Evemek: Power Struggle

The dunes of the Sarab embraced one's vessel with their abrasive grains of the deteriorated masses centuries prior to any sentient fellow capable of bearing witness to what labyrinthine canyon once contorted passage betwixt the north and southern regions of Valmasia.

One felt their searing brush against skin and armour, enough to unpleasantly arouse one to consciousness.
Eyes peeked beyond fluttering lids, wincing at the blazing sun above. Alas, he had awoken... Though, as memories came flooding in, it was generous to presume he beared even the slightest of benevolence.

As the battle prior carried out, strikes upon his person had only activated the perpetuating cycle of Vengeance and Penance runes, empowering the raw execution of shadow's miasma enough to taint their battleground with irradiated soil, oozing of the duelists' mana: A primary cause for illusionary effects testing the minds of the unsuspecting in a state of fragility.

Evemek rose up to the looming masses abroad, seemingly an extension of his captor: The Harvestor, one he was less than pleased to see. The atmosphere was siphoned of its warmth, contradicting nature's typical intent for the region-- He made his reclaimed consciousness known. The Rune of Vengeance burned vibrant through the seems of his armour, only further festering the transmundanic arcane through what felt implied of an infinite source of Will-- Human Nature wouldn't allow surrender granted his confidence in stature.

" Taking advantage of a fluke?" He'd speak alloud, pushing himself upright. It'd take a moment's passing, but his body would grow aware of his diminished state: Battered from the previous encounter, he was far from top-notch shape... But was he as feeble as he was before? ... Was he soon to take upon hostilities again? ... Or, was this just a standoff.
(Evemek)

The eyes of the Kaor cut to the stirring entity. A leering grin arisen upon it's face. Fangs doth gleam in the sun. Slowly wandering over to rthe frame of Evemek. A gargantuan shadow overlaid his form. Blackness radiated. Smoggy darkness pulsating upon it's entity.Loosing a fant disgorgement of despair to be felt outwards.

Amidst the sheer sensation of crawling cold, the yokai let flow. Darkness wriggled into a malicious synergy with the lighning which crackled underneath. Ignoring the humidity of the Sarab. The Yokai lazily glanced upon Evemek's frame. A slow chuckle released from it's lips. Utterdark stained along it's purple frame. Horrendous aura manifesting as it looked upon him.

Mental voice crawling inwards into his mind without reservation."Silence. I'll not hear such a thought slither from thy mouth. I won by means acceptable to the situation. Hence it is not my frame in thy position. Yet such matters little at this moment." Crossing it's arms the Kaor fell silent. "No what matters is I have bested you. I have proven my claim as the strongest against you."

Quickly the Kaor rose a hand. As if to forestall any protest to it's claim. "With such, I think a magi of your calibre is useful. Thus I once more offer you a place within our organization. Should you choose to accept many doors may open for one of thy ability. /i'm sure I do not need to spell out what would happen should you refuse." The Kaor's mental presence stated.

(Kalerion, The Harvester)
The lumbering harbinger of the esoteric forces overshadowed his physical stature, albeit he stood unphased... With the exception of fatigue accumulated over the last bout. The rhetoric that condescended upon his person... That underestimated the prowess of the Occultist...

It'd only play-out as another peeve, reason enough to singe his body and soul true through the Rune of Vengaence. Malice was all that trekked through his mind, as any practitioner of the shadows would experience in their malleable stages-- However, this was voluntary.

Whilst some fell victim to the Darkness they'd wield, Evemek embraced it, festered it: A feat that he'd seek to set him apart from others of his ilk.
An order to silence? How much he prayed for an excuse to unveil wrath, and here it came before him once more.
"You speak so confidently..." He spoke in his defense, now standing upright.

"... You boast a false victory... " He claimed...
" For against me in remotely serious conflict, you'd stand, not a chance in Atmos."

It was a bold claim for a man, outnumbered and bludgeoned into a state of weakness... But could he prove it? Or was his body too sore and winded to back up his words?
(Evemek)
The Kaor grinned. Pearly whites glimmering. Eyes of red gazed upon Evemek. Upon it's frame doth further occultism churn. Ebbing without restraint. Searing cold chill enveloped the yokai. Only to flow forth upon skin, billowing like gust. Head trilting the Kaor breathed lightly. Vapor ridden breath emerging from it's maw.

