=DF= War In The Core - War Stories and Poetry

=DF= War In The Core - War Stories and Poetry (Full Version)

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Melissa4Bella -> =DF= War In The Core - War Stories and Poetry (7/11/2014 20:11:42)
It's that time again, Warmongers! Same routine as always, but only while resting from the war front! Please remember that the =AE= Comprehensive Forum Rules and the Rules for Collaborations are in effect here. 1) Only one post is allowed per person. If you have an ongoing story or multiple L&L contributions, please edit them into your post. 2) Please reserve all commentary for the =DF= War In The Core - War Stories and Poetry Discussion

Dragonman -> RE: =DF= War In The Core - War Stories and Poetry (7/11/2014 21:31:25)
TDLNND Day 1 Welcome to TDLNND, due to the fact that there is now a vicious sect of the Rose attempting to murder me, I've joined the crew of the VS Unity, in order to keep some distance and provide interesting news stories. I've been stuck here for a while, since the portals went offline a long time ago. Anyway, everyone remember Greed? We fought a war against him? Well his brother, Envy is apparently linked to Tomix the soulweaver... more on that later, Tomix has declined to comment at this time. Envy has locked himself in the core of the Ynnugagap, which is the Core of the Void, the place with a lack of elements. There are many void creatures guarding the door, as well as a magical lock, that resident expert, Izaac Stellini, has declined to explain what this lock entails, wanting to keep it a secret. What is important to note, is that it seems that if Envy is not defeated, the Void could expand through the Equillibrium gate and destroy all of Falconreach and Ravenloss. We cannot let that happen, so I've got to kill some void monsters to let the experts deal with the lock. And I'll do some investigative journalism to find out what that lock is... just you all wait! Goodnight, and if you can find your way in here, good warring! Day 2 Welcome back to TDLNND I'm your host, and here is the report. After much work, I managed to get from Izaac Stellini that the magical lock used in the void is called the Seal of Ativa. This is really dark stuff here, so viewers be warned. It makes it so that you have to kill somebody specific, who has become the lock, to open the door Stellini (30) says "This is forbidden magic, Dragonman, there are no loopholes with this kind of magic". However; some of the crew seems to think otherwise. One, who asked to remain anonymous said: "In my travels, I have come across many magics, I could undo this if I had even a fraction of my former omniscience!" Unfortunately, that's all I could get today, come back tomorrow for more news Day 3 Everybody get up, it's time to slam now We got a real jam goin' down Welcome to the Void War Here's your chance, do your waves at the Void War, alright Come on and slam and welcome to the Jam Come on and slam, vote for Dragonman! I'm sorry I appear to have been affected by exposure. No, not to the void... to Mordred. Today's news is bought to you by: Buffin's Muffins! Th muffin-iest muffins in the Magic loving world. Located on 42 Elemental Dr., Falconreach. Come on and Slam some muffins! Recently, Sir Mordred, a knight voyaging to help out in the void. Has been slammed, I mean hit, by a weird side jam, I mean effect of the Space Jam. ...coughVoid. It appears to be getting up and slamming other people in thw void, and may be a side effect of the Forbidden Magic permiating through the void. But, hey you, watcha gonna do? Well, let's take this war into overtime. Day 4 Welcome to TDLNND. There is no news to report today, just like April 18th, 1930. Here is a man playing piano to cover for the lack of news. Fun Fact: The BBC did report that there was no news on April 18th, 1930 and just had a man play piano for their entire evening news segment Day 6 Welcome back to TDLNND, I'm Dragonman, and I've recently recovered from void corruption. After I realized the void was affecting me in similar ways as Sir Mordred, I was forced to state nothing newsworthy happened that day, even though there is now a new world's tallest sentient being, which is held by a fire elemental named Gary who managed to grow out into space and become exactly 11 feet taller than SMUDD was at it's tallest. Gary has unfortunately died down some, now only standing at the still whopping mile high. (That's 1.60934 Kilometers to any viewers from outside Falconreach.) Anyway, I went on an epic quest to cure my void sickness for the past two days after recording a short message. I befriended a Decadere named Fredrick (who is actually my 5th cousin... small world!) who took me out of the Ynnungaap and to a tribe of void elementals who healed me at the cost that I have to interview them tomorrow. Also note, these void elementals have not had their minds twisted and corrupted like the ones we are fighting in the Ynnungaap, and believe there is no cure for their brethren's corruption. They support the Soulweavers in this war, and while they have taken a vow of non-violence, believe that destroying these corrupted elementals may be the kindest thing to do. Tune in tomorrow for an exciting interview: "Life in the Void: An Elemental's Perspective"! Also, just a note, I got rid of my Ebilcorp Cameraorb after I noticed it was acting weird in Amityvale. Day 7 Welcome to an exciting new episode of TDLNND! I'm your host, Dragonman, and today we're interviewing some locals of the void. The Void Elementals! Or rather a void elemental. Could you tell your name to the camera so we all have it? My name is untranslatable to your language. I guess a rough translation would be... Horace. So Horace... what's it like living in The Void? I wouldn't know what to compare it to. I guess it has less elements than outside. Speaking of elements, isn't Void elemental a little bit of a contradiction? Hmm. I guess it is. We Void Elementals are magic formed into life, as are all Elementals, but we are, of course, unbounded by any elements. We are just the magic. So what's the difference between void and pure mana? This is a topic that is hard for me to wrap my mind around. The Void isn't pure mana. Pure mana is. The void has a tangible lack of elements. So you've heard about the fighting... Yes, you told me. I honestly don't care much if the void expands or not. I already have a house and I'm not moving. I was so lucky to just find a building that got sucked into the Void whole. It shows I'm more inviting than my... corrupted kin. So, no offense, but most Void Elementals are mindless... I am not, obviously. I have been gifted with a soul, as we believe. Back to your way of life, is there any insight you could give us? From what I can tell, Void Elemental culture, is not any more different from yours as Human culture. I'm not an anthropologist though. If you must know, we do have a currency of sorts, beliefs, jobs and so forth. We have families like yours, despite not being biological. Our communities are much smaller though. There are only about 30 other Void Elementals I know who aren't mindless. Proximity to the Ynnungaap does that to you. We cannot move though. Our home is a holy place. Thank you very much Horace. It has been enlightening You do realize that this doesn't cover the cost of me healing you, right? I expect the bill to be paid... on time. Heheh, that's... all for today. I have to get some gold teleported to me! Day 8 H-Hello this is Dragonman reporting from TDLNND. I-I'm very shaken by what has happened today... we... made it to the main chamber. The seals were broken. We all made sure of that. But at... at a great cost. I'm going to have Warmonger Starsaber fill in for me, while I honor those innocents th-that... that... that we... killed. This is Starsaber reporting from TDLNND. And I as well have been very shaken up about this horrible act we had to do. R.I.P to those young children and bless their families. We will bring death upon Envy's green head. In other, better news, we reached 100% in the war with 3 hours to go! Way to go Warmongers!. The sacrifices that we had to make in this war are ones that will not be forgotten. Thank you everyone who participated in this war. Soon we will have to fight the Rose again and we will be ready. Keep your weapons and armor close friends, we aren't done yet. On a better happy note it's gonna take some time to get used to reporting but I think I can pull it off. How about you guys?. What do you think?. I hope you all have a great week everyone. This is Starsaber reporting from co-anchor of the news seat at TDLNND signing off. This is Mirror Dragonman, and, well Dragonman is looking pretty bad. I think it's a good thing that he doesn't remember what he learned about Batoro recently, he's too distracted, but... Killer Dragonman, his evil half split off by dark magics, knows Batoro's identity now. That could be bad for Batoro... I guess we'll have to find out soon. We hope for there to be no more wars, but if there are, we hope to have you all listening to our reports!

