispering: “Look to the sky, mortals, for you will remember it. Because at long last… WE have returned…”

The smoke-filled lair of Dormeria was metaphorically ablaze with activity - fairies of all shapes and sizes whizzed around the musty air, occasionally stopping to admire one of the crystalline statues that populated the walls, and stopping to pick up pouches of decidedly questionable substances before whizzing off through the veiled entrance. Meanwhile, the unmistakable form of the resident Gorgon peered over a stone cauldron, mixing sweet-smelling liquids and flowers and herbs together into what would be a potent concoction. The recipient of the brew was stood a few paces away from Dormeria, sure not to gaze upon her face, idly fidgeting with the coinpurse that he held - obviously frightened that one or more of the fairies would take it from him before he could offer payment to the alchemist working her magic.

"To fall in love, or to fall in lust?" came the sultry-sounding voice, calling from the cauldron and turning her head to face the young man. He quickly averted his gaze in a panic, not wanting to even chance looking into Dormeria's eyes, before stammering out a "... lust, please..." and blushing fiercely, matching the shade of the ruby statuette beside him.

"Hmm... Yes, I know what you seek. He's very pretty, but his persuasions are... A little different to your own. I understand. Do you want him to remember?"

"... Can you make him like it?"

"There are few things I cannot do, little one... The question is - how will you pay? My prices are steep for services so potent as what you desire, and I do not always accept mere gold."

His blush reddened even further and his breathing intensified. What if he couldn't pay her with the money he had? What if she didn't want gold? He couldn't afford any more than he had, and if he failed to pay... His life in Tiaquin would be ruined, he'd never st-

"But I can make you an offer, little Niall. I want you to take my potion and enjoy the night it will give you - and after you and he are both spent and lying on whatever surface you choose to defile, you will take a single lock of his hair and bring it to me... And then you will find a stranger in the streets - one who is enjoying Tiaquin's vibrant night life - and bring him to me. I desire another statuette for my collection." She almost taunted, interrupting his little panic with a small flask carved out of diamond that looked exactly like a rose. It was more valuable than anything the boy could ever have offered her, but Dormeria's motives were unknowable - why she would help the young lad at cost to her was a mystery to all but the gorgon herself.

"... Okay... But w-"

"Shh... Take it and put these concerns to the side while you enjoy your night. Our business can be concluded after you have used my potion."

And with that, the young boy left the hazy room. Dormeria's next customer could be just as lucky, or perhaps it was unlucky? She could never remember how her little bargains ended up for parties that were not her.

The morning light shown over the city of Gestalt, turning the black sky into a sea of shifting greys. In the streets, nothing stirred, the good people still in their beds, enjoying the last moments of night before they were forced out by the oppressive sunlight. It was this lazyness that allowed such scoundrels as Tal'Vara to do the work that she needed to. There was always some fool wandering the streets early in the morning, for whatever reason - perhaps they had to work until dawn, or they enjoyed their cool morning walks. Either way, they were prime candidates for liberation of coin. The guard were groggy from either just waking up or distracted by need for sleep, leaving the poor people of the city all but defenseless.

The horned woman stood around a corner, cloak wrapped around her so that only the slimmest view of her body was shown - a pair of brown breeches, cloth wraps around her feet, leaving the clawed toes visible, and a vest were all that could be seen, but any who knew her knew that there was far more beneath the cloak. In the adjacent alley, she could hear someone briskly walking and whistling a merry tune - someone got out on the right side of the bed this morning, it seemed. A cruel smile came over her face as golden eyes turned to glance at where he would come out.

The man passed by her, not even noticing her. Tal'Vara scoffed loudly, causing him to pause midstride and glance back. His pleasant smile turned into a frown of horror as he put together just what she was, and he was about to run when she pounced on him. He fell to the ground, and her foul left hand pressed down on his back, while the tip of her knife pushed against his neck. It drew blood, but her restraint kept it from sliding right through the flesh and bone. The smell of moth-eaten fabric assaulted her nose as the fabric of his shirt began to decay under her palm.

He nearly let out a shout, but a little more pressure from the blade kept him from uttering anything more than a small groan. Lifting her hand, she placed a knee on his back and began to rustle through his pockets, looking for anything valuable. The only thing she was able to produce was a small coinpurse with a few measly coins in it. Disgusted, she lowered that sinister hand until it was clamped around the back of his neck. Instantly, the Rot took affect, decaying the flesh, slowly and painfully. He didn't even bother to hold in his scream of pain, the cry echoing out through the alley and out into the main street. She could hear people stirring in their homes nearby, and cursed. She stood and reared back her foot. It snapped forward, the toe of the heavy boot slamming into the side of the man's face. His head swung to the side, a loud crack sounding from the contact, a second echoing out as his head connected with the floor.