Slowly it's mental awareness brushed upon Evemek. As it tensed, stature turning to rigidity. Compared to the ease it let loose. Angered eyes glared upon the form of Evemek. "You spout claims that would try another's tolerance. Come now, I am not alike my other kin. I cannot be goaded into another fight." The Kaor chided in mockery.

Red eyes simply watching Evemek in a brief state of amusement. "Truly I tell you. My confidence is only fair. I did achieve victory, no matter what methods you believe I utilized.  The only thing that matters is survival. No matter the method utilized to engineer it's facilitation. In our fight, my will to survive overwhelmed your need to enforce hegemony and falsely entitled superiority." Lightly raising it's hand. Finger's curled as lightning generated forth across the yokai's hand. Electrical heat forming to iodize nearby air into further heat.

Wiyth a snarl. The yokai's voice continued to speak.  "Your superiority is wrong if directed against me. It is a false perception about our roles. A false truth mired by the world and it's dilapated state, no the only thing that is true is that. I will achieve Divinity. I will breech beyond Perfection itself.. With the shining beacon of Penumbral's light being utilized. All shall trek into the fading darkness. It shall be harvested and given to me. Then I will seize this world in it's entierty. To destroy the false ones. With the Dreamer's aid."

The Kaor spoke mentally. Voicing it's ambitions somewhat. However mingling a bit of truth with lies to the others who believed in the dreamer. Of which the Kaor did not..merely seeking to utilize the group for it's own ends.

Lightning as directed outwards. Arc's of blue aimed to strike upon Evemek's frame. Current of electricity flaring, horrid blue being unleashed in his direction. Intent on bringing Evemek to his knees atop the sand. Somewhat angered by his arrogant demeanor.
(Kalerion, The Harvester)

There was a step towards Kalerion, however gravity dragged him down to a knee. Exhaustion was nigh the verge of prevailing over him, before he could even take upon the first strike.

The claim of superiority over his being...
The state of weakness compared to yet another advarsary is shown himself within...
--and finally, the climax to the predicament-- Fulmination animated from one's entity smiting upon the accursed mage, reverberating through armor and flesh in a paralyzing spell that'd gattle every nerve and muscle, He was a puppet, and the Kaor, a toying puppeteer, twitching and flinging his strings.

Lips gaped to make words, but only birthed the shuddering murmur of his voice, uttering a pitch incrementing syllable to agitate inviting ears. Though, midst all of his pain, the rune scribed upon his right arm only emanated stronger-- Its control over his emotion tightening, further compounding the vile manifestation that overflowed from within. Transmundanic power spilled over from its fleshy reservoir, visualized via a generated mauve miasma.

The urge to submission was overwhelmed, with the unrelenting Will to rise... To fight in defiance as human nature proved possible, time and time again...
"You think you're worthy of Divinity?!" He spat out in retort, forcing himself up from a knee to face Kalerion with a visage of searing fury.

"You couldn't fathom the works of such unimaginable power..."
An outreached arm spawned an opaque fog at his volition, molded into cylindrical shape to forge his favored four-pronged spear-staff, bladed at its end, and twisted by the ambiguious arcane at his disposal-- An... Illusion? One conducted with intent to imitate that of what was truly Divine.

"... Allow me to provide you with a glimpse..." He said, venom laced throughout his tone.
(Evemek)
Evemek fell to a knee. Exhaustion the bane of his entity momentarily. Without mercy doth the lightning strike upon his frame. Coursing throughout his entirety without restraint.

Ees of red glint, as they narrowed. Darkness sprawled upon its entity. Vile miasma churned, bringing with it the familiar sensation of everlooming cold. Coldness surged and reveberated from the Kaor's frame. Ebbing forward as darkness lashed out in a torrent of bleak desolace. Arising from leathery flesh, as the Kaor hissed. Lesser kin emerging from somewhere nearby.

Head tilting, the Kaor drank in the sight of eVemek's pained gasps. Revelling in the noise produced. A grin forming upon it's lips. Twisted mockery of a smile. Denoting amusement.

The Kaor gave Evemek a look. A flat stare, red eyes simply peering upon him. Silently gazing upon him without much being stated. The defiance shown, was worthless in the Kar's mind. A slight huff emerged. It's mental voice flowed. Uncaring for the angered tone flowing from Evemek's own lips.

"Worthy..no. I am the most unworthy thing in all of existance, so your race would claim. Yet that does not matter. I will seize divinity. I will possess it no matter the means it must be attained...nothing will stop me. Certainly not you. Yet I question why you resist my ambition. Surely you on some level desire it as well."

