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Post by GX1997 on Jun 16, 2015 23:05:41 GMT -6
While the behemoth was restrained Eden formulated a plan and put it into action. With the ice blade still drawn and in her left hand she raised high, curved walls of water and then froze them, encircling the behemoth that way and creating a bowl shaped barrier. Her next action was to create viscious spikes out of ice all along the inside of the barrier that would severely injure the behemoth if it slamed into them. Using the same method as before she boosted herself into the air and stood on the rim of the ice enclosure, where she then laid similar traps on the ground. All that remained to be seen was how she would use the things she had prepared. As the behemoth began to break free from Orion's trap she cast another spell which caused a massive amount of water to gather in the enclosure.
"Water Spirit's Deluge!"
Let it tire itself out fighting against the floodwaters as it's all it can do to stay afloat. Then I'll finish it off!
In order to see if her plan would work she held up her locket to gaze at the near future, and she seemed to be satisfied with the result. Eden began to prepare the last spell she would be able to cast with her remaining magic power, and motioned for Orion, who was standing outside of the barrier on the ground, to climb up and see what would happen. After he did so the behemoth's exhaustion was beginning to show, and so she cast her last spell.
"Fighting against such a volume of water is useless. Foul beast, you have brought your own doom upon yourself. Begone with this spell! Water Spirit's Rage!"
The waters summoned by her flood spell began to move, slowly at first, but with increasing speed and force in a circle, as a mighty whirlpool formed. The creature continued to struggle against the current, which only caused it to repeatedly be slammed into the spikes, which continued even after it was finally pulled below the surface thanks to her foresight in placing them on the bottom of the bowl as well. After seeing what appeared to be her victory Eden nearly crumpled to her knees and sat on the rim, watching the water below as it spun violently.
"If that thing isn't dead yet, I'm just going to stab it until it is."
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Post by Neo on Jun 16, 2015 23:31:48 GMT -6
Orion gave a light laugh as he knelt down beside her, gently placing his hand on her arm. "I know how you feel, Eden. But don't worry. I don't sense any life in it now. It's over. Do you still have enough Magic Power left to melt the ice?"
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Post by Golurkcanfly on Jun 16, 2015 23:40:19 GMT -6
Grigori sat on a rock just outside of the cave as he heard Shogun walk up behind him and sit with her back against him.
"So, you ready?" she mumbled to him inbetween taking bites out of a roll of bread. "It's almost time."
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Post by GX1997 on Jun 16, 2015 23:44:54 GMT -6
"Just barely. I'll work on that while you work on getting the blood, okay?" she said as she stood back up, ready to jump and slide down a section of the curved walls of ice where the spikes had all broken off in the whirlpool while the whirlpool itself was dispelled and was quickly vanishing.
Most of my work has already been done for me. Between what's left in the behemoth's corpse and what was ripped apart in the whirlpool there are basically no hazards left. All I have to do is melt the walls and get rid of the water made after that.
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Post by Neo on Jun 17, 2015 13:40:07 GMT -6
Orion nodded, and went to retrieve his sword, then slid down the ice wall into the bottom of the bowl. Most of the water had already vanished, leaving only small pools in the grass, which Orion simply stepped over. He approached the Behemoth's corpse and knelt down in front of its battered body. He said a quick prayer and apologized for taking its life, then looked over at Eden and grinned slightly.
"Your ingenuity is terrifying, milady. Remind me to stay on your good side."
He took his sword and made a small, but deep cut in the body and began draining the blood into the vials. He worked carefully to avoid spilling the blood on himself, though it was really only for appearances. He filled the remainder of his own emergency supply, then opened the new leather pack slung across his back and filled all of the vials he had bought in Ambrosia. When all was said and done, he had filled over fifty vials total with the Behemoth's blood. He carefully closed his pack and stood up, walking over to Eden, who had already finished melting the walls and draining the water while he was harvesting the blood.
"Are you alright?" He asks, the concern in his voice genuine. "No injuries? No toxic blood anywhere?"
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Post by GX1997 on Jun 17, 2015 13:57:11 GMT -6
"No, I'm just fine. You're doing pretty well for someone who took such a powerful attack from that thing," she remarked.
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Post by Neo on Jun 17, 2015 14:20:22 GMT -6
"I was able to get up a barrier in time that softened the attack," he explained, smiling. "And I'm much more resilient than I look."
He suddenly stretches his arms and rolls his shoulders. "Still, I didn't get by completely unscathed. I'm going to have some nasty bruises soon, and I'll be really sore in the morning, but nothing I can't deal with. I've had far worse injuries in the past."
Something about the way he said that implied that was a severe understatement. He looked back at the Behemoth, and noted the deep gashes on the lower half of its body, around its legs and tail. The gashes were clearly a few days old. "I should be thanking you, Eden. Look at its legs. The only reason we were able to kill that thing so easily is because you wounded it far more than you may have realized."
