Dirge of Humanity [7/22] Accursed Dev

[10:50] Illaron says, "Ardith."
[10:50] Illaron says, "Come."
[10:51] Ardith pops right up from her bench at the sound of her name, the full thing and not some shortened moniker. It's a great way to get her attention.

It also helps to be an Archon that she owes pretty much everything to.

"Yes, sir. I'll see you later, Tahl."
(Ardith)
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[10:57] Off they went!

It didn't take long for the Archon to lad Ardith away from the Dreadwoods, and into the arena. They were likely given plenty of looks as they made their approach, given their appearances. Large horns, potent occult aura, and a pair of hooves was a dead giveaway for anyone with even an inch of common sense.

These two were obviously not Human. Well, one of them, at least.

As they enter the Arena, Illaron turns to face Ardith, and soon his telepathic voice once more worms its way into her mind. By this point, Ardith would've long grown used to the uncomfortable sensation brought upon by the telepathy. After all, she was more closer to a Demon than a Human now.

"Five years. It has been five years since that day that you came before me. Five years since you asked for true power, and I granted your wish. Your body accepted the power, and with it, changed into a form better fit to handle it. No longer a mere human, you are now something better. Something above the peasants you so desperately avoided."

His head tilts, if only slightly. Red eyes seem to stare a hole through Ardith, and uneasy sensation seems to flow from the Archon. The ring on her finger begins to pulsate, and an unknown energy begins to flow through it.

"Show me the strength you so desperately desired. Prove to me you are capable of wielding it."
(Illaron)
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[11:05] Ardith struggled once with what she was becoming, what she now is. No longer does she have those compunctions. She walks behind the Archon and, as passersby gawk she holds her head proud and high.

In her mind she's already not human any longer. Not a demon either, but better, more powerful, evolving in growing in ways that these people either can't or refused to do.

When he speaks to her mind he only confirms it, only stokes the fire of that conviction that was once a mere coal. She's been elevated from peasantry and there's nowhere to go but up.

Before she can speak, her thanks or otherwise, the ring on her hand grips the adorning finger tightly. The potent aura it grants shifts, changes, and even to her the Archon's presence now becomes eerie.

That's why he'd brought her here. It's a proving ground, a testing of her strength and worth. Whether by her own desire or some demonic compulsion she removes the spear on her back and prepares to launch an offensive as commanded.
(Ardith)
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[11:06] You learned the spell Tornado.
[11:06] You learned the spell Shockwave.
[11:12] Ardith speaks no words, only action. Exactly what the Archon had wanted.

"You wasted no time in preparing yourself. Good." Illaron reaches to his side, and unsheathes his blade. A large elaborate blade, forged of Arcanium and engraved with potent runes and designs. It was a masterpiece, forged by Demon hands, exclusively to be wielded by Demons. Long has it bathed in the blood of virtues and divine alike, and yet it remains perfect.

Suddenly powerful winds begin to surge throughout the arena, as Illaron slowly lifts into the air, carried by the very corrupted winds he called upon. The blade is raised into the air, and sickening occultic mana begins to run along the length of the blade, turning it from a bright silver, to a darkened hue.

"Come. Show me what you have learned. Show me that you are worthy of my power."

His words rang through her head, and all the while the ring begins to heat up. At first, it was unnoticeable, but as the Archon begins to prepare, it begins to grow hotter and hotter. A fact that Illaron seemed very well aware of.

His sword swings down, and with it the winds surge forth. Could Ardith fight back against the overwhelming power of the Archon? Or will she fall, just like so many others.

Only time would tell.
(Illaron)
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[11:23] And so, the two Demons clashed.

As the battle between the two raged on, the arena began to shake. Potent occultic magic, produced by both sides, had begun to fill the arena. Nearby furniture and other décor was soon flung about, carried by the winds conjured by both. It was a rather odd match, considering both fighters wielded the same magic.

However, it would soon become clear who would gain the lead.

Despite Ardith's best attempts, the spells flung at the Archon seemed to fizzle out. What should've caused lacerations and occultic burns barely managed to make it close to the Demon, and those that did barely seemed to cause any lasting damage. Each injury regenerated before the blood could even flow. An unnatural resistance to the very magics she wielded. It was to be expected, given where she drew her power from. But this was almost unfair.

However, as the battle raged on, the ring began to grow hotter and hotter. Something began to boil up within Ardith. A foreign power, far more than anything she had drawn upon until now. It festered within her, rising up like a cloud. It surged through her circuits, and into the very magic she wielded. It whispered to her, coaxing her. Granting her power she could not comprehend. All the while Illaron stood watching.

