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Entry tags:
- !event,
- #npc,
- abel nightroad: martyr,
- akua sahelian: sovereign,
- amos burton: lover,
- caitlyn kiramman: champion,
- ciel: martyr,
- emet-selch: champion,
- himeka sui: wanderer,
- howl: celebrant,
- jayce talis: visionary,
- johnny joestar: firebrand,
- koriel xii (dextera): lover,
- misa amane: lover,
- rand al'thor: martyr,
- syrlya: champion,
- tartaglia (childe): firebrand,
- yuuta okkotsu: lover
EVENT #5: SOVEREIGN CITIZENS (GODSBLOOD)
Sovereign Citizens
GODSBLOOD
At the height of the Sovereign's moon, Vaeka Lovenskol's execution is announced. Outside of the City Hall, a dignitary of Achamoth is flanked by an entourage of Kenoma, reading the words of Regent from an unfurled letter: Vaeka stands accused to conspiring against the Regent and abetting the fugitive menace known as the Pleroma. Though the details are not made public, rumors spread quickly, some far more wild than the actual truth. The full truth, after all, is something only the Regent's agents and the Pleroma themselves know, and even to them the manner of her exposure is unclear.
Though losing a proud daughter of an influential family, there seems to be little that the people of Godsblood can do besides accept it. After all, they are still a city of the Regent's empire, and for all the freedom they've enjoyed, there are limits. If she was truly aiding the Pleroma, the sworn enemies of the Regent - and in an organized manner, if the rumors are to be believed - can they truly object? Or would challenging the Regent's claim simply invite more death?
As with many things, the families of Godsblood are torn. Tensions are thick for the five days leading up to Vaeka's appointed execution by hanging, with everyone having an opinion and few wanting to go on record talking about it too loudly. As such, the people's frustrations come out in other ways. Bloodites are uncharacteristically unfriendly to strangers in this time, keeping to their own and treating everyone else with overt skepticism.
Those that have arrived as part of the Regent's official envoy, or seen guarding Vaeka, will receive a particularly icy reception. No longer are the Kenoma curious wanderers on personal business. Now, they are here as the hands of the Regent; few of the Godsblood citizens are foolish enough to challenge them outright, but they are ever an honest people.
Early on, the Kenoma and the rest of the Achamite contingent sent with them will be able to take over a jail in downtown Godsblood to hold Vaeka until her execution, clearing out all other Bloodite prisoners and employees in the meantime. This means they have a relatively secure position to guard their prisoner from, which is a good thing; after all, the Regent did outright invite the Pleroma to stop them, and Pleroma are nothing if not stubborn.
EXECUTION DAY
After five agonizing days of waiting and several high visible conflicts between the Pleroma and Kenoma, finally the hour of Vaeka's execution arrives. A gallows is set outside of City Hall, ready to welcome its newest victim, and a massive crowd has gathered in an spirit of anxious anticipation. Some worry that violence may break out in the streets, even without the Pleroma's agitation, but gradually the minutes tick by and the gallows remain empty.
First one minutes passes. Then five. Then fifteen. Slowly, it becomes clear to the people of Godsblood that Vaeka will not be arriving. Are the rumors true? Has she been saved? Have the Pleroma been successful, despite all odds?
As the hours pass and the crowds disperse, Vaeka Lovenskol is not officially reported as either living or dead. Fortunately, Godsblood is a place where information has a way of getting around, whether those in charge like it or not. Some are saying that she was seen being whisked away as if by powerful magic, following a bloody fight at the jail in which she was being held. Where did she go? Maybe her supposed connections to the forest people did her good, some surmise.
The days following Vaeka's failed execution carry a strange and uncertain energy. Where before there was tension and distrust, Godsblood now finds itself in a surreal reality where the Regent's word is apparently not absolute. Then again, do they really want a repeat performance?
First one minutes passes. Then five. Then fifteen. Slowly, it becomes clear to the people of Godsblood that Vaeka will not be arriving. Are the rumors true? Has she been saved? Have the Pleroma been successful, despite all odds?
