Eagleheart vs Vohzd and Undead Children (Event pt. 1)

[16:08] {NARRATION} As the group trails towards the north, they'd arrive at Nishibori Village. It came to be about an year ago, with the construction of Huangzhou, and used to be a very simple coastal village, living off fishing-- populace of about a hundred, maybe even less. There was nothing special about it, as the people would just live their quiet lives, in a place where everyone knew each other and anybody was 'somebody else's son'.

The days of their quiet lives were no more.

Ripplings of chaos could be felt through the air, like tiny shatterings through reality itself. Small houses were set ablaze; bodies were scattered throughout the simple, sand streets. Some burned to death, some cleaved in half, butchered, others withered by what looked like a venomous plague; blood and gore were splattered over the otherwise peaceful village.

Although those responsible for this apparently senseless carnage were nowhere to be seen, the small sand street, bathed with blood, extended far beyond their eyesight, through smoke curtains caused by the flames. It's possible they were still present, as corpses and destruction alike looked recent.
[16:14] Eagleheart was the first one to arrive at the place. His own aura of Order seemed to struggle against that which spread through the place. Almost like it forced itself to purify every single piece of it. Luckily... The travel itself wasn't that small. He had plenty of days to recharge, to talk with his own patron star.

The mask was fixated upon his face, a glimmer of cosmic magic escaping the man's body. He spoke, still utterly serene and calm, no matter what gore spread around him. "Search the houses for any survivors."

It was but a simple command, given to the group that followed him into this place. A hand rose, and the forces of the Arcane softly pushed the smoke out of their way. At least, it was safe to breath in that place... Or it would be. He walked amidst the sand pathways, the telekinetic force sensing the inside of the houses.

Searching for any living soul he could. He'd find the ones to blame for it and deliver retribution -- But that was for later.
(Eagleheart)
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[16:16] A little bit of a late joiner to this particular mission, Moriya would take in the details as they travelled - learning about their destination, the north, and what they may or may not encounter during their hunt. What they came across however was no doubt a sight to stop the heart, an appalling tragedy...

The once green lands of the earth were no more than ash and charcoal. The air was heavy with the smell of burnt flesh and smoke hung in a haze that partially obscured the orange sun. The town stood like skeletons, baren wasteland, empty now that greed and carnage had taken whatever the fire did not.

"Raiders," he breathed, or something even more terrible.

"We should be wary of any that might remain - or return, but yes. I agree." Without another thought, and working against the clock, the Illuminated headed into a nearby home - intending on sweeping through the small village alongside the others.
(Moriya Ukitake)
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[16:16] Despite the obvious dire nature of their current task, Mei Xiang walked with her comrades with her usual chipper demeanor. She took the liberty to glance around her surroundings, noting the occasional appearance of wild life, if there was any, along with the plants and trees; it had been forever since she had ventured so far from Huangzhou, so even if she was on a potentially life threatening mission?

She was happy to get away.

The young woman even recognized their surroundings, if even vaguely. The Nishibori village, she wondered how it was doing-

...

Carnage.

All the color left the woman's face. She hadn't killed someone before, let alone seen death to such a terrible extent. She tried to steel her nerves, but alas, she couldn't help but to let some of her shock pollute her expression.

Gulping, she looks between everyone in the group before nodding stiffly. She would wade through the carnage and blood, going far enough to check if anyone was still living, but still staying in the general area of her group.

She said nothing during the process.
(Mei Xiang)
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[16:17] Tiff arrives upon Mei's shoulder, having nothing to fight with save her innate magic and little helmet, she didn't know what to expect. Though it was clear upon arrival that something was very, very wrong. The fae clings to Mei's shoulder as she scans the scene, her orange eye taking in the violence and horror that lies before them. It reminds her of the time she spent meditating upon the volcano when the fairy allowed her empathetic capabilities to subject her to the pain the world was feeling here on this continent.

The emotion back then had been far too much to handle, and to see it face to face now was obviously upsetting. Though Tiff keeps her mouth closed and turns to Eagleheart for orders, she is trembling with anger and sorrow for what's happened here.

She follows as her mentor begins searching for bodies, intent on reaching out with her own sensory abilities to detect for life, if any remained.
(Tiff)
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[16:25] {NARRATION} Many of the houses were crumbling down from the fire as it was-- a quick look inside on each revealing entire families burned alive. Simple workers, fishermen, men and women, elderly or children, it didn't seem to matter; these people didn't even have weapons to defend themselves with, nor was it likely to have magi within the village to aid them.

Belongings weren't taken. As they'd sweep through the houses, walking down the main street, they could see small tools left lying around, coin pouches, and the scent of burnt fish coming from a warehouse, also set ablaze; the more they looked through, the less it looked like robbery or a simple raid. With nothing taken, not even bodies - who were left lying around to rot - and with no apparent objective for this carnage, a village with no means of defending itself-- the more they looked, the less sense it made.

However, from a single house-- the biggest, and the only one that was built more of stone than wood, screams of help were heard from within. Several voices-- masculine and feminine alike, the crying of children. Likely a family trapped within, and probably the wealthiest, for Nishibori's meager standards.

Due to the house's stone foundation, the flames were spreading very slowly; they were, however, still very much present, and the house's interior had furniture and carpets which fed them. Simply rushing within would be undoubtedly dangerous.
[16:30] Tiff closes her eyes and she pauses near the outside of the house. She brings up a hand and sends vines coiling across the stone pavements and into the building itself, trying to sense what they might find inside. Despite the flames obviously burning away at their exterior, Tiff surges them through the building quickly, even coiling some around one another in order to form a something that could endure the heat within the home.

While she does this, the fae triggers some calming music to emit from mostly around herself. Sound magic echoes within her helm in what seems like mostly an attempt to ease herself into more focus upon what has to be done rather than allow herself to get waded down in the terror.
(Tiff)
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[16:33] Initially, the search for any life seemed pointless. Everything here looked dead, not stolen or ransacked, but simply dead; was this even a raid? Mei knew they were hunting 'something,' but surely no creature or creatures would slaughter without purpose.

After she glances through each burned and ruined house, spotting burned families consisting of men, women, children, and elderly, Mei Xiang was just about to give up the search on her end, until she heard... screaming?

People were screaming.
That meant life.

Rushing to the source, assumingly with her friends, she realizes the building was actively burning, albeit slowly. She cursed her lack of water magic and looked to her allies.

"What do we do? What do we do?! We gotta get 'em- 'em out, fast. I'm familiar with earth magic, so maybe we can lift ourselves up? It sounds like it's- it's comin' from the second floor."
(Mei Xiang)
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[16:34] The more he explored, the stronger the pit of dread in his stomach felt - while Moriya wasn't a stranger to the sight of corpses, they always did make him feel absolutely ill. And this time was no different with how gruesome the carnage was, with the smell of charred flesh heavy in the air. Slipping through one house to the next was a wave of neverending disappointment, only finding death.

Meaningless death - the worst kind.

Whoever and whatever did this did so for the sake of pure destruction. Greed wasn't a motivator here. "Inhuman," he whispers under his breath, thankful that the mask was there to cover up the sorrow that took his features into a perpetual frown. Still - he tried to brave it all, and headed out to meet with the rest, until...

- Those screams.

It was a ping of hope that Moriya felt. Someone was alive. Taking to a run toward the building - no doubt alongside the others - he hesitated for a moment while outside, watching as the flames surged around the stone, eager to devour it up.

"...Jump," he murmured to Mei, urging her to put those powerful thighs to use.

Inhale, exhaling. Pacing his breathing, the urge to protect was conjured up from within, and a shield of holy magic shimmered around him, eyes shining golden. Less than a second later a leaping jump sent him up and away, the winds carrying him toward the second floor - right toward a window, intent on cracking directly through it to barrel roll inside with the magic protecting him.
(Moriya Ukitake)
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[16:36] Eagleheart was always a stalwart in his emotions. Always neutral, or at least he always seemed to be. The aura of Order emitted faint disturbances in his emotions, but nothing more than the occasional flicker in it showed, more often than not. But the several voices heard from inside were...

Unsettling. He knew he had to do something about it. Stopping in front of it, the man rose a single hand towards the upper floor of the house. The forces of the Arcane moved around, and it was obvious that there was something for him to do there. Slowly, they crept between the very stones that they could, and afterwards they were simply thrown out, forcing open a hole, yet maintaining the roof above still sustained.