And off she sprinted, with her meager earnings, the sound of people hurrying down the alley to check on the man just behind her. When they got to him, they found the man laying, his head at an odd angle, his neck rotten. His eyes showed no life, and a woman let out a choked sob. The evil bitch had gotten away again, and had left them a widow in return.

Ahrazan watched the heavenly retinue from the shelter of the tall reeds he kneeled behind. Like a comet they had plowed into the earth from above, the few with spears scarcely subtle in their descent. The Ohlgar had never had the privilege of laying eyes on the winged folk before - all he knew about them from was old myths and lore. They were lauded by many of the civilized peoples to be divine, beings of religious significance. Ahrazan could certainly see why. They were tall, resplendent figures of shimmering skin, and their wings graced them with an otherworldly appearance. Yet, for all the tales he'd heard of man throwing himself to his knees before the angelkin, Ahrazan felt no innate need to prostrate himself before them and ask their blessing. What kind of deities would remain so distant from their congregations as if they had never existed at all? As the crimson-clad warrior pondered this, he felt the waxing of Melekeshar's presence at his side.

"They are beautiful, no?" the entity whispered, his voice like that of many speakers' words laid on top of each other.
"Their very bodies are radiant. But are they truly the gods I've heard them to be?"
Melekeshar's grin reversed itself into a grimace. "No... as much as mankind might believe it so be so. They are no more flesh and blood than you. Or I, for that matter. When man surpassed all others in their ascendance to power, they fled the earth."
"Like cowards?"
"Undoubtedly so. They are but a shadow of their former glory, thanks to man. But the weak die on so the strong shall live. That is the way of the world, isn't it?"
"Why would they reappear now, if they detest the earth so much?"
"Hmmm..." Melekeshar stroked his chin quizzically. "I would expect it has something to do with the Goddess's Calm. The kingdoms are supposed to be at peace for the year."
"It would seem as though the angelkin might attempt to enforce such a tradition. If they were agents of the Goddess, that is. But-"
"But that is not the case. I do not know their intentions, nor ponder on such things. The only way is to ask them ourselves."
Ahrazan tipped his head in an inquisitive gesture. "Would that be a wise idea?"
"It wouldn't if you weren't Ahrazan the Unyielding," the entity answered with a laugh. "Come."

Melekeshar emerged from Ahrazan's hiding place, the warrior in suit, and stepped towards the small assembly of angels before them. Ahrazan looked over his shoulder at his companion, who had altered his form to replicate a mortal knight.

Koil hated Physt so damn much. It was hot, it was dry, so far away from the land that saw his birth, the ideal temperature of the undersea paradise of Narxos, well, before the mist and the unseen came. He had came here 1 week earlier through the Eldrast station. He had been paid handsomely to bring pouches of expensive plants to Tiaquin, with a bonus to be on time. The bonus had been a formality of course, since no one thought he'd be able to board the train from Gestalt with contraband. A little song of diplomacy went a long way to make people more open to your ideas.

Right now he was in a so called 'Club'. People dancing, probably smoking whatever he had brought with him from the north and so forth. Koilembolon was in fact having a discussion with someone who had work for people like him it seemed, although the young man was extremely suspicious to say the least.

"So a snake witch."

"Yes, exactly, a cave not far from here and I need your help."

"This is suspicious."

"The money is real."

He threw a large pouch of gold on the table. Indeed real it was and this was why Koil worked, to amass resources for an expedition in the north. This was a lot of gold but he generally made his business through contacts or guilds. People asking for mercenaries like this were extremely unusual to say the least and he had seen this man speak to other people around the place before.

"There is something you are not telling me, land strider, and for this I do not trust you. I recommend you do business with a guild. It also intrigues me that you are looking for a single man."

The man smiled some more, a forced smile.

"It's a cave, small, not a whole lot of place for multiple people to maneuver, I don't want for people to get in each others way. And I'm new to this hiring business. Come on, this gold and the loot inside the cave split in two, no, you can keep two third of it even!"

"What loot."

"Statues of crystal."

"Statues of crystal... may I interrogate you about the provenance of those?"

He looked stressed.

"Magic."

Koil got up from his seat.

"Oh come now, she's a magician, but you're better are you not? And I'll cover you, I'm a decent archer, yes, I'll come with you, I wouldn't risk my life if I wasn't certain you can get the job done now would I?"

