[IC] HCL 2: Twisted tinkers' triumph

[Tyki]

@thewizardguy

Almost as soon as void walker appears she was snuffed out, the maw of a great dragon of unknown origins in this land clamping down on her upper half and coating her in a black and golden flame before releasing her and attempting to swat her away with it's tail, her able to teleport now that she was free of it's maw, though it's breath seemed to make picking where she went difficult, leaving her half embedded in a wall or boulder with the dragon eyeing her up. It was an immense beast, it's teeth blackened by it's breath with it's tongue left golden, it's scales a solid white and it's eyes a piercing amber that seems to burrow into her mind, inviting fear upon it against her will.

---

@supertinyking@thewizardguy

even as kihaku rushed down nito, she could feel something already having gotten there and when she does finally arrive there the entire tomb is blasted away along with everything above it, the creature left clutching the lord soul and gazing upon it with curiocity... at least curiocity could be assumed considering it's face showed no emotion.

[thewizardguy]

@Tyki
Void noticed it the moment she emerged, her powers seeming to shrink in this creature's presence. First in the amount of energy it took to merely arrive here, and secondly as she attempted to blast the creature that now rose up to meet her. Whilst she could have unleashed a devastating attack below her, the breath prevented her from doing that, and escape. And with no gaurantee that her power would be enough to kill it instantly, she was forced to retreat from the scene. Whilst wearing her limiters, she had to exert herself fully to escape from the creature's jaw before it closed around her.

Outside the keep, Void recovered her strength, already sending information to Cosmos as to the nature of the creature she had encountered. It would be harder than expected to get to the Gem of Immortality, and Seath was soon to arrive here. Void sighed, already preparing to barrage the keep with long-ranged attacks, hoping to defeat the creature from afar.

-------------------------------------

As the creature appeared in the Tomb of Giants, it caught Nito unawares. Of course, in the time it took to step forward, Kihaku was already beside it. A massive well of magic, her very whim freezing the creature in it's tracks. In this absolute lightless abyss, her powers were multiplied. Without such a massive buff, the wire creature might have been able to equal Kihaku. But in here, her power was paramount, and any attempt to impair her orders would result in the creature being expelled from the planet's orbit. This being well realized this, it's arcane senses telling it that right here, right now, it would be foolish to start a fight.

Nito was crushed with ease, the very darkness it had created crushing it to death. Compacted to a tiny ball of calcium, all other matter having been excreted in a strangely purifying process. The Soul was retrieved by Cosmos, despite the creature's attempts.

[thewizardguy]

@Wraithblade6
Without a word, Alice sets off at a run. Her legs are like those of a grasshopper, if a grasshopper were designed to run. In long leaping bounds she covers ground faster than most cars, leaving a trail of cracked icy ground in her wake as she briefly lands. Mithias meanwhile runs beside her, not as fast, but with far greater stamina. After all, how does one get winded without breath? Any distance she won on him, he easily made up for when she stops for breath.

The closer the pair comes to the mountain, the more Mithias realizes that their goal does not lie beyond it. The mountain has something of an ancient, frozen cathedral. Hundreds of entrances carved into stone, surrounded be elaborate works made from magically hardened ice. Great sheets of coloured ice serve as windows, each the size of a car. Even at this distance, the dragons can be seen arriving and leaving, massive wings propelling them across the sky. An elegant nest, forged with a delicacy one would not expect from such a massive creature. No doubt great magics had been required to construct such a site within a mountain.

Once they get within a certain range, Alice uses a snowstorm for cover. The roiling whirlwind makes seeing normally nearly impossible especially from the air. She simply changes her eyes to thermal vision, however, ready to spot any large heat signatures through the white blur. Mithias would be more severely hindered, although unlike Alice, he faced no danger from the cold. While she shielded herself with a thick coat of fur, he could march through the frost to no end.

