The Valor of the Knights

The Serpent was slithering on about.

Although, it seems that there's a trio that approached him. Nyseans? Likely so, seeing as he met those before.. and the snake-eyes narrow upon them all, maw opening slightly to speak out.

"Interesting. I know these."

"Witnesses to defeat of their King by Romani. Nyseans, no?"
(Fidi)

"Witnesses yeah."

He also witnessed the chaotic nature that lay behind the Osronan Stellus. That wasn't here and this wasn't that, so he raises his eyes from the bush and towards Fidi instead. What concern he may have had he doesn't persist.

"Your kind has been gaining quite a reputation."
He happenstances the mention, sliding over the two visible presences. "Most recently it's hurt an important friend of mine. Any idea on who it was?"
(Avlainn)

Roland currently had nothing to say. But he doesn't hide any attempt to place his hand on his rapier. A cautionary stance made in the face of demons.
(Roland Pelleaux)

"Obviously."

"Our kind exists to change the landscape. Some, by pursuing the endless conquest in which neither side may eternally triumph.. the defeated always rising from the ashes, and victorious challenged all over again."

"And some, by conjuring wonders of mythic age. Yet, it seems humans would prefer static alone."

It hasn't been that long. A year, perhaps, two at most? The resurgence of Demonkind, while not new to Esshar as a whole, it was certainly new to this era. The Serpent carefully coils around a single place, the tip of his tail supporting him beneath his chin, like one would hold a hand underneath it.

Yet.. the request of Avlainn is met with quiet, brooding laugh.

"So presumptuous."

"The world does not revolve around you, boy, and I certainly do not monitor who your friends are."

A silly way to phrase his question.

"How would I know who your friend is?"

"You didn't think this through, did you..?"
(Fidi)

"I think you're the presumptuous one. I didn't ask for a detailed history lesson on what your kind wants or what they seek."

He keeps his hands leveled by his sides, fingers wiggling just slightly, ready, patient. If one looked close enough they could feel the persistent flux of mana gradually rise and release, small bursts of blue ready to build up at any given moment.

"Nor do I think the world revolves around me. My question was just wondering which one of your brothers and sisters attacked someone from Nysea."

But he's never been the best with words, has he? A wordsmith was the last thing this individual was, but he knuckles down nonetheless. "At this point though it really doesn't matter. Whether it be them or you, demons are all the same."

His sword is ripped from the scabbard.
The Pelleaux Gift raised, "I'm here for recompense."
(Avlainn)


"..."


Although hooded and shrouded betwixt leaves, brushes, and branches...Her beady little eyes would remain upon Avlainn. Surely... He had gotten her message from earlier, correct? Surely, he understood that so long as she recognized that he was a piece of Aeliana's possession...That her desire would constantly be filled with the want to break him. Regardless...There remains to be little to no motion..

Instead, the bush seems intent on watching...For now. Lest the three had decided to fight unfairly...Then, of course, it would spark into action. But other than that...

There seems to be little interest. For now.
(Carlisle ras Petrakis)

"So terribly dull..."

"So boring."

Is this what some humans are? Entirely focused on fighting, on endless quest for slaughter of something that cannot be exterminated? The same could be same about few Demons, really.. as a lot of them are extremely short-sighted, incapable of seeing more than their attempts to 'tame the darkness'.

Disappointing.

"Flawed design."

"Often focused on fighting, on pursuing a certain idea... but lacking anything else? Lacking self-awareness, reflection.." Whom is Fidi speaking about? It's almost as if he's making particular notes..

"Although, you are correct about one thing."

"It does not matter. Humanity needs to be dragged to something else, kicking and screaming, and you see... I'm the one who collects them for such purpose."

"Would you show me what you're like, then?"

"Perhaps, you'll be a fine specimen."

But to say that the Serpent does not ready himself for battle is silly; instead, the shadows deepen around him, and the snake-eyes narrow upon Avlainn. It coils around a single place, becoming all too ready to lunge..

