Exovaryn Haruke: Lyperion Utovex

The small boy and the smaller girl were spotted exiting Alteros, his hand holding her's to assure some level of safety. Geron was by no means a master of tracking Ookami, or anything in general. But all he found was foot tracks, thinking them to be that of an Ookami's. Following it along while tugging Sofiel's hand, Geron eventually stumbled out the boundaries of Alteros.

"Look! Foot prints!" He shouted, slight tugs to get her to follow along, "We keep going this way and we'll find us an ookami to beat up and tame." It doesn't take them long to get lost, unfortunately. Soon, they find themselves in the middle of no where in this vast swamp.

Geron turns towards Sofiel, assuring her that she wasn't lost. "We're not lost, these tracks are just really hard to follow." Those still translated to "I'm lost" whether Geron noticed or not. Taking a few minutes of pause to figure out where he is, Geron's eyes scan on the look out for trouble.
(Geron Zaheed)

 No matter what reassuring words the boy spoke, she could practically see the lost look in his eyes. As exciting as it was to find tracks, getting lost was definitely not something to jump in joy about, but! All they had to do was follow the tracks backwards and all would be well, and if that didn't save them, then they could just build a fire!

Using wet sticks in a damp enviroment. Yeah... yeah.

Nevertheless! That bridge would be crossed when they came to it, but for now? Her skeptical gaze remained glued on Geron as they trudged through the murky swamps, her little feet stumbling along as she dared not trip in the sinking marsh beneath her.

"Are you suuure there's ookami?" She squeaked, her eyes turning to the tracks they followed. "What if... they're people's feet tracks?" It was a plausible assumption!
(Sofiel Este)

Unbeknownst to the duet, a figure levitating out of commoner's sight-range gazed down upon them, stalking them akin to fresh game. They were no different than the other to have passed through this area initially in his perspective: Valmasians, incapable of relinquishing their faith. The children were considered as stubborn as the adult warriors, travelers, traders-- It made no difference to him.

"Well, well well..." He spoke out towards the two, voice seemingly omnipresent, crackling with a hiss in his vocal undertone.
"I wasn't expecting more of your ilk to come passing through so soon." The voice continued, eventually centralizing from a sole figure floating above. Shrouded from head to toe and swathed in the stygian cloak of the Occult, the Magi descended in smooth transition to display the strong talent mised into the metaphysical arcane.

"Children? Moving through without an elder? Seems foolish... Perhaps neglectful parents? Or idiotic judgement... It is suspect from the inane mentality that is Valmasian." He commented, "... Tell me, are you two Krausians? or Azrealites?" He landed on a tree-branch nearby, refusing to bend it unto his weight, likely thanks to gravitational prowness at work, "Or are you Ryujinites... Maybe even Sacred Knights in Training... Quite the entertaining folk, indeed."
(Exovaryn "Voss" Haruke)

Geron paused at the sudden appearance of a floating occultist, displaying his magical prowess with the usage of gravity. Geron saw the likes of that magic as before, glaring as the Haruke floats over head. Geron pulls Sofiel closer, keeping his heated stare at the Haruke as he spoke his words.

"Quit talking so long... What do you want?" Geron's eyes shift to Sofiel, a small child that could still be taught the ways of the world. But the boy was prepared for battle, looking down at his own shadow, awaiting for it to spring up without any bidding on his own end.

"I'm faithful in myself. And she has faith in me and herself to learn how to tame wild Ookami." Those were the only words offered in a retort. Geron slowly edges backwards, making sure he didn't trip over Sofiel while waiting for trying to make his retreat as silent as possible. Unfortunately, the backsteps made it easy to tell.
(Geron Zaheed)

To her surprise, there was no ookami at the end of the trail. Instead, it was a man cloaked in that of ill-willed magic, his entire outfit seemingly nothing more than just simple black garb. The little Este could only stare as the man spoke, his question going unanswered even long before Geron himself had replied.

Sareen and Aiden had taught her one thing while Claude had taught her another. Azrael, Kraus, she did not know. They were both names to her with just as equally good deeds in their name, or so she was told. One was bad if you believed in the other and vice versa, that much she had learned.

But who was she at such an age to claim who she held her trust and her life in? It was all so confusing for a little girl, so much that she chose not to speak when she most often would. She was spooked, and with Geron being the older kid, she'd let him handle it. After all, he had charisma, didn't he?

... Hoo boy.
(Sofiel Este)

"Aaaah." The syllable eased past lips into a soothing sigh. "So, you're an athiest?" He queried, "A rarity indeed, and so young... I suppose you must be quite dependent in your record. Does your might depict the strength of courage? Your Will? What is it that makes you Valmasians, tick?" He went on, patronizing them implicitly with an alleged alien facade mised upon his own personage.

Something caught his attention-- The child's attempt to backpedal away... It forged a grin across his visage, witnessing fear manifested against his person. It was far more satisfying than anger and aggression, far more entertaining than the defiance of newcomers happening across him. This was unlike the discrimination he suffered prior-- Now, he could boast his form, even if to mere children, it was only a stepping stone to something greater in his perception.

