Private Tales Light and Fire

[Lina]

Lina's bright and playful expression was so quick to shift as the pretty bird evaded her grip. Her brow dipped and her lips pouted more like a petulant child than the centuries old nightmare that she was. Arkhivom's instruction caused those pouting lips to twist as she lowered her gaze from the smoky skies and turned on her heels to face him. She was his Queen and he treated her as such. He gave her her freedom, her throne, her horde and all of the sustenance and amusement that she could possibly need. But Lina never forgot for a moment that it was He that she was irrevocably bound to serve and that to do so was the highest honour.

Her fanged teeth flashed at him as she skipped and twirled her way over to him, leaping into his ever-waiting arms to draw those mandibles toward her to claim his monstrous mouth in a crude kiss. It was answer enough, and she grinned as she slipped back to the ground and walked away. Flames caught the blood-soaked ground around her feet and her hips swayed seductively as she hummed a far more devilish tune to herself as she cast her black orbs heaven bound once more.

"Where'd you go-oooo, little biiiird?.." Lina sang as the fire crawled up her skin, engulfing her and growing..and growing. And what emerged from the flames this time was a far more terrifying sight. Huge taloned and leathery wings stretched out, sending up dark plumes of smoke and ash and fanning the fires. They beat her into the air, and as she emerged from the clouds of smoke she drew a deep breath and lent voice to a roar of such abysmal ferocity that the very air seemed to shake at the destruction wrought forth. Flame spilled from the monstrous reptilian's open maw and burned in her searching eyes as her hunt began.

​

 

[Arkhivom]

"Where'd you go-oooo, little biiiird?.."

As flames took shape around her,
and grew to encompass a great span,
a low, growling laugh left him.
​

---

His mandibles hung open and he nearly salivated as he watched Lina in her terrible glory ascend into the skies to take after the winged elf. Arkhivom knew that this particular one could prove to be quite troublesome if not dealt with swiftly. But he was confident in the magnificence that was his love and her awesome power.

Take her, and go
And from her we shall draw her flame
And you shall consume it
And know no equal
​

His words carried on only his thoughts would reach her, and she would know his voice.

But she was not alone, no, this they knew. They would have to go from this place to do what must be done.

Arkhivom's glowing red eyes fell down to the not so distant treeline, and there two figures had taken shape, having drawn near. He blinked once, and his eyes adjusted and he could see much more closely. His eyes widened with almost wild excitement as they fell upon the two, and he knew them, for with his eyes he could see beyond what was to be seen at first hand, and he saw the colours and frequencies of those beings before him.

The Lightbearer, his greatest threat as of now, especially here in the light of day.

And the other... the other whom he hated with such furious fire that Arkhivom did not give a second thought when he roared with malice and charged forward with thunder beneath his feet. A shield of bone materialized over his left arm, and a long-sword, made of only blackness, took shape in his other hand.

His aim was to attack both of them, either of them, it did not matter.

Both of them would fall beneath his feet.

 

[Eren'thiel Xyrdithas]

He drew to Lazule's side, and like him began a quick survey of what they could see. Like his friend, he was also unsure as to what burned at the center of the flame, but he could hazard a guess. This was where the men had come, and indeed, there was no sign of them, or any voice to be heard.

Until...

Another great flame began to take shape from beyond where they could clearly see, and smoke ushered forth with unnatural intensity. And then a horrid sound reached his ears, the distinct sound of laugher, but unlike any he'd heard before now.

"I fear, Lazule," he looked to him, "it is now more than probable..."

First came a sound unlike any beast he'd encountered, and a creature resembling a dragon revealed itself from the second great flame. Its wings stretched out over a massive span, and its strength nearly knocked even Erën back, had he not braced himself in anticipation. The beast shot up into the sky, and immediately Erën's thoughts raced to Caliane - her danger was clear and apparent. But before he could even begin to formulate a plan of action, another, similar challenge was announced and Erën turned his eyes to see what was carried upon the footsteps that seemed to shake even under his feet.

And his eyes too grew wide, but hardly from any excitement.

"Lazule...!" he said, his voice turning to almost desperation as a feeling he was unfamiliar with crept over.