"Come and collect your recompense, then."
(Fidi)

The blade is drawn the second the talk of collection came to mind. Astral ambiance surges from his form, golden light shrouding his being as his eyes turn primarily onto Fidi. "True as your words may be, we do not fight for conquest. We fight to right the wrongs of the world, to defend our home from those that seek to bring us ruin." His right hand joins his left on the rapier, holding it firmly in hand as the stars above are channeling themselves within.

"If we must drag our confession from your vile maw, we shall do just that."

The gold hue shifts smoothly, an azure light surrounds his flesh, blade gripped firmly in hand with the resolve necessary to enact not only his will, but the will of justice for their injured friend.

"Enough talk; Have at you!"

The mythril blade is kept in mind, the edge thinly coated with a faint, wispy blue light. It was by no means a strong strobe light, but enough to show his capability of not only channeling it through the flesh, but through the blade as well. Two cobalt eyes stare directly at Fidi as he makes his start forward.
(Roland Pelleaux)

Had only just recently recovered from his last bout with their kind, an encounter of this nature worded much less than when it came to him defending himself.

Now came the time to act however, to watch the two of them thrive within this chaos.

His eyes trace towards the bush for a brief moment, and sure enough does he ready himself for yet another altercation. Both of the knights had their target however, and as such he'd remain vigilant to ensure they'd return home at the end of all of this.
(Saewyn)

Flawed Design.

He is human, he is flawed. It is an inherent code that exists within him, but he does not lack a self awareness, nor does he lack self reflection. Avlainn has always known that he was someone who has been selfish.

He is ego indulgent, far so to the point of going out specifically not to kill, but to find and harm the demon that had done the same to someone he cared about.

A slight on them is a slight on him. Yet he, now targeted, is someone to behold. By the eyes of this particular demon who holds themselves at a higher standard than the rest of them. Monsters, all of them.

Whatever quip he is to return does not make it through as Roland explodes with his sense of justice, one that is not actively agreed with, but not turned against either. He swallows what words may have come and stands aside, blade lowering.

The Pelleaux desires his fill.
(Avlainn)

They always come like this..

But what he can feel is the crystal he's obtained earlier, buzzing with the hungering presence that could only be characterized as the eternal want of taking the essence and mana from magi before him. This could be away for him to accomplish exactly what he wants..

Or this could be his downfall.

Fidi already edged over the blade of death in the past, hasn't he? He was so close to perishing, so close to never seeing his plans and wants come to fruition, but it never stopped him. No... instead, it's something that could drive him forward at all cost. Something to ensure he could never step aside until he's done.

And even as the brilliance of the cosmos appears before him?

"Yes. Enough talk..."

"Enter the shadows."

"If you dare."

Soon, as Roland steps closer to the Serpent.. the deepening shadowsintend to suddenly strike out against him. There would be no more talk indeed.

There would be a test, instead.
(Fidi)

{RP BATTLE} You have WON the battle!

Roland Pelleaux has sustained an injury in battle...

Roland Pelleaux has rolled 2 or over: they may escape capture attempts (unless otherwise specified)!

The Serpent is quick.

Maybe too quick, even to the beholder of cosmos. The starlight tries to snuff out the shadows, but it becomes evidently clear that it's simply not enough to overpower the shadows. Around each turn, where the blade sunk into the body of the Serpent, it would soon dissipate into nothingness.. drowned in shadows, and the figure of a Demon disappearing before him.

"Weak.."

Is it any surprise that even a Demon like Fidi can do this much? That even someone who has grown out of clutches relatively recently could possess strength like this- perhaps, the Serpent already knew what he would have to experience in the coming times, seeking to shelter himself amidst the dark as much as he can.

"Inept."