At the end of this journey Alice arrives at a small cave opening, far too narrow for any dragon. She walks down it, entering a room with a simple small camp fire and a chest of supplies. Meats, kept fresh by.... well, the climate. She lights the fire, clearly not far from serious hypothermia. Even her ability to withstand cold had it's limits, and that blizzard had nearly overcome them.

[RavenTLark]

@thewizardguy

Raven was shocked into confusion, she didn't understand but then she did understand, it was chaos inside of her mind, one half struggling to make sense of what it had said, the other knowing the meaning precisely. Thousands of images of her life, some she remembered, most she didn't, she wanted to know more about, well, everything that would happen in her life but then she didn't at the same time. She couldn't remember where she had heard this but she remembered being told that it was dangerous to know the future and that if you knew you're future then you would forget about your present while you worried about future times that possibly wouldn't happen for years. One day she would die and go back to the Underworld but for now she would rather not think of that.

Raven couldn't trust it but then she couldn't not trust it, it already seemed to know about her life so she didn't understand why the Void kept asking her about it, what was the point? "Why are you asking me about me when you already know more about me than I know about myself? I don't want to know and therefor don't want to change it, things happen for a reason, well, that's what everyone says at least and someone's got to be right about something, I will find a way to leave this place. It can't be that hard, after all, I managed to escape the Underworld, didn't I?" She was unsure of what the Void would say to this but she did know that it probably wouldn't be a straight answer as it didn't seem to want to give those.

[Wraithblade6]

@thewizardguy(sorry for the IC-emo post. I'm seriously not trying to be a stereotype!)

https://youtu.be/fijwflZfBs4

Mithias slipped into the cave close behind the fuzzy Alice. He could hear her catching her breath, as she was very much alive and dependent on things like water and air. So delicate was life, and such bravery she had to risk it to fight for her people. Mithias hoped that she was at least not lonely.

The cave was dark, yet somehow, Alice could see. As she began to light the fire, it suddenly started of its own accord. A small flame under the wood sparked its light unexpectedly and slowly grew.

Mithias shook the snow off of himself near the entrance. It fell like white dust from his black hair. His body had been dead cold, so none of it had melted on him, and he was dry as a bone. He had lit the fire, of course, but didn't bother to acknowledge that fact as he approached to sit beside Alice. "You're shivering." He said, somewhat surprised to see someone with her gifts suffering from cold. "Let me see if I can help with that." Instead of putting an arm or a coat around her, he sat crosslegged near the campfire and concentrated. With control, he could warm the air just a little, warm the rocks beneath them, and possibly cook a piece of meat without burning the hell out of it. Mithias was very careful, and after a few minutes, the small area was at least above freezing. Someone alive might have even called it comfortable.

The vampire sighed and found himself staring into the fire. He wasn't wary of Alice at all and completely trusted her behind his back. He had too much on his mind. Too much, as the flames waved and danced in their characteristic way, the same way they did when Alucard was throwing fireballs at Bob. And then Bob, doing what he had to, threw that death attack... Mithias shuddered a breath. "Tsukune." He said softly, grief stabbing him. He knew it was going to hurt, and it did, and there was no way he could ever bring his dear friend back.

But that wasn't even the only loss. In the quiet of the cave, he got the chance to face his feelings. "Forgive me, Alice. I haven't had a moment's peace since... terrible things have happened. Terrible things." Mithias struggled against the tide of emotions. He tried to keep talking. "You know, I am greatly impressed by you. I admire you. Alone in this eternal cold, you fight as only you can. I don't know if you fight for family, or for revenge, or for simply hope in an unknown future, but you bravely face the odds. It makes me consider what I fight for. I remember walking up in a strange world long ago, and that I once had the life of a vampire and a maker that called my father. Heh, he was a terrible father, and I was a terrible child, and we unfortunately never made amends. But, the first being I met in this new um... 'manifestation of my consciousness' reminded me of him. He was also a twisted devil, but he showed me many things. He protected me from the Godkiller when I was but a whelp. Ah, but I'm still a whelp." Mithias started to laugh, but then quickly it changed to tears. "I only wanted to protect him! Why?! Alice, I can't tell you any more." He covered his face in his arms. There were so many people he couldn't get to, mainly Drac's family and Bug, but also whoever else the Omegans were threatening at the present time. Tsukune's death, Drac's betrayal and death, watching a corrupted version of himself join the enemy and die, and his own failure to save those he loved. Now he couldn't even talk about it without risking losing his soul.