"Where do you think you're going?" He asked, stepping off from the tree's branch, landing softly upon the sodden soils of the Marsh. With every step across the earth, a translucent aura of corrupted mana entwined with the blend of Cosmic-Occult energies. The atmosphere grew heavy and foliage wilted. "I don't suspect you're about to turn tail and flee now, are you? I haven't even got to the topic of conviction yet. I'm sure you kids are more than grown to hear that out... You're out here alone, after all... Without an elder, a guard... Protection from the unknown..."
(Exovaryn "Voss" Haruke)

Geron kept backing away until the Haruke whirled around to stop his retreat. More talk of conviction, truths. Words that Geron refused to discuss. It eventually came to head when he noticed his approach, the earth slipped about as the cosmic-occult blend pushes the marshland to its will. Geron waited, he kept on waiting.

"I'm old enough to look after my self..." Geron began, keeping Sofiel behind himself as he suddenly turned his pacing around. Instead of back pedalling away, Geron was now moving forward. "I can keep her safe, too. And do you wanna know how? Come close... I gotta secret..."

Geron slowly leaned forward, balling up his left hand as his shadow slowly emerges from underneath Geron's legs. The shadow glances up to Sofiel, placing a finger against its lips as if begging for her silence. It sinks back into the void before shifting its portal underneath the Haruke.

"Get punched!"

Geron thrusts his fist forward, a wide arc of a swing that would barely graze the Haruke's nose. While the first hit acted as a distraction, Geron's shadow slowly begins to emerge from the dark. Finally, it jumps up, ready to uppercut the Haruke in its moment of pursuit.
(Geron Zaheed)

Oh Kraus, oh Azrael, this wasn't at all what she expected to happen. The sudden advance the Haruke made was one thing to spook her, but Geron's sudden movement to wallop the man in the face was another to make her jump in surprise! A little squeak was all she gave as she stumbled backwards, expecting nothing more than a show of fireworks, but if she knew anything about magi, there'd be retaliation.

She was brave, however. Sareen had taught her well and so had Claude, so without another thought, the little magi-to-be prepared herself for battle with a single finger pointed forward, ready to cast magic at will!

... Except that magic so happened to be nothing more than a cutesy show of bubble barrages, but that was a bridge they'd just have to cross once they got there.

"Be careful, Geron!" She warned, knowing fully well he was already standing knees deep in a burning pit of fire. "He's spooky!"
(Sofiel Este)

The Harukean was too cocky for his own good, caught by the fist of mere ten year old magi! Though he was far taller than the common entity, the impact of the strike did contort at the physicality of his nasal cavity, turning his head in the process. It may've failed to outright break his nose, but it suited more than enough of a distraction for what appeared to be an illusion to the unsuspecting Voss.

The Darkness beneath the Harukean emerged to the physical plane, successfully catching his chin in a full-on uppercut! He was propelled into the air, forced into flip in ascending fashion. A groan hummed from his gullet, soon assailed by conjured bubbles barraging his vessel as he spiraled against his volition, tag-teamed to the advantage of mere kids.

A groan surmounted into an outright exclaimation for the heavens, breaking his aerial backpedal with a sudden petrification of his form. Limbs were lashed out to his sides and magical reserves were expelled from his person to resonate the scene with a thunderous shockwave. "...Of course... I should've known." He spoke through his teeth. "You Valmasians learn through pain, not words... I've forgotten it once, and will not forget it again!" He glared down from meters above prepared to condone to a charge-- Hostilities initated.
(Exovaryn "Voss" Haruke)

The pursuing shadow was ensnared by telekinetic manipulation, attempting to incapacitate it mid-strike midst the confrontation.
"Isn't it humoring to think even children can have tricks?" He queried, sending his right arm for the neck region of the illusionary fabrication. To the caster, it could've been deemed laughable for the Occultist to attempt stranguling a mere illusion-- Perhaps confused for whom the true enemy was?

Through the ensnaring grasp of metallic fingers, a symbiotic sludge oozed through the seems. The linings of Exovaryn's armor adopted a tangerine glow, activated just as it was prior. The biologically binded entity from within impaled at the magical construct through physical contact, leaving the clash betwixt flesh and target to illuminate a bright sapphire with a tinge of sanguine.

Mana was siphoned from the manifestation via the first stage of Lyperion Utovex, rendering the conjuration to wither, likely retreating back to the magi whom summoned it prior. The essence once within its stable form was stolen by the Harukean, lowering his arm to his side to glare down upon the assaulting duet.

"More..." He demanded through the chilling breath that slipped past his lips, endulging in the intimancy of the malign intent. "Give me more...." He grinned, revealing the sharpened teeth, akin to Sirenian sort.
A blink birthed the materialization of Exovaryn betwixt the duo, standing idle.
An ebony substance slowly seeped throughout his armor, draining from the interior and leaving apparel soaked in the midnight sludge. Fists bombarding against the swathed armor, were singed by its touch. Vitality was pried on contact, albeit in miniscule amounts--

Voss seemed moderately at ease, in the clear advantage as of now.
Shoulders bounced upon the masochistic Occultist, succumbing to the urge to outright chortle, mocking the efforts of the children. "Is this all you've got?"
(Exovaryn "Voss" Haruke)

Geron's fists seem to effectively do no damage whatsoever to the Haruke, his knuckles scorched with combatant contact as Geron reels back with his hands. The two versus one immediately falters into an onslaught of children trying their hardest to overwhelm an adult. It just wasn't working, not while they were barely armed. As Geron is blown away by the occultic energy, a shadow emerges.

Out from its portal, Geron's shadow hauls with it the axe that was far larger than the children. Geron was tossed the axe, gripping it firm within two hands before slamming it into the grass. "You want more? I'll give you more..." Geron swings the heavy polearm about, pointing a finger to the Haruke.

