The Ones to be Protected

[12:28] Magnes body found itself alight with her energies, forging a shield around her right hand as she brought it up to catch the punch, half-shifting it into claws to cover it with scales. The force of the punch sent her back against the rocks as she grit her teeth, glaring at Alya with a variety of emotions she couldn't quite place.

Anger? Fury? Misery? Loss? Disgust?

"You leave me. You leave me just as I watch my twin brother jump to his death. You don't say a word. You don't come back. You just abandon me. Why?"

Magnes words were deadpan, her hues locked onto Geckos. She was most certainly not pleased to see her beloved elder sister, it seemed.
(Magne Kriemhild)
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[12:36] Rinn says, "Ooookay. I've looted everything I can find."
[12:37] Amalia Hargrave says, "Oh."
[12:37] Amalia Hargrave says, "Sorry, I was dozing a little."
[12:37] Amalia Hargrave asks, "Were those for me?"
[12:37] The Gecko did not seek the shield up when taking the strike, though she had her scales veiling her flesh. Though no wings. But she remained immovable, as she had been against all these people in that tournament. A solid, golden wall. One that felt pain; one that craved the pain.

"It's because . . ."

Melancholy, that's what filled her tone of voice. A portion of her attire was burn from the holy power that had struck her, but her flesh seemed oddly fine. Gecko approached her sister, blue eyes looking down at the furious Kriemhild.

"I am not worthy of our name. Of being a dragon. Of being your sister. I am but a Gecko, now. I- . . ."

She swallowed, unable to finish her usual, self-pitying speech. It was awful, and she despised it.

"I- I was just so ashamed . . ."

And from that, likely the first whimper Magne would ever hear from her sister. The strong, independent and indomitable dragon was being brought to tears. Hands shaking as they retreated to grasp their opposite biceps.

"I was not worthy of your love. Of your trust. I failed at it all. And I was just scared that you'd see me again, pathetic and a NOTHING!"
(Gecko)
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[12:49] Magnes teeth cracked harshly as her jaw clamped shut. Every word her sister spoke brought more and more fury upon her. She didn't even care that Alya seemed miserable; no, for once in her life she was actually thinking about herself and her own emotions first. Constant betrayal helped with that one.

Though, as tears began to drip down the eldest Kriemhilds face, something inside of Magne began to stir. She knew she hadn't caused this, but she'd brought it on. Brought it up. She was the one this time that had harmed her family, and it disgusted her to her core.

Her hand came down from Alyas body, coming to rest instead on her blade. Her blade listened to her, it soothed her. Just the night prior, when Magnes heart was about to shatter into a million pieces, her blade had comforted her. Holy energies had drawn themselves out of her, pulled by her weapon, and washed her in calm whilst dispatching her negativity into one colossal blast of energy, allowing her to vent without harming anything.

It was her comfort piece now, and the familiar black blindfold wrapped around its hilt only sought to bring yet more peace to the Drakanite.

The holy winged reptilian closed her eyes over, letting out a heavy sigh as she brought herself back down from the brink of an explosion. Her jaw unclenched, instead choosing to bite down on her lip. How did she even respond to something like this?

"You're an idiot."

Magne instead leapt forward to pull her sister into a bonecrushing hug, resting her head against her shoulder. It had been so, so long now since she'd last seen Alya; months ago when she'd abandoned her at the wayside. Now? Everything inside of her was a flux. She wanted to punch her again and again for leaving her on the ground to bleed and hurt after Arno had stuck the deepest possible knife into her gut. She wanted to scream at her for being such an idiot by thinking this was the best way to do things. She wanted to tell her that it was all alright and Magne didn't see her differently. .

"Y-You're a complete. . i-idiot. ." Magne sniffed, tears running down her own face as she buried her head into her clothing. Everything hurt once more, but this time it was a good hurt. The kind of hurt you felt when you knew you were recovering. The burn of alcohol unto an open wound.

"You're not the one who decides if you're worthy of my love, you dumbass. . I-Its not your decision t-to make. If I. . I didn't love you, then I wouldn't have pined for you! I wouldn't have t-tried to pep you up at your lowest hour. I would have told you t-that you were pathetic instead of trying to pick you up and try again!"

Magne was nigh screeching at this point, her claws closing tightly over handfuls of the Geckos jacket.

"You were NEVER pathetic and a nothing! You're still my goddamn sister, Alya! You're the only blood I've still got around! I. .I needed you, after Arno did what he did, and you weren't. . there. ."

Magne pulled her head away from Alyas shoulder to stare her deep in the eyes.