"Mei. I'll need your help controlling the flame. Try to take control over it... And we'll go to the upper floor." Quickly enough, as the hole was being opened in the wall to allow for an entrance, Eagleheart did as Moriya thought.

Crouching slightly, the man quickly jumped to the open spot he created, holy energy fed by the light of distant stars coating every single piece of his body that wasn't simply covered by the armor itself.
(Eagleheart)
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[16:41] Anxiety dominated her mind for the most part.

She feared for the lives of those innocent people, but also feared her 'help' may only add to their danger.

Doing nothing, however, would be just as bad as well, so without further ado, Mei Xiang stood her ground and took in a deep breath, adopting a wide legged stance while muttering some form of incantation. She abruptly stomped the ground, her powerful thighs only aiding in the sheer forcefulness of what she was about to do.

A layer of stone shot up around just the foundation of the home. She intended to muffle the flames from the outside while also helping stabilize the structure with the added rock; she couldn't have the entire building collapsing, now.
(Mei Xiang)
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[16:51] {NARRATION} With telekinetic forces breaking a hole through the house's second floor, a curtain of smoke flown out, undoubtedly making it easier to breathe within as the group of magi jumped through. The flames hadn't spread this far yet, likely why the family took shelter in this specific place, but the smoke would've been a problem. The bad news-- the floor was mostly made of wood, meaning they wouldn't have much time in here.

The second floor seems to be a deposit of some sort; several boxes were scattered over, with no walls to separate anything. Close to the stairwell, the family would be seen-- a tall man of shengese descent, muscular and likely nearing his fourties, was beside his wife, with two children - a boy and a girl - crying nearby, both hugging their parents.

With most of the smoke cleared out by the hole tore through the wall, the magi could safely walk through the floor, at least for now; Mei's earth magic kept the house momentarily stable. As the fae's sound magic filled the room, some of the shock seemed to steadily fade away from the family, though it was the man that stepped forward, gulping.

''P-Please help!'', he shouted out at the Magi. He was obviously trying to act brave in front of his family, though this façade was betrayed by his shaky voice; he had a small wooden box underneath his right arm, clinging to it tightly.
[16:56] As Tiff hears the voices coming inside she keeps up her sound magic to ease the minds of everyone around. It isn't blaring, and is probably more calming to her than anyone else, but it's the least she can do at the moment via that route of magic.

Her vines continue to slither across the second story, searching for any who might take hold of them so that she can bring them to safety should the others not be able to help them out themselves. With a little more concentration she brings up another vine, prodding around at the structure of the house to search for any weak points that it might be able to help strengthen, even if only for a brief moment.
(Tiff)
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[16:57] Meanwhile, Mei Xiang holds her ground in supporting the very house the family was trapped inside of. Other than that, she couldn't directly help in saving them; it was all up to Moriya and Eagleheart.

She muttered and grumbled something about weight as she actively channeled the earth to support the house.
(Mei Xiang)
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[16:58] After jumping through the window (and cracking the glass in his dive) Moriya landed cleanly on his boots, the shield of holy magic giving him those vital few seconds he needed to escape the lick of the flame - and as he moved throught the smoky interior, he took in his surroundings. Four lives to save, with little time on their hands.

Silver winds are at his back, and he closes the distance between himself and the others in secods - appearing infront of them as Tiff went about reinforcing the interior, he grabs that bulky, muscular man tightly, squeezing his hand, "The chilren, Ealeheart," the Qilin says, loud and audible, as he makes his way toward the wife.

He could carry two. Eagleheart could carry two. Tiff and Mei might give them the time the need to hold it all together...
(Moriya Ukitake)
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[17:02] Eagleheart landed peacefully on the upper floor, his impact diminished by the very forces of the Arcane conducting themselves around him as to push him upwards the moment he was about to touch the ground.

"Do not fear. With me." He spoke, his voice spreading thinly through the places where his orderly aura managed to hit. The soothing chime was certainly there, present alongside him, but he wasn't pushing them around more than anything.

The yellow armor gleamed against the fire as he moved towards them, gesturing for them to come out. The forces of the Arcane still moved around him, but soon enough, they got to a more obvious application to help them get down.

Packets of earth moved from the surrounding environment after a soft thrum echoed from the very spot he was standing, and formed a stair in front of the house. That was to be put just in case Moriya wasn't able to hold them both on top of him, given his frame and theirs, but Eagleheart wasn't one to lose time.

The constant process of meditating while moving, in combat and everything, allowed for his mind to focus on different things. The cosmic glimmer remained within him as a beacon, and soon enough, he grabbed both children, tucking them under his arms. Quick movements ensued as he left the building, jumping out -- But his fall was, again, eased by his own use of Telekinesis.
(Eagleheart)
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[17:12] {NARRATION} ''Thank'', the man said, making a beckoning motion with his hand to his wife and children, who tagged along - or were otherwise carried - by the Qilin and Eagleheart. ''M-Many thanks..''

Mei would find herself struggling to keep the house stable. Whoever created these flames was a powerful Magi, and the rippling of chaos was felt through them, seeking to disrupt stone rather than just breaking it-- perhaps why the stone was withering away from the flames. For now, however, she was able to keep it all steady. For as long as she focused, the house wasn't coming down anytime soon.

With vines running through the floor, they'd find nobody else within, only wooden crates, which the family didn't seem to particularly care at this moment of crisis, with the exception of that small wooden box the man carried under his right arm; carrying wouldn't even make it justice. He clung to it tightly, like his very life depended on it.

With stairs shaped from the second floor and below, the Magi and the family were able to walk down safely. The children were mostly in shock with whatever they'd seen, and couldn't do much but cry; the wife was stunned, silent. Only the man found himself with much - if shaken - willpower to speak, turning around to the group once they were safely away from the house,

''I-I dunno what'd happen without ye'', he spoke slowly, with his voice still shaky, but trying as ever to be brave in front of his family. A sickened expression was all over his face with the carnage, as being out in the streets meant inevitably stepping on blood and trying to avoid the spread out gore and body parts. ''My family..''

With a glance to make sure they were fine - which they were, with no injures to speak of - the man made a traditional, if shaky, shengese bow of gratitude, nervously extending the small wooden box towards Moriya, who was closest.

''We're simple folk, but I ain't dumb'', he spoke with a hushed voice, an effort to keep his wife and children from the details. ''Those.. THINGS.. they showed after we- after we found this. It's.. I dunno what it is.. b-but if it can help..''
[17:17] Satisfied with the outcome thus far, now that they were as safe as they could be from the flames, Moriya took a brief moment to glance from family member to family member - they all seemed in good shape, he thought to himself. A flask of water was procured from the bottle, offered down to the children in particular, with a small, hidden smile beneath his mask, "Drink, hm? Then pass it to your parents," he urged, nodding.

Afterward, the Qilin straightened out to stand tall. Golden eyes peered towards the father, watching the burly man.

His attention drifted toward the object in particular - the smile he had quickly turned to frown. "...Eagleheart will need to inspect it, imediately," he whispered, just audible.
(Moriya Ukitake)
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[17:21] And when the young woman confirms everyone indeed made it out of the home, she starts to give way, adopting a more relaxed posture as she allows the earth that was supporting the home to effectively wither, weaken, and crack away. It left her exhausted for the moment; she felt something fighting against her magic, and it certainly wasn't gravity.

It was something wicked, something she couldn't quite put her finger on, though she recognized the sensation from when she first meditated on top of a particular mountain years ago.

Letting out a loud huff, she looks to her allies.

"Everyone out? Everyone safe? That... was harder than I expected. I felt somethin'... wrong with that fire, if ya catch my meanin'. It definitely isn't natural fire or... normal fire magic for that matter."
(Mei Xiang)
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[17:21] Tiff releases her focus upon her vines once the family is out safely. She settles back near her friends and brings the volume down a bit on her sound magic. Though the father is able to speak, the fae brings her attention to the children, continuing to play some soft music in the air meant to soothe their worries and distract them from the current nightmare that surrounds them all.

The fairy knew things wouldn't be the same for them, even long after today they'd remember whatever happened here, but the least she could do is offer some semblance of normality or benevolence that could help them move on from this.