Arkhivom moved closer, summoning his weaponry.

Erën drew his swords, twisting his one wrist, having the lesser of his swords now in a backhanded grip.

The briefest of hesitation...
and he considered now what having laid eyes on these creatures in the flesh could mean...

Caliane...
​

And then, with renewed fury in his eyes, he charged forward to meet this new threat.

---

Caliane Ruinë | Lazule | Lina ​

 

[Caliane Ruinë]

F̴̡͖̩͓̖̰̈́̍̀Ḽ̸̨̠̌̃͆̅͆̇̓̈́̕ͅY̵̧̨̦̪͕͍͉̯͙̟̻̥̎̎,̵̢̩̻͚̥̠͈͎̹̩͎̹͚̍͜ ̷̛̠̟̻̒̎̓͑̔ͅF̵̱̘̮̥̮̹͍̀̈̄͋̽͑̎͆̐͝Į̷͙̫̟͚͉͔̫̟͎̖͉̫̈́̐͑R̵͎͕̠̹̲̀̃̓̈́̑͝Ę̷̢͉̭̻̫̱̜̣̱̝͐̀̂̈̿̅́̐͛̾̉̆̏̕ ̶͕̖̝̉͌̈́G̶̢͎̦̺̹̩͙͝I̸̢̛͖̭̞̘͎̤̪͈͕̬̺̮͙͗̓̏̑͋̐̌͑͐̅͐͛̽͜͝R̶̛͎̤̠̟̟̙̩̓͌̓̂̔̄L̸̡͇̯̬̩̙̪̼̝̝̥̹̠̏̓̈́̾̉̌̐̐͜,̵̘̤̭̤̼̺͍̩̙́̑́̾͝͠ͅ ̵͔͙̺̰͙̱͔̌̆͋̈̐̈̊̍ͅͅF̷̡̨̼̘̹̖̥̮͔̳̈́͘͝L̴̯̈̓Y̴̡̢̗̰̣̦̼̦͙̹̪͍͆̾̈̌̊͂̄̉̀̄̅̓͝


​

Caliane didn't question the static chaotic scream in her head. For once the voices seemed to be shouting the same message at the same time and she didn't think it wise to argue with it.

The Avariel dove for the cover of the trees at the first sight of the monstrous dragon that rose for the thicket. With their size difference, agility would no doubt be Caliane's greatest weapon and she intended to use it. She had only ever fought a dragon once, back when she had been a part of the Hunters guild in Thyasari. It had been out of its mind half starved and had been attacking towns and villages. With its ability to fly it was a risk as much to Thyasari as it was any other towns in the spine so the Hunters had been sent to deal with it. They had lost three of their hunters that day and it had taken the rest of them to the edge of their abilities to bring it down. Now it was only her.

Us. The voice hissed and Caliane gritted her teeth.

She wound her way through the trees and then came to land and hide on one of the branches, scanning the sky. Perhaps if she could send it on a wild goose chase she could help the others instead, and there was still the fire raging she needed to calm...

Focus on the beast. The Wingless One and the Life Fire will be well, Caliane just hoped it was right.

 

[Lina]

The hellish beast purred at the welcomed echo of His voice in her mind, the sound of it reverberating through her very bones. She reached out those talons to scrape them over his mind in a gentle caress as layers of echos of her own voice whispered mellifluously back to him with a soft chuckle.

Ssssoooo good to me, My Love..
​

Lina's massive wings banked as she searched below, already ensnared by the thrill of the hunt. Was she hiding?.. Tsk.

The dragon's lungs filled with scalding air, and the flame that streamed from her throat did so with such a ferocity that it tore through trees and earth with ease, leaving great scores of blackened destruction through the forest. Again and again she rose up and destroyed the world below as she dove, trying to shake the little bird from her nest.

 

[Lazule]

In all things, echoes of what has come before.

Here was the flight of the dragon. There was a dragon before, in Bhathairk, that had joined the mass grave into which Lazule hurled corpse after corpse of the wicked. He did not recall much other than that. The wicked, the monstrous, they were all one in the same to him: vile things to be slain. To Lazule they existed without distinction. A dragon was no different than a giant rat, a werewolf, a troll. All were equal in worth: none.