To Alice, Mithias' story would certainly have been confusing, but it would also be clear the vampire was fairly fucked up. At least he still seemed to have a good heart.

[Tyki]

@thewizardguy

The creature was annoyed at it's admittence to the soul it sought being denied from it, but it new better than to pick a fight that it couldn't win. Instead of complaining or trying to barter for it, the creature leaves and appears back at the bridge, relaxing underneath it so as not to be bothered by the horde of 'chosen undead' before extending an arm up to cosmos, a face appearing in place of it's hand as it asks "will the magic you're casting use up those souls? i wish to experiment" while it watches with interest.

[supertinyking]

((Just a warning, due to TheWizardguy going on vacation, he will not be around to post much, so expect me to throw random stuff at yall to keep you busy.))

[supertinyking]

@Tyki
As the wire creature descended, and decided to try and communicate with Cosmos, a portal, a dark spiral appears near by, and the wire creature is grasped by a large wire hand, and easily dragged into the darkness...
Where he awakens is a small cave, with roots growing down about all over, but obviously a path has been made though them. Up this path, the creature would find a clearing of some sorts, ankle deep water within this odd circular arena, but there is no other combatant. The way forwards is clear, and remains clear until the wire creature would stumble upon the large stone arena, in which most fans of the first Dark Souls would think they would encounter a corrupted Knight...but the wire creature finds a whole different picture painted. A man, in a strange suit, a chain mail set of armor with fabric overlaying the outside of it, the front with a large red cross, similar to the Templar cross as shown in many forms of media. The armor also has a hood, a white one with a red cross going down it, with the man's face covered by a white mask, with small holes near the lower half of it, most likely to allow one to breath, but they are far to small to see any defining features. The lower half of his armor also has white fabric on the outside of the mail, appearing like a normal pair of pants, with his feet covered by a black pair of boots, made from some form of tough leather.

This odd man is standing over the broken form of a knight in blue, and silver armor, which had been apparently beaten to death, as the strange man's hands are covered in a strange blackish liquid, which seemed to bleed from the knight's dead corpse. Within the man's hands is a soul, purple, unlike any of the souls seen by the wire creature before. The white armored man slowly begins to mumble some strange wording, as flames spread up, over the soul, removing the strange purple coloring from it.

[supertinyking]

@kishin asura

As the bounty hunter and Theta both rested beneath the sky, and Asura tented to the bullet wound Maka was nursing, soon a portal opens most likely alarming them both. Someone stepped forth from the portal. A man, in a strange suit, a chain mail set of armor with fabric overlaying the outside of it, the front with a large red cross, similar to the Templar cross as shown in many forms of media. The armor also has a hood, a white one with a red cross going down it, with the man's face covered by a white mask, with small holes near the lower half of it, most likely to allow one to breath, but they are far to small to see any defining features. The lower half of his armor also has white fabric on the outside of the mail, appearing like a normal pair of pants, with his feet covered by a black pair of boots, made from some form of tough leather.

"...Is the bounty hunter named Ayrton here?" He asks, his voice deep and gruff.

[Tyki]

@supertinyking

"it seems nothing wishes to go my way today" the creature says evenly, it's arm extending inhumanly to snatch one of the souls from the man, surprisingly going for the more seemingly useless one rather than attempting to go after artorias's soul. Once the creature has hold of the soul, it analyzes it remarkably fast, only looking at it for a split second before it sinks into the creature's skin, it's body lurching with the sudden jolt of strangeness.