Leaving Eagleheart and Moriya to handle the man, she flits closer to the kid as they drink their water. "Yeah drink up, you're safe now. See these guys? They're heroes and stuff, here to get you and your family out of here to somewhere better."

Despite her own internal sadness at the scene of the village, Tiff put on a brave smile for the kids.
(Tiff)
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[17:24] Eagleheart softly landed upon the ground. There was an advanced camp that they made through the last few days, where they kept most of the supplies that they had before getting to the village -- After all, they couldn't have done the entire travel on an empty stomach. He'd guide them to it later, however-- For now, he grabbed a flask of water almost at the same time that Moriya did, offering it to the other child.

The voice echoed around, still calm and soothing. However, to speak to children... He had to do something different. A hand moved to remove the mask from his face, revealing a faint smile. Blind eyes seemed to almost stare blankly at them, as he crouched. "Drink this. Everything will be alright, soon."

A sigh, before he rose up to his feet yet again. Without so much as facing it directly, Eagleheart took the box in his hands. "I'll see what this is about. But this... Chaos magi. I can feel it. Whatever did this had it leaking to their very essence."

A sigh, before he started taking steps away from the group, in order to open the box. Whatever it was, if it was corrupted-- He'd do better to spare the kids and the others from the suffering that there could be emitted from its magical aura.
(Eagleheart)
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[17:35] {NARRATION} With two flasks offered to both the children, the older boy first saw to it that his sister would drink it, aiding her in the process. A thankful smile spread across his lips, his face still wet from the tears; in his own way, the kid was trying to be strong, though more likely than not he was only able to maintain such a calm outlook due to the sound magic spread from the close fae. The flasks would be spread over to the rest of the family, each of them drinking until it was empty.

''Yer from- Huangzhou.. right?'', the man asked the Magi, taking a better look at them now that things were a little more calm. ''Is it.. safe? Can we go there?''

Within the box, Eagleheart wouldn't find anything corrupted-- not even magical. It looked like an ordinary item, in fact; a ceramics urn. Its details, however, is what stood out.

Depicted on the urn, he would first see a dark grey-haired male kitsune, grinning, and instead of eyes, he had two dark holes; swords were aimed all around the kitsune, but their blades were all rusted.

Following that, he could see a monochromatically pale woman, with long, pitch black hair. She was alone, standing amidst withered plants and rotten food.

Beside that, a man; he was kneeling, his face not showing, with bright silvery armor and the Eye of Kraus depicted on his chestplate. Right beside this figure, however, was the very same man, but in a darker tone; his armour was now dark grey, with no symbol in it, under the moon. In this second depiction, he was standing, and instead of a face, there were only shadows.

Within the urn, he would see a small parchment. It looked old, and a little scorched, but the handwritten contents were still readable,


''The Vidharatti. Thrice cursed on the path:

Cypher is in thrall of iron. Chill and dark of eye.

Pale Alhanna lives in nothing but decay. She brings the blight.

Last there is the lord of the three: Fallen. Hated. Hopeless. Sleepless. Sane. Stormwind bears the shadow's hame.''
[17:38] "As safe as these lands can be," the Qilin murmured to the man, "South of here- I suggest you gather what you have left and head there. We welcome refugees."

Moriya's focus drifted over to Eagleheart, soon afterward... Curious, no doubt, golden eyes peering through the gaps in his fox mask, watching. It was difficult to make out the image from his position, but he looked on in the background nonetheless.

"Anything interesting...?"
(Moriya Ukitake)
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[17:39] Tiff settles upon Mei's shoulder as the children are taken care of and the family told to head towards the safety of Huangzhou. The fairy looks to Eagleheart as he examines the urn, awaiting to see what he might have to say given the artifact's significance.
(Tiff)
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[17:39] Mei Xiang watches Eagleheart curiously.

Nothing seemed to happen, so perhaps it was safe? She walked forward, intending to close the distance between herself and him.
(Mei Xiang)
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[17:51] A ceramics urn, with a male kitsune grinning. Two dark holes... The image itself was far more disturbing than he thought it would be originally, and for sure, the images meant something. Rusted swords pointing to him... The symbolism of it was obviously far from what he thought to be. The colors, however, go over his head mostly.

The other two images are obviously related to what happened in this place. The woman was related to the plague-like effect that they had seen spreading through the farm fields of the town, as well as the rotten bodies.

And the man... An Eye of Kraus. A krausite, apparently corrupted by the moon, or whatever he could feel to be it. This one had a tremendous effect in him-- Even if the others couldn't see, he was shaken by it. The very symbols upon that remembered him of someone. Of himself.

Yet, Moriya's question was answered with a slight nod. He gestured for the Qilin to come closer. "It's an urn. It stores... Something, or the remains of someone. It's likely important to them." And then, he opened the urn, seeing the small parchment.

Of course, he couldn't do anything with that. The parchment was offered towards the three. "Please, read." He spoke. Obviously... Even if he was able to see shapes and energies at times, he couldn't see the letters written upon the parchment.
(Eagleheart)
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[17:55] Already near Eagleheart, she positions herself near his side to closely examine the urn and parchment.

"The Vidharatti? Thrice cursed on the path, uh...

...Cypher is in thrall of iron, chill and dark of eye. Pale Alhanna lives in nothing but decay, she brings the blight, 'n um, last there's the lord of three, he's fallen, hated, hopeless, sleepless, 'n sane. Stormwind bears the shadow's name."
(Mei Xiang)
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[17:59] "Stormwind." He mutters, lowly. His eyes seem to drop slightly, as he shakes his head from side to side. He lets out a huff, and starts whispering lowly.

"Reminds me of myself. Look." He speaks, turning the third imagery, of a kneeled man to Mei. That image... It cursed him. The moon at one, and yet... Eagleheart was still one to find the night so often comforting, even if the day was equally received by him. These both were the same-- He only knew the stars were up there.

To worship his own star, a cosmic magi. The similarity was terrible. Yet, he had a question for the group. "Where did you find this?", he asked to the head of the family.
(Eagleheart)
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[17:59] A curious hum exhales out against his metal mask as he takes in the foreboding images, peaking forwad some with a slight lean forward.

Admittedly, Moriya wasn't particularly sure what to make of this. "I wonder why this of all things drew in an attack," he murmured with quiet uncertainty.
(Moriya Ukitake)
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[18:08] {NARRATION} ''T'was one of our hunters'', the man spoke in hushed tones, reaching closer to the Magi so that they could all hear, though his family wouldn't. ''Bit aways to the east, he said, top of a hill. T'was dug up, he said. See-- I didn't.. ask for more, I ain't meddlin' with this stuff. He thought t'was pretty, though.''

Taking a deep breath, the man reached closer to his family, with a worried gaze.

''Thank much'', the man nods at the group, his gaze shifting back towards his family.''That's them, y'know'', he gulped, his gaze shifting to the urn on Eagleheart's hands and making an idle gesture at the depicted figures. ''That's them. The.. things that.. attacked.''

''Ye folk look strong, but'', he paused, averting his gaze. ''Look-- I'm just sayin', them things aren't normal. I'm gettin' my family down south, to Huangzhou.''
[18:15] He seemed to face the man for a briefest second, before he nodded towards the man. "Do that. Follow the trail we made, it'll be laid with torches and a path carved through the woods. Free of lesser demons. Still..." He removed Sky Piercer from his back, before it floated away towards the man, staying in front of him.

"You won't need it for the travel, but take it nonetheless. Might be good for catching food." Of course, he knew that the man could indeed need the mythril sword to fend off any demons that roamed in their way. "Be quiet, and move only during the day."

A few tips, but things that he had learned during his time. Perhaps he valued more the travelling only during the day rule due to the fact that it was warmer, and more comfortable for those that could see, he figured.

Yet, the man quicklydonned on his mask. "We're going east, then. Top of a hill. If they came here after someone dragged this, they might be attracted to it... Or they might be just searching to deliver something to someone who stole from them, something of the like."

"I have no idea what motivated the attack." He spoke, and after a deep breath, the cosmic glimmer emitted against himself was strengthened slightly. He spoke out again, a more hushed tone this time around, specifically for this group as they probably gathered closer to him. "Angels protect us."