As the hours pass and the crowds disperse, Vaeka Lovenskol is not officially reported as either living or dead. Fortunately, Godsblood is a place where information has a way of getting around, whether those in charge like it or not. Some are saying that she was seen being whisked away as if by powerful magic, following a bloody fight at the jail in which she was being held. Where did she go? Maybe her supposed connections to the forest people did her good, some surmise.
The days following Vaeka's failed execution carry a strange and uncertain energy. Where before there was tension and distrust, Godsblood now finds itself in a surreal reality where the Regent's word is apparently not absolute. Then again, do they really want a repeat performance?
QUESTIONS
What is the best way for Aions to travel to Godsblood?
For Pleroma, this is very easy, as they are likely to either already live there or be able to easy take Greentruth's portal. For Kenoma, they may come directly from Achamoth by boat as part of the Regent's envoy or arrive via Eustace's portal which is set up in a shed a fairly long jaunt outside of town. Once there has been some time to get established, Misa will be setting up another portal leading straight to the prison where Vaeka is being stored.
Are the Kenoma permitted by the Regent to kill other Godsblood citizens?
Though the Kenoma are authorized to kill any Bloodites that try to physically fight them, they are expected to keep things clean. The Regent prefers to only punish the guilty, and having the lines be clear will create less of a hassle in the future. Generally, Godsblood is not in a state where physical resistance is likely to happen unprovoked.
For Pleroma, this is very easy, as they are likely to either already live there or be able to easy take Greentruth's portal. For Kenoma, they may come directly from Achamoth by boat as part of the Regent's envoy or arrive via Eustace's portal which is set up in a shed a fairly long jaunt outside of town. Once there has been some time to get established, Misa will be setting up another portal leading straight to the prison where Vaeka is being stored.
Are the Kenoma permitted by the Regent to kill other Godsblood citizens?
Though the Kenoma are authorized to kill any Bloodites that try to physically fight them, they are expected to keep things clean. The Regent prefers to only punish the guilty, and having the lines be clear will create less of a hassle in the future. Generally, Godsblood is not in a state where physical resistance is likely to happen unprovoked.
no subject
From Ciel's attack, the resulting injury, and his flicker of (begrudging) worry for Himeka's shard, it seems they've uncovered something unexpected besides. A winged creature whose presence is accompanied by such force that his hood whips back and reveals his face. Emet-Selch has to smirk in reply - A clear dark smirk filled with contempt. Oh, has the dear pacifist finally decided to bear his teeth? ]
Then you shall leave with us as shards.
[ Hopefully, It's enough of an indication that Ciel should give room. He arcs his staff through the air. A massive orb of fire erupts into being at the center of their conflict with the intent of consuming them all. Its swirling flames snake outward and sear the air with its brutal heat before bursting with such force it would shake the earth.
Emet-Selch twirls the staff between his fingers and makes to conjure a few more in quick succession. He promised her everything in his path would burn. And so he seeks to bring that promise to bear as he summons forth blazing death. One after the other after the other.
Everything that could not protect itself would be set aflame. The wooden docks catch fire, ice cracks and begins to break apart, and even the nearby waters being to bubble from the heat. ]
no subject
It's as far as she was permitted to observe, before the shell-shocked man at Himeka's side morphs.
Emet-Selch's protection turns out to be more than well warranted. It successfully shields her from the sudden and savage change of pressure in the atmosphere, helps her in maintaining a stance that is quickly shifting from offensive to defensive without loosing her footing. This development may be drastic, but it is not shocking. Feeling the oppressive charge in the air so close up and the scathing rage roiling off him like waves, Ciel is uniquely well-placed to witness the transformation of a sorry excuse of a man into a veritable monster capable of snuffing out countless lives.
She knew it.
This is the creature he's tried so hard to hide. This is the proof of his sins he will never be forgiven for. This is the evil that developed a conscience after destroying more than it could ever take back or restore. This entity of unquenchable fury and desperation is who that "priest" truly is at his core, and harming his close ally is the trigger in breaking its cage.