This didn't help the situation. Visibly this man was a bandit waiting for a pray to send to send to his companions. But still, even from this perspective... Grab the money, go to the place, slaughter them all for the loot they had stolen. It was possible, Koil had more than a few tricks up his sleeves. It would be a tough fight but not like being a wyvern's prey. Koil turned and took the gold.

"You will meet me tomorrow here where I will deliver the head of the creature. I'll go in alone."

He frowned.

"How do I know you'll not just take the gold and run?"

"One does not get an armor like mine without having the habit of honoring his duties. But if you doubt of me then I will leave your gold and may you find a more cooperative business partner."

"Nooononono, it is quite alright. Here is the map, it isn't that far from the city, watch out for magic and uh... try not to look at that creature in the eyes."

Koil turned around and left. This was shady, it was 100% certain the people inside this cavern would expect him and traps were possible, but a fish that expects the net could never be caught as they said. Behind him the man smiled. Either this hired help would kill Dormeria or, more likely, he'd be turned to stone and his part of the deal would be completed: Send an unsuspecting fool to her.

___________________________

The man had been right, it hadn't been far, in fact, it was still in the city, albeit deep in it. One would have to know his way to reach this place. Was he sent to murder someone? He had moral qualms about being an assassin, but this city... it disgusted him. Surely every living being in it was guilty of something or another. And so he entered. 'Don't look at it in the eyes'... This surprisingly wouldn't be much of a problem. The creature of the deep closed his eyes and sent a sound wave. It came back less than a second after... there was air movement, at least one tiny thing moving, and there were human forms, lots of them, but yet they created no sound and were still. Another echo. One of the form had moved! Koil turned in the direction it now was and as his sonar kept track of movement turned around with the thing.

"Creature, someone wants you dead and I have received payment to end your life... What say you?"

It was a calm voice, a soft tone, not menacing, quite melodious a sound in fact. Land Walkers were always surprised that such a sound could come from such a creature. Koil strengthened his grasp on his weapon, ready to strike at someone lounging at him. He kept on his feet, turning around somewhat, trying to fake that he couldn't exactly pin point his enemy or that his armor impaired his movements. Both were false.

"Koilembolon of Tasalkonic, He Who Fled... I've been expecting you. Please, do step in." the voice echoed back, the sound escaping the Gorgon's mouth echoing the surprise that most mortals felt upon hearing Koil - for a creature so supposedly monstrous, Dormeria's voice was like satin - rich, sensuous, and encompassing. That was without the added effects of magic. Still, she saw no need to begin a battle of sorcery.

Assuming that Koil reacted like anybody would when they first spoke to an oracle that they did not know was such, the room around them would echo the silence that no doubt would be beginning to creep into his mind (unless of course he had interacted with seers in the past, but the chances of that seemed slim) - the fae scattered across the room would stop moving and stare down directly at the intruder. Occurrences like this were fairly commonplace for Dormeria, and while by a mortal's lifespan they may have seemed far and few between, Dormeria's unnatural life had continued for a sufficient span of time that she found them considerably more frequent. Still, the situation was not one that could be read in the pool alone, and even with her foresight she could not see beyond the glimpses into Koil's arrival and mere fragments of his past. The playing field could certainly be considered uneven, but for Koil, that seemed to have been commonplace in the past.

"I feel like I owe you my name, given that I have you at a disadvantage. I am Dormeria, the Sage of Stone, and I provide alchemical services for the many inhabitants of Tiaquin... I have also been known to prophesy in my spare time - why I know your name and title. Would you like to sit and be civilised, or will we be resorting to petty combat after all? I doubt that would go well for you." She added, laughing a little to herself. The laugh was dry, almost as dry as the city she lived in, and the sound would perhaps be a little jarring to her unexpected guest. Such things were to be expected from a race that lived primarily underwater. Even so - while his arrival was not entirely unexpected, it was not something she had meticulously planned for. The situation at hand would require tact and perhaps a little persuasion to deal with, but from her initial impressions Koil did not seem to be unreasonable. It was very possible that a deal could be struck...

Or perhaps there would be new additions to her collection. It was difficult to tell these sort of things, even with divine providence by one's side.

This silence. Narxians had many words for silence, describing varying degrees of it. The most silent thing he had listened to in his previous life had been the silence in the great Trench of Borea, but even there he could hear himself and the sound of the earth, as it slowly moved on magma. The most silent thing he had heard in his current life had been when he was swimming to the surface as he left his beloved city and his king behind, death overtaking them, then he only heard himself, his blood flowing, his brain thinking. It was one of those silence. His body became tense, to strike what lurked around him and he could not see.