kors -> RE: =DF= War In The Core - War Stories and Poetry (7/11/2014 22:43:43)
Part I: To the End Every moment mattered now. Energy swirled around them, whispering sweet lies and trying to twist them like the people of Pellow Village. The halls were all filled to the brim with monsters. Somewhere much further in lies the secrets Envy so desperately sought. Everyone had to make it through this. Kor owed Tomix that much. After all he had been through, a victory as complete as this would lighten his spirit. Lords know how much time they had to obtain a flawless win against Envy and his horde of Void monsters. A beam of the elementless might of an Elemental struck Kor in the shoulder, leaving him a little lopsided now that he was missing the tip of one of his large pauldrons. “Oh, you. Quit trying to tease me with a tickling beam!” one of his blades made contact with the twisted being. It faded back into the Void, hopefully far away for the time being. Tomix and Aigis both were holding their own against the endless swarm before them, each fighting as hard as Kor. They would need to, and to keep it up as well, if any of them expected to reach the door and it’s seal separating them and Envy. Even Chronus, Kor’s dragon companion, had taken up arms in a sense. The dragon blasted them with his magical fire, as well as occasionally healing the group as they advanced down the constantly shifting halls. Each of them had to get to the end, and so did their comrades heading down the other two halls. They were just as vital to reaching the end as Kor was for Tomix. He knew they were going to be able to do it, perhaps not because he has traveled across various timelines, but from the sheer fact that they were all together in this. They had all come together to help him and Tomix, they would not fail. Too much was spent on this for any of them to give up, for any reason. All of them had to reach the end, Tomix especially. But to reach the end they first had to defeat Envy, then all that mattered was going home. Part II: Back to the Void The hall slowly shifted into a stretch of open space, Kor could see the bits of debris and void matter flowing around them. It was a beautiful sight amongst the carnage and horror that crawled along the ground of the void. The Chronomancer smiled, the newly cleared and brightened path showed them how much further it was. “Not nearly as far as we thought guys! Just keep moving forward! Don’t give them the chance to get behind us!” Kor looked back to see Aigis freeze a young Decadere solid. The only thing that left a sour taste in his mouth was the fact that the other two roads were no where to be seen. From Aigis’ map, they should have been close enough to at least see. Something was off. And their only choice was to play along. Kor brought both his twin blades down on a Void spawn. The mix of other beings twisted by the Void fell shortly after. A horrible abomination like that just did not have the same endurance as the parts that made up it’s deformed body. A large Decadere slashed it’s imposing white claws at Kor, just missing his head by a few inches. It roared in frustration and smacked a Decadere youngling in anger. Another swipe of it’s claws came. The claws cut through his gauntlets and left a deep gash almost halfway up his arm, knocking Brief Hour out of the injured hand. It clattered across the floor. The Void Dragon lunged for him, deciding that Kor was to be it’s meal. The Chronomancer dodge it, rolling out of the way. “Kor!” he looked over his shoulder to see Aigis with a terrified expression, and then he was gone. Not even a moment later, the sound of the Spirit’s icy shield taking a powerful blow came from behind him. “Heh, you’re always gonna be watching my back aren’t you? Glad you’re here, then,” sneaking a glance back was all he dared before launching himself towards his other sword, Aigis having dedicated himself to taking that dragon down personally. Ice built up around the dragon as it struggled to beat down Aigis. It hurt to even grab the sword. He would need Chronus to heal him, “I wonder if the others still have their potions?” He slashed at a stray Elemental heading for Tomix, who was far too busy taking on three Void spawns to notice the angry monster making a beeline for him. The strike sliced the monsters arm clean off, causing the creature to scream. The noise was barely registered by the others, having heard it hundreds of times since they left the ship. All of the monster’s attention was now focused solely on the one who robbed it of it’s arm. It’s sole remaining set of claws went for Kor’s throat, fully intending to end him then and there. The world around him began to slow, and mana began to drain from his body. Kor focused his all into bringing the flow of time under his command. He moved out of the way of the now nearly still attack and finished the poor thing before it could even realize what happened. Time began to revert to it’s natural pace as Kor stopped the flow of his mana into the magic. The monster cried out one last time as it turned into a blackened husk of itself, the final bits of it’s existence being absorbed by the Void. At a moment like that, Kor couldn’t help but wonder what kind of elemental it was before it wandered into the Void. The momentary reprieve his victory gave him allowed him search out his dragon. Any moment now would have Chronus ram him for not warning him about using his Chronomancy, especially since he almost always was affected in the same his partner was. The smell of bacon would be his first, and likely only, clue as to which direction the dragon would pounce on him from. A few young and still pale Decadere rushed Kor, leaping, biting and throwing caution to the wind, reaching him before he could even spot his constant companion. The first fell easily, leaping right into the path of his blades. Another’s claws raked against the light brown metal and pale blue glass of his armor, with a third managing to sink it’s teeth into his already injured arm. The third’s jaws sunk deeper and deeper as Kor swung his arm around, attempting to force the monstrous dragon off it. His other arm was far too busy fending off the other Decadere Younglings attempting to kill him. “Get off my human!” a voice shouted from somewhere behind Kor in Dragon. Chronus. The small dragon flew down onto the other dragon and bit hard into it’s neck. The Decadere panicked at the small dragon’s attack and released Kor from its grasp. Its short, stubby arms reached to the young dragon biting deep in to the Void dragon’s neck in vain. Chronus slashed his claws along the creatures back, opening up even more wounds in the monster. It did not take long for the Decadere to finally give out. It’s body burst into a small group of purple orbs of various sizes, zipping across the battlefield before finally fading back into nothing. Chronus flew over to his human and rammed head first into him, “There! That’s what you get for not telling me!” A small gout of flame flared from his nostrils and left the air smelling of freshly cooked bacon. The scent alone convinced more than a couple of Void spawn to avoid the two. Kor’s dragon began to nuzzle him affectionately. “You learn your lesson this tim...?” his eyes turned towards Kor’s injured arm, “Geez, can’t I leave you alone for more than a minute before you get hurt? Here.” The wound began to close itself up as Chronus sent a mix of healing energy that restored both Kor’s health and Mana substantially. The Chronomancer smiled and began scratching his partner just behind his horns, “Thanks, now lets finish this, ‘kay?” Chronus leaped off of Kor and began to burn a stray Decadere that wandered too close to them. It did not take long before both of them, as well as Tomix and Aigis, were thoroughly separated by the swarm of monsters they slowly waded through. They were almost halfway through. They were going to make it.