It was, almost, a small prayer. Or perhaps it was indeed that. A plead for help. After all, he was pretty sure the group was solid... But if they were able of doing this much harm, he couldn't afford to risk the same happening to the ones that came with him.
(Eagleheart)
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[18:20] "We'll find whoever did this; ya don't need to worry about us or nothin'. Please be safe, 'n stick to the path like Eagleheart said."

A quick bow is offered their way before she focuses back onto her friends, having nothing to say just yet.
(Mei Xiang)
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[18:21] There was no disagreement to voice here - they had a path ahead of them now, and it was time to follow through with that. While they might have been late in reaching this now desolate place, Moriya would at least hold the knowledge in his heart that they had saved the family from the flames, and that'd put an extra bounce in his step, the courage he needed to march on.

"So many lives were taken. For the spirits of the dead and their honor, we can't let these-" Creatures. Madmen. Monsters, "-we must act, yes."

(Moriya Ukitake)
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[18:21] Tiff flits to Mei's shoulder as Eagleheart and the man speak. The talk of these raiders or hunters is nothing less than intimidating, especially given the fact that they're all standing amongst the work of the villains here in this ruined village.

When her mentor dons his mask and makes for the hills, Tiff adjusts her own helm atop her head and waves back at the kids before preparing to follow after him. While Eagleheart may be praying to his angels, Tiff is also hoping for some sort of miracle in order to face whatever evil the hunters wielded.
(Tiff)
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[18:25] {NARRATION} ''Thank. Emperor protect ye folk'', the man said with a grateful bow to the group of Magi, reaching for the Sky Piercer. Regardless of whether he would need it or not, just to have it seems to have made the man feel better; gathering his family, he proceeded with them to the south, through the bloodied roads.

With nobody else within that house and the others already crumbling, there wasn't a single living person through this area. As they walked further into the village, they could see that the destruction would 'branch out'; through the coastline, most of the houses were destroyed by sheer, blunt force, with the bodies butchered by a bladed weapon-- here's where the ripplings of Chaos were the strongest, its tiny shatterings having eaten away through many villagers, fueled by a tangible hatred. Forward, the floor was plagued, with plants withered as well as the corpses, the houses already crumbled, wood rotten to the core. To the east, deeper into the nearby woods and towards the mentioned hill where the urn was found was the trail of that destructive fire, with bodies burned and houses still ablaze-- the fire slowly spreading to the trees as well.

They could follow to the hill, as originally planned, or take a different route.
[18:30] "Three paths," Moriya murmured, taking in the devastation with a hidden frown, "Should we head to the hill...or?" His golden eyes searched around him, hesitant - daylight would only last for so long, "...The hill is probably the safest bet."
(Moriya Ukitake)
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[18:30] Soon after the family departs, the mere nature of the place settles upon her again. She initially felt somewhat hopeless in her endeavors; stumbling upon a village that seemed to be filled with corpses would certainly make someone feel as if they failed to help. Luckily, there was still a single family left, a group of people that they could save.

So with that in mind, she walked with her group, pausing when they came upon three roads.

"The hill," she answered firmly.
(Mei Xiang)
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[18:35] "They spread out." Eagleheart spoke, before a faint thrum of the ground echoed away from him. He would search for anything that would be needed-- And hoped that the fire would bring itself to control instead of spreading closer to the woods of Huangzhou. After all... There were no more people to help in this very village.

"We have to go to the hill. Forward, it's... Alhanna. The plague one. However, if we can force the fire one to emit a signal to the other ones... We might be able to fight them, three against two." Yet, he knew that there were risks. What if they spotted them up there? They'd be in disadvantage, even if little. These were powerful magi...

... He knew better than to underestimate them. And he knew better than to just stand around and accepting his fate. Up on the hill, he'd have a better spot. He could see the environment, he could gaze to the stars and ask for their help.

He could, more than anything, scare all three of them into something better than hunting around for people. He could force them to flee and hide.
(Eagleheart)
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[18:44] {NARRATION} Headed to the east, they'd find most of the corpses burned, as well as the houses ablaze; a strange thing, however, is that the corpses of children, specifically those around ten years old, weren't burned-- they were butchered, and some of their body parts were missing. An arm from one, a leg from another-- even a face, completely skinned.

As they proceeded towards the hill, they'd find themselves off Nishibori, and there was no more fire or corpses. That destruction seems to have been contained specifically for the village, so the path ahead was clear, through the woods; it was very unlikely that the fire would spread this far out.

As they walked through the woods, they found, at the base of the hill, what looked like an undead. It was barely distinguishable as a person; rotten, the 'base body' used was that of a child-- around the same age as those butchered, back in the village-- but a few 'enhancements'. Arms were stitched to the body, in different skin colours, but they didn't look entirely functional; this undead seemed like a failed experiment of sorts, but later turned into a weapon. A mindless soldier. Its body had several stitched from the rot, with a malformed head, in its two arms that were actually functional, there were claws instead of hands.

As soon as the group came to its sight, the undead raised its eyes to them, snarling and slowly walking forward, towards them, raising its claws. It didn't seem to have much of a mind on its own... and was probably eft there as a diversion. To stall them. Whatever their goal, it seems the Vidharatti knew they were being followed.
[18:50] Tiff is horrified by the sight. The fae who hadn't seen this much widespread violence since the hunt and slaughter of her own kind on a continent far away was reeling from the blood and gore. Even with her music keeping her mind calm in during the previous event, seeing this-- this thing right before her that was so obviously a grizzly and terrible experiment gone wrong made Tiff sick to her stomach.

Her sound magic that had been playing as they walked breaks out of tune as her orange eye settles on it and Tiff is face to face with one of those enemies she's been told so much about. An undead with the body parts of children, torn from innocent victims and stitched together here to face them.

In all her sorrow and rage at the creator of such an abomination, Tiff's hands begin to spark with holy lightning and vines coil up from the ground. This thing shouldn't exist.

Those bodies should have been buried.

Those children should be alive.

She's absolutely trembling in the air, her emotions at the sight of the undead, butchered thing causing the fairy to shake with an overwhelming desire to right this wrong as best she can.
(Tiff)
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[18:52] How unfoatunate and utterly disturbing - to take pieces of children and graft them together like this to form a horror. Moriya frowned and closed his eyes in a brief prayer, then stared forward - steeling his expresson, there was only one choice to make. And that was to put this poor thing to rest, to give them the mercy of the slumber that was stolen from them by necromancy.


It was just a single undead.

The danger was minimal at bst.

A shimmer of holy magic lit in his palm, and his hand formed a fist - the light would soon be wielded to remove them from their path.
(Moriya Ukitake)
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[18:54] It seemed that the carnage never ended.

They really did make sure to slaughter every inch of the village, didn't they? The strewn corpses of mutilated children caught the swordwoman's eyes; while it might have caused a lesser individual to lose their lunch, Mei Xiang simply gazed upon them with a grave expression and a pale face. It was all that she could do when gazing upon it; crying or screaming would do nothing to help.

It was a shame, really. These images would likely haunt her for a good portion of her life, but at the same time, it was a sort of twisted drive; she had to fight for good if she didn't want things to happen like this.

So she would walk, until stumbling upon something even more grotesque.

A walking corpse.
A walking child corpse? That's what it seemed like; Mei Xiang didn't linger on what it was for too long, she only knew that whatever it was had to stop walking immediately.

A hand goes to her blade handle, and with a slight tug, she brandishes a part of the metal.
(Mei Xiang)
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[18:57] One of his concerns were taken care of. The fire was contained, even if it was contained to the village and its surroundings. The visage of the children's bodies was a shock to him, for sure, but there wasn't anything that he could do besides think of what did it.

Whatever was it, they didn't deserve his pity. They didn't deserve any kind of opportunity for redemption that he so often considered for others. It didn't motivate him to see the bodies, but it certainly made him sure that he needed to go through this.

It was a horrendous trouble that he had to go through. At least... He had brought others with him. Yet, each body that they found in the way, Eagleheart's feet tapped against the floor, and soon enough they fell into a small hole. A faint image of a stone cross was left imprinted on the floor, transformed with brimming cosmic energy.

It was the least he could provide. Makeshift burial rites, made in a hurry. If he could, he'd gather the corpses and bury every single one of them... But there was no time for this. He'd emit the order for someone to do so once they were back at Huangzhou.