"Is destiny a thing, Dormeria, Sage of Stone? If it was, then one such as yourself should not have to demand my opinion as what happens is set to happen... I for one merely see the probabilities in life as in my lack of vision for the future I must resort to use the divine mathematics of our realm of existence to determine the probabilities... While it is probable I would be struck down, it remains possible that my hammer would land on thy face... I do not like those odds, but then again, it would be a friendly advice on my part that neither should you."

Koil placed his hammer on his shoulder in a somewhat more 'relaxed' stance, although a combat expert could see that this position made it extremely easy for him to quickly in a flick of the wrist have his hammer in both hands and swing.

"I have learned from my travels that 'An armed society is a polite society' and I hope you will forgive me, Dormeria, Sage of Stone, if I believe two individuals should know each other better before one invites the other to sit at his or her house. Especially in the fact that you indeed sound like a fair maiden and that I am myself a gentleman. As such my lady, I am not as bold as to accept your offer. If we would have this discussion as we are now, I believe both our parties would be pleased, do you not?"

While Dormeria didn't resort to the use of the voice, Koil most certainly did, his voice charged with The Song, a subtle magic influencing others to join Koil in his opinion. If someone, even such as Dormeria who was familiar with the songs, would notice this was uncertain. After all, knowing how to use this charm was something else entirely than knowing to recognize when someone else was using it, much less resist it.

Dormeria and Fill'eis

"'Is it?' indeed." came the reply, echoing out through the room as the chaotic buzz continued after its prior lapse. Dormeria smiled, though she knew Koil would not see it, and she laughed mirthily to him, as if beckoning him to join in. The workings of destiny almost felt like an inside joke, as if Dormeria knew of all the things in the world when she spoke. It was almost grating to think that she truly did know what the future held not only for herself, but for others too? Perhaps these questions would burn into Koil's mind as her eyes burned into his own lidded ones, the almost supernatural perception that all sapient beings seemed to possess giving away this fact without the need for actual sight.

"Imagine you are walking down a path, blindfolded, with no sound to guide you. There is only one clumsy footstep after another, hoping that you have kept on the path that you think you are walking on... I simply have the ability to see a little ahead, to where it curves, and twists, and turns." she continued, allowing her own potent seductive magic to seep into her words. Her magic was more effective when her victims chose to look upon her, but it was not a necessary component of the spell. She could feel the low thrum of magic in the air, the unique reverberative properties of the cave signalled things to her that lesser beings would miss - working with the Fae for so long had given her knowledge that those who had not lacked.

"I would like to note, dear Koil, that I did not garner the title "Sage of Stone" by not noticing when one attempts to use a form of magic I am proficient in." she continued, the tone of her voice shifting to one of ironic knowledge - she knew that Koil would notice the tones of magic underlaying her own and that he would likely rebuff her, but it was still an amusing thing to note regardless. Perhaps one of her statute should be less whimsical and more serious, but it was difficult to be uptight when you made drugs for a living and spent your immortal lifespan surrounded by Fae.

"Oh, and do mind Fiil'eis - she'll be back with a delivery right about... Now. Did I mention that the unique acoustics of my lair make it impossible to detect Fae moving at speeds above 100 kilometers an hour? No? How silly of me."

At the precise moment Dormeria uttered the word "Now", her favourite Faerie was already hurtling towards Koil at the oddly specific speed of ninety-nine kilometers an hour. It was a fortunate moment indeed, for at that exact moment Fiil'eis happened to be adjusting her jewelled goggles, she was forced to momentarily veer off course to where their aquatic guest would likely move to avoid the imminent collision, inadvertently tracking her target and making the flying fairy even harder to avoid. A few of the other Fae that had been entranced by this new guest immediately scattered with the arrival of this new Faerie, fluttering off to their various hiding places in the relatively expansive gorgon's lair.

Krasus felt right at home in the acid lakes. The oozing lakes of flesh-melting liquids and the smoke clouds that covered the sky reminded him of a place he could not name but should belong to. The dark atmosphere that was almost completely devoid of sunlight also gave Krasus excellent playing grounds to practice his shadow magic. Usually, the demon trickster would could only perform his devious cons at night. Here in the acid lakes, with no sunlight to interrupt him although, he could shapeshift even at day for it was almost as dark at night. The demon frolicked freely in the almost desolate, almost abandoned, almost forsaken land only home to the most hardened of creatures.