Jaden -> RE: =DF= War In The Core - War Stories and Poetry (7/11/2014 22:49:46)
"That's the plan, and it's the best we've got." Proclaimed Tomix, grim faced as ever. The leaders of the expedition were all gathered around a table on the deck of the void ship. They were all dealing with the stress in their own way. Aegis stood vigilant as ever, still projecting the image he had procured of the Ynnungaap core. Izaac and Riadne were holding hands, scared, but determined. Yashta was gazing towards the soon to be battleground, evidently contemplating the coming fight. Captain Mazurek was leaning against the mast, and seemed generally unconcerned about recent events. Vaal was twitchy, taking constant swigs from his flask of...whatever it was that he was drinking. Eirn, who had to stand on a barrel to reach the table, was studying Aegis' map intensely, muttering equations and calculations to himself. Jaden looked over at Tomix, who had grown paler and paler over the course of their journey. While he would never vocally express so, he was worried about Tomix. The man was a good friend. On top of his illness, Jaden could tell that he was hiding something. "Maybe Riadne and Izaac are getting to him more than he likes to admit." Came a whisper. "Maybe." Jaden whispered back to Emeraldus, who was perched upon his shoulder. "You don't think so?" "It's a possibility." Tomix's voice cut through their conversation. "Alright. We'll reach the core in about an hour. Any preparations you need to make should be made by then." Everyone scattered to get their respective teams in order. The deck was soon filled with scrambling bodies, as everyone prepared for battle. Jaden was busy making sure the duster Tomix made for him, as well as his light armor, were in good condition. His sword was virtually unbreakable, and needed no such ministrations. Emeraldus sat by him, nonchalantly cleaning his scales. Jaden looked over at Tomix, who was leaning against the railing of the ship, staring at the Core. Jaden pushed any concern for Tomix away. It would only distract him. "He's tough for an angsty human. Kinda like someone else I know." Said Emeraldus. Jaden looked over and nodded. "I know." Tomix straightened from his vigil, and walked over. "Jaden, it's about time, is everyone ready?" "Looks like it." "Alright, I guess it's speech time." Jaden groaned inwardly. He hated speeches. --------------------------------- Tomix had gathered everyone onto the deck of the ship, where they stood, looking at Tomix and Jaden with expectantly. Jaden nudged Tomix. "Go on." Tomix whispered, "Can you do it?" "Why?" "I'm not good at speeches." "Neither am I." "Jaden. Please." Jaden stared at Tomix, and saw how pale and tired he looked. "Fine." Tomix nodded grateffuly. Jaden stepped forward. Everyone's attention turned towards him. Taking a deep breath, he began. "I'm going to keep this short, so listen closely. I know many of you didn't sign up to fight any battles, and that some of you aren't on this expedition by choice. But what happens today will affect all of Lore. If the Void Core is damaged, the void will spill out into our world, and we can't let that happen. Envy must be stopped. You've all been briefed, so get to work." As soon as he was done, Tomix headed belowdecks, walking with more difficulty than he should have. As everyone hustled to get to their stations, Jaden scanned the crowd. Finding Riadne, he strode towards her. "Riadne." He said loudly over the noise of the crew members. "Good speech. Short, simple, and to the point." She said, giving him a warm smile. "What can I do for you?" "I don't know, Tomix looks sick. Could you check on him?" She hesitated, but only for a moment. "I have to take care of Izaac, but I'm sure he can survive without me for 10 minutes." She started to head below decks after Tomix. "Riadne." "Huh?" She turned towards him. "...Thank you." ----------------------------------- "All hands ready! We be nearin' the Core!" Bellowed Mazurek from the wheel. As everyone got ready to exit the ship, Jaden took the opportunity to locate Tomix and Aegis, who would be his partners in the battle for the middle hallway. Emeraldus was already with him, and was flying around, his anticipation for the coming battle palpable. "Let's smash some void monsters!" The green dragon crowed. Aegis was already at his position. The icy sentinel's watchful eyes missing nothing. Jaden walked over, stealing a glance at his unofficial soul ally. "How does it look?" He asked. Aegis looked back at Jaden, his ice blue eyes penetrating into the grey- blue of Jaden's. His eyes seemed to stare into his soul, which they probably were. "The enemy is numerous, but not so much as in the Chaosweaver War." The spirit said, his voice cool, but deep at the same time. Jaden nodded, and glanced around. "Where's Tomix?" Aegis focused for a second. "He is still below decks." The spirit said. "He'll be fine." "Jaden... I sense something within him, something that is eating away at his very being. Whether it is a disease of the body or spirit s beyond me, but I don't think he is ready for this battle. Perhaps he should sit this one out." Jaden studied the railing of the ship. "Judging by your silence, I assume you agree with me." Aegis continued. "That's a load of trog dung." Said Emeraldus, who had, up until this point, been silent. Aegis looked down the dragon, one ghostly eyebrow arched. "Tomix is one of the strongest people I know. He's not gonna let a little thing like sickness stop him." The dragon said firmly. "Your words are flattering, Emeraldus." Came a voice behind them. Tomix strode towards them. Color had returned to his cheeks, and his stride was more even. "While Emeraldus' words are indeed heartening, you are weakened, Tomix." Aegis said. Tomix nodded in acknowledgement, a crooked smile forming upon his lips. "Your concern is appreciated, Aegis, but..." His voice too on a more determined tone, "This started because of me, and I fully intend to finish it." He met the spirit's gaze evenly. The spirit held Tomix's gaze for a moment, then smiled. "The fortitude of humans continues to impress me." "Now be the time!" Yelled Mazurek. "On my mark!" Yelled Jaden. The ship neared the plateau that lead to the three tunnels. When they were just meters away, Jaden bellowed: "CHARGE!" A wave of sound rent the air. A mix of the roars of Pirates and Soulweavers, and the clanks of Gnome battlesuits assaulted Jaden's ears as the expeditionary force vaulted over the rails of the ship, charging towards the Core of the Void itself. -------------------------------- As he, Emeraldus, Tomix, And Aegis charged forward, Jaden could only hear the rush of blood through his veins. The pounding in his ears was deafening, and exhilarating. They might all die here today, and yet he couldn't have felt more alive. They neared the middle corridor, and the two other teams split off and headed for