[supertinyking]

@Tyki
As the creature tries to swipe the soul from the man, he dodges the outstretching hand with exceptional speed, appearing in a different spot of the Arena. "....I would advise against that." The man says, his voice deep, and gruff. Obviously slightly forced, as he would continue to dodge the incoming attacks with rather extreme ease. It was obvious that just trying to directly grab the man would achieve nothing.

[Tyki]

@supertinyking

it's arm swarms after him, covering the arena with metal, the groping hands most likely deflected or dodged, only for the creature to be holding the soul once the onsluaght stops despite the fact that all of it's percieved attempts were a failure. Instead of studying it closely like it might've before, it simply has the soul sink into it's skin before the man can react, the barest glimmers of it showing by the time the swarm stops.

[supertinyking]

@Tyki

As the creature tries to cover the area in metal, the man clenches his fist, suddenly many of the wires busting apart, some unknown force slashing them apart. Seeing what it is going for, the man groans, as he takes out the soul of the guardian.
"I take it you wish for this?" He asks, before placing it into a portal, it closing before any wires are able to go though it to snatch it though it. The man then lands, metal bits being sent flying at the point of impact, as he stands up, and cracks his knuckles. "..Now....I'm guessing that's going to have pissed you off?" He asks, ready to fight.

[Tyki]

@supertinyking

The creature seems to sigh as it's 'eyes' are able to keep up with his attacks before it seems to melt into the ground, growing quiet for a good couple minutes before the man rather suddenly finds himself in the upper atmosphere being launched at the planet's surface at mach 10

[supertinyking]

@Tyki

As he is launched, the man rights himself in the air, before superman style smashing into the ground, enough forced used causing the arena to collapse, the man left floating there in the air.
"Come on, I wanted a challenge." He calls out, his voice still in that obviously fake growl.

[Tyki]

@supertinyking

there's a brief pause, a moment of silence, before a deafening blast as he's crashed onto his stomach, his spine snapped by a ten ton missile being dropped from orbit ontop of propelling itself forward with it's magic, rendering the fight over. "since you removed the core i was after, i'll just take what's left" the creature says evenly, taking out the half purified soul of artorias and absorbing it, it's skin rippling before it's blasted off of the man with a fair bit of force, it's own power being used against it.

[supertinyking]

@Tyki

This, was a very foolish attack, as the creature rocketed towards his foe, the man turned, extremely fast, sensing the creature, or, being able to feel the creature coming, its magic nullification field giving it away. Turning towards where it would of slammed into him, he focuses, and the creature can see a large blade, made out of a mystical force that seems to be quite solar in nature, but that's all it could think, before striking into the blade, most likely thinking it would shatter it. It was wrong. With the exceptional amount of force it struck the blade with, the wire creature splits in two, flying past the man, who turns to see two craters form in the ground beneath him.
"That was rather stupid." The man chuckles, as he waits, keeping ready for the creature to either die, or start to move again.

[Tyki]

@supertinyking

While most biological creations would honestly have been unable to react, the artificial nature and structure of the creature's conscience allows it to think a lot faster than biologically possible. When dealing with a blade in a situation similar to a charging boar being met with a spear, the answer was plain as day: don't get hit, and that was all that was needed, the creature extending it's arm to grab the blade, it's body able to handle the mystical as though it were physical and, with the proper application of strength, it careened a good ten feet off center from the blade, striking the ground with an impact that levels the Colosseum and buries them both in rubble, but otherwise leaves them little more than shaken

[supertinyking]

@Tyki
Quickly bursting forth from the rubble, the man is once again in the air, not liking to be stuck on the ground after what he saw the creature do. Looking around with both a mystical sonar like ability, and his normal keen eye sight, the man looks for his foe.
"Where did you go...."

[Tyki]

@supertinyking

Unfortunately for him, the entire crash site is charged with the mystical left overs from the force of the impact, leaving things wonky to say the least. After a good few moments though, the smoke clears and he finds the creature to be... gone, completely gone, without a trace. It's as though it simply vanished, not even the left overs of a portal remaining.