As Krasus merrily skipped through the land, he heard a commotion coming from a shallow cliff below. Krasus leered his head ever so slightly over the edge to see what was happening. He found two small demon imps fighting over a recently killed dear. Krasus smiled to himself, under the shadow guise of a child he had, and saw the opportunity for a quick meal. The demon looked around for anything he could use to get the advantage from the arguing demons. He saw the skeleton of a dead demon felhound which half of it's body had been melted away in a near by lake. The demon took half of it's skull and fitted it on his head. The he shaped his body to look like the creature's own. After looking at his reflecting in the vile, bubbling pool of death, he giggled to himself.

As the two demon imps fought with each other over who would get the deer, a large shadow was cast over them. Both of their attention was caught by a large strange creature looming above them. The creature then howled, a horrible screeching howl that echoed throughout the land. Then the creature neared it's head at them only for them to find a skull with hollow eye sockets. The two imps ran away as fast as their feet could carry them. Krasus took off his skull his skull helmet and laughed as he watched the two demons run off into the distance. Krasus then eyed his price.

"Krasus haven't had fresh meat for some time now." Krasus said to himself. "Krasus will feast!"

The demon trickster then began to devour the deer raw, relishing it's taste. Nothing was wasted as the demon teared flesh off from bone and eat everything from it's brains to it's entrails. After about a good hour and a half of feasting. The demon feel on his back and began to dooze off. Having been satisfied by his meal, he now felt an urge to sleep. And so he slumbered there inches away from the bones of the deer he just ate.

As Krasus began to awaken from his long and delightful slumber, he noticed something wrong. As he opened his eyes, he was greeted by another demon looking down at him. This demon was far larger than Krasus, at least in his human child form and had long curved horns coming out of his head, strange markings on his body and terrifying green eyes. Krasus quickly stood up and edged himself near the rock cliff that towered behind him. He could climbed back up the cliff because he was full and he's body weighed more than he could carry. The demon just kept watching him. Krasus summoned his dagger by reciting his runes.

"Olphta Kopeeshri Banhar Banhar Ideok."

The blade appeared on his hand and a in the form of a child, folded his arms near his chest and kept the blade in his right arm, ready to strike out with a swing from his right arm if the demon attacked him.
"Stay away from Krasus." The demon trickster warned. "Krasus does not wish to fight."

After Elijah spent some time the market, eating on a loaf of fresh bread. He browsed the vendor's inventories for some time, not with any real intent on spending his hard earned coin on such pointless treasures. Food, water, and lodging were his only concern, and of course the occasional new set of clothes and cloaks. One man near by was speaking quite loudly, excitedly spouting words about falling stars. Eli had no interest of a falling star, probably just a drunk who witnessed a shooting star, he was about to move on but the man grasped his arm. "They fell from the sky, the heavens even! This I swear." he yelled, now moving on to another poor bastard who had to smell his foul breath upon their face.

Now Elijah wasn't one to take the town crazy serious, nor did he care what may or may not have fallen from the sky, so he did the smart thing and headed to the nearest tavern. The Shady Bucket. A pub where the foulest of men go to prove they're among the ranks of big and bad. Coincidentally, they also sold the best ale around for half the price. It was a short walk away, now escaping the roar of the market, the streets grew dark and quite. The Shady Bucket was located in the middle of an alley, it's walkway lined with spilled brew, blood and vomit. It really was the lowest of the low but it offered freedom from the authorities, not even they dared come here. "I'll have the usual." said Elijah as he walked in and stood by the bar.

"Ah, Eli, my friend. How did the tournament go?" said a portly man with a heavily stained bar apron and a balding head. "It went alright, third round was fun though." he finished with a smirk before grabbing the freshly poured pint from Davlomin and headed towards his favorite table.

With the voice of his interlocutor and with the feedback he had from his own rhythmical sonar pulses, Koilembolon mapped the place and the movement around him. The faeries made this tedious of course, so much white noise and such a number he could not track all the movement. His senses, while useful, were not superhuman. This however saved him some trouble as he found himself to have luck in his bad luck. One second he could feel Fiil'eis being at a certain location, the other she could be at another and from the change of location, Koil would have extrapolated the speed and direction of this projectile. The problem was not the acoustic of the room, visibly Dormeria was accustomed to have visitors that had extraordinary hearing, not a sonar. No, the problem was the sheer speed and as the second sonar feedback came, Fiil'eis had already passed by him at a speed his sonar couldn't quite grasp. Having his eyes open would have hardly served anything, Narxians could see as far on land as they could in murky water. In such unclear waters this would be impressive but on land his vision was poor at best.

