[18:43] {NARRATION} "... I can not leave this isle. I am eternally bound here and here alone."

Much as the spirits around them, each were ravaged by some kind of emotions holding them back or instilled within them to have them act in such a manner. Waiting upon the other edge of the pond as a brow visibly rose with each attempting to so brazenly cross the river.

"Though, I don't think a group foolish enough to underestimate the spirits of my creator could do anything about my situation."

Just as he said such a single massive hand would reach from this lake, Thera being the first grasped as her massive axe was pulled beneath the lake alongside this spectral woman.

For every second she existed beneath such, she could see a blurred and young face resurrecting spirits by the hundreds. Her mind slowly being warped as their screams filled him with ecstasy, just as the spirits she was being instilled with emotions meant only to cause further turmoil. [First Injury, temp, 1 day.]

Noel had not found himself quite as lucky. Where his wife had been submerged the spirits had wanted nothing to do with this man, quickly flung across this river right into the wall of this cavern besides the wandering spirit.

The audible sound of bones breaking and cracking as he made contact, a small indent in the wall being left from the overwhelming force he had been flung. [First Injury, Temp, 4 days.]

Calael would soon find himself just as unlucky as the last. One arm with speed unlike any other grasping the back of this mans head, slammed face first into the water as those memories would flood his mind as well.

Different, however... Far more sad. Spirits who had hoped to once again see their families, to say goodbye being trapped beneath this lake as those closest to them would soon be submerged. Death following, as life was snuffed out and they joined this collective mass of spirits. [Temp, 1 day.]

Elayna... Was the luckiest of them all. Arms passing through this woman or narrowly being avoided by her as they sought to drag this fellow spirit beneath the waters with them.

All as that ethereal man stood upon the other end of this lake, watching them all struggle to reach him.
[18:47] ** Wandering Spirit has inflicted an injury upon Noel Elisheva. ("Broken Bones", "The audible sound of bones breaking and cracking as he made contact, a small indent in the wall being left from the overwhelming force he had been flung. [First Injury, Temp, 4 days.]", "Temporary", "Duration: Medium (4 days)") **
[18:52] "Unfortunate, ri--"

He continued to speak under his breath as Thera and the spirit conversed and Elayna voiced her concerns. Noel responded to his brother's mutterings and before Calael could say something back his head was grabbed and dunked into the spirits' water. Memories filled his mind, breaking his mental fortitude that was needed to brave such environments.

Calael opened his mouth to yell out, to breathe, before he realized he shouldn't, and it snapped back shut. The demiangle's light that bound him to Io was all that could be seen of him should he completely submerge, and with desperate beats of his wings he struggled to come back up, if at all possible.
(Calael Elisheva)
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[18:53] {NARRATION} (You can fluff escape their grasp and making it to the other side too, btw)
[18:54] And it worked!

Sort of.

Calael would only manage to make it back by the grace of those divine wings keeping him aloft and capable of reaching the other side. His will power had taken a mighty blow, however, and the normally staunch and stoic Elisheva found himself shivering once he set foot on the opposite end.
(Calael Elisheva)
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[18:56] "...spirits aren't meant to be slaves, you-" As the axe is grasped, her words are cut short, as she's pulled into the depths of this lake of spirits.

The world around her fades, as her mind is filled with visions of that past.

Hundreds of spirits called upon by a single young man can be witnessed. Their screams, make her want to join in. As the ghost opera reaches it's crescendo of agony, she struggles to break free. Exorcist energies come forth, aiming to soothe the spirit around her, as well as ease her own addled mind.

"..god. Dammit."

She can feel the disturbance from two ends, as what is normally a vice grip on Shai loosens.

Where the grip on Shai fades, the grip on her axe tightens, forcing both angered spirits to break free from the lake-

Flying in the direction of the spirit. Whatever she intended to do is paused, as she looks upon Noel, rushing to his side to make sure that the man isn't too terribly injured.


(Thera Elisheva)
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[18:56] They had been far too nonchalant about the encounter.

The spirit wasn't simply guiding them to their destination - it was dragging them through danger and trials to see if they were even fit to make it to his creator.

Noel braces himself to the best of his ability for what is to come, but there was no way to anticipate that this would come next. Slamming into the wall with a loud crack, the man involuntarily lets out a pained grunt as at least two of his ribs are shattered upon collision. Nothing he couldn't handle, but at the same time?

It hurt like a bitch.

He eventually pushes himself out of the wall and glides forward to the other side of the lake, wincing as he does so. They were in for a wild ride.

He prepares to tell the others to show caution, then realizes that most of them had been affected already.
(Noel Elisheva)
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[19:00] She would cry out as they all seemed to have stupidly fallen into whatever trap this was. Thera and Calael pulled under, Noel flung into the far wall. The other Spirits seemed incapable of touching her nearly, whether it be from her own kindred nature, or some other reason she managed to not e grabbed.

Oh no... they were.. enslaved so many.. so much pain.

As she moves to the other side she begins to literally glow with the strength of her faith, her desire to free those here.

As she reaches the other side... like with Sophia but on a much larger scale a pulse is released from her. A wave of her raw holy mana, carrying with it the sense of one feeling.