the branching ones. Void spawn clustered around the hallway, their screeches permeating the air of the void, and into Jaden's very soul. Scattered among them were void elementals, grotesque manifestations of the void itself. Skittering below them were young decadere, and towering above the rest, were their older variants. The large dragons let loose roars that chilled the bones of everyone unfortunate enough to be too close. The void elementals moved forward, and let loose purple energy blasts from their spine-like tails. "Aegis!" Shouted Jaden. The spirit moved forward until he was in front of his comrades. Raising his right arm, a large shield made of spiritual ice appeared around them. The purple energy blasts bounced off, no more effective than an ant against a mountain. As soon as the shield disappeared, Tomix disappeared in a blur. All around the front ranks of the void creatures, he appeared, his ghostly hands now in the shape of blades, felling his foes with frightening precision, only to disappear before the enemy could react. Jaden darted forward, drawing his sword. He leaped high into the air. Green wings erupted from his back, and he hovered for a moment, before shooting downwards. His blade glowed with green energy, and he stabbed forward. A huge, Emerald dragon's head erupted from the tip of his blade, and crashed into a mass of void creatures. They were engulfed within the nimbus of dragon magic, and were blown backward, never to get up again. Jaden landed in the center of the small crater that had formed. The wings disappeared, and he settled into a fighting stance, Emeraldus landing beside him. Weeks of cramped conditions aboard the void ship were now forgotten, as his adrenaline surged through him, eliminating all unnecessary thoughts. A grin formed upon his face. He charged. He unleashed another blast of dragon magic, scattering his foes. Rushing up to a fallen void spawn, he plunged his blade into it's throat, and it convulsed once before going still. Feeling something behind him, he lashed out with a backwards kick, his foot connecting with another spawn's chest. It staggered backwards, and Jaden jumped upwards. As he came down, his blade cleaved it in two. Rushing a cluster of more spawn, his blade whirling, he managed to catch a glimpse of Tomix ripping out the essence of a void elemental, crushing in in his ethereal hands. Aegis waved his hand, and spikes of ice arose from the ground, impaling everything around him. Emeraldus flew with blinding speed, his tail, teeth and claws spelling death for all who stood in his way. The earth shook, and just as Jaden finished off another spawn, he rolled to the side on pure instinct. He was just in time, as a large, clawed foot slammed into the earth were he had once been. The Decadere screamed at him, and breathed a beam of void energy. Jaden leaped aside, and conjured his wings once more. Flying towards the creature's head, he slashed once. Landing behind it, he heard a heavy thump as its head landed heavily. Void creatures were closing around him and his comrades once more. His work was not finished, and deep inside, he was glad of it. ------------------------- "AAHHH" Jaden's blade rent a Decedere's clawed hand from it's arm. It must have been a tough one, because it didn't even scream. It rushed him, and he only just managed to dive out of the way. Rolling into a standing position, he conjured his wings and flew into the air to create distance. A roar a short distance behind him startled him. The Decedere was following him through the air, not through flight, but through bounding after him using it's powerful muscles. He soared around the huge hallway, dodging around the large creature's jaws and remaining claws. Whirling around, he unleashed a blast of dragon magic, which missed. The decedere crashed into Jaden, who tumbled out of the sky and landed heavily onto the floor. The air rushed out of his lungs, and he lay there, stunned. The dragon, sensing victory, stalked towards him. It's jaws opened wide, ready to sink into his flesh.... A blue light enveloped Jaden's vision, and a spike of ice appeared out of the dragon's chest. This time, it screamed, and fell, never to get up again. The beast lay still. Jaden started to rise, but grimaced in pain. "Be still, my friend, you have multiple broken bones." Aegis appeared beside him. "The dragon?" Jaden asked. "It is no more. Tomix and Emeraldus are covering us as we speak." "Good." Jaden started to rise. "Jaden, be still." "I'm ok." "Jaden!" "What?" He snapped. "You've broken multiple bones, you'll have sit this o-" Jaden grabbed Aegis' shoulder violently. "Tomix... he needs-" Jaden coughed. "Cover me sub-zero, I got this." Emeraldus flew over and pressed his snout to Jaden's chest. Aegis rose and joined Tomix, using ice to impale any creature that came too close. Energy rushed from Emeraldus into Jaden, and he could feel his bones healing. With a groan, he rose to his feet. "Hey hey hey, take it easy." Reprimanded Emeraldus. "A dragon can only heal so much in a short time!" Jaden stubbornly walked over to his sword, which he had dropped when he fell. He walked gingerly however, and Emeraldus easily overtook him, planting himself in front of Jaden. "Listen tough guy, Aegis and Tomix have this area locked down, and they can buy us some time, so sit down and let me heal you properly!" He barked. Jaden stared at him. "Whatever state I'm in, Tomix is worse." He said in a low whisper. "I can't leave him to fight those creatures alone, he's too weak!" "Do you wanna end up just like him? Aegis has his back, so sit down!" The dragon snarled. They locked eyes. Jaden's lowered first. "Make it quick." He said, gingerly sitting down. Emeraldus pressed his snout to his chest once more, and he could feel the aches dulling. "Why are you bein' this stupid? First you let a dragon get to you, then you refuse healing?" "You're healing me now, aren't you?" Jaden said angrily. "Look man, I know Tomix isn't at his best, but you've gotta be smart and stop worrying about him so much! If you die, that'll be one less person watching his back! Watching my back!" Jaden said nothing. The dragon head butted him. "Look at me!" Jaden made eye contact. "Don't die on me." The dragon said firmly. Jaden thought he saw a tear in Emeraldus' eye, but he blinked and it was gone. Jaden looked away. "Ok." He said. Emeraldus channeled more energy into him. "Alright." He said, after what felt like an eternity. "You should be able to fight now, but you need to take it slow." His voice was a little shaky. Whether it was because of giving Jaden his energy, or their recent exchange, Jaden couldn't tell. Jaden nodded. As he stood up, he winced slightly. While his bond with Emeraldus allowed them to heal each other, it wasn't perfect, and Jaden could still feel some light fractures. But it got the job done, and he hastened to rejoin Tomix and the others.