And yet, he felt the chaotic essence of the childlike undead. The hammer was slowly removed from his back, as the aura of Order spread around him. He did not see a child-- He did not see it. The sheer chaotic power that emanated from the undead was enough to stop him from feeling its forms.

All he knew was that there was something there. Yet, a faint image slowly forms within his mind... And the realization that it is the body of a child brings him to hesitate. Not for long, however, as soon enough the grasp on the hammer strengthens.

"We need to be quick."
(Eagleheart)
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[19:04] A second after his palm opened, the flash of holy light ignited around Szlachta - and it became clear that this was an ordinary undead, sewed together as a mindless puppet to delay them, perhaps. Or anger them. "I'll scout on ahead," he murmurs quietly, heading up the hill and beyond Szlachta with the wind at his back.

He wasn't needed here.

Perhaps he'd find something more interesting elsewhere.
(Moriya Ukitake)
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[19:04] Eagleheart says, "... Go with him, Tiff and Mei. I'll finish this."
[19:04] Mei Xiang says, "...mgh."
[19:05] Tiff says, "..."
[19:05] Mei sheathes her blade and runs along.
(Mei Xiang)
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[19:06] Tiff could barely stand to look at the child, and though her vines and sound magic did their duty against the undead enemy, it was clear this was a bit much for Tiff. Not the difficulty in the actual fight, but having to face off against something so... grotesque. As Eagleheart gave the order to follow Moriya, the fairy nodded, lingering only a tiny bit to see the child, or children, once more. Tears began to well up in her eyes for what had happened to them, but she knew her mentor would do what she couldn't in this instance, and so she zoomed after the qilin, not wanting to waste another second near this thing.
(Tiff)
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[19:16] Eagleheart's fight against the infant-looking undead goes the way he predicted, or thought would be. It was no more than a common undead, meant to do nothing but to shock them. And in fact, it was something that they were able to do. For most, at least.

But he had the same distinction that Moriya had when seeing them. It wasn't a child, but merely an abomination picked from different parts and raised from the dead. The strikes of the hammer kept the claws away, even if they managed to hurt at the armor, opening small rifts in the mythril chest.

Yet, it was nothing but the light from the stars which fueled him. Possessed with cosmic energy, Eagleheart clashed against the undead in melee combat, a salvo of hits hitting each other, but one final punch, packing cosmic energy, met the undead's face.

He was left breathing heavily as the undead exploded in blood and gore, its insides exposed by the brutal strike. Yet, there was no redemption to the undead. Unfortunately, that was nothing more than a soul afflicted by a curse that was likely out of their control...

... And as such, Eagleheart stepped on the undead's body as it likely still fought with him, even if headless. Cosmic energy fueled a blast of holy magic towards the undead, forcing the body to vaporize under his feet.

There was no forgiveness to those wicked enough. He could only hope that the others wouldn't be in dire trouble while he was away-- It was something he couldn't ever forgive himself for.
(Eagleheart)
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[19:29] {NARRATION} While Eagleheart and the undead clashed, the rest of the Magi went up ahead of the hill. It was a steep climb, and the more they proceeded forward, they'd feel the strong ripplings of chaos through the air-- a tangible presence weighing the air. Halfway through, they could feel this presence puncturing through reality-- a spell being used, though they couldn't know what it was, without a visual confirmation.

At this point, Eagleheart had already defeated the undead, the mutated creature in a child's corpse vaporized-- the Order Magi's guess was correct in the regard that the undead still seemed to struggle, no matter how many body parts were cut through or otherwise exploded. The failed experiment was ferocious and aggressive, though its body gave up easily, presumably due to the rot. He could trail along to follow them, though it'd be a bit until he'd catch up.

Next to the top of the hill, the group of three Magi would see blood-- lots of it. Though there were no corpses nearby, there was so much blood that the soil didn't fully absorb it, and reaching the top, they'd be standing in a literal pool which covered the entirety of the hill-- and at the top, amidst trees and holes, a single kitsune.

The male kitsune had dark grey hair, wearing dark clothes. He seemed to be examining a sword, having just picked it up; though it looked like he was capable of sight, as he turned the sword around over his hands, they could see that, instead of eyes, stood two completely dark holes. It wasn't simply that the eyeballs weren't present, but more like every bit of nearby light was sucked out by them, leaving only blots of darkness in display.

A weary sigh, yet an unsurprised one, came off the kitsune; while he was examining the bastard sword, the metal very rapidly begun to rust away-- in a matter of seconds, the blade was all but useless, just a piece of rust. At first, he didn't seem to have noticed the group, until a glow of runes came underneath both Moriya and Tiff-- a trap of sorts, likely left by the kitsune himself, as this made him raise his blot of darkness for eyes towards them.

''Well, I'll be damned'', he remarked at their sight, surprisingly calm. Cold. While the runes glew underneath the fae and the Qilin the blood beneath rushed upwards, to hold them in place; slowly, the sticky substance would begin to infiltrate through their bodies-- while at the same time, the kitsune turned around, his hand lifting. Energies of Chaos were sensed coming from him, piercing a hole through reality as a portal began to spawn.

Mei had a choice. She could leave Moriya and Tiff to their fates - and likely death - and engage the kitsune..

..or she could get them away from the circle of runes beneath, saving them, but let the kitsune escape.

Whatever decision, it had to be made fast.
[19:38] While the prospect of not helping slay the beast resembling a child troubled her, she focused her mind on more pressing matters: finding whatever caused this in the first place. It wasn't long until she and her friends stumbled upon a crimson lake.

Literally, it was blood; the putrid stench of iron violated her nostrils, but alas, she noticed a figure, a kitsune.

The kitsune? Indeed it was, with eyes as black as the void. It was truly a haunting sight, but as she went to draw her blade, suddenly, blood erupts and intended to ensnare both of her allies. She had a choice of either saving her friends or going after an individual she didn't even know the slightest about.

...

Of course she chooses her friends.

"EAGLEHEART! We- we found 'em, but- ngh!" She groaned and growled as she immediately went to work, one of her hands hardening into stone so she could strike at the hardening blood that threatened to first ensnare Tiff; she was a fae, and those creatures were fragile, after all.

She would try any means to free her, even momentarily assessing the rune to see if it could be dispelled.
(Mei Xiang)
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[19:40] Tiff's eye goes wide as blood coils out from the runes beneath her and snatches the fairy into its clutches. She struggles briefly, holy lightning zapping within the crimson, but she can feel it getting tighter and tighter. As Mei approaches, Tiff seems to calm slightly, but having sights set on the kitsune as well as the horror he had created within the area, it was difficult to completely relax to make her escape and rescue easier.
(Tiff)
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[19:45] A similar scent to before, without the fog of smoke and fire - this was blood, human blood. An overwhelming amount. And at the peak of it all was a kitsune who was no doubt behind much of the atrocities they had witnessed today, "...Your eyes," Moriya whispered, in a tone that was perhaps sympathy.

The eyes were the gateway to the soul.

And there were only voidless holes in the man's.

There wasn't the time to think about those details hoowever when the runic trap was sprung up beneeath him, trapping him as warm crimson moved upwards, almost liek glue. Out of sheer reflex, a pulse of wind magic moved out from Moriya and his palms jolted with - trying to free himself - or at least delay the suffocing trap of blood magic.

"Destroy- the runes," he urged, knowing there wasn't much time. He'd take a slam of Eagleheart's axe to the ground over despelling.
(Moriya Ukitake)
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[19:54] {NARRATION} As Mei rushed towards the fairy, the kitsune's portal was complete-- a hole which pierced through the lifestream itself, more a wound inflicted through space than a proper portal. ''Indeed'', the kitsune gave a very short reply to Moriya before raising two fingers to his lips-- echoing the sound of a sharp whistle, which spread through those woods-- and stepping through the portal. It closed behind him.

In the meantime, Mei had been keeping the blood from rushing inside the fae, examining the runes. Fortunately, they were not so deep into complexity, and as a competent runescribe, she would be able to dispel them; this was likely a makeshift trap, thought upon on the spot.

Though to think of the intricate designs of runes on the spot spoke much for the kitsune's intelligence and creativity, as depraved or lacking morals as he was.

