Open Chronicles Demon Hunt

[Axel Sterix]

Hurricane like winds whipped against the body. A spray of moisture mingled from the clouds. It smelled amazing, and felt more fantastic.

Why must the fun be marred by the sadness of the moment? Through Mental Acuity, Zoress Mannik had contacted him across the miles between them, his mind touching link between he and Sephira. A demon had come to Hokiin with intent to see it all burn.

Axel had already put the information available through the mill, and deduced the demon was hired. Sent there by a request, whoever still remaining unseen. But that wasn't what was important. What was, was his arriving to protect everything.

Lucky there were two young Riders available to battle the brutish creature.

He would be arriving home soon, within moments, thanks to Seraphim - which was why he felt powerful winds and the mist of the clouds. She was flying higher and farther then other times had required. This was a mode she usually reached: angry predator. A pissed off predator was reliable as a weapon.

Imagine a pissed off dragon, twenty and more meters of rage at her home being tainted.

Sensing that his familiar had just breached air space of his people he shouted above the din of noise, "Go for it!!" She angled her body and began plummetting. He however had a hold of one of the large scales upon her back.

As she dropped she trumpeted a loud warning to the demons present - they could now tell that mayhap one had gotten inside the walls somehow but there were more than a dozen outside of them. The vile creatures looked up at the sound, and some returned their own calls. At least two took to the woods in flee. They were smart.

A Dragon and it's Rider come for you, you hope it's for a good reason.

Jirou

 

[Jirou]

The trees shook with fury as soft footsteps laid on the wet ground of the woods. Jirou's travels often took to him places unknown or at least lacking in conversation and this was no exception. Though unfamiliar to the territory he was not with the feeling of dread that hanged heavy in the air. This forest had an exit and it seemed that whatever lay beyond it was not for the frail. He held tight to the grip of his cane blade and narrowed his vision as the end of the woodland approached.

To his dismay, trouble arrived quicker than anticipated. Two demons who seemed to be fleeing from something greater than them now found themselves in front of the ronin. The two beasts stopped in their tracks and gave each other a glance and a grin. They cackled loudly preparing to do away with Jirou to sate their own insecurities. They weren't the biggest or strongest demons he'd seen by a long a shot. Though in droves they could be trouble some. The exorcist exhaled sharply.

One charged immediately raising its fist to crush Jirou. As it came cascading down he slightly moved his body to narrowly avoid the impact. He drew his blade in a flash and placed it into the gut of his attacker. The demon had a look of shock and confusion as Jirou's sword exited through the back of his stomach and he fell over, split in two. The other demon couldn't fathom the amount of retaliation he'd seen combining whatever he'd seen before Jirou, and the ronin himself, and continued to flee.

Jirou wiped his sword clean of blood and paid no mind to the terrified beast, yet continued his march. As he exited the forest he was met with the view of a city being terrorized by more of these creatures.

What in the many Hells was happening?

 

[Axel Sterix]

Heat scorched from just over his shoulder, bellowed by his familiar as she cooked alive one of the demons. Hers was a prowess as Apex that couldn’t be matched. His own was noteworthy, yet never as grand as hers.

Having carried Gnafir, his Spear crafted from the first baby fang of his familiar, then imbued with Drakonik Magic to be nigh invulnerable, he swung the shaft into the head of a demon who lunged his way. Flipping the hold he had on the staff, he jerked the spear tip into the body and out with a flourish. As the being shrieked it’s pain, Axel sounds and took on another.

This was his training. To best the darkness, or light, in protection of his people. They attacked his city. He could only assume for the Tomes. But it didn’t matter. They would perish before entering the walls.

Pushing back against the onslaught, he quickly had two breaching the forest line. It was a soft thing, dispatching one then the other. A tip through the neck, and the other the full shaft through his torso. Strong and fast. His elven heritage was strong. Luckily he had Rider abilities to compensate, or else he would basically no magic.

Glancing further into the woods he saw a bladed man handle a few of the demons that had fled. Offering a nod in thanks, he spun and blindly hurled the spear he held. It sliced the air with a whistle, before planting in the literal face of another demon.

The numbers of them that had come, combined with their ability as warriors bothered Axel. Why send so few weaklings?? Unless this was just a first wave assault...

Jirou

 

[Jirou]

Jirou offered the dragon rider a quick nod back as he flew by. The man was in the heat of combat and unlikely to answer any of the many questions that the ronin held. The shared a single thought though: why so many underlings? Their numbers were denser than the exorcist had previously calculated, but none of them looked to be much of a threat. To the citizens perhaps, but to any who could wield a blade? Not as much.

Any warrior with capability could see these things had size on their side but not much else. Yes, the gravity of their punches was deadly. The bastards were also ugly enough to scare off anyone under prepared. Yet this couldn't be the full force from any demonic lord or devil. Jirou had seen ghosts with more prowess than these beasts.

Nonetheless it was likely that those inside the city walls were terrified or even being maimed. Weak or not the creatures had to go. They were but drones sent to kill and cause havoc. The purpose of it is what intrigues Jirou. The why.

He rushed towards the gates with immaculate speed and stopped before he reached the demons' heels. He let go of the hit of his blade and reached into his kimono. Revealing a chain with a long sickle at one end of it and a heavy metal ball at the other, his kusarigama.

These beasts were far too preoccupied with destruction to have noticed the ex-shinobi's approach and he spun his sickle to a speed that it was nigh sightless. When he launched the blade it wrapped around the neck of a demon and stuck fast into it with the bladed end. He yanked with ferocity and watched the demon topple with blood escaping from its jugular. This caught the attention of two others and he let the sickle sit for a minute while he drew his blade to face his new foes.