The echo of what has come before, then, was the call to action. The ceaseless Hunt. He was the Slayer, and it was so demanded of him, here and now, that he slay.

Lazule made ready to manifest a Javelin of Light when Erën called out his name, redirecting his attention from above.

He saw the fiend, whose name was Arkhivom but this Lazule did not know. Another vile things to be slain.

Lazule began to recite a Mantra. "Believe in Humanity."

He manifested the Shield of Light, mirroring Arkhivom's own conjuring of a shield.

"Believe that the righteous shall triumph over the wicked."

He manifested the Lance of Light, mirroring Arkhivom's own conjuring of a weapon.

"You are a Slayer of Monsters, and Hope is the Slayer of Cruelty."

Erën to his side, Lazule ran forward, the two of them primed to meet their foe and fulfill their duty to Humanity, to Sharyrdaes. Shield to his front, Lance to the side, Lazule would take the first opportunity to thrust his weapon at their nemesis.

Eren'thiel Xyrdithas Caliane Ruinë Lina

 

[Arkhivom]

As Arkhivom moved forward, and his adversaries toward him, the forest around them all was engulfed in unholy fire. It poured from the great demoness' maw, reckless and devouring.

So as Lina sought out her prize, Arkhivom would deal with his.

As Lazule and Erën were upon him he planted himself in place. As he did, his shield of bone was brought to his front and he bent down lower, bracing himself. Arkhivom tilted his shield to his broadside and shoved to force Lazule's weapon and he himself to glance off to his side as he struck forth with his javelin of light, unless he was able to catch himself with his pronged legs and hold his place.

In the same movement he'd reached back and swung his sword with a mighty arm. Though he fully anticipating the elf make an attempt at waylaying his attack, he was confident in his own ability to thwart this attempt and sweep right through both of them.

 

[Eren'thiel Xyrdithas]

One by one, each of the villagers in Tyradal stopped in their tracks, forgot their daily tasks, and found themselves unable to tear their eyes from what appeared in the skies above. Rydin however was not so transfixed. Indeed, fear coursed through every fiber of his being as he watched the demoness rise into the sky and pour fire out over the trees just a short distance away. It was far enough they had no immediate fear of the fire, but that dragon need only take a little interest in their snowy little home and it would be wiped away. So Rydin - knowing full well they had no hope of fighting such beast, especially if the heroes who went to slay it fell - turned to head toward the stable.

He'd be getting out of here.

But just as he passed by the house the champions had been afforded for their troubles, he heard a sound come from within. Riddled with anxiety he nearly jumped as his attention turned, and he noticed the door open just slightly.

He took a few cautious steps closer, and gave the door a gentle push. It slowly creaked open, and he looked inside.

"By the... gods..."
​

---

Erën was one of many years, and nearly all of his life had been dedicated to acts such as these. To defend the light, and defeat the darkness. Ever defiant in the face of the evil, unholy, and unjust.

And Lazule, one born of fire whose very creation was centered solely around the eradication of evils such as these before them now - these monsters. He was the Slayer of all those who were monsters, defender of Humanity, and all those who are innocent.

Together, united purpose, they moved. Swiftly and precise.

As they drew upon the demon Arkhivom, a light took shape around Erën and his sword began to crackle and glow - all in the instant before the three of them finally closed the gap.

Lazule struck first, at the forefront and directly ahead of Arkhivom. The demon used its shield to try and parry and shove Lazule to the side and swung his black sword. Erën was upon him then, and with his charged sword struck out and defended against the attack.

Arkhivom's reach and strength was great, as he was a very large being, but Erën's own strength stayed him for a moment - until the black sword disappeared and Erën stumbled forward. He felt the monster's massive hand on his back and then a great force as he was pushed forward, propelled many meters away before Erën slid to a halt and whirled around to see Arkhivom reaching to strike Lazule with his heavy fist.

---

Caliane Ruinë | Lazule | Lina ​

 

[Caliane Ruinë]

The fire...

"I know," Caliane could feel it spreading like a disease through the forest. She had nothing beyond the faint elven ability to sense life to feel the animals fleeing it but it was enough of an impression to know how serious the blaze was and could soon be. The element might not be able to harm her, but she knew all too well how much it could harm everything else. Including the village. Her jaw tensed and with a deep breath she spread her wings and shot back into the sky. She had to lead it away.

