Dragon

Land of Karchan

Coldridge 2022 - The Din of Chaos 6


Marceline is getting frustrated, and it shows. She entirely missed her first intended strike, so she reverts to a wider target. Hanging back while Thaeloc and Qog make their attempts, as she doesn?t want to get in the way or hinder them, she leaps forward again afterwards and aims for Cohas?s middle. With an entire torso to grab onto, hopefully at least she can taste blood. Meanwhile, little Mera finds her way to Haunt Zoe and the big kitty. She offers up her bottle of spirit water, too, in case the red potion wasn?t enough to help the older haunt get back to fighting fit.

Cahya is relieved that Haunt Zoe is healed and of the living again, as far as feelings go anyhow. He gently settles her down to regain herself, then straightens to his feet. Mera is offered a smile of thanks, though he steps in front of the little one and Haunt Zoe, then trains the bow and arrow in Cohas - this arrow aimed right for the spirit's chest. Keeping the bow steady, he charges it up for the hit. Eyes following his comrades, ears trained on the little one and the healer. Each accounted for. The pain of those burns throb and ache in his skin, but the cat perseveres.

Xaria feels something around her that drops the temperature in her space a few degrees, no longer stifling. She goes from pale and almost lifeless to gasping and clutching at Cahya with an intense fear that she's not shown before. When she realizes what he's done, she hugs him tightly and tries to regain her sense of self. "Thank you," she whispers, rising again. She sees the others in their fight against Cohas as her strength returns, and she is suddenly filled with a certain resolve. After gently guiding Mera back to a safe space, the haunt slowly walks to the bottle of the stairs. She scans the others to see who is in the most need of healing, then she fires up her powers and attempts to draw life force out of Cohas and turn it into healing power for both Nerene and Thaeloc. It would take his essence, weakening him in an attack and using his own power to heal his adversaries. She can't think of a way more to attack Cohas that is more fitting.

Nerene is flung full on toward the pit, just able to turn so that it's her left side which smacks against the stone edge. This pain had been expected, so there's a soft cry of pain, the volume controlled to be normal and not a paralytic pitch. While stunned just long enough to disappear from view, the Paladin reappears, still cloaked in flame that runs unceasingly along her skin without damaging it or her hair. Once finally well above the chasm again, the fire coating her wings is redirected toward her left hand, to craft a pernach that gets a testing swing. To this she nods in a satisfied way while the healing energies embrace her again, easing the steady pain, before circling above Cohas, waiting for a prime opportune moment to rush down. With the multi-direction attack serving as distraction, down Nerene soars, even more of the blaze altered as the clubbed weapon is swung. Mid-course, is thins and stretches into a whip, the length of this seeking to find purchase with her foe's neck with the intention of adding insult to injury. The moment she does, there's a retreat so that if the Paladin's aim was true, the spirit will find himself choking and in pain from the burns. It's vicious, but she frankly does not care, and wants to humiliate as well as hurt him.

Cohas watches as he harms both Nerene and Thaeloc, but he doesn't bask in the accomplishment for long. He's trying his best to move and keep out of harm's way, but Thaeloc is fast approaching along with his spirit bear. He holds a hand up in an attempt to keep them both at bay, but he is finally not fast enough, and Thaeloc's broken bottle carves into the being's knee in a manner that will definitely slow him down. He is furious at this new turn of events, black blood trailing down his golden skin and pooling around his sandal. In response, his first instinct is to backhand Thaeloc with added telekinetic force, hoping to not only injure him, but shame him some in the process. Whether that hits or not, Qog is soon upon him, and he makes his attempt to quell the beast's life force with some of the divine power he's amassed. Nerene is narrowly evaded, as her ability to fly keeps her mostly visible in the glow around the altar. Following that, he rises and puts the altar between himself and the others, his knee a problem he doesn't have time or opportunity to immediately mend. It is this quick thinking that ensures Marceline is unable to attack him the first time. However, her second strike is more calculated as she aims for his torso, and the wound she deals him leaves him reeling and dripping black blood. He feels some kind of poison working through him now, and the spirit goes from being a creature of fire to sweating and looking ill as the haunt poison seems to do something unexpected to him. He attempts to move away and further up the second set of stairs, but due to his knee being injured, and now his torso on top of this new venom coursing through him, his movements are not as swift and spritely as they once were. He's actually a bit sluggish. He spies the portal he has at the top of the stairs and it seems as though he's attempting a getaway, with that portal as his destination.