Peace

Even if only for a moment, she hoped to give them some sort of release. A way to remember that there is something more than the centuries they had been trapped here.

She makes it to the other side somehow unscathed to check on the others, healing magic at the ready before moving on.

She looks to their guide,

"Please.. you have been here so long.. let us at least try.."

Hopefully he felt some of her magic also.
(Elayna)
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[19:08] {NARRATION} The pain of each spirit had been felt by him like a wave of emotions as each only narrowly made it to the other side of this expansive lake. Watching in silence as Thera rush to the side of Noel, as Calael scramble with those images of pain still displayed freshly in his mind.

All for some undead killer which had given his very life for endless amounts of power.

"You have given me no reason to allow you that trial, young spirit. At the very least, not yet."

His words spoken as those holy energies wrapped around him, those which sought to soothe the emotions of this spirit in turmoil doing nothing.

With a wave of his hand, they dispersed in a single second.

"I'm sure you all hate me by now, don't you? You hate that I didn't stop those spirits from harming you. You hate that I rushed you forwards, when your spiritmancer here could of easily calmed them."

Shaking his head from side to side, once again this ethereal figure would begin to move forwards.

"I wasn't always like this."

His words a distant echo now, those stones no longer threatening to fall from the roof above upon this group.

Giving them only a second of breath, before they inevitably needed to continue forwards.
[19:13] She was stilly crying.. she had failed to pierce his pain.. so show him. It had worked on Oscuri… doing nothing to the centuries of compounding emotion he bore.

"I don't hate you... I want to help you."

Her glow doesn't fade, though she turns to Noel to check him for injuries... the wall was definitely damaged.. she wasn't sure if Demi-Angels were more dense than humans.. but judging by the way he looked she assumed he was.

She walks to him and will treat his injuries if allowed.
(Elayna)
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[19:15] Cal shuddered again underneath the weight of the memories of the dead. The spirit was right in saying he felt some anger toward him after the ordeal. Had things not been intentionally falling apart from ceiling for floor, had they been given a moment of respite where Thera could have calmed the lake of ghosts to the point where they wouldn't reach out and trip them up then they might still be unharmed.

But Calael could feel their pain alongside his own frustration, and if it was the spirit's goal to make them hate, he would be sorely mistaken when it came to the demiangel. Calael couldn't hate, not truly, but he could pity and sympathize. Elayna and Thera wanted to help their guide, and even with an underlying temper of the average pyromancer, Calael wasn't going to mess that up.

Alone with those shadowy thoughts he tried to keep up, a little more pale while their influence wrapped around him.
(Calael Elisheva)
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[19:16] "Yeah. Hate is a very strong word, usually reserved for ones far more malicious than you." Noel manages to get his line out before a bit of blood comes from a forced cough, one of his broken ribs pressing against his lungs as Thera and Elayna make their way over to him.

He aims to stand on his own with a smile after, a hand wiping away the crimson and lifting up a portion of his shirt for Elayna to check on his wounds after, if she still desired to do so.

The Elisheva was never one to turn away help.

"You weren't always like this, you said. And you don't have to be forever. Let us help."

God, ribcages hurt when broken.
(Noel Elisheva)
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[19:22] "Calm them, at the risk of Noel and Cal being crushed by boulders?" Thera states, once she's sure Noel is capable of moving on his own. "..and calming this many spirits is no easy task. Don't act like I can wave my hand, and make them know joy. I'm no god."

Thera spits, angry, and annoyed.

"Hold on." She states, once the stones stop shaking, making her way towards the lake. Close enough to see the spirits clearly, yet not close enough for their hands to reach.

"Elayna, heal Noel, while I grant them some semblance of peace."

She rubs her temples, groaning as she attempts to find some sort of serenity.

This fails, so she proceeds anyways.

Exorcist mana flares from two sources, and several golden glyphs appear upon the lake. Drawing upon the powers of her blessing, she sends a wave of calming, cleansing light across the lake. There is no feasible means to contract with this many spirits, but at the very least?

She could do this.

Sharp nails dig into her palms, breaking the skin, purposely drawing blood. Hand flung, she purposely slings several droplets of lifeblood into the spirit cairn, aiming to put an end to their suffering with her sacrifice.

This isn't her preferred method, but she didn't have time to do things her way.
(Thera Elisheva)
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[19:23] The Sprit lays gentle hands on Noel, barely touching. Her holy mana pours into him.. sensing for breaks, ruptures, the like. Finding all that was broken from the impact.

The mana begins to ease the pain, concentrated in those areas. With precise pushes from the outside and the aid of her magic on the inside the bones pop back into place and reconnect.

Her remaining mana brushes back through his entire body, healing any remaining bruises or scratches. Before it was all said and done he was back to as good as new. Likely better than before they came.
(Elayna)
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[19:24] {NARRATION} Blood...

Thera had spilled her blood, for these spirits.

Tossed upon these spirits their screams and agonizing pain would fade in a matter of moments. Doubts casted upon their minds being given peace as this lake would fall silent after a couple of mere seconds...

That seemed a lot easier than crossing it.