Ciel backs away in time. The Black Keys are dismissed, Himeka is no longer somewhere she can easily reach. For the first time since awakening on Horos, she feels an impulse: to charge in and fight, muster every single last drop of her magical energy until this Enemy of Humanity is utterly destroyed. More ironic still that it appears vampiric; it would seem that she can resume her old line of work here after all.
It is the sound of Emet-Selch's voice that has her forcibly ground herself: she is not on her own, this nonsensical impulse is reckless and dangerous. Thus she kicks off the ground to reach the top of the (melting) ice walls once more, then jumps back a distance that is the bare minimum of 'safe'. She must keep track of their targets in case they try to flee, account for the possibility that Emet-Selch's spell doesn't end up as devastating towards them as it's being towards everything else around them. Activating her own magic circuits in this window afforded to her, she begins processing mana as well. They have to be prepared to respond to anything, now more than ever before.]
1/2 cw: blood but that's probably a given
Why is there still blood pooling in her mouth? Staining her dress?
Himeka coughs again, sending blood outward in spurts as she's feeling the first real blast of cold down her spine--but it's not from the ice, it's fear. Fear that, for some reason, somehow, she may not be able to heal through this. That she can't hold off Ciel's attacks not just for herself, but for her friend. She has to summon up another spell and fast, though she only has one more shield left available before she needs to recharge...--
And then the air around her shifts in a burst. It could send her to her knees, but instead she finds herself clutched protectively by arm and wing alike, neither of which are familiar. But there's a part of her that already knows it can only be one person. She grips that arm--it's keeping her steady--and looks over the line of her shoulder. ]
--Abel?
[ This...this is what he's been hiding? ]
no subject
A swirl of green aether forms around her feet as she begins to cast before it explodes around them in a prismatic blast of light. It feels like a breath of fresh air forcibly filling her own lungs, pleasantly tingling her skin, and lessening some of the pain in her torso for now. Abel will also receive the benefits of it's soothing effects, at least for the next half a minute.
Fire is all around them, taking down the ice barrier that Emet-Selch had initially used to trap them. It seems like that is their safest space right now, even though she realizes it gives Ciel an easy target to shoot.
Himeka shifts tactics as a small blue orb begins to rotate around her and Abel, given that he's sharing the same space. As fearsome as he looks, she trusts him implicitly. ]
This-- [ She explains as she sucks in a ragged breath. ] --takes me a moment to cast, can you--?
[ Withstand it for a few more seconds? Could he even fly them away? ]
no subject
all Abel knows is that the very air is becoming stifling, suffocating, as unnatural flame begins to lick and curl, expanding and ripping up the docks as though appearing from nowhere. this... is Emet-Selch's doing, and he can feel the mercilessness behind it. this man is not holding back, fully intends to raze them both to ash.
and Ciel would happily watch.
as if in jarring juxtaposition, Abel also feels his body being permeated with a cooling, rejuvenating energy he recognizes as Himeka's own - it sits in stark contrast to the sharpness of fire and flame threatening to consume them whole-- and her haggard question is one he barely answers with a decisive nod. wings spread, and in one sweeping gesture, he has lifted Himeka into his arms and is carrying both of them skyward bound in a powerful leap. if time is what she needs--
he will give it to her. ]
--Please hold on. Himeka... hold on. It's-- it will be okay.
[ not to him, and not for their harried place upward and airborne--
but to life. please don't--
please hold on... ]
no subject
Emet-Selch makes for the quickest spell he can muster, one whose dark presence has always found a place with him, and one that the Kenoma seemed to favor. Perhaps one that those little lights would find it particularly unpleasant.
He lets his staff fall to his side and raises his hand into the air. With a sudden snap, they would be consumed in a wash of absolute roiling darkness intent on smothering their light. ]
no subject
So much for that storm of hellfire. Ciel had briefly considered switching to magecraft herself, but sensing Emet-Selch's magic at work once more and witnessing how the previous spell did little to slow their opponents, abandons the idea without second thought. She's not a magus anyway, never had been and never will be.