"Just. . make sure you are next time, you idiot!"
(Magne Kriemhild)
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[12:58] Leyti exclaims, "Th-thanks again, Amy... I was... able to find... it!"
[13:21] Alya expected the worst now. A fight? She had grown accustomed to those now. More punishment? She was immovable. What would Magne do? That hand on her sword told so much. It was strange how both of them turned their hearts to their blades for comfort or pity in Alya's case.

For the blade she wielded was none other than the same, steel blade she had broken during her fight with Bastiel. Refusing to change it even if it made her unnecessarily vulnerable.

But it would not be a fight, or even pain, that'd befall her, but Magne's undying love for her elder sister. Tired eyes merely peered down at the teen, wraps slowly and carefully hugging back with only half the force the young Drakanite had applied.

"I'm just a dumb, silly Gecko, Magne."

Sniffles, tears and snot all accounted for, she tried to crack a smile here but ended up bawling her eyes out as she rested her chin on her sister's shoulder.

"I love you so fucking much Magne I . . . Couldn't bear the thought of being any less than a great dragon to you so I just-."

She frequently stuttered and shook.

"I just ran, afraid, and left you in the dark. I left our brother in the dark! Now . . . Now he's gone and . . ."

Her face buried into Magne's shoulder.

"Forgive me."
(Gecko)
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[13:31] Both of them were sobbing now. It must have been quite the pathetic scene to those who didn't know what was going on, like Rinn, but to the pair of them? This was a heartfelt reunion. One Drakanite who had lost her way and found it again, and another who was still fumbling in the darkness.

She bawled as the Holy energy rolled out of her. It had attuned to her emotions as of late, acting defensively to protect her from her own mind. Right now, her magic was crying with her. It had been sitting there, living inside of her like a symbiotic conscious being, witnessing all she had witnessed and feeling all she had felt. The relief emanating from the golden waves was easily felt by all around them.

"You're not. . a dumb gecko. You're a dumb dragon."

Magne cracked a chuckle, coming out of her with a few coughs as her throat tightened. She was happy, happy beyond all belief to have her sister back with her. The anger from before had meltedaway completely into relief and love. And this time, it was here to stay.

"You're always a great dragon to me, Alya. You never stopped being a great dragon. You weren't the only one t-to fail during the counter-coup. We did too. We shared t-the same defeat as you did."

Magnes eyes closed over once more as her mind went back to that scene. Watching her sister being broken and thrown aside the first time, wholly believing she was dead before acting in a self sacrificial manner and leaping off the cliff to catch her and at least preserve the sanctity of her shattered shell. Watching her again fall to Bastiel and find herself broken and shattered, only for Lynette to fall before him too. All she could do there was heal. To be there for her, for Arno, for Lynette. How powerless she felt. .

"I do forgive you, Alya. . j-just don't run away again, alright? We've got this. W-We're in this together, meyou and Lynette. Kasadya swore f-fealty to Osrona, Arno's gone, Asta t-took the side of Bastiel. Its just us now, sis. We need t-to stick together if we're going to beat him and reclaim Theria. Make it a good place again. ."

Magnes breathing hitched as the next words made to leave her throat. To say these words would be an act of weakness, something she'd swore she'd never be again. This entire situation, though, radiated weakness from her. She was wearing her heart on her sleeve, so what was the point? The youngest Kriemhild was one to always finish what she started.

"Theria needs you. I-I need you, Alya. Just stay with us. We're g-getting stronger. We'll be a-able to take him soon. Please just. . "

"Just don't leave me again. ."
(Magne Kriemhild)
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[13:42] "I- . . ."

She couldn't be a dragon yet. She hadn't earned that stature back. It wasn't her's until Theria was returned and she'd prove her might as a dragon. Until then, she was Gecko, the wingless reptile enviously looking up the majestic scaled beasts and cutting them down.

But unlike Magne, Gecko, or rather, Alya, feared holding her blade. Tail, was its name. A crudely simple name, one coming from the tail lizards would frequently lose and regrow. For her blade was broken, just like her, and was to return to its former glory when she'd deem herself worthy of it.

"I'll never let you go. Not ever. I will swallow all those that stand between us. They will be consumed by a mere lizard. Their body and pride mine, and mine alone."

There was an advantage to her belittlement, though. She could hurt the pride of others. Especially rival drakanites. Perhaps there was more than self-hatred to this.

"I know that together, we can remove him. We're too many. His goons can't do anything to Lynette. And I will no longer be fazed by them. For my scales are that of a dragon."

She smiled. Brushing her tears and sniffling.