But even so... That Abnormality took two of my most powerful spells almost back to back. The fact it not only survived, but still had the strength to stand, let alone fight, is no short of amazing. These Abnormalities are getting even stronger... I have a bad feeling about this...
"Are you ready to start heading back, Eden? We can rest in Elmsdale again before we leave for Ambrosia."
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Post by GX1997 on Jun 17, 2015 14:41:49 GMT -6
"Is there no way for us to make it back to Ambrosia by tonight?" she asked.
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Post by Neo on Jun 17, 2015 15:30:50 GMT -6
He thought about it for a moment. "We can ask around in Elmsdale, and see if there's someone with a Magic Vehicle who can give us a ride. But other than that... I'm not sure."
He turns to her and smiles teasingly. "Why? Too many bad memories from your last stay in Elmsdale?"
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Post by GX1997 on Jun 17, 2015 15:56:56 GMT -6
"I'm more worried about what will happen to my reputation if I'm seen willingly checking into the same inn as you. But if we must do that I am going to get my own room far away from yours, and I'm not going to let you know where it's at. My door will be locked as well. If you somehow still manage to find me after that and pester me then I will give a very unflattering report on how you did on this mission to Zalia when we return, and find some reason to recommend that you have a different mentor on all missions after today. Is that clear?"
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Post by Neo on Jun 17, 2015 16:38:52 GMT -6
Orion sighed, a real, genuinely weary sigh. "Your reputation? You make me sound like some horrible person. And I was merely joking."
Realizing he was talking to a brick wall, and an ungrateful one at that, he dropped the subject and started walking back towards Elmsdale.
Why am I here again? What in the world was I thinking?
As he walked, he began to mumble to himself. "They're getting stronger... But why? How? It doesn't make any sense. Unless..."
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Post by GX1997 on Jun 17, 2015 16:58:22 GMT -6
"Unless what?" she asked after overhearing his mumbling.
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Post by Neo on Jun 17, 2015 17:11:08 GMT -6
"Unless they're evolving," he clarifies, speaking up, but without turning to look at her. "It's only speculation at this point, but it makes sense. I fought an Abnormality a while ago that looked almost identical to the one we just killed, except... It was much smaller, and nowhere near as powerful. Think about it for a moment. Wizards, with proper training and continuous magic use, can become stronger, learn new spells, and drastically increase their Magic Power. This is a fact of everyday life, something we Wizards tend to take for granted. But in a way, isn't it similar to evolution? I've seen Wizards, who after a year of intense training and studying, have seemed like completely different people. What if the Abnormalities are doing the same thing? It's already established they're far more intelligent than your average monster, and the vast majority of them possess at least some form of Magic Power. It's a terrifying thought."
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Post by GX1997 on Jun 17, 2015 17:24:32 GMT -6
"I agree, it really is. We'll have to tell Zalia about it when we get back to the guild," she said with remarkable sincerity.
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Post by Neo on Jun 17, 2015 17:39:14 GMT -6
He nods. For once, they agreed on something. "Yes. Even if it's merely speculation, the High Council needs to know as soon as possible."
A look of pain crossed his face, and he added quietly, "The last thing I want is more blood on my hands..."
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Post by Neo on Jun 17, 2015 20:48:05 GMT -6
www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuTe3X4vnzgA month passed. It took time for Orion to adjust to life in a Guild, but it wasn't long before he remembered. He remembered what a Guild truly was, and what it was like to have a family. It brought out feelings in him he hadn't even realized were buried. While he never fully let down his guard, and he kept his past to himself, very gradually, he began to open up. He started to trust his Guildmates, and to care for them. And for the first time in his life, he started to think of a place as his home. He and Eden developed a strange friendship over the weeks, but it was a real one. And no one could deny that, not even them. Word reached the High Council of the Abnormalities, and the true danger they presented, and that knowledge was handed down all throughout Aselia. Thanks to the combined efforts of countless Guilds, Magic and Warrior alike, and even some Thief Guilds, full scale production of antitoxins started in record time and it wasn't long before you could buy a vial in just about every pharmacy in the Empire. Once the Guilds learned Abnormalities could think and train just like Wizards, hunting them became a job restricted to S Class Wizards and above, and Abnormality sightings and casualties plummeted significantly after only a couple weeks as a result, potentially saving hundreds of lives, if not more. The High Council offered to reward Silver Chimera with a large sum of money as thanks, but Zalia was adamantly against it, and so as a compromise, the High Council offered to fully credit Orion with the discovery of the antitoxin and make him a "consultant" to the Council on all business regarding Abnormalities. He refused. In the end, all parties involved settled on Silver Chimera being credited with the discovery of the antitoxin, and nothing more. The Council agreed, and business for Silver Chimera boomed. They had more requests than ever before, and even a couple new members join. It even came to the point where Zalia was thinking of expanding the Guild. However, on the morning of May 3rd, in the year X663, three members of Silver Chimera unknowingly undertook a quest that would send the Guild spiraling into the darkest chapter in its history. ---------- May 3rd, X663, Silver Chimera Guild HallOrion yawned as he stumbled downstairs for breakfast, his hair messy and uncombed, and dark circles lining his eyes. He was the last one up- Everyone else in the Guild were already sitting around the two long tables eating- but that was fairly normal to him, since he tended to oversleep. Eden used to be the Guild's official "Late Riser," at least until Orion repeatedly teased her about it, and then she started getting up earlier just to spite him. Per usual, there was an open spot next to Eden at the left table with a breakfast tray already set up(One of the many things that resulted from the running joke about their relationship), and a few pieces of food already missing from it. He smiled and yawned "Good Morning" to everyone, then plopped down next to the food thief. He noted a certain food item missing, and sighed. "Must you always steal my bagel?" he accuses her playfully, grinning slightly. "That's the only thing I really want in the morning."