The demonic creature rises further into the air; they're buying time, and she cannot allow them. Kicking herself off the ground, she shoots off towards the closest ancient ship nearby. Repurposed to serve as a building of business, she swiftly jumps her way up to the top of the mast before propelling herself upward like a human bullet, beneath dark wings that must have surely heralded much destruction and despair. She may be incapable of flight, but they will find her a highly mobile and aerial adversary. Emet-Selch's spell is a timely assist too, they may not see her coming with the cloaking darkness that may snuff out more senses than just their sight. The Keys in her fist are renewed for another stab: Himeka is still the priority target, but Ciel will certainly not complain if she ends up staking through a vampire's body instead.]
cw: blood? idk there's just violence this whole thread,
...Abel is at a loss against opponents with such craft at their fingertips.
the only thing he can do is continue to gain momentum and altitude; his opponents are grounded (or so he thinks) and in a bid for time for Himeka to prepare whatever is at her disposal, to avoid being caught unawares - he does not stop his upward climb.
at least, not until he senses it with a fraction of a second's time to react - there's a disturbance in the current and flow of his perception as his opponent is very suddenly airborne, the sound of objects in motion raising Abel's internal alarm. he shifts his grip, jutting his free arm up just in time to permit the limb to be impaled with a splash of bright red blood.
blood that, should any of it be carried to splatter across Ciel or her clothing, may begin to immediately begin eating away at whatever it touches like acid.
red eyes burn through the darkness to find those of a too-clear blue; Abel's resolution remains unwavering. she knew he was a monster, but--
suppose he knew the same in reverse, and he will not show her mercy if she continues to aim for his most precious ward. he will not let this light die. ]
no subject
And then it's all darkness.
She recognizes the spell instantly, including the sharp cut of the aether as it explodes around them, but has no way to counter it. Emet-Selch is really going for broke, isn't he? A part of her had imagined--nay, hoped that their last conversation had been only the shock that needed time to settle, not a true show of his renewed conviction. He burns those hopes along with the docks. She can smell sea life being cooked in their own home beneath them.
He's fully prepared to tear this world to the ground in pain, for them to suffer as his people did if he cannot have that, isn't he?
Himeka's cast is interrupted as Abel is forced to shift her weight around. No blizzard is delivered. She can smell rather than see the blood--that they're both injured in more than just smoke and heat is not a good sign. She clenches her right fist again, expending a second lily to send a new rush of vitality directly to Abel this time.
It's time to shift her tactics, the little blue orb disappearing entirely. If Emet-Selch will try to envelope them in the darkness he feels in his heart, the only way to meet him in kind is to fill it with light.
She releases her hold on Abel, trusting him to keep her aloft as she extends both of her harms out. A prismatic aurora swirls at their feet as a new ball of bright blue light forms above her head. In a few seconds she raises her right hand, sending the ball upwards as it leaves a comet's tail of that same aurora, before it explodes above them in the shape of a blooming flower, delivering a punch of aether to those in their immediate vicinity and scattering the darkness around them into a mosaic of cloud-like voids. ]
no subject
He would not fall to this accursed blessing of light. His face grimaces with determination through the dizziness. Not when he had work to finish.
Emet-Selch lifts a hand upward and his physical form fades into a purple and black swath of shadow. The shadow snakes through the open air and closes the distance between him and Ciel almost instantly. He returns to his physical form at her side, disregarding the gravity that is surely meant to tie them to the ground.