Roland's efforts, while able to weaken the Serpent, ultimately prove to be not enough. In the moment that he commits the grave mistake of overextending too far, he finds two fangs sinking into his neck.. an injection of venom in rich quantities, one that ought to weaken Roland just enough.

He can feel it.

The rising, rapid fever; the quickening heartbeat, the shallow breaths, his darkening vision and muscle ache, coupled with numbness unlike any other. There's more of Fidi.. one, two, three- just when did he start hallucinating so badly?

"Take what he has."

Shadows extend forth, and where the Pelleaux noble is gripped by them, the serpents dig into his flesh; only now, the crystal, Lady Erie's Greed becomes visible to a keen eye- draining him of all that he's worth, taking not only his essence, but his strength as well.

And only eventually, when these little nightmares end, he's discarded... like a hunter would discard an empty, shallow husk.

The Serpent collects the leftover crimson upon his fangs, gaze turning to the knights.

"You should rescue your friend."
(Fidi)

The swift serpent stayed well out of his reach. The few times that Roland had gotten close, he could feel his blade cutting off the scales of the serpent. But meager glancing strikes were not enough to cut through the demon's entirety. Always coming close, but never quite reaching. The will of the stars did not shine as brightly as he had hoped.

But exhaustion took it's toll, chasing the serpent was bound to leave him exhausted inevitably. And when it did, Fidi finally struck. Fangs dug into his neck, past the scarf and through the cloak. The coil prevented him from lashing out, his stamina was not what it had once been. But it was clear today that Roland's lack of training was the end result.

A pittance of a performance that was sure to haunt him for days to come. As his body is supped of his strength and tossed aside, Roland struggled to rise, to get back to his feet. "I don't... Need..." He's barely able to finish his sentence, the sword used as a crutch to stand.

"I'll catch you and-"

"Wring your cowardly neck soon enough..."

Roland had given the best he could, but it was still far from good enough to obtain any lasting satisfaction.
(Roland Pelleaux)

The handle of his blade is gripped rigidly tight, knuckles dusting a pale color. Or a lack there-of, of course. He close his eyes at the defeat of Roland, of the shadows that surround him and bring him to his knees and, eventually, to the ground entirely.

"Saewyn, can you. . .?"

His mental mode is strict, dangerously so. Concern blares but he's felt himself ride along a prideful rock. One that desperately calls for him to step forward.

At his worst?, he is a thief who sees something of an advantage.
At his best?, time calls for him to make certain this demon no longer has access to Roland or any others. That's two of them now. He won't allow any more unless it is himself.

"I couldn't walk away from this even if I wanted to. That's twice now, I'll either be the third or I'll end your venomous spread here."

(Avlainn)

Content. Satisfied.

It's an odd contradiction within the mind of the Serpent. Quite often, he dreams of something greater than mere violence, and he dreams of something that could be done to change entirety of Esshar as a whole. For that, the crystal which he bears is used to steal the essence of the Pelleaux noble, to store it for later use...

But on the other hand?
He thrives in violence.

How could he not? All of Demonkind were built for war. They can go as far as to even decline their origins of the First Supreme Witch, but their purpose, at least initially, was rather clear - destroy Astyan Empire. Ever since those years, they've grown considerably to be creatures of their own will...

These habits remain, however.

"Ah."

"Will you be next? I was wondering when you would come about... so full of pompous speeches, yet brave enough to take on me only after another."

Is it a mockery to throw him off his focus, or merely to taunt him? One could question such, but..

"Come, then."

"I need results."

"Let us commence on our work on the future. Right here, right now."

And already, the Serpent lunges forth at Avlainn. There would be no more talking.
(Fidi)

Fidi has lost 16 vitality from this battle for three hours.

{RP BATTLE} You have WON the battle!

Avlainn has rolled 2 or over: they may escape capture attempts (unless otherwise specified)!

One after another..

The limits of the Serpent are tested. The youth of his shell does not allow him to take on such challenge easy, but it remains an endeavour in which he would be always challenged, one fight after another. To say he does not enjoy it, however?