And thus, Koil reacted only after the fae passed him, doing a side roll to his left, taking his hammer in both hand as well. He found his back against one of the immobile persons found all around the room, a statue visibly.

"Hurling projectiles at me? Although range combat is limited underwater I have learned that the use of arrows on the surface is generally followed by an assault."

The cover this statue provided Koil, even if he was smaller than the average human, was limited. He thus quickly moved behind a column. Having never met a fairy he did not really know how to face one but in their limited size they probably paused no threat to him. He considered that they could all be magic users but if it was the case he would die instantly so he planned around them not interfering much in a fight.

"And please, do not ask me to act against my nature. You slither and you see the future, in the same way I sing and live of water for I am Narxian. Perhaps you should go in the north some days, not many of us venture so far south... Perhaps you could perfect this... 'Magic', as you call our songs... magic that you have stolen from my people... How typical, landwalkers do not hesitate to take what serves them, our gems, our work and now our songs, but yet they do not take the people, neither do they give them something back from their gift... I do not kill innocents, but a thief I can kill."

Koil again ran, surprisingly fast for a fish in full plate, to another column, exposing himself as little as possible. At least he had the advantage that landwalkers made their 'Magic' so tragically obvious most of the time. The moment he heard a word that wasn't in common she'd confirm her hostility and be left vulnerable. First, dodge an eventual sweet of the tail, second, forward hammer trust to the throat, would destabilize and interrupt spell casting in all probabilities, this could be followed by a hammer strike to the face, no need for the spike. An average human would die on the spot.

"I hope you will forgive me, but I believe both our times are precious and I'd propose we skip to business yes? How you know to use songs would probably be a fascinating story for my ears but between you telling me how much power you hold and living projectiles passing next to me my time is running short, as is my willingness to stand still for further projectiles, spells and what have you. Forgive me, but such is what my experience on land tells me. To be fair, if your fellow land walkers could be less murderously enthusiast in chance encounters I probably wouldn't have such a prejudice about your intentions."

Valmortis frowned when he saw the small demon he had found summon a dagger of sorts and tell him not to attack. Giving a snort at how humorous the exchange was Valmortis then saw that this small demon was serious about his threat and said. "If you didn't wish to fight then I highly recommend not summoning a weapon. Of course, if you wanted me to summon mine..." As Valmortis said this two rifts appeared and he sank his hands into them to retrieve the glaives of strife before continuing. "I will be more than happy to." But since Valmortis didn't really want to fight he tossed his glaives aside and a few moments after they had left his hands they vanished into black smoke.

Folding his arms across his chest Valmortis asked a relatively simple question that he figured the demon would be able to answer. "Where is your lair? Most smart demons choose to sleep there rather than wherever convenient. Especially within the acid lakes, one wrong roll in your sleep and suddenly your missing your lower body." After Valmortis said this he tilted his head towards a nearby acid pool. It was too small for Valmortis to worry about it but with the small size of the other demon they would probably have fit into the pool whole.

As the other demon laid his weapon aside, Krasus soon did too. Krasus couldn't stand a chance and couldn't even hope of defeating the demon because he was full. He would have to throw up what he ate if he were to regain his agility but Krasus hasn't eaten anything in days and the he needed the meal desperately. The best he could do was shapeshift as an tiny grub and try to escape but that would be have a feeble and laughable attempt. Krasus had no choice but to lay down his blade. He was thankful that the other demon wasn't at least going to fight him. Krasus could fight off lesser demon but this one seemed more powerful than he could ever hope to be. Something about him echoed power and respect as if he was chosen for a higher cause. No doubt that he would be very skilled in battle and Krasus was never one to fight fair. He was still weary of the stranger however and kept a close eye on him.

The demon then asked him where his logging was.
"Krasus has no home in this muck lands. Krasus has just arrived and has no where to stay. Krasus just wanders the land, looking for what opportunities Krasus finds his way. Besides, Krasus could always run and hide if danger comes knocking."
The demon took the form of the stag he just ate, circling around the other demon before taking the shape of a crow and flying above him.
"Krasus knows many forms and Krasus can be very smart."
Then Krasus landed on the ground and turned back into his child form.
"Krasus has no need to worry. How about big demon, where is big demon's lair?" Krasus asked.

Valmortis gave a huff and said. "If I wanted people to know where my lair was I would likely put up a sign." Valmortis took note that the other demon kept calling himself Karsus and figured that that may as well be it's name. Valmortis also made note of the small demons apparent lack of intelligence and asked. "How many years have you been here?" It took a deal of effort to resist adding a comment on how dim the other demon seemed. Knowing demons as a whole Valmortis figured that the shapshifting and simple speak were some sort of front for hiding a more powerful form. However, that didn't give Valmortis any real reason to fear the demon. It seemed to be quite the opposite with Karsus fearing him.