"Sofiel, stay outta this. I'm going to do my best now that I got my weapon!" The blade swipes across the mud, splaying it about before Geron's shadow rushes through the mud. Popping up in front of Exovaryn, Geron follows behind his shadow, timing his cleaving attack to bisect the Haruke.
(Geron Zaheed)

There was no telling her twice. After her bubbles hadn't done a thing to harm the Haruke and neither had her little fist, it was her turn to be thrown to the ground like a limp ragdoll. She was powerless even with Duckie held tight beneath her arms, and no matter how much she urged herself to get up, she just couldn't. It hurt, she hurt, she knew there would be cuts and bruises and maybe burns, but she could be tough!

Until her head dropped again, her chin landing on the soft marsh.

"Geron!" She called, a sudden chill shrouding her body. "Show that meanie who's boss!" He was tiny compared to the man, that much she could tell, but bravery could overcome anything if one set their mind to it-- at least, that's what fairy tales taught her!

All she could do now was lay where she was downed, holding the stuffed duck closed to her body.
(Sofiel Este)

With a fallen girl cast aside, Voss couldn't badger himself to care for their well being. The fact that he was attacked without initially striking them was enough to him to lose reason to bare any sympathy.

"Your hopes of striking me down are forfeit." The shadow figure summoned prior re-emerged, charging for the Occult yet again. The tenacity he bared witness to, was aggrivating. Here, he was demonized-- And he felt the need to give them a reason for their efforts.

The magi and his double took opposing sides of Exovaryn, initiating hostile endeavors:
The Cleaving War-Axe swung horizontally for his side, parried by a flash-conjured gravitational barrier with shape enforced by the lining of his gauntlet armor. A swift pivot over to his opposing side brought a shoulder thrust into the facial region of the shadow, forcing a stammer prior to jolting back to Geron, where a duck spared him instant bi-section from a mere child. The rise of his vessel came with a stern metallic knee, catching him in the process.

The direct hit came with consequence: A kick across his back from the shadow figure, forcing him forth some bit; rebuttal from the strike alloted Geron to mise an open opportunity, fabricating a whip of the aquatic element, lashing the Harukean over the head and disrupting his concentration for the moment.

A grunt escaped his parted lips, as the gargantuan weapon caught the armor across his back, baring through it and slicing through the flesh beneath in a fell swoop. He was lurched forth to the soil, on hands and knees. Teeth grit as the pain spiked throughout his vessel, running low on options.

With approaching advarsaries intent on concluding the scuffle to ensure victory, an emergency response kicked in. Adreneline from the sudden pivot against his favor, albeit shortlived, awakened the feeble presence active since the prelude of the conflict.
From the fleshy opening, tendrils from the Harukean anatomy surfaced, lashing out in heinous fury. Akin to an frieghtened octopi, they flailed violently, swatting away at Geron. Their touch sliced at armor, and rapidly siphoned at flesh for the mana circuit within. Breath oozed from Geron's lungs thanks to a single tentacle summoned to Exovaryn's defense, hacking through apparel to splatter blood.

Skin was breached, but medical attention could undo the damage. The conjuration, on the otherhand was entangled by the whipping fabrications of the harukean vessel, strangled into incapacitation. A sapphire glow beamed from the points of contact, portraying the consumption of the displaced mana- Withering the illusion from the physical plane of existence.

Injured, Voss slowly rose to his feet, back equipped with drifting tendrils of the void, slowly receding to the flesh. Ebony eyes adopted a tangerine glow, reflective from their perception. His voice? Seemingly omnipresent--
"... So... You've managed to do it for me... " He started, "You managed to aid me unlock what power Eutan was rumored to bare for so long..." He babbled, "Is this the power of a God?" He looked down to his palms, examining them as he flipped them over.

"Is this the gift of Lyperion Utovex?" He queried rhetorically, not expecting an answer from either of the children...
(Exovaryn "Voss" Haruke)

Geron felt the tremors echoing through his body, losing his strength, losing the will to combat against the Haruke. The boy was still far from the hardened body of a warrior, losing his ability to keep his strength from faltering before eventually, the last swung is given. The shadow wrought from his own imagination was devoured, ripped asunder by the Haruke before it returned to its own void.

The axe was slammed into the ground, one hand used to hold onto it while the other hand was pressed into the mud. Geron needed to find Sofiel, all the chaos separated the two mid-fight. Glancing around, fearful of what his own hunt has brought on for them both.

"Sofiel!" He shouted, ignoring Exovaryn for her sake. The axe was soon abandoned as Geron slammed himself onto the marshland, his hazy vision making it difficult to locate the five year old girl. Something so pure was lost in so desolate a place, for all he knew, she most likely fled.

"I'll get you the gift of pain... As soon as I..." Geron was reduced to an attempting to push up. But his arms lacked the strength still, his body fading with life as he slowly thumps onto the grass. Geron rolls onto his back, hand still gripping the axe just barely by the blade as he gazes upon the floating Haruke. Some damage was dealt, but not enough to achieve victory.
(Geron Zaheed)

Sofiel!

Echoing and echoing throughout her head, the sound of Geron's voice was enough to rouse her from the darkness that dared take ahold of her. Slowly but surely, her little eyes fluttered open, weak and heavy from the fight that exhausted her little body so.

At first, she did nothing but peer around at her surroundings, almost as if she had lost track of where she was, but the moment she took account of the fallen Geron and the darkly garbed man standing above him, she remembered.