To deal with their adversaries then. He arcs his staff back with both hands. It disappears in a rush of smoke-like shadow and reforms into a large black blade with intricate silver detailing. The blade is long as he is tall and looks plainly unwieldy, but he is able to handle it with ease. Emet-Selch smiles at them briefly - a dangerous and malicious smile - before he cleaves the blade forward toward his enemies. A swelling rush of darkness accompanies his swing. It is not a gesture meant to cut. It is angled to run them both through all at once. ]
tw: disfiguration, blood, more violence, etc etc
Crimson splashes onto the length of her arm and her face, instantly setting flesh sizzling while her clothing remains whole. Her robes are magically enhanced to be able to weather the caustic substance for at least a little bit, but Ciel herself is nevertheless of human flesh and bones. Her expression tightens, and it's the only hint of pain: she invited this willingly upon herself, by using the blades that have pierced a heretical being's arm as anchor to pull herself closer. Melted skin and gnawed flesh give way to fresh blood running freely down her cheek, yet icy blue remains decisively locked onto fiery red as monsters mirror each other's unwavering resolve even as they irreconcilably clash against one another. Like this, she can, with her free hand--
--No, she won't have enough time. The magical energies gathered by Himeka have reached critical point, she can feel it on the verge of overflowing in the very air around them. All she can do is raise her other palm to throw out a hastily woven magical barrier, which along with Emet-Selch's previous spell of protection cast upon her person, end up absorbing the worst of the flower's explosive impact. The light may be disorienting and blinding, almost burning, but her grip holds fast and she is not shaken off. That's the key part, that's what matters. That's all that matters.
And within the next moment, Emet-Selch has joined them.
No exchange of any form is necessary, Ciel knows what she must do the moment the Ascian has manifested his staff. Pouring additional mana into strengthening her limbs, her free hand begins gathering mana anew as she pulls her body up and brings a foot flat against the vampire's torso. Its skewered arm is then yanked downward as its body feels a kick less like someone trying to harm and more like someone trying to jump; as if being treated like springing board, it'll be too late by the time the winged figure realizes what she has done. It's already provided her with the solid support she needs, in order to catapult herself back into the air with complete disregard to the consequences of gravity. Like the swing of a pendulum, Ciel arcs above them as a magical circle unfurls at her outstretched fingertip directly right atop their heads, it's immediately followed by a beam of destructive magic that can likely smite through a building in a heartbeat.
A horizontal cleave from the front, and a vertical blast from overhead. The Kenomas have trained together, and they can—and will—see their goal come to fruition.]
ya the cw's go all the way down,
it seems even hard-won seconds evaporate in the face of a pair of far too synchronized adversaries.
he barely has time to brace for Emet-Selch's cleave; Abel prepares to flap his wings and carry them sharply backward, try to escape the long and impossibly nimble reach of that blade-- but there is a heavy, ragged exhale as Ciel launches herself off of his person and into the air, first. the menacing consequences of her gathered energies is naught but a horrible light in his periphery, the only warning he receives that something bad is coming--
and instinct is all that saves him -- and perhaps Himeka, too -- from taking the brunt of the Kenomas' coordinated attack unmitigated. Abel does not flee for distance, but instead curls his wings around their bodies like a protective cocoon as tightly as he can manage--
...even if it might strike him later how such blows that would normally glance off of his nigh-impenetrable wings instead pierce, incinerate, and rend his feathery appendages. the sword sinks through, though it might not manage to penetrate as deep as intended where it threatens to burrow into his shoulder-- and the blast from above is enough to have Abel uttering a pained, surprised noise upon impact.
then they are hurdling on a downward trajectory from the force of the vertical blast, Abel's wings tattered and singed unable to support flight, regenerating at a sluggish, unfathomably slow pace for his normal capacities. this is... impossible; had he the wits to properly understand how cataclysmically his normal abilities have failed him, he might be concerned. as it stands--
the only thing he can do is dazedly tighten his hold on Himeka, the only thing he is concerned with is her already wounded body, tucking her to his chest folded in what remains of his wings and pray they fall in the water. (...truly tragic, then, they're on a collision course for the burning docks instead.) ]
everyone's having a great time
The fact that a part of her still goes how could he is even more pitiful.
They're moving backwards thanks to Abel before Himeka could begin to utter anything in response. Battle--survival comes first. Survival comes first and though she has only one bubble of damage mitigation left, she doesn't hesitate to cast it on Abel just in case.
In the end, it doesn't matter. Ciel uses Abel as a spring board and bears down upon them in perfect time with Emet-Selch's cleave. Himeka's instincts dictate another burst of healing on impact, but it isn't enough--encapsulated in the fortress of Abel's wings, it may offer succor to the instant of pain, but it does nothing to repair what is already too broken. She can feel the way her stomach tries to shoot up into her chest as they start to fall.