Krasus was taken aback by the question, not because of the context of the question but because some actually bothered to ask him something, twice. Most of the time, anybody Krasus would encounter would chase him off with whatever weapon they might have in hand. Krasus hadn't had as simple of a conversation as this since he could remember. He remembered the days of his youth when he was constantly stealing from Garif farmers in the dead of night just to feed himself. Night after night, he would have to sneak into their houses and their barns and their warehouses to find anything to fill his stomach. Even rooting grub thrown away by the town's folk was enough just to get the demon through. His thoughts then went to one night he distinctly remembered, a night he would never forget. During the days of his childhood, he still didn't knew about his shadow powers, his ability to blend in almost completely with night. He had to sneak in their homes during the dead of night to make sure they were sound asleep and wouldn't catch him taking their stuff. As the demon took whatever he could from their shelves, he was encountered by the farmer and his son.

"Stay back Krasus! Stay back! Awaken your mother and tell her to run outside! Do it now!" the farmer yelled to his son as they both saw the youngen demon. "Go now Krasus! Go!"

Krasus confused this name for his own and has kept it ever since. The name soon became infamous in the Garif farming villages. Krasus the pest they called him and they yelled this name as they would chase the demon with their lit torches and their pitch forks.

As Krasus's trip down memory lane ended, he noticed that the other demon was still waiting for an answer. He answered the other demon's question although he's thoughts were still very distant.

"Years? No no big demon. Krasus has only been here for a month or so. Krasus wanders from place to place. If Krasus stays in one place, people find Krasus and hunt Krasus down. Nasty people are, nasty. Always trying to hunt down Krasus even though Krasus never done anything to them."

Krasus's focus was still far off and distant. He was still distracted by his past.

"If big demon would want to steal from Krasus now, Krasus is sorry to tell big demon that Krasus has nothing of value. Only a few gold coins only enough to buy one lousy piece of bread."

"Hurling projectiles? This is a center of trade, where Fae enter and exit frequently in order to deliver my goods to wherever they may go, and to bring things I require to me. Fill'eis was simply bringing back an item that I required - and you were stood in her way." Dormeria replied, laughing dryly again. It seemed that Koil had never faced an opponent who did not want to engage in combat, and he seemed to have certainly never interacted with an oracle before. His impressions were incorrect, and that was a problem. They would need to be corrected.

"I do not wish to attack you, and my lair is where I am at my strongest. Simultaneously, you should have no desire to enter into combat with me - our faerie friends do not take well to people assaulting their employer, and I am more than capable of ending your life should I choose to... But that is not something I wish. As an act of good faith, I will allow you to see the road ahead as I do - just once - so that you might understand the machinations that brought you here. I can show you things that have already happened, or I can show you something that will... But my visions do not come without their costs. I will require your services in the future, and an armistice until such a time when you have served the purposes that I need you for. I will tell you one thing - if you do not agree, then the calm may well be broken. I am one of the few who know the tenuous balance that was struck eons ago, and I am one of even fewer who know even the slightest about the breaking of the Calm."

The offer made was real, and even more of her magic was poured into her voice - Koil was wrong about the origins of her magic, that was for sure. The Narxians were not the first to use sound to influence the thoughts and feelings of others, and the magic was old even when Dormeria was born, eons before Koil himself came into the world. The Sirens of old, long extinct, used the magic to woo sailors, either to keep them as their slaves or lead them to their deaths. It was potent seductive magic that did not aim to persuade the victim to agree, but to claim their hearts and minds as their own - to claim sovereignty over them. Dormeria claimed ownership of her victims - she did not try to change their minds. Of course, there was no harm in letting Koil believe that she was using his brand of magic... It would make her use of it more effective.