Nerene looks only slightly disappointed by the 1/4th success rate thus far with harming Cohas, regardless of the one that connected having caused damage. Chiding herself for that brief lack of focus, it's back to the fight she goes mentally, noticing the aspiring god beginning a retreat and following his gaze toward the portal. Reacting to that, it's toward the same exit the Paladin now flies, landing in front of it while the fire slides off and reshapes into her doppleganger. A second after that, off it goes, darting back and forth around its target while she stands in front of the gateway. "See, told you. Afraid of us. Gotta go through me to escape, so try it." Motioning with her left hand, she now prepares for a rush, while the creation morphs and becomes a net that aims to pin Cohas down until he could destroy it.

Xaria continues doing what she can to drain Cohas' power, directing the power to Nerene and Thaeloc as healing energy in an attempt to get them sorted as soon as possible. She stays back though, remaining away from the frontlines to protect Mera and heal as needed from a distance. Fighting is not her forte, and she seems to do more damage than good when she tries, so she sticks with what she knows. And now that she realizes she can drain Cohas passively and use it to actively help the others? She continues with this course of action with helpful space between her and getting in the way of the others.

Cahya looses the charged arrow aimed for Cohas' chest, although it appears that Nerene has also pinned the would be deity - a charged arrow plus being prone, luck is not currently on the spirit's side. "For the Book Peddler," he says, watching the arrow fly. Still, he acts as a shield for Xaria and Mera. Xaria's hug still warms the Anthro, in a better way than their current sauna situation. The cat pants from the heat, hoping for a few laps of water after all of this is said and done.

Cohas answers Nerene's challenge with telepathy, still smiling. "Is it fear or selfish self-preservation? What about what I've done made you assume I had any honor?" The portal that swirls behind Nerene could lead anywhere, and the demonic spirit suddenly grows long, razor-sharp claws from his fingers that he fully intends on using to defend himself. However, Cohas did not expect a net, and gets unfortunately tangled in it. He slashes repeated times at it in an attempt to free himself, only to be kept in one place. He's quiet save for a few angry growls of frustration, and he comes to realize that this may truly be his end. "Do you think you can escape here by killing me?" He is about to speak further when Cahya lands the killing blow. The arrow meets Cohas' heart and his clawed fingers grasp at the arrow in seeming confusion before realization comes over him. This is the moment, so while most might fight and struggle in their last moments, he does not. He lies down calmly, smiles, closes his eyes, then evaporates into nothingness. The space rumbles and the portal that was once behind the altar is now shrinking. It pinches into nothingness, leaving the team captured in a space that looks ready to explode. Large boulders fall in front of the exit as well, impossible to move as the space slowly regains its earlier heat, becoming unbearably hot within a couple of minutes.

Marceline does not like this at all, and she looks around for Mera. In a leap that takes her all the way down the stairs, she rushes to the little girl?s side and inspects her before she starts looking around for an escape from the insanely hot room. It feels, to her, like they are about to be erupted right from the center of a volcano. That is not good for children, so she searches for a way to get out.

Thaeloc gives a brief cheer of victory as Cohan passes on until the portal popped out and the room started to crumble so he does what is best and books it. Running as fast as he can towards the exit.