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Post by GX1997 on Jun 17, 2015 21:25:24 GMT -6
"It's the only thing you want?" she replied, pretending to feel wounded by his words.
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Post by Neo on Jun 17, 2015 22:12:29 GMT -6
Orion laughed. "Food item, dear. It's the only food item I want."
A couple seats down from him, Cenric shifted uncomfortably in his chair. Orion noticed and smiled, then scanned the rest of the room. The ever graceful Velia sat directly across from him, quietly eating. Next to her sat the unflappable Ryner, who was reading while eating. Lucian's face was currently in his bowl of cereal, and he was snoring very loudly. Jurian had been gone on a quest for the past week or so, and Rhys was out on a quest as well. All in all, a perfectly normal day... Except for one tiny detail.
"Where's Zalia?" He asked no one in particular. He learned the hard way a while ago that no one called her "Master" for a reason. Zalia didn't care for it at all, and anyone who did it received a swift bonk to the head.
"In her office," Velia answers, politely wiping her mouth on her napkin. "She got a call on her private Communication Lacrima. Dunno why, or what about."
Orion didn't even attempt to mask his surprise. Huh. Wonder what it's about.
Fortunately, he didn't have to wait long for his curiosity to be sated. Zalia walked back into the hall a couple minutes later, a serious look on her face. "Eden, Orion, Cenric. I need to see you three in my office as soon as you're done."
She walked right back into her office, and the three involved shared a slightly worried look. They finished their breakfast quickly, and gathered in Zalia's office. It was a sparsely decorated room that rarely anyone entered, unless on official, and important business.
"I have an important job for you three," she says from behind her desk. "It will likely be a long one, and a dangerous one, and will require cooperating with the Imperial Army. I need to know if you're up to it before I give you the details."
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Post by GX1997 on Jun 17, 2015 22:29:55 GMT -6
Eden knew that the situation was serious, so she dropped her usual joking tone immediately. "I always trust your judgment when you assign me a specific mission, Zalia, so I'm in."
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Post by Neo on Jun 17, 2015 23:53:32 GMT -6
"Same goes for me," Cenric replies quickly. "I'm in."
Orion smiles calmly. "Someone will have to keep an eye on these two. Don't worry. I'll get them home safely."
Zalia gives a subtle nod and leans over her desk, placing her chin on the backs of her hands. "Have you heard of the Crown Relics? They're powerful artifacts that belong to the Royal Family. For centuries, they served as the symbols of the Royal Family's power and authority. However, during the reign of the previous Emperor, the majority of the artifacts were stolen. No one knows how, or why. Some have been reclaimed over the years, found in ancient ruins and old abandoned castles and returned to their rightful owners. I don't know why or even if the original thief left the relics in those places, and frankly, it's none of my business. What is my business, however, is making sure such powerful artifacts don't fall into the wrong hands. One of the Crown Relics, the Scepter of Aeolis, was just found in an old ruin near the town of Harthford, some miles northwest of Ambrosia. The Imperial Army doesn't want to draw attention to the Scepter, so they're going to transport it quietly to the capital, under the guise of a merchant caravan. I've been asked to send a couple of my Wizards to help guard the Scepter, and I'm choosing you three."
She leans back in her chair, and her serious expression melts a little. She smiles warmly. "Eden, my dear, your ability to divine the future can reveal any bumps in the road even in the darkest of night. Cenric, I'll be trusting you to bring everyone home if things get too rough. The lives of my grandchildren are far more important to me than any job. And Orion, your vast knowledge of artifacts alone is more than enough reason why you should go. But I want your healing spells close by on this one, and that's the main reason I'm sending you."
Her eyes soften into a look of motherly affection, and she rises to her feet. "You'll be reporting to Captain Senna Whiteriver of the Imperial Army, in Ambrosia, in an hour. She'll be waiting for you in front of the Plaza Fountain, and will be in uniform, so you can't miss her. She's a fine young woman, and a good officer. You'll get along just fine. Eden, I'm leaving you in charge. Go pack and get yourselves ready, then meet back down here at quarter til. Dismissed."
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