The Search Is On!

Barrier Magic. The much coveted power of Meliudas Eques, Paladin and Champion of Valmasia. There had been rumors that much more sinister forces had sought out the power that was Barrier Magic, but to what extent their research brought them, not a one could say. Rumors upon rumors, tales upon tales. While Meliudas was missing, there was still places to go.

This underground laboratory was one such place.

The thuggish rogue that had brought the group here stood back, his face paling and his body shaking. 6'5 he may have been, but terror gripped at his heart. "Unnatural things can be heard coming from there, youngsters." He fidgeted. "Don'tcha dare think twice about runnin', if you have the chance. Some things are better left buried." With that, he departs, feet swiftly carrying him to some far corner of safety. Anywhere.

Thus, the dungeon-like structure loomed before you. Untold horrors and secrets lay beyond these arches. What courage could be summoned to battle such unknown monsters, that lurked beyond the shadowy veil?

Would thou step forward, to uncover the truths, and potentially, the secrets of Barrier Magic?
Although the outlandishly tall rogue seemed to have some fear, that seemed to hold him back, he didn't seem all that scared, on the surface. In truth, he could feel a chill to this place under his clothes and that armor of his. He seemed to not show this reaction on his face however, nor in his body language, but the thoughts going through his head, if his mistress were to know of it.

He wouldn't let his mortal fears get in the way, he turned to look to Madonna, who had dragged him to more trouble it seemed. Regardless, he did not mind it this time.

"Thou doth take me to do some intresting things, least, if we doth find something that wishes us ill, it won't be because thou provoked it...Intentionally this time." He joked, he seemed to put a brave face on, smirking at the girl next to him.

"So, shall we move on, mistress?" He asked her.
(Aedghan)
Madonna Gale gave a gentle nod to the rogue. "Now there! I told you finding the place can be tricky! But here we are! And not a moment too soon!" She said, her fan waving the air around her, autumn reek rolling from her in darkness.

"After all, I did find this easily right?" She tapped her shoe'd foot against the floor. "Yes. Going in sounds just dandy!" She grinned, focusing on her goal, on her plans. Mendulas Eutrice and Madonna Gale will both find the documents pertaining to barrier magic here. They must!
(Madonna Gale)
Xander is shivering from the exitation. The young man wonder how strong the upcoming hordes will be. The outlandish and seemingly dangerous rogue do not  give him any fear. Quite the opposite the teenager is ready to kick his ass were he to show it to him. Approaching Madonna with a rather happy face (which she couldn't see) and usual demanor, Xander state.

"One of the best thing I ever done was to follow you in your madness. Let's have some fun guys. Nothing shall stop us from finding those documents. Not even Kraus will."
Upon saying so, he take out his staff readying it on his right shoulder and begin heading for the entrance.
(Xander Erastoc)
Aedghan: Woe to Kraus if he does.
Xander Erastoc: That's the spirit!
Madonna Gale: Oh. Avast poor Yorick.
Xander Erastoc: This will surely be one hell of a fun place
Walking up to the corpse Gale knelt down.. "Horribly mutilated.. Oh.. my.. What could this be. Aedghan... Xander, can you sense anything?" She turned and looked up, darkness gathering around her fan as she did so, that was when she noticed the surroundings.
(Madonna Gale)
Aedghan seemed to look around the area, out of the three, he was probably the most cautious of this area. But seeing his allies take the calm approach, seemed to make him calm. He placed his hand on his belt, clanking toward the mutilated corpse, he glanced down at it, examining it for a moment, before he returned his gaze upon the room.

The corpse probably had left some stain of blood somewhere, it may indicate the way it was killed, not that he could tell. He gave a slow shake of the head to the girl's question.

"Thou have me, I doth not know if I can sense anything, just some chills. Either the anticipation, or something else." He gave a shrug from it afterwards.

