Evemek: Receiving the Penance Rune

It was curious... It felt mana in the air. Felt something about... And it would approach. Its continuous wanderring now having a more direct destination, amongst the Wychwood. And a fair scene it would come across.

Yokai, and a human. A human idly doing as it had seen a Neries do, before its scolding at the least. Plantlife began sprouting more vigorously as it drew near. One arm raised up, with a wave... As it offerred, "Greetings."

Then another moment, its gaze focussed on Evemek. And the brownning blades of grass. "You... Mmmm..." Its head tilted... "Should consider stopping that, the forest isn't for pointless sapping." It requested. If Evemek was aware or not. And its arm would fall, to its side gracelessly, as it stared, awaitting some form of response. "Certainly a waste, of life."
(Ookami Revenant)

A new arrival?
It certainly garnered his fullest attent-- No. He knew fair and well whom this was...
The faceless wonder had shown up time and time again, and he had kept tabs on this one for a long time.
The Southern prairies of Nostvale, The Deadlands... Even the Bygonegrove... Each encounter, Evemek took a new form disguising his approach only to observe this abnormality at his volition, even if it'd be digressed from only to badger randomized personas in the general proximity.

"You again..." He stated, taking his first step toward the Ookami Revenant to make a startling similarity in one's approach. Perhaps, it was merely coincidence, bu the bombarding radiance one bestowed upon the enviornment in their proximity... It was the exact same, as another the Ookami had come across in the recent past.

It'd enforce the claim that one was being watched, studied... And hopefully understood wholly.
"You're an interesting case... Spirit." He dubbed it, only because he could find nothing else to call it. It was not a monster, and had the qualities of an Ookami-- Even without a face, it spoke; Though he did not know of its incorpreal stature, he did understand that it was of the supernatural.... But in this world... What wasn't?

Even now, the constant siphoning of the earth underfoot did not cease...
"There is always a constant waste of life." He claimed, "What I've done to this world pales in comparison to the crimes of the many, many more beyond myself."
(Evemek)

It slowly shook its head... Were they idly refusing? Just standing there, drainning hungrily. It only took from things that could withstand it. Magi. Not idle plantlife, although it could, perhaps, if it wanted. It tilted its head. "Yours is just too pointless however. Especially for one like it to allow." Simple, and direct. Best ways for it to be.

"If it needs to... It will stop it directly." It threatenned now. Its voice, now holding more than the vacancy typical of it. An undercurrent of violence. It would keep its word, such was its intent after all.

Even as it said that, the winds seemed to grow a it harsher... Giving an example to what it said, and now actually causing its garb to flutter. Stirred by its own magic, slowly, subtly. "Now, please stop, it doesn't like wasting itself..."
(Ookami Revenant)

One could sense the tides of the gales growing strong to one's beckoning; Certainly, this entity was far from harmless, if such wasn't demonstrated prior. Evemek was far from asinine enough to challenge it before, when he was weak and when it was acquanted with another... But given that the current waged it and himself without any others that were likely to intervene? What risk did he have in contesting it?

For some reason, the request to give pause to the callous and needless action gave Evemek a sick, and perhaps deprived sense of satisfaction. Was it simply because he enjoyed giving others a hard time? Or he was looking for another excuse to test his power...
Then again, there was a troubling aspect with this opponent should things go for the worse. They had no eyes...
How did they see in the first place? How was he to contort the visualization of things around it to its dismay should it be required?

... Did illusions even work on it?
Perhaps, this was a bad idea, or challenging the unknown could lead to a swift demise-- The future was never predictable; For all one knew, this could've been yet another grandiose display, or painful defeat that may've been followed through with the threat waged against him.

To think, he'd be bested by a naught but a wandering spirit in the woods? Was he... Truly so feeble as to fall from such a randomized encounter? Certainly not...
Shoulders bounced in reverence to his chortle in response.