As she managed to free Tiff, dispelling the circle of runes underneath, Moriya had been struggling with his holy winds to keep it at bay. Some of the blood managed to get through, and in a blink, it was set on fire, burning part of his circuits from within, pain rushing through his body. That trap was relentless in its attempts and, as bad as the pain was, if not for his holy winds, the injury would've been much worse.

While Eagleheart arrived to this scene, they'd hear, from afar, the flapping of wings, along with a distant roar; loud enough that its echo made the ground itself shake, the trees trembling as some leaves fell over the flood. Some sort of creature was near... probably called by that whistle.
[20:00] As quick as he reacted to the gushing, suffocating blood magic, Moriya was unfortunately unable to direct his magic down toward the shining glyphs beneath him - all he could do was keep the trap at bay, but the sting of chaos energy slipped in nonetheless, and there's a shrill that erupts from his shaking lips when he feels that pain.

His eyes round out, as wide as could be.

"Destroy. The runes," he urges, gritting his teeth - there was no time to be fancy here. There was no need for it.
(Moriya Ukitake)
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[20:04] Though her brute force tactics worked with keeping the blood at bay, it wouldn't provide what they needed to actually escape, so with great reluctance, she actually stops banging on the hardening blood and looks to the rune.

She realizes it wasn't all that complex, merely made up on the spot it seemed. A wave of relief washed over her, mixing with the feeling of dread already present in her person; all she had to do now was break them, so she did.

A bright, blue light emitted from Mei's finger as she quickly burned a runic shape directly onto the rune that entrapped Tiff. After flowing her mana into it, the trap would fizzle and fade, rendering the trap useless.

Shortly after this, she bounds over to Moriya, getting down to repeat the same process of dispelling the trap.

"A-Are ya okay?! Eagleheart! He's gettin' away!"

Her mind was all over the place.
(Mei Xiang)
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[20:07] Tiff rushes back to her human's shoulder as the blood releases her. The fairy clings to the side of Mei's face, gripping some strands of hair as she continues shaking. She buries her face in it as she tries to regain any semblance of courage or determination to push forward.

The fairy didn't even seem to notice how the kitsune had escaped, nor Moriya's injuries as the runes actually got to him.

"I-- this-- M-Mei--"
(Tiff)
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[20:18] Eagleheart arrived to what he would think of as a horrible scenario. He expected them to be forward, but still... He wanted for himself to have them coming first before he could get there... But nevertheless, he would simply make a faint step on the ground. It would shake, ripping itself apart until they hit the runes.

Yet, there was a more important focus on his part now. The screaming... Whatever it was, was coming for them. Yet, he held the hammer tightly. "We'll get him another day, Mei." Was the only response he would give them so far.

He seemed to stare upwards, and then, a sigh. The orderly aura seemed to spread on the surrounding environment, yet it was mildly stronger. The cosmic energy within him rippled stronger than ever, as he waited for whatever would come.

"We have bigger fish to fry. Steel your hearts..." He spoke. There was a lack of words, and a lack of what he could say in the end with that. After all...

Desperation didn't fit him, at all. And this moment was no different.
(Eagleheart)
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[20:26] {NARRATION} Mei was able to dispel the runes under Moriya's body before they could inflict even more harm upon the Qilin-- though the ripples of chaos, that taint, would still be felt from within him. Through those, he even managed to get a glimpse over the kitsune's mind, if a brief one; insanity fueled him. A cold view to the world, with a complete lack of morals-- truly, his soul was just a void blot, just as his eyes were. His experiments were a means to an end, something he desperately needed to do, and though Moriya wouldn't know why, he knew that the kitsune didn't spare a single thought to whatever bodies were dropped in pursuit of his goal.

As Eagleheart had arrived to the scene, that tremble got even worse, now along with the stentch of rotten eggs-- and over the trees, the sight of an otherwise majestic dragon flew well over them, before it hovered just in front of the group of Magi. The creature had several spots of rot; not just a dragon, but also an undead.

This dragon was of the jianghese variant, and the sound which could previously be mistaken as wings were its enormous body snaking its way through the sky. Solid were eyes were set upon the group by the creature-- but they had a distinct glint of intelligence to them..
[20:40] The dragon snaked its way from above, it's length likely stretching further than a small village would, but as if folded along with itself, a smaller - but not less imposing - form of itself made present above the group.

Its mouth, filled with sword long sharp teeth first made it's sound, as it's maws opened themselves into a loud roaring which would echo through the scenery, coming along with the foul scent of death from the interior of it's body, like an abandoned tomb have just been opened and the air of two hundred years was left and blew towards those present.

However, initially, the rotting dragon didn't show much signs of aggression. Hostility was present, imminent even considering the bestial form of that majestic being which now have been reduced to it's former decaying glory. The once red and golden leather now had the color of a decomposing body, parts of it's length were missing, showing an entirely grey and blackened sets of bones and rotting flesh under it's body.

The eyes of the dragon were, initially, empty roles filled with a still cracking blue flame in the shape of a pair of orbes, but as soon as the beast came to approach it's face to the four of them, the flames stalled as if frozen, twirling itself into a literal sphere and becoming what could be described as a pair of crystals. Alive.

"Fools. You...Fool wanderers and travellERSAAARH the voice of the dragon's came, at every single word which came out of it's gigantic mouth, a greater deal of suffering could be felt. Using words, or even moving it's body at this current state seemed to cause that beast a greater pain it was willing to take. Still, the dragon was forcing itself to speak. Clinging to whatever corner of sanity it had, and the struggler would be evident to anyone listening to that. "You...You don't know who you are dealing with. You will be forgotten...Erased from the face of Agartha and the pages of it's history. Like I have been..."

The dragon said, and at the end of each word it's face moved, to one side, and eventually to another, dancing like a serpentine in the air. But that wasn't natural. The movements, the dance, seemed cracked and twisted, as if at every single word the dragon was using would be taking part of who it was, it's soul trying to escape, or perhaps, that was just it's mind fighting off the reasoning within it's head.

There was suffering right there.

"Your fate will not be worse than MY OWNNNRRGGHHH...But you will meet a foul end if you trace the road you are on. No one who knows them lives. No one who knows them exist. You...WILL STOP EXISTING AS WELL.

Vohzd said, or rather struggled along the words to say that with a tone thatsounded more like a benevolent warning while being tainted and restrained by the corruption within itself. Groans and roars of it's most bestial and monstrous nature were eventually cracking along it's voice as if every moment passing, the sheer willpower of that dragon was being put to test. As if every word, every sentence it said was about the be the last one within it's fragile and volatile rotten mind of existance.
(Vohzd)
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[20:43] * You have been awarded 3 Roleplay Points! *
[20:45]

I wonder why this of all things drew in an attack," he murmured with quiet uncertainty.

A gasp exhales against his mask as Mei frees him from the binding runes, and the surge of heat that ran against his magical circuits calms in that moment. He staggered forward some, shoulders buckling and fingers drift up toward his chest, feeling that thrumming heartbeat race away faster than any horse in the wild. "-Ah," murmuring, the Qilin tried to regain himself. Whatever just happened seemed to have given him insight into the kitsune's mind...

Their emotions. The disaster. The horror.

"-Thank you, Mei...I'm fine enough," he says, quiet and brief, as he straightens out and regains some composure, "We need to. Stop that man - that..." No, they weren't human. They were something else. "No matter what."

As Moriya spoke, there was the quaking tremble that seemed to strengthen with every word - until the talons of the rotting dragon made its presence clear, stomping toward the group with the rotting snarls erupting from its throat, spreading its decay. The Qilin turned to face the creature, immediately lifting up his staff in defense - despite the strain on his body - the holy glow shimmered in a protective orb around him, as the dragon's flaming blue eyes strared down at them.

The words were foreboding, certainly.

But fear wasn't something they could give in to.

"Do not worry. I have seen their soul. You will rest now, and we will put an end to the madness."


(Moriya Ukitake)
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[20:46] A gasp exhales against his mask as Mei frees him from the binding runes, and the surge of heat that ran against his magical circuits calms in that moment. He staggered forward some, shoulders buckling and fingers drift up toward his chest, feeling that thrumming heartbeat race away faster than any horse in the wild. "-Ah," murmuring, the Qilin tried to regain himself. Whatever just happened seemed to have given him insight into the kitsune's mind...

Their emotions. The disaster. The horror.