After she put the fire out.

Keeping the dragon in her peripheral vision she held out her hands towards the flames hungrily eating up the trees and begun to shut it down. Slowly but steadily the flames begun to gutter and die as her own wings begun to glow brighter and brighter like the white heart of a flame.

 

[Lazule]

A flash of sparks and embers fanned out from Arkhivom's shield, a low warbling sound came from Lazule's weapon upon impact, and the Lance was deflected. As was Lazule himself. Arkhivom's might was unparalleled, and Lazule's feet were briefly parted from the ground before he could right himself and drive his pronged feet into the dirt and grind to a halt.

Erën's own attempt was already repelled by the time Lazule stabilized.

The punch came at him.

Lazule raised his Shield of Light and the force of Arkhivom's blow sounded like a felled tree slamming to the forest floor. The Shield flickered, Lazule's magic under strain, but it held. Lazule, however, was forced onto the backfoot in defense, and dirt was kicked up in a wave as his armored feet were driven into the soil. Down and low Lazule went, his knees bent, legs spread apart, his Shield higher than he--the demon's strength was formidable.

But not insurmountable. What lived, could die. The hope of the innocent rested on those who slayed the wicked on their behalf.

He, Erën, Caliane were three such Slayers. The very tool the demon used for its cruelty would be used for its undoing. Violence thrummed in Lazule's hand, its potential awaiting the right moment.

Now, on the defensive behind his Shield and down low, was not that moment. Not yet.

Eren'thiel Xyrdithas Caliane Ruinë Lina

 

[Lina]

'I seeee you little bird.'
​

The haunting whisper would carry into the mind of the avariel, the demoness circling high above and falling into a swift dive toward her with a playful chuckle. She fell through the smoky skies, wings tucked tightly until she was low enough to throw them open and swoop and her razor-sharp talons opened to snatch the winged elf out of the sky.

 

[Arkhivom]

He'd been successful on both fronts. The elf had been thwarted and tossed aside, and the lightbearer hid beneath his shield under the might of Arkhivom's terrible fury. But neither a second nor even a third strike were quite enough to bring that flickering to a dispersion. Out here in the light of day, this warrior would persist in full for a great while - this he knew.

After the third, unsuccessful blow, he reared his arms to either side and roared with malice in the very face of Lazule, angered by his defiance. Just as he did so, a brief darkness took shape about them, which given their positioning, only Lazule would perceive. But it was rather that a light of such brightness as to bring the illusion of surrounding dark had come to be, and Arkhivom was struck by a great and prevailing Celestial Strike.

This projected Arkhivom away from Lazule, but did little to maim him. Yea, it did injure him, but not to an extent the demon was incapable of ignoring. To look upon it, it appeared as little more than a mild scorching on his back.

He rose from a dusty cloud some many meters away, near the burning trees where flames licked at his skin. Coming to stand again at his full height, he now unleashed a similar attack as rebuttal, and a black lightning wreathed in red was shot forth from where Arkhivom stood, focused solely on Erën.

 

[Eren'thiel Xyrdithas]

The strike which was unleashed upon him was unlike anything he'd known before. He felt this by the cold that grasped him, even as this dark lightning was merely taking shape. It had come with such haste as to allow him no time to call out to his friend. He braced his footing and spun his sword around in his wrist, and swung it into a forceful point toward the demon.

A second strike erupted from where he stood, its brilliance a testament to how far the Broken Sword had come. But as it met with Arkhivom's own attack, it proved to be less than enough.

The demon's might, slowly but surely, encroached against him.

And he struggled to maintain the onslaught of magic he called forth, drawing on a great deal to persist.

His knees shook, and threatened to buckle. He took his sword with both hands, and fought to hold it upright.

It was no doubt that the longer this carried on, the faster Erën's demise would be.