The Kaor mused to itself. Eyes gazing upon the conjuration of the staff. A thing of trickery perhaps? Shaking it's head, the Kaor refuted Evemek''s further statement. In an almost chiding manner. "Unfathomable power..something we both aspire to. Indeed, however your mockery..of such a concept is fake." The Kaor stated, tone flat and utterly hollow. Falling from it's previous chiding manner. Tensed and ready to spring into action.
(Kalerion, The Harvester)

A flash...
And the initial pillar of corrupt gleam ravaged across the sandy terrain: A horizontal scar across the horizon tainted of the esoteric powers, generated from the Kaor only to graze the evasive figure of Evemek-- Soon after taking to a full blown sprint along its utmost fringe. It was of deadly proximity, yet he skimed it defiantly, utilizing the very attack capable of vaporizing the fragile bodied as his visual cover.

With the dispersal of the beam, Kalerion was free to take gander of the magi-- Now standing point-blank before the Kaor, taunting him with his idle stance.
" You don't even know, what power is..."
There was a moment's hiatus, assuming assault did not immediately follow. With a strike sought out for his vessel on any varying degree, bodies of mass-- Whether of flesh or shadow, phased through his own, seemingly intangible to physical touch!

"Divinity is not an art..." He continued, raising a single arm for the heavens above. "An Art of True Gods..."
Akin to a beacon, eyes of the betrayed would perceive clouds crawling to meet one another above... The sun's light upon the scene would flutter to a close... An illusion, by magical definition casted upon all whom would feel his magical radiance. Albeit, this would be a power honed upon the Kaor in particular, thus leaving its effects upon those it did not strain upon, nigh optional.

From the centre of twisted clouds, flickered a lavender gleam: The fabrication of false reality, soon to rain down upon Kalerion as an extreme variant of what was demonstrated prior in their last match up.
Javelins of unnecessary length plummeted to the Sarabbean scene, skewering the center of palms with what could've been perceived as impeccable aim.

First, a duet to force arms outward and extended... And soon after, another duet  aimed behind the knees into the soils...
Followed by another duet, this time coming from opposing sides of the daemonic body across the torso. Each weapon, measuring beyond twelve feet in length to accommodate the yokai's bodily stature.

The end result: Kalerion, forced into a position of improvised crucifixion, upright before an idle Evemek. The eyes of the vengeful occultist, transcended from their cold brown, to a vibrant sanguine in reverence to the foremost memory of a parental figure, a faint silhouette to him now bearing the same malevolent gaze.
One that'd follow in the form he'd take next, reverting to an opaque mass of ebony; A body broke apart to forge a horde of ravens scattering abroad, soon encircling the Kaor whilst singing their cacophonous melody.

" I'm only getting warmed up..." Evemek's voice cooed out from the encompassing cyclone of illusionary avian terrors. The phantasmic bind that restrained the Harvestor was beginning to weaken, allowing him to break what compelled his mind to perceive entrapment into oblivion... But what was to overcome what surrounded him en mass?
Midst what took flight, was accompanying semblances of daemonic ilk, imitating that of ravens...
(Evemek)

The Kaor lashed out, a beam of nefarious make scarring into the Sarabbean landscape. A flaring ofd darkness surged upwards upon it's mass. Without hesitation, does the Kaor retaliate. Sending a beravement of occultism upon Evemek's frame.

The Kaor wassilent. Not bothing to refute his sentiments. Instead it was far more focused n the fight betwicxt the duo. An encompassement of fell mana twined forth. Shrouding the Kaor in despicable entropy.

"Divinity is mine. Divinity is power akin to the divine. Divinity is the power bequethed beyond even perfection itself. Nothing more, nothing les." The Kaor would state cutting off Evemek's speech. Only to be brought to a standstill. The illusatory grasp inducing falsehoods.

Twisted clouds illuminated a lavender beam. Javelines of a sort rained down from above. Impacting upon Kalerion without mercy. A falsely created Crucifixion. "Your will behold utter cold. You will be smothered in darkness. Forever shall the suns rays vanish. You are broken, you are tainted. May the light you fabricate fade in the perpetual state of utmost nothingness.."

From the Kaor' form darkness cascaded. Lightning crackled as with a shuddering boom. The Kaor unleashed malevolent force outwards. Pyre of utter night billowing outwards in corrosive taint.

Sheer cold flared momentarily carrying with it the lingering sensation of utter numb despair. Lightning fanned in a dirge of crackled noise. A white flash illuminating the area momentarily. As the Kaor breathed shattering the phantasmic grip upon it's entity.