"-Thank you, Mei...I'm fine enough," he says, quiet and brief, as he straightens out and regains some composure, "We need to. Stop that man - that..." No, they weren't human. They were something else. "No matter what."

As Moriya spoke, there was the quaking tremble that seemed to strengthen with every word - until the talons of the rotting dragon made its presence clear, stomping toward the group with the rotting snarls erupting from its throat, spreading its decay. The Qilin turned to face the creature, immediately lifting up his staff in defense - despite the strain on his body - the holy glow shimmered in a protective orb around him, as the dragon's flaming blue eyes strared down at them.
(Moriya Ukitake)
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[20:46] Moriya Ukitake says, "Do not worry. I have seen their soul. You will rest now, and we will put an end to the madness"
[20:51] Shortly after her friends are freed, she takes notice of the terrible vibrations that were being emitted from somewhere. Was something coming? The kitsune whistled before he departed and that was only something someone did if they wished to summon something, so Mei Xiang glanced around with a vigilant gaze, trying to spot something, anything that could possibly be the source of the-

But then it comes into view.

From the skies came a dragon; while the sight alone would have been enough to both amaze and terrify Mei Xiang at the same time, she immediately noticed that something was wrong with it, not only from the sight, but from the smell.

The horrid stench of rot and pestilence violated her nostrils. Such a thing had to be brain dead, right? But no, it began to speak to them, warning them of a fate quite possibly worse than death. Mei began to wonder what could have possibly caused such a creature to fall into a state, but then her mind drifted backto one thing.

Survival.
They were going to have to fight to leave this place, she was certain of it, so sideglancing her small friend, she spoke in a hushed and almost shaky tone.

"T-Tiff, Tiff, you can't- we can't... be scared right now, 'cause we need to fight, ya understand? We gotta fight for our own survival, and for the sake of all those people in the village. We're heroes, remember? We can't be scared 'n do nothin', 'cause nobody will if we don't."
(Mei Xiang)
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[20:54] Mei's words echo through the fairy's mind as she continues trembling near her friend. To say the heartache of all they had seen thus far was affecting the fae would be an understatement. The hurt and horror that the village had been subject to is something Tiff would never truly be able to forget. And yet, as Mei speaks, it reminds Tiff of why she is here. Not just in this place, but in Agartha at all, the fairy had come to stand against corruption and evil, to fight and help heal the world that chaos and its wretched allies would harm.

Tiff sticks to Mei's shoulder and turns to look up at the once majestic creature. Much like her own kind, she knew dragons to be something of rarity and near myth, and to be face to face with one now would have normally been an awe inspiring scene.

Yet this was just...

Sad.

It was suffering, that much was obvious, corruption leaking through its body and even into the pain that bled through its voice as it tried to warn them. The fairy's empathy brought in some of the creature's pain, the same sort of pain she knew Agartha felt, the same sort of pain she wanted so badly to help heal and mend. The dragon, a servant and once purely living creation and aspect of the Lifestream was now nothing more than a saddened puppet, pushing against its masters to try to warn them.

Once Moriya raises his staff, Tiff rises into the air herself, a steady, tragic melody following her. Holy lightning once more illuminates itself at the end of her fingers in popping arc while pink light floods the fae's form with her racial talents.

"I'm sorry for what has happ- happened to you..." she starts sadly, her orange eye still wet with tears. Her voice is shaky but Tiff takes in a breath before confidently speaking once again. "But we will stop them-- we'll stop all of them. Your suffering and the suffering of so many it, it's what we're fighting to end. Someone should have been there for you before... you became...

This."

Tiff looks to her friend and then bows her head sadly toward the dragon. "We're here for you now... we will remember you."
(Tiff)
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[20:58] He knew that there was something terrible coming. Something... Wicked. "We will stop them in due time, Moriya. They're fleeing. It means they won't stop to deal as much suffering as before." Of course, he knew that there was the likelihood that he was simply mistaken on this.

It was terrible to see this imagery, to say the least. He was not familiar with the Shenlong dragons, or with the vast mythology of Sheng and whatever it could come with. Likewise... He wasn't one to shy away in the face of fear.

The dragon was certainly an imposing sight. One thing that he could not understand how they managed to rise from the dead -- Yet he knew why. It was, obviously, far too powerful, and the very chaotic essence of it clashed against Eagleheart's own orderly aura...

But nevertheless, the crusader stood fast. He took a few steps ahead of the group, he stared towards the dragon. Or, at least, the mask allowed him to emit that sensation -- That he was indeed staring towards the ancient undead.

Its suffering was obvious. "We will put an end to this suffering, friend. Their reign of terror is coming to an end." Empty words, perhaps worthless to them. He knew that their mind was fleeting, that their consciousness and good will was ever waning.

And yet, he knew for a fact he would die trying to do what he spoke. Now that he had seen it first hand, he knew... They were a far greater risk than most other sects and organizations would be.

Yet, he senses the unease in his apprentices words. He turns his head slightly to each one of them, before the Orderly aura wraps around them, like a warm blanket in a cold night.

"Fear is normal, Mei. Courage is learning how to go on even though you're scared. I trust you." Of course... This could probably revealmuch more than what they would ever know. He wasn't actually fearless-- He simply never showed it, because no matter how much fear he found himself in...

... He'd always continue on. His voice echoed again as his face shifted back towards the dragon, this time filled with confidence. "Trust in me."
(Eagleheart)
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[21:13] The beast continued to float, to curl itself into a snaking form, constantly flowing its rotting length and body in the air as if a cloud made of purple decay of flesh and leather formed above the group. However, its face approached them. Closely. Dangerously close, but still, no signs of violence just yet.

"You...Will remember me...?" the dragon askes as it's enormous head was just a few meters away from the group. It was big enough to be comparable to a two store building, larger if one took in account the broken bone-like horns on top of it's head. "They forgotten me. They. He. He will make you all be forgotten like I have been, like all have been. Erased, vanished from life, vanished from history, VANISHED FROM EXISTANCE."

Vohzd said as the voice coming from it's mouth once again roared itself into that bestial and gruesome chiming of a monster. It was a struggle to be using words, and from it's nostrils the group could feel the unnaturally cold, freezing and burning heat from blue flames. The dragon seemed to be burning from it's inside, after all.

"I was once known as Qinglóng; I remember...I remember the first. The first of you, Emperor's Children." the he said as apparently those burning flames focused themselves on Moriya for a moment, but the eyes were too large to be noticeable if they could actually gaze upon someone in particular. "All- ALL OF THOSE WHO CROSSES THEIR PATH ARE ERASED. THEY WILL NOT LET YOU BE REMEMBERED...TH-THEYRRRRGHGH"

Dragon once again roared, and the shakingly body of that gigantic beast moved again, the face away from the group as it floated higher in the air, extending most of it's snake-like rotting form as if it was trying to impose itself, readying for something.

"There is a reason no one knows of them. All who do, are dead. All who sees them are blind, all who hears them are deaf. No history, no legacy. NO NOTHING." the beast said, and if it could breath, it would be already panting, the air escaping it's dead and broken lungs, and at each breathing it made, more and more of that foul blue flame escaped it's mouth and eyes, to the point it became something constant. "Remember me, FORGET ME, BUT LIVE OR LEAVE. I AM NO LONGER QINGLONG, I AM VOHZD OF THE CYPHER, NOT A SHENLONG, BUT A MISERABLE TOOL OF HISGGAHSHSAAAAHHH"

With one final roar the saddened dragon lifted it's head in the air, and from every single rotten hole of it's body they all could see the blue flames running through and out, even it's eyes and mouth became sources from that gigantic pile of fire being thrown into the air. Whatever piece of conscience from that beast was struggling itself to keep intact, but apparently, that was a losing battle.

The Dragon's eyes finally stalled themselves. The crystal like orbes cracked, and from its cracks the fire started to come out, vividly and wildly as the beast twirled itself in the air urging the final words before it took a deep, aggressive dive upon and above the group.

"CHILDREN OF THE EMPEROR, KILL ME OR BE FORGOTTEN FROM THE HISTORY OF AGARTHA AND LIFE ITSELF!!!"
(Vohzd)
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[21:19] "Do not forget who you were," Moriya urged, hand on his arcanium staff - gripping the smooth, black contours of the weapon with a firm hold as they prepared for battle. "If you do...You'll stain your soul. Remember all of the good when you leave this world, so you can return again with your spirit renewed."