---

Caliane Ruinë | Lazule | Lina ​

 

[Caliane Ruinë]

The last of the flames gutted as the dragon's shadow eclipsed the sun. Caliane only had a few seconds to pull her wings in tight against her body and twist into her own dive. Her advantage here was her size and she had to use it to evade the gaping jaws of death snapping at her heels. Yanking her wings open part way through her descent she suddenly flipped herself around and pushed up so that she flew back up along the dragon's spiked back instead.

Thinking quickly, she aimed a firebolt directly at one of the joints of the dragons wings.

 

[Lazule]

The demon was expelled from Lazule's immediate presence, but it was far from defeated. Lazule had witnessed many a fell beast be cleaved with a single Celestial Strike from Erën. Here, it served to gauge the formidable strength of what they were up against.

Yet, while Lazule could take heart in having a brother-in-arms beside him, Caliane, up in the air with the fiendish dragon, was on her own. Alone. This Lazule knew. Locked to the ground as they were, facing off against the demon which accompanied the dragon in their shared wickedness, neither he nor Erën could do much to aid her at present.

Lazule stood.

He assessed the struggle between Erën and the demon. The distance between himself and the demon. Took an estimation of time.

He flung his arm out to one side and dispelled his Lance of Light. In its place he manifested a Javelin, the long and slender weapon shimmering with a crackling intensity. He hoisted it up, and with his Shield and readied Javelin he resembled perhaps a hoplite from Thelios in his stance.

He aimed, and with a bouncing forward step he hurled the Javelin at Arkhivom, a sharp whistling trailing in the wake of its flight.

Eren'thiel Xyrdithas Caliane Ruinë Lina

 

[Arkhivom]

Arkhivom's attack, though resisted to an admirable degree, was greater than the elf's. Were the demon not so full of hate he'd have laughed in mockery of him, but his focus was too great. He simply wanted him dead. He gave a forceful grunt, and invoked more of his might against the Broken Sword. However, it was in this moment when the Slayer again retaliated. The shimmering light of his Javelin caught Arkhivom's eye, and he lifted his shield in defense.

To Arkhivom's surprise, the Javelin punctured the shield, and came to an abrupt halt, imbedded therein.

And then, a bright flash of yellow light.

The inevitable detonation of Lazule's javelin was unexpected, and resulted in not only the bone shield's destruction, but also the loss of his attached arm from the elbow down. The explosion - and sudden dismemberment - forced Arkhivom to slide to the side, and the dark lightning was dispersed. The Celestial Strike then sprang forward in its absence, quickly closing in on him. But Arkhivom was not so wounded as he appeared, and he hurled himself well clear of the brilliant blue light.

He lingered for a moment, shrouded by the dust that had been kicked up by his enemies attacks, and the smoke that still whirled around from the now subsided flames.

Black blood, dripped and oozed from his wounded limb. But quickly, as the black liquid fell it did so at a slowing pace, seeming to coagulate in a great mass. It was not long before another arm began to take shape, but by now the shrouding dust had dispersed enough to reveal him.

 

[Eren'thiel Xyrdithas]

It was with certainty Erën knew Lazule's attack had struck true. Ever deadly as the Slayer's javelin's were, it seemed even this great evil was no match for them, and it was a welcome reprieve when his magic was let loose to flow freely onward toward its mark.

But his eyes were sharp, and his ears keen.

The demon once again managed to outmaneuver them. Even they, such proven warriors.

A moment of anxious reprieve came upon them, and Erën kept his place. His eyes sought upwards, fighting through the diminishing smoke and ash to find any sign of Caliane, or the great beast she struggled against - to no avail. The rolling haze was still too thick.

Eyes back down, a figure began to take shape, and it was approaching, slowly, through the dust. Becoming more clear now, it became apparent that its arm was quite maimed, but... it appeared strange, as a shifting blackness. Not only this, but the helmet it had previously worn had been knocked off in the explosion, and revealed the creatures grotesque features. Piercing red eyes, large, fanged mandibles and teeth as sharp as razors.

With nothing but hate in its gaze.

It continued forward, almost casually.

Erën steeled himself for another attack, readying his blades for yet another attempt to best it by the sword.

---

Caliane Ruinë | Lazule | Lina​

 

[Lina]

The demon's talons and jaws snapped shut upon thin air, but the childlike chuckle would still tickle at those minds close by. The chase was the best part, and there was nothing more boring than winning the game too quickly. She relished the opportunity to fly, and to destroy far more than she'd ever be capable of in her more regular form.