This is bad.
He's bleeding. She's bleeding right back on him. And the scorched docks are fast approaching beneath them. Abel is already preparing himself to take the brunt of that impact, but she doesn't know how either of them can withstand it in their current state, much less the flames. She shouts in frustration as she shoves both of her hands outward past his wings, calling forth an instant burst of wind towards the docks. The flames blow over with the gust, but so do they, changing their trajectory instead towards the heated water.
A small blue orb appears once again to orbit around them like a newly captured moon.
When they hit the surface, she nearly loses her breath, slamming back into Abel with the impact. And down they sink.
A moment later, a sudden tower of ice breaks through the water line before shattering nary a second later, cooling the around them. ]
no subject
Ciel is left to gravity's whims as Emet-Selch exchanges his blood-tipped sword for the mage's staff at the flick of a wrist. Magic is his constant and preferred companion, and he's glimpsed what that 'acid' could do besides.
The very next moment, he outstretches his hand and crosses the distance between him and Ciel with the same slithering shadow as before. Emet-Selch catches her by the wrist to slow her descent and she is lowered gently to the charred surface below. Again, demonstrating an unspoken promise that he would safeguard his allies where he could.
As Emet-Selch's feet touch the ground he swings his staff at the ready and begins concentrating once more. This time, the snaps of electricity begin to pop in the air around them. Water alone would not be their undoing.
If not evident enough in action, the ruinous look in his eyes clearly shows that he intended for this to be the last spell he would cast that night. He would drag them back as shards. ]
no subject
...And so does she; for all her acrobatics, Ciel cannot teleport or fly. At this height, she can make a standing landing by further reinforcing her body, but knowing her limits on Horos, she will cause a crater in concrete and have her legs (temporarily) crushed in the process, if not punch straight through wood and join their targets in the ocean beneath. She braces herself for impact despite knowing Emet-Selch's stance over how he treats his allies, and it is not a question of trust. She should simply be able to handle herself regardless of circumstance at all times, expecting help from others is not something she is in the habit of doing. Thus it's something of a surprise to be caught, and she accepts the assist as it is. Her face is still in pain, but the disfiguration caused by the caustic blood is already healing. In a few hours at most, it'll be gone completely.
They land, and she steps away from him. Her attention quickly shifts from the point on the ocean's surface where their targets have crashed back onto Emet-Selch, the instant she feels prickling on her skin the enormous amount of magical energy he's begun gathering again. He intends to—]
Emet-Selch.
[She turns to face him, standing firmly in front of him with her arms lowered >
(for now)at her side. (Does her face look bad? She shows no hint of acknowledging her fading wound.)]We can take them back for questioning. They will also help us bait out the Innocence Entity better alive.
[As hostages, it goes unspoken. This is a recourse made with rationale and reason. Will he stay his hand? This may not be completely over yet, but it's undeniable that they already have the upper hand. If he goes any further...]
no subject
In the water his wings look no better than they had in the air, raw and mangled even if they are no longer actively burning. His hold on her has lessened considerably as they continue to sink and she can see bubbles of air leaking from his mouth. He looks dazed, but not fully unconscious.
Himeka grunts as she pushes back against him, separating herself further from his hold, but just for a moment. She's feeling weakened from the blood loss, but it's not enough to stop her from scooting around him so that she can wrap her arms around Abel's torso from the back. She inhales deep, the water filtering without issue thanks to the Kojin's blessing she's had throughout her life, and with a few kicks and powerful lashes of her tail, she pushes them upwards towards the surface.
When they break the surface, it's far from graceful. Red starts to stain the water around them and Himeka is vaguely aware of their adversaries still on the docks, keeping them in her peripheral. Her tail moves with an ease that the rest of her cannot as it moves like a snake beneath the waves, directing them towards the shore. There, she can attend to his wounds...or die trying, if the static in the air is any indication of the next impending onslaught from Emet-Selch. But she can't risk going under water again. She can't risk him. ]
H-Hold on just a moment longer...