The time for talking was over, however.

A whorl of silver wind twisted aroud Moriya, lifting up his inky black hair against the fox-mask. While, perhaps the rift mage had escaped them, there was a duty here today.
(Moriya Ukitake)
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[21:20] "Then we will remember Qinglóng. And Vohzd the tool will be forgotten once we defeat them as well."

Though her voice still shaky, the sound magic around the fae gives in to a certain bravado that bolsters her confidence and determination. With more lightning dancing around her body as Tiff becomes the embodiment of a natural storm, she prepares herself to show mercy unto the corrupted creature by giving him the rest he deserved.
(Tiff)
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[21:22] By now, Mei Xiang and fully drawn her blood, brandishing the weapon and holding it upright while she adopted that usual, wide legged stance.

"Qinglong... Qinglong, none of us will be forgotten here today." She nodsat Tiff's words; she couldn't sum it up better. "...I only wish that we coulda seen ya before this happened. I hope ya have a better time in the next world."

She steels her gaze and locks onto the dragon.

It was time for action.
(Mei Xiang)
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[21:23] He hated it. He hated every sensation he got from it, every sentiment that the dragon got killed and raise from the dead like that, as a tool for others. That they forced the dragon's soul back from the dead to simply do that.

It was wicked, to say the least. To a mind like his, most maleficent deeds were far unnecessary and a stretch of common human logic, something that he could never truly understand as to why someone would do it. He could never understand what would make someone force a living creature to come back from the dead.

"There is a problem there. You said that any who see them are blind, or deaf... What if I already am one of those?" He spoke, although it was clear that the voice which reverberated from the same spots his orderly aura's soothing chimes did was obviously seeing its emotion leaked.

"I have been blind all my life. To me, they are nothingmore than horrible errors in mankind. We will put you to rest, Vohzd. You know it is our only way that we can continue with this." But then, he knew that there was more that he wanted to speak. Oh, how there was. He was silent through most of this, and during the fight, he'd also grow extremely silent -- Most fighters in Agartha were extremely talkative during these situations, but Eagleheart was just the opposite.

"You still remember yourself. We will deliver your soul to the lifestream before it is too late. But if he commands you, then he can probably hear me..." And then, he moved the hammer to hold it with both hands. The man's mask faced straight towards the dragon's gigantic irises.

"I have done what many thought impossible. I see what cannot be seen. I sometimes hear what cannot be heard. And if you say they are undefeatable... Then I shall defeat them."
(Eagleheart)
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[21:26]
{LOAD GAME}

[21:27] Mei Xiang says, "now that everyone is gone"
[21:27] Tiff says, "wtf mei"
[21:27] Mei Xiang says, "."
[21:33] As soon as the creature's maul tore open and those devasting blue flames erupted out, Moriya swerved forward in turn - one palm opened up and strange, worm-like tendrils of etheral blue emerged from his skin, as his essence stretched forward.

Absorbing the mana - and redirecting it back toward its host.


"Illuminate the dark," he whispered, "And set them free."

The battle was on.
Flashes of holy magic shimmered around him, braving the occultic fire.
(Moriya Ukitake)
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[21:34] Tiff zips into the fray, commanding vines to coil around the beast's legs while throwing out illusions to assault its already labored senses. While its eyes are blinded, Tiff throws out her cacophony of sound to drown out the roaring shadowflames that surge toward the fairy and her allies.

While sensing the dragon's pain still, Tiff knew its rest is the only thing that would ever bring it peace, and so she kept up the fight.
(Tiff)
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[21:35] Meanwhile, Mei didn't have such spectacular means of combatting the dragon.

Really, all she had was her sword, her magic, and her wit. She weaved out of the way of what she could, occasionally letting out blasts of holy earth to help root the dragon in position so that they could all effectively strike. Dragon skin was difficult to pierce, however, so it took great effort to deal some damage to the beast.

Nonetheless, she persisted!
(Mei Xiang)
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[21:35] The fight continued off. It was obvious that the four people were having their own amount of trouble with the shenlong dragon... But it didn't matter.

A cosmic shimmer followed him around, with the orderly aura guiding every single step that he took. The hammer's strikes were certain, aiming straight for the dragon's head, shoving him from side to side with needed haste.

But he knew that there was no other way to deal with this other than simply putting it to rest. Yet, as the fight went on, occasional bursts of cosmic energy followed his strikes, sometimes as some kind of phantom force that persisted.

His glimmer was a mix of holy and cosmic auras, obviously... Trying to call the attention onto himself, perhaps?
(Eagleheart)
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[21:39] The attacks from the group did what it was meant to, and perhaps, achieved what they didn't.

Each attack from the magi seemed to decay the Dragon's body even further. Leather falling from it's length, the teeth cracking and decaying, to the point that was suddenly looking more like a gigantic pile of bones with the bare minimum of leather and meat in between the cracks, engulfed in the flames of the depth.

The more it lost it's body, the more the mind was also leaving it's current form, giving in and being completely lost to the undead madness that chained the dragon to the Cypher's will.

Still, at a final attempt to stop and halt the group and in the unconscious hope of it's own death, the now lich dragon took another dive against them, but instead of a bite, a torrent of flames came from it's boney mouth, scorching the land all the way towards the group once more.
(Vohzd)
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[21:52] There was an obvious effort put on this fight. The dragon was a fearsome opponent, but luckily, Eagleheart was able to avoid most of the strikes -- It seemed that his diversion in its focus worked, at least partially. Vohzd would remain focusing on one of the other group members, but it didn't matter who it was-- Eagleheart threw himself in front of the many strikes that he could, often forcing the magic to be deflected by his own overpowering cosmic essence.

Yet, there was a fatal exchange of blows. In the middle of it, the dragon, while still flying, was surprised by a leap from Eagleheart. The order magi pushed himself around the air by forcing the air around him to shove him to the sides, and soon enough, landed on top of the wyrmlike creature.

Holding fast to the scales, the crusader grit his teeth and started wrecking whatever destruction he could in the path he traversed at the creature's body. Rising from the middle of its body and holding tight, the height seemed to only amplify his own powers.

"You will be put to rest... You will." He spoke, in a hushed tone, quickly making way to the dragon's head -- Scales being thrown off by the magi's severe strikes on its body, aiming to simply weaken the dragon as to drive it closer to the ground.

And upon reaching the creature's head, Eagleheart sat down on its neck. Legs holding tightly to the sides, scales dug into his thighs and calf, but soon enough, the man rose the hammer high to the sky while the dragon moved about in the air.

A beam of cosmic energy was called down from the stars, turning the hammer to a yellow color. It was nothing but a singular strike that came afterwards, onto the dragon's head. An explosion of yellowish energy soared through the skies, a small mess of blood and gore resulting from the massive powers of the strike given by the cosmic magi.

It was aiming to bethe final strike, but as the dragon fell, Eagleheart delivered more strikes of the cosmic-charged hammer to force it to finally die. When its head finally exploded, thrown out by the sheer counterforce of his own last strike, Eagleheart was thrown to the ground, hitting it way faster than the dragon, forming a small crater around himself.
(Eagleheart)
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[22:10] {NARRATION} Vohzd had been defeated, its head exploded by Eagleheart-- free to pass on, its soul freed to become Qinlong once more. There was no trace of Cypher, who had gone through the rift created; however, in the rush to escape, much of his belongings were left behind-- the sword he had been examining, which rusted away due to his touch, as well as a rucksack. Within, they could see the glint of arcanium, as well as a heavy coin pouch and a small handbook.

From the top of the hill, the group of Magi could overlook the rest of the village. Aside from the family they had rescued, everything else had been destroyed, everyone else killed-- and according to the dragon, all because they found that urn. An urn that, more likely than not, no one even understood its meaning.

Between climbing uphill, the fight with the child undead and Qinlong, the rest of the Vidharatti were certainly gone. However, unlike before, they now had a lead-- their appearance and that parchment, which spoke some about them. ''Cypher is in thrall of iron'', the handwritten words said, and the rusty sword proved that to be true-- they now had solid leads how to track them down. No longer a need to go in blindly.

For now, however.. there wasn't much else they could do about the group.