"Sure." He agreed, "I'll stop..." He obliged, "--But, first I've been meaning to test something... If you can pass my test, or simply stop me outright... I won't do it again." With that said, he took upon a smug grin-- That same smugness he'd shown to the other yokai upon realization of his powers.
"Though, fail my test or outright lose... And I'm afraid I'll simply keep to my antics. Just remember, there's a message in all of this..."
Why act seriously when he could play games? But what mind games could one play with a spirit without a body?
(Evemek)

Aggravation settled in, as they so pointlessly played with words... Its ears flattenned down... It would have to waste a fair portion of itself, it saw. It wouldn't dignify the stranger with a response.

Instead howling winds began shrieking about it... With an eagerness to decimate. And a gatherring of shrieks beckonned about it... A squad of yokai forming from the spirit realm. Taken from their own pit of loathing... Of hating the world that killed them far too soon.

Before they could rise... Be perfect. And the scent of death settled about it, of rot, amongst those thrashing winds. The occult feeling undeniable around it. Permanent and well settled. Something it couldn't discard, perhaps... It didn't know if it would, if it wanted to. And it wouldn't hold a pretense of being polite this time.

Instead, it would rocket onwards, a flurry of dark magic coming from its silent form... However much one couldn't hear that, over the gale of winds.
(Ookami Revenant)

It seemed as though it -did- have a threshold for tolerance-- Which made it more human, than supernatural entity? Perhaps, even a spirit-- Without eyes... Could see... And with the presumption of such, he prepared to combat it, as he would for anything else. Though, where one's mind would be he'd focus in hopes of enforcing the same level of manipulation.

In one's scheming however, they failed to realize something in time: This spirit, was not one of a neutral arcane. In fact, it reigned over an array similar to his own, albeit muddied by an elemental variant-- It didn't change the fact that it was potent; Likely, far more potent than himself, at a glance.

The comparison betwixt the Revenant and the Occultist could not be accurately made from one's distant gander unless they've beared witness to their own methods of combat and compared side-by-side... Though, it'd be unnecessary, for conflict was inevitable.
"Not a word more? No matter, I suppose it'd only make things more interesting." His free hand was extended out in the Ookami's direction-- Answering the summoning of yokai with a transmundanic beacon of his own, emanating from the palm of his open hand.

It was a spheroid effervescing of the eternal black at his volition, sparkling of lavender and pulsating waves of outbound occult-- It wasn't an immediate attack, but a lure to monstrosities above, his favored variety of yokai tailored for magi of this magnitude: Airborne crow-esque chimera.
" I've been vying for the opportunity to see what -you- can do, for a long time now..." What manifested midst his palm had turned on his vessel, consuming away at it, only to burn at the flesh and seems of his armor... For the mana within his person was the tinder it needed to wrought a raging semblence of a cold-burning conflaguration.


(Evemek)

It wouldn't mess around, the swifter the stranger was done with... Faint tugs of recognition pelted its head. Wracked its knowledge. This stranger almost felt familiar, perhaps, or it was the collection of far too many memories....

It had been around for a long time... And didn't always have all of itself there. After all, so little of itself was original... It only had one tiny portion... And that was modified as it is.

By seperation... Occult airs were as hungry as it was... Vengeance for pointlessly killed grass.... Wow that doesn't sound like much. At all. It surged forwards, even if illusion worked to sway it... Contortting it...

Blinding its senses... It still could smell Evemek in the wind. After all, his attacks lusted for Evemek's blood. But the effect should still be prevalent for the stranger... Noticeable, even as it continued surging onwards.
(Ookami Revenant)
[14:29:20] Stricken down, and leaving his advarsary seemingly unphased he found himself in quite the predicament. This entity... This, creature... It was far stronger than he had come to predict. He should've taken to retreating, or rather obliging when he had the chance. This, was more than he could chew, and now he had to deal with the consequences.

One fell to a single knee, glancing up to the infuriated spirit with thoughts running through his head as to how he was going to turn the situation around. If this continued as it was, it was without a doubt that he'd end up splayed across the floor.