"What of thou Xander?" He asked him. "Doth thou feel anything?"
(Aedghan)
Xander was overjoyed by the grim like atmosphere. Looking around the place, he could think of nothing but the great strugle that would be waiting for them. It was a marvellous feeling and he didn't wwant it to go to waste. Realising Aedghan's question, the Erastoc would simply reply.

"I'm only breeming with exitation. I don't feel anything particular about this place other than it seem creepy. But to hell with all that. We're not here to observe the decorations are we?
(Xander Erastoc)
Bloodied walls surrounded them and the floors were marked with scratches and scorch marks. Beyond the arches of the entrance, the great hall was a landscape of battle. Hardly a research laboratory. If anything, it was a training ground... Or even worse, possibly a slaughter-house. Long-dead corpses littered the cold brick walkways, a constant

*Drip, Drip, Drip*

heard from some far off distance. This cold and dank structure housed untold evils. Could Barrier Magic truly come from wicked intent like this? The conversation between the young ones was punctuated with nothing but silence. Nothing else but the dripping. Nothing more.

Until....
               The...
                           Corpses...
                                              Began...
                                                              To...
"Rise."
As the walking dead seemed to shamble toward them, some even dropping as they clumsily rise again, onto the living party of the young three intruders, Aedghan turned to meet the odd, sound of rotting flesh, dripping and smacking disgustingly upon the stone floor. He seemed to point toward the shambling creatures as they continued to make their way toward them.

"...I doth believe, that we have company...And it isn't the pleasant kind, with happy smiles." He says to them, he raised his arms up into the air, when he clenched his hands into tightly balled fists, a surge of electricity started to run through his body. It seemed to circulate around his body, as he stood his ground, among the two magi.

He seemed to clench his hands tigther, readying himself to dash toward the shambling corpses, to meet them in combat.
(Aedghan)
Xander would behold the entrance of the mass of undeads. Their bogies reeked of decay (to his taste) and their stare was giving the feeling that they didn't fear death. The teenager was now trully on fire and eager to charge the once dead guys with all he had. Chuckling at the fought of tearing away their flesh.

Knowing that the battle wouldn't be easy, Xander decided to bring some help and from the void, he called forth his darkness filled's minions. Once the yokai were by his side, the boy would take down his staff and start the gathering of the wind particles (at least the pure one) and said still grinning.

"This will be the battle of my life"
(Xander Erastoc)
The reek of autumn faltered for but a second denoting Madonna Gale's surprise at the rising of the corpses. Holy occult! She scrambled backwards fan still in her hands. "Well.. That is certainly.. horrible."

Slowly she turned, unnerved by the blood on the corpses.. further defiling their already defiled body. What could even do such a thing.. She stayed back, magic gathering around her body in a powerful focal point, a clone splitting off to join Aedghan in battle. "Fall once more! Resquiem!"
(Madonna Gale)
The shambling corpses, their bones and rotten flesh pockmarked with pre-existing scorch marks and other such wounds, crumbled pitifully under the assault. From somewhere deep within, the laughter of some unknown, occultic madman sounded. Naturally chilling to the bone.



"It seems my butlers and maids were a bit hostile to you. They had been waiting a very long time for someone to come by, but I simply couldn't let them in myself."



With that, a fizzing sound around the next doorways is heard, and a gust of some malevolent air *WHOOSH*es forth. Whatever magic was actually there, though unseen it might have been, had gone away.



"Please! My esteemed... Critter killers. Come in."



And with those poisonous words, the laughter recedes beyond the next pair of arches.
This was no research center at all. It was a colosseum. Shackled slaves, humming with some sort of ghastly energy, waiver and cry. Their freedom stripped, their souls in servitude to some greater, unknown threat. Massive walls stand tall, stretching into some unseeable gathering of... things. Unearthly, horrible things. Chatter, harsh to the ears, mixed in with cheers for blood. It was a sport for spectators. And they were the sport.