Her wings flew open in time to catch the hit of fire and she snarled to find that it scorched at her scales. Lina bathed in fire, she danced in its tendrils and let it consume her, but whatever fire had been conjured by the spicy little bird was no normal fire. The stakes were raised, even if just a little, and she snarled as she climbed back into the air in hot pursuit.

The beast's mouth opened, the air rippling with heat as she prepared to return the avariel's attack ten-fold, when suddenly she banked and tumbled with an ear-shattering shriek, her front leg shuddering and talons curling in as she pulled it against her underbelly. The stream of fire flew wildly as she screamed, searching the forest floor for her Arkhivom and falling into another dive with a belly full of fire for those who opposed him.

 

[Caliane Ruinë]

GO!

Caliane didn't need the Soulfire to tell her twice. She snapped her wings shut and shot after the quickly descending dragon. If the beast let out a jet of flame before she could get there to be the shield then her friends on the ground would be injured - or worse. Her heart hammered like the steel drums of the Eastern valleys. This wasn't - couldn't be - the battle her vision had alluded too but perhaps whatever happened here would change that day. Change the losses foretold.

Wind grabbed at her but she pushed herself on, even extending her wings to push, push, push so that she could fly faster than the falling serpent...

 

[Lazule]

Through the haze their foe began to emerge.

The ever impassive gaze of Lazule's golden visor observed, face beneath forever obscured behind lifeless metal and crystal. Memories of the Unknown Warrior, the Templar whose body resided within the enclosure of armor, seeped through: flashes of a life of service not so different from Lazule's own. The memory that Lazule did not see was that the Unknown Warrior had become exactly what Father intended Lazule to become: the Hunter, the Slayer, and nothing but that.

He did not see that this was the making of Unknown Warrior's demise. That he had lost touch with his humanity.

Staring at Arkhivom coming forth from the haze of dust, all Lazule knew were the subtle urgings of the fanatical Unknown Warrior. Of which, here and now, he was all but helpless to agree with.

"Their numbers are legion," Lazule recited, "and ours few. Yet within your heart an army dwells, for the righteous retain a strength that the wicked shall never know."

He shot his arm out to one side, preparing to manifest his Lance once more to again complement his Shield.

When he heard the dragon above. Saw the incoming strafing run from the creature. Enemies on two fronts. Only his one Shield, and his armor, damaged in the prior few days, would not withstand a torrent of flame as well as it could have.

Lazule whipped his Shield around and held it skyward--potentially leaving him open to Arkhivom.

Eren'thiel Xyrdithas Caliane Ruinë Lina

 

[Arkhivom]

Even though his essence would rebuild, there was pain. And though he felt it and showed it not, she cried out in his stead. Such it was also when she was struck, as earlier by the winged elf's fire. He showed no weakness, but she burned under its heat, and in her it's pain transformed into only fury. It was as though the more she hurt, the stronger she became.

And he knew she would come, burning with vengeful flame.

But as he had believed from the beginning, none of them suspected their true intention here. Indeed, Arkhivom had given into his desire to see them dead, but they'd proven far more resilient than he'd given them credit. That was at least, until now.

---

Tyradal​

---

He couldn't believe his eyes when he'd seen it at first, and now he hid in between two buildings, behind a barrel, shivering in fear. Whatever abomination had been unleashed upon them, those so called heroes were to blame. That accursed thing had come from their dwelling, or at least that is what Rydin said before he...

Blane tucked his head against his knees and tried desperately to hold back the tears welling within his eyes. He watched that thing kill his older brother, and there had been absolutely nothing he could do to stop it. It was just... so terrifying. So evil. It was just after that he'd ran and found shelter here in this place of all places. He never thought to ask someone if he could go inside. Even after he could hear the screaming down the street he couldn't bring himself to move from where he hid, and he found himself paralyzed in his place.

He heard several people running by, their breathing taxed, their pace tired.

He could hear the terror even in the way they moved.

He heard a few peoples' feet scuffling to a stop, and he heard them speak to one another.

"Oh god... oh no!"

Blane bit his lip.