It would be so, so terribly wrong.

"More capable, despite the age.."
"Yet, lacking.."

A mental note taken by a Demon, but amidst such violence, he finds himself becoming a subject to the ever-encroaching shadows from all around him too. Just as the noble Pelleaux has fallen once, Avlainn falls as well- the fangs that once injected venom to Roland..

Now they do the same to him.

Is it luck, or exhaustion of the Serpent? The quantities are enough to incapacitate briefly, but they're not enough to harm him for a long time- instead, what commences is the feedingon his essence, taking it in a drunken stupor that causes the coiling Serpent to freeze just as much as Avlainn would, the shadows deepening around them for a protective measure amidst such feeding.

He seems most vulnerable during this..
He won't allow himself to be easily attacked.

The crystal, Lady Erie's Greed, begins to hum audibly after the essence has been stolen once more; adding to the myriad other essences already stored within, a bond shared between the crystal and the Serpent. And only then, after Fidi has been sated enough..

The entirety of Fidi's tail wraps around Avlainn, and suddenly, thrashes him elsewhere- away from a demon. This battle is no longer his.

"Hssss.."

Worn out. Battle after battle, it seems that Fidi is steadily growing tired- yet, the snake-eyes begin to search around.

"Where is the last one..?"
(Fidi)

What would be a puncture would to inject venom isn't so promised, as while they battle, scales and skin alike being ripped and torn, there is nothing so lasting beyond battle wounds.

His feet get active in a moments notice as the ooze attempts to infiltrate, and defeat dances on the nip of his heels as he uses said objects to propel himself away.

He slides, landing on his own two feet, unlike Roland's unlucky, poisoned self. Avlainn has potential, but the very same could be said for Fidi here and now. A demon in the stages of their early evolutions.

They grow, do they not?
They chase and hunger and grow.

And though he manages to escape that fate, whilst pondering this musing on the internal spectrum of his mind, with a flourishing aura of blue that becomes erratic and hazy beyond the clear and calm level it usually exhibits, he is taken by the tail.

Literally, and thrown from the immediate area to the sidelines. He, too, is defeated!
(Avlainn)

Saewyn had watched as his friends fought one by one, none victorious in their bout with the serpent itself. Closer did the reigns come, until they'd fell into the presence of his hands alone, Fidi's question having been promptly answered.

"Can't you see? I'm right here."

Perhaps exhaustion was truly taking its toll on the serpent, though it wouldn't have taken him long to make an approach. With his sights trained on none other than Fidi, his blade would follow that same path leading him closer.

No more words needed to be shared, he'd readily attempt to command the water which dances about his form, each strike followed by not but the vicious tides at his command.

It's now, or never.
(Saewyn)

"There you are.."

Fighting so many magi at once was not easy. But one does not break the limits imposed upon them previously, unless they break this shell of a body and push beyond the limits that were set out before them. If he were to merely step away right now?

Maybe he would never achieve the apex of his dreams.

The crystal hums. Hungering, starving for more essence, despite being fed so much through the link with Serpent.. in all truth, this was perfect that three Nysean Knights decided to come over and confront Fidi in such manner.

Where else he could pull so much energy for it..
So much potent energy as well?

"Your friends have already fallen."

"But I stand weakened. Perhaps, you will be more successful... but no matter. This essence of yours.."

"It will be mine."

The Serpent was not done yet. Baring crimson fangs, soaked in blood of other knights, Saewyn would find himself subjected to the same challenge as his peers.

Battle against a demon.
(Fidi)

{RP BATTLE} You have WON the battle!

Saewyn has sustained an injury in battle...

Saewyn has rolled 2 or over: they may escape capture attempts (unless otherwise specified)!

So close.

Yet, so far. After collecting countless cuts, slashes and other injuries upon his body from the trio of the Knights, the Serpent was on his absolute limit- a feeling as if he could fall apart any moment, and yet, the demonic strength kept him going. For now, at least.