As it simply stared at Evemek. Rage suffusing forth. A roar emerging from it's lips. As it spoke in a cal manner despite it's rage filled yell. "Accept defeat now... It is so much easier than what is to come..."
(Kalerion, The Harvester)

From the encircling masses, they'd dive in-- One by one, titanic ravens weaved down to badger the Kaor, pecking away at his eyes to obstruct his vision. Hardened beaks stabbed at Kalerion's eyes, viciously digging at them to finally blacken vision outright. Blindness by Conjuration: Temporal at best...

Their claws swiped across a superior Kaor's abdomen, slashing at flesh to taunt his swat, only to exchange spots for another vulnerable zone along his vessel. They accumulated in quantity, soon piling en mass upon the Harvester's vessel to slow movement.

"What defeat is there to accept?!" Evemek responded, volume risen slightly to imply his spite.
" Are you truly that blinded by your own Darkness?!" He exclaimed in query, "... Or do you fail to accept what is Divine."
He leaned forth to drop into a sprint, closing the distance between himself and a now-blinded Kalerion, only to inadvertantly fall victim to a roaring stream of the transmundane-- Erased.

It was almost instant...
Without warning, the pillar of pseudo-light consumed the Occultist's figure outright, transcending his image to naught but a fading silhuoette. It was almost too quick to be true...
Gone, in an instant.

The conjuration of daemonic monstrosities had faltered in the wake of this startling realization, following them in oblivion as the aftermath smoke cleared. Vision was soon to return to the Harvester, liberated from the foolery of the former magi...
Alas, he could lay his eyes upon a the remains that superceded the ashen powder and ash... Ribbons of his armor, having survived the blow; The stench of incinerated flesh, rotted to stature of irrecoverable.

This... Was defeat... What the death of yet another advarsary would feel like... A bitter-sweet sensation granted so much could've been attained in his life.
"If only it were that easy." spoke a familar voice from over yonder, beckoning Kalerion to turn in acknowledgement of the source.
"... If only you were able to see through what you called your own darkness, you'd find that there was so little within your actual control." He claimed, eyes still shifted to their magically intuned state.

"...Have you noticed anything... Different, yokai?" He quizzed of him..
"Look to your enviornment... To this battleground... Tell me, is it any bit of what we started within?"
A gander towards the world surrounding them would unveil what Evemek spoke of. Before the first blow was thrown, the mutated optics of this cultist ensnared his advarsary within this illusionary doppleganger of reality.

The skies above were of deep vermillion, and sands-- Unphased by all their conflict... Lacking dramatized alterations from what one started conflict within. It was a match, that played out only after their first bout... One, entirely within the Kaor's mind: A spell, delivered by Evemek's gifted eyes... Now, shedding a single tear of blood in their strain.

In reality, spectators found them both standing idle in a staredown... With Evemek, only now breaking his position to take to a casual approach.
"Tell me, at what point and time did you think you had the upper-hand?"
(Evemek)
The Kaor would chuckle. Would grin, flashing fangs. Red eyes filled with a sudden bout of glee. Though the fight had been mental, the Kaor swayed under the strain. Layers and layers of illusatory perceptions shifted. Being released fro it's frame. However they had been released from the Kaor's being. Vessel no longer strained under the oppressive yokai of false conceptualized viewances.

"Why now!" The Kaor stated, as it roared. Unleashing a devastating shockwave of occultic force outwards from it's frame. Darkness surged, rolling forth upon the desert sands. Billowing outwards with enough force to create a billowing sandstorm tainted with occultic entropy. Jutting rocks being flung throughout the environs the Kaor had briefly created by a forceful measure of released force.

Seizing the opportunity the Kaor unleashed a burst of occultism upon Evemek. Launching from outstretched ghand a purple beam filled with occultism. Careening the attack through the area towards Evemek's form. Roaring as lesser kin emerged from whence the hid.

Crawlling and scrabbling out of nearby sand. As they raced towards Evemek. Hissing madly in wanton need to feast upon his flesh. Without any shred of Hesitation and in a crackle of pale lightning. The Kaor sought to apear next to Evemek. Blade poised to swing upon him without mercy.
(Kalerion, The Harvester)

With the illusions dispatched, it was just a match between proclaimed masters of the infamous stygian artistry. Whilst Kalerion was gleeful, Evemek was furious-- Manipulated by the Wrath-enforcing rune. The crimson miasma intermingled with that of the contrasting Penance Rune, to forge a neutral violet.