[ How could this have gone so terribly? ]
no subject
though he isn't aware... the feeling of Himeka's arms winding around him beneath the temperate water (not boiling; again, she'd manage to save them a most unpleasant fate) is accompanied by the more virulent tingle of genuine, faster recovery. the blood she oozes clouding the murky water is unwittingly providing a boon from one Aion to the next... and by the time his head is bobbing above the surface -- Abel's wits have recovered enough he can actively aid in his own salvation.
he takes in a breath of air, coughing, spluttering momentarily and prepares to tell her to swim, to flee if she needs to--
--and instead, the only thing that leaves him is a choked, strangled sound as a burning, familiar pain shoots up from his right hand across his body, rippling like a wave permeating muscle, sinew and bone alike. the unnatural glow from the Innocent's sigil has spread -- a faint but unmistakable light as his ears fill with the sound of cacophonous screaming.
--Estinien.
smoldering red eyes falter, flicker, and fade back into blue as the disorienting and nauseating assault steals his newly regained sense from him as well as vitality. Estinien. --Estinien. a panicked flood, urgent and heavy, becomes his sole focus.
something has gone horribly, terribly awry with their friend... and the vow they had made to protect him is being tested.
they are being found unworthy. ]
no subject
Her vision suddenly goes white--a harsh, blinding white that mimicks the pain shooting up her arm. Minutely she can feel Abel stiffen in her hold, but it's like every onze of her body is being pricked with fine needles all at once. Himeka lets out a choked scream but she doesn't hear it, deafened by the chorus of discordant accusations and howls in her own horns and mind.
Estinien!?
You brok--
--BETRAYAL!
You FAILED!
The water reflects the strange glow from both of their bodies. Her scales burn like they have been caught in that fire that encompassed them once again, patches bleaching a stark white all over her body. She feels as if she's being tossed about in her own body, turned upside down and around and sickened to the point of passing out.
She's still got Abel, but--
--but...
Her screams suddenly die in her throat, as does all the momentum she'd gathered to bring them to shore. The shock of the onslaught against her very soul combined with her blood loss is too much. Though she instinctively tries to hold on to Abel, Himeka's form goes limp as she is left to the mercy of the waves. ]
no subject
He tightens the grip on his staff. Through the stifling emotions, he is still able to think through the situation in its nuance. They wanted hostages and faces make more compelling bait than jewels. What's more, they needed no more fighting among themselves. Venera has seen to enough of that for his liking.
After a few short moments, he huffs out a breath and lets his staff fall to his side. The electricity in the air cuts out leaving a worrying absence of sound.
No sooner than he resigns do both adversaries emerge soaked in diluted blood. Emet-Selch's gaze shifts to them in preparation for what else they could have on offer. Instead, they begin to writhe. His adversaries twist in pain from some unforeseen force. It coaxes unspoke screams and a strange (distantly familiar) light.
And then, they collapse. Leaving the two Kenoma left standing on the crumbling docks. There is a pause as he takes in the sight of what just happened. What that light implies. Though he was not there in person to witness the summoning of Innocence, he has sorted through the memories of his allies. ]
It seems our work has been finished on our behalf. How lucky. [ His Mage's staff is dismissed with a simple gesture of the hand. He rounds Ciel and goes to observe the two of them up close in order to ensure that they are, indeed, unconscious as they seem.
Emet-Selch checks Abel first with a firm nudge with his foot. Once, twice, just to make sure. ]
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Finally, he gives, and only then does Ciel allow herself to look back towards the ocean. Drowning may not kill them, but what Emet-Selch was winding up surely would have. She barely has the time to locate their fallen foes in the water before a unpleasantly bright light swallows them both, it then ebbs away with the water to spit out a once monstrous but now human (and tattered) body ashore. Himeka's efforts have seen her companion to safety, but she's lagging behind herself. Ciel is not taking any chances: leaving Emet-Selch to prod and step on Abel as he pleases, she enters the waters to pull Himeka out before the waves get a chance to swallow her back in. Her horns and tail are noticeably brighter than when they last met a brief few weeks back, and while she is very much bloody, unconscious, and badly injured, she is alive nevertheless. Ciel lays her down on her side next to Abel, her tail making it... unwieldy to position her stomach up. Should she minister a bit of healing, to stabilize her vitals just in case...? The thought lingers at the back of her mind as she scans the Pleroma Aion's still-glowing body from head to toe, turning her arm and hand over in her examination before noticing the sigil of the Innocent marked in her palm.