Ferakin -> RE: =DF= War In The Core - War Stories and Poetry (7/12/2014 3:12:04)
And The Cracks Began to Show It wasn't as though Zen had intended to land in what seemed to be a very, very long hallway filled to the brim with monsters that looked vaguely similar to the aliens he had been fighting before, but he certainly wasn't surprised. Luck had a way with screwing with science at the most in-opportune moments, usually creating super heroes as a result, but sometimes it led to rather crap situations. Example, this one. Zen got up and dusted off his bright yellow-and-black-striped jacket. He knew it didn't suit his character at all, but it was a gift from a friend, and so he would keep it. If monsters didn't destroy it first, that is. One of the floating ones, no feet with a ridged, curving spine turning into some kind of tail, lunged at him, clawed hands outstretched. Zen had a brief moment of panic when he realized that he wasn't incased by a giant, robotic construct armed to the teeth anymore, and reacted with a less-than-controlled blast of telekineses. The Void Elemental was buffeted back by invisible force, landing some yards away from Zen, who was blown onto his rear from his own attack. He would've immediately gotten up and made his way to a safer area, had the small commotion not drawn more attention from the surrounding monsters. More elementals, dragons, and mishmashed creatures were all making their swift way towards the downed newcomer, causing him to raise his hand again to unleash more psychokinetic energy. The effort wasn't needed, however, as a sudden wave of sharp ice rose from the ground and impaled the majority of the onrushing creatures. A flurry of bright lines of blue light raced past Zen, piercing through even more of the grotesque monsters in the next instant, followed by a white-haired man in a worn, brown coat dashing forward. His hands formed into purple blades of energy, and he made quick work of the remaining enemies. Zen stared blankly at where the masses of nightmares used to be, before looking behind himself to see who else was there. A pink haired man stood next to a glowing blue spirit, wearing a similar, if darker, garb to the white haired person. His hair was longer in the front than the back, reaching an inch or two below his face, and he wore intricate gauntlets, which projected even more intricate blades of energy. While not as tall as the spirit or the white haired person, he projected an air of experience, and perhaps a little bit of overconfidence. The man moved forward to Zen, raising an eyebrow at him. "I take it you're not with Envy or his forces?" Zen, despite a reappearing stutter and light voice, was able to reply. "O-oh god, I h-hope not." Nervously, he moved one hand to mess with the hair on the right side of his head, the small amount of white there clashing with the majority of brown. It was at times like this that he wished he still wore glasses, despite not needing them. It gave him something to mess with whenever he talked to people. Deciding to make sure he was in the right world, if maybe in the wrong place, he posed the Soulweaver a question. "Th-this m-may seem a little random, b-but do you know anyone named K-Koran or R-Ryka?" The pinkette stared in surprise at the jacketed teen still on the ground. "Friend of theirs? I think I've heard the name Koran, and I'm fairly certain I met him once or twice, but I know Ryka better, or knew. We used to train and adventure together, before he went off on his own. I take it you were looking for them?" Zen nodded slightly in confirmation. So I'm in the correct world and not one of the alternates, good. Quickly noticing that his new acquaintance was waiting for a more worded answer, Zen obliged. "Oh, y-yes. I was trying to find o-one of them, parti-ti-ticularly Koran, but I think I ov-ve-vershot it a bit." The teen genius rubbed the back of his head, somewhat embarrassed by his mess-up. The Soulweaver smiled lightly at the socially awkward teen, reminiscing about his younger days. "Well, I would say you could've been worse places to land in, but this is a rather dangerous place we're in. We're on an important mission right now, but I'll help you find your friend when we're done." The man extended a hand. "I'm Enrique da Lamenze, by the way." The telekinetic teen took it, and was pulled up from the ground. "Z-Zen Ferakin, p-p-pleased to m-m-meet you." He glanced around, taking in the strange place and space-like background. "Wh-where are we, anyway? What's going on?" Enrique caught Tomix's look and silently agreed that they had spent too much time here. Walking forward, he moved to catch up to his friend and Aegis, who were getting ahead. Glancing back, he motioned for his new acquaintance to follow. "Let me explain to you about this spirit named Aspar..."

SNAKSuyun -> RE: =DF= War In The Core - War Stories and Poetry (7/13/2014 2:47:36)
Tomix leaned onto the side of the ship, staring out into the Void. An endless field of purple. It feels like it's mocking me. Purple, the color of the void, the color of Aspar, the color of Riadne's eyes, the color of the veins pulsing through his imaginary hands... a color that doesn't exist in the normal world. A color that shouldn't define the life of a soulweaver, but has come to dominate his; a color that speaks of loss and betrayal, but also Tomix's desires that lie just outside of his reach. I wanted to live. I wanted a friend. I wanted a woman to love. Have I sinned so much, my soul been tainted past repair, that my dreams were doomed to turn into dust? Pandora stirs in her cube, her consciousness brushing past his. Guilt. Melancholy. 'It's okay,' he mumbled to himself. 'You'll tell me that you're sorry and it's not my fault or something.' He resented her, once. Resented her for what she represents - his utter failure to be a great soulweaver. Which self-respecting soulweaver would take the Founding Queen of Chaosweavers to be a soul-ally? Who would believe he's still fighting on the side of good when she causes cataclysms wherever she goes, and is repulsed even by her own kind? She's like her own memories, pain and regret somehow mingling together to form a spirit, and she should - could - only be the soul ally for the soulweaver who has no one else. And she's utterly perfect for him. 'I can't resent you, even if I want to,' he sighed, rubbing one eye. His vision had started to fade, his heartbeats starting to pound louder and louder in his head. 'I used to be jealous of the Hero, jealous that they got someone true and brave like Aegis while I ended up with you, but in the end, they're just like Aegis, and I'm just like you. We made mistakes in our youth, mistakes that we can't really blame on anyone else, and our lives just spiraled downwards from there. If I could seal my memories away in this place... maybe I would...' The golden eyes were starting to turn glassy. '...Maybe I would...' Aspar. The spirit had brought so much joy into his life, so much hope that even at his darkest hour, he was not forsaken - someone would love him and be there for him, no matter what he had done. Aspar joking along with him. Aspar striking at Greed. Aspar talking to the Hero, and to Riadne. Lies. All lies. Subconsciously, Tomix held his breath. Everyone who had loved me had grown to resent me and left me. And I don't really know if I even have the courage to go after those I love, now. It would only hurt if they don't care, and even if they do, what would they think when I'm gone? 'How are you holding up?' A familiar voice called out, concerned. Terribly. More than terribly. I guess I'm selfish, though, for holding onto you. You amaze me with your resilience and compassion. If you've lived through Sepulchre and Wargoth and every single War in existence and can still laugh with me - you should be able to live through me intact, too, right? 'I'm tired. I'm so tired... I've been on this quest since I was a kid. Thirteen years. Thirteen long years and my journey is finally at its end. He's the only one left.' To think, years ago, he had talked of this day with so much excitement. He'd dreamt of things he'd do once he had his freedom, talk of becoming a legend of lore through ultimate elimination of all the elemental spirits. Aspar... Aspar had been there, listening intently, cheering along. Aspar had told him that the spirit would be there to witness the event. Something in his chest ached dully. There was an emptiness there, spreading, numbing. Snuffling out the final glimmers of light. 'Sometimes I imagine what my life would have been like if I didn't release the elemental spirits...' He tried to recall his imagined life, but had to trail off. Those scenes were fragments now, floating aimlessly in his head much like everything floating aimlessly in the void. I can't put them back together. I can't even remember all of it. '...Instead, my life is a series of unfortunate events.' 'Surely there had to be at least one good event?' There were many. They just never stuck around. 'You.' And you're not going to stick around, either, because there's a whole world to save and I'll be passing on. 'Come on, we'll have more adventures together after we banish Envy!' Still the same carelessly brave voice. That same optimism. That hope Tomix once had, but can no longer truly believe in. Stay with me. Let me enjoy my last journey with you. Let me have someone to say goodbye to, someone who will miss me once this is all over. But instead he focused straight ahead, at that brilliant ray of purple light. Purple. Where it starts and where it ends. 'We're here!'