This battle is brutal. Aggressive waters were constantly looking to hack and slash away at the Serpent, with enough strength to sever even the toughest lumps of flesh- a struggle in which the Serpent was forced to avoid as much of Saewyn's blade as possible. The constant bites, injections of venom, they were made to wear out the Knight, steadily pushing him to his defeat..

And only then, the battlefield shifts.
Not for Fidi, but for the young man.

He should know it's too late. By the time he begins to hallucinate, to see not just one Fidi, but two, three, four.. this is over; the impossible muscle ache that follows him, followed with the shadows that constantly grip underneath- a struggle in which the weakened Serpent was fighting not for his own life..

But his dream. What is life worth without it?

To steal their essence; one after another, they would be drained- one after another, he would take everything he could from them. And when Saewyn found himself lost in the hallucinations that refuse to reveal the Serpent..

A bite. A coiling feeling around his body.

He will experience the same thing as his companions did. A pair of fangs, a pinch, and a draining presence that feels like he could lose his consciousness any moment- it's almost nauseous, weakening to the point of forcing impossible fever and shudder to his body.

"At last.."

"I have what I need."

In the moments of this glory, the young man is lifted; only to be promptly smashed against the ground, a wrap around his body with the tail of a demon making it impossible to break free- a momentary unconsciousness, perhaps..

Before he's discarded.
Just like the rest.

The snake-eyes brim with vibrant colors, and the crystal in his possession sings a melody of violence, a cacophony of feast.

They met a powerful creature today.

They met an apex predator.
(Fidi)

The justice that they had came to collect was far from their grasp. For now, they were repelled. Nothing to show for, save for injuries that were going to last for some time. As Fidi discards Saewyn, Roland compels his body to move over and scoop the lad up. It was time to depart with their injuries.

Only a moment is spared towards Jianyu, a remorseful glance that begged for forgiveness. He had given his word that no harm would come to Avlainn, failing in that promise. A lack of strength to keep his word, his promise. All of it burned as the venom did inside his body. Roland collects his comrades, using his strength to bring them home.

"Let's go."

It was all he'd state to Saewyn and Avlainn, taking this as their chance to retreat while Fidi obsessed over the orb in their possession.

They'd return, some day. And on that day, the fight may turn in their favor. But such a distant fantasy is easily forgotten by the sting of pain in his flesh.
(Roland Pelleaux)

Every battle is an upward hill, an inch taken to further refine the skills he'd been quickly picking up within the throes of chaos. Many oculd have said it was a wreckless approach, though his patience does run thin.

Aggression seeps into the style he possesses, strength peaked by the emotion which keeps his strength at its peak. He may have done better, though better isn't certainly enough.

It never would be.

The serpent's venomous bite drains him of his stamina, and alike those whom he'd grown so familiar with, he'd have to recover, train, and grow stronger. It was a ceaseless, ebb and flow which had driven him to persevere.

This wasn't an unfamiliar feeling, nor would he ever forget it. Though to linger would only warrant further trouble, so with his friends does he retreat. If only to tend to their wounds so that the fight may continue another day.

"...Sorry, I couldn't do it this time."

It was far too soon for him, though closing the gap was an inevitable motion. He only needed to continue looking ahead.
(Saewyn)

Can't you see the desolation?

From the group that attacked the Serpent, three-against-one, the entirety of environment was damaged with clear signs of battle all over; if it wasn't for the fact that many have witnessed such combat, one could assume an army was passing through for such destruction to happen.

But it's the effort of few.
The effort that came to the Serpent at cost of his own blood.

He's exhausted. Terribly so.. as he should be- fighting this many was not going to be easy, and with the crystal brimming with such power, he knew that he would have to do plenty more before he manages to unseal its strength. But for now..

He intends to leave.

To rest, to recover - and think of a next move.
(Fidi)