"Oh no..." She mumbled beneath her breath, her gaze flickering to Duckie. "What do we do?" But of course, nothing but silence followed, and yet, she nodded as if she heard otherwise.

A single finger was raised and pointed, albeit shaking, and without another thought-- she attacked! A harmless, wobbly bubble was born from thin air right before the Haruke's face, and in a sudden blinding second, it popped!

Except, the only blinding it could possibly do was make him blink, the sprinkles doing nothing but wetting his face and eyes. It was an attempt, at least...
(Sofiel Este)

After her little confrontation with MoMo, she got the idea that his presumed master was in the Marshes, or Alteros. It was very obvious due to the nature of how MoMo was acting, even if he didn't want to tell her, she still got the idea. She used to have a crazy sister who acted similar to MoMo, so an assumption was only an assumption.

She still had to patch things up with Kale, but that could wait till later. Making her way to the Marshes, she noticed three figures, two young ones and someone older than those two. Lin felt like she hit the jackpot, though she wasn't going to say anything of the two students. She wasn't here to intervene and stop anybody.

No.. It was something more than that. MoMo had made her quite curious of his 'new' teacher/master. Lin was cloaked in Hellstorm, one of the reasons she managed to make it here so quickly. That or she was just at Nostvale. Teleporting past the two students, she stood in front of Exovaryn. "I would like to request that you take some time away from them to speak with me. I think you'll like what I have to say."
(Lin)

Unknown to Lin, the Harukean was far more prepared to outright execute her attackers as he done the previous members of Alterosi community. A wince from his person was all Sofiel's attempt to retailiate against Exovaryn, but nothing he couldn't find of true threat. The only threat he did percieve was the Illusionist, mislabeled as a student to the agitated Harukean. Unlike his former endeavors, he wasn't going to be capable of vanquishing this child with a woman in the way.

"You?... Want to talk?... To me?" Voss leaned back some, furrowing brow from beneath his hood. Traces of awakened Lyperion Utovex swiftly seeped back to the cut grazed across his backside, and the illuminated pupils mutated by excess mutagenic symbiote transcended back to the typical ebony scelera.

"...How humoring... You Valmasians never cease to surprise me." He commented, craning his head off to the side to inspect the older, albeit shorter and physically inferior woman that seemingly teleported betwixt himself and his victim. "After coming across the discrimination of your many people, across all ages-- And forced to violence to ensure my initially peaceful teachings are forced into the minds of the inane... One approaches with intent to settle things through rhetoric alone?... Or is this another one of those... Challenges." He queried via solemn tone.
(Exovaryn "Voss" Haruke)

"Indeed. Knowing that coming this far isn't the smartest idea.. And talking to someone who can most likely kill me. I still need to talk to you." She smirked. Even when she said those things, Lin looked completely relaxed. It's like she's seen worse than this. She truly had no fear of this place anymore. Not like back then.

Lin was running on a long-shot, but Exovaryn seemed like the kind of person who didn't like Ose in any way shape or form. If he did, he'd probably be in Alteros instead. "My name is Lin. I have done no wrong doing against people. I'm not like Jerudiel, or Ose. I have a deal for you, and not a challenge. As I said, I think you'll like what I have to say." Lin looked at the taller man with confidence. She really did have something important to say.

"It does not bother me what race you are, or what you do, that being necromancy or murder. Or even other things. I think we have a common goal that could have us form a partnership, even if temporary."
(Lin)

A hum in wonder murmured from the Voss' gullet, settling his gaze down upon Lin with newfound reason for curiousity. For once, one did not tempt his malice through a challenge, whether it'd be through aggression, taunts or even inviting displays of flight from potentially endangering scenarios. However, he wasn't too quick to jump the gun-- The stare he bared held for a while, sustaining awkward silence had she naught further to speak for the moment's passing.

"I don't know, nor care about Jurudiel.. Though, I've heard of Ose- A King, and according to some Yokai that constantly badger me, an.. 'Imperfect'. Aside from that, I doubt relevance of their existence to my own person-- I don't travel to your villages, Valmasian, for at some time in history, there has been at least the wrongful demise if not discontent for their existence in said land. There are no exceptions." He concluded, though succumbed to further silence, clearly pondering on what he heard, considering the possibilities.

"Though, you speak of a deal..." A glimpse over to the fallen behind her tempted the urge to deny her further attention to finish what was started, though he resisted, vanquished of it due to overwhelming curiousity on the matter.
"What is this... Deal... What does it have to do with partnership? Why did you risk coming to -me-, rather than any other Valmasian resident."
(Exovaryn "Voss" Haruke)

Lin stood patiently, politely, and confidently while waiting for Exovaryn to finish speaking so she could once again speak and answer all his questions. "Jerudiel was a terrible king, though like you said you don't care. Ose... Ose is nearing his perfect state, and it won't be long. He isn't going to fall if he reaches that. It'll be something truly terrifying, probably something much worse than what you've been doing over here." For a glimpse, you can see a small hint of fear in her eyes, but it was only for a second.

"Everything turned out they way it is, because of Ose, he's impacting laws in multiple villages that people are starting to hate, but that's not going to stop Ose. Ose will rise onto the challenge to eliminate anybody who stands in his way. That's where this deal and partnership come in. I request your support against stopping him. I lead a small resistance called the Lucida Protegat. We're growing, in secret.. I would like you to work with us. In turn, whatever happens, you can do whatever you wish with Ose's belongings once he's done for. You can even take his Kaor blade or Tilandre if you wanted. I have no place in that, only to kill and end his life." she sighed.