Gingkage -> RE: =DF= War In The Core - War Stories and Poetry (7/14/2014 20:28:22)
I am not an idiot. I know that people think I am. Cracking jokes at seemingly inappropriate times. Acting the fool in serious situations whenever possible. I can't think of anyone who has spent any amount of time with me that hasn't questioned both my intelligence and my sanity... and then gone on to question if they're really wise to team up with me and just how desperate do they have to be to resort to someone like me to get the job done. Then further wondering if it's wise to trust someone as foolish as me with so much power. I know all of this. I do. I also know that if I don't act like a fool whenever possible, the people I've grown to regard as my closest friends and allies would forget to smile. Forget to laugh. Forget that the world really isn't as bad as it seems right now and once this is over things will be that much better. Someone has to, and it may as well be me. Perhaps that's why I'm putting so much effort into seeming blind as to Tomix's condition. Of course I know just how bad Tomix is looking. I'm not blind. I can see how pale he is. How dark the rings under his eyes are. Just how far the damage his fake hands does to his arms has spread. He looks tired. He looks ill. I cast my mind back to a recent conversation. One that we had when we first boarded the ship to enter the void. He had something to tell me. Something about why he couldn't journey with me after we defeat Aspar. I had to leave before he could finish what he was saying. I promised that we would finish the conversation later. I'm not so sure I want to know what he was going to say. I'm afraid of what it might be. Yes. That's right. Me. The mighty 'hero' that everyone has proclaimed me to be. The mighty 'hero' that I have proclaimed myself to be at times. Afraid of a conversation. Afraid that what Tomix was going to say is something that, for all my power and weapons and magic, I can't fix. Something that I can't save him from. And it's my job to save people. It's my duty! What good am I if I can't save one person? If Tomix dies... No. No, don't think like that. Don't let your thoughts go down that path. Once it's been considered, the thought can't be denied. Sure, Tomix looks pretty bad, but with all the stress he's under, it's no surprise. It doesn't mean anything. He'll be fine. He has to be. I've been responsible for so many terrible things. Konnan's family died because I wasn't strong enough to save them, causing him to turn down a road that led to so much death and destruction. Warlic split into two personalities because I wasn't fast enough, wasn't good enough to defeat Sepulchure, wasn't able to stop the Mysterious Stranger from devouring the sun, wasn't able to do anything good enough to keep his mana from overloading as it did. Tomix's looms broke because I wasn't able to defeat Greed before he got to the Judgement Wheel. It's my fault that he's forced to use his own soul like this. Whatever happens to him is on my shoulders. He asked me not to think he was useless. How laughable. If anything, he should think I'm useless. It seems that I've failed to help people at every turn. Even now, this battle with Aspar, it could have possibly been prevented if I had the courage needed to tell Tomix my suspicions before it got to this point. He might not have believed me. I know that. But I should have tried harder, should have kept a better eye on the spirit, should have done something! Tomix is looking down. Better go cheer him up. I put a cheerful smile on my face and hope it doesn't look fake. And I determinedly ignore the fact that he looks worse today than he did yesterday. Let him think me in the dark. It might help him act strong if he thinks he needs to for someone else's sake. I'm not an idiot. But sometimes I wish I was. This might hurt less.

San Robin -> RE: =DF= War In The Core - War Stories and Poetry (7/15/2014 18:01:14)
The time to war has come again, so here’s a call to all women and men! Pick up your staff, daggers, scythe or sword, all gear up and climb aboard. Together we shall stand and fight, beat every void monster in sight. We shall not give up until the end, to the forces of evil we shall not bend! We beat the decaderes, elementals and spawn while we’re yelling: Battle on!