 Any escape for this group is now out of the question, as a barrier is sprung up in the entrance they had come through. This was a fight or die situation now, whether they wanted it or not. The man calls out, much louder than before.

"Welcome! I'm so glad you decided to come! It was only so much for us to watch a set of spirits continuously fight for our amusements... Now, perhaps, they can sink their teeth into something more..."

There is a stifled laugh from the man, and also from the invisible choir.

"Lively."

"Listen up, you louts! If you kill them, I'll give you back the bodies I stole away!"

The group of spirits spring to action, excited for the chance to return to some sort of host for their wayward and weary barrier-bodies.
Aedghan seemed to look around the room, that voice was coming from somewhere here, or perhaps elsewhere, either way, they were faced with more danger. Once more, he stood in defense, raising both his arms into the air, closed fists as the spark of energy and electricity ran through his body. He took a deep breath, relaxing himself as he raised his foot and slammed it down onto the stone floor, letting electricity crack and ripple after his foot slammed down.

"Thou art not the best host, thou aught to know that!" He yelled toward the voice, he seemed to look around at the spirits, who were all looking at them, with hunger in their eyes.

They all wanted their bodies back, so has the voice said. "Thou may want thy bodies, but I'd like my life, so get out of our way, lest thy soul be destroyed." He warned them, but either way, there was probably going to be a fight.
(Aedghan)
Madonna Gale breathed out wearily. "I hope you die of a slow slow dagger stab." She murmured under her breath quietly. Her fan furled out more, giving her another appearance of uncaring, another clone of her to block the path of those around her..

She felt.. stronger if that was possible even weary ever so slightly. Darkness crackled around her, the scent choking to those not used to it. "Bring it. Trapped ones.."
(Madonna Gale)
Xander listen to the man's voice and find that it looks a lot like his own when he is in the middle of a grand battle. The Erastoc child gigle at towards the man's lack of knowledge. If he wanted to kill him he would have to do a lot better than what he had been doing up until now. Xander had dreams and goals to fulfil; this was merely a stepping stone toward the true achievment.

Looking around the room in order to find from where the voice was coming the boy reckoned that it was somewhere else maybe still far away and the spirits before him had to be in an other league than the undead of brfore. It was a win or die situation in which the teenager was obviously going to emerge victorious. At least he thought so.

Gazing upon his comrades, Xander would say with a grin.
"I hope you realise that we're not stopping here right? We still have a lot to do friends and that power WILL BE OURS! You here that PIG? We'll come and gouge out your eyes!"
Upon saying so, the boy get ready for battle, his servants behind him and prepared for the assault.
(Xander Erastoc)
At the Barrier Souls' defeat, the laughter continued once more. It was as if he couldn't care less. Truly, at his next words, it was confirmed.

"Hahahahaha! Well, it's a good thing they didn't win! I'd hate to see their disappointment when they found out you just destroyed their bodies..."

The laughter continued, echoing around the stadium. The barrier still refused to fizzle. It had to have been a trap. There was no research here, only death. No gates there were, but barriers that entrapped the group. Finally, the mysterious voice sounded out again.

"How about this. Kill my champion. My most wonderful, and once most HOLY of warriors... And I will let you go. Come on out, my beastly little friend!"

The barrier in front of them recedes and fizzles, and coming out was the most hideous of creatures. A mass of flesh and corrupted holy power, bone jutting at odd and awkward angles. It shambles on four legs, three of which were inhuman. More of a manticore than any sort of man, it groaned and moaned. Only two words could be heard, its gripping, twitching claws vying for something to tear into.

"Help... me..."

"His name is Teridan, and you know, he thought this was a safe place to continue his research into Barrier Magic! Poor, foolish man..."

This was the researcher whom they came all this way for. Now, merely a slave to the powerful force before them.