Lin was serious about this, she seemed ready for any bad moves, even if this was a bad one, she needed to go to someone besides a small group of people in the Ithmus. She needed to go bigger, even if that meant allying with the darker side of Valmasia. "From then on, we can decide on what to do with our partnership." She felt like she had a good offer.

(Lin)

The idea of standing against a legendary threat: An Imperfect Yokai, on the verge of Perfection, forced the Harukean to chuckle. Multiple sources claimed the likelihood of Ose being that of a publicized Imperfected Yokai, which lead Exovaryn to assume some truth resided in the repetitive claim. If such was true, then what hope had he against them? Wouldn't he be drawn to the alluring pull of the Occult bent against his volition in their presence? Wouldn't his mind succumb to the dominating force of a superior Yokai?

These powers were known to develop in even Giga class Yokai, which left the possibility of resisting Ose: Slim to none. "Tell me... How do you intend on recieving my aid, considering my arcane, and the acclaimed threat you wish to stand against. Do you take me for a fool? An Occultist might as well accept the fodder stature of lesser class Yokai in the presence of such potence. That is, assuming you intend for my direct aid. Otherwise, my works to your benefit to the fall of such foe are unknown to even I..."

He didn't care for the acknowledgement of a resistance force, considering he could not percieve a plausible means to assisting, as demonstrated by the course reply.
"You imagine a rebellion so fluid, but not once stop to think of the consequences that would follow... Unless you have a trick, access to some sort of godsend that would protect you and those you wish to call to your aid from the alleged Yokai's control, your means of collecting numbers are useless."
(Exovaryn "Voss" Haruke)

Turranos was attempting to idly bide his time in recuperating form the ghastly affair that happened in Tilandre. He hadn't expected things to go quite like that. It was one thing to lose a fight, it was another to lose so one sdedly, even his massive ego took a hit after a loss like that, especially against a Brennte. It was all kinds of shameful. So he decided to take a walk and do what he did best to clear his mind, find some peace and quiet. Walking through the Trystle caverns hadn't been much of a problem, any yokai around there he could easily bend to his will and force out of his way.

Bandits learned to steer clear of the main roads when the evidence of the gruesomely displayed corpses of prior offenders showed themselves, it was quite the effective discouraging tactic. As such, his travels were relatively unhampered, and he could enjoy them in peace. The Deadland Marshes were something else though, odd smelling, fairly desolate, it was a place he could gather his thoughts in without worrying about anyone else.

Or at least so he thought.

Scratching at his cheek from underneath his blue hood, the young Ornstein whistled after stumbling upon a scene of much confusion. He didn't like Ose anymore than the next guy, but taking Tilandre? Yeah there was something he'd have to draw a line at. Plus there were kids around, one didn't discuss that sort of nonsense around children. "Hey you friendly folks!" Turranos called out, grinning cheerfully as he walked his lazy swagger. "Enjoying the fine.. Time.. And.. Comforting swamp?"
(Turranos Ornstein)

The discussion felt like centuries have gone by, Geron's injured status still heavily apparent. Injuries of a multitude of degree, currently prone upon the floor with his left hand coiled around the pole of his polearm. His hand is shifted mostly onto the blade, near the end of the pole itself.

His legs stretched outwards behind himself, the right hand clutching a patch of dirt so hard that it left a trail. Geron was still very much alive, if not outright defeated to a point of being unable to continue his battling. But he was still conscious, tapping his shadow to summon forth his double, only to feel his connection severed.

The urge to rise up was still stirring within Geron's chest, waiting to fully combust into an all-consuming fire destined to destroy everyone and everything. But for now, the smoldering cinders brewed, waiting for just the right time for the sparks to ignite his passion for conquest.
(Geron Zaheed)

So many voices were coming and going it seemed, but none at all bothered to pay them any heed. Hadn't they seen the two children fallen in the marshy grass? Hadn't they noticed something off about the man? Why were they instead talking about politics instead of getting help, fighting him, or doing something productive?

Laying in silence, the little Este's head turned slightly, her wary gaze falling on her injured friend. Maybe if he got up, she could too, and if they could, then they could escape! The man would be distracted, wouldn't he? That's what she assumed, and having not faced the brunt of the damage, the little child put one hand ahead of her, her little fingers digging into the dirt until the cold mud drove them numb.

And then she pulled herself along, her white dress becoming smudged with grime. It was a slow process, but if no one bothered to stop her? She'd find herself at a slow crawl towards her newfound friend.
(Sofiel Este)

Whilst the youthful couple grew closer thanks to Sofiel's tenacity, Exovaryn had come to notice. With Lin gone, there was nothing to prevent his torment from being unleashed at full throttle-- There was no magi thus far he's encountered with the sufficient potence to put his tyranny to an end. "You have faith in yourself, kid?" He asked, "You should've placed your faith in Lyperias." A chunk of earth combusted just inches before an extended arm from Sofiel, aiming to discourage further inching to her comrade.

"The Gods of Fate are the only true deities... There is no Kraus. There is no Azreal. There is no Ryujin. There are no Gods of Uray... But Gods do exist..." The formation of his hand transitioned into a finger-gun, flickering at the fallen image of Geron. The result birthed the gravitational pulsation of his own volition, punching into Geron's respective arm and bending it inward, toiling him over.