The Odor -> RE: =DF= War In The Core - War Stories and Poetry (7/16/2014 11:02:28)
The Odors guide to the beings of the Void I hope this guide can provide insight to my fellow fighters in this battle for the Core. It will be slowly filled up with information about each creature we face. The Dragons of the Void The Decadere are a subspecies of dragon, closely related to the Creatioux that have aligned themselves with the negative aspect of entropy. Most of the Decadere were cleansed of their corruption by Nythera but it seems a small group have remained in the Deep Void. So far we have only encountered two groupings of Decadere among the forces guarding the Core: Decadere Younglings and Decadere Guards. Decadere Younglings are the smaller of the two and have a pale, beige skin tone stretched over a small body that mainly consists of a elongated head and a long maw filled with sharp teeth. Their skin seems far to small for their body, leaving it torn and leaving that exposes the flesh beneath, which could mean their defense is lesser then a non-corrupted dragon but this has not been possible to confirm. It is possible their exposed musculature could have lead to a dampened sense of pain. It has four outer extremities that end with a hand/paw with four claws each. The body tapers of to a long tail that is seemingly made up of a series tightly wound muscles that leave a "bumpy" apperance that ends with a sharp spike. In difference from most dragons they are wingless and seem incapable of flight. The creatures favored modes of attack are all closed range and tends to focus on either their sharp claws and tail spke in a fast stabbing or releasing a "cloud" of void energy through their maw that is not to different from a normal dragons breath. This cloud leaves very painful injuries that seem extra vunerable to infection. Their only elemental weakness seems to be to Bacon (I can't believe I am writing this... Stupid chicken god... Creating elements...) possibly due to its more recent creation or possibly the fact that it is very physical. More research is required. Tactically they don't seem very advanced (at least not in the deep void) and seems focused on all out attack, leaving them qutie easy to neutralise but their violent attacks can leave severe injuries if not correctly predicted. Upon being defeated their bodies seem to desolve into void energy. Current theories point to their bodies have not yet adapted to containing the energy without their lifeforce keeping it in check. Decadere Guards are larger and have a far darker blue-ish colour and have a long curved neck that ends with a enlongated head. The skin is still stretched and torn but their heads have a large amount of bone like growths, potentially to protect important organs. They still have the same extremety set up with four extremites with four clawed "fingers". The tails of the guards are significantly different from the Younglings, being covered in hard chitinous plates, but supposedly the tightly wrapped muscles still exist beneath the shell. This older version of the Decadere remains wingless so it is possible the spieces never flies in it corrupted state. During some point of Decaderes growth they seem to shift from the claws and tail focused attacks to a bite for physical attacks. This might be to leave their front claws free for aiding in defense. Their breath weapon is also far more potent then the one of their younger brethren. Instead of a cloud they launch a extremely focused beam of void energy that explodes on impact. Despite how this attack sounds more horrendous, but it trades the paininducing abillites of the younglings cloud attack in favor for range and accuracy. This probably has to do with the Decadere Guards duties as warriors. They share the elemental strengths and weaknesses with the younglings, but also have a almost undefeatable resistance to mind affecting spells (even greater then that of most dragons). Their tactics are a lot less rabid then the younglings since their breath attack has greater range, allowing them to stay back and force opponents to close with them. The Natives (?) of the Void The Void has a handful of inhabitants that are seemingly to strange, and so it is suspected they might actually be native to it. It is possible though they are actually corrupted entities from our realm. The two of worry for this struggle are the Void Elemental and the Void Spawn. The Void Spawn is a mysterious creature whose very form is in constant flux. What one second is seemingly solid metal can the next be fluttering cloth only to transform only to turn to sinewy, slimy tentacles, a chitinous exoskeleton or corrupted or void cursed flesh the next. These transformations are not of the full body however. Each body part seems to morph and alter independantly from eachother. How they achieve this is unknown, but a handful of theories exist. Some think they are a collection of debris that ended up in the Void, and as it bunched up got animated by a vortex of Void energy, and then becoming a unstable mass, where different parts take shape. Others say it is a spirit that has managed form a body for itself, but has not gotten a chance to stabilize itself, causing it to flactuate. The entities form of attack is simple, to say the least. It acts as a untrained brawler, rushing anyone who stands against them and wailing on them. The biggest threat is that sometimes, on impact they transfer a great amount of Void energy that tears through ones body, dealing damage over time. This is fixable but if the event occurs one should seek aid from a healer as soon as possible. They to have a weakness to the Bacon element, and are resistant to mindaffecting magic, something most believe to be related to their nature. It is unclear what makes Void Spawn attack someone, but it seems magic users with affinity for the void can control them. Warning: Even if a Void Spawn seems inert and unintrested in you it is possible they will attack you the minute you turn your back on them. They should ALWAYS be dealt with if possible.

Faerdin -> RE: =DF= War In The Core - War Stories and Poetry (7/18/2014 21:31:58)
A Living Rainbow (July 2014 War at the Core) With lives of two entwined in heart and soul, Those guardians to gates emerald green Spill red across a violet atoll- A living rainbow faded and unseen. Eternally extinguished by our hands Forced by the embodiment of Envy. Now they are rid to remove cursed brands, To kill the killer who's barring entry. But it does not matter, what life we end, Whether by Envy's death or evil's fall We try our best to seek the best amends. We have killed. We have stolen. We are thralls To villainy in foulest of our ways. The color is gone and leaves a grey haze.

AlkaNephrite -> RE: =DF= War In The Core - War Stories and Poetry (7/19/2014 22:42:43)
Looks like I'm late to the party, ehehe... yeah, couldn't stop myself. Not my best work but I had fun anyway. AU-ish, where the Hero (in this case, a Riftwalker named Tessa) came with Riadne and Izaac instead of going with Tomix. What I imagine would've/could've happened. Enjoy. --- Loopholes --- The first seal is a boy. A child really, with dark, curly hair and tanned skin. He hovers before them, ghastly green light casting strange shadows across his skin. A tangle of glowing green threads poke out of his back. Soul-threads, she thinks and the very thought of it makes her sick to her stomach. Were they the boy's? Envy's? Someone else's? She doesn't know. She does know that, no matter who they belonged to, they would be near-indestructible. "This can't be happening," she hears Riadne whisper. She doesn't speak, only sees the green threads that hang in the air around the boy. Were it another day, in a different situation, she might've found them beautiful, those green threads with their luminescent glow, sparking every so often with acidic green light. Today, she sees them as nothing but a noose. "We need to wake him!" Riadne cries out, only to be silenced Izaac's cry. He looks crushed, despair evident in his features. "Riadne..." he says, almost pleading, "Don't wake him up. It's..." "It's what?" she butts in, her voice hard. "It's better this way? Is that what you want to say?" He faces her, acid green eyes boring holes in her own. "Tessa..." he begins but she doesn't let up. Can't let up. Would never let up. "This is barbaric and you know it," she