"We need to gather those we can, and blitz him. Only by force can we stop him. It is the only thing he is good at. Beat him, and has nothing. And then, I'll give him what he wants. A grand communion with the flame."
(Gecko)
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[13:50] Rinn sniffs the air, before meandering off... looking for. Something. Elsewhere. She has wheels turning. Ideas.
(Rinn)
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[13:50] Rinn exclaims, "Catch up later!"
[13:51] Gecko says, "See ya'."
[13:55] Magne stayed well within the grasp of her sister, not even tapping the floor with her feet as she often did during conversation to keep herself sane and focused. Magne had an affliction she usually dealt with via caffeine, but coffee beans had been in short supply since they were exiled from Theria. Myllenoris had no idea what coffee was and Osrona was an oft-dangerous place to step into without her Noble buddy, Sparrow.

Regardless, the currently short Drakanites happiness shone forth. With every word her sister muttered to her, she only glowed brighter. Alya was getting her spirit back, her moxie. She still saw herself as a little gecko but that would be changed soon.

The fires within her heart had been reignited. Between the excessive display of magical might the night prior that had lit up their camp and a mile of land around them, and the return of her sister? It was burning like Ryujins spectral flames.

The light her magic put off only got brighter and brighter, tuned with her emotions. Revealing her feelings for all around to bare witness to. Magne was happier than she'd been in so, so long now. .

And the solar flare that her magic had become was evident.

It was blinding in its intensity. As if her energies were that of Light itself. Blazing, all encompassing, cutting through the darkness of the night like a comet through the sky.

Pure holy Light.

The wisps of energy warped and compounded into something else, something different. Tiny, tiny orbs of glory that hovered in the air like motes as bright as the Sun itself. Spectral Luminance. A new kind of magic that she may some day learn to manipulate of her own accord.

The area was almost blinding to look at with the amount of lux put off by her energies, forcing Magne to close her eyes or risk being blinded!

"You're not a mere lizard. You're a mighty Dragon. Even Dragons are defeated sometimes, but they always get back up stronger and better than before! Think of yourself as a gecko if you want. . but. ."

Magne looked up at her sister, pulling away from the hug but keeping her firm claws locked around her shoulders, squeezing down tightly.

"You'll always be my dragon, sis. Always."
(Magne Kriemhild)
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[14:06] "It's more satisfying to have Bastiel be dethroned by a Gecko. Hehe."

She chuckled, noticing the change in magical wavelength within her sister. Alya had undergone the same, though hadn't developed the prowess to fully utilize it yet. She needed more experience. Experience gained through trials and obstacles like the one she was confronted to now.

The scales on her body would react to this display from her sister, though. All of them conjured into objects of pure, white light rising out of her being and dancing about with her sister's show of budding power. The two different lights would meld together in harmony, allowing Magne to gain a taste of what it was to TRULY master their lineage's power.

"And when I turn him into a Gecko myself, he will dance in fire. A merciful death for such a man so devoted to the flame."

Alya had since composed herself. Freeing her sister and backing up a tad. Her cheeks were red and eyes even redder from the moment. Tried tears were laboriously scrubbed off.

"Mm. We were heading down to the desert, grabbing some shards for potions. Care to join? Now that we're back together."
(Gecko)
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[14:17] As Alya's scales began to emit light and rise out of her body, Magnes eye shone with radiance! So her sister HAD been working to get tougher, learn new things, master the magicks that lurked within her blood! Perhaps now she'd be able to finish Bastiel off. Truly give him the communion she wished to.

"Turning him into a gecko would be giving him glory. You say you're a gecko right now, and you're still majestic. No, turn him into an ant. Geckos grow their limbs back, an ant will simply be crushed beneath your foot."

Magne pulled away, her own reddened tear-stained face grinning upwards at her sister. Evidently, since Alya had left, something else had rose up inside of Magne. A certain kind of viciousness, no doubt brought on by being around Lynette for so long. She still fought to protect, but she was definitely out to do it in a violent way. She wanted Bastiel to bleed for everything that he'd done to her family.

To bleed just as she did when Arno stabbed her in the back.

To bleed just as Alya did after he savaged her.

To bleed just like his people did when Lynette assaulted them.

"I'll come with. Maybe we'll find one of his goons out there, since the Silverwall Mines are always empty." Magne chuckled, drawing her rusted blade with her right hand. The thing was getting difficult to draw from its sheathe, evident by the sparks and the grinding. It was better to have it out and at her side when heading into the unknown than to draw it when danger arrived.

Perhaps that reflected her current philosophy. Strike them before they could strike her.
(Magne Kriemhild)