Smiling.

The Archon knew exactly what was happening.
(Illaron)
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[11:23] You learned the spell Dirge of Humanity.
[11:27] You learned the spell Dirge of Humanity.
[11:37] It's a battle the like of which Ardith's not known. Not that she's known many, but this one in particular stands out in her mind. The sensations are wholly different, so familiar yet alien all at once.

She should've expected that her magics would glance off the Archon. Older, more powerful, and literally the wellspring from which her strength comes forth. But each glancing blow, each healed wound, only serves to make her furious.

The ring on her hand begins to painfully sear her skin, heating up far beyond the level of comfort. A trick? Something for the Archon's amusement at her expense. She's certain of it.

All up until she hears a familiar siren call, not unlike when the runed jewelry first called out to her on that fateful day five years ago. It's even sweeter than she remembers, heady, intoxicating, and laden with promises. Oh, the promises it whispers to her.

Ardith had foolishly thought her growth might have peaked, her evolution coming to a halt. How wrong she was. She sees now that, so long as she wills it, it will never stop.

That anger, that pain, turns to exultation. What might have been a snarl becomes a cackling laugh as the occultic energy is fully and terribly embraced with both arms wide open. It spills out of her like an oil slick, a stain upon the world, and engulfs her.

Rejuvenated, emboldened, Ardith charges the Archon anew.
(Ardith)
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[11:43]
{LOAD GAME}

[11:44] {Item} You drop Water Crystal x3.
[11:44] {Item} You picked up Gift Bag (Subscriber)..
[11:44] {Item} You picked up Water Crystal x3. Dropped by Ardith.
[11:51] There it was.

It was the power the Archon was waiting for Ardith to manifest. Every one of his pacted had the opportunity to embrace the power it granted. Yet only very few ever managed to fully wield it. It seems that despite Ardiths inexperience in battle, her body had fully adjusted to the power he granted her.

A power that would no doubt bring her far.

However, as the fight stretched on, the Archon soon found himself backed into a corner. The occult that once barely left a mark upon the Demon now tore through his defenses, searing into his flesh and causing him great pain. And yet, despite the overwhelming amounts of pain, the Archon only smiled. A large grin revealing an array of sharp razer-like teeth.

It seems that Illaron was enjoying the battle, if only slightly.

However, all things must come to an end.

As the occultic onslaught by Ardith continued, a barrier of black magic surrounded the Archon. It stopped most of her attacks, preventing them from reaching him, until it suddenly expanded and pushed Ardith back a few steps.

Suddenly his voice filled her mind, and a single word is said. Or rather, it is yelled, both a statement and a command that she could not ignore.

"ENOUGH!"

Suddenly the air itself began to ripple, as a telekinetic surge of energy rockets across the battlefield, and crashes into Ardith's body. It sends her crashing across the arena and into the nearby wall, cracking ribs and likely leaving various bruises.

With that, the winds begin to halt, and Illaron soon lands before the battered and broken Ardith. His body covered with wounds, each one seeping a purple liquid.

"I am impressed, Ardith. You have done well. You have begun to truly master the power I granted you. Embrace it. Use it. It is a tool for you alone." He continues to smile, an eerie sight to be sure.

"You are truly something more than a simple human, now. Now you wield the power of Demons. Crush those who stand in your way."
(Illaron)
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[12:00] Finally. Finally she's leaving marks against the Archon, lasting wounds that don't vanish within the blink of an eye. She's goaded on at the sight, encouraged. How good it feels to let it loose and to use this fresh power at her fingertips. Spill blood, conquer, to take whatever her heart desires. What her heart desires right now is victory and proving her worth.

There's an unmistakable sense of excitement as she gains the upper hand, even if briefly, all up until she's frozen in place by a psionically bellowed command. It reigns in her fury, her malice, and brings her to a sudden and immediate halt. Even if the demon didn't lie behind an impenetrable cloak of darkness, she's unable to lift a hand against him.

That halt only stops when she's sent tail-over-teakettle by a concussive blast, careening through the air and into one of the arena's sturdy stone walls- curse Gehennan architecture. Ardith impacts stone, losing her breath and some of the structural integrity of her ribcage in the progress.

Normally she might have felt anger, to be broken and lain low and bruised. Yet, as the Archon speaks, she can only feel satisfaction. Deep pride. Oh, and pain. Definitely pain. That's not going away any time soon. It gets worse as the shock of adrenaline fades from her system.

"Yes...Yessir," she replies, hoisting herself from the wreckage.

"I won't fail you. Nothing's going to get in my way."
(Ardith)