Turning away from Himeka, Ciel leans over and lifts Abel's arm to check for the inside of his palm as well, in full view of Emet-Selch so that the other man doesn't need to lean down or get his hands wet. Her fellow Martyr bears the same mark, but it somehow grew and has snaked its way up his arm. ...Hm.]
We should head back to Achamoth.
[These physical irregularities obviously caused by the Innocence are a footnote. They've accomplished their objective, and after losing both Rand and Vaeka, there's no more taking chances.]
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He spares a look in Himeka's direction as Ciel retrieves her. It's obvious the wound made by their onslaught needs tending given its severity. Emet-Selch's face turns dips to wistfulness and he simply looks away in silent refusal to do it himself.
Instead, he looks up toward the faint lights of town in the distance. It would benefit them to leave as soon as they could. They had done a thorough sweep of the city but there is no telling if there are other Problems waiting for them. ]
Indeed. Let us -
[ He reaches down and begrudgingly grabs Abel by the scruff of his collar. He begins to drag him in the direction they need to go for a quick escape - The portal was this way, wasn't it? It's obvious he struggles to pull such a weight given his staggering steps but he manages in his own way. For the moment. ]
- make for Achamoth. I'm sure these captives will be sooo much less bothersome than the others we've dealt with as of late.
[ At least the return of sarcasm in all its glory means he is no less himself. Obvious in his frustrations, but still willing to put them aside to complete the job he needs to do. ]
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It is not her business, it has high odds of relating to something that happened in their home worlds, this is also a terrible time, so Ciel doesn't ask. Rerouting her attention to the woman with striking reptilian features, she begins amassing mana again. Just... a bit, to ensure Himeka survives their return to Achamoth. They are not getting dissipated, stopping Emet-Selch's earlier spell would be pointless if she lets one of them die now. Thus she proceeds to expend some of her own magical energies to heal and revitalize the selfsame sorceress she skewered through the torso just a while earlier, and once she's made sure the other woman's breathing is stable, readies herself to get back to her feet with Himeka in her arms.
Until Emet-Selch's action has her stop and stare, at least. Ah, he's...
...
(The collar......)]
Yes.
[Professional as it may be, he still doesn't look like he's having an easy time...]
I can carry them both, if you'd like. I'll manage.
[It will be... unwieldy, but possible. This is also a completely serious offer, now that they've bested their opponents and have no reason to remain in Godsblood any longer.]
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So he continues onward.
As soon as he steps off the docks and into the surrounding sand it makes his steps difficult. His feet sink and it takes more effort to move on while someone behind. He sighs and his posture sinks like his feet in the sand. ]
I am not attached to the concept of carrying dead weight all the way to Achamoth. [ He looks back to Ciel. ] If you think it manageable to carry both, by all means.
[ He's not going to say 'yes', but he certainly won't refuse. ]
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Please let me try.
[And if the Ascian would be so kind as to drop the unconscious idiotic pacifist on the sand, Ciel will come over and try to make this work. If Abel is laying flat on his back, and Himeka is deposited on her side atop him... As long as they can fit each other well enough, she should be able to carry them both like this. They wouldn't mind it, probably; he was already supporting her, throughout the entirety of their altercation.
Scooping one arm beneath the lanky man's knees and the other behind his shoulder blades, she tilts both bodies inward towards herself before carefully lifting them both up. Ciel gives her cargo an experimental nudge; they hold, Himeka's tail is left to sweep unimpeded too.]
This should do. Let's go.
[Don't mind how she's awkwardly managed to stacked two bodies in her arms. This should hold, until they return to Achamoth.]