 

[Axel Sterix]

Axel spun and summoned his Spear to himself. As the man moved past him, toward city limits Axel did so as well. Utilizing his power to jump vast distances, he raced to his full sprint then took the the air with his most powerful jump. At that he soared a large distance very swiftly.

Landing in a slide, he pushed through a small assault. Spear tip met flesh a dozen times in moments, death an instant. Using the shaft of the weapon he vaulted through and into the city. As they battled more began to replace the fallen. It was swift. Accurate.

This wasn’t an estranged attack. Coordination was evident. Planning to an end they could only assume.

As time past larger demons began to show, faster ones. All types of the evil creature. The air itself began to darken. A tang of acidity could be tasted on the tongue.

“Riders!!! To arms!!!” Axel shouted at the top of his lungs. Within seconds, as battle continued to rage, several large dragons rose from the distance. Riders were summoning their familiars. Some were smaller, just more of a battery of power for Casters. Others even larger than Seraphim.

One was near a solid fifty meters in length.

Seraphim chose that point to hop the walls, and begin ripping Demons in half. The rage and battle list was apparent on her form. Her blue tint no longer could be seen on silver scales. Instead she was splattered with different colors of gore.

Turning to the Ronin had come to their aid, he shouted, “My thanks!” As he did, fireballs began vaulting from a dozen directions. Some demons involuntary combusted in white hot flames.

The cavalry was there.

A thousand ghouls and evil, versus a dozen Riders and an exorcist. How would times meet their end?

Jirou

 

[Jirou]

The hordes were increasing in not only numbers, but strength as well. Who led this army? What was the purpose of the attack? The questions did not stop flooding with this. Jirou had never even known of the city he defended, let alone what quarrels it may carry with devils. As the dragon rider bellowed towards Jirou he could hardly make out what he had to say over the chaos but offered a wave of recognition.

The rider scorched a good chunk of the foes laid before the ronin so he turned around to face the commotion striding in. He saw many new creatures of demonic origin barreling towards the gates, the second wave of ones army. This WAS a coordinated attack. That meant there was a general somewhere in the shadows. If their leadership fell, would that mean their assault would as well?

It took Jirou some time to unravel his kusarigama so when the hordes arrived he had no time to think. He began to spin around in unholy circles striking the numerous enemies with the blunt end of his weapon, knocking many but killing only a few.

The ronin was growing surrounded, holding his own was becoming difficult.

 

[Axel Sterix]

As Axel battled the growing masses, he was getting more concerned. This could overwhelm the city. This could become to much. He had to protect the Tomes! The people!

Sensing his distraught, the man noticed a powerful flux mid the connection he bore with Seraphim. Suddenly the large dragon reared and unleashed a torrent of flame white hot in it's energy. The flame jutted out for meters on end. With it's power, and the taxing of their connection, he felt a single Drakonik Word: fire. It was a combination of Drakonik Magic and Will magic. This was the most powerful spell he had ever felt.

Simple in it's nature, it combined the natural flames of the Sunvaar, as well as both magics. In moments those within the walls were incinerated. As if sensing allies, the flames would curve about them. Instead only the demons were singed. It was intense. Thanks to her Will, the fire did little but minor damage to those of her friendship and the likes of the Exorcist.

When she stopped, she sagged. Slumping unconscious. Even Axel staggered a moment. She had drained both of their reserves. Tapping into everything they had to annihilate every demon inside.

Swaying, he called, "The gates. Close the gates." His body was weak now, but gathering back it's wits. Slowly the sway stopped, he felt doused in ice as if all warmth were gone. But he stood his ground.

As the gates closed, the man reached to the other dragons nearby with his essence. Please, help me. Was what the request murmured. Immediately his body began to warm. In moments he could stand without issue.

As he was rejuvenated, his project moved to save the city. The gates were closed and archers as well as casters began firing from the Wall.

After just a few moments, his body felt ok. He had no reserves, but he was alive and able to fight with bare melee. The other dragons ceased their assistance, focusing now on the moment and their own Riders.

Running to the Wall, he looked out to see an ocean of bodies running their way.

"Fuck."

Jirou

 

[Jirou]

Jirou knocked back as many as he could on his lonesome, yet it was merely him staving off the battle while trying to keep his head. He wasn't thinning the numbers on the field nearly as much and needed to find a swift retreat while he could. The outskirts of the city was beginning to look nightmare infested and there wasn't much he could do as one man by himself. Falling back and perhaps speaking with any spirits he saw would offer some helpful insight on what he was dealing with here.

He looked for an out and to his dismay noticed that the gates were closing rapidly as fire of holiest creation was purging the inside of the city. He had to move. Retracting his chain he turned and planted his foot onto the head of a nearby attacker and lunged himself towards the city walls. He kept a close eye on the amount of space he'd have to get in and it would be a close call.

The ronin full bore sprinted towards the gate and with the narrow space he had slid under the closing gate. The only problem was his now trailing kusarigama, and though his flesh remained unscathed the chain of his weapon was caught beneath the gate. It yanked him to a stop but with no injuries he stood up and looked at the now closed wall.

"Dammit." He said staring at his pinned weapon. He luckily had his sword still but it was likely his sickle was shattered by the impact. He changed his sight to upwards to see Axel and a legion of warriors flinging arrows passed the wall.

He shouted in Axel's direction; "My your hands look full, friend! How can I be of assistance?!"