His hand dropped to his side, preluding his encroachment-- Slow with a magnificent grin stretched across his visage. He wasn't expecting the new arrival to leave his malign endeavors uninterupted, but he hadn't qualms...
"I exist..."
He commented, stretching out his right arm to face Geron at much closer range!
The whine of magical essences compounding betwixt his fingertips beckoned attention to the curious. A sable outline embodied the circumference of outstretched fingers, gattled with crimson static, unrelated to the Hellstorm blend.

At the core of the conjuration, Cosmic and Occultic energies amalgamated to fester into an Abyssal fabrication, providing a deep sanguine illumination. The whine reduced to a crackling murmur that challenged the auditory threshold of the child. With the emanation shimmering off his ebony scelera, and widened grin, he couldn't help but to relish in the moment with patronizing laughter. The cruelty of executing children in his perception was, a release. The start to what wa-

Something? No, someone else... The sphere collapsed in on its self, and fingers grew lax. Exovaryn detected a disturbance-- One less than stealthy.
A turn, revealed Turranos midst his gaze, greeted with a silent, errie stare.
(Exovaryn "Voss" Haruke)

Yeah that was all he needed to see right there.

Lowering his staff, Turranos spun it idly in a hand as crimson lightning started to spark around him, and he pointed it directly at Exovaryn with little hesitation and even less concern. "Right yeah, that's enough. Back away from the kids and go be exceedingly eccentric somewhere else." He then remembered Sune's words about trying to be humble, and tacked on a rather late, "Please. Go ebe exceedingly eccentric somewhere else, please." It made all the difference, that please did.

Of course it was pretty clear to assume what would happen of Exovaryn didn't decide to go away nicely. Yeah that could happen. Or maybe he might just walk away harmlessly. Maybe pigs might start sprouting wings and talking, that was a possibility too but that didn't mean it was going to physically happen. Cursing in the back of his head, Turranos wondered why he couldn't just find a nice, not swamp place to chill at one day? Maybe perhaps a place in Tilandre that could be quiet and peaceful and not at all troublesome for him.

He'd have less chances of running into nuts that way.
(Turranos Ornstein)

Geron's attention shifted towards the approaching Sofiel, barely able to keep himself awake in her approach. But he noticed her in his haze, ready to fall asleep and get it over with. But the sudden alteration of his body began to make itself apparent. A sudden twist of his arm sent him away from his axe, rolling about in the mud.

Before Geron can gain his focus, to come up with an offensive maneuver, a cosmic occultic blend of pain warped itself upon his body. His shrill scream echoed through-out the Marshlands, writhing, squirming, at the mercy of the Haruke until the arrival of a new comer left him distracted.

The overwhelming amount of pain in one day was too much fo Geron, his consciousness gone within a matter of seconds. Limp and defeated, but not without life still trickling from his battered body. Geron was still alive as his chest rises and falls, his jaw subtly moving as he inhaled through his mouth.
(Geron Zaheed)

It was a struggle to keep pulling herself along, but if it meant escaping and finding her way back to Alteros, then she'd do it. Claude would be worried and she knew well already she'd never hear the end of it, but all of her hope came crashing down the moment the stony earth before her jutted upwards, blocking her path to get to Geron.

She winced, urging herself to just go around, but the sudden sound of electricity, the glimmer of red, the agonizing yowls from beyond the rock, it was enough to turn her blood to ice and her skin to porcelain. She was horrified, her poor little heart beating rapidly in her chest as she suddenly buried her face within the crook of her arms, her little stuffed duck used to cover at least one better than the other.

She wanted to drown it out, to ignore it, to imagine herself in a better place, but so long as the screams still rang true through her ears, she knew it'd be impossible. For now, she remained motionless, curled up with her arms wrapped around her head and her little stuffed duck pulled close.

Sure there was another voice pleading for the man to stop, but what if she was next? What if he dared to hurt her even in the company of another? She could only wonder where Claude was. He would come to the rescue, wouldn't he?
(Sofiel Este)

He had reason to take note of the new arrival, for they were equipped with magical weaponry- Obviously a magi when taking the crimson static that coursed their physicality so frivolously. Their initial request to stand down garnered the Harukean's full attention...
However, the repeated version left him slightly peeved, irritated when presented in fashion that seemingly condescended Voss-- At least in his own perception.

There wasn't a word uttered in repliance, but rather a wall of gravitational power clapsing upon down upon Turranos, centralized upon the right cheek's region. A telekinetic practice simulated the impact of the magi's fist via metaphysical imitation, aimed to force Turranos to succumb to temporal recoil.

It was a single strike in defiance to the magi's request-- Taking a jump to hostilities rather than considering negotiable methods to evade this scuffle before it could transcend for the worse.

"Another non-believer... Damned to the same fate..." He commented, initiating in an infamous death march into battle.
(Exovaryn "Voss" Haruke)

Letting out a sharp whistle, electricity crackled along his belt, a tiny metal disk hovering to the air near Turranos' right cheek, several other metal strips flying from his belt and onto the disk, locking onto one another through magnetic force. Soon enough there was a full fledged iron shield covering Turranos' blocking the assault at the side of his head with a dull clang resonating through the marshlands. Popping his neck from right to left, Turranos spun his staff lazily in a hand with a raised brow towards Exovaryn.

"Yada yada look at me I'm bad."