.. As to his fate should he fall? To a random spirit? A laughable notion and depression all the same. He would've amounted to naught but fodder... At least, in his own perception. How could he make a difference in the world, if he could be toiled about effortlessly by an entity without a face? One, without even a name to pin to...

"I can see why you don't talk." He commented, taking a moment to catch his breath. However, he didn't have a moment to wait... He needed to move, and -fast-. He shifted his person somebit to position his kickoff into an extreme variant of a backpedal, demonstrating a level of agility in the form of a single back-flip, transcending into a simple roll, courtesy of his shield easing the transition. He used such to make distance, to think... To come up with another means of approach.

"I hope you're not expecting an easy win this time around however..."
Another triad of the daemonic ilk perched themselves on trees nigh, all in preparation for another aerial strike.
(Evemek)

Aggravating... One word, it would definitely term the fight as. It darted onwards, and about... Winds trying to tug Evemek in... As he struggled away, sending yokai towards it... But its form was too stable. Able to withstand even a direct beam....

Simple... But occult magics did their duty... Clawing, and slicing at Evemek... ANd it would finish the fight with style... Its form would dart forwards, the blade it held, flung forwards.

And placed right on Evemek's chest when he wasn't ready. A sudden surge bellowed through its form... As a cannon of pure dark energy erupted forwards. He wasn't going to stand after that.

It dipped its head, staring onwards.... "You're done with." It said directly, before its hand faded, darting for Evemek, before they could fall. "Could have just stopped, but no... Insists on fights...." And it phased through into him. Taking mana, like a greedy parasite that it was. Before it would send a sudden pulse of dark mana there... Inscribing a curse with a rune. And it would be done, dropping them... Taking all but, just what Evemek needed to keep going. The curse would be simple however... Evemek would feel dark magic cutting him... As he hurt others. The Revenant's own twisted form of inflicting empathy on others.
(Ookami Revenant)
The battle was not one he couldn't win. Try all he would, he was nowhere near the capacity necessary to tip the scales-- The Revenant was a titan, when he was naught but youth dabbling in an artistry he could hardly control to the sheer magnitude this Ookami had. What darkness he wielded to his person, what contortions he could make to reality and the spirit's perception? It changed nothing... If it had affected the entity at all.

In the end, for an act as simple as inadvertantly siphoning the foliage at his feet, he was cursed. Though, such was entirely of his on fault. He challenged powers that he couldn't hope to level off with; The beam of the occult had left Evemek forced to the ground, where the finisher was soon to follow. The most he could do was look up upon the Ookami, preparing to enact the danger of its threat. Only now, did Evemek come to understand exactly what situation he was in...

He wasn't in any power to bring change to this world... Especially, if he couldn't even stand to what he saw as a random occurence. The creature lunged over him, seemingly possessing him with its influence to violently siphon him of his circuit. With the depletion of his mana, came the accumulation of fatigue and soon-- Heavily welling eyes. The Rune of Vengeance demanded retribution, and thus took to its vibrant vermillion gleam... And as though to counteract it in a cruel twist, he was cursed with a runic marking scathing his body.

The very element he believed himself to have mastered was tearing him apart, burning up his own reserve at a famishing rate. How close one felt to Azreal's embrace, yet, even doing such-- The Revenant kept from outright finishing him. He wa allowed to live... Though, would the destruction of plant life be worth the life of a human, in itself? He didn't know, but granted the scenario at-hand, he could fathom a repeat of his antics would earn him more than just nigh-oblivion, but admission to the very opaque realm of nothingness itself.

The urge to harm others from the Rune of Vengeance ached at him without remorse, whilst the newer one from the Revenant pained him at the mere thought of taking up such action. As a result, he was forced through constant, unending agony-- A vicious cycle without an end in sight. The stress it put his body through, now drenched in cold sweat, eventually robbed him of his breath... And soon after, with the parting quip from the Ookami, he fell to unconsciousness.
(Evemek)