It was a cyclic procedure that saw no end...
For the bout, which sparked via taunting one's tolerance had aroused him to anger. To rise to such, would only encourage the glyphs of malice... But to invoke harm upon others, would wrought pain upon the wielder of the penance rune; It was means of discouragement. Albeit, to one dabbling in an arcane empowered by their own hatred and malevolence, it was an infuriating gesture, further plunging them into the bottomless rabbit hole that was the shadows.

The session was forcing an already wounded body, well beyond their physical limitations and climbing to a bodily damning threshold. Slowly, one's own stress enabled the powers of his volition to whittle at his vitality, siphoning away at the very lifeforce that sustained it-- Not to keep burning, but to burn brighter. It was a toxic potency, but one generated for the simple sake of proving himself over his captor.

A shockwave reverberating across the scene from the Harvester taunted the arising of a parellel force, in the form of Evemek's replication of the endeavor-- Actively condoned to to match and repel the display, deflecting it outward towards any spectating audience abroad. The barrage of debris formed an admirable halo of dust around the duet-- However, it was only the prelude for what was soon to follow.

The final blow was to be taken, and it seemed as though Kalerion would waste no time in taking the opportunity for a match-deciding strike.
It was fabricated as a wall, prone to the willowy earth, set to scour the dunes in savage trek with the sole intent of taking down Evemek. To amass so much power, so quickly-- Having fired it so direct for the man without the slightest of deterence nor numbing of the magnitude, it was presumable: Perhaps, this time, the Kaor was aiming for the kill...

It was one of many, but granted the positioning and mood, what was left to fathom that he'd get to walk away from this without his life being forced on the line? An idle Evemek watched on in silence as the beam soared through the scape for him, slowly reeling his right arm back.
"... I see we've come to an impasse for conversation."

A whipped arm complemented the oncoming beam, illuminating the scene with an opaque glare of mauve from his own palm. A gargantuan mass of the transmundanic powers took to an abrupt clash that thundered across the heavens, scattering sand in an innumerable session of halos, each singing their own variant of a crescendoing hiss.

Midst the center, the powers would lock... Only to succumb to the accumulating powers from either side, and combust violently for both; It'd result in a blinding blank-white.... Then, shockwave as aftermath.
A miniature mushroom cloud plumed for the heavens... Followed by errie silence.

Lesser spawnlings of the eternal night lunged out for an unwary cultist, only to be intercepted by chimeras of the deep, rising from the dunes of the desert almost abruptly, seemingly random granted their timing, each protecting their summoner akin to a barrier courtesy of their surprising effectiveness.

Fatigue was getting to him... He lacked the energy to start this bout, and here he was, struggling to finish it. Illusions worked well thus far, but granted he fought now, physically, every magical cast greatly dampened his reserve further.
The cackle of fulmination herded Evemek's attention, earning a slight shift of his head, enough to capture Kalerion within his peripheal vision.

It was only a split second's notice, but enough to cast his illusionary spell unto the beast.
The blade's fringe would sink into his figure, through armor and flesh, effortlessly... Albeit, unnatural, as though all of aforementioned region was omit from reality... Because for the instant, one could believe the fallacy planted into their means of perception as reality in their endeavor.

Throughout the strike attempt, Evemek continued to pivot over, taking to a leap away... He needed some form of distance... Some means of rest... And thus, he faltered to a knee. He couldn't keep up in an actual fight like this... For the most part, this confrontation was over.
Panting was the sound off of his submission...

Though, should one had taken, even the slightest step in his direction to finish the job...
Speak the slightest syllable alloud, granted him in his state...
Take towards the preparation of even the most diminutive of spells...
He'd flicker his gander upward with ire without tantamount.

"Feel Atmos!" Through the willpower he beared in his vessel and every fibre in his being, he'd unleash the imitation of artistry he hadn't the slightest means of manipulation nor capability to wield. An intense glare transmitted the illusion into the mind of the beast... And to modern perception of all abroad, they'd meet the animated monstrosity subsumed midst a mastodon of seemingly inextinguishable pyre.

It was to incinerate at the flesh, just as it did the core... Honing its singing sensation, especially amongst the eyes and throat, aiming to incapacitate... Even if only temporary. It was all phantasmal... Thus, could not be sated by the artistry of true aquamancy. Truly, worthy of being claimed ultimate, via utilization of mankind's greatest weapon: The Willful Mind.
(Evemek)