Giving a shrug of his shoulders, hellstorm lightning crackled about him in sharp sparks and lines of electricity, empowering his body, and more to the point, enhancing the power of his spells. He didn't seen all that concerned, in fact, a light grin was on his face, cheery in nature. Sure someone had attacked him out of nowhere, but if he didn't do anything to help those kids, well then how the hell could he call himself an Ornstein? They might not be apart of Tilandre, but they were kids, and he'd had enough of kids suffering.

"So before this starts, I'm going to let you know right now. You do have the option to walk away, and, when you're inevitably defeated and lying in a heap, you do have the option to beg for your life or something. I'm a nice guy, we can all get along right? Occultic buddies for life?" It didn't seem like Exovaryn was the friendly sort though considering the attempted sucker punch. "..Do you like fried fish? Because there's this -awesome- restaurant I can take you too if you feel like eating instead of fighting? Heh heh."
(Turranos Ornstein)

A kneal from the Harukean provided as the sole prelude to his kick off!
Movement was gifted with the triad of Cosmic, Occultism intermingled with the propulsing gravitational magics under his volition, transforming his initial strike into a nigh blur! Materialization of his being crashed into one capable of blitzing via the Hellstorm combination challenging Abyssal energies.

A risen right arm barred off against the silver disc weilded to Turranos' defense, directly clashing their powers in an immediate stand-off. The impact conjured a shockwave that parted the hood he beared from his visage, revealing his facial identity!

Alabaster locks of hair hung low across his visage, barely shrouding the juxtaposing pair of ebony beads that were the Harukean's scelera, complemented by glowing pupils of auburn, hollowed at their emptied cores. A full set of clenched teeth rivaled the ilk of predatory entities such as Yokai and Sirenian alike. A single hiss of breath skimmered from betwixt his teeth, emitting a translucent lavender fog.

"You have some nerve talking down to one of my stature."
Midnight sludge oozed from the seems of his armor, siphoning at the magical circuit provided the close range. "...I'm going to enjoy this..." He stated with an aroused grin plastered across his visage. "You Valmasians will learn, even if it takes the fall of every magi and warrior in my wake." It'd be apparent by now that something was wrong to the Ornstein! Tendrils of the Harukean anatomy were taking shape, siphoning him of his vitality to push him further to fatigue, engorging his own circuit in the process.
(Exovaryn "Voss" Haruke)

Turranos rolled acrossed the ground, popping back up to his feet in fully fledged confusion. He had never seen the kind of magic being unleashed against him now, and it was one hell of a magic at that. What the hell was that big black thing that had been forcibly trying to draw himself into it? And then he'd been moved around, screwing up his positioning, it was all around chaos. Shaking his head, the young Ornstein gripped his staff tightly in hand, focusing on what he did know, and what was at stake.

So he was dealing with someone using a magic he had never fought against before. Cool. Guy was still an Occultist, at the end of the day that meant he was still a mage all about blowing stuff up and causing destruction to some extent. He could deal with that. Just needed to fight smarter, and harder. Shields. Whistling to himself again, the shield manipulated by magnetism started to shift in patterns, changing positions and angles almost randomly. He couldn't put a lot of his focus onto making the shield go, wasn't worth it.

But he could put a lot of focus onto his offense. Guy wanted to get rough? Turranos would show him rough. Channeling more mana through his body, the crimson sparks of electricity started to thunder and crackle more and more, surging around his form. "You get hit, hit 'em back Turry." He muttered under his breath, wincing. "..And then they hit you back harder apparently." The grin on his face twitched wider. He knew what to do, how to handle this. Spinning his staff once more, a flow of magic went through it.

Orbs of bright blue mana formed around him, hovering much like the shield he was manipulating. "Righty-o tall, dark, and crazy. Let's see how you handle round two? Probably with more pain." Willing the orbs to rotate and revolve around him, Turranos began to swing his staff about, fully intent on renewing his assault towards Exovaryn and changing up the way the flow of the battle went.
(Turranos Ornstein)

Turranos blasted Exovaryn straight in the face with a beam of energy magic, not even bothering to try and restrain it in a concussive form like he normally did. This was pure, unstable, explosive mana. He followed up with a second blast, then charged in and released the remaining orbs he had floating around him in a deadly barrage of power against the Haruke. The end result was clear, he had Exovaryn on the run the entire time, forcing the man back and keeping him at bay for the moment.

Cursing under his breath, the young Ornstein popped his neck from right to left after he had put Exovaryn down for the time being. It was never that easy, despite all his hopes. He could wish it, but nope. Always harder than it had to be. The crazies made it that way. "Oi! Kids! Now's a good time to y'know, run?" He shouted towards the children, though they didn't look like they'd be in much of a state to pull it off. So it was either fight, and win, at which point he would be able to send those kids away, or it was fight, and lose, and then have to deal with whatever crazy man wanted to do.

Yeah, that was a straight pass.

"I just make my life more and more difficult don't I?" Though the young man grinned even further. He could think of worse ways to go out, trying to protect some kids and succeeding wouldn't be bad. Though he'd much rather succeed and not die in general, that was also a thing. "Well crazy man, I've never been all that great at learning, and you sure as hell seem to like getting your ass kicked. Maybe we can just compromise here? I'll keep beating you up, and you just enjoy that?"
(Turranos Ornstein)

Depravity bombarded the scene with wilting waves of gravitational influence, stressing at the bark of stable trees, snapping at their baselines to scatter woodchips throughout the sparse undergrowth. A growl murmured from within a dust bowl, courtesy of Turranos. The explosive constructs of weaponized mana has infuriated the Harukean, forcing his body fall victim to panic. The physical vessel was possessed by the secondary lifeform, once dormant within the flesh.