"Fuck it's got Trayl- by the gods..."

"We have to get the fuck out of here!"

---

Tildon's Cabin​

---

Lina descended from above. The avariel was in close pursuit.

The armoured one drew his shield up to defend from the fire, but left himself open to attack.

The elf, perceiving his ally's vulnerability, moved to close that gap - just as Arkhivom had expected.

"You forgot your little birdy..."​

 

[Eren'thiel Xyrdithas]

Erën was as swift as any, and fueled by desperation and magic he exhibited great haste in drawing near to Lazule. With the Slayer's shield of light covering from above, Erën prepared to defend from their side. However, he was startled to see that Arkhivom had made no move to encroach on them. Instead the demon had remained quite far off, and it seemed its arm had made a complete recovery, which was unfortunate to see happen so quickly.

And then, for the briefest of moments, the two of them locked eyes - and were he any less than he was there'd have been a chill run down his spine, for he saw in those eyes a darkness the likes of which he'd never even dreamed of - and hate.

But their interaction was, to Erën's great dismay, short lived.

The demon's eyes turned up.

And... though there were no spoken words, Erën... heard them.

"Now, Lina!"
​

"Caliane" he cried, charging toward Arkhviom. But he was far too late and too far away to prevent the demon from charging another one of his black lightning attacks, and hurling it upward to pass just alongside the great demoness as she descended and onward toward Caliane.

---

Caliane Ruinë | Lazule | Lina ​

 

[Lina]

'Now, Lina...'
​

That deep and guttural growl was more akin to a purr as His voice caressed her mind, and all that echoed back was the sound of musical laughter so absurdly contradictory to the nightmarish beast from which it came. Her wings were tight against her back as she plummeted to the ground, but at his word they opened and all that fury which His pain had invoked in her, tore from her chest with the ghastly orange grin of flame.

 

[Caliane Ruinë]

The Avariel were legendary fliers, their speed sung about in the songs, but Caliane had never had a reason to test the limits of her own capabilities until that moment. Not even in the heat of battle when she had thrown herself into the Amalgamation with no thought of every returning from such a dive. But now she had something to fly for.

She spun a bare wingspan away from the dragons scaly snout just as her jaws opened and the flame poured from within the beast.

And hit two wings alight in white flame.

Whilst Caliane was there they did not go past her to her friends below. They licked over her body and seemed to only make the light in her wings brighter and brighter until looking at them as like gazing at the sun itself. She gritted her teeth under the onslaught and as her body struggled to find somewhere to hold all that power, power that was not its to own.

But that all abruptly ended as the black bolt of lightning lanced through her heel. With a sharp cry the electricity spiked up her body and gutted the control she had over the dragons flame. The soulfire raged inside at the agony and the few precious minutes it took for the electricity to fade so that it could harness its energy again. When it did however, it wasn't the dragon that Caliane turned towards with eyes like molten flame. With a snarl, the Soulfire launched itself - wings ablaze once more with all the flame she'd now consumed - towards Arkhivron.

 

[Lazule]

With the slowness of amazement, this even in the midst of battle, Lazule slowly came to stand and to level his Shield. Caliane had intercepted the torrent of hellfire spewing forth from the Dragon's mouth. It was to him as if his spoken Mantra had manifested itself in the very moment which superseded it, that Caliane could so weather the infernal assault because she retained a strength that the Dragon would never know.

Such warmed the Fire in his chest.

Erën cried out. Charged toward Arkhivom. And lightning the hue of a starless sky struck Caliane.

Lazule's gaze snapped toward the demon on the ground. He raised his arm to conjure another Javelin, but with Erën closing to engage it became increasingly dangerous to launch it.

He looked up. Saw Caliane diving. Saw the Dragon still in flight.

There.

The Javelin did become manifest, and Lazule pivoted on his pronged heel, adjusting his body for more proper aim. And he hurled the spell high, the Javelin streaking as a brilliant and violent bolt up toward the Dragon.

(And within his armor, faintly but with gathering intensity with each cast, Lazule could feel the strain upon the Unknown Warrior's body, and the further depletion of magic within his suit.)

Eren'thiel Xyrdithas Caliane Ruinë Lina