Ace Cadet, Pit,
Primrose, & Therion
Level: 9 - Total EXP: 281/90 --------- Level: 8 - Total EXP: 187/80Level: 11 - Total EXP: 213/110 ------ Level: 10 - Total EXP: 223/100π±πΏ βββββ ---------------------------- π±πΏ βββββTuesday Afternoon.Location: Inside the Qliphoth, The Dead Zone
Word Count: 1621 (+3 exp)
When Primrose arrived in the new hollow, she came prepared for yet another battle. Since making it to the demonic tree it had been non-stop fighting, so even when nothing immediately caught her eye she didn't relax. She cast her keen eyes around the area as she trudged out of the blood-like swamp, noting the strange interior. She also noted that Roxas, Zenkichi, and Grimm had all arrived with her.
Most of the veins must lead here, she reasoned, flicking her hands to rid them of the xylem.
A friendly, familiar voice caught her attention, and Primrose looked over to see Nadia approaching from a relatively open area of the hollow. She was glad to see her friend was alright, and it looked like Midna and a few others were with her - including a face she hadn't seen before. Were there other, actual people trapped in this hellish place? She hadn't seen any so far, but it would be just as much of a surprise if this woman was the only one as it was that there were other people here at all.
The newly arrived group walked to meet Ms. Fortune part way. Primrose pulled her long braid to the front, giving it a squeeze to get most of the liquid out of her hair before she accepted Nadia's hug. It was a tight but ultimately brief embrace, which was about all the dancer was comfortable with. Primrose gradually found herself smiling lightly at the multitude of puns as they were led back to the small golden glow.
"It's a miracle that hasn't been contaminated by now," she said of the lemonade, though she accepted the offer all the same. When she passed it back to its owner another batch of arrivals popped up from a different swamp than her group had.
Pit's expression wrinkled once more once he was out of the vein. He liked swimming, but definitely not in this soupy plant blood. He extended his wings and pushed himself up, double jumping to the swamp's shore a short distance away. He then shook his head and rapidly beat his wings to clear the xylem off of himself, spraying it on anyone that stood too close.
"We made it!" He declared. He spotted Captain Falcon whom he'd been in the first hollow with, giving the man a small wave. It looked like Roxas and a handful of other Seekers had gotten there first, and though it wasn't a race Pit did feel a small sense of accomplishment about not being the last to arrive. He made his way over to the site of grace that most people were congregating around, splaying his feathers out wide in front of it (but closing his wings back up soon enough when it became apparent it wasn't an actual fire) and snorting a laugh at the feral's jokes.
When Goldlewis joined the group at the site of grace and motioned for Primrose's attention, the dancer gave it to him easily. His words brought to light something she hadn't even considered when everyone was split up, that some parties would lack for ways to heal their wounds.
"Of course," she said, conjuring the flame of Warmth. She reached up to press it to Goldlewis' bicep, but after only a second she withdrew it.
"Actually, give me a moment."If there hadn't been anyone capable of healing with his group, then the other three must need some patching up as well. Primrose hadn't fully recovered her mana, but she could spare a spell until more dedicated healers showed up. She performed Sealticge's Seduction and used its effect on herself. When she was finished she let out a puff of breath and pressed her healing flame to the large man again. This time when he was healed, the healing also spread to everyone present in the hollow. It was far from a full heal, but it would tide them over.
When she was finished with her spell she gave Goldlewis a couple of pats on his arm as the flame died. With that she took a seat by the statue, intending to get some rest and recover as much magic as possible before the group moved on.
The next people that emerged from the swamps included the Ace Cadet. He'd managed to stick with Blazermate the whole time, and Geralt had ended up in the same place too which was good news. Though the ride through the blood vessel had cleaned off most of the gore from their battle with the necromorph, it did leave them drenched in the xylem instead. Ace went to wipe it from his face, with little success seeing as his hands were no less covered in it.
Including the newest hollow he found himself in, the Qliphoth's interior reminded the hunter of the deepest reaches of the Rotten Vale - but worse. It was all strange plants, deadly fumes, and pools of viscera. Even the monstrous and mutated inhabitants weren't all that far off in a way. At least in this one there didn't immediately appear to be anything hostile. In fact it was just the opposite, with several friendly faces having gathered around what looked like a golden bonfire.
"Hey!" Ace called out to them, raising his arm so the group could see the new arrivals. He immediately spotted Nadia running over to them and welcomed her with open arms. Her prank probably didn't have the intended effect as only a brief flash of surprise shown on the Cadet's face before he grinned and lifted her up to spin her around, her misleading weight no issue at all. He set her down so she could greet the other two before all of them began to make their way over to the larger group.
When Therion finally made it to the area alongside Juri, Edward, and the mercenary Snake, it was as part of the last group to arrive. His hair and fur had taken on a pinkish tone due to the multiple trips in the Qliphoth's veins, wet strands clinging to his face especially on the side that covered one of his eyes. That being said he didn't actually look any more miserable than usual, but given he was still a bit standoffish just in general that wasn't saying very much. He joined the other Seekers and greeted a few of them with a slight nod of his head.
He'd missed Sandalphon's healing pulse that shored everyone else up, but since absorbing (or whatever was actually happening) the spirits of the corespawn crawlers he'd been able to heal himself, and he'd avoided the Dredge the whole time. It would be a lie to say he was in peak condition, as stamina and mental fatigue was still a concern, but at the very least his physical state was completely fine.
Fatigue was definitely hitting some of the Seekers harder than others. It was normally a hero's lot to carry on despite everything, but it wasn't always the smartest option. Knowing that, Sandalphon spoke up with her intentions on returning to the Avenger. It took some of the Seekers by surprise; Pit especially looked at his fellow angel with slight confusion. It didn't occur to him that she might be more human than angel now. She did look really tired, so maybe it was for the best. She could always help out from afar once she'd rested up too.
He hopped up from where he'd taken a seat on the ground.
"Take care of yourself. We'll be alright - and come fight with us again when you feel better!" he told her.
Pit himself planned to keep on until the Dead Zone's Guardian was defeated. The Ace Cadet was the same, and if anything some of their allies choosing to take themselves out of the fight only further encouraged him to get the job done on their behalf. For better or worse Therion was planning to stick with it as well, and though Primrose was more on the tuckered out side due to her extensive magic usage, she knew she'd be alright after a little while with her high natural mana recovery. Even if she chose to continue playing a supporting role, she would be continuing all the same.
Following Grimm's words, the Seekers gradually moved out and up. The Orsterrans sort of naturally found themselves walking close to each other, and mostly let the others deal with the adversaries and puzzles as they came up; Primrose to conserve her energy to go into their greatest battle in the Qliphoth with as much mana as possible, and Therion just because he didn't need to with so many allies around.
It was good that even after everything they'd been through that morning, and at least one missing face among them even before those that chose to stay behind did, the general morale still seemed high. Ace was more than happy to listen to Nadia regale him with what had happened to her since they got split up. While the fight in the fiery hollow seemed intense, the one after it was apparently on a whole different level. Once more he felt lucky he ended up where he had, not to mention that she had made it through the whole fake death thing alright. For his part Nadia could see the trophy still strapped to his back from the Cadet's first hollow battle, and though he mostly just listened with a smile on his face he filled her in on his own fights too, and perhaps wisely didn't mention his run-in with the goddess Aphrodite. He was her conversation partner at least until someone else pulled her into a different one, as the Seekers ascended.
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