spits. "There has to be another way." Izaac simply looks at her. "Tessa, the Seal of Ativa... it has no loopholes. There's no other way-" "There's always another way!" and she's pleading now, her eyes wide with desperation. Delusion. Whichever. "There always is!" Izaac simply closes his eyes. "Forbidden Magic like the Seal of Ativa... they have no loopholes. That's why they carry such a price... there's no other way..." She looks at him. "I'll think of something." she says simply. She has to think of something. She just can't do it. Can't kill a child like this. The look in his eyes is ancient, all-knowing. "What do you propose we do?" --- It's a ridiculously stupid plan but it works anyway. Rifting in the voids is dangerous business but a little experimentation showed that by using some soulweaving, they could make a link that would make rifting much less dangerous. Finding a way to link themselves to Envy was a bit more difficult but a close examination of Tomix's soul showed that he still bore minute traces of Envy's soul within him, something he was more than willing to part with. They barely had enough but Yashta and Tessa, both skilled Riftwalkers in their own right, were able to create a portal directly to Envy with some help from the Soulweavers Tomix and Izaac. They couldn't just break in, after all. The Seal on the doors proved impossible to destroy with normal means and the room itself was a closed space that couldn't be penetrated from the outside. Breaking in from the inside was a different story and their only option. Envy was strong and always seemed to be one step ahead of everyone. But even he didn't anticipate Tessa siccing her dragon, in Titan form, on him. It was anticlimactic, really, the way it ended but apparently, even Envy, with all his power, couldn't survive having his head bitten off by an overenthusiastic dragon. Another portal, this one made by using Aegis and Tessa's bond, got the crew back together without too much difficulty, bar some exhaustion from the two Riftwalkers. No matter what they did, however, they couldn't free the boy. "I told you," Izaac whispered as Tessa once again tried at slashing at his bonds with no success. "Even the death of the caster can't break a spell like the Seal of Ativa." "Shut up," she hisses, her scythe glittering dangerously in her hand. He raises his hands placatingly, waits for her to lower her scythe. "There's always a way. Always! We got through to Envy, didn't we?" "That was a one in a million chance, Tessa! We only got through because we still had one of Envy's soul-threads." She looks at him stubbornly. "But we got through anyway." "Yes, but..." "If we could make it through to Envy, we can free the kid." she says stubbornly. Izaac simply shakes his head. "Tessa... the crew... everyone wants to go home. We're all tired. Please, Tess, let's just go..." "No," she says firmly. "You're all free to go, if you want. I'm staying." "We can't just leave you here!" he protests. She shakes her head. "It's fine, Izaac. I can make it back. I'll just make a link between me and Aegis and make a portal home when I get the kid free." "But-!" "It's fine." she says, her voice hard. "I'll be fine." --- But, of course, she's lying. --- "Hey," the boy whispers weakly. She snaps awake, finds the boy staring at her. "Where am I..?" "You're awake!" she exclaims, a relieved smile spreading across her features. "You're in the Void, kid. Envy kidnapped you so he could use you as a seal." "Oh...kay," he seems confused, even as he writhes, tries to move "... can you get me out of here..?" Her smile fell. "I'll try. I've been trying all day! Ehehehe..." she laughs nervously, her eyes worried. "What's your name, kid?" "I'm Anthony. Anthony Gravolen." She musters a smile. "My name's Theresa... Tessa. Nice to meet you." *-Five Minutes-* "Hey, Tessa..?" he calls hesitatingly. "What?" "When you said this... Envy guy kidnapped me so he could use me as a seal... what did you mean?" She pauses, stopping her scythe mid-swing. "It means that... he made this shield thing that could only be destroyed by breaking two seals. You were one of them." He looks horrified. "What happened to the other seal?" "The other seal is broken." she says, closing her eyes. Mazurek had reached the second seal before she had the chance to explain the new plan. A woman. She had been awake when she was killed. She couldn't imagine how Mazurek had managed to do it... "What about me? Were you really going to..?" "Yes." her eyes slide shut. "But I managed to stop them." He looks worried. "Who were they?" "Friends of mine. We were all hunting Envy together. Some of them thought it would be for the best." "...but you didn't." She tries to smile. "Yeah... I just can't hurt innocents. Against my code, y'see. I'm a hero, where I come from..." "Really?" "Yeah. I was really good too." "I wanted to be a hero," he says, his voice wistful. "But we didn't have any money to buy weapons or armor so my pa said I should just stick to the inn business." She raises her scythe, ready to try once more. "Tell you what," she begins. "When I get you out of here, I'll buy you everything you need to be a hero." His eyes are wide, hopeful. "Really?" "Really." her smile is warm, gentle. "I promise." For the first time since they met, he smiles. *-Three Hours-* "What are you eating?" She looks up, mouth stained. "Void-dragon steak," she says as-a-matter-of-factly. "And Void-eye soup." "...eeeew." She chuckles. "Yeah, it doesn't taste very good but it keeps me from starving so..." she shrugs. Then she perks up, looking suspicious. "Are you hungry?" He looks down. "A little," he admits, looking sheepish. "But I don't want Void-dragon steak or Void anything..." She grins. "Here, I have some chocolate in my bag..." "Chocolate! Gimme!" *-Two Days-* She rummages through her bag, scythe embedded in the ground next to her. The boy watches from his position, impatience in his eyes. "Well?" he says irritably. "Is there any left?" She shakes it out, weapons and accessories and dragon-kibble all mixing in a huge pile on the ground. She pokes at it for a few seconds before sighing. "Anthony... I'm sorry. We're out of chocolate." He bites his lip, just barely stopping himself from screaming. "What am I supposed to eat now?" he all but demands. She looks through her items again, before conceding, picking up what had been her own dinner. A half-burnt Void-dragon's leg and Void-elemental eyes on a stick. He looks sickened. "Please don't tell me..." She looks apologetic. "Sorry kid but this is all we've got." He looks so angry, almost as if he were this close to screaming obscenities about the unfairness of it all, about how he never asked for this, about why he didn't deserve any of this, about how his family was probably worried about him, but all he says is: "Can I try some of that dragon leg?" *-One Week-* The Void-monster corpses in the corridor have all begun to decompose, filling the air with their stench. Barely any were worth eating anymore. Empty water flasks are scattered across the ground. "Tessa..." She looks up wearily, practically leaning on her scythe for support. "What is it, Anthony?" He looks at her. "You know, when you first told me about the seals, I couldn't imagine breaking them. Innocents are s'posed to be protected, right?" he chuckles weakly. "Now... I think I can." Her eyes narrow. "What are you saying?" "I'm saying... I think I understand now. Momma told me there were some things worse than death once... never believed her until now..." Her eyes hardened. "Are you saying you want to die?" He looks her right in the eye. "No," he says evenly. "I'm saying I'd have forgiven you if you did break the seal early on." She looks down. "Doesn't mean I'd forgive myself..." she mutters. "I would've, though," he presses. "I think the other seal-person would've too. Some things really are worse than death, after all." She closes her eyes, sees a noose. "What do you want me to do?" He looks at her. "If you have to do it, do it when I'm asleep and make it quick." he says, his voice blank. "But..." "What is it?" "For now just... promise me that you won't leave me." She opens her eyes. He's crying. "I promise." That was the last time she ever sees him smile. --- Her scythe-blade glistens red as she rips a portal open. --- There were never any loopholes.

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