Xaria looks at everything going on, and just as things start to feel bleak, her natural power flows back into her, specifically, her ties to the Spirit Realm that were tampered with when she arrived on Coldridge. She calls out to the group. "Follow me! Don't be afraid! I can get us out of here. Quick! Follow behind me!" As she says that, a sliver of of the galaxy seems to open up, showing a room comprised of what could be crystal, ice, or even starlight. She ushers everyone inside, and just as everything behind them comes crumbling down, Xaria closes up the portal and sits down, absolutely full of jitters. "To those of you unacquainted, you're in the Spirit Realm. Haunts have domminion here, under our Matriach Pela. Each haunt has something called spirit links, that ties us to different locations of our choosing. Places we've been before." The bedraggled haunt lays back and closes her eyes. "Any direction is safe except south. That will take you further into the Spirit Realm and may get you lost. All others should be fine. In the near future, I'm going back for the others that got lost along the way. I just need to regroup. This is where we part for now. I won't forget any of you." Xaria waits to see if anyone wants to say anything before disappearing in a random direction.

Nerene offers no words to Cohas, for she's noticed Cahya preparing an arrow that would hopefully finish the spirit off for good. When it does, there's a moment of relief, while she prepares to speak only to be cut off by the exit being buried by rocks. For a moment, there's a resignation as the flames she'd controlled are set free, vanishing into smoke. This changes with Zoe's proclamation, with the Haunt followed once she's ensured Mera was being escorted by her spectral bodyguard... provided nobody else has assisted already. Only after the explanation of where to go is given, and the farewell is made, Nerene offers only, "Hope you get back home safely, eventually," then picks a direction seemingly at random. With the choice, she then walks on, curious about where it'll put her.

Nerene also waves bye to Cahya and Marceline, saying it was fun battling alongside both of them.

Cahya feels the dread when the portal closes and rocks fall in front of the exit after Cohas' defeat...There is pride in the final blow, yet a feeling of woe at the same time. Were they destined to die here? Xaria has a plan and follows through, so he does as she says and follows the Haunt. The Spirit realm instantly cools his skin and burns, though they are still pained, at least the heat is not further adding to his pain. "Thank you, Haunt Zoe." Then a nod, "It was an honor to fight alongside you all..." Nerene is given a wave, the cat choosing a direction of his own. Though he turns to face Marceline and Mera, "Best of luck on your path, little one. Take care of your mother." Cue a smile. "Goodbye, everyone."

Cahya feels the dread when the portal closes and rocks fall in front of the exit after Cohas' defeat...There is pride in the final blow, yet a feeling of woe at the same time. Were they destined to die here? Xaria has a plan and follows through, so he does as she says and follows the Haunt. The Spirit realm instantly cools his skin and burns, though they are still pained, at least the heat is not further adding to his pain. "Thank you, Haunt Zoe." Then a nod, "It was an honor to fight alongside you all..." Nerene is given a wave, the cat choosing a direction of his own. Though he turns to face Marceline and Mera, "Best of luck on your path, little one. Take care of your mother." Cue a smile. "Goodbye, everyone."

Thaeloc gives the Dark creature the one finger salute as she leaves making sure when he gets home to document the attacks and abilities he saw here to the file.. He bids each of the others here a brief bow and a heartful thank you for the help. Looking at the bottle and the sword of silince and smirks talking to himself. "I got a few nice spots for you two."

Marceline looks around, almost as if in shock at the sudden change in scenery. This realm is not foreign to her, though it has certainly been a minute since her last visit. Mera, on the other hand, immediately cheers and hugs her mother?s neck. ?We are home!? She screams at the top of her little lungs. She then does what any kid would do upon arriving home and drops all of her crap on the floor with no regard to who may step on it or who has to clean it up. ?Come on, Mommy,? she says, and promptly leaves north - the one direction they aren?t supposed to go. Marceline leaps after her to retrieve the girl, which soon turns into an argument that the rest of the party can hear in fading echoes as they disappear into the spirit realm.

Last modified on September 5, 2023, 00:26:13