At the place where Fiil'eis had crashed, the word "Owie" could be heard, repeated painfully from beneath some sort of miniature bucket. The bucket flips, and in a green-hued gust of wind, a tiny Fairy flutters up to Dormeria's side without the slightest moment of hesitation. Humming to herself pleasantly, she flies in a lazy circle around the gorgon's head before casually setting a bag on her serpentine hairdo. While she's forced to adjust it a bit to balance perfectly on her partner's head, she is quickly satisfied by her skillful placement and wastes no time descending to hang upside-down before the Sage and give her report-

"Yo~! Dormy! I'm back from the delivery, everything went all smooth-like 'n stuff, it went just like you said it would!" With every word, the Faerie seems to lose even more control over her fluttering, eventually being forced to enter a gentle spin to match the flight of her restless wings and keep herself level. As silly a sight she may have been, smiling like an idiot and slowly spinning right in front of a monstrous Gorgon's petrifying gaze, but her tone seemed to suggest a relaxed kinship that couldn't be understood by a casual observer. "Anyways, I was wondering...who's that? You know, the big-weird looking armoury guy that I'm pointing at with my foot, see?" She shakes her foot for emphasis, entering an especially dramatic set of twirls as she attempts to keep her foot pointing in the general direction of their guest. Continuing, she complains in a conspiratory whisper-

"He's been sending wierd vibrations through me this whole time, it feels kinda nice, but it's creepy how he's doing it. He is one of your guests, yeah?"

Aristo said
Ahrazan watched the heavenly retinue from the shelter of the tall reeds he kneeled behind. Like a comet they had plowed into the earth from above, the few with spears scarcely subtle in their descent. The Ohlgar had never had the privilege of laying eyes on the winged folk before - all he knew about them from was old myths and lore. They were lauded by many of the civilized peoples to be divine, beings of religious significance. Ahrazan could certainly see why. They were tall, resplendent figures of shimmering skin, and their wings graced them with an otherworldly appearance. Yet, for all the tales he'd heard of man throwing himself to his knees before the angelkin, Ahrazan felt no innate need to prostrate himself before them and ask their blessing. What kind of deities would remain so distant from their congregations as if they had never existed at all? As the crimson-clad warrior pondered this, he felt the waxing of Melekeshar's presence at his side. the entity whispered, his voice like that of many speakers' words laid on top of each other. "Their very bodies are radiant. But are they truly the gods I've heard them to be?"Melekeshar's grin reversed itself into a grimace. "Like cowards?""Why would they reappear now, if they detest the earth so much?" Melekeshar stroked his chin quizzically. "It would seem as though the angelkin might attempt to enforce such a tradition. If they were agents of the Goddess, that is. But-"Ahrazan tipped his head in an inquisitive gesture. "Would that be a wise idea?" the entity answered with a laugh. Melekeshar emerged from Ahrazan's hiding place, the warrior in suit, and stepped towards the small assembly of angels before them. Ahrazan looked over his shoulder at his companion, who had altered his form to replicate a .

“Filth!” one of the Angels cried out. With a flap of his mighty wings he was next to Gabriella. “Filth and mud! That is all the Dirt offers.” The clothing on the Archangel Tyran looked almost identical to that of his men. Only a golden headband with ancient texts showed his rank as general of the Angelic army.

“You would be wise to remember what the creatures of this world has achieved with these fragile and crude materials,” Gabriella said softly and enjoyed how grain colored her heels yellow.

“And you would be wise to remember, Gabe,” Tyran returned with, “that though you are a Archangel and a Councilmember, this quest of ours is military.”
There was truth in his words. Unfortunately. But the last thing she needed was a lecture about rank from the general. Though her influence was large in Crystal City, here she was but a guide and consultant.
For all her pride and stubbornness she said nothing. It was too early to fight with another Archangel - one who was older, but not wiser than her.
Instead she breathed in more of the rich air, the world of the Dirt offered and enjoyed the sky for a few more seconds.
Then something moved in the corner of the young Archangel's eye.

Out into the field came 2 knights in armor – one so large and broad-shouldered he made an Angel seem small... well, only if you forgot about their wings.
As if on cue the Angels drove their spears with haste and pointed them with deadly precision – all but the 2 Archangels. Yet again Gabe showed her unquestionable, yet unofficial, power on the quest, by raising her hand and saw them lower theirs. Though it was not visible to the eye, she too was armed. She was more than just a diplomat. Much more.

“Enough,” she muttered softly, yet ever single souls heard her.
The blue silk-dress, she wore, outlined her slim legs, as she walked across the heavy grain. One would almost not think the rules of gravity applied to her. Her feet moved with divine ease as she approached the strangers.
“Greetings mortal men.” Her wings almost mimicked the movement of her arms, as she spread out her thin hands in a friendly gesture. “The Heavens have opened their gates and ears, and that has led to this very moment.” It was with sapphire eyes she looked upon the knight in front. Tall… no doubt immensely strong for a human or humanoid.
As the heavenly being thought the strangers where close enough for her taste, she stopped. “Now, remove your helmets good people, and tell me your names.”
There was much expectation in her voice. Immortals, emperors and kings had bowed down to Angels through centuries, and right now Gabe was honoring these mortals with her presence.