It lunged.
Madonna Gale looked at the inhumanity that was Teridan. "You corrupted our.." Then her grip on her fan caused it to snap shut. "Your liver. Is mine." She said simply, darkness rolling off her in a consumative wave in her rage, her want to destroy this mocking talker.

She sent her clone forward, her fan snapping open and shit to match the swirl and surges of magic aimed at the corrupted man.
(Madonna Gale)
As the twisted researching came toward them, unrecognizable, disgusting, by any human standards. He slowly walked toward the creature, leering at the ugly thing, as it begged for help from the three. It could be guarenteed, that from the three, no help would be willingly given, but either way. Aedghan raised his arm, pointing toward the creature, as he raised his head up, tilting his head back a bit.

"If thou were to give us what information, of what we seek, we might help thee, if thou has enough humanity left. If not, thy fate is sealed and thou shall be smitten, as well as thy mastermind, behind thy condition." He announced to the creature, it was a mystery if it could even understand most of the human speech he was giving, or if it could, but it couldn't react like it wanted to.

He turned toward his allies, reading himself to attack once more, as he placed his fingers down onto the stone. He bent his knee, as he readied to charge toward it.

"Art thou three ready to take this thing down, then we shall look for thy sniveling coward and tear his throath out, for hiding thy secret!" He yelled.
(Aedghan)
Xander was at this point no longer surprised by what the man was throwing at them. Although he was expecting more of a titanesque being, he would be very pleased to tear apart a little overgrown and strange stinnox. The Erastoc realised that the beast was not to be triffled with but with the sipport of his friend, he really had nothing to fear. Together they would emerge victorious.

Raising his staff in the air, Xander would use it to hit the ground and with that move, dispelled his summons. The yoakis gone, the Erastoc boy could now taste the beast power first hand. It would be delightfull.

While laughing with his slightly maddened state, he yell.
"At least we know that we're eating stinnox's meat tonight buddies."
(Xander Erastoc)
The mysterious crowd gasped in awe as Teridan hit the ground, his writhing mass of amalgamated body parts collapsing in upon itself. A set of notes had fallen from him, as if held onto as some sort of keepsake. Everyone was stunned. Even, what seemed to be the Announcer.

"WHAAAAAAT?!"

And in that caucophonous roar, the barriers that remained fizzled and shorted out. His concentration was broken. A horde of skeletal monsters and spirits arrived, crawling, shambling, ever closer to the group.

"KIIIILL THEEEEM!"

It was now or never! The group fled, not daring to look back! They had what they came for! Run, young ones! RUN!
As soon as the paper fell from the deformed inhuman, Madonna Gale was upon it in an instant. Scatching it and scrunching it up on her hand she stuffed it into her pocket. And as soon as the voice said to kill them she ran off. "Aedghan, come with me!" She shouted over her shoulder.

No cares about Xander, he can handle himself.
(Madonna Gale)
As he reached to grab Madonna's wrist, he pulled her toward him, wrapping his arm around her as he lets the girl run out first, waiting for the other male to run past the. In an effort to simply slow down the hordes and shamble of creatures coming for them, he throws his arms forward, a crackle of what appeared to be dark energy shot out from his palms, into the shape of a ball. He then turned around and began to run once more.

In time, the ball of energy seemed to start pulling quite a few number of these creatures into the void, once it was formed, he runs and joins the girl's side again, he tries to scoop her off her feet and starts carrying her in his arms as he continued to run faster.

"This is alot funner than I thought!" He yelled, looking back with a wild grin on his face, when the creatures were outwitted and outplayed by the three.
(Aedghan)
Xander would soon realise that they had nothing more to do here and were on top of that going to be severly outnumbered. Staying there would bring them nothing but great pain (death) and he didn't need that. Mustering the power of the wind and looking toward the runnaway Eutrice, Xander created a twister to ride upon and would thanks to it's spped quickly catch up to the others. It was time to leave and he said toward the master of that place.

"Bye and I look forward to next time!"
(Xander Erastoc)