From open bruises and burns, patches of onyx tainted the openings, sealing the wounds. All, but the exceptional gaping gauge in his back, open cuts on shoulders and lining down his arms respectively. Violently, protrusions violated the very shape of his humanoid stature, contorting the physicality to embody something akin to Yokai and fictional pieces of literature. Elongated tentacles of sludge stretched for few feet from these openings, flailing about nigh violently.

The armor he had formerly adorn was obliterated in the energized blitz against his personage, allowing the Xsperitan runic tatoo clearly visible upon his chest. The transmunic shape and writing illuminated a deep tangerine, active: The Oracle's Mark.

The source of the Harukean's mana siphoning capabilities were finally relinquished to the local numbers. A leaned over Voss, body limp, allowed his jaw widen agape, allotting a single black cirrus to roll from his maws. No words entertained the Ornstein.. Only the puff of magical residue expelled from his vessel, through his breath.
(Exovaryn "Voss" Haruke)

Turranos Ornstein: Oh hey, look ,I can glow and do freaky shit too.
Turranos Ornstein: <*Waggles fingers*>

Exovaryn "Voss" Haruke: <*Through his breath*> Behold the power bestowed upon me, by my Goddess.

Turranos Ornstein: I don't see anything.
Turranos Ornstein: You just turned ugly.
Turranos Ornstein: So your goddess makes you ugly?
Turranos Ornstein: Weak.

The battle was coming to a close!
As the scuffle dragged on, the materialization and disembodiment  of the combatants resulted in the decimation of the immediate landscape. Ruined by the innumerable craters mised throughout the sodden marshes, whether it'd be via Turranos energized blasts mean't for Exovaryn, or the pressurization of the atmosphere crushed down upon Turranos through the conflict's duration.

A sapphire pillar of light scoured across the lands, ravaging at the muddy surface to summon tsunamis of the terreanian element away from the head's direction. A transformed Voss awaited the results of surmounting climax, an attack he refused to evade.
"Come... Come at me... I want to see what you're made of!" He challenged at the Energy beam encroaching further. Arms reached out to his sides, and mouth drew itself agape, with tendril-tongue receeding back down the esophagus. The light casted from the technique illuminated the facade of the awaiting Exovaryn, and eventually, swallowed him whole, vanishing him midst its wrath.

But... It didn't combust? No, is simply locked there in place... Obstructed by his persisted presence, for sure! The cackling of the entity reigned over the solace of mentalized victory that may've manifested within the mind of the confident and cocky. The beam slimmed down, shriveling in circumference-- Siphoned up directly down the Harukean's gullet!
Phasing out, the beam's tail vanished to allot perception of the feasting Occultist, congealed spheroid hovering midst wide maws and an evasive tongue.

An induced black hole pried together the conjuration prior, amassing it into a dome he could absorb via Lyperion Utovex's surfacing. Teeth bit down, and tendrils receeded, outright 'eating' the beam from Turranos.

"...Is this the part where I drop out of fatigue?" He queried, "I don't feel quite beaten, when taking the ordeal into account."
(Exovaryn "Voss" Haruke)

Turranos blinked. "Huh, never seen that before." He tapped his staff against his shoulder, lightly bouncing it while he stood in place, his magnetic shield still hovering near him, all in all slightly worse for the wear but still in one piece. "You still have the option of just going away unless you were wanting another round of mana shoved into your mouth. Or something. I'm not sure, it felt like there were a lot of unnecessary actions somewhere." Mainly on his part, he couldn't really tell what the guy was doing other than being crazy and ugly. Or ugly and crazy, that was also a possibility.

Still, the lad had his same cheerful smile on his face, and the kids weren't being tortured any further, so really, this was calling it for the best in his book. "I mean, it's not like you can waste time on little ole me all you want. I'd be flattered if you wanted too, but I'm already spoken for, plus you aren't my type. Way too.. What's the word? Oh yeah. Kraus forsaken hideous. And crazy. That as well. Don't get me wrong there are some people in the world that like that, and you might find that special someone one day, but I'm not them, no matter how much you try to flirt."

His grin twitched a bit wider, and the lad spun staff once again and tapped it on his shoulder. "We can't all get what we want y'know."
(Turranos Ornstein)

"If you thought that was something... Watch this." Voss stated in grave, albeit entertained expression.

The Harukean's chest thrusted out, cheeks puffed up and the thunderous hum of magical energies beckoned the surface captured the attention of all within the localized area. Guttural moans, incremented into a consistent gagging session-- The slight part of lips emanated the sapphire glow of the very same magics seemingly consumed prior!

He was regurgitating the beam, in the form of a reforged blast. Residue from his own vessel intensified the retaliation, transforming the belched beam into a compact blast; its properties altered by the occultist's arcana at work, aimed for the grounds before Turranos for an explosion to bar off immediate perception from either entity-- A distraction mean't for a getaway!

A distraction used to close in on one of the children, for conversion...
(Exovaryn "Voss" Haruke)

Sofiel Este: <*also duckie left behind like a cliche movie*> || OOC Commentary: (-sheds tear-)
Sofiel Este: <*dun dun dunnnn...*>  || OOC Commentary: (